Recent happenings

It's been a while since I've put anything here, but hey, new song.

That's right, I did a trock song in Videobloggery. Just watch it below.



Hopefully before to long I'll get back to more blogging and The Cloister Room...

Planet of the Dead liveblog on 7/26 at 7:45 PM Eastern

On Sunday, July 26 at 7:45 PM Eastern, I will be hosting a liveblog during BBC America's first airing of Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead, here at tawm.net. You can join me and a bunch of other Doctor Who fans for a live discussion of Planet of the Dead as it happens on air. The chat will open early so people have time to arrive and say hi, then we'll watch the episode until its conclusion at 9:15 and stick around afterward for some discussion.

If you'd like to join us but don't get BBC America, feel free to bring along whatever copy of Planet of the Dead you have and we'll tell you when to start and stop to compensate for the commercial breaks and stay in sync with us.

Thanks to Chip from the Two Minute Time Lord podcast for this lively idea. His Torchwood: Children of Earth liveblogs were great fun. Unlike Chip's liveblogs, this liveblog will take a relaxed attitude toward spoilers as I'm assuming most of us have seen it already. The CoveritLive liveblog service makes it really simple which allows us to focus on having a good time.

I hope you'll join us! Just visit tawm.net at 7:45 and you'll find the liveblog.

UPDATE
Obviously, the liveblog has already happened. Here for archival purposes is what we all had to say.

Doctor Who: The Forgotten.

Just fyi, a review for "Doctor Who: The Forgotten", a graphic novel by Tony Lee and Pia Guerra (among others) has been posted at Behind the Sofa.

Some three months after the book's release.

Ah well. Better late than never.

Catch it here.

Thoughts on the Doctor Who re-numbering

There's been a lot of talk lately on Twitter about the numbering of the upcoming 2010 series of Doctor Who. According to Doctor Who Magazine, the series will be produced and promoted as Series One, which is a surprise as many fans were expecting it to be called Series Five. And there's a minority of fans who would prefer it to be called Season (or series) Thirty-One, continuing the numbering scheme of the classic series. My comment to Chris in a recent videobloggery aside, I'm not one of those who insists on continuing the numbering of the classic series, except in the service of a cheap joke.

It's a brave choice to start the numbering over again, and I think I support it. As I said on Twitter, a while back, I like the way it shatters the dichotomy between the new and the old. It does risk confusing some viewers, but honestly I think we should give the viewers a bit more credit. I think the vast majority of viewers are either (a) so casual that they honestly couldn't care less about numbering or (b) invested in the show enough that they'll understand what's going on with the numbering reset: Russell T Davies' take on the program is over and Steven Moffatt's new direction for the show has begun. And when Moffatt leaves, they may well start back at 1 with someone else.

Perhaps most importantly of all, keeping the numbering in the low single digits has the important effect of welcoming new viewers. While a number like 31 (and even five) is potentially alienating to new viewers, "Series One" makes it clear that new viewers are definitely welcome to start watching the program without worrying about the years and years of continuity they've missed. Keep in mind: Doctor Who is for everyone, not just the hardcore fans.

There is, of course, the danger that some fans will take the reset as an invitation to leave the program, as though the show they loved is over and this is a new one, as Chip mentioned in his recent episode of his Two-Minute Time Lord podcast, but I honestly don't think this is a major issue. Those fans who want to stop watching the show will stop watching it regardless of what the number is. And those fans who have opinions about the numbering will merely call this Series Five, or Season Thirty-One, or the 2010 Season.

Personally, I'll be using the terms "Season x", "Davies Series x", and "Moffatt Series x". But numbering schemes like this are for the existing fans, and this change is for the benefit of potential new fans. And it's always good to have more of those.

Oh, and by the way, the current specials are "Davies Series 4b" for me. Come on, fandom, it's not that hard!

The Cloister Room 001

In case you weren't aware, I now host a podcast called The Cloister Room. It's about science fiction with a focus on Doctor Who.

Episode 000 and Episode 001 are now up. 000 is a pilot episode, and 001 is about the recent rumors about a Doctor Who feature film.

Hope you enjoy them.

