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All the DOCTOR WHO 60th Anniversary Specials’ Easter Eggs, Callbacks, and References

Doctor Who is back, y’all! The first of three 60th anniversary specials, “The Star Beast,” kicked off a set of adventures with Fourteen and Donna Noble. We had the pleasure of meeting Doctor Who comic and audio characters Beep the Meep and the Wrarth Warriors. And, here at Nerdist, we also had the fun challenge of searching for Doctor Who Easter eggs, callbacks, and references to previous events in this episode. While some are expressly pointed out, others are not quite so obvious. Let’s take a look at what we have spotted so far.

Jump to: “The Star Beast” // “Wild Blue Yonder” // “The Giggle”

[image error]BBCDoctor Who 60th Anniversary Special “The Star Beast” Easter Eggs and ReferencesOnce Upon a Time Lord 

“The Star Beast” starts with the Doctor and Donna Noble addressing us directly. The Doctor begins his story about traveling with Donna, saying “once upon a Time Lord.” It’s more than just a clever phrase. It is the name of a recent Doctor Who graphic novel by writer Dan Slott and artist Christopher Jones starring the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones. In this story, the Pyromeths capture Martha. She distracts them by telling epic tales of the Tenth Doctor facing off against foes like the Daleks, Cybermen, Ice Warriors, and more. 

The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble’s Greatest Hits, Recapped

At this point, Donna can’t recall her travels with the Doctor. And, to be honest, some fans have forgotten them too. It has been 15 years, after all. (We can help you with remembering Donna’s ending.) Thankfully, Doctor Who uses her opening dialogue to take us down memory lane with plenty of flashbacks. We see several images from their journey, including the Empress (a.k.a. the arachnid lady) from when they first met in 2006’s “The Runaway Bride.” 

We also get glimpses of a Sontaran from “The Sontaran Stratagem,” a skull in a spacesuit from “Silence in the Library,” the evil wasp from “The Unicorn and the Wasp,” the Pyrovile villain from “The Fires of Pompeii,” and the Adipose spaceship from “Partners in Crime.” But that’s not all! We see the eye of a Dalek from “The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End” and the planet Midnight from the episode of the same name. And of course we see a glimpse of the metacrisis event that led to the Tenth Doctor’s controversial decision to wipe Donna’s mind.

CyberDog 

The Doctor lands in the Camden Town section of London and begins to wander the streets. We see a place called CyberDog in the background. It doesn’t draw the attention of the Doctor but some fans would assume its an in-universe reference to the Cybermen. In actuality, CyberDog is a real clothing store in that area. As far as Easter eggs go, there’s a Doctor Who short story involving this store called “Dummy Massacre.” In it, a blogger was inside CyberDog in March 2005 when the Autons attacked. This is the same event we witnessed through Rose and the Ninth Doctor in “Rose.” The mysterious blogger took over the conspiracy theory website, Who Is Doctor Who?, from Clive Davis (RIP) and wrote about his harrowing experience.

Every Era Begins with a Rose… Sort Of

Rose Noble’s name is an obvious nod to Rose Tyler, the first companion of the modern era. We learn a lot about Rose in this episode, including why she chose that name and her connection to the Doctor. But, there’s more to this reference. We now have three different eras of Doctor Who: classic, modern, and the new Russell T Davies era that we are calling Bad Wolf for now. And each of those eras begin with a Rose… sort of.

The show’s first companion went by Susan Foreman; however, her real first name is apparently Arkytior, which means Rose in Gallifreyan. This is established in the 1994 Doctor Who short story “Roses.” (No, it did not inspire Rose Tyler’s name. Davies got that from his TV drama Bob & Rose.) Is it totally canon? Not really, considering it hasn’t come up on the show yet. But it’s fun anyway. Now, Rose Noble is ushering in yet another chapter in Doctor Who’s story. 

Donna Noble’s Theme Rises

As Donna and Rose leave the Doctor at the Camden Market, we can hear Donna’s theme music in the background. Remember when companions each had their own theme songs? It was truly an iconic time in Doctor Who history. 

Allons-y!

It’s been a long time since we’ve heard that catchphrase. The Doctor says it to Donna’s husband Shaun Temple as they prepare to drive off towards the spaceship crash landing site. 

Who the Hell Is Nerys?

While in the car with Shaun, the Doctor says he’s a friend of Donna’s old frenemy Nerys. We met her during “The Runaway Bride” as the jealous friend who tried to make a move on Donna’s then-fiancé Lance. We never learn a lot about her, but Donna and Nerys remained friends despite Nerys being shady. She is in attendance at Donna’s wedding to Shaun, which we witness from afar. But apparently things have gone south with their relationship. Later in “The Star Beast,” Donna calls Nerys a viper who can’t keep her mouth shut. We never see her in this episode, but we get the feeling she’s still lurking in the grass nearby. 

Donna and That Lottery Money

Despite Donna having her memories wiped by the Doctor, she ultimately ended up with a great life. In “The End of Time Part 2,” the Doctor left the Noble family a huge lottery ticket and she married the love of her life. However, we discover that Donna gave away all of her money because she was under the veil of memory suppression. Therefore, the “Doctory” parts of her pushed her to want to help the world versus helping herself. We appreciate the goodwill but girl, that was millions of pounds. 

Additional Doctor Who Easter egg: Shaun mentions that the ticket was a “triple rollover,” which references what Donna notes about the ticket when she receives it.

UNIT’s First Scientific Advisor 

During his investigation of the “crash” (technically landing) site, the Doctor encounters Shirley Anne Bingham. She certainly recognizes this version of him, even though he cleverly recalls when he was wearing a bowtie and, later on, a woman. The most interesting part of this is the Doctor saying he was UNIT’s first scientific advisor. This is a reference to the early days of the Third Doctor era when got into trouble with the Time Lords. They disabled his TARDIS and left him stuck on Earth. He took a job with UNIT and begrudgingly became their scientific advisor. 

Shirley Anne Honors Shirley Coward

Speaking of the fantastic Shirley Anne, her name itself is a fun Doctor Who Easter egg. It’s a nod to Shirley Coward, a vision mixer on the show during its first lead actor transition. The term/concept of regeneration wasn’t used on the show quite yet, but that’s exactly what happened when William Hartnell passed the torch to Second Doctor actor Patrick Troughton. Shirley expertly laid shots of both actors on top of each other and created a distortion effect that made this transition seamless, eerie, and iconic.

Beep the Meep and the Wrarth WarriorsDisney Branded Television/BBC/Bad Wolf

This episode’s monsters and big villain both come from ‘80s era Doctor Who comics. If you’d like to read up more on their history, check out this post. Basically, the show closely sticks to their origin story, honoring a part of Who that some fans didn’t know about until now. 

The Shadow Proclamation Is Still Alive and Well, We Guess

Fourteen is completely over the shenanigans between Beep and the Wrarth Warriors. So he brings them together in a dingy garage, invoking a few sections of the Shadow Proclamation to stop the ongoing violence. He particularly calls out section 15, which Rose Tyler clumsily (and incorrectly) used in “The Christmas Invasion.” She was trying to take on the role of the Doctor while Ten was recovering from regeneration, but her words did not scare the Sycorax. Gotta love a fun Doctor Who callback, right? This rule means that murder is not a rule of war. And what does Beep do shortly after? Murder. 

Binary. Binary. Binary. 

