Matt Smith's Final Doctor Who Episodes

Must have been a mixed blessing for Matt Smith that the end of his tenure as the Doctor was filled with so many milestones for the series--the 50th anniversary, the 800th episode, the onset of a new cycle of regenerations. Because as awesome as it is to be the actor present for these big moments, it also means giving up some of the spotlight at a time when everyone should be celebrating you. Fortunately, the show was lucky that their lead actor has been nothing but humble as well as superbly talented enough to handle everything thrown at him. And boy did the show throw him a lot...

Starting at the end first, the Christmas special "The Time of the Doctor" was literally a buffet of all the hanging plot-lines that Steven Moffat created during his tenure as the show-runner. Now that "his" Doctor is leaving, he may have felt he needed to address them all, but even with the extended running time the explanations to the Silence, "Silence Will Fall," Trenzalore, crack in the fabric of spacetime, "Doctor Who?," etc., just felt simultaneously rushed and convoluted dragging most of the episode down. Not that I didn't appreciate them trying to explain literally everything, but a little mystery would've worked. The one plot point decision I was fine with was the regeneration cycle reset even though I still felt the execution of it was badly handled mostly due to the muddled and confusing motivations of the Time Lords.

With all of that said, Smith, even hampered by hilariously bad old-man make up for the latter half, was fantastic. He hit all of the emotional beats just right, echoing David Tennant's ability to cut through all of the bullshit in his last episode as well. The hundreds-year long siege of Trenzalore seemed as half-baked an idea as a lot of Moffat's ideas the past few years and yet there was something quite affecting seeing the Doctor stay in one place for so long (too bad we only get a montage and a time jump). Eleven's scenes with Handles (seemingly a more realized companion than Clara at this point) and his touching monologues reflecting the end are highlights as was the surprise cameo of Karen Gillan in the form of Eleven's first companion Amy Pond. A solid final episode in terms of acting from Matt, but everything else left much to be desired.

Fortunately the 50th Anniversary "The Day of the Doctor" was much more successful even with a plot that was seemingly as convoluted. It all revolved around the Time War, a universally devastating war between Daleks and Time Lords, that forced the Doctor who kill his own people for the sake of saving the universe. This war launched "New Who" and had only been revisited a few times indirectly until this episode. John Hurt played the War Doctor, a regeneration that came after Eight and before Nine. In his quest to end the war, he encountered his future selves played by Tennant and Smith. Smith was masterful here never relinquishing the lead, but always giving the others the spotlight as needed. Plus his chemistry with Tennant, as expected, was crazy good. Clara was again slightly a bit incidental to the whole thing (hoping more for her as Peter Capaldi's companion), but their decision to make Billie Piper not play Rose was inspired. Though my dream scenario would've been for The Moment to have been played by different companions, no matter how logistically impossible it would have been in real life.

The episode was chock full of homage to Classic Who complete with a surprise cameo of Tom Baker and it all seemed to work organically. Even the big polarizing reveal that the Doctor didn't really kill his own people trapping them only in an alternate universe was fine by me since I don't think that really took away to the emotional journeys taken by Nine and Ten and opened lot of possibilities moving forward (then again how they were used in the Christmas episode gave me pause). The only thing I didn't like about the episode was how lame the Time War looked. As my friend brought up, it looked Star Wars-lite. And why did it seem like the war was only being fought between the Daleks and the Time Lords on Gallifrey? What made the Time War so devastating was how wide-ranging its impact was to the entire universe. In all, I still found it quite good especially with the lower expectations I've had for Moffat.

But to end this long-winded post, I want to bring it back to Matt Smith who was the youngest actor to ever play the Doctor. His physicality, his penchant for hats, his impossible hair, his cool bow ties, and his ability to exude age old wisdom will all be missed. Geronimo!

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary

The first episode of Doctor Who aired on BBC November 23rd 1963, or 50 years ago today. It starred William Hartnell as the first of several actors to play the Doctor, a Time Lord who travels through space in time, currently being played by Matt Smith. The show is a national institution and a cultural phenomenon in its native Britain. It's the longest running science fiction television show in the world with 33 total seasons and nearly 800 episodes aired. The show ran from 1963-1989 with a TV film airing in 1996. The current incarnation of the show, which debut in 2005 and informally dubbed as "New Who," brought the Doctor and his adventures to a whole new generation.

For myself, I have only seen New Who with the Doctor being played by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and Matt Smith. John Hurt will be playing a "version" of the Doctor in the 50th Anniversary Special titled "The Day of the Doctor" which will air live worldwide in a couple of hour while Peter Capaldi will take over the role next season making him 12 or 13 depending on what transpires in today's episode.

Is it a perfect show? Hardly. But its longevity and cultural reach really is something to be admired. The stars is its limits. Below is "The Night of the Doctor," the prequel mini episode to the Anniversary Special starring the Doctor, though not the one anyone expected:

Weekend TV News Shockers: Community and Doctor Who

It was an unusually busy TV news day yesterday as a couple of announcement dominated my twitter timeline. First was the news that Dan Harmon was coming back to helm the next season of Community after being dismissed a year prior. Second was the announcement that Matt Smith is stepping down as the Doctor at the end of this year.

