Christian Cawley's Blog, page 57

As the Kansas Time Eddy Convention Draws Nearer…

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.

Ah, yes. There you are… I was looking for you.

So, in the midst of all the frenzy about the new series of Doctor Who, the ever-crazy fan speculation, and the general and usual mob of our fandom, I bring good news to the Whovians stateside. Several times we’ve told you about the upcoming Time Eddy convention in Wichita, Kansas.

Well, dear reader, the time draws nigh. The convention will take place October 2nd-4th (next weekend) in Wichita. With the impressive line up of actors and actresses who have played much loved characters, Time Eddy has built up a lot of excitement among fans in the relative region. Interestingly enough, I say “relative”, because fans from Canada have booked tickets as well, as Kieran Kinsella (show runner of Time Eddy) explained to us in our exclusive interview with him. The line up includes Colin Baker (Sixth Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri Brown), Peter Purves (Steven Taylor – pictured on the right above), Deborah Watling (Victoria Waterfield), Daphne Ashbrook (Dr. Grace Holloway), Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon), Ellis George (Courtney Woods), and more.

To help quench your anticipation, I bring to you a selected portion of the Time Eddy schedule of shenanigans: the video room schedule. Several episodes of Who (classic and new) will be shown in a specific video room at Time Eddy, with additional content for early bird and after hours viewers. Some of the additional content is non-Who, and is only included because a Doctor Who actor or actress stars in it.

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

** EARLY BIRD LIMITED ACCESS SCREENING 8am — K9 and Company

General Viewing

9am — DALEKS MASTER PLAN (The 3 surviving episodes of this First Doctor classic featuring Time Eddy guest Peter Purves)

10.30am — TERROR OF THE AUTONS (Katy Manning makes her Doctor Who debut as does the Master)

12.15pm — PLANET OF FIRE (Time Eddy guest Nicola Bryant makes her first onscreen appearance alongside the 5th Doctor)

2pm — TOMB OF CYBERMEN (Time Eddy’s Victor Pemberton edited the script while Deborah Watling stars in it)

3.45pm — THE SUNMAKERS (Starring Tom Baker and written by the prolific Robert Holmes)

5.30pm — THE CARETAKER (Time Eddy’s Ellis George stars alongside current Doctor Peter Capaldi)

6.15pm — THE NEXT DOCTOR (David Tennant and David Morrissey (The Walking Dead) in a Cyberman Christmas special)

7.20pm — REVELATION OF THE DALEKS (Somber Sixth Doctor adventure by Eric Saward)

***** SPECIAL AFTER HOURS LIMITED ACCESS SCREENING 9PM The Office UK (Featuring Peter Purves)

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

****** SPECIAL EARLY BIRD LIMITED ACCESS SCREENING 8am UK Kids Classics

9am — THE HAPPINESS PATROL (Sylvester McCoy is the Doctor, Time Eddy’s Andrew Cartmel edited the script)

10.30am — SPECIAL INTERVIEW

11.30am — TENTH PLANET (The first ever regeneration scene and the debut of the Cybermen)

1.15pm — MARK OF THE RANI (Our guests Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant do battle with Time Lady the Rani)

3.00pm — THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD (Second Doctor story featuring Deborah Watling and Frazer Hines)

5.45pm — PLANET OF THE OOD (The Doctor Donna combination liberate the Ood)

6.45pm — KILL THE MOON (Our guest Ellis George in one of last season’s most talked about episodes)

7.45pm — DAY OF THE DOCTOR (50th anniversary special featuring four versions of the Doctor)

**** Limited Access Special After Hours Viewing 9.00pm — Blackadder’s Christmas Carol (Featuring Nicola Bryant)

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

***** EARLY BIRD LIMITED ACCESS SPECIAL VIEWING: Sarah Jane Adventures Death of The Doctor

General Viewing

9am — WEB OF FEAR (Deborah Watling and Frazer Hines star alongside the 2nd Doctor while UNIT make their debut)

11.15am — VENGEANCE ON VAROS (Time Eddy stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant attempt to vanquish the slug-like Sil)

1pm — GHOSTLIGHT (7th Doctor mystery script edited by Time Eddy’s Andrew Cartmel)

2.30pm — THE ARK (First Doctor classic featuring our guest Peter Purves)

4.15pm — ROSE (The story that relaunched Doctor Who starring Chris Eccleston and Billie Piper)

**** AFTER HOURS LIMITED ACCESS SPECIAL VIEWING

6pm THE TWO DOCTORS

8.30pm The Thick of It (4 episodes featuring Peter Capaldi)-[The Thick of It includes content that may be inappropriate for children]

Haven’t gotten your tickets to Time Eddy yet, but want to go? Head on over to their website to purchase tickets, hear even more about Time Eddy, see even more of the schedule, get important updates, and look really cool while doing all of it.

