Fazzinchi

Billie Don’t Be a Hero

The BBC has today confirmed that Billie Piper is returning to Doctor Who.  On behalf of Doctor Who fans everywhere, can I just ask… “What in the name of wibbly-wobbley, timey-wimey stuff is going on?”  As you can imagine, the internet dwellers (well, the folks over on the forum formerly known as Outpost Gallifrey at any rate) have gone into meltdown.  And for once, I am really unsure how to take the news.  Over the course of the last three years I have been fairly trusting in the decision (more…)

Doctor Who Retrospective #10 of 10 “Bad Wolf / The Parting Of the Ways”

Okay, it’s weeks late but at last it is here (and incongruously lumped in the middle of the ongoing reviews of Series Three)! This is the final installment of my Series One Retrospective of the new Doctor Who. I had been hoping to rattle all ten of these off during the build up to the new series but time (and idleness) got the better of me. It was the worst kept secret in Doctor Who circles (and pretty poorly kept in general public circles too) that, once the departure of Christopher Eccleston (more…)

What’s That Coming Over The Plinth?

The story started off with what was supposed to be the end of Martha’s travels, although I doubt anyone watching would have thought for a moment that the adventures.  A chance sighting of Martha’s sister, Tish, on the telly with the eponymous Dr Lazarus was enough to tempt the Doctor to hang around for a while and, by the time the day was saved, Martha had been promoted to permanent companion status.  The story also gave us an insight into her family: Dad was (more…)

D’you Wanna Come With Me?

Well, that’s what I call a build-up.  There were (as far as I counted) seven different trailers, a series guest interviews on Richard and Judy, BBC Breakfast, Entertainment Today, The Charlotte Church Show, Graham Norton, Wales Today, This Morning, Newsround and Blue Peter, even more spots on almost every BBC radio station, column inches in the printed media wherever you cared to look and a glittering press launch that wouldn’t have been out of place for a Hollywood (more…)

Doctor Who Retrospective #4 of 10 “Aliens of London”/ “World War Three”

If I were to write a potted history of the re-launched series of Doctor Who, which in a way, I am, I think I would take a moment to consider the impact of the first two-part story “Aliens of London” and “World War Three”. I have to confess that this is one of my least favourite stories of the whole re-invented series. The reasons are not for any one significant reason, rather it is a series of little peculiarities that irritates me. However, let’s start with the positive stuff. The initial (more…)

Doctor Who Retrospective “Rose”

The 26th March, 2005 is a date that will live long and be remembered by Doctor Who fans across the globe because this is when the series re-launched itself at 7pm on BBC1.  Following 16 years in the television wilderness (save for 90 minutes of the TV movie, which some may argue was all part of that “wilderness” as well), the return was an astonishing success.  The concept of family viewing had long since been consigned to the bottom of the BBC filing cabinet labelled “In The Old (more…)