As unbelievable as it may seem, it’s time for another Docback!
As before, I’m presuming this outing will last for the Disqus-mandated 45 day lifespan before rebooting again. Obviously, particularly huge or imminently relevant DOCTOR WHO-related news may receive non-Docback notice here on the site between now and then.
Life has been a bit bonkers for me lately, so I’m running a tad behind pulling together the Docback I’d intended. Thus, this Docback may well be UPDATED as the weeks progress - the article’s title will reflect any changes to content as they occur.
With this out of the way, here we go…
GLIMPSES OF MAISIE WILLIAMS’ ROLE ON DOCTOR WHO S9
We’ve known for a while now that GAME OF THONES’ Maisie Williams (she plays Arya Stark on that show) will be appearing in this Series/Season of DOCTOR WHO.
A number of Twitter posts have now revealed some images from the filming of her role — you can find there HERE, where you can also dig about for embiggenable versions.
Underneath all of that is #GoT #MaisieWilliams on the set of #DoctorWho - just trust us on that...! pic.twitter.com/sqw1LOcrp2
— Rob @ Who Wars (@WhoWars) May 4, 2015
AIUTO AIUTO SVENGO MAISIE E PETER IL MIO CUOREH BELLI SIETE TROPPO BELLI #DoctorWho #MaisieWilliams #PeterCapaldi pic.twitter.com/bsq9kbpBoz
— tu sei robb (@FedeDiGG) May 4, 2015
#MaisieWilliams'tan nasıl bir haydut olur acaba? #DoctorWho'da oynayacağı bölümden kareler: http://t.co/aemFNftfxM pic.twitter.com/dPWBS7038t
— Ekranella Doctor Who (@ekranellaDW) May 4, 2015
[more via Blastr]
SOME INTERESTING, NON-SPOILERY TIDBITS REGARDING S9
“Steven had the perfect story. It’s not going to be Missy as you expect her to be. Steven likes to surprise everyone and he’s going to do that with this opening. Missy has an awful lot of sides to her and we’re going to see some new ones in this series. We also learn a bit more about her relationship with the Doctor…”
…says DW producer Brian Minchin HERE (via the current SFX).
'We also learn a bit more about her relationship with the Doctor…' Hmmmm…wonder if this means they have in the past been, or might in some day be, Pork Pals?
Minchin also indicates…
“We’re doing more two-parters – and not just conventional two parters. We’re doing linked stories where you might not be sure how they’re going to be connected until you see them. We’re pushing the storytelling that way, to give us more scale of adventure.”
Also,from the DOCTOR WHO Instagram feed comes another/somewhat better look at some thingies which’ll feature in this Season/Series, previously revealed HERE.
Finally, During DOCTOR WHO Season/Series 8, there were a number of indications that the show would address star Peter Capaldi’s previous appearances in the DOCTOR WHO universe (he featured in the Tenant-era Fires of Pompeii, and on TORCHWOOD: CHILDREN OF EARTH). We even saw comments from show runner Steven Moffat that previous WHO overlord Russell T. Davies had posited something of an explanation for how the Doctor might now sport the face so prominently recognizable in the previously established WHOverse (HERE).
Alas, this never happened in S8. BUT, it seems The Powers That Be haven’t forgotten about addressing the issue.
Moffat says that…
”yes, we're coming back to that idea. In fact, we'll be shooting the scene in question really quite shortly…"
…reveals THIS piece in Radio Times, by way of DOCTOR WHO Magazine. Let the speculation begin? For the life of me, I can’t figure this one out…
ASTHMA GIRL RETURNS TO DOCTOR WHO IN S9
Osgood, the Doctor groupie/scientist played by Ingird Oliver on DOCTOR WHO until she was roundly vaporized…
…will return in the upcoming batch of episodes. A press release on the matter reveals that her storyline will also feature long-time series nemesis, the Zygons. Notably, the Zygons’ last appearance on DW - in the 50th Anniversary Day of the Doctor special - introduced the Osgood character. Leading one to ponder (HAT ATTACK!) if, perhaps, this new story might somehow connect with the DotD narrative.
Here’s more via issuance from BBCA…
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BBC AMERICA’S DOCTOR WHO ANNOUNCES DOUBLE TROUBLE AS OSGOOD TAKES ON THE TERRIFYING ZYGONS
UNIT scientist Osgood, played by Ingrid Oliver, returns to Doctor Who for season nine. Having been killed by Missy (Michelle Gomez) in the show’s season eight finale ‘Death in Heaven’, Steven Moffat decides to bring back the Doctor’s biggest fan.
