Doctor Who - The Bells of Saint John Review

This review can also be found on Media Gateway.

Easter is all about celebrating the man who died and was resurrected to save us all... And this Easter, he’s returned to Earth to save humanity from being uploaded to a Cloud server at the behest of Richard E Grant as the Great Intelligence. Yes, the Doctor’s back in a new adventure with a new companion and, most importantly, a new and irrefutably stylish jacket in the first episode of 2013 (technically episode seven of series seven), The Bells of Saint John by Steven Moffat.

Having secluded himself to a life of monkhood in 1207, the Doctor has apparently been spending a lot of time pondering the enigmatic existence of Clara ‘Oswin’ Oswald; the woman twice dead. However, his solitude is once again disturbed as the monks inform him the bells of Saint John are chiming - or, more accurately, the TARDIS phone is ringing. Quite perplexingly, the call is from Clara Oswald (21st Century version, not she who was a Dalek, or of the Victorian era) asking for help getting online, having been given the phone number by The Woman In The Shop who is presumably going to be revisited in a future narrative.

Arriving on Earth, having tracked down Clara Oswald III, the Doctor discovers that all is not right in the world. There's something deadly in the WiFi, and people's conciousnesseseses are being uploaded; a plot conducted by a spectacularly villainous Celia Imrie. As the Doctor and Clara attempt to find the cause, their investigation leads them to a prominent point in central London...

The Bells of Saint John promised to be an action-thriller inspired by the likes of James Bond and the Bourne trilogy, and it certainly didn’t disappoint! It was witty, engaging and fundamentally enjoyable with moments of humour set against the backdrop of an intriguing and unnerving plot; exactly the recipe for a sublime Doctor Who narrative. There were moments that felt quite Sherlockian with the on-screen text, some elements were reminiscent of The Idiot’s Lantern and Silence in the Library, and there was a definite Blink vibe about the recorded warning message before the credits; none of which felt like it was a rehash of old material, but rather something recognisable that was fresh and unique to this story.

It was also the perfect introduction for Clara Oswald, the Doctor’s new time-travelling companion; although we’ve already met her in Asylum of the Daleks and The Snowmen (albeit in completely disparate scenarios), this episode re-introduced her in a way that felt both familiar and new - kind of like bumping into someone you used to go to school with, but they haven’t the foggiest clue who you are.

Now properly established in her role as Clara, Jenna-Louise Coleman is the quintessential companion, and her chemistry with Matt Smith is wonderfully dynamic. As ever, Matt Smith is thoroughly excellent as the Doctor and is a constant joy to watch, and considering Coleman has only featured in two previous episodes, it’s remarkable that she already feels just as much a part of the show as Smith or the TARDIS. I’m looking forward to watching her character develop more over the coming episodes (and, of course, the 50th anniversary special), and intrigued to discover the truth behind her character is seemingly scattered around time and space (sidenote: in Clara’s ‘101 Place to See’ book, her 16th and 23rd years are missing... Did she just not write down those two ages, or is there something to it?)

All in all, The Bells of Saint John is a phenomenal way to kick-off Doctor Who’s 50th year and a fantastic return to series seven. It’s one of the most entertaining and well-rounded episodes in a while, an absolute highlight for series seven so far, and certainly ranks highly, close to The Doctor’s Wife, in my list of all-time favourite Doctor Who stories.

Next week, Clara asks the Doctor to take her somewhere awesome, and he doesn’t disappoint in The Rings of Akhaten...

If you missed last night’s episode, you better have a bloody good reason.
Catch it on iPlayer here.

┓┏ 凵 =╱⊿┌┬┐

David Tennant and Billie Piper Confirmed for Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary

This article can also be found on Media Gateway.

It's been the topic of speculation for quite some time, but at last the rumours have been revealed to be true. The BBC has confirmed that David Tennant and Billie Piper, the Doctor's tenth incarnation and his companion Rose Tyler, will be appearing in the special 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who, commemorating the show's half-a-century long history.

Tennant and Piper will be reprising their roles as the Tenth Doctor and Rose alongside the current Doctor and new companion Clara Oswald, Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman. The anniversary special, which begins filming next week, will also star the legendary John Hurt.

The one-off episode is set to see a host of Doctor Who stars past and present (maybe future, who knows) and is expected to air on the 23rd November. The episode will also be filmed in 3D for the first time in Doctor Who history, which is a bonus for anyone who enjoys wearing ridiculous glasses when watching telly...

As part of the anniversary events, the BBC will also be broadcasting An Adventure in Space and Time - a one-off drama looking at how this iconic show came to be.

It's all rather exciting, isn't it?!

It can't be... It's a temporal pair-o-Docs!
Matt Smith and David Tennant at read-throughs for the 50th.

Meanwhile, the first episode of the Doctor's adventures in 2013, The Bells of Saint John, will be screened tonight at 6.15pm on BBC One. Don't trust the WiFi...

Charlotte Campbell's Blue Eyed Soul PledgeMusic Campain

This article can also be found on Media Gateway.

Charlotte Campbell, the sensational Southbank Songstress and YouTube warbler, is currently working on her debut album, Blue Eyed Soul. The independent singer has set up a PledgeMusic crowd-funding campaign to help finance the production of the album, and has included a range of incentives in exchange for pledges. Starting at just £6, pledges range from a digital download of Blue Eyed Soul, her original EP Stay and the EP for rock band Ideawake, through to house shows and songwriting/jam sessions.

Charlotte's campaign impressively garnered 100% of the original goal within the first 24 hours after the campaign was launched. The new goal is to reach 100 pledges, and with 32 days still to go there's plenty of time to contribute and help finance the production of her debut album.
Additionally, 5% of any pledges made after the 100% marker will go to the Herts Inclusive Theatre, an award winning charity working with disabled and non-disabled children, young people and adults.

