My Review of Doctor Who's 6x05: "The Rebel Flesh"

Written by Matthew Graham
Directed by Julian Simpson

Ganger Doctor (to Amy): “Trust me, I’m the Doctor.”

Anyone get a sense of déjà vu with this episode? We did the cloning storyline back in the fourth season and much better with the addition of Sontarans in the mix and as for that ending? I saw it coming a mile off.

After a slew of impressive episodes, we kind of hit a slump with this one, the start of a two part story where the Doctor, Amy and Rory wind up at a mysterious factory/monastery following a solar tsunami that gets them there and to say there isn’t a certain oddness about the place would be a bit of an understatement.

With the Sontarans, we had Martha cloned against her will, doing their bidding and sabotaging the Doctor, Donna and UNIT at every turn. With the workers here – Cleaves, Buzzer, Jennifer, Jimmy and Dickens we have them cloning themselves with programmable matter called the Flesh in order to carry out the more difficult of tasks.

Cleaves herself basically reminds the Doctor and the audience as a result that while the matter has some independence, it still needs controlling by having the original people in safety harnesses as they work but this episode also didn’t waste a lot of time showing the error of Cleaves assertion on the Flesh.

For instance, another solar storm managed to wake the original people from their harnesses and the gangers themselves ran amok with only the original versions of Jennifer and Cleaves not being accounted for. It’s also amazing to a degree how quickly both the originals and the gangers turned on each other as well.

Trying to voice some sympathy for the gangers was having Rory spending a lot of time with the duplicate of Jennifer and to be honest, despite some really good actors in the roles of the guest characters (Marshall Lancaster as Buzzer for example), only Sarah Smart managed to really stand out as Jennifer.

Part of the ganger Jennifer did seem rather clingy and cloying with Rory but it was nice to see Rory actually lead a storyline rather than just react to the Doctor and Amy. I think that while parts of his sympathy for Jennifer the ganger could bite him in the backside next week, it also made sense. Rory’s a nurse, people in pain, even if they’re not real does seem to affect and it was nice to see him independent of Amy for a bit as well.

Rory wanting to help Jennifer was noble and all but it was a pity that the real Cleaves had to go and ruin everything by turning the original people against the gangers nearly less than a minute after the Doctor also trying to get the originals and the gangers actually working together but at least this episode managed to subvert a recurring trope for once.

I was convinced that when Rory fought Cleaves for the cattle prod that she was going to wind up killing him, so it was actually a nice change that no such thing happening. Then again, Rory’s already ‘died’ enough times this season, so it’s high time the poor guy had something of a breather.

However while Rory and the Doctor had done their best to actually try and bring about peace, the impending just had to go and break out. Ethical debates about the right to kill a doppelganger aside; it’s interesting how the Jennifer ganger seemed to usurp Cleaves for leadership with surprisingly little fuss. Maybe Rory was misguided after all in helping her or maybe he’ll be the one to get through to her in the next episode. One can hope, right?

As for the ganger version of the Doctor – I’ve been hearing wild theories that this might tie back to the events of the opening two parter but what I found most surprising was the Doctor’s lack of reaction to seeing his double. Okay, it’s not the first time for him but it was rather jarring for the predictable cliff hanger but having seen this episode at least three times already, the Doctor’s rather off in general. I hope that means something next week.

As for Amy, this was not her week. Seriously, if Karen Gillan had been absent for the episode, I don’t think it would’ve been such a bad thing because she pretty had nothing really to do. Both the Doctor and Rory had their respective roles in this one but apart from some jealousy/worry over Rory with Jennifer and briefly seeing the Eye Patch Lady, this one was not Amy at her most useful.

Also in “The Rebel Flesh”

Matthew Graham previously wrote the second season story, “Fear Her” as well as creating both Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes, both of which starred Marshall Lancaster.

Buzzer (to Jennifer/Jimmy): “Oh, lighten up. It’s not like anyone was hurt.”

We got another scene of the Doctor scanning to see whether or not Amy is pregnant behind her back. Just reveal it already, show.

Rory: “My mum’s a massive fan of Dusty Springfield.”
The Doctor: “Who isn’t? Right, let’s go and satisfy our rapid curiosity.”

Cleaves (to the Doctor): “If there’s another solar storm, what are you gonna do about it? Hand out sun block?”

Amy seems to have forgotten that because of his 2000 years of memories, Rory effectively is (or should be) a medieval expert.

The Doctor (re the Flesh): “Well, I can see why you keep it in a church, miracle of life.”
Buzzer: “Don’t get poncey, it’s just gunge.”

Ganger Jennifer: “I couldn’t get out of my harness. I thought I was going to die.”
Rory: “Welcome to my world.”

The Doctor really did seem evasive throughout this episode. Why do I get the feeling he’s experienced this before or something else?

Ganger Jennifer (to Rory): “My name is Jennifer Lucas; I’m not a factory part. I had toast for my breakfast. I wrote a letter to my mum and then you arrived. I noticed your eyes right off.”

The Doctor: “Hello, how are we all getting on?”
Ganger Cleaves: “Why don’t you tell us?”

The Doctor did a pretty brutal attempt of a Northern accent. Thanks for reminding me of the 9th Doctor/Christopher Eccleston, show.

The Doctor: “We were all jelly once. Little jelly eggs sitting in goo.”
Amy: “Yeah, thanks, too much information.”

Chronology: I have no idea, apart it being Earth based and on an unknown island. Musically, though – Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” and Muse’s “Super Massive Black Hole” – excellent choices.

I wanted to like “The Rebel Flesh”, I really did but as good a writer as Matthew Graham is, I just don’t think he really works for this show at all. The episode just felt like it was plodding along and the main story wasn’t as engaging as I’d hoped it would be. Here’s hoping the next part is far better.

Rating: 6 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's 6x04: "The Doctor's Wife"

Written by Neil Gaiman
Directed by Richard Clark

The Doctor: “You’re the TARDIS?”
Idris: “Yes.”
The Doctor: “My TARDIS?”
Idris: “My Doctor. Oh, we have now reached the point in the conversation where you open the lock.”

Let’s get the obvious thing out of the way first – this is not technically the first time we’ve seen the TARDIS in human personification as books and audios have tackled that thorny subject before but it is the first time it’s been done on TV and to say it’s been a success would be pretty apt. I’ll keep the gushing to a minimum but there was a lot I loved here.

For months I wanted the mysterious Idris to turn out to be Romana because I wanted an end to this whole last of the Time Lord mantra the show has been stuck and while this episode cruelly teased the possibility of other Time Lords out there and took it away in a spin, I have zero complaints in Idris turning out to be the TARDIS.

Well, to be honest, she’s actually the TARDIS matrix trapped into a human body so that the asteroid House can feed off the rest of the TARDIS but either way, it’s been long overdue for the best spaceship to have a mouth piece and for forty five minutes, this episode was perfection in dealing with a human TARDIS.

Suranne Jones was the perfect choice for the role as well. I don’t think many actresses could’ve pulled off being both beautiful and bonkers at the same time but Suranne certainly did that in spades and her chemistry with Matt Smith for the whole episode ensured that Amy and Rory weren’t too missed either.

