Articles by Rob Buckley

About Rob Buckley
I’m Rob Buckley, a journalist who writes for UK media magazines that most people have never heard of although you might have heard me on the podcast Lockdown Land or Radio 5 Live’s Saturday Edition or Afternoon Edition. I’ve edited Dreamwatch, Sprocket and Cambridge Film Festival Daily; been technical editor for TV producers magazine Televisual; reviewed films for the short-lived newspaper Cambridge Insider; written features for the even shorter-lived newspaper Soho Independent; and was regularly sarcastic about television on the blink-and-you-missed-it “web site for urban hedonists” The Tribe. Since going freelance, I've contributed to the likes of Broadcast, Total Content + Media, Action TV, Off The Telly, Action Network, TV Scoop and The Custard TV.
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Audio and radio play reviews

Review: The Companion Chronicles 3×11 – The Mahogany Murders

27 July 2009 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

The Mahogany MurdersThe controversy of over who exactly is a companion takes a new twist with this Companion Chronicle since it features Jago and Litefoot, the intrepid Victorian professor and music hall impresario who helped Tombo in classic fourth Doctor adventure The Talons of Weng Chiang.  

That’s right. They never travelled in the TARDIS, and they were only in it for one story. Are they technically companions?

Bah. Who cares?

They were, as it happens, popular enough at the time that a spin-off series was suggested – yes, they were the Captain Jacks of their day – although it never happened. The Mahogany Murders builds on that imagined series of adventures to show us a Jago and Litefoot still solving mysteries together.

In this case, the mysterious case of a life-sized, perfectly formed wooden mannequin that can walk.

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September at the BFI

27 July 2009 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

Time for our regular look at what TV’s on at the South Bank in London in September. Most of it is going to be taken up with a Coal season (oh joy) and part two of the Stage to Screen season. BUT there is going to be a preview of the new series of Merlin.

  • 3rd: Richard II: Live From The Globe
    The first live broadcast of a theatre production in over 30 years
  • 4th: A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
    Starring Eddie Izzard, Peter Nichols’ play recorded on stage in front of a live audience
  • 6th: Merlin + Q&A
    The first episode of the new series of BBC1’s Merlin, together with a panel discussion involving cast and crew.
  • 8th: Vincent in Brixton
    A play about Vincent Van Gogh’s stay in Brixton
  • 13th/21st: The Price of Coal: Meet the People
    Ken Loach and Tony Garnett’s play about a royal visit to Milton Colliery
  • 17th: Changing Stages + Panel Discussion
    The first episode of the series dicussing the development of British theatre, followed by a panel discussion with Mark Lawson, Richard Eyre and Ben Stephenson, BBC controller of drama
  • 19th/20th: The Wars of the Roses
    All 11 parts of John Barton’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s history cycle from Henry VI to Richard III
  • 21st/29th: Which Side Are You On? + The Miners’ Film
    Two documentaries, one by Ken Loach and another made in 1975 but updated during the miners’ strike 10 years later
  • 26th: Theatre Night: Miss Julie
    Janet McTeer and Patrick Malahide star in Strindberg’s play

On at the Mediatheque: The Miners’ Picnic (Ken Russell BBC Documentary about a colliery band competition) and Ken Loach’s Meet the People.

Members’ priority booking opens: 11.30am August 4

Public booking opens: 11.30am August 11

Prices
£7.60 (members)
£5.25 (member concs)
£9.00 (non-members)
£6.65 (non-members concs)
Under 16s £5.

All shows are £5 on Tuesdays. Conc prices are available to senior citizens, students, unwaged and disability visitors. Proof of eligibility may be required.

As always, visit the BFI web site for more details

Monday’s post Comic-con news

27 July 2009 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

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Audio and radio play reviews

Review: The Companion Chronicles 3×10 – The Magician’s Oath

24 July 2009 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

Magician's OathThere’s been a bit of a gap in my Companion Chronicles coverage. Sorry about that, but there’s far too many podcasts on my iPhone as it is, and the mainstream Doctor Who releases, which take priority anyway, seem to be getting longer and longer.

Anyway, I’ve listened to the last three of the third season and I’ll gradually be putting the reviews up over the next week. Woo hoo?

The Magician’s Oath features someone, like Sara Kingdom, who is only debatably a companion (the next one’s even more debatable but more on that next time). It’s Captain Mike Yates, the potential UNIT love interest for Jo Grant during the Jon Pertwee era, who went a bit looney after looking in a crystal and seeing some dinosaurs.

Here, though, he’s in fine form, telling us all how a PJ Hammond-esque magician was more than met the eye.

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