COMING SOON : THE CHASE IS ON!

Just a quick update for all The Chase fans on my channel. The second half of Series Six of The Chase is starting recording and will return soon in September. I'm doing seven more episodes, I've prepared a list and a recoding schedule for these episodes. There will be no Children in Need special this year but you will be getting a very exciting and extra special Christmas Show for 2016. That makes eight episodes in the second half of the series all together. 18 episodes in total.

Recording starts tomorrow, and will feature Bradley and The Chasers.

For all of you asking me about The Vixen. Basically Jenny is not yet included on The Chase app. I can't add her to the chasers because she is not on the app for me to include her. If I could include her, I would because I am a massive fan of The Vixen.

Unfortunately if she is not on the app, I can't include her. I have emailed Barnstorm games about updating the app, and all they said was "We plan to do more with The Chase" and that was it. So it's the same format as before with The Beast, The Governess, The Dark Destroyer and The Sinnerman. Please, stop asking me "Where's the Vixen?", "Why don't you add Jenny the vixen Ryan?" that's the reason.

I hope this clears everything up, and more updates will be released on The Chase at a later date.

COMING SOON From SDCC 2016 : The 13 Doctors BOX SET

YES! There is a thirteen doctors figure set. Yes, you read that correctly. There is a thirteen doctors action figure collectors set, coming out this year as an exclusive from San Diego Comic Con. Not sure, when it will be released in the UK. But when it is released, I shall be keen to purchase one, as it looks great, a standard update from the eleven doctors box set which came out in 2010. 

So lets take a look, and go through, the basic variants of the different doctors in this set.  The figures in this set are standard re-releases with a few repaints added to create new variants of the doctors costume. 

So The First Doctor variant in this set, is a repaint of the standard Hartnell figure which came out in 2009. It's to resemble his costume in "The Web Planet". 

The Second Doctor, is from "The Two Doctors". They've given the figure a dark grey wash in the hair, because at the time Patrick Troughton was a lot older, and they've repainted the trousers as well. 

The Third Doctor is from "The Three Doctors" Doctor Who's Tenth Anniversary story. The orange jacket, which unfortunately is not correct due to the nature of the sculpt of the figure. Its the same standard Pertwee model that was sculpted based on the Carnival of Monsters costume. But I like the colours and the other attention to detail and its a nice repaint so why complain.

The Fourth Doctor is a repaint of the Season 18 costume, from Logopolis. Giving Tom grey hair to resemble his ageing. Whatever happened to them releasing the Season 18 figure with a hat? I thought that was the plan, to release this figure with a hat as Tom wore a hat in "The Leisure Hive" I wonder what happened about that? Anyway, doesn't matter too much. The Fourth Doctor figure is from Logopolis.

The Fifth Doctor, standard Season 21 re-release.

The Sixth Doctor, Blue coat from Real Time.

The Seventh Doctor, Same the one that was released in the eleven doctors box set, I can spot some changes in the paint applications to make it look a little bit different though. And Character Options still have not released a figure of the seventh doctor with a solum face with his hat on. :( boo!

The Eighth Doctor, if you missed out on the "Night of the Doctor " exclusive which came out singularly in November / December  time last year, then your in luck.

The War Doctor, standard repaint to make it look different to original release. But again, if you don't have a War Doctor, because you missed the first release, then you are in luck. You can add The War Doctor to your collection.

The Ninth Doctor, re-release. Only this time, they have repainted his jumper. So we have a new jumper variant which we have never seen before. The purple jumper from "The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances". At least its the same old boring burgundy release. That was so lazy in The Eleven Doctors set.

The Tenth Doctor, standard re-release. Another Tennant to add to the collection of about twenty. I think in order to make this one look different, they've decided to paint the shirt white and give him a red tie. Which sounds bizarre, because I don't recall Tennant wearing a white shirt in series 3 or 4. But it's the same old Series 3 blue suit with the coat on. 

The Eleventh Doctor, series 5 Christmas Carol variant I think. I can't be sure. But it's a standard re-release anyway. Looks nice though. 

and finally, The Twelfth Doctor. Standard re-release of the Capaldi's we have had before, but the black shirt version. Which is alright for me, because I don't have that one yet.  I would have liked them to have been more creative with their choice of costume. It would have been cool for them to sculpt a hoodie and have a "Last Christmas" version maybe. But I guess that would have cost too much. Customising it will have to be. 

So those are the figures in the new exclusive thirteen doctors collectors set.  I can't wait to grab one!

Quiz 4 Results

Results are in from yesterday's quiz.