Videobloggery: Tom Sings a Doctor Who Song

Chris did an excellently amusing Twilight review and also a hilarious song.

So I responded with a song of my own. I'm rather proud of it:



Comment and rate over on Youtube!

Why I Suspect Karen Gillan is Romana

My insinuation on Twitter that the Doctor's new companion for 2010 will be a Time Lady was half-joking, but of course that means it is half serious.

Karen Gillan, who is 21, will be playing the companion to the Eleventh Doctor, portrayed by Matt Smith, the youngest actor ever in the role at 26. news is weeks old, of course, but it's something that people are still buzzing about. Personally, despite the fact that I know nothing about her except that she's gorgeous, I have some reservations about the casting choice myself. This is for two reasons: First, that I fear a TARDIS full of youngsters will be overpowered by youthful romantic angst and sexual tension, and second that I was hoping that the show would be going in a bold new direction, and a young female companion is hardly that.

But that changes if she's not human.

Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but I have a feeling that there's something significant about the fact that we haven't heard anything about what the character's name is yet. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I tend to think that something is being kept from us, that a name would blow wide open. Which is why, to return to the point, I think she might be a Time Lady, specifically one of the two we know.

I'd really be more willing to wildly speculate that it's Romana before Susan. Bringing back the Doctor's granddaughter now, with the youngest Doctor ever, is perhaps a bit too bold. Romana, on the other hand, would be another story. My tweet got a response from @dubbayoo, AKA Chris, one of the hosts of the podcast Radio Free Skaro. "Definitely get a Romana II vibe off her." I agree. And that's not all I'd like to get off her (okay, fine, no more of that). Not only does she seem a fit for the character (pictured at left played by Lalla Ward in the character's second onscreen incarnation), but I think the time is right for Romana to return. That would take the show in a direction it hasn't been in quite some time. The interesting thing about the dynamic between the Doctor and Romana is that, unlike the Doctor's companions from Earth, Romana doesn't need to have everything explained to her by the Doctor. In fact, it's often the other way around. It seems to me that every newly-announced companion is touted as "finally the Doctor meets his equal." Romana would be the only really genuine fulfillment of that promise, and it would be a great way to start the new era of the show off with something truly different from what's come before.

Is this idle speculation, signifying nothing? Probably. Okay, definitely. But regardless of what Karen Gillan turns out to be, I guess I should give her, and Matt Smith, and Steven Moffat, the benefit of the doubt with regard to the show's new beginning. While I'm sure I'll be sad to see the end of the David Tennant/Russell T Davies era this winter, I also can't wait to see what's in store next spring.

Old Teeth...

...that's weird.

My review of Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead is now over at Behind the Sofa. Check it out!

And comment if you like. You'll have to sign up for a free typepad account, but I think you can live with that, can't you?

Opinion Dump for late December 2008

Here are my opinions, take them or leave them.

Books (in order of finishing)

Anathem by Neal Stephenson - very good read, in my opinion. However, I wouldn't generally recommend it. Unless you're interested in extended dialogues about philosophy, science, and the geometry of cake-cutting, then I suggest you stay very far away from this book. I, however, enjoyed it, so this book is actually one of the best books I've read in years.

Coruscant Nights II - Street of Shadows by Michael Reaves - meh. Recycles a lot that was good about the first book but with a less interesting plot that builds to an anticlimax. Falls into the traps of Star Wars novel mediocrity that the first one managed to avoid. And it seems like it's just marking time before the third book, which will have the good stuff, hopefully. But hey, someone from the movies dies!

The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders - Having read his three short story collections and enjoyed them, I decided that this novella might be worth my while. And it was pretty interesting, but I don't think it was as good as his other novellas.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - I've been urged to read this for years, and I felt it had been hyped so much that I wouldn't enjoy it. But I was wrong, this was really rather enjoyable. There are certainly problems, including OSC's obnoxious tendency to tell rather than show, but nevertheless it was a good book. I might check out the sequels some time.

Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman - Pullman's prose didn't bother me when I was 14. Now it does. But my fondness for Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison persists, and so this novella was enjoyable.

In the foreseeable future, I'll be reading House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, and Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor by Matthew Woodring Stover (squeee!).