Setting the adventure outside of the universe on a sentient asteroid was a smart idea. I liked that House controlled/repaired the likes of Auntie, Uncle and Ood Nephew and that his underestimation of Idris would later contribute to his downfall as well.

Although Auntie and Uncle didn’t get much to do apart from explaining House’s motives and warning the Doctor about Idris’s insanity, there were a great bunch of side characters and the whole fact that they were patched from parts of other life forms (mostly other Time Lords) was a nice touch too. You could tell that the Doctor was seriously pissed off when he realised he had been lured into a trap.

As for Idris though, her speech patterns and behaviour might have come across as erratic but given that it was the TARDIS trying to make sense of her temporary body and surroundings, I can’t complain too much. And again, did I mention that Suranne Jones played a blinder in this episode?

The interactions between the Doctor and Sexy were fantastic from start to finish. The biting and kissing discussion was one thing but I loved the way Idris revealed her real identity to him as well. Definitely one of those moments that will live on in the series history and their later conversations revealed a lot of depth with the Doctor and his constant companion.

It’s odd because I’ve never looked at the TARDIS as a character and because of that, I’ve nearly done it a disservice. The show has made countless allusions to it being alive and female and fanfiction sites always seem to cite the TARDIS as a character as well, so I guess my overall look of the TARDIS has changed thanks to this episode. Also this episode wasted no time in showing us how much she knew the Doctor.

She knew he was mad enough to take her across all of time and space and she promptly chose him and she finally answered a long term question by revealing that she always took him to where he needed to go. I know some fans might complain that the mystery’s now ruined but I honestly don’t care because it’s nice that the show finally answered that question.

Another thing I also loved in this episode was how when Idris and the Doctor were trying to save Amy and Rory from House’s crazy antics, it was Rory that Idris seemed to favour. Sure, it was Amy who got them into older console but it was Rory that Idris kept psychically communicating with and it was also Rory that reacted to her ‘death’ as well.

The Doctor using Idris to trick House into defeat was nice enough and worked well, considering that he was stupid enough to let her slip back into the main console room and death wise, even Idris isn’t actually really dead, I still found her passing scene really touching. The fact that she just wanted to say hello to the Doctor was one of the sweetest things going.

The other thing noteworthy in this shameless love letter to the TARDIS was Amy’s comments about how it’s always the Doctor and his ship. It is really and it always should be. There’s no way in hell this show could go without the TARDIS and this episode more than reminded me of it’s importance to the Doctor as well as the series itself.

Of course, Doctor/Idris stuff aside; I’m really interested in how much Amy/Rory can hold off not telling the Doctor about his future death or the meaning behind the phrase ‘the only water in the forest is the river’. I have a feeling that with at least one of them, I won’t have to wait too long for an answer.

Also in “The Doctor’s Wife”

This episode title was originally supposed to be used during the John Nathan Turner era of the show to seek out those who were leaking spoilers.

The Doctor: “Oh come here, come here you scrumptious little beauty.”
Rory: “A box?”
Amy: “Doctor, what is it?”
The Doctor: “I’ve got mail.”

The message boxes were the same ones that were used in “The War Games” and we heard of a good Time Lord called The Corsair, whose arm was given to Auntie. Oh and Time Lords can change gender upon regeneration.

The Doctor: “Why am I a thief? What have I stolen?”
Idris: “Me, are you going to steal me? You have stolen me, you are stealing me. Oh, tenses are difficult, aren’t they?”

Amy (re Time Lords): “You want to be forgiven.”
The Doctor: “Don’t we all?”

This episode was meant to air in Season 5 where “The Lodger” had aired. I’m glad it got pushed to this season so that Rory could be in it.

Rory (re the Doctor): “He’s a Time Lord, he’ll be fine.”
Amy: “It’s just what they’re called. It doesn’t actually mean he knows what he’s doing.”

The Doctor (to Auntie/Uncle): “You gave me hope and you took it away. That’s enough to make anyone dangerous. God knows what it’ll do to me. Run.”

House was voiced by Michael Sheen and apart from the ‘die/kill/hate Amy’ stuff we got in blood, we also saw Rory aged 2000 years and as a rotting corpse.

The Doctor: “You’re dying.”
Idris: “Yes, of course I’m dying. I don’t belong in a flesh body; I could blow the casing in no time.”

The Doctor: “You didn’t always take me where I wanted to go.”
Idris: “No, but I always took you where you needed to go.”

The Ood were credited as being created by Russell T. Davies. I don’t remember this happening last season when the Judoon featured.

Rory: “2000 years I waited for you. You did it to me again.”
Amy: “I didn’t mean to, I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”

Idris (to the Doctor): “Oh my beautiful idiot. You have what you always had, you’ve got me.”

The makeshift TARDIS we saw the Doctor and Idris use was from a Blue Peter winner. Also Idris referred to the dead TARDISes on House as her sisters.

The Doctor: “You’re doing it, you sexy thing.”
Idris: “See, you do call me that. Is that my name?”
The Doctor: “You bet it’s your name.”

House: “Fear me; I’ve killed hundreds of Time Lords.”
The Doctor: “Fear me; I’ve killed all of them.”

This was supposed to be the third episode of the season as well but it was pushed to fourth when “The Curse Of The Black Spot” was brought forward.

Idris: “There’s something I didn’t get to say to you.”
The Doctor: “Goodbye.”
Idris: “No, I just wanted to say hello. Hello Doctor, it’s so very, very nice to meet you.”

Amy: “Look at you pair. It’s always you and her, isn’t it? Long after the rest of us are gone. A boy and his box off to see the universe.”
The Doctor: “You say that if it’s a bad thing but honestly, it’s the best thing there is.”

Chronology: None actually specified and this episode didn’t mention anything in relation to Amy’s pregnancy either.

“The Doctor’s Wife” when you think about it isn’t a cop out title for this story. Okay the Doctor and the TARDIS/Idris aren’t actually married but their relationship can easily be compared to one and their connection is certainly something that can’t be denied either. A real masterpiece of an episode.

Rating: 10 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's 6x03: "The Curse Of The Black Spot"

Written by Steve Thompson
Directed by Jeremy Webb

The Doctor: “You had to gloat, didn’t you?”
Avery: “I wasn’t gloating.”
The Doctor: “I saw that look right now – ha ha, his ship is rubbish.”
Avery: “True.”

Let’s face it, when it comes to ship, the TARDIS might have her occasional setback but it’s a better ship than most and it’s always going to be more impressive than a pirate ship. Not that pirate ships aren’t impressive but a TARDIS will always trump it mind.

The idea of a pirate themed episode for this show isn’t exactly new territory. “The Smugglers” is probably the most famous pirate themed story from the Classic Series and whether “The Curse Of The Black Spot” will be seen as a classic in later years remains to be seen. For now, it’s more of a fluffier episode compared to the opening two parter we had.

The Doctor, Amy and Rory playing stowaways on Avery’s ship, only to be caught within the first three minutes of the episode set up a light hearted tone. We even got a moment where Avery forced the Doctor to walk the plank before Amy got a little over enthusiastic with a cutlass and damned one of his crew.

