So, did you go to Time Lord Fest in Tampa, FL? If so, did you say Hi to Scott and Debbie? Don’t worry if you didn’t make it. Scott was kind enough to record most of it for you. Rather than post one podcast of three hours and thirty-three minutes in length (seriously), we’re breaking it into several bits. This podcast covers the first event of the evening – Welcome to Time Lord Fest Tampa/Season 6 in Review, featuring Scott & Debbie Viguié, Ken Spivey, Jeffrey Breslauer, and John Reid Adams. We hope that you enjoy the discussion!

Download this podcast from Itunes or Subscribe to our RSS Feed.

Article 35

Shadow Proclamation Podcast: Article 35 – Welcome to Time Lord Fest is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Saturday Night Live has taken on Downton Abbey by spoofing it as if it were a TV show on the American cable network Spike (a network known for it’s lowbrow male centered TV).

It’s hilarious!

Check it out below:

Downton Abbey: Saturday Night Live Takes on Downton Abbey is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This week’s Top Gear takes us to America and China. There isn’t one grand journey for our crew this week. Instead, Richard goes to America to explore the strange American tradition of NASCAR and James and Jeremy go to China to find out if we’ll all be driving Chinese cars one day.

Richard’s exploration of NASCAR was actually very interesting. I’m not a NASCAR fan so it was nice to see someone explain it. Even as an American it explained some things I didn’t understand about it.

My favorite part of the episode was then all the hosts agreed that: ‘Americans are unbelievably easily amused.’ This is not a statement I disagree with.

There was nothing of great interest in the News section as they mostly only talked about cars that will be sold in Europe.

Jeremy reviewed the Mercedes SLS. It’s an impressive car and goes around the track at an impressive clip. However, I found the review rather Charmless.

The Star in a Reasonably Priced Car this week was Matt LeBlanc. He was a great guest and interviewed well. They mostly talked about his show Episodes which is due to back to TV soon. He ends up with the fastest turn around the track and is now at the new top of the standings. Knocked Rowan Atkinson off the top!

After that Jeremy and James go off to Beijing to answer the question of whether or not we’ll all be driving Chinese cars in the future. They go an amusing journey looking at the types of cars available in China. They expound on the fact that the Chinese like to copy things.

It’s an interesting exploration of the current state of the Chinese Auto industry and the Chinese auto consumer. They also get to meet The Stig’s Chinese cousin whose favorite is hobby is to attack people.

All in all it’s pretty interesting episode of Top Gear and I enjoyed watching them explore America as well as China. As always, looking forward to next week.

What did you think of Top Gear Series 18, Episode 2? Let us know in the comments!

Top Gear: Series 18 Episode 2 Review – Richard Goes NASCAR, James and Jeremy go to China is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The Fall is a gripping psychological thriller that forensically examines the lives of two hunters. One is a serial killer who stalks his victims at random in and around Belfast and the other is a talented female Detective Superintendent on secondment from the MET who is brought in to catch him.

Gillian Anderson confirmed in lead role of Allan Cubitt’s new BBC Two drama series The Fall is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Musician Ally Rhodes has written a lovely song dedicated to Doctor Who’s River Song. She describes it as a song about the triumph of love over predetermined destiny.

Check it out below! It’s lovely!

You can buy the song on iTunes!

http://allyrhodes.net
http://twitter.com/allyrhodesmusic
http://facebook.com/allyrhodesmusic
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ally-rhodes/id429975858

Doctor Who: The Ballad for River Song by Ally Rhodes is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Breaking news for Downton Abbey Fans – Shirley MacLaine has been cast in Downton Abbey series 3 as Lady Grandtham’s Mother (Elizabeth McGovern).

Downton Abbey Season three begins filming next month and will air in the UK this fall and in the USA in 2013.

This is great casting and should add some interesting characters to the cast. This means that either someone pays a visit to America or America comes to Downton (one would hope for a certain special event that I can’t talk about until it finishes airing on PBS).

Source.

Downton Abbey: Shirley MacLaine Cast as Lady Grantham’s Mother is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This video is making the rounds on the web and we thought it was fun and worth sharing. A German Doctor Who fan set out to build her own TARDIS and documented the entire process in excruciating detail.

The result is a fun and whimsical journey down the time vortex.

Check it out!

Doctor Who: German Anglophile Builds a TARDIS in her House is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The producers of Top Gear promised to blow up a caravan and film it if they reached 10,000,000 fans on Facebook.

This is the result:

Brilliant!

