Christian Cawley's Blog, page 116

Take Control of Daleks & K9 with Your Smartphone

Jonathan Appleton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Doctor Who collectibles are about to take the next leap forward with the launch of the new smartphone operated Dalek and K9!

That’s right; if you’ve been crying out for a way to use Bluetooth technology to manoeuvre one of Skaro’s fiendish finest or Professor Marius’s faithful friend around your kitchen table (look, just go with it…) your prayers have been answered with this new bit of officially licensed kit.

The technical details first, then. The Dalek, the red ‘Teletubbie’ version introduced in Victory of the Daleks, is Bluetooth operated from your smartphone or controlled via an app. It has light-up parts and a swivelling head, but whether it can fire a lethal energy beam that makes your enemies turn to dust isn’t yet clear.

K9, seemingly a mark III version but it’s difficult to tell, is operated in the same way but has moving ears, flashing keypad buttons and a ‘user controlled extending probe’ (stop sniggering at the back…).

Twenty-first century technology doesn’t come cheap, of course – we found the Bluetooth controlled Dalek and its slightly more desirable K9 counterpart both listed on Amazon UK for a pricey £67.99 each but it looks like both can be found cheaper if you seek them out.

Remote controlled Daleks were one of the first toys to be a big hit with kids of all ages when the programme first returned to our screens so it’s no surprise that manufacturers have hit on this latest wheeze to create a new generation.

What do you think? Will you be shelling out for one of these latest desktop fun pieces? Personally I’m holding out for a Genesis-era Davros, imaginary phial of life-destroying poison in hand…

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Big Finish Revises April Schedule PLUS Trailer

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

What have Big Finish got for us this month? Along with the audio resurrection of Terrahawks (the 1980s Thunderbirds, if you will), the producers of original Doctor Who audios have also got a good selection of TARDIS travels and Blake’s 7 adventures to consider.

As you’ll hear in the trailer, the following dramas are available:

Terrahawks Volume 1
Doctor Who: Short Trips – The Ghost Trap
Blake’s 7: Truth and Lies
Doctor Who: Death Match
Doctor Who: The Defectors

You may also be pleased to learn that the New Adventures adaptations Damaged Goods by Russell T Davies and The Well-Mannered War by Gareth Roberts have been brought forward from their original May release!

We’ll be reviewing these (except Terrahawks…) throughout the month, but enough about us – what will YOU be listening to from Big Finish this April?

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When Doctor Who Invades Your Dreams…

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Doctor Who is everywhere – but what happens when you find it dancing in your dreams? Many fans have dreamt of setting of on adventures in the TARDIS, but I’ve been wondering just how often the monsters of the Doctor Who universe find their way into our subconscious.

We’ve seen what happens when that same idea is used in the TV series. Last Christmas is essentially a dream about the Doctor and his best friend, but unlike us, Clara has the opportunity to genuinely travel with the Doctor. But if you had a Doctor Who dream, what would it be like?

Over the years I have had many Doctor Who-related dreams, perhaps the most memorable and vivid from the mid-1980s following the Master and the Rani’s team up in Mark of the Rani (with a hint of Planet of Fire). So we thought it would be interesting to start a discussion on how dreams – and even nightmares – have been invaded like a UNIT-era episode by any number of alien attackers, falls through the vortex, TARDISes time ramming each other or something far more inventive.

To give you an idea of the sort of thing we’re looking for, here’s a clip of me speaking to BBC Tees’ Bob Fischer in the 2013 radio documentary The TARDIS on Teesside…

http://www.kasterborous.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/2015/04/master-pouffe.mp3

Now, I’m sure I cannot be the only person who has had their dreamscape invaded by regeneration, Daleks, Cybermen, Ice Warriors, Scaroth of the Jagoroth or renegade Time Lords. Leave your dreamtime Doctor Who memories in the comments below!

