Doctor Who: 10 Greatest Chris Chibnall Episodes

We've already looked at the best of Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat, so now its time to count down the greatest episodes of Doctor Who's newest showrunner - Chris Chibnall.

Doctor Who: 10 Greatest Russell T Davies Episodes

Now that Doctor Who will get a new showrunner in the near future, it's time to look back at the best of the previous incumbents of the job. First up, the man who brought the show back from the dead - Russell T Davies...

New Doctor Who is coming to Big Finish!

Today brings the exciting announcement that the independent audio drama company, Big Finish, that makes classic Doctor Who adventures is doing the same for new Who!

This thrilling news has been a long time coming - for years, the new series was completely off limits to the people of Big Finish, until they recently announced spin-off series featuring Kate Stewart and Osgood of the TV series' UNIT and Captain Jack Harkness himself in a new Torchwood continuation. But now - finally - it looks like all kinds of heroes and villains from post-2005 Who can interact with classic characters.

Firstly, the head-lining event is that River Song will be meeting the Eighth Doctor, in a sequel to the Doom Coalition series which will be released next year. Personally, I think Alex Kingston and Paul McGann will make a brilliant pair, as McGann's Doctor is so much like the modern incarnations that he'll be right at home with River.

 

Clearly Big Finish can't get enough of River as the Doctor's wife will also star in her own series, The Diary of River Song, which will see Professor Song travel 'across space and time, seeking out the secret rulers of the universe.'

The inclusion of River into the world of classic Who should be loads of fun - I would particularly like to see the flirtatious River meet her future husband in his first, crotchety, incarnation. And, as Big Finish also have John Barrowman onbaord, why not have a Captain Jack-River Song team-up?

But, wait, that's not all. Also heading his own series will be that favourite Doctor Who character... Winston Churchill! Narrated by the TV show's Ian McNiece, Winnie's adventures will see him meet the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. And Daleks by the look of it.

Bizarrely, The Churchill Years will also feature a guest appearance by Danny Horn, reprising his role of the Scrooge-like Kazran Sardick from 2010's A Christmas Carol. As a character who had such a transformative story arc in his sole television outing, he seems an unlikely returning figure but I'm intrigued to find out why he's back - and teaming up with Churchill.

And that's still not all. The announcement that brings the most fannish thrill to the hearts of whovians is the Classic Doctors, New Monsters series which will see - yep, you guessed it - Doctors Five, Six, Seven and Eight facing foes of the 21st century era. Namely, the Weeping Angels (not quite sure how these silent creatures'll work on audio), the Sycorax (always thought they deserved a second go on the show), the Judoon (their booming voice is well suited to radio drama) and apparently Sontarans from the Time War. Which it seems Big Finish may be able to document now...

I, for one, am very excited for these new adventures - as it suggests such a wealth more to come. Who's to say they can't tempt modern Doctors and companions - even, dare I say it, Christopher Eccleston - to record some full-cast adventures? Or can they get Georgia Moffet onboard to create a spin-off series for the Doctor's daughter, Jenny? Or how about doing that Paternoster Gang spin-off that is such a popular idea? Or what about...

In short, this is exciting news.

Monthly Mini-Reviews: June - TV Special

Continuing on with the resurrected Monthly Mini-Reviews feature, this time around there's a cornucopia of goggle-box-based goodies for you to feast your eyes on. In other, less purple, terms - it's the Monthly Mini-Review TV Special! First up, speaking of resurrections...


In The Flesh (Series Two)

After the cancellation of Being Human, I was left bereft over the lack of interesting supernatural dramas on British TV - for about a month, that is, as right around the corner came In The Flesh, another BBC Three show which had a similar melding of the monsters with the mundane. Set in a small Northern village after the Zombie Apocalypse, it saw Zombies (or Partially-Deceased Syndrome sufferers) return home, having been treated for their conditions, only to be met with prejudice and hostility.
The second series really comes into its own, expanding the mythology of the show and deepening the characters. Luke Newberry as the put-upon Kieran continues to be a talented find, ably supported by Emily Bevan as the (ironically) lively zombie Amy and the obligatory brooding Irishman (I'm thinking Being Human's Mitchell) in Emmett Scanlan's Simon.
Despite the impending death-knell of BBC Three itself, as the series has just won a BAFTA and has been met with positive responsive and garnered a strong fanbase, I suspect that this Zombie show won't be easy to kill off...

