Just the Two of Us Against the Rest of the World

I know, it's not only about Sherlock. But after waiting a ridiculous number of months for season 3 you certainly understand why the Beeb's latest trailer makes them the happiest fandom in the world right now. It means new footage. Now, let's wait and see what they'll make of those 2o seconds.

Moffat on the Past and the Future

With  'WorldScreen' getting the Mighty Moff to talk Who the interview-frenzy continues and they are contributing some rather interesting reading material.  Here are some snippets. 

On Moffat's first year as Who's headwriter:

I remember thinking, if these two things screw up, I’m finished! [...] This could be a really terrible year. I could crash Doctor Who and screw up Sherlock Holmes and if I’d just shot Daniel Craig in the face I’d have ended all of British culture. But it didn't work out that way.

On what Mattt Smith has brought to the role:

The last thing anybody thought when we cast the 26-year-old was that what we’d get is a return to the eccentric old boffin that he is at heart, the hipster boffin.

 On casting the new Doctor:

At the end of the day the objective is to convince the nation that somehow, despite the apocalyptic change, it really is the same person.

There are also some Sherlock bits, like  how he and Mark Gatiss came up with the idea and how updating it felt like a natural process.

Then we get a comment on the changing nature of watching TV schedule-free:

Your bookcase doesn't tell you when you can read. Why should your television tell you when you can watch? We’re heading towards the world of the download, and that’s a good thing. It will favor quality, I believe.

And, last but not least, why he thinks Who to be the most perfect  TV show ever envented:

It is the show you can’t kill. [...] It is dependent on no individual. You give it your all for the years that you do it and when you leave it won’t even notice [...] Not only can you recast the Doctor, you can create a Doctor who is appropriate for the times. He can always be modern. He can always be new. It’s an ancient tradition and yet it’s a brand-new iteration of that tradition. So it feels old and new at the same time.

But go on, and read the whole stuff, even though some of the statements may appear familiar to you, especially when you've been following Comic Con. However, some of the background-information has been utterly new to me, and there's a chance it will be new to you too. 

Peter Capaldi's Letter to His Younger Self

Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present Peter Capaldi letter to his younger self. Now, that he's about to have a time machine, he'll be even one of those few lucky ones who'll be able to deliver it...

It's a lovely piece of reading on how, as a kid, he wasn't exactly happy about being a geek

I wish I’d known that one day the geek would inherit the Earth. When I was 16, geeks hadn’t been invented, so being tall and skinny, into horror movies and sci-fi and unable to play football simply made me the go-to guy for the sociopaths.

He also reveals his thoughts on the 'neutral' language actors are required to speak, and that he'd tell his younger self to worry less, as it's a waste of time, and to embrace being different. Which is actually an advice which goes for all of us.

Moffat on Why We Didn't Get a Female Doctor

Yesterday 'The Telegraph' was running an article in which they where citing Moffat describing why he did not choose an actress as the 12th Doctor: 

I didn’t feel enough people wanted it [...] Oddly enough, most people who said they were dead against it were women.

I for my part am glad that Peter Capaldi is not a Petra Capaldi, however, I can't help feeling a bit disappointed about Moffat not mentioning to have any other reasons than peer-pressure. I mean, the Doctor has been a guy for 1000 plus years. Why should I change that, or even want to change that? It has become part of his identity. Sure, some may think it to be fun and the audience could cope. But could he? Could the stories? Wouldn't that be the famous jump over the shark? 

Changing his gender is not necessary, not story-wise and even not gender-policy-wise. For isn't the basic idea of emancipation that there is no difference between men and women, both of them have theoretically the same abilities, the same potential? So why should it be better to make him a her?

I simply fail to come up with a compelling reason. Maybe one day someone will. But I hope, for the sake of the fans and the show, that it will be a good one.

Moffat on His Choice

To many fans, especially those who weren't spoiled by the leaks, Moffat casting Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor came as a surprise. Well, I do not know about you and your friends but if someone would have made a poll among my circle of friends, their guess would have been a less experienced actor. 

However, it's certainly not only them, but all Whovians who are keen on the story behind Moffat's choice, and fortunately 'DigitalSpy' makes sure we get served. 

Maybe the most burning question coming to our mind is if Moffat's big plan was to go for an older actor as the Doctor all along. His answer:

I  think it's good that we've got a different age [...] after Matt showed us all how to be a 20s Doctor. I don't know what you would do after that, because he was so perfect. [...] So it makes life easier, I suppose, that Peter is different. But that wasn't the reason.

And, the most important question of all of them; how is the 12th Doctor going to be like? Moffat does not know yet. 

And what will he wear?

