Alex

[Alex]

3D or no 3D, Inception is definatly the better film, and by quite a long way.

[Alex]

Well if we’re going through gamertags then mine is VS Band. I’m guessing a fair ammount of Partridge fans got all the other variations of Venture South that I tried first.

[Alex]

As a helpful guide, his website says that from left to right the faces are Craig, Chris, Bobby & Danny.

[Alex]

Well that was a really good episode, nice conclusion to the series and good cliffhanger.

[Alex]

The clap?

Give the man a big hand.

[Alex]

There are iPlayer downloaders that exist. Just do a search on google and you’ll find several. I use one for radio shows that will never be released on CD.

[Alex]

Well that’s made my day that has.

[Alex]

It’s surely gonna be about even between kids, parents and Who fans? Can’t imagine the latter group will stay at home assuming the place will be full of children…

I never suggested they would, I was just saying that I can fully picture turning up and being one of the few adults to not be there with my children. You’ll obviously get fans turning out, but it seems to be aimed at a much younger audience. Asking around a few friends to see if thy planned on going they all seemed to think it would be more for the kids or be similar to ‘The Ultimate Adventure’. I just wouldn’t be surprised if that did put quite a few people off, especially as with booking fee it’ll be around 40 quid for a good seat making it a bit expensive to take a punt on. Still, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. It’ll certainly be interesting to see what they’ve come up with exactly.

Is anyone else actually planning on going to the Wembley show?

[Alex]

True, I would still expect it to be mostly an audience of children though (with a few parents going and using their children as an excuse). With the kind of stage show this will be i’d just naturally expect that to be the core of the audience. That said, I am debating whether to go to the Wembley show or not, guess i’ll see in 3 days when they go on sale.

[Alex]

….I find that assumption that you were there to groom the kids realy offensive!! For all they knew, you might have just had a puppet fetish!!

Believe me it’s not an assumption, after realising we were being monitored I had to explain the situation to the manager. That’s when it was explained what they thought we were up to…

[Alex]

Once after a night of heavy drinking my friends and I awoke to find that we had in our alcoholic stupor brought tickets to see the sooty show. Having spent the money we decided sod it and went along think we could have an ironic laugh at it. They were several excruciating hours where the staff of the theatre were convinced we were there to groom the children in the audience and at one point were reluctant to let us in. I have a strong feeling that, as much as the exclusive scenes etc make me interested, going to this would be a very similar experience…

[Alex]

Even the biggest head-fucks in the original series had in-episode explanations.

Well the most obvious thing to refer to here is that the ending of Fallout didn’t. How six was one etc. They’ve been attempting to explain it in spin offs for years but the episode itself doesn’t. And anyway, by about episode 3 of the remake it’s pretty much said outright that the village is not in this reality. The idea of the mystery shifts quickly from where the village is there to why it is there.

> For example, the phrase ‘Be seeing you’ in the original came across as pleasantry that you might find in English whimsy, but played out here it seemed to carry sinister undertones.

And it made a very deliberate point of the “Be seeing you” repetition *as* something sinister and hinting at mistrust. (To the point where Babylon 5 adopted it for the Psi-Corps’ creepy dealings – which suggests JMS got the implication.)

Sorry, worded that badly. Meant to make it clear that the original was sinister, and that this version only carries a suggestion that it might be and doesn’t use it very often. But yes, I’d agree it’s something that should have been used more and more effectivly.

I think we’ve seen very different shows!

I think it’s more that I’ve seen all of the new series rather than 2 episodes and I’m judging it as an overall piece rather than judging the individual episodes. This is part of what I meant about cutting it down though, if you condensed it all into a film and had things like Rover earlier on with the explanation etc all coming in one sitting I think people wouldn’t be as turned off by it. They talk a lot in interviews for it about how they felt they were ‘filming two movies’ and you can’t help but think it would have been better if they’d just done it and cut it down to one. Like I said, it’s far from perfect, but equally I just didn’t think it was quite as bad as has been suggested.

[Alex]

Given the events of this week’s Prisoner [episode two] – physically unexplainable stuff like the moving of an entire ocean – I decided to read ahead

That’s really no more of a head fuck than a lot of events in the original, i.e. the end of Chimes Of Big Ben where having seen 6 escape to London it turns out he’s never left the Village. As for Rover, in the original it’s existence was not explained (while it is in the remake) so I don’t think that can be held against it really. I think the ‘hard to explain’ argument is a tad void when dealing with either incarnation of this show. It is much harder to defend it against the ‘overlong and self-important’ argument however.

Personally, I think the new version has a bit too much of a need to explain every thing that happens. One of the things I have always liked about the original is that a lot of it is open to interpretation and that it had a core message that it was dealing with. The new version doesn’t have anything like that; there are the odd bits of psychological discussion and a vague comment on the nature of surveillance in modern society, but nothing on the same level. Overall you do get the sense that perhaps this version could have done with being no more than 2 hours and done as a film considering the kind of story that they were trying to tell. A vast amount of the series could be cut out with few ill effects to the overall plot.

