Points of Who #4: Jenna-Louise Coleman, Doctor Who Convention, Top of the Pods

By Sarah Burrow, Swithun Dobson, P G Bell and Caleb Woodbridge

Posted on March 31, 2012

Your Impossible Podcasts team in Eddie’s Diner

Welcome back to Points of Who, our monthly roundup of news, views and general waffle.

And what a month it’s been! The Doctor’s new companion for Series 7 was confirmed, in the form of the lovely Jenna-Louise Coleman. We discuss her casting and float a tantalising (if unlikely) theory about the sort of character Steven Moffat might have in mind for her.

Then there was the official BBC Doctor Who convention right here in Cardiff and we’ve got a report from the front lines. Sort of. We did at least meet with the fine folk of the Who’s He, Ubuntu UK and Doctor Who podcasts, and recorded some of the results. And, for your continued listening pleasure, we give you a quick roundup of some of our favourite geek-friendly podcasts. (See the links below to visit their sites).

All this, plus your feedback and a look ahead to some of our forthcoming podcasts. So what are you waiting for? Click below and give us a listen!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:11 — 32.2MB)

Links to other podcasts…

Doctor Who Commentary – 5.02 ‘The Beast Below’

By Caleb Woodbridge, Swithun Dobson, Sarah Burrow and P G Bell

Posted on March 16, 2012

Caleb Woodbridge, Swithun Dobson, Sarah Burrow and P. G. Bell return to The Beast Below, the second episode of the Smith/Moffat era!

Join us as we discuss Star Wars references, political allegory, sparkly space whales, Paragon versus Renegade actions, and whether the Doctor is pro- or anti-monarchy! But watching the episode again, will the team choose to Protest or Forget?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:55 — 53.1MB)

What did you think of The Beast Below? Should the Doctor have brought down the British monarchy? Did you care about the plight of the space whale? And just what had happened to the Welsh on Starship Britain?!

Sylvester McCoy Q&A – SFX Weekender 2012

By P G Bell

Posted on March 10, 2012

“They went and cast a 12 year old as the Doctor…”

It’s time for some words of wisdom from the Seventh Doctor himself, Sylvester McCoy – recorded live at last February’s SFX Weekender. Sylvester was on typically lively form, swapping the safety of the stage for a roving microphone and getting up close and personal with his public.

And what a show he gave us. Not content with revealing a few secrets of his time in the TARDIS, he explained the origins of his stage name (be warned: it involves a rather naughty joke), why he used to set fire to his own head for money and what he really thinks of Matt Smith’s performance as the Doctor. Even more excitingly, he revealed how he won the role of Rrrrrrrrradagast the Brrrrrrrown in Peter Jackson’s forthcoming Hobbit movies. This one’s not to be missed!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:02 — 48.6MB)

What was Sylvester’s greatest Doctor Who moment? Head to our Facebook page and have your say!

Trials & Triumphs – A Review of the SFX Weekender 3 Event

By P G Bell, Caleb Woodbridge and Sarah Burrow

Posted on February 12, 2012

The dust has settled, the hangovers faded and the cosplay has been packed away for another year. But was this year’s SFX Weekender – one of Britain’s biggest sci-fi and fantasy conventions – worth the trip?

It’s safe to say that not everything went according to plan, but did the stellar guest list make up for the freezing temperatures and interminable queues? P.G. Bell shares the high and low points with Caleb Woodbridge and Sarah Burrow. PLUS! a report on the inaugural cosplay competition and interviews with a few of the participants. Click on the jump below to find photos of some of the people we spoke to, but head on over to our Facebook page to see a complete gallery of the weekend’s events!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:15 — 41.4MB)

(right click and “Save Target/Link As…”)

P.S. The excellent ‘Transdimensional Mix’ of the Doctor Who theme music comes courtesy of HardWire.

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Points of Who #3: Doctor Who, Sherlock, The Hunger Games

By Caleb Woodbridge, Swithun Dobson and Sarah Burrow

Posted on February 5, 2012

In the third episode of Points of Who, we take a wide-ranging discussion of the latest news about Doctor Who and the wider worlds of science fiction and fantasy:

Caleb and Swithun discuss:

(from 1 min) The recovery of missing episodes of Doctor Who from Galaxy 4 and The Underwater Menace: celebration or disappointment?
(from 19 min) How should the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who be marked by the BBC, by fans, and by us as a podcast?

Sarah and Caleb discuss:

(from 29 min) The Sherlock finale, The Reichenbach Fall, including just how did Sherlock survive that fall?
(from 39 min) The Hunger Games trailer – how will the film compare to the book?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:41 — 23.7MB)

Video Game Review – ‘Doctor Who: Worlds in Time’

By Olivia Cottrell

Posted on February 2, 2012

For such a diverse show, Doctor Who has always stuggled when it comes to video games. Could Worlds in Time be the one to buck the trend? Olivia Cottrell takes her virtual TARDIS for a spin…

Pity the Doctor Who fan who also happens to be a video game geek. While the Doctor might initially seem a perfect fit for the video game world – his universe of strange aliens, dramatic stories and quirky characters is already one with a touch of the virtual about it – the franchise’s attempts to cross into video games have so far been decidedly lacklustre. While perfectly decent for free titles, a clunky control system and broken AI meant that the recent range of downloadable 3D Adventure Games were frequently frustrating experiences. As someone who considers herself both a video games nerd (I’ve spent too many hours shouting at dragons over the past month to successfully argue otherwise) and a Doctor Who fan, I was ready for something more satisfying.