On The Sofa (8)

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

An ‘In Joke’ for Dr Who fans:

Four days so far of headlines about ‘Worldwide Cyber-Attack’…

[Frobisher @frobisher]

Blimey, the BBC know how to start the hype early, don’t they?

😉

[Missy @missy]

@thane15: Being biased, I couldn’t agree with you more – or is it more with you. There must be plenty of actors who could have played that episode, but none would have been as convincing and as heart breaking as Peter Capaldi. But then we shall never know.

Missy

 

[McCotton @mccottonthedoctorfan]

Hello.  I’m looking for some recommendations.  You see, in a couple months, I’m going on a long-distance flight.  To pass the time, I’m looking into the Doctor Who audio dramas by Big Finish.  I already have “Shada,” and I’m about to acquire “The Diary of River Song,” and I was looking for some other recommendations.

Preferences:

*The Eighth Doctor

*River Song

*The Twelfth Doctor (though, I imagine, there isn’t too many of those yet)

*The Third Doctor

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

 
@mccottonthedoctorfan
 

Check this post for more audio adventures than you can shake a stick at: #57450

[Missy @missy]

A little story to make you smile – well, some of you.

We were watching Foyles’ War the other night, when all of a sudden I shrieked  “There’s the Tardis!”

Recovering from the unexpected decibels, my OH said “Where?” I paused  the scene  and there she was, all blue and shiny, with “Pull to open” on her door, just standing on a corner. What an unexpected treat. One assumes that she was borrowed from the BBC workshop.

Missy

 

[MissRori @missrori]

@mccottonthedoctorfan  There are no Big Finish Productions featuring the Twelfth Doctor yet — so far, the only new series Doctors to have been featured are the War Doctor and the Tenth Doctor.

There are also some audio plays in which secondary characters from the new series are the central characters; perhaps look into the UNIT audios about Kate Stewart, Osgood, and the rest?

The Twelfth Doctor has been the subject of BBC Audio short stories — like books on tape, read by a single performer (different secondary performers from the new series), just without the “book” part.  Each is about an hour long.  I haven’t listened to any myself, but they are available through iBooks and the like.  They’ve been produced in sets of four (so there have been eight to date), and the sets are thematically linked.

[Missy @missy]

Again, I shall see what I can find. Possibly they exist on YT.

Speaking of which. yesterday I watched PC being interviewed on stage at the Minneapolis Comic com. What a dear man he is. They invited two young boys (9-12 I’d say) on  stage, both dressed as Peter’s Doctor, and What a time they had. PC is very funny and interviews well. he spent most of the time laughing.

Missy

[Kharis @kharis]

@craig I know you are probably way to busy for this, but thought I’d request anyway: I’d love to see all the fourth Doctor’s episodes listed for comments.  I forgot how much I loved those episodes. 😊

[Frobisher @frobisher]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Can anyone recommend a good Doctor Who podcast that I can download and listen to here in the UK? Ideally it would discuss current stories as they happen, but some classic Who discussion would also be very welcome. Ta muchly in advance! :)</p>

[FatManInABox @fatmaninabox]

(grunts,groans, puffs & pants)

Apologies to those who were finding the sofa a bit lumpy and bumpy. It’s my fault, I fell down the back of it. I’d advise you all to not go rummaging down the back of it for lost coins/episodes though – it’s not pretty down there (doesn’t smell particularly pleasant either. That’s my fault too 😉 )

Blimey, it’s taken me a year to climb out of it! What have I missed?

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@fatmaninabox
If your sofa is anything like the Blenkinsop sofa, you must be covered in cat hair and biscuit bits. Welcome back!

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

@fatmaninabox   Weclome back!

 

[Anonymous @]

@fatmaninabox

Welcome back! Great to see you about on the boards.

Puro(oldIlion) and Thane.

<What have you missed?  possibly parallel worlds!>

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

@fatmaninabox

My God! He lives!

Welcome back from the wastelands, sir!

[Missy @missy]

@fatmaninabox:  We have not met, but welcome back anyway.

Missy

[Abaath @abaath]

Brand new to the forum and a very recent watcher of Doctor Who.  I started a couple of weeks ago with Series 1, with the Ninth Doctor.   I really really enjoyed it and went out and bought a book on all the Doctors to date.    I’m starting Series 2 tonight and even watched online the 4 original episodes of Unearthly Child.   Very entertaining from 1963.

