Tag Archives: Doctor Who

constantine

Fall changes have potential to bring new TV faves

Fall doesn’t officially start until Tuesday, but the cooler temperatures in my part of the country over the past week prove that the change of seasons is definitely upon us. As I pointed out last week, the arrival of fall also means the arrival of fall television. Last week, I shared some of the returning shows I was happiest to have back on my screen. This week, I’ll take a look at the new series I’m looking forward to checking out.

I don’t tend to watch a lot of sitcoms as they air live. The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother were exceptions to that rule, and for each of them, I came in after several seasons had already aired. I’m a fan of New Girl, though I’m usually a season behind and watching on Netflix. Last season, I enjoyed The Crazy Ones, then was disappointed when the series was canceled and even more heartbroken when we lost Robin Williams last month.

This year, I am planning to give Selfie on ABC a chance — despite its annoying pop culture title. I have to admit, if the series wasn’t starring Karen Gillan and John Cho, I probably wouldn’t even consider watching … although the idea that it’s loosely based on My Fair Lady also has me intrigued. I loved Gillan as Amy Pond in Doctor Who, but she really impressed me this summer as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy. I can’t wait to see how she does in an American sitcom. Early reviews for the series have been really positive, so this may be a case of “don’t judge a series by its title.”

Speaking of former Doctor Who stars, the Tenth Doctor himself will be starring in Gracepoint on Fox this fall. Gracepoint is a 10-episode television “event” based on the British series Broadchurch. David Tennant will be reprising his role from the original series, this time with an American accent. The show centers on the investigation into the murder of a young child in a small seaside town.

Broadchurch was absolutely fantastic, and if you enjoy suspenseful crime drama, I highly recommend it. The cast and the writing were brilliant; it was easily one of the best series I watched last year. At first, I was disappointed to hear that Fox was making its own version of the series, and I was determined not to watch: there is no way they could even come close to the quality of its predecessor. But the casting of Tennant has made me curious, and I’ll willingly watch anything in which he appears.

According to Fox, the story will not play out exactly as the mystery in Broadchurch did. The writers have apparently changed the ending so fans of the original won’t know what’s going to happen. However, the trailers I’ve seen for the show so far make it look like the series was shot matching the original, frame by frame. Changes must have been made, though, to accommodate the fact that the American version is 10 episodes long versus the eight episodes of the British series. Hopefully, those changes do not lessen the suspense or drama that was so effective in the original series.

While Marvel has proved that it can easily dominate the box office, DC has seen a lot of success on the small screen over the years. This fall, NBC, the CW, and Fox will all premiere new series based on DC comics staples.

There has been a lot of hype and anticipation for Fox’s Gotham, which tells the story of James Gordon, the future police commissioner, prior to the existence of Batman. The series will also provide origin stories for many members of The Rogues Gallery. So great is the excitement for this series that Netflix has already acquired the exclusive rights to stream it after the episodes’ first runs. I tend to be skeptical of any genre show that Fox airs — not because I don’t believe it will be good, but because even if it is, there’s a high chance of Fox pulling the plug without really giving it a chance. The success of Sleepy Hollow last year, though, has given me some measure of hope.

Gotham will bring a talented cast into our living rooms. I’m particularly excited about Donal Logue playing Gordon’s partner. Logue has the ability to pull of great comedy or serious drama, and I’ve really enjoyed every performance of his that I’ve seen. I wasn’t a fan of The O.C. or Southland, so I know nothing of Ben McKenzie, who will be playing Gordon, other than that he’s more clean-cut than I was expecting. I’m really curious to see what he’s like. Lastly, a bit of trivia for the Doctor Who fans: Alfred, the butler for the Wayne family, will be played by actor Sean Pertwee, the son of the Third Doctor, Jon Pertwee.

Constantine is probably the series I know the least about but am still looking forward to watching. I’m not very familiar with the source character, beyond his appearances in the The Sandman comics and the Keanu Reeves film (or the knowledge that he inspired the look for Supernatural‘s Castiel), but I’m still intrigued by this series. Series star Matt Ryan certainly appears to have the look and attitude of John Constantine.

