Who @ 50

BBC Script Library

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 15:49:01 GMT

Posted by: swordznsorcery

As part of the Whoniverse concept, the BBC has now made scripts from Doctor Who available as part of its Script Library: https://www.bbc.co.uk/writers/scripts/whoniverse/

It's an ongoing project, so not complete yet (and no news on the Classic Era, other than "wait and see", as there are rights issues, as you might expect). Plenty up now though, including interviews and spin-offs. You will need the ability to read .pdf files.

(Mods, any chance of 14th and 15th Doctor tags?) :)

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New Seasonal Challenge Open at TARDIS Library!

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 14:58:09 GMT

Posted by: thisbluespirit

TARDIS Library's new Seasonal Challenge is open and it's time to be surprised!

Take part in our latest reccing challenge and receive five random Doctor Who characters (within chosen limits) & rec us some excellent fanworks of any type, featuring one or more of those characters - you can sign up and find more info at the challenge post. (Challenge closes 10th April 2023).

You can also leave requests for recs you would like to and post recs for our current monthly theme (Fourth Doctor's era and/or Robots) - and, of course, any recs for any Doctor Who related fanworks are welcome at any time! Our themes/challenges are bonus elements for those of us who enjoy them or need a little push to get out there and get reccing.

tardis_library will be doing our best to celebrate the upcoming anniversary as the year progresses so watch out for some special challenges etc at the community!

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New Seasonal Challenge at TARDIS Library

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 18:15:01 GMT

Posted by: thisbluespirit

TARDIS Library's new Seasonal Challenge is Character Surprise! (Get a randomised list of Who characters; rec some fanworks featuring them.) Find out more and sign up here.

You can also leave requests for recs you would like to and post recs for our current monthly theme - and anyone can make any recs for any Doctor Who-related fanworks at the comm at any time! See here for more info + posting templates.

And, of course, feel free to come and join or to browse the comm & tags for something excellent and Who-related to read/watch/look at/listen to. It's what we're here for!

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New Seasonal Challenge at TARDIS Library - Reccer's Bingo!

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 19:35:17 GMT

Posted by: thisbluespirit

TARDIS Library's new Seasonal Challenge is our annual Reccer's Bingo. You can find out more details and sign up for a card here.

You can also leave requests for recs you would like to and post recs for our current monthly theme - and, of course, general recs for any Doctor Who-related fanworks are welcome at any time! See here for more info + posting templates.

Plus, feel free to come and join or to browse the comm & its tags for something excellent and Who-related to read/watch/look at/listen to. It's what we're here for!

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New Seasonal Challenge at TARDIS Library!

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 10:41:46 GMT

Posted by: thisbluespirit

TARDIS Library's new Seasonal Challenge is Claim a Character. Simply choose a character from the Whoniverse and rec 5-15 works of any type featuring them to complete the challenge - see the challenge post for details. (Open for claiming and posting until 13th March 2020).

You can also leave requests for recs you would like to and post recs for our current monthly theme - see here for more info.

And, of course, any general recs for any Doctor Who-related fanworks are also welcome at any time! Please feel free to come and join in or just poke around in the rec posts for something excellent to read/watch/look at/listen to.

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Trailer trailer trailer trailer trailer

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 21:02:12 GMT

Posted by: swordznsorcery

Four weeks today!

Or three weeks, six days, twenty-one hours and fifty-five minutes, if you're counting.

(Approximately.)

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S26 Blu-ray Trailer

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 08:34:02 GMT

Posted by: thisbluespirit

I thought people here might be interested - even if it's only briefly, it's Sophie back as Ace on screen:

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Terrance Dicks 1935-2019

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 18:27:13 GMT

Posted by: jjpor

It was with a heavy heart that I read this afternoon that Terrance Dicks, a legendary figure in the history of the Doctor Who, had passed away at the age of 84.

