Friday 29 April 2011

The Royal Endeavour


Role playing on Twitter seems to be an immensely popular pastime. And not just in the fictional world of the Doctor. I created @TheDoctor_XI not out of any desire to play the part, but more as an interesting exercise in writing, to see if I could capture the character in tweet form. I wanted to try and make the tweets sound as if they naturally belonged in the mouth of the Eleventh Doctor. Whether or not I have succeeded in that is for others to judge.

It then occurred to me that I could write and, in a way, perform, a live Doctor Who story on Twitter that would capitalise on the Royal Wedding and the final launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. To that end I created @AmyTheLegs @RoryTheNose and @K9mark4. @_Brigadier @TheZygon and @TheWire were created by someone else. And their identity I will not reveal...

Ably assisted by @5th_Dr in a special cameo appearance. I wrote the script for a story I titled The Royal Endeavour. The Wire seemed like a natural choice for an enemy, given its penchant for Royal events. And why not throw in a Zygon for good measure!

I admit, I did underestimate how hectic it would be, playing so many different characters. In the original script I even allowed for ten minute gaps in places. In the end, it quickly became clear that I didn’t even have time for a ten second gap!

Throughout I used the #DWBar hashtag in the hope that the story would attract more followers and WhoBarians. I hope that I have been successful in that. At one point in the story I appealed to followers of @DoctorWhoBar to tweet “Save me Doctor”, stealing the idea completely from Russell T Davies and Martha’s quest in The Last of the Time Lords! In my imagination I had hoped for a flood of “Save me Doctors” sadly, I only got four! One of which was me.

Undeterred, I deemed that these four responses were just enough for what the Doctor needed, so the world and Rory Pond were saved!

It did overrun slightly, I had intended for @5th_Dr to make an appearance at 11.45 and that had to move to 11.50. Also, the original ending would have seen the TARDIS blocking the doors of Westminster Abbey.  However since the Wedding was over when I got to the ending, I shifted the materialisation to the Mall instead.

Overall, it was a fun experience, though if I ever do such a thing again I will certainly try to feature fewer characters!

Building an Earthshock Cyberman Part 1.

I have always wanted a life size Earthshock Cyberman. I like all the versions of the Cybermen, but the Earthshock/Five Doctors/Attack design has always struck me as a personal favourite. In 1997 I was lucky enough to get a battered chest unit that was cast from one of the originals - apparently from the Cyberman that gets stuck in the door. This is as far as my Cyber-aspirations came until this year. I have made plenty of other Who-related props & costumes in the meantime, but that's another story..


A couple of lucky finds on eBay turned up a couple of pairs of the actual type of boots used in The Five Doctors & Attack of the Cybermen, as well as a very close match to the 80's era zip-backed gloves. All they needed was painting. A few coats of Plasti-Kote Silver and the desired effect was achieved. No priming was needed as the coats covered very well.

The next piece is in the puzzle was the helmet - a Cyberleader, which I luckily managed to get from a friend. I had started to restore the chest unit by this time and with much fibreglass resin, filler and swearing it started to become usable again. There's still a bit more to do on it, but as I was working outside, the weather limited my activity. No problems now though:-) I just need to source some .22 bullet trays from the small panels front and rear and make a perspex cover for the top part of the unit.


I bought a boiler suit with a view to adding all the various pipes and mesh as locating an RAF mark 2c ventilated flight suit has become very expensive! This is a work in progress and I hope to be able to post more at a later date.

Coming in Part 2 - The Cybergun!

Thursday 28 April 2011

Not Quite a Sarah Jane Adventure



 #DWBar – Not Quite a Sarah Jane Adventure.

A Purely Fictional Account of the Viewing of K9 And Company.

“You would think it would be easier to say something in a hundred and forty characters without going over,” Sarah rolled her eyes at the screen in front of her. “Mr. Smith, you have that silly thing ready to play don’t you.”

“I do.” Mr. Smith answered. “However I don’t understand why the dog had his own series.”

“Hey, it was about me too.” Sarah sniffed then rolled her eyes. “Oh god, I’d as soon listen to my sonic squeal as that music.” She chuckled then. “Yes, quite convinced you’re actually an evil alien bent on world domination through appreciation of horrible music, Mr @ianrdw.”

