On The Sofa (7)

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

From an old Hootenanny – since I worship the very ground upon which Kate Rusby walks:

[Missy @missy]

I WISH ALL MY WHOVIAN FRIENDS, A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR.
MAY 2016 BE BOUNTIFUL AND OVERFLOWING WITH EXCITEMENT AND ANTICIPATION.

REGARDS,

Missy

[janetteB @janetteb]

Happy New Year all.

Cheers

Janette

[ichabod @ichabod]

Ah, new year is one and three quarter hours away here — no fireworks yet.  But happy New Year anyway!

Ichi

 

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

Happy New Year to everyone; and a Happy Birthday to this site. 🙂

[lisa @lisa]

HAPPY NEW YEARS !     Hoping and wishing everyone a very happy and healthy new year.

Happy Birthday Forum !      Abundant thanks to the  Forum runners !

 

You all rock!!!       🙂

 

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

Happy new one, all.

Some thoughts on what has gone and what may be to come: List of the Lost.

[Craig @craig Emperor]

I’ve slapped it on the home page, but would also just like to say “Happy New Year” properly to you all. You all make this site what it is and have made it a welcoming, entertaining and informative space on the interwebs.

Thank you to all of you for your participation in the past year, and I look forward to your contributions in the coming year. May you have a fantastic 365 days ahead of you. Make every one of those days count.

[Whisht @whisht]

May I just wish everyone a fantastic 2016!

Apologies I’m late in wishing it – I’ve been procrastinating, trying to find the ‘right’ song to go along with my wishes… and not finding it!
So instead I’ll simply say it, as that’s actually the important thing!

I love this place as its full of interesting voices, saying interesting things. Making me think, even if (especially if) I disagree. I try to read it every day even when travelling and if I’m not adding my voice its often because I’ve nothing interesting to add. But, I’m still grateful to Craig, the Mods and everyone who posts for making it a great space.

Hope 2016 brings you all joy and happiness.
x

[ichabod @ichabod]

@whisht  What you said!  This is a great place, with a very inviting sofa.

[Missy @missy]

Just thought I’d share. My DVd of Doctor Who 9 part two – IS ON ITS WAY!!!

I’ve come over all unecessary!

Missy

[SirClockFace @sirclockface]

Has anyone bought any big finish audio dramas? Are they any good?

[Dralygonyx @dralygonyx]

I read that this was an appropriate to say hello to the masses, so..

‘Ello

Just a random erratic Finn passing by, glad to join the fandom if you call it that, and all that. Watched one episode and I was hooked, what can I say? It’s a great and ever changing show with action and not too much drama, what’s not to love?

Bit about me perhaps? From Southern Finland, 19 years of age, Male, studying to become a traffic management and logistics engineer, I draw for a hobby, not eager to show my horrible sketchbooks, but I’ll make an exception for a cup of coffee, my other hobbies vary from training ambidexterity to action packed video games. Action, movement, oh, that’s the perfection I strive for, parkour, martial arts, the such, well in my dreams at least and sometimes on paper between my incomprehensible scribbles and crazy ideas.

I would just LOVE to get to know folks around here, but where oh where to start.

That’s about the smallest nutshell I managed to compress myself in. If you’re interested in me further, fret not, I’ll stick around, feel free to hit me up with questions if you like. Happy to make new contacts.

[winston @winston]

@dralygonyx  Welcome to the forum! I am sure you will enjoy yourself  here. I live in Ontario, Canada and it is great to meet people from all over the world with one thing in common….Doctor Who. Have fun exploring and reading this great site.

 

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

Well, there seems to be a bit of a lull on the forum. Although, happily there are still new members. (Welcome @dralygonyx. Like @winston, I am also in Ontario, Canada, although previously from Australia. (Doctor Who aficionados tend to travel, sort of in space, and over time.)

Anyway, I thought that perhaps we needed a focus during the long gap to series 10.

One idea is to look at the directors of the episodes. We tend to valorise the writers (Moffat, Gatiss, Gaiman, etc) and for good reason, but surely the directors have an input as well. For example, both Deep Breath and Into the Dalek were directed by the same person who directed A Field in England, and the forthcoming High Rise. What influence do the directors have? I don’t know, but I thought it might be an interesting question to ask.

 

 

[ichabod @ichabod]

@missy   Yay, missy!  I thought it wasn’t going to be available in full until March, though — ?  With the two Xmas specials, I mean — Last Xmas, and Husbands?

