"An Unearthly Child" Review

I've seen this story many a time. Its an amazing introduction to the show that we know and love. I think this episode really stands the test of time. It starts off with the amazing title sequence which is just ground breaking for the time it was made in. And the theme tune is so magical and yet unearthly which just heralds what is to come with the series. I love that the theme tune continues on over the policeman checking the gates to the junk yard. And with our first glimpse of the TARDIS we have that unearthly hum which gives us that sense that its not just an ordinary police box.
What some newer viewers might find strange is that the Doctor is actually the last character to be introduced in the episode. We are first treated to the introduction of Ian and Barbara at Coal Hill School. This first scene introduces us to the mystery of Susan Foreman and her Grandfather, the Doctor. They decide to go check out the junk yard in which is the address Susan gave to the secretary. This is one aspect of the story that I think wouldn't have been allowed if this story was made these days since it could sort of be classed as stalking.

In the car while waiting for Susan to turn up, we have some great foreknowledge. Susan says that she thought we were on the decimal system which was not actually introduced until 1971, 8 years after this story was televised. They follow her into the junk yard after seeing her entering the the site entrance. This is where we are introduced to the Doctor for the first time. This is not the Doctor we have grown to know and love. He starts off as a much more cold hearted and fiery character. Before the entrance to the TARDIS, he is just very dismissive as he is trying to get rid of the two of them.
That first entrance to the TARDIS is one of the best moments from Doctor Who for me. I wish they had used a simular shot to the pilot when Barbara runs in and the camera follows from the doors but thats just one small quibble I have. The set designed for the TARDIS is just an amazing budget especially when you remember the small budget they had. It really forms the basis of the design of what has continued throughout the 50 years. There is some really great dialogue throughout this TARDIS scene. Alot of memorable explanations of the things we now know and love about the series. "Have you ever wondered what its like to be wonderer's? To be exiles?" And as we come to the end of the episode we are treated to the first TARDIS take-off. The sound of the TARDIS was made up of a manipulated sound of a key being scrapped against piano stings. And from that we have the great sound of the TARDIS which was so magical it is still used to this day.

This episode is one of my favourite single episodes of Doctor Who. The serial is let down by the last 3 episodes but this episode is a definite 10/10. A memorable episode which really does still feel as great as it must have done when it first aired. How much I would love to go back to 1963 and get to watch this episode without the foreknowledge. To see them walk into the TARDIS and not know that size difference.

"An Adventure in Space and Time" Review

What a fantastically piece of heartbreaking television. Hats off to Mark Gatiss. He managed to create the perfect celebration of the birth of the best television show in the universe! There was many a moment there for die hard fans to just cheer out at yet it was also very watchable for people who don't watch Doctor Who. There was many a tear throughout the show. The first one for me was during Bradley's recreation of the farewell speech. It just genuinely moved me. And then the ending. Wow! So heartbreaking. From the breaking down to the last days filming.
Right, lets talk about the casting. I think the main cast was perfectly cast. Especially Sydney Newman, Waris Hussein, Verity Lambert and William Hartnell. The credits where they showed side-by-side pictures really showed this. And not only did they look the spitting image of who they were portraying, they were fantastically played as well. The smaller parts were not as good really but you don't really mind since they were only very small scenes. I loved the cameos from the original cast members. It was a brilliant inclusion of William Russell, Carole Ann Ford, Anneke Wills and Jean Marsh.

This drama shows how much faith Sydney Newman and Verity Lambert had in the series. If it wasn't for these 2 people (and there are many others too), we really wouldn't have the series today. It would have ran for a few weeks and that would be it. It was great how Sydney brought in 2 people in which people had no confidence because they were different to the normal way and with them they created history.
The whole ending was beautiful. From when Verity was told that Hartnell was ill I had a tear in my eye. And then when he broke down by the fire I was close to breaking down also. It was so moving to see that stern front just break away and show the true side of the legend beneath. And then onto the regeneration and the surprise cameo. I'm not naming who it is as I don't want to ruin the surprise but I was hoping they would include this person so was happy to see him. The look on Hartnells face was perfect. The twinkle in the eye, the happiness and yet the sadness at losing a massive part of his life.
There is only one score I can give this episode. 10/10. A fantastic celebration of the show we all know and love. A definite highlight of the 50th Anniversary. Thank you so much for sharing this Mark. Absolutely Fantastic!

