**WARNING: This post contains spoilers! **

My thoughts & views on Series 11;

The Woman Who Fell to Earth.

This was a regeneration story with a difference, for the first time it didn't center completely around The Doctor, this episode was told more from the companions point of view and she was (literally) dropped right in the middle of it all. This was a very cinematic episode with huge blockbuster-style action set pieces, great monsters and with plenty of laughs thrown in. I don't know how The Doctor was able to build herself a new sonic screwdriver & a transporter using parts from a car garage, but they were fun scene's. I have to applaud Jodie Whittaker though, since being announced she's received so many nasty comment's/trolling online, which would have added to the pressure. But she was brilliant and stole every scene, she has the same manic-style that David Tennant brought to the character. I hope this has silenced her critics once and for all.

The Ghost Monument.

There was no break for The Doctor & her new companions, they jumped straight from Sheffield's frying pan and into Desolation's fire. Featuring an intergalactic space race, a search for the TARDIS and brand new villain's, little bit's of rag have never looked more scary! The character's of Epzo, Angstrom & Ilin were all well written, I especially liked Art Malik's performance playing this rich, slightly arrogant man who makes people go through hell in order to win. The new TARDIS interior is a treat for the eye's, reminiscent of the Eccleston/Tennant era's, with it's darker more industrial look. I'm loving the production values on this series, each story is a self-contained mini movie, but the cliffhanger's still remain and you can't wait to see what happens next. A strong start.

Rosa.

Harking back to the historical early Hartnell episodes, combined with a scenario straight out of Quantum Leap. For a family show, Doctor Who has dealt with many difficult issues on screen and this wasn't the first time that racism has appeared, in Series 10 Bill encountered it in a Victorian-set episode. But this was a brutal, non-watered down portrayal and for Yaz & Ryan, you got the sense that they were constantly in threat of danger, but from humans this time, not aliens. Some incredible writing & acting from all involved and a story which showed how far we've come. The only let-down for me was the villain Krasko, the character has potential but was pretty forgettable in this, if he does return make him more central to the plot. Rosa is probably one of the most powerful & important Doctor Who stories in a long time.

Arachnids in the UK.

A more straightforward story for this one, but that didn't make the arachnids any less terrifying, resulting in a cross between The Green Death and Planet of the Spiders. It's a shame that there wasn't a reference to neither! Chris Noth's character was a deliberate parody of Donald Trump which I found funny and you could see the other cast members were having a lot of fun shooting this. The ending was too rushed though, after killing the Queen what happened to those spiders in the panic room and the one locked in that Sheffield flat. But the standout moments were those quiet scene's back at the house with Graham, whose still grieving & imagining conversations with Grace (Sharon D Clarke), great acting from Bradley Walsh who just keeps getting better. Jodie's Doctor was in full comedy mode throughout, she started to really hit her stride with this and the previous episode.

The Tsuranga Conundrum.

This mid-season adventure was more slower-paced, concentrating more on character backstory/morals rather than sci-fi action. The companions continue to take more of a central role, we still know more about them, rather than the Thirteenth Doctor at this point. My first reactions to the Pting were mixed, I didn't expect it to be so small & cute looking, like you could just pick it up and throw it off the ship. But I did start to like him by the end, I don't think we've seen the last of that little blighter. This episode sparked something of a debate amongst fans & the press who complained that the show is becoming to politically correct, this has cropped up ever since Whittaker was first announced. But if it doesn't deliberately get in the way of the storylines, then I personally don't have a problem. It's always great to see the show doing something new & exciting, it's why Doctor Who has lasted this long.

Demons of the Punjab.

A touching story which covered some more controversial topics. This put Yaz more centre-stage, I'd say she's the best out of the three companions and Mandip Gill is a great actress. It's as if Chibnall has started to realise this and has wanted to use her more, The Doctor & Yaz have started to make a great double act, which has become more evident in the last three episodes. I laughed at the Doctor's "I never did this when I was a man" line and the twist showing that the Thijarians were actually bad aliens turned good was nice. In terms of production values/cinematography this series has been in a league of it's own, with it's sweeping shots and real on-location scenes. The DW team have pulled out all the stops, to ensure the viewers are seeing the best that they can offer.

Kerblam!

This was a nice return to the New Who episodes of old, it was funnier & entertaining more in keeping with the David Tennant era again. Writer Pete McTighe went for a safer "tried & trusted" plot for this one but that's no bad thing, with scary robots, slapstick sequences and a nice dig at Amazon too. The Kerblam Men are the closest thing to Cybermen that we're going to get this series, they were quite chilling with their smiling faces and happy voices. I liked the nod's to previous incarnations, saying that the Eleventh Doctor ordered a fez through Kerblam! at one point and it's good to see Venusian Aikido making a comeback too. Julie Hesmondhalgh put in a great guest appearance and with a fun cameo from Lee Mack, although it's a shame his character and Kira didn't get happier endings. It was a good send-up of the reported slave-like conditions you get at these kind of companies and the way that technology is taking over those jobs. One of this season's best stories.

The Witchfinders.

It was a nice choice, setting this one in Pendle Hill during the witch trials and it gave us some good old-fashioned scares. It had a wonderful supporting cast too, standout's were Siobhan Finneran (Becca), Tilly Steele (Willa) and Alan Cumming was hilariously over the top as King James I. I laughed at the moment where The Doctor was accused of being a witch and then argues that if she was still "a man", then this wouldn't happen and she'd be left to just carry on with "my job". The Morax didn't have enough screen time to make a big impact and that's been a problem with the new villains this season. The story ends just as your getting to know them, bring back the two-parters and flesh the character's out more. It's a pity this episode has taken so long to be made, the main plot could have been done brilliantly in the seventies with Jon Pertwee.

