Anomalous Musings: The Anomaly Podcast Blog: doctor who

Showing posts with label doctor who. Show all posts

Monday, August 19, 2013

Sue's Dragon Con 2013 Schedule

Hi, I'm Sue. On Saturday, I got a haircut with bangs for the first time in 18 years, and all for cosplay. And I am an Anomaly. Once again, I'll be attending Dragon Con, and once again, a few unsuspecting track directors have agreed to let me sit on panels. Keeping in mind that everything at Dragon Con is tentative until it's over, here's where I expect to be:

Dragon Con 101 Meet Up!
Friday at 10:00am
American Sci-Fi and Fantasy Media Track (Marriot M302)
If you want to connect and and meet up with other DragonCon newbies, come to this casual meet and greet. This is an informal gathering. (I am one of the veterans who has volunteered to be on hand to answer questions.)

Happiest Space Off Earth: Disney-Fied Sci-Fi

Friday at 11:30am

American Sci-Fi Classics Track (Marriott M303-304)

Many moons before Disney bought Marvel and Star Wars, they were all about geeky movies, from Dragonslayer to Black Hole.

Hidden Monsters: A Being Human Fan Panel
Friday at 1:00pm
Urban Fantasy Track (Westin International BC)

A moderated fan-panel discussion of the hit series (US version).

Does a Contract Negate Non-Consent?
Friday at 5:30pm

WhedonUniverse Track (Westin International DE)

Dollhouse had the actives sign contracts. Where does that put the show where consent is concerned?

Much Ado about Shakespeare

Saturday at 1:00pm

WhedonUniverse Track (Westin International DE)
Discuss this contemporary take on a Shakespearean classic. Starring so many Whedonverse actors, there's plenty of reasons to make much ado!

Sidekicks - Hero Support or More?

Saturday at 7:00pm
American Sci-Fi and Fantasy Media Track (Marriott M302)
Sometimes the best thing about a show is not the hero, but the sidekicks! Who’s your favorite? Kenzi? Chloe? Xander? or maybe its Diggle?

Orphan Black

Saturday at 8:30pm
Brit Track (Sheraton Macon)

A discussion of this groundbreaking show, including the ethics and legal issues of real-life cloning.

Gay Themes in Doctor Who
Saturday at 10:00pm
Brit Track (Marriott A601-602)

An examination of DW's role in breaking traditional walls of SF by acquiring a following in straight and gay communities. (This panel was originally "Gender Roles in Doctor Who". The topic changed, but I'm still on the panel.)

Me and my AI
Sunday at 2:30pm
American Sci-Fi and Fantasy Media Track (Marriott M302)
The Macguffin of SF is Artificial Intelligence, a blessing or a curse. How has it been handled in media and has your perspective been colored by it?

Brit Fans on the Net: A Podcast Round Table

Monday at 10:00am
Brit Track (Sheraton Macon)
Brit Podcasters unite to discuss being an Anglophile on the net.

The Worlds of Terry Pratchett
Monday at 1:00pm
Brit Track (Sheraton Macon)
This panel discusses the many worlds of Terry Pratchett, including his newest works, The Long War and Raising Steam.

So, those are all my panels. Look at them all! How did that even happen?!

In addition to all of those things, there are a few events that I'm 99% sure I'll be attending, including: The American Sci-Fi Classics Party on Thursday Night, Friday Night Syfy Drive-In Theater showing of Super Shark (or at least part of it), the Doctor Who Anniversary Ball on Friday Night, and the Late Night Puppet Slam on Sunday night. Phew! Oh, and I'll be running The ATL 10K in the Atlanta heat on Saturday morning (in a Wonder Woman costume).

So, if you'll be in Atlanta over Labor Day Weekend this year, come say "hello!" Attending any of the above listed events will likely be the best way to find me, but you can shoot me a tweet (@spaltor) during Con, or even email the Anomaly Supplemental account - moregilrygeekz(at)gmail(dot)com - and that should reach me. See you there!

