Christian Cawley's Blog, page 219

Doctor Who Leaks That Embarrassed The BBC

Danny_Weasel 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 the latest Doctor Who leaks, it’s clear that BBC Worldwide is a leaky ship. From scripts to full rough cuts some of us have seen far more of the new Doctor than we would like (even I haven’t managed to come out unscathed). But let’s face it, this isn’t the first clanger the Beeb has dropped when it comes to keeping things under wraps. Join us as we take a stroll down memory lane and see some of the other spoilerific leaks from days gone by.

Rose Blooms Early

It was a big hit before it even reached TV screens in 2005, as the first episode of the newly resurrected show hit the net on torrent sites and became massively pirated, thanks to a worker in a Canadian TV station who got a little too over excited and decided to share it with the world.

Not that it did the show any harm, here we are almost 10 years later as proof of that.

Location, Location, Location

Yes, thanks to the rise of social media and smartphones we have spent many years catching glimpses of sets, actors, monsters and more from the likes of Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram. Series 8 has been a big hit in this respect with big clips turning up from a number of episodes, and even pictures from the series finale (don’t worry I wont go into detail on content) that potentially give away some pretty big moments.

Can we blame the BBC for leaks like this? Well yes, you would imagine that something as big as Doctor Who‘s finale would have a tightly controlled set and plenty of security, if shows like Broadchurch can manage it, why not Doctor Who? Seriously, set security on Broadchurch 2 was as tight as a dolphin’s blow hole when I was there.

Early Release

In 2013, The Name of the Doctor was massively anticipated; no one could wait to see what was going to happen in the build up to the 50th anniversary. Unfortunately some of us didn’t have to wait, as BBC Worldwide accidentally sent out the pre-ordered Blu-ray box sets of the whole series two weeks early and giving it away, quite literally.

Thankfully in this case the fans proved that they are better than most and kept quiet about the episode, though they did tell us just how good it was and that it would be worth the wait, which did amp up the anticipation for the rest of us. So thank you BBC… sort of.

A Novel Idea

Of course, stories appearing too soon is not a new problem, as older fans will know. Back in 1983, for the shows big 20th anniversary fans were treated to ‘The Five Doctors’ the target novel appearing in shops the day before the show aired. To many fans at the time this was the ultimate temptation, but, true to form even those who bought it the day before still waited until after the broadcast to dig in.

Ultimately we live in a time where spoilers are everywhere, but luckily almost all are now clearly signposted (thank you Doctor Song and your catchphrase) and a lot easier to avoid. And should any further leaks spring from Worldwide, no doubt there will be a number of faithful fans on hand to promptly plug them up again and bury the evidence till its safe for the rest of us, and to them I tip my fez in thanks.

How do you feel about leaks of this degree? Are spoilers simply something we should learn to live with or do you think more should be done to ensure total lock-down on anything and everything? Let us know below.

The post Doctor Who Leaks That Embarrassed The BBC appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Reviewed: Moonflesh

Meredith Burdett 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 was once a Doctor Who writer, the name eludes this reviewer for now, that remarked (this is paraphrasing, obviously) that one could imagine the first eight Doctors sharing an Edwardian house comfortably together.

Of the eight, the Fifth Doctor would be one of the stand out incarnations to settle in rather nicely to that situation and so therefore, whenever there’s a story involving that particular regeneration and a boxed-in setting of explorer Nathaniel Whitlock in Suffolk in the year 1911, you know that you’re in for a solid story.

In fact, Moonflesh has many similarities to Davison’s television story Black Orchid. The charming setting, the incredibly well to-do family in a gorgeous home, the mix of guests ranging from pompous to back-stabbing and a mysterious object guarded by a native American known as Silver Crow. It’s like writer Mark Morris has watched this show before…

But where Black Orchid was a swift two-part romp that was over before it began, Moonflesh is given suitable time to breathe thanks to its four parts and director, Ken Bentley makes excellent use of both characters and settings. But rather than borrow from past indulgences from the original run of Doctor Who, the script and direction seem to take more from the Doctor Who Magazine comics, specifically the early Eighth Doctor era circa 1996 written by Alan Barnes. The isolation, the atmosphere and the supposedly friendly alien being that turns out to be nothing more than a double crossing ratbag – all is included. Long term fans from the wilderness years and before may well remember a story from the pages of DWM called Tooth and Claw; whilst the story and Moonflesh are different, the atmosphere is very similar indeed.

