Jodie Whittaker Revealed as New Star of 'Doctor Who'

Actress Jodie Whittaker will be the new Doctor Who, BBC America and BBC announced on Sunday. She will be the Thirteenth Time Lord and take over from Peter Capaldi who leaves the global hit show at Christmas.

New head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall who takes over from Steven Moffat on the next series made the decision to cast the first ever woman in the iconic role.

Jodie Whittaker says: "I'm beyond excited to begin this epic journey - with Chris and with every Whovian on this planet. It's more than an honor to play the Doctor. It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope. I can't wait."

Chris Chibnall, New Head Writer and Executive Producer says: "After months of lists, conversations, auditions, recalls, and a lot of secret-keeping, we're excited to welcome Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. I always knew I wanted the Thirteenth Doctor to be a woman and we're thrilled to have secured our number one choice. Her audition for The Doctor simply blew us all away. Jodie is an in-demand, funny, inspiring, super-smart force of nature and will bring loads of wit, strength and warmth to the role. The Thirteenth Doctor is on her way."

Peter Capaldi says: "Anyone who has seen Jodie Whittaker's work will know that she is a wonderful actress of great individuality and charm. She has above all the huge heart to play this most special part. She's going to be a fantastic Doctor."

Sarah Barnett, President of BBC America says: "The fact that there was so much interest in, quite literally, 'Who?' speaks volumes about the enduring power of the Doctor Who franchise around the world and for BBC America viewers. We couldn't be happier to welcome the remarkable Jodie Whittaker as a history making Thirteenth Doctor and look forward to the continuation of this story."

British Soaps Coming to the United States Via BritBox

BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and ITV, the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster, today announced a new joint venture that sees the two British content powerhouses combine forces to launch BritBox, an ad-free subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, in the U.S. during Q1, 2017. AMC Networks, which has a joint venture with BBC Worldwide for cable channel BBC AMERICA, is investing in BritBox with a non-voting minority interest. BBC Worldwide and ITV share an equal majority stake in the joint venture.

This unique streaming service will celebrate the very best of British TV, and offer the most comprehensive SVOD collection of British content in the market today. For decades, BBC and ITV have produced iconic British television series, and for the first time these shows will be combined in a single, curated service allowing fans to find the classic shows they love and discover new hit series.

The BritBox proposition will feature:

* An array of drama premieres never-before-seen in the U.S., including New Blood, from acclaimed novelist Anthony Horowitz, Tutankhamun, The Moonstone, and In The Dark, from BAFTA award-winning writer Danny Brocklehurst (Ordinary Lies). Also, season premieres of drama favorites Cold Feet and Silent Witness.

* The “Now” category will feature an amazing selection of soaps and series that will be available as soon as 24 hours after their UK broadcast, including much-loved titles Eastenders, Emmerdale and Holby City.

* A British classics collection from ITV and the BBC, featuring iconic period dramas Brideshead Revisited, Pride and Prejudice, and Upstairs Downstairs; political thriller State of Play; murder mystery series Inspector Morse and Rosemary and Thyme; favorite sitcoms Keeping Up Appearances and Fawlty Towers; and much more.

NEWS: Jonny Labey, Parker Posey, Autumn Reeser, 'Unauthorized Melrose Place' Movie

EastEnders' Jonny Labey: "Paul's romance with Ben blossoms, but it needs to be a slow burner"
“The romance with Ben blossoms over the summer, but I think it needs to be a slow burner. Their relationship needs to work on different levels as opposed to just Ben’s desperation and him feeling fed up. They need to learn to trust each other and Paul should allow Ben to feel he’s making the right decision and that he’s comfortable with who he’s having a romance with with. Ben needs to feel safe that Paul’s going to be there for him, so I think this all can’t happen at once.”

Unauthorized Melrose Place Story latest TV tell-all in the works at Lifetime
"Drawing from true stories and anecdotes from interviews with the original cast and crew, The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story will highlight the remarkable behind-the-scenes moments that shaped the series — from early casting drama and Heather Locklear arriving to 'save' Melrose Place to the actors begging its writers for even wilder storylines to make them fan favorites," a representative for Lifetime told TODAY.com.

Autumn Reeser will appear in The O.C. musical as Julie Cooper, not as Taylor Townsend
Autumn Reeser, who played overachiever Taylor Townsend on the beloved teen soap opera, will reportedly appear in The O.C. Musical, premiering in Los Angeles in August. But according to Us Weekly, Autumn will not reprise her role as Taylor and will instead take on the beast that is Julie Cooper, otherwise known as Marissa's mom (played by Melinda Clarke on the show).

