Soundtracks: Doctor Who Series 4, Torchwood

For the past few years, an important element of Doctor Who has been the incidental music. There have been some pretty strong themes recurring in the series, such as the haunting solo vocalist performed Doctor's Theme, the heart rending Rose's Theme, and the variations of Martha's Theme which has created sadness and inspiration. In the first series, these were performed in studio, but as of Series 2, the National Orchestra of Wales has performed the music, lending a cinematic quality to it. Coincidentally this coincided with David Tennant's arrival.

Composer Murray Gold is actually quite similar in his music to David Tennant's performance. Quirky is a bit off, action is pretty bombastic, and emotional is heart tugging. Each series his work gets better and better, and Series 4 is the best soundtrack of all to date.

Kicking off with new version of the Doctor Who theme (I don't like that we've lost the single brass note in the titles anymore), we quickly go, choronologically through the episodes, taking a small break in the middle for a suite of music from Voyage Of The Damned.

The tracks are all very grandiose and quite, quite beautiful, although I think that the best is easily The Greatest Story Never Told from Silence In The Library which is one of the most inspirational pieces in the entire series. The Song Of Freedom occurs twice, once as a piece from the incidental music of Planet of the Ood, and once at the end in a single version, and it's a stunning piece of music. If Murray Gold's music could be likened to any one composer, it would James Horner.

What's really worth mentioning, though, is The Unicorn And The Wasp piece, which is probably going to appeal very much to fans of the classic series of Doctor Who. It's very much in the style of Geoffrey Burgon who did the music for Terror Of The Zygons and The Seeds Of Doom. Moody woodwind brings back the feel of the 1970s as opposed to the full orchestral sound that most science fiction programmes (including Doctor Who these days) use.

This is one of the best soundtracks I own, and that has nothing really to do with it being Doctor Who. It has everything to do with it being bloody good.

Also on sale now is the official Torchwood soundtrack. Although Murray Gold composed the theme for Torchwood based on a short piece of music he wrote for Doctor Who, it is his conductor and orchestrator Ben Foster who writes the music for Torchwood. It's worth mentioning that the Torchwood theme is a lot longer on the soundtrack and is quite a fascinating piece of music that isn't really done justice in the title or closing sequences of the television show.

However if Murray Gold is James Horner like, then Foster is David Arnold like. His music tends to be a lot more action packed, rarely taking time to be introspective. That said, don't get me wrong - like Arnold his love music is quite beautiful. Jack's Love Theme and Toshiko & Tommy are sweet, and there is a lot of emotion in The Death Of Dr Owen Harper and The End Is Where We Start From.
However it is the action music which really sets Torchwood aside from Doctor Who in terms of soundtrack. The Chase, Everything Changes...the list is quite endless in terms of the absolutely amazing action.

In many ways this is a very complementary soundtrack to the Doctor Who one and having them both actually makes them even more fantastic than listening to each one separately. But, rather happily, both stand very well on their own.

Michael Atkinson

Michael Atkinson is the Attorney General of South Australia, which would suggest he's a little bit intelligent and possibly has a somewhat strong grip on reality and the law. He's also a big fan of protecting children, which would suggest that he's got quite a conscious.

Suprisingly, however, the man is an idiot.

If you've ever played a video game, actually, check that, if you've just got some common sense, you probably think that there are some video games out there that are just a little outside the 3 - 15 year age gap. Some of them have quite a bit of violence in them, some have some nudity, some have some sex, and some allow you to shag hookers and then kill said hookers to get your money back. Now, even though I don't have a fifteen year old child, I wouldn't be keen on that child playing some of those games. But frankly, I'm not going to sit down and play every game that comes out, and I may even not look up information about a game on the internet sometimes. No, it would be nicer if there was a big black sticker on the front of the game with a nice fat "R" telling me the game is for adults only.

As events transpire, Mr Atkinson disagrees. He feels that there should be no "R" rating for games. He feels that games should just be banned if they are not suitable for children. Because, at the end of the day, he feels that adults don't play video games. In interviews he's banged on about how he can barely control what games his kids play, and how the effects of interactive games may be more severe than watching "R" rated movies, and some people just can't distinguish fact from fiction. And he may be right about all those things he's said in interviews. But he's very wrong about his feelings that adults don't play video games. He can defame Bond University all he likes, but it doesn't change the fact that the majority of gamers are 30+. And adults should be allowed to choose what they want to do, not be told by Big Brother. Because, if not, then why not ban alcohol?