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Cover Released For Suburban Hell, Starring Tom Baker

Nick Kitchen is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

The Big Finish machine keeps on churning out the goods this week! As we near less than a month until it’s release, the cover for Fourth Doctor adventure, Doctor Who – Suburban Hell, has been released (coincidentally, it can be seen at the top of the article)! The illustration is done by long time Big Finish and BBC illustrator Anthony Lamb and is another fantastic piece in the eyes of this writer.

The adventure finds the Doctor and Leela crashing a dinner party:

“Somewhere in a suburb of North London, there’s a crisis. More than a crisis, a positive disaster: Belinda and Ralph are expecting four for supper, and there’s no Marie Rose sauce for the Prawns Marie Rose. All in all, the evening couldn’t possibly get any worse…until the doorbell rings, bringing the Doctor and Leela to the dinner party. They’ve got a crisis, too – temporal ruckage has sent the TARDIS to another time zone entirely. Meaning they might have to endure a whole evening in Belinda’s company. But the Doctor and Leela aren’t the only uninvited guests tonight. There’s a strange fog falling, out in the road. And in that fog: savage blue-skinned monsters, with dinner party plans of their own. Because it’s not Prawns Marie Rose on their menu – it’s people!”

A couple things standout; firstly, I had to google “Marie Rose sauce” and learned that it is what Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly called “fancy sauce” in Step Brothers. Secondly, dinner parties and the Doctor never seem to work out, do they (i.e. Christmas dinner with Oswalds or any occasion at Jackie Tyler’s flat)? The latter notion more relevant than the first, obviously, but it will be interesting to see if this party ends on a happy note. 

Truthfully, the story concept had me at people eating, “blue skinned monsters” and I’m pretty stoked to see how the audio plays out. It releases next month, but can be preordered now. What do you think, dear readers? Fancy a dinner date with the Doctor, prawns, and blue monsters? Or is the concept a little far fetched for you? Let us know!

(Off topic: ‘Suburban Hell’ would also make a fantastic band name. I’ve made a mental note of that. – NK)(I’ve already pinched it – Ed)

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What You Need to Know About Making a Doctor Who Matt Smith Puppet

Rebecca Crockett is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

It’s time, once again, dear K readers, for another interesting look into what the fandom is doing. Today we have for you some crafty, artsy fans!

The Doctor and his TARDIS have been inspiring people for more than 50 years now to go out and be creative – to write, paint, draw, etc., their love for the Doctor and what he stands for. I, myself, have even painted a Van Gogh inspired TARDIS in the vortex scene!

Among those crafty Whovians out there are some wonderfully talented puppeteers who’ve managed to capture the hearts and soul of our beloved time traveler, albeit in a smaller, doll-like form.

Once such puppetmaster is David Haaz-Baroque, who recently created a puppet of the Eleventh Doctor (and also Amy Pond) for a performance at a Doctor Who themed art event a few weeks ago in San Francisco.

Maker Media recently spoke with Haaz-Baroque about his process for creating the Eleventh Doctor as well as all of his other wild and unique original characters.

You can check out the Maker profile blog for more about Haaz-Baroque and his creations as well as some other great pics of both his Eleventh Doctor and Silent puppet.

From the puppet show at A Night With The Doctor! Doctor Who Art Show

You’ll also want to check out David’s Shadow Circus Creature Theater for all of his other awesome puppets as well has his work with former The Voice US contestant Kat Robichaud.

(So I swear I’ve seen that Silent puppet somewhere else except I can’t seem to find any videos or photos anywhere out there on the web. Am I crazy? Help me out K Krew. If you find it elsewhere, post it in the comments or to my @beckyinphilly Twitter please? Thanks!)

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Maisie Williams Teases Doctor Who Series 9 Appearance

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

As part of the promotion for the new series of Game of Thrones which hits screens around the world on Monday (UK viewers can see it on Sky Atlantic) Doctor Who Series 9 guest Maisie Williams is on the promotional trail and tonight you can catch her on Channel 4 speaking to Alan Carr.

