The Dracula of the original novel is very different to the suave, sophisticated picture most will have in their heads: ancient, white haired, and mono-browed, with hairy palms and blood-soaked breath, whose magnetism is less to do with seduction than compulsion: a literal medieval monster transplanted into the (then) modern world. Interestingly, Stoker’s Count could also roam about in daylight with no problem. The first ‘unofficial’ Dracula film, Nosferatu (1922), and Universal’s Dracula (1931) (itself an adaptation of the West End stage adaptation, complete with that play’s leading man: a certain Bela Lugosi) opened the floodgates for more adaptations across film and TV, books, comics and even video games, to the point where Dracula (and vampires in general) has become woven into the fabric of popular culture and, at the same time, a huge stew pot of different tropes.

And it was this stew pot, in part, that inspired Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss – creators of BBC’s Sherlock and, between them, several episodes of Doctor Who – to write their own Dracula adaptation. Stating in an interview for the ‘Obsessed with’ podcast for BBC Sounds, they didn’t want to do it unless they could bring something new to it, before coming up with the angle of interrogating the tropes themselves: Dracula cannot withstand sunlight; he must be invited in; he cannot stand the sight of the cross; he casts no reflection. We know and have decided these to be the case. But why?

Like Sherlock, Dracula (2020) is split into three ninety minute episodes or three different Dracula movies, if you will, for, as Moffat himself said, Dracula needs “movie-sized ideas.” Be warned: expect gore (while not overdoing it, this is most definitely horror Dracula; even the opening theme is slightly queasy, with its fixation on flies and viscera and all awash in red), zingy one liners, meta references (this is a Moffat and Gatiss creation after all) and, of course, twists…

Episode 1: ‘The Rules of the Beast’ (Bang for your buck)

Episode 1 is your classic gothic Dracula. We’re introduced to our main players: Jonathan Harker (John Heffernan), Sister Agnes (Dolly Wells), and Count Dracula himself (Claes Bang). Stands to reason that any Dracula adaptation will stand and fall on its Dracula, and Danish actor Claes Bang does not disappoint – he is brilliant in the role, and not just because he looks like Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee stepped into a teleporter and got fused together. This Dracula is the hero of his own narrative, and the way Bang plays him is, as described by Moffat, “power as presumption” – he knows he can squash people like bugs and so doesn’t need to take them seriously. He’s affable, charming, and funny to the point it’s often a genuine shock when he reminds you he’s a killer. He’ll have a stimulating conversation with you first but he will kill you.

The story seems to proceed as per the beginning of the novel – Jonathan Harker “trapped in the scariest castle with the scariest man.” This is appropriate considering that one of the places exterior filming took place was Orava Castle in Slovakia – the place where much of Nosferatu was shot – and interiors at Bray Studios in Berkshire – the home of Hammer Horror. But will everything proceed as you expect? Watch out for a cheeky Sherlock reference, and a scene involving a wolf that must be the most technically impressive and horrific (in a good way) thing shown on TV in recent years.

Episode 2: ‘Blood Vessel’ (Alien on a boat)

Dracula at Sea. The voyage of the Demeter in the original novel was only four pages, a ship’s log detailing a crew being stalked and picked off one by one by something horrific, and, according to Gates, “the best idea Stoker didn’t do anything with.” So instead of spending the entirety of the journey in a box, Dracula walks amongst them from the start, turning proceedings into Alien meets Agatha Christie. Or, perhaps more accurately, Alien meets Columbo.

The episode cleverly plays with time, playing back and forth between a battle of wits between Dracula and Agatha, with him recounting events in a way that seems to infer they’ve already happened, and the events themselves, before an ingenious revelation brings them all together. It also showcases the angle Moffat and Gatiss have taken with regard to Dracula’s feeding, that, in this interpretation, “blood is lives”, so by feeding on a person, he has access to their knowledge; skills; memories; their lives, peeling away another layer as it becomes apparent that he chooses his victims with great consideration. The passengers are a gaggle of great performances (including Sacha Dhawan, seen most recently seen in Doctor Who), and the tension builds to almost unbearable levels, before ending on a cliff-hanger that left people up and down the country screaming ‘what the actual f***k?!’Look out for references to a creepy, kooky family and a certain BBC2 anthology series.

Episode 3: ‘The Dark Compass’

The finale is extremely difficult to talk about without spoiling the ending of episode 2. So all I will say is that Dracula does indeed make it to the new world, as he promised, people will die, a legacy is revealed, and a confrontation finally comes to a head. This is the episode where Moffat and Gatiss really examine, interrogate, and pick apart the Dracula tropes, having previously dropped little clues throughout, concluding with an ending that is unexpectedly poignant (with a really powerful performance from Bang and Wells) but proved divisive. This is understandable (and if you already have problems with their storytelling style anyway, then this is unlikely to convert you) but even if you feel that the ending is perhaps the weakest part, it in no way lessens what has come before it.

Like all adaptations, events have been compressed and characters have been cut for time (the original story, for instance, has “too many fiancés” as Gatiss puts it) but the core of the story is still there, providing something new for aficionados (Moffat and Gatiss clearly know their Dracula history and lore; if you want another Easter egg hunt: try and spot all the portraits of previous Draculas’ that crop up throughout ) and newcomers alike, making Dracula (2020) a bloody good piece of entertainment (#sorrynotsorry).

BBC’s Dracula is available on DVD, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix.

Have you watched Dracula? Tell us in the comments below!

The post TV Review: BBC’s ‘Dracula’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

His Dark Materials is an adaptation of Philip Pullman’s fantasy trilogy, which is a coming-of-age story with fantasy elements while also criticising society. The series follows the orphan Lyra Belacqua (played by Dafne Keen) who one day discovers that her only living relative Lord Asriel (James McAvoy) is keeping secrets from her. While her uncle is on his way to a mission, the charming but dangerous Marisa Coulter (Ruth Wilson) who is interested in Lyra and takes her with her. The story takes place in an alternate world, with Oxford at the center of the story, where human soul lives outside there bodies in the form of an animal called a daemon.

