David Tennant Week: Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor

Hello all and welcome to Day 5 of David Tennant Week. Well we have seen plenty of examples of Tennant's range as an actor giving well rounded performances on drama, family films and even playing a loony. And I wouldn't be a fan if I didn't at least throw in one Doctor Who episode. So sue me, I really enjoyed it. This time around you will see a nice throwback to the classic series as we have not one, not two but three doctors tackling both the Daleks and the shape-shifting aliens the Zygons. This is Doctor Who: Day of the Doctor.

Brainy specs in stereo.

In celebration of the series meeting the 50^th anniversary since it was aired in 1963, Steven Moffat (who did not sit on a toffet) gathered his fellow writer minions to create a conclusion to several of the story arcs left open by the regeneration of the series when then Doctor (Christopher Eccelson) described in tears the Great Time War. The final conflict between the Daleks of Skaro and the Timelords of Gallifrey. However... due to other film obligations, Eccelson could not reapprise his former timelord role.

Bummer says the Whovians but we move on as we explore this particular story is in fact centered around the 11^th Doctor (Matt Smith of Party Animals, The Street, Moses Jones, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Lost River) and current companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman of Emmerdale, Waterloo Raod, Captain America: The First Avenger, Titanic and Room at the Top) as they are off to more adventures when suddenly, a plot device airlifts the TARDIS to London National Gallery courtesy of the newly reformed UNIT (Unified Intelligence Taskforce, formerly United Nations Intelligence Taskforce) chief scientist Kat Stewart, daughter of the late Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Apologies all around but a mystery has occurred that only the Doctor can handle.

Why couldn't one of the boys carry this satchel?

Finding a piece of art made of a temporal bubble preserving Arcadia the Gallifreyan city during the Time War bringing the haunting memories of being a different Doctor then and ending his own people and the Daleks. It would appear that it isn't the only unusual period piece as there are several painting in the gallery missing their characters and as well as a portrait in 16^th century with Queen Elizabeth and her consort (David Tennant), a chap with fabulous hair and normally donning a smart suit and tie.

Time fissures open in several points in the Doctor's lives as 10 encounters 11. Baffled about them interfering with each others lives, a third man (John Hurt of The Elephant Man, Alien, King Lear, Watership Down, Hellboy and V for Vendetta) sporting a Steampunk look and sonic screwdriver also appears. What cosmic MacGuffin occurred to bring these three radically different yet the same men together? What is the monster lurking in the shadows that must be stopped??? Will the Doctors banter with each other carrying on that tradition?

Just a handful of facts on this film/TV episode.

This 75 minute episode was shot in both HD and stereoscopic 3D and sent to a plethora of theaters around the planet. Shown on the telly on November 23rd and 24^th, this episode was viewed by no less than 94 countries and over 1500 theatres worldwide. Having attended a fully packed movie theatre in true 10th brown suit and tie it was 3D and full of many jokes, heartache and guest appearances.   An additional 12.8 million viewers in Britain alone and another 3.2 million viewer requests for iPlayers. This was the second appearance of the aliens known as Zygons which had not been seen by TV viewers since 1975.  

Do you want to "handle" my screwdriver?

David Tennant Week: What We Did on Our Holiday

Well hello all and welcome back for Day 4 of David Tennant Week. As it has been pointed out, our lanky Scot has done a bit more than running about in Converse and a sharp suit and today is no exception at all. This time around we see him in a family oriented comedy about a couple having marital problems, three kids and the need to put on a strong face for the sake of others. This is What We Did on Our Holiday.

You missed the turn.

Doug McLeod (David Tennant not the Highlander's Christopher Lambert or Adrian Paul) and his wife Abi (Rosamund Pike of Die Another Day, Pride & Prejudice, Jack Reacher and Gone Girl) are united in a very tense separation decided to to travel with the kids to the Highlands to visit Doug's father Gordie (Billy Connolly of The Imposters, Still Crazy, The Boondock Saints, Beautiful Joe and Who Is Cletis Tout?) for his 75^th birthday, as the may be his last birthday ever due to cancer. Doug and Abi both agree they do not want Gordie to go to his grave knowing his son and his own family are falling apart. Doug's brother Gavin (Ben Miller of The Armstrong and Miller Show, The Parole Officer, Birthday Girl, Johnny English and The Prince and Me), a millionaire many times over wants to throw a lavish party for Gordie and has invited the whole neighborhood that grew up with this warm man.

