Monday, 25 April 2011

David Tennant's United drama - post broadcast


Last night the broadcast of David Tennant's United received 3.2m viewers according to the overnight figures which were released today. This figure will increase when the final figures are posted in a week or so.

To compare Lewis (which was on from 8pm until 10pm on ITV and is a long running series) had an average of 5.9m so the BBC will be very hapy with 3.2m for a BBC Two broadcast especially as it clashed with a programme about the Royal Wedding on BBC One.

Today
On The Box gave United 5 out of stars and described David Tennant as "one of Britain’s finest actors."

United is available on the BBC iPlayer within the UK for seven days and can be downloaded (worldwide) from this link.

The United section of DavidTennantOnTwitter.com has full details about this drama.






Sunday, 24 April 2011

Trailer for Kafka The Musical



BBC Radio are playing a trailer for Kafka The Musical with clips from the programme (although none of David Tennant singing).

Click here to listen to the trailer.


(As usual please do not link directly to the MP3 but rather link to this page.)





Two more David Tennant premiere screenings again today!



After yesterday's double premiere screening, today there is another David Tennant double premiere! Today they are both longer but unfortunately they clash by 30 minutes.

From 8pm until 9.30pm on BBC Radio Three they are airing Kafka The Music which David recorded in January. It is written by Murray Gold and is a rare opportunity to hear David sing.

Click here for more information about the production including a link of David singing.

This can be heard live worldwide at the BBC Radio Three website.

At 9pm until 10.30pm David Tennant will be starring in United on BBC Two. This is the drama about the aftermath of the Munich air crash which killed several members and crew of the Manchester United football team. David Tennant recorded this at the end of last year.

The United section of DavidTennantOnTwitter.com has more details about this drama.







Some negative press about United

A few negative press articles have been posted in the last couple of days in regards to United airing tonight at 9pm on BBC Two. However it should be pointed out that they have been negative about the drama itself and not about David Tennant

The Telegraph questions whether the drama should have been made but concludes with the paragraph "If for no other reason than reminding us of Murphy’s centrality to the construction of football’s most enduring legend, United deserves to be watched."

It also says "David Tennant’s performance as the central character should alert every award-giving body."

Following the Mirror's claim on Thursday that Matt Busby's family were unhappy with his portrayal in the drama, The Metro has a similar story. (The Metro also has the time incorrect as United starts at 9pm and not 10pm as it states.)

The Daily Mail (who are part of the same publishing company as The Metro) also have an article in a similar vein.

But the Sheffield Telegraph focuses on their local boy Dean Andrews in their article (including an interesting video interview).

Meanwhile The Express mentions David Tennant's involvement in the CBBC tribute to Elisabeth Sladen last night.









Saturday, 23 April 2011

Video of David Tennant on Football Focus today

At about 12.20pm today a brief interview with David Tennant and a clip of United was shown on Football Focus on BBC One.

With thanks to MsSilt, you can download this section of the programme by clicking here.

United airs on BBC Two tomorrow (Easter Sunday) at 9pm. The United section of DavidTennantOnTwitter.com has full details about this drama.




Press Association release about David Tennant's United



This morning The Press Association issued a press statement about United.

It can be read for a few days at this link but as Press Association statements disappear after a while, it says:

"Tennant touched by United drama

The former Doctor Who actor plays their legendary coach Jimmy Murphy in United, a BBC drama about the crash in which eight young players lost their lives.

The 40-year-old actor believes the crash had a profound affect on Manchester United, now a multi-million pound business boasting millions of fans across the globe.

He said: "I get the sense that what happened in Munich in 1958, how the team coped with it and how they came back from the brink, was possibly the beginning of Manchester United as the kind of world football team they are today.

"The way they conducted themselves and struggled back with such dignity and fight has inspired an international love for the team, and that is due in no small part to what Jimmy Murphy did."

The drama also stars Skins actor Jack O'Connell as a young Bobby Charlton and Any Human Heart's Sam Clafin as Duncan Edwards.

David said: "I'm not a football expert but I was completely bowled over by the incredible story and the journey that Manchester United went on.

"On a very basic level, it's a true story but it also looks at the arbitrary nature of fate, the capriciousness of life and the triumph of the human spirit."

:: United is a one-off drama airing on Easter Sunday on BBC2.

Two David Tennant premiers today



There are expected to be two new David Tennant television premiers on British television today.

At 11.45am on BBC One during Football Focus there will be an interview with David about his drama United including a clip of the programme. This is a weekly programme about football which is 45 minutes in length.

At 6.45pm on CBBC David Tennant is one of the contributors in a special programme on CBBC called My Sarah Jane: A Tribute To Elizabeth Sladen.

Tomorrow there will be another two David Tennant premiers as both Kafka The Musical and United are broadcast for the first time.