“Mum!” Luke came through the door before Sarah Jane had a chance to hide what she was up to.

“Luke.” Sarah jumped up guiltily and stood in front of the screen of her laptop. “What are you doing home?”

“Finished up early.” He leaned up and kissed her on the cheek then peered over her shoulder. “Who’s @HighlandDude, Mum? And why are you tweeting?” He looked bemused.

“Oh fine, you caught me. It’s an alias, Luke. For me.” Sarah’s shoulders slumped. “It’s something Mr. Smith and I found. Idle hands and all.” She grinned. “It’s another dimension, I think. Mr. Smith managed to tap me in and we’re watching … uhm … old TV shows and commenting on them.”

“Couldn’t you do that here?” Luke looked a little concerned.

“Not quite.” Sarah sighed. “Oh we’re about to start. Queue it up, Mr. Smith. You might as well sit down and watch with me.” She perched in front of her laptop and got ready to comment about something else.

“Uhm, mum… That’s you.” Luke’s eyes had widened.

“Not quite, thankfully.” Sarah looked sad for a moment. “No, that’s just an actress who played me. Actually she’s not just anyone. Her name was Elisabeth Sladen, but we’ll talk about that later.”

“Mistress?” K9 had settled beside Luke on the floor.

“Yes, K9?” Sarah couldn’t keep the amusement out of her voice.

“That is me, Mistress. I remember this incident however…” K9 started to correct.

“We’ll quibble about the details later, K9.” Sarah Jane sighed. “Just watch. I have tweeting to do.”


Article by @HighlandDude

Acting The Heart Out

 Having watched ‘The Impossible Astronaut’ for the second time, it really hit me just how good an Actress Karen Gillan is. 


Being in the fortunate position of knowing what it is like behind the camera, it is quiet difficult to reach a place of absolute pain and anguish. Such dramatic acting to ensure believability is a skill which I find can be harnessed by accessing the core memory in which one’s own sadness is derived from. I had wondered how Karen reached this very deep emotional area while filming.




In contrast, Alex Kingston’s quiet and matter of fact way of acting, even though she showed she was holding back emotion for her character, was wonderful to behold also. To act as though you are unwilling to show emotion, but expressing how hard it is to keep that emotion from your voice and face is quite a feat in itself.


Article by @GallifreyLady

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Talking Who - Episode Two


The second episode of the new 'Talking Who' Live web series airs today.

They will be back with Episode 2 on Wednesday. Joining regular hosts Elisar and Sean this week as guest host will be popular British Youtube Personality, Barry Aldridge (www.youtube.com/barryaldridge). Whovian Barry has been posting his reviews of Doctor Who episodes on his Youtube channel alongside his regular blogs.

In this week's episode Elisar, Sean and Barry will be reviewing "The Impossible Astronaut" and the "Planet of the Spiders" DVD along with discussing the latest Doctor Who news.

"Join us live in the chat room and tweet us your comments and reviews and we will be reading out some of them live on the show".

So, to join in with Talking Who, tweet @TalkingWho on Twitter or post a message on their YouTube or Ustream live chat.

You can watch live on YouTube here (click on the Live Tab)  or watch live on Ustream here

Wednesday 27th April
9pm UK
4pm New York
1pm Los Angeles

Tuesday 26 April 2011

A Girl's Best Friend




K-9 and Company  was a proposed television spin-off of the original series run of Doctor Who (1963–1989). 

It was to feature former series regulars Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist played by Elisabeth Sladen, and K-9. Both characters had been companions of the Fourth Doctor, but they had not appeared together before. A single episode, "A Girl's Best Friend", was produced as a pilot for the proposed series, but was not taken up. The episode was broadcast by BBC1 as a Christmas Special on 28 December 1981.

To celebrate Elisabeth Sladen's life, you can join us for "A Girl's Best Friend" tomorrow from 7.00pm. (Press Play at 7.30pm)

Follow us: @doctorwhobar
Email us: doctorwhobar@gmail.com


The Impossible Astronaut



What can I say apart from this was a brilliant episode right from the start.  It was a bit shocking to see the Doctor get shot from the said astronaut, and he started to regenerate and then he got shot again and killed?  But as we all know it's a Steven Moffat story and this was just the start.  Amy, Rory and River all turn up to help the Doctor in this epic two part story and Alex Kingston was great as always.  The Silence made an appearance, they look a bit like an alien version of the Men in Black too me.  It was set in America and the main part of the story will be set in 1969 and in space!! So tune in next week for part two of Day of the Moon, it will be awesome!   

