www.nickgriffiths.co.uk

Some announcements!

1. I'll be writing new stuff for a 50th Anniversary edition of Who Goes There. (So Dave E, please could you let me know where they filmed the 50th and bung me any pics you have?)

2. I have the rights back to Harrison Dextrose. Which means... Not sure yet, though I'll surely put out self-published ebooks of the first two and I'm deeply tempted to write the third/final, despite the poor sales of Mrs D (poor cow). I've set up Harrison D's Twitter account, in advance of anything much happening, so please do follow him @DextroseH

Tutty-bye! Do keep visiting/commenting. I will return!

Hi All. Another long delay, soz. Been moving my domains to a different holding site, which closed everything down, and had a hell's own job sorting out. I'll be leaving Webeden (this current site) by September, and will build a new, slimmed down version, incorporating the WGT under this, being largely blog-led - with easier commenting, so everyone can get involved.
Sad to read that everyone's finding the new series crap. I must say, I don't fully agree but the series does seem to be going downhill. Which is a shame as I'm a big fan of Smith and think Clara's excellent. Maybe Moff's gone power-crazed? If you read Private Eye there are some interesting behind-the-scenes rumours. Still, I did rather enjoy Crimson Death, daft as it was - reminded me of Basket Case (anyone?) - and look forward to Gaiman's Cyber-effort, though even that's getting negative pre-pub. We shall see. Maybe Moff should move on, as showrunners did back in the day. We really don't want another JN-T on our hands.

Saw filming off 50th yesterday evening...at a deserted business park in the middle of nowhere near pontypool...big flames and even bigger explosions that rocked the ground ...wow!
saw some interesting props...mmmmm
pictures to follow

The current series is dull, poorly written, and tedious to watch. What on earth is going on?

Well today was Whoday. I was so looking forward to an episode written by Mark Gatiss and seeing the Ice Warriors. I hate saying this because I love Who so very much, but for me it was a snooze fest.

I am enjoying Broadchurch though! lol

Last mri showed 12% shrinkage so I guess this hell is worth it. I go for another on the April 15th.

I would like to know what everyone is thinking concerning Clara. There are a lot of theories going around that she is CAL, River and even Sally Sparrow. I think River and Sally are absurd theories. CAL could be worable.....maybe. I'm thinking though that she is nobody we have seen before. I was thinking CAL as a maybe earlier but then I read where Moffat said something about the show not being able to move forward if you kept revisiting the past. I forget the exact quote. I was also disappointed to not be having any of the classic Doctors involved. The last I heard though there hasn't been an announcement about Tom Baker. I wish the remaining Doctors were all going to be involved but I guess I will just have to be satisfied with David Tennant. lol

looking forward to "cold war" tonight after last weeks rings of what ever! that was appalling...reports saying worst epidode of the new era...if i want singing il watch "the voice"
however Gattis always writes good episodes ..night terrors ...idiots lantern...unquiet dead...all dark atmospheric episodes...so expect something similar tonight ...should be gripping
lots of filming being spotted at the moment although iv not attended any myself...tennant spotted and smith and two versions of tardis too ...10th and 11th .
Eccelstone has apparently had several chats with Moffat about appearing but has finally decided to pass it by...which apparently has possibly opened the door for McGann according to Digital Spy...he has said that he may expect a last minute call to get his ass in gear for filming....interesting....as i thought he was brilliant in the Movie and he definately should have done more Doctor Who in my view

Phil first, as the newbie - thanks very much for the message, delighted you're enjoying, and gladto have inspired you to retread the b/w waters of Billy H. COYS!
Royston - sounds brilliant! If Moff hasn't been hammering on Waterhouse's door since 2003, I'll want to know why not.
Dave E - While I congratulate your sources, had DT not been desperate to appear in the 50th, and had Moff not wanted him to appear, I'd have eaten my own head. PS I still have to put up your fab Smowmen pics. It's on my list, I haven't forgotten!
And last but not least (that's you, Royston) Anna from across the Pond - great to hear from you, hope the chemo's going well. I too was delighted to hear confirmation of the Ten/Rose 50th. Plus they have Zygons! Zygons! If Moff sneaks in a Sea Devil I shall probably expire. At least I shall die happy.
Chin chin, all!

Ah, thank you all. I neglect the blog for a shamfeul amount of time (login issues - I promise) and when I finally get in (through the Who Goes There site), all these lovely messages await me.

there you go i knew 10th doctor would be in it...my sources were right!

Hiya Nick!! Long time no chat. Sorry, I've just been having my hinny handed to via chemo.

It's Whoday!!! I'm excited. I was really excited when I got a Google Alert early this morning confirming David Tennant and Billie Piper for the 50th.

It's a great day lol

Just read an article where Jenna LouiseColeman says shes back in the uk friday 29th march and filming starts on Monday ...the 50TH yahoooo!
but i have it from other sources...mates who stalk around the studios ...that filming has already begun behind closed doors! Think its going to be a tough assignment getting any decent filming pics this time ....but watch this space!

Nick,

As a child of "our time", being born 5 months & 1 day prior to the first ever episode being aired and also being fellow Spurs supporter, can i just say how much I am enjoying your memoir Dalek I Loved You.

I picked it up from the local library as something to pass the time on the evening train commute. The Evening Standard sudoku doesn't even get a look in.

I have been chuckling almost outloud on the train!

You have also inspired me to vist/re-visit the old William Hartnell episodes currently being aired on Virgin TV on Demand.

many thanks

Found a 50th anniversary casting script! Bit torn up but maybe you could help decipher...

[damaged paper]terhouse will have the sta[damaged paper]g role and most scree[damagedpaper]as the story should revolve around Adr[damaged paper] partnered by Mel as Bo[illegible] ford already signed up. Band[illegible] and Myr[torn] will be adversaries....