I haven’t heard much about this series over the summer, aside from the news that Lucy Griffiths‘ character, one of the main characters in the pilot, had been written out for creative reasons. I was a little disappointed by this news, as I’ve been a fan of Griffiths since she played Marian on BBC’s Robin Hood. Since I haven’t heard as much hype about Constantine as some of the other series on this list, my expectations for it are not as high. Of course, the lack of buzz also makes me a little more concerned about its fate at the network. (NBC doesn’t have a much better reputation than Fox when it comes to giving series a chance.) I also have a feeling my lack of knowledge about the comics will work in my favor, as I won’t be comparing it to the comics or criticizing certain creative decisions.

The new series I’m most excited about this fall is probably The Flash. I wasn’t sure about casting Grant Gustin as Barry Allen at first, but I could have been a little biased by his appearance on Glee. However, I really enjoyed his two-episode appearance on Arrow last season, and I am now looking forward to seeing what the show looks like. I’m also excited that it appears The Flash and Arrow will remain closely connected, as Stephen Amell has already confirmed his appearance in the pilot episode, and a crossover is set for episode 8 of each show’s upcoming season.

I’m also a fan of the rest of the cast, which includes Tom Cavanaugh, Jesse L. Martin, and the former Barry Allen himself, John Wesley Ship, as Barry’s father. Recurring cast members will include Robbie Amell, Stephen’s cousin and the star of last seasons ill-fated The Tomorrow People, and Prison Break‘s Wentworth Miller. The previews for the series so far have looked great, and I can’t wait for it to premiere. I just hope it doesn’t take as long to draw me in as Arrow did.

There are all the new series I’m most excited about seeing premiere in the next few weeks. What new shows are you looking forward to? Are there any here I forgot that you think are worth a mention (or worth checking out)? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

doctor-12-capaldi

Capaldi shines as 12th Doctor, creates dark first impression

Earlier this week, a friend of mine shared on Facebook a link to a cartoon that perfectly sums up what conversations between Doctor Who fans have been like ever since the arrival of the Twelfth Doctor on Saturday night. When it comes to the British sci-fi show, fans are passionate about the cast, the characters, and the writing, and they are not afraid to voice their opinions. Today, I thought I’d share some of my first impressions of the Twelfth Doctor and his premiere episode, “Deep Breath.”

I loved “Deep Breath” when I was watching it for the first time Saturday. Peter Capaldi won me over almost immediately, which is probably the fastest I’ve accepted a new Doctor. From the moment he peeked out of the TARDIS and told Strax to “shush,” I knew I was going to enjoy this Doctor. When I watched it again Monday night at a movie theater, I found I still enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as engaging on repeated viewings as some episodes have been, particularly the recent 50th anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor,” which I also saw in a theater. However, I still enjoyed the episode overall, especially Capaldi’s performance.

One of the things I really liked about the way this episode was written was how the Doctor’s companion, Clara, was almost a surrogate for the audience member. In so many ways, she voiced all the doubts a fan has ever had about a Doctor’s regeneration throughout the episode: Why was he old? Why couldn’t he just change back? Do we still know who the Doctor is? Clara had to walk the same path from surprise, denial, then loss, to eventual acceptance right along with the fans.

One thing I particularly liked about Clara in this episode was how, even though it appeared as though the Doctor had completely deserted her when she needed him the most, she still held out her hand, confident he would be there. She knew some things about the Doctor would never change.

I have read a lot of negative feedback this week about Clara’s reaction to the Doctor’s regeneration. She knew it was coming, she knows the Doctor has already had many faces — has, in fact, seen all of them prior to the Twelfth Doctor — so why is she so disturbed by this regeneration? I think, for the most part, it comes down to the difference between knowing something and experiencing it. Fans all know the Doctor regenerates, but that doesn’t always make it easier for us to accept a new actor in the role.

Then there was the added complication of this new Doctor being somewhat addled at first. He didn’t seem to know how to fly the TARDIS and evidently managed to get them swallowed by a Tyrannosaurus rex. After spending so much time with a man that always seemed so in control of the situation, a man she could trust to lead her, it must have been extremely disconcerting for Clara to not have any idea what the Doctor was going to do next.

Clara also may not have fully understood just how much the Doctor’s personality can change from one regeneration to another. Her only experiences have been with the War Doctor, Ten, and Eleven. Ten and Eleven have a lot in common, plus the War Doctor always held himself together. So to see the Doctor suddenly so confused and unpredictable really couldn’t have helped Clara with the transition.

