Goodbye to 12 - Doctor Who - The Girl Who Died Review

We celebrate the Peter Capaldi era by revisiting the 12th Doctor's adventures as we count down the days to his last adventure.

Doctor Who:
The Girl Who Died
By Steve Mathieson
And Steven Moffat

“I am The Doctor and I save people. And if anyone happens to be listening and you’ve got any kind of problem with that.  To hell with you!”

The Girl Who Died had a lot of buzz going in mainly to see who Maisie Williams would be playing.  Back in the summer was the Doctor Who Series 9 trailer and at the end Maisie Williams said this to Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor, ‘What took you so long old man?”  Now that made the interwebs abuzz with speculation that she was playing Romana, The Rani, Susan and Jenny.  I myself was hoping for the Terrible Zodin as some thought it was a younger Missy.  Guess what?  You’re all wrong as she is playing an original character.  Leave it to Steven Moffat to prop up an episode that in all fairness is not that good.

Goodbye to 12 - Doctor Who - Before the Flood Review

We celebrate the Peter Capaldi era by revisiting the 12th Doctor's adventures as we count down the days to his last adventure.

Doctor Who:
Before the Flood
By Toby Whitehouse

“Clara, I want to talk to my ghost self.”

The problem with two part stories in the new version of Doctor Who is that the second part for the most part has been disappointing or at the very least pretty mediocre and has not delivered on the excitement from the first part that got you all jazzed up for the conclusion.  So far in the Capaldi era the two parters have been mixed with the mediocre Dark Water/ Death in Heaven to the very well done The Magician’s Apprentice/ The Witch’s Familiar.  Before the Flood has the hard task of following the really good Under the Lake and despite not being quite as good as its lead up episode it wasn’t bad at all and was pretty entertaining.

Details on Doctor Who - The 8th Doctor: Time War Vol 1

Out now from Big Finish is the 8th Doctor Time War series.  We've had the War Doctor version of the Time War now we have the 8th Doctor version and it should be interesting to see how the Time War started.  You can buy this box set starring Paul McGann at the Big Finish website.

The Eighth Doctor battles for survival in the Time War:

1. The Starship of Theseus by John Dorney

The Doctor and his companion, Sheena, land the TARDIS on the glamorous luxury space-liner Theseus just as it’s about to leave the Jupiter space-port. An opportunity for a holiday presents itself – and it’s one they’re very glad to take.

But when a disturbance catches their attention, they realise sinister events are taking place on board. Passengers are vanishing on every trip. And unless they’re careful they may be next.

Can the Doctor and Emma solve the mystery? Or is there something else they should be worrying about?

2. Echoes of War by Matt Fitton

Doctor Who Comic Book Releases For 10/25/17

Out today from Titan Comics will be one Doctor Who comic book and it stars the 11th Doctor and it is the second part of the two part Strange Loops story line. You can get this release at your local comic book store.


DOCTOR WHO ELEVENTH DOCTOR YEAR THREE #11
Part 2 (of 2)
Writer: Alex Paknadel
Artist: I.N.J Culbard
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC - 32pp - $3.99 - On sale: October 25

STRANGE LOOPS PART 2 OF 2!

A relic from the Time War causes complications for the Eleventh Doctor, when he believes that he has found a remnant of his people.

But disappointment turns to anger when he discovers what this remnant has done!

Goodbye to 12 - Doctor Who - Under the Lake Review

We celebrate the Peter Capaldi era by revisiting the 12th Doctor's adventures as we count down the days to his last adventure.

Doctor Who:
Under the Lake
By Toby Whitehouse

“Who wants to catch a ghost?”

Series 9 rolls along with Under the Lake.  Under the Lake is part one of a two part story this time by Toby Whitehouse.  He has written for the show before giving us stories like School Reunion, The God Complex and a few others but he is mostly known for the British and original version of Being Human.   Under the Lake is his first story for the 12th Doctor and by the next time trailer it looked really good.  I had high hopes for this story after watching the trailer as Doctor Who never really dealt with ghosts before, well, not in the traditional way.