I suspect it was the same in RTD's days. I recall being told (second-hand, so I cannot guarantee the veracity) while on-set as Ecclestone and Piper were filming, that we were not to *look at* either of the "stars". Needless to say, I did look at Piper as she wandered past and I was not engulfed in hellfire. TV people can be terribly precious.
PS Dave has passed on some great Snowmen filming pics, which I'll add to both sites when I get a chance.

Yes ref david tennants appearance in the 50th aniversary....when being interviewed recently and asked about appearing in th 50th Tennant just replied "i cannont confirm or deny anything" which is a bit of a smokes screen in anybodys language...and as you say Nick he probably will be involved in fact id bet on it..well i will be out hunting down filming when it starts so rest assured the second we spot him i will let you know! theres also talk of chris ecclestone appearing too...last year he said no way he would appear his words were "i never bathe in the same river twice" !! but when interviewd end of last year and asked the same question he answered " if i told you id have to shoot you" which is a bit of a back pedal compared to earlier? my guess is they are both involved,tho the way the bbc behaves with moffat behind the scenes is akin to the official secrets act....during the filming of "the impossible astronaut" i was taking pics from a distance with a powerful lense through the crews caravan windows of posters they had on the wall...and one of the crew came out and told me off and saying he could have me stopped and my camera taken off me ...to which i replied "you can try! " and quickly added "its doctor who mate not MI6"...to which he just looked at me , sulked and walked away..this is all Moffats doing...there was even a couple of young kids hanging around and i clearly heard them ask a security gueard excitedly "are they filming Doctor who"" the security guard said no its a documentary.
What a miserable old git...its these kids that make doctor who what it is today...Moffat hates us "spoiler " types but he must realise we are part of the big wheel of hype that follows Doctor who around...Moffat just dosnt get it....or does he?

Speaking of JLC wearing rubber (see blog links). Not that I saved the pic. No way.

I notice that David Tennant's been strenously denying any involvement in the 50th Anniversary special - which no doubt means he's definitely involved. Any thoughts on dream story? I've read rumour of all 11 Docs taking part (Lord knows how), but I'd accept all living Docs, some more cameo (Baker C) than others, battling returning Sea Devils in a quarry in Sussex, while Jenna Louise Coleman wears rubber. Job done.

The fairest of points!

Hah! Well, she hadn't just arrived... we'd just been to the library in town. I think it's more amazing that she became a Doctor Who fan after watching Four To Doomsday!

Great story, thanks for sharing. No personal offence intended, but surely the shock-horror element of the story is not that this woman became a Who fan in her own right, but that you put on a Who video on her arrival (as if this is a perfectly normal, natural way to pass the time - as some of us know, it is) - and still she later married you!

Thank you! While I'm here, I also wanted to offer a corrolary to your "showing a girl Doctor Who" story. Back in the early 2000s, I hadn't seen Doctor Who in ages, mainly due to being too poor to buy new videos and having seen all the ones in the library already.

But one day, the library got in Four To Doomsday, which I hadn't seen since it was broadcast, so I rented it. My American penpal/gf/future wife was visiting, and was about to have a bath, so I said I'd watch the video while she was in the bath, as she wouldn't like it. She wouldn't hear of it, so we watched it together - and she loved it! She became totally consumed by Doctor Who (I think partly because of a Davison crush), to the degree that she even went to a Doctor Who local group meeting in Texas without me. She's a bit phasey, and it didn't last forever, but she still likes Doctor Who and will still watch it enthusiastically with me when I pick up a new one.

Howdo! Sorry, I've been away - coughs - skiing, which was a repetitive near-death experience, like something out of Deadly Assassin. However am still in one piece. And I've been busy on a Wordpress/Photoshop course, learning to build sites using something other than this clunky WebEden system. So expect a redesign of this site within the next few weeks, more blog-led (so I'll have to get my blogging back up to scratch). Adam - many thanks for the contribution, new blood always very welcome. City of Death is a cracker. Pretty sure I recall watching it at the time, and even then finding the Scaroth mask reveal hilarious. But it's such a great story and no, I don't find Lalla Ward disturbing, either, Quite the opposite. Anna - that licence thing sounds hugely dodgy to me. I'd be beyond amazed if BBC Worldwide licenced to random individuals. They're bonkersly protective of the Who brand. My DILY email, for anyone who'd like to get in touch, is dalekilovedyou@yahoo.co.uk. (I only check it irregularly, but fear not I will get back to you.)

I've always suspected my earliest Doctor Who memory was The Invisible Enemy, though I have no definite images to verify it, just silvery things rampaging. I was born in November 1974, so I would have been coming up for three when that was broadcast.

I never hid behind the sofa - it was too dark and scary back there - but I did tuck my feet up onto the sofa for that story so that whatever lived under it (presumably one of the silvery things) couldn't get me.

I also have a memory of K9 being posessed by someone (presumably Shadow in Armageddon Factor), but my young mind took it to be a revelation that in fact K9 had always been some sort of mobile outlet for someone "back home", and had always had shadowy motives, I didn't get the concept of him being taken over.

I think I saw Destiny Of The Daleks, but the first adventure I know *for sure* that I saw was City Of Death, aged nearly 5. Even now, having seen it several times since, I have a very clear mental image and accompanying chills of fear, of (predictably) the end of the episode one reveal, the chicken and later the scientist being aged to death, Duggan romping, the Jagaroth spaceship exploding, Lalla Ward (it's no longer the case that I find her eerie) and various other bits and bobs. I partially got it muddled up with the Blake's 7 episode Orbit, which has a similar relationship at its heart to that between the Count and Karensky, and more ageing to death.

