Muse Ick

It's been half a year, gentle reader, since I updated you about the music I've been enjoying. So, it's time for another unsolicited musical report.

• "Sincerely, Jane" by Janelle Monáe. This is probably the track on this list furthest from my usual musical wheelhouse. The vocal and instrumental performances and are quite enjoyable, but what really makes the song, in my opinion, are the horns in particular. I found this song almost a year ago, when the artist appeared on one of the weekend public-radio shows. I need to check out the her other work.
• "Eternal" by Faun Fables. The lyrics to this song are quite fun, and I enjoy the lead vocal and the instrumentation. I especially like the chanting male background vocals. They give the track a Polynesian flavor. I found this song, like many of my new favorites, through Pandora.
• "Wonder" by Megan McCauley. So now we are getting into my usual musical strike zone. I found this song after enjoying the artist's "Fragile."
• "I am the Doctor" written by Murray Gold, performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. This track, of course, is from Doctor Who. Specifically, it's been used in Series 5 and 6 (new numbering) when the Doctor is figuring out and then solving some challenge. Often in a chace sequence. I enjoy the up-tempo parts immensely.

So that's what I've been listening to lately. You?

Short-Run Sci-Fi

Another link from io9: This one is a list of 10 short-lived but entertaining science-fiction series that you could watch in a weekend. Having seen and enjoyed 6 of the entries on this list,* I'm interested in checking out the others.

* Firefly, the Battlestar Galactica mini-series, Torchwood: Children of Earth, Jekyll, Life on Mars, and Cowboy Bebop.

Dragon*Con 2009: Doctor Who

Well, Dragon*Con 2010 is almost upon us, and I haven't posted even half of my photos from the 2009 edition of the convention. So, here's the next batch of pics. Well, the next pic anyway. I really enjoyed this interpretive, rather than literal, Dalek costume. Note the whisk.

Torchwood. Now with Espenson

It appears that Jane Espenson, a well regarded writer for Buffy and Battlestar, has been added to the writing crew of the new, fourth season of Torchwood, which scheduled to air in 2011 and will feature a stongly serialized storyline like that of Season 3's Children of Earth mini-series.

Moffat

I'm cautiously excited about the rumors leaking out about the direction Doctor Who will be taking under the hegemony of its new head writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat.

And Your Mamma, Too

SFX has just posted an amusing list of science-fiction's greatest insults. Check it out and see how many you recognize.

Blake's 7 Amuses Unintentionally

I'm about 12 episodes into Blake's 7 now, and I thought I should point out a couple of the show's amusing shortcomings:

• The incidental music seems to have been lifted, without modification, from Doctor Who episodes of the same era.  This re-use of material isn't entirely surprising given the links between the series.  Both shows aired on the Beeb,  B7 was created by Terry Nation, who wrote for Doctor Who and created the Daleks,* and, most relevantly, B7's music was composed by Who veteran,  Dudley Simpson.
• The fight sequences are completely ridiculous, and not the fun kind of ridiculous like you'd find in a Hong Kong kung fu film.    Imagine a fight scene from the original Star Trek, but slowed down to about 3/4 speed and with the punches replaced by the kind of awkward shoving you might see between 8-year-old sisters.  Leave in the 2-handed "clubbing," though.

* I guess Nation is the nearest real-life equivalent to Davros, then. 

TV Review: Torchwood, Season 1

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

Everything I said about the first episode of Torchwood applies to the Season 1 as a whole, so I'll give season the same rating I gave that ep. Overall, I give it 7.0 out of 10.

(American) Life on Mars

As if we haven't already noticed,* more evidence** has arrived indicating that the American television industry is running out of (new) ideas. ABC is producing the pilot episode of an American remake of the successful British sci-fi detective series Life on Mars. The British series looks quite interesting, but I don't see why US networks feel the need to remake British series*** rather than simply airing the orignal versions; I guess they must believe that Americans cannot cope with international accents.

What's next, an American Doctor Who? If you have any doubt that such a series would suck, you should know that the sub-par Who telefim, sometimes called Enemy Within, was a joint production of the Beeb and Universal Television.

* How many backstabbing reality shows are there on the box these days anyway?
** I hope to put up even more evidence later today.
*** See also the American remake of Coupling.