I look forward to lurking around these parts and learning more about what I’ve been missing for the last 50 years…although I’m only 41, lol.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@fatmaninabox (aka FatVanWinkleInASofa) In our sofa, you could have lived for a year on the corn chip crumbs and beer nuts left behind by Arbutus Jr. Good to see you you survived.

[MissRori @missrori]

@abaath  Hello!  I’m 39 myself.

[janetteB @janetteb]

@fatmaninabox Glad that you finally made it safely out from the back of the sofa.

@abaath good viewing choices. We were just discussing the first series after the gap the other day and how good it was. If you enjoyed An Unearthly Child then I heartily recommend watching more old series. They can be patchy, some not good, some best passed over but others really shine. There are some discussion threads on some of the earlier stories under the respective doctors which are worth a quick read through too.

Cheers

Janette

[ichabod @ichabod]

@fatmaninabox  Hey, glad you got out alive!  Welcome back.

[Abaath @abaath]

@missrori thanks!!!

 

@janetteb  I’ll certainly check out more of the original series.   I really enjoyed An Unearthly Child as it had an old spaghetti western feel to it…sci-fi grit really!!  I’ll go check out the discussion on it.

 

[Missy @missy]

@abaath: Welcome. My goodness, you have a lot to look forward to. It will be interesting to know who your favourite Doctor is when you have seen all of them. The Unearthly Child was written by Steven Moffat, no wonder you enjoyed it. *grins*

Missy

[Mudlark @mudlark]

@missy   Moffat would have to have been very precocious indeed to have written An Unearthly Child, since he was only two years old when it was broadcast in November 1963 🙂  You appear to be confusing that, the first ever Hartnell episode, with The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.   Apologies for being pedantic, but I wouldn’t want @abaath to be confused.

And I add my welcome to you, @abaath.  Happy viewing, of both ‘old’ Doctor Who and the modern series !

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

As we all nervously await the announcement of the new Doctor, there is the usual dismay when names are mentioned: “”Oh, nobody could replace Peter Capaldi…” or “Tom Baker was The Doctor…” or… (fill in the blank space) was the best Doctor.

I was reminded of this when I saw the trailer for Kenneth Branagh’s new interpretation of “Murder on the Orient Express” which went online today. Already the comments are out there, along the lines of “after David Suchet, why bother?” or “Albert Finney was the best Poirot”. And so on.

But, like the Doctor, there are some popular culture characters that are so embedded in our cultural DNA that they will always remain constant, even if the actors and the interpretations change. The Doctor is like that, so is James Bond, as so is Hercule Poirot.

And the fact that Branagh can still stand upright while carrying the weight of those moustaches is a feat in itself!

[Anonymous @]

@blenkinsopthebrave

“I see e-VIL on this train”  Who are you?

I am Sherlock…wait..Hercuuule Poirot”

No, but seriously I agree: people do go a little nuts regarding their favourites (ahem). I love Suchet. Of course. But there was a time (strokes chin) when Branagh did “such distinguished work” (I say this in posh voice): Shakespeare, and more Shakespeare and ….other less notable things. Ah, Henry V!! One mustn’t forget that. His speech: from Salisbury Cathedral with Charlton Heston, ooh I loved that! I have it on cassette tape….rummaging.

Puro

[Missy @missy]

@mudlark: Quite right, I was. *blushes*  My apologies @abaath:

@blenkinsopthebrave: Thanks for the video.  Looks very good, so many great actors.  Love the way KB pronounces “Hercule Poirot.” The only drawback is that we all know who done it!

Missy

 

[janetteB @janetteb]

@blenkinsopthebraave I just watched the trailer and though I am no longer a fan of Christie I am looking forward to this one. Branagh is always good. I loved his Henry V and recently watched his Hamlet and found it much better than expected, He and Tennant are by far and away my two favourite Hamlets.

cheers

Janette

[ScaryB @scaryb]

Wow!

This place is looking very spruce 🙂

I’ve missed you all – been stuck in a big alternative universe of RL for far too long! Mega thanks to @craig, @jimthefish, @wolfweed and @pedant in particular for dragging me back!

