[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave I was greeted by the news when I walked into the house this afternoon. He does indeed have a look of the Celestial Toymaker about him and  I think he would be perfect in the role.

I feel as though RTD is throwing everything he can into the special, which is his style. It won’t be subtle and will be very different to Moffat’s special but hopefully it will be crazy and fun and that is what Dr Who needs more of right now.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent Well I finally finished reading the Dirk Gently books, in the wrong order but that seems oddly appropriate. The first book is very clearly taken from the scripts for the cancelled “Shada”. There are so many Dr Who elements in it. Now I want to re watch Shada to look for more influences. It is understandable that D.A. would want to make use of the story he wrote and at that time looked as though it would never “see light of day.” BBC probably were not even interested in publishing it as a novelisation back then as it had not been aired. Obviously there are also some significant differences too to Dr Who though he sneaks in a story element from City of Death. Clearly Douglas wasn’t adverse to reusing a good idea.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@nerys really sorry to hear about your Mum. The funeral service sounds lovely. I am glad it was of comfort and that you were able to see your mom. That is so important. Now treasure the memories and be kind to yourself.

Regards

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

I just wrote up a long post and when I hit send i was logged out so it has vanished into the ether. I won’t attempt to repeat it but will try and capture the essentials.

@dentarthurdent just to clarify my remarks above. IT was not the pollies expressing those views but the voters and supporters. The Libs were so out of touch with the electorate that they think people vote for them because they agree with them which is why they lost so many key seats to independents on issues like environment and corruption. I am hopeful that this signals a shift in the political spectrum here away from the two party dominance. We have a preferential voting system, which gives small parties like The Greens and Independents a chance. (don’t know if N.Z. has the same system. UK and U.S certainly do not. I doubt Canada does either.) Not always an advantage but I think it really paid of in this last Oz election.

@winston. We are all walking around the house with masks on and using a lot of sanitiser. Ed is now almost well. The S/O is probably on the recovery slope. I am waiting impatiently now for symptoms as I must have it and so would rather just get it over and done with. At least this means we should maintain immunity until we are eligible for the second booster. Also the boys are learning to cook at last.. Second son cooked curry tonight. Youngest will be doing spag through the week.

I hope you continue to avoid catching it. We knew that we were doomed having so many people in the house and one who is working in schools which are basically germ incubators. At least now we will be less scared, provided that the government continues to provide vaccinations, (which I am certain they will) and provided we don’t get hit with another more deadly variant. My S/O has a chronic cough so we have all worried about him catching it but he seems to be very well which is a big relief to us all.

Cheers

Janette

 

 

 

 

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave  Your comment about people believing in what is right, (which for some reason this borrowed laptop won’t let me copy/paste( is so true. I often find that the “Lib or in non Oz speak, Conservative voters generally agree that climate change needs to addressed ,that inequality is bad, that “progress” should be better controlled, that corruption is wrong and, in Australia at least that health care and education should remain free oh and also that big companies should pay tax. Nobody seems to really support what the conservative parties stand for  execpt the super rich handful that benefit from their snatch and grab policies.

A few years ago we were on a polling booth opposite a young woman handing out how to votes for the Libs who worked in a government school and was saying things to the effect of , Oh they will protect public education and they care about the environment at which point you just feel like shaking your head, throwing up your hands and walking away. If people voted for the issues rather than the political parties who lie and are misrepresented by the Murdoch and cronies media then I think we would be living in a very different world.

@winston. I am really sorry to hear about the result. I feel your pain. Last week I realised that there has been a weight in my heart for the last nine years. The trouble is that the next election the monsters might well be back. Murdoch media is doing its damnest to ensure that it is so.

in other news we now have Covid spreading through our house like a bushfire. Our boarder who works in schools tested positive Monday and has been in iso upstairs. Today my S/O got a positive. He’s had a pretty rough day but hopefully this is the worst. I expect to start showing symptoms in a couple of days time. Well the weather is awful so a good week to stay in, keep warm and do lots of reading and writing and watch Dr Who in a laptop in the bedroom.