Top Gear Hits 10 Million Fans on Facebook – Blow up a Caravan in Celebration is a post from: Anglotopia.net

HBO has released the first proper trailer of the second season of Game of Thrones which premieres on HBO on April 1st, 2012.

Check it out below:

We can’t wait!

Game of Thrones Season 2 Trailer Preview Video Released – Watch Now! is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The Top Gear Christmas India Special elicited much negative responses – but Britain’s newspapers and the commenters on this site itself. So, in Top Gear fashion, they sought to address that at the beginning of series 18. By starting with a joke and proving that they really don’t care what any of us have to say.

With the first episode of series 18, Top Gear is back in form as we expect and is definitely stronger than the previously mentioned Christmas special.

We get a tantalizing preview of what’s to come in series 18 and it looks exciting – the most surprising bit of information was that there’s going to be 7 total episodes – not 6 as has been standard lately.

The big feature of this episode was an Italian Supercar road trip across Italy. I don’t really care nor am I impressed by supercars. But it was still a fun adventure, especially as they each deal with the quirks of their cars and the quirks of Italy in general. I think the most amazing bit of information was that when Richard’s car breaks down, the manufacturer drove a new one all the way from England to Italy overnight.

The most controversial line of the episode is probably this one when Jeremy says “Tahiti is terrible. It’s full of Americans looking at Dolphins.” Eagle eyed will need to watch it when it airs on BBC America to see if that’s edited out.

The news segment was surprisingly uncontroversial but they covered a few interesting topics.

The star in the reasonably priced care was Will.I.Am and he was an interesting interview. He’s starting his own car company making strange-looking hybrid cars putting economically disadvantaged people to work – which impressed Jeremy.

Overall is was a strong start to series 18 and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

What did you think of Top Gear Series 18 – Episode one? Let us know in the comments!

Top Gear: Series 18 Episode 1 Review – Italian Supercar Race Across Italy is a post from: Anglotopia.net

YouTuber BabelColour has taken a clip from every Doctor Who story (minus the lost ones) from 1963 to the modern day and combined them into one video.

Awesome.

From the video description:

An updated and expanded version of my 2008 video, detailing every Doctor Who adventure from ‘An Unearthly Child’ in 1963 right up to ‘The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe’ Christmas Special. But remember, there are still 106 episodes missing from the BBC archives.

The re-coloured clip of ‘The Mind of Evil’ is one of several from the UNIT documentary on the ‘Day of the Daleks’ DVD. Clips from other missing serials have come from a variety of different sources. I have hand-colourised the ‘Ambassadors of Death’ trailer clip especially for this video tribute.

The numbering is a personal issue. I consulted with Wikipedia when compiling the tribute but I disagreed with some of the decisions made by the people who contributed to the page. ‘A Good Man Goes To War’ is not, in my opinion, part of a two-episode story with ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’. The storyline, locations, guest artists and directors are all different. Similarly, I consider ‘Utopia’ to be a single episode, with a suffiently different plot (an a different director) to the 2-part ‘Sound of Drums’/'Last of the Time Lords’. Other fans are bound to be in uproar, but it all comes down to personal opinion. All I can suggest to those who disagree is… go make your own tribute!

Doctor Who: Every Doctor Who Story from 1963 to 2011 in one Video is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This. Is. Awesome.

CNET Looks at the TARDIS safe that is unlocked with your smart phone – Coming Late 2012!

Doctor Who: Company to Release TARDIS Safe that Opens with Your Mobile is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Good news for David Tennant Fans – we’ve finally got the first trailer for The Decoy Bride! David stars in this romantic comedy set on a quant Scottish Isle where they try to use a decoy bride to throw off the paparazzi. It also stars Kelly McDonald (Boardwalk Empire).

Check out the trailer below:

The Decoy Bride opens on IFC On Demand on February 3rd and in Theaters in March. We’ll have a review when it comes out on IFC.

David Tennant: The First Decoy Trailer Bride Released is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Our friends at Acorn Media (the company that brings British TV shows to the USA on DVD) have launched an Agatha Christie themed sweepstakes giving away a fantastic trip to Britain. Not only will you win a trip to Britain, you’ll also get a visit to the set of Poirot or Marple while it’s being filmed.

