Saturday 28 November 2015
Only two more episodes, Heaven Sent and Hell Bent, left to go this season, and we are actually at home for both of them. [Unlike the Christmas Special - anyone know if and when Doctor Who is broadcast in Beijing?]
From what I have gleaned about tonight's episode, it is going to be an odd one. The Matrix scenes from The Deadly Assassin spring to mind, but I don't suppose it is really going to be anything like that at all. Only a couple more hours to wait and all will be revealed...
Later...
I'll need to watch that again to make sense of it, but it looks like I was closer than I thought with The Deadly Assassin. In the meantime, and more importantly, since when are companions, even deceased ones, allowed to tell the Doctor to get off his arse?'
Saturday, 28 November 2015
Sunday, 22 November 2015
Quoth the Raven...
22 November 2015
"Nevermore!"
Anyone vaguely familiar with Poe's poem The Raven (1845) might have guessed that this would be Clara's final episode, though knowing how Doctor Who works, it remains to be seen whether this is the last we see of Jenna Coleman. I suspect not - isn't Clara still splintered in the Doctor's timeline, 'saving the Doctor?'
I found this episode far more watchable than Sleep No More. I suspect though that over time and repeated watching the latter episode may become regarded as a classic, whereas Face the Raven may not have longevity.
I liked the fact that this was a smaller, ostensibly low stakes episode, where the threat at least appears to be only to a single person, rather than the whole fabric of space and time. Though the true explanation of what is going on will only be revealed in the season finale.
I'm not sure I understood how the shade/raven thing worked, and how and why Ashildr acquired control of it. Or why the 'refugees' needed to disguise themselves as human in a street that was hidden anyway (other than costume budget reasons).
No doubt all will be revealed (probably in about two years' time).
"Nevermore!"
Anyone vaguely familiar with Poe's poem The Raven (1845) might have guessed that this would be Clara's final episode, though knowing how Doctor Who works, it remains to be seen whether this is the last we see of Jenna Coleman. I suspect not - isn't Clara still splintered in the Doctor's timeline, 'saving the Doctor?'
I found this episode far more watchable than Sleep No More. I suspect though that over time and repeated watching the latter episode may become regarded as a classic, whereas Face the Raven may not have longevity.
I liked the fact that this was a smaller, ostensibly low stakes episode, where the threat at least appears to be only to a single person, rather than the whole fabric of space and time. Though the true explanation of what is going on will only be revealed in the season finale.
I'm not sure I understood how the shade/raven thing worked, and how and why Ashildr acquired control of it. Or why the 'refugees' needed to disguise themselves as human in a street that was hidden anyway (other than costume budget reasons).
No doubt all will be revealed (probably in about two years' time).
Saturday, 21 November 2015
Doctor Who Festival 3
The shades were specifically for the Magician’s Apprentice, where the Doctor needed to have a device in Davros’ sick room, which couldn’t be the screwdriver, because Davros would recognise it. He kept them for a while to annoy Clara. Apparently.
A writing tip from Jamie Mathieson is to
just keep writing things down. Eight out
of nine times it will be rubbish, but the ninth time makes up for it. (Readers of this blog may feel that he has underestimated the amount of rubbish that can be generated.) As with the 50th , there was a
signer on stage, though fortunately no one had cause to mention Nicola Bryant’s
cleavage this time.
A deaf member of the audience made a point of thanking Toby Whithouse for
including a deaf character in Under the
Lake/Before the Flood. I think the great thing about this was that it wasn't just tokenism - the scene where Cass was being followed up the corridor by a ghost dragging an axe was the creepiest part of an otherwise creepy story.
Peter Capaldi was asked about the question mark underpants (as I believe he had been asked at previous sessions). He claimed that the costume department provided question mark boxer shorts for him that day, but wouldn’t say whether he wore them. I didn’t believe a word of it. Michelle Gomez was just as mad in real life as the roles she plays in Green Wing and Doctor Who.
Some of the questioners from the
audience took the opportunity to deliver a speech rather than ask a question. I have noticed this 'ego trip' type of question at academic conferences as well. I find it annoying.
At the end, Peter Capaldi
presented Jenna with a huge bouquet.
Doctor Who Festival 2
After the Millennium FX talk we had three hours or so free for visiting the main exhibition area (we hadn't booked for any of the photo sessions).
