Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News

Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News


Tuesday Night Rushes – A Little Heap Of Film News That Moved Too Fast - Bleeding Cool News

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 01:27 PM PDT


Tuesday Night Rushes – A Little Heap Of Film News That Moved Too Fast
Bleeding Cool News
[Daily Mail] The BBFC seem to think River Song and Madam Kevorkian will be in the upcoming, James Corden-y episode of Doctor Who, Closing Time. Nothing is going to curb my enthuisiasm for Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody's upcoming Young Adult, ...

'Fright Night' disappoints - Western Courier (subscription)

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 10:47 AM PDT


'Fright Night' disappoints
Western Courier (subscription)
About one-third of the way into the movie, we finally meet Peter Vincent (David Tennant), a successful Las Vegas performer who stars in a popular stage show about vampires. At first, the character appears to be the drunken love child of Jack Sparrow ...

and more »

U2 take GQ band accolade in style - Belfast Telegraph

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 10:43 AM PDT


U2 take GQ band accolade in style
Belfast Telegraph
Doctor Who star Matt Smith won the most stylish man award at the event, while Professor Brian Cox got TV personality of the year. Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch won best actor, Tinie Tempah got the solo artist gong, actor Bradley Cooper was named ...

and more »

Series 6: Part 2 - BBFC Classifications

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 10:03 AM PDT

Series Six Part TwoThe BBFC have now certified various episodes and features that will form part of the Series 6: Part 2 boxed set:

  8. Let's Kill Hitler       PG    48m  9s
9. Night Terrors PG 42m 33s
10. The Girl Who Waited PG 46m 2s
11. The God Complex 12 48m 0s
12. Closing Time PG 45m 11s

The Antibodies U 9m 3s
The Cybermats PG 10m 13s

At the time of writing the finale of the series, The Wedding of River Song, has yet to be classified.



The boxed set is due for release on 10th October 2011, and is available for pre-order on DVD and Blu-ray.

TV Review: Doctor Who: "Night Terrors" - Blogcritics.org (blog)

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 09:37 AM PDT


TV Review: Doctor Who: "Night Terrors"
Blogcritics.org (blog)
Daniel Mays makes a welcome return to our screens after his sinister role in the excellent Ashes To Ashes, but this time around he plays the dad of George, the little frightened focus of the episode played rather well by newcomer Jamie Oram. Matt Smith ...

and more »

U2 and Matt Smith among winners at GQ Men of the Year awards - Metro

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 09:08 AM PDT


Metro

U2 and Matt Smith among winners at GQ Men of the Year awards
Metro
Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, 35, and Doctor Who's Matt Smith, 28, were happy to share the spoils for a night, with both winning individual gongs. Cumberbatch won bragging rights in the TV stakes, when he received the best actor prize from singer ...

GQ Awards 2011: Johnny Depp hands Keith Richards writer of the year gong - Mirror.co.uk

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 08:17 AM PDT


GQ Awards 2011: Johnny Depp hands Keith Richards writer of the year gong
Mirror.co.uk
Doctor Who star Matt Smith wins the most stylish man award at the event, while Professor Brian Cox is getting TV personality of the year. Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch wins best actor, Tinie Tempah gets the solo artist gong, actor Bradley Cooper ...

and more »

'Torchwood: Miracle Day' Lesbian Character Revealed - SheWired

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 08:02 AM PDT


'Torchwood: Miracle Day' Lesbian Character Revealed
SheWired
Fans of the BBC jewels Doctor Who and the original Torchwood can vouch, it is some seriously thrilling, sexy, LGBT-inclusive, and fun original programming from Queer as Folk creator Russell T. Davies. With a precious few episodes left before the finale ...

and more »

The Girl is Waiting…

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 07:59 AM PDT

We might be a little late with our exclusive preview of The Girl Who Waited, but I can tell you right now that this is an episode of Doctor Who that you will not forget.

There is so much I want to tell you about Amy, how she becomes trapped, how the Doctor and Rory discover the alternate Amy and her eventual fate, but ultimately that would spoil things for you, and this is one episode that you don't want someone to spoil.

Tom MacRae has done an amazing job with this script. He previously brought us 2006′s Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel an adventure that couldn't be more different to The Girl Who Waited, and whatever he's been doing in the meantime certainly seems to have brought him on considerably as a writer.

