Christian Cawley's Blog, page 58

#SatireIsDead – Our Magician’s Apprentice Preview Was A Fake

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.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been… wiggling around, trying to get access to previews of the forthcoming series of Doctor Who, something we haven’t had since series 7b in 2013. Ultimately, this was unsuccessful, but it left us thinking.

Just what are previews for?

Are they, as many websites would have you believe, a means to waggle someone’s fandom in your face as they tell you how great or dire the episode they just watched, before you, really was? Or are previews actually for review purposes, to give journalists time to watch, write, and submit copy to their editors?

To explore this, we embarked on a piece of satire, our “Pre-Advance Review” of The Magician’s Apprentice and The Witch’s Familiar. The idea was simple: we would illustrate just how pointless spoiler-free, previews really are by sewing together a vague collection of superlatives. Richard Forbes, an excellent writer and recent addition to the Kasterborous team was chosen to produce it.

This would be an opportune time to repeat: at the time of the preview, Richard had not seen The Magician’s Apprentice or The Witch’s Familiar.

Now, if you were fooled by this, we are really sorry; that wasn’t our intention, and we were looking forward to lots of “oh, you guys!” style comments. It would seem we were a little bit too clever for our own good, and the joke fell flat. So, this is us, coming clean.

Rather, Richard’s work was intended to highlight just how the online media gets hung up on beating each other – and the printed press – to so-called “exclusives”. Isn’t it time we got over “top 10 list of things that will make you gasp in the next episode”, or “five things that made us want to be Clara in episode 5″?

Is Doctor Who really so bland that it needs this endless fluff to be churned out? From the Radio Times to Tumblr, established brands to brand new blogs, we get this horrific, childish waste of bits and electricity when we could really be pushing the way we discuss and appreciate Doctor Who further. I’m not suggesting that we here at Kasterborous have produced anything of considerable note, but at least we’re actually trying to.

So, that’s that. This is how easy it is to make up a bunch of nice things to say about an episode that no one has seen. It might be the case that we’re not the only site to have fabricated a preview – the thing is, it really doesn’t matter. Doctor Who is worth more to us than a thrust of superior fandom.

We hope it means more to you, too.

The post #SatireIsDead – Our Magician’s Apprentice Preview Was A Fake appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Don’t Miss Philip Hinchcliffe at the FAB Cafe on October 4th!

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.

As you may have heard on recent podKasts, the man who helped make Tom Baker the Doctor comes to Manchester’s FAB CAFÉ on Sunday, October 4th!

Fans are in for a treat with a rare chance to meet Doctor Who Producer Philip Hinchcliffe. Philip was part of the team that cast Tom Baker when he was a relative unknown, struggling actor working on a building site in 1974 affectionately called Sir Laurence by his fellow brickies. In the three years that followed, Philip helped cement Tom Baker’s place at the very top of the fan polls (beaten only recently by David Tennant) and has arguably set the template for the role ever since. Significantly, Hinchcliffe is one of only two surviving classic series producers, taking the job in 1974 aged just 29, and moving on in 1977.

Hosted by Room 5064 Productions, the event at Manchester’s iconic Fab Cafe will see Philip discuss his time with Doctor Who and his wider career, which has included work with stars like Leonardo Di Caprio and Christoph Waltz, soon to be seen as Blofeld in SPECTRE. Philip also promises to bring some very special props from his time on the show making this a real treat for fans of Doctor Who. Attendees will also be able to vote on their favourite Doctor Who episode of Philip’s run which we will screen on the day.

Event organiser, Gareth Kavanagh says; “Philip is perhaps the greatest of all of Doctor Who’s Producers and his era is rightly lauded as one of, if not the best in the programme’s 53 year history. The Master, Sarah Jane Smith, Davros, the Sisterhood of Karn, time agents are all created under his watch and as we saw with Davros back in the show on Saturday, it’s this era that Steven Moffatt and his team look to for their inspiration time and time again”.

