TV News: Who, 24, Gattaca, Human

Doctor Who
The next special, ‘The Waters of Mars’, has now confirmed its air dates. In the UK it’ll premiere 7pm Sunday November 15th on BBC One. In the US it’ll premiere 9pm Saturday December 19th on BBC America.

Air dates for the two final Tennant-era ‘Who’ specials have yet to be officially set but estimates are Christmas Day & New Year’s Day in the UK, and sometime in January for both in the US. These three remaining specials, and a box-set containing all five specials, will hit DVD & Blu-ray in the US on February 2nd.

Meanwhile David Tennant’s appearance late last week as The Doctor on a two-part “The Sarah Jane Adventures” special saw the ratings for the mid-afternoon kids program on CBBC jump to 1.3 million viewers.

24
CASTING SPOILER AHEAD. The upcoming eighth season will feature the return of a familiar face – disgraced President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) says EW.

Logan will have a multi-episode story that puts him head-to-head with President Taylor (Cherry Jones) when she asks for his help in resolving an escalating diplomatic crisis.

Gattaca
Denis Leary’s Apostle Films is developing a future-set one-hour police procedural based on Andrew Niccol’s acclaimed 1997 sci-fi film “Gattaca”.

Gil Grant (“24”) will pen the pilot which Sony’s television production is developing.

The Academy
Ian McKellen has signed to star in Peter Hinton’s half-hour mockumentary series “The Academy” reports Variety.

McKellen would play his fictional brother, Murray McKellen, who heads a run-down drama school that is hoping to secure new funding through filming of a documentary about the school.

Jonathan Hyde, Sylvester McCoy and Frances Barber also star. The six half-hour episodes will begin filming shortly before McKellen begins work on “The Hobbit” in March.

Being Human
Syfy has handed out a 13-episode order for a US remake of the BBC supernatural dramedy “Being Human” says THR Feed.

“Human” revolves around three twenty-something roommates — who happen to be a ghost, a vampire and a werewolf — as they help one another navigate the complexities of living double lives.

After the original British version had a successful six-episode first season run, the eight-episode second season is slated to begin airing early next year. The US Version is expected to launch Summer/Fall 2010.