Christian Cawley's Blog, page 134

Doctor Who Series 9 News Just In: Missy Returns! (Yay/Groan)

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.

We’ve heard this morning that Missy will return in Doctor Who Series 9, confirming previous suggestions by Steven Moffat. Say what you like about Michelle Gomez’ portrayal (and we think she’s fab, regardless), Missy was a divisive element in Doctor Who during 2014, so the news that her return is confirmed will, perhaps, upset a few fans while thrilling others still.

Gomez’ casting does add a bit of colour to what we know about Series 9, however, so hopefully this news will spearhead the announcement of further names.

We’ll let her tell you the good news…

 

Having spent some time reading the words of the anti-Missy groups online, it wouldn’t surprise us to learn that some fans will actively avoid the character. This is a shame, as Michelle Gomez did a great job turning the Master into a scheming, barmy Mistress in Series 8, so we can – despite her “death” – expect something similar in Series 9.

What do you think? Is Missy so fine that you want her back?

The post Doctor Who Series 9 News Just In: Missy Returns! (Yay/Groan) appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Eve Myles Chats More About Torchwood Revival

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.

The rumours about new Torchwood radio plays continue to burn bright, and the latest to stoke the flames is former star Eve Myles. You’ll remember that last month, John Barrowman shocked fans by announcing that “three or four” audio plays were in the works for BBC. The Captain Jack Harkness actor also intimated that creator Russell T Davies and producer Julie Gardner would be involved, and that he and his sister Carole (co-authors of 2012’s Torchwood: Exodus Code novel) hoped to write at least one of the plays.

Myles, currently co-starring in the second series of Broadchurch (no spoilers — I haven’t watched it yet!), spoke exclusively to CultBox this week about the rumours: ““There’s been talks about it for a while, but I’ll believe it when it lands on the desk really, and I’ll see about it then. I certainly wouldn’t turn it down. Anything with Torchwood is something I’d love to do.”

This follows similar comments Myles made in late January, reiterating her desire to return to the role of Gwen Cooper. She empathized with fans who are eager for more, saying, ““Well, I’ve kind of got past the frustration now. I think it’s more frustrating for the fans. It’s so damn popular, and the fans are still screaming for more, all over the world whenever I do signings and make appearances and talk about the show.”

“It’s as popular now as it’s ever been. That’s what’s frustrating about it. The fans want more, that’s the catalyst; that’s where the frustration comes from. The fan-base are the most loyal fan-base in the world, and have been since day one.”

She continued, “So we’ll see what happens. If I get a call to come back, I’ll be there, and I’ll be doing it for the fans as well as Russell T Davies. I’d love to be able to put an announcement out tomorrow saying we got a Season 5, and that would be thanks to the fans, because they’ve not stopped plugging it for us.”

A fifth series? Oh, Eve, you tease.

What do you think? It can’t be worse than Miracle Day, am I right?

The post Eve Myles Chats More About Torchwood Revival appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

I Want That: New & Forthcoming Doctor Who Merchandise News Blast

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.

I have a confession to make, though it really isn’t much of a secret to those I share an office with: I have a bit of a collecting habit. My work desk is covered with well placed Doctor Who, Marvel, Batman, and other figures and memorabilia. The rise of Funko and Loot Crate have done very little to lessen this slight obsession. It stands to reason that there may be others who are reading this article that can identify with this and will be as interested as I am in these upcoming Doctor Who merchandise releases. After all, what’s one more piece to add to the collection?

New Doctor Who Funko Pop Vinyls!

If you caught the image at the top of the article (via PopVinyl.com), you caught a glimpse of some upcoming Doctor Who additions to the ever popular Pop Vinyl line of figures and collectables. Funko was on hand at the New York Toy Fair 2015 that took place over the weekend and previewed the new figures and key chains that are coming soon. On a personal note, I’ll be adding most of these to my collection…save that Weeping Angel. Even in vinyl, it’s a bit too creepy for my tastes.

Bachmann Virgin Doctor Who Voyager Train

This item may fall into the interest of Whovians who are also train collectors, but it’s an interesting item to say the very least. It’s no longer in production, but there are a few models on eBay if it strikes your fancy. What connected this train to the show is this plate that appeared on one of the coach cars:

TARDIS FridgeWraps and More!

Doing this to my refrigerator would probably land me in deep trouble with the misses, it is very impressive to walk into a kitchen and see this:

Vinyl Revolution also feature a selection of Doctor Who-themed wall art and door wrappings as well. The wall art is especially great for kids rooms and man-caves alike.

Official Doctor Who Card Game

If table top, card based gaming is your bag, then Think Geek have the fix you’ve been looking for! The officially licensed card game features Doctors 9-12 and their companions, and allegedly, K-9 and Jammy Dodgers. It’s been a long time since I played a table game in the vein of this release, but it’s certainly compelling enough to bring me back to the table, so to speak.