"The Night of the Doctor" Review

The Fiftieth Anniversary of Doctor Who officially started today with the release of the new Mini Episode, The Night of the Doctor. And what a way to start with the return of The Eighth Doctor who was last seen on screen in 1996 in his only television story. I love that little nod of a line to us of "I'm a Doctor, but probably not the one that you are expecting." While there had been rumours floating about for months about this episode, it was still a fantastic surprise to see Paul back.
The first part of the episode was focussed around the Doctor trying to save Cass off the crashing spaceship though she refused to be helped after learning that he was a Time Lord. This just shows how much the Time Lords had become hated during the Time War. This is keeping in line with the End of Time and I presume it will be referenced again during the Day of the Doctor. Another great thing is that we finally get the chance to see the Eighth Doctor regenerate in this episode. A mystery which has been kept secret since 2005. I read a comment online which said they were disappointed in the fact they didn't like the Doctor died in a spaceship crash. I think this was still a fitting way to die. He could have just gone and left Cass but instead he stayed on board incase she changed her mind, sacrificing himself once again for one person.

In the second part of the episode we see another return. The sisterhood of Khan, last seen in the Brain of Morbius with Tom Baker. This was a fantastic surprise and made sense really with there history with the Time Lords. While The Doctor did switch rather quickly from staying one of the good guys to the warrior, this was needed since the episode only had a short amount of time to tell this story. He realised that if he didn't change and go on, countless more lives would be lost so he needed to turn into the War Doctor.
We also see the Big Finish Companions mentioned here, officially making the audio adventures canon to those who doubted it. This is one of the things that made my day. These stories are fantastic and deserve to be recognised. If you haven't heard them go buy one now in the Big Finish sale. You won't regret it!
"Physician Heal Thyself" I think this was a perfect last line for Eight. Following on from him saluting his companions. It felt really true to what his Doctor would say. I loved that when we finally saw Hurt, they had used a younger version of him showing how long he ended up fighting this war.
This episode really was a fan letter to the fans. So many things to make us happy. From the return of Eight, to the audio companions reference, to 8's regeneration and the Sisterhood of Khan. What a fantastic 7 minutes. It still feels like a dream... 10/10 I am now looking forward to what the rest of the anniversary has in store!

The Day of the Doctor UK Cinema Screenings

Today, BBC Worldwide announced details of the UK Cinema Screenings for Day of the Doctor. A total of 216 UK cinemas will be screening the 75 minute episode. The press release reads

In addition to the global TV broadcast, hundreds of cinemas in the UK and around the world are also confirming their plans to screen the hotly anticipated special episode simultaneously in full 3D, giving fans another unique opportunity to be part of a truly global celebration for the iconic British drama series. 216 VUE, Cineworld, Odeon, BFI and Picturehouse cinemas in the UK and Ireland have already confirmed their participation, with tickets for the anniversary screening set to go on sale this Friday October 25th at 9am.

On top of that cinemas in Germany, Russia, America and Canada will also be screening the episode as well as the 75 countries which will get a simultaneous TV airing. A total of 400 cinemas around the world will be showing the episode. This is fantastic as it means more people can get to enjoy this event television than ever before.

The Doctor Who Celebration which is being held over in London that weekend have yet to announce whether or not they will be screening the episode. I know I for one am rather annoyed with this. Up to now, I havn't really minded the lack of details and information that they have been giving but now with one month to go and the cinema tickets going on sale on Friday, I think they really need to get a move on and announce some details.

9 Classic Episodes Returned!

Sadly due to the cost of tape in the 60's/70's, Episodes of BBC tv shows were wiped so to make room for more programs. Due to Doctor Who being sold abroad by BBC enterprises, many episodes of the show have been tracked down, Today the BBC have announced that 9 more episodes have been found at a television relay station in Nigeria. The Enemy of the World episodes 1, 2, 4, 5 + 6 and The Web of Fear episodes 2, 4, 5 and + 6 have been returned to the BBC 46 years after they aired on TV. That means we now have the complete story of The Enemy of the World and all but episode 3 of The Web of Fear.

Philip Morris, who found the episodes, said

I remember wiping the dust off the masking tape on the canisters and my heart missed a beat as I saw the words Doctor Who. When I read the story code, I realised I’d found something pretty special.

Fiona Eastwood, director of consumer products at BBC Worldwide, said

We are thrilled with the recent discovery of The Web Of Fear and The Enemy Of The World and we’re very happy to be launching re-mastered versions of these treasured episodes to fans as we celebrate the 50th year of Doctor Who.

These stories are the perfect present for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. The Enemy of the World is the second complete story we have of Victoria after Tomb of the Cybermen and The Web of Fear marks the first outing of the popular character, Brigadier, then Colonel, Lethbridge-Stewart.We now down from 106 missing episodes, to 97. There are rumours that more episodes have been recovered but only time will tell the truth.