It Takes You Away.

This started off as a straight-forward "Monster in the Woods" story, I was expecting to see giant alien creature's attacking a Norwegian cabin. But instead it went in a completely different direction and we ended up with antizones, killer moths & a talking frog. Jodie Whittaker has settled in comfortably to The Doctor role now, she was brilliant throughout and funny too. Bradley Walsh delivered probably his best performance yet as Graham, during his scene's with Grace and it was good to see Ryan getting more screen-time. Hanne (Ellie Wallwork) was portrayed brilliantly, she worked well with the companions and would have made a nice new addition to the TARDIS crew. I loved Ribbons (Kevin Eldon) shame he was killed off, the only character I didn't feel much sympathy for was Erik (Christian Rubeck), it's difficult for viewers to root for him after he selfishly abandoned his only daughter in Norway. A decent penultimate episode with a very atmospheric setting.

The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos.

Try saying that title when you're drunk. This wasn't your typical big season finale, it was a more low-key one off episode with no cliffhanger for the new year special. I was glad to see Tzim-Sha again, he was the only real stand-out new villain/monster this series and I'm glad they gave the character more of a chance to develop. Also, I hope that Paltraki (Mark Addy), Andinio (Phyllis Logan) & Delph (Percelle Ascott) return too, the Ux are an alien race that could be explored more in future episodes. There was a nice scene where an angry Doctor warns Graham that if he kill's Tzim-Sha, she will not allow him to travel in the TARDIS again. These intense moment's have been largely absent from this era so far, a hyper/energetic Thirteenth Doctor is great, but Jodie's even better when she's being darker. If they show more of this serious side next time, then Series 12 should be a good one.

Verdict.

So, did the most hotly anticipated DW season since Series 1 (2005) live up to expectations?, Did Jodie Whittaker's performance win over audiences?, and did Chris Chibnall do good as the new head writer? For me personally, the answer to all these question's is YES! I felt the second-half was better than the first, but overall it was an enjoyable, great looking series, with a strong main cast. Jodie Whittaker is The Doctor whether you like it or not....and I like it.

However, I will say that Series 11 has been a gamble that's (only just) paid off with the fans. Chibnall's experiments have divided opinion, he hasn't completely won everybody over yet and the ratings have fallen too. But we will have to wait until 2020 to see what he come's up with next.

WARNING: Contains Spoilers!

My personal thoughts & views on Series 10.

The Pilot.

I haven't been this excited for a DW series since 2010, sometimes a hiatus is a good thing for a show, you look forward to it more when it returns and the programme-makers have longer to come up with something great. Pearl Mackie is terrific as Bill Potts, she's funny, smart and her youthful energy is the perfect contrast to the Twelfth Doctor, also Matt Lucas is hilarious as Nardole. The idea of a monster living in a puddle is so simple & brilliant, that I'm surprised it hasn't been done before and I'm sure kids are going to be scared to take a shower after watching this. I'd say it's one of the best season openers Steven Moffat has written.

Smile.

I loved this fun story which had amazing locations, the scenes involving the swarm eating humans alive and then finding out that their bones had been ground up for fertliser, were quite shocking (for 7:20pm). This had a similar plot to the Sylvester McCoy serial The Happiness Patrol (1988), which involved a city whose inhabitants had to be happy, unless they died. I love how Capaldi's Doctor has evolved from being dour/moody in his first season to being more happier & fun now, he has really grown into the part. Those emoji robots were cool & well designed, but I think they were more of a merchandise ploy, I can already see the toys and radio-controlled versions of them to buy.

Thin Ice.

A giant sea monster trapped beneath the Thames, that's killing people in Victorian London and only The Doctor & Bill can save them. It's a plot-line that is quintessential Doctor Who! There's something brilliant about episodes set in the 1800's which works somehow, maybe it's the simple idea of having Sci-fi elements set in historical settings, which the show has been doing since 1963.

For Bill, this episode was where the fun ended & the serious business began, with her facing up against Death, Murder, Slavery and Racially-motivated insults. A great performance from Mackie, which confirms that she was the right choice for playing her.

Knock Knock.

A chilling Horror tale, guaranteed to get those younger viewers hiding behind the sofa yet again. You know those scary moments during the middle of the night when you hear the odd creak or bang in your house, well this episode centred around that and there were some genuinely frightening moments.

David Suchet is always brilliant in any role, he must now be up there as one of the best guest stars in DW history and certainly one of the best original villains since the show's revival! Also it's nice to know something new about The Doctor, I like chinese food too.

Oxygen.

From Alien Insects to Space Zombies! Great to see Nardole getting more fleshed out, also it's refreshing to see a male non-human companion in the TARDIS who (it seems) has the technical skills to match. There was a display of true heroism from The Doctor here who risks his life (and eyesight) to save Bill, a girl he's only known for a short time. At times it felt like one of those old studio-set episodes from the Classic era, with the characters running down a multitude of corridors which all looked the same, the set design/costumes etc. were stylishly done though and the whole episode looked great. That twist at the end was something I didn't see coming, even with a season full of one-parters, they can still pull off an amazing cliffhanger!

Extremis.

A complex story which had Steven Moffat written all over it, I think this pushed the concept of "timey-wimey" to the full. Making The Doctor blind has turned out to be a stroke of genius, Capaldi had some great lines in this. Finding out that it's Missy inside the vault wasn't surprising, I had suspected it a few weeks before. Michelle Gomez just gets better & better and we finally found out the reason why Nardole became a companion and his purpose for being there. I loved the Matrix-style twist involving "Veritas", also The Monks had a brilliant scary look to them, a strong mid-season story which ramped up the action.

The Pyramid at the End of the World.

