Robot of Sherwood: Next time on Doctor who

Doctor Who "Deep Breath" extra

I am assuming the poster of the vid altered it to avoid being deleted. If you can look past the sped up voices and the horrible place card it is an interesting look behind the scenes. The look of joy on Capaldi's face as he says " I am Peter Capaldi and I am the Doctor." is priceless.

The companion's companion interview: Sam Anderson

I’m the companion’s companion! Those are the kind of things I’ve been hiding until I read an interview with Jenna and it’s like, “Oh right, she said it. Okay.” Click the pic to read the full interview.

"You haven't met Danny Pink have you..." You will this Saturday

The shy soldier turned schoolteacher will be introduced this Saturday in the episode titled "Into the Dalek."
In this episode you will meet the shy young man that will have a huge impact on Clara Oswald and a Dalek like none other we have ever met. Danny Pink is played by Samuel Anderson.

Doctor Who Actor Bill Kerr dies, aged 92.

Australian actor Bill Kerr has died in Perth aged 92.
His role as Giles Kent in Doctor Who adventure The Enemy of the World saw him sharing the screen with Patrick Troughton, the second Doctor.
Believed missing for many years, a complete version of the six-part story, originally broadcast in 1967-68, was found last year at a TV station in Nigeria.

Tom Baker: In Confidence

Into the Dalek clip

I love how he doesn't cater or care if anyone particularly likes him or not. He just shows up and starts at it.

The new Doctor was thinking of cosplayers when he chose his new outfit...

On top of being a fantastic choice for the 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi is a huge Doctor Who fan. He was asked about his costume choice and answered, “I wanted to wear something that people could emulate without going to any great expense.” Capaldi mentioned an early version of the costume from his  50th anniversary cameo that never made it on screen. “From the start at the back of my head I had a dark thing going. When I appeared in the 50^th, which was only this [gesturing at his eyes], we had thrown together a costume just in case, and we had got the dark coat and dark trousers and I thought ‘oh this all looks quite good’.”

He admits to later going through the whole wardrobe room, “We went round with lots of scarves and velvet jackets and floppy hats (everybody wants you in a floppy hat) and I wanted to be starker than that, sharper. But really it’s just a matter of trying stuff on until you feel like the Doctor, and when I tried that stuff on, I felt like the Doctor. I always thought of Doctor Who as being in dark colors, I guess because I grew up seeing the show in black and white.”

Somehow I just couldn't see him in a big floppy hat.....

A beautiful tribute to 11 by KatrinDepp

As always subscribe and give her a thumbs up if you enjoy it. I admit I did get a bit misty eyed. Fantastic work as always.

The 8th Doctors theme from Big Finish

I like it. You can hear similarities to 11's

Clips from Doctor Who Live

Matt says goodbye. You can tell he loved the role and is sad to go. God I will miss him. He did the name proud.

This one was before the announcement was made. Interesting to see Stephen Hawking wanted a female Doctor.

BFI interview with Steven Moffat, Jenna Louise Coleman, and Peter Capaldi

Jenna basically says Clara was not just sad at the factThe Doctor changed his face, but that Clara dislikes that she doesn't know how to control him anymore. Interesting, so they are really playing up the control freak aspect. Moffat jokingly tells of his first meeting with Capaldi, and just why he picked an older Doctor. And goes on to talk about flirting in classic Who. The interview is lovely, wish it was longer. It is nice to see the respect Capaldi has for his role.

SFW Doctor Who Porn parody review

This is not my safe for work review. I found it on Reddit and had to post a link. Looks pretty funny all in all.
Some of the actors seem to favor their TV counterparts. Rated R for the use of the F word there is no nudity, Sorry. Click the pic and Enjoy.

Doctor Who comes to Minecraft on Xbox

Doctor Who is set to become “Blocktor Who” when characters from the series arrive on the Xbox 360 edition of Minecraft in September.
Available on over 84 million Xbox devices worldwide, a deal between BBC Worldwide and developers Microsoft Studios and Mojang will give Minecraft players access to a range of Doctor Who assets, allowing them to change their avatar to resemble their favourite characters from the show.
The first pack – priced at just $2.99/£1.99/€2.85/$2.95AUS – will include a character inspired by the Twelfth Doctor, plus five other Doctors, each of their on-screen companions and some of the Doctor’s most well known adversaries including his arch-nemeses, the Daleks.