It is impossible to overstate just how significant his role was in the development of the series, as both a writer and script editor, with a credit on some of the best-loved and, in the case of The War Games at least, most significant stories during the "classic" run. It became commonplace in later years to think of Dicks's work on the series as representing a particular sort of cosy, uncomplicated storytelling which was often compared unfavourably to the more daring or complex styles of other eras. Certainly the social attitudes displayed in some of those stories leave a lot to be desired, even if they were standard for the era. At the same time, many of the television stories he was associated with are widely-regarded as stonewall classics.

Perhaps his greatest contribution, however, was to the development of Who fandom and the programme's expansion into other media, as the writer of, at a conservative estimate, about five million novelisations of televised Who stories as part of the Target imprint. For a Doctor Who fan of a certain vintage, such as myself, those novelisations were enormously important in shaping our relationship to the show, and just in developing a love of books, reading and writing. Dicks' name was, I am pretty certain, one of the first I came to recognise on book covers as a young'un in the 80s, and while other Who authors may have been singled out for more artistic plaudits over the years, his simple, solid prose style was exactly right for the young readers who made up the bulk of Who's audience then and now (as much as elderly nerds like myself may want to deny it).

There are many other achievements and accolades I am no doubt leaving out, and there was a lot more to Terrance Dicks than Doctor Who, but I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the fandom has lost one of its iconic figures today.

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Pertwee @ 100

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 12:12:30 GMT

Posted by: jjpor

Jon Pertwee would have been 100 years old today, and I think this video of his son Sean reminiscing is Lovely:

That is all. :)

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New Seasonal Challenge at TARDIS Library

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 16:54:53 GMT

Posted by: thisbluespirit

TARDIS Library's new Seasonal Challenge is open and we're running a Reccer's Bingo. Sign up for a card & find out more at the challenge post. (Challenge closes 14th September 2019).

You can also leave requests for recs you would like to and post recs for our current monthly theme (Sixth Doctor) - see here for details.

And, of course, any general recs for any Doctor Who-related fanworks are also welcome at any time!

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26 Doctor Who Icons

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 19:32:52 GMT

Posted by: thisbluespirit

Teaser:

26x Doctor Who icons made for a songset challenge + alternates HERE @ thisbluespirit

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TARDIS Library - New Seasonal Challenge

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 18:20:26 GMT

Posted by: thisbluespirit

TARDIS Library's new Seasonal Challenge is open, which this time is for manifestos (for character, pairing, era or spin-off). Make your claim & find out more at the challenge post. (Challenge closes 11th June 2019).

You can also leave requests for recs you would like to and post recs for our current monthly theme (Seventh Doctor) - see here for details.

And, of course, more general recs for any fanworks are also welcome at any time!

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DW Minor Character Ficathon 2019

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 00:09:26 GMT

Posted by: shivver

Prompt-leaving is open for the 2019 Minor Character Ficathon, and sign-ups start on Saturday! Please join us in celebrating the wonderful characters that inhabit the Doctor's universe.

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Multifandom Friendship Commentfest

Sat, 16 Feb 2019 17:05:40 GMT

Posted by: thisbluespirit

[Multifandom friendship fest]

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February Theme up at TARDIS Library

Sat, 02 Feb 2019 13:10:53 GMT

Posted by: thisbluespirit

TARDIS Library's monthly theme for the anniversary month of February is Spin-offs (etc.). And our current Seasonal Challenge is still ongoing till 7th March for those who'd like to set themselves their own reccing challenge. You can also leave requests for recs you would like to see and find more details here

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Who_Contest Relaunch at Dreamwidth

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 16:46:58 GMT

Posted by: paynesgrey

Hello, who_contest is looking for some new members! We would love to have some Who writers join us for monthly contests! See you there.

Please join us at who_contest for monthly fanfiction challenges based on the popular British sci-fi hit Doctor Who and all its spin-offs.

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Resolution: Reaction and Discussion Post [SPOILERS!]

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 19:49:28 GMT

Posted by: jjpor

The futuristic year 2019 is still new and so is the Doctor Who, with Resolution (the suspiciously aptly-titled New Year's Day, not Xmas, special) hot off the (metaphorical) presses and beaming into your media device of choice as we speak.

