Announcing a new feature

I'm not actually going to do this tonight as initially planned, mostly because it's late and I'm tired and so not ready, and secondarily due to a technical issue. John is having equipment problems that preclude my having everything I need to do this entry properly. Yet.

But here's the plan. Next Friday, SciFi starts airing the fourth series (Season 30) of the revived Doctor Who. ThI'is U.S. cable station is airing the episodes basically four weeks after the BBC does, aside from the Christmas special, which airs next week after a four month wait. I've been avoiding writing too much about Doctor Who, partly in deference to those of you who plan to watch it on SciFi instead of by illicit download, and partly to avoid boring those of you who have no interest in the show. Really, though, I highly recommend it! But I digress. The plan is to write up a preview for each episode here, and then a full review after SciFi airs it.

In ancient Rome (really Pompeii), Latin sounds like Welsh

I hope you don't mind. I've spent the entire day watching Doctor Who, and I'd like to put my mania to good use! But for what it's worth, this does not mean my two Who-posts a week for the next 14 weeks will replace items of more general interest. These will usually be in addition to other entries, but not instead of.

Tonight, though, it's instead of. My head is pretty well empty of non-Who thoughts. Tuffy and Pepper haven't don't anything new and interesting today, and although I have an opinion about the latest Obama flap I don't feel like sharing it. I have a terrible backlog of email to answer, which I'll get to tomorrow (most of it, anyway), I promise. My one friend is still in a mental hospital, and although I spoke with my friend by phone today I don't feel there's much I can say without breaking confidences. Besides, I'm not sure I have an opinion yet on what my friend did to land there, or my friend's state of mind since then. I doubt I'll ever have sufficient facts for an informed opinion.

So let me just tell you very briefly about upcoming Doctor Who episodes and then go to bed:

Voyage of the Damned - guest stars Kylie Minogue, a huge star I'd barely heard of. The Doctor's TARDIS collides with a spaceship replica of the Titanic, and comes aboard to check it out. That's before the shooting, the explosions and the holes in the ship's side. Yes, it's a disaster movie, Doctor Who style.

Partners in Crime - reintroduces Donna Noble from The Runaway Bride. The Doctor and Donna each investigate Adipos Industries, producers of a miraculous and mysterious diet pill. Donna is mostly there looking for the Doctor, though, and eventually finds him.

The Fires of Pompeii - a lighthearted jaunt to ancient Rome turns serious when the Doctor and Donna realize the smoking mountain just outside town is Mt. Vesuvius. Donna wants to save everyone; the Doctor says they can't. It all gets weird very quickly, with soothsayers who really say sooth, and yet don't know about Volcano Day tomorrow. Watch out for those rock monsters!

Going to bed now. More later. Good night!

Karen