Doctor Who teaser trailer for 2024

A teaser trailer for Doctor Who season one dropped following The Church on Ruby Road on Christmas Day. The holiday special saw the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) collide with Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson).



Read the official synopsis:

"The whole universe at his fingertips!"

Doctor Who returns in May 2024 on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland.

Have you watched the teaser trailer? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Marvel Studios' What If... Saved Christmas?

It's festive Friday and the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. The first episode of Marvel Studios' What If...? second season has dropped exclusively on Disney+.



Read the official synopsis:

"Season 2 of “What If...?” continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU. The series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles."

Marvel Studios shared the full list of What If...? season two episode titles and release dates on X (formerly Twitter):

December 22nd - What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?
December 23rd - What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?
December 24th - What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?
December 25th - What If... Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster?
December 26th - What If... Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?
December 27th - What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World?
December 28th - What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings?
December 29th - What If... The Avengers Assembled in 1602?
December 30th - What If... Strange Supreme Intervened?

Personally, I loved season one and can't wait to unwrap each episode on Disney+.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a happy and safe holiday season.

Are you watching Marvel Studios' What If...? on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Russell T Davies: The Doctor and Me

Doctor Who returns on Christmas Day on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK & Ireland.

Russell T Davies (It's A Sin), returning series showrunner, discusses the impact the titular Time Lord has had on his life in a compelling interview with Alan Yentob.

imagine... Russell T Davies: The Doctor and Me. The documentary follows Davies as he prepares to return to the series for the 60th anniversary and beyond on iPlayer.

Have you seen imagine... Russell T Davies: The Doctor and Me? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Hasbro and McFarlane Toys join forces

On Tuesday, McFarlane Toys announced an exciting licensing agreement with Hasbro.

"Page Punchers is an exciting program for us because it gets comic books into people’s hands, along with a fun toy product, who might not otherwise shop at comic stores. Parents enjoy them because they encourage reading and collectors like them because they provide unique and interesting character stories. With articulated figures, plus a full comic book in each Page Punchers item we offer incredible value with this brand,” said Todd McFarlane, founder and CEO of McFarlane Toys.

Hasbro will be leveraging its own intellectual property (IP). G.I. Joe and Transformers celebrate their 60th and 40th anniversaries respectively in 2024, and will be the first releases.

“From TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE to POWER RANGERS, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and others, a number of Hasbro brands are known for their rich history and continued storytelling through comics. Page Punchers is a natural extension of these brands, providing the action and adventure our multi-generational fans have come to expect. We can’t wait for fans and collectors, alike, to get their hands on the first product drop coming out in early 2024,” said Casey Collins, President of Licensed Consumer Products at Hasbro.

Toy collecting witnessed a surge in popularity during the pandemic whilst we were in lockdown. For me, a childhood passion for toy photography was reignited. However, consumer demand has declined due to a cost of living crisis.

Page Punchers is a good fit for Marvel Legends and Star Wars! Hopefully, Disney will license the beloved brands in the future. The combination of a Marvel Comic and toy would be dynamite.

Hasbro inked a similar co-branding deal with Mattel earlier in the year.

Are you looking forward to G.I. Joe and Transformers Page Punchers? Let me know in the comments below.

The Goblin Song number one on iTunes

The BBC has released the Goblin Song from the Doctor Who Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road. The single, which is raising money for Children in Need, has topped the iTunes singles chart, beating the 'Queen of Christmas' herself, Mariah Carey.



The musical number reminded me of Labyrinth, starring David Bowie as the Goblin King.

Russell T Davies, returning showrunner said: "We're releasing this as an early Christmas present for everyone. And if you want to see how the Doctor and Ruby escape from the Goblin King at the end of the song, you'll have to watch on Christmas Day!"

The Goblin Song, composed by fan-favourite composer Murray Gold, is available to stream now on Apple Music and Spotify.

The Doctor Who Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road, will be aired at 5.55pm on BBC One on Christmas Day in the UK, and available at the same time worldwide on Disney+.

Are you looking forward to Doctor Who on Christmas Day? Let me know in the comments below.

All I want for Christmas is Who!

On Saturday, the BBC officially announced Doctor Who is back on Christmas Day! A trailer dropped following the broadcast of the third and final 60th anniversary special.



Read the official synopsis:

"Long ago on Christmas Eve, a baby was abandoned in the snow. Today, Ruby Sunday meets the Doctor, stolen babies, goblins and perhaps the secret of her birth."

The Church on Ruby Road sees the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) collide with Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). This will come as no surprise to eagle-eyed fans (myself included) as the holiday special is part of Season's Streamings on Disney+.

The Doctor Who Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road, will be aired at 5.55pm on BBC One on Christmas Day in the UK, and available at the same time worldwide on Disney+.

Are you looking forward to Doctor Who on Christmas Day? Let me know in the comments below.

Doctor Who: The Giggle

The Giggle is the third and final special celebrating the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who. It marks the return of the Celestial Toymaker, an iconic villain from the First Doctor's era.

Nick Smith, our US-based veteran Whovian, ventures into Soho and discovers a magical toy shop filled with timey-wimey tricks and treats.

Guest post by Nick Smith

As returning showrunner of Doctor Who, Russell T Davies has been set with a very tricky task this year. Not only does he have to recapture the chemistry of the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) in new forms (the Doctor regenerated, Donna slightly older but just as cheeky), but he’s also doing it on the show’s 60th anniversary.

Needless to say, expectations are high among drop-in viewers who remember the dream team, and long-term fans who are understandably jaded after the BBC’s fair-weather treatment of the series (which includes destroying dozens of episodes).

Thankfully for all concerned, The Giggle surpasses expectations with a story that provides an epic threat, a satisfying wrap-up for two characters and an exciting new beginning for another.

The threat is created by the Celestial Toymaker, a villain who first appeared in 1966. Back then he was played by Michael Gough, an excellent actor best known to modern audiences as the long-suffering Alfred to Michael Keaton’s Batman. An equally confident actor, Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), brings the Toymaker back to life.

Harris played a small but important role in Davies’ excellent miniseries It’s A Sin, but he gets to show many more talents in The Giggle. He sings! He dances! He pulls the strings of marionette companions! The Toymaker has similar powers to Star Trek’s Q, just as childish but more malicious. He’s a perfect foil for Tennant’s seemingly indomitable Doctor.

The Toymaker has been lurking behind the scenes for decades, on audio (Big Finish’s story Solitaire is very atmospheric), comic strips such as The Greatest Gamble, and even a cancelled Sixth Doctor TV story (The Nightmare Fair). Finally, he gets a moment of glory, and it’s a memorable one. Usually, he lays traps and plays deadly games; here he focuses on illusions and mind games, baiting the Doctor as if their last tussle was a mere dice roll away. That’s a testament to the acting skills of Tennant and Harris, who make a wild, brain-bending scenario believable.

Davies squeezes in many references to past stories and even some obscure Big Finish UNIT spin-off audios. There’s a hint at a character who has not appeared yet (who even the Toymaker admits he can’t beat) and a full roster of new and returning friends (Kate Stewart, Mel Bush, The Vlinx) that brand new Whovians may struggle to keep track of.

Hopefully, the new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa’s reign won’t be weighed down with textual referencing in the same way as these specials. It’s hard to move forward when one foot is stuck in the past. It would be preferable to see the Fifteenth Doctor make a fresh start, as fresh as the show’s revival felt in 2005. Sure, there were Easter eggs laid back then, but they were hatched gradually and carefully without alienating casual viewers.

