Christian Cawley's Blog, page 137

PodKast Talks Big Finish, Christopher Eccleston and the Seal of Rassilon

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.

This week we had planned to discuss another classic Doctor Who serial that has a mixed reputation. However, as it is just Christian Cawley and James McLean, we decided instead to look at some of the more interesting news items of the past week, such as the nuWho/Big Finish crossover in UNIT: Extinction and the lovely sight of Christopher Eccleston helping out with a Whovian wedding proposal. There was also time to talk about the announceent of the Sixth Doctor’s final adventure as well as the odd communications within the pages of Doctor Who Magazine between Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat.

We finish off with some interesting recommendations. Ready? Click play.

Kasterborous PodKast Series 5 Episode 1 Shownotes

John Guilor and the Cyberman
Kate Stewart’s UNIT joins Big Finish
Forgotten Son by Andy Frankham-Allen
Kate Stewart introduced in Downtime
Christopher Eccleston’s decent proposal
Dalek building guide on Kasterborous
Sixth Doctor’s final adventure
RTD & Steven Moffat discuss the Doctor’s marriages
Recommendations: The Ambassadors of Death, Inside the Tardis: The Worlds of Doctor Who by James Chapman, Blake’s 7  Series 1, Whitechapel Series 1

PodKast introduction by John Guilor. Theme tune by Russell Hugo.

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 PodKast Talks Big Finish, Christopher Eccleston and the Seal of Rassilon appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Big Finish & Christopher Eccleston Chat In The PodKast with a Seal of Rassilon

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.

This week we had planned to discuss another classic Doctor Who serial that has a mixed reputation. However, as it is just Christian Cawley and James McLean, we decided instead to look at some of the more interesting news items of the past week, such as the nuWho/Big Finish crossover in UNIT: Extinction and the lovely sight of Christopher Eccleston helping out with a Whovian wedding proposal. There was also time to talk about the announceent of the Sixth Dotor’s final adventure as well as the odd communications within the pages of Doctor Who Magazine between Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat.

We finish off with some interesting recommendations. Ready? Click play.

Kasterborous PodKast Series 5 Episode 1 Shownotes

John Guilor and the Cyberman
Kate Stewart’s UNIT joins Big Finish
Forgotten Son by Andy Frankham-Allen
Kate Stewart introduced in Downtime
Christopher Eccleston’s decent proposal
Dalek building guide on Kasterborous
Sixth Doctor’s final adventure
RTD & Steven Moffat discuss the Doctor’s marriages
Recommendations: The Ambassadors of Death, Inside the Tardis: The Worlds of Doctor Who by James Chapman, Blake’s 7  Series 1, Whitechapel Series 1

PodKast introduction by John Guilor. Theme tune by Russell Hugo.

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 Big Finish & Christopher Eccleston Chat In The PodKast with a Seal of Rassilon appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Good Grief! John Guilor Meets A Cyberman

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.

When is the Doctor not the Doctor? Well, when he’s John Guilor, we reckon. Above, you can enjoy a few moments of Guilor’s vocal expertise and comic timing in a brief sketch recorded during a break in recording on an audiodrama.

Listen out also for the excellent Cyberman voice by The Inbetweeners’ and Hyperdrive‘s Waen Shepherd.

Now, the Guilorphiles (yes, that is a thing now) among you should know that John appears with Paul Darrow, Rupert Booth and a wider, excellent cast in the iPad interactive detective movie Contradiction, which is set to land on Amazon TV in the very near future. Oh, and we’ll be reviewing Contradiction this week, so if you’re unsure about buying it, I think we might just be able to twist your arm…

The post Good Grief! John Guilor Meets A Cyberman appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Myth Makers: Tom Baker & Anthony Ainley on DVD

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.

All the way in 1984, an independent VHS company, Reeltime Pictures began releasing interviews with some of the people who made Doctor Who. It began with Michael Wisher, who appeared in various serials but is most notable as Davros in Genesis of the Daleks, and the range further expanded to include stars like Michael Craze, Sylvester McCoy, and David Brierley. Myth Makers then evolved from VHS to DVD, and nearly all those early interviews were available to a whole new generation.

Now, with the release of Tom Baker, the archive is complete! But that’s not all: a new DVD has been unveiled alongside it – an interview with Anthony Ainley.