At San Diego Comic-Con, producer Jane Tranter and screenwriter Jack Thorne were joined by the main cast of the series in Hall H to talk about His Dark Materials.

Tranter said that she felt that it was time to bring this story to TV and judging by how the trailer looks, it was time well spent and a fantastic decision to make.

When asked about the idea of having a daemon, Keen said that “it is like having your conscience in front of you and you are able to talk to yourself, somehow reflecting on your feelings and what you are doing and that in a way it shows the love you have for yourself.”

Wilson and McAvoy agreed with McAvoy adding that “it is a way of seeing how you change, as your daemon cannot change into different animals anymore when you reach puberty so you get a reflection of you and may not be satisfied with the outcome, because everyone can see your soul.”

Keen and Wilson both said they weren’t aware of the books prior to the casting for the series . McAvoy and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who plays Lee Scoresby, turned out to be fans of the books for years with McAvoy saying he’s read the books three times.

Miranda has even a deeper connection to the story because he was buddy reading them when he first met his wife, so it is part of them falling in love. He says that this is the reason why he is so excited to be a part of the show and enjoyed every minute of shooting. He remembers that when a crew member asked him if he needs a long holiday, he replied with “being a cowboy who flies a balloon and fights in bars was the holiday”. You can also expect to hear him sing in a duet with his daemon, which was the first scene he had to film.

As we know Lyra is making a journey from being a rebellious child to fighting for others and Coulter showing her darkest side, but we will also see a ruthless Lord Asriel who will not stop at any cost to fight for the freedom for everyone and leaves the audience to wonder: is he one of the good or bad guys?

Tranter points out that the novels are a lot about religion, but they do not attack any kind of religion or beliefs. This was not what Pullman had in mind and it is more that they are attacking a particular form of control and say that it is better to have a conversation when all the facts are on the table and not talking when one party is withholding information and leaving people in the dark.

Thorne added that “we should focus on the goodness and that there is something beautiful in how Pullman sees the world.”

One of the last fan questions, of which Miranda gets asked the most, was what they think their daemon would be in real life. Tranter thinks hers is a wolf, while Thorne sees a woodpecker next to him. Keen imagines a tropical monkey and Wilson thinks hers would be a cat, but Thorne thinks it would be a Sphinx. A pizza rat is how Miranda thinks of his daemon and McAvoy would love to see a sea otter by his side!

While we wait for Season 1 to finally air, the cast will come together again to shoot Season 2 this summer which will be eight episodes.

Check out the trailer and tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

The post His Dark Materials: Full Trailer Released At Comic-Con appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Young Merlin is far from ordinary. Possessing the power of magic, Merlin longs for someone to teach him how to hone his skills and give him purpose. Arriving in Camelot, the young Sorcerer learns that his destiny is much greater than he could have perceived: to protect the Prince, Arthur Pendragon, so that he can – one day – become the King of Camelot and unite the lands. However, Merlin must be careful as both friend and foe alike pose threat and he must protect Arthur whilst also hiding the fact that he has magic – for in Camelot magic is outlawed and being exposed could just mean that Merlin is put to death…

If, after reading that, you are still uncertain as to whether or not you should put aside some of your time and dedicate it to watching (or rewatching) the show, then here are a few reasons as to why that is exactly what you should do!

Complete Series

Having aired from 2008-2012, Merlin is a completed series, which can be watched at the viewer’s own leisure. No need to suffer through hiatus, it is the perfect opportunity for you to binge-watch the entire show at the click of a button! What’s even better is that this fantasy-adventure series is packed with five epic seasons filled with magical action which all the family can enjoy.

Story Arc

One aspect of the show which makes it exciting to watch is that the action is spread evenly throughout each of the five seasons, meaning that there is no season which feels less important than the others. Each season, whilst action packed, is not too overwhelming in terms of the events which occur and each one—in fact each episode—will undoubtedly leave the viewer craving more.

Theme

Now, much like the issue some have with the Harry Potter series, some of you may be thinking that you won’t find Merlin enjoyable because what with all that magic and those mythical creatures… it’s just ‘completely unrealistic’ and a waste of time, right? Wrong! The story features some very significant and prominent themes which do in fact feature in the reality of our everyday lives. From friendship to betrayal, the exploration of life and death, Merlin is a show which takes these concepts and holds the potential to teach the viewers about them within a fictional setting.

Why not allow your children to understand the values of friendship by watching the bond between Merlin and Arthur grow throughout the course of the show? Allow Morgana to show you what it means to be independent and brave enough to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. More importantly, allow the show to assist you in believing that it is always okay to be your true self!

Relationships

This alone is a reason in itself as to why you should watch Merlin. If not for the individual characters and their own storylines and impressive development, the way in which they interact with the other characters made for compelling watch. From the humour-filled bromance between Arthur and Merlin, the strange bond between Morgana and Mordred, and the tragic love story of Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere, the relationships of the characters allows for the fans to dive into the shipping realm of the fandom just as any other good drama does. These relationships, with the additional bonus of many others, not only proves to be entertaining drama, but in fact goes to show how people can enter our lives for a mere moment yet hold influence over us in a much greater way and how some relationships are just meant to be.

To conclude, those are only a few of the reasons in existence as to why you should watch Merlin. So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and enjoy the five season series filled with warlocks, witches, all kinds of magical creatures, knights in shining armour, and a story which “will live long in the hearts of men”.

Have you watched Merlin? Tell us in the comments below!