As for Capaldi, I thought he was brilliant in the role. He really felt like the Doctor right from the beginning, even if that Doctor was somewhat uncharacteristically confused. I had heard so many rumors about how much darker this Doctor would be — and we’ll get to that in a minute — that I was concerned he would not be a remotely likable person in this incarnation, but as he stood there in the end, begging Clara to just see him, my heart broke for him, and I couldn’t help but love him.

I was also impressed once again by how wonderful an actor Capaldi truly is. I had already known this, of course, but it really stood out Saturday night. Over the past couple months, I have been watching The Musketeers on BBC America, in which Capaldi plays Cardinal Richelieu, who, naturally, is not a likable character. I was afraid this would cloud my perception of him as the Doctor. However, I didn’t think of Richelieu once while I was watching “Deep Breath” — nor did I find myself comparing him with John Frobisher, another rather unlikable character from the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood. Capaldi’s acting range and ability drew me in and made me completely forget about any other role I’ve seen him in. (And before anyone asks: no, I haven’t seen him as Malcolm Tucker, but I plan to as soon as I can find a way to view The Thick of It.)

I really enjoyed all the subtle references to previous Doctors, from the allusion to a long scarf to the Doctor mentioning that he sometimes misses Amy when Clara’s legs couldn’t reach the sonic screwdriver. I also liked the reference to the “round things” in the TARDIS — a nice callback not only to an earlier TARDIS, but to a similar comment made in “The Day of the Doctor” last year. There was also a slightly more obvious tie-in between this episode and the Tenth Doctor episode “The Girl in the Fireplace,” as these droids’ ship is the sister ship of the SS Madame de Pompadour featured in that earlier adventure.

Probably my favorite scene of “Deep Breath” was near the end, when Clara receives a phone call from the Eleventh Doctor, placed by him just before he regenerated. The call helps Clara to finally say goodbye and have closure, and I think it did the same for many fans. It was nice to see Matt Smith as the Doctor one last time.

Then, as I mentioned above, the dialogue between the Twelfth Doctor after the phone call and Clara’s final acceptance of him as the Doctor was very well done. My heart broke for this Doctor, who just wanted to be recognized and accepted by Clara. The vulnerability of the Doctor in that scene pretty much cemented my opinion of him: Capaldi is going to be great.

The one concern I have as this season continues is just how dark the Doctor will be. We’ve already had the suggestion that he may have pushed the half-faced man out of the escape pod — and that was a rather ominous look they showed on his face afterward. It is evident that the rumors of this Doctor being darker are true, but the question is just how much darker is he? I’m hoping not too dark, as the Doctor is supposed to be a good person.

The other questions this episode left us with are: who is Missy, and what is this place she referred to as Heaven? I’ve heard many theories about Missy’s identity, ranging from the Master to the Rani to an earlier incarnation of River Song to Romana or even, possibly, a dark Clara who merged with the Great Intelligence after splitting off in the Doctor’s time stream. All these theories seem interesting, and I’m not sure which would be most plausible. I would love if Missy were some character from the Doctor’s past that we have not yet met in the new series; the Master would also be an interesting option.

One thing I do know is that “Heaven” is also the same garden Amy was trapped in when she was quarantined in “The Girl Who Waited.” If this were any other series, I could say that was just a coincidence and a reused set piece, but given that Steven Moffat wrote this episode, I’m having trouble believing that.

Overall, I thought this episode was enjoyable and a great introduction to the new Doctor. I can’t wait to see what the interaction between the Doctor and Clara will be like moving forward, and how the dynamic between them changes. I have a feeling Clara will have to keep a closer eye on this Doctor, as well as watch out for herself more often than she is accustomed to.

What are your thoughts on the Twelfth Doctor?

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As Doctors cycle through, so do fans’ emotions

“Everything’s got to end sometime; otherwise nothing would ever get started.”
“We’re all just stories in the end.”
— The Doctor

In the spring of 2008, I finally took a coworker’s advice and began watching episodes of a British science fiction series some readers may have heard of called Doctor Who. I started from the beginning of the 2005 relaunch, which ended a 16-year drought of regular Doctor Who programming. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and once I started watching the show, I didn’t understand how you could base a show around a single character, let the audience grow attached to that character, then change him just like that, as the show had done eight times already.

It didn’t take long for me to be completely hooked on the adventures of the Ninth Doctor and his companion, Rose. I would come home from work at 11 p.m. or later and not be able to go to sleep until I had watched at least one, most likely two, episodes. Christopher Eccleston was fantastic, and even though I knew he would only be in the first series (as those wacky Brits call “seasons”), I loved his portrayal of the Doctor and didn’t want to see him go. I was in tears by the end of the finale, “The Parting of the Ways.”

