[janetteB @replies]

I am loving these articles. Part three went up today.

Happy reading

cheers

Janette.

(and where is everyone by the way It is the 23rd. Happy 60th Dr Who)

 

[janetteB @replies]

And the goodness continues. Part Two of the Guardian article.

and i found this Radio Times article when looking for something else.

I am sure there will be plenty more in the next few days,

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

so the publicity circus is swinging into gear now. This article is a delight.

And only a few days to go. I am beginning to get a little bit excited. Feels rather like back in 2005 only now I have a lot more memorabilia to spread around. (Our table is still covered with daleks, tardis and mini fig’ doctors from when we did the recording. There are even sticks of celery because we were watching a fifth doctor story.)

Cheers

Janette

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@jimthefish. I just noticed this post. Great little sketch and as @winston says, just in time for a new profile pic.

I like the costume too, simply but stylish, with a definite, Doctorish feel to it.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave. Ah the Star Wars Christmas Special. We are going to cover that for our next cult tv podcast. I suspect it will be a “hate watch”. Those always seem to be the most fun.

Talking of which we just did Black Orchid which was not overly popular. One of our group was horrified at having to watch at least five minutes of cricket. They really do stretch it out. I have yet to edit the podcast and as there is over an hour of recordings might take a bit though I would like to get it up by the 23rd. (We always do Dr Who in November.)

Read this item about RTD talking about his love for Dr Who last night but was too tired to post the link so doing so now. (incidentally there was also an article about Star Wars Christmas Special which was fun.)

Cheers

Janette

 

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@dentarthurdent.

“(I’d love to know if a regular character has ever said ‘No I wouldn’t do that, three episodes ago I did the exact opposite’ and had their point taken up.)”

According to JMS (creator of Babylon 5) one of the actors objected to something his character did in the second season and his objections were taken on board and the script modified accordingly. A good script writer should at least give consideration to the opinions of the actor regarding their character. Some do some don’t and this in the only example that immediately springs to mind. Older more experienced actors are more likely to have input into their characters than younger, less confident actors. (I am thinking now of Ryan and Yaz, who were very inconsistently written characters and would no doubt have improved had the actors had more say.)

I have just watched the final episode of the last series and yes agree with your point about the lack of a strong coherent plot. The start was promising, the end was cute but what was that hot mess in the middle all about? There were cybermen, daleks and the Master doubling as Rasputin, (neat idea but didn’t seem to really go anywhere), all swirled together in a badly cooked soup. I would not have minded had it been a bit incoherent if there had been good dialogue, well developed characters, even the odd moment of humour but the script was flatter than one of my failed pitta breads.Then he tried throwing in a lot of beloved old faces to try and win over fans but gave them the same leaden dialogue. They deserved better, J.W. Yaz and Kate all deserved better.

Cheers

Janette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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@dentarthurdent I am currently reading Reaper Man, usually while I am sitting in the car in supermarket car-parks surrounded by shopping trolleys which is weirdly apt. Also living in a semi rural town that has had the centre drained of life by external shopping centres the point he is making is all too prescient. Terry Pratchett has a strong humanist message, or Humanist. It certainly accords with the Humanist ethos.

Also yes agree that T.P and Douglas Adams are very similar in style and certainly in humour. Both have a lot of depth in their writing. I still think that D.A. had the best solution to ruling the universe. (The man on the island who did not know that he was President)

I am fond of the TV adaptation of Hogfather because that was my introduction to T.P though I have not got to the book yet so will probably amend my view of it when i do. I did enjoy the animated adaption of Maurice and his Educated Rodents, (with David Tennants’ fine voice acting skills) after reading the book but that is a somewhat simpler narrative and it certainly did not capture the philosophical complexity of the book, remarkable for a children’s story but I was not expecting any adaptation to pull that off.

Cheers

Janette

 

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

Hi @oochillyo I would say yes that every story creates its own logic, ie the Tardis, utterly impossible but explained within the story and that also leads to other story justifications. Likewise the Doctor regenerating. take for example the Doctor changing gender, that is explained logically withing the narrative and has been so since the end of the Hartnell era even if the writers of the time weren’t thinking in those terms.

I am currently reading Terry Pratchett novels. The plots are insane but makes sense within the logic of that world and he really pushes the boundary of what is and is not justifiable.

