The Christmas SPOILERS You're Being Warned About

"Orbiting a quiet, backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe's deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out of the stars. And amongst them - The Doctor. Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his best friend must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe."

Want to know more? Me too. So far we saw in the trailer and photos that there are Weeping Angels, Daleks, Cybermen and Silence. We know about the regeneration. New information has come out, if The Sun is to be believed, and believe me that's not even easy for me to believe I'm typing it.

I am always scoffing at information that comes from a "BBC source." Recently everyone has blown up about Steven Moffat including the regeneration in Journey's end, making Matt the 13th Doctor. I can't actually find him saying that, only a "BBC source." It would, though, fit with the regeneration solution The Sun is proposing will happen. Unless this is all a clever ploy by the Moff to fool us. The difference is that this source provides a good bit of information, including the big solution to a series 5 problem.

But you are forewarned that this information, if it proves to be true, is EXTREMELY SPOILERY and should be avoided if you don't want to know anything. I just found what they say too delicious to pass up sharing....






SO






BE WARNED





SPOLIERS AHEAD








BIG TIME SPOILERS






POSSIBLY IF ITS TRUE







BUT IF IT IS WOW!!!








LAST CHANCE







SPOILERS  SPOILERS  SPOILERS  SPOILERS   SPOILERS  SPOILERS  SPOILERS




Okay, if you've made it this far you must be sure. Here is what The Sun says a "BBC source" says will happen in "The Time of The Doctor"

Trenzalore will be the "backwater planet" and Christmas Town is the location of a centuries long battle between The Doctor and a number of his deadliest foes, including the Sontarans. The Doctor is summoned to Trenzalore by a bell echoing across the universe, a sound that also brings his enemies. The Doctor hides in a clock tower, presumably the source of the bell. Supposedly The Doctor loses a leg after a Weeping Angel grabs it (implausible) and we will see him wage the 300 year war as Clara is tucked safely in the TARDIS.

Then they throw this in. The time crack was caused by the Timelords when The Doctor saved them in the 50th. At the climax a time crack will appear and the Timelords will be there. They will reward The Doctor with a new set of regenerations. If this is true then it really is set up for another 50 years like Moffat said he wanted to do. The time crack can even wipe out what happens at Trenzalore.

It's at least an interesting theory. At most a first for The Sun.

Here's a little theory of my own, assuming part of what I wrote here is true. What if we get a regeneration early on or midway through the episode? Steven Moffat said there would be explanation as to why his face was aged. If he fights part of the way that could age him. Just an idea.

Doctor Who: My 50th Anniversary Roundup

So I don't know much about per screen sales, and have seen different numbers, a problem common when looking for information on different sites. I try my hardest not to just make up what I think they are saying and will say when I just don't know. What I do know is that after you factor in the 7pm airing on the 23rd, the special had 3.6 million viewers on BBC America. This sure doesn't seem like a high number to me, even though it broke a record for them. I just think we need to work harder at getting more Whovians. It set a Guinness world record for largest simulcast of a drama. Funny little awards they give. The word is that it had a higher per screen amount than even Catching Fire, but one site said per theater, so I'm not sure where the nugget of truth is there. I did see it was the #2 'movie' on Monday in America. All great and it's nice to have validation but puhleeze don't rush into a movie franchise. I'd be perfectly happy if it didn't move in that direction at all.

As far as "The Day of The Doctor" itself, I loved it. From the way it opened to the story to Billie Piper being The Moment/Rose/Bad Wolf. John Hurt was amazing and as predicted stole many scenes. "Am I having a mid-life crisis?", "Timey wimey?!?", "Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?" Doctor gold I tells ya. Yes, the treaty with the Zygons manifested a bit quickly, but right now I love Steven Moffat for bringing back Gallifrey, my one beef with RTD. The little nods here and there to the past were well appreciated. Multiple TARDISES, great battle scenes, a winding storyline, a moving final moment and every Doctor. What more could you want? I'll tell you what more. Tom Baker as the curator, that's what. A very poignant moment for me. It was well worth the wait Tom. Shh.

More great pics I found from the special at the end.

