Christian Cawley's Blog, page 303

Fans and Cast on Paul McGann’s 50th Anniversary Return

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.

The positive reactions to Paul McGann’s triumphant return in The Night of the Doctor minisode have been tremendous and are still going, even though now we’re a few weeks past the 50th special! Whether we’re discussing petitions for a McGann spinoff or just general fan reactions to his return, the consensus seems to be the same: WE WANT MORE PAUL MCGANN!

Flicks in the City had the chance to speak with several former Doctor Who cast members (including Paul McGann), as well as showrunner Steven Moffat, and several fans at the Doctor Who Celebration held during the 50th Anniversary weekend. Check out the video below:

Do you agree with Paul that the former Doctors can always come back? Or do you think TNOTD was the perfect capstone to the Eighth Doctor’s time on screen?

The post Fans and Cast on Paul McGann’s 50th Anniversary Return appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Script Doctor Rereleased!

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.

If, like me, you were a child of the 80′s then you will have grown up watching the adventures of the Doctor as portrayed by the marvelous Sylvester McCoy and, quite possibly, enjoying them massively as I did.

The reign of the Seventh Doctor saw the arrival of the iconic companion Ace, the first Dalek to master stairs and the return of the Brigadier, the Master and the Cybermen. It also restored a great deal of the mystery to the character and that is thanks to the man who oversaw the era, script editor Andrew Cartmel. It was his vision that revived the flagging fortunes of the show, coupled with a batch of exceptional scripts from a string of new writers.

A while back, Cartmel published a memoir of his time on the show, a sort of production diary, covering his time as script editor for the series titled Script Doctor, alas it has been out of print for a while now and changing hands on ebay and amazon for anywhere up to three times the cover price.

But now, thanks to the folks at Miwk publishing we have a shiny new edition being released. Extras exclusive to this new edition include a new introduction by current series showrunner Steven Moffat, a new afterword by Ace actress Sophie Aldred and a new coda from Andrew Cartmel. It also carries many more photographs on top of the already impressive 32 pages of pitures.

So who among you shall be adding this to your Christmas lists? Do any of you own the original edition; if so, will the extra content be enough to sway you into getting a second copy, or perhaps you will be parting with your original in favour of the updated version? Whatever your views or feelings drop us a message below and let us know.

You can either get the standard edition for just £14.99, or a very special Limited Edition Hardback (signed by Cartmel and numbered – there are only 100 in the world!) for £26.99.

Expect a chat with the brilliant Andrew Cartmel soon on Kasterborous…

 

Script Doctor – Miwk Publishing Ltd.

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Moffat: Peter Capaldi “incredibly excited” to Audition

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.

An intriguing snippet of background information on Peter Capaldi’s casting as the next Doctor has emerged in a new interview with Steven Moffat.

The showrunner had already revealed that Capaldi was the only person to audition for the role, but Moffat now says that the star wasn’t told he was the only one up for the part.

He’s a huge fan of Doctor Who, so we asked and he was incredibly excited to come and audition.

We didn’t tell him that he was the only person auditioning because that would be oddly pressuring.

Moffat goes on to say what a decent sort the programme’s new lead is:

Nobody has a bad thing to say about him and that’s not a minor issue when it comes to casting a Doctor.

What do you think? Could Capaldi have handled the truth?

 

(Via Digital Spy.)

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PodKast with a Sonic Legacy and No Series 8 Split!

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 week’s podKast (with a “K”) gets in an early celebratory mood for Christmas with a selection of recommendations, a chat about Brian Terranova’s latest Sonic Screwdriver prop and a look at Doctor Who: Legacy, in a section that also chats with the game’s developers.

Perhaps most interestingly, however, is the news that Steven Moffat has assured fans that there will be no Series 8 split. While we may have to wait until August 2013 for the Peter Capaldi era to begin properly, it is at least reassuring that we will get to see him in a run of 13 episodes.

So, prepare yourself, dear listener, to enjoy the Kasterborous PodKast with Christian Cawley, Brian Terranova and James McLean!

Kasterborous PodKast Series 3 Episode 45 Shownotes

No Series 8 split!
The Time of the Doctor gallery
Doctor Who: Legacy game
Doctor Who: Legacy ‘s amazing reaction
Doctor Who Figurine Collection rant on Facebook
Terra’s new Sonic Screwdriver on Facebook
Recommendations: Big Finish Eighth Doctor Series 4, The Church and the Crown, starring Peter Davison, Byzantium! by Keith Topping and The Hogfather TV Movie - oh and don’t miss  How To Run A Country: Everything you need to know about managing a 21st century utopia if you’re looking for an amusing Christmas present…

Listen to the PodKast

There are several ways to listen. In addition to the usual player above, we’re pleased to announce that you can also stream the podKast using Stitcher, an award-winning, free mobile app available for Android and iPhone/iPad. This pretty much means that you can listen to us anywhere without downloading – pretty neat, we think you’ll agree! (Note that it can take a few hours after a new podKast is published to “catch up”.)

