Christian Cawley's Blog, page 392

Joanna Page: Hurt is “just fantastic”

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 50th anniversary guest star Joanna Page has been talking about her co-stars this week – mainly man of mystery John Hurt…

“He is so much fun. He’s got the most amazing stories, he’s just fantastic. And you see him on set and he’s got that amazing voice and he doesn’t do anything – he just starts saying the lines and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, you are the best actor I’ve ever seen.’”

There really isn’t anything you can add to that. But we will, as Page’s chat with the Radio Times revealed that the Welsh actress was thrilled to have been asked – although you’ll note that she didn’t audition, so the production team clearly knew exactly who and what they wanted for her role (which may or may not be Queen Elizabeth I).

“I’ve wanted to be in Doctor Who for ages,” “They just phoned and said, ‘Will you be in it?’ and I said, ‘Oh my god, yes, definitely.’ It was so much fun getting to act with the different Doctors but it was quite scary and intimidating at first.”

What is it now, June? We’ve still got another five months to discover just what John Hurt’s character is all about…

(Via Radio Times.)

The post Joanna Page: Hurt is “just fantastic” appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Awesome 8th Doctor Masterpiece Collection Maxi Bust

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.

They’ve finally given him his own bust…and it’s about time!

Fans of the recent Doctor Who Maxi Busts that have been released will surely want to get their hands on one of these, a limited edition 8 inch bust of the Eighth Doctor, in all his romantic glory.

As one of the most criminally overlooked Doctors who barely got a chance to shine on the television, it’s fantastic to see Paul McGann’s incarnation celebrated so wonderfully in time for the 50th anniversary.

The frock coat, the floppy hair, the waistcoat and even the fob watch (warning: may contain a Time Lord consciousness) form part of this very special release to stand alongside the First, Fourth, Fifth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctor busts that you may already have.

But you’ll need to start saving your pennies (or hope that you have a birthday coming up soon) as all this quality means that the Eighth Doctor bust will set you back £49.99, that is however 10 pounds cheaper than the RRP so Forbidden Planet, we thank you once again.

The item is on pre-order now and will be released next month on 15th July. If you can just wait a little longer, the Eighth Doctor will soon be making your mantle piece look resplendent.

Pre-order your bust from Forbidden Planet today!

The post Awesome 8th Doctor Masterpiece Collection Maxi Bust appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

So: Was David Burton the 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.

The history of Doctor Who is fascinating; not just what is, but also what could have been. And one of the biggest wells of secrets is over the show in the 1990s, a grim decade wherein only one adventure was ever made.

We all know and love Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor – but was there another Eighth Doctor, another plan to revive the series? That’s what the documentary, Dr. Forever!: Lost in the Dark Dimension, investigates, something expanded upon by Nothing at the End of the Lane, the Doctor Who research and restoration magazine and website.

The documentary appears on the Inferno: Special Edition release and producer, James Goss (Dead of Winter; The Hounds of Artemis), was especially interested in David Burton’s infrequent assertions that he filmed two pilots for a new series of Doctor Who after it was cancelled in 1989.

Burton is probably best known for his extensive theatre work, including The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan. This particular rumour began when he arrived at a school fete in Holmesdale in a car emblazoned quite unceremoniously with ‘The New Doctor Who’ written on it. It gained weight when he claimed that he was offered the role of the Eighth Doctor after appearing in a musical, Lock Up Your Daughters, directed by Day of the Daleks’ Paul Bernard. Nothing at the End o the Lane, explains:

“According to his 2012 interview, Burton clearly says that it was Paul Bernard who contacted him a few months later and asked him to go with the director to a meeting at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. At the meeting with various other people, it became apparent that Burton was being offered the lead role of the Doctor in an independent pilot and that Paul Bernard himself was going to direct the production.

 

Sadly, Paul Bernard died in 1997, but it’s interesting to note that in the various interviews that were conducted with him after the time of the supposed pilot’s shooting, no reference was ever made to this independent production.”

What’s more, Carole, Paul’s widow, checked the director’s diaries and couldn’t find any proof of his involvement with resurrecting Doctor Who.

Nonetheless, Burton maintains that he played the Eighth Doctor.

You can find out more by grabbing a copy of the Inferno: Special Edition DVD, or simply heading over to Nothing at the End of the Lane’s website now!

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Review: Prisoners of Time #1

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.

Despite collecting all of IDW’s Doctor Who output, I’m always a bit apprehensive about the Doctor’s journeys into the comic book world. The idea of it combines the two things I love, and yet it sometimes delves into territory I think should be avoided.