@dralygonix  I would just LOVE to get to know folks around here, but where oh where to start.

Fret not, you have already started.  Maybe go back and read the forum material on the eps of Season 9?  That should give you the flavor of discussion here . . . I’m in the American Southwest, the state of New Mexico to be precise, although I was born and raised in New York City.  Teacher, writer, mid-seventies and busy trying to wrap up this career before this life wraps up.  I’ve watched a lot of Doctor Who, on and off, since it began, but really fell back into it with Capaldi’s version of the Doctor and his two seasons (so far) in those fine frock coats.

@blenkinsopthebrave  There’s a twitter sort of site, I think, for Rachel Talalay where she talks about directing “Heaven Sent”, and the choices she had to make within the constraints they have to work with.  If I can find the url  again, I’ll send, for anybody who hasn’t come across it yet.

[ichabod @ichabod]

Here it is:

http://racheltalalay.tumblr.com/post/135339295759/notes-on-heaven-sent-part-1

You read this and understand why when somebody asked Peter Capaldi if he’d like to direct an episode, he answered with an emphatic, “No!”, explaining that he’s seen enough of how extremely complicated and demanding the job is.

 

[janetteB @janetteb]

I like that idea @blenkinsopthebrave. We have never looked at Old Who from the perspective of script writer or director either so maybe that could be “a thing”.

@ichabod. thanks for that. I noted on skimming over, (will read later when time) that she discusses the choice of location which reminds me of something I have often thought lately, that castles have become the quarries of AGWho, a legacy of filming in Wales I guess. If one has Caerphilly and Cardiff on one’s doorstep..

Cheers

Janette

[JimTheFish @jimthefish Time Lord]

@blenkinsopthebrave — the directors thing is a fine idea. Many were just jobbing directors who just did Who as a gig and probably didn’t contribute anything that distinctive to it, but many did leave their mark. The obvious starting point is Graham Harper who straddles both the old and the new series. Also Morris Barry is probably worth a look from the old series. And some of the AG directors are definitely worth looking at too — especially Douglas MacKinnon, Euros Lynn and Rachel Talalay.

[winston @winston]

Thank you @ichabod for posting that. It makes me appreciate the work that goes into DW, even more.  I am so lucky to be able to turn on the TV and be entertained by the final product. No wonder Capaldi doesn’t want to direct an episode as it takes weeks just to prepare for shooting.

Seeing how important they are to the  show  it makes sense to focus on directors.

[ichabod @ichabod]

@janetteb  @winston   You’re welcome — it’s amazing to see how much forethought goes into just a fragment of the script — I’ve always thought of it in theatrical terms (since that’s the only kind of directing I have any first-hand experience of), which was focused on talking to the actors, “What if you try it this way” kind of thing — not this focus on so much detail!  Of course, when Hollywood makes movies about making movies, the Director is always shown just doing the glamor stuff with the “talent”, not figuring out weird angles with the light guys and camera guys, so I’ve thought of them as kind of puffed up autocrats, not on this level at all.

I hadn’t realized that Talalay has done a lot of work on horror films; of course she’d go to the Germans for this story, although it’s not nearly as noticeable in color as it is in B&W.  Still, those corridors — very special, that.

 

 

 

[lisa @lisa]

I know this might sound a teensy bit silly to say but why has the ‘link’ between

River and Clara not been resolved yet? So we know Clara became something ‘new’

but where did we all decide that she started from again?   I’m still feel left hanging about

that River and Clara link and also since we  all were sharing so many great theories  about

what it was  that made Clara so special.  Quite honestly in the end it’s a thing  bugging me

a lot . Only because I was so certain there would be more to the front end of the Clara story.

Just saying it still doesn’t  all add up for me and that I still feel there has to  be more.

 

 

 

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

In the middle of an otherwise excellent piece about Chandler and SF, this splendid piece of pseud’s-cornery from China Méiville:

“The various manly Virgils who appear ex nihilo to escort Marlowe through his oneiric purgatories are not characters, but eloquent opacities in man-shape: much more interesting.”

 

 

[JimTheFish @jimthefish Time Lord]

@pedant–

I love me an an eloquent opacity me…..

[McCotton @mccottonthedoctorfan]

Hello everyone.  I’m new to the forum.  Just real quick, I’m American.  My favorite Doctor is the Third.