Tom’s interview was recorded in 1989, while Ainley’s will come as a lovely treat for fans of his fantastic Master, recorded in 2000, four years before his passing. Here’s what Tom’s held-back release boasts:

“The Doctor will never change. He may grow old and fade away, but he will always be the same … so the fun is – how do you colour that?”

Ask Doctor Who fans who their favourite Doctor is and the majority are likely to name Tom Baker’s portrayal above all others. 

Much of Baker’s popularity has been fuelled by his reticence to appear in public to discuss his time in the programme. Little is actually known about the man or his memories of being the longest running Time Lord troubleshooter! 

At last this has changed. In an exclusive interview with Nicholas Briggs, at the location used for The Android Invasion, Baker discusses frankly his life and career. 

And here’s the synopsis for Ainley’s:

“I was always surprised when he (John Nathan Turner) rang me and called me back, because an actor always thinks a job is his last job!”

Anthony Ainley had carved out a successful career as an actor in the theatre, films and television before being asked to play The Master in Doctor Who. 

A very private man, Ainley rarely did interviews and died before recording any extensive videos about his thoughts and feelings playing the evil nemesis of The Doctor. 

In this special Myth Makers, we are delighted to feature a rare interview with Ainley, recorded in 2000 at an event run by the Galaxy 4 shop in Sheffield. 

Together with the memories of the organisers, this Myth Makers is very revealing of the man behind the role, proving Ainley was a very different man to the character we saw on our TV screens.

Both are available for £9.99 from Galaxy 4, out on 27th February.

The post Myth Makers: Tom Baker & Anthony Ainley on DVD appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

NuWho 10th Anniversary: What Is Your Favourite Series 1 Story? [POLL]

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.

First, we take you all the way back to 2005. Series 1. A leather-jacket-wearing alien instructs us: “Run.” Plastic comes alive. There’s a face in a jar. A lone Dalek screams. Time is changed. And there’s a blue box that can go anywhere in space. And did I mention it also travels in time…?

Jonathan Appleton: Father’s Day

The episode that confirmed for me that, though many things remained unchanged, the new series really would be a very different beast from the old, what with those emotional blows to the gut we were delivered in Paul Cornell’s script. Viewed at this distance the plot seems endearingly simple now: Rose wants to see her Dad just one time and be there when he meets his early death, only it all goes wrong… Sure, it’s not perfect. The Doctor is surely naive to think she could just stand and watch. Some parts (such as the empty TARDIS) don’t make much sense. And the Reapers are a bit disappointing. But as a piece of simple (in the best sense) storytelling that was both sad and joyous it was a real highlight of Series 1 for me.

Barry Rice: The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances

I know I’m in the minority here, but I’ve always found the first series of Doctor Who to be very disappointing. So much so that I didn’t even finish it at the time and waited several years before going back to play catch-up.

There are a few gems hidden in that first series, though, and the brightest of them all is the two-parter, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. As an adult, I never experienced any of those “hide behind the sofa” moments from the classic series; but even as an grown man, these two episodes are deeply unsettling. The image of that small boy with his permanent gas mask and creepy “Are you my mummy?” chant have become iconic. The Doctor himself jokingly repeats the line in The Poison Sky and again in Mummy on the Orient Express.

The episode also features the first appearance of future Torchwood star Captain Jack Harkness, one of my favorite characters in all of Who-dom. In another sign of things to come, both episodes were written by future showrunner Steven Moffat, and are indicative of the darker, more macabre flavor he would bring to the show.

Drew Boynton: Father’s Day

Back in 2005, I watched and re-watched the first three episodes (nearly wearing out a DVD that a friend made for me), marvelling at how good they were.  Then a bit later, I got my friends and family hooked on watching Doctor Who again by showing them the brilliance of The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.  For me, though, there’s one episode that finally stands above the rest: Father’s Day.  Paul Cornell’s script is not only full of heart and emotion, but it sets up some rules of time travel (“Don’t touch the baby!”) that I wish Steven Moffat would’ve followed more closely in his time as showrunner.

Father’s Day is a great episode with terrific (and heartbreaking!) performances that makes me tear up almost every time I watch it.  And it also makes me sad that Cornell somehow didn’t turn into a contributor for every series…

Becky Crockett: Rose

It’s the one that restarted it all! I like the strangeness of it – where else will you see a dummy arm attacking someone and a person turning into living plastic make perfect sense?

While I don’t love that Rose so easily dumps Mickey, in just that first episode you really do get to know the Doctor, Rose, Mickey and even Jackie quite well in one short hour and want to see more.