Doors are at 2pm. Tickets cost £6 and include an autograph (additional autographs can be purchased for £5 each). Tickets are available on the door (if not sold out) or in advance from www.wegottickets.com/room5064.

Kasterborous advises you not to miss this event!

Keep your eyes on the Room 5064 and FAB Café’s Twitter feeds (@5064productions and @FabCafeManc) for updates.

 

The post Don’t Miss Philip Hinchcliffe at the FAB Cafe on October 4th! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Want to Build Your Own Sonic Screwdriver Prop? Get Started Here

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.

“Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, ‘Ooh, this could be a little more sonic’?”

~ Captain Jack Harkness, The Doctor Dances.

Is there an upcoming Doctor Who convention you’re going to? Yes, you say? Oh, well then you’ll probably be going in cosplay if you truly are a super-nerd like me. Who or what should I go as, you might ask? The Doctor, of course! Unless you’re going as an incarnation that used alternative devices or methods for fixing things and doing Time Lord stuff, you’ll need a sonic screwdriver. If you’re preparing for a convention, having a Who-themed party, or you just want a sonic screwdriver (because why not?), below is a video on making your own sonic. Why make one when you can just buy one? Because it’s much cooler, that’s why!

Okay… I’ll admit… I bought mine. As did our very own Brian Terranova, who, in his review of the Rubbertoe Replica of the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors’ sonic, said:

“Let’s be fair, once you open this box, you’re not likely to put the sonic back into it are you? No! You’re going to display it. Or play with it. Or both. Probably both. But you can’t just leave it on a shelf, it needs a throne of its own. It needs to claim its space on that shelf!”

This tutorial shows how to make the Tenth Doctor’s sonic screwdriver, but other tutorials online show ways to throw together a sonic from a different incarnation. Check this out:

Pretty cool, huh?

If you’re a Classic Who fan, check out this tutorial on how to make a Fourth Doctor sonic screwdriver. Part 1 handles the main body of the sonic screwdriver, while Part 2 handles the electronics.

Maybe you aren’t interested in making your own sonic but you are curious about modifying one you already have in some way. Is there something that you think the creators of the toy prop just didn’t get exactly right? Or maybe you have an Eleventh Doctor sonic screwdriver and the big red button that you have to press when it’s in the extended position is bothering you.

Seek no more, my friend. Check this out to get an idea of how to modify and improve your Eleventh Doctor sonic screwdriver.

Content with the way your sonic screwdriver works but feel like it looks too much like a toy? Here’s a surprisingly simple yet interesting tutorial that might meet your needs. Personally, I think this procedure could be used for any sonic, but you can be the judge.

With all this talk about making your own sonic screwdriver prop or modifying one you already have, you might be thinking: will we ever see a real-life sonic screwdriver invented? If you’re a science geek like I am, or if you’re just going crazy on the Internet watching everything from cat videos to tutorials on how to turn your car into a jet ski, check this out:

Right. Anyone else up for reversing the polarity of the neutron flow?

The post Want to Build Your Own Sonic Screwdriver Prop? Get Started Here appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who Writer Andrew Smith to Run for Charity

David Power 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.

On Sunday October 4th Andrew Smith, writer of television E-Space story Full Circle and audio story The Invasion of E-Space (among many others), will be running the 10k Great Scottish Run in Glasgow city centre to raise money for the Lily Foundation.

The Lily Foundation is charity that works to support research into Mitochondrial Disease, and to support families affected by it.

Andrew spoke about his relationship with the charity:

“This charity is close to my heart. It’s named in memory of Lily, who would have gone to school with my daughters. Tragically, she was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease and died at just eight months.”

Andrew has crushed his £400 goal, but if you’d still like to donate then you can go to his JustGiving page.

About donating, Andrew said:

“Any donation of any size is welcome. You will be helping a truly worthy cause. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.”

We at Kasterborous wish Andrew the best of luck with his run.

The post Doctor Who Writer Andrew Smith to Run for Charity appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The Devil’s Protégé

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

The Master scanned the destruction with a sonic probe. “Most effective,” he said, “and exactly on time.”

