Noticias

When a series has been on the airwaves for decades, it can almost seem daunting for new viewers to find a comfortable place to hop aboard. Thankfully, "Doctor Who" has mostly been pretty good about that, whether it be the introduction of a new actor playing the Doctor, the arrival of a different companion, or both. 

When the beloved British sci-fi series returned to the airwaves in 2005, it had been 15 years since Sylvester McCoy's last season, and about a decade since Paul McGann starred in "Doctor Who: The Movie." Within the first episode of Christopher Eccleston's tenure, a whole new generation was not only introduced to the Doctor, but also their new traveling companion: Rose Tyler (Billie Piper). As the 19 year-old working class girl gets swept up in the Doctor's sense of adventure throughout time and space, so do we, with Rose serving as an audience surrogate of sorts.

After a 16-year hiatus, 2005 saw the return of Doctor Who to television. Under new head writer and executive producer Russell T Davies, the classic BBC sci-fi series got a modern makeover as a bold new era began. This saw the series move away from serialized storytelling in favor of standalone episodes, with occasional two-parters to tell bigger stories, such as season finales. The modern era has seen Doctor Who embrace bigger, bolder, "event" stories as finales, with season-long arcs culminating in these climactic closing episodes. Season 1 of Doctor Who's 2005 revival created the template for the modern finale, delivering the show's best finale in "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways."

The 2005 Season 1 first finale pitted the Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler and Captain Jack Harkness against the Daleks. It marked the first time more than one Dalek had appeared in a modern Doctor Who episode and the only time...

Taylor Sheridan is one of the biggest names in media right now. While his work spans film and television, his recent years have been consumed by multiple television series. Most notably, this has included Yellowstone, a modern Western series that has been appreciated by fans and critics alike. Yellowstone season 5, part 2 has begun airing and will continue to run episodes weekly on Sundays through December 15. The Yellowstone universe has spun off into multiple other series, including 1923 and 1883.

While the Yellowstone franchise is still going on strong, it is far from the only thing Sheridan is currently doing on television.Jeremy Renner's Mayor of Kingstown was also created by the Yellowstone visionary, showing even more of his range by expanding his roster of shows into the crime genre. Sheridan also created Tulsa King, a crime series starring Sylvester Stallone that aired season 2 this fall. As if Sheridan was not having...

In 1984, Clint Eastwood teamed with another screen icon for City Heat, which became one of the star's biggest disappointments. While Eastwood has worked non-stop since the 1950s, it's fair to say the 1980s was one of his weaker decades. If anything, the reception to City Heat is emblematic of his spotty record during the decade. Outside of Clint resurrecting the Western genre with Pale Rider in 1985 or helming his own favorite movie, Bronco Billy, much of his output like would-be blockbuster Firefox or lame action-comedy Pink Cadillac proved very disappointing.

Regardless of the tepid critical response to his '80s output, Eastwood was still a major box-office draw. The best example of this is the fourth Dirty Harry movie, Sudden Impact. Despite only earning 51% from critics (via Rotten Tomatoes), this sequel was one of Clint's biggest hits of the decade, nabbing over $67 million worldwide. Eastwood followed up with City Heat,...

Russell T Davies Doctor Who episodes are like no other in both his past and current era as showrunner. The lead writer is responsible for some of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time, and without his efforts, the show wouldve never been rebooted after its 1989 cancelation. The incredibly talented Davies is behind some of the most impactful episodes of the show, as well as the creation of many top-notch storylines and excellent companions.

Despite writing so many great pieces in the past and then allowing Steven Moffatt and Chris Chibnall to take the reins, Davies is still drawn to Doctor Who and has recently returned as showrunner. Doctor Who season 15 will start on Christmas Day 2024, the second holiday special for Ncuti Gatwas Fifteenth Doctor. While its expected to be another spectacular Doctor Who story, it faces significant pressure to be as good as Davies best episodes.

Related Why...

Doctor Who has a habit of taking a throwaway line and making it into a big deal.

In 60th anniversary special “Wild Blue Yonder”, Russell T. Davies wrote what seemed like a passing joke about Isaac Newton mishearing the word ″gravity″ as “mavity” before committing to the bit and changing the word in the timeline from that point onwards, making the gag not so inconsequential after all.

Mavity isn’t alone in the show’s history. Throwaway lines have been seized upon and expanded over the years, some by the show’s fandom, but also by its writers. What started as world-building, texture or a dramatic beat has become the foundation for a whole new level of storytelling.

Lines like these…

“The heart of the machine is under the column”

The Edge of Destruction (1964), written by David Whitaker

In this First Doctor story, set almost entirely inside the Tardis, a...

Quick Links Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen The Silence Where Forgettable, Yet Terrifying Aliens The Family of Blood Were Ruthless Killers The Great Intelligence Exploited Dr. Walter Simeon's Lonely Childhood The Weeping Angels Kill Their Victims at the Blink of an Eye The Parallel Earth Cybermen Killed Their Victims by Exploiting New Technologies Missy Was a Highly Unpredictable Incarnation of The Master Harold Saxon Was a More Genocidal Incarnation of The Master Davros Nearly Destroyed the Multiverse With a Reality Bomb Tecteun Created the Time Lords and Almost Destroyed the Universe

Nothing defines a hero more than the villains they fight, and no one knows that better than the time-and-space traveling protagonist of Doctor Who. Voyaging across the stars and visiting the past, present and future in their curious and magnificent Tardis, the Doctor has encountered evil in many different forms. From the misguided to the purely malevolent and all sorts in between,...

After years in development, actress Gal Gadot ("Wonder Woman") will star in the 8-episode TV series "Hedy Lamarr" chronicling Lamarr's life and movie career, set during World War II, for streaming on AppleTV+:

"...after a brief early film career in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial film 'Ecstasy' (1933)...

"...Lamarr fled from her husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and secretly moved to Paris.

"Traveling to London, she met Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood, where she became a film star from the late 1930's to the 1950's.

"Among Lamarr's best known films are 'Algiers' (1938), 'Boom Town' (1940), 'I Take This Woman' (1940), 'Comrade X' (1940), 'Come Live With Me' (1941), 'H.M. Pulham, Esq.' (1941) and 'Samson and Delilah' (1949).