Until the next time dear readers… Allons-y!

Will I be seeing you at the convention next week?

Let me know in the comments!

The post As the Kansas Time Eddy Convention Draws Nearer… appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Big Treat for Character Options Figure Collectors This Thursday!

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.

We’ve just been told about a special event this Thursday, 24th September 2015, which will be of utmost interest to Character Options figure collectors and fans alike!

Head of product development, Al Dewar, will be hosting a unique virtual press conference, in which he will be sharing the latest exciting project from his product development team! Could it be a new range of figures? Fan-sourced ideas? We really don’t know, but one thing is for sure – Al will be telling all on Thursday!

To tune in, head to www.character-online.com/doctorwhoannouncement on Thursday morning at 10am. This sounds like a really interesting event, so do what you can to attend…

 

The post Big Treat for Character Options Figure Collectors This Thursday! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Will Clara “Regenerate” at the End of Doctor Who Series 9?

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.

Will Clara Oswald regenerate at the end of Series 9, thus providing the 12th Doctor with his new companion?

Probably not. But that’s what Unreality TV are rumouring. This hard-hitting news website (which boast three out of five One Direction headlines in their most popular news bites) have picked up on Jenna Coleman’s recent exit as announced on Nick Grimshaw’s Radio 1 breakfast show on Friday. They seem to have taken Coleman’s reluctance to divulge the nature of Clara’s departure as a sure-fire indicator that she will die during the current series and regenerate into former Coronation Street/FHM favourite Michelle Keegan.

Woah. That escalated quickly.

Lynn Connolly, the article’s writer then goes on to say Jenna’s former/current boyfriend Richard Madden has been touted as Peter Capaldi’s replacement. Okay, hold on there. Firstly, Lynn believes that everyone who dies in the Doctor Who universe regenerates regardless of whether they’re a Time Lord or not. Amazing. Secondly, Richard Madden? Eh? When’s he ever been rumoured to be in Steven Moffat’s phone book? While the Michelle Keegan thing has circulated for a while, I can’t say that any of this can be taken seriously. Unless you have a massive bucket of salt with you at all times.

Meanwhile, the BBC’s own Newsbeat website have offered up a collection of favourites to take over from Jenna, including Keegan. They range from Game of Thrones‘ Rose Leslie (you know nothing, Newsbeat…) and Maisie Williams (who has labelled everyone’s prediction as to her character’s identity as “wrong”), River Song herself, Alex Kingston and Harry Melling (known to Harry Potter fans as Dudley Dursley) and grandson to PATRICK TROUGHTON?!

WHAT? I HAD NO IDEA. THAT’S AWESOME.

Wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan (who is a familiar face to anyone who was born in the mid-90s and religiously watched CBBC’s The Really Wild Show, as I did) touts herself to be a massive Whovian and wishes to see herself and Springwatch co-host Chris Packham help the Doctor in a story revolving around saving the planet’s wildlife. Coleman’s former Emmerdale co-star Verity Rushworth has even added her own name to the list proclaiming herself to be a big fan of the series. She promises to bring her own brand of “kooky” humour and “banter” along with her. Ehh….

Any names here jump out at you? What would you guys like to see out of a new companion?

The post Will Clara “Regenerate” at the End of Doctor Who Series 9? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Support Legend Quest’s Live Adventure Game Starring Tom Baker!

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.

Tom Baker is the Voice of the Dungeon in a live fantasy theatre adventure game – which sounds a lot like The Crash of the Elysium!

Created with theatrical props, actors, and illusions, Legend Photography needs your help to get a portable, adaptable dungeon gaming experience off the ground. The idea is a hugely interactive one, where members of the audience are invited onto the stage to go on their very own quests, with scenes changing depending on how people react to situations.

It actually reminds me of those books where you turn to a certain page number based on one decision, and another if you choose a different route!

Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker plays the Voice of the Dungeon – and I think we can all agree he has an immense, instantly-recognisable lexicon – as he guides you through the challenges ahead. Although, admittedly, he won’t be there live, which is a shame (but understandable).