Chasing women and buses can leave ya behind, laddie.

That in mind they are attempting a long distance drive with each other and the kids are starting to wear down from the arguments and shouting. Eldest daughter Lottie (Emilia Jones of House of Anubis, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Doctor Who, Utopia and Residue) decides that Gordie deserves the truth and she is going to rat out the folks and how it is hurting her, her brother Mickey (Bobby Smalldridge of Foster, Casualty, Topsy and Time and Cockroaches)and sister Jess (Harriet Turnbull of What We Did on Our Holiday) seeking advice from an adult that isn't disgruntled, moody or shouting every twelve minutes. Clearly she has never seen Billy Connolly's comedy acts and thank God for that. Brilliant man but filthier than a New York pigeon.

Doug and Gavin apparently have a huge rift and more sibling rivalry than imaginable. They start in on each other about meeting responsibility, family matters and even who was the favorite and so on. Will things be sorted? Will Gordie have to smack both his boys for being complete twits??

A few points to make about the film now. Everything I have discussed is revealed within the first 15 minutes of the movie setting a tone of dysfunction but warmth. These events unfold in a nice, slow and methodical period which is something you should look for in a film. As much as I love seeing Billy Connolly, David Tennant and Rosamund Pike interacting and playing off each other, the kids will leave you with sore stomachs from laughing. The scene with Jess and her stones that happen to be her friends will charm you to no end.

Why I am not ginger??!!!

David Tennant Week: The Decoy Bride

A hearty greetings back to Day 3 of David Tennant Week. As per the request of my co-host for Rotten Ramblin' On, the podcast associated with Rotten Reelz Reviews, my friend Shawn requested a heartfelt romantic comedy. The comedy is about a famous film star and her writer fiance' attempting to have a traditional church wedding but it is crashed by the paparazzi the couple have no idea where to go to just have their wedding in peace. Scotland perhaps? This is Decoy Bride.

There's a bee just following her.

Lara Tyler (Alice Eve of Agatha Christie: Poirot, Starter for 10, She's Out of My League, Men in Black 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness) is recognized for her smile, poise and grace. While being on chat shows, constantly placed on magazine covers and films she simply wants to wed her writer fiance' James (David Tennant of Takin' Over the Asylum, Duck Patrol, The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries, Terri McIntyre, Broadchurch and Gracepoint) when they hit on the idea of this remote Scottish island of Hegg. Land developers months prior take the local keep and rebuild it in the hopes to make it a tourist destination.

The Adventures of Young Jessica Fletcher.

To avoid the mass levels of media, Lara's manager Steve (Michael Urie of WTC View, Mode After Hours. Ugly Betty, Brain Trust and Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life) co-ordinates the whole event in the hopes to get this off the ground. Meanwhile the locals of Hegg smell the chance of money and want to milk this once in a lifetime opportunity alerting to paparazzi causing Lara to leave the island in secret. Desperate to avoid any bad press Steve hits on the idea of creating a fake wedding, a scandal and the media will get bored, move on and go home. They snare local girl Katie (Kelly Macdonald of Trainspotting, Splendor, Entropy, Gosford Park, Finding Neverland, Nanny McPhee and Broadwalk Empire) to play the part of Lara. What will happens next is up to the story to tell. Of our collective town I admittedly recognized comedian/writer Dylan Moran who is a slug and absolutely brilliant in this and Sally Phillips of Bridget Jone's Diary who elevates to the town in morality but the greed seems to almost outweigh good decency for a change.

A few points to make in this is not the typical American rom-com that need zany BS, a bloated budget and people playing larger than life divas. What you have is a simplistic story about a couple that feel they have reached that point in their lives that they don't see each other the way the rest of the world does. Writer Neil Jaworski and Sally Phillips really flush out this script bringing dimension into the characters, making them well rounded, feasible and human. None of that one dimensional crap, the supporting cast get the love, people.

A few facts on the film now.

The script was pricing the film at seven million pounds which tallying to ten million, seven hundred twenty-two thousand dollars via stateside but of course the film itself only had a budget of 2.5 million. This of course led to scenes and characters being cut during the filming process to cut corners and give them enough capital to work in the story.