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@winston Your provincial government sounds just like our former federal government. Spent years enriching their best corporate buddies at the cost of the nation and now the new government is left with the huge gaping hole in the economy and of course the right wing media, (it seems that now there is no other kind) will blame it all on this government. Yes unfortunately real like is very like a Dickens novel which is why I love Dickens. He does hold a mirror to the world and the vice, green and corruption he writes about is not unique to Victorian London.

Fingers crossed that the polls are misleading and you get a better result than expected. I do feel for you. Elections can be so depressing. One sees the harm these governments do to the economy (although the proclaim to be all about the economy), society  and the environment but people are swayed by popular press into accepting their lies. (and the last thing the world needs right now is more highways)

Cheers

Janette

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent Another excellent review. Not sure what I thought of this episode but I feel that it was a bit of a let down after the promise of pt 1 however it is so often the case that the build up is better than the resolution so I have come to expect it with two parters. I often prefer the first half of films when the setting and characters are being established and switch off once the action takes over.

Ada Lovelace is an interesting person and I would love to see her featured in a decent biopic. Babbage too. There is a film or tv series coming out soon about Noor Khan so hopefully that will do her justice.

Regarding the destruction of Gallifrey, yes it annoys me but not because it goes against canon though isn’t Me sitting in the ruins of Gallifrey at the end of time? Maybe it is jsut the end of the Universe. It annoys me for two reasons. Firstly Moffat brought Gallifrey back with RTD’s blessing in Day of the Doctor and I felt that destroying it again with in a few years is a bit rude. Secondly I suspect the reason Moffat restored Gallifrey is because it adds richness to the Who universe which is under-developed. Gallifrey gives writers something to hang a story from. Dr Who has countless alien species but no fleshed out universe or cultures off earth and even on earth there is not much breadth. This is the biggest weakness with Who overall in my view. The only planets that are really revisited, that have some vague fleshing out are Gallifrey and Skaro. Dr Who needs more established worlds beyond earth, not less. Even Earth is “de fleshed” by the loss of UNIT. (Another gripe)

AS a writer having a rich, well developed alternative world/universe to dip into is a massive aid to story generation, which is why Moffat urged RTD not to kill of Jennie and why he restored Gallifrey. The  current success of Star Wars for example is due largely to the universe building done in the comic series. The richer the universe the more there is to draw on creatively.

The Timeless Child story had potential to add to Who lore and the Who Universe. I have not watched the most recent series so I don’t know if it does or not but I am hoping that RTD does run with at least a version of it. The potential for meeting up with alternate Doctors is promising.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent From memory I think the episode was filmed in South Africa, so a fair way from home so they are venturing ever further afield. They might get to Oz or N.Z yet..

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave. I expect to see big changes now in Australia. Climate Change is on the agenda and it is pretty clear from that election result that Australians want climate action. “Albo” has long been the choice of the rank and file and more tellingly he is Penny Wong’s choice and endorsed by Julia Gillard so I trust we have a good P.M. at last but he and his team have an awful lot of work to do..

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent I scrolled back to check on what I originally wrote but does not seem as though I wrote anything. I have not re watched this episodes but have a favourable memory of it. Sacha Dhawan is great as the Master but I was disappointed by the casting as I’d rather set my heart on him playing the Doctor one day. He proved in this episode that he has the acting range required. I have no problem with Chibbers reviving The Master. He always returns, like the classic comic book baddie. Definitely one of the better episodes as i recall. Your review prompts me to re watch it when I can.

Oh and in Australia we don’t refer to houses as “ranches”. A farmstead might be referred to either as a “station” or just a “farmhouse” or a cottage depending on size. I think that is just a farmhouse and it does not quite look right, probably because it is not actually filmed in Australia. As far as I know this is only the second time Australia has featured in a Doctor Who Story the first being a Troughton story, (The Enemy of the World I think.) I don’t count the use of stock footage of Sydney Harbour which Moffat seemed so attached to.

