Is Doctor Who too over-the-top these days? I'd argue that those asking for more conservative storytelling are looking for the wrong thing.
Time to get the Doctor off his high horse, right? The Oncoming Storm got a little too gusty? So it's time for him to make everyone in the universe think he's dead. From the dawn of time to the end of the world? Help me. My suspension of disbelief is suspended.
Star Trek and Doctor Who are polar opposites in many ways (see also Toby Hadoke's Trek takedown in Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf). But as I watched the documentary Trek Nation I was struck at the contrast between Gene Roddenberry's looming role over the franchise (even after his death!) and its much less personality-driven cousin across the Atlantic.
Hey! See me at Gallifrey One next month, including a cameo during Radio Free Skaro and the World of Tomorrow! Say "Hi"! I promise I'll say "hi" back.
Let's just quickly zip past the fact that "The Doctor Dances" is one of the most excellent episodes ever, and talk about its REAL name and its true subversive impact on Doctor Who from 2005 on.
Warning: While there isn't any actual "bad language" in this episode, there's a fair bit of bleeping which itself may come as a shock after my excessively clean previous 250 episodes.
The annual Doctor Who Christmas spectacle caught a lot of attention — pro and con — for taking an unambiguous position on the nature and particular strength of women. Was that too much for sixty minutes?
BONUS: My New Year's wish for you comes in the form of Carbon Leaf's "Toast to the New Year," used with permission from their 2010 album Christmas Child. © 2010 Constant Ivy Music
This month Steven Moffat revealed that during Series 7 Amy Pond and Rory Williams (or some combination of surnames thereof) will be leaving the TARDIS for good. This raises the question — despite the undeniable talent of Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill — of whether their characters will have the lasting impact of other great Doctor Who companions. For me, the jury's still out until their departure…
Wow, it's been a long time since I've done a Throwback Review. Let's remedy that with the debut of one Steven Moffat in an episode that evokes classic Who, the tropes of vintage 2005 RTD-era, and hints of the future Moffat era.
(OK, this runs five minutes. But, in my defense, there's audio clips and Guest Bullet Points and EVERYTHING!)
Frabjous day indeed, as two missing episodes from the '60s have been found! This calls for a celebration! And after you've listened to this episode, read the frankly brilliant Radio Times backgrounder on how these episodes were discovered.
Oh, and check out that TMDWP guy. He's pretty cool himself.
RTD's interview with Laurence Watts shed a sad light on the immediate future of his writing projects, as he takes on a more important role as caregiver.
The Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust is the U.K.'s largest funder of brain tumor research. If you would like to join me in supporting them, you can donate to their Gift of Hope campaign.
Two bigger-on-the-inside worlds collide this Christmas in "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" — and the PARTICULAR collision between C.S. Lewis's worldview and Doctor Who's typical one has me wondering what the heck showrunner Steven Moffat is up to…