The audience could enjoy the show without getting bewildered by references to Ragnarok, Wirrn and fluxes, which to the unfanned ear - along with a side serving of technobabble - soon turns to nonsensical mush. It's better to stick with gentle nudges that encourage viewers to go find out more about Who lore.

Russell T Davies has managed to gift-wrap six decades of storytelling into a cohesive package, serving up three specials that really are just that – special, reminding us that watching Doctor Who can be a joyful experience. The Giggle, in particular, is a wonderful episode with enough subtext to tickle the mind and eyeballs, lined with levity, full of surprises and allegory. It’s proof that with Davies and Bad Wolf, this 60-year-old series is full of youthful vigour and it’s in safe hands.

Have you seen The Giggle? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Nick Smith's new audiobook, Undead on Arrival, is available from Amazon (affiliate link).

Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder

Wild Blue Yonder is the second of three specials celebrating the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who.

The second special's promotion is steeped in redacted mystery. Nick Smith, our US-based veteran Whovian, discovers what it all means.

Guest post by Nick Smith

Since the Daleks first returned to Doctor Who in 1964, the series has performed a delicate balancing act, bringing its viewers familiar sights and themes alongside new, unpredictable adventures. At the height of its 60th anniversary, this balance is trickier than ever.

How can a nostalgic show like Doctor Who continue to surprise us? How can it give us what we crave – the Doctor being insatiably curious, exploring strange new worlds – and stay fresh simultaneously?

Wild Blue Yonder, the second of three consecutive specials, revitalizes a well-worn wedding adage by including something old (a top-tier previous Doctor and companion combo), something new (a bizarre alien spaceship), something borrowed (shades of films like Passengers and Event Horizon) and something blue (the TARDIS!).

The high-wire act works, with mystery, humour and pathos all rolled into a tightly paced story that purposefully focuses on the Doctor, giving David Tennant plenty of time to remind us what a good and charismatic actor he is.

The Wild Blue Yonder was a phrase coined for the official U.S. Army Air Corps (now Air Force) song in 1939. It means venturing into the unknown, mysterious territory of the sky. In this new story, the Doctor and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) find themselves on a gleaming white space vessel so vast that they need a futuristic golf cart to get around.

Donna keeps us grounded in reality, considering the cleaning routine. The Doctor is obsessed with the ship's mysteries, confounded by the appearance of two strange, bendy, gruesomely toothsome creatures.

Although there’s a real sense of threat from these monsters, the sets are too brightly lit for the story to be scary. It’s hard to lurk in the shadows when we can see every nook and uncreepy cranny. The show has been overlit in stories like Warriors of the Deep and Dragonfire, but that was back in the ‘80s when the Beeb didn’t always want to spend the time and money on effective lighting. In Wild Blue Yonder, the Doctor and Donna talk about being terrorized but we do not share their fear; it’s harder to be scared with the lights on.

Aside from that questionable directing choice, this episode is near-perfect, full of ideas and excitement, giving the lead actors lots to do and providing us with a sweet scene where the Doctor is reunited with his old friend Wilf. Sadly no longer with us, Bernard Cribbins depicts joy, hope and fear in a heart-breaking last hurrah.

Since Tennant is so confident and personable in his role, this is the story that will really make us miss him when he regenerates into the next Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa - an event that has been a year in the hyping but will still seem like a surprise, since we’re just getting comfortable with Tennant again. It’s a clever conceit and a risky one – by giving the people a treat and whisking it away, there’s a chance they’ll turn their noses up at the substitute.

Luckily, the familiar and the unfamiliar have always coexisted in the world of Doctor Who.

Have you seen Wild Blue Yonder? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Nick Smith's new audiobook, Undead on Arrival, is available from Amazon (affiliate link).

LEGO Fortnite is live!

LEGO Fortnite has gone live! Drop into a world of unlimited imagination – and llamas – with the ultimate survival crafting game! What will you build?

Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group, said: “Our partnership with Epic Games is focused on developing digital play experiences that are designed to be fun and safe, and have the potential to bridge the worlds of physical and digital play to inspire kids. Together with Epic Games, we are building digital worlds designed with kids in mind from the outset - we hope other creators and brands are inspired to do the same.”

This is the first play experience to come from the long-term partnership between Epic Games and the LEGO Group to develop fun and safe digital spaces for children and families.

Tim Sweeney, CEO & Founder, Epic Games said: “LEGO Fortnite offers players a new way to express themselves through worldbuilding and is an important step forward in the evolution of the Fortnite ecosystem. We look forward to continuing to partner with The LEGO Group to build immersive digital play spaces that are fun for kids and all types of players.”

The LEGO Fortnite journey is just beginning, with new world building, gameplay features, and more LEGO Style Outfits arriving in updates starting in early 2024.

Fortnite is available to play for free on PlayStation 4 (PS4), PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC on Epic Games Store and cloud-based gaming streaming services.

Discover more and link your accounts on LEGO AU, CA, UK and US (affiliate links).

Will you be playing LEGO Fortnite? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: Brightstar

Whilst Star Wars fans (myself included) wait for a new movie and further spin-off series on Disney+, fans continue to produce short films based on George Lucas' space opera.

Star Wars: Brightstar, directed by Raphaël Hébert, is an award-winning fan film sans Skywalkers or Mandalorians.



Read the official synopsis:

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a fugitive family living in peace must brace itself when their past has tracked them down."

The 20-minute short film features an electrifying lightsabre duel and an emotional core evoking the original trilogy.

If you have a Star Wars fan film you'd like to share, please contact me.

Grand Theft Auto VI's first trailer

A teaser trailer for the sixth instalment in the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) video game franchise has been released early by Rockstar Games.



Rockstar Games on Monday confirmed an unauthorised third party had accessed and downloaded details of the highly-anticipated GTA sequel.

A statement from the company said: “We recently suffered a network intrusion in which an unauthorised third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto.

“At this time, we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects.

“We are extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way. Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto game will continue as planned and we remain as committed as ever to delivering an experience to you, our players, that truly exceeds your expectations.

“We will update everyone again soon and, of course, will properly introduce you to this next game when it is ready. We want to thank everyone for their ongoing support through this situation.”

GTA VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.

With a reported budget of over a billion dollars and featuring a female protagonist (Lucia), GTA VI will be released on PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series S|X in 2025.

GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas will be available to Netflix subscribers (myself included) on mobile devices on 14th December.

Are you looking forward to GTA VI? What did you think of the first trailer? Let me know in the comments below.

Fallout teaser trailer

Prime Video has dropped a teaser trailer for Fallout from the showrunners of Westworld.



Read the official synopsis:

"A nuclear war breaks out across Earth in the year 2077—an era of robots, hover cars, and a deep and abiding nostalgia for the America of the 1940s. After the incendiary mushroom clouds, the story flashes forward 219 years. How did humanity fair over those blighted two centuries? Lucy (played by Yellowjackets star Ella Purnell) has no clue. She has lived her entire life inside a subterranean vault, where every need and want has been satisfied while generations and generations await the day when it is safe to surface. When a crisis forces Lucy to venture above on a rescue mission, she finds that the planet above remains a hellscape crawling with giant insects, voracious mutant animal abominations, and a human population of sunbaked miscreants."

Fallout premieres exclusively on Prime Video (affiliate link) on 12th April.