The Project Advisor is Ian Livingstone, creator of the Games Workshops, with monster props by the hugely talented Mark Cordory.

The whole thing sounds a lot like the interactive, but short-lived experience, The Crash of the Elysium, a Doctor Who immersive act written by Tom MacRae (The Girl Who Waited) and performed with a small crowd as they battle some of the Doctor’s deadliest enemies!

Indeed, the Legend Quest Live Experience would be a two-hour act with an audience of between 10 and 30 members, so everyone gets to star in their adventure.

The project is gaining support through Kickstarter, with an aim of raising £18,500 and runs until 18th October. And yes, there’s a pledge reward just for Doctor Who fans: 20 beautiful 18 inch x12 inch art gallery prints of the voice of the Dungeon himself, Tom Baker will be available, created by fantasy portrait artist Oliver McNeil, and dedicated to you – with a personal shot message from Tom himself (filmed at his own home).

Head over to the project’s Kickstarter page to show your support!

The post Support Legend Quest’s Live Adventure Game Starring Tom Baker! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Get Doctor Who: Official Annual 2016 in Your Christmas Stocking!

Jeremy Remy 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.

Once a year, we are offered a selection of stories, comics, facts, puzzles and games that reveal secrets, add to plots, and generally entertain our little Whovian hearts. Last year we were offered glimpses into the diaries of the Doctor and Clara, and a Twelfth Doctor adventure during The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Before that we were treated to 50 amazing facts about the Doctor; Mels’ diary and the first meeting between the Doctor and Lorna Bucket before that. Well, I could go on, but needless to say, the Doctor Who Annual is always a fun way to wrap up a year of Doctor Who. And it’s just about that time again.

This October, BBC Children’s Books will be releasing the next instalment of the Doctor Who Annual, which promises new adventures for the Doctor and Clara, secrets from the series, and fact files on the scariest of monsters. If you know a young Whovian, this is a perfect gift. If you are a young Whovian (or, at least one at heart, as I am), this is well worth picking up for yourself.

The Doctor Who: Official Annual 2016 is <available for preorder now, with free UK delivery on elegible orders through Amazon’s book store. It will be released 1 October 2015.

Time to start writing that Christmas list?

The post Get Doctor Who: Official Annual 2016 in Your Christmas Stocking! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The Tell-Tale Hearts

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.

Maggie was always very sensitive and that’s why Greg had to die.

It was such a shame because a small part of her still loved him. But one day, she could tell, he would do something terrible: he’d murder someone, or something like that, and because he visited crime scenes every day, he’d know how to cover it up – or else his colleagues would.

So one Thursday, Maggie had let him change out of his uniform after a long day’s work, and then she stabbed him in the neck.

Maggie was always very sensitive – her mother had told her so, and sometimes she would dream of something before it had even happened. Being so sensitive, she had felt Greg’s fear as he slipped away, so she entwined her fingers with his, and felt his heart pulsing through his hand. Even though he went away, his heartbeat never did.

They were having their patio redone, so that was handy.

She phoned Mike and asked if he’d seen Greg in work that day because he hadn’t come home. Maggie didn’t trust this new mobile network, but even she admitted signal had been fantastic. He was filed as a missing person the following morning.

Wherever she went, she could hear it. The garden, the kitchen, the supermarket, the polling station. His heartbeat. And being so sensitive, that heartbeat never faded. If anything, it was exaggerated itself. Dum- dum; dum-dum. Worse than that, other people heard it too. They were tapping it on their laps, their thumbs working overtime to keep up with the beat.

In the middle of the night, she had searched for it. It was everywhere: the walls, the doors, the sky. She had even lifted up a slab in search for the heartbeat. Mike came around the morning after Election Day, just to check how she was doing. He had suggested a walk outside. He knew. He must’ve known. But how?

Then she realised. As they passed through the kitchen, she turned the television on loudly. News reports, naturally. It would cover the beating. No, it wasn’t. It was the best she could do. And followed Mike into the garden.

That slab was loose.

“So how’re you keeping up?” Mike asked, uselessly. Dum-dum.

“Fine. Fine, thanks. Well, not fine, obviously. I mean – “

“It’s alright, Maggie. I understand. It’s tough.” Dum-dum; dum-dum.

Though it was echoing into the backyard, the TV wasn’t covering the noise at all. Dum-dum. At all. It was getting worse.

