So Matt Smith is leaving

Yesterday, the news broke that Matt Smith will be leaving Doctor Who during this year's christmas Special. As usual, there are rampant rumours regarding who will replace him. So I thought I'd chime in my opinion on the subject.

I'm torn.

On the one hand, I enjoy it when a new Doctor is introduced. They bring something fresh to the series. And with the first few viewings, there is always that moment when you think, "Oh look at that! It's just like Nine". Finding the traits the Doctor shares with his previous regeneration always makes me smile.

But on the downside, I've grown to like Matt Smith's Doctor. He's the first of the new Doctors to be truly alien in the way he interacts with people. His relationship with Clara has been very intriguing and somewhat refreshing to see (even if Moffat has repeatedlyreused story ideas).

Should Matt stay for a while longer? I think he still has something to give to the character, but at the same time, it's better that he's going out on a high, rather than sticking at the character for so long we become bored of him. David did it, as did Christopher, and it's nice to see Matt has realised this as well. 

So who should be the next Doctor?

One intriguing possibility that has been risen is that a woman could replace him. Lara Pulver (pictured below) has expressed an interest in playing the 12th Doctor, and recent episodes have confirmed the long held belief that a Time Lord could regenerate and become a Time Lady, and actresses Helen Miriam, Olivia Coulman and former companion Billie Piper have been citied as possibile replacements.

The Next Doctor?

Personally, I hope that this is not the case. Much as I'd love to see a woman take on the role, I think that the idea of the Doctor as a slightly weird British man is simply too ingrained. Had it already occurred during the Classic era, that would be a different matter entirely. But it didn't (sadly) and now I think it's too late to try it, especially with the Doctor approaching his final life (which I will play)

So who could do it?

Some actors listed on betting sites for the role are Idris Elba, Russell Tovey, Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch. While all the above would make wonderful Doctors, I'm hoping that it goes to a middle aged or older actor. As proven by Jon Pertwee, age does not have to limit the role at all. In fact, he was the first "action" Doctor, with his Venusian Aikido. So could do it?

Before The Snowmen, I would've said Richard E Grant without hesitating. Why? Let's look at the facts, shall we?

He's played non canon versions of the Doctor twice before. The first was in the Curse of Fatal Death, and while he didn't get very much screen time, he left an impression on many viwers. The second was in The Scream of the Shalka, an attempt by the BBC to bring Doctor Who back before Russell T Davis stepped in. Here he was haunted by some loss and he did not want a companion. But as the serial progressed, he became a lighter character, showing some traits one associates with the Doctor, as well as a love of show tunes. I would've loved to see this Doctor, travelling with Alison and an Android version of the Master in many more adventures, but sadly, it was not to be.

So who exactly would I like to see as the Doctor then? 

There has also been one actor that I thought would make an excellent Doctor, and he did in two audio adventures in the Doctor Who: Unbound series. He is no stranger to science fiction, having had roles in Star Trek and as the villian in the first TRON film as well as voicing a villain in the Doctor Who animated adventure Dreamland. In fact, he recently appeared on Doctor Who itself, in the episode Cold War.

I am, of course, talking about David Warner.

At 71, he would be the second oldest (John Hurt just beats him by two years) to protray the Doctor. If you don't think he could do it, just go listen to his audio adventures (available from the Big Finish website). You can trust me on this. David Warner would make an excellent Doctor. And by having him being a little older, his relationship with his Companion would be more akin to that of the Third Doctor and Liz Shaw or Sarah Jane, a departure from the current lovey dovey Companion relationships we've seen.

That's just my thoughts on the subject. Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know in comments!

Live Long and Prosper

Announcing Project: Robot

So it's 2008, and Character Options, the company that makes Doctor Who figures, have just released pictures of their upcoming wave of figures based on the classic series. There are three Doctors, two "army builders" and three one off characters. Every Collector out there is really excited, myself included, and then we see the words "Build-it-Figure". Everyone becomes even more excited, especially when the Build-it figure was announced as the "K1 robot".

Which looks like this:

Now, back then, I wasn't anywhere near as knowledgeable about Classic Who as I am today. I had absolutely no clue as to the significance of the Robot, save that it was from Tom Baker's first story. So when I bought the figures (only the ones I wanted, mind - so the Doctors, some Sea Devils and Zygons), I thought nothing of the pieces, and they were mostly given away. About a year later, I bought the Magnus Greel and Mr Sin for £10 (quite the deal). At some point, I also bought the SV7 robot (the silver one in that group). Again, I still had no intention of building this figure, so I threw the pieces into a box somewhere and promptly forgot about them.

Cut to about three weeks ago, and I watched ROBOT, Tom Baker's first story, in it's entireity for the first time. I've watched the odd episode in the past. Of course, having seen it, I wanted the Build-it-figure. So I searched through various boxes for the pieces, but gave up.

Today, I tried again, and I found the following pieces: 

My K1 Robot, so far

Now I am especially pleased with finding that arm! That's the piece that came with Magnus Greel (who is now worth around £80) and I really did not want to pay that much JUST for the arm (well, the gun - I could've bought another Fifth Doctor and just had two arms). So this has made my day.