What did you think of the teaser trailer for Fallout on Prime Video? Let me know in the comments below.

FX's Shogun this February on Disney+

Disney+ has dropped an official trailer for FX's Shogun coming to Disney+.



Read the official synopsis:

"When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, its English pilot, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), comes bearing secrets that could help Toranaga tip the scales of power and devastate the formidable influence of Blackthorne's own enemies - the Jesuit priests and Portuguese merchants. Toranaga's and Blackthorne's fates become inextricably tied to their translator, Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a mysterious Christian noblewoman and the last of a disgraced line. While serving her lord amidst this fraught political landscape, Mariko must reconcile her newfound companionship with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her and her duty to her late father."

I still have vivid memories of watching the Shogun miniseries, starring Richard Chamberlain, in 1980. Along with Star Wars, the live-action adaptation of James Clavell’s bestselling novel piqued an interest in samurai legend.

The premiere of the 10-episode limited series will include the first two episodes, followed by a new episode each week.

FX's Shogun will premiere worldwide exclusively on Disney+ on 27th February.

Are you looking forward to FX's Shogun on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

Godzilla is back on the small screen in a live-action series sans Godzooky on Apple TV+.

After a misty-eyed timey-wimey reunion in Doctor Who, Nick Smith, our US-based stellar scribe, goes on a monster hunt.

Guest post by Nick Smith

Over the past ten years, Legendary Pictures has done a bang-up, stomp-down job of bringing a universe of monsters to a modern audience. They released the Kraken in their 2010 Clash of the Titans remake, made giants great again in 2013’s Jack the Giant Slayer, and gave us giant robots versus kaiju in the same year’s Pacific Rim.

But it was 2014’s Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards (The Creator, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) that really proved Legendary could do monsters right, leading to a crossover series of titanic proportions that includes Kong: Skull Island and the forthcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, due out in 2024.

With Marvel Studios creating lucrative crossovers on the big and small screen, a Legendary streaming show set in their ‘MonsterVerse’ is an obvious move. But is it a necessary one?

Judging by the first three episodes of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the answer is no. It’s fun to see Godzilla pop up once or twice, as well as movie big-shots Kurt Russell and John Goodman, but beyond the stars and roars, this is a show based around a shady, military-style organization with ties to the US Army – hardly a unique premise.

The characters are as forgettable as they are likeable, aside from Russell (who plays former U.S. Army colonel Lee Shaw) and his son Wyatt Russell, who plays his dad’s younger self in a nice casting move and is a charming chip off the old block.

The series is a US-Japanese co-production, with original Godzilla herders Toho involved. There are some nice nods to kaiju lore and it would be great to see more characters and creatures from the original movies.

If the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) can dip into its rich history, why can’t the MonsterVerse reintroduce some of Toho’s imaginative creations like the all-singing, all-smiling miniature worshipers of Mothra?

OK, maybe not.

Self-reference can easily become a narrative barrier to audiences, as shown when Monarch relies on familiarity with the new Legendary movies. If you don’t remember everything that happened in those films, there are some flashbacks to help but otherwise, you’re on your own.

Speaking of barriers, the title is hardly a draw. It’s as if Legendary wants to trick non-monster fans into watching before the hapless viewers realize that this is Godzilla’s party and he’s the one throwing the buildings.

The scale of the saga is impressive, as it jumps from the 1950s to the 2010s to the present day and shows what the world would be like with Godzilla disaster shelters and big Japanese signs that probably read, ‘have you seen this behemoth?’.

At their best, the Legendary movies return to the roots of their larger-than-life characters, with sympathetic monsters and richly drawn human beings. A 10-part series provides time for those characters to develop and grow on us, and the Godzilla allegory – the danger of toying with nature – will always be relevant.

While Monarch is a big, scaly bundle of joy for kaiju kids and fans of Kurt Russell (who isn’t?), it definitely needs an extra splash of imagination beyond its cool monsters.

Are you watching Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on Apple TV+? Let me know in the comments below.

Nick Smith's new audiobook, Undead on Arrival, is available from Amazon (affiliate link).

Hasbro sends in the Star Wars Clones

'Tis the season. Gift the Galaxy is a 10-week celebration revealing and highlighting Star Wars toys, apparel, and more, helping fans find a gift for everyone on their list. Or if you’re a fan (myself included), maybe you’ll find something new for your own wishlist!

Our friends at Hasbro have sent over the latest reveals for Star Wars: The Black Series and Star Wars: The Vintage Collection!

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES CLONE TROOPER LIEUTENANT & 332ND AHSOKA’S CLONE TROOPER

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $44.99 / Available: Spring 2024)

STAR WARS fans and collectors can imagine scenes from the STAR WARS galaxy with this premium 6-inch STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES CLONE TROOPER LIEUTENANT & 332ND AHSOKA’S CLONE TROOPER figure pack, inspired by the characters’ appearances in STAR WARS: AHSOKA. Throughout the Clone Wars, clone troopers fought Separatist battle droids across the galaxy. Though little Republic support could be spared in helping Ahsoka Tano assist a besieged Mandalore, a 501st clone trooper division pledged their loyalty to Ahsoka with repainted helmets. Fans and collectors can display these fully articulated figures featuring premium detail and multiple points of articulation in their collection. Includes 2 figures and 6 entertainment-inspired accessories. Available for pre-order 11/29 at 1pm ET exclusively at Target.

STAR WARS: THE VINTAGE COLLECTION PHASE II CLONE TROOPER 4-PACK

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $54.99 / Available: Summer 2024)

By the end of the Clone Wars, nearly all clones had switched to improved armor, including variant forms used for troopers in specialized roles. A 501st clone trooper division pledged their loyalty to Ahsoka Tano with repainted helmets. Fans can celebrate the legacy of STAR WARS, the action-and-adventure-packed space saga from a galaxy far, far away, with this premium 3.75-inch scale STAR WARS: THE VINTAGE COLLECTION PHASE II CLONE TROOPER 4-PACK inspired by the STAR WARS: AHSOKA live-action series. These figures feature premium detail and design across product and packaging inspired by the original Kenner line, as well as the entertainment-inspired collector grade deco. Includes 4 figures and 6 entertainment-inspired accessories.

Available for pre-order 11/29 at 1pm ET exclusively at Hasbro Pulse and ShopDisney at a later date.

Discover even more epic gifts at Amazon (affiliate link).

Which Hasbro Star Wars announcement is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.

Fallout first look

Vanity Fair has an exclusive first look at Fallout from the showrunners of Westworld.

“The games are about the culture of division and haves and have-nots that, unfortunately, have only gotten more and more acute in this country and around the world over the last decades,” said showrunner Jonathan Nolan, who is adapting the game series with wife Lisa Joy and directed the first three episodes.

“We get to talk about that in a wonderful, speculative-fiction way. I think we’re all looking at the world and going, ‘God, things seem to be heading in a very, very frightening direction.’”

The live-action adaptation of Fallout is canon as Bethesda's Todd Howard explained to Vanity Fair.

“We view what’s happening in the show as canon,” he said. “That’s what’s great, when someone else looks at your work and then translates it in some fashion.

“I did not want to do an interpretation of an existing story we did. That was the other thing—a lot of pitches were, you know, ‘This is the movie of Fallout 3…’ I was like, ‘Yeah, we told that story.’ I don’t have a lot of interest seeing those translated. I was interested in someone telling a unique Fallout story. Treat it like a game. It gives the creators of the series their own playground to play in.”