With Donna’s permission, the Doctor unravels the failsafe and Donna regains her memories. She begins to say “binary” repeatedly, which was what she previously said when the Time Lord knowledge began to overwhelm her brain and cause her to stutter. 

Rose Noble’s Workshed and Villain Creatures

We discover that the metacrisis split itself between Donna and her daughter Rose. It was housed within Rose’s DNA all along. This explains why Rose chose her name along with the specific types of furry toys she made. The teen’s workshop shed door resembles the door of the TARDIS. And each of her creatures loosely resemble monsters that Ten and Donna encountered in the past. We see a stuffed Dalek, Judoon, Adipose, Cyberman, and Ood. There is a furry, brown doglike creature that could represent Cybershade, which were animal-like versions of Cybermen. Interestingly, the latter creature is from a Doctor-only story, “The Next Doctor.” Rose is basically a walking Doctor Who Easter egg and we love her.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special “Wild Blue Yonder” Easter Eggs and ReferencesThe Doctor Meets Isaac Newton… Again 

At the beginning of “Wild Blue Yonder,” the TARDIS materializes and spins into an apple tree. It just so happens to be the tree that Isaac Newton is sitting under. No, he does not have the title “Sir” quite yet. The Doctor and Donna humorously introduces him to the word gravity, which he mishears as “mavity.” This interaction changes the future and we hear Fourteen and Donna use the word mavity instead. 

But this isn’t the first time that the Doctor has encountered Mr. Newton. In “The Pirate Planet,” the Fourth Doctor claimed that he dropped apples on Newton’s head and later explained gravity to him. 

The TARDIS Plays Wild Blue Yonder 

As the TARDIS arrives on that ill-fated spaceship, it plays a song called “Wild Blue Yonder.” This inspiration for the episode’s title is the colloquial title for the US Air Force’s theme song. As Donna notes in the episode, the song is actually a war cry, which means something wicked is coming their way. It’s a strange choice for a spaceship shaped like a British police box but the TARDIS is blue. 

HADS Saves the TARDIS

The Fourteenth Doctor explains why the TARDIS made a quick exit with his sonic screwdriver. He references the ship’s defense mechanism, known as the Hostile Action Displacement System (HADS). It is not the first time the series has referred to this system. HADS has been around since the Second Doctor’s era, although it didn’t use that specific name. In “The Krotons” the TARDIS exterior was under attack, so it dematerialized and rematerialized in a different (but nearby) location to remain safe. 

The HADS comes into play in “The Cold War” when the Eleventh Doctor enables it so the TARDIS can leave safely. It is supposed to land in a good spot at the North Pole but it goes to the South Pole instead. The Twelfth Doctor story “The Magician’s Apprentice” includes HADS activating to fool the Daleks into thinking the TARDIS was destroyed. Twelve rematerializes the ship with his sleek sonic shades. Interestingly, he calls it the Hostile Action Dispersal System, which is pretty much the same thing. 

The Fourteenth Doctor deactivated HADS after apparently getting stuck in orbit for three years. But Donna’s coffee spill and the Doctor’s fix activated the system once again. It is both useful and a pain in the butt, basically.

Licking Random Things to Discover the Truth

The Doctor tastes some weird goo to discover what it could be. This is very similar to how the Tenth Doctor tasted the pool of liquid (that was actually) blood in “The Christmas Invasion.”

Venom and Mass

After being chased by the not-thing versions of themselves, the Doctor and Donna try to figure out what’s going on. When they begin talking about the entities impossible mass, Donna makes a reference to how her husband complained about Venom getting much bigger than his human counterpart. He would wonder where the extra mass was coming from, which is a legit question. Of course, this refers to Tom Hardy’s Venom films.

Prime VideoThe Flux Events Are Bothering the Doctor

Russell T Davies previously said that he would not change events of the past despite setting up his new era. He stood on this in “Wild Blue Yonder,” by referencing the events of the Flux. (Ahh the destruction of half the universe.) The (not real) Donna said she saw what happened in the Doctor’s last few years. And this is all the very recent past. Fourteen gets visibly upset by all of this, even punching a wall and screaming in frustration. The Doctor often runs forward and doesn’t look back too much, so it is interesting to see this character reconciling with the past. It’s not clear how the Flux could factor into the Fourteenth Doctor’s last foray nor if it will affect Fifteen in any way.

Salt Blocks Demons and Evil Entities 

The Doctor wasn’t just biding his time and trying to be funny when he said salt blocks demons, vamps, and other entities. Salt has been used to ward off evil spirits and negativity in many different religious practices for thousands of years. The episode suggests that it is all talk but many people swear by it. 

We Meet Again, Wilf

"Hello, me old soldier!"

In memory of Bernard Cribbins ❤️❤️ #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/ZXb4BPMcUg

— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) December 2, 2023

After 15 years, we finally see the Doctor and Wilf come together again. Wilf never gave up hope that he (and maybe Donna) would see the Doctor again. Why was Wilf randomly at that market by himself? Who knows. But the world is in complete disarray and Wilf is now in the TARDIS. Sadly, this is Bernard Cribbins last time on the show. He died in 2022 at the age of 93.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special “The Giggle” Easter Eggs and ReferencesJohn Logie Baird and Stooky Bill 

The inclusion of John Logie Baird and the (very unsettling) Stooky Bill are more than just Doctor Who sci-fi shenanigans. Baird is a father of television and his real-life story with Stooky Bill is worth diving into. Check out our history post about the first-ever TV image. 

Towing the TARDIS 

The Doctor, Donna, and the TARDIS all get a lift to UNIT headquarters. This isn’t the first time we have seen the TARDIS towed via helicopter in the show’s history. In “The Day of the Doctor,” the Eleventh Doctor and Clara are inside the TARDIS when a helicopter picks it up and takes it to UNIT under Kate’s authority. 

Hello Again, Mel Bush

What a lovely appearance! After briefly seeing Mel in a former companions’ support group in Thirteen’s swan song, she’s back and working with UNIT. She reunites with the Doctor and they dig into her past, which might be confusing for those who aren’t familiar with her Classic era story. Don’t worry, this post about Mel Bush’s Doctor Who history will totally get you up to speed.

The Giggle and Bach

The giggle that everyone recognizes is from Bach’s Prelude in C Major, which is used in quite a few recognizable tunes we all know.  

The Return of the ToymakerBBC

The return of the Toymaker wasn’t shocking at all. However, there are just enough references to the past that you’ll want to read up on him to understand the history between the Doctor and this manic antagonist. The Doctor even mentions to him that they can play across the cosmos and be “celestial” versus the Toymaker destroying Earth. 

The Archangel Network 

A huge crux of the Toymaker’s plan was the world being hyper-connected and online. Kate notes this while Shirley counters that their current connection system, KOSAT, is clean and is nothing like the older Archangel Network with things hiding in the signal. The Archangel Network was a series of satellites around Earth that the Master used to mind control with a signal that encouraged them to vote for Saxon. Of course, this took place during the Tenth Doctor’s era and led to the final storyline of Martha Jones traveling the Earth to save everyone. 

A Hall of Horrors 

The Toymaker sets up a game at his shop by turning one door into many doors. This is awfully reminiscent of “The God Complex,” where the Eleventh Doctor, Amy, and Rory end up at an ‘80s hotel where the corridors change often and each room contains something sinister or frightening. 