With regards to Harmon's return, it's certainly unheard of for a show-runner to come back after he was essentially fired, but perhaps this was the only logical choice that NBC and Sony had after unexpectedly giving the show a renewal for a 13-episode fifth season. After all, they tried to tinker the show after Harmon left to try to make it less niche to fit in with all of their other new "broader" comedies of the season and yet it was Community (and Parks and Recreation) who made it through the season. There was also a growing contingent of fans and critics who have been disappointed by the show's latest season, calling it a pale comparison to the "Harmon era." I liked the season more than many, but still recognize that something was off, different. Was it lacking Harmon's vision, voice? NBC is hedging their bets by thinking this way and so Harmon is back to right the ship (or at least to go down with it to the very end).

Matt Smith's departure is less shocking, but probably the news more people are talking about this weekend. After all in nerd world, this is pretty much akin to hearing a Pope announce his retirement. In a statement he gave to BBC, Smith expressed his immense gratitude in playing the iconic role:

Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show. I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.  [...] It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt.

Smith is the 11th actor to portray the Doctor and will subsequently appear in the 50th Anniversary special with the 10th Doctor David Tennant later this year. Smith's final episode will be the Christmas episode when audiences worldwide will also witness a new actor taking up the mantle as the Doctor. It is highly convenient for a show to easily change its lead actor, but doing so also creates advance buzz. Already there has been endless articles, conversations and debates on who the next Doctor will be with many hoping that perhaps this time around they cast someone who isn't white or even male. My favorite suggestion at the moment is Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd, Submarine). But that's thinking ahead when I really want to stop and praise what Smith did with the role. Following Tennant's Doctor must have been daunting as Tennant had grown quite beloved even outside of Doctor Who fandom. And being the youngest actor to portray the role had its own pressures. Yet in time, Smith was able to make his unique mark on the character highlighted by his stunning ability to somehow convey age-old wisdom and weariness through his youthful demeanor. This is even funnier to me since it was his relative youth that many fans, including myself, latched onto as a cause for concern when he was first cast.

Even Dan Harmon commented on this weekend's Doctor Who news:

Curse you, Matt Smith.I haven't been this unfairly upstaged in the news since my Fall 2001 Atkins Announcement.
— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 2, 2013

Doctor Who Gets TV Guide Fan Favorite

The folks over at BBC America must be thrilled that Doctor Who won this year TV Guide Fan Favorite cover. That would make it the second US magazine to put the long-running British sci-fi show on its cover this year with Entertainment Weekly doing so this past summer. Seems like BBC America's mission to make the time-traveling two-hearted Doctor more accessible and popular over the pond (by hosting screenings in New York and making the cast available at various cons around the country, etc.) is coming to fruition. The show itself has more recently shot in location such as New York City's Central Park and Utah's Monument Valley for a handful of episodes.

Doctor Who is actually on the cusp of celebrating its 50th Anniversary next year and the media and fans alike are already buzzing at all of the possibilities of how the show will mark the impressive milestone. I wouldn't be surprised if current Doctor and magazine cover boy, Matt Smith, will share some screen-time with past Doctors such as David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston. For things a little bit closer to look forward to, Doctor Who's Christmas special, which will re-introduce viewers to the new companion played by Jenna-Louise Coleman, will be airing in a few weeks on BBC America on Christmas Day.

And just for reference, the show beat out other fan favorite shows this year such as Fringe, Parks & Recreation, The Walking Dead, Pretty Little Liars, Happy Endings, and Vampire Diaries. Former winners include Community and Supernatural.

Doctor Who and Daleks Invade New York City

The season 7 premiere of Doctor Who is not until next week, but I was one of the few people lucky enough see an advance screening of the episode yesterday at the famed Ziegfeld Theater in New York City. The whole affair was swankier than last year's ordeal when I had to line up 11 hours before the screening only to end up in one of the overflow rooms that didn't have the cast in person. This time around, we were all in the same gorgeous 1100+ person capacity theater able to see the episode in the huge screen as well as the cast when they took time to do a Q+A afterwards.

Supposedly they didn't open the line until 1pm, but when my friend and I got there around 1:20pm, the line looked like it was already 250+ people strong. Just for perspective, this was for a 6pm screening. The doors were finally opened around 4pm and my friend and I were able to get great seats. It was only my second time at the Ziegfeld and I had forgotten how massive and beautiful it was inside. They were pumping British music on the sound system, giving the whole place a rock concert kind of feel, while BBC America projected ads for their shows and various Doctor Who factoids on loop. While we were all waiting, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, host Chris Hardwick, and producer Caro Skinner arrived at the theater in Deloreans. Talk about a time crash of fandoms! After a brief introduction by those four, they finally showed us the season premiere which is entitled "The Asylum of the Daleks."

What follows now are my NON-SPOILERY thoughts of the premiere, which in general I loved and thought was a great way to start a season.

Now, the title (and most of the promos leading up to the season) pretty much gives away that we will be seeing lots and lots of Daleks. I guess since we didn't see them at all last season, they needed to make up for that. With that said, I'm not the biggest fan of the Daleks even though they are the main Big Bad of Who. I appreciate the history, but the execution of their interaction with the Doctor usually leaves much to be desired. This premiere though gives us fresh insights and revelations about these legendary foes that I was actually impressed. By episode's end, I couldn't really look at them the same way again.