New York Times profiles As the World Turns' alum Parker Posey's "Offbeat Glamour"
Posey enrolled in the drama school at the State University of New York at Purchase. “I was on probation for the three years I was there,” she said. “I was almost cut my first year.”

But she stuck it out and started freelancing with an agent, who had seen her in college plays. Her senior year, she landed a part on the soap opera As the World Turns.

She was offered a three-year contract (playing Tess Shelby, a conniving Kentucky teenager who fakes a pregnancy), but signed on for only a year and a half, not wanting to get tied down. It was a wise decision.

Pierson Fode film Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List to screen at Outfest 2015
Fode stars opposite real-life girlfriend Victoria Justice in the movie. He debuts later this month as the new Thomas Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful.

BBC to cut more than 1,000 jobs
BBC director general Tony Hall announced today that the public broadcaster will be cutting more than 1,000 jobs as part of a restructure caused by a $234 million gap in license-fee income for 2016-2017. The shortfall in revenues has been blamed on more people using iPlayer, mobiles and online catch-up, leading to an unexpected fall in the the number of households owning televisions. Most of the cuts are expected to come from professional and support areas with management costs also being streamlined.

TV Land pulls Dukes of Hazzard reruns
The decision Monday comes as companies have begun distancing themselves from the Confederate flag following the racially motivated murder last month of nine members of a black Charleston, S.C., church.

While TV Land yanked The Dukes of Hazzard because of the flag, it hasn't decided whether or not the move is permanent, according to a source. The show was a new addition to the network; TV Land began airing reruns twice a day on June 10.

Telemundo will produce a TV newscast using only smartphones and tablets
Reporters and photojournalists will use smartphones and tablets to shoot all the video for the Monday, July 6, edition of Noticiero Telemundo, the network's evening newscast as part of "digital day" at the NBCU-owned network.

"We are changing the way news is made by embracing all aspects of digital technology," said Luis Carlos Velez, Telemundo's evp of news.

Want To Try A Foreign Soap? Three British Soaps to Get Hooked On!

If you are looking for another soap to get seriously addicted to, but want something a little bit different, watching soaps from other countries is a great option. You can get the same regular dose of drama and discover a whole new host of interesting characters, but also get an idea of what life is like in a faraway place (or at least, what life is 'sort of like', through the soap lens!).

Obviously if you want to watch in English without subtitles, then soaps from English speaking countries are the way to go. While there are famous soaps from countries like Australia (Neighbours and Home & Away being the most popular), some of the world's biggest English language soaps come from the UK. With a good internet and TV package (you can find reviews of great packages at satellitetvcable.com), it is easier than ever to watch TV shows from around the world, so why not check out one of these three big UK soaps?

Coronation Street

Coronation Street, or 'Corrie' as it is affectionately known in England, is the oldest running UK soap, and has aired without a single hiatus since the 1960's. It has, of course, moved with the times, and also increased from one episode per week when it started to having a new 30 minute episode aired most days. It is set in a small town just outside of the well known Northern English city of Manchester, and a lot of the drama centers around the long running families and businesses who live there. Coronation Street has had some famous and groundbreaking storylines, and while it is known for its humor too, can often have some high drama with storylines including typical soap fare like betrayal, murder and romance.

Eastenders

Eastenders is the second longest running soap, and is made by the BBC. It has been competing with Corrie for popularity since it started in the early 80's, and is one of the best loved shows among Brits, with even people who 'don't like soaps' admitting to knowing what is happening in this prime time show. Set in London, Eastenders can often be quite gritty and often features crime based storylines as well as complicated ongoing family dramas. It can also be very funny, and of course gives you a chance to pick up some cool London slang terms!

Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks is a soap that is typically popular mostly with the 'twentysomething' demographic, and has a more glamorous feel than Coronation Street or Eastenders, with lots of good looking young people involved in all kinds of dramatic and intriguing stories. It is made by Channel 4, and if you have ever watched and enjoyed other Channel 4 shows that have made it across the Atlantic like Skins or Misfits chances are you'll love Hollyoaks!

Watching soaps from other countries can be really fun, and you'll quickly notice how the style of soap acting and writing differs between these UK shows and our own most popular soaps. Check them out!

