Christian Cawley's Blog, page 40

Advanced Review Round-Up: Face the Raven

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.

Things are looking ominous for the Doctor and Clara. Paired with Rigsy from Flatline, one of them must face the Raven.

Oh, but what does that mean? Well, we don’t know. There’s much we don’t know because all those advanced reviewers are keeping largely schtum. Plot twists seem the aim of the game. The majority are praising Face the Raven, nonetheless, so it seems we’re in for another treat from an extremely strong series.

Small spoilers may follow, but we won’t actively spoil the plot. Just hints.

Let’s start with Digital Spy, which teases that this is “very much ‘Part One’ of a three-episode series finale”, so it sounds like it’ll be somewhat reminiscent of Utopia, Turn Left, and Closing Time. As well as noting that Danny Pink gets a reference (take cover!), Face the Raven seems seeped in Doctor Who history, with Digital Spy noting:

“Old monsters are reintroduced – but not in the way you might expect.”

Okay, so a creature already confirmed as returning are the Judoon, introduced in 2007’s Smith and Jones. Furthermore, anyone who’s seen the TV trailer will have got a thrill from seeing an Ood and a Cyberman.

Me, aka Ashildr (and she gets another new name here too), played by Maisie Williams, is also back. The Digital Fix points to the return of another character as something to be celebrated:

“What is great is seeing Clara’s companion Rigsy back; they worked so well together in [Series 8]’s Flatline and his presence in this episode feels natural. He is an important part in Clara’s journey and you’ll find out why again this Saturday.

“Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman are amazing this episode, but you probably already knew that. Capaldi could recite the phone book and be mesmerising and moments like Clara versus Bonnie in The Zygon Inversion have proven why she will be missed after [Series 9] has ended.”

This episode is written by Sarah Dollard, a new face to the Whoniverse, and Digital Fix says she’s “the Jamie Mathieson” of Series 9:

“After this episode fans will be demanding that she makes a return in [Series 10] (when and how it is broadcast) and I for one wouldn’t argue with that.”

Blogtor Who also praises the plot:

“There’s not a mis-step to be found, again a mean feat given the returning characters, and you’ll be completely absorbed by the initial mystery immediately with Dollard’s terrific idea and then rewarded with her beautiful script (and it is beautiful) and performances.

“And I will politely add, this is not an episode to wait for. Or to iPlayer later, or to catch up elsewhere. Do yourself a favour and watch it on Saturday. You won’t regret it.”

Den of Geek addresses the question we all want answering: is it any good?

“Yes. Yes, yes, yessity-yes. It’s really good. It’s further proof too of Doctor Who‘s inherent intelligence, and steadfast refusal to dumb down. The Capaldi era feels, to me at least, like a vintage era for the show already.”

Doctor Who TV also says that the episode will be long-remembered for its cliffhanger, but in itself, it’s a triumph. And not just for the story:

“Director Justin Molotnikov brings over his experience from Merlin with a very visually distinct episode. It has quite a fantasy/magical feel at times. Harry Potter fans of course will also be keen to point out the Diagon Alley comparisons. There’s an appropriate soundtrack from Murray Gold too, with familiar themes becoming hauntingly relevant.”

Molotnikov helmed last week’s Sleep No More, but he’s still new to Doctor Who, so is certainly giving us some fresh visuals.

And look! The Doctor’s actually dressing smart this week, back to his Deep Breath threads! (No, not the night gown; the Bowie-esque sharp lines and stylish jacket.) I can’t be the only one applauding.

Reviews are certainly glowing, and MCMBuzz just adds to this, stating:

“The main conceit of the episode – how a major element would actually function – doesn’t bare close scrutiny (or even distant scrutiny in bad light) – but don’t get hung up on that; go with the flow and enjoy it for what it is… There is yet another one of those electrifying, elongated dialogues that have become such a strong feature of this season… The Doctor’s final line is an absolute classic – expect to see it on t-shirts.”

So that’s strong plot, dialogue, direction, acting, and music. Phew!

But before you go off for a lie-down, there’s one very important thing you must do… Watch until after the credits.