Doctor Who: Buffier by the Moment

Speaking of things Joss, here's a review of the most recent episode of Doctor Who in which the author discusses how the new incarnation of the show was inspired in part by Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Whedon's other works.

Brilliant

I must say that Doctor Who is really firing on all cylinders now. Why, you ask?

• David Tennant's tenth Doctor has become my favorite incarnation of the character.
• The latest companion, Martha Jones, is much more interesting than her predecessor, Rose Tyler. Additionally, Martha's relationship to the Doctor---unrequited crush---is much more compelling to me than Rose's.
  
• The new series in general, and Episodes 8 and 9 of Season 3 (Human Nature and The Family of Blood) in particular, have explored the Doctor's character in ways unimaginable in the original run of the show.
• Episode 10 of Season 3, Blink, examines the intricacies of time-travel more thoroughly than the Doctor Who ever has. Additionally, I greatly enjoyed the "Doctor-light" nature of the episode, in which, much like Season 2's Love & Monsters, the show follows a character through a story that only infrequently intersects the Doctor's.

I'm quite excited about the upcoming episodes. If the speculation proves founded, things could get interesting. And by "interesting," I mean "Oh god, oh god, we're all gonna die."

TV Review: Torchwood, Season 1, Episode 1

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

A few days ago, I finally got around to seeing the premier episode of Torchwood. The series is a spin-off of the new Doctor Who, focusing the Torchwood Institute, which was created by Queen Victoria, after a run-in with the Doctor, in order to protect the Earth from extraterrestrials and extraterrestrial technology. The main protagonist is a recurring character from Who: pansexual man-from-the-future Captain Jack Harkness. So, the show is something of a cross between Doctor Who and The X-Files.

Importantly, Torchwood airs late in the evening, presumably after all the kiddies have gone to bed. The show therefore contains a lot of profanity, sexuality, and violence that would never be seen in its parent series. I believe this is a good thing, not so much because swearing, sex, and violence are entertaining in themselves, but because it serves to distinguish Torchwood from Doctor Who. The contrasts between to two series is heightened by the music, as well as other small choices in the series' production. The overall feel of the show is quite different from (or different to, as the Brits would say) the parent. However, the hand of Russel T. Davies can still be felt, leading to some similarities between the shows. Most notable is the prominence of homosexual themes. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

The first ep, Everything Changes, focused mostly on introducing the Torchwood Institute and is written mostly from the perspective of an outsider. There wasn't as much Torchwood-investigates-a-mystery as there likely will be in the other episodes. As a result, it's difficult to say whether the somewhat more adult nature of the show means that the "science" in this series will be more believable than in Doctor Who; I rather doubt it will.

All-in-all, I enjoyed the show, especially the way it differintates itself from Doctor Who, and I plan to watch future episodes. Overall, I give it 7.0 out of 10.

* RTD is the creator/executive producer/writer of Torchwood and the executive producer/writer of the new Who. He is also famous for his work on Queer as Folk.

DW: S3

The third season of the resurrected Doctor Who began airing in the UK a few weeks ago, and I've been tuning in. David Tennant has really made the role of the Doctor his own, and Freema Agyeman is doing a more than adequate job as his new companion, Martha. I recommend you check it out.

And, if you live in the States and don't feel like quasilegally downloading each episode, you'll be able to do just that. The Sci Fi Channel has just announced that they will air Season 3, beginning in July. So, keep an eye out.

Once More Unto the Tardis, Dear Friends

Season 3 of the re-imagined Doctor Who hasn't even begun airing, but the Beeb has (or have, as the Brits would say) announced that the show has been renewed for a fourth season (or series). Season 3 premiers March 31 in the UK; look for S4 about the same time in 2008.

Torchwood Returns

It looks like a second series of Torchwood has been commissioned. It will hit the air late in 2007.

Doctor Hero Trek

Two pieces of Heroes casting have surfaced recently. Stop reading now if you'd like to avoid minor spoilers.

• First, Christopher Eccleston, who played the ninth Doctor in the re-imagined Doctor Who, will appear in the series as Claude, a man with the power of invisibility.
• Second, George Takei, who played Sulu in Star Trek, will appear in the series as Hiro Nakamura's father.

Neat, eh?