TV (in no particular order)

Lost - CANNOT WAIT for it to start up again.

Doctor Who - The Christmas special was.... less than satisfactory. I shall post a scathing review on Behind the Sofa shortly.

The Sarah Jane Adventures - Season Two was fun. Some of the show's appeal is wearing off as the wide-eyed wonder thing wears thin.

Pushing Daisies - ABC hasn't announced the air date of the three remaining episodes. This frightens me. I want to see them quite badly.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Continues to kick ass, take names. When it comes back in February it'll be paired with Dollhouse on Friday nights. Not a good slot, but there's still hope for both shows.

Battlestar Galactica - I started watching it but I've honestly got no desire to continue. I don't see what's so special about it.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season Five actually maintained a pretty high quality level, despite what I'd been led to expect by THE INTERNETS. Just starting season six.

Angel - Starting Season Two. It's definitely more solid than Season One. Time will tell whether I come to love it like I love Buffy.

Talk Like a Dalek Day

GREETINGS

SENSORS - INDICATE - THAT - TODAY - IS - THE - EIGHTH - DAY - IN - THE - EARTH - MONTH - OF - AUGUST

THIS - IS - THE - ANNIVERSARY - OF - THE - BIRTH - OF - THE - EARTH - WRITER - TERRY - NATION

HE - IS - BEST - KNOWN - FOR - CREATING - THE - DALEKS

THEREFORE - TODAY - IS - TALK - LIKE - A - DALEK - DAY

GO - FORTH - AND-EX-TER-MI-NATE

How to become a Doctor Who fan

So, you've heard about this show, Doctor Who. Apparently, it's pretty good, but it's also humongous. Where would you start if you wanted to become a fan? Or maybe you're a fan, and you want to introduce others to the fandom, but how do you start your friends off?

Just a couple months ago, I was in very much the same position. At the time, I wished that there was some sort of article which would give me recommendations about where to start and how to continue. With that in mind, I'm writing such an article now. In just a few easy steps, you or your friend will go from Who-clueless to Who-fan in no time. It's pretty basic and it only really gives genral advice, but it should be more than enough to get you off and running.

Step One: Get some context

Before you delve into the show you should know a bit about what it is, and familiarize yourself with a couple concepts and terms.

Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction show about an alien Time Lord named the Doctor. The Doctor travels through space and time in his TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space), a space-time ship that looks like a Police Box but is vastly bigger on the inside. The Doctor often travels with one or more companions, often young females.

Doctor Who (the name of the show, and not the name of the character) began in 1963 and has always been very popular in the UK. The Doctor, like other famous characters such as James Bond, has been played by various actors. Unlike James Bond, however, the change from one actor to another is a plot point in the show. Whenever the Doctor "dies," he cheats death and "regenerates" into another Doctor with the same memories but a different body and a change in personality. To date, there have been ten Doctors.

The original program ran from 1963 to 1989, featuring the first seven Doctors. Despite the series's popularity, attempts to revive it were unsuccessful, although a television movie was produced and aired in 1996 featuring the Seventh Doctor and a new, Eighth Doctor. Finally, in 2005, the series returned, featuring the Ninth Doctor, and then the Tenth Doctor. "Classic" Doctor Who is referred to by season (season 1, season 7, season 23) whereas "New" Doctor Who is referred to by "Series" (series 1, series 2, series 3). It is common in the UK to refer to television seasons as "series."

Because the Doctor Who series as a whole is so long, attempting to start at the beginning and work your way to the current episodes would be insane. Not to mention impossible: many early episodes no longer exist at all, owing to the poor BBC archiving practices of the sixties and seventies. Instead, you're going to want to keep up with the current episodes, and see some of the best older ones.

Step Two: Familiarize yourself with the current Doctor

It's vital that you get a taste for the Tenth Doctor, because he's the current Doctor and an extremely popular one at that. The Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant, has starred in the second and third series of new Doctor Who.

I'm going to recommend that you start with "Smith and Jones." Smith and Jones is the first episode of series three, featuring the Tenth Doctor and the debut of Martha Jones. This episode is in many ways a great jumping-on point because the Doctor is also starting anew with a new companion. Other than some passing references to his previous companion, Rose, this episode and next couple largely function on their own without requiring previous Doctor Who knowledge.

