Saturday, August 31, 2013

Dating Inconsistencies in Series 7

The writers of Series 7 didn't coordinate very well on the dating of their episodes. At the beginning of Series 6, in The Impossible Astronaut, it's very clearly April 2011. When the Doctor drops the Ponds off at the end of The God Complex, it's presumably later that year. Everything up to this point is good.

At the end of The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, Amy states that it's been two years since she's seen the Doctor, putting it at Christmas 2013. According to Pond Life, Asylum of the Daleks takes place in August. In the next episode, Amy says that it's been ten months since the Doctor last visited, so it is now presumably June of the next year. The Power of Three starts off in July, then continues on into the next year. Part way through the episode, it's Amy and Rory's wedding anniversary. This should be their sixth wedding anniversary (in 2016), however it is stated that it is their second. Chris Chibnall is four years off in his dating of the episode.

Only to make matters worse, The Name of the Doctor is stated to happen in April of 2013. Theoretically, with a new companion, the Doctor can do whatever he wants. He could spend all their time in the 14th century. However, throughout the new series, there has been a certain element of keeping episodes roughly in the present. I guess the writers didn't want everything to be taking place four years in the future. However, it would have been far easier to remove the dialogue than to simply ignore it for the sake of the status quo.

Winston Churchill's Return?

Actor Ian McNeice has confirmed that Winston Churchill will be returning to Doctor Who. The confirmation came before the Ritz Cinema & Theater today and was confirmed by a tweet that seems to have been deleted. It's unclear what episode McNeice was referring to. It could be the 50th anniversary special, the Christmas special, or Series 8.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Destiny of the Doctors: Enemy Aliens Review

Today I continue my series of reviews of AudioGO and Big Finish's Destiny of the Doctors series. This month is the eighth Doctor adventure, Enemy Aliens, written by Alan Barnes.

I haven't listened to any of the other 8th Doctor stories, so I don't know about those or how Charley Pollard usually talks. This story seems to have a lot of over-the-top, ridiculous description. The story uses words like thingamabob and describes a mustache as coming out of a crowd, rather than a man.

The story leads you down one path, thinking that it's the usual Doctor Who story. Then, it's revealed that it's more historical fiction than science fiction. As soon as you've gotten used to that fact, they go and pull something on you which I don't think I'll reveal here for fear of spoilers. Nevertheless, it's not what you expected. Twice.

The aliens in the story don't seem terribly well thought-out. They can obviously see, but they have no capacity to recognize individuals. Either that, or they can recognize individuals, but they don't know their own commander. What kind of soldier can't recognize their own superior? I mean, they should at least be able to tell Charley's the wrong species. The writers don't seem to have thought this through very well. Either that, or they have and the alien's just an idiot.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Steven Moffat Writer's Room Interview

The BBC Writer's Room did an interview with Moffat last June. In it, he talks about the writing process, what it's like being the showrunner, and why writer's should embrace writer's block. You can watch it after the jump.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The Magic of Doctor Who at the Proms

The BBC have released a video about Doctor Who and yesterday's Proms on their YouTube channel. You can watch it in the player below.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Eccleston on 100th Anniversary

Christopher Eccleston sent a message to the BFI's screening celebrating the ninth Doctor.
I love the BFI. I love the Doctor and hope you enjoy this presentation. Joe Ahearne directed five of the 13 episodes of the first series. He understood the tone the show needed completely – strong, bold, pacy visuals coupled with wit, warmth and a twinkle in the performances. If Joe agrees to direct the 100th anniversary special, I will bring my sonic and a stair-lift and – providing the Daleks don’t bring theirs – I, the ninth Doctor, vow to save the universe and all you apes in it.
Christopher was famous for quitting Doctor Who after filming one season. He has also denied involvement in the 50th Anniversary. Perhaps part of his reason for lack of involvement has been that Ahearne has not directed any more episodes. If so, perhaps he could be coaxed back for the 60th Anniversary (I doubt he'll survive to the 100th) by promises of Ahearne directing.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Possible Way Around the Regeneration Limit

As many of you are aware, it was stated in the classic series that Time Lords can only regenerate twelve times. After that, they're as mortal as anyone else. Given the recent reveal that Matt Smith's Doctor has regenerated eleven times, and not ten as previously thought, then it seems the upcoming regeneration this Christmas will the be last.

