DOCTOR WHO - PLANET OF THE DEAD FILMING UPDATE 1

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A H E A D

 

UPDATE: 23/01/09

 

Filming did continue last night on Planet Of The Dead, despite the horrible weather. The crew were filming on the other side on the Bute tunnel, by the slip road up to Techniquest at around 12.30am. According to 'mugim0e' over on the DWF "it basically involved the red double decker bus and 3 police cars. David Tennant and Michelle Ryan were on set, and they were riding on the lower deck of the bus and sat next to each other. David Tennant had something in his hand that had a bright blue light shining. The scene was the bus coming over the bridge from ikea/morrisons direction and going through the tunnel with the 3 police cars following it with their lights on."
Mugim0e also managed to get some snaps featuring David Tennant and Michelle Ryan on the bus. Thanks for your brilliant work mugim0e.
The latest news is that Michelle Ryan is playing a character called Lady Christina de Souza and she will be joined by comedian Lee Evans, playing Malcolm.


19/01/09 to 22/01/09
At last, shooting has commenced on the next Doctor Who special, Planet Of The Dead. On the late evening/early morning of 19th January a BBC Wales crew filmed a number of scenes inside the National Museum Cardiff. The museum appeared to be doubling for the International Gallery described as "having a display of Incan/Roman and Egyptian artefacts".


Director James Strong appeared to be covering scenes inside the building involving a cat-suited blonde woman on "a series of ropes, pulleys and ballasts being used to swing (her) around". New producer Tracie Simpson was also on set, as was an old red Routemaster bus (the number 200 to Braintree which figures in later filming) and the charred skeletal remains of some poor victim which were seen being removed from the Museum. Rumours also have been doing the rounds that Michelle Ryan was filming in the role of Kristina/Christine.


On the 20th and 21st January the Butetown tunnel was closed off to traffic as the BBC crew moved in and set up for a further two nights of filming. Lots of extras dressed as UNIT troops in red berets and black uniforms were spotted at the filming base. There are also a few military-looking vehicles, police vehicles, and the reappearance of the mysterious bus. Filming took place inside the tunnel overnight, involving bright flashes, lots of 1970s era vintage cars, a bus full of extras and a smoking skeletal corpse prompting actor Glenn Doherty to exclaim "Get me UNIT. Emergency code one!"


And lo and behold! Lots of UNIT troops swamp the area.



Filming for the 21st/22nd is being hampered by the terrible weather and most of the filming unit has moved across to the opposite side of the tunnel but not a great deal of work is being done due to the heavy rain.
All this intrepid reporting and photography is from the ever reliable DWF gang of Scooty, Brian Damage, Alun Vega and Brigade Leader. Cheers, guys. You are 10/10 Awesome.