Christian Cawley's Blog, page 210

Return Of The Doctor Who Pop Up Shops! [UPDATED]

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 a new Doctor, a new shop and brand new merchandise. BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand has announced that a Doctor Who pop-up shop will open its doors on August 7th at 10am at Shop 9.28A World Square Shopping Centre, 644 George St, Sydney.

The shop will be the first taste of some of the exciting products to come before the new Doctor Peter Capaldi and his companion Jenna Coleman touch down in Australia as part of a major global tour to launch the new series.

This pop-up shop follows the overwhelming popularity of stores in Sydney and Brisbane last year. The first-ever Sydney Doctor Who pop-up shop saw fans queuing for up to three hours beforehand to get their hands on exclusive Doctor Who merchandise to mark the 50th anniversary of the show.

This year’s pop-up shop features new exclusive Doctor Who products not currently available on Australian shores, including exclusive design “Capaldi” polo shirts and apparel from Her Universe, including leggings, dress and t-shirts.

The Doctor Who pop-up store will also stock all things TARDIS with new products for 2014 such as iPhone 5 covers, jewellery, a TARDIS tumbling block as well as aprons and melamine trays for aspiring Doctor Who chefs.

In addition, the store will feature a TARDIS photo booth allowing fans to enter the booth and have their photo taken on a choice of three backgrounds to share with friends via social media. The first 1000 customers will get a printout of their photo to take home.

Other merchandise includes the limited edition Dalek Coin, the Risk: The Dalek Invasion of Earth board game and Doctor Who party goods.

Says Elie Mansour, BBC Worldwide ANZ’s Head of Consumer Products: “BBC Worldwide is excited to offer brand new merchandise to Doctor Who fans to herald the arrival of the new Doctor and the new series at a special pop-up shop in the heart of Sydney.”

Update: August 7th

We’ve been sent the following images of the Sydney pop-up store:

If you’re in or near Sydney and have plans to visit, we think you should act quickly – we’re told it will remain open for a few weeks and that there is no specified closing date. It will mysteriously disappear, just like the TARDIS!

The post Return Of The Doctor Who Pop Up Shops! [UPDATED] appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Return Of The Doctor Who Pop Up Shops!

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 a new Doctor, a new shop and brand new merchandise. BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand has announced that a Doctor Who pop-up shop will open its doors on August 7th at 10am at Shop 9.28A World Square Shopping Centre, 644 George St, Sydney.

The shop will be the first taste of some of the exciting products to come before the new Doctor Peter Capaldi and his companion Jenna Coleman touch down in Australia as part of a major global tour to launch the new series.

This pop-up shop follows the overwhelming popularity of stores in Sydney and Brisbane last year. The first-ever Sydney Doctor Who pop-up shop saw fans queuing for up to three hours beforehand to get their hands on exclusive Doctor Who merchandise to mark the 50th anniversary of the show.

This year’s pop-up shop features new exclusive Doctor Who products not currently available on Australian shores, including exclusive design “Capaldi” polo shirts and apparel from Her Universe, including leggings, dress and t-shirts.

The Doctor Who pop-up store will also stock all things TARDIS with new products for 2014 such as iPhone 5 covers, jewellery, a TARDIS tumbling block as well as aprons and melamine trays for aspiring Doctor Who chefs.

In addition, the store will feature a TARDIS photo booth allowing fans to enter the booth and have their photo taken on a choice of three backgrounds to share with friends via social media. The first 1000 customers will get a printout of their photo to take home.

Other merchandise includes the limited edition Dalek Coin, the Risk: The Dalek Invasion of Earth board game and Doctor Who party goods.

Says Elie Mansour, BBC Worldwide ANZ’s Head of Consumer Products: “BBC Worldwide is excited to offer brand new merchandise to Doctor Who fans to herald the arrival of the new Doctor and the new series at a special pop-up shop in the heart of Sydney.”

The post Return Of The Doctor Who Pop Up Shops! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Classic Doctor Who Returns To US TV Screens!

Joe Siegler 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’ve had a TiVo for a long time (14 years), and one of the cooler features is that the service learns what you like, and will record other programs besides the ones you tell it to, thinking you’ll like them.

So tonight I’m looking through the recorded shows, I found an episode of Doctor Who. Which immediately got me thinking, well, what is this? So I played the thing. Much to my shock it was black and white! And then I discovered it originally aired on Nov 23, 1963.