The statue of Po’Atha, God of Peace, stood strangely untouched amid the charred remains of the monastery. The building had been ten stories high – a latticework of yellow glass. Now it was a pile of blackened rubble.

He stood near the statue surveying the damage. Minutes earlier a firestorm had liquefied parts of the glass structure and all but vaporised others. Microscopic fragments of glass surrounded him creating an iridescent yellow haze. It smelled of ash, incense and blood.

The Master had not been long in his new body – he wore a black velvet suit with a high collar. The clothes were in the style of the The Faction, one of the many dissenting groups from Gallifrey’s star system that opposed the Time Lords. They worshipped chaos. Dress that emphasised simple order was their way of honouring that divine chaos they could only aspire to. The pattern of Remembrance Flower petals on his collar represented the infinite loop of a temporal paradox. On Gallifrey his clothing would be a form of blasphemy.

He had arrived on Po’Atha’s Chalice, several months ago, at a time far back in his people’s history. He disguised himself as one of the Athic Monks. Their telepathic resonance chambers and expertise in psychic bodysnatching had been invaluable in stabilising his new body. It had belonged to an old man whose consciousness had clung on in corners of the brain. A period of meditation with the Athics had helped erase him permanently.

The Athics were known as the Robed Wolves. They captured and kept humanoids like cattle. The monks would transfer their minds into their captives’ bodies when aged or sick or simply for practice. Time Lord bodies were a delicacy.

An hour ago the Master had revealed himself and activated a telepathic field that paralysed the monks. He couldn’t risk anyone knowing he had been to Po’Atha’s Chalice so he timed his visit to coincide with a full-scale attack launched from Gallifrey. Now he was ensuring there were no survivors. To his surprise he detected two life-signs…

Behind a warped and twisted yellow arch he found a young woman captive, a girl even, fighting to escape from a surviving Athic. They were lying in the rubble, both had severe burns but the monk was bleeding and trapped by fallen masonry. He had his hands around her head and was evidently summoning enough will to transfer his consciousness. He was trapped and she was his escape.

The Master took out his tissue compression eliminator and aimed it at the two of them. Then he paused. The girl was strong. And she was angry. He took out the psychic field generator and switched it on. The monk screamed. The girl broke free. Immediately she found a large chunk of yellow glass and brought it down hard on his head.

She slumped and gasped for a while before looking up at the Master.

“You.” She breathed. “You killed the Robed Wolves.” she fixed his gaze with her fierce eyes.

“In a manner of speaking.”

“Take me with you. I want to leave this place.”

“And what makes you think I am leaving?”

“Your machine.” She looked over at the statue to the God of Peace. “That is not Po’Atha. It exists across time.” She slowly stood. “I know a false shell. You came here inside.”

“Are you Gallifreyan?” The Master was suddenly serious and levelled his tissue compression eliminator at her. She didn’t flinch.

“I hate the Time Lords as much as I hate the Wolves.” He looked at her burning eyes – there was a fury in there that was strangely familiar.

“Yes. I believe you do.”

“Take me with you,” she said again, her eyes didn’t move from him for a moment.

“I am not in the habit of taking on – companions.”

“So when you tire of me, abandon me.” She replied. “I will survive.” The Master considered her for a few moments. She was insolent but impressive. There was something about her anger that amused him. And he detected a glimmer of telepathic ability. A few more moments passed.

“I don’t trust you and you don’t trust me. You do what I tell you and don’t ask stupid questions.” He pocketed his eliminator and she stepped forward. He looked up and pointed a gloved finger at her. “At the merest hint of insubordination I kill you. Do we understand one another?” She gazed back at him defiantly, holding his gaze. Slowly a grin spread over her face.

“We do.” She said.

“Then after you, mademoiselle.” He mock bowed as she walked passed him to the Statue. “Girl.” He called. She stopped and looked back, one hand resting on the statue plinth. “Do you know anything of Block Transfer Computation.”

