The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) have announced nominations for their 2013 Television Craft Awards and Doctor Who has been nominated in two categories.

The Mill have been nominated in the Visual Effects and Graphic Design category for their incredible work on recent episodes and composer Murray Gold is nominated in the Original Television Music category, specifically for his outstanding music for Asylum of the Daleks.

The British Academy Television Craft Awards celebrates the best of TV’s top behind-the-scenes talent and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on Sunday 28th April 2013.

[Source: BBC Doctor Who website]

The BBC have released a new promo image and trailer for 7.6: The Bells Of Saint John.

The new image (pictured-right) features The Doctor (Matt Smith) and Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) atop a building with a London vista behind them.

7.6: The Bells Of Saint John

The Doctor’s search for Clara Oswald brings him to modern day London, where wifi is everywhere. Humanity lives in a wifi soup, but something dangerous is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. As Clara becomes the target of this insidious menace, the Doctor races to save her and the world from an ancient enemy.

A new trailer for 7.6: The Bells Of Saint John aired on Saturday, watch it below:

[youtube:Q2FTWhU5TIw]

The BBC have also released a prequel to the episode which you can watch below:

[youtube:2IROtC6cAT4]

Check Out DWO's Guide to Series 7 Part 2, below:

 W = Written By / D = Directed By:

7.6: The Bells Of Saint John - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Colm McCarthy]
7.7: The Rings of Akhaten - [W: Neil Cross / D: Farren Blackburn]
7.8: Cold War - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Douglas Mackinnon]
7.9: Hide - [W: Neil Cross / D: Jamie Payne]
7.10: Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS - [W: Stephen Thompson / D: Mat King]
7.11: The Crimson Horror - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Saul Metzstein]
7.12: Nightmare In Silver - [W: Neil Gaiman / D: Stephen Wolfenden] - Updated Title
7.13: The Name Of The Doctor - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Saul Metzstein] - Rumoured Title

+  7.6: The Bells Of Saint John airs on Saturday 30th March on BBC One at 6:15PM.

[Source: BBC]

Radio Times have launched another issue of their popular magazine, sporting a Doctor Who cover, this time to promote Series 7 Part 2.

In this week’s Radio Times – on sale today – Matt Smith responds to recent criticisms that there isn’t enough on-air content planned for the show’s 50th Anniversary and that the show has become too complex for children:

"I think there’s only so much you can shoot. There’s a Christmas special and eight episodes, there’s the 50th anniversary, and on top of that you’ve got Mark Gatiss writing a script [An Adventure in Space and Time about Who’s origins]. There’s only so many you can make each year without compromising the quality.

I think we have to give children more credit. Children are always going to engage with the story in a slightly different way to adults, but I tell you this, I bet you they pay more attention. What are we meant to do? Just dumb everything down?"

Jenna-Louise Coleman speaks about her role as The Doctor's new assistant:

“I’d been doing period dramas for two years [Titanic, Dancing on the Edge] where you’re very still, so working with CGI, working with cameras when you’re constantly running, that’s a new experience. Mine and Matt’s dynamic is challenging. Matt describes it as a dance, but to me it’s such a ping-pongy kind of dynamic.”

She’s confirmed she’ll be in next year’s Doctor Who, but of the latest episodes, The Rings of Akhaten (next week) is her favourite:

“It’s Clara’s first experience of an alien world, realising what life will be like to travel with the Doctor. It’s big and heartfelt, but really funny. An epic episode wonderfully written by Neil Cross [Luther]."

As for scary monsters, wait for the finale:

“It’s a huge surprise, a monster with style.”

Also in this week's issue:

-  FREE Monster Wall-Chart
-  Steven Moffat's Episode Guide

+  Radio Times is out Today, priced £1.60.

+  Buy this issue of Radio Times as well as past issues from CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: Radio Times]

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Eighty-Four: The Watcher (The Time Meddler, Episode One)

Dear diary,

For some weeks now, The Time Meddler has felt like something of a Holy Grail. As I've meandered my way through Season Two, finding it to be mostly average-to-poor stories with the odd flash of brilliance, this tale, nestled in the final slot of the series, has seemed like a beacon of shining light.

I mused a few days ago that Ian and Barbara had come to represent everything that I wasn't enjoying about the series, and now is the best time to qualify that statement so that it makes a bit more sense. Everything post-Season Two holds some kind of excitement for me. This story is another vital stage in the arc of altering history. Galaxy 4 has a recently-recovered episode, and the DVD has been sat on my shelf for weeks, now, calling out to me, while I stubbornly refuse to watch before the allotted day in the marathon.

The Myth Makers is hailed as being a rather fantastic tale, and my newfound appreciation for the Daleks means that the idea of a 'twelve-part Dalek epic' seems exciting enough. The only things that was tying me to the middle-of-the-road second season stories were… well… Ian and Barbara.

It's felt like the arrival of Steven would be exactly the thing to kick the series back into gear: a breath of fresh air, sweeping through Doctor Who like a hurricane as it moved everything into a position to be fantastic again. And we start with today's episode which is, let's face it, bloody marvelous.

Yesterday, I talked about the odd way they leave things with Steven, and hoped that they would pick them up properly here. Well the good news is that they not only pick things up properly, but they use the opportunity to create the best opening to an episode that we've had in a long time. In much the same way that The Rescue was used as a chance to re-establish the series post-Susan, the opening to this tale is used to bring us back up to speed again before we continue.

We get mention of the original TARDIS team, Vicki even gives us a recap of what the acronym stands for, and she explains to Steven that the ship can move anywhere in time and space. We're then re-introduced to the idea that it's broken, and thus we never know where we'll be next, and the reasons why it looks like a police telephone box.

And yet, while all this could be incredibly dry stuff for someone like myself, who's enough of a fan of the series as to know all of this stuff like the back of my hand, it's written so perfectly that it never gets dull. Steven is given a wonderful vein of humour to draw from as he encounters all these strange and wonderful new things. (An absolute highlight has to be the Doctor explaining that the ship can change its appearance to look like anything, and agreeing that it would turn into a large rock if it were to land on a beach. Steven then turns to Vicki and exclaims 'You know that large rock over there looks exactly like a police telephone box…').

Quite aside from this, the whole episode looks gorgeous. I spent a little while trying to figure out if it had all been shot on film or if it just looked lovely. The direction is first class and the sets are stunning. There's a moment when two Saxons look over the edge of the cliffs and we see the sky moving above them, and it's flawless. Really impressive stuff.

The only thing I regret is knowing what this story is about. I know that the Monk has lost a wrist-watch. I know that the chanting in the abandoned monastery is coming from a grammar phone. I know that there's a second TARDIS secreted away in 1066. Knowing all of this does take something away from the impact of these reveals, but having come to this story the long way (at the pace of an episode a day) it really does feel fresh, new, and different.

What a great way to start this fabled 'new era' I've been so looking forward to!

Next Episode: The Meddling Monk

Next Episode: The Meddling Monk 

Sony DADC’s interactive development group, LOOT Entertainment, and BBC Worldwide’s Digital Partnerships team have joined forces to bring Doctor Who to life like never before by creating a social gaming and commerce environment inside PlayStation® Home.

Available to more than 31 million PlayStation® Home users across the globe on March 27th, the Doctor Who on PlayStation® Home experience will immerse gamers in the world of Doctor Who by allowing fans to interact with iconic elements, explore and customize environments, and watch content from the popular television series in a social atmosphere.

Doctor Who fans can enjoy dynamic features based on the show’s most popular characters and scenery, such as The Eleventh Doctor and River Song costumes, and a TARDIS- themed private space and clubhouse. Users can also visit the Doctor Who-themed LOOT Space Station Theater for additional video content from BBC Worldwide and shop for Doctor Who items - both virtual and real - via LOOT’s Entertainment on Demand system. 

Simon Houston, Senior Vice President for Digital Development at BBC Worldwide, had the following to say:

“We’re really excited to be bringing this much-loved series to social and virtual worlds. Discovering new ways to engage with our fans is incredibly important to us, especially as we approach Doctor Who’s 50th year.”

David Sterling, Vice President of Business Development at LOOT Entertainment, had the following to say:

“We are committed to preserving the spirit and aesthetic of Doctor Who while introducing this historic franchise to PlayStation® Home. It’s the same Doctor Who millions have loved for almost 50 years—with a virtual, interactive, and social twist.”

In celebration of the series’ 50th Anniversary, additional Doctor Who themed virtual goods, environments and social experiences will be added to Doctor Who on PlayStation® Home throughout 2013.

DWO have acquired the pricing for Doctor Who: Wave One, which is detailed below:

Watch two trailers for Doctor Who: Wave One, below:

[youtube:kUOK1dY3y0A]

[youtube:vQ9aZf-ihEs]

Watch a promo for The Silent costume for Doctor Who: Wave One, below:

[youtube:ym9Ke7WPaZg]

+  Doctor Who: Wave One is released Worldwide on 27th March 2013, priced £11.50.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

 Day Eighty-Three: The Planet of Decision (The Chase, Episode Six)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Eighty-Three: The Planet of Decision (The Chase, Episode Six)

Dear diary,

The Daleks are closing in on our heroes! Trapped in a cave with no means of escape, destined to be exterminated any second! But wait! What's that? A hidden door has swished open, and a strange, huge, metallic creature beacons the time travellers toward it in a barely comprehensible computer language.