If Moffat wants to continue the show after Peter Capaldi, then he's going to have to find a way to eliminate the twelve regeneration limit. People have proposed that when River brought the Doctor back to life in Let's Kill Hitler, she gave him her remaining ten regenerations. Moffat could do that, but it would be more of a stop-gap measure that would simply punt the issue thirty or forty years down the road. What would be better is if he could find a way of using the Doctor's statement in Death of the Doctor that he can regenerate 507 times.

We already know from A Good Man Goes to War that Time Lords evolved their capability due to exposure to radiation from the Untempered Schism over billions of years. What I propose is that they gained their regenerations slowly, one at a time, over billions of years as they were exposed to more and more radiation. By the eve of the Time War, they had evolved twelve regenerations. During the war, they realized twelve wasn't enough, so they exposed themselves to more radiation and sped up the process. By the end of the war, the Time Lords (or at least the Doctor) had upped the limit to 507.

Given the tenure of the typical Doctor (three to four years), this would punt the issue well over a thousand years down the road. By the time of the 36th century, either the human race will be extinct, fiction will be a lost art/illegal, the show will have been cancelled anyway, or the writers will have had 1,500 years to think of a permanent solution. Either that, or everybody will have forgotten that the Doctor was only supposed to have a finite number of regenerations in the first place.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Leaked Pic of 50th

The Edinburgh Film Festival showed a clip from the 50th Anniversary special earlier and a screencap has leaked online. The low-quality image appears to show David Tennant, Matt Smith, and John Hurt standing side-by-side.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Moffat on the 12th Doctor

Steven Moffat has given a few hints about the next Doctor in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine.
  • Capaldi will keep his Scottish accent
  • No real ideas yet on the costume
  • Clara may not have a crush on him
  • The new Doctor may be difficult to like as well as quite different
  • He's going to be "older, trickier, and fiercer"

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

IDW Comic Confirms John Hurt Doctor's Crime

A recent IDW Doctor Who comic has confirmed that the John Hurt Doctor is indeed the one who ended the Time War. Issue #12 depicts a Time Lady revealing that the Doctor has given up his name and is intent on using the Moment to stop the destruction of the universe at the hands of the Time Lords.

Cover for Issue 464 of Doctor Who Magazine

Doctor Who Magazine has revealed the cover for the October issue of the periodical (which for some reason is due out in August). The cover features 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi and there is an interview with him inside.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Neil Cross to Write in Series 8

Neil Cross (writer of The Rings of Akhaten and Hide) has revealed to Stuff that he will be back in 2014.
I am going back, I have got story ideas tucked away, but if I told you about them I would have to kill you. There's a whole bunch of stuff I want to do. Steven is clearly very busy with the 50th anniversary special and Christmas special, but I have to find out from Steven what his intentions for the Doctor are and what sort of stories he wants me to write.
It is still unconfirmed how many episodes he will be writing or when they will air. The start date for Series 8 is still unconfirmed.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Special Limited Edition of the Series 7 Soundtrack

Silva Screen is currently taking pre-orders for the limited edition version of the Series 7 soundtrack. The limited edition contains five alternative covers, priced US$18.73. You can sign up for the pre-order here.


The Light at the End Vinyl Release

The Big Finish 50th Anniversary multi-Doctor story, The Light at the End, is going to be released in a special vinyl edition. 500 copies of the four-disc edition will be produced, featuring both the original story and a making-of documentary.

The vinyl edition is priced US$153.52, while the standard edition is priced $12.99 for download and $23.02 for CD. There is also a special limited edition containing The Light at the End, a different making-of documentary, This is Doctor Who at Big Finish (another documentary), and Doctor Who - The Companion Chronicles: The Revenants. It is priced $25.00 for download and $61.42 for CD.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The First Doctor's Console Appears at the Doctor Who Experience

The TARDIS console used in the filming of An Adventure in Space and Time (starring David Bradley) has made its debut at the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff. The Experience is the official museum for all things Who and is located a short distance away from the studio where the show is filmed. Bradley's console is currently on display in the mezzanine section alongside its sisters. Tickets are available here.


You can also watch a time-lapse video of it being assembled.