The deal will bring more packs as time goes on, introducing many of the most recognisable characters from the past 50 years of Doctor Who. Each skin pack will feature at least six Doctors and will be released regularly following the broadcast episodes in Series 8.
Rikesh Desai, Digital Entertainment and Games Director at BBC Worldwide UK says “We’re constantly looking for new and innovative ways to bring Doctor Who content to our loyal fans. Working collaboratively with Microsoft, we’ve created an exciting new product which will allow Doctor Who fans to create their own brand new adventures in the heart of the iconic world of Minecraft.”

Minecraft is one of the fastest selling Xbox game of all time with over 13 million sales to date. The deal to bring Doctor Who to Minecraft builds on BBC Worldwide’s successful partnership with Microsoft, which has seen Microsoft publish Forza racing games complete with Top Gear themed challenges and features.
Minecraft is a game about breaking and placing blocks. At first, people built structures to protect against nocturnal monsters, but as the game grew, players worked together to create wonderful, imaginative things. It can also be about adventuring with friends or watching the sun rise over a blocky ocean. It’s pretty. Brave players battle terrible things in The Nether, which is more scary than pretty. You can also visit a land of mushrooms if it sounds more like your cup of tea.

Check out Ace it's Youtube videos on his Minecraft Tardis. He has put a lot of work into it. Please like and subscribe if you want to see more from him.

 

Critics hail Capadi's debut

 Critics are praising Peter Capaldi for his debut in "Deep Breath" saying he has all the hallmarks of a great Doctor. Richard Beech of The Mirror said "If you watched Deep Breath and you don't want to watch the rest of series 8, then there truly is something wrong with you."

 The show received a mixed reception on Twitter, with some viewers deeming 56-year-old Capaldi "brilliant" and "amazing", while others describing the episode as "middle of the road" and "gimmicky".
While on Facebook many praised the new portrayal, but panned the story. I read many casual viewers that commented on the change of face as a blow to their children and they would no longer watch. If you have young children and they cannot grasp how the dynamics  of the show works, I would think letting them watch and not fully explaining was your fault not the writers.

Reddit, of course, was a hot bed of Moffat hate. Many panned the plot and the pacing while most said "There was absolutely no need for the dinosour. It's not like if the dinosaur wasn't there or mentioned we'd all be saying "that episode needed a dinosaur". I saw the dinosaur as fun for the smaller children and there to show how long the bad guys had been on our planet, perhaps they could have just mentioned it in passing with dialogue, but it led to a great visual display also used it in the translation scene to describe how the dinosaur was feeling also similar to how the doctor was feeling, all alone last of its kind. It also showed hoe the Doctor was hurt that Clara just did not see him.

 A small majority of "fan girls" cried about the new age of the Doctor saying "The audience wants young and vibrant doctors and they wont be guilted into accepting the old man. What does regeneration mean literally?"
These NuWho fans always give themselves away by not understanding that The Doctor can literally be anyone and look any way.  And of course the River Song, Rani, Master, Omega theories are running rampant with the appearance of the foe at the end.

All in all the hype was justified in my eyes. It was a solid story with great comedic elements. We finally have a Doctor who won't be a tumbler girls wet dream. And perhaps we can get back to great science fiction rather than who is shipping who.

Why I don't think the Doctor killed the Robot Controller

 There has been much debate over whether the 12th Doctor pushed the Robot Controller, from the series 8 episode Deep Breath, to his death or not and why. Social media was on fire with people complaining how dark and demented The Doctor now seemed. I don't think he was murdered at all. I think the Doctor talked to him and saw he was in pain and helped him do what needed to be done. The Doctor isn't beyond using deadly force, I am in no way saying that. I'm saying that in this instance he didn't have to. I'll explain why.

 The Doctor has killed before. Throughout classic Who he shot Cybermen, destroyed Daleks etc etc. But more often than not it was his companions, such as Leela, that did the dirty work, or he would set his foes up to destroy themselves. When he returned in his 9th incarnation he was weary of killing because of his time spent fighting in the time war as The War Doctor.
 He refused to sacrifice the earth and kill the Daleks, but again along came a companion, Rose, to do the dirty work. Throughout the series the writers have tried to stay in the premise that The Doctor is a pacifist. He mostly is until he literally has no option left but to kill.

