Doctor Who Proms (Prom 2 and 3) 2013

Tickets for the 50th anniversary Doctor Who proms sold out in under 2 hours.

Hip hooray - I managed to buy us tickets.

When I went back to get some more availability had dematerialised.

The Cold War

Doctor Who The Cold War

Well, it has:

1. David Warner as the first Doctor.
2. Clara is Susan.

So, have we seen, or will we see the odd past Doctor in the current episodes?

Oh, and very much of its time - a tribute to Margaret Thatcher. 

The Death Of A Great Dame - The Lady's NOT For Turning

Baroness Thatcher - our greatest Prime Minister, who put the "Great" back into Britain - died peacefully earlier today.

Without knowing it she changed my life. We lived in a council house. My parents were able to buy it and become home-owners, something they never thought they could do. They became share-owners too. She gave them opportunities they could realise - for themselves and for their sons.

It is with regret I never got the chance to meet her. Had I met Margaret Thatcher I would stand and applaud her. And thank her.



Personal highlights

"We have become a grandmother" was Margaret Thatcher's statement to the press in 1989, on the birth of her first grandchild.

The use of the 'royal we' (the 'pluralis majestatis' or 'majestic plural') had previously been restricted to royalty. Its use by a mere prime minister and Thatcher's imperious personal manner were the source of considerable disdain at the time. "We are not amused".

The clowning of Neil Kinnock - "that man" was as unelectable as Michael Foot.

The reform of the labour party. You thought New Labour was a Blair thing?

Crushing the NUM.

Putting the Great back into Britain. 

The Bells of St John

So, as it is all leading up to Saturday 23 November 2013...

1. What is the Doctor's secret?
2. Why is Clara twice dead (what is Clara's secret)?
3. Who was the girl in the shop that gave Clara the St John mobile phone number as the internet helpline?
4. Richard E. Grant?

 The Girl in the Shop

I doubt this is a coincidence.

Doctor Who: David Tennant returns for anniversary show

 

Billie Piper and David Tennant will be joined by John Hurt in the special

Continue reading the main story 

David Tennant and Billie Piper will appear in the 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who, the BBC has confirmed.

Richard E. Grant

Scream of the Shalka

Although Scream of the Shalka was intended to be an official continuation of the television series that had ended in 1989, as well as the 1996 television movie, the revival of the program in 2005 relegated it, and its Doctor, to unofficial status. The series was scripted by veteran Doctor Who writer Paul Cornell, with Richard E. Grant providing the voice for the Ninth Doctor. This performance followed years of rumours that Grant would play the Doctor in a film or new series, and indeed he had appeared as the "Conceited Doctor" in the Comic Relief special Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death in 1999. Grant subsequently went on to appear in the revived television series of Doctor Who as a guest villain in 2012's "The Snowmen".

Derek Jacobi reprised his role as the Master in 2007's "Utopia".

David Tennant appeared in a cameo role as the Caretaker, later being cast as the Tenth Doctor in 2005.
Four of the cast members would go on to play characters in the current version of Doctor Who.Derek Jacobi returned as the Master in 2007's "Utopia"

• • David Tennant would go on to play the Tenth Doctor in the television series proper from 2005 to 2010. He appeared in Shalka in an uncredited role as a caretaker. He was not originally cast in the production but happened to be recording a radio play in a neighbouring studio, and when he discovered what was being recorded next door managed to convince the director to give him a small role.
  • Richard E. Grant portrayed the villainous Dr Walter Simeon in 2012's "The Snowmen", having previously been cast as the Tenth Doctor in the 1999 charity special, "Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death"; both were written by Steven Moffat.
  • Sophie Okonedo appeared in 2010's "The Beast Below" and "The Pandorica Opens" as Queen Elizabeth X.

  So many ways to knit loose ends to a new scarf
  

 What is the Doctor's Secret?

See 4 above.

Gosh, intriguing, eh?

(River Song).

50th Anniversary Who

The twentieth season of  Doctor Who began on 3 January 1983 with the story Arc of Infinity, and ended 16 March 1983 with The King's Demons. A 20th Anniversary special, The Five Doctors, followed in November 1983.

To commemorate the twentieth season, the stories in this season involve the return of previous villains.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hmm. I wonder whether the rest of series 7 of New Who might do the same for the 50th.

We know there will be a 50th anniversary special on 23 November 2013, and we have:

New look Ice Warriors

New look Cybermen:

and an Egyptian evil....

Sutekh the Destroyer?

The Rings of Akhaten
 by Neil Cross

Sutekh the Destroyer
 The Pyramids of Mars

Sutekh the Destroyer?

The Rings of Akhaten
 by Neil Cross

Sutekh the Destroyer
 The Pyramids of Mars

Doctor Who The Dying Days

Wow! My collection is coming on in leaps and bounds.

Three weeks ago I had about 30 of 266 (if a quick count is correct).

Now I have about 230 with 37 to go.

But look at this:

hehehe......

one of which is brand new...

New Who, Again Or...

I complete my original Target Dr. Who collection, thus in this 50th anniversary year I have decided to build up my neglected Virgin/BBC books 8th Doctor/New/Missing/Past Doctor adventures books.

my original target books with a few new...

and here, in a week I've bought about 60 or so....

the new purchases - bought in a week!

I am kicking myself for not buying at the time - especially having been on top of buying the Target novelisations. Just look - Lungbarrow - over £170.

A Second Bath In 5 Years

On Friday we spend another relaxing day at the Bath Thermae Spa, as a birthday treat. We stayed overnight and came back for dinner with friends Joe and Chris last night.

Doctor Who In An Exciting Adventure To The End

I bought my first Doctor Who novel when I was in primary 6, or primary 7. That would be around 1976 or 1977. Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters.

I think that I had already decided that Doctor Who was my favourite TV programme.  Someone once came to the door and asked me as a very young child. That's what I said and I was loyal thereafter (except when Sylvester McCock was the Doctor - I hated the show then; because of him and Ace).

Over the years I bought all the Target novelisations.

I knew I had pretty much all of them, but I suspected there might be one or two missing. Last weekend, for the first time ever, I checked what I had against what had been published.

I was missing 3. All McCock, when I had given up.

Being the 50th anniversary year I decided to make it complete and purchased the last 3 on Amazon.

Battlefield and Ghost Light arrived earlier this week.

Today this one arrived.

Now, some 37 years later, I am complete.

Happy Burns Night

My haggis. With neeps and tatties (of course).

Enjoy!