Sue
Staff Writer for Anomaly
Co-Host of Anomaly Supplemental
Subscribe to Anomaly via iTunes

Monday, August 20, 2012

Give the Old Boys a Go

Today's guest post is from friend-of-Anomaly Simon Meddings. He is a writer at Martian Creative, a podcaster thrice-over (Waffle On, The Tipple Cast, and the MASH 4077 podcast) and has even appeared on Anomaly from time to time. You may know him as "Meds." He is a long-time fan of Doctor Who, and has a bit of a "public service announcement" regarding one of his favorite television programs. Allons-y.

I have a three year old daughter who pointed at Roger Daltrey singing “Who Are You?” on the TV and said, "Oh look Daddy! It’s the Doctor!" and she is an Anomaly.

Now this little bit of writing is not about my daughter and her fondness for Tom Baker. It’s about me and my slight annoyance at certain blogs written about Doctor Who. Now, one of my regular status updates on that there Facebook thingy is this: "Doctor Who did not start in 2005." I write this, often, because I have just read someone’s viewpoint about how David Tennant is the best Doctor, or when someone says "Oh the Cybermen were made by that bloke from ‘Only Fools and Horses’ who's a bit dim". This is like a stab in my brain, heart, and possibly groin - yes, it causes me that much pain.

Now, before everyone starts sending me sonic hatred or, heaven forbid, throws me in the eye of harmony (google it), let me say this: I have nothing against modern Who. Well, not all of it. And I welcome all new Whovians with open arms. After all, it’s you lovely time lords and lasses who will be keeping this show going when I'm dead and regenerated. My issue is the lack of acknowledgement of the previous 42 years (Douglas Adams, I salute you) of Doctor Who. The early stories of the Cybermen and Daleks are fantastic and you can see why kids (and occasionally adults) hid behind the sofa as the metal-clad creatures loomed on the screen and gave the impression of impending doom and horror.

My biggest roll-of-the-eye moments come from are the occasional ignorance of the classic series. Such as the strange announcement that the Ninth Doctor was just in his 900s. WHAT?? In a photo available anywhere on the internet, the Second Doctor is holding his 500 year-old diary. That means in the space of six lives, he's only lived a further 400 years. That's really rubbish and frankly a bit haphazard in wasting lives, considering he can only have thirteen of them (although this can be changed via dodgy Time Lord deals). Also, ex-producer Russell T. Davies's overblown egotistical writing for the Tenth Doctor’s swan song has him pop around to see all his new mates to say "see ya" and ignoring his past thirty three companions (including two K-9s) was bloody facepalm awful. Hrumph...

Now my love of Doctor Who is being heart-massaged by Matt Smith and Steven Moffat, as these two are bringing the show back to how it used to be, and it seems the new fans are loving every minute of it. And for that I have every faith in this marvel continuing for many years after the 50th Anniversary. So what’s the point of this scribe? Well apart from getting it off my two-hearted chest, it’s to plead with new fans to go out there and seek out classic Who.

I know regular Anomaly contributor Sarah enjoys watching classic Who and holds viewing parties with her husband Andrew, so I am fully aware that there are some new fans who really enjoy old Who (and you are all fantastic). So please encourage other fans to jump on board one of the old TARDISes (there were four different styles before Eccleston’s shiny new box) and join in with the old stuff.

Ok so that's my bit of moaning done. The new series starts in August [editor's note: September in the states] and maybe, just maybe, after watching episode one of series seven (actually series 33) you new fans will go and stream, buy, or search for a few episodes of classic Who (just don't watch “The Happiness Patrol”).

Cheers and Geronimo.

Meds
Anomaly Guest Writer
Writer - Martian Creative
Podcaster - Waffle On, Tipple Cast, and MASH 4077 Podcast

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

I Take It Back! (or: Donna Noble, Please Forgive Me)

Hi, I'm Sue. I started watching Doctor Who less than 6 months ago, and I already own a sonic screwdriver and dark red Chucks, and I am an Anomaly.

