Doctor Who Digest 3/9/13 - New Ice Warriors, The Tenth Planet Animated & 50th Anniversary Convention

Cold War Welcome back to the Doctor Who Digest, everyone! This is the rapidly developing home of all things Doctor Who in the What Culture Republic. Wow, what a busy week over here in the Doctor Who department. We have quite a bit of news (some of it from outside, and some of it covered by our own writers), as well as some excellent articles covering all different angles of Fandom. This feature continues to evolve, as I have now moved us onto Saturdays, so as to take advantage of the traditional day for Doctor Who airings. The goal is for you fans to be able to read the news, catch up with last week's episode via our reviews, and then go on and watch the week's fresh episode. When the time comes, we'll have questions based on the material teased by the trailer from last week, in hopes of fostering some discussion in the Comments section below. If there's anything us Whovians can do, like any other geeky fandom out there, it's over-analyze the bread crumbs we're given. Anyhow, let's get to this week's news! * We had a couple "First Looks" this week: the first one being a look at the Ice Warriors redesign, schedule to make its first appearance in Episode 9, "The Cold War" (assumed air-date: 04/13/2013). You can read more on that first look here, and more on the rest of the season's rumored titles and air dates here. * Our other "First Look" was a look at the animated version of a missing First Doctor adventure. An adventure that will be complete for the first time in decades: The Tenth Planet. Yes, fans will now get to see the First Doctor's regeneration in glorious Black and White animation, as the episode is scheduled for DVD release this Fall! (Thanks to contributor Carl Jannson for the Ice Warrior and Tenth Planet items!) * Any Star Wars Weekends fans out there? I only ask because it looks like the BBC is aiming to replicate the success of that very event by holding an official 50th Anniversary Convention on the weekend of the actual 50th Anniversary (Friday November 22nd - Sunday November 24th) Regardless, London is going to be in for quite a wild time as fans from all around the world will undoubtedly descend to partake in the celebration. Maybe I can beg the higher ups to send this Jersey boy to the big show? Possibly? At least a discussion? I'll cover anything in exchange! (Thanks to contributor Jonathan Carley for that scoop!) Darvill Broadchurch * It seems that Arthur Darvill is of two minds when it comes to the possible return of Rory "The Roman" Williams. He's been recently reported as not planning to return, but The Digital Spy has him saying that he'd "never say never" to returning to the TARDIS. What changed, Arthur? Have you been talking to David Tennant again? Regardless, it looks like Steven Moffat, infinite generator and killer of joy, has shot that down quite effectively, so it looks like Rory and Amelia are exactly as they were before...ancient history. (Also, don't forget to watch Darvill AND Tennant (as well as former Who baddie/current William Hartnell portrayer David Bradley) in their latest project, Broadchurch. It is currently airing in the UK on ITV, with BBC America set to air it in the US this Fall.) * Speaking of Amelia, according to BabyCentre.co.uk (and reported by BBC America's resident newshound, Fraser McAlpine), that's just the name that's at the top of the list for most popular girls' names in the UK. Which begs the question, will nerdy couples start naming their children after specific episodes, just to buck the trend? Clara Oswin Oswald, you have your work cut out for you and some stiff competition to meet up with. * Last, but not least, I'd like to present you all with a list of the week's stories that weren't news items, but are commentary pieces and reviews from our own WhatCulture contributors . I'm proud to be working all of the writers , as they cover a wide range of interests both Classic and Modern. We've got lists, we've got some scientific analysis, and we've even got a Big Finish Audio review. All very much worth reading, and all, in a word, fantastic. 10 Reasons Christopher Eccleston Is The Best Doctor, by James Story 5 Legacies from Trial of a Time Lord, by Tony Jones 11 Must See Classic Episodes for Fans of the New Series, by Carl Jannson 10 Biggest What Could Have Beens, by Adam Smith 5 Spin Offs That Should Have Happened, by Adam Smith 5 Concepts That Are Scientifically Possible, and 5 That Are Impossible, by Emily Band Big Finish Audio Review - House of Cards, by Chris Swanson 0000-560-50th-montage-1-50f485b9 Well that's it for this week's Digest. Thanks as usual for stopping by, and as always feel free to comment in the Comments section below. I mean, it's what it's there for, and we'd really like to hear from you all. We're Whovians, we like to talk. Think of myself and the contributors as a running Convention panel, and the Comments section is that mic in the middle of the room. As such, no spoilers, no foul language, and let's keep things polite here. As always, we'll be back again next week with more exciting Whovian material. Until then, Allons-y!
Contributor
Contributor

Mike Reyes may or may not be a Time Lord, but he's definitely the Doctor Who editor here at What Culture. In addition to his work at What Culture, Mr. Reyes writes for Cocktails and Movies, as well as his own personal blogs Mr. Controversy and The Bookish Kind. On top of that, he's also got a couple Short Stories and Novels in various states of completion, like any good writer worth their salt. He resides in New Jersey, and compiles his work from all publications on his Facebook page.