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Bodyguard, created by Line of Duty writer Joe Mercurio, is undeniably delicious. Just about as plausible as landing a dinner date with its handsome lead male actor Richard Madden, the series may not serve up the sort of realism that viewers had hoped would be on the menu. Flawed, but not fatally so, it is a guilty pleasure of sorts, and a strong start leads to a hurried but not completely disappointing finish. Once you come to accept what Bodyguard doesn’t offer, it becomes much easier to enjoy the show for what it is – a highly compelling and exhilarating feast for the mind. Once you’re invested in the characters, the slightly disjointed first and second halves won’t bother you. Save this one for the weekend and binge on the lot with a huge pile of your favourite snacks.

In Bodyguard, Madden – probably known best for his role as the honourable but politically inept Rob Stark in Game of Thrones – plays the hawk-eyed David Budd, a British Army war veteran plagued by PTSD. The six-part series kicks off with a (somewhat too) lengthy, on-the-edge-of-your-seat opening scene. Budd persuades a reluctant female suicide bomber to abandon her plan to take out a London-bound train, on which he and his children are travelling from Scotland. This leaves the audience sweaty-palmed and desperate to know what comes next. And the first half of the series doesn’t disappoint.

On the authority of his superiors, the sullen Scotsman is a “credit to the branch” – that is, the Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch of London’s Metropolitan Police Service. In an ill-fated promotion, he’s assigned to guard the ruthlessly pragmatic Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), whose approach to politics arouses his suspicion. By day, he carries out his duties with a cool professionalism. By night, he grapples with his post-Afghanistan demons, drinks heavily, and badgers his stony, estranged wife.

Montague – with her cut-glass accent and unscrupulous nature, on top of her polished, attractive appearance – would possibly be better placed as a Machiavellian villain in a Shakespeare play than as the country’s Home Secretary. Yet, it’s these qualities that make her quite so irresistible. And we’re not the only ones hypnotised by her charm. Budd, at first repelled by Montague’s haughty dismissiveness, shifts his outlook when she pulls some strings to his benefit. Looking past her power, he’s seduced by the vulnerability revealed when she drops her armour in the wake of an assassination attempt. Sadly, the onscreen passion that follows is just as convincing as the rest of the plot and left me on the cooler side of hot under the collar.

As a sidebar, has anyone else noticed that Keeley Hawes looks like an older Claire Foy? It would be surprising if she hadn’t been considered over Olivia Coleman to play the Queen in season 3 of The Crown given the likeness.

Anyhow, as the story moves forward, Budd is ordered to covertly observe Montague by Anne Sampson, Head of the Counter Terrorism Command. Played by an erroneously cast Gina McKee, tepid Sampson displays all the character of a walnut in a pantsuit.

Viewers are unsure whether Budd chooses to continue his affair with Montague because he’s been tasked with spying on her or due to his inappropriate attraction to her. For a while, he ignores damning information about her knowledge of a likely terrorist attack on the school his children attend and seems convinced by the flimsy justification she eventually offers. As a character, Budd is a little blank at points, making him nearly impossible to read. Yet, this could be explained away by the whole tortured soul thing he has going on. True or not, the case isn’t helped by some pretty unrefined dialogue.

What happens next in the tale renders Budd’s intentions with Montague irrelevant, as a silly and intricate series of events unfold before our very eyes. While there were hints as to the convoluted nature of the series across episodes one to three, episodes four to six descend into real obscurity. While the believability of Bodyguard becomes a non-issue once it’s overlooked, it is truly impossible to ignore the fact that the second half appears to have been written by somebody else altogether. This lack of consistency is one of two things that manage to hamstring the show to any degree, the other being the absence of something else after the first half – but you can find out what that is yourself.

Yes, much of what the audience is treated to as the Bodyguard hurtles towards the finish line is so far-fetched that it defies even the most basic level of belief. And sure, my 2-year-old niece may have been able to pen a more persuasive conclusion with her crayons. However, there’s a full-circle element to the ending that goes some way in making up for all of this and lends to the show’s overall enjoyability. In the words of Aristotle, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” This couldn’t be truer in relation to this series. Block out all objective criteria of judgement and allow yourself to be consumed by Bodyguard in all its ridiculous glory.

Have you watched Bodyguard? Will you be watching it? Tell us in the comments below!

The post ‘Bodyguard’: A Complex, Absurd Guilty Pleasure appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The series brought together an unconventional cast: performance poet Craig Charles as David Lister; impressionist Chris Barrie as Arnord Rimmer, the hologram ghost of Lister’s uptight dead bunkmate; dancer Danny John-Jules as the lifeform evolved from Lister’s cat; and stand-up comedian Norman Lovett as Holly, the ships senile computer. The first series was not exactly a critic or ratings hit, but everyone loves an underdog, particularly us Brits. A second series had already been picked up, and Grant and Naylor decided to dispense with the sword of Damocles that had been hanging over their heads during the first series—”don’t make it too science fiction-y”—and the result was a ratings success.

Series 3 said goodbye to Norman Lovett, but hello to a cool new look and two new cast members: Robert Llewellyn as neurotic mechnoid Kryten and Hattie Hayride as the new Holly. Red Dwarf continued on for eight series at the BBC before the attempt to get financial backing for a film left the show in limbo.

But you can never keep a good cult hit down for long because in 2009, UKTV channel Dave, where the show had found a home for repeats, commissioned a brand new three-part special: Back To Earth. Some may have had a few problems with its rather meta storyline and less than subtle references to Blade Runner, but the fact that it achieved record-breaking figures for a show commissioned by a digital channel prpved that there was still an appetite for more Red Dwarf—even though the fans had known this for ages, it was proved to the TV execs. Three more series on Dave followed with series 12 finishing last year, and a 13th looking likely with the possibility of a Red Dwarf stage show.