I’m usually fond of Amy’s sassiness but even I found it rather jarring when she wasn’t exactly on page with the pirate’s alarm at being cut. Okay, so she didn’t know about the Siren and until then, the pirate had been giving them hell but it was just a little bit of a jarring moment with Amy for me.

As for the men being marked for death by the Siren, I totally knew that Rory was going to wind up being one of them. You have to give Arthur Darvill his due. As an enchanted Rory, he got to play the fool very well and put a lot of playful humour into some fairly ridiculous dialogue but as a Rory fan, this episode committed the cardinal sin of killing him off again.

It’s moments like this where it’s understandable as to why Rory is seen as the Kenny of this show. The poor fella does seem to have bad luck with dying and while it never sticks, it is becoming a recurring joke that’s in danger of losing its effect. Oddly enough though, it wasn’t the Siren who offed him though. Drowning managed to accomplish that one.

And then there was the Siren. I had no real opinion of Lily Cole being cast in the role because there have been enough incidents in the new series where an odd piece of casting has worked in the show’s favour but here it was something of a mixed bag if I’m being totally honest.

Lily Cole looked the part of a Siren – beautiful and enchanting one minute, sinister the next but in terms of performances, honestly, you could’ve gotten any extra to have done basically the same thing she did throughout the entire episode, which wasn’t much to be brutally honest.

Not giving the Siren any dialogue was a massive misstep for this episode. Not only did it relegate the Doctor as a mouthpiece for voicing the Siren’s intent but it also denied Lily Cole a chance to actually show viewers what she’s capable of as an actress, which was a damn shame as far as I was concerned.

I didn’t mind the reveal of the Siren being more of an automated doctor trying to heal the sick. It was a nice enough twist and after the nastiness of the Silence in the last two weeks, it’s always good to have an alien on the show whose intentions aren’t nefarious but again, no dialogue sort of hampered the character’s impact for me.

However it did lead to an interesting character moment for Amy. I’m not gonna lament on the bad CPR skills but for all the continuous doubters out there, does this episode finally prove that she loves Rory? Probably not but I don’t doubt her love for him and while you can lament about Rory’s faith in Amy being misplaced, I actually think it’s endearing of him. Unlike “Cold Blood”, Rory made it out of this one alive.

Now that we’ve had the ritual ‘let’s kill Rory’ moment of the episode, the more interesting aspect of the episode was the fact that the TARDIS lot are lying to each other. I love this team so much and while I understand Amy and Rory concealing the Doctor’s future death from him, I’m not sure I understand why the Doctor is scanning Amy behind her back.

Three episodes in and I’m still convinced that Amy’s Schrödinger pregnancy is a good plot point but at the same time, it seems jarring that the Doctor doesn’t confront her and Rory on this. He had no problem doing that last year with the cracks, so why not this and who the hell is that Eye Patch lady already?

Elsewhere and back to the pirate stuff, apart from Avery’s greed, his issues with his son Toby and the disloyalty and cowardice of some of his crew, I have to hand it to Steve Thompson for being somewhat restrained with the pirate clichés, though I’m not sure the idea of a pirate crew in deep space with a Siren is a good idea though.

Also in “The Curse Of The Black Spot”

The timing of this episode couldn’t be any more perfect, what with a new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie coming out soon.

The Doctor (to Avery): “Yo, ho, ho, ho or does anyone actually say that?”

This is the third historical episode we’ve had in a row so far this series. Nice to see the format shift a little.

The Doctor: “Amy, what are you doing?”
Amy: “Saving your life. Okay with that, are you?”

Rory: “Hey, cuddle me, shipmate.”
Amy: “Rory stop.”

This episode was meant to be one later in the season but it was pushed forward because there weren’t enough lighter episodes in the first half of the season, according to Steven Moffat.

The Doctor (re Toby): “He’s not one of the crew?”
Avery: “No, he’s my son.”

The Doctor: “I was wrong. Please ignore all my previous theories up until this point.”
Avery: “What, again?”

First Canton, now Avery got a look around the TARDIS and the Doctor mentioned about multiple bathrooms too.

Toby: “What made you do it, what made you turn pirate?”
Avery: “Get some sleep now.”

Madame Kovarian (to Amy): “It’s fine; you’re doing fine, just stay calm.”

I lied about Eye Patch Lady – I think she’s an intergalactic midwife from hell, which makes sense, considering the contexts in which Amy has seen her in the last two episodes.

The Doctor (to Amy/Avery): “Ever look at a mirror and think you’re seeing a whole other world? Well, this time it’s not an illusion.”

Amy: “Why do I have to be the one, why do I have to save you?”
Rory: “Because I know you’ll never give up.”

Steve Thompson, who scribed this episode, also wrote for Sherlock last year as well.

Amy: “You only call me Amelia when you’re worrying about me.”
The Doctor: “I always worry about you.”
Amy: “Mutual.”
The Doctor: “Go to bed, Pond.”

Chronology: If we’re going by the real Henry Avery, then it’s late 17th Century.

While this episode is unlikely to go down as a classic, I think “The Curse Of The Black Spot” for me at least falls into the ‘better than I expected it’ category and after the darkness of the last two episodes, it was needed to have something a little lighter. However next week’s episode looks to be a big one.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's 6x02: "Day Of The Moon"

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Toby Haynes

The Doctor: “You know what they say – there’s a first time for everything.”
River: “And a last time.”

I thought last week’s episode was a head trip but this episode was even more trippy than the first one and watching it three times was needed for me before I decided to write a review for it. Where do I begin?

Well, there was the cliff hanger for a start from last week. Not only was Amy a bad shot but for the first five minutes of this episode, we were under the horrible impression that Canton turned villain as he gunned down Amy and Rory, drove River off a building and imprisoned the Doctor in something that looked like the Pandorica Mark 2. Fortunately looks aren’t everything.

Mark Sheppard usually plays villains in most things he appears in but Canton was still on the TARDIS team’s side for this one. How nice was it that he was in on the Doctor and company’s attempts of fooling the Silence than being duped himself. Even more nice when he later used Amy’s video phone to help bring the Silence’s downfall in this episode too.

And because of that, it’s actually a pity that we probably won’t be seeing for a while yet but as a temporary companion of sorts, he was wonderful in his scenes with the gang. I definitely got why the Doctor sent both Canton and Amy to check out Graystark Hall when they were investigating the little girl as well.

Creepy children’s homes aren’t exactly new territory but this episode certainly used them effectively. The completely brain zapped Dr Renfrew and the mysterious Eye Patch lady aside, I have to give credit to the cat and mouse antics with the Silence in relation to Amy during those scenes. They could’ve snatched her at any time but waited until she interacted with the girl in the space suit before doing it.

Two episodes in and the Silence managed to retain their overall creepiness nicely. Their perversion with memories was one thing but it still intrigues me as to why they’ve kept the gang alive. Even Canton didn’t have his life threatened in this one, apart from the flashbacks at the start of the episode.

In particular, never mind the little girl for a minute – what’s so special about Amy? She’s encountered them more than anyone on screen and they didn’t kill her. Sure they kept her hostage but even before the Doctor could bring out their downfall, they still didn’t kill Amy. That has to mean something because it’s too important not to.