I WAS STUNNED – I MEAN I STOPPED FOR A SECOND AND STARED AT THE TV -  Classic Doctor Who was on TV here – local to me, and on free over the air TV, too. Not a national network like SyFy (what a dumb name), but a local channel. So I looked at the guide listing, and indeed, they’re showing classic Doctor Who.

In a 30 minute time slot, twice at night in prime time in my Time Zone – one at 7PM and one at 7:30PM (and again on weekends). It is US commercial television, so there are commercial breaks. In An Unearthly Child 1, they had a commercial break right at the point where Ian & Barbara went into 76 Totters Lane. There was a second break right after the TARDIS took off near the end of the episode.

But hell, I was absolutely flabbergasted that not only was classic Doctor Who on TV here, but on free over the air TV on a (very) local TV station here.  I didn’t even know Classic Doctor Who was being sold in the United States.

The station it is being shown on here is Channel 31 in Dallas, who goes by the odd call sign of K31GL-D. They’re what’s known as a “low power station“. The specific digital subchannel (31-4) is part of a national network called “Retro Television Network“, that shows various old TV shows. But it’s usually things like Dragnet, Bonanza, Starsky & Hutch, etc..  But they had bloody Doctor Who, and 60′s era classics as well!

I’m absolutely stunned.

So I looked around, and apparently this has been in the works for a bit now, but I didn’t discover it until today – found it quite by accident when, as I said, my TiVo recorded the first episode as a suggestion.

Even though I own virtually all of this on DVD, I’ll likely record all of it anyway, because TiVo recordings count in ratings, and besides, one could always use another excuse to watch classic Doctor Who.  I’ll support this being on the air as best I can.

Huzzah to the Retro TV network for the first real, honest to God return of classic Doctor Who to US television since the show returned in 2005.

You can view a page that shows you all of the Retro TV affiliates around the United States on this page.

Geeky Stuff

There is no proper guide info for the episodes, so all the episodes say “Doctor Who”, and have this as a description:

“Tue 08/05/14 07:30 PM on 31-4=K31GLD4, Duration = 30 mins, originalAirdate: 1963-11-23

A mysterious traveler can visit any point in space and time.”

So if you have a digital service like a TiVo, or rely on guide information, it won’t tell you what episode is airing, unfortunately. I might try and contact the network about that.

The Encore Block

Some late details on the “Encore block” that I got from one of their representatives on Facebook.

Retro TV is running two episodes a night from Monday to Friday, and will work their way through the catalogue of shows. The weekend encore block is, by one of their representatives’ words, “.. a second feed. So this Saturday will be episodes 1-4, next Saturday 5-8, etc.” So the M-F block started with Episode 1 on Aug 4, and will stop with Episode 10 on Friday Aug 8. Saturday’s “Encore block” will be Episodes 1-4, and then the following week will be Episode 11-20, the following weekend’s “Encore block” will be Episodes 5-8, and so on and so forth.

Anyway, they have a trailer out, and have some discussion about this on their Facebook group.  Check it out.

The post Classic Doctor Who Returns To US TV Screens! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Retro TV Doctor Who Broadcasts Begin With An Unearthly Child!

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.

As excitement builds for the new series, viewers in the US can check out how it all began for the Doctor with a bunch of classic era stories showing on Retro TV!

Retro TV will be the new home of twentieth century Doctor Who and we’re promised a showcase of the series’ classic run, encompassing the first seven incarnations of the Doctor.

Starting, logically enough, at the very beginning with An Unearthly Child, they’ll be screening two episodes back-to-back every weeknight at 8:00 PM ET/PT. In addition to these daily showings, a two hour ‘encore block’ will air on Saturday evenings as part of Retro TV’s new Sci-Fi Saturday. Starting at 6:00 PM ET/PT, viewers can enjoy the supernatural anthology One Step Beyond, Doctor Who and Mystery Science Theater 3000.

“We’re excited to set a fixed point in time for the arrival of classic episodes of Doctor Who on Retro TV,” says Matthew Golden, parent company Luken’s Vice President of Production. “These meticulously restored episodes will bring the history of the Doctor to the U.S. in a way that viewers have never seen before.”