Now, with a show consisting of 73 episodes, some will obviously be better than others, and everyone will have their own favourites, so let’s bring this particular fan’s personal favourite episodes to you!

SERIES I: Episode 2 ‘Future Echoes’
February 22nd 1988 (BBC 2)

With all the setting up it has to do, the first series of any show is never its strongest, but ‘Future Echoes’ is definitely the best of Series I, and the fact that it’s also one of the episodes with the most overt science fiction themes may or may not be a coincidence. After the ship breaks the speed of light, and time begins to dilate, the crew experience visions of their future. Unfortunately for Lister, this its being blown to bits in a huge explosion. Stand out moments include a bizarre conversation between Lister and Rimmer that’s reminiscent of the Two Ronnies ‘Crossed Lines’ sketch, which is hilarious, but also showcasing how clever the writing can be.

SERIES II: Episode 5 ‘Queeg’
October 4th 1988 (BBC 2)

Holly has been replaced and the ship’s backup computer is now in charge. Meet Queeg 500 (played by American actor, dancer and choreographer Charles Augins). At first, the crew are delighted to have a computer that isn’t senile running the show, but delight turns to dismay when Queeg turns out to be a bit of a drill-sergeant-nasty. Maybe things weren’t so bad with Holly in charge after all? ‘Queeg’ narrowly beats series finale ‘Parallel Universe’ to the post for two reasons. Firstly, Augins’s performance as Queeg, which is both genuinely funny and intimidating. Secondly, the ending: it is the perfect punchline to a beautifully told joke, and works so organically, you won’t believe that Grant & Naylor came up with it at the last-minute because they couldn’t think how to end how to end the episode. Oh, and any day Chris Barrie gets to show off his impressionist’s chops is a good one.

SERIES III: Episode 3 ‘Polymorph’
November 28th 1989 (BBC 2)

‘Polymorph’ is a huge fan favourite and with good reason. Things get freaky aboard the Red Dwarf when a psychotic, genetically engineered shape-changing mutant infiltrates the ship, draining the crew of their most important emotions. Containing some of the best and most often quoted lines of the entire show, it’s also a clever and hilarious character deconstruction. Plus: the shrinking boxers scene. That laugh had to be edited down.

SERIES IV: Episode 2 ‘DNA’
February 21st 1991 (BBC 2)

The crew come across an abandoned ship containing a transmogrifier, a machine that can turn a living thing into any other living thing by rewriting its DNA. Hijinks ensue as the boys mess with something they don’t understand, turning Kryten into a human (meaning we get to see Robert Llewellyn’s brilliant rubber-faced expressions beneath the Kryten mask for the first time) and Lister’s curry into a very angry monster. Yes, you heard that right. Like the Spanish Inquisition, nobody expects to be chased around a spaceship by a “psychopathic curry-man.”

SERIES V: Episode 4 ‘Quarantine’
March 12th 1992 (BBC 2)

Series V could definitely be said to be Rimmer’s series—well it’s true: “everybody loves a b*****d”, particularly if he’s played by Chris Barrie. Not only does he get some great moments, but he also gets some great episodes where he’s the focus so picking my favourite episode of this series was a really tough one, but, in the end, I’ve gone for ‘Quarantine.’ After the Lister, Kryten and the Cat investigate an abandoned viral research centre and encounter Dr Langstrom, a researcher infected by the holo-virus. On their return, Rimmer puts them in quarantine, but who’s keeping an eye on Rimmer? Only Chris Barrie could make a pantomime dame get-up of red gingham dress and pigtails genuinely creepy as well as hilarious. And, of course, we can’t overlook the introduction of fan favourite Mr Flibble, the penguin puppet who’s as evil as he is cute. And Mr Flibble’s very cute. Don’t make him cross!

SERIES VI: Episode 3 ‘Gunmen of the Apocalypse’
October 21st 1993 (BBC 2)

The episode that won an Emmy! After Kryten contracts a deadly computer virus, Lister and co. are forced to use the virtual reality game machine to enter his electronic mindscape to help him fight it. Cue a trip to the wild, Wild West, where the boys must help Sheriff Kryten face off against the gang of bandits known as the Apocalypse Boys. Yee Ha!

SERIES VII: Episode 1 ‘Tikka To Ride’
January 17th 1997 (BBC 2)

Returning after a long hiatus, series VII doesn’t always get quite as much love as it should and it certainly didn’t at the time. This may be due to the fact it was a little too much change all at once: a new and slick film style courtesy of different filming techniques and the loss of a studio audience. From the perspective of the viewers watching it at home, it’s a loss that could be debatable as the show had got increasingly ambitious with more scenes that were filmed on location or included special effects that necessitated the removal of audience seating. More and more of it had to be screened for the studio audience so their reactions could be recorded so you could argue that series VII just took this to its logical conclusion. The temporary bowing-out of a beloved character, Chris Barrie’s Rimmer, and the introduction of Chloe Annett’s alternate universe version of Lister’s long-lost love interest Kristine Kochanski, which brought an entirely new dynamic, plus the surprise return of Norman Lovett as the original Holly. There was the move away from models and miniatures to CG and the change-up in the writing staff after Rob Grant left the show. But despite all that, series opener ‘Tikka to Ride’ is classic Red Dwarf. Lister’s worst nightmare has come to fruition: the curry supplies have been destroyed. Unable to face life without his beloved Indian cuisine, he takes the crew back in time to rectify it. Only to end up in Dallas 1963, where they interrupt a certain assassination attempt. A JFK conspiracy you’d never entertained the thought of before. And all for a vindaloo.