Three New Companions Announced For Doctor Who

The BBC have announce three companions for Jodi Whittaker's 13th Doctor and they are played by Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill.  Also announced is that the new series will air in the Autumn of 2018 with ten fifty minute episodes with the premiere episode being sixty minutes long.  You can read more about the new series in the press release below.

New York – October 22, 2017 – When Jodie Whittaker takes over as the Thirteenth Doctor on BBC AMERICA’s global hit show Doctor Who next year, she will be joined by an all new regular cast.

Announced today, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill will line-up as the new regular cast on Doctor Who.

Bradley will star as Graham, Tosin will play Ryan and Mandip will play Yasmin. 

Also joining the series in a returning role is Sharon D Clarke.

New head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch), who made the decision to cast the first ever woman in the iconic role, is also shaking up who will travel with the Doctor in the TARDIS, with a team of new characters. 

In more exclusive news, it is confirmed that the new season will be a ten-week run of fifty-minute episodes in Fall 2018, kicking off with a feature-length hour for the opening launch.

Chris Chibnall says: “The new Doctor is going to need new friends. We’re thrilled to welcome

Into The Time Vortex Podcast - Episode 59 - Doctor Who - Ghost Light

Goodbye to 12 - Doctor Who - The Witch's Familiar Review

We celebrate the Peter Capaldi era by revisiting the 12th Doctor's adventures as we count down the days to his last adventure.

Doctor Who:
The Witch’s Familiar
By Steven Moffat

“You are not a good Doctor.”

In Steven Moffat’s recent history his second part of two part episodes has failed to deliver. He does really well setting everything up in part one and giving us a cliffhanger to talk over during the week but when we get the conclusion we are scratching our heads going that was it.  Yes, I have not been a fan of Steven Moffat’s two part stories lately as I thought Series 8 series ender was ok and better than normal but other than that he hasn’t done well with the second part since The Doctor Dances back in 2005’s Series 1.

Details for Doctor Who Magazine 518

Out today in the UK is Doctor Who Magazine 518 and the big feature is an interview with David Tennant and Billie Piper and the also the second part of the Sylvester McCoy Interview.

Doctor Who Comic Book Releases For This Week

Out this week, yesterday actually, are three comic books from the Doctor Who Universe.  One is the 6th part of the Doctor Who special crossover and the start of a brand new Torchwood series along with the 10th Doctor series.  You can buy these releases from your local comic book store.


DOCTOR WHO TWELFTH DOCTOR YEAR THREE #8
The Lost Dimension Part 6 (of 8)
Writer: George Mann
Artists: Rachael Stott with Marcelo Salaza
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC - 32pp - $3.99 - On sale: October 18

An unknown force is striking from the depths of space, emerging as impossibly-large white holes over civilized planets, absorbing or annihilating everything that lives.

This force has spread throughout all of time, challenging the Doctor in all of his incarnations.

Jenny, the Doctor’s daughter, crash-landed back into the Twelfth Doctor’s life, only to find that the anti-energy she had been fleeing from had already arrived on Earth –corrupting the forces of UNIT and terrorising the Doctor and Bill!

Details for Doctor Who - The Outliers

Out this month by Big Finish for The Early Adventures Range is a 2nd Doctor adventure with Ben, Polly and Jamie.  You can order this audio adventure from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-outliers-1320

The TARDIS takes the Doctor, Ben, Polly and Jamie to a flooded underground town on an alien world. The streets are empty. The houses are bare. Not a trace of life.

The miners working here are vanishing. And it isn’t long before the time-travellers are suspected of being responsible for the disappearances. But even the authorities haven’t fully realised the scale of the problem.

There’s something else on this world. Something dragging people away. And it won’t stop until it’s taken them all.

