Doctor Who

This weekend's Comic-Con has yielded the trailer for the Christmas episode - Twice Upon A Time:

I took about a month to watch that, I just wasn't up for it. It epitomised many things that have gone wrong in the series over several years.

But change has come, even long-term composer Murray Gold has gone. And now there is a new logo:



Which is hopeful

The first trailer for the new series will be broadcast on Sunday:

During half-time at the World Cup

Even though England are not playing it is still expected to attract viewing figures in excess of 10 million.

It's effectively a repeat of the ploy a year ago when her identity was revealed during the Wimbledon Men's Final.

The Sunday afternoon trailer seemed terribly disappointing, but there was a new one last night which was a lot more conventional, i.e. good.

The new series starts on Sunday October 7th 

Monday night saw a celebrity premiere in Sheffield, where some of the new series is based. Critical response seems positive, although the BBC seem to be boosting it by suggesting Peter Capaldi was to blame for previous problems.

Premiere episode was last night. Quite OK really. 

misery guts wrote:Premiere episode was last night. Quite OK really. 

Well I truly enjoyed it. A little dialogue hard to catch first time, but a fine starter. Already she feels like The Doctor to me. Very Torchwood feel to it. Glad to see the scary element back. Moffat would have brought everyone back to life at the end and even returned their teeth lol. Really did like Grace and hated to see her take the Logopolis plunge. Aside from that, dunno how the "fans" will react, but I'd give a 8.5 for an opener. Really like the new companions.

It's good to have what I would call an outside perspective because some of the cast (like Bradley Walsh) have got a lot of flak from people who don't see him as an actor (to be fair, he's mainly been a stand-up comic or entertainment/quiz presenter, but he has done a bit of acting in the last 5-10 years, and had he been the Doctor I would have bought it).

I had low expectations, but it seems to have mainly been a hit with the right people, which is the main thing. Just hope for further good results.

Series ended last night. It's had some harsh criticism, but I think it's been a bit of fresh air, and some of the stories haven't been offensive rubbish, so that's good. Bradley Walsh has been the MVP, as they say.

Special on NYD, then no more until 2020.

Finally caught up with "Resolution" this week. Much like the series that preceded it, a bit cheapo and needing more oomph in the writing.

The classic series continues to be jazzed up for releases on Blu-ray.

Worth a mention to the late, great Terrance Dicks, who died this week at the age of 84. He wrote several stories, script-edited many others, wrote a few books in the post-series years, and 60+ of the novelisations which helped inspire a love of the written word in a generation of children. RIP 

misery guts wrote:The classic series continues to be jazzed up for releases on Blu-ray.

Worth a mention to the late, great Terrance Dicks, who died this week at the age of 84. He wrote several stories, script-edited many others, wrote a few books in the post-series years, and 60+ of the novelisations which helped inspire a love of the written word in a generation of children. RIP 

Absolutely. A pleasant surprise I had this morning reading about Sylvester McCoy's Season 26 being released. Terrance Dicks was such an important figure in DW and will be sorely missed. All I can do is be thankful and appreciative of the many ways he made my childhood such a joy. I've read and own all of his novels. A brilliant man through and through. May he RIP.

Show returned on Wednesday, with the series proper starting last night (well, it was a 2-parter, don't rush me). Some worthy ideas, and Lenny Henry played it serious, which helped.

Series finished on Sunday, and I think it's fair to say Al and I have somewhat different views on how it went down 

After a choppy few opening weeks, it did feel to me like it settled down, but then there was that last episode which was a bit on the OTT side.

Still, roll on NY for the next episode...

Filming on the next series has begun, but due to covid, they'll only be able to knock out 8 episodes instead of the expected 11.

The Christmas/NY special will be called Revolution of the Daleks 

misery guts wrote:The Christmas/NY special will be called Revolution of the Daleks 

It's this evening, 75 minutes 

Managed to watch it Saturday night, not that bad. John Bishop cropped up in a post-credits teaser as the next companion.

Big rumour today that Jodie will be leaving after the next series. Seems plausible, 3 years is usually the average.

Further details and an official confirmation now that Jodie will be leaving in 2022, along with crappy show-runner Chris Chibnall. Supposedly they both made a "three years and out" pact, so that's that.

The next season is likely to be one long 6-part story, to be followed by 2 more specials, and then a further special supposedly connected with the BBC's centenary.

That gives the BBC good "kick the can down the road" time to work out who they might want next, or if they want another "rest".

misery guts wrote:Further details and an official confirmation now that Jodie will be leaving in 2022, along with crappy show-runner Chris Chibnall. Supposedly they both made a "three years and out" pact, so that's that.

The next season is likely to be one long 6-part story, to be followed by 2 more specials, and then a further special supposedly connected with the BBC's centenary.

That gives the BBC good "kick the can down the road" time to work out who they might want next, or if they want another "rest".

Yes, this is very good news imho. I do fear this one story divided into 6 parts. If the first episode doesn't really pull viewers in they won't be tuning in for the rest. The fandom is so divided now I don't know if the damage is reversible. So many, including myself, have tuned out. As a fan who has watched faithfully since 1980, I wish the series the best. I had to call it a day after 'Orphan 55' and have not been back. Through youtubers, I'm well aware of the Timeless Children controversy. Under a new show runner and a new Doctor, I hope to be lured back. I do fear that we will be left with a cliffhanger regeneration following a hiatus. It might be for the best though.

It is somewhat funny that the series' bad episodes are more memorable than the good ones. I have always said Love & Monsters was such a personal low that every bad one after (such as Last of the Time Lords) didn't have anywhere like the same effect. I know Orphan 55 seems to be a frequently cited choice as in that league.

Early ideas are that the next Doctor will be a man, though. I don't think Jodie Whittaker deserved as much of the flak as Chris Chibnall, although the premise that she was supportive of his ideas, much like how Peter Capaldi apparently saw no issues with some of the dismal rubbish he had to go through, doesn't help her cause.

Arena - Delia - The Myths and the Legendary Tapes
A part-dramatised account of Delia Derbyshire's career, how she made it to the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, how she tried to get somewhere on her own account, and how things fared after she left the BBC after 10 years. Her drinking and snuff taking were curious habits. Carolne Catz wrote and directed, and played Delia in the drama bits, often opposite Julian Rhind-Tutt as Brian Hodgson (JRT is the kind of actor who will never be suggested as a new Doctor). Delia died in 2001.

misery guts wrote:
That gives the BBC good "kick the can down the road" time to work out who they might want next, or if they want another "rest".

Well, it turns out that Chris Chibnall's replacement will be Russell T Davies, back for a possible "caretaker" run to cover the 60th anniversary and beyond. A strong rumour suggests he is a placeholder for a preferred other choice who is busy. Where this leaves the replacement for Jodie Whittaker remains to be seen.

RTD has recently had good publicity for political dramas like Years & Years, and his 80s drama It's A Sin, dismissed by some as "AIDSploitation", which fed the press comment for Olly Alexander to be the next Doctor Who, despite a lack of much other acting experience.

The next series (the 6-part one) starts on Hallowe'en; Flux is the word.

There's a tile moving game on the BBC's website:

https://www.doctorwho.tv/games/thirteen/

Hopefully it's not UK only.

The series ended on Sunday, and I felt it was better than expected.  The next episode will be on New Year's Day, the uninspiring Eve of the Daleks. No, really.