Watching Doctor Who

In the Classic series of Doctor Who the Doctor was constantly being told to empty out his pockets. This was especially common in the Fourth Doctor era. When the Doctor would reluctantly comply with the order, the watcher would find any number of strange things that had been lurking in his pockets. If you have been watching the new series, you have undoubtedly noticed that the Doctor still pulls all sorts of things out of his seemingly bottomless pockets. It’s good to know that some things never change. The Doctor likes to be prepared, it would seem, no matter the face that he is wearing at the time.

And this brings me to The Pocket Project. One of the things that I will be doing during our Doctor Who drought is going back through the new series episodes and keeping track of the items our Doctor produces from the depths of his pockets. (Yes, I like making lists. How could you tell?) Along the way, I will also be keeping track of what the Sonic Screwdriver is used for. I shall begin with series one, episode one - Rose. If you would like to re-watch the episode for yourself, there are some links at the bottom of this post that might interest you. *ahem*

The Pocket Project: Rose 1.1

1. The Sonic Screwdriver - used to stop the lift so that the Autons couldn’t follow them, to follow the signal from the plastic arm, to cut off the signal animating the plastic arm, and to lock the back door of the restaurant containing the rampaging Plastic Mickey Body.

2. A Ruddy Great Bomb - used to blow up the relay device on the roof of Rose’s shop.

3. TARDIS Key - Now looking like a normal Yale key.

4. Anti-Plastic - How else are you going to stop a plastic menace?

Total Items: 4

Rose:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Doctor Who, Sonic Screwdriver, The Pocket Project, Rose

I’m mixing things up a bit this week and bringing you the weekly question on Monday. Terribly shocking, I know. In keeping with last week’s question, this week I am wondering: Which is your least favorite Ninth Doctor episode? Think back. Remember series one of the new Doctor Who? Which episode did you enjoy the least? (As before please be polite and no bashing. Your least favorite may be someone else’s favorite. And that other person is probably me.) To assist you in jogging your memory, I have linked the episode listings below to my review of each. I’m helpful like that.

So, which will it be?

Back in the days of the Ninth Doctor…
1. Rose
2. The End of the World
3. The Unquiet Dead
4. Aliens of London
5. World War III
6. Dalek
7. The Long Game
8. Father’s Day
9. The Empty Child
10. The Doctor Dances
11. Boom Town
12. Bad Wolf
13. Parting of the Ways

I thought about this for a bit before deciding, even though there was an episode that I’ve never really liked. The thing is, even though I love the Tenth Doctor, I also adore the Ninth. I feel bad disliking even one of his limited number of episodes. In the end, though, I still like The Long Game the least. The reason why is probably Adam. He really annoys me to this day.

Which one did you choose?

Ninth Doctor, Doctor Who, Rose, The End of the World, The Unquiet Dead, Aliens of London, World War III, Dalek, The Long Game, Father’s Day, The Empty Child, The Doctor Dances, Boom Town, Bad Wolf, Parting of the Ways

Christopher Eccleston, who has already finished filming his part in the G. I. Joe movie, is now reported to be filming a part in Amelia. Eccleston will be playing Earhart’s navigator Fred Noonan. He’s quite the busy fellow, isn’t he? Sigh. It just means that I have more films to go see. I wonder when the G. I. Joe trailer comes out.

On a show called 50 Ways to Leave Your TV Lover, which contained a countdown of the the small screen’s most memorable splits. It turns out that Rose and The Doctor’s separation at the end of Doomsday came in at Number One! Yay for our show. You can see just that part of the show here.

Russell T Davies has been honored with an OBE for services to Drama! (The Late Verity Lambert received an OBE in 2002.)

Did you know that William Hartnell has recently appeared on a stamp? I wonder if the TARDIS has ever been on a stamp. They should do a whole Doctor Who series of stamps! They’d sell like hotcakes. Are you listening Auntie Beeb?

It looks like Gareth David-Lloyd is going to give Hollywood a try. Don’t worry, though. He maintains that it won’t affect his work on Torchwood. Let’s hope that turns out to be the case.

And finally, for a very spoilery look at a baddie from the end of this series you might go here (information) or here (pictures). …But don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Christopher Eccleston, G. I. Joe, Amelia, Russell T Davies, William Hartnell, Gareth David-Lloyd

This week it has begun to get quite warm in the part of the world that is headed towards Summer at this time of year. Naturally, this led me to think about Christmas. (Or, am I the only one who is thinking about snow right now?) As such, my question for you all this week is: Which is your favorite Doctor Who Christmas special so far? There have only been three at this point, so at least your choices are limited. You can’t even wander off this time, sorry. To help you jog your memory, I have linked your three choices below.