Check out and pledge to Charlotte's PledgeMusic campaign here.
You can also check out some of her other music on her YouTube channel here, and read my previous article about Charlotte's music here.

Star Trek Online: Three-Year Anniversary

This weekend marks the third anniversary of Star Trek Online, and to celebrate Cryptic Studios are hosting a special anniversary event, running from Stardate 66552.4 through to 66590.8 (or 1st to 14th February for those who still use the 21st Century dating system). The event includes the appearance of the infamous Q on Earth Space Dock and Qo'noS, hosting parties and rewarding players for completing his tasks.

The three-year anniversary also sees the release of a brand new featured episode - Temporal Ambassador - starring Denise Crosby reprising her role as Lieutenant Tasha Yar from Star Trek: The Next Generation. In addition, players will be able to earn a free ship by completing this episode, with Federation players being rewarded with an Ambassador Class Support Cruiser, and members of the Klingon Defence Force with a Kamarag Class Battlecruiser.

Boldly go into the final frontier and celebrate STO's third year, and check out the infographic below to see what's been accomplished in Star Trek Online thus far.

A Tribute to Heath Ledger

Five years ago today, the film industry sadly lost one of its finest and most promising actors to an accidental overdose of prescription medications. At the far-too-young age of 28, Australian actor Heath Ledger passed away, leaving a legacy of extraordinary performances behind him. But what makes his absence in the industry so tragic is not so much what he had done, but what more he could have gone on to do.

Ledger’s career gives us a glimpse of a naturally talented actor, whose phenomenal performances (especially those later in his career) stand as some of the greatest performances in modern cinema. Ledger’s memory will be forever remembered, going down in cinematic history with the likes of James Dean.

In tribute to one of the most consummate and transcendent actors of our time, here are my top five performances by the late, great Heath Ledger.

5) A Knight’s Tale (2001)
This was the first example of Ledger’s work that I ever saw. Ledger plays the role of William Thatcher (under the pseudonym of Ulrich von Lichtenstein) in a traditional tale of rags-to-riches as he falsifies his past - claiming to be of noble birth, hence the pseudonym - to become a knight. It’s very loosely based on Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale from The Canterbury Tales, and despite it’s deviation from Chaucer’s work it is an enjoyable film nonetheless.

Whilst this may not be Ledger’s most multi-faceted or emotively diverse role, it is nonetheless a superb performance. Considering he was only just 22 at the time, the way in which he perfectly captured the role and carried off the part of charismatic leading-man is nothing short of phenomenal.


4) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantasy film plucked straight from the ever-fascinating mind of Terry Gilliam, in which a theatre troupe (lead by the impossibly ancient Doctor Parnassus, who’s made a bet with the devil-incarnate, Tom Waits) takes their audience members through a mirror into their imaginations.

Production of Doctor Parnassus was disrupted by the untimely passing of Ledger halfway through filming, and for a while it seemed as if the film would have to be aborted. However, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law were eventually cast to take on Ledger’s role in certain scenes - each embodying the character as he’s transformed in different magical realms, whilst the footage shot with Ledger remained in the film as the character’s real-world appearance. The film was ultimately dedicated in memory of Heath Ledger.

Although Ledger’s presence in the film is sadly limited to the segments set in the real world, his performance is nonetheless captivating and emotive. In many ways, his role in this film is as a metaphor for his career; a truly remarkable and tantalising glimpse of what more he could have done had he been with us longer.


3) The Four Feathers (2002)
In The Four Feathers, Ledger plays the role of Harry Faversham, a young British officer during the British Army’s Nile Expedition of 1885. Newly engaged to Ethne (Kate Hudson), Harry learns that his regiment is being deployed to the Sudan, and decides to resign his commission. Having been branded a coward and disowned by his father, Harry learns that his former regiment has come under attack from Mahdi rebels, and makes the perilous journey to the Sudan alone.

In my opinion, this film is up there as one of Ledger’s most emotive performances of his career. His ability to capture and project emotion on a genuine level is truly transcendent; the raw, tangible emotions drawing you in, becoming completely immersed in the narrative and Ledger’s spectacular realisation of his character. It is rare to find such great examples of genuine emotion in film, to the extent it feels as if the actor is baring their soul, but Ledger was one such performer.


2) The Dark Knight (2008)
It may sound like a cliche, but Ledger is completely unrecognisable in the role as the Joker. Arguably one of the most philosophically complex characters of modern cinema, the Joker is the embodiment of calculated anarchy and unhinged nihilism, dedicated to tearing down humanity’s facade of civilised society.

One could reel off a stream of synonyms for ‘brilliant’ or ‘sublime’ to describe his performance, but none would do him justice. The role is so perfectly realised, with his expertly-delivered demented dialogue and constant visual ticks, it is clear that Ledger committed every molecule of his being into portraying this psychopathic clown. Ledger’s Joker is truly the definitive agent of chaos.


1) Brokeback Mountain (2005)
As a man constantly in torment, fighting an internal war between his emotions and society’s expectations, Ledger’s performance as Ennis Del Mar is nothing short of sublime. Emotionally closed off and isolated from the world, Ennis is wrought by his inner conflict with his sexual identity, pushing away anyone who comes to care about him and only capable of expressing himself through explosions of violence.

Whilst this role is nowhere near as exuberant as the Joker, Brokeback Mountain contains Ledger’s greatest performance. His emotively acute portrayal of this tortured soul is truly tangible, and is simultaneously a joy and thoroughly heart-breaking to watch. This, in my opinion, is Ledger’s finest performance.


When Heath Ledger passed, the world lost a magnificent actor and an amazing and inspirational soul.

Rest in peace, good sir, you are greatly missed.