Without giving anything away, I'm going to put it to you like this: did you enjoy The Doctor's Wife? Were you entertained by The Lodger? Did Midnight and Turn Left surprise you? Was there something in the water in 2007 when Human Nature and Blink aired over successive weeks?

Basically, are you ready for one of the most memorable episodes since 2005 – one that could quickly find its way into the top twenty adventures of all time, if not the top ten?

I know – it's easy to get over-excited when you're lucky enough to get preview copies, but believe me, fellow Kasterborites, this is a special episode of Doctor Who that you cannot afford to miss. Do The Girl Who Waited a favour and make sure you're tuned into BBC One at 7.15 on Saturday evening and watch the episode live rather than going out or watching talent shows on ITV. You won't regret it, as the trailer below should hint…

Now don't get too excited – as with the recent charity specials, there's no Amy on Amy action in The Girl Who Waited, and despite the white washout design of the setting and the robots there is no similarity with The Land of Fiction (from 1968′s The Mind Robber) either.

There is, however, a Doctor-lite-tastic episode that will have you admiring Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan even more than you (should) do already. Both of them are excellent here, and the lack of Matt Smith in a major capacity gives them both time to shine in a way that they are usually unable to.

Get a feel for the episode in this gallery, provided by the BBC.

Doctor Who - The Girl Who Waited

Doctor Who - The Girl Who Waited

Doctor Who - The Girl Who Waited

Doctor Who - The Girl Who Waited

Doctor Who - The Girl Who Waited

Doctor Who - The Girl Who Waited

Catch The Girl Who Waited on Saturday on BBC One and BBC HD at 7.15 pm or BBC America at 9/8c.

Friday Cable: TCU-Baylor Game Tops; Plus 'Smackdown!,' 'American Restoration ... - TVbytheNumbers

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 07:50 AM PDT


TVbytheNumbers

Friday Cable: TCU-Baylor Game Tops; Plus 'Smackdown!,' 'American Restoration ...
TVbytheNumbers
ESPN's College Football game between TCU and Baylor had the most 18-49 viewers during Friday night cable primetime scoring a 1.3 adults 18-49 rating. Not sure what was up with Friday Night Smackdown! (a repeat? fans clue me in), but it tumbled down 0.3 ...

What's on this week at Burnham-On-Sea's Ritz Cinema - Burnham-On-Sea

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 07:48 AM PDT


Burnham-On-Sea

What's on this week at Burnham-On-Sea's Ritz Cinema
Burnham-On-Sea
The comedy is here in the form of sweary, leather clad vampire-slayer Peter Vincent (David Tennant) giving the funniest performance in the whole film. Less doesn't feel like more on the gore steaks but the 3D splats of red and general amusing CG ...

Final ratings for Miracle Day Ep 7, Immortal Sins

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 07:34 AM PDT

Episode 7 of Miracle Day, Immortal Sins, was watched by an official audience of 4.48million on BBC One. The episode, written by Jane Espenson, which aired on 25th August and saw Gwen fight to protect her loved ones as she took a terrifying journey covering both miles and decades. The series continues this [...]

Doctor? Doctor who? - PUC Chronicle

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 07:33 AM PDT


Doctor? Doctor who?
PUC Chronicle
When Matt Smith took over, so did a new head writer by the name of Steven Moffat, who has thrown Doctor Who fans through loop after loop. And while there are people out there who do not like his style, many whovians agree that Moffat has done well with ...

and more »

Awesome Doctor Who "The Girl Who Waited" promo pics and spoilers! - Unreality TV

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 07:03 AM PDT


Unreality TV

Awesome Doctor Who "The Girl Who Waited" promo pics and spoilers!
Unreality TV
McRae goes on to praise Karen Gillan's acting skills in this episode: It's a real tear-jerker of an episode and it's very much focused on Karen. Her acting in it is amazing. I know she'll break the viewers' hearts in two when they watch it, ...

and more »

The Gathering Preview

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 07:00 AM PDT

Time is rumbling on and we're only two episodes away from Torchwood: Miracle Day's conclusion here in the UK, with The Gathering. Interestingly time has rumbled on for Jack and the team too – we rejoin them two months later after the events of End of the Road

You'll find the following synopsis has been presented by the BBC:

As the Three Families plunge the world into recession, the Torchwood team – defeated, powerless, and hunted – must strike a bargain with the devil himself.

Who could they mean?