Details are sketchy as to exactly which stories will be shown. Retro TV don’t seem to be promising a complete run from beginning to end, so it may be that a package of highlights is what’s in store, consisting of a selection from each Doctor’s era. Our advice for stateside viewers is to check out this handy list of affiliates and schedules to check precisely where you can watch the channel in your area. And be sure to tell them how pleased you are to have the opportunity to enjoy classic Doctor Who again via Retro TV’s Facebook page!

A shout out to Kasterborous reviewer Joe Siegler for bringing this to our attention. It seems our friend Joe was somewhat startled to stumble across the first episode of his favourite show on his TiVo box (‘HOLY CRAP!’) but he’s being nothing if not diligent in his support, pledging to record every showing even though he owns the DVD’s “because TiVo recordings count in ratings, and besides, one could always use another excuse to watch classic Doctor Who.” Well said, Joe.

Viewers in the USA are certainly enjoying a high time of it right now when it comes to enjoying Doctor Who on their telly boxes. As well as these new Retro TV showings they can look forward to a bumper run of more recent episodes courtesy of BBC America’s Doctor Who Takeover Week.

Be sure to catch Retro TV if you’re in the right Earth time zone, and tell us what you thought of it!

The post Retro TV Doctor Who Broadcasts Begin With An Unearthly Child! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Brian Blessed Turned Down Doctor Who In The 1960s!

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.

BLESSED!

In perhaps the most disappointing Brian Blessed based news story since he was cast as a racist toad in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; and not a sabre-wielding Jedi badass (you would have forgiven it for being a trade route based snorefest for one scene of Blessed cleaving attack droids in half. Jedi power: INTENSE SHOUTING!) the bellowing actor turned down the role of the Doctor due to being ‘too busy.’

The 77 year-old actor told Steven Moffat that he couldn’t succeed Matt Smith…no, I’m only joking! Imagine it, Tumblr would explode. No, Blessed explained to the Radio Times that he was approached to star in the show during the 60s as a replacement for the soon departing William Hartnell.

“After I was in Z Cars, the head of BBC serials took me aside and said, ‘We’re thinking of having a young Doctor Who and we’d like to cast you’. But it clashed with other things,” he said.

Blessed went on to soak the land in blood as King Yrcanos in Mindwarp – the second part of The Trial of a Time Lord saga – and, unsurprisingly was the best thing in a serial whose grand ideas never quite gelled.

He went on to find fame in other genre fare such as Flash Gordon, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Roland Rat: The Series, not to mention the superb King Richard IV in 1983 sitcom The Black Adder.

Asked whether or not he’d take the role now, he said: “I’d jump at it.”

Somewhat amusingly, he also went on to discuss what he perceived to be the significance of the Doctor’s surname. “I think they need to re-examine his surname,” he said “’Who’ is very oriental. It’s about time they had an Asian actor as the Doctor. And a female one.”

So if nothing else comes from Brian’s disclosure, we now know he’s a pro-female Doctor man. Good man!

Would Brian Blessed have made a great Doctor? We’ll never know, of course, although we can use this clip from Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) – where he appears with the late, grate Nick Courtney – to get an idea…

Blessed certainly has the kind of outlandish, trickster personality that suggests something of the eternal outsider – well, a rather sonorous outsider (if you live in the UK, Brian Blessed’s voice is kind of like background noise, it’s carried on the wind like traffic and ice cream chimes – it harks back to a simpler time when all our Gordon’s were alive) and, with all the japes about his bluster and bonhomie, its often forgotten just how good an actor he is. It certainly would have been exciting to see Blessed walk in the fourth dimension.

Of course, with him joining the show at such a crucial time – the very first regeneration – it’s enticing to think about just how different the show would have been if he had taken on the role of the Doctor. What kind of Doctor would he be? A regal giant amongst men? A lover of life? Boss Nass?

Do you think Brian Blessed would have made a good Doctor? Do you agree with Brian’s belief that there should be a female Doctor? And why wasn’t he a Jedi Knight?

(Via Mirror Online | With thanks to Daren)

The post Brian Blessed Turned Down Doctor Who In The 1960s! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

5 Ways Moffat Might Address Capaldi’s “Familiar Face”

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.

Steven Moffat has hinted at how the new series will explain why the new Doctor looks just like not one but two other characters who’ve cropped up in the Who-niverse before.

Said the show runner: “Truthfully I don’t think it’s something you have to resolve because audiences do understand that the same actor can play different parts.”

