The Doctor In The TARDIS

Sunday, 27 November 2011

SFX Doctor Who Fanzine Special

Available in all good newsagents and supermarkets for three months from the day of Doctor Who’s 48th birthday, Doctor Who: The Fanzine from the makers of SFX is the ultimate tribute to the nation’s favourite television programme.

Across 180 packed pages, we look at Who from every possible angle, including a few never seen before! All this content is 100% new – you won’t have seen ANY of it elsewhere! (Well, apart from little excerpts we’ll be putting up on the site next week to entice you to buy it.)

So what’s in it?:

• Battle of the Superfans: we pit the show’s self-proclaimed biggest fanatics against each other to discover who deserves the title of Ultimate Superfan!

• New Matt Smith interview: the actor explains why playing the Doctor can be a solitary existence

• Arthur Darvill Fannish Inquisition: you quiz Rory Williams on dying, gerbils and series seven

• The Ten Greatest Doctor Who Moments You’ll (Probably) Never See: the most tantalising scenes from Who’s missing episodes, as imagined by the fabulous artists behind the Reign Of Terror DVD animation

• Full series six episode guide: 14-episodes examined minute-by-minute!

• A Hitch In Time: looking at Patrick Troughton’s other time travelling role

• Tom Baker & Louise Jameson interviewed: we put your questions to the Fourth Doctor and Leela

• The latest instalment in our rib-tickling cartoon strip Arthur “Dies Daily” Darvill Vs Murderous Moffat

• “Chasing Christopher Eccleston”: our (unsuccessful) attempts to grab a word with the Ninth Doctor!

And much much much more

Check out more info at SFX

Secrets Of Christmas

Once again the good people of the Radio Times have put our favourite bow tie wearing time traveller on it's front cover in what is a very festive looking picture.

Make sure you pick it up for your chance to find out exactly what the Doctor will be up to this Christmas.

Join The Infinite Quest - The Green Death

We go back to the classics this week and the final story for Jo Grant in the Third Doctor serial The Green Death.

A death at an abandoned coal pit brings UNIT and the Doctor to the South Wales town of Llanfairfach when the body is found glowing bright green. Are pollutants from Global Chemicals responsible? Where are the Giant Maggots coming from? And who is the mysterious BOSS?

The Green Death was the fifth and final story of the Doctor Who anniversary tenth season. The story is notable in that it marked the departure of companion Jo Grant, played by Katy Manning.

Come and join in the discussion at The Doctor In The TARDIS Forum

Fandom

Sometimes it can be hard to be a fan of something brilliant.

Fandom in general, especially when it comes to a show that people get as passionate about as Doctor Who, can often come surrounded by negativity. A show like Doctor Who, with it's many incarnations and variations, means that most fans feel very differently from each other about what is right and good for the show. Who really is the best Doctor? Who has written the best stories? What really is the best direction for the show to take? These and a thousand other questions have kept fans debating since the show began nearly 50 years ago. The thing is, none of these questions has a definative answer. The best we can do is choose our own favourites and respect others for theirs, because more often than not we as fans will disagree about these things.

Between the forum and our Twitter feed we get to listen to a lot of different opinions about the show and its direction and now seems like a time when fandom is as split as it ever has been. Perhaps Matt Smith is the worst Doctor who ever graced our screens. In your opinion. Perhaps River Song is the worst character ever introduced to a show ever. In your opinion. Maybe you love Amy so much that the thought of her departure makes you want to tear your hair out. It's YOUR opinion. And totally your right to feel that way.

It's a shame that all too often people seem determined to tell you that your opinion is wrong and theirs is the right one. The number of people I have seen mention that they feel uncomfortable talking about the show or what they like is such a shame to see. The beauty of this show is that it has such a deep, rich history that there is stuff in there for everybody to like and just because not everyones opinions match, it doesn't make any of us any less of a 'fan'.

Over on the forum we have always strived to have a place that is open to all fans regardless of what they like (or dislike) and where people can chat freely without being told that their opinions are wrong. There is a (and we must stress this word) 'small' section of fandom who feel the need to take aim at people because of their views on things. This isn't restricted to Doctor Who fandom, and certainly isn't limited to fandom in general, but it's a shame that when it comes to Doctor Who, it seems to be this section of fandom that gains the most attention. Those that shout the loudest, as they say...

Regardless of what you like, fans of this show all have one huge thing in common. Doctor Who. Whether you started watching it yesterday or haven't liked an episode since Jon Pertwee was strolling around in his velvet dinner jacket, the show and it's potential is what keeps bringing us back and debating. We won't always agree and we won't always like the same things, but the greatest strength of this show is it's ability to change, evolve and regenerate and what you don't like today might just be your favourite aspect to the show tomorrow. In the meantime all we can do is be respectful of each others opinions and hope that others are respectful of ours.

The Doctor In The TARDIS Forum

Friday, 25 November 2011

Synopsis for The Doctor, The Widow & The Wardrobe

The official synopsis for the Christmas Special has been released:

It’s Christmas Eve, 1938, when Madge Arwell comes to the aid of an injured Spaceman Angel as she cycles home, in this year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special, starring Matt Smith as the Doctor.

He promises to repay her kindness – all she has to do is make a wish.

Three years later, a devastated Madge escapes war-torn London with her two children for a dilapidated house in Dorset. She is crippled with grief at the news her husband has been lost over the channel, but determined to give Lily and Cyril the best Christmas ever.

The Arwells are surprised to be greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world. Here, Madge will learn how to be braver than she ever thought possible. And that wishes can come true…

The Doctor, the Widow & the Wardrobe is expected to air on BBC One on Christmas Day like previous Christmas Specials. The time will be announced nearer to Christmas.