A nice follow-on from the previous episode, which marks the first two-parter of the season. The Monks show The Doctor a vision of the terrible fate of Earth and the only way to save it is by handing the planet over to them. What would you do in that situation?

We later find out that it's not war/invasion that will destroy Earth, but a simple mistake. This story was all about "What if?", e.g - What if Erica hadn't have smashed her reading glasses?, she would have spotted the error her hungover colleague made at the lab. Brilliant performances by the cast and the sight of Tony Gardner (Brian from My Parents are Aliens) melting to death was a good way of destroying my childhood memories.

The Lie of the Land.

I was getting flashbacks to The Sound of Drums (2007) whilst watching this, it had that same feel and look to it. The regeneration stunt was both great & slightly annoying, they did it better back in Series 4 with David Tennant nine years ago, Classic Who never had to resort to those tactics to pull in the viewers. I suppose it was just a way of warming us up for Capaldi's inevitable exit.

I liked the idea of The Doctor asking Missy for help as a last resort, because even though The Master has been defeated countless times, it's been hinted at that he/she has a greater mind than The Doctor's. It was an interesting scene to watch and the best bit in the episode, but I'd love to know how Missy knew about "Love Island" when she's been locked in that vault for so long!

Empress of Mars.

This had all the hallmarks of a classic Who story and as usual a quality script from Mark Gatiss, which wouldn't have looked out of place in any era. A brilliant way of introducing the Ice Warriors to a new generation whilst also pleasing the old, whereas other villains appearances have changed, their design has always remained generally the same and it still looks effective. Loved the Ice Queen's look!

The Victorian Soldiers had all those funny cliches (the Posh accents, the Moustache's, Tea Drinking, saying "I Say"), they could of easily been one-dimensional characters but Gatiss made them so much more than that. Also it was nice to see the Alpha Centauri cameo at the end and still being voiced by the same actress. A real treat for the Classic fans!

The Eaters of Light.

The previous week we had Victorians vs. Aliens & now it's Romans vs. Aliens! Returning writer Rona Munro (Survival) did a grand job with this one, based on true events. There were some great locations, full of atmosphere and the whole thing overall was well-photographed.

Some people moaned about the historical inaccuracies, but if it doesn't interfere too much with the plot then that's fine and you can always bend the truth when it's Sci-Fi. I liked that the episode was a self-contained story, it was only until Missy appeared at the end when it went back into Series mode. There's nothing wrong with arc-driven seasons, but it's nice to have one-off adventures which aren't bogged down with everything else, Series 10 has been a good balance between the two. I'll never look at a Crow in the same way again!

World Enough and Time.

The Mondasian Cybermen make their long-awaited & much hyped return, that iconic design still works 50 years on. It replicated those old-fashioned scares that we used to get in all those classic BBC sci-fi/fantasy shows. The Doctor has made one of his biggest mistakes, all because he let his ego & confidence get the better of him.

As for the ending, I wish the show hadn't revealed that John Simm was returning, just imagine how incredible it would have been otherwise. As a result, I knew it was him in disguise from the moment he appeared, THAT spoiler ruined one hell of a reveal! However it was still great to see Simm back on our screens, hopefully this will silence his critics and make them realise that he is (and always was) a perfectly good Master.

The Doctor Falls.

So we have Two Masters for the price of one and they make quite a double-act, most of the comedy stemmed from their banter. I like to think that The Master has survived Missy's attack and cheated death again, after all he knows himself better than anybody else. Maybe he can now change his own timeline, in order to save Missy (and himself) from her fate.

It was a great sight seeing both Classic & Modern Cybermen marching alongside each other, they looked very imposing on-screen. Bill & Nardole's exits were actually well-written and they went out on a high, I wish they wouldn't keep killing the modern companions though, why can't they just get dropped off somewhere.

I for one was very happy to see David Bradley as William Hartnell again, the Christmas special is going to be very interesting. They might stick with the Mondas theme and we could have a Tenth Planet-style adventure with the Twelfth & First Doctors.

Verdict.

As you can tell from the above reviews, I have really enjoyed this series and the Capaldi era has got better & better with each passing year. Peter has given some of his best performances as The Doctor in Series 10 and his incarnation has now hit it's stride, so it's sad to know that he won't be back next year. Also Steven Moffat has saved his best till last, giving us a strong season to bow out on. The show is currently on top form!

It's just a shame that Colin never got a proper send-off, the BBC fired him and then wanted him to come back for one story just to regenerate. You can understand why he refused!

"SPOILER ALERT"

If you're a Whovian, then you probably already know this! Last year Big Finish Productions released a special box-set of audio dramas called Doctor Who: The Last Adventure, it may have took nearly 30 years, but Colin Baker finally got his regeneration scene and it gives The Sixth Doctor a fitting send-off.

https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-sixth-doctor---the-last-adventure-1212

The other day I came across this brilliant video from YouTuber Imagine that no door, they created a superb animation sequence to go with the above mentioned regeneration. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC0CaqPUILM

This has been a turbulent year for DW, the ratings have fallen, some critics have mauled it and Jenna Coleman announced her departure. For the first time since the late 80's, is DW in trouble?

It kicked off with The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar a Davros origins story (kind of), which had all the blockbusting action you'd expect from a series opener. Some critics said that this was steeped too much in Who-folklore and was for the die-hard fans only. But with 50 years worth of back-story, it's now hard for any writer to do a Davros/Dalek adventure without including it. Julian Bleach was the scene-stealer here, he's a terrific Davros and this story managed to make him scary again, I hope he comes back very soon. I loved the atmospheric & scary Under the Lake/Before the Flood, the ghost's make-up was great and I enjoyed seeing the Twelfth Doctor's guitar skills again. Like we've seen with similar stories (Waters of Mars, Cold War etc.) the claustrophobic setting just made it better and the fine supporting cast gave it 100%. One that I really liked was the deaf character Cass (Sophie Stone, who is also deaf herself), it was good that there was no big issue made of her and Cass just fitted in like everybody else, Sophie's performance was brilliant and I enjoyed watching every scene with her!