The Episodes will be available on iTunes now with The Enemy of the World out on DVD on November 22nd with Web of Fear following in Early 2014. The missing episode 3 of The Web of Fear has been recreated using 37 still images and the original episode soundtrack for the iTunes release.

The Enemy of the World - Buy now on iTunes
The Web of Fear - Buy now on iTunes

I would like to pass on a big fan to Phillip Morris and whoever else was involved in the recovery of these episodes. Thank you so much for a fantastic 50th Anniversary Present

Doctor Who - Missing Episodes Reveal 2013

The rumour that some new Missing Episodes of Doctor had been found has been circulating around the internet for the majority of the year. The news came to the forefront on Sunday when the Sunday People published a story that "that 106 BBC programs have been unearthed featuring the first two doctors." This artical was very suspicious though since 106 episode are currently missing from the archives and it would be close to impossible that all of the missing episode had been recovered.
Later that day though, the Radio Times published that "missing episodes of Doctor Who will be made available for sale to the public this Wednesday" and that there would be a press conference on the Tuesday. This added a lot of credit to that some missing episodes had been found. But it still was not definite news since the BBC had yet to give an official comment.
The next day the Radio Times tweaked the aritcal stating that the press conference had been pushed back to "later this week". The Guardian then picked up the story stating that the press conference was to be hold on Thursday. There was still a big doubt in the air since the BBC were staying quiet on the matter. Yesterday, the BBC News picked up on the news with Lizo backing up that missing episodes were due to be announced this week. With the BBC News also picking, this pretty much confirmed that missing episodes had been found.
Today, a notice appeared on the official website of Deborah Watling (who played the 2nd Doctors companion Victoria) stating that "Deborah, along with Frazer Hines, will be helping the BBC to launch the newly found Dr.Who episodes this Thurs (10/10/13), betwwen 3.30pm and 7.00pm approx." Although the press conference is taking place tomorrow afternoon, The Telegraph have tweeted saying we will not get to hear which episode have been discovered until Friday. It is looking like a midnight embargo however so there is not much of a delay to wait.
It is currently rumoured that the episodes that have been found are The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear, however Marco Polo, The Savages and The Ice Warriors have also been mentioned. We will have to wait until Friday to find out for definite which episode have been found. After months of speculation, it is nice to finally have some firm news. I for one cannot wait to hear some official news when it is released and find out what has indeed been found.

When will the Twelfth Doctor's first adventure air?

There is some debate going around at the moment when the Twelfth Doctor will make his debut. The official word at the moment is that 11 will regenerate him at Christmas but there is a few conflicting articles going around. Here is a just a few options floating around at the moment.

Regeneration in 50th, 12's Debut story at Xmas
This would be nice as it would make the regeneration come as a surprise which hasn't been done for a while. (well, not the Doctors regeneration anyway) I do think that this is unlikely though as they seem amendment that Matt is in the Xmas special.

Regeneration early to midway through Xmas special
This is what I would quite like. The Doctor has nearly always (bar the TV Movie) regenerated at the end of the adventure but I think that it would be interesting to see the villain actually cause the regeneration and the new Doctor carry on and then save the day. It will also give us a bit more of a glimpse of the new Doctor. I know Steven Moffat has said that its going to be a traditional regeneration at the end of the episode but as we all know. Rule One - Moffat Lies.

Regeneration at the end of Xmas, 12's Debut Story in Autumn 2014
I think at the moment, this seems the most likely of the 3 I have listed. I think Moffat will want to give the whole special to Matt as his swansong. (and quite right too!) The thing with this though, is the fact we will have to wait 8 months after the regeneration to see 12 in action and this just seems like such a long time. I do hope that they consider doing a special at Easter or something so we can get to properly meet the Twelfth Doctor earlier than August.

Peter Capaldi is the Doctor!

I could not be happier with the announcement that Peter Capaldi has been cast as the Twelfth Doctor. As I said in a previous blog post, I was really hoping that Moffat would cast older with 12 but I did have my doubts that he would after the success that they had with Matt. The majority of the fanbase agree that this is fantastic news that we have such a talented actor on board to bring the new incarnation of the Doctor to life. I have seen on Facebook and some other places people saying he's too old and not "fit" enough but why does the doctor have to be young. He is afterall a 1,100 year old Time Lord who can change his face. Why would he always go for a younger appearance

I was in shock when Zoe Ball announced that Peter had got the part. I was slightly expecting Moffat to go with a younger unknown again but this is a fantastic move. It is going to bring a fantastic new angle to the Doctor and his relationship. I cannot wait for his regeneration and to see his first series in August 2014. I just wish the series was back in the Spring again so the wait would be shorter. But before that of course we have the 50th and Christmas too look forward too and the Fall of the Eleventh. Matt will be missed greatly but I just cannot wait to see what Capaldi brings to the Role

THE DOCTOR IS DEAD - LONG LIVE THE DOCTOR

Matt Smith is the Doctor!