My friend has offered me another arm, so all I need now is the upper torso (Sixth Doctor), second leg (D84 - black robot) and the head (Zygon). I shall keep you updated as I collect. 

Soon...

Live Long and Prosper

My Favourite Doctor

As what some would call a "die hard" Whovian (Doctor Who Fan), I get asked one question more than any other. "Who is your favourite Doctor?" Well, loyal readers, I will now answer that question.

It is an impossible question to answer. The Doctor in every single of his regenerations have brought something new to the character, but they've also built on what their predecessors left behind. I for one do not think the Ninth Doctor would've been as angry had it not been for the Sixth Doctor, just like the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors wouldn't play the clown without the Second Doctor. 

And to be honest, it's not the story of eleven different people. The Doctor is one man. Eleven personalities, each with their own habits and quirks, but ultimately they are one and the same. So when someone askes me "Who is your favourite Doctor?", I just smile and answer "The Doctor." Occasionally I will explain, as I have here, but most of the time, I just walk off and start talking to someone else.

Eleven faces, but one legend

And yes, before someone tries to be clever and asks the obvious question, I give a virtually identical answer for "Who is your favourite Master?". 

Live Long and Prosper!

COSTUME: Steampunk Sherlock

Hello again! Welcome back and all that bull.

So having posted promising to post more, I thought I'd do another one tonight, and tell you a bit about my latest costume. As some know, I've attended a few costume parties just recently (the last year or so) and have come up with some crackin' ones. I knocked together a reasonable Fourth Doctor one last Halloween, and I went as a Red Shirt to a Dead Celebrity Party.

So when my friend Ellen invited me to a costume party at her house, I knew I had to come up with something to top the previous costumes. To the end, I considered all my options and decided on Sherlock Holmes. However, a Sherlock Holmes costume is easy enough to put together. Get a Deerstalker, a magnifying glass, a long cape and a pipe and you're sorted. 

So I decided to make it into a bit of a challenge. I looked at previous Sherlock Holmes, and thought "why not Steampunk it ?" 

Alas, a brilliant idea was born.

The Costume 

the costume itself is fairly simple. I deliberately went as far away from the established image (below) as I could. There will be no deerstalker, no magnifying glass and no long cape. The pipe's staying simply because I like pipes. Grandpa used to have several. Instead, I decided to create a smart Victorian Gentleman look for the occasion, since Sherlock is usually described as being well dressed.

The sterotypical Holmes

To the end of creating a Victorian Gentleman look, I bought a beautiful black frock coat which comes to just below my knees. It's the type of coat I've been after for a while as an alternative to my leather trench coat. I also bought a red patterned waist coat to wear above a white, striped shirt. Tomorrow I will buying a simple pair of black trousers to match the jacket, and a black tie completes the look. After that, it's a simple case of waiting patiently for the small 'steampunk' touches, all of which were acquired at joke.co.uk

(Beware, this next paragraph will be link heavy.)

First up, a pair of Victorian style glasses. But Sherlock Holmes never wore glasses, I hear you cry. That is true, he did not. However, in lieu of a magnifying glass, I bought these. I think they're quite niffty, and that it is something Sherlock Holmes (particularly Robert Downey Jr's version) would wear if he had the chance. Last up is a pocket watch. There's nothing special about this watch, it's just something you see all gentlemen from that era wearing (plus it looks cool). 

The Pipe is a cheap model I acquired off Amazon, as well as a set of white gloves. To complete the look, I purchased a small cap gun, since Sherlock usually entered the field armed.

The great thing is my brother, Simon, is attending the same party and, after some subtle manipulations, has agreed to attend as the Watson to my Sherlock, also with steampunk touches (although he will be more armed than Watson was in the books lol)

However, this costume will reused in parts. With a black waistcoat instead of the red and none of the steampunk gear, the Victorian Gent outfit will be my Doctor's outfit. Photos of both costumes, as well as some with my brother, will follow.

Live Long and Prosper

DOCTOR WHO FIGURE: Regen 5th Doctor and the Master's TARDIS

In a surprise move, Forbidden Planet announced a new Classic Doctor Who Exclusive Figure set (pictured below). It features a new Regeneration Fifth Doctor, the Master's TARDIS in Column form, and a shrunken figure.

Some people are disappointed by the lack of Ainley figure. Personally, I am not one of them. While I would love an Ainley Master in his iconic penguin suit outfit, I actually like this new 5th Doctor figure. Yes, we already have a regeneration 5th Doctor (in full Season 18 outfit - picture below), this is the outfit he remained in for most of the Serial (until he changed into his new one.)

Also, it is not like we don't have an Anthony Ainley Master (OKAY technically we don't but still). We have one from the serial 'Planet of Fire'. That Ainley actually looks brilliant. The face is a brilliant likeness to the actor, and the suit is rather menacing. People will complain because they want him in his iconic look, but I don't mind either way. I'm sure sooner or later we shall get one.