We also get an update on what the Ponds are up to and it's both expected and unexpected. Saying more would be spoilery so I will simply say both actors, who are the longest-running companions of new Who, are completely at home with their characters. And they just look hot. Then of course there's Matt Smith as the Doctor and he is just excellent as usual. Probably even more so in this episode where his character gets completely blindsided on more than one front and we get to see how he handles all of that. Like other premieres, the episode is sufficiently epic and movie-like to the point that I will not be disappointed to re-watch this on my smaller screen at home.

I have way more I want to comment on about the episode, but that will have to wait until after the premiere airs next week. Instead just a couple more general and hopefully ambiguous notes... There was one element of the episode that I was sorely disappointed in especially since a tweak here and there could've made it work. But then again there was one particularly BRILLIANT surprise in the episode that I still can't believe Moffat and company pulled off. So I guess it all evens out.

After the screening, Hardwick hosted a brief Q+A with Smith, Gillan, and Skinner. Supposedly this will be made available online after the premiere airs next week, but most of it was in reaction to the episode we had just watched. There were the usual questions about whether or not Gillan liked kissing Darvill (yes but it's like incest), who Smith thought should be the Doctor (Sellers, Cranston, NOT Cumberbatch), and how emotional it was to say goodbye to the Ponds in the fifth episode of this upcoming season (very, very, very). Someone else pimped their Doctor Who musical project while a small boy adorably asked Gillan why Amy gets into trouble all the time. All in all it was a fab time so big kudos to BBC America for putting it all together. Every year this event seems to get bigger and bigger. Maybe next year they should just rent out Madison Square Garden?

New Companion for the Doctor

I've only been a Doctor Who fan since 2005 but in that time there have been three different actors playing the Doctor and amongst them they've had numerous companions to accompany them on their adventures. Those adventures will end for the most recent companions Amy and Rory Pond played by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill (pictured above). They will return for a few episodes when the new season starts up sometime in the fall, but their story will end then, apparently in "heartbreaking" fashion. Sigh. Matt Smith will remain as the Doctor until the show's 50th Anniversary next year and perhaps even beyond, but he will have a new companion who will make her first appearance in this year's Christmas special as announced yesterday.

All that means is that fandom will have a good nine months to preemptively judge and/or obsess over her without seeing a second of her performance on Doctor Who. So, who is she? Well she's Jenna-Louise Coleman, a 25 year old British actress whose other credits include stints on Emmerdale and Waterloo Road. She's also in Julian Fellowes Titanic miniseries airing later this year so we'll all get a chance to see her on screen before she hops into the TARDIS. I'm actually not at all worried since I've pretty much loved every single actor who have been companion with Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman, Catherine Tate, along with Gillan and Darvill, having all done fantastic jobs. So I'm sure Coleman will fit right in. It helps that she seems totally adorable and excited about the part.

I do hope there's some sort of twist to her character though. A mid-20s white girl was probably the safest thing they could've done, but it's a proven formula for this long-running show, which is why I'm hoping the character details will be a bit more interesting. Already showrunner Steven Moffat says that how she will meet the Doctor "isn't your usual boy meets girl" and that it will be "one of the biggest mysteries the Time Lord ever encounters" which gives me a bit hope. Maybe she's an alien. Or another Time Lord. Or connected to him in some other crazy way. One of my favorite theories floating in the internet right now is that she's somehow been living in the TARDIS all this time. It's a stretch, but it's definitely a fun idea! Argh! Look at me obsessing already.

Thoughts on Doctor Who & Downton Abbey Christmas Specials

America really needs to adopt this quirky, but totally great British tradition of having some of its prime-time shows do one-off Christmas specials that actually air on Christmas. Of course it won't ever happen here in America where ratings and Nielsen are what matters, but it's nice to have access to those happening across the pond. With that said, I did watch the latest Christmas specials of two of my favorite shows yesterday, Doctor Who and Downton Abbey, and they were just delightful. My thoughts are below, but only my Doctor Who thoughts are spoilery since Downton Abbey's second season hasn't even aired in America yet.

Doctor Who

I'm not quite sure what to make of this episode. I enjoyed it surely and there were some tears shed especially towards the end, but there were parts that felt a bit off. Maybe it was my mind trying to put the Narnia-esque storyline with talking trees and big robots all together or the somewhat silly forest life force inhabiting a person only to be dispersed in the stars. I have to say, however, Matt Smith was still as wonderful as ever as the Doctor. The first half was very fun/funny really tapping into the "this show is for kids and it's Christmas dammit" tone what with the backwards helmet, the lemonade faucet, and the hammocks for bed. But of course the show is at its best when it tries to tap into just a bit of sadness which was evident in the mother's ordeal of not telling her kids on Christmas that their father had been killed or the Doctor's everlasting feeling of loneliness. In true Christmas fashion though both were fixed by the end and as contrived and saccharine the resolutions turned out to be, I was, as the Doctor would say, "Happy Tearing. Humany Wumany." The end especially with the Doctor reuniting with Amy and Rory (a most pleasant surprise to me) was fantastic. With all the craziness and drama they've all been through the past two seasons, it was nice for them to have this moment. There was also something very affecting to the Doctor spending time with his friends like that or maybe it was seeing the Doctor/Smith cry. I am dreading ever more how they handle permanently separating the Doctor from the Ponds sometime next season. B