As the Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki crowd in around the robot, the door closes once more as the small space starts to ascend to the city high above them. It's a lift! It's more than that - it's an escape. Freedom, if only briefly, from the Daleks below. They rise higher and higher into the sky…

And all I can think about is how much I wish my Mechanoid toy had a little top bit that went up and down like the one on the screen! I love the Mechanoid toy for the same reason I think the creatures look great on screen here - it's massive. Compared to all the other figures on the shelf, it's a great big lump, and that makes it impressive.

Ten minutes after the episode had finished, while I way laying on my bed, recreating the fight between the Daleks and the Mechanoids (Oh, shush. We all do it), I suddenly noticed that the top bit of the figure does actually lift up and down! Weyhey! I've had this thing sat on the shelf for well over a year, now, and I've never noticed that it does that. How marvellous.

Anyway. Yes. The fight between the Daleks and the Mechanoids. There's a great piece of artwork on Disc Two of the DVD release for The Chase which depicts the battle between the creatures, and it's something of a Photoshop masterpiece. Both sides engulfed in flames, attacking each other. But, actually, it's fairly spot-on for what we get on screen here in 1965!

I often tell myself that I'm not really all that bothered by Doctor Who not being shot on film. I mean, sure, the ITC serials look lovely made that way, but on the whole I've never really noticed the difference all that much. But then we get that first shot here of a Mechanoid trundling into the battle arena, shot at an off-kilter angle, and I wish, Oh, I wish, that Doctor Who always looked this good. It continues for the rest of the battle scene, with close ups of the Dalek Guns, and fast cuts as the battle rages… Frankly, it's stunning. I think I even prefer it to the revolution scene from The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

Oh, but really, this episode belongs to Ian and Barbara. I commented the other day that I was starting to get a bit sick of them, and that I was about ready for them to leave. All of that's still true - I'm excited to be moving onto a new era post-schoolteachers, but that doesn't mean that I won't miss them. The latter third of this episode is a masterclass in how to handle the departure of companions from Doctor Who, and thinking it over, I'm not sure it's ever been bettered.

The way that the Doctor explodes at them when they suggest using the Dalek time capsule to get home is the thing that I've always remembered from watching this scene in the past, but it's so much deeper than that. When the Doctor and Vicki exit the ship, and we see it depart into time and space, Vicki turns back to watch as it goes, staring into the empty space that it's left behind.

But - and this is the best bit - the Doctor doesn't. He stops, looks away. We don't even get a close up of Hartnell here, because it's not needed. The whole point is that the Doctor is trying to not interact with the moment. To pretend it's not happening, because it's too painful to accept. The whole thing is beautiful. And then, following Ian and Barbara's return to Earth, the Doctor watches them on the Time-Space Visualiser, just to make sure that they've made it ok. I'd forgotten that bit, but it's lovely.

The one thing that I did find odd was the way that Steven was handled toward the end of the story. Having seen our heroes escape the city, we watch it destroyed as the Doctor explains that Steven likely hasn't made it out. There's no real moment to mourn him: he's just one of those casualties the TARDIS crew encounter on their travels. I thought this was an strange way to leave it, but then we see him running through the jungle looking for the Doctor - hooray! He did escape!

But that's it. I thought that we'd maybe see a shot of him discovering the TARDIS. Something, at least, to set up his return in the next episode. Ah well, I guess I'll see if it's resolved any better tomorrow…

Next Episode: The Watcher

Episode #284 of the DWO WhoCast, Doctor Who Podcast is Out Now!

In this week's episode of the DWO WhoCast...

UNIT. How does it fit into the story of The Doctor? Is the Brigadier the ultimate companion or is he more than that?

Dave, Elizabeth and Thomas have a good natter, Elizabeth offers her opinion of The Second Doctor eBook The Nameless City and Dave and Dean are intrigued by the third Destiny of the Doctor release Vengeance of the Stones.

Listen to Episode #284 of the DWO WhoCast in the player below:

+ Rate / Review the DWO WhoCast on iTunes!
+ Follow the DWO WhoCast on Twitter!
+ Like the DWO WhoCast on Facebook!

[Source: DWO]

Our friends over at London's Stamp Centre have been in touch with details of their new 50th Anniversary, Doctor Who First Day Covers.

The team have put together a stunning array of First Day Covers, each featuring The Doctor himself alongside his enemies for each incarnation.

All the covers are individually numbered on the reverse and are part of a strictly Limited Edition available both signed and unsigned.

All of the covers will also be postmaked with the Seal of Rassilon, First Day Official handstamp and available signed by luminaries from the shows cast. The Stamp Centre guarantee the authenticity of every signature which is personally signed and not reproduced.

+  For more information and to Order, visit the SciFi Collector website.

[Source: SciFi Collector]

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Eighty-Two: The Death of Doctor Who (The Chase, Episode Five)

Dear diary,

If I thought it was a shame that they ruined the reveal of Bizarro Doctor yesterday by mixing between shots of Edmund Warwick and William Hartnell, then nothing could have prepared me for today. I still maintain that even though Warwick isn't a great likeness for Hartnell, I could probably suspend my belief enough to accept him as the robot Doctor during this episode.

As it is, by swapping between the two actors for that role… I sort of lost track. Partly because there was more than one occasion when I wasn't sure if it was meant to be the Doctor or Robodoc, and partly because I wasn't trying all that hard to keep track.

Hartnell plays the role of the robot perfectly when he encounters Barbara in the cave - he's sinister and menacing, and it's genuinely un-nerving to see the Doctor being played in this manner. In some ways, it's not all that far removed from the way that he was playing the Doctor in An Unearthly Child. Having since watched him soften into the giggling chap more prominent in the second season, this is really effective.

The issue is, then, that a few moments later, when the Warwick-Doctor pins Barbara down with his cane, it would be a lot more effective to see Hartnell playing the part. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty dramatic moment as it is, but it could be so much more!

I think it;s in evidence during the confrontation between the real Doctor and his robot double - both halves of the conversation played by Hartnell himself. The effect works much better here, even if you do get the impression of Ian and Barbara watching a game of tennis…

Otherwise, this is just another fairly run-of-the-mill episode of Doctor Who. The design is quite nice (I love the mechanic city), if not outstanding, and the regulars all go about their business as usual. It's odd to see an Episode Five carried almost entirely by our four regular characters, but I think they get away with it - I didn't get the impression that the episode was lagging particularly.

It's interesting to note that the Daleks here aren't played for laughs as they have been elsewhere in the story. Once they've arrived in the jungle, they just go about there business of trying to capture the TARDIS crew (even if they're not very good at it!). In some ways, this is a bit of a shame: they're just sort of there, as opposed to being an interesting part of the narrative.

What I do love, though - and it's happened a few times in this story - is that they refer to the Doctor and his friends as 'the humans'. No attempt is made to correct them. The Daleks at this stage don't know that the Doctor is an alien, and so the programme keeps to that logic! It's a minor thing, but it really works for me. I can't remember if there's a specific point where they discover that he's not quite your average Earthman…

Next Episode: The Planet of Decision

Next Episode: The Planet of Decision 

BBC Television Centre, once home to Doctor Who and countless beloved TV Shows, is saying its final farewell as the BBC brings down the curtain on 53 years of Broadcasting History at the site.

Yesterday, the BBC celebrated the farewell with a gig by evergreen "nutty boys" turned national treasures Madness.

Speaking to DWO, Colin Baker (The 6th Doctor), had the following to say on the closure:

"All I can really add about TC8 is that I have such fond memories of working in those wonderful studios at TV Centre and they are such iconic symbols of the history of British (and world) Television that it it heart breaking to see something trashed that once gone can  never be restored.

As I recall - and correct me if I am wrong - TC1 and TC8 were the biggest studios.  I think I did War and Peace in TC8 and that's where Anthony Hopkins (as Pierre Bezukhov) hurled me (as Anatol Kuragin) across the set.

I know times move on but in America they treasure the old studio sets and preserve them for posterity - sometimes by creating an attraction there that will bring tourists to the site.  In any event, it's a great shame. But this is the organisation of course that has forced hundreds of people to move to Manchester in the name of regionalism and jettison a wonderful facility in the heart of London that is recognised all over the world."

The final programme which will be made at the site will be for a comedy panel show pilot, to be recorded on 29th March.

The premises have been sold for £200m to property developer, Stanhope, and the 14-acre 'fun factory', complete with the infamous doughnut-shaped inner ring, will be turned into a hotel, cinema, restaurants, cafes, a health club and apartments.

In 2015, the BBC will be back at BBC Television Centre, but will only occupy 20% of the redeveloped site with a 'creative hub', which will include leasing three of the biggest TV studios which will be revamped. BBC Worldwide will return to the space previously occupied by BBC News.

DWO have compiled a guide to Doctor Who stories filmed at BBC Television Centre, below:

Television Centre 1

The Wheel in Space, The War Games, Doctor Who and the Silurians, The Ambassadors of Death, The Three Doctors, Planet of the Daleks, The Time Warrior, Planet of the Spiders, The Ark in Space, Genesis of the Daleks, Revenge of the Cybermen, The Brain of Morbius, The Robots of Death, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The Androids of Tara, Destiny of the Daleks, The Leisure Hive, Castrovalva, Arc of Infinity, Terminus, Enlightenment, The King's Demons, The Two Doctors, Revelation of the Daleks, Mindwarp, Terror of the Vervoids, The Ultimate Foe, Time and the Rani, Paradise Towers, Dragonfire.

