Watching Doctor Who

Cast your mind back. Back to the beginning of the new series of Doctor Who. While we are waiting for the next special to air this weekend, I was thinking that it would be nice to go back to where we started. Ponder, if you will, series one. Which episode(s) do you prefer? Are you all about the Autons? Do you prefer Space Pigs? If you have a wee bit of trouble with this task, please consult the list below. Please remember rule one, however, and don’t wander off.

Run!
1. Rose
2. The End of the World
3. The Unquiet Dead
4. Aliens of London
5. World War Three
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. The Parting of the Ways

My favorite ninth doctor episode is Father’s Day. Maybe it’s the theme of willing sacrifice, or the sudden understanding of where Rose came from. You look at her father and you think, “Ah! I understand now. This is where Rose gets her wild intelligence and ability to adapt to The Doctor’s lifestyle.” Pete Tyler looks at Rose and knows who she is, completely ignoring the fact that her presence there is impossible. He even manages to save the day, The Doctor, and everyone else by understanding the whole unbelievable situation and seeing what he needs to do. This episode also contains one of my favorite images of the season. It’s later in the episode, The Doctor is gone, and Rose’s despairing profile is immobile to the left of the screen. She seems to be carved out of stone for a moment. It’s such an interesting image. Something that lingers in the mind. Whatever the reason, Father’s Day is my favorite episode.

So, what is your opinion?

Doctor Who, ninth doctor, Rose, The Doctor

As most of you know there have been ten different television-based incarnations of The Doctor (soon to be eleven). The original show ran from 1963-1989 (7 Doctors during that time), then there was an American-made film for television (loved the Doctor, thought that the film itself was not the best ever…), and then the new series that began in 2005. Now, I’m sure that you all know that the current series is designed rather like most American television shows, in that the episodes are about an hour in length (when you include advertisements). The Classic series wasn’t like that. One story could last up to twelve episodes (in the case of The Dalek Masterplan), with a cliff-hanger generally at the end of each one. Now, granted that the current series does include some two-parters, but it’s still not quite the same thing. So, I offer you a basis for comparison. (Yes, this would be another one of my lists. Oh, and for the record, I am not including multi-doctor episodes in the tally of any other than the reigning Doctor at the time.)

1. William Hartnell - 1963-1966
29 Stories/134 Episodes (25 minutes each)

2. Patrick Troughton - 1966-1969
21 Stories/119 Episodes (25 minutes each)

3. Jon Pertwee - 1970-1974
24 Stories/128 Episodes (now in color)

4. Tom Baker - 1974-1981
42 Stories/178 Episodes (if you include Shada)

5. Peter Davison - 1982-1984
20 Stories/69 Episodes

6. Colin Baker - 1984-1986
11 Stories/31 Episodes (45 minutes each after The Twin Dilemma, then back to 25 minutes each during Trial of a Time Lord)

7. Sylvester McCoy - 1987-1989 (and 1996 film)
12 Stories/42 Episodes (and the film)

8. Paul McGann - 1996 film
The American Film (and many audio adventures)

9. Christopher Eccleston - 2005
13 Episodes

10. David Tennant - 2006-2010?
39 Episodes, 4 Christmas Specials, 3 other specials…

11. Matt Smith - 2010-?

The Doctor, William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Doctor Who

Remember how I mentioned playlists in yesterday’s post? Well, while we wait for more folks to reply to this week’s question post with their “songs that make them think of Doctor Who” I thought it would be fun to give you a playlist of a different sort. I’ve done a bit of searching online, and I found a list of songs used on Doctor Who over on Wikipedia. The one thing I feel like I can rely on Wikipedia for is anything fan-related. Thank you kindly to all the folks that contributed to that music entry. I took the list provided for the first series of the new Doctor Who and put together a playlist of the music from the Ninth Doctor’s era of the show. Amazingly, the only song that I couldn’t find over on playlist.com was the theme to The Weakest Link. Pretty good in my experience of playing around over there. So…here you go. I hope that you enjoy the playlist, and don’t forget to go back and comment on the question this week so I can make a playlist of those songs.

Before my laptop freezes up again, like it did a few minutes ago, here are a few more bits and pieces I’ve got lurking in my tabs. Let’s get to it!

