Christian Cawley's Blog, page 15

New Photo Revealed: Look At The Size of That Sonic Screwdriver!

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.

The next episode of Doctor Who might be quite a way off, and alongside all the other reasons to be grumpy about that is the fact that we won’t get to see the new sonic screwdriver in action for some time either.

Fortunately, the BBC has been kind enough to share this great photo of Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor shoving the new design in our faces!

Well, for everyone who asked…
Sonic boom!#DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/62XvIn1tFt

— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) January 29, 2016

And as the Radio Times aptly point out, it’s a biggie.

We’ve only really glimpsed this sonic screwdriver on-screen briefly at the end of Hell Bent and then on and off slightly in the most recent Christmas special, The Husbands of River Song. But we didn’t get much of a look at it.

With Series 10 delayed until 2017, who knows whether we’ll get our hands on a version of the Twelfth Doctor’s latest device before then! Rubbertoe Replicas teased that they’ll have one available soon, but its release date might be pushed back. You might note, however, that it lights up in different colours, so we might see this on television over the next year and a bit…

What do you think of the new sonic?

The post New Photo Revealed: Look At The Size of That Sonic Screwdriver! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Coming Soon: Spearhead from Space Steelbook Exclusive

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 an old saying in the Doctor Who fandom: you either love Spearhead from Space or you’re wrong. With that in mind, the sole Classic Who serial released on Blu-ray is getting an extra-special re-release, courtesy of Zavvi.

The online retailer is known for its impressive steelbook collection is bringing the metallic treatment to the Third Doctor’s debut story, written by Robert Holmes. And it’s limited to only 2000 units!

As punishment for breaking the laws of time, the Time Lords have forced the Doctor to change his appearance, taken away his ability to time travel, and exiled him to Earth… But as the TARDIS arrives, so does a meteor shower carrying an alien invasion force.

Originally shot on 16mm film, this classic Doctor Who story is the first to be upgraded into stunning HD.

… And sadly, it’s probably the only one to be upscaled to HD, at least for some time.

The exclusive steelbook isn’t their only Doctor Who in the range, the other pair being the two Peter Cushing movies from the 1960s – both available as 2 for £20. The original Spearhead from Space Blu-ray is also on offer from Zavvi for just £7.99.

Released on 28th March 2016, this steelbook Blu-ray is available exclusively for £15.99.

The post Coming Soon: Spearhead from Space Steelbook Exclusive appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The Counter-Measures Team Return to Big Finish This Year

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.

It’s been too long. Wondering what the Counter-Measures team are up to? Fortunately, they’re back in action this summer – and their secrets will be revealed!

Available in July, The New Counter-Measures Special will bridge the gap between two eras of the Intrusion Counter-Measures Group – the British Military group who first appeared in the classic 1988 four-parter, Remembrance of the Daleks – and will see the entire original cast return. That’s Simon Williams as Group Captain Gilmore, Pamela Salem as Rachel Jenson, Karen Gledhill as Allison Williams, and Hugh Ross as Sir Toby Kinsella!

The two-hour special will reveal the truths behind the shocking events that ended Counter-Measures: Series 4, released in July 2015. Producer, David Richardson teases:

“Some people have asked ‘Will we see any of the lead cast return for The New Counter-Measures?’ And I’m delighted to now reveal that they are all back – of course we would never dream of telling stories without them!”

The New Counter-Measures Special comprises one story told over two episodes – Who Killed Toby Kinsella? by John Dorney and The Dead Don’t Rise by Ken Bentley – and will pave the way for a brand new era in The New Counter-Measures: Series 1, available in December 2016.

Both the special and boxset can be pre-ordered today – with a bundle also available.

Also directed by Ken Bentley, the special itself will set you back just £14.99 for a physical copy or £12.99 for a download.

The post The Counter-Measures Team Return to Big Finish This Year appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Out Now: Doctor Who – The Complete History #11

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.

The latest volume of Doctor Who: The Complete History is out now and takes us right back to the end of an era: when Ian and Barbara, arguably the Doctor’s first companions, left the TARDIS.