New Neil Gaiman Anthology Featuring Who Short!

While his contributions to the show have been hit or miss, there is no question that Neil Gaiman is a gifted writer. The happy news is that Gaiman is about to drop Trigger Warning, a collection of short stories that take place in the Whoniverse and the American Gods universe. Digital Spy reckon it’s the ebook Nothing O’Clock that will represent Doctor Who in the anthology. So long as the kids from Nightmare in Silver are absent in the story, I am completely looking forward to it!

Doctor Who Comic Squares Mug

Confession number two: I don’t like coffee. I know that’s pretty un-American of me, but I don’t. I do, however, love a great hot cider or hot chocolate during Christmas and snow days. For that purpose, I would definitely look forward to using Forbidden Planet’s comic square mug (pictured above). The style is unique and is definitely a conversation starter if used in a social setting.

Now we turn it to you, dear readers. Will you be picking up any of these items? Which ones? Or why not? Sound off below!

The post I Want That: New & Forthcoming Doctor Who Merchandise News Blast appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Calling Time: Remembering Worlds in Time 2012-2014

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.

London is deserted and there are weird glowing orbs occupying the world. You’re in your pyjamas.

There’s a cry from down the street, and you, good citizen, rush off to help. You’re confronted with shop window dummies – but their wrists unhinge and they start gunning down shoppers!

Now, this might seem like a fusion of Rose (2005) and 2012’s The Power of Three, but it is, in fact, the very first online Doctor Who multi-player game, Worlds in Time, which went live in March 2012, and, sadly, will close after two years.

That’s not a reflection of the immense amount of work put in to make the MMOG (Massively Multi-player Online Game) as good as it could possibly be; to stay current and relevant to a show that’s consistently regenerating, particularly after the 50th anniversary.

Terror of the Video Games

Doctor Who has the massive task of catering for all sorts of people. The show’s remit of all of time and space can be translated into novels and audios perfectly, in order to accommodate a large proportion of the audience. But the most unsatisfied niche market is that of gamers. There have been plenty of attempts, of course: the TARDIS’ long voyage into computer games started officially in 1983, with Doctor Who: The First Adventure. The packaging was emblazoned with the Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison, and promised an exciting, and almost psychedelic journey around the Solar System, past Saturn and into a colourful explosion.

What we got were versions of early gaming heavy-hitters, Space Invaders, Frogger, Pac-Man and Battleships, albeit them with the Doctor’s Space-Time Ship.

Soon, Doctor Who and the Warlord (a text adventure!), Doctor Who and the Mines of Terror (both in 1985) and 1992’s Dalek Attack followed. Games like 1997’s Destiny of the Doctors and the 2000’s sole release, Top Trumps, set out to change the show’s reputation – but none of them actually delivered. More recent attempts include Evacuation: Earth, Return to Earth, and (for Apple iOS and Android) The Mazes of Time. Perhaps the most universally loved were the BBC website’s star-studded Adventure Games.

After five journeys, The Adventure Games came to a premature ending. But they proved that there was still a massive market for such an experience.

“We didn’t take any specific direction from previous Doctor Who games, but we’re inspired by many of the incredible casual MMOs and ‘freemium’ games in the market,” Ben Badgett, Creative Director of BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment & Games, tells me. “We tried to learn and pull inspiration from what is successful in the space to create the best experience possible for Doctor Who fans.”

Worlds in Time built on this interconnectedness more than any other game, with a forum and the chance to meet Whovians worldwide online. The MMO was about a sense of community above anything else and the reaction was favourable.

“We really wanted to create a casual game that’s accessible to players that may not be used to playing multiplayer games, but like playing games socially on platforms like Facebook. The Doctor is a natural instigator for this type of cooperative gameplay,” Badgett says. “I’ve been really pleased to find that many times when I enter the game as a ‘newbie’ character to test new features, higher level players will lend me guidance, or offer to whisk me away to planets or adventures I don’t have access to.”

Time and Space and Pixels

“It’s always an interesting challenge, developing games for beloved brands because you’re taking a narrative full of characters that have their own established lives, and adding the dynamic of a new player,” Ben explains. “Since Doctor Who: Worlds in Time is an MMO, we’re actually adding millions of new characters to the universe, so we had to find a storyline that would work for players and stay true to the brand. What’s different about Doctor Who from other science fiction series is that a single character (The Doctor) is essential to every story, so we knew we wanted to incorporate that into the game. We’ve tried to incorporate recurring themes that make Doctor Who special, using them as devices to explore broader concepts.”

The notion of getting in the TARDIS and flying off into time and space is what’s, arguably, maintained the nation’s fascination with Doctor Who for over 50 years. Sure enough, it’s not long before you meet the Doctor in Worlds in Time. You’re soon given a sonic screwdriver-like gadget, and flung into a world of Daleks, Clockwork Droids, Zygons, Silurians and an argumentative couple called Sylvia and Bernard.