Saturday 23 April 2011

The Impossible Astronaut


Dedicated to Lis Sladen

1946 - 2011


Elisabeth Sladen Tribute on CBBC


There will be a special tribute to the  actress Elisabeth Sladen tonight on CBBC at 6.45pm immediately after Doctor Who finishes on BBC1.

Elisabeth starred as Sarah Jane Smith opposite two Doctors, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.  She later reprised her starring role in Doctor Who in both The Five Doctors, and in School Reunion acting opposite the Tenth Doctor David Tennant.

She later got to meet the Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith when he guest starred in her series The Sarah Jane Adventures, in an adventure called Death of the Doctor, which guest starred her predecessor in Doctor Who, Katy Manning as Jo Grant.

Lis will be sorely missed, not just by the children who currently watch The Sarah Jane Adventures but the adults who were kids when she first appeared as Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who.

Series 6 Launch Party Tonight!



Join us at 5.30pm Tonight, to tweet about the first episode of Doctor Who's Sixth Series.  The New Series stars Matt Smith as the Doctor, Alex Kingston as River Song, Karen Gillan as Amy Pond and Arthur Darvill as Rory Pond!



The sci-fi series returns!  Three blue coloured envelopes bring the three Time Travellers to the Utah desert and a new encounter with the enigmatic River Song! 

With the mysterious missives still unexplained, the Doctor and his friends agree to investigate further, and his quest takes him back to 1969 - and an encounter with US President Richard Nixon, who is recieving some eerie late night phone calls! 




First of a two-part adventure, Guest Starring Mark Sheppard, William Morgan Sheppard, Stuart Milligan, Chuk Iwuji, Mark Griffin, Marnix Van Den Broeke, Sydney Wade, Nancy Baldwin, Adam Napier, Henrietta Clemett, Paul Critoph and Kieran O'Connor.

Make sure you join us back in the Doctor Who Bar after the first episode has wrapped up, to discuss the events of the first episode.

Friday 22 April 2011

Matt Smith is the Eleventh Doctor!



Please Note, this article contains Spoilers for the New Series!

When Matt Smith was first cast as the Doctor many people moaned that he was too young for the role to take the part of the Doctor seriously!  I must admit I had reservations myself, but was eager to see what he could bring to the role!  I needn't have worried, Smith is a breathe of fresh air and his incarnation owes a lot to a few of the Doctor's from the shows original run!  Visually Matt Smith looks a lot like a younger Jon Pertwee, perhaps it's his nose which does this for me but it's also his timeless elegance and stature which Pertwee had in abundance! 

Matt Smith is a self confessed Pat Troughton fan, apparently Steven Moffat gave him the DVD of
Tomb of the Cybermen (the Bar watched this story a few weeks ago!).  His own costume is very reminiscent of Pat's Second Doctor costume!



Matt's debut coincided with a change in Production, Russell T. Davies left to pursue other interests and Steven Moffat replaced him as Executive Producer and Head Writer.  Like John Nathan-Turner before him  Steven Moffat made sweeping changes to the progarmme, he changed the shows title sequence and the theme music.  The TARDIS Police Box shell recieved a makeover becoming more like the William Hartnell original, and in so doing strengthened the bond between the New Series and the original one.  The TARDIS interior also recieved a make over with a new set and a new console, this time an hexagonal one!  Just like the old series! The Daleks too recieved a facelift but it was this radical, controversial re-design of the basic Dalek shape which has divided fandom!  The kids probably love them, but the shows fans
have mixed feelings about them!



Matt has really made the part his own, following the departure of David Tennant, it was hard for many to see someone else take over the role.  Tennant's manic personality has been replaced by a more quieter, more studious incarnation, who can always take control of the situation.  Matt's Doctor harks back to the original premise of the programme, a mysterious wanderer in Time & Space who has secrets.  We know he's a Time Lord from a dead home world called Gallifrey, which was in the constellation of Kasterborous.  That he sacrificed his people and his homeworld to stop the escalation of the deadly Time War!  There is a sadness behind all three of the Doctor's from the New Series, since we discovered that he is the last of the Time Lords! But Matt's Eleventh Doctor seems to have come to terms with this!

