Christian Cawley's Blog, page 27

Mark Gatiss Unveils Memorial to Fallen Police Officers

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.

Doctor Who actor and writer Mark Gatiss has officially unveiled a memorial at Darlington Police Station dedicated to officers who have fallen in the line of duty.

The Sherlock actor and co-creator was joined by friends, family and colleagues of those who gave their lives to protect the North East.

During the service which was hosted by Gatiss at Darlington Civic Theatre, The League of Gentlemen actor remembered his brother-in-law, Detective Sergeant Dave Storey, who suffered a stroke one week after retiring from Darlington CID in March last year aged 53.

“It’s a very sad occasion and everyone here has their own special memory of a loved one who is sadly no longer with us, he said. “Sometimes when you go past an old building, there’s often an inscription on it and I think to myself how those people are long gone now.

“But I’d like to think that this memorial is a reminder of all the men and women who have given their life and it will remain here long after we’re gone too.”

The memorial was sculptured from sandstone and was cut by local stonemason David France. It bears the Latin inscription Sic Luceat Lux Vestra, which translates as ‘Let Your Light Shine’ and located on the first floor of Darlington Police Station.

Chief Constable Mike Barton spoke of the fundraising efforts of officers and staff who raised the cash for the stone sculpture through cake mornings, race nights and even a cycle challenge to Paris.

But an evening hosted by Mark Gatiss at Darlington Civic Theatre was the icing on the cake.

“This memorial is hugely impressive and I would like to personally thank everyone who has contributed to it,” he said. “…In an age where everything is digital it is important we have a lasting memorial, something we can touch and remember where we have come from.”

 

The post Mark Gatiss Unveils Memorial to Fallen Police Officers appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Titan Comics Announce ‘Year Two’ Variant Covers

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.

Titan Comics have announced another set of cool variant covers for their ongoing Doctor Who comics.

This time it’s the turn of Japanese artist Question No.6 to provide the artwork – he has previously worked on Doctor Who comics at a fan level before becoming involved with a web comic adaptation of AM Audio Media’s award winning Doctor Who Dark Journey audio play.

His work resembles the kind of cute characters you would find in retro 70’s and 80’s product posters or textile commercials or even perhaps, the title sequence to Monsters Inc.

Needless to say his work is very, very cool.

The comics featuring Question no. 6’s art will be available early next year.

The Tenth Doctor Adventures Year Two #2.6 – written by Nick Abadzis with art by Elena Casagrande & Arianna Florean (which along with Question No.6’s art comes with addition covers by Alice X. Zhang, and, of course, a Photo cover) and The Twelfth Doctor Adventures Year Two #2.2 – written by Robbie Morrison with art by Rachael Stott & Ivan Nunes (with additional covers by Alex Ronald, Rachael Stott, and a Photo cover) will be available January 13th, 2016.

The Eleventh Doctor Adventures Year Two #2.6 – written by Si Spurrier & Rob Williams with art from Simon Fraser & Gary Cadwell (with two addition covers by Alex Ronald and a Photo cover) hitting shelves on February 3rd, 2016.

Also, don’t forget to check out all the other cover variants below.

The post Titan Comics Announce ‘Year Two’ Variant Covers appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Reaktion Round-Up: What You Thought of The Zygon Inversion

David Power 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 don’t even have to make a Zygon related pun, as the poll already does one for me! It’s a Christmas miracle!

Best of Series 9 41.89%  (124 votes)
Brilliant: Accept no imitations 42.23%  (125 votes) 
Bonnie (from the Latin for ‘good’) 10.14%  (30 votes) 
What a let down. 4.05%  (12 votes) 
Anyone who enjoyed that is a sucker. 1.69%  (5 votes)
 

So, if we learned last time that we’ve given Peter Harness a bit of a harsh time, I think we’ve learned this time that we’ve really underestimated him. Cause man if that doesn’t forgive Kill the Moon then I don’t know what will! (Although to be fair, this episode was co-written by Steven Moffat).

Before we get to that scene, we’ll talk about the other great things in this episode. The scene’s in Clara’s head? Great. Jenna Coleman as Bonnie? Great. Kate Stewart’s five rounds rapid? Perfect. The fact that there’s still two Osgoods going around, and we still don’t know who’s who? Brilliant.

