TITANS Casts Savannah Welch as Barbara Gordon

 
Dick Grayson is about to be reunited with Barbara Gordon.

Variety has revealed that the HBO Max series Titans has cast Savannah Welch as DC Comics' Barbara Gordon for the show's upcoming third season.  Formerly on the DC Universe streaming service, Titans was brought over to HBO Max along with other DC Universe shows Doom Patrol and Harley Quinn.

According to the article, Barbara Gordon will be "Gotham City Police Commissioner.  Uses a wheelchair.  She used to be Batgirl until she was shot and paralyzed by the Joker.  She has a combative relationship with Bruce Wayne.  Her life gets more complicated when Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) returns to Gotham, rekindling their old romance and starting a new crime fighting partnership."

Welch, 36, is an actress and musician who became a leg amputee as a result of an injury accident in 2016.  She has appeared on the History Channel series Six, and has appeared in the films Tree of Life, Boyhood, and The Transcendents.

Created in 1967 by William Dozier, Julius Schwartz and Carmine Infantino, Barbara Gordon first appeared as Batgirl in Detective Comics (vol.1) #359, and later that same year on the Batman television series episode "Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin", as the daughter of Gotham City's Police Commissioner James Gordon.  In her debut story in the comics, while driving to a costume ball dressed as a female version of Batman, Barbara Gordon intervened in a kidnapping attempt on Bruce Wayne by the super villain Killer Moth, which gained Batman's attention and led to a crime-fighting career.  Although Batman insisted she give up crime-fighting because of her gender, Batgirl disregarded his objections.

In the controversial 1988 graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke, writer Alan Moore had Batman's arch-enemy The Joker shoot and paralyze Barbara in an attempt to drive her father insane, thereby proving to Batman that anyone can be morally compromised.  One year later, writers John Ostrander and Kim Yale gave Barbara Gordon new life in Suicide Squad (vol.1) #23 as Oracle, a mysterious computer expert who assisted and supplied information to various DC Comics heroes in their fight against crime.  The character's popularity led to the creation of the series Birds of Prey in 1996, where writer Chuck Dixon partnered Oracle with Black Canary and a rotating cast of female DC superheroes.

In 2011, DC Comics rebooted their continuity in The New 52, effectively making the character younger in a modern timeline where she became active again as Batgirl.  In the new continuity, the events of The Killing Joke took place three years before current events, but it was established she was paraplegic during that time.  Barbara Gordon regained her mobility after undergoing experimental surgery at a South African clinic.  In recent months, Barbara has a new life as a PhD student in the hip Gotham borough of Burnside, in between adventures as Batgirl and with the Birds of Prey.

Welch will be the fourth actress to portray the character in live-action, after Yvonne Craig in the Batman TV series, Dina Meyer in Birds of Prey, and Jeté Laurence in Gotham.

Titans Season 3 is expected to be released on HBO Max sometime in 2021.

GHOSTWOOD 090: "Dune (1984)" Is Up!

 
"Your time has come. A storm is coming. Our storm. And when it arrives, it will shake the universe. Emperor...we come for you!"
-- Paul "Muad'Dib" Atreides, Dune (1984)

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!  In this episode, we discuss Dune, the 1984 science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, starring Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, Everett McGill as Stilgar, Jürgen Prochnow as Duke Leto Atreides, Francesca Annis as Lady Jessica, Kenneth McMillan as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, and Sting as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen!

LET'S ROCK!

In this episode, Xan and I discuss things like treasonous insurrection and threats to democracy, Donald Trump making history as the first President of the United States to be impeached twice, Baron Harkonnen's reluctance to engage in a peaceful transfer of power and commit insurrection against the incoming government, our being unapologetic fans of Dune, running down the various Twin Peaks and David Lynch film actors, Stilgar being the Barry White of the Fremen, Jack Nance being miscast as a Harkonnen, comparing the Trump Administration and family with the Harkonnens, Yueh's obsession with killing Baron Harkonnen screwing over House Atreides, looking forward to Dave Bautista as The Beast Rabban, Sting as Dr. Frankenstein in The Bride, Sting's Flying Underpants, John Constantine being physically based on Sting, wondering why Brian Eno only did the "Prophecy Theme", Alejandro Jodorowsky blaming the studio instead of David Lynch for how Dune turned out, moviegoers being given a glossary of Dune terminology before the movie, David Lynch requesting the "Alan Smithee" disavowed credit for the extended versions, Lynch's original plans to adapt Dune Messiah, the studio viewing Dune as "Star Wars for adults", the idea of a David Lynch Star Wars film, the Navigators folding space, the Bene Gesserit sisterhood making their own messiah, wondering why Christopher Walken has never been in a David Lynch project, Paul organizing the Fremen into an insurgent army to take control of Arrakis, our realization that Xan and I were at the same Chris Isaak concert before getting to know one another, finally getting a novelization of Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League, talking Daleks with Xan on Next Stop Everywhere, Xan sleeping through a chunk of Inland Empire, and more!