Clothes. Anything else would be just really shocking!

The New Tenant of the TARDIS

The die is cast and after a ridiculous life-event we know that Peter Capaldi is the 12th Doctor. As things are at the moment, with Hurt's 'Doctor' increasing the number of the Doctor's completed regenerations, he also may be the last, strictly speaking, canonical Doctor. After all, we're still waiting for the BBC's emergency protocols to become effective and the Mighty Moff coming up with a solution for the 'odd 12 regenerations rule', as RTD used to call it.

So who is the new guy? If his name does not ring a bell to you, then you're either not living in the UK and/or are not familiar with British TV history. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but Capaldi is a legend.

Which is, ironically, the only, really, the only downside I can see in casting him. For nobody will refer to the big Peter Capaldi as “the guy from Doctor Who”. 

Apart from that I'm surprisingly pleased with Moffat's decision, because his choice fulfils my only requirement: I wanted someone who's a fan of the show. And Capaldi is famous for being in love with Doctor Who.

He's also Scottish, which is amusing as now we're having a Scottish showrunner, we had a Scottish actress playing a Scottish companion and this is the 2nd Scottish actor playing the Doctor within... has it been 4 years? I'm not complaining. So the only remaining question is whether he'll be allowed to keep his accent. Would that be fair?

And he's in his mid-50ies. Actually, that's the second, even though rather small, reason why Moffat's choice is a bit surprising. At least, for a change, nobody is complaining about the new guy being too young. And Capaldi looks as if he'd start every day with jogging ten miles, so he'll be certainly able to keep up with all the required running. No worries about that.

But it's somewhat unexpected that Moffat decided against 'playing it safe'. I thought he'd bend to the public pressure and cast someone looking 25. Because, let's face it, some of those people who have been regularly  watching Doctor Who for a few years now have not spent their Saturday afternoon in front of the telly because of the TV show's awesome concept or Moffat's writing abilities. But those, mostly female, viewers wanted to see Matt Smith in a bowtie saving the universe, or whoever needed to be saved that weekend. There will be certainly people watching Doctor Who because of Capaldi. But it makes this decision nevertheless a risk. One worth taking, IMHO, because it serves the story. We like to forget that our favourite 1000plus years old Time Lord is not 25 any more. At the same time Capaldi has already proven to be an excellent actor so I have no doubts that we won't be missing the Doctor's, let's call it bouncy qualities in season 8.

The last remaining question to tackle is his costume. Will the 12th Doctor still think bow ties are cool? And who's for combining them with a pair of blue jeans, which is the only clothing item I cannot remember the Doctor has been ever wearing. Will he go back to the tradition of having a favourite intensifier? Or a catchphrase? Sorry, that's more than just one question. But they are exiting ones.

So, I don't care if Peter Capaldi was not on your personal list, or if there may be other, much better people out there, in your opinion. I don't care because ATM I'm too curious to find out how Moffat will make this work.

Tennant on Coming Back for the Aniversary

Naturally, with the anniversary special being a bit more than three months away, and the recent interview-frenzy being on the brim of developing a life of its own, it was only a question of time for the first David Tennant interview to show up. This time it's 'SFX' is giving us the honour. 

 

Admittedly, some of the questions are pretty predictable, and none of the answers will stir up the fanbase;  like was he surprised to be asked to come back (nope) and they chat about what it was like to share the role of the Doctor on screen.

Of course, also the 'what about a female Doctor'-question comes up and I love his answer:

You are not going to get a quote from me on that. It will come back and bite me on the arse whatever I say!

Refreshingly, that's the least diplomatic answer I've read the past months. 

'io9's Comic Con Interview

And, last but not least, also 'io9' did some questioning of the 'Who' cast, with some rather interesting stuff. 

First of all, Moffat promises to tackle some of the yet unanswered questions in this year's Christmas special. Maybe not all, though. However, I'm a bit disappointed that he does not have any plans of bringing River back. We're still waiting to find out why she knows his name. And I thought that Matt Smith's last episode would have been the perfect opportunity for that; with all the hints at the Doctor's name. But maybe that's just the Moff doing what he does best: lying and not giving any teasers away.

Then he talks about the despairing fact of not having learnt anything since 2oo5 when he started writing for 'Doctor Who'. Its episodes are so different form each other that he wonders how he's been able to write so much for 'Who' and every time still needing to figure out anew what's working and what's not.

The second part of 'io9's article is them talking to Matt and Jenna about if and how Clara knowing 'everything' about the Doctor's past (and his future?) changes the relationship between the Doctor and his companion.