With Matt Smith in control of the TARDIS the future is looking bright, and with the New Series debut tomorrow this particular series looks so epic in scope and nature.




Just who is River Song?  Who are the mysterious Silence?  Who is the good man that River will kill?  And which of the main cast dies in the first story!! To find out tune in to BBC1,  Saturday at 6pm!

Thursday 21 April 2011





The Doctor Who Experience

On April 5th I was lucky enough to pay a visit to the marvellous Doctor Who Experience (DWE) at Olympia in London. DWE begins with an interactive adventure in which you and your fellow... shoppers... are compelled to help the dear old Doctor who appears to have got himself into a bit of a scrape. Some rather excellent stage management later and you are inside the TARDIS, where adults are rather charmingly asked not to intervene. Thankfully there were no children around when I was there, so I got to have a go. After a run through a very familiar corridor, a nice touch that is not pointed out but is there purely for people who know to notice, you are led into an encounter with SPOILERS and then MORE SPOILERS and finally I’M NOT SAYING WHAT IT IS, SO THERE!

Once the day is well and truly saved, you enter the exhibition side of the DWE, which is pleasingly stuffed with monsters, props, costumes and, is it TARDISes? TARDIII? More than one TARDIS. There are kiddy friendly elements, walk like a Cyberman, etc. And a change to spend huge amounts of money with a bluescreened photo – I passed on that one.

Along with Daleks, Cyberman, Sontarans et al, tucked away in a corner is the front half of a Time War Dalek, it allows you to get inside and move around the exterminator gun and plunger. I confess that wielding the Dalek’s weapon of choice filled me with a rather disturbing sense of power. You can also feast your eyes on a peculiar waxwork of Matt Smith, which makes him look at least 70 years old. And a rather odd exhibit of TARDIS keys, amongst which is someone’s old back door key doubling as the current Yale variety. For keen eyed folk there is also a reproduction of the BBC Wales design office. This has also been known to conceal upcoming products, such as the new Genesis of the Daleks figure set.

Once you’ve seen all there is to see you find yourself in the shop. Collectables and toys are reasonably priced, but the amount they want for DVDs is simply absurd. £18 for The Three Doctors? I think not.

The DWE is a must for any fan of Doctor Who, it is thoughtful, comprehensive and well worth the ticket price. Any tiny imperfections here is dwarfed by this monument to fan service. Once its run is over in London it will be moving to Cardiff, where it is expected to be regularly updated thanks to being close to the production offices. This will also mean it is only one hour away from me. I will not, at this point, gloat in the slightest.

If you haven’t already been, why not? I mean, there are Daleks. And Karen Gillan’s short shorts.


Talking Who - Episode One

The First Talking Who 'Vodcast' transmited Live on Wednesday the 20th of April in the evening over Ustream and Youtube Live.  This show from the makers of 'Those Video Guys', talk about what has been happening over the week in the world of Doctor Who!  As well as the DVD's, Episode Reviews and Feedback.

In this first episode, the duo talk about their memories of the late Elisabeth Sladen.  Also they review Kinda and Snakedance on DVD and they preview the New Series airing this Saturday.

If you weren't there yesterday Night, don't worry you can watch the episode below.
 



You can watch Talking Who Live every Wednesday Night 1pm Pacific (Los Angeles), 4pm Eastern (New York/Toronto), 9pm UK (London), 10pm Europe (Paris/Berlin).

More Information is available here on their website.

Tom and Lis

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Elisabeth Sladen Tribute RIP

School Reunion


Due to yesterday's very sad news regarding the death of actress Elisabeth Sladen, the star of Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, we have amended the schedule for tomorrow night.

In place of the advertised Rose, you can now join us for School Reunion.  This episode was the only time a star from the previous series of Doctor Who appeared in the New Series.

So join us from 7pm, when at 7.30pm we will be watching David Tennant's Tenth Doctor encountering someone special from his (and our) past.

Follow us: @doctorwhobar
Email us: doctorwhobar@gmail.com


Elisabeth Sladen 1946-2011



Doctor Who actress Elisabeth Sladen has died of cancer at the age of 63, the BBC has confirmed.