Penny Dreadful: 'Night Work'

Since hearing about the upcoming Victorian gothic series, helmed by John Logan and Sam Mendes (the writer-director team behind the recent excellent Bond film Skyfall) I've been very intrigued. And, although, I've only got around to watching the pilot episode so far I would say that intrigue was justified.
In its premise, it's a dark and heady blend of the 19th century's most famous macabre works, featuring Dr Frankenstein and his monster, Dorian Gray, a hunt for a vampiric Mina Murray and an Egyptian curse, however, whereas previous riffs on this idea, namely Van Helsing, went all-action, from what I've seen so far Penny Dreadful sees itself as a good old-fashioned supernatural soap opera.
The stonking, and positively Bond-laden cast, is headed by Eva Green as seer Vanessa Ives, Timothy Dalton as game hunter Malcolm Murray and Josh Hartnett as American cowboy Ethan Chandler who all get a chunk of the action, or rather dialogue, in this opening hour which neatly sets up several threads of the series. Channelling the lurid, melodramatic stylings of its namesake but marrying it with a somewhat sombre, contemplative feel, Penny Dreadful is certainly one to watch.

Torchwood: Children of Earth

As easily the best instalment of the wildly uneven Torchwood (although don't tell my younger self I said that, he was obsessed with it), and one of my favourite individual television series ever, I was due a rewatch of 2009's Torchwood: Children of Earth for the first time in several years. Thankfully it did not disappoint.
To my mind, this is the Torchwood series which most satisfactorily reaches its mandate of being Doctor Who's mature sister show, examining the political and social effects of alien incursion far more than Who ever could or should. It also isn't afraid to push the boundaries far further than can be done on Doctor Who, producing some truly shocking, gut-wrenching, tear-jerking moments across its tightly-plotted five episodes. The main three cast members - John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd - are all on top form but Peter Capaldi (hey, whatever happened to him?) steals the show as pressured politician John Frobisher, a man who is forced to make difficult choices when placed as the ambassador of the human race. This is simply science fiction drama at its best.     

Bates Motel (Season Two)

While it is by no means needed, a prequel series to Hitchcock's seminal thriller./horror film Psycho that focussed on the teenage years of the crazed cross-dressing killer Norman Bates was something that caught my interest.
The best parts of the series are undoubtedly those that feature Norman and Norma, played rather solidly by Vera Famiga, who are embellished significantly beyond Hitchcock's, literally, 'psycho' characterisation to become three-dimensional people, with good and, in particular, bad points. Particular praise should be given to Freddie Highmore (once the innocent Charlie Bucket from Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) who siphons off several of Anthony Perkins', the original Bates, mannerisms while giving the character his own spin. Inspired by Twin Peaks in its presentation of a suburban town full of secrets, it can be hit-and-miss but this second series improved upon the first, taking Norman further down the dark path. You wouldn't think it to look at him, would you? Why, he wouldn't even hurt a fly... 

You can read more of my televisual ramblings over on Whatculture where I chose 8 TV Finales That Left Major Unanswered Questions.

Doctor Who: Step Back in Time - Series Two

Taking a break from a celebration of all things comic (that's comic strips, not funny comic - this blog is always dedicated to the funny. No, don't laugh at that!), it's time to continue with a retrospective look at the series of Doctor Who, in preparation for the arrival of Peter Capaldi's début series later this year. This month, we look back at another (Scottish) Doctor's inaugural year in the TARDIS. It's Mr Fantastic himself (yes, I know I said I was giving the comic-theme of this month a rest), The Tenth Doctor!

Starring: David Tennant (the Doctor), Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith) and Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler). 

Produced by: Phil Collinson

Executive Produced by: Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner

Best Episodes

Tooth and Claw by Russell T Davies

Often overlooked in the grand scheme of Doctor Who episodes, 'Tooth and Claw' is a fine adventure, mixing a simple story about an old werewolf folktale come to fruition with the 'true' personal history of Queen Victoria. This is an episode that Who's original creator, Sydney Newman with his dedication to education, would be proud of. 

Girl in the Fireplace by Steven Moffat

The episode that proved the Moff was not a one-hit wonder after 'The Empty Child' and could repeatedly deliver the goods. The writer's typical time-wimey shenanigans (on first display here) are used to tell one of the most heart-rendering romances in Doctor Who's history - and it involves the Doctor himself...

Army of Ghosts/Doomsday by Russell T Davies

I'd be remiss if I did not mention the series finale which sees the Doctor's hearts broken when Rose Tyler is lost to him in a parallel universe. Chuck in a war between the Daleks and the Cybermen and the spin-off series spawning Torchwhood and you've got one of the most memorable episodes in the whoniverse. 

