Christian Cawley's Blog, page 231

Tom Riley On Capaldi’s Doctor: “Extraordinary”

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.

Everyone knows just how tight the BBC is trying to keep any details about the new series of Doctor Who and (filming videos on YouTube not withstanding) they seem to be doing a decent job of it on the whole. But one star has risked everything (well, some hair) to slip out a brief word about the show.

Tom Riley, best known for his part in DaVinci’s Demons, is in the Mark Gatiss penned episode three of the new series, currently going by the title Robots of Sherwood, in which he plays Robin Hood and he managed to say a few words about working on the show during an interview for access Hollywood.

“they’ve taken a vial of blood and a lock of my hair for a voodoo doll if I say too much”

Ladies around the world can squee with delight at the news that, yes, Riley does get his shirt off. But other than that there were no bombshells being dropped, clearly the threat of Moffat’s voodoo powers are too intimidating. The guest star did however say how much he enjoyed being part of the show and that his episode was “great fun” and Capaldi is going to be “extraordinary”.

Looking at the clip (catch it above, skip to 1:31 to get to the Doctor Who stuff) it’s this last snippet that catches the attention, that wry little smile after he describes Capaldi’s Doctor as extraordinary and his episode as great fun, clearly there is more to this than we know about and Tom seems bursting to say more but cant. What can we speculate from this?

Seeing as Robin Hood is a fictional character could we see him turn out to be one of the robots of the title? Possibly an escapee from the theme park in Series 7, or perhaps the episode take place in a Westworld-style park, but the Doctor doesn’t know it (in a similar style to the Eighth Doctor novel Earthworld). Here’s another possibility: the events of the episode will erase Robin from history leaving only tales of his adventures to build into myths?

Maybe I spend too much time drinking coffee and speculating about future episodes, but what do you think? Have you seen any of the shooting footage, do you think there is some twist in the tale, what are your thoughts on topless Tom or do you have a word other than extraordinary to sum up your thoughts about Capaldi’s Doctor? Speak openly and freely below and tell us your views.

(Via Peter Capaldi News.)

The post Tom Riley On Capaldi’s Doctor: “Extraordinary” appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Bernice Summerfield: Box Set Details Released!

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.

Before there was Professor River Song, there was Professor Bernice Summerfield.  The adventure-loving archaeologist from the 26th century travelled with both the Seventh and Eighth Doctors…  in just about every medium except television.

Fans immediately loved the Paul Cornell-created character, and “Benny” spun off to star in dozens of audio adventures and novels of her own.  Of course, actress Lisa Bowerman has pretty much become synonymous with the character and has been the basis for her look and sound for the better part of 20 years.

Big Finish Productions is now releasing a brand new audio box set with Bowerman reprising the role.  Due this month, The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield includes five CDs, four of which contain new one-hour stories.  The fifth disc was not described, but most likely contains behind-the-scenes or bonus material.   The fabulous list of guest stars includes Sylvester McCoy (the Seventh Doctor), Sophie Aldred (Ace), Nicholas Briggs (The Daleks), Terry Molloy (Davros), and Nicola Bryant (but as “Professor Geller”, not companion Peri Brown).  All four adventures were directed by Scott Handcock.

As per the Big Finish website, here are the titles and descriptions of the new stories:

 

The Revolution by Nev Fountain:  On the planet of Arviem 2, Bernice Summerfield has a lot of problems. Pursued by robots, maniacs and miracles, she has another issue to contend with. The Doctor’s come looking for her – and he’s not feeling himself.

 

Good Night, Sweet Ladies by Una McCormack:  Bernice has come to the Moon of Adolin on a desperate mission. Instead, she finds an abandoned labyrinth, two confused survivors, and something ancient that needs her help.

 

Random Ghosts by Guy Adams:  Welcome to the Forbidden World. This world has a secret. The problem is that no-one can remember what it is. Time is broken here. Those trapped here must live the same day over and over – forming alliances, lying to each other, trying to escape. Welcome to the Forbidden World.