“No.” She replied. She straitened to her full height. “Can it be used as a weapon?”

“Potentially.”

“Then I will enjoy learning of it.”

The Master folded his arms. “What is your name?”

“Ohica” she replied then disappeared inside the statue. He shook his head and followed her towards his TARDIS. He paused and looked again at the sonic device he had used to scan for life signs. “So Doctor,” he though, “the lesser species you collect. I was wrong. You’re not only sentimental, you’re vane.” The half smile disappeared from his face as the statue began to make a wheezing, groaning noise. “Girl!” The Master darted inside.

Ohica was surrounded by the dark interior, hands at the console. She looked up at him and they regarded each other with silent hostility. “Well?” he accused.

She gave him the same steely look of defiance. “You were taking too long.”

The Master looked enraged, then his frown broke into a grin. He began to laugh. The statue of Po’Atha faded from normal time with the Master’s laughter echoing about the remains leaving only the smell of ash, incense and blood.

The post The Devil’s Protégé appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

How “Moon Man” Became Doctor Who to Defend the BBC

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.

Following Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat and Armando Iannucci’s lead, Peter Capaldi has come to the defense of the BBC, now perceived to be under threat by the government of the day after its most recent green paper from the Department of Culture, Media & Sport. In a recent interview, Peter “Moon Man” Capaldi (we’ll explain later…) argues that the BBC is an essential institution in British life and culture.

“I absolutely love the BBC,” Capaldi says. “I think it is a fabulous organisation. It is not perfect but it has given us so much more than it has taken.”

He continues, taking a cue from Iannucci’s recent MacTaggart lecture, by accusing the BBC’s enemies of practicing soulless business.

“The idea that we would cash it in, in order to have broadcasting services that are run for profit like you see on your cable stations? No! I think it is vital to have a public service broadcasting service of this scale. The opportunities it brings to the country are immense.

“I don’t get it. Do people think all these other TV services are these great shakes – because they are simply not. Nobody else does what the BBC does. And it is an ethos, a way of thinking, a way of conducting themselves and viewing the world that is not about profit – when did that become bad news? When did that become uncool? Oh, I guess, yeah, about 1982 that started. And it has grown. And that is wrong. The world needs a more complex response than the response of businessmen.”

Capaldi would go on to describe his own background as a modest one with “ordinary parents” where the government’s support for him enabled him to pursue higher education – Glasgow School of Art, in Capaldi’s case, as fate would have it. Speaking of fate: Capaldi’s school nickname? Moon Man. (As a former “Space Boy” – I share his pain.) The nickname, he muses, likely originated from his love of space and the space missions of the day, but he admits he was upset by the nickname at the time even if he’s now come to find it a great name – not to mention terribly ironic. Later Capaldi would even sell a script to Miramax called “Moon Man”.

While Miramax has never used the script, Capaldi jokes it paid for his house. Not bad for a Moon Man from Glasgow.

The post How “Moon Man” Became Doctor Who to Defend the BBC appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

For Queen and Country – Yvonne Hartman Joins Big Finish’s Torchwood!

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 Finish have announced the return of Tracy Ann-Oberman in Torchwood: One Rule – the fourth release in its new series of Torchwood audio plays.

Oberman first appeared as Yvonne Hartman in the 2006 Doctor Who episode Army of Ghosts written by Torchwood creator Russell T Davies. The ruthless ‘for queen and country’ head of London’s Torchwood One HQ found herself in the middle of at odds with the Tenth Doctor.

Hartman perished in the attack on Canary Warf but the new release takes place a year before in Cardiff, where she’ll bring her impeccable dress sense and unique people skills to Cardiff.

“When we presented the idea of using Yvonne,’ says producer James Goss, ‘Matt Nicholls at BBC Worldwide came up with a brilliant caveat – he suggested we could have Yvonne, but not the all-powerful Queen Bee of Canary Wharf. Instead he wanted her to come thoroughly unstuck in Cardiff.”