I’d still choose the original to watch if I had the choice, as I still feel that it’s a story designed to be told the way it was first of all. (For example, the phrase ‘Be seeing you’ in the original came across as pleasantry that you might find in English whimsy, but played out here it seemed to carry sinister undertones. The remake uses it as well but in the same way you might be told in the US to ‘have a nice day’. It still works as to sounding over-friendly, but something doesn’t sit quite right with me. I have the same problem with the remake of The Ladykillers; a comedy of politeness that doesn’t quite translate correctly when adapted for an American audience. That said, as I stated before, I did watch it from start to finish and didn’t feel that I had been robbed of 6 hours by the end and there were things I enjoyed in it (though mostly from about episode 3 onwards) that I thought were good, and while the main twist at the end explaining everything might have been a little under whelming, I thought that the ultimate fate of 6 was quite well handled.

[Alex]

It’s… different. It’s by no means as awful as I’d expected and it did keep me watching until the end. I still prefer the original but there were some nice things in this one, mostly past episode 2. I suppose my overall complaint would be that it wasn’t quite as strange as the original, and that’s not just because they provided a resolution to the story, it just seemed toned down in general. I was happy enough with the way it finished, (and the very last scene has a nice twist that I’m sure I remember either McGoohan suggested at some point or being used in Shattered Visage,) but at the same time I can see that it would probably irritate some people. Quite a few of the people I know that liked it tend to be the ones that never saw the original, which is perhaps telling, but I don’t think it should exclude you from liking it. That said it all comes down to what expectations you go into it with.

[Alex]

I downloaded it a while ago from a torrent as I hadn’t seen it since it first went out. If you look for ‘the strangerers torrent’ on google I think the one I got was the first result.

[Alex]

I’m always surprised at the amount of overseas tourists that get tickets to shows at the BBC. There always seem to be a load around somewhere when I go to the Now Show or Have I Got News For You for example. I know they’re free and all, but on the topical shows you have to wonder how much they get out of it.

[Alex]

Surely it can’t be best for this site until there there’s something calling Iain Lee a cunt?

There we go, now everyone’s happy. Well, except karcreat… and probably Norm, he’s never happy.

[Alex]

[Alex]

The first episode of the downloadable games is to be called ‘City of The Daleks’. More interesting is this:

The TARDIS materializes in 1963 – and London is in ruins. The Daleks have seized control of time and the only chance of saving Earth lies in a desperate quest to Skaro, the Daleks’ home planet – before time catches up with Amy, the last survivor of the human race!

I imagine a large ammount of continuity debates have just opened on Galifrey Base…

[Alex]

[Alex]

Yeah, I got this from the episode. Just don’t think it holds up to much scrutiny.

And of course everything else in the show like ‘the magic box that can travel time and space and is bigger on the inside than on the outside’ is the stuff of impenetrable logic…

Of all the things one could take issue with in the story concept, the off screen events that led to the whale being tortured seem pretty low on the list.

[Alex]

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970603.html

It’s a fair cop.

[Alex]

The official site has some clips from episode 2 up. Looks interesting, a few nice lines and the explanation of why Amy doesn?t explode like confidence when floating in space in the clip seen in the trailers. Also appears we will have an introduction to each episode from the Moff which is nice.

[Alex]

Tardis interior revealed:
http://www.radiotimes.com/content/features/galleries/doctor-who-exclusive-look-inside-the-new-tardis/03/

And episode 7 is called Amy’s Choice apparently.

[Alex]

Those are great, BtE Rimmer looks fantastic!

[Alex]

Den of Geek are a confederacy of dunces. As, by the way, are Digital Spy, who are doing stupid things like telling everybody that David Tennant has a cameo when it?s all the more likely he appears in a flashback or a ?The Next Doctor?-esque recall moment.

Digital Spy do however have this:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a209692/the-second-who-series-five-trailer.html

Marvellous.*

(*Or Moffat’s new one: ‘Gorgeous’)

[Alex]

Blogger Who have a clip up from the first episode. Having seen it, (with it being the first time we’ve really seen Matt performing properly in an episode rather than a speciallly made trailer or a montage,) i’m starting to see why Moffat was so taken with him.

[Alex]

Admittedly not new who, but there?s not really anywhere appropriate on Unlimited Rice Pudding for it. Interesting for anyone that listens to Big Finish. From Tom’s website:

I have just accepted to do a Doctor Who adventure for BIG FINISH. I also hope that will lead to other scripts for them.

http://www.tom-baker.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=201

It should be pointed out though that Barnaby Edwards says he has heard nothing of this.

[Alex]

And then there’s this:
http://www.denofgeek.com/television/433192/want_to_see_how_bad_the_us_version_of_spaced_could_have_been.html

[Alex]

I found an old tape of the first 2 series of the Demon Headmaster a year or two back, so myself and some friends all sat down to re-watch it over some drinks. We’d never realised just how terrible the child acting was, but that made it incredibly funny, especially when a little bit sloshed. We?d also forgotten that Danny is in the first series as the quiz host.