Cheers

Janette

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave  We bought a VHS of Dr Who and the Romans back in the nineties so it is one of the first Hartnell stories I ever saw maybe even before we saw Unearthly Child. It is a fun story, very hammy but fun. Ian and Barbara are really well established in their roles and this story brings to the fore the relationship of the respective characters. The Doctor is at his most “twinkly” in this story, being clever and mischievous and more than a tad arrogant all through. Vicky as a character, works well, better than Susan I think. This is one of the best Tardis teams.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent Another great review. This was certainly more memorable than the previous couple of episodes, a 6.5 to a 7 out of ten episode. (maybe 7 is being too generous.) I do feel that Ryan and Graeme begin to feel overstretched as characters while Yaz has potential that is not tapped. (Maybe she finally gets to shine in the most recent series after the departure of Ryan and Graeme. i have yet to watch it.) The losing of Unit is one of those Chibnell things that really annoys me. He loves to kill off story elements, diminishing the Dr Who universe. I hope that Unit will return with RTD.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent. I am enjoying your reviews more than the original episodes. I watched this one and recall absolutely nothing at all about it. The words, “totally forgettable” have never been more apt. I shared several of your comments to the general assembly here and they were much appreciated.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston glad that you and your family survived the tornado. Must have been very frightening. Strong winds always put me on edge. A Tornado must feel like an full assault. Sad about the trees though. The loss of a single tree is sad, the loss of so many tragic.

And @blenkinsopthebrave I like your description of Twice Upon a Time. It is a finely crafted episode, perfect in all respects and a fitting finale for both Capaldi and Moffat. (only I hope that RTD persuades the later to write the odd episode during his tenure.)

Lets up hope that like Winston, RTD choses to forget the entire Timeless Child story and the destruction of Gallifrey. Jo Martin can be the Doctor from an alternative universe. No need to explain then why her Tardis is a police box as it is established that it was not in that form when Hartnell Doctor stole it.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@mudlark I understand how you feel about the historical stories. There is always a problem with writing historical fiction. Most writers are only too happy to sacrifice fact for story or simply don’t do enough research.  I prefer stories set in the past or “other places” because I read/watch to escape my own reality. For that reason I will never ever ever watch Snowtown. I tend to view most historical fiction as “alternate history” though I would prefer for writers to just create alternative worlds if they want to mess with history, It still requires research though; a lot of research because it has to feel true. Years ago I started writing a early medieval novel set in an alternate world so that I could create my own history, and quickly realised that even if the events are “made up” the setting has to reflect an actual period in history. I am still researching it. Sometimes I suspect it has just become an excuse to keep buying books.

Witchfinders is set in a period of English history that has yet to pique my interest. From the end of Wars of the Roses to the French Revolution is bit of an historical blind spot for me. (Though I am currently reading Wolf Hall. It is hard to avoid Tudor history) But the story of Witchfinders is so fantastical that it does not feel like an historical episode at all so I give it a pass as it is one of the more entertaining episodes in the series.

I will pop over to the episode thread to read comments.

Meanwhile I see that Martin Belam over on The Guardian has written an article about the 1995 film and there is another article about Yasmin Finney. I dispute Martin’s claim that it was the kiss that outraged viewers of the film. The film was rubbish. It felt glossy and Hollywood. It did not capture the feel of Dr Who.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@mudlark. I saw the article but did not notice the drawing. Thank you for the link. They are most definitely daleks and yes, Children are very intuitive. Daleks are essentially fascist, Putin is essentially fascist so very apt.  Looking at photos of Ukraine it is hard to imagine how people are enduring that horror.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@toinfinityandbepond Oh I hope those rumours prove true. Would be nice for Martha to be a part of the 60th Anniversary episode.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent I have no recollection at all of the Tsuranga Conundrum though I know I watched it, which I guess says something about the quality of the episode. Demons of the Punjab however I consider to be one of the better episodes of the series. Kerblam is another I had to look up to remind myself of what episode it was. I vaguely remember it and did not like it much. I thought it started well and had promise but did not deliver.

cheers

Janette

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

We put on Dr Who Day of the Doctor tonight but for some reason we are now watching Freddie Mercury singing, We are the Champions instead.  I think a few friends here will understand why as another corrupt right wing government bites the dust.