Moonflesh is a wonderful romp to begin the Fifth Doctor’s 2014 adventures. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and through that gap, it’s able to produce some unexpectedly grizzly and powerful scenes that are genuinely exciting and engaging to listen to. It may not be the deepest or most ambitious story ever created by Big Finish but it certainly warrants your time.

It’s available on CD or via download from Big Finish now.

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See Tenth And Eleventh Doctors’ Titan Comics Debut!

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.

A nice treat for comics fans today with a sneak preview of Doctors Ten and Eleven making their first appearances in Titan Comics’ eagerly awaited series!

We may all be waiting with baited breath for the on-screen debut of Peter Capaldi, but it’s not all about the new guy. Titan, who as we reported in January have won the licence to produce Doctor Who comics, are about to launch two new runs to be released alongside one another with one featuring David Tenant and the other Matt Smith.

The early signs are certainly promising. Based on the first three pages of each issue’s opening, we can look forward to some nicely drawn artwork (that fish-eye depiction of Sunset Park is beautifully done) and an intriguing beginning to each new adventure for the Doctor. But perhaps most interesting of all are the new companions the Doctor will be travelling with…

Ah yes, “the assistants,” as Rose would no doubt be horrified to hear them described! The Eleventh Doctor can be seen in these early pages meeting Alice Obiefune and, in panels reminiscent of the opening to Smith and Jones, there’s one of those moments where the Doctor meets someone fleetingly who he’s clearly already met in their future but his past.

The Tenth Doctor will, as we already know, also have a new friend to travel with, although she’s not in evidence here. Gabby Gonzalez is described as being “stuck in a dead-end job in her family’s laundromat, dreaming of college and bigger, better and brighter things.”

Overall these new series from Titan look to be adopting a style that’s reasonably faithful to the parent show, and one could easily imagine the TV series using these opening scenes – a catchy set-up in each case, more than enough questions posed in the early panels to keep the reader engaged, and with the Doctor at the heart of the story from the off.

Both new companions look to be believable, well-drawn characters, with the writers opting for a somewhat more realistic characterisation than, say, some of the more out-there sidekicks we’ve seen in the Doctor Who Magazine strip.

If there’s a criticism it’s that the likeness of the Doctor is not quite on the money in either case. Perhaps this will improve as the artists grow more accustomed to the gig?

The first issues of both Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor and Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor are published on July 23rd 2014, although UK readers will have to make do with a digital subscription or wait for imports. Fans can also look forward to special launch events at Comickaze Comic Store, San Diego and Forbidden Planet in Bristol and London in the UK.

Let us know what you think of Titan’s handiwork, and head to i09.com to view the debut pages in full!

The post See Tenth And Eleventh Doctors’ Titan Comics Debut! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

New Doctor Who Trailer Discussed PLUS Leakgate Update

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.

Hey, dear reader, it’s podKast time, where we discuss the recent leakgate revelations and chew the fat over the awesome new Doctor Who Series 8 trailer that cast a Whovian shadow over the World Cup Final on Sunday evening.

Recently we’ve learned that the leaked Doctor Who scripts and first episode Deep Breath were possibly stored on an unsecured drive on an open web server – so who is to blame for this incident?

Meanwhile, we’re loving the new trailer and the various shots therein (particularly the shadows revolving around Peter Capaldi’s face!). There’s also news about the Doctor Who World Tour and a callback to the debunked rumours about Steven Moffat joining a future Star Wars production.