They did however have zero problems in trying to attack the Doctor, Rory and River after a little message played alongside the Moon landing made everyone on Earth consciously aware of them. Now that was definitely a clever way of dealing with the Silence but given the build up that’s been surrounding them for the past year, I doubt they’re actually defeated – more neutralised for the time being.

The most funny however during the gang’s rescue of Amy was the flirtatious banter between the Doctor and River. You gotta love Matt Smith and Alex Kingston because they really are selling this rather tragic love story (or whatever it is) dynamic between their characters and while the Doctor’s lighter approach towards guns might have seemed a little out of character, what else was River going to do? The Silence weren’t exactly going to go quietly, were they?

However, flirty banter aside the real tragedy of the Doctor and River is that their relationship is playing backwards and one will always know less than the other and that sucks for them. River’s heartbreak when the Doctor revealed that he didn’t know their relationship extended to kissing certainly knocked the wind out of her sails but there’s more than that.

River let slip last week about being an impressionable girl when the Doctor first met her and then there was a comment she made about her old fella being cross when Rory stepped out of the TARDIS. Is River really going to be revealed as the daughter of Amy and Rory? This episode kind of suggested the possibility.

And then there’s the little regenerating at the end. I like spoilers but I wish I hadn’t actually known about that. Also, until I get further evidence, I think that girl is going to end up being revealed as River, which also ties into Amy’s unconfirmed pregnancy, the picture she found in the children’s home with her and a newborn and her own fears about having a time head.

River doesn’t necessarily have to be a Time Lord but it has been suggested that the TARDIS could be affecting Amy’s pregnancy as well, which I could buy into seeing as there’s always been something off with Amy anyways, so it wouldn’t be that implausible, would it? Still, the bigger question also should be how long we have to wait before Amy and Rory realise they actually are going to become parents after all?

Speaking of Rory, Arthur Darvill really went through a gamut in this episode too. His fears over losing Amy first to the Silence and then mistaking her confession of love to be for the Doctor did make me feel for the guy. Thankfully though, Amy was actually professing her love for Rory and not the Doctor – though he’s always going to have a place in Amy’s heart and basically if you’re an Amy/Rory fan, this episode will be a pleaser for you and there was confirmation on what Rory remembers from being a Centurion.

Also in “Day Of The Moon”

No tribute for Nicholas Courtney? Ah, come on; pay the man his respects already.

Amy: “Is that a body bag?”
Canton: “Yes it is.”
Amy: “It’s empty.”
Canton: “How about that?”

This year’s Confidential is being narrated by Midshipman Frame himself, Russell Tovey. He also narrated the one for “A Christmas Carol” too.

River (re the Silence): “They’re here, Canton. They’re everywhere.”
Canton: “I know. America’s being invaded.”
River: “You were invaded a long time ago. America is occupied.”

The Doctor: “You okay?”
Amy: “All better.”
The Doctor: “Better?”
Amy: “Turns out I was wrong. I’m not pregnant.”

That mysterious Eye Patch Lady will be returning later in the season. She’s definitely not someone we’ve seen the last of.

The Doctor (to Amy/Rory/River/Canton): “We’re not fighting an alien invasion. We’re leading a revolution.”

Rory (to Gardner/Grant): “America salutes you.”

While Rory got to rock a suit quite nicely, poor River got a somewhat frumpier outfit during those scenes. Amy’s businesswoman attire wouldn’t look out of place on The Apprentice though.

Canton: “You invaded us, you’re everywhere. Are you armed?”
Silence: “This world is ours. We have ruled since the wheel and the fire. We have no need for weapons.”
Canton: “Yeah, welcome to America.”

The Doctor (re Amy): “She can’t hear you. I’m sorry, it’s all my ....”
Rory: “She can always hear me, Doctor, always. Wherever she is and she always knows that I am coming for her. Do you understand me? Always.”

The BBC released a prequel for the next episode, “The Curse Of The Black Spot” after this one had finished airing.

Rory: “Rome fell.”
The Doctor: “I know. I was there.”
Rory: “So was I.”

Silence: “You’re Amelia Pond.”
Amy: “You’re ugly. Has anyone ever mentioned that to you?”

Canton confirmed that he was both gay and wanted to marry a black man. Nixon lost points for denying Canton’s request.

The Doctor (to the Silence): “Look at me, I’m confident. You wanna watch that – me when I’m confident.”

River: “I hope my old fella didn’t see that, he gets ever so cross.”

The TARDIS scanner was unable to confirm or deny Amy’s pregnancy but why did the Doctor scan her without her knowledge? Bad move, Doctor.

The Doctor: “Have I forgotten something?”
River: “Oh, shut up.”
The Doctor (after being kissed): “Right. Okay. Interesting.”
River: “What’s wrong with you? You’re acting like we’ve never done that before.”

Little Girl (to homeless guy): “It’s alright. It’s quite alright. I’m dying but I can fix that. It’s easy, really. See?”

Chronology: This episode was mostly set in July 1969, three months after “The Impossible Astronaut”.

“Day Of The Moon” certainly managed to be quite the rollercoaster ride, didn’t it? I think the regeneration at the end was the most discussion worthy part of the episode but overall, what the hell does Steven Moffat have planned next?

Rating: 10 out of 10

My Sarah Jane – A Tribute To Elisabeth Sladen

Sarah Jane: “Don’t forget me.”
The Doctor: “Oh, Sarah, don’t you forget me.”

It took me a while to watch this tribute to Elisabeth Sladen, who sadly passed away four days before transmission of the sixth series of Doctor Who but congrats to CBBC for coming up with a lovely tribute to the late actress in such short notice.

A host of different people that the actress worked with contributed to this 15 minute programme – recent Doctors such as David Tennant and Matt Smith, former companion actress Katy Manning, Lis’s younger co-stars Daniel Anthony, Tommy Knight and Anjili Mohindra as well as John Barrowman and Russell T. Davies.

The tribute gave up some of the best clips from Sarah Jane’s 37 year TV run as well as some interesting comments. John Barrowman wisely noted how a lot of modern day companions are influenced by Sarah Jane and it’s easy to see where he’s coming from as well and David Tennant lamented about the character being part of his childhood.

Most touching was Barney Edwards talking about the celebration of the character’s impact (and the actress) as opposed to mourning her loss but I did get a laugh out of Katy Manning labelling Sarah Jane the ultimate Who girl (or something to that effect). Definitely the highlight of the 15 minutes here.

- Lots of clips were used from both Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures but none from K9 And Company.
- Nice use of Adele and Elvis Costello here, musically.
- Poor Daniel Anthony and Tommy Knight looked drained during this.
- Shame Tom Baker didn’t make a contribution but what he had written about Elisabeth Sladen was lovely.

Definitely worth watching but an all too sad a reminder that one of the most iconic and influence companions is sadly no longer with us. Fandom is a sadder place without our Sarah Jane Smith.

My Review of Doctor Who's 6x01: "The Impossible Astronaut"

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Toby Haynes

Amy: “Get down.”
The Doctor: “What are you doing?”
Amy: “Saving your life.”