The plot summary seems done to death but what you get is a smart, warm comedy that makes you really feel for the love in it. This film is by the way safe for the whole family as there is no mass amounts of swearing, nudity or offensive material. Fellas, your lady friend will thank you for suggesting this movie and you will thank yourselves for giving it the once over. With wonderful performances, cast we can all understand (so sad an American cannot distinguish accents of Irish, Scottish and English brit from one another) and a music score that sends your heart up and down with the motions, you should have a good time. Draw your own conclusions though. Good date night film.

Black Books: Bernard Buggers off to Scotland

David Tennant Week: Takin' Over the Asylum

Welcome back readers and I do hope you enjoyed yesterday's series and watched it in its entirety. Moving on to Day 2 of David Tennant Week we flashback to the year 1994... while some of us were just graduating high school, others were being born and smathering of us were listening to Metallica: Black. This time around we look into BBC Scotland providing us a drama about a radio station within a whacko basket... that is a pyschiatric hospital. Another six part mini-series at a fictional hospital St Jude's Asylum. This is Takin' Over the Asylum.

Gooooood Morning Glasgoooooooowwww!!!!

Our story revolves around aspiring DJ/ insulation window glazing salesperson Eddie McKenna (Ken Stott of Your Cheatin' Heart, All Good Things, Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story, Shallow Grave, Rhodes and The Boxer) operating his normal business hours of people taking their sweet ass time on window panes they can afford and what would look smashing with the exterior as well as the interior. While this soul crushing work pays for his bills, Eddie really wants to dazzle the world with his radio personality all the while be a functioning alcoholic. At St. Jude's he encounters a pantheon of folk with a variety of mental illnesses.

Hallo, I'm the Nutter.  Just the Nutter.

There's young Campbell (David Tennant of The Tales of Para Handy, A Mug's Game, Jude, Duck Patrol, Terry McIntyre, Doctor Who: Dreamland, The Catherine Tate Show and The Decoy Bride) a helpful and sometimes insightful lad that has an askew look on life one minute and then just concrete the next due to his bi-polar. There is the schizophrenic electrical engineer Fergus (Angus Macfadyen of Braveheart, Alias, Saw III, Saw IV, Eleventh Hour, Californication, We Bought a Zone and Assassins Run) who has a habit of escaping the premises but commonly just return back before there is any issues. Yeah no serial killer patient at the hospital thus far so bummer. Long time depressive Francine (Katy Murphy of Dangerfield, Roughnecks, A Mug's Games, Mike & Angelo, Fish and Cemetery Junction) who self inflicts wounds on herself and Eddie has a soft spot for and lastly Rosalie (Ruth McCabe of The Bargain Shop, Fatal Inheritance, Scarlett, Silent Witness, The Fitz and Wild About Harry) A housewife approaching middle age with OCD on cleanliness to the point of sterilizing people as they pass her in the halls and confused to the impeding divorce from her husband.

This basket of mixed nuts are the cornerstone of the story arc as each have their own reasons, illnesses and dreams being put on hold due to the mental issues. This is much drama as there is comedy but at the end of the day it feels truer to life than the film Awakenings. Each title of the mini-series is named after a Beatles tune which really maks it embrace its surroundings along with the musical score blends so well with the soundtrack and all the action in the foreground it makes me wonder why America has rarely produced something so dark, witty and loving. I guess a story of nuts in the nut house have to be kooky, pants dropping and lighting things on fire every day. A tad monotonous to say the least.

And now it is time for those wacky fun facts!!

The scenes in the hospital were filmed in Gartloch Psychiatric Hospital in Glasgow, before it closed up. Interestingly enough, many of the extras in the scenes were actually former patients, David Tennant bowed out of the BAFTA Awards Ceremony so Angus Macfadyen's girlfriend at the time, Catherine Zeta-Jones could go in his stead.   

Absolutely no Nickelback!  Drives the patients spare.

David Tennant Week: Blackpool

Welcome one and all to Day 1 of David Tennant Week. Given I have written several Doctor Who episodes starring the fellow of the week I thought it would be nice to see some other BBC projects that he managed to snare prior his sand shoes, suit, brainy specs and long coat. Such as is the series today involving an arcade owner who is attempting to turn his arcade into an almost casino style hotel worthy of Vegas in the hopes to rake it in and give people something to do. All is good until a young man is murdered and the DI has to get into our arcade owner's business and personal life. This is Blackpool.