TARDIS Team

Has there ever been a companion who has emotionally effected the Doctor more than Rose Tyler? In the time they travel together, he goes from a warrior suffering from survivor's guilt to a chirpy, dashing hero (it's a personal theory that the Doctor influenced his regeneration into a young handsome Londoner to impress Rose). With Rose at his side, this new Doctor is a lighter soul than his immediate predecessor but still feels the weight of being the last of his kind at heart. He also seems to have picked up Rose's humanity - what is it with Time War survivors and Rose? See 'Dalek' - as seen in his emotional farewell to Rose herself. Dear Rose made such a mark on the Time Lord that he mourned her loss for a long while; when it came to his regeneration many years later, his visited her immediately before dieing. The Doctor and Rose are such a perfect match, it's no wonder that the pair are often ranked at the very top of TARDIS teams. 

The only other frequent flyer joining those time-travelling love birds on their adventures this series is Rose's ex Mickey Smith who finally gets his dues here as he matures from 'Mickey the Idiot' to 'Mickey Smith: Defender of the Earth', fighting the Cybermen. Elsewhere, Jackie Tyler is still around to root the TARDIS to modern-day Earth while a parallel version of Rose's dad, Pete Tyler, is also discovered, meaning that when stuck on said alternate world, Rose has a complete family once again. And for a while, the Doctor did too. Unlike Number Nine, this Doctor definitely did domestic. 

Story arc

Taking its lead from the previous series' running references to 'Bad Wolf', Series Two makes several passing nods to the mysterious 'Torchwood.' As seen in 'Tooth and Claw', after being attacked by a werewolf, Queen Victoria creates the Torchwood Institute to protect her empire from all alien threat - including the Doctor. It isn't until a hundred years later that the Time Lord finally bumps into them - just as the Cybermen break through from their dimension into ours. Followed by another of the Doctor's old enemies, the Daleks, who have yet again survived the Time War. Before you can say 'pest control', the Daleks and the Cybermen cause worldwide destruction in the Battle of Canary Wharf, resulting in the dissolution of Torchwood. Or so the Doctor thinks...
In some ways, Series Two could be viewed as a large backdoor pilot for Russell T Davies' long-held dream of making an adult sci-fi show, an idea which became Torchwood, based around Captain Jack's version of the Institute run from Cardiff. Soon after this, another character who appeared in Series Two, classic companion Sarah Jane Smith, starred in her own spin-off show, The Sarah Jane Adventures. With the central show at the top of its game and in rude enough health to spawn two sister series, Doctor Who was truly travelling to brave new worlds.


Next month: Series Three... Have you met Miss Jones?

Peter Capaldi is the Doctor!

After months of rumours and anguish for Doctor Who viewers across the world, today in the specially-dedicated programme Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor it was revealed that the twelfth incarnation of the greatest alien on television is to be played by Peter Capaldi! Unlike his predecessor, Capaldi, 55, is an established actor, currently most well-known as foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in acclaimed BBC sitcom the The Thick of It. However, he's soon to be universally seen as the Doctor...
Capaldi's no stranger to the Whoniverse, having appeared in both Doctor Who and Torchwood. Although he didn't get much of a chance to show of his acting chops in 2008's 'Fires of Pompeii' he was the standout performance in mini-series Torchwood: Children of Earth the following year, heading the supporting cast as conflicted politician Mr Frobisher. As an excellent example of his acting range and confirmation that he can play sci-fi credibly, the series should definitely be watched. Apart from his onscreen links to Who, though, the man is a lifelong fan of the show; he even wrote a fan letter to the Radio Times as a teenager.
Quite the big name and one of the oldest actors to take the part, it's a brave choice to appoint Capaldi but, in many ways, absolutely the right one. Immediately his age and experience set him apart from Matt Smith and so he fills the quota of the new Doctor being different from the last one. Intriguingly, head writer and 'guardian angel' of Doctor Who Steven Moffat mentioned in the live show that he wanted to do 'something a bit different' with the new Doctor, his tone suggesting that Capaldi's take may be quite radical for the show. Although only a fool would speculate, I'm going to make a prediction now: I'm perhaps expecting him to be on the more sombre side of the Doctor spectrum, closer to, say, Christopher Eccleston's Doctor than David Tennant's. But Who knows...
What is for sure is that Doctor Who has regenerated and the show is brand-new once again. It's an anxious time for a Who fan but, as an old Doctor once said, it's change, my dears, and not a moment too soon.

