Thursday, September 1, 2011

Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News

Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News

Movie capsules: What's playing at Erie's Tinseltown, Millcreek 6 and Movies at ... - GoErie.com

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:15 PM PDT


Movie capsules: What's playing at Erie's Tinseltown, Millcreek 6 and Movies at ...
GoErie.com
When no one he knows believes him, he enlists Peter Vincent (David Tennant), the opportunistic host of his favorite TV show, to help him take down Jerry and his guardian. Audiences won't have any trouble sinking their teeth into this violent and funny ...

and more »

At the Movies - Press Herald

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:14 PM PDT


Press Herald
At the Movies
Press Herald
"FRIGHT NIGHT" (R) (2:00) Stars Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell and David Tennant. Directed by Craig Gillespie. Teenager Charley Brewster guesses that his new neighbor is a vampire responsible for a string of recent deaths. "GLEE: THE 3D CONCERT MOVIE" ...

Movies this week 09/01/2011 - Abilene Reporter-News

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:01 PM PDT


Movies this week 09/01/2011
Abilene Reporter-News
Comedy horror with Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell and David Tennant. R. 106 minutes. Not reviewed. "HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2" (Century 12) Harry and his allies seek to destroy the evil Voldemort. Action adventure with Daniel Radcliffe ...

Fright Night - Little White Lies

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 02:10 PM PDT


Little White Lies
Fright Night
Little White Lies
... but now finds himself caught between two rather different models of masculinity – new alpha-male neighbour Jerry, who just happens to be a vampire (Colin Farell in feral form), and Vegas showman and would-be lothario Peter Vincent (David Tennant, ...

Doctor Who Roundup – Clips, Trailers, Behind The Scenes, Images & More! - Britscene

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 01:00 PM PDT


Britscene
Doctor Who Roundup – Clips, Trailers, Behind The Scenes, Images & More!
Britscene
If you went against our advice and made a cup of tea during the adverts last weekend then we also have the animated 60-second bridge sequence written by Steven Moffat that was aired during one of the breaks. All the promo images for the next episode ...

and more »

Reviews - New Movies Opening September 2nd 2011 - Movies.ie

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 12:30 PM PDT


Reviews - New Movies Opening September 2nd 2011
Movies.ie
Starring Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, Toni Collette, David Tennant, Imogen Potts, Christopher Mintz-Plasse. THE PLOT: Charley Brewster (Yelchin) lives with his mum (Collette) in an isolated Vegas suburban estate that might as well be called ...

New Ep 9 intro, galleries, plus Confidential videos!

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 12:18 PM PDT

On Saturday night we'll be introduced to the terrifying Night Terrors, and to prepare us for the scares in store, the BBC website has been updated with new Episode 9 content! As well as a video intro from Matt Smith and series producer Marcus Wilson, they've new episode, character, peg doll and behind the scenes galleries, [...]

Double Invasion due in January

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 11:00 AM PDT

BBC Worldwide have revealed that the classic Doctor Who stories, Invasion of the Dinosaurs and The Android Invasion will both be released in North America on January 10th 2012.

No UK release date has yet been announced, but it is likely the UK release will be early January.

Invasion of the Dinosaurs
Written by Malcolm Hulke
Directed by Paddy Russell

Starring Jon Pertwee, Elisabeth Sladen, Nicholas Courtney, John Levene, Richard Franklin, Martin Jarvis,Peter Miles

Doctor Who Story Code: WWW
6 epsiodes: Broadcast: Sat 12 Jan 1974 - Sat 16 Feb 1974
Total Running time: 147 minutes 15 seconds

Episode One of the story only exists in the BBC Archives as a black and white film print. No details have been yet been released of the restoration process or the extras for this story, but it is hoped that the episode has been restored to colour.


The Android Invasion
Written by Terry Nation
Directed by Barry Letts

Starring Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Ian Marter, Milton Johns,Martin Friend
Doctor Who Story Code: 4J Story Number:
4 epsiodes: Broadcast: Sat 22 Nov 1975 - Sat 13 Dec 1975
Total Running time: 98 minutes 11 seconds


Meanwhile in Australia BBC Worldwide are offering fans the chance to win tickets to a special screening of The Day of the Daleks, to be held in Melbourne on Sunday 18th and Sydney on Monday 19th September. Winners will have the chance to meet and chat to Dan Hall, the person in charge of Classic Doctor Who on DVD.

Visit the competition page for details.


Doctor Who News

Torchwood: Miracle Day - BBC1, 9pm - Mirror.co.uk

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 10:33 AM PDT


Mirror.co.uk
Torchwood: Miracle Day - BBC1, 9pm
Mirror.co.uk
Not everyone can carry off immortality with as much youthful swagger as Captain Jack apparently, but there are some leads tonight that may help the Torchwood Two discover how Miracle Day came about. And good news for people wondering where all the ...

The Doctor Who TARDISblend 35: Let's Kill Hitler - Geeks of Doom

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 10:15 AM PDT


The Doctor Who TARDISblend 35: Let's Kill Hitler
Geeks of Doom
Doctor Who is back, and the Time Lord (Matt Smith) returns to Earth following an unconventional summons from companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) to find out his progress in locating their daughter. ...

and more »

Torchwood: Miracle Day - Cast Interviews - FEARnet.com

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 10:07 AM PDT


Torchwood: Miracle Day - Cast Interviews
FEARnet.com
Torchwood: Miracle Day stars John Barrowman, Mekhi Phifer and Alexa Havins tells FEARnet what to expect from their newly reborn STARZ original series. One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, ...

and more »

Fright Night (2011) - VUE Weekly

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 10:03 AM PDT


VUE Weekly
Fright Night (2011)
VUE Weekly
No one, the cops included, buys Charlie's fantastical claims about Jerry, so it's up to him—and, eventually, an ultra-cheesy Vegas showman (the especially funny David Tennant)—to stop Jerry, restore order, and resume intercourse. ...

and more »

Tonight on Miracle Day, it's the End of the Road…

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 10:01 AM PDT

…but not really! For Jack, Gwen and the rest of our heroes, though, things are heading towards their big climax, so just what's in store for them in this week's instalment? Well, we know that Jack is about to face a showdown with a man he thought long since dead, and Rex will take extreme action, [...]