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

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 next week for Episode 091, as Xan and I discuss Wild at Heart, the 1990 romantic crime film written and directed by David Lynch, starring Nicolas Cage as Sailor Ripley, Laura Dern as Lula Pace Fortune, Diane Ladd as Marietta Fortune, and Willen Dafoe as Bobby Peru!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 214: "Out of Time" Is Up!

 
"And I know who you are."
"Ah.  Yes.  Yes...Yes, you do.  Yes.  Awkward."
"And you weren’t going to tell me."
"Well, it’s just the Abbess warned against it and I didn’t want to interfere with my own history…"
"Ah…Well, shouldn’t I have a say?"
"You do have a say.  I mean, you have to wait to be me to say it."
-- The Fourth Doctor and the Tenth Doctor, Doctor Who: "Out of Time"

Hello again, everyone!  My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back with a new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  In this episode, we discuss "Out of Time", the first audio story from Big Finish Productions' Doctor Who: Out of Time series released in 2020, featuring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Claire Rushbrook as The Abbess/Marna, and Nicholas Briggs as the voice of the Daleks!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like my Cleveland Browns still being in the playoffs, "Out of Time" being turned into a series of audios by Big Finish, Tom Baker and David Tennant arguably being the most popular Doctors, Claire Rushbrook in "The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit", The Fourth Doctor post "The Deadly Assassin", the Tenth Doctor post "The Waters of Mars", the oldest Doctor trying to keep his future from the younger Doctor in multi-Doctor stories, David Tennant being less fanboyish in "Out of Time" than in "Time Crash", temporal ripples of the Fourth Doctor learning something that cascades through time to the Tenth Doctor, the Doctors deciding who gets to face the Daleks with "Rock, Paper, Stone", the Fourth Doctor being upset by the Tenth acting all "Time Lord Victorious", Private Jora and her dad Captain Zenna, wanting to see more of the Cathedral of Contemplation, the Thirteenth Doctor not having a Cathedral of Contemplation to think about things, Zenna being revealed as a Dalek duplicate, the Daleks actually having a good plan that makes sense, the Daleks in the Second Dalek War, the Fourth Doctor calling out the Daleks for killing The Abbess prematurely, the Tenth Doctor tricking the Daleks and sending them to the year 5.5/Apple/26 from "The End of the World", the Tenth Doctor heading off into "The End of Time", our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Polarity segment, new feedback from Hannah Skorapa and Holly Mac, David K. Proctor writing a nice review of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Jesse talking Casablanca on Gold Standard: The Oscars Podcast, how I'm watching "The Faceless Ones", and more!

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

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

We have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt with our current logo, which you can find on TeePublic right HERE!  This 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 discuss "The Faceless Ones", the eighth serial from Doctor Who Season Four in 1967, featuring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon, Pauline Collins as Samantha Briggs, and the departures of Michael Craze as Ben Jackson and Anneke Wills as Polly Wright!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 213: "Revolution of the Daleks" Is Up!

 
"I’m not who I thought I was, Ryan.  What I always knew to be the story of my life isn’t true.  I wasn’t born on Gallifrey.  Where I’m from, all the lives I’ve lived…some of that has been hidden from me and I don’t even know how much."
"Things change all the time, and they should, ‘cause they have to.  Same with people. Sometimes we get a bit scared ‘cause…new can be a bit scary, right?"
-- The Thirteenth Doctor and Ryan Sinclair, Doctor Who: "Revolution of the Daleks"

