Christian Cawley's Blog, page 131

Legendary Designer Barry Newbery Dies

Andrew Reynolds 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.

Legendary Designer Barry Newbery has passed away aged 88.

Barry Newbery was perhaps the most prolific designer, working on more episodes of the classic series than any other designer in its 26 year history; spanning from the very first episode, An Unearthly Child in 1963 through to The Awakening in 1984 – a total of 64 episodes over 14 stories. He was interviewed for Myth Makers

An art school student, Newbery began working at the BBC in the late 1950s after working as a freelance designer in London, overseeing window displays and designing exhibitions. Early work for the corporation included episodes of The Last Man Out, a 1962 period drama starring Barry Letts.

The following year, he was one of two designers drafted in to replace original designer Peter Brachacki on the final three episodes of An Unearthly Child. Brachacki had designed the sets for the original pilot, but had left the show by the time the first episode was reshot following a series of disagreements with Verity Lambert, leaving Newbery to recreate the original Junkyard and School set, which had been destroyed following completion of the pilot.

He then went on to design the forest and caves where the Doctor and his companions faced the tribe of Gum.

For the majority of Doctor Who‘s first two years Newbery would share the design work with Raymond Cusick, with Cusick taking the Science fiction stories, while Newbery worked on the historical adventures.

Given the constraints of time and budget, Newbery would have to rely upon his keen eye for what was practical and what photographed well, bringing a sense realism to locations as desperate as the Aztec gardens in The Aztecs, the town of Tombstone, Arizona from The Gunfighters, and Solon’s Castle from The Brain of Morbius.

Sad that Barry Newbery's died. He was a genius. Even though he told us all off on Time Meddler commentary for not talking about sets enough.

— Clayton Hickman (@claytonhickman) February 25, 2015

Barry Newbery's work on Doctor Who was miraculous. Period settings and alien worlds created in a few square metres for thruppence.

— Eddie Robson (@EddieRobson) February 25, 2015

The creativity of Barry Newbery. RIP. pic.twitter.com/lniMRe8ccz

— Lewis Christian (@lwschrstn) February 25, 2015

In 1965, he worked on the first Doctor Who Christmas episode, The Feast of Steven, before completing the remaining five episodes of The Daleks’ Master Plan. He voyaged into the future with The Ark before going back to the past with The Gunfighters. In 1968 he worked on his lone Second Doctor story, The Dominators and in 1970 his sole Third Doctor story The Silurians. He completed three Fourth Doctor stories, The Brain of Morbius and The Masque of Mandragora in 1976, followed by The Invisible Enemy in 1977.

His final credit for Doctor Who came in 1984 when he designed the Fifth Doctor story The Awakening.

Outside of Doctor Who, Newbery worked on some of the most iconic television series of the time including historical dramas The Onedin Line, Prince Regent, The Citadel and The Shadow of the Tower as well as more modern dramas such as Z Cars, Softly Softly and The Expert. He also ventured into comedy with shows such as Dad’s Army and Sykes.

In 1979 Newbery won an RTS Television Award for his work on The Lost Boys and the following year he received a BAFTA nomination for Prince Regent.

Like Raymond Cusick, Newbery took a great many behind-the-scenes photographs during his time on Doctor Who and a large selection were published in The Barry Newbery Signature Collection, published by Telos Publishing Ltd. in 2013.

Barry Newbery died peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday 25th February.

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Doctor Who Stars At Sci-Fi Scarborough

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.

If you fancy some sun, sea and sand along with your sci-fi you really need to get yourself sorted with tickets for Sci-Fi Scarborough! Okay, maybe we’re being a bit optimistic with the sun part…

It’s all happening in Scarborough (well… duh) at the Spa Complex over the weekend of Saturday 14th-Sunday 15th March 2015, so you’ve still got time to buy your sunscreen! (That’s enough with the sunshine gags now, thank you.)

There’s some Doctor Who names among the guest list to tempt you up to the north sea coast, headed up by Sophie Aldred – according to the event website, TARDIS now stands for Talented Actress Revisits Doctor In Scarborough! She’ll be joined by Terry ‘Davros’ Molloy on the ‘Space Opera Sunday’ panel and David Graham, another man with Dalek connections having voiced them in their early stories but probably better known as the voice of Parker and Brains in Thunderbirds.

An eclectic line-up of guests also includes Star Wars and Green Cross Code Man legend David Prowse, who also has a Doctor Who credit having donned the bull’s head to become the fearsome Minotaur in bonkers Pertwee classic The Time Monster.

Aside from the usual panels and autograph opportunities there’ll be a fan film theatre running on both days, geek pub quiz and a bit of a knees up on the Saturday night (well, you are going to be at the English seaside).