And I'll leave you now in the company of Doctor Number Twelve to sign us off. Welcome, please, Mr Peter Capaldi...

Top Five Fictional Characters With No Name

After fifty years of mystery, it has been promised that this Saturday in the current series finale of Doctor Who, the Doctor's name will be revealed in the aptly-titled 'The Name of the Doctor.' To celebrate the occasion I thought I would draw up a list of other fictional characters that remain nameless (one of whom the Doctor may cease to be come Saturday). It's not so much a definitive list than a few characters from disparate strands of fiction that, I think, use their namelessness effectively. So, please, read on, whatever your name is.


Nobody Owens
Appeared in: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The protagonist of Neil Gaiman's excellent young adult novel The Graveyard Book, Nobody Owens, known as 'Bod', was made an orphan as a baby after a mysterious killer murdered his family. Instead, Bod was raised, naturally, by the resident ghosts of a graveyard he called home, with the novel following his adventures in and out of the cemetery. Technically, Bod may not count for this list as he is given a name by his surrogate spook-relatives but Nobody is only called such as his adopted mother says 'he looks like nobody but himself.' That's hardly a name now, is it?


 Captain Jack Harkness
Appeared in: Doctor Who and Torchwood, played by John Barrowman

If you only know of John Barrowman's flighty adventurer Captain Jack from Doctor Who, you may be a bit surprised by his placement on this list due to the fact that, well, he has a name. However, in his own spin-off series Torchwood, it is revealed that Jack stole the identity of the real Captain Jack Harkness, an American WW2 soldier, back in the days when he was a bad'un. It's a clear attempt to make Jack more like the Doctor and perhaps isn't mined to too large a degree but it does add to the character's enigmatic and very long life (he's immortal, remember).

The Joker
Appeared in: Batman comics and numerous film and TV adaptations

I'm sure you're all familiar with this fellow. Mad as a box of frogs, the Joker is Batman's arch-nemesis. Sometimes a fairly harmless trickster others a psychotic killer, whatever version of the character it is his past is reliably convoluted and unknowable. Apart from in Tim Burton's Batman where Jack Nicholson's Clown Prince of Crime is called, um, Jack, and in Alan Moore's The Killing Joke graphic novel, where his name is ... also Jack. Well, apart from those examples, the Joker is made all the more threatening due to his namelessness as the less we know of his origins and motives, the more we wonder. Which is far more potent; a large reason why he is such an effective and popular character.


Number Six
Appeared in: The Prisoner, played by Patrick MacGoohan

In the superb sixties series, The Prisoner, a man resigns from his (unknown) job returns to his London flat where he is gassed and wakes up in the Village. A surreal, remote town full of brainwashed individuals and run by the face-changing Number Two, he seems to have been brought there so 'they' may find out the reason why indeed he resigned. As each inhabitant of the Village is assigned a number, we never find out our protagonist's name as he, each episode, tries to escape the Village. The importance of Number Six's lack of a name and his constant refusal to back down to the powers behind the Village is summed up in his famous phrase: 'I am not a number, I am a free man!' The series itself I highly recommend; it's truly iconic and has influenced such modern successful series such as Lost and Life on Mars.


The Creature
Appeared in: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and numerous film, TV, literature and theatre adaptations

The greatest nameless character from all of fiction surely has to be Mary Shelley's sorrowful, passionate and volatile creation. We're all familiar with his story: the outcome of an experiment to create life by Victor Frankenstein, the Creature is shunned by his 'father' and forced to fend for himself upon which he learns humanity's best and worst qualities. Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, pictured left, who shared the role with Johnny Lee Miller in the fantastic Danny Boyle stage production, the Creature is defined by his lack of identity; constantly searching for his place in the world rather than being the inhuman monster that the people he encounters take him for. The Creature's story perfectly encapsulates why our names and identity, things we take for granted, are so important to how the world perceives us and how we view ourselves.


Talking of fictional characters.... Before we get too philosophical, this post acts as a forebear for an upcoming small blogathon I'm hosting concerning our Favourite Fictional Characters. If this interests you, have a read about it here.

After Midnight or How I Met David Tennant

Firstly, I do apologise profusely for the absence of any new posts in the past few days but, have no fear, during the run-up to Christmas this week I'll make up for it. I have an excuse though, I've been at my first convention.