Face the Raven airs on BBCOne on 21st November, 8.10pm.

The post Advanced Review Round-Up: Face the Raven appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The Underwater Menace DVD gets US Release Date

Joe Siegler 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.

Those of us who live in the US have grown accustomed to getting Doctor Who releases slightly behind our British brethren. It usually comes out a few weeks or so after the release in England/Europe. That’s a heck of a lot better than it was in the ’80s when it would take two YEARS to get new episodes, but I digress.

The final story in the classic Doctor Who DVD line has finally been given a release date here in the United States/North America. It’s scheduled to come out on January 19th, according to our friends over at tvshowsondvd.com. It is out already in the UK (Oct 26), so those of us on this side of the pond will have to wait until the new year to get this. You can pre-order it at Amazon.com.

This release has had a bit of a tortured history.  The two existing episodes (2 & 3) were supposed to be released alongside animation similar to other past releases, but that was scrapped. There’s been talk as to why (some claiming the omnirumour stopped it), but no matter what story you believe, it certainly got held up for whatever reason. The final product is a bit of a downer, as the animation was scrapped. It has stills with audio for Episodes 1 & 4, and no narration so it all looks a bit of a pickle. Nothing in the way of extras. It was a very basic release. From the stories I’ve read, it has a feel of “let’s get this out to get the fans to quiet down”.

Still, having said that, I’ll pick it up, as I tend to buy almost every Hartnell or Troughton DVD out there. With this being the end of the line for the Classic Who DVD line, what’s next? Probably nothing, but I’d like to see Blu-Ray season box sets. You’d probably have to done some combining for Hartnell & Troughton – possibly even a single set containing all the Troughton stories on it. Who knows.

But for those of us in the States, we still have a little waiting left to do for the DVD’s release…

The post The Underwater Menace DVD gets US Release Date appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Don’t Miss Peter Capaldi on The Graham Norton Show Tonight!

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.

Peter Capaldi is on The Graham Norton Show tonight, and as we’ve already reported, it appears he lets the cat out of the bag about Face the Raven, tomorrow’s episode of Doctor Who.

He further talks about how cool it is to actually be the Doctor:

“The Doctor is a magical figure and exists more powerfully in the imagination than he does on screen so when fans see you in the street, and not looking too cosmic with a shopping bag and milk, they still see Doctor Who and they scream. Kids throw their arms around you because they see the character – it is delightful.”

Capaldi previously appeared on the chat show and went through considerable torment as Norton read out the letter a young Peter sent to the Doctor Who Appreciation Society (DWAS). Crikey, that was over a year ago!

The Graham Norton Show has a considerable history when it comes to Doctor Who, with various Doctors and companions having sat on that red sofa in the past, including Matt Smith, David Tennant, and Catherine Tate.

If you want to know what he said about Jenna Coleman (aka Clara Oswald) leaving, he does reveal a little bit that many might’ve already gathered. Spoilerphobes beware!

Tonight, Capaldi will be joined by Tom Hanks, The God Complex‘s David Walliams, and Duran Duran.

The Graham Norton Show airs tonight on BBCOne at 10:40pm.

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Review: The Early Adventures – The Yes Men

James McLean 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 Finish is a fairly unlucky beast. Whereas the current television show has a broad flexibility to push the concept of Doctor Who further into the 21st Century (or 18th or 17th Century; it depends where that blue box lands, see), Big Finish has to be find a greater equilibrium between same and difference. Big Finish is all about the past, be it the recent past with its new New series range, or the old, old past of the 1960s where televisions were smaller, people were probably smaller, and penny sweets probably, most likely, cost a penny – and were not so much smaller, but probably bigger.

My point is Big Finish has the difficult task of offering fresh perspectives on stories that have to capture the spirit of older ones. This is not an easy task, and I personally think The Early Adventures: The Yes Men, is a good example of when that equilibrium is found and should be celebrated.

The Doctor lands the TARDIS on New Houston, an Earth colony and a place of adventure from his previous travels. He discovers one of the people he had met in a previous rip-roaring escapade on the planet, when he was a little younger, older, and prone to script flubs, has passed away. But who is responsible?

