#and also that he liked david tennant better as an actor but that matt smith fit the vibe of the show better

[mackmp3]

i wanna start watching dr who where should i start

[sspookyspoonss]

I know nothing about Doctor Who except what friends occasionally excitedly tell me. I am also bored. Here is an undoubtably factual explanation of each of the ‘new?’ Doctors:

Doctor…. Who??????:

I know nothing about this guy. Nobody I know talks about Christopher Eccleston nor have I caught wind of any internet discussion. My conclusion is there is a conspiracy to not talk about him for no reason other than the fandom got bored and thought it would be funny. I think this Doctor would like to go to football matches and would get very upset if the team he likes doesn’t win. You would probably randomly meet him at a pub and would have a nice chat with him, however, he’d take you back to the Tardis and you would most likely die via Dalek plunger (a thing I am informed they can kill you with). I also think he would like watching reality TV, he gives of that vibe.

Tumblr Doctor:

The internet likes this guy. David Tennant is cool, so I understand. I think this is ‘wibbly wobbly timey wimey’ guy so I am inclined to think that he also says things like ‘milkys’ and ‘dindins’ to his friends. Even if he is not ‘timey wimey’ guy I still think he still would say ‘milkys’ and the like, gives off that vibe.

He has some angst to do with a woman. I’m not sure why but I’m guessing it’s to do with Thomas Edison. The Doctor knows he stole most of his inventions because he can time travel and saw it happen, not stopping him is one of the Doctor’s greatest failures, however, his lady friend is a victim of the British Education system and thinks otherwise. They break up over it, angst ensues, Thomas Edison has ruined someone else’s life even after he’s dead.

‘I don’t like this guy’ Doctor:

I do not like this Doctor, worst one. Nothing against Matt Smith or his performance, I’m sure it was brilliant, I’ve seen that Van Gough clip and it made me cry 10/10. More importantly than that however, my supposed childhood best friend who was actually just bullying and manipulating me said he was her favourite so I look at him and remember I wasted my childhood with her. He can make it up to me if he time travels and gets child me a better friend. Then he will be the best Doctor.

He or Tumblr Doctor has a wife????? I think???? I’m not sure but which one it is but because of my bias I’m saying it’s this guy. I know it’s dodgy because of time travel so he needs to go to space jail (or as Tumblr Doctor probably calls it, the ‘Naughty Step’). I’m assuming they also have a child, making every reincarnation of the Doctor from here on out a deadbeat who needs to pay A LOT of child support. That is why he regenerated, so he could avoid paying it, ‘Court can’t prove I’m the Dad if I don’t have his face.’ Arsehole.

Screwdriver scandal TM Doctor:

He looks like a nice guy. This Doctor would sit you down and give you a therapy session after you nearly get killed by a Weeping Angel. I would like having a talk with him, it would be nice. I feel like he is the most well adjusted Doctor, although that could just be Peter Capaldi’s immaculate vibes. This Doctor pays his taxes. He doesn’t like Paddington Bear for some reason. Due to his well adjustedness, I am lead to believe the twist in Paddington 3 is that Paddington is The Master (who I think is a villain) and will go on a rampage across London, turning people into Marmalade. It will be up to the Doctor and the family I’ve forgotten the name of, to stop him. This would also provide an explanation for why the Mum’s actor has changed, to fix Paddingtons mess they had to time travel which led to the Dad marrying a different woman.

He threw away the Sonic Screwdriver apparently. Previously mentioned childhood best friend complained to no end about it to me. Knowing fanbases other people were also likely very upset, I’m guessing it felt like it did to me when Luke Skywalker chucked his lightsaber over his shoulder in The Last Jedi. I also think Screwdrivergate is a tragedy because they didn’t take the opportunity to replace the Screwdriver with another, even sillier, Sonic _______. I suggest either a Sonic Scented Candle or a Sonic Keyring. Alas, it was not to be.

‘WOMAN AAAAAAAAAAAAA’ Doctor:

People don’t like her because woman. People also don’t like her because of bad writing. Last time I checked, neither of these are Jodie Whittaker’s fault. I don’t have much to say about her except my new, (actually great this time) friend who likes Doctor Who has an emotional reaction every time she is brought up. Genuine sadness and disappointment in my friends eyes. I suggest that this means this is a fantastic Doctor, to the point it is art. A sign of good art is something that garners a strong emotional reaction. Despair at the state of the franchise and societies misogyny may not have been the intention, but a strong reaction is incurred nonetheless, so success, this is art now.

‘Guess Who’s back!’ Doctor:

Erm, not sure how in canon this works but David Tennant seems to be having a nice time so it’s good. The alternative name for this Doctor is ‘Production Budget Doctor’ because from the ends of episodes I’ve seen (I watch Strictly Come Dancing because ooo pretty dresses and it’s on after) the Tardis looks very fancy and like it’s from a big budget film. Coffee also got spilled on it which is funny because it messed the Tardis up, meaning not even the technology of a near God can withstand dumbass humans with liquids. Hilarious. Also, an apt metaphor for many things.

In conclusion: I’m sorry for any brain damage caused to the good members of the Doctor Who fanbase who read this. Have a nice day.



[comfycuddles]

You know what I think...

It's time we start talking about Peter Capaldi.

When we talk about Doctor Who and our favourite modern doctors, we always go round and round in the same circles:

"David Tennant is the greatest Doctor!"

"No way! Matt Smith brought this goofy nature to the character, while maintaining the Doctor's eternal darkness!"

"Please! Nine was funny and sassy and just overall great. He deserved more credit. Eccelston was the best Doctor!"

And sometimes even a:

"I think that although she had to endure poor writing, a female Doctor was refreshing!"

I agree with this of course, and every Doctor brings something with them, you know who we don't post enough about? Or even generally talk about enough?

Peter fucking Capaldi. I seriously think he might be one of the most underrated Doctors of the modern era and It's a WASTE.

From the very beginning he was just amazing. "Do you know how to fly this thing?" ICONIC. His first episode was pure crack in the very best way. (The way he flirted with the dinosaur, anybody?)

Capaldi had this amazing connection with Jenna as Clara (Although I am a Clara stan idc so I might be a little biased about that) and their dynamic was so much fun to watch.

Not unlike David Tennant Peter is such a fan of the show. (As was confirmed by Jenna) But is also nice about it too. He doesn't go around just correcting everyone, but he wants everyone to know what an amazing show it is and wants people to love it just as much as he does.

Also 12 was so iconic??? Fighting fucking Robin Hood with a spoon? Awesome! Rolling into the middle ages on a fucking tank, calling people "Dude", making puns and dumb jokes and above else SLAYING that guitar?! Yes! A thousands times Yes! Just the best space grandpa ever!

Capaldi is so unhinged and has this chaotic energy while still appearing as the sanest person in the room. Just look up some stories about him fucking around on the set.

It was also very refreshing to see an older Doctor. I mean, I think Capaldi wad the oldest guy to play the Doctor since HARTNELL. He still had this youthful energy, but he just seemed so DONE with everyones bullshit. 12 handled things with a certain maturity that I kinda loved.

Like he has life experience, he KNOWS what his actions will cause and that's GOOD to see of the Doctor. And at the same time he's also forgiving himself for all the things he's done, which is even BETTER.

And don't even talk to me about his relationship with his companions and Missy. First of all the latter gives me life. And his relationship with Bill was so good y'all. I mean, he punched a racist in the face for her. (ICON!!!!) And were just adorable.

And my final point, the biggest point: Peter Capaldi is just an AMAZING actor. We all love "Heaven sent" and It's just the greatest episode EVER and this is party because Moffat wrote it so beautifully, but also because of Capaldi's Jaw dropping performance!!! If he wasn't SUCH an amazing actor the episode would have never worked. And I am certain of this fact. He did that y'all! HE. DID. THAT.

Capaldi gave some of the best speeches and performances in Doctor Who history. And everyone sleeps on it, and I say "No more!" Also his line. "Do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference?" DONE, SOBBING ON THE DAMN FLOOR. I need to say with this that I'm NOT an emotional person at all. But somehow that line hit me right in the feels and never stopped.