Well the name says it all.

The murder of a young man occurs in Ripley Holden's (David Morrissey of Stoned, Derailed, Meadowlands, Sense & Sensibility, Five Days and The Walking Dead) arcade and no stone must be left upturned. The DI (Detective Inspector, you poor yanks) in charge is one Peter Carlisle (David Tennant of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Secret Smile, Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest, The Decoy Bride and The Escape Artist) who comes off charming and good natured but is in fact quite manipulative and is convinced that Holden savaged the boy for skimming from the till or had a fight with him that went out of hand. Everyone's lives have been turned upside down as the coppers have to back and forth from the arcade to their homes and disrupt their lives in search of the truth behind the murder.

Fresh out of Jelly Babies. That was 6 regenerations ago.

Holden has his own family to think about. His wife Natalie (Sarah Parish of Cutting It, Our Hidden Lives, If I Had You, The Holiday, Mistresses, Monroe and Atlantis) who grows weary of putting on a happy face when her family is in chaos, Holden takes her for granted and in general she is lost in her own life. Their kids Shyanne (Georgia Taylor of Coronation Street, The Royal, Blackpool, Casualty and Law & Order: UK) a rotten to the core spoiled brat constantly undermining authority in need of more understanding, love and so on and Danny (Thomas Morrison of Brideshead Revisited, Doctors, Casualty, Monroe and The Theory of Everything) an awkward and deeply troubled boy that is constantly berated by his own father for not being what he deems a man. From the get-go you can see Holden has a temper but years of restraint keeps it under wraps. At the end of the day though, he screams bully and you can see how his rage take ahold of him. Our good DI seems to want Holden to be the murderer, in his heart he needs him to be the murderer as this case is eating him up. Carlisle starts to take a shine to Natalie and concluding to himself he just needs to get into Holden's head and get him to come forward and confess.

The musical score is vital to carrying the elements of the show when it gets downright sinister to the tender budding romances. Tennant and Morrissey come off as they genuinely hate one another.

Is Holden the murderer? Will Carlisle pursue Natalie and will she in turn pursue him?

And now some trivia... because you all do bar crawls and trivia games... well maybe a few of you.

Character actor David Bradley, David Morrissey and David Tennant all have a connection. Both Bradley and Tennant have been in Harry Potter and Morrissey and Tennant were in Doctor Who: The Next Doctor Christmas Special. Furthermore David Bradley portrayed William Hartnell the First Doctor in An Adventure in Time and Space. Complex that is, eh?   

What do you mean NO MORE WALKING DEAD ROLE???!!!

David Tennant Week

Hello and welcome back to the dark recesses of my mind. Last week I went AWOL(Absent WithOut Leave) due to the fact of trying to find a decent at home job. However, the great state of Nebraska is so greedy and myopic with view they have annexed many an at home job offers away that it is very difficult to find something with decent hours and fair pay. Y'know, like any other job market out there but worry not because we shall carry on regardless.

OooOo sat on myself.  Stings a bit.

This week I have chosen an actor to follow and hopefully I can drill it in the heads of several Americans that the fellow in question has done more than one character on TV as well as a few movies. He is an acclaimed Shakespearean actor that has starred in several plays, one of which was Much To Do About Nothing with his co-star Catherine Tate. He has played legendary debaucherous and decadent Cassanova to a hardened Detective Inspector Carlisle. He has been in Doctor Who for more than 4 years including two animated movies and a video game.

Voice work also allowed him to children material such as The Pirates! Band of Misfits, How to Train Your Dragon and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I speak of none other than David Tennant. This week we shall see the famous 10^th Doctor in other roles of both past and present. Okay so it is a bit of a time lord feel but sue me, it is the easiest look for me to cosplay.

That being said, let's start the week right. Allons-y!!

Just establishing I have more female and male fans panting over me, Matt.

5 of 10th Tales: The Doctor's Daughter

Greetings followers of the TARDIS. Welcome to Day 5 of 5 of the 10^th Tales. I know that you were all concerned I was not going to finish this but I got caught up in finishing two chapters in my upcoming hard boiled detective novel and was a wee bit knackered from that. So what is more fun than having a companion, seeing new worlds, writing wrongs and facing danger? How about two companions delving into that madness with our Doctor in question? We find the Doctor, Martha Jones and Donna Noble bouncing around in the TARDIS onto a mission of mercy with a distress beacon but our valiant team may find more than they bargained for. This is The Doctor's Daughter.