Written By: Simon Guerrier
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Anneke Wills (Polly Wright/Narrator), Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon/The Doctor), Elliot Chapman (Ben Jackson), Alistair Petrie (Richard Tipple), Debbie Chazen (Dr Goro), Matilda Ziegler (Chatura Sharma)

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor John Dorney
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Goodbye to 12 - Doctor Who - The Magician’s Apprentice Review

We celebrate the Peter Capaldi era by revisiting the 12th Doctor's adventures as we count down the days to his last adventure.

Doctor Who:
The Magician’s Apprentice 
By Steven Moffat

“Davros knows. Davros remembers.”

After months of speculation and rumors since Series 8 has ended The Magician’s Apprentice has arrived and series nine has now begun in earnest.  The episode opens up with a child who happens to have wandered into an area where there are hand mines and is trapped and can’t get out.   The Doctor soon appears and tries to help the child from the trap until he learns the name of the child.  He then leaves the child to his fate and leaves in the TARDIS.

Goodbye to 12 - Doctor Who - Last Christmas Review

We celebrate the Peter Capaldi era by revisiting the 12th Doctor's adventures as we count down the days to his last adventure.

Doctor Who:
Last Christmas
By Steven Moffat

“Santa Claus does not do the scientific explanation.”

It’s Christmas and everyone is gathering together with friends and family to celebrate the festive holiday either for religious beliefs or not.  But most of all a huge number of people around the world celebrate Christmas with something altogether different in mind and that would be the annual Doctor Who Christmas Special.  At the time this is the 10th year in a row that Doctor Who fans will be watching a Doctor Who episode on Christmas day and this time will be treated to the first one with Peter Capaldi as The Doctor.   Last Christmas is also boasting a unique meet up between The Doctor and a certain resident of the North Pole.  But was it good as a Christmas pudding or will it be a Scrooge and give us a humbug.

Details for Doctor Who - The Behemoth

Out this month from Big Finish is a 6th Doctor main range story and joining him this time are companions Flip and Constance. You can get this main range audio story from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-behemoth-1261

Bath, 1756 – and a very dashing gentleman known only as the Doctor is newly arrived in town, accompanied by his lady friends Mrs Clarke and Mrs Ramon. He’s created a stir among the gentlefolk of Georgian high society – and a stir in the heart of merry widow Mrs Theodosia Middlemint, rumour has it.

They are not the only strangers from abroad causing tongues to wag, however. The mysterious Lady Clara, come from Amsterdam in the company of the noble Captain Van Der Meer, has the whole of Bath agog. Who is she, really? What is she, really?

But there’s something terrible beneath the veneer of Georgian gentility. As awful a horror as the Doctor has ever exposed, hidden inside Balsam’s Brassworks. Something that needs to be brought to light, for the sake of all humanity.

Written By: Marc Platt
Directed By: Jamie Anderson

Cast
Colin Baker (The Doctor), Lisa Greenwood (Flip Jackson), Miranda Raison (Mrs Constance Clarke), Glynn Sweet (Sir Geoffrey Balsam), Georgina Moon (Mrs Middlemint), Liam McKenna (Titus Craven), Wayne Forester (Rev Mr Philip Naylor), Giles New (Captain Douwemout Van Der Meer), Diveen Henry (Sarah), Ben Arogundade (Gorembe).

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor Alan Barnes
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who Comic Book Releases For October 11th

Out today is the 5th part of the Lost Dimension special. This issue is oversized with stories featuring the 4th Doctor, River Song and Jenny.  You can by this special release at your local comic book store.


DOCTOR WHO: THE LOST DIMENSION SPECIAL #1 ​
W ​riters:​ Gordon Rennie, Emma Beeby
​Artists:​  Wellington Diaz, Ivan Rodriguez
​FC - 36pp - $4.99 - On sale: October 11 ​

OVERSIZED EXCITEMENT FROM DEEP WITHIN THE DOCTOR WHO EVENT! ALL-NEW STORIES FEATURING:
•  THE FOURTH DOCTOR!
•  RIVER SONG!

Goodbye to 12 - Doctor Who - Death in Heaven Review

We celebrate the Peter Capaldi era by revisiting the 12th Doctor's adventures as we count down the days to his last adventure.

