Happy & not-so-happy returns

Well, here's a joyous suprise for us all: The Doctor has returned! On the telly, on the news, on the radio, on youtube, and with an update on the BBC website. Finally! I say, and about time too. For this particular occasion, he's even got another Doctor with him, aka David Morrissey - also known as "The Other Doctor", apparently, or so we've been told - and it all looks pretty downright amazing. With "That Damned Voyage" still painfully clear in mind, I hesitate to keep my hopes up (that much), but am nonetheless counting on a decent Christmas Special; at least it should be better than what we saw last year. Might even be a brilliant one - if we're lucky - and from what I can tell, judging by the 2-minute Children in Need preview we received last night, it actually doesn't seem that bad. As mentioned above, it was rather promising. And I have to stress, moreover, how excellent it was to see David Tennant in costume again, and back in business; due to the news regarding his departure, and - in particular - due to the depressing end notes of Series 4, it felt like, for a moment, everything we'd learnt to love was gone and everything's just seemed to be - over, disrupted, destroyed, and lost forever; into the fading world of afterthought. Fortunately, this isn't entirely the case. For there he was, grinning like a mad man, cloak and suit in place, his TARDIS wooshing delightfully, and all the familiar features popping into view immediately; to our nerve-soothing pleasure. Really, it was like coming home and finding one's seat again. To sit tight and just...relax, for a bit. Not completely over yet. Or, ever. "The Next Doctor", as the upcoming story is called, ever so aptly, takes place sometime after the end of the last series - according to Mr. Doctor himself, "some months have passed" - and he's had time to grieve properly, rethink his status, move on a bit; although, I reckon, he still misses all his friends a lot. I know I do. Very odd not to have Donna coming out of the TARDIS, after him, very odd to have him all on his own, without her intense presence and beautiful red mane and hilarious bickering, likewise; no Rose, no Martha, no Jack, no Mickey, no Sarah Jane. No-one to chat too, out-talk, out-run, save or worry about. No-one to love, or be loved by - for the moment. Just him. And the wonders of the future straight ahead, that's for sure. He's out to explore the beautiful, wintry landscape of Victorian England, he's got dangers and horrors and time travelling fun in store, and it looks absolutely faulous. Action-packed, horror-ridden, fast-paced. After two minutes! Not bad! That being said, I'm still hoping for Catherine Tate and John Barrowman (and, perchance, John Simm) to make a reappearance, and - in fact - this doesn't seem all that unlikely, according to several interviews I've been skimming through. With Donna, there's still a number of matters to be sorted out, and we all keep our fingers crossed someone will be able to save her - give her back her memories - second, it would be preferrable, in any respect, to have her teaming up with The Doc again and see the two of them setting out for new adventures. Furthermore, Jack is an immortal boy, and Martha and Mickey are working for Torchwood, so they're not out of reach. Even Rose still has some minor cracks in the Universe left open for her to cross through, I suppose. But, on the other hand, the (most recent) finale was incredible; it was a worthy exit for all of them, especially Jack, Mickey and Rose, and with regard to the latter - as much as I adore Billie Piper and her character - I find myself strangely content with the fact that she's not around anymore, to cause me (and her Doctor alike) so many heartaches, worries and horrendous breakups, but instead she's been given a new chance for a happy life on parallel earth, and be as happy as she can be with her Doctor-clone and, possibly, many little Time Lord babies yet to come. So, yes, I'm more imaginarily calmed than anything else, living on my blissful could-be-true-ideals, and have chosen to believe, in retrospect, that - all in all - it was a very redeeming, stabilizing outcome for almost everyone involved; if only to a certain extent. Recalling Donna's tragic fate, I wouldn't describe it as perfect, but - aside from the opportunity that she might come back and solve those little issues and make us increasingly overjoyed, I think we're ready for a fresh start right now. New companions and stuff. (Save for Donna.) New leases, new - horizons. New trips. However discouraging that might sound, and - honestly - however much I would have wanted to see my favourite people again...even for a small cameo...because I love them so utterly (way too) much, yet I'll do fine without all the excessive involvement and such-induced pain, that's one advantage. No more moping over unrequited love or separated lovers, no more biting nails because Russel's bringing the Tylers back and gods know what might happen. Someone might just die, etcetera. And I'll cry my heart out. Now, we know what happened, and that's okay. Really, it is. And The Doctor's travelling on, and it's fine, and everyone's settled. Somehow. Of course, it's a tad bit strange to know that David will be leaving soon - which has a double effect, of sorts, in that watching the Specials becomes the more saddening and disappointing, because I realize how truly magnificent he is, and how I'll miss his superb interpretation, how I'll miss his Doctor in general. Then again - I will enjoy the episodes even more because I'm aware these are his last ones, and I want him to go out with a bang. Which I hope RTD will allow him. I suspect, also, that the whole uproar surrounding David's revelation, and the double-triumph at the NTA's, has granted the episode a lot more attention, and free promotion, than it would otherwise get - and, for all I know, it could haven been intentional from the management's side. Considering how all these little pieces put together, overall, just fit. But that's the magic of the Beeb; they manage to make everything come across so effortlessly, so awe-inspiringly elegant. Planned or not planned, it was an act of brilliant timing - echoing the theme and style and general feel of the show itself - whereafter the whole of Great Britain, plus some exile fans around the globe; myself