Letters- an update

I have recieved replies from 3 of my MEPs, Godfrey Bloom, Dianna Wallis and one of the Tories (I forget which).

Tonight was quite successful. The Explorers asked for fire lighting last time we were at Bramhope, so we went back again, and did fire lighting and barbeque cooking, making use of the barbeque shelter as facilities were not ideal.

Unfortunately when the clock ticked over to nine, they all upped and left, leaving a mess for the leaders to clear up.

Co-op prove their ethical credentials

The Co-operative bank, well known for their ethical policies, has closed the accounts of a religious hate group.

While they are to be congratulated for this I do wonder why it took 3 years, of which 6 months featured particularly high profile hate campaigns by Christian Voice.

Letter writing

Just got a ltter back from my MP, saying hes’ bringing the subject of software patents up with the appropriate people.

Now I need to write those letters to my MEPs. The one to Diana Wallis will be most difficult I suspect.

Last Doctor Who post for a while

Note, in case someone stumbles on this who hasn’t seen the episode, there is spoiler protection. Highlight the blank spaces to read the text.

I really enjoyed “The Parting of the Ways” last night. Thousands of Daleks swooping through space, death, destruction, heroism, love, comradeship. It was all there. I am assured (by Outpost Gallifrey) that Captain Jack will be back on board the TARDIS next year, just not in “The Christmas Invasion”.
And David’s Tennant’s first lines (the title of the previous post) were fantastic too.

Favourite moments

• Chris addressing the Daleks behind him on how many languages he can speak before turning round and yelling at them, making them wheel back half a metre.
• Chris again in the TARDIS, resting his head against the doors with his eyes closed.
• Billie’s ethereal yet scared acting at the denoument
• Chris’s “I’m dying, yet breaking it gently to Rose” performance.

Only dissapointment was that Mickey didn’t stow away with Rose, but i’m sure it made more dramatic sense for him to suddenly decide he wanted in, only to be cruelly denied by Bad Wolf. Oh and yes Bad Wolf turned out to be an amalgum of Rose and the TARDIS, so in any sweepstake I would pay out on both. The Bad Wolf Message was a message from Rose to herself to encourage her to become Bad Wolf.

Some people have expressed incomprehension at elements of the episode, but having seen it again I feel that some fans have a seriously restricted imagination. Either that or the lack the ability to pay a-sodding-tention.

One element that has gone virtually unremarked were the kisses. OK more spolier protection, highlight the text to read it. When he’s leaving the Doctor and Rose to lead the space station staff to their deaths, Captain Jack kisses both Rose and the Doctor on the lips. Later in the episode the Doctor kisses Rose, ostensibly to suck out the vortex energy that’s killing her, but from the scene there is a little more emotion than that. Given the furore certain aspects of the 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie caused, it’s remarkable as to how far we have come as a society that only a tiny minority of fans on a message board have said anything about it. OK, according to MediaWatchWatch one of their spokespeople was provoked into a tizzy by the Star, but there’s nothing on their own site so perhaps they’re trying to pretend he didn’t say anything.

If you’re after a decent review try my mate Eddie on Shiny Shelf. Or if you want a place to express your views on “The Parting of the Ways” they have a poll for you. Do check it out, it’s ace. Nick also has a review.

"Hello. Ok mmm. New teeth, that’s weird! Now where was I? Oh that’s right. Barcelona!"

First class entertainment. But unfortunately my freeview box cut out halfway through (because I don’t enjoy only recording the 7/8ths of the picture we get on analogue) so I havn’t been able to watch it again.

I think the ending was different to before, as it was the first one to happen standing up. Hope I haven’t given anything away to anyone who hasn’t seen it.

No review just yet…

Spoiler Space

If there’s one thing hard core Doctor Who fans get all jittery about, it’s spoilers.

While a sizable minority are in secret locked messageboards trading any advanced titbits about how tomorrow nights episode will pan out, the rest are paranoid about having the episode “spoilt” for them.