The prize includes:

ONE (1) GRAND PRIZE: A trip for two (2) to London, England and the opportunity to visit the set of a production of Agatha Christie’s Poirot or Marple. Trip package includes round-trip, coach-class air transportation for two (2) from a major airport near winner’s home (determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) to London, England; five (5) nights’ (four (4) nights in London, England and one (1) night in Paris, France) accommodations at a hotel determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion (single room, double occupancy); ground transportation to and from airport and hotel; tour of Agatha Christie’s holiday home at Greenway (transportation to Greenway provided); a one (1) day train trip from London, England to Paris, France on the British Pullman Orient Express with one (1) night’s accommodations (single room, double occupancy) in Paris, France at a hotel determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion; the opportunity to visit the set of a production of Agatha Christie’s Poirot or Marple (all details and itinerary regarding the visit to the set of a production of Agatha Christie’s Poirot or Marple will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion); two (2) admission tickets to a performance of “The Mousetrap” at St. Martin’s Theatre (terms and conditions apply); and a DVD library of Agatha Christie’s programs (DVD library consists of at least fifty-six (56) DVDs total).

The contest is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry. You have until April 30th 2012 to enter.

Anglotopia Contest Disclaimer – PLEASE READ – before you email us and complain about the contest please understand that we are NOT running this contest NOR are we affiliated with it in anyway. We are merely providing the information that this contest exists. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO ENTER!

Anglophile Alert: Win an Agatha Christie Themed Trip to Britain from Acorn Media is a post from: Anglotopia.net

By Larry Jaffee, Walford Gazette – Larry is trying to raise money to launch a British Culture themed magazine in the USA. See the details here.

A week later, I am still coming to grips with Pam St Clement permanently hanging up her earrings, or more accurately, the infamous, diverse collection of jewelry that hung from the ear lobes of her character Pat for 25 years on EastEnders.

Being in the States watching EastEnders episodes on ‘public TV’ (more than seven-and-a-half years behind what’s broadcast in the UK by BBC1), I’m living in an EastEnders timewarp. For example, the night before last on WLIW, the station here in New York, Pat was the centre of attention in two back-to-back episodes, during which she coerced Janine into confessing that she was responsible for Barry’s death.

Melodrama at its best, the episode also contained Pat trying to get Janine to ease up in her harassment of unlucky Laura, who ten minutes later ends up leaving little Bobby motherless after an accidental fall down the stairs. Pat was the only person in the Square who showed any compassion to Laura, and naturally she took charge of informing everyone who needed to know of her friend’s death. In that episode, Pat realises how evil Janine has become, even way beyond what she thought was possible.

That’s why it was so strange to see Janine and Pat – in the scene at Pat’s deathbed – proverbially bury the hatchet, even though Janine’s plan was to evict the dying woman and her extended family from the house. Obviously the barely conscious Pat had other things on her mind (i.e., the afterlife). Meanwhile, Janine underwent a complete personality change in a split second. Well, just chalk it up to occasional soap slip-ups. Could it have really been her pregnant status that made Janine a human being, at least for a minute?

In the past, Janine laughed at death in her face (i.e., Barry) and she would have relished being at the bottom of the staircase where Laura met her plight. I could hear her say, ‘Oops… Laura, you cow … You’re so clumsy!’ (Hey, I should be writing for the show, Elstree.) More often than not, EastEnders’ kitchen-sink realism wrenches the guts of the converted. Why do we care about these fictional characters? But we do.

[In the interest of full disclosure, I occasionally sneak an online peek at what’s playing in the UK for a monumental storyline, such as Pat’s death, as we Stateside fans wait for the official launch of the iPlayer, for which we’re going to have pay monthly about US$8. It was announced in the summer that it would be available in the fall, but still no signs of it.]

Back to Pam, who was interviewed twice by Walford Gazette contributor Tim Wilson – once in 1995 (reprinted on page 67 of my book Albert Square & Me: The Actors of EastEnders) and again in 1999. WG contributor Suzanne Lafrance stayed at her New York hotel when the actress was in town 13 December 2000 to help fundraise to keep EastEnders on the air at WLIW-TV, out on Long Island. That’s where I first met St Clement. Unfortunately, it was the same night that Al Gore decided to concede the presidential election, so contributions weren’t as good as they could have been. We can blame George W. Bush for that too, in addition to bankrupting the global economy.

A few months later, I unexpectedly met Pam again on a happier night in Manchester at Granada’s studios when we were both booked for a taping of the talk show Soap Fever, whose presenter was EastEnders alumnus Nadia Sawalha (Annie Palmer). I was planted in the audience, and Nadia introduced me as ‘the editor of the world’s only EastEnders fanzine’, prompting me to ask Pam a question. I nervously bellowed, ‘Who was Wicksy’s dad?!?’ Pam must have been asked that same question a thousand times, but responded with a quick quip: ‘A lady never tells, Larry’.