Happy Birthday, Burn Gorman!

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 10:00 AM PDT

Please join us as we send out all our best birthday wishes to Burn Gorman! Burn is known for his portrayal of Owen Harper in the first two series of Torchwood, and, although he's sadly no longer saving the world alongside Jack and Gwen, he'll always be a member of the team in our eyes! The actor [...]

The Doctor returning to New Zealand next month

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 09:39 AM PDT

Prime have confirmed on their Twitter page that they will be screening Series 6: Part 2 in New Zealand from Thursday 15th September! The first episode of the new autumn series, Let's Kill Hitler, will air on the channel at 8:30pm, and you can find out just what's in store for the Doctor on the network's [...]

'Doctor Who' comes back with a brain-bender - Minot Daily News (blog)

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 09:09 AM PDT


'Doctor Who' comes back with a brain-bender
Minot Daily News (blog)
The sixth season of "Doctor Who" resumed Saturday on BBC America. Now, they opened the season with the image of our hero on a funeral pyre – Matt Smith in the title role as the 11th regeneration of the time-traveling alien. And if that wasn't enough in ...

and more »

Let's Kill Hitler Reaction

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 08:59 AM PDT

Somewhere out there is a guy sending emails to every single website in existence telling them to review the latest episodes of Doctor Who, just so he can punish my commitment (and dare I say, obsession) to creating the ultimate reviews round-up.

Well, if you're reading, sir, I'm onto you, and I can take anything you throw at me. Don't believe it? Keep reading…

Let's get the dirty bits out of the way, shall we?

An overnight audience figure of 6.2 million viewers for Let's Kill Hitler has been declared the "the lowest audience for an opening episode since the sci-fi show's return in 2005″ by The Mirror, who naturally omit to mention that the figure is an estimate and that even the final total won't include viewings online via BBC iPlayer.

It is obvious that there is a segment of the so-called mainstream media that have an agenda against Doctor Who and the BBC. We'll be looking at this in more detail in the near future, but in the meantime, let's jump into the reviews themselves, starting with Neil McCormick's blog for The Telegraph in which he explains why he thinks that Steven Moffat and his team of writers are "making it up as they go along". He actually has a good argument for some of this:

"my youngest son remains unconvinced that River is actually Amy and Rory's child, because the first time River meets her mother Amy on screen (in Time Of The Angels in the last series) and Rory (The Pandorica Opens) she gives no impression of ever having met them before. Indeed, the second time she meets Rory (in The Big Bang), she refers to him as "the plastic centurion", rather than, say, "daddy". Perhaps only a seven year old would be so sensitive to how a child addresses their parent, but he has a point."

(He seems a smart lad, young Master McCormick. I wonder if he can help his dad work out the difference between a man called Stephen and a man called Steven.)

Briefly back to The Mirror now while we're on the subject of plotting; while McCormick reckons the show is full of plotholes, the redtop rag that was once a bastion of socialism and is now tarnished with the stench of corporate brown-nosing, phone hacking denials and Piers Morgan (no air freshener will sort that problem out), The Mirror reckons that the River Song storyline is "convoluted". While this might be a sentiment shared by Kasterborous podKaster James McLean, it does make you wonder where things are going.

"…The way this storyline has taken over is a serious ­misjudgment by Moffat.

It all became too convoluted on Saturday night, especially when River turned out to be Amy's best friend from her ­childhood, too. Even the other characters are getting confused."

Of course, Jim Shelley is no fan of Doctor Who, so no one should be losing any sleep over this.

So, a couple of negative reviews so far. You might have already read our own review of Let's Kill Hitler but you won't have read anything like the one from AssignmentX. Seriously, Sean Elliot: it was affectionate, it was passionate, but hell, man, you ramble!

He does draw attention to the fact that there are a lot of people questioning the River Song storyline. This is interesting for me personally as I hadn't been aware until now that this was an issue. Worse things have happened in Doctor Who since 2005, after all.

"A lot of fans and viewers are upset stating that the River Song storyline has grown out of control, but it's just like any other seasonal arc. It's the main theme of this season that she is a weapon created to kill The Doctor, and eventually she will accomplish this as seen in the first episode of series six."

River Song and the Doctor

Just on the matter of rounding up these reviews – a lot of them aren't really reviews in the accepted sense of the word. On your behalf I have trawled through a whole host of plot summaries with a quick "I liked it!" at the end. Now I don't want to say that I'm any particular king at the art of reviews – although we have contributors who have produced outstanding readings of episodes over the years – but a quick summary followed by an opinion isn't a review. CraveOnline (watch out for pop-ups) features such a review, but at least some effort has been put into the thoughts of the writer, who raises an interesting point:

"…if there was one thing that the episode excelled at, it was making me care about the Doctor and River as a future couple. Ideally, it should have taken Melody more time to begin developing into the more traditional River Song."

This is fascinating to me; I'm adding this to a list of topics that we need to address very soon on Kasterborous…

Melody Pond - River Song

Mels has also been causing a bit of a fuss. There we were, over 12 months ago watching Rory and Amy's wedding and she wasn't in sight. She might claim that she doesn't do weddings, but if this was the union of her own parents, surely she would be there?

So – has the sound of crowbar in the TARDIS impacted on your enjoyment of Let's Kill Hitler? It certainly did for The HD Room's James Zappie, who observes:

"When you sit down to watch an episode of The Doctor, you have to be prepared for a lot crammed into an hour of television. Sometimes, though, there's too much wedged in and it is too fast paced to really leave an impact. It was a small thing in the scope of the episode as a whole, but it would have served the character and scene a lot more if we had even heard mention of Mels before this moment."

