Another day, another fab time with my fellow 105 geeks.
I had breakfast with a few of the Hive Overmind folks from Discover — which was very cool, they are uber-fans themselves — we headed over to the con. We got in a few minutes at a Battlestar panel but had to leave early to get in a vast line for the Doctor Who/Torchwood panel. The line was so long I noticed that the end of it was redshifted.
The DW panel was lots of fun. Steven Moffat and Julie Gardner were obviously having a blast, talking about the show, its past and future, much like the interview posse I was in yesterday. But this time they questions from the audience, and clearly they were enjoying themselves.
Steven’s favorite answer: "I’m not telling you." This worked for questions about David Tennant’s return in Series 5, if River Song is really the Doctor’s wife, if they’d follow up with Rose and the faux Doctor, and so on. He really won’t tell us anything about the series coming up.
Grrrr. But you can’t blame him. At least he was utterly charming while saying it!
And let me profess that Ms. Gardner is now on my (long, long) list of crushes. She is really wonderful, and gave Moffat a lot of teasing grief over his comments, which was great. It’s really nice to see people who work together on such a wonderful show get along so well. It makes me happy to know, because I’m Machiavellian: a happy crew is a happy show.
July 24th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I do not who River Song is so I guess a will going a downloading this weekend.
July 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Sounds like everyone just assumes that if you’re a big enough DW to be at the panel, then you’ve probably downloaded and seen all of series 4. Interesting.
@m_a_u_r_a
July 24th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
That Rose with the faux Doctor was the worst plot device in the entire series, I hope Moffat doesn’t touch that entire concept with a ten foot poll and writes it all off.
July 24th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Plus they showed an extended trailer for the upcoming Return of the Cybermen special — definitely a steam punk vibe.
July 24th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. This is my second year missing it in the past 8 (summer research one year in college, and now I’m graduated(ish) and am living in NYC). I am a sad (former) San Diegan….
July 24th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Cybermen, Daleks, Cybermen, Daleks.
I want new iconic bad guys created. The episode with the supposed source of evil “the devil” was good.
“The line was so long I noticed that the end of it was redshifted.”
LuLz
July 24th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Maybe this post should have a spoiler warning. Some of us are actually waiting for the official US airing on Sci-Fi channel.
July 24th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
“The line was so long I noticed that the end of it was redshifted.”
Sir, I’m detecting an unusually large quantity of geekery emanating from Sector BA.
July 24th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
From a forum post (by member 259) I read over at digital spy (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=806692&page=4)
“Professor River Song is the embodiment of the soul of the Tardis.
This is why he hasn’t “met her” yet. This is why she acts maternal and can always call him and loves him etc.
This is why she lets him know he can snap his fingers and open the door.
This is why her diary book cover resembles the doors of the Tardis.
The Tardis has a song it sings, something Rose found out before when she looked into it’s soul. The River is the river of time. Hence Professor River Song.
She also said she went to the end of the universe with him I think she mentioned? That’s supposedly where the Tardis graveyards are.
That’s also why it appears to allude they are married and why she can be a time traveling archeologist too without being a Timelord and of course knows his real name.
It’s also how they can get Rose back.. ”
Hmmmm….
July 24th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
@Maura
I have downloaded the last episodes because I have downloaded them and download the rest because I work nights when the normally air in Canada.
July 24th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Steven says: “Cybermen, Daleks, Cybermen, Daleks. I want new iconic bad guys created. The episode with the supposed source of evil “the devil” was good.”
I could not agree more. I am pretty much over Daleks for a while, and Cybermen are being used too often. Loved the ‘devil’ episode also.
The old Dr Who episodes had far more depth, regarding evil characters and races. Id love to see some of the old ones redone, instead of more daleks and cybermen. I have an idea; why not have an enemy that can actually move fast? Cybermen + Dalek = too slow. The quantum creatures in Blink are a good example.
@Phil : “The line was so long I noticed that the end of it was redshifted.” …. the end of the line was receding away from you at an exponential rate ? wtf ?
jks
July 24th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
@Davidlpf
I have downloaded and watched all of the series 4 episodes because I am in the US and
- I can’t bear to wait the few extra weeks til they show up on SciFi.
- I can’t stand that they cut a few minutes out of every episode to fit the US time slot.
- I lurve them.
I always have and will continue to buy all of the DVDs. I know that doesn’t make it any less illegal, but it at least makes me feel better about it. I just think it’s interesting that they were discussing some stuff that hasn’t yet aired in the country where the panel was happening. It’s Pirate Bay’s world, we just live in it.
July 25th, 2008 at 6:17 am
“Cybermen, Daleks, Cybermen, Daleks.