SERIES VIII: Episode 6 ‘Pete’ Part 1
March 25th 1999

Series VIII changed things up yet again, bringing back not only the studio audience, but the Original Red Dwarf crew and a new look for the ship itself. The first part of ‘Pete’ has some great gags, including a prison basketball game Lister & Rimmer skew in their favour by spiking the guards team’s refreshments with a ‘virility drug’ aptly named ‘Boing’. But it’s the cliff-hanger ending that earns it the place on this list, where poor Pete the sparrow is accidentally turned into Pete the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

BACK TO EARTH: Episode 3 ‘Part 3’
April 12th 2009 (Dave)

A three-part story that is technically series IX, or at least, the closest to a series IX we’re going to get. Set nine years after series VIII that, in true Red Dwarf fashion, does nothing to resolve the cliffhanger from the previous series ended on, Lister is stuck in a rut and mourning the loss of Kochanski. After an encounter with a leviathan in the water tank, the hologram of former science officer Katerina Bartokovsky (played with wonderful smugness by Sophie Winkleman) claims to be able to use its dimension-hopping capabilities to send Lister back home to Earth. Sure enough, she manages to send the gang back to Earth in 2009…where Red Dwarf is a TV show?! Part 3 includes the TV crossover you never knew you wanted, when the gang arrive on the set of Coronation Street and meet a certain actor by the name of Craig Charles. And ‘Carbug’ will make you want a smart car.

SERIES X: Episode 3 ‘Lemons’
October 18th 2012 (Dave)

The crew go back in time and meet Jesus. Enough said.

SERIES XI: Episode 1 ‘Twentica’
September 22nd 2016 (Dave)

After an encounter with the malicious race of cyborg simulants known as Exponoids, the gang are thrust back in time to an alternate America, where it was technology that was the victim of Prohibition rather than booze. A great twist on the 1920s aesthetics and tropes, including speakeasies for scientists, some clever science-based jokes and an affectionate send-up of the Borg from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

SERIES XII: Episode 3 ‘Timewave’
October 26th 2017 (Dave)

When a timewave maroons a ship from the 23rd century, the gang go aboard to warn the crew of the ship’s impending collision with a gas planet and discover Rimmer’s worst nightmare: a place where criticism is illegal. I seem to be in the minority of those who love this episode, which is a sharp look at our current obsession with criticism: giving it and being unable to take it. Many moments are like the arguments you see in an internet comment section come to life (only funny). Plus, if you don’t find Johnny Vegas in a pink policeman’s uniform or Rimmer almost giving himself an aneurysm trying not to criticise anything, at least worth a chuckle, then, I’m sorry, I think your sense of humour needs resuscitating.

And so there you have it, my personal favourite episodes of each series of Red Dwarf. Agree? Disagree? Which episodes are your favourites? If you’ve never seen the show before, then why not take this as the opportunity to dive into a cult sci-fi classic.

Tell us in the comments below what some of your favourite Red Dwarf episodes are!

The post The Best Episode From Each Series of ‘Red Dwarf’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

It would seem that a lot of the old formulae are being thrown out to make room for a fresh new take on the 55-year-old show. Not even Moffat’s takeover from Russell T. Davies in 2010 was as ambitious as Chibnall’s apparent vision for series 11. Hopefully by connecting the few dots we have we can imagine the big picture of what this will look like.

New Doctor

Around this time four years ago when we were all waiting in anticipation for Peter Capaldi’s premiere, Moffat had promised us a Doctor who was “a little darker, a little less user-friendly” than what we were used to. But right now, we know next to nothing about what kind of Doctor Jodie Whittaker will turn out to be.

So what do we have to go off? Well to start with, there is the final two minutes of Twice Upon a Time that Thirteen very briefly appears in. You wouldn’t be alone in seeing a bit of David Tennant in her cheesy grin. That’s not all though, because her one line, “Oh brilliant”, was a favourite catchphrase of the Tenth Doctor.

So what does this foreshadow? Perhaps we’re in for a bit of a more light-hearted, charming Doctor than the one Capaldi gave us. Her colourful, bohemian costume seems to imply this a little as well. But until we get further interviews with more info, this is unfortunately all we have to draw from.

New Showrunner

Chris Chibnall’s previous Doctor Who stories haven’t been terrible, but none of them have ever really been remembered as classics. But before harshly judging his writing, it is important to remember that running the entire show is very different to writing a single episode. And for this reason, we can probably get a better understanding of what Doctor Who will look like in his era by looking at other shows he’s ran in the past—namely Broadchurch.

Broadchurch has undoubtedly become a British classic in recent years, with pretty much every single production element of it being near flawless. Chibnall’s crafting of a story arc is masterful in the series, as he tends to focus more on the big picture rather than creating standalone episodes.

He has also made the choice to produce fewer episodes per series, but with longer running times for each of them. Along with the choice to use anamorphic lenses for the first time in the show’s history, it appears that Chibnall is making Doctor Who a much more cinematic experience than it has been in the past.

But finally, what can we actually expect from Chibnall’s stories? His previous work on Doctor Who has often explored family relationships, such as when he brought Rory’s dad into the TARDIS for a couple of episodes. Broadchurch took a darker spin on that, as we watched the relationships break down within a small town of close-knit friends. This is Chibnall’s strength, so hopefully this is what he plays to. And judging off the casting of the new companions, it looks like that is exactly what he is going for.

New Companions

We have had large TARDIS crews before, but usually the of most storylines has rested on a central female character who develops some kind of relationship with the Doctor. This time round the emphasis is not on the new female companion, but rather on all three new companions in equal parts.

Bradley Walsh, comedian and television host, is the biggest name to join the cast. Playing the character of Graham, he is expected to bring some humour to the show in a similar way Catherine Tate made her own mark as the hilariously sarcastic Donna.

Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill, playing Ryan and Yasmin respectively, are also lined up to join the new TARDIS team. And with that trio, we have a completely new TARDIS team with an entirely different dynamic to anything we have had since 2005.