This concept has really grown up on the internet, where fans of several nations meet together to discuss their favourite shows, which is fine when its been over for years and everyone’s seen it, but not so for a currently running show, which may have been shown in, say the USA before the UK. So it was invented the concept of the “spoiler”- information that may spoil your enjoyment of a TV programme, and the spoiler space with which to protect the unwary

Fans have somehow managed to turn spoliers- in both the seeking and avoidance of- into a religion. I’m told it’s a good job that I’ve not read any newspapers this week as many have contained inconveniently placed spoilers.

Tomorrow nights episode has already been spoilt in some sense, by the press getting hold over casting information for series 2. So we can guess at what might happen, if not predict the entire plot.

I suppose its the price you pay for liking somthing popular.

Privacy

It’s American sure, and very tongue in cheek, but I think this makes the point well.

Pizza Order in the future…

And then this little Gibert and Sullivan Piece.

As also spotted by Simon Titley, the Liberal Dissenter, and c/o LDO.

Doctor Who – Series Three!

Like BBC1 showing a new trailer for Saturday’s Doctor Who every day, I seem to be doing the same blogwise.

Woke up this morning to recieve an email with the news that the BBC have announced that a third series of Doctor Who has been commissioned, alnog with a second Christmas special and a second series of Doctor Who Confidential to run alongside the second series of Doctor Who.

Read more here. Or the article on BBC News. I did smile when I saw that Doctor Who appears to have brought the concept of “spoiler space” to a mainstream news organisation like the BBC!

Well, for those of you that aren’t Doctor Who fans, or at least “like Doctor Who, just not that much” it will be off the air after Saturday until Christmas. So I’ll be back to talking about Scouting, politics, and the general egg and chips- yay!

Bad Wolf Warning

And so the rollercoaster of a ride that’s been Doctor Who 2005 reaches its conclusion. On Saturday we found out what the whole “Bad Wolf” mystery was about.

Well we did and we didn’t. We found out that the Bad Wolf Corporation was the media in 2002nd century Earth, when the Doctor, Rose and Jack are drawn into three of the corporation’s deadly game shows. But the corporation is a front for something darker, hiding out on the edge of the universe. It turns out that the terrific trio were kidnapped by the controller of the station herself, in a last desperate attempt to defy her masters and save humanity from the plight it is blind to.

Why am I bothering summarizing this? Odds are you’ve either seen the episode yourself, or that you’re not in any way interested. Anyway Bad Wolf was the first of two parts, so I’m probably best waiting until the weekend to say how brilliant it was. If you want a review now, read Nick, but I warn you he’s a tad enthusiastic.

In my opinion we’re just coming to the end of 13 weeks of excellent Saturday night TV. It certainly seems to have captured the imagination of most of my friends, and has spread its tendrils halfway across the internet. Ditching the technobabble and padding for adventure, wild concepts and silly names. Say after me, “The Mighty Jagrafess”, “Blaidd Drwg”, “Raxacoricofallapatorius.” Brings something back to me, although I’m not sure what.

People who know me know I’m a Doctor Who fan. My name, Biscit, first appeared in a Doctor Who novel way before I started using it on the internet myself. But my interest has waned over recent months, I don’t buy the books any more (save of course those written by my friends), have stopped purchasing DWM, and like my Doctor Who friends had become jaundiced towards the group of people mysanthropically referred to as the “Big Finish Mafia”.

But then out of the blue, in late 2003, it was announced that it was coming back. Not only that, but the show would be shaped by TV god, Russell T Davies. Perked my interest, but only slightly. But then my friends started to get excited, and I couldn’t work out why, having almost forgotten why we were friends.

As it got closer and closer to 26th March, and the anticipation grew. I told myself, I can take it or leave it, I’m too old to care too much. If I didn’t like it, Doctor Who would be there for a new generation, and I could revisit the classic series whenever I could be bothered. I didn’t expect, aged 32, to get this excited about a TV programme. I certainly didn’t expect it to become must see TV.

So now 12 weeks in of some of the best TV in ages reaches its climax on Saturday. It’s been fantastic. I’m going to have horrible withdrawal symptoms.

Update 14/06/2005: According to the Times the identity of “Bad Wolf” is yet to be revealed! See also today’s post.