Saving the Day

On November 23rd 1963, when I was minus 32 years old, history was written. A science-fiction tv show with a plot that is hard to explain without sounding like a lunatic*, premiered on BBC1, laying the foundation for a universe that would go on to enthrall audiences 50 years later. I only started watching the show - the newest part of it, that is - this year, yet I must've been traveling with the Doctor in his TARDIS in another life, because I feel like I've been a part of this for as long as I can think. For people who know next to nothing about the show and its universe; I strongly advise you to have a look at this rather introductory post I wrote a while back and maybe dip your toes in some of the episodes. For Whovians; you have certainly come to the right place (working them quotes right there), for the 50th anniversary party goes on. Today and forever. Because we don't want to go either.

My feeling about the event of the year is 904% of satisfaction: I really have nothing whatsoever to complain about. I feel like each and every existing and non-existing desire of my Whovian heart has been fulfilled to the most ridiculous extent. In fact, you could show me any random bit of The Day of the Doctor and I'd be able to explain to you how much and why I'm in love with it. But of course, none of that will happen. No, no: my list of 50 things I love about the 50th is not at all random. It was calculated by a very complicated formula which would take hundreds of years to explain - it goes something like "$∨fa∞ + ⌘n⏎⇒Λgi x2 = rlΩΦgen♫ius℠ - ✗− ⅗¥≥ + 2: en⅕€¥ergy℠™⏎ + bra⌃⌥ins se⅙⌘ = ⏏xin✪ess✚∨÷°¶℗ + tumblr". Let's see how it worked...

* Thank you for that lovely quote, Mr. Tennant.

Seriesly: 9 Reasons to Watch The Escape Artist

IT'S THE DAY PEOPLE!!! By the time you read this, I'll be in Insane Fangirl Mode, which is why I'm writing it on beforehand. I can't promise to prevent Insane Fangirl from misbehaving at least a bit in this post though, but bear with us...

So the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who aka The Real Reason Why Television Exists is happening today and we're all slightly exited (ALLONS-Y!!!). We are going to see the above person (David TEN-INCH) returning to his role as the 10th Doctor when we'd just finally accepted the fact that he was gone for good after three seasons (He walked those 500 Miles for good, didn't he?). So excitement aside, the 50th Anniversary is worse than christmas itself - we've waited for it (not it, him!) for so long, but it (HE) is never going to come back again. And as if that's not enough, Matt Smith will be leaving the show in the upcoming Christmas Special. Time to buy a storage of tissues then. As for long-term consolation, there is but one option: find a Plan B. No chance of seeing David Tennant as the Doctor again (re-watches and the possibility of Mad Moffat finding some way to revisit Tenth aside)? Well, there's plenty of other high quality material to choose from.

Well, I don't know about you, but Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger is currently 2nd on my new-holiday-movies-to-watch-this-holiday-season-list. Since, despite what supermarkets are telling us, christmas time hasn't started yet though, I will recommend a watch that is well-suited for any season of the year. Except for summer of course (anybody knows that watching David Tennant movies or shows in summer is highly dangerous and may result in a considerable raise of blood-pressure and body temperature). Here are my...

The duration. 9 seasons of Supernatural? Sounds frightening. Not because you're in danger of making it through all of those episodes, but because it is going to ruin your life to some extend. You'll be slipping into that addiction everyone who's ever watched a whole show knows so very well, characters holding you in a comfortable yet grim headlock and not letting you go until you've finished what you've begun. Something like Sherlock can be even worse, driving audiences crazy with insanely long periods of silence and incomparable cliffhangers that will haunt you for months following. I think this has exterminated (yeeeee-haaaa) all doubts on whether one should bother to sit down for 3 hours and watch a definite mini-series.

The BBC argument. Ever since TV was invented, British television has marked the ideal way to go for European television. While America has gone the commercial way, the UK believed in national quality entertainment. Right now, I can't say which one is better, I only know that German television sucks at both ways. But the BBC has never produced anything I've disliked. On the contrary, their output of the last few years has been amazing and thus they've managed to spellbind audiences from all over the world with shows like Sherlock, new Doctor Who, Downtown Abbey and many others.