"At the beginning of World War II, she and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes.

Actress Gal Gadot continues developing "Hedy Lamarr" for a Showtime limited series, chronicling the 1940's film star's life and career, including her brilliant inventions that led to the development of 'WiFi' and 'Gps':

"...after a brief early film career in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial film 'Ecstasy' (1933)...

"...Lamarr fled from her husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and secretly moved to Paris.

"Traveling to London, she met Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood, where she became a film star from the late 1930's to the 1950's.

"Among Lamarr's best known films are 'Algiers' (1938), 'Boom Town' (1940), 'I Take This Woman' (1940), 'Comrade X' (1940), 'Come Live With Me' (1941), 'H.M. Pulham, Esq.' (1941) and 'Samson and Delilah' (1949).

"At the beginning of World War II, she and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes.

Hedy Lamarr starred in Jack Conway’s Boom Town with Spencer Tracy, Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, and Frank Morgan (in the exhibition) Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Hedy Lamarr: Actress. Inventor. Viennese is an impressive exhibition curated by Danielle Spera (director of the Jewish Museum Vienna from 2010 - 2022) and designed by Stefan Fuhrer (Fuhrer Vienna) at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York. You can watch scenes from Georg Jacoby”s Money on the Street with Heinz Rühmann, Carl Boese’s No Money is Needed, Gustav Machatý Ecstasy, John Cromwell’s Algiers (1938), Georg Misch’s Calling Hedy Lamarr (2004), and Hedy Lamarr – An Ingenious Mind (2022).

Danielle Spera with Anne-Katrin Titze on the KaDeWe Group Lamarr building, Rem Koolhaas and his Oma partners: “Ellen van Loon is the architect and she is great to work with …”

Hedy’s beauty was an inspiration for Walt Disney’s Snow White, Batman co-creator Bob Kane’s Catwoman,...

After being developed at Showtime for 2 years, actress Gal Gadot ("Wonder Woman") will star in the 8-episode TV series "Hedy Lamarr" chronicling Lamarr's life and career, set during World War II for streaming on AppleTV+:

"...after a brief early film career in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial film 'Ecstasy' (1933)...

"...Lamarr fled from her husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and secretly moved to Paris.

"Traveling to London, she met Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood, where she became a film star from the late 1930's to the 1950's.

"Among Lamarr's best known films are 'Algiers' (1938), 'Boom Town' (1940), 'I Take This Woman' (1940), 'Comrade X' (1940), 'Come Live With Me' (1941), 'H.M. Pulham, Esq.' (1941) and 'Samson and Delilah' (1949).

"At the beginning of World War II, she and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes.

Actor/Producer Neal McDonough discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Masters of the Universe (1987) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Boon (2022)

The Warrant (2020)

The Warrant: Breaker’s Law (2022)

The Cowboys (1972) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

The Shootist (1976) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

The French Connection (1971) – Mark Pellington’s trailer commentary, Dennis Lehane’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

The Sting (1973)

Jaws (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Minority Report (2002)

Red Stone (2021)

A History Of Violence (2005)

Greater (2016)

Unforgiven (1992)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

The Mule (2018) – Dennis Cozzalio’s 2018 year-end review

Gran Torino (2008)

War And Peace (1966) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Duel (1971) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Nobody (2021)

Caddyshack (1980) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

Caddyshack II (1988)

Natural Born Killers (1994)

Back To School (1986)

Stripes (1981)

Bullitt (1968) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary

True Grit (1969) – Stuart Gordon’s trailer...

Actress Gal Gadot ("Wonder Woman 1984") will executive produce  and star as actress "Hedy Lamarr" for a Showtime limited series, chronicling Lamarr's life and career, including her brilliant inventions that led to the development of 'WiFi' and 'Gps':

"...after a brief early film career in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial film 'Ecstasy' (1933)...

"...Lamarr fled from her husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and secretly moved to Paris.

"Traveling to London, she met Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood, where she became a film star from the late 1930's to the 1950's.

"Among Lamarr's best known films are 'Algiers' (1938), 'Boom Town' (1940), 'I Take This Woman' (1940), 'Comrade X' (1940), 'Come Live With Me' (1941), 'H.M. Pulham, Esq.' (1941) and 'Samson and Delilah' (1949).

"At the beginning of World War II, she and composer George Antheil developed a...

Actress Gal Gadot ("Wonder Woman 1984") is attached to the Showtime limited TV series "Hedy Lamarr" chronicling Lamarr's life and career, during World War II:

"...after a brief early film career in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial film 'Ecstasy' (1933)...

"...Lamarr fled from her husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and secretly moved to Paris.

"Traveling to London, she met Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood, where she became a film star from the late 1930's to the 1950's.

"Among Lamarr's best known films are 'Algiers' (1938), 'Boom Town' (1940), 'I Take This Woman' (1940), 'Comrade X' (1940), 'Come Live With Me' (1941), 'H.M. Pulham, Esq.' (1941) and 'Samson and Delilah' (1949).

"At the beginning of World War II, she and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes...”

Click the images to enlarge...

Late in the premiere episode of the new HBO Max dramedy Generation, high school classmates Chester (Justice Smith) and Nathan (Uly Schlesinger) are cuddling together at the end of a very tough day for the latter. Chester promises Nathan that he’ll never feel this bad again, but Nathan is too distracted or drunk to hear the pep talk. “Will you remind me tomorrow?” he asks Chester. “It sounds like something I’d want to remember.”

Like a lot of things teenagers say both in real life and on TV,...

"Wonder Woman" actress Gal Gadot, executive producing  the new limited TV mini-series on classic film star actress "Hedy Lamarr", has moved the project from Showtime to Apple TV+:

"...after a brief early film career in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial film 'Ecstasy' (1933)...

"...actress 'Hedy Lamarr' fled from her husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and secretly moved to Paris.

"Traveling to London, she met Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood, where she became a film star from the late 1930's to the 1950's.

