Author Archives: Caleb Woodbridge

About Caleb Woodbridge

Caleb comes from the Death Zone on Gallifrey – sorry, North Wales. He became a fan in the wilderness years when the show was off the air through the repeats, novels and audios, and is also a big fan of the show since its return in 2005. He has had a number of short stories published, including The Shopping Trolleys of Doom, featuring the Seventh Doctor, in Short Trips: How the Doctor Changed My Life, and Blessed are the Peacemakers, featuring the Fourth Doctor and Sarah, in Short Trips: Indefinable Magic, both published by Big Finish. He is currently seeking publication for his first novel. He also writes A Journal of Impossible Things, a blog about fiction, fantasy and faith.

Doctor Who Spoiler-free Teasers – ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’

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You can also listen to Caleb’s spoiler-free review of ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’!

10 Clues and Teaser about ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’:

1. Some time has passed since the end of A Good Man Goes to War.

2. The opening shot is similar to one in series 5, but not for long!

3. There may be someone new taking a trip in the TARDIS…

4. The Doctor’s fame has spread even further, but not everyone is as hostile as the Clerics.

5. We find out why the Titanic sank.

6. Alex Kingston steals some clothes. And most of the scenes she’s in.

7. Some familiar faces are glimpsed, and they don’t make the Doctor happy.

8. The Beano may have been the inspiration for one plot thread!

9. The Doctor’s death is a fixed point in time, apparently.

10. Remember, the Doctor lies. And so does Steven Moffat.

Coming Soon: Doctor Who ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ BFI Screening Report

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Tomorrow evening, the BFI is hosting a special preview screening of Let’s Kill Hitler, the first episode of the autumn run of Doctor Who. Tickets sold out within hours, but our esteemed editor Caleb Woodbridge managed to nab a seat…

That’s right, I’ll be reporting on the event tomorrow night! I rewatched A Good Man Goes to War today in preparation for the screening, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. How will Amy and Rory react to the news that River Song is their daughter? Will they rescue Amy’s baby? Is the Doctor really going to kill Hitler?! And this time tomorrow, I’ll know the answers…

I’ll be tweeting on @ImpossiblePod from the event, so follow us now! I’ll bring you a spoiler-free review as soon as I can after the event – keep your eye on the blog. Steven Moffat and Karen Gillan will also be taking part in a Q and A after the episode, so I should have plenty to report…

Doctor Who will almost certainly be returning to our television screens on Saturday 27th August. The trailer for series 6b is on the BBC website, but here’s something from YouTube that might make you laugh…

Torchwood Spoiler-free Preview – Miracle Day 6, ‘The Middle Men’

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Caleb Woodbridge previews ‘The Middle Men’, episode 6 of Torchwood: Miracle Day. Reeling from the the death of one of the team, can the rest of Torchwood escape to let the world know the truth about the overflow camps?

The end of ‘Categories of Life‘ left me desperate to see the next episode, and ‘The Middle Men’ doesn’t disappoint. The first half of the series felt quite episodic, with each week introducing situations and characters that are largely forgotten by the next episode, this is much more of a continuation of last week. It’s effectively the second half of a two-parter, dealing with the fallout from discovering that the modules are ovens for burning the “Category Ones”.
Not that it’s just more of the same: ‘The Middle Men’ begins by introducing us to Stuart Owens, played by Ghostbusters’ Ernie Hudson, giving us a face for the sinister PhiCorp, and to some mysterious goings-on in another part of the world. But as Jack investigates PhiCorp, many of his theories (and those of the audience) begin to unravel, subverting some of the clichés of the ‘evil corporation’ trope.
For the rest of the team, their mission is to escape the overflow camps. Some of the most harrowing scenes are those which depict the complicity of ordinary people, of doctors, nurses and officials, in the terrible scheme to burn the Category Ones. It makes it completely believable, as is Gwen’s disgust. She really gets to shine in this episode as she struggles to save her father.
Oswald Danes and Jilly Kitzinger aren’t in this week’s episode, but it’s strong enough that I didn’t actually notice their absence. Although the episode leaves you with just as many questions as answers, it now has a compelling seriousness of purpose – with a dark sense of humour and some explosions thrown in for good measure, of course. And the end of the episode indicates that some even harder choices are to come…Don’t forget to catch up on our audio commentaries on Torchwood: Miracle Day: episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Torchwood Commentary – Miracle Day 5, ‘Categories of Life’

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Caleb Woodbridge, P.G. Bell and our new American commentator Gwen Williams give our commentary on episode 5, ‘Categories of Life’. (check out our spoiler-free review!)

As the Torchwood team go undercover to uncover the shocking secrets of the overflow camps, has Miracle Day at last hit its stride? Is the shock ending a bold move or big mistake? We discuss disintegrating healthcare systems, British queuing and much more…

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:59 — 62.3MB)

Torchwood Spoiler-free Preview – Miracle Day 5, ‘Categories of Life’

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Caleb Woodbridge previews ‘Categories of Life’, episode 5 of Torchwood: Miracle Day. As governments worldwide agree on the new “categories of life”, the Torchwood team goes undercover to discover the secrets of the overflow camps and their mysterious “modules”…

If you’ve been wavering over whether to stick with the series, this week may well be make or break. So far, Miracle Day has plodded rather than gripped, but events take a darker and more dramatic turn. This week brings some real shocks and revelations. Either you’ll be on the edge of your seat waiting for the next episode, or throwing things at the screen in frustration, or maybe even both.

‘Categories of Life’ is helped by keeping some of the cheesier conspiracy elements in the background: the focus is firmly on how society deals with the Miracle, without any off-the-peg Men in Black agents or mysterious spinning triangles. It’s all the stronger for it, and it’s possibly the first time that the scenes with Torchwood are as interesting as those with Oswald Danes and Jilly Kitzinger.

But while episode 5 pleases by actually making some bold moves, it sometimes frustrates with the clumsiness with which certain scenes and characters are handled. Sledgehammer subtlety would be elegant by comparison.

For all that, it regains a much needed sense of excitement and momentum, and is probably the best episode of Miracle Day since the series opener.

Episode 5 airs 9pm, Thursday 11th August, BBC1/HD, and our audio commentary will be online immediately afterwards. is now available.

Torchwood Commentary – Miracle Day 4: ‘Escape to L.A.’

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Caleb Woodbridge and P.G. Bell give our commentary on episode 4, Escape to L.A. (check out our spoiler-free review), including Tea Party politics, the ethics of euthanasia, and the possible return of the Slitheen. We also consider Torchwood’s uncertain future, and wonder whether the show can go on without Russell T Davies at the helm.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:32 — 29.1MB)

What did you think of the latest episode of Miracle Day? What did you think of Ellis Hartley Monroe’s  “Dead is Dead” campaign? Who do you think the mysterious Families are? Let us know your thoughts!