Television Centre 3

The Aztecs, The Sensorites, The Daleks' Master Plan, The Wheel in Space, The Dominators, The Mind Robber, Doctor Who and the Silurians, The Ambassadors of Death, Inferno, The Mind of Evil, The Claws of Axos, Colony in Space, The Curse of Peladon, The Mutants, The Time Monster, Frontier in Space, Planet of the Daleks, The Green Death, Robot, The Ark in Space, Planet of Evil, Pyramids of Mars, The Android Invasion, The Brain of Morbius, The Masque of Mandragora, The Deadly Assassin, The Face of Evil, The Sun Makers, Underworld, The Stones of Blood, The Armageddon Factor, Destiny of the Daleks, City of Death, The Horns of Nimon, Shada, The Leisure Hive, Meglos, Full Circle, State of Decay, Warriors' Gate, Logopolis, The Visitation, Black Orchid, The Mysterious Planet, Terror of the Vervoids, Delta and the Bannermen, Dragonfire, The Happiness Patrol, Battlefield, Ghost Light.

Television Centre 4

The Sensorites, The Reign of Terror, Planet of Giants, The Space Museum, The Chase, The Time Meddler, Galaxy Four, Mission to the Unknown, The Gunfighters, The Dominators, The Space Pirates, The War Games, The Ambassadors of Death, The Claws of Axos, Colony in Space, The Dæmons, Day of the Daleks, The Curse of Peladon, The Mutants, The Time Monster, Carnival of Monsters, Frontier in Space, Planet of the Daleks, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Death to the Daleks, The Monster of Peladon, The Seeds of Doom, The Ribos Operation, The Twin Dilemma, Timelash, Aliens of London.

Television Centre 4A

The Mutants, The Masque of Mandragora.

Television Centre 6

The War Games, Inferno, Terror of the Autons, The Mind of Evil, The Three Doctors, Carnival of Monsters, Planet of the Daleks, The Time Warrior, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, The Monster of Peladon, Planet of the Spiders, Genesis of the Daleks, Planet of Evil, Pyramids of Mars, The Invisible Enemy, Image of the Fendahl, The Sun Makers, The Pirate Planet, The Androids of Tara, The Power of Kroll, City of Death, The Creature from the Pit, Nightmare of Eden, The Horns of Nimon, Full Circle, State of Decay, Warriors' Gate, The Keeper of Traken, Logopolis, Castrovalva, Four to Doomsday, Snakedance, Mawdryn Undead, Terminus, The Five Doctors, Warriors of the Deep, The Awakening, Frontios, Resurrection of the Daleks, Planet of Fire, The Caves of Androzani, Attack of the Cybermen, Vengeance on Varos, The Mark of the Rani, The Two Doctors, The Mysterious Planet, Mindwarp.

Television Centre 7

The Claws of Axos, Robot.

Television Centre 8

The War Games, Doctor Who and the Silurians, Terror of the Autons, Day of the Daleks, The Sea Devils, The Mutants, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Planet of the Spiders, Genesis of the Daleks, Revenge of the Cybermen, The Android Invasion, The Seeds of Doom, The Hand of Fear, The Deadly Assassin, The Robots of Death, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The Invasion of Time, Meglos, The Keeper of Traken, Kinda, Earthshock, Time-Flight, Terminus, Resurrection of the Daleks, Planet of Fire, The Twin Dilemma, Timelash, Revelation of the Daleks, Time and the Rani, Paradise Towers, Remembrance of the Daleks, The Happiness Patrol.

Puppet Theatre

The Web of Fear, The Dominators, The Mind Robber, The Curse of Peladon, The Three Doctors, The Ark in Space, Revenge of the Cybermen, Pyramids of Mars.

Presentation Studio B

Terminus.

* In 2013, BBC Television Centre was used for Mark Gatiss' Doctor Who biodrama, 'An Adventure In Space And Time' which will air later in the year.

+ Do you think BBC Television Centre should have been sold off? Vote Now in the DWO Forums!

[Sources: DWO; The Guardian; TARDIS Wikia]

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Eighty-One: Journey into Terror (The Chase, Episode Four)

Dear diary,

There's a point in this episode, when the Doctor and Ian have discovered the laboratory, and Ian tells the Doctor he's rather not know that's laying in wait under the sheet on the table. “Where's your sense of adventure?” the Doctor asks him. “It died a slow and painful death,” Ian replies.

I've always cited Ian and Barbara as being among my favourite companions - and some of the best examples of companions that Doctor Who has ever produced. However, as anyone who's been following the blog along will have no doubt noticed, I've been less than impressed with the state of the show in its second season that I was with the first.

Sadly, Ian and Barbara have come to represent all that I'm not liking with the programme at the moment. They're the only real thing that's still there from the beginning (the Doctor is enough of a different character now that he may as well be brand new), and the longer they stick around for, the more I'm growing tired of them.

That's not a slight against William Russell or Jacqueline Hill at all, by the way. They both continue to be fantastic, though I'm starting to notice more and more instances of them just sort of coasting through scenes (or, to use another phrase I've been saying about Who this season, they're slipping into auto pilot). I think it started somewhere around The Web Planet, and it's been becoming more and more noticeable as we've gone on.

During Episode Two of The Space Museum, when the pair spent a lot of time arguing with each other - and with Vicki - I said that it felt like a relationship on the rocks, just sticking together out of habit. We get more of that here, when they argue with the Doctor about leaving Vicki behind, and not being able to go back for her. It just feels more-and-more that the time has come for Ian and Barbara to go. By the time they do leave the series, I'll have spent eighty-three days in their company: perhaps just a little too long.

Still, it's great to see their exit already being set up. It's been a good few years since I last saw The Chase, and enough time for me to have assumed that they simply decided to hijack the Daleks' time capsule to get them home in the closing moments of Episode Six. It's nice to see that actually, using the other time machine is an idea introduced here. As with Susan's exit earlier this season, a lot of thought is being given to departures at this stage.

Elsewhere, the haunted house set looks fantastic. I'm not sure how I feel about the idea that it all turns out to have been a fun house exhibit - I wonder if the Doctor's theory that it may be a product of the collective human imagination may be more interesting as a concept. Incidentally, this is the perfect type of story to utilise this setting for - it feels just right to see our regulars exploring a house like this, but I fear it would have grown tiresome after an episode. The appearance of Frankenstein's monster and Dracula are another one of those things that this story gets derided for (and another example of something I was dreading), but they're a great addition.

Plus, the Frankenstein make-up is great!

And then we're onto the robot replica of Doctor Who. You could *almost get away with the resemblance not being the best, if only they didn't cut to a close-up of Hartnell at the very end! Noooo!

Next Episode: The Death of Doctor Who

Shhh. For *this story, that's his name. 

Legendary film Director, and friend to DWO, Peter Jackson, has reignited hope that he may one day direct a Doctor Who episode.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Jackson had the following to say regarding the possibility of directing an upcoming episode:

"They don’t even have to pay me, but I have got my eye on one of those nice new gold-colored Daleks. They must have a spare one (hint, hint).”

EW asked showrunner, Steven Moffat, about the offer, but he declined to comment on whether the Doctor Who budget could accommodate Jackson’s request:

“You’d never get any information like that out of me!” Moffat said, tongue planted in cheek. Speaking more seriously, he was open to the idea of Jackson directing an episode of the show:

“We’re theoretically on board for anything, provided we’ve got a great story.”

Entertainment Weekly are running two collectible Doctor Who covers (pictured-right) for this week's issue, including interviews with Steven Moffat, and essay written by Peter Jackson on his love for Doctor Who, and a guide to all 11 Doctors.

Below is the promo text for the issue:

What is it with legendary British pop culture icons celebrating their fiftieth anniversaries? Who knows — and “Who” is exactly the right word. In 2012 both the Rolling Stones and the Bond movies turned 50 and this year it is the turn of British science fiction show Doctor Who (yes, we know the Doctor is actually much older than 50, but let’s not get into that right now). To mark the occasion, this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly offers a choice of two collectible covers — one featuring Matt Smith’s Doctor, Jenna Louise-Coleman’s new “companion” Clara, and a Dalek and the other boasting Smith and a Cyberman, who will be among the monsters our time-traveling hero battles in the half-season of eight new Doctor Who shows which BBC America will premiere on March 30 at 8p.m. ET.

That, however, is just the tip of the celebratory Who-berg — the flashing light atop the Doctor’s time- and spacecraft the TARDIS, if you will. For our Doctor Who cover story we visited the show on location in Wales, grilled executive producer Steven Moffat about the upcoming episodes and the 50th anniversary special, which is being broadcast this fall, and luncheoned in Manhattan with Smith. In our Who package you’ll also find a breakdown of all 11 Doctors and, perhaps best of all, an essay by Peter Jackson in which the Lord of the Rings director recounts his Who-love and announces his price for directing an episode. You’ll think the magazine is, well, bigger on the inside…

[Source: Entertainment Weekly]

 Day Eighty: Flight Through Eternity (The Chase, Episode Three)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Eighty: Flight Through Eternity (The Chase, Episode Three)

Dear diary,

Let me get this one off my chest before I begin. Last week, I took issue with the fact that Vicki had read about Daleks in her history books, but had never seen an image of one. Let alone the fact that she's still using history books as opposed to reading it on the iPad 9, or having it downloaded to her brain during her hour-a-week studies, it just seemed plain weird.