Downton Abbey

This past season, which again hasn't aired in America and won't until this upcoming spring, had more than a few story-lines that frustrated me to no end, but the cast has always been up to the task. My favorite storyline, I have to admit, is the continuing saga of Matthew and Mary whose relationship I had grown to deeply care about as the season progressed. Most of this I attribute to the actors Michelle Dockery and Dan Stevens. I say all of this because I was particularly glad that they weren't shortchanged in this Christmas special. With that said, I found this Christmas special quite engrossing. In fact this episode felt more like a season finale than what we actually got a few weeks ago and while there were some characters and story-lines that had to be pushed aside, I felt they shone proper light to those that needed more resolution especially as the next new episode won't be until autumn of next year. As I tried to keep spoilers out, I shall stop now, but I do have to say Maggie Smith steals every scene she's in. This is true for the season, the special, and life in general. A-

I started off this entry wishing American TV would copy the ways of British TV, but then I realized that I probably shouldn't be too hasty. The quirky British scheduling means that I now have to wait 9-10 months for the new episodes for both of these shows. That wait, especially with how each ended their respective specials, is damn interminable. They say patience is a virtue, but I'm not really the virtuous sort.

Birthday Boy: Matt Smith

Matt Smith is the youngest ever actor to portray the iconic role of The Doctor and today he turned 29. Doesn't it feel like just yesterday when hes took over the role and everyone was asking who the hell he was?

In any case despite Doctor Who practically being a cultural institution in Britain, Smith also has the distinction of being the first actor, out of 11, to be nominated for a BAFTA Award for the role. He also recently won a SCREAM Award, which is good I suppose. More importantly, he won my personal year-end awards last year for Best Actor. He just finished his second season as the Doctor and after a Christmas special, he will be back again in fall 2012 into 2013 for the show's 50th anniversary. Understandably, he has been wary about confirming anything regarding his future after that.

Apparently he was in an uncredited role in In Bruges, but since I didn't even know him back then I don't even remember his character. He also appeared in an episode of Secret Diary of a Call Girl with previous Who companion Billie Piper, which I saw just a few months ago. His most impressive non-Doctor Who role though was playing gay author Christopher Isherwood in the British film Christopher and His Kind.

2011 SCREAM Awards

Over 30 awards were given out this weekend at the SCREAM Awards to honor all things fantasy, sci-fi, comic book, and horror. Even though I don't really pay attention to these kinds of awards, genre fare gets so little love from the bigger award bodies like the Oscars and the Emmys that it's only fair to give them some kudos when appropriate. Paul Reubens, Nicolas Cage, and Robert Downey, Jr. were all on hand to accept honorary awards while George Lucas was there to accept the Ultimate Villain honor for his Darth Vader. Other top winners include:

The Ultimate SCREAM: Harry Potter 8
Best Sci-Fi Movie: X-Men: First Class
Best Horror Movie: Let Me In
Best Comic Book Movie: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Best Thriller: Limitless
Best Independent Movie: Monsters
Best TV Show: Game of Thrones

The films and TV shows that Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 beat out for the top prize were Black Swan, Captain America, Game of Thrones, Scott Pilgrim, Super 8, Thor, True Blood, The Walking Dead, and X-Men: First Class as well as took home a few more awards including Best Actor and Best Villain. Meanwhile, Game of Thrones beat Doctor Who, Fringe, True Blood, and Walking Dead for Best TV Show. That's a pretty strong list of nominations if I do say so myself which wouldn't look too out of place at the Emmy Awards (if they were actually that cool).

Best Director: Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Best Fantasy Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Fantasy Actor: Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter 8
Best Sci-Fi Actress: Milla Jovovich, Resident Evil: Afterlife
Best Sci-Fi Actor: Matt Smith, Doctor Who
Best Horror Actress: Chloë Grace Moretz, Let Me In
Best Horror Actor: Alexander Skarsgård, True Blood
Best Supporting Actress: Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Seems like Natalie Portman and her film didn't only play well with the Oscar crowd taking three awards here. Daniel Radcliffe is a fine actor, but it's pretty funny he won over the likes of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. Similarly Anna Torv should've won Best Sci-Fi Actress easily. With that said, Matt Smith winning is pretty rad showing the increasing popularity of the show this side of the pond while Peter Dinklage repeated his Emmy win here besting a couple of Harry Potter lads (Rupert Grint and Alan Rickman).

Best Villain: Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort), Harry Potter 8
Best Superhero: Chris Evans, Captain America: The First Avenger
Breakout Female Performance: Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Breakout Male Performance: Joe Manganiello, True Blood
Best Ensemble: True Blood

The love for True Blood is evident, but these two wins are just a bit ridiculous. Game of Thrones and Harry Potter had a better ensemble (both were nominated) while Joe Manganiello inexplicably beat out Fassbender and Tom Hiddleston for Breakout Performance. Speaking of Hiddleston, his fantastic portrayal of Loki in Thor wasn't even nominated for Best Villain! Nice to see some recognition for Emilia Clarke though for a role that really should've garnered her an Emmy nomination.

Overall, a mixed bag certainly which is par for the course with these kinds of awards, but there are some good winners (and nominations) that probably wouldn't have gotten the recognition elsewhere. For the complete list of winners, click here.

