This week we throw out our regularly scheduled topic (or rather, shelve it back into the spreadsheet) and talk about BBC Doctor Who prologues! That’s right, the BBC surprised us with some series 9 Capaldi goodness, and we just couldn’t hold back. In addition, we cover some of the other internet-only prologue action the BBC has tossed our way over the years. (Note: If you’re looking for speculation and a frame-by-frame breakdown, you have come to the wrong podcast, my friend.)
Oh yeah, and Erika is over the moon because it’s not called a “prequel”!
How do you feel about it? Let us know in the comments!
^E
Referred-to links:
Chicks Unravel Time
Head Over Feels
Den of Geek
Download or listen now (runtime 37:48)
VerityPodcast.com 
Comments on: "Extra! – Prologue! Prologue! Prologue!" (11)
I saw a prologue at the Series 8 finale screening last night — haven’t seen it on Teh Internets. It featured a castle and meditation. At the cliffhangerish end of it, one member of the audience stage-muttered an exasperated “Moffatt!” that caused all the rest of us to crack up.
P.S. Hope that wasn’t too spoilerish….
This particular one currently available for US viewers here: http://t.co/hG2VETuqEL
“Ah yes, the prologue!”
Unlikely to be related to the unexpected feature noted in a story I saw on the BBC News App and of course the link doesn’t survive copying here;
Nasa starts year-long isolation to simulate life on Mars
A team of Nasa recruits begins a year-long isolation in a dome near a barren volcano in Hawaii, to simulate life on Mars.
The dome’s interior photo distinctly shows a Police Box door on the left…
I have really good supplemental DVDs for Series 2-3. They each contain that week’s episode with optional web commentary tracks (different people from the commentary tracks you get with the DVD sets) , any associated tardisodes or mini-sodes for that week, the full Doctor Who Confidential for that episode, the full Totally Doctor Who! episode for each (and associated animated adventure), any episode specific trailers, as well as any media appearances on late-night or morning talk shows related to that week’s episode.
They even have animated on screen menus (featuring the TARDIS console and sticky note shaped buttons) and DVD sleeve packaging with art for each episode. I was really fortunate to come across them – they were posted to UseNet each week back in the day (2006-2007). They really are the archivists dream for that era. I also have full confidential sets for each year separate – but there was a lot of content in series 2-3 that isn’t available elsewhere (‘Attack of the Graaske’ anyone?)
The biggest thing that bums me out that hasn’t been released to DVD or Blu *anywhere!* is the Post Script animatic read by Arthur Darvill – it’s a perfect coda to Amy and Rory and lets you know more about what happened after they got sent back in time – and it gives Rory’s dad a better exit than the horrible feeling you get when, at the end of Power of Three, the Doctor says he’ll take care of Rory/Amy, no worries. Yikes!
I liked your discussion of access issues and not being able to get to content. Related to that, one area that i was hoping the discussion would touch, but didn’t, were access issues related to “premium” content that must be paid for – and whether that is fair to fans of the show.
I’m speaking of content you can only access on the DVD/Blu-rays as exclusive extras… the specially shot shorts that *only* appear on the sets and aren’t put up on the web or youtube (officially) for consumption. For Series 5 and 6 they were produced for sure: scenes like Amy, shortly after joining the Doctor, pulling up a data file on previous companions and reviewing them on the viewscreen – or the exclusive “dates” with the Doctor and River (Bad Night, Good Night, First Night, Last Night) on Series 6.
Maybe there should only be a “window” of exclusivity? Meh, I buy them all anyway but I’m thinking of those that can’t afford the sets or just stream the series on demand – they are definitely missing out – but I think those that are more than casual fans will go out of their way to learn about the series on the various wiki’s out there and seek these extra gems of content out.
Ah, yes. “P.S.”, which I shall from now on refer to as “Brian’s Epilogue”. 🙂 Very moving, and I wish it had been fully filmed. I could have sworn it was on one of the DVDs, but if so I can’t find it. But it can still be watched at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00zn6ff .
I am not a collector of DVDs and your podcast today has made me question myself.
Saw the prologue announcement on Twitter, a few hours after it appeared, and immediately watched it on YouTube on my phone. Happy to see Clare Higgins back, definitely the highlight of the clip for me.
I’m glad the prologue was fairly short, as my mobile wifi connection struggles at times to download content from the web (e.g. 12 minutes to download 7% of this week’s Verity, so I gave up downloading it to my phone and listened to the ep on my much faster laptop). I’m one of the many who missed out on the TARDISodes due to lack of a computer at the time, and yes, I did feel like I was being deprived of essential content, and penalised for lack of technology.
Nowadays, I’m trying to buy my must-have DVDs whenever I spot them in the shops, like the Series Pond (plus Series Impossible) Box Set that I finally got a few weeks ago. I watched the whole of Pond Life last night, first saw it on the Red Button, and yes, that final installment is quite jarring. Haven’t watched the one with 11 meeting young Clara, as I find it creepy & offputting. I’ve still yet to see Clarence & The Whispermen which is one of those really annoying ones that explains how characters got to know stuff in the actual episode.
I saw The Night of the Doctor a few hours after it was released… but I saw it on TV, on the BBC Red Button channel, on a loop, and NOT right from the start. Tried to look away from the TV screen until the episode looped round to the beginning again, but I’d already caught sight of Paul McGann, so basically, by the time I turned up the volume and began watching and heard him say that line, he WAS very much the one I was expecting.
And, oh yes, Lynne really needs to apply for the top job at the BBC Trust. We, and the BBC, NEED HER.
*blush* I doubt I’d qualify, but I’m pleased at the vote of confidence.
I hate speculating, I always come up with so many good things in my head and will always be disappointed when they fail to occur.
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