Oddly, I have no more Doctor Who memories until Full Circle sometime later, and that feels more distant and remote than City Of Death. It's not until Keeper of Traken that I have a vivid picture of watching pretty much every story from then on.

crickets chirp chirp chirp lol

I've been trying not to take over here but dang someone say something lol

hey nick, i did some digging and think i found the answer to the private question i asked you. if i'm reading this link correctly then no she doesn't have a license like she says to stream Who http://www.kasterborous.com/2012/03/time-to-pay-for-iplayer/

am i reading it correctly?

Nick, I don't have your email so I have to ask you this here but it's not something I would want posted. You know that link I gave you to be able to watch Doctor Who? The lady that runs that says that she has to pay a very expensive "more than a couple of car payments" fee to have a license to air those episodes. Does this sound right to you? There is an absolute no cussing rule there....she says the BBC would pull her license. That raised my antenna because on the BBC forums people cuss all the time. Plus it seems to me if she would have to plug the BBC in ads or something and she doesn't. It just seems kinda fishy to me. Have you heard of the BBC selling people a license to show Who episodes?

I really wish I had grown up on Who and am very jealous of those who did. My first Who episode was Rose. Even though I have been watching a bunch of Classic Who lately none of it scares me as an adult. The first episode that really made me jump was Blink. I've seen it a bazillion times but it still makes me jump.

Incidentally, any of you old enough to remember the last snow-Dalek pic posted here, some four - count 'em! ("OK. One...two...three...four" – a very small child) - years ago. That was made by Anne as well! Bonkers!

Right, no sooner the word than the deed. Check out the wonderful snowDalek pics contributed by irregular contributor Anne P, by hitting tht thumbnail atop the Links col...

G'day! (Although Monday mornings, for me, are very rarely g'days. Brrrr.) Thanks for the contributions. DaveL - great idea getting everyone's own First/Scariest/etc moments. So contribute away, anyone who's dropping by - and I know there are plenty, thanks to Analytics, just need to get over their shyness. It's a free-for-all! Also becoming deeply tempted re the audio trail. Thing is, I never listen to audio. Can't stand the radio, even. The wife and I are constantly bickering over its aural dominance in the car. So I'll see. Which single story would you recommend I start with? And Royston, since I live in the sticks where you're lucky to pick up a copy of the Times, let alone DWM, please do enlighten us. (Send me a scan, if you like, and I'll bung up here.) Which reminds me, I have some great snow-Dalek pics to add, give me a while to remember (even though I have just remembered, I don't have them to hand. Lordy, please someone else write soemthing - I'm dying here.)

*coughs meaningfully and gestures towards letter page in this months DWM*
*waves hands helplessly at hopeless editing thereupon*

Talking of classic moments, I was talking to friend the ohter day who watches Who but isn't a massive fan about our earliest memories of it. I'm not sure if this has been discussed on here berfore. I know that NIck's earliest memories are from 'Spearhead From Space' but what about eveyrbody else? What do you remember first? What scared you first? I have a couple of early memories from when I was 4 - Troughton and Pertwee arguing in the TARDIS in 'The Three Doctors' and the Daleks appearing at the top of the cliffs in 'Frontier In Space'. These stayed with me for a very long time until I finally saw them again on video. As regards being scared, I've very rarely been scared by Who (I was always more 'as close to the TV as possible' instead of 'behind the sofa') but one thing that did scare from way back then (and still did when I watched it on video years later) was where the Maggot creeps up behind Jo in 'The Green Death'. That 1973 Season was a bit of a blur in my memory prior to getting the stories years later but it got me hooked as the first story that I remember in its entirety was 'The Time Warrior'. I never looked back...

Providing that the time and place was OK, I'd still be up for a Convention get-together.
So, did anyone else listen to the run of McGann stories on BBC Radio 4 Extra recently? I have to say that I was extremely impressed. I've always thought that Who lends itself to audio really well as there's huge scope for the listener to use their imagination. There was some real quality stuff going on and quite a few of the scenes in the last 2 episodes (the Dalek 2-parter) were astonishing. A couple of them were up there for me with the classic moments from the TV series. It was that good. So good, in fact, that I've ordered the recently released 'Dark Eyes' boxset (which follows on from the recently broadcast episodes) and - along with the Tom/Louise Season from last year - I'm looking forward to some serious listening. There's also more Tom coming out this year. Starting this month, there's a season of episodes featuring Tom and Mary Tamm (which were recorded just before she so sadly passed away last year) and is set between Season 16 (The Key To Time) and Season 17. I'll have some of that!!! But it has to end there. There's so much stuff available from Big Finish that it's scary and I know that if I went down the avenue of collecting it all, I'd be lost forever. So it's Tom for nostalgia and Paul for future stories only. For now...

March 30th Whoohoo! :D

Yo (began the 47-year-old). Michele - yes, am aware of the many of the numerous Who-based peeps on t'Witter, however in the interests of keeping my feed manageable I try to subscribe to a chosen few (plus I'd never follow Fraser Hines since he said I looked like Dave Stewart). Even then, I fail to read 95% of the new stuff, hence my crapness. Anna, glad you enjoyed Harrison. I miss the dwarf too, though not as much as I miss my Dad. Bless him. Ta for the "petered out" info. PS I see new Who is due 30 March. Or was it April? Even when I spot info my brain rejects it. Tsk.

They say the phrase petered out came from Saint Peter who left Jesus when he needed him most.

I also loved the pic of the doctors together. I love Paul McGann. Did you know his brother Mark auditioned for the same Doctor as him? Dang, I never realized how short Sylvester is lol.

I really really enjoyed your parents in DILY. I think you were very lucky to have such wonderful people as your parents. In fact before I started talking to you I actually searched to see what else I could of yours and I found the article about your dad and how he really hurt his arm. Magnificent. I just finished In the Footsteps (it takes me forever to read anything while on chemo because I start feeling like I do if I read in the car....sick) (oh mri today 1-22. i there is no shrinkage this time we change chemos.)So, I actually really loved the book. Thank you for making me laugh so hard. Dude, that is one imagination you have lol. I also caught several Who references lol. Now I can finish Looking for Mrs Dextrose. I will miss the dwarf. lol

2013 has to be better because 2012 was truley horrid. Thanks for your kind words and for being so friendly.

