Friday, December 25, 2009

Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News

Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News


Actor bowing out as 'Doctor Who' - NewsOK.com

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 04:02 PM PST


Actor bowing out as 'Doctor Who'
NewsOK.com
David Tennant is "Doctor Who" in two more episodes of the BBC America series, which airs at 8 pm today. BBC AMERICA PHOTO David Tennant, the current Doctor, ...

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Weekend's holiday fruitcake heavy on repeats - SouthCoastToday.com

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 03:12 PM PST


Weekend's holiday fruitcake heavy on repeats
SouthCoastToday.com
The second-to-last "Doctor Who" starring David Tennant "The End of Time, Part One" (9 pm, Saturday, BBC America) shows the Doctor ...

Who's who in the world of 'Who'? - Boston Herald

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 03:08 PM PST


Who's who in the world of 'Who'?
Boston Herald
Cybermen: Cyborglike, yet humanoid in appearance, the Cybermen thrive on conquest. The Master: A renegade Time Lord, the Master is the Doctor's evil ...

Tennant bids farewell to 'Doctor Who' - Boston Herald

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 03:08 PM PST


Tennant bids farewell to 'Doctor Who'
Boston Herald
Executive producer/writer Russell T. Davies, Tennant and Gardner are credited with revitalizing the series when it re-launched in 2005 with Christopher ...

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'Doctor Who: The End Of Time' Review & Discussion - Screen Rant

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:49 PM PST


Screen Rant

'Doctor Who: The End Of Time' Review & Discussion
Screen Rant
With Bernard Cribbins and Catherine Tate reprising their roles as Wilfred Mott and Donna Noble, one can hope to expect one truly great adventure. ...

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DoctorWho: The Commentaries – The End of Time, Part One

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

The Dr Who cast and crew discuss episode 1 of The End of Time.

“The End Of Time, Part Two” Preview Clip! - Pop Culture Zoo

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 11:43 AM PST


"The End Of Time, Part Two" Preview Clip!
Pop Culture Zoo
David Tennant stars as the Tenth Doctor and guest stars include John Simm, Bernard Cribbins, Catherine Tate, Timothy Dalton, David Harewood and June ...

and more »

'Doctor Who' Adventure Calendar Day Twenty-Five - Pop Culture Zoo

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 11:40 AM PST


'Doctor Who' Adventure Calendar Day Twenty-Five
Pop Culture Zoo
The commentary featured Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner and can be listened to below! Joseph Dilworth Jr. has been writing since he could hold a pencil ...

David Lister: Shakespeare makes great television - Independent

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 10:01 AM PST


David Lister: Shakespeare makes great television
Independent
David Tennant's celebrity as TV's Dr Who, aided by his superb performance and Greg Doran's terrific production for the RSC, has persuaded the BBC to put on ...

Doctor Who: The End Of Time Part One review - Den Of Geek

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 08:52 AM PST


Doctor Who: The End Of Time Part One review
Den Of Geek
To this day, I sit here wondering if the finest casting decision that Russell T Davies oversaw during his tenure on Doctor Who – outside of his title stars ...

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dark Christmas in the Square – and in the Tardis - Times Online

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 07:30 AM PST


Times Online

dark Christmas in the Square – and in the Tardis
Times Online
Russell T. Davies, the writer who resuscitated the Doctor, and David Tennant, the most popular actor to have recently inhabited the role, are leaving the ...

Doctor Who End of Time Torrent - Los Angeles Public Relations (blog)

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 07:23 AM PST


Los Angeles Public Relations (blog)

Doctor Who End of Time Torrent
Los Angeles Public Relations (blog)
This will also be the last story written by Russell T Davies, who has also served as the series executive producer and chief writer since the return of the ...

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Extra Points: Week 2 of bowl season - SNY.tv

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 06:44 AM PST


SNY.tv

Extra Points: Week 2 of bowl season
SNY.tv
Marshall: One of my co-workers, Brian Dalek, is a Marshall alum and he told me about how the Herd fired their coach after the regular season, ...

Merry Christmas from Doctor Who! - ChicagoNow (blog)

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 05:55 AM PST


Merry Christmas from Doctor Who!
ChicagoNow (blog)
... Doctor Who fans: a compilation of Christmas 'indents' (we'd call them 'bumpers' here in the US) by the BBC network featuring Doctor Who's David Tennant. ...

