For those who haven't heard or seen it yet, SciFi has the schedule up for september: http://www.scifi.com/schedulebot/index.php3?date=29-SEP-2006&feed_req.
Actually, that's the schedule for Friday September 29th. Starting at 8am, there is an 8-hour Doctor Who marathon, starting with Dalek and ending with the Parting of the Ways. Then Doctor Who is scheduled in the 9 and 10pm timeslots, with no episode listing. Rumor has it that series two will premiere that night. (I say rumor because as of the writing of this entry, it hasn't been confirmed by the SciFi channel, or the BBC)
Some speculation as to how it might be aired: 9pm-an extrememly edited Christmas Invasion, followed by New Earth or, New Earth at 9pm, followed by Tooth and Claw.
I wouldn't put it past SciFi to extend the Christmas Invasion to an hour and a half (with commericals)-after all, both Stargate SG-1 and Battlestar Galactica have had 90 minute episodes-why not Doctor Who as well? :)
In any case, if these rumors/speculations are true-it's good news for Who fans here in the U.S.!
(Special thanks to Don from the Ohio-Type 40-thanks for passing on the info from the thisweekindoctorwho Yahoo group!)
The Idiot's Lantern
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Doctor Who News Brief: Sarah Jane Investigates?
According to Outpost Gallifrey [see August 1st news], Ariel, the BBC's in-house newsletter, released information suggesting the identity of the second Doctor Who spin-off. Sarah Jane Investigates will bring back Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith. Not much else has been said about the series-like when this will happen (if the rumors turn out to be true) or whether or not it will also bring back K-9 (who has his own series currently in development.) Stay tuned to Outpost Gallifrey for more information as it develops.
As a Sarah Jane Smith fan, I kind of like the idea of her having her own series...it sounds interesting...just as long as they do a good job!!!
As a Sarah Jane Smith fan, I kind of like the idea of her having her own series...it sounds interesting...just as long as they do a good job!!!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Tom's Season 2 Review
Well, I finally have the time to sit down and put my thoughts together on Series 2. Overall, it was quite good, with more gloss than Series 1 but lacking its cohesion. David Tennent was erratic at times, but like most new Doctors settled into the role as the season progressed. The character of Rose was a little annoying this year, but that's down to how she was written rather than Billie Piper's performance, which was top notch yet again. She'll be missed, but it is time to move on.
As for the individual stories, I will rank them bottom-to-top as I did with my mid-season review. Also, two-parters are counted as one story. Remember, what follows is my opinion on these stories; if your opinion differs please feel free to let me know by leaving a comment.
10)Tooth & Claw- I know this is a popular story, but I found it a bit of a mess. And the pre-credit sequence is just embarrassing.
9)New Earth- A weak and pointless story that goes nowhere. The ending's not too bad, though.
8)Fear Her- Another weak story but a bit stronger than New Earth. Not bad as such, but lacked any real punch.
7)The Idiot's Lantern- A shame that this blog's namesake wasn't better, but so it goes. Definately gets points for attention to detail, but knock a few off for a silly villian.
6)The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit- Another fan favorite that I don't rank as high. A strong basic plot that is nearly ruined by too many holes, but the pluses definately outweigh the minuses.
5)Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel- Too much running around in the first part, but ends strongly. Seems better after watching Army of Ghosts/Doomsday.
4)Love and Monsters- Most fans have this one at the bottom of their lists, but for me it was pure fun. The ending feels tampered with, but otherwise a nice change of pace.
3)School Reunion- I was afraid that this one might not live up to the hype, but there was no reason to be worried. Sarah Jane, K-9, and Anthony Stewart Head. Enough said.
2)Army of Ghosts/Doomsday- I though last year's finale was the be-all-end-all of DW, but apparently not. Army of Ghosts was the best first episode of the 3 two-parters and Doomsday was edge-of-your-seat excitement beginning to end.
1) Girl in the Fireplace- For me, DW is all about the writing and this one trumps them all in that department. Hats off to Stephen Moffat.
As for the individual stories, I will rank them bottom-to-top as I did with my mid-season review. Also, two-parters are counted as one story. Remember, what follows is my opinion on these stories; if your opinion differs please feel free to let me know by leaving a comment.
10)Tooth & Claw- I know this is a popular story, but I found it a bit of a mess. And the pre-credit sequence is just embarrassing.
9)New Earth- A weak and pointless story that goes nowhere. The ending's not too bad, though.
8)Fear Her- Another weak story but a bit stronger than New Earth. Not bad as such, but lacked any real punch.