Philip Bates: The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances

Series 1 will forever remain close to my heart: it introduced me to the Doctor. I love the Autons; I love the Slitheen; I love the Daleks; I love the Ninth Doctor. And I particularly love The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances.

This two-parter is a perfect example of everything. It’s scary, and clever, and beautiful. It’s adult and childish. It’s Doctor Who through and through. It’s no surprise that it comes from the pen of my writing inspiration and current showrunner, Steven Moffat, but let’s not forget the direction. James Hawes delivers memorable, understated images on fantastically dressed sets. The balance of light and dark evokes the haunting yet fun script.

The character interaction is exquisite too, as Moffat is given the task of introducing Captain Jack – a character brimming with energy and intrigue. Some of the layers were sadly forgotten in subsequent appearances in both Who and Torchwood, but here he is, acting as a Turlough-esque anti-hero long before the audience knew he’d be joining the TARDIS.

It’s tough to point out specifically what makes a Doctor great, so here’s what makes Christopher Eccleston’s Time Lord so fantastic: he’s the Doctor. Top that off with a moonlight serenade with a smart blonde in a union jack top and we have a winner.

Nick Kitchen: The End of the World

Hands down, my favourite episode from Series 1 has to be The End of the World. I have a feeling I may be in the minority here, but this encapsulates all that Doctor Who is/was prior to the Time War retcon in The Day of the Doctor. This episode, more than the preceding Rose or any of the other serials, set the tone for what we could expect from modern Doctor Who and gave us the Last of the Time Lords motif that defined NuWho all the way through the anniversary year.

While it’s been argued that Doctor Who works better when it’s not tied to an arc or something guiding the Doctor, I would contend that the narrative works better when the Doctor has a motivation (guilt from double genocide, curiosity – i.e. most of the Matt Smith era – etc.).

The episode also gave us our first taste of what NuWho would do with a new companion’s first off-Earth adventure and it didn’t disappoint. Rose (and the audience, which I’m sure had many that were new to Doctor Who) learned more about the Doctor as well as experienced the danger and excitement involved with running off with a Mad Man with a Box. While Series 1 had some excellent stories and moments, this is the one I’d identify as the best of the initial run.

Joe Siegler: The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances

My favorite for Series 1 is the two parter, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. Why? Just watch it.

Oh, you want more detail? Well, it mixes what I liked best about Doctor Who all in one place. That would be horror, comedy, adventure, and some “Doctor observes the humans” remarks (“Mauve”), and you have a winner.  Not to mention the comedy of the piece – some of it cheeky. Couple it with what would be regarded as a “Happy Ending” (no not THAT way) – I’m talking about “Everyone Lives!”, and you have a clear front runner for best story of the series.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the introduction of Capt Jack Harkness, a character I’d love to see return.  And yes, Moffat – I want to see him come back for the hell of it – proper character servicing be damned.  I want him to come back again!

Are you my Mummy?

In many ways Aliens of London/World War III are the yang to the ying that is Empty Child/Doctor Dances.

Andrew Reynolds: The Unquiet Dead

The first and probably best of the celebrity historical episodes, The Unquiet Dead is neither overtly reverential or simplistic when it comes to dealing with the complexities of Charles Dickens as he nears the end of his life.

It says something about the early confidence of show that the episode chooses to expand its storytelling horizons with nothing more complicated than a dispute with a theatrical agent – it’s impossible to imagine the show as it is today using this as little more than colour to its main plot – here Dickens’ life, such as it is at that point, is vital to the story. It helps that you have Simon Callow in the role, an actor who had at least a decade’s worth of experience playing the great man – and he’s the perfect straight man for both Eccleston’s fanboy exuberance and his strictly business seriousness.

Some of the best moments are when the Ninth Doctor cannot hide his frustration at Dickens’ amateur sleuthing; giving us a clear indication that what could have been a rudimentary ‘sceptical support player discovers true nature of universe’ plot will be driven by character, not convention.

It’s here that we first get a sense of this new Doctor’s morality. There is no sugar coating it; if, like Dickens, you attempt to contextualise the events unfolding before your eyes, you will be shot down – the Doctor, in his current frame of mind, has no room for anyone’s interpretations of, in this instance, the nature of ghosts.

It speaks volumes that the Doctor never replies to Dickens’ worry that his life has been indirectly devoted to ignorance – in the Doctor’s mind, it’s not about holding your hand; it’s about saving as many lives as possible – a beautifully clever way of saying that this new show will not indulge you with its cleverness.