January 3rd 2009. I remember this day well because of one, we had a small family get together and two, it was the day that Matt Smith was announced as the Eleventh Doctor. They had scheduled a Doctor Who Confidential episode for that day but up until a few days before, it was being called "The Ten Doctors." When they finally announced that it was infact to be called "The Eleventh Doctor" and that we would finally learn the identity of Doctor number Eleven the internet went into meltdown. I remember the names floating around. Paterson Joseph, James Nesbitt and even Alan Davies. But of cause the part went to 26 year old Matt Smith.

The program started with a 15 minute segment looking back at the previous 10 doctors with input from Steven Moffat, David Tennant and Russell T Davies. The all of a sudden this flophaired young man appeared on the screens for the first but not the last time. I remember when he first came on the screen thinking "Oh I'm not that sure about him. He just doesn't seem right" but I changed my mind when I saw the photoshoot image that was released after the show was over. He just looked right standing there with the TARDIS. Though he did not turn out how I expected him to be. Because of the image being quite dark and blue, I expected him to be quite a serious and dark Doctor and I am so glad he wasn't. I just don't think that would have suited Matt at all but that may just be hindsight. When I re-watched the Confidential the next day, it just backed up for me that they had made the right choice. 

Now we are less than 24 hours away from finding out who has been cast for the Twelfth Doctor, it is going to be interesting to see how the reaction to him will be. I know there was a lot of "oh he is too young" with Matt which I never really got but its going to be interesting to see how people accept this new guy and whether it is any of the people that have been names or if they have gone with another new face once again. Personally, I just excited and a little bit nervous to find out who is the Twelfth Doctor!

What I want from The Twelfth Doctor

With tomorrow being the day when we finally find out who has been cast as the Twelfth Doctor, I have been thinking through what sort of person I want to be the Twelfth Doctor.

Older - I want 12 to be in his late 40s-mid 50s. As we have just had out youngest doctor yet, I really want to get an older guy in the role once more. I'd like the Doctor to slightly go back to the grandfather side to him and it would bring out a new side of the relationship between the Doctor and Clara.

More Serious - I love 11's eccentric edge he has to him as that is how I see the Doctor but I want 12 to be more of a serious Doctor. Something more like 1, 3 or 9. Yes, I do want some childishness to be kept as that should run though all the Doctors but I just want 12 to be really different to 11.

Male - Now I know there are some people who scream sexist when people say the Doctor should stay male but I just think this is a must! I'm sorry but the Doctor is a male character and should always stay this way. Yes, it could be interesting to run for a story but I would not want to see him changed to female for the long run. It would be like changing James Bond to female in my opinion. Just keep this how it has always been please!

Different - It is important to me that 12 has a completely different personality to 11. I wand as much of a jump as there was from 1 to 2 and 9 to 10. Yes, you need to keep the important aspects of the Doctors personality but I want him to be as different as you can make him. This can then give you new ways of taking the story and after all, this is what has kept Doctor Who fresh for the last 50 years.

So overall really the sort of people who would fit the role for me would be people like Ben Daniels, Sean Pertwee or Peter Capaldi. They are the sort of person I would love to see as Doctor number 12. Though, if Moffat does decide to go young again, I won't be disappointing as I trust the Moff. Afterall, he cast Matt and he turned out to be one of the best Doctors there has been in my opinion!

Doctor Who: Series 7 "Complete" Boxset

I have just seen the press release for the "Complete" Series 7 UK release of Doctor Who and I have to say I am really disappointed in what I have read. I have not really ever felt the need to have a moon about the boxsets before but this time I just felt it was needed.
Firstly, it seems that they are not going to be including the 2011 Christmas Special, The Doctor The Widow and the Wardrobe. Now, I am not the biggest fan of this story but I think it needs to be included on the boxset to make this set complete. Without it they might was well call it "The Incomplete Series 7."
Secondly, it is being released over in America a whole month before it is in the UK. I really think that this is just wrong! Since it is filmed and produced over here in the UK, I think it should either be released here first or even a same day release. It just feels like America are getting more and more things before us at the moment and its rather annoying me.
Thirdly, I am disappointed in the lack of Commentaries. Since Series 5 I have been disappointed that they keep declining. I think for the price we pay, I would have liked a bit more than 4 commentaries. I was really hoping that we would be getting a com each for Asylum of the Daleks, Angels Take Manhattan and The Name of the Doctor. I really do like listening to the insight of the audio commentaries and with Confidential now gone, I think they are even more important.
I feel sad that I have had to have had this rant and I hope that its either some miss-communication or these decisions get changed. At the moment I really do not think that what has been listed for release is worth the £50+ they are asking for.