There’s also a temporary exhibition running at the Scarborough Art Gallery called The Gallery On The Edge of Forever which runs 25th February to 15th March and sees local artists and creators work on display.

For more details head over to the website.

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Titan’s UK Exclusive Doctor Who Comic Out Now – With Subscription Offer!

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.

As we reported a few weeks ago, Titan Comics’ three main Doctor Who titles for Doctors Ten, Eleven, and Twelve are being wrapped up together in a special UK-only magazine – and the first issue is out today!

In the past, there were concerns about the comics not being on general sale in the UK (though can be bought at special stores like Forbidden Planet), but Titan seems to have overcome this licensing issue and you should be able to buy this exclusive repackaging from your local WHSmith, supermarket, or newsagent. Here’s what the first issue promises:

Join the Tenth Doctor as he deals with the aftermath of Donna Noble’s heart-breaking farewell. The Doctor feels he may never again have another companion, but maybe an adventure with some psychic aliens, a New York laundrette operator and the Mexican Day of the Dead festival can help change his mind!

Then, while Amy and Rory are away, the Eleventh Doctor will play! Experience a time-twisting adventure as he hurtles down a collision course into a terrifying cosmic threat. Can the Doctor save the day once more with a grieving young woman, a 70s’ musician, and an amnesiac alien? Find out in this issue!

Finally, Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald set off on a brand new adventure in the TARDIS! The Doctor is off to his most challenging destination yet. Whether he’s battling a fearsome, millennia-old entity on a freshly-terraformed planet or fighting the forces of an ancient alien, expect shocks, surprises and time-shaking revelations.

This of course now means that there are three regular Doctor Who magazines on general release in the UK: Doctor Who Magazine, Doctor Who Adventures (whose publication has been decreased from, at one point, weekly, to fortnightly, and now to monthly!), and Titan’s Doctor Who Comic.

And what’s more, if you subscribe through Titan, using the code DWC1TV, you’ll receive a very cool t-shirt starring those three Doctor completely free!

We’ve been generally impressed with the publisher’s stories so far. Of The Tenth Doctor: Revolutions of Terror, Part One, we said: “Writer, Nick Abadzis depicts the Tenth Doctor (and ergo the Russell T. Davies) era well: we have a seemingly-watery enemy, reminscient of The Waters of Mars; a cobbled-together device (that really should go “ding”); back-from-the-dead antagonists; and the possibility of psychics. All that’s missing is a Dalek reference.” The Twelfth Doctor: Terrorformer Part One boasted “a solid tale for the Twelfth Doctor. He fits into every scene, and his voice is captured perfectly. So, too, is Clara’s, whose jokes and jibes at the ‘Stick Insect’ are spot-on.”

But the most impressive was The Eleventh Doctor: After Life, as “a well-told story and… hard to fault as a narrative. Combined with two funny one-page strips at the end, The Eleventh Doctor #01 is a triumph.”

Doctor Who Comic is released monthly, 84 pages long, and is priced £3.99, so is a pretty good saving considering typical comic stores charge about £2.42 for a sole $3.99 issue!

Will you be picking up the Doctor Who Comic #1? Or have you already? If so, what do you think?

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Pixel Power: Retro-Styled Doctor Who Game Launching Soon

Barry Rice 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.

Do you yearn for those halcyon days of yesteryear, when Nintendo and SEGA reigned supreme, and video games were blocky, 8-bit treasures? Well, fear not, thumb-worn Whovians, for a new independent (and unofficial) game is here to whisk you away in the TARDIS to that bygone era.

In the works since 2013, Doctor Who: A Brilliant Game is based upon the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor, and features classic “pixel art” graphics with an 8-bit, MIDI-styled soundtrack. It’s the work of two French artists, Alexis Foletto and Caroline Vic; as such, a lot of the English dialogue in the game is, shall we say… lost in translation.

It’s an admittedly short game that follows the key events of the anniversary special, while showcasing a number of puzzles, mini-games, quick time events, and branching dialogue. An alpha version was originally released in December 2013 and can still be played on the Newgrounds game/animation site.

There’s conflicting information about when the final version of the game will be available; the official Facebook page for the game says “the end of February,” while the game’s current home at IndieDB states “Coming Mar 27, 2015.”

Hopefully, a lot of the bugs will be worked out by the final release date (especially the dialogue), but if nothing else, it’s worth a look just for the gorgeous retro art. Check out Doctor Who: A Brilliant Game here, and follow the developers on Facebook for the latest release updates.

What say you? Will you be joining the Doctors for an 8-bit adventure?