 

The Lights of Skaro by James Goss:  Bernice Summerfield is on Skaro, and she’s very much on her own. The Doctor can’t get to her, not this time. All Benny can do is stay alive for as long as possible. And, in a city full of Daleks, that’s not going to be very long.

 

Big Finish has posted at least three teaser trailers for the set on YouTube and on the Big Finish website.  The trailers feature up-close pictures of the box art and several dramatic audio clips, highlighting Bowerman, McCoy, Aldred, and er, The Daleks.  So far, the teasers all run about a minute long each, and one of them can be enjoyed above.

The total running time of the set is approximately 300 minutes.  The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield is available for digital download ($30) or as an actual physical set of CDs that you can amazingly hold in your hands ($60)!

Now seems like the perfect time to catch up with Benny, and hey, visits from the Seventh Doctor, Ace, and the Daleks couldn’t hurt, either!  (Well, maybe the Daleks could hurt…)

Kasterborites, where does Benny rank among your favorite companions?  And do you feel that she should have been included in the TV show instead of the quite similar (on the surface, at least) River Song?

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The Most Awesome ‘Previously’ Doctor Who Trailer Ever!

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.

As we’ve become a more global society, the practices of the television networks from other countries has changed what became an almost traditional tv season. There are also many more networks and companies creating shows. Bigger concepts are treated like mini-movies and therefore fewer episodes are produced. allowing for each one bigger, grander spectacle.

Unfortunately, this also means that there is a much longer time between new series of shows with fewer episodes overall.

Game Of Thrones, produced by American television cable network HBO, is well-known for large stretches of time between series. To remind returning viewers of what has already happened in the continuing story of the show, HBO creates a “recap” video of clips giving an overview of the story. Often, these video pieces reveal major plot points.

With so many changes coming to Doctor Who, YouTuber VeritaserumUK has created a “Game Of Thrones style” trailer for the upcoming eighth series of Doctor Who that includes moments from the entire run of the rebooted Who since 2005, including all of the Doctor’s regenerations and companions. From meeting Rose to finding out who Bad Wolf is, from flying to the end of time and finding the Master to waiving at fat and the DoctorDonna, from radiation poisoning to meeting the little girl in the garden who would change the Doctor forever, every episode and special since 2005 is included in this video!

This really does tell the story of the show as it currently stands. The almost seamless editing allows one character to flow into the next, with each clip and sound bite fitting together in one complete puzzle. I especially like that every regeneration we have seen, in the order we’ve met each Doctor, has been included, and that we are treated to every companion the Doctor has taken on his adventures since the show restarted. All of them have been an important part in shaping the Doctor to the man he is now, even if he won’t admit that. Without Rose, the Doctor would’ve never “danced” again. Without Martha and Donna, he wouldn’t have regained his confidence and remembered why he loves humanity so much. With out Amy and Rory and River, the Doctor would still feel alone in universe, without a family. Without Clara, he’d be without a friend (at least a friend that generally is human shaped – besides, the TARDIS is more than a friend or family)  His companions are his story, not all the places he’s been and the things he’s done. Those are just chronicled events. The Doctor’s companions give meaning to what he does.

(With thanks to John)

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The President Calls For A Doctor!

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

It’s official: this is one of the coolest videos to ever grace the internet. Better than that sneezing panda. Certainly superior to “Charlie Bit My Finger.” Potentially better than the X-Men 1990s cartoon theme tune (okay, so it’s a draw).  Watch the video and then read on.

Watched it?

Colin Baker and Paul McGann! Plus two Power Rangers! Walter E. Jones and Austin St. John! Talking to the President! (Ish!) If I were a cheeky young upstart, I’d say that’s a “WIN.” (What’s that? I AM a cheeky young upstart…?)

