In tribute to the classic haunted house/ghost horror movies of the 1970s, Doctor Who enters into the paranormal of a poltergeist fare, with Hide as Series 7 continues. In a story written by Neil Cross, and directed by Jamie Payne, the Doctor (Matt Smith) and companion Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman) arrive at Claiburn House on November 25, 1974, where they meet two ghost hunters.”

In the gigantic mansion, Professor Alec Palmer (Dougray Scott) and his assistant, an empath named Emma Grayling (Jessica Raine) are investigating a strange apparition that has been appearing on the site since well before it was built. The Doctor and Clara begin to assist them with their investigation, suspecting more to the story than just being a ghost story; while the Doctor may have an additional reason for visiting Claiburn House in 1974…

During TARDISblend 62, we discuss the tributes made to classic horror movies and stories from the Seventies, and take a look at the numerous references to Classic Doctor Who. We also look at the connections with made with the upcoming docudrama focusing on the beginnings of Doctor Who, called An Adventure In Space And Time.

As usual, we make some Classic Who recommendations too… All this and more on the latest TARDISblend!

Doctor Who
Series 7, Episode 8 – “The Rings of Akhaten”
Directed by Farren Blackburn
Written by Neil Cross
Starring: Matt Smith, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Aidan Cook, Michael Dixon, Feth Greenwood, Emilia Jones, and Nicola Sian
BBC America
Air date: April 6, 2013

“We’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?”

If you talk to any avid television fans, they’ll often tell you the exact moment in which they fell in love with their favorite show. But I don’t know many fans who can tell you the exact context in which they fell in love with that show.

Doctor Who was something I was always hesitant to get into, mostly because I felt it was something with such a storied past that I’d never be able to get caught up enough to a point where I’d be able to appreciate it as much as a hardcore fan does. It took months of pressure from friends to jump into the series. I started with Series 5, because many of my friends felt that was the most accessible episode of the series for a new fan. In January of 2011, during a rare snowy day in South Carolina, I fired up “The Eleventh Hour.”

I was hooked.

Series 7 continues with a new episode for Doctor Who entitled The Rings of Akhaten, written by Neil Cross and directed by Farren Blackburn. The Doctor (Matt Smith) continues to investigate the enigma that is new companion Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman), and takes her to the intergalactically famous Rings of Akhaten during their millennial celebrations in an effort to test her humanity…

During TARDISblend 60, we analyze the new Doctor Who episode, discuss what we thought were the more significant aspects of the plot, and highlight some of the continuity “name-dropping” that was nice to see in this latest adventure. Later, we make some Classic Who recommendations too!

All this and more on the latest TARDISblend!