“When Peter Capaldi turned up in Torchwood Russell said he had a plan in his head on why he looked like the guy in The Fires of Pompeii. So I emailed him and said what was the explanation and does it fit with the new Doctor? And it sort of does.”

“So in a very low-key way we’ll address it. It won’t be a major deal because in the end people know the real reason is he’s played by the same actor.”

It seems we shouldn’t expect some new season-long plot arc to be devoted to this issue, then, thank goodness, but let’s get a little creative here. Yes, Kasterborites, it’s time to indulge in a bit of speculation as we present five ways (some more serious than others) Moffat might address Capaldi’s familiar face!

1. ‘So Caecillus was the Doctor all the time…’

Simple enough, surely? Well-to-do Roman merchant Caecillus was really the Doctor who, in an elaborate plan to get his tenth incarnation to rediscover the quality of mercy, plonked himself in ancient Pompeii, sorted himself out with a nice life trading and sculpting, landed himself a wife and a couple of kids, then hung around for his earlier self to arrive, get into an adventure and be persuaded by Donna that he really ought to go back and save himself. Or something like that. What’s that you say Skippy? That explanation doesn’t account for why he also looks like Frobisher from Torchwood? Oh, right…

Plausibility rating: Zero

2. ‘You will have an opportunity to choose your appearance…’

Long-term viewers will be well aware of the continuity confounding scene apparently cooked up by Douglas Adams in part one of Destiny of the Daleks, where Romana seemingly raced through her regenerations at a recklessly cavalier pace, finally settling on the look of Princess Astra. Game fans have retrospectively tried to explain this away in some amusingly tortuous forum posts as the Time Lady effectively previewing her options, rather like trying on new tops in Dorothy Perkins.

What if the Twelfth Doctor was somehow dispersed through time and space?

Maybe something similar has happened off-screen, with the Doctor filling those long winter evenings on Christmas looking through some kind of space photo album made up of images of the many friends he’s met along the way. “Hmmm, Caecillus, there was a striking looking fellow,” you can just about imagine the ancient Doctor saying, “if only I had any more lives left I wouldn’t mind looking like him. Ah well…”

Plausibility rating: 1

3. Scattered through time

Listen up, I’ve spent ages thinking up this one and I’m feeling a pretty darned proud of myself. In fact I might just apply for a job writing on the next series; with an imagination like this they’d be sure to snap me up. What if the Twelfth Doctor was somehow dispersed through time and space, with different versions of himself, each unaware of the others, cropping up at crucial points in history to influence events?

What’s that Sooty? They’ve already used that idea with Clara the impossible girl? And way before that with Scaroth, last of the Jagaroth? Oh bother.

Plausibility rating: 2

4.  A note to himself

What if the Doctor, in regenerating into Peter Capaldi, is giving himself a reminder to act more humanely? As the new Doctor says in the trailer, he’s lived a long time and he’s made a lot of mistakes. Maybe his near failure to rescue Ceacillus and family counts in his mind of one of his biggest ones, and he wants to be reminded of that every time he has a shave? Granted, this would require some pretty densely plotted explanation from Steven Moffat, possibly delivered over a number of episodes in a few years’ time, but lord knows that’s never stopped him before.

Plausibility rating: Knowing Steven Moffat, 5.

5. Don’t explain a thing

Surely the most sane response to all of this is not to explain the resemblance at all? Actors have played different roles in the series over many decades, with only one instance I can think of (Gwen Cooper/Gwyneth) where there was any sort of on-screen reason provided. As noted by our Kasterborous podKasters last week, there’s been a worrying tendency in recent episodes for minor points to be retconned to the far end of a floppy scarf, almost always unnecessarily. Leave it be. Move along. Fuggeddabadid.

Plausibility rating: Given we now know there will be some kind of explanation given, Zero.

But enough of what we think! What crazy explanations can you think of why the Doctor looks strangely familiar?

(With some thanks to Doctor Who TV.)

The post 5 Ways Moffat Might Address Capaldi’s “Familiar Face” appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

BBC America’s Doctor Who Takeover Week: The Facts

Rebecca Crockett 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.

Are you ready?

Hmm…I can’t hear you.

I said, ARE YOU READY?