I'm off to read your article.

Nick, there are LOADS of sources of DW news on Twitter - including the actors themselves, Radio Free Skaro, DWMTweets (that's the Twitter feed for the DW Magazine), etc. I knew about Project Motormouth from Colin Baker's and Peter Davison's Tweets. Katy Manning, Louise Jameson and Frazer Hines are also conspicuous by their presences (sometimes they roleplay their Who characters while talking to each other - to much hilarity from their followers. Lou Jameson actually tweeted me last week after I praised her performance in a Big Finish Sapphire and Steel audio I'd been listening to.

PS If you enjoyed the feature, there's plenty more in the Dalek I Loved You ebook! * hangs head in self-promotion shame *

D'oh. Came on here originally to add a pdf of the feature I wrote for BA High Life magazine, on the 50th anniversary. I am the King of Getting Distracted (quite lowly placed in royal circles despite the "King" bit). Click on the image atop the Blog Links to read.

Hi Anna - I didn't go to PMM, indeed hadn't even heard of it (my Who updates come via Twitter these days, which isn't comprehensive). But I Googled it - love the pic of the Docs and Janet together, esp Paul McGann, DT and Peter D - and delved also into Project MotorHouse, which resonated hugely because my late parents lived in Ramsgate, for many years, and I had no idea that vast building even existed. Good luck to her, sounds like a fantastic project. There was idle talk, many moons ago of a site-pals visit to a convention, which as with most plans, petered out. (Wonder where that phrase came from - petered out?) Best of luck with everything, Anna! 2013 holds much promise, I feel, and I'm the last person to exude overt positivity. Chin chin!

Nick, did you go to Project Motor Mouth? If so I am very jealous lol. Dangned if sometimes I don't wish I lived there lol

Hi all. I hope everyone is having a good new year. I am almost finished with the 4th cycle of chemo and then I will be halfway done. :)

I just now read that Chris Barrie had auditioned for the part of the tenth Doctor. I didn't know that before and I just can't picture him as the Doctor.

G'day. Ta for both tips. I've been hugely tempted to delve into the Tom audio, since he's graced it with his presence, so may well do the same as you. And thanks for the link - will tread into it v gingerly! Back soon. Chin chin!

Well it would help a lot if I actually wrote the link correctly....geez, there is no dot between blue and net it's just www.justin.tv/tardisbluenet promise! I know what you mean about other's theories. Right now there is the Amy is the master....it showed a fob watch on their dresser....Clara will be the next Doctor. There are those that don't really take it very well when you don't agree with what they have to say. I had someone tell me today the reason they liked Tennant so much is that he was always in a good mood and never serious. I figured they must have only seen a few episodes or else they aren't all there. I just shook my head and ignored them. lol I will have a Who discussion anyday, but not with someone who doesn't even know the show and wants to spout nonsense. lol.

Sorry, I got the link wrong, try it now. My pic is actually going to be in a ad for the channel as soon as I send it in lol.

Who on the radio tonight - BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) are broadcasting some Paul McGann stories ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009szrh
I've not been a collector of the audio stuff (there's absolutely s**tloads of it out there!) up to now but I've listened to whatever they've put on the station in the past.
I say 'up to now' as Mrs L. bought me a Tom/Louise story for Christmas - 'The Wrath of the Iceni'. It's very good and it does - as the blurb on the cover says - take you back to 'Saturday teatime in 1977'. I enjoyed it so much that I've ordered the other 5 stories that make up that particular 'season'.
My God, what have I done?

Just tried the link, but failed. Switched to justin.tv, which worked (losing the rest of url) but can't find a Who section. Any ideas?

Anna - I wasn't aware of that site, no, so many thanks for flagging up. I will have a gander, though am slightly wary of the opinions of other Whovians. As for the stamps, I did salivate over them but, having tried to clear out the bulk of my many collections (including most of the Who archive, sold via eBay last Xmas), I'm trying to cut down my hoarding instincts. And Dave - I thought 2011 looked great and had plenty of potential, but as you say, failed to hit that. HNY to you, too, and to all visitors to the site! Let's hope our respective governments don't succeed in their general desires to rid themselves of us via Chinese Finance Torture in the coming months!

I just found the most wonderful website. You probably alread know about it but incase you don't I thought I would share. www.justintv/tardisblue.net They play episodes of Who and you watch it live with other Whovians. There is a chat beside the show and you can talk during the show. It's the first time I've ever watched with other Who lovers!

Well, aren't y'all the lucky ones getting your Who stamps??

I added something about Miss Coleman but the blog didn't seem to like it. Oh well. I enjoyed the Christmas episode very much. A vast improvement on the sleep-inducing one from Christmas 2011 (and believe me, it is sleep-inducing - I've not managed to stay awake during each of the 5 times I've seen it on various BBC Channels) and I adore the new Tardis set.
Here's to 2013 and the 50th Anniversary.
Oh yes, and a Happy New Year!!!

Hi, sorry, Xmas and its run-up (I was turkey plucking!) were/are so hectic that I've been neglecting Bob the Blog. Our Sky+ managed a Who Xmas Special record fail, but caught the repeat on Beeb3. And I must say, I loved it. My personal Chrimbo Who fave. Not too clever-clogs, loved the new-look titles and Tardis, consider J-LC to be the best companion yet (already) and dug Richard E Grant/Withnail as the baddie. For me an 8+ out of ten. Thanks for all the posts, Anna - anyone else care to add their hap'orth? (That's halfpenny-worth, for our Pond-based cousins, not that we have half pennies any longer, mind. However, archaic is fun.)