As a long-time Doctor Who fan (it doesn't really need saying, does it?), I adored David Tennant and Billie Piper in their roles as the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler - and so was really quite excited when I had the chance to meet them by accompanying a friend to Midnight, a Doctor Who and Torchwood weekend celebration event run by Starfury Conventions.  It's always a worry when you meet people you've looked up too (especially those you looked up to when you were young) and they turn out to not be that nice. Thankfully, David and Billie were both lovely.

Despite the seemingly endless lines of people waiting to meet them (I queued up twice for each, one autograph and one photo), they were both welcoming; smiling and giving you a 'thank you' - David even shook my hand. What a nice man. Its a bit nerve-racking actually, when waiting to meet such icons of your childhood (I'm slightly flattering myself as I was twelve when they were on screen together) but their friendly nature helped dispel the wariness and made it an even more special occasion and a memory to cherish.

However, even though meeting David and Billie was lots of fun, there was lots of other individuals attending the event who were also fantastic to meet.
As the programme shows above, Torchwood's Eve 'Gwen Cooper' Myles and Gareth 'Ianto Jones' David-Lloyd were also there. Again, both were very friendly at the signings and turned out to be hilarious and more than a little rude in the question-and-answer talk sessions over the weekend. Their friendship that must have seen them through many days on set shone out as they reacted off the audience and each other as they chatted about a variety of subjects from Ianto's death (Gareth making a lot of humour from a moment that once traumatised hundreds of fans), the future of Torchwood and, ahem, John Barrowman's unmentionables.

The names don't stop there though as a number of previously-unmentioned guests turned out to be at the event. Comics writer Tony Lee, Doctor Who novelist James Swallow, Blon Fel Fotch Passemeer-Day Slitheen herself Annette Badland, Who, SJA and Torchwood writer Phil Ford, all-round Doctor Who person Gary Russel, Commander Strax in the flesh Dan Starkey, THE Dalek operator Barnaby Edwards AND Sarah Jane's own Anjli Mohindra were all also there. While all were warm and cheery throughout, I have particular fond memories of Anjli being very lovely at her talk (alone on stage and handling it brilliantly) and giving out skittles to the attendees at the signings. Also, I had an in-depth conversation with Barnaby about 'Asylum of the Daleks', how to recognise him on screen and the new TARDIS. Although I sadly missed it, he was also apparently a bit dapper on the Saturday night party.

I had a whale of a time this weekend. Even with the massive amount of queueing and waiting around, Midnight had a great, relaxed atmosphere. As well as the friendly demeanours of the guests this was also to do with the other convention-goers who were all sociable, excited and made each other feel involved. I imagine the whole time could have been very different and less all-round fun if everyone was shut-off and cynical. Thank you, Doctor Who fans!

Overall, I really enjoyed my first convention. It was a hilarious, entertaining surreal weekend but now I'm back and ready to blog. So keep your eyes peeled - expect the next post at ... sometime soon, when the bell tolls .... sometime. Having met a Time Lord, you'd expect me to know these things.

Avengers Assemble - British style!

Well, the picture above really doesn't need any introduction unless, perhaps you've been living in a cave these past few weeks. And, frankly, I'm sure even hermits residing in the Himalayas have heard of this movie. The Abominable Snowman keeps them posted. His favourite is the Hulk, obviously.

Anyway, getting sidetracked. Yes. this is Marvel's The Avengers which is everywhere at the moment. Literally. I wouldn't be surprised to wake up tomorrow and find its logo tattooed across my forehead. So, in a simultaneous act of joining in with the fad and going against it (I'm complex like that, you see) I thought I'd blog about something that would get me as excited as comic book fans across the world at Joss Whedon's multi-hero epic.

What if there was an 'Avengers' team of British TV characters?

I first thought of this idea earlier on today whilst looking for anything to distract me from essay-writing and, like the TV geek I am, thought of who would be the TV equivalent of each Avenger. So, without further ado, here are the British Avengers!

THE DOCTOR

Well, the Doctor was always going to make it in, wasn't he? But, what's more, he's the obvious candidate for filling the role of Thor.
One is a God-like being from another planet who often protects Earth from evil extraterrestrials and the other's... well, I think you see where I'm coming from. The Doctor's is a hundred times cooler than Thor, of course. And I'm sure he could short circuit Thor's thunderin' hammer thing with a buzz from the sonic.

SHERLOCK HOLMES

Cumberbatch's Sherlock is also definitely the Iron Man in this team. Both are arrogant geniuses not known for their people skills. Downey's Tony Stark also can't keep away from the limelight and is a favourite of the media. Remind you of anyone? *Cough* The Reichenbach Fall *Cough*

Also, it's rather fitting that Cumberbatch is Iron Man here as actor Robert Downey Jr also plays the same character as Cumbers in Sherlock Holmes blockbuster series.

