Ben Kirkham

[Ben Kirkham]

Maybe they were judged unworthy…

It’s physical media for the win every single time.

[Ben Kirkham]

I think if you want to introduce new fans to the Classic series, show them “Carnival of Monsters.”

[Ben Kirkham]

I can 100% recommend the Blake’s 7 Collection box sets. Series 1 and 2 are out, with series 3 following soon and I expect series 4 next year. The episodes look amazing and the new features (especially the award nominated documentary about Jacqueline Pearce) are brilliant.

[Ben Kirkham]

Haven’t seen him in anything yet but RIP Michael Keating just the same.

You need to see the Sun Makers for Robert Holmes’ writing alone

Totally. Clever story, that one.

[Ben Kirkham]

It’s otherwise been a brilliant week for Vila.

You rushed to the forum to make that joke, didn’t you? ;-)

[Ben Kirkham]

Sharing my tribute to his wonderful performance as Vila.

Lovely tribute, Rushy.

[Ben Kirkham]

RIP to Michael Keating, the only actor to appear in every episode of Blake’s 7. I really hope the blu-ray producers were able to get a contribution from him and we’ll see something on series 3 or 4.

[Ben Kirkham]

Anyway, I’m tremendously pleased about this discovery and I really hope it paves the way for more in the not-so-distant future.

[Ben Kirkham]

Anybody working on reconstructions or animations (official or fan-made) always understands that when/if the originals are found, they outrank everything else. You’re making them as substitutes for the originals. His mind works in the most bizarre ways.

He’s the sort of person who’d receive a gold ingot and then discard it for the paper mache version he made in the 2nd year of Primary School. He made it so in his kingdom it’s the best, regardless of what the world thinks. It’s like the Emperor’s New Clothes.

Similar mentality to a bloke across the pond, really…

[Ben Kirkham]

This is pretty fucking funny.

“I’m not as interested in finding lost Doctor Who episodes now that I’ve started dicking around with AI slop”

”There will always be 110/ 105/ 97/ 95 (delete as appropriate) missing Doctor Who episodes.”

I love you, Ian. I hope you know that.

[Ben Kirkham]

Sorry, I was looking out of the wrong window.

Have recovered all episodes, just the final episode (Dear Lillian) proving elusive now.

[Ben Kirkham]

a TV show inexplicably deciding to release its fifth-season finale as a movie instead. And no show would ever do that.

The X-Files movie was started after season 3 (I think) and mostly wrapped up after season 4, so it picks up, like, one pre-determined thread from the end of season 5 (I’m closing the X-Files. For an hour) while ignoring other developments they’d thought up since to keep the mytharc from being completely static for two years.
Whoops, sorry to derail the Star Wars thread.

The X-Files movie (Fight the Future) was filmed after season 4 but took place after season 5.

[Ben Kirkham]

From the 1994 repeat run onwards, I had every single episode on VHS, and yet I still made audio tapes, because what was I supposed to do when I wasn’t in front of the TV?

Absolutely! I did this with Doctor Who. I videotaped the classic series from UK Gold and then audio recorded some of them on cassette tape.

The Edge of Destruction sounded so spooky on cassette. I stayed with 2 parters because they were less work.

[Ben Kirkham]

Aah, classic Doctor Who, my heart will always truly be with you ❤️ 

[Ben Kirkham]

Hoe did Deb smuggle a dog on board?  A quiet cat, silently prowling around the ship, hidden in air vents and stuff I buy.  A fucking dog, barking and howling and running up to every one it sees tail wagging, stinking out the bunk room and everything else … it’s incredulous 

That’s a very good point I’ve never considered before!

[Ben Kirkham]

Perfectly happy to have a companion ‘Mr Rat’ thread. But the Dog (as I assume he’s named) never gets any press. Even the documentary never mentions him. It’s a dogs life, I suppose.

[Ben Kirkham]

I’d loved to have seen John Sparkes in Red Dwarf.

[Ben Kirkham]

Update on the Bottom book (Talking Bottom):

Hello lovely Bottom book-backers! “You’re lovely aren’t you? Lovely lovely lovely lovely.” We are very pleased to be able to share a FANTASTIC update at long last… the Talking Bottom book is in now in the hands of the wonderful editors at Unbound!   A bit more time will be needed on it as we enter into a process of amendments (and the editors will be navigating some of Eddie’s pornographic doodles along the way) but, as soon as we hear a solid timeline for final publication, you will be the first to know! We are sorry about the lengthy wait but we can tell you that it was worth it – we got access to the interview materials we had been hoping for.   We truly cannot thank you enough for your patience and all your support throughout the many months while we’ve been studying Bottom quite a lot. (While we’ve been alone in the house…)We will be in touch the moment we can share a publication date.   “Kissy kissy kissy, hug hug hug,”   Angela, Paul and Mat Judging by earlier updates, it sounds like the interviews are with Ade Edmondson himself!