So, after the success of his first year, it looks like Steven Moffat was in the mood to take a gamble and boy, does it pay off. We’re used to lighter, one-part season openers so a darker, two-parter for an opening story this year was definitely the way to go about things.

I know there have been some complaints from viewers that Moffat’s version of the show isn’t high in emotional content or that he overused the timey-wimey elements in his storytelling but with the latter, it’s again used to great and slightly confusing effect and with the former, this story is seeping with emotional bits without diluting the action along the way.

The most interesting thing isn’t the cheeky methods that the Doctor enabled to draw attention himself to his friends or the fact that River basically treats Stormcage as a holiday camp but more the fact that both Amy and Rory have not been travelling with the bow tie wearing alien for a bit.

Setting this story in America was a breath of fresh air too. We’ve had enough openers based in London and while I do want to see a bit more of Leadworth this year, I really loved the epic backdrop that filming in Utah set for this story. I also love the fact that Moffat introduced both the Silence and killed the Doctor within the first ten minutes with aplomb.

The Doctor’s death was interesting – a future version of him was killed by an Apollo astronaut coming out of the water and Amy, Rory and River were put in the unenviable position of having to keep that a secret from the present day Doctor. That wasn’t easy either given how quickly annoyed he became by their twitchiness in the TARDIS.

I loved that it was Amy who had to be the one to get the Doctor to play ball and attend the mysterious summons back in 1969. Not only does it highlight the strength of their relationship but you could just tell during that scene when Amy was swearing on fish fingers and custards that more was going on with her.

Also interesting was that despite four envelopes being passed out, it was actually five people who became crucial to this storyline. The TARDIS team aside, the arrival of loose cannon FBI guy, Canton Everett Delaware III now meant that Mark Sheppard can add another sci-fi credit to his impressive CV but seriously, he’s an excellent character and interacted with the gang fantastically.

It was Canton who actually gave the Doctor a fair chance when the gang broke into the Oval office and spooked Nixon and it was also a relief that he took to the wonders of the TARDIS with reasonable ease but when you have Rory giving you the lowdown, I guess I can see why Canton wasn’t that shocked by it after all.

As for the central storyline itself – there was a little girl hounding Nixon for helping, a killer Astronaut and the even more dangerous race the Silence. When it came to the last of the three, I can’t help but wonder if Steven Moffat will actually be able to make a sinister alien race that could outrival the Daleks for sinister behaviour.

The Silence played on one of Moffat’s strengths – being seen. People forget them when they’re not looking as demonstrated by Amy, Rory, River and the ill fated Joy and maybe it was the BBC ads featuring them but aesthetically, they’re a nasty looking bunch. Plus the lack of mouths doesn’t mean they’re not quick with conversation.

They could’ve easily killed Amy in the bathroom but instead they menaced her into telling the Doctor everything he knows and doesn’t and they only went to attack Rory and River after the latter managed to activate that TARDIS we saw from “The Lodger” and with that, another mystery was nicely set in place.

As for the little girl being the astronaut, that did surprise but I guess the trailer for the next episode more or less proved that if River couldn’t stop that astronaut, then Amy’s shots aren’t going to make much a difference either but I could Amy making her own attempts of rewriting time and trying to save the Doctor’s life.

However the shocking ending wasn’t even the best bit of the episode – I can’t tell if it was Amy revealing that she was pregnant to the Doctor or River giving Rory some pretty deep insight into who she really is but either way, both of those scenes had me absolutely gripped for different reasons.

I’ll admit that in the past I had reservations with River Song once upon a time but now, not so much. I think it’s because Alex Kingston has electric chemistry with Matt Smith but also because River to me, feels less like a gimmick and more of a real character. Seeing her be vulnerable to Rory about her relationship to the Doctor was beautifully acted but it was also a nice counterbalance to the flirting between the Doctor and River as well in this one – which I did enjoy.

As for Amy being pregnancy – how could this not surprise anyone? The episode wasn’t subtle about the hints – weight comments, clutching stomach, etc but if you’re gonna have a married couple travel in the TARDIS (or back again), then this is a storyline that was probably always going to surface one way or another.

As for theories, I’m going to be totally controversial and assume that a) the baby’s father is Rory and b) the baby could possibly be River but it could also not be as well. Both are valid theories, mind but with this revelation now out in the open, does this mean that Amy and Rory’s time travelling days are about to end?

Also in “The Impossible Astronaut”

The tribute to Elisabeth Sladen at the start of the episode was lovely but where was the one for Nicholas Courtney? Hopefully we see one next week.

Rory: “Hey, nice hat.”
The Doctor: “I wear a Stetson now. Stetsons are cool.”
River: “Hello, sweetie.”

I know she’s still a recurring character but I’m beginning to wish they would add Alex Kingston’s name to the opening credits whenever River appears.

The Doctor (to Amy/Rory/River): “I’ve been running, faster than I ever have and I’ve been running my whole life. Now it’s time for me to stop.”

Older Canton: “I believe I can save you some time. That most certainly is the Doctor and he is most certainly dead.”

Amy and Rory didn’t seem to be living in Leadworth when we first saw them and the Doctor was getting his painting down naked and hanging out in Nazi Germany as well.

Amy: “What do we do, Rory?”
River: “We’re his friends. We do what the Doctor’s friends always do – as we’re told.”

River: “This is cold, even by your standards, this is cold.”
The Doctor: “Or hello as people used to say.”

The Doctor who was killed by the astronaut was 1103 but the Doctor we then met was 909 and hadn’t done Jim the Fish with River. I loved the Easter Island stuff as well.

The Doctor: “Swear to me. Swear to me on something that matters.”
Amy: “Fish fingers and custard.”
The Doctor: “My life in your hands, Amelia Pond.”

Nixon: “You are my second choice for this, Mr Delaware.”
Canton: “That’s okay; you were my second choice for president, Mr Nixon.”

Canton talked about getting married being a crime – closeted homosexual or interracial marriage? Also Mark Sheppard’s father, William Morgan Sheppard played the older Canton first seen in the episode.

The Doctor: “These are my top operative – the legs, the nose and Mrs Robinson.”
River: “I hate you.”
The Doctor: “No, you don’t.”

Silence: “Joy. Her name was Joy. Yours is Amelia. You will tell the Doctor.”
Amy: “Tell him what?”
Silence: “What he must know and what he must never know.”

This episode managed to get in reference to two founding fathers fancying the Doctor, two Doctor Who jokes and a Star Trek reference. Bravo show. Oh and Laurel And Hardy. Can’t forget that too.

Canton (re the TARDIS): “It’s bigger on the inside.”
Rory: “You get used to it.”

The Doctor: “Shout if you get into trouble.”
River: “Don’t worry, I’m quite the screamer. Now there’s a spoiler for you.”

Standout music: Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep”. I’ve been addicted to that song for months now, so thanks show for that one.

River (to Rory): “I live for the days I see him but I know that every time I do, he’d be one step further away. The day’s coming when I look into that man’s eyes, my Doctor and he won’t have the faintest idea who I am. And I think it’s going to kill me.”

Amy: “Doctor, I’m pregnant.”

Chronology: July 1969 for most of the episode but also around 2011 for the first quarter of the episode too.