So dish. You snog him yet or what.

After defeating the underhanded preemptive strike on Earth by the Sontarans, the Doctor and Donna are ready to get under way. Newly added UNIT (Unified Intelligence Taskforce formerly United Nations Intelligence Taskforce) Martha Jones ends up going on what she claims is her last trip in the TARDIS as she has a life on Earth, a career in UNIT and a fella. OooOoOoO. Donna Noble (Catherine Tate of Barking, Harry Hill, Attention Scum, Wild West, The Catherine Tate Show and The Office) having previous adventures with the Doctor is his current companion and is a bit taken back how Martha (Freema Agyeman of The Bill, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Little Dorrit, Law & Order: UK and The Carrie Diaries) seems a trifle jaded but still feels the exploration bug. Personally, I think she is still irked that the Doctor didn't take her up on any of her advances to him. 900 years of age doesn't always help acknowledge a pretty girl hitting on you.

The TARDIS lands on the planet Messaline where no sooner they start poking about they come across some human soldiers demanding they come with them... at gunpoint. Yes, a familiar trend with the Doctor but for the sake of non-violence they comply. The soldiers that don't look old enough to shave or buy cigarettes cram the Doctor's hand in a machine that is called a progenator using the Doctor's DNA as a template to physically generate a female soldier.

G.I. Jane comes with all accessories show here. Vehicles sold separately.

After which a collection of aliens known as the Hath attack killing one of the soldiers and abducts Martha as a hostage. The young girl sets off an explosion that seals the corridor trapping Martha with the Hath but keeping the rest of the party from harm. At gunpoint (AGAIN) the soldiers take the Doctor and Donna to their superior officer for debrief (and pantsing) and the Doctor explains how the girl is a generated anomaly (a reproduced being through his DNA and a machine's coding) and Donna names the girl Jenny (Georgia Moffett of Bonkers, Fear, Stress and Anger, The Bill, Doctor Who: Dreamland, White Van Man and The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot).

Trapped on the other side of the corridor, Martha treats an injured Hath and gains their trust as she is whisked away to the Hath's encampment. General Cobb (Nigel Terry of The Lion in Winter, Excalibur, Feardotcom and Troy) explains to the Doctor and Donna at one point the Hath and the Humans were meant to live together but for some reason that fell apart over a dispute about something referred as " The Source" Dear God let it not be associated with Highlander 5. Oh yes, that is a real thing. Google it.

Using his macguffin... I mean sonic screwdriver, the Doctor reveals the path to the Source and Cobb rabble rouses his people into a forced march to wipe out the Hath and claim the Source for them. The Doctor and Donna try to get Cobb to see sense and he has them and Jenny locked up so they cannot interfere. Jenny and the Doctor attempt to see each others' point of view and actually bond.

Will the Doctor, Donna and Jenny be able to save Martha? Can they overt the impeding blood bath? What is the Source and what is its purpose?

A few interesting tidbits on the episode. Contrary to fanboy rumors Summer Glau was never considered for the role of Jenny. Sorry fanboys.   Georgia Moffet is the daughter of Peter Davison (the fifth Doctor) who plays the Doctor's Daughter. A year after filming with David Tennant, the two dated and had a daughter Olive in 2010, they were married a year later. Of course the wibbly wobbly timey wimey of it all that the Doctor's Daughter is the Doctor's daughter, who had the Doctor's daughter in return had the Doctor's granddaughter.   

I think we hit a pothole.

5 of the 10th Tales: The Next Doctor

Greetings fans of the Doctor and welcome back for Day 4 of 5 of the 10^th Tales. We will be skipping ahead to what is affectionately referred as the first of the 4 part finales with Tennant stepping down as the Doctor. This of course caused many emotions to flare. Loss, betrayal and sadness ranking as the highest of the lot. It is 1851, Victorian Era as The Doctor on his own lands his blue box in the heart of London on Christmas Eve. No sooner than a bit of looky loo he hears screams for help and springs into action. A young woman calling for the Doctor, Rosita (Velile Tshabalala of Streets, The Crouches, Kerching!, Euphoria and Silent Witness) as he arrives, another well-heeled gentleman also makes his way on the scene calling himself the Doctor. This is The Next Doctor.