Issue 11 of the 80-issue partwork takes a look at the behind-the-scenes of four First Doctor stories, one of which is missing from the archives:

The Crusade

When the TARDIS lands in twelfth-century Palestine, the Doctor and his friends are caught up in the conflict of the Third Crusade.

The Space Museum

The TARDIS skips a time-track and lands on the planet Xeros where the time-travellers see their own future – as exhibits in a museum.

The Chase

Under orders to exterminate the Doctor and his companions, the Daleks pursue the TARDIS through time and space…

The Time Meddler

The Doctor, Vicki, and Steven land in Saxon England on the eve of a Viking invasion. There, they meet a mysterious monk who is determined to divert the course of history.

For many, I suspect this might be the first time they properly uncover the story of The Crusade, while others will no doubt be instantly drawn to the Daleks’ chase across everywhen in search of the TARDIS. When, oh when, will we see the Mechanoids again?! (That almost rhymed.)

A special mention, too, for the interior art: the splash pages introducing each tale are utterly stunning.

Doctor Who: The Complete History #11 is out now, priced £9.99 (or $24.99 in Australia and New Zealand).

The post Out Now: Doctor Who – The Complete History #11 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Peter Capaldi Visits Refugee Camps in Jordan

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.

Ever the humanitarian Peter Capaldi has travelled with the UN Refugee Agency to witness first hand the front-line work the charity is doing in the middle east.

The UNHCR, a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees, is currently helping some of the 630,000 Syrian refugees living in Jordan. The charity took Capaldi to meet some of the people displaced by the conflict in Syria and to see some of the work being done to support them and their needs.

A short film of the actor’s experience in the region has been released, along with pictures from the visit. More content from the trip will be released over the next few weeks, including a virtual reality experience.

During the video, Capaldi makes an impassioned plea to remember what all Syrian refugees want.

“I think what a lot of people don’t understand, is that the majority of the people who have been made to flee – they want to go home, it’s all anybody wants to do is go home.”

You can make a secure donation towards helping the UNHCR continue to saving lives, protecting human rights and building a better future for refugees; and see updates from Capaldi’s trip on his UNHCR page.

The post Peter Capaldi Visits Refugee Camps in Jordan appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Mark Gatiss on Steven Moffat’s ‘Long Swansong’

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.

Mark Gatiss has told fans to prepare for a ‘long swansong’ for showrunner Steven Moffat who’ll depart the show after six series in charge.

Speaking at the Dad’s Army premiere (Gatiss plays Colonel Theakes in the cinematic revival of the much loved war-time sitcom) Gatiss told the Press Association that It will probably be a ‘relief’ when Moffat hands over the reins to Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall in 2018.

“We’ve been here many times before, it’s like changing the Doctor. It’s going to be very exciting because Chris will have a whole new agenda and whole new style. I think he’s a wonderful choice.”

He continued:

“Steve’s done an incredible job. Because he was shadowing Russell (T Davies) before, he’s been doing it for so long that in many ways it’ll be a relief, but the main thing is he’s had an incredible time and done an amazing job.”

It’s perhaps similar reasoning that made fans believe that Gatiss himself was a shoe-in for the showrunner position.

However, as far as Series 10 is concerned, Gatiss is keen to point out it isn’t quite the time to say goodbye to Moffat just yet.

“He’s got an entire series still to do so for someone who’s leaving he’s got a long time, a long swansong.”

The revived Dad’s Army has received mixed reviews: The Independent gave it five stars, calling it ‘as tasty and nostalgic as a slice of that upside-down cake that Godfrey’s sister Dolly used to bake,’ The Sun said the film was ‘a thoroughly spirited remake of a classic British comedy show’ and The Mirror, who were less kind, said ‘with moments of humour strictly rationed and inspiration rarer than a pair of wartime nylons, it’s time for all involved in this career-killing catastrophe to panic’.

So perhaps these aren’t the boys who’ll make you think again…

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Radio Time Cover Party: Peter Capaldi On Series 10, Chris Chibnall and Jenna Coleman

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.