One last word: we recorded this week’s podKast on Bastille Day…

Kasterborous PodKast Series 4 Episode 23 Shownotes

Deep Breath Leaked on Torrent sites
New Doctor Who trailer ruins World Cup Final
Doctor Who trailer screencaps on our Facebook page
Could ITV Make Doctor Who And Sherlock?
Doctor Who World Tour Hits Australia
Steven Moffat attached to new Star Wars movie?
Recommendations: Doctor Who: Legacy , The Reign of Terror , Batman ’66 , Doctor Who: Born Again

The Kasterborous PodKast theme tune is arranged by Russell Hugo. He’s got the music!

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.

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Mass Effect Meets Doctor Who In New Trailer! [SCREENCAPS]

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.

Recently, a wave of foes both familiar and as yet unrevealed were seen amassing their forces, consolidating their armies and preparing to do battle against the very forces of good – no, it isn’t the Tory cabinet reshuffle; it’s the monsters, robots and, yes even the odd T-Rex, from the first official full length Doctor Who Season Eight trailer.

While speculation is rife about the nature of the Daleks this season – the leaked title of the second episodes and the flashes of what appears to be corridors inside of a Teselecta (not to mention the similar rings of neon seen whizzing past Clara as she falls into a darkened void) would seem to hint at a ‘base under siege’ story within a ‘base under siege’ story (no doubt somewhere Christopher Bidmead is smiling). What’s more interesting are these altogether new foes, some of which seem a tad familiar…

If you have ever stormed the Citadel, wooed Liara T’Soni or forgot to feed Commander Shepard’s fish then you might – as Euro Gamer have pointed out – recognised this blue-eyed robot (possibly from Gareth Roberts episode) glimpsed briefly in the trailer.

Yes, Mass Effect meets Doctor Who with the appearance of Garrus Vakarian!

Well, okay it isn’t really the former C-Sec Investigator but it bears more than a passing resemblance to Shepard’s Geth slaying right hand man. What’s more, both Steven Moffat and former Doctor Matt Smith were said to be huge fans of the immensely popular, hugely influential game series – the pair were even snapped at SDCC having a play with a model of a Mass Effect Omin – Tool Weapon.

Well, to take this cross-franchise nod a little further, what about this stalk-eyed creature seen tied up in a vault during the trailer?

Doesn’t he bear a little resemblance to Professor Mordin Solus? Perhaps the eyes aren’t as pronounced but there’s a little of the Salarian geneticist in our smash and grab bank raider possibly from episode five, rumoured to be called Time Heist.

So what’s to be made of all this? Perhaps we should just take a leaf out of Professor Solus’ book – after all, he is a rather pragmatic consequentialist: “Designs limited, resemblance playful nod; pilfering not intentional – mutual respect, assured. Best not mention work of Larry Niven.”

Taking a look at the other monsters, robots and indeed dinosaurs perhaps the most interesting new addition is this diabolical fiend ‘Original British Drama’ just who does this menace thing he is? We’ve had monsters in the Wi-Fi, listening to us when we speak to ourselves, and now they are co-opting words themselves to trap jingoistic dramatists!  Oh wait, that’s just a generic title given to all new drama…

Dinosaurs in London! While there is nothing to say these dinosaurs were initially on board a spaceship, there is a shred of evidence (and a whole lot of spurious reasoning) to suggest the era they happen to be stalking about in. The surprisingly calm people in the foreground appear to be wearing Victorian headwear while the smokestack seen in Whitehall seem to suggest that this will be a period piece; namely Deep Breath #keepmespoilerfree

So that’s where Operation Golden Age got the idea from.

Life finds a way indeed.

Up next, a knight from an entirely different realm. The image, apparently taken from Mark Gatiss’ episode, rumoured to be called Knights of Sherwood, shows the helmet opening to reveal the less than gallant creature behind the iron mask. With Dinosaurs roaming the capital, the Doctor’s familiar threads and this Time Warrior alike mix of sci-fi and history; the love for the Pertwee era is palpable.

And finally, another familiar face – seemingly a clockwork droid, last seen hiding under the bed of Madame de Pompadour in The Girl in the Fireplace. Wearing their Victorian finest (and perhaps, the ominous threads of Jack the Ripper if rumours are to be believed) wielding a flaming hand to…weld…something? Either way it looks ominous.

