Okay, I had started blogging about this week’s episode of Doctor Who, but had to stop for a work-related project. After I was done with that, I went out to dinner, and the restaurant had big TVs on all the walls. And that’s where I heard about the Virginia Tech massacre today.

Thirty-three people dead, and the gunman shoots himself. What’s up with that? What sort of person decides to just go out and kill 33 innocent people, and then kill himself? I mean, if you’re going to kill yourself anyway, why drag others along with you?

And yes, okay, I know, this is probably a crazy person. Or, you know, not. Still completely appalling, no matter what.

And every time something like this happens, and even when it isn’t happening, I think of those whiny anti-gun control people who will come crawling out of their caves and log cabins and out from under their logs, spitting out a mouthful of tobacco juice, moonshine, and wood grubs. They’ll take a break from picking ticks and fleas off their mates to remind us that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. And yes, it’s true that it takes a person to point a gun at someone else and fire it.

Having said that, it’s not often that you hear about someone bursting into a classroom or school building, stabbing 33 people to death with a knife, injuring more, and then turning his blade on himself. Because, seriously, maybe it’s not the guns, maybe it’s the people doing the killing, but when they do it with guns, they seem to do a lot more of it. And maybe if it were that much harder to get guns, then the number of people who are killed by them would drop a bit. And, yes, I do understand that if someone is well and truly determined to get a gun, the laws probably won’t stop them. But, you know, maybe it would stop those who aren’t quite so determined, who could be steered from the path leading to the worst school shooting in American history if only they encountered a little more resistance?

But, you know, we live in a country where Quakers in Idaho are now requiring all the people in their town to arm themselves against a possible invasion by Hurricane Katrina victims. So, sense? Out the fucking window.

FDA's Response to Tainted Pet Food Assailed - washingtonpost.com

FDA's Response to Tainted Pet Food Assailed - washingtonpost.com: "A Senate panel took the Food and Drug Administration to task yesterday for its 'inexcusable' response to pet food contamination and a month's worth of expanding recalls that have left Americans fearful about what to feed their cats and dogs."

So, okay, last night, Doctor Who, The Shakespeare Code. How cool was that?

I admit, I am predisposed to liking my Doctor Who stories with historical settings. Maybe it’s because one of the first episodes I ever saw was the last part of Talons of Weng Chiang. Maybe it’s because the BBC just was more comfortable making period costume dramas than science fiction, and so were able to handle those stories better. Maybe because it’s something that more naturally suits Doctor Who than, say Stargate or Star Trek. Regardless, the idea of the Doctor and Shakespeare versus witches pretty much sums up what I love about Doctor Who.

I thought Dean Lennox Kelly’s Shakespeare-as-rock-star performance was a clever twist on the usual portrayal, although it’s not like the precedent hadn’t been set by productions like Shakespeare in Love. So often, though, it seems like the thinking is, “He’s a writer, and we don’t know much about him, so he must be quiet and shy and bookish.” Whatever. This version works just as nicely, I think.

And how great was Christina Cole as Lilith? The snooty edge that kept me from warming up to her as the heroine of Hex served her just fine as this week’s monster. And it was nice to see fairly traditional witches, and magic being dealt with in a fairly straightforward, Doctor Who kind of way (just a different type of science, really).

And I’m still really liking Martha.

So, next week, a return to New Earth, with the Cat Nurses (and other cat people, it looks like, so Penelope should get a kick out of it) and the foretold final appearance—presumably—of the Face of Boe. And lots and lots of traffic.

For some reason, Blog This won't post a link to this entry. So, here's the old fashioned way:

"Exciting news from BBC AMERICA's press department hit the wires this morning: the entire channel is undergoing a "radical makeover" later this year. The channel will now "focus exclusively on bringing U.S. audiences the very best in contemporary British programs - including a greater emphasis on our world renowned news coverage," according to our new head honcho, Garth Ancier. Lots of great acquisitions to announce, including MI-5 (Spooks to you UKers), the long-running youth soap Hollyoaks (which I love), Hotel Babylon, the new Jennifer Saunders comedy The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle, Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood, and new seasons of Hex, Life On Mars, and Doctor Who. "

Press Releases

Peabody Award Press Releases: "Friday Night Lights NBC No dramatic series, broadcast or cable, is more grounded in contemporary American reality than this clear eyed serial about the hopes, dreams, livelihoods and egos intertwined with the fate of high-school football in a Texas town. "

There's one new episode left in the season, and previous episodes can be viewed at NBC's web site and purchased from iTunes. And this really is one of the best American TV series on right now, and it's a shame it isn't getting the audience it deserves.

