Watching Doctor Who

By this point we’ve heard about the companions chosen for for the first two of the 2009 Doctor Who specials. My question for you all this week is: If you could chose one of the companions for the specials, who would you choose? Bearing in mind that the Doctor could theoretically have anyone for a companion, I advise you to go with your first instinct for a response. Mind you, they should probably be alive unless you have a plan where, for example, you want the Doctor to have Charlie Chaplin (as played by Robert Downey Jr.) as a companion. So, who’s it to be? Anne Hathaway? Daniel Radcliffe? Perhaps Shah Rukh Khan? (Why not? We’re dreaming big here. You may chose whomever you wish.) As per usual, I offer you a few suggestions to get you thinking.

Who should travel with the Doctor?

• Viggo Mortensen (Just think of what he could do with a role on the show.)
• Michael Shanks (He can be just about anyone.)
• Kate Winslet (She’s had a lot of quirky roles. I’d like to see her in something on the small screen.)
• Diana Rigg (She’d help to save the day with a smile, no matter how old she gets.)
• Gillian Anderson (Is she naturally ginger? Either way it would be fun to see what she could do.)

I really had to think about this for a while, which is part of the reason I’m posting this so late. Finally, I decided, at least at this moment, I’d love to see Kate Winslet on our show. She’s a brilliant actress who’s done all manner of roles. Why not the Doctor’s companion for an episode?

So, who is your choice?

(As promised, here is the first installment of the Beginner’s Guide to Doctor Who. Mom? You can rest easy now. Let’s begin at the very beginning, shall we?)

Doctor Who in an extremely popular British Science Fiction television show. The classic show began on 23 November 1963. Rumour has it that the premiere was pushed back a bit due to coverage of the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy the previous day. This version of the show ran until December 1989. It was followed in 1996 by a TV movie (which many agree had a terrible story, but a great Doctor.) The current incarnation of the show began in 2005 and has run for four series. 2009 will only see four specials instead of a full series while we transition from one head writer to another. The fifth series will play as usual in 2010.

Now that you know how long the show has been around, I should probably tell you what it’s about. The show focuses on the main character, an enigmatic alien known as The Doctor. Throughout the years, he has been joined by any number of companions in his travels. They travel through time and space in his ship known as the TARDIS and encounter all sorts of baddies…that they trounce. That’s pretty much the formula. Simple, yes, but open to nearly endless variety.

One last thing. Contrary to popular belief, Doctor Who is not a Children’s show. It is specifically a show designed to be enjoyed by the whole family together.

Next time: We look at The Doctor and the men who have played him.

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

Yep. It’s that time again. ‘Tis the season for Chrismahanukwansica. Which leads me to this week’s question: Which Doctor Who-related thing do you want for your chosen holiday party this year? There’s all sorts of stuff out there (not the least of which is the t-shirt I got last year, pictured above.) What’s it going to be?

A few things to jog your mind:
1. The Doctor’s Fob Watch
2. A DVD - For Example, Doctor Who Series 4, The Infinite Quest, or the Five Doctors (25th Anniversary Edition).
3. USB TARDIS Hub
4. A Plush Adipose
5. Something from CafePress - Perhaps a Keepsake Box, a Time Traveler Journal, or some nice Gallifreyan Note Cards?
6. Doctor Who Laser Battle Set

If I can’t just wait for the Future Sonic Screwdriver or the Doctor Who Series 4 Soundtrack (both coming early next year), then I suppose I’ll have to choose a remote-control Dalek. Yes, that’s right, I still don’t have one. Failing that, I’d choose the Doctor Who Series 4 DVD set. I’m dead curious about the extras.

What about you?

Doctor Who

(Sarah Jane from the official Sarah Jane Site.)

This is the Reaction Post for The Sarah Jane Adventures series two - The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith (part 2).

Yep. I finally managed to see it. No thanks to Miss Overheating Laptop. Le Sigh.

Right then, want to see what I thought of it? Click past the spoiler barrier.

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Reaction Post, The Sarah Jane Adventures, The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith

(Sarah Jane from the official Sarah Jane Site.)

This is the Reaction Post for The Sarah Jane Adventures series two - The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith (part 1).