1. Who wrote the music for the 1902 operetta 'Merrie England'? - Edward German

2.  In which field of the arts was Wilhelm Furtwangler a leading name in the 20th century? - Music

3. The Battle of Kursk of July 1943 was fought between the armoured divisions of the German army and which other country? - Soviet forces of the Eastern front

4. Which painter, who died in 1906, is quoted as saying "I will astonish Paris with an apple"? -  Paul Cezanne

5. "Stingo" is a strong type of what drink? -  Beer

6. Who lives in the village of Pontypandy? -  Fireman Sam

7. Who plays "Patsy" in the sitcom 'Absolutely Fabulous'? -  Joanna Lumley

8. 'Alouette' is the french name for which bird? -  a lark

9. The book 'Beyond the Crash' published in 2010, was written by which former Prime Minister? -  Gordon Brown

10. The two most abundant elements that compose the sun are helium and which other? - Hydrogen

Did you get Ten out of Ten? 

Another quiz will be up next week. 

Thanks for taking part.

Quiz 4

The next general knowledge quiz is out now, so see if you can get ten out of ten.

1. Who wrote the music for the 1902 operetta 'Merrie England'?

2.  In which field of the arts was Wilhelm Furtwangler a leading name in the 20th century?

3. The Battle of Kursk of July 1943 was fought between the armoured divisions of the German army and which other country?

4. Which painter, who died in 1906, is quoted as saying "I will astonish Paris with an apple"?

5. "Stingo" is a strong type of what drink?

6. Who lives in the village of Pontypandy?

7. Who plays "Patsy" in the sitcom 'Absolutely Fabulous'?

8. 'Alouette' is the french name for which bird?

9. The book 'Beyond the Crash' published in 2010, was written by which former Prime Minister?

10. The two most abundant elements that compose the sun are helium and which other?

Thanks for taking part.

Answers revealed tomorrow.

DOCTOR WHO Review : The TV Movie

DOCTOR WHO REVIEW: THE TV MOVIE

Written By: Matthew Jacobs

Directed By: Geoffrey Sax

It's come to that time in my reviews where I talk about "The TV Movie". 

Now as you know, I am currently reviewing my favourite story form each doctor.  However the Eighth Doctor is a tricky one, because there is only the tv movie. There is nothing else really solid in terms of Eighth Doctor adventures on television apart from that. I know there is The Night of the Doctor but that was a short episode, not really a proper full on adventure. 

I have to review the TV Movie, because that's all there is for the Eighth Doctor. I have to review it whether I like it or not. I am one of these people, who doesn't think that the TV Movie is that good a story. It's never really stood out as being a favourite of mine. I think the problem for me with the TV Movie is that it is incoherent, the storytelling, is very poorly done. 

I think the whole idea, originally with it, was to reboot it in America, and that's why that there is so much american influences in it. They wanted to sell it to an american audience and make Doctor Who as big a success in America as it was in Britain, but never tiding away from the fact that Doctor Who is a British Show. 

In my mind, Doctor Who is such a common show, its been in our lives for fifty two years, rolling on fifty three this November. It's something which has adapted and changed and reshaped itself many times throughout the various eras of its time. This could be from changing the character of the doctor or the companion, or the various types of stories that are told, and I think that the TV Movie is no exception to that. 

It starts off withe the master being put on trial and executed by the Daleks, and the doctor in his seventh incarnation has to take his remains back to Gallifrey. The TARDIS ends up landing in San Francisco's chinatown in 1999. The seventh doctor gets shot and is taken to hospital.

The problem with the hospital scenes for me is that they look too real, and the seventh doctor's death is too real a death for Doctor Who. The Third Doctor, got poisoned by the crystals of Metabelis Three, Fourth Doctor fell off a radio telescope but had no broken bones, Fifth Doctor poisoned, Sixth Doctor smacks his face on the console and regenerates due to a cause of tumunktuious bufferting. Seventh Doctor is operated on, the operation fails and he dies, that's terrifying and so sad, for a doctor who was that happy and jolly, wacky and eccentric to suddenly drop dead like that and scream his last breath, for me that was wrong. I liked the regeneration sequence, its just a shame that Paul McGann was not up for the whole molding of the face. 

The doctor, now Paul McGann has no idea who is, he has lost all trace of his identity. A Chinese boy called "Chang Lee" smuggles on board the TARDIS, to find that The Master in the form of Eric Roberts is there, and tells Chang Lee that the doctor is evil and has stolen his body and that they need to get it back. There's one thing that I don't get. One minute the master says to Chang Lee, help me or I will kill you and the next he is bribing him with gold dust. It doesn't make a lot of sense when you think about it. It was one thing and now its the next, and somehow you're just meant to go along with it. And the Master wants to steal the doctor's remaining regenerations by making up a sob story which makes the doctor out to be the bad guy.

