Dr Who Series 7: The Christmas Day Special: The Snowmen.

The Doctor
Matt Smith

I HAVE to admit, I’m due over my Mum’s, today.

THIS time … ?

This time, we’re all celebrating my nephew, Jude’s, second birthday.

He’s two today.

Dr Simeon
Richard E. Grant

Yes … you’d ALREADY worked that out, hadn’t you … ?

At ANY rate … ?   I’ve actually got this years’s Dr Who Christmas — The Snowmen

 — on in the background.

An Evil Snowflake

Again.

You can TELL I’m impressed, can’t you … ?

~~~~~

Set in the 1890s, The Snowmen sees the Doctor in self imposed isolation after the deaths of Amy and Rory.

Isolation that’s interrupted when he meets a barmaid called Clara, who’s showing curiosity about both the Doctor, AND by old friends, Vastra, Jenny and Strax: with ALL of them concerned by the mysterious snowmen cropping up around London.

Clara
Jenna Louise Coleman

 Those Snowmen … ?

It seems those Snowmen are the intentional work of the abominable Dr Simeon.

Madam Vastra
Neve Campbell

Dr Simeon … And the original snowman that had seduced him as a child …

Which calls itself the Intelligence.

Lots of remote controlled Snowmen.   An intelligence looking for a body.

Is this starting to sound familiar … ?

~~~~~

It bloody well should, actually: given that long term fans will have realised that there’s several references — deeply in the mix — to Patrick Troughton stories, The Abominable Snowmen and The Web of Fear.

But The Snowmen is not a straight lift from its earlier root stories.

Oh, no.

Moffat and company have managed to take an idea or two from its classic incarnation, mixed them up, modernised them, and presented them afresh.

Jenny Flint
Casitlin Stewart

And what’s, introduced us to a fresh ensemble cast of characters, an interestingly old school villain, re-invigorated an old monster.

AND introduced a new companion, killed her off, and then teased us with a new version of the same character.

Hmmm … 

I think the rest of Season 7’s going to be interesting.

To paraphrase Videodrome … ?

All hail the new flesh … !

Strax
Dan Starkey

New Tardis Interior

The Great Intelligence
Sir Ian McKellan

The Boxing Day Teaser — 26-12-2012

Gaaaaaaaaah … !

THAT … was a LONG day!   No, really!

But that’s Christmas for you.   If it’s not a long day, you’re probably doing something wrong.

After all, right now, I know I’ve a post to put up about yesterday’s Dr Who special.

AND I’ve also got to wear a certain pair of socks.   Bless him my nephew, Jude — happily playing with the toy garage he was given for Christmas, yesterday* — managed to bag those for me.

Bless ’im … !

Hmmm … 

Let’s get moving on, shall we?

I’d like to start playing with my new iPod … !

~~~~~

Yesterday’s Teaser saw both Debbi and Andy putting in their answers.   With both scoring 5 out of 5º, it also saw Andy receiving the traditional round of applause for doing a rough job on Xmas Day, and Debbi telling us about THIS postª.

But let’s see how they — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and video … 

Q1) 26th December is — obviously — Boxing Day.   It’s also the feast of which Saint … ?

Q2) It’s also —  in the Irish Republic — the Day of the Wren: which pre-decimal English coin had a wren on the back … ?

Q3) Who became the first Afro-American to win the World Heavyweight Boxing champion, on Boxing Day, 1908 … ?

Q4) Which two Commonwealth countries usually start Test Cricket matches on Boxing Day … ?

Q5) And FINALLY … UK football teams usually play what on Boxing Day:  charity matches, cup finals, or matches against local rivals.

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) Christmas Day is the traditional date of Jesus’ birth.   In which year was this … ?A1) There’s no one year: instead historians suggest — at most — anywhere from 7 to 2 BC.

Q2) More to the point, Jesus’ birth was supposed to be during the reign of which Jewish king … ?A2) Herod the Great.

Q3) Equally to the point, the Ethiopian Church celebrates Christmas Day, when … ?A3) 25th December.   Although, as this is using a modified version of the Julian calendar, it usually falls around 6/7 January.   (It’s ALSO still 2005, in that calendar.)

Q4) In which year of the 1640s did Cromwell’s Parliament ban celebrating Christmas Day … ?A4) 1647.

Q5) And finally … Name either of the Gospels that give accounts of Jesus’ birth.A5) Matthew and Luke.

Enjoy those, everyone.

I’ll leave you with this appropriately arcane quote from Punch, about today.

“Boxing Day. I hope it will be made clear on this foggy anniversary of it to every foreigner who is passing his first Christmas in London, and who may have read that la boxe has been put down in this country, that the shops are not closed and a holiday given to those employed therein to enable them to spend Boxing Day in fist-fighting, an old English sport and pastime not now kept up, except under the influence of an excess of liquor, Pugilism being mainly restricted to conflicts on the question of who was the architect of the Houses of Parliament.”

From a 1968 edition of Punch.

And with Living in a Box, by Living in a Box … 

Oh and a rather punchy little tune from Jo Boxers … 

And a final knockout from LL Cool J … 

*        Actually … ?   I wouldn’t mind one of those, myself … It makes all SORTS of noises, when you push the cars through the carwash … !

º        Well, it was Christmas.

ª        Nice piece of work, there, Debbi: that Mr Peanut must’ve been a touch scary … !

The Christmas Day Teaser — 25-12-2012

You know … 

It’s Christmas morning.

And frankly, I’m feeling tired.   But sort of happy that I’ve got all my Xmas shopping done.

And have to actually admit, I’m looking forward to Jude’s birthday, tomorrow: I’ve managed to pick him up a toy car — Lightnin’ McQueen, from the film, Cars — and can’t wait to see how he reacts!.

Now … 

Let’s move on, shall we … ?

Yes, let’s … !