“We really wanted to fulfill the fantasy of having the Doctor choose the player to take them on adventures through space and time. I think that’s a huge part of the appeal of the companions, and part of staying true to the show,” Badgett enthuses. “Throughout the development process, we stayed aligned with the Doctor Who team in the UK. For instance, in December [2012] we released an update that allows players to specialize in one of three gameplay based categories, or be a generalist. It’s a system fairly analogous to the class system in most MMOs, but in crafting the classes, we lined them up with the common traits of the Doctor’s companions. We feel like that even though it is a subtle touch, it’s the kind of thing that kept the game tied into the larger brand.”

Reactionary Worlds

The LA-based team worked hand-in-hand with their counterparts in Wales to stay true to Doctor Who’s unique brand. “Of course, we’re telling stories through word balloons in the midst of multi-player gameplay, rather than an hour-long drama format, so dialogue and narrative have to be considerably compressed,” Ben continues. “Even with those limitations, the game writers have tried to capture the voice of the current Doctor and the show as a whole. It also doesn’t hurt that both the BBC Games team and the team at [co-developers] Three Rings are full of long-time Doctor Who fans; I’ve personally been watching the show since the Jon Pertwee years!”

Of course, the show’s rich history gave the Worlds in Time crew a lot of ideas to mine, as Ben explains: “With 50 years of material, there is just so much great stuff to explore in the existing Doctor Who Universe that we haven’t even felt the need to introduce new villains.”

Time is frozen, shattered, and it’s your job to complete games (which come in six different categories, including Lockpick, Defence and Repair) and get customisation freebies for your troubles. Admittedly, some of these additions to your character are a bit weird – knee-padded trousers, anyone? How about a newspaper rack? – and some of the games aren’t ideal for those with colour-deficiencies, but many reviews welcomed Worlds in Time into the Doctor Who fold with open arms. In particular, it received praise for its light-heartedness, fun atmosphere and unique graphics.

Still, niggles persisted: speech bubbles covered faces now and then; a couple of the games were, essentially, sci-fi versions of Tetris and Bejeweled; and at the start, the question, ‘what do I actually have to do’ cropped up a few times.

Sound of the Underground

Its scope was certainly impressive. Though you started off on Earth, you’re soon adventuring on the Dalek homeworld, Skaro; New New York; Silence in the Library/ Forest of the Dead’s The Library; Starship UK from The Beast Below; The Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone’s Alfava Metraxi – and the makers were always keen to develop more!

“We worked really closely with the creative teams across the brand to incorporate aspects of the TV show,” Ben tells me. “We included the evil snowmen from the Doctor Who Christmas Special in the game [soon after its broadcast]!”

In fact, the game was so extensive, it spawned its own Wikia, advising people on in-game problems, technical issues, and account and billing details. Chronons were the game’s currency, and while you earned them through completing tasks, there was also the option to buy additional Chronon (pricing ranging from $3 – just under £2 – to $60, which works out to be about £38). While some customisations seemed pointless, others certainly appealed to dedicated Whovians. There’s the Eleventh Doctor’s Fez, the Second Doctor’s stovepipe hat, a UNIT uniform, and a particular favourite of mine, the head of a dandelion-selling mannequin from Terror of the Autons (1971).

Despite the immense amount of thought behind Worlds in Time, it never really hit the ground running. Maybe this is due to it being quite a low-key affair, lost in the swathes of further Doctor Who merchandise. Or perhaps this type of game doesn’t attract a mass audience?

Worlds in Time, however, didn’t slow down, frequently expanding and developing a sort of ‘underground’ community (whose love for Doctor Who games will no doubt draw them to the successful iOS game, Legacy).

It looks like this is the end, but could the success of Legacy hint at a possible future on other devices? “We don’t have any current plans to bring WiT to additional platforms,” Badgett says, “but I do think the gameplay is a natural fit for tablets, so you never know.”

Without gaining mass publicity, how could such a movement justify the continued financial support of the BBC? It never set the world alight; everyone working on it seemed so enthusiastic, however, I can’t help but feel any Doctor Who game that lasted two years was a success, and will be missed.

It may have been the first Doctor Who MMO, but I very much doubt it will be the last…

(This article first appeared in Kasterborous Magazine #2).

 

The post Calling Time: Remembering Worlds in Time 2012-2014 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Titan’s Doctor Who Comics May- June Preview

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.

Titan Comics has released cover previews and synopses for their four Doctor Who titles, coming out in May and early June.