I had a bunch of trouble getting past the credits on this one initially. I got a bit…stressed. Luckily, The Vig was kind enough to watch it with me, long-distance via telephone. He managed to talk me down…mostly. To see what we thought of this episode, click past the spoiler barrier.

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Reaction Post, The Sarah Jane Adventures, The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith

David Tennant was on BBC Breakfast on 3 November to talk about his decision to leave Doctor Who. This is what he had to say…

David Tennant on BBC Breakfast:

David Tennant, Doctor Who

(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

Noel Clark at MOBO Awards (photo by Ferdaus Shamim from WireImage)

I’m at a conference this week (Internet Librarian in Monterey, for those of you interested.) And so far (*fingers crossed*) my laptop is behaving itself. Mind you, this means that the Sarah Jane Adventures reaction post might be a bit late this week. Just so you know…

And now, the news….
Den of Geek is reporting that the first Doctor Who special of 2009 will be broadcast at Easter. It was co-written by RTD and Gareth Roberts and will be directed by James Strong. Finally some news! Yay!

Billie Piper is now about seven months along, for those of you keeping track, and it looks like she’s doing well.

Speaking of Billie, her Secret Diary of a Call Girl is set to have its first series come out on DVD in the US on 6 January 2009. It looks like the price will be around $29.98.

Noel Clark, Doctor Who, Billie Piper

This is the Reaction Post for The Sarah Jane Adventures series two - The Day of the Clown (part 2).

Has anyone heard any news about when The Sarah Jane Adventures series 2 might appear elsewhere? Like, perhaps, The United States or Australia?

As per usual, my rambling reactions to this episode are hidden behind the spoiler barrier. Click if you dare.

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Reaction Post, The Sarah Jane Adventures, The Day of the Clown

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

Series two of The Sarah Jane Adventures is finally here. (Well, in the UK anyway.) I wonder how long it will take for it to arrive elsewhere. Have any of you heard anything?

This is the Reaction Post for The Sarah Jane Adventures series two - The Day of the Clown (part 1).

As per usual, my rambling reactions to this episode are hidden behind the spoiler barrier. Click if you dare.

(more…)

Reaction Post, The Sarah Jane Adventures, The Day of the Clown

Series two of The Sarah Jane Adventures is finally here. (Well, in the UK anyway.) I wonder how long it will take for it to arrive elsewhere. Have any of you heard anything?

This is the Reaction Post for The Sarah Jane Adventures series two - The Last Sontaran (part 2).

As per usual, my rambling reactions to this episode are hidden behind the spoiler barrier. Click if you dare.

(more…)

Reaction Post, The Sarah Jane Adventures, The Last Sontaran

Series two of The Sarah Jane Adventures is finally here. (Well, in the UK anyway.) It’s nice to have our crew back. Let’s get to it, shall we?

This is the Reaction Post for The Sarah Jane Adventures series two - The Last Sontaran (part 1).

As per usual, my rambling reactions to this episode are hidden behind the spoiler barrier. Click if you dare.

(more…)

Reaction Post, Sarah Jane Adventures, The Last Sontaran

John Barrowman at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Birthday

Rumours of a big screen version of Doctor Who continue. Currently, said rumours have David Tennant playing The Doctor and perhaps…Catherine Zeta-Jones as a companion. Anyone get the feeling that a certain Russell T. Davies is messing with the press again?

Speaking of the rumour mill, have you hear the latest “next Doctor” rumour? Do you remember Midshipman Frame? That’s right. The current rumour has Russell Tovey lined up as the 11th Doctor. Hmmm…I don’t know about this one. (The BBC notes that this is RTD’s idea… and it doesn’t seem to be official at this point.)

Have you ever wondered what your Time Lord name might be? Apparently mine would be - Acknalingundewaryerustlerechsamsayqueyer. Don’t worry, you can call me Fred. Get your name here.

Don’t forget! The Torchwood soundtrack CD is coming to the US on 14 October. You can pre-order it now, if you’re of a mind to do so.

Freema Agyeman is commencing work on her part in Law & Order: UK this month. Series one looks to be thirteen episodes long. Looks like Freema’s career is going strong, doesn’t it?

Doctor Who, Russell Tovey, Time Lord, Torchwood, Freema Agyeman