Fallout premieres exclusively on Prime Video (affiliate link) on 12th April.

Are you looking forward to Fallout on Prime Video? Let me know in the comments below.

Doctor Who: The Star Beast

The Star Beast ushers in a new era of Doctor Who with Disney+ bringing the beloved BBC sci-fi series to an international audience under the auspices of returning series showrunner Russell T Davies.

This year is the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who and the 30th anniversary of befriending Nick Smith at university. Without further fanfare, Nick, our US-based veteran Whovian, has a close encounter with a space gremlin. Meep! Meep!

Guest post by Nick Smith

I was snagged by one of the oldest marketing tricks in comic books, a big Number One on the cover. There was also a competition to win a trip to Blackpool, a copy of the Genesis of the Daleks LP and an invitation to join UNIT, the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. My stubby little eight-year-old hands held a copy of Marvel UK's Doctor Who Weekly and once I opened it up, I never looked back.

The issue was actually Number 26, but since this was a First New Look Issue it justified the big old one on the cover. I wasn’t duped. I could read. And read I did – an editorial written BY THE DOCTOR HIMSELF, signed off, ‘Happy Times and Places.’ A backup strip about the Sontarans, who I remembered from an early Tom Baker adventure. There was a Fantastic Fact about Harry Potter (not a wizard but a gardener from Northumberland), a special offer to get a free Boba Fett action figure (with a non-functioning laser rifle), and a Tale From the TARDIS adapting The First Men in the Moon.

Best of all – the story I kept going back to, and the reason why I reread the issue until the back page fell off – was The Star Beast, a cleverly written, beautifully drawn comic about a cute little alien called Beep the Meep who crashes to earth and needs the Doctor’s help. All was not as it seemed, and that O. Henry twist was what really kept me coming back and made me a lifelong fan of Doctor Who comics.

A whopping 43 years later, imagine my delight when that little alien appeared on my TV in a tightly woven show with high production values, sincere performances from its main cast, and the kind of acknowledgement of minorities that the strip strove for with its companion of colour, Sharon.

This time around there is a non-binary character who has a reason for being in the story beyond social commentary, and the envelope-stretching never gets in the way of the adventure, capping it instead.

Although original writer Pat Mills and artist Dave Gibbons get a credit at the beginning of the special, there’s no mention of co-writer John Wagner. Some of Wagner’s ideas and nuances are lost in the rush to tell not just Beep’s (Miriam Margolyes) story but also that of the Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate) as they are reunited in the first of three specials.

New viewers are not spoon-fed the whole ‘cosmic Time Lord hero’ premise of Doctor Who. Instead, the focus is on the Doctor and his feisty companion, her family and even characters who are mentioned but not seen, such as Kate Stewart of UNIT. Those newbies are encouraged to seek out the answers by watching and/or reading about previous stories, to dip into the Doctor’s 60-year history.

UNIT is now a bland, black-clad paramilitary band of peacekeepers. They are not secret (they’re mentioned on the news!). There is a new scientific advisor but no distinctive leader, no Sergeant Benton or Captain Yates. Benton, Yates and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart were what made UNIT special (apart from their raging gun battles with alien gargoyles). A new UNIT spin-off series will hopefully redress this lack of personae.

This story made me laugh in some places and choked me up a little in others, the kind of emotional ups and downs I expect from Russell T Davies’ best work. After the silly skit that was Destination: Skaro, the Children in Need special, The Star Beast has enough weight to warrant repeat views and bodes well for the new Season One – which isn’t really Number One. The more things change…

If this new special makes kids think, appreciate storytelling and use their imaginations as much as that old comic strip did with me, it will be very special.

Have you seen The Star Beast? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Nick Smith's new audiobook, Undead on Arrival, is available from Amazon (affiliate link).

60 years of Doctor Who

Happy Thanksgiving to our US-based readers! On its 60th anniversary, watching Doctor Who is one of my earliest childhood memories. At the age of 2, from behind the sofa, the demise of Field Major Styre in The Sontaran Experiment and Daleks exterminating everyone in Genesis of the Daleks was nightmare fuel and a stark contrast to Rainbow.

From shapeshifting Zygons to an android Sarah Jane Smith (Lis Sladen) to the bubbling brain of Morbius, Doctor Who was a Saturday teatime staple watched with my dad.

When I was hospitalised in the wake of an unreported head injury in primary school, Denys Fisher's action figures and Jelly Babies took my mind off of a life-changing trauma as I began years of rehabilitation having undergone a regeneration (the key to the beloved BBC sci-fi series’ longevity) of my own.

Despite a brief hiatus watching flashy US imports on ITV following the box office success of Star Wars, Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor was my Doctor. Dad was a fan of Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor and the sonic screwdriver had been passed from one generation to the next.

The Fourth Doctor's regeneration into the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) was met with heartbreak before The Five Faces of Doctor Who season, which coincided with our first-ever VCR. I vividly remember watching An Unearthly Child and how I lamented not being able to see The Dead Planet AKA The Daleks. However, the latter is now available on BBC iPlayer, and a colourised omnibus edition has been released today on the streaming service.

In my teens, I again abandoned adventures aboard the TARDIS. This time for MTV. However, the TARDIS never went away, and enduring friendships with fellow Whovians continued to be forged in higher education and beyond. Special shoutouts to Professor Michael Williams, Nick Smith and Andrew Lewin. Alas, Stephen Miles passed away a few years ago, but I'm thinking of him.

In 2005, Doctor Who returned from the wilderness to television screens under the auspices of series showrunner Russell T Davies. All the more poignant, as my mum was in a nursing home due to an NHS never event. Like Luke Skywalker, the Doctor symbolises hope in the darkest of times.

Over the years, Target's novelisations of classic serials were instrumental in a lifelong love of reading and writing. My letters and tweets have appeared in Doctor Who Magazine (DWM) and Starburst magazine. And I've attended unforgettable conventions with family and friends.

As fans (myself included) celebrate six decades of adventures in space and time, a new era is about to begin.

The Star Beast, the first of three 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland on 25th November. Ncuti Gatwa takes over control of the TARDIS on Christmas Day.

What are your memories of watching Doctor Who? Let me know in the comments below.

Dave Filoni is Force for Star Wars

Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) has been promoted to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm.

"Now I'm what's called chief creative officer at Lucasfilm," Filoni said in an interview with Vanity Fair. Reporting directly to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, Filoni will oversee Star Wars movies and spin-off series for Disney.

This is an inspired move as Filoni was mentored by Star Wars creator George Lucas.

"In the past, in a lot of projects, I would be brought into it, I would see it after it had developed a good ways," Filoni explained. "When we're planning the future of what we're doing now, I'm involved at the inception phase."

Filoni's spin-off series Ahsoka was a hit with most Star Wars fans (myself included), and a movie is in production that will tie together all the spin-off series since The Mandalorian on Disney+. Aside from a special midseason screening of Ahsoka, Star Wars has been absent from theatres since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.

Are you excited Dave Filoni is overseeing all things Star Wars? Let me know in the comments below.

Classic Doctor Who streaming free on Tubi

This week, Doctor Who celebrates its 60th anniversary.

With the launch of The Whoniverse on iPlayer on 1st November, it's The Five Faces of Doctor Who season but bigger on the inside. Growing up, I never imagined instantly accessing all eras of the beloved BBC sci-fi series curated in one space!