"Among Lamarr's best known films are 'Algiers' (1938), 'Boom Town' (1940), 'I Take This Woman' (1940), 'Comrade X' (1940), 'Come Live With Me' (1941), 'H.M. Pulham, Esq.' (1941) and 'Samson and Delilah' (1949).

"At the beginning of World War II, she and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes.

The long-gestating Hedy Lamarr television series, which Gal Gadot has been attached to as both producer and star, just got its straight-to-series order from Apple TV+. The new streaming service announced the order Thursday, revealing the series will be an eight episode limited series with Gadot as Lamarr, the Austrian-born movie star who during the height of World War II was described as the “most beautiful woman in the world,” all the while she was ignored for her brilliance when she created the technology that led to Gps during the war.

Apple gave the order to the series, which at one time was expected to premiere on Showtime. The series will be executive produced by Gadot and Sarah Treem, the latter of whom also wrote the series. Treem’s previous credits include The Affair, House of Cards, and In Treatment.

In addition to being a sultry movie star of the wartime era,...

"Wonder Woman" actress Gal Gadot continues to develop the Showtime limited TV mini-series "Hedy Lamarr", co-produced and starring Gadot as the film star and WW II asset:

"...after a brief early film career in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial film 'Ecstasy' (1933)...

"...Lamarr fled from her husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and secretly moved to Paris.

"Traveling to London, she met Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood, where she became a film star from the late 1930's to the 1950's.

"Among Lamarr's best known films are 'Algiers' (1938), 'Boom Town' (1940), 'I Take This Woman' (1940), 'Comrade X' (1940), 'Come Live With Me' (1941), 'H.M. Pulham, Esq.' (1941) and 'Samson and Delilah' (1949).

"At the beginning of World War II, she and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes...

"...which used spread spectrum and...

United Talent Agency has signed author, journalist and Recode co-founder Kara Swisher, Variety has learned.

The agency will work with Swisher to generate opportunities across digital, publishing, news and broadcast, speaking engagements, film and television, and other business areas, a UTA spokesperson said.

Swisher currently serves as editor-at-large at Recode, the leading tech outfit she launched with Walt Mossberg in 2014.

Since inception, the publication has expanded to include a slate of popular podcasts and highly trafficked conferences and live events. Swisher serves as the host and producer of the chart-topping podcasts “Recode Decode” and “Pivot,” and co-produces the Code conferences series where she has made headlines interviewing tech heavyweights including the late Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk.

Additionally, Swisher serves as a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and has written several books, including “There Must Be a Pony in Here Somewhere:...

"Wonder Woman" actress Gal Gadot will star and co-produce the Showtime limited mini-series "Hedy Lamarr", chronicling Lamarr's film career and WW II -era inventions that led to 'WiFi' and 'Gps':

"...after a brief early film career in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial film 'Ecstasy' (1933)...

"...Lamarr fled from her husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and secretly moved to Paris.

"Traveling to London, she met Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood, where she became a film star from the late 1930's to the 1950's.

"Among Lamarr's best known films are 'Algiers' (1938), 'Boom Town' (1940), 'I Take This Woman' (1940), 'Comrade X' (1940), 'Come Live With Me' (1941), 'H.M. Pulham, Esq.' (1941) and 'Samson and Delilah' (1949).

"At the beginning of World War II, she and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes...

"...which used...

A year after Deadline first broke the news of the project and Gal Gadot’s involvement, Showtime today announced that deals are done for the Wonder Woman star to headline and executive produce a limited series about film actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr, from The Affair co-creator/executive producer Sarah Treem, The Handmaid’s Tale producer Warren Littlefield and Endeavor Content.

“The life of Hedy Lamarr was a truly fascinating one. She stood at the forefront of many issues that challenge women and our society today,” said Showtime’s President of Entertainment Jana Winograde. “In Gal Gadot, we have found the transcendent actress to portray the deeply complex Lamarr. And with the award-winning talents of Sarah Treem and Warren Littlefield, this is going to be a special series.”

Treem is writing the limited series, which will chronicle the life and career of Lamarr, to be played by Gadot.

Austrian-born Lamarr...

Exclusive: It was 104 years ago today that screen legend Hedy Lamarr was born in Vienna beginning a bittersweet, one-of-a-kind life odyssey. The legacy of that unique journey has made Lamarr a figure of fascination in recent months.

Last year the documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamar Story (produced by Susan Sarandon) was released to wide acclaim and then this past summer Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot made it clear that her pursuit of a Lamarr project is a front-burner passion project.

Now comes a third effort to capture the mercurial star’s story with the publication of Hedy Lamarr: An Incredible Life, the graphic novel from Humanoids that arrives in stores this week. The graphic novel was written by French documentary filmmaker William Roy and illustrated by Sylvain Dorange.

Deadline has an exclusive excerpt from the graphic novel — a revelatory sequence that depicts Lamarr’s son receiving a phone call from...

Well, if anyone was concerned that Gal Gadot was going to find herself typecast as the Amazon Princess Wonder Woman, the actress is being extremely proactive in making sure that doesn't happen. First of all, Gal — who is currently shooting Wonder Woman 1984 — is attached to a Showtime TV series about actress Hedy Lemarr (see below), and now comes word that she is going to be starring in a remake of the Agatha Christie murder mystery Death on the Nile. Originally published in 1937, the novel focuses on detective Hercule Poirot who, on a luxury cruise on the Nile River, uncovers a murder, but finds his job complicated by the fact that a number of his suspects end up dead as well. Gal, 33, will be playing a rich heiress named Linnet Ridgeway Doyle and, as such, is the first cast member signed thus far. (Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox) In speaking...

Actress Gal Gadot ("Wonder Woman 1984") will play film star/inventor "Hedy Lamarr" in a new Showtime limited series, chronicling Lamarr's life and career, whose inventions led to 'WiFi' and 'Gps':

"...after a brief early film career in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial film 'Ecstasy' (1933)...

"...Lamarr fled from her husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and secretly moved to Paris.

"Traveling to London, she met Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood, where she became a film star from the late 1930's to the 1950's.