Alasdair Shaw: Bad Wolf/ The Parting of the Ways

It was close. I’m a Moffat fan, so The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances very nearly got my vote. Instead I went for The Parting of the Ways. Mainly because I’m a regeneration man. Although there were other reasons.

The Doctor deciding not to wipe out the Dalek fleet for one, showing that he’d moved on from McCoy: “Coward. Anyday.”

The very first death of Captain Jack and a kiss that proved to be significantly less controversial than one in 1996: “I wish I never met you, Doctor. I was much better off as a coward.”

The Daleks actually being a viable threat. Christopher Eccleston’s fear was contagious to the point where even behind the couch wasn’t a safe haven.

But like I said, it’s the regeneration that cements the top spot as far as I’m concerned. In a mere handful of moments the Ninth Doctor conveys the fear, wonder, and uncertainty that comes with regeneration. Tennant did a fantastic (sorry) job with The End of Time, but what he took two episodes to achieve Eccleston did it in a single scene.

“You were fantastic. And you know what? So was I!”

Those are a few of our favourites from Series 1. Now it’s your turn! Vote below for your favourite, and we’ll find out the overall winner later this year…

Take Our Poll

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

Follow The Adventures of Dalek Gary!

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.

It’s quite unusual that I should find myself laughing out loud at the daily Kasterborous news collection, but this YouTube clip certainly put me in a good mood. It’s from Dalek Gary, a Doctor Who parody (as you might have guessed) about a Dalek stranded on Earth.

While here, he is forced to face “the challenges of daily life”, and you can probably see how amusing these challenges might be. Created by Kill9TV, Gary is a Dalek who has been stranded on Earth, with no functional weaponry, and no way home (sob).

Featuring Brian Firenzi, Jason Horton, John-Paul Nickel. James Ashby and Ben Dunn with linking narration by Maria del Carmen, Dalek Gary is a series of sketches which show how the lost Dalek tries blend in with the locals until help arrives, until he is selected by a British film crew “as the subject of a documentary following the lives of illegal migrant workers trying to make a living in the United States.”

Over the course of the series, Gary will be getting a job, going on a blind date and even joining a book club.

You don’t really want to miss this, do you? As Doctor Who fan productions go, it sounds like one of the most unique yet.

(Via LaughingSquid)

The post Follow The Adventures of Dalek Gary! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

New Thunderbirds Are Go! Series Features Doctor Who Links

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.

CITV continue to tease their upcoming reboot of the classic Gerry and Sylvia Anderson series, Thunderbirds. The new show, dubbed Thunderbirds are Go!, forgoes the classic “Supermarionation” puppetry in favor of CGI with live-action miniature sets. Of special note to Whovians, though, is the inclusion of several Doctor Who vets working behind the scenes.

Adjoa Andoh, who appeared as Martha Jones’s mother Francine in Series 3 and 4 of Doctor Who, plays a new character in Thunderbirds are Go! named Colonel Casey, while Thomas Brodie-Sangster – better known to Doctor Who fans as Thomas Sangster, Human Nature‘s Tim Latimer – voices Gordon and John Tracy. Angel Coulby (The Girl in the Fireplace) voices Tracy Island resident Kayo, while Sandra Dickinson, former wife of Peter Davison and mother of Georgia Moffett, brings life to Grandma Tracy.

Brothers Ben and Nick Foster are set to compose the music for the new show. Both brothers scored episodes from the first three series of Torchwood, while Ben is most well-known as the arranger/orchestrator for composer Murray Gold on Doctor Who. He also acted as orchestrator for each of the recent Doctor Who Proms, the 2010 Doctor Who Live tour, and Doctor Who — A Symphonic Spectacular.

Mostly notable is the return of actor David Graham, reprising his role of Parker from the original Thunderbirds (and taking a break from being the hilariously dry Wise Old Elf). Doctor Who fans will remember that Graham was also one of the original Dalek voices in The Daleks (1963-64), The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964), The Chase (1965), and The Daleks’ Master Plan (1965-66). Afterwards, he appeared in the flesh as Charlie the barman in The Gunfighers (1966), and later in City of Death (1979) as Professor Kerensky.