Thoughts on Doctor Who Finale

A few months ago, I briefly wrote up what I thought of the first half of season six. I said that Steven Moffat was "really pushing the limits on... well everything" giving his audience a story where no one "knows which way is up, down, present, past, future, real, imaginary." As a fan, I was totally fine with this especially with the promise of six more episodes coming up that would hopefully put everything into perspective. Now that I've seen the finale, however, Moffat kept pushing and pushing and he may have pushed just a bit too much for my taste.

I have to say, before getting into this, that I liked the finale and the season as a whole. It seems saying that is starting to feel like a minority opinion, but Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor has been exquisite as has Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill (this season's MVP, but more on that later) and some of the stories that were told (The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon, The Doctor's Wife, The Girl Who Waited) were absolutely brilliant. The finale itself had a lot of great things in it such as the cool alternate reality where history is compressed and time is frozen, the tying up of any River Song loose threads, and the fact that in the end NO ONE DIED. That last point is all in caps because while it was a given that Smith would survive the season, the Ponds' fates were still up in the air. So when they ended up alive and well in the end, that really was all I could've asked for.

While there were a few plot holes in the finale (How can the Teselecta pre-regenerate? Why did the Doctor have to marry River? Timey wimey whatthefuckisgoingon?) along with some obvious red herrings and dropped plot threads from the season, my biggest problem was one of emotionality in that I didn't feel any especially when it came to River and the Doctor. When River Song made her first appearance to the Doctor (and to us) in "The Silent Library," it was exciting and so full of possibilities. Upon taking the showrunner reins, however, Moffat decided to hype up their epic cosmic love and under all the weight of expectations, the end result just coudln't match up. The most we saw this season was more of the same i.e. playful flirting. Anything more than that, such as River sacrificing all of her generations in "Let's Kill Hitler" or her big declaration of love in the finale felt hollow, rushed, forced. This would have been okay if Moffat didn't insist in making this THE story of the season and the finale. Not that I think River's story is done by any means, but I for one would've been okay if he didn't feel the need to tie up EVERYTHING in the finale or maybe if the finale had been 30 minutes longer.

With that said, Rory Williams, what can I say about him? I think ever since he became an official companion in "The Vampires of Venice" he quickly grew to become my favorite character. He'd take the mantle of best companion for me if it weren't for Martha Jones. You could tell I like my companions fierce and under-appreciated. For me, the show greatly improved when he became an official companion. His unconditional love with Amy made me fall in love with her a bit more and his continued questioning of the Doctor's actions really gave the Doctor that extra dimension for me. Suffice to say, I was ecstatic to see that he made it through the season alive. After suffering multiple deaths, his demise started to seem like an inevitably by the end. I'm also glad that both Rory and Amy got the Martha Jones treatment in the end there. It's as happy an ending for the Doctor's companions. Texting and scones!

Finally, I'm not sure how I feel about the oldest and more important question being "Doctor who?" From the surface, it's very clever, but I feel the meta-ness of it could get annoying depending on how they handle it. With that said, I do like Moffat was able to reboot the series for next season with the Doctor keeping a lower profile now that everyone thinks he's dead. He'll surely encounter the Silence, River, and the Ponds as well as the possible answer to The Question down the line, but for now he certainly needs to dial it down.

Doctor Who Finale: B
Doctor Who Season 6: B+

Thoughts on Secret Diary of a Call Girl From a Doctor Who Fan

I've been meaning to check out Secret Diary of a Call Girl and this week, after forgetting to organize my Netflix queue, I got the first two discs comprising of the entire 8-episode first season. I finished them late last night, so of course I had to tweet my reaction immediately. Basically, I was surprised at how much I liked it, but even more surprised at why I thought I liked it so much: Doctor Who. The two shows couldn't have a more different audience. And yet...


First, there’s of course the beautiful and charming Billie Piper playing the titular Call Girl. She was my first. Er, my first companion. Um, my first Doctor Who companion, Rose Tyler. In this other show, she is just so confident, so sexy, and so personable that I’m guessing even if I’d never seen Doctor Who, I’d still like her. But knowing her as Rose Tyler definitely didn’t hurt.

Then there’s the role of best friend Ben who is played by Iddo Goldberg who is really easy on the eyes, but in a way that sort of sneaks up on you and before you know it, you’re just a little bit in love with him. I think I’ve felt this same way about all of the Doctors of my generation (Eccleston, Tennant, Smith), but the real person Ben/Iddo Goldberg reminds me of is Rory/Arthur Darvill who is one of the current companions traveling with the Doctor this season. You all should already know how I feel about Rory/Arthur, but if you don't let's say it's a mix of strong like and fan stalking (or stanning as the cool kids say these days). Never mind that physically they are rather quite similar to the point where I can totally see them playing brothers, but the fact that their characters also serve the same general purpose on their shows—sensitive and caring male confidant to the female lead—just make their similarities even more noticeable.

Don't you see the similarities?

There are also the little similarities such as both shows taking place in Britain with British actors, but I’ve always been an Anglophile so that’s nothing new. There’s the wonderful blend of humor and drama as well present in both shows, though of course presented in very different ways. Finally though, we even get an appearance of the Doctor himself in the form of Matt Smith being his cute, adorable self in a one-off guest role in the first season. I admit, seeing Rose shag the present Doctor was completely surreal, but immensely entertaining.

The Doctor and Rose. Tee hee.