The Girl Who Died/The Woman Who Lived started off with a "Vikings vs. Robots" story, with The Doctor helping a small band of warriors defend their village Magnificent Seven-style. The latter was set centuries later and involved a Highwayman called "The Knightmare" (hmm....sounds familiar), I hope Tim Child got his cheque in the post! Maisie Williams was brilliant throughout, in franchises like Highlander we see the darkside of being Immortal and Part 2 certainly kept up that tradition and it was conveyed very well on-screen. Also a nice cameo from Rufus Hound as Sam Swift the Quick, I enjoyed his gallows scene.

The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion saw the return of U.N.I.T which is always a good thing, it's always nice to see these military Earth-based adventures replicating the Pertwee era and now every season has a token U.N.I.T story, long may it continue! The Doctor's big speech at the end was quite moving, Peter Capaldi & Jenna Coleman both proved what great actor's they are, Ingrid Oliver was good as Osgood, did anyone else notice her Seventh Doctor jumper? Mark Gatiss made DW history with Sleep No More, the "first-person" camera shots gave it a Cloverfield/Blair Witch feel and (to my knowledge) it was the first episode to not have the title sequence, the credits should have been cut too, it would have kept the illusion up. The always brilliant Reece Shearsmith with his trademark dark humour was a great addition to this story, the final scene where his face slowly disintegrates was one of this seasons best special effects. Also the sets looked like they'd come straight out of an Alien movie, which gave us loads of corridor scenes, where would Doctor Who be without it's corridor scenes!

The odd Face the Raven saw "Flatline's" Rigsy & the return of Me (Maisie Williams), which showed her running a monster rehab sanctuary of sorts. The idea of masking the monster's appearance to make them look human, was a neat way of saving money/time for the show's make-up department, the Diagon Alley-a-like film set looked nice too. The nightmare world created in Heaven Sent was very well realised, a lot like the Matrix scenes in "The Deadly Assasin", this was The Doctor at his most vulnerable. It had a lot of twists that I didn't see coming and I take my hat off to Peter Capaldi for carrying off this solo-adventure in style.......and as for that cliffhanger, well what can I say. EPIC!!

Gallifrey has RETURNED and The Doctor is BACK in Hell Bent, the Timelords of old are gone and have become egotistical/power-mad dictator's (well Rassilon has anyway). It looked ahead to the future as much as it did the past, with new plot-lines & situations created for later episodes to explore. I was pleased to see the old TARDIS console again, I think it was re-used from the biopic "An Adventure in Time and Space" from 2013. I for one am glad that Clara didn't die after all, her death in FTR will eventually happen when she returns to Gallifrey, but I'm sure Steven Moffat will come up with a solution. I predict a "Clara & Me" spin-off series for Big Finish coming soon!

No, I don't think the show's in trouble yet, but it's always in danger of becoming so. The BBC has moved this series up & down the schedules like a yo-yo, a 7pm slot is all it needs, I feel that the corporation doesn't always give the show the respect it deserves. Not all the fans will have liked this series, but I did!

The second half of Season 2 was very good, the show has started to take on it's own identity and had stopped living in the shadow of it's predecessor Merlin. The acting & characters had all improved in S2 especially Hercules, you really felt for him when he lost Medusa. Sarah Parish (Pasiphae) was an excellent villain and I always loved any scene with her. If the show isn't returning, then the BBC should have got the cast back to film a proper ending and not left it on a big cliffhanger.

If you're having withdrawal symptoms, then I recommend a similar Fantasy/Mythology series called Olympus (Wednesday's 10pm on Spike). It's like a cross between "Game of Thrones" and the "300" movies, it's worth checking out!

It's been reported that Atlantis has been axed due to falling viewing figures, BBC1 unusually stopped showing it last December midway through the current season. I'm not happy with their decision to cancel it, you've got millions of viewers who like & enjoy watching the show, but it's a small panel of TV bosses who have the final say. I've never understood that!

Every show has ratings problems, even Doctor Who has suffered recently, TV channels should allow their shows to develop and find their feet. Atlantis could continue in Novels, Comic Strips, Audio (Big Finish), Video Games etc. like so many other shows. According to press reports, the remaining 7 episodes from series two will be shown in the spring. What are your thoughts?

My personal thoughts/musings etc. on Series 8.

Deep Breath.

Like most regeneration stories, this one was set on Earth, but in Victorian London this time. I wish we could have seen more of the T-Rex, all it did was stomp around the Thames looking lost, but it's death was quite horrific and showed off the darker/grittier direction that the show is going in. Also the public didn't look scared enough to me, considering a carnivorous dinosaur had just appeared out of nowhere.

Peter Capaldi was perfectly manic as the newly regenerated Doctor and those moments gave us some interesting scenes. The Twelfth Doctor is Older, Darker, more Complex and it's a welcome change after the Youthful/Energetic antics of Docs 10 & 11. Jenna Coleman seemed to get more screen time than Peter in this episode, her acting was excellent and showed that Clara Oswald is one of the greatest NuWho companions. An unusual introduction to Series 8, but still very entertaining.

Into the Dalek.

A cross between the movies Fantastic Voyage (1966), Innerspace (1987) and 2005's "Dalek". The basic plot remained the same, an imprisoned Dalek escaping, going on a killing spree and learning to be good etc. But the episode was still fresh & original, adding another layer to the Daleks that we hadn't seen before. The Twelfth Doctor showed a lack of compassion when people died, he even made a joke about a character who got killed in a previous scene. I'm liking this new darker edge though, Peter Capaldi plays it perfectly whilst still maintaining all of the old traits that make up the Doctor. It harkens back to the Sylvester McCoy era.