One of the real gems of the 50th week was the movie Mark Gatiss made, "An Adventure In Space and Time." Better than a behind the scenes special, you got to see what it was like working on set in 1963-1966. You see the first ideas and the first designs. You also see behind the man behind the man, and delve a little into what it was like being Doctor Who, and indeed being William Hartnell. It was funny too, a bit sad and quite fun. A little bit delightful in fact. Check it out. Spot the cameos :)

Big Finish, who produce most excellent audiodramas, did a whopper for the 50th. An 8, yes EIGHT, Doctor multi Doctor tale that captured my attention and didn't let go. Read my spoiler free review here on my classic page.

By far my favorite thing besides the actual special was a 30 minute film offered on BBC's red button, which frankly I know nothing about. "The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot" was written and directed by 5th Doctor, Peter Davison. It's the hilarious tale of former Doctors from the 80's trying desperately to be in the 50th special.

The actors poke great fun at themselves as they scramble to be noticed by the likes of Moffat himself. There are cameos from old and new companions and even a star and director from a major Hollywood film franchise a certain Doctor can't help but keep mentioning he's in. Colin Baker trying to get his family to watch his old episodes, Doctors as Daleks and REALLY outing John Barrowman. I'll state again here that this is a perfect companion piece to the 50th special and it would be a shame if it weren't included on the release.

One thing I almost missed out on was the 2 hour show, "Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide" but I'm glad I didn't miss it. It was the most entertaining of all the 'looking back' specials I saw. It had humor and great guests and really did a good job aiming for that ultimate guide title they claimed. If you can find a copy I suggest it, but it didn't air in America.

The single best event was the theater experience. It was probably a combination of actually being in a theater watching Doctor Who on the big screen after watching for over 30 years, it being the 50th anniversary, it being in 3D and being in a room filled with Whovians. It was a day of big feels.


So now what? Exhale first. Relax. The marathons are over. Then it hits me, only 27 days to Christmas. "The Time of The Doctor" is coming. To prepare I have pulled out all the regeneration episodes and then will alternate them with all the Christmas episodes. That's just how I roll. I did finally get the last of the 11 short stories they released. That's the last 50th thing to cross off my list as soon as I read them. It'll be interesting to see what info about Christmas comes out in the next couple of weeks, which reminds me, if you don't like spoilers, don't read my next post.

These are some nice pics I found from "The Day of The Doctor"

Sneak Peek Into Christmas

I have a lot to cover concerning the 50th, but before we could even exhale from the special they released details and an image from the upcoming Christmas special, the name of which was also revealed, "The Time of The Doctor." A teaser trailer is also here for you to watch, and I do mean teaser.

So what do we know about the episode? We already know there will be a regeneration and we will see the departure of Matt Smith as well as the introduction of Peter Capaldi as The Doctor. In the teaser we see Daleks, Weeping Angels, The Silence and learn The Doctor's location, Trenzalore. In the new promo image above we see a tiny bit more. Behind and on either side of The Doctor's left hand there are two faces in the flames. One is Peter Capaldi, no big surprise. The other is a mystery, because it's Paul McGann! Will he make yet another appearance in Who this year, and if so in what capacity? There was that time in "The Night of The Doctor" prequel where we don't see Paul regenerate fully, and then he is asked if it is finished. I figured this was because they made him regenerate into a young John Hurt. What if something happened in between?

UPDATE! Scratch that about Paul Mcgann. There's another image that's similar that has what looks like the same face and they both look like Peter Capaldi to me.

What else? Well, I'll tell you what else. A BBC source, which makes me wary anyway, says that the 12 regeneration limit issue will be faced at Christmas. The claim is that they are counting the meta-crisis regeneration at the beginning of "Journey's End" is a regeneration, and I agree with this if it's true. With John Hurt's regeneration in place that makes Matt the 13th incarnation. (Moffat has already said the Doctor numbering stays the same so no need to get into all that mess.) Certainly he won't find Gallifrey that quickly. My guess is the return of the sisterhood of Karn. 