Original series artist makes a return to The Tenth Doctor comic – her work on the opening arc, Revolutions of Terror, was great – and Torchwood‘s Brian Williamson is welcomed onto The Twelfth Doctor title. Simon Fraser provides the cover for The Eleventh Doctor #13, and the hotly-anticipated Ninth Doctor comic storms ahead with the continuing creative team of Who-ology‘s Cavan Scott, and Blair Shedd (IDW’s Doctor Who).

The Ninth Doctor #03

Released on 3rd May.

Written by Cavan Scott, with art (and cover) by Blair Shedd.

The hotly-anticipated Weapons of Past Destruction continues, as the Doctor, Rose and Jack are trapped in an alien bazaar, caught in a heavily-armed standoff between the overpowered Unon and the Lect – as the nearby star threatens to go supernova!

The Twelfth Doctor #09

Released on 3rd June.

Written by Robbie Morrison, with art (and cover) by Brian Williamson.

A brand-new story ​begins, as the Doctor and Clara are forced to ally with gangsters on the Vegas strip to combat an even more terrifying foe! 

Will the Doctor’s morals prove as alien as the unearthly invaders – or can he triumph without compromise… in ‘GANGLAND’?

The Eleventh Doctor #13

Released on 3rd June.

Written by Rob Williams, with art by Warren Pleece, and cover by Simon Fraser.

Two Emperors, and two halves of the Roman Empire, clash inside a freshly-exploded crater in 312AD – as the Doctor, Alice and Jones attempt to solve the mystery of the horror that rode down to Earth aboard the titanic meteor that caused it!

Plus a surprise villain that threatens them all – one so secret there’s no way we’re mentioning them here!

The Tenth Doctor #14

Released on 8th June.

Written by Nick Abadzis, with art by Elena Casagrande, and cover by Mariano Laclaustra.

Just one issue away from this year’s season finale, and things have never looked more dangerous for the Doctor and Gabby! 

Separated by an ancient force from the centre of the galaxy, the Doctor takes a cosmic trip into the history of the universe, while Gabby must negotiate with an unearthly intelligence for the sake of the planet! 

How much has she learned from her brief travels with the Doctor… and will it be enough to save her?!

Crikey. How are we on issues 13 and 14 of the Eleventh and Tenth Doctors’ series already?!

As ever, look out for our ongoing reviews of all four titles!

Which issues will you be picking up, Kasterborites…?

The post Titan’s Doctor Who Comics May- June Preview appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The Time Warrior: An Important Classic Doctor Who Serial That’s A Bit… Meh

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.

While we to and fro, hither and thither throughout this week’s podKast, on the whole the subject matter in The Time Warrior, the opening serial to the 1974 run of Doctor Who, Jon Pertwee’s last season and Lis Sladen’s first. Oh, and it also makrs the first appearance of the Sontarans and reveals what the original Boba Fett would have looked like without his helmet.

We’ll be honest: The Time Warrior is no one’s favourite, but neither is it as bad as, say, Time and the Rani or New Earth (or, for that matter, Kill the Moon). Instead, it seems to exist in a sort of middle rank of the show’s stories, neither loved nor hated, just sort of ignored, really, as an event episode that is actually a non-event. Is this reputation deserved? Does The Time Warrior have hidden depths? Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian A Terranova find out…

Kasterborous PodKast Series 5 Episode 2 Shownotes

Contradiction review
John Guilor and Rupert Booth on the podKast
The Time Warrior
April Walker
Carole Ann Ford interview in the Telegraph (2013)
Rainbow  (with classic series Dalek voice Roy Skelton as Zippy) on YouTube
The Invasion

PodKast introduction by John Guilor.

Listen to the PodKast

There are several ways to listen. In addition to the usual player above, we’re pleased to announce that you can also stream the podKast using Stitcher, an award-winning, free mobile app available for Android and iPhone/iPad. This pretty much means that you can listen to us anywhere without downloading – pretty neat, we think you’ll agree! (Note that it can take a few hours after a new podKast is published to “catch up”.)

What’s more, you can now listen and subscribe to the podKast via our Audioboo channel! Head to http://audioboo.fm/channel/doctorwhopodkast and click play to start listening. You can also comment and record your own boos in response to our discussions! Meanwhile you can use the player below to listen through Audioboo:

You haven’t clicked play yet?! What are you waiting for? As well as our new Stitcher and Audioboo presence you can also use one of these amazingly convenient ways to download and enjoy this week’s podKast.

Use the player in the top right of the Kasterborous home page, or visit the podKast menu link.
Listen with the “pop out” player above, which also allows you to download the podKast to your computer.
You can also take advantage of the RSS feed to subscribe to the podKast for your media player, and even find us on iTunes, where your reviews will help the show considerably.

 

The post The Time Warrior: An Important Classic Doctor Who Serial That’s A Bit… Meh appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Does Broadchurch Series 2 Make Any Sense? Of Course It Does!

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.