Right then, 'The End Of Time, Part One'... - Digital Spy

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 05:15 AM PST


Right then, 'The End Of Time, Part One'...
Digital Spy
I love the love/hate relationship between The Doctor and The Master - Russell T Davies has pulled all the right stunts off for an explosive but satisfying ...

and more »

David Tennant Talks 'Doctor Who' Season Finale: Time War Secrets, Familiar ... - MTV.com (blog)

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 05:12 AM PST


David Tennant Talks 'Doctor Who' Season Finale: Time War Secrets, Familiar ...
MTV.com (blog)
Not only does "The End of Time" finale conclude the latest season, but it will also see the departure actor David Tennant, who's played The Doctor for the ...

and more »

Doctor Who: The End of Time – the verdict - The Guardian (blog)

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST


The Guardian (blog)

Doctor Who: The End of Time – the verdict
The Guardian (blog)
The fun of a cliffhanger – and one of the distinctive virtues of Russell T Davies's Doctor Who has been the sense of how much fun he was having – comes from ...

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Discussion: The End of Time (Part One)

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST

Warning: The following article has been designated a Spoiler Zone, as its comments openly discuss the events of part one of The End of Time. Please do not read the comments if you haven’t yet seen the episode and don’t want to be spoiled. Thank you. It’s finally arrived everyone - the best Christmas present of [...]

Best of 2009: TV - San Antonio Express

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:53 AM PST


Best of 2009: TV
San Antonio Express
... on this list — the final season of "Battlestar Galactica," David Tennant's last stand as "Doctor Who" and ABC's visually awesome "V" and "Flashforward. ...

Who Marathon for BBC America - ATV News (blog)

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:37 AM PST


ATV News (blog)

Who Marathon for BBC America
ATV News (blog)
Starting at midnight on New Year's Day BBC America will screen The Christmas Invasion followed by subsequent David Tennant episodes until it has gone right ...

All Annie wants for Festivus - TV Squad (blog)

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:13 AM PST


All Annie wants for Festivus
TV Squad (blog)
Please don't suck, Doctor Who. There's a lot riding on the shoulders of Steven Moffat and everyone involved in the new series of Doctor Who. ...

What to Watch This Weekend: Fox, You Shouldn't Have - New York Times (blog)

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:02 AM PST


What to Watch This Weekend: Fox, You Shouldn't Have
New York Times (blog)
"Doctor Who" (BBC America, 9 pm Saturday) begins the last story of the David Tennant era, a two-parter that concludes next Saturday. ...

Davies' Doctor Who Revival Was A Miracle, But Its Ending Remains Uncertain - io9

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 01:11 AM PST


Davies' Doctor Who Revival Was A Miracle, But Its Ending Remains Uncertain
io9
As Russell T. Davies' reign as Doctor Who showrunner begins its ending with this weekend's "The End of Time, Part One," he's looking back to five years ago ...

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Film released showing public transport working in snow - TechRadar UK

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 11:08 PM PST


Film released showing public transport working in snow
TechRadar UK
It certainly sounds more appealing than this year's Catherine Tate-heavy Christmas TV schedule. The train film, which shows the views out of the window and ...

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Christmas Message

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 10:40 PM PST

A message from executive producer Nicholas Briggs...

'On behalf of all of us at Big Finish, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal subscribers and listeners for their continued support. As we say so many times, you are the life blood of Big Finish. You are the ones who make it possible to create the stories and productions that entertain you.

'We hope you've enjoyed what we've had to offer this year and we feel sure that you will find plenty you like about our upcoming releases in 2010. The Doctor Who range will continue to develop, offering fresh, new stories and, from time to time, delving back into much loved classic favourites. Our Stargate and Highlander ranges will be heading in a bold, new direction, and Bernice Summerfield will be exploring new territory. Also in the coming months, you can expect to see more free download stories from various ranges as subscriber-only treats and as free story podcasts for regular listeners. There'll also be some brand new, entirely original audio books and drama coming your way in 2010. And naturally, the podcasts will continue!

'The first of the free, subscriber-only treats will be Sherlock Holmes: The Speckled Band - a dramatized reading of Conan Doyle's favourite Holmes adventure. Coming up next will be the limited edition Bernice Summerfield adventure Buried Treasures, which, by popular demand, will be made available as a free podcast.

'I shan't take up any more of your precious time for celebrations, eating too much food or watching too much television. Have fun, and rest assured that all of us at Big Finish will do our best to make 2010 a great year for you all.'

Everyone at Big Finish offers you their best wishes.

