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Hm, er, where was I again…?
We're fast approaching the one-year anniversary of Steven Moffat's departure from the Doctor Who Forum at the former Outpost Gallifrey. As an old-school Babylon 5 fan who hung on J. Michael Straczynski's every word about the series, part of me regrets that he quietly left before his promotion was announced. The more sensible part of me has to admit it's for the best — for the show, and his own sanity.
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We're fast approaching the one-year anniversary of Steven Moffat's departure from the Doctor Who Forum at the former Outpost–
The Rani? No, no NO, no no!!
(We regret to inform you that the Management is having a "conniption fit." Normal podcasts will resume presently, when the medication takes effect.)
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American Doctor Who fans may now commence their grinding of teeth, as they wait for not one but two Doctor Who specials to make their way across the Atlantic. The official word from NBC Universal's publicity department for the SCI FI channel: "No news yet on SCI FI's scheduling of Doctor Who." In the absence of news must come speculation — so here's why I think that those of us in the states still have a long wait ahead.
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Back when the webcomic User Friendly was at its peak, there were lots of jokes about the User Friendly Productivity Virus: once people in your company discovered the strip, work would grind to a halt as everyone caught up through the archives.
If you value your productivity and you're a Doctor Who fan, do yourself a favor. Wait until the weekend before you start reading Rich's excellent webcomic, The Ten Doctors. It really is that good, and you'll devour its 255 (and still counting) pages in huge gulps at a time. What would be too fannish to work on television works beautifully well here: No Companion Left Behind.
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I performed a little experiment this evening. I sat my seven year-old son in front of YouTube and showed him a clip of K-9 playing chess with the Fourth Doctor and Leela and the new teaser trailer for the upcoming K-9 kids' series. His reaction: the old K-9 was amusing but the new one is "cooooooooooooool"! Keep that in mind as you listen to my reaction to the trailer that seemed to vex so many fans….
(P.S. I do add myself to the chorus calling for John Leeson to perform the voice.)
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Who shall stand? Who shall fall?! The 2009 Hugo Award nominees include two 2008 Doctor Who episodes: "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" written by Steven Moffat, and "Turn Left" written by Russell T. Davies. Should Moffat pick up his fourth in a row? Is it time for another feather in Davies's cap? My wife Shannon and I reveal all!
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A huge reason the Doctor Who revival is on its way to a fifth series is the man who apparently won't be back after Series One through Four. And that's a shame, because composer Murray Gold made a statement to skeptical audiences right from the opening credits of 2005's "Rose." Raise a glass to an unsung hero.
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I had no idea that there was a meetup group right under my nose in North Carolina until I heard about it from a British podcast. Go figure. But I'm glad that prompted me to meet them.
Even if I was the only one to show up for a St. Patrick's-themed episode viewing without a hint of green on my person.
NOTE: This podcast has been republished due to a server move.
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According to RTD, both in the Doctor Who Annual 2006 and occasional references in the show, the Time Lords cannot possibly exist since the Time War. They're myths and legends, with only certain "higher species" having any inkling that such a civilization existed.
Of course, you've got not a few humans such as Sarah Jane Smith, the Brigadier, and official U.N.I.T. who not only remember The Doctor, but his references to Gallifrey as well. (For example, Sarah Jane remembers being left behind by the Fourth Doctor because humans weren't allowed.)
Does this mean that humans — "stupid apes" as the Ninth Doctor called us in a fit of pique — are in fact a "higher species"? Come with me; let's take a little drive, have a chat….
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I understand the reasons for arguing that we recently completed the 30th series of Doctor Who (or 31st if you count the 1996 movie as one), but I have to admit that I don't see it the same way. There's a universal reboot in between the program launched in 1963 and the 2005 version.
That reboot, of course, is the Last Great Time War, which erased two great civilizations including the linchpin of time travel itself. Herewith, my on-the-road musing about the Time War, and why it was not only a cool idea, but also an important ingredient in the success of RTD's Who.
(The audio improves after the first few seconds of in-car recording. The Two-minute Time Lord Podcast needs gear.)
By the way — please follow me on Twitter!