I realize I didn't really talk about the show per se, but for a show about a call girl, I found it quaint/charming. Most of this I think can be attributed to how well Piper is able to guide the audience to this world without it seeming too sleazy. Her constantly breaking the fourth wall makes us less of a voyeur and more of a watchful friend. Plus I really do love her complicated relationship with Ben. Former lovers, now best friends, but maybe something more? The two have real chemistry. In a way, this show reminds me of early Weeds in that we see a woman in charge in a sketchy business which at first doesn't suit her and yet it perfectly does. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the next couple of seasons now.

Doctor Who Premiere Pre-Review

"Amazing. Epic. Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Just OMG."

The above was my immediate reaction (i.e. what I tweeted) after watching the first two episodes of the new season of Doctor Who a couple of weeks ago at an advance screening. With the premiere just a few hours away, I just want to unwrap my feelings a bit more in a brief, non-spoilery way...

Amazing. After the months of waiting, Moffat and company didn't hold back in creating another stellar set of episodes that really evoked every kind of emotion. But since it's Moffat FEAR is the main emotion and let me tell you, the main bad guys in this two-parter make the Weeping Angels look cuddly by comparison. In other news though, Matt Smith as the Doctor has never been better and the rest of the cast are all doing impressive work.

Epic. The Doctor is in America and President Nixon is involved in the plot! PLus there's something about an astronaut and a little girl and a cool trick the TARDIS can do that we didn't know before. And there's also the moon landing, a mysterious invitation, a stupid face, an impenetrable prison, a familiar but ominous place, and OMG don't look behind you. And just in case I didn't mention it... the Doctor is in America!

Beautiful. Speaking of shooting in America, they really took advantage of the grand Utah landscape. And while that was expectantly gorgeous, allow me to take a moment to comment on the attractiveness of this cast. Just... yeah.

Heartbreaking. Expect plenty of moments that will make you supremely depressed as the characters are forced to sort of take stock their personal situations. River and Rory actually do the heavy lifting in the "heart" department in these two episodes which filled me with much glee even as much as I love the main duo of Eleven and Amy. What can I say? I'm a sucker for under-appreciated characters. But basically, if you weren't big fans of River or Rory before then get ready to change your mind.

Just OMG. The story never loses momentum, and additionally the cliffhangers to end both episodes will leave fans screaming at their TV screen. I was lucky to see the second episode right after the first, but the bombshell that is revealed at the end of the second episode will render you catatonic. I'm still reeling to be honest. And this doesn't even include the deaths in these two episodes. Yes, deaths. More than one. Wait, what?

So there you go. I think the best way for me to tell you how much I loved these episodes is to express my sincere excitement to see them again with everyone else. With that said, if you haven't seen Doctor Who before I would urge you to at least watch last season first before diving into this one. But if you already have, then tune in to BBC America at 9PM EST and enjoy the ride. Based on these first two episodes, this season is going to be absolutely delightful and torturous in the best way possible.

Doctor Who in New York City

There are 11 days until the Eleventh Doctor makes his reappearance on TV with the premiere of Doctor Who slated to air both in Britain and in the United States on April 23rd. A few hundred fans though were treated to an advanced screening of the first two episodes of the new season and get to see the cast yesterday in New York City. I was one of those very lucky fans.


I heard about the screening a week before and I was determined to go. For a second, I thought I could leave work early and still have enough time, but I saw online that the demand was fierce and so I decided to take a personal day to get in line early. By the time I got there at 8am Monday morning, the line already contained 325+ people with some getting in line as early as 4pm the day before. This is even crazier when you think about how the screening wasn't set to begin until 7pm, 11 hours after I got there. Thankfully, my friends and I were prepared with food, drinks, books, chairs, and blankets to help us last through the wait. It was also great seeing like-minded geeks totally, well, geek out from drawing Daleks on the wall to dressing up as Amy or the Doctor. The weather also helped. It was cloudy/chilly in the morning, but by the time it was afternoon the clouds opened up and the temperatures reached summer-levels of awesomeness.


The only minor exciting thing that happened during the wait was the cast giving us donuts, but only the lucky few people in the front got to see them. The rest of us still got donuts. At 3pm, we were given wristbands to confirm we were most definitely going to be seeing the screening. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go to the main theater where the cast would be, but we were just happy to be able to watch at all. The demand was so great though that they had to provide two more overflow theater to handle it all and still had to turn people away. From unofficial reports, about 700-800 people were able to see the screening. By around 5pm, it was clear everyone was getting antsier as we were slowly told to gather up our things and get into a more condensed line. The cast (Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and Alex Kingston) as well as writer Steven Moffat got there around 6pm dressed to the nines and riding in a blue convertible. By 6:30pm, we were all slowly herded in. They gave us complimentary Doctor Who hats as we entered our theater. My friends and I grabbed the front row with a great view of the screen. What then followed was two and a half hours of PURE AWESOMENESS.

I'll probably do another post with my NON-SPOILERY review of the first two episodes but suffice it to say, they promised epic and they delivered epic. The cliffhanger to end the first episode was brutal and I feel for everyone forced to wait a week to see the second episode.


The screening was then followed by a panel hosted by Chris Hardwick containing the producers, the director, Moffat, and the cast. Most of the questions were actually directed at Moffat who was the MVP of the panel as he showed off his brilliance and sense of humor with every answer and joke. The takeaway though was his absolute delight at the thought of how much pain and torment the fans will go through this season as well as his request to keep SPOILERS at bay. With both Karen and Matt a bit under the water, Arthur Darvill actually fielded a good chunk of the questions. In fact what I noticed last night was how everyone can't seem to get enough of him and his character, Rory. For example, his name on the credits prompted the biggest applause from the audience. Still, the whole thing was just pure excellence, give or take 1-2 awful fan questions that were probably inevitable. Then, we were told to leave.