I just wanted to say how shocked and saddened the team are by this terrible news. Elisabeth Sladen was a unique individual who lit up Doctor Who and spanned generations.

Sarah Jane was without doubt one of the finest companions and will always hold a special place in my heart. There will never be another like her and Lis will be terribly missed.

Our thoughts are with Lis's friends and family at this difficult time.


Tuesday 19 April 2011

Spiders!



Personally, I hate them.  These admittedly tiny monsters scuttle out of the darkness and make me scream in a way that belies my otherwise tough, manly personae.  I would be quite happy if all of them could be gathered up and tossed onto the surface of the Sun.  This may make us vulnerable to a surge in the fly population, but it's a risk I'm prepared to take, who's with me?

But, I suppose I should at least be grateful that here on Earth, where I spend the vast majority of my time, spiders do not have any say in local or national Government.  So spare a thought for the unhappy human denizens of Metebelis III.  Not only is there a massive trend towards blue, they are firmly under the foreleg of a race of giant, bitchy spiders that are telepathic, can shoot lightning bolts, and are so lazy they ride their human subjects like Blackpool donkeys.

Enter The Doctor.  On a previous visit to Metebelis III he decided to steal a chunky blue crystal, which made an excellent wedding present for Jo Grant, and unlike a toaster, coupled as a tool to aid in Universal Domination! It turns out that the lazy Eight Legs (don't call them spiders, I did once, but I think I got away with it) are quite keen on a bit of domination and decide to get it back! 

Thus begins a creepy, life changing experience for the Doctor in which we learn that Eight Legs do not make fetching backpacks, a flying car is not as good as a flying box, the TARDIS really is a sentimental old thing and that frilly shirts are cool.  Well, maybe not the last one.


It's called Planet of the Spiders, and it's out NOW on DVD.

Article by @MrJayLucas


Monday 18 April 2011

He’s Back, and it's about Time!


"The Doctor is returning home to Gallifrey with the remains of his Arch-Nemesis, the Master. Forced off course, the TARDIS materialises in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve 1999, where the Seventh Doctor is critically wounded in a gangland gun battle..."

After the many requests for the Doctor Who TV Movie I am pleased to announce that we are adding YET another session to the DoctorWhoBar schedule!

So, join us on Friday 29th April, after the New Series repeat on BBC3! The Bar will open at 8pm when you can see Sylvester McCoy hand over the role to Paul McGann at 8.15pm, as the Eighth Doctor makes his one and only television appearance!

Follow us: @doctorwhobar
Email us: doctorwhobar@gmail.com

Schedule Update!



 Now it has been confirmed that Doctor Who will not be repeated on BBC3 this Sunday we need to make a slight alteration to this week's schedule!

But don't worry, the DoctorWhoBar will still be open each and EVERY Sunday Night for a repeat session.

Whether you have managed to record it, or even have the BBC iPlayer, join us here every Sunday from 7pm and press Play at 7.30pm as normal.

Follow us: @DoctorWhoBar
Email us: doctorwhobar@gmail.com



Saturday 16 April 2011

Rose!


"Rose Tyler is just an ordinary shop worker living an ordinary life in 21st century Britain. But that life is turned upside down when a strange man calling himself the Doctor drags her into an alien invasion attempt."

To launch our Series 6 Weekend we will be going right back to where Doctor Who re-started!

So join us from 7.00 PM on Thursday when we will be watching "Rose"

See you there!

Follow Us: @DoctorWhoBar


This Weeks DoctorWhoBar Story is... Vengeance on Varos!


We can reveal that today's Sixth Session (16/04/2011) Story will be the Sixth Doctor's third story,
Vengeance on Varos!

Varos took the lead in our online Poll after being behind Revelation of the Daleks. Only this morning
did all things change!

Varos took top spot with 36 votes while Revelation came in second with 26 votes. As you can see Varos had a surge of votes to overtake the Dalek story and therefore became this weeks winner!

Vengeance on Varos transmitted in two 45 minute episodes on 19th January 1985 and 26th January 1985. The season 22 story stars Colin Baker as the Sixth Door and Nicola Bryant as Peri Brown. 


"After the TARDIS depletes its supply of Zeiton-7 ore, the Sixth Doctor and Peri are forced to land on the planet of Varos in search of more. But the Colony is a former prison and the current society lives off entertainment from torture and execution. And the Doctor might be next on the list."