[Alex]

I wonder if, as far as the Lister costume goes, the reason they didn?t go with his ?classic? leathers is because they?re covered in various patches and badges which would each need to be cleared for mass production

It’s possible. In the case of Lister I?d also venture that it’s a damn sight easier to do that costume than the others. Rimmer less so but if your doing Lister in series I costume I guess it makes sense to do Rimmer that way too. I’m surprised there’s no mention of an H to be honest.

[Alex]

Forgot to put the link from TOS to the comapny so here it is:
http://www.cesaruk.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&root=1&category_id=34&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

[Alex]

When uploading that picture I never could have dreamed that it would end up in anything as wierd as that…

[Alex]

I like the Dalek two-parter, albeit I appear to be the only one.

I wouldn?t say that it’s disastrously bad. It?s hardly standout, but I certainly don?t think it?s the blight on the series that some seem to.

[Alex]

I believe there is some truth to the Sontarans and Daleks in the last 2 episodes (Briggs and Ryan were spotted I believe), however the story they suggest they feature in sounds very much like the Daily Star have been reading wild speculation on Galifrey Base.

[Alex]

That was? ok. I can?t stretch to much more than that. I think the main thing that seemed odd to me was the music. Having seen it now though it probibly would benifit from being viewed in 3D afterall.

[Alex]

Script extract up on Blogger Who from Vampires Of Venice. Slight charecter spoilers about Amy and Rory but nothing that hasn’t already been guessed elsewhere.

http://blogtorwho.blogspot.com/2010/02/vampires-of-venice-script-excerpt.html

[Alex]

Well you’ll only miss it in 3D as by 7 tonight the trailer will no doubt be readily avalible on all manner of sites, and to be honest, seeing as they’ve added the effect afterwards and not designed it with 3D in mind from the start I doubt you’ll miss all that much.

[Alex]

Apparently they did write a fourth series of Bottom but it was turned down by the BBC. It was ?rejected by some lesbian bitch? according to Rik Mayall.

Yes, that is indeed true. They even announced at the end of series 3 over the credits that Bottom would be back next year.

[Alex]

I?m sure it?ll happen some day though. Maybe a channel like Dave could pick it up. If left to do what they do best, the ?Rik & Ade in a care home? idea could be great.

Of course the mnajor problem there is Ade saying a while back that they would never do any more (on tv or stage) as they were getting too old and it was ‘slightly undignified talking about wanking and knobs constantly’.

[Alex]

I like the caption, very apt. I think the last stage show showed why it shouldn’t though. I liked the first 3, the 4th was on a downward slide and the second half of the 5th was a struggle. That said I did like the idea they put about a few years back that they’d like to do a one off with them further down the line in a care home. Might be awful of course but the idea appealed to me.

[Alex]

That?s got to be the first time i?ve seen a Bottom quote on G&T?

Well having been watching it genuinely for as long as I can remember, every line of those 3 series is now hardwired into my brain, so whenever anyone mentions Emmerdale Farm that?s always the first thing that comes to mind.

[Alex]

hat does seem odd. ?Emmerdale Farm? had already been shortened to just ?Emmerdale? by then. 1989 apparently. Bloody hell I feel old now, because I can remember it still being ?Emmerdale Farm?

Doesn’t take so long to read. They’ve got a lot more time to do other things. Can pack a lot more story in.

[Alex]

I thought that was Hugh Dennis?

Milky milky

[Alex]

Will Stephen Fry ever write that episode we were promised all those years ago?

He said recently he’d like to, time and offer permitting.

[Alex]

I have to say I really like ‘The Eleventh Hour’ too. Nice touch.

[Alex]

Human Remains is indeed great. Dark in a different way to Jam but definatly great all the same. Plus of course they used John Martyn’s ‘Don’t Want To Know’ for the themetune so it’s doubally great.

[Alex]

Frankly ?Zagreus? having Rassilon killed doesn?t really effect the new series because the guy Tennant calls Rassilon is never actually confirmed as THE Rassilon and even if he is then the Time Lords could have just brought him back using the Matrix.

It’s been a long time since i listened to it but I thought that he was just traped in the diivergent universe rather than being killed. Rassilion hasn’t ever been killed in any Big Finish has he? I hope not as I really don’t want to have to go back through McGann’s third season just to correct my memory.

[Alex]

Paul McGann?s audio adventures aren?t canon, are they? They had Rassillon get killed in it in ?Zagreus?, unless I?m remembering it wrong. It?s been a long time since I?ve bothered to listen to that story (because it?s so long, I know a lot of people think it?s rubbish but I was prepared; I lowered my expectations and enjoyed it).

No, he was back only a few stories later.

[Alex]

If I remember correctly wasn’t it due to radio 7 the them editing out the Charlie arc as much as possible in the series? Or am I just talking a load of old bollocks?

[Author]

Replies