Robot of Sherwood.

A fun episode, full of rollicking adventure, perfect for a saturday night! The episode looked like it could have been written for David Tennant and wouldn't have looked out of place in Series 2 (2006). The Errol Flyn-like Robin Hood & his Merry Men were deliberately cliche'd, with plenty of swashbuckling and no tights. I liked Ben Miller's Sheriff of Nottingham too, with his beard, he bore a slight resemblance to Anthony Ainley (The Master).

Listen.

Back to classic "hide behind the sofa" DW, made better by the fact you never saw the monster. A generation of kids developed a fear of statues thanks to "Blink", this episode will make them scared of anything they now hear at night. One thing that DW has always done is terrify viewers and this has kept up the tradition nicely. It was also good to see John Hurt again, hope they bring him back some time soon!

Time Heist.

The Doctor has done many things in his lifetime, but bank-robbing is a new one, this story should have been called "Oceans Twelfth". lol Keeley Hawes played a great part, the twist involving The Teller was well done and The Architect's video reminded me of the "Saw" films. Seeing all the different forms of intergalactic people in the bank, gave it a "Star Wars" feel too. An enjoyable episode.

The Caretaker.

This story focused more on Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson), who I'm liking more with each episode. He's a damaged character, who's haunted by events/actions from his past, something which The Doctor can relate to. Both of them should get on straight away, but instead they don't.

The Skovox Blitzer was supposed to be this deadly killing machine, but the animatronic model didn't quite live up to that. I found it funny more than anything, but that could have been intentional. It caused a lot of damage and I'd love to know how the school are going to pay for it. The show never seems to explore that side of things!

Kill the Moon.

With the previous week's episode having a CBBC feel, it was business as usual this time. A typical plot involving monsters & the end of the world, throw in some monster Arachnids (a'la Planet of the Spiders) and you can't go wrong! It did bring up some interesting scenes though, like seeing the Doctor test his companions, by leaving them in danger. That's not something that the 11th would have done, up until now the fans have been comparing the 12th with his predecessor, but that scene showed them that he's a different character altogether. In the words of Colin Baker, he's The Doctor now "whether you like it or not!".

Mummy on the Orient Express.

A nice/stylish production, with a convincing Mummy (great work from the Make-Up department) and there were some nice moments, like the Jelly Babies in the cigarello box. Loved the guest stars too, such as Foxes singing "Don't Stop Me Now" and Frank Skinner playing.....himself. It was a delightful little cameo, but I doubt he'll win any BAFTA's for it! lol

Also a special mention must go to Peter & Jenna, who have brought so much to the show so far.

Flatline.

Clara the companion, became Clara the hero and did a pretty good job of it. I enjoyed the moments of comic relief and the visual gags involving the shrinking TARDIS, especially when The Doctor was trying to get off the railway line. The whole episode looked like a Banksy art exhibition, with many inventive death scenes and the CGI monsters themselves were visually stunning.

For me, this and "Listen" were among the best of this season. If they can keep on churning out quality stories like them, then the show is in good hands.

In the Forest of the Night.

The effect used to create London being covered in trees was well achieved and the close-ups were probably shot in a forest somewhere in Cardiff. But there's nothing wrong with that, after 9 years Whovians have realised that Wales can double up for literally anything! It was a different kind of alien invasion with real threats (Tigers, Wolves etc.) and normal human characters. Nice to see more of Danny Pink in action, I'd love to see him get more of a central role. Another winning episode!

Dark Water.

After popping up throughout the series, it was time for Missy (The female Master) to take centre stage........hang on a minute!!!! It's typical of Steven Moffat to throw a spanner in the works like that.

Michelle Gomez is a terrific Master, but I'm sad that John Simm's reign has been cut off so abruptly, without so much as a regeneration scene. Where did he go after "The End of Time"?

The idea that you're still conscious after you've died is quite disturbing, so much so that it caused viewers to complain. You won't find better publicity than that! lol

Death in Heaven.

Steven Moffatt went down the "tried & tested" route with this finale, by bringing back old enemies. But this wasn't your usual Cybermen invasion story, the sight of them rising from their graves & flying with jet-packs was awesome. There was many great character moments too, like The Doctor furiously banging his fists on the TARDIS controls when he hadn't found Gallifrey, Danny Pink's final moments were very sad and it was nice to see a homage to The Brigadier. Is it the end for Clara Oswald though?, if so then she's gone out on a high note.

For me, this season has been a triumphant one and a great start for Peter Capaldi's Doctor. Also the decision to not split it into two mini-series (like S6 & 7) was a good one, I don't like mid-season breaks and having to wait months for new episodes. So having it in full was a bonus, I'm looking forward to seeing what they have in store for next year.

I really enjoyed this series, after a slow start it gathered momentum and was dark at times. The show had great production values, with special effects to match and the cast clearly had a lot of fun making it. Hercules (Mark Addy) started out as a drunken/clumsy oaf, but when the Medusa storyline kicked in he got much better as a character. The rest of the cast did an admirable job and there was a strong array of guest stars like Robert Lindsay & John Hannah.

I'm glad it's been recommissioned for a second season, it's got the potential to be as long-running as "Merlin". Did anyone else notice that tribute to Ray Harryhausen & Jason and the Argonauts? When an evil witch summoned some Skeletons out of the ground (via Hydra's Teeth) to fight Jason and the gang.

This was marvellous, Mark Gatiss's love for the show really shone through and David Bradley was excellent. Much has been said about Hartnell being difficult and this biopic highlighted that aspect of him. But he clearly loved the show and it must have been sad for him when he was forced to leave. At the end there was a lovely 5 minute feature about him, all in all a fitting tribute to the man who started it all.