You are. Okay, well good. We’ve got a lot to tell you about what BBC America is calling “Doctor Who Takeover Week”. Though from the looks of it, maybe they should be calling it “Takeover Month” as the channel has loads of specials and content lineups set for the weeks before the Series 8 premiere of Doctor Who on 23rd August.

BBC America’s weekday schedule for the next two weeks includes re-airing episodes of series 6 as well as episodes from the first series of Torchwood. On 14 and 15 August, those weekday morning spots will switch to re-airings of  some of the specials produced for the 50th anniversary of the show last year, leading up to the debut of two new specials, starting at 9p EST on Saturday 16 August. We’ll get a look at all of the Doctor’s companions over the years with Doctor Who: The Ultimate Companion, at 9pm EST and the take a look at the genre of science fiction as a whole with The Real History of Science Fiction at 10pm EST.

(Now I’m not sure if the channel is being a bit cheeky here or not, but according to the posted schedule, BBCA will be airing the series 4 episode, The Fires Of Pompeii, after these two new specials. Doctor Caecilius anyone?)

A massive, week-long marathon of Who will then kick off on Monday, 18 August and will include a third new special, Doctor Who: The Ultimate Time Lord, at 10pm EST that same night.

Starting on 6th August though, BBC America will have a poll going for fans to vote on their favorite Who episodes, with the top vote getting episodes being show the day AFTER the premiere of series 8, on Sunday, 24 August. So make sure you not only keep checking back to see when your favorite episode might air that whole week but go and vote starting on Wednesday for your favorite episodes!

All of this is in preparation for the big day – Premiere Day. Saturday 23 August!

Being here in the US, sometime we Whovians can feel a bit left out of celebrations of all things Doctor Who. Well not this time! Like as was with the 50th anniversary, we have not been forgotten!

For the first episode of series 8, Deep Breath, BBC America will have a live preshow starting at 7:30pm EST with comedian and fellow Whovian Chris Hardwicke who will also host the Doctor Who: After Who Live post-show at 11pm EST that night, following the premiere of the new show Intruders.

And as will the 50th anniversary special, fans will have an option to see the premiere episode in cinema! At midnight on 23rd August (so 12:01am EST  24 August) Fathom Events will be hosting special events in cinemas in 12 cities across the country for the  premiere of the new episode. which will also a include a special in-cinemas prequel scene before the show and exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Deep Breath. Fans will get another two opportunities to see the episode on the big screen, with Fathom hosting showtimes the next night on 25 August. To find out if a theater near you will be showing the episode and to buy tickets in advance, check out the Fathom Events website for more information! And make sure to check back here on Kasterborous for more information about the 12 cities that will have midnight showings as well as news about the Doctor Who World Tour!

It sounds like if one was up for it, one could possibly watch the pre-show, the episode, the after show, and then head to the theater for the midnight showing! What are your plans, dear K readers? I was originally not going to opt for the cinema events but knowing they are showing them on Monday night, I might just go ahead an splurge on going! I was lucky enough to see the 50th anniversary special in the theater during a simulcast so it might be nice to be home watching the episode and chatting with friends online.

(Via BBCAmerica)

The post BBC America’s Doctor Who Takeover Week: The Facts appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The Science of Doctor Who Hits Cardiff!

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.

Are you in Cardiff or the surrounding area? We’ve just heard that Cardiff-based publisher Candy Jar is hosting a week-long book festival in the Welsh capital as part of the city’s annual summer market.

Popular children’s science writers Mark Brake and Jon Chase will be kicking off the festivities at Cardiff Central Library (9th August, 12pm and 2pm) with their renowned free kids show The Science of Doctor Who, a fun-filled, exploratory journey into the world of the Doctor.

Over the years Mark has written a number of books for children including Space Hoppers, Really, Really Big Questions about Space and Time and The Alien Hunter’s Handbook. His new book Space, Time, Machine, Monster is an irreverent look at how science fiction and the good Doctor have impacted and changed our lives.

The festival is also hoping to attract new writers; Candy Jar will be accepting submissions for the second South Wales Short Story Competition up until the closing date of the 16th August. The previous winner, Laura Foakes, has been working closely with Candy Jar and her debut novel for children, The Liars’ and Fibbers’ Academy, has just been released.

Shaun Russell, Head of Publishing at Candy Jar, said: “As an independent publisher we are passionate about discovering and nurturing new authors across all genres. We are really excited to launch this festival. It will give us the chance to engage with readers, authors and aspiring writers, which is vital in this ever-changing industry.”