 His history is not the question here in this case. The question is did he push the Robot Controller to his death? I don't think so. First we see The Doctor leave Clara with the Robot Controller willingly. Here his is darker than his previous incarnations in NuWho. Why would he put her in danger like this? What is he becoming? But she was never really in danger. He trusted she would talk her way into finding out the plans that the Robot Controller had. He leaves her, disguises himself as a robot using a flesh mask, and brings her back after she attempts to hold her breathe and get away. He is right there with her and deep down she knew it. He reveals himself and says "Hello, hello - rubbish robots from the dawn of time, thank-you for all the gratuitous information. Five foot one and crying - you never stood a chance."
  He nods to Clara as if saying sorry to scare you and then goes on to threaten to blow up the whole room. Clara then refers to him suddenly abandoning her to which The Doctor replies, "Sorry. Well, no, I'm not, you're brilliant on adrenalin." This Doctor shows he is more openly manipulative than 9 through 11.

 The Doctor then goes back on his threat to blow the room and leaves the companions to fight the other robots. He gambles that the gang will stay alive long enough for him to find a solution and follows the RC up into the cafe. There he pours a drink saying "I've got a horrible feeling I'm going to have to kill you. I thought you might appreciate a drink first. I know I would." Again with the threats, but also no follow through. He lets the craft launch then sits and tests the RC asking "What do you think of the view?" He replies "I do not think of it." Correcting his speech patterns The Doctor points out that the RC is barely a droid anymore.
 "There's more human in you than machine. So tell me what you think of the view." He isn't so much stating the fact of it as much as he is testing the RC's reaction here. When the RC goes to the window and replies that it is beautiful the Doctor literally jumps at the chance to argue knowing now that he has a chance to save his friends and stop the RC's plans.

The RC asks "How could you kill me?" And then The Doctor knows, he is certain that this more than machine man wants to die. He clings to the idea of a promise land and is tired of this world. He is almost asking outright for The Doctor to do it for him.The Doctor further presses forward talking as much to himself as to the RC and says "You are a broom. Question: if you take a broom and replace the handle, and then later replace the brush - and you do it over and over again - is it still the same broom. Answer: no, of course it isn't. You have replaced every piece of yourself, mechanical and organic, time and time again - there's not a trace of the original you left." The RC goes on to say "It cannot end." The Doctor replies "It has to. You know it does."

 He is now actively trying to talk the RC into suicide. He opens the doors saying "And there’s only one way out." The RC says "Self-destruction is against my basic programming." The Doctor replies " Murder is against mine." They struggle and are at a stalemate. RC says "You are stronger than you look." The Doctor replies, "I'm hoping you are too...this is over, are you capable of admitting that?" The RC relents and asks "But do you have it in you to murder me?" The RC wants to die. The Doctor replies "Those people down there. They are never small to me. Don't make assumptions about how far I will go to protect them, because I've already come a very long way. And unlike you I don't expect to reach the promised land."

 The RC extinguishes his fire-arm, effectively and visibly giving up. Then The Doctor closes in "You realize of course, one of us is lying about his basic programming." And here is where you can see that The Doctor has won. He has convinced the RC to let go and die. There is a visible pause from the RC. He answers with a voice which breaks with actual emotion and answers simply "Yes."

 If you watch the video below closely you can see it. The writers want you to think he coldly killed the RC, they want you to see how dark and dower the new Doctor is, but it is a lie. I think the Doctor realized the RC was in pain and wanted release. I don't think he murdered him, I would consider it more of a mercy if he did in fact push him. This Doctor weighs his odds, rolls the dice, and acts accordingly to manipulate the odds into his favor. I don't think he is a cold blooded murder at all. What he did can be considered an act of kindness and mercy, because the RC wanted to die and could not do it himself. What do you think?

The Promise by KatrinDepp

I absolutely love this video. This was one of my favorite parts of the 50th anniversary. Please give KatrinDepp a thumbs up and subscribe if you too like her work. Lovely video and very well done!

Song - Jónsi - Kolniður

Deep Breath Review

I have finally found some free time to put down thoughts on the series 8 premiere. I watched Deep Breath once then promptly re-watched again to look over any details I may have missed and I have to say I loved it.
The new titles were wonderful. I particularly loved the gears, very steampunk. I read that a Youtuber was hired after Moffat had seen his re-imagining of the titles. I think the new theme sounds a bit retro harkening back to the 80's and was okay. I have faith Murray Gold will perform admirably throughout the series as always.

I loved that Capaldi has some of the best comedic lines all throughout the whole episode..
  THE DOCTOR
Oh, I wouldn't bother with that, I never bother with sleep, I just do standy-up-catnaps.
VASTRA
Oh really, how interesting - and when do you do those?
THE DOCTOR
Well, generally when anyone else starts talking. I like to skip ahead to my bits, it saves time.

Capaldi has excellent comedic timing with his lines. His Doctor seems to be more dark and manipulative reminding me very much of the Seventh Doctor. The reason he chose this face still seems a bit unclear and may well be answered much later into the series.

