It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This bit of Dickens aptly sums up the Matt Smith era. It was a great romp of fun, mystery and adventure. But it was also was a dark time with some serious melancholy going on.
Matt Smith’s era is also the one that sealed the deal with making Doctor Who a global phenomenon. Under his watch the show’s popularity soared to unbelievable heights.
So as he prepares to leave the role of a lifetime it should be interesting to see where things go from here. The Capaldi era is about to begin and I am very excited to see where he takes things.
GOODBYE MATT SMITH
As we inch closer to December 25th there is more and more press on the exit of Matt Smith from Doctor Who. The week has seen Smith, Steven Moffat and the production team busying themselves with press, radio, television, and digital media coverage.
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Here is a small sampling of some of the coverage on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/dec/19/doctor-who-christmas-matt-smith-peter-capaldi
The Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/matt-smith-doctor-who-regeneration-2940816
Pensacola News Journal: http://www.pnj.com/usatoday/article/3638779
For many the pending departure of Smith is emotional. Saying goodbye to his Doctor will be difficult but experiencing this transition from Doctor to Doctor is one of the things that makes the show interesting.
SEASON EIGHT NEWS
We are getting a bit more news about the upcoming season. This week director Douglas Mackinnon confirmed that he is directing two episodes of the new season via Twitter.
His previous work on the series includes The Sontaran Strategem and The Poison Sky as well as two episodes for Season Seven, The Power of Three and Cold War. It is believed that he will helm episodes Four and Five with the former being scripted by Jack Lothian.
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Episodes One and Two are a two-parter that pick up where Night Of The Doctor leaves off.
Neil Cross is also said to be returning as a writer although no slots have officially been allocated to him.
Jenna Coleman has signed on for the full season.
Steven Moffat talked about his new Doctor, Peter Capaldi, with SFX.
What does that mean to the Doctor? His apparent ages range from 70s to 20s, in no particular order. It’s clearly no reflection of how he feels, because he’s well over 1000 now. So no, he’s just the Doctor. I think it inflects what the actor does a bit. Matt was always keen to say that it’s only his skin that’s young. He’s got a young body but he’s not young. With Peter, there’s a quality that’s almost the inverse of Matt. He’s an older man in his 50s, but there’s something very, very youthful and schoolboy-ish about him when you meet him, very enthused and twinkling. The other night he said to me ‘Only 23 sleeps til I’m regenerating!’
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Peter’s quite vital. For a man in his mid 50s he’s very wiry. I think the pace and the energy will come differently. You wouldn’t want it to come the same way, would you? As far as the Doctor knows, he’s just slightly older than he was the last time. That’s all he is – he just looks like that, he looks different. The way I’m writing it at the moment I don’t think there’ll be any lack of vigour or attack in the new one. I mean, look at Jon Pertwee – quite a physical, lively Doctor, and he was older…
TIME OF THE DOCTOR
BBC America has released a new trailer for Matt Smith’s final episode, Time Of The Doctor.
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See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlN-SPx1zAg&feature=youtu.be
They also are bidding farewell to Doctor Eleven with a special clip trailer profiling Things We Will Miss About Matt Smith.
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=542fhrdJXY4
When the Doctor opened the that mysterious door in The God Complex did he see Tasha Lem?
Two more promotional pictures have also been released this week. Matt Smith is starkers.
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BBC America also announced a March 4th DVD release date for Time Of The Doctor in North America. The DVD will be available in both Blu Ray and regular format DVDS. In addition to the hour-long episode there will be over sixty minutes of bonus material.
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BBC America also released information about extra features in a press release earlier this week.
The Time of the Doctor–Behind the Lens- It’s Christmas! A time for peace and goodwill to all. But hang on, its Doctor Who, surely it can’t be that simple? We take a peek behind the lens on this cracker of a Christmas special. The tinsel is out at the Oswald’s and we meet a familiar enemy in a new form. The Doctor comes face to face with the enigmatic Tasha Lem and makes a new friend. With Matt Smith, Orla Brady, Jenna Coleman, Steven Moffat, Danny Hargreaves, Jack Hollington, Sheila Reid, James Buller and Elizabeth Rider.