GWEN COOPER

A joint team of UK TV heroes needed a female amongst them so I've chosen Torchwood's Gwen Cooper to step up to the post. An equally feisty, action-y, top secret agent of a shady organisation as Scarlet Johanssen's Black Widow. Gwen's just more Welsh.

This one was a bit tougher than the others as there are less female lead characters on TV. I considered River Song and Amy Pond (it's the red hair) but River's too strong to be the Black Widow of this group and Amy is not quite a hero in her own right yet (I'd say her husband is more) so I gave the role to Gwen. Oh, the things I do in the name of procrastination.



HENRY 'HAL' YORK

Vampire Hal (from BBC Three's Being Human) is definitely the Hulk of this team. Just like Bruce Banner, he has a nasty, animistic side that he can't keep under wraps no matter how hard he tries. Hal's a bloodthirsty villain when  the vampire mood takes but otherwise he's a hero, helping to save the world in the last BH series. Plus, his name even sounds like Hulk when you say it quickly. Eh?

CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS

And, yeah, you probably guessed it. He is, of course, Captain America. This one was obvious but there's actually more similarity between them. Jack is a man out of his time (Cap'n A is from the past, Cap'n J is from the future) and they were both soldiers in World War Two. Jack's even been frozen once or twice.




Yup, that would be the British TV Avengers. I imagine they would get on even less than the film lot. They would be fighting THE MASTER , by the way. He's the obvious choice for the counterpart of Loki here. They're both enemies of the alien of the gang, both sort-of brothers (I'm not going to get into that Who fan argument now) and both share a love of failed attempts to conquer Earth. There's probably loads of fan boys and girls who'd love Tom Hiddleston to play the Master at some point anyway

And there you are. If universes collided, these would be the five TV characters I'd like to see team up to save the world. And I'm pretty sure if I wrote fan-fiction I would be writing about the meeting of these fantastic five. There's loads of other variants you can apply the Avengers idea too. Go on, make your dream Avengers-type teams up! Your inner geek has probably already come out to play while watching the real Avengers movie so why not indulge it a little more.

The Day I Met Moffat (and don't forget Mark Gatiss, Gareth Roberts, Tom McRae etcetera etcetera)

Today, the last day of November - Christmas is upon us, people! - I travelled up to London for a book signing at Shaftesbury Avenue's Forbidden Planet Megastore. The signers? Only a bloody horde of some of Doctor Who's most prestigious - and several sadly unsung - names! I'll make a list of them soon. I love lists and I'm sure you do too so get ready for some list-action!

Travelling to and around London was an adventure in itself. The hour long train journey spent talking with a friend was I thought delightfully Sherlock Holmes - if the Sherlock Holmes stories featured boring modern trains rather than the really cool Victorian ones.
Once in London we had to tackle the Tube. For someone who can't remember ever having used it before, it struck me as being oddly enclosed and claustrophobic. Though I did see Jon Culshaw (the impressionist who does a great Tom Baker among others) whilst waiting for the train. It's especially eerie as I'm reading Neil Gaiman's novel 'Neverwhere' at the moment set in a magical undercity beneath London where, among others, vicious creatures dwell in the dark of the railway tracks. Mind the gap!
Obviously, arising from the depths of London Below to the striking, bright, loud, busy, teeming with life London Above was a bit daunting but we managed to navigate ourselves through the great behemoth buildings to find our destination without much problem.

After waiting for the best part of an hour outside we finally got in and met (prepare yourselves, list-fans):

Steven Moffat - Well, you're all probably aware of him. The Moff is of course Doctor Who's Head Honcho. The man from whose head it all comes from. Needless to say as an aspiring writer and massive Who fan, he is a great inspiration. One of my all-time favourite writers.
Before going in I went over several things I wanted to say to him in my head. However, when it came to it, when Steven Moffat, the frogging lead writer of Doctor Who and the creator of Sherlock, is actually sitting in front of you wearing a big smile and saying 'hello! What's your name?' in his warm Scottish tones, all I could muster was '....Christian. Lovely to meet you...Thank you.'
Pah! I would go back in a time machine and try again but Moffat's episodes have shown me how messing with your timeline is a very bad idea - blowing holes in the time continuum the size of Belgium and whatnot. Besides, he was a really nice guy. Replying to my shyness with something like 'Well, there you go.' in a friendly way.