Naturally the conversation on Chatty Man moved from Game of Thrones to her involvement with Doctor Who, but the Arya Stark actress was giving nothing away. “There’s been a lot of speculation about whether she’s like a younger Clara or whether she is a new character completely,” she said. “I’m not going to tell you which one. Whether she is good or bad is up for discussion, I think. She does put the Doctor to the test and it’s sort of a dynamic that we haven’t seen before.”

On the differences between the Doctor Who set and turning up for work on Game of Thones, she draws attention to the scale of her usual show. “It’s wonderful. The set’s amazing. I’m used to being part of Game of Thrones and going into something where you’re a small part of something else. You don’t want to hold anything up because they’ve got such a well-oiled machine going. Everyone is so accommodating and lovely and happy to have me. There’s no rivalry that I thought there would be – ‘You’re from Game of Thrones‘ and I’m like, ‘You’re from Doctor Who‘. They’re really lovely.”

You can catch the full interview with Maisie on Alan Carr’s Chatty Man, (along with Russell Brand…) tonight at 10pm on Channel 4.

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Sherlock Gets BAFTA Nominations, Nothing for Doctor Who

Rebecca Crockett is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Was Doctor Who SherLOCKED out of the BAFTAs?

Well, it looks like that might be the case this year.

This years’ nominees for the BAFTA TV awards have been announced and while Sherlock has received 2 nominations, one for Benedict Cumberbatch as Lead Actor as well being nominated for the Radio Times Audience Award, the Doctor was not as fortunate.

The nominations seem to be a little more spread out this year, but given we’ve just had the first full series with a new Doctor, there were hopes that the programme and/or Peter Capaldi would at least get nods.

There was some love, however, for those connected to Doctor Who, as Catherine Tate as been nominated for her comedy programme and Olivia Colman has been nominated not for her work in Broadchurch (since it wasn’t eligible this year) but for her own comedy work in Rev.

So why no Doctor Who? The exact reasons aren’t known, of course, but it’s likely the fact that this was Capaldi’s first series worked against both him and the show. With such a major change, unless it’s one that’s universally loved by everyone, awards just weren’t really in the cards. It’s interesting to note, though, that the Academy is nominating Sherlock more on the the acting of Cumberbatch than on the show itself, since it wasn’t nominated for the main drama award.

Maybe next year, old chap!

You can check out the full list of nominations from BBC News.

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Trailer Unleashed For Big Finish’s 200th Doctor Who Adventure!

Nick Kitchen is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

As a fandom, Doctor Who fans have had quite a few solid numbers to celebrate over the course of the last couple years. A 50th Anniversary. A Tenth Anniversary of Doctor Who’s triumphant return. Another milestone you may not have been aware of, dear readers, is rapidly approaching us. That’s right; we’re about to see the release of the 200th main range audio adventure set aboard the TARDIS and Big Finish has finally unveiled the trailer for the release, Doctor Who – The Secret History! 

The trailer can be heard here and below you can see a brief descriptor of what the audio has in store for us:

“The TARDIS brings the Doctor, Steven and Vicki to the Italian city of Ravenna in the year 540 – besieged by the army of the celebrated Byzantine general Belisarius. Caught up in the fighting, Steven ends up on a boat bound for Constantinople, the heart of the Roman Empire.  Rescuing Steven, however, is the least of the Doctor’s problems – because he shouldn’t be mixed up in this particular adventure at all. Someone has sabotaged his own personal timeline, putting him in the place of his First incarnation… but who, and why? The truth is about to be revealed – but at what cost to all of the Doctors, and to the whole future history of the planet Earth?”

Let’s take stock, shall we? Fifth Doctor in the Hartnell Doctor’s timeline, check. First Doctor companions, Steven and Vicki hanging out with Peter Davison’s Doctor, check. Many more questions than answer at this point, check. All the makings of a tremendous arc (this release being the third in the Locum Doctors story line) and a worthy celebration of Big Finish’s accomplishment. 200 of any episodic media is a tremendous feat in today’s blink and it’s gone culture, and we salute and look forward to what Big Finish has in store for us.