So I just got the news this morning that Penelope is just fine. I was more than a little anxious overnight; there was a message from Doctor Claws when I got home last night asking me to call him to talk about her blood work. And I was worried that if it was just fine, he would have said so on the message. But, no, it turns out all is well. We’re going to try a different cat food, one formulated for seniors, and see if that produces more regular results.

(And, no, his name isn’t really Doctor Claws. It’s Klaus. But it sounds the same.)

So now I can talk about Doctor Who, even though I’m not a huge fan of discussion about television on the Internet. So much of it seems bitter and negative and mean-spirited. Either people are focused on discussing what they’re not watching, or they’re talking about how they watch something week after week after week, and it never gets any better. Me, if there’s something I don’t like, I don’t watch it. And if I’m not watching something, and am watching something else, I’m more interested in talking about what I am watching.

The thing, I think, about reviews and criticism in general, and amateur net-reviews in particular, is that a lot of entertainment isn’t meant to be picked to pieces in the first place. I’m not saying that’s a license for careless or shoddy production. But if you hold anything up to close enough scrutiny, you will find flaws, particularly if you are predisposed to look for them. And I think that most amateur critics are predisposed to look for them, because pointing out flaws really proves how intellectual you are. (Just look at how fans at Outpost Gallifrey point out how Doctor Who Magazine’s reviews aren’t well-written because they are too positive.)

But despite the rise of TV-on-DVD and so forth, most TV is meant for this level of critical analysis: “That was good, I think I’ll watch it next week, what’s for dinner?” And that’s pretty much where I come from. If I like something enough, I may want to watch it again, maybe buy it on video (well, probably buy it on video, but that’s me). But if I watch it again, it will be to appreciate the things I like, not start focusing on the things I don’t.

Which is a long, roundabout way of saying that I liked the first new episode of Doctor Who’s third series, Smith and Jones. It isn’t as plot-heavy as some of my favorites, like The Girl in the Fireplace, but I think it’s important to look at the function of the episode. This is the story that introduces Martha Jones, the Doctor’s new companion. While School Reunion dealt heavily with the idea that the Doctor has had companions before Rose, and that he sometimes has to leave them and move on, for a lot of the audience, Rose was as much a part of the show as the Doctor. (Certainly, this is the case with my friends who have only seen the new show.)

Martha couldn’t just happen to be just any other character in a typical Doctor Who story who ends up traveling with the Doctor. Her first story needed to make the audience absolutely fall in love with her, and to do that, the focus needed to be on her. As an audience, we should be watching her, and paying attention to who she is and what she does, not having to worry about the twisty machinations of a complex plot.

Fortunately, Russell T. Davies gives us exactly what we need: a suspenseful, Die-Hard-in-Space story with big exciting effects and a really cool-looking monster, which never takes the spotlight off Martha. It gives her problems to solve and situations to react to, but doesn’t force the audience to devote attention to trying to remember twists and turns. It’s simple and straightforward without skimping on the emotional content we need to see what a great companion Martha will make.

So it looks like a great start to a new season. A great debut for a new character, and her supporting cast. And next week’s episode, with William Shakespeare and witches looks to be fantastic (and Paul Cornell says it’s pretty much Gareth Roberts bringing the style of his fantastic novels to the screen). So totally looking forward to the next twelve weeks. Just don’t try calling me on a Saturday night!

Just how much fun is it reading through my RSS news feeds on April 2, the day after April Fool's Day? Oh, the inanity...

So, today, it was announced that Hill’s Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food is being recalled because it’s tainted with rat poison or whatever crap was affecting the Menu Foods products that have been in the news. And Penelope’s food is Hill’s Prescription Diet t/d Feline. Which means that this news is about six inches to the left of my worst fucking nightmare. And while they haven’t announced a recall of the t/d variety, I can’t help but notice that it took them a week or so to figure out the m/d variety was tainted. Not wishing to wait around for them to discover that they make the food at the same place (presumably) I’m taking Penelope to the vet tomorrow.

