Not sure what to do this Christmas, united stalkers of John Barrowman? Then I’ve the perfect thing for you. A few days at the St David’s Hotel and Spa!
Not only is Mr Barrowman going to be doing panto in Cardiff this year, he’s revealed he’s going to be having Christmas lunch at the hotel with his family, who will be over from Florida.
So get booking (I can recommend it, having stayed there for a couple of nights in July) and start polishing those high-powered binoculars.
There’s already one Doctor Who spin-off nearly in the can: Torchwood. Another one, part-CGI, part-live action featuring K9 is also being planned. Neither of them, however, is the first Doctor Who spin-off, which was K9 and Company, back in the early 80s.
It looks like (as had been rumoured) that there’s yet another spin-off being planned, according to Outpost Gallifrey, and it seems to be an attempt to do K9 and Company again:
The BBC’s in-house newsletter Ariel today released information suggesting the identity of the second Doctor Who spinoff series that has bee rumored for the past several months, one that will bring back Elisabeth Sladen, who appeared last season in the episode “School Reunion”. Says the item, “CBBC is developing a spin-off series from Doctor Who based on the adventures of investigative journalist Sarah Jane, played by Elizabeth Sladen, and to be written by Russell T Davies. Sladen, who originally played the Doctor’s assistant in 1973, returned for the last series where she was seen vying with young Rose Tyler for the Doctor’s affections.” Outpost Gallifrey has heard from a variety of sources that the working title on this is Sarah Jane Investigates. There is currently no word as to when this might appear; we’ll keep you posted.
It seems unlikely, I have to say. With RTD already working on two series, a third would definitely over-stretch him – although if he’s only writing the pilot script, that might not be so bad. Then there’s the thorny problem of copyright on K9, which I’m assuming will appear, given this is a kid’s show. Bob Baker and Dave Martin, the creators of K9, still own the copyright – will they give a licence to the BBC to use the character in a series that could detract from their own K9 show? Then there’s the Beeb’s denial that they would do a K9 show by themselves.
On the other hand, anything’s possible in these “post Tate” days. On my trip to the Doctor Who exhibition in Cardiff, one thing that struck me was odd was the great big “Who is Sarah Jane?” poster, an accolade not reserved for any other companion. It occurred to me then that maybe the Beeb really did have a plan for some kind of SJ return or spin-off.
We’ll see.
It’s not often, particularly with all the cutbacks major networks are going through, that some new studios are opened. But BBC Wales has just opened a really rather big complex in Upper Boat that’s dedicated to filming Doctor Who and Torchwood. Kudos guys!
Cyberman: Dalek?
Dalek: Cyberman?
Cyberman: Did your sensors detect the fluid that I just expelled from my right lateral articulator joint?
Dalek: My probes observed the phenomenon
Cyberman: Are they able to analyse it?
Dalek: They report it is composed of waste oil and grease and certain biochemical solutions
Cyberman: Where is it now?
Dalek: It is sinking into the floor where it is being absorbed by human excretions such as dandruff and hair
Cyberman: That’s your void ship that is. Your mum made that. It’s like the best thing she’s ever done.
Dialogue from Doctor Who episode Doomsday.
So it’s the end, but the moment has been prepared for. The Daleks and the Cybermen had a great big fight and Rose is stuck in another universe. And it was all just so mediocre.
I wanted to like this. I really really wanted to like this. But I was bored. I may reconsider if I ever get round to watching the episode again. Already, my brain is trying its hardest to filter out the dross and crud surrounding the few good things in the episode.
But nothing can alter the fact that from about 7.20pm on Saturday night I was clock-watching.
Yes, I know we’ve done this already. Twice, in fact. But as mentioned… well, everywhere now, neither the new companion to be nor Billie Piper will be appearing in the Doctor Who Christmas Special. But who will be the actual “next companion”, albeit for the space of one episode? Well, I know someone who does know, but he isn’t telling because the journalistic equivalent an ancient and terrible curse will descend upon him and family for the next three generations if he does.
Interesting that, huh? The Christmas episode is going to feature someone so massively of note as an interim companion for the Doctor that all who are in the know have been sworn to even greater secrecy than those who knew the identity of the companion for the third series.
So who do you reckon it is? Captain Jack? Probably not – he’s in Torchwood already so won’t be such an exciting choice. So it’s either going to be someone who’s a really big name (eg Catherine Zeta Jones, Tom Cruise, Leslie Grantham, etc) or (and this is my personal theory) a former companion.
What do y’all reckon to Sarah Jane being given one last Christmas adventure? It would please the old-school fans. All the kids know who she is now. It makes sense dramatically (Doctor, facing sadness and regrets over loss of Rose, turns to former companion whom he met up with recently and who knew Rose for solace and to start making amends for past behaviour). They could drag K9 along for the trip, which would please everyone. And it would stop us all from getting attached to a new companion before the real one turns up.
Of course, since it’s a theory that I whole-heartedly endorse, it’s wrong, but I thought I’d throw it out there so that people with better track records could ruminate on it.
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