Now. That last scene. That scene has got to be one of the best speeches, if not one of the best scenes in Who history. I was always adamant that the saving of Gallifrey in 2013’s The Day of the Doctor doesn’t undo the fact that the Time War still happened, and that the Doctor did some unspeakable things, so to see this fact emphasised was really important to me. It was also, after a season and a half, the Twelfth Doctor’s defining moment for me. Only the Twelfth Doctor could’ve shown the rage and ferocity expressed in the climactic speech. You really see a beaten down, weary Doctor, who still firmly believes in what he says. We’re so lucky to have Peter Capaldi as the Doctor.

Ratings were on the rise this week. The overnights rose from 3.87m to 4.13m, and the overalls also rose from 5.76m for Invasion to 6.03m for Inversion. The Appreciation Index score increased by two from part one, from 82 to 84.

So what did our K-readers seem to think? They seemed to have nothing but praises!

So, that’s another Reaktion Round-up complete. I was going to write another one tonight, but I’m a little tired. ‘Till the next episode! (Whatever that’s about).

The post Reaktion Round-Up: What You Thought of The Zygon Inversion appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Time Eddy: A Convention In Review

Josh Maxton 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.

If you already read the title (like the clever little Kasterborite you are), you might notice something. “But wait,” you’re saying, “Haven’t I heard something about Time Eddy before?” Indeed, you have, my dear reader. We’ve brought you several news reports, and even an interview about Time Eddy. Unfortunately, however, this convention review got lost amidst the thousands of filing cabinets at the K towers, and then it got shredded (probably by Philip Bates), and then it was rewritten, and then it got lost in a time eddy. However, now, at long last, it has arrived! So, anyway, here we go…!

Now, raise your hand if you love all things Doctor Who.

Well, of course, all your hands probably shot up, and your hearts started racing a little bit faster.

Have you ever been to a Whovian convention? I don’t mean like Comic-Con or anything that might have Doctor Who guests included in its line-up: I mean a convention that was thought up by Whovians, organized by Whovians, and run by Whovians. Obviously, this type of convention isn’t as popular as larger cons. But they are much better in many ways.

This past October, fans stateside flocked to the very first Time Eddy convention in Wichita, Kansas. It was put together by Kieran Kinsella—a super-fan with plenty of experience with conventions—and the Whovians of Wichita (a local fan group). October 2nd through October 4th, over 1,100 packed into the Best Western hotel in North Wichita to meet a host of stars from the shows’ past and present. Run by fans, the convention revolved around the idea of giving attendees and celebrity guests a better chance to interact with each other than they might get at a larger convention. Kieran Kinsella explained this to us in our exclusive interview with him:

“I don’t like these mega-cons, where you go and you wait in line for three hours and pay $200 just to get a signed photo of someone who you see for two seconds. Time Eddy’s going to be a bit more old school. There will be a lot of guest interaction with the attendees. There were a couple of writers that I spoke to that were going to come but weren’t able to because of work. One of them said to me ‘Look, I’m not going to come, if it’s like when I went to Comic-Con and you just stick me in some booth and people just drift by me so I can give autographs. I’m only coming if I get to interact with the fans’ And I was like ‘That’s exactly how I want it to be.’ So that’s what we’re going for. The guests will be very accessible. We want to do a lot of fun activities that the guests are involved in.”

Obviously, this really set Time Eddy apart from other conventions of similar size. It’s also really cool that this desire of fan/celebrity guest interaction is one that’s even held by some celebrities themselves. Everything about Time Eddy was a fantastic example of the fact that while celebrities certainly are rich and famous (and they might have a nicer house than you – or maybe not; we’re not here to judge), we’re all human underneath.