First up, here’s a bit from “torchwoodbbcamerica,” who brings us a moment with Euros Lyn, director extraordinaire of Torchwood series 3 among other things, and Eve Myles (Gwen) from behind the scenes at New York Comic Con 2009.

Eve Myles and Euros Lyn backstage @ New York Comic Con ‘09:

Lindsay Duncan, who is soon to play Margaret Thatcher on the BBC, will appear in the second Doctor Who special. Lindsay has done everything from classics like Mansfield Park to a droid’s voice in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. I’ll be interested to see what sort of character she ends up playing.

According to SciFi Wire, a Doctor Who one-shot comic book came out today. It’s called “The Whispering Gallery” and features The Doctor and Martha. Has anyone seen it yet? It sounds like it’s quite the story.

So there I was, minding my own business, watching the Super Bowl with my husband and this advertisement came on. I must admit that I was paying attention to something else, and then I heard Christopher Eccleston’s voice and I fell over. (I then commandeered the Tivo remote and watched it again.) Here it is, the official trailer for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Yes, I will be seeing this movie.

GI Joe The Rise Of Cobra Official Teaser Trailer in HD Superbowl Spot Ad:

Euros Lyn, Eve Myles, Lindsay Duncan, Doctor Who, Christopher Eccleston

We’ve been given four series full of wild adventures, wicked baddies, and dropped hints in Doctor Who. It’s been quite a ride. So, this time I am not asking you to come up with one favorite episode for the whole show so far. Mind you, if you do have a clear favorite feel free to expound upon its charms. For the rest of us I ask: What are your favorite new series episodes so far? Everything we’ve seen so far is game, even the Children in Need specials if you so choose. Let’s hear it! As usual, I’ve provided you with a list to jog your memory.

The story so far:

Season 1

1. Rose
2. The End of the World
3. The Unquiet Dead
4. Aliens of London
5. World War Three
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. The Parting of the Ways

Special: The Attack of the Graske
Special: Children in Need
Christmas Special: The Christmas Invasion

Season 2

1. New Earth
2. Tooth and Claw
3. School Reunion
4. The Girl in the Fireplace
5. Rise of the Cybermen
6. The Age of Steel
7. The Idiot’s Lantern
8. The Impossible Planet
9. The Satan Pit
10. Love & Monsters
11. Fear Her
12. Army of Ghosts
13. Doomsday

Christmas Special: The Runaway Bride

Season 3

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

Special: Time Crash
Christmas Special: Voyage of the Damned

Season 4

1. Partners in Crime
2. The Fires of Pompeii
3. Planet of the Ood
4. The Sontaran Stratagem
5. The Poison Sky
6. The Doctor’s Daughter
7. The Unicorn and the Wasp
8. Silence in the Library
9. Forest of the Dead
10. Midnight
11. Turn Left
12. The Stolen Earth
13. Journey’s End

Christmas Special: The Next Doctor

I need to start by saying that I love all of Steven Moffat’s episodes. This is a darn good thing considering that he’s taking over. Apart from those, I am a huge fan of Idiot’s Lantern and The Impossible Planet/Satan Pit. A few of my other favorites are: The Shakespeare Code, Father’s Day, and The Next Doctor. Really, it would be much easier to come up with episodes I don’t like.

Which episodes come to mind for you?

Doctor Who

I’ve done it again. I’ve gone and compiled another huge list. This time it’s a whole list of of the new series scriptwriters…so far. Take a minute to look them over and reflect.

Chris Chibnall: - 1
42 (3.7)

Paul Cornell: - 3
Father’s Day (1.8), Human Nature (3.8), The Family of Blood (3.9)

Russell T. Davies: - 28!
Rose (1.1), The End of the World (1.2), Aliens of London(1.4), World War Three (1.5), The Long Game (1.7), Boom Town (1.11), Bad Wolf (1.12), The Parting of The Ways (1.13), The Children in Need special, The Christmas Invasion, New Earth (2.1), Tooth and Claw (2.2), Love and Monsters (2.10), Army of Ghosts (2.12), Doomsday (2.13), The Runaway Bride, Smith and Jones (3.1), Gridlock (3.3), Utopia (3.11), The Sound of Drums (3.12), Last of the Time Lords (3.13), Voyage of the Damned, Partners in Crime (4.1), Midnight (4.10), Turn Left (4.11), The Stolen Earth (4.12), Journey’s End (4.13), The Next Doctor