Expelliarmus!!

Rosita and "the Doctor" (David Morrissey of Out of Control, State of Play, The Deal, Blackpool, Is Anybody There?, Line of Sight and The Walking Dead) have been following an investigation on the disappearance of people all around London attempt to capture a Cybershade (A Cyberman created servant usually made from a cat or dog) in order to have more information of the Cybermen's plans for this time line and how they will directly alter human history. The Doctor going by the old alias "John Smith" travels with this future incarnation who seems to be suffering from amnesia.

The two Doctors poke about the house of the late Reverend Fairchild, who is believed to be tied in to the disappearances when the two discover Cybermen infostamps (a data storage device) when the new Doctor recalls holding one the night he lost his memories. The two are immediately attack by Cybermen while the Doctor fends them off with a cutlass and rather deftly screaming to them that they have forgotten their own old enemy announcing who he is. The Next Doctor fries both of the Cybermen with an overloaded infostamp discharge. Handy trinket that.

Bloody snow freezing up the materialization circuits!!

One of the first of the missing men, a Jackson Lake seems to have vanished without a trace as the Doctor hypothesizes how the Cybermen could have ended up in this time, the answer being stolen tech from the Daleks during the Doomsday episode being a Dimension Vault. Rosita and the Doctor discover a vast underground complex using children yanked from workhouses as labor for this operation. The Cybermen's human ally, Miss Mercy Hartigan (Dervla Kirwan of School for Seduction, Casanova, 55 Degrees North, True Dare Kiss, Material Girl, The Silence, Injustice and Blackout) a scullery maid with a lust for power and respect gives the Cybermen slave labor to rebuild and power their downed spacecraft, a Dreadnought class cruiser.

Can the Doctors stop the Cybermen in time? Will they be able to rescue the children? Why can't the Next Doctor remember who he is?

David Morrissey was only cast 5 days before filming. No pressure there. Images of all the previous ten incarnations of the Doctor are shot on-screen leading up to David Tennant.

This was the first episdoe to be broadcast after David Tennant's announcement that he would step down from the role of the Doctor in 2010. I loved the working title of this episode as it was Court of the Cyberking. This was a pairing of both Tennant and Morrissey as they previously worked together on Blackpool.

Off for a stroll... Don't mind me!

5 of the 10th Tales: Gridlock

'Allo Whovians and welcome back to Day 3 of 5 of the 10^th Tales. I apologize for yesterday as I had a bit of a day of chores. As it is I thought we would move right into Season 3 as the Doctor has said good bye to Rose and makes his way out and about with his new friend, budding doctor Martha Jones. This is Gridlock.

Um... we're out of gas.

Given a trip into the past, The Doctor and Martha (Freema Agyeman of The Bill, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Law & Order: UK, Old Jack's Boat and The Carrie Diaries) now head into the far future back to New Earth in the year five billion and fifty three back in the city of New New York. Perusing about, the duo notices they are in a alleyway with a mild downpour when vendors are selling some form of patches to alter your moods (Better hope it is out of Beta test). Trying to find out what is going on, the Doctor talks to the vendors and Martha is abducted at gun point by a couple, Milo (Doctors, North & South, Footballers Wive$: Overtime, Vampire Killers, Don't Call Back and Cardinal Burns) and his wife Cheen (Lenora Crichlow of Sugar Rush, Kiss of Death, The Things I Haven't Told You, Collision, Material Girl, Being Human and Back in the Game). The couple explain that they need to reach their designation which is ten miles away with estimates at about six years journey.

That cat litter smell was appalling!

The Doctor panic stricken heads to the Motorway, an enclosed highway with hover vehicles had almost overcame the Doctor with carbon monoxide poisoning. Taking refuge in the van of Thomas Kincade Brannigan (Ardal O' Hanlon of Father Tedm Hooves of Fire, My Hero and Robbie the Reindeer in Legend of the Lost Tribe) a cat humanoid and his human wife Valerie (Jennifer Hennessy of The Cup, Coronation Street, Marchlands, Doctors, Wizards vs. Aliens and The Passing Bells) going nowhere it would seem. Former Sister of Plentitude Novice Hame (Anna Hope of Crime and Punishment, Doctor Who, Love Me Still, Waking the Dead and Coronation Street) assists the Face of Boe, a being of ancient line who needs to reveal a great secret to a being like himself, a nomad without a home, a lonely God.