Thursday, 21 April 2011

Video of David Tennant on BBC Breakfast today

With many thanks to DoctorWhoDom, below is one video with all three sections of David Tennant's appearance on BBC Breakfast today - his intro, his tribute to Elisabeth Sladen and then David Tennant talking about United.





Wednesday, 20 April 2011

David Tennant's tributes to Elisabeth Sladen


Today David Tennant made a couple of tributes to Elisabeth Sladen who died yesterday.

On the BBC Press Office tribute page David said "I just can't believe that Lis is gone. She seemed invincible. The same woman who enchanted my childhood, enchanted my time on Doctor Who and enchanted generations who have watched her and fallen in love with her – just like I did. I feel very honoured to have shared a TARDIS with Sarah Jane Smith, and I feel very lucky to have shared some time with Lis Sladen. She was extraordinary."

Also on Newsround today he spoke about Lis. Click here to listen to it.

On DavidTennantOnTwitter.com our David Tennant Treat 4 Today was also a tribute to Lis.

David Tennant will be on BBC Breakfast tomorrow morning so he may also talk about her then too.






Saturday, 16 April 2011

Recap of David Tennant on The Graham Norton Show last night


Last night David Tennant and Catherine Tate were on the Graham Norton Show on BBC One to help promote Much Ado About Nothing.

The Television section of DavidTennantOnTwitter.com has links to lots of items about this appearance but this is also a brief summary.

The show can be downloaded by anyone in the UK from the BBC iPlayer for 7 days from this link.

For those outside the UK, it can be downloaded from this link.

Before the show the BBC added this video to YouTube to help promote the programme.

The BBC also added some quotes from the show at this link. The Metro has used some of David's quotes for an article.

The full item from the BBC is:

In the first show of his new series, Graham Norton is joined by former Doctor Who David Tennant, actress Catherine Tate, comedian Jon Richardson and Grammy-award winning Josh Groban.

On the upcoming royal wedding, all the guests lament their lack of invites despite having brushes with royalty. Josh says: "Perhaps the invites haven't been sent yet. I would love to sing for their first dance."

Revealing her own love of the royal family Catherine says: "When I was little I honestly thought I was going to marry Prince Andrew. When I was at school he was really good looking and who knew he liked ginger people? If I'd known that I would have picketed. It was a sad day when Fergie bagged him."

Talking about Much Ado About Nothing, in which he stars with Catherine, David says: "It's the original romantic comedy, a proper comedy with witty dialogue." Graham then delights in testing them on how well they know their lines just two weeks into rehearsals.

Talking about obsessive fans, Catherine reveals: "For four years I had an American fan that had a one-sided dialogue trying to get me to marry him. I didn't know anything about him because my agent wrote back to him and the reason she kept him from me was because he has a ponytail!"

David says: "I was once asked for my autograph in the shower on one of my rare visits to the gym. I was washing my hair, facing the wall, when I was tapped on the shoulder so already it's quite inappropriate. I turned round and there was another naked man standing there with a piece of paper. And I think 'if you can't see how inappropriate this I am just going to have to play along' so I took the paper, which is slowly becoming mulch, and carved my name in it."

Josh says: "My fans are very polite – they don't scream. But there are a lot of pushy mothers who try and pawn their daughters off. It's a little bit awkward when you get the mother-daughter combo." Jon talks about his new book, a guide to not having a relationship, and says about his stand-up tour: "It's generally about happiness and how hard it is to be happy when you want to be miserable to empathise with the world." Josh performs Higher Window from his new album live in the studio. And finally, Graham pulls the lever on foolhardy members of the audience brave enough to sit in the red chair.

Notes to Editors These quotes are taken verbatim from a studio recording and may not necessarily reflect the content of the final transmitted version of the programme.

The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 15 April at 10.35pm.





Friday, 15 April 2011

New radio series for David Tennant

David Tennant has recorded a new four part radio series which starts broadcasting on Friday 6th May at 11.30am on BBC Radio Four.

It is called The Gobetweenies and the BBC press release explains:

"David Tennant and Sarah Alexander star as multi-married exes in a shared parenting comedy, written by Marcella Evaristi and directed by Marilyn Imrie.


The Gobetweenies is a candid look at contemporary family through the prism of two North London siblings, Lucy and Tom, as they schlep between their determinedly hands-on parents.


Joe can't take being a "once a fortnight" dad. Lucy is excited about exploring surrealism, Tom is obsessively counting sultanas and their mum, Mimi, is desperate for her third attempt at married life to get started. But the children's father, Joe, has come to a decision that will change all their lives.


David Tennant plays Joe, Sarah Alexander plays Mimi, Finlay Christie plays Tom, Phoebe Abbott plays Lucy and Stuart Milligan plays Harry.


Producer/Gordon Kennedy for Absolutely Productions."