The Secret History is available for preorder now. Is this on your list of must haves this year, dear readers? Has the trailer convinced you if you were on the fence? Chime in down below!

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Read Exciting New Doctor Who Novellas & Short Stories at NetFics!

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

How do you fancy reading brand new fiction starring some of your favourite Doctors? NetFics is here just for you!

Showcasing high quality fan fiction that may otherwise go unnoticed in the plethora of entries on the net, the new site launches with a Doctor Who-themed edition. NetFics is less about quantity and more about quality. Each month, they add just five new stories – including a “NetFics Exclusive” short story you won’t find anywhere else on the net – and interview the new writers. Each page is ideally presented for mobile, tablet, or desktop viewing.

From the long con of The Rallax Operation, the bitter-sweet recollections of The War Of Jenkins’ Ear (And Other Stories), and the literary lunacy of Pulp’d Fiction, the stories in this first collection make good on the Doctor’s tantalising invitation, “all of time and space; everywhere and anywhere; every star that ever was… Where do you want to start?”

This volume also features In Her Absence, and Fimbulvinter, as well as aforementioned interviews with the authors. NetFics’ Nic Ford writes:

“Tonight, I watched an episode of Doctor Who (of which I am a bit of a fan). It was the first episode in a story called The Ribos Operation, and it has in it a rather well drawn character – a chancer, a ne’er-do-well, a con artist – called Garron.

Thing is, I know his first name. It’s Buckminster. Buckminster Garron. Rather good, don’t you think?

But it’s never stated in the TV series. In fact, it was never mentioned until a couple of years ago when a (whisper it: fan!) fiction called The Rallax Operation was written. It also had Garron in it, and it revealed his name.

 And the point is this. The Rallax Operation was not fan fiction. It was simply good, well-written, well-plotted… fiction. It was Doctor Who – every bit as much as the TV episode.”

NetFics is open to submissions and further months will cover fandoms like Firefly and Harry Potter. Volume 2 will features both Doctor Who and Sherlock stories, and will be released next month.

Head over to NetFics now!

The post Read Exciting New Doctor Who Novellas & Short Stories at NetFics! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Convention In Review: (Re)Generation Who Rocks America!

Tai Gooden is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

The Doctor may love London with both his hearts, but that doesn’t stop USA Whovians from uniting to celebrate our favorite Lord of Time. During the last weekend in March, fans from the East Coast packed their sonic screwdrivers, fezzes, and Converse and headed to (Re)Generation Who in Hunt Valley, Maryland. The Doctor Who convention (ran by Oni Hartstein and James Harknell) may be a newbie, but the guest list, panels, vendors, and entertainment packed a veteran punch – and is billed as “The Doctor Who Convention for Every Generation.”

From the moment the convention began, there was an excited buzz in the air as fans began to arrive at the venue. As a Whovian, I wanted to mingle with my fellow fans, but press duty called! I was granted the incredible opportunity to participate in an intimate interview with a couple of (Re)Generation Who’s special guests. My personal favorite was Nicola Bryant, who portrayed Sixth Doctor companion, Peri Brown.

Nearly 29 years after her exit from the television series, Bryant still exhibited the bright spirit of Peri and candidly spoke about her time in the TARDIS. She reminisced on how she thought her agent was joking with her about landing the role on Doctor Who. Nicola also revealed that she modeled Peri after her best friend from boarding school and her husband’s Richmond, VA family. According to the star, Doctor Who fans feel like her family and doing audio plays give her the same rush as being on set. I asked her which Doctor she would like to travel with and she gave me the following answer:

(Re)Generation Who offered a constant rotation of interesting panels, podcasts, and movies that took place simultaneously in three different conference rooms. Like the Doctor, I love to have companions, but I sometimes find myself traveling alone, so I planned a mix of panels so I could see nearly every panelist at least once.

Here are just a few of the panels I attended:

“Jumping the Shark”

Are there times when Doctor Who has taken it TOO far?