The four stars were promoting their appearance at Comicpalooza, a convention in Texas late last month. The line-up really was impressive. Stan Lee, the Man, the Legend, headlined the event, and was joined by various members of Agents of SHIELD including Clark Gregg and Elizabeth Henstridge. Then there was the Hulk himself, Lou Ferringo; artistic icon, Jim Steranko; wrestler, Bret Hart; and – setting many a pulse racing – Tricia Helfer.

But enough about them! You want to hear about Doctor Who stars, right? Comicpalooza had the Doctor en masse, as Baker and McGann were shoulder-to-shoulder with Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison and Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy.

The Whoniverse’s darker corners were represented by Captain Jack Harkness aka. John Barrowman (joined by his sister, Carole), first introduced in 2005′s The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances before travelling with the Ninth Doctor (and the Tenth, a bit), and James Marsters. Most know the latter for starring in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, but he also played a fellow Time Agent in Torchwood Series 2!

Tony Lee wrapped up the line-up; his Doctor Who credentials span IDW’s comic run starring Doctor Ten and Eleven, but his work is far more extensive than that, encompassing both Marvel and DC alongside several smaller publishers.

Comicpalooza didn’t start off as a convention at all. It began as a signing in 2008 to celebrate the release of The Dark Knight, but the following year, it reappeared as a two-day event with guests including David Mack (Kabuki; Daredevil) and Terry Moore (Echo; Strangers in Paradise).

A few guests had to cancel their appearances at this year’s expo, including Dave Prowse, best known as Darth Vader, but who also starred in The Time Monster as the Minotaur.

Did anyone go to Comicpalooza? What did you think and who did you meet?

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Grab Yourself A Doctor Who Nerd Block!

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

This is an excellent chance to win something Doctor Who flavoured, thanks to the awesome mystery merchandise masters at Nerd Block!

Nerd Block is a monthly subscription service for sci-fi, fantasy and gaming fans, and they’ve recently partnered with Titan to bring both exclusive and licensed Doctor Who merchandise to upcoming offers. We’re really excited to be able to team up with them and offer you the chance to win a very rare prize, the details of which you can read below…

Here’s how Nerd Block describes its product:

Every month our expert nerd curators select outstanding gear, toys, and collectables, to provide you with an unmatched experience and an incredible value. Our team pours over hundreds of items per month and cherry-picks the best of the best to ensure you’ll get the maximum enjoyment out of every

You’ve got to agree, that sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it? And you don’t even need to subscribe this time around – just be lucky!

Head to www.nerdblock.com for more information. Meanwhile to enter, don’t forget to Like the Nerd Block Facebook page, the Kasterborous Facebook page and then leave your comment below!

This offer closes on Friday 13th June 2014.

The post Grab Yourself A Doctor Who Nerd Block! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

An Eighth Season One Too Many? Piper A Pop Star Again? Tom’s Horrific Who?

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.

Hello, dear reader, and welcome to another Doctor Who News Blast, where we ask: is there a curse on sci-fi shows after their seventh season? Is Billie Piper thinking about getting back to singing? Should Doctor Who be scary? Tom Baker says yes! Also, look out for Peter Capaldi’s sneaky little cameo…

Could Series 8 Be Terrible? The History of Modern Sci-fi Says YES!

Seven seasons. That’s how long some of the best science fiction shows of the last 30 years have lasted before they ended their first, non-syndication runs. Others told their stories in fewer seasons, and some lasted way longer than they should have, and in the end, the show wasn’t as good as when it started.

So should the same go for Doctor Who? Junkee says maybe it should be, but maybe not.

Most science fiction shows have an end, a goal set forth from the beginning of the show that the characters must reach. Voyager was trying to get back to Earth, Battlestar Galactica was trying to find it. Dr. Sam Beckett was trying to finally leap home and back into his own life. A good show knows when that goal has been or needs to be reached and when it’s time for the story to end. When a show doesn’t do that, we get those “jumping the shark” moments that are so crazy. insane, and just make absolutely no sense to the show as a whole.

