In a very real way, time is relative. But in an equally very real way, there are 28 days in February, which means we’ve completed two months of 2021 already. Yes, completed. We may now move onto Level 3, which many call “March”.
Despite being the shortest month, Feb packed in a lot of news. Don’t just take my word for it; in this round-up, we’re looking back at those news items and more. Oh wait, I’m writing this whole thing. I guess you will just have to take my word for it.
News
I told you – didn’t I tell you? There’s quite a bit of news this month. It’s almost as if the Doctor Who world is an ever increasing locomotive with new stuff every single day. Seriously, when you tell people you edit a Doctor Who site, they more often than not consider it a lackadaisical thing because “when’s that back on TV anyway?” Nothing much to report, eh?
The final lockdown rewatch happens tonight (28th February 2021). Or, if you’re reading this in the future, it doesn’t. Or if you’re reading this in the past, congratulations, you’ve conquered the fourth dimension.
Anyway, yes, here come the drums.
The Revolution Will Be Televised
Well, actually it was already televised. You’ll know this if you’re one of the 6.25 million people who watched Revolution of the Daleks on New Year’s Day. Wait, was there a revolution?
And so is the PodKast With A K. Here’s Gareth Kavangh, publisher of Cutaway Comics, discussing Brian Blessed, Kickstarter, and then some, with Christian Cawley.
Rory Williams is coming back! Arthur Darvill chatted to Big Finish about returning as The Lone Centurion in new adventures set during his 2000(ish)-year wait for Amy. I would also wait that long for Karen Gillan. Just putting it out there in case she’s reading this, which we all know is a dead cert.
No, we’re not talking about Karen again. Geez, you lot are obsessed! We’re talking about the Doctor’s other half, River Song. And with Christopher Eccleston coming back as the Doctor, for the first time since 2005, Alex Kingston was asked whether her character will meet our friend in the North.
That’s got nothing to do with this news story; I just thought it worked. But wait! Isn’t it “Seven Ate War” now? Or “Seven Eight War”? Or “Seven Eight War Nine”? Oh heck, look, just enjoy Sylvester McCoy’s thoughts on who might play the Fourteenth Doctor, alright? Clue: it’s not any member of your immediate family. Narrows it down.
Rose Tyler Is Returning to Doctor Who
And by that, I do, of course, mean she’s not.
Bill Potts Is Returning to Doctor Who
And by that, I do, of course, mean she’s not.
Merchandise
You may be locked down, but you can still spend, spend, spend. Yay for decreasing bank balances! Here are a few bits of merchandise you might like to add to your throbbing throngs of memorabilia.
You’ve not got long to grab the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine which includes a free Target novel called The Liberry of Tim. (Or did mine just have a printing error?)
Yay – UNIT is back!
We thought Chris Chibnall had got rid of it for a cheap gag about Brexit. Big Finish saved the day by announcing a new set in which Kate and co. face off against the Ice Warriors. That comes out in November, but pre-order now because it’s sure to be popular and stock is selling out fast. In fact, I hear there’s only 48% remaining.
It’ll Be Lonely This March Too
The Lonely Assassins is released later in March, so we got to enjoy the first trailer for the game, which brings back Larry Nightingale (Blink) and Osgood (UNIT’s snazzy dresser).
Doctor Who Magazine launched a new bookazine series detailing the events of each year. I can’t wait for the 2021 edition. I wonder if it’ll cover the time Doctor Who Magazine launched a new bookazine series detailing the events of each year.
I used to love B*Witched. Anyway, this is a comic about Missy, the Master regenerated into female form and played wonderfully by Michelle Gomez. It’s not a comic about B*Witched. C’est la vie.
*Dances Irishly*.
Alex Kingston’s writing a novel about River Song, called The Ruby’s Curse. Sounds timey-wimey, which should surprise a dearth of folk.
I love time-wimey. Which should surprise a dearth of people.
Sounds better than The Tsuranga Conundrum*. (Fill in the blank yourself.)
*This is what’s known as a “glib remark made for comedic purposes”. Don’t pile on, Jodie fans.
Sexy Artwork of the Month
Yes, it’s the Target novels, with cover art by Anthony Dry. Phwoar. We’ve seen actual copies and they look decidedly frameable. Is that a word? It’s not a word.
Anyway, there are links in the following news items, so if you fancy pre-ordering your copies through Amazon, have a click and you can help support the DWC:
The Pirate Planet, Resurrection of the Daleks, and Revelation of the Daleks
The TV Movie, Dalek, and The Crimson Horror
We get a small percentage of each sale back from Amazon, and that pays for behind-the-scenes costs like hosting fees. Anything you subsequently buy through Amazon via said links also adds to our account, so if you fancy splashing out on that new television while you’re there, don’t be shy.
A Dip Into the DWC Archive
Next month, the DWC is, unbelievably, 5 years old, and that’s without considering this is a successor to the successful Kasterborous site.