Villain Name Drop 

Once again, we take a trip down Ten/Donna memory lane when Donna name drops a few villains from the past. Ood, Davros, the Adipose, and Daleks all get a mention. Oh, and that great big bomb mentioned about the latter is a reference to the reality bomb that Davros built for the Daleks to use and eliminate all non-Dalek matter in the universe. This was a major event in “Journey’s End.” 

The Tragedy of Past Companions 

The Toymaker decides to air the Doctor’s dirty laundry to Donna, one companion at a time. He goes through the sad and oft tragic ending that many of his traveling friends met. There are references to Amy Pond being touched by a Weeping Angel and dying (“The Angels Take Manhattan”), Clara being killed by a bird (“Face the Raven”), and Bill being turned into a Cyberwoman (“World Enough and Time/ “The Doctor Falls”). Ouch! The Toymaker pulled the Doctor’s card for sure. There’s also another mention of the Flux, of course, as a cherry on top.  

Sidenote: This makes Martha Jones’ ending even better because she walked away without a mountain of trauma (or worse) happening to her.

Spice Up Your Life 

“The Giggle” goes full musical with the Toymaker’s deadly yet wildly entertaining performance at UNIT. He whisks himself around the room while the Spice Girls’ “Spice Up Your Life” plays. It’s almost like he’s trying to trap Gen X and Millennials on purpose… and it is working. 

All the Past Doctor Trauma and Loves

The Fifteenth Doctor mentions they haven’t stopped moving for thousands of years. He goes back through a lot of things, including the Doctor’s exile (from the Third Doctor era). There’s also the Key to Time, when the Fourth Doctor is tasked to find six segments to this key, and Logopolis, a planet where the Doctor regenerated into the Fifth Doctor.

The deaths of Adric and River Song are mentioned along with the death of Sarah Jane Smith, which reflects actress Elisabeth Sladen’s real-life demise in 2011. And yes, the Doctor mentions that he loved Sarah and Rose both, which might be a loose reference to “School Reunion” when those companions met, famously fought, and eventually found common ground. 

That’s not all though. There’s the Time War (Ninth Doctor), Pandorica (Eleventh Doctor),the Gods of Ragnarok (Seventh Doctor antagonist) and Mavic Chen (a villain from the First Doctor era) mentions, too. 

The Jukebox 

The Fifteenth Doctor’s console room is just like the Fourteenth Doctor’s room but it has a jukebox. This music device pops up a lot throughout Who history, from the one inside Clara’s TARDIS (disguised as a diner) to the one that Cassandra wheels out in “The End of Time.” 

We loved all the Doctor Who Easter eggs, references, and callbacks will come up in these specials. Happy 60th Anniversary to the greatest sci-fi series of all-time.

Originally published on November 25, 2023.

The post All the DOCTOR WHO 60th Anniversary Specials’ Easter Eggs, Callbacks, and References appeared first on Nerdist.

What Happened to the Toymaker in DOCTOR WHO? His Ending Sets up a Major Mystery

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The Toymaker came, danced, and nearly conquered Earth in “The Giggle.” The return of this Doctor Who villain, played by Neil Patrick Harris, wasn’t a surprise to anyone who follows the show on social media. Still, there was curiosity about how the Toymaker would factor into Fourteen and Donna’s last adventure (at least, we thought it was final). What did he want from the Doctor? Why was he causing chaos on Earth? Here’s what happened with the Toymaker in Doctor Who, including that wild gold tooth revelation. 

BBC

First, a brief bit of Doctor Who history about the relationship between the Doctor and the Toymaker. The two first met in the First Doctor’s 1966 serial “The Celestial Toymaker.” Until now, only stills, fragments, and a plot synopsis of the story exist. The BBC is currently working on an animated reconstruction, much like they have done for several other Second Doctor stories. In the story, the Toymaker forces the Doctor’s companions to play childish games with very specific rules and boundaries. If they lose, he traps them in a little universe called the Celestial Toyroom and makes them his forever playthings. The Doctor eventually gets the upper hand and thinks he destroyed the Toymaker’s universe.

The Toymaker in Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary Special “The Giggle”

When Fourteen and Donna Noble went on their previous adventure, the Doctor cast salt at the edge of the universe. It was meant to ward off demons and such, but, instead, it allowed the Toymaker to leave his realm of existence and travel to Earth. The Doctor and Donna arrive back to reunite with her family, only to be met by Wilf, who declares that everyone is losing their minds. The streets are indeed flush with people yelling at each other and fighting. 

In “The Giggle,” we meet a man running a Soho toy shop in 1925 who sells someone a dummy named Stooky Bill. This opening bit, which ties into real-life television history, doesn’t let us know much about Doctor Who‘s the Toymaker. But we know he’s clearly not a good being. We get back to Fourteen, Donna, and Wilf in the streets. UNIT takes Wilf in for protection and thus ends his story.

There’s one very strange man in a suit and tophat dancing around and seemingly enjoying the chaos. He grabs the Doctor for a very brief dance before later staring at him menacingly and smiling. After some investigation (and a Mel Bush reunion!), Fourteen and Donna end up at that same toy shop. It is the location where the first TV image (and the giggle) came from that essentially brainwashed humanity. The Doctor and Donna arrive to meet this odd fellow who plays a game of catch with the former. Eventually, the Doctor recognizes the Toymaker, and the game begins. The Toymaker opens up a hall of pain for the Doctor, revealing secrets that the Doctor would never share with Donna. He also shows us far too many teeth, including a gold tooth where he claims he put the Master after he won a series of games against him.

BBC

They escape from him; however, the Toymaker shows up at UNIT for a third and final game. He blasts Fourteen with a Galvanic Beam in hopes of playing the game with a new version of the Doctor. But he didn’t bet on a bi-generation happening and having to battle two Doctors in catch. The Doctors got the best of him in the “best of three,” and the Doctor banished him out of existence. The Toymaker folds in on himself and threatens that his legion is coming. Interestingly, the Toymaker leaves something behind that sets up a mystery for the Fifteenth Doctor’s first season of Doctor Who. 

What Is in the Toymaker’s Gold Tooth, and Who Picked It Up? 

As Donna and the Doctors leave the platform, we hear a resounding giggle. A woman’s hand reaches down to pick up a gold tooth left behind by the Toymaker. We know that a major Doctor Who villain, the Master, is in that tooth because the Toymaker confirmed it in dialogue earlier in the episode. The last time we saw the Master was in “The Power of the Doctor.” In that episode, the Master seems to die on a burning planet as Yaz carries a wounded (and ready to regenerate) Thirteenth Doctor into the TARDIS. It is truly anyone’s guess how the Toymaker got the Master into a tooth. Time is a winding road in this universe, after all, and the Toymaker indicated that he’d played around with the Doctor’s past. 

BBC

The hand picking up the gold tooth in this Doctor Who episode is more of a mystery. Some fans are speculating that it is the Rani picking up the tooth, but there’s no evidence to support that at this time. It isn’t impossible, but so far, we have no confirmation that Rani is returning to Doctor Who. Others think that the hand belongs to Kate Stewart, who was wearing red nail polish in this episode. But that doesn’t check out either because we saw Kate walk inside of UNIT before Donna, Fourteen, and Fifteen went in. She never came back out, so how did she get to the end of the platform?

The Doctor Who character who picked up the Toymaker’s gold tooth must be someone who can pop in and out quickly without being seen. It could be Jinx Monsoon’s not-yet-publicly-named character who will be a villain in the Fifteen Doctor era. We will have to wait and see who is a part of the Toymaker’s mysterious legion that is coming this way. 

Will We See the Toymaker Again on Doctor Who?