For more details on the new show, here’s the official synopsis:

Fifty years after its television debut the iconic series is back in production featuring a talented cast led by Rosamund Pike (The World’s End, Gone Girl) as Lady Penelope and David Graham (Thunderbirds 1965) reprising his role as chauffeur and International Rescue agent Parker. Debuting on ITV in 2015 this re-invention of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s much-loved series will be produced using an innovative mix of CGI animation and live-action miniature sets. Unstoppable inventor Brains will be voiced by Kayvan Novak (Fonejacker, Facejacker) whilst Tracy brothers Gordon and John are both played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Love Actually, Game of Thrones). Rasmus Hardiker (Saxondale, Lead Balloon) has been cast as both the youngest and oldest Tracy brothers Alan and Scott. The fifth Tracy brother, Virgil, will be played by David Menkin. Tracy Island matriarch Grandma Tracy is voiced by Sandra Dickinson (Amazing World of Gumball, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and master villain The Hood played by Andres Williams (M.I. High, Foyle’s War). Plus Thunderbirds Are Go! will feature new characters including Kayo, the Tracy brothers’ friend and fellow island resident, who will be played by Angel Coulby (Merlin, Dancing on the Edge) and Colonel Casey voiced by Adjoa Andoh (Invictus, Doctor Who).

Thunderbirds are Go! premieres April 15 on CITV and has already been renewed for a second season. For now, you can check out the latest trailer above, showcasing the beautiful new miniature sets designed by Weta Workshop (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit).

Are you excited to see the new adventures of the Cloudbase crew? (No wait, Cloudbase was Captain Scarlet – or was that Captain Jack..?)

(Via blastr)

The post New Thunderbirds Are Go! Series Features Doctor Who Links appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The Last Day of the Time War: Reimagined!

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.

BabelColour is back with this: The Time War Chronicles: The Final Days.

This is for anyone struggling to coalesce The End of Time and The Day of the Doctor - and details the Fall of Arcadia, Gallifrey’s second city. And it works really brilliantly. The best bit, of course, is towards the end, with the Doctors… well, just watch it, okay?

Reportedly, BabelColour did it in the name of peace and sanity. But not in the name of the Doctor. That’s just what we’ve heard anyway. Obviously, we can’t be sure, so we’ll leave it up to you, okay?

The post The Last Day of the Time War: Reimagined! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #8 Previewed

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.

This Wednesday sees the release of Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #8 by Al Ewing and with art by Warren Pleece. Two covers are available, with Boo Cook producing the illustration you can see on cover A above.

So, what is the Doctor up to in this issue?

Interstellar dogfights still rage in the skies over London!

When Alice is forced into a high-stakes solo challenge that could end the conflict, she’ll need to muster everything she’s learned on her travels with the Doctor in order to succeed – and even that might not be enough!

Has the Doctor made a grave mistake – or is it all part of a larger plan?

Not only that, Titan Comics promise that the shocking secret of the fearsome Amstrons of the Great Wheel, hinted at throughout the series, will be revealed this issue!

Art preview time:

It’s yours for just $3.99 or the local equivalent, from all good comic stores. In the UK, check your local Forbidden Planet first, and for more information the Titan Comics website should be your first stop.

The post Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #8 Previewed appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Monday News: Gambon, Miller, and Soldier’s Exit, Pursued By A Bear

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.

There’s a machine in the basement of K Towers – past the bins, by the photocopier, under that “hang in there, kitty” poster – in which a staff member can empty the day’s news. It does some bleeping and some whirring and for a couple of months it played Doctor in Distress every few seconds (which was especially creepy at night), as it goes about its task of condensing it all into one easy-to-read News Blast.

Unfortunately, it gets a bit confused and prints off some dodgy fan fiction about a chance meeting between River Song and Bernice Summerfield, followed by photos of Martha Jones. We’ve been meaning to fix it. But until we do, it falls to us, instead, to type up the news.

We should probably stop feeding it news, but we can’t wait to find out what happens when Bernice is cornered by by the Macra and an oddly giant slug called Ricky.

Anyway! Onwards and downwards!

Tennant’s Winter Tale

Today, David Tennant makes his debut on Just A Minute, a BBC Radio 4 show hosted by The Curse of Fenric‘s Nicholas Parsons. And he does rather well.

The show challenges guests to talk about a subject for sixty seconds “without repetition, deviation, or hesitation.” Sounds easy. But it’s not. Tennant’s minute is about “Exit, Pursued By A Bear”, a stage direction from Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. Parsons predicted he’d do well, but he hadn’t expected David to last the full minute!

“Can I leave now before I ruin my record?” he says, after much cheering from the audience.