Well, it can only be Oswald Danes, played with intensity by the amazing Bill Pullman who rejoins the usual cast of John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness and Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, Mekhi Phifer as Rex Matheson, Alexa Havins as Esther Drummond and Lauren Ambrose as Jilly Kitzinger, with continuing guest stars Marina Benedict (CSI Miami), John De Lancie (Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Q").

Let's take a look…

It's not looking good… for anyone! This gallery of images from the episode might give us hope, however:

Torchwood: Miracle Day - The Gathering

Torchwood: Miracle Day - The Gathering

Torchwood: Miracle Day - The Gathering

Torchwood: Miracle Day - The Gathering

Torchwood: Miracle Day - The Gathering

Torchwood: Miracle Day - The Gathering

Torchwood: Miracle Day - The Gathering

Torchwood: Miracle Day - The Gathering

Episode 9 of Torchwood: Miracle Day airs at 9pm on BBC One on Thursday, September 8th.

Have The BBC Just Announced A Huge Doctor Who Spoiler? - Bleeding Cool News

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 06:59 AM PDT


Bleeding Cool News

Have The BBC Just Announced A Huge Doctor Who Spoiler?
Bleeding Cool News
So is that Steven Moffat's way of saving the Doctor from execution? Is his timeline, somehow, going to be frozen so that we, or he, never gets there? It makes sense, as there's a very fixed point in time that's been spelled out, again and again, ...

The Girl Who Waited: BBC Publicity

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 06:48 AM PDT

The BBC have released a new video to promote this week's forthcoming episode of Doctor Who, The Girl Who Waited, featuring producer Marcus Wilson and writer Tom MacRae:


The Girl Who Waited: Marcus Wilson/Tom MacRae, BBC, via the BBC Doctor Who site - may not play outside of the United Kingdom


A number of publicity photos to tie in with the episode have also been released:


**** PUBLICITY PHOTOS FOR THE GIRL WHO WAITED
**** MIGHT BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS










Moffat's Not Dead Yet!

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 06:17 AM PDT

Being the creative head honcho behind both Doctor Who and Sherlock would probably reduce most of us to dribbling, paranoid wrecks but not Steven Moffat, the man who laughs in the face of AOL.TV's suggestion that he's even considered exiting stage right from Doctor Who:

"I haven't got any kind of plans to leave. I take it one [season] at a time."

However, he is human:

"To have that and to have Sherlock, yeah, it's savage. I'd like to get out before it kills me. But it's not killing me at the moment. I'm loving doing it, so I have no immediate plans to leave."

Whoever does take that mantle once Moffat decides to leave (Gatiss? Whithouse? Simon Cowell?) he wants to leave the show just as he found it:

"You don't want to be the last one [who works on it]," he said. "I want it to go on and triumph long after I stop."

("Simon Cowell?!" You and I need to have a word – Ed)

Night Terrors Reviewed

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 06:07 AM PDT

You might have thought that you had seen the end of council estates in Doctor Who with the multiple departures of Rose Tyler, but as Night Terrors showed us, monsters can appear anywhere in the universe, regardless of their shape, form or actual existence…

Doctor Who has a long histroy of scaring children, supposedly sending them scampering around the sofa in the classic era to escape the sight of the Daleks, Autons, Cybermen, Silurians… but hang on! While there is no denying these scares, let's just digress for a moment and consider the etymology of the term "behind the sofa".

Exactly who in 1970s Great Britain was calling their sittee a "sofa"? Even couch was considered a bit toffee-nosed in my neck of the woods, which isn't all that far from where Mark Gatiss, writer of this episode, grew up. So next time you see a review that refers to children hiding "behind the sofa" check who wrote the episode in question it – if it's one by Gatiss, then we're talking sittees, I'll wager.

Now Gatiss is no stranger to scaring his audience, and revelling in doing so. Not only has he penned four Doctor Who episodes since 2005 (beginning with The Unquiet Dead, in which Rose Tyler and the Ninth Doctor meet Charles Dickens and The Gelth), Mark Gatiss was also a key player in The League of Gentlemen, and a driving forceof their macabre TV series which had a strong undercurrent of cannibalism running through it. He's also well known for his love and knowledge of the horror genre, so much so that he has presented a BBC Four series on horror cinema.