I want new iconic bad guys created. The episode with the supposed source of evil “the devil” was good…
…I have an idea; why not have an enemy that can actually move fast? Cybermen + Dalek = too slow. The quantum creatures in Blink are a good example.”
—
“I could not agree more. I am pretty much over Daleks for a while, and Cybermen are being used too often. Loved the ‘devil’ episode also.”
Guys, the episodes you’re fawning over ARE THE ONES MOFFAT WROTE. The guy who wrote all the best episodes of the show (“Are you my mommy?”) is now in freakin CHARGE of the thing. That’s why this is so awesome.
A note to everyone, please do not ever, ever post Who fan speculation ever again. I don’t mean just here, I mean ever anywhere. For the record, the above theory about River Song is basically the dumbest thing I have read in a really long time. It made me even dumber just by reading it. If you keep that kind of tarp coming I’ll be a YEC in no time.
July 25th, 2008 at 7:53 am
You got out of the Battlestar line to go over to Doctor Who? I’m sorry. I don’t think we can still be friends.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Even though Doctor Who is a kid’s show and BSG is most definitely aimed at adults, I won’t begrudge Phil his taste in entertainment. After all, he puts up with all of us.
Kid’s show, who said that, you ask. Stephen Moffat at io9, that’s who:
http://io9.com/5028464/exclusive-interview-with-doctor-whos-steven-moffat?71
We’ve been debating on our site endlessly: Is Doctor Who a kids’ program?
Yes. Debate over. It’s good to fix those things quickly.
ven though it has a huge adult following? It’s not aimed at both?
It’s aimed at kids and adults. And why should anyone care about this? If you watch it, then it’s for you. It shouldn’t matter. I mean the specific thing about it being a children’s program, is that it follows the imperatives and narrative rules and the joy of children’s fiction.
It’s a great interview and well worth reading even if you only have a passing interest in the show.
But like Phranque, I would have missed the panel, because I can never get enough of BSG. No aliens, the only really tricky sci-fi plot device is their FTL drive and no ray guns. Just humans, cyborg robots and the debate of the human condition played out through the device of human diaspora after the race’s near destruction. Think the diaspora of the Twelve Tribes of Israel and you have a head start on this show.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:08 am
“The line was so long I noticed that the end of it was redshifted.”
LOL… I got that… I am such a Geek!
July 25th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Doctor Who has, throughout its entire life, always been made by a BBC Drama unit, not a Children’s Drama unit…
Ms Gardner has always seemed to me to be – uh – sensuous… ‘Scuse me while I go for a lie-down…
July 25th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
“Doctor Who has, throughout its entire life, always been made by a BBC Drama unit, not a Children’s Drama unit…”
I’m sure Stephen Moffat has no idea whatsoever what the intent of Doctor Who is.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Hey.. kids program or not. It rocks. I think we could all stand to be a kid once in awhile. LOVE Dr Who.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Dr Who is NOT a kids program. Dr Who has been around forever and never was a kids program to start with. It just has a ‘campy’ feel is all. It is classic UK tv. I have watched it for over 30 years. If anything it is a family show. When I was a kid and actually watched it, it scared the hell out of me. Not a kids show.
Here is the run down as it stands now. If you disagree, you are wrong.
TORCHWOOD = ADULTS ONLY (pointless sex scenes in sci-fi is a bit much for me)
DR. WHO = FAMILY
SARAH JANE = KIDS ( but I still watch it anyway hehehe )
… its almost as if you good people in the USA just found out about DR Who.. or something
July 27th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
@Quasidog,
Like you I have watched Dr, Who since I was a young tike. Some stuff would scare me as a kid, but that is why we watched it. As for Torchwood, I have enjoyed what they have aired on CBC so far, but I agree with you about pointless sex scenes. Sometimes I think they are thrown in so the writes can take a smoke break. I’m not a prood, it just takes away from good plot development time. If it is needed for the plot, fine. I’ve yet to see a Sarah Jane episode aired here yet. I will watch it if it shows. I always give a new show a chance.
August 14th, 2008 at 3:58 am
You guys claim to be Dr. Who fans, but deny that it started out as the BBCs answer for “educational children’s television”?!? I suppose you thought all that info about Marco Polo, or the romans, etc, etc, etc was just part of the story…
S
June 25th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
[...] me there to be on a panel about science in science fiction (I have several blog posts about it; start here and click through to the next ones, in particular this one with a video of our panel). [...]
June 25th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
[...] me there to be on a panel about science in science fiction (I have several blog posts about it; start here and click through to the next ones, in particular this one with a video of our panel). [...]