Watching Doctor Who

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

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

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

This week on The Pocket Project we are looking at episode seven of Doctor Who series one - The Long Game. 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 Long Game - 1.7

1. The Sonic Screwdriver - Used to: get money from a cash point, open the door to the mainframe, mess with the mainframe, Rose removes the Doctor’s manacles, and destroy Adam’s answering machine.

2. Psychic Paper - Used to: fool Suki and Cathica.

Total Items: 2

Only the usual things come out of the Doctor’s Pockets this time. I think this might be the first time that Rose has used the Screwdriver, or at least one of the first times. Knowing what comes later, I always wonder what happens to Cathica after this episode.

The Long Game:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

The Pocket Project, Doctor Who, The Long Game

This week on The Pocket Project we are looking at episode six of Doctor Who series one - Dalek. 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: Dalek - 1.6

1. The TARDIS Key - used to open the TARDIS at the very end of the episode.

Total Items: 1

Okay, I was wrong. This is the episode with the least amount of items appearing from the Doctor’s pockets. The Sonic Screwdriver didn’t appear even once! That’s got to be some kind of unique occurrence. One would think that he’d have pulled it out to use on the door to The Cage in order to escape the Dalek, but no. I suppose that The Doctor’s favorite tool didn’t become ubiquitous until series two of the new show. It felt like it was everywhere even in series one, but it looks like I was wrong about that. Interesting…

Dalek:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

The Pocket Project, Doctor Who, Dalek

This week on The Pocket Project we are looking at episode five of Doctor Who series one - World War Three. 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: World War Three - 1.5

1. Sonic Screwdriver - Used to: quickly close the door of the lift they’ve back him up against, open the door to the cabinet room, threaten the Slitheen (he says that he could triplicate the flammability of the alcohol), search the cabinet room

2. Virus CD - Given to Mickey to put online, in order to destroy every mention of The Doctor.

Total Items: 2

This is quite possibly the smallest number of things that The Doctor has ever produced from his pocket during the course of an episode. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that this is part two of a two-parter. Who knows?

World War Three:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

The Pocket Project, Doctor Who, World War Three

Rumour has it that my car will be all fixed by the beginning of next week. Yay!

This week on The Pocket Project we are looking at episode four of Doctor Who series one - Aliens of London. 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. I’m just sayin’.)

The Pocket Project: Aliens of London 1.4

1. TARDIS Key for Rose - Given to her as a promise that he won’t just go off and leave her behind. Later we discover that it glows when the TARDIS materializes.

2. The Doctor’s TARDIS Key - Used…to get in to the TARDIS.

3. Sonic Screwdriver - Used to: unlock a door (please note that shushing it doesn’t make it work more quietly) and work on the TARDIS.

Total Items: 3

Aliens of London:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

The Pocket Project, Doctor Who, Aliens of London

It’s amazing how difficult it is to tear oneself away from the television when there is some sort of Olympic Event playing on it. At least, that’s what I’ve been dealing with lately. I had no idea that I was that interested in rowing, for example. (I actually had to hide out upstairs in my bedroom in order to concentrate long enough to write this.) So, as we head into week two of those addicting Olympics, I apologize once more for what will no doubt be a spottier-than-usual posing schedule.

This week on The Pocket Project we are looking at episode three of Doctor Who series one - The Unquiet Dead. 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.)

The Pocket Project: The Unquiet Dead - 1.3

1. The Sonic Screwdriver - Used to: work on the TARDIS…and that’s all.

2. Coins - And amazingly, they seem to be the correct kind to buy a newspaper in 1869 Cardiff.

3. TARDIS Key - To get back into his…shed.

Total Items: 3

Wow. He only used the Sonic Screwdriver once in this episode! And that was on the TARDIS before they left it to go on their adventure. I’ll bet that this is the least he’s ever used it.

The Unquiet Dead:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

The Pocket Project, Doctor Who, The Unquiet Dead

Well, it’s the first week of the Olympics and, as such, my television has been hijacked by a certain husband of mine. So, this week my posting may be a bit more spotty than usual. Consider yourselves forewarned. On the subject of the Olympics, though, how cool would it be if David Tennant actually got to light the Olympic flame for the 2012 Olympic games in London? If that happens, I will officially reach Nerdvana. I’m kind of hoping to be there, actually. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

Anyway, this week on The Pocket Project, we are looking at episode two of series one - The End of the World. 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.)

The Pocket Project: The End of the World - 1.2
1. The Sonic Screwdriver - Used to: lower the window shields in the gallery they land in, open a few doors, mess with computers, and raise sun filters.

2. Slightly Psychic Paper - Used as an invitation to the event. The first appearance of this new favorite tool of The Doctor’s. Quite handy for crashing parties.

3. The Phone Thingy - With this item, and a bit of jiggery-pokery, Rose’s cell phone becomes the superphone. I imagine that it’s some sort of signal booster. Convenient that it fits in the phone perfectly.

Total items: 3

The End of the World:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Olympics, David Tennant, The Pocket Project, The End of the World

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