What’s more, you can now listen and subscribe to the podKast via our Audioboo channel! Head to http://audioboo.fm/channel/doctorwhopodkast and click play to start listening. You can also comment and record your own boos in response to our discussions!

Meanwhile you can use the player below to listen through Audioboo:

You haven’t clicked play yet?! What are you waiting for? As well as our new Stitcher and Audioboo presence you can also use one of these amazingly convenient ways to download and enjoy this week’s podKast.

Use the player in the top right of the Kasterborous home page, or visit the podKast menu link.
Listen with the “pop out” player above, which also allows you to download the podKast to your computer.
You can also take advantage of the RSS feed to subscribe to the podKast for your media player, and even find us on iTunes!

Incidentally, if you are listening on iTunes, please take the time to leave a rating and review and help us to bring in new listeners to the podKast!

The post PodKast with a Sonic Legacy and No Series 8 Split! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Can You Recite All 240 Episodes Names…?

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.

I pride myself on being a wealth of useless information. I can tell you the complete bible quote that Samuel L Jackson uses from Pulp Fiction; I can recite the entire English monarchy from 1066 to the modern day; I can tell you the full titles of every Friday 13th movie, in order but there is one super fan out there that can top all these things.

Teacher Giovanni Antonelli memorised and recited the titles of all 240  stories spanning Doctor Who‘s 50 year history. Every story from An Unearthly Child through to The Day of the Doctor in order.

Ok, admit it, how many of you just tried it yourselves then? Don’t worry, I did too and didn’t even make it out of Hartnell before I missed one.

Giovanni took up the challenge to raise money for Children in Need, and having completed the task in 15 minutes raised £100 for the charity. While he admits he had to learn the title specifically for the challenge, he is a big fan and the challenge itself is the result of a 40 year love of the show.

“Most of it has been rattling around in my head for years – I’ve just never had a reason to learn them all in order.”

His love of the show regularly spills over into his science lessons to which, he says “there’s two responses – some groan and say ‘not this again,’ but others seem genuinely enthusiastic.”

Apparently since the challenge some  colleagues at work have dubbed him a ‘super-nerd’. To this I say Giovanni, wear it as a badge of honour. Your achievement has not only raised money for a good cause but it has no doubt thrown down the gauntlet to countless other fans to attempt the same feat.

Now, if you don’t mind.

Unearthly Child…The Daleks… Edge of Destruction… Marco Polo…

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

New Clues for The Time of the Doctor in BBC Christmas Trailers?

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.

The Time of the Doctor is almost upon us! However, in perfect Moffat style, we’ve precious little to go on outside of a few context clues and the fact that this episode will see us bid farewell to Matt Smith as the Doctor and welcome Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor. What then, shall we do? We scour what trailers the BBC have bestowed us for more clues, that’s what!

To begin, let’s make sure we’re all channeling our inner Benedict Cumberbatch because what we have to work with are very brief clips. We’ll turn our attention to the first, brief trailer, which aired shortly after The Day of the Doctor. However, the BBC has also given us a few tasty clips interwoven in the trailers promoting the BBC’s Christmas programming.

So let us begin! We’ll list what we’ve found in the footage and then we’ll post links to the trailers towards the end:

The Doctor walking through empty snow covered streets.
An unseen dialogue between the Doctor and an unidentified woman (Orla Brady as Tasha Lem, anyone?) who identifies the planet they’re on as Trenzalore.
A Weeping Angel
A Christmas dinner scene where Clara introduces the Doctor as her “boyfriend” and the Doctor gives Clara a little smack on the bottom!
Marching Cybermen.
Daleks blowing some stuff up…
The Doctor yelling “hello” as he and Clara walk through the streets.
The Doctor introducing himself in front of a town clock.
The Silents – first in the shadows walking towards an unidentified person with a cane (who could that be? The Doctor doesn’t typically carry a cane…) and then cornering someone who appears to be Clara in a corridor…

What do you think? Did we miss anything important? And dear reader, what do you think is going on based on these observations? Are we finally going to get a taste of that “never ending bitter war” Madame Kovarian mentioned during Demon’s Run? Watch the trailers below!

Teaser Trailer: http://youtu.be/DMOOLd_44Mo

BBC Christmas 2013 Teaser Trailer: http://youtu.be/veSozo7x0UM

Extended BBC Christmas Trailer 1: http://youtu.be/1e79HKx3a-o

Extended BBC Christmas Trailer 2: http://youtu.be/qN3iCFkT8sI

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Doctor Who Magazine 468 Previews The Time of the Doctor

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.

Doctor Who Magazine joins in the festive spirit with a bumper-sized 100-page Christmas issue, previewing The Time of the Doctor and celebrating a landmark…

To celebrate the fact that Christmas Day will see the broadcast of the 800th episode of Doctor Who, the mag comes complete with a HUGE double sided-poster – one side celebrating Matt Smith’s years as the Doctor, and the other featuring images from every single episode – all 800 of them! – since the series began.

ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

The Time of the Doctor – a preview of the Christmas Special, with exclusive new photographs.
Steven Moffat talks exclusively to DWM in an in-depth interview.
The life and times of Doctor Who’s first writer, Anthony Coburn.
DWM tells the previously unknown story of one of the men instrumental in the creation of Doctor Who: CE ‘Bunny’ Webber.
The DWM Review of 2013.
The Watcher’s Guide to the Eleventh Doctor.
A look back at the Doctor Who Celebration at the ExCeL.
A Christmas Carol – an in-depth guide to Matt Smith’s first Chrismas Special.
Production Notes – showrunner Steven Moffat talks candidly about the biggest day of his career.
Pay the Piper Part 1 – a brand new comic strip.
Author Jacqueline Rayner looks back on Doctor Who’s Christmas past.
The Time Team watch 2007′s Voyage of the Damned.
The Watcher’s Feindishly Festive Christmas Quiz!
Competitions, puzzles, and much more!

It’s time for Christmas with DWM 468, out Thursday 12 December, price £5.99!

The post Doctor Who Magazine 468 Previews The Time of the Doctor appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Companions: 50 years of Doctor Who Assistants Reviewed

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

With the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who offering a wide and varied amount of merchandise that looks at the Doctor’s travels through time and space throughout his 1200 years or so of travelling, there’s plenty more that we’ve discovered about the Time Lord this year than we previously knew.

But the Doctor’s wanderings aren’t solely based around him; there are his friends and companions to consider as well. It’s through them that we are given our window into the Doctor’s brilliant world and the amazing wonders that he has seen. And yet for the average or new fan, there hasn’t been a huge amount of details that has focused on these temporary TARDIS dwellers. Where some may know about Sarah Jane Smith, Tegan Jovanka and Rose Tyler, they may not be aware of Jo Grant, Romana or Ace. If you’re one such person, then you may want to get yourself a copy of Companions: 50 years of Doctor Who assistants by Andy Frankham-Allen.

This unofficial book guides the reader through the many friends that the Doctor has travelled with over the centuries and delves into their stories and their backgrounds. Split by each Doctor and then by their respective companions in chronological order, this guide tells of how these people came upon the Doctor’s life and what they went on to do, covering their very beginnings on the show right through to their ends. The material here is well written and very comprehensive, detailing all the facts and information that some may not know. In fact, for a new Doctor Who fan that has only recently stumbled onto the show, this is essential reading to fill in any gaps in Doctor Who knowledge.

For fans that have been following the Doctor for a longer period of time, it’s the Expanded Universe sections of this book that will prove the most interesting. Once the canonical television adventures of the Doctor’s friends have been detailed, Allen proceeds to look at their further adventures in comics, books and audio plays. This reviewer found that these sections of the book were the most rewarding as there was plenty of unknown information to get through as well as unexplored storylines for companions that had not had enough time (or forethought) to be embedded during the Doctor’s television adventures.

Overall, this is a well written and thoroughly detailed book by a writer that clearly knows their stuff when it comes to Doctor Who. For old fans, there might not be much here that they didn’t already know but for new fans, this is an effective and important guide to many of the people that have helped the Doctor save the universe so many times.

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Second Life Celebrates 50th Anniversary

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.

Second Life, the online virtual world where the pixelated residence can mould, shape and indeed, inhabit a universe of their own design, has yet to toss its virtual hand into the 50th Anniversary year celebrations.

Well, consider that virtual void filled by this, a truly outstanding tribute to all things Doctor Who by Kat Kassner, Second Lifer and Whovian.

They’re all here: the Doctors, the various TARDIS interiors, the Daleks, the Cybermen and even the odd Sea Devil or two; each loving rendered and created with due care and attention.

There’s even a bit of Dalek decimation.

Click play above to enjoy!

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Christmas Ideas: The Talons of Weng-Chiang

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

With Christmas coming up, you might be looking for suggestions for those Whovians in your life – and we recommend the Target book reading of fan-favourite adventure, The Talons of Weng-Chiang.

The unabridged reading of Terrance Dicks’s Target novelisation is performed by Christopher Benjamin; depending on how far your love of Doctor Who goes you’ll either know him from his role as Colonel Hugh in 2008’s The Unicorn and the Wasp or from his appearances in two 1970’s Doctor Who serials as Sir Keith Gold in Inferno and Henry Gordon Jago in the televised version of The Talons of Weng Chiang.

In fact Benjamin has recently seen a run of successful stories at Big Finish after reprising his role as Jago, albeit in audio form, for Sherlock Holmes style adventures in the brilliant spin off series Jago and Litefoot.

Spread out over four CDs, the audio reading of The Talons of Weng-Chiang is one of the better Doctor Who Target novelisations and is well worth a listen.

This audio book will set you back just £10.98 from Amazon UK, and is sure to put a smile on the face of even a Peking Homunculus!

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