So yeah

Eccelston was hilarious and fun and amazing

David was awesome and I think It's definitely deserved that he goes down in history as one of the greatest Doctors.

Matt had some heartwrenging moments that I'll never get over, was as cool as bowties and just lovely

And Jody was unique and ADORABLE!

But y'all are SLEEPING on Peter Capaldi and 12 and that is SO undeserved.

Mister Capaldi Sir, if you ever see this, (You probably won't, but that's okay. I hope it does though) just know, that I love and adore you so much and think you are one of the greatest actors and human beings in the history of everything. And you DESERVE to know that. I will forever be proud to say that 12 that is my favourite Doctor of all time. And I say this without half a doubt in my mind. I'm a proud Peter Capaldi stan until the end of time. And just know that I and so many more people along with me have so much LOVE for you. (Most of us not in a creepy way though) and you are CRIMINALLY underrated.

Thank you so much for reading my rant.

This has been a Peter Capaldi/12th Doctor appreciation post. And I invite you to reblog this and show your love for the best Doctor. Only positivity though, stay nice.

[morsesnotes]

I found this interview from when Shaun Evans was promoting S3 of Endeavour in 2016 and thought it was one of the more interesting ones as he gets asked some different questions. I particularly liked seeing him talk a bit about his peers and how he views his career.

Shaun Evans talks Endeavour series three, Hollywood and whether he'd star in Doctor Who

As Morse returns, the star of the hit ITV drama reveals what's next for his career By David Brown - Radio Times

Falsely accused Endeavour Morse was last seen languishing in a prison cell after being framed for murder. But fans of the hit ITV drama needn't despair - Shaun Evans is back on the case for a third series beginning this evening. Here, the actor talks about life as the Oxford detective, why Morse has endured for four decades and what the future holds...

So what has brought you back to Endeavour for a third series? I didn't feel like we should have left it where we did last time. It would have been odd. As a viewer, I would have been dissatisfied to have left it there because you'd have only been telling half the story. Luckily enough, we had the opportunity to come back to do some more and I think the stories are really good - particularly the final one. It goes along at a lick. It's a bank heist but it's also a love story. And it's heartbreaking. I think it's great and it ends in a really satisfying way.

The character of Morse has now been around for 40 years - why has he endured? A good story well told will stand the test of time. And if you throw in an unusual character - someone who is in a world but not of that world - then that's intriguing.

The original series of Inspector Morse did episodes in Australia and Italy - would you like to do an overseas Endeavour? Well, they keep telling me that the character is going to Spain. But I can take myself to Malaga. I'm joking, but I'm being honest too. There is a Spanish idea, but I'd want it to be right. I don't want this job to be a jolly or something that we take for granted and phone in. There are so many variables to that kind of thing: would the locations be as good? Or the actors? Granted, it would be a laugh to go away with Roger Allam, but would it serve the show?

Does Endeavour Morse become more like you as the series goes on? I think that’s a danger, definitely. The more comfortable and confident you get with something, the easier it could be to be less diligent about creating a character. But then you’d be taking shortcuts that you might not have done three years ago. So I try not to be complacent about it. I want to be even more diligent than I was when I started. But I admit that it's a tricky one.

Having a two-hour slot for a drama seems like a privilege these days - do you worry that viewers' attention spans could be too short to cope? I don’t worry about it at all. I feel like the work we’ve done so far has been very good. Some have been better than others - as would be the case. But I feel pleased with it. Now if audiences change and they feel that the episodes are too long, boring or complicated, then we’ll just stop. That’s OK. But I've seen some crime dramas that try to tell the story in an hour and, for me, it just doesn't work.You’re tyring to set up a killer, set up a world, solve it in an interesting or dynamic way and put in some character stuff as well. It’s nigh on impossible to do in an hour. I don’t think you can do it in a satisfying way. That’s my impression as an audience member.

Fans would be up in arms if you decided to stop Endeavour! No. I don't think that'd happen. It's just work. And they'd just fill it with something else. There'll be another brilliant show.

I think you'd make an ideal Doctor Who - would you like to play that role one day? I’ve never seen it! I think Matt Smith is a brilliant actor. And David Tennant also. But it just wasn’t my thing growing up and I feel like I’ve missed it now. I was in Moscow a few months ago and someone asked me about Doctor Who. And she thought I'd make a good Master. So if you’re offering me a part, then I’ll play the Master.

What about playing James Bond? Well, everyone wants to play James Bond, right? He always gets the girl at the end. And in the middle. And at the beginning, come to think of it. But I think that Daniel Craig would be a tough act to follow. He brings something really interesting to it.

Do you ever look at contemporaries like Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne and think, 'I'd like top billing in a Hollywood movie'? I know both those lads and I like them. But I never really think of my career like that. Of course, you want people to see your work, but I'm not interested in being the next so-and-so. It doesn't attract me. Mainly because it's short lived. It's better to keep working and do interesting stuff.

So being a big Hollywood star isn't all it's cracked up to be? I don't know. I suppose if you had enough clout to guarantee finance for a story you wanted to tell, then that would be a good thing. From a business point of view. But I don't spend my time being envious. There are so many variables in all that bollocks! When you desire fame or fortune - which are ephemeral things - you're building your house on sand, aren't you?

Do you have a dream project that you'd like to do? I'd love to do something about poets or photographers who have done interesting things and left an impression on their portion of the world. Someone like the American photographer Walker Evans. Or the French poet Arthur Rimbaud. 

So what's next for you? I'm purposefully having some time off. I've been busy and I'd like a bit of time to read some books and just study. I want to educate myself on writers, photography, filmmaking and poetry. I'm very lucky that I've now got enough money to have a bit of time to myself and study. I'm very lucky to be in that position.

[quietwingsinthesky]

I completely agree with your post about 11 and how well Matt Smith embodies the exact necessary tone/expression for each beat of the script! I can't imagine someone else being able to bring to life that incarnation of the Doctor. Obviously 11's era and writing has its misgivings and flaws, but I still find a lot of joy rewatching those episodes, because you see this scared, lonely doctor who's still so enthusiastic and hopeful, even when the grief and rage gets to him. It's like seeing those emotions reflected in you, and a reminder that you'll feel that hope and appreciation for life/nature again, too. I think that emotional catharsis and sincerity is the heart of doctor who and what attracts us all to the show, to be given reminders that compassion and hope are a strength, not a weakness. Seeing his expression change during that part of The Doctor's Wife always, always moves me because of the kind of honor and awe that dawns on 11's face at his tardis using the exact words he uses to describe how he stole her. It's such beautiful, tender reciprocity between two beings that couldn't communicate their feelings in this way until right then 💜

yeah, couldn’t have worded it better myself if i tried.

i think i’ve said before that eleven is my least favorite doctor, but i need to make it clear that that doesn’t even come close to me disliking him, or even feeling neutral about him. he’s still incredible, like if we put these guys on a line from bad to amazing, all of them are so close to the amazing side that you’d have to zoom in to see the order. he’s just got the unfortunate fate of being in the weakest seasons of the show that i’ve seen so far, but if i was judging this solely off of the performance of the doctor himself? he’d be tied right there with david tennant, if not above him.

no matter the quality of the writing, matt smith is bringing his A game to the table. tennant’s performance before him has moments where his doctor is serious and cold, but he’s so generally affable that those moments sort of slide off to the sides. not that you forget about it, but that it feels like a lesser part of him. and matt smith’s performance follows that with a doctor who is silly and energetic and sweet, but I think he pulls off keeping the harder parts of the doctor to swallow in mind, the scary sides of his grief and anger. some of my favorite scenes for eleven are when he’s given the space to show the full range of the doctor. the two that really come to mind are obviously that moment in the doctor’s wife, and my other stand-out favorite, his scenes with river in angels in manhattan, where we watch him lash out at her when he’s scared and angry at the fact that it was her name on the book that’s fated his friends to be pulled from him, and then a scene later, he heals her wrist by sacrificing what little regeneration energy he has left, because he does love her, he does know he was wrong to let her be hurt, but he also doesn’t ask if he can do this to fix things beforehand and upsets her again.

it’s just such a delicate balance to pull off there to make that scene work, and he does it perfectly, brings across both how much potential he has as the doctor to hurt and to heal the people he loves. i think, in the hands of any other actor, i would find eleven really hard to watch, really unlikeable. but just like he manages to never let you forget those unbearably painful parts of the doctor’s personality, you also never doubt that, even when he lashes out at the people around him, he loves them so much. he’s just. you know. Going Through It.