The same rule applies to art as well.. One of my sons is a digital artist. He creates fantasy scenes but still has to justify the elements within them according to the logic of the fantasy world he is creating.

This is not a hard and fast rule, there are none when it comes to creativity and I hate people who say you have to do this or that, write this way or that way, because we are all different and operate differently but in general creative works, images, stories, “read” better if they operate according to their own logic. I would suggest be creative and then develop a justification. Trying to work out the “justification” for what you are creating can lead to some interesting narrative complexity and give more depth to your fantasy world.

Good luck and

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1lov3y0u (not sure if I got that right)

Interesting idea that Me is the Doctor’s mother. Don’t think I have heard that suggested before. IT would play to the claim from the movie that he is part human. I am not really a fan of that though. I prefer the Doctor to be completely alien with an unaccountable liking for humans. (all I can say is that Gallifreyans must be really rotten if humanity compares favourably to them.)

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Funny I didn’t get any messages. I put it down to sexism. …

Hi @oochillyo hope life is treating you well.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent Sorry for not commenting earlier on this excellent review. I have been busy in the past couple of week and not been able to post as much as I would like.

I think you sum up the episode really well. I am not sure that Anah was attached or was the entire story about her being killed a fiction designed to trap the Doctor? I need to re-watch it clearly. I loved the depiction of the Trap Street community. That is captured really well in this episode and there are plenty of interesting minor characters, sign of a good writer. I must check and see if Sarah Dollard has done any other scripts for Who. This one is very good. I do often wonder though as to the degree that Moffat edited scripts.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@jimthefish. Great to hear from you again. Hope that R.L has been treating you kindly.Will you be doing a portrait of the next Doctor? (after Tennants’ third run)

@blenkinsopthebrave Yes. I had forgotten the return of the Celestial Toymaker. It is indeed long overdue as he was a great character with potential. Good choice of actor too i think.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston We are currently getting our David Tennant “fix” watching Ashoka. He is excellent as the robot and though it is only the voice the robot is so like him.

We had a husky and she grew the lovely thick coat in winter and shed it all in spring, and then oddly again in autumn, usually just before it got cold. the place looked like it was hit by a “fur storm” for a few days but was all over and done with quite quickly. I used to keep the fur in the hope of getting it spun one day. Would have to have a “xaya” scarf.

It is just warming up here but we are in desperate need of rain. Started watering about a month ago now. Right now my roses are in full bloom and the petunias are getting established in the pots and it is lovely and colourful out there and so much brighter without the tree which was too big for our garden though I know we are going to miss the shade when summer hits.

But back to Dr Who. Thank you for the link @blenkinsopthebrave. I am getting very excited about the new episodes. We don’t and won’t get Disney + either however the son and his girlfriend have it to watch Star Wars so it is in the house. I would like to have a family viewing of the special as we all went to the cinema for the 50th.

I have already put some Dr Who merch’ on my Christmas wish list. I need a key ring for the car key. We just got two cut before our old one ran out of battery and for the first time have a key each so I want a proper key ring and of course it has to be Who themed.

Cheers

Janette

 

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Thank you for the news @blenkinsopthebrave. (got it right this time..) Finally we have dates and less than a month to wait. (I have a Dr Who podcast to record and edit in that time, but still doing old who as our rule is must be more than twenty years old. I am hoping to be ready to do Rose when the time comes.) We also have to catch up with the end of series 13. I don”t want to watch the new specials until I have seen J.W’s farewell and I have been putting it off.

Cheers

Janette

 

 

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@blenkinsopthebrave. I am sorry. Was posting late last night. Dangers of posting while very tired. You both have long names and my half asleep brain scrambled things.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent. Sounds as though Mrs D needs a holiday to recover from her holiday. Hope all is well now. Raro sounds wonderful. I now want to visit. Your description reminds me of a small island that my friends and I stayed on on the Cork coast when we were backpacking/hitching around. With a population of 80 everyone was a neighbour and the pub stayed open for a long as they liked. The nearest cop was on the mainland.

I hope that Raro isn’t too threatened by rising sea levels.

Cheers

Janette.

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent. Yes. It was especially with all the nonsense being churned out by the no camp. It does not restore one’s faith in humanity.

