Inside Disney-produced Doctor Who 60th anniversary special with millions spent on special effects

WE’RE geared up for some big surprises when Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary specials start on Saturday – namely David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning.

But I can reveal that one of the biggest differences will be the special effects on the show which cost around £5million an episode to deliver.

And after watching the first of the three BBC One shows, The Star Beast, I can confirm we’ll be seeing every penny of the budget.

It’s all a far cry from TOM BAKER as The Doctor in the Seventies when the sets wobbled and the special effects weren’t so special.

And after watching the first of the three BBC One shows, The Star Beast, I can confirm we’ll be seeing every penny of the budget.

It’s all a far cry from Tom Baker as The Doctor in the Seventies when the sets wobbled and the special effects weren’t so special.

A TV insider said: “Doctor Who has, for a long time, been seen as a bit of a laughing stock compared to other glossy fantasy and sci-fi shows — and it’s all down to the contrast in cash that’s been available. 

"Naturally, the BBC hasn’t been able to pump serious money into special effects but thanks to it being a co-production with Disney+ that’s not an issue.

“But even diehard Whovians will be stunned by them spending £15million on the anniversary special effects.” 

After leaving as showrunner of Doctor Who in 2017, Steven Moffat complained about the lack of money being put into the show.

He said: “That was the big challenge of Doctor Who . . . running the risk of looking as cheap now as it did (during the original series), compared to what the rest of TV is doing — unless they put a whole lot more money into it.”

Peter Capaldi, who played the Time Lord from 2014 to 2017, found it amusing how cheaply some of the production values were — even in more recent episodes.

Complaining the programme “never had enough money” spent on it compared to the big Hollywood dramas he went on to star in, Peter added: “It’s nice to be somewhere where they do have enough money to make the monsters look scary.”

Well, we’d better all get behind the sofas again, because they don’t have to worry about that any more . . .

STEVEN’S FUNNY RETURN

WITH Hugh Bonneville and Karen Gillan in the lead roles, there’s already a lot to get excited about when it comes to ITVX’s new comedy, Douglas Is Cancelled, written by Steven Moffat.

But for those of us of a certain age, there’s also the prospect of some of the humour from Steven’s last sitcom – BBC Noughties hit, Coupling.

Steven went on to create much bigger things such as Sherlock, with Benedict Cumberbatch, then as showrunner of Doctor Who.

ITV has just announced Douglas Is Cancelled, which is all about a newsreader whose career is kiboshed by modern woke culture, and it’s unlikely to be on our screens until next year.

But if it’s half as funny as Coupling – an underrated classic in my opinion – Steven’s about to make an epic comedy comeback.

FANS of Nineties girl group Honeyz are still reeling from seeing one of the band on ITV1’s The Voice this weekend. 

Mariama Goodman was part of the trio who sang Won’t Take it Lying Down . . . which was ironic as she didn’t put up a fight when none of the four judges turned for her.

FAN JIBES WERE BIG BOTHER

BIG BROTHER fans are no doubt disappointed that the show’s first outing on ITV is over – but for some of the team behind the programme, it’s a chance to take a huge sigh of relief.

I am told that the people whose job it was to edit the comments on social media clips, photos and other content related to the reality TV show had their work cut out.

The programme naturally created a lot of differing views on the housemates, some of which were rather too near the knuckle to keep in the public domain.

So what seemed like a relatively small task became a full-time job.

And by the time Jordan Sangha finally emerged as the winner on Friday night – beating fellow finalists Henry Southan, Noky Simbani, Olivia Young and Yinrun Huang – most of the housemates were oblivious to all of the furore.

Top work ITV.

SUN Page 3 legend RHIAN SUGDEN and ex-Corrie hunk Oliver Mellor have revealed they are to become parents.

Talking to Hello! magazine the couple announced the news after six years and eight gruelling rounds of IVF – which cost them a staggering £130,000.

SOAP CUT SHOCK FOR LOU

EMMERDALE star Louise Jameson has revealed how she was frustrated with the way her EastEnders departure was handled by BBC bosses.

The actress currently plays Mary Goskirk on the ITV soap, but before that she was Rosa di Marco on EastEnders from 1998 to 2000 – mother to Teresa, Beppe and Gianni.

Talking to Inside Soap magazine, she said: “I was annoyed about the way it was announced.

“I was only told the night before it appeared in the papers. I thought they could have run it by me first so I could tell my family. It wasn’t respectful.”

Judging by EastEnders ratings compared with Emmerdale’s, they probably did her a favour.

BOXES SO SECURE ON DEAL

WHEN Deal Or No Deal returns this afternoon, there’ll be the inevitable questions over whether contestants could cheat their way to bagging the £100,000 jackpot.

But new host Stephen Mulhern isn’t worried.

Ahead of the ITV1 reboot he said: “Let me tell you now, I’ve never seen security like I’ve seen around these boxes.

“It goes into a holdall, that’s double locked, then it goes into a cage, that’s double locked.

“They’re taking no risks because it is so much money. Some people think they genuinely can feel what’s in the box.

"They think they’ve got a sense. I don’t think we could be hacked by AI or an algorithm, because the boxes are all random.”

Sounds like Stephen’s put a lot of thought into this . . . 

ALAN’S BACK ON THE SQUARE

HE’S best known for playing nasty crime lord Brick Top in Guy Ritchie's gangster movie, Snatch.

And 23 years after the release of the cult classic, Alan Ford is back on our screens . . . in EastEnders.

The veteran actor, now 85, turns up in Albert Square to pay his respects at the funeral of beloved Aunt Sal.

The sister of Peggy Mitchell will be given a huge send-off by her family in upcoming scenes. But EastEnders fans will know it’s not the first time Alan’s been in the soap.

He previously starred in one episode in 1986 when he played Sam Sangers, who planned to con Debbie Wilkins out of her deceased boyfriend Andy’s belongings.

But the formidable Pauline Fowler, played by the late, great Wendy Richard, sent him packing.

It’s unclear if Alan is set to reprise the role 37 years later, but it would be one heck of a comeback.