The Doctor notices little things. Lack of government, police and rescue department as all these people seem to just move on and hopefully reach the city soon. Many have been on the Motorway for years and no end in sight, when the Doctor ponders is there actually an exit at all?

Now the Doctor has to figure out how to help these people, find Martha and deduce what happened to the city.

Writer/producer Russell T. Davies insisted this would be the last episode in the year 5 billion. The working title for the episode was Chasing Fumes. As the Doctor and Martha leave the TARDIS on New Earth, The Doctor yanks an arrow out of the TARDIS door one of Queen Elizabeth's men fired at them during the end of The Shakespeare Code.

The carpool bandits!!!

5 of the 10th Tales: School Reunion

Welcome back readers to Day 2 of 5 of the 10^th Tales. In case you have stumbled upon this write-up I will recap and state that this week pertains to episodes of the 10^th Doctor. That proper skinny fellow in the sharp suits that most of your friends will not stop doing impressions of or pining for.

This time around we head to the 3 episode of the second season of unusual happenings at an English junior high school (forgive me those across the pond, I do not recall that if it is secondary school or not) as there have been UFO sightings and people disappearing. New companions Rose and Mickey may encounter some older friends of the Doctor. This is School Reunion.

It plays DVDs, 8-Tracks and makes Cheese Toasties!

Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke of Auf Wiedereshen, Pet, Jane Hall, Doghouse, Doctor Who, Fast Girls, Storage 24 and Star Trek Into Darkness) contacts the Doctor and Rose about the efficiency of this school and the students' performances. The change of lunch menu and its special chips is one of the changes. The Doctor goes undercover as a science teacher under the guise of "John Smith" doing his own inquiries notices the uncommon intelligence of one of the physics students. Rose acts as one of the kitchen staff and notices the careful need to handle the oils for via the rest of the kitchen staff.

The headmaster of the school, Mr. Finch (Anthony Stewart Head of VR.5, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Manchild, Monarch of the Glen, Little Britain, Free Agents and Merlin) has had enough success that he is being interviewed by journalist Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen of Coronation Street, Take My Wife..., Gulliver in Lilliput, Doctor Who, Peak Practice and The Sarah Jane Adventures) and she proceeds to interview a few teachers including "John Smith" who feigns ignorance of the success all the while trying to contain his excitement reuniting with Sarah Jane. With the school day over, Team Timelord head into the school to investigate as Sarah does the same running into the TARDIS as the Doctor reveals himself to Sarah. Hooking up with the rest of the team the ladies seem to almost be rivals to the Doctor. Heading to Sarah's car is a battered almost dead K-9 the Mark 3 version and the Doctor preps to repair him, getting him up and running.

Now Buffy, you must understand I am evil these days.

The next day the Doctor confronts Mr. Finch who establishes he and his compatriots are Krillitanes, a species that can absorb abilities of race they have conquered. Finch attempts to detour the Doctor and finding that impossible. The chemicals in the chips are stimulating the kids' minds running in slaved computers all working computations in effort to solve the Skasis Paradigm or the Universal Formula of everything. Whoever holds this formula would have the power of a god and could shape time, space and matter into whatever they desire. Finch amazed how quickly the Doctor deduced what they were doing and offered to join forces to bring about the timelords and right all the wrongs that a cruel universe inflicted on him. Tempted, the Doctor was taken back until Sarah became the voice of reason to alter his mind. Can the Doctor and team be able to thwart the Krillitanes? Can the children be saved?

A few points of interest on the episode. Elisabeth Sladen warned the crew on the difficulties of the K-9 prop would be as it had a reputation for breaking down. In spite of 30 years of new tech, Sladen's warning will proved to be correct. Anthony Head had screen tested for the Doctor in the 1996 TV movie. 8.3 million viewers watched this episode when first transmitted. The K-9 prop at the end of the episode was one of the original props from the 1970s. The working title of the episode was Old Friends and while it works to some degree it does not encompass the whole show.