Doctor Who:
Death in Heaven
By Steven Moffat

“You Win.”

After the big reveal in Dark Water that Missy was The Master we are now onto the second part of the series 8 finale.  Usually the second part of the series finales or series finales in general have fallen short and not delivered on the hype built up by the first part.   Doctor Who has been a good example of this most recently with The Wedding of River Song which was not all that good.  It seems in NuWho that the show runners like to go for the big gusto and try to cram a lot of stuff into the finales and that has always hurt the story for the most part even if the newer fans go crazy for it.  So did Death in Heaven fall into the disappointing category?

Doctor Who Stage Actor Trevor Martin Has Died

Trevor Martin who starred in the 1974 stage production Doctor Who and The Daleks in The Seven Keys to Doomsday passed away at the age of 87.  Trevor Martin also appeared in the Patrick Troughton story The War Games playing a Time Lord in parts nine and ten.  He also played the Doctor again when Big Finish adapted The Seven Keys to Doomsday for an audio adventure.

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2017/10/trevor-martin-1930-2017.html

https://scifibulletin.com/2017/10/07/rip-stage-doctor-trevor-martin/

Finally! Doctor Who "Shada" is Complete

After 38 years the abandoned Season 17 story that was to be the finale of that season is finally completed.  The Tom Baker story Shada is finally completed using animation and the the voices of the original cast.  Shada was never finished as filming was interrupted during a strike at the BBC.  This new release will incorporate all the finished scenes and fill in the gaps with animation. Shada will be released on DVD and Blu Ray in the UK on December 4th and for digital download on November 24th.   You can view the teaser below and the details for the three disc release below.

Blu Ray/DVD - Bonus Material 

• Taken Out of Time (25' 39")
• Now and Then (12' 45")
• Strike, Strike, Strike! (27' 50")
• Studio Sessions - 1979 (44' 38")
• Dialogue Sessions (14' 16")
• Model Filming (04' 36")
• Deleted Scenes (01' 22")
• Title Sequence Films (TBC)
• Live Action Reference Footage (02' 48")
• 1979 Gallery (04' 50")
• 2017 Gallery (02' 52)

Into The Time Vortex Podcast - Episode 58 - Doctor Who - The Time Warrior

Goodbye to 12 - Doctor Who - Dark Water Review

We celebrate the Peter Capaldi era by revisiting the 12th Doctor's adventures as we count down the days to his last adventure.

Doctor Who:
Dark Water
By Steven Moffat

“Upload the mind. Upgrade the body.”

The series 8 Finale titled Dark Water was the story that would reveal who Missy is and there was a lot of speculation on who she was.  Even though she ended up as The Master it was one of the three I had guessed it would be.  At the time I didn’t think Steven Moffat would go in that direction.  But he did and now we know who Missy is and that did set up a lot of speculation until we saw Death in Heaven the following week.

Details for Torchwood - Aliens Among Us Part Two

Out this month from Big Finish is part two of the new series of Torchwood Aliens Among Us.  This series continues on from Miracle Day and so far it has been better than it.  You can order this new box set from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/aliens-among-us-part-2-1666

Big Finish picks up the events after Miracle Day with Torchwood: Aliens Among Us...

Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper have restarted Torchwood. But it's in a very different Cardiff. Something terrible's happened to the city. With every day getting darker, will Torchwood need to adopt a whole new approach?


5.5 Love Rat by Christopher Cooper

Captain Jack Harkness is dead, and that’s the simplest thing that’s happened to him in the last few days. Even the manner of his death is surprisingly complex, especially when it turns out that he hasn’t come back alone.

While Torchwood try and cope with a new mayor and a terrorist cell, they also have to deal with what, at first, looks to be a plague, and then turns out to be something far, far worse.

5.6 A Kill to a View by Mac Rogers

Ritz Towers is a luxury tower block so exclusive not even aliens can get a place there. Mr Colchester has somehow secured a flat at the Ritz. With the streets increasingly troubled, his husband feels safe there. The problem is that Ritz Towers is anything but safe.