So who’s been watching Broadchurch? The second series of ITV’s hit drama reaches its conclusion next week with many questions still unanswered. Do we really know who killed young Danny Latimer? Who was responsible for the murder and disappearance at Sandbrook? And just how many scenes of David Tennant looking breathless and close to collapse can the nation take?

The penultimate episode ended on a gripping, if predictable, cliffhanger with the verdict in the trial of Joe Miller about to be announced. But at times in this second run it’s almost felt as though Broadchurch itself was on trial, with criticisms being aired throughout the run for alleged plot holes, inaccurate depictions of courtroom procedure, inaudible dialogue (rapidly becoming an old chestnut, that one) and characters acting irrationally. Commenting on what was wrong with the latest episode had become something of a Monday night game on Twitter these last two months, and the press haven’t been slow to point to lower ratings than in the show’s first series.

Broadchurch is, of course, a programme with strong Doctor Who connections and therefore of considerable interest to us at Kasterborous. The show’s creator Chris Chibnall has been a prolific writer for both Doctor Who and Torchwood and directors James Strong and Euros Lynn have featured on both programme’s credits. When looking at the principal cast it’s almost easier to find people who haven’t been in Doctor Who than people who have, with David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Arthur Darvill, Eve Myles and David Bradley all in leading roles.

The programme’s stars have done their best to be sanguine in the face of the criticism. In The Guardian David Tennant puts it down to the difficulty of following up such a huge hit: “I think we’re a victim of our success to be honest. The first series was such an extraordinary thing. This country, we never allow lightening to strike twice in this country… we just don’t let that happen. So, inevitably there was going to be a certain amount of ‘it’s not as good as the first time’. I think it is. I think it’s a wonderful series that I’m very proud to be part of.”

Speaking to Radio Times Eve Myles says she’s not too disappointed at any negative reaction: “With something so successful, when it’s so heavily anticipated, you’re going to get people not enjoying it as much as the first series. It’s a brilliant drama, but what gets highlighted is the negative stuff. At least people are talking about it!”

Tennant and Myles surely have a point here. The first series crept up on people with little fanfare but over the course of its run became a national talking point, and it would have been impossible to repeat the formula with a known property. On reflection ITV may decide that the veto on previews of the first episode and the total news blackout on plot details before series 2 started were a mistake; if there’s one thing people in the media really hate it’s not having anything to write about and there may well have been an element of settling scores in some of the coverage the show has received.

But what of the criticism of many of the plot points in this series? People with legal knowledge have plainly had a field day highlighting the shortcomings (bereaved families don’t get to choose the prosecuting barrister; witnesses can’t sit and listen to all the other testimony in court; a dead child’s parents would surely be told in advance if the body was to be exhumed) but the producers have argued that there’s a balance to strike between total accuracy and the need to tell a compelling story. Some elements have felt like they belonged in a soap rather than a drama striving for credibility (Hardy, acting with no authorisation, tries to lure a suspect into incriminating himself on tape, just as a heavily pregnant Beth turns up to make a scene. And her waters break. Outside the house of her son’s alleged murderer). And at times it has felt as though some of the more unbelievable moments from the first series were being highlighted by the defence barrister in the second (a murder suspect’s wife, herself a serving police officer, attacks him in a cell; the bereaved boy’s father persuades a custody officer to allow him to confront the man charged with murdering his son at the police station).

And yet, if you can get past some of this there have been a lot of things to enjoy in Broadchurch series 2. As a depiction of a community in shock and a family in the most desperate grief following a murder it’s hard to think of a better example. The programme is to be commended for refusing to go down the route of so many successful crime dramas which, when given a second series, simply give their protagonists a new case to tackle. Broadchurch’s second run has followed the after-effects of a singularly traumatic event in a way that television just doesn’t normally do and has always persuaded us to care about the characters involved, even when they act rashly or stupidly.

Performances have been consistently strong. Eve Myles’s Claire Ripley, the woman with a fatal attraction to a man who is thoroughly bad news, has added a new dimension as we’ve slowly learned what happened that went so badly wrong in the Sandbrook case (though there are surely more revelations to come there). The two leads have been excellent as ever as a TV couple who most definitely do not fancy each other but, for all they can become exasperated by one another’s behaviour, share a genuine friendship with all the frustration and falling-out that can bring. If there have been moments when the show has dipped it has generally been when the focus has shifted away from Hardy and Miller (yes, all that courtroom stuff has dragged at times…).

So what do you think? Have you enjoyed series 2? Will you be counting down the days to the final episode? Has the whole thing made any darned sense at all?! Tell us below!

The post Does Broadchurch Series 2 Make Any Sense? Of Course It Does! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Why Doctor Who Fandom Is Wrong About Christopher Eccleston

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.

