Doctor Who

So that's the last time the Doctor and River meet (in River's life, that is)?

As far as we know yeah. She can never leave the library computer. Unless the Doctor did somethin gelse with the screwdriver which he didnt realize at the time, as Tennant.
And of course at some point the Doctor is going to take her to the singing towers, give her his screwdriver and all in the full knowledge her next and last stop is the library.

Your all ready for series 5 now- Matts Smiths debut.

Heres the final scene of Tennant as it happens immediately before 11th hour, the first episode of Smiths.

Thanks for posting Some things I don't quite understand, though. He's still the same person right? And if so, why does the Doctor change appearances? Why did Tennant say "I don't want to go"? Did he think he was dying? So many questions!

ok - rough guide to regeneration. Time Lords barring accidents pretty much last forever. But they do physically age, just slowly. So when they get old they can choose to regenerate. The Doctor, because of how he chooses to live has only ever done this once (the 1st time), ever other time has been trauma (Tennant received a lethal dose of radiation for example) so the Doctors regeneration is always a bit messed up.
The Doctor is the same person, his cells regenerate, he retains the same memories (but they can get jumbled) but a new personality emerges thats a mix of all the previous plus the new one. When he regenrates it feels like dying for that version.
In Tennants case this was the first time the Doctor resisted the process, which is why the Tardis goes up in flames with him.
After effects of regeneration vary depending on the damage that caused it. Tennant when he first generated spent a day or so unconcious, as did Tom Baker and Pertwee. The Doctor is usually a bit confused, and 'off' for want of a better word for some time afterwards.
Some Time Lords seem to have the ability to choose the appearance of their regenration, but the Doctor doesn't, (he has always wanted to be ginger for example but it hasn't happened yet) possibly because of the circumstances it normally happens it.
Regenration is not a natural Time Lord ability, in fact not all Gallifrayeans are Time Lords and only Time Lords regenerate. But they can withdraw it too, or offer more regenerations (as they did with the Master) or even force regenerations against a Time Lords will as a punishment.
Rehgenration involves huges amounts of chronon energy (sort of time particles) thats the gold glowy stuff.
Supposedly the Doctor has only 13 regenerations but there is uncertainy now about whether this still stands.

As a comparison to Tennants reluctance heres his former self's ending.

Thanks for the vids and the explanation

I should add, as I meant to and forget when I mentioned the chronon energy (gold glowy stuff) the Tardis runs on this stuff and produces a lot of it, for a regeneration the Doctor will try to get into the Tardis, its not essential but seems to help as the Tardis is full of the stuff. It also acts a bit like radiation. Companions absorb it when they travel in the Tardis, this makes them anomalies in time like the Doctor, they are more outside of time than normal folk because of it and its how the Tardis gets inside your mind with its telephatic circuits to translate stuff.

Oh meant to say you are not quite ready for series 5 yet! I'd recommend Blink first. And in the dark, alone, watched from behind something. (And given you found the Siren in the Pirate episode scary you might want to sleep with the lights on afterwards).

Very short and sweet (best way doesn't give to much away)

The new Torchwood is on the way. For those who don't know Torchwood is a spin off show from Doctor Who. Its a sort of an x-files type unit, lead by Captain Jack Harkness, who first appeared on Doctor Who. Its not for the kids and was aimed at an adult audicience, more sex and violence mainly. It had a couple of so-so series then disappeared. Then it came back with a 5 part mini series which was pretty damn good. And then it disappeared again. Now its resurfced with another miniseries, Miracle Day, but this time its being made by American tv. Not sure about this, trailer seems to be mainly things exploding.

Captiain Jack- the universes biggest flirt.



He's also immortal. Resurrected by the Heart of the Tardis via Rose, he was made a fixed point in time.

I'm neither sure if its his many flirts or his many deaths you are laughing at Squach- or which is worse.

DVD release of the Pertwee era Day of the Daleks- finally the BBC are remastering and enhancing the originals.

I loved those Pertwee days. The Daleks are far more dangerous nowadays, of course, being able to get up stairs and all. Are the Dr Who stories too clever now?

I would argue not. The plot of War Games takes up an entire series to tell. Much longer more complex plots were the norm in classic Who. What I would say has changed is in how the complexity is delivered. Back in the day it was straight up for the most part, now information is more cryptically imparted and in a less linear fashion. But when you strip it back down to just the plots and compare, the old classic nearly always have the bigger and more complex story, its one of the reasons I have long felt the 50 minute format with occasional 2 parter is too little time for a fully rich Who tale. Many of the classic series stroies could run for 6-15 half hour episodes. 3 or 4 modern episodes, allowing for more indepth charcaters to be introduced and more back story.

It might might make the stories easier to follow without necessarily making the stories less mysterious or unexpected. That one with the people in gas marks could have been four episodes with lots of scary action. It was very good as it was, but it could have been an even more scarier and intriguing tale given more time to develop.

I feel exactly the same way. There are several stroies in new Who I felt would have greatly benefited from being given more time to develop and build. For some reason the BBC have become obsessed with the notio that people should be able to jump on at any episode, so they make as many as possible stand-alone. God for new comers to not feel completely lost but bad for stroy and plot development as essentially at the end of every episode everthing needs to be back inplace for the next episode with a nice clean slate. Old Who the end of one episode was the start of the next one, they ran into each other. Even when it was the end of one story and the beginning of another.

We may be old fashioned, Petty, but we're right.

I should have thought that much was obvious Orwell.

It comes from being old, I guess...

Sad but true Orwell.

Trailer for the 1st series of Torchwood from BBC America (just love those deep American trailer voices ) and the trailer for the much improved Torchwood Children of Earth (the 5 part miniseries). Worked out what Torchwood is an anagram of yet?

Eegad! I have! Cool, really...

Nel Gaiman on Craig Fergusons show to promote something- no idea what as they spend most ofthe time talking abot their first love- Doctor Who. (Is the calibre of Who fan not tempted you yet Eldo? Although slightly worryingly turns out according to BBC that PJ is such a Who fan he bought Sylvester McCoy's Doctor costume!)