Right. Chib. The socio-economic years.

The history eps: Rosa, Demons… yes there’s commentary there but, because it’s buried in the (recent) past, you can (if you want) mentally sanitise it to oblivion. And, worthy though the ambition is, the narrative of Rosa is a problem. Old white bloke on bus. Then we get proper risk…[Read more]

have you SEEN some of my posts?!

I’m afraid the BBC didn’t want Moffat anywhere near Ladydoc. And I can see their point.

I also suspect they loaded Chib’s tenure with many, many stipulations; or maybe he thought The Fam up all on his own. BUT either RTD and Moff were both phenomenal auxiliary script editors (and I really don’t think that’s Moff’s forte) or C…[Read more]

The ‘23 specials contained a few clues. Sylvia runs around yelling ‘none of this is real!’ For forgetful Donna’s benefit. This is BEFORE Mavity raises its now possibly completely irrelevant head.

Und zen ze Toymaker scene mit der outrageous Central European mugging. This would seem to be a straightforward catchup. Hmmm. Really?…[Read more]

I observe these were criticisms made of Moffat. They are aren’t my accusations. But, yes, RTD was also quite up for all that. Personally, I don’t really understand the angst, other than it being the natural tension of a kiddult scifi show. To me it’s Hinchcliffe/Holmes vs Whitehouse or JNT/Seward vs Grade.

I went out a…[Read more]

Thought I’d move over here…

Right! Neither I, nor Cardinals Fang or Biggles quite expected that!

Personally, I start off with the existential question ‘why should any right-minded Whovian be u fuly critical of Moff?’; and ‘how could the show written by Chib be both SO tedious AND incoherent.’ It shouldn’t b…[Read more]

The Test. I did kind of say Moff didn’t really care. Do I? Well, it’s there now. You would think it might be successfully extolled at some point. And yet examples are few. To the extent that Dan ended up giving Yaz the talk… I mean… ah???

But Moff (and Jamie Matthieson) did lock Clara and Maisie in the baggage car of…[Read more]

Moff: you know where my sympathies lie. But there are those who cannot stand him, consider him ‘unwho’. He clearly wasn’t bothered what side of the Bechdel Test he landed. I am inclined to think an awareness of the principle of the Test should be enough. In the words of Arcade Fire: ‘I guess we’ll just have to adjust.’

BUT the plots did…[Read more]

Hi!

I went off on one a bit. How could RTD speak so convincingly about the special that wasn’t? The BBC authorise the press releases don’t they?

But, what with the dire ratings, it was hard to see how there wouldn’t be a problem at some point. Murky business.

The furore over Billie Piper was really quite distressing. She’s an actor.…[Read more]

For All Mankind has been recommended to me. Not sure its on my package though. Anna Maxwell Martin ought to make an appearance in Line of Duty too.

Slow Horses entertains and annoys. It would seem to occupy a very ‘LeCarresque’ universe and I’m not sure that takes kindly to send up. The ex CIA mastermind was ludicrous.

Chris Packh…[Read more]

TP… have I the patience to read the whole canon? I read Colour of Magic and Small Gods many years ago. Very enjoyable and intelligent. But that would be a big commitment.

There was a discussion online about whether anyone could make a satisfactory series from Aldiss’ Heliconia books. Having been quite unimpressed by wha…[Read more]

Moffat… you would think Clara the Dalek was such a rich scene that the whole two parter was written around it… and indeed Clara can only save herself (apparently) by invoking a word which a Dalek shouldn’t be able to express. And so resolves the story. And leave many unanswered questions.

Adams… I still invoke the locked filing…[Read more]

Yes, I’ll be watching the new series of Ludwig. Gentle comedic mystery. The Other Bennett Sister was  dismissed as light-weight but that again was part off its charm: it actually worked.

Silo season 3 coming soon… in 2 minds about it, but I’ll watch it. Pluribus intrigued by I couldn’t stay with it; may go back to it. Also Slo…[Read more]

That’s Entertainment! Well, Moff has no problems on that score. Could it even be a barb at another showmaker? Or an executive in drama?

But I would hope a new regime would also aspire to some kind intelligence. Like Moff. Cbeebies doesn’t fill me with confidence.

Otherwise…

I AM annoyed with The BBC:

Putting Grade and the first cancellation aside…

In my opinion they undermined Moffat.

They set an agenda for Chibnall. Who was pretty poor anyway.

They give every impression that they want to sell the show… you can call…[Read more]

I shall consider my response to all these parallels. Couldn’t give a two peeps on Bessie’s horn about Jimmie Bend-Sinster.

