Summer of 69

Heaving read some of the reviews (The Guardian, SFX, DenOfGeek

, The Guardian again) I was wondering whether it was the same 'The Impossible Astronaut' we are writing about. Because frankly, I don't understand the overwhelming positive opinions people seem to have about it.

Some of the above mentioned reviews claim that the first ten minutes of the episode were genuinely shocking, however, couldn't they have added some more tension to it? I mean, let's say they would have cut that bit and this season would start with River, Amy and Rory entering the fast-food restaurant. Maybe River mentions that the cards are numbered, see the Doctor's blue envelope lying on one of the tables and a few seconds later they bump into him. They are even more irritated and we are doing our best to figure out what had happened. Just imagine how astounded we would have been to find out about the whole stuff when the three of them are talking in the 'basement' of the TARDIS. After all, it's well known that everything we have to imagine ourselves ends up to be a lot more scary than what we are shown.

However, apart from these things I really enjoyed the episode. The Doctor is back and wittier than ever. I just adore Moffat for having written that scene in the oval office. Loved the bit that by saying his standard line the Doctor can keep Daleks and Cybermen from shooting him, but that it does not work for Americans. Maybe this is supposed to tell us something about mankind...

A thing which keeps me thinking is why Amy, who is supposed to be pregnant, is drinking some wine at the lake. Well, DoctorWhoTv.co.uk have already published their 1o Teasers for next week, and one of their point is that she is not pregnant after all. Is she thinking that the Silence are making her feeling sick. But what was the thing she wanted to tell the Doctor in 'Time and Space' then all about? Nevertheless, let's not forget about River also having similar 'symptoms' but blaming the prison food for it. So apparently, the cause of the whole mess is Big Moff's latest addition to the Whoniverse, which are, by the way, really scary monsters with extraordinarily terrifying abilities.

Speaking of River... We still don't know who she is, but it seems she won't end up killing the Doctor. Or will she? The last time he meets her (before his death) he seems to be on pretty good terms with her.

I'm confused, but I can't help feeling that this is exactly what Moffat wanted to achieve when writing this year's opening episode.

Why the Doctor Won't Die In 2o11...

... in spite of that's what Moffat gave us yesterday on screen.

Let's skip the boring introduction bit and let's start with the interesting part, the 3 most obvious reasons why the Doctor being killed by an Astronaut-like creature is not his final and ultimate cause of death.

Firstly, Matt Smith won't be the last actor playing that role. For, and this leads me to point two, the BBC just can't afford to drop their flag-ship show only because the script writer in charge has come up with a rather unusual, not to say crazy, idea.

I guess there are no news here, but what does this mean on a story level...

...which is point three on my list. Looking at the story the Doctor basically recruited his younger self and the rest of team TARDIS to change something in his past. And why would he do that for? It seems that he was not able to do that himself. Otherwise he would not had to recruit them. They would have just shown up at the right time and place without his interfering. So, whatever is about to happen it will change his first timeline, and if it gets altered enough he won't end up dying at the lake, which actually was the starting-point for the whole incident. I know, this is a paradox. That's also what River said and why she objected to Amy saying Time can be rewritten. But think about it, we had already more or less the same situation in The Lodger, the only other episode that TARDIS-like travel-machine or however you want to call it, showed up; when the Doctor told Amy to put a slice of paper into a window, but without it he would not have ended up at Craig's place, so the whole stuff could not have happened, through what he could not have told Amy to put the piece of paper there... So the act of passing on information seems to have its own timy-whimey-rules. At least in Moffat's Whoniverse.

After all, there is really no need for us to worry about a thing. Not even the first minutes of this otherwise pretty awesome episode.

The BBC News' United Report

I don't know how I missed this BBC report about United but I did somehow. If you want to have some backgroundinfo regarding the drama, which is going to be on in a bit more than 24 hours, then that article is certainly nothing bad to start with. It's really nicely done. I for my part enjoyed it, even if it does not reveal any world-shocking news or insights.

Graham Norton's Steven Moffat Interview

Just as the title says.

I tried to track down a complete version of this, but DoctorWhoTV was the one who managed to do it first. So, here it is. And it's great. I guess Moffat just can't do a bad interview, and the live ones are even better.

It's the children's program that adults adore.

With this being the nth interview I link to this page, I'm running out of introductions...

Steven Moffat is talking about Doctor Who and Sherlock and this time it's gothamist scripting it for us. I think if you like Moffat's stuff then you're going to enjoy reading those lines.

Among other things it's about how it is to be responsible for maybe the two most innovative and successful series on television, why the similarities between the leading characters of Doctor Who and Sherlock only last at first sight and how writing for such a complex show as Doctor Who is like. Although, it is a bit scary to know that the Big Moff used to have nightmares about flying sharks. I guess there are not many people having the power of making their nightmare come true... luckily.

The Big Moff Talks 'Who'

This is a longish (I'm not complaining) SFX interview with the Big Moff himself. And I do appologise for the length of this post, me commenting on a few things the Moff says.