7)The Idiot's Lantern- A shame that this blog's namesake wasn't better, but so it goes. Definately gets points for attention to detail, but knock a few off for a silly villian.
6)The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit- Another fan favorite that I don't rank as high. A strong basic plot that is nearly ruined by too many holes, but the pluses definately outweigh the minuses.
5)Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel- Too much running around in the first part, but ends strongly. Seems better after watching Army of Ghosts/Doomsday.
4)Love and Monsters- Most fans have this one at the bottom of their lists, but for me it was pure fun. The ending feels tampered with, but otherwise a nice change of pace.
3)School Reunion- I was afraid that this one might not live up to the hype, but there was no reason to be worried. Sarah Jane, K-9, and Anthony Stewart Head. Enough said.
2)Army of Ghosts/Doomsday- I though last year's finale was the be-all-end-all of DW, but apparently not. Army of Ghosts was the best first episode of the 3 two-parters and Doomsday was edge-of-your-seat excitement beginning to end.
1) Girl in the Fireplace- For me, DW is all about the writing and this one trumps them all in that department. Hats off to Stephen Moffat.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Army of Ghosts/Doomsday Review (Slightly Spoilerish, Perhaps)
From our British Correspondent
Probably no 2 episodes of Doctor Who have ever been asked to do as much as these, the closing story of series 2. Not only does it tie in with the earlier Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel 2-parter, it also brings to a close the 27 episode story of Rose Tyler. And it does both (and a great deal more) with great style.
Army of Ghosts sets the story up with the introduction of the mysterious titular ghosts and an even stranger sphere housed in the basement of much referred-to Torchwood. By the cliffhanger the ghosts have revealed their true form and the sphere opens and out comes... well that would be spoiling what is probably the best cliffhanger since episode 3 of The Caves of Androzani back in 1984. Army of Ghosts is also the strongest part-1-of-2 episode yet of the six we've seen so far in the new series.
By the end of Army of Ghosts, you realize that Doomsday must be crammed full and wonder if it can pull off what it needs to in 45 minutes. Well, it takes closer to 47 minutes but amazingly gets the job done. Without giving anything away for those out there who have yet to see it, let's just say that this episode has pretty much everything but the kitchen sink, with moments that will have fans talking for years to come. If there is any complaint, it is that some elements seem to cater a bit too much to the fans, but it's done in such a brilliant way that the average viewer will enjoy it just as much as us Whovians. Hats off to Russell T Davies for managing to top last year's finale.
And now the long wait for Christmas.
Probably no 2 episodes of Doctor Who have ever been asked to do as much as these, the closing story of series 2. Not only does it tie in with the earlier Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel 2-parter, it also brings to a close the 27 episode story of Rose Tyler. And it does both (and a great deal more) with great style.
Army of Ghosts sets the story up with the introduction of the mysterious titular ghosts and an even stranger sphere housed in the basement of much referred-to Torchwood. By the cliffhanger the ghosts have revealed their true form and the sphere opens and out comes... well that would be spoiling what is probably the best cliffhanger since episode 3 of The Caves of Androzani back in 1984. Army of Ghosts is also the strongest part-1-of-2 episode yet of the six we've seen so far in the new series.
By the end of Army of Ghosts, you realize that Doomsday must be crammed full and wonder if it can pull off what it needs to in 45 minutes. Well, it takes closer to 47 minutes but amazingly gets the job done. Without giving anything away for those out there who have yet to see it, let's just say that this episode has pretty much everything but the kitchen sink, with moments that will have fans talking for years to come. If there is any complaint, it is that some elements seem to cater a bit too much to the fans, but it's done in such a brilliant way that the average viewer will enjoy it just as much as us Whovians. Hats off to Russell T Davies for managing to top last year's finale.
And now the long wait for Christmas.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Doctor Who news
Hello fellow Whovians!
It's been awhile since I last posted-I'm sorry-I didn't have much time while I was away to be online. Too much goes on at my sister's to tie up the phone line for very long. LOL.
Series One (season 27) in the USA:(recap)
Current episode:
Series 1 has finished it's current run. *patiently awaiting news on when series two will air...*
SciFi will air The Empty Child on Sunday, July 16th at 11pm.
The Doctor Dances will air the following week (the 23rd) also at 11pm.
I don't see Doctor Who in anywhere in the schedule for August-boo!
Previous episodes:
13. The Parting of the Ways
12. Bad Wolf
11. Boom Town
10. The Doctor Dances
9. The Empty Child
8. Father's Day
7.The Long Game
6.Dalek
5.World War III
4.Aliens of London
3.The Unquiet Dead
2.The End of the World
1.Rose
Series Two (season 28) in the UK: (recap)
Current episode: Series 2 has finished it's current run on the BBC. Doctor Who will return in December with the Christmas special, the Runaway Bride. Note: If you click on the link, there is a possible spoiler if you haven't seen the end of series 2.