Farewell to Matt Smith-Narrated by Alex Kingston (River Song), This compelling, hour-long special looks back at Matt Smith’s extraordinary tenure as the Eleventh Doctor, featuring highlights from the show and copious interview footage with Matt, his cast-mates, writers, producers, guest stars and celebrity Doctor Who fans.
Tales from the TARDIS-A look back at the full, 50-year history of this iconic series. Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith and past Doctors David Tennant, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davison and Tom Baker tell what it was like to be the Doctor, how they got the job and how it changed their lives. With companions Jenna Coleman, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and more, this truly insightful special offers a unique insight into the world’s longest running sci-fi series.
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DVD Synopsis
Orbiting a quiet backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe’s deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out to the stars. And among them – the Doctor. Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his best friend must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe. Orla Brady (Fringe, Mistresses) guest stars as Tasha Lem.
Lead writer and executive producer Steve Moffat commented:
It’s his final battle and he’s been fighting it for a while. The Doctor is facing the joint challenge of a mysterious event in space that has summoned lots of aliens to one place and helping Clara cook Christmas dinner. There are also elements from every series of Matt’s Doctor, which will come to a head in this special. Things that we’ve laid down for years are going to be paid off.
MOFFAT TALKS TIME OF THE DOCTOR
Show runner Steven Moffat has promised fans that Matt Smith’s finale will indeed tie up many loose ends for his tenure in the TARDIS.
Moffat spoke with SFX Magazine about the finale.
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It will be tying up various elements of the Eleventh Doctor’s story, some of which people have asked about before, some of which people haven’t bothered to ask about!
From (Matt Smith’s) first to his last episode, there will be elements. And it should be obvious they were fairly carefully planned.
It’s not obstructive – if you didn’t remember any of that stuff or care about that stuff it would still be fine. If you’ve been sitting there saying, “Who blew up the TARDIS?” then you’ll get it.
He also talked about Matt Smith’s regeneration.
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The Doctor doesn’t die. He really doesn’t. He just gets a new body. He escapes death, he evades death, so that’s a triumphant ending rather than a sad ending.”
I was trying to think about it from the point of view of what it would be like if someone told you, “When you wake up tomorrow morning, you’ll still be alive, but you won’t be the same. You will like different things, you will sound different, you will look different, and have a different temperament.” That would be utterly terrifying.
That would feel not like death, but something quite mortifying – you would be horrified by the idea of just being rewritten like that. I think that’s what contemplating regeneration must be like for the Doctor. So there’s an element of that, but because it was played that way the last time we wouldn’t play it the same way this time – that would just be wrong.
Link: http://www.sfx.co.uk/
MATT SMITH IN AMERICAN PSYCHO
The American Psycho musical starring Matt Smith has opened at London’s Almeida Theatre to mixed reviews. Advance tickets for the production have sold out.
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Smith stars as Patrick Bateman in the production directed by Rupert Goold. The production is based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel with the book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik
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For more information on the show visit here: Link: http://www.almeida.co.uk/event/americanpsycho
Reviews
Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25363134
The Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-reviews/american-psycho-musical-review-matt-2920217
BOOKS
With the holidays bearing down upon us Whovians are in the neat position of having a lot of books to choose form for the season.
Back in the day, when I was younger, the only real Doctor Who books were the Target novelizations and then the one of books like Key To Time or Celebration. Then the Virgin books series kicked in during the dormant years. But now there are lots of non-fiction Who-related books out there.
Here is a look and some recent ones.
WHO’S 50: The 50 Doctor Who Stories To See Before You Die-By Graeme Burk and Robert Smith
The premise is simple. the authors have selected 50 Doctor Who stories that simply must be seen before you die.
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Each episode selected is broken down to the big idea of the story, the roots of the story and then buffered by a synopsis of what is going on, a guide to the companion and a look at The Doctor is in that particular adventure.