Tuesday, 12 April 2011

David Tennant immortalised on a Royal Mail stamp today



Today David Tennant is immortalised on a Royal Mail Stamp!

He appears on the First Class stamp (46p) which is part of the special set commemorating 50 years of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The photo of David Tennant is from their 2008 production of Hamlet and it has the line "To be or not to be that is the question" on it.

The other stamps in the set show The Tempest, Henry VI, King Lear. Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet.

The stamps can be purchased from Post Offices in Britain or online they mail worldwide from this link.

Next week the Royal Mail will issue a set of stamps to mark the Royal Wedding.

The Daily Mirror has a large version of David's stamp today at this link (or see the photo below).







Tuesday, 5 April 2011

Cast announced for David Tennant's production of Much Ado About Nothing


The full cast has been announced for David Tennant's production of Much Ado About Nothing which opens at the Wyndham Theatre on Monday 16th May.

The cast will be:

David Tennant ............Benedick
Catherine Tate ........... Beatrice
Tom Bateman .............Claudio
Alex Beckett ................Borachio
Joshua Berg ................Titus
Jonathan Coy ...............Leonato
Anna Farnworth ...........Innogen
Mike Grady ...................Verges
Clive Hayward ..............Hugh Oatcake / Friar Francis
Derek Howard ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Angelo
Kathryn Hunt .................Ursula
Adam James .................Don Pedro
Lee Knight ....................Conrade
Elliot Levey ...................Don John
Nicholas Lumley ...........George Seacole
Sarah MacRae ..............Hero
John Ramm ..................Dogberry
Enzo Squillino Jnr ........Balthasar / Sexton
Leo Staar .....................Messenger
Natalie Thomas ............Margaret
Hannah Warren-Green.. Maria

In different performances Eugene Lewis, Mario Marin-Borquez or Bailey Pepper will play Boy.

Also announced today was that the set design will be by Rob Jones and Emma Laxton will do the sound. It had already been announced that Michael Bruce would be composing the music.

See here for more details about the production.

Designs are by Rob Jones with lighting by Peter Mumford, music by Michael Bruce, and sound by Emma Laxton.

Also a new website has been set up by the production - MuchAdoOnStage.com


David Tennant in The RSC At 50 today on Radio Four

At 11.30am David Tennant is included in a programme called The RSC AT 50 on BBC Radio Four (which can be heard worldwide on the internet). This is the first of a three part series.

According to the BBC website the programme details are:

The RSC At 50 Ep 1/3

Tuesday 5 April
11.30am-12.00noon BBC RADIO 4

Jim Naughtie goes backstage as the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) celebrates its 50th birthday and reopens its main theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

In this three-part series, Jim explores how the company first came into being in 1961; the creation of its unique ensemble system; its landmark productions; and the opening production in April 2011 in its newly built state-of-the-art auditorium within the historic theatre on the banks of the Avon in Stratford.

This series features access to key players of the last half century. It includes the voices of all five of the artistic directors – Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn, Terry Hands, Adrian Noble and Michael Boyd; and luminaries such as Peter Brook, Cicely Berry, Judi Dench, Patrick Stewart and David Tennant.

In the first programme, Jim follows Michael Boyd and company as they prepare the new production – Macbeth – which formally opens the new theatre this month (April 2011).

Presenter/Jim Naughtie, Producer/Beaty Rubens for the BBC





Monday, 4 April 2011

Rehearsals started today for David Tennant's Much Ado About Nothing.



Rehearsals started today for the David Tennant / Catherine Tate production of Much Ado About Nothing which opens at the Wyndham Theatre in London in exactly six weeks.

In an earlier interview David said that he believed that rehearsals would be for five weeks but three separate people involved in the production tweeted today that it was the first day of rehearsals.

The play opens on Monday 16th May and plays seven times a week until Saturday 3rd September.

Tickets are available from this link and more information about the production is available here.

To date only David Tennant as Benedick and Catherine Tate as Beatrice have been officially announced in the cast but the names of four other actors in the play have made their way onto the internet!

The play is being directed by Josie Rouke.



Friday, 1 April 2011

BAFTA screening of United starring David Tennant

BAFTA are holding a special screening of United in Manchester on Monday 18th April.

Click here for more details and tickets.

It will be followed by a Q&A but David Tennant will not be attending.





David Tennant to be on Graham Norton show on BBC1


David Tennant and Catherine Tate will be on The Graham Norton Show on BBC1 on Friday 15th April from 10.35pm until 11.20pm.

The show will be recorded on Thursday 14th in London and tickets can be applied for via this link. However there is currently a waiting list and even getting tickets do not guarantee seeing the recording as television studios always issue more tickets than there are seats.

David and Catherine are expected to be appearing on the show to promote Much Ado About Nothing. They start rehearsals the previous Monday.

Also appearing on this episode is Grammy award winner Josh Groban.