Toymaker could appear in the future. Doctor Who villains have a way of never staying dead. Neil Patrick Harris could reprise the role alongside whatever army he is sending and battle the Fifteenth Doctor again.

The post What Happened to the Toymaker in DOCTOR WHO? His Ending Sets up a Major Mystery appeared first on Nerdist.

What Happens to Donna Noble in the DOCTOR WHO Anniversary Specials?

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It’s been a long time since Donna Noble ran (and verbally sparred) with the Doctor. She’s back and honestly better than ever in the three specials celebrating Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary. There were a lot of questions about how the Doctor and Donna would link up again considering Donna’s mind would “burn” if she remembered her TARDIS life. We got answers to that question and much more by the end of “The Giggle”. Let’s get into what happens to Donna Noble (not Temple) in Doctor Who’s anniversary specials.

Disney Branded Television/BBC/Bad WolfHow Does Donna Noble Reunite with the Doctor?

Donna and the Doctor’s reunion is actually rather chill. Fourteen arrives at a market and briefly wanders around before he sees someone carrying far too many boxes. He runs over to help and takes a couple of boxes only to reveal Donna’s face. Humorously, the Doctor stacks the boxes up and attempts to run away but Donna pulls him back in. To be fair, it was a rude move on the skinny man’s part. She says the boxes belong to Rose, which initially freaks the Doctor out until he discovers Rose is her daughter. 

As if on cue, a spaceship lands and everyone sees it except a briefly distracted Donna. That lady truly misses every damn thing. She doesn’t have a clue who the Doctor is at this point and no reason to be suspicious of his presence. 

Does the DoctorDonna Show Up in Doctor Who’s First Anniversary Special? BBC

The issue of Donna Noble having to forget the Doctor and all her time travels has been a sore point for fans for many years. The Doctor may have thought he was doing what was best for Donna but he never gave her a choice. In “The Star Beast,” Donna’s mom Sylvia and Fourteen try to keep Donna from remembering anything but it is to no avail. As the Doctor keeps showing up, Donna becomes more suspicious about why he cares for her and her family. She finds herself doing things automatically, like holding his sonic screwdriver while he mans a protective shield. It all comes to a head at the steel factory when Donna makes the choice to go help the Doctor versus running towards safety with her family. 

We are thankful she made that choice. The Doctor needed the DoctorDonna’s help with shutting down Beep the Meep’s operation. He’s resistant but Donna makes the choice to allow him to unlock her memories and resurrect the DoctorDonna. The energy is so great that it manifests in her as well as her daughter Rose, which saves her life. The trio come together to thwart Beep’s plan to use London as a fuel source. But the Doctor knows that Donna and Rose cannot keep such vast knowledge in their heads. This time, Donna and Rose call him out, saying that they know what a male-presenting Time Lord could never understand: that you can simply choose to release that power. This gives Donna the agency that she didn’t get years ago. 

What’s Up with Donna Noble’s Daughter Rose and Her Husband Shaun Temple?BBC

In the final episodes of the Tenth Doctor’s era, we “met” her husband Shaun Temple. The Doctor never interacts with him but he does watch Donna with Shaun, including on their wedding day, from afar. Fifteen years later, Shaun Temple is still married to Donna, who hilariously didn’t take his last name because Noble Temple sounded weird together. Shaun and Donna have a daughter named Rose. At first, it seems this name is from Donna’s subconscious that still remembers Rose Tyler. And this is sort of true, except the metacrisis was passed down to Rose. Donna’s daughter is trans and chose the name Rose to better fit her identity! But she’s also a Noble, which Shaun doesn’t mind because he loves his girls. So sweet.

Rose also unknowingly made stuffed animals in the likeness of villains her mom faced with the Doctor in a shed that mimics the TARDIS. And, because she doesn’t fit neatly into a binary, she was able to embrace that Time Lord energy and make a choice to let it go. Rose once felt strange and lost but now she’s fully aware of who she is as a person. Love to see it.

Sooo, Is Donna Noble Still Rich From Her Winning Lottery Ticket?

Donna Noble is rich in love and family support but not with money. This is wild considering the Doctor gave her a winning lottery ticket so she would have a good life. But Donna, still heavily influenced by the Doctor unbeknownst to her, gave the money away to help others in the world. Outside of slick remarks by Sylvia, no one seems to blame her for her choice. The Doctor may not give her another lottery ticket but he is trying to get her a job with UNIT. Her interview will have to wait because, well, she spilled coffee on the TARDIS console and they ended up on an unintentional adventure. Good times. 

Does Donna Noble Die in the Doctor Who Anniversary Specials?Disney Branded Television/BBC/Bad Wolf

No, Donna doesn’t die in the anniversary specials. She does end up on a spaceship at the edge of the universe in “Wild Blue Yonder” and faces her doppelgänger self. And the Toymaker only toys with her a bit in “The Giggle,” instead focusing his malice on the rest of the world and the Doctor. In the end, the Fourteenth Doctor’s bi-generation means that he is able to park his TARDIS and live with Donna and her family. They come together along with Mel Bush for a lovely dinner and story time. Yes, the entire Noble family makes it out alive, thankfully. He’s happier than he’s ever been while the Fifteenth Doctor, now free from the past’s trauma, can travel the stars with fresh joy.

Will Donna Noble Work for UNIT?

The final scene doesn’t talk about UNIT but Donna did get offered a job making a lot of money with five weeks of paid leave. Right now, she may be taking time to simply spend with her family and the Fourteenth Doctor as he continues to heal. But we are certain that she will end up at UNIT at some point. There have been many rumors about Doctor Who branching off with a UNIT spinoff TV series, so we might see Donna Noble and the Fourteenth Doctor again in the future. If not, there’s always room for Big Finish audio adventures.

Originally published on November 25, 2023.

The post What Happens to Donna Noble in the DOCTOR WHO Anniversary Specials? appeared first on Nerdist.

The DOCTOR WHO History of Melanie ‘Mel’ Bush

The final David Tennant special of Doctor Who saw the proper return of one of the Doctor’s former companions. Though she had appeared in “The Power of the Doctor” as part of the companion support group, Melanie “Mel” Bush (played by stage star Bonnie Langford) had a major role in “The Giggle.” We knew she was returning thanks to a press release earlier in the year. But if you don’t know who Mel is, or what adventures she had with the Doctor, read below!

BBC Studios[image error]Mel’s Strange First Doctor Who Story

If one can quantify such things, Melanie Bush’s entry to the TARDIS is the weirdest in all of Doctor Who. To start with, we need to explain the external situation. The BBC had canceled Doctor Who (or decided to “give it a rest” depending on which side you believe) after season 22, Colin Baker’s first as the Sixth Doctor. During the fallow time, lots of very cringe “Save Doctor Who” campaigns commenced, including a “We Are the World”-esque charity single called “Doctor in Distress.”

At any rate, the BBC relented and brought the series back, bringing the episodes back to 25 minutes rather than the previous season’s 45. That season had the overall title of “Trial of a Time Lord” which, reflective of the real-life “trial” of the series, was a courtroom drama. The four individual serials took the form of “evidence” presented at the Doctor’s trial. It’s all very silly and needlessly complicated. At the end of the second of these serials, the Doctor learns in the courtroom that his companion Peri Brown (Nicola Bryant) had died. (Spoilers: she got better.)