Hiya Nick, I hope I'm not being a pest but if I don't say these things when I think of them then I will forget. I have three things on my mind. The first two have to do with the Christmas special. I watched it again this afternoon lol. Did you happen to notice the birthdate on Clara's headstone?? November 23rd....ring any bells?? lol. Then, let me tell you, I am not happy with the word "oy" or "oi" however y'all spell it over there, being thrown around so much. To me, that is Donna's word. The Doctor said it when he was mocking her. I did notice Amy saying it some at the end of her run, but now the Doctor and Clara both say way too much as far as I'm concerned. He doesn't normally pick up new words unless he has regenerated. I don't like it one little bit.

Last but certainely not least, speaking of November 23rd, guess what I watched today??? An Unearthly Child!!! I see the name John Smith was uttered in the very first episode!! Not necessarily in reference to the Doctor but still. I finally figured out how to work Vuze properly lol. Last time I just looked on the Vuze site and didn't find what I was looking for. Although now they do have Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. I used a Chrome extension and put in what I was looking for, it showed me the sites that had it and I use Vuze to download. I have a list and am going down it. I have a friend on the AndroidForums who reminded me about it. I told him you had mentioned it but I had already forgot all about it. I gave him this website and told him to come check it out, as he is a Who lover also. :) So I'm about to watch The Daleks and then The Edge of Destruction. Then some Leverage lol.

Oh, one more thing, on the new title sequence, opening theme, whatever you want to call it, it reminds me of traveling through someone's arteries. Lol, I know, I know, another medical reference of the inside of someone's body part....at least this time it wasn't gross bahahahahahahaha (i did work ER/Trauma/ICU/CCU for 16 yrs before they chopped my head open)

Well?? Thoughts thoughts?? I of course have several lol. Overall I enjoyed it. However, it was not the best Who ever like I had read in several different places. It wasn't even the best Smith episode ever....to me at least. I did like it better than last years but not the year before. I was quite let down by the snowmen. Seeing the pics way beforehand I expected them to be a lot scarier. They actually weren't scary at all. I know a lot of people are complaining that Simeon's character was too monotone during the episode, but how could he not be? It was like he was under mind control.

I did enjoy the new look of the TARDIS, but I already knew that. I didn't like the new opening. Not one little bit. Of course I see throw backs to the classic years and have to wonder if it's due to the upcoming 50th anniversary.

I liked that there was quite a bit of humor in there. I laughed often lol. I've had people mention the Doctor's age and how the show never gets it right. To them I say this quote by Moffatt, "The thing I keep banging on about is that he doesn't know what age he is. He's lying. How could he know, unless he's marking it on a wall? He could be 8,000 years old, he could be a million. He has no clue. The calendar will give him no clues.

Steven Moffat, SFX, May 2010"

I do have a different reaction after watching it a few times than I did the first time I watched it. lol. The first time I thought it was fantastic. I still like it a lot but saw some things such as the snowmen not being scary the second and third time. I do like the character Clara. That's going to be rough getting used to prounouning it y'all's way. Lol. I've seen it in print for so long and we say it like, Clair ra. lol

I'm eager to hear what everyone else thought.

Anna

I like the new TARDIS also, it looks very cool and calm lol.

It's 0515 here, Christmas Eve and I have yet to be asleep. New meds are keeping me awake. I'm going to watch some Who (don't know which one yet) and see if I can't wind down. lol

I hope you and yours either have a Merry Christmas or had one depending when you check back. Oh, tomorrow is the show!!! Whoohoo

Hi Anna - thanks for sharing the links. Am loving the new Tardis - designed, fact fans, by Michael Pickwoad, an utter legend, who worked also on Withnail & I. We are not worthy!

I have a few interesting reads

http://www.sfx.co.uk/2012/12/20/steven-moffat-on-the-doctors-new-look/

http://www.sfx.co.uk/2012/12/12/steven-moffat-teases-next-years-doctor-who/

Okay, if you happen to check this before Christmas lol, I do happen to have a link now for any who might want to see the new TARDIS and haven't yet http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a446242/doctor-who-steven-moffat-on-new-tardis-its-quite-a-scary-place.html

Anna

Cripes - where did all that time go?! Almost a month since I checked the site and I missed all these lovely contributions. My apologies. December always sashays past unapologetically. Anna - many thanks for all the comments and am delighted you're enjoying the books. (Thanks for buying Harrison!) Yes, I knew the Americans pronounced Gogh as Go, which I can forgive. You know which bizarre American pronunciation does my head in? ("No, please please tell us!" - absolutely no one.) 'Erbs. Yes, 'erbs. As if Americans are French. Or at least cast members of 'Allo 'Allo. Why not pronounce every food product with a crap French accent? It's not as if the French are hugely popular in the US. I just don't get it and every time I hear it - on Hell's Kitchen, hem hem, which we watch quite a bit - it makes my head explode.
Royston - BBC - cycnical?! Write out 100 times: "My name is Royston. Why has my head gone numb?"
Until Chrimbo. Which is ludicrously soon. And I still haven't done my Xmas shopping...

12 days!! Whoohoo!!

I happen to love In the Footsteps so much I'm reading super slow because I want it to last. Even though I have the one you sent, if I read at normal rate I could have had them both read 10X each. I'm dragging them out though. I'm laughing so very hard. I do so love Pilsbury....although that's not the name he knows yet lol.

Hope everyone is having a good Christmas season.

Anna

Oh hey you know the Van Gogh episode? In the States we don't pronounce his name Van Goff...the way we pronounce it it sounds just like GO.