As such, we’ve lots of goodies in the archive which you might like to revisit.
For this month’s archive deep-dive, we travel back a year to when Series 12 was just coming to a close and James Baldock decided to evaluate the Thirteenth Doctor era thus far, grounding it in Doctor Who as a wider beast, and in TV as a medium.
The Becoming of Jodie Whittaker
“If anything, the problem is that TV has changed: this is an age where avid rewatching and fervent dissection is not only encouraged but more or less compulsory, one of those hidden clauses in a lengthy list of terms and conditions you supposedly agree to when you become a fan. The past need no longer be another country, viewed through the binoculars of Target novelisations or Blue Peter clips; it is there, at the touch of a button, ready to prove you right and everyone else wrong. Why should history be solely what you remember when the archiving is so good? (And yes, I know there are vast chunks missing, but we won’t go there.)”
Reviews
Back to the here and now.
Slightly fewer reviews published this month, but each a cracker (how modest we are). Don’t worry, in March, we’re reviewing every new Target novel, so you’ll be getting ample in the upcoming weeks.
“By the end, you know you’ve just been treated to a Dalek epic, albeit a sometimes claustrophobic one in deep space, that utilises the mutant race excellently and horribly to be a real individual threat – something so many Dalek stories forget to do.”
“It’s genuinely how Torchwood would probably be discussed by baristas if it were real life rather than a TV show, and builds on one of the franchise’s greatest strengths of being firmly grounded in its Welsh setting and its inhabitants.”
The Diary of River Song: Series 8
“Rachel Burrows, the robotic girl encountered by Professor River Song in Series 2 story Five Twenty-Nine, returns for Series 8 opener Slight Glimpses of Tomorrow and is excellently utilised for dramatic effect in a very different way to her first (and probably spin-off show-defining) debut.
“River left Rachel, played by Alex Kingston’s own daughter Salome Haertel, at the end of their first proper encounter but she has come back to her now to check up on how her lengthy robotic life is treating her and teach her a little about its nature. It’s a story that not only plays on the parent-child dynamic that already exists between the two actors, but is a character study on River disguised as a character study on Rachel.”
Quote of the Month
“The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”
The Eleventh Doctor, Vincent and the Doctor.
Features
Our features this month were themed around alternative futures – that’s right, what ifs! Well, not really, but it’s as good a link as any.
What If Hinchcliffe Had Stayed?
Rick Lundeen mulls over what might have been if Philip Hinchcliffe had stayed on as producer of a fourth season of Doctor Who.
What If We Found The Missing Third Doctor Stories?
Alex Skerratt asks whether there are really missing Third Doctor adventures. He got hassle for a blog post on the Lovarzi site for a related article, so we thought we’d drag Alex in to explain himself in front of a baying crowd. We can smell his fear. It smells of marshmallow. Mmm fear.
What If We Judged Doctor Who Purely On Visuals?
Rick Lundeen is back, this time asking if a story is better just because it’s shot in more stunning vistas.
Was Kamelion a squandered opportunity? Rick looks at the short-lived companion’s tenure and asks whether he could be welcomed back onto the TARDIS.
What Else Is Good, Philip?
Away from Doctor Who, I’ve been watching two great shows: Death in Paradise, which ended on 18th February 2021, and Spooks, which ended on 23rd October 2011.
American fans will know Spooks as MI-5. It’s one of my favourite programmes, and if the BBC could recommission it right now, that’d be appreciated. It may have ended almost a decade ago (it also had a decent film to close it out), but its fandom remains; fingers crossed it picked up more fans while being on BBC iPlayer for the past year. The last I heard, you’ve got until 23rd March 2021 to binge all 10 seasons… or just buy the DVDs. They’re quite difficult to get hold of now, but it’s well worth the effort.
Dare I say, I love Spooks as much as I love Doctor Who.
As for Death in Paradise, that has quite a few fans here at the DWC. The show celebrated its 10th anniversary this year by bringing back some classic characters, including DS Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert).
It’s been a fantastic season, with Ralph Little (Smile) settling in well as lead, DI Neville Parker. Around 8 million people regularly tuned in, so it seems many folk agree!
Wait, Don’t You Have Something To Promote?
Absolutely nothing, no.
Oh, wait, yes.
Only 100 OBJECTS OF DOCTOR WHO.
Yes, it’s written by me, but don’t let that put you off.
There are surprises inside. There are interviews. There are jokes that will make you say, “this is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen.” Fortunately, it’s livened up by the work of several wonderful people like artist, Martin Baines. And my editors, Shaun Russell and Will Rees. They’ve all been superb, and if people like 100 Objects, it’s largely down to them.
I’m giving it a final proof-read this week, and then it’ll be winging its way to the printers.
In fact, I should really get back to it. Geez, you lot. So needy.