Re the music that is a good point. Murray Gold’s music suits the nature of RTD’s writing.  Neither tends towards the subtle.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Thank you for the news @blenkinsopthebrave. I have mixed feelings about this one. While I loved Murray Gold’s music I also really liked the music composed by Segun Akinola. His adaptation of the theme is one of my favourites and I am sorry that he is no longer composing for Dr Who.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent Sorry to hear that Mrs D has been unwell. Hopefully she is now fully recovered and you are both enjoying the holiday.

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

Saddened to hear of the death of Michael Gambon, such a wonderful actor and superb in A Christmas Carol, lovable as Dumbledore too. I think my favourite role of his was in Longitude. I really should re watch The Singing Detective too. I last saw it when I was at Uni studying Film Noir.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@nerys. First fires then storms. Mother nature is not being kind to Canada at the moment. It seems that this year we are really beginning to see just how pissed nature is though humanity has a frightening capacity to forget a crisis very quickly. I think it takes a couple of days from memory. My S/O did some research on that when he was working.

Anyway glad to hear that you were not overly battered by the storm. Lets hope that your part of the world gets a break now to recover.

We have not been watching any tv of late. The S/O is lost in a computer game which gives me time to catch up on my own work. We are looking forward to watching Ashoka now and last night I finally watched the trailer for the upcoming Dr Who specials and they look fun.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@translatercircuit According to an article in the Guardian recently the next series of Dr Who is going to be impacted by the writers strike, presumably due to the Disney connection. I guess that the specials will not be impacted.

. Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@winston Our sons tell me that I am too forgiving of Dr Who too but sometimes it does go too far for me. Kill and Moon and the cyberking being probably the worst examples. Sci fi generally and fantasy create their own rules and as long as they vaguely stick to those that i fine. I tried writing a sci fi story recently and got caught up in the “space travel is impossible” dilemma and finally decided in the interests of fiction to just say, “They have found a way and not explain to much about how.” Sometimes the rules have to be suspended or there would be no stories. Hyperspace, wormholes warp speed, Tardis, as long as it sounds like it is established as fact within the fictional universe then I will accept it. But have a robot stomping over London in the 19th century that is not mentioned in history and I will be upset.

It is because I love Dr Who so much that being unable to watch the last series really saddens me I want to be loyal to it but I felt as though the series I loved was being trashed as the universe was ripped apart. I did not mind the stories mostly, I liked J.W. and though Graeme occasionally annoyed me I still kept watching until the destruction of Gallifrey. I do intend to watch the final though before November.

As an aside I recently had to update my phone (most reluctantly) and finally got the ring tone I have always wanted. We were dining with friends on Friday night and they guessed at once that it would be something from Dr Who. It is the Tardis sound. (my messenger alert is a cat meow)

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave. Good news indeed. She is always great value.

@devilshrobby There is still very little news coming out and like I am getting impatient. I believe the third of the specials will be broadcast over Christmas, though the actual date is unspecified. I am hoping it will be Christmas Day in a return to “tradition”. I guess things are a little uncertain now too due to the strike but I don’t know if that will effect the specials.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent. The Doctor and other aliens can bend “the rules of reality” but those rules need to be fixed in order to bend. I think it was Moffat that said that the human world of Dr Who is our world only without a curious little TV show called Dr Who. that is also why stories that change our history bother me, ie the giant stompy robot striding across London in the Next Doctor Christmas Special. Moffat gets a get out of goal free card, (just) for the T Rex in the Thames because he explains why it is forgotten later and it does no damage, AT the time most people dismiss it as a kind of trick.

We deploy that same suspension of disbelief in most sci fi. The aliens have artificial gravity. No need to explain how that works. It’s alien. The aliens have found hyper space, no need to explain that, its alien etc etc. that is one of the reasons that sci fi appeals to us, it can bend reality without challenging our sense of reason.

I do hope that Moffat will find time to write the odd story or two for his old mate RTD..

Cheers

Janette

 

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

Have not watched the two parter for a while. Zygons are one of my favourite monsters, in part because Dr Who and the Zygons with Tom Baker and Elizabeth Sladden was the first episode I ever watched and because there is something very disturbing about shape shifters. You cannot ever be sure than anyone is who you think they are.

As to the revival of Osgood. Poor Moffat could never kill off a character. He specialised in stories where, “everyone lives”.  Fans complain so he kills a character, fans complain even more so he revives her. (And a good thing too. Osgood is a great character and who better to show that the enemy may not be who we think it is.) I really do love the ending of this two parter. Dr Who is no longer a simple story of humans/good guys verses aliens/bad guys.