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Clive James Chats To Doctor Who & Blake’s 7 Stars in This Delightfully Patronising Clip

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.

Asking why Clive James is famous is like asking the meaning of life. No one knows. Clive James has opinions, and that is why he’s notable amongst the 8 billion or so people on this planet.

In this infuriating clip from Clive James On TV, the British-Australian presenter talks to Sophie Aldred (aka Ace), Nicola Bryant (Peri), and Anneke Wills (Polly), and generally patronises the audience with standard “satire” about dodgy costumes, sets, and screaming. But this video is more interesting for its brief chat with John Scott Martin, the reliable Dalek operator from throughout the Classic Era, and who sadly passed away in 2009.

You won’t learn anything from it, but it’s always great to see those beautiful “girl assistants,” and the wonderful Martin as he recalls trundling about on a tricycle – and shout “exterminate”!

There’s also a lovely bit where Clive takes the mick out of visual effects, talking as he does from the heady CGI heights of the early 1990s. I’m all for joking around a bit, but we can probably do a bit better than “ain’t old stuff funny for suffering from various limitations”. Want to know what he thinks of today’s serials? Of The Day of the Doctor, he wrote: “Billie Piper and John Hurt were there too. The show needed its lavish casting. In all other respects it was incomprehensible. But the Beeb had spent so much money that they could be excused for assuming they had scored a triumph.”

To make him less insufferable, I will add that he reckoned Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty was as bad as the rest of us thought it was; his real name is also Vivian Leopold James, which is actually really cool. I wouldn’t have changed it to Clive.

Also in that Day of the Doctor article, we can marvel at selected Telegraph readers. Choice gems include:

“More like Dr Why, as in why does anybody watch this twaddle. The eye-candy makes it bearable in parts, but the rest is strictly for the kind of nerds that go plane-spotting.”

“Clive James, what would we do without your comic observational genius? You even make Dr Who interesting.”

And let’s not forget:

“DW is clunkily scripted, acted and presented. Those who like it need help. Those who love it need a lobotomy.”

Ann Presley, however, proves herself to actually be a sensible human being, saying, “Clive James, you have no grip on reality!! In the States, Doctor Who was featured on the cover of TV Guide to recognize the anniversary. While this isn’t Time, it was everywhere!!! In addition, it was shown to packed theatres and the licensed products are selling like crazy. I think you need to wake up and smell the coffee!! Stop being so patronizing and deal with the real world!”

Elsewhere in the above clip, Clive talks about Blake’s 7, if you’re interested in such things. It’s always nice to see Paul Darrow In Space, even if it’s punctured with inane giggle from feckless audience members. Try to enjoy this video without strangling anyone nearby.

Now, you must excuse me: my lobotomist is on the phone, and once I’ve made my appointment I’m off plane-spotting.

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Review: The Darkness of Glass

Tony Jones 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 Darkness of Glass is the second release in the 2015 series of Fourth Doctor Adventures from Big Finish. Written by Justin Richards, this is a self-contained, single disc adventure. The TARDIS crew is (notionally) the Fourth Doctor, Leela and K9, though in this case K9 is a quick off-screen presence told to stay in the TARDIS as the ship has landed somewhere he can’t easily travel. If only he could fly like the Daleks!

The location is a coastal location so evocative of Horror of Fang Rock the characters themselves make that point early on. As is often the way of these stories the Doctor takes his time getting to the adventure, spending much of his time in pleasantries. Although painting the scenes well this does leave the listener wondering when the action is going to start – after all there are only two episodes in these releases.

“Something is stalking the Caversham Society and, like the characters in an Agatha Christie, they start dying horribly.”

There are plenty of people to meet; it is in 1907 and a gathering of the Caversham Society who are marking the centenary of the death of Mannering Caversham, the greatest ever Magic Lanternist. For those who don’t know, Lanternists gave shows with a very early form of projector – often little more than smoked glass illuminated by a candle. Mannering used his skills in various supernatural exploits including the conjuration of a demon…

With everything set up, the plot unfolds quickly. Something is stalking the Caversham Society and, like the characters in an Agatha Christie, they start dying horribly. This gives Louise Jameson plenty of opportunity to play the savage with the knife while Tom Baker has some wonderful dialogue as the casually self-deprecating genius there to save the day. Of course it takes two to stop the demon and they manage to get to the end with some members of the Caversham Society still alive.

The plot is one of a localised threat, in this case a demon, with an agenda focussed on a discrete group of people. In a time when the television Doctor is continually saving the whole planet / universe / web of time / entirety of creation, these sorts of story are a welcome change.