Previous episodes:
13. Doomsday
12. Army of Ghosts
11. Fear Her
10. Love & Monsters
9. The Satan Pit
8. The Impossible Planet
7. The Idiot's Lantern
6. The Age of Steel
5. The Rise of the Cybermen
4. The Girl in the Fireplace
3.School Reunion
2.Tooth and Claw
1. New Earth
Season 1 now on dvd! As of today, the first series was #9 in Amazon's dvd sales. I saw it as high as #3-but I've only been online since Monday-did anyone else notice if it was higher? I hope this bodes well for us who would like to see series 2 come to SciFi. :)
Speaking of dvds, the Fourth Doctor story, the Hand of Fear and the Sixth Doctor story, the Mark of the Rani will be coming to dvd on November 7th. I like this apparent trend of the dvds coming out in Britain, and then shortly after coming out on this side of the pond. Grant it, it would be much cooler if they came out at the same time, but waiting a few months is better than waiting a year or more. I hope this means the Invasion will follow shortly. :) :)
BBC7 will start a repeat season of the Eighth Doctoraudios, starting this Sunday (July 16th) with Shada. Also included are Storm Warning, Sword of Orion, The Stones of Venice, Invaders from Mars and The Chimes of Midnight. These stories will run through August 27th.
TAFN-still trying to catch up!!
It's been awhile since I last posted-I'm sorry-I didn't have much time while I was away to be online. Too much goes on at my sister's to tie up the phone line for very long. LOL.
Series One (season 27) in the USA:(recap)
Current episode:
Series 1 has finished it's current run. *patiently awaiting news on when series two will air...*
SciFi will air The Empty Child on Sunday, July 16th at 11pm.
The Doctor Dances will air the following week (the 23rd) also at 11pm.
I don't see Doctor Who in anywhere in the schedule for August-boo!
Previous episodes:
13. The Parting of the Ways
12. Bad Wolf
11. Boom Town
10. The Doctor Dances
9. The Empty Child
8. Father's Day
7.The Long Game
6.Dalek
5.World War III
4.Aliens of London
3.The Unquiet Dead
2.The End of the World
1.Rose
Series Two (season 28) in the UK: (recap)
Current episode: Series 2 has finished it's current run on the BBC. Doctor Who will return in December with the Christmas special, the Runaway Bride. Note: If you click on the link, there is a possible spoiler if you haven't seen the end of series 2.
Previous episodes:
13. Doomsday
12. Army of Ghosts
11. Fear Her
10. Love & Monsters
9. The Satan Pit
8. The Impossible Planet
7. The Idiot's Lantern
6. The Age of Steel
5. The Rise of the Cybermen
4. The Girl in the Fireplace
3.School Reunion
2.Tooth and Claw
1. New Earth
Season 1 now on dvd! As of today, the first series was #9 in Amazon's dvd sales. I saw it as high as #3-but I've only been online since Monday-did anyone else notice if it was higher? I hope this bodes well for us who would like to see series 2 come to SciFi. :)
Speaking of dvds, the Fourth Doctor story, the Hand of Fear and the Sixth Doctor story, the Mark of the Rani will be coming to dvd on November 7th. I like this apparent trend of the dvds coming out in Britain, and then shortly after coming out on this side of the pond. Grant it, it would be much cooler if they came out at the same time, but waiting a few months is better than waiting a year or more. I hope this means the Invasion will follow shortly. :) :)
BBC7 will start a repeat season of the Eighth Doctoraudios, starting this Sunday (July 16th) with Shada. Also included are Storm Warning, Sword of Orion, The Stones of Venice, Invaders from Mars and The Chimes of Midnight. These stories will run through August 27th.
TAFN-still trying to catch up!!
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
DW Columbus Cookout-July 8th
We will be having a cookout and grill party at Jarrod's house on Saturday July 8th, starting at 5:00 pm. We will also be viewing Army of Ghosts and then the final episode of the second season, Doomsday, as close to 'live' as possible. Please check the DW Columbus Yahoo group for more information.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Fear Her Review
From Our British Correspondent
The best thing I can say about Fear Her is that it's not bad. The story's not bad, the actors aren't bad, the direction's not bad. There's a bit near the end that's not too good, but otherwise the episode's not bad. Not great, but not bad. The preview for next week's episode was awesome, though. How's that for a review?