Anyway, I was wondering if I could get some opinions.  Recently, I’ve been looking into expanding my Doctor Who DVD collection.  I already have “The Doctors Revisited” specials.  I was thinking of getting a couple more serials, but I wanted some opinions, just to see if what I’m interested in is worth buying:

*The Five Doctors- I’m actually very interested in this one.  I’ve only seen two of the multi-Doctor specials (The Three Doctors, and Day of the Doctor), but I like them.  But I’ve heard more mixed things about this one.

*The Deadly Assassin- I’ve heard good things about this one, but I’m not too sure.  Honestly, I’m only mostly interested in it because of the Peter Pratt incarnation of the Master

*An Adventure in Space and Time – It’s not really an episode, but it’s still about Doctor Who.  Plus, I’m interested to see David Bradley’s portrayal of Hartnell

[janetteB @janetteb]

@mccottonthedoctorfan I would recommend all three “stories”. The Five Doctors isn’t one of the best ever but it is fun. The Deadly Assassin also is not one of the best but still good. An Adventure in Time and Space is well worth watching. I loved it. David Bradley is wonderful as Hartnell. (as would be expected.)

Cheers

Janette

[JimTheFish @jimthefish Time Lord]

Yes, indeed. A shout-out to @puroandson. Hope all is well with you. And also to @phaseshift who I hope is not submerged in floodwater somewhere…..

[lisa @lisa]

https://www.tumblr.com/reblog/136964936788/nQM2Afmj

[McCotton @mccottonthedoctorfan]

<span class=”useratname”>@sirclockface</span> I actually recently just bought “Shada.” I’ll let you know what I think of it when I finish it.

I’m looking forward to it personally.  Based on the reviews I’ve read, of the three versions of the “Shada” story (the novelization, the finally released Tom Baker serial, and the Big Finish audio drama which has been updated and re-written to feature the Eighth Doctor rather than the Fourth Doctor), the Big Finish version is supposedly superior version.

But like I said, I’ll give you my opinion after I finish it.

[SirClockFace @sirclockface]

@mccottonthedoctorfan thank you for that I was thinking of buying some of the 8th doctor ones but I was unsure as to whether they were any good.

Did anyone notice that in Smithdoc’s last episode Clara’s grandmother was wearing the same ring as Amy’s wedding ring. This means that Clara’s grandmother could be Amy and River could be her aunt or something which could explain Clara and River’s telepathic link!

[lisa @lisa]

@sirclockface

OMGosh!!!   What a great idea!   All in the family??    Very nice Mr. Clock!

This is quite  interesting to me and I definitely have to wrap my head  around this

possibility.  Especially since I’ve been troubled over the ‘non’ explanation on this

River and Clara link thing.   This could be a potential stunner at least for me.

Made my Sunday       🙂

 

That implies Amy had another child  besides River ?   Or was River and Eleanor

the same person?   Love the puzzles

 

 

 

 

[Anonymous @]

Hey I’m new here 😃
I just wanted to repeat what I said in the Fan-Art Forum:

I’ve created a Facebook Page to see what the ideal Doctor Who episode could look like and who knows maybe it could become a real one so come get a look and tell me what you think of this idea 😃

https://www.facebook.com/Doctor-You-825993917510251/?ref=hl

Hope we’ll be as much as possible, ’cause it could become really funny I think ^^

CU 😉

[McCotton @mccottonthedoctorfan]

@sirclockface I just finished “Shada.”  It’s really good.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Along with the Eighth Doctor, Shada brought back Romana (Romana II if you want to be technical) and K-9.  If this is the kind of quality continues throughout the Big Finish audio drama, then I would highly recommend them.  I can’t say for myself, because I’ve only listened to one.

Real quick, in this age of TV, it’s kind of hard to listen to them starting out.  But as you listen and get used to them, they’re a lot of fun.  You can actually visualize them as you listen.

[SirClockFace @sirclockface]

@mccottonthedoctorfan Thank you for the review!

I think I might buy the doom coalition box set featuring Paul Mgann. How long was each episode roughly?

[McCotton @mccottonthedoctorfan]

@sirclockface It’s hard to say.  I didn’t really time it, I just listened and experienced it.  If it helps at all, “Shada” was done in six parts on two CDs.

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

@sirclockface @mccottonthedoctorfan

It’s worth noting that, prior to the reboot, the BBC – insofar as it expressed an opinion – considered the audio adventures canon.

[Missy @missy]

Great news – for me at any rate.
Doctor Who series 9 part 2 has arrived!!!!! I’m so excited.
Shall watch at least one (7) tonight.