Cheers

A cheery Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

And it seems that Wilf will also return. Mentioned about half way down but not sure how credible this info is. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/may/17/yasmin-finney-rose-tyler-trans-doctor-who-russell-t-davies-david-tennant-pass-notes

Argh. Over a year to wait…

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent I don’t know if it is just South Australians trying to claim to be best/biggest/worst at something and lack of rainfall is the best boast they have but the state is described as being, “the driest state on the driest continent”. Maybe that is due to efforts to farm land with poor sandy soils and irregular rainfall. In the nineteenth century they adapted a U.S. pioneer maxim, “the rain follows the plough”. Bankruptcy and a ruined land was the result.

cheers

Janette

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent I did like Yaz’s family too and wish we had seen more of them. There was rich narrative potential there that was never tapped. I might be wrong about the political slant. As I recall it did start off with an anti corp tone but that felt confused at the end but it has been a long time since I watched it and yes the preachiness about letting the spiders live out what would most likely have been a painful existence was very hard to swallow, especially for those of us who have to deal with red backs and white tails.

Summer is slowly fading away here, letting go very reluctantly. We need more rain but when it that not the complaint here? Apparently the rains would start around about Anzac Day, now they don’t come until early June. The driest state is getting drier. Not a promising outlook.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@whisht what he (@blenkinsopthebrave) said.. 🙂

Hope he can keep the accent.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@cedarbranchtardis As a writer I would certainly kill of a likeable character rather than one the reader/audience is indifferent to because you want that death to have some emotional impact. Something that AGWho deals with a lot better than BGWho is the killing of characters. In BGWho most of the deaths were of “redshirts” which made life a bit cheap. If the viewer cares about the character then their death matters. The problem with the death of Grace is that she was not just a likeable character but the best character and so her death left a bit of a void and left us with Graeme. (who quickly became tiresome). At least though she is not forgotten.

And yes Matt Smith does indeed rock the fez. A pity he was not allowed more creativity with his costume.

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@jimthefish. I suspect Ncuti will opt for something a lot my stylish. We could be about to get the first fashion forward Doctor. (I am hoping for a really interesting, iconic costume)

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent Capaldi definitely had the best Tardis interior, the one with the bookcases. The early Smith felt too minimalist and clinical but I prefeerred it to the Tennant grunge Tardis. It is a spaceship after all.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Another article about Ncuti Gatwa in the Guardian.

@jimthefish Never late for the party, it goes on all night, and as it is always night somewhere in the world,, Agree re’ the Tardis design. I did not like the recent design at all but then neither did I particularly like the Tennant grunge look. Hopefully RTD will go for something a bit ore subdued but I am not sure that is his style. I rather liked J.W.s costume. It was suitable eccentric and “unfashionable”.  It was something I could imagine the Doctor choosing.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent that was a good review. When we first watched it one of the family said, “well that’s it for that then” when Grace dies as she is by far the best character. I think it was generally agreed that she would have been better as The Doctor. she had that quirkiness that J.W. lacks which is at least partly due to the script. Chibnell has a very preachy leaden quality to his writing.

It is a much much better episode than Kill the Moon, and many of the earlier ‘duds” but falls a long way short as a series opener. (I quite like Closing Time. Matt Smith trying to be human is always fun.)

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@devilishrobby I believe that both Yaz and Dan are leaving with Jodie. There was an article about Mandip Gill in the Guardian the other day which I was going to post up but got distracted, but from memory it touches on them both leaving.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

It is announced!!!