As a season opener, “The Impossible Astronaut” is a sumptuous feast. Gorgeous location shots, a fantastically mind bending storyline, beautiful character interactions and growth (except for Nixon, who is underused here) and one creepy as hell monsters with the Silence. Without a doubt, the best opening episode the series has done since 2005.

Rating: 10 out of 10.

A Tear, Sarah Jane?

I don't usually do blogs about deaths but like many Doctor Who/The Sarah Jane Adventures fans, I was saddened and shocked to hear that actress Elisabeth Sladen has passed away. The actress, 63 died of cancer yesterday morning and had been ill for months. She is the second companion actor to have passed away this year, following the death of Nicholas Courtney (The Brigadier) in February.

I didn't grow up with the Classic Series but once I had seen Sarah Jane Smith in School Reunion and watched her subsequent stories with the Third and Fourth Doctors, I knew there was something about the character and actress that struck a chord and her own foray into a spin-off series gave the character a much needed new audience and to paraphrase the lovely Miss Smith, no one is ever going to forget you.

A true legend sadly no longer with us. I don't know whether the filmed segments of Series 5 of The Sarah Jane Adventures will air either but DWM will be dedicating an issue to the actress later in the year while Doctor Who will also be doing a tribute as well.

Doctor Who - Series 6 Hits New York

I swear, this is the last Doctor Who related blog until my review for The Impossible Astronaut but here's something to savour until next Saturday ...

The start of the week saw actors Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill and Alex Kingston along with showrunner, Steven Moffat, producers Beth Willis and Piers Wenger and director Toby Haynes heading over to New York to do some promo work for the sixth season with all five of them fielding questions from eager American fans.

During the Q&A section, there were hints from Moffat about John Simm not leaving his role of the Master just yet (I guess we can start the Master coming for Series 7 rumours, can't we?) as well as teasings about the show's past inclusion of LGBT characters as well as more musings on this year's threat, the Silence. Also watch out for an unique rendition of Rebecca Black's Friday to Matt, Karen and Arthur.

Preview Clips For The Impossible Astronaut: http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/04/dwn130411223008-bbc-publicity-update.html
Matt/Karen/Arthur Interview: http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/04/dwn080411235008-bbc-america-publicity.html
Series 6 Q&A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWsGTLn6veg

Doctor Who - Series 6 Radio Times Guide

Radio Times have decided to do their usual guide for the new series of Doctor Who a week early, due to the Royal Wedding getting the cover for next week, so without further ado, here's what to expect in the first half of Series 6 ....

6x01/6x02: The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Toby Haynes

Is there anything about this American two-parter we don't know about? Let's see, there's the threat that between the Doctor, Amy, Rory and River, one of them will die, you've got President Nixon and Mark Sheppard playing FBI agent Canton Everett Delaware III as well as the introduction of the Silence (above pictured). Add in a future version of the Doctor and Amy discovering something she's forced to keep secret as well as that TARDIS from The Lodger and you definitely have the trapping of an unforgettable two-part adventure.

6x03: The Curse Of The Black Spot

Written by Steve Thompson
Directed by Jeremy Webb

Sherlock writer Steve Thompson tackles this Pirate themed episode and given that another Pirates Of The Carribean movie is out this year, it's a rather timely episode, isn't it? This one feature Hugh Bonneville as Pirate captain, Avery as well as Lily Cole as a Selkie/Mermaid creature that possesses people, including Rory at one point. Also, watch out for Amy's swashbuckling skills in this one.

6x04: The Doctor's Wife

Written by Neil Gaiman
Directed by Richard Clark

Originally meant for last season, this audaciously titled episode has yet to actually reveal as to whether or not it literally lives up to it's title. Either way, Suranne Jones looks absolutely stunning as Idris (old friend with a new face, according to Gaiman) and it's also the one where the Ood return, Amy/Rory have an interesting conversation about Time Lords and the Doctor does battle with a mysterious voice as they talk about Time Lord deaths. It's definitely the one I'm looking forward to the most and Michael Sheen voices a role in this one too.

6x05/6x06: The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People

Written by Matthew Graham
Directed by Julian Simpson

Described as a mash up of The Thing and Made In Dagenham, this two parter from Fear Her scribe, Matthew Graham certainly explores the more rebellious aspects of cloning amidst an alien shape changer and industrial disputes. There's also something of a shocking cliffhanger or two in this story that will prove to be important later on in the series as well. Expect guest appearances from Marshall Lancaster, Raquel Cassidy and Sarah Smart in this one.

6x07: A Good Man Goes To War

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Peter Hoar

The mid-season finale to the sixth season and the one where there will be consequences for harming Amy as the Doctor and Rory blaze the galaxy to save the women in both their lives. This one is also the one where we finally find out who River is and as well as the slightly new looking Cybermen with Centurion Rory, expect appearances of Dorium, Silurians and Sontarans in this one as well. We could be possibly seeing the formation of the Alliance from last series here.

Series 6 begins on BBC1 at 6pm from April 23rd to June 4th. The second half will premiere in September.

Doctor Who - Series 6 Press Launch/DWM 433 Cover Spoilers

If you couldn't tell that Series 6 of Doctor Who was coming, well you certainly should be able to now as DWM decide to celebrate the arrival of the new series in style, as well as an ominous threat as well to the system ...

The issue - 433, which comes out on Thursday has four covers - The Doctor, Amy Pond, Rory Pond and River Song and personally for me, I'll just grab the first one available because honestly, they all look superb. And then there's that spoiler on the cover - one of them will die? But is that really true and if so, will it be a death that actually sticks?

The Doctor: Sure, they could kill him off but given that Matt Smith has not only been heavily rumoured to continue the role in 2012 but has also talked about his own ideas for the 50th anniversary in 2013, I can't see the Doctor actually dying and staying that way, even if River has been cryptically going on about killing the best man she's ever known. More importantly if being erased from the universe and then literally wished back into existence from Amy can't keep him down, what chance does death have of doing it?

Amy Pond: Oh, Amy, you poor thing. You've already seen Rory die twice on you and you er, died as well yourself but could death be a pernament thing for you this year? Maybe not, especially given that we've seen filming pics of Amy well beyond The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon. And besides, if the trailers from last week are anything to go by, Amy could be the one causing death rather than becoming one of it's victims.

Rory Pond (ne Williams): Rory is not only supposed to be the companion that audiences see as an identification figure but he's also become the poor guy who gets killed twice a season. Could a third one actually stick? Let's hope not, eh? Personally, I want to see him and Amy leave the series happy and married rather than one or both of them dead.

River Song: International woman of mystery, a mystery that this year is supposed to finally resolve but could she also die here? Moffat's repeatedly said that her fate from Series 4 was inevitable but given his love of timey-wimey, whose to say that River doesn't experience death in the opener? Whoever does die however, I can guarantee that it's not going to be a death that sticks for any of them but it's certainly enough to amp up excitement for the series. Similiarly exciting are the reports from the press screening of the first two episodes linked below as well as detailed synopsises from the BBC website released. Only 19 days to go now before everything changes.