So it should come as no surprise that Night Terrors brought us a few good scares in its tale of a small boy, George, whose fear of the contents of his wardrobe reach the Doctor's pyschic paper (a great excuse for a lovely piece of visual FX) and send the time travellers to track him down and stop the monsters. Rumours abound online that children across the UK were afraid to go to bed on Saturday night, so Mr Gatiss will surely be rubbing his hands with glee at a job well done! After all, you certainly can't go wrong with a story about a child with strange powers in a suburban district with a monster in the wardrobe.

Hang on…

Wasn't Night Terrors just Fear Her with a doll's house?

It's difficult to judge whether or not this is an unfair description. Matthew Graham's 2006 adventure Fear Her was a tragic misfire of an episode, something that could have been so much better. Night Terrors is, if you like, Fear Her "done right" although there is far more to both episodes than such a basic summary can offer.

What Doctor Who fans and the general viewing public got with Night Terrors was an adventure devoid of any mention of River Song or the Doctor's impending death (at least, not until the chilling nursery rhyme at the end) instead focussing on an unusual set of events in which the people that George didn't like were "disappeared" (the old lady he thought was "a witch" the flat landlord; Amy and Rory were in the lift when it went past George's room, and he was scared of the noise it made) into a doll's house in his wardrobe. Who else could possibly hope to sort out this state of affairs but the Doctor, and what a great performance we got from Matt Smith this week, clearly relishing the interesting dynamic of his two guest co-stars, Jamie Oram as George and Daniel Mays (best known as Ashes to Ashes villain Jim Keats) as George's dad Alex.

Doctor Who - Night Terrors

Something that has shone through with this current run of Doctor Who is the high production values and there is more praise on offer for this episode; Night Terrors was very fortunate to have Richard Clark directing (he had previously presented amazing vistas of London in The Lazarus Experiment in 2007) delivering a cinematic visual experience that added to the urban horror of the setting. For the external shots you could quite easily have been watching 28 Days Later, for example.

While you might argue that there are a few questions over why certain things happened the way they did in Night Terrors the lack of any baggage dragging us back to 2008 was refreshing, and the fact that we were able to enjoy it this week rather than back in April was a result of some episode rescheduling by Steven Moffat. It isn't clear if the rejigging of the series lineup is anything to do with delays or if it was purely tonal, but I for one welcomed this River Song-free zone.

As enjoyable as it is, what we will remember about Night Terrors is that while a more accomplished production it essentially retreads the same ground as 2006′s Fear Her. While stories having similar or identical plots was excusable before the days of home video technology and endless reruns on digital channels, it's a risky business in a world where Doctor Who is almost ubiquitous. The very existence of iPlayer and cheap DVDs should force scriptwriters to develop original ideas; in the case of Doctor Who, if any plots are to be retreaded then they should be ones from the original series. The similarities between the Isolus and the Tenza are very obvious, and anyone with a long memory could easily have been reminded of the earlier episode.

That said, the performances and direction, combined with the usually high production standards make Night Terrors an enjoyable episode and a refreshing diversion from the River Song/Astronaut storyline of Series 6.

Marcus Wilson and Tom MacRae on this week's ep

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 05:47 AM PDT

Over on the Doctor Who website, there's a new introduction to The Girl Who Waited, featuring words from producer Marcus Wilson and its writer, Tom MacRae! They've also shared new galleries of stills and behind the scenes shots, as well as a jigsaw to piece together! The episode, in which Amy is trapped in a quarantine facility [...]

The Girl Who Waited Reviewed - Doctor Who TV (blog)

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 05:05 AM PDT


Doctor Who TV (blog)

The Girl Who Waited Reviewed
Doctor Who TV (blog)
This is Karen Gillan's episode and she will cause a few tears to be shed, come Saturday. With the Doctor left in the TARDIS for most of the episode, it's up to Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill to carry most of the action, and they do a terrific job. ...

and more »

The Girl Who Waited Reviewed

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 05:01 AM PDT

Cult Fix has reviewed this Saturday's eagerly anticipated episode, The Girl Who Waited, and here's a litt Read more ...

Introducing The Girl Who Waited

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 04:43 AM PDT

The BBC have released a short video with Marcus Wilson and Tom MacRae who introduce The Girl Who Waited.

Read more ...