The Specials So Far…

• Christmas 2005 - The Christmas Invasion
• Christmas 2006 - The Runaway Bride
• Christmas 2007 - Voyage of the Damned

By now you’re wondering which I’ve chosen, right? I know that I would be in your place. Even given that there were only three to choose from, this was a very difficult decision. I couldn’t choose Voyage of the Damned, as for all that I enjoyed the acting, it really made me depressed. Finally, I decided on The Christmas Invasion. For all that I loved The Doctor going a bit too far near the end of The Runaway Bride, The Christmas Invasion had a sword fighting Doctor and a cup of tea that helped to save the day. I love a good cup of tea, and this just furthers the whole idea of tea as the healer of all ills.

Which did you choose?

Doctor Who, The Christmas Invasion, The Runaway Bride, Voyage of the Damned

Hi folks! The second half of the Steven Moffat two-parter is on tomorrow in the UK, and “The Doctor’s Daughter” will be making its premiere in the US tonight. While you’re waiting, here is a wee blast from the past. Back in 2005, Christopher Eccleston appeared on Blue Peter to talk about the new version of Doctor Who. Billie Piper was supposed to join him, but she was unfortunately ill that day. On the bright side, they did have a previously filmed interview with her.

Enjoy!

Part 1:

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6C2bEYE9Jc

Christopher Eccleston, Blue Peter

They’ve finally released the picture of Christopher Eccleston as Destro in G. I. Joe. IESB.net has the rights for this picture, so I’m only bringing you a tiny piece of it. For the full image, go here. Obviously I had to share this with you all. (Huge thanks to Rambling Rose for letting me know that this image was finally available.)

G.I. Joe is due in US theaters on 7 August 2009. Sigh. I guess I need to go see it.

Christopher Eccleston, G.I. Joe

Okay, this one is for The Vig. It’s a follow-up to my question about which companion costume you’d choose. This week I’m wondering: Which of the Doctor’s outfits would you like to wear? There are ten Doctors to choose from, and some of them even have a few different outfits to choose from. So, what will you choose? Are you a fan of the tenth Doctor’s blue suit? Do you have a secret yen for celery on your lapel? Perhaps you prefer a cloak and a frilly shirt. Let me know. To help you jog your memory of our Doctor’s stylish choices I am including links below. (No chance of wandering off this time, sorry. Just stick with our ten versions if you please.)

Doctor…who? (I get that a lot…)

• The First Doctor
• The Second Doctor
• The Third Doctor
• The Fourth Doctor
• The Fifth Doctor
• The Sixth Doctor
• The Seventh Doctor
• The Eighth Doctor
• The Ninth Doctor
• The Tenth Doctor

I actually have a thing for waistcoats, so is it any great surprise that I have chosen the eighth Doctor’s outfit? Actually, I think I’d look quite nice in it, and not merely because I’d have to get it custom made to fit me. (I’m five feet tall, for those of you who don’t know.) Mind you, I’d have to learn how to tie a cravat, but that would be a small price to pay.

So. Who’s outfit did you chose?

8th Dr. Image: BBC

I was reading this article yesterday, and I discovered that there is a band from Manchester called I Am Kloot. Why should you care about this band with a huge cult following? Well, it turns out that they made a video for their song “Proof” that was never released. It consisted solely of a close up of Christopher Eccleston’s head. (Well, you see his shoulders some, but mostly it’s his head.) I’m curious to know what you all think of it. I liked it, but I did also get that thing where you feel a bit uncomfortable maintaining eye contact with someone for too long. It’s quite interesting how much emotion Eccleston can convey with just the tiniest movements. Enjoy!

I Am Kloot - Proof:

John Barrowman is currently touring the UK. Perhaps “singing his way across the UK” would be a bit more accurate. Among the songs he includes in his concerts is one called “The Doctor and I.” apparently he sings it from Jack’s point of view (which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who sees Jack’s coat behind him.) Here is a video that gives you a wee taste of the song.