Sporting a nifty new beard, Peter Capaldi was in attendance at the Radio Times cover party where he gave his opinion on Chris Chibnall, preparing for Series 10, and his thoughts on working without Clara Oswald herself Jenna Coleman – but there was no mention of the rumour that he’ll also be leaving the show when Steven Moffat hands over the reins in 2018.

Speaking of getting physically in shape for the start of filming on Series 10, Capaldi said he was looking forward to running down corridors once again.

“You have to be fit to do Doctor Who and so I’ve just been getting myself ready and I’ll be getting into training to start the show. When we start, it’ll run for nine months and the most important thing is to be there and to be fit and be on top of everything. I’m looking forward to starting.”

However, there was no mention of the side projects that had been at the heart of persistent rumours last year that would necessitate a delay – in fact Capaldi’s slate is entirely clean.

“There wasn’t really anything else around that I particularly wanted to do [until Doctor Who filming begins]. I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve got, great writers. And some fabulous exciting stories.”

Perhaps the most pressing issue for the Doctor Who crew between now and Series 10 (or possibly the Christmas special) is finding a new companion to replace Jenna Coleman. While nothing definitive has been confirm yet as to what their approach will be (Male, Female, Kamelion) talks have begun.

“We’ve just had some brief talks about it, we haven’t actually chosen someone yet — that I know of. Perhaps someone has been chosen but I would expect that I would meet them before we finalised all that. So we’re looking for someone different.”

Different is good. And it certainly feels different this time in regards to the changing of the guard. While it certainly feels odd that the Radio Times would broach the subject of Chris Chibnall’s appointment and not ask him to comment on his own future – perhaps Capaldi was reticent to talk about it or made clear that the question was off the table (it’s all speculation and the reason could soon become clear in another article from the very same cover party) he did have some nice things to say about the new boss.

“I think Chris is a wonderful writer, so that’s the exciting thing about Doctor Who — I don’t really know what he’s going to do with it. It’s going to be different and he’ll take it in a direction that is his… and that’ll be very exciting.

“That’s the lovely thing about Doctor Who, it keeps changing. Steven’s been fabulous but it will be very exciting to see what Chris does.”

And whatever new direction the show takes, Capaldi says that playing the Doctor will always keep him on his toes.

“It’s always a challenge. I don’t take it lightly, it’s always hard trying to figure out how to do it. But that’s a delightful challenge.”

There’s also a video extract of the interview with Capaldi where he shares his admiration for Jenna Coleman.

The post Radio Time Cover Party: Peter Capaldi On Series 10, Chris Chibnall and Jenna Coleman appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Might BBC Announce New Digital Platform for Doctor Who?

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.

Could the BBC be about to launch a new digital platform for Doctor Who after it was announced the show would be leaving both Netflix and Hulu by February.

A BBC spokesman told Decider that they are saving exact details about the new service until it was closer to launch date but ‘suffice to say there will be a wide range of programs of various genres and eras, as you would expect from a company with a range of content as deep and wide as [BBC] Worldwide’s, including content that has never been seen before and fan favorites.’

“We hope to announce a new digital partner for Doctor Who shortly,” the spokesman added.

However, while this doesn’t rule out the show returning to either Netflix or Hulu but it seems more likely that the BBC will go the way of other networks —like CBS, HBO, Showtime, and even their BBC America counterpart’s sister network AMC— and launch their own subscription service.

In fact, The Guardian reported on the launch back in September. BBC’s director general, Tony Hall commented at the time:

“We’re launching a new OTT [over-the-top] video service in America offering BBC fans programs they wouldn’t otherwise get, showcasing British actors, our program-makers and celebrating our culture.”

So it looks like it’ll be arriving sooner rather than later.

The BBC spokesman added that fans will still be able to stream series 7 – 9 on BBCAmerica.com and that the series will still be available through Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, and more VOD platforms.

The post Might BBC Announce New Digital Platform for Doctor Who? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

AL Kennedy on Doctor Who and the Precious Power of Storytelling

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.