This sentiment is echoed by Sight on Sound's Kate Kulzick, who seems frustrated by the introduction of Nina Toussaint-White as Mels.

"Perhaps the early montage introducing Mels, Amy's best friend, is intended to be an example of history being rewritten due to Melody's time travelling, but even if this is the case, it still feels like a cheat. An examination of Amy and Rory's friends and family, who must exist, would be interesting, but this comes off as a get-out-of-jail-free card allowing Amy and Rory to not be angry over having missed their daughter's childhood."

In contrast, however, we have TVGeekArmy, whose thoughts on the whole River Song element of the Whoniverse are much more positive.

"Some have directed criticism against River despite the enduring charisma of Alex Kingston. I pity the folks who decided to have a problem with this character, because it grows more apparent with each passing episode that River/Melody is the lynchpin of Steven Moffat's Doctor Who. It's been announced that Amy and Rory will be less involved with the series by the end of this season, meaning that by next year, in all likelihood, yon River will join the Doctor full time. That is something I'm very excited about."

Tor, too, spends far too long telling the reader what happened. This is the 21st century, people – episodes can be found online! However the reviewer summarises well, noting that:

"If you were concerned about where Series 6 of Doctor Who was going, "Let's Kill Hitler" has the show going in a fresh, funny direction that is ultimately more satisfying than the intensity of the first half."

Now we'll continue with a slight air of befuddlement: some of you out there are responsible for the inexplicable rise of The Nerdist, a more-than-pointless blog in which people who speak like surfers attempt to review TV shows and movies, fail badly and then become hugely famous. I had thought that the whole thing was a joke, but no, it is indeed completely serious. I'm not even going to bother quoting from this horrific diatribe; suffice to say it isn't a pleasure to read.

In complete contrast, meanwhile, is Newsarama's review, which combines a recap, a review and lots of interesting observations about Let's Kill Hitler, from the various inter-episode bookending ("Hello Benjamin"/"Mrs Robinson") to thoughts about the plot. I particularly liked this quote:

"[River had] been taken by The Silence as a baby, and spent her first years of life being programmed like a wee Prydonian Candidate to kill The Doctor."

Doctor Who - Let's Kill Hitler

Elsewhere we've got Samantha Holloway's review in The Examiner, which brings up the matter of Steven Moffat apparently having a rather limited timey wimey arsenal.

"This is one of those sad times where it seems like we've seen all the Moff's tricks. It was clever, but the whole thing with the gun was a lot like the thing with the architect in Curse of Fatal Death."

Similar – but then how many 7 year olds have seen a Comic Relief episode from 1999?

You know, too few plaudits are offered on sites like Kasterborous to Mr Arthur Darvill, whose performances as Rory Pond really do bring a delightful addition to the TARDIS team. AfterElton's Heather Hogan would agree with me, too, noting that

"If you had told me all the way back at "The Eleventh Hour" that Rory would end up being the saving grace to Amy Pond's companionship, I would have laughed in your face. But he just keeps getting better and better, doesn't he? Punching Hitler in the face, locking him in the cupboard, hopping on a motorbike in 1930s Berlin to track down his childhood best friend/grown-up daughter. I like his acknowledgment in this episode that he is often a bumbling sidekick of a sidekick, but there are days when he is marvelous. This was one of them."

While several reviews have praised the predestination paradoxes that appear in the episode, TVOvermind's Sam McPherson was less than impressed with the implications of these fun moments.

"Though I appreciate Moffat's eschewing of typical time travel tropes, predestination paradoxes always seem to fall apart when you look at them. For example: Amy named her baby Melody because she named her baby Melody. Another: River takes up her new name because the Doctor told her that at one point in the future she would take up that name. It doesn't make much sense if you think about it."

Something I do try to do with these review roundups is to draw attention to a new website that we haven't featured before. However this week's choice isn't the best. In fact, we should be awaring this week's Missing the Point award to BuzzFocus, who seem think that River's poisoning of the Doctor is a homage to the Sixth Doctor's post-regenerative attempted murder of Peri. (Yeah, that's right – another 25+ year old spoiler. Sue me.)

"River, experiencing a few kinks in her regeneration process and remembering that her sole mission is to kill The Doctor, poisons him (in another great Moffat-penned homage, this time of The Sixth Doctor's homicidal nature immediately after his regeneration), and jumps out of Hitler's office window."

But it's not a homage, is it? No more than the prequel video released by the BBC a few weeks ago was a prequel rather than a "prologue". It's called a "coincidence".

The great thing about rounding this load of fascinating reviews up is discovering what goes on in the heads of other Doctor Who fans (and Jim Shelley). For instance, this gem escaped from the mind of Comic Book Resources' Graeme McMillan:

"A thought occurred during this episode. If the Silence are a religious order and not the name of the alien race from "The Impossible Astronaut" and "Day of The Moon," then… what if those aliens are actually working against the Silence? What if young Melody was in the astronaut suit because it was a way of keeping her away from the Doctor? What if "Silence will fall" is actually a reference about the failure of the attempt to kill the Doctor?"

Now, I've spent ages thinking about those monsters, but I didn't think of that. Interesting, eh?

So, an amazing collection of thoughts, observations and experiences watching the new Doctor Who episode, Let's Kill Hitler.

We'll finish up with this little snippet from The Guardian, who report that viewers thought they heard a German guard swearing (in English) during Let's Kill Hitler. The words "Halt, was machen sie?" naturally means  "Stop, what are you doing?"