The best thing I can say about Fear Her is that it's not bad. The story's not bad, the actors aren't bad, the direction's not bad. There's a bit near the end that's not too good, but otherwise the episode's not bad. Not great, but not bad. The preview for next week's episode was awesome, though. How's that for a review?
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Love & Monsters Review (At Last)
From Our British Correspondent (who is almost caught up)
After the huge scale of the previous story comes an episode that's not only small but also different. Very different. Very, very different. Fans have been ragging on it since it aired. And I loved it.
Love & Monsters marks the return of Russell T Davies as writer, his last episode being the uncharacteristic (for him, at least) Tooth & Claw. Here he gives us a story that's not so much about the Doctor as it is about Doctor Who and its fans. In fact the Doctor and Rose only appear briefly, with the bulk of the story given over to a small group of people with a common interest: the Doctor.
One of the joys of this story for me was recognizing bits of myself and DW groups I've been part of down the years in both Elton and L.I.N.D.A. Like Elton, I met the love of my life in a DW club (3 marriages came out of that club, btw). And music played an important part of the group (Duran Duran, not ELO however). Lots of great memories came flooding back thanks to this episode.
True, bits of it were rather silly, but they were supposed to be. Some fans haven't seemed to catch on, but at least the cast knows what's going on and does a splendid job with it. And special mention must be made of the Absorbaloff (from the planet Clum, which apparently does indeed have a North), the winning entry of last year's Blue Peter Design a DW Monster contest. RTD did a brilliant job of building a fan-related story around a fan-created monster. Thank you, Russell. At least this fan loved it.
After the huge scale of the previous story comes an episode that's not only small but also different. Very different. Very, very different. Fans have been ragging on it since it aired. And I loved it.
Love & Monsters marks the return of Russell T Davies as writer, his last episode being the uncharacteristic (for him, at least) Tooth & Claw. Here he gives us a story that's not so much about the Doctor as it is about Doctor Who and its fans. In fact the Doctor and Rose only appear briefly, with the bulk of the story given over to a small group of people with a common interest: the Doctor.
One of the joys of this story for me was recognizing bits of myself and DW groups I've been part of down the years in both Elton and L.I.N.D.A. Like Elton, I met the love of my life in a DW club (3 marriages came out of that club, btw). And music played an important part of the group (Duran Duran, not ELO however). Lots of great memories came flooding back thanks to this episode.
True, bits of it were rather silly, but they were supposed to be. Some fans haven't seemed to catch on, but at least the cast knows what's going on and does a splendid job with it. And special mention must be made of the Absorbaloff (from the planet Clum, which apparently does indeed have a North), the winning entry of last year's Blue Peter Design a DW Monster contest. RTD did a brilliant job of building a fan-related story around a fan-created monster. Thank you, Russell. At least this fan loved it.
Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit Review (Finally)
From Our British Correspondent (back from vacation)
This is a big story. Bigger than anything yet seen on the new Who. But, as they say, bigger isn't always better. I know fans have been gushing about this story of an ancient evil on the edge of a black hole, but for me not so much.
One of the problems is the strong sense of deja vu. The basic premise of an evil entity being the inspiration for later interpretations of the same has already been done twice before in DW (The Daemons and The Awakening) and was originally covered in Quatermass and the Pit. Add to that numerous films (Alien, The Black Hole, Event Horizon, etc) that are referenced and you get a bad case of been-there-done-that.
There are other problems as well. For instance, why do the crew of the base seem so blase' when the Doctor and Rose show up? Considering where they are, you would think it would have caused a bigger stir. And then there is the bit about pumping oxygen through the air ducts. Air ducts with large gratings that apparently don't allow in air somehow. Finally, the situation at the end should have seemed hopeless for everyone. Unfortunately, the solution is set up so blatantly that the climax becomes an exercise in waiting for the obvious to happen. And of course it does.
There are good things about the episodes. Effects and make-up are all excellent and the cast are for the most part good. And its nice to see the Doctor getting all philosophical. Shame about the rest of it.
This is a big story. Bigger than anything yet seen on the new Who. But, as they say, bigger isn't always better. I know fans have been gushing about this story of an ancient evil on the edge of a black hole, but for me not so much.
One of the problems is the strong sense of deja vu. The basic premise of an evil entity being the inspiration for later interpretations of the same has already been done twice before in DW (The Daemons and The Awakening) and was originally covered in Quatermass and the Pit. Add to that numerous films (Alien, The Black Hole, Event Horizon, etc) that are referenced and you get a bad case of been-there-done-that.