Having a more crowded TARDIS might also contribute to the family themes that Chibnall likes to explore so much. Not that these characters are going to be blood relatives, but the bond that will form between them while travelling the universe may potentially explore the way they fill in the gaps in each others lives in ways their families couldn’t.

So how’s it looking overall?

This new era of Doctor Who is looking like it will be the biggest shift in dynamic since its 2005 revival. We may be taking a step back from the classic Moffat-y plot twists and confusing time travel devices, and instead spending more time on character relationships like we saw in the RTD era.

One thing is absolutely certain though—Chris Chibnall’s unfaltering confidence in the face of internet backlash shows that he really does have the guts to run a fandom that is endlessly critical but ever-growing.

Are you excited for the new series? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

The post What Can We Expect From Doctor Who Series 11? appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Since we had already seen the climax to the Twelfth Doctor’s story in the explosive series 10 finale, ‘Twice Upon a Time’ is intended to be more of an epilogue than a loud, dramatic farewell. As such, this allows room for a nuanced, character-driven piece that focuses on the Doctor’s journey to this point in time. This truly was Peter Capaldi’s episode to shine, but before getting to the main event it is important to dwell on the aspects of the episode that deserve to be acclaimed and discussed in their own right.

‘Twice Upon a Time’ is an episode of farewells for many, but one departing Doctor Who stalwart who has seemed to pass under the radar is Mark Gatiss. As a writer and actor on Doctor Who for many years, it seems fitting that he is immortalised in this episode as the grandfather of Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. He demonstrates the calm sensibility typical of his family, and although he serves little purpose other than to set the narrative in motion, he proves to be a likeable albeit temporary addition to the TARDIS team.

As always, David Bradley is an absolute pleasure to watch onscreen, and here he is as faithful as ever to William Hartnell’s original incarnation of the Doctor. The voice, the minor mannerisms, all of it is present here in Bradley’s own interpretation of the First Doctor. Together with the Twelfth Doctor, the two incarnations represent the journey that the show and society have gone through over fifty years.

As they are investigating the episode’s central mystery, the Twelfth Doctor’s obsession with his sonic screwdriver leads to him missing key information that the First Doctor picks up on by simply looking at the alien life form. While this thinly veiled commentary on society’s obsession with technology serves a few laughs, not all jokes in this episode hit the mark.

Some of the First Doctor’s misogynistic remarks are played up for comedy and attempt to highlight the disparity between the two incarnations’ social awareness. Unfortunately these jokes tend to fall flat, as this brand of humour feels untrue to the First Doctor’s character.

Still, these issues are easily forgotten when we get scenes like the one where the First Doctor realises the meaning behind “the Doctor of War”, and his one-on-one with Bill. Another layer of secrecy is peeled back, as we discover that the Doctor left Gallifrey to find what keeps the essence of goodness alive in the universe. He still hasn’t really discovered the answer, but to everyone else the answer is clear. The Doctor, in all his incarnations, inspires people everywhere he goes, and keeps the balance of good against evil.

But of course, the Bill we meet in this episode isn’t the real one. She has the same personality, appearance, and all the same memories, but she is merely a copy created by the mysterious entity, Testimony. As her last official appearance in the show, this was a very risky move. If Testimony had really been a villain, then Bill’s final legacy to the show would have been sullied. From there, the episode could have easily devolved into a simple plotline of good vs. evil, rather than the nuanced character study it turned out to be. So I am incredibly grateful for the decision to use Testimony as a means of character development rather than as an easily forgettable antagonist.

Testimony even provides a nice segue into the Doctor’s regeneration sequence, as he nostalgically reflects on his lost companions. As uncomfortable as it felt not having the “real” Bill with us during the episode, she makes a beautiful point that it isn’t appearances that make up a person, but rather memories. Testimony then takes the form of Nardole who sends his final goodbye to the Doctor, and Clara, who poignantly returns all the Doctor’s lost memories, before evaporating mid-hug. Once again, the Doctor is left alone, his infinite life likened to the battlefield he stands on—one where he is the only one left fighting while his companions perish around him.

Survivor’s guilt weighs heavily on the Doctor, but after seeing how he could inspire his original incarnation to keep living, he too finds hope in his future. In his last moments, he leaves some poignant words of advice for his future self, underscored by the same piece of music from ‘Heaven Sent’ that saw the Doctor dying and being reborn in an endless loop for billions of years. The parallels are clear—this is a man who will keep living and dying for eternity, and yet whose relationships are only fleeting.

And in another parallel, this time to Ten’s final words “I don’t want to go”, the Doctor shows how far he has come. He is no longer hanging onto the past. He is ready to embrace the future.

“Doctor, I let you go.”

A bright explosion of regeneration energy bursts forth from each limb, and within a few seconds the Twelfth Doctor is replaced by a distinctly younger, female incarnation—the much-anticipated Jodie Whittaker.

Her first moments are genuinely exciting. After a few seconds of shock, the Thirteenth Doctor’s face breaks into a Tennant-esque grin, and in a Northern accent delivers two words that will keep a fandom theorising for eight more months:

“Oh brilliant!”

Then in a true Doctor Who post-regeneration cliffhanger, we leave our new Doctor falling from a malfunctioning TARDIS.

All in all, ‘Twice Upon a Time’ didn’t deliver what we were expecting, but it certainly delivered what we needed: the perfect swansong for the Twelfth Doctor. It evoked some unexpected nostalgic callbacks to previous episodes, such as the return of Rusty the “good” Dalek, while tying up the Doctor’s own emotional character arc. While it was light on Christmas themes, touching on the World War I Christmas truce was a spirited and feel-good moment of Christmas cheer that also doubled as a plot device.