The highlight of this set, for me, is the TARDIS. When I talk about the Master's iconic TARDIS, two come to mind. Delgado's Grandfather clock and Ainley's column TARDIS. Thanks to The Keeper of Traken set, we have the Grandfather clock, and now we have that Column. The Rani's TARDIS from Mark of the Rani would also be a nice addition to the growing collection, but for the time being I am happy with these.

I will definitely be buying this set!

So Say We All!

The Doctor Who Experience new Exclusive Figure

First off, let me just say this. Aside from rumours, I have no idea what this figure will be. I personally hope it will be a Rory figure. 

seriously, why hasn't one been released already?

Why do I hope it'll be a Rory? Well, aside from finally having a Rory figure, it would probably mean that we get a variant VERY quickly. 

Want me to explain it? Okay. Character Options & Underground Toys have a history of releasing tweaks of exclusive figures. Off the top of my head, I can think of three examples of this, including the previous Doctor Who Experience's Exclusive.

In 2010, one of the Classic Doctor Who Exclusive figures was a freshly regenerated Fifth Doctor, which meant he was still clad in the outfit the Fourth Doctor had worn in Season 18. A lot of fans bought two of this exclusive, and swapped the Fifth Doctor's out for one of the Fourth Doctor. Unlike them, I waited. Sure enough, within a month or so, a Season 18 Fourth Doctor was announced. I own both.

In 2011, again at the San Diego Comic Con, there was a River Song exclusive Figure. This one came with the inside of the Pandorica (to join up with the previously released Pandorica wave). Of course, this figure was well received, considering it was a new River Song (the previous wouldn't work for Doctor Who figure Adventures owning to being in an astronaut suit). 

Sure enough, within a month, a new wave of figures was announced, including River Song. The difference: This one wasn't wearing the woolly jacket the previous release (and obviously, no Pandorica chair.) I own both. 

And finally, in May 2011, the Doctor Who Experience announced an exclusive figure: Amelia Pond (kid version of Amy). This figure has a hat, a coat and a suitcase, and is based on her appearance in 'The Eleventh Hour'. 

Sure enough, another version of this was announced. Amelia Pond in nightgown (sans coat, hat and suitcase) appeared alongside Nephew (from 'The Doctor's Wife') The Doctor in Stetson (actually the Teselecta from 'The Impossible Astronaut') and two Silent variants (from Series 6). Naturally I own both (of the Amelia figures, I mean - although I own four Silents.)

So yeah. I think we'll probably get a variant of whatever the Doctor Who Experience Exclusive. If it is a Rory figure, I think the DWE will be a Roman Rory.

SWISH!

And the one released in a wave will be the 'normal' (IE the one Fans have wanted since Series 5 started and he became a main character) variant.

That's just my thoughts on the subject. What do you think?

So Say We All

WHO MYSTERY: Whatever happened to Ace?

I'm nicking an idea from one of my Doctor Who Sites, and exploring several of the mysteries of the Series. This entry will discuss what happened to the Seventh Doctor's Companion, Ace.

Ace was introduced in the Serial Dragonfire, the final serial of Season 24, replacing Bonnie Langford's Mel. Unlike Mel, Ace's response to a situation wasn't to scream, but to throw a tin of Nitro-9 at it. She was plucky, couragous and above all, loyal, even during their encounter with Fenric. The Seventh Doctor was lucky to have her. 

In the season finale 'Survival', after defeating the Master, she and the Doctor walked off into the Sunset for new adventures. But what happened next? Who knows? All we do now is that in 1996, when the Seventh Doctor returned in the Television movie, he was alone.

and sporting a new look

Ace's fate was left a mystery, since very soon after landing the TARDIS in a back alley in San Francisco, the Doctor was shot. He might've survived these wounds had he not been taken to a nearby Hospital and 'treated' by local heart surgeon Grace Halloway. Despite what many people may believe, it was this and not the gun shots that killed him. 

Differing Fates

Ace's fate has been addressed in numerous non-canon sources. According to the series' original plan, had a season 27 occurred, Ace would've left the Doctor and enrolled in the Academy of Gallifrey to become a Time Lord herself. In the New Virigin Adventures Series, she left the Doctor and became a sort of mini-Doctor herself, protecting a particular section of History.

Also sporting a new look!

And finally, within the pages of the official Doctor magazine, Ace died in an explosion she set to kill something called a Lorbi

Also sporting a new look! 

Ultimately, however, she appears to have survived this fate, and been returned to Earth at some point. In an episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures, Sarah revealed the fate of several Companions. While not specifically named as such, 'Dorothy something' had raised billions with her charity "A Charitable Earth" (look at the initials). Apparently Russell T Davis had a plan to include Ace in a later episode, but sadly, Elisabeth Sladen's death put an end to those plans.

Conclusion

Ace's fate has been left in Limbo for the time being, left for each of us to make our own minds up. Personally, I choose to believe that she was returned to Earth, and is still giving lip to anyone who annoys her. 

So Say We All