Smile

Language, like a living species, is an dynamic construct, ever evolving and subject to the influences of time. Certain rules and applications are introduced or are rendered obsolete as the populace drifts in or out of favor with them, either as a result of generational or regional usage and trend. (Look to the yearly addenda to the Oxford English Dictionary to see the brouhaha that erupts every time a new term is considered for inclusion.) Is it arguable that the emergence and exponential rise […]

The Pilot

There are many different strategies Whovians take when trying to convince a new viewer to delve into the program that they love so dearly. From carefully selected and sequenced primer sets, to take-it-from-the-top viewing marathons, the unique and often fickle nature of each observer could react favorably or adversely to any one of them. We are a subjective species, and our personal experiences have a profound impact on our receptiveness to anything new. With that in mind, if the creators […]

Series 10 Preview

Every break between seasons feels like an eternity…some more so than others. When we are given the news that this will be the final season with the glorious Peter Capaldi as our Doctor, and moreover, the final season with Steven Moffat at the program’s helm, our eagerness to see what the “swan song” consists of reaches a fever pitch. This week, we take stock of what we know, what we *think* we know, and what are still scandalous rumours, and lay […]

Doctor’s Exit, Stage Left

As we eagerly await the premiere of Series 10, news comes to us from the BBC that hits us like the proverbial ton of bricks: Peter Capaldi will be leaving at the end of this season, exiting alongside showrunner Steven Moffat. This week, Haley and Jay spend time discussing this and other Whovian news, and then wildly speculate about what’s to come in light of it all. News Links: Remembering John Hurt Series 10 Air Date Capaldi leaving after series 10 https://media.blubrry.com/gallifreypublicradio/gallifreypublicradio.com/media.gallifreypublicradio.com/gprnews.mp3Podcast: […]

The Return of Doctor Mysterio

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…and with a year like we’ve had, the lyric could not be more apropos. We’ve been (figuratively) starved for new Doctor Who since this time last year, and so with reckless aplomb, and a massive suspension of disbelief, we point one fist to the skies, leap upward in defiance of gravitational pull, and…pick up where the last Christmas special left off. This week, we find out once again how the Doctor is coping […]

A Wise Person Once Said…

There once was a campaign in the United States for an investment broker, where the tagline read, “When <company> talks, everyone listens.” You may not have an iota of interest in the stock market, of course, but when the Doctor steps forward, takes a strengthening breath, and begins an oration, the viewing audience joins the supporting cast in rapt attention to what is about to be said. It may even be argued that within the past 3 series, the opportunities for […]

The School That Time Forgot

Those heady days of youth, when everything was experienced, felt, lived and loved in the present moment, and there was not a care in the world — or at least, not of this Earth. Who can forget the conversations with friends in the courtyards, the glances cast towards our crushes in the hallways, the explosions and showers of glass and rubble as Daleks burst through the walls of the science lab? Ah, memories. This week, we look at the past, […]

Hell Bent

Emotions are complicated, often messy human traits — flaws, if you were to ask a Dalek or a Cyberman. They can inspire songs and uplift spirits, motivate heroes and move armies, weaken the stalwart and petrify the proud. We rely on them as much as we are hindered by them. In some fashion, we cherish the negative as much as the positive, for as every artist will attest, the light requires the shadow for contrast. What happens when those emotions are altered, muted, or […]

Heaven Sent

We are consumers of an entertainment industry bred to define “epics” as large scale, sweeping tales with casts of hundreds if not thousands, panoramic views of parapets, mountain ranges, or the front lines of a battlefield, and soul-baring performances between cinematic greats that ignite the screen and leave the audience exhausted for the experience. In a wild attempt to break down this convention, writer Steven Moffat and director Rachel Talalay saddled themselves, and their artist Peter Capaldi, with a formidable task: create […]

Face The Raven

“You. Now, you listen to me. You’re going to be alone now, and you’re very bad at that. You’re going to be furious and you’re going to be sad, but listen to me. Don’t let this change you. No, listen. Whatever happens next, wherever she is sending you — I know what you’re capable of. You don’t be a warrior. Promise me. Be a Doctor. Heal yourself. You have to. You can’t let this turn you into a monster. So I’m not asking […]