Showing posts with label bbc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bbc. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Doctor Who 2023 Christmas Special

The 15th Doctor's maiden voyage kicked off in the 2023 Christmas Special of BBC's Doctor Who, where he and his new companion, Ruby Sunday, are dealing with a group of mischievous creatures wreaking havoc over the Christmas season.

Doctor Who 2023 Christmas Special

HOLD IT! Ensure you have already watched the episode before my quick review. Come back here when you have already watched it.

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special 3

The finale of the three-part Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials saw The Doctor face off against the return of the most powerful enemy he ever faced, The Celestial Toymaker. The final showdown that will truly wrap up the DoctorDonna saga before The Doctor achieves his true regeneration.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special 3


HOLD IT! Ensure that you have already watched the episode before coming back here for my quick review. Come back here when you have already watched it.

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special 2

The end of the first part of the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special saw Donna accidentally spilled coffee at the controls of the newly revamped TARDIS, causing it to go haywire. What happens next? 

The second part of the 60th-anniversary special trilogy sees The 14th Doctor and Donna get stranded in a deserted spaceship, dealing with a faceless enemy from within.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special 2

HOLD IT! Ensure you have already watched the episode before coming back here for my quick review. Come back here when you have already watched it.

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Winners of the Top Gear Awards 2023

The January 2024 issue of BBC's Top Gear Magazine unveiled this year's TG Awards winners, the first time since the Top Gear TV series went dark "for the unforeseeable future" following Freddie Flintoff's on-set accident late last year.

Winners of the Top Gear Awards 2023
Image: BBC

The Top Gear Awards features questionable but unique titles, which is nonsense to some, to be given to the cars as featured by Top Gear. Unlike most automotive awards, the folks from Top Gear went to a more unscripted approach to determine which is the best car of the year. And now, the winners...

Disruptor of the Year: Tesla Cybertruck

Manufacturer of the Year: Lamborghini

Bargain of the Year: Dacia Spring

Luxury Car of the Year: Rolls-Royce Spectre

Hypercar of the Year: GMA T.50

All The Car You'll Ever Need: BMW M3 Touring

Design of the Year: Toyota Land Cruiser 250

Track Car of the Year: Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992)

GT of the Year: Aston Martin DB12

Family Car of the Year: Kia EV9

Car We're Most Looking Forward to Driving in 2024: Ford Mustang GTD

Performance Car of the Year: Honda Civic Type R (FL5)

Innovation of the Year: Koenigsegg CC850 Engage Shift System

Eco Warrior of the Year: Volvo EX30

Lifetime Achievement Award: Adrian Newey

Retro Hero of the Year: Tamiya Wild One Max

Car of the Year: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N


Congratulations to the winners of this year's Top Gear Awards!

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special 1

Since the end of The Power of The Doctor last year, The 13th Doctor regenerated back into The 10th Doctor. Why did The Doctor gain an old face from a long time ago? Was it because of his loose ends regarding Donna Noble? 

The beginning of the 60th-anniversary special trilogy sees The 14th Doctor reunite with Donna Noble as they're dealing with a terrifying threat on a larger scale.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special 1
Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special 1

HOLD IT! Ensure that you have already watched the episode before coming back here for my quick review. Come back here when you have already watched it.

Thursday, November 23, 2023

A quick six-decade history of BBC's Doctor Who

The 23rd of November, 2023, marks the 60th anniversary of BBC's flagship TV series, Doctor Who. From Classic Who to Modern Who, from William Hartnell to Jodie Whitaker, the megahit TV series became the hallmark of the sci-fi genre since its 1963 airing and evolved into a mixed media project that served as one of the BBC's success stories.

With only two days left before the first part of the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials airing on BBC in the UK and on the Disney+ streaming service globally, how did we go from here? The past, present, and future of the Doctor Who series?


60 years of Doctor Who
60 years of Doctor Who

Classic Who - Aired on the BBC on November 23rd, 1963, William Hartnell is the very first actor to play The Doctor in the said series, forever laying the foundation of the Doctor Who series. The Classic Who era welcomed the most iconic Doctors in TV history from Hartnell to Sylvester McCoy, a memorable cast of characters, monsters, and a rogue gallery of villains ranging from Daleks, Cybermen, and even his arch nemesis, The Master. Seven classic Doctors (William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy) are forever known as legends not just in the franchise but in the entire TV sci-fi genre.

16 years of void - The Sylvester McCoy era became the final era of the Classic Who and when the TV show was laid to rest in 1989, it left a 16-year void before its 2005 comeback. Of course, the whole Doctor Who team tried bringing it back on May 27, 1996, with a TV movie aired on FOX, starring Paul McGann as The Doctor, but feels like the comeback didn't work as expected.