As is almost always the case the direction (Nick Briggs) and acting are spot on. Brother and sister Rory and Sinéad Keenan complement a cast that includes Mark Lewis Jones and Julian Wadham, the latter also shines as Steed in the Big Finish The Avengers Lost Stories and all combine to give a polished performance with enough post-production to bring out the atmosphere. If there is a criticism it is to wonder if there isn’t a case for giving Tom Baker more double-CD stories; his is the only Doctor not to have appeared in the main range. Last year’s Philip Hinchcliffe release showed how much more can be delivered in a longer format.

This, then, is a piece of entertainment and if not a must purchase will reward the listener with around an hour of enjoyment. If that’s your goal, this story delivers.

Darkness of Glass is available on CD or download from Big Finish www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-darkness-of-glass-938.

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RTD’s Gay Dramas “More important than Doctor Who”

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.

You may have heard that Russell T Davies has stated that he doesn’t wish to write any future episodes of Doctor Who (forget the film, right?), but how did this all come about?

A recent run of interviews has allowed the big man to explain just why we won’t see his name on the credits again, whilst also teasing his plans for future dramas he will be writing. There’s also been some reflection on just how much life in Britain has changed since his ground-breaking series Queer as Folk aired back in 1999, and how this is reflected in Cucumber, currently showing on Channel 4, and its related strands.

First things first then, and if anyone harboured any lingering hope that Davies could possibly be tempted back to pen a script for Doctor Who that has surely been well and truly snuffed out. The former showrunner has always been consistent in dismissing any possibility that he would return and that hasn’t changed. Speaking to Radio Times he said “Doctor Who was written before me, Doctor Who will be written after me and these things where you are yourself – subjects like gay culture and gay politics and gay people – are the subjects closest to my heart.”

“I thought Doctor Who would last a year and I was going to write the gay men drama after that. But it just became this huge roller coaster that made me determined never to do a second series again.”

And that, it would seem, is that. Whilst it’s difficult to read that without a pang of regret that the mind that came up with, say, Midnight, Gridlock and Turn Left will never another episode, it’s impossible to begrudge him the right to move on. Having dedicated himself to Doctor Who and its associated spin-offs for the best part of a decade he surely earned the right to move on, and he displays a commendable humility in acknowledging that the programme is so enduring that its fortunes don’t depend on any one person, however brilliant.

His comments point to other priorities and its no secret that the subject of gay life and culture was always one that Davies planned to return to, however up to his neck he was in season arcs, casting choices or monster designs whilst on Doctor Who. Many was the interview when he would talk about his idea for the project codenamed MGM (‘More gay men’) which would be his first work after finally leaving the Time Lord behind. It didn’t quite work out that way, of course – after time spent on Torchwood and Wizards Versus Aliens, serious illness to his partner meant other plans had to be put on hold.

But this year he’s given us Cucumber, an acerbic, hilarious, often dark look at what it is to be gay in twenty-first century Britain. Davies has told The Guardian that the drama’s “existence is political. I think it can’t not be. When you see what’s happening in Russia or Senegal you have to do something, stand up and be counted. Every right that’s emerged … still feels fragile.” Cucumber examines gay life from the point of view of characters who came of age before the hard won changes that their younger peers are benefitting from were secured. Not that life is necessarily hunky-dory, of course. From Radio Times again:

“I included a lot of those younger characters (in Cucumber) because it’s assumed that there is a lot of complacency among the young, that they don’t have to fight for the rights so much because they don’t have to march on the streets as much as we did. We therefore assume mistakenly that they have no problems.”

“There is no such thing as a young person with no problems. It’s the nature of being young to have angst, to get torn up about things. Because the law is on your side doesn’t mean you have escaped yourself.”

“My sister who is a teacher in a Welsh comprehensive asked me to give her the dates when Cucumber is on because she said ‘I can tell my gay kids to watch it’. That sentence literally didn’t exist 16 years ago, that’s how much of a different world [we live in]. So however much I might say young kids still have problems and there is still a long way to go in terms of equality, you also have to stop and celebrate and put party balloons up and say that is absolutely fantastic, it’s a different world. Amazing. ”

Cucumber has apparently always been intended as a one-series affair, so what else does RTD have planned? Well, plenty as it turns out. He’s already working with Channel 4, reports The Guardian, to develop The Boys, a drama about Aids in the early 1980s. The programme is said to feature fictionalised versions of Davies and his friends at that time.

“We’re reaching a bit of a generational thing, when men like me in their 50s are looking back – how shocked I was, personally speaking, we ran away from it, I ran away from it. It was just the brave few out on the picket lines. I didn’t go on a march. I couldn’t quite believe it was happening.”