Has Doctor Who already gotten there? There were episodes in Series 7 that seemed odd and outlandish even for Doctor Who. And with the whole having-to-violently-end-the-Time-War backstory of the 9th Doctor now essentially ret-con’d because of The Moment and The Day Of The Doctor, what’s left for our beloved Time Lord to do other than look for his home planet? And now that we know why the Impossible Girl was so impossible, what will be the continuing reason for Clara to stick around? Only time will tell if Doctor Who will continue to be the great and amazing show we know it can be or if it’s all downhill from here…

(Yes, we know the show has been around for 50 years. It’s an anomaly in that sense. But in those 50 years while it was still airing before the Dark Times, it had some pretty low, what-were-they-thinking moments. More than you can count with all your fingers and toes…)

Billie Piper A Pop Star Again?

Before she was flying through time and space with the Doctor, Billie Piper was a pop star. She began her showbiz career as a singer at age 15, but left that part of the business in 2003 for acting.

In speaking with British magazine Seven Days, Piper says she doesn’t ever want to go back.

I haven’t been watching The Big Reunion. [The show follows those making musical comebacks] I saw a bit of it and I found it was a bit of a frightening flashback. It’s all quite moody and sad, so much of it. I’d never go on it. I’d never be tempted to go back into singing. That’s it.

A shame, or a relief?

Tom Baker On The Horrific Side of Doctor Who And Sharing The Role

 

Since April, Doctor Who has been airing on the Horror Channel. Tom Baker thinks it’s a good fit.

In an interview with TV Choice, Baker talks about, among other things, the horror and frightening aspects of Who and about having to share the role of the Doctor with other actors.

Tom, now that Doctor Who has found a home on the Horror channel, which of your stories are the most horror-filled and why?
I thought they were all great comedy when I was doing it. But they’re very obvious aren’t they? It’s going to be Talons of Weng Chiang [a Victorian horror, first aired in 1977], stuff like that. My God, they’ve taken their time to discover the horror, haven’t they? I mean it’s only 32 years since I finished it! Seems like only yesterday.

Do you think Doctor Who should be horrific?
Yes. I think it should be whatever people want it to be. I’m very interested in horror. Not so much now, because horror is an actuality with me. But, yeah, we like to be frightened. We all want to get away from sanity and chastity and virtue. And be frightened. Enter another world. When in reality we want nice neighbours and no crime, don’t we? It’s that lovely area of our imagination that says, ‘Let’s get out of here.’

Meanwhile, talking about getting to know the other actors that have played the role, Baker says he doesn’t know them all that well. He did like working with Matt Smith for their special little scene in the 50th anniversary…

When you came back and appeared with Matt Smith last year, did you feel proprietorial then?
Well, going to Cardiff [where it's now filmed] on a winter’s morning at 4am couldn’t possibly be fun. But he was nice, you know, and I didn’t understand the cameras anymore because of the HD. I didn’t understand that. I was a bit uneasy. But Matt Smith was a charming young man and we did this little scene, which people liked a lot, that little scene.

Check out the rest of the piece, where Baker also talks about not appearing in the 20th anniversary, what it was like to first get fanmail for playing the Doctor, and about who he thinks his character in the 50th really was. Or, you could check our own interview, from the same day…

Peter Capaldi’s Uncredited Cameo

Did YOU hear the Twelfth Doctor on another BBC show?

Capaldi’s wife, Elaine Collins, just happens to be the executive producer for the BBC drama Shetland. The show follows Douglas Henshall’s (Primeval) Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez as he investigates a murder.

It seems a voiceover was needed for a radio weather report for the fifth episode, so the man soon-to-be the Doctor was asked to lend his lovely vocal talents…

Fortunately, the weather report didn’t include some of the…extreme…language some of Capaldi’s other characters have been known for…

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Two-Part Series 8 Finale, Creepy Pics & Moxey Guests

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.

Right then, Kasterborites, pin your lugholes back for a special blast of Series 8 news! In a packed news blast tonight, we bring you teasers, hints and half-truths, all connected to the delights in store for us from August! Possible spoilers ahead, enter if you dare!