Written by Simon Guerrier, this is a Second Doctor adventure set early on in this particular incarnation. Ben and Polly are still lingering around the TARDIS corridors, and Jamie is now part of the crew. The story has a light cast, but utilises its voice-actors well. Regular listeners will not be surprised to hear Frazer Hines performing as both the Doctor and Jamie, with Anneke Wills providing Polly and third-party narration. A call out has to be made for voice-actor Elliot Chapman, not only for his wonderful imitation of the late Michael Craze’s Ben Jackson, but for his behind the scenes introspective on getting into the role. The three central cast bring together that feeling of familiarity perfectly. I forgot that this wasn’t Craze, but in fact Chapman. Hines’ Troughton, again, never feels out of place.

The story itself, as Gurrier notes, was inspired by the film noir British classic, The Third Man, in which the protagonist embarks on a quest to discover how an old friend has died. That said, the play doesn’t feel like a homage to the film unless considered closely as The Yes Men’s aesthetic trappings and secondary storylines keep the production fresh.

While the story’s structure does not particularly remind me of the Troughton years – the odd blend of murder-mystery and underground revolution do not gel with my memories of the era – the gentle, graceful touches resonate with the show’s history, generating a balance of old and new. The Yes Men does not feel like a simple, predictable call-back: in fact, I was not certain where it was heading, and that’s a pleasant feeling. The story has a little bit of continuity to it, something avoided in the Troughton era largely. References to past adventures, and even the Doctor’s failed attempts to get Ben and Polly home. Again, tradition is balanced with position; this is a story written for knowing fans, and as such, is not afraid to offer a little flourish of continuity.

The supporting cast function perfectly. You’ve got a healthy blend of British archetypes, the sort you’d expect in Doctor Who, and a few names that perhaps you wouldn’t from the 1960s era. Names such as Nesca Bangate and Harriet Quilp sound vaguely Douglas Adams, and he wouldn’t be around for another decade or so. This does not harm the story in any way; it just gives it a little zest.

Overall, this is one of the most pleasurable Doctor Who audios I’ve heard in some time. I’m always thrilled to see the bastions of the classic era pick up the reins once more. However, it’s the fresh blood found within this contemporary production, alongside some very deft casting, that make this a joy. This is Doctor Who as it was and what it is. That’s a rather fitting temporal anachronism for Doctor Who to find itself in.

Doctor Who: The Early Adventures – The Yes Men is available from Big Finish now.

The post Review: The Early Adventures – The Yes Men appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who Easter Egg in COD: Black Ops III Nuketown Map

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.

Fans have discovered a Doctor Who Easter Egg hidden in Call of Duty: Black Ops III.

Buried in Nuk3town – the update version of the original Nuketown map, originally based on the Nuclear Test site as seen in the likes of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull  only less terrible and featuring 100% less gophers – if you take the time to shoot off all the arms of all the pursuing futuristic mannequins, they start to act like the Weeping Angels, in that they will all attack you…but only if you’re not looking.

Don’t Blink…not even when your XM-53 goes off.

While it’s not an explicit reference – no, you have to pay for those – it’s not difficult to draw the conclusion that this isn’t some sort of happy Who coincidence. Hold on to your hats but Doctor Who is quite popular in the US and, quite a few of developer Treyarch staff are British.

It isn’t the first time there have been references to Doctor Who – LEGO Batman 3 included a reference to the Weeping Angels before LEGO Dimensions made that connect explicit.

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Face The Raven Preview: Rigsy’s Tattoo

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.

Rigsy’s back and he’s in a bit of a situation – you see he’s got this tattoo on the back of his neck that, well, has started to countdown. Yeah, like we said, ‘a bit of a situation’.

So who does he call upon? Well how about the Doctor and Clara for a start who look like they’ve got their situation to deal with, if this preview for Face the Raven is anything to go by.

Speaking to about his return to the show, Jovian Wade told What’s on TV that he hopes he’ll be back again!