2005 return - On March 26, 2005, Doctor Who is back on the telly after a 16-year absence. With Russell T Davies serving as the showrunner and actor Christopher Eccleston playing the role of The Doctor, the 2005 revival signaled the start of the Modern Who era. Joining Eccleston is Billie Piper who plays the role of his companion, Rose Tyler, the two witnessed how the world ended, facing off against the Daleks, preventing world catastrophe, and uncovering the truth.

Greatest Doctor of All Time? - Christopher Eccleston's reign as The Doctor lasted for 13 episodes, the entire first season of the reborn Doctor Who TV series, and got replaced by actor David Tennant at the season finale. Making his first moves at the 2005 Christmas Special, David Tennant cemented his status as the GOAT in the Modern Who times. In fact, Tennant's making a comeback in the 60th anniversary special as the 14th Doctor! This marks the first in the Doctor Who franchise a Doctor actor doing two non-consecutive terms. 

Teaming alongside Piper as Rose, Freema Agyeman as Martha, and John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness aside, the most popular companion in the David Tennant years is none other than Donna Noble, played by comedienne Catherine Tate. First met at the 2006 Christmas special, the two reunite at the beginning of the fourth season and with past companions collide, including the late Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, a legend companion from the Classic Who times, it showcased the show's exploding popularity.

New Decade, New Who - David Tennant's time ended at the beginning of 2010, and with Russell T Davies stepped down from his showrunner duties, Steven Moffat took over and actor Matt Smith filled in the shoes of The Doctor, signaling the new era of Doctor Who. From The Eleventh Hour to The Time of The Doctor, the Matt Smith years shifted the Doctor Who era to a more family-friendly approach. 

During his tenure, the Matt Smith years of Doctor Who introduced companions such as Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams, and Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald. Actress Alex Kingston, who showed up in the David Tennant years as River Song, popped up as well, showing her origin story and her shocking relationship with Amy and Rory.

After the 2013 Christmas Special, Smith was replaced by Peter Capaldi, showing off his darker undertones while keeping the mantra of protecting the universe by all means. Apart from teaming up with Jenna Coleman as Clara, the Peter Capaldi years welcomed Pearl Mackie as Bill Potts and comedian Matt Lucas as Nardole, who first appeared in the 2015 Christmas Special.

Fast fact that both Gillan and Capaldi got their early stints in the DW Season 4 episode titled The Fires of Pompeii.

50 years of DW - November 23rd, 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who and to celebrate that occasion, a 50th-anniversary TV special, titled The Day of The Doctor, was aired. The Doctors, played by Matt Smith and David Tennant, joined forces with their mysterious predecessor known as The War Doctor, played by the late John Hurt, who popped up at the end of the 7th season. Racing against time, the three Doctors join forces to save the universe.

Long before the explosive 50th-anniversary special went on air, a biopic titled An Adventure of Space and Time was aired, starring David Bradley as William Hartnell, the 1st Doctor. Also, a Doctor Who web short was streamed, showcasing the 8th Doctor getting regenerated into The War Doctor, filling the void that was left after the 1996 TV movie.

Breaking the series' boundaries - The Peter Capaldi years signaled the final time Steven Moffat served as the showrunner and their time ended in the 2017 Christmas Special, Twice Upon A Time, which featured Bradley as The 1st Doctor, Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall took over the series as the showrunner. Breaking the series' boundaries, the 11th season of Doctor Who welcomed the series' first female Doctor, Jodie Whitaker. During her four-year tenure from 2018 to 2022, the 13th Doctor joined forces with Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), Yaz Khan (Mandip Gill), Graham O'Brien (Bradley Walsh), and Dan Lewis (John Bishop). Together, they've faced numerous enemies, new and old, including the reborn Master (played by Sacha Dhawan), while learning the truth about The Doctor's origins.

Loose ends? - As the Jodie Whitaker years came to an end, it was announced that actor Ncuti Gatwa would take over the role of The Doctor, but first, David Tennant will reprise his Doctor role in the 60th-anniversary specials. Why bring Tennant back to Who? Unanswered questions between The Doctor and Donna Noble after the end of the Season 4 finale. With them returning in the three-part specials, they have one loose end to mend before The Doctor can attain his true regeneration, and that's what the world awaits.