John Barrowman - “The Doctor and I”

I Am Kloot, Christopher Eccleston, John Barrowman

Well, we’ve seen Billie Piper do her lap on Top Gear, and David Tennant as well. John Barrowman hasn’t done it yet. Though, considering the fact that he seems to be everywhere, how long can it be? Now, it’s Christopher Eccleston’s turn. Did you know that he first got his license fourteen months before he did this? Wow. Good thing they didn’t need him to drive Bessie or anything for Doctor Who. We also learn that Mr. Eccleston is a runner. No wonder they hired him to play the Doctor. He really can run for his life.

Enjoy!

I was surfing around for other reasons yesterday and I encountered something that made me wonder what other projects the folks from the Whoniverse have been up to. Outside projects, don’t you know. What did I see that caused all of this?

Christopher Eccleston is in The G.I. Joe movie. Seriously. He’s playing Destro. And Jonathan Pryce is playing the U.S. President, if you’re interested.

So, you see why I got curious about what folks are doing.

Here’s what I found:

Christopher Eccleston: It looks like he’s in the middle of filming that G. I. Joe film (which means that I have to go see it) and he has also finished New Orleans, Mon Amour in which he plays…Dr. Jekyll. The official site for New Orleans, Mon Amour has a trailer, if you’re curious. (He is, however, most definitely not wandering around the San Francisco Bay Area frequenting In N Out restaurants late in the evening. No, the fellow that I saw looked rather like him and was wearing black and all, but was not, in fact, him.)

David Tennant: He’s got a run with the Royal Shakespeare Company coming up. He will be playing the title role in Hamlet from 24 July - 15 November 2008 and playing Berowne in Love’s Labour’s Lost from 2 October - 15 November 2008. He also has the upcoming Einstein and Eddington in which he plays Sir Arthur Eddington and Andy Serkis plays Albert Einstein.

Steven Moffat: Well, it looks like he’s writing the screenplay for Tintin. Last I heard, they were talking about making a series of films, so I’m not sure how he fits into all of that. Don’t worry. He’s written a two-parter for Doctor Who series 4.

Billie Piper: There’s word that she’ll be doing another series of her Secret Diary of a Call Girl. I expect that she has other things on her mind that acting, just now, though. She did just get married recently, after all.

Nicholas Briggs: The voice of the Daleks is currently the Executive Producer over at Big Finish. Shame he’s not busy.

That’s what I have for now. If you have further news, please let me know.

Christopher Eccleston, G. I. Joe, New Orleans, Mon Amour, David Tennant, Royal Shakespeare Company, Einstein and Eddington, Steven Moffat, Tintin, Doctor Who, Billie Piper, Nicholas Briggs, Big Finish

Okay. We’ve had three seasons/series (depending upon where you live) of the new Doctor Who. There have been emotional highs and lows. We’ve seen baddies new and returning. The Doctor and his companions have survived all sorts of perils. There have been award winning episodes, grand story arcs, and fabulous guest stars. So. What is your favorite new series Doctor Who episode so far? As usual, I’ve included the episodes to help jog your memory. They are all linked to my reviews if you need more help.

The show so far:

Series 1:

1. Rose

2. The End of the World

3. The Unquiet Dead

4. Aliens of London

5. World War III

6. Dalek

7. The Long Game

8. Father’s Day

9. The Empty Child

10. The Doctor Dances

11. Boom Town

12. Bad Wolf

13. Parting of the Ways

Series 2:

Special: Children in Need Special 2005

Special: The Christmas Invasion

1. New Earth

2. Tooth and Claw

3. School Reunion

4. The Girl in the Fireplace

5. Rise of the Cybermen

6. Age of Steel

7. Idiot’s Lantern

8. The Impossible Planet

9. The Satan Pit

10. Love and Monsters

11. Fear Her

12. Army of Ghosts

13. Doomsday

Series 3:

Special: The Runaway Bride

1. Smith and Jones

2. The Shakespeare Code

3. Gridlock

4. Daleks in Manhattan

5. Evolution of the Daleks

6. The Lazarus Experiment

7. 42

8. Human Nature

9. The Family of Blood

10. Blink

11. Utopia

12. The Sound of Drums

13. Last of the Time Lords

I know. This is a really difficult question. To be honest, I’ll take your favorite couple of episodes. Personally, I’m torn. I love Idiot’s Lantern. The Satan Pit was incredible, as was Doomsday. Father’s Day and The Shakespeare Code are very dear to my heart. I suppose I’ll just have to go with my gut reaction on this one. My favorite episode of all (so far) is Idiot’s Lantern. There are other episodes that are better written or have a higher emotional punch. I just find the Idiot’s Lantern the most enjoyable.