What also made the convention shine was the impeccable amount of celebrity guests that were there. Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon), Colin Baker (The Sixth Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri Brown), Peter Purves (Steven Taylor), Daphne Ashbrook (Grace Holloway), Ellis George (Courtney Woods), Victor Pemberton (writer for the Troughton era; inventor of the sonic screwdriver), Deborah Watling (Victoria Waterfield), Nev Fountain (writer for Big Finish) and Andrew Cartmel (script editor for the McCoy era; New Virgin Adventures author) all found their way to Kansas. Yeah, a lot of guests. Quite a bit. The number of guests even came as a shock to the Master of Ceremonies, Peter Pixie (pictured below):

 “You know I’ve never seen a convention in Wichita with this many guests. There’s so many I have to write them down. Usually, there’s like three – but we had three before we even got started.”

Well, Peter, as you probably already know, there are already three guests confirmed for Time Eddy II (October 14th-October 16th, 2016). Oh dear… Spoilers, sorry. More on the follow-up convention below.

Anyway, moving on…

Peter Pixie gave Time Eddy an extra charm. He was the icing on the cake to the already delicious weekend. For more info about Peter Pixie and his work, visit his official website.

Now that you know some of the basics, let’s go over some of the background. Time Eddy was thought up, pieced together, and brought to life by Kieran Kinsella. Growing up in England, Kieran got into Doctor Who at a young age – much inspired by his Whovian father. In high school, he became friends with John Dorney [writer and actor for Big Finish, whose audio dramas include 1963: The Assassination Games, Requiem for the Rocket Men, and the critically-acclaimed Iterations of I]. The two started up their own Doctor Who fan group, and eventually decided to try and get guests to come to their fan meetings. They were met with great success.

Later on, they decided to do a convention, as Kieran explained:

“Within a couple of years, we decided to do a convention. It was fairly easy because most of the people were pretty up for it since the show was kind of in hiatus when we did the convention. It was after McCoy had finished, but the show was not officially finished yet; there was a chance it could’ve come back. So, a lot of people were quite keen, like Sophie Aldred came to the convention because she was hoping the show might come back still. We got Deborah Watling, Barry Letts, Terrance Dicks, Gareth Roberts (who worked on the New Adventures at the time) and a few more too. The convention was really successful. We got people coming from pretty far and wide; we got some fans from Scotland, and I was in London. The local newspaper thought it was pretty cool too.”

Eventually coming to Kansas City because of work, Kieran got a bold idea. He wanted to do a Doctor Who convention. But there was one issue. Kansas City didn’t seem like the right place. Kieran wanted somewhere that didn’t have a regular Doctor Who convention yet. Once he found out about the Whovians of Wichita, everything fell into place. Kieran and the Whovians of Wichita fit together perfectly. Time Eddy was born.

When the big day finally came, the convention turned out to be a huge success. One interesting feature was how many panels and discussions there were. All different kinds of topics were brought up. Comparing the processes behind Doctor Who production back in the ’60s with how it is now, why so many Hartnell and Troughton episodes are missing, and what the idea behind the sonic screwdriver are only a few of the extensive themes that were discussed.

The biggest issue with this convention is that it is virtually impossible to squeeze all its highlights into one article. To not mention every detail seems like treachery. However, an article can only be so long – which is why we included that handy video at the top. See? Method to the madness.

According to Peter Purves, back in the 1960s, Doctor Who was filmed similar to how stock companies (nicknamed “stocks”) or repertory theatres (nicknamed “reps”) work today. Rehearsal began on Monday, and they recorded that episode on Friday. The episode was then finalized and broadcasted not the day afterwards, but the Saturday after that. He also said that the budget back then only allowed for 3 edits per episode. This meant that if the TARDIS was seen arriving and disappearing, that counted as two of their three edits since the tape had to be stopped twice in order to do the effect. This made everyone have to do their best to get it exactly right. According to Peter, it’s a wonder that more errors aren’t found in the episodes from that era.

Ellis George’s experience on Doctor Who, about 50 years after Purves was on the show, is very different:

Kieran Kinsella: So, Ellis, by comparison, when you met up with Steven Moffat, what was it like?