Back in February, we released an Anomaly Supplemental that was simply an unedited chat that Kasey, Sarah, and I had about Doctor Who, while I was still watching it, and, well, I made an uninformed statement about Donna Noble. My exact words were: "I think she would have been a terrible companion" (you can hear it for yourself at 32:35). Yeah, I know. I knew before we even released the show, but decided to leave it in, because that was my impression at the time. A week or so after that podcast was released, my brother called and said that he was listening in the car on his way to work and had to pull over because he was laughing so hard. Thanks, Joe.

In my defense, the conversation was recorded on January 20 and, according to my GetGlue check-ins, I was at the end of Series 3 (I have since caught up on the adventures of the Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Doctors). That means that my only experience with Donna had been the 2006 Christmas Special "The Runaway Bride." In that episode, I found Donna to be an unfortunate stereotype - she was a bit air-headed, lacking professional ambition and undervaluing herself ("I'm only a temp"), desperate to marry, needy, brassy, and annoying. When she turned down the Doctor's offer to join him on the TARDIS, I was relieved more than anything else. But looking back on that now, it was the first hint of Donna's perceptive nature - neither she nor the Doctor were ready yet. The Doctor needed some time to deal with Rose's loss and Donna needed to figure out who she really was.

I like to believe that Donna's encounter with the Doctor had changed her, opening her eyes and her mind to new possibilities, and giving her a desire to grow. So, when she does join the Doctor a year later (from her perspective, anyway), she's become a very difference person. And she's very different from the Doctor's previous companions, as well. Before I even realized what was happening, Donna became my companion.

Rose was 19 and working in a department store when she joined the Doctor (s1e3 "The Unquiet Dead"). Martha was 23-year-old medical student (Wikipedia, citing Doctor Who Magazine). Donna's age is never stated explicitly, but Catherine Tate was born in 1968, making her 40 years old when her series aired in 2008 (Billie Piper was 23 when she joined the cast, Freema Agyeman was 28). Donna's older and has more life experience - she's held (or, perhaps, not held) numerous jobs, almost been married, etc - and that has made her a more independent person, despite how she acted in "The Runaway Bride."

I also want point out that Donna is not rail-thin, like Rose and Martha (and Amy), but she's still stylish and confident. Too often, any woman who is not shaped like a runway model is relegated to stereotypical supporting roles, like the spunky best friend who can't get a date, and not given the opportunity at a leading role (at least on American TV). It's refreshing to see a mature woman of real proportions in a leading role of a dramatic and incredibly popular series.

Furthermore, Donna is not in love with the Doctor. Let's face it, the Rose/Ten pairing was intense. I'm not about to lie and say I wasn't heartbroken at the end of "Doomsday" - 'cause I was - but I didn't want to see "companion" become synonymous with "girlfriend". And then there was Martha, who had a severe case of puppy love, but the Doctor was uninterested, and her pining grew tiresome, even for him. He and Donna both made it clear from the start that they were "just mates" and just like that, all of the romantic issues were gone and we could get back to the story - they become more like siblings than lovers.

Finally, and perhaps most notably, Donna does not hold her tongue. The Doctor's companions often take on the role of his conscience, and Donna more than any other. She challenges him, questions him, makes him question himself and his motivations, and argues with him. She's quick-witted, sarcastic, and funny - and smarter than she gives herself credit for. She doesn't just defer to him - at moments where any other companion would have backed down or shut up, Donna holds firm and pushes back. Just like he changed her, Donna changes the Doctor.

Personally, I find the end of Donna's story line to be more heart-wrenching than Rose's. She's still there, on Earth, in the same reality, but she can never know about her time with the Doctor. If she ever remembers, she'll die. And after all they've been through together, after how much they've both grown, the Doctor has to move on, and Donna goes back to a mundane, normal life, even though the audience and everyone around her knows that she can be so much more.

Now, I find Donna inspiring. She's got confidence and snark, compassion and intuition. She grows so much during her story arc. It may sound cheesy, but her character serves as a reminder that we all have so much more courage, ability, and creativity inside of us than we even realize.