Anna

Well Nick ( I wanted to say Nicky Nicky Nicky in the way of Ben Harper, but it lost something in the written word...bahahahahahaha) you are no dummy. I was barely 110 pages into the book you sent me and obviously I needed to read the first one. So I just bought In the Footsteps of Harrison Dextrose, lol. Which trust me is perfectly okay, money is never wasted when buying books. I think either you and I or myself and Pilsbury were brother and sister is some past life lol. I have never met another soul who used the word gob before. I don't know if you do in real life or if it's just Pilsbury. Then again as the song goes I am Unusually Unusuall. lol.

Bahahahahaha, I told my mom last night it seemed weird to be reading one of your books that had nothing to do with Doctor Who. Then this evening while waiting for dinner to finish cooking I was reading Looking for Mrs Dextrose and my mom was reading her book and my dad his (I come from a family of readers) when I burst out laughing and my mom looked at me weirdly, I explained, I'm barely on page 55 and already the TARDIS is mentioned. My dad said, the TARDIS? I started to explain, yeah, the Doctor's space ship, it stands for Time and Relative Dimension....then I noticed the look of "we don't really care" on their faces and said, never mind and just went back to my book. I'm not very far into it because I've been visisiting more than reading. What I have read has kept me laughing though.

Anna

Just watched 'special edition' (i.e. makes more money for BBC) Claws of Axos. Seems identical in picture quality to regular dvd Claws of Axos (I presume you need a supaHDspringloadedupscalingsnakeoil set to notice the sharper edges and inkier blacks). The special features look interesting, a weekend with Benton eh? Good to see the 'money for old rope' philosophy still at the heart of the releases. I wonder when we are going to get 'classic' dvds (i.e. just the story), collectable cover versions, and Directors Cut dvds (i.e. with 2 seconds of extra theme music) of previous releases?

Hmmm, I do need to proof read before I hit Submit...geez. I don't think I even noticed the name Sam the other day but I noticed it right off tonight and I was wondering....? Anyway, my copy of Who Goes There is the Kindle version. In fact all books I've bought since the fire have been on my Kindle. Looking for Mrs Dextrose is the first book book I've held since before September. I'm a big book worm and that's quite unusual. LOL, I was doing dishes this evening and I said something, I don't remember the word now but the shaman's wooden son popped into my brain. It sounded like a word he would have said. I should have a made a note of it so I would remember.

Oh, why did you say that about taking care of my copy of Who Goes There? Are they not going to be printing more? I don't really understand why that didn't do better. I really enjoyed it. I liked seeing the places the episodes were filmed and I loved the companinion website and the fact that you put the Google map on it. I liked taking my little Google man down street level.....it was like I was right there too. I really enjoyed it and I don't think I left a proper review, I need to go do that.

Anna

How right you are. That bleak no-Who period of the 90s was when I started discovering all the bootleg vids off satellite channels, which was ridiculously exciting, so I managed to get through it. Happily, a world without Who - given the money it makes for BBC Worldwide - is now unimaginable. PS No idea how the name Sam got attached to that last post, most mystifying. PPS Anna, you might wish to take good care of your copy of WGT (as I will my spares!) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Who-Goes-There-Nick-Griffiths/dp/190655806X/ref=?ie=UTF8&m=A2PIQ6Z7A5PM9O

Nick, I'm at my parents and once again I thank you very very much!! The deal about Craig Hurle is I don't really know who he is lol. He has that page on Facebook and I of course liked it and so I get tons of daily pics, videos and info. I've noticed on my twat feed...(so hilarious that you call it that too. i've noticed from my brain tumor friends from across the pond, they throw that word around like crazy. lol, not us, we say worse words than that but that one said too often. however, i have never followed social protocols lol) that he will put the same thing in tweetville as facebook. sometimes he just will say, "i put up a new pic on facebook" bahahahahaha.

Here's what I think about Doctor Who so far. We know that Matt Smith is not my favorite Doctor. Although seeing him on talk shows and things he seems like a nice guy. There have of course been other seasons I have liked tons better than this one but I will tell you what, this is a thousand times better than no Who at all!!!

Anna

Sounds like you're more active than me on the Who front! Nearest I can get to Craig is Michael Hurle, or Malcolm Hulke. Ah, The Silurians. The Sea Devils! See, I'm old school with a mere few toes dipped in the current fare - though I'm looking forward to the Xmas special enormously (snowmen *and* new companion). I get most of my Who gossip off lazy Twitter scans - better these days to watch my Twot Feed than blog updates. Reactions on here to the latest season were mixed to say the least. But then we generally have one foot in the grave, or at least come over all Scrooge around Xmas time. We shall see!

LOL, Nick, you know I've already been all over that!! Both the prequel that aired on Children in Need and then the trailor. What was your first thought when the Doctor said he was retired? Mine was Rule #1. Did you notice he's wearing Amy's glasses?
Those snowmen look ghastley. It looks scary. I imagine we will be able to add snowmen to the list of angel statues, cracks in the wall, basically the dark, shadows (if you have two...or see someone who does), broken clocks, gps systems and the list is actually pretty long, hahaha, that we are now afraid of thanks to the Doctor. (can you say run on sentence?? hahaha) I'm going home Wednesay (my parents), I can't wait to get the book you sent.

Oh, do you know of a guy, or actually know him named Craig Hurle? He has a page on Facebook called Doctor Who and the TARDIS by Craig Hurle. He has a Sherlock one also. I get a lot of my info from him before it goes public a lot of the times. Oh, I believe he also has a seperate page for Classic Who. There is a part in the android forums (phones) dedicated to tv/films and one thread is pretty long all about Doctor Who. I love it when I fall into a group of people as passionate about this show as I am.

Anna

Delighted you sorted out s7 - now to look forward to this! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.556496134364418.145180.127031120644257&type=1 Richard E Grant! Snowmen! New companion! What's not to love?! Chin chin!