Not sure which swear word they think they heard…

Promo Images & Sneak Peek of TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY Episode, "The Gathering" - The Daily BLAM

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 08:07 AM PDT


Promo Images & Sneak Peek of TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY Episode, "The Gathering"
The Daily BLAM
The show's original creator, writer/producer Russell T Davies, serves as executive producer along with BBC Worldwide Productions' SVP Julie Gardner, with Davies also serving as show-runner. Torchwood: Miracle Day is produced by BBC Worldwide ...

and more »

Doctor Who thing of the day: so the Doctor is Jewish, it seems? - Flick Filosopher (blog)

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 07:42 AM PDT


Doctor Who thing of the day: so the Doctor is Jewish, it seems?
Flick Filosopher (blog)
When Russell T. Davies left the show after years of being the head writer, Steven Moffat stepped up and became the new Jewish Singles Washington DC man with a plan for all of the Doctor's adventures. Matt Smith, paired with a sonic screwdriver (the ...

and more »

BBC Receives Hundreds of Complaints Over 'Torchwood' Gay Sex Scenes - Unicorn Booty (blog)

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 06:31 AM PDT


Unicorn Booty (blog)
BBC Receives Hundreds of Complaints Over 'Torchwood' Gay Sex Scenes
Unicorn Booty (blog)
The show, written by openly gay screenwriter Russell T Davies, has often touched on Barrowman's character's sexual orientation, although this is not the first time it has sparked complaints. Earlier this month, the BBC had to address complaints that ...

Dr Who Matt Smith: Our Song is special - The Sun

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 04:32 AM PDT


The Sun
Dr Who Matt Smith: Our Song is special
The Sun
MATT Smith says he doesn't want scene-stealing Alex Kingston to join Doctor Who full-time — because it would make her character less special. Alex plays mysterious River Song, who last week was revealed as the time-travelling daughter of companion Amy ...

and more »

Doctor Who Confidential: About A Boy - Doctor Who TV (blog)

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 04:17 AM PDT


Doctor Who TV (blog)
Doctor Who Confidential: About A Boy
Doctor Who TV (blog)
Featuring interviews with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. Clip 1 - Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill introduce the 'new' look Confidential. Clip 2 - More 'singing' from the TARDIS trio and their new band member.

and more »

Doctor Who Confidential: About A Boy

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 04:10 AM PDT

Here are details and a couple of funny clips for this weekend's installment of Doctor Who Confidential, entitled About a Boy.

Details:

Read more ...


Little Totham boy appears in Doctor Who - Essex County Standard

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 04:01 AM PDT


Little Totham boy appears in Doctor Who
Essex County Standard
During the episode his character suffers nightmares that only the time-travelling Doctor, played by Matt Smith, can stop. Hilary Oram, Jamie's mum, said: "We have been waiting a long time and we're certainly looking forward to Saturday night. ...

and more »

Steven Moffat has no plans to leave Doctor Who - ATV Today

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:58 AM PDT


Steven Moffat has no plans to leave Doctor Who
ATV Today
Doctor Who Showrunner Steven Moffat has stated he has no immediately plans to quit the BBC sci-fi series. In an interview with AOL TV the writer - who also pens fellow BBC One hit Sherlock - has insisted he has no immediate plans to leave Doctor Who. ...

and more »

KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo News, Weather, SportsThe B-Team: Secret ... - KFDA

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:44 AM PDT


KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo News, Weather, SportsThe B-Team: Secret ...
KFDA
Plus, John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness is basically the lovechild of Indiana Jones and James Bond, so it only makes sense that he would to the big screen of his ancestry. Torchwood's unique blend of spy-thriller and science fiction roots means ...

and more »

The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films - WBRC

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:44 AM PDT


The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films
WBRC
Plus, John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness is basically the lovechild of Indiana Jones and James Bond, so it only makes sense that he would to the big screen of his ancestry. Torchwood's unique blend of spy-thriller and science fiction roots means ...

and more »

The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films - WMBF

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:40 AM PDT


The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films
WMBF
Plus, John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness is basically the lovechild of Indiana Jones and James Bond, so it only makes sense that he would to the big screen of his ancestry. Torchwood's unique blend of spy-thriller and science fiction roots means ...

and more »

The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films - KPTH FOX 44

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:39 AM PDT


The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films
KPTH FOX 44
Plus, John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness is basically the lovechild of Indiana Jones and James Bond, so it only makes sense that he would to the big screen of his ancestry. Torchwood's unique blend of spy-thriller and science fiction roots means ...

and more »

The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films - KXVO CW 15

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:39 AM PDT


The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films
KXVO CW 15
Plus, John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness is basically the lovechild of Indiana Jones and James Bond, so it only makes sense that he would to the big screen of his ancestry. Torchwood's unique blend of spy-thriller and science fiction roots means ...

and more »

The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films - WZVN-TV

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:37 AM PDT


The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films
WZVN-TV
Plus, John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness is basically the lovechild of Indiana Jones and James Bond, so it only makes sense that he would to the big screen of his ancestry. Torchwood's unique blend of spy-thriller and science fiction roots means ...

and more »

The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films - WIS

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:37 AM PDT


The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films
WIS
Plus, John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness is basically the lovechild of Indiana Jones and James Bond, so it only makes sense that he would to the big screen of his ancestry. Torchwood's unique blend of spy-thriller and science fiction roots means ...

and more »

The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films - KPTM-TV

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:37 AM PDT


The B-Team: Secret agencies that deserve their own films
KPTM-TV
Plus, John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness is basically the lovechild of Indiana Jones and James Bond, so it only makes sense that he would to the big screen of his ancestry. Torchwood's unique blend of spy-thriller and science fiction roots means ...

and more »

Matt Smith Introduces Night Terrors

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:29 AM PDT

Matt Smith and producer Marcus Wilson introduce Night Terrors.

Read more ...


A quick chat with Jonathan Ross - What's On TV

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:23 AM PDT


What&os;s On TV
A quick chat with Jonathan Ross
What&os;s On TV
Finally, what do you like to watch on TV? "The family are all big fans of Doctor Who and House and, the last time we flew to America, Matt Smith and Hugh Laurie were sitting near us. I thought, 'I'm on a plane with my two favourite doctors.'"

and more »

Haven't a clue... - Highland News

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 03:08 AM PDT


Highland News
Haven't a clue...
Highland News
And short of being treated to a smart pill, it looks as if me and DOCTOR WHO's Steven Moffat's plotlines are going to remain permanent strangers. Just when I think I've got it, our own Inverness superstar Karen Gillan (23) as Amy ...