Joined by veteran Just A Minute stars, Paul Merton, Julian Clary, and Stephen Fry, Tennant’s excellent performance is on BBC Radio 4 at 6:30pm.

Thou Weigh’st Thy Words Before Thou Givest Them Breath

Sir Michael Gambon has announced that he’s quitting theatrical work after troubles with remembering the script.

The Christmas Carol star admitted to wearing an earpiece on stage so a prompter could feed him lines, and has voiced concerns that he would be victim to Alzheimer’s disease; fortunately, doctors gave him the all-clear – instead, his forgetfulness is the result of his age. Gambon made his theatre debut in Othello in 1962 in Dublin and was soon approached by Laurence Olivier to join the National Theatre Company. In 1965, he then appeared in the film version of Olivier’s Othello.

This isn’t a decision Sir Michael takes lightly, however, saying:

“It’s a horrible thing to admit but I can’t do it. It breaks my heart. It’s when the script’s in front of me and it takes forever to learn. It’s frightening.”

Richard Bonehill (1948-2015)

Richard Bonehill has passed away at the age of 67.

He may be best remembered for his work in the original Star Wars trilogy – playing various stormtroopers and aliens, including Nien Nunb – but Bonehill also starred in five uncredited roles in Doctor Who: first as an engineer in Time-Flight (1982); then as First Officer in Enlightenment (1983); as a gaurdolier in Timelash (1985); as a guard in the first part of 1985’s Revelation of the Daleks; and finally in all four episodes of Terror of the Vervoids, part of Trial of a Time Lord (1986), as a guard on the Hyperion III.

He also had roles in Flash Gordon, ‘Allo ‘Allo, Rob Roy, and Top Secret!

Richard passed away on 4th February, as announced by the Truro Fencing Club, which he became President of in 2007.

Tech-Savvy Sheriff

In an interview with The Guardian, Ben Miller, one of my favourite comedians and star of Robot of Sherwood (2014), says Doctor Who and  Primeval are the most technologically-advanced shows he’s worked on “because they use so much computer modelling and green screen. The challenge is to imagine things that aren’t there but I lack that ability, so there’s usually a middle-aged man with a stick pretending to be a dinosaur. On Death In Paradise, I had a CGI pet lizard and had to react to nothing, which was hideously embarrassing.”

Ben starred as the Sheriff of Nottingham opposite Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor last year – while in Horrible Histories, he played King John. So basically, he fits into that era pretty well!

He also recalls his time studying for a PhD in Physics: “There was no such thing as sexy geeks back then. Even at university, if you were at a party and mentioned you were studying science, people would literally walk off. Nobody hid their contempt.”

And yet, the geek, as we know, shall inherit the Earth.

Supporting Soldiers

I’m normally pretty sceptical about fan films. I full admit this. But then, I also admit that Doctor Who: The Soldier Stories looks properly good.

The tale charts how Emily, an American war veteran, has an effect on a Gallifreyan special agent operative, the Soldier. The pilot is in the can, but for a full season to be made, they need to raise $65,000 to pay for cast, crew, and special effects – and that’s where you come in.

They’re trying to get the series funded through FundAnything, and a host of privileges are available, including digital releases and scripts, the soundtrack, a signed poster, and even a speaking role!

Go on – help them out!

Colin’s Cramped Comic Con

Last weekend, the Dallas Comic Con’s Fan Days was held. Smaller than the main Dallas Comic Con (which is due to be held in May), this one still boasted Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker and John Barrowman aka Captain Jack Harkness amongst its guests!

Held at the Irving Convention Centre, it was apparently a bit cramped – and queue were rife, especially when it came to the Q&A sessions –  but the stars still seemed happy.

Sadly, Billie Piper has postponed her appearance at May’s Dallas Comic Con, but the line-up is nonetheless impressive: both Baker and Barrowman will return, alongside Alex Kingston (River Song) and fan groups, The Doctor Who Society and DWF Cosplay Gallifrey. Non-Who guests include Star Trek‘s Nichelle Nichols, and The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ Chris Sarandon and Ken Page, plus comic book artists like Michael Lark (Daredevil), Mitch Breitweister (Captain America), and Khoi Pham (Scarlet Spider).

Right. That’s yer lot. Get out, everyone. Shut the door behind you. Can anyone else hear Doctor in Distress…?

The post Monday News: Gambon, Miller, and Soldier’s Exit, Pursued By A Bear appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.