Tomstardis Awards - 2nd Update

We’ve reached the half way point of the awards and there has been a new range added to the awards with the Diary of River Song being included as it was released on Christmas Day.

Doctor – Paul McGann
Companion – Nicola Walker

Main Range
Story – The Secret History
Writer – Matt Fitton (Equilibrium)
Director – Barnaby Edwards (The Secret Histroy) & Ken Bentley (Last of the Cybermen)
Cover Designer – Tom Webster (The Secret History)
Music & Sound Designer – Steve Foxon (Criss-Cross)
Series –Sixth & Constance

Short Trips
Story – The King of the Dead
Writer – Mark B Oliver (Dark Convoy)
Performer – Peter Purves (Flywheel Revolution)

Avengers
Story – The Yellow Needle

Novel Adaptions
Story - Damaged Goods
Writer – Jonathan Morris (Damaged Goods)
Director – Ken Bentley (Damaged Goods)
Cover Designer – Tom Webster (The Romance of Crime)
Music Designer – Howard Carter (Damaged Goods)

Fourth Doctor
Story – Requiem for the Rocket Men
Writer – John Dorney (Requiem for the Rocket Men)
Director – Nicholas Briggs (Requiem for the Rocket Men)
Cover Designer – TBC (The Cloisters of Terror)
Music & Sound Designer – Jamie Robertson (Requiem for the Rocket Men)

Dark Eyes
Story – A Life in the Day
Writer – John Dorney (A Life in the Day)

Jago and Litefoot
Story – Jago and Litefoot and Strax
Writer – Justin Richards (Jago and Litefoot and Strax)

Survivors
Story – Leaving
Writer – Matt Fitton (Leaving)

New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield
Story – The Pyramid of Sutekh
Writer – Guy Adams (The Pyramid of Sutekh)

Counter Measures Story
Story – Clean Sweep
Writer – Matt Fitton (Clean Sweep)

Third Doctor Adventures
Story – Prisoners of the Lake
Writer – Justin Richards (Prisoners of the Lake) & Andy Lane (The Havoc of Empires)

Torchwood
Story – Fall to Earth
Writer – James Goss (Fall to Earth)

The Early Adventures
Story – The Black Hole
Writer – Simon Guerrier (The Black Hole)
Director – Lisa Bowerman (The Yes Men & The Black Hole)
Cover Designer – Tom Webster (The Forsaken)
Music & Sound Designer – Toby Hrycek-Robinson (The Yes Men & The Forsaken)

Doom Coalition
Story – The Red Lady
Writer – John Dorney (The Red Lady)

UNIT
Story – Vanguard
Writer – Matt FItton (Armageddon)

COMPANION CHRONICLES
Story – The Locked Room
Writer – Simon Guerrier (The Locked Room)

THE WAR DOCTOR
Story – The Innocent

THE DIARY OF RIVER SONG
Story – The Rulers of the Universe
Writer – No votes yet

Thankyou for those that voted. There will be another update over the new year period. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and enjoyed the DW Christmas Special.

 

Tomstardis Awards Update

Well its been a week with three weeks to go and there has been a fantastic response so far. Here is a ‘quick’ update on who is leading the way in their respective categories.

Doctor – Paul McGann
Companion – Miranda Raison

Main Range
Story – The Secret History
Writer – Matt Fitton (Equilibrium)
Director – Ken Bentley (Last of the Cybermen)
Cover Designer – Tom Webster (The Secret History)
Music & Sound Designer – Steve Foxon (Criss-Cross)
Series – Locum/Sixth

Short Trips
Story – Flywheel Revolution
Writer – Mark B Oliver (Dark Convoy)
Performer – Peter Purves (Flywheel Revolution)

Avengers
Story – The Yellow Needle

Novel Adaptions
Story - Damaged Goods
Writer – Jonathan Morris (Damaged Goods)
Director – Ken Bentley (Damaged Goods)
Cover Designer – Tom Webster (The Romance of Crime)
Music Designer – Howard Carter (Damaged Goods)