Spore Video Introduction

The video for this month's 50th Anniversary short story, Spore, was released earlier today. The story is written by Alex Scarrow and will be available for sale on the 23rd.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Liebster Award

This blog has been nominated for the Liebster Award by Jordan: Blog of Insanity. The award is passed on from one blogger to the next, and I apparently have to answer ten questions posed to me by the person who nominated me and nominate ten more people and ask them ten more questions. But I'm not actually going to do all that.

The ten questions posed to me were
  1. What is your biggest ambition/goal in life?
  2. If you could travel in time, would you travel forwards or backwards, and why?
  3. What is one thing you love most about planet Earth and why?
  4. What is the happiest memory you can remember?
  5. What film do you think represents your life the best?
  6. If you could eat only one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
  7. What is the funniest joke you know?
  8. Describe what your perfect date would be.
  9. What is the one thing you cannot live without and why?
  10. If you had one wish (and couldn't wish for more wishes), what would it be?

My answers
  1. To either solve the world energy crisis or invent the warp drive
  2. I have absolutely no idea
  3. It just keeps going and going, it doesn't need us at all
  4. I don't know that either
  5. The only films I know are sci-fi, so none of them
  6. Cereal
  7. Longer than this post allows
  8. Anything with Clara Oswald
  9. Doctor Who (in case you couldn't tell)
  10. To travel with the Doctor (and leave on my own terms)

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Why Davros Should Return

I believe that Davros should make an appearance in the next Dalek story. In the previous one, Asylum of the Daleks, Oswin Oswald wiped all the Daleks' memories of the Doctor. It isn't going to take them long to figure out that they don't know why all their plots to take over the universe have failed. They're going to have a lot of questions, and no answers. So what do the Daleks do when they're baffled? They ask their creator for help.

Davros would very quickly remind the Daleks that it was the Doctor who defeated them, only to come to the conclusion that they don't know who he is. Not only that, but the Doctor has deleted himself from every other database in the universe. No one knows who he is. Davros would be mystified, and would proceed to hunt down the Doctor. After that, there would probably be some sort of conversation about the Doctor getting too big and stepping back into the shadows.

However it happens, Davros must be in the next Dalek episode. He's the only source the Daleks would trust when they notice their own flawed history. Also, as a major classic villain (comparable to the Master), he deserves to grace our screens once more.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Eight Doctor 50th Anniversary eShort

Puffin Books has released info on the 8th Doctor 50th Anniversary eShort, Spore. The short story will be written by Alex Scarrow (author of the TimeRiders series), and as usual is due out on the 23rd priced £1.99.

Synopsis
In a small town in the Nevada desert, an alien pathogen has reduced the entire population to a seething mass of black slime. When the Eighth Doctor arrives, he realises this latest threat to humanity is horrifyingly familiar – it is a virus which almost annihilated his entire race, the Time Lords…

More Info on Series 7 Soundtrack

Silva Screen have released more info on the Series 7 soundtrack, including packaging information and track listing.



The CD set will be released on September 9th. The first 5,000 copies will be available in a special gatefold wallet (pictured above), with the remaining copies available in a standard jewel case. The track information is as follows.

Disc 1 
  1. They Are Everywhere
  2. Save Us
  3. Dalek Parliament
  4. Oswin Oswald
  5. Towards The Asylum
  6. A Probe In The Snow
  7. Amy And Rory Together
  8. The Terrible Truth
  9. Dinosaurs On A Spaceship/Pterodactyls
  10. Brian
  11. Take A Ride On Tricey
  12. Make Peace
  13. Welcome To Mercy
  14. Out West
  15. Gunslingers
  16. The Salvation Of Kahler Jex
  17. Our Little Town's Prosecuter
  18. Cubes
  19. While We Waited
  20. Brian's Log
  21. New York New York
  22. I Am You
  23. Melody Malone
  24. Little Angels
  25. My Husband's Home
  26. Hide The Damage
  27. Almost The End
  28. Together Or Not At All - The Song of Amy and Rory
  29. Goodbye Pond
  30. Cumbria 1207
  31. Monking About
  32. Spoonheads
  33. Clara?
  34. A Turbulent Flight
  35. Bah Bah Biker
  36. Up The Shard
  37. I Might Change My Mind