 The intelligence. The Escape Artist doesn't try to gloss its ruthless material up in any way. From the title sequence to the editing, everything is kept on a calm, quiet level which is going to detract people looking for CSI-ish sensation but is ever the more rewarding for an audience interested in story and psychology. 

Two hot dudes. Another kind of reward, but you'll only get it if you can stand the rest. Also, one of the dudes is sort of sick - actually very much so - which makes this even more interesting. It raises questions like "How pretty are a psychopaths teeth allowed to be?" and "Why isn't the good-girls-only-fall-for-bad-guys working?".

The cruelty. The Romans watched people fighting lions, we watch actors pretending to commit cruel actions and fight each other in ways that we'd never want to fight ourselves. We think it's entertaining, don't we? Problems are entertaining, action is entertaining - cruelty is, to some extent, entertaining. And The Escape Artist is very cruel. Which is, oh well, you see where I'm going.

David Tennant wears suits. Like a famous poet once said, "nothing suits the undisputed/ oft-saluted/ suitor of repute/ like aaaaaaaa" and so on. 

Law. Boring? Unimportant? Dry? I personally think that law is very interesting. And why do so many people watch Judge Judy anyway? Or CSI? Because it matters! Sure, there are boring law films and boring law shows - but The Escape Artist isn't one of them. It's not The Escape Lawyer for a reason, folks.

 The twist. Spoilers *winkface*. Not that you're going to get any here. No, no. I'm the last person to spoil anything to anyone (apart from Torchwood and some bits of Doctor Who - but my sister can take it). Seriously, I hate spoilers. And I love twists. But they're hard to avoid once you've become a part of that crazy thing called Fandom and joined tumblr as well as liked several of those weird pages on facebook. Luckily, as I can't stress enough, The Escape Artist is a rather small show (so far) with a rather small following. So you're not in danger of spoilers - yet. But if you want to find out what happens in the end, hurry up and watch it, because one can never be safe enough.

David Tennant talks Scottish. Any further questions? 

And now, let's just appreciate that this exists:

Happy 50th Anniversary everyone!

Across the Universe Podcast, Eps 4: Trapped in a Box

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, you're eating strawberries and ice cream... but all you can think of is the Hannibal season finale and the fact that you won't be able to watch it live, like all of those spoiled Americans and wherever else the series is airing on actual television.

Can you relate to the scenario? Then you'll love the latest episode of Across the Universe: The Chicks With Accents Podcast, hosted by the awesome Sofia from Film Flare, Nikhat from Being Norma Jeane and my own humble self. As most tv shows are taking a break over summer, we discuss our favorite and most addicting shows of all time. The large amount of giggling may have added some time to the episode, so it's a bit longer than originally planned - but we hope you'll bear with us and giggle along. Or if your male, a whimsical smile will do.

Composition:

0:11- Chick chatter
2:46- Trailers
3:21- Interesting Movie of the Fortnight
20:15- General discussion on each of our top 4 TV shows
1:33:46- Plugs and Goodbyes

Music:

The National - The Rains Of Castamere

No Doubt - Trapped In A Box

Theme songs from our favourite TV shows +

John Barrowman, Catherine Tate and David Tennant - The Ballad of Russel and Julie

The Beatles - Across The Universe

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Seriesly: Doctor Who

Self-proclaimed Queen of the Abandoned Features is back with another brand-new blogging series about (drum roll please) TV series. Serials, shows, whichever word you may choose. The first lucky production to be featured is a show that has enthralled British and international audiences for half a century, celebrating its 50th anniversary this fall.

THE SHOW IN ONE SENTENCE

The last of his kind, alien "The Doctor" travels through time and space in a blue box, saving whatever there is to be saved, whilst having as much fun as possible.