July 2009
The End of Time? / 27.07.09
Lots and lots has been going on in the world of Doctor Who recently, and after the Matt Smith based excitement of recent weeks we've been brought back into the present thanks to that annual collection of whooping imbeciles, Comic-Con.
(Some of the below could be considered to be mild spoilers, but it's all stuff released through official channels, so I wouldn't worry too much.)
Weezer - The 8-Bit Album / 22.07.09
I’ve always liked the idea of chiptunes more than actually getting into listening to anyone’s work properly, but… well, as a fan of Weezer and a fan of 8-bit gaming, this is magical.
Do you remember that dream you had, where the sound chips from the beloved games consoles of your youth all got together and formed a Weezer tribute band? Yeah? No? OK. That dream is about to come true whether you had it or not.
As a compilation of various artists, it’s of course variable in quality - and I think the ones that use vocals miss the point a little. But man, hearing lost Songs From The Black Hole masterpiece “You Won’t Get With Me Tonight” sounding like it’s lifted straight out of the Game Gear version of Sonic is a wonderful experience.
(although if you want the most bonkers Weez tribute album ever, have a scout around for a Japanese record called Across the Sea…)
The Glory Days of British Pathe / 22.07.09
Many thanks to Beelzebub of NOTBBC for pointing me towards the online archive of British Pathe newsreels. These newsreels provided a window on the world from 1896 to 1970, providing cinema-goers with moving picture news of the type that wasn’t common at home until the 1960s. My recommendation for a wry giggle is the Cholmondley-Warneresqe ‘Clubs Galore’, from 1958, which features the King of Soho, Paul Raymond, and a rather cute striptease. Just look at that!
Matt Smith to get his kit on / 19.07.09
So, it’s looking like we’ll be seeing Matt Smith as The Doctor very, very soon. The Mirror reported last week, among an assortment of other rumours, that the new publicity pictures should turn up on Tuesday. However, a comment by Ben Cook on Twitter (DWM journalist and co-writer of RTD’s A Writer’s Tale) seem to suggest (if you don’t mind making an assumption) they will be released tomorrow morning:
I’m on the BBC Breakfast sofa tomorrow @ 8.45am-ish (BBC1) to talk about… well, guess what. :P Love a bit of live TV! Watch yeah? Thanks.
We’ll be keeping an eye out at midnight just in case someone posts the picture(s) the minute the embargo is lifted, but either way tomorrow should be fun, what with this and it being the first day of filming for the new cast and crew.
EDIT: LOTS OF LOVELY PICCIES (updated 13:00):
Moffat's Casanova / 16.07.09
I believe that my Sherlockian hat is the only one I haven’t yet talked through for NTS, so you’ll just have to take my word for it about my excitement that Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss’s long-trailed Sherlock Holmes contemporary drama has been acknowledged by the BBC. I’m just slightly pleased that what’s effectively a sequel to the magnificent Jekyll, staring my favourite literacy characters, is in the works. Not even the superhero vibe that the series is purported to adopt can dampen my mood- I’m part of the certain group of Holmes fans who positively enjoy seeing their hero reshaped to the demands of other genres. Plus, if Russell T Davies’ Italian tale is anything to judge by, we’ll be getting an early preview of Benedict Cumberbatch’s twelfth Doctor…
Oh, Torchwood fandom... / 14.07.09
... you are a very silly place.
I don't recommend reading that entire comments thread unless you wish to have a brain haemorrhage, but here are a few choice excerpts. Presented without individual commentary, because it would be like shooting fish in a barrel, but...
(oh, and spoilers for Children of Earth, natch)
Attention Comedy Central Extra! / 11.07.09
The fact that you are unable to show an episode of Not Going Out made this year in anamorphic widescreen - instead having to show it letterboxed - is embarrassing. The fact that you also have a horrendously ugly DOG in the top-left is just the icing on the shit sandwich. There is not a chance in hell I am watching something like that.
God knows I love broadcast television. I’ve always loved it - and I love it so much that I’ve ended up working in it. But it’s things like this - terrible widescreen issues, horrific DOGs, condensed-to-nothing title sequences, credit-squeezing, a total disrespect for the programmes themselves - that make me long for a future of downloads, where there’s at least a chance that some of them might get better…
Lab Rats DVD! / 06.07.09
Well, I was hoping for one, and here we go - Lab Rats is being released on DVD on the 27th July. Hooray!
Robin Hood: Gone for good / 02.07.09
First Primeval and now this? It’s certainly not been a good few months for fantasy TV chaff.
Reggie Perrin Recommissioned / 02.07.09
According to the British Comedy Guide, and a since-deleted blog post by David Nobbs.
Excellent news, as the series showed promise, and I had fun with it - but I think they also have a fair amount to fix for the next series. In the meantime, you can read our episode-by-episode reviews here. DAVID NOBBS AND SIMON NYE HAD BETTER DO EVERY SINGLE THING I SAY OR ELSE IT WILL BE RUBBISH.
