Christian Cawley's Blog, page 204

Doctor Who Hugo Awards Defeat To Game Of Thrones

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.

Surprising news came on Sunday evening with Doctor Who’s Hugo Awards defeat to Game of Thrones in the TV drama category!

Doctor Who was represented by not one, not two, not even three but four nominations, the 2013 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, Series 7 finale The Name of the Doctor, Mark Gatiss’ 50th anniversary docu-drama An Adventure in Space and Time and Peter Davison’s hilarious The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.

In the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form category, Game of Thrones‘ “The Rains of Castamere” episode, written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss and directed by David Nutter, took the spoils.

This disappointing news follows a similar defeat in 2013 that saw Game of Thones episode “Blackwater” end a strong run of form for Doctor Who in the science-fiction awards over the previous four years, where episodes such as The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, The Girl in the Fireplace and the peerless Blink – all of which were written by Steven Moffat.

Kasterborous is particularly aggrieved that Peter Davison’s work on The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot went unrecognised. Perhaps we can do better next year with the arrival of the Twelfth Doctor?

The post Doctor Who Hugo Awards Defeat To Game Of Thrones appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Weta Dalek & Davros Statues On EBay – Ends Monday!

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.

Did you catch the notice that Kasterborous editor Christian Cawley is parting with his prized Doctor Who Weta statues on eBay?

The pair of Weta Workshop-crafted limited edition statues of the Fourth Doctor and Davros from Genesis of the Daleks and the Dalek Weta Statue from Dalek are both due to close at 8pm and 8.30pm respectively on Monday, August 18th 2014, so you still have time to put your bids in.

Here’s an interesting fact: right now (as I write this), the Dalek Weta Statue (which stands at around 12.5″) is just £100 – less than a 1/3rd of the price of the last such item to sell on eBay in July (which went for an astonishing £349!).

Could you grab a bargain? Bid now!

The post Weta Dalek & Davros Statues On EBay – Ends Monday! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Big Finish’s Zygon Hunt and Revenge of the Swarm Now Unleashed!

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.

So the Doctor, a Zygon, and the Swarm walk into a bar…wait a tick, that’s not it. Let’s try this again. So, we’re under a week away from Deep Breath and while that is just a few days from now, it still feels forever from here. What can you do in the interim, dear reader? Sure, Netflix or DVD marathons are a great thing. Catching the BBC America special programming this also a great time passer. But maybe, just maybe, you want something a little fresher. How about two brand new Big Finish stories to keep you entertained and occupied? Hmmm?

Lucky for us, Big Finish has “unleashed” two brand new stories featuring the Tom Baker Doctor and the McCoy Doctor, respectively. Available now is Zygon Hunt and Revenge of the Swarm!

While I’d prefer that Zygon Hunt meant we were going to find out what happened after that “no one knows who’s a Zygon” moment from The Day of the Doctor, you can take solace in knowing that the Fourth Doctor and Leela are after those creatures with big suckers.

Here’s what you can expect:

On the jungle planet Garros, Earth Forces Knight Commander-in-Chief Greg Saraton and his team are hunting gigantic beasts, for sport. When the Doctor and Leela arrive, they are caught up in a web of intrigue where there is no clear friend or foe. What is Saraton’s vital connection with Earth’s Solar System’s Defence Shield? Why are the giant reptilian birds of Garros attacking? What terrible secret lurks deep within the trees? Before the truth can be revealed, a heavy price will be extracted and loyalties will be tested to the limit.

And a Fourth Doctor nemesis has returned to bring havoc to the Seventh Doctor, Ace, and Hector!

The Doctor thought he had defeated the microscopic Nucleus of the Swarm in his fourth incarnation. He was wrong. It survived within the TARDIS, and now it has brought it back to Titan Base, back to the point of its own creation. It has a plan that spans centuries, a plan which will result in the Nucleus becoming more powerful – and larger – than ever before. To defeat it, the Doctor, Ace and Hex must confront the Nucleus within its new domain – the computer-world of the Hypernet, the information network crucial to the survival of the human empire. But if the Doctor is to save the day, he has to risk everything and everyone he holds dear…

Zygon Hunt and Revenge of the Swarm are available on CD and digital download now. Will you be scoping these out, dear reader? Let us know!