BBC Studios

In the following serial, the evidence presented is an event in the Doctor’s future, where Mel Bush, a computer programmer from the 20th century, was already the Doctor’s companion. Her first appearance doesn’t have any of the hallmarks of companions’ first stories. She doesn’t meet the Doctor, doesn’t get to say “it’s bigger on the inside,” any of it. She just is.

What Was Mel on Doctor Who Like?

While fans never got to “meet” Mel properly, they very quickly got to learn about her through her personality. Her main trait? Probably now we’d call it “toxic positivity.” Her first scene is forcing the Sixth Doctor to work out on a stationary bicycle and drink carrot juice. Given Langford’s musical theatre roots, Mel was very exuberant and pantomimically cheerful. She could also scream roughly seven octaves higher than anyone previously.

After “Trial of a Time Lord” finished, the BBC (perhaps looking to save some amount of face) required that, for the show to continue, the Doctor would need to change. So after only two full seasons, Colin Baker was out. Sylvester McCoy came in for season 24, following a very hackneyed regeneration scene in which Colin didn’t even appear. Mel, however, stuck around and kept up her cheerful screams until the end of that season.

How Did Mel Leave the TARDIS Crew?

The final serial of season 24 was “Dragonfire,” which incidentally also introduced Ace (Sophie Aldred) who would take Mel’s place as companion. In that story (which according to yours truly isn’t very good), the Doctor and Mel meet up with a ruffian space mercenary named Sabalom Glitz (Tony Selby) who had appeared in “Trial.” At the culmination of that story, for seemingly no reason other than Langford was done, Mel decides to go off with Glitz to keep him in line on his spacefaring adventures. I dunno, man. Weird pairing, if you ask me.

BBC StudiosHow Is Mel Back on Doctor Who?

Whatever spinoff material may exist out there about what happened to Mel after her adventures with the Doctor ended, “The Giggle” writer, showrunner Russell T Davies, offers a new official story. The Fourteenth Doctor asks what she’s been doing and she says she traveled with Glitz until he passed away at the age of 101. He died falling over a whiskey bottle, which is very Glitz. After his Viking-style funeral, she came back to Earth. However, given her family were all gone, she didn’t know what to do. Kate Stewart offered her a job at UNIT, and the rest is there in the show.

Given Kate also offered a job to Donna Noble, it seems pretty likely Mel is but the first of the Doctor’s former companions to join UNIT, which points to the all-but-officially-announced spinoff series featuring a number of familiar faces.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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DOCTOR WHO Uses the Toymaker to Teach Real Life TV History Lesson

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The final episode of Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary specials, “The Giggle,” brings Neil Patrick Harris’ Toymaker into the mix. This character is new to many fans but not actually new to the Whoniverse. He previously appeared in the 1966 serial, aptly titled “The Celestial Toymaker.” It was mostly lost to time until recent efforts to animate it. In it, the Toymaker puts the Doctor’s companions through a series of deadly games that they must win, lest they want to be playthings forever. Of course, the Doctor gets the upper hand and wins the game while destroying the Toymaker’s world. But we now know that the Toymaker still exists and really loves the Spice Girls. While the Toymaker is fictional, the episode’s story about a dummy named Stooky Bill, the first TV image, and John Logie Baird are real.

How Does Doctor Who Tie the Toymaker Into Stooky Bill, John Logie Baird, and the First TV Image Ever?

In “The Giggle,” the Toymaker meets a man who comes in to purchase a doll in 1925. In their (very unsettling) conversation, the man reveals that he’s buying the dummy for his employer, John Logie Baird. The Toymaker recognizes Baird as a great inventor. The man reveals that his boss is creating some new thing called television. Baird says that they are about to make history with the doll. Apparently, the lights used to transmit the first TV image ever are far too hot for a human to stand, hence the dummy.

BBC

Stooky’s hair catches fire and his mouth drops open. This happens just as Baird claims he needs a moving image to prove that TV works. We hear the doll’s songlike chuckle and that sets up the later revelation that the Toymaker used Stooky’s image to control the world. (In case you are wondering how you know that tune, it is from Bach’s prelude in C major and used as a basis for many other songs.) He buried the image and every type of screen to sneak into humanity’s head. The Toymaker certainly plays the long game, right? Stooky’s puppet family later try to take Donna out but it is to no avail. It’s the classic Doctor Who way of marrying sci-fiction weirdness to real-life history by bringing in John Logie Baird, Stooky Bill, and that creepy first TV image. 

The Real Life History of John Logie Baird, Stooky Bill, and the First TV Image

Let’s start our history lesson with John Logie Baird. He was a Scottish inventor and electrical engineer who did in fact create the world’s first live TV system. He began his experiments after moving to England in 1923, putting together a cacophony of items to make the first TV set. We’re talking a hatbox, scissors, darning needles, bicycles lenses, sealing wax, and eventually the Nipkow disc, among other things. He went through his share of troubles. Some of them include electrocuting himself and allegedly being deemed a “lunatic” by a Daily Express editor. 

90 years ago today, John Logie Baird unveiled the TV 📺 #otd https://t.co/WIZuMlSKy0 pic.twitter.com/WlC1orRwRv

— English Heritage (@EnglishHeritage) January 26, 2016

But Baird had the last, ahem, giggle on October 2, 1925 when he successfully transmitted the first TV image ever. It was a grayscale image of a dummy named Stooky Bill. (The name is sometimes spelled as Stookie Bill.) It’s not clear where he got the doll from but it made sense to use one versus a human. Stooky Bill’s brightly painted face had a higher contrast that would show up better on the screen. And if something went wrong, a person wouldn’t get hurt or worse.

Unlike the episode, Stooky didn’t do anything that Baird didn’t make him do nor did he catch fire. The following year, Baird took his system to the public and later invented the first color TV system. He is indeed the father of modern television, setting up the Baird Television Development Company Ltd. that transmitted some of the first BBC programs. 

It's a scorcher in Bradford today! Now we know how Stookie Bill felt… https://t.co/xBbY5F3gh7 pic.twitter.com/FEcGA8jvpq

— National Science and Media Museum (@MediaMuseum) June 6, 2016

As far as Stooky Bill, the Bradford National Science and Media Museum featured him in a 2023 Halloween exhibit. We can assume that this doll head is the original one used by Baird for his experiments. The transmission image that Doctor Who’s episode uses of Stooky Bill is likely similar to what John Logie Baird saw decades ago in that first TV image.  

Doctor Who weaving the Toymaker’s story into real-life history once again proves just how clever, and important, this series is to TV.

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What Is Rick and Morty Without Rick? | S7E8 “Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie” Breakdown

Welcome back, Rick & Morty fans! This week’s episode offered up one of the show’s craziest experiments yet, but was a Rickless Rick and Morty a success or failure? Dan dives in to break it all down on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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Legendary Television Acquires Rights to ASSISTANT TO THE VILLAIN

Dear BookTok fiends and romantasy fans: you get a gift today. Legendary Television has acquired rights to Hannah Nicole Maehrer’s novel Assistant to the Villain (via Deadline). I think of the recently published book like Once Upon a Time meets The Office. Evie Sage, who desperately needs a job, any job, decides to work as an assistant to the nefarious Villain in her village. But is he actually so bad? It’s a romantasy (romance and fantasy) story so you can imagine where things go.

Red Tower Books

Published by Red Tower Books, an imprint of Entangled Publishing, Assistant to the Villain started as a TikTok series. In the series, which has been hugely popular on TikTok, Maehrer played the title character. Maehrer then adapted the premise into a novel.