Rachel Talalay Reveals Two-Part Finale!

Director Rachel Talalay has confirmed via the medium of Twitter that she’ll be directing the final story of the new series, and it’s going to be a two-parter! Rachel tweeted thus:

“Can’t believe it myself. Taking lame-o selfies in the tardis. It’s finale. 2-parter. rest is top secret.”

Talalay, whose Tweet was promptly deleted and who was confirmed for Series 8 last month, has told Yahoo:

“I don’t approach it in terms of, ‘What am I bringing that’s different?’ I’m approaching it in terms of, ‘How the hell do you do this?!’ It’s so hard! It’s so big and so hard and so ambitious. When you’re working with a wonderful script, you just think, “How to I tell this story beautifully and blow away the audience?”

Many fans will surely welcome the prospect of an epic finale to round off the series after a distinct lack of two-parters last season.

Creepy Pics Poser

New snaps from the filming of the new series pose the intriguing question of just what is going on to seemingly turn people into two-dimensional drawings? Hailing from episode 8, written by Jamie Mathieson and guest starring Frank Skinner, the photos depict ordinary everyday folk sketched from the back. In itself, of course, this would make a pretty rubbish adventure, so there surely has to be something sinister at work.

Last time the series tried something along these lines in Fear Her it didn’t go so well, it has to be said, but stay positive! At very least these give us something to ponder in the coming weeks. Other snaps offer lovely Clara going all 1920′s on us and images of the episode 7 cast in their spacesuits.

Foxes “Not Bad”

Singing sensation Foxes has revealed that she won’t be playing a villain when she guest stars in Series 8. Speaking to BBC Radio 1′s Newsbeat she declared:

“I’m not the villain.”

That’s cleared that one up! Elsewhere in the interview Foxes joined in the universal praise for new Doc Peter Capaldi (“He’s got a charisma and a charm that’s very exciting and fresh”) and, in news that’s likely to delight and appall in equal measure, revealed that she’ll be performing a song in the episode which may be released afterwards.

Moxey Guests in Series 8?

Finally, a potential new guest star has rolled out from the rumour mill. Christopher Fairbank, still best known as hangdog Scouse plasterer Moxey in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, may be making an appearance. He’s not the only member of the Auf Wiedersehen crew to appear in Doctor Who, of course: Noel Clarke co-starred in the BBC’s revival in 2002. Fairbank is such a familiar presence on TV screens it’s hard to believe he hasn’t already been in the series, but the closest he’s come has been a couple of Big Finsh audios: The Wreck Of The Titan and The Scapegoat.

Oh no, I think I’ve just re-started the argument about whether Big Finish stories count as canon. If I sneak off now maybe no one will notice…

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Forget Pseudo-Science: Why Doctor Who *Isn’t* Sexist

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.

Oh dear. Another ugly brute rears its head. It’s been claimed, once more, that Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who is sexist. The clickbait this time is the pseudo-scientific Bechdel test.

Movies (or in this case, TV shows) pass the test, named after a cartoonist who first set out the rules in a strip called Dykes to Watch Out For, if they feature two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. And since there have been claims that Moffat’s writing is sexist, a Media Methods Research class in the USA assessed the writer’s era as showrunner against that of previous showrunner, Russell T. Davies.

 Doctor Who isn’t a story of sex. It’s a story of people.

They put each female companion to the test, as well as coming up with average speaking time, and then put the two eras of the show beside one another. The results were that yes, Doctor Who is now sexist.

The BBC denied this, of course, rolling out executive, Faith Penhale, who said, “The BBC refute claims that Doctor Who is a sexist show under Steven Moffat, strong female lead characters are at the heart of his writing. The BBC is hugely appreciative of all of Steven’s work.”

They refute the claim because it is nonsense.

Please note, the following criticisms of the test are not directed at the author of the infographic, Rebecca Moore; I’ve explored her blog and found her to be a clever and excellent writer. This is a defence of the show that I love – but it’s also a concern that goes deeper than that (which I shall explore further on). Moore, too, acknowledges the limitations of the Bechdel test, realising that she “attempted to quantify something that is largely opinion based.”