And rumour (well, more than rumour - the actual teaser trailer) has it that a certain familiar, um, face might well make a return in this one...! So much for "no old monsters," huh, Chibnall?

Anyway, I hope it will be a good one (or to put it another way better than, say, seventy-five percent of Series 11), and that you will feel moved to share your thoughts, comments, critiques and observations in the comments below. Be sure to do so with appropriate seasonal courtesy and mutual respect, of course, and also be aware that there may well be SPOILERS! to be found down there as well.

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And a Merry [Complete as Applicable] to All of You at Home!

Mon, 24 Dec 2018 22:58:51 GMT

Posted by: jjpor

Well, it's that time of the year again. No Who Xmas Special this year (only a week to wait, though - here's hoping it's a good'un), but I'm sure that won't stop anybody who wants to make merry on the morrow from doing so. I know it can also be a difficult time of year for many people, so best wishes and greetings of the season to all of you whether you're celebrating or not, whatever you may or may not be celebrating.

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The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos: Reaction and Discussion Post [SPOILERS!]

Sun, 09 Dec 2018 18:34:56 GMT

Posted by: jjpor

The what of what...?

Well, here it is everyone - the thrilling Series 11 finale! At least I hope it's thrilling. I'll be perfectly honest, I've been a bit ambivalent about the series so far. There have been a couple of good stories, I think, and a couple of bad ones too, with a lot of so-so in between. I'm not sure any of them will go down in the annals of Whodom as all-time classics. Most of all, I think I miss the cleverness and wit that characterised the programme's writing during the Moffat years. However...it's still all to play for; they can still pull something out of the hat in this last instalment.

Or failing that, there's always the New Year's Day special...

And here is where you can discuss, dissect and debate as to whether or not they managed it. And I am sure you will do so with your usual courtesy and decorum - beware, though, of SPOILERS! down below.

See you on the other side.

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New Seasonal Challenge at TARDIS Library - Choose Your Own Challenge

Sun, 09 Dec 2018 13:11:36 GMT

Posted by: thisbluespirit

TARDIS Library's winter Seasonal Challenge is open! Simply choose your own theme for reccing and complete the challenge by reccing 5-25 works! Make your claim & find out more at the challenge post. (Challenge closes on 7th Feb 2019).

You can also leave requests for recs you would like to and post recs for December's monthly theme (for works set in the Eighth Doctor's Era, or focusing on 'History') - see here for more details

And, of course, more general recs for any fanworks are also welcome at any time!

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It Takes You Away: Reaction and Discussion Post [SPOILERS!]

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 18:35:33 GMT

Posted by: jjpor

Well, I thought The Witchfinders was a lot of fun, and continued the run of episodes that actually feel like Doctor Who and not like, well, some other less compelling family science fiction series that happens to have a main character called the Doctor. Once again, though, as with the previous stories this series that have been set in historical periods, the SF element seemed oddly superfluous and underdeveloped, almost tacked on. Sad to say, faced with the aliens we've seen so far this series, I find myself kind of missing the Daleks and the rest of the rogues' gallery.

Although the past few stories have, I think, been an improvement on the mid-series nadir The Tsuranga Conundrum (I've re-watched it since and, sorry, still hate it), I still don't think we've had a genuine classic yet. Rosa has probably come closest, but imho was not without its flaws. Maybe this week's will be it - the action apparently revolves around a cabin in Norway and be warned, though, it looks like a scary one...!

And this is the place where you can dissect and discuss the scares after you've watched them. As ever, beware of SPOILERS! in the comments below, and please conduct yourself with your customary tact, class and courtesy.

So here we go, pining for the fjords... :)

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The Witchfinders Reaction and Discussion Post [SPOILERS!]