Mr Eccleston poses a problem to the Fandom Hive Mind (FHM from hereon). He is a controversial figure amongst fans even 10 years after he took on the role of the Doctor. At that time no one had any idea whether the show would be successful or not – it was all very uncertain. His Doctor was different to everything that had come before. Gone were the frock coats, big hair and flamboyant dress. Gone too were the trappings of the establishment. He looked and sounded completely different from everything that had gone before and won the hearts of a new audience – all thanks to Eccleston’s performance.

But then he left. And apparently he left under a cloud. Despite looking from one angle like a piece of dedicated hard work in a role he fully embraced, from another it all looked very uncomfortable.

When we hear about him distancing himself from Doctor Who there is a temptation to think (or rather feel), “fine, sod off!”

Back in July 2011 we reported on an interview Eccleston gave during a master class at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London. It was perhaps the most revealing account he’d given of his departure from the show. Initially the BBC had announced that he was leaving to avoid being type cast which he had them to retract. It wasn’t true. The real reasons are still unclear though this is what he had to say some six years after leaving…

“I thought to remain, which would have made me a lot of money and given me huge visibility, the price I would have had to pay, was to eat a lot of shit. I’m not being funny about that.… If you allow your desire to be successful and visible and financially secure. If you allow that, to make you throw shades on your parents, on your upbringing, then you’re knackered.”

He went on to say,

“You know, it’s easy to find a job when you’ve got no morals, you’ve got nothing to be compromised, you can go, ‘Yeah, yeah. That doesn’t matter. That director can bully that prop man and I won’t say anything about it’. But then when that director comes to you and says ‘I think you should play it like this’ you’ve surely got to go ‘How can I respect you, when you behave like that?’ So, that’s why I left. My face didn’t fit and I’m sure they were glad to see the back of me.”

Now, a lot has been written about how and why Eccleston left the series – in short it seems there was a disagreement and it brought up issues that Eccleston feels very strongly about. We don’t really know what happened but it seems from that particular interview, where he referred to his parents and upbringing, it may have been issues around social class – again it’s important to be clear where we’re speculating. None of us at Kasterborous were there and we don’t know Mr Eccleston personally, but it sounds as though he felt a kind of class prejudice came up in the production team and that he couldn’t stay without compromising his integrity.

In a recent interview with the Mirror Eccleston talked about this issue in the entertainment industry more generally. He said,

“In my experience, about 33 years in the industry, there has always been a class system. …we have always given precedence to people with an RP accent and those from public schools. That’s always been the way this country has developed and the entertainment industry, particularly at this moment in time, is built to reflect that.”

By way of explanation for those from outside the UK: social class was more or less invented by the Victorians (but don’t quote me – I’m far from being a social historian!) As a system it groups people according to their wealth and power and is codified in dress, behaviour and even accent. RP or “Received Pronunciation” is the Upper Class way of speaking you’ll hear from the Royals, some of the BBC (though less so) and the majority of British actors particularly in the earlier parts of the 20th Century. It’s posh, in short. And there are implicit (not very nice) value judgements often made by those that see themselves as belonging to one social class about those belonging to another.

Eccleston’s portrayal made the character more accessible to people who might have felt excluded by an alien speaking as though he lived in a wealthy part of London.

Something that’s important to note is when Eccleston deliberately played the Doctor with a Northern accent, he changed everything. In the Classic era the Doctor had spoken more-or-less with RP. And it’s not being too *out there* to suggest that the Classic character had some of his origins in the Victorian concept of the Gentleman Scientist. And from the very little social history I do know, the concept of a Gentleman in the UK was linked to social class, wealth and power. Twenty-first century Britain has come a long way since the Victorian era but class prejudice undeniably persists (though probably in a more subtle form). Indeed similar issues around class and power in the military and Britain’s Imperialist past featured in the Series 8 relationship between Danny and the Twelfth Doctor. The Doctor as an Officer…

When the Ninth Doctor arrived and spoke like a normal person, it was noticed – and was even name-checked in the show by way of acknowledgement: “Lots of planets have a North”. For the first time, the Doctor didn’t sound like the establishment and the most powerful people in British society. Again, while my accent (occasionally “pirate-farmer”, I’m told) isn’t Northern, I don’t think it’s crazy to suggest that Eccleston’s portrayal may have made the character more accessible to people who otherwise might have felt excluded by an alien speaking as though he lived in a wealthy part of London. This is by way of saying that Eccleston is not wrong: there are issues to be addressed, and his views and values reflect something important about British society.

The Eccleston Problem

Christopher Eccleston has a bit of a reputation for being serious – if not “prickly” – in interviews. It probably didn’t help that he hung up on the reporter when she asks about Doctor Who (despite being warned not to). This, more than his discussion of class led to something of a Disqus-storm when reported on Kasterborous.