Film Review – Fright Night - shropshirelive.com (press release)

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 04:34 AM PDT


shropshirelive.com (press release)

Film Review – Fright Night
shropshirelive.com (press release)
Thus, Charley and his girlfriend Amy (Imogen Poots) seek to destroy this supernatural menace, aided by the eccentric performer Peter Vincent (David Tennant). Jerry having secret cells in his house and blowing up Charley's home are silly, ...

and more »

Post Game TV Recap: DOCTOR WHO S6E9 'Night Terrors' - Newsarama

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 04:11 AM PDT


Newsarama

Post Game TV Recap: DOCTOR WHO S6E9 'Night Terrors'
Newsarama
Mark Gatiss (Writer) In the year since he wrote last season's Victory of the Daleks, he's written and starred in an adaptation of First men in the Moon, co-written Steven Moffat's Sherlock, not to mention appearing as Mycroft Holmes. ...

and more »

Doctor Who's Day Roundup: Watch the Steven Moffat-Approved A Cappella 'Who' Theme - Anglophenia (blog)

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 03:47 AM PDT


Anglophenia (blog)

Doctor Who's Day Roundup: Watch the Steven Moffat-Approved A Cappella 'Who' Theme
Anglophenia (blog)
Karen Gillan, Alex Kingston, Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman, Catherine Tate, Carey "Sally Sparrow" Mulligan, and Torchwood's Eve Myles are all competing for this year's title, against heavy-hitters such as Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, and Catherine ...

Amanda Holden and David Tennant donate pants to West End charity - Metro

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 03:34 AM PDT


Metro

Amanda Holden and David Tennant donate pants to West End charity
Metro
Amanda Holden and David Tennant are among the many West End stars who are putting their pants up for auction to raise money for the Make A Difference foundation. You could win a pair of David Tennant's pants at auction, ladies. ...

and more »

STAGE TUBE: Cafe de Paris Hosts WEST END BARES! - Broadway World

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 03:16 AM PDT


STAGE TUBE: Cafe de Paris Hosts WEST END BARES!
Broadway World
Stage stars from a variety of hit West End productions, including Amanda Holden, Michael Crawford, David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Richard Blackwood, Kara Tointon, and Natalie Casey, have all signed unique pieces of underwear memorabilia, ...

and more »

Ask Matt: The Office, Fall TV, Rizzoli, Big C, Torchwood and More! - TV Guide

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 03:09 AM PDT


TV Guide

Ask Matt: The Office, Fall TV, Rizzoli, Big C, Torchwood and More!
TV Guide
I guess my question here is about Torchwood. The Miracle Day season is the only one I have seen, although I ordered season 1 on DVD. Assuming I like season 1, do you think it is more worthwhile to order season 2 or just go for Children of Earth? ...

and more »

Amanda Holden, Michael Crawford Auction Pants For Make A Difference Trust - Broadway World

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 03:00 AM PDT


Amanda Holden, Michael Crawford Auction Pants For Make A Difference Trust
Broadway World
Stars of stage and screen including Amanda Holden, Michael Crawford, David Tennant and Catherine Tate have signed one-off pairs of pants; all customised by the expert wardrobe departments from 18 of London's main West End shows. ...

and more »

Is there any way that Torchwood and Doctor Who can still be in the same universe? - io9

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 02:48 AM PDT


Is there any way that Torchwood and Doctor Who can still be in the same universe?
io9
It was just barely possible that this happened and the Doctor didn't notice, just like he missed the arrival of the 456 in Torchwood: Children of Earth, and the various other potentially world-ending threats in Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures. ...

Classic Doctor Who: Four to Doomsday - Patheos

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 02:35 AM PDT


Classic Doctor Who: Four to Doomsday
Patheos
I didn't really think much of the show at first, but I stuck with it and by about the fourth or fifth episode I was hooked, and I rapidly watched all of the "new" Who on DVD, right in time to be there for Matt Smith's taking over the role. ...

Doctor Who Confidential: remaining titles revealed

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 02:18 AM PDT

The BBC have now announced the titles for the remaining episodes of Doctor Who Confidential (which might be considered spoilers):

10.   10 Sep   What Dreams May Come
11. 17 Sep Heartbreak Hotel
12. 24 Sep Open All Hours
13. 1 Oct When Time Froze

Some behind-the-scenes features have recently been added to the BBC's Doctor Who site that tie into the two episodes that have been broadcast so far. Two location featurettes were released for Let's Kill Hitler covering the final day's filming (part one and two) in a cornfield, and a tour inside the robot. Meanwhile, after the first interview snippet with Night Terrors star Danny Mays reported previously, a second interview with the actor has been released, accompanied by an introduction to the story by Matt Smith and Marcus Wilson; there are also two preview clips of Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill discussing the dolls house on location (one, two) via the BBC's YouTube channel.