Ellis: Well, it was a bit weird when I found out I got it. A couple weeks later, they called and said I had to come in for a read-through. And obviously, this is like Peter [Capaldi]’s first readthrough, because it was the first script of the whole series. So, it was really interesting to be there for that. A week later or so, they called, saying, ‘Ok, we’d like you to come in to film a scene.’ But now (in comparison to how it was for Peter Purves and the rest of the cast in the ’60s), they’re like ‘Oh, you messed up the line here. That’s okay; we’ll just shoot it again.’ But, of course, it’s not a case of ‘mess up as many times as you want.’ They still have a budget. You still can’t go over a certain amount of money. It’s more of the case of where it’s not too bad if you mess up once or twice. That’s okay. But if you mess up like ten times every time you do a take, then that’s just ridiculous. However, I still think it’s very different from how it used to be. Like, for example, it’s so much easier and it’s really relaxed. You feel like ‘It’s okay, everybody here is here to help. It’s not going to be too hard’.

“There were so many times that I just could not get this one paragraph in this one scene. I don’t know if you remember it or not. I was talking to the Doctor and I was saying, ‘Oh, so you don’t think I’m special?’ I literally, for so long, just did not know how to do this line. I got on set and Peter was like, ‘Okay, shout at me.’ I was like, ‘What?’ You know? Peter Capaldi is telling me to shout at him. And I was like, ‘You sure?’, and he was like, ‘Yeah, just shout at me.’ So I started shouting my lines at him. He was like, ‘Come on, get angry.’ I was just thinking to myself how crazy it was that Peter Capaldi was telling me to get angry and shout at him. It was a good time, though. At least, I had help when I got stuck on something.”

All the panels brought memories from the past, theorizing for the present, and speculation for the future all together. With panel discussions for several of the shows eras, in addition to other topics, the panels of Time Eddy really had something for everyone. There was even a lecture on time travel from Dr. Behrman of Wichita State University.

What do you like to do at conventions when you’re not listening to theories about how Captain Kirk is actually a regenerated Meddling Monk (okay, so that wasn’t actually discussed at Time Eddy)? You saunter off to the vendors’ room and buy cool stuff, of course: Big Finish audio adventures, fezzes, Whovian t-shirts, custom Whovian LEGOS, and even petrichor-scented soap! Don’t ask us who wants to smell of dust after rain.

While on the smaller side, Time Eddy‘s venue, the Best Western in North Wichita, could be perfectly described as “just right” for a brand new convention. In fact, this specific hotel has been the birthplace of many Wichita conventions that are now annual events.

We’ve talked about the number of guests, and the panels, and the vendors, and the venue for the convention, but we haven’t talked about the guests themselves. Hands-down, the celebrity guests were easily the best part of the convention. “Why?” you might ask. Very simply because of how outrageously kind and down to earth they were. The guests at Time Eddy were very accessible. Perhaps the best example of the celebrity guests’ mindset was seen in a special moment between Daphne Ashbrook and a young friend. At the venue, there was a miniature golf course. I was strolling on by in my hoodie and my sonic sunglasses when I happened to stumble upon Ashbrook playing golf with this young fan.

Perfect timing. For me, it harkened all the way back to Kieran Kinsella explaining that even the guests desire the interaction with the attendees. Very cool.

The several meals offered with the guests were a great idea too. Tickets for these meals were sold separately from the regular Time Eddy admission, but the few lucky Whovians got to eat breakfast on one day with some of the guests, and lunch the next. Although, speaking of meals, I do wonder what Colin Baker’s favorite midday snack is. Suggestions anyone? Probably something to do with carrot juice. Ah, just a guess.

So, in retrospect, Time Eddy was absolutely fantastic. A good representation of both Doctor Who’s past and present was there for sure. Time Eddy reminded fans just how fun it is to be a Whovian. We all watch this show about a man who travels in time. It’s a bit crazy at times, but it’s never Not Fun.

Peter Pixie himself summed it up better than anyone else could have:

“The main point of this weekend is this… The Doctor is the kind of person who stands up for those who can’t. He vows to never be cruel nor cowardly. I think we should all try to be more like that. If we can’t, we should support those who can.”

The best news about Time Eddy that I can give you is this: it’s coming back!

As I teased earlier, three guests have already been announced for Time Eddy II. Mark Strickson (Turlough) is included in the celebrity line up that’s, erm, in the process of being lined up, alongside composer Dominic Glynn, and Nabil Shaban aka Sil the Mentor from Vengeance on Varos and Mindwarp.

