SciFiAndTvTalk

The Wire's Idris Elba Comes To BBC America

Idris Elba as John Luther. Photo copyright of the BBC.

BBC America has announced its latest U.S. premiere co-production, Luther, starring Idris Elba (The Wire), a smart, six-part psychological thriller that takes a bold look at the crime genre.

Best known for his performance as drug kingpin Russell "Stringer" Bell in HBO's The Wire, Idris Elba now finds himself on the other side of the law. He plays John Luther, an intellectually brilliant but emotionally impulsive murder detective. He considers his profession a vocation rather than a job and it remains to be seen if he's a force for good or a man hell-bent on self-destruction. His confidante is also his archenemy, Alice (Ruth Wilson), a beautiful, multiple-murderess who evades his grasp early on, and with whom he becomes locked in a lethal battle of wits.

Luther is created and written by acclaimed suspense novelist, and one of the lead writers on Spooks (a.k.a. MI-5), Neil Cross, who says, "I'm delighted that the BBC has brought Luther to life. It's an intense psychological thriller which examines not only human depravity but the complex nature of love...and how it's often this, our finest attribute, that leads us into darkness."

Elba, who also serves as associate producer on the project, is joined by an all-star cast: Ruth Wilson (The Prisoner, Jane Eyre) plays Alice Morgan, beautiful, extraordinarily intelligent and a key witness in Luther's first investigation; Steven Mackintosh (Criminal Justice) is Detective Chief Inspector Ian Reed and Luther's loyal friend and work colleague; Indira Varma (Rome) is Zoe Luther, who's had the strength to walk away from the man she still loves; Paul McGann (Withnail and I, Doctor Who) is Mark North, unafraid to compete with Luther for Zoe's love; Saskia Reeves (Bodies, Blue Murder) is Detective Superintendent Rose Teller, Luther's risk-taking boss, and Warren Brown (Occupation) is Detective Sergeant Justin Ripley, Luther's loyal, awestruck new partner.

Co-produced and distributed by BBC Worldwide, Luther will air later this year on BBC America.

As noted above, photo copyright of the BBC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Matt Smith Is Doctor Who

David Tennant passes his Time Lord mantle on to Matt Smith in Doctor Who. Photo copyright of the BBC.

With the First Doctor his body had grown tired, the Fourth Doctor fell from a great height, and Doctor Number Six had a bit of a rough ride inside the TARDIS  - all these were reasons for our favorite Time Lord to regenerate on Doctor Who. From William Hartnell to Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and, most recently, David Tennant, all these actors put their indelible stamp on the character of The Doctor. In Doctor Who: The End of Time, David Tennant's 10th Doctor passed the baton onto Doctor Number 11, portrayed by Matt Smith. This Spring, audiences get to join him on brand new adventures in his role as the newest incarnation of The Doctor. In the meantime, the BBC has released the following photos of  Smith in the role. Enjoy!

Matt Smith has become the youngest actor ever to take on the role of The Doctor. Photo by the BBC.

The Doctor and his TARDIS. Photo copyright of the BBC.

The newly-regenerated Doctor at the conclusion of Doctor Who: The End of Time. Photo copyright of the BBC.

"I've got hands!" Photo copyright of the BBC.

"And long hair! Am I a girl?" Photo copyright of the BBC.

As noted above, all photos copyright of the BBC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Doctor Who: The End Of Time On BBC America

Wilf Mott (Bernard Cribbins), The Doctor (David Tennant) and The Master (John Simm) in Doctor Who: The End of Time, Part One. Photo copyright of the BBC.

THE final two Doctor Who specials, Doctor Who: The End of Time, Part One and Part Two, starring David Tennant as The Doctor, will premiere over the holiday season on BBC America. In Part One, it's the Tenth Doctor's final journey, but his psychotic nemesis, The Master (John Simm), has been reborn on Christmas Eve. With both determined to cheat death, the battle ranges from the wastelands of London to the mysterious Immortality Gate. Meanwhile, the alien race Ood, warn of an even greater danger approaching, as a terrible shadow falls across the entire Universe.