Well, I guess there are not many Whovians who don't like and appreciate what Steven Moffat has done for Doctor Who, and I usually don't make a secret of me being a fan of him. Reading Steven Moffat interviews comes 2nd on my imaginary Doctor Who-related hobbies list. Still, there is one thing I'll never get about him: why he just can't leave the 'online fandom' of Doctor Who alone. Or at least live in peace with them. Still, he says: 'these are the people in the whole world who understand Doctor Who the least. They’ve stared at it so long, and invested so much in it that they no longer understand what it is. They can’t see it for what it is. Everyone else in the whole world gets it better than they do.' I can't help it, but I don't agree with that statement. After all, we are a big part of those 6.5 million people who are regularly watching the programme, who are madly in love with it, who are willing to spend their spare-time analysing it... I guess I don't need to go on to clarify my point. Maybe he is not fond of us pointing out a number of paradoxes which could have been easily avoided if script writers would stick to their own rules (and a small set introduced by others): But we are those who try to find explanations for them... which should have been actually their job. I agree that it's easier to write for the 2nd half of the 12 million people, those who do not watch this show regularly, who won't notice that the Doctor could not have given Rory the sonic-screwdriver while being locked in the Pandorica... and stuff like that. But it's possible to explain them, and as long as we are successful he can go on and write whatever he pleases to. In real life companies employ people to point out mistake to them. We are making it for free, and as a small bonus we even do our best to get them out of the way...

However, I guess we just can't stop adoring him for everything else he thinks and does.It seems to be so Moffat-like going on about Doctor Who's ratings. It is certainly the most important issue to a show. It's not only the money the BBC and he and everyone else earns by it, but also some sort of a cultural heritage. And let's not forget about all the streaming-services, if I may call them that way, which also play an important role nowadays, even if the BBC is not earning a penny, at least not directly, by it. However, it is great advertisement and I guess there is quite a number of fans who bought something Doctor Who-related on their trip to the UK. They would have never made that money otherwise. Now it's me rambling, sry for that...

The next point he talks about is that he can't imagine an American network doing Doctor Who or something comparable to it. I fully understand that. Over there people would not get the idea of a horror-show for children. Not the sort of horror of The Adams Family but a more realistic one. I know this sounds dull, because Doctor Who is sci-fi after all, but it manages to feel realer than Frankenstein-servants... When watching it it seems to be possible, somehow. In a very un-scientific way.

Altogether, Moffat is certainly one of those people who have a unique and astonishing passion for Doctor Who, but he does not seem to understand that there are also other people loving it, maybe in a slightly different way. Ironically, with being head of Doctor Who it should be him knowing that differences and conflicts are what keep things fresh and going.

The Coolest, Sexiest, Smartest Most Stylish Thing ...

on Television.

Is that Doctor Who he is writing about??? I just found this Guardian article and if after reading it you still think it does not matter when you get to see this years opening episode you should go and get a check-up. After having read the closing paragraph (Doctor Who might now be one of the coolest, sexiest, smartest most stylish things on television.) I could not stop grinning. In fact I still can't. I've no idea what Steven Moffat is about to do to our all time favourite series, but it seems to be something new and something everyone thinks that we are going to love. I hope they are right. Luckily, we have only 2 more days till we find out...

Today's BBC Breakfast...

was pretty Doctor Who related.

BlogtorWho did a great job in uploading these clips, so here they are. And just a short note. If you are looking for a longer version, DoctorWhoDom [part 1, part 2] has maybe what you are looking for, even though he does exclude the clips from Doctor Who and United and the chronology he uses is a bit odd.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Matt Smith in EntertainmentWeekly

Here is an EntertainmentWeekly interview with Matt Smith. And guess what they are talking about - yes, the new season. It's not too interesting, really nothing new there, expect that we learn a few other production details I for my part do not really care about. And come on, he could have come up with a maybe less over-used quote when asked to say a line from this season 6.

Actually, it's just another (longish) drop in this year's interview-sea.

Good-Bye Our Sarah Jane...

I wish I wasn't writing this post... but sadly Elisabeth Sladen passed away. I just read the news and I never saw this coming. And the general public does not seem to have either.

She was one of those people who will always be associated with Doctor Who, maybe stronger than anyone else ever will be. Without her the Whoniverse will never be the same again, she will have always a part in our hearts. She was deeply loved and will be deeply missed. At least she did what she loved and was happy doing it.
Well, I suppose everybody knows that everybody dies, but we just can't accept it. And never will. Stories like this never fail to cath us off-guard.

If you happen to doubt the whole story here is an official article by a proper newspaper, and with time going by there wil be certainly more.

EDIT: DoctorWhoTV.co.uk's article has got a few statements most notably from Russel T Davies and Steven Moffat. Just in case you're interested... EDIT: DigitalsSpy has collected a number of other actors' and producers' reactions Elisabeth Sladen has worked with.
And this is Matt Smith paying his tribute, also published by DigitalsSpy.
EDIT: And to make the round complete, this is David Tennant expressing his sadness at the loss of Elisabeth Sladen.

