Today sees the launch of the BBC Audio Drama Awards. The awards aim to celebrate and recognise the cultural importance of audio drama, on air and online, and to give recognition to the actors, writers, producers, sound designers, and others who work in the genre.

The short-listed entries will be announced on Monday 9 January 2012 and the winners announced at a ceremony to be held on Sunday 29 January 2012 in the Radio Theatre at BBC Broadcasting House, London.

The award categories are:

• Best Audio Drama
• Best Actor in an Audio Drama
• Best Actress in an Audio Drama
• Best Supporting Actor/Actress in an Audio Drama
• Best Adaptation from Another Source (script award)
• Best Use of Sound in an Audio Drama
• Best Scripted Comedy Drama
• Best Online Only Audio Drama
• Innovation Award

David Tennant, actor, says: “The quality of our radio drama is one of the things that makes me proud to be British. Acting on the radio is challenging, inspiring, delicate and always a privilege. Radio drama is often overlooked and undervalued next to its showier younger siblings on the television and in the cinema, and yet it is on the wireless that so many important and brilliant talents have been discovered and nurtured. I am delighted radio drama is being celebrated in this way, it’s about time.”

David Tennant trades his TARDIS in for a stake in the remake of Fright Night.

Seems like you throw a rock these days and you hit a vampire slayer – but none quite so memorable as Peter Vincent in Tom Holland’s original Fright Night. As played by Roddy McDowall, he was a has-been horror movie star/host of a local TV station. But also a hero if need be. Who on Earth could measure up to such a performance? Well, you need to look beyond Earth: to a Time Lord.

We had the good fortune to speak to the tenth Doctor Who, David Tennant, about his latest role. Here’s what went down.

Jordan Hoffman: I have never worn tight leather pants. Are they as uncomfortable as you let on in Fright Night?

David Tennant: You don’t know what you are missing. Especially when they are as well-made as those were. They hug in all the right places. It’s a cupping motion, y’know…having them made, though, that was uncomfortable. Lots of pins, lots of standing very still. But even on a long filming day, once they were on they were wonderful. But the line about the chafing was always in the script. In fact, [director Craig Gillespe] encouraged us to go off about a rash that was spreading…It got quite filthy. I recall Imogen Poots found it all disturbing. Maybe that’ll be a Blu-ray extra.

Jordan Hoffman: The character of Peter Vincent is very different in this version of Fright Night – kind’ve a hybrid of Criss Angel with high production value Vegas showman, a little cheesy, but lots of effects. I’m wondering where you drew your inspiration. Have you been to Vegas?

David Tennant: The idea is all in Marti Noxon’s writing. I don’t think it is based on a particular illusionist per se – and that the man behind the goatee isn’t as powerful when he’s not on the stage. I did go Vegas, however, just drank it in, saw some shows. It’s a particular world, isn’t it?

Read full interview at UGO

David Tennant​ is no stranger to playing an icon. After portraying sci-fi’s most famous time traveller, Doctor Who, for half a decade, the Scottish actor knows exactly what it’s like to step into some well-worn shoes and still make them look brand new.

That skill no doubt aided Tennant while filming director Craig Gillespie​’s remake of Fright Night, in which Tennant plays Las Vegas illusionist/vampire hunter Peter Vincent – a role first made famous by iconic actor Roddy McDowall (Planet of the Apes). Take a look at that synopsis of the Fright Night​ remake:

Teenager Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin​) guesses that his new neighbor Jerry Dandrige (Colin Farrell​) is a vampire responsible for a string of recent deaths. When no one he knows believes him, he enlists Peter Vincent (David Tennant), a self proclaimed vampire killer and Las Vegas magician, to help him take down Jerry.

We had a chance to speak with The Doctor Tennant bright and early in the morning, when the actor was just coming off a ‘grooming session.’ Among other things, we discussed what it’s like being challenged with stepping up and owning an already-famous character, what the new version of Peter Vincent is all about, and those long-standing rumors that the character is actually a caricature of a certain real-life illusionist:

Screen Rant: Good Morning – grooming went well?

David Tennant: (Laughs) Grooming was exceptional! I feel very groomed!

SR: Very good. Let’s start off by talking about your character in Fright Night, Peter Vincent. This is, of course, a well-known (and loved) character – can you tell us about your take on Peter Vincent?

DT: Well I wasn’t required to compete with Roddy McDowall – who we all know enjoys legendary status quite rightly – because the Peter Vincent in this version is radically relocated both geographically and spiritually from the original one. He fills the same hole in the movie, but he comes from a very different place. He’s a Las Vegas illusionist whereas Roddy McDowall was a late-night horror show host, which I guess don’t really exist anymore, so one of [screenwriter] Marti Noxon’s first tasks was to find a modern-day equivalent for that. So she looked at those illusionists who use Gothic imagery and vampire motifs, which gave her an in for somebody who might know a bit more about the subject [of vampires] and who might perhaps even have some history with the subject that might prove useful to Charlie Brewster when he needs a bit of help.

Read full interview at Screen Rant

David talks about everything Fright Night in this interview.

Read more at Britscene