(also, personal touch, i so love how physically affectionate he portrays the doctor to be. it’s a small touch that means the world to me. really pulls the whole thing together when you know this man is just jumping for an opportunity to hug and hold onto and kiss the people around him. rory getting a forehead kiss when the doctor sees him for the first time in months, my beloved, rotating that moment in my head forever.)

there’s just so much going on with him. he was a fantastic doctor. (hell, all the people that have gotten to play the doctor so far have been, in my eyes, which is astounding to me. just straight bangers the whole way through, i’m incredibly impressed by how much love and work you can see go into these performances.) i think if i rewatch his seasons again, knowing exactly what to expect this time around, i’ll enjoy them much more than i did the first time.

sorry for rambling on so long, but i just need it known how much i really do love eleven. i needed a bit to warm up to smith, i’ll admit, but he earned every last bit of praise i can give him.

[thedujifuji]

I did a Color Analysis on the Outfits of the Doctor for a class

Okay first I want to preface this with a: I haven’t finished Classic Who, nor watched a whole lot of it, but wanted to include it in this analysis, neither have I fully completed 13′s run, but also wanted to include her. I adore her final outfit, but it feels much more like a compilation of references to other Doctors at the last minute than a deliberate choice made with Color Theory in mind. She really got cheated out of a lot on her run, and it makes me upset, because she deserved better. I hope this is taken with heaps of salt, I just wanted to write about Who for class.

Okay here we go:

For live Action TV Shows, I struggled, as I don't really watch that much live-action TV, as I find them boring. The exception to this rule is of course: Doctor Who.

Doctor Who is an interesting case, as Classic Who (60's-late 80's, includes TV movie from mid-90's) and New Who (2005-present) use color, and more specifically, the Doctor's color scheme in very specific and different ways, that are still relatively controversial in discussion online. Doctor Who actually began in black and white, airing on the same day JFK was assassinated. Eventually, the actor who portrayed the Doctor, William Hartnell, had to retire due to health complications, so they brought in a new actor to portray the Doctor, starting a new pattern of "regenerating" the Doctor when an actor wanted to quit the role.

While the first two Doctors were entirely in Black and White, Jon Pertwee, the Third Doctor, saw the series shift into color. His outfits reflected this, shifting from a black and white normal suit into velvety maroon suits, or even a normal suit, with a bright red cape to accentuate him. As Doctor Who had originated in Black and White, the designs for enemy aliens had a tendency to be achromatic, grey and dull- Classic Doctors incorporated warm muddy hues to contrast this wildly. This is also explained in-universe, as the 3rd Doctor is the incarnation that is forced to live exclusively on Earth, and is influenced by Earth's vibrancy for his outfits. Every subsequent classic Doctor has some sort of warmth in their outfits, as pictured in the previous poster, which contrast wildly with the lifeless grays of Daleks and Cybermen. The Sixth Doctor and his companion are pictured below alongside a Dalek and a Dalek control console, showing how alien those from our world appear.

We can additionally see how alien the Doctor looks in the TARDIS after having been influenced by Earth.

There is a clear shift however, by the time of New Who.

New Who's Doctors have a tendency to stick to cooler color palettes, making THEM seem alien. There are exceptions to this, namely the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, but they will be talked about later. The colors I would associate most with New Who would be Brown and Green. Christopher Eccleston's 9th Doctor is very rude, and a bit eccentric, battered from a war in space, he has long lost the whimsical earthy tones that were so present in Classic Who, instead sporting a black leather jacket and a purple shirt, very often seen in green or cool lighting.

The 9th Doctor falls in love with his earth companion Rose Tyler, and in regenerating, is born of that love for humanity. The Tenth Doctor, played by the beloved David Tennant, is a stark contrast from the 9th Doctor, dressing in vibrant pinstripe brown suits. This continues to be the case until he is separated from Rose, after which he dons a blue suit, cool colors returning to signify that he is once again alienating himself from humanity. As he begins to heal, he dons his old brown overcoat over his blue suit, showing he is again allowing his humanity to resurface.

The Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith, dresses in brown, earthy tones, as he's very connected and loving towards Earth and his companions, but after facing dramatic loss, shifts towards wearing cooler tones, namely a purple suit. His outfits are seen in the opposite order of appearance. (Right to Left)

Now for my favorite: Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor! Capaldi's Doctor is much more like the initial Doctors, feeling very, VERY alien, compared to the almost human 11th Doctor. This is demonstrated in his first outfit, a cool dark blue suit. This suit comes with a catch however, flaunting bright red interiors, signifying a truth about the 12th Doctor, he has soul and empathy within, he's still learning how to show it. The series makes special attempts to have the red inlet be visible in scenes where Capaldi gets to show his emotions.

As 12 grows into learning better empathy through his companion Clara, and following a reunion with his wife River Song, Capaldi's Doctor starts to wear a vibrant Magenta/Red suit, signifying a massive change in his character- upfront, honest kindness.

After facing more massive loss, and being on the brink of regeneration, Capaldi's Doctor's new black suit is revealed once again to have a bright red interior in his final scenes, and he is deliberately lit up in oranges and yellows, not from his regeneration energy, but from lighting inside the TARDIS.

Unfortunately, the following Doctor, Jodie Whittakher's 13, does not shift outfits throughout her seasons, instead opting for cooler tones despite being much like 11 or 10. This may be to emphasize her alien-ness despite her warm-hued TARDIS, but to me, it doesn't feel as intentional as before, instead feeling like another way Jodie was given the short end of the stick in regards to Who. Jodie's 13th Doctor deserved outfit theming!!

[denimbex1986]

'I have to confess that, despite being a fan, I groaned a little when I heard that David Tennant would be returning to the role of Doctor Who for the show’s 60th anniversary celebrations, which have been more or less everywhere you look for the past month or so. But now, I have to admit: I was completely wrong.

It’s not that I don’t like Tennant, or his turn as the Doctor. In fact, he was already one of my absolute favorites. But it’s fair to say that we’ve also seen a lot of him. He already came back for the 50th anniversary 10 years ago, under five years after vacating the role. And, for those of us nerdy enough to engage in Doctor Who’s many extracurricular, non-televised works, he’s been quite the collaborator with audio drama company Big Finish, starring in a range of radio play style stories.

I just felt, y’know - he’s already been back once. And we’ve had Doctors since who haven’t reappeared, and not to mention there’s good old Paul McGann, who made a brief mini episode reappearance in 2013 but is still really waiting for a proper TV outing, over 25 years after taking up (and then immediately vacating, sort of) the role.

But, I get it. Circumstances practically dictated this setup. Returning showrunner Russell T Davies cast Tennant in the first place; he also knows the rhythm and tone of his Doctor performance inside-out. Tennant is a poster-boy for the series; young and attractive for the fangirls (and boys), but also a bonafide Doctor Who nerd that grew up obsessed with the show. It defines his whole life; the man met his wife on the show - and she just happens to be the daughter of Peter Davison, the fifth Doctor Who.

Let’s not mince words, either. Jodie Whittaker was fabulous, but her performance was one lost in an era that was confused at best and completely lacking in identity at worst. Viewership had continued a slump that had begun before she took over - rejuvenation was needed. How better to do that than with the return of the most popular actor to play the role? It’s televisual clickbait. Eyebait? Remote bait? Whatever.

There is no doubt that Tennant was born to play this role. We knew that the first time around. But what his second turn has showcased is how absolutely true that is, and he’s done something that I’m not convinced that many of his peers, excellent actors though they all are, could’ve done to the same degree.

Some of the genius has to be attributed to Russell T Davies, too. Davies decided Tennant’s return wouldn’t be some trick or gotcha, or some time travel shenanigans; Tennant would actually be the fourteenth Doctor. Look at those posters featuring every person to play the character now, and there he is twice – once as the tenth, and again, as an older, slightly more stubbled man, as the fourteenth.

