Empire Of Death

Empire Of Death (6.40 pm)

Do you have the spoons to save all existence?

Ah, it’s a bit The Mummy (2017) with the ancient Egyptian adversary god loosing a killer dust storm in London, but mostly...

Susan Twist

I had not clocked that the same extra has been showing up for a line or two since Wild Blue Yonder before playing the ambulance algorithm in Boom, but now actress Susan Twist has been pointed out...

Susan Twist.

My theory: RTD had an idea for a recurring extra who might be arc-relevant or just to mess with viewers, saw the name Susan Twist and thought “get her, that’ll be hilarious!”

Boom

Boom (6.50 p.m.)

“Tell me what you’re not telling me.”

Steven Moffat returns with a single-scene gimmick that also brings lots of ways to ratchet up the tension.

One familiar trick I caught right away.

Proper angry about putting algorithms in charge of decisions that affect real people, with a side flick of the Vs at Thoughts And Prayers.

A first appearance for future companion Varada Sethu, but not as blatant about as Jenna Coleman appearing as a splinter of Clara a few months early so just a fast actor recycling or...?

Davies and Moffat on what makes a Doctor Who story, including the Doctor being a genius idiot.

The Devil's Chord

Establishing the Toymaker’s style in The Giggle is a recurring threat, The Devil’s Chord (7.05) did end up a bit too like it as a result.

Favourite bit: The Doctor and Ruby’s WTF expressions.

Next week, after an episode trailed for a year, I don’t know and that’s kind of exciting!

Three travellers

Since I’m doing Doctor Who revised first edition for the January Character Creation Challenge, I thought I should link them here.

Walker, Time Lord

Josh, busker

Amit, temporal physicist

The Church On Ruby Road

The Church On Ruby Road is the first Christmas special in six years and the first as the first full adventure for a new Doctor since 2005, introducing a new companion as well.

A big goofy singing goblin adventure too. (With a deeply sad bit.)

Ruby being established as having heroic tendencies right away.

And Davina McCall as well!

Lovely little bit with the policeman’s reaction to the Doctor’s assurance, happily ignoring the police box disappearing.

Which I thought was going with Mrs. Flood’s equally casual reaction to establish that the Doctor isn’t unknown in this version of the present, but apparently not... Hmm...

The reveal of the King reminded me of Wizards Vs. Aliens, which also had a massive power-eating king behind a spaceship door in that case.

And a Buffy shoutout when mentioning the musical number in Unleashed!

As well as Long Lost Family being a visitor from ITV.

I knew Ncuti Gatwa lived in Edinburgh in his youth but I didn’t know he was round the corner in Oxgangs!

Non-Unleashed behind the scenes bit

See you lot in May!

The Giggle

One more special and we could have been weekly!

Still, there’s quite a lot to unpack here.

Bear in mind that this is the casual viewer friendly version of Doctor Who. Doctor Who is a weird show.

(Extra behind the scenes featurette where the end about what come next repeats the Unleashed episode)

The Toymaker!

Creepy puppets!

The Toymaker having a creepy puppet copy of the Doctor, as seen in the first Eighth Doctor comics!

Mel!

Wild Blue Yonder

Quite Midnight but also very Eighth Doctor comics. Also showing off the virtual set bit, while also being a bottle episode.

It does feel like we got one “normal” episode in a very compressed season as a result. (Not necessarily a complaint - I wish the nine episode Buffyverse audio drama Slayers had had standalone episodes - but odd when we only have three, like Sherlock.)

The Nobles

Caroline Siede of Girl Culture and formerly the A.V. Club on The Star Beast, the Doctor’s feelings, and the Nobles in particular.

Dressing Up Docs

How often do TARDIS crews dress for the occasion?

Between the shot in the specials trailer, two behind-the-scenes looks at variations of the main costume, and the Swinging 60s and Regency outfits we’ve had official photos for, I’ve already seen Fifteen in as many different looks as Thirteen in her entire run.

Of course Thirteen avoided historical clothing because a lot of it is heavily gendered and the show kept her in trousers the whole time. (Yaz had a few historical feminine looks, but not often either - Ruby is already approaching her number before we actually see her in an episode.)

Where do you and your Doctor Who characters land on this?

The Doctor and Ruby - the Lewk

The Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday.

And in motion.

Ruby’s mot that different from Millie Gibson’s out of character intro look, but Ncuti Gatwa’s is a lot more different than the keyhole shirtless suit he was rocking at the BAFTAs.

Millie Gibson is Ruby Sunday!

“I am beyond honoured to be cast as the Doctor’s companion. It is a gift of a role, and a dream come true, and I will do everything to try and fill the boots the fellow companions have travelled in before me.”

Millie Gibson, after introducing new companion Ruby Sunday on BBC Children In Need tonight

Millie Gibson with Mcuti Gatwa

“As a Coronation Street fan, I’ve seen Millie survive chases, guns and sieges, but that’s nothing compared to what lies ahead for Ruby Sunday!”

Russell T Davies

13 character sheets

Siskoid provides unofficial Doctor Who RPG first (revised) edition character sheets for Thirteen, Yaz and Dan.

Ncuti Gatwa is the Doctor!

Ncuti Gatwa is the Doctor! One of the stars of Sex Education, interviewed here for it. And here for Doctor Who!

“It was our last audition. It was our very last one. We thought we had someone, and then in he came and stole it. I’m properly, properly thrilled. It’s going to be a blazing future.”

Russell T Davies

“There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling. A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared. This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavour my upmost to do the same.”

Ncuti Gatwa, talking to the BBC

A perfect demonstration from a Sex Education clip.

Also, save Channel 4 and the licence fee.

Legend Of The Sea Devils

Some sword fighting!

Rather more technobabble.

I was promised Madam Ching and got a lot more Ji-Hun.

I like the Doctor trying to let Yaz down gently, but I’m also aware guy Doctors never did that with straight companion crushes.

Nice of the Sea Devil leader to leave his translator on when talking to his crew with no humans around. :D Cool coat though!

Legend Of The Sea Devils

Sea Devils! Madam Ching! A new jacket!

Peri's fine

Thanks to a short for a DVD release, Peri is fine. Which is nice.

Flux: Survivors Of The Flux

Flux: Survivors Of The Flux: Survivors Of The Flux: Survivors-

Oh, that cliffhanger had a ledge under it. Okay then.

And yes we have another separated companions and extra companion story.

Does Yaz just like that puffy sleeve jacket and culottes look? Not saying that’s a bad thing.

I assume Peggy is is boarding school?

(I like the archaeology progress talk.)

Love the huge tree TARDIS control centre.

And love the plot rather less.

Flux: Once, Upon Time

And Flux episode 3 was the ongoing plot, with a chunk of the old Timeless Child bit, mixed with a nice adventure idea about time travellers being stuck in their own distorted memories. That bit is a great basis for an episode.

Also the second episode in a row to start with the travellers together and then being pulled apart into different times.

(And a character we never met before got the gratuitous Dalek and Cybermen cameos.)

Flux: The Halloween Apocalypse

Halloween joins Christmas and New Year in having a special episode, which feels long overdue.

Although it’s not very Halloween-ish, apart from the bit with Di. One of several teaser scenes that made this feel less like part one of six and more like the pre-credits of six stories...

I like a Thor Ragnarok opening as much as the next viewer.

The Han Solo guy and the Chewbacca guy don’t start out together.

How’s the rampant speculation about Claire looking a bit like Clara going?

Don’t you just hate when someone you don’t know comes up and says they’re your archenemy? Take a ticket, blue guy.