Doctor Who Review – 7.11, ‘Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS’

'What's a nice pirate like you, doing in a police box like this?'As we count down to the Series 7 finale this weekend, James Willets continues his reviews of the last half-season.

Don’t forget to download our new Moffat Bingo cards before Saturday!

At what point does a TV series reach a critical mass of recycled plotlines and a bloated parody of itself, reflecting enough of the bits that you used to long for to make you hope that it’ll be good, but never quite managing to regurgitate enough substance to satisfy? Because I think Doctor Who has reached that point.

Continue reading

Doctor Who – Moffat Bingo 2.0

Our Ming-Mong-in-ChiefIt’s here! All new Moffat Bingo, ready for the Series 7 finale and the 50th Anniversary special!

The original Moffat Bingo is still one of our most consistently popular posts, spreading far and wide via Twitter and Pinterest. But the departure of the Ponds last year means it’s no longer fit for purpose so, after a bit of faffing, here’s the newly revised edition, just in time for ‘The Name of the Doctor’!

Continue reading

Doctor Who Review – 7.5 ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’

To follow our ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’ commentary, James brings you his review of the episode. Don’t forget to let us know what you thought too. Come along Pond!

So, goodbye Ponds. Over the course of the last two and a half seasons you’ve been exceptional. You and Matt Smith have consistently been the best things about nearly every episode of Doctor Who for the last few years, and I will sorely miss you.
From Amelia Pond waiting in her garden, to the introduction of Amy proper, waiting for her Doctor to return for her entire life, making the choice of Rory over the Doctor, then Rory and the Doctor – at the heart of Karen Gillan’s portrayal of Amy Pond has been true character growth. It’s easy to feel like Amy really has grown up with the Doctor over the last few years, and she’s turned into a kick-ass woman and half of one of the best relationships in sci-fi (up there with Han and Leia, Adama and Roslin or Zoe and Wash).
Continue reading

Doctor Who Commentary – 7.5 ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’

Amy and Rory jumping to escape the Weeping AngelsTime runs out for Amy and Rory Pond, as The Angels Take Manhattan! Caleb, Sarah and Suzie try not to blink as we discuss Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill’s exit from Doctor Who, as well as the return of the Weeping Angels and River Song. With Amy and Rory being the longest serving companions since the series returned in 2005, is this a fitting end to their story?

Play

Steven Moffat said “If the Ponds’ departure doesn’t make you openly weep, I haven’t done my job.” Did he succeed for you? Let us know what you thought!

Doctor Who Commentary – 7.1 ‘Asylum of the Daleks’

So Doctor Who is back on our televisions at last! Caleb Woodbridge and Sarah Burrow bring you their thoughts on episode one of series 7 along with brand new guest contributor Emma Sandrey.

Are the Daleks still an effective villain? What happened to all the different Daleks we were promised? Just how did Amy and Rory get to the point of divorce? We discuss this and more in this weeks commentary and of course we consider the impact of Jenna-Louise Coleman’s early appearance – and that twist!

Souffle anyone?

Play

Doctor Who Review – 7.1 ‘Asylum of the Daleks’

Giant Dalek statue on SkaroJames gives us his review of ‘Asylum of the Daleks‘ as a first reaction ahead of our podcast commentary, coming later today online now! Does this story restore the Daleks as effective villains, or do they just rely on nostalgia value for their survival? SPOILERS ahoy!

It’s amazing that this episode wasn’t spoiled well ahead of broadcast, and it’s undoubtably better for it. There’s at least two twists in there that I don’t think anyone coming in blind will expect, so I’m going to save talking about those until the end so as to avoid spoiling it for you.

Let’s get right down to it. The Daleks are no longer a good Doctor Who villain. They survive more on nostalgia value than anything else, and there’s not really been a New Who episode that showcases them as potentially lethal threats since Dalek. The closest thing we’ve had to an episode in which the Daleks constitute a real threat since then is The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End, episodes which hardly stands as a high point for villainous masterplans.

Continue reading