The Start Of The Fall of Arcadia, Steven Moffat On The Show And Strax Field Reports...
In true celebratory style, November 2013 was flooded with clips and documentaries, all celebrating the 50th anniversary. Some were mediocre...here in the UK a special was broadcast looking at all the old companions. Great I thought...except...wait a minute...they're starting with Amy and Rory? Oh so it's just Clara and them then. As great as they might be...there were quite a few companions as I remember that came before them. On the other end of the scale we had the excellent 'Night Of The Doctor' featuring the return of Paul McGann and Professor Brian Cox examining 'The Science Of Doctor Who'. In two weeks leading up the 23rd, it felt like there was a new BBC3 documentary on every day and another clip on the BBC Doctor Who website. For audiences wanting more glimpses of the 'Day Of The Doctor', there were videos and images a plenty...personally I choose to give as many a wide a berth as possible and save it all for the cinema. Even so, there were still more delights to be had. On the heels of 'Night Of The Doctor', we had another little minisode from Steven Moffat in 'The Last Day'. Set on in the city of Arcadia on Gallifrey during the Time War (and giving greater credence to it having a big impact in 'Day Of The Doctor') this three and a half minute was a tense, disturbing little story of a soldier on his first patrol, witnessing the coming of a Dalek invasion. We had heard about the fall of Arcadia beforehand, but this gave audiences a glimpse of just how desperate things became. It was much more in the vein of previous episode prequels as in being there just to add context to the story, but like Paul McGann's adventure, it was a another piece in the puzzle to what happened in the long days between the 'TV Movie' and 'Rose'. And as audiences soon found out...it literally was the prelude to the great battle of Gallifrey that took place in the 50th special.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eem2Ehq_xBI Like him or loathe him, 'An Evening With Steven Moffat' was a interesting 20 minute little video that gave the current show runner's thoughts on every incarnation of the Doctor. It showed something that I think people tend to forget; he might have his own way of doing things, he may be a little arrogant (but I think he's brilliant anyway); but he is a
massive fan of the show and really knows his stuff. Watching this, I felt my faith renewed again for the 50th, knowing that he viewed the Eleventh's Doctor's era as just part of a bigger saga. It was also interesting to see his thoughts on the cancellation of
Doctor Who, the similarities between McCoy's 'Survival' and 'Eccleston's Rose...and most interesting his thoughts on the Eighth Doctor. (Paul McGann would return just two days after
this video was released!). Of course, my pick for best clip, has to go to this little gem from the always hilarious Sontaran Strax, played by Dan Starkey. It wasn't the first clip he's done. (Just Youtube Songtaran Carols from last year), but I love how he reintroduces the Zygons to Nu Who and his reference to the people of 'Scotch Land!' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VI_TJc7OIE But of course, that was just the beginning. Let's move on to why we are really here; the specials!