I had heard that Eccleston’s successor, David Tennant (whom I hadn’t yet connected to Harry Potter), was even more brilliant, but I didn’t see how that was possible. Tennant won me over by the end of “The Christmas Invasion,” the annual Christmas special (those Brits again) that served as the Tenth Doctor’s premiere. Once series 2 got underway with “New Earth,” I knew he would be my Doctor. It seemed as though he was born to play this role; he made being the Doctor seem so natural and effortless.

During Tennant’s time as the Doctor, we saw many companions come and go; losing Rose and Donna were the hardest for me. I had finally caught up to the American viewings on the Sci-Fi Channel (before its ridiculous name change) and was able to watch the series 4 finale with the rest of the United States (at least, with those who hadn’t downloaded and watched it already).

And then came the confirmation of news I thought I never wanted to hear: Tennant was leaving Doctor Who. First, I was in denial; then, I was heartbroken. He was my Doctor. He couldn’t leave. I couldn’t say goodbye.

I held off watching both parts of “The End of Time” for several weeks because I just wasn’t ready to accept that, by the end, the Tenth Doctor would be gone. And when I finally did watch, the Doctor’s farewell tour was just as difficult as I had imagined. His final words, “I don’t want to go,” echoed what a lot of fans were feeling in that moment.

And then suddenly, in a burst of light, he was gone; replaced by this strange, gangly guy who didn’t look nearly old enough to be the Doctor.

I loved Tennant so much in the role that I thought I would never be able to warm up to Matt Smith, but I’ve learned that there’s this funny thing that happens when you’re a fan of Doctor Who and a Doctor you love regenerates. In the beginning, there’s this feeling of trepidation and concern that the new actor won’t be up to performing the role as well as those who have gone before. You were so enamored with the previous Doctor that you really don’t want to see him go. Then, suddenly, one day you realize the Doctor hasn’t changed at all — at least not really. While his face is different and some aspects of his personality may seem new, he is still, deep down, the same Doctor he always has been. You really do love the new Doctor just as much as the old.

Smith kind of snuck up on me. It took me a little longer to warm to him than it did with Tennant (nearly two years longer), and I don’t even know when it was that I really started to love him. I just remember watching a repeat of Smith’s first Christmas special, “A Christmas Carol,” before his second, “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe,” aired and realizing that he really was an excellent Doctor. Tennant would always be my Doctor, but Smith now held a special place in my heart as well.

Even before I realized how much I loved his Doctor, Smith continually impressed me with how well he was able to capture the age of the Doctor; despite being the youngest actor to play the role, he really made you believe he was the oldest. He brought a lot of energy and charm to the role as well as a lot of depth and emotion. He introduced us to the Girl Who Waited, the Last Centurion, and the Impossible Girl — and let’s not forget Craig and Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All. He fought the Silence, Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels, and so many more. He married River Song and saved her parents’ marriage. And he won over millions of fans every step of the way.

And now he’s gone.

Sure, he technically left back at Christmas, when we witnessed the Eleventh Doctor‘s regeneration into the Twelfth Doctor. But it didn’t seem real at that point. It would be months until I actually had to watch the new Doctor, so I could pretend for just a little while longer that Eleven was still having adventures with Clara in the TARDIS. However, when series 8 premieres in just over 48 hours, that delusion will be over, and I really will have to accept that Smith is no longer the Doctor.

The hardest part of being a fan of Doctor Who is knowing you will be saying goodbye to actors you love over and over again. But at the same time, this is also a unique and wonderful aspect of the show. While it’s heartbreaking to think that soon I’ll be watching a completely new Doctor, it’ll be exciting to see what Peter Capaldi brings to the role and in what ways he is different-from-yet-the-same-as the old Doctor.

As much as I hated seeing Smith go, I’m really looking forward to meeting Capaldi’s Doctor. I’m not quite as apprehensive as I was in the past; I think I’ve finally accepted that this is how the show works: a never-ending cycle of meeting new characters, accepting them, and loving them, then having to say goodbye. And it really does work; if any other show tried to completely reinvent itself every few years, it would fall apart, but Doctor Who has sustained the practice for more than 50 years.

