Lively Doctor Who podcast commentaries, plus reviews and discussions of science fiction and fantasy in books, TV, films and more!

Television Review – My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

By

Posted on

We were a little surprised when Olivia Cottrell first asked to write a review of the new My Little Pony series. After all, she’s not exactly the girly-girl type. But then, from the sound of it, neither is the series… 

When you hear ‘My Little Pony’, what springs to mind? Chances are you’ll think of the pastel, plastic doe-eyed monstrosities that were advertised with an equally vapid cartoon- strictly the territory of little girls, and not particularly discerning ones at that. However, if you’ve spent a little time on the Internet recently, you might have noticed the growing popularity of a modern version of the cartoon. Entitled My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, this new series has enchanted a new demographic of 18-35 year old males (among others) and consequently taken the Internet by storm. Fan art, fan fiction and pony-dedicated websites abound in every corner of the web. So what has made this show so popular? Has the Internet finally gone mad? And what on earth is a Sonic Rainboom?

Continue reading →

Doctor Who Commentary – 6.08 ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’

By , , and

Posted on

It’s here! Our first commentary of the new (half) series.

And what an episode it was – shock regenerations, miniature people, shape shifting robots, killer squid things, young Amelia and, of course, Adolf Hitler. Plenty to like, plenty to disagree about, so click below to find out what we all thought.

This edition’s commentators: Swithun, Peter, Gwen and Anna.

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:47 — 52.9MB)

Was this episode worth the wait? And were you playing Moffat Bingo with the rest of us? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and on our Facebook page!

Doctor Who Review – 6.08: ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’

By

Posted on

James Willetts. Doctor Who. Review. Need we say more?

There’s something wonderful about Nazis. Not in a weird way – I’m not one of those people. But if you want someone who can exist as simply a villain, with no qualms, morality or care for their welfare, Nazis are brilliant. Always have been. Forget Islamic terrorists, the Soviets or whatever super villain society you can conjure up; if you want an unquestionably evil bad guy, you have to go with Nazis*.

And Hitler, now Hitler is just a whole other level. If Nazis are bad, then the chief Nazi must be so much worse.

Continue reading →

Doctor Who – ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ – Q&A with Steven Moffat

By

Posted on

Photo by Dave Parsons

Doctor Who is back! Our full-length commentary will be online later this week but, to tide you over, here’s something a little bit special. WARNING: contains some spoilers about a returning monster!

Our very own Caleb Woodbridge had the chance to question Steven Moffat, Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan at the recent preview screening for ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’, held at the British Film Institute in London. Find out how the showrunner keeps his stories straight, his approach to the mythology of the Doctor and, most importantly, why they really keep killing Rory.

The secrets of the universe lie within this podcast.* Can you afford to live without it?

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:33 — 29.8MB)

*As long as you consider Karen Gillan’s favourite outfit of the series one of the secrets of the universe.

Doctor Who – Moffat Bingo – Play Along At Home!

By

Posted on

What better way of celebrating the return of Doctor Who this weekend than by saluting our Ming-Mong-In-Chief? How, we hear you ask? Why, by downloading these exclusive Moffat Bingo cards of course!

Moffat Bingo couldn’t be easier to play. Simply print out the cards below (there are three different arrangements in total) then sit down with a pen, a friend (you do have one of those, right?) and the latest episode of Doctor Who. Then cross off each trope as and when it appears in the story. Easy! The first person to complete a line of five squares wins. See if you can get a full house (crossing off every square on the card) over the course of the series.

Our thanks go to podcast listeners Kevin Greenan, Fiona James and Jon Rook who suggested suitable Moffatisms over at our Facebook page, and to Anna Bell for her help in designing the finished cards.

Check back after tonight’s broadcast for some insights from the man himself, as we bring you highlights from the recent ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ preview Q&A, with Steven Moffat, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.

Torchwood Discussion – Miracle Day 7, ‘Immortal Sins’

By and

Posted on

No time for a full commentary this week, sorry, but Gwen Williams and P.G. Bell go tête á tête over the details of ‘Immortal Sins’, the latest episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day.

In addition to discussing whether this marks a turning point for the series, we find time to talk about Catholocism, homosexuality, armed police response units, the upward trend of John Barrowman’s acting (no, really) and velociraptors. What more could you ask for? (Apologies for any slight discrepancies in the sound quality of this week’s podcast – we experienced a few technical difficulties that we’ve done our best to remedy in the editing process).

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:30 — 21.5MB)

Looking forward to the return of Doctor Who? Don’t forget to join us for Moffat Bingo, which will be available here on the blog on Saturday. Plus, stay tuned for a word from the man himself, recorded at the recent Q&A session at the British Film Institute!