Disc 2
  1. The Leaf
  2. Something Awesome
  3. Market Day
  4. Merry Gejelh
  5. God of Akhaten
  6. The Speeder
  7. Never Wake
  8. The Long Song
  9. Infinite Potential
  10. Always You, Never A Replacement
  11. Cold War
  12. Skaldak
  13. I Am A Ghost
  14. A Machine That Makes Machines
  15. Crimson Horror
  16. Sweetville
  17. Thomas Thomas
  18. Hedgewick's World
  19. Tiberian Spiral Galaxy
  20. Upgrade In Progress
  21. The Dream of Cyberia
  22. What A Brain
  23. Can't Win
  24. Your Orders Come From Me
  25. Other Good News
  26. The Impossible Girl
  27. Cyber Amy
  28. The Emperor's Wife
  29. Some Wednesday
  30. To Save The Doctor
  31. A Letter To Clara
  32. What Is His Name?
  33. A Secret He Will Take To His Grave
  34. Trenzalore
  35. I Am Information
  36. Pain Everlasting
  37. Remember Me
  38. Glasgow (iTunes bonus track)
  39. Whisper Men (iTunes bonus track)

Monday, August 5, 2013

Doctor Who YouTube Geek Week Videos

BBC America has posted a couple of Doctor Who videos in celebration of YouTube's Geek Week. You can watch them in the players below.





UPDATE: For some reason, they thought it was a good idea to put this on a separate channel

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Peter Capaldi Intro Videos

Two short videos have popped up on the BBC's YouTube page following the announcement of Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor earlier today. One of them is a short "hello" type video and the other is a clip from Doctor Who Live when they announced him.



Peter Capaldi Announced as the 12th Doctor

The BBC have formally announced that Peter Capaldi will be playing the role of the 12th Doctor. The announcement came during a special live event on BBC One hosted by Zoe Ball. On the show were special guest stars, including past Doctors, companions, celebrities, Matt Smith, Jenna-Louise Coleman, and Steven Moffat.

Peter will take over the role this Christmas and continue alongside Jenna-Louise Coleman in Series 8 next year. Various bookies had the odds set on him recently, and the odds were actually so good that they suspended betting. At age 55, he is the first older Doctor since Christopher Eccleston. He also played the Roman Caecilius in the 2008 episode The Fires of Pompeii.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Misha Collins for 12th Doctor?

So American actor Misha Collins just tweeted one of the most suspicious tweets I've ever seen.


He could just be bluffing, or have they finally selected an American to play the Doctor? If they were to finally pick a foreigner, it would make sense to try to head off the haters by picking someone immensely popular, like Misha. Collins currently plays the angel Castiel on the CW show Supernatural, and as such, is very popular among hormonal teenage fangirls the world over.

Friday, August 2, 2013

New Thor 2 Poster

Marvel Studios has released a new poster for Thor 2: The Dark World. The movie hits theaters on October 30th of this year.

Sherlock Series 3 Teaser Trailer

The BBC has just released a teaser trailer for Sherlock Series 3. You can watch it in the player below.

Trailers for Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor

BBC and BBC America have released trailers for the special live event set to air on Sunday. Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor will announce who has been selected to play the role of the 12th Doctor. It will air at 7pm BST (11am PDT) and be hosted by Zoe Ball.

BBC America trailer


BBC online trailer

Thursday, August 1, 2013

His Last Vow Filming, Day 2

Filming continued today on Bute Street in Cardiff. Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Lars Mikkelson, and Mark Gatiss were on set. Be sure to follow the #setlock tag on Twitter and Tumblr for more.













12th Doctor to Be Announced on Sunday (UPDATED)

Rumors have been flying around a lot lately that the 12th Doctor will be confirmed this Sunday. Supposedly, the BBC will air a special episode of Confidential entitled Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor Sunday at 7pm.

The episode will be filmed live in front of a studio audience. Currently a rerun of Celebrity Mastermind is scheduled during that timeslot, but that is expected to be replaced tonight at midnight UK time. The show will be hosted by Zoe Ball and feature interviews with past Doctors, companions, celebrity guests, and Steven Moffat.

Moffat has been denying for a while now that the new Doctor has been cast. However, since he's a known liar, it's likely he's had one picked out for a while now. I wouldn't be surprised if the 12th Doctor was cast weeks ago.

UPDATE: The rumor has now been confirmed. The BBC have released a press statement which you can read here.