“I admit – ” she began to say, and she could hear an announcement on the news.

A richly familiar voice: “This country has been sick.” Was it Gregg? No. But it made the noise worse.

“Sorry, Maggie?”

“I admit it,” she shrieked suddenly. Mike didn’t understand, so she kicked the slab away.

That news report again, undercutting her: “This country needs healing. This country needs medicine.”

“Tear up the slabs! Here, here!” She tore at the ground, and Mike got closer. She faintly registered him using his radio, as the heartbeat got louder and louder and louder. Dum-dum-dum-dum. A rhythm of four. A drumming across the world. “It is the beating of his hideous heart!”

“In fact, I’d go so far as to say that what this country really needs, right now, is a Doctor.”

His heart knocked four times.

The post The Tell-Tale Hearts appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Kasterborous Reviews: The Magician’s Apprentice

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.

Our Doctor Who Series 9 reviews are taking a new direction. Embracing the maxim that “no one sets out to make a bad episode of Doctor Who” we’re team-sourcing our reviews, polling the news and reviews teams here to offer their thoughts about each episode of Series 9. For more in-depth analysis, see the podKast – in the meantime, welcome to our new look review format! Let’s start at the beginning…

Tony Jones

The programme may be about the Doctor but Michelle Gomez as Missy stole almost every scene she was in. Her appearance was so strong it leapt right out of the screen (quite literally at one point) and she is all but effortless in her domination of the story. The best moment? Skipping, Mary Poppins style, as she tests the local gravity before concluding she and Clara are on a planet, not in space. This then followed by the opening of the airlock, heedless of the possibility of death if she is wrong. After so many lives, why wouldn’t Missy feel herself immortal? Also, wouldn’t a few episodes where Clara has to travel with Missy be fascinating TV?

It wasn’t Missy and the Doctor who were the highlight of the night—it was Missy and Clara…

Steven B

The number of beautifully-crafted set-pieces in this season return was jaw-droppingly impressive.  Each served a purpose in the narrative – building a momentum and sense of near-dread that I don’t think we’ve seen from a first episode since probably The Eleventh Hour – and each in turn were beautifully constructed,  delving into the show’s past as much as they served to set us up for the future of Series 9.

Whether it was the past Skaro battlefield bookends, #planeshavestopped, new UNIT HQ, the Mexican stand-off, rock ‘n’ roll with all the young dudes, snakes alive, or the death of the Doctor’s wife, girlfriend, and best friend on the invisible Planet of the Daleks, and all the kisses to the past along the way, each contributed to a very probably likelihood that we are in for a series of eleven more blockbusters yet to come.

But, for me, the best part?  Probably the smallest, quietest moment of them all; when the Doctor and Clara, who mean so much to one another, got to say hello again after they seemed to have said goodbye:

CLARA:  “How did you see me?”

THE DOCTOR:  “When do I not see you?”

That’s what Doctor Who does best, in my eyes.  It presents the unending possibilities of the universe, with all their glories and evils, without ever forgetting – not once – that the force that moves the heavens and stars is love.

David Power

Oh my word, they brought Davros back! And I’m not even talking about kid Davros, I’m talking about post-The Stolen Earth/ Journey’s End Davros. I’ve seen every Davros story (bar Destiny of the Daleks, I’ll get there eventually), and Julian Bleach is hands down my favourite portrayal of the character. Julian’s voice is so sinister and unnerving, and his prosthetics make him look the most menacing he’s ever looked.

What struck me about how Davros was played in The Magician’s Apprentice was how subtle a performance Julian delivered. Now don’t get me wrong, I loved how insane Davros was in Journey’s End. His “destruction of reality itself” speech still gives me chills to this day, and the utter glee he expresses when he clutches his head and announces “detonate the reality bomb!” is captivating. But it was just fascinating to see this incarnation of Davros acting with such subdued malice.

There’s only two things I want from The Witch’s Familiar, an explanation of how Davros survived the explosion of the Dalek Crucible, and a scene with Missy and Davros. That would be mind-blowing. Welcome back Doctor Who, you’ve been sorely missed.

James Lomond

We got a more tempered version of Missy in this series opener but she was still almost on fire with danger. Eight snipers for specific organs and parking a jet overhead to make a point. This Time Lady knows how to hold an audience’s attention! It was also refreshing to see another character be thoroughly Doctorly in the episode – Missy’s deduction about the oddly planet-like gravity in Davros’s hospice alongside Clara’s amazement felt very much like a Doctor-Companion pairing. And then Missy’s understated horror at seeing Skaro appear before her added brilliantly to the threat of the Dalek City.

