Doctor Who: Changing of the Guard

mattsmith

As you've likely heard by now, Matt Smith has announced his upcoming departure from Doctor Who.  He'll be on board for the 50th Anniversary Special, but he'll be regenerating soon after in the 2013 Christmas Special. The day the announcement was made, I had a surprisingly difficult time of it.  When I first started watching New Who in 2005 I was no stranger to the concept of regeneration or the various and sundry Doctors; thus, Christopher Eccleston's departure was bittersweet, but … [Read more...]

Doctor Who: The Name of the Doctor

trenzalore

So, this series of Doctor Who I know I've been a bit harsh about Steven Moffat - well, as harsh as a self-proclaimed Moffat fangirl can get, anyway.  I've mentioned that his cleverness has turned into "cleverness," that there's been a lot of hype that inevitably disappoints, that there are so many threads that we're meant to just forget about.   Some of that is still true, and no writer (or showrunner) is without fault.  However, the season finale, "The Name of the Doctor," has reinstilled … [Read more...]

Doctor Who: The Impossible Leak?

As you likely know if you're a fan of Doctor Who, next Sunday the finale for season seven will air.  It will be the last episode before the 50th Anniversary Special in November, and it promises to tell us, once and for all, what the deal is with Clara and her various incarnations.  Plus all the usual epic finale stuff, I'm sure, and maybe a setup for the Anniversary Special.  Waiting this last week sure is difficult! ...Unless you didn't have to wait.  On Sunday, I woke up to this on my … [Read more...]

Who History: Name Dropping

braveheartclara

As most everyone knows by now, the 50th Anniversary Special for Doctor Who will be later this year.  There will likely be some amount of celebration and fanfare as the November date draws nearer - but in the meantime, the current half-series of Doctor Who seems to be honoring the 50th in its own way.  In practically every episode, there's been some reference to the adventures of a previous Doctor. Now, some who are used to Moffat's timey-wimey ways wonder if these references Mean Something … [Read more...]

Favorite Finds: Never Mind the Buzzcocks

buzzcocks

This week has been a rough one, and personally I can only focus on the lightest and fluffiest fare.  Luckily I've recently been devouring a TV show which provides exactly that - and if you, too, need a little goofy diversion, it's easily available.  I'd been vaguely aware of the UK show Never Mind the Buzzcocks for years - it's been running since 1996, so it crops up every now and then in articles, conversations and the like.  However, all I knew was that it was a British music quiz show … [Read more...]

Who History: Dr. Who or Doctor Who?

drwho

We've all seen them: the images floating around Tumblr and Pinterest.  The threads that pop up on forums and Facebook.  The little snide comments on Twitter.  They usually boil down to something like this:  Person A: Oh hai guys, I'm almost done with the first season of Dr Who! Boy that gas mask mummy kid was scary. Person B: OMG. Okay, first of all, its not really the first season, there were eight Doctors that came first. Second of all - it's DOCTOR, not DR.  NEVER abbreviate it. … [Read more...]

Doctor Who: Clara Who?

stjohn

The first episode of this half of the Doctor Who season has aired!  And, frankly, I wish I had a few more answers. Earlier in the year Moffat had claimed that the seventh season of Doctor Who would be more self-contained stories, as opposed to the convoluted arc of the previous season.  Amy and Rory Pond's last adventures were exactly that.  However, it seems that this half of the season has sent us off on the trail of another grand mystery, as we try to figure out just who - or what - the … [Read more...]

Who History: The Doctors Revisited

pertweeshower

In preparation for Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary Celebration, I've been discussing various aspects of Classic and New Who.  However, if you subscribe to BBCAmerica, you can also catch Doctor Who Revisited, which combines a retrospective about one of the Doctors with a classic episode from the same.  They're airing one a month, in order, so this month features Jon Pertwee, the Third Doctor.  And having seen the first two, all I can say is that I'm waiting for more.   In general I'd been … [Read more...]

Favorite Finds: The Catherine Tate Show

nanchristmascarol

Way back when Catherine Tate first popped up in the TARDIS for a Christmas Special, I had heard she was "a comedienne in the UK" but that was about all I knew.  Later, Donna Noble would become one of my very favorite companions.  There were moments where she was hilarious, but it wasn't a role I'd really call comedic (and her story crushed me in the end).  Now, she's a regular on the US version of The Office, but again, the humor can be a little dry.  So let's talk about a show where … [Read more...]

Spoilers, Sweetie: How to Survive Them

river

I think I can actually recall the first time I encountered a spoiler.  I must have been in elementary school, watching an episode of The Simpsons (I don't think I was actually allowed to watch the show early on, but somehow I managed anyway. It's a common tale in my generation).  Completely randomly, completely casually, Mayor Quimby revealed a major surprise from the movie The Crying Game.  Now, I was too young to have seen it, but I'm pretty sure it was still a relatively recent movie at … [Read more...]