The (New) Doctor Is In

April 5, 2010 By

Warning: This post contains spoilers.

Way back in January of last year, the BBC announced that the newest incarnation of the iconic sci-fi character The Doctor would also be the youngest. Matt Smith would be the youngest actor ever to play the ancient Time Lord.

Well, UK viewers were finally able to get a proper glimpse of Matt in action on Easter Saturday with the transmission of the new Doctor Who episode, The Eleventh Hour. So how did it go?

Ooh, new title sequence. I didn’t expect that for some reason – the visuals and theme tune have both been updated. The visuals are fantastic – not so sure about the theme tune but it’s not terrible. It’ll probably grow on me. Anyway, onward to the episode itself.

Regeneration stories are always a bit wierd. The audience is getting used to a new Doctor, and a new Doctor is getting used to the role. I thought Matt played the traditional confusion really well and it was an interesting angle to have his Doctor not really “arriving” until near the end of the episode. He was still recognisable, but kept making mistakes including blowing up his sonic screwdriver.

It will be good to see how Matt settles in as the series continues, and I’m keen to find out what his “normal” personality will be like. If we’re to believe his own words, it’ll be one of “a madman with a box”!

The episode is fast-paced and it looks like Matt is going to bring a whole bundle of energy to the role. His new companion, Amy Pond played by Karen Gillan, is nicely distrustful and not as willing to simply go along with what she’s told as some past ones. There already seems to be a nice relationship between Amy and The Doctor, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that develops too.

I will admit to being a bit confused to start with, because I was visiting my sister and we had the telly on in the background. So I couldn’t hear it properly and thought when Amy appeared she was wearing an awfully short skirt for a policewoman (not that I’m complaining, really). All becomes clear if you watch it with the volume up though :)

As well as a new Doctor this series introduces a new TARDIS. The exterior looks much cleaner than the previous one, but it’s the console room that’s had the most noticeable change. The organic coral look is toned down in favour of a more angular and technological style. The set is on several different levels reminiscent of the console room from the Peter Cushing movies. I really like the new look apart from the blown glass Time Rotor – it just doesn’t look right to me. But the rest of the room, and the multiple exits that suggest more of the TARDIS might appear on screen all look great.

My favourite moment was a nod to long-standing fans that runs through the face of every Doctor from William Hartnell up to David Tennant, and then Matt proclaims, “Hello, I’m The Doctor”. Favourite one-liner was definitely, “You’re Scottish – fry something!”

The Eleventh Hour was a decent start to the new season. It was enjoyable, but not mindblowingly spectacular. Still, it’s the first episode for a new Doctor, companion, and executive producer, and there’s plenty more to come!

Oh, and finally, the trailer afterwards showed… wait for it… Spitfires. In space. Firing lasers at Dalek Motherships. That’s like every childhood dream rolled into one! Can’t wait for that one!

Did you see The Eleventh Hour? What did you think? Does it look like you’re going to like this new series of Doctor Who? Let us know in the comments.

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V – Coming to the UK soon

March 29, 2010 By

I remember walking down the street as a child with my dad. On the wall, someone had spray painted a large red V. I asked my dad what it meant, and he told me it was just a TV show. As far as I was concerned that was the end of the matter.

I now realise I missed a series that some consider to be a sci-fi classic! But here comes my chance to see, not the original, but a new version.

The reimagined series of V comes to the SCI FI channel on Tuesday 13th April with a 2 episode double bill.

V is all about mysterious Visitors who come to Earth with a message of hope and peace. In their hour of need the human race find their saviour in the V’s, but are the Visitors all that they claim to be? Sceptical humans begin to develop an agenda of their own – resistance.

V stars Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) as FBI agent Erica Evans, Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols, Joel Gretsch as Father Jack, with Morena Baccarin (Firefly) as Anna, the beautiful V leader, and Scott Wolf (Party of Five) as Chad Decker.

It doesn’t tell you too much, but have a look at the teaser trailer below (double-click to start it playing):

What do you think? I never saw the original series, but if you did how do you think it will compare?