Telly Tidbits

My last post reminded me that I've been meaning to give you, dear reader, an update on my latest TV watching. I'm sure you've been just dying to know what I've been tuning into lately. Well, here you go:

• Battlestar Galactica, Season 3. Battlestar continues to be not only the best sci-fi on television, but also the best series on TV. If you aren't watching it, start here.
  
• Heroes, Season 1. This show is a more realistic take on the superhero genre that's so popular these days, but with a heavy dose of mystery mixed in. It feels like Lost meets Rising Stars.
• My Name is Earl, Season 2. This series is 75% Wonderfalls---sniff---and 25% Raising Arizona, so it's qute amusing. The Randy character really pushes the show to the next level.
• The Dog Whisperer, all seasons. Since before the arrival of our new critter, Alison and I have been boning up on our dog training by watching new episodes and reruns. Cesar Millan, the whisperer from the title, has an uncanny ability to establish dominance immediately, with very subtle body language. Impressive.
• Dirty Jobs, all seasons. Mike Rowe finds out, first hand, what some people have to do to make civilization possible for the rest of us.

Additionally, here are some shows that I'm looking forward to seeing in the near future.

• Torchwood, Season 1. The anagramic Doctor Who spinoff debuted in the UK on Sunday, to mostly positive reviews. The setup is somewhere between The X-Files and Men In Black.
  
• Doctor Who, Second Christmas Special and Season 3. The second season was better than the first, which was quite enjoyable. I like that trend.
  
• The Lost Room, mini-series. This show looks pretty intriguing. It could be clever, or it could be stupid.
  
• Psych, Season 2. Alison and both enjoyed the first, short season of this fake-psychic detective comedy, and we are looking forward to the next.

You know, from looking at this list, I've decided that the NBC Universal family of networks, which includes Sci Fi, USA, and, of course, NBC, must be my favorite.

TV Review: Doctor Who, New Series, Season 2

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Sci Fi Channel will begin showing the second season* (series, to speakers of Commonwealth English) of Doctor Who tonight. Thus, I think now is a good time to update my earlier review of the first season of the new series. So, here it is:

First, I should point out that the good Doctor has regenerated yet again. His tenth incarnation is played by David Tennant. I must say that, though I enjoyed Christopher Eccleston's portrayal, I like Tennant's a lot more; the tenth Doctor is just more fun. Meanwhile, Rose Tyler, as adequately portrayed by Billie Piper, continues to kick for the Doctor; no complaints there.

The writing continues to be solid. If anything, the plots are better this year. I particularly enjoyed these episodes:

• "Tooth and Claw"
• "The Girl in the Fireplace"
• "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit" (2-parter)
  
• "Love & Monsters"
  

Under no circumstances should you watch "Fear Her." It's just dumb.

The only downside to S2 as compared to S1 is the lack of the time-traveling pansexual con man, Captain Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman. Fortunately, we'll get to see more of him in the X-Files-esque Doctor Who spin-off (and anagram), Torchwood, as well as in multiple episodes of the third season of Who.

I would be remiss if I failed to point out that this series is a family/kid show. As such, it can be more than a little silly. That fact must be kept in mind to enjoy DW.

Overall, I think the show improved a bit in its sophomore season, but I'm still going to give it 7.5 out of 10. As I said in my last review, if I were under 14 or had children that age, I'd give it 8.5.

* Technically, the first episode of the new Who that Sci Fi is showing tonight is not part of Season 2. SFC is showing the Christmas Special, which aired between S1 and S2, at 8:00 EST. At 9:30, they'll show the first ep of S2.

Hugo Who?

In other Hugo news, the 2006 Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form, went to the Doctor Who 2-parter comprised of "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances." Jolly good, that.

The Prisoner Returns

It looks like Christopher Eccleston, who stared as the ninth Doctor in the first season of the revival of Doctor Who, is set to play the lead in another re-imagining of a British cult series. Yep, according to Outpost Gallifrey, The Prisoner is coming back, and Eccleston will play Number Six, who should not be confused with the Number Six from another recently re-imagined cult series. The original 17-episode series aired in 1967 and chronicles the abduction of an unnamed character after he attempts to resign his position as a secret agent. The new series has a commitment of 6 episodes; I don't know when it will air, but I would guess sometime in '007. Sadly, the Welsh resort of Portmeirion will not be used as the Village. Instead, a more exotic location will be employed. I just hope the penny-farthing number tags and logo are still used.