“It was a shock when I got the call because that kind of thing doesn’t happen very often,” he said. “I had no idea. But what helped was Rigsy’s becoming such a fan favourite! Steven does listen to the fans and brings back characters that the fans do enjoy and love, so if they continue to love Rigsy then hopefully you’ll see more of him. I have no idea whether I’ll be back but fingers crossed!”

It’s his chemistry with the two leads that made him such a fan favourite, so how is relationship with the Doctor?

“The Doctor has finally accepted him and has realised that Rigsy’s actually quite a useful guy to have around. Last time they met he practically saved the Doctor’s life so the Doctor has certainly grown to respect him.

“I do think Rigsy definitely has a thing for Clara because she’s a very attractive girl! What’s more, Rigsy has lost a lot of love and he hasn’t got that kind of relationship with his mum so he responds to Clara’s kindness. I don’t think it’s necessarily that he’s infatuated with her specifically, but he definitely takes to her…”

Speaking of taking to someone, Wade still can’t believe the response he got for last series Flatline; which can be measured in the sheer volume of fan mail.

“Doctor Who fans come in all shapes and sizes. It’s so broad and there are so many people that love the show so you don’t really know what to expect, but it was the fan mail that really got to me. After doing a few shows I’ve never received the amount of fan mail that I received for Doctor Who,” he said.

“Even now I still receive fan mail about that episode which is phenomenal. It’s a ridiculous amount and that’s the one thing that really shocked me… these people are sending letters to an actor… they love the show that much and they regard the show that much that they go out of their way to write to you and send you pictures to sign. That blew my mind!”

Face the Raven airs Saturday 21st November at 20:10 on BBC One.

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Out Now – The Essential Doctor Who: Davros and Other Villains

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.

Panini’s lavish series of bookazines – The Essential Doctor Who – continues with a 116-page issue devoted to Davros and Doctor Who’s other notorious villains.

Davros and Other Villains includes exclusive interviews with Davros actors Terry Molloy and David Gooderson, Andy Wisher (son of original Davros actor Michael Wisher), Peter Miles (Nyder in Genesis of the Daleks) John Challis (Scorby in The Seeds of Doom), Paul Darrow (Tekker in Timelash) and 1960s companion Anneke Wills.

“The last issue dealt with monsters,” says editor Marcus Hearn, “so this time we’re turning our attention to the Doctor’s humanoid adversaries. Davros made a huge impact in the recent story The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar, so he leads the charge!

The bookazine reveals the story behind the stage play The Trial of Davros and examine the careers of Kevin Stoney (Mavic Chen in The Daleks’ Master Plan and Tobias Vaughn in The Invasion), Michael Gough (the Toymaker in The Celestial Toymaker), Tony Beckley (Harrison Chase in The Seeds of Doom) and Roger Lloyd Pack (John Lumic in Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel).

The centrepiece of this issue is an epic countdown of the 50 most villainous plots in Doctor Who history, from the early black-and-white episodes to the most recent series. What will be number one?

The Essential Doctor Who: Davros and Other Villains is on sale now at WH Smith and all good newsagents, price £9.99.

The post Out Now – The Essential Doctor Who: Davros and Other Villains appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Peter Capaldi on Jenna Coleman: “It’s the End of Her Story”

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.

 

Peter Capaldi teased that this Saturday’s episode, Face the Raven could be Clara’s last.

When speaking about the episode on The Graham Norton Show, Capaldi said fans should be prepared for an emotional, upsetting end for Jenna Coleman’s Clara.

“It’s a sad one, gripping and very strange,” he told host Graham Norton. “And it’s the end of the line for Clara Oswald played by Jenna Coleman who’s been my companion for the last two years. It’s the end of her story. I don’t want to go into the details of it, but it’s sad.”

Asked if she might come back, Peter said mysteriously: “Sometimes people can’t come back. Sometimes things happen that they can’t come back from.”

Capaldi also played his cards close to his chest when asked if Maisie Williams – Ashildr and Me from the current series – would return as the Twelfth Doctor’s next companion.

“I can’t answer questions like that but Maisie is fantastic, she’s been in Game of Thrones since she was 12 and is very assured.