Sue

Staff Writer for Anomaly

Co-Host of Anomaly Supplemental

Subscribe to Anomaly via iTunes

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Horrible Doctor Who: Five Episodes that Shame Time and Space

Warning: Content contains spoilers. Please read with caution. If unwanted spoiler gets in eye, rinse head thoroughly under water until burning rage subsides. If symptoms continue, please Google issue and then proceed with care.

My name is KC and according to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I'm "mostly harmless." And in parentheses, it says "see, Anomaly."

I would say I'm a pretty devoted Doctor Who fan. After all, Doctor Who was the vehicle that opened my eyes to my inner geek. Time travel, space adventures, interesting characters, romance, horror, drama, comedy... for a family show, it seems to have it all!

About a month ago, I recorded a Skype-cast with Meds and Kenny for Treks in Sci-Fi, all about the most recent series (or "season") of Doctor Who. When the episode was released, we all received an email from Jen. She let us know that we all did an awesome job and that our love of the series made her "really want to revisit the series." She said she had started with series one... but she had to stop after the aliens invaded London.

I, being a huge fan of the series, do not blame her one bit. If I had started with the first series and saw the episode she spoke of, I would have abandoned Doctor Who myself. There are fantastic episodes of the series, but every now and then, there are terrible ones.

Jen received three different replies from Meds, Kenny and I about which episodes to watch. I had a color coded list ready to send, and then I thought of something. There are plenty of lists out there about which episodes of Doctor Who are the best. Anyone can get those anywhere, and they could miss some underrated episodes if they go by these lists alone. Even some mediocre and bad episodes have their merits. However, not a lot of articles cover the poor quality ones. And you know what? The best thing about these stories is you can skip them and you will not miss a lot!

I have compiled a list of five episodes from the new series that are absolutely abysmal. (This show is nearly fifty years old, I'm not going that in depth!) I will give credit where credit is due and I write why the episode might be worth watching. That being said, the episodes I have listed are bad and I point out why they are bad. Big emphasis on bad.

Take note that these are merely my opinions and mine alone. I'm also more than willing to be a hypocrite and change my opinions if I magically get a job working with the Doctor Who creative team. Until that extremely unlikely day, my apologies to the Doctor Who powers that be.

"Aliens of London/World War Three" (Series One, Episodes 4 & 5)
Reason for Skipability: Aliens known as the Slitheen are masquerading as humans. That's fine with me because some of the best science fiction has at least one story like this. The problem is that the Slitheen are gigantic green monsters that have to compress their forms into a tiny human suit. Therefore the tell-tale sign that they're aliens is that they experience moments where... you know what, they fart. Yes, you heard me. A television show about time and space resorts to fart jokes. Why, Russell T. Davies? Why?
Dang It: A character named Harriet Jones is introduced in this episode, and she occurs two more times in the show. She's probably the only good part of this two-parter. Plus, her portrayer, Penelope Wilton, can be recognized as Simon Pegg's mom in Shaun of the Dead.

"Boom Town" (Series One, Episode 11)
Why it's bad: The farting aliens return! Well, one of them. The episode itself is gets pretty lost and can never find its tone. In fact, I'm not even sure if this episode wants to be a science fiction story. It's really a back and forth about why this deadly woman-alien should or shouldn't be sent to her home, who will execute upon her return. I could watch a better version of this plot on Law and Order or Star Trek.
Dang It: In two ways, it connects to the following last episodes of the first series. Missing this episode won't ruin anything though.