Like many other gay men in that period, Davies knew people who died from Aids-related illnesses. “I didn’t go to their funerals, I didn’t write to their mums. I didn’t do anything … you’re young and stupid. You just carry on. When I look back now, I’m ashamed about that. I wonder why I did that. That’s why I need to write this.”

Davies is set to explore similarly challenging territory in another series he’s discussed with old collaborator Nicola Schindler of independent producer Red about sexual exploitation or ‘sextortion’ – a crime where perpetrators often operate in far-flung countries such as Morocco or the Philippines, from where they blackmail young people who find themselves in compromising positions.

“I am going to write that one soon,” Davies told Radio Times. “Scene One: the Philippines”.

As if that weren’t enough, the experience of caring for his partner has prompted Davies to want to write about professional carers: “There’s the great untold story. That will be my next drama – that lifestyle is unbelievably exhausting.”

So it’s a full slate of projects Davies has lined up and even if he was minded to write for Doctor Who again it’s difficult to see how he would find the time. Fans of Doctor Who may find that disappointing but people who love challenging TV drama will surely be eagerly anticipating whichever of these promised series reaches the screen next.

But would it have been impossible for Doctor Who to go into some of this territory? Whilst it’s difficult to imagine the programme addressing the same topics as Cucumber or The Boys, there have been many instances where it has been able to take on some difficult issues in its own way, not least when Davies was at the helm.

What do you think? Is driving social change through dramatic writing more important than Doctor Who, or could there be bigger fish to fry (austerity, unbalanced environmentalism, growing corporatocracy to suggest a few) that could be addressed in the show? Let us know what you think!

You can still catch up with Cucumber and its sister show Banana on 4OD.

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New Doctor Who-Themed Umbrellas From Lovarzi!

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.

Lovarzi, official license holder of Doctor Who scarves, hats and more, has announced a new range of themed umbrellas!

While their best-selling Fourth Doctor Scarf keeps the winds at bay and their Fifth Doctor jumper will make sure you’re toasty, the time has come for a range of new Doctor Who umbrellas to keep you dry whether you’re on Marinus, sheltering from the siege of Trenzalore, or under the Earth’s overcast skies. “All of time and space; everywhere and anywhere; every star that ever was… Where do you want to start?”

The Automatic Open and Close Folding Umbrella utilises Time Lord technology: it’s bigger on the inside! All you have to do is push a button on the handle and the 21″/53.3cm canopy opens out. Made with a high quality fibre glass frame, aluminium shaft, and comfortable plastic and rubber-coated handle, the umbrella shows the TARDIS on an alien landscape, evocative of the Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey, and comes in a specially-made carry case.

The 1960s Police Box is an iconic, beautiful design: an instantly-recognisable image that conjures up dreams of all time and space. That’s why our second exclusive umbrella displays the TARDIS with pride across its 23″/58.4cm canopy! Opening at the touch of a button, the Stick Umbrella is made from durable fibre glass, with a luxurious rubber-coated handle.

Both are ideal for keeping the rain off fans new and old – plus, of course, their companions.

Two umbrellas are available, Time Lord, as seen above, and the TARDIS umbrella below.

Both umbrellas can be ordered now for £34.99 from Lovarzi. Don’t miss them!

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NuWho 10th Anniversary: What Is Your Most Underrated Series 1 Story?

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.

This year, Doctor Who has been back on our screen ten whole years. It feels like yesterday that the TARDIS materialised once more; suitably, it also feels like forever.

So join us as we celebrate a decade with the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Doctors. Let’s find out which serials are our favourites, and shine a light on the underrated ones too. Watch us run.

And then vote on your favourites. At the end of the year, we’ll find out which serials showcase our beloved show at the height of its game.

We land in 2005. The Ninth Doctor is at the helm of the TARDIS: a battle-scarred Time Lord and his human companion. We’ve taken a look at the firm favourites, but what’s the most underrated serial of Series 1?

Jonathan Appleton: The End of the World

It’s no classic and won’t make many people’s lists of all time favourites but I love this episode for giving us so many RTD elements all in one place. A bold, larky tone that doesn’t take itself too seriously but manages to stay the right side of high camp. Some serious social commentary in the form of a vivid comic character (Cassandra). Weird and wonderful aliens, with Douglas Adams’s influence very much in evidence. A rather daft problem to overcome in the form of a switch that can only be accessed by getting past some giant fans.

And some great character stuff between the Doctor and Rose as she realises that this remarkable guy she’s paired up with really doesn’t think and act like humans do.

Andrew Reynolds: The Long Game

I suppose both my choices for the best and most unappreciated episodes feel like they owe a small debt to the ancillary media; The Unquiet Dead has the feel of a particularly well written Big Finish episode, while The Long Game is partially successful in capturing the daffy tone of the Doctor Who comics.