And yet here, as they gaze out from the top of the Empire State Building, she recognises it as 'Ancient New York'. She knows so because she's seen pictures of it in her history books from before the Daleks destroyed it during their invasion of Earth! Were they just really selective about which pictures they wanted to show in the books?

(I must point out that, while hearing both statements so close together in a marathon format like this is annoying me, there's plenty to love about this. It's great to see them continuing to remind us that Vicki is from the future. She's such a 1960s character at times, it would be very easy to simply forget that she's not contemporary. It's also a lovely touch to add reference to the Dalek invasion - it really just helps to tie things together nicely.)

So! Flight Through Eternity. I'm not gonna lie: it's episodes like this one that I was dreading when I started this story. I mused just a few days ago that after the epic scale that was The Dalek Invasion of Earth, reducing the Daleks to a comic runaround would be more than a little disappointing. Well… I was wrong!

Hah! This episode is brilliant. Say what you want about Morton Dill (and believe me, I've been active in fan circles for long enough to know what people generally say about him!), but that whole sequence is sheer greatness. It's played as comedy - and everyone knows it's played as comedy. It just works. It's also home to what might be my favourite exchange in the series so far - “You're from Earth!” / “No ma'm, I'm from Alabama!”

Plus, it's great to see Peter Purves turning up. I once cast him in a film I made at university, along with Sarah Greene. He's always been a favourite. We'll be seeing a lot more of him before long, so chances are that I'll ruminate on that at some point!

The really interesting thing about this, though, is the Doctor's comment that a piece of the TARDIS operating equipment has 'been in the ship since I constructed it'. That's my bolding on that quote, by the way. Hartnell delivers the line as completely matter-of-fact, as if it's no great surprise.

Now, I know that there's implications in the first story that the TARDIS was the Doctor's own invention (and that Susan came up with the acronym), but it's not often we get such a blatant statement about the ships origins. What's everyone's thoughts on the matter? Did the Doctor build the ship? Does he mean he built that piece of the ship? What's everyone's thoughts? Leave a comment ,or pop on over the the 50 year Diary Facebook Page to share your thoughts…

Next Episode: Journey into Terror

For fans celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, the 20th Anniversary of the Power Rangers, and all things Pop Culture, Houston, Texas is the destination of choice for the summer “Geek Festival”.

Space City Con 2013 includes hundreds of events, 24 hour programming for 3 days, exapnded to two adjoining hotels, with vendors, artists, authors, media guests, gaming & video-gaming, cosplay, a Masquerade competition, a Klingon Makeover for Charity, the Robotech 2013 Convention Tour, and everything for kids of all ages to enjoy.

Sylvester McCoy, beloved for his role as The 7th Doctor, and also for his quirky Radagast the Brown wizard in the international blockbuster, Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”, will be joining a gathering of 5 Power Rangers (Jason David Frank, Steve Cardenas, Catherine Sutherland, Blake Foster, and Karan Ashley, a native Texan like JDF).

Also featured at the show is the new unsolicited pilot project, Star Trek: Renegades, with actors Walter Koenig (Chekov), Tim Russ (Tuvok / Director), Manu Intiraymi (Icheb), J.G. Hertzler (Martok), and the stunning Adrienne Wilkinson (Xena's daughter Eve; Star Wars' Maris Brood) as the newest Starfleet Captain, Lexxa Singh.  

Star Trek: Voyager's Robert Picardo will serve as Master of Ceremonies, giving Houston the distinct  and unique honor of hosting “Two Doctors” - two actors whose characters were simply and grandly, “The Doctor”.

Rounding out the line-up from Star Trek and Stargate, is John de Lancie (Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Stargate: Atlantis commander Torri Higginson. This being Babylon 5's 20th Anniversary as well, Jason Carter will appear with Koenig.

Professional photo ops will be available with restored pieces of the Enterprise-D bridge NewStarship.com project, which is traveling to Houston along with the actual working TARDIS console, complete with sounds and lights, from the 1996 Doctor Who movie which starred Sylvester McCoy. This will be an extremely rare opportunity for fans to have special photos taken with the talent and the set pieces.

+  Space City Con takes place on August 2nd-4th 2013 in Houston; Texas.

+  For further information, check out the Space City Con website.

[Source: Space City Con]

 Day Seventy-Nine: The Death of Time (The Chase, Episode Two)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Nine: The Death of Time (The Chase, Episode Two)

Dear diary,

This is a tricky one. I've enjoyed today's episode, but at the same time is hasn't done much new or interesting It's the same kind of Doctor-Who-by-numbers that I've complained about a few times during this second season.

And yet, I really have enjoyed it…

The big problem here is that they're simply over stretching themselves. The Aridian costumes aren't great, and I can't even cover for them by attempting my 'squint-at-the-screen' technique. They're just not good costumes. The design is (more-or-less) sound - it's the realisation that falls down.

And speaking of which - the Dalek falling into Ian's trap. I was really looking forward to this. Right from early in the episode, there's some gorgeous shots of the Daleks taken from a low angle, which not only makes them menacing, but shows off just how beautiful the 1960s Daleks really are. The build-up to this pivotal moment, then, still being shot from below as the Doctor and Ian build the trap had me really excited to see the Dalek tumbling down into the pit…

And then it's all done with a shadow, and is over in a matter of seconds. We don't even get a shot of the Dalek shell at the bottom! It's disappointing, because it would have made for a real stand-out moment in this story; especially so soon after The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

It's not all bad, though. The shot of the city collapsing around Ian and Vicki is rather well done, and we get to see a Dalek with an unusual new arm attachment, which looks rather snazzy. While I'm at it - Oi! Character Options! Where's the release of this Dalek? Please? I'd buy one.

I also really enjoyed Ian and the Vicki teasing each other as they try to make their escape ('You fool!' 'You… nit!'), and it's lovely to see the Doctor and Barbara given some time together again. It feels like an age since we last saw them paired together (Was it The Aztecs? No wonder it feels so long…).

So, on the whole, there's a lot to love, but it's got the same problem that much of Season Two seems to have - there's just nothing all that special about it.

Next Episode: Flight Through Eternity

The BBC have released a series of Doctor Who promo images from 7.6: The Bells Of St John.

Check Out DWO's Guide to Series 7 Part 2, below:

 W = Written By / D = Directed By:

7.6: The Bells Of Saint John - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Colm McCarthy]
7.7: The Rings of Akhaten - [W: Neil Cross / D: Farren Blackburn]
7.8: Cold War - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Douglas Mackinnon]
7.9: Hide - [W: Neil Cross / D: Jamie Payne]
7.10: Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS - [W: Stephen Thompson / D: Mat King]
7.11: The Crimson Horror - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Saul Metzstein]
7.12: Nightmare In Silver - [W: Neil Gaiman / D: Stephen Wolfenden] - Updated Title
7.13: The Name Of The Doctor - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Saul Metzstein] - Rumoured Title

+  7.6: The Bells Of St John airs on Saturday 30th March on BBC One at 6:15pm.

[Source: BBC]

 Day Seventy-Eight: The Executioners (The Chase, Episode One)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Eight: The Executioners (The Chase, Episode One)

Dear diary,

I've been dreading this story. But I've been really looking forward to this story. But, then again, I've been dreading it. But really looking forward to it. Dizzy yet? Yeah, me too.

Here's the thing: as you may have guessed from the last month or so, I've not been enjoying Season Two as much as I enjoyed Season One. Once I'd gotten The (surprisingly great) Dalek Invasion of Earth out of the way, everything's been a bit… meh. And then there's The Chase.

This is another one of those stories that's always just sort of been there. I've never loved it, but I've never disliked it. It just sort of exists, keeping the second season going for six weeks. I remember it being quite fun, so I was looking forward to watching that. And then I watched The Dalek Invasion of Earth, and it was epic, and gorgeous, and brilliant. I really loved it, and I'd loved the fact that it brought the Daleks down to real locations and made them gritty.

Suddenly, the thought of a six-week 'romp' through time and space seemed far less appealing. And thus, for a few weeks, I rather put The Chase out of my mind, figuring that I'd just deal with it when I got there and then move on. So, I made my way through The Romans and The Web Planet, and The Crusades , not really looking forward to this comedy Dalek adventure. But then I reached Episode One of The Space Museum.

The Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki turn a corner and come face-to-face with… a Dalek. And you know what? I was excited. For - I think - the first time since their appearance in Bad Wolf, I was excited by the prospect of the Daleks coming back. Then I had to sit through the three remaining episodes of The Space Museum, before I got a glimpse of a Dalek in front of a rather cheap looking wall. Ooh, thrilling.

Suffice to say, when I got up this morning, I wasn't relishing the prospect of today's episode. Having enjoyed their Earth-bound exploits so much, I was about to find myself subjected to a cheap Dalek story that wouldn't be very good. Bowl of cereal at the ready, I loaded the DVD into the Mac and grudgingly chose the first episode.

And then, I spent twenty-five of the most enjoyable minutes I've ever had watching Doctor Who. I'm not being funny, but this episode is brilliant. I tried to take Rob Shearman's advice yesterday and look for the humour in The Space Museum. There's no looking for humour here - it's holding up great big signs right in front of you!

