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Topic: Easter Special 2009

Hi folks, I know the following news were already posted but I'd like to give it a very own thread and picture big_smile

(and before you ask - Michelle Ryan already had a few appearances on our botd)

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/8012/michelleryan01qd2.jpg


Michelle Ryan will guest star alongside David Tennant in this year's first Doctor Who special at Easter, prompting speculation that she may get a permanent role as the Doctor's companion when the show returns for a new series in 2010.

The former EasterEnders star will play the mysterious Lady Christina de Souza, who joins the Doctor on a bus trip which takes a "detour into danger", the BBC said. The special is scheduled for broadcast in April.

"I'm a huge fan of Doctor Who and very excited to be joining David Tennant and the Doctor Who team," said Ryan. "It is such a fantastic show and I can't wait to get started."

Ryan will be joined in the Planet of the Dead special at Easter by comedian Lee Evans, who plays a character called Malcolm, whose life becomes connected to the Doctor's under extraordinary circumstances.

Planet of the Dead is the first of four Doctor Who specials that will air in 2009. The shows will be the swansong for Tennant and Russell T Davies – the executive producer and showrunner responsible for the sci-fi drama's hugely successful revival in 2005 – who will both bow out after the Christmas 2009 special to make way for new Doctor, Matt Smith.

However, BBC executives have not yet announced who will be Smith's companion, increasing speculation that Ryan could get the role full time as the show has a habit of re-using actors and characters from earlier programmes.

Catherine Tate, for example, was originally cast in a Christmas 2006 special, The Runaway Bride, then returned to star alongside Tennant as the Doctor's companion in series four last year.

"Michelle is one of the most sought after young actors in the country and we are delighted to announce that she will be joining the team," said Davies.

"As always the script is being kept strictly under wraps however we can reveal that Lady Christina is a woman with a mysterious past who's going to have a huge impact on the Doctor."

Ryan has previously worked with Steven Moffat, who takes over from Davies, as he wrote the six-part BBC1 series, Jekyll, that she starred in in 2007.

She was also on-screen last year in BBC1 fantasy drama Merlin playing sorceress Nimueh, alongside veteran actor John Hurt, before which she starred in US broadcaster NBC's 2007 revival of Bionic Woman, which was axed after one series. The show was broadcast in the UK by ITV2.

Ryan also featured alongside former Doctor Who assistant Billie Piper in ITV1's 2007 adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park.

However, Ryan is best remembered for her breakthrough role in EastEnders playing Zoe Slater in the BBC1 soap between 2000 and 2005.

Filming of Planet of the Dead, written by Davies and Gareth Roberts, began this week in Wales.

The show will also see the return of Noma Dumezweni as captain Erisa Magambo, who previously appeared in an episode of last year's series called Turn Left.

Source: guardian.co.uk

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Re: Easter Special 2009

She looks fine! big_smile

I think it all depends on how she does, and what her role is... I really hope she returns though, and for more than one series! (Unlike the recent companions!) She does look a bit older than Matt Smith though!

yikes
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big_smile

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Re: Easter Special 2009

I don't like her.  In fact I hate her.
So, new Doctor and new horrible assistant - I don't think I'll be watching the new season.

sad

DRM "manages access" in the same way that Prison "manages freedom".
http://xkcd.com/488/

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Re: Easter Special 2009

Wizard wrote:

I don't like her.  In fact I hate her.
So, new Doctor and new horrible assistant - I don't think I'll be watching the new season.

sad

Did your parents drop you down the stairs when you where little?

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Re: Easter Special 2009

It's your loss really...

yikes
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big_smile

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Re: Easter Special 2009

Not watching with Stephen Moffat as lead writer.... your crazy not to give it a go at least, correct me if I'm wrong but he wrote "Blink" didnt he... that was an awesome episode

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Re: Easter Special 2009

Yep... he is is probably the best writer... smile

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Re: Easter Special 2009

Mxyzptlk wrote:

Yep... he is is probably the best writer... smile

Yes, definitely, the best writer. He also wrote "The Girl in the Fireplace" which along with "Blink" are my two favourite episodes of the "new" Doctor Who. BTW, Moffat also wrote the popular BBC comedy Coupling smile

9 (edited by caruthers 2009-01-26 19:18:08)

Re: Easter Special 2009

Wizard wrote:

I don't like her.  In fact I hate her.
So, new Doctor and new horrible assistant - I don't think I'll be watching the new season.

sad

My favourite assistant will probably always be Freema Agyeman (gotta love that smile) but I'm prepared to give Michelle Ryan a chance to prove herself. Who knows, this could be the role she was born to fill?

As for the new doctor, I remember thinking similar thoughts when David Tennant was brought in and I was happily proved wrong, so I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised again smile

10 (edited by kirby 2009-01-26 19:25:43)

Re: Easter Special 2009

I am kinda lookin forward to both the new doctor and Michelle Ryan....
Micehelle is hot....She looked good in Merlin, though in the bionic woman..I thought the girl that played her sister kinda out shined her as far as looks goes.