"New Earth" (Series Two, Episode One)
Reason for Skipability: This episode has interesting basic ideas. Seemingly utopian future, dark secrets about utopia's hospital system, humanoid cat nuns--I can dig it. But the episode itself was poorly executed in terms of story. It didn't need elements like a returning villain or a theme about living forever... the whole episode just fell flat. Also, if I had to get onto "Aliens in London" and "Boom Town" for the fartiness, I have to get onto this episode for it's immature use of hidden swear words. Cutting to another shot before someone curses doesn't make you clever. Fourth graders will laugh at it now, but they will not when they grow up.
Dang It: There are a few good parts in here. As in four. 1) The first minute is beatifully shot. 2) Big fat spoiler--Rose kisses the Doctor. Sure, she's possessed by another female entity, but it's a pretty good kiss. 3) The Doctor gets possessed and then proceeds to act as a woman. It's amusing. 4) The last few minutes of the episode are, again, beautifully shot. Oh! And a bonus: you get to see the Face of Boe. But that's it.

"Love and Monsters" (Series Two, Episode 10)
Reason for Skipability: I must admit that I liked this episode the first time around. But I may or may not have had a glass of wine that night, because the next time I watched it, I could not believe how ridiculous it was. I have to admit that I like the format of the episode where it's an outsider talking to the webisphere about experience with the Doctor, and cutting clips in of Elton John and ELO. And the actors do a good job. But the story, dialogue, and direction are all over the place. It has some major A.D.D., and not in an interesting, Terry Gilliam kind of way. I mean a let's-give-a-five-year-old-a-cup-of-coffee-and-have-him-write-the-episode kind of way.
Dang It: I got nothing. Just skip it.

"The Voyage of the Damned" (2008 Christmas Special)
Reason for Skipability: This is probably one of the worst Christmas specials ever. And is it just me, or do most of the Christmas episodes have nothing to do with Christmas? This is basically a combo between Poseidon and B-movie, which is never a good combination. You are introduced to characters that you never come to care for, and the explosions are the kind that only Michael Bay could love.
Dang It: A character named Wilfred Mott is introduced in this episode, and he becomes pretty important later on. And there is one moving moment of the special near the end between the one-off companion Astrid (Kylie Minogue) and the Doctor, but I don't know if it's worth watching the entire thing.

I will admit that I would probably like these episodes if I were much younger. However, I'm an older viewer and I think that the only faults of this intelligent show are when it loses its maturity. But I still adore Doctor Who, and that's what true love is.

Alright, Who fans. We all love the show, but which episodes would you warn others about? Why do you think they're terrible? What are they're saving graces? Comment with your answers!

KC
Staff Writer for Anomaly
Co-Host of Anomaly Supplemental
Subscribe to Anomaly on iTunes

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Elisabeth Sladen, 1948-2011

It was announced on April 19th, 2011 that Elisabeth Sladen, the actress so many geeks and fans knew as Doctor Who companion Sarah Jane Smith, had passed away at the age of 63. There are no words to convey the sadness that I have for this news.

There are many stories about how Doctor Who affected its fans, and many of them discuss Elisabeth Sladen and her character Sarah Jane being their first companion. There's a beautiful story in Chicks Who Dig Time Lords about a woman and her daughter named "Elisabeth," and how Doctor Who affected their lives and how both would meet the actress years later at a convention. And then I reflect on my memories of Sarah Jane and I realize that I don't have that many.

I wasn't raised on older Doctor Who episodes, so I can't discuss my experiences of being glued to the TV as Sarah Jane encountered various interplanetary threats. I've added the older Doctor Who episodes to my Netflix queue, and they are patiently waiting to be watched. But what I can mention is this. I haven't really talked about in my interest in Doctor Who was that it was not on a whim that I had decided to watch a show about a man with a blue box. A year or two before I had watched my first official episode of Doctor Who, I remembered channel surfing and caught the last two minutes of an episode I would learn was entitled "School Reunion" from season two. I knew nothing about the characters featured--one was a younger, attractive-looking man in a suit and the other was an older, beautiful woman. It was this very scene that sparked a quiet interest.

So, albeit for two minutes, Sarah Jane Smith was the first companion I had ever seen. And without Sarah Jane's goodbye to the Doctor five years ago, I never would have met him or re-encountered her. I am very, very grateful for that.

Rest in peace, Elisabeth. No one will ever forget you.

KC
Staff Writer for Anomaly
Subscribe to Anomaly on iTunes