For further details on how to enter the short story competition please visit the Candy Jar website: www.candyjarbooks.co.uk, which will be regularly updated with more information on the festival and the author events. The festival takes place between the 9th and 16th August.

The post The Science of Doctor Who Hits Cardiff! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Commemorating The Great War Centenary Doctor Who Style

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 is 100 years since the outbreak of The Great War.

Doctor Who is always a reflection of the times: just look at the Third Doctor era, especially the work of Malcolm Hulke. The concerns of the 1970s were perfectly encapsulated in stories like Doctor Who and the Silurians, Inferno, Frontier in Space and The Green Death. But these are the most obvious examples. Dig deeper and you discover the attitudes of each decade.

War, however, is always on the horizon, and it’s etched across the show. Last year’s Cold War was great at portraying the tense atmosphere of the early 1980s, but also worked as a reflection of the political landscape of the present.

It is a sad fact that human history revolves around conflict and so Doctor Who, too, must deal with it, whether that’s through taking us back in time, like in The Myth Makers, or drawing parallels in the future and on distant planets.

It goes further than that, though.

“We Shall Remember Them” isn’t just to remind us not to make the same mistakes again. It’s a mark of respect and Doctor Who, too, should pay tribute to those who gave their lives for us. The principle of the show is, after all, what those brave soldiers fought for, an ideal we all strive for: freedom.

So how should Doctor Who commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War (also known across the water as World War I)?

Naturally, the TARDIS could set down in No Man’s Land. It did once before (sort of) in 1969′s The War Games, and a similar adventure about the atrocities of war could be effective. Equally, a war on a far-away planet could be waged. Perhaps Who could land in an ongoing war: that of Iraq or Afghanistan. It would be an unprecedented move.

The war didn’t just happen in the trenches, though. The war at home would be interesting to depict. What was life like for the Average Joe, knowing that your own countrymen are sacrificing themselves for an uncertain future?

Then we must consider if a story set in the war’s aftermath could work. There might be four years of remembrance, 2014- 18 will consistently look back at that terrible period, but everyday troubles didn’t end there. And it didn’t begin in 1914 either. Human Nature/ The Family of Blood showed us the consequences of war, as a headmaster showed how ‘noble’ conflict is… but ultimately, that it would end only in death. A deeper look at the lives of people like him, who put on a face and tell of the glories of war but who are deeply affected by it and struggle to move on from all they’ve seen and done, would make for incredible drama. To a lesser extent, The Idiot’s Lantern showed how some struggled to carry on with their lives.

A further storyline could revolve around the Christmas Truce, 100 years ago this December. The Doctor might’ve visited that incredible day in other mediums but never on screen.

Doctor Who doesn’t need to focus on The Great War, but it does need to acknowledge it in my opinion.

The BBC could also do their part. Perhaps the corporation could repeat certain episodes? Genesis of the Daleks took us to a warzone and is loved by fans. It also concludes that, from darkness, comes genuine good. War does have a way of bringing out the best in people, as well as the worst.

The War Games, too, is an option, but the BBC could also turn to Torchwood. To the Last Man was one of the most affecting stories from Series 2 and perfectly exhibits the horror of war.

However, I can’t think of a greater tribute than the aforementioned Human Nature/The Family of Blood. It’s about bravery and humanity; its conclusion conjures a tear to the eye and brings it all home.

There is a particular quote that sticks in the mind, and it’s not from that Series 3 tale. It’s from Planet of the Daleks: “Courage isn’t just a matter of not being frightened, y’know. It’s being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway.”

How do you think Doctor Who should commemorate the Centenary…?

The post Commemorating The Great War Centenary Doctor Who Style appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who TimeWarp Convention Reviewed!

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.

A burning hot day in Weston-super-Mare and stars of Doctor Who gathered in the Playhouse, a theatre tucked a little way back from the seafront. TimeWarp, a new convention, hit the town, organised by Ian Fraser after a long absence from holding events.

It promised something a little bit different. But did it deliver?

The only other conventions in the area are autograph-centric, charging through-the-roof prices for a brief chat and a scribble on a DVD cover. Nonetheless, the annual Stars of Time attracts the fans and a lot of money always changes hands. TimeWarp, however, offered autographs and merchandise – but also the chance to really get to know the cast.