While he’s only around for three full episodes, the scripts and performances have wasted no time in demonstrating that the fourteenth Doctor isn’t quite the same as the tenth. He’s recognizable, with the same manic grin and gleeful exuberance - but he’s a different man. Words keep tumbling out of his mouth that surprise him; he catches himself saying he loves one of his friends, the sort of affirmation the more damaged tenth could never quite bring himself to vocalize, but that Jodie Whittaker’s thirteenth did far more often.

Tennant’s performance tells you that he continued to watch the show religiously after he left; there are ticks and notes of each of the actors who played the Doctor after him in his performance as the fourteenth.

This has been the grandest surprise of these 60th anniversary specials. Sure enough, they haven’t shocked us by having Matt Smith or Tom Baker crop up - but this surprise is, in many ways, better. Tennant’s new Doctor isn’t just a tour of his greatest hits circa 2005-10, but is rather a different take on the character with nuance. Incredibly, after just two hours of television, I find myself thinking: I actually like this fourteenth Doctor more than the tenth in a tangible, quantifiable way.

In his second turn at the role, Tennant thereby cements his legacy. He was already one of the most famous and beloved actors to play the role, and as he’s keen on saying in interviews, he knew from the moment that he took the part that the first line of his obituary was forever set in stone. But here, he shows an understanding of the character that I think is relatively singular.

The joy of the Doctor is their chameleonic nature. Previous showrunner Steven Moffat has in the past said that he never wrote for a specific actor or incarnation of the character - he’d just write the Doctor, and the actor would do the rest, their unique take differentiating them. Despite this, there is a fabulously nebulous element of ‘Doctorness’ that an actor must have to be suitable for the role; not everybody could do it.

And because this is one continuous character – each incarnation is technically the same person, sharing memories and experiences – each actor does, to some degree, build on the last. As British characters, the Doctor and James Bond stand as the most sacred institutions passed from one actor to another, but Doctor Who is set apart by the nature of the recasting transformation.

Tennant is the same person who took the role in 2005. But at the same time, he isn’t, of course. None of us are as we were back then. We’re older, wiser. We’ve seen and done things we imagined we wouldn’t. For Tennant in particular, he got married and started a family. As a different man, it follows that so, too, is his Doctor. It would’ve been so easy to simply perform exactly as he did then, which has always been the task of past Doctors for past anniversaries. But Tennant got to do something different with it - and in doing so, gave us a delightful fresh take that is also deeply reverential to the peers that followed and then preceded him.

Every Doctor and every actor behind them has their claim to fame. Each is somebody’s favorite. And each is undoubtedly unforgettable. But with just three episodes, Tennant and Davies have accomplished something quite astonishing.

For Tennant, this weekend his journey will be over – at least so far as any actor’s journey with Doctor Who ends. Which is to say, not entirely. But Davies will continue on. And after seeing what he’s accomplished with old favorites, I’m more invigorated with excitement for the series than I’ve been in well over a decade. Bring on Nucti Gatwa; bring on fifteen.'

[wanderingmind867]

My experience with doctor who is I was never able to sit through much of it, but I still loved the cast. Especially with the old years. I couldn't sit through the serials often, but I still liked a lot of the cast (don't ask me how they works, I don't even know). probably also doesn't help that I'm easily scared, so the episodes with a lot of horror influences are bad for me.

Despite all that, I loved some of the actors. Of all the show's doctors, here's my favorite (in no particular order):

Jon Pertwee (I love his fashion sense, for some reason. He seems so old fashioned but also so fancy. It's nice his son is also acting. Sean Pertwee got to play Alfred in Gotham. Honestly, Jon Pertwee probably would have been a good Alfred too, but I'm going off-topic).

William Hartnell (Not much to say here I can't repeat elsewhere. I'm a sucker for older characters in fiction, and so I'm naturally biased here).

Colin Baker (He seems to have been done dirty by the network. I feel bad for him, because he had a charisma to me. He did his role very well. His characters bombastic and egocentric personality made him seem fun to me).

Sylvester McCoy (He always seemed very charming. I also like the Umbrella thing. He just seems like he was a good performer).

Christopher Eccleston (only one whose tenure I saw all of. He was a good actor, really fun and charming. Better than both David Tennant and Matt Smith, in my opinion).

Peter Capaldi (didn't like all his horror stories, but I loved Peter Capaldi as an actor. He was fun and talented. And what can I say, I have a bias for the older actors. Maybe I relate more to old people then to young people or something)?

Jodie Whittaker (My Mom wasn't a Sci-fi fan and Never liked Doctor Who, but she liked Jodie Whittaker. I remember that much. Jodie Whittaker just had a fun energy, from what I saw).

If I didn't mention a Doctor here, know that I have more nuanced opinions on them (I'm probably either neutral or I just dislike them).

[pitbullwithaship]

DOCTOR WHO LIVEBLOG S5 EP4

Y'all I miss David Tennant. Like Matt Smith is already great but I'm allowed to miss my current hyperfixation actor okay. Okay. But anyWHO I get to watch so much more Doctor Who even without him yay!

Pretty ambient sounds

Hello dude in the middle of a field with a kiss mark on his face

Oh hello who's here

Is this lady pretty I hope she is she gives pretty vibes

I love museums too Doctor

He's having a lot of fun saying it's all wrong lol

Ooh Home Box

Ooh old high gallifreyan on the Home Box cool mysterious

HELLO SWEETIE

OMG ITS RIVER HELLO RIVER I KNEW THE LADY WAS PRETTY

She's amazing

But also she would be dead Tardis or not that is basically instant death right there

InstaDeath, available now lol

Teaches him about his own ship

Blue Boringers!!

Yknow the "kheee hooo kheee hooo" noise

Aww Amy is hilarious and adorable

Hahahahaha

I love Amy

WEEPING ANGELS HELLO

Know I don't like to say they're asking for it but hey are asking for it

I love Amy lol

It's a DnD campaign that's why

Yknow I should put those pictures on my desktop I've heard people done that

Smells a book

Yeah I should totally make those my desktop wallpaper

I still maintain they would be less creepy if they had pupils

This is so fun

Aw smart Amy!! That was brilliant!

Okay what's in her eye y'all what's gonna happen

That's a lot of statues ugh

Oh is she in prison right now? That's not nice

It keeps being brought up what is in her eye!

IM SORRY THAT WAS GREY WEIRD SAND STUFF

She is good lol

Okay I'm guessing since we're following these soldiers so much they are gonna end up dying

Oof jump scare

Oof another jump scare

Do it scared and all that

Okay so those soldiers are dead then good to know my inferencing skills are strong as ever

Oh shit why don't the statues have two heads

This is scary

Oh shit can they like turn people into weeping angels too or something cuz why do they not have robes and stuff

Okay how is the dead person talking and telling Bob to see something that's creepy

Okay we know Bob's name so maybe he will die too he better not

Okay spoke too soon

Okay so they don't look like angels because they are dying

He doesn't sound scared how is he talking if he's dead

Oh dear

Dude stop guilt tripping the Doctor

Angel Bob lol

I KNEW THEY COULD TURN PEOPLE INTO ANGELS AMYS TURNING TO STONE I DO HAVE A BRAIN

Placebo affect

HEY SHES NOT STONE MAYBE I DONT HAVE A BRAIN

Jump!

OH MY GOD WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE A CLIFFHANGER

[myfandomrambles]

Not to be an asshole but like just because David Tennant/Tenth Doctor had the best viewing numbers of NuWho doesn't actually mean he's sooo uber special better than the others.

Like every doctor before and after he actually matters. Some of those doctors are beloved by like a lot of people.

It somehow just feels icky to me to pick up with David Tennant and Davies and like what? Fuck 11, war, 12 and 13?

Chibnall was bad enough about kind of feeling like he was snubbing 11 & 12's eras.

Like obviously you had misogyny and racism problems under Moffat. And we must, must speak up about that and make sure the show does better. And no he didn't stick the landing every time, The Wedding of River Song sucks. But like there were a shit ton of people involved in those years who like fucking put their heart and soul into that.