Vengeance on Varos wasn't too popular in the Doctor Who Magazine 'The Mighty 200' Poll as it only got to 124 in the vote.

So if you have the DVD stacked on your shelf, the classic VHS tucked away in a box then be prepared for 7-30pm GMT. Have a drink and some food and get ready to join in with the @DoctorWhoBar from 7pm GMT. 
Remember to press Play on your DVD, VCR, or online at 
7-30pm GMT so we can all stay in sync and discuss via Twitter.

Follow Us: @DoctorWhoBar

You Last Chance to Vote!

It's Saturday and you know what Saturdays mean... The Doctor Who Bar Sessions!

This week as it's our Sixth Session here in the "Bar" and it's just a week till Series 6 (Yes 7 Days!) we thought we add up the sixes and watch a sixth Doctor story!

Revelation of the Daleks was slightly in the lead for the past couple of days, but now only hours before the Poll closes we have had a surge of votes for The Sixth Doctor's third Story, Vengeance on Varos.

At the Time of writing, with 30 minutes to go, Vengeance has 34 Votes with Revelation of the Daleks coming in with second with 28 votes.
 
The less popular stories this week seem to be The Mysterious Planet, Mindwarp and The Ultimate Foe which look like there isn't a chance of us watching this week.

So will Vengeance on Varos lead the way or will Revelation of the Daleks climb to first place?

There's only one way to find out, and that is to cast your vote. 

So please vote for your favourite as there isn't long until the poll closes!

Follow us: @DoctorWhoBar

Wednesday 13 April 2011

The Impossible Astronaut: Brand New Preview Clips

The Impossible Astronaut - Saturday 23rd April 2011, 6pm, BBC1.
The Official BBC Doctor Who Website has updated us with a few brand new The Impossible Astronaut Preview Clips!



Remember we are having our own Doctor Who Series 6 Launch Party on Saturday 23rd April 2011 from 5-30pm.
More details available here.

SPOILERS: Look Who's Back!!


This Article contains Spoilers! The News of the Cybermats return to Doctor Who is probably old news as regards the internet, but let's have a trip down memory lane and look at the Cybermats of yesteryear!  The picture above is how they looked on The Wheel in Space and Tomb of the Cybermen!  When Patrick Troughton was the Doctor, Wendy Padbury played Zoe and Frazer Hines was Jamie.


The one above is when they menaced the inhabitants of Nerva Beacon in Tom Baker's Revenge of the Cybermen!  One of the Cybermats injected Sarah Jane Smith with the deadly plague poison!



Finally the above picture is how they will appear when Doctor Who returns for it's Sixth Season later this April!  Who's scared NOW!! 

Doctor Who returns to BBC1, 6pm on 23rd April 2011.  DON'T MISS IT!

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Series Six Launch Party Update!




It's been confirmed that the Series 6 Premiere
The Impossible Astronaut is to be transmitted at 6pm on Saturday 23rd April on BBC1.  This means that the Doctor Who Bar must amend it's current Launch Party schedule.

The Doctor Who Bar will open at 5-30pm instead of 6pm, where we will discuss the approaching season opener.  After the episode has finished join us back in the Bar to discuss the events & happenings
of that very first episode!

So join us from 4pm to watch A Christmas Carol at 4-15pm, Matt Smith's first Christmas Special!  Then join us later on for the Launch Party, at 5-30pm!

And don't forget the Live Tweet on the BBC3 repeat of  
The Impossible Astronaut, usually around 7pm,
time to be confirmed.

This Series Six Launch Party Update
supercedes previous Updates.

Monday 11 April 2011

Sixth Doctor - Sixth Session - Series Six


To Celebrate Series 6 and our Sixth Session here in the Doctor Who Bar, we thought it would be a good idea to add up the sixes and put together some Sixth Doctor Favourites to watch this Saturday from 7pm GMT.

Played by Colin Baker, the Sixth Doctor was a different type of portrayal of the character we were used to! You will discover later what Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor meant to one of our Doctor Who Bar members, David:

"Colin's portrayal was less sympathetic than other incarnations to begin with, he was much more of an outsider and a rebel, he didn't suffer fools either! Shades of the William Hartnell characterisation!"

