I am Ashley Elsdon

someone who's doing some things

Tag: TV

Yep, TV stuff. I like watching TV. Not all TV, but some shows.

Some thoughts about the 7th Doctor …

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I listened to this audiobook the other day. I can’t even remember buying it, but I have it. The 7th Doctor wasn’t a favourite of mine, and I haven’t listened to many of the audio stories. I didn’t find this one too interesting, but it did make me realise just how little I know about the world of the 7th Doctor and companions.

My interests have always been around the 4th, 5th and 8th Doctors, but with a little of the 3rd as well. I’m also warming to the 6th. However, Sylvester’s Doctor passed me by in the main. I’m not sure that’s going to change particularly, but it is a strange feeling when you work out how much you don’t know about a subject you’re very interested in.

Zen, the BBC drama, not the computer from The Liberator

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I recently watched this mini series again and was struck by just how excellent a series it was. There were only three episodes, each of them of almost feature length, but the BBC could have kept it going, it was brilliant, really brilliant, and a real shame that it stopped.

Of course it isn’t the first time that the BBC have made a brilliant drama and then given up on it before it’s had a real chance to get established. They did this with Outcasts, a science fiction series that had potential which was of course, unrealised. I wish they’d get it together and understand that some shows take a little while to get going and establish themselves. They shouldn’t give up so soon. Zen would have been excellent in a second series. Of course it’s too late now, which is such a shame.

Getting to grips with chromecast 

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I only got a Chromecast to try out a particular streaming service to get a specific show, and, that didn’t actually work out, which was a shame. However, the upside was that I’ve found the Chromecast itself really useful. Using it with my Nexus Android tablet has been really handy. I found that I got a load of really good offers which have almost paid for the device, and, talking to a colleague who’s already got a Chromecast, apparently the offers get refreshed, so I’m looking forward to getting more.

So it’s had a double upside, it’s been useful itself, and it’s showed another use for my Nexus which I’ve always sort of struggled to find a proper use for.

Survivors, the original story

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So I finished listening to this audio book. An unabridged version of Terry Nation’s original novel and read by Carolyn Seymour who played Abby Grant in the original 1970s series. It was good. Good in so many ways. Sometimes it really is worth it to hear the original story. Where all the spin offs started and the root of all the versions. That’s certainly the case here. It was well worth it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed the other versions, both TV series, what Big Finish have done with the full cast audio story, but this has been the best so far. It was coherent and in some ways helped to make sense of the other versions too.

I won’t spoil it in case you are interested enough to read it or listen to it yourself, but it is quite different from both TV versions. I won’t say more than that. I’ll leave it there. At some point I’m going to write a post about all of the versions, perhaps in a few weeks time.

Big Finish: Survivors the series

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I’ve been listening to this again. It’s interesting to hear it after watching the original series and of course the BBC remake as well. The big finish series is a different story altogether. The same ideas but different characters telling a different side to the story. It merges into the original about halfway through the set of audio books. Of course the production values are very high as you’d expect from Big Finish.

It’s interesting to get all these different perspectives on the story. The original TV series. The new TV series (comparatively new anyway), the Big Finish series, and also their unabridged version of the novel itself.

I’m looking forward to hearing the next season of the Big Finish full cast drama when it’s available, in June I think.

When I’ve finished listening to everything that I’ve got so far, and possibly even re-watching the newer TV series I might do a post about the whole lot in one go, and cover what I think of each treatment.

Blake’s 7: Ghost Ship

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Another good story from Big Finish. I’ve enjoyed the full cast series of Blake’s 7 a lot more than the liberator chronicles, although the few of those I’ve listened to have been good too. I think that there’s something special about a full cast drama. It is probably my favourite kind of audiobook.

This series has been consistently good as is this story. I won’t give anything away just in case you’re going to listen to it. But suffice it to say that there’s an interesting story arc building and I’m keen to hear where it goes.

It’s a great series all in all. So much so that I really don’t want it to end. I just hope that they keep making them.

Oh yes, and one other thing, this is now post 2000! I couldn’t think of any particular science fiction show or really anything else to commemorate the 2000th post on my blog, so I thought that Blake’s 7 was as good, if not better, than anything else.

It’s only fair that post 1999 be about Space 1999

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Season 1 DVD Box Set
Season 1 DVD Box Set

It’s only right isn’t it. I’m a fan and I feel that I should dedicate post number 1999 to Space 1999. I’m still slowly making my way through season 2, and if that wasn’t enough I’m not sure that I’ve finished reading the comic editions on comixology either.

Perhaps I need to make a bit more effort and finish off reading and watching this stuff soon, especially after celebrating Space 1999 today.

 

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Day of the Triffids

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The original Day of the Triffid from the 1970s. It was a great story and a good version. It’s interesting to see the differences between this and the newer version, which I really liked. In fact I like both now, and of course the big finish sequel story too, but now I feel like I have to see the new version again.

Falling Skies: Season 4

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So I couldn’t help myself. After watching season 3 the whole way through I had to get season 4 as well, and I’ve watched the whole thing now. Of course it leaves off at the end on a cliff hanger. I won’t give anything away though. I thought it was very good, and of course left everything open for season 5 which I believe is coming in 2015.

I think I can wait.

Falling Skies: Season 3

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I missed series 3 of falling skies because our then cable TV provider was unable to actually provide a service for reasons best known to them. So when season 4 came out on Channel 5 I thought I might need to catch up. So I decided to buy season 3 on blinkbox and see if it was worth keeping on watching it. It was. In fact, I’ve become somewhat addicted to Falling Skies again.

So I’ve now watched the whole of season 3 and I’m ready for season 4, which I’ve only missed one episode of.