The 9th Doctor

The final episode of the series was shown over the last weekend and IMO, its not as good as the penultimate episode. I’d been questioning whether the change from four part (30 minute) episodes to what seemed like single or double 45 minute episodes worked and had just come to the conclusion that they did, so imagine my surprise when they brought all the threads crashing together in the penultimate episode. There seemed so little to do to finish the stories, only 1/2 million Daleks to destroy and billions of humans to save. All in a day’s work for the Doctor. …

Wipeout!

A mind game for journey’s. Define a category for which there are many answers, such as States of the USA, non-members of the UN, Schwarzenegger (or Streep) films and then each player bids as to how many answers they can name. The highest bidder, (the last bid after everyone else has passed) starts and seeks to meet his or her bid. If they succeed, they win, if they fail (you’d best agree a time limit) the other players get to offer answers. There’s to be no repetition and the last player (again best agree a time limit) to state an answer wins. …

Betrayal at the House on the Hill

For various reasons, the other month we went into Aldershot and visited “The Games Shop”. This is, as you’d guess, a shop that sells board games, games books, jigsaws and other games accessories; but not computer games, which is maybe why it has no web site. At our first visit, last year, we picked up “Murder at the Abbey” also here…, and this time bought “Betrayal at the House on the Hill”. Its fantastic – collaborative, re-playable, and with strong varied stories, our first night was Buffy’s Hell’s Gate, a deeply dramatic story. …

Nicholas & Alexandra, the last of the Romanovs

It just reminds me of the fact that I have never studied that period of history properly. My elder son is however; his History “A” Level course has spent three terms studying modern Russian ( & hence Soviet History). This is what attracted him, as the school has for many years visited Russia, sadly for his year, they decided to stop it. Actually the film was made in 1971 at the height of the cold war and is very dated in its production values, let alone its politics. …

Dr Who & Utility Computing

1st episode of Dr Who for 20? years – finished about an hour ago. My Vote – great! (You can also see the BBC Site here….)

Despite the casting of Billie Piper as the assistant and some of Chris Ecclestone’s previous parts which hardly qualify him to play the Doctor, the BBC’s investment in love, script, humour and effects just brings back the best. Ecclestone’s mercurial, manic & mysterious performance is reminiscent of Tom Baker, the fan’s favourite, and maybe Sylvester McCoy, one of my favourites. (I don’t count Paul McGann as a Doctor, and neither does IMDB). While my son (18) asks how the shop dummies suddenly obtain machine guns up their arms, I jumped out my seat when the wheelie bin attacked Rose’s (Piper) boy friend. …

Dragon’s Den & Flying Cars

The BBC are showing a TV program series called “Dragon’s Den”. Despite my interest in fantasy, this is about venture capitalism, not sword & sorcery, albeit with a very British spin. Yesterday, a show went out which sums up the crapness of British industrial management. Each week the show gets a bunch of self-made rich tossers into a loft and asks would-be entrepreneurs to beg them for money to invest in their business.

Yesterday, Kestrel Aerospace, who are building a personal air vehicle based on a proprietary and innovative engine within a craft that looks a bit like the aircraft flown by Arnie in the fim “The 6th Day”.  …