Then there's one more thing that just came out. Actress Orla Brady (I only know her as Peter's mother on Fringe) has told Digital spy in an interview here that she is in the special as a character from The Doctor's past. What's more is the plot is supposed to revolve around her. Who could this mysterious person be? The names Romana, Jenny and The Rani have been batted about. I would love to see The Rani, but think that would make it a bit villain heavy. Jenny is quite likely in my opinion, given Moffat asked Russell not to kill her off. I do like the Romana angle, now that Gallifrey is back somewhere. In the Big Finish audio plays she is Lord President of Gallifrey, a post I'm sure will come to The Doctor yet again at some point. 

I'm excited but still it's hard to decipher rumor from fact yet, let alone piece together a picture of what will happen, so I'll just leave you with one more piece of the puzzle, the BBC synopsis of the episode:

"Orbiting a quiet, backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe's deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out of the stars. And amongst them - The Doctor. Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his best friend must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe."

Happy 50th Doctor Who!

The day is upon us. Happy anniversary Doctor Who. He was my raggedy man in the 70's, and he came back for all of us. I watched Adventured in Space and Time and I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I love Mark Gatiss for it. I have gone on a journey this year through all of the Doctors, leading to an intense marathon this week of the modern series. Tomorrow morning my niece and her husband will come over. She used to watch with me when I was a teen and she was 8. I have recently reintroduced her, quite successfully, to the new version. We are going to watch The Name of The Doctor and the first, the original, An Unearthly Child.

We are the blessed. After that we head off to the cinema to watch in 3D glory. I don't know how I'm going to get to sleep. I'm wearing my T shirt that says You Never Forget Your First Doctor. To tie in with that idea I will wear my replica Tom Baker series 18 burgundy scarf, but not the one that's currently for sale. Over 30 years ago I approximated the colors and pattern of the scarf and begged my mother to crochet it for me. It look fantastic, not to toot my mom's horn. Best part is, instead of the 13 feet of the one for sale, this one is 18 feet! I didn't want it to just wrap around the neck, but hang down like his did. As a bit of bling I'll wear my TARDIS key. The best thing of all is my permanent accessory, my TARDIS tattoo. I've never been around other fans since I got it, other than friends.

So WTF am I doing still writing this?
I need to get to bed so tomorrow can begin!
I'll leave you with this darling 50th birthday cartoon
I can just hear John Hurt delivering his line while smacking on cake

2 Days To Go!!!

Doctor Who - The Day of The Doctor - The One Show Exclusive Clip

New clip shown today.
This is just freaking awesome!!!!!!
Bad Wolf!

The Day Of The Doctor Prequels

Here are the two prequels we were promised before the 50th. Both excellent in their own way. The first one, "The Night of The Doctor," sets the stage for John Hurt, finalizing where he fits in with the other Doctors, while "The Last Day" gives us a glimpse into The War Doctor's first day in the time war. Someone said it looks almost like a setup for a game about the war, and I can see that.

The Night of The Doctor

The Last Day

You will notice I did not say SPOILERS. That's because these AREN'T  spoilers, they are prequels meant to be watched and to give us some information, most likely background, to prepare us for the 50th.

BEST Rumor All Week!!

This is out there on the internet but I am going to save you if you don't want possible spoilers by linking the article with this sentence, but the clues are here.

There is another way... Thoughts on Regeneration

After watching "The Brain of Mobius" again, and then the prequel, "Night of The Doctor," we can certainly see how with the help of the Sisterhood of Karn The Doctor can get past the limit of 12 regenerations. We also know from stories like "The Five Doctors" that the Timelords could grant more regenerations, so what if in the 50th, Moffat resolves the time war and Gallifrey is back? Problem solved, but there are more ways than these.

I've been watching classic episodes in order to gear up for next week's BBCAmerica takeover, with the return series airing in order. I've watched some pertinent ones like "Terror of the Zygons," since they will be in the 50th, and "Underworld," because it was the first ever I remember seeing thirty-something years ago. Right now I'm watching "Mawdryn Undead" simply because it's one of my favorites.