US-based fans can now watch over 600 episodes of the classic series for free on Tubi. Previously, the classic era was only available to stream exclusively on BritBox.

The Star Beast, the first of three 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland on 25th November.

The Doctor Who Holiday Special - The Church on Ruby Road - is confirmed on Christmas Day as part of Season's Streamings on Disney+. Ncuti Gatwa (Barbie) gets the keys to the TARDIS and Millie Gibson (Coronation Street) will join Gatwa as companion Ruby Sunday. This will be followed by season one in 2024. Yes, you read that right. Think of it as the first series reboot since 2005.

Are you looking forward to the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who? How are you celebrating? Let me know in the comments below.

Doctor Who on Children in Need

It's Children in Need on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Ahead of the three specials for the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who, David Tennant is reprising the titular role for Children in Need.

Tennant said: “Every year that I was on Doctor Who we did something for BBC Children in Need, so it only feels right to be doing something this year. Children in Need is a national tradition, it’s certainly a BBC tradition and Doctor Who is part of that. I’m so glad we’re able to give Children in Need viewers this little extra treat.”

The Fourteenth Doctor lands on Skaro, homeworld of the Daleks. Linked to the classic Fourth Doctor story Genesis of the Daleks (available on iPlayer), the special scene, written by returning series showrunner Russell T Davies, will be followed by a behind-the-scenes look on Doctor Who: Unleashed on iPlayer.

Davies says: “Doctor Who has a fine tradition of supporting BBC Children in Need, and I hope that fans and new viewers alike will be able to watch, enjoy, and contribute to this wonderful cause.”



Davies responds to Davros' (Julian Bleach) cameo on Children in Need!

"We had long conversations about bringing Davros back because he's a fantastic character," Davies began, but added that "time, society, culture and taste has moved on, and there's a problem with Davros of old, in that he's a wheelchair user, who is evil."

Continuing, Davies said: "I had problems with that, and a lot of people on the production team had problems with that; associating disability with evil – and trust me, there's a very long tradition of this.

"The world changes, and when the world changes, Doctor Who has to change as well."

"I say: 'This is how we see Davros now'," he explained.

"Because it's Children In Need night... where issues of disability and otherness come right to the front of the conversation."

The Star Beast, the first of three 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland on 25th November.

Will you be watching Doctor Who on Children in Need? Let me know in the comments below.

The Creator

As an artificial intelligence (AI) ethics debate rages on, director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) returns to the big screen with a timely tale.

This is Edwards' first film since Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which was beset by reshoots under the auspices of Tony Gilroy (Andor). We may never know how much of Edwards' original vision made it to screen.

Nick Smith, our US-based stellar scribe, ponders the implications of AI, a recurring theme in science fiction.

Guest post by Nick Smith

You can’t judge a good movie by its trailer, as demonstrated by the latest blockbuster from the director of Godzilla and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Gareth Edwards. The advertising apes seem to give the game away with the trailer for The Creator, which depicts AI-gone-wrong androids and maverick freedom fighter Joshua (played by Tenet’s John David Washington) sent to defeat the robotic remnants. But oh no, the last remnant is a child! What’s an individualist to do in such a situation?

When I described the trailer to my son, we decided this must be a Terminator/Blade Runner mashup. Thankfully, The Creator is far more than that. The plot twist of the trailer – which would have been a more effective turning point in the movie if it hadn’t been given away – is just the beginning of this ride into the future, which is full of visual creativity and amazing CGI, which is sewn into the images of combat, high technology, and humanity in the face of large-scale threat that Edwards always does so well.

Storywise, Edwards keeps it simple.

America is bad and senselessly destructive. The US army is bad, with no regard for human or AI life that stands in its way. The plot is reminiscent of James Cameron’s Avatar, and who can blame Edwards for that, since Avatar has raked in almost $3 billion? The child droid Alphie (9-year-old Madeleine Yuna Voyles), who displays near-mystic, physics-twisting powers, bears similarities with another Avatar – Aang the Last Airbender.

Like Aang, Alphie is on the run from a powerful foe – not Prince Zuko this time, but the US military. They have a superweapon that can shut down all AI. And, apart from the whole we-don’t-want-to-deactivate-a-child thing, shouldn’t we root for America? After all, AI steals our art and our jobs, invades our privacy and threatens our security.

The comparisons with America’s involvement in Vietnam are hardly subtle here, with an East Asian setting and a bombastic military picking on the small guy. It gives the audience something to connect with as we see rice paddies invaded by giant mechs.

But that human element is never lost and, as in Blade Runner, we are asked to examine what it means to be human. Should we care about machines? Would we care more about them if they looked like us? Joshua tries not to care but finds it harder as he becomes more invested in the plight of the AIs.

The question for modern audiences is, does The Creator cover any new ground? For those who have not read Philip K. Dick or seen his movie adaptations, the answer is yes. For veteran cinephiles, not so much. But a lack of storytelling nuance is made up for by the visuals, which encompass everything from 2000 AD (with a rust-bucket anthropomorphised bomb droid straight out of Ro-Busters) to 9/11 to 2001: A Space Odyssey while adding new eye-popping detail throughout.

The Creator is a thrilling adventure that could have ruled the summer with a bigger, better cast, but as it stands, it’s a fantastic fix for action sci-fi junkies.

The Creator is available to own digitally from Amazon (affiliate link).

Have you seen The Creator? Let me know in the comments below.

Nick Smith's new audiobook, Undead on Arrival, is available from Amazon (affiliate link).

Rebel Moon fills a Star Wars-sized void

Netflix will fill a Star Wars-sized hole this holiday season with Rebel Moon from director Zack Snyder (Justice League). During Netflix's Geeked Week, the streamer dropped an official trailer for Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire.



Read the official synopsis:

"A new universe awaits on Netflix, starting December 22.

From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes REBEL MOON, a 2-part movie event decades in the making.

After crash landing on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a stranger with a mysterious past, begins a new life among a peaceful settlement of farmers. But she soon becomes their only hope for survival when the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his cruel emissary, Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), discover the farmers have unwittingly sold their crops to the Bloodaxes (Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher) — leaders of a fierce group of insurgents hunted by the Motherworld.

Tasked with finding fighters who would risk their lives to defend the people of Veldt, Kora and Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), a tenderhearted farmer naive in the realities of war, journey to different worlds in search of the Bloodaxes, and assemble a small band of warriors who share a common need for redemption along the way: Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a pilot and gun for hire; General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a legendary commander; Nemesis (Doona Bae), a master swordswoman; Tarak (Staz Nair), a captive with a regal past; and Milius (E. Duffy), a resistance fighter. Back on Veldt, Jimmy (voiced by Anthony Hopkins), an ancient mechanized protector hiding in the wings, awakens with a new purpose. But the newly formed revolutionaries must learn to trust each other and fight as one before the armies of the Motherworld come to destroy them all."

The film stars Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Bae Doona, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam, Staz Nair, E. Duffy, Cary Elwes, Corey Stoll, Jena Malone, Fra Fee, Cleopatra Coleman, Alfonso Herrera, Stuart Martin, Sky Yang, Rhian Rees, Charlotte Maggi and Anthony Hopkins as the voice of Jimmy, a robot knight.

Variety reports Snyder's space opera will get a limited theatrical release. Rebel Moon - Part 1: A Child of Fire will be playing exclusively on 70mm from 15th to 21st December at the following locations: Los Angeles (Egyptian Theatre), New York City (Paris Theater), Toronto (TIFF Bell Lightbox) and London (Prince Charles Cinema).