The rest is too raw.

Moffat’s recent response to the ongoing Whovian Torture sounded quite alarmed. The corporation is in charge, why are they asking a very ex show-runner?

Who has The Ming Vase??

Which is kind of what I’ve been saying.

cbeebies… always look on the bright side of life. Or time for bed.

the cbeebies thing is frankly an insult. Kid’s show.

I might say the bbc’s behaviour was inexplicable but you may well get your wish @translatorcircuit, the days of The Corporation as we know it could be numbered. They know it. They literally cannot afford a challenging exciting show.

This may exp…[Read more]

The Big Spoof? As you say, surely not. The only explanation must be the slow motion car crash. This was coming since RTD finished series 4 with The Parting of The Ways.

At some point the special was planned and The BBC then decided they couldn’t back it. It’s not the same institution that brought the show bac…[Read more]

The cliff-hanger, as Belam says, does seem to be the key, almost a taunt. ‘You want a show based on continuity but without continuity? Try THIS.’ This suggests both sides knew what was coming.

I am actually very annoyed, mainly with the BBC. I’m afraid for The Corporation too; it’s been in right wing’s…[Read more]

The bbc are not holding the purse strings without creative control. But if someone else holds the purse strings and annoys the telegraphed mailfist, that’s not our fault.

yours faithfully PW

The ratings were an insurmountable problem.

BBC funding issues and allergy to continuity writing win out.

the food. I can’t speak from experience, just observe that somethings were available in the 60’s are not available now. Funny you mention ‘boiling’… until the early 70’s you might still observe people with boils, plaster or no. Urrhhh!!!

But, in the late 70’s I was taken to Italy and my tastebuds were reeducated. Thank you.

Thereaf…[Read more]

Are you revisiting Robot Revolution too?

Lux was enjoyable but maybe slightly empty. Like a cartoon. Need to go back to it. Especially the fourth wall moment.

There were better stories in the season. Maybe NOT Revolution nor Reality War.

The celluloid fire was both telegraphed and suspect. I have a feeling RTD (and Chib) rather…[Read more]

hmm lots of desperate sounds from the sheep pen.

i and The Independent basically reprinted the ‘no actor will do it’ story and blamed it on The Sun.

There was a ‘fans’ questionnaire: who was Rose at end of Reality War? Who should the next Doctor be? Will The Abzorbaloff return?

Then someone spectaculated that the special…[Read more]

so same old, same old?

If this ‘new doc’ rumour is anything more than disgraceful anti-Piper/anti-Badwolf briefing, I am going to get quite annoyed.

… or have ‘the rooms’ only just woken up to all the Virtual Reality/Alternate Universe clues? Mavity, V’linx, REG, song and dance, unDoctor-like reactions… we were even shown another ‘fake’ VR/AU within the one that’s been there since… NOT WBY but The Star Beast… ‘The Boss’ remember?

Why can’t The Doctor sort out the world…[Read more]

The constant anti-Piper briefing might qualify as ‘rubbish’; Tennant’s involvement isn’t critical is it?

well, you all seem to be taking The Darkness at The Edge of Moff in good heart.

In the words of Graham Chapman, ‘lucky we didn’t say anything about the dirty knife…’

And THEN Moff turns the horror UP!

Another ‘patient’ is apparently saying ‘Kill Me’. He’s lurching up behind Bill when Razor brains him.

Then, just in case we did’n’t get it, another candidate for full conversion announces, ‘Me Die, Me Die…’!

There are so many ideas there. I’m still not sure if the Saxon/Missy pay off w…[Read more]

yes, rec = recommendation.

I’m fairly sure Peter told Steven Moffat that the Mondasian Cybermen were the scariest thing he remembered. Moff thought they were rubbish but went away and thought about it. What a feat of imagination to imagine the Cyber factory as a terrifying Bakelite hospital and set it on a time dilated s…[Read more]

The detailed instructions he gave Ollie Reeder on where he should insert his I-pod and how Malcolm would then change the playlist…

Roger Allam was as (genuinely) classy as ever as Peter Mannion.

Malcolm Tucker and The Thick of It was revolutionary here. And Peter owned that hostility and vulnerability… which it seemed Moffat deliberately airlifted into Who. Not so much swearing.

Just had/having an online argument with a Big Finish fan for whom Moff is antichrist. Truly Who is broad church. But not for Chib maybe.

It seemed to be very much about Peter being a fan, his devotion to the classic show… and adjusting to overwhelming public recognition.