On top of meeting a new Doctor as the next chapter opens Saturday, we’ll also be starting the process of saying goodbye to his current companion, Clara, as rumors began circulating earlier this week that the 2014 Christmas special will likely be her last episode. Saying goodbye is always hard, but we get to meet new people and the story continues, it doesn’t have to end just because one person’s time in the TARDIS is over.

I, for one, can’t wait to see how the journey continues Saturday night.

more-tv

Binging makes TV watching more like reading

Several months ago, I touched on how the way we view television is changing. We are no longer tied to network schedules, and the combination of DVR and online streaming has turned “binge watching” into a full-fledged revolution in media consumption.

Suddenly realize there’s a show you want to start watching, but it’s about to start its fourth season? No problem; chances are you can find every episode of that series somewhere online and catch up before the new season starts. I’ve done that for many shows in the last few years.

But binge watching doesn’t just change the way you consume a certain television series: it creates a whole new experience while you’re watching it. When you watch several installments back to back, you remember all the little details you may have forgotten from one episode to the next if you had waited a full week between them. Binge watching that show then becomes more like reading a book; you can always go on to the next chapter whenever you want.

I’m a big book nerd. I’ll read just about anything I can get my hands on, and I can’t walk out of a bookstore without buying something — even though I already have well over 100 books in my “to-read” pile. With books, I really love the stories and the way they immerse you in another place or time. Binge watching television can have the same effect in a different medium. Settling in on the couch to watch a good series isn’t much different than curling up with a good novel.

When I read a book — especially vividly written fiction — my imagination runs wild. The world of the book becomes real to me. Certain books have more of an effect than others, but each has some sort of impact. The same goes for a really well-written television show. The more you watch, the more it gets in your head, and the characters, along with the world they inhabit, start to feel more and more real.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve found that many of the shows I’ve binge watched are the ones I’ve become more invested in. We formed a bond during those 12 hours spent watching episode after episode. (OK, so 12 hours of television in one sitting is a slight exaggeration, but you get the picture.) In some ways, watching shows like this can almost become an addiction: you plan your day so that you have enough time to squeeze in at least a couple more episodes — because you can’t not watch.

Then, once you’ve finished the series (or all the episodes you have access to), part of you just wants to go back and start them all over, like you do when you finish reading a really good novel. You aren’t ready for it to be over, but there isn’t anything else left, so you might as well start again from the beginning. This happened when I binge watched Doctor Who and Torchwood for the first time years ago, and when I watched the first two seasons of Teen Wolf last summer.

Some people try to tell me rereading books is a waste of time, and the same could go for rewatching television shows. There are so many other options out there, they say, why bother with something you’ve already seen (or read)? I disagree.

I often equate rereading a book with a visit to an old friend. You get to relive all the things you loved, remember all the things you forgot, and sometimes learn things you hadn’t known before. I’m currently in the middle of rereading all the Harry Potter books and am enjoying them just as much as I did the first time around. The same is true when you binge-watch a series you’ve already seen from start to finish. You’re reminded of all the qualities you enjoyed about the series the first time, and you get to experience all your favorite parts over again.

My family and I have been rewatching Gilmore Girls recently, and there are so many things that we had forgotten about the series that some episodes feel like we’re watching them for the first time. And there’s something comforting about revisiting Rory and Lorelai’s adventures. I’ve always wished I could live somewhere like Stars Hollow (though if I actually did, I’d probably go crazy in a week), and I love visiting that town through the show.

There are those who would argue that watching television is not as intellectually stimulating as reading a book in your down time, but those people apparently haven’t tried figuring out what Hurley’s lottery numbers mean on Lost or put thought into any number of other television mysteries.

One way in which binge watching a series could arguable be superior to reading a novel is with those frustrating cliffhangers. The ability to binge watch a show that has a habit of ending in cliffhangers, either at the end of an episode or at the end of a season, means you don’t always have to wait a week (or several months) in between those episodes to see what happens next. Unfortunately, in a series of novels, there’s no way to avoid the big cliffhangers between books unless you wait until the entire series is published before reading.

When each Harry Potter book came out, I started reading and did not stop until the book was finished. I read all 759 pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in less than 12 hours. That’s not much different than watching an entire season of television in less than a week. Book readers have been in on this trend for decades; now, binge watching is the new normal for television.

If you’re looking for suggestions on what shows to binge watch, check out our Binge Watch column where we periodically review shows our staff writers have binged.