V premiers on SCI FI (UK), 10pm on Tuesday 13th April.

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Atomic Swarm by Jason Bradbury [review]

February 2, 2010 By

Jason Bradbury, who you most probably know as one of the presenters of The Gadget Show, released his first children’s novel, Dot.Robot, last year. It was a cracking tale of technology and geekery so when the second book in the series was released I made sure I got my copy quickly!

Atomic Swarm picks up the story of Jackson Farley after he’s left home and taken up a scholarship at MIT. He’s still working on remote-controlled robots, but no longer for the MeX organisation of the first book. Instead he’s working with his MeX partner Brooke and her father.

There’s some really clever storytelling here. Much of the book is devoted to Jackson’s work with Dr English but you’re aware that there’s something going on in the background. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen, and when, but without being frustrated by the wait to find out. And when it does happen it’s another exciting tale of intrigue and twists. I was constantly guessing what the real storyline was and whether the events so far were just leading up to a twist – suffice to say it certainly kept my interest right up to the end.

Much as with the first book, I’m a little surprised how much I enjoyed this given its 11+ target audience. I also find myself still amazed that the technology referenced in the story is all real! Much of it is so cutting edge that we won’t see it in general use for a while, but real all the same.

I loved the first Dot.Robot and I’m pleased to say I thought Atomic Swarm was just as good. It’s available from Amazon.co.uk* now, and well worth picking up a copy.

* Affiliate link

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Bring back the Time Lords! [Doctor Who]

January 4, 2010 By

Warning: This post contains spoilers concerning the Doctor Who Christmas and New Year specials – if you haven’t seen them and don’t want to know anything about them, STOP READING!

Christmas Day usually brings an extra treat here in the UK (aside from the usual presents, I mean). For a few years now there’s been a Doctor Who Christmas special to look forward to, but this year we also got a New Year’s Day one.

The Christmas Day one was pretty strange, with my dad and I sitting there wondering what on earth was going on. Part two, on New Year’s Day, was much better and introduced us to the new Doctor, played by Matt Smith. Something else really excited me about the story, though, the return of Gallifrey and the Time Lords!

If you’re wondering what on earth I’m talking about here’s the summary: The Time Lords are a race of people from the planet Gallifrey. They harnessed the power of a black hole (the Eye of Harmony) and used the energy from that to develop time travel technology. The Doctor is a Time Lord, dotting around the universe in a stolen TARDIS. The Time Lords are no more, however, after a devastating war that left them sealed within a time bubble… only the Doctor and the Master survived.

The Time Lords make a return in this Christmas and New Year’s specials, but the Doctor is horrified by the thought. While Doctor Who fans might remember them as benevolent overseers of time, avoiding interference in the affairs of other species and trying to track down renegade members of their species (the Doctor included) they’ve changed into warmongering people, determined to destroy everything that has ever existed simply to win their war. So… they don’t get to stay around very long.

I had really hoped they’d come back though, because they were among the only people the Doctor couldn’t just wow with his tricks: they knew most of them.

Psychic paper? “Yeh, you probably just nicked that from stores.” TARDIS bigger on the inside than outside? “They’re all like that – we designed them that way, and don’t think of running off ‘cos we’ve changed your TARDIS’ locks.”

Ok, so I’m being a bit silly, but I loved the idea of the Doctor being on the run, a hero to many but a renegade to his own people. I loved there being someone genuinely more powerful than the Doctor, and I loved the idea that another Time Lord could come along in any story and we’d discover a bit more about the race’s background. But it looks like that’s all behind us now.

I have to say, the new series’ of Doctor Who have been fantastic… I’ve just never really liked the “last Time Lord” thing and thought this year’s specials were a great chance to bring them back. It’s a shame that didn’t happen.

Am I the only one to think that? What did you think of the episodes, if you saw them? And what of the Time Lords? Have your say in the comments!

