Christian Cawley's Blog, page 279

Matt Smith Heads To Wizard World Louisville Comic Con

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.

Attention all Kentucky area Kasterborous readers… 

The Doctor is coming to see you!

That’s right, the wonderful Matt Smith, our beloved Eleventh Doctor, will be attending the Wizard World Louisville Comic Con!

Mr. Smith has signed on to attend his second Wizard World convention this year, with this one being held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, 28 – 30 March, 2014. But there is one catch – Smith will only be at the con for one day, 29th March. He will still be doing the usual autographs, photo ops, and Q&A panel however, but will have to squeeze it all into one day.

A number of other great stars are also set to attend the convention, including Norman Reedus, Michael Rooker, and Jon Bernthal from The Walking Dead, Sean Astin and Billy Boyd from the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, and the amazing comics artist Neal Adams.

For more information on tickets, VIP passes, the schedule of events, and the whole list of who is set to attend the convention, check out the Wizard World Louisville website!

(Louisville…he’s getting closer to Philadelphia! This writer is keeping her fingers, toes, braces, and bow ties crossed that he comes here!)

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Doctor Who Magazine Distribution Buoyed By 50th Anniversary

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.

Panini UK has announced its highest ever ABC figure for Doctor Who Magazine for the July – December 2013 release period.

Against a consumer magazine market which has recorded a year on year drop of 6.3% DWM posted a total ABC figure of 36,151 which is up close to 26%

against the same period last year.

Circulation Manager, Katie Wilkinson says:

It has been a fantastic year for Doctor Who. At a time when many magazines are struggling to maintain their circulation figures it is really exciting to be able to post great growth in sales both on the newsstand and in subscriptions.

Tom Spilsbury, Editor of Doctor Who Magazine, is naturally thrilled:

Doctor Who Magazine has been running non-stop for more than 34 years. With the general downturn in sales across the magazine industry it’s extraordinary to see that DWM has just recorded its highest circulation figures since 1980. The 50th anniversary edition – DWM 467 – ended up selling more than 50,000 copies, and had to be reprinted to try to meet demand. The six-month average figure for the magazine is an incredible 36,151 copies, which is also the best average figure for more than 33 years. Thank you to all of our loyal readers who have stuck with us over the years, as well as to all the new readers who have joined us more recently.

We’re sure you’ll join with us in wishing Doctor Who Magazine our massive congratulations. If you haven’t got it already, the current DWM is out now and features a look back across Matt Smith’s time on Doctor Who.

The post Doctor Who Magazine Distribution Buoyed By 50th Anniversary appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Take On Who

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

Full credit to Richard Swarbrick for his amazing Doctor Who animation, but as one YouTube user discovered, it certainly works if you change the soundtrack.

Not to any old tune of course, but one that particularly suits the style of the animation, a tune like “Take on Me” by 1980s Scandinavian pop-rock legends A-ha.

Don’t believe me? Click play above and enjoy! (Don’t forget to contrast and compare with the original.)

The post Take On Who appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Phillip Hinchcliffe Presents Box Set Available for Preorder

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

It could be said, and rightfully so, that Phillip Hinchcliffe and Tom Baker were responsible for some of the best episodes of Doctor Who during the classic era. So dear reader, if you find yourself missing that “gothic” feel of Hinchcliffe’s work and some bonafide Tom Baker action, I have fantastic news for you! Big Finish has just made their upcoming Fourth Doctor release, Phillip Hinchcliffe Presents Box Set available for preorder.

The new release features two brand new adventures with The Fourth Doctor and Leela, conceived by Hinchcliffe and written by Marc Platt. From the description:

The Ghosts of Gralstead (Six episodes)

The Doctor and Leela return to Victorian London, in the year 1860.

At St Clarence’s Hospital, respected surgeon Sir Edward Scrivener requires the bodies of the dead… At Doctor McDivett’s Exhibition of Living Wonders and Curiosities, miracles are afoot… And in Gralstead House, the ghost will walk again. Mordrega has come to Earth…

The Devil’s Armada (Four episodes)

The TARDIS lands in Sissenden Village in the sixteenth century. Catholic priests are hunted, so-called witches are drowned in the ducking stool, and in the shadows the Vituperon are watching… and waiting…

The release will be available in digital and CD formats. The only disappointing part of the whole thing is that the release date isn’t until September! That shouldn’t dissuade you from a preorder, however; Big Finish has been known to release a project earlier than initially slated. The set can be ordered here.

Are you excited for a new Hinchcliffe/Baker release? Let us know if you’ll be picking this up!

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Hey, Moffat, Where Are All The Female Doctor Who Scriptwriters?

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.

