This week, I'm on the road again!
I'll be accompanied at Who at the Cavern by Mr Anthony Dry, designer of this parish, as well as swapping storied with one or two other members of the Kasterborous Forum!
Last year we had a great time, meeting Anneke Wills and Terrance Dicks, enjoying pots of beer and catching up with people such as Sebastian Brook from Doctor Who Online, and the lovely Carolyn Edwards, the rather super illustrator.
(Note to all/self: we have an interview with Carolyn to be published in the next few weeks.)
So if you're visiting one of the best - and certainly the most intimate - Doctor Who conventions in the calendar in Liverpool this Bank Holiday weekend, don't forget to say "Hi!" to me or Dryzer.
You'll be able to find us at the bar.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Super Sontarans!
This weeks Doctor Who is almost upon us, and I have to say I am almost wetting myself with excitement! (Actually I'm still laughing at the lunchtime football result, but I digress)
The trailers and build up features (particularly the space craft in the Radio Times) have been superb, and with the return of lovely Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones and the renamed UNIT (Unified Nations Taskforce), The Sontaran Stratagem has Doctor Who classic stamped all over it.
Of course it is easy to get carried away, but it is a better concept and setting than Daleks in Manhattan, the last two-parter by Helen Raynor, and with a villain that hasn't been seen in over 20 years - and was used sparingly before that - this is a dead cert to be a good episode, and certainly one to remember at the end of the run.
So prepare yourselves for clones aliens, running around, guns, spaceships, two companions and an "intruder window" - the Sontarans are back, and it's about time!
The trailers and build up features (particularly the space craft in the Radio Times) have been superb, and with the return of lovely Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones and the renamed UNIT (Unified Nations Taskforce), The Sontaran Stratagem has Doctor Who classic stamped all over it.
Of course it is easy to get carried away, but it is a better concept and setting than Daleks in Manhattan, the last two-parter by Helen Raynor, and with a villain that hasn't been seen in over 20 years - and was used sparingly before that - this is a dead cert to be a good episode, and certainly one to remember at the end of the run.
So prepare yourselves for clones aliens, running around, guns, spaceships, two companions and an "intruder window" - the Sontarans are back, and it's about time!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Revelations
I recently wrote this editorial on Kasterborous...
Well - what a superb day, in which I met some very interesting and friendly people, not to mention had a lovely bit of pasta for lunch!
We were treated to a good deal of Barry Letts, who revealed that he was now in remission following chemotherapy for cancer. He's 83 years old and sharp as a knife, and you could quite easily sit and listen to him all day long.
Also talking was Peter S Williams and Anthony Thacker, but the hero of the day was Andrew Wooding whose organisation of the event had it running (to the audience, at least) very smoothly. The team at Wilson Carlile Campus also made everyone feel very welcome, so a very big thank you from me for a fascinating day.
I'm out and about again this weekend, this time visiting Sheffield to attend a conference on Spirituality and Doctor Who.
The event will be held at Wilson Carlile Campus in Sheffield, organized and compèred by Andrew Wooding, with Barry Letts among the guests.
It's set to be a fascinating day, and I'm expecting to gain some rarely revealed insights into the use of religion and faith in Doctor Who, a subject that I've noticed becoming more prevalent recently, both in the series and in my own conclusions.
Anyway hopefully I won't be missing Doctor Who, as long as I can get from Sheffield to a handy TV between 4pm and Doctor Who O' clock.
Incidentally, if you're visiting the event and spot me, don't be shy to say hello!
Well - what a superb day, in which I met some very interesting and friendly people, not to mention had a lovely bit of pasta for lunch!
We were treated to a good deal of Barry Letts, who revealed that he was now in remission following chemotherapy for cancer. He's 83 years old and sharp as a knife, and you could quite easily sit and listen to him all day long.
Also talking was Peter S Williams and Anthony Thacker, but the hero of the day was Andrew Wooding whose organisation of the event had it running (to the audience, at least) very smoothly. The team at Wilson Carlile Campus also made everyone feel very welcome, so a very big thank you from me for a fascinating day.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Missing
Dare I say it?
I'm going to miss Doctor Who tomorrow.
Family day out takes precedence under the circumstances, and you know what? It's fine.
I don't actually need to watch it when everyone else watches it. I can watch it when I like.
There are of course the illegal options - someone somewhere will have saved the episode onto their PC and have it available via torrent by 9pm.