There are other problems as well. For instance, why do the crew of the base seem so blase' when the Doctor and Rose show up? Considering where they are, you would think it would have caused a bigger stir. And then there is the bit about pumping oxygen through the air ducts. Air ducts with large gratings that apparently don't allow in air somehow. Finally, the situation at the end should have seemed hopeless for everyone. Unfortunately, the solution is set up so blatantly that the climax becomes an exercise in waiting for the obvious to happen. And of course it does.
There are good things about the episodes. Effects and make-up are all excellent and the cast are for the most part good. And its nice to see the Doctor getting all philosophical. Shame about the rest of it.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Doctor Who news
Series One (season 27) in the USA:
Fridays, on the SciFi Channel
Current episode:
Series 1 has finished it's current run. *patiently awaiting news on when series two will air...*
Previous episodes:
13. The Parting of the Ways
12. Bad Wolf
11. Boom Town
10. The Doctor Dances
9. The Empty Child
8. Father's Day
7.The Long Game
6.Dalek
5.World War III
4.Aliens of London
3.The Unquiet Dead
2.The End of the World
1.Rose
Series Two (season 28) in the UK:
Saturdays, at 7pm GMT on BBC1
Current episode:
11. Fear Her
Previous episodes:
10. Love & Monsters
9. The Satan Pit
8. The Impossible Planet
7. The Idiot's Lantern
6. The Age of Steel
5. The Rise of the Cybermen
4. The Girl in the Fireplace
3.School Reunion
2.Tooth and Claw
1. New Earth
Doctor Who gets ReAnimated!
The Second Doctor story, the Invaision, is going to be released on dvd-complete with 2 animated episodes (1 and 4, I believe) Since the soundtracks are still available for both episodes, they are going to animate the two missing episodes and release the full story. I think that's really cool-I hope they release it here in the U.S. as well. I also hope they can do that with other lost stories-it would be quite a project, but a really awesome one!
Click here for the full story. :)
Speaking of Classic series releases, the UK will be releasing the Fourth Doctor story, the Sontaran Experiment on dvd in October. I hope the region 1 edition will follow-then I can get rid of my Sontaran/Genesis tapes, and make more room on my Doctor Who shelf! ;)
More on series 3
Doctor Who will get a new producer for the upcoming third series. Susie Liggat will take over the reigns while producer Phil Collinson takes a much desereved break!
More on last week's spoiler story
No, I'm still not going to say what it's about, but here's a link to some rumors related to last week's announcement.
from the Scifi Wire
I will be on vacation next week-however, my sister does have an internet connection, so I'm going to try to post while I'm away. If nothing else, at least a link to next week's episode in the U.K. :)
TAFN, happy Who watching!
Fridays, on the SciFi Channel
Current episode:
Series 1 has finished it's current run. *patiently awaiting news on when series two will air...*
Previous episodes:
13. The Parting of the Ways
12. Bad Wolf
11. Boom Town
10. The Doctor Dances
9. The Empty Child
8. Father's Day
7.The Long Game
6.Dalek
5.World War III
4.Aliens of London
3.The Unquiet Dead
2.The End of the World
1.Rose
Series Two (season 28) in the UK:
Saturdays, at 7pm GMT on BBC1
Current episode:
11. Fear Her
Previous episodes:
10. Love & Monsters
9. The Satan Pit
8. The Impossible Planet
7. The Idiot's Lantern
6. The Age of Steel
5. The Rise of the Cybermen
4. The Girl in the Fireplace
3.School Reunion
2.Tooth and Claw
1. New Earth
Doctor Who gets ReAnimated!
The Second Doctor story, the Invaision, is going to be released on dvd-complete with 2 animated episodes (1 and 4, I believe) Since the soundtracks are still available for both episodes, they are going to animate the two missing episodes and release the full story. I think that's really cool-I hope they release it here in the U.S. as well. I also hope they can do that with other lost stories-it would be quite a project, but a really awesome one!
Click here for the full story. :)
Speaking of Classic series releases, the UK will be releasing the Fourth Doctor story, the Sontaran Experiment on dvd in October. I hope the region 1 edition will follow-then I can get rid of my Sontaran/Genesis tapes, and make more room on my Doctor Who shelf! ;)
More on series 3
Doctor Who will get a new producer for the upcoming third series. Susie Liggat will take over the reigns while producer Phil Collinson takes a much desereved break!
More on last week's spoiler story
No, I'm still not going to say what it's about, but here's a link to some rumors related to last week's announcement.
from the Scifi Wire
I will be on vacation next week-however, my sister does have an internet connection, so I'm going to try to post while I'm away. If nothing else, at least a link to next week's episode in the U.K. :)
TAFN, happy Who watching!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)