~~~~~~

Yesterday’s saw Debbi — all on her ownsome — putting in her answers.   Along with bagging 7 out of 7, she also managed to wish us all a Happy Christmas*.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and video … 

Q1) Christmas Day is the traditional date of Jesus’ birth.   In which year was this … ?

Q2) More to the point, Jesus’ birth was supposed to be during the reign of which Jewish king … ?

Q3) Equally to the point, the Ethiopian Church celebrates Christmas Day, when … ?

Q4) In which year of the 1640s did Cromwell’s Parliament ban celebrating Christmas Day … ?

Q5) And finally … Name either of the Gospels that give accounts of Jesus’ birth.

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) Christmas Eve is a four act opera by whom: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov or Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky … ?   

A1) Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov.

Q2) 24th December, 1914, saw the start of the World War 1 Christmas Truce.   Near which Belgian town … ?   

A2) Ypres.

Q3) More to the point, what was the name of the pope who’d called for peace, in the run-up to Christmas, that year … ?   

A3) Benedict 15th.

Q4) In which year did Pope Benedict 16th perform the Christmas Eve Thought For the Day … ?   

A4) 2010.

Q5) Equally to the point, what’s Benedict 16th’s Twitter name … ?   

A5) @Pontifex.

Q6) Moving on … During World War 2, 24th December, 1943, saw which US general named as Supreme Allied Commander … ?   

A6) Dwight D Eisenhower.

Q7) And finally … 24th December, 1166, saw the birth of which English king … ?   

A7) King John.

Enjoy those, everyone.

I’ll leave you with Silent Night, which is something of a favourite.

And wish you a Merry Christmas … 

*        Blast!   Wish I’d kept that link, now, Debbi: it would’ve made for a suitable strange video Xmas one.   At ANY rate … ?   Happy Xmas … Oh, and BEFORE I forget … ?   Happy Hogswatch … !

Merlin Series 5: Episode 13 — Diamond of the Day - Part 2: Now, THAT’S a way to go …

Merlin
Colin Morgan

Arthur
Bradley James

Mordred
Alexander Vlahos

Guinever
Angel Coulby

Gauis
Richard Wilson

Morgana
Katie McGrath

Wow … 

Just Wow … !

Now, you’ve possibly worked out I’m something of a fan of genre TV.

You’ve not been paying attention, then … !

And, as you’re probably no doubt aware, I’ve been following Dr Who since I was a child, and Merlin, ever since it started, five years ago.

And it’s been a hell of a fun ride, right up until tonight’s episode.

The last one of Series five: and, indeed, ever.

And from where I’m sitting … ?

From where I’m sitting, the BBC made a very good investment in Merlin.

—————

Episode 13 — Diamond of the Day - 2 — sees the conclusion of the Battle Of Camlann.

Where the forces of Camelot are saved by with the timely help from Merlin, in his Emrys disguise.

The army is saved.   But with its forces scattered and only slowly heading back for the citadel.

And the prophesies that Merlin had been given, coming true.

The saxons are defeated … 

The Dragon, Aifusa, seen off.