This is going to be controversial, I’m sure, but I hate when a writer throws in as many old enemies, continuity references and radical redesigns of classics because it feels too much like fan fiction. Now, there’s nothing wrong with fan fiction; it’s just I don’t think it has a place in a licensed product. I don’t want to see Daleks fighting the weed creature from Fury from the Deep, or the meta-crisis Tenth Doctor manipulating events because he feels that he should be the one careering around the universe in the TARDIS.

I know there’s a fine line and whether this line is crossed is pure conjecture.

This is why I was particularly nervous about the comic publisher’s Prisoners of Time series, which features all eleven Doctors over 12 issues and brings back certain foes. This is treading on sacred ground. Please do not mess with established history too much.

Issue 1 quite rightly tackles the First Doctor, pairing him up with

one of the best TARDIS teams; Ian, Barbara and Vicki. And together, they battle a threat that fits just right: the Zarbi and Animus from The Web Planet. Sorry if this is a spoiler to you, but as the ant-like Zarbi appear on the Retailer Incentive cover (and that the creatures are just so suitable for the era), the majority probably already know.

I genuinely don’t know which monsters appear in later issues – I’ve purposely avoided knowing – but the First Doctor facing the Zarbi feels just as right as it would if the Second Doctor were to come up against Ice Warriors or the Cybermen, the Third Doctor fight the the Silurians or Sea Devils, or the Fourth Doctor battle Davros or Erato (shut up).

The issue’s scale feels right too; it could also be achieved by the 1960s production team – just about. It seems impossible that they could effectively realise many scenes (particularly towards the story’s conclusion), but then, comparing it to The Gunfighters, The Romans, The War Machines and, naturally, The Web Planet, it’s likely that if this were an on-screen adventure, all the stops would’ve been pulled out. Mind you, a speeding train at close proximity might’ve been a struggle.

However, I question whether such scale has been effectively realised in Prisoners of Time. The medium is perfect for visualising things we’d never be able to see on our televisions, even with the use of CGI. But a comic book needs direction just as much as a TV show or a film, and the choices made throughout this issue by artist, Simon Fraser, are… odd. The reveal of the Zarbi isn’t well utilised; the scale of one of the hostages being pushed down onto railway tracks isn’t right; and the army of drone Zarbis don’t feel like a good enough threat.

The Animus reveal, on the other hand, is excellent; the train itself is beautifully detailed; and the final page is simply wonderful.

What’s more, I love the detail Fraser puts into the first three pages as a mysterious onlooker reviews the Doctor’s life. There are nods to The Fires of Pompeii, The Long Game and City of Death; we can see Liz Shaw, Frobisher, and even Kamelion sharing space with Captain Jack Harkness, Rose Tyler and the Ponds. He’s even sneaked in Katy Manning posing naked with that Dalek.

His scratchy art reminds me of people like Jefte Palo (Moon Knight; Incredible Hulk) and Doctor Who Magazine’s John Ridgway, two names I’m certain any artist would be grateful to be compared with.

Gary Caldwell’s colours, something often overlooked, should also be applauded. He really brings the environs alive and comes into his own when the Animus is unveiled.

And a special mention to cover artist, Francesco Francavilla (Daredevil; Hawkeye), who updates his own blog with a brilliant Who-inspired piece after each episode is aired. His depiction of the First Doctor is perhaps the best I’ve ever seen, also segueing the stretched cloth of an early Cyberman into the waves of the ancient Time Lord’s hair. Looking at the covers of future issues, he continues his astounding work – but please can the Italian artist get a chance to do the interiors too?

But it all falls flat if the writing isn’t top-notch.

Thankfully, the Doctor is in safe hands with Scott and David Tipton. It’s full of promise and mystery; great flow and narrative; a deep understanding of the show and the main character. “Sometimes he is an educator,” they tell us, showing us the First Doctor. “Sometimes he is a soldier.” They single out the Ninth Doctor. “Sometimes he is a madman.” Just look at the Sixth Doctor’s coat! “Sometimes he is the Oncoming Storm.” They show us a brooding Tenth Doctor.

“He is all of these things. But there is something else… He is never alone… I’m going to have to change that.”

If that doesn’t intrigue and excite you, you must be a Cyberman.

Well done, IDW. This isn’t fan fiction. This is a celebration, just as it should be.

The post Review: Prisoners of Time #1 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

PodKast Chats Missing Episodes

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.

Missing episodes – it’s something of a grokking topic for Doctor Who fans. One minute they’re lost, the next they turn up.

Indeed, even for the Kasterborous PodKast (with a “K”) we recently unearthed lost material that we had intended to bring to you today… only for it to vanish from the K Towers Matrix Databanks when it came to editing.