Rebel Moon was purportedly pitched to Lucasfilm as a Star Wars movie before Disney acquired George Lucas' company in 2012. Snyder's love of Star Wars shines through in Netflix's big-budget Battle Beyond the Stars for the streaming generation.

Rebel Moon is being built as a new intellectual property (IP) exclusively on Netflix. Part 1: A Child of Fire will premiere on 22nd December. Part 2: The Scargiver will be released on 19th April 2024

Are you looking forward to Rebel Moon? Let me know in the comments below.

LEGO Marvel Avengers Tower on Black Friday

The Avengers are back to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their comic book debut and this time they brought the whole team.

From Black Friday, order the new LEGO Marvel Avengers Tower and recreate their heroic headquarters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Here’s the full list of LEGO minifigures from the Infinity Saga: Tony Stark, Iron Man MK7, Iron Man MK6 (damaged), Captain America x2, Thor, Black Widow, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Wanda Maximoff, Falcon, Vision, War Machine, Pepper Potts, Wong, Nick Fury, Dr. Cho, Hulk, Dum-E, Erik Selvig, Tony Stark SHIELD Agent, SHIELD Agent x2, Alexander Pierce, Chitauri x4, Loki, Ultron and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.

Order the LEGO Marvel Avengers Tower from 24th to 27th November, and LEGO Insiders (myself included) will also get a free Marvel Taxi gift with purchase (GWP), which includes an iconic New York yellow taxi and four minifigures including Black Panther, a taxi driver and two outriders.

LEGO Marvel Avengers Tower is available from LEGO AU, CA, UK and US (affiliate links).

What do you think of the LEGO Marvel Avengers Tower? Let me know in the comments below.

Paul McGann to return as Doctor Who?

As the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who rapidly approaches, the Whoniverse is purportedly about to expand with the adventures of the Eighth Doctor, played by Paul McGann (Withnail and I), if rumours of a new live-action spin-off series are to be believed.

Returning series showrunner Russell T Davies (It's A Sin) has spoken of his desire to emulate the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Star Wars spin-offs on Disney+.

A source told The Mirror: “Russell likes the idea of bringing back McGann with his own set of episodes in the TARDIS. Disney are on board as they want more original content and want to fully exploit the franchise as they know how big it could become.”

McGann most recently reprised the role of the titular time lord in The Power of the Doctor.

The Star Beast, the first of three 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland on 25th November.

Would you like to see Paul McGann starring in his own series as the Eighth Doctor? Let me know in the comments below.

Doctor Who Holiday Special

The Doctor Who Holiday Special - The Church on Ruby Road - is confirmed on Christmas Day as part of Season's Streamings on Disney+. Presumably, the upcoming special will be shown on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Christmas Day in the UK.

Ncuti Gatwa (Barbie) gets the keys to the TARDIS and Millie Gibson (Coronation Street) will join Gatwa as companion Ruby Sunday. This will be followed by season one in 2024. Yes, you read that right. Think of it as the first series reboot since 2005.

In an interview in SFX magazine, Russell T Davies, returning showrunner, teased: "Because people are beginning to ask "Why is there no Disney push behind this?" That's coming in [Redacted]. Ooh, we're not supposed to say [Redacted], are we? Next year, season one. Yes, we're calling it season one."

The Star Beast, the first of three 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland on 25th November.

Are you looking forward to Doctor Who on Christmas Day? Let me know in the comments below.

Marvel Studios' Echo is brutal

Marvel Studios has dropped an official trailer for Echo, starring Alaqua Cox as the titular character. Rated TV-MA, the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) live-action spin-off series harkens back to Daredevil on Netflix. Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio reprise the roles of Daredevil and Kingpin respectively.



Read the official synopsis:

"Streaming exclusively on Disney, the origin story of Echo revisits Maya Lopez, whose ruthless behavior in New York City catches up with her in her hometown. She must face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward."

Echo made her MCU debut in Hawkeye on Disney+ in 2021.

Echo streams exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu on the 10th of January 2024.

Are you looking forward to Echo on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

What's next for Ahsoka?

Ahsoka has concluded on Disney+. The standouts for me were the soundtrack from composer Kevin Kiner (Star Wars Rebels), Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson), Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno), Huyang (David Tennant) and the return of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen).

Whilst there's no official announcement regarding a second season (rumours suggest Lucasfilm is moving the production from LA to London), Nick Smith, our US-based stellar scribe, muses on the possible future of Dave Filoni's Star Wars live-action spin-off series.

Guest post by Nick Smith

Ahsoka gave us a cliffhanger ending with Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) on the loose and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) stranded, leaving a million voices suddenly crying out for a second season. While the intro episodes were sedately paced, easing new viewers into Ahsoka’s world, season two will have to pick up speed to reach the breathtaking heights we expect from Star Wars.

Here’s what I’d like to see in a second season of Ahsoka:

1. More Star Wars Rebels characters

The Star Wars Rebels show was full of rich, often humorous characters such as the unmitigated scoundrel Hondo Ohnaka and the dry-humoured former Imperial droid, AP-5. While Zeb Orrelios (Steve Blum) made a cameo in The Mandalorian, Ahsoka would be foolish to ignore Rebel’s rich dramatis personae and I look forward to seeing Zeb reunited with Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi).

2. More Hera and Chopper

While we’re at it, we’d also like to see more of the Rebels we did meet, especially Hera Syndulla – a highlight of the first season, it ain’t easy being green but she maintained her cool – and C1-10P AKA Chopper, who has enough feisty droidiness to out-cheek R2-D2. Hera in particular had a fleshed-out family and cultural background, making her a well-rounded character. Rosario Dawson could learn a thing or two from Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who gives a nuanced performance hinting at her humble Twi’lek roots.

3. Ahsoka is a complex character

Yes, Ahsoka is a grown Jedi packed with poise and grace. But as the titular character of this show, she needs to give us more than an occasional smirk and bad-ass stance. Throughout the first season, Rosario Dawson maintained her performance of Ahsoka as a stoic, poker-faced character, very different from the young Ahsoka who would take on General Grievous because, ‘it seemed like a good idea.’ Dawson’s got the chops to show Ahsoka’s younger, chirpier side shining through, proving that they’re the same person in more than name.

4. More World Between Worlds

In Rebels and Ahsoka, we visited the World Between Worlds, where times, places and planes of existence collide. This ethereal realm offers so many possibilities for Star Wars characters from different timelines to interact, for Ahsoka to glimpse what might have been... or what could be. There’s still a chance to save Han!

5. A faster pace

One of the many joys of the original Star Wars trilogy was its breakneck pace, which didn’t give us time to scrutinize the storyline or recognize old tropes (of course, that has changed after countless rewatches). We already have a slow show (Andor), which harkens back to ‘70s drama. If it wants to continue, Ahsoka should develop its own dynamic and appeal to the short-attention-span viewers who responded so well to the first season’s lightsabre duels and space battles.

6. Thrawn unleashed

Thrawn is a beautifully crafted villain, maintaining his panache despite being stranded on a remote hostile planet for years. He is intelligent, sophisticated and deadly, with his own strict yet twisted code of conduct. He is one of the few Star Wars characters in existence who could replace the Emperor as a threat to the New Republic. The worse the villain, the more fun it is to see our ragtag fugitives bring him down!

