2MTL 202: "The Impossible Astronaut" First Impressions

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Best series opener yet? Debatable, but "The Impossible Astronaut" definitely benefited from, for the first time since 2005, not having to establish a new status quo (which even "New Earth" had to do given Tennant's comparatively brief screen time in "The Christmas Invasion," but I digress…).

Where was I? Oh, yes — a series opener that, freed from having to Explain New Things, leaped straight into a story of heft and dread that will surely catch the attention of new viewers. Tick boxes were checked, and checked well — although there is ONE thing I'm disappointed about…

2MTL 200: The Unbearable Brightness of Series 6, Plus Your Questions

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Less than two weeks away, a confession: I've been overwhelmed not only by the mammoth wall of hype over the debut of Series 6, but by some of the implications of the new season itself.

Plus, listener feedback! Plus, simultaneously, an illustration of how listener feedback can go horribly wrong! (Bad influence: Ask a Ninja.)

Two-minute Technomage for April 1, 1996: "Severed Dreams"

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We waited almost two months for PTEN to release the tenth episode of season 3, "Severed Dreams," and it was worth it! Tune in to hear my reactions to the landmark, gotta-win-an-award, science fiction classic of April 1, 1996. Babylon 5 has never been better!

2MTL 199: Taking Skirts and Skits Seriously

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  • "Space."
  • "Time."
  • Two funny and cute skits during Comic Relief.
  • Amy Pond.
  • Skirt length.
  • Jokes.
  • Objectification?
  • Less than eight minutes. Too serious?

Also check out Teresa Jusino's take on "Space" and "Time" at tor.com (just beware the comments).

Part One: "Space"

Part Two: "Time"

(Also a hat tip to the TDP.)

2MTL 198: Enchanted Believers and Mourning Ianto Jones

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Were you so saddened by the death of Ianto Jones in 2009's Torchwood: Children of Earth that it almost felt like you'd lost someone close to you?

Or did you see the online reaction and hear about his Memorial Wall in Cardiff and wonder, "Where the HECK is this coming from?"

Racheline Maltese, scholar and fan, wondered the same things about how people relate to stories in her paper, "Tangible Reality of Absence: Fan Communities and Mourning Fictional Characters," presented last July and now available online. I invited Racheline to talk about what it means to be an "enchanted believer" who reacts to a story as strongly as if it were a real-world event, and why Ianto was mourned by fandom but Owen and Tosh weren't.

2MTL 197: Where'd the Human Heroes Go?

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As a parting shot in 2MTL 196, I mentioned that I thought the message of the first four seasons of new Doctor Who, Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures was that "it's the actions of everyday humans like you and me that make the difference in overcoming adversity." Some of you noticed that I left out Series 5. Herewith, the explanation.

2MTL 196: Looking for a Doctor in a Torchwood World

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A temporarily more serious, real-world turn for 2MTL.

Be inspired by the Doctor. Do what Torchwood would do.

Support the people of Japan through the Red Cross, shelterbox.org, and other relief agencies. Support the displaced of Britain through Paul Cornell's drive on behalf of Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, at justgiving.com/paul-cornell0. Help treat terminal cancer patients with dignity through the Nicholas Courtney memorial drive for the Marie Curie Cancer Care at justgiving.com/nicholascourtney.