Matt Smith & Peter Capaldi along with all the companion actors (plus Gomez) deserve some goddamn respect. I do have just some big emotional attachment to 11 & 12 yes. I also however do not think every story under them was bad. They had extremely good stories! Like season 10 might not be popular but fuck does it kick me in the feels.

But like it's not like all the Tennant hype only affects Moffat's writing if you happen to hate him. This does feel insulting to Ecelston as well. I know he hates the BBC so like I get he wouldn't come back to the main show (his audios rock btw).

This whole thing also feels sketch because you're sticking him in between your first female doctor and your first main doctor to be played by a person of colour. Like do you just not trust that Ncuti Gatwa will be good enough to make people watch? Do you not trust your own writers (even your own writing) to be compelling unless you bring David Tennant back and give him a whole other marketing number (and the numbers, while sort of ridiculous at this if you look through canon, do have meaning to the fans)? Not to mention a new costume (No I don't mean he has to wear the exact same clothes if they don't fit but you can sew a copy of the same design again) and a whole big announcement about him getting a new Sonic. The costumes and sonics are HUGE signs for fans. Like people collect the fucking sonics you have the old ones referenced in the show, it's a whole part of 12's identity crises with the shades and the new sonic after re-accepting the doctor after losing Clara. The TARDIS can make these for The Doctor or The Doctor makes their own. It's a whole thing!

Also, do they have to also fuck with Donna's ending? Really? I get some people do the whole "Donna deserved better" shtick but her ending is heartbreaking, well-written, well-acted and done just so well. Sad can be okay! I'm with Ashildir on this one, It was sad and beautiful. (Yes she's not referring to Donna but the principle stands)

Also like, The Doctor fucks people's lives up. Donna wasn't the first up Companions to have shit destroyed by The Doctor!

In the words of Martha Jones:

You need to be careful, because you know the Doctor's wonderful and he's brilliant, but he's like fire. Stand too close and people get burned (TV: Sonatarn Strategem)

Like Journeys End aired in 2008! Could we just let the story stand on it's merits?

I realise the culture of like the media in the 2010s & 2020s is just fuck with shit that should have been left alone. I mean I guess if we're doing a distribution w/ Disney we might as well follow their storytelling formula.

I mean remember the whole Time Lord victouris project? Like I'm obsessed w/ Doctor Who and have been into the EU for a long time I didn't even try and keep up with it. It was like the high republic franchise in Star Wars so hard to keep up w/ the story when you have to get so many disparate pieces of media. And again it's all Ten focused.

Honestly, I have always loved Ten. minus all this fuckery he is fantastic. And i will go to the bat i don't think he's a fuck boy. but I also like am perpetually gonna be annoyed at him.

Being a money maker does not actually define the quality of the story in every case.

[hxlbrook]

my thoughts after watching Doctor Who vs Women

Okay, so I just finished watching the amazing video essay Doctor Who vs Women by verilybitchie on YouTube and it made me realise two things that I just wanted to get out :)

The first thing is how I look at fictional characters.

When you ask me who my favourite doctor is I can't just give you an answer right away. I always have to clarify some things first and the essay by verilybitchie kind of highlighted this in my mind, which I find funny.

I first have to state that my favourite era is RTD's era, because it's the best written one. Then I have to state that David Tennant is one of my favourite actors (because I'm silly and feel like I betray him otherwise). And then it comes out that 11 is my favourite Doctor. But why is that? One of my favourite parts about the Doctor is that he's such an asexual being. But the eleventh doctor suddenly is sexually attracted to women. How is 11 then my favourite? This brings me to how I look at characters. This isn't the first time that I adore a character but am appalled by the uncharacteristic thing he does.

A very simple example of this is Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls. In season 1 he says something about golf being bad for the environment. I'm a biologist so I loved him for that comment. But later it's written that his hobby is fishing, which to me makes zero sense if you care about the environment. In my mind I just put it in my "no" box and I decide for myself that it's not him.

I create a version of the character in my mind who I think they are. If the writer makes the character do something that I think is uncharacteristic I just don't really view it as cannon. I just say that it's the writers fault and not the character's.

Anyway, that's on how I look at fictional characters, which I think is funny and a bit silly and I know lots of people don't agree with it. But that doesn't matter, cause it makes my own viewing experience better haha. All in all, I think Matt Smith played the doctor very well, but Moffat made some choices for the character that I very much not agree with and I realise I'm very capable of ignoring that.

The second thing I want to talk about is more tied to the actual essay of verilybitchie.

So, yes, I think we can all agree that Moffat writes women and couple dynamics to feed his own fetish. It's not even hidden in his seasons. But I don't like how Amy is always given as THE example of this, as if she is the most 2d character ever. When I watched it I definitely didn't experience her that way (I experienced River much more so). Looking back at her, yes, she was very much written to fullfill Moffat's own fantasy and I very much view her as waisted potential.

The way she acts makes a lot of sense for a girl who didn't have a nice home life and then met a very magical man that then left her again while promising he'd be back in five minutes. She has abandonment issues and is insecure in her relationship with Rory because of it. I also don't like it when people say she didn't love Rory. The whole arc is that she shows love differently than he does. She starts out as someone who is troubled and childish because of her childhood. Over the seasons she grows up.

Yes, the sexual assault of the doctor was very weird and bad and incredibly awful to watch (I physically cringe away from my screen every time I watch it), especially since it was just brushed over. Again, I view this very much as a writer's mistake and not as Amy's mistake, but that's my way of looking at fictional characters xD and I completely understand if you hold her accountable for it.

But now I wonder if the complexity I see in Amy is just something that I see in her and wasn't something that was intended by the writers. Not that it matters, cause it's art and art is about how the viewer interprets it, right?

What I hate the most is how I feel like out of all the companions she is put through the most. Her memory of people she loved is wiped multiple times. She gave birth in the most ffed up circumstances and then lost her child and then realised she grew up with the child! (God, I hate that story line). This is all a lot, but there are no signs that she's actually mentally messed up about it, which makes absolutely no sense. She (and Rory too btw) just take the information as it is and continue their lives. This all really irritated me about that era.

Ironically, I also love this era even though it has so many faults. The little family the doctor created for himself with Amy and Rory is so incredibly special to me. The dynamic the doctor had with that couple definitely comes second place for me when it comes to doctor companion dynamics (Rose and the Doctor on number 1). Rory is also my favourite companion and my favourite Doctor Who episode is Dinosaurs on a spaceship. [I mainly love the episode cause it's just really funny and fun, very much a comfort episode]

So yeah, even though I think Moffat made some very(!) bad writing choices, he did give me my favourite companion and episode. Who would have guessed there is nuance to almost everything?

[likethecastle]

i’ve been thinking about what will happen on the 60th anniversary special and i notice people making their theories assuming that certain doctors won’t come back. like, obviously david tennant is always up for doctor who stuff, whereas chris eccleston isn’t, but where do the other actors stand? what are your theories?

yeah that’s a good question!! i know christopher eccleston isn’t a huge fan of coming back generally, and especially because he has problems with rtd specifically, i feel like there’s negative chance he’d come back now. for peter capaldi, i have heard he generally doesn’t like multi-doctor specials, and i don’t think he’s ever been very enthusiastic about potentially returning for one (although i feel like there’s a better chance for him than for eccleston, i think realistically it’s likely still a no). i would say that i could maybe see jodie whittaker coming back (like... an episode after she left, but since it’s a special occasion who knows) except she’s extremely pregnant at the moment so that seems like a no for her too. i do think matt smith had said he could be interested in coming back at some point (i don’t have a source but i think i remember something along those lines) so i feel like he’d be the most likely out of the other past nuwho doctors. 

but there’s also paul mcgann or the classic doctors too—i haven’t seen classic yet and so i don’t know as much about them, but especially since they weren’t really included in the 50th, i think it could be great if they brought back actors who were interested! (but honestly, i really have no idea how likely it would be for any of them, so this is just kind of throwing it out there as a possibility.)

[yeonchi]

Doctor Who Hiatusbreaker Update 2

Although the premiere of Doctor Who Series 13 is still a while off, let alone the announcement of a premiere date, there are a few things I’d like to talk about before that time comes. Let’s get right into it.