Cheers

Janette

And back to the podcast editing. right now I feel like Bernard trying to avoid doing his tax….

 

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@dentarthurdent. Another well thought through review. I have not re watched this for a very long time but as I recall there were aspects of the historical depiction of Vikings that annoyed me. I don’t recall just what they were however. I also found Ashildr a bit irritating at times and though  I really don’t know anything about electric eels that bit rather stretched credulity. So overall  I would give this a 6/10, just a pass.  Having read your review however I now do want to watch it again and see if it holds up better than remembered.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Have just returned from holiday and doing some catching up.

A good review for an episode that would probably be a 7/10. Not bad with a lot of good moments but not one of the best. (I have not watched it for a long time so I may be unfair in that judgement.) I thought it better than the previous episode with the dodgy Vikings. An episode of Sandman reminded me a little of this episode, where it touched on what it actually means to live forever.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston  I feel the same. It isn’t just about “us” humans, we are killing so many other innocent creatures and that simply isn’t fair. We don’t have the right to do that. Just today I saw that Emperor penguin chicks are dying in Antarctica. We are destroying so much in our hubris and arrogance. But is isn’t most humans, just unfortunately those in power.

Yes we have to stay hopeful. That is our best defence. (I think the Doctor would agree. If we don’t keep hoping then we have no hope of ever doing better.)

We are about to get busy in the garden too We just had the peppercorn tree removed, much to the relief and delight of our neighbours as it was causing some issues and we were able to provide several with free firewood. We now have a huge area of yard covered in sawdust and lots of plans.

I love the name Emilia. For some reason I like female names beginning with E and as lot of the main characters in my writing have names beginning with E, Eleanor, Emma, Ellen, etc.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave. Thank you for sharing that news. I note they used the words, “Christmas Special” and that makes me very happy indeed.

In a overview of tv series coming this “autumn” to the UK in the Guardian the other day it was said that RTD is saving Dr Who for a second time. I hope those words prove true.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave. Hi. Good to hear from you. I hope all is ok in your neck of the woods and you are not troubled by fires.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent That is a cool detail. Colstrope is an interesting name. I do like these old Anglo-Saxon names. Or derived from old anglo-saxon.

We finally finished series 2 the other night. Not as good as series 1 but still very good. It lacks the Pratchett whimsy element and I feel as though it is really setting the stage for series 3.

I will have to look out for Neverwhere.

In other matters, I hope that everyone is ok. It has been very quiet here of late.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@jameshope Agreed. Such a pity that so many of his stories are missing.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston I would love to have grandchildren one  day but no prospect of that at the moment. I do have a “grandkitty” as compensation. You are very fortunate and so are your grandchildren and great grandchild. (our boys lost their grandmother when they were very young. we were talking about that today. family gathering.)

I liked all three actors playing the master in AG Who. John Simm was good at the beginning but I thought the writing for his character became too “over the top” in later episodes. He was excellent when he returned in the last Cap Doc episodes. Missy was fun, and great dress sense. I would love to wear suits like that. Sacha Dhawan is a great actor and I hope that he returns in the next series. (Though I am still sad because he would have been a great Doctor.)

Meanwhile we are currently watching series 2 of Good Omens and enjoying all the Doctor Who references. I wonder if Neil Gaiman will write another Who Script. I feel as though he is hinting at that in this series. Show his credentials as a committed fan.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston Congratulations That is wonderful news and having a great great grandfather, wow That is impressive. A lucky child too, to have so many generations of family.

and @dentarthurdent I was not a fan of the movie at the time it was a bitter disappointment, It just didn’t have the feel of Dr Who. It has been years since I watched it but at the time it felt like watching something else entirely. Paul McGann was great in the role and I was thrilled that he got to do the regeneration short for the anniversary. He has endeared himself to fans through Big Finish and his convention appearances and that swansong was well deserved. It also showed just how good he would have been as the Doctor.

When we get to Doctor no 8, (if we get to that) in Cult TV Club  I will probably just show a snippet of the movie and the minisode. We are up to Davison this year but scheduling recordings is getting increasingly difficult.