The Doctor fixes his machine and gets irritated at Vicki's whistling, while Ian reads a book about 'Monsters From Outer-Space', which he declares “a bit far fetched”. I was laughing, out loud, to myself as I watched. That doesn't happen all that often. It's so rare to see the TARDIS crew just kicking back and enjoying themselves.

They go on to watch a bit of the Time Telly, before heading out onto a desert planet, which they treat as the equivalent of a day trip to Brighton. It's all really great fun - it's almost a shame that the Daleks have to turn up and spoil it for them.

Even then, there's plenty of drama, as Ian and Vicki find themselves cornered by a monster in a secret chamber, while the Doctor and Barbara get caught out in a sand storm, losing the TARDIS under the sand itself. The cliffhanger of the Dalek rising from the sand is't as effective as the similar one from earlier in the season, where the creature glides out of the Thames, but it's still rather good - and I love the sound of it struggling to get out of the ground!

The Daleks themselves look as impressive as ever when they're stood around in their control room, and they looks genuinely scary as they pour into their time machine. It's a shame that they didn't have the timings a little more spot-on, to avoid the occasional pauses between creatures making their way inside.

Frankly, I loved it all.

Mind you, I wondered about Ian and Barbara being a couple during The Romans, but he and Vicki here are like a pair of teenagers on a first date to the beach! In some ways, it's quite endearing!

Next Episode: The Death of Time

 Day Seventy-Seven: The Final Phase (The Space Museum, Episode Four)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Seven: The Final Phase (The Space Museum, Episode Four)

Dear diary,

I think it's pretty fair to say that The Space Museum has left me more than a little cold since the start of the second episode. In an attempt to rectify this, and give the story a chance at redemption before it draws to a close, I've not dived straight into this episode.

Instead, I spent a few minutes watching a special feature on the DVD in which Rob Shearman defends the story. If there's anyone I'm willing to listen to on the subject then it's most certainly Rob - writer of the excellent The Chimes of Midnight, one of my favourite of the Big Finish plays. The first episode of Chimes shares several similarities with the opening of The Space Museum (the Doctor and his companion Charley cannot be seen or - properly - heard by the inhabitants of a large house they;ve landed in… Charley is unable to write her name in the dust on a table without it vanishing again), but then the story continues to be strong throughout.

Rob brings up a number of points about things he loves in this story, often referring to the fact that it's got a thick vein of comedy, and that it often lampoons earlier ideas in Doctor Who. Looking back, I think he's right, but it did little to improve my opinion on the earlier episodes. In fact, I think the only thing that it did do for me was to highlight how often Tor puts his hands on his hips. That was fun, and surely a good example of a Doctor Who drinking game?

For all my complaints about The Space Museum, though, I do have to confess that the ending is rather clever. The Doctor and his companions have spent so much time trying to alter their own destiny in this story, that they're completely unaware of the effects they're having on those around them - and ultimately it's the effect they've had on others which saves the day.

This should be an interesting concept throughout the tale - another vital step in the arc of not changing history - but it ends up just feeling a bit lacking. It doesn't help that the characters remind us every five minutes that they're trying to change their future; it all gets a bit monotonous by the end.

It is nice to watch Vicki's relationship with Tor developing in this episode, though. Coming so soon after The Dalek Invasion of Earth, you could be forgiven for thinking it might be setting up for her departure, staying behind to help build this new world. She certainly shares more chemistry with the boy than many later companions will with the people they depart for!

(Oh, and while I'm - tangentially - on the subject of Daleks, I'm disappointed by how cheap the cliffhanger looks. Still, I'm quite excited to have the pepper pots back again, and that's not something I ever expected to say!)

Next Episode: The Executioners

Our friends over at BBC America have sent DWO the brand new Promo Posters and Synopsis' for the first four episodes from Doctor Who Series 7 Part 2.

7.6: The Bells Of St John

The Doctor’s search for Clara Oswald brings him to modern day London, where wifi is everywhere. Humanity lives in a wifi soup, but something dangerous is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. As Clara becomes the target of this insidious menace, the Doctor races to save her and the world from an ancient enemy.

7.7: The Rings Of Akhaten

Clara wants to see something awesome, so the Doctor whisks her off to the inhabited rings of the planet Akhaten, where the Festival of Offerings is in full swing. Clara meets the young Queen of Years as the pilgrims and natives ready for the ceremony. But something is stirring in the pyramid, and a sacrifice will be demanded.

7.8: Cold War

The Doctor and Clara land on a damaged Russian Submarine in 1983 as it spirals out of control into the ocean depths. An alien creature is loose on board, having escaped from a block of Arctic ice. With tempers flaring and a cargo of nuclear weapons on board, it’s not just the crew but the whole of humanity at stake!

7.9: Hide

Clara and the Doctor arrive at Caliburn House, a haunted mansion sat alone on a desolate moor. Within its walls, a ghost hunting Professor and a gifted psychic are searching for the Witch of the Well. Her apparition appears throughout the history of the building, but is she really a ghost? And what is chasing her?

New Series Interviews:

Steven Moffat

Lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat gives us an insight into the monsters and adventures that we can expect from the new series.

So it’s back and with a James Bond-esque urban thriller. Why did you decide to kick-off the new series with a very modern day threat?

"It was Marcus Wilson's idea. We were discussing how the first episode of the second run would probably be a contemporary Earth adventure, so the Doctor could meet the modern day Clara - and anyway, I wanted to do Wi-Fi monsters - and Marcus suggested we do a proper urban thriller. The Doctor can never be Bond or Bourne - but if he tried it might look a bit like this."

What else can we expect from the new series?

"A haunted house, a submarine, a planet with cool rings, Victorian Yorkshire, a journey to the centre of the TARDIS, Dame Diana Rigg and her daughter Rachael Stirling together on screen for the first time, new Cybermen, and the Doctor's greatest secret revealed."

You are bringing back a couple of classic monsters with the Cybermen and Ice Warriors, are there any new ones to look out for?

"Plenty of new monsters! Watch out for the Spoonheads, the Whispermen, and - my favourite - the Vigil. Oh and Neil Gaiman has done something horrible with the Cybermen!"

We finally get to meet the Clara that will travel with the Doctor across the series’ eight epic adventures. Can you tell us a little bit about her character?

"You've sort of met her, but you sort of haven't. The same shed load of attitude you saw before, the same rapid-fire banter with the Doctor, but this time she's living in modern London with no memory of the Time Lord!"

How has the dynamic of the relationship between the Doctor and his companion changed since the introduction of Clara?

"It's all new for the Doctor - this time the greatest mystery in the universe is standing right next to him."

What was it about Jenna that made you decide she would be right fit for the role of the new companion?

"Casting is a funny process - the right people sort of choose themselves. It happened with Matt a long time ago, and when we saw him bantering with Jenna it happened again. Auditions start with you telling the actor about the character - sometimes they end with the actor telling you. That's what happened with Jenna!"

A ghost story, a period drama to end all period dramas and an underwater siege, was it intentional to go as big as possible with this series in the year of the 50th?

"We try to make every year the biggest possible, but when you see that big, glittering 50 hanging above you, you start trying even harder. I've been a fan all by my life and I know we have to deliver!"

Matt Smith

Having run down corridors from every monster imaginable, Matt Smith returns as the Doctor to face old and new foe. But he’s not alone. Along for the ride in his brand new TARDIS is the Doctor’s latest companion, Clara Oswald. Here Matt talks about what he is looking forward to from the epic new series.

"I think it is going to be very exciting to introduce Clara to the world and Steven has hit a real vein of form. Along with a new costume this series, the Doctor has a new TARDIS to travel through space and time. Walking on to the new TARDIS was like the first day at school. I actually found it quite difficult as I had got so used to the rhythm of acting on the old one, where I used to slide about on the glass floor, but Michael Pickwoad has done a fabulous job, he continues. This one is more like a machine."

Having lost his first companions, the Ponds, at the hands of the Weeping Angels in New York last year and after a period of mourning the Doctor is joined by a new companion this series, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman.

"She’s done brilliantly well. She’s kind, charming, thoroughly prepared and very brave as an actress. And most importantly of all we get on, which is vital on a show like this. I’m so proud of what she has achieved in the last year, he concludes."

So what do fans have to look forward to this series? An urban thriller, ‘The Bells of St John’, brings the series back with a bang as The Doctor’s search for Clara Oswald takes him to modern day London, where wifi is everywhere. But something dangerous is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. On filming in London, Matt had the following to say:

"Amazing, I loved shooting in London. Tthere is something so brilliant about having the locations there rather than just adding them in."

Following on from this the second episode, ‘The Rings of Akhaten’, take The Doctor and Clara away from earth and on their first proper adventure… in outer space. Featuring an alien market Matt remarks:

"It was very ‘Whoey’. We had between 50 to 60 prosthetic aliens, which is something that only really this show can offer, he continues, making it a very unique experience as an actor."

As well as introducing some new monsters, the new series brings back a couple of old monsters in the form of the Ice Warriors and Cybermen:

"I think it’s good to pay homage to the classic series, especially for the fans. This series we have modernised some of the monsters for a whole new generation."