Writer AL Kennedy went through a bit of a creative regeneration when she took on the task of penning The Drosten’s Curse – a Fourth Doctor novel wherein golf bunkers develop a taste for golfers.

It’s clear that being given the keys to the TARDIS has opened her horizons and left an indelible impression upon the author of such books as So I Am Glad and The Blue Book – so much so that she’s penned an article in The Guardian about how Doctor Who has reaffirmed in her the precious process of storytelling.

Needless to say, her words are inspiring – tentatively laying out the perils of surrendering her writing process over to the Doctor.

“It’s not that I don’t have fun when I’m writing. I do. I try to make it feel as exciting as sitting on my backside in an orthopaedic chair moving my fingers ever can. But writing for ’Who, it seemed appropriate to end each day’s work with an apparently insoluble problem and then wake up in the morning and see which character had solved it overnight – that kind of risk would give me an aneurysm in a novel that was starting its world from scratch. It was a little unnerving doing it with The Drosten’s Curse, but it was also exhilarating.”

Stepping back into the world of Doctor Who also served to underline the importance of fiction for adults, as well as children (The Independent’s review of The Drosten’s Curse focused on a potential cross over between the two fanbases – deciding that it may actually encourage more Doctor Who fans to read her work rather than the other way around – which, if true, is a shame )

“I think adults need fiction. I believe there’s an important place in any balanced life for vigorously fictional fictions. They’re proof of our imagination’s power. That’s the power that plans a change of socks, a change of government, a change of address – it’s useful. And it’s the power that puts you into the mind and life and body of someone other than yourself – it makes other members of our species less strange and makes us practise empathy in a way that feels entrancing, entertaining and so forth.”

And sci-fi has as much of duty to empathise with others as any other form of fiction – as Kennedy points out the clue is in the name Science Fiction – it’s a duty that, as she pictured the young readers of The Drosten’s Curse, was both ‘a horrifying privilege and a lesson.’

Ultimately, it was a mutually beneficial trip back into the worlds of Doctor Who.

“The project reminded me how precious storytelling is. It can shape a whole life for the better and always be there, making a good time better and a bad one bearable. I like trying to be part of that in general. I hugely enjoyed returning to one of the roots of my creativity and building something my smaller self would have liked.”

 

The post AL Kennedy on Doctor Who and the Precious Power of Storytelling appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who to Leave Netflix US From February 1st

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.

Anyone looking to pass the downtime between series with a Netflix binge of Doctor Who may be in for a bit of bad news if they happen to live in the US – Netflix have announced that as of February 1st Doctor Who is leaving its streaming service.

Responding to a query from Doctor Who Online, Netflix US tweeted:

@DrWhoOnline Good and bad news. Doctor Who is staying on @NetflixUK, but our dear Doctor will be departing on Feb 1 from the US. (1 of 2)

— Netflix US (@netflix) January 26, 2016

They went on to elaborate:

@DrWhoOnline Content comes & goes-a variety of factors are considered. It’s goodbye to an old friend, but a promise to care for David & Matt — Netflix US (@netflix) January 26, 2016

Well that sucks…Netflix is responsible for first introducing fans to the show – fans that then went on to view the show as it airs and even delving into its rich back catalogue. Both the classic Doctor Who and the rebooted Doctor Who bundles will disappear with only The Science of Doctor Who documentary remaining.

That first bundle – the classic episodes – is probably a great loss as its more difficult to track down older episodes than the widely available Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor tales.

Attempting to quell response from understandably upset fans who look more than happy to cancel their subscriptions, Netflix US responded:

@DrWhoOnline Sometimes the licensing for our content will expire & we have to remove it. But we’re always happy to work on getting it *JF

— Netflix CS (@Netflixhelps) January 26, 2016

So it looks like it’s either time to break out the DVD’s and Blu-Rays or get binge watching before the Doctor departs Netflix.

How many of you first watching Doctor Who via Netflix? Do you rely on Netflix for your Who fix? Is this enough to make you cancel your subscription?

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