The post Big Finish’s Zygon Hunt and Revenge of the Swarm Now Unleashed! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Twelve Actors Who Have Played Multiple Notable Roles in Doctor Who

Alex Skerratt 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 universe is big and vast and complicated, and sometimes, multiple castings happen and we call them miracles.

Yes, some people may have freaked out when Peter Capaldi was cast as the Doctor, because he had appeared in the Whoniverse before, as Caecilius in 2008′s The Fires of Pompeii and as John Frobisher in Torchwood: Children of Earth. And whilst there are rumours that these recurring faces may be addressed at some point in Series 8, we take a look back at twelve other actors who have played multiple roles in the show’s history, and we ask, Does it really matter if we’ve seen them before…?

Colin Baker

The most famous example of a repeat casting would have to be the Sixth Doctor himself, who notably appeared in the show just a couple of years before his official debut, as Commander Maxil in 1983′s Arc of Infinity. Now, I wasn’t actually around when the news of Mr Baker’s casting hit the headlines, so I’m not sure if this was the subject of any lively debate at the time? But of course, Whovians were already aware that Time Lords could choose the faces of people they’d met before…

Lalla Ward

Case in point. Romana’s regeneration in the opening scene of Destiny of the Daleks is a controversial one, not least because the character cycles through bodies like she’s trying on sweaters in Primark, and apparently for no reason (she seemed quite healthy at the end of The Armageddon Factor!). But at least she acknowledges that she copied the body, as many viewers would have been aware that Lalla Ward had already appeared in the previous story in the guise of Princess Astra. So for Time Lords, at least, there’s a handy get-out clause for repeat castings.

But what about companions?

Jacqueline Hill

There’s really no escaping this one. Jacqueline Hill played the First Doctor’s companion Barbara Wright, and then returned in the 1980 story Meglos as Lexa, marking the first time in which a companion had returned to the series as a different character.

The event goes unchecked (in story terms) and that’s probably no bad thing, as it would have been a beast to explain! But then, Lexa is wearing a rather fetching turban, and is about twenty years older than the teacher from the Coal Hill School. Maybe this is enough of a disguise…?

Nicholas Courtney

Next we have the famous Brigadier nee Colonel Lethbridge Stewart, a stalwart of the series from 1968 until 1989. And as many of us know, he appeared in the series a few years earlier, alongside William Hartnell’s Doctor in 1965′s The Daleks’ Masterplan. Admittedly, he was a raring-to-go space agent, and he was missing his famous moustache, so any similarities to UNIT’s Brig were certainly minimal. If you’re an ardent continuity enthusiast, this one should give you the least cause for concern.

Freema Agyeman

Finally, a character similarity that was acknowledged! Freema famously played the Tenth Doctor’s companion Martha Jones, first appearing in 2007′s Smith and Jones, but she’d popped up in the previous season as Torchwood employee Adeola, who’d been swiftly ‘upgraded’ by the Cyber hoard!

The fact that these two characters were identical was no biggie for script supremo Russell T Davies - they were cousins! Simples.

Michael Sheard

Oh boy – ‘simples’ this ain’t! The wonderful Michael Sheard made more comebacks than Anthony Ainley’s Master (almost), clocking up six appearances in the series, starting with The Ark in 1966, followed by The Mind of Evil in 1971, Pyramids of Mars in 1975, The Invisible Enemy in 1977, Castrovalva in 1982, and Remembrance of the Daleks in 1988.

However, thanks to the natural passage of time, Mr Sheard does look suitably different in each story in which he appears, so I think we can rest easy. If not, the ‘multiple cousins’ card is still on the table…

Pamela Salem

I love Pamela Salem, and I must admit I had to think hard about her various appearances, as the first one that always comes to mind is her role of Rachel Jensen in 1988′s Remembrance of the Daleks. But she did, of course, play the wonderful Commander Toos in 1977′s The Robots of Death, and I think it is more of a testament to her fine acting, rather than makeup, that makes this repeat casting so wonderfully subtle. I have no issue with Pamela Salem cropping up again – make her the Series 9 companion, I say!