Steven Moffat, lead writer and Executive Producer, said: “Osgood is back, fresh from her recent murder at the end of last series. We recently confirmed that Osgood was definitely dead and not returning - but in a show about time travel, anything can happen. The brilliant Ingrid Oliver is back in action. This time though, can the Doctor trust his number one fan?"
The last time we saw Osgood as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart’s assistant was with the Twelfth Doctor during an invasion of Earth by an army of Cybermen led by a new, female incarnation of the Master. This time she’s back in action and comes face-to-face with the shape-shifting extra-terrestrial Zygons, as they also return for the new season. They last appeared in ‘The Day of the Doctor’ for the show’s 50th anniversary episode.
Speaking on set, Ingrid Oliver commented on her reappearance: “As every actor who’s worked on Doctor Who will tell you, there’s always the secret hope you'll get the call asking you to come back. To actually receive that call is both unexpected and brilliant. The word ‘honour’ gets banded about a lot, but it really is, it’s an honour. Especially because I was so sure Osgood was a gonner after the last series!”
The two-part episode is currently being filmed in Cardiff, Wales, and is written by Peter Harness (Doctor Who – ‘Kill the Moon’,Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Wallander), produced by Peter Bennett and directed by Daniel Nettheim (Line of Duty, Glue).
Also joining Peter Capaldi (The Doctor) and Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald) and confirmed for guest roles in the double episode is Jemma Redgrave, Jaye Griffiths, Cleopatra Dickens, Sasha Dickens, Abhishek Singh, Todd Kramer, Jill Winternitz, Nicholas Asbury, Jack Parker and Aidan Cook.
Doctor Who is a BBC Cymru Wales production and season nine will be back on BBC AMERICA in autumn 2015. Further guest cast will be released over the coming months.
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And, by the way, I’ve been grappling with Asthma for several years - so don’t pick on me about that…
HORNORSILK REVIEWS BIG FINISH AUDIOS!! MISTFALL!! EQUILIBRIUM!! THE ENTROPY PLAGUE!! DARK EYES 4!! REQUIEM FOR THE ROCKETMEN!!
Because of the way the DocBacks now come less frequently, I have decided to do only brief reviews for the Big Finish stories that have come out in the last few months. In part, this will help us catch up to where the stories are to date, in part because I have also been busy and have not had the time to give full reviews to the stories. And in part, because I have felt underwhelmed by most of them, and this has made it difficult for me to write upon them properly.
I do not think they are bad, but I feel that there has been far better BF Doctor Who in the past, and, for the most part, these have just been “meh” in comparison. Those who have not listened to BF in the past probably will get more out of them because of this.
First, there is the new E-Space Trilogy:
195. Mistfall
Written by: Andrew Smith
The TARDIS is once again accidently sent into e-space, and the first planet they go to is Alzarius. Here, the Doctor and his companions learn some more secrets of the Marshmen, and also find themselves trapped in e-space.
The story was average – the revelation about the Marshmen, even if it were originally intended, just felt far distant from Full Circle. I would give it 7.5/10.
196. Equilibrium
Written by: Matt Fitton
This is my favorite of the new e-space trilogy. The Doctor and his crew stumble upon Isenfel – a world where the population is kept at equilibrium, either by voluntary acts of self-sacrifice, or by force if that does not happen. Why this society has to keep their population in check was not exactly as I thought (I was expecting the world to be purely a virtual reality world), although elements of that expectation are met when it is shown why the world exists as it did. The twist in here is that there is a kind of benevolence behind the fate of the people: the intention was right, the means were wrong. And yet, because of that benevolence, the one who is responsible to help make sure the equilibrium is kept is not really a villain, making for a story with a crisis that did not need a traditional “bad guy” figure, which again, helps give this story some strength.
The story also gives a nice side-adventure for Turlough, where he finds himself being mistaken for being more courageous than he is by a princess of the realm. Turlough does not really want to follow her and her expeditions, but the Doctor reminds him of the necessity of doing so – and in the end Turlough is given some element of redemption despite his cowardice.
I would give this one 8/10. There is a little too much cliché at the beginning, but all in all, it is enjoyable.