I say partially because amongst all the episodes this season, this is the only one that lacks an identity of its own: Rose introduced us to the show, The End of the World and The Unquiet Dead showed us the future and the past and subsequent episodes all seemingly had their part to play in establishing what this new show was, for better or for worse (I’m looking at you, Aliens of London).

Here however, it never really gels. The main problem is that the villains, the Jagrafess and the Editor, don’t really have as compelling motivations as say, the Gelth or even the indefensible Slitheen; what makes it work is Simon Pegg.

Saddled with having to paper over the cracks in the script, he almost manages to unite this divergent list of… things (it’s that kind of episode; just substitute Pegg for Matt Smith and you have basically the same problem/solution as The Rings of Akhaten).

Other elements introduced here that later take on greater significance is the character of Adam and the explicit, and not very subtle message, that not everyone is companion material. Here it adds greater significance to moments later in the series where the Doctor forgives Rose.

The idea isn’t without millage but again the little details cloud the whole. If Adam hadn’t been such a rubbish companion before he became an amoral one, then maybe his decision and Adam’s fall from grace would have been more compelling.

It begs the question: Did this Doctor forget about Turlough?

Drew Boynton: Boom Town

Boom Town’s first 20 minutes (or so) are hugely entertaining, in a funny, cheesy, and very cool way. Mickey Smith comes to visit Rose, and to his horror, finds that she, the Doctor, and Captain Jack have turned into some kind of super-duper high-fiving Time Team. The four of them all try (and succeed) to catch Margaret Slitheen before she can destroy the world.

… Then the episode devolves into a strange combination of moral dilemma and Cardiff tourism advert. I will honestly play this episode purely for the beginning, and then turn it off before the end. For fast-paced excitement and laughs, though, it’s hard to beat Boom Town’s opening act, which, to me, is some of the absolute most fun that the show has had since its return.

Joe Siegler: The Long Game

This was really hard for me to write.  I couldn’t find by my definition of “underrated” a story I wanted to go with.  First I thought about Dalek, then I thought about Boom Town, but in the end I went with The Long Game.  This one tends to get a bad rap from people, but I never really understood why.  This had a mix of a few different things in the story that I thought worked.

A “new” companion (Adam) and the Doctor lecturing him on “just do it, stop nagging me”, hidden commentary on our own culture (entertainment and info overload), the mind port (which struck me as slightly Matrix-y), the “frozen vomit” (I wish I could use that idea on my son), the Doctor angry and leaving a companion behind (which Eccleston did REALLY REALLY well), and humour (Adam’s trying to deal with the mind port).

The main monster wasn’t the biggest threat (except to people who try to pronounce its name), but I liked having Simon Pegg in there.  The overall story may not be the best remembered, but there are a lot of little bits I liked in this one.

Becky Crockett: Dalek

Nothing could ever top their initial introduction back in 1963 but this episode made for a fine reintroduction of the Doctor’s biggest foes. In one episode you learn just about everything you need to know about the Daleks. How evil they are, why the Doctor hates them so much. (It takes a lot for the Doctor to absolutely hate something, and they push all the right buttons.) Yet you almost feel sorry for the lone Dalek at the end of the episode and get the sense why the Doctor doesn’t give up on anyone, even Daleks.

Barry Rice: The Long Game

Yes, the CGI work on the Jagrafess is pretty bad, maybe the worst of the entire first series. And, yes, the great Simon Pegg is mostly wasted in a forgettable role.

Look past those faults, though, and there are a lot of great ideas at play in The Long Game. I love the Orwellian concept of a human culture that is completely controlled by the media. It’s the sort of real world parallel that makes for the best science-fiction, in my opinion.

I also love the idea of Adam as a failed companion. In reality, humans are not infallible; some would even say we are inherently wicked. With the wonders the Doctor subjects his companions to, it’s not surprising that one of them would attempt to steal some future technology for personal gain here in the present.

Five episodes later we would return to Satellite 5 for the two-part finale and discover the consequences of the Doctor’s actions. That’s another reason I enjoy this episode: it foreshadows events to come and sets up a thrilling finale in a way we’d never seen before on Doctor Who.

Philip Bates: Aliens of London/ World War III

The thing about Series 1 is, it’s really, really good. Even the ‘bad’ ones are pretty darn good. Picking the most underrated good serial is a tough task. Asked this question in 2005 and I would’ve definitely gone for The Long Game. I basically love all aspects of that episode. I’m still proud that I know the Jagrefess’ name in full off by heart. I love that it’s essentially a Seventh Doctor story, reimagined for the 21st Century. But now, I think everyone knows it’s secretly really good. So I’m going to shine a light on a real underappreciated gem.

