That's a different look for you, isn't it?

How much is the Doctor’s look a “costume” and how much is it just an outfit?

Dark Eyes sees the Eighth Doctor’s new look previewed two years ago make the cover of a Big Finish audio series. Not as big a deal as him turning up wearing it on TV, but still of interest.

(In the event that the Eighth Doctor does turn up at some point in the 2013 anniversary celebrations, what style will he go for? I can imagine him not wanting to wear a wig again...)

Here it’s all bound up in the rough times he’s had, and hints at the style that the Ninth Doctor will adapt in years to come. A haircut and a new outfit shows character development. Like the Seventh Doctor trading in his cream jacket for a dark brown one so he looks that bit darker.

It’s not like the Tenth Doctor acquiring a blue suit, of the same cut as his brown one so his silhouette doesn’t change, or the Eleventh Doctor (like the Third) having a sizeable wardrobe of similar things and occasionally dressing up a bit for period adventures - something some Doctors and some companions go for more than others. Or the occasional wearing of formal attire, with or without bow ties and top hats.

What do your characters’ style choices say about them?

And in case you haven't been on the official Who site for a while: Ask The Execs

A slightly more structured approach to a regular online Q&A than bombarding Steven Moffat's Twitter. (We've all done it...)

"Time travel changes the rules of everything!"

Steven Moffat on why he likes time travel as a story point

From the new BBCA special The Timey-Wimey Of Doctor Who which may possibly be the best name for a thing of any kind.

The Time Traveller's Companion, coming soon

The Nathaniel Torson chat transcript now posted by host Dan Davenport

(all of it, as I missed the start due to Internets)

but I'll just leave this bit here:

02:30 : The TARDIS chapter is spread into three sections:
02:31 : 1. TARDIS Navigation: rules for flying a TARDIS and the special manuevers it can pull off. And yes, it helps to have 6 pilots.
02:33 : 2. The Systems and Rooms: Details of the console, the rooms and other misc. systems that a TARDIS has been shown to have/use in the history of the series and rules for every last one of them if you really want to know what advantage the Fault Locator room or the TARDIS toolkit gives you..
02:33 : 3. Create a TARDIS: Exactly like it sounds - create your own custom TARDIS with its own little quirks and features.
02:34 : I should point out that the console is completely customizable, as TARDISes are mathematical constructs that have no set physical form.

Doctor Who: Adventures In Here And Now

Because I have this notion that someone might read this who doesn’t regularly visit the DWAITAS board, I thought I’d repost my response to this query:

"Got three adventures ready for my players: Two in Earth's past and one on a distant planet, but feel that I'm missing something for present-day Earth. Any ideas?"

--

Modern-day adventures often relate to modern-day PCs, acting as origin stories or jumping-off points, or grounding them with families and friends, so if you have no modern-day PCs they become less relevant. (That said, visitors from other parts of time and space will always have an interesting perspective on the present.)

They can also be fairly low-key, which can be harder to think up - although they don’t have to be, as seemingly world-changing events like first contact or Dalek invasions can still be shrugged off by the general populace or individual characters.

And they aren't necessary either - look how little time the Eleventh Doctor has spent in the present, just enough to pick Amy and Rory up and drop them off again, give or take an adventure set ten years ago or ten years ahead.

Personally, though, I like the juxtaposition of fantastical elements with the everyday world. Aliens marching around are more surprising in a service station than a space station. And you can play with modern concerns - The Sontaran Stratagem looks at pollution, global warming, space colonisation, and the thought most of us have had when using satnav, “what if it’s wrong?” exaggerated to “what if it’s lying?”

And if you’re really stumped, you can always use something very Doctor Who specific like being called in by UNIT, or adapt from a modern-ish horror game like Call Of Cthulhu.

Who would win?

Random discovery via Twitter retweet to do with mentioning 2000AD: Emma from DWM's Time Team draws Doctor Who alien slamdowns for the Monster Invasion magazine.

Not sure I agree with some of these conclusions, though.

(Of course, in all cases the real answer is Batman.)

RPGnet chat: Nathaniel Torson

At the RPGnet IRC room

Nathaniel Torson (Doctor Who) Monday the 13th, 7:00 pm CT. (That's... 1am Tuesday UK time?)

Worst kept secret of the anniversary revealed

Mark Gatiss is writing a "making of Doctor Who" drama.

Why is this happening?

So our heroes are pulled in to the Space Olympics and soon realise they're doing better than they might expect. Why?

It's a setup!

Even the most peculiar plot point can come down to the simplest motivation.

The Scarifyers

Now in comic format and taking on the M.R. James tradition of a Ghost Story For Christmas too.

Strange Highways

Kammerice pits the Doctor against the maniacal plots of DIO!

I'm always interested in how these turn out. (I just stuck my head above the parapet to do another one, see below...) In this case, many of the titles suggest classic fantasy adventures instead of something Whovian.

The Episode Titles Of Fatal Death

Two weeks after BOTIS’s idea of reusing evocative Who titles, here’s an SFX forum thread on the best titles of the era. Which suit the “Doctor Who And The - ” format and which don’t?

There’s also The Vortex Oracle which randomly generates Whovian titles cut up from existing ones, and plot points to boot, like so:

The God Madness
A disaster must be averted before it ever happens.
A disembodied brain crackling with psychokinetic force.
A ship on a mission.
Lovers, separated by a powerful force.

And of course I’ve done this kind of thing before once or twice.

So, anyone fancy dropping a dozen or so titles on me?

In the meantime, inspired by BOTIS’s post, here are a few quick wilful misreadings of some of the titles so far revealed. Cut for SPOILERS:

How time travel works?

In the runup to the return of Doctor Who, BBC America is pushing the boat out with new hour-long documentaries on the show, its characters, and science in the series. Before you wonder how long it takes to say "there isn't any really!" check out this clip with Steven Moffat talking wormholes alongside Michio Kaku Ph.D, Jim Al-Khalili Ph.D OBE, Maggie Aderin-Pocock Ph.D MBE, and Dallas Campbell from Bang Goes The Theory.

New trailer

SPOILERS!

Can Dinosaurs On A Spaceship possibly live up to the lineage of Snakes On A Plane? We shall see, but I love Snakes On A Plane...

History Meets Geekery

Rebecca Pahle of The Mary Sue looks at Celebrity Historicals in various media, restricts herself to only one from Doctor Who, looks for suggestions, and wants an Arthur Conan Doyle episode.