187. The Entropy Plague
Written by: Jonathan Morris
E-space itself is falling apart. The universe is about to come to an end. There is a way for some in it to make it through the CVE to normal space, but it comes at a cost – people have to be used as batteries for the process.
Then there is the “plague” of the Sandmen, where entropy is almost given a life of its own: those touched by it become Zombie-like carriers, drawing people to them, so that when they touch others, they become carriers of the plague and transformed into such creatures as well.
The Doctor has to find his way home, try to find a way to help the people of e-space, while dealing with mad scientists, mad pirates, and the possibility that someone of his crew will have to sacrifice themselves if the rest are to make it home.
A dark story, with some entertainment value, nonetheless, it just did not do much for me. I would give it 7/10, though I know many enjoyed it because of its tone as well as for the ending. The Doctor, I feel, was a bit selfish, more than usual here, and that was not something I liked. I could have expected it more from the Sixth Doctor, but not the Fifth.
All in all the e-space trilogy not only felt unnecessary, but seemed to mirror, in short, the “Divergent Universe” stories of the 8th Doctor, sharing many of the same problems. It was not a story which needed to be told. If there had been more connections with Adric, maybe then, it would have worked – but really, they were few and far between.
4. Dark Eyes 4
Written By: John Dorney, Matt Fitton
When Dark Eyes began, it was a new era for the 8th Doctor. The story was fresh, it brought a lot of gravitas to the 8th Doctor, and it allowed the series to go forward in a new direction, one which seemed to highlight the way Big Finish could connect with New Who.
Sadly, as the series progressed, it seems there has been something of that original tone, that original, well-plotted structure which became lost, just as Molly, “Dark Eyes” became lost. What could have been a triumphant conclusion to the Dark Eyes series, and with it, Molly, was instead became a disappointment to me.
The first story, to be sure, I liked. It was sort of a Groundhog Day told in a new way, with a new reason for someone to want to stay in that day. Moreover, it was more or less independent of the rest of the audios – it gave the 8th Doctor and Liv a story of their own. And it was quite enjoyable, and carefully crafted so that, if one wanted, one could have the cd on auto-repeat and it could go on forever. And work well as a forever repeating story.
But the rest of the stories took off with the “Dark Eyes” theme by showing how the “Dark Eyes” have infected the Dalek Time Controller, and how it wants to create a new universe through its new perspective. There are some nice nods to Doctor Who lore thrown in (the Eye of Orion), and we find an “end” to Molly given through this story so the “Dark Eyes” theme can indeed end, but it just felt like it was done because it had to be done, not because this was how the story was plotted from the beginning. I could be wrong, and it might be how they planned things, but it sure didn’t feel that way.
I would give the whole box set a 6.5 /10 though I would give the first episode itself a 9/10. Yes, it might be a harsh score, but I wanted something else.
Doctor Who FDA 4.03: Requiem for the Rocketmen
Written By: John Dorney
Outside of the first disc ofDark Eye 4, this was my favorite story of the bunch. I have not heard the other Rocket Men stories, but if what we got here is any indication of what they are like, they seem like they would be enjoyable, to say the least. They are a group of space rogues, which the Doctor has previously faced and beaten. Here, they want to take out the Doctor, and have recruited the Master to help them.
Leela and K9 go undercover, each in their own way, to help the Doctor escape from the trap the Rocket Men have set up for him. K9 let itself be taken by them in a raid, while Leela acts like a bounty hunter who captured the Doctor and brought him in for a reward.
Leela finds herself taking on a mentoring role as she finds one of the Rocket Men, Marshall, conflicted about his status and whether or not he should continue with the Rocket Men or help Leela and the Doctor. She sees in him someone what she was like before she met the Doctor, and believes, by the end, it is her time to mentor someone, to use the wisdom she has developed and help someone else achieve greatness out of life. The relationship, for the most part, works quite well.
As do some of the twists in this story. I don’t really want to ruin them, but they are reminiscent of the way the 3rd Doctor and the Master would find themselves together during the 3rd Doctor’s era, though with some nice changes to the theme. It works and again makes this story better than good.
Even though theaudio is very enjoyable, it is not perfect; there are parts I would have removed, in order to make more room and more focus on Leela and Marshall. Indeed, though the twist with the Master and the Doctor is extraordinary here, once it has been done, I think we could have had less of “their story” and returned the focus with Leela, making this truly a gem of a Leela story. As it is, it still is a good Leela story, just less focused on her than I think it could have been.
