“The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire alumni will provide an exciting and emotional score beckoning in a new era for the show, including a fresh take on the legendary theme tune.”
Showrunner Chris Chibnall said:
“Welcome to the Doctor Who family, Segun Akinola! We’re over the moon Segun's agreed to join us, to provide the score for the next phase of the Doctor Who adventure. From our very first conversations, it was obvious Segun was a passionate, collaborative and delightful human being as well as a fantastic and bold composer. We’re looking forward to introducing the world to his exciting and emotional soundtracks for the Thirteenth Doctor.”
And Akinola said:
“Doctor Who is woven into the fabric of British culture and recognised globally. I am absolutely thrilled to be given the privilege of working on such a beloved series and to bring my musical voice to it.”
I will not post the leaked content on this page but I will describe it.
A video clip leaked of a scene which takes place on a train a half an hour after the Doctor regenerated. The Doctor, Yasmin and Ryan are present, walking through the train. Yasmin is PC Kahn of the Hallamshire Police, Yaz to her friends. Hallamshire is an historic district in the City of Sheffield. Ryan's last name is Sinclair.
The train is a potential crime scene and the driver's window was broken.
The Doctor is surprised to be called Ma'am, despite having briefly glimpsed her own reflection before she fell out of the TARDIS. Somehow this did not make her gender apparent, or perhaps it's post-regeneration confusion. In fact, she can't yet remember her own name.
That's all I dare to describe and, I assure you, the clip is a lot funnier and exciting than I have described.
There are also two photos of the Thirteenth Doctor in dark, "steampunk" goggles with what appears to be her new sonic screwdriver.
This material can be found on the @JoshBinns5 Twitter account, though I suspect the account will be suspended shortly.
There is a backstory to the leaks. At least one person received the materials in a Twitter DM from someone who claimed to be a BBC employee. The alleged BBC employee has now deleted that account and all traces of communication from it.
UPDATE June 27:
I think by now most people who wanted to see the leaked material have seen it.
Someone on Twitter said that on Tuesday, June 19 they were shown the leaked materials.
Based on what this person saw in the photos which contain images of the new sonic screwdriver, they created their own drawings of the device which have also been making to rounds. Some people profess astonishment that this fan-created artwork is also subject to removal due to copyright issues but I believe this is in line with ownership of the actual design the drawings were taken from.
About the photos featuring the new Sonic screwdriver; it's obvious these were stills taken from another clip, probably a clip which is also in the possession of the person who shared the train clip.
It is my opinion and guess that the train clip and another one featuring the new sonic screwdriver reveal are intended to be shown at San Diego Comic Con. I'll explain.
The train clip shows the Doctor a half hour after her regeneration and introduces Yasmin and Ryan by first and last name. It is my guess that this clip will be shown right before Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole take the stage for the Doctor Who Panel at San Diego Comic Con.
I also think that, at some point during the panel, the clip featuring the Doctor with her new sonic screwdriver will be shown after which the prop will be revealed on stage. This is a great way to promote new merchandise and I wouldn't be surprised if toys or replicas based on the new sonic screwdriver are offered for sale shortly after San Diego Comic Con.
I have further reason to believe the leaked materials are intended for San Diego Comic Con. To be fair to Beth Axford of the Doctor Who Magazine Time Team, she claims no inside knowledge. On June 25, she said, "Wait a few weeks. It's not long now." The San Diego Comic Con Doctor Who panel will likely occur on Sunday, July 22.
I'm not the only one who believes the clips are intended for San Diego Comic Con.
They don’t need to turn any attention away. It really isn’t something they need to do. UK fandom getting uppity about a couple of Comic Con clips need to be reminded that part of Doctor Who’s success today is down to the international appeal. Good for them if they get clips.
Tapatalk is primarily designed as a convenient way to access forums, yet my first encounter with the leak was via a YouTube video which was brought to my attention on Twitter. I'm told the forum in question is Reddit. I'll update this blog again if I find out more.
"It is understood the unfinished clip had temporary music and had not gone through the process which determines the final visual look of the scene.
That may help investigators identify the part of the production chain where the leak originated before it was uploaded to Tapatalk.
It also appears that a small number of individuals on a different online platform, Discord, which is often used by gaming communities, had seen and discussed the short scene almost a week before it leaked publicly.
BBC Studios moved quickly to ensure the Tapatalk link was disabled and to remove the clip from social media platforms and video sharing sites.
Some fans online have speculated that the BBC may have planned to show a finished version of the clip at San Diego Comic-Con."
That last part is interesting. The writer of the news piece, Lizo Mzimba, BBC News entertainment correspondent, often knows in advance when and where news and publicity will break but cannot reveal the information due to news embargoes.