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And Another Thing… by Eoin Colfer [Review]

November 2, 2009 By

Eoin Colfer’s “And Another Thing…” is, on the face of it, a strange book. It’s the sixth instalment of Douglas Adams’ Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. According to the blurb in the back cover “Douglas Adams always intended to write a sixth Hitchiker’s book, but his unfortunate early death in 2001 meant he never got the chance. Now, acclaimed humorist and bestselling author Eoin Colfer, creator of the widely acclaimed (and much-misunderstood) anti-hero Artemis Fowl, has been invited to once again set Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect adrift in space and time.” A Hitchiker’s book not written by Douglas Adams? Hmm, we’ll have to see about that.

One of the characterising features of the Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has always been a sense of silliness -  bizarre plot twists that leave you feeling slightly lost whilst still marveling at the cleverness of the story. I remember listening to the radio play of the first book and wondering what on earth was happening when Arthur and Ford first encountered the Heart of Gold, but then realising the whole thing was actually a very clever plot device. So there’s a definite feeling to a Hitchiker’s book, and Eoin has actually managed to capture that pretty well in And Another Thing…. He’s got the balance right between keeping the reader on their toes with unexpected twists, but not straying into the completely ridiculous! In short, this definitely feels like a Hitchiker’s book.

I don’t want to give away any major spoilers, but the story has all the usual characters we’ve got to know in the other Hitchiker’s books, including those jobsworth Vogons. The story cracks on at a fast pace and is brilliantly enjoyable. It’s not absolutely necessary to have read the first five books in the series to enjoy this one, but doing so will definitely help you understand more of what’s going on.

If you’re a fan of the Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy you definitely won’t want to miss this. And if you’re not a fan… well, either get hold of the first five books and build up to this one, or just jump straight in and enjoy it!

And Another Thing… is available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

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Stargate Universe starting tonight on Sky1 [UK]

October 6, 2009 By

Stargate Universe, the latest series of the Stargate franchise starts tonight (October 6th) on Sky1 and Sky1 HD in the UK. It’s been great to see that media companies are going for global series runs more and more these days, so we’re only a few days behind Stargate Universe’s run in the US!

But what’s it all about?

SGU will follow a team of explorers headed up by Dr Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle). They must fend for themselves as they are forced through a Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack. The desperate survivors emerge aboard an ancient ship, which is locked on an unknown course and unable to return to Earth. Faced with meeting the most basic needs of food, water and air, the group must unlock the secrets of the ship’s Stargate to survive. The danger, adventure and hope they find on board the Destiny will reveal the heroes and villains among them.

The series will take on a dynamic new direction, promising be edgier in tone and appealing to longtime Stargate fans and first-time viewers alike.

OK, so you can’t get too much of an idea from a press release, but here are a few clips for you to enjoy too:

From what I’ve seen of SGU so far (and admittely it’s all promotional material) it looks like it is indeed going to be a dark and edgy series, but it also looks like it’s going to be pretty good. Tune in tonight if you can and see what you think – and feel free to let us know in the comments! Or, if you’re in a country that’s ahead of the UK why not let us know what you thought of the premiere? Just try to avoid spoilers :)

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Win Wii & PC Games in the Summer Gaming Tournament

September 30, 2009 By

Summer may be on the way out, certainly if the weather here is to be believed, but the SCI FI Channel is seeing it out in style, with the SCI FI Summer Gaming Tournament.

No Olympics this summer, no major football competitions (if that’s your thing), the F1 season is coming to a conclusion (admittedly, an exciting one), so what else is there? There’s the chance to win PC and Wii games by competing against others online!

The tournament consists of contests on Thunderbirds Sudoku, Thunderbirds Docking Station and Brains Teaser, with Wii and PC games up for grabs for the five highest new entries on each contest. The outright champion of each game receives a bonus prize too, so there’s an incentive to be better than “good”… be the best.

To win you must post a top five high score on any of the games before Friday 9th October. Head on over to the tournament page for full details of prizes, conditions and, of course, to enter.