Soggy, like drowned rats, Matt is explaining the shooting experience for the third episode ‘Cold War’, written by Mark Gatiss. Set on a Russian submarine spiralling out of control in 1983 an alien creature is loose on board, having escaped from a block of Arctic ice:

"They built a submarine and the five-year old in me was like “yeah it’s a submarine!”. I loved getting sprayed down at the beginning of the shoot, Matt continues, and it wasn’t a chore as it does so much of the acting for you, making it really authentic. Mark Gatiss has delivered one of the best episodes of the series"

Jenna-Louise Coleman

The new series will mark the official introduction of the Doctor’s latest companion, Clara Oswald. Having already appeared in the series opener ‘Asylum of the Daleks’ in September and as Clara in the Christmas special, ‘The Snowmen’, here Jenna explains a little bit about her character and working with monster.

Very excited, Jenna is talking animatedly about her first series as the Doctor’s companion. It will be fantastic to see the final version with all of the elements put together.

Having made a surprise appearance as one of the Doctor’s most notorious of enemies, a Dalek, in last year’s series opener, audiences have been treated to two different versions of the latest companion:

"We’ve had one introduction to Clara in the Christmas special, but not necessarily the same Clara we will see in this series, but the essence of all the different versions is the same. She’s very brave and resourceful, a match for The Doctor and an explorer in her own right. She dreams of travelling and seeing the world and wants more than what’s on offer."

So how has Jenna found working with Matt Smith?

"Just a joy, it really is. He is the most perfect leading man and sets such a lovely tone on set, making the atmosphere so wonderful. There’s not much more you could ask for in your co-star."

On shooting in London, Jenna had the following to say:

"I loved shooting in London, it was so much fun. It was one of those moments where I thought “I’m filming Doctor Who, on a motorbike, riding across Westminster Bridge with the Houses of Parliament in the background.”

So would Jenna trust Matt to drive her on a motorbike in real life?

"Well on screen it looks very exciting, but both of us were being very silly as we were so tightly strapped in. I just clung on!"

As the newest edition to the show, Jenna explains how this series will take the viewer on the same journey of discovery she experienced when she first joined, especially for episode two ‘The Rings of Akhaten’ which is set on an alien planet:

"It’s one of my favourite episodes, it’s so weird and wonderful and something that only this show can offer. It show’s Clara for the first time what life with the Doctor will be like. It’s a complete fantasy, and it’s great for audiences as the story begins again and we get to explore all these strange new worlds together, as well as getting to know the Doctor again."

The third episode, ‘Cold War’, set on a Russian submarine marks the return of the classic Doctor Who monster the Ice Warriors:

"They were terrifying, I think this is the first time Clara is really, really scared. The whole set was really realistic and built to size, which wasn’t too much of a problem for me."

So how did they make it look so realistic?

"Before every take they would come and spray us, the whole make-up process was reversed as they would damp us down in the morning and rub my mascara off! We were soaking wet for two weeks."

So having completed filming and watched most of the episodes, does Jenna have a favourite?

"I really like 'The Rings of Akhaten' as and it’s the first proper adventure for the Doctor and Clara."

A new trailer for Series 7 Part 2 launched last weekend, watch it below:

[youtube:SRQu3MvRySA]

Check Out DWO's Guide to Series 7 Part 2, below:

 W = Written By / D = Directed By:

7.6: The Bells Of Saint John - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Colm McCarthy]
7.7: The Rings of Akhaten - [W: Neil Cross / D: Farren Blackburn]
7.8: Cold War - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Douglas Mackinnon]
7.9: Hide - [W: Neil Cross / D: Jamie Payne]
7.10: Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS - [W: Stephen Thompson / D: Mat King]
7.11: The Crimson Horror - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Saul Metzstein]
7.12: Nightmare In Silver - [W: Neil Gaiman / D: Stephen Wolfenden] - Updated Title
7.13: The Name Of The Doctor - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Saul Metzstein] - Rumoured Title

+  Series 7 Part 2 begins on Saturday 30th March on BBC One at 6:15PM.

[Source: BBC America]

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Six: The Search (The Space Museum, Episode Three)

Dear diary,

There's more shots of the police box exterior to the TARDIS in whiz episode than I think we've had in any other episode to date. That makes this the perfect opportunity to mention… just how gorgeous is the Hartnell era TARDIS?

I've praised the design of the interior before now (well, at least most of the time - it never looks so good when it's been hastily assembled in a corner somewhere…), but I don't think I've ever mentioned the exterior before now. I've never really given it much thought in the past, but I think this early version is my favourite of the classic bunch.

There's something about it that really works for me. It could be the fact that it looks a bit battered, and therefore really sells it as something that's been tumbling through the Time Vortex (or the Asteral Plane, of whatever you want to call it at this stage). The police box goes through a similar period of looking battered in the 1980s, but it's never quite as good as we see it here. And yet it's the one version of the ship that I don't own in toy form! I really must get around to fixing that.

As for the episode itself… well, it's much the same as yesterdays - nothing particularly wrong with it, but there's just nothing all that great to hook onto, either. It's great to see Ian given plenty to do, even if he's not quite in character while he's doing it. Equally, it's good to see Vicki being given a strong role in the story, too, as she starts to stir up the revolution.

I have to ask, though, since when has Vicki been able to reprogram a commuter like that? The whole scene outside the armoury put me in mind of a similar one with Zoe during The Invasion; but I had no idea something like that had occurred here, too!

What's that? What do you mean I'm struggling for things to say in relation to this episode? I resent that accusation. Although, um… er… Realistically, one of the problems with the show going into a kind of auto pilot like this is that I don't really end up with much to discuss. I could go into the suggestion that this is the only story of the early period in the show's history which hasn't seen some debate over its overall title, but that seems to be stretching it a bit.

Besides, The Dimensions of Time would be a much cooler overall title, anyway…

Next Episode: The Final Phase

Next Episode: The Final Phase 

 Day Seventy-Five: The Dimensions of Time (The Space Museum, Episode Two)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Five: The Dimensions of Time (The Space Museum, Episode Two)

Dear diary,

Urgh. Me and my big mouth: “On the whole, though, even if the next three episodes aren't all that… this one is fantastic.” Is the way I summed up yesterday's episode. Thing is - now I've gone and jinxed it! Of course today's episode wasn't going to be as good as yesterday's. That'll be why I've got the mother of all toothaches, today. It's the universe trying to teach my mouth a lesson.

I'm usually pretty contrary when it comes to opinions on Doctor Who. I'd rather watch Twin Dilemma than Androzani, I've never really cared for Talons of Weng-Chiang (Though, having listened to series five of Jago and Litefoot this week, I can confirm it's still one of my favourite things ever), and I'm rather fond of a Sylvester McCoy story which shares a name very similar to today's episode.

Therefore, I thought this was going to be a walk in the park. I'd seen (most of) yesterday's episode before, so I knew how good that was. I'd not watched the rest of the story, but hey! If fandom-at-large dislikes it, then chances are that I'd actually enjoy it. The problem with this theory is that sometimes - just sometimes - stories get a bad reputation for a reason.

On the whole (starting positive), there's nothing wrong with this episode. It's a perfectly good twenty-five minutes of Doctor Who. My issue with it is that this is Doctor Who on auto pilot. There's nothing particularly new or interesting here.

Ian, Barbara and Vicki spend much of the episode roaming around the corridors of the space museum, and getting gradually more and more irritated with each other. It almost feels in places like the dying days of a relationship, when you're with each other out of habit rather than because there's any genuine affection. This could be a nice bit of foreshadowing - we're not all that far from our schoolteachers leaving the series now - but sadly, I think it's more just happening to fill time.

Then we've got the Doctor being interrogated by the Governor of the planet. It should be quite a good scene, as the Doctor bamboozles his questioner by displaying daft images onto the screen in an attempt to throw him off. His answer to the question of how they arrived at the museum - by flashing up a Penny Farthing - is great, as is the footage he plays of sea lions to demonstrate where he's come from and the (slightly bizarre) image of Hartnell in a bathing suit.

But it's all just a bit bland. I've grown used to the Doctor having this sense of humour across the rest of this second season, so it's just part and parcel of the series, now. It all just falls a little too flat for me.

Next Episode: The Search

The BBC have released a brand new trailer for Doctor Who: Series 7 Part 2 which begins on 30th March.

The trailer, which can be seen below, offers a taster of what to look forward to in the next 8 episodes:

[youtube:SRQu3MvRySA]

The trailer should also air on BBC One just before 8:00pm Tonight.

Check Out DWO's Guide to Series 7B, below:

 W = Written By / D = Directed By:

7.6: The Bells Of Saint John - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Colm McCarthy]
7.7: The Rings of Akhaten - [W: Neil Cross / D: Farren Blackburn]
7.8: Cold War - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Douglas Mackinnon]
7.9: Hide - [W: Neil Cross / D: Jamie Payne]
7.10: Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS - [W: Stephen Thompson / D: Mat King]
7.11: The Crimson Horror - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Saul Metzstein]
7.12: Nightmare In Silver - [W: Neil Gaiman / D: Stephen Wolfenden] - Updated Title
7.13: The Name Of The Doctor - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Saul Metzstein] - Rumoured Title

+  Series 7 Part 2 begins on Saturday 30th March on BBC One at 6:15PM.