And just to be clear, it is easy to imagine what he is not telling us and what he may have thought and felt on the set of Doctor Who. It’s far too easy – particularly when one is tempted to piece together events from what we do know. But we need to be careful. We of the FHM are all at risk of reading things in a way that serves whatever view we may already have settled on. And despite the way celebrity works and how the media is known to elevate or depose people depending on where they can get or create a story, that isn’t fair.

On a personal level, when we hear about him distancing himself from Doctor Who there is a temptation to think (or rather feel), “fine, sod off!” We love Doctor Who and there’s a temptation as a fan to take the discord between Eccleston and the production team of 2005 to heart. His reluctance to have any official involvement since then, particularly his decision not to appear in the 50th anniversary can potentially leave a bruise on the fan-soul.

However, I do think people’s demands for him to attend conventions, give interviews and jump at the whim of the FHM is, frankly, ridiculous. It doesn’t even bear discussing. Regardless of the fact that the part was *not* a high-profile guarantee of success and exposure in 2005, he’s not obliged to do anything that wasn’t in his contract. While there might be a debate to be had about celebrities who rely on and court press attention, Eccleston has never done that. The industry is driven by profit and people do not lose rights or take on new obligations because they have embarked on a career as an entertainer. It would be *nice* if they did the extra crowd-pleasing stuff but we choose whether we do paid or unpaid overtime on our jobs. Nothing more to say.

Isn’t fandom’s demands for Eccleston to attend conventions, give interviews and jump as high as we say frankly ridiculous?

So he left. And he hasn’t come back (except perhaps in one small and very personal way that I’ll mention later). Since his departure the FHM has speculated vigorously about when and how he might return and hoped with all its heaving, bubbling fan grey matter that he’d put in an appearance in The Day of the Doctor. There aren’t many television programs that can boast five decades of longevity and it can leave a particularly bitter taste in the mouth when someone who brought so many people to the show didn’t want to return.

So the problem for the Fan Hive Mind is this. Unlike Tennant, Smith and Capaldi – he’s neither a Who fan like us, nor is he someone who readily indulges in the behind the scenes crowd-pleasing. So the FHM is left thinking “what are we supposed to think” and, more importantly, “what are we supposed to FEEL about the man behind the Ninth Doctor?!”

This might be all the more pertinent to our fannish dispositions when so many of us could be reliably described as “geeks”. Geeks are used to having their enthusiasm for what others see as escapism (it is, of course, far, far more than that) ridiculed or scoffed at. The FHM might wonder whether Eccleston is distancing himself from the geekiness.

The Eccletson Problem: A Solution?

So, when struggling with The Eccleston Problem, it might be helpful to bear in mind the following. While he’s not turned up at conventions to woo the masses, or donned the leather jacket to further the on-screen adventures of his Doctor, he has engaged with fandom in smaller, impromptu ways.

In an interview with the Guardian back in 2011 he talked about young children who are fans of Doctor Who that meet him in public,

“Usually they don’t say much – it’s quite overwhelming for them to meet Doctor Who. One little boy just burst into tears. His mum said to me: ‘Will you say hello?’ I did, and he burst into tears – and I understand it, that confusion about what’s real. Long may it last.”

That, to me, reveals an actor with a very nuanced view of his craft who completely understands what Doctor Who is and should be, regardless of whether he’s a fan or not. And however “prickly” he may come across in other interviews there’s something remarkably kind there.

When asked yet again in 2012 about his reasons for leaving he, yet again, declined to give any names or specifics, but he did say that, “I’m hugely grateful to the children who to this day come up and talk to me about the show.”

Recently we reported on an American fan’s wedding proposal from a year ago where Eccleston assumed the mantle of Ninth Doctor once more, showing incredible good humour and understanding of how much the show can mean to individuals. The video can be found here if you fancy a re-watch.

And while he didn’t get directly involved with the 50th anniversary, he did send a message to the BFI screening of the Ninth Doctor episode screened as part of their celebratory season. The episode chosen was the finale two-parter Bad Wolf/ The Parting of the Ways, directed by Joe Ahearne. The message read,

“I love the BFI. I love the Doctor and hope you enjoy this presentation. Joe Ahearne directed five of the 13 episodes of the first series. He understood the tone the show needed completely – strong, bold, pacy visuals coupled with wit, warmth and a twinkle in the performances, missus.

If Joe agrees to direct the 100th anniversary special, I will bring my sonic and a stair-lift and – providing the Daleks don’t bring theirs – I, the ninth Doctor, vow to save the universe and all you apes in it.”

So there we are. At least publicly – and in fairness that’s all we are and should be privy to – Eccleston is affectionate and considerate towards Doctor Who.

Regarding The Eccleston Problem and the frustration or even anger some of the FHM has felt towards him… It’s a strange thing, feeling cross with a star for not being or doing who or what you want them to. But that is the nature of celebrity. We always see people through the prism of the media, editing, spin and how various agendas put together a persona for public consumption. And that can be tough. While there are harder, riskier and more morally upstanding jobs than the entertainment industry, it’s still a particularly nasty working environment where you are pressured  to use your face and even personality as a marketable commodity.