You can follow updates from the Doctor Who Confidential team on Facebook.

Exclusive: "Jane's Take" on "Torchwood" Episode Nine: "The Gathering" - AfterElton.com

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 01:40 AM PDT


The Guardian (blog)

Exclusive: "Jane's Take" on "Torchwood" Episode Nine: "The Gathering"
AfterElton.com
This episode of Torchwood was written by John Fay, a UK writer who was an amazing presence in the writers' room with us. We all loved him. A great head for story and a Liverpool accent so strong that sometimes I wasn't sure he was speaking English. ...
TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY 1.09 'The Gathering'Crave Online
New Previews Tease the Dramatic Season Finale of 'Torchwood'AceShowbiz
Torchwood – Is it the end of the world as we know it?CliqueClack TV
Unreality TV -TheHDRoom -Shadowlocked
all 58 news articles »

Trailers Galore!

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 12:02 AM PDT

While you'll have heard clips in some of the podcasts, it's a little while since we brought you new full trailers of upcoming productions. We've had some great ones in this week so to whet your appetite, you can now take a listen to the following just by clicking to the product page of each one. Enjoy!

Sherlock Holmes: The Final Problem/The Empty House
It's the legendary confrontation between Holmes and Moriarty in our first season two release, plus Watson dealing with the aftermath.

Bernice Summerfield: Epoch
A new life in Atlantis beckons for Benny, but how has the ancient civilisation been resurrected and why?

Doctor Who: The Doomsday Quatrain
The Doctor and Nostradamus: together at last! Can they stop the end of the world? Indeed, as Nostradamus predicted it, does he even want to?

Doctor Who: Hexagora
Jacqueline Pearce joins Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton for a Lost Story in which it appears the Doctor will be getting married - whether he wants to or not!

Doctor Who reviews: Night Terrors - Shadowlocked

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 11:23 PM PDT


Shadowlocked

Doctor Who reviews: Night Terrors
Shadowlocked
Matt Smith seems perhaps even more *established* as The Doctor in this episode than he ever has done before. Of course, he's been brilliant since 'The Eleventh Hour' (and arguably the end of 'The End of Time Part 2', though that was only one scene, ...

and more »

Night Terrors Reaction

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 10:55 PM PDT

Here we are again, transported into a Dollhouse containing the collective wisdom of all critics concerning Saturday's episode Night Terrors and ironically it's transportation that's gotten most of them a-clicking on their keyboards.

Pull up a wooden armchair as here's a little history lesson: Night Terrors was originally supposed to be the third episode to air in this conjoined season of Doctor Who however Steven Moffat decided that the first half of Series 6 was too dark and moved Night Terrors to the position it now occupies.

Some may argue that Steven Moffat had his own dollshouse of collective fears and bundled The Curse of the Black Spot inside in the vain hope that it would go away but that would be mean.

Sharing concern for the causal viewer Assignment X decided to view the episode as  a 'get out of jail free card' to the overall arc of this half of the season:

"For millions of viewers that don't bother with behind-the-scenes details, they're watching it after Let's Kill Hitler so they're watching an Amy and Rory that should be reacting in a manner that fits this part of the narrative arc.

And since the production team moved the episode, they should have fixed it to properly suit the position in which it's running.

At least for this week, we have a bit of a "get out of jail free" card. Between the knowledge of where this episode was meant to go, and the very telling reference to "flesh" at the end that would have teased the Ganger story that was to follow it, perhaps it's better if we simply pretend this week is a flashback to earlier this year."

With the parameters of just what relationships in, around and because of the TARDIS changing there were never going to be a series of convention answers to the quest for Melody Pond – and it could be argued that the quest itself is over because Mels was for a long time raised by the Ponds (sure, it's not tucking her in, attending her Parent's Meeting and generally being all "Mumsy").

It's unlikely this will be the last we hear of it but you can see why the production team felt that it was okay to let it take a back step for this week.

Or maybe not if your Buzz Focus who had this little gem hidden in and amongst its praise for the emotionally charged climax where the Doctor empowers Alex (Daniel Mays) to accept his child no matter what:

"But, add that thrill to the fact that The Doctor also convinces George's father to love George because his is still his son, perception filter or not. That's a double-gut punch, since I'm pretty sure The Doctor will soon call on Amy and Rory to do the same thing when it comes to River Song. (Hence, the theme!)"