'Doctor Who' blogging: “Let's Kill Hitler” - Flick Filosopher (blog)

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 02:26 AM PDT


'Doctor Who' blogging: "Let's Kill Hitler"
Flick Filosopher (blog)
I mean, yeah, it's cuz Matt Smith is still the Doctor for who knows how many more episodes, but that's not a reason within the narrative. Why could he just regenerate here? But I think the very worst thing of all is this: So that's it, no more looking ...

and more »

Sherlock Series Two Trailer Lands - Gigwise

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 02:15 AM PDT


Gigwise
Sherlock Series Two Trailer Lands
Gigwise
As with the first season, the series will be split into three parts, and is produced by Doctor Who's Steven Moffat, who also takes on writing duties alongside Mark Gatiss and Steve Thompson. Speaking about the first series, Gatiss told the BBC: ...

David Tennant, Matt Smith Voted Sexiest Sci-Fi Stars - Gigwise

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 01:00 AM PDT


Gigwise
David Tennant, Matt Smith Voted Sexiest Sci-Fi Stars
Gigwise
Sarah Michelle Gellar - Buffy the Vampire Slayer to her fans - was voted the sexiest female, with Star Trek star Jeri Ryan finsihing in the runner's up slot. Jessica Alba (Fantastic Four), Karen Gillan and Billie Piper (both Doctor Who) made up the top ...

Let’s Kill Hitler Hidden Clue?

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 12:17 AM PDT

The Silence were mentioned in Let's Kill Hitler, but didn't actually appear. Or did they?

In th Read more ...


Desert Island Who

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 12:12 AM PDT

First broadcast in 1942, the popular BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs has presented the favourite musical choices of hundreds of famous celebrities should they have ended up cast away. The BBC have recently made the series available in the form of a searchable archive, detailing the choices made by guests and also the actual programme to listen to in a number of cases.

In such a lengthy series it is inevitable that a many of Doctor Who's cast have featured; for example, the first Doctor himself William Hartnell was a guest on 23rd August 1965, choosing Charlie Chaplin's Spring Song as his favourite amongst other tracks like Lawd, You Made The Night Too Long by Louis Armstrong and Politsvian Dances by Alexander Borodin.

A year earlier, the third Doctor Jon Pertwee made his choices on 12th October 1964; these included two pieces by Mozart, Love is Strange by Lonnie Donegan, and his favourite being Georgia On My Mind by Ray Charles.

More recently, the 27th December 2009 featured outgoing tenth Doctor David Tennant, who cited Tim Minchin's White Wine In The Sun as his favourite, amongst items like Deacon Blue's Dignity and his favourite band The Proclaimers performing Over And Done With; this episode of the series is one of those that is also available for download.

Other notable names include 'alternative' Doctors Peter Cushing (1959) and Rowan Atkinson (1988), short-lived Master Derek Jacobi (1978), and the tenth Doctor's last fellow TARDIS traveller Bernard Cribbins (1963); explore the index for the choices of many other Doctor Who guest stars!

(with thanks to Jamie Austin)

Related Articles: Press Roundup [David Tennant] (27 Dec 2009)


Doctor Who News

Complete Dragon*Con Brit Track Schedule - Subject To Change - Anglotopia.net

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 12:08 AM PDT


Complete Dragon*Con Brit Track Schedule - Subject To Change
Anglotopia.net
R. Levy (M); Fri 5:30 pm; Macon [S] A discussion looking at the entire new series of Doctor Who through a comparison between producers Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat. R. Bowen (M); Fri 7:00 pm; Crystal Ballroom [HIL] A look into the world of Gerry ...

Terminator 5 might resurrect an iconic character. Plus the Game of Thrones ... - io9

Posted: 31 Aug 2011 12:02 AM PDT


Terminator 5 might resurrect an iconic character. Plus the Game of Thrones ...
io9
Doctor Who's Steven Moffat explains why the Doctor's past is catching up to him. Plus new set photos from The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises! Here are some set photos from the courthouse in which the final bit of Cleveland filming is taking place. ...

Your Own Vortex Manipulator!

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 11:55 PM PDT

Torchwood Vortex ManipulatorEver wanted to travel back to a time when Torchwood was good (that'll be from July 2009 right through to five days later in July 2009 then…)? Well now you can with this Vortex Manipulator!

Escape your Miracle Day blues with this incredibly detailed Manipulator featuring; flashing lights, an adjustable strap,  a removable cover and also, rather bizarrely,  a mini Tenth Doctor Sonic Screwdriver just like the one Captain Jack never used!

Available in the USA from October (or if you already have one, 300 years ago) The Vortex Manipulator and Sonic Screwdriver Set is available to pre-order for $17.89 (about £10.95) from Entertainment Earth.

Matt Smith Facts - GeekSugar.com

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 09:28 PM PDT


Matt Smith Facts
GeekSugar.com
... perspective on the zaniness that is life as a time lord. Check out Matt's quotes on the perks of the job, his reaction to seeing good friend Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) dressed for racy magazine shoots, and the easy way to meet ladies as the Doctor.

and more »

People Roundup - The Doctor Who News Page

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 08:52 PM PDT


People Roundup
The Doctor Who News Page
In the sci-fi babes poll Karen Gillan beat off predecessor Billie Piper, taking fourth (10.6%) and fifth (7.7%) places respectively; the top spot was taken by Buffy The Vampire Slayer actress Sarah Michelle Gellar (12.7%). ...

and more »

People Roundup

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 08:38 PM PDT

David Tennant has beaten Matt Smith in a recent poll by the SyFy Channel to find the sexiest sci-fi hunk. The tenth Doctor came in at second place (16.9%), beating off spin-off show Torchwood lead John Barrowman who came in third (14.2%), with Smith in tenth place (8.7%). X-Men star Hugh Jackman topped the poll (20.3%). In the sci-fi babes poll Karen Gillan beat off predecessor Billie Piper, taking fourth (10.6%) and fifth (7.7%) places respectively; the top spot was taken by Buffy The Vampire Slayer actress Sarah Michelle Gellar (12.7%).