Update from the 30th July 2013
Today there has been an update on the omission of The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe from the Complete Series 7 set. BBC Worldwide have stated today that,

Originally the decision was taken not to include this release on the box set as it had previously been released as a standalone product. However after listening to feedback from our fans we have decided to include the episode and its prequel on the set. The price of the set will not be altered as a result of the change of contents

So thanks to the fans sending in the complaints, we have a victory on one of the points I made in my last blog post. I now hope that they will reconsider the release date and put the UK and US release in line with each other.

Series 7b Episode 8 - The Name of the Doctor - Review

[Sorry for the lateness of this review. Had a busy 2 weeks]

On Sunday 19th May, there was a panic around the internet. It was found out that the Blu-Rays containing this episode had arrived to some households in the US. Thanks to the good people in the US, the episode managed to stay offline and most people didn't leak much information about the episodes. I just wanted to start my review by thanking these people as the episode had much more of an impact getting to see it live on BBC One.
Anyway, onto my review. The episode started off with a stellar pre-titles sequence. Ever since I watched the DS9 episode, Trials and Tribble-ations, I have hoped that Doctor Who would do something like that and I was so happy to see it done here. There were bits where it looked a bit ropey but thats mainly down to putting 2012 footage into the quality footage they did. It worked brilliantly and it was especially nice to see The Doctor and Susan stealing the TARDIS from Gallifrey

This episode deals with 2 main things. The Doctors secret and the mystery of who is Clara Oswald. The majority of people presumed that the Doctors secret would be his name but at the end of the episode it was revealed not to be the case. The Name did play a part in the episode of course though as that was the password to open the tomb of the Doctor. I was happy that the Moffat did not reveal the Doctors name as I think that this would take away some of the remaining mystery around the show. I'd rather this never be revealed.
I remember a few months back, Moffat saying that if you think you have guessed who Clara is, you are wrong but this was not the case with most fans. Alot of us had thought that Clara would be splintered across time and this was nearly the case with the solution. That said though, I was still happy with the resolution but that could be down to the joy of seeing Clara with past Doctors.

This episode saw the return of the Paternoster Gang and River Song. River this time around was placed after the library episodes. I was rather dreading this when I heard in DWM that this was going to be the placement as I had hoped that Steven would stay away from setting any episode after them but I think that it worked. It made the scene in the Tomb even more emotional with the "I thought it would hurt me" speech. Part of me thinks that it would be nice to see River back again but this episode would be the perfect final episode for her.
I had been looking forward to the cliffhanger ending for a while. I'd heard loads of rumblings about things it could be from David Tennant to multiple TARDIS's arriving. Since I had heard that John would be the Doctor on the Gallifrey Base spoiler thread, I thought that he would be involved but I was not disappointed with the ending. It was a great introduction to this new Doctor and it has left us with more questions than ever. They better be answered in the 50th

This story was definitely the best episode of the second half of Series 7 and it was a great way to end Matt's final full series. 10/10

Series 7b Episode 7 - Nightmare in Silver - Review

Nightmare in Silver marks the return of Neil Gaiman to Doctor Who. After he wrote the popular episode "The Doctors Wife" in 2011, fans have been wanting to see a return from him. It also marks a return of the Cybermen who were last scene in 2011's "Closing Time." Personally, I don't think this episode was as good as Gaimans first outing but it was still an very good action packed episode. One of the things I disliked about the episode was the kids. I don't think any responsible person would allow kids to go travelling with the Doctor considering how much danger he gets into most of the time.

I really do like the new look cybermen. They have kept quite a bit of what was good about the previous design and then made them a bit slimmer. There is something about the head that is reminiscent of the Wheel in Space Cybermen. I have seen comments that they have ripped off the Iron Man design which I can sort of agree with but I think its more that they took some inspiration from it that ripped it off. The chest piece does look quite Iron Man. I was a bit disappointed with the voice. After hearing that Nick Briggs had recorded a version more like The Tenth Planet ones, I was hoping that he would go with that as I think there is quite a charm to that voice. Something like the voice they used in Big Finish's The Silver Turk would have been nice.
The look of the Cybermen are not the only thing that has been changed. They are more powerful this time. With lots of new abilities, the Cybermen seem more of a threat this time around. They can move at super speeds, seeming to freeze time around them. Now while I like that they can move faster than last time, I am not sure about this super speed thing they have going on. They have also ditched the Cybermats and have got the much sleeker Cybermites.