Press Launch: http://lifetheuniverseandcombom.blogspot.com/2011/04/doctor-who-follow-up-to-impossible.html

BBC Synopsises: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_110405_01/The_Revolution_Begins

Doctor Who - Series 6 BBCA Trailer Spoilers

The Doctor (to Amy): Whatever happens however hard, however far, we will find you.

You have to love BBCAmerica. Shortly after the BBC released a trailer for Series 6, they did exactly the same thing and used different clips for effect. For instance, River's looking all beautiful and marked and getting her shooting on in that other TARDIS from last season.

The Doctor and Idris (Suranne Jones) looking at a strange ship from The Doctor's Wife. The more I read about this episode, the more I am convinced that Idris will be the TARDIS in lady form. I'm also willing to bet this will be the episode with the Ood in them as well.

Amy and Rory in the TARDIS with River from The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon. There's a lot of Amy and Rory running about the place in the trailer, including some ominous stuff with the Doctor and Amy as well. What is going to happen to Amy in this one?

More stuff from the US two-parter with the Doctor, River and Canton (Mark Shephard) in the TARDIS. The Doctor talks to Canton about the length of them being here. Presumably them is in relation to the Silents/Silence, so it's nice to see Eleven taking an assertive role in trying to figure out his new foes.
This is definitely from The Rebel Flesh/Gangers. I could recognise Marshall Lancaster a mile off and it seems that the cloned people in orange suits are helping (or hindering) Rory at one point in the trailer. The pirate episode also some stuff involving explosions and talks of a struggle.

Okay, are these the Silents or the Ood because there could be arguments made for both but either way, they look damn creepy. And now there is exactly three weeks to go before Series 6 arrives on both UK and US shores.

Series 6 BBCA Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVAgyBOe84w&feature=player_embedded

Doctor Who - Series 6 Official Trailer - Spoilers

River Song: This is the Doctor's darkest hour. He'll rise higher than ever before and then fall so much further. This is the day he finds out who I am.

Come on, was anyone honestly not expecting at least one Doctor/River kiss this season? If the costume is anything to go by, this could be from opening two parter, The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon or possibly the game changing seventh episode, which will either be titled His Darkest Hour or A Good Man Goes To War, according to DWM. It's certainly a smoocher, especially in light of a certain episode title that was revealed this week. The Doctor's looking a little possessed in this one, though whether it's from the Silence, who are the main threat for Series 6 or something else, I can't really tell. This episode briefly had a shot of the Doctor and Idris (Suranne Jones) on a planet looking at a ship. The episode featuring Idris was revealed to be titled, The Doctor's Wife and whether or not Idris will literally live up to the title is another thing. Some are speculating that she won't or that she's a literal manifestation of the TARDIS, which I think is also more likely.

Amy and Rory in the TARDIS and it seems that these two will be put through the ringer this season as well. Expect Rory to make one hell of an error and Amy might be containing a secret or two from the Doctor. We have no confirmation of whether or not both characters will make it past this upcoming series either whereas Matt Smith has been confirmed for the 2012 series.

It looks like we're seeing the TARDIS from the RTD era of the series, though I have no idea as to why but it looks cool again, right? There's rumours that we might be seeing a regeneration this season. Also, there's an incredibly interesting conversation between the Doctor and an unseen menace about killing Time Lords. The Doctor naturally wins that one of course.

Also the Doctor once again mentioned that he was running and has to stop but from what, exactly? The trailer is rather cryptic on that end of things and I have no idea what is up with the suits in the above picture either. Anyone else notice that there's no familiar race of aliens in this trailer too? Literally all of them are new.

Keeping with episode titles, Toby Whithouse's one has been called The God Complex and it's the one set in a hotel with nightmare scenerios (clowns, strange bull like creature) and the other highlights included some clips of the pirate episode as well as those creepy dolls and some dubious scenes with Amy as well. April 23rd can't come fast enough.

Series 6 Trailer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/videos/p00g0jpb

Doctor Who/Torchwood - Promo Pictures

Okay next week I will be doing something more on spoilers for both shows but for now, here's some more recent updates. Doctor Who: The first promotional image of Series 6 has been launched and it's to promote the two part opening story, The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon with the Doctor, Amy and Rory being reflected inside the visor of an astronaut with the TARDIS as well. A similar themed trailer was released on Wednesday with the Doctor and a rather creepy Silent in the background. The Silent can also be seen in the released prequel for the opening story where President Nixon gets an interesting phone call and doesn't spot the monster in the Oval Office. A longer trailer will surface on Tuesday on BBC1, time yet to be disclosed.

Torchwood: Okay no trailers yet and while the above promotional poster is pretty basic, there will be new posters and promotional shots of the cast released after the Cannes Film Festival next month where John Barrowman will be heading over to promote the series. Starz have confirmed that Miracle Day will debut on July 8th 2011 and we can assume that will be the same date for the BBC1 transmission as well.

Series 6 Trailer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/videos/p00fvcnt
The Impossible Astronaut Prequel: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/videos/p00fxf06

My Review of Doctor Who's: "Time"

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Richard Senior

Amy 1: “Ooh, I’d give you a driving licence anytime.”
Amy 2: “I bet you would.”
The Doctor: “Oh this is how it all ends … Pond flirting with herself. True love at last. Oh, sorry Rory.”
Rory: “Absolutely no problem at all.”

And here is the second part of our Comic Relief sketch and there’s more innuendo to laugh at/being disgusted by/whatever floats your boat. Amy flirting with herself – why is it that some viewers have an issue with this? If it had been Jack or maybe River doing the same, I bet there wouldn’t have been as much annoyance from certain folks online.

Personally for me, I found it amusing. Why shouldn’t Amy flirt with herself? She’s an attractive girl and better that than eternal self-loathing, right? And Rory seemed pretty happy with the idea of two versions of his wife as well. On a serious note, we did see future versions of the Doctor and Rory, so it’s not like this was completely all about Amy either.

The resolution of fixing the problem with the wibbly lever was undercut with more humour as well but given that this entire sketch was for charity, I can’t complain, though I got a big laugh out of the Doctor telling Amy to put some trousers on. More for Rory’s agreement than anything else.

- Amy was about to ask the Doctor a big question in the first part but she didn’t get the chance to in this one. Will she ask that question in Series 6?
- Series 6 will open up with a two parter called The Impossible Astronaut and Day Of The Moon, scheduled for the Easter weekend. A new trailer for Series 6 is due today and next Saturday.
- Poor Rory for getting slapped. At least he wasn’t killed this time around.
- Over 74 million was raised for Comic Relief this year. Brilliant!

A great second part, “Time” wrapped this up nicely and now with the advent of Series 6 drawing nearer and nearer, I can’t wait to see what happens next for our TARDIS trio.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Doctor Who's: "Space"

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Richard Senior

Rory: “Did you ever see Amy drive, Doctor?”
The Doctor: “No!”
Rory: “Neither did her driving examiner.”

Okay and for Comic Relief this year, we get not one but two little scenes with the Doctor, Amy and Rory and unlike the NTA sketch from January, this was a lot of fun to be honest.

The idea of two Amy Ponds might not appeal to everyone but given that this sketch also basically gave us a TARDIS inside a TARDIS, I’m willing to let it slide. The gang are trapped in a space loop and the second Amy appearing served as a decent cliffhanger as well.