Fortunately, thanks to former Ugandan despot Idi Amin (unlikely as it may seem) and various BBC personnel (getting silly now, isn’t it?) we at least have the fascinating discussion about the likelihood of 90 missing Doctor Who episodes turning up.

What’s more, we even has references to alien invasions and the four minute warning.

So, click play below to listen to Christian and James discussing the whole bizarre saga as it is at this point in time…

Useful links for this week’s podKast:

Kasterborous Series 3 Episode 21 Shownotes

Lost Episodes Rumour Comes Alive
Missing Episodes Rumours Reactions
Rich Johnston’s “Aliens will return missing episodes”
Urgent Calls starring Colin Baker on SoundCloud
Mission of the Viyrans starring Peter Davison on SoundCloud

 

You haven’t clicked play yet?! What are you waiting for? Use one of these amazingly convenient ways to download and enjoy this week’s podKast now!

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! We are now offering a year’s supply of missing Doctor Who episodes to every listener who rates and reviews us on iTunes.

Yes, dear listener – you. What other podcast would give you that?

The post PodKast Chats Missing Episodes appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Back “Who Are You Supposed To Be?” for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

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.

Who Are You Supposed To Be?

Catchy title isn’t it? It’s actually for a new play by Jennifer Lusk that considers why her character can’t play a version of the Time Lord on television. But at its heart, this is much more than just a show about Doctor Who.

Co-starring Cameron K McEwan, better known as Blogtor Who, this is a play about:

A love story where the characters initially bond over pop culture references. As well as love, the show also tackles the issue of anxiety – and how we cope outside our comfort zones.

Originally crafted as a celebration for Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary, Who Are You Supposed To Be? Also deals with very recent themes due to the departure of Matt Smith from the role later this year. The two characters in the piece argue about the ramifications of the Doctor becoming a woman, something that has been discussed greatly in the past few weeks.

But there’s also something for everyone in this play, it’s not just for Doctor Who fans, as writer Keith Gow points out:

It was important to us that the show wasn’t just about Doctor Who jokes or Batman references. We’ve all got different sides and I wanted to make sure the show captured that…It would be easy to make a show that relies on in-jokes, but we definitely want to appeal to everyone.

 

So it’s for people who fall in love, people who have awkward moments. All of us.

 

The show begins with 13 runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and then hopefully moves on to bigger and better things from there. Rehearsals have already begun but funding is still needed for costumes as they play an integral part in the show. Lusk explained her reasons:

My character, Ash, is dressed up as Peter Davison’s Doctor throughout the show. We need money to get that costume right. That’s her character – she likes to dress up! She spends hours making these costumes. The show needs to get that right.

 

And co-star McEwan also teased in the press release with a non spoilery spoiler:

I get to dress up late in the show as well…but I can’t tell you who I dress as.

 

If you would like to get involved and help with the funding for these costumes, we would urge you to visit www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-are-you-supposed-to-be/x/3629016 . As you can see, funding is going well but they still need your help!

Who Are You Supposed To Be? is by Keith Gow and stars Jennifer Lusk and Cameron McEwan. It will be Directed by Emrys Matthews. The play runs from August 14th until 26th and you can find out more by visiting https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/who-are-you-supposed-to-be .

We hope the play gets the support it deserves – and good luck to all involved, especially Cam!

The post Back “Who Are You Supposed To Be?” for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

David Tennant Wins Daytime Emmy Award

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.

Big congratulations are in order for David Tennant who picked up a Daytime Emmy award for his voice work in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

As reported by the official Twitter account for the Daytime Emmy Awards @DaytimeEmmys:

The Emmy for Performer in an Animated Program goes to– David Tennant for Star Wars: The Clone Wars! Congratulations! #CreativeArtsEmmys

— Daytime Emmy Awards (@DaytimeEmmys) June 15, 2013

How about that!

In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, David voiced Huyang, a droid who plays a crucial part in the journey of a group of young Jedi’s who are about to build their very own lightsabers.

Huyang is described as an ancient droid in the service of the Jedi Order, whose sole task in life has been overseeing the construction of lightsabers.

Dave Filoni, the supervising director of The Clone Wars, became a Doctor Who fan after his wife encouraged him to watch and approached David to ask if he would be interested in playing a role in the show.

“When I heard the Doctor himself, David Tennant, was a fan of Star Wars I knew I had to find a way to get in contact with him to see if he would perform on The Clone Wars.” he said, adding, “ I thought David was perfect for the part and he did not disappoint. He delivered a performance which impressed even the Master himself, George Lucas.”