In essence Burk and Smith peel away all of the convoluted plot twists, weird back stories and heavy knowledge for the readers, allowing them to have a concise idea of what makes each selectted story so enjoyable or worth a second look.
The duo sets it all up in wonderful fashion with a guide to the origins of Doctor Who and the program’s formative years. As they move from decade to decade they check in on the pulse of the show at that time to help the reader understand what was happening onscreen, in the offices and behind the couches.
Burk and Smith make some bold selections as well. By including The Leisure Hive and Survival amongst such must see heavy hitters as The Talons of Weng Chiang and the Caves of Androzani they bring a balanced an informative point of view that delves deeply into the mythos of the program.
The best thing aboubt this book is it will make your revisit some classic episodes in a completely different way. Burk and Smith’s analysis makes you want to put the book down and spring to the tv.
The result of their passion is a read that is arguably the most intelligent and broad in scope survey of the series written to date.
FIFTY SHADES OF FRAZER: A Life In Pictures-By Frazer Hines
In addition to playing Jamie McCrimmon in Doctor Who , Frazer Hines has lived a prolific life. He starred in Emmerdale Farm, worked with Charlie Chaplin, raised horses and even played cricket with Eric Clapton. He also recorded a pop record, starred in countless stage productions and wrote his autobiography, Hines Sight.
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Hines has skillfully summed up all of these experiences in a new collection of personal photographs and memories entitled Fifty Shades of Frazer: A Life In Pictures. Hines has succeeded in creating a book of photographs that encapsulate his dynamic experiences. There is a nice blend of professional career snapshots that mehes pictures of the former companion on vacation, horseback riding, behind the scenes on Doctor Who and at leisure with friends and at conventions.
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This collection reveals both the public and private side of one of the best loved actors in Doctor Who while eschewing ego and self indulgence. This leaves readers with an intimate portrait of Hines that is revealing, fun and filled with great visual stories. When speaking of Frazer Hines and his amazing career, a picture is indeed worth a thousand words.
Link: http://frazersbooks.blogspot.com/p/paperback-books.html
THE INNER WORLD OF DOCTOR WHO: The Inner World of Doctor Who: Psychoanalytic Reflections in Time and Space-By Iain MacRury and Michael Rustin
This duo of English academics has created one of the heaviest mind blowing reads about the show to date as they put the show on the couch for a therapy session of epic proportions.
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Synopsis
As Doctor Who reaches its fiftieth anniversary, recent series have taken the show to new heights in terms of popular appeal and critical acclaim. The Doctor and his TARDIS-driven adventures, along with companions and iconic monsters, are now recognised and enjoyed globally. The time is ripe for a detailed analytic assessment of this cultural phenomenon. Focusing on the show since its revival in 2005, The Inner World of Doctor Who examines why it continues to fascinate contemporary audiences. Presenting closely observed psychoanalytic readings of selected episodes, this book examines why these stories of time travel, monsters, and complex human relationships have been successful in providing such an emotionally rich dramatisation of human experience. The authors seek to explore the emotional dimensions of the series, moving back and forth from the excitement and terror of episodes seen from a child’s point of view, to psychoanalytically informed explorations of their deeper meanings. The approach that the authors take recognises the richness that Doctor Who contains, episode by episode and in its culture and mythology, in order to show how Doctor Who adventures can be appreciated by viewers of many different ages, as they continue to unfold for the next fifty years.
In their quest for answers they do not shy away from examining The Doctor in every possible way, including themes of life and death, magic, symbolism and even his involvement in two World Wars.
The Doctor’s psyche is picked at by examine several episodes including, Father’s Day, The Beast Below, The Lodger and The Doctor’s Wife amongst others.
This is some heavy stuff but an intellectually fascinating read.
Link: http://www.karnacbooks.com/Product.asp?PID=34857
INSIDE THE TARDIS: The Worlds Of Doctor Who–By James Chapman
James Chapman is a relentless Doctor Who fan. In this revised edition of his history of the program he leaves no stone unturned, relying on access to BBC archives and his own love of the show to tell the story of how The Doctor has traveled through time and space for five decades.