Karen Gillan

Similarly, you have to think really hard about Karen Gillan’s Doctor Who appearances, aside from the obvious Amelia Pond between 2010 and 2012. She was also in The Fires of Pompeii as one of the Sisters of the Sybilline, buried under a ton of makeup and a fancy robe, with a distinctly un-Scottish accent.

In hindsight, though, it is fascinating to think that this obscure number from 2008 proved to be such a prophetic episode in terms of casting; it contains a future companion and a future Doctor! Now all we need is for the writer James Moran to become the show-runner and Gallifrey Base will go into lockdown!

Eve Myles

Next we have the lovely Eve Myles, made famous as Gwen Cooper in the spin-off series Torchwood, who later appeared in 2008′s The Stolen Earth and Journey’s End. Rewind three years, though, and you’ll see her in 2005′s The Unquiet Dead as the similarly-named Gwyneth, who just so happens to live in Cardiff as well! Fortunately, the estimable Russell T Davies was on hand with his relatives and spacial genetic multiplicities to explain this uncanny resemblance, and fandom breathed a huge sigh of relief (and maybe scratched its head a little). In short – never live on top of a rift in time and space.

Neve McIntosh and Dan Starkey

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, The Paternoster Gang are scattered throughout the time vortex. Not only did Silurian Neve McIntosh and Sontaran Dan Starkey head up a detective agency in Victorian London, but they also had villainous relatives in previous adventures! Look out of Neve McIntosh in 2010′s The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood as the suitably evil Restac and her twin sister Alaya, followed by Dan Starkey as Commander Skorr and Lieutenant Skree in The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky (he’s  in The End of Time and The Time of the Doctor as well). Given that the Sontarans are a clone race, and many of the Silurians look the same anyway, I don’t think we need to lose too much sleep over this one.

Lynda Baron

Finally, we have the wonderful Lynda Baron who made her first appearance in Doctor Who as the conniving Captain Wrack in 1983′s Enlightenment, followed by the somewhat friendlier Val in 2011′s Closing Time. As with Michael Sheard, the ‘passing of time’ plays a part in helping to distinguish these characters’ outward appearances. Plus, of course, one of them his pure evil, whilst the other is pure innocence!

I particularly wanted to mention Lynda Baron as she also features in one of my all-time favourite stories – The Gunfighters from 1966. Although she never appears on screen, she provides the omnipresent ‘Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon’ from behind the cameras. And whilst the song is unlikely to receive a Dominic Glynn remix anytime soon (or in fact, ever!), I definitely thought it was worthy of a mention, as it’s sung so brilliantly. Just as well, really, as it comprises about 50% of the story…!

So there we are – twelve shining examples of notable actors who have made multiple appearances in Doctor Who. Whilst some are tricky for continuity purists to circumnavigate, many of the repeat castings are explained by the story’s writers. And if anyone still has any concerns as to who, exactly, “frowned” the Twelfth Doctor’s face for him… Well, you probably won’t have much longer to wait…

The post Twelve Actors Who Have Played Multiple Notable Roles in Doctor Who appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Mirror Reports Jenna Coleman Quits Doctor Who

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.

Following our report last week that Jenna Coleman has quit Doctor Who, The Mirror is reporting that the actress is gearing up to make the Christmas episode her last.

Citing the usual unnamed BBC source, the paper reports that “The conversations about Jenna’s exit have started, and a plan is in place which is being ironed out. By the time she leaves she will be one of the longest-standing companions ever. She has been absolutely brilliant in the role, but everyone agrees it is a part that should change after a period.”

(Regular readers will recall that we published a speculative piece last week concerning the likelihood of the actress leaving aft joining a social network. In truth we had heard of her likely departure but had nothing to hang it on without compromising one of our sources.)

The source continues, “It’s important to keep the series moving and fast-paced, and the time is just starting to feel right and the feeling is that it could be a perfect Christmas storyline.”

First appearing in 2012′s Asylum of the Daleks, Jenna Coleman joined the series permanently in that Christmas’ The Snowmen – but in both cases was playing a splinter of Clara Oswald, who we eventually met n 21st century London in The Bells of St John in Spring 2013 (and who is split when she throws herself into the Doctor’s time stream to undo the damage by the Great Intelligence in The Name of the Doctor.

