
Another exciting week in Doctor Who! Lots to report on!
Vampires of Venice Review Schedule
As we have been doing for every episode – we’ll be watching Doctor Who: The Vampires of Venice live as it airs and then we will write our review shortly thereafter. Expect our review of Vampires of Venice around mid-afternoon USA Time. We can’t wait!
Terry Prachett Says Doctor Who is Ridiculous
Famous British Sci-fi writer Sir Terry Pratchett says that Doctor Who is bad science fiction.
The unexpected, unadvertised solution which kisses it all better is known as a deus ex machina – literally, a god from the machine. And a god from the machine is what the Doctor now is. A decent detective story provides you with enough tantalising information to allow you to make a stab at a solution before the famous detective struts his stuff in the library. Doctor Who replaces this with speed, fast talking, and what appears to be that wonderful element “makeitupasyougalongeum”. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I would dare try to jump-start a spaceship that looks like the Titanic by diving it into the atmosphere… but I have to forgive the Doctor that, because it was hilariously funny.
People say Doctor Who is science fiction. At least people who don’t know what science fiction is, say that Doctor Who is science fiction. Star Trek approaches science fiction. The horribly titled Star Cops which ran all too briefly on the BBC in the 1980s was the genuine pure quill of science fiction, unbelievable in some aspects but nevertheless pretty much about the possible. Indeed, several of its episodes relied on the laws of physics for their effect (I’m particularly thinking of the episode “Conversations With The Dead”). It had a following, but never caught on in a big way. It was clever, and well thought out. Doctor Who on the other hand had an episode wherein people’s surplus body fat turns into little waddling creatures. I’m not sure how old you have to be to come up with an idea like that. The Doctor himself has in recent years been built up into an amalgam of Mother Teresa, Jesus Christ (I laughed my socks off during the Titanic episode when two golden angels lifted the Doctor heavenwards) and Tinkerbell. There is nothing he doesn’t know, and nothing he can’t do. He is now becoming God, given that the position is vacant. Earth is protected, we are told, and not by Torchwood, who are human and therefore not very competent. Perhaps they should start transmitting the programme on Sundays.
Read the rest of the article here.
I think he’s full of crap. Doctor Who is fun, it never pretends to be serious science fiction.
Karen Gillan on the Graham Norton Show
Karen Gillan recently made an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. She’s so lovely and it’s worth watching.

Doctor Who Proms Dates Set!
As we mentioned last week – it’s been confirmed that there will be two Doctor Who related Proms concerts. According to the BBC Press Release:
Doctor Who returns to the BBC Proms in 2010 with brand-new Time Lord Matt Smith and his assistant, Karen Gillan, both joining the family spectacular in person.
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, who record the sound-tracks for the series, provide intergalactic music such as Murray Gold’s music from the TV show, plus a selection of classical favourites, including Wagner’s Ride Of The Valkyries, Holst’s Mars, from The Planets, and Orff’s Carmina Burnana.
Tickets are now available online at bbc.co.uk/proms, by telephone: 0845 401 5040 and in person at the Royal Albert Hall.
Saturday 24 July – 7.30-c.9.30pm – Doctor Who Prom Sunday 25 July – 11am-c.1.00pm: Doctor Who Prom Karen Gillan (the Doctor’s companion, Amy Pond) and Matt Smith (the Doctor) host an intergalactic musical adventure featuring Murray Gold’s music from the TV series, plus a selection of classical favourites.
Wish I could be there!
Vampires of Venice Intro Clip

12 Teasers from The Vampires of Venice
1 It’s a great, big fun episode with probably the biggest number of laugh-out-loud one-liners so far this season – but more “Shakespeare Code†than “The Unicorn And The Wasp†in tone.
2 There’s a great visual gag involving the Doctor getting everyone to shush up.
3 Croatia plays Venice pretty well.
4 The final shot is a very unusual. Not sure what it means, but it’s cool.
5 There’s more snogging
6 Somebody swaps clothes with somebody else.
7 There’s a great reason why the vampires don’t have reflections.
8 Structurally it’s a very traditional Doctor Who story.
9 Guest stars Helen McCrory and Alex Price (Gilbert from Being Human) are both excellent.
10 The Doctor makes an unexpected entrance.
11 There an extratextual in-joke that’s a doozy.
12 Some of the cinematography and lighting is just exquisite.
Source: Life The Universe and the Combom
Clips Released from the Vampires of Venice
Promo Pictures from the Vampires of Venice
Synopsis of The Hungary Earth Released
The BBC has released a synopsis of upcoming episode The Hungary Earth:
It’s 2015 and the most ambitious drilling project in history has reached deeper beneath the Earth’s crust than man has ever gone before – but now the ground itself is fighting back.
In the latest episode of the time-travelling drama, written by Chris Chibnall, the Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive in a tiny mining village and find themselves plunged into a battle against a deadly danger from a bygone age.
Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