So, for that reason I recommend that you watch "Smith and Jones," "The Shakespeare Code," and "Gridlock" (you can read my reviews of those episodes here, here, and here). These episodes will introduce the show and give you a basic idea of what it's like. If you like, you can continue on with the third series, but I don't think that's the best idea at the moment. Now, you'll want to step back in time.

Step Three: Watch the new series from beginning to end

By now, you're familiar with the Tenth Doctor, so now it's time to take you a bit outside your comfort zone and introduce you to your next Doctor. Practically nobody immediately likes the second Doctor that they see. But with time, they often come to appreciate him and it becomes easier to adjust to other Doctors. The second Doctor you should see is the Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston.

This time, what I think you should do is begin with the first episode of the new Doctor Who series, "Rose" form 2005. Then watch every episode in order. This includes all thirteen episodes of the first series: "Rose," "New Earth," "The Unquiet Dead," "Aliens of London," "World War Three," "Dalek," "The Long Game," "Father's Day," "The Empty Child," "The Doctor Dances," "Boom Town," "Bad Wolf," and "The Parting of the Ways."

Now you have finished the Christopher Eccleston era. Congratulations! Before you move onto the second series, there are two specials, "Children in Need" and "The Christmas Invasion," although "Children in Need" can be skipped if necessary.

The second series consists of "New Earth," "Tooth and Claw," "School Reunion," "The Girl in the Fireplace," "Rise of the Cybermen," "Age of Steel," "The Idiot's Lantern," "The Impossible Planet," "The Satan Pit," "Love and Monsters," "Fear Her," "Army of Ghosts," and "Doomsday." Once again, you ought to watch these episodes in order. After that, you should watch "The Runaway Bride."

At this point, we're going to take a break from the new series and delve a bit into the classic series.

Step Four: Meet the Doctors

At this point, if you haven't already, you should look at some doctors prior to the Ninth. It's not really necessary to see all of them at this point unless you really want to, but I recommend you at least check out the Fourth and Eighth Doctors.

The Fourth Doctor was played by Tom Baker and is still remembered as the quintessential Doctor. He is easily recognizable by his very long scarf and curly hair and his extremely eccentric and sometimes aloof demeanor. Several popular Tom Baker stories are available on DVD, but perhaps one of the best is "City of Death," written by science fiction legend Douglas Adams. Like most classic Doctor Who stories, "City of Death" is a serial made up of half-hour episodes.

The Eighth Doctor was in the different but still enjoyable 1996 movie, simply entitled "Doctor Who." This movie is difficult to find if you live in America but it's certainly worth finding as it contains a superb performance by Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor as well as Paul McGann as the Eighth. It also involves the Master, one of the Doctor's greatest enemies.

You may also wish to check out various other Doctors and their stories. Some stories I enjoy include Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor in "Inferno," Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor in "The Caves of Androzani," and the first three Doctors in "The Three Doctors." All of these and many other classic Doctor Who stories are available on DVD, and more are released every few months. However, not every classic Doctor Who story is a gem. The classic series was far more inconsistent in its level of quality than the current one. So, just because you don't like one classic story doesn't mean you will dislike another.

Step Five: Finish off the Third Series

It's time to finish off the third series. Continue through "Daleks in Manhattan," "Evolution of the Daleks," "The Lazarus Experiment," "42," "Human Nature," "The Family of Blood," "Blink," "Utopia," "The Sound of Drums," and "Last of the Time Lords."

That's as far forward as you can go. "Journey of the Damned" will air this Christmas, and then the fourth series will run next year. In the mean time...

Step Six: Branch Out

I can't really tell you much of what to do now. There are a ton of classic episodes to watch, not to mention the current spinoff series Torchwood, featuring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness. Then, of course, there are tons of novels, audio plays, and comics. There's enough material to last years. I myself am only beginning to digest it.

Obviously, this isn't the only way to enjoy Doctor Who. I took a slightly diferent approach myself. But this way is my preferred way to introduce new people to the fandom.