Of course this meant all of us pretty much waiting outside the theater for one last glimpse of the cast. I was able to take a few snapshots of Matt, Alex, and Arthur. And then it was all over. My friends and I shared a few minutes together as we both went home and couldn't stop talking about the experience and the episodes. It was a great, great day and I really just can't wait to watch those episodes again and the new ones to come very soon.

End-Of-Year: 2010 TV Winners

Hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas!

In any case, this past Wednesday, I posted a list of some of my favorite performances from the past TV year. Now, I present to you the winners...

Best Ensemble: Community, The Good Wife, Lost, Modern Family, Mad Men, Misfits

This was an impossible decision because the casts of each of these shows are just so damn perfect. And together, they work like a well-oiled machine. I could literally roll a die to pick a winner and probably be okay with the results. In the end I chose The Good Wife, mostly because I had to pick one. But I stress again how you really can't go wrong with any of these shows.

Best Actor, Drama
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Matthew Fox, Lost
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Kiefer Sutherland, 24

Sutherland and Fox have played their roles for years now and in the final season of both, they stepped up their games. Meanwhile, Hamm probably had his best season yet as Don Draper and Cumberbatch personified the modern Sherlock Holmes with brilliant ease. This year though, I'm giving it to Hall who somehow found it within himself to portray week in, week out such a complicated character as Dexter Morgan. From dealing with Rita's death to getting himself involve with Lumen, it was yet another roller coaster season of emotions which Hall delivered pitch perfectly.

Best Actress, Drama
Morena Baccarin, V
Julianna Marguilies, The Good Wife
Elizabeth Mitchell, V
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Anna Torv, Fringe

One of the best things about V is the palpable intensity that occurs when Baccarin and Mitchell are in a scene together. Separately, they also kick ass. One of the reasons I watch Marguilies and Moss in their shows is so I can go "YOU GO GIRL!" whenever they do something awesome, which they both do in a regular basis and Moss especially just continues to grow every season. I'd be remiss however not to award this to the amazing work that Torv did this season playing two characters--Olivia and Olivia from the alt-universe. The different make-up and hair helped, but it was Torv who made us believe these two characters. Such a long way from being dubbed "the weakest link" during earlier seasons.

Best Actor, Comedy
Matt Bomer, White Collar
Nathan Fillion, Castle
Jim Parsons, Big Bang Theory
Adam Scott, Party Down
Matt Smith, Doctor Who

These men were nominated because they pretty much carried their respective shows. Even with the talented cast surrounding them, without their leading performances, their shows would fall flat. One need only see a scene to see how much charm both Bomer and Fillion bring to their roles playing the jovial foil to their more straight-edge partners. Scott excels as the straight-man to the wackiness around him while Parsons embodies Sheldon like no other. With that said, Smith just won me over for his spirited performance as The Doctor and to do it following someone as awesome as David Tennant is a great feat.

Best Actress, Comedy
Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Courtney Cox, Cougar Town
Karen Gillan, Doctor Who
Stana Katic, Castle
Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation

While I was a bit meh last year regarding the nominees, not so this year. Cox consistently delivered yet again which is why lack of awards attention just confuses me. Katic is greatly helped by her chemistry with Fillion, but she more than holds her own without him. Speaking of more than holding her own, Gillan is able to match the fierce energy of Smith making the new Doctor/Companion pair a match-made in heaven. Collette almost took the top award, because she was yet again brilliant with her various personalities, but I had to give it to Poehler who, along with her show, really found themselves in the second season.

Best Supporting Actor, Drama
Misha Collins, Supernatural
Alan Cummings, The Good Wife
Keir Gilchrist, United States of Tara
Denis O'Hare, True Blood
Iwan Rheon, Misfits

I totally watch Supernatural because of Collins' character Castiel and NOT because of the brothers, whic his crazy I know. And while I like Collette's Tara, most of the highlights from last season were due to storylines focused on Gilchrist's Marshall who was trying to figure out where he fit in as a gay teenager. This year, I also fell madly in love with Rheon and his show, but just in case it's just infatuation, I'm going to let it simmer a bit. Instead, I'll give it this year to a performance that I'm still thinking about. O'Hare's performance as Russell was one for the ages. It was visceral seeing how much he fused camp, horror, violence, and sadness all in one role.

Best Supporting Actress. Drama
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Cherry Jones, 24
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Mary Lynn Rajskub, 24
Julia Stiles, Dexter

Jones and Rajskub delivered great performances for the final season of their show highlighting some emotions we hadn't seen from either during earlier seasons. Hendricks, who so needed more material to work with, was magnificent as always. Panjabi had this award in the bag because her Kalinda is probably one of my favorite characters in network TV and she's just SO GOOD playing her. But then Stiles stupendously surprised me by her totally tour-de-force role as Lumen this season in Dexter. I'm actually speechless about what to say in order to convey how awesome she was. But that's all I have and everyone should just see it to make up their own minds.