2009's Naughty and Nice List! - AfterElton.com

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 05:17 PM PST


2009's Naughty and Nice List!
AfterElton.com
Torchwood should probably get mentioned on both lists. They have gay charactors but they keep killing them off. LMAO, Torchwood isn't mentioned at all on ...

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Journey's End

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 04:55 PM PST

I always said I'd stick with Doctor Who until the end of time.

My former associate Tat Wood - who, if you're wondering about our relationship, swings erratically between "my wise and trusted friend" and "that git I'd like to punch in the face, very hard and quite often" - is delighted by the prospect of 2010. He's delighted because he wants to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of "Meglos". Not because he actually likes it, you understand: he finds it appealing because he sees it as the ultimate rite of passage, the event you have to sit through if you want to call yourself a Doctor Who fan and prove that you're capable of chewing the gristle as well as swallowing the steak. It's not the worst Doctor Who story ever made, as even Tat would agree. It's just the epitome of wig-wearing, badly-conceived-planet-bearing, late-'70s-but-in-the-early-'80s stupidity. Survive it while treating it as proper television, not making jokes about Space: 1999 or UFO (or Star Maidens, as Tat recently pointed out to me), and you'll be a man, my son. Or a woman, my daughter. No, probably a man, no woman would bother.

Many different geeks of many different hues will be reading this, quite possibly including Tat himself. So I'll divide the comments into discreet paragraphs. And, indeed, discrete paragraphs.

DON'T READ THIS IF YOU THINK THE MULTIPLE SUNS OF "PLANET OF THE DEAD" SHINE OUT OF RUSSELL T. DAVIES. I'm writing these words one day before "The End of Time" (i.e. it's Christmas Eve where I am), but I think we've all seen the pictures of the cactus-faced people from the Christmas / New Year story, even in the Radio Times. Which makes me wonder… if "The End of Time" is reaching its conclusion on the first day of 2010, then is Big Russell also celebrating thirty years of "Meglos"? Does he recognise his own failure, and want to express it in xerophyte form? Is he subconsciously saying "Praise Be to Ti"? Or what?

DON'T READ THIS IF YOU'RE TAT. I REPEAT, DON'T READ THIS IF YOU'RE TAT. Yeah, right, "Meglos" is the stupid-looking one. You know what Tat's idea of greatness is? "The Stones of Blood". In my book, that isn't even broadcastable. Not that I actually like "Meglos". I'm just saying.

Yet, as per usual, Tat makes a good point which we can only see clearly after we've finished swearing at him. Like an aristocrat (in the proper Ted-and-Ralph way, not the being-a-prince-and-dressing-as-a-Nazi way… oh, all right, in the Lady Michelle Ryan's Big Gold Cup way rather than the Slug King from "The Twin Dilemma" on His Evil Throne way), Tat thinks about generations rather than moments. So we should follow his lead and consider the future. Specifically, how the people to come will see this programme.

Mmmm.

Er…

Look, I'm sorry to say this, but it's probably time. Russell T. Davies made Doctor Who unkillable by bringing it back in the 2005 style, for which we should theoretically thank him. It went against all the rules of TV in the middle of what we're now supposed to call the Noughties, and it won. It bloody won. Of course, in the process, it spawned a number of imitators. All of whom kept the format, but abandoned the risks. Robin Hood? Doctor Who with macho. Merlin? Doctor Who with spells (watch it back-to-back with "The Shakespeare Code", and see what strikes you). Spooks…? Well, Spooks was "conceptualised" even before Chris Ecc, but it's now feeding off David Tennant's prajna in a big way. However, human entropy insists on turning all good ideas into cack, and we can see it here. People copy Doctor Who; Doctor Who-makers go to BAFTA ceremonies, where they rub various body-parts with the folk who do the copying; the Doctor Who-makers start to believe that the flattery must be true, and ergo start making a version of Doctor Who which copies the copies. The result is a levelling-out of energy that makes Our Programme look more banal with every episode.

It's unkillable, but it's wrong. Thrice-wrong now that the series has taken the coward's route, and replaced Tennant with a poxy, gormless, quasi-sexy young Doctor who might possibly turn out to be Tennant II in the public imagination. It is, if you will, like the undying corpse in eternal agony who turns up in Tales from the Crypt. Future generations will remember this series as "One of Those CGI Programmes", and it's apt that Russell T. has compared the indestructible central character with Sherlock Holmes, given that Sherlock Holmes is now the title of an FX-driven film which also has very little to do with the original. It's tempting to go for the easy shot, and point out that Big Him is now living in Los Angeles, yet the truth is that we should've known something was wrong as soon as "The Sound of Drums" showed us a version of modern-day Britain in which nobody exists unless they're on TV.

