Say it ain’t so Clara! The latest companion for the Doctor in Doctor Who is leaving the show in order to join another BBC drama, according to The Daily Mirror. Actress Jenna Coleman has signed a deal to star as Queen Victoria in an eight-part miniseries, forcing her to give up her role as the …
Anderson:Psi-Division #1 Written by Matt Smith Art by Carl Critchlow Published by IDW In her solo debut for IDW, writer Matt Smith takes psychic judge Cassandra Anderson out of familiar territory to catch some robbers that have taken an old map of the Cursed Earth from a museum in Mega City One and most definitely have …
Doctor Who Christmas Special promo imageIn short, “The Time of the Doctor” features a plot that, while it is easy (on the Moffat scale) to follow, almost immediately fails the, “But why?” test. Why does the fleet understand what “Doctor who?” means? Because the plot needs them to. Why doesn’t the Doctor take the townspeople out of harm’s way with the TARDIS? Because. Why do the Doctor and Clara need to be naked, for that matter? Because. The answers we finally get to lingering questions aren’t satisfying, the promising new character of Tasha Lem is a pretty straightforward copy of River Song, and the gender politics are terrible (and in this reviewer’s opinion, destructive). The Doctor may have some fantastic scenes, including the final moments with Clara before his regeneration, but he treats her terribly and she doesn’t for a moment stand up for herself. After the wonderful “The Day of the Doctor”, this final story for the Eleventh Doctor is a significant disappointment, highlighting all of the most problematic elements of his tenure.
The Eleventh Doctor is whimsical and energetic, but also brooding and manipulative. His number one rule for his Companions is that the Doctor always lies, which takes the sneakiness and deceitfulness the Seventh Doctor to another level. Though he initially feels out of place with humans, not understanding basic elements of social interactions, the Eleventh Doctor eventually becomes downright domestic (in his way) with River and, after his relationship with her progresses and she heads to the Library, he becomes quite leery in his interactions with his female allies and Companions. He’s impatient and easily bored, struggling to sit still at any given moment while valuing stability for his Companions in a way he hasn’t previously and traveling with Companions who have (comparatively) normal home lives separate from their multiple-story adventures with him.
Doctor Who may be an international phenomenon, but when it comes to specials, particularly multi-Doctor specials, it doesn’t have the best track record. The Three Doctors (1972-73) , which kicked off the 10th season of the show, is fun, but lacks any significant emotional punch. The Five Doctors (1983), the 20th anniversary special, is a bit of a lark but it not only fails to live up to its title (the Fourth Doctor only barely appears, in one looped clip), it wastes most of its special guest stars. Then there’s The Two Doctors (1985), which doesn’t carry the extra burden of being an anniversary special but still fails to leave much of an impression, despite being an entertaining outing. Throw in the modern series’ spotty history with Christmas and Gap Year specials and current showrunner Steven Moffat’s season seven struggles with pacing, payoffs, and character and “The Day of the Doctor” looked to have a lot riding against it, despite the much-touted return of Tenth Doctor David Tennant and Billie Piper, who played fan-favorite Companion Rose Tyler. Fortunately with “The Day of the Doctor”, all of these fears are proven to be unfounded, as Moffat and director Nick Hurran deliver an exciting, emotional special.
In the last five years of Doctor Who, the Daleks have pulled the Earth out of its orbit and dragged it across the galaxy. The Doctor has witnessed the end of the universe, pulled into nonexistence by the explosion of his TARDIS, and saved only by a bold and completely ludicrous plot to reboot everything with a “Big Bang 2.0.”. The Doctor has survived his own death, despite it being a fixed point in time. He has romanced a woman who he cradled in his arms during her infancy, befriended his future mother-in-law when she was a child, and been saved from a villain infecting his entire timeline by a pretty girl willing to do the same. Doctor Who is, to put it gently, completely nuts, a ludicrous hour of television that bends suspension of disbelief until it begs to break.