It's the beginning of the end for the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant). Photo copyright of the BBC.

Guess who's back???? John Simm as The Master! Photo copyright of the BBC.

In Part Two, the Doctor faces the end of his life as the Master's plans hurtle out of control. With the sound of drums growing louder and an ancient trap closing around the Earth, the Doctor and Wilf Mott (Bernard Cribbins) must fight alone. But sacrifices have to be made, and the deadly prophecy warns, "He will knock four times."

Bernard Cribbins as Wilf Mott (Donna Noble's grandfather). Photo copyright of the BBC.

This is not Bernard Cribbins' first journey aboard the TARDIS. The veteran British TV, feature film and stage actor played Tom Campbell in the 1966 Doctor Who movie Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D., which starred the legendary Peter Cushing as The Doctor.

Written by Russell T. Davies and directed by Euros Lyn, Doctor Who: The End of Time also guest-stars Catherine Tate (as Donna Noble), Timothy Dalton (as The Narrator), David Harewood (as Joshua Naismith) and June Whitfield (as Minnie Hooper). Part One airs Saturday, December 26th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America, with Part Two airing the following week, Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 @ 8:00 p.m. EST/PST.

MASTER FILE - The only other survivor along with the Doctor of a long-dead alien race called the Time Lords, The Master, first played by Roger Delgardo, made his debut in the 1971  Jon Pertwee (Third Doctor) adventure The Terror of the Autons. For three seasons, the two Time Lords matched wits, until the Master's final appearance in the season 10 Doctor Who episode Frontier in Space. Delgardo was scheduled to guest-star in one more story, but, sadly, was killed in a car crash on June 18th, 1973 while working in Turkey on another project.

The Master was not seen again until the 1976 episode The Deadly Assassin. Portrayed under heavy make-up by actor Peter Pratt and in his thirteenth and final regeneration, the now grossly disfigured Time Lord was defeated by the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker). In one last bid to save himself, The Master (still a husk of his former self and now played by Geoffrey Beevers) returned five years later in Baker's penultimate story, The Keeper of Traken. Taking over the mind and body of Tremas, a scientist from the world of Traken, The Master was reborn in the guise of actor Anthony Ainley. Following the death and regeneration of Baker's Doctor in Logopolis, The Master carried on with his quest for power and domination of the Universe, his schemes continually thwarted by Doctors Five (Peter Davison), Six (Colin Baker) and Seven (Sylvester McCoy). Ainley's incarnation of the character made his final appearance in the Seventh Doctor's swan song weekly TV adventure, Survival.

Feature film actor Eric Roberts reprised the role of The Master in the 1996 made-for-TV Doctor Who movie, which starred Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. It was in the Tenth Doctor episode Utopia, that our hero crossed paths yet again with his old enemy, played by Sir Derek Jacobi. This incarnation of The Master, however, was unaware of his true identity, and only when prompted by a piece of technology did he recall his past lives as a Time Lord. When mortally wounded, The Master regenerated into a much younger version of his former self (actor John Simm). In what later appeared to be one final battle between him and  The Doctor, The Master refused to regenerate and died... or did he? John Simm is back as The Master to cause more chaos and destruction in Doctor Who: The End of Time.

The Doctor meets up again with a representative of the Ood. Photo copyright of the BBC.

Wilf and The Doctor are on the move! Photo copyright of the BBC.

Into the TARDIS! Photo copyright of the BBC.

Guest-star David Harewood (center) as Joshua Naismith. Photo copyright of the BBC.

Former companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) returns. Photo copyright of the BBC.

The Doctor can't quite believe his eyes! Photo copyright of the BBC.

Hello world! Yes, it's me, The Master. Photo copyright of the BBC.

As noted above, all photos from Doctor Who: The End of Time, Part One are copyright of the BBC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!