Peter Capaldi Suits Up as BBC America Reveals the First Image of the Twelfth Doctor's Costume

The Doctor has a new look as Peter Capaldi’s era officially begins. In a picture released today by the BBC, Capaldi can be seen in the costume that will define his time as the Twelfth Time Lord in one of TV’s biggest roles. Sporting a Dark Blue Crombie coat with red lining, Dark Blue trousers, a white shirt as well as black Dr. Marten shoes, the look was created by DOCTOR WHO costume designer Howard Burden.

DOCTOR WHO's First Doctor Regenerated in BBC America's 'An Adventure in Space and Time' Premiering November 22

David Bradley as William Hartnell in AN ADVENTURE IN
SPACE AND TIME. Photo Credit: BBC America

What do you get when you mix C.S. Lewis with H.G. Wells, and sprinkle in a bit of Father Christmas? An alien Time Lord exploring space and time in a Police Box spaceship called the "TARDIS" (Time And Relative Dimension in Space). On November 23, 1963, a television legend began when the very first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast on BBC One. Fifty years later, the genesis story is retold in a new BBC AMERICA co-production film celebrating the 50th anniversary of the franchise, AN ADVENTURE IN SPACE AND TIME, premiering Friday, November 22, 9 p.m. ET/PT on BBC AMERICA.

Lost DOCTOR WHO Episodes Newly Recovered from the 1960s, Now Available Exclusively on iTunes

BBC Worldwide North America announces that a stash of BBC master tapes from the 1960s featuring missing episodes of Doctor Who has been recovered in Nigeria, Africa. The BBC has re-mastered the tapes, and is making two stories, The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear, now available exclusively on iTunes.

Eleven Doctor Who episodes were discovered (nine of which have not been seen for 46 years) by Philip Morris, director of Television International Enterprises Archive, by tracking records of tape shipments made by the BBC to Africa for transmission. Morris says, "The tapes had been left gathering dust in a store room at a television relay station in Nigeria. I remember wiping the dust off the masking tape on the canisters and my heart missed a beat as I saw the words 'Doctor Who'. When I read the story code I realized I'd found something pretty special."

Matt Smith to Leave DOCTOR WHO

The BBC is today announcing that Matt Smith is to leave DOCTOR WHO after four incredible years on the hit show. Matt first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and will leave the role at the end of this year after starring in the unmissable 50th Anniversary in November and regenerating in the Christmas special. During his time as the Doctor, Matt has reached over 30 million unique UK viewers and his incarnation has seen the show go truly global. He was also the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role. DOCTOR WHO is BBC AMERICA's highest-rated series and premieres as part of the channel's Supernatural Saturday programming block.

BBC Has 'Regret' About ARCHERS Abortion Poll

Rachel Atkins plays Vicky Tucker on THE ARCHERS

Recently THE ARCHERS aired a storyline featuring a middle-aged couple, Mike and Vicky Tucker, who discovered that they were expecting a baby with Down syndrome. Producers decided to post a poll online asking fans if the couple should abort the baby or not.

After a massive outcry for the poll to be removed, the BBC capitulated and released a statement:

“THE ARCHERS storyline on Mike and Vicky’s pregnancy has been well-received by the audience and raises a number of important issues about Down’s Syndrome, informed by the advice and expertise of the Down’s Syndrome Association. However this issue is too complex and sensitive for an online poll and we regret any offense the poll may have caused.”

YEAR OF THE SOAP: Why is DOWNTON ABBEY So Popular? Will Season 3 Be Just as Good?

In recent BBC coverage of the lead-in to DOWNTON ABBEY's season three (United Kingdom) premiere, it seems no one in London can stop talking about America, how successful DOWNTON is here, and the secret of the series' success.

"I went to New York and me and Lesley got recognized. It was so weird... we never get recognized in London or a place like that!" exclaims Sophie McShera, DOWNTON's beleagured kitchen maid, Daisy.

WATCH: Olympic Torch Live Segment On EASTENDERS

The Olympics torch was carried through the streets of Walford in a live EASTENDERS broadcast on Monday night.

The eight-minute segment, featuring Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) running with the flame live through the crowds in Albert Square was inserted into the regular taped episode of the soap.

Watch the entire live segment below:

UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS Not Returning For Third Season

The BBC has confirmed a third season of period drama UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS will not be commissioned. The show was revived in 2010 with first episode watched by 8.8 million viewers. The ratings declined over time and the final episode of season two only had 5.22 million viewers.

A BBC spokesperson said: "From CALL THE MIDWIFE to BIRD SONG and THE SYNDICATE, 2012 has been a great year for Original British Drama on BBC1 but at this stage there are no plans for UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS to return".