The Ramblings

Today, I feel like rambling.

Rambling's really good. I like rambling. It always makes me smile when I realize I'm rambling and I am especially good at rambling. Seriously, I learnt how to properly ramble by watching Doctor Who. David Tennant's Doctor was likewise an expert rambler. NEVER have I seen someone who could ramble like this fictional character! It was brilliant. Well, brilliant might be stretching it. Great? Maybe not, Good. Good! Good is a good strong word and perfect for describing the rambling techniques.

You may have noticed I've slightly changed the way I'm writing this blog. Don't know why I decided to start writing with it in Centre format, as opposed to left to right. Just felt like it. Don't like it? Well, wait a couple of entries and I'll probably have forgotten and gone back to just writing in italics. I do that because I feel it actually resembles a neater form of handwriting. Think I mentioned that before. Felt an odd sense of Deja Vu just after writing it.

ANYWAYS

(Another good way of continuing a good ramble)

As I was saying, rambling! Ramble. Ramblising... made that word up but I'm English. The Language is English. Means mine is the opinion that counts. Rephrased that from a book called Changes I read in the bath today. Its the second to latest book in The Dresden Files series and I think they're rather brilliant. And no, brilliant is not pushing it. They truly are. Don't believe me? Go out and buy Storm Front. It's the first book in the series and I

guarantee you that you will love it.

Go on! Do it now. No time like the present. Don't worry, I'll wait.

Are they gone? Yes? Good! Not that I don't love each and everyone one of my readers, but I also love encouraging people to read! And by read, I mean books! Real Books! Books with heroes and villains and romance and what not. Go to a library! Buy them! Read them on your kindle if you have one, like me. Kindles are ace! You have an entire library in your pocket?

Brilliant? I know! I love mine!

Granted, there's nothing quite like a holding an actual book in your hands, turning the pages and smelling the book (if you're so inclined, I am - try it. Some books smell lovely.) but a Kindle really is a lifesaver. Like I said, you can have every book you own. If like me, you travel semi-regular basis or more and you love reading, it really is a life-saver. For example, before Dad bought me the kindle, I used to pack three, maybe four books, before I went ANYWHERE - that includes just getting the train into Uni. I was absolutely paranoid about not having something to read. What if I finished my book and had no replacement? What would I do then? Talk to the general public? Ew. But now, with a Kindle, I don't have that worry.

So yeah, I would call that a successful ramble. I'm done now. You may leave.

And no, Jeremy, this is not a case of me being sleep deprived, before your mind jumps to that conclusion. It was, quite simply, a ramble.

So Say We All

The New Blogger and related going ons

Got to admit, not a fan of this site's new look. It's not exactly user friendly. However, beyond complaining again and again and again and again (trust me, I will be), there isn't a lot I can do about it.

So instead of complaining about it to you, I thought I'd briefly update you on the comings and goings of one Christopher R Gren. (Don't ask what the R stands for. I will only lie to you.)

There isn't an awful lot to report on, to be honest. I've started going to a gym on a semi-regular (three times a week) basis. I personally don't like it, but I signed up to do a medical study and the hospital is paying for my membership so there you go. I usually cycle for approximately 20 minutes (broken up into sessions - my current record is 12 and 8 minutes). I'm considering trying to go for 15 and 5 next week, but I doubt I will. Seems too much like hard work lol.

As well as that, I've decided to make some use of my free time and make fan made title sequences for Doctor Who, one for each series (including my upcoming figure adventures!). I posted the first one the day before yesterday and it seems to be a success (Series 1 of New Who). My (eventual) plan is to post for each series of Doctor Who (classic series included) in and around my Figure Adventures.

Anyways

Enough from me. How are you all?

 

So Say We All

Update: I've since discovered how to set it back to the old interface. Someone must've read all those e-mails I sent!

One Year Today

Exactly one year ago today, the news broke that Elisabeth Sladen had died. While the pain had subdued greatly since then, I still find it hard to believe that she is gone. But she isn't. Not really. As long as we remember a person, they are never truly gone.  

Gone, but never truly forgotten

Doctor Who Figures

In the last couple of weeks, there was a persistant rumour circulating Doctor Who figure forums. According to it, Character Options was considering giving up the license to produce Who figures. On one or two sites, it was expanded upon by saying Hasbro was be interested in acquiring it. Of course, I almost immediately ignored it, since this isn't the first time it's come up.