The thing about the last two I mentioned is that in both of them The Doctor had encountered races with whom the Timelords had shared regeneration technology as well as having it stolen from them. All The Doctor needs to do is visit the Minyans again if he needs to regenerate. Who knows how many more places there are out there, but it's an issue I think is pretty much 'problem solved' :)

As a side note, I'd like to address the people who claim the extra faces who appeared during the mind battle between the fourth Doctor and Morbius in "The Brain of Morbius" are representing other regenerations of The Doctor. In "Mawdryn Undead" the fifth Doctor spells it out point blank. Her will not help Mawdryn and his friends because there are eight of them, and he has regenerated four times so it would be the end of him as a Timelord because he only has eight regenerations left. So you can choose to believe the ambiguous appearance of unexplained faces or the facts that are spelled out and spoken by The Doctor himself.

Where does John Hurt's Doctor fit ?

I currently have two working theories on where John Hurt's Doctor fits in the timeline. All this is outside the possibility that this is really Doctor #9.

The first idea is newest so not very formed, but fed some by some of the new pictures as well as an interview with Steven Moffat in SFX magazine. First here is what he said about the matter...

"There's a whole lot of stuff you missed! It's a nice thing to be able to say in the show, and for no one to be able to contradict you, that there were years that you didn't know about... we lied and lied, there's a whole big old chapter you didn't know."

So I got the idea that this was 10.5, or The Meta-crisis Doctor who stayed with Rose in the other universe. He could be aged, his Rose could be dead. They could be taking into account the deleted scene where The Doctor gave him and Rose a chunk of the TARDIS to grow their own. Like I said, I don't have much of it worked out. But now look at these pictures:

In every picture John is BETWEEN the other two. Now I used to have theories as to why the TARDIS had so much detruction when David Tennant regenerated, like him holding in the energy to say goodbye and just put it off created the explosion. But what if something else happened. That could still be The Doctor who ended the time war.

In both cases it would be a Doctor born out of anger. The most likely in my mind is still the most obvious one I mentioned at first, but some type of shocker would really be welcome.

Behind The Scenes Pics And Quotes

Okay this pic is from the trailer, but it shows The Doctor at "The Moment" we first heard mentioned in "The End of Time" and I included it because of an interesting behind the scenes pic that came out....

So first it looks like the moment is a plunger to be pressed, most likely creating the time bubble? Secondly, it looks as if the three of them press it. Consider a couple of quotes from the episode:

The Eleventh Doctor, "You were The Doctor on the day it wasn't possible to get it right."

The Tenth Doctor, "What we do today, we do not out of fear or hatred, but because there is no other way."

This picture pleases me because it all but confirms the interaction we will see between them all.

These next few are from the trailer and pretty awesome:

Are You Ready? Updated With New Trailer

While I've been doing my Christmas decorating the news tidbits have been coming in. And now we have a trailer finally!! See the new trailer here and check out the HD images.  (UPDATE: They removed the first trailer but here is the 50th special trailer, the first trailer and click the previous link to the new extended 2nd trailer, indeed it appears to be the one from Comic

                                          


We also know the time of broadcast, which I suspected when I got my tickets to the 3D cinema simulcast!! "The Day Of The Doctor" will air at 7:50 pm GMT, which for me in the eastern U.S. is 2:50 pm. I'm afraid to start thinking about what time I need to get to the theater.

BBCAmerica has posted their schedule for the week leading up to the 50th. Along with marathons of each of the contemporary Doctors, we get to see The Science of Doctor Who with Brian Cox, An Adventure in Time and Space, and both Matt Smith and David Tennant on Graham Norton. The next day will be Matt's Doctor's revisited and my big weekend will extend to Monday when I have a ticket to the extra showing of "The Day of The Doctor" in 3D. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the little something we will get for Children In Need on the 15th. I also hear there is another trailer, possibly the Comic Con one, coming as well. I hope my DVR doesn't overflow, because I plan a 2 week Who takeover of my broadcasting, which will include giving you a review of the Big Finish audio drama "The Light at the End."

I do have to wonder, despite interviews where they mention the fun of working together, what Billie Piper's role is in the 50th. The absence of many filming pics made me suspicious, and the obvious appearance of "Bad Wolf" Rose in the trailer makes me wonder more. Hopefully we are getting both.