I love how The Doctor is getting a bit darker and more manipulative. He allowed Clara to be caught and interrogated by the Robot Controller standing nearby hidden behind the fleshy mask of one of the RC's previous victims. Granted he was there the whole time, but this is a much darker Doctor willingly putting a companion in harms way just to get some answers. I'll say more about that flesh mask in another post.
I liked seeing Vastra, Jenny, and Straxx again and would personally love to see more. I think they hammered the point home that the two were married a bit too much, but Vastra was flirting with Clara quite a bit. The onscreen kiss between Vastra and Jenny was new ground for Who and I applaud the effort even as I have seen others marginalize and deride it.

The fate of the RC at the end and the question of whether he was pushed or jumped is tough, but again more on that later. The cameo at the end seemed like a bit of fan service aimed especially at the fangirls and tumbler addicts, but I also saw it as a way to explain to the children who watch what just happened. It helped to explain that his face may change, but underneath he is still the same Doctor. I loved seeing Matt again and was surprised that the cameo wasn't spoiled due to all the leaks. I have to commend the fans for respecting Who enough not to spoil it for everyone.

 Now we come to Missy. Just who is she, why is she collecting those The Doctor fails to save? I have read theories ranging from her being the Master to her being another incarnation of River. I have my theories and will post them soon also.
All in all I saw the opening episode as very strong, very bold and dark, and very entertaining. Moffat has taken the series in newer and better directions than RTD in my opinion. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the season has to offer.

CBS Morning interview with cast

Rule One

Some times we forget, being a companion is dangerous...

Music: The Prophecy by Audiomachine

Into the Dalek trailer

Welcome to the most dangerous place in the universe… The Daleks are back and the Doctor embarks on his deadliest mission ever.
Into The Dalek will be broadcast on the 30th of August on BBC One.

Beautiful painting of 12 and Clara

New Alicexz original painting of 12 and Clara

Moffat Column for DWM #477

JIM TAYLOR asks: I was just wondering what is the question you thought we should all be asking about Sylvester McCoy in DWM 475? Meanwhile, LEE ZACHARIAH thinks he knows what the question is, and asks: Why is Sylvester McCoy so damn great?

Jim, Lee's question may not be entirely the one I was looking for, but I like it so much, I'm going to answer it anyway. The night of the 50th - of which I've written much angst elsewhere - my handsome clever son, Louis, was sitting next to me in the audience. We were surrounded, as you might imagine, by the great and the good, and he was as cool as ever about that. But then I realised that even he had his limits, because he grabbed my arm and said in awe-struck tones: "Is that Sylvester McCoy???" He spent the rest of the evening demanding a meeting with his favourite Doctor, and eventually I fought free of the press, and got a message to the man himself. I took Louis upstairs, and when Sylvester saw us approaching (and this is why he's great), he leapt up on the sofa, spun his walking stick like a question-marl umbrella, and windmilled his arms as if he was about to fall over. The Seventh Doctor reborn in an instant, and about to fall off a sofa, as my son raced to his rescue.
Sylvester was a truly great Doctor. If you belong to the dwindling number who think anything different, go and watch Remembrance of the Dales, or Survival, or Ghost Light, and pop back here when you've got time to make your apologies. Actually, go and watch Battlefield. Ignore Angry Andrew and Boring Ben last month - what do they know, just because they made it? It's got a cool monster, great gags, and the best-written Brigadier ever. And Knights from another dimension, which is all I need for a decent evening. I think, when I was young and pompous, I didn't quite get how good this era was but I'm glad I do now. And I'm even gladder that Sylvester McCoy didn't stop being the Doctor, just because he left the show.

Many viewer wrote and asked: In The Day of the Doctor, when all the Doctors save Gallifrey, how come the Seventh Doctor appeared both in his question-mark jumper and - looking a little bit older - in his brown jacket and waistcoat? Did he turn up twice?

Oh, it's a Sylvester fest today, isn't it? A Sylv Fest! There you go, a convention title - have it for free, but make sure you invite me. Okay, I've been prepping this one since I noticed the mistake just that bit too late to fix it. But what am I saying?? Mistake?! As if! No, no, it was the time differential shorting out, just like in Time Crash. He was being shunted through his life span by the presence of all the other Doctors. What, he changed his clothes you say? But that's happened before - it's part of the TARDIS, part of him. Haven't you seen the first regeneration? Or Tom Baker's boots turn into Peter Davison's shoes? Ha, I'm on fire today, no question can fox me!