Blimey! Even so far that’s a solid line up of guests for next year. The wonderful thing is there are even more to be added!

Thanks for stopping by the towers of Kasterborous!

Keep an eye out for Time Eddy on Facebook and at their official website. New guest announcements for Time Eddy II will drop on December 26th   (Boxing Day)!

The post Time Eddy: A Convention In Review appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who: The Complete Series Nine – Blu-ray & DVD Details Announced

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.

BBC Worldwide have announced details for the forthcoming Doctor Who: The Complete Series Nine set, which is due out in the UK on Blu-ray/DVD from 7th March 2016 and in North America from 5th April 2016.

The set comes with over four hours of extras which include:

DVD Commentaries:

Under the Lake and Before the Flood: actor Sophie Stone, writer Toby Whithouse, producer Derek Ritchie
The Woman Who Lived: actor Maisie Williams, producer Derek Ritchie
Sleep No More: actor Reece Shearsmith, writer Mark Gatiss

All The Doctor Who Extra’s from Series 9:

Doctor Who Extra: The Magician’s Apprentice & The Witch’s Familiar – Peter Capaldi reveals all, and shows off his guitar riffs, as we get the inside story on this stunning two-parter. Featuring additional interviews with Michelle Gomez and Steven Moffat.
Doctor Who Extra: Under the Lake & Before the Flood – Go backstage and meet some very ghastly monsters! Discover the secret of a special celebrity appearance as Paul Kaye welcomes us on location, and we reveal how to make a big splash on set. Featuring interviews with Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, writer Toby Whithouse and production designer Michael Pickwoad.
Doctor Who Extra: The Girl Who Died & The Woman Who Lived – Maisie Williams talks about crossing fandoms, celebrates her birthday with an impromptu quiz, and generally everyone has a lot of fun, as Rufus Hound gives us a unique view of what it’s like to make Doctor Who. Featuring interviews with Peter Capaldi and Maisie Williams.
Doctor Who Extra: The Zygon Invasion & The Zygon Inversion– The Zygons are back! We discover how a Zygon keeps fit, and Ingrid Oliver tells of her delight at once more playing the Doctor’s biggest fan, Osgood! Featuring interviews with Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Ingrid Oliver.
Doctor Who Extra: Sleep No More – Mark Gatiss reveals the story behind the horror, Reece Shearsmith reviews the importance of space glasses, and we look at the challenges of making this unique episode. Featuring interviews with Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Steven Moffat.
Doctor Who Extra: Face the Raven – Joivan Wade (Rigsy) is shocked to be back, but he’s not the only character to return for this unforgettable adventure, as we discover the perils of thinking you are invincible. Featuring interviews with Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Steven Moffat.
Doctor Who Extra: Heaven Sent & Hell Bent – Steven Moffat and director Rachel Talalay reveal the challenges of creating the puzzle-box that is Heaven Sent, we get wind-blown in Fuerteventura, and we witness the departure of a companion as we go on set for Jenna Coleman’s last day of filming. Featuring interviews with Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Steven Moffat and Rachel Talalay.
Doctor Who Extra: The Husbands of River Song – Matt Lucas is our guide as we join River Song, the Doctor and a star-liner full of supervillains for this festive Christmas special. We get the heads-up on the Hydroflax from Greg Davies, reveal Alex Kingston’s favourite Sonic, and we find out what Peter Capaldi is getting for Christmas. Featuring interviews with Peter Capaldi, Alex Kingston, and Steven Moffat.

Doctor Who Documentaries:

Writing Who – The definitive guide for a would-be Doctor Who scriptwriter. We follow Sarah Dollard on her intricate journey to create her episode, Trap Street. From the highs of pitching her original idea to Steven Moffat, to the challenges of writing her first draft – faced with a blank page and typing Int. TARDIS Day – to seeing her episode becoming reality.
Dalek Devotion – Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat reveal the inspiration for the return of the Daleks to the incredible season opener of series 9, how their earliest memories have shaped their devotion to the ultimate killing machine, and the journey to the Dalek homeland of Skaro.
The Adventures of River Song – Join Alex Kingston and Steven Moffat as we look forward to River’s return in The Husbands of River Song. Find out how River’s character came to be created, why Alex just had to play the role, what happened when the cast discovered who River really is. Narrated by Nina Toussaint-White.
Doctor Who: Sublime Online – A video selection box of the funniest, most insightful and engaging online treats from behind the scenes of Series 9. With interviews and magical moments from Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Steven Moffat, and featuring a host of guest stars, including Maisie Williams, Michelle Gomez, Rufus Hound, Ingrid Oliver and Slipknot.
Clara’s Journey – In 2012, Jenna Coleman joined Doctor Who and took her place in television history as the Doctor’s newest companion, Clara Oswald. Having become the longest serving companion since the revival of the show, Clara’s time on the TARDIS has now come to an end, so we can now look back at just what made the Impossible Girl, well, possible. Featuring interviews with Peter Capaldi, Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman. Narrated by Colin McFarlane.
The Fan Show’s Finest – Christel Dee gives a whistle-stop guide to Doctor Who: The Fan Show the online series that celebrates Doctor Who and the amazing creativity of the show’s fans. We get a peek inside Steven Moffat’s writing lair, take a look into the Old Monster’s Retirement Home and step into the amazing world of Minecraft to find out how fans are celebrating their love for the show online. We even get face to face with the Doctor and Missy to ask them all the questions the fans want to know.

Other Extras include:

The Doctor’s Meditation – the US Series 9 prequel,
Deleted Scenes
Series 8 recap
Series 9 Trailers and Prologue
2015 San Diego Comic Con Panel
An interview with Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman hosted by Wil Wheaton. 

Doctor Who: The Complete Series Nine will be available to pre-order from Amazon in the UK, USA and Canada, and can also be purchased from the BBC Shop and other retailers.

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Coming Soon from Big Finish: Doctor Who: The Peterloo Massacre

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.

The Fifth Doctor finds himself trapped in one of the darkest days in Manchester’s history in March’s main release, Doctor Who: The Peterloo Massacre.

Available in March 2016, The Peterloo Massacre concludes a recent trilogy of adventures for Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor. Joined by his companions Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) and Tegan (Janet Fielding), the Doctor arrives in Manchester for a purely historical adventure – one that places the travellers in the midst of a horrific, greed-fuelled tragedy.

“’They say there’ll be thousands pouring into Manchester tomorrow. From all over the county, north and south. It’ll be a piece of history. People will remember this!’

Lost in the smog of the Industrial Revolution, the TARDIS crashes four miles south of Manchester, in the grounds of Hurley Hall – a grand mansion belonging to a local factory owner, a proudly self-made man. But while Hurley dreams of growing richer still on the wealth of secret knowledge locked up in the Doctor’s time and space machine, his servants hope only for a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. His young maid Cathy, for instance, whom Nyssa learns is looking forward to joining the working people’s march to St Peter’s Field, in the heart of the city. There’ll be speeches and banners and music. It’ll be like one big jamboree…

Or so she thinks. For the city’s establishment have called in their own private militia, to control the crowd. One of the darkest days in Manchester’s history is about to unfold – and the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan are right in the thick of it.”

Written by Paul Magrs and Directed by Jamie Anderson, the full cast audio drama stars Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding, Hayley Jayne Standing, Robbie Stevens, Gerald Kearns, Phillip Labey, Wayne Forester and Liz Morgan.

Doctor Who: The Peterloo Massacre is available to pre-order today for now for £14.99 on CD and £12.99 via download.

The post Coming Soon from Big Finish: Doctor Who: The Peterloo Massacre appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who: Legacy Christmas Update

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.

Tiny Rebel Press have revealed their upcoming plans for the fabulous Doctor Who: Legacy online game.

This week sees the addition of rewards for those who players who unlock the Fan Area – the special reward area that unlocks as soon as players make their first purchase of a Handful of Time Crystals.

Launched on Saturday, the Fan Area will be home to the Signature Series – Each day players will be able to unlock an exclusive version of an ally which includes the actor’s real signature. This ally series will be ongoing, but begins this week with Saibra (Pippa Bennett-Warner), Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker), Jo Grant (Katy Manning), Van Gogh (Tony Curran), Ace (Sophie Aldred), and Rigsy (Joivan Wade).