Vulture's Matt Smith Interview

Is it already that time of the year when various magazines start to interview the who-is-who of 'Doctor Who'? It seems so, because 'Vutlure's featuring an interview with Matt Smith.

It starts out with him talking about his socks moves on commenting on why he's leaving and how him doing one more season after the Ponds stepped out of the TARDIS has been his plan for quite some time.

There is a sentence about Karen Gillan's new hair - or rather non-hair; Matt seems to have started a trend. There are also the obligatory questions regarding the anniversary and the possibility of Moffat casting an actress as the 12th Doctor. His diplomatic answer:

I don’t see why not. As long as it’s the best actor or actress or fish or otter, it doesn’t matter.

Am I the only one spotting a Benedict Cumberbatch reference in there?

One of the more innovative questions is if he'd been ever confused by Moffat's storylines. Unsurprisingly, his answer is no and he calls it's his 'job to make sense of it'. And even though there are people who may be complaining about Who's complicated storytelling, he asks fans to embrace all the various layers the Mighty Moff has plotted out far in advance as after all, that's  'what we fans of sci-fi want'. I'd have to lie if I said he's wrong.

Additionally, Matt reveals that he'd like to keep the sonic screwdriver and his jacket when leaving. And, among other stuff, he tells the story of how he got involved with 'Doctor Who' and 'How to Catch a Monster'. 

'Doctor Who' @ 'Nerd HQ'

Maybe one of the most interesting panels (and the longest video I'm going to post) is 'Nerd HQ's Conversation for a Cause; (just in case you're interested, the video starts at 2:10.) And even though it's about as long as a regular 'Doctor Who' episode, it's definitely the most entertaining one you'll find on the net, which makes it worth watching. There are many usual questions but also some more extraordinary ones. I for my part have never heard the story of how the Mighty Moff got involved with writing for 'Doctor Who'.

 Besides, as usual with American interviews, we are nicely reminded that Americans and Britons do not speak the same language. Bucket list, anyone? And I'm really going to miss watching Matt and the Moff teasing each other. They are an entertaining match.

But my personal highlight is when the host asks if they are feeling a responsibility to this cultural phenomenon and Matt's answer is 'yes, because these people get angry if we get it wrong.' I guess that captures the idea of writing for 'Doctor Who' pretty well. I love Moffat still thinking it to be an honour to be a part of Doctor Who.

"Doctor Who will go on perfectly well without all of us".

Now that's a perfectly modest statement coming from the most powerful guy in the Whoniverse.

Besides, calling the Mighty Moff Steven does not sound right, IMHO. Everyone can call themselves Steven. But there's just one Big Moff.

Then there is Moffat saying that he has been always trying to avoid writing scenes in which the Doctor and River are alone in the TARDIS.

"What does that woman do to him the moment the door is shut?"

And the master of all catch-phrases reveals the secret that he's actually not a big fan of them, and that he's trying to avoid them. Those used by Matt's Doctor are entirely Matt's own fault. 

'Doctorw Who' @ Comic Con 2013

When you're a 'Doctor Who' fan one of the most important happenings of a summer is Comic Con. And as this summer is far from earning the attribute 'usual', with us waiting for the new Doctor to be announced and the anniversary crawling nearer and nearer, Comic Con is becoming even more important; after all, maybe, if we're really lucky and the wind stands fair someone may drop a line and give something away. For a change. So let's get started.



In the first video Matt Smith is talking to 'IGN' about the way his Doctor has changed over the past 4 years, the Doctor's playfulness but also about playing his 'dark side'. Matt also mentions the anniversary, and how much he enjoyed working with the other Doctors, John Hurt and David Tennant. And can 'The Final Hour' be the name of this year's Christmas special? It seems possible.  Of course, Matt Smith also has to comment on his successor, and he gives a very diplomatic answer:

Whoever it is will be the right actor or actress. It can be anyone and that's the great things about the part.

Then, there is this interview with Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman done by 'Digital Spy', and this time the questions are why he's leaving now, what he's going to miss the most about playing the Doctor and why 'Doctor Who' has managed to be such a successful show over the past 5o years. And yes, let's forget about it having a 16 years long hiatus. Comic Con is celebrating the success of all stuff nerdy, and not their failings.  

'Sherlock' New's Round-Up

'Fashion&Style' did a great job in summarising the latest developments regarding 'Sherlock'.

The bad news is that due to certain delays in filming (and script writing) it seems we won't get season 3 till 2014.

But, as we have plenty of time at hand to analyse every single detail the 'Sherlock' team is throwing at us, which is remarkably little, it may be of interest that 'F&S' notes

Andrew Scott recently revealed that the “Sherlock” cast has been banned from sharing plot points with friends and family.