Spin-offs and mixed media - The Whoniverse expands outside the world of Doctor Who with official spin-offs featuring iconic characters and settings such as the R-rated spin-off series, Torchwood, which stars John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness and Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, among others, the kid-friendly The Sarah Jane Adventures where DW legend Elisabeth Sladen reprises her Sarah Jane Smith role and teams up with a group of kids battling alien threats, and then there's Class, which is set at Coal Hill High, the same school appeared in the world of Doctor Who. Word from the outside world is there was a TV show called K-9, which features The Doctor's robot ally K-9 in its entirely new form. 

TV shows aside, the Whoniverse also expands outside the TV screens in the form of comic books, novels, audio dramas, and others. One such example is the Doom's Day project which features a mysterious character named Doom as she spreads across the Whoniverse from comic books to audio dramas, racing for her life to find The Doctor. The Doom's Day project is part of Doctor Who's six-decade celebrations.

Six decades of Doctor Who, no, the Whoniverse. The past, present, and future of the Whoniverse will never stop expanding and as the world prepares for the show's 60th-anniversary specials and the imminent arrival of the new Doctor, expect brilliant things to come in the Whoniverse.

Happy 60th anniversary to the Whoniverse!

Image: BBC

Friday, August 25, 2023

Torchwood: Among Us 3

The final chapter of the Among Us saga of Torchwood has arrived and it finally unmasks the unknown threat lurking around the streets...but with a terrifying twist.

Torchwood: Among Us 3


The third and final chapter of Torchwood: Among Us is an edge-of-your-seat endgame to this intense thriller where the whole Torchwood team ends up being the hunted while uncovering the most terrifying puzzle with the whole world's on the wire.

The season finale features the final four missions to experience at the edge of your seats. From the forgotten social networking site out for revenge, influencers getting killed, a suspicious cryptocurrency used for purchasing black market weaponry, and the thrilling finale where dinnertime is the end of time itself.

Wow, the final missions sure have relevance in reality, huh? Social media and cryptocurrency are the main focus of this season's finale and because this is typical Torchwood suspense and thrills, no safe space is...well, safe from the gripping final moments of Among Us.

What a way to end the recent Torchwood season. Uncovering who is "among us" from start to finish made Among Us the most thrilling Torchwood saga yet and now that the whole collection is complete, expect more to come from the world of Torchwood.

The end is where will start for them.

Friday, June 30, 2023

Torchwood: Among Us 2

The first part of the Among Us saga of Torchwood kept listeners guessing who's behind the recent mess that terrified not just Cardiff but also the world. As the answer continues to unfold, the second part of Torchwood: Among Us has arrived, courtesy of Big Finish Productions.

Torchwood: Among Us 2

The second part of Torchwood: Among Us welcomes back Gareth David Lloyd to the latest saga, reprising the fan-favorite role of Ianto Jones. The fan-favorite character making a comeback in this latest chapter of Torchwood is pure delight for fans of the Doctor Who spinoff. Still, something's not right because...it's "Among Us" after all. No one knows who's the faceless threat pulling the strings.

Anyway, the second part welcomes listeners to four new thrilling missions to experience at the edge of their seats. These missions include Orr visiting the conflict-torn Voloshnik, Yvonne Hartman's prison break, vandals crashing inside Torchwood, and the whistleblowers who knew about the Phlobos Scandal.

These four new missions really are the latest pieces of the jigsaw puzzle and they're worth a suspense thriller to experience from start to finish.

Be sure to catch up on Among Us with these two installments available now and brace yourselves for the finale coming soon.

Friday, May 12, 2023

Torchwood: Among Us 1

The Torchwood story continues in the newest saga part of "The Story Continues" collection from Big Finish Productions. After a cataclysmic thriller in the God Among Us saga, Torchwood returns as they're uncover a faceless threat lurking everywhere, even from within.

Torchwood: Among Us 1

The newest saga of Torchwood is titled "Among Us" and in the first chapter of this latest Torchwood adventure, the Torchwood agents are keeping themselves incognito following the events from God Among Us. As they're in the dark, unknown threats and conspiracies are emerging everywhere, even within Torchwood.

The first chapter of Among Us features four brand new missions to listen to. From secret neighbors, the struggles of Colin, Gwen and Rhys' new life in Iceland, to a terrifying headline that deserves a much bigger headline, it's a brave new start to a new Torchwood saga that deserves to be listen over and over again before the next chapter arrives soon.

If you're ready to return to Torchwood, the first chapter of this newest adventure is for you...if you dare.

Monday, November 21, 2022

Top Gear S33E04

In the final episode of Top Gear Season 33...

Top Gear S33E04

The penultimate episode of the season saw the producers giving Paddy McGuinness the most difficult challenge; nurturing rookie drivers to earn a spot in professional motor racing in just eight weeks. Training a street-smart driver to a certified professional driver is an arduous task and there's a lot of drama involved in the process with Paddy around.