Although perhaps not as ominous as Capaldi himself in full Victorian garb (are those headmasters’ robes I see?)

It’s a stare to haunt foes both new and old…

Catch our full gallery over on the Kasterborous Facebook page!

The post Mass Effect Meets Doctor Who In New Trailer! [SCREENCAPS] appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Watch The Day of the Doctor: In Lego!!!! [VIDEO]

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.

Once in a while a fan produced Doctor Who tribute comes along that will make you drop your jaw. It might be a reimagined title sequence, or a musical… or it might just be some Lego.

Here, you can enjoy the amazing work of bookshelfprodutions [sic] who has produced a five and a half-minute long tribute to The Day of the Doctor using Lego and stop motion video recording.

Featuring the key moments from the 50th anniversary story and using the original voices such as John Hurt, David Tennant, Matt Smith and Tom Baker (not forgetting John Guilor’s First Doctor and the other classic era Doctors) this has clearly been a labour of love, and the results are superb.

Please click play above and enjoy it!

(With thanks to John)

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Foxes’ Taste for Acting, Doctor Who Yahtzee, Mark Morris & Who’s Changing

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.

It’s a brand new week and that can only mean one thing – time for a bumper News Blast catch up on the news you may have missed! It wasn’t all about the new trailer this weekend, great as it was to have that dropped on us unawares halfway through the World Cup final!

Today we bring you news of Foxes going all fangirl, fun and games with a fabled prison, feature length film screenings and a fab chat with a top fiction writer.

Foxes Hunts More Roles

Pop star Foxes, soon to be seen in a cameo role in Series 8, has described the fun she had filming her role and owned up to letting the exhilaration of the moment get to her just a little:

“It was exciting. I was literally running around set fangirling and being generally embarrassing.”

The singer says she’d be well up for further roles having enjoyed this brief taster, filmed after too little sleep, so much. Rather sweetly, she refers to the evidently wonderful Peter Capaldi as “the Doctor”.

Roll the Dice, Crack the Pandorica

The prison built to hold the Doctor is about to be transformed into a new version of popular dice game Yahtzee, just in time for Comic-Con International! The special edition “comes with a Pandorica stylized box that serves as a dice shaker, custom Roman numeral translucent dice, score pad, pencil and instructions.” It’s described as a Comic-Con exclusive so unless you’re going along, or you know a guy who knows a guy, as they say, you may find it hard to get your hands on one.

I’m struggling to see a link between the Pandorica, or the episodes it featured in, and the game but no doubt some folk will like it – what do you think?

Who’s Changing on the Big Screen!

Well-received Doctor Who documentary Who’s Changing – An Adventure In Time With Fans is to be screened at a couple of upcoming events on either side of the Atlantic. The film, which explores the changing nature of fandom with the help of some well-known faces from the programme, can be seen at DetCon 1 in Detroit, Michigan on July 18 and at CharFest 2014 in Bournemouth on Sunday Aug 24. If you can’t get to these events it’s available on DVD and also for online streaming at  www.whoschanging.co.uk. Well worth a look.

Mark Morris Speaks!

We’ve saved the best till last for you today cos we’re nice like that - a great interview with Doctor Who audios and novels writer Mark Morris! You may remember him from tales such as Plague of the Daleks, The Bodysnatchers and Ghosts of India. Interviewed for Matthew Stott’s really rather good blog Doctor Who Thing, Mark talks about loving the bad stuff, being terrified by dummies (shudder) and why Saturday 11th January 1975 was when everything changed…

The post Foxes’ Taste for Acting, Doctor Who Yahtzee, Mark Morris & Who’s Changing appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Series 8 Star Ben Miller Talks 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.

Marks and Spencer has an online style guide! No, I didn’t know that either. But the most recent addition to their guide focuses on one my favourite comedians – and upcoming star of an episode of Doctor Who Series 8 – Ben Miller!