Filler series plans to talk about Series 1-10

Some time ago, I had plans to make a ten-part series talking about Series 1-10 in detail, but because I had a lot of stuff going on, those plans were reduced to something I call Doctor Who 10 for 10 - 10 Things for 10 Series, which was to state ten things about each series with at least 4 to 6 of these things being my opinions on each series. This was intended to be a filler series to bide the time before Series 13 comes out, but that may have to come at another time. I’m also continuing with Kisekae Insights if anyone wants to check it out.

The post-Series 13 forecast

Since Series 13 would be Jodie Whittaker’s third series as the Doctor, signs are pointing to this being her final series. There are also rumours stating that there will be two specials in 2022 that would serve as her final episodes. If this is the case, then it means that Jodie Whittaker would have been the Doctor for five years; a five-year-long ordeal of pain because series seem to be released pretty much every other year as a result of the almost-year-long gaps between them, not to mention the fact that less episodes are being produced as time goes on. Whether Chris Chibnall will be remaining on is still unknown at this time. Frankly, I’ll be glad when this is all over because I (and many other fans) have been kept hanging for so long. I just hope the Timeless Child payoff will be worth it.

At this point, the only reason why I’m still watching the series is mainly because I want to know how the Timeless Child arc plays out. The initial shocks have come and gone, but now this is where we wait and see if the aftershocks are as worse.

When I started my Thirteenth Doctor Reviews, I made a pact that I would cut off all ties with the series going forward if the Fourteenth Doctor was another female. Given the Timeless Child arc and the rumours that Olly Alexander would replace Jodie Whittaker (which would make him the first gay actor to play the Doctor) that came and went because his agent stated that he was focusing on music for the time being, I’ve honestly stopped giving a shit at this point. I’ll probably continue being a casual fan of Doctor Who, watching episodes as they come out, but regardless, all that this series will be to me is like what the Koei Warriors series has degraded itself to over the past decade. I’ll still be grateful for all the inspiration and opportunities it has provided me with over the years, but I’ll probably accept that the series has gone on a downward spiral with seemingly no way of coming back up. But hey, all will be revealed in due time, so the forecast isn’t that bleak for now.

The first look into Series 13 (added 26 July 2021)

So just today, two days after I originally published this post, the teaser trailer for Doctor Who Series 13 was released following the 2021 San Diego Comic Con@Home. Aside from the Doctor, Yaz and Dan, the only other character we see is Vinder, a recurring character throughout the series who will be played by Jacob Anderson. Recurring character, you say, and that’s because Series 13 will apparently be a single serialised story. This brings callbacks to The Trial of a Time Lord or more loosely, the multiple two-parters of Series 9. We still don’t get an exact premiere date, only that it will premiere “later this year”, but given that Series 11 and 12 took about 10 months to film, we can predict that filming of Series 13 will likely be wrapping up in the next month. Whether there will be a shorter run of five or six episodes (thereby reserving two of those episodes for the 2022 specials, assuming they won’t be filmed separately to Series 13) is unknown, but regardless, I’m looking forward to watching and reviewing the series for myself.

Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall leave Doctor Who (added 30 July 2021) 

In news that will surprise no one, Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall have announced that they will be leaving the series in 2022. Technically, the news isn’t much of a surprise in terms of Whittaker than it is for Chibnall, as Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat have been showrunner for two Doctors each. But hey, with this, it means that my Thirteenth Doctor Reviews will also be a review of Chibnall’s run as showrunner.

My initial thoughts on this, which may or may not change coming up to Whittaker’s final episode - it was an okay run while it lasted, but honestly, good riddance. How’s that five year plan of yours going, Chibnall? If your plan was to divide the fanbase and leave them hanging with gaps between series, then you’ve really done it.

On top of this, Series 13 will be six episodes long, with the remaining two episodes to be broadcast as specials in 2022. The first of them will be a New Year’s Special (surprise surprise) and the second will follow in Spring 2022 (Northern Hemisphere). The Thirteenth Doctor’s final episode will premiere in Autumn 2022 (Northern Hemisphere) as part of the BBC’s Centenary celebrations. Some tentative dates I’m predicting are 18 October 2022, the 100th anniversary of the BBC, 23 November 2022, the 59th anniversary of Doctor Who, or 1 January 2023, which would make it another New Year’s Special (I’m not discounting 25 December 2022, I just think it’s less likely given how this era has been).

With this, the Fourteenth Doctor is expected to debut in 2023, the 60th anniversary year of Doctor Who. I just hope the new production team doesn’t disappoint the fans with that.

In terms of statistics, Jodie Whittaker has played the Doctor for 31 episodes, making her run the second shortest behind Christopher Eccleston. Peter Capaldi played the Doctor for 40 episodes, Matt Smith for 44 episodes and David Tennant for 47.

My hopes for Whittaker and Chibnall’s final episodes haven’t changed; I want to see what happens with the Timeless Child arc (and also Ruth). Whether the Fourteenth Doctor will be male or female (or played by a non-binary or trans actor), I have a few basic preliminary hopes for the next run; make each series 13 episodes again with a Christmas Special each year and put the series back on Saturday nights, like it was before Whittaker and Chibnall. Also, can we go back to filming in the 16:9 ratio? I can never get over how weird it looks on my screen (at full screen, it doesn’t look so weird when I have it playing on half screen, which is what I usually do when I write my reviews).

Jay Exci - The Fall of Doctor Who

Yes, it has been a while and I know I could have told everyone about this earlier, but better late than never I suppose. A couple of months ago, Jay Exci did a 5-hour long critique of the Chibnall era in his video, The Fall of Doctor Who. For some reason, there are those who see it as controversial because they’re NPCs who don’t want to hear criticism of the Chibnall era or they’re spergs who aren’t mature enough to sit through a 5-hour video they can watch in chunks, but hey, it’s pretty good. This is more in-depth than the reviews that people like Bowlestrek or Nerdrotic make, which essentially put Jay on their level in the eyes of the NPCs despite denying that they are on their level and being a sperg about how they’re better than them. Welcome to the party, Jay, you can check out anytime but you can never leave. 

Anyway, you can check out the video below. Even if you don’t feel like watching the whole video, I highly suggest that you watch section 4.2 onwards (timestamped link here) as it does resonate with my feelings on the Timeless Child arc. I swear, this is just like Dynasty Warriors 9 all over again. I know the feeling.

Cancel culture comes for Noel Clarke and John Barrowman

The thing about cancel culture is that people can be petty about things other people have done or said years ago and they can justify it with the excuse that they’re doing it to hold those people accountable. Depending on the context, it can expose the fact that that person is a major piece of shit or it can be an overreaction to something, which in the minds of today’s society is normally the latter.

Around the time that Noel Clarke was nominated for a Bafta at the end of March, allegations emerged of abuse and sexual misconduct against him. 20 women came forward with their stories and as a result, the final episode of Viewpoint was pulled from broadcast (but still released on Blu-ray and DVD) and Bulletproof was cancelled before filming on the fourth series would begin.

In May, video emerged of Clarke at Chicago TARDIS in 2014 talking about how John Barrowman would expose his genitals and slap it on people and things. This led to allegations about Barrowman surfacing, resulting in him apologising for his actions even though he had already been reprimanded for them over a decade ago and apologised in November 2008. Despite this, his contribution to the immersive theatrical event Doctor Who: Time Fracture was pulled and Big Finish have decided to shelf the release of Torchwood: Absent Friends, which would have featured David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.

Now, I don’t care about Noel Clarke by any means, but this situation is honestly sad for John Barrowman because it shows that cancel culture spares no victims and leaves no fossil undiscovered. These PR stunts have clearly shown that the spineless people involved with those productions are so concerned with saving face that they are unable to just overlook these transgressions for the sake of fans who actually wanted to see him reprise his role as Captain Jack Harkness. But hey, what do I know? I don’t really care for anything other than the TV series, but it really shows how shameless corporations can be.

Once again, we don’t exactly know when Doctor Who Series 13 will premiere, but if you ask me, I predict that it will premiere in October or November. I’ll see you all again around that time.