Following that, I would in theory be able to view it on my PC, PSP, or mobile phone.
Legally, I could watch The Fires of Pompeii on my PC via BBC iPlayer. Using the same system I could also view it on my Apple computer, iPhone or Nintendo Wii.
So despite a trip out of town, I won't miss Doctor Who - and that's something we should all remember. Sure, we can engage in that warm feeling of togetherness while watching it at 6.45pm, and that's certainly my preference. But I won't mind just this week letting my family take first place.
It will be the first episode of Doctor Who I haven't watched on broadcast since 1989.
I'm going to miss Doctor Who tomorrow.
Family day out takes precedence under the circumstances, and you know what? It's fine.
I don't actually need to watch it when everyone else watches it. I can watch it when I like.
There are of course the illegal options - someone somewhere will have saved the episode onto their PC and have it available via torrent by 9pm.
Following that, I would in theory be able to view it on my PC, PSP, or mobile phone.
Legally, I could watch The Fires of Pompeii on my PC via BBC iPlayer. Using the same system I could also view it on my Apple computer, iPhone or Nintendo Wii.
So despite a trip out of town, I won't miss Doctor Who - and that's something we should all remember. Sure, we can engage in that warm feeling of togetherness while watching it at 6.45pm, and that's certainly my preference. But I won't mind just this week letting my family take first place.
It will be the first episode of Doctor Who I haven't watched on broadcast since 1989.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Welcome Back Doctor Who!
It took us in a wonderful direction with an early curveball, but despite the light hearted tone of Partners in Crime Doctor Who is back for 2008.
I enjoyed watching Tate and Tennant on Jonathon Ross last Friday, and it did seem as though they would make a good team, watching them sat together - and thankfully this feeling was proved right on Saturday evening.
The episode might well go on to be remembered for something else entirely, but that doesn't matter - it brought the Doctor and Donna back together well, and Catherine Tate has certainly (so far) proved this viewer wrong.
Just a brief note to let you all know that you may find the forum closed from time to time over he next few days as we run some upgrades and tweaks.
If you do see it is down, try back an hour later as it won't be unavailable for any more than 1 hour at any time.
You'll soon see the benefits...
I enjoyed watching Tate and Tennant on Jonathon Ross last Friday, and it did seem as though they would make a good team, watching them sat together - and thankfully this feeling was proved right on Saturday evening.
The episode might well go on to be remembered for something else entirely, but that doesn't matter - it brought the Doctor and Donna back together well, and Catherine Tate has certainly (so far) proved this viewer wrong.
Forum Tweaking
Just a brief note to let you all know that you may find the forum closed from time to time over he next few days as we run some upgrades and tweaks.
If you do see it is down, try back an hour later as it won't be unavailable for any more than 1 hour at any time.
You'll soon see the benefits...
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Secrets
With theories of returning foes and companions hitting us left, right and centre, it's reassuring to have the feeling that something else is going on.
What is it? Well, I have my suspicions, but then I've been wrong since Doctor Who returned.
The thing is, if you look around and see exactly how, much promotion is taking place this year, and compare it with the previous two, well it's not up to par, is it?
Doctor Who now generates its own interest, plus with a season of Torchwood ending the night before, the adventures of the Doctor and his friend Donna get a helping hand by their fictional universe just being there for anyone to dip into before the ride begins.
I don't think we'll be quite ready for what happens in the new series, but I'm confident it's going to be fun all the way.
Massive thanks to Simon R. Mills of Kopics Doctor Who News Service who is running a semi-regular news round up for us during the opening weeks of this 30th season of Doctor Who.
He's doing such a good job, I might even ask him to stay on...
What is it? Well, I have my suspicions, but then I've been wrong since Doctor Who returned.
The thing is, if you look around and see exactly how, much promotion is taking place this year, and compare it with the previous two, well it's not up to par, is it?
Doctor Who now generates its own interest, plus with a season of Torchwood ending the night before, the adventures of the Doctor and his friend Donna get a helping hand by their fictional universe just being there for anyone to dip into before the ride begins.
I don't think we'll be quite ready for what happens in the new series, but I'm confident it's going to be fun all the way.
One More Thing
Massive thanks to Simon R. Mills of Kopics Doctor Who News Service who is running a semi-regular news round up for us during the opening weeks of this 30th season of Doctor Who.
He's doing such a good job, I might even ask him to stay on...
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