You will be able to see that post later on today.

We have 11 great stories on our poll for you to vote for your favourite, the stories are:

The Twin Dilemma
Attack of the Cybermen
Venegeance on Varos
The Mark of the Rani
The Two Doctors
Timelash
Revelation of the Daleks
The Mysterious Planet
Mindwarp
Terror of the Vervoids
The Ultimate Foe

So get voting for you favourite Sixth Doctor story as next week will be our last Classic Who before the New Series 6 Launch Party!

Series Six Launch Party

A Christmas Carol 4-30pm TBC




To get us all in the mood for the New Series we are going to be watching Matt Smith's very first Christmas Special, discounting his first appearance in The End of Time Part Two of course!

So could everyone please join us at 4-00pm on Saturday 23rd April when we will be watching A Christmas Carol at 4-30pm.  Times are provisional and subject to change nearer the time.

See you all then!

Sunday 10 April 2011

The Eleventh Hour

Attention all Doctor Who Bar fans!


We will be watching Matt Smith's debut story on Friday 22nd April as we get ready to celebrate the New Series of Doctor Who via our Launch Party on Saturday 23rd April 2011!

So join us at our normal time of 7pm.  We will be watching The Eleventh Hour at 7-30pm!

See you all there!


Series 6 Launch Party Update!


It has been decided to suspend our LIVE Tweet of the New Series of Doctor Who on the original Saturday transmissions! The LIVE Tweet will now commence on the BBC3 repeat showing! This is to ensure that all Doctor Who Bar followers can watch the New Series without any distractions!

As for the actual Launch Party on Saturday 23rd April on BBC1, join us on Twitter at 6pm before the Premiere has aired, and again immediately after it has finished to discuss and review The Impossible Astronaut!

Follow us: @DoctorWhoBar
Email us: doctorwhobar@gmail.com
Skype us: doctorwhobar

Saturday 9 April 2011

Series 6 Launch Party!


As the start of the New Series of Doctor Who draws ever closer, we are pleased to make a VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!! We would like to invite EVERYONE to the DoctorWhoBar Series 6 LAUNCH PARTY!!

GET READY to be here with us EACH and EVERY Saturday during the run of the New Series of Doctor Who, as we Tweet LIVE along to the brand new episodes!!

More DETAILS to follow next week!

You still have two weeks left though to choose what YOU would like to see in the "Bar", so keep those story suggestions coming in.

We are also looking for your news/reviews or EVEN audio's for the new DWB Podcast! Contact details below.

Follow us: @DoctorWhoBar
Email us: doctorwhobar@gmail.com
Skype us: doctorwhobar


Wednesday 6 April 2011

News Update!

There are going to be a number of exciting changes coming to the DoctorWhoBar very soon!

I am pleased to announce that after our huge success in the last few weeks we will soon be recording a weekly podcast here in the "Bar".

This will be your chance to hear the team sharing news, reviews and their thoughts about anything and everything concerning the Whoniverse!
We hope to have the "Pilot" episode ready very soon!

Also, after our 'Remembering Nicholas' tribute this coming Saturday we will be making a VERY exciting announcement about how the start of Series 6 will affect Saturday nights here in the "Bar"

We are always interested to hear your thoughts and/or reviews. The best will be posted on the website! 


DWO - Nicholas Courtney Tribute: 1929-2011


Sunday 3 April 2011

Remembering Nicholas - A DoctorWhoBar Special


The next Doctor Who Bar Session will be a very special one for all of us. 'Remembering Nicholas' celebrates the life and work of the wonderful Nicholas Courtney who sadly passed away on 22nd February this year. Nicholas played the recurring character of Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in over 100 episodes of Doctor Who.

'Five Rounds Rapid' was probably The Brigadier's most famous line in the series as the Head of the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, whose job it was to protect the Earth from alien attack.

'Of all the characters in Doctor Who there is no doubt he was
the most loved by the fans for his wonderful portrayal of the rather
pompous Brigadier.'

This was brilliantly said by close friend and fellow Doctor Who star Tom
Baker after hearing the news of Mr. Courtneys sad passing.

So to celebrate the character played by Nicholas Courtney we bring you
another Doctor Who Bar Special - Remembering Nicholas.
Over the next week we'll be bringing you our favourite memories of
Nicholas, some Special Tributes and lots more.


