Just What the Doctor Ordered
The UK’s most venerable science fiction superhero is returning to the States with a brand new look. The new season of Doctor Who starts tonight on BBC America, introducing a new cast of time traveling adventurers. In the premiere episode “The Eleventh Hour,” an alien prisoner takes refuge in a young girl’s home, and the freshly-regenerated Doctor is strangely drawn to both.
Matt Smith’s Doctor is as erratic and quirky …read more
Posted on Saturday, April 17th, 2010 by Jeff 2 Comments »
Being Human Adeptly Updates Classic Movie Monsters
It’s not hard to pinpoint America’s latest tween fascination with the undead, but it seems that those old standbys of folklore are even undergoing a modern makeover across the pond. BBC America serves up vampires, werewolves and ghosts in contemporary London with tonight’s premiere of the grimly amusing new series Being Human.
It’s an odd mix of honest gothic horror and …read more
Posted on Saturday, July 25th, 2009 by Jeff
Holding Out for a Dollhouse Hero
After having just watched the eighth episode of Joss Whedon’s high-concept action thriller Dollhouse, I realized why this beautifully cast, cleverly scripted series is ultimately so unsatisfying: there’s not one regular character to honestly root for or admire.
The Dolls themselves are certainly sympathetic characters, but are little more than mindless babies in their natural state. All of the extraordinary abilities exhibited by these “actives” are built on …read more
Posted on Saturday, April 4th, 2009 by Jeff
The Next Doctor’s Steampunk Christmas
Fans of the long running BBC series Doctor Who know that his latest incarnation, as played by David Tennant, is not long for this world. In this light, titling this year’s Christmas special “The Next Doctor” is a particularly painful, but seemingly suitable bit of wordplay.
When the Tardis arrives at London on December 24th, 1851, the Doctor is almost immediately called to the aid of a damsel in distress. When another Time Lord also comes running, and an oddly woolly …read more
Posted on Saturday, December 27th, 2008 by Jeff