And the really funny thing is, that most gamers want the "R" rating to protect children, because at the moment too many games are getting through and being classified "MA 15+" because there simply isn't a higher rating.
An "R" rating isn't going to magically solve all the problems of kids getting their hands on inappropriate games, but the fact is it will go some way to solving the problem. And any little bit helps.

It's a little sad that the only person who doesn't see this is Michael Atkinson. And it's also a little sad that one state AG has the ability to veto all the other six.

Well done Michael. You're doing a great job.

Comics Etc

It's been a while since I reviewed something out of the ordinary, but I'd like to take the opportunity to review the comic shop, Comics Etc. Truth to tell there was a time when I didn't actually want to go in there as the staff seemed to be rude beyond belief, often shouting at each other from across the shop and telling people how shit their purchases was. In fact, on one occasion they had reviews of their stuff up and they were virtually all negative. The one that wasn't read something like (and I'm paraphrasing here) "Simon really loves this comic. However, Simon's taste is in his ass." I'd pretty much given up on Comics Etc.

Then one day I discovered I could order online from them, and given they have the best range in the city, I figured, why not? I don't have to talk to them, so I can order without having any problems.

And the first order went through without any hassle. Then the next time I wanted to order something, they had it listed but I couldn't add it to my basket. I emailed and asked what I could do. And the response came back to tell me just to put it in the notes and they would be happy to add it.

Wow. I thought. That's really good service.

The next time I ordered something, I tried it again, and got a response back just as quickly telling me that it would be no problem at all. And every single time I ordered online from Comics Etc they had the best online service I have ever encountered.

Amazed by this sudden change, I wondered what it would be like if I went into the store. I placed an online order for pickup, and stolled into the store that weekend. To my surprise, all the old staff that used to diss my purchases and shout across the store at each other about how they had the latest issue of Batman (although it was a shit issue, so they had wasted their money), were gone. Instead there was this friendly chap who, when someone else bought a comic, he enthused about the purchase and recommended something that he loved that was of a similar nature.

My order was waiting behind the counter, and I happily paid without any hassle.

I don't know what's happened at this store, but I will tell you one thing - I will not get my comics from anywhere else. Comics Etc not only has a great range, but they have the best service, and have shown amazing thoughtfulness when dealing with me. Go to this comics store. Go nowhere else.

http://www.comicsetc.com.au/

Law & Order

Ten seem to have a bit of an active hatred for Law & Order Prime. Criminal Intent and Special Victims Unit are bringing in the ratings, but Law & Order is like the poor old sire that is still trotting around out the back. But unfortuately for Ten, there's still enough interest in the old fellow to keep showing her. Stuck on a Friday night in the non-ratings period, now showing two episodes back-to-back to get through the season as quickly as possible...oh, Ten hate it, but the people are still watching.

And well they should. I've been a bit neglectful of my reviews of Law & Order since it's return, but I've been watching every Friday night, and if a programme is going to last a long time (and it's worth reminding people that Law & Order is now in it's eighteenth season on Australian TV - ninteenth in America) change has got to be at the core. Law & Order thrives on change. It's cast is cycled through like it's going out of fashion.

I enjoyed last season, with the introduction of Detective Cassady, a young female who was a little out of her depth in homicide, although I felt ADA Rubirosa was just going through the motions as the latest in Jack McCoy's dark-haired assistants. But this season...this season has been a real shot in the arm that has changed the entire way of things. Jeremy Sisto's introduction as Det Cyrus Lupo has brought a feeling of cameraderie between him and Jesse L Martin's Det Green, which is something the detectives have never really had before because of the old detective/young detective partnerships that have been in the show up until now. A pair of detectives, both in their 30's has shown a different partnership that works really well, and gives some bizarrely entertaining dialogue. Lupo's obscure questions - most recently his questioning Green about being a socks off/socks on man - have given a different level of humour to the detectives.