Absolutely loving this series, Capaldi’s knocking it out the park (hope you’re more convinced now, @bluesqueakpip (but look forward to discussing if you’re not)). Going to take me forever to catch up on all the posts, but delighted the sofa’s still here and just as comfy. Any jaffa cakes? Jelly babies??

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@scaryb

Wow! You’re back! What good news!

[janetteB @janetteb]

@scaryb Great to have you back. Safe from the annoyance of RL for a time I hope. 🙂

The discussion of the recent episodes has been flowing so fast that I have been left behind. Too much of that annoying RL stuff too and so much to be discussed. I am two weeks behind and am unlikely to have time to catch up this week.

Cheers

Janette

[ScaryB @scaryb]

*Waves to @blenkinsopthebrave and @janetteb *

Thanks for the welcome. Good to see you too. (And relieved to hear @fatmaninabox manged to drag his head out from the innards of the sofa before I sat down! (I’ve been more under the sofa than behind it for most of this series)).

Done a little bit of dipping in to threads – the theories are as bonkers as ever, and I’m loving the Bowie links (I’d spotted a couple, but missed most of them). New pub looks good too 🙂

I’m likely to get drawn back into the alt universe again – the escape corridor out of it is a bit unstable! But hopefully for only short periods of time.  JanetteB – we need  to “borrow” a TARDIS in order to keep up!

Timeshifting tonight’s episode watch, but look forward to discussing it soon. Can’t wait to see how it pans out.

 

PS Big hi to @thane15 (would’ve done it earlier but only just worked out your new tag, Puro (&Son). Thought you’d gone)

[Missy @missy]

@janetteb:

I didn’t get to see DT as Hamlet, but did see Olivier, Branagh and Cumberbatch’s versions. Enjoyed all three so differently played,. BC’s was the most up to date, plus helped me to sympathise with  the character at last. I always found him to be a weak man  until I saw BC’s adaptation.

@scaryb:   Hello, *waves*

You forgot the Jammy dodgers. *big grin* However, I agree with you about Peter Capaldi, a lot of us are going to miss him – a lot!  and Steven Moffat.

@janetteb

I understand completely. Isn’t it annoying?

Missy

 

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

@scaryb

I’m sorry. Who are you?

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

@scaryb  Weclome back!!!!!!!

[Anonymous @]

@scaryb Hey! Mum say hey and welcome back.

I say: “is this the REAL you? Or a simulation?”

Thank you and cheers. Glad you’re doing well. From Thane and Puro

[FatManInABox @fatmaninabox]

Hi all and thanks for the welcome backs (welcomes back?).

I had intended a ‘big return’ to the forum but my plans have been scuppered by a few PC problems over the last couple of days. Still, there’s plenty of time to catch up.

While I realise it’s not necessary, I’d like to take a moment to explain my absence over the past year; I’ll try and keep it brief.

About 12 years ago, following a nervous breakdown, I was diagnosed as bipolar. Most of the time my condition doesn’t affect me too badly however last year, possibly exacerbated by my continued unemployment and the (at the time) impending EU referendum (or, rather, the nastiness being expressed by both ‘sides’), I lapsed back into a deep depression. I concluded, somewhat rashly (and irrationally), that the solution was to delete all my social media accounts and shut out everyone and everything.

For some reason though, I couldn’t bring myself to delete my Twitter account although I did frequently deactivate it only to reactivate it after a few days. I suspect a number of my followers became a bit pissed of with my erratic behaviour and I ended up going from over 300 followers to 28 (sorry to those of you who were/are following me).

@craig – My apologies for leaving you a ‘mod’ down with no warning.

@scaryb

And relieved to hear fatmaninabox manged to drag his head out from the innards of the sofa before I sat down!

I had to have a nice long bath after my escape – you wouldn’t believe the amount of glitter down there (I wonder where it all came from 😉 )

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

@fatmaninabox  I hope that your return signals that you’re feeling much better, even if the world isn’t exactly much nicer…..

 

[JimTheFish @jimthefish Time Lord]

Welcome back to @scaryb and @fatmaninabox…

I was beginning to worry about the two of you….

ah, it’s good to have the old family back together… sniff….