And oh what a City! Something that -weirdly- gave me a warm fuzzy feeling are the design choices they’ve made with the city on Skaro. Rather than trying to hide or apologise for what me might now see as slightly naive 1960s aesthetics, The Magician’s Apprentice embraced and ran with the bulbous metallic futurism of the original Dalek city and made it look beautiful – this is a city designed to look like a busy circuit board from far away, because: y’know, science and stuff. We’ve even got the original 60s door frame shape.

Finally, Davros. Julian Bleach is on fine form and delivering a more carefully-drawn Davros than the frantic madness in the Series 4 finale. Bleach and Capaldi gave a dark and brooding interaction – I’m not sure whether it’s the script or Capaldi’s hair but somehow this feels more like Doctor Who than usual!

Joe Siegler

My favourite thing about The Magician’s Apprentice has to be the over the top self referential stuff.  I admit to being a sucker for that kind of stuff.  So for an episode to have its core storyline pulled from a line uttered by Tom Baker back in 1975 was an epic fangasm.  We also got to hear dialogue from Doctors 4, 5, 6, & 10 in here.  Not to mention the gaggle of enemies and previous character occurrences we got in the opening sequence (Hath, Sycorax, and a few others) just led me to pause the episode way too many times on first viewing.

Then there was Davros.  As I said above, the fact that we got to see a kid, non chair bound version of Davros is quite exciting.  Both in the way it was executed, and in the way that ticked the nostalgia bone of this fan.  I wonder if in Part 2 we’ll get to see what put Davros “in the chair” so to speak.  I seriously doubt they’re killing him off for real, so how the characters escape Part 2 seems interesting to me.

The over the top entrance for the Doctor playing a guitar on top of a tank was both ridiculous and something that worked at the same time.  I can’t recall offhand if the Doctor has played a guitar before in the show, but I know Sylvester McCoy’s doctor held a guitar at the end of Delta & The Bannermen.  Definitely one of the more fun moments.

Thomas W Spychalski

The Magician’s Apprentice quickly established from the pre-credit sequence onward that this series opener was going to be epic. Even being mildly spoiled by a rumor that we would see Davros as a child this year, it did little to suspend my excitement as I thought this was an excellent idea, one that I hoped would be played out in reality. My excitement doubled when I saw Julian Bleach back as Davros, who personally I think is the best to play the role since Michael Wisher in Genesis of the Daleks. Bleach brings a darkness and insanity to the role too terrifying for television in the seventies and eighties but just right for today’s standards.

Continuity with much of Davros’ past televised appearances, particularly the aforementioned Genesis of the Daleks, was also front and center. Throw in Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor as he deliberates over destroying the Daleks (and dependent on the resolutions in part two), the Magician’s Apprentice may very well become one of my favorite Doctor Who stories ever.

Jonathan Appleton

So, 40 years on, we get a sequel to Genesis of the Daleks to open the new series. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised; the Hinchcliffe era classic did, after all, serve as a key element of the set-up for the 2005 revival with the strong implication that it was the Doctor’s mission to head off the creation of the Daleks that provoked the Time War. Along with this confirmation that Moffat feels the viewing public have an impressive grasp of the programme’s history, there were impressive performances from the leads (was it me or did Michelle Gomez tone down the arch villainy a touch?) and several moments to thrill both new and old fans (Daleks! Davros! Skaro! UNIT!). From the moment I saw the trailer I knew I would struggle with the electric guitar but otherwise this was an enjoyable opener. Plenty of set-ups that will need paying off in part two, mind…

Jeremy Remy

There were so many amazing elements to the first episode of Series 9: including the return of the Shadow Proclamation, UNIT, and the Sisterhood of Karn. Of all the elements that brought joy to my little Whovian heart, however, the one I most anticipated was seeing the Master work with the Doctor. There was less of that particular plot than I’d expected, but I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed. The episode was fairly light on the Doctor, with secondary and ancillary characters taking the lead. Doctor Who travels to so many new times and places—regularly focusing on the adventure of the week—that such development is often left to occur in the background. This episode hints at a stronger Whoniverse, but it also leaps back to the 1970s, when Delgado’s Master was the best frenemy the Doctor ever had.