And on the other side, Sam Waterston's Jack McCoy going to DA, and being replaced by Linus Roache as EADA Michael Cutter has brought out a completely different dynamic to the "Order" side of the program. As Waterston changed roles not because he was leaving but because it was about bloody time, DA McCoy has a lot more to do each episode than his three predecessors ever had to. And the relationship between McCoy and Cutter is very different as well. Cutter often at times seems to be doing things just because McCoy wouldn't, while McCoy seems unable to let Cutter handle a case by himself, something which Cutter frequently throws back in his face. This means that Rubirosa becomes the middle man, trying to balance her two superiors while remaining loyal to both. Rubirosa and Cutter, however, have a better relationship than the one she had with McCoy, although last week's episode showed us Cutter pushing it just that bit too far.

And we've had some very interesting cases over the past few weeks. A bizarre murder revolving around a pair of pants, a murder caused by a black man and a white woman independent of each other, an apparent gay murder which turns out to be about political buy-outs, a con artist that tricks everyone out of a fortune and then tricks her way out of jail, murder during immigration riots, murder because of capital punishment, and murder as a result of sex - the case where Cutter keeps on a juror because of their interest in Rubirosa.

Law & Order is playing hardball this season, showing us a new side to the principal characters and new cases ripped from the headlines. However, what's interesting is how Cyrus Lupo seems to be taking the lead in the criminal investigations...I wonder if that's going to have long term effects...?

Character Options Doctor Who Figures 2009

Truth to tell Doctor Who fans are pretty bloody lucky. We have a specific group of people who work to make our DVD releases so kick-arse they are the best television DVDs out there. We have a company that strives to bring us audio adventures of previous Doctors, so those that don't like the new series can still have a grin on their face. We have an action figure range which is one of the best that is out there, with care given to the figures and a range of classic figures for us old fans.

And yet a few years back, the DVD company, 2Entertain, along with the audio company Big Finish, anally raped us like a $2 hooker. Yup, after releasing all five Davros stories, they then went ahead and released a Davros boxed set which had all five stories, plus all the audio Davros stories. Fine, we all thought. We've been loyal, we bought all those things when they were released, we can probably skip the boxed set. Except a special audio story was released on the boxed set, and Remembrance Of The Daleks was fixed up to include the missing special effect, PLUS had two extra documentaries and the whole box had a new Davros documentary. And the price was in excess of 80 pounds. We called 2Entertain.

Any chance we could get a new release of Remembrance with the new documentaries and the Davros documentary? we asked.

Why don't you go fuck yourself? 2Entertain asked us.

Any chance we could get the new audio story released at some point? we asked Big Finish.

Sure, they replied, when you go fuck yourself.

It was a harsh lesson to learn. Not us, I might point out, but 2Entertain. Sales of the Davros box set were absolutely woeful. They sit on the shelves of every JB Hi-Fi and ABC bookshop across the country. And that's just Australia. Fuck ourselves, the fans said...no...fuck YOU! When 2Entertain released their Sontaran boxed set, they didn't bother to play the same stupid game they had last time. Just the DVDs...no new extras.

Character Options, however, have decided to play the same stupid game. Hopefully you've been here (

http://enterpriseofgeeks.blogspot.com/2009/01/doctor-who-action-figures-2009.html) to read about the new figures. How awesome is the Cyberman wave? Four new figures and a fucking cool build-a-figure. In fact, all the build-a-figures rock. That Vespiform is something special. I ordered those Cyber-dudes within about two minutes of finding out about them.

The old series wave...hmm...that one had me bothered. OK, so Captain Jack has the Doctor's hand, but I already have TWO Captain Jack figures. Another Astrid Peth figure...not really essential. I finally managed to track down the Master in Yana's clothing a mere month ago...would've been nice to know it was going to be released this year. A repainted Clockwork Man...So, in order to get the Gelth figure, I get three new figures, a repainted figure I already have, and three other figures I already have. I decided that I would have to think about this one a bit longer.

And then I read about the Series 4 wave. 13 figures. 13 figures to get a build-a-figure. I mean, COME ON CHARACTER OPTIONS!!!! THIRTEEN FIGURES???? Oh, but it gets better. Of those thirteen figures, I ALREADY HAVE TWELVE OF THEM!!! Yes, that's right. Twelve of the thirteen releases have already been released! 25 Adipose pack is the only new figure - and if you bought the Doctor with 5 Adipose last year, you already have 5 Adipose!!!! In effect, CO is saying - you want a Vespiform? You pay 84 pounds and like it. All the other deluxe figures are about 19 pound.