What’s more, On Christmas Eve will see the Twelfth Doctor’s fabulous velvet jacket added to his ever-growing wardrobe.

The Christmas weekend will see the launch a new level based on The Husbands of River Song for all players with the reward of a new ally. In January, players can expect a first ever Director’s Cut edition of the same episode with costumes galore.

Next year’s plans include the dynamic “Event” which has been teased already in the media, as well as the next instalment of Bigger on the Inside, which is being co-penned with George Mann (author of Engines of War) and more tie-ins with Titan Comics.

In the two years since its launch Doctor Who: Legacy continues to thrive and grow; it’s recently earned ‘Top Developer’ status for its talented team and has passed the one million install mark on Google Play.

Doctor Who: Legacy is available to download now from Google Play, iTunes and Amazon Online Appstore.

The post Doctor Who: Legacy Christmas Update appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Watch The Doctor Unwrap His Present Early In Fantastic Festive Photos

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.

We all know how the Doctor deals with endings (Spoiler alert: he’s not a fan) but how does he deal with the anticipation of unwrapping all those lovely presents at Christmas? (Spoiler alert: the wrapping paper doesn’t stand a chance.)

Yes, watch the Twelfth Doctor himself go toe to toe with some wrapping paper as he strikes a pose for the Radio Times. There’s some fabulous mugging here for the camera by a clearly game Capaldi; it certainly captures the lighter, joyful tone of this years Christmas special.

Now, the eagle eyed amongst you might just be able to spot just what he’s got this year (I hope whoever got it kept the receipt) but that’s not put a damper on the sheer festive joy of watching Peter Capaldi wrestle with this particular Christmas foe.

If you want to see him tackle a more substantial foe and reunite with Alex Kingston, then tune in for The Husbands of River Song, Christmas Day, at 17:15 on BBC 1.

The post Watch The Doctor Unwrap His Present Early In Fantastic Festive Photos appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Time Eddy Convention Returns in 2016

Josh Maxton 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.

Time Eddy, the convention run by fans for the fans, is returning in 2016 after a successful event at the Best Western North Wichita this October.

Over 1,100 fans packed in to meet a host of stars from the shows’ past and present including Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Peter Purves, and Ellis George. The venue will remain the same for next year’s convention but the vendor’s area will be expanded, the events line-up enhanced, and beer and wine will be available for the over 21 crowd.

And in addition to all the excitement of 2015’s Time Eddy, there’ll be a Doctor Who musical extravaganza, a sci-fi mystery dinner, and more participatory events involving guests and attendees.

Don’t worry, dear reader, you most definitely have permission to squee. I won’t vaporize you, it’s okay. Especially as three exciting guests have been announced.

Mark Strickson is set to return to Kansas almost 30 years after his last convention appearance in the state. You’ll know him for playing the Fifth Doctor’s conflicted companion Turlough during which time he battled Daleks, Cybermen and the Master in stories including Frontios, The Five Doctors, and Resurrection of the Daleks. Since leaving the show, Mark has worked as a TV producer both in the UK and in the Antipodes. Among other things, he helped bring the famed crocodile hunter Steve Irwin to TV. Mark will be signing autographs, posing for photos and participating in Q&A sessions during all three days of Time Eddy II.

He’ll be joined by Nabil Shaban, who played the slippery Sil, a ruthless and disgusting Mentor who debuted in Vengeance on Varos. Sadistic, morally corrupt, slug-like, and with a spine chilling snigger, Sil started the chain of events that led to the apparent death of Peri.

Shaban has forged a successful career as an actor, writer and poet. His most noteworthy acting gigs include his performance as Mack the Knife in the Threepenny Opera — for which he was nominated for an acting award only to be pipped by David Tennant. He also had a role in Clive Owen’s Children of Men. Nabil is a free spoken political activist, who continues to advance the cause of people with disabilities whilst his anti-war rhetoric allegedly caused him to be blacklisted by the BBC. Nabil will be at Time Eddy II for all three days participating in Q&A sessions, signing autographs and posing for pictures.