Then I got to thinking about it. Would Hasbro having the license to Doctor Who be a blessing or a curse? I've made up a pros and cons list about this, which is below.

Pros

- The figures would probably be reduced in scale to 3 3/4. I've also listed this as a Con, but here's why I would think it would be a good thing. Being reduced to the 3 3/4 inch would mean more figures of other lines would be in scale, such as Marvel Universe, Star Wars, certain DC lines, Harry Potter and Indiana Jones. This means that more figures would be available for people who do animations with them or just want to display their collections together.
- There would probably be more figures overall.

- They could release classic and new Who. Currently, the Classic Who line is produced as exclusives by Underground Toys, after Character Options decided that it was an unsuccess line. While this is also possible should Hasbro acquire the line, they would probably just release them in one line to save money.
- A better announcement schedule. No offence, but Character Options and Underground Toys are notoriously bad for keeping things secret. While this is understandably necessary for the New Who Line, I don't see why Undergound Toys keep so much secret for their Classic Lines. In November, they announced SEVEN new sets, all of which cost above £25 a piece, all of which were due to released in very quick succession.

Cons

- I would probably have to buy all the figures all over again, owing to the scale change. This is a big deal to Collectors. I own pretty much all the figures CO and UT have produced over the years,
- The accessories would be much smaller and, ergo, easier to lose.

Conclusion

To me at least, Hasbro acquiring the license would mostly be a good thing. However, considering the investment I have already placed in Character Options and Underground Toys I would rather they keep the license.

However, if you disagree, let me know.

So Say We All

My new Theory

A few days ago, Steven Moffat tweeted a picture of Matt Smith and Karen Gillan with a classic '60s Dalek (see below).

I still get goosebumps looking at it. I mean, I know it's a Dalek and that there have been plenty of TV stories with them in, but it's a CLASSIC DALEK on NEW WHO! It's not like when the Ninth Doctor came face to face with his nemeis for the first time, because it was a whole new design. This is the Doctor and Amy interacting with ACTUAL HISTORY!

Then my inner Who geek noticed something. That Dalek is from the Second Doctor serial The Evil of the Daleks. In fact, it's a very particular Dalek. The Dome is black, which makes it an Emperor's Guard Dalek. When the Dalek Emperor returned for Parting of the Way, it still had these black domed Daleks acting as Guards. And Steven Moffat knows his Doctor Who. He isn't one to mix up a Emperor's Guard Dalek with a generic classic Dalek.

Which suggests to me, we might be seeing at least one more classic Dalek figure. After all, what does an Emperor's Guard guard....?

The answer is this. THIS is what an Emperor's Guard guards. AN EMPEROR

If I'm wrong, fair enough. These things happen. But if I'm right, I reserve the right to brag about this from now until the end of Time.

Also, a little bit of trivia for you. While the Silver and Blue colour scheme was in use in the 1960s, this episode will mark the very first time it has been seen in colour on Television (all the serials up until Jon Pertwee's era - by which time the Dalek colour scheme had been changed - were filmed in black and white.)


So Say We All
UPDATE: As I forgot to mention this, when asked "WHICH Classic Daleks are you bringing back?" Moffat replied "All of them". More evidence to support my theory. Also, there are these tweets from both Steven Moffat and Arthur Darvill (Rory)

 

That, at least, implies that there were lots of Daleks on Set.

UPDATE: Yes, another update. According to this article, EVERY Dalek known to Man will appear. Although this might be a very slight exaggeration, it does lend credit to my current theory.

Please, no more information that requires an update, Steven ok?

Being Human (Warning: Spoilers)

As some of you know, I am a massive fan of Being Human. I think it's one of those brilliantly simple concepts that when you say it, you wonder why it hasn't been done before (Like Deadpool attacking you with his Health Bar in Marvel vs Capcom 3).

The core concept is that a Vampire, a Werewolf and a Ghost sharing a house, trying to live as humans. As the Series evolved, the Werewolf, George, entered into a relationship with another Werewolf, Nina. The Vampire, Mitchell struggled with his nature over the course of the series, and Annie... well, Annie made an awful lot of Tea.

The Cast (From left to Right): George, Nina, Mitchell

But then something changed. Between the Second and Third Series, Mitchell went on a rampage with a fellow Vampire, and butchered an entire trainful of people. Eventually, he had George kill him to prevent the Old Ones (the leaders of the Vampires) from controlling him.

Mitchell was gone.