I for once succumbed to the merchandising, buying a Pandorica scarf for £27. The day before I had been tempted by an Escher Metamorphosis scarf at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, but thought £75 was a bit steep, so I was an easy target. I also bought a Dalek soft toy for my German colleague. Yes, I did use the words 'Dalek soft toy'. (The Dalek is now keeping up the grand tradition of adorning an office in a major university). My husband dithered about buying a burgundy 4th Doctor scarf and eventually succumbed - with unfortunate consequences.
We caught the end
of an ‘Act Like a Monster’ talk with Nick Briggs and Barnaby Edwards and later watched a ‘Director’s Class’ with
Douglas Mackinnon, who took some volunteers through the Rupert Pink’s bedroom
scene from Listen. They did pretty well, considering the script had been thrust into their hands just a moment or two before, but having seen that, I appreciate the talent of the professionals all the more.
The prop and costume exhibition was all from the latest series. It's difficult to get excited about Clara's costumes, which are just normal clothes. Missy, Osgood and Lady Me/Ashildr's costumes were much more interesting. I probably wouldn't have recognised Leandro's costume without a label, as he really didn't make that much of an impression. The exhibition also included a Zygon pod and the confession dial. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of that...
I for once succumbed to the merchandising, buying a Pandorica scarf for £27. The day before I had been tempted by an Escher Metamorphosis scarf at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, but thought £75 was a bit steep, so I was an easy target. I also bought a Dalek soft toy for my German colleague. Yes, I did use the words 'Dalek soft toy'. (The Dalek is now keeping up the grand tradition of adorning an office in a major university). My husband dithered about buying a burgundy 4th Doctor scarf and eventually succumbed - with unfortunate consequences.
The prop and costume exhibition was all from the latest series. It's difficult to get excited about Clara's costumes, which are just normal clothes. Missy, Osgood and Lady Me/Ashildr's costumes were much more interesting. I probably wouldn't have recognised Leandro's costume without a label, as he really didn't make that much of an impression. The exhibition also included a Zygon pod and the confession dial. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of that...
 |
| Zygon pod |
 |
| Missy's new costume |
 |
| Lady Me's costume |
 |
| Osgood's costume |
 |
| Props |
There's a hole in my Who scarf....
Saturday 21 November 2015 (Almost Doctor Who's 52nd birthday)
It's been a busy week and I haven't had time to write up the rest of the festival and upload my photos.
In the meantime, my husband decided to wear his brand new burgundy 4th Doctor scarf (bought at the festival last week) to work. Silly idea, really, but as I was wearing my 'Pandorica Opens' scarf to work, I couldn't really comment.
All was fine, until on the way home, I noticed a rip or tear in the end. Disaster! It looked as if the label had caught on something and been ripped off, though my other half wasn't aware of it happening.
The upshot is that I now have to find a way of mending it. Being a busy, professional person, I haven't had much time for craft lately, and I couldn't find my knitting bag (where I hoped to find some suitably-matching yarn) anywhere. As a last resort, I tried the spare room wardrobe, but all I could find was a deflated Dalek and a Womble costume (only in my house...)
Instead, I am going to cannibalise one of the tassels from the fringe to get some matching yarn and reconstruct the tassel afterwards. I hope it works.
The day after the scarf incident, my husband wore his (also new) Fifth Doctor cricket sweater to work. Meanwhile, no one has noticed that my artistic 'Van Gogh' scarf is not quite as it seems....
Update: My cunning plan has worked! The scarf is restored to its former glory (well, almost).
It's been a busy week and I haven't had time to write up the rest of the festival and upload my photos.
In the meantime, my husband decided to wear his brand new burgundy 4th Doctor scarf (bought at the festival last week) to work. Silly idea, really, but as I was wearing my 'Pandorica Opens' scarf to work, I couldn't really comment.
The upshot is that I now have to find a way of mending it. Being a busy, professional person, I haven't had much time for craft lately, and I couldn't find my knitting bag (where I hoped to find some suitably-matching yarn) anywhere. As a last resort, I tried the spare room wardrobe, but all I could find was a deflated Dalek and a Womble costume (only in my house...)
Instead, I am going to cannibalise one of the tassels from the fringe to get some matching yarn and reconstruct the tassel afterwards. I hope it works.
The day after the scarf incident, my husband wore his (also new) Fifth Doctor cricket sweater to work. Meanwhile, no one has noticed that my artistic 'Van Gogh' scarf is not quite as it seems....