With Paddy busy with his arduous task, Chris Harris and Freddie Flintoff are at the Top Gear Test Track, showcasing and debating the world's best hot hatches in history.

That concludes Season 33 of Top Gear.

Monday, November 14, 2022

Top Gear S33E03

In the third episode of Top Gear Season 33, it's all about...The One.

Top Gear S33E03

This episode saw Freddie Flintoff taking on F1. No, it's not Formula 1. It's a different kind of F1. It's called F1 Stock Car Racing, an oval-racing series where asymmetrically designed, V8-powered, 90mph monster machines going all-out. It was coined as the world's toughest full-contact motorsport and for Flintoff, it's a risky challenge he'll remember forever.

With Flintoff having the taste of stock car action, Paddy McGuinness samples the brand-new Range Rover and with Chris Harris alongside him, they are putting the newest model to the ultimate offroad test. Also, Chris Harris samples the ultimate AMG road car that is coined as a road-legal Formula 1 car, the Mercedes-AMG ONE.

Next time, hot hatchbacks and newbie racers.

Monday, November 7, 2022

Top Gear S33E02

The second episode of Top Gear Season 33 has a theme of "big and small". That is big fast cars on the Autobahn and small slow cars on city roads.

Top Gear S33E02

The big cars saw Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris, and Paddy McGuinness sample three expensive sportscars towards the Autobahn in the brand-new Ferrari 296 GTB, Pagani Huayra BC Roadster, and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS. 

The small cars, meanwhile, saw the boys are on a Parisian adventure in the Citroen Ami, the Carver Electric, and the rather unique City Transformer. It wasn't an easy task, though.

Next time, Flintoff does Formula 1, Harris in the AMG One, and Paddy in the brand-new Range Rover.

Monday, October 31, 2022

Top Gear S33E01

BBC's hit motoring TV show, Top Gear, returns for its 33rd series with four weeks of motoring mayhem courtesy of Chris Harris, Freddie Flintoff, and Paddy McGuinness.

Top Gear S33E01

The 33rd series kicked off with the boys traveling to Thailand to investigate the Land of Smiles' car culture with pickups dominating the ASEAN giant. Amazed, the boys are joining the Thai pickup action, well, just two. They set off with the Isuzu, a Toyota Hilux, and a BMW E30 3-Series that Chris Harris turned into a pickup truck.

Having a blast with their Thailand adventure, Chris Harris returns to Europe to sample the newest electric hypercar in town, the Rimac Nevera.

Next time, the boys' supercar trip to the Autobahn and a city car treasure hunt in Paris.

Monday, October 24, 2022

Doctor Who 2022 Special 3

From facing the Tzim-sha in her first outing to battling against the Sea Devils in ancient China, the 13th Doctor era showcased to us the meaning of hope and change against all odds. Whovians worldwide had a lot of fun getting to know the first-ever female Doctor since her maiden voyage and how much impact the 13th Doctor did on the history of the series. Now, after four years, the Jodie Whittaker era came to a thrilling end with her final adventure titled The Power of The Doctor.

Doctor Who 2022 Special 3

Anyway, without spilling some spoilers in this review, it's time for a little post-show impression about the 13th Doctor's final adventure which is thrilling at the start and emotional in the end. 

Dan's exit from Team TARDIS, The Master's apocalyptic endgame to kill The Doctor and destroy the world with an army of Daleks and Cybermen alongside him, the return of legendary companions Ace and Tegan, the time limit suspense The Doctor and friends are racing against, and the emotional but shocking ending that rocked fans who witnessed it, not to mention some special sightings from this episode, this is what The Power of The Doctor is all about. An all-out thriller from start to finish.

This special is the Doctor Who equivalent mix of Spider-Man: No Way Home and No Time to Die because, for the Whovians, the suspense, thrills, and emotions really made the 13th Doctor's final adventure special, and now that the era of the first female Doctor ended, the Jodie Whitaker era will hold a very special place in the history of Doctor Who.

THE 13TH's STORY IS DONE, BUT DOCTOR WHO WILL RETURN...

Monday, July 4, 2022

Top Gear S32 FINALE

 In the final episode of Top Gear Season 32...

Top Gear S32 FINALE
Top Gear S32 FINALE

The final episode of the season saw the boys celebrate the BBC's centennial anniversary by paying tribute to 100 years of motorsport as expected. Then, Paddy McGuinness pays tribute to BMW M's 50th anniversary by examining the past and present of BMW's high-performance division, Chris Harris samples the Ford Puma Rally1 hybrid rally car, and the season ends with the boys investigating the future of fuel.