Just how Clara comes to leave the TARDIS – if these reports are true – is of course a secret at this stage, but of course a quick look at classic and nuWho will show that companions leaving after a regeneration is uncommon.

Jenna’s departure will no doubt give the actress the opportunity to try for some big roles in the USA (she had a small part in the first Captain America movie) but let’s not get upset; we’ve got five month’s worth of appearances to enjoy before the thrill of finding a new companion begins (unless, of course, he or she has already been cast…)

How do you feel about this news? Too early for Clara to go, or will you refuse to believe it until you see it?

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One Week To Go: Remembering the Eleventh Doctor’s Debut

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.

Doctor Who is one week away. Seven little days. And then, Peter Capaldi bursts onto the scene as the Doctor.

Yes, Deep Breath might just be 604,800 seconds away, but there’s no better time to remember what came before. The Eleventh Doctor. And wasn’t he simply sensational? The bow-tie-wearing incarnation debuted in April 2010 – who can believe four years have passed?! – in The Eleventh Hour, an episode loved by huge swathes of fandom. Above, you can see that unforgettable moment when he announced himself to the universe, scaring off the Atraxi. The episode saw him outwit Prisoner Zero with no TARDIS, no sonic screwdriver and 20 minutes, but he was, without doubt, the Doctor.

For so, so many people, Matt Smith’s Time Lord is known as “My Doctor.” That’s nothing against the other fantastic faces that have filled the role; everyone has a Doctor that just speaks to them, that will forever remain a part of them.

We’re certain Capaldi will be brilliant too; nonetheless, he recently told Marie Claire, “I don’t know if people will like me or not; or if the show will be more successful or less successful. But no matter what happens, someone somewhere will love me – I’ll be someone’s Doctor. Even if everyone else hates me.”

Hmm. I wonder who Capaldi’s Doctor is…

“But don’t forget me,” Matt begged fans soon after last year’s SDCC. “Please remember me!” Don’t worry, Matt. We’ll always remember you.

How will you remember the Raggedy Man?

The post One Week To Go: Remembering the Eleventh Doctor’s Debut appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

BBC America’s Doctor Who Launch Schedule Confirmed

Drew Boynton 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 gonna be Who-this!, Who-that!, and Who-there! all week long on the American home of the British Broadcasting Company. Doctor Who is BBC America’s most popular show that doesn’t feature an army of clones (hmm, wait a minute…) and the channel is going for the ratings gold with a major Who marathon and several new-to-broadcast specials. Of course, this all leads up to the night of 23 August, when we can all stop holding our collective breaths for Deep Breath!

Speaking of that first episode of Series 8, BBC America will be showing it on the 23rd in the 8 o’clock hour (Eastern Time), when it will be preceded and also followed by 15-minute live presentations by The Nerdist and Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick. His guests even include Mark Gatiss! The same night, the channel will debut the dramatic series Intruders, starring John Simm (the Master/Mr. Saxon) and executive-produced by former Who-gurus Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner!

Leading up to the night of the 23rd, there’s lots of good stuff as well. Two new specials help kick off The Doctor Who Takeover Week on Saturday, 16 August. The Ultimate Companion is hosted by Fifth Doctor actor Peter Davison and has interviews with Steven Moffat, John Barrowman, David Tennant, and others. That program will be followed by The Real History of Science Fiction: Time, which includes chats with David Tennant. Both specials run about one hour each.

On Monday the 18th, a special called Doctor Who: The Ultimate Time Lord will debut at 10pm. This hour-long program will also be hosted by Peter Davison and will at least partially focus on Peter Capaldi’s new Doctor. Expect contributions once again from Tennant and, sigh, Barrowman. The Ultimate Time Lord will signal the start of the Doctor Who Marathon, which takes over the channel until Deep Breath is broadcast on the 23rd.  The Doctor Who Takeover Week Marathon includes everything from a complete run of the Doctors Revisited specials to An Adventure in Space and Time to full runs of episodes for both the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors.  Geronimo!

