Gerry Anderson Laid to Rest

TV Pioneer Gerry Anderson was buried today, January 11, 2013 at a ceremony where family, friends and fans from all over the world attended.  Gerry died on December 26 at the age of 83.

The link below is a news clip on the funeral.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20969525

Doctor Who Voyage To The New World Review

Doctor Who: Voyage To The New World

By Mathew Sweet

Picking up where Voyage to Venus left off The Doctor, Jago and Lightfoot have now been captured by the natives of the new world.  While captured Jago seems to be seeing children and the troubling part he is the only one.  It appears Jago is being haunted by ghostly children and it is driving him mad.  Plus there is a mystery going on that has The Doctor troubled.  A mystery about the island of Croatoan and it could cost Henry Gordon Jago his life.

I just couldn’t get into Voyage to the New World.  While Voyage to Venus used one of the try and true Doctor Who themes for that story New World did not and tried to be different.  To me it just seemed to be something I couldn’t see as Doctor Who. I did like the ideas of the Ghostly Children and what they were all about.  What I did not like was that the TARDIS was used in a way that I couldn’t see it being used.  I just found it really hard to believe that Sir Walter Raleigh could operate it or at least figure it out. It just was not very plausible for me.

Still it wasn’t all that bad as the chemistry between the main three actors was really a delight to listen to.   Colin Baker puts in another wonderful performance as the 6th Doctor and it is always good to hear his Doctor as you get a hint of what could have been every time you listen to one of his audios.   So Voyage to the New World just didn’t tickle my fancy and but did give some good moments but not worthy of a repeat listening.

Severed Collected Edition Review (Mild Spoilers)

Severed
By Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft
Art By Attila Futaki

While looking for something new to read in the world of comics that isn’t in the super hero vein as, well, to be quite frank I’ve been getting a bit bored with super hero comics as the writing on a majority of them have been pretty stale and did not really interest me all that much.  Not all of them mind you.  There are some books out that have been very good and very well written that makes your gray matter do brain exercises.  On the advice of @Spaced4SimonPeg I picked up and read Severed by Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft and, well, what a story they did spin out of their very warped imagination.

The story is centered upon Jake Garron who runs away from his home in search of his father.  Jake found out he was adopted and is determined to find him.  He hitches a ride on a train where he befriends Sam.  Sam knows the ropes and helps out Jake who is only 12 years old and very naïve about the real world and dangers of 1916.  In Chicago Jake and Sam come in contact with an old man named Alan Fisher who seems too keen to help them find Jakes dad.   The problem is Alan Fisher has a dark secret.  A secret that will turn out to be a very deadly thing as Alan Fisher isn’t what he seems to be.

Trailer For Tonight's Fringe "The Boy Must Live"

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: The Edge of Destruction

Doctor Who:
The Edge of Destruction 
By David Whitaker


“Accuse us? You ought to go down on your hands and knees and thank us. But gratitude's the last thing you'll ever have, or any sort of common sense either.”

The Edge of Destruction is one of those Doctor Who stories that does not get much recognition.   It is a really great story and one that is actually in a way pretty spooky.  I say that because this story is the only one, so far, that takes place entirely in the TARDIS and there is something wrong with the ship as Doctor Number One would call it at the time.  Plus the story and the situation you see everyone pitted against one another and you get a great sense of paranoia from the 4 members of the TARDIS crew.  Maybe that why I like it so much as it is very different and not like the stories we have had so far or will ever.

For those that have not seen The Edge of Destruction it is such an easy story to follow along.  It is basically about that there is something wrong with the TARDIS and it is trying to tell the four travelers that something is wrong by dropping hints and clues for them to try and decipher.  There are some good clues like the melting clocks and the scanner showing The Doctor’s and Susan’s trips in reverse order.

Synopsis For Big Finish Doctor Who Adventure "The Wrong Doctors"

Here is the synopsis for Big Finish's main Doctor Who range January release The Wrong Doctors starring Colin Baker and Bonnie Langford. This adventure is able for order at the link here.

http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-wrong-doctors-703


With Evelyn gone, the Doctor sets course for his destiny... in the form of his first meeting with Miss Melanie Bush, a computer programmer from the village of Pease Pottage, currently busy rehearsing with the local Amateur Dramatic Society – and blissfully unaware that her future is on its way, in his TARDIS.