And this is the end of the 32nd season of Top Gear. From new car debuts to zany challenges, this season blows the viewers' minds, wishing they want to drive the cars featured in the season.

Top Gear will return...

Monday, June 27, 2022

Top Gear S32E04

In the fourth episode of Top Gear Season 32...

Top Gear S32E04
Top Gear S32E04

Two awesome new cars made their Top Gear debut in this season's penultimate episode; the Maserati MC20 and the Rivian R1T. Chris Harries tries out the newest Maserati around the Top Gear Track while Freddie Flintoff flies to America to sample the newest electric truck that came from a new American carmaker.

Of course, this episode hadn't forgotten about old cars as the trio is searching for old cars with 500 pounds on their budget.

Next week is the Top Gear S32 finale! Don't miss it!

Monday, June 20, 2022

Top Gear S32E03

In the third episode of Top Gear Season 32...

Top Gear S32E03
Top Gear S32E03

The first-ever Lotus Emira is the star of this week's episode and Chris Harris got the chance to sample what's known to be the last ICE-powered Lotus.

Meanwhile, the boys are taking a shot at becoming truck drivers. With the boys getting their HGV licenses, the boys are making truck driving in Britain great again with an epic road trip that involves a series of challenges, including truck racing.

Next time, used cars, a new Maserati, and an electric pickup truck.

Monday, June 13, 2022

Top Gear S32E02

In the second episode of Top Gear Season 32...

Top Gear S31E02

The recent episode is all about cop cars and a Sinclair converted into a bobsled. The boys sampled first the three most iconic TV cop cars; a Jaguar Mark II from Inspector Morse, Starsky and Hutch's Ford Gran Torino, and Magnum P.I.'s Ferrari 308. After having a blast with these iconic cop cars, it's their turn to star themselves in their little cop show using modern cars; a previous-generation Ford F-150 Raptor, a Dodge Charger cop car, and the all-new Audi RS3 Sportback. The trio went through a series of challenges to find out which one is the best.

Meanwhile, the boys have turned a Sinclair C5, a low-speed personal mobility vehicle that was launched four decades ago, into a bobsled and attempt to do an Olympic bobsleigh run using their modified Sinclair C5.

Next time; the HGV road trip and a Lotus Emira on the Top Gear Track.

Monday, June 6, 2022

Top Gear S32E01

BBC's hit motoring TV show, Top Gear, has returned for its 32nd season with more motoring mayhem with Chris Harris, Freddie Flintoff, and Paddy McGuinness.

Top Gear S31E01
Top Gear S31E01

In the Season 32 premiere, the boys flew to Miami, Florida, to explore the good, the bad, and the ugly side of car culture. They're getting their vice on the donk trend, a swamp buggy race, a showdown against Cleetus McFarland in the Dirty 30.

The Miami trip is a way to kick off the 32nd season of the world's best motoring TV show. Guess the summer season really is on with the boys' return.

Next time; a DIY bobsled and TV cop cars.

Monday, April 18, 2022

Doctor Who 2022 Special 2

The second of the trio of Doctor Who specials, the Jodie Whitaker specials, brought back one of the most formidable foes in Doctor Who history as The Doctor and friends venture through 19th-century Chinese waters in search of a mysterious pirate treasure while making uneasy alliances to outsmart the Sea Devils.

Doctor Who 2022 Special:
Legend of the Sea Devils

No time for lengthy spoilers, as promised, because it's time for some quick impression about this second Jodie Whitaker special. The Sea Devils may be new for modern Whovians but for veteran Whovians who enjoyed both classic and modern DW adventures, the return of those formidable amphibious warrior reptiles, first seen on TV in 1972,  is a clear reminder of what classic Who monsters need to make a comeback in the modern Who era and this is it.

With the Sea Devils returned in the modern Who adventures after five decades, seeing The Doctor and friends going treasure-hunting in 19th-century Chinese waters is something The Doctor hasn't done before, although getting involved with pirates is nothing new for our favorite Time Lord. Uneasy alliances, shocking twists, daring decisions, and the return of the "Geronimo" dialogue, this is what the Legend of the Sea Devils is all about.

With The Doctor and friends' pirate adventure against the return of the amphibious warrior reptiles done, the final of the trio of Doctor Who specials, airing this Autumn 2022, will mark the end of the 13th. With a mob of villains gathered and surprising comebacks of DW favorites, expect the 13th Doctor's final journey to be astronomical.

So, are you ready for The End of...The Doctor?