Missy

[todeledo @todeledo]

Will be great to hear your thoughts on the episodes @missy  🙂

[winston @winston]

@missy Have fun!

[Anonymous @]

@lisa

Hi there. I think that Amy was unable to have more children -hence the near-divorce as Rory always wanted more children and Amy wished to let him ‘move on’.

I assumed that Clara and River continued their telepathic link – from the opening of the episode in question – with the Paternoster Gang.

When Clara jumps in Smith’s time stream River knows Clara’s alive. Following this, River herself is fading and whilst the others can’t see her, the Doctor can (a neural memory relay connected to the TL dimension) -but only briefly.

But the link is eventually broken.

All this is speculation, mind. 🙂

Kindest,

Puro and Son

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

Christ on a bike. Alan Rickman now. Would have made an awesome Doctor and an even better villain.

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

As fine a comedy performance as you will ever see, and able to turn it on a sixpence:

[Craig @craig Emperor]

@pedant No.17 on Empire’s “The 100 Greatest Movie Characters” List: ‘Die Hard’ villain Hans Gruber

[janetteB @janetteb]

Tomorrow night re watching Galaxy Quest. Very sad indeed and a pity he never got to play a Dr Who villain. He would have been perfect.

Cheers

Janette

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

@craig

Indeed. And let’s not forget The Sheriff of Nottingham. With a spoon.

[spud @spud]

Cancel Christmas! (sob – sad week)

[Anonymous @]

@spud

what happened?

Ah, the death of certain people. Mr Bowie? I am equally devastated. But you may be referring to something else.

@janetteb @pedant @craig

have never heard of Galaxy Quest. Slightly confused! I better do some googling 🙂

Yes, Rickman is adored in my family -whether as Hans, in Harry Potter or theatre jobbing.

Also, that’s an excellent interview. I’ve never actually seen one with Rickman (dreadful, where have I been?) and that was surprising to me -reminded me a lot of Richard E Grant.

Kindest,

PuroandSon

[Anonymous @]

Mr @pedant

Christ on a bike. I really thought people were just going literally “Christ, Rickman could be good as a villain”. Then I read (re-read) @janetteb‘s post “very sad indeed”

My apologies for not realising what was going on.

I’m a bit sick of this. Now him? As well?

hence the interview which you posted @craig. I have to read things properly. Devastated .

@spud. Now I get what you mean.

Kindest and a tad saddest,

Puroandson

PS: I’m typing for the Mother. Speaking for me I loved harry potter and also all the Die Hard’s but mainly the first because of Hans Gruber. This is a terrible week. I know things come in threes. I would say to people (and I know I am little and so don’t know much but still) if you are very sad about things which are happening please talk to people -friends, family, on line buddies. Don’t get depressed by yourself. I don’t want to sound preachy, I just think that certain people might find this week quite difficult and hope they don’t shut themselves away -alone time helps but sometimes it doesn’t so if anyone wants to talk to me or mum or a lot of people here about this hard week then, well, maybe do that.

I am sorry if that’s too much information, but I can see how maybe some people will need to express themselves thru music, running, chatting, sharing stories. And that helps too. Me? I go running. Mum? She listens to music and then talks a lot.

From Son of P.

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

@puroandson

Most excellent words, Puricle.

And for you both: Galaxy Quest is an utter delight and I suspect you will not find anybody hereabouts unwilling to recommend it.

His Rickman-ness reads Sonnet 130:

And this gets to the nub of why it s matters (and, indeed, why this place matters)

Thinking about how we mourn artists we've never met. We don't cry because we knew them, we cry because they helped us know ourselves.

— Juliette (@ElusiveJ) January 11, 2016

[Anonymous @]

Mr @pedant

thankyou for that.  His Rickman-ness. That’s terrific. I loved that poem. I didn’t like poetry much last year I have to admit. I can analyse them till the cows come back but that’s fake to me. In a way. I have to hear a person say them. Mum says that’s the whole point. My uncle can do the whole Clancy of the Overflow poem and any Banjo Patterson. He does the whole first page of Tale of Two Cities and also the Superman intro ‘thing’. Drops me amazed.

Gosh ma bosh it’s about 2.20 am your time. If I am not in bed by 11 pm (on holidays) I get busted. But then the sun wakes me at about  3.45 am round now so I have to sleep in room with plastic on the windows.

I think mum said as much in some other message. 🙂

Thankyou

From Son

[Author]

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