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Chapman starts at the beginning with in depth information spanning the program through tis 50th anniversary. In addition to profiling the different eras and breaking down various seasons Chapman delves deeply into the mythos of the show, illustrating how writers, directors and talented actors pulled together to create a sic-fi legend.
Chapman’s diligent coverage of the new series shows how the rebooted show still harnesses the social and cultural issues of the day. He also examines why the relaunched version of the show has become so massive.
But perhaps the most interesting aspect of Chapman’s book is the fact that it is both a complete history of Doctor Who and a well paced tome written with great care by a fan of the show for fans of the show.
Chapman swerves around issues like Steven Moffat’s approach to writing, the reception of the 6th Doctor and the long term battle between many production teams and hyperventilating critics calling for their heads. In addition to covering Doctor Who, Chapman examines the spinoffs including The Sarah Jane Adventures and the ‘psychological realism ‘of Torchwood, noting the change in the tone of the show after Children Of Earth.
Indeed Chapman does get inside the TARDIS for enough time to really get a pulse on many Doctors, their companions and adversaries. As he delves into each season we are offered a complete portrait of how Doctor Who has grown from cult status to worldwide popularity.
Link to publisher: http://www.ibtauris.com/Books/The%20arts/Film%20TV%20%20radio/Television/Inside%20the%20Tardis%20The%20Worlds%20of%20Doctor%20Who.aspx
The Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison will be in Australia and new Zealand in January and February of 2014 as part of the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular production. The show is based on the Doctor Who 50th anniversary Proms which was held in Britain this year. There are confirmed dates so far for Melbourne, Brisbane and Wellington. Ben Foster will be conducting.
Davison will serve as the presenter for each show which also features another Doctor, Tom Baker via prerecorded filmed linking parts.
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Davison commented on his involvement in the production.I am really looking forward to coming to Australia and New Zealand as part of the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular tour, as well as coming face to face with any Daleks or Cybermen who may turn up along the way. The music of Doctor Who is amazing, and nothing can compare to hearing it performed live by orchestras of the calibre of the Melbourne, Brisbane and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras.
Production Synopsis
The 2014 show will feature all-new content – including the latest music from the 50th anniversary episode and forthcoming Christmas special The Time of the Doctor, Matt Smith’s final performance as The Doctor. It will also feature a look back at some of the previous Doctors, music from the last five decades, as well as performances of some audience favourites from the 2012 show.
Link: http://www.doctorwho.tv/events/doctor-who-symphonic-spectacular/
THE MOONBASE ON DVD
Despite being incomplete in the BBC vaults Patrick Trougton’s The Moonbase is finally coming to DVD in the UK next month. The surviving episodes, Two and Four, have been restored and remastered while the missing Episodes One and Three have been animated.
BBC Worldwide has released a synopsis for the DVD.
In 2070 the Doctor and his traveling companions Jamie (Frazer Hines), Polly (Anneke Wills) and Ben (Michael Craze) arrive on the Moon and set out to visit the Moonbase, a manned structure used to control the Earth’s weather through a device known as the Gravitron. All is not well on the Moonbase, however, with many of its crew suffering from a mysterious virus.
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Special features on the DVD include subtitle production notes, a photo gallery, Radio Times listings. and program subtitles.
The DVD also features an audio commentary for Episodes Two and Four from Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines and Edward Phillips and Special Sounds creator Brian Hodgson. Episodes One and Three (animated) feature interviews with the daughters of script writer Kit Pedler, Lucy Pedler and Carol Topolsk. Also included are interviews from the BBC archives with producer Innes Lloyd, assistant floor manager Lovett Bickford, and Cyber actors Barry Noble, Derek Chaffer and Reg Whitehead. These interviews are moderated, linked and framed in their proper context by Toby Hadoke.
A new featurette, Lunar Landing, is also included. This making of documentary has interviews with Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines and Reg Whitehead and production assistant Desmond McCarthy.