Cheers

Janette

 

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

@toinfinityandbepond I am so excited about Good Omens. Been looking forward to it for ages and just what I need to unwind after this weekend. (my busy weekend for the year) Will be looking out for those easter eggs and the OMG moment.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent. We are still to watch this episode. I have been putting it off but we plan to watch it before the specials air later this year. Your review gives me more confidence about it. I have decided not to watch the Flux series which saddens me. The destruction of Gallifrey lost me. But I do want to see J.W’s final episode. I agree that Yaz was the best of her companions. She tended to be pushed into the background in the first series which was perhaps to her advantage as her character was not as inconsistent as Ryan and never became annoying like Graham. I wish thet her family had featured more too.

So Thank you again for the review.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent. I remember watching Fifth Element back in the day, probably on VHS from our local video hire store. That was the period when we would pick up a fresh batch of videos every Tuesday and take away from the restaurant next door. Now feels like another age, akin to having a milkman deliver the milk every morning with horse and cart. I was not such a big fan of the movie but I was impressed by the imaginary world. My favourite sci-fi movie from around that era is less elevated. It has to be Galaxy Quest. Dune might be another contender for favourite when the second part finally releases. (it is apparently now delayed to next year.)

We are currently watching the Doctor/Martha series, when other tasks permit.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@translatorcircuit Speaking of German productions, I doubt though that there is any hope of a life buoy being thrown to 1899. I was very very disappointment when Netflix cancelled it. I have not watched it yet but I loved Dark and was really looking forward to 1899. Perhaps the makers will be funded for a new series by someone else.

While it would be nice to see other countries benefit from the Hollywood strike at the same time these major streaming sites are screwing everyone world over and I would not be happy to see them bypass U.S. workers/actors only to exploit creative people in other countries in the same way. I think this strike will have ramifications for the industry world wide. Fingers crossed that will be for the better.

We have several versions of Shada one voiced by Tom Baker which is rather lovely, even if it relies upon stills for the missing scenes. It was a good story, written by Douglas Adams and a great shame that it was never finished.

Cheers

Janette

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@oochillyo  I have only read a couple of comics, mostly Dr Who related or Babylon Five related. I read a lot, alternating between fiction and non fiction, mostly history and archaeology. My taste in fiction is broad, literature, sci fi, fantasy, and like @dentarthurdent,  I avoid the popular stuff. Currently I am making my way through Terry Pratchett. Wonderful stuff, and reading A Suitable Boy as well which has taken me most of the winter.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston and @dentarthurdent I have started a post several times in the past few days and then not had time or brain energy to finish. so I have made notes, Back a few posts to the mention of Big Finish. I have listened to a couple. We got one free with a Dr Who magazine once. They are pricey though and i don’t listen to stuff so I have not invested in any. I do hear they are very good and listening to the interviews certainly sparked my interest.

Re gardens, I am envious of both your gardens. Mine is now so overgrown by Morning Glory creeper and bougainvillea that my poor rose bushes are being strangled. We had a sunny day on Wednesday and I went on the attack. We have a peppercorn tree to cut down, which we are sad about because I love all trees but this one is a menace in a suburban garden and so has to go.  The s/o is putting off making the fateful phone call.

We are also re watching series three with Martha Jones. Watched Smith and Jones the other night. I think Martha was overshadowed by Rose and some poor writing. Having her in love with the Doctor was a mistake. Maybe it would have worked if it were not so heavy handed. Still she is so good in Human Nature/Family of Blood which are two of my favourite episodes. The acting and writing is near to perfect and I really feel for Martha, being bullied and dis respected, and watching the Doctor falling in love with another woman. Martha is now one of my favourite companions and I do wish she had stayed for another series.

Dentarthurdent there is a discussion thread I think about Neverwhere down in the TV threads from when we were looking at other shows featuring Peter Capaldi. I have not seen it and did not realise that it was based on a Gaiman story.

(And talking of Gaiman i believe that the next series of Good Omens is dropping soon. More Tennant/Sheen goodness to look forward to.)

Cheers

Janette

 

 

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I was wondering if the extension of the Hollywood writer’s strike would impact Dr Who now that it is a Disney production and it seems it will at least according to this Guardian article. That is one of the costs of the new partnership I guess. I hope the strike achieves its aims and am 100% behind the strikers, even if it means waiting longer to watch some favourite shows.

In other Dr Who related news the Guardian are doing a question and answer with Mark Gatiss. I was going to post a question, asking if he is going to write another scrip but someone beat me to it. I hope the question gets selected.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent I have just spent the last two hours not doing all the jobs I was supposed to be doing this afternoon and it is your fault. 🙂 Thank you for sharing those links. Really enjoyed both interviews so much. Billie Piper’s hair threw me. I started watching on the small screen and felt as though there was someone else talking with her voice so I had to go full screen.

