TV GALLERY - Doctor Who Christmas Special 2012

Here's some new stills from this year's Christmas Special of Doctor Who, featuring pictures of new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman.

Who takes a festive return to the Victorian era.

Jenna-Louise Coleman. We know that her character doesn't originate from the Victorian era, so how did she get there? And where did she get the appropriate clothes?

The background looks a bit TARDIS-like, could it be she travelled with the Doctor there?

Matt Smith sporting a new suit.

And finally, the ever-sinister hooded man! Spooky!

Tom :)

THE CRUNCH - 5 Things We Want In Sherlock

A couple of weeks back, we wrote an article with a list of 7 things we wanted to see next year for Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary. You can view that article here. Since that article was so popular, I decided to write another one. Here are 5 things I'd want to see in the next series of Sherlock...

Oh, and a quick warning, if you plan on reading the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books (which I recommend), this article does contain spoilers.

Moran is arrested

1. The Gun
Mark Gatiss has confirmed that the first episode of the new series will be based on Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Empty House. In the short story, we learn that Moriarty's men had been building a very special weapon, a gun that can fire nearly silently. This seemed revolutionary for the time, although now seems a bit dull now that we have developed silencers. But the idea of a secret weapon is very exciting, especially if it's being developed outside of the authorities by Moriarty's league. So in a modern setting what could this weapon be? Nuclear missiles? Lazers? If you have any ideas, let us know in the comments.

Sherlock diguised as a security guard

2. Disguises
Throughout all the Sherlock Holmes books, the great detective uses various disguises to spy on criminals and blend in with eye-witnesses. This hasn't really been exploited in the TV series yet, except for a brief, almost unnecessary, moment in the series 1 finale The Great Game, in which Sherlock breaks into an art gallery disguised as a security guard. I think there is alot of fun to be had here, especially considering that even Watson didn't recognize Holmes in the books when he was in disguise.

Tom Hardy in Inception

3. Charles Milverton
In The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton, Conan Doyle introduces us to a character that Holmes describes as "The worst man in London". Quite high praise, considering Moriarty. Milverton is a suave and sophistcated con-man and black mailer, and I think there's alot more potential for a recurring enemy than there is with Colonel Sebastian Moran, who in the books is Moriarty's right hand man. Moran on screen would be too similar to Andrew Scott's Moriarty, who we've only just lost. Milverton on the other hand, is very different in character. So who could play this slimey aristocrat? For me, two actors spring to mind. One is Inception's Tom Hardy. The other is Being Human's Damien Maloney. Hardy is unlikely to play the role after his current successes in big films such as Prometheus and the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, so Maloney seems a safer bet.

4. Stanley Hopkins

Marshall Lancaster in Life On Mars

In the books, Inspector Hopkins is a young and excitable Scotland Yard detective who sees Holmes as a mentor and tries to employ his methods in his own investigations. He never does succeed however, and calls in the consulting detective on a number of occasions. He's a very funny character, and would be great to see in the TV series. But where could Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, two writers very much grounded in Doctor Who, find a young and excitable actor? *Cough* Matt Smith *cough*. Understandably, they may want to avoid the crossover, so another possibility could be Life On Mars's Marshall Lancaster.

5. The Sign of Four
Finally, I've picked out my favourite Sherlock Holmes story. The Sign Of Four is the second Sherlock Holmes novel and is part murder mystery, part treasure hunt, part adventure epic. What could be more suited to the current TV show, where we have seen Sherlock and John track down Chinese smugglers? Best of all, the whole story culminates in a boat chase down the Thames. Imagine modernising that!

So there's my list. What would you like to see in the next series of Sherlock? Let us know in the comments.
That's also all for this week on Crash Hub. Hope to see you again on Monday.
Tom :)

THE CRUNCH - Doctor Who 50th

Ealier this week, the current Doctor posted the above on Facebook. So we thought we'd answer. We've both decided on our three things we'd want to see when the show turn 50 next year...

Tom's List
1. Russell T Davies
No offence Steven Moffat, but since the takeover in 2010, Doctor Who just hasn't had the same feel it had following the 2005 re-boot. The traditional format has been messed around too much (this message also goes to the makers of the new James Bond movies). There's no denying that Moffat can write fantastic Who scripts - The Empty Child was the best episode in Series 1 - but he just hasn't recently. For a good celebratory episode next year, it needs to be at least co-written by Davies.

2. 2005 Daleks

Not the new corny Teletubby ones that look like free-bees out of a cereal packet. The really cool ones from the re-boot, the worn, "used-future" look. The slightly shorter ones that looked like they'd been pulled out of a chimney. The ones who had the supreme brains to create their own pig slaves and nearly re-create their entire race, not the new ones who got fooled by a jammy dodger. You get my drift.

3. The Master - As Played By John Simm
The Master is definately the best baddie we've had since 2005. John Simm pitched this part perfectly. And for some reason, he's only appeared in four episodes over the last six series' and the Daleks and Cybermen have been in...alot. This is the most important on the list, WE WANT THE MASTER!

Kieron's List
4. The Repeat 
The Doctor goes to a point and place from a previous doctor had to stop some big evil thing, the older the better. And tries not to get involved as he can't be seen by his old self or change his history. We see a classic villain from years ago run behind and around them. A twist could be added where the doctor accidentally screws it up and has to fix it before his old self finds out.

5. Dinosaurs Paradox

Cause a paradox where dinosaurs weren't made extinct and evolved to become the most intelegent species on earth meaning that humans never existed. However time rewrites itself meaning his companion fades into a more lizard like appearance. The new most intelligent species in the present day is much more advanced. Doctors companion doesn't know any different and the doctor has to convince her to help him write the problem. Or it could be that Silurians are these people.

6. TARDIS Damage
The TARDIS is damaged so it slows down and speeds up time randomly but not to the doctor or his companion. Shush this is the best picture I could find for slowing down time!


Tom & Kieron
7. Life On Being Sherlock Who
An Avengers like dream team with the best BBC characters: Sherlock, Hal, Tom and Alex, Gene Hunt and of course The Doctor. With Mycroft as the Nick Fury guy. Maybe The Doctor gets Gene from the past and he can see Alex because he has died loads!


And that's it for another week here at Crash Hub. Next week we will of course have all the usual. Also, over the weekend, we will be uploading episode guides of Primeval Series 5, Doctor Who Series 7 and Sherlock Series 3.
Tom :) and Kieron :O

TV NEWS - Primeval Returns and First Look At New Who Companion

There's barely any news from the TV world this week. Here's all I've managed to scrounge.


Primeval Returns to ITV1 This Month
Better late than never I guess. ITV have announced that they will air the fifth series of the sci-fi, dinosaur cult show this year, starting next week. The show was originally was axed by ITV after series 3, but was resurrected by co-production deal with Watch. Only now have ITV actually decided to show the programme.
For more on this story, click here.

First Picture Of Doctor And New Companion
The first official picture of the new pairing of Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman for the hit series Doctor Who was released on Saturday. Smith said that his new companion "brings a really different energy to the show - one that I think is really interesting.". More importantly though, hey doc, is that a new suit? Liking the waistcoat. Waistcoats are cool.

For more on this story, click here.

So there's your (very short) bulletin for this weeks TV. Later, we'll have a review of the 2005 first series of Torchwood.

Tom :)