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Airing during Season four ion 1967, The Moonbase was directed by Morris Barry and penned by Kit Pedlar. The four parter saw the return of The Cybermen.
DVD UPDATE
In sadder news there has been some reshuffling with the Doctor Who DVD back catalog with several classic series stories being phased out of circulation.
The move was first mentioned last spring but fans looking to buy these episodes may have noticed that the prices for them has skyrocketed.
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Although these titles are being deleted BBC Worldwide has not rule rout bringing some of them back, possibly as special additions.
Here is a list of the episodes. No Fourth Doctor titles are being phased out.
First Doctor (William Hartnell)
The Rescue/The Romans,The Web Planet, The Time Meddler, The Gunfighters
Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton)
The Invasion, The War Games
Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee)
Terror of the Autons, The Time Monster, Planet of the Spiders (The original releases of Inferno and The Green Death are now out of print and have since been replaced with special edition DVDs. These have since been replaced with Special Editions).
Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison)
The Visitation (out as a special edition now), Black Orchid,Time-Flight, The Awakening, Frontios, Planet of Fire
Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker)
The Mark of the Rani, The Two Doctors (this could be reissued in the future without the Jimmy Saville footage).
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Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy)
Battlefield, Ghost Light,The Curse of Ferric
RADIOPHONIC WORKSHOP ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM
The BBC Radiophonic appeared on Marc Riley’s BBC 6 radio show this week where they were interviewed and performed several songs including new material. Their set was performed from Maida Vale, where it all started.
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The Workshop’s current lineup consists of Dick Mills, Peter Howell, Roger Limb, Mark Ayres and Paddy Kingsland. Kieron Pepper of The Prodigy is their percussionist. Tour dates are planned for 2014.
When asked about the status of thier new record, Dick Mills commented, It’s a little early too early for details of the new album, mainly because we haven’t done much work on it yet! All I can say is that it will probably have the word ‘Electricity’ in its title and that’s only based on a throwaway line from Peter Howell.
Hear the session: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01nk7dx
AN ADVENTURE IN SPACE AND TIME SOUNDTRACK
Moving onto a different soundscape altogether, Silva Screen Records has released a track listing for the soundtrack to Mark Gatiss’ An Adventure In Time And Space.
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Edmund Butt composed music for the telefilm. The CD is slated for an early 2014 release date.
- Main Title – An Adventure In Space And Time (0:38)
- The Right Man (1:17)
- The First Woman Producer (1:21)
- I’ve Got An Idea.. (1:34)
- The Daleks (2:52)
- Kill Dr. Who (1:48)
- What Dimension? (1:24)
- This Is My Show (1:50)
- Autograph Hunting (2:31)
- Sydney Newman (1:00)
- Scarlett O’hara (1:03)
- Piss & Vinegar (1:24)
- Dressing Room (1:18)
- JFK Assassinated (1:48)
- The Tardis (0:57)
- Goodbye Susan (2:37)
- 10 Million Viewers (0:57)
- The Fans (0:41)
- I’m So Sorry Bill (2:45)
- Kiss Goodbye (1:05)
- My Successor (1:06)
- Isop Galaxy (0:50)
- Irreplaceable (1:19)
- The New Doctor (3:55)
- Time’s Up.. (1:15)
Link: http://www.silvascreenrecords.com/%20
GALLIFREY ONE
Gallifrey One is celebrating Twenty Five years this year with a sold out massive convention in Los Angeles from February 14-16, 2014 at the Marriott Los Angeles Airport.
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Confirmed guests include Colin Baker, Katy Manning, Carole Ann Ford, Nicola Bryant, Frazer Hines, Deborah Watling, John Levene, Richard Franklin, Jamie Glover and many more. Plus they have rare convention appearances form Jean Marsh,, Kate O’ Mara, Nabil Shaban, and Deep Roy.
An obscene amount of programming is planned for this interstellar event.
Link: http://michonne.asmallorange.com/~gallifr1/
Next time..More Matt Smith, a new beginning, The Underwater Menace and news!
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