Judge Dredd: Year One (TP) Writer: Matt Smith Art: Simon Coleby Colours: Leonard O’Grady Letters: Chris Mowry, Shawn Lee, Gilberto Lazcano Publisher: IDW With over 30+ years of continuity 2000AD’s Judge Dredd is a tough cookie to crack. Everything is relevant and nothing has been retconned. This works well for fans of the series, and …
One of the longest running science fiction tv shows has been the British serial Doctor Who, which has created nearly 30 seasons since its beginning in 1963, with successful spinoff series such as Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures to its credit as well. One of the reasons behind the show’s longevity has been the …
Doctor Who, Series 7, Episode 13: “Nightmare in Silver” Written by Neil Gaiman Directed by Stephen Woolfenden Airs Saturdays at 9pm (ET) on BBC America This week, on Doctor Who: We meet Locutus of Doctor, Porridge has good taste in Queens, and the Cyberiad is back en masse Life-long Whovian Neil Gaiman made a big …
Doctor Who, Series 7, Episode 12: “The Crimson Horror” Written by Mark Gatiss Directed by Saul Metzstein Airs Saturdays at 8pm (ET) on BBC America This week, on Doctor Who: Mrs. Gillyflower brings codependency to a new level, Ada finds a pet monster, and Jenny shows her mettle For the second through fourth series of …
Doctor Who, Series 7, Episode 10: “Hide” Written by Neil Cross Directed by Jamie Payne Airs Saturdays at 8pm (ET) on BBC America This week, on Doctor Who: The Doctor and Clara go ghost-busting, Clara wins over the TARDIS, and Hila Tacorien meets her family This has been an underwhelming season of Doctor Who, to …
Last week, Doctor Who came back from its midseason hiatus with a fun, but frustrating, episode introducing the audience to the third incarnation of season 7.5 Companion, Clara “Oswin” Oswald. By the end of the episode, Clara was not yet a Companion, officially, but that is quickly resolved this week, with Clara joining the Doctor for an adventure to see “something awesome”, the one-in-1000-years Festival of Offerings on the rings of Akhaten.
Steven Moffat has proved himself to be an excellent writer able to craft incredibly entertaining television that expertly balances humor and horror, switching deftly between the two to memorable effect. He’s given us some of Doctor Who’s most creatively terrifying villains and interesting heroes and pushed the series to explore its options in the fourth dimension more than any showrunner previous.
As long-time fans of Sound on Sight may know, many of us here are more than a little fond of Doctor Who. Not only does the Incomparable Kate Kulzick write a column covering the current series but for almost two years now we have been hosting our very own Doctor Who podcast dedicated to reviewing …
Doctor Who, 2012 Christmas Special: “The Snowmen” Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Saul Metzstein Aired Christmas at 9pm (ET) on BBC America Another Christmas, another Doctor Who special. Though the series has a dubious track record for specials, to say the least, it’s become somewhat comforting to be able to count on new Who …
Doctor Who, Series 7, Episode 5: “The Angels Take Manhattan” Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Nick Hurran Airs Saturdays at 9pm (ET) on BBC America This week, on Doctor Who: River’s a pulp heroine, Amy and Rory are an old married couple, and the Doctor’s, once again, alone The Weeping Angels are one of …
Doctor Who, Series 7, Episode 4: “The Power of Three” Written by Chris Chibnall Directed by Douglas Mackinnon Airs Saturdays at 9pm (ET) on BBC America This week, on Doctor Who: Amy and Rory contemplate their lives while monitoring a slow invasion of small black cubes. Chris Chibnall continues his good work on Doctor Who, …
Doctor Who, Series 7, Episode 3: “A Town Called Mercy” Written by Toby Whithouse Directed by Saul Metzstein Airs Saturdays at 9pm (ET) on BBC America This week, on Doctor Who: The Doctor, Amy, and Rory are thrust into a moral quandary when they miss Mexico by 200 miles and end up in Mercy. For …
The British television series Doctor Who has been a staple of the science fiction landscape since the 60s, and after a brief hiatus, has successfully re-established itself under the guidance of ex-showrunner Russell T. Davies. In recent years, the show has seen a surge in popularity in North America, leading the BBC to ramp up their promotions …
Doctor Who, 2011 Christmas Special, “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe” Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Farren Blackburn Aired Christmas at 9pm (ET) on BBC America This week, on Doctor Who: The Arwell family’s Christmas present from the Doctor goes predictably awry Since its return in 2005, Doctor Who has established a tradition …
Doctor Who Review, Series 6, Episode 13: “The Wedding of River Song” Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Jeremy Webb Airs Saturdays at 9pm (ET) on BBC America This week, on Doctor Who: Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey, the Silence are back, we get a few answers, one particular question, and series six comes to a close. Series …
Doctor Who Review, Series 6, Episode 12: “Closing Time” Written by Gareth Roberts Directed by Steve Hughes Airs Saturdays at 9pm (ET) on BBC America This week, on Doctor Who: The Doctor tries being social, Craig and Sophie have a baby, Cybermen and Cybermats return, and Amy’s a model. With series six of NuWho coming …
Doctor Who Review, Series 6, Episode 10: “The Girl Who Waited” Written by Tom MacRae Directed by Nick Hurran Airs Saturdays at 9pm (ET) on BBC America This week, on Doctor Who: Amy gets stuck in the whitest waiting room ever Last week, Doctor Who had limited success with a standalone episode. This week, they …