This panel session included Doctor Who writers Eric Hayward and Matthew Dow Smith as they looked back at the many moments when the series supposedly jumped the shark. The audience joined in for a spirited debate about whether John Nathan-Turner killed the Classic series and if the 1996 movie was a proper representation of the series. Of course, current showrunner Steven Moffat quickly became a topic of discussion. While Smith thought he brought a fresh perspective, some audience members felt like his changes to the series were too abrupt. In the end, everyone agreed that Doctor Who is the kind of show that can shift its perspective and make ANY kind of change.

“The Fourth Doctor: Tom Baker”

The indisputable highlight of (Re)Generation Who was the Skype session with Tom Baker. The Fourth Doctor answered a list of fan questions and captured the audience’s heart with his candor, wit, and pure energy. Baker didn’t hold back as he discussed his infamous wardrobe, funniest experience on the Doctor Who set, and how playing the Doctor made him feel complete. Check out the exclusive below about how much he loved (and still loves) Doctor Who:

http://www.kasterborous.com/videos/Tom%20Baker.mp4
“TARDIS TEAM: Sixth Doctor and Peri”

(Re)Generation Who was not only able to get Tom Baker to the conference via Skype, but they also nabbed two Classic Who Doctors to make grand appearances in person. Colin Baker (Sixth Doctor) and Sylvester McCoy (Seventh Doctor) made their way out to Maryland to mingle with fans. Colin Baker did a “TARDIS Team” panel with Nicola Bryant and both stars discussed everything from their wardrobe disappointments, to how their children/grandchildren perceive them on the show.

As attendees lined up to ask questions, a couple of fans decided to share heartfelt stories about the impact of the show on their lives. One man shared his memory of Colin Baker at a Doctor Who convention 30 years ago. He thanked Colin Baker for being the Doctor and coming to conventions despite Baker’s unfair treatment while on the series. Here is a small snippet of how Colin Baker’s children saw him on the show:

“TARDIS TEAM: Seventh Doctor and Ace”

The Seventh Doctor and his companion Ace (portrayed by Sophie Aldred) also took to the large panel room to discuss their time in the TARDIS. Fans grilled the duo about what episodes they liked from the current series and how they felt about the controversial 1996 movie.

McCoy revealed he is a fan of Rose Tyler and Capaldi but hates when the Doctor kisses companions. Sophie Aldred loved Blink and Mummy on the Orient Express. One brave fan asked Seven if he still played the spoons and this happened:

“Expanded Worlds of Who”

Easily one of the most insightful panels at the convention, the team of four (listed above) discussed what it was like to work on Doctor Who material as fans themselves and reflected on the funny and frustrating moments of writing books, audio plays, comics, and even game instructions for the show. “Expanded Worlds of Who” attendees enjoyed talking about the differences in Doctor Who media and shared tips on how to find coveted merchandise.

“Talking ‘bout Regeneration”

With the name (Re)Generation Who, it’s no surprise that there was a panel about one of the key components to success of the show: regeneration! Panelists Stephen Webb, Alice Bryson, Clay Dockery, and Justin Whitmore talked about each of the Doctor’s regenerations, discussed if there is a spectrum of control over the process, and provided a few interesting insights on the topic. Some of the most interesting quotes include:

“I think the Doctor goes through regenerations faster than the average Time Lord.” – Justin Whitmore

“Moffat writes to the strength of the actor playing the role.” –Steven Webb (not a Moffat fan, by the way)

In addition to the panels, there were extra activities and special events for fans to engage in including a TARDIS photo booth, a board gaming room, a full-on Gallifrey Dance Party, autograph sessions, cosplay meet-ups and even a belly dancing geek performance. Here a few photos of the fun below:

(Re)Generation Who has positioned itself to be the next premiere Doctor Who convention in the United States. A well-organized and carefully constructed production, the burgeoning event will continue to bring DMV fans a brilliant mixture of discussion topics, eclectic attractions, and enchanting guests to properly cover 52+ years of the best television show of all time.

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