Behind the scenes, when it comes to writers, Doctor Who has been a bit of a boys club lately. It was 2008 when a woman last wrote for the show, when former script editor Helen Raynor scripted The Sontaran Strategem/The Poison Earth. To put it in perspective, that was near beginning of the Tenth Doctor and Donna’s time together.

Over five years on, there have been no more stories written by women.  None in the whole era of the Eleventh Doctor!   This seems particularly strange since Doctor Who has one of the most diverse fanbases of any show in the world.

It is also somewhat ironic because, during Steven Moffat’s time as showrunner, we’ve seen the rise of some of the most prominent and strong female characters in the show’s half-century history:  Professor River Song, Amy Pond, Madame Vastra and Jenny, and the various Oswalds.  There has been some criticism though, that these leading women are often written in too similar a fashion… like they’ve been “Moffatized.”  They tend to be quick with a one-liner, have nicknames for people (usually the Doctor), possess a certain breezy sexuality, and are bold in the face of danger.

Could a female writer add more depth and “realness” if given the chance to write for Moffat’s female characters?

When there are women writers out there such as Debbie Moon, creator and writer of the BAFTA-nominated children’s fantasy series Wolfblood, who seem interested and willing to give it a try, it would certainly seem like a possibility.  In a recent comment on her blog page, Moon mentions that she would like to write for our favorite Time Lord, saying:

I’m hoping I’ll get to do a Doctor Who one of these days…

It’s probably more of an innocent comment and not a guarantee (as a novelist, Moon is only likely to join Jenny Colgan as the only notable female Doctor Who writer at the moment), but with someone like Moon–and surely there are many other very capable and experienced women writers available as well–isn’t it time they were given a chance? Doctor Who has had women writers before, from Barbara Clegg (Enlightenment) to Jane Baker (The Mark of the Rani, et al) to Rona Munro (Survival), but hasn’t the time come when there should be more female Doctor Who writers on TV?

When it comes to women writers, is Doctor Who behind the times?

Kasterborites?

(With thanks to Ian.)

The post Hey, Moffat, Where Are All The Female Doctor Who Scriptwriters? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Ben Wheatley: Doctor Who “in July” – Internet Doubtful

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.

According to a new interview director Ben Wheatley (Kill List, the sublime A Field in England) has a mere two weeks left on his duties for Doctor Who Series 8 and is expecting them to air far sooner than we thought.

Speaking to FilmDrunk about many other things, the director said of the first two episodes of the Peter Capaldi era:

I’ve got two more weeks shooting Doctor Who, which hopefully is going to go in July.

Previous dates thrown around the Internet have put the return anywhere between August and September, but if Wheatley is correct then we will be able to enjoy the show even sooner. (We’ve been informed that August is almost guaranteed and various merchandise launches tie in with this – Ed)

Personally the return can’t come soon enough, but July does seem like a rather odd time to schedule the grand return of one of your flagship programmes – in fact, I can’t think of a single show that launches in July.

But what do you think? Is this likely to be the case for the air dates, or do you feel the director may be a bit ambitious with his predictions?

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Doctor Who Missing Episodes Marathon at the Prince Charles Cinema!

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.

The recovery of nine missing Doctor Who episodes last year was undoubtedly a highlight of the 50th anniversary and to celebrate the release of The Web of Fear on DVD a missing episodes marathon will take place at the Prince Charles Cinema in London next Saturday (February 22nd) in association with the BFI.

This ticket only event will also feature a 45 minute Q&A session (hosted by Toby Hadoke) with key cast members as well as a member of the Troughton family.

Commencing at 11.15am, tickets for this one-of-a-kind marathon go on-sale tomorrow morning at 9am from www.princecharlescinema.com/events/events.php?seasonanchor=drwhomissing

Tickets for the 12 episode screening are £14 (£11.50 for Prince Charles Cinema members, 25% concessionary rate for members of Equity, the MU and Writers Guild.)

Paul Vickery is Head Programmer at the Prince Charles Cinema:

I couldn’t be more proud to be part of this one-off experience – as a cinema, it’s a dream come true for us to finally have the Doctor fill our screen and delight audiences and fans of the show. As a HUGE fan of the series I’ll be there too, front row-centre. I’m very excited about having the opportunity to revisit these incredible episodes in a truly unique way… on the big-screen. It’s sure to be one of those events for the PCC history books and I for one can’t wait.

Dick Fiddy, Missing Believed Wiped Co-ordinator at the BFI says:

These finds are truly significant, offering a further opportunity to re-visit the Patrick Troughton era. The recovery of these episodes indicates the possibility that more episodes are out there somewhere awaiting re-discovery – a mouth-watering prospect for all Doctor Who fans and those interested generally in the recovery of missing UK television programmes.