For a start, the building has more tenants than it has flats. Then there are the endless dinner parties. The whole new definition of upwardly mobile. And finally, there is the very mysterious caretaker.

5.7 Zero Hour by Janine H Jones

Welcome to Deliverables. Thanks to us, Cardiff is enjoying an economic miracle. We have created thousands of jobs. We have wiped out homelessness.

More importantly, there are so many benefits to you. Deliverables will deliver your post, your packages, your meals. We are Deliverables, and we never stop.

Deliverables – we always know where to find you. Deliverables – put your life in our hands.

5.8 The Empty Hand by Tim Foley

An innocent refugee has been shot point-blank on the streets of Cardiff. It causes an upsurge in terrorist attacks.

An innocent refugee has been shot point-blank on the streets of Cardiff by a policeman. It’s a catalyst for protests in the streets.

An innocent refugee has been shot point-blank on the streets of Cardiff by Sergeant Andy Davidson. It’s the end of Torchwood as we know it.

Written By: Christopher Cooper, Mac Rogers, Janine H Jones, Tim Foley
Directed By: Scott Handcock

Cast
John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness), Alexandria Riley (Ng), Paul Clayton (Mr Colchester), Sam Béart (Orr), Jonny Green (Tyler Steele), Kai Owen (Rhys Williams), Tom Price (Sgt. Andy Davidson), Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), Murray Melvin (Bilis Manger), Rachel Atkins (Ro-Jedda), Ramon Tikaram (Colin Colchester-Price), Ewan Bailey (Duncan), Kerry Joy Stewart (Maddy), Diveen Henry (Sandra), Ellie Heydon (Andrea), Marilyn Le Conte (Patricia), Luke Rhodri (Rowan), Charlotte O'Leary (Poppy), Sacha Dhawan (Hasan), Sarah Annis (P.C. Nicki Owen), Rick Yale (Lorry Driver), Laura Dalgleish (Newsreader), Kristy Phillips (Stacey), Aly Cruickshank (Student), Richard Elfyn (Takeaway Man), Sanee Raval (Xander)

Produced by James Goss
Script edited by Scott Handcock
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Details For Doctor Who - Short Trips- All Hands on Deck

Out now from Big Finish is a download only adventure featuring the 8th Doctor and Susan.  This story is narrated by Susan herself Carole Ann Ford.  You can order this download only story from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/all-hands-on-deck-1365

Everyone Susan Campbell cared about has gone. Most of them died in the second Dalek invasion, and her grandfather never visits. She's living in what used to be Coal Hill School, helping Earth rebuild again.

Then, one night, she's called away to help with an emergency. A piece of appropriated Dalek technology is malfunctioning, and everyone's afraid of what it might do...


This is just the first in a sequence of predicaments facing Susan - and the connection between them will shape the rest of her life.

Producer Ian Atkins
Script Editor Ian Atkins
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Written By: Eddie Robson
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Carole Ann Ford (Narrator)

Farewell to 12 - Doctor Who - In the Forest of the Night Review

We celebrate the Peter Capaldi era by revisiting the 12th Doctor's adventures as we count down the days to his last adventure.

Doctor Who:
In the Forest of the Night
By Frank Cottrell Boyce

“This is my world too. I walk your Earth. I breathe your air.”

In the Forest of the Night sounds like a title to a fairytale more than it does for Doctor Who story.  But then again that was more or less the gist of the story as it was full of fairytale references.  From Little Red Riding Hood to Handsel and Gretel In the Forest of the Night was one big fairytale.   It was a very different story with all the trees that had sprung up over London and the world for that matter and that was another fairytale reference in itself as forests are supposed to be dark and scary and the one that The Doctor was in was just that.   It was full of wolves and tigers and seemed to have over grown all of London and The Doctor had to find Maebh, who herself was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, who had wandered off into the forest and seemed to be the only one that knew what was going on.  Like I said it was a different story.