But that's ok. TV Shows lose are bound to lose one or two cast members from time to time. It's natural.

Before the Fourth series started, Russell Tovey, who played George, announced that he was leaving 'at some point during the series' (try the first bloody episode). This was fairly quickly followed by an announcement that Nina hadn't filmed any scenes (it was revealed that she'd been killed off-screen). Yep, that's right. The fourth series lost three of its four cast members before the second episode.

But that was alright. They already had a spare Werewolf in the form of Tom McNair, a recurring character from the Third Series. The series quickly introduced Hal, another Vampire who had been living with another Ghost and Werewolf. When they died/moved on, Hal was left with Annie, Eve, the virtually human baby of George and Nina concieved when both were in Wolf form, and Tom. Initially, I was looking at this as the end of Being Human. Too many cast members are gone. It won't last and it won't be as good.

From left to right: Hal (Vampire), Annie (Ghost) and Tom (Werewolf)

I was wrong.

The Fourth Series, while a bit slow in part, was just as good as the previous three series. The dynamic was obviously different, with Annie, determined to protect Eve, as the heart of the group, but it worked. It had drama in the form of the War Child story arc, comedy with the reappearance of Adam the Teenage Vampire and romance with Hal and Alex (that didn't end well).

Then came the final episode.

In the penultimate episode, the aforementioned Alex was captured by Vampires and drained, her blood fed to Hal deliberately. As is the case in the series, she became a Ghost upon her death. That's when alarm bells should've rung in my head.

Anyway, back to the Finale. To cut a long story short, the Old Ones have arrived, Hal is scared because Mr Snow (Mark Gatiss) can control him, and Hal gives him Eve to protect her. A very pissed off Annie, flanked by Alex, arrive and get the baby back before Annie detonated a homemade bomb Tom wiped up earlier, killing not only Eve (sadface) but also every single member of the Old Ones (YAY).

Her door appears.

In Being Human, a Ghost is a Ghost because he/she has some unfinished business. Once it's complete, a door appears and that person can finally move onto the Afterlife. Annie steps through, picks up Baby Eve (yay) and is told by Future Eve (who's life no longer happened) that 'They (George, Nina and Mitchell) are waiting for her through another door. Annie, with a big grin, steps through and goes to Heaven (even though she's a babykiller).

So yeah, next series will feature no member of the original cast. Will that be a good thing? I don't know.

But I can't wait to find out.

Live Long and Prosper

Doctor Who spin-offs

As is often the case, the idea for this blog came from something I read. It basically details how, at the moment, Steven Moffat has no plans for producing another Doctor Who spin-off (at least not in the near future).

To date, there have been three attempts* (two successful) at a spin-off series. The first was called "K9 and Company" and featured Elisabeth Sladen reprising the role of Sarah Jane Smith. This was the only spin-off attempted during the original run of Doctor Who, and didn't get beyond a pilot.

The second was "Torchwood" starring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness. Its Fourth Series, entitled "Miracle Day" aired last year, and the series is currently in 'Limbo' (its future remains uncertain).

The third was "The Sarah Jane Adventures", once again starring Elisabeth Sladen as Miss Sarah Jane Smith. Sadly, that series came to an end after its Fifth Series due to her untimely death.

Both of these were made when Russell T Davis was the Executive Producer of "Doctor Who". He contained to remain involved with both after leaving the parent series, although to a lesser extent with the SJA due to being in LA with Torchwood.

So the question I ask now, do we need another spin-off?

Steven Moffat's tenure as Mr Davis' replacement has introduced characters that could carry their own spin-off. After the initial airing of "A Good Man Goes To War", I recall my Twitter feed being filled with requests for Vastra and Jenny to receive their own series (If I remember rightly, I was one of them), and who wouldn't want to see them kicking arse in Victorian times? (Even Steven himself thought so).

However, I think that with both "Doctor Who" and "Sherlock" demanding his attention, he should avoid doing any spin-offs. Managing two shows (especially THOSE shows)  must be hard enough for him. I would rather he focus on producing them two, rather than adding to his workload with a third, and producing sub-par work on all three.

So, in my humble opinion, we should leave any spin-offs for the time being.

So say We All

*Note: The K9 Series produced by Bob Baker does NOT count as far as I am concerned. While it may use K9, the Doctor has yet to be referenced. Until that occurs, it will remain non-canon as far as I'm concerned. (plus I HATE K9's design on it.)