DAN asks: In The Day of the Doctor, the Doctor says he has been preparing for this "all his lives" before his other incarnations arrive to help him save Gallifrey. How did the previous Doctors know what was going to happen, and how were they told? Surely the only one who could have known was the Twelfth?

The Doctors sent a special message back along their time spans, to summon their other selves. I'm quite surprised you haven't noticed that happening throughout the older episodes. See if you can spot all those moments. Write in!

FINLAY WORRALLO asks: Obviously you haven't cast the actors who will play Doctors Thirteen to Twenty-Four yet. But do you have an in-universe reason why they didn't turn up to help the others save Gallifrey?

It was about how long they needed to keep the calculation going. They only needed 13 life-spans, so only the first, erm, 12, erm, 13, erm, whatever-it-is-now-sorry, showed up.

ADAM ORFORD asks: The Twelfth Doctor doesn't like the colour of his kidneys. So what colour are they, for him not to like the,?

They are froon. This is an entirely new colour, which only the Doctor can see.

MARIA SCHMIDT asks: Could you please share with us some more details of the minor characters' backstory? I mean characters like Jenny (how did the Doctor save her when they first met?), Strax (what exactly was he punished for, how exactly did he meet the Doctor?) and Tasha Lem (how, when and where did she meet the Doctor?).

I quite like there being things we don't know - but some of those, if they make good stories, might come up later...

LOUISE POND asks: Does the Doctor use a toilet, and if so is there one in the TARDIS?

We don't want to think about that, do we? Shame on you! But I like your name, so you can stay. Get your mind out of the toilet, though.

PAUL JOHNSON asks: Does the Doctor have a setting on his sonic screwdriver which he uses to make the clothes he and his companions wear, remain clean and undamaged? That could explain why Rose, Amy and Clara never get ladders in their tights.

You've been spending a lot of time looking at legs, haven't you? Behave!!

SIERRA SEIDLER asks: In The Angels Take Manhattan, when the Doctor, Amy and River go into the hotel, why didn't they smash the angels? Can the Angels reconstruct themselves?

Yes, they can. Oh, they can. Next time you're on a beach, remember that sand is basically ground up stone. And be careful where you put your towel. Oh, hang on, that's not bad...

JAMES WHITBY asks: In The Bells of Saint John, Clara told the Doctor she was given his phone number by 'the woman in the shop'. This has never been explained. Who was the woman in the shop?

Keep watching! There will be an answer!

MIKE BOND asks: Over Amy and Rory's final episodes it's established that the gaps between the Doctor's visits are getting longer. By the time they meet Kate Stewart, it's July 2016. How then can Kate meet Clara and the Doctor in 2013 in The Day of the Doctor?

Ah, yes, well, good point. Some may think that question has no good answer. But as I believe I mentioned earlier, I'm on fire this month and can answer ANYTHING, oh yes. Sadly, however, I've run out of space...

Brian Miller, widower of Elisabeth Sladen, plays a bit part in Deep Breath

 Brian Miller is no stranger to Doctor Who by any means. He has performed in various  Doctor Who productions, appearing in the serial  Snakedance(1983), provided Dalek voices in  Resurrection of the Daleks (1984) and  Remembrance of the Daleks(1985), and played the role of 'Wiston' in the 2005 stage production of The Trial of Davros. Miller married actress Elisabeth Sladen in 1968 before she had been
cast as our Sarah Jane Smith in 1973.
  Miller will play a wandering hobo that encounters The Doctor after he has wandered away into the heart
of London and is still suffering from the after effects of his current regeneration. I do love how Who uses
and recycles actors from past roles into new roles again and again.

Moffat Teases “Major Foe” For Series 8

“We’re going to see what haunts the Doctor…”

As ominous as that sounds I cannot wait to see how this series will progress. I have watched the "leaked"
episode of series 8 "Deep Breath" already and can see where this years series is headed already. Last series
and part of the one before, we were faced with the question that can never be answered "Doctor Who?".
This time around it looks as if Moffat is looking more into what kind of man the Doctor is exactly. Watch closely mid way through the first episode and you can see the seeds being planted for a journey of self
discovery of sorts.

Steven Moffat has teased that a “major foe” will be back in Series 8.

I am actually stumped on this one so far. I am not sure if he is referring to a one episode foe, such as the
Daleks or Cybermen, or if he is referring to the foe that will stretch across the series this year and be working
somewhat behind the scenes. Thoughts? Guesses? Rani anyone? [I hope, I hope]

You can read the full article here and watch the video of Capaldi and Coleman along with the man who lies
Moffat.