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I for one enjoy Dr. Who because unlike most sci-fi and fantasy shows, Dr. Who can be just about anything.

Since 1963, Dr. Who has told all tyopes of stories, ranging from historical, to action and adventure. Thanks to the TARDIS, the characters on Dr. Who are not limited to a court room procedural format, or the predictable requirements of a sitcom.

So what brings you to Who?

Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards is the first of the new hardback Doctor Who tie-in novels, and I loved it. It was just like reading an episode. I could almost review it like one, come to think of it. The featured characters are the ninth Doctor and Rose, and the action takes place in 1920s London. (The Doctor and Rose are in town to see the British Empire Exhibition.) There are twists and turns, scary aliens, unexpected friends and foes, a few obvious subplots, and even a “bad wolf” reference. As usual, Rose has to wear period clothing, while the Doctor only goes as far as changing his shirt. This adventure seems to take place early on during the first series. Certainly, it’s pre-Captain Jack. There are many references to time and chess, and they seem to weave their way through the story. The characters aren’t the most well developed I have ever encountered, but the pace of the story more than makes up for this. The action drags you along in its wake and, if you are not careful, you will find yourself reading way past your bedtime. Just as with any good episode, I want to go read it again now.

Now that we are headed into the year with only Doctor Who specials, I thought that it might be fun to post some interesting stage directions from the beginning of the new show. Gotta love those extra character insights. So, I’m starting today with a bit from the beginning of “Rose.” Enjoy!

From Doctor Who: The Shooting Scripts, Episode 1.1 – Rose (by Russell T. Davies):

“2. INT Rose’s Bedroom Day 1 0730

CU a black, square alarm clock. A hand slams it off. ROSE TYLER sits up in bed, gathers herself for a second. She’s 19, her bedroom’s a mess, she’s got another bloody day at work, and she’s so much better than this. Ho hum. Deep breath, and Rose throws the quilt off.”

So, now we know who the next Doctor will be. Have you seen Matt Smith in action yet? (I saw him in Ruby in the Smoke last night, and I thought he did a great job, for what it’s worth.) Here’s an interview with him in which he discusses his reaction to getting the job, how difficult it was to keep the secret, and the journey he sees ahead of him.

The Eleventh Doctor has been announced, and he shall be 26 year old Matt Smith. (Mind you, by the time he premieres, he’ll be 27.) Smith (Ha! A Doctor who really is named Smith!) has previously appeared in Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North, and Secret Diary of a Call Girl, among other things. You can check out his IMDB listing here.

So, there you go. The youngest ever Doctor will appear via the usual regeneration scene on Easter of 2010. It looks like that is when they are playing the last of David Tennant’s four specials. The next series will then start a few weeks later. What do you think? I’m off to watch Ruby in the Smoke so I can see for myself what sort of actor he is. I’ve been meaning to watch it anyway.

According to the BBC, tomorrow is the day they will announce who the next Doctor is going to be. I guess now that the Christmas episode is over, there is no need to keep people guessing.

According to the offical Doctor Who Website there is going to be a special confidental to air tomorrow making the announcement.

Have a Happy Hogmanay and a fabulous new year!

Since it premiered in 1963, Doctor Who has had a variety of interesting episode titles. After all of this time, though a few patterns have emerged. Starting the episode title with a definite article is especially popular. Another common word is, of course, Dalek. A very frequently used format is “The *** of ***.” The word that feels to me like it appears most often, however, is “Planet.” Not too surprising, considering the nature of the show, but still. Let’s see how many episodes actually have it in the title.
 

Well it is Christmas time again, and that means family, friends, presents and Doctor Who. … Well it does in my household.

As you would remember from my previous post concerning this year’s Christmas Special, I was expecting “The Next Doctor” to be a story about a con man using The Doctor’s reputation for profit. After all, this would not be the first time the production team would be influenced by the various Doctor Who audio adventures of Big Finish.

I am pleased to say, I was wrong, we were treated to a unique story filled with strong, memorable performances.

Join me beyond the spoiler alert to learn more about what I thought of this episode.

I recently ran across this oldie (but goodie) again, and I thought that you all might like to be reminded of it. (I hope that the person controlling that home-made Dalek was okay…)