And finally, a terrific-sounding documentary called Doctor Who: Earth Conquest will make its debut on Friday the 22nd at 9pm. The 60-minute program will feature footage, interviews, and behind-the-scenes material from the recent (and ongoing!) Doctor Who World Tour! Definitely expect to see exclusive talks and footage of Steven Moffat, Jenna Coleman, and Peter Capaldi as they make their way around the globe, from Cardiff, to London, to Seoul, to Sydney, and beyond! It’s like being able to see the World Tour without actually having to buy the tickets or stand in line!

BBC America has really brought a prominence to Doctor Who that it never before had in the USA. PBS never had the budget to promote the show in a proper way and the Syfy Channel… well, the less said about them the better. Let’s hope that Deep Breath brings big ratings and allows BBC America to keep promoting Doctor Who as one of their flagship shows, if not their premiere flagship show!

Kasterborites in the USA, will you be tuning in to BBC America for the week-long Takeover… and just how many hours in a row can you watch before your eyesight totally gives out?!

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Yeti, Texting, Daleks, Average Doctors And Leakgate Part 2

Drew Boynton 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.

Fly in from the past and adjust your solar mast… it’s the Kasterborous News Blast! In today’s Blast of New-New-New-New-News, the search is on for lost Yetis, those dastardly Daleks invade a museum, Peter Capaldi gets leaked again, and why texting the Doctor during a night out is a very bad idea.  Geronimo!

Seeking Yeti: Must Be Tall, Hairy And 50 Years Old

A movie theater is offering free tickets to anyone who worked on 1967′s The Abominable Snowmen. Filmed nearly a half-century ago, the six-part story introduced the Yetis to viewers, fans, and the Second Doctor! Now, the Odeon cinema at Eagles Meadow in Wrexham is offering tickets for a screening of Deep Breath to anyone associated with the classic serial. With only Episode Two still in existence, not to mention nearly 50 years gone by–and just a few photos and behind-the-scenes home movies by actor Frazer Hines to go on– the search won’t be easy.

The question has to be asked… does this all hint at a return for the menacing giant fur balls in 2014?

It Just Needed Some Jiggery-Pokery

The Practically Viral webpage has a supposed liquor-fueled text exchange that was sent back and forth between a Doctor Who fan and a “drunk dialer”. The tanked-up texter sent a message to the wrong person. In turn, that person “decided” to pose as the Doctor and send a variety of Time Lord and Weeping Angel-inspired responses.

The texting between them goes on and on, and frankly seems a little too perfect. It’s a bit hard to believe that someone as drunk as this texter seems to be would stick with the conversation for so long… and thank “the Doctor” for changing their life.

But like Alice (and the Fifth Doctor), I’ll try to believe five (funny) things before breakfast!

Sigh. I Hope The Ears Are A Bit Less Conspicuous This Time

A fan named Dave Clipson has made a YouTube video of what the Doctor would look like if all of his faces were blended together. Clipson put a lot of thought (and math!) into his blending of Doctors, and the results are fascinating, if not downright bizarre. With only a face his half-human mother could love, the “average Doctor” looks kind of like Paul McGann(‘s love-child with Eddie Izzard) wearing a coconut toupee.

Let’s hope they don’t use the video to cast Peter Capaldi’s successor!

Night At The Museum 6: The Invitation Of The Daleks

Some of the Doctor’s best enemies will be appearing this weekend (16-17 August) at the Fleet Arm Air Museum at RSAS Yeovilton. The Daleks, as well as “Cybermen, Pig Slaves, and Weeping Angels”, will invade the show, which is open from 10am to 5.30pm. There will also be costume contests and a chance to build your own Dalek! So if you’re in the neighborhood, why not visit the museum… and battle a few foes of the Doctor?

Don’t Turn Your Back. Don’t Look Away. And Whatever You Do, Don’t Leak!

The MediaMonkey page on theguardian.com says that at least part of yet another Series 8 episode was recently leaked online.  The hastily written article cites the Daily Express and International Business Times as the sources of the story, but offers little else in the way of details. The title of the supposedly-leaked episode isn’t given and probably only a few minutes of the episode made it onto the web.  This is apparently a totally different situation than the still-unsolved major leaks from several weeks ago.  If this newest story is true, maybe The Master really has returned and is now in charge of BBC security?