So, what else happened in the first four minutes of this? Oh yeah, multiple jokes about driving, Amy’s skirt and the Doctor being a little skittish around the fiery red head. I get that some people might not have found them overly funny but I have to admit that I was giggling. Maybe the jokes were a little more innuendo than usual but some people accusing Moffat of sexism need to lighten up a little.

- Amy’s last line in this one was the same as her first line in The Big Bang.
- Loved Rory with the goggles and helping the Doctor to fly the TARDIS. It’s nice that they’re getting closer.
- TARDIS in a TARDIS – shades of The Time Monster and Logopolis anyone?
- The last time the show did something for Comic Relief was 12 years ago with Moffat’s The Curse Of Fatal Death.

An interesting start to a very fun tale. “Space” was a lot of fun and now it’s “Time” that I went and reviewed the second part. See what I did there?

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Doctor Who - Series 6 Latest Filming/Comic Relief 2011 - EDITED

Attention folks, awesomeness ensues.

Okay, this blog has been edited for a big ass spoiler - CYBERMATS!. I know Matt Smith is a fan of The Tomb Of The Cybermen but this is awesome. I can't believe they're back. In scenes filming, both the Doctor (liking the green tweed outfit) and Craig with a baby are doing battle with one of the nasties. So I guess Cybermen are totally in this episode then. Credit to Timeboy on Gallifreybase for the snap and filming footage linked below this blog.

Is this the end of Amy and Rory? When this picture was released, it seemed to confirm to fans that both characters were on the way out but given that the finale hasn't been shot yet, it seems premature to assume they're going. Okay, I do think that by the end of Series 6 or the 2011 Christmas special, both characters could be gone but until Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill's exits are officially announced, perhaps it's premature to think the worst just yet. Still though, it does look like Amy and Rory are having an argument or some kind of a disagreement in that picture.

And doing such a great job last season, James Corden began filming his episode this week, which is the 12th one being written by Gareth Roberts and apart from scenes with Matt Smith, it's looking likely that Craig is definitely in this episode for more than a cameo. There were also scenes with Amy and Rory in a shop and various on set tweets also mentioned something about a woman remembering her childhood. Amy? The director of this episode has also been confirmed as Steve Hughes.

Elsewhere Lynda Baron (Captain Wrack from Enlightenment, singer from The Gunfighters) has also been cast in this episode, though her role hasn't been confirmed but it's being suspected that she could be playing Craig's mother, which makes sense. Sadly, no news on whether or not the lovely Daisy Haggard will be reprising her role as Sophie in this one.

However close to home, Comic Relief 2011 will feature not one but two four minute scenes, written by Steven Moffat and featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory. The scenes called Space and Time feature the gang and two versions of Amy Pond, which will undoubtedly go down a storm with the male population, especially as Moff cheekily said that we'll see Amy flirt with herself. The scene can be seen on March 18th on BBC1 and with any luck, a new trailer for Series 6 might surface but that is not a promise, just a hope on my part. There are increasing rumours that the first two episodes of the new series will air on April 23 and 24th respectively but nothing's confirmed yet. Perhaps Thursday's issue of DWM might shed some light.

Filming Pictures 1: http://doctorwhospoilers.com/2011/

Filming Pictures 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mugim0e/sets/72157626197300272/

Cybermat Attack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUQG9aTglNg

Doctor Who - Series 6 Added Guest Stars (Spoilers Obviously)

With Series 6 of Doctor Who is continuing to be filmed, here's another run down of high profile guest stars that was announced over the last few weeks.

Model and actress, Lily Cole has been cast in the series third episode, playing the role of a Siren. This is the pirate episode from Steve Thompson and it seems that Cole's character spells trouble for Rory, who in previous reports was seen to be under the influence of the deadly sirens. Michael Begley is also gust starring as Mulligan in that episode along with Oscar Lloyd rumoured to be playing duel roles of Tony and Freddie.

Meanwhile in the current episode that's being filmed - episode 11, written by Toby Whithouse, David Walliams is playing a mole like alien named Gibbis. From the sounds of it, Whithouse's episode will be a lighter one. Elsewhere in Moffat's episode, Demon's Run, additional cast has been confirmed with France Barber as Kovarian, Christina Chong as Lorna Bucket while the US two parter has Geoffrey Burton playing NASA Man.

Meanwhile, following his successful stint as Craig Owens from last year's The Lodger, it seems that James Corden will be reprising the role in the 12th episode of the season, rumoured to be penned by Gareth Roberts. Filming is due to begin during the second week of March and there's also rumours that Matthew Graham's two parter, The Rebel Flesh/Gangers might directly lead into the mid-season finale. Transmission for the sixth season has yet to be confirmed but it's rumoured that it will air in late April, given than there's still four episodes that are left to be filmed.

Walk The Plank - Doctor Who Series 6 Spoilers

Last week some big casting for the third episode of Series 6 was announced and this week, we're into full filming mode for it. Pictures, videos and stuff are from Gallifreybase and DoctorWhoSpoilers.

First picture sees what you should expect in a pirate themed episode - the Doctor being forced to walk the plank, presumably by Hugh Bonneville's character, Avery. Bits about this story seem to be the main villains are something called Sirens as well as vampire pirates (allegedly), it's based within the 17th century and the Doctor apparently talks about Avery's ship looking different from last time. Rory's being held back by one of Avery's men during the scenes where the Doctor's forced to make the plunge of doom.

In some of the other pictures, it seems that Amy won't be playing damsel in distress in this story. Not only do we see her in pirate gear but she's also taking a cutlass and fighting off some of Avery's men. Atta girl, Pond. In terms of casting, EastEnders Lee Ross will be playing Boatswain in this episode and Danny Sapani will be appearing in episode 7, titled Demons Run as Colonel Manton.

Once this episode is filmed, there will be five more to do - episodes 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13. I'm not sure how much of this episode actually plays into the ongoing strands of Series 6 but it definitely looks like it's going to be a very fun episode nonetheless.

Here's an exchange of what was overheard during the filming of this episode ....

The Doctor: "I suppose laughing like that’s part of the job description. Can you do the laugh – check. Grab yourself a parrot. Welcome aboard."
Avery: (Something like she talks alone my parrot and my men): "Take the doxy below to the galley and get her to work. She won’t need much feeding."
Amy: "Rory! A little help?"
Rory: "Hey! Hey! You! Listen! She’s not a doxy."
(Amy is taken below - The Doctor then talks to Avery which is inaudible, but ends with him addressing the Pirates...)
The Doctor: "A bit more laughter maybe guys, no, thank you!"
(The Doctor then looks over the side of the ship)
The Doctor: "Interesting jewellry by the way. And you’ve redecorated. What happened to the rest of the crew? Big ship, (Where’s the?) Pirates. I suppose the rest are hiding, they’re all going to jump out and shout "Boo!""
Amy: "Boo!"
[Amy appears from the hatch wielding her swordy.]

Can't wait to see this swashbuckling adventure when it hits the TV screens.

Filming Videos: http://doctorwhospoilers.com/2011/

More Pictures: http://community.livejournal.com/doctoreleven/510445.html?#cutid1