Mark Gatiss - Basically Moffat's second in command. The writer of the spooktastic episodes 'The Unquiet Dead' and 'Night Terrors' as well as wartime romp 'Victory of the Daleks'. In my opinion, he's a genius. I've never read or seen anything of Gatiss' I haven't liked, from his fabulous Lucifer Box novels to the terrifying Crooked House series to his co-creating the modern-day Sherlock. Sadly, due to the swiftness of the signings and the way it was laid out, I didn't get to say anything to Gatiss. Just a signature and a smile. But that's enough for me.

Gareth Roberts - Perhaps the most reliable of Who writers. Roberts' episodes are always hilarous, dramatic and touching in turn. He's great at doing the middle episodes that don't have some big event going on. Like the Agatha Christie pastiche 'The Unicorn and the Wasp' or the hilarious 'The Lodger'. He was a really nice guy. He took the time to say hello and had a nice bit of banter with Steven over the state of the Moff's handwriting of my name.

I could talk about everyone just as much but for the sake of your patience I'll just give you the pictures and who they are.

Tom McRae, writer of TV episodes 'Rise of the Cybermen/ The Age of Steel' and 'The Girl Who Waited'. I think he wins the award for best handwriting.

Ben Cook - Big Doctor Who journalist, regular contributor to Doctor Who Magazine and Radio Times plus co-author of 'The Writer's Tale' with Russell T Davies. He had the best hair of the bunch (perhaps cos several were bald) - Russell Brand style but bright red, really red!

David Bailey - Writer of several Doctor Who short stories and audio stories. Nice touch with the bow tie I thought.



James Goss - Writer of several Doctor Who and Torchwood novels and talking books

including 'Dead of Winter' and 'Blackout'. He was probably the quietest of them. Still nice though.

Clayton Hickman - Co- writer with Gareth Roberts of Who short stories, audio adventures and an SJA episode. Also, the ex-editor of DWM and the guy who designs the Doctor Who DVDs.

He's also, as you may have guessed, the editor of this book.

Paul Lang - Designer of this book.

David Llewelyn - Writer of several Doctor Who and Torchwood novels including 'The Taking of Chelsea 426' and 'Trace Memory'.

Jason Arnopp - Writer of numerous Doctor Who audio tales and a regular DWM contributor.

Gary Russel - Much like Clay Hickman, someone who gets involved in every bit of Doctor Who. He was the producer of Big Finish's Doctor Who audio adventures, the former script editor of both Doctor Who and SJA and is the writer of many Doctor Who novels. He also said he'd follow me on Twitter What a nice man!

*

Phew! Well, I hope you enjoyed that. At the time of writing the clock has just struck 00.00 on the 1st December! Seasons greetings, everyone!

And remember to watch 'The Doctor, the Witch and the Wardrobe' on Christmas Day by the wonderful Steven Moffat.

I've met him, you know.

Torchwood: Did the Miracle continue?

Apologies for that rather laboured title but as you've probably guessed it's time for another Torchwood post! Over the intervening weeks since my last update on the show's fourth run, the series has developed...well, that's sort of the problem; I'm not sure it has. As I find with those American series which go on for several episodes, it just sort of keeps going. The main characters are still likeable (although the writers have a tendency of sidelining Jack) with Oswald remaining the most intriguing. Exactly how does he fit into the Miracle?
I'm just off to watch the final episode; 'The Blood Line', and I'll report back here ASAP. As the Miracle now has Jack at the centre of it I'll see if he survives. Good luck, soldier!

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Well, all I can say is: bravo! I was so worried the series would just limp out but the finale was fantastic. Excitement, emotional pull and unexpected twists, this so comes close to Children of Earth: Day Five on the Satisfying Conclusion Scale. Well done, Miracle Day, I pray their will be another one on soon.

Miracle Day - Dead or Alive?

A few weeks ago the fourth series of Torchwood, entitled Miracle Day, premiered to the world and -a first for a Doctor Who related programme - was broadcast first in the US. That's right, if you couldn't tell just from watching it, Torchwood is now made in America. But is it actually up to scratch?
Simple answer: Definitely!
Although the production of the show has hoisted itself across the pond, the writing and production team are still largely the same which means we still have the genius of Russel T Davies (the creator of Torchwood and Executive Producer of Doctor Who during Doctors Eccleston and Tennant) guiding the series. Plus, on the acting side our main heroes are still the indomitable Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper.
So let's start with the plot.

The plot revolves around a simple but brilliantly earth-shattering idea: what if no one dies?