Aliens of London/ World War III is a story I shouldn’t like. Given repeat viewings, however, it’s launched itself from mediocrity into something I look forward to revisiting.

This is partly because the characters all work beautifully. The Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Harriet Jones (MP for Flydale North – yes, I know you know who she is) are locked away, seemingly helpless. But Eccleston takes charge. He dares Mickey to save the world from his bedroom (a bit like the Eleventh Doctor does in The Eleventh Hour), and Mickey subsequently dares Jackie to stop him. It’s very intense, even though you know what’s going to happen. Great acting; great direction; great writing.

A missile blowing up Downing Street is simultaneously brilliant and a bit disappointing. The Slitheen, I suppose, are too. They have such potential. Unfortunately, they can’t run – unless it’s in a bit of CGI. And in those graphics, the Slitheen are awesome. I love them, and I’d bring them back in a heartbeat. Yes, I wish they’d quit the gas exchange ‘jokes’, but there’s something very sinister about the family. And there’s something sinister in that final scene, with Mickey and Jackie seeing the TARDIS off and realising that Rose really has changed, and the old her isn’t coming back.

In the end, Aliens of London/ World War III is so good (to me at least) because of two things: the characters and the monsters. That Doctor Who all over.

Pretty soon, the Doctor changes time with just six words. The Ninth Doctor says Harriet is Prime Minister for three terms, ushering in Britain’s Golden Age. In The Christmas Invasion, he shows he’s learnt little from his actions on Satellite 5/Game Station. It’s amazing that the consequences of Aliens of London/ World War III echo into Series 3. The Doctor lives in a believable world. Our world. And that’s why the Ninth Doctor is so important.

Meredith Burdett: The Long Game

Imagine that you’re a television show. A solid, reliable, not phenomenal, but certainly enjoyable television show. Let’s call ourselves The Big Bang Theory.

Now imagine that your slotted in-between two really amazing television shows, Breaking Bad beforehand and The Newsroom afterwards. Let’s face it, you would never stand a chance against these heavyweights but you’re damn confident that you will entertain the audience that has tuned in to watch you.

That’s really the case for The Long Game, a criminally overlooked Doctor Who story that, placed between two HUGE Doctor Who stories (Dalek and Father’s Day), could only ever function as a piece of per functionary entertainment in order to give Doctor Who fans a break in-between the tears and losses and tragedies of the two episodes that surround it.

But The Long Game goes beyond the simple slice of adventuring and fun that writer Russell T Davies originally intended. Not only do we have a setup placed here that will serve as a feeder for the Series 1 finale, we also have Simon Pegg as the very camp and very fun pantomime baddie the Editor. Evil intentions have never been so good.

Most importantly, we have a conclusion to Adam’s story. The boy who went travelling in the TARDIS at the end of Dalek only for the Doctor to find out that not everyone in the Universe is suited to it. Adam’s selfishness and unwillingness to participate in helping the Doctor show something that we’re not used to in the Doctor’s world (in 2005 that is, since then we’ve had loads of companions that couldn’t or wouldn’t), that not everyone will instantly love our Time Lord and follow him around unquestionably. Towards the end of the episode, you’re so thrown by Adam’s actions that you actually believe that the Doctor, as he lumbers towards him, not breaking eye contact for one millisecond, is actually going to thump him. Well, if I’m honest, I didn’t know what was going to happen but my mum (a massive Ninth Doctor fan) was convinced that there was going to be a tussle outside the TARDIS. She even put aside her knitting to really concentrate on the last five minutes of the story, that’s how much of an impact it had in my house.

This is not the most important story in the history of Doctor Who, it never tries to be. It just wants to entertain and perhaps offer some light relief as a reward to a loyal viewer and lets them dry their eyes from the emotional fallout they’ve already been put through.

Perhaps you should go back and try it again; don’t demand that it has to be utterly, ground-breaking, amazing drama. Just let yourself be entertained for 43 minutes by the Ninth Doctor and Rose. You may well be surprised what you come away with.

Nick Kitchen: Father’s Day

I think the most overlooked and underrated story in Series 1 has to be Father’s Day. Doctor Who is great at threatening us with why changing the past can be dangerous, but very rarely takes us on a journey that actually shows the consequences. This episode delivered on the consequences and fallout in the relationship of Rose and the Doctor. Speaking of which, Eccleston and Piper give their best overall performance of the season in this story. The selfish desire that pushes Rose to do something stupid; the rage and frustration of the Doctor with more “ignorant” beings. Piper’s Rose is at her most believable in the closing moments of the story as she comforts Pete as he dies.