Update: My cunning plan has worked! The scarf is restored to its former glory (well, almost).
Sunday, 15 November 2015
Doctor Who Festival: Session 1 - Monsters
Sunday 15 November 2015
I'm back from the Doctor Who Festival, which was extremely well-run and enjoyable. This is the third of the official BBC events I have been to since the series returned (the others being the convention at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff and the Fiftieth Anniversary Convention) and they definitely have a format that works.
I am somewhat disappointed that I was a Cyberman rather than a Dalek, but you can't have everything. We got through registration and into the main theatre remarkably quickly. Our first theatre session was the Millennium FX show with special guest Mark Gatiss. I'm not sure really why he was included in a show about prosthetic monsters (OK he has played one, in Professor Lazarus, and written for several more, including last night's Sandmen), but it still seemed a bit odd.
During this talk, a couple of the designers were given the task of coming up with a visual concept for a new monster. The idea, borrowed from a taxi driver, was an alien race who work on a very different timescale, and who are slowly cooking the earth, which we experience as global warming. At the end we were asked to call out names. I suggested 'Fryons', but it wasn't picked up by the roving mike.
There was a discussion of the creation of the costume for the Mire, which was modelled on stage. I think this costume looks great. Although it appears to be corroded metal, it is actually made of foam.
A young member of the audience had the opportunity to go on stage and try out a monster mask. The little boy who was chosen had been on stage at a previous event and seemed a bit blasé about it. There was no shortage of hands going up so it's a pity the opportunity didn't go to someone who hadn't had a chance before, but the team had no way of knowing. He didn't want to wear the mask of The Foretold, so he tried an Ice Warrior instead, even though I'm not sure he remembered who they were. Rather him than me, anyway. I tried on a Cyberman mask many years ago. It was not pleasant in there.
My favourite part of the session was seeing Mark interact with Mr Sweet, the prehistoric leech which sat on Diana Rigg's shoulder in The Crimson Horror.
To be continued....
I'm back from the Doctor Who Festival, which was extremely well-run and enjoyable. This is the third of the official BBC events I have been to since the series returned (the others being the convention at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff and the Fiftieth Anniversary Convention) and they definitely have a format that works.
I am somewhat disappointed that I was a Cyberman rather than a Dalek, but you can't have everything. We got through registration and into the main theatre remarkably quickly. Our first theatre session was the Millennium FX show with special guest Mark Gatiss. I'm not sure really why he was included in a show about prosthetic monsters (OK he has played one, in Professor Lazarus, and written for several more, including last night's Sandmen), but it still seemed a bit odd.
There was a discussion of the creation of the costume for the Mire, which was modelled on stage. I think this costume looks great. Although it appears to be corroded metal, it is actually made of foam.
A young member of the audience had the opportunity to go on stage and try out a monster mask. The little boy who was chosen had been on stage at a previous event and seemed a bit blasé about it. There was no shortage of hands going up so it's a pity the opportunity didn't go to someone who hadn't had a chance before, but the team had no way of knowing. He didn't want to wear the mask of The Foretold, so he tried an Ice Warrior instead, even though I'm not sure he remembered who they were. Rather him than me, anyway. I tried on a Cyberman mask many years ago. It was not pleasant in there.
My favourite part of the session was seeing Mark interact with Mr Sweet, the prehistoric leech which sat on Diana Rigg's shoulder in The Crimson Horror.
 |
| Mark and one of Millennium FX's creations. Isn't he Sweet? |
Saturday, 14 November 2015
Sleep No More
14 November - Later
Everything has gone to plan. We saw the M C Escher exhibition, including both the work called 'Castrovalva' and the works that inspired the episode, and made it to the Excel in time for a nice Italian meal before Doctor Who.
It all went a bit downhill after that, sadly. I couldn't make much sense of the episode, particularly with the 'found footage' format, and I found myself dropping off. Normally I would watch an episode at least twice, but this time I'm not sure I even want to.
Everything has gone to plan. We saw the M C Escher exhibition, including both the work called 'Castrovalva' and the works that inspired the episode, and made it to the Excel in time for a nice Italian meal before Doctor Who.
It all went a bit downhill after that, sadly. I couldn't make much sense of the episode, particularly with the 'found footage' format, and I found myself dropping off. Normally I would watch an episode at least twice, but this time I'm not sure I even want to.
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