7. Why They Fight

We got a peek at the Republic and the problems they face in season one, but let’s see the good guys enjoying their victory before it’s shattered by Thrawn. What makes the alliance different from the Old Republic, or the Empire? What good have they done, and how can that be threatened by Imperial remnants? How precarious is the peace that Luke Skywalker secured?

8. More new characters

Beyond that whole rich tapestry thing, Star Wars is all about showing us weird alien races and entertaining characters. Season one brought us the howler steeds and the nomadic Noti; it’s a big galaxy, so I expect to see plenty more imaginative character designs next time around.

9. More relevance to the general audience

You don’t need to see animated Disney movies to understand the live-action versions. The same should apply to Star Wars. So far, writer Dave Filoni has done a good job of dropping some backstories without alienating new viewers. It’s time for the show to tell its own story without reliance on prior events.

10. More mystery and wonder

From the mythological statues of Peridea to the majestic, whale-like Purrgil, Ahsoka depicted some jaw-dropping moments of wonder. Since Thrawn has the Night Sisters in tow, I’m looking forward to seeing our heroes cope with dark magic on an awe-inspiring scale. But let’s hope there are more positive phenomena to behold as well, beyond the sheer beauty of infinite, starlit space.

Have you watched season one of Ahsoka on Disney+? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Nick Smith's new audiobook, Undead on Arrival, is available from Amazon (affiliate link).

The Daleks in colour on Doctor Who's 60th

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who, a special colourised 75-minute omnibus edition of The Daleks featuring a brand new soundtrack by Mark Ayres will be released on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer on 23rd November.

The classic serial launched Dalekmania and is often attributed to cementing the success of the long-running BBC sci-fi series and making Terry Nation, creator of the Daleks, a fortune.

Phil Collinson, Executive Producer says: “It’s been my absolute pleasure to spend this past 12 months working with such a talented team to breathe new life into this classic adventure - a story that is literally the foundation stone of all that Doctor Who has become. The original is a masterpiece of 1960’s television drama and this new version stands on the shoulders of the pioneering spirit of 1960’s Doctor Who.”

With the launch of The Whoniverse on iPlayer, it's The Five Faces of Doctor Who but bigger on the inside. Growing up, I never imagined instantly accessing all eras of Doctor Who! Target novelisations, Marvel UK’s Doctor Who Weekly, books, off-air recordings, Denys Fisher toys and expensive omnibus VHS releases (beginning with Revenge of the Cybermen) were the order of the day.

The Star Beast, the first of three 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland on 25th November.

Pre-order The Daleks in Colour (affiliate link) on DVD, Blu-ray and Steelbook!

Are you looking forward to seeing The Daleks in colour? Which classic serials would you like to see colourised in the future by Bad Wolf Studios? The Dalek Invasion of Earth, The Tomb of the Cybermen or The Web of Fear? Let me know in the comments below.

Hasbro Star Wars at MCM London Comic Con

Over the weekend at MCM London Comic Con, the Hasbro Star Wars team showed off brand new figures including Star Wars: The Vintage Collection Count Dooku, Star Wars: The Vintage Collection Finn (Starkiller Base), Star Wars: The Vintage Collection Phase I Clone Trooper, Star Wars: The Black Series Carson Teval Electronic Helmet, Star Wars: The Black Series Anakin Skywalker, and Star Wars: The Black Series Padmé Amidala.

2024 marks the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Hasbro will be releasing a range of products to celebrate the Star Wars prequel's milestone.



STAR WARS: THE VINTAGE COLLECTION COUNT DOOKU

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $16.99 / Available: Spring 2024)

Celebrate the legacy of Star Wars with premium vehicles, playsets, and action figures from Star Wars: The Vintage Collection. (Additional products each sold separately. Subject to availability.) Inspired by Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, this 3.75-inch-scale Count Dooku figure makes a great addition to any fan’s collection. Look for more Star Wars collectibles for adults to build a galaxy on your shelf!

Available for pre-order 30th October at 10am PT/7am ET at Hasbro Pulse, Entertainment Earth, and other fan channel retailers.

STAR WARS: THE VINTAGE COLLECTION FINN (STARKILLER BASE)

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $16.99 / Available: Spring 2024)

Celebrate the legacy of Star Wars with premium vehicles, playsets, and action figures from Star Wars: The Vintage Collection. (Additional products each sold separately. Subject to availability.) Inspired by Star Wars: The Force Awakens, this 3.75-inch-scale Finn (Starkiller Base) figure makes a great addition to any fan’s collection. Look for more Star Wars collectibles for adults to build a galaxy on your shelf!

Available for pre-order 30th October at 10am PT/7am ET at Hasbro Pulse, Entertainment Earth, and other fan channel retailers.

STAR WARS: THE VINTAGE COLLECTION PHASE I CLONE TROOPER

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $16.99 / Available: Spring 2024)

Celebrate the legacy of Star Wars with premium vehicles, playsets, and action figures from Star Wars: The Vintage Collection. (Additional products each sold separately. Subject to availability.) Inspired by Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, this 3.75-inch-scale Phase I Clone Trooper figure makes a great addition to any fan’s collection. Look for more Star Wars collectibles for adults to build a galaxy on your shelf! Available for pre-order 30th October at 10am PT/7am ET at Hasbro Pulse, Entertainment Earth, and other fan channel retailers.

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES CARSON TEVA ELECTRONIC HELMET

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $131.99 / Available: Spring 2024)

Reimagine iconic scenes from in the Star Wars saga - and create your own - with Star Wars helmet and Lightsaber roleplay items! This helmet is detailed to look like the Carson Teva helmet from the Star Wars: The Mandalorian live-action series on Disney+. (Additional products each sold separately. Subject to availability.) Available for pre-order 30th October at 10am PT/7am ET at Hasbro Pulse, Entertainment Earth, and other fan channel retailers.

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES ANAKIN SKYWALKER

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $24.99 / Available: Spring 2024)

Star Wars: The Black Series includes 6-inch action figures, vehicles, and roleplay items from the 40-plus-year legacy of the Star Wars Galaxy. With exquisite features and decoration, this series embodies the quality and realism that Star Wars devotees love. May the Force be with you! (Additional products each sold separately. Subject to availability.) Available for pre-order 30th October at 10am PT/7am ET at Hasbro Pulse, Entertainment Earth, and other fan channel retailers.

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES PADMÉ AMIDALA

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $24.99 / Available: Spring 2024)

Star Wars: The Black Series includes 6-inch action figures, vehicles, and roleplay items from the 40-plus-year legacy of the Star Wars Galaxy. With exquisite features and decoration, this series embodies the quality and realism that Star Wars devotees love. May the Force be with you! (Additional products each sold separately. Subject to availability.) Available for pre-order 30th October at 10am PT/7am ET at Hasbro Pulse, Entertainment Earth, and other fan channel retailers.

Which Hasbro Star Wars announcement at MCM London Comic Con is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.

Welcome to The Whoniverse

Doctor Who celebrates its 60th anniversary this month. As over 800 episodes of Doctor Who land on BBC iPlayer, they will all be curated in one place - The Whoniverse.

The Whoniverse existed before the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with Doctor Who spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures in the wake of the beloved BBC sci-fi series' successful revival in 2005.



The first exclusive content to land in The Whoniverse will be Tales of the TARDIS, a brand new six-part series that reunites beloved classic Doctor Who duos as they board a very special TARDIS on a nostalgic voyage through space and time.