"Among Lamarr's best known films are 'Algiers' (1938), 'Boom Town' (1940), 'I Take This Woman' (1940), 'Comrade X' (1940), 'Come Live With Me' (1941), 'H.M. Pulham, Esq.' (1941) and 'Samson and Delilah' (1949).

"At the beginning of World War II, she and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes...

"...which...

David Crow Aug 2, 2019

Showtime confirmed at TCA that they are indeed developing a Hedy Lamarr series starring Gal Gadot.

Gal Gadot is officialy looked in to play an overlooked movie star and intellect, Hedy Lamarr, in a new limited series for Showtime. The news that this was happening broke last year, but now Showtime has confirmed it at the TCAs. Gadot will star as Lamarr, as well as executive produce the series. She will be producing alongside Sarah Treem, co-creator of The Affair who reportedly came up with the idea for a Lamarr series, as well as producer of The Handmaid’s Tale, Warren Littlefield.

In addition to being a sultry movie star of the wartime era, Lamarr was also the inventor of the technology that eventually gave way to Gps and the Wi-Fi in your phone. Indeed, often dismissed as a pretty face and starlet in her day, Lamarr...

Gal Gadot is gearing up to play another wonder woman.

Sources tell Variety that Gadot is attached to star in and executive produce a Showtime series based on the life and career of Hedy Lamarr. Lamarr was born in Austria and went on to become one of the most famous American film stars of her generation, appearing in classics like “Samson and Delilah,” “Boom Town,” and “Come Live With Me.” Lamarr was also a celebrated inventor, credited with creating a frequency-hopping signal during World War II that could help the Allies disrupt radio controlled torpedoes.

The series has not been formally picked up at the premium cabler, but it would be a limited series should the deals become finalized.

Showtime declined to comment.

Sarah Treem, the creator and showrunner on Showtime’s acclaimed drama “The Affair,” would serve as writer and executive producer on the project. Warren Littlefield, executive producer...

Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot is close to a deal to headline and executive produce a limited series about film actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr, from The Affair co-creator/executive producer Sarah Treem, The Handmaid’s Tale producer Warren Littlefield and Endeavor Content.

Treem is in talks to write the limited series, which will chronicle the life and career of Lamarr, to be played by Gadot.

Israel-born Gadot had been looking to do a project about Lamarr, who has been referred to as a real-life Jewish “Wonder Woman” whose inventions led to WiFi and Gps.

I hear Treem came up with an idea on how to tell Lamarr’s remarkable story that Gadot sparked to. The project was taken to Showtime through Treem’s relationship there. She is the showrunner of The Affair, which is wrapping its fourth season and heading into its fifth and final season. Treem co-created the...

Above: Italian personality poster for Hedy Lamarr. Art by Sergio Gargiulo.Once promoted as “Hollywood’s No. 1 Glamour Girl,” Hedy Lamar (1914-2000) was much more than a pretty face, as the new documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story gloriously attests. Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Austria, Lamarr was catapulted to fame as the star of the scandalous 1933 Czech import Ecstasy, in which she appeared nude (and ecstatic). In America she became one of the biggest stars of the 1940s, often called the most beautiful woman in Hollywood, a designation she thought of as a curse. But she was also blessed with a curious and inventive mind. As an amateur inventor she pioneered what is known as “frequency hopping” during World War II to prevent the Nazis jamming Allied torpedoes, a technology which has become the basis of Bluetooth and Wi-fi. With that in mind, it might seem perverse to...

Pete Dillon-Trenchard Jun 17, 2017

Doctor Who series 10 episode 10 is The Eaters Of Light. And we've been digging into it right here...

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve waited for 54 years for Doctor Who to explain why crows sound like they do, so now that they’ve finally tackled that important issue it’s time for our weekly round-up of callbacks, similarities and generally interesting things taken from this week’s episode. And as ever, if you’re sitting thinking ‘How can he have missed that?!’ (the answer is usually ‘ineptitude’), leave it down in the comments below…

See related Transformers: Age Of Extinction just shy of three hours long Transformers: the great toy massacre of 1986

Bad cat woman

The Eaters Of Light was written by Rona Munro, an award-winning Scottish writer responsible for films including Aimee & Jaguar and Oranges And Sunshine, as well as a multitude of theatre works.

Pete Dillon-Trenchard Apr 22, 2017

Doctor Who series 10 remains in fine form with Smile - and we've been hunting for nerdy Easter eggs and spots in the episode. Spoilers!

This article contains lots of spoilers.

See related Better Call Saul season 3 episode 2 review: Witness Better Call Saul season 3 episode 1 review: Mabel The subtle rise of good prequels

Smile, folks - it’s that time of the week again where we take tonight’s episode of Doctor Who and shake it repeatedly until all of its hidden secrets fall out of its pockets - as well as callbacks and generally interesting observations. And if you think we’ve missed something, let us know in the comments below!

Happiness Will Prevail

If you’re reading this, you’re likely to fit into one of two categories – those of you who love and understand emojis and those of you (myself included) who have resigned...

Pete Dillon-Trenchard Apr 15, 2017

Huge spoilers, as we unpack the Doctor Who series 10 opener - The Pilot - in search of references and treats.

This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who.

See related Exclusive: Bryan Fuller on American Gods casting Star Trek: what can we expect from Bryan Fuller's new show? Bryan Fuller interview: Hannibal season 3, Red Dragon, American Gods Bryan Fuller interview: Hannibal season 3, American Gods

Doctor Who is back for its 36th series, and with it are our viewing notes - a weekly guide to the references, similarities (intentional or otherwise!) and generally interesting things about each episode. Whilst we’ve crammed in as much as we can find, this is by no means a definitive list - so if you’re sat there thinking ‘You fools! You missed this!’, feel free to plop it down in the comments below. But remember: Don’t phone, it’s just for fun.

Amidst allegations of abuse towards women, the lead singer of The King Blues, Itch, has come out and faced the accusations head on.

In a blog post which was shared on Facebook and Twitter, Itch decided to speak out against the rumours in an attempt to clear the air and stop it from being a one-sided story. The blog posts, which were supposedly posted by three different people, were defamatory against the lead singer, and the brave choice to publicly speak about it must not have been easy.