The episode sees Matt get to play a split personality of the Doctor and the Cyberplaner. Matt managed to flow between characters very seamlessly which made it very easy to follow. What I liked most during them scenes was the direction. I really liked that they showed the clean half of the face when it was the Doctor talking and the Cyberised side when it was the Cyberplaner. Now, I do think there were times that the Cyberplanner was a bit over the top and a bit cringy. I did enjoy that part of the episode but I think Matt could have toned it down a bit.
I feel Tamzin Outhwaite was rather wasted really. She didn't really seem to do much. I don't get why her character just gave in and obeyed what Clara told her to do since she was supposed to be in charge. Warwick Davis was fantastic in role of Porridge. I did like the twist of him ending up being the emperor but if he could activate the bomb and teleport them out, then why didn't he just do that at the beginning. Not sure I agreed with that aspect of the plot.
Overall I think this episode was good with some fantastic ideas but it definitely had quite a few flaws. Maybe it could have been better if it had 10-15 minutes more time to breath. As a result, I would give it a 8/10.

Series 7b Episode 6 - The Crimson Horror - Review

The Crimson Horror started out like it was a pilot for a Paternoster Gang spinoff and then rounded up as a fantastic traditional Doctor Who story. Now I have seen some people saying that they did not like the fact it took the Doctor around 15 minutes to turn up but I liked that and it gave them the chance to do that brilliant recap. That was a stroke of genius. Now I wouldn't want it every week but as a one off it worked really well. This is Paternoster Gang's third story now, and I think they are working well together. Strax has to be my favourite of the gang with his wonderful one liners. "Horse, you have failed in your mission!" I think they would really work well in their own series. Jenny, Strax and Vastra, saving good old Victorian London town!

The series continues to get some fantastic guest stars, with this week's Dame Diana Rigg and daughter Rachael Stirling. They both played a blinder in this episode. Diana's character was a villain who just wanted to kill because she was just not a very nice person which is something Doctor Who has been missing for a while. The fact that she had used her own daughter to test on was a big shock to me. I wonder if her character had always been bad or if it was only since Mr Sweet had come along when she went bad.
Mr Sweet while being a good idea for a villain felt a let down for me. He didn't seem to do much except feed off Rigg's character. His death was good though. I have to admit, I did look away when she was whacking him one.

I was a little disappointed that they rather glossed over the whole Clara being alive storyline really. I was hoping for a short scene between the Doctor and the Paternoster Gang discussing Clara. I know it was mentioned a few times but not much was really said. I supposed Moffat wants to do that himself.
I would give this episode an 8/10 as it felt like a classic Doctor Who story. Plenty of horror moments with some humour thrown in. Both Marks stories this year have been very strong after the last few being a bit weak.

The Two Doctors Mark II

As you may or may not know, DWM have confirmed today that David Tennant will be the only returning Doctor in the 50th Anniversary Episode. Now this really bugs me. Since this is supposed to be the 50th Anniversary Celebration Episode, it would be nice to have the others back for a celebration. Steven keeps saying that he wants to look forward and not back as an excuse for not bringing them back but if that is so, why has he brought back 10 and Rose? It doesn't make sense really. It looks more like he has only approached the Doctors he has worked with to be in it, AKA 9 and 10, and isn't looking back at the other 8 doctors. This is the 50th Anniversary, not the 7th!!
I really hope this is one big lie and in fact they are in it and Steven is just keeping it a big secret to make it a surprise but with each passing day, I am losing hope. This news has just added more fuel for the people who think "Moffat Must Go" and I hate to say it, but I am slowly leaning towards that opinion now. As much as I love his writing, he doesn't seem to be doing a very good job at running the show. So please surprise us and do this correct and celebrate the 50 years of Who.

Series 7b Episode 5 - Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS - Review

This episode has been one of the the most anticipated episode of the new series. The title is enough alone to make any fans knees tremble with excitement. I think the episode lives up to excitement even if the ending was a little bit of a let down but I'll get to that later. We get to see plenty of glimpses of rooms such as the swimming pool and the library. I loved the design of the new areas even if some areas such of the library were just like any library. But I quite liked that as it felt like a nod to The Invasion of Time. The Architectural Reconfiguration System was a fantastic idea as I had always wondered how the TARDIS created new rooms just like that and this helped to explain that. It also gave the good feature of being able to twist corridors around and create a labyrinth.