Hello again, everyone!  My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back with a new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  In this first episode of 2021, we discuss “Revolution of the Daleks”, the 2021 Doctor Who New Year’s special, featuring Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, the return of John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness and Chris Noth as Jack Robertson, and the departure of Bradley Walsh as Graham O'Brien and Tosin Cole as Ryan Sinclair!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like my Cleveland Browns making the playoffs and Jesse's Dallas Cowboys not making the playoffs, recording during the insanity of January 6th, 2021, finally having all of The Fam action figures, how we're going to help you survive the latest Doctor Who hiatus, running down all the Doctor's fellow prisoners in Space Jail, the Doctor reaffirming her love of the Harry Potter book series, wondering why the Doctor hasn't jumped ahead to read the final book in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, John Barrowman returning once again as Captain Jack Harkness, wondering why the Doctor wasn't able to break out of Space Jail in 19 years, the Doctor having a severe identity crisis, Yaz becoming way too obsessed with the Doctor, hoping we'll see Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper in the Series 13 finale, Ryan deciding he's done traveling through space and time, the Doctor's Psychic Paper parting gifts, British Prime Ministers meeting their end on Doctor Who, wondering when Jack Robertson finally gets what he deserves, wondering if people don't remember the Daleks invading Earth because of "The Big Bang" universal reboot, Chris Chibnall making the Daleks actually scary, the Doctor using nastier Daleks to get rid of the Daleks, the ethical dilemma of the Doctor sacrificing a TARDIS to get rid of the Daleks, my wife Lori confirming that Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor is her second favorite Doctor after David Tennant's Tenth Doctor, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Polarity segment, John Bishop becoming new companion Dan for Series 13, the rumor that Jodie Whittaker will leave Doctor Who at the end of Series 13, new feedback from Hannah Skorapa, Dave Proctor, Holly Mac and DJ Nik, Jesse needing to get Brad Meltzer on our podcast, Jesse, Nik and I discussing WandaVision on The Fandom Zone Podcast, and more!

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

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

We have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt with our current logo, which you can find on TeePublic right HERE!  This 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 discuss "Out of Time", the first audio story of the Doctor Who: Out of Time series from Big Finish Productions, featuring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Claire Rushbrook as The Abbess/Marna, and Nicholas Briggs as the voice of the Daleks!

Jodie Whittaker Rumored to Leave DOCTOR WHO After Series 13, BBC Refuses to Confirm

 
The old "Three Seasons and Out" rule may be happening again.

The Mirror is claiming that current Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker, who plays the Thirteenth Doctor, will leave the series at the end of the upcoming Series 13, which was cut down to 8 episodes because of COVID-19 restrictions slowing down production.  Filming on Series 13 is due to finish this summer and will air in the autumn.

According to the article, Whittaker is supposedly sticking to the traditional rule of leaving the role of the Doctor after three seasons, similar to previous actors Patrick Troughton, Peter Davison, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi.  Sylvester McCoy only had three seasons as well, but his run was truncated by the cancellation of the original series of Doctor Who with Season 26 in 1989.

One unnamed insider mentioned in the article, reportedly stated, "It’s all very hush-hush, but it is known on set that Jodie is leaving and they are gearing up for a regeneration.  Her departure is top secret but at some point over the coming months, the arrival of the 14th Doctor will need to be filmed. It’s very exciting."  The article also claims insiders stated that Whittaker "is keen to take on other roles."

Meanwhile, the BBC issued a statement regarding the rumor, commenting "We won't be commenting on any speculation around Jodie's future on the show."  It remains in the show's best interest to avoid confirming or denying the rumor, to prevent a major spoiler for the Series 13 finale.

If true, Whittaker will only have 30 episodes as the Thirteenth Doctor by the end of Series 13, one less than Colin Baker's run but more than Christopher Eccleston (13 episodes) and Paul McGann (1 TV movie and 1 mini-episode).

In addition to Doctor Who, Whittaker, 38, is known as Beth Latimer on the ITV series Broadchurch, which was overseen by Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall.  Her other television appearances include episodes of Black Mirror, The Smoke and The Assets.  She also appeared in the films Attack the Block, The Night Watch, and Venus.

DOCTOR WHO Casts John Bishop as New Companion Dan

 
Yaz only thought she was getting the Doctor all to herself.

At the very end of yesterday's Doctor Who New Year's special "Revolution of the Daleks", a bonus post-credits scene revealed that comedian and actor John Bishop will play the new companion for the show's upcoming Series 13, a character known only as Dan.  Bishop will join returning stars Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor and Mandip Gill as Yasmin "Yaz" Khan.