Torchwood: One Rule has been written by Joseph Lidster – whose previous credits include the second series Torchwood episode A Day in the Death.

“Torchwood was my first piece of writing for television and it remains my favourite series.’ says Joseph, ‘Not just the television episodes but the books, audiobooks, radio plays, all of it. I’d have been gutted not to have been involved in some way – I’d have happily gone into the studio and made the tea!

“James Goss gave me a choice of available characters but it was Yvonne who leapt out at me. She’s one of my favourite characters to have appeared in Doctor Who – she has questionable beliefs but she genuinely thinks she’s doing the best thing for her country. She’s also incredibly funny and brilliantly performed by the magnificent Tracy-Ann Oberman.”

Torchwood: One Rule will be released in December from the Big Finish website.

The first title, Torchwood: The Conspiracy starring John Barrowman, is available to buy now exclusive to the Big Finish site. The series will continue with Torchwood: Fall to Earth in October, starring Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones.

The post For Queen and Country – Yvonne Hartman Joins Big Finish’s Torchwood! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

What Did You Think of 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.

New series, new polls! Yes, it’s time for you, dear reader, to tell us what you thought of The Magician’s Apprentice, the first episode of Doctor Who Series 9.

If you’re new to all of this, the process is quite simple: we offer you five poll choices, and you tell us how you voted (if you like – it’s optional) in the comments below to discuss the episode. Later in the week we’ll gauge audience reaction based on viewing figures and your voting and thoughts.

Ready? It really is very simple…

Take Our Poll

Don’f forget to comment, but keep spoilers to a minimum for overseas viewers, please!

The post What Did You Think of The Magician’s Apprentice? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The Doctor and Clara “at ease with each other” in 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.

With the sad news of Jenna Coleman’s departure from the show breaking as I write this article, it seems fitting that we look ahead to what we can expect from Clara in Series 9, which looks to be Coleman’s final run with Doctor Who.

In another of the Doctor Who YouTube channel’s exclusive teasers looking at the upcoming 35th season, show-runner Steven Moffat, Peter Capaldi and Jenna herself speak about the relationship between Twelve and Clara this year. Moffat says;

“It was necessary to take them through a difficult period. You change one of them so radically, I didn’t feel it was right or proper or interesting or credible just to make them an instant, perfect team.”

One of the strongest aspects to last year’s Series 8 was the fractured relationship between the Doctor and his companion – one of the most interesting and complex TARDIS team relationships without having a love story directly blossom between the two, thankfully!

Capaldi describes the characters as “very much at ease with each other” and seem to be having “enormous fun” with one another. A great indicator that the chemistry between the leading actors looks to be as electrifying here as it was last year. If rumours are to be believed, it was that chemistry that convinced Jenna Coleman to stay on for Series 8. She says;

“I think there’s something about the fact that they’re so entwined now and they know each other so well they can speak without words, they can operate as a team together. They’re just explorers, I think.”

Moffat describes them as “two adrenaline junkies” with a time machine.

Is it Saturday, yet?

The post The Doctor and Clara “at ease with each other” in Series 9 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The Doctor & Clara Rock Out at Abbey Road!

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 Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara (Jenna Coleman) make a guest appearance at the iconic Abbey Road crossing, London, as they rock out in style this morning (Saturday 19 September), accompanied by Daleks!

For the younger among you, the image pastiches the famous ‘Abbey Road’ album cover, the final studio release from The Beatles in 1969.

Doctor Who returns to BBC One tonight at 7.40pm, as the Doctor appears in a way that no-one will expect!

Let the “Clara Is Dead” theories commence!

Update: Watch the Photoshoot!

You can head to http://www.abbeyroad.com/CrossingArchive to see the shoot take place. Set the Archive counter to 10-11 to see the assembled stars and photographers on the right-side of the camera, and jump forward to the 11-12 archive (around 11.05) and spot Capaldi, Coleman and two Daleks on the famous zebra crossing! Big thanks to Chris for the link.

The post The Doctor & Clara Rock Out at Abbey Road! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.