Impossible Podcasts
- Description:
- Lively discussion of the fiction of the fantastic on television, in books and in films, including Doctor Who fan commentaries
Homepage: http://www.impossiblepodcasts.com/
RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ImpossiblePodcasts-DoctorWhoUniverse
- Episodes:
- 194
- Average Episode Duration:
- 0:0:05:04
- Longest Episode Duration:
- 0:1:43:06
- Total Duration of all Episodes:
- 0 days, 16 hours, 23 minutes and 57 seconds
- Earliest Episode:
- 26 June 2011 (9:30pm GMT)
- Latest Episode:
- 19 May 2013 (12:03am GMT)
- Average Time Between Episodes:
- 3 days, 13 hours, 37 minutes and 17 seconds
Impossible Podcasts Episodes
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Video games - 'Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team' - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsThis week, resident games geek Olivia Cottrell indulges her inner (and outer) nerd in the franchise that swallowed so many of our adolescent hours. And there's no need to fork out for a new Codex...
Impossible Podcasts, I have a confession to make. My name is Olivia Cottrell, and I am a former Warhammer 40,000 tabletop gamer. Yes, some of my most formative years were spent hunched over tiny plastic figurines huffing more paint fumes than was probably good for me. I can tell you why painting an Ork vehicle red makes it go faster. I have read no less than five Dan Abnett books. I even, Emperor help me, know what a Krootox is. The Warhammer 40k universe, with its bold strokes of evil aliens versus grim (but noble) bald men lends itself exceptionally well to a certain style of tongue-in-cheek video gaming, and I was excited to revisit that world without accidentally gluing my hand to the table.
Read more >>
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Video games - 'Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team' - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsThis week, resident games geek Olivia Cottrell indulges her inner (and outer) nerd in the franchise that swallowed so many of our adolescent hours. And there's no need to fork out for a new Codex...
Impossible Podcasts, I have a confession to make. My name is Olivia Cottrell, and I am a former Warhammer 40,000 tabletop gamer. Yes, some of my most formative years were spent hunched over tiny plastic figurines huffing more paint fumes than was probably good for me. I can tell you why painting an Ork vehicle red makes it go faster. I have read no less than five Dan Abnett books. I even, Emperor help me, know what a Krootox is. The Warhammer 40k universe, with its bold strokes of evil aliens versus grim (but noble) bald men lends itself exceptionally well to a certain style of tongue-in-cheek video gaming, and I was excited to revisit that world without accidentally gluing my hand to the table.
Read more >>
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Game of Thrones - Ep 7: You Win or You Die - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsThings are hotting up in Westeros but Kieran Mathers wonders just how far a show should go to keep its audience interested. Perhaps the Starks just need a brisk walk...
An awful lot of Game of Thrones is exposition. It's not a police procedural, after all, and the world has to be defined through dialogue as there is little else to relate it to an unfamiliar audience. Disguising this exposition is one of the hardest tricks for a writer to pull off. One solution is to have a distraction or a gimmick to make such scenes more visually interesting. TV is a visual medium and has been taking advantage of this for a long time.
A great example of this is The West Wing. To keep expository scenes interesting, writer Aaron Sorkin made the characters walk. It didn't matter where they were walking, just that the dialogue had some action to it. He later admitted the only reason he had done this is to stop characters talking to each other statically, and in the process created a new verb: 'To sorkin' - the act of walking fiercely in one direction while holding a rapid-fire conversation. Intelligence and a good sense of direction is required.
However, Game of Thrones has discovered something different in the form of visual gimmicks: noble butchery and ... sigh ... lesbian tryouts. I wish I were kidding.
Read more >>
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Game of Thrones - Ep 7: You Win or You Die - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsThings are hotting up in Westeros but Kieran Mathers wonders just how far a show should go to keep its audience interested. Perhaps the Starks just need a brisk walk...
An awful lot of Game of Thrones is exposition. It's not a police procedural, after all, and the world has to be defined through dialogue as there is little else to relate it to an unfamiliar audience. Disguising this exposition is one of the hardest tricks for a writer to pull off. One solution is to have a distraction or a gimmick to make such scenes more visually interesting. TV is a visual medium and has been taking advantage of this for a long time.
A great example of this is The West Wing. To keep expository scenes interesting, