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Thursday, April 30, 2020

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 182: "Children of Earth: Day Five" Is Up!


"There's one thing I always meant to ask Jack.  Back in the old days.  I wanted to know about that Doctor of his.  The man who appears out of nowhere and saves the world.  Except sometimes he doesn't.  All those times in history when there was no sign of him, I wanted to know why not.  But I don't need to ask any more.  I know the answer now. Sometimes the Doctor must look at this planet and turn away in shame.  I'm recording this in case anyone ever finds it, so you can see...you can see how the world ended."
-- Gwen Cooper, Torchwood: "Children of Earth: Day Five"

Hello again, everyone!  We're back with another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  This time, Torchwood Month concludes as my partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are joined by special guest companion Holly Mac from The Five(ish) Fangirls Podcast to discuss "Children of Earth: Day Five", the fifth and final episode from Torchwood Series Three in 2009, featuring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, Kai Owen as Rhys Williams, and Peter Capaldi as John Frobisher!

In this episode, Jesse, Holly and I discuss things like Jesse having issues with his webcam, Jesse liking the ending of "Children of Earth" more now than he did the first time, Russell T Davies not knowing if Torchwood was getting a Series Four, RTD telling the story he wanted to tell whether we liked it or not, the original ending to "Children of Earth", the UK government's "inoculation" story to conceal their taking children for the 456, John Frobisher's decision to kill his entire family and then himself, Bridget Spears' strong feelings for John Frobisher, the horrific images of the military chasing after Gwen and the kids she's trying to protect, the 456 wanting Earth's kids just as a way to get high, Jack's decision to kill his own grandson to get rid of the 456, my wondering if it would've more palatable if Steven had to be the child to be sacrificed because he was special as Jack's grandson, RTD not going for the Disney Happy Ending, Bridget's revenge on PM Green for what happened to John Frobisher, Jack saying goodbye to Gwen...for now, the parallel between Jack leaving Earth and the Doctor leaving Gallifrey, Jack hooking up with Alonso Frame in "The End of Time, Part 2", Gwen channeling Madonna, Jack's decision to leave Earth being the right one, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Polarity segment, Russell T Davies' beautiful tribute to the late Elisabeth Sladen "Farewell, Sarah Jane", slightly delayed feedback from David K. Proctor, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Google Play Music -- RIGHT HERE

iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page
Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account
Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

In honor of our 5th anniversary, we now have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt with our current logo, which you can find on TeePublic right HEREThis spiffy new shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space!  Or your could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

And hey, if you'd like to pick up our classic logo Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can also find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as Jesse and I are joined by special guest companion DJ Nik to discuss "The War Machines", the ninth serial from Doctor Who Season 3 in 1966, featuring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, the departure of Jackie Lane as Dodo Chaplet, and the introduction of Michael Craze as Ben Jackson and Anneke Wills as Polly Wright!

Monday, April 27, 2020

BBC Announces DOCTOR WHO: TIME LORD VICTORIOUS Multi-Platform Story with Eighth, Ninth & Tenth Doctors


The Doctors are about to fight a whole new time war.

DoctorWho.TV has some details of the BBC's announcement of Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious, a new multi-platform story taking place over twelve weeks across audio, novels, comics, vinyl, digital, immersive theatre, escape rooms and games.

According to the article, Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious "will be set within the Dark Times at the start of the universe, when even the Eternals were young.  It features the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Doctors, travelling across space and time as they defend the universe from a terrible race.  As well as three Doctors, companion Rose Tyler and monsters including the Daleks and the Ood will feature, plus more to be revealed over the coming months as products are announced.  Partners involved in the project include Penguin Random House, BBC Books, Doctor Who Magazine, Titan Comics, Escape Hunt, Big Finish and Immersive Everywhere."

Producer James Goss was quoted, saying, "BBC Studios’ Doctor Who licensees have come together to tell an amazing epic – one that’s full of monsters, fun and heart.  All strands of the story unite into a mighty patchwork that ranges from one end of the universe to the next. There's more to be revealed, but the enthusiasm and ideas which the licensees have come up with are breath-taking. It's going to be such fun."

As Doctor Who fans know, "Time Lord Victorious" is a reference to a title the Tenth Doctor briefly claimed due to his status as the terminator, final survivor, and "winner" of the Last Great Time War in the 2009 Doctor Who Autumn Special "The Waters of Mars".  During his visit to Bowie Base One in 2059, the Tenth Doctor realized that, as the last of the Time Lords, he had control over the Laws of Time.  He demonstrated this by breaking a fixed point in time to rescue Adelaide Brooke, Mia Bennett, and Yuri Kerenski.  In a subsequent conversation with Adelaide, he confirmed her suggestions that he was effectively omnipotent and unstoppable.  Following Adelaide's vehement rebuke and subsequent suicide, the Tenth Doctor decided he had gone too far and returned to the TARDIS, pondering omens of his regeneration.

While it seems likely that actors Paul McGann, David Tennant and Billie Piper will be involved in the project given their recent contributions to Big Finish Productions' Doctor Who audio stories, it remains to be seen whether Christopher Eccleston, who played the Ninth Doctor, will also participate.  Eccleston has been noticeably absent from reprising his role for Big Finish, and recently declined to contribute to the special message supporting National Health Service staff that featured McGann, Tennant and eight other actors who have played the Doctor.

Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious will launch in September 2020 over twelve weeks, with products and experiences releasing from September until January 2021.

Friday, April 24, 2020

GHOSTWOOD 073: "What Story Is That, Charlie?" Is Up!


"It's like Ghostwood here!"
-- Audrey Horne to Charlie, Twin Peaks: "What Story Is That, Charlie?"

It is happening again...My co-host with the most Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast!  This time, we provide ourcommentary track for "What Story Is That, Charlie?", a.k.a. "The Return, Part 13", from the 2017 Showtime revival of Twin Peaks, featuring Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne, Clark Middleton as Charlie, George Griffith as Ray Monroe, and a special performance by James Marshall as James Hurley!

LET'S ROCK!

In this special episode, Xan and I discuss things like Xan becoming a new mom to Baby Yoda, Xan's stuffed owl named after Prince, my being called Charlie when I was a little kid, David Lynch's vague denial about Twin Peaks Season 4 and his having zero interest in Denis Villeneuve's Dune movie, Bill Sienkiewicz's naked photo references, #ReleaseTheLynchCut, our love for Blade Runner 2049, Anthony Sinclair scrambling when Dougie and the Mitchum brothers show up, waiting for the Giant to show up in the spotlight shining across Sonny Jim's new gym set, The Nutcracker being everywhere at Christmas, Xan being a recovering music snob, Derek Mears as Swamp Thing, Michael J. Anderson on The X-Files, Mr. C arm wrestling Rezno, Gene Hackman in Superman II, Colin Robinson on What We Do in the Shadows, the return of the Fuscos, every police station having a Chad, Anthony trying to poison Dougie with iocaine powder, Grant Goodeve from Eight Is Enough, Dr. Jacoby's creepy romance with Nadine Hurley, Sarah Palmer watching an old Bushnell Mullins fight, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, David Lynch redeeming James Hurley singing "Just You", Big Ed being lonely and miserable with his Cup-a-Soup, asking our listeners to send us feedback, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
YouTube -- RIGHT HERE
Ghostwood's Facebook page
Ghostwood's Twitter account

Be sure to come back in two weeks for Episode 074, as Xan and I provide our commentary track for "We Are Like the Dreamer", a.k.a. "The Return, Part 14", from the 2017 Showtime revival of Twin Peaks, featuring Gordon Cole's dream about Monica Bellucci, Andy's meeting with the Fireman, and Sarah Palmer's shocking response to a trucker hitting on her!

Thursday, April 23, 2020

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 181: "Children of Earth: Day Three & Day Four" Is Up!


"Don't forget me."
"Never could."
"A thousand years' time...you won't remember me."
"Yes, I will.  I promise, I will."
-- Ianto Jones and Captain Jack Harkness, Torchwood: "Children of Earth: Day Four"

Hello again, everyone!  We're back with another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  This time, Torchwood Month continues as my partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are joined by special guest companion Christine Peruski to discuss "Children of Earth: Day Three" and "Day Four", the third and fourth episodes from Torchwood Series Three in 2009, featuring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, Peter Capaldi as John Frobisher, and the final TV appearance of Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones!

In this episode, Jesse, Christine and I discuss things like how Christine is surviving in the retail world without Starbucks, Christine's mom watching "Children of Earth" without knowing anything about Torchwood or Doctor Who, the first on-screen of Dalek and Cybermen vocal artist Nicholas Briggs, the ongoing shrine to Ianto in Mermaid Quay in Cardiff, Clem being perfectly justified in shooting Captain Jack, 1965 Captain Jack being a company Yes Man, Clem's strange superpower of being able to smell who's pregnant and who's gay, Jesse's disappointment in Captain Jack sending a dozen kids off with The 456, Torchwood not dealing as well with an alien threat as the Doctor, more glimmers of the Twelfth Doctor in Peter Capaldi's performance as John Frobisher, similarities to the movie Independence Day, the 456 using a squeegee to clean the inside of their tank, feeling bad for the camera guy who gets slimed by the 456, the correct use of the word "decimate", the 456 taking a very hard line in negotiations, Gwen persuading Lois to commit treason, why you shouldn't listen to any TV doctor with a talk show, the 456 as the alien mafia, the COBRA meeting using the school league tables to get rid of "drains on society", Torchwood's really crappy plan to confront The 456 directly, Jack's arrogance resulting in Ianto's death, wondering how Ianto found an exact replica of Jack's coat that cosplayers can't find, the importance of cleaning up your desktop icons, our favorite quotes of these two episodes, great new feedback from Holly Mac, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Google Play Music -- RIGHT HERE

iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page
Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account
Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

In honor of our 5th anniversary, we now have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt with our current logo, which you can find on TeePublic right HEREThis spiffy new shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space!  Or your could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

And hey, if you'd like to pick up our classic logo Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can also find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as Jesse and I are joined by special guest companion Holy Mac to discuss "Children of Earth: Day Five", the fifth episode from Torchwood Series Three in 2009, featuring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, and Peter Capaldi as John Frobisher!

Monday, April 20, 2020

THE FANDOM ZONE 176: "Who Watches the Binge Watch?"


While the world social distances at home, The Fandom Zone has reopened!

Hello again, everyone!  My co-host Jesse Jackson and I are finally back with another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This time, we discuss our recommendations for comic book TV shows to binge watch at home during the COVID-19 Coronavirus global pandemic, including Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Preacher, The Umbrella Academy, iZombie, Legion, Smallville, and many more!

In this episode, Jesse and I talk about things like my hiding out from the Coronavirus in the Basement of Solitude, focusing my brain on which podcast I'm talking about, longer-run shows and shorter-run shows, iZombie, the greatness of Rose McIver, Smallville debuting the month after September 11th, Smallville inspiring the current run of CW Arrowverse shows, being more invested in The Walking Dead characters than characters in a regular zombie movie, Daredevil being a great crime drama as well as a superhero show, David Tennant as Kilgrave in Jessica Jones, the greatness of Aubrey Plaza, Preacher not being a good show for the easily offended, the short-lived Constantine series, the failed attempt at adapting Birds of Prey, The Umbrella Academy appealing to Doom Patrol fans, Pennyworth being a more sophisticated drama than Gotham, the greatness of Greg Rucka, a quick rundown of other recommended shows, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Google Play Music
 -- HERE 
iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE
Spotify -- HERE
Stitcher -- HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Soundcloud, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back soon for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!

Thursday, April 16, 2020

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK Gets Series Order from HBO Max


And now it's Dark.

Deadline is reporting that the upcoming HBO Max streaming service has given a series order for Justice League Dark, a new drama series based on the DC Comics supernatural superteam.

The series will be from J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath's Bad Robot Productions, one of three new projects under the big film deal that Abrams signed with WarnerMedia last fall.  The other two are Overlook, which is inspired by Stephen King's The Shining, and Duster, a series conceived by Abrams set in the 1970's Southwest.

"What an amazing start to our association with the wildly imaginative Bad Robot team under J.J. and Katie," said Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer, HBO Max and President, TNT, TBS, & truTV.  "What could be better than an original J.J. idea and then Warner Bros. letting them loose on iconic I.P. from Stephen King and the DC Universe and to provide more must-have programming on HBO Max."

Created in 2011 by Peter Milligan and Mike Janin, Justice League Dark first appeared in Justice League Dark #1 as a team of supernatural characters in the DC Universe who handle situations deemed unfit for the traditional Justice League.

The current roster of the team includes Wonder Woman, John Constantine, Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Detective Chimp, and Man-Bat.  Other previous members included Deadman, Black Orchid, Andrew Bennett, Amethyst, Doctor Mist, Frankenstein, Madame Xanadu, Mindwarp, Nightmare Nurse, Pandora, the Phantom Stranger, Shade the Changing Man, Timothy Hunter, and Zauriel.

The team has been featured in two animated projects, the 2017 DC Animated Movie Universe film Justice League Dark, and the upcoming 2020 film Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.  Both films starred Matt Ryan as John Constantine, Camilla Luddington as Zatanna, Roger Cross as Swamp Thing, Nicholas Turturro as Deadman, Ray Chase as The Demon, and Colleen Villard as Black Orchid.

A live-action film adaptation of Justice League Dark was in development at Warner Bros. as recently as 2017, but directors Guillermo del Toro and Doug Liman, who had been previously attached to the film at separate times, both left the project.

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 180: "Children of Earth: Day One & Day Two" Is Up!


"What sort of civil servants are you?"
"Underappreciated ones."
-- Rhiannon Davies and Ianto Jones, Torchwood: "Children of Earth: Day Two"

Hello again, everyone!  We're back with another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  This time, Torchwood Month continues as my partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are joined by special guest companion Holly Mac from The Five(ish) Fangirls Podcast to discuss "Children of Earth: Day One" and "Day Two", the first two episodes from Torchwood Series Three in 2009, featuring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones, and Peter Capaldi as John Frobisher!

In this episode, Jesse, Holly and I discuss things like Jesse having a 14-day-old beard that looks like a 2-day-old beard, Holly appearing on Set Lusting Bruce, "Children of Earth" being the season where Torchwood grew up, Captain Jack being secretive, "Miracle Day" not being a good ending for the series, Holly's thoughts on Big Finish's Torchwood audio stories, Cush Jumbo in The Good Wife, the Sixth Doctor's comic strip companion Frobisher, Russell T. Davies rewriting parts of "Children of Earth" to deal with the unavailability of Freema Agyeman and Noel Clarke, Captain Jack being as asshole to Ianto, Ianto's sister Rhiannon, Ianto's brother-in-law Johnny and the neighborhood kids covering Ianto's escape, Gwen finding out she's preggers, Gwen being the alpha of their marriage, Rhys wanting to eat raw potatoes, wondering why there was only one regenerated Captain Jack after he was blown to pieces, John Barrowman showing off his bum again, Rhys being overprotective of Gwen, the Torchwood vacancies setting up Lois and Dr. Rupesh as potential replacements, the human villains being worse than The 456, my hearing a bit of the Twelfth Doctor in Peter Capaldi's John Frobisher, Clem McDonald's life going to hell because of The 456, the destruction of the Torchwood Hub, Russell T. Davies going "all in" with "Children of Earth", Wales not thinking highly of England, our favorite quotes of the episode, Arthur Darvill reprising Rory Williams in the new short video "Rory's Story" written by Neil Gaiman, Paul Cornell returning to Doctor Who with a new Thirteenth Doctor short story "The Shadow Passes", great new feedback from Adrienne from Wisconsin, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Google Play Music -- RIGHT HERE

iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page
Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account
Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

In honor of our 5th anniversary, we now have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt with our current logo, which you can find on TeePublic right HEREThis spiffy new shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space!  Or your could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

And hey, if you'd like to pick up our classic logo Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can also find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as Jesse and I are joined by special guest companion Christine Peruski to discuss "Children of Earth: Day Three" and "Day Four", the third and fourth episodes from Torchwood Series Three in 2009, featuring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones, and Peter Capaldi as John Frobisher!

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Arthur Darvill Reprises Rory Williams for DOCTOR WHO Short "Rory's Story" Written by Neil Gaiman


"The Pretty One" returns!

Over the past few weeks in response to the need for social distancing during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 global pandemic crisis, several Doctor Who showrunners, actors, and writers have contributed to Doctor Who: LOCKDOWN, worldwide watchalong events organized by Emily Cook, a writer and editorial assistant for Doctor Who Magazine.

In the latest event, watching the 2011 episode "The Doctor's Wife", written by Neil Gaiman and starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams, Suranne Jones as Idris/The TARDIS, and Michael Sheen as the voice of House, a new 2-minute, 24-second Doctor Who short called "Rory's Story" was created as an introduction for the rewatch, which you can view here:



Written by Gaiman, "Rory's Story" features the return of Arthur Darvill as former companion Rory Wiliams, in a short tale set in 1946, eight years after he and his wife Amy had been sent back in time by the Weeping Angels in the episode "The Angels Take Manhattan".  Recording a video to his new adopted son, Anthony Brian Williams, Rory dictates his rather complicated biography until a vocal cameo by Karen Gillan as Amy Pond tells him to stop what he's doing and help her paint the baby's room.

Friday, April 10, 2020

GHOSTWOOD 072: "30 Years Later" Is Up!


"She's dead...Wrapped in plastic."
-- Pete Martell, Twin Peaks: "Northwest Passage"

It is happening again...My co-host with the most Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast!  This time, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Twin Peaks and provide our commentary track for "Northwest Passage", a.k.a. the pilot episode of Twin Peaks from April 8, 1990 directed by David Lynch, featuring the discovery of Laura Palmer's body, FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper's arrival in Twin Peaks, and the first musical performance by Julee Cruise in the Roadhouse!

LET'S ROCK!

In this special episode, Xan and I discuss things like our mothers not sharing our love of Twin Peaks, Lori and I celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary, how Xan celebrated Twin Peaks' 30th anniversary, Showtime airing the movie Carrie after "The Return, Part 18", my live-tweeting the pilot episode along with Kyle MacLachlan and Madchen Amick, Kyle MacLachlan still embracing his fame from playing Dale Cooper, John Astin as Gomez Addams, Xan getting caught up in watching her cat wash her face, my getting quoted in a Fandom.com article about Twin Peaks' 30th anniversary, our tribute to "Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima" composer Krzysztof Penderecki, the pilot premiering right after America's Funniest Home Videos, Twin Peaks being a true game-changer for TV, Pete Martell getting the first iconic quote, Sherilyn Fenn in The Wraith, Grace Zabriskie's powerful scene where Sarah Palmer learns of her daughter's death, the return of our "BOB or Leland?" game, the days when you could walk right into a high school without a metal detector or security checkpoint, my watching the pilot episode live in 1990 while in college, the scene that made me a David Lynch fan forever, the Joker being the "J" in Laura Palmer's diary, Bobby's anti-authority issues, Xan having Harriet's hairstyle in 1990, Julee Cruise performing "Falling" in the Roadhouse, the retcon of Jacques Renault slipping Big Ed a mickey, wondering how Dr. Jacoby found Donna and James in the woods, talking Torchwood on Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast, Xan and I talking an entire hour before recording this episode, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
YouTube -- RIGHT HERE
Ghostwood's Facebook page
Ghostwood's Twitter account

Be sure to come back in two weeks for Episode 073, as Xan and I provide our commentary track for "What Story Is That, Charlie?", a.k.a. "The Return, Part 13", from the 2017 Showtime revival of Twin Peaks, featuring Mr. C arm wrestling Renzo, the final fate of Ray Monroe, and James Hurley singing his classic song "Just You" in the Roadhouse!

Thursday, April 9, 2020

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 179: "Everything Changes" Is Up!


"The twenty-first century is when it all changes.  And you've got to be ready."
-- Captain Jack Harkness to Gwen Cooper, Torchwood: "Everything Changes"

Hello again, everyone!  We're back with another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  This time, my partner in time Jesse Jackson and I begin Torchwood Month by discussing "Everything Changes", the first episode from Torchwood Series One in 2006, featuring the return of John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness and Naoko Mori as Toshiko Sato, Indira Varma as Suzie Costello, and introducing Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, Burn Gorman as Owen Harper, and Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like Jesse giving my bride away, Torchwood being Jesse's gateway into Doctor Who, how I got into Doctor Who, my reaction to Captain Jack getting his own spinoff series, Torchwood being more "adult" than Doctor Who, Indira Varma on Game of Thrones and Human Target, Russell T Davies pitched science-fiction series Excalibur, Amy Pond as a police officer kissogram, Jesse thinking Eve Myles is an "interesting-looking" actor, Jesse being totally misguided about Westworld, Torchwood vs. The X-Files, Captain Jack taking Gwen out to a bar to spike her drink with a drug to forget Torchwood exists, wondering why Gwen didn't just keep writing down more after the word "Remember", Ianto being the Alfred Pennyworth of the group, Tosh's alien PDF scanner, Owen using an alien aphrodisiac spray to skip conversations and go straight to having sex, wondering why Big Finish Productions doesn't pay us for continually pimping their stuff, Suzie matter-of-factly admitting that she killed three people, Captain Jack asking Gwen to be Suzie's replacement right after Suzie just died, Torchwood's really bad security, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Polarity segment, Steven Moffat's new Thirteenth Doctor short story "The Terror of the Umpty Ums", Neil Gaiman live-tweeting the worldwide rewatch of "The Doctor's Wife", new feedback from Holly Mac, David K. Proctor and Paul Beck from Australia, so-called "fans" not being able to appreciate anything positive that Jodie Whittaker does, Xan Sprouse and I celebrating Twin Peaks' 30th anniversary, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Google Play Music -- RIGHT HERE

iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page
Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account
Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

In honor of our 5th anniversary, we now have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt with our current logo, which you can find on TeePublic right HEREThis spiffy new shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space!  Or your could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

And hey, if you'd like to pick up our classic logo Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can also find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as Jesse and I are joined by special guest companion Holly Mac discuss "Children of Earth: Day One" and "Day Two", the first two episodes from Torchwood Series Three in 2009, featuring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones, and Peter Capaldi as John Frobisher!

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

TWIN PEAKS: 30 Years Later


"Diane, 11:30 am, February 24th. Entering the town of Twin Peaks. Five miles south of the Canadian border, twelve miles west of the state line. I've never seen so many trees in my life. As W.C. Fields would say, I'd rather be here than Philadelphia. It's 54 degrees on a slightly overcast day. Weatherman said rain. If you could get paid that kind of money for being wrong sixty percent of the time, it'd beat working. Mileage is 79,345, gauge is on reserve, riding on fumes here. I've got to tank up when I get into town. Remind me to tell you how much that is. Lunch was, uh, $6.31 at the Lamplighter Inn. That's on Highway 2 near Lewis Fork. That was a tuna fish sandwich on whole wheat, a slice of cherry pie and a cup of coffee. Damn good food. Diane, if you ever get up this way, that cherry pie is worth a stop.  Okay. Looks like I’ll be meeting up with the, ah, Sheriff Harry S. Truman. Shouldn’t be too hard to remember that. He’ll be at the Calhoun Memorial Hospital. I guess we’re going to go up to intensive care and take a look at that girl that crawled down the railroad tracks off the mountain. When I finish there I’ll be checking into a motel. I’m sure the sheriff will be able to recommend a clean place, reasonably priced. That’s what I need, a clean place, reasonably priced. Oh Diane, I almost forgot -- Got to find out what kind of trees these are. They’re really something."
-- Special Agent Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks: "Pilot"

Thirty years ago today, the very first episode of David Lynch and Mark Frost's television masterpiece Twin Peaks aired on ABC.  In the bland landscape of network TV in 1990, Twin Peaks quite literally changed television forever, breaking new ground in terms of storytelling, visuals, music, characterization, and more.  Pete Martell's words "She's dead...wrapped in plastic" grabbed me immediately as I watched the pilot, and two episodes later, Dale Cooper's surreal dream sequence forever bonded Twin Peaks to my very soul.

In honor of this celebration of a place both wonderful and strange, here's a timeline of my personal highs and lows of being a Twin Peaks fan for the past thirty years.  I'm sure it's incomplete, there's just too much to cover in a simple blog post, but these are the events that truly stand out:

April 8, 1990 -- Twin Peaks' pilot episode "Northwest Passage" debuts on Sunday, ABC at 9 p.m. EST.  I'm absolutely mesmerized from start to finish, instantly becoming a fan of Kyle MacLachlan as Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Dale Cooper.  Grace Zabriskie's blood-curdling scream as Sarah Palmer in the cliffhanger haunts my dreams and the wait for Episode 2 is excruciating.

April 19, 1990 -- The third Twin Peaks episode, "Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer" airs.  Cooper has his famous dream sequence featuring Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer and Michael J. Anderson as The Man from Another Place.  The mystery of Laura Palmer's murder takes a sharp turn into the supernatural, and I become a Twin Peaks fan for life, while Twin Peaks rockets into becoming a pop culture phenomenon.

May 23, 1990 -- With Twin Peaks now firmly in the nation's collective zeitgeist, "The Last Evening", the Season 1 finale, airs on ABC.  18.7 million people tune in to watch Agent Cooper get shot in a "Who Shot J.R./Who Shot Mr. Burns?" style cliffhanger.

September 11, 1990 -- Twin Peaks fandom explodes over the summer, leaving Peaks Freaks starving for anything new.  The Season One score album Soundtrack from Twin Peaks is released on CD, finally giving fans a decent copy of Angelo Badalamenti's "Dance of the Dream Man" that wasn't recorded onto audio cassette by holding a recorder up to the television speaker.

September 15, 1990 -- The month of New Twin Peaks Goodness continues.  The first Twin Peaks novel, The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer by Jennifer Lynch, is released, giving fans their first powerful glimpse into young Laura Palmer's horrible molestation by BOB and the tragic spiral of her life.  We also get a few hints about what's coming up in the Season 2 premiere.

September 29, 1990 -- Kyle MacLachan hosts the first episode of Saturday Night Live Season 16.  Fans rejoice as he reprises Cooper in a brilliant Twin Peaks satire sketch, also featuring Kevin Nealon as Sheriff Harry S. Truman, Chris Farley as Leo Johnson, Conan O'Brien as Deputy Andy Brennan, Phil Hartman as Leland Palmer, Victoria Jackson as Audrey Horne, Jan Hooks as Nadine Hurley and the Log Lady, and Mike Myers as The Man from Another Place.

September 30, 1990 -- At long last, the first episode of Season 2, "May the Giant Be With You" airs on ABC.  Fans are screaming at David Lynch, who is seemingly delighted at the idea of torturing us by having an interminably-slow old waiter be the person who finds Cooper bleeding out in Room 315 at the Great Northern Hotel.  He makes up for it, though, with the frightening cliffhanger sequence of Phoebe Augustine's Ronette Pulaski waking up from the coma she's been in since the pilot.

October 1, 1990 -- As fans are still reeling from the Season 2 opener, the two-sided audio cassette book "Diane...": The Twin Peaks Tapes of Agent Cooper by Scott Frost, performed by Kyle MacLachlan, is released.  Essentially, these are recordings of Cooper's dictations to the mysterious Diane into his pocket tape recorder taken directly from the TV, but with additional new entries to fill in events leading up to Cooper's first meeting with Harry.

November 10, 1990 -- Under pressure from ABC to wrap up the mystery of Laura Palmer's murder, David Lynch and Mark Frost finally reveal Laura's killer in "Lonely Souls", the seventh episode of Season 2.  And, of course, they also proceed to kill off Sheryl Lee once again, this time as Laura's cousin Maddy Ferguson.

December 1, 1990 — With David Lynch suddenly elsewhere, the Laura Palmer mystery finally concludes with “Arbitrary Law”, the ninth episode of Season 2.  It’s a powerful conclusion, with an incredible performance by Ray Wise that should’ve earned him an Emmy.

December 8, 1990 One week after one of the best Twin Peaks episodes ever, the show abruptly spirals downward and begins floundering creatively for the next two months without a central mystery to keep viewers watching.

February 2, 1991 — The show finally moves forward with its second major storyline featuring Kenneth Welsh as Cooper’s former mentor and new arch-nemesis, Windom Earle.  Unfortunately by this episode, “Double Play”, Twin Peaks has lost 4 million viewers since “Arbitrary Law”.

February 16, 1991 On my Dad’s 56th birthday, the episode “The Condemned Woman” airs, featuring the last appearance of Joan Chen as Josie Packard and the return of Frank Silva as BOB.  However, the show loses another million viewers, giving ABC a reason to put it on hiatus for six weeks.

March 28, 1991 Twin Peaks finally returns with “Wounds and Scars” and an increase of 1.4 million viewers, which keeps new episodes airing for the next three weeks.  Richard Beymer’s character Ben Horne launches a campaign to “Save the Pine Weasal”, a metaphor for the cast, crew and fans campaigning to save Twin Peaks. 

April 18, 1991 The episode “The Path to the Black Lodge” airs, but ratings are back down to 7.4 million.  The feeling of foreboding is all too real at this point as ABC puts the show back on indefinite hiatus, with only two episodes left to air.

May 1, 1991 -- As we continue waiting for ABC to air the final two episodes, the second Twin Peaks novel, The Autobiography of F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper, written by Scott Frost, is released.  This gives us the much-desired backstory to Cooper's history with Windom Earle, as well as greater insight to Cooper's problems with romance.

June 1, 1991 -- Twin Peaks: Access Guide to the Town by Gregg Almquist, Tricia Brock, Robert Engels, Lise Friedman, and Harley Peyton is released.  This version of a traveler's guide book is a fun idea, great for fans trying to visualize Twin Peaks as a real place.  Sadly, it feels like a token gesture with the show's ending looming.

June 10, 1991 -- At long last, ABC airs the final two episodes, "Miss Twin Peaks" and "Beyond Life and Death", ending Season 2 and the original Twin Peaks series.  David Lynch finally returns to direct the final episode, which ends on a cliffhanger that leaves fans screaming for a resolution for the next 26 years.

August 7, 1992 -- After learning that David Lynch and show writer Robert Engels are bringing Twin Peaks back as a feature film, the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me soundtrack is released on CD.  The soundtrack is a godsend to fans, especially those wanting a new Julee Cruise song and a decent recording of Jimmy Scott's performance of "Sycamore Trees" from the Season 2 finale.

August 28, 1992 -- Lynch's film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, a prequel featuring the events leading up to Laura Palmer's murder, is released in the United States.  Even with a budget of only $10 million, the film only earns $4.2 million at the box office so it quickly leaves the theaters.  Fortunately, I'm able to see it once in theaters with my then-girlfriend Lori Millman, who somehow agreed to become my wife later on after watching FWWM.

August 1993 -- With Twin Peaks seemingly gone forever, fans enter the Wilderness Years.  Those of us who remain loyal take solace with the first issue of Wrapped in Plastic, a new Twin Peaks magazine devoted to the show and Fox's series The X-Files, which many fans turned to in Twin Peaks' absence.

December 18, 2001 -- After a decade of rewatching Twin Peaks on limited VHS releases and videotapes recorded from the original ABC broadcast, Twin Peaks: The First Season (minus the pilot) is released on DVD.  A separate unofficial release of the European version of the pilot episode follows with an ending never seen by US fans.  The upgrade in video quality over VHS more than justifies the purchase.

September 2005 -- As fans continue wondering where the hell the Season 2 DVD release is, Wrapped in Plastic releases issue #75, the magazine's final issue.  Now thirteen years after FWWM, Twin Peaks now exists primarily in our memories and imaginations.

April 3, 2007 -- Seemingly out of nowhere, Twin Peaks: The Second Season is finally released on DVD in the US.  The remaining embers of fandom flicker into life once again.

October 30, 2007 -- A bonanza day for fans.  Twin Peaks: Definitive Gold Box Edition is released on DVD, including an official release of both versions of the pilot.  Also, Twin Peaks Season 2 Music and More is released on CD.  We can now do the "Hayward Boogie" and listen to James Marshall's "Just You" as often as we want.

September 17, 2010 -- I launch this very blog of geeky things, DAMN Good Coffee...and HOT!, named after one of Kyle Maclachlan's best lines ever as Special Agent Dale Cooper and my old TitanTalk amateur press association zine from back in the '90s.

December 1, 2010 -- Just to prove that we're not alone, the USA Network series Psych airs "Dual Spires" (Season 5, Episode 12), a wonderful tribute/homage to Twin Peaks featuring original series stars Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Sherilyn Fenn, Catherine E. Coulson, Dana Ashbrook, Robyn Lively, and Lenny Von Dohlen.  I wasn't a Psych fan back then, so I missed the original airing on USA but quickly tracked it down after learning of its existence.

July 24, 2014 -- In another upgrade of video quality from DVD, Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery is released on Blu-Ray.  In addition to finally having the original Twin Peaks series and FWWM together in one set, the big selling point to justify rebuying is The Missing Pieces, 90 minutes of glorious unused footage from FWWM.  The set's title The Entire Mystery soon proves to be a complete lie.

October 6, 2014 -- In a truly wonderful day, David Lynch and Mark Frost announce Showtime's revival of Twin Peaks for a third season on Twitter.  Fandom crawls out of their secluded Owl Caves, completely stunned by the announcement, and erupts with absolute joy that Twin Peaks is coming back!

April 5, 2015 -- Meanwhile...in a truly horrible day, on my and Lori's 18th wedding anniversary and three days before the show's 25th anniversary, David Lynch announces he's not directing Twin Peaks Season 3 due to budget concerns with Showtime.  Panicked fans mobilize a #SaveTwinPeaks internet campaign and two days later, a video featuring various Twin Peaks actors called "Twin Peaks without David Lynch Is Like...??" hits the interwebz.

May 15, 2015 -- Fans breathe a huge sigh of relief when David Lynch announces that budget issues have been worked out with Showtime and he's directing Season 3 again.  All is well.

October 18, 2016 -- Building up anticipation for the Showtime revival, a new Twin Peaks novel, The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost, is released.  Presented as a "dossier" compiled by the late Don Davis' character Major Garland Briggs, the novel provides considerable backstory into the fictional town's history and teases the first hints of what happened to Dale Cooper after the Season 2 finale cliffhanger.

December 22, 2016 -- With the feeling like Twin Peaks is indeed happening again, I approach my longtime friend and fellow Twin Peaks diehard Xan Sprouse about the idea of doing a Twin Peaks podcast for the Southgate Media Group.  On this day, we record our first episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast, "The Secret History of Twin Peaks" to introduce ourselves and review Frost's novel.

May 21, 2017 -- At long last, Twin Peaks returns to TV as Showtime airs the first two episodes, "The Return, Part 1" and "The Return, Part 2", back-to-back.  Xan and her husband Chris invite me and my wife Lori over to their house to watch, and the episodes are an absolute delight to Xan and me.  We're enthralled, amazed, excited, and perplexed all at once, while our respective spouses seemingly wonder what the big deal is.

September 3, 2017 -- Showtime airs the final two episodes of Season 3, "The Return, Part 17" and "The Return, Part 18" back-to-back.  Lori and I are vacationing in London, so I'm not able to watch the finale with Xan, although she offers to hold her iPad up to the screen so I can watch.  Unfortunately, because of the 5-hour time difference and wanting to watch the finale properly, I have to decline her generous offer and wait until we get home to see it.  Hating to end the show's mystery, Lynch ends Season 3 on another insane cliffhanger with another horrifying scream by Sheryl Lee, which leaves fans desperately wanting a Season 4.

September 8, 2017 -- As I continue processing the finale, Twin Peaks (Music from the Limited Event Series) and Twin Peaks: Limited Event Series Original Soundtrack are released on CD.  It feels amazing to have another two Twin Peaks albums to add to my collection after so many years.

October 31, 2017 -- Twin Peaks officially comes to another close with the release of another novel from Mark Frost, Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier.  Presented as a final FBI report by Chrysta Bell's character Tammy Preston, the novel gives updates on the fates of various Twin Peaks residents, and ends with Tammy realizing that the timeline has been changed so that Laura Palmer's murder never happened.

December 5, 2017 -- Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series is released on Blu-Ray, so now we can store it beside "The Complete Mystery" set for a more complete mystery.

July 20, 2019 -- On the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Team Ghostwood and Xan's husband Chris attend the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me Event at the Studio 35 Cinema and Drafthouse in Columbus, Ohio.  Stars Ray Wise and Sheryl Lee do a Q&A and autograph signing, and I finally get to meet two actors from Twin Peaks.

December 10, 2019 -- Since Twin Peaks fans are always up for another home video release, the cube-shaped 21-disc megaset Twin Peaks: From Z to A is released on Blu-Ray, combining The Entire Mystery release with the Limited Event Series release into one set, along with two new discs of behind-the-scenes special features and a disc of 4K transfers of the original pilot and "The Return, Part 8".  Xan and I rationalize rebuying the episodes yet again by reviewing the set on our Ghostwood podcast.

April 8, 2020 -- To celebrate the show's 30th anniversary while social distancing during the worldwide Coronavirus outbreak, Twin Peaks fans rewatch the pilot episode along with Kyle MacLachlan on Twitter, followed by a Q&A on his Instagram account.  Now would be a really great time for a Season 4 announcement.