Also, I've been told the forum name of the leaker on Discord:
Oh, you're good! Discord is a chat platform, and they have a Doctor Who community that's loosely attached to the Doctor Who Reddit. The person who first posted it on the Discord was called "FactionParadoxIsn'tCanon".
Now, in August, BBC Studios has filed a subpoena in Seattle, Washington to the headquarters of Microsoft to release information on the the owner of a Microsoft OneDrive account which had the leaked clip uploaded onto it. The information came from TorrentFreak. The article also states the footage in question was stolen from the studio.
So what do we know about this leaker? The leaker is likely a male member of the Doctor Who production team.
If the footage leaked from the studio, it likely originated from someone on the production team. Someone on Twitter stated that they were shown the clip by a person who told them that he was a BBC employee. I assume this was via Twitter DM since the person stated the leaker has since blocked them. The Twitter person also referred to the person who shared the clip with him as "the guy" and "he".
The Twitter person has not yet been questioned as part of the investigation. I wonder if the investigative team really knows what they are doing if they are only attempting to follow the digital trail to find the leaker.
FOURTH UPDATE August 9
The Radio Times has a bit more information about the investigation.
According to their sources, it seems the BBC Studios investigation will will now include questioning of people who claimed prior knowledge of the leak on social media.
"We understand that BBC Studios is currently determined to track down various figures who indicated on social media that they had received the leaked material prior to its wider circulation earlier this year…"
Their sources also claim that Tapatalk and Microsoft are fully cooperating with the court orders.
"At the moment, it’s difficult for the BBC to prevent further leaks without knowing the original source of the material, or how much material was taken, so the legal application – which sources say is an entirely amicable process between the BBC, Microsoft and TapaTalk and a fairly standard procedure that has to be enacted due to privacy laws – is their best shot at keeping the new series under wraps and protecting the BBC’s IP."
FIFTH UPDATE August 10
It would seem BBC Studios believes it has come closer to finding the individuals responsible, or at least their contact(s), having targeted two Twitter accounts, @Vortexia and @MrWhelan101, according to the World Intellectual Property Review.
"The BBC filed its subpoena against Twitter at the US District Court for the Northern District of California on Friday, August 3"
"The BBC asked for any personal information held by Twitter on two of its users, including address, internet protocol location, and date of birth. The users are identified as Vortexia and Mr Whelan 101."
Both Twitter accounts have responded with statements after I tweeted them:
This is 100% bullshit but whatever, my ISP is masked anyway and i have just about every firewall you can think of protecting my privacy. Come after me all you want. You won’t get far. https://t.co/FT1yTAPuzJ
Well, that's interesting. The account I mentioned was @Vortexia and I received a response from and account called @VortexiaTweets, which has now deleted all the tweets on its account.
On June 6, a group of extras reported to Tredegar, a town near Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales, to portray hostages. I'm aware scenes involving this same hostage situation were also filmed at Roath Lock Studios the week of July 18-22.
I will share some social media posts from the filming but be warned that the posts may be deleted once they are given attention on this blog. I will share the text of the posts and describe the images but will not edit this blog if the posts are deleted. I will not include the identities of the extras in my blog text so their posts will be the only way to identify them.
First, my reason for knowing the scenes filmed involved a hostage situation from an instagram post with a Tredegar location pin.
In this case, SA stands for Supporting Artistes, another term for extra. A group of ten extras are sitting on the side of a road with automobiles and a typical aqua location truck in the background. They are all dressed identically in black baggy black pants, tan short-sleeved t-shirts and, curiously, black water shoes. I'm aware there were more than ten extras hired for this shoot.
The location is in a quarry in Brecon Beacons, according to this same person:
"Who knew quarries were so cool #onset🎥🎬 #salife #justchillin #breconisserious"
There was also an Instagram Story with the hashtag, #trefil.
I'm aware that Bradley Walsh was not there on June 6 because he was at 10 Downing Street in London for some publicity photos for Soccer Aid. Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, Tosin Cole and some of the crew members went to the Beyoncé concert in Cardiff on the evening of June 6. The following week, July 11-15, the production moved to Granada Provence, Spain.
Lizo Mzimba has today released his interview with Bradley Walsh from last month's BAFTAs.
During the interview, Mzimba revealed that, as of May 13, there were the "final few" episodes left to film. I would venture to guess that the finale block is currently being filmed.
The Doctor is Graham's boss, apparently.
"Well, she's my boss now so whatever she says, I have to do."
Walsh went on to describe Series 11 as "fantastic", "extraordinary", "epic" and "big, really big!", even by Doctor Who standards!
"It will double it! It will raise it to a completely different level. Higher than it's ever, ever been!"