Did anyone else notice Reece Shearsmith as Patrick Troughton?

Paul McGann's "One Night Only" status has finally been lifted and it was great to see him again. It was short, but Paul proved in those 6 minutes that he could be one of the best TV Doctor's if given a chance. Now that's he's officially canon after years of speculation, it would be silly of SM to not build on it. A couple of Eighth Doctor TV movies would be brilliant, not an entire season as that would interfere too much with Peter Capaldi's debut.

I've never quite given up hope of Christopher Eccleston reappearing in Doctor Who, despite his implicit and explicit reluctance to do so, and I'm now even more wildly optimistic.

Tom Baker famously turned down an appearance in "The Five Doctors" and distanced himself from DW for a number of years after he left. Chris seems to be doing the same, a fan-boy like Tennant will sign up immediately because he knows the Whovians want it, sadly Eccleston doesn't seem to be taking that into account. I'd love him to return, he's a very talented actor and probably one of the greatest to have taken on the role.

Episode 2 was a darker affair, if they keep that up for the rest of the season, then it should get good. I'd love for the Cult & their CGI Apes to return at some point and I'm looking forward to seeing more of Medusa (Jemima Rooper). Historical accuracy was ignored yet again, but it's best to view it within it's own universe.

We also got to see some of Hercules's strength in this story, when he punched one of those Apes out of the way. Mark Addy's oafish portrayal has already been a target for criticism, but I think that's intentional. This Hercules is older, past his prime & has let himself go, but I'd like to see more action, instead of him being the resident comedy character.

Is there anyone who's watching the new BBC fantasy series "Atlantis", written by the same team who created "Merlin". It follows the adventures of a modern-day Jason (Jack Donnelly), who gets transported to ancient Atlantis via a Gateway portal. Whilst there he befriends Pythagoras (Robert Emms), Hercules (Mark Addy) and Ariadne (no relation! - Aiysha Hart). The ruler of Atlantis is King Minos (Alexander Siddig) & his evil queen Pasiphae (Sarah Parish) and it is through The Oracle (Juliet Stevenson) that Jason learns of his destiny.

The look, pace & humour of "Merlin", has been retained for this show and there's a "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"/"Xena: Warrior Princess" feel to it. Opening episode "The Earth Bull" has already divided opinion, but I think it has the potential to be a hit and needs to find it's feet like "Merlin" did. There are many historical inaccuracies, but don't let that worry you. This is pure family entertainment with monsters, comedy, action, scary bits and plenty of sword & sorcery. You can't go wrong with something like that!

It's nice to see this old thread of mine being revived! I still feel that Colin's sacking was unfair, though it's fair to say he got a fair crack of the whip during his era. He battled the Daleks, the Cybermen, Sontarans, The Master, The Rani and met Past & Alternative versions of himself (The Second Doctor & The Valeyard). Also there was Sil (Nabil Shaban), who was one of the best original monsters to come out of 80's Who.

His tenure saw the introduction of 45 minute long episodes too, which we are now familiar with. People say that this period was a turbulent one for DW, some things worked & other's didn't but I think it was a productive time.

It's just a shame that Colin never got a proper send-off, the BBC fired him and then wanted him to come back for one story just to regenerate. You can understand why he refused!

Talking of Colin he will be at the Forum in Norwich signing things (as well as many others) Charity event being held.

He & Ian McNeice were going to appear in my hometown a few months back for a charity event. I was going to go, but sadly due to lack of promotion/ticket sales it was cancelled.

A common complaint since the 'classic' series ended is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell one Doctor from the next - there are strong resemblances, it has been argued, between the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh Doctors, and several aspects in particular are that they have all been in the same age bracket, are all very tall, and all have dark hair.

I remember posting about this back in 2010 when Matt's first series was about to air, I can't believe how quickly them four years have gone. When The Doctor regenerates this time, those similarities will finally get burnt away for good and we'll witness the biggest physical transformation since Colin Baker into Sylvester McCoy. I've loved all of the Nu-Who Doctors though, in particular Christopher Eccleston who left just as he was getting REALLY good. Peter Capaldi is a brilliant choice, has anyone else noticed his resemblance to Edward Tudor-Pole (The Crystal Maze).

Also, I'm not liking the amount of Third Doctor hate comments in this thread. Jon Pertwee's Action Man style was a trend-setter for the DW episodes we get nowadays. But that's just my opinion, I'd love to see a Doctor with good fighting skills again!

My personal thoughts on Series 7: Part 2;

The Bells of Saint John.

The real villain in this episode was Wi-Fi, which was a great twist and made it more Fiction than Science-Fiction. I also liked the way the BBC1 Ident was tweaked to link it into the story, it's always great when TV gets creative. With the superb cast of Matt, Jenna, the excellent Celia Imrie and a brief cameo from Richard E. Grant. Great stuff, also I'm loving the new TARDIS interior which made it's debut at Xmas.

The Rings of Akhaten.

This was slammed heavily by some Whovians, it may not have been the "best" episode, but it certainly wasn't the "worst" either. The market scenes which were bustling with all different kinds of Aliens, were very "Star Wars". The general plot wasn't really original, an ancient monster suddenly wakes up and then The Doctor comes along and saves everyone. How many times have we seen that?

But that said, I still found it to be entertaining, fast-paced with great special effects/make-up etc. and Jenna Louise Coleman perfectly acted the moment where Clara sees her first alien planet. She's very good with her eyes, just like her predecessor Karen Gillan.

Cold War.