Meanwhile The Doctor is with Doctor Grace Holloway at her home, who is curious by the doctor and we too become quite curious with her, its adds to the mystery behind his identity. I liked the Eighth Doctor's relationship with Grace. I thought that it was too hands on with the kissing, but what can I say, it's Paul McGann, he is a romantic sort of type. I don't mind kissing in the TV movie too much compared to how much kissing there is in the new series.

The Doctor ends up being captured by the Master and in his TARDIS, the master begins to drain the doctor's remaining regenerations by opening the eye of harmony in the TARDIS. Each TARDIS apparently has its own small eye of harmony which is linked to the eye of harmony on Gallifrey, the eye of harmony was used and referenced once before in The Deadly Assassin. Holloway was under the control of the master, the master needed Lee to open the eye for him, but the master ends up killing him, and releases Holloway from his control and forces her to open the eye. Now that she was free from The Master's control, Holloway manages to shut down power to the eye, The Doctor gets freed, he gets into a fight with The Master, and pushes him into the eye. All this happens in terms of time limit in a matter of seconds, as it happens in-between 1999 and 2000 new years.

With no further threat being apposed to earth, the doctor prepares to leave, he asks Grace to come with him, but she terms him down. And that's basically it.

Until "The Night of the Doctor" the tv movie was Paul McGann's sole televised story as the Eighth Doctor. It has inspired on going eighth doctor adventures in novels, comic books and audio dramas. And Paul McGann has done some great work for Big Finish over the years as the eighth doctor.

In my personal view, there are much better stories to watch and I never for once think "Oh you know what, I feel like watching The TV Movie" it just never appeals to me. And that was one of the problems that the TV Movie had. It didn't appeal to people and it flopped in America and this and that. It looked as if a new series was going to continue with Paul McGann but never really did.

I don't want to into too much detail about it, the complaint was that there was no american audience, when that couldn't be possible seeing as America did know about this show, it was being imported from Britain to the states since 1978.  American audiences did know about this show, that's probably why in collaboration with the BBC they wanted to reboot the show in this way, so much to the extent that they went to trouble to get Sylvester McCoy back to do a regeneration scene.

Paul McGann gets little screen time as it is, and I don't think that his performance and the story does his doctor or himself as an actor any justice. If you want to see how good Paul McGann's doctor is, check out the audios he's done for Big Finish, they are online, you can buy or download them from somewhere, just type in Paul McGann audios big finish into google or amazon and see what comes up. I highly recommend you check out his Big Finish stuff.

Overall, I am not fussed at all with the TV Movie. It's a bit duff, I don't have much interest in the plot and its not a good story, feels very rushed in places, not many clear explanations as to whats happening or why its happening, something which a certain future show runner does a lot of nowadays. Yeah, TV Movie, bit duff, but had to review it because its the only Eighth Doctor thing out there really.

NEXT TIME: Dalek.

Quiz 3 - Results

Do you think you have what it takes to beat me in a quiz? Answers are in from yesterdays Quiz. Can you get 10/10?

1. What is the iron containing protein called that gives blood its colour? - Hemoglobin

2. Kandahar is a city and region in which Asian country? - Afghanistan

3. How many atoms are these in a molecule of water? - Three. (3 is also an acceptable answer)

4. Which actor was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in "The Master"? - Phillip Seymour Hoffman

5. Who wrote the novels "Keep the Aspidistra Flying" and "Coming Up for Air"? - George Orwell

6.  The Australian kelpie is a breed of which domestic creature? - Dog

7. Which vegetable is the principal ingredient of Saxe - Coburg soup? - Brussels Sprout

8. The term 'Tifoli" is applied to followers of which Formula 1 team? - Ferrari 

9. Who had a top ten hit with "This is what we came for"?  - Calvin Harris and Rhianna

10. In The Simpsons what is the name of Homer's boss? (Full Name) - C Montgomery Burns. 

    Thanks for taking part. A new quiz will be up next week. 

Quiz 3

Do you think you have what it takes to beat me in a quiz? Why not have a go at these General Knowledge questions that I have written myself.

1. What is the iron containing protein called that gives blood its colour?

2. Kandahar is a city and region in which Asian country?

3. How many atoms are these in a molecule of water?

4. Which actor was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in "The Master"?

5. Who wrote the novels "Keep the Aspidistra Flying" and "Coming Up for Air"?

6.  The Australian kelpie is a breed of which domestic creature?

7. Which vegetable is the principal ingredient of Saxe - Coburg soup?

8. The term 'Tifoli" is applied to followers of which Formula 1 team? 

9. Who had a top ten hit with "This is what we came for"? 

10. In The Simpsons what is the name of Homer's boss? (Full Name)

    Answers to be revealed tomorrow.