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

Any excuse…

[Anonymous @]

@fatmaninabox

that’s difficult and questions like “are you OK?” aren’t necessarily helpful. Bi-polar illness is a rotten gig in many ways.

All I can say is I’m so glad that you’re back. You, @scaryb were one of the reasons I joined this site in the first  place.

Please don’t be a stranger to us! You are well loved, friend.

Puro (hugs)

 

[ScaryB @scaryb]

@Thane15 – Aw, that’s so lovely, thank you. And I completely second your thoughts to @fatmaninabox.

@fatmaninabox – Heehee, still some glitter there, huh? No IDEA where that could’ve come from 😉

@wolfweed – LOVE the Weclome mat, and a picture of a squishy MEEEE (and my Doctor)! Thank you.

@pedant (you have no idea how much that made me laugh!), @Thane15 – you doubt my existence? Oh dear… I was hoping you could tell me!! I just came across this site by accident and it seemed to know me!

To all of you, thanks again for the warm welcome back. Made me feel all squishy. Will do my best to sustain the transfer window, till end of the series at least.

 

[Whisht @whisht]

@fatmaninabox – as Puro said.

Also great to see you’re still around @serahni as always enjoy your thoughts.

(Apologies for missing others who I’ve forgotten – the threads are looonnng if its few days after an episode!!)

[Serahni @serahni]

@whisht   Thank you!  I’m like the proverbial bad smell, I never truly fade.

[xxtheshadowhunterxx @xxtheshadowhunterxx]

I am new to this forum. I created an account approximately 3 minutes ago haha hello.

[Missy @missy]

@xxtheshadowhunter:   Hello there *waves*

This is a marvellous forum, so if you are a true Whovian you are in for a terrific time.

Missy

[FatManInABox @fatmaninabox]

@Thane15

Please don’t be a stranger to us! You are well loved, friend.

@scaryb

And I completely second your thoughts to FatManInABox.

@whisht

as Puro said.

Aww, luv you too

I haven’t been around as much as I’d have liked as I’m having a serious de-clutter of my flat as well as rearranging the furniture. (@ScaryB – you’ll be pleased to hear that it’s been mostly ‘cloutson’ this past week 😉 ). I’m almost done but I still need to pluck up the courage to face the spare room or, as I’m now calling it, the Scare Room (there are, erm, ‘things’ lurking amongst the dust bunnies 😮 )

I’ve been watching the election results all night. A disappointing result but at least I’ve had a good chuckle with the news that a number of heavy-weights have lost there seats – the highlight being Nick Clegg discovering that in addition to large debts, Students have very long memories 😈

Anyway, it’s late, or early, or something. Time for bed, or breakfast, or possibly one last cuppa. Ugh, my sleep-deprived brain feels as cluttered as the Scare Room 😕

Nighty night.

[ScaryB @scaryb]

@fatmaninabox

“The scare room”

LOL – sounds like my kinda place (and also sounds very familiar (come and do mine too if you like 😉 ))

[ScaryB @scaryb]

For info – anyone in Edinburgh this August might want to check out this show (14-26 Aug) – a 3 hander, written by Minister of Chance writer Dan Freeman, with performers including SYLVESTER McCOY!!

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/joke

(Not a joke… well it is, as in A Joke is the title! 😛  )

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@scaryb

A somewhat delayed reply, but…

(hope you’re more convinced now, @bluesqueakpip (but look forward to discussing if you’re not)).

Alas, no. To me, Peter Capaldi is just not ‘The Doctor’. A Time Lord, yes, fine. Alien, definitely. But he’s not ‘The Doctor’. For me, Peter Capaldi’s playing the Gallifreyan who really lives behind the role of ‘the Doctor’. But I don’t enjoy watching that. 🙁

It’s rather weird, because I keep trying to watch Who and keep finding this bloody great blank space where the Doctor should be, filled by some strange Time Lord I’ve never seen before. I dunno if it’s intentional; there have been hints this series that something’s very wrong – so if it turns out that there was an underlying plot line behind it, it will just have to go down as an experiment that didn’t work for me.

Oh, and I hasten to add that I really like Peter Capaldi’s work. I’ve seen him in loads of stuff. I had to watch Paddington last month, and he was effortlessly Mr Curry – so I don’t quite get what’s going on with his Doctor.

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