Mark Gatiss: - 2
The Unquiet Dead (1.3), The Idiot’s Lantern (2.7)

Matthew Graham - 1
Fear Her (2.11)

Stephen Greenhorn: - 2
The Lazarus Experiment (3.6), The Doctor’s Daughter (4.6)

Matt Jones: - 2
The Impossible Planet (2.8), The Satan Pit (2.9)

Tom Macrae: - 2
Rise of the Cybermen (2.5), The Age of Steel (2.6)

Steven Moffat: - 7
The Empty Child (1.9), The Doctor Dances (1.10), The Girl in the Fireplace (2.4), Blink (3.10), Time Crash, Silence in the Library (4.8), Forest of the Dead (4.9)

James Moran: - 1
The Fires of Pompeii (4.2)

Helen Raynor: - 4
Daleks in Manhattan (3.4), Evolution of the Daleks (3.5), The Sontaran Stratagem (4.4), The Poison Sky (4.5)

Gareth Roberts - 3
The Attack of the Graske (interactive special), The Shakespeare Code (3.2), The Unicorn and the Wasp (4.7)

Robert Shearman: - 1
Dalek (1.6)

Keith Temple: - 1
Planet of the Ood (4.3)

Toby Whithouse: - 1
School Reunion (2.3)

Chris Chibnall, Paul Cornell, Russell T. Davies, Mark Gatiss, Matthew Graham, Stephen Greenhorn, Matt Jones, Tom Macrae, Steven Moffat, James Moran, Helen Raynor, Gareth Roberts, Robert Shearman, Keith Temple, Toby Whithouse

Yesterday we looked at the first of the classic episodes. Today we’re back with the new series of Doctor Who. This week’s question is: Who is your favorite new series director? Just to help you out I’ve actually made a list off all of the directors so far, and all of their episodes. For the record, Graeme Harper has directed the most episodes with twelve to his name. There are a few folks who have only directed one episode so far. Who do you like the best?

The New Series Directors:
1. Joe Aherne - (Dalek 1.6, Father’s Day 1.8, Boom Town 1.11, Bad Wolf 1.12, The Parting of the Ways 1.13) - 5

2. Keith Boak - (Rose 1.1, Aliens of London 1.4, World War III 1.5) - 3

3. Richard Clark - (Gridlock 3.3, The Lazarus Experiment 3.6) - 2

4. Andy Goddard - (The Next Doctor) - 1

5. Brian Grant - (The Long Game 1.7) - 1

6. Graeme Harper - (Rise of the Cybermen 2.5, The Age of Steel 2.6, Army of Ghosts 2.12, Doomsday 2.13, 42 3.7, Utopia 3.11, Time Crash, Planet of the Ood 4.3, The Unicorn and the Wasp 4.7, Turn Left 4.11, The Stolen Earth 4.12, Journey’s End 4.13) - 12

7. James Hawes - (The Empty Child 1.9, The Doctor Dances 1.10, The Christmas Invasion, New Earth 2.1, School Reunion 2.3, Evolution of the Daleks 3.5) - 6

8. Euros Lyn - (The End of the World 1.2, The Unquiet Dead 1.3, Children in Need Special, Tooth and Claw 2.2, Girl in the Fireplace 2.4, The Idiot’s Lantern 2.7, Fear Her 2.11, The Runaway Bride, Silence in the Library 4.8, Forest of the Dead 4.9) - 10 (if you count the Children in Need Special as an episode, and I do.)