Another Scottish Doctor and I like the smile. A bit Tom Bakerish… (now off to have a look at Sex Education.)

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent. That is fine. I agree re’ not being too negative. I hesitated before posting my thoughts on the Chibnell era on another thread, and deleted the post twice before finally hitting send. Overall the past three series have been disappointing but they have fans and there have been some good episodes that pass the watch again test. I don’t think there is a series of Who, new or old that doesn’t have at least one episode that I skip when re watching. In fact I think the series 11 episode i had the most problem with was the spider one which, living in a country that censored Peppa Pig over a “be nice to spiders” message because being nice to spiders in Australia is most definitely not a wise move, that is because it was a bad script. I found the politics a but questionable in that episode too though. It felt as though it was veering on pro corporate, even with a faint hint of Trumpism at the end.

Maybe the geckos are alien. We know from film and tv that alien species can defy laws of physics, biology and basic common sense. (-:

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent. Indeed. Sorry. I need to pay more attention to proof reading.

A couple of years ago, not long after the son’s girlfriend had moved in the S.O was messaging them to say, “just leave the something or other out, but accidentally hit send after typing “just leave”. The dangers of modern communication. (after a moment’s panic she realised what had happened.)

It sounds as though the sea-lion was enjoying the late autumn sun.

The most wildlife we get around here are lizards. They have moved back into our garden now that we no longer have a dog. We also have native mice living in the bougainvillea just outside our window. I have never seen them before this year so maybe the cooler summer has encouraged them to move further north than usual as we are probably a little outside their usual range.

Looking forward to reading your thoughts on series 11.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent

Our long mellow autumn has now conceded defeat and the clouds have mustered. We have even had rain. I hope our cold front has found its way down to your patch of the Pacific and hampered your swimming.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston we do not get that kind of spring awakening here in Oz where the garden carries on all year but we experienced the wonder of it the year we lived in Sweden. We arrived in February and moved into our house in late March. The entire garden was deeply buried in snow and so we saw the green shoots erupting from the sullen earth, within a few weeks the garden was transformed from a sodden brown to bright greens, pinks, reds and purples.

Your garden sounds so lovely and you are fortunate to have so much wildlife. It sounds idyllic except of course for the evils of mosquitoes. The “evil” currently invading my garden is Morning Glory vine. It is currently growing in places i can’t get too so I need to do a massive clean up. Autumn, winter and spring are our gardening seasons. Summer it too hot.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent

I liked Twice Upon a Time in part because it touched on the “Silent Night”, of 1914 which seemed so apt for a Twelfth Doctor finale. Very Moffat. Once I did a “Silent Night” image using Playmobil figures. IT was also nice to see David Bradley reprise the role of the First Doctor which he did so well in An Adventure in Space and Time and of course it was lovely to see Bill again. It is very sombre however, reflecting the mood of the last Capaldi season which is perhaps why viewing figures were dropping. There is a overall growing sense of darkness through the series.

We have just gone back to the other end of Moffat’s Who tenure, re watching the Amy/Rory stories and last Sunday we introduced the “cult tv club” to the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker. The podcast of the discussion will be posted up soon. We are now putting them up on Spotify so they are easier to access and listen too.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave  I think that sums up the problems quite well. I wanted to like this Doctor and the companions but they never really were fully there as characters. Graeme became annoying, and the Doctor always seemed too dependent upon the companions to really fly on his/her own. There was as @nerys points out, too much “telling”, not enough showing. Even my favourite episodes from series 11 and 12 were mediocre to good. Via Diadati for instance, which is perhaps my favourite and the one set in Norway which I really enjoyed up until the end with the frog and the dubious explanation. (It might just be because it is set in Norway that I like that one so much.)