Like last week the show had a really small cast but this gave Matt and Jenna time to shine. There relationship was pushed to the max and this really brought out the best in the both of them. The scene of them just outside the engine room really showed how good these 2 are together. The guest cast were OK but not really that great. They were very forgettable if I am honest.
The episode was action packed from the beginning and I did like how the end linked in with the first scene on the TARDIS in the episode. The revelation of what the creatures was really dark. Definitely one of the darkest ideas in whos history and I did not guess that that was what they were. I liked the fact that the camera was always going in and out of focus during the scenes of them as it didn't give you chance to focus on what they looked like.

This episode really could have been a 10/0 up until the ending of the episode. Though I did like that fact it linked to the beginning, I didn't like that it was basically reset button that saved the day. I think it would have been nice to have another way to have saved the day as I have never been a fan of the reset button. But other than that, it really was such a fantastic episode which I am really looking forward to rewatching. 9/10

Series 7b Episode 4 - Hide - Review

I think one of the reasons why this episode excels, is down to its very small cast. Alongside The Doctor and Clara, you only have 3 other characters in the episode. This helps as it gives you much more time to get to know the new supporting characters and this makes you care for them much more. It also helps that the cast we have is so strong. Joining Matt and Jenna this week we have Dougray Scott as Alec Palmer and Jessica Raine as Emma Grayling. With these 2 you have a little love story going on which leads perfectly onto the resolution of the episode. Also in this episode, I think the relationship between the Doctor and Clara has not firmly found its feet. You can see that they are the best of friends but with Clara not being scared to challenge the Doctor, which is what I like in the TARDIS team.

The episode is split up into 2 parts. The first half being the ghost story and the second half being the pocket universe. I liked the first half first and I wish that this had continued on a bit longer as there were some generally scary moments in this. I'm not saying that I disliked the last half as that had some great moments in it too but I preferred the ghost story much more.
We got a bit more interaction between Clara and the TARDIS this week which I am loving. Its going to be interesting to see where they lead this to. The scene with Clara talking to the voice interface was nice but I do hope its not going to be overused. Wondering if they are setting it up for usage in 50th anniversary episode.

This episode continued on the usage of references to the past which have been present throughout this second half of the series. This week we got the crystal from Metabelis 3 and a referance to the Eye of Harmony. These were lovely though it was a shame that Metabelis 3 has pronounced incorrectly. It was also nice to get to see a shot of the TARDIS flying though the vortex for the first time since The Pandorica Opens in 2010.
The alien (was going to put villain but he isn't really) looked fantastic. Such an inhuman design which we do lack sometimes. And it looked really creepy. The woodland scenes worked really well and the frantic camera work helped you make you on edge like the Doctor was. I think that this episode was the most scared I have ever seen the Doctor.
I would give this episode an 7/10. It lost a few marks due to a few points that I wasn't keen on and the ending scene seemed a little rushed for me, again. And while I like the love story ending, part of me wishes they had left it as a villain who wants to make you fear.

Shroud of Sorrow - Review

This was the book that most intrigued me from the first batch of 2013 novels. I was looking forward to them all but the fact this one was set in 1963 really did get me looking forward to it and it did not let me down. The Doctor in this was spot on to me. The eccentricity is there but with the seriousness and the moaning about wet bow ties. Clara was also very well written. I didn't know what to expect with her as this is her first novel and it was interesting to see if they would get her character right. I think they got her good but at times she felt more like her Oswin character than the Modern Clara she is meant to be. But that is probably due to the fact they might have been working off Asylum to get the character. There were many interesting characters in this book. I enjoyed Mae and Warren and I thought they would end up getting close in the end but they didn't. But the main characters I loved were the clowns. I just love that they had come together to save the other humans just because they were so kind. There would be some humans that would have just killed those affected but they rehabilitated them and made sure they were fine in the end.
The villains in this were fantastic. The Shroud latching themselves onto you and destroying your grief. As Clara said in the book, you expect a planet with no grief to be a good thing but in the book you find that to be wrong. Other emotions take up that space and you get tribes. I love the idea of this. Its an original idea that I really do love. There is a big revelation about the shroud near the end of the book that is a good idea but part of me wonders if it was put there just to make the resolution a bit easier.
Now this book to me feels like the perfect tribute to the shows 50 years. A brand new story but packed with references to the past such as the return of the fast return switch and lovely little scene in chapter 14 which will have you in tears. I have to give this book a 9/10.