[Ben Kirkham]

https://unbound.com/books/bottom

This, by the way, has been on the cards now for about 3 years. I backed it through a kickstarter/ unbound campaign but it still has yet to materialise.

[Ben Kirkham]

Excellent.

[Ben Kirkham]

Ian, that’s one of my favourite posts in all my years visiting this website. I echo a lot of your sentiments and I certainly felt exactly the same way when David Bowie died. It’s part of getting older (I’ll be 40 next year) when you lose either people that you knew and loved or people that you admired from afar.
I’m sure Seb would be so chuffed you’re keeping his flame burning.
But I go by the old maxim that as long as someone speaks your name, you’re never really gone. Or:
“Death isn’t the handicap it used to be in the olden days. It’s doesn’t screw your career the way it used to.” x

P.S anyone curious about Bowie’s underrated and bold 90’s work could do a lot worse than to listen to his incredible 1995 album, ‘Outside.’

[Ben Kirkham]

Don’t think I’ll ever get over the loss of Rik Mayall, to be honest. Hope this will be the tribute that Bottom deserves. It never really gets the same recognition as The Young Ones but, for people of my generation at least, it was just as important.

[Ben Kirkham]

REALLY looking forward to this!

[Ben Kirkham]

I remember being extremely upset with the death of the first Blackadder when I was 10 years old, maybe it’s the sad hymn at the end. Doesn’t affect me at all now.

But the only really affecting one is the conclusion to Goes Forth, which is a masterpiece.

The Third is my personal favourite series, and I love that Blackadder wins at the end of it!

[Ben Kirkham]

Dave, if you do purchase it, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. In fact, it’s a shame this isn’t a Blackadder website, as it’s the sort of set a G and T review would be perfect for! 

[Ben Kirkham]

There are whispers that legal wranglings made the release of the pilot impossible, though the team responsible for this release did their best to include it. It’s a shame, but once you’ve seen the rushes and all the raw footage of stuff that’s probably never been seen before, it more than makes up for it.
You can now watch the mini-saga of the balladeer from series 2’s end titles.

The trailers are exhaustive, the deleted scenes include whole film sequences from series 1 that I never knew existed. So much material. A feature on the editing of the final scene of ‘Goodbyeee,’ and raw footage from the recording of that episode, that really shows how tense all of the cast were feeling as they knew their characters’ fate. 

The raw footage for each episode selected (I think it’s ’Bells,’ ‘Duel and Duality,’ ‘Corporal Punishment’ and ‘Goodbyeee’) are about an hour in length each and feature Ben Elton’s studio warm-ups, introductions to the audience, breaks in the recording etc, a real opportunity to experience the atmosphere of those episodes being recorded. 

There‘s the full film sequence from ‘Bells,’ which shows Blackadder and Bob’s courting and it’s hilarious. 

I’m so happy and pleasantly surprised with the riches modestly contained within this set.

[Ben Kirkham]

Yes, it was a pleasant surprise! I’m not a huge fan of ‘Back & Forth,’ but it looks wonderful in HD.

The upscale is far better than ‘Red Dwarf’ blu rays. The film sequences in series 1 look much richer, and the colours really pop in the studio sequences for 2-4. The studio sequences in series 1 are variable. All in all, definitely worth checking out. There’s a treasure trove of unseen stuff. And the recent version of the Pilot is doing the rounds on the internet now, too.

[Ben Kirkham]

The best thing about the set is that it features *hours* of studio footage and film recordings, some that were never used in the broadcast episodes. The love that has gone into this set is very evident. Yes, the lack of Pilot is a shame, but it’s more than made up for in this comprehensive set!
And ‘Back and Forth’ has an optional laugh track!

[Ben Kirkham]

The blu ray set arrived today! The lack of pilot episode is extremely disappointing.

Aside from this, the episodes look great! The film sequences in the first series are excellent, the new extras are also very impressive; at last, some commentaries for series one!

[Ben Kirkham]

Most definitely finished checking this thread now, it’s quite unpleasant. 

[Ben Kirkham]

Isn’t this what is written on the runes in the ‘Doctor Who’ story ‘The Curse of Fenric’?

