Gatwa talks advice from Matt Smith.

@Faulkner @DRW50 Disney is going all out: Gatwa and Gibson did a pre-tape for today's Disney holiday parade on ABC.

I'll find footage when I can.

2 minutes ago, Vee said:

@Faulkner @DRW50 Disney is going all out: Gatwa and Gibson did a pre-tape for today's Disney holiday parade on ABC.

I'll find footage when I can.

His jacket is so fire.

The episode goes up in about 30 mins - I'll probably watch it shortly after, though I may try live. I am running on a lot of coffee after last night lol.

 

https://metro.co.uk/2023/12/25/doctor-star-richard-franklin-dies-christmas-day-aged-87-20024799/

The speculation on whether Mike was gay, and then the actual canon events we did get with Mike's breakdown and recovery, add so many layers to the UNIT era. I am sorry to hear he's gone. I suppose there is something fitting on a legend leaving us just as a new era begins. I need to listen to some of the Big Finish audios sometime.

Stay after the initial fade out for a mid-credit surprise in The Church on Ruby Road. I knew there was something off on

Spoiler

Anita Dobson's character early on. I got Susan vibes, but who knows.

@DRW50 will be pleased to hear Anita Dobson is now trending on what remains of Twitter.

The Season 1/Series 14 teaser:

Both Rose Noble and Mel appear in there.

Quick thoughts on the Christmas special:  Fun but very lightweight vs. other RTD's other Christmas showstoppers, perhaps to ease the new audience in. Very modern and fresh, wonderful performance by Millie Gibson. This is really her showcase whereas I think Gatwa's first appearance in The Giggle was a bigger spotlight for him - he is kept somewhat at a distance for a good portion as they lay out Ruby Sunday. I don't have a full sense of this Doctor yet but that is not unusual, though he did very well. They are clearly going for a younger energy, more overall current Doctor on par with the dramatic shift Christopher Eccleston brought to the role; it reminds me most of that in that this is something we've never seen from a Doctor before.  His tears were striking. The Giggle gave him more range and colors to play but that will come in time.

What interests me most besides Mrs. Flood is the goblins. These are creatures that appear to be from realms of fantasy totally alien to the Doctor, a new kind of threat like the Toymaker; did what Fourteen did with the folklore ring of salt in Wild Blue Yonder bring out all sorts of new mess to deal with?

Edited December 25, 20232 yr by Vee

Curious: Susan Twist, who cameod in the Isaac Newton prologue of Wild Blue Yonder, is mysteriously coming back.

She can also be sighted, just barely, by eagle-eyed fans who zoomed in on RTD's office wall in the Blue Peter video above; there is a mock magazine cover headlining her as "Susan Triad". Triad is the name of the OS Mel and Donna worked on at UNIT in The Giggle; Mel calls it out.

 

 

Edited December 25, 20232 yr by Vee

I’m hoping and praying that Ruby is the daughter of Rose and The Doctor-Donna!

A brief clip from Series 1/14 (allegedly debuting in May?) and I think the first episode, or so I've heard, from the Doctor Who Unleashed BTS show:

 

@DRW50 will be pleased to hear that per reasonably reliable leaks - it's not a huge spoiler but a nice return of past minor characters -

 

the Clerics from the Church of the Papal Mainframe, last seen led by GOT's Iain Glen in the now-famous Series 5 Angels two parter with Smith, Karen Gillan and Alex Kingston - are allegedly returning in episode 3 this series, in an episode possibly written by Moffat. It is also allegedly an episode where the Doctor spends much of it stepped on a landmine a la Genesis of the Daleks, apparently to accommodate Gatwa juggling the last series of Sex Education at the time.

Speculation abounds that Mrs. Flood is anyone from River (highly unlikely IMO) to the Rani to Old Ruby Sunday, but I still am betting on Susan.

Meanwhile, rumor has it that Indira Varma is playing

 

a renegade Time Lord, with Groff in the same episode as a Time Agent.

Edited December 27, 20232 yr by Vee

Thanks @Vee .

The whole Church group was a compelling concept - I'll be interested to see RTD's take.

Based on the Xmas special, this new era is not for me. I’ll tune in if Piper and Tennant ever return.

Context: I stopped watching DW about 5 episodes into Matt Smith’s run. I did watch the 50th anniversary episode in theatres. Based on the specials, RTD hasn’t captured the magic of his first run. 

I'd never seen this Series 2 promo piece with Tennant, Piper and Lis. Thought @DRW50 might like it. Click and zoom in to enlarge:

Meanwhile:

 

Radio Times mentions this was cut from The Giggle:

In the scene, with the Fourteenth Doctor's hands glowing, Donna asks Mel: "Have you seen this before?"

Mel responds: "No, I missed it, I was unconscious," going on to clarify to an inquisitive Donna: "Well, the TARDIS was attacked, by the Rani, she was this evil Time Lady, although not evil, more like amoral, and she dragged the TARDIS down to this planet called Lakertya-."

The Doctor interrupts and the focus is back on him again.

Edited January 7, 20242 yr by Vee

@Vee Thanks. Nice to see more Sarah Jane promo material being found. 

I can see why they cut that line but it's a fun bit.

@Vee

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-rare-photographs-exclusive-newsupdate/

Some recently found photos of Katy Manning, Roger Delgado and Jon Pertwee taken on the set of The Mind of Evil, with some comments from Katy.