Lots of talk with Matt Smith, Steven Moffat, etc. There are some spoilers, obviously.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/7421880/Doctor-Who-star-Matt-Smith-on-sonic-screwdrivers-Steven-Moffat-and-following-David-Tennant.html

The new series is doing quite well - the Time of Angels 2-parter looks set to break the curse of the new series' "first two-parter of the season is always crap" rule. And Amy Pond is an ongoing enigma, brilliantly played by Karen Gillan. There just seems to be a real easy confidence to the way they do the show by now, that it is a finely oiled machine and the formula needn't be mucked with too much, but they have changed things up by making the truth about Amy an ongoing subplot. Matt Smith, meanwhile, is dazzling - prickly, irascible, secretive, mysterious. So many Doctors mixed in, yet totally unique. I think he is much more the "fairy tale"/strange man from the stars type and is less romantic and much more familial with Amy. He has an air of authority and secrecy like some of the older Doctors, and instantly seems older and more mature, as well as more biting, than the Tenth Doctor - I think the character is quite well-established already, while Tennant's Doctor, though excellent, was not really fully formed until a year or two in.

I think it helps Matt Smith that he doesn't have any baggage from Tennant's run -- Tennant had Rose, and many people preferred Rose with Eccleston. They have also toned down the lonely last of the Time Lords angst, and added more quirkiness. When I first read about how Smith was an old soul and that his age wasn't important because he projected the ancient nature of the Doctor, I wasn't sure, but Smith does a great job of showing this onscreen. He also plays up the Doctor's alien nature in a way I haven't seen since Tom Baker.

This is a spoiler article for an episode later this season.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1269680/Doctor-Who-Amy-Pond-pregnant--Doctors.html

I think Smith's Doctor is actually darker than Tennant's. It's just under the surface, seething, whereas they went for bombast at either end of the emotional spectrum with Ten. I loved him but he only rarely scared me. Eleven does often. He says and does things to Amy Ten would never have done - like gaming her like this re: the crack in time. Sylvester McCoy's Doctor would've though, as might Hartnell's. Jon Pertwee would've ordered her around the same way this one does.

The tabloids seem to have the knives out for the show this year. First there was a lot of hype in the Daily Mail about the show becoming too "sexy" and too "violent", and now there's complaints because Doctor Who Confidential flew Matt Smith to Venice.

http://www.digitalspy.com/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a218655/who-confidential-venice-trip-criticised.html

LOL now that's utterly ridiculous. I know the BBC is controversial because they run so much on public funding, but come one, surely they could find a hundred worse examples of money being wasted...

Its audience approval ratings remain high, so I think it'll do fine. The tabs are just being the tabs.

One of my favorite Doctor Who scenes ever (it's all in the facial expressions):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP02PTbNAWk

So, Carl, how did you like Richard Curtis' episode?

I thought it was fine. A bit fanboyish about Van Gogh, but Tony Curran gave an excellent performance. The conceit of "Let's show this historical person how awesome everyone thinks they are," can be ridiculous, but again, Curran made these scenes work. Karen Gillan did a wonderful job as Amy being a soulmate to Van Gogh for reasons she didn't quite understand.

What did you think?

I like it when famous screenwriters get these 'guest stints'. That said, I agree: it was fine, nothing Earth-shattering, but an OK episode overall. The press seemed to have liked it, though there were one or two negative reviews.

Anyone watch last night's episode?

http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a269381/new-doctor-who-series-split-in-two.html

Visiting Las Vegas strip clubs?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1330705/Dr-Whos-Matt-Smith-gets-flustered-quizzed-visiting-strip-clubs-Vegas.html

Merry Christmas!