At the end of the day we don’t know what went down 10 years ago – and whether it was a truly awful piece of bullying where Eccleston has conducted himself with integrity and refused to name names, or whether he has some kind of chip on his shoulder – we don’t know. And nor should we; it is, frankly, none of our business. What we choose to believe about him is up to us but it should be said that this chap, for all his prickliness and seriousness, has been very kind and has done something increasingly rare in today’s media.

He’s refused to sell a story for the publicity.

At the end of the day, like the Doctor, Eccleston is just a bloke, passing through and helping out. He has a craft and he has values. What we make of him and his distance from Doctor Who is up to us. But it’s important to also recognise it as a distance from the media storm that the press would love to make out of whatever disagreement happened 10 years ago. Whatever the Fan Hive Mind makes of Mr Eccleston, we know he’s been kind and we know he’s got integrity. And for a time back in 2005 he rocked a leather jacket like very few people can.

The post Why Doctor Who Fandom Is Wrong About Christopher Eccleston appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

A Stunning New Perspective On TARDIS Dematerialisation

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.

TARDIS dematerialisation in Doctor Who has relied on a roll-back-and-mix effect for over 50 years now, an effect executed in many different ways since, but essentially relying on achieving the same end result.

But is it the best way? Since 2005’s triumphant revival, Doctor Who has had its opening titles revived, the theme tune rearranged and the TARDIS interior (and exterior!) updated regularly, more than the face of the lead character, in fact.

Last year, YouTube user John Smith created the stunning (albeit slightly disturbing) “WhoLock“, utilising CGI to put the Doctor and the eponymous character of Steven Moffat’s Sherlock in the TARDIS together. The result was a popular video, but we reckon that this new take on the TARDIS’ dematerialisation is the better production. You may also recall his video, “Rain”, of the TARDIS materialising, or even his amazing 50th anniversary trailer.

In fact, we’d wager it could go the same was as billydakiduk‘s beautifult clock-inspired opening titles, which as you’ll probably know were adopted for Doctor Who Series 8.

Says John Smith:

Since the TARDIS’ dematerialisation effect has remained largely unchanged for the past fifty years, I thought it might be interesting to try out a new approach. So this is my attempt at capturing what travelling through time and space might look like from the point of view of the TARDIS – from take-off to landing, all in one shot.

You can like me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JohnSmithVFX

The software packages Maya, After Effects, Element 3D (v2), and Premiere were used in the production of this stunning clip. We’re considerably impressed, not only by the changed persepctive but by the staggering time vortex graphics.

But what do you think?

The post A Stunning New Perspective On TARDIS Dematerialisation appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

David Tennant’s and Billie Piper’s Success at the WhatsOnStage Awards

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.

Some familiar faces won coveted awards yesterday celebrating the sterling work in British theatre,

The WhatsOnStafe Awards are the only major theatre trophies voted for entirely by the public, and both David Tennant and Billie Piper (aka the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler) proved to be favourites – as did writer, Mark Gatiss!

Presented at the West End’s Prince of Wales Theatre by Mel Giedroyc and Steve Furst, David Tennant won Best Actor in a Play for his performance as the titular character in Shakespeare’s Richard II… for which, you may recall, he sported ridiculous hair extensions, tied into a ponytail for various TV interviews around the time they were promoting The Day of the Doctor. He was up against stiff competition from Richard Armitage (Spooks), Avengers Assemble‘s Tom Hiddleston, Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), and Da Vinci‘s Demons‘ Tom Bateman.

Billie Piper, meanwhile, fought off Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) and Shakespeare in Love‘s Lucy Briggs-Owen – as well as Vampires of Venice star, Helen McCrory, and The Girl Who Waited‘s Imelda Staunton – to be named Best Actress in a Play. Billie starred as Paige Britain in Great Britain, a Richard Bean satirical play, directed by Sir Nicholas Hytner, paralleling controversies like the MP expenses scandal, and phone hacking. The Guardian said, “Billie Piper does an excellent job in conveying the ruthless ambition and unstoppable drive of Paige Britian, whose dream is to be invited to the party she sees at the heart of the governance of the land.”The play now continues with Lucy Punch (Shaun of the Dead; Doc Martin) in the lead role.

The Lazarus Experiment‘s Mark Gatiss, writer of The Unquiet Dead, Night Terrors, and Cold War, won Best Supporting Actor in a Play for his part in Corialanus, a production that also took an award back to its home in Covent Garden: Best Play Revival.

Well done to all the winners. And remember to keep an eye out for National Theatre Live, as-it-happens broadcasts of plays across cinemas nationwide.

The post David Tennant’s and Billie Piper’s Success at the WhatsOnStage Awards appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.