We called Character Options.Any chance we can get the Vespiform as a deluxe figure? we asked.

Why don't you go fuck yourselves? Character Options asked us.

So, we will. I may be a Doctor Who fan, but I will draw the line. I drew the line with the Davros Boxed set...it does not sit on my shelves. And surprisingly, I ain't beating myself up over not having those extras. Yup, fuck you 2Entertain.
And fuck you Character Options. I'm not getting your fucking thirteen figures to get a Vespiform. It will not enter my collection. And if it does, it's because someone's got it for me, or because I could get it for a cheap-o price on EBay. But further, screw the Series 1-2-3 wave as well. I can live without a gas Gelth. I can live without a stupid purple Clockwork Man, the Doctor's hand, Jabe, Bannakaffalatta, the old Doctor, and I can sure as hell do without the Ancient Doctor which was a character that sucked in the episode it was featured in, and sucks just as hard in the toy figure.

Doctor Who fans are the reason that the programme still exists. Oh, seriously that is true. We wouldn't let it die in the 90's and some of us eventually had the power to bring it back. But what the fans giveth, the fans can taketh away. 2Entertain learnt their lesson. Now it's time for Character Options to learn theirs. (Oh, and it's not just the fans, I might add. You really think the mothers of those 10 year olds are gonna fork out 85 quid on a stack of toys their son/daughter already has?? Welcome to the real world...)

Doctor Who: Battlefield (DVD)

The irony is, of course, that fans and critics alike agreed that, just as the BBC decided to cancel Doctor Who (albeit without telling anyone), the production team had finally got it right.

Season 26 opened with a whimper and the production team learnt a very valuable lesson - it was better to get a group of people who loved Doctor Who to make the programme rather than a group who couldn't care less. Consequently, fans such as Mike Tucker made great special effects, and Sue Moore and Stephen Mansfield creatd brilliant monsters like the Haemovores. And moreso, fans were writing the stories. And they were all loved.

Except Battlefield. The opening serial was spat upon, and even writer Ben Aaronovitch believes that it is his biggest failure. And he's actually wrong. He gets it right on the audio commentary, though, when he says that the acting and direction were on top form, and his script editor Andrew Cartmel says the script is very good, but Aaronovitch also points out that there are other departments that just didn't seem to care. And he is right here because there are two versions of the story on this DVD - the transmitted TV version and a movie version with new effects, missing material restored and, most crucially, new sound effects. The sound effects make all the difference, clarifying inane dialogue that seems to make no sense in the transmitted version.

So, yes, Battlefield is actually a good and underrated story. The idea of making the Doctor Merlin seems, on reflection, glaringly obvious, and you can't understand why this wasn't done earlier. The rest of the Arthurian legend fits in very nicely, with Jean Marsh playing a brilliant version of Morgaine, and Christopher Bowen giving a delightful performance of Mordred (as long as you ignore the fact he can't do insane laughter for nuts). Marcus Gilbert is brilliant as Ancelyn and Lin Tai is tolerable as Shou Yuing.

However the top performances are regulars Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred as the Doctor and Ace, developing the relationship between the two very nicely (and how hot does Sophie look in this story), while Angela Bruce is outstanding as the new head of UNIT, Brigadier Bambera. The shock of seeing a black woman leading UNIT doesn't have quite the same effect today as it would have back in 1989, but it makes little difference because Bruce is just brilliant.

However all this fades into insignificance because this story sees the return of the Brigadier. Nicholas Courtney is such an integral part of Doctor Who nowadays it's hard to imagine there was a time when the character wasn't there. When he turned up in Sarah Jane Adventures last year it seemed entirely appropriate and when the old war horse opens Battlefield one can't help but cheer. He almost overshadows the return of the Doctor's vintage roadster, Bessie.
Battlefield may not be the best of Season 26, but it's still a thrilling story and works very well even today.

"B"

Doctor Who - The Next Doctor

It's a little delayed, but I have to say I did get the chance to watch this on Boxing Day and so was able to enjoy it in the spirit in which it was intended.