...Oh yea and Mofat definitely the best writer

Even if I weren't into the new doctor...I would at least have given it a chance....when they first brought Donna on I hated her...but by the end I really liked her in the show, especially during the doctor donna part at the end.

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Re: Easter Special 2009

caruthers wrote:
Mxyzptlk wrote:

Yep... he is is probably the best writer... smile

Yes, definitely, the best writer. He also wrote "The Girl in the Fireplace" which along with "Blink" are my two favourite episodes of the "new" Doctor Who. BTW, Moffat also wrote the popular BBC comedy Coupling smile

I know.. and those two episodes are my favourites as well smile

I also liked Freema a lot, but after what I've seen of Michelle, I'm pretty sure that I will love her smile

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Re: Easter Special 2009

Steven Moffat is the best Doctor Who writer for the simple reason that he actually makes it a time travel show. He wrote "The Empty Child/Doctor Dances" two parter where we meet Capt. Jack Harkness (from the 51st century), "The Girl in the Fireplace," "Blink," and of course "The Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" two parter. The last two (actually three) episodes he wrote had all brilliant time traveling ideas and plots, something which has been severely lacking from Doctor Who so far.

In addition to the brilliant Coupling, which has already been mentioned here, Moffat wrote Jekyll, a great sci-fi show with James Nesbitt. In this show the role of Jekyll's assistant was played by no other than Michelle Ryan. Now Moffat being the show runner for Season 5 of Doctor Who, I would think the chances aren't bad that Ryan will actually become the new companion. Moffat does have a history of working with the same people - he worked with Gina Bellman on Coupling and then cast her in a major role in Jekyll. Honestly, I was surprised she didn't pop up in any of Moffat's Doctor Who episodes yet ...

"We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go."
-- Colonel Tigh

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Re: Easter Special 2009

are they really talking about 2010

it just fucking got 2009... oh man i hate waiting

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Re: Easter Special 2009

IIRC we get four big specials this year with DT, so while speculating about next year we already can enjoy this year wink

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15 (edited by Mxyzptlk 2009-02-01 02:03:41)

Re: Easter Special 2009

Is Jekyll any good?

This is wonderful : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1337072/

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Re: Easter Special 2009

yes, jekyll is good... where have you been?

and yes. Moffat's the best writer. but he has his niche, and doctor who is a whole lot more than that. i'm not 100% sold on his ability to run the show solely on his writing skills. only a fool would be. that said... it will be interesting... and if it does fail, surely it will be a spectacular failure...

and michelle ryan as a full time companion with matt smith in 2010... that's just too much pretty on screen at once...

i'm going to eat your brains and gain your memories...

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Re: Easter Special 2009

theConundrumm wrote:

yes, jekyll is good... where have you been?

and yes. Moffat's the best writer. but he has his niche, and doctor who is a whole lot more than that. i'm not 100% sold on his ability to run the show solely on his writing skills. only a fool would be. that said... it will be interesting... and if it does fail, surely it will be a spectacular failure...

and michelle ryan as a full time companion with matt smith in 2010... that's just too much pretty on screen at once...

I don't know about Matt Smith.. Tennant has to be very hard to replace.. but I thought the same way after Eccleston, so hopfully, I will be proven wrong... again smile

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Re: Easter Special 2009

yeah, tennant's going to be tough to replace... as is RTD, as pretentious as his writing could be at times, his overall vision for the show really hit the mark...

all the balls are up in the air... here's hoping they get juggled well...

i'm going to eat your brains and gain your memories...

19 (edited by caruthers 2009-03-12 13:10:44)

Re: Easter Special 2009

More rumours about the new Doctor's assistant... Hannah Murray (she played Cassie in Skins).

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a14912 … anion.html

http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/caruthers/Babes/cassie-s1s.jpg

caruthers

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Re: Easter Special 2009

this is creepy gorgeous at it's best...

i'm going to eat your brains and gain your memories...

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Re: Easter Special 2009

very cute big_smile

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Re: Easter Special 2009

Not for the Easter special though...

yikes
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big_smile

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Re: Easter Special 2009

Lee Evans!
I cant wait

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Re: Easter Special 2009

She's no Michelle Ryan...

25 (edited by penguin 2009-03-11 17:34:44)

Re: Easter Special 2009

Don't get me wrong, Michelle is smokin hot, but I would choose (for the next companion)
01. Carey Mulligan      (Sally Sparrow - DW)
02. Georgia Moffett     (Jenny - Doctor's Daughter)
Then,
03. Hannah Spearritt    (Abby Maitland - Primeval)
04. Michelle Ryan      (Lady Christina de Souza - DW [Easter 2009], Jaime Sommers - Boinic Woman)
.
.
.
.
>10. Hannah Murray     (Cassie - Skins)