On Saturday (9th April) we will be watching one 'Brig' story to celebrate
his commitment to Doctor Who and to show what a great actor and person he was.

So please give us your 'Brig' story suggestions from episodes of the series, to the recent Sarah Jane Adventures episode, The Enemy of the Bane. we will be making a list of your comments and then putting them into a Poll soon.

Follow Us: @DoctorWhoBar

Saturday 2 April 2011

This Weeks DoctorWhoBar Story is... Pyramids of Mars!

We can reveal that Today's Story (02/04/2011) in the fourth Doctor Who Bar session will be the perennial Tom Baker favourite, Pyramids of Mars!
'Pyramids' took the lead on our online Voting Poll with 68 votes with Genesis of the Daleks coming in Second, and not far behind, with 60 Votes!!
Pyramids of Mars was broadcast in four 25 minutes episodes from 25th October – 15th November 1975.
The Season 13 Story stars Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor and Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.
Going off course, the TARDIS materializes inside a Victorian gothic Mansion. The Doctor and Sarah quickly realize that something is very wrong. The owner is missing and the Estate has fallen under the control of a mysterious Egyptian. Cloth-wrapped Mummies rise up and roam the grounds, killing anyone in their path!

A dangerous alien power is at work, and the Doctor recognizes the mastermind of all this as Sutekh the Destroyer, the last of the Osirians. The Doctor must stop the ruthless Sutekh at all costs, or there may not be a future for them to return to!

'Pyramids' was voted 7th in the Doctor Who Magazine Poll 'The Mighty 200' so it promises to be one of the best Doctor Who episodes in the entirhistory of Doctor Who....
If you have the DVD stacked on your shelf, the classic VHS tucked away in a box, or even if you can watch online on sites like Seesaw etc. then be prepared for 7-30pm (GMT. Have a drink and some food and get ready to join in with the @DoctorWhoBar from 7pm (GMT).
So remember to press Play on your DVD, VCR, or online at 7-30pm (GMT) so we can all stay in synchronisation and discuss via Twitter.

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You Last Chance to Vote!

Today we are celebrating the man that is Tom Baker portraying the Fourth Doctor!
Over the week you have all been voting by the dozens, and at the time of posting we have over 170 votes so far!
The main two contenders for tonights story are Genesis of the Daleks and Pyramids of Mars.
Currently at the top spot, Pyramids has 62 votes with Genesis coming in second with 54 votes.

Remember you still have time to vote, as the Poll will close at 6PM GMT, so if you want your favourite to win please vote now!

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Friday 1 April 2011

Earthshock Review Update!

Many thanks to Ian Redman (@ianrdw) for getting in touch and supplying us with a review of last week's DoctorWhoBar.

Earthshock is a remarkable story. Broadcast in the penultimate slot of Peter Davison's first season, it features the shocking (no pun intended) return of some old foes...

We open the story in... a quarry. Alright, quarries aren't the most exciting places (especially when they're used as much as they have been in Doctor Who!), but the acting and direction (the latter superbly executed by Peter Grimwade) makes this occasion something else, something special. An exploration team is missing, and the situation's not looking good. As the mystery deepens, something happens which must have made viewers in 1982 jump through the roof. We meet the story's adversaries. Silver men, with emotionless faces and handle-like features above. Go on Peter, I'll leave this one to you: "Cybermen!"

The climax of the story is certainly its most effective aspect. I won't reveal exact details, in case anyone reading this hasn't seen the story. But I will say that it must have been as shocking (if not more) as the return of the Doctor's cybernetic foes. Although there was precedent for it back in 1982, I believe this is the most memorable example. Doctor Who - and its main characters - will never be quite the same again...

The Doctor Who Bar viewing of this story on 26 March 2011 was (as always) a hugely enjoyable experience. The Bar opened at 7pm GMT and the story started at exactly 7-30pm. A number of topics were covered in the Tweets that followed, ranging from plot twists to plot holes, from Troopers to Cybermen and from Matthew Waterhouse to Beryl Reid. I really ought to not Tweet quite as much as I did - I've gone over the Tweet limit during the last two viewings, and haven't been able to see them through to the end!!

I massively enjoyed the discussion I was able to participate in, and I can't wait for the next opening of the Doctor Who Bar!


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