[Ben Kirkham]

As far as I’m aware, Cliche was only ever 6 episodes but I could be wrong…?

[Ben Kirkham]

Thank You! 😊👍🏻

[Ben Kirkham]

I’ve missed most of them too because things have gotten on top of me a bit but I did mention it to Cappsy in the thread linked above, and he’s planning to update them at some point but it isn’t a priority. Hope this helps.

It’s lovely that it’s getting more people hooked onto Wrinkles! I’ve still got the G&T versions and I think David Ross, in particular, has superb timing.

[Ben Kirkham]

Oh Dear God, what fresh Hell is this?

[Ben Kirkham]

Extremely good piece here.

Can Russell T. Davies Save Doctor Who… Again?

[Ben Kirkham]

It’s just possible that we could have something as powerful, entertaining, thought-provoking and emotionally thrilling as ‘The Waters of Mars’ again.

Characters that you can root for!

Stories that emotionally connect!

Unforced, genuine humour and a sheer sense of JOY.

Hope, indeed. :-)

And, who knows? Maybe the Whittaker era is going to be my modern day McCoy era; a tenure of the show that is shied away from for years but then gets a reassessment with the benefit of time and hindsight…

[Ben Kirkham]

Wonderful news! I’m hugely surprised, but pleasantly so! I’m hoping that RTD, if he doesn’t expel all of the Timeless Child bullshit (oh if only he would!), at least finds a way to make it work. But, more than ever, he’ll get to the heart(s) of what makes the show work. The BBC can spin it any way they want, but Chibnall and Whittaker (yes, I count her too) have been a failure and run the show into the ground. I’m confident that RTD will steer the ship to sunnier horizons, but it’ll take a little longer for me to ever accept Chibnall’s era as canon, tbh.

[Ben Kirkham]

Or the people who think Chris Barrie played Arnold Rimmer, when we all know that Arnold Rimmer played Barrie.

[Ben Kirkham]

I find it slightly amusing that Lee Bee posted this diatribe in an Unpopular Opinions thread.

For what it’s worth, I don’t like any of you and I never have. Thanks.

[Ben Kirkham]

It took place on 15th February 1988.

[Ben Kirkham]

Thanks. Beginning to get me down, to be honest.

Likewise. Thanks, Capps. Thapps.

[Ben Kirkham]

Ian’s post = hall of fame status.

[Ben Kirkham]

I think that’d make a good mobisode or promo advert, a bit like the AA adverts. Maybe a comic relief sketch? I can definitely see it in a cartoonish way but I don’t think it’d ever fit into the main series.

[Ben Kirkham]

“Will Rob or Douglas make this do you think?”

No.

Having said that, I’m interested in the proposal. Please flesh this out for us some more, Trimmer Ex.

How did Alan get into space?
How is he breathing if he’s floating in space?
Where in Alan’s chronology is this?
How can he communicate with Starbug?
Is he in his sports casual wear?
Pringle jumper?
The Alan Partridge Blazer badge and tie combination pack?

What would the plot of the episode be? Does it impact on our characters?

Thanks.

[Ben Kirkham]

Sonic 2006 and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric are unspeakably awful.

[Ben Kirkham]

When those purple portals appear, does anyone else have an overwhelming urge to whisper “Sssllliiidddderrrss?”

[Ben Kirkham]

Jodie Whitaker still got voted the 2nd best Doctor anyway

What the actual fuck???
Worth noting that it was a poll of Favourite Doctors, not Doctors being rated.
Like I said at the time, it depends on who’s voting – under-30s are going to vote Tennant/Smith, 50-somethings will vote Pertwee/Baker, and youngsters will always vote for The Current Doctor, who, of course, is Jodie. It’s a (re)generational thing.

It’s fair enough, I suppose. I’m one of the Wilderness years kids, so I never really had a sustained, current Doctor. I suppose it’d be Paul McGann but he wasn’t around long enough (on TV, at least).

His performance through Big Finish has cemented McGann as *my* Doctor, but I think that Tom Baker is the definitive Doctor. Love them all in their own way, though. Except Whittaker, for reasons that would take up an essay.

[Ben Kirkham]

Jodie Whitaker still got voted the 2nd best Doctor anyway

What the actual fuck???

[Ben Kirkham]

It’s not your fault, it’s Symes’s Law.

The most recent things will always over-perform to varying degrees in any poll, Dwarfy or otherwise. When things are fresher, reactions are more extreme. It takes time for people to look at things more objectively and placings to settle down.

This is exactly the reason ‘The Day of the Doctor’ came first place in the DWM Poll.

[Author]

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