Fourth Doctor
Story – Requiem for the Rocket Men
Writer – John Dorney (Requiem for the Rocket Men)
Director – Nicholas Briggs (Requiem for the Rocket Men)
Cover Designer – TBC (The Cloisters of Terror)
Music & Sound Designer – Jamie Robertson (Both Return to Telos & Requiem for the Rocket Men)

Dark Eyes
Story – A Life in the Day
Writer – John Dorney (A Life in the Day)

Jago and Litefoot
Story – Jago and Litefoot and Strax
Writer – Justin Richards (Jago and Litefoot and Strax)

Survivors
Story – Leaving
Writer – Matt Fitton (Leaving)

New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield
Story – The Pyramid of Sutekh
Writer – Guy Adams (The Pyramid of Sutekh)

Counter Measures Story
Story – The Keep/Clean Sweep
Writer – Matt Fitton (Clean Sweep)

Third Doctor Adventures
Story – Prisoners of the Lake
Writer – Justin Richards (Prisoners of the Lake)

Torchwood
Story – Fall to Earth
Writer – James Goss (Fall to Earth)

The Early Adventures
Story – The Black Hole
Writer – Simon Guerrier (Both The Yes Men & The Black Hole)
Director – Lisa Bowerman (The Yes Men & The Black Hole)
Cover Designer – Tom Webster (The Forsaken)
Music & Sound Designer – Toby Hrycek-Robinson (The Yes Men & The Forsaken)

Doom Coalition
Story – The Red Lady
Writer – John Dorney (The Red Lady)

UNIT
Story – Bridgehead/Vanguard/Armageddon
Writer – Matt FItton (Armageddon)

COMPANION CHRONICLES
Story – The Locked Room
Writer – Ian Potter (The Unwining World)

THE WAR DOCTOR
Story – The Innocent

There will be another update at some point over the Christmas Weekend.

The 2015 Tomstardis Awards - Preview

The Tomstardis Awards are now in their ninth year and they are bigger than ever with new categories such as Torchwood and War Doctor categories alongside long running categories such as Favourite Doctor and Favourite Companion.

Favourite Doctor
This category has been won by three of the five nominated Doctors since 2007. Colin Baker has won four times with wins in 2007, 2008, 2009 and most recently in 2014. Paul McGann won back to back in 2010 and 2011 and Peter Davison also won it in back to back years with wins in 2012 and 2013.

Favourite Companion
Only two companions have won this award more than once with Sarah Sutton winning in 2007 and 2012 and Sheridan Smith won it in 2009 and 2011. Frazer Hines is the only male to have won the award when he got the honour in 2010. Other winners include India Fisher (2008), Mary Tamm (2013) and Louise Jameson (2014).

THE MAIN RANGE

Favourite Main Range Story
Four of the winners have been Fifth Doctor stories with Son of the Dragon (2007), The Haunting of Thomas Brewster (2008), The Emerald Tiger (2012) and 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men (2013). The winner has been a Sixth Doctor story twice with The Silver Turk (2010) and Masters of Earth (2014). The Seventh Doctor won a story award once with The Magic Mousetrap (2009) and The Eighth Doctor was successful in 2011 with The Silver Turk.

Favourite Main Range Writer
Barnaby Edwards and Eddie Robson are the most successful winners in this category with two wins each. Edwards won it in 2010 with The Wreck of the Titan and in 2012 with The Emerald Tiger. Eddie Robson won it in 2008 with The Condemned and in 2013 with 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men. Other winners include Steve Lyons won it in 2007 with Son of the Dragon, Nicholas Briggs won it in 2009 with Blue Forgotten Planet, Marc Platt won it in 2011 with The Silver Turk and Mark Wright and Cavan Scott won it last year with Masters of Earth.

Favourite Main Range Director
This award has only been won by two people. Barnaby Edwards won it seven years in a row and Nicholas Briggs was the second person winning it last year for Masters of Earth.