“I was doing a shot with her and when they called ‘action’ she slightly pulled me back,” he revealed. “When I asked her what she was doing she said, ‘You were in my light.’ But she is lovely.”

He added: “She is 18 and speaks a whole different language and she’s taught me a lot of new cool things to say like ‘ape’ which means ‘great,’ so it’s the new ‘sick,’ which has taken over from ‘wicked’.

“Jenna recently said that Maisie made her feel old and I said, ‘Welcome to my world’.”

Peter was joined by a line up which included Tom Hanks – whom he recently attempted to recruit to the world of Doctor Who.

See Peter’s full interview on The Graham Norton Show tomorrow at 10.40pm on BBC One.

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Could Missy Return For The Finale?

Billy Garratt-John 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.

When Michelle Gomez first revealed herself to be the Master in last year’s Dark Water, I was among the sceptics in the fanbase. As someone who’s flip-flopped between being pro-female Doctor and thinking it’s a terrible idea all my life, it took me a while to adjust to Gomez. However, I was converted after the Series 9 opener The Magician’s Apprentice.

The way I reasoned this personal change in taste was mainly down to Michelle’s performance, not necessarily as our current incarnation of the Master, but instead I just appreciated Missy as being Missy. Gomez said this past weekend at the Doctor Who Festival (which I attended!) that she didn’t watch any past episodes featuring the Doctor’s arch nemesis because she gets very overwhelmed and pressured by the weight of that kind of role. Instead she seems to have created an entirely new character and in that case I love what she’s doing.

Tickling Dalek’s balls is an entirely different situation however and I didn’t like it.

At the aforementioned Doctor Who Festival at the ExCel in London, Michelle was pressed for an answer as to whether or not we’ll be seeing her again later in the series.

“Ohh…It’s tough to say, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know.”

That was her answer. And that’s another reason I love Missy. Michelle completely inhabits that part and plays up for fans and the press. She’s usually seen slipping in and out of character as Missy when interviewed all of the time. A really approachable person, by all accounts and that means a lot.

Given the recently revealed location for Series 9’s finale, I think it’s fair to assume Missy will be popping up before this season is over.

What do you guys think? Have you taken to Missy?

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Classic Cartoon Secrets Uncovered By The Doctor In LEGO Dimensions

Katie Gribble 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.

LEGO Dimensions was released to the world back in September 2015 and every Doctor Who fan has been eagerly looking forward to the official release of the Doctor Who levels and characters. It was finally unleashed on November 3rd and allows players to be the Doctor (Wonderful chap, all of them!) and run around time and space fighting bad guys. What else could a fan need?

Well, it turns out that the inclusion of the Doctor and friends in LEGO Dimensions is not limited purely to the Doctor Who levels. By adding this set to the others you may have purchased, there are certainly plenty to choose from, the Doctor and friends can be used to assist defeat levels and find one or two sneaky Easter eggs along the way.

Two classic cartoon inspired Easter Egg have been found in The Simpsons level of the game and only the Doctor can get us there. Aided by the Doctor and his trusty TARDIS, players are able to go back to Bedrock with The Flinstones and explore the famous family home and front yard.

You can also visit the Skypad Apartment of George Jetson from the space age cartoon series, The Jetsons. Both Hanna-Barbera cartoons have long lasting popularity and it is certainly a wonderful addition to the LEGO Dimensions universe.

The only real question I have is: why are these two cartoons not included in the Scooby-Doo pack? Scooby-Doo is another famous Hanna-Barbera cartoon and it would have certainly fit to include them in that pack. This is only a small issue and in no way lessens the enjoyment of the game. And it is certainly an apt inclusion in The Simpsons level as The Simpsons was influenced by The Flintstones.

The inclusion of these cartoon Easter Eggs is certainly very welcome. The only questions left to be asked as: What else could the Doctor help to find? How many little surprises are hidden in this wide ranging game? What other Easter eggs have you found?

What is certain is that with releases of LEGO dimensions merchandise scheduled until May 2016, there is sure to be plenty more hidden secrets.

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