9. Hattie MacDonald - (Blink 3.10) - 1

10. Douglas MacKinnon - (The Sontaran Stratagem 4.4, The Poison Sky 4.5) - 2

11. Charles Palmer - (Smith and Jones 3.1, The Shakespeare Code 3.2, Human Nature 3.8, The Family of Blood 3.9) - 4

12. James Strong - (The Impossible Planet 2.8, The Satan Pit 2.9, Daleks in Manhattan 3.4, Voyage of the Damned, Partners in Crime 4.1) - 5

13. Colin Teague - (The Sound of Drums 3.12, Last of the Time Lords 3.13, The Fires of Pompeii 4.2) - 3

14. Alice Troughton - (The Doctor’s Daughter 4.6, Midnight 4.10) - 2

15. Ashley Way - (The Attack of the Graske Interactive Special) - 1

16. Dan Zeff - (Love and Monsters 2.10) - 1

Once again, I have to choose Euros Lyn, just as I did after the first two series. I was so glad to see him back this year. I have enjoyed every episode he’s directed. Perhaps it’s just that everything he directs seems to have a certain mood to it. A bit of extra depth. If I’m very lucky, perhaps he’ll direct a special or some of the episodes for series five.

Doctor Who, Joe Aherne, Keith Boak, Richard Clark, Andy Goddard, Brian Grant, Graeme Harper, James Hawes, Euros Lyn, Hattie MacDonald, Douglas MacKinnon, Charles Palmer, James Strong, Colin Teague, Alice Troughton, Ashley Way, Dan Zeff

Here we see the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theater with another Doctor Who-related video. This time around they’re attempting to sing the names of all eleven Doctors while standing in front of one of their “Edinburgh TARDISes.” (As seen in a couple of their previous videos.) They even throw in the Doctors from the Curse of Fatal Death, a spoof written by a certain Steven Moffat you may recall. Clever hand puppets, aren’t they? I’m quite amused by their stated reasoning for liking Matt Smith. Yes, a Doctor with two single syllable names certainly makes it easier to work said name into a song. What could they possibly come up with next? An ode to K-9? A marathon of Companion names? Personally, I can’t wait to find out.

Enjoy!

The 11 Doctor Whos Name Song:

Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theater, Doctor Who, Matt Smith

This week on The Pocket Project we are looking at episode five of Doctor Who series one - Boom Town. What will The Doctor produce from his seemingly endless pockets this time? What will he use the Sonic Screwdriver for? Let’s find out. (I managed to find a wee “best of” for the episode this time. As per usual, be sure to watch it soon. These things have a way of disappearing. )

The Pocket Project: Boom Town - 1.11

1. Cell Phone - You have to wonder where he got it. He certainly never pulls it out of his pocket again.

2. Sonic Screwdriver - Used to reverse a teleport.

3. Breath Spray? - Something that looks like breath spray that is used to neutralize Blon’s poisoned breath.

Total Items: 3

Hey, now Jack is pulling things out of thin air, too! Do we even want to know where those handcuff bracelet things were hiding? For all that this is not my favorite of episodes, it does have some interesting moments. “Only a killer would know that” for example. The Doctor first recognizes the constant reappearance of “Bad Wolf.” And, of course, the thing that we don’t find out for a couple of years: This adventure is directly responsible for Torchwood’s invisible lift.

Boom Town (a best of)

The Pocket Project, Doctor Who, Boom Town

I just found this video tribute to the Doctor, and I had to share it with you all. It’s especially timely, what with David making his announcement last week. It’s also really well done. Enjoy!

His Name is ‘The Doctor’ by seduff:

This week on The Pocket Project we are looking at episode ten of Doctor Who series one - The Doctor Dances. What will The Doctor produce from his seemingly endless pockets this time? What will he use the Sonic Screwdriver for? Let’s find out. (As before, if you wish to revisit the episode…you may wish to scroll to the bottom of the post. Don’t wait too long. Sometimes these opportunities…er…disappear. I’m just sayin’.)

The Pocket Project: The Doctor Dances - 1.10

1. A Banana - Which we don’t actually see until a bit later, as he’s swapped for…

2. Jack’s Blaster - that he uses to blast a hole in the wall.

3. Sonic Screwdriver - it’s totally sonic. Used to threaten gas mask zombies, open a door, sonic a door closed/locked, resonate concrete, open handcuffs, reattach barbed wire (setting 2,428 D), and to try and make the ambulance stop transmitting.