included; are awaiting this Christmas event more anxiously than ever before. And, did I mention, it looks good? I know I said that last year as well, I know I spent numerous posts babbling about the immense expectations and potential for "Voyage", and Kylie and who-ha, and it completely fell through. It was absolutely horrible, and we're still recovering from its disastrous aftermath (Kylie's floating about like stardust, remember?), but hopefully this brand new story will make us forget all that and concentrate on the exciting tale of Doc verus Doc, and the obvious cockfights to emerge between them. Anyone who's seen "Blackpool" will know what I mean, and what this might turn into. I have to admit: I half expected them both to start singing, during that short clip, and so I wonder what it will be like with an entire episode. For what it's worth: as a mild compensation for the lack of dearly beloved cast members and the prospect of severe changes to take effect, later on; all we'll want for Christmas 2008 is David Tennant, David Morrissey, loads of Cybermen and Victorian stylishness. And, from the look of things, that's exactly what we're getting. Do I dare give that a cheer - already? You be the judge:

In other news: as a short summary of recent conspicuousness - Scarlett Johansson and Michael Caine will lead this year's Nobel Peace Prize Concert, which means Scarlett's coming to Norway, which means I am a happy person (and I know this is old news, just had to mention it). Gedeon Burkhard will star in the new Tarantino flick (!!), or at least the imdb say so; his character is allegedly called Wilhelm Wicki and I hope he gets a lot of lines, a lot of screen time and a fierce face-off with Brad Pitt. Can't wait! Sienna Miller, on her side, has been screwing around so much, she's screwed up her career as well, and quite irrepairably so, for which I am slightly sorry since she was very very great in "Interview" and has showed some arguable talent on multiple other occasions after that. Pity. Hope she gets it sorted out, some day. On a less supportive note, Simon Cowell apparently likes his own reflection more than any of his girlfriends, and - after breaking up with whoever it was he was with - that is what he's stuck with now. Being single and a bastard can't be easy; I hope he doesn't get too bored too soon. Do I like Simon Cowell? No. Do I like Simon Cowell's productions? No. Do I like the fact that he's a very lonely and pathetic man in addition to being outedged by Strictly Come Dancing in terms of awards/viewers? Yes, I do. I do, I do, I do. What else, Amy Winehouse's on the binge again; and a very sorry sight too, while she's at it; as distinct from Britney Spears who's back onstage again, and looks "better than ever", duetting with Madonna and avoiding Justin Timberlake. Hurray. I would've been happier to see Amy up there, though, and I wish her a safe recovery and a happy return; she's so talented she deserves it, truly, but right now it looks somewhat bleak. Actually, the whole celebrity world is rather bleak and depressing. They all stumble around, and mess up badly; lose themselves to various intoxicants, or scandals, make a fool out of themselves; there's very little light at the end of the tunnel - and very few promises to grab hold of. There's the occasional Doctor and Comedienne Queen, of course, but apart from those rare, admirable individuals; nothing much to write home about. Here, on the other hand, I write whatever I feel like, and embrace freely the garbage literature that is cheap papers and gossip news. Guilty pleasures, me like, me seek out, never ceases. Can't help it and it's kind of fun. So, finally, Craig the Clown; the one and only; still hasn't learnt to keep his mouth shut (when interviewed) about stuff that is more or less remotely in connection with the topic of James Bond. Consequently, I had the dubious, involuntary pleasure of encountering these following statements as quoted in the ever-so-reliable Daily Mail - that Mr. Craig believes Prince Harry to be the perfect successor to his role as Bond, because he's "suave but unpredictable" (as it were), and very classy (wherever he got that from), whereas Prince Harry himself - who, obviously, isn't very talented when it comes to Q&A's either - thinks Sean Connery is the best Bond, in any case, and doesn't even acknowledge the performance of his new big fan. Sad truth, Craig. Cope with it. And, my god, what is the matter with that man - can't he just be quiet? James Bond is not gay, he's not a girl, he's not royal, he's not any of the other things mentioned previously - and he most certainly does not beat people to pulp whilst bellowing down whisky, forgetting to introduce himself properly, and frequently dejecting pretty women as he goes along. Or wait, hang on. He just did. All of the latter. In one film. And who said Bond wasn't dead? Mind you, I liked "Quantum" and I love "Casino", and I adore Craig's acting skills, but as a Mister Bond, that blonde clown's completely unsuited and the films aren't in any way similar to what Bond films should be like. Which upsets me. As you probably can tell. And, what more, I have to dread every next article or featurette about the leading man, because he doesn't know how to reply at all, and he keeps blurting out this nonsense that makes me increasingly anxious about the future sequels and the role in general. Or maybe the journalists just quote him incorrectly, on purpose. Maybe he actually didn't say anything silly whatsoever, what do I know. But, where would the fun be in harassing and criticizing, if one didn't base it on rumours, solely, and trusted the Tabloids on one's life; if not, we might just as well close down all blogger services first thing. We're made for speculation! And we sure know to indulge in it! Untrue, dead-true, half-true, no matter; Blogging is not about publishing or being particularly relevant, politically correct, protective of certain interests. It's about speaking one's mind, in an articulate sense, and keeping it in the open. Being deliberate about it, being sincere. But no censorship, please. My apologies if anyone feels offended - and, dear Craig, I'll forgive you next time you smile. Crack a joke, drink Martini, drive your Aston Martin carefully - or take your shirt off. Just so you know. Your choice, just get to it will you?