What he had to say about The Thick of It and Armando Iannucci using improv was interesting, because it seems to me a lot of that spilled over into 12. But then, to judge from what we saw of the r…[Read more]

I looked up black turnstones because I’d never heard the ‘ruddy’ prefix. They’re eastern Pacific I think: so never seen one.
London has a large population of Raptors now: Peregrines, kestrels, and a sparrowhawk made a kill in the garden last year. You now often see Buzzards and Red Kites out of town.
Best spot this year was a Ring Ouzel m…[Read more]

we are unfamiliar with the black turnstone here, and so neglect to name the Eurasian/atlantic species ‘Ruddy.’ The former slipways from pier… a mile off the town… are sheltered from the breeze and people so that’s a favoured roost. They are very cute and partial to crumbs.

I daresay I reached for the M word too soon. But then you look at Meta and think uh-uh. It’s rage bait I know but surely, if you want to understand the ridiculous reaction to post Chib Who, it’s there.

Have we really moved on from the “Liz Shaw is a scientist/give us a screamer” dichotomy? (Ooh long word)

The Moment is somethin…[Read more]

Camp: a heightened level of artifice, affectation and exaggeration. So Cassandra plays on the audience’s assumed (and evidenced) attraction to David/Billie. Whilst very much dressing as lamb.

Who has always flirted with humour and camp… possibly something the show runners had to accept from Hartnell’s mangling of some of his lin…[Read more]

the anniversary is there to keep the show in the eye-line.

it is about Billie/David which was always on the cards, surely?

New Earth has Billie/David possessed by Cassandra. Hmmm. Camp.

it’s one or two fingers yer face for the average online Who presence who doesn’t like women Doctors/RTD/or indeed the entire show.…[Read more]

Gina Rinehart sounds ‘interesting’. Nice family.

Just lost a court case hasn’t she? I saw the headline this am, strange synchronicity… unless you also saw the headline.

Yes, you would think the New Earth thing might be kick-starting something about David and Billie, the Christmas special, or the shape of Who to come. I must brace m…[Read more]

I’m VERY happy Orban’s gone.

I’m afraid… and or realistic… that Magyar got in on the basis of delivering affordability. But there’s war in The Gulf now…

Perhaps some of europe’s would be populists are sniffing the caffeine and thinking errr… I dunno tho. But Putin is 82% democratic. There will be another Russian election i…[Read more]

The Orban news IS good. But… Magyar used to be a supporter of his, and we don’t really KNOW what he’ll do with his huge majority and popular vote. At least any voices claiming a fix seem to be muted.

I’m afraid that’s NOT the end of European Popularism.

Looking again at the progress of the Star Seed, Joy IS on record as saying she needs a room further back in time. Even so, Joy is still an accident. The Silurian clearly intended The Doctor to get the Star Seed, NOT Joy. Was that was always the intention? Because we have seen, the Silurian was chosen deliberately to g…[Read more]

Joy to the World.

Looks like Moff ‘gets’ Christmas Who. Chib wasn’t allowed (or maybe he didn’t fancy it). You would think RTD finds it a tedious time of year: the decorations are tacky, the tv is rubbish, people eat too much, the snow is fake and people insist on laying hospitality on you whether you want it or not.

N…[Read more]

I suppose the ‘New Unit’ is the official RTD2 version of Torchwood. And I didn’t really watch Torchwood. Is it heresy to say you can have too much Barrowman?

The genesis of the post 1970’s UNIT is interesting because, under RTD1, the Sontaran 2 parter, and the Planet of Death, they’re just a bunch of mooks (and Malco…[Read more]

What IS that possum about? Can you imagine? ‘I thought they were my friends…. But they’re ALL DEADDD!’

Where is The Doctor? I noted the recent flurry of reports along the lines of ‘No-one wants the Job!!!’ Is that rather that no-one has been approached/auditioned because the position has already been filled???! You know who I mean.…[Read more]

re noises. Different continents. It’s the repetitive/dumbly self satisfied aspect of the cyber aspect that raises the blood pressure I suppose, but how can you really annoyed at possums? Awww.

Locally, we have fun with foxes. There are some seriously fat ones in Kew Gardens and they want your egg sandwich NOW.

I did hope I had been VE…[Read more]

Can’t say I was a huge fan of JNT, but there is a argument that he kept the show going for longer than might have been the case. And he did then nearly save it through the agency of Andrew Cartmel.

RTD WAS the show’s saviour 2 decades ago. I’m sure Chris Chibnall has a middle name too.

As, I expect, do Michael Grade and Pi…[Read more]