The 30-second bonus scene showed that Dan comes from Liverpool, famously known as the hometown of the Beatles.  While Dan loads the back of a van, his unnamed friend reads him his horoscope for the year ahead, saying "Surprises are in store this year, the color blue will be important, and the letter D.  Your lucky number's 13, be prepared for action, and whatever hurdles come your way, just remember it's not the end of the world."

As Dan closes the van's doors, he turns around and we gets three very brief glimpses of him from the upcoming Series 13 before the show promises to return later in 2021.

Bishop, 54, is an English comedian, presenter, actor, and former footballer who is probably best known as the host of his own shows John Bishop's Britain, John Bishop's Only Joking, and The John Bishop Show.  In addition, he's appeared on episodes of Skins, Top Gear, and Fearless.

"If I could tell my younger self that one day I would be asked to step on board the TARDIS, I would never have believed it," said Bishop.  "It’s an absolute dream come true to be joining Doctor Who and I couldn’t wish for better company than Jodie and Mandip."

Bishop recently revealed that he and his wife tested positive for COVID-19, commenting on Twitter, "This is the worst illness I have ever had, debilitating headaches, muscle joint and even skin pain, dizziness, nausea, no appetite, incredibly chronic fatigue.  My wife and I are fit non-smokers and it’s flattened us.  I don’t wish this on anyone."  It's not known if this diagnosis will affect the filming schedule for Series 13.

If you'd like to view the bonus scene introducing Bishop as Dan, you can check it out below thanks to the official BBC account on YouTube...

Your 2021 Geek Movie & TV Calendar

 
Once again, the new year brings us closer to The Films and TV Shows You've Been Dying to See for, Like, Forever.  If you enjoy sci-fi, fantasy and comic book based entertainment as I do, you already have several must-see flicks and television programs in the pipeline for 2021.  With that in mind, I thought I'd go ahead and give a helpful chronological rundown of which geek movie and TV goodness arrives when.  Some of these TV shows and films will be worth the long wait, others you wouldn't watch even if they were on Disney+ or HBO Max, but each have their audiences and key target demographics.  Start planning your work vacation/sick/personal days accordingly.

Oh, and of course, most of these dates are subject to rescheduling due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.  Fingers crossed that your favorites are released as currently planned...

JANUARY

1 - Doctor Who: "Revolution of the Daleks" (TV)

3 - The Watch (TV)

10 - American Gods (TV)

15 - WandaVision (TV)

FEBRUARY

February 2021? - Last Week Tonight

8 - Black Lightning (TV)

11 - Clarice (TV)

23 - The Flash, Superman & Lois (TV)

28 - The Walking Dead (TV)

MARCH

March 2021? - Zack Snyder's Justice League (TV)

19 - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV), Morbius (Movie)

APRIL

April 2021? - Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, What We Do in the Shadows (TV)

2 - No Time to Die (Movie)

16 - Mortal Kombat (Movie)

MAY

May 2021? - Loki (TV)

7 - Black Widow (Movie)

21 - Free Guy, Godzilla vs. Kong (Movie)

JUNE

June 2021? - What If...? (TV)

11 - Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Movie)

25 - Venom: Let There Be Carnage (Movie)

JULY

9 - Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings (Movie)

16 - Space Jam: A New Legacy (Movie)

23 - The Tomorrow War (Movie)

AUGUST

6 - The Suicide Squad (Movie)

SEPTEMBER

September 2021? - Hawkeye, The Simpsons (TV)

OCTOBER

1 - Dune (Movie)

NOVEMBER

November 2021? - Ms. Marvel (TV)

5 - Eternals (Movie)

DECEMBER

December 2021? - The Book of Boba Fett (TV)

17 - Spider-Man: Untitled Home Film 3 (Movie)

22 - The Matrix 4 (Movie)

SOMETIME IN 2021 - Archer, The Boys, Doctor Who, Doom Patrol, Dune: The Sisterhood, Harley Quinn, Invincible, Jupiter's Legacy, Justice League Dark, Locke & Key, Lord of the Rings, Lucifer, The Sandman, Secret Invasion, Stargirl, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Strange Adventures, Stranger Things, Titans, The Umbrella Academy, Westworld, Wynonna Earp (TV)