Total Items: 3

I always wonder how long that Banana had been in The Doctor’s pocket. Do the pockets keep things in stasis? The banana looked nice and ripe. We had our first encounter with Jack’s Squareness Gun. Amusing exchange on the topic of Sonic items there in the hall, eh? And I will always love the “Go to your room” bit. Along with the “Know the feeling” bit in the previous episode, they remind you that The Doctor was once a father. I’ll bet he never thought it would come in handy in that sort of situation, though.

The Doctor Dances:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

The Pocket Project, Doctor Who, The Doctor Dances

(image source: Amazon.co.uk as linked below)

Christopher Eccleston recently did a voiceover for an Amnesty International video about the proposed UK laws that would enable them to detain terrorism suspects for 42 days without a trial. You can watch “Sleepwalking” here.

In this years’ National Television Awards the male and female talent are competing against one another in every category. What does this mean for us? Well…it means that David Tennant and Catherine Tate are competing against each other for the Outstanding Drama Performance Award. (Doctor Who is also up for Most Popular Drama, by the way.) You still have a couple of days left to vote, if you’re of a mind to do so. Slightly more than seven days left until the show.

Digital Spy is reporting that the score for Doctor Who series four will be out on 17 November in the UK. No sign of it in the US as yet. Some of the tracks include: Season Four Opening Credits, Songs of Captivity and Freedom, and Silence In The Library. Yay for Oodsong!

Some other items that are out right now (and coming soon), for those of you preparing your Christmas/Chanukah/etc. lists:
* The Torchwood Soundtrack (US)
* The Sarah Jane Adventures - The Complete First Season (US)
* Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series (US) (18 November)
* Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest (US) (18 November)
* “Torchwood”: Lost Souls (BBC Audio) (UK)

And finally, just a note to remind you all that next month is the Two Year Anniversary of this blog. Wow! I don’t believe it! Stand by for a contest announcement at some point soon.

Christopher Eccleston, National Television Awards, David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Doctor Who, Torchwood

This week on The Pocket Project we are looking at episode nine of Doctor Who series one - The Empty Child. What will The Doctor produce from his seemingly endless pockets this time? What will he use the Sonic Screwdriver for? Let’s find out. (Sadly, I couldn’t find the er…videos that I normally link to at the bottom of the post. Sorry.)

The Pocket Project: The Empty Child - 1.9

1. Psychic Paper - Dr. John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids.

2. The Sonic Screwdriver - Used to: unlock a door, intending to scan the randomly ringing telephone, open a padlock, and do a medical scan/used as a flashlight.

3. Binoculars - of a cool futuristic collapsible type.

Total Items: 3

Ah! The first appearance of Captain Jack Harkness. I should keep track of the stuff in his pockets, too, for all that they aren’t bigger on the inside. He has his own psychic paper and a remote that can do quite a bit. Add his wrist computer to the mix and…well, The Doctor has himself a bit of competition. Someone willing to give Rose a bit of “Spock.” I can’t wait to watch the other half of this two-parter again.

The Pocket Project, Doctor Who, The Empty Child

This week on The Pocket Project we are looking at episode seven of Doctor Who series one - Father’s Day. What will The Doctor produce from his seemingly endless pockets this time? What will he use the Sonic Screwdriver for? Let’s find out. (As before, if you wish to revisit the episode…you may wish to scroll to the bottom of the post. Don’t wait too long. Sometimes these opportunities…er…disappear. I’m just sayin’.)

The Pocket Project: Father’s Day - 1.8

1. TARDIS Key - Used to: enter the TARDIS and attempt to bring the TARDIS back.

2. The Sonic Screwdriver - Used to: either lock a door or check how solid it is, hard to tell which, and charge a battery.

Total Items: 2

This episode always gets to me. It’s my favorite from series one, so this shouldn’t be all that surprising. I still love how they managed to create a father for Rose that really explained why she was so different from her mum. Even though The Doctor only used two items from his pocket in this episode, wasn’t it nice that the lowly TARDIS key had a chance to shine for once?

Father’s Day:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

The Pocket Project, Doctor Who, Father’s Day

Basically, this is the titles to The Muppet Show, or at least the soundtrack of same, set to some images from the new series of Doctor Who. Yeah. Pretty much what you’re imagining. Still, it’s fun any silly, and who doesn’t need that these days?

The Muppet Show, Doctor Who