Assistant to the Villain has plenty of elements that would make for an entertaining series, and I can’t wait to see who will play Evie and the Villain. Their chemistry is enchanting, especially backed by quite unusual workplace antics. Here’s the synopsis for the book:

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage’s employment status isn’t just important, it’s vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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Prime Video’s FALLOUT Series Drops Another Trailer at The Game Awards 2023

Video game fans have been safely enjoying the excitement/terror of a post-nuclear wasteland since 1997. That’s when Fallout and its ’50s-era Cold War aesthetic first came to stores. Since then countless sequels and spinoffs have turned the game into one of genre’s most successful franchises. Now Fallout is ready to conquer another medium entirely. It’s getting its very own show from Amazon. What kind of story can gamers expect from the Prime Video Fallout adaptation? Who’s behind it, and who will star in it? And when will we get a chance to see it?

The Game Awards 2023 did give us yet another peek into the series with some new footage that wasn’t in the trailer. It isn’t much but we are glad to see it, especially because CX404 the dog-like character is in it. (More on him later.)

Here’s everything we know about Prime Video’s Fallout series so far.

TitleBethesda

Prime Video’s adaptation will share the same name as the original game, Fallout.

Fallout‘s Plot

We officially have our first full look at the Fallout series. Prime Video released the first trailer for the show and it teases a dangerous wasteland of a world. But it’s clear the show understands its dark humor as well.

Prime Video has shared an official Fallout series synopsis, setting us up for what’s to come. It reveals, “Based on one of the greatest video game series of all time, Fallout is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have. 200 years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind — and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them.“

📍 Vault 33
Location: Los Angeles

Fallout, an original series, coming to Prime Video in 2024 pic.twitter.com/tlHh2WutF4

— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) August 23, 2023

Additionally, we know that the series is “set in the future post-apocalyptic Los Angeles.” It will also tell an “original story based on Fallout that will be part of the canon of the games.” 

Prime Video

The first image from the show featured a glimpse at the franchise’s all-new Vault 33. And more recent looks have revealed Fallout‘s main characters including Walton Goggins’ The Ghoul, Ella Purnell’s Lucy, Aaron Moten’s Maximus, and Kyle MacLachlan’s Overseer Hank.

Click To View Gallery Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video JoJo Whilden Prime Video

There will also be an adorable animal involved. In the Fallout games, a dog called Dogmeat exists as an NPC companion character that accompanies players on their adventures. According to a blog post from Amazon, the live-action Fallout series’ cute canine isn’t called Dogmeat, but instead is named CX404. But this pup, too, will serve “as a companion navigating the post-apocalyptic world.” Maybe this dog is Dogmeat’s distant cousin. After all, it would be pretty cool to see a Dogmeat Easter egg in the show. Regardless, we’re sure CX404 is a very good boy.

pic.twitter.com/k0WzPezPiN

— FALLOUT⚡️ (@falloutonprime) December 2, 2023

Interestingly enough, it looks like this Fallout dog belongs to Walton Goggins’ The Ghoul on the Prime Video series. That character is definitely shaping up to be our anti-hero, so giving The Ghoul the best relationship with Fallout‘s cutest creature will likely go some way to help balance out his more nefarious tendencies. We’re excited to see how the story unfolds for our new dog friend and all the other characters in Fallout.

Behind the Scenes

Fallout comes from Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, and Kilter Films. The latter is the production company of executive producers Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, creators of HBO’s Westworld.

Writers Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner will also serve Fallout co-showrunners and executive producers. Nolan directs the first three episodes.

Fallout‘s Cast

The show stars: Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight), Aaron Moten (Emancipation), Moisés Arias (The King of Staten Island), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks), Sarita Choudhury (Homeland), Michael Emerson (Person of Interest), Leslie Uggams (Deadpool), Frances Turner (The Boys), Dave Register (Heightened), Zach Cherry (Severance), Johnny Pemberton (Ant-Man), Rodrigo Luzzi (Dead Ringers), Annabel O’Hagan (Law & Order: SVU), and Xelia Mendes-Jones (The Wheel of Time). 

Fallout‘s Release Date

Prime Video celebrated the 26th “Fallout Day” by announcing when the series will premiere via a Pip-Boy-style message. The show begins its post-apocalyptic adventure on April 12, 2024.

PLEASE REMAIN CALM. An Important Dated Message Brought to You By Your Friends at @PrimeVideo. pic.twitter.com/yyaFynVjAK

— FALLOUT⚡️ (@falloutonprime) October 23, 2023

That’s a lot closer than it sounds, which means we should start getting trailers and more information soon, too. When we do you’ll find everything you need to know about Prime Video’s Fallout right here.

Originally published on October 23, 2023.

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JURASSIC PARK: SURVIVAL Game Trailer Takes Us Back to 1993

Welcome to Jurassic Park! The infamous island where dinosaurs once again roam the Earth (and kill humans) is a place I love to admire from far, far away. After seeing all of the films, it is not the kind of survival adventure I’d want to go on, at least not in real-life anyway. But Isla Nublar is indeed a place ripe for exploration and testing your skills in the game world. You can do just that with Jurassic Park: Survival, a game with a title that’s delightfully on-the-nose and an intense trailer to boot.

The trailer reveal went down at The Game Awards 2023. In the clip, we meet a doctor who is having perhaps the worst couple of days of her life. Here’s the game synopsis for Jurassic Park: Survival: 

Return to Isla Nublar the day after the events of the beloved 1993 Jurassic Park film in an original adventure 65 million years in the making. Survive thrilling first-person action as InGen scientist Dr. Maya Joshi, who was unable to evacuate Isla Nublar, in this single-player action-adventure game and discover a never-before-told story. Through thrilling encounters, experience the wonder and danger of dinosaurs, each with their own distinct and adaptive behaviors brought to life by John Hammond’s vision.

The Jurassic Park: Survival game concept and its trailer are both phenomenal. It is very likely that someone somewhere would have been left behind during the scramble to survive and evacuate. And the thought of trying to get in contact with humanity while being stranded with dinos is terrifying, indeed. 

What Is the Release Date for the Jurassic Park: Survival Game?Savage Entertainment

Jurassic Park: Survival will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S at an unknown future date. It seems the game is still in early stages of development, but fans can sign up on the game’s official website for additional updates.

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Nerdist’s Best Features and Articles of 2023

In 2023, the editors, staff writers, and freelancers of Nerdist combined our creative powers to once again deliver unparalleled coverage of genre entertainment. (It is true. We are the best.) With each article, our team strives to adhere to and uphold our media values as entertainment journalists. We’ve built a system based on these four alliterative principles: impassioned, irreverent, inclusive, and informative. 

Whether we are discussing the morally complex history of a comic character or riffing about an illogical yet amusing aspect of our fave TV show, Nerdist never shies away from research and facts. Every Nerdist feature is all about trying to give readers some new knowledge to tuck into their mental Rolodex. 

We love to stir up a great debate but not in the form of ridiculous clickbait and mean-spirited verbal teardowns. Sometimes our best op-eds are ones that provide critical discourse alongside acknowledging progress. We are a passionate group here at Nerdist but we are also guided by honor. 

When we aren’t flexin’ our knowledge or giving you a new perspective on media, we spend a lot of our time trying to cultivate joy. Above all else, fandom is meant to be FUN and we know how to whip up something fun for you to read. The weird backstory of some random thing? Yeah, we know about it. An ode to an inanimate object that’s cemented itself into pop culture history? Sure. 