[Source: BBC]

 Day Seventy-Four: The Space Museum (The Space Museum, Episode One)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Four: The Space Museum (The Space Museum, Episode One)

Dear diary,

According to fan 'wisdom', The Space Museum is similar to An Unearthly Child - a great first episode, followed by three not-very-good ones. I'll admit that I've never actually watched this one properly, so I can't really give comment on that theory for a few days, but they've got one thing right at least: this first episode is brilliant.

I've always thought of this one as being the Edge of Destruction Season Two style. There's strange things happening in the TARDIS, and our heroes don't know what's causing them. Then they venture outside, where they don't leave footprints, can't be seen, and can't hear the people they meet.

If anything, though, I think I prefer this to The Edge of Destruction. It's certainly very effective right from the off (and in answer to my musing yesterday as to how good the cliffhanger might have looked when moving: the brief clip here looks very unsettling. Great stuff!), and it builds up a certain amour of tension as the piece goes on.

When the reveal comes that our regulars can't interact with anything on the planet, and Vicki manages to put her hand right through one of the exhibits, it's very well done. Looking back, I realise that there are a few instances earlier on where the Doctor has stopped her before she can touch anything. It's a great effect, too.

It's a little sees effective when the Doctor demonstrates the same thing with the TARDIS they find. Due to the angle of the police-box and where Hartnell's stood, he seems to be both behind and inside the box all at the same time - and at moments when he's not supposed to be.

And then there's that cliffhanger! Except… it's not. I've always thought that the cliffhanger to this episode was the TARDIS crew turning around to find themselves on display in a series of glass cases. I had no idea that there's a couple of full scenes after that point, where they muse on how it might have happened, and how they might be able to escape that fate.

All the same, it's a compelling moment, and really helps to build into the spookiness of the whole episode. When the actual cliffhanger comes, it's only effective because the Doctor has just spelt it out in great detail - 'When those glass cases disappear, then we've arrived and we're in great danger!' 'Oh, look! The glass cases have gone!'.

The most effective part of the cliffhanger has to be the way that the time travellers freeze in place and the 'men-in-white-outfits' approach the TARDIS, and watch as the footprints appear in the sand.

As for the idea of the Museum itself… I like it. It's great that there's a Dalek in there, and it's fun to see the Doctor, Ian and Barbara all taken aback by it. I have to ask, though, did Vicki's history books not have pictures of the Daleks? If I were to Wiki 'Dalek' right now, there'd be plenty of images to look at alongside the descriptions!

It's a bit of a shame that we don't get more things from past adventures in the museum - it could be a fun trip down memory lane while they explore, and fitting for Ian and Barbara's penultimate story. I'd have liked to see a Key of Marinus, Perhaps, or one of the Sensorite guns. Maybe even just as a background prop?

On the whole, though, even if the next three episodes aren't all that… this one is fantastic.

Next Episode: The Dimensions of Time

I've set up a Facebook page for the 50 Year Diary. If you enjoy reading the blog, please do pop over an give it a like! I'm sure I'll be using it to ask questions etc in relation to the marathon! 

Episode #283 of the DWO WhoCast, Doctor Who Podcast is Out Now!

In this week's episode of the DWO WhoCast...

Jo Grant has long been thought of as a dolly bird with trendy gear and huge eyelashes but Dave and Elizabeth think that there is more to The Third Doctor's assistant played by Katy Manning.

Their discussion looks at the young girl who arrived in Terror of the Autons, her journey to become the idealistic woman of The Green Death and beyond to The Scorchies, the latest Companion Chronicle from Big Finish.

Listen to Episode #283 of the DWO WhoCast in the player below:

+ Rate / Review the DWO WhoCast on iTunes!
+ Follow the DWO WhoCast on Twitter!
+ Like the DWO WhoCast on Facebook!

[Source: DWO]

 Day Seventy-Three: The Warlords (The Crusade, Episode Four)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Three: The Warlords (The Crusade, Episode Four)

Dear diary,

The one down side to listening to this story as a narrated soundtrack, rather than as a recon is that it's very easy to not notice that you've hit the 'shuffle' button. Ten minutes in, I thought it was all a bit muddled and over very quickly, and that's when I realised what I'd done!

A quick reset back to the start and I was off again. Know what, though? It's still a bit muddled and over very quickly! I wonder if it comes back to my complaints from earlier in the story - because I just don't know this period of history, and I don't know the real-life stories of the characters we meet, it seems as though the story just… ends?

What happens to Joanna, for example? Yesterday's plot was constructed largely around her being married off in an attempt to end the war, we get that wonderful blazing row between her and Richard, and then… she's not even in this episode! Did Richard go ahead with the plans to marry her off? Did he end them?

It almost feels as though the entire story has swung off in a different direction for this episode, without really considering what's come before. There's even a moment when Richard tells the Doctor that he's not really angry with him (which is the state we left things in yesterday, and which was a very powerful moment), because he knows that he didn't betray him.

Then the Doctor slips away to the woods, and they're on their way. It has to be said, Ian's bluffing about the Doctor having killed many of his men as a distraction to get them inside the TARDIS was a great one - I think that was probably my favourite part of the episode today.

Overall, I think The Crusade has been a bit hit-or-miss for me. On the one had, you've got some fantastic performances from the guest cast, all of whom are really going for it. The script is rich, and dripping with detail on the period, it's just a shame that it really means nothing to me.

Perhaps most successful, though, is the design of this story. Frankly, it's gorgeous. The sets used for both of the major encampments for the story are stunning, and it's a perfect example of the BBC being far more comfortable with designing sets from history, rather than far-flung alien worlds.

And then we've got that cliffhanger. I hope it looked as good on screen as it sounded, described by William Russell on the soundtrack. It's eerie, and that's always a good sign…

Next Episode: The Space Museum

I've set up a Facebook page for the 50 Year Diary. If you enjoy reading the blog, please do pop over an give it a like! I'm sure I'll be using it to ask questions etc in relation to the marathon! 

 Day Seventy-Two: The Wheel of Fortune (The Crusade, Episode Three)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Two: The Wheel of Fortune (The Crusade, Episode Three)

Dear diary,

I promised myself that I wouldn't do it. As soon as I reached the end of yesterday's episode, and the 'next' caption came up, I decided then and there that I wouldn't do it. But you know what? I just can't help myself. All together, now: “WHEEL of FOR-TUNE!”.

Ahem. Now that that's out of the way…

It's uncanny, you know. Back onto moving images for just a few minutes and again I'm instantly put in mind of The Adventures of Sir Lancelot - even without William Russell really appearing in the episode! I suppose it was inevitable, really, though. We've got castles and kings, and knights in shining armour. There's a princess and a ward… we're only a horse and a moat away from remaking that series.

The thing is… part of the reason that I like The Adventures of Sir Lancelot is because it's light-hearted and fun. It's unashamedly for children, and it's not trying to do anything other than entertain its young audience for a half an hour on a Sunday afternoon. There's very clear lines of good and evil, lovely shots of horses riding through the countryside and every episode sees William Russell given a sword fight. If you're really lucky, you might get two.

The Crusade on the other hand is much more measured than all that. This is a story as much about political intrigue as it is about the kind of knights fighting the Crusades that we were promised at the start of Episode One. When the TARDIS first arrived in the woodlands, the suggestion was that we were in for something of an action-packed story, but that's simply not come to pass.

There's plenty to like in the story, all the same - Joanna finding out that Vicki is really a girl is good fun, for instance, and I love all the stuff with Haroun ed-Din and Barbara. In just a few short scenes, we're given an entire backstory to the character that feels real and we sympathise. We know that his wife has been killed, and so when his daughter states that her mother is merely missing, Barbara's reaction says it all. Even if Babs does nearly tell the girl that her mum is really dead. Tactful!

I've mentioned in the past that the more relaxed pace of the classic series allowed for the kind of character development that just isn't always possible in a single 45-minute episode today, but these few brief scenes are an absolute masterclass in how to create characters that we care about, and are fully three-dimensional. It's a moving few moments, and perhaps one of the best characters that we've seen in the series, even if his role is a minor one.

The stand-out moment for me, though, has to be Richard and Joanna's fight. Bloody hell - it's some stunning performances from Julian Glover and Jean Marsh. You almost forget that you're watching an episode of Doctor Who, because all of a sudden, it's not about getting Barbara back, or fearing for Ian's safety. It's not about the Doctor an Vicki having a giggle over her clothes.

It's now about these two siblings, and King Richard's betrayal of his sister, who only a few scenes earlier confessed that she was his favourite. And as if these performances were't already some of the best that we've seen in the series, the whole sequence is framed by each of them getting the chance to be angry towards the Doctor. Frankly, I loved that bit, and it really helped to pick me up toward the end of the episode.

Tomorrow sees me return to the world of the missing episodes, and I'm taking a slightly different tact with it. The recon for Episode Two simply did nothing for me, and I spent a great deal of time thoroughly confused (For example - as far as I could tell in the cliffhanger, Barbara had her own hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. It wasn't until watching the recap today that I realised it was Haroun ed-Din's hand!).

For the next episode, I am going to give the narrated soundtracks another whirl, and see if that helps me enjoy the rest of the story. If nothing else, it will allow me to focus more on these standout performances on their own merit, without trying to process the tele snaps, too. I'll probably give them a look-over once I've finished with the soundtrack, but I'll play it by ear!