In the of-sorts-interview, Miller talks about his smart but casual look and takes a spin around the mod areas of London, reminiscing about his early days in comedy with Alexander Armstrong (guest in 2011′s The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, and of course, the voice of Mr. Smith in The Sarah Jane Adventures). “Winning a BAFTA for The Armstrong and Miller Show meant an amazing amount. To think we’d come that distance, from writing sketches on scraps of paper to having our own show on TV!” he says. “I’ll never forget watching Rowan Atkinson at work on the first Johnny English film either – that’s the sort of moment when you think, there’s no better place for me to be than here.”

This is, naturally, a great excuse to include a much-loved clip from their sketch show. Children, beware – it contains some strong language.

If you’ve been keeping an eye on the latest Series 8 news (and if you haven’t, why not?!), you’ll know that M&S ran a similar item with the lovely Keeley Hawes (Spooks; Ashes to Ashes), who appears as Ms. Delphox in an upcoming episode, and described Peter Capaldi as “absolutely terrific as the new Doctor.”

Why has Marks & Sparks shone a spotlight on these two Who stars of late? Well, maybe they know that their names will be all over the internet once more when Doctor Who returns. And why is Miller sporting that beard? It’s almost as if he’s growing it for a role…

The full interview is available through M&S and also includes links for you to ‘shop the look,’ which is a modern way of saying, ‘buy clothes.’

(With thanks to Kat)

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Unmissable Doctor Who Figures & Collectables In EBay Auction!

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

We’ve just spotted an awesome collection of Doctor Who figures and other collectables on eBay in an auction that is set to close tomorrow morning around 9am!

Comprising Daleks, at least one TARDIS, diecast collectables, stamps and of course various incarnations of the Doctor himself, this is a 22-piece set with the starting bid set at a not-unreasonable £500.

The auction listing details are listed below:

2 individual boxed figures/collectable’s available to avid collector’s. All are in original box/packaging and in mint/near mint condition. All items were bubble wrapped by myself on purchase and, as in the photo’s, remain so. I would unwrap them all for more detailed proof of their new condition, but is a bit time consuming so opted to unwrap 5, but can guarantee 100% satisfaction on delivery. I would consider postage (likely Royal Mail), but rather local pick up/ delivery for nominal fee within 50 miles of Portsmouth (Hampshire) to ensure no damage comes to any item. Please contact for delivery cost/cost of diesel prior to lot ending. Please feel free to message me for any enquiry.

The list of figures are as follows -

British Icon Dalek – Collectors’ Edition (50th anniversary year 2013), standing at 12″.

5″ Diecast collectable Cyberman (Diecast 004)

5″ Diecast collectable Gold Dalek (Diecast 002)

5″ Diecast collectable Black Dalek (Diecast 003)

Cybermen Age of Steel Box Set – Set includes:

Cyberman figure from “The Tenth Planet”

Cyberman figure from “Tomb of The Cybermen”

Cyberman figure from “The Invasion”

Dalek Collector’s Set #1 – Set includes:

Dalek from ‘THE DEAD PLANET’ 1963

Supreme Dalek from ‘THE PLANET OF THE DALEKS’ 1973

Dalek from ‘GENESIS OF THE DALEKS’ 1975

Dalek Collector’s set #2 – Set includes:

Saucer Pilot Dalek from ‘DALEK INVASION OF EARTH’ 1964

Emperor’s Guard Dalek from ‘EVIL OF THE DALEKS’ 1967

Supreme Dalek from ‘DAY OF THE DALEKS’ 1972

Dapol Tardis 1987 (7th Doctor Era)

Corgi 1963-2003 40th Anniversary tin set (includes 4th Doctor, 4th Doctor in Tardis, 4th Doctor in Bessie/Who1, K9, Davros, Classic Cyberman, & Emperor Guard Dalek)

Corgi 1963-2003 40th Anniversary Tardis Box Set

set (includes 4th Doctor in Bessie/Who1, K9, Davros, Classic Cyberman, & Supreme Dalek)

All 11 Limited Edition Doctor/Dalek Twin packs exclusively from Toys R Us, which are – 1st Doctor with Supreme Dalek (The Dalek’s Master Plan)