Mark Gatiss has done it again, he should become the show's head writer if Moffat ever relinquishes the role. The Thing & Alien were the big inspirations for this, in Mark's storys there's usually a monster which picks off character's one by one. This time it was The Ice Warriors, I've never seen any of their previous stories (except "Waters of Mars" where they were referenced) so this was a great introduction.

It was made better due to the fact that it was entirely studio-based, giving it a real claustrophobic feel. Plenty of scares, suspense, great acting, special effects & David Warner, all the ingredients needed for a cracking episode.

Hide.

A genuinely spooky atmosphere was created for this story and the monster was perhaps a little too frightening for younger viewers. The fact that you never fully saw it until the end, made it all the more scary and would have sent a whole new generation hiding behind the sofa.

The whole scene with Clara asking The Doctor how he coped with Time Travel & Death was interesting. In a previous thread I did for S7 Part 1, our very own "Pooka" commented on the Pond's Death in TAIM by saying;

"They're not dead! Well, they are now, but they lived to an old age in the past. Everyone's saying they're dead, but they're not! This sort of thing shouldn't matter to a man who can travel through space and time... surely if he travels to the far future, everyone he knows is dead? He never comments on that, does he?."

Fast forward a year later and they're doing an episode tackling this very subject. Maybe the DW writers visit here regularly, they saw that and thought it was a great idea. Another enjoyable episode, usually there's a mid-season dip in quality but Part 2 got off to a strong start.

Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS.

This was one for the fans, it's always great to see more of the TARDIS. So when the Library, Swimming Pool, The Eye of Harmony etc. were shown, it was enough to get any Whovian's heart racing.

Like the last season, there's been no "Cliffhangers" this year, at times the story felt too rushed and Clara was only required to run a lot. Also if the Robot was actually a Human all along, then how did he make such a good recovery after getting impaled by a spike.

The zombies were another scary creation, the twist with them being future versions of the characters was great and one I didn't see coming. I'm glad that Matt Smith played The Doctor more seriously this time and didn't goof it up which he has a tendency for. Overall they were some hit & miss aspects, but it was still an entertaining ride. You can never accuse DW of being "dull".

But surprisingly, JTTCOTT got an overnight figure of just 4.7 million viewers (their lowest to date).

The Crimson Horror.

This should have been called "The Pilot", as I'm fully expecting a Madame Vastra / Jenny & Strax spin-off being made. It'll be no bad thing though, the character's are strong enough to carry their own series and it would be a good substitute for the defunct "Sarah Jane Adventures". Most Mark Gatiss episodes are set in the past and they almost always have a Horror movie element. This time he revisited the Victorian times again, which gave it that whole "Hammer Horror"-style feel. As mentioned above, a Cliffhanger would have been great, imagine if the episode ended at the moment where Jenny found The Doctor imprisoned and in chains. Diana Rigg was brilliant, I wonder if the scene where Jenny uses Martial Arts to defeat the guards was a reference to her Emma Peel (The Avengers) character. This story was packed full with Comedy too, with most of the laughs being provided by Strax.

Another winner which made full use of what it had, but could have easily been stretched out to two parts. I wonder what the spin-off will be called?, "Vastra & Company" maybe........or not.

Nightmare in Silver.

After doing so well with his previous story "The Doctor's Wife", it was good to hear that Neil Gaiman was returning this year. I expected this to be like "Westworld", with a Cybermen led Theme Park which goes into chaos when they break their programming etc. But I was wrong, the Cybermen got a new slim-line look which made them more agile and took away that clunky feel they used to have.

Seeing them run with super-human speed was awesome, why they didn't use this during the final showdown is baffling. Another fan pleasing moment was when all of the Doctor's previous incarnation's were shown, there was even an "Allons-y" thrown in for good measure. Series 7 racked up an impressive guest-list and NIS continued the tradition with Warwick Davis, Jason Watkins and Tamsin Outhwaite all putting in great cameos. Matt Smith got the chance to play a dual role, which showed off his versatility and Jenna Louise Coleman was at her feisty best.

The Name of the Doctor.

What is The Doctor's greatest secret?, What is The Doctor's name?.......well we still don't REALLY know for sure. lol I wondered if they would reveal his name or not, if it was mentioned then I didn't hear it. So after all the hype/anticipation did Moffat pull it off? Yes!

The intro was very pleasing to the eye, with Clara interacting with most of the Classic Doctor's, but it was a shame that Paul McGann wasn't seen. Colin Baker was replaced with a stand-in too, which I thought was odd. But special honours go to Matt Smith who got to flex his acting muscles, especially the scene in Clara's house where The Doctor breaks down in tears as details of Trenzalore and the "Secret" are revealed. It was a very off-character moment, also Richard E. Grant and The Whisper Men were genuinely scary villains. The ending with John Hurt being revealed as The Doctor, was sadly unsurprising but still awesome. About a week or so before the finale, Hurt said in an interview that he was playing him and also revealed some plot-lines for the 50th Anniversary special. If he'd have kept quiet just a little longer, then that ending would have been even more epic. But this still was an amazing episode, packed full of references & clips of Classic Who and will keep Whovians scratching their heads until November 23rd.

The CITV Old Skool Weekend was a real treat, it was worth it just to see KM back on TV. Definitely one of the most feel-good weekends of Television ever, it brought back so many memories.

Before the years up, I'd like to think that CITV could do this one more time. This time with the shows that were left out from January. I'm talking about Zzzap!, Out of Sight, Harry's Mad, Bernard's Watch, Wizadora (with Wendy van der Plank), Wolf It, Virtually Impossible, ReBoot etc. They should show some KM episodes from the 80's (preferably Series 3) this time. Somebody should start a petition.

I decided to watch all the episodes first this year before passing judgement. lol So what did you think of the first half of S7?, here's my thoughts;

Asylum of the Daleks.