Sun, 25 Nov 2018 18:41:21 GMT

Posted by: jjpor

I think the last two episodes of Series 11 were a definite move in the right direction. Kerblam! certainly had some woolly politics and unfortunate implications, as some of you observed in the comments last week, but at least it felt like an actual Doctor Who story. Demons of the Punjab, a bit like Rosa before it, had a compelling, well-realised historical setting and some nice character moments but imho was let down a bit by a very weak, and possibly unnecessary science fiction element.

Which is why I really hope this week's story The Witchfinders isn't just teasing us with a title like that and we really are going to get our first "straight" historical since...well, that depends on whether or not you think Black Orchid qualifies (I don't think it does, really). Anyway, you've got Alan Cumming playing King James VI/I, so that's something.

And this is where you can discuss, react, lionise or criticise this week's offering. Only two things to bear in mind: there may end up being SPOILERS! down below as a result, and please exercise your normal courtesy and understanding in the course of your discussions.

So, let's watch this thing, I suppose.

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Happy Doctor Who Day!

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 23:13:37 GMT

Posted by: jjpor

As I am sure you are all aware, the greatest television programme of all time is 55 years young today...!

I'm not sure how any of you may or may not choose to mark this momentous day, but please allow me to extend the greetings of the season to all of you. :)

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Kerblam! Reaction and Discussion Post [SPOILERS!]

Sun, 18 Nov 2018 19:08:56 GMT

Posted by: jjpor

Well, this is a bit late, or rather the Beeb wrong-footed me by putting this week's episode on half an hour early. Well-played, BBC - well-played... I can't be underwhelmed by a story I forgot to watch!

It's been a bit of a week for that kind of thing, what with the news that there will be no Xmas special this year (a New Year's Day special instead, so not as shocking a development as it could be), and then claims of no more Xmas specials ever, and no Series 12 until 2020 (although these rumours have, apparently, been rubbished by the BBC themselves now, so don't worry too much).

Hopefully, "underwhelming" will turn out not be an appropriate description for this week's episode Kerblam! which looks like some sort of RTDian satire on certain contemporary all-consuming corporate retail empires, set in one of those "far future" space opera settings where everybody looks, talks and dresses like somebody from early 21st Century Britain. I'm sure it will be a blast.

You know..."Kerblam!?"..."blast?" I do try, you know.

And this is your post for discussing, dissecting, deconstructing and something-else-beginning-with-d-ing this week's story. Please do so in the comments below, but beware for SPOILERS! down there when you do. And I know I don't have to say this every week, because you are all exemplary citizens of 'tinternets, but please do so with your customary courtesy and common sense. :)

Now to travel back in time to the start of this thing so I can watch it...

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Demons of the Punjab Reaction and Discussion Post [SPOILERS!]

Sun, 11 Nov 2018 19:02:14 GMT

Posted by: jjpor

So we're now in the second half of Series 11, and so far my rankings from best to worst are:

1 - Rosa - a really good, unflinching examination of racism in both the past and present, with lots of heart and great character stuff, but a bit deficient on the science fiction front.

2 - Arachnids in the UK - ninety percent of a decent Doctor Who story, but unfortunately they forgot to include an ending.

3 - The Woman Who Fell to Earth - did a good job of introducing the new Doctor and her companions, but a little light on plot and lacking a decent baddie. Which is turning out to be something of a recurring theme this series...

4 - The Ghost Monument - Thoroughly mediocre in just about every way.

5 - The Tsuranga Conundrum - By comparison, made The Ghost Monument look like a front runner for the next BAFTA awards.

I'm still not exactly sure what Tsuranga was, or indeed how the plot of last week's episode constituted a conundrum. Maybe that's the conundrum...?

Anyway, this week we have Demons of the Punjab, which promises to take the new Team TARDIS to a shameful chapter in British imperial history (they were all shameful, but some more than others) that almost certainly isn't as well known here as it should be. A bit like Rosa, I think this could either go very well indeed, or very wrong. Time will tell.

And this is your post for discussing this outcome. Please feel free to leave your remarks, thoughts, observations and critiques in the comments below, but be warned that once people start to do so they will be full of SPOILERS! And as always, please exercise your customary courtesy and civility. :)

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