But that’s tomorrow. Tonight, I watched the season premiere of Doctor Who, introducing his new companion, Martha Jones. Has it really only been two years since I sat down in front of the TV to watch Rose for the very first time? I remember being absolutely spellbound. It wasn’t just the flashy new opening title sequence (although seeing the TARDIS flying through the space-time vortex as never before was pretty exciting). No, when the show opened with that flashy, fast-paced montage of Rose in London, accompanied by the almost surf-rock sound of Murray Gold’s music, the whole thing looking nothing like Doctor Who had ever looked before, it was apparent that this childhood favorite that I knew like the back of my hand was a whole new, fresh, exciting, different thing. Something I wouldn’t just be watching as a piece of nostalgia.

And then the Doctor showed up. And it was so immediately apparent that he was the Doctor from my childhood, but also fresh, new, and different. And that was it. I was ten years old again.

So now it’s a new Doctor and a new companion. And it’s still a fantastic show.

Upcoming Pixar :: A Pixar Animation Studios Blog :: The Latest Pixar News and more

Upcoming Pixar :: A Pixar Animation Studios Blog :: The Latest Pixar News and more: "Pixar will delve into the area of VFX and live action with Brad Bird creating his first live-action feature length film, from the John Carter of Mars series. Pixar will provide the visual effects for the film with Brad Bird directing and Mark Fergus will co-direct and write the script."

iTunes Introduces Complete My Album

iTunes Introduces Complete My Album: "Apple today announced Complete My Album, a groundbreaking new iTunes service that allows customers to turn their individual tracks into a complete album at a reduced price by giving them a full 99 cent credit for every track they have previously purchased from that album."

About Gruddamned time...

MARSHALL ROGERS DIES - NEWSARAMA

MARSHALL ROGERS DIES - NEWSARAMA: "Comics have lost another luminary. Details are still sketchy, but word came earlier today that Marshall Rogers died yesterday or Saturday. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed. "

Very upset at this news. The first actual Batman comic I ever owned was--I discovered years later--Marshall Rogers' first full-length Batman comic.

So, so sad.

Found this on Paul Cornell's blog:

YouTube - BBC One - Doctor Who - Exclusive Clip Of Episode 1

YouTube - BBC One - Doctor Who - Exclusive Clip Of Episode 1

Now they're just trying to stir up trouble...

STARDUST on Yahoo! Movies

STARDUST on Yahoo! Movies

First trailer (I think).

ICv2 News - IDW to Publish 'Little Orphan Annie'

ICv2 News - IDW to Publish 'Little Orphan Annie': "Dean Mullaney, who is editing the new reprint edition of Milton Caniff's classic Terry & the Pirates comic strip for IDW, has informed ICv2 that his next project with IDW will be a similar reprinting of Harold Gray's Little Orphan Annie."

BBC - Doctor Who - News - Series Four confirmed

BBC - Doctor Who - News - Series Four confirmed: "octor Who will return for a fourth series in 2008, executive producer and lead writer Russell T Davies confirmed last night."

Comic Book Resources - CBR News: NYCC, Day 1: %u201CWhiteout%u201D Returns! Rucka & Lieber Talk

Somehow, I had completely missed this...

Comic Book Resources - CBR News: NYCC, Day 1: Whiteout Returns! Rucka & Lieber Talk: "Since then, little has been heard from Carrie, but that all changes in the fourth quarter of 2007 as Rucka and Lieber reunite for the third chapter of Carrie's story, Whiteout: Thaw, once again from Oni Press. Like the two previous series, Thaw will likely debut as a four issue mini-series (Rucka, Lieber and company are still finalizing their plans) in black and white once again."

IDW TO COLLECT TERRY AND THE PIRATES - NEWSARAMA

IDW TO COLLECT TERRY AND THE PIRATES - NEWSARAMA: "Celebrating the centennial of Milton Caniff %u2019s birth, IDW Publishing will publish a fully authorized six-book series collecting the entirety of Caniff %u2019s groundbreaking newspaper adventure strip Terry and the Pirates. The Sunday pages will be reproduced in their original color, alongside the daily black-and-white strips."

Okay, now if only somebody would do Barnaby and Little Orphan Annie life would be many more degrees closer to perfect.

Oh, and Alex Raymond's Rip Kirby, which I've become a huge fan of thanks to King Features' Daily Ink.