Some notes. I applaud her choice of best episodes, Tooth and Claw and Father’s Day both of which we re-watched recently and hold up well. I also “hear heared” her favourite Rose saying, “no more” and anything relating to chips. Nice to hear her talking about working with Camille, her second Mum.

Christopher’s Ecclestone’s interview was full of interesting insights and proves wrong anyone who claims that he doesn’t do humour. I laughed out loud several times. His favourite, The Empty Child is one of my all time favourite episodes and the Doctor interacting with the children is a highlight of that. He sums up the quality of Doctor Who perfectly with the words, “humanity, inclusion, equality” and I think that RTD really brought those aspects to the fore in his writing. Applause from me for his mention of Glenda Jackson. I was thinking of her when he talked about his background and of course for mentioning the film Jude.

So now I am keen to find out more about that Big Finish production that is coming out soon.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

works for me too, which is why we re watch so much Dr Who. The Doctor always makes the right choice, defends the innocent, and sends the monsters back to where they belong. it is proof that TV does nto always have to reflect reality. Humans have been telling stories for thousands of years that uplift us, that inspire us to keep on fighting to make the world better, stories that give us hope, that soothe us when we are hurt and Dr Who fits right into that.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

“Santa and his sarcastic elves”. That sounds like just the medicine I need right now. (just been shouted at for half an hour over the phone re’ R.L shit that unfortunately seems to be par for the course in running community events. Grrrr.)

Wish I could get attacked by a dream crab right about now..

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent to respond to the last post first, perhaps the dream crab extracted the memory of Clara from the Doctor and then went in search of her It is possible the Doctor was infected while on his search for Gallifrey.

I am not so confident however in Moffat’s script writing to be certain that he thought it through, though sometimes I suspect/hope that he has an explanation for things which are not explained on screen, like Orson Pink for instance. I suspected that “the woman in the shop” from Bells of St Johns was a throw away line that he later worked into the story because fans were speculating on who the woman was.

Last Christmas is brilliant, pure fantasy wrapped up in a solid sci fi concept. It all makes sense, in the end and is rationally explained. In fact the story plays with the irrational premise of many other sci fi stories, such as a random research facility that does not have any sound scientific basis for existing, random people who are clearly not really scientists, even Clara and Danny’s luxury home and gifts which would be way beyond the budget of 21st century teachers I would imagine. (It certainly would in oz these days)

This is one of my favourite Christmas Specials and one of my favourite episodes.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent It is a good series. Last Christmas is one of the best Christmas Specials, speaking of which I have high hopes that RTD will resurrect the Christmas Special. Dr Who and Christmas just go together like ghost stories and Christmas.

Been busy over the last couple of days but look forward to catching up with the observations also I want to reread your review from previous watches of Dark Water and Death in Heaven which were good episodes.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Urgh. I have replied twice to this. The first time I closed down Firefox before posting. The second time I was logged out. So third attempt

Another excellent review @dentarthurdent. There are some critical logical flaws in this episode and while I like the idea that the writer is trying to convey the execution does not work. I still prefer this episode to Kill the Moon which has no redeeming features at all for me.  I love trees and the idea of London being covered in trees has appeal. It is a pity that the story makes no sense. still at least there are some good moments and as usual lovely snappy dialogue which makes it mostly watchable. The first half, the set up, is definitely better than the pay off. The ending is down there with the broadcast in Kill the Moon and the golden arrow.

(I am certain that my original post was much better worded.)

Cheers

Janette.

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave Indeed. A very inspiring person. i was a teenager when I watched Elizabeth R. It made a big impression on me. The first VHS box set I ever owned was that series. Unfortunately I have not seen any of her film roles or seen her on stage. She was as inspiring a politician as she was an actor. Reading through all the articles about her today I am even more in awe of her achievements.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@nerys Hope that you are still safe and well.

It has been quite here of late and so i just wanted to say hi to everyone and hope everyone is ok and enduring the long wait till November.

We put on an old episode “Into the Dalek” tonight for background viewing. I have posters to design and the s/o is busy with 3d printing stuff. We have watched these episodes so many times that they are company now. Every so often we look up and smile at the snappy lines.

cheers

Janette

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