Matt Smith talks about playing the role of the Doctor: "I can never relax because I'm always pushing myself to the highest level but it's nice to enjoy the fact people have accepted me as the Doctor and enjoy the things I do. I think he's grown. I hope people see growth.
I think he should always be evolving. I don't think good actors get typecast. In 10 years' time I'll be playing very different parts than I am playing now. So there is plenty of time for me to evolve as an actor." Also: "It's so funny, I read other scripts and I just go, 'Not as good as Doctor Who!' For me, it's a privilege to play this man. These parts don't come along that often. There was never any hesitation on my part to stay for another year. Why would I quit? I've got Steven Moffat writing scripts, but not only that - Toby Whithouse, Richard Curtis... all these great writers. And then of course, the part. I just love playing the Doctor. I've grown terribly fond of him. It's something I really enjoy." [Daily Record, 27 Aug 2011; Press Association, 28 Aug 2011]

David Tennant talks about the various roles he's taken recently in film, television and theatre: "I'm quite greedy for the variety, I think. I love the fact that I'm doing Shakespeare in the West End at the moment and then talking about vampires at the day. That's sort of what I'd always hoped I'd manage to do, to mix things up like that, to have a wide variety of work. I think it just helps you to keep being hopefully creative and it keeps challenging you. It's ideal really, if I can do a film and then a play and then a bit of telly and then a radio play and then an audio book, I love the fact that I'm in a job where I get to do all those different types of things." [Huffington Post, 18 Aug 2011]

Both David Tennant and Billie Piper are to appear in a new BBC1 drama, Love Life, a series of plays that will be based on improvisation by writer/director Dominic Savage. BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, Ben Stephenson said: "This is a complete first in TV drama on BBC One: a serial made through improvisation. It features some of our very best acting talent working in a way we've never seen on screen from them before, using improvisation to push the boundaries of each story, to get right to the heart of the truth." The two actors will feature in different episodes of the drama. [BBC Press, 26 Aug 2011]

Billie Piper is also to play the lead in a new BBC3 show written be Lee Hupfield, Tom and Jenny, described as "a high-octane comedy pilot about a feuding couple who, despite splitting up, refuse to leave the house they've bought together". [BBC Press, 26 Aug 2011]

Karen Gillan is supporting her hometown radio station, Monster FM, which will be returning to the Inverness airwaves for a limited period during September. Gillan and fellow actor Terry Butcher will be presenting special programmes of their own favourite music on the station, which will be operated by trainee DJs from the European Social Fund-backed Radioskills project at The Moray Firth Media Trust. [Highland News, 30 Aug 2011]

John Barrowman commented on how his life style has changed over the years: "I can't handle clubs and wild nights out like I did in my 20s. I'm lively when I perform and I always put everything into a show but when I get home I love lying down in front of the TV and relaxing. I'm not quite the party animal people imagine. I'm certainly not a big fan of nightclubs. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a vodka and tonic after a tough day." [Wales on Sunday, 21 Aug 2011]

Sophie Aldred appears in the new comedy-drama film Thriller Theater! from the independent Untitled Creative Group based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The film is directed by Michael S. Olson, who for the past 11 years has been the technical director for the annual Chicago TARDIS convention. Aldred portrays television station manager Lynn Whitlam, who's not easily convinced to give up two hours of late night infomercial programming to take a chance on a new horror host show called 'Thriller Theater'. "The script was written with the Lynn Whitlam character never being seen - we only ever see the back of her head, or her hands; we only hear her voice. But when the opportunity arose to involve Sophie in the project, we jumped at it - who wouldn't - and we had the perfect role for her, all ready to go," says Olson. "We filmed her scenes in Madison, Wisconsin, during her appearance at the MadCon convention in September 2010. And of course, she was superb." Thriller Theater! (the movie) receives its premiere screening on 8 September 2011 at the Portage Theater in Chicago (funds for the screening are being raised via public contributions to Kickstarter.com). The movie is also being submitted to various film festivals throughout the country. For more information on the film, visit http://thriller-theater.com. [with thanks to Steven W. Hill]

Bernard Cribbins helped launch a new Wheelyboat that enables disabled visitors to access the waters of Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire for fishing. A patron of the Wheelyboat Trust, he said: "It is of huge importance to give disabled anglers the same opportunities as able-bodied anglers." [BBC News, 19 Aug 2011]

Matt Smith was nearly cast in series The Inbetweeners, according to its creators Iain Morris and Damon Beasley: Matt Smith, the best Doctor Who of all time, was up for the role of Will. He was really, really brilliant and so funny, just a brilliant actor. And clever. He had all the comic timing you wanted, all the dramatic sense you might need. We spent a long time in development; I think if we had to make a decision very quickly and we were going off to shoot, we would definitely have gone with Matt at that point. But it just became a very long, drawn-out thing, and he had other projects on the go. Quite big projects, as it turned out, but we loved him." [Heatworld, 24 Aug 2011]

Related Articles: Doctor roundup (20 Aug 2011); People roundup (8 Aug 2011)


Doctor Who News

Review: Day of the Daleks - DVD

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 08:08 PM PDT

Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Louis Marks

RRP: &ound;20.42

Release Date: 12th September 2011

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 31st August 2011

The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) is called on by UNIT to investigate a particularly murderous ghost; and from there he and his assistant Jo Grant (Katy Manning) are drawn into a web of time paradoxes, guerilla warfare and history changing events, all sponsored by those persistent perambulating pests...The Daleks! Can our intrepid hero, aided by UNIT, save Earth from World War Three and invasion by the cantankerous Kaleds?