The post reads: “This time last year there were 3 blogs by separate women floating around about me. They were set out to look as if these people had randomly and separately come forward about me. That was not the case, this was an organised smear campaign. One of the blogs claimed I had abused someone. At the time, I really had no...

Written by Cavan Scott | Art by Blair Shedd, Rachel Scott | Published by Titan Comics | Format: Paperback, 128pp

Although not my favourite incarnation, I have a lot of affection for Christopher Eccleston’s all too short run as the 9th Doctor. After years without a show, when Dr Who looked like it was permanently mothballed, Eccleston took on the role and made it his own. The previous descent into silliness was replaced with a more serious tone, an eccentric Doctor yes, but one you knew could kill if he needed to. Eccleston’s performance made the relaunch work, and paved the way for the following seasons. That season also introduced us to two of the most important characters in Dr Who mythology, companion Rose and Captain Jack, and it is fitting that this collection features all three together again.

Originally published as a 5 issue storyline, Weapons of Past Destruction sees Cavan...

Simon Mills is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Back in February, we asked you what your most underrated serial of Series 1 is – and it was a close call! In third place, with 13.83% of the vote, was The Long Game, Russell T Davies’ tale of media manipulation, while Boom Town, a return of Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen, claimed second place with 16.43%. But...

The post Here’s Why Father’s Day is Your Most Underrated Series 1 Story appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Davros, Missy, Daleks and sewers: here's our spoiler-packed look at The Witch's Familiar, the second episode of Doctor Who series 9.

This review contains spoilers. Our spoiler-free review is here.

9.2 The Witch's Familiar

"I'm dying, Doctor" "You keep saying that, and you keep not dying"

When it comes to the Doctor's key foes that aren't a) people in silver suits or b) killers with egg whisks attached, the best scenes have generally boiled down to two characters having a chat. The genial sequences between Jon Pertwee and Roger Delgado in the old days, for instance. Or the prolonged chinwag between Davros and The Doctor we get in The Witch's Familiar. Heck, it's why I've got a soft spot for 2005's Boom Town. That the episode is willing to put the brakes on for a good conversation. I daresay a few biscuits were in the original draft.

Straight away justifying splitting series 9's opener across two episodes,...

Want to catch up with post-2005 Doctor Who but don’t have 85 spare hours to watch the whole thing? We’ve some tips for you…

Maps To TV Shows: Is there a popular show you’d really like to watch but you just don’t have time to wade through years of it all at once? Do you just want to know why that one character keeps turning up on Tumblr? Do the fans all tell you ‘season one is a bit iffy but stick with it, it gets great!’, leaving you with absolutely zero desire ever to watch the boring/silly/just plain weird season one? Then Maps To TV Shows is for you!

In these articles, we’ll outline routes through popular TV shows focusing on particular characters, story arcs or episode types. Are you really into the Klingon episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation? Do...

Sundance Institute has announced the participants for its weeklong Creative Film Producing Initiative at the Sundance Resort in Utah, July 27 – August 3, including nine feature film and documentary projects for the Creative Producing Labs and more than 50 industry leaders for the Creative Producing Summit.

The Institute’s Creative Producing Initiative encompasses a year-round series of Labs, Fellowships, granting and events focusing on nurturing the next generation of independent producers and renewing the community of veteran producers who sustain the vibrancy and vitality of independent film.

The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – July 31) identifies emerging producers and, under the guidance of Creative Advisors, allows them to develop their creative instincts and evolve their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of their feature film project. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Lindsay Doran ("Sense and Sensibility"), Lynette Howell Taylor (The Place Beyond the Pines), Gina Kwon ("Me You and Everyone We Know"), Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jay Van Hoy (

"Beginners" ) and director Matthew Ross ("28 Hotel Rooms" ).

The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – August 1) brings together documentarians with award-winning Advisors to focus on their current projects to explore the wide range of creative approaches to distribution, outreach and impact strategies. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Julie Goldman ( "Best of Enemies"), Bonni Cohen ("3 1/2 Minutes," "10 Bullets"), Ryan Werner (Cinetic), Maxyne Franklin (Britdoc), and Wendy Cohen (Picture Motion).

The Creative Producing Summit takes place immediately following the Labs, July 31 – August 3. More than 50 industry leaders will participate in a series of curated panels, case studies, roundtables, and one-on-one meetings addressing critical issues producers face including financing, distribution, audience engagement, marketing and sustainability. Panelists this year include Len Amato (HBO Films),

Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Dori Begley (Magnolia Pictures), Josh Braun (Submarine), Dan Cogan (Impact Partners), Victoria S. Cook (Frankfurt Kurnit), Danielle Di Giacomo (The Orchard), Fred Dust (Ideo), Ted Hope (Amazon), Micah Green (CAA), John Hoffman (Discovery Channel), Marcus Hu (Strand Releasing), Charles King (MacRo), Jessica Lacy (ICM Partners), Stephanie Langhoff (Duplass Brothers), David Magdael (Tcdm Associates), Victor Moyers (Broad Green), Annie Roney (ro*co Films), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Graham Taylor (William Morris Endeavor), and Jay Van Hoy (Parts & Labor).

The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Feature Film Creative Producing Lab are:

"50 Miles From Boomtown"

Producing Fellow: Alex Scharfman

After years of saving for her hard-earned dream, the only woman working on the fracking fields of North Dakota can finally quit but unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with the young man she's training to take her place. (writer/director Flo Linus Baumann).

Alex Scharfman is a New York-based producer whose past feature credits include "The Heart Machine" and "Lyle," as well as the short film "Superior," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, and the WGA Award-nominated webseries "F to 7th." He is an executive at Parts & Labor Films where he worked on films including "Keep The Lights On" and "Loitering with Intent." He has also produced content for Vice, Google, the Ford Foundation, and At&T. Alex received his BA from Cornell University, is a former Mfa candidate from Nyu’s Tisch School of the Arts, and received his Mba from Nyu’s Stern School of Business.

"Bexar County"

Mark Silverman Honorees and Producing Fellows: Blake Pickens and Stephen Love Jr.