There were some good episodes in series 11. I liked the set up of the Timeless child story line though I have not watched the final of that, mostly because I was rather upset by the destruction of Gallifrey. I felt that trampled on the lore established my Moffat who restored Gallifrey with RTD’s blessing.  I doubt that Chibnell asked RTD and Moffat how they felt about him destroying Gallifrey again. I don’t mind if the stories are not fantastic, I don’t mind if the showrunner introduces new concepts like the Timeless child, provided it is well done, but I do object to the showrunner ignoring what had previously been written and destroying potential for future showruners. (which is why Moffat persuaded RTD to let Jenni live.) I might be wrong but I thought that Gallifrey was still about albiet not in a healthy state at the end of the universe.

Whew. that was a bit of a rant. Sorry..

I agree that it would have been nice for RTD to have written some stories for Whitaker and Yaz. (or even better a Moffat penned story because I feel that both actors deserved better scripts.)

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

I meant to share this article by Martin Belam last week but was distracted by birthdays and easter etc. I thought he had some interesting suggestions.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@devilishrobby and @nerys and @craig

Same sentiments here too. I have not been inspired by the more recent episodes but my love of Dr Who has not diminished, (Watching The Rebel Flesh right now) and am hoping for better days ahead with the return of RTD and a huge thank you to Craig for maintaining this site.

My S.O read the message from the spammer the other night and there was much laughter so at least they provide amusement occasionally.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent. I think the monks choose her to vote partly just because she was there and because she was not acting to protect her own self interest but their choice of Bill is random and unfair to her so the viewer sympathises with her. This feels very different to the “voting” in Kill the Moon which as you say most certainly did not do Clara, the Doctor or the series in general any favours. I know of people who stopped watching Dr Who after that episode.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent. I commented on the Lie of the Land thread in response to your review there. I quite like Empress of Mars. Very tongue in cheek and very typical of Gatiss writing. Not a great episode but fun with a bit of an old Who feel to it.

I am quite fond of Eaters of Light. Yes the monster of the week is a bit so so but the characters are delightful and it is set in Scotland. Always a bonus. I find that music very “ear wormy” but not in a bad way.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent. It was a middling episode with some great moments. The rapport between the characters lifted what might otherwise have been a rather underwhelming story, so often the way with Moffat’s scripting. He was not happy with this three parter. Apparently he finished the scripts while sitting by his mother’s deathbed so that might explain why Bill’s absent mother becomes such a vital plot point. I think there are a lot of inspired ideas but they get a bit tangled in the delivery.

However, what really struck me was looking back over the discussion. Five pages of it!! Compare that to the discussion of last night’s episode.. Sad days indeed.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Was at a Friends of Library meeting today, looking over the local library’s monthly newsletter and in an item about new titles a name caught my eye; Alex Kingston. I thought it must be another Alex Kingston but then I saw the title, The Ruby’s Curse: A River Song/Melody Malone Mystery. It is co-written but sadly the other writer is not Stephen Moffat. I would certainly read it if it was but I guess he is too busy script writing the TV adaptation of Time Traveller’s Wife. Still I was a little bit excited about it.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave. “Slow Horses” sounded interesting. I will look out for it

@nerys we have not started watching series 2 of Picard yet. Son and fiancé are currently watching it and say it is not as good as series 1 but they are still enjoying it. I really liked series one but feel that its strength was that the series was shaped around a single story and am not surprised at all that series 2 does not match up.

We have been watching the animated Star Wars series, Rebels and Clone Wars and really enjoyed them. Book of Bobba Fett was highly forgettable however but still looking forward now to Obi Wan Kanobi. (and given time I might even know how to spell the names.) In the meantime we are back to watching Dr Who, working through Matt Smith’s first series.

Oh and our last podcast was on Catweazle from the 70s. The younger generations did not share our love of it. (unsurprisingly) but we talked for well over an hour so I have a lot of editing to do so probably won’t be watching anything for the next couple of nights.