[missbasicxxx]

So...I did watch the Morbius trailer. Actually I watched it right after I woke up this morning because everybody on Twitter were talking about it but then I threw a rant and then I got tired so I had to go back to sleep again. Now I’ve recovered.

Back to the trailer. First of all,

MATT SMITH? MATT FUCKING SMITH? Now THAT caught me so off guard wtf? Why? It’s like, I used to love doctor who. It was the first tv show that I ever really fell in love with (Also David Tennant was kind of like my first actor-crush but hey it was inevitable.) and like those childhood tv shows that you loved, you feel like they’re supposed to be just that tv show you know? I’m really not sure if I can see Matt Smith as someone other than the doctor, really. But hey I did enjoy Crowley in the good omens so who knows? (Yes, I especially enjoyed Crowley out of the whole show because I don’t know David Tennant?)

And secondly,

The fuck guys I got so mad and now I’m not that mad anymore. There’s a line you know? If you’re gonna use spiderman then use him with respect. Don’t use him as just bait to make spiderman fans go watch the movie. Now the reason why I’m saying this is because

By writing murderer, they kind of tried to show that it was spiderman from the MCU movies since ffh ended with, yeah, that.

But then the picture that they used(which isn’t even a good picture come on guys you could do better than that) is from the PS4 spiderman game. So...universe?

And the suit that he is wearing within the game is from the Tobey Maguire spiderman movies. (Yes, you can change the suits that you’re wearing inside the game. There are like over thirty and some of them are from the mcu movies and yet Sony decided to use the trilogy suit.)

WHAT the fuck are you trying to do?

And I didn’t even get started on the murderer part. Oh no you don’t get to just decide to appear out of nowhere and give shit to him no don’t you even dare try to squeeze in something ANYTHING to mention that spiderman is over or this is the end of him or he’s missing or all that shit ok? THERE’S A LINE. Just work on your own fucking movie don’t try to shit on someone else’s.

Ok. And about Michael Keaton. I like him. I liked him in homecoming and he can play a really good villain. (Well, a really bad villain which makes him good.) But if he’s in it as vulture? Then it’s just...links to my earlier point and please, just don’t. Yeah, I miss vulture. I liked him a lot (as a character, him as an individual kinda deserves to die) but you shouldn’t just use characters from other movies that easily. Someone else developed them and you’re just being a dick.

Well, overall, to summarize, I return to my original statement,

Wtf

[accio-spaceman]

VORTEX Magazine - Issue 122

(April 2019)

Download PDF version for FREE on the Big Finish website

Partners In Time

At last! The Doctor and Donna are back!

[Above Cover for “The Tenth Doctor Adventures Volume Three”, featuring (l-r, top-bottom) Catherine Tate, David Tennant, Jacqueline King, Bernard Cribbins, and two Judoon.]

The Doctor and Donna Noble are arguably one of the most popular Doctor and companion pairings ever, and their adventures in space and time continue in The Tenth Doctor Adventures Volume Three. David Tennant and Catherine Tate reprise their TV roles for a second run of audio adventures from Big Finish.

(Full Article Under Cut)

Producer David Richardson says: “I actually got very nervous in the weeks before recording, as I did on their previous box set. You are just so aware that you are going to be working with two of the biggest stars in this country, and you want them to have a brilliant time and for the whole thing to run smoothly.

“The night before recording I just told myself, forget the nerves, treat it like any other production and it will be great. And actually by the time David and Catherine arrived at Moat Studios, the nerves had totally evaporated.

“David and Catherine don’t behave like stars – they walked in as two normal people who get on with everyone. When you’re sitting having a cup of tea with David Tennant talking about The Avengers or whatever, you’re really just chatting to a lovely human being.”

It was director Ken Bentley’s first time directing David and Catherine, and before recording began he admitted to Vortex: “I’ve not had much time to think about it as we’ve been extremely busy through August and September. I only just managed to squeeze in the time to schedule it!

[Above (l-r) David Tennant and Catherine Tate]

“I’m like any fan, dying to hear what the Nobles, Wilf and The Doctor get up to. What a dream cast!” 

– Russell T Davies

“I always get excited about working on a new range. The bit I love the most about directing is working with actors, and to work with actors new to me is always something I look forward to.

“In my line of work it’s the rehearsal room and the recording studio where the magic happens, and it’s always a treat to watch professionals bringing roles to life.

“All actors work and respond differently. Part of my job is to quickly figure out how an actor likes to work so I can help make the recording go as smoothly as possible for them – and for everybody else. It’s a challenge I enjoy and I like to get it right. So it’s exciting for me to work with an entirely new team and to figure out what makes them tick.”

[Above Cover for “No Place” by James Goss, featuring (l-r) Bernard Cribbins, Catherine Tate, David Tennant, and Jacqueline King.]

The first story in the set is No Place by James Goss. Script editor Matt Fitton says: “We knew straightaway we could bring the wider Noble family into it by having Donna and Sylvia together, so we gave James that brief. It meant it had to be set on Donna’s contemporary Earth, since her mum isn’t aware of her space and time travel yet.”

Former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies, creator of Donna, Sylvia and Wilf, tells Vortex: “I’m so excited about the return of the Noble family. I put in a request to Big Finish never thinking they’d actually pull it off. But, I might have known, they’re unstoppable! Marvellously, I haven’t heard the adventure myself yet, so I’m like any fan, dying to hear what the Nobles, Wilf and the Doctor get up to. What a dream cast!”

Jacqueline King was delighted to be back as Sylvia.

She says: “Since we finished on TV I’ve seen David a couple of times, and I keep in touch with Bernard because he’s so gorgeous! He and I did the quiz show Pointless. And Catherine was in a play which Bernard and I went to see together, so that was lovely. We’ve just not been all together so there was so much to catch up on. I felt desperately maternal towards Catherine, wanting to know how she was!

“I was very jealous that David and Catherine were going on to do more stories over the next couple of days without Bernard and myself. Bernard and I were joking, asking, How can you do that? That’s just disloyal!

“It was lovely, and if we could have carried on I would have but it was just one day. It would be heaven if we could do more!”

Matt continues: “James came back with this ‘haunted makeovers’ idea which was great, and as it was being developed we asked James to keep in mind a role for Wilf in case we were able to get Bernard Cribbins – perhaps just a cameo role. As it turned out we learned fairly early on that we could have Bernard for the whole day, so it all worked out perfectly and Wilf was fully included in the episode at the storyline stage.”

In a similar vein to what the TV show did at the time, No Place taps into the zeitgeist of what is currently popular on TV, which in this case brings in the feed of ghost and home makeover reality TV shows.

“If you’re a fan of either Buzzfeed Unsolved or Homes Under The Hammer you’ll find lots to love in this.” 

– James Goss

James explains: “Honestly, when you think about it most horror films are home makeover shows! Family moves into house on haunted graveyard. Tries to do it up. Ends up running away screaming/being dead/finds out they were always dead so probably shouldn’t have bothered wallpapering the downstairs bathroom. This was inspired by that. Imagining a horror film but with Kirsty Allsop following our screaming family about. And making the screaming family the Doctor, Donna, Sylvia and Wilf.

“If you’re a fan of either Buzzfeed Unsolved or Homes Under the Hammer you’ll find lots to love in this. We’ve got a ghostbox, we’ve got replacement light fittings, we’ve mysterious voices, we’ve endless discussions about plumbing. The one thing we couldn’t do was Hammer’s endless, appalling punning music track. (Presenter: ‘They really do love this hopeless place.’ Music: ‘We Found Love in a Hopeless Place’)!”

Producer David Richardson adds: “I’m struck by how creepy it all sounds. Some of the sequences in the old house are really unsettling even without any effects or music, which is a sure sign of how great the writing, performances and direction are.”

[Above Cover for “One Mile Down” by Jenny T Colgan, featuring (l-r) David Tennant, a Judoon, and Catherine Tate.]

One Mile Down by Jenny T Colgan continues the Doctor and Donna’s adventures when they find themselves in an underwater city and encounter the Judoon.

Matt continues: “In terms of using new series monsters, the Judoon are one of the most recognisable and the Tenth Doctor has some history with them, meeting them several times during his era.

