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...]

Who History: The Anniversary Specials

elevendoctors

It’s 2013 and in the world of Doctor Who, that pretty much means one thing: the 50th Anniversary Celebration.  Yes, as of November the Whoniverse will have existed for fifty freaking years (by our reckoning, anyway).  This in itself is a pretty huge deal, but if you’re only a fan of New Who, you might not know what else that means: a probable Anniversary Special.  And the possibility - just a possibility - of a Multi-Doctor Special. See, there have been Anniversary Specials before.  … [Read more...]

Doctor Who: The D Word

pondlife

If you've read about Doctor Who here before, you probably already know that I'm something of a fangirl, of both Classic and New Who.  You might also know that I'm something of a Moffat fangirl.  Thus, it's no surprise that I'm thrilled that we're at the start of a new season, and literally woke up last Saturday morning excited for that day's new episode, like a kid at Christmas.  However, just because I'm a fangirl doesn't mean I love every word and decision dreamed up by The Moff.  Case … [Read more...]

How Doctor Who Found Its US Geek Niche

doctorwho7

So maybe you prefer David Tennant's 10th Doctor to Matt Smith's 11th; maybe you like Steven Moffat at the helm more than Russell T Davies.  Whatever your opinions, it's hard to deny that if you live in the US, it has never been better to be a Doctor Who fan than it is right now.  So what made this British import finally click with US geeks en masse? It's not like Doctor Who was never aired in the US prior to 2006.  I consider myself a fan of Classic Who now, but I didn't grow up as one; … [Read more...]

Doctor Who: The First Companion

Susan

All of the scheduling shakeups of the last few years mean that the wait for the next season of Doctor Who feels extra-long.  Good news, though: if you need more Who in your life, you know where you can turn?  Try the dozens of seasons of classic Doctor Who!   Yes, it can be a little jarring, especially when it's black and white and a little fuzzy, but that doesn't mean the stories aren't still interesting - and involved!  It's not unusual to see a Doctor Who plotline that has four or more … [Read more...]

The Avengers: Lessons to be Learned

avengers

Despite my best efforts I know I'm a few weeks behind everyone else, but I finally got to see The Avengers.  Now, if you've read any of my other posts you may know that I constantly struggle with my dark, hipster side; I like discovering things before they're cool, and if large amounts of people go on about how so-and-so is fabulous, I tend to be skeptical.  Yes, I know this is a flaw.  Yes, I know that's kind of incongruous from a self-proclaimed geek - but maybe it won't surprise you to … [Read more...]

Doctor Who: Back With a Bang

whoamerica

I've just finished watching the second episode of the second Moffat season's 2-part Doctor Who premiere.  For the second time.  You see, I wanted to really ruminate on this premiere story before I wrote a review about it - not to mention give you all time to see it too.  Because I admit it: when the credits rolled last Saturday, I was grumpy.  Sure, I followed the plot well enough, but I was not happy with some of the conclusions one could make.  And all the loose ends!  And after that … [Read more...]

Sherlock: An Instant Classic

holmesandwatson

Perhaps you've heard that Sherlock Holmes has been in a new incarnation on PBS for the last three weeks.  Or perhaps not.  After all, PBS doesn't really spend the big bucks for advertising.  Even if you had heard about it, you might have gotten as far as "Masterpiece Mystery!" and either fallen asleep or started thinking about Cookie Monster and his Monsterpiece Theater.  Or perhaps you've decided that Holmes has already had a recent reboot and any more would be overkill. However, if … [Read more...]

Doctor Who: Double the Fun?

wedding

Yes, it's the beginning of September.  We won't have a new Doctor Who episode until the Christmas Special, months away; there won't be a new season (series) until next spring.  Why, then, are the Doctor Who fan communities buzzing?  Well, when spring rolls around and we get our much-anticipated new series, we won't be getting 13 new episodes... we'll be getting seven. But wait!  There's more! After a break of a few months, Doctor Who will be back, in the fall, with six more … [Read more...]