And Another Interview...

As I said yesterday the interview madness has begun, and while most of them consist of pretty much the same question and therefore also the same answers, thisone is an exception. It's TVChoice interviewing Matt Smith, and while the beginning is just the same as usual, they also ask him about Doctor Who "not picking up anything" at the National Television Awards. Actually, this is the first time I hear a statement on that topic and he said the best possible thing to say in such a situation:'There’s always next year.'

Combom's RadioTimes Scans

The always so awesome 'Combom&Team' are scanning this week's RadioTimes, so if you're interested, here is a link. Maybe the most interesting part is Matt Smith's US Diary even though it does not give us any spoilers. But it's fun to read how they did some of the scenes...

I remember to have got several questions regarding how to navigate through the album last year. So here is what I wrote then on this topic.

Interview with A Mad Man in A Box...

So, I just opened this season's interview session with my previous post a couple of minutes ago, and here is the next bit. This time it's UnrealityTV asking Matt Smith about the new season, and he gets the chance of talking about the desert-film sessions they had in the US, stetsons, the Silence, his clumsiness and that getting soaked at 4am while filming is apparently just part of the job. Some of the film details are moderately interesting, but actually there is nothing, or not much, that we would not already know about.

Crazy & Bizarre...

With Doctor Who's season opener being less than a week away, and I know I'm overusing this phrase, but it's true, all kind of newspapers are starting to take an interest into the more or less leading actors of our all time favourite series. The result is that around this time we are getting quite a number of interviews. And The Telegraph is no exception. So, here is their rather ... bizarre interview they did with Karen Gillan. But I'm only posting this so that I can say I did not miss it, because actually it's not too interesting.

Anyway. This week just has started, so I think this won't be the only one we'll have the pleasure of reading this week.

The Partners In Crime Doing Shakespeare

I know what you're thinking, with 'The Impossible Astronaut' coming up in less than a week's time probably ther may be more interesting things to write about than the latest episode of The Graham Norton Show, the one with Catherine Tate and David Tennant promoting their Shakespeare project, well, mostly. But if you're interested, here it is.







It's pretty entertaining at least up to David Tennant's socks-joke. After all, who does not know how it is to face 1oooo almost identical black socks... And Catherine Tate's Footlocker-experience is a picture-book comedy-sketch.

Matt Smith's Introduction to Doctor Who

Just dedicate 8 minutes of your precious life to watch that interview: Matt Smith gives a really nice summary of Doctor Who's (that's the show's) main ideas, which most fans know by heart, however, we can't take for granted that people who are actually making this series also agree with them. Furthermore, now we know how to answer questions such as what is Doctor Who about ('A mad man comes along and saves the day with a toaster and with a piece of string. ' just in case you did not know) and if I should find myself confronted with someone asking me to describe the Doctor's character, I guess I'm going to give them a link.

I know, longterm fans are not going to learn any shocking details in those 8 minutes; the interview is rather an ode about how great the series and Moffat's story telling is. And I guess if I were not such a big Moffat fan myself I could not stop pondering whether he had a certain motive to call Moffat the greatest science-fiction writer in the world... But as things are, I could not agree more. Moffat certainly brought back the mystery to Doctor Who. It is genuinely scary and witty at the same time. Additionally, there is again a generation of children to whom watching the episodes from behind the sofa does make sense.

The only thing I'm not too sure about is whether people who have never seen Doctor Who before could really understand season 6 without any problems. After all, looking at what we have learned so far, the opening 2 parter has the impression of being a firework of hints and teasers referring back to loose ends and at the same time introducing completely a new set of them. Still, the interview as such is maybe the best (and shortest) available summary and a pretty good introduction dealing with the most important concept the series is about.

Anyway, I guess the interview's main purpose is that of getting us excited. And that is something it really achieves to do. I for my part can't wait.

Just a short Note on....

...io9's First Impression of this year's season opener.

Here is a spoiler-free review by io9 and it's a good one. Even if we aren't told too many things we don't already know about. Well, I'm not complaining and there are a few pretty nice bits after all... And even if I actually wanted to introduce a few people to Doctor Who this season, I guess Moffat will compensate that for us. After all, the Big Moff seems to know what success is made out of and according to io9 there will be no need for us to miss that easy going cheerfulness paired with genuinely scary story-lines he made us to fall in love with last season.

Spoilers. Really BIG Ones. Seriously...

...and I have to admit I have not read them.

But you may if you chose. Still, there are reasons not to do so.

One of the few things I'm missing about the upcoming season is that Doctor Who does not seem to care much about making a secret of its storyline. Generally, I would not be against it, I guess fans are even supposed to love spoilers, and we do. But actually it is rather a love-hate relationship than a pure love story, because where is the fun in waiting for a season when you know what is going to happen beforehand. The best spoilers are those which reveal the least. After all, it's not the final touch we are curious about. It's a bit like reading ones future diary...

Anyway. If you still feel like it this is the link. It's your choice. But don't blame me for not warning you. I tried.