“Because of what’s been established on screen there are certain monsters he’s meeting for the first time, but with the Judoon he knows what they’re about and how they work. They are not power-crazed evil monsters, they are mercenaries working for other people, and their agenda isn’t always immediately clear. It’s nice to have that bit of potential uncertainty – are they an ally? Are they a threat? We get to play with that in this story.”

“We have individuals in the Judoon ranks which we’ve touched on before. There’s the trainee, Klo, who starts to side with the Doctor and Donna, realising they can do some good during the story, which is a fun thing to play with.” The story’s setting lends itself to a good soundscape, with a city beneath the waves.

Matt explains: “In the TV episode Smith and Jones, the first thing we see the Judoon do is control the rain and send it upwards with their H2O scoop.

“That means we can make use of their technology which lends itself perfectly to an audio story.”

Of course, Donna has also encountered the Judoon on TV, and Matt adds: “Watching Donna in The Stolen Earth, we get a reaction from her to the Judoon, but when we checked with Russell he watched it back and felt there was no reason why Donna couldn’t have met them before.

“What’s clearly a surprise to her is the Doctor speaking Judoon, so we were very careful not to have him doing that in front of her.”

[Above Cover for “The Creeping Death” by Roy Gill, featuring (l-r) David Tennant, Catherine Tate, and Lauren Cornelius dressed in 1952 London period-costume, holding a torch.]

Concluding this series is The Creeping Death by Roy Gill.

David explains: “We asked the writers for short pitches – I think they might have sent in three ideas each. I’ve actually been keeping a list of things I want to see in a Doctor Who story, one of which was ‘The London Fog of 1952’, so it was a no-brainer when Roy pitched that one!”

Roy was delighted to be able to write for David Tennant, a fellow Scotsman, as well as Donna.

He admits it was: “Hugely exciting. They’re one of my Doctor Who dream teams, really. The Doctor and Donna are best friends, they’re fast and funny, they wind each other up but most importantly they make each other stronger and better. Their dialogue was a joy to write – and yes please, if the opportunity ever comes up, I absolutely want to do more!”

Roy travelled from his Edinburgh home to attend the recording at Moat Studios in London, and has plenty of happy memories from the sessions.

Roy adds: “Oh, loads! David asking, ‘Is that a Scottish accent?’ as soon as he met me – and then me kind of over-explaining where I’m from (sorry, David...). Catherine cracking up over her lines about ‘bad air’ and cheese and onion crisps… How quickly all the big, exciting scenes flew by in the recording booths.

“Stephen Critchlow talking over lunch about the classic Who he’d been watching with his daughter. Lauren Cornelius telling me she’d loved her character and the story so much that when she got the script she read it from cover to cover then immediately turned it over and read it again! Theo Stevenson saying he’d watched David Tennant’s Doctor when he was about 10 or 12. He was thrilled to be in a Doctor Who – making us all feel ancient!”

Producer David adds: “This story is brilliant! Just a character piece about a group of people lost in the fog and there’s something really nasty out there… David has some terrific speeches, Catherine gets to play out some lovely relationships with the guest characters, and the whole thing feels like it was on TV back in 2008.”

Director Ken Bentley was relieved when recording was complete after three successive days in studio – which Big Finish rarely do.

He explains: “It’s great to know we have a complete box set in the bag! These days availabilities are such that we’re squeezing in recordings as and when we can, sometimes over quite long periods of time. It’s rare to record three days straight and know you’ve got it all, but given the schedule we’re all on it’s a huge relief!”

“The whole thing feels like it was on TV back in 2008.” 

– David Richardson

Responsible for music and sound design is Howard Carter, who says: “I’ll usually go through and work out if there are any background or atmosphere tracks that reappear throughout the play, or any individual recurring effects (specific vehicles or weapons, for example). If so I will create these in advance and add them to the project library so they are ready to drag and drop in when I’m working. I’ll record the foley sound as I go and layer up all the relevant backgrounds and effects scene by scene. Once the full play is assembled I’ll send a draft off to the director and move on to the score.

“I will usually spend a couple of days scoring a play although if there’s more time I will always spend longer (I’m a composer by trade!). At this point I know the play well so will have a sense of the mood, style and pacing.

“If I’m working on a completely new play I’ll create a template and start adding instruments and sounds as I see fit in order to start with a completely fresh palette. Every play is different so I don’t have one fixed approach. There are scene breaks which usually need a cue, and there are sometimes musical directions in the script, but otherwise a lot of the process is instinctive. A play may need a lot of music to keep energy levels up and maintain a sense of pace, or it may need the music to really take a background role and just glue certain elements together. Each one is unique.”

– VORTEX Magazine, Issue 122, Pages 4-8

THE TENTH DOCTOR ADVENTURES VOLUME THREE IS OUT IN MAY ON CD AND DOWNLOAD.

The Tenth Doctor Adventures Volume Three is out in May on CD and Download.

The special edition release comes complete with exclusive production notes, storyboards from Mike Tucker and costume designs from June Hudson.

For full details visit www.bigfinish.com .

(Edited to include Lauren Cornelius’ name in the image description of “The Creeping Death” cover.)

[spocks-eyebrow]

Rules: tag ten followers you want to know better!

Tagged by the bean @cheshireelims :))

NAME: Sarah

STAR SIGN: Pisces!

HEIGHT: 5′2″

WHAT’S YOUR MIDDLE NAME? Therese :D

PUT YOUR ITUNES ON SHUFFLE. WHAT ARE THE FIRST 4 SONGS THAT POPPED UP?  Different As Can Be (feat. Brian Rosenthal & Joseph Walker) [Live], Centuries by Fall Out Boy, Aaron Burr Sir - Hamilton and Castle on a Hill by Ed Sheeran

GRAB THE BOOK NEAREST YOU AND TURN TO PAGE 23. WHAT’S LINE 17?  ““Threats don’t work unless you deliver, Theta. Keep them to yourself.” He replied with a smirk placed on his lips.” - The Return of Ancalagon

EVER HAD A POEM OR SONG WRITTEN ABOUT YOU? Like as a fun joke, then yes.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PLAYED AIR GUITAR? Properly? In a long time, I’d say about 8 years.

WHO IS YOUR CELEBRITY CRUSH? HOW DARE YOU!! There’s a list so here we go.

My favorite actresses include: Billie Piper, Daisy Ridley, Lauren Lopez, Jenna Coleman, Alex Kingston, Karen Gillan, Meredith Steipen, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Phillipa Soo

My favorite actors include: Matt Smith, John Boyega, David Tennant, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Ramos, Mark Hamill, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Peter Capaldi

WHAT’S A SOUND YOU HATE + SOUND YOU LOVE? I hate most sounds let's be real. I don’t like the sound of alarms, and the sound when you pull the sides of a balloon and it makes that weird squeaky sound? I hate that so much. I do, however, like the sounds of some people’s voices (like for example Polynesian accents) and the crackling of a fire. I also enjoy the sounds of rain

DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS? Yeah, for sure!

HOW ABOUT ALIENS? Yes. definitely. I mean, they’ve found water on Mars and also life on mars AND ALSO SEVERAL TATOOINE SIZED PLANETS TOO IM SO EXCITED AND A SOLAR SYSTEM LITERALLY LIKE OURS CAN YOU TELL 'IM EXCITED

DO YOU DRIVE? The only thing I drive is mariokart

IF SO, HAVE YOU EVER CRASHED? Everyone’s crashed in mariokart. If you haven’t, you’re talented.

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? The last one I fully read was Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead

DO YOU LIKE THE SMELL OF GASOLINE? YELL HEAH

WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW? Like in the movies? Antman and the Wasp

DO YOU HAVE ANY OBSESSIONS RIGHT NOW? Doctor Who and SPACE

DO YOU TEND TO HOLD GRUDGES AGAINST PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE YOU WRONG? Definitely. It’s a problem. I’m still holding two at the moment… actually three I lied.

IN A RELATIONSHIP? With my bed and Rose Tyler in my imagination.

I tag the Vashta Nerada Squad because why not @stitch-es and @lesbian-gorilla as well as @off-with-the-dugongs and @untemperedwolf