That’s all for today’s News Blast!  Make sure to tune in next time Kasterborites, because with 23 August getting closer and closer, the news will keep getting better and better!

The post Yeti, Texting, Daleks, Average Doctors And Leakgate Part 2 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

It’s A Doctor Who Flash Bang Wallop!

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.

We love a good montage here at Kasterborous Towers. Contemplate if you will, dear reader, on this snippet of Who-love from Babelcolour – YouTube master of polychroming the monochrome and editing our favourite show into improbably brilliant tributes. Proving that fifty years worth of a television show as diverse as Doctor Who provides enough material to put together a montage for just about *any* song – here’s a Who-companiment to Tommy Steele’s Flash Bang Wallop!..

The song comes from the 1963 musical, Half a Sixpence which was based on a book by H. G. Wells – sci-fi legend and onetime companion to the Sixth Doctor. But enough of that. Babelcolour’s offering is a great mix of Classic and NuWho, including a wealth of behind-the-scenes clips from both eras. There’s even a brief glimpse of what looks like “Dr Shmoo” – a (very) early Doctor Who sketch from a 1964 episode of comedy show, Big Night Out, a mere four months after the Dalek’s first appearance.

And for those of you not subjected to repeats of his various musical films as a child, Tommy Steele was originally a British rock’n’roll star in the 1950s and 60s. He then transformed into a cross between a British Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Windsor. Take a look at the original number from the 1967 film version of the musical. Be warned – he’s like a miniature Tom Baker (all teeth and curls) on stimulants… (you don’t have to watch it. Really).

Any favourite Doctor Who video tributes? I confess to getting a bit of a thrill from Babelcolour’s colour First Doctor tribute – especially the bit where the beat kicks in over Hartnell’s “go forward in all your beliefs” speech (shiver)…

The post It’s A Doctor Who Flash Bang Wallop! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Deep Breath BBC Radio Trailers Spin Mystery

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.

An intriguing new radio trailer hints at just what form the ‘familiar face’ mystery will take.

Airing on Radio 6 yesterday, the 20 second trailer contains the following snippet of dialogue:

“Doctor: I never know where the faces come from. They just pop up.

Clara: I don’t think I know who the Doctor is anymore.

Doctor: It’s covered in lines. But I didn’t do the frowning. Who frowned me this face?”

Firstly, Capaldi’s delivery of that last line is perfect; slightly priggish and almost certainly unaware of how amusing he sounds – it’s a tantalising glimpse into what he can do with Moffat’s dialogue. Also, is it just me (it usually is) or does his delivery of the line ‘they just pop up’ sound eerily like the Fourth Doctor?

Secondly, those lines could easily have been said by the Eleventh Doctor. In fact, as a neat little comparison, the Eleventh Doctor did ask if he was funny when Amelia was watching him eat Fish Fingers and Custard in The Eleventh Hour; only you get the impression this Doctor might not care to ask. If you did frown him that face, basically… run!

Now, to the mystery itself: is the Twelfth Doctor’s new face literally etched with the grief or ‘frowns’ of those who lived with it or something similar to it, before? What’s the connection between Caecillus, Frobisher (from Torchwood, not the shape-shifting penguin) and the Twelfth Doctor… other than, you know Peter Capaldi? Does the first quote hint that this regeneration was in no way chosen by him; that he didn’t choose that particular face because of some unknown significance?

Was it chosen for him? Well, the last quote could be part of a larger explanation but the fact that he doesn’t refer to any particular Time Lord precedent would seem to hint that  this isn’t the case… unless he has regeneration amnesia, which seems to figure to some extent in Deep Breath.

Which brings us to another radio trailer; offering the full quote from some of the very first tantalising glimpses of the new series.

OOOOhhhh. Just heard the trailer on @BBC6Music "Clara, am I a good man?" "I-I don't know…" "Neither do I." #DoctorWho

— K Doctor Who News (@kasterborousdw) August 12, 2014

We’ll soon have the answers…

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