FORMER Doctor Who boss Steven Moffat has set himself the challenge of making two dramas simultaneously – so he’s turned to two former Timelords for help.
He’s exec producer of Hartswood Films, who are making Amazon’s The Devil’s Hour.
I can reveal it will star Peter Capaldi as well as former Call The Midwife actor Jessica Raine.
Steven and his team are also filming Netflix thriller The Inside Man, with David Tennant previously announced in the lead role.
A TV insider said: “Whovians will be thrilled to learn that these two top dramas will feature David and Peter, the tenth and twelfth Timelords respectively.
“It reflects just how close he was to the show and its stars that he continues to feature them in Hartswood projects. They’re just as thrilled to be taking part.
“The twin shows are among the most anticipated of this year — the team at the acclaimed production company also gave us the modern reboot of Sherlock and Dracula for the BBC.”
Six-parter The Devil’s Hour tells the story of Lucy, played by Jessica, who is woken every night by terrifying visions at exactly 3.33am.
And the eeriness doesn’t end there. Her son is emotionless, her mum talks to empty chairs and her house is haunted.
Then she becomes linked to a string of brutal local murders, which draws in Peter’s character — a reclusive nomad.
The Devil’s Hour also stars Goodness Gracious Me favourite Meera Syal, Indian Summers star Nikesh Patel and former EastEnders baddie Alex Ferns.
Meanwhile, Hartswood are making The Inside Man with David starring opposite The Devil Wears Prada star Stanley Tucci.
The four-part thriller is based on three people in different parts of the world whose lives are bizarrely intertwined.
I wonder if eleventh Doctor Who Matt Smith will be getting a call from Steven for his next project . . .
READ ON FOR MORE OF ROD McPHEE’s BIZARRE TV COLUMN
Time to chill for Stephen
FRESH from doing Time with BBC1, Stephen Graham finds himself in the icy wastes for new BBC2 show The North Water.
It sees him star opposite Hollywood actors Jack O’Connell and Colin Farrell as well as acclaimed veteran Sir Tom Courtenay. Cast and crew found themselves filming the five-parter in the sub-zero Arctic, which is believed to be the furthest north a drama has ever been created.
The North Water will air this autumn and tells the story of disgraced army surgeon Patrick Sumner, played by Jack.
Sumner signs up as a surgeon on a ship, but clashes with his shipmates. They include Captain Brownlee, played by Stephen, and Colin’s harpooner character, Drax.
The ship’s crew all discover their mission isn’t quite what it seemed to be.
If the mission was a beard-growing contest, Jack definitely lost . . .
FRIENDS star James Michael Tyler has revealed he has stage four cancer. The actor, who played Central Perk manager Gunther, was diagnosed with prostate cancer three years ago and is now unable to walk after it spread to his bones – ruling him out of the Friends TV reunion.
ITV under the Boss
FOLLOWING an eight-year break, Undercover Boss is making a return to UK screens after it proved a huge hit in the US.
But it is getting a thick coat of Hollywood gloss before jumping from its original home on Channel 4 to ITV this autumn.
The new series will see a fresh batch of bosses go undercover as an employee in their own company to see what life is really like at the bottom.
They will spend a week in disguise and will get to know the unsung heroes of their organisation before revealing their true identity.
The C4 version first aired in 2009 and ran for five series up to 2013, but then the concept was replicated around the globe.
I’m glad it’s coming home.
PHILLIP Schofield welled up on This Morning yesterday as he revealed he’d had an emotional reunion with his mum, Pat, after a year apart due to lockdown. He told co-host Holly Willoughby how he was able to hug Pat as she celebrated her 85th birthday at the weekend.
Tee time the best for Naga
BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty has revealed she likes to play golf because it’s one of the few occasions when she can have a proper conversation with her husband.
Most read in News TV
She said: “How often do you come home, you’re with your partner and you might chat for ten, 15 minutes and then the telly is on.
“If you’re out on the golf course for four hours, you may not talk all the time, but you spend quality time together and you have the opportunity for conversations to breathe.”
What do they talk about if her hubby slices his tee shot into the rough?