Russell T Davies, returning showrunner says: "The word Whoniverse was invented by fans, so it’s time to give it official status. And Tales of the TARDIS is one of the greatest delights of my career - to see old Doctors and companions reunited, still fighting the good fight, is a perfect way to celebrate the Doctor’s 60th birthday!"

Reprising their roles as the Doctor and companions to go on a timey-wimey spin down memory lane in these unmissable adventures are; Maureen O’Brien and Peter Purves, Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury, Katy Manning and Daniel Anthony, Peter Davison and Janet Fielding, Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant, and Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred.

Dan McGolpin, Director of iPlayer and Channels adds: "I’m delighted to welcome Tales of the TARDIS exclusively to BBC iPlayer, the home of Doctor Who, which is consistently one of our most popular programmes every single week of the year. Tales of the TARDIS will sit within The Whoniverse and features brand new and incredibly moving scenes with well-loved characters; it will be a fantastic starting point for a new generation to discover some of the most classic episodes and a joyous way for longstanding fans to catch up with old friends."

The Star Beast, the first of three 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland on 25th November. Stay tuned for Nick Smith's review soon.

Are you looking forward to the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who? Let me know in the comments below.

Doctor Who returns 25th November

On Wednesday, the BBC announced the first of three specials celebrating the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland on 25th November.

The key art for The Star Beast is an homage to Marvel UK's Doctor Who Weekly cover illustrated by legendary comic book artist Dave Gibbons (Watchmen)!

Joining David Tennant as Doctor Who and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble in The Star Beast (25th November), Wild Blue Yonder (2nd December) and The Giggle (9th December) is a stellar cast including, Yasmin Finney as Rose Noble, Miriam Margolyes as the voice of the Meep, Jacqueline King as Sylvia Noble, Karl Collins as Shaun Temple, Ruth Madeley as Shirley Anne-Bingham, Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart and Neil Patrick Harris as the Toymaker, set to cause all kinds of mayhem.

Disney+ has released an official trailer for the 60th anniversary specials.



With returning showrunner Russell T Davies (It's A Sin), it will be an unmissable cosmic adventure spanning three consecutive Saturday nights, all before Ncuti Gatwa (Barbie) gets the keys to the TARDIS over the festive season. Millie Gibson (Coronation Street) will join Gatwa aboard the TARDIS as companion Ruby Sunday.

You can pre-order the 60th anniversary specials (affiliate link) on DVD, Blu-ray and Steelbook! All 3 episodes, behind-the-scenes, special features and more will be available on physical release from 11th December.

Are you looking forward to the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: Gift the Galaxy

'Tis the season. Gift the Galaxy is a 10-week celebration revealing and highlighting Star Wars toys, apparel, and more, helping fans find a gift for everyone on their list. Or if you’re a fan (myself included), maybe you’ll find something new for your own wishlist!

Our friends at Hasbro have sent over the latest reveals for Star Wars: The Black Series!

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES STARKILLER

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $24.99 / Available: Spring 2024)

STAR WARS fans and collectors can imagine scenes from the STAR WARS galaxy with this premium 6-inch STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES STARKILLER figure, inspired by the character’s appearance in STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED video game. Galen Marek, code name “Starkiller,” was a Force-sensitive human who became Darth Vader’s apprentice during the Galactic Empire’s reign. Fans and collectors can display this fully articulated deluxe figure featuring premium detail and multiple points of articulation in their collection. Includes figure and lightsaber accessory.

Available for pre-order 10/25 at 1pm ET at Hasbro Pulse and other major retailers.

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES R4-6D0

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $24.99 / Available: Spring 2024)

STAR WARS fans and collectors can imagine scenes from the STAR WARS galaxy with this premium 6-inch STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES R4-6D0 figure, inspired by the character’s appearance in the third season of STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN. With Nevarro under siege by pirates, Greef Karga uses his trusted astromech droid R4-6D0 to send a plea for help to New Republic pilot Carson Teva. Fans and collectors can display this fully articulated deluxe figure featuring premium detail and multiple points of articulation in their collection. Includes figure and 4 entertainment-inspired tool accessories.

Available for pre-order Spring 2024 exclusively at Walmart as part of Walmart Collector Con.

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES DARTH VADER

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $24.99 / Available: Summer 2024)

STAR WARS fans and collectors can imagine scenes from the STAR WARS galaxy with this premium 6-inch STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES DARTH VADER figure, inspired by the character’s appearance in STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE. During the Galactic Civil War, Darth Vader set out to find the Rebel Alliance’s secret location and retrieve the schematics of the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the Death Star. Fans and collectors can display this fully articulated deluxe figure featuring premium detail and multiple points of articulation in their collection. Includes figure and lightsaber accessory.

Available for pre-order 10/25 at 1pm ET at Hasbro Pulse and other major retailers.

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES THE MANDALORIAN (MINES OF MANDALORE)

(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $24.99 / Available: Summer 2024)

STAR WARS fans and collectors can imagine scenes from the STAR WARS galaxy with this premium 6-inch STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES THE MANDALORIAN (MINES OF MANDALORE) figure, inspired by the character’s appearance in the third season of STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN. Reunited with Grogu, Din Djarin undertakes a new quest to reclaim a place in Mandalorian society as his scattered people unite to take a stand against the Imperial remnant. Fans and collectors can display this fully articulated deluxe figure featuring premium detail and multiple points of articulation in their collection. Includes figure and 3 entertainment-inspired accessories including the iconic Darksaber as well as knife and blaster accessories.

Available for pre-order 10/25 at 1pm ET at Hasbro Pulse and other major retailers.

Discover even more epic gifts at Amazon (affiliate link).

Which is your favourite announcement from Star Wars: The Black Series? Have you waited for Starkiller to be available separately? Let me know in the comments below.

LEGO Icons Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter

LEGO Dune is a thing. LEGO has announced its first-ever Dune build inspired by director Denis Villeneuve’s hit film franchise based on Frank Herbert's original Dune novels.

Measuring 9 inches (23 cm) high, 22 inches (57 cm) long and 31 inches (79 cm) wide, the LEGO Icons Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter features a foldable landing gear – and the set also comes with eight all-new LEGO Minifigures of key characters from Dune, including Paul Atreides, Lady Jessica, Gurney Halleck, Chani, Leto Atreides, Liet Kynes, Duncan Idaho and Baron Harkonnen in his long robe.

“Like fans across the world, we were fully enraptured by the epic Dune when it released – so our return to Arakkis in Dune: Part Two was the perfect opportunity to bring this iconic craft to life in LEGO brick form,” said Michael Psiaki, Design Master at the LEGO Group. “Builders can now recreate this impressive ship with amazing detail, whether to proudly display or recreate their favourite scenes from the epic Dune saga at home.”

The LEGO Icons Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter is available to pre-order from 24th October, and on-sale from the 1st February 2024, with the set available to buy in-stores and online.

“Turning a beloved Dune icon into a LEGO masterpiece has always been our dream. The unique and creative design of this product perfectly aligns with both the Dune and LEGO spirit, and we're excited for fans of all ages to enjoy the experience," said Amber Sheppo, Vice President, Consumer Products and Partnerships, Legendary Entertainment.

LEGO Icons Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter is available from LEGO AU, CA, UK and US (affiliate links).

What do you think of the LEGO Icons Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter? Let me know in the comments below.