Exciting stuff! Meanwhile, The Web of Fear is out on DVD on Monday, February 24th,  just £13.97 at Amazon. Don’t miss our review of the DVD.

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Moffat: Kids Love John Hurt’s Doctor

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

How old should the Doctor be? Doctor Who chief Steven Moffat claims children have no problem with older actors in the role.

We beg to differ:

OK that’s not fair – these two young ladies probably misunderstood and thought their beloved Eleventh Doctor was about to be replaced. More concerning is the mother’s comment – what do you mean, “it’s only Doctor Who”?!

Moffat has a window into the response of younger viewers given that he has two sons in their teens to offer an immediate critique of his work. And he seems to be of the opinion that younger viewers very much took to the War Doctor.

In an interview with entertainment magazine site, IGN, he has talked about casting older men as the Doctor with both Peter Capaldi as the next incarnation and John Hurt as a missing incarnation in Day of the Doctor. And the jammy so-and-so has (obviously) had the privilege of seeing the rushes for Capaldi’s first few stories…

I was watching it this morning, and it’s all the difference in the world, because suddenly he’s a man in his 50s with gray hair — and it’s no difference at all. It’s weird. Never mind that, John Hurt’s 73, and how great was he? And kids love the John Hurt Doctor.

He might be right. But that didn’t stop a wave of uncertainty and downright objection to the announcement of Peter Capaldi in the role. But could this be because of the modern phenomenon of the *shexy* Doctor and the slightly different fan-base that has sprung up since the revival?

Personally I’m very excited about Capaldi’s casting and feel that an older Doctor makes more sense. While Matt Smith did wonders with the role, it was the first time that I was older than the actor in the role (horrors!) and I’m a fan of the more avuncular, less boyfriendy version of our hero.

What do you think Kasterborites – older, younger or anything goes? Tell us below…

(Via IGN.)

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Matt: Get Your Hands Off My River, Capaldi

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.

Evoking Justin Hawkins long forgotten idiom that in affairs of the heart one should: ‘Get your hands offa my woman, muddy funster!’ Matt Smith has gotten all proprietorial over a certain Mrs Kingston.

Speaking at a Q&A panel at last weekend’s New Orleans Comic Con, he warned Moffat not to let River go swanning off with a new man in his fancy Crombie coat:

“Don’t ask. I’m really possessive over Alex [Kingston]. I said this to Steven [Moffat]. I was like, ‘Listen, just don’t! Just not Alex. Anyone else, but don’t give [Capaldi] River.’ But Peter is the Doctor now so hey, what can I do?”

So there she goes with a brand new love affair but Matt can console himself (and possible turn everyone’s faces to the ‘RAGE’ setting) with the idea that whatever part River plays in Twelves life, it’ll all be part of a wider scheme to paint Doctor Who folklore a shade of Moffat.

He adds:

“I think that Steven will be planning things that are going to unfold over years and I think he’ll reinvent the folklore, and it will become Peter’s folklore.

 

But I am really proud of the fact that Alex was part of number Eleven’s life. My wife!”

So do we want to spare Matt’s heart and see less of River Song with Peter’s Doctor? Do you fear for the canonical changes Moffat will bring? Can you wait any longer to see the Twelfth Doctor in action?

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Moffat: The Doctor Has Always Been Sexual

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

Steven Moffat has defended himself against accusations that he’s “sexed up” the character of the Doctor.

In a new interview, the Doctor Who and Sherlock showrunner sounds somewhat baffled at the complaint from some fans that he’s taken the programme into inappropriate territory:

“I mean, people talk about sex in Doctor Who – I heard someone say that to me, ‘You’ve sexualized the Doctor.’ I said, ‘Where? In what episode? What great episode are you watching!?!’”

This is not exactly a new issue, of course, and Moffat has long insisted that there’s a tendency among some followers of the show to ignore the evidence of their own eyes when it comes to the Doctor’s relationships with women:

“I mean, Matt Smith’s Doctor in particular just flails in the presence of women. But at the same time, it’s a fact of the canon of the show that the Doctor was a married man and had children. We know that he flirts, we know that he falls in love, we know that he has the full range of responses in that.”

The Moff undoubtedly enjoys a bit of mischievous provocation when it comes to this whole hanky-panky in the TARDIS business, but in fairness his comments were made as part of a wide-ranging interview covering both series currently under his stewardship:

“I never know quite what to say about this. Because they’re both characters, and in my head they’re both people. My God, if that’s not sexualized, they’re not having a very good time, are they? [Laughs]“

What do you think? Enough with the flirty Time Lord? Or do you enjoy the idea of the Doctor indulging his romantic side?

 

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