Next Episode: The Warlords

I've set up a Facebook page for the 50 Year Diary. If you enjoy reading the blog, please do pop over an give it a like! I'm sure I'll be using it to ask questions etc in relation to the marathon! 

BBC Cymru Wales confirms that Caroline Skinner has decided to step down as Executive Producer of Doctor Who. Caroline joined the show in 2011 as the Executive Producer alongside Steven Moffat and is now set to join BBC Drama Production in London.

Caroline Skinner says:

"It has been an honour to have been a part of Doctor Who, and a privilege to have worked with Steven Moffat and Matt Smith on this extraordinary show. I have hugely enjoyed my time in BBC Wales and would like to thank Faith Penhale, and our wonderful production team for their unending commitment and brilliance. I will miss them all enormously, but I'm leaving Doctor Who in fine form, with the new series starting at Easter and the fantastic plans for the 50th Anniversary already underway. I am delighted to be now returning to BBC Drama Production in London as an executive producer, and the new opportunities and projects that will bring."

Faith Penhale, Head of Drama BBC Wales adds:

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Caroline for her contribution to Doctor Who since taking on the role in 2011, on behalf of both the BBC and the show. She leaves the show in good shape - there's a brilliant new series starting on Easter Saturday that will see the official arrival of the Doctor's new companion! And the 50th Anniversary plans are on track to deliver audiences an unmissable event! I wish her all the very best for the future."

Faith Penhale will take over as the executive producer on the 50th Anniversary with immediate effect.

Caroline will continue working on BBC Two's one-off drama An Adventure In Space and Time which forms part of the BBC's celebrations to mark the 50th Anniversary.

The recruitment process for a new executive producer for the next series will start shortly.

[Source: BBC Press Office]

Our friends over at PixelWho have been in touch with details of their exciting new Kickstarter project for a new visual catalogue of Doctor Who characters.

The PixelWho project came about through a desire of the graphic designer and artist, Nathan Skreslet, to combine his passion for the British science fiction program Doctor Who with the 8-bit artistic style of 80’s video games, which also carries a great deal of nostalgia for him. It is an attempt to be the most complete visual catalogue of Doctor Who characters in order to celebrate the creativity and dedication of all the artists who have worked on the program over the last 50 years.

The overall goal is to document every character, both significant and insignificant, from every Doctor's respective movie/series runs. Nathan freeze frames DVDs and scours episode screen captures in order to recreate each character accurately and roughly to scale. Every pixel is individually laid by hand; no computer conversion program is used. His art is a true labor of love which requires dedication and time. For example the 10th Doctor poster took 4 months of work to create. The lost episodes of William Hartnell’s (the 1st Doctor’s) era were recreated by referencing production photos, telesnaps, and promotional materials. The smaller PixelWho items and posters are printed locally in Virginia. The large Doctor posters (1st and 10th) are printed in Florida by a specialized eco-friendly printer. 

The Doctor Who art prints are high-quality limited edition lithograph prints. They are individually numbered; only 500 of each Doctor's poster have and ever will be made. Nathan has now completed the art for the 4th Doctor, Tom Baker's, epic 7 seasons run. All the main and incidental characters are represented over two posters, over 700 in all. 

To help fund the printing of these new posters, PixelWho has started a Kickstarter campaign and the project has been noticed by some distinguished people. They've been honored with being selected as a Kickstarter Staff Pick. They''ve also been featured on the news site Kasterborous.com. And they did a very fun interview for the podcast over at Mind of the Geek. Interest in the project is really heating up.

PixelWho is run by a husband and wife team. While Nathan is the artist, Ly is the business brain. Both Nathan and Ly have enjoyed finding their niche in the world of science fiction conventions where they have been met with great enthusiasm for the artwork and had many interesting conversations with other Whovians. Ly currently manages PixelWho's web presence while Nathan busily creates new artwork for PixelWho and a variety of other design projects. Nathan is thrilled that his beloved cult science fiction show is now once again a worldwide sensation that it deserves to be, and he has more people to have Whovian discussions with. 

+  Support PixelWho's Kickstarter campaign by clicking on the following Link.

[Source: PixelWho]

 Day Seventy-One: The Knight of Jaffa (The Crusade, Episode Two)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-One: The Knight of Jaffa (The Crusade, Episode Two)

Dear diary,

When people talk about the early years of Doctor Who, the conversation usually turns to the fate of the missing episodes. The chunk of stories missing from the 1960s somewhat overshadows the era as a whole.

Indeed, in the past when I've thought of trying marathons, I've either opted to skip the 1960s altogether, and start from Spearhead From Space, safe in the knowledge that everything from there onwards exists, or I've opted to just skip the missing episodes and to think of the series as being just those stories which survive in full.

What you tend to miss when looking at the big picture in regards to the fate of 1960s Doctor Who is just how much of it does survive. Here I am, 71 days into my marathon, and this is only my tenth missing episode. If you consider the fact that I was able to watch the missing parts of The Reign of Terror in animated form, then you could consider this my eighth really 'missing' episode.

In total, there's only eleven missing episodes from the first two seasons of Doctor Who. That equates to somewhere around 13.5%. It's a shame that no companion of this era has their entire output surviving, but on the whole, that's not a bad track record!

Even more remarkable is the fact that all the 'missing' episodes do exist in the form of audio recordings. I think that sometimes within Who fandom, the staggering importance of this can be missed. If you take a lot of other popular series from the time - The Avengers, Adam Adamant Lives!, even a few episodes of Dad's Army - you'll find that even if they're not missing as many episodes, several of them aren't available in any format whatsoever.

The situation goes so far that there are a few episodes of The Avengers' early 'Keel and Steed' season where we don't have a soundtrack, there are no tele snaps or behind-the-scenes photos… in some cases, we don't even have a copy of a script for the episode! Basically, as Doctor Who fans, we're incredibly lucky that we can experience all of the missing bits of our show in so many different ways.

Unfortunately, none of this changes the fact that I've failed spectacularly to get into today's recon of The Knight of Jaffa. I don't even know what it is that's stopping me from connecting with it: I did wonder if it may be the result of being back onto a recon after so long away from them?

I think a part of it may be that this isn't an era of history that I'm readily familiar with. I know a little about Marco Polo and his travels, the Aztecs is an era that fascinates me, and I can just about remember the basic shape of the French Revolution from my schooldays. The Crusades, however, are just something that I know of in very basic terms, and as a result, I'm not completely sure what's going on in this story.

A fair amount of it can be picked up relatively easily - King Richard and Saladin are at war in the holy land. They don't really want to be at war, but it's the way things are. Saladin's brother has a bit of a thing for Richard's sister (and, it has to be said, Jean Marsh does look lovely in the tele snaps for this episode). Babs has been captured by the 'evil' side, and our heroes need to get her back before they can return to the TARDIS and head off to their next adventure.

The problem is that not knowing this era of history very well means that there's nothing much for me to hook onto. In The Romans, events are building up to the great fire. In The Reign of Terror, we're witnessing the final days of Robespierre. The Aztecs features a relatively generic period, but there we've got people being sacrificed and wearing elaborate hats to keep me interested.

It's not all bad, though. Julian Glover is on top form as ever. Much as I enjoyed The Web Planet on the whole, the performance being given here might as well come from a different programme to the Menoptera and the Zarbi. Then there's the sets, which look beautiful from what we can see here, and what was seen in the last episode.

I'm hoping that switching (briefly) back to a moving episode tomorrow will give me a chance to get back into the story, as it feels like one that deserves to be enjoyed more.

Next Episode: The Wheel of Fortune

I've set up a Facebook page for the 50 Year Diary. If you enjoy reading the blog, please do pop over an give it a like! I'm sure I'll be using it to ask questions etc in relation to the marathon! 

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Steve Lyons

RRP: £8.99 (CD) / £7.99 (Download)

Release Date: February 2013

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 12th March 2013

The TARDIS has landed in a futuristic space casino, where the Doctor, Ben, Polly and Jamie find fun, games… and monsters everywhere. There are vicious robot dogs, snake-headed gangsters from the Sidewinder Syndicate and a mysterious masked woman called Hope.

In this place, time travellers are to be tracked down and arrested. Yet, as events spiral out of control, time may be Polly's only ally…

* * *

After last month’s reflective and very dark The Flames of Cadiz, we get a little light relief with House of Cards the first of this year’s Companion Chronicles to feature The Second Doctor. 

Despite Jamie’s involvement, this is very much Polly’s story and Anneke Wills has great fun taking centre stage. Usually when Frazer Hines is involved in a Companion Chronicle, his quite brilliant Patrick Troughton impression is never far behind. But this time there is a distinct absence of it, perhaps as to not overshadow Polly’s story, as, in fact, nearly all of The Doctor’s interactions in House of Cards take place with her.

Steve Lyons has written a great little time travel story and has fun in creating a rather ghoulish Casino and it’s unique inhabitants, where snake eyes are not just on the dice. The plot is neatly constructed and has the feel of a Steven Moffat “timey wimey” scenario. It's a nice example of how the new series bleeds into versions of the old one and vice versa.

When I reviewed last year’s Companion Chronicle by the same author, The Selachian Gambit, I was disappointed at how the use of Polly and Anneke Wills were a little wasted, the character being reduced to making the tea at one point. I’m happy that Lyons has written a story which showcases Polly’s strengths and it is a cracker.

House of Cards is good, old fashioned, fun Doctor Who adventure and well worth your attention.