Being a champion of geeky and nerdy TV, film, comics, gaming, and more is all about making all fans feel welcome. There are no gates to climb over nor parameters any of us have to meet to label ourselves a fan of anything. We simply have to enjoy the thing. And there’s more than enough room in our universe—and every fictional one, too—for everyone to be included and celebrated. Period. 

We did all of this in 2023 and we’d love to share some of our best articles with you. 

Jump to: Features // Lists // Reviews // Interviews // Weird News // Explainers // Gaming Love // “The Most” Posts // Horror // Honoring Creatives // The Link Up 

Nerdist’s Shining Features of 2023

From Ahsoka to Barbie, we had a wide variety of subjects and universes to discuss this year. Sometimes, we gave an ode or insight into fictional pop culture greats. Other times, we took a deep look into religion and mythology. And, we rarely miss an opportunity to be completely silly.

The History of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude

We love an informative post about comics gems. And when it comes to comics, Staff Writer Eric Diaz possesses knowledge that is beyond what one person should be able to contain in a single brain. He dug into the complete history behind Kal-El’s majestic home that pays tribute to his long-lost world.

Barbie Shows Love to the People Who Hate It the Most

Barbie took over the first half of 2023 with its brilliant marketing scheme. The Margot Robbie-led film about the iconic doll piqued the interest of nearly every human on the internet, for better or worse. It was clear that the film’s messages about patriarchal society and manhood would upset a certain subset of society; however, Staff Writer Mikey Walsh realized that Barbie shows love to those who dislike it the most. He carefully examines Ken’s story arc and how Barbie teaches us about self-destructive foundations that ultimately benefit no one.

Warner Bros. Yellowjackets‘ First Foray Into Cannibalism Is a Religious Transmutation

Yellowjackets’ second season gave fans what they’d been waiting for since the show’s inception: cannibalism. But, as News Editor Ro Rusak notes in her feature, Yellowjackets takes an alternative approach to this act. It trades the expected brutality for depictions that give it a deeper spiritual meaning. This piece left readers buzzing, indeed. 

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Taught Me How to Grieve as a Child

Over the past few years, grief has been a central topic in our collective real-life experiences. A global pandemic, warring factions, and personal losses will do that to you. In times of sorrow and strife, we often turn to the arts to help us parse through our complex emotions. Freelancer Jules Greene opens up about a significant childhood loss and how this film taught him how to grieve. 

An Ode to Rick’s Hat on The Walking Dead

Since The Walking Dead’s first episode, Rick Grimes’ hat has been a silent yet critical mainstay in the series. Features Editor Tai Gooden goes through the complete history of this family heirloom and a bridge between the old world and a post-apocalyptic society. While this post was born from silly Slack chatter, it looks at what prized possessions mean to us in times of great transition and trouble.

Jackson Lee Davis/Jace Downs/AMC Killers of the Flower Moon Misses Its Own Point

Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon touches on a heartbreaking and violent piece of history involving the murders of Osage Nation members in the 1920s. The film is lauded for its cast, screenplay, and other elements; however, it is always vital to make sure that we have a holistic view of anything involving real-life tragedies, specifically those that happen to marginalized people. We are grateful that freelancer Logan Boese wrote about how Killers of the Flower Moon should have shifted its focus in an alternative direction. 

What Does The Fall of the House of Usher‘s Cryptic Color Coding Mean?

The Nerdist staff respectfully disagrees on a lot of things. Some of us liked Scream VI while others thought it was terrible. Opinions are subjective, after all. But if there’s one 2023 offering that we all watched and thoroughly enjoyed, it is The Fall of the House of Usher. Freelance writer Lindsey Romain broke down the show’s use of color theory with each member of the Usher family and how it plays into their character arc. 

A Timeline of Ahsoka Tano’s Most Important Star Wars Moments

It’s no secret that our Star Wars content is incredibly popular among readers. This is in large thanks to the many experts here, especially our Editor-in-Chief Amy Ratcliffe. If there’s a question about anything in the universe, she’s guaranteed to have an answer. So, with Ahsoka on the horizon, Amy took us through a detailed timeline of the character’s most important moments over the years. It’s the type of post that will leave you feeling hella smarter. 

Lucasfilm So… What Actually Constitutes Avengers Membership in the MCU?

The MCU has no shortage of funny moments, including M.O.D.O.K’s dying declaration that he was an Avenger. We get a good chuckle, of course, but our creative minds always begin to wander to those QTNA. What actually makes someone an Avenger in the first place? Senior Editor Kyle Anderson tackles this question with humor, heart, and, as always, big facts. 

Nerdist‘s Lists With a Twist in 2023

Who among us can resist a fun list? No one, that’s who. Nerdist did quite a few lists this year and, as always, they come in an unorthodox form. 

Like Barbie and Oppenheimer, These Iconic Movies Opened the Same Weekend 

The phenomenon known as “Barbenheimer” made us wonder if there were any other big box office showdowns between two very different films. Eric Diaz put his research cap on and went to work, digging into decades past to uncover forgotten (or overlooked) weekend competitions. Did you know that The Matrix and 10 Things I Hate About You hit theaters on the same day? A wild pairing for sure.

Every 1990s Marvel Animated Series, Ranked 

Rankings are a great way to stir up some good-natured debate. Kyle Anderson unearthed a few nostalgic Marvel animated series and ranked them from best to worst. It is a post that we didn’t know we needed until it hit the web. 

Marvel/Saban 5 Middle-earth Stories the New Lord of the Rings Movies Should Tell 

There are several Lord of the Rings movies in the works at Warner Bros. Naturally, this made us wonder what kinds of stories we’d love to see in the next chapter of this enduring franchise. Ro Rusak came up with five very important stories that we should get in film form. 

Nerdist‘s Stellar Reviews of 2023

We don’t review every single thing in our wheelhouse. But when we do, we aren’t givin’ ya a run-of-the-mill recap with paper thin thoughts. Our honesty is anchored with tact and care and our analysis expands far beyond surface-level. 

Barbie

Hi, Barbie! Surely there isn’t an entertainment website in existence that didn’t review this box office smash. Freelancer Lauren Coates dug into the film’s feminist messages, compelling characterizations, and so much more. Her thoughts were more than Kenough to encourage others to check out Barbie. 

Oppenheimer

Kyle Anderson’s reviews are a Nerdist staple every year. One of his best reviews was undoubtedly Oppenheimer, the type of film that stirs up conflicting emotions for viewers. As always, Kyle is honest, thoughtful, and thorough. 

The Little Mermaid 

Freelance writer Nicole Hill dove under the sea to dissect this fresh take on a Disney classic. Her review reflects the Nerdist way of delivering wit, passion, and sharp commentary.

Walt Disney StudiosThe Interviewing Genius of Nerdist in 2023

One of the coolest aspects of working in the entertainment industry is getting a chance to speak with creatives. Unlocking new information and getting answers to fandom’s deepest burning questions will never, ever get old. We admire their work and stood in solidarity with creatives during this year’s strikes. From book authors to showrunners to celebrities, Nerdist always occupies a unique space in the interview landscape.

The Black Guy Dies First Authors on Their Horror Loves and the Genre’s Future

A few years ago, the educational and highly introspective documentary Horror Noire dropped and changed the landscape of the genre. But what many people may not know is that it was based on Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman’s 2011 scholarly text Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present.