Make that two TARDISes. Because at that very moment, a slightly younger Doctor is flying into Pease Pottage, too – returning his future companion Melanie Bush to her rightful place and time, after they were flung together during the course of his Time Lord trial.

Time travel is a complicated business – the iguanadon terrorising Pease Pottage being a case in point. But how much more complicated could things possibly become, if the wrong Doctor were to bump into the wrong Mel?

Written By: Matt Fitton
Directed By: Nicholas Briggs

Cast

Colin Baker (The Doctor), Bonnie Langford (Mel), Tony Gardner (Stapleton Petherbridge), James Joyce (Jedediah Thurwell), Patricia Leventon (Mrs Wilberforce), Beth Chalmers (Vaneesh), John Banks (Ksllak)

Trailer For Tonight's Elementary "M"

Big Finish Announces Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Adventure

Big Finish has released a press release for their 50th Anniversary story, The Light at the End, which will star 5 Doctors and 5 companions and it will be out in November.

In November 2013, Big Finish will be releasing Doctor Who: The Light at the End, a very special 100-minute story to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Doctor Who. Tom Baker (1974-81), Peter Davison (1982-84), Colin Baker (1984-86), Sylvester McCoy (1987-89) and Paul McGann (1996) will all reprise their roles as, respectively, the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors, whose paths suddenly intersect when they face imminent destruction.

“We wanted to do a proper, fully-fledged multi-Doctor story for this very special occasion,” says writer, director and executive producer Nicholas Briggs, “and it’s wonderful that all the surviving Doctors threw themselves behind the project so enthusiastically. That’s not to say the first three Doctors don’t appear – we wanted to pay homage to the whole history of the classic series.”

The Doctors will also be joined by a number of their regular companions: Louise Jameson reprises the role of the savage Leela, Sarah Sutton plays the scientist Nyssa, Nicola Bryant is American botany student Peri, Sophie Aldred is streetwise kid Ace and India Fisher returns as Edwardian adventurer Charley Pollard.

“And that’s not all,” says producer David Richardson, “because Geoffrey Beevers is back to create mayhem as the Master, and there will be a number of appearances from some much-cherished old friends from the TV series…”

Doctor Who: The Light at the End will be released in two different versions. A five-disc limited special edition comes with two hour-long documentaries, plus The Revenants, a Companion Chronicles tale which began life as a free Doctor Who Magazine download. It’s performed by William Russell, who starred in the very first TV story as Ian Chesterton. The special edition comes in beautiful special packaging, and will include a number of exclusive professionally photographed images of the cast.

The standard edition comprises two discs, featuring the two hour-long episodes of the story.

Source: Big Finish

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: The Daleks

Doctor Who:
The Daleks
By Terry Nation


“Your legs are paralyzed. You will recover shortly, unless you force us to use our weapons again. In that case, the condition will be permanent. You two, help him.”

If An Unearthly Child started the legend of Doctor Who then the next story The Daleks was the springboard it needed to be the success it truly became.  With the cliffhanger to episode one “The Dead Planet” when you see the Daleks arm with that suction cup at the end for the first time something special had been hatched.   Yes it wasn’t until the next episode “The Survivors” do we get our first look at the famous pepper pots that we all know and love.  Thus begins a 50 year relationship between The Doctor and The Daleks one that fans have enjoyed and loved.

New Trailer For SyFy's Defiance

Defiance the new SyFy show will debut April  15th and here is the new trailer for it.

Star Wars Issue 1 Review (Mild Spoilers)

Star Wars Issue 1
Written By Brian Wood
Art By Carlos D’Anda
Cover by Alex Ross

Dark Horse Comics has returned Star Wars back to the glory days of Star Wars comics by starting over more or less.  They have gone back to where Star Wars comics got their start by giving us stories that take place after Star Wars Episode 4 A New Hope.  The first issue is out today and I have to say that Star Wars fans old and new will be really happy with the issue that Brian Wood and Carlos D’Anda have given us.

I like the story so far as it takes place not that long after the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the Death Star.  I like how it deals with the ramifications for everyone involved in that battle and what the characters are dealing with.   For instance Darth Vader is dealing with the shame of being defeated and allowing the Death Star to be destroyed.  For this he loses command of his Star Destroyer and is sent on a mission.  This is pretty awesome as I have always wondered what happened between the two movies.