Still, it wasn’t Missy and the Doctor who were the highlight of the night—it was Missy and Clara. Clara is Missy’s companion through the course of the episode, but Missy makes no attempt to obfuscate who she is. Rather, she remains her mad, evil self, and Clara is more than willing to work alongside her for the common goal of rescuing the Doctor. Michelle Gomez fully embodies the character, with all of Degado’s genius, Ainley’s readiness to betray, MacQueen’s arrogance, and Simm’s madness. The two women are a strong pairing, and it left me wanting more of this time-travelling duo.

The post Kasterborous Reviews: The Magician’s Apprentice appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

BBC America Puts The Magician’s Apprentice on YouTube, Dudes!

Richard Forbes 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 America have put The Magician’s Apprentice on YouTube, surprising American fans this weekend with this special opportunity to view the Series 9 Premiere without cable and… best of all… free. The episode was placed on YouTube only a few hours after it was initially broadcast on BBC America.

The broadcaster announced the small coup over Twitter and other social media sites and have been relatively quiet if not casual about the whole deal (at least one publicity tweet did not escape the new “DUDES!” meme).

There were initially rumours that BBC America intended to continue this practice, releasing all Doctor Who episodes onto YouTube, hours after they aired, but it now looks as though those rumours were overoptimistic. Fans asking that very same, pressing question (“Are you doing this for ALL of Series 9!?”) have largely been met with a silent BBC America although at least once the official BBC America Youtube account explained that only the premiere would air on YouTube in this fashion.

Some fans reacted harshly on Twitter to the move to YouTube, arguing that a British show should be available to watch in Britain; BBC America responded to those complaints noting that Doctor Who was available to watch on demand for “free” (beware the big scare quotes) in Britain through BBC iPlayer.

Another response however suggested that the “rest of the world” isn’t allowed to watch either iPlayer or the YouTube channel because they’re a part of what they called a “4th Class Audience;” internationally, Doctor Who can be difficult to view online and on-demand where cable-packaged channels hold de facto monopolies to the local rights to Doctor Who, peppering the viewing experience of international fans with conditions – with the sole refuge in many cases being Apple’s iTunes (which is only available the next morning after the show has aired).

If anything this experiment has once again shown how Doctor Who continues to struggle to overcome the challenges of outdated broadcasting practices in a globalized market.

And if you were wondering, The Magician’s Apprentice on YouTube currently holds three thousands “likes” and eighty-four “dislikes” – apparently, fans like it.

The post BBC America Puts The Magician’s Apprentice on YouTube, Dudes! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

How Did Capaldi Choose The Doctor’s Axe?

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 Magician’s Apprentice revealed a fact that many Doctor Who fans had long since suspected: that the Doctor is handy with a six string electric guitar! Click play above to relive some of the rawk moments from the episode, and see Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman discussing the Doctor Who star’s affection for the instrument.

And while we’re in the mood for some Doctor Who Extra videos, why not take a look at Michelle Gomez discussing her return as Missy…

Doctor Who continues this Saturday with The Witch’s Familiar. Try not to miss it – after all, you don’t want to give up on a book half way through, do you?

The post How Did Capaldi Choose The Doctor’s Axe? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The PodKast Discusses The Magician’s Apprentice

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.

So, a funny thing happened on Sunday. All geared up to discuss The Magician’s Apprentice in our podKast Live on Google Hangouts, we encountered a technical issue that disrupted Christian Cawley’s audio and, basically, turned him into a Dalek. (You can experience this on YouTube, should you so desire.)

The end result was a podKast that sadly didn’t quite get off the ground as James and Brian struggled to understand their co-host, who meanwhile stayed very quiet throughout. At times when Christian was vocal, the results were ery difficult to hear, so much so that he has taken the unusual step of “re-recording all of his lines”, as it were, in order to make the audio version of the podKast in some way enjoyable (well, as much as these things we do ever are…)

Click play below to hear just what the podKast team thought of the Doctor Who Series 9 opener, The Magician’s Apprentice…

The podKast theme tune is by Russell Hugo. He’s excelled himself this time, hasn’t he?

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”.)

Stitcher

Audioboom

What’s more, you can now listen and subscribe to the podKast via our Audioboom channel (formerly Audioboo)! Head to https://audioboom.com/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 Audioboom:

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, where your reviews will help the show considerably.

The post The PodKast Discusses The Magician’s Apprentice appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.