So a hearty congratulations to David!

(via DT Forum)

The post David Tennant Wins Daytime Emmy Award appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

How Did YOU Meet the Doctor?

Melinda Moo Sue 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.

New contributor Melinda recalls how she encountered Doctor Who for the first time. Was it fate?

Let’s travel back in time a bit – something we’re all familiar with here – to September of 2012. Yes, it’s not that far off and many of you are probably thinking what a boring choice for time travel, but for me, this marks a life-changing moment. For this is when I met the Doctor.

A year ago, I was a simple girl with no knowledge of the Doctor. Now, before you cringe and judge, remember I am a young, American girl and had no one to introduce me to this marvelous world. With that being said, it’s all still a bit of a mystery to me.

I first noticed Doctor Who when I was at a horror movie convention. Browsing through the rare DVDs, I came across a few different Doctor Who collections ranging from the 1960’s all the way to 2007. My intrigue was caught immediately as I pondered what phenomena this must be to have lasted so long in such a fickle society.

Most of the collections were homemade and the only information found were the titles of the episodes. I was only able to gather that this show had been around forever, there seemed to be several different “Doctors” and that it was a BBC program. So, with my own disobedient attention span, I sat the DVDs down and moved on to the next booth.

After that day, Doctor Who seemed to popping everywhere. My Netflix was constantly suggesting that I watch it, ads on FaceBook were promoting the series, Twitter was suggesting I follow Doctor Who pages. What was this show, and why was the universe pushing it on me so much?

About a month later, I had finished watching Heroes, and Doctor Who continued to taunt me. There were a few other shows I had wanted to dive into, but somewhere deep within, I knew I had to watch Doctor Who. It was beckoning me, calling my name.

And that is when I made my fateful click and watched Rose. I was hooked the moment the intro began. And was even more freaked out the second I saw that blue police box flying down the wormhole. Just days before, I came across a blue police box on Pinterest that someone had turned into a wine cellar. “What a marvelous idea!” I thought, and repinned it to my “Future Home” board. Little did I know, that was just one more sign reaching out. Oh, how I love synchronicity.

Back to my first episode, I immediately fell in love with the campy feel to it. It held a remarkable resemblance to another favorite show of mine, Eerie Indiana – a Nickelodeon program from the 90’s, I highly recommend it – and the odd, brilliant and somewhat rude Doctor. I couldn’t wait to watch another, and another. I wanted to wake my sister and force her to watch it – which I actually wound up doing the next evening; needless to say she was hooked right away, too.

In a matter of two months, I watched every episode and tracked down every Classic Episode I could find. I’ve recently just finished Torchwood – and what a tearjerker was the Season 3 finale, I was crying at my desk!

My life revolves around Doctor Who, and now my small little corner of New Jersey knows quite a bit about him thanks to my endless sputtering heart filled rants.

The Doctor and his blue box arrived in my home one day, and my life has never been the same. Now I want to know, how did you meet the Doctor?

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Big Finish Day 4 Guests 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.

The Eighth Doctor himself Paul McGann is the headline guest at Big Finish Day 4, which takes place in January 2014.

Alongside the popular actor will be Simon Fisher-Becker (The Wedding of River Song), Nicholas Briggs (voice of the Daleks and Cybermen as well as being a Big Finish head honcho) and a whole host of Big Finish crew will be attending Big Finish Day 4 on Saturday 18th January at Copthorne Hotel, Slough, Windsor.

Kicking off at 10am until 6pm the event promises to be an absolute treat for Whovians.

Also in attendance will be Jake McGann, Nicky Wardley, Tom Chadbon, Big Finish producer David Richardson and many more.

You can pre-order autographs, photo shoot packages and tickets now from the Tenth Planet site.

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Louise Jameson Writes Big Finish!

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: The Abandoned – the first full cast story to be written by one of the show’s stars, Leela herself Louise Jameson, has been recorded and it has now been revealed that the guest star will be none other than her Tenko co-star Stephanie Cole.

Stephanie will play Lady Marianna and is well known for her roles in Coronation Street, Waiting for God, Talking Heads and many other much-loved series.

The script is co-written by Nigel Fairs (who has written many Big Finish adventures), and stars Louise alongside her Doctor – Tom Baker (who portrayed the role on TV between 1975-81).

The Abandoned is set entirely aboard the TARDIS, as the Doctor and Leela discover that perhaps they are not alone on the ship.

The story will be released in July 2014.

The third series of The Fourth Doctor Adventures is available on pre-order subscription.

(Via Big Finish.)

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