Okay. Now it’s your turn.

Doctor Who, Rose, The End of the World, The Unquiet Dead, Aliens of London, World War III, Dalek, The Long Game, Father’s Day, The Empty Child, The Doctor Dances, Boom Town, Bad Wolf, Parting of the Ways, Children in Need Special 2005, The Christmas Invasion, New Earth, Tooth and Claw, School Reunion, The Girl in the Fireplace, Rise of the Cybermen, Age of Steel, Idiot’s Lantern, The Impossible Planet, The Satan Pit, Love and Monsters, Fear Her, Army of Ghosts, Doomsday

(Hi all. Thank you so much for your well wishes. I’m using a flakey dial-up connection on the one phone line here at slightly after midnight to bring you this guest post written by the wonderful JM of Fiction Scribe and The Book Stacks. I hate to leave this blog stagnant, so I bow to you, JM. I hope to get back to normal posting soon, but the way things are going up here it might be a couple more days still. Enjoy!)

Finding Doctor Who

I watched my first episode of Dr. Who when I came here to Australia last October. Admittedly, I watched the first episode where the Doctor meets Rose…and then didn’t watch any more.

My husband told me about the new season coming, though, and he and I began a tradition of sitting down in front of the television every Saturday night with our Chinese food to enjoy the latest episode.

I got to know the characters and, like Martha, slowly learned who Rose was. I got to know the Tardis and the Doctor, and before I realized it, I was completely addicted. Every Saturday afternoon I would grin at my husband and say, “Dr. Who is on tonight!�? Then, at 7.30, we’d turn up the surround sound and enjoy another instalment.

As I watched the final episode and sat with my mouth gaping open about the Face of Bo reveal, I truly appreciated what it must be like to be a writer for Dr. Who. The pure and absolute genius behind all the plot connections, twists, turns, meanings… I was left asking a million questions not about the show, but about the writer.

Did s/he start with an ending, a middle, or a beginning? Was there a rough plot outline first and all the little details then later thrown in, or was it like a gigantic knitting process in which you have a bunch of yarn, two needles, and a lot of hope that it will turn out something similar to the picture you have in your mind?

I can honestly say seeing the most recent season of Dr. Who renewed a part of my passion for writing that I didn’t know had gone to sleep.

As a viewer, I love the show. As a writer, I admire the genius.

I came across this today in my daily surfing and I just had to share it with you all. The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (an adaptation of the second book in the Dark is Rising series) will appear in US theaters on 5 October 2007. It doesn’t look like they have made a very faithful adaptation of one of my favorite books of all time…but I’m just going to pretend that it is a different story. That way I can go to the theater and enjoy Christopher Eccleston playing The Dark Rider. Yep. He’s playing the baddie. Only a couple of weeks to go.

Image Source: SciFi.com

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising, Dark is Rising, Christopher Eccleston

I thought that it might be fun to do a Thursday Thirteen this week, so I offer you Thirteen people who have played The Doctor at various times. I know that there are more folks that I could add (Peter Cushing for example, though technically he played “Dr. Who.”) but I had to stick with thirteen. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy my list.

13 People Who Have Played The Doctor (in no particular order)

1. Christopher Eccleston (9th Doctor)
2. Mark Gatiss (The Web of Caves)
3. David Tennant (10th Doctor)
4. Hugh Grant (The Curse of Fatal Death – The (Handsome) 12th Doctor)
5. William Hartnell (1st Doctor)
6. Paul McGann (8th Doctor)
7. Tom Baker (4th Doctor)
8. Sylvester McCoy (7th Doctor)
9. Patrick Troughton (2nd Doctor)
10. Richard Hurndall (The 1st Doctor in The Five Doctors [William Hartnell had passed away])
11. Peter Davison (5th Doctor)
12. Colin Baker (6th Doctor)
13. Jon Pertwee (3rd Doctor)

Thursday Thirteen, Peter Cushing, Christopher Eccleston, Mark Gatiss, David Tennant, Hugh Grant, William Hartnell, Paul McGann, Tom Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Patrick Troughton, Richard Hurndall, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Jon Pertwee

In reality Christopher Eccleston only ever signed up for one series of Doctor Who, so his leaving the show was no surprise to the people in charge. The folks from Dead Ringers, however, propose an alternate hypothesis. Warning! Do not try to drink anything while watching this video. You will just get it all over your computer. The Vig, this one’s for you.

Christopher Eccleston, Doctor Who, Dead Ringers