‘Twice Upon a Time’ packs an emotional punch in one of the few Moffat episodes that doesn’t rely on time-travelling plot twists or nonsensical scientific ideas. It farewells the past, and in its final few minutes it sets up an exciting future for Doctor Who that promises to shake up the formula we are used to.

What did you think of the episode? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Doctor Who Christmas Special: ‘Twice Upon a Time’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

For the sake of being concise, I will only be covering the Doctor’s regenerations from the modern era of Doctor Who. While there is evidence for this theory in the classic series and in other Time Lord regenerations (such as the Master’s), I will be making 2005 onward my focus.

8^th to War

The Eighth Doctor was the first to kiss a companion, and he revealed a much lighter, more romantic side to time travel. This was one of his most attractive qualities, but it also ended up being his greatest flaw, as he found himself unable to face the grim reality of the Time War.

In ‘The Night of the Doctor’ mini-episode we saw him come to terms with the role he must play in Gallifrey’s future. So with the use of an Elixir that allowed him full control over his regeneration, the Doctor chose to stop being a healer and start being a warrior. He became a tougher, less forgiving man, who was gradually worn down into the self-loathing character we saw in ‘The Day of the Doctor’.

This is the only time we have ever seen the Doctor choose his next body with full autonomy. One branch of this theory states that the Elixir the Doctor drank had a lasting impact on his future regenerations – but this theory could take up another article on its own.

War to 9

Even though we didn’t manage to get Christopher Eccleston back for the 50^th anniversary, we still saw the War Doctor in his final days turn from an embittered, hardened warrior back into a lively, joyful man with hope for the future.

This may have been the War Doctor’s subconscious intention for his successor – a younger, more invigorated Doctor with a renewed purpose. But unfortunately the Doctor’s overlapping time streams meant he could not retain any of these positive memories. So while the regeneration still produced a young man with a refreshing energy and passion, he was also full of hatred, anger, and self-doubt.

The War Doctor did not go out in a blaze of glory, but he didn’t want that anyway. He lived his life burning bright, never resting, and sacrificing his own wellbeing for the sake of the universe. He was more than happy to die of old age – an end that many warriors are not lucky enough to have.

9 to 10

The Ninth Doctor lasted only one series, but in that short time he made his mark on Doctor Who history. A traumatised, hardened veteran of the Time War, his hostility towards the Daleks was like no other Doctor before him. Where other incarnations would quietly seethe and plot their downfall, the Ninth Doctor could not hold back his vitriol.

The presence of Rose in his short life was his therapy. She was the companion who reminded him of the beauty in the universe, and the value of mercy. In his final episode ‘The Parting of the Ways’ he was faced with a character-defining dilemma: destroy the entire Dalek and human races together, or let both live.

Any earlier in Nine’s tenure and he may have chosen the former option, but after meeting Rose his love for humanity was revived. So in his final moments it is very likely that he was thinking it was time to drop this shy, reclusive persona. He had to move on from his past, and to become the man he thought Rose deserved – a good-looking man with charm, wit, and incredibly nice hair.

10 to 11

Saying that the Tenth Doctor’s legacy to Doctor Who was monumental would be an understatement. During David Tennant’s reign, the show was more than a sci-fi show for nerds; it became mainstream viewing across the world. There’s no mystery why – he was funny, charismatic, and his quirks were unique and endearing.

But in his darker moments we saw a moody, vain man with an out-of-control god complex. As the last of the Time Lords, the rules of time were his to command. He surrounded himself with as many companions as possible, all of whom admired him and would continue to boost his ego.

In Ten’s last episode, his big turning point came when he sacrificed his life for Wilf’s, and started to accept that he was not a god – he was simply an alien traveller who had no basis to distinguish right from wrong. He finally realised that there was value in lives other than his own.

But he still wasn’t done running from his past. His old age and guilt was simmering beneath the surface, and he wasn’t ready to let go of his youthful charm yet.

11 to 12

Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor got even younger than his predecessor, becoming childlike in his sense of wonder and outlandish confidence. He no longer saw himself as a god – now he was nothing more than a madman in a box. He was the Doctor who couldn’t sit still, who defeated his enemies with nothing but his reputation, and who could pull off wearing a fez with aplomb. Eleven didn’t have the patience to hang around in one place for too long, because there was always more of the universe to see.

His period of depression after losing Amy and Rory brought out a darker, more stoic side to his character, and he began to mellow out a little. His impatience was still there, but it started to manifest through his intolerance for human error.

Clara put him in his place though, constantly subjecting him to her own incredibly high standards and helping him remember that not even he was faultless. Through Clara he found it in himself to overcome his impatience, and live on Trenzalore for over 1000 years simply to defend a small village from alien threats.

Eleven was also the Doctor who discovered the truth about Gallifrey: that it was never destroyed, and it was instead hiding in a pocket universe somewhere. With this knowledge, this once-hyperactive Doctor learned to accept his age, his past, and the faults of those around him. He had always been trying to hide the old man inside by presenting a youthful exterior, but now it was time to drop this façade.

During his time on Trenzalore he was reminded that each human life is sacred. So during his regeneration into Twelve he subconsciously took the face of Lobus Caecilius, an ancient Roman man whom he saved as a last-minute decision centuries ago in Pompeii. He gave himself this appearance as a reminder that even in times of self-doubt, his number one priority was to save people.

12 to 13?

So we get to our current Doctor, Peter Capaldi. Twelve started off as a grumpy, cynical old man in Series 8, then hit his wild mid-life crisis in Series 9, and this year in Series 10 we saw him settle down somewhere between the two as a university lecturer. He always struggled interacting with humans on an emotional level, failing to be of any comfort to them while they were grieving their loved ones, and at times even manipulating their deaths to his advantage.