There's a feeling about the Christmas Specials (and I'm as guilty of this as the next man) that they are the big spectacles of Doctor Who; a longer episode with big name guest stars and lots of action. But then I sit down and think realistically that only The Runaway Bride and Voyage Of The Damned fit that bill. Arguably, though, you think that it applies to The Christmas Invasion as well because Tennant is the big name (except he wasn't) and there was plenty of action too (except, really, there wasn't).

So, when The Next Doctor finishes, part of you is inclined to think...is that it? I mean, yes, at the end, a giant Cyberman walked through Victorian London stomping on people left, right and center, but still...it wasn't a TARDIS chase down the freeway...or a tension-filled walk across a pylon, pursued by robots. Except that's not really what the Christmas Special should be about. It's really just a bit of fluff - something to sit down and enjoy on Christmas Day that gives a bit of action and a bit of fun, and when it boils down to it, The Next Doctor fits the bill perfectly.

There are a lot of little parts in the episode, all handled rather well by the various actors involved, but really, the majority of the screen time is held by four actors - David Tennant, David Morrissey, Dervla Kirwan and Velile Tshabalala. Kirwan is the luckiest as she is playing the villain, and she gets to be beautiful and nasty for the entire episode, even lording it over the Cybermen at the end when she proves she is actually better than they are. There is a lot of the feminist in Miss Hartigan and she gets many opportunities to put the boys in their places. Sadly, poor old Rosita (Velile Tshabalala) doesn't quite get the same opportunity to shine. An assistant to Morrissey's Doctor before taking on the role for Tennant, she plays second fiddle throughout the entire episode and aside from a nice little moment at the end, one can't help but wonder if there was any point to her character. Certainly the episode wouldn't have lost anything by her not being there.

And then, of course, there is David Morrissey. A lot of fans on the 'net at the moment are bleating on about the need for a male companion. We've had enough of young women, they've declared, bring us a young man. They are, of course, mostly the gay fans, and they are, also of course, missing something pretty fundamental - at the end of the day, male companions don't really work. Oh they work well when the Doctor is an absent minded professor who doesn't have the time to be a hero - Ian, Steven, Ben and Jamie all worked because the Doctor was too busy being mysterious. Jack works for the same reason; the ninth Doctor is too damaged to be an action hero. And when the third Doctor is getting all high and mighty, and scientific-advisory, the Brigadier was there to do the heroic work. But once the Doctor takes on that role, the male companion becomes redundant. Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Tenth Doctors are all heroic Doctors...they don't need a male to do that stuff. And the female companion works in most capacities because they are so flexible. The best combination is a male-female relationship. And so the Tenth Doctor besides another Doctor, who is essentially the male companion, is a difficult mark.

Davies goes some way to address this situation by reversing the roles and making the tenth Doctor the companion to the next Doctor, whilst at the same time getting him to do Doctory stuff. This works surprisingly well, and it's interesting to see the tenth Doctor face a character he believes to be his older self, but trying to understand why he doesn't remember what he should. Finding more out about the next Doctor changes our perceptions of him, and he stops being the action companion, and becomes a tragic character which makes him work all the better.

Of course, what makes him work the best is David Morrissey who brings the next Doctor to life in a brilliant fashion, playing him as a bizarre amalgam of the tenth Doctor and the fourth Doctor. Tennant is obviously pleased to be on set with Morrissey as the two actors spark off each other fabulously, trying to outsteal each scene from the other. If it weren't for this brilliant combination, the episode might fall slighly foul of being just average.

The Cybermen are also used in a very effective manner, looking particularly creepy as they move through the graveyard, giving Andy Goddard a chance to show his directorial flair. They also are vividly single minded, with their Leader looking decidely disturbing and stealing a scene where it informs Miss Hartigan that information it gave her was designated a lie.

There are other delights in this episode - Davies dialogue absolutely sparkles, with some genuinely funny moments in the episode, and for the fans there is a rather special treat when an info-stamp shows us images of the previous nine Doctors. This is not the mind-blowing spectacle of the previous two Christmas Specials, and there is a strange lack of spectacle that is surprising from a Davies script, but it is still very enjoyable.

"B"