All in all, a very solid story. 8.5/10.
Tom Baker and Louise Jameson are at the top of their audio game here!
— HornOrSilk
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GLEN REVIEWS THE DOCTOR WHO SEASON/SERIES 8 SCORE RELEASE!!
I’ve always been a huge proponent of Murray Gold’s work on the 2005+ revamp of DOCTOR WHO, particularly during the Moffat era.
Yes, I readily concede that…at times…his music was too pointedly up-mixed, and perhaps became too ‘in your face’ as the show progressed. But on the whole, I’ve found Gold’s prominent melodies to be potent, touching, memorable, and rousing. Many television shows these days don’t seem to attach a high-premium to musical motif, or even music quality in general.
Scores…often feel like an afterthought on many series. Whether or not one agrees with the way music is deployed on contemporary WHO, it would be very hard for one to argue that scores on DW are ever an ‘after thought.’
Perhaps evidenced by the way music is used in DOCTOR WHO Series/Season 8 - marking Peter Capaldi’s inaugural run on the show. It is, simply, a very different kind of score from what was brought to bear over the past few Season/Series. Like the show itself, it’s a bit more… measured. More…understated. More…mature?
This doesn’t mean that Gold’s signature bombast can’t be found on Silva Screen’s new release of music from Season/Series 8 (the Last Christmas Yuletide special is also included here). Tracks like the percussive and soaring reworking of Gold’s ‘The Majestic Tale of a Madman in a Box’ are unapologetically brash (and, is that rhythm motif cribbing Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick in the Wall Part II’?). The ‘Rob the Bank’ riff (featured in the rather wonderful Time Heist episode) goes straight for a funky, imminently recognizable ‘crime/caper’ vibe. But, on the the whole, S8 offers a much more carefully considered approach to scoring. The tracks from Listen, for example, are highly atmospheric, a touch bittersweet, and hugely effective as ambient pieces - even without that episode’s exceptional visual style. At times, I ever-so-briefly recalled Vangelis’ work in BLADE RUNNER (through subtleties which are hard to notice in the episode itself - there’s too much going on, the mix is different, and so on). ‘The Song of Danny and Clara’ - when heard as a whole on this soundtrack - balances sweetness and melancholy quite effectively. There’s a loveliness to the track, but also the subtlest sense of despair. ‘A Good Man - Twelve’s Theme’ suggests something of an internal travelogue for the Doctor’s personality this Season/Series, opening with slight dissonance, and gradually escalating to a more robust, heroic, Hans Zimmer-esque propulsive motif.
It’s to the immense credit of composer Gold and his longtime orchestrator Ben Foster (who I suspect plays a bigger role in ‘styling’ Gold’s music than crediting suggests) that the pair demonstrates so much versatility this time around. Given the shape of DOCTOR WHO’s score over Seasons/Series Six and Seven, their falling into something of rut would not have been surprising. Instead, they’ve skillfully nurtured the essence of the ‘sound’ they’ve build over the last few years, but also pointed their established conceits in some very fresh directions here. While I truly love the score work on DOCTOR WHO S5 (Matt Smith’s first year on the show) and it will always hold a special place in my heart for a number of reasons, S8 may well represent the most sophisticated score work ever seen in the long and storied history of DOCTOR WHO. The music here…has grown up. Gotten wiser. Become less rowdy, and more elegant. Much like the tenor of the show itself.
The DOCTOR WHO Series/Season 8 score can be found HERE in the US and HERE in the UK. The first 5,000 copies of this 3 disc set will include a booklet featuring the awesome Radio Times episodic posters we saw released over the course of S8. Even though I received digital advance review samples of this entire score, I’m very tempted to by the CD itself just for those…all other greatness not withstanding.
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Glen Oliver
“Merrick”
DOCBACK CODE OF CONDUCT
1) a Docback should be about completely open and free discourse regarding all things WHO with, obviously, some variation on subject matter from time to time - the real world intervenes, discussions of other shows are inevitable, etc....
2) converse, agree, disagree, and question as much as you want - but the freedom to do so is NOT a license to be rude, crass, disrespectful, or uncivilized in any way. Not remaining courteous and civil, as well as TROLLING or undertaking sensational efforts to ignite controversy, will result in banning. Lack of courtesy may receive one (1) warning before a ban is instigated. Obvious Trolling or Spamming will result in summary banning with no warning.