It was Jenna Louise Coleman who dominated this episode, she has all the makings of a classic companion and I can't wait to see her again this Xmas. The inclusion of the Original Dalek models was a nice touch, but they sadly weren't used enough. For me, this was the best NuWho Dalek story since 2005's "Dalek". A brilliant way to spend 45 minutes. 8 out of 10.

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.

With a title like that, I expected this to be a bonkers one. At times it felt more like "Primeval" than DW, especially with the Raptor sequences. Mark Williams & Mitchell and Webb provided a nice bit of comic relief, but the most annoying aspect for me was Queen Nefertiti. The character was far too OTT, English & street-wise for my liking, it only served to push the silliness even more. My least favourite story so far from this series. 4 out of 10.

A Town Called Mercy.

This was a cross between The Terminator, Westworld & Predator. The production values for S7 have been great and this episode was one of the jewels in the crown. The authentic Spaghetti Western location gave it an extra boost too, instead of it being shot somewhere in Wales.

Loved The Gunslinger and the episode had plenty of action. 8 out of 10.

The Power of Three.

The penultimate episode featuring The Ponds, this turned out better than I initially thought. It was great to see the daughter of Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart working at UNIT. Also a marvellous cameo from Steven Berkoff, who was too underused in this. The small black cubes may not be the scariest DW enemies of all time, but I thought this story was well written and acted. 7 out of 10.

The Angels Take Manhattan.

The Ponds exit was written through those first 4 stories like the inside of a stick of rock. You really got the sense that Amy & Rory's days were drawing to an end with each passing episode. This made their eventual death something of a forgone conclusion, but it was still just as emotional as e.g. Rose's exit. Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will be greatly missed, companions rarely get killed off, but I'm glad that Steven Moffatt had the guts to do it.

The Weeping Angels are one of the best things to come out of NuWho. So the idea of the Statue of Liberty being one was awesome, however it hardly appeared in the episode sadly. Oh and how did nobody not notice a giant statue stomping through the streets. So much for the city that never sleeps.

A dark, scary story, with brilliant performances from Matt Smith, Alex Kingston and Mike McShane. Although I think it would have been better as a two parter. 9 out of 10.

This is more like it. After the hit-and-miss "Let's Kill Hitler", "Night Terrors" was much better in comparison. Mark Gatiss is one of my favourite DW writers, who's penned some classic adventures. There's no confusing twists/arc's, just excellent one-off storys reminiscent of Classic-Who. The fact that all of his episodes to date have been earthbound, show's that he's a fan of the Pertwee era. He once again proved that to make great Who, you just need an excellent story & a superb cast to do it justice.

The Peg Dolls were a mixture of the Vashta Nerada (Series 4), the Gas Mask kid (Series 1) and The Flood (Waters of Mars). Their appearance was equally similar to the Clockwork Robots from "The Girl in the Fireplace" (Series 2). They may have not been original, but that didn't stop them from being scary. There was also solid performances all round, particularly Jamie Oram as George. Matt Smith was at his usual crazy best, like the Seventh Doctor he just keeps on evolving with each passing series.

It's taken me a week to mull this episode over, I liked it but it had it's problems. There was Action, Comedy, Drama, Hollywood-style CGI, intricate plots, regenerations (plenty of), timey-wimey stuff and Terminator 2 rip offs. In short, there was too much going on and it would have worked better as a two-parter. They could have spent half hour establishing the Mels character more and then ended part 1 with the River reveal. Instead we had it in the first 15 minutes, if you had missed "A Good Man goes to War" then you would have been totally confused. Which is what you get when you make a DW series too arc-heavy.

Adolf Hitler should really have been left out altogether, apart from some funny scenes he didn't do anything for the story. Also the lack of he and Zimmerman having thick german accents was a bit annoying too.

It wasn't all bad though, "Let's Kill Hitler" had some of the best special effects in DW history. The X-Men & T-2 inspired robot transformation scenes were visually stunning. The greatest peformances came from Matt and Alex Kingston, her portrayal of River as a super confident assasin was superb. Matt Smith gave his 100% as usual. The scene where the TARDIS showed him images of his previous companions, was one for the NuWho fans only. Pity they didn't show any of the Classic companions.

Overall it was an enjoyable fast-paced adventure, but there was so much happening that it felt bloated. Series 6 Part 1 opened with the excellent "The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon", sadly LKH didn't live up to that. Bring back the good old-fashioned storytelling of Classic Who, with no series arcs please.

I know it's unfair too judge celebs, especially (e.g) when you've met them for less than a minute at a premiere. They could just be having off-days. On the "Digital Spy" Forum, there's a thread just like this and it's a very entertaining read. You'll find the link to it below.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=502695

When you read it, you'll see some star names popping up more than once and getting the same bad comments. lol Some may surprise you.

So which Nice/Not so Nice Celebs have you met?

(Luckily I've not had the misfortune of meeting anybody awful yet. They've all been friendly).

The Best of the Best;

The League of Gentleman (Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith & Mark Gatiss) - I met them at De Montfort Hall in Leicester when they were doing the "TLOG are behind you" tour. They were 3 really nice blokes, I was very starstruck at the time and didn't say too much. (That happens a lot)

Paddy McGuinness - I met him in 2006 after one of his live shows. He's as down-to-earth as they come, very chatty and appreciative towards his fans.

I don't know if he's like that now though, back then he was only known for co-starring in "Phoenix Nights". He's now one of TV's most in-demand presenters and is successful in his own right. I hope it's not gone to his head.

Bill Wyman - Didn't get too chat to him sadly, but went to see his band "The Rhythm Kings" in concert. An amazing live band, great fun and Bill's anecdotes had us all laughing in between songs. He was joined on-stage by other 60's artists such as Albert Lee, Andy Fairweather-Lowe and Georgie Fame.