And that Arthur is fatally wounded.

Which isn’t necessarily all bad … until Arthur finds out that the help on offer — to get to the Isle of Avalon, where he can be healed — comes from a place he’s trusted for years, but been taught to abhor … 

Merlin … 

—————

Now … 

I have to admit, I’ve mixed feelings about this last episode, I REALLY do.

On the one hand … ?   On the one hand, I feeling  much saddened that a fully made piece of genre fiction — one that’s breathed so much new life into the UK’s old Arthurian myths — is now finally over.

Merlin has been one heck of an entertaining ride and been — arguably — stronger, sometimes, than my usual choice, Dr Who.   From talking to fellow sf/fantasty fanboi, Grub, it’s something I know he broadly agrees on.   (From what he’s said over the years, he’s not one for Merlin: but felt that Misfits, on Channel Four, has been the stronger entry in British genre TV.)

On the OTHER hand … ?

Phew* … !

On the other hand, Merlin has not only been one of the most entertaining things I’ve seen on TV … 

But one that’s kept me and many others glued to their sets for the past five years.

It may not be high art … ?

But its producers — Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps, all of Shine Productions — writers — too many to mention — and cast — Bradley James as Arthur Pendragon, Angel Coulby as Guinevere, Katie McGrath as Morgana, Richard Wilson as Gaius, John Hurt as the voice of The Great Dragon, Anthony Head as Uther Pendragon and Colin Morgan as the show’s central character, Merlin, himself — have managed to set the entertainment bar to a very high level.

I can but wish ALL of them well: based on the evidence, so far … ?

I’m convinced they’ll shine, whatever they do.

*        I may just have to use the Microwave, in a second, to re-heat my cocoa … 

The Christmas Eve Teaser — 24-12-2012

*Revised*

You know, it HAS to be said, that TV’s REALLY going downhill.

At least, Christmas TV is, I think.

Which is why I’ve got the last episode of I,  Claudius on.

Which, whatever else we can say … ?   Is still a fantastic piece of work: I still can’t believe it took me several years to realise it has no background music!

But let’s get’s moving on, shall we … ?

Yes, let’s.

~~~~~

Yesterday’s saw both Kaiju and Debbi putting in their answers: with both Kaiju and Debbi scoring 7 out of 855*, it also saw Debbi mentioning her Second Amendment post, and Kaiju asking whether yesterday’s second question was a trickº one.

But let’s see how they — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we … ?

Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, license and video … 

Q1) Christmas Eve is a four act opera by whom: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov or Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky … ?   

Q2) 24th December, 1914, saw the start of the World War 1 Christmas Truce.   Near which Belgian town … ?   

Q3) More to the point, what was the name of the pope who’d called for peace, in the run-up to Christmas, that year … ?   

Q4) In which year did Pope Benedict 16th perform the Christmas Eve Thought For the Day … ?   

Q5) Equally to the point, what’s Benedict 16th’s Twitter name … ?   

Q6) Moving on … During World War 2, 24th December, 1943, saw which US general named as Supreme Allied Commander … ?   

Q7) And finally … 24th December, 1166, saw the birth of which English king … ?  

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 23rd December, 1823, saw the debut of the poem, ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.   What’s the poem’s name … ?

A1) A Visit From Saint Nicholas.

Q2) More to the point … how many reindeer are mentioned in the poem … ?

A2) 8.   (Any one of a dozen variations of Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen … )

Q3) 23rd December, 1975, saw US President, Gerald Ford, sign the Metric Conversion Act into US law.   When did Britain’s Board Of Trade agree to a British metrication program: 1964, 1965 or 1966 … ?

A3) 1965.

Q4) More to the point, what’s the basic metric unit of mass … ?

A4) The kilogram.

Q5) 23rd December, 1936, saw the first flight of which bomber … ?

A5) The Vickers Wellington.

Q6) And finally … 23rd December, 2007, saw which country abolish its monarchy … ?

A6) Nepal.

I’ll leave you with this quote from birthday girl, Ava Gardner …

“The ­problems were never in bed. The ­problems would start on the way to the bidet.”Ava Gardner December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990

And with a suitably Christmas tune from Motorhead: considering it’s frontman, Lemmy’s birthday … 

*        I’m definitely looking forward to it, Debbi!   Oh … Did you find the comment on yesterday’s post … ?

º        Trick question, Kaiju … ?   Line 16 in the Wikipedia text … :D