In Memory of Elisabeth Sladen

As I was only introduced to Doctor Who in 2005, my first introduction to Miss Sladen was in School Reunion where she reprised her role as Sarah Jane Smith which she had played many years before. I thought she was amazing in this episode. She had not lost any of her energy and still looked amazing. Due to the success of the episode, she then got her own CBBC series, the Sarah Jane Adventures. Now even though this was meant to be a children's programme, it was still a very enjoyable series to watch. I enjoyed every minute of it and this was mainly down to Miss Sladen and the amazing team behind it. I of cause since gone back and watched all of her episodes from her time on the show in the 70's and I really grew to love her. She was a breath of fresh air. I loved the fact that she stood up for herself and didn't just do what the Doctor said. She questioned what he told her and was much more than just person who was there to just ask "Why Doctor?" and "Look Doctor!"
I can remember the day that I logged onto Gallifrey Base and read that she had died. My heart just felt like it stopped. It really did feel like I had lost a member of my family and that wound is still fresh. I really cannot believe it has been 2 years since her passing. When I rewatch any of her episode, I just cannot believe that she is not still out there. She was an amazing woman who brought joy to many generations. And for that I thank you. Thank you Lis for bringing me and many others many hours of entertainment.
Rest in Peace Lis. We will never ever forget you!

Plague of the Cybermen - Review

Plague of the Cybermen is one in the first batch of books released in 2013. It features Matt Smith as portrayed by Matt Smith on the BBC tv series. This is the sixth book to be written by Justin Richards for the range. I thought it was a very enjoyable story. The charactorisation of the Doctor was near spot on in my opinion, though there was some points where I felt it was a bit off such as when he belched. He really captured Matt's little gestures such as when he sticks his chin out and where he plays with his bow tie. He did go a bit over the top with the "... are cool" lines in the story though.
They Cybermen were much quieter than they have been in the TV series over the past few years even though they did keep the stomps. They felt much more like how it sounds they will be in the new 2013 episode, Nightmare in Silver. I did like the little harks back to the past such as the Cybermens problem with radiation and some lines such as "We will survive." The story felt like a modern take of Tomb of the Cybermen which I really enjoy so I had no problem with that. I liked the addition of a cyberised creature but I will not say what as I do not want to spoil it for you. It was a surprise to me even though it was mentioned earlier on in the story.
The most interesting of the supporting characters in this book for me were the family and guards up at the castle. While the villagers were likeable, they went large amounts of time not in it and were not that memorable. I did like the unrequited love between Olga and Klaus.
I think one problem with the story was that there was a lot of back and froing but overall it was a very good story. There were a few moments in the story that made me go "I never expected that" and I found the last chapter to be quite emotionally charged at times. I would give this book an 8/10

Series 7b Episode 3 - Cold War - Review

This episode just hits the ground running. The Doctor and Clara arrive on a sinking sub in the middle of the Cold War. And if you thought that was bad enough, there is also an Ice Warrior on the loose on the sub. Not seen since the Jon Pertwee story the Monster of Peladon in 1974, the Ice Warriors make their long awaited return after a few failed trys over the years. I really like the redesign of the Ice Warrior as its really is the most faithful redesign since the Daleks back in 2005. I have always loved the Ice Warriors since they are not all evil like some of the creations in Doctor Who. They have the good and the bad ones so you never quite know what you are going to get and I think that this episode really does continue this on. Even though this is one of the bad ones, it shows that mercy at the end of the episode. And in this episode, we finally get to see bits of the creature inside the armour. I did like the design even if the CGI of the head did look a bit ropey. Its not exactly what I had expected and I am not sure on the long thin fingers as I'm not sure how they would fit inside the armor but other that that I do think it looked good.

I had already fell in love with Clara but this episode took it to a new level. I think she is one of the most believable companions that the show has done. She tries to act brave and go and face the Ice Warrior on her own but once she sees the death, it hits her how dangerous it is travelling with the Doctor. I think if she keep it up like this, she might over take Donna as my favourite companion.
The series carried on getting some really good guest starts. In this episode we had David Warner and Liam Cunningham. I was really impressed with both of them. I had not really seen anything with Cunningham but I thought he was very good as the captain of the sub. And David Warner I have known from the Big Finish Doctor Who audios where I have admired him in. I have found him to be a great actor and he doesn't let us down here. I would love to see him return again as Professor Grisenko.

Overall, I did really enjoy this episode. Mark Gattiss has written one of his best Doctor Who scripts here. I have read some comments over the internet that there was not much plot in this episode but I really disagree with this. It was all about the threat posed by the Ice Warrior which was massive since he had access to the missiles. and could have pushed the world into a nuclear war. Since we find out at the end of the episode that there are more Ice Warriors out there, I would love to see more of them again in the future. I would give this episode a 8/10