In sunny San Antonio, Texas, where nothing ever changes, a town is turned on its head when a delusional Texas housewife accidentally poisons her son’s fiancée, learning that killing people is an efficient way to solve her problems. (Co-writer/director Catherine Grieve, co-writer Dylan Slocum)

Blake Pickens is from the south side of Oklahoma City, from a neighborhood known as the Flats. Despite the community’s rampant drug use and gang wars, Blake found his way into storytelling with a writing position at National Lampoon. He later attended the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC where he and his producing partner, Stephen Love Jr., formed their company Bs Pictures. They are currently in pre-production on the Steven Caple Jr.’s film The Land and in development on "The Friendship Nine" with producer Nina Yang Bongiovi. Blake’s aspirations are to tell the stories that make people laugh, cry, and ultimately impact their lives.

Stephen Love Jr. grew up in the rural towns of Filbert and Bennettsville, South Carolina. During his time as a business major at Morehouse College, Love founded the Morehouse Filmmakers' Association, for which Spike Lee is the honorary advisor. He also received his Mfa from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program and formed Bs Pictures with fellow graduate Blake Pickens. Love’s primary career goal is to produce film and television that gives "a voice to the voiceless" while challenging the confines of the business of filmmaking.

"Dolores"

Producing Fellow: Drew Houpt

A restless teenager becomes obsessed with a mysterious Colombian woman who exploits his desire and lures him into her plot for revenge. (Writer/director Mary Angélica Molina)

Drew Houpt is an independent producer based in Brooklyn. For over ten years he was the head of operations at Mike Zoss Productions, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Tribeca-based production company. During that time he worked on the Academy Award-winning "No Country For Old Men" and the Academy Award-nominated "A Serious Man" and "True Grit." He served as Associate Producer on the Coens’ Grand Prix-winning "Inside Llewyn Davis" and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Academy Award-winning film "Birdman: or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance." This past year he co-produced Maris Curran’s directorial-debut "Five Nights in Maine" and produced "Every Day,' a short documentary for Espn’s 30 for 30 Shorts series that had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. He has also produced music videos for the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and an experimental documentary, "When A Priest Marries A Witch," by Suzanne Bocanegra.

"Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist"

Producing Fellow: Deanna Barillari

When Iranian-born Rita Mahtoubian sets out to change her life from ordinary to extraordinary, she accidentally captures the attention of a homeland security agent in this satirical comedy about romance, terrorism and trying to be a better person. (Co-writers/directors Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman)

Upon graduating Nyu Tisch, Deanna Barillari co-founded a non-profit theater company producing Off-Off-Broadway plays, including the NYC premiere of Leslye Headland's "Cinephilia" (2008), which funded in-school arts initiatives in the NYC Public School system. She then went on to work in TV on NBC's "Mercy" (2009), CBS’ "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (2010), ABC’s "Pan Am," 86th Oscars (Ellen DeGeneres; 2014) and in Drama Development at Universal Television. Recently, she collaborated with AFI Dww Fellows Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman, producing their web-series K(ID) starring Caterina Scorsone ("Grey's Anatomy") and their short "Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist" starring Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous") which made its World Premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. She also produces for the La based Ovation Award-winning Iama Theatre Company.

"The Space Between"

Producing Fellow: Angela C. Lee

A female body builder devotes her life to turning ‘pro’ when she unexpectedly falls in love, forcing her to confront her fractured past with her dying father. (Writer/director Philiane Phang)

Angela C. Lee is a Los Angeles based independent producer. She produced "Songs My Brothers Taught Me," which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and recently screened in the Directors’ Fortnight program at the Cannes Film Festival. Angela is also the Artist Development Manager at Film Independent, where she oversees the selection process and curriculum for the Filmmaker Labs program, including Screenwriting, Directing, Producing, and Documentary Labs, the Fast Track Finance Market and the Fox Writers Intensive, managed in conjunction with Fox Audience Strategy. Previously, Angela served as Director of Creative Affairs at New York based Vox3 Films. Prior to her career in film, Angela was an Associate at Goldman Sachs. A native Chicagoan, Angela graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics and is on the Board of Directors for the University of Chicago National Arts Alumni Network.

The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab are:

"Brick"

Co-Directors/Producers: Jessica Dimmock & Christopher Lamarca

"Brick" reveals the raw emotional and physical experience of being a middle aged to senior transgender woman coming out for the first time in the Pacific Northwest. The film follows three intersecting stories of individuals who have lived their whole lives as men and decided this burdensome secret is one they can no longer keep.

Jessica Dimmock is the recipient of the 2013 World Press Photo Multimedia Contest as the director and cinematographer of the online feature, "Too Young to Wed." In 2010, Dimmock won Kodak's Best Cinematography Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival for "Without." The film premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, received an Independent Spirit Award, and was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award. Dimmock contributed two short films to Doctors Without Borders' Emmy-nominated campaign, “Starved for Attention.” Her first photojournalism project, “The Ninth Floor” was published as a monograph. Most recently, she worked as photographer and videographer for Emmy-nominated HBO series, "The Weight of the Nation." She is represented by VII agency.

Christopher Lamarca is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker and based in Portland, Oregon. Lamarca has recently entered post-production on his first feature length film, "Boone." In 2012, it was chosen as one of eight films for Film Independent's Documentary Film lab. Lamarca's monograph, “Forest Defenders: The Confrontational American Landscape ” was published by PowerHouse Books in 2008. He was chosen to participate in the International Center of Photography’s triennial exhibition (2007), New York Photo festival (2009) and Lishui photo festival in China (2010). He reported on environmental and energy issues for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Fortune, and Newsweek.

"The Island and the Whales" (working title)

Directore/Producer: Mike Day

The pilot whale hunters of the Faroe Islands believe that hunting is vital to their way of life, but when a local professor makes a grim discovery about the effects of marine pollution, and the seabirds populations collapse, environmental changes threaten to change the community and their way of life forever.