2nd Doctor with Dalek (Evil Of The Dalek’s)

3rd Doctor with Anti-Reflecting Light Wave Dalek (Planet of the Dalek’s)

4th Doctor with Dalek (Genesis Of The Dalek’s)

5th Doctor with Dalek (Resurrection Of The Dalek’s)

6th Doctor with Dalek (Revelation Of The Dalek’s)

7th Doctor with Dalek (Remembrance Of The Dalek’s)

8th Doctor with Dalek Alpha (Children Of The Revolution)

9th Doctor with Dalek (The Parting Of The Ways)

10th Doctor with Dalek (The Stolen Earth)

11th Doctor with Paradigm Dalek Strategist (Asylum Of The Daleks); and last but not least…..

The Royal Mail 50th anniversary stamp collection

Head to eBay for a closer look!

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Moffat, Hurt & McGann Guested at London Film & Comic Con 2014!

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.

Two Time Lords and a showrunner graced the stage at the London Film and Comic Con at the weekend. Steven Moffat was joined by War Doctor John Hurt and his ‘predecessor’ Paul McGann at the annual event, with the trio taking questions from throngs of science fiction fans.

One topic that Moffat discussed at length was that of new Doctor Peter Capaldi, whose debut episode Deep Breath is scheduled for August 23rd. For anyone slightly nervous about the Twelfth Doctor’s arrival, the head writer had few words of comfort, stating that there were some “nasty” episodes coming up in the Eighth Season. Coupled with the somewhat unsettling moment in the brand new trailer, in which Capaldi tells Clara they’re heading “into darkness,” you could be forgiven for having reservations about the Time Lord’s next incarnation.

Despite this, in another panel companion Jenna Coleman worked hard to reassure Whovians that the TARDIS was safe in Capaldi’s hands, which, incidentally, she referred to as “most incredible.” She admitted that, whilst his Doctor would be a “complete departure,” and that he and Matt Smith “work differently,” everything about him is still “Doctoresque.”

Personally, I don’t think we’ve anything to worry about. Whatever slant the producers put on the new Doctor, he’s still fundamentally a hero, whatever demons he’s battling with. He’s never going to O.D. on Vraxoin, or canoodle with can-loving babes from Penhaxico II, no matter how much “darkness” he pilots the TARDIS into! As Paul McGann put it, “‘We might have the best ever Doctor on our hands…”

These musings aside, Steven Moffat also passed comment on the recent security leaks that have plagued the BBC, noting that the outing of the series’ first five scripts left him feeling “miserable.” Best not say anymore about that one, then.

Surprisingly, one of the hottest topics of the day was that of a Doctor Who / Sherlock crossover, and I’ve really no idea where this has come from; the very thought of Sherlock Holmes trying to sonic a Dalek fills me with abject horror! And yet a lot of people seem to want it. Fortunately, Steven Moffat was quick to downplay any possibility of it happening, although he did admit to having a photograph of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman standing on the TARDIS set. I’m just glad Jim Moriarty wasn’t there as well, because then I really would have nightmares.

Finally, and perhaps most fascinatingly, we have the comments from Time Lords John Hurt and Paul McGann, who were on hand to discuss The Day of the Doctor, and matters arising. The War Doctor admitted that his decision to take part in the 50th anniversary special was “a no-brainer,” adding that “there’s an enormous amount of extremely hard work” that goes into making the show. Paul McGann was similarly complimentary, describing his very own ‘prequel’ episode, The Night of the Doctor, as “rather beautiful” and “really rather clever.” Intriguingly, he agreed to make an appearance before the script had even been written; Steven Moffat apparently wanted to make sure he’d be up for it before he put pen to paper. Good thinking, Steven – we could have had Sylvester McCoy in a wig otherwise!

So there we are, Kasterborites – just some of the comments that were made at the latest London Film and Comic Con. What do you think – would a Doctor Who / Sherlock crossover be a good idea? Are you unsure about Peter Capaldi? Does Jim Moriarty give you nightmares? Tell us in the comments below!

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