@wolfweed

Thanks for that short The Sandman – I saw it well over a decade ago on TV where it was unlisted (I think whatever I’d been watching under-ran, and it was a late addition). Creeped me out then, but I never knew what it was called.

I just looked it up on t’internet and was astonished it was from Cosgrove Hall.I’d always assumed it was…[Read more]

@fatmaninabox

Thanks for the heads up on Cobweb. I’d missed the listing, so I’ll be recording. They’re broadcasting one episode a week – so very old school. 🙂

@wolfweed @JimTheFish

That is sad news about Steve Moore. He was a great one for a twist/shock ending. Must have been all those Thargs Future Shocks for 2000AD. I think he created two of the most compelling support characters in the comic that transcended the medium – with Abslom Daak and Kroton going onto appearances in BF audio (the only o…[Read more]

Oooh, thanks for the reminder @bluesqueakpip. I need to set the recorder for that, as it was set for what finished last week – Inside no. 9 (link to wiki entry).

Has anyone been watching that? I thought it was really entertaining. For those who haven’t seen it, it’s a portmanteau/anthology series by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith (of P…[Read more]

@janetteB

Yep – the CyberKing (shudder). It’s interesting that those early ideas both showed up in Christmas specials, and reversed what you might call “perceived wisdom”. This seems to say RTD concentrated on human stories and characterisation, while SM simply does spectacle. Giant-stompy-robot in The Next Doctor was pure spectacle, while t…[Read more]

I was just looking up the running order to remind myself of what to watch this weekend (The Long Game) and I just noticed that Rose and these episodes were all directed by Keith Boak. I was just wondering how much of an impact some of the direction had on my enjoyment?

I generally feel a lot more positive about End of the World, even though it…[Read more]

@FatManInABox

Well remembered about the scene explaining Tosh covering for Owen in Torchwood. Can’t remember the exact episode, but it’s towards the end of Series 2 I think.

@Bluesqueakpip

I think you’re right in that the time element was the key. The BBC wanted a very small production team and pool of writers on the first series, and I think…[Read more]

@FatManInABox

Ha – very good. The one that leaps out at me is Davison.

“Good lord – Davison has come to the fancy dress party as Basil Fawlty…”

@bluesqueakpip

I agree that some of the early serials were pretty good at diverting attention when the lead was away. Here, having the Doctor locked up (hardly a new occurrence) and supported by a bit of recorded voicework does the job pretty effectively.

I’ll also agree that the fight is a bit laughable. It’s actually the one scene that mak…[Read more]

The first double parter of the new series! A real mixture of good and bad.

I think I said early on in the SM review it was easy to see that the GAP thinking and writing of the New Adventures/Past Adventures and other spin-off media had a big impact on his version of Doctor Who, and so it is with RTD. They both contributed to that ideas machine,…[Read more]

@mobius64

Welcome, and that sounds like quite a task you’ve set yourself.

On the Japan books, probably only e-bay and specialist collectors to get hold of them. They’d cost a pretty penny I suspect. This article on the site features four of the covers (including red police telephone box).

Basically they are just translations for five of the…[Read more]

@TheKrynoidMan @JanetteB I tend to agree on the whole. I’ve followed a few of the links put up by people seeking support for their bids on the site, and while I can see they’ve put some work in, the standard of recognition for the custom figures is small. When it comes to the creatures, the problem only gets worse and that’s a problem for anyone…[Read more]

@bluesqueakpip

I think you’re on safe ground with Newton, although I’d prefer something left-field.

How about Operation Cavor? HG Wells First Men in the Moon is out of copyright, 2014 is the 50th anniversary of the film (with Lionel Jeffries as Cavor) and it’s good to remember that the spirit and endeavour of space exploration is best fed by th…[Read more]

@blenkinsopthebrave

While I appreciate the thought, this story is pretty much everywhere on the internet with the usual suspects like Dan writing articles, etc. I don’t go to the Spoiler section myself for fear of genuine non-BBC spoilers, so options are limited.

I think everyone has talked about it loosely, and it’s heartening we’ve not even…[Read more]

@purofilion

I think its The Blacklist with James Spader. I thought he was watcheable in it, but a lot of the support team dragged it down.

On a happy note, I’m glad to report that the friend who recommended Intelligence to me was being mischievous and I have therefore cancelled the order for twelve roles of rubber wallpaper that I intended to r…[Read more]

@bluesqueakpip

Ah – you managed to catchup with the angst around Susan in the BF Eighth Doctor run. Yes – a very sharp axe. 😉

@fatmaninabox @blenkinsopthebrave

I like the DELFA tie in. I actually thought of Delphi, and the Oracle (predestination and the illusion of choice) might be attractive to Moff, although he’s done that in Series 6. It…[Read more]

Yes, I think this news is being carpet bombed everywhere (link to G story). Some bits of obvious speculation, but I can’t help thinking this is programmed misdirection. When you consider that SM really hasn’t played the “big bad of the series” card at all yet, you have to wonder about it.

@fatmaninabox

I think some of the pre-publicity for Ser…[Read more]

@fatmaninabox

Actually, re-reading it was a bit heavy for a Monday morning. To summarise:

She sweats alcohol and the static in her clothes ignites the alcohol.

@bluesqueakpip

I think that is the interesting thing about rewatching these episodes. You do get the sense it’s very new, and the elements are designed to engage as much of any potential audience as possible.

So far, it’s very light and frothy. Deliberately so. It does remind me somewhat of the first series of Buffy in that respect in that it’s…[Read more]

@FatManInABox

I have to agree on the comparison with Farscape. There is a mad creativity about both shows which I admire. I think I once said that, although I’m not a fan of cross-overs, I could see the TARDIS landing on Moya, and the Doctor interacting with the crew quite easily in a way that I couldn’t with, for example, the Star Trek Uni…[Read more]