Moriarty died in season 2, as we all remember. I guess shooting yourself in the head is as fatal as it can get. So why should Andrew Scott be familiar with plot points of season 3 in the first place? Are we getting flash-backs? Please, don't tell me he survived too, because if yes then Moffat's inability of killing people is getting out of hand. However, the flash-back theory seems to be more likely.

So, let's the wait continue. 

Why Most Fans Are Against a Female Doctor

Even though some newspapers claim that Whovians wouldn't mind having a female Doctor, there are polls suggesting otherwise (87% con, only 13% pro). Now, it shouldn't really matter. In the 21st century we wouldn't care about giving the most powerful weapons of mankind into the neatly manicured hands of a female president, or rather, if we made a poll on having a female president in the USA results would certainly not be this clear.

So, why are we willing to accept the idea of a woman taking the precious seat in the oval office, but at the same time we do not want to have one driving the TARDIS? The short answer to that is that while many women were among those people who'd be for a female president (or at least not against it) there are many women (well, girls) who are against a female Doctor. And that's making a difference.

The longer answer is that most fans, female fans, of 'Who' are not only into this show because of its superb science-fictional quality, or the Mighty Mofff's scripts, or RTD's less brilliant stories. And even though there may be more handsome guys than those people who have been cast as the Doctor, they are still guys and when you're a girl the idea of running away with the Doctor is just more fun when your partner in crime is not another sassy girl.

Of course, there are other less fangirly reasons why fans may be against an actress getting that role. First of all, storywise there is no real reason why he should be she.There may be more clever people proving me wrong, but I cannot think of a scenario which would make it necessary for the Doctor to change gender.

Besides, he's always been a he. The picture you get when hearing the words 'the Doctor in the TARDIS' is not that of a woman in a blue box. I know, this is a self-fulfilling prophecy, but we have been conditioned for 5o years that way  and simply ignoring that fact would be stupid. It's like changing the direction in which you're reading letters. elbissop s'tI. But only because you can do something does not mean you should. 

Maybe one day we'll have a female Doctor. But it seems the whoniverse is not ready for it yet.

'Who's at the Proms

 One reason why I'm sad about Matt Smith leaving is that with the new Doctor we are also going to get a new Doctor's theme. And to me Eleventh's theme is among the most beautiful pieces of (soundtrack) music I've ever heard. Some of Murray Gold's music may be too bombastic for my taste, but most of his recurring themes do what film music is supposed to do: supporting action and not drawing attention away from it. To some Danny Elfman is the king of film music, to me Murray Gold comes a close second at worst.

Having said this it does not come at a surprise that I love having the Proms featuring 'Who's soundtrack. So, without further ado here is the original BBC Radio 3 link where you can listen to part 1 of yesterday's programme (there is a 2nd link for part 2 on that page). And, as it's going to disappear in less than a week WhoniverseMusic's channel is an excellent alternative.

Entertainment Weekly's Moffat Interview

This is Entertainment Weekly's famous Steven Moffat interview in which he actually answers some really interesting questions. 

You don't believe me, right? After reading it my first though was who is that guy and what has he done with the Mighty Moff? Because some answers are so much not like him. Like, the first one: 

EW: When do you hope to announce the identity of the new Doctor? 

Moffat: Unless we have an insane plan, we’ll announce a new Doctor within days of finalizing the new Doctor. Because it’s very very hard to keep any kind of a secret. The last time, when we chose Matt, we had to hold over on that one, because there was a Christmas Doctor Who special called “The Next Doctor” for which Russell was playing the game of pretending it was going to be David Morrissey. So we couldn’t deflate that. [Laughs]. But I think we’ll go public pretty fast.

Moffat is usually the first to admit to have an insane plan. Actually, I would have bet  my 'Doctor Who' DVD box set collection on him trying to keep the name of the actor stepping into Matt Smith's shoes a secret as long as possible (i.e. till Christmas? August 2014?) Well, on a more realistic level, my guess was rather a few weeks after casting him (yes, I'm still ignoring other possibilities for the moment) but not days.

And on that issue, Moffat has officially not ruled out the possibility of having a female Doctor. He says: 

I’m not going to comment at all on the direction we’re going. Sorry!

 The other questions are less exciting, but nonetheless interesting (will Matt Smith have to wear a wig, when and how did Steven Moffat learn about his intentions of leaving, does Moffat have any plans of leaving 'Who', (not yet *whoo-hoo*), what was it like to have two Doctors on one set, just to name some of them). 

And even though I won't post the whole interview, it's worth reading. After all, it's one of those few official statements on all things 'Who' (and some 'Sherlock') we'll get this long summer.