And British composer Dominic Glynn, whose credits include Red Dwarf, The Simpsons, and Russell T Davies’ Queer as Folk will perform a musical medley live on stage during the event’s Saturday evening musical extravaganza. Dominic is well loved among Doctor Who fans for his memorable remastering of the iconic theme music during the Colin Baker era. He also composed incidental music for a number of stories, and soundtracks for the radio relaunch of Blake’s 7.

Dominic will be signing autographs, and answering questions during all three days of the convention.

That’s just a small taster of what’s to come. Further guests will be announced on Boxing Day!

The post Time Eddy Convention Returns in 2016 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Directing Doctor Who: Rachel Talalay’s Notes on Heaven Sent

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.

Laying out the complexities and intricacies of directing an episode of Doctor Who, Heaven Sent/Hell Bent director Rachel Talalay has annotated the opening page and half of the particularly complicated Heaven Sent script via her Tumblr page.

Talking us through her process of figuring out shots, set design, locations, and production – amongst the many logistical issues facing an always pressed for time, pushed to the limit director of Doctor Who – Talalay breaks down each passage of stage direction and dialogue with brief shorthand notes. It’s the kind of exhausting detail that helps bring the writer, in this case Steven Moffat’s, vision on screen.

Here are a few of the illuminating snippets.

“2nd unit/stock for sky? 

We ended up taking a stock sky shot and animated the moving flare, rather than the more common moving clouds shot. (Note that the flare is moving in the wrong direction.) 

For the light sweeping in the room – find a room where we have access to windows where we can put lights on cranes and create the movement. Smoke will enhance this? 

We found these logistics in the Great Hall on the main floor of Caerphilly Castle, where the lighting could be controlled for the moving beams and they fortunately did allow us to use movie smoke. Lights were on lifts to provide enough height for the shadows to hit the floor to emphasize the movement. 

This could have been done with VFX as well.”

You start to see how much thought has to go into the simplest of shots – it’s also worth noting just how much space Moffat leaves in his stage directions to give directors like Talalay the space to put her imprint upon the script.

And as this is a Doctor Who script, there was also a lot of talk about corridors – namely, which available corridors work best for the story.

“Traveling along the corridors — which ones? What details? — there was a great corridor in Caerphilly (no time, hard to light, ultimately did not use), instead Caerphilly had the best staircase. In 2015, all those areas have metal railings for health and safety. We were allowed into a non-public area of the castle that had not yet been fitted with these – this was a coup. Otherwise they need to be avoided,( limiting angles), or digitally removed, (limiting camera movement). 

Fantastic battlement corridors all around the perimeter of Cardiff Castle (priority to use these as they were majestically long, but also difficult to light).

Radial and circular corridor around teleport chamber must be built. No locations have circular corridors. The Radial corridor must be narrow enough that the Doctor cannot get around the Veil – “finally run out of corridor – a life summed up”. Radial corridor needs moving wall at the end – hence building it made most sense.” 

Then there are the less practical but no less important artistic decisions – namely trying to find the right materials that reflect Talalay’s burgeoning vision, like this image taken from the movie adaptation of Frank Miller’s Sin City.

“I used this image as reference for lighting the corridor outside the garden – you may notice that much of the lighting makes no sense. I had to push for that.” 

Ultimately though, for each question raised her in the initial planning, comes about a thousand questions that cannot be answered; not without more careful planning and practical concerns to curtail those nagging questions – it gives you a sense of the compromises and small victories that a director must face.

“Production note — this is just the 1st scene and less than 1-½ pages of the script! We already have more questions than can be answered and more time for 2nd unit that I think we can afford. This alone could take a week to shoot. I also worry how long this will take on-screen. What is the audience thinking now?

Tone – How creepy is this? How much geography are/should we be giving away?

Editorial – we probably spent more time debating what to use in this scene than in any other scene in the episode – including the epic ending montage. This is because we ended up with a lot of varied material which was completely non-standard for a Doctor Who opening, so much discussion of how to draw the audience in, prepare for this totally different type of episode, but not lose them to itchy remote fingers.”

 You can read the full breakdown over at Rachel Talalay’s Tumblr page.

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