EastEnders will sorely miss the moral compass that Pat Beale Wicks Butcher Evans – whom we fans no doubt took for granted – held for a quarter century as Albert Square’s streetwise elder stateswoman. At least I have more than seven years to come to cherish her importance.

Larry Jaffee

Editor & Publisher, Walford Gazette

Eastenders: A World Without EastEnders’ Pat: The End of An Earring is a post from: Anglotopia.net

We’ve come across this awesome timelapse video of a team working to build a Dalek out of Lego.

It’s awesome.

Check it out below:

Daleks build their numbers for Toy Fair as 157,000 piece work of art is unveiled.

A life-size model of Doctor Who’s most feared foe will be unveiled at Toy Fair that has been specially constructed from building bricks. The bright red Dalek measuring nearly 2 meters has been made in celebration of the Character Building Doctor Who range of micro figures and construction playsets that were first unveiled this time last year.

The facts speak for themselves constructing this mechanical monster was some fete and one which the Doctor himself would be proud of. Here’s the data…

4 people
328 man hours
157460 separate painstakingly connected together pieces
Weight 280 kg
Height 190 cm

Doctor Who: Timelapse Video of the Construction of a Lego Dalek – Awesome is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Her Ladyship, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, as played by Maggie Smith on Downton Abbey mashed up with some of her beautiful lines.

This is a family blog but the video is titled Sh*t Dowager Countesses Say – following the current trend of internet videos.

Downton Abbey: Sh*t Dowager Countesses Say – Hilarious Video is a post from: Anglotopia.net

PBS announced today that SECRETS OF THE MANOR HOUSE will premiere on January 22, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings) and will stream in its entirety beginning January 23 on video.pbs.org. A fascinating glimpse of life behind the velvet curtains, SECRETS OF THE MANOR HOUSE goes inside the great homes of Edwardian England, recently brought to life on PBS’ MASTERPIECE. One hundred years ago the British manor house was in its heyday, sheltering families of enormous wealth and privilege within its stately walls. But what was really going on behind closed doors, where these wealthy families and their poor servants coexisted? Shot on location at some of Britain’s finest estates and country houses and featuring interviews with contemporary masters and the servants, SECRETS OF THE MANOR HOUSE reveals that life in the manor house was a world unchanged for almost a thousand years. By the time the 20th century entered its second decade, mounting financial, political and social pressures would alter the world of the Edwardian aristocrat forever.

“SECRETS OF THE MANOR HOUSE allows viewers to delve deeper and understand the history and context behind costume dramas that MASTERPIECE has made famous on PBS,” said Beth Hoppe, PBS vice president of programming. “This new special gives viewers an enriched understanding of the historical circumstances that shaped the fictional characters they love.”

SECRETS OF THE MANOR HOUSE goes inside two of Britain’s most legendary manor houses, Manderston in Berwickshire and Dunham Massey, former home of the Earl of Stamford. During the Edwardian era, behind the facades of these great houses, a hidden army of up to 300 servants tended to every need of an aristocratic family. In 1901, there were more than 1.5 million servants in Britain and grand estates occupied half the land. The tradition of primogeniture insured that they were handed down to the first-born son. Land was power and wealth, and not only did the first-born son inherit the land, he inherited the title of earl, marquess or duke, and the political power that accompanied it. And like their masters, the serving classes in the great manor houses also adhered to a well-defined ranking system.

SECRETS OF THE MANOR HOUSE features some of the premiere historians of the Edwardian era, including Lawrence James (The Illustrated Rise and Fall of the British Empire.) As he and others explain, by Edwardian times, the agricultural revenues of the great country estates were dwindling. With the Industrial Revolution, wealth began moving away from agriculture and into manufacturing and banking. While the easiest solution would have been to sell some of their land, the practice of entailment demanded that estates be passed on intact. Many aristocrats, finding themselves in need of cash, married rich American heiresses in a trend that was quietly called “cash for titles.” As historian Dr. Elisabeth Kehoe (Fortune’s Daughters: The Extravagant Lives of the Jerome Sisters) recounts, among the many American heiresses who married into the aristocracy was Jennie Jerome, who wed the second son of the Duke of Marlborough and was mother to Winston Churchill.