What I also like is that this book reminds me of the Star Wars comics I used to read as kid and which is now available in trade paperback by Dark Horse Comics.  It really had that same feel and excitement for me as Brian Wood really captured the spirit and feel of the Star Wars universe.  The story is really interesting and grabbed me in right from the first page.   The art by Carlos D’Anda really complimented the story and was very stunning to look at mainly when you were looking at the spaceships like the tie fighters and x- wing fighters.

Star Wars issue one was a great beginning to this new series and I will be definitely be putting this comic book into my pull list and will be looking forward to reading what Brian Wood comes up with every month in Star Wars.

Synopsis For Big Finish's Doctor Who "The Auntie Matter"

The Tom Baker adventures start up again and this time he is joined by Mary Tamm in her last appearance as Romana.  You can order this adventure at the link.

http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-auntie-matter-686


England in the 1920s.

Whilst K9 is off in the TARDIS leading the Black Guardian on a wild goose chase, the Doctor and Romana are enjoying a leisurely lifestyle as the Lord and Lady of a London townhouse. But trouble never stays away from them for long, and before they know it a chance discovery of alien technology leads them deep into the heart of the English countryside where a malign presence lurks.

As the Doctor dodges deadly butlers and ferocious gamekeepers, Romana is faced with a malevolent Aunt and an even deadlier peril - marriage.

Written By: Jonathan Morris
Directed By: Ken Bentley

Cast

Tom Baker (The Doctor), Mary Tamm (Romana), Julia McKenzie (Florence), Robert Portal (Reggie), Lucy Griffiths (Mabel), Alan Cox (Grenville), Jane Slavin (Ligeia)

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: The Tenth Planet - Far From Over by @Paul_Bowler

The Tenth Planet

Far From Over

By Paul Bowler

Born in London, 1908, William Hartnell grew up during a dark time of war and social poverty. His admiration for Charlie Chaplin inspired him to become an actor, and in 1926 he got this first job working with Sir Frank Benson’s Shakespearean Company. Further parts in theater quickly followed, along with small film roles, until his career really took off in 1943 with his memorable role as the army officer in The Way Ahead. Carol Reed’s film opened the door to numerous film roles for Hartnell, often receiving star billing, but the actor was frustrated by the “tough guy” roles he was always offered, preferring the comedy and farce of his early career.

However, fate would soon intervene when Hartnell’s roles in the Granada TV series The Army Game and Lindsay Anderson’s film, This Sporting Life (1963), led to Verity Lambert considering William Hartnell for the role of the Doctor. The rest, as they say, is history. Over the next three years William Hartnell would help forge the role of the Doctor, a mysterious time traveler  an outcast from his own people, a glorious - if somewhat cantankerous - grandfather from another world. Hartnell adored his time as the Doctor, becoming a hero to millions of children as he took his companions on fantastic adventures in time and space: visiting great historical figures like Marco Polo and King Richard the Lionheart, bizarre aliens like the Zabri and Sensorites appeared with strange cultures and customs, they experienced the futility of trying to alter history and the Aztec civilization in 15th Century Mexico, even turning on each other when the TARDIS drifted towards the edge of destruction, and they were always ready to fight the intergalactic menace of the Daleks which returned time and again to keep viewers enthralled as the Doctor valiantly fought them wherever their evil plans of universal domination threatened to destroy every living thing that dared to stand in their way.

Synopsis For Doctor Who "The Flame of Cadiz"

This month's release from Big Finish's The Companion Chronicles features a 1st Doctor story performed by William Russell and Carole Ann Ford.  You can order it at the link below.

http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-flames-of-cadiz-746


The TARDIS materializes in Spain in the late sixteenth century. The country is at war with England – and the travellers find themselves on the wrong side of the battle lines.

When Ian and his new friend Esteban are captured by the Inquisition, the Doctor, Susan and Barbara plan to rescue them.

But these are dark days in human history. And heretics face certain death...

Written By: Marc Platt
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast

William Russell (Ian Chesterton), Carole Ann Ford (Susan), Nabil Elouahabi (Esteban)

Arnie's New Movie "The Last Stand' Has A New Red Band Trailer

Here is the Red Band Trailer for The Last Stand which comes out this month.