Here is the interview in full:
A few people have asked me for this, so here's my chat with Bradley Walsh at last month's TV Baftas where he talks briefly about filming this series of Doctor Who pic.twitter.com/h4v5CaUkJT
According to a local news source in Granada Province in Andalucía, Spain, Guadix y Comarca en Elaccitano, a Doctor Who crew has been filming in the town of Aldeire.
El ayuntamiento de Aldeire (Aldeire Town Hall) put out a notice to residents on June 9. Here is my best translation:
It is reported that, during the next week, filming will take place in Aldeire. We hope that it will not be an inconvenience but any questions or doubts that arise should be addressed directly to the city council. The filming will be outdoors and will only occur during next week. The show is broadcast globally and is one of the most important British television shows. The name of the show is "Doctor Who" and they have chosen our city for the scenery. We encourage you to be tolerant of the filming which we believe will make Aldeire a key attraction for the province. Best Regards
The cast and crew have been in nearby Guadix and La Calahorra in the same province as well. Some have visited Castillo de La Calahorra where other productions have filmed.
A spanish company that unclogs plumbing visited their filming base in Lacalahorra on June 13.
The head of the makeup department, Claire Pritchard-Jones, posted an Instagram photo which shows that the set is within view of Castillo de La Calahorra. She is married to the production designer, Arwel Jones, who is also at the location in Granada Province, according to one of her earlier Instagram posts.
A fan managed to find the set on June 15. He was not allowed to take photos, meet the actors or come near the set. This is my translation of his report which can be found in the comments on the Facebook post below:
"We went to the set but they didn't let us in. We saw the Doctor behind some trees. They were filming a cart pulled by oxen. The Doctor was on the side, in costume."
The Papel Psiquico blog, with which I have been exchanging information, contains an account of filming and two photos of the TARDIS on location. I have translated as best as I can:
“Today, Friday, the crew were filming
between the cities of La Calahorra and Alquife.
Despite the fact that the crew did not allow him to get very close, he saw filming in
a wood cabin and was able to recognize Jodie Whittaker dressed as the Doctor
along with Ryan (Tosin
Cole). He also spotted someone who looked like Graham (David Bradley, who was assumed to be in the UK). He also saw the actors board the wooden cart mentioned previously, which was pulled by a pair of oxen. He also said that the first
day of filming was at a mountain near Aldeire.”
I can now confirm that Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole were filming in Granada Province. They appear in this group photo at a party on June 15 celebrating Jodie Whittaker's birthday after the location filming had wrapped.
The end-of-Spain-filming fancy dress Thirteen party. Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole in second photo. #dwsrpic.twitter.com/WsTxhfpDKg
I will continue to update this blog as I get more information and again with some information I am saving until I am certain they are finished filming in Granada Province this week. The production returned to Cardiff the following week.
I can now share the identity of an actress who was filming Doctor Who in Granada Province. She is Amita Suman.
I don't think Suman's Spotlight CV or the CV on her agent's website will be updated any further until her casting is official so, for now, all that is showing is "UNTITLED BBC DRAMA". Undisclosed BBC drama would be more accurate.
I have some more information about the Doctor Who filming at St. Mark's Church in Gabalfa on November 15. What follows is information about the kind of scene filmed. I've mentioned this scene before on Twitter but there is more information I didn't mention before at the end of this blog post. It involves a character's family.
First, some background about the filming that day.
The first report was of Jodie Whittaker present at the church on Facebook. It was first mistakenly reported as a wedding scene.
The schedule did not permit the Jodie Whittaker photo op with the students.
It was clear later that it was not for a wedding, but a funeral with a wicker coffin.
They carried out a coffin when packing up, it was like woven straw...
I can now give you more details about this funeral. SPOILERS FOLLOW! Highlight the black bars below for the spoiler text. The funeral scene filmed at the church involved a moving speech by Bradley Walsh's character, Graham memorializing his son, David. The scene is believed to occur early in the episode.
Edit: Sunday October 7:
The scene filmed was obviously Grace's funeral.
I think, with so many people in the crew and the many extras hired to fill the church, Bradley Walsh spoke some altered dialogue for the filming which was later changed in ADR (additional dialogue recording) in post production. Specifically, "Dave" was change to "Grace" and "he" to "she". The beginning of the scene was filmed from a distance so there was no need to make the words match his lips so he probably said "son" when he filmed that scene, which was later changed to "wife".
This is interesting in and of itself and I will certainly keep this incident in mind when reporting on Series 12 filming.
I know this shoot was for Doctor Who because he said as much in his blog here and here.
I realize there isn't much to see here but it tells us two things; Simon Ridgway remains the stills photographer for Doctor Who, and a character shoot occured on May 11 with an unspecified prop crucial to the shoot.
I'm sure we all look forward to seeing the official photos of the characters along with the "crucial" prop once they are released.
