An archive of blog entries about British science-fiction programme Doctor Who.
Quibble all you like about the meaning of the word ‘prequel’, this is a sort of introduction to Saturday’s ‘game-changing’ (according to Steven Moffat) season finale of Doctor Who. Can you work out who Clara is or what the Doctor’s name is? Or have you already been accidentally sent the whole thing on Blu-Ray so know the answer – in which case, don’t tell us.
In the UK: Saturday, 6.15pm, 4th May 2013, BBC1/BBC1 HD. Available on the iPlayer
In the US: Saturday, 8pm/7c, 4th May 2013, BBC America
Not worth a full review, more a mini-review this, I think, since despite the presence of Diana Rigg (and daughter) in the cast, a reference to Tegan and a nice joke about Tom Tom (the sat nav, not the fourth Doctor), this was a pretty meh episode. It started off well enough, going for northern comedy and Victoriana, which are writer Mark Gatiss’s real strengths. Rigg was good, everyone was acting fine, and despite being Doctor-and-Clara-lite, it was engrossing, right down to Murray Gold’s Sherlock-riffs in the soundtrack.
But then it just sort of carried on, progressively becoming thinner, more predictable and less interesting as it tried to deport itself not as merely a comedy, but as a proper Doctor Who story, complete with evil, incredibly shit-looking beastie (we’re talking Invisible Enemy shit, here). Not even an Avengers joke, more references to Clara’s significance and a certain Sontaran getting to shoot people for a change could lift it from the “When’s this going to end, again?” Which is a shame, because as a comedy, it would have been a really good episode, I reckon.
Oh well, it’s Neil Gaiman doing Cybermen next week, albeit with the addition of a couple of kids to the companion line-up. Fingers crossed, it should be better.
It’s time for our regular look at the TV that the BFI is showing, this time in the month of June 2013. This month, as well as the continuing celebration of Doctor Who, which reaches the Colin Baker years with The Two Doctors…
…there’s the second half of a season of Tony Garnett’s work, and previews of Top of the Lake and Quirke.
Doctor Who
Film casting
Trailers
UK TV
US TV
US TV casting
New US TV shows
New US TV show casting
In the UK: Saturday, 6.15pm, 27th April 2013, BBC1/BBC1 HD. Available on the iPlayer
In the US: Saturday, 8pm/7c, 27th April 2013, BBC America
Ever since the TARDIS showed up and proved itself to be bigger on the inside than on the outside, there have been several burning questions in the minds of viewers: how much bigger? What’s in there? And will the BBC budget ever stretch to allowing us to find out?
Over the years, we’ve had references to the many rooms within the TARDIS, as well as stories that have given us brief glimpses of the infinite interior, including Edge of Destruction…
…Castrovalva…
…the TV movie…
…The Doctor’s Wife and, of course, The Invasion of Time:
But these glimpses have been very few and far between, usually quite brief, and either subordinate to the rest of the plot or mind-numbingly dull (Castrovalva). What we’ve been waiting for is a proper adventure set in the TARDIS that combines everything we’ve learnt about it but goes on to show off as much as possible of the interior, while giving us new and exciting additions, all while avoiding the Castrovalva “Maths is Fun!” syndrome.
Did Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS give us that? Well, let’s discuss it all after this lovely trailer and the jump.
Continue reading “Review: Doctor Who – 7×10 – Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS”
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