Rumblings of change were also coming from below stairs. Those who served the lords and ladies led backbreaking lives of non-stop work for little pay and less freedom. Thousands of working-class Edwardians left these country estates to make their way across the sea to America, hoping for a better life and more freedom in the land of opportunity. When hundreds of these would-be immigrants, traveling in second and third class, perished in the sinking of the Titanic, the inequity of the British class system was shown to the world in all its ugliness.

In 1914, the outbreak of the First World War caused complete upheaval in British society. It was the men of the aristocracy who, as officers, led the soldiers into battle. A brutal, terrible war, it sent millions of young men to their deaths, most of whom did not even have the right to vote.

By 1918 when the war had ended, an old world had passed away and the modern era had begun. For the British aristocracy, it was the end of life as they had known it. But it is a world that lives on in the continued popularity of authors from Jane Austen to Evelyn Waugh, and beloved television series from “Upstairs, Downstairs” to “Downton Abbey.”

PBS To Explore the Secrets of the British Manor House on January 22nd is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Top Gear will be returning to screen in the UK soon for it’s 18th series and we’ve got the first preview trailer. Check it out below!

Top Gear: First Preview Trailer for Top Gear Series 18 is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This alert it to let everyone know that Anthony Bourdain’s new show The Layover will be stopping in London tonight on The Travel Channel.

The Layover airs at 9PM EST/ 8PM CST on the Travel Channel and Travel Channel HD.

Here’s a description:

A layover in London, Tony’s “home away from home,” means catching up with chef friends Marco Pierre White and Fergus Henderson. He has just enough time for a few pints and a visit to a real-life little shop of horrors before his flight home.

Click here for pictures and Video on the official website.

Anglophile Alert! Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover in London Tonight on Travel Channel is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Julian Fellowes accepts the Golden Globe for Downton Abbey in the Best Mini-Series category, discussing the programme’s “extraordinary adventure”.

Downton Abbey wins big as the best mini-series at 2012 Golden Globes is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Minutes after Sherlock Series 2 concluded with a bang in the UK, showrunner Stephen Moffat let loose that there will in fact be a third series. And actually the BBC ordered the third series when they commissioned the second.

So we can expect more Sherlock awesomeness in the future!

That said – just exactly when will Sherlock Series 3 air? That’s a harder question to answer. Both Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch will be busy finishing and promoting The Hobbit in 2012 so I doubt we’ll see any more Sherlock until 2013 at the earliest.

Good news for American fans who’ve been left out of Sherlock Series 2 so far – we have confirmed airdates for series two on PBS.

Sherlock Series 2 will air in 3 installments on PBS Masterpiece on May 6, 13th and 20th. So, now we all know for sure when Sherlock Series 2 will air in the USA!

Sherlock Series 3 Confirmed – US Airdates for Series 2 Set! is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais insults Johnny Depp and Madonna as well as the ceremony itself during the awards. Here’s a video of Ricky’s highlights from last night.

What did you think of Ricky Gervais at the 2012 Golden Globes? How did he do?

Golden Globes: Video Highlights of Ricky Gervais Hosting the 2012 Golden Globes is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Herein lies the final installment of my three part series:  Taylor’s immediate reaction to her first viewing of the new Sherlock.

~Warning. Spoilers abound and post is sorely unedited or proofread~

So it has come to this. We have reached the end of series two. And what an ending indeed.

I went  into this episode expecting to cry, and yet, I didn’t. But that is not to say that the episode didn’t pack an emotional punch.
As always, I’ll just stick with the bullet point list format, as the more complete conversation will take place on the podcast.

• Andrew Scott is an incredible person.
• The twist in which Moriarty attempts to make everyone believe that Sherlock made him up is brilliant.
• Molly, being the lynchpin of Sherlock’s plans, as well as Sherlock’s emotional touchstone is a wonderful usage of a character that has always been close to my heart.
• The acting.
• All of the touches of humor, from John’s discussion of Sherlock’s ‘we both know what is going on’ face, to the Yarders giving Sherlock a deerstalker.

Again, not going too deep into this, as I haven’t really processed yet, and the big discussion will be a part of the podcast. Now, let’s start theorizing on how Sherlock pulled it off!

What did you think? Let us know in the comments!

Sherlock: Series 2 Episode 3 – The Reichenbach Fall Review – SPOILERS!!! is a post from: Anglotopia.net

HBO has set a date for the return of Game of Thrones.

Our journey through Westoros begins again on April 1st, 2012 for another 10 episode season on HBO.

We can’t wait!

Games of Thrones Return Date Set! is a post from: Anglotopia.net