Favourite Main Range Cover Designer
Alex Mallinson is the big winner with three wins. He won it in 2008 for Brotherhood of the Daleks, 2011 for The Silver Turk and in 2012 for 1001 Nights. Barry Piggott won it in 2007 for 100, Ian Robertson won it in 2009 for Patient Zero, Simon Holub won it in 2010 for The Wreck of the Titan, Anthony Lamb won it in 2013 for Fanfare for the Common Men and Tom Webster won it last year for Signs and Wonders.

Favourite Main Range Music & Sound Designer
Howard Carter has been the big winner with four wins. He won it in back to back years with 2009 and 2010 wins for Patient Zero and The Wreck of the Titan respectively. He won it again in back to back years with wins in 2012 and 2013 for The Emerald Tiger and Fanfare for the Common Men respectively. Jamie Robertson won it twice in 2011 for The Silver Turk and last year for Signs and Wonders.

Other winners include ERS who won it in 2007 for Son of the Dragon and David Darlington who won it in 2008 for The Condemned.

Favourite Series
The Fifth Doctor has won two series since the category was created in 2009. The wins came in 2010 and 2012. The Seventh Doctor won it in 2009, the Eighth Doctor won it in 2011 with the Sixth Doctor finally winning a series award in 2014. The 1963 trilogy of stories won it in 2013.

THE COMPANION CHRONICLES

Favourite Companion Chronicles Writer
This category was created quite late in the history of the awards in 2012. James Goss, Jonathan Morris and Matt Fitton have all won it with The Last Post, Mastermind and Luna Romana.

Favourite Companion Chronicles Director
Lisa Bowerman has won two awards with a win in 2012 for The Last Post and in 2014 for Luna Romana. Louise Jameson won it in 2013 for Ghost in the Machine and bearing in mind she is nominated for the Favourite Director award in the main range, she could become the first person to win in these two ranges.

Favourite Companion Chronicles Cover Designer
Damien May has won this category twice with wins in 2013 and 2014 and Alex Mallinson won it in the first year back in 2012.

Favourite Companion Chronicles Music & Sound Designer
Richard Fox & Lauren Yason have won this category twice with wins in 2013 and 2014 with Howard Carter won it in 2012.

BIG WINNERS

9 – Barnaby Edwards
7 – Alex Mallinson & Howard Carter
5 – Ken Bentley
4 – James Goss, John Dorney, Jonathan Morris & Nicholas Briggs
3 – Jamie Robertson, Lisa Bowerman & Matt Fitton
2 – Anthony Lamb, Damien May, Eddie Robson, Ian Potter, Richard Fox & Lauren Yason and Tom Webster

Hell Bent

This series has been highly impressive and when a series has been this good, then it needs a finale that matches this. After the previous episode and knowing that we were going to have an episode on Gallifrey properly. Like the previous episode, this episode has an extended running time. Under the RTD era I would worry because it would mean that the final 15-20 minutes would be sentimental drivel but under Steven Moffat, that wouldn’t be the case. This is the 40^th episode that Steven Moffat has either written or co-written by him and that ties him with David Whittaker and tied fourth most credited wrtier in Doctor Who history. Only Robert Holmes (64), Terry Nation (56) and Malcolm Hulke (47) have written more episodes.

The episode starts off with the Doctor arriving in the café that featured in The Impossible Astronaut back in 2011 and the only person that is there is Clara. I knew that she wasn’t dead because the character is held in too high a regard by Steven Moffat. The way that this episode starts is typical Moffat. The previous episode ends with a fast paced and high energy and so he deliberately starts the episode in quite a slow manner. The Doctor is telling a story and how Gallifrey has moved to the end of time. This does seem to be quite a shift considering all the effort that went into hiding it in The Day of the Doctor. When the Doctor arrives on Gallifrey he is given the traditional greeting that the Doctor usually gets when he visits Gallifrey.