Cheers

Janette

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

Oooh. @blenkinsopthebrave That looks like fun and nice to see the Sea Devils make a long overdue return. Lots of fancy CGI for a Dr Who episode too. Maybe a bit overdone? I will watch and see.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

thank you for the feedback @mudlark. I have read complaints about  the three day nature of the digs before. It is always good to know more background and to have an expert view though I will continue to watch and enjoy Time Team. It is a kind of “guilty pleasure”. It transports me to the U.K so is a cheap and instant travel fix and it has made me regret not keeping all the broken china and glass that I have dug out of our back yard. It was all part of the story of this house. (maybe not the pieces that I cut my hands on when gardening however)

@winston I have tried to catch some of Digging for Britain but only have a few episodes. Home made maple syrup sounds wonderful. WE buy it in little bottles at great expense. I like adding it to banana milkshakes.

@nerys. That must have been fascinating. I would love to volunteer for a dig. At once stage there was a local group but I don’t think they persisted for long. I think there is a general belief that because Europeans have only been here (in SA) for about 150 years there isn’t any archaeology of interest but that is not so. When I was a child I found part of a grindstone in an outback area of New South Wales. I thought it was wonderful and took it home with me. Nobody realised how wrong that was at the time or how interesting the item was.

I hope you are all enjoying lovely spring weather soon. We are heading into autumn, always a lovely time of year here. We don’t have the wonderful autumn colours but the countryside is lush and green, a welcome sight and there are butterflies in the garden, and flocks of corellas sweeping over. (And outraging the locals by stripping the trees but the trees recover and the birds were here first.)

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarturdent Agreed re’ Joanna Lumley. I am not sure she has the depth and she feels a bit too upper class, to me anyway. I would prefer an actor who feels more “grounded”. Micheal Sheen would be brilliant. He can do comedy and drama and eccentricity. He is on my “dream Doctor” list. Other actors I think might be good are Rachael Stirling and Dev Patel. Ben Whishaw but I think he is probably too busy these days.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston Your description of “snow on the ground” brings back memories of our garden in Stockholm emerging from the deep carpet of snow, the first crocuses blooming and then all the shoots breaking through the soil. IT was all very magical to us who are used to gardens that are green and wild all year around.

@mudlark There were photos of the dust storms in Europe. I did not realise it had reached as far as England. Is that unusual? I know that South of France gets Saharan dust storms fairly regularly though I don’t think I have ever seen pics on the news before so these must have been particularly severe.

I have just watched the new episode of Time Team on youtube and wondering what you, as an archaeologist think of the series in general.

And now I should be heading out into my garden. We have had a relatively cool, damp summer and the weeds, mostly the dreaded Morning Glory, are running rampant. It is attacking the rose bushes at the moment so if I don’t deal with it soon I will have no garden left. However I have a podcast on gardening to edit and unfortunately that must take precedence.

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

My comment was meant in jest. Curse of Fatal Death is of course not cannon but Hugh Grant did say at the end that he would love to play the role if it was ever offered, as did Joanna Lumley. That was of course when Dr Who was languishing in the wilderness. Although it is just a fun spoof there are so many elements in there that are evident in Moffat’s stories. For Moffat it almost amounts to a “dry run”.

Hugh Grant has now said that he is not the next Doctor I see. I am sure that a lot more names will pop up in the upcoming weeks, months to keep us amused.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

but but.. Hugh Grant has already been the Doctor… In the wonderful Curse of Fatal Death. He was rather younger then of course. I would prefer to see him playing a recurring character. He clearly has the acting range but he does seem to be a very conservative choice. Hugh Grant as the Master. Now that would work.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Hi @blenkinsopthebrave. Glad to hear that all is well in the Blenkinsop household. Petrol prices have sky-rocketed here too. We are avoiding driving as much as possible, which, given that we are still waiting on our train to be restored to us and sky-rocketing covid numbers, means not going further than the nearest supermarket.

I will keep an eye out for that version of nineteen eighty four.

@missy hi. glad you are well

Cheers

Janette

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