I dare say this is a masterpiece of modern Doctor Who.

James Whittington: The End of the World

If there was ever an episode of new Doctor Who that threw all of its money at the screen then it was The End of the World. Packed with state-of-the-art effects, the episode harked back to the Agatha Christie vibe of Robots Of Death, except that this story isn’t half as smart as that one. In truth the story is incredibly light and here only to show off what the effects team can achieve with an added element of human emotion; the moment Rose realises that wherever she is at that point in time everyone that she knows will be dead, so to speak.

Now, Cassandra was a great idea, even though a rather shoddy piece of CGI. More camp than scary, she set the template for how a lot of baddies would be in this new series format; one only has to look at the over-written Master/Mistress the re-vamped series has produced.

A guilty pleasure it maybe but all of what was to come can be seen in this adventure – some good, some not so good – but it’s easy on the eye and taxes the brain very little.

Alasdair Shaw: The Long Game

It’s easy to forget about The Long Game. Its subdued colours and understated soundtrack keep it off most people’s radar. And I completely underestimated it the first time I watched it; it’s not until you go back after watching the series finale do you realise how deftly it sets events in motion.

Not only does it provide a pre-existing back drop for the next Dalek invasion, it also sets up the idea that the Doctor doesn’t always leave things as resolved as we’re lead to believe.

But for me what this episode does really well is showcase what it takes to be a companion. Adam crosses several lines and is thrown unceremoniously out of the TARDIS back into his 21st Century hallway. I’ve always wondered what it would take to get expelled – after all, Turlough tried to murder the Doctor a few times and was still allowed to stay. Hell, even the Master got offered a space at one point.

If you haven’t watched The Long Game since its first broadcast then maybe it’s time for another watch.

That’s what we think. Now it’s your turn! Vote below for the most underrated serial of Series 1, and we’ll find out the overall winner later this year…

Take Our Poll

The post NuWho 10th Anniversary: What Is Your Most Underrated Series 1 Story? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Last Christmas Live +7 Results Paint New Ratings Picture

James Lomond 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 BBC’s in-house “Live+7” viewing figures for Last Christmas came back with 9.62 million. Nearly two thirds of that is the initial broadcast audience, just over 5% is people watching broadcast repeats, about a fifth is time-shift viewing and just under 10% is people watching on iPlayer within a week of the broadcast.

This is a much healthier figure than the 8.28 we had initially reported on which is the BARB’s “final” viewing figure including those watching the initial broadcast and recording to watch later within a week of the episode. So while these are two very different ways of adding up the numbers (one includes repeats and iPlayer, the other doesn’t) the Live+7 gives a more accurate indicator of the overall audience for an episode. This is particularly true given how viewing habits have altered with changes in domestic technology.

Way back in November we asked you which debut series was your favourite since 2006 – Series 8, Peter Capaldi’s maiden voyage, was the clear winner with a little under half of you voting for the attack eyebrows…

Back then we showed you how Tennant and Smith’s debut series compared with Capaldi’s in terms of viewing figures to get a feel for how the series has faired over the years. And here, to soothe the obsessive fretting of your brain’s brain are those again, with the Live+7 and Last Christmas figures added on…

Now – some pointers: first off, compare the blue (BARB) and purple (Live+7) lines (that’s the diamonds and the crosses respectively if you’re colour blind or reading on a black and white monitor from a different point in space-time – all are welcome). The scale is slightly deceptive, starting at 4 million, but this gives you an idea of the difference between the two approaches to adding up viewing figures. Live+7 looks far more impressive and gets between half to a million extra viewers from iPlayer over seven days.

Next have a look at how Series 8 Live+7 now compares to the other debut series – 2006’s series 2 and 2011’s series 5. Again this is slightly artificial as the number of people able to time shift and the availability of iPlayer let alone iPlayer figures has changed a LOT since 2006 so we’re comparing apples and oranges to an extent. Either way, series 8 is looking as healthy as ever.

Lastly, for your perusal, here’s the chart for Christmas special comparisons with the Live+7 figure for Last Christmas. Again it looks a lot healthier compared to before if lacking the kind of boost a regeneration or pop-princess can lend seasonal Who.

And how does Last Christmas sit with you, dear reader, now that you’ve had time to let Capaldi’s first run sink in and the dust has settled. Our feeling is it’s one that might continue to grow on fandom as time goes on. Or are you all about the flying fish and blood control? Tell us below…

(via DoctorWhoNews)

The post Last Christmas Live +7 Results Paint New Ratings Picture appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.