Sadly Rassilon isn’t played by Timothy Dalton. Whether he wasn’t asked or refused to play the role again is unclear. On this occasion Donald Sumpter is in the lead role and I thought that he did a very good job. He got the out of control vibe of the character just right. I thought that once he had been shown up by the Doctor and the firing squad guards then his usefulness ceased. The General was a character from Day of the Doctor and I thought that Ken Bones was a good bit of casting but what came as a surprise was that he regenerated and this is another example of new thinking where he regenerates into a woman.

The whole episode (yet again) seemed to be centred around Clara and this is where I think that the episode starts to crumble. The Doctor manages to extract Clara between her last heartbeat and her death and is determined to try and get around the fact that Clara’s death is a fixed point. I think that it was a mistake bringing Clara back and that ultimately it was a bit of a wasted return to Gallifrey. However the biggest mistake was in the matter of bring Ashildr back. I could see the logic bringing her back in Face the Raven but me in this episode was very little logic behind having her back because I don’t think that she bought anything to the story and also it seemed like they bought her back to stick her in the TARDIS with Clara so there could be the tiniest possibility of a spin-off series which is only likely to happen in the world of Big Finish.

The whole thing about the Doctor forgetting Clara is borrowed from the Big Finish storyline where the Sixth Doctor forgets that he travelled with Charley. I suspect that a majority of those watching this episode wont know that but for someone who has been listening to Big Finish for about a decade now it felt like a nice little nod from Steven Moffat.

Whilst I enjoyed this episode and thought that the running time was very good, it didn’t feel like a finale. It didn’t feel like it had achieved anything really and in that regard, I thought that it was a bit of a disappointment. I think bringing Clara and Ashildr back didn’t achieve anything and the final shot of the TARDIS and the diner flying off in the distance isn’t the best way to end the episode. My worries continue with the NEXT TIME trailer and the reminder that River bleedin Song is making a unwelcomed return to the show.

Back to happier matters and this series has been much stronger than the previous one. Capaldi seemed more confident than in the previous series although the flaws with the series are centred around the obsession with Clara. Hopefully now she is part of Doctor Who history and whoever is chosen to replace her will not be saddled with Clara comparisons. The 35^th series of Doctor Who has suffered from being dumped between Strictly Come Dancing and Casualty and as a result the ratings have suffered but reviews have generally be positive. My hopes for the next series is that this trend continue although in a slightly earlier timeslot.

The Forsaken

The Forsaken is the second opportunity for us to enjoy Elliot Chapman as Ben Jackson. In the previous story Ben didn’t feature much and that was something that was frustrating there but in this story Chapman is more much involved. The story sees the TARDIS crew land on an island just off the coast of Singapore in 1942 but there is a creepy figure lurking around striking fear into people. In fact the more fear that someone is showing the better for the creature.

The creature of the story is one that consumes fear and can change shape to look like anybody and this leads to some slightly predictable moments of whether people are the real thing or this creature impersonating them. I liked how the creature has decided to steal the gimmick of the grim reaper and that is why he dresses the way he does. The way that it was defeated at the end was quite good. It basically fed of itself which has to be a first in Doctor Who.

Due to the fact that they have cast someone as Ben, it was perhaps inevitable that there would be a story that would feature Ben in the more central role. One of the soldiers in the store is actually his dad. I thought that Elliot Chapman does a good job. I did a terrible thing of reading an opinion of this story about how Frazer Hines didn’t seem to be on usual form because he was doing more in the story. I don’t buy that argument because I thought that Hines does his usual impeccable job of sounding like Patrick Troughton. Anneke Wills is also on good form but there was a moment where she was talked into staying with the Doctor where I thought that this was a bit of a throwback to 60’s Who where the woman would stay behind because she’s a woman. I know that this story was suppose to take place during that period but it is still possible to update it a bit.

Whilst I liked this story, I thought that The Yes Men was slightly better. It was very close but this is still an entertaining story. Justin Richards is a very good writer and written a story that has a great plot and is very atmospheric which is vital in an audio adventure. The second series of The Early Adventures is shaping up to be better than the first and I am hearing good things about the next story in this series so things are looking good for the range.