When is a stand alone episode better than another stand alone episode? When its metaphorical content becomes too much of a distraction and detracts from its more appealing qualities, argues, TVGeekArmy:

"I think that somewhere during production, someone, somewhere decided the show needed more of an edge this season; they needed to lead big. But the season was already mostly filmed, so they wrote an episode with pirates and stuck it at the beginning of the season. The problem then was that the cliffhanger had to fall on episode 7 and they had to pull an episode back. The only candidates were Night Terrors and The Doctor's Wife and clearly they weren't moving Neil Gaiman's episode any close to all this River stuff than it already was… After all, how many wives can one Doctor have?

We can only hope that at least for the DVD set, they'll move this episode up to its rightful place, where the episode can breathe a little better and the rest of us, concerned less with the scheduling of the BBC and more with the adventures of the Doctor, can enjoy the episode's strong points a little bit more."

Its not an entirely convincing argument – if anything the change between the two would be even more jarring if The Curse of the Black Spot was placed at this juncture – the tonal shift from the absent pirate father and the accepting father of Night Terrors seems to fit better with Let's Kill Hitler and the production schedule has been edited to fit its purpose.

Doctor Who - Night Terrors

The one voice that chose not to dwell on location, location, location was the largely negative Monsters and Critics (with a name like that you'd have thought they'd have loved it) who felt dissatisfied with the explanation as to how little George (James Oram) managed to get a message to the Doctor in the first place, hanging their entire review around the episode's lack of clarity and its reliance on sci-fi fans to do the leg work for it:

"The start of the episode sees the Doctor and friends pick up a distress call from a child. However, there isn't really a satisfactory explanation for how the kid was able to reach out across time and space in order to reach the doctor.

Even later on, when the child is revealed to be some sort of alien.

No explanation is forthcoming, which for me is probably the lynch pin where this episode rises and falls because it depends to much on the science fiction audience to assume the explanation as being some sort of psychic phenomenon."

For the most part, the episode got the balance of just how much 'technobable' you needed to keep the story moving even if the psychic paper/perception filter explanations are becoming a little trite.

So, what reviews did Mez Burdett find?

Well to begin with, The Shropshire Star gave Night Terrors some very positive feedback:

"Doctor Who was back on form this week: scary, well-written, very funny – "Have you got any Jammy Dodgers?" – and offering plenty to keep the little ones in fear. And it actually engaged the viewer rather than simply trying to beat him or her into submission with razzle dazzle. I blubbed, and that's a sign that the episode has succeeded in what it set out to do."

Website Nerd Bastards (are you sure about that? – Ed) found that the episode had an enjoyable "metaphysical" level as well:

"Though it does pack one hell of a creepy monster payoff in the end, a big part of what makes "Night Terrors" so effective is the way it makes the source of fear an almost intangible thing. The monsters exist in shadow only, and often only as theoretical things, for much of the episode… Night Terrors is not just about the reality of monsters, but about the importance of them, and about that age-old Doctor Who tenet that you can find something strange just about anywhere, including your cupboard."

However, Kasterborous favourite Maryann Johanson of website Flick Filosopher was not impressed by Night Terrors at all:

"So the little boy — who is, to be fair, adorable — is actually an alien. Which gives him the power to really, actually put the things that scare him in the cupboard…even though the Doctor tells us several times that "monsters are real," there are, in fact, no real monsters at all, just things that are scary to a small boy but that are nevertheless nonmonstery that he puts in the cupboard. There's nothing, it turns out, to justify the Doctor being so terrified of what's in the cupboard."

Pop culture website After Elton was generally happier with the episode's more tender moments:

"I love the gentleness Matt Smith can bring to the screen, particularly when he sits on George's bed making his toys ding! and whir! with his sonic screwdriver so George can't hear his dad arguing with the landlord… I think Gatiss found the perfect balance between pathos and peculiarity this time… I went from chewing my fingers to brushing away my tears when Alex fights off the dolls and says, "Whatever you are, whatever you do, you're my son. And I will never, ever send you away."

Meanwhile (writes Christian Cawley) the episode garnered easily debunkable overnight figures of 5.5 million, again around 30% of the available audience, but Night Terrors did see a chunk eaten at it from the Ant and Dec-fronted Red or Black gameshow. We expect that figure to increase by around 3 million when other viewing methods are factored in.

