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The Cultural Lives of Doctor Who: The Hype of the Doctor

December 17, 2013
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The Cultural Lives of <i>Doctor Who</i>: The Hype of the Doctor

In this final post in Antenna's The Cultural Lives of Doctor Who series, Matt Hills looks at the promotion and marketing that's occurred around the Doctor Who franchise across 2013.
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The Cultural Lives of Doctor Who: What’s Special About Multiple Multi-Doctor Specials?

October 15, 2013
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The Cultural Lives of <i>Doctor Who</i>: What’s Special About Multiple Multi-Doctor Specials?

In this inaugural post in Antenna's new series The Cultural Lives of Doctor Who, Matt Hills discusses the show's regular anniversary celebrations and the phenomena of "multi-Doctor" stories.
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Lost and Found Doctor Who: Time-Travelling TV?

December 19, 2011
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Lost and Found <em>Doctor Who</em>: Time-Travelling TV?

The tantalising return of two episodes of early Doctor Who deserves celebration. But perhaps the tempting notion of two cultures or past/present eras of TV deserves a measure of critique.
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Ten: Second-guessing the Blessing?

September 16, 2011
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Ten: Second-guessing the Blessing?

Torchwood's finale is full of bi- action (bipolar showdowns, bilateral immortality, and SF's human/alien binary) as its showrunner seeks to second-guess audience expectations. But how much does it leave its viewers guessing?
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Posted in Columns, Current Events, Torchwood, TV | 9 Comments »

Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Nine: Global Drama?

September 9, 2011
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Nine: Global Drama?

'Miracle Day' offers a literalising, telefantasy take on "global" drama this week, as well as seeming to literalise an infamous aphorism at the same time...
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Eight: A Fatal Floor?

September 2, 2011
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Eight: A Fatal Floor?

This week it's a square of flooring that provides the mysterious detail, or the "figure in the carpet", if you like. As Torchwood: Miracle Day gets stranger and even more self-referential, will it ever give up its secrets?
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Seven: Who’s Buying Who?

August 26, 2011
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Seven: Who’s Buying Who?

Captain Jack flashes back in time, and we find out about the beginnings of Miracle Day. But just what is the episode saying about its sinful villains?
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Six: Stuck in the Middle?

August 19, 2011
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Six: Stuck in the Middle?

The slow pacing of 'Miracle Day' has been criticized, but this seems like an odd response to a thriller - a genre based on delaying its reveals. What about the pleasures of being caught up in the middle of a story?
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Five: The Allegories of Life?

August 12, 2011
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Five: The Allegories of Life?

This series reaches its halfway mark with a terrifying version of the Holocaust. Science fiction allegory raises tough questions here, questions about what can be symbolically coded, and how.
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Four: Escaping Cliché?

August 5, 2011
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Four: Escaping Cliché?

Torchwood continues to explore the consequences of a world without death. But how (if at all) does that transformation effect its narrative logic, and its use of thriller conventions?
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Three: Tonight’s The Night?

July 29, 2011
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Three: Tonight’s The Night?

BBC1 edited out two intercut gay/het sex scenes - neither especially graphic - from its broadcast of Torchwood: Miracle Day episode 3, 'Dead of Night'. What's at stake here for John Barrowman as an actor/TV personality?
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Posted in Columns, Current Events, Torchwood, TV | 15 Comments »

Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Two: A Rickety Rendition?

July 22, 2011
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Torchwood Miracle Day, Episode Two: A Rickety Rendition?

As Torchwood: Miracle Day progresses past its initial world-changing premise, how does it shape up? Episode 2 ('Rendition') seems to lack coherence. But for Torchwood, that's almost business-as-usual...
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Transatlantic Torchwood: Everything Changes?

July 15, 2011
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Transatlantic Torchwood: Everything Changes?

What changes has Torchwood undergone as a BBC Worldwide/Starz co-production? Perhaps this latest version brings to the surface a logic present from the very beginning of Russell T. Davies's Doctor Who spin-off.
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The Doctor Will Be Back: Doctor Who and the Showrunner’s Cliffhangers

June 13, 2011
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The Doctor Will Be Back: Doctor Who and the Showrunner’s Cliffhangers

After all the publicity focused on this “game-changing” episode, what interests me is the following question: is there such a thing as a distinctively Moffat-esque cliffhanger?
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A Showrunner Goes To War: Doctor Who and the Almost Fans?

June 6, 2011
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A Showrunner Goes To War: Doctor Who and the Almost Fans?

With episode 6.06 having transmitted in the US, and 6.07 – the 'game-changing' midseries finale – already broadcast in the UK, this week seems like a good time to ponder the issue of Doctor Who spoilers.
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Posted in Columns, Doctor Who & Authorship | 18 Comments »