Day of the Doctor, in 3d! (spoilers)

     If you can see it in, it is fabulous. I don't think it is a necessity but it was neat, especially watching it on a huge movie screen. There are websites and blogs that have explained the easter eggs and stuff much better than I would. There are a few things I had to look up, like sand shoes (converse like shoes made for wearing on the beach), and Derren Brown (magician/illusionist) It was great to see a place on Gallifrey that was not the Capitol, and it's people. Regular old Gallifreyans who cannot regenerate and dress different from those in the Capitol.

     The Omega arsenal, where the forbidden weapons are kept, wow. The Moment, or the Galaxy Eater was amazing. This gave Billie Piper a chance to come back as it's operating system, in the form of Bad Wolf Rose. Her interactions with John Hurt are wonderful, with her trying to prod him to making a different choice, telling him "That's your punishment. If you do this, if you kill them all, you live." and that someday he will have to count how many children died on Gallifrey as a consequence. Then things get a bit Christmas Carol-like, with Bad Wolf opening windows to the Doctor's future so he can see how his decision effects the man he later becomes.
 

     The beginning of Day of the Doctor moves back and forth between the three different incarnations beautifully, the switches from one to the other occurring at what I feel is the perfect moment. No awkward scene changes that take ages to figure out. When they finally get together, it's magic "Who are you boys? Oh of course, you're his companions. They get younger all the time"  and "Why are you pointing your screwdrivers like that, they're scientific instruments not water pistols!"

     We get things set up here, like setting up the idea of starting a process with an earlier Doctor that will finish up with a later Doctor. The idea that John Hurt's Sonic begins to calculate how to disintegrate the door to their cell and Matt Smith's Sonic has it finished. Also, the translation of the zygons to the paintings pays off later when Clara prompts Smith to come up with something better than using the Moment. At the climax, the general says "I didn't know when I was well off, all twelve of them." then someone corrects him of course, there are thirteen, and we get Capaldi's eyebrows, hehe. This harkens back to the Brigadier in the Three Doctors "Three of them, eh? I didn't know when I was well off."  Of course there is Hurt saying "Wearing a bit thin. I hope the ears are a bit less conspicuous this time." before he regenerates, a call back to Hartnell stating that his body was "wearing a bit thin." way back in 1966.

Getting the world ready for Capaldi and the next fifty years. Also, was it just me or was the sound of Gallifrey disappearing the same as the end exploding sound on the Peter Davison theme music from the eighties? Tom Baker surprises everyone by showing up as the curator (Queen Elizabeth mentions at the start that she has made the Doctor the curator of the under gallery, hmm) and giving everyone
a thrill. All in all, amazing stuff here and I hope you all enjoyed it, take care!

Upcoming Doctor Who Blitz!

     This is the final week before the anniversary special and here is what BBC America has planned! Monday starts with Doctors Revisited (first through tenth) all day, then Tales from the TARDIS which features exclusive interviews with cast members from the show's fifty years. Afterwards is the Science of Doctor Who with Professor Brian Cox, going over the science behind the show. Tuesday is a ninth Doctor marathon, Wednesday is the tenth, Thursday, Friday and saturday they have split the eleventh up. Friday night there is Doctor Who Explained, which is more interviews with cast members and others involved in the show. Finally they have Adventures in Space and Time at 9:00 PM eastern time and I am almost as excited to see that as I am to see the special! Saturday of course has Day of the Doctor and later Tennant and Smith show up on the Graham Norton Show at 10:00 PM. Lots of wonderful Who related goodness, just dig in everyone!

Doctor Who: Children in Need

     So, have you all seen the children in need special? Fantastic, and we get to see Tennant in a fez. Speaking of fezzes, my oldest has a fez that he likes to wear around and today he got stopped twice and asked if he liked Doctor Who! Amazing, since growing up that would have rarely would have happened and it would have seemed like some deep, dark secret. Back to the CiN special, unfortunately I have no direct link, since it is for charity. You should be able to view it still on the Doctor Who news page, just scroll down a bit. It looks like a lot of fun with Smith and Tennant, well just take a look.

Doctor Who: thoughts on twelve

     Here we are, less than three hours away from the big announcement of who will be the next Doctor! I am really excited, but I have no opinion on who it should be. That may be because I am here in the States and am a bit unfamiliar with some of the "contenders", though I recognize three. It is hard to pick one, since this part is really unlike anything these actors have done, and when someone gets it, they usually do a 180 bring something different to it, even if they are modelling off an earlier incarnation.

     Hartnell was known for tough guy parts, but when he played a down on his luck sports agent Verity Lambert knew he could pull it off. Patrick Troughton had a several film and television roles, but nothing major. One idea Troughton had was to play it as a "Tough sea captain", but thankfully Sydney Newman (creator of Doctor Who) suggested he play it as a "Cosmic hobo, in the mold of Charlie Chaplan." Jon Pertwee was known for his comedic roles, such as Chief Petty Officer Pertwee in The Navy Lark. His first couple of seasons in the role found him playing it very serious. Tom Baker was almost an unknown quantity at the time of his casting, and has gone on record stating he played the role as himself. Peter Davison had only a few television roles, the biggest being Tristan from All Creatures Great and Small. At the time he was the youngest person cast as the Doctor (he was 29 at the time) and very unlike his predecessor. Colin Baker also was in only a few television roles, his most notable being Paul Merroney from The Brothers and Bayban the Butcher in Blake's 7. Visually a train wreck (and yet so eighties), he played it very alien to the point of violence (accidental at times) and a lot of arguing. Number seven, Sylvester McCoy was known primarily as a comedy actor with a vaudevillian flair, some of which he brought to the role (spoon playing) but once he settled in he played it with a dark thoughtfulness.

     Unfortunately I am unfamiliar with the story behind Paul McGann's casting. I thought he played the part well, and continues to do so in the Big Finish audio dramas. Mr. Eccleston was a big name that helped bring legitimacy to the rebooted program, at times comedic and other times deadly serious.While David Tenant had a bit of a following, it was Doctor Who that really made his name as an actor.Matt Smith was a relative unknown, but is insanely popular now as we move towards number Twelve!

     Any opinions out there, I personally would be excited if Idris Elba got the role, guess we will see soon. Take care.