Mike Day is a Scottish director and producer. Formerly a lawyer in London and the Middle East he founded Intrepid Cinema in 2009 before heading out into the North Atlantic to make his previous film. His debut documentary "The Guga Hunters of Ness" broadcast on the BBC in 2011 and screened at festivals internationally to critical acclaim. It was while at sea in the Atlantic that he met a group of Faroese sailors, leading to his next film. Mike was listed as one of '10 Filmmakers to Watch' by Filmmaker Magazine, he was one of Edn's ’12 for the Future 2012’, and is supported by the Scottish Documentary Institute's Docscene programme. Intrepid Cinema also has two other feature documentaries in development.

"The Road From Hainan"

Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang

State surveillance. Harassment. Imprisonment. Human rights activist Ye Haiyan, Aka Sparrow, knew she faced these risks when she went to Hainan Province to seek justice for six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. But the scale and intensity of the government's reaction surprised even the most seasoned activists across China.

"The Road From Hainan" follows Sparrow as she was chased from town to town by local governments, national secret police, and even her own neighbors. Nanfu Wang is a documentary filmmaker based in New York. Originally from a remote village in China, Wang overcame poverty and lack of access to formal secondary education and went on to earn graduate degrees in communications and documentary film from universities in China and the United States. Her work often features the stories of marginalized or mistreated people, from Chinese blood donors stricken with HIV after being issued used needles by the government to the left-behind children of migrant laborers. During the production of her first full-length documentary, Wang lived on the streets of Miami with a homeless former drug dealer who relied on the kindness of strangers for his survival. Wang’s short films have been distributed on many platforms and translated into several languages, and she continues to seek out and tell the stories of people who have been ignored by their societies.

"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four"

Director/Producer: Deborah Esquenazi

"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four" excavates the nightmarish persecution of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez — four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of allegedly gang-raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas. The film also unravels the sinister interplay of mythology, homophobia and prosecutorial fervor which led to this modern day witch hunt during the 'Satanic Sexual Abuse Panic' of the late-80's and early-90's in the United States.

Deborah S. Esquenazi is an Austin, Texas-based documentary film and radio producer, instructor, and journalist. Her in-progress documentary feature, "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four," has received international attention for its investigation into this controversial criminal case, and has been mentioned in Forbes Magazine, New York Times, Texas Observer, Vice Magazine, among others. Her film and radio documentaries have been funded by Chicken & Egg Pictures, Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program | John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Initiative, Humanities Texas, Astraea Global Arts Fund, and many others.

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

The second issue for Titan Comics’ miniseries, focusing on the adventures of the Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Captain Jack Harkness, is out now! The five-issue series revisits a period between The Doctor Dances and Boom Town, with Christopher Eccleston’s Time Lord piloting the Tardis. Weapons of Past Destruction is written by Cavan Scott, with art...

The post Out Today: Titan Comics’ Ninth Doctor #2! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

BBC

When you’ve been in the listicle writing business for some time, you begin to notice some patterns – particularly when it comes to Doctor Who. There’s a legion of episodes that make frequent appearances in these articles either for being the best, worst, weirdest or most remarkably insert-adjective-here story ever. But there’s just as many, if not more, episodes you never hear about, the ones that inoffensively entertained for 45 minutes but didn’t blow you away with some singularly scary monster or face-palming stupidity.

Since quality of Doctor Who over the years has always had extreme peaks and valleys, these good-not-great episodes fade into obscurity very quickly. Though you might recall a reference or contribution to the season story arc, the plot of the episode itself eludes you. But it’s really not fair to overlook these episodes for doing their job correctly, if unremarkably. For every...

From ampersands to The Apprentice, from dinner ladies to Dirty Den, here's a selection of nerdy in-jokes from Doctor Who series 2...

Last month we took a look at Doctor Who Series One as it celebrated its 10th Anniversary. Specifically, we delved deep into the murky world of in-jokes and sweet nerdy references.

Let’s take another trip back in time and have a look at the more notable and interesting references and in-jokes from Doctor Who Series Two, starring David Tennant and Billie Piper, where the credit of “Doctor Who” had been changed back to “The Doctor”. Pfft, party poopers.

New Earth

Old-skool fans would have been forgiven for being excited at the prospect, given that “New Earth” was a planet mentioned in the 1974 classic Invasion Of The Dinosaurs (though it didn’t actually exist in that story, it was a fake world). But all fans could get excited at...

From Autons to tribophysics via Kronkburgers, here's a pick of the best nerdy in-jokes and references from the 2005 series of Doctor Who...

Ten years ago, the world was about to be re-introduced to one of the most enduring and exciting television characters of all time, Doctor Who. The programme's new 2005 sheen brought with it a cheeky self-referential side (though it did do a bit of that in the 80s) and a knowingly raised pop culture eyebrow. From films such as E.T. to Barbarella to Star Trek to modern literature (The Lovely Bones) and icons (Michael Jackson) - everything was in the Time Lord’s gaze.

So let’s take our very own trip back in time and have a look at the more notable and interesting references and in-jokes from Doctor Who Series One, starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper.

Rose

Most obviously, this opener saw the return of the...

From the Queen Vic to the Tardis. As Eastenders prepares to mark its 30th anniversary, we look back at its encounters with Doctor Who...

Back in the mid-eighties an actor who played "Third Assistant" in a Doctor Who story called The Savages (1966) and the director of another Doctor Who adventure, The Underwater Menace (1967), came together to create one of the BBC’s most successful television shows.

And when they got together, it was murder. Well, not quite. (Though the first episode did feature a victim who would later die, fact fans.) But what they did create was Eastenders.

Broadcast on February the 19th 1985 (in between episodes one and two of The Two Doctors), this creation of Who alumni would go on to share numerous links with the long-running science-fiction for years to come. Even its time-slot owes much to the adventures of everyone’s favourite Gallifreyan.

In an interview in...

BBC

The lighthearted episodes of Doctor Who vary public opinion massively. Some love them, and some loath them. They are often labelled as camp romps, but surely that assessment is unjust for some of the dreary tales the viewers are greeted with. Boom Town, anyone?

The universal appeal of Doctor Who is its diversity; in the twelve weeks comprising series eight viewers have had terror from Listen, tales of morality from Into The Dalek, whimsical fairytales from In The Forest of the Night and… camp romps from Robot of Sherwood. Each series generally follows a similar format of mixing up the types of episodes in order to appeal to everyone. Series eight, touted as the darkest since its return, has been quite dark in parts admittedly, but nowhere near as dark as many had hoped.