And what a selection of guests! Headed by Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker (a regular in Weston), there were companions-a-plenty: Wendy Padbury, Deborah Watling, Louise Jameson, Mark Strickson, Nicola Bryant, Richard Franklin, Sarah Sutton and Katy Manning were all on hand to regale the crowd with stories.

Joining them were Terry Molloy (Davros), Dee Sadler (The Greatest Show in the Galaxy), Damaris Hayman (The Daemons), Derek Martin (Image of the Fendahl; HAVOK stuntman), Will Thorp (The Impossible Planet/ The Satan Pit), and Script Editor for the Seventh Doctor era, Andrew Cartmel.

Really, the guest list was exceptional.

That’s why it’s such a shock that turn-out was so low. Where was everyone?! The amount of effort, work and – yes – love that went into TimeWarp should’ve garnered massive crowds. Sure, it was the first such event in many, many years, but I think the main reason for its disappointing amount of attendees was that, as Fraser told me in his interview, it was a last-minute decision to do and so publicity hadn’t been ramped up enough.

With all the positives that TimeWarp boasted, the Internet should’ve been rife with excited chatter, there should’ve been leaflets everywhere, and the hype would be at least akin to the Bristol Comic Expo (which this year, I might add, was exceedingly disappointing). I can’t stress enough what a shame it was, considering also the lack of conventions in the South West and the fact that if TimeWarp were successful, subsequent events were planned.

Now, it’s up in the air.

Nonetheless, ample autographs were obtained by one and all. Katy Manning, for instance, signed 28 items – from one person. The queue to meet her was astounding, but she gives you such a welcome, you can see why she’s so popular (she gave this reviewer a hug and kiss, not that I’m bragging or anything). Her devotion to the fans remains heart-warming: after a particularly-lengthy talk, the cast were supposed to have a break for lunch; she protested, saying that she didn’t need lunch while there were so many fans to meet.

The talk in question was one of the highlights of the weekend. Generally, they lasted about 15 minutes, but with Katy, Damaris, Richard and Derek chatting about the Third Doctor era, the audience was entertained for a good hour or so!

Their love of their co-stars, notably Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney and Roger Delgado, really came across beautifully, as the four discussed, in particular, the atmosphere on location for The Daemons. Katy telling Damaris that she is one of her main acting inspirations was a lovely moment, one bookended by further sentiment that reaffirmed the group’s affection for each other.

Derek’s recollections of stunts and occasional accidents that ensued were really interesting – and shocking – and their anecdotes about Pertwee’s possessive love of Bessie were a funny insight into a Doctor Who legend. Katy revealed that the only time she and Pertwee argued was over her bad map-reading, a result of her misplacing her glasses (if you’ve ever met Katy, you’ll know this happens quite often… and was even alluded to in The Sarah Jane Adventures). She called Death of the Doctor, in which she acted opposite Lis Sladen and Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor, a perfect end to her role as Jo Jones née Grant.

The talks, spread at intervals throughout the morning while signing sessions were underway, weren’t the sole opportunities to hear from your favourite companion, of course: the big advantage of TimeWarp was the chance to chat to the stars away from the limelight. Some chats naturally drew a crowd – the wonderful Louise Jameson talked to about eight people at once as she tucked into an ice lolly – while others were more intimate. Sarah Sutton, Deborah Watling and Mark Strickson, in particular, all proved what genuinely lovely, insightful and clever people they are in one-to-one conversations with a few attendees.

There were hiccups, but that’s to be expected. There was quite the run-about after printers packed up and inks ran out, but they got there in the end; guests had to leave early due to terrible traffic (it was held on the same weekend as a few other nationwide events, causing chaos on the roads); the overwhelming heat obviously irritated one or two stars; and the space for dealers was really limited, so much so that only three were at the venue!

In my eyes, though, TimeWarp was a success. Its aim was to let visitors mingle with the people they’ve always looked up to, and that was, without doubt, achieved.

The best part of my weekend was talking to Mark Strickson, one of my favourite companions who showed what a great guy he really is. In one of his talks, looking towards Sarah, he said a big reason he came to conventions was to be reunited with family.

After all, isn’t that what Doctor Who really is?

(Thank you to Ian. Photos by John Bates.)

The post Doctor Who TimeWarp Convention Reviewed! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.