Around the world at exactly the same time, everyone stops dying. Hospitals are quickly overflowing with patients, prisons overflowing with convicts who can't be executed (this is America after all) and the biggest population boom in history. Its thought the human race only has four months until it descends into chaos.

It seems only the long-defunct Torchwood Institute can save the world.

The idea is  tremendous one as on the cerebral side, it leads to an exploration of the outcomes of such a 'miracle' on the world, from the social effect of hospital overcrowding to the religious/political; Hindus losing their faith in reincarnation and stopping their was with Pakistan.  Also, it makes for some good old-fashioned gore. Some of the worst-best examples including the woman with a broken neck able to adopt 'The Exorcist' like head turns and a disembodied arm that can still move around but the best is the bomber at the heart of an explosion who, despite just being a skeleton with a detached skull, is still conscious! Blurgh!

Gradually through the series (or the three episodes we have seen already) we learn that the FBI know something about the origin of the miracle and that its is inextricably linked to international pharmaceutical company, Phicorps. Could they be trying to make a bomb on prescription drugs?

It's a big, huge idea which is also very, very silly. Perfect for Torchwood.

But it's not only the plot that's great, the cast are also fantastic. John Barrowman and Eve Myles are on top form as Jack and Gwen while Alexa Havins and Mekhi Pfifer also shine as CIA- turned- Torchwood- members Esther and Rex.

Still attired in his great blue trench coat (earning him the nickname 'World War Two' from Rex), Captain Jack is now back on Earth after leaving it after the sad death of his lover, Ianto, in the last series of Torchwood.

At the moment of the last recorded death, the CIA get a sudden alert of Torchwood on their screens and it is this that leads Jack to forcibly unearth the dead organisation.

The writers and Barrowman have obviously sought to mature Jack a bit this series as he makes some very Doctorish speeches at times. Then again, it wouldn't be Jack if he gave up the flirting. And he still gets up to plenty of his favourite hobby this series.

Ever since the cataclysmic events of 'Children of Earth' that closed down Torchwood seemingly for good, Gwen, her husband, Rhys, and her baby girl, Anwen, moved from Cardiff to a reclusive cottage by the sea, desperate to get away from the dangers of Gwen's job.
However, when the whole of the world stops dying, the CIA's Rex Matheson knows this is business for Torchwood and so forces Gwen to once again take up the mantle of world-hero.
Just like Jack, the Gwen of this series has also matured. Still feisty, brave and bolshy, Gwen no has a baby to take care of and so her every thought is for her baby's safety who is back in Wales under Rhys' care.



  

CIA agent Rex Matheson is on the phone to his assistant, Esther, while driving when - CRASH - a pole goes through his chest. But he's picked a good day to get injured. With a constant pain in his chest - he should be dead after all, Rex is a very reluctant Torchwood member, only becoming one after his own bosses conspire against him.
Personally, it took me a while to warm to Rex - not at all the fault of Mekhi Pfifer - but because the character is a bit unlikeable in the first two episodes: hoisting Gwen from her family in Wales all the way to New York and his general disagreeable attitude. However, once Rex becomes an outlaw like the others he mellows slightly. His sparring with Jack for leadership echoes that of Owen way back in Series One and the confusion between him and Gwen over Welshisms/ Americanisms add a bit of light to the more serious scenes.

Now, Esther I liked straight away. Dr Who companion-like in her resoluteness over discovering Torchwood (similar to Gwen in Series One), Esther is an ordinary woman, a not-very-important - but very bright -analyst for the CIA, who becomes embroiled in Torchwood's mad world not through much choice of her own. Something of a tech expert, it is also easy to see how she's useful to the team. Here's hoping she stays!

But enough about the heroes, every good show needs a villain. Miracle Day's got two thoroughly nasty pieces of work. Let's meet them.

Oswald Danes, a convicted child killer, is taken for lethal injection. But as the wardens watch, he survives. Just as everyone else does. Let out on a legal technicality, Danes becomes a celebrity, appearing on talk shows sharing his story, and with the world in such a sorry state some treat him as a messianic figure; including the Soulless, a religious sect who believe that the Miracle has robbed humanity of their souls.
Bill Pullman is terrific - and terrifying - in the role which makes his character's adoration all the more wrong.

Jilly Kitzinger is a ruthless PR Guru who will stop at nothing for power. Lauren Ambrose plays the part with relish as Jilly worms her way in through false niceties when only the audience knows her true intentions.

So, to conclude, three episodes in and Miracle Day is very alive and kicking - much like the whole of the world in fact.