I’ve been listening a lot to Fred Hersch’s absolutely gorgeous pandemic recording. Here’s one track, but the whole thing is beautiful.

@nerys   Congratulations on your Dad’s recovery! That’s really great news, although I’m sorry to hear about his continued hospitalization. Your parents share their anniversary with my mom and stepfather, who had their 44th this year. They sent me a photo of their steak dinner, complete with candles and flowers, for which they would normally have…[Read more]

@blenkinsopthebrave   I don’t know that there is one. I don’t have cable either. I’ve always purchased my Dr. Who on iTunes. $4 will get you the episode plus any special features. The new episodes usually become available for download around midnight, after they air in North America. The bonus is no ads, which I gather are a nuisance on the broadcast!  🙂

Goodness. It’s so nice to see you in my inbox. I’ve been meaning to come on and reply and I apologize for not doing so sooner, things have been a bit random around here recently! Where is Arbutus? Holed up in central Vancouver, trying very hard to stay kind, calm, and safe. 🙂 (I’m strong on safe and reasonably good with calm. It’s the kind par…[Read more]

A belated Happy Canada Day to @winston, @nerys, @blenkinsopthebrave, and everyone in Canada! I hope everyone in the UK and around the world is keeping safe and sane through all the upheaval of 2020. Strange and exhausting times. And for tomorrow, wishing a happy and, most importantly, safe Fourth of July to all our American friends. Virtual hugs to all.

@psymon     While it’s entirely possible that Yaz will leave the team, I’m not convinced by the argument that her disobeying the Doctor means anything. Isn’t that what all companions do?

I didn’t get the feeling that she dismissed Jack’s warning without care, but given what was at stake, when would the Doctor ever have done differently…[Read more]

Well, this was fun, and surprising, too. (As I have determinedly been avoiding spoilers, even little ones, I was good and surprised when the “traveller” turned out to be the Lone Cyberman.) I enjoyed the setting and the guest actors, and felt that the creepy/scary component was just right. I agree with @bluesqueakpip that, for whatever reason, the…[Read more]

@nerys   Very sorry to hear about your cat. Hugs!

Thinking a bit more about this. This Doctor has occasionally referred to her previous self, saying things like “back when I was a bloke” and so on. I’m trying to remember, but I don’t think that this is something the Doctor has commonly done. He doesn’t say things like, “I met that alien before, when I was into bowties”, and so on. Once the…[Read more]

I really like @bluesqueakpip‘s take on memory and “everything you think you know is a lie”. It also occurs to me that tying in references to the Doctor’s past selves can help bridge the emotional disconnect between regenerations, both the Doctor’s disconnect from his own past selves, and ours. It’s easy to say it’s the same character, but it’s not…[Read more]

@blenkinsopthebrave      I watch on iTunes, so I don’t see it until Monday morning. Having just done so, I can now say that I really enjoyed this! I found it properly creepy, and interesting watching all the threads come together. I enjoyed the looks at the “real life” stories of the companions.

@jimthefish    For what it’s worth, I think that s…[Read more]

Well, I enjoyed this quite a lot. It was fun seeing the different members of Team Tardis showing up into the different ongoing situations, and working out how they all connected up. So glad that Adam and Jake were given a happy ending, didn’t think that was coming and I was so pissed off!

I liked the lack of an overt villain in this one. While i…[Read more]

@peacefrog    I didn’t know that was Pearl Jam. Cool! And Tom Petty, so beloved and so missed.

@Whisht    Whenever I hear the “one tonne” joke, I think of this old SNL bit. For some reason, it has stayed with me when better (probably) bits have vanished in the mists of time. Guantanamera!

Well, I started off mildly underwhelmed, mainly because I never much cared for the Judoon. I didn’t expect this. 🙂

Oddly enough, after being critical of the “kitchen sink” aspect of Orphan 55, I didn’t feel that way this time. While that one was basically a stand-alone episode, this feels like we are being given the ends of a lot of threads…[Read more]

In the spirit of Robbie Burns Day and Lunar New Year. Wanted something a little more Asian but couldn’t find the right thing, so here’s some Scottish big band instead. Gung haggis fat choy! (That is a real thing, btw.)

@peacefrog   I hadn’t heard about David Olney. Heartbreaking.

I love The Band, have posted them on here before. In amongst all the perfect bits, I’m a big fan of Garth Hudson’s organ playing.

Also, nice little Talking Orange Heads mashup.  🙂

@thane16   I think Mum would say “the sound was found as early as the 3rd century BC in…Crete.”

This made me smile. I once heard June Tabor introduce a song that she dated back to the 19th century. When she began, I recognized as originating in the Renaissance. Nothing’s as new as you think it is. Maybe some 16th-century listener knew it from his…[Read more]

Wow, I can’t keep up with all the excitement around here! So much fabulous stuff. My American-born husband introduced me to Tom Lehrer many years ago. My father-in-law is tone-deaf and has little interest in music, but as a Harvard-educated liberal, he greatly approved of Lehrer, and those songs were basically my husband’s nursery rhymes. I, of…[Read more]

@nerys   Yes, I forgot to mention that I also liked the connection Ryan made with Miss Skeritt, their mutual experience of how meeting someone extraordinary can change your outlook forever.

I don’t disagree with most of the criticisms that people have made. But while I watched the episode, they were nowhere in my view. They didn’t take me out of…[Read more]

I agree @missrori that the ending was lovely. It reminds me that even now, with all the challenges facing the world, there are forward-thinking, inspired people with ideas that might just take us into a better future!

Oh, and nice research @whisht on the Kraftwerk connection!