Nick! Guess what I'm doing!! Just started watching Dinosaurs on a Spaceship! I own it now along with the rest of Series 7 except Asylum of the Daleks because I got that from YouTube. Guess where I got them.....Amazon actually....lol. You can buy them from Amazon. Who knew?? Cheap too. Either $1.99 or you can buy a TV pass and your episodes are $1.89 which is what I did. I paid 10something for all of them together. I don't know if it's the same thing in different countries. I can't sleep and was looking at IMDb on my phone, I thought I would see if they had any classic who. The first thing I noticed when searching Doctor Who was the fact that I could buy series 7 from Amazon. I never even thought of that.

I am so incredibly jealous that know David Tennant. I'm not just a fan of his due to his looks either, although that is an added perk. I really enjoy watching him act. You can just see whatever emotion he is acting display in his entire body.

I'm going home for Thanksgiving and I can't wait to get your book!! I keep meaning to come by more but I've actually been working on onew of my own :) I'm just telling my story...going back and forth between now and 2005 when I had surgery. So far so good, it's a pretty eay write.

Take care my friend

Hi Anna and all, sorry just spotted it's a while since I came on (been busy with a book project). Anna, you're v. welcome. Can't say I've seen Time Crash more than once, though I did the Radio Times interviews for that one; think it's only the second time I spoke to Peter Davison, who was as he seems on TV (ie v personable). Funny to think he's now David Tennant's father-in-law and the gradnfather of Tennant's wee-un. (Reminds me of a certain Daily Star headline.) I've rather enjoy turning people's stomachs in my Dextrose books, so you should be proud, Anna, that you've managed to turn mine with your colonoscopy comment. I salute you.

Nick, you are the bombdiggity! My mom called earlier and said my book was there. That was quick. Thank you so very much, I appreciate it more than you know. Also for your recommendation of Vuze. I didn't find anything there but I did on something like it. I didn't even think about that. Right after Asylum of the Daleks someone uploaded it to YouTube and I downloaded real quick because I knew it wouldn't stay up long. I was right and it didn't. Of course this was before the fire and I had already seen it. That didn't stop me from watching it several more times. I have staked YouTube out each Saturday hoping to find where someone puts the episode up so I can snatch it before it's taken down....no such luck.

The first thing I see when I come to your page is the post about the Peter Davidson doll. I like him. I liked his Doctor quite a bit. At least twice a week I watch Time Crash. It's seven minutes that makes me smile and can easily put me in a good mood. I was watching some Tom Baker the other day and I was thinking in between episodes when it showed the brown time vortex that it looked like a live version of someone's colonoscopy. bahahahahahaha. I thought if I had that in my mind everytime I saw it I should share it. lol.

Anna

Finally... Actually, has anyone else noticed the Comments working properly? Normally I have to hit Comment three or four times before it accepts, then end up deleting copies. So, finally - toot-de-poot - a knitted Peter Davison! http://knitforvictoryblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/peter-davison-doll.html

PS @Anna, a thought struck me (hence the bruise - geddit!?!?!?!?). Though it's not entirely legal, so am only mentioning as a feasibility, those episodes would be available for download on the likes of vuze.com.

Believe me, "persuade" was not in my mind, @Drawingroom. "Concern", perhaps, or "Dread fear".

dress as a lady! *monocle pops out* What sort of blackguard cad persuades others to dress up for him. Bounder.

@Anna - Best of luck!
@Dave - Yes, it does look increasingly cinematic, which surely cannot be a bad thing. However, with its cinematic look come occasionally cinematic - ie holey, overblown - scripts. My fave was the cowboy one, which looked great but also stayed true to the origins of the show. (Ah, old blokes averse to change...)
@Drawingroom - I cannot wait to watch your revue. Will you dress up as a lady?

Using last reserves of strength, reaches out to computer to write some more Amazon revues pertinent to the withholding of prize....

the new series has certainly got a cinamatic look to it thats for sure...good or bad? anybody?

Nick, thank you so very much!! I sent you an address :) I still haven't been able to see any of this series except Asylum of the Daleks. Over here other than BBCA we don't have anyway to watch the show until PBS starts showing it. Then in a few years it will be on Netflix. I was hoping to find it on Hulu but of course it's not on the list of shows that BBCA shows. lol. I have no willpower though and have looked up the major scenes on YouTube. I will admit I actually cried. Not like I have in the past with others (Rose and Donna) but I did cry.

Until next time my friend

Anna

Dave E - you may well be right, and I did love the Statue of Liberty scene (the first time; after that they overplayed it), but please never, ever accuse me of watching Strictly Bugger Off Brucie.

Eternity.

A steady trickle from the up turned 'gold into water' recycle kit moistens dry lips. The seal on the staycomfi commode remains unbroken. Enough undigested Scott's biscuits keep nourishment at a steady level. Is thus prepared to out wait eternity, or delivery of prize. Whichever is soonest.

well i thought angels take manhattan was wonderful...a great send off for the ponds...and the angels having there old power of sending you back in time was nice to see again as i thought breaking your neck in flesh and stone was too much like a ninja warrior !!
A couple of wtf moments like the statue of liberty for one ...i thought angels were statues made of stone when in fact the liberty statue is made of copper??? well try not to think about that one to hard eh?
but the scenes in winter quay were chilling and the opening scenes excellent.
the graveyard scenes ...i was there at llanelli box hill cemetary when filming took place...were brilliant...clever how they put the backdrop of manhattan skyline in the picture...dont think llanelli would have quite done the trick really lol
i wasnt dissapointed at all and a lot of critics are saying its matts best performance as the doctor to date...sadnes anger love panic all in one episode and anybody who disagrees with my view should stick to "strickly come dancing" on sat nite...teehee

Consumes all rations (biscuits) in Captain Scott's Big Biscuits for Adventurous Boys survival pack, thus over-sated falls asleep on Staycomfi Commode, wakes up with arse trapped in commode, panics, leaps up, starts running around in circles with commode still vacuum-sealed to butt, trips over recycling kit, knocks self unconscious on door, lies beneath letterbox; currently in a situation one could loosely decribe as "still waiting"...