Its lighthearted episodes are where the Twelfth Doctor stalls, somewhat. Peter Capaldi is much more...

Doctor Who series 8 remains on good form with the latest instalment. Here's our spoiler-free look at The Caretaker...

Remember when Doctor Who returned back in 2005, and we had Boom Town? Where, after weeks of running around and explosions, the bulk of the episode was characters having a conversation, with a bit of plot going on around them? It's an episode we've always been fond of, as rarely does Who have space to invest a good chunk of an episode in fleshing characters and themes out in such a way.

But The Caretaker, after a fairly breathless opening five episodes, finds that time. As such, it does a lot of very good character work that deals with things which have been building up for weeks. On top of that, it draws the best performance of the series to date from both Jenna Coleman (who shows terrific range) and Samuel Anderson. And...

Claudette Colbert movies on Turner Classic Movies: From ‘The Smiling Lieutenant’ to TCM premiere ‘Skylark’ (photo: Claudette Colbert and Maurice Chevalier in ‘The Smiling Lieutenant’) Claudette Colbert, the studio era’s perky, independent-minded — and French-born — "all-American" girlfriend (and later all-American wife and mother), is Turner Classic Movies’ star of the day today, August 18, 2014, as TCM continues with its "Summer Under the Stars" film series. Colbert, a surprise Best Actress Academy Award winner for Frank Capra’s 1934 comedy It Happened One Night, was one Paramount’s biggest box office draws for more than decade and Hollywood’s top-paid female star of 1938, with reported earnings of $426,944 — or about $7.21 million in 2014 dollars. (See also: TCM’s Claudette Colbert day in 2011.) Right now, TCM is showing Ernst Lubitsch’s light (but ultimately bittersweet) romantic comedy-musical The Smiling Lieutenant (1931), a Best Picture Academy Award nominee starring Maurice Chevalier as a French-accented Central European lieutenant in...

Digital Spy has been in a charitable mood this festive season and has already selected its top TV shows of the year, but now we're in that post-Christmas lull, it's time to put the foul mood brought on by our hangover to good use and give some of 2013's worst telly a tongue-lashing...

Here's our picks for the top 10 TV Turkeys of 2013

Warning: This list contains scenes of a sexual nature, jokes about poo and Micky Flanagan.

The Wright Way

It's becoming harder and harder to remember the days when Ben Elton was funny - his latest comedic misfire was thankfully axed after a single series, with the BBC's controller of comedy commissioning Shane Allen blaming Twitter for "crucifying" the show.

What Shane forgot is that Twitter is full of people - it was people that hated The Wright Way. All of the people.

Father Figure

There's a long and...

The Ninth Doctor

Portrayed by: Christopher Eccleston

Companion(s): Rose Tyler, Adam Mitchell, Captain Jack Harkness

Tenure: 10 stories, from “Rose” (March 2005) to “Bad Wolf”/”The Parting of the Ways” (June 2005)

Signature look: Leather jacket, buzz cut

Catchphrase: “Fantastic!”

Personality: The Ninth Doctor is a tricky one. He often seems carefree and goofy, but this masks deep pain and rage. He’s fresh from the Time War and when confronted with a Dalek, his façade crumbles and he becomes unrecognizable to his Companion, Rose. The Ninth Doctor hates guns (except when faced with the Daleks) and has a slightly contentious, if light-hearted relationship with gunslinger Captain Jack. He always makes sure to give his adversaries the opportunity to leave peacefully, offering to help them find a non-violent solution to their needs (resources, space, etc.) and his joy at finding non-violent solutions is palpable. Like some of his predecessors, most notably the Fifth Doctor,...

Jack Harkness

Portrayed by: John Barrowman

Doctor(s): Ninth Doctor, Tenth Doctor

Tenure: 5 stories (10 episodes), from “The Empty Child”/”The Doctor Dances” (May, 2005) to “The Stolen Earth”/”Journey’s End” (July, 2008). He‘s also the lead of Torchwood, a spinoff of Doctor Who.

Background: Captain Jack Harkness is human from the 51st century who is a former model turned former Time Agent turned con man when he first meets The Doctor in WWII London. After helping the Doctor and Rose save the day, Jack joins the Tardis team until his death. Brought back to life (permanently) by a Time Vortex-y Rose, Jack goes on many other adventures (detailed in Torchwood) before running across the Doctor and Martha. Jack leaves the Tardis a second time (more Torchwood), before returning to help the Doctor and Donna save the universe and leaving the Tardis for the third and, so far, final time.

If you stumbled upon Boom Town on BBC Three tonight, you'll know what we mean when we say that it's pretty tricky to sum up in a few simple sentences.

The BBC billed the series as their take on the genre of "structured reality" with added laughs. So you could perhaps say that it's part Towie, part Pineapple Dance Studios with a bit of BBC Three humour thrown in for good measure.

But anyone who has seen the weirdness of Boom Town can tell you that this doesn't even cover half of it.

The premise of the series is that we get to meet "real people" in a fictional town. However, this is BBC Three and this is the TV genre that gave us Geordie Shore, Towie and Made In Chelsea, so don't go expecting to recognise any "real people" that you'd have in your Facebook friends list or school/college/office.

Cameron K McEwan Aug 16, 2016

Cameron sings the praises of 25 classic and modern Doctor Who adventures that went underappreciated. See what made the cut below...

Doctor Who fans can be an odd bunch at times (and by that I mean all the time), what's gold to one is dross to another. And when you think everyone is agreed on a genuine stinker (Timelash, for example), you'll find it has admirers in abundance. But what's here are some of the stories that, for whatever reason, get overlooked, underseen and, perhaps, undervalued - in no particular order.

The Awakening

Two-parters often get forgotten about (in classic Doctor Who at any rate) and this Peter Davison story, whilst perhaps best known to Who fans for a famous blooper featuring a horse, has some tremendous imagery and beautiful location shooting. Best of all is the villain of the piece, The Malus, who put the willies...