So, when we found out that Dr. Means Coleman would team up Blackhorrormovies.com founder Mark H. Harris for an educational dive into Black horror, we knew we had to speak with them. Tai Gooden took the reins for this interview, chatting with them about horror history, intersectionality, and how they brought their project to life.

Sean Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy, Gilmore Girls, and Being a Cat-Dad

Amy Ratcliffe caught up with actor Sean Gunn to talk about a wide variety of subjects, including his role as Guardians of the Galaxy character Kraglin and being a cat-dad. If you thought you knew a lot about his life before, surely this interview will reveal something surprising. 

Marvel Studios Iman Vellani on The Marvels, Writing Ms. Marvel, and Her Hopes for Kamala Khan’s Future

The Ms. Marvel star and freelancer Maryam Ahmad are a match made in interview heaven. The pair chatted about Vellani’s role in The Marvels, her comic creator hopes, and what she wants for Kamala Khan’s MCU future. We hope her dream of penning a Deadpool comic comes true. 

Nerdist, Home of the Explainers

If ever there were a character who needed explaining, it would be The Fall of the House of Usher’s Verna. The enigmatic and frankly frightening harbinger of death had fans scrambling to understand exactly what she represented in the series. Mikey Walsh examined the realm of possibilities, from obvious connections to questionable symbolisms. 

Loki‘s Post-credits Scene Ties Into a Classic Thor Comics Location

Sylvie in that ’80s era McDonald’s made for quite the Loki post-credits scene. While the average fan would only see it as a fun moment, comic lovers knew exactly why an Asgardian would be in a small Oklahoma town. Eric Diaz gave us the full comic history scoop on Broxton, Oklahoma and its comic history.

Marvel Studios The Biggest Moments The Last of Us Series Adapts From the Game

The Last of Us did not stray too far from its source material for good reason. The game franchise is wildly popular and known among fans for its excellent storylines. Freelancer Ariel Kling kept up with all the big moments that the TV series adapted from the games for a comprehensive post. It’s a bit of a twist on the explainer into a more informative/Easter egg territory.

Nerdist‘s Very Weird Yet Wonderful Stories

One thing we can count is weird news. There’s always some disgusting food, odd creation, or downright disturbing new tech in the world that is guaranteed to elicit eyeball emoji responses. 

Burger King’s New Cheeseburger Is Just 20 Slices of Cheese and Only Cheese

Burger King Thailand did the absolute most this year by taking the word “cheeseburger” way too literal. Their stomach-churning burger with only slices of American cheese (the WORST cheese, btw) caught our attention and haunts us to this day. 

Eggo “Brunch in a Jar” Sippin’ Cream Turns Waffles, Bacon, and Butter Into a Boozy Treat

Getting a lil’ tipsy and having all the flavors of breakfast without forking over cash for brunch sounds like a win. Eggo’s breakfast sippin’ cream is weird but also sort of a vibe. It will never replace the greatness of Egg Nog or rum cider, but there’s always room to try something strange. 

Paramount, Alexander Sánchez-Ruiz & Alexandre B. Bonaldo

We love when science and pop culture cross paths in odd ways. An entirely new spider species is now known as the Roddenberry genus with three spiders named after Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. It is literally the perfect news writeup for Nerdist. 

Nerdist Gets Into the Game

Games are a lovely part of nerd culture. They can be a solo activity or experienced with a group of close friends. We can immerse ourselves in another existing world or make the choice to build our own. Whether it’s tabletop or video games, we are down for it. 

The Mending Circle Is a Witchy RPG About Healing and Hope

An RPG about hope and healing that is made for three players only? Sign us up. Our resident tabletop gaming expert Amy Ratcliffe brought this project to the attention of readers. Now it is successfully funded via Kickstarter and likely heading our way next year. 

We Reveal 5 Disney Lorcana: Rise of the Floodborn Song Cards

Come on exclusive! Once again, Amy is on the job and giving our readers a first-look at new Disney Lorcana cards. The trading card game had quite the popular run this year and we’ve been on top of every single update, including this reveal. 

Insomniac/Marvel Here Are the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Post-credit Reveals and Easter Egg Cameos

One of the biggest games in 2023 was Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Eric Diaz got into all the Easter eggs and teases that the game packed into its action. Hello Silk!

Nerdist Does the Most with Most Posts  The Most Shocking, Gross, and Plain Weird Moments of Gen V Season 1

To compliment last year’s shocking list for The Boys season 3, we counted up all the wild moments from Gen V’s freshman year. Tai Gooden continues to be a fan of all the chaos, carnage, and blood-soaked scenes that make this universe unlike any other on TV.

Which Version of the Joker Is Actually the Scariest?

Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the scariest Joker of them all? Jules Greene took a definitive and perhaps unorthodox stance on deciding the “most scary” version of this famed Batman villain. 

New World Pictures David Cronenberg’s Rabid Is the Strangest Vampire Movie Ever Made

Once again, we have a twist on the “most” with Lindsey Romain’s take on one really strange vampire movie. She dug into the past and unearthed a classic that involves some weird armpit action.

Nerdist Explores the Horrors of 2023 

Once again, horror had a nice run on TV and in theaters with movies like Evil Dead Rise, Scream VI, Talk to Me, and M3GAN. Nerdist really amps up our coverage for Nerdoween but we (well, most of us) love scary s**t all year long. 

12 Iconic Horror Villains and Their Zodiac Signs 

All horror villains are killers but they have different personalities and motivations. Once again, we took some lengthy Slack chatter and turned it into a fun and interesting post. Somehow, Tai ends up writing these kinds of things.

Nerdist How the Universal Monsters Became the Mascots of Halloween

Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and the Wolf Man are Halloween icons just like your everyday witch or zombie. But, how did these monsters become such icons? This post is a mix of history, explainer, and just overall fun feature by Eric Diaz.

Nerdist Honors Marginalized Creatives 

These posts are all about our mission of amplifying independent creators. It is vital to make space for those from marginalized communities and identities and amplify their word in the fandom space.

9 Queer Podcasts and Vlogs That You Should Support

Entertainment podcasts and vlogs with LGBTQ+ hosts are crucial to having a more holistic perspective of a property. Sometimes, these podcasts are about the host(s) specific identities but, even when they are not, their viewpoint usually illuminates aspects that others may miss because of their lived experience. We gave a big shoutout to a few podcasts that are doing their thing in 2023.

DC Power: A Celebration Anthology Honors Black Comic Heroes and Creatives  

This is a Black History Month celebration that we like to see. Several comic creators like Stephanie Williams and N.K. Jemisin came together to write about DC’s Black heroes. It’s a win-win for all.

Let’s Come Together for the Link Up 

We like to do collaborative posts from time to time! It reflects how different we all are and how our strengths come together to make something magical.

The Classic Scary Movie Tropes That Will Never Die 

Long live horror tropes. A few horror loving members of Team Nerdist and freelancers came together to talk about a horror trope that we loved (or hate) that will not go out of style. Falling down? Sure. Mirror gags. Oh yes.

Nelvana/Marvel/Nickelodeon Cartoon Episodes From the ’80s and ’90s That Scared Us as Kids

For most of us, our first introduction to scary content was through cartoons. We went back into our pasts and thought about that one episode that really frightened us long before our Nerdist days.

Thanks to everyone who wrote for Nerdist in 2023. And thank you to the many, many readers who took time to engage with our content. We cannot wait to see what 2024 has in store for us!

The post Nerdist’s Best Features and Articles of 2023 appeared first on Nerdist.