So a mixed bag in the reviews and reaction to what was an enjoyable episode that could really have been broadcast at any point throughout the series…

Melbourne Fringe: Who, Me.

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 09:02 PM PDT

A new one-man stage show based around Doctor Who has been announced for the Melbourne Fringe, taking place between the 21st September and 9th October:

Who, Me.

Doctor Who is about to face his greatest challenge: his number one fan. Rob Lloyd (The Hounds, The Mutant Way, A Study in Scarlet (A Study of...) and Fan Number One) is putting the Doctor on trial.

Not just for Doctor Who fans, it's a show about obsession and it's many faces. What have you been obsessed with – a celebrity, a football team, a TV show? For Rob, it's Doctor Who all the way.

He will be asking the BIG questions. Investigating whether Doctor Who (the television show) is guilty of inciting in him a debilitating obsession, or whether it has shaped him into a well-rounded, mentally sound member of society. Since 1996 Rob Lloyd has dedicated himself to amassing as much Doctor Who knowledge, well as videos, DVD, novels, audios, action figures and assorted paraphernalia as he can afford. With his replica Jon Pertwee era sonic screwdriver in hand and dressed in his 10th Doctor get up he is ready to jump head first into finding out how and why he got here!

Built up through improvisation and storytelling techniques, this one-man show is a personal and fitting tribute to a television icon. Through the course of the show we will see how one TV program can influence a persons actions, behavior and psyche. You don't need to be a Doctor Who fan to relate to this show, it speaks to anyone who has known obsession. It's a hilarious romp across the Doctor's 48 years, 11 faces and countless adventures.
 

The 55 minute play is to be performed by Australian actor, comedian and improviser Rob Lloyd, known for the cult musical comedy The Dodge, comedy troupe The Crew and award-winning comedy trio The Hounds; he devised the show alongside regular collaborator/director Scott Gooding.

Who, Me. will be performed throughout the Fringe (bar Mondays and final night) - further details and tickets can be purchased via the Melbourne Fringe.

(with thanks to Laura Milke Garner/MILKE Performance Industry Services)

Before Tomorrow

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 07:57 PM PDT

Tomorrow is Stormwatch release day, and I'll be giving you details of how to buy the first issue digitally, as well as reporting all sorts of other goodies. In the meantime, a couple of things have happened.

The latest issue of excellent digital comics magazine The Frontiersman contains massive coverage of DC's New 52, including interviews with myself, many other creators and bosses Bob Harras and Eddie Berganza. Do take a look.

And I'm pleased to say that I'm going to once again be one of the guests at the SFX Weekender in February.

I'm in the middle of compiling a truly enormous (and somewhat emotional) Worldcon report, which should see the light of day later this week, after the launch. Cheerio!

Sarah Jane Adventures in the Childrens BBC Autumn Trailer [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 07:04 PM PDT

The final series of Sarah Jane Adventures, features in the CBBC (Childrens BBC) trailer for the autumn start. So it is obviously was important enough to be included in the trailer, here's the trailer for your perusal.

The TARDIS returns to Caerphilly Castle

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 05:53 PM PDT

The TARDIS is set to land on Caerphilly Castle, just before the BBC Proms in the Park takes place in the town.

This is the first outdoor concert ever staged in Caerphilly. The event is expected to attract thousands of people, some avid BBC Proms in the Park followers and many who have never experienced being part of BBC Proms before.

The TARDIS is on show from 6th-12th September and visitors can see the TARIDS up close within the castle walls.

On Saturday 10th September Caerphilly town is turned into ‘Fringefest’ in celebration of BBC proms in the Park and Caerphilly Castle throws is free all day between 9:30am and 5pm.

Inside the Castle between 10:30am4pm there is entertainment such as Twerlin the Wizard, Fiery Jack with Escapology, Dragon Stories and a Dragon Parade.

Take a stroll into Caerphilly town and enjoy ‘Fringefest’ with an eclectic mix of music, comedy, entertainment and art.

To purchase proms tickets go to www.blackwoodminersinstitute.com or call The Visit Caerphilly Centre on 029 2088 0011 or go into the centre seven days a week between 10am5:30pm.

Tickets are just &ound;10 per adult, children 12 and under are Free with an accompanying adult and &ound;12 on the night.

[Source: Campaign]

The Girl Who Waited Pics

Posted: 05 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT

Promotional pictures for The Girl Who Waited are now available courtesy of the BBC. We've also included screen gr Read more ...

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