All right, I'll say it. I hate this programme now. I hate the way that David Tennant - a brilliant, scintillating young talent, half a decade ago - has been turned into the laziest actor-hag in the country thanks to even-lazier writers who earn their keep by scripting "things David Tennant always does as the Doctor". I hate the self-indulgent, ultra-masturbatory drivel that comes from treating the male lead as an object of fetishism ("Forest of the Dead" was bad enough, but the final minutes of "The Waters of Mars" were an insult to all human intelligence). I hate the fact that Doctor Who no longer means "going to strange places and seeing what happens", but "casting celebrities and seeing how much publicity we can get by putting them next to shite CGI monsters". I hate the thought that the mythology with which I grew up is now being re-routed for idiots who like superhero movies. "Talky bit, suggested menace, special effects set-piece, talky bit with sad orchestral music, set-piece number two, increase in menace, effects climax, hugs."

Hey, but it's Christmas! So look on the bright side. Next year, we get a whole series run by Moffat. The man whom Russell T. Davies cited as having solid gold brain-cells (even though his ideas ran out even before he became producer and chief writer, unless "Silence in the Library" really was a demo script he wrote in 1992, as many of us have suspected); the man who went on record as saying that he doesn't want to be remembered as the one who "broke Doctor Who" (bit late to worry now… he broke it with "The Girl in the Fireplace", a story which was quite good in itself - at least, when there were killer clockwork robots on the screen and the author didn't have to pretend to care about credible female characters - but which damned the series to an eternity of inane pretend-sexiness). And look what he's giving us! Churchill and the Daleks. A two-part Silurian story written by Chris Chibnall. Richard f***ing Curtis. Some of these are still in the "unconfirmed" file, but the fact that they even exist as rumours should tell you everything you need to know. Anyone would think the new boss is deliberately hiring the worst people imaginable, just to make himself look good. Except that he's also (supposedly) doing a two-parter which involves both Professor River Song and the Weeping Angels. Riiight. Big new ideas.

I've said, over and over, that the Doctor Who spin-offs might have been world-exploding if they'd been controlled by vaguely competent people. Instead, BBC Wales hired Chibnall for one, and then managed to sink even deeper into the offal-pit of ineptitude by finding Phil Ford for the other. Now Doctor Who itself is about to be run by the worst possible person, not because Moffat is a bad writer in himself - he isn't, and if those of you who still resent me would like to re-examine that "Pissing Blink" comment, then I think you'll find I was praising him for a certain sort of script - but because he's always going to take the easy option. This is, and always was, a programme about experiment and experience. It's meant to be the highest point of licence-fee telly. Nowadays, though, its creators always play safe.

What I want for Christmas, geek-wise? A Doctor Who writer with balls. Or ovaries, they'll do. Glands of any description would be good. But given the line-up for 2010… may I skip out now? I really, really, really, really don't want to see what happens next. I'm sure that the older nerdlings among us have felt the desire to give up at some point, the way I did during the cold, stark horror of Season 24, or in the most insipid period of the BBC Books run, or after "The Impossible Planet". But they were all cases of Doctor Who being Not Very Good. Now it's different. Now it's a case of Doctor Who being… well, nasty. Cynical. Smug.

Of course, I'll take it all back if "The End of Time" turns out to be half-decent.


DON'T READ THIS UNLESS YOU'RE ACTUALLY MOFFAT. "Mangling the English language"…? Is that really the strongest comeback you can manage? You're becoming complacent, you ageing twat. You can do better than clichés. And please do so, or everyone else will want to give you a good slap as well.

Two Tivos To Paradise 12.25.09: The Year In Review, Part One - The Best Shows ... - 411mania.com

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 02:43 PM PST


Two Tivos To Paradise 12.25.09: The Year In Review, Part One - The Best Shows ...
411mania.com
The most bone chilling five episodes of TV this year, Torchwood: Children of the Earth was a creative and artistic success of the highest caliber. ...

Merry Christmas!!! - Cubed3

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 10:43 AM PST


Merry Christmas!!!
Cubed3
... JB, Lrrr, echoes, Captain, SImon, ModplanJanet, LK, IKe and everyone else - sorry if I missed ya. He, Doctor who day today yay!! Gonna miss David Tennant.

Day Twenty Five!

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 10:00 AM PST

Exclusive extract from the commentary!

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