Remains at letterbox, reaches into 'Captain Scott's Big Biscuits for Adventurous Boys' survival pack, shifts weight to adjust position on the 'Staycomfi Commode', taps some water from his gold into water recycling kit and waits even more expectantly.

* waits and waits and waits and waits, absent-mindedly bites corner off cucumber sandwich, waits some more *

I added to my original review, so I claim my prize. *sits by letter box expectantly*

I see - once again a publisher feels the author fails to need to know - that Who Goes There is now out of print. Somehow the book never properly took off, so a mild shame. I have three copies here, and am prepared to part with one (signed, if you wish) to the first person to review DILY on Amazon then email me to say so. Am currently working on an all-new book project, not Who-related, frankly I've had enough of that, but ideally hi-larious. Onwards & upwards. Or at least sideways with a stagger. Chin chin!

Watched The Angels Take Manhattan, which was a huge letdown. Made no sense at all and Moffat just can't do weepy-emote like RTD - which is a plus in my book - so please don't try to! Even the Angels were somehow less scary than before, despite the potential of the premise. Bring on JLC - not Justin Lee Collins - and Xmas - and REG (Richard E Grant)!

I've been watching that on VHS (while using my exercise bike - one ep per workout... sadly I stopped working out so haven't made it past ep 3 - so I really must pick up the DVD as the vid's now stuck in the bust recorder). Doctor Who *and* spacemen! Job done!

I didn't realise that this was out...http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-The-Ambassadors-Death/dp/B008H2JK5Y...oh yes!!!

I managed to watch the Power of Three finally, having spotted it on BBC3. A reasonable romp, though yet another ending sewn up by a quick Fzzzzzt of the sonic screwdriver. Didn't the Doc used to think himself out of situations? Angels next.

Nick, hope you're finally well.
Can't wait to read your take on "Angels Take Manhattan."
Hope your viewing doesn't spur a relapse.
All I could think of at one part was "Look, it's the Staypuff Marshmallow Man!"
For an American who's been to Central Park with his children, it was fun to see the Doctor sitting on one of the rocks we'd clambered all over.
Now we wait for Christmas and ask Father Christmas for tighter "Doctor Who" plots with fewer holes.
-Sam

Thank you, all, for the comments and contributions. A healthy dose of cynicism always helps the medicine go down. I haven't watched the series finale as I still haven't got around to watching the one before on iPlayer, since iPlayer is to me like a foreign gentleman who speaks in tongues. Really must have a go. Anna - very best of luck with your chemo and recovery. Email me your address via the Contacts page - not publicly here - and I'll send you a Dextrose book to add to your collection. Chin chin, all!

As the Private Eye wasn't taken to the hotel by the angels, but sent by the collector, how come he was aging dead in bed? And as Amy wasn't part of the Rory paradox, she should simply be dead having jumped off the roof.

Well I missed Angels Take Manhattan tonight, although I've read all the recaps. So much for people thinking Rory was the Master. I also found out during the week that Red Dwarf X is starting over there soon maybe this week, I forget when. Not here though. For some reason I thougt it was going to be on BBCA, but no...phooey :( I like Matt Smith more than I like others. I started liking him more around the Christmas special last year lol. That's how long it took. I think watching YouTube videos where it shows the closeness between him and his co stars helps. That and when he is on shows like The Nerdist.
Um, we have hotels and motels but I'm not really sure what the difference is. lol. I should google it.

Oh, I thought I read that concerning Matt Smith the Christmas 2013 special was his last episdode. I have seen video where he says when he quits Who he will come to America to act. Maybe it was this one, I forget. I forget a lot due to brain cancer...my second go around with it, the first was in Jan of 2005. I am doing well though. Chemo sucks, but good books and friends and the Doctor always makes things better :)

sooo...mad american collector with chained up dal...angel, freeze frame ending so that Sar....Amelia Pond can leave...grave with names on that fade so Marty F....Amelia can change History....one dal...angel survives Time W...paradox to allow for nifty ending. Tall building with Dal...Angels and elevators, roof top denoument...

Thank god the story was so fresh an innovative.

So, the Pond's are going tomorrow and then no more Who until Christmas.
I guess that there's good and bad in everything, isn't there?

Hellooooooo! Forgive my small delay in replying - I only check the site every few days, plus I have been visiting the arena of the unwell (still in the auditorium, truth be told). Anna, please don't worry re length of post - it's good to have someone with more than an inch of braincell to play with - I include myself - posting stuff. Trouble with this blog system is I can't see your posts as I type, which therefore requires me to remember everyone's points, which is a non-starter when you have this head. So I'll just stab at the bits I recall. Anna first. Your brother is indeed an idiot - Doctors are totally different, even - especially - if they share a surname. Gentlepeople of the Jury, I present to you Bakers T & C. Nuff said. And I recall generally concuring with everything you wrote - My Family notwithstanding - though I'm more of a fan of Matt Smith than you (or many people). That "Matt Smith Quitting" thing is merely him stating that one day he will quit, which is no brain surgery. He hasn't said when. I too consider Blink the best ep, yet have many reservations re The Moff's tenure. Though I did really enjoy Town Called Mercy - a good old linear, Doc v monsters shoot 'em up. Not seen Power of Three (?) yet, and Sky+ failed, so will have to resort to iPlayer, which am simply too old to have embraced yet. We don't really have "motels" here. They're called "hotels" but they have car parks too. Odd innit. Chin chin, all. Keep the contirubtions coming. It is only through discourse that we can achieve deviance.