Fan girls commence your professor fantasy drooling...

5 of the 10th Tales: New Earth

Greetings to Day 1 of 5 of the 10^th Tales. We view the Doctor fresh from his regeneration, disappointed that he is still not ginger, he manages to move on and explore the vast unknown universe with Rose Tyler (Billie Piper of Spirit Trap, Doctor Who, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, The Shadow in the North and Penny Dreadful) on their way to New New York. This is New Earth.

It's only a model.

After thwarting the alien invasion of the Sycorax via the Christmas special, we see the Doctor prepping the TARDIS for yet another adventure with Rose at his side.

With the lost of the original Earth, humanity simply colonized another planet of similar conditions. Viewing this stupendous mega city (No Judge Dredds wanted!) the Doctor receives a message on his psychic paper to "Ward 26. Please Help." in this substantial hospital ran by cat humanoids known as the Sisters of Plentitude treating almost every known ailment found in the universe and even able to combat new potential illnesses with an amazing rate.

I'm warm.  You warm?  Bloody coat!

The Doctor and Rose get separated in the turbolifts and he does warn her of the decontamination process they will undergo. While the Doctor is roaming about Ward 26 seeing beings suffering from ailments that are ravaging their bodies, the care they are be furnished should not be helping these in most cases are terminal and yet they are recovering. The Doctor asks one of the cat nuns Sister Jatt (Adjoa Andoh of Casualty, Jet Ski Riders, Fable, The Bill, Doctor Who and Dante's Inferno) how is this possible and she lets him off with an idle platitude of working in mysterious ways.

Meanwhile Rose finds herself in a basement area with some pasty albino and Cassandra of from the year 5 billion as the Earth got roasted by the sun going supernova. But Cassandra passed on, so how can she be here? Cassandra (Zoe Wanamaker of The Blackheath Poisonings, Love Hurts, Prime Suspect: The Scent of Darkness, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and My Week with Marilyn) informs Rose that strange things are happening in this hospital and not all is what it seems... and then performs a body snatch, claiming Rose's body as her own and pushing Rose's persona back in the farther reaches of the brain.

With a mystery at his fingertips, his companion behaving strangely and the cat nuns seems to be secretive, The Doctor's itch needs to be scratched. Will the mystery be solved? Can the Doctor help Rose and all the patients of this hospital?

A few comments to be made on the episode. All of Billie Piper and David Tennant's dialogue had to be re-dubbed in the studio due to the windy conditions on the location shoot their microphones. Eight million viewer watched this episode on its original transmission.

Billie Piper's boyfriend at the time rammed his car into the prop known as the Face of Boe by accident on his way to visit her on the set. What a way to ingratiate yourself to the crew.

Cat breath is horrendous. Gave her a Greenie though. All better.

5 of 10th Tales

Hello boys and girls and welcome to the week! It took a bit of time to come up with the week in question but then after cosplaying the fellow in question more than a few times it just made sense. I speak of the 10^th Doctor played by David Tennant.

Wonder the radioactivity is a bit high? Ah, it looks cool.

You see, 9 a.k.a. Chris Eccelston restarted this franchise after 16 years not being on the air, was a bit grumpy and snarky and at the end was able to do the right thing as always. Being one of the few survivors of the Time War, the Doctor was broken and lost until interacting with Rose Tyler, a human girl that managed to get through his chitinous armor and make his hearts renew but a major plot device allowed for the Doctor to regenerate into a tall, lanky fellow that defeated an alien invasion in a dressing gown and jim jams. Donning a brown suit with white trainers or a blue suit and maroon trainers because... well he is different.

With each incarnation of the Doctor is a different personality, style and pizzaz. The ladies seem to adore him and the fellas want to be him. With a insane behavior similar to Tom Baker's 4^th Doctor then sudden dead serious when the situation calls for it, our Doctor leaps over the chasms, draws swords against great odds and wows the universe. Tennant did three seasons, two animated movies, 3 christmas specials and five TV movie sagas including the 50^th anniversary of Doctor Who, Tennant's 10 is beloved by many and deemed one of the most popular Doctors in the series. It is also one of the more easier Doctor garb to wear.

With this all in mind Rotten Reelz Reviews presents: 5 of the 10^th Tales. Enjoy!

Trust me when I say you do not want to be probed by this sonic.