Every now and again, something very special comes along on a Doctor Who DVD that stops you in your tracks and leaves you slack-jawed as to it's brilliance. This is one of those instances. This story has one of the most ambitious, well-done and ridiculously brilliant extras you could ever wish for...more of that in a moment.

The two disc set, from the BBC / 2|Entertain stable has the usual hallmarks of Classic Who as it is now presented; the original programme has been cleaned up and looks pin sharp and sounds clear and crisp, and there's a raft load of extras that really should not be missed. Incidentally, for those of you who like inane trivia, the original version of the story is the only one in Who history that keeps the sting (that's the electronic howl from the cliffhanger into the Who theme) on the recaps of episodes two and three.

Disc One:

Commentary - Anna Barry and Jimmy Winston (Anat and Shura respectively) talk us through the story with the late, great Barry Letts, and script editor Terrance Dicks. Also on hand to talk technicalities is vision mixer Mike Catherwood. The whole commentary is nicely paced, fun, and very entertaining to listen to.

Blasting the Past - Cast and crew old and new look back at the original story, it's strengths and weaknesses and what made it so successful. On hand are Katy Manning, Anna Barry and Jimmy Winston who were there at the time, being menaced by Rick Newby, who was inside one of the Daleks. Also contributing to this look back are Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks, John Friedlander (maker of monsters), and with further commentary from Dave Owen from DWM, new series writer Paul Cornell, Classic Series writer Ben Aaronovitch, and voice of pretty much everything these days Nicholas Briggs. Again, this half hour documentary has been handled with a lightness of touch that makes it flow very easily, and is very enjoyable to watch. It happily wallows in nostalgia without getting bogged down in it.

A View From The Gallery - Mike Catherwood and Barry Letts talk about the changing way Doctor Who was filmed and vision mixed over the years, as well as the technology then compared with now. This twenty minute piece shows just how well the two men know their craft, and can talk about it without getting monotonous. An illuminating little feature, that gives a clue into just how much technical expertise went into producing television in the 1970s.

Nationwide - A short piece from the BBC's flagship magazine programme of the time about a junior school that made the silly, silly mistake of winning the Radio Times writing competition...first prize: one working, crabby, angry Dalek. This report shows the somewhat smaller than expected pepperpot arriving at the school and the kids' reactions to it. Amusing nostalgia...you'll see the Dalek and nearly die laughing.

Blue Peter - Peter Purves is joined in the BP studio by the original TARDIS prop (looking in an absolutely terrible state!) and three Daleks to look back on his time during Doctor Who. Again, it's all amusing nostalgia, and a rare glimpse of how BBC Children's TV communicated to their audience over thirty years ago. Do wear sunglasses whilst watching this, as some of the fashions on display could easily burn out your eyes.

Coming Soon Trailer - Courtesy of the Time Lords remotely steering the TARDIS, The Doctor and Jo pitch up on the planet Uxarieus to face off with Reverend Magister, a walking prune, a rather violent IMC robot and some terribly unhappy miners. Colony In Space is next month's Classic Doctor Who release!

With the usual Info Text (which this month tells you where to spot edits and bloopers and gives an exhaustive rundown of Dudley Simpson's score for the show), a Photo Gallery and Subtitles for those who may want or need them, it's a great DVD...but wait...that's JUST Disc One!

Disc Two:

Day of the Daleks: Special Edition - New FX! New scenes! New Music! More Daleks! More Ogrons! More UNIT troops! New Dalek Voices! It's Doctor Who, Jim, but not as we know it!

Now although it's obviously the same story, it really doesn't feel like it. The team have done a stunning job in fixing things that could have been done better with more time and money (e.g: the Daleks' floating monitor has been stabilised, so it no longer looks like the start of "Victoria Wood As Seen On TV"), and they've tackled the big issues people have had with the show over the years - they've also addressed in the extras on the second disc.

The Making of Day of the Daleks: Special Edition - The producer of this Special Edition shows us what prompted the upgrade, what's been done, and how. Very entertaining and clever, this documentary showcases the level of love and interest that's gone into the package - even to the extent of making a brand new Day-era Dalek for help with filming some scenes! With contributions from all those involved, this is a must see, and gives a great insight into the level of dedication given to this revamp of a Classic story.

Now And Then - The latest in the series of "How much has it changed since we filmed Doctor Who there?" gives us an overview of what became Auderly House, and the tunnel, to see what, if anything, has changed. Toby Hadoke narrates the short piece.

The UNIT Family: Part Two - In the second part of this series, we get to see the strong "family" that was UNIT. Featuring contributions from the three UNIT regulars (including the much missed Nicholas Courtney), as well as Barry Letts, Katy Manning, and Derek Ware amongst others, this goes a long way to explaining the logic and thought into giving the Third Doctor a decent backup team. It also has some rather entertaining admissions and anecdotes from the cast and crew, which endears it no end to the viewer - Richard Franklin in particular being remarkably entertaining and witty.

The UNIT Dating Conundrum - Apparently, there are some people in fandom who want to know the dates/time frame of UNIT's involvement in Doctor Who. Why they would want to know such a thing is a matter for discussion somewhere else, but in case you are one of those people, Toby Hadoke tries to piece it all together using the very few dates there are to go on. Terrance Dicks, Ben Aaronovitch, and Dave Owen don't help at all, and by the end of it poor Toby is being carted off in one of those special dinner jackets with the wrap around arms.

The Cheating Memory - Steve Broster goes on a journey to try and find out why Day of the Daleks was so different in reality from the memory of his six year old self. A fascinating extra, with input from a psychologist as well as the usual talking heads featured on this DVD; namely Nicholas Briggs and Ben Aaronovitch. It is something that most Doctor Who fans can relate to, having memories of something being insanely epic, scary, and frightening when you were little, only to watch it again and feel yourself deflate as the second viewing doesn't live up to your memories of the first. A wonderfully worthwhile piece, and very enlightening.