Between the two extremes of the antisocial Series 8 Doctor and the reckless Series 9 Doctor, there was a man who was simply trying to do his best for the universe and his friends. He finally managed to capture the essence of this in his most recent episodes, as he attempted to forge a genuine heartfelt connection with Missy. He not only forgave her for misdeeds, but he even admired her a little for being able to overcome her darker temptations.

And perhaps it is this respect for Missy that will play a part in Twelve’s regeneration into Thirteen. He was his own worst enemy many times throughout his run, and it is possible that he is now taking a leaf out of his best friend’s book by subconsciously choosing to become a woman. This change of sex symbolises a completely new path for him, maybe as an attempt to shed his faults and move further away from the person he was.

Capaldi only has one episode left as the Doctor, and anything could happen in those 60 minutes that could affect this theory. There are also so few details about the personality of the Thirteenth Doctor that is difficult to speculate how this segue will take place. But what is fantastic about this theory is that it leaves open so many possibilities for future regenerations, and for as long as Doctor Who lasts we will be able to keep building upon it.

What do you think Whovians? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The post Doctor Who: The Doctor’s Control Over Regeneration appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Imagine being a detective. Imagine being involved in cases that start with the death of your employer. Imagine being absolutely terrible at your job and living your life wherever your life takes you.

Are you thinking you are going to be unemployed? Well, this would be the case for most people, but not for Dirk.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is television series based on the books created and written by Douglas Adam (Goodreads), that will keep you immersed in an absurd and brilliant environment, where great actors such as Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Sin City) and Samuel Barnett (The History Boys, Penny Dreadful) will rock your world.

So what is the show all about? Essentially, imagine if “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Fargo” had a baby through Sci-Fi, the surrogate mother. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is well-rounded; the dialogue is clever and full of significance, the characters are perfectly portrayed and there is great character development for each one of them. The story is so incredibly brilliant and surreal, interesting and complicated, albeit it suddenly becomes very clear. This is an 8 out of 10 series primarily because it will leave you with your mind blown, but not fully satisfied in terms of questions. It also ends with a cliffhanger, which creates a powerful hype for the upcoming second season, but it still leaves with a teased story.

The series opens and we meet Todd, a young man working hard as a bellhop in a hotel. Elijah Wood gives an outstanding performance with his huge and uncanny blue eyes, which are key to the emotional roller-coaster Todd and the viewer face throughout the season. He faces a series of extremely frustrating events the same morning he loses his job; then a landlord destroys his car because of due to late rent; he witnesses an extremely gruesome murder scene; and then lastly, he needs money to visit his sister. This is all just the beginning of an incredibly weird and entertaining series of events that will entertain and even mesmerize you.

We also fall in love with Dirk, the eccentric and “holistic” detective. He believes everything (and nothing) is interconnected in the world. He also has a unique approach to investigations as he believes fate will just help him solve the mysteries that he faces. He is an extremely interesting character, an odd and nice guy, happy and positive yet insecure and lonely. There is a lot of depth in the character and Samuel Barnett does an incredible job in making Dirk such an incredibly multi-faceted character.

There are several story lines we follow, fictionally set in Seattle: Dirk and Todd, the couple that fate (or not?) puts together who try to solve the murder. They are also being aided by Farah, an efficient security officer personally invested in the murder of her boss—the same one that Dirk and Todd are trying to solve—and the kidnap of his boss’ daughter.

Then there’s Bart and Ken. Bart is a “holistic” assassin who kills everyone in her path, except for Ken, who is an unwilling victim who grows attached to Bart. You also have villains, who will make you smile and worry at the very same time. Some of the best dialogue and actions scene in this series come from Bart’s character, who leaves everything to fate and successful in all the kills, aside for one, a cathartic moment for her and Dirk, realizing they made of the same fabric.

Another essential character to the story, especially as a weighting factor in Todd’s decision making process, is Amanda; she is Todd’s sister and is affected by a rare and fictional genetic disease that makes her suffer painful and vivid hallucinations. Not only is she the main reason for Todd’s concerns and character development, but she is also the center of many storylines and her “love affair” with the Rowdy 3 is one of the most uplifting and happy moments of the season.

Another interesting factor and thread of the story is the CIA, carrying out a covert operation aiming at bringing back those people they submitted to a government study. Vagueness is de rigueur because this is one of the major plot lines that is not fully developed during Season 1. The CIA is mostly following Dirk in this season, with both a conscious officer and an irresponsible dimwit soldier; and despite the CIA’s marginal role during the season, it is uncanny the amount of connections created through the CIA’s participation to the story, which plays an outstanding role to the end of Season 1 and, hopefully, continues on into Season 2!

And if all of the above did not convince you just yet, would you be convinced by a cute and seemingly abandoned corgi that is a corner-stone to the whole story and a deadly and innocent black kitten? Because they are both integral part of this season of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.

And if you are not sure just yet, would it help to know that Season 2 is scheduled to hit our TV’s next month? Watch the Season 2 teaser below!

Are you ready for Dirk Gently to rock your world? Have you watched season 1? Do you agree with the comments above? What else has caught your attention? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Need To Watch: Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Jodie Whittaker is best known for her critically acclaimed performance in Broadchurch as Beth Latimer, the grieving mother of deceased schoolboy Danny Latimer. She has also appeared in Series 1, Episode 3 of Black Mirror, “The Entire History of You”.

Whittaker’s Doctor Who debut will take place on Christmas Day in “The Doctors”, which will star Peter Capaldi in his last outing as the Twelfth Doctor alongside David Bradley as the First Doctor. Her first full series will begin in 2018 with Chris Chibnall as the new showrunner, raking over from Steven Moffat.

What do you think of the casting? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Doctor Who: Meet the Thirteenth Doctor! appeared first on The Nerd Daily.