Best Supporting Actor, Comedy
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Chris Colfer, Glee
Donald Glover, Community
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Arthur Darvill, Doctor Who

Harris here isn't doing anything differently from what he has done in the past, so while it's getting a tad old, it's still great. Darvill may sometimes be the odd man out especially with the kind of chemistry Smith and Gillan have, but he holds his own and in fact does wonders with the little gets. Glover, too, could've been lost in such a talented ensemble, but instead he's way too engaging to forget. Colfer, is kind of like the diamond in the rough that is his show which is odd since I actually don't like his character most of the times. Colfer's performance as Kurt though, from his witty banter with Rachel to his harrowing emotions regarding getting bullied, is aces. But I'm giving it to Burrell who plays the doofy big-hearted Phil Dunphy with such wit, heart, and perfect timing. You can't help but love him.

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy
Alison Brie, Community
Alyson Hannigan, How I Met Your Mother
Jane Lynch, Glee
Heather Morris, Glee
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

I really should've made room somewhere here for Aubrey Plaza, because she rocks in Parks & Recreation. And the more I think about it, I could've even seen her winning this. But that's neither here nor there now. Last year, I gave it to Lynch and she still deserves it, but even her co-star Morris steals scenes from her, so moving on. Hannigan is great when given great material, but it hasn't been that consistent for her character, at least. Vergara is fantastic and hilarious always (though her co-star Bowen also deserves lots of kudos). And so we come to one last name that surprised me. Brie's character Annie could've been annoying and/or forgettable with the wrong actress. But to me she's slowly becoming the backbone of the show even more so than Jeff or Abed and if you've seen the show and its cast, that's really REALLY high praise.

I'm going to keep mum about which drama and comedy TV show I chose as the Best of 2010 until I post my list of my favorite TV shows of the past year in a day or two. Though it's probably not THAT difficult to suss out if you know me just a little bit.

To refresh your memories, the nominees were...
Best Drama: Being Human, Fringe, The Good Wife, Lost, Mad Men, Sherlock
Best Comedy: Castle, Community, Cougar Town, Doctor Who, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother

Any predictions? Which actors gave your favorite performances in 2010?

TV Meme: Day 08

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 08 | A show everyone should watch

I was going to say various Joss Whedon shows (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse), but I've already spent a few days talking about the awesome that is Joss Whedon. So I'll go across the pond and talk a little bit about Doctor Who. The show's titular character is a Time Lord and he travels through space and time in his Time And Relative Dimensions In Space (TARDIS) picking up companions along the way for his various misadventures. The secret to the show's longevity is the ability for its main character to "regenerate" into a whole new person when he dies, one of the unique traits of being a Time Lord.

Now Doctor Who is practically a national institution and a cultural phenomenon over in Britain where the show makes its home. And why wouldn't it be? It's the longest-running science fiction television show in the world with 31 total seasons and 760+ episodes already aired. The show ran from 1962-1989 with a TV film airing in 1996. The new incarnation of the show, which debut in 2005, brought the Doctor and his adventures to a whole new generation.

When I started watching the modern version of Doctor Who, I had NO IDEA about any of the history behind the show. I hadn't even heard of the show until I started watching! But I found out that it was easy enough to appreciate the show without knowing its history. The more I watched, I began to understand why it has ran for so long. I'm sure everyone has an innate desire to be able to travel through time and space, see the past, the future, and the wonderful worlds beyond our Earth. If someone tells you they don't, check their pulse. This show taps into that desire with all the energy and fun you expect. The show has also been quite lucky to get actors that have been able to carry the responsibilities of being The Doctor. There have been eleven men to take up that role. I've only seen the last three played by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and of course the most current Doctor as played by Matt Smith.

No idea how popular the show is over here in America, but I think it's getting a bit more exposure than it had been in the past. With that said, there are still only precious few people who have seen the show here in America. I totally get that it might be intimidating to start watching a show with so much history. But as I said earlier, you can jump right into the modern incarnation with the Ninth Doctor played by Eccleston. And if that's too much, the show recently changed head writers during this most recent season with Matt Smith. You'll fall in love with the Doctor. I don't know anyone who has watched the show and not done that.

Waiting for the Doctor

Twelve days. That's how many days American audiences have to endure until they can see new episodes of Doctor Who featuring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. The season five premiere entitled "The Eleventh Hour" already aired in the UK with critics and audiences alike giving it lots of praise.

Tune in to BBC America on April 17th 9PM for the premiere. New season. New Doctor. New theme music. New logo.

Doctor Who Comes Back Home

Sort of.

For the past few years, Sci-Fi (soon to be renamed Sy Fy) had the rights to air first-run Doctor Who episodes in the United States. But starting this year with David Tennant's final episodes, BBC America will be airing the episodes along with its sister show Torchwood which has already been airing on BBC America.

I think this is a great idea though it doesn't really matter because most fans usually find a way to watch episodes as soon as they air in the UK.

I'm just sad that we only get a handful of Doctor Who episodes with David Tennant because I'm really going to miss him. He was our generation's Doctor Who! But now come 2010 he's going to be replaced by 26-year-old Matt Smith.

The Doctor just gets younger and younger!

And so does his companions. Just today, it was announced that 21-year-old Karen Gillan will accompany Matt Smith on his maiden voyage as the Doctor. Time will tell if these two will live up to the shoes of previous Doctors and companions, but I'm looking forward to finding out!