Day of the Daleks: Special Edition is a masterpiece. With both the original and the frankly amazing redux of the story on the release, it's bound to keep all parties happy. The new version is simply stunning, and well worth the time, money and effort spent on the release. This is a must buy, a simply-cannot-miss DVD, and bears repeated watching to find just what's been changed and updated. It's not all CGI Dalek rays, there's some very subtle tiny touches as well that make the release even more enjoyable when you discover them.

+ Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

Enormous Catch Up

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 05:56 PM PDT

I'm back at my desk after two blissful weeks of holiday, first at the World Science Fiction Convention in Reno, Nevada, and then driving around New Mexico. I intend to blog about all of that later, but while I've been away, tons of stuff has been happening, and this is the place where I'm going to sum it all up.

First off, David Macho Gomez has created this wonderful trailer for Stormwatch, the first issue of which is now looming on the horizon, the DC Universe relaunch having begun today. Loads of great Miguel Sepulveda art and clues about the future in here...



I've been interviewed about the title by Newsarama, and you can see some pencil and colour work on a page here.

Turning to Demon Knights, there are some lovely Diogenes Neves pencils accompanying this interview with me about my comics background, and also with this one at Newsarama, specifically about the title. Here's one particularly lovely teaser image, and I'm quoted about the debt owed to Jack Kirby, creator of the demon Etrigan here.

In support of both titles, I'll be heading up to Scotland on September 21st and 22nd, for two Forbidden Planet signings in Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively.

It'll be good to meet comics fans North of the border once more.

In other comics news, I was proud to be a part of the Kapow! Guinness World Record Special #1 of which the solicitation speaks more eloquently than I:

'Plot by MARK MILLAR Written by PAUL CORNELL, Keiron Gillen & MORE! Art by FRANK QUITELY, DAVE GIBBONS, JOHN ROMITA JR., LEINIL YU, JOCK, Olivier Coipiel, SEAN PHILLIPS, DUNCAN FERGRADO & MORE

In April 2011, Mark Millar, Frank Quitely, Dave Gibbons, John Romita Jr, Leinil Yu, Paul Cornell, Andy Diggle, Jock, Duncan Fegrado, Sean Phillips and over fifty other comic-book creators joined forces with Kapow to break not one but TWO Guinness World Records - the fastest comic-book ever produced and the biggest number of creators working on a single comic. The Kapow Special stars Superior and was written, penciled, inked and lettered in less than 12 hours. PLEASE NOTE: All proceeds from the sales of this comic will go to Yorkhill Sick Children's Hospital in Scotland and the print-run for this book will be limited to just 10,000 copies.'

A good cause, I hope you agree, and a strange example of how one can sometimes, for the best of reasons, gain exemption from one's DC exclusive contract.

I've also recently been interviewed about all things comics on the Pat Loika Podcast. And, in support of my old home town, I've also popped up, covering all sorts of things, on the latest show from Faringdon Radio.

Turning to the podcast of which I am a part, sharing audio duties with Seanan McGuire, Kat Valente, Elizabeth Bear and Lynn Thomas, we have a new episode up. Yes, it's SF Squeecast #3: Full Disclosure in which I rave about Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine and the others enchant on such diverse subjects as Shades of Milk and Honey and Hadestown. And if you do listen, that page is also where you can leave a comment for us. Or you can find us on iTunes.

I'm incredibly proud to announce that I've been named as Toastmaster of Lone Star Con 3, the 2013 World Science Fiction Convention, to be held in San Antonio, Texas. I've known about this for a while, but had to keep silent until the convention committee succeeded in their bid to host Worldcon. Their guests are Ellen Datlow, James Gunn, Willie Siros, Norman Spinrad, Darrell K. Sweet, Leslie Fish and Joe R. Lansdale. I'll be a sort of Master of Ceremonies, and will be popping up at the party the convention sponsors at next year's Worldcon in Chicago, and doing all sorts of promotion for them inbetween. You're going to hear quite a bit about this one. That toast will be mastered, and no mistake. Rooting and tooting will, at some stage, probably occur.

Dark Fiction Magazine, the online audio fiction journal, has recently been kind enough to support Voices From The Past, the charity anthology to which I contributed (all proceeds to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital) with audio versions of four of the stories, by myself, Lee Harris, Scott Harrison and Alasdair Stuart, together forming their Episode Eight. Or you can hear my story, 'A Map of Lychford', read by Marty Perrett, on its own here. I'm very pleased with what they did with it.

I try to run the Just A Minute game show at whatever conventions I go to now, and a few months back, I got to do it at Anime Detour in Minnesota. Here's the first of several bunches of edited highlights, courtesy of Tadao Tomomatsu...



Concerning ancient Doctor Who, Alex Wilcock has posted one of his thoughtful reviews of 'The Dominators' but has for some reason seen fit to include an ancient example, by myself, of what can only be called... filk. I suppose.

The great comics artist Al Davison is using IndieGoGo to attempt to fund his next publication The Alchemist's Easel. Do pop along, check out the lovely introductory video, and see if you fancy funding him in return for several different levels of perks.

Some friends of mine have got together to make specialist luxury hampers, rounding up delicacies that suit particular events. They call themselves Paterson & Paterson and if you're planning a day out in the UK, you could do worse than take along one of their mouthwatering collections of goodies.

And finally, Tony Esmond, one of those people you meet randomly in a comic shop, is the writer of Alagg the Barbarian, an online three panel comic strip that now boasts over 120 episodes. That's got to be worth a moment of your browsing time, surely?

At the weekend, I hope to post a Worldcon report, and tell you about everything else we got up to on our holidays. So until then, Cheerio!

Let’s Kill Hitler BBCA Insider

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 05:01 PM PDT

BBC America have released a couple of new installments in their Doctor Who Insider series. They feature a behind the scenes look at Let's Kill Hitler with interviews with the cast and crew.

Video 1: Relive the heart-warming origins of Amy & Rory's romance and swoon at the charming moment when Amy finall Read more ...


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