SCI FI Summer Gaming Tournament

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Dot.Robot by Jason Bradbury [Review]

September 28, 2009 By

“Congratulations, Jackson. Welcome to MeX.” Dot.com billionaire Devlin Lear, founder of the top-secret defence force MeX, has been watching Jackson Farley. He knows he has found a digital genius. Along with three other brilliant gamers from different corners of the world, Lear needs Jackson to join him and stop the criminal heist of the century. And all by the power of the most highly advanced, state-of-the-art robots ever invented. Are Jackson and the MeX recruits as good as Lear thinks? And how does Jackson know quite who to trust when they can never meet face-to-face? (Amazon.co.uk)

Jason Bradbury’s Dot.Robot is one of those stories I’d have loved when I were a lad. It reminded me of the film “The Last Starfighter” where a boy completes an arcade game and then discovers that it was actually a training and recruitment tool for an alien defence force. It’s a story of “gamer turned hero”… and to think people say playing computers games is a waste of time…

Actually, it’s a bit wrong to say I’d have loved this story when I were a lad, because I loved it last week and I’m 30! The introduction to the book states that all the technology mentioned in the story is real, which is amazing to consider as you read through it. Autonomous cars, remote-operated aircraft, and other high-tech gadgetry make this science fiction in the proper sense (i.e. fiction actually based on science) and make you wonder what might be possible as these technologies become more common.

But what of the story itself? Well, I don’t want to reveal too much, obviously, but it hurtles along at a fast pace, drawing you through conspiracy, tension, and drama… and there’s a nice twist too. It’s written for children aged 11+ but certainly didn’t feel childish to read as an adult, so if you don’t have kids don’t let that stop you picking up a copy!

Would I recommend reading Dot.Robot? Absolutely! Whether you’re a teenager or an adult, whether you’re into gadgets or just want to read a good story, pick up a copy and find out what happens to Jackson and his gaming teammates.

Dot.Robot is available on Amazon.co.uk.

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Warehouse 13 on SCI FI [UK]

September 7, 2009 By

US television series Warehouse 13 gets its UK debut this week on the SCI FI channel. If you’ve not heard about Warehouse 13, and I admit that I hadn’t until I got the e-mail about it, here’s a bit of what to expect…

The SCI FI channel presents on Sept 8th at 9pm the all-new one-hour dramedy adventure series “Warehouse 13″ starring Eddie McClintock (“Bones,” “Desperate Housewives”), Joanne Kelly (“Vanished,” “Jeremiah”) and Saul Rubinek (“Nero Wolf,” “Frasier”).

After saving the life of the President, two Secret Service agents played by McClintock and Kelly find themselves abruptly transferred to Warehouse 13 — a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government.

The series has been a big hit in the US, with episode six being the highest-viewed programme in the history of Syfy (yes, that’s what the channel’s really called). Given that Syfy also ran the excellent Battlestar Galactica re-imagining, getting the “most viewed” slot is quite an achievement… I’ve got my recorder set, and I’m looking forward to seeing just what’s inside Warehouse 13.

You can find out more on the SCI FI website, and catch the first episode on Tuesday 8th September, 9pm on the SCI FI channel (UK)

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Tron: Legacy [Trailer/Teaser]

August 3, 2009 By

I saw Tron when I was a wee lad, and although I didn’t really understand it I did love the look of the film and the idea of being sucked into a computer game. It’s only grown on me as I’ve got older and understood more of the story and started to get some of the techie references.

Well, Disney have decided to have another crack at this brilliant film with Tron: Legacy. The story (from Apple’s trailer page) is:

Sam Flynn (GARRETT HEDLUND), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (JEFF BRIDGES), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant (OLIVIA WILDE), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

If ever there was a movie that would benefit from updates in special FX, Tron’s it – so enjoy this trailer/teaser/SFX test and get ready to wait for the release with all the geeky anticipation you can muster :)

More details (release date, locations etc.) will follow as and when we get them!

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