As a test of sexism in Doctor Who, I feel the test is massively flawed – but also, it seems massively flawed as a test of sexism all together.

What does the Bechdal test say about women talking to other women about women, or men talking to men about women? The Bechdel test disregards the latter entirely, perhaps unintentionally taking the sexist stance that only women can be victims of sexism. I can look past that however; it was conceived as an assessment of how female characters are written.

But then, what if the women don’t talk about men, but they do talk about shoes or shopping? What if they talk about another woman in a derogative manner, thus exhibiting another stereotype? And what does it matter, as long as their dialogue is true to the character?

My problem may be that the Bechdel test boils everyone down to their gender, not view them as individuals.

The infograph (shared below) compares Donna Noble to Amy Pond, but we’re all products of interactions and relationships we have. When one character is the Doctor, an impossible time traveller who’s also a genius, it’s tough not to talk about him. He’d be the elephant in the room. The two are just very different characters; that’s all. Donna was arguably created as a reaction against the Rose Tyler-type companion, who fawns on the Doctor; introduced in The Runaway Bride, she was a stark contrast to Rose, but when she returned for Series 4, she was a stronger person – again, the opposite of the companion during the previous series, Martha Jones. Amy couldn’t be the same sort of person as Donna.

It simply wouldn’t have worked. We might as well have Donna again. (And yes, I do love them both.) Amy’s a companion who is influenced by the Doctor at an early age: she thinks about him as we may think of an imaginary friend.

Donna is brilliant, but there’s a notable difference between her debut in The Runaway Bride and Partners in Crime. That difference is the Doctor. It’s made more explicit in Journey’s End when, forced to forget the Doctor, she reverts back to the Donna we met in her first Christmas adventure. She is defined by her relationship with the Doctor as much as Amy because he opened her mind – but that’s the same of all companions, female or male! Even Adric! (Okay, maybe not Adric.)

There’s a notable difference between the Donnas of The Runaway Bride and Partners in Crime. That difference is the Doctor, and puts into question whether the Bechdel test can be applied to Doctor Who at all.

A further flaw of any test for sexism is that it all depends on who the audience is and what they think a strong female looks and acts like. A prime example of this is Madge Arwell in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. Many argue that a strong person is a career-focussed woman, yet Madge displays everything that should make her strong – she’s even capable of doing something the Doctor can’t. Motherhood makes people stronger (as, indeed, does fatherhood). “Hampered” by both motherhood and the time in which she lives – yet another problem with applying gender complaints to Doctor Who – she doesn’t have a career to speak of.

Yes, it all comes down to perspective. To me, all nuWho companions are strong leads, including both Amy and Clara (fairly omitted from the Bechdel test study). The latter is a more scared companion, but remains strong in my eyes because she still does what needs to be done and stands by the Doctor, despite her fears, and maintains a questioning mind.

Amy’s Choice is an episode that failed the Bechdal test. Should this be viewed as an example of Doctor Who being sexist then? No, because it matters that the Doctor and Rory refuse to make the big decision solely as Amy can’t. They rely on her and trust her completely.

As a writer, this sort of thing concerns me, but it should concern anyone who doesn’t want unnecessary restrictions invisibly imposed on them. I maintain that freedom of speech is an illusion; one enforced not only by governments but also by its people, however well-intentioned.

I am certainly not saying I want to upset anyone. In fact, complete freedom of speech would be a scary thing. As someone who rereads Fahrenheit 451 every year, though, the fact that censorship is so widespread troubles me greatly, particularly unequal equality: that, to me, is a less-clichéd way of saying, ‘double standards.’

A bigger trouble, though, is unintentional offense, and this, I believe, is where Steven Moffat comes in. I do not believe him to be at all sexist. However, many think that he is. Any offense caused by Moffat is likely unintentional, but the negativity, spite and bitterness aimed at him is definitely intended. That such negativity likely forced him off Twitter is unacceptable. As Moffat notes in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine: “sometimes, in my paranoia and embarrassment, I wonder if I’m just making everybody cross all the time.”

As a test of sexism in Doctor Who, the Bechdel test is massively flawed – but also, it seems massively flawed as a test of sexism all together.

My concern, when it boils down to it, is having to please everyone instead of simply writing characters.

I really wish this “Doctor Who is sexist” thing would stop. But the fact is, it won’t. No matter who is in charge. Media will always offend someone.

If all writers caved in to pressures, the world would be a very odd, impossible place. Imagine if Tom MacRae had thought about the Bechdel test; The Girl Who Waited, a beautiful, memorable and heartbreaking episode, would be a very different beast. TV would be far more mind-numbing if everyone panicked about offense. I refuse, as do many writers, to write by prescription.

Really, this issue shouldn’t have been addressed by anyone official: it merely appears to validate a matter of opinion.

Your thoughts below, please – and yes, I expect at least one person to point out that this article was written by a man!

The post Forget Pseudo-Science: Why Doctor Who *Isn’t* Sexist appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

This Code Adds The Ninth Doctor To Doctor Who: Legacy

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.

From now until Sunday – as part of a larger giveaway spanning five Doctor Who sites – we’re giving away the Ninth Doctor and a new look for Doctor Who: Legacy, in association with the game’s developers!

This code – unlike last week’s – will expire midnight pacific time on Sunday night and there are no limits on its use, meaning that as many of you who want the Ninth Doctor and his alternative look can have him!

All you have to do is open this section below, note down the code and enter it into the Promo screen in Doctor Who: Legacy on your Android or iPhone/iPad.

Get

5538-9596-9764-9422

If you enjoy Doctor Who: Legacy you might be interested in our interview with the game’s developers which is available in our Kasterborous Magazine videogames special or in one of our podKasts from late last year.

Our work here is done. There are more codes for you to find…

The post This Code Adds The Ninth Doctor To Doctor Who: Legacy appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Another Doctor Who: Legacy Code Coming Your Way!

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.

Here’s great news for fans of Doctor Who: Legacy, and even those still to get round to playing it: we’re going to be featuring a second exclusive code tomorrow!

This time, the offer will run a bit longer and might just make your day…

If you aren’t already playing Doctor Who: Legacy on your iPhone or Android device… what’s keeping you?!

Voted one of the top 50 Android games of 2013, and having recently updated to add new features such as a Perk System (familiar to traditional RPG games), Expert Mode in Version 2.0: Rise of the Master, it is one of the highest-rated games in Google Play. Here’s my review, which you’ll find in the new Kasterborous Magazine Doctor Who videogames special and on the game’s Google Play download page.

Probably the best Doctor Who game ever!

In the past six months I’ve played every single Doctor Who game released. Some good, some bad. Legacy is arguably the best yet – graphics are good (love the custom artwork), sound is everything it should be and the user interface works. Most of all, this is not just a bejeweled clone. The RPG elements here are good, with the crystal aspect simply being the means to engage with the enemies. Great bonuses and unlocks are hidden in here, and all DW fans should spend five minutes playing Legacy. What’s more, this is free! Support a great free DW game and we might get others in different genres!

Believe me, I rarely take the time to write a review for online marketplaces unless the product really deserves it.

Happen to be an iPhone or iPad owner? If you’re still mulling over trying Doctor Who: Legacy, mull no more – install it now! The game is virtually identical (although switching from a phone to a tablet seems to make it even more enjoyable) and therefore highly recommended.

If you don’t believe us, why not try Metacritic, where the game as attained a respectable score of 70 for the iOS version (for some obscure reason, Metacritic doesn’t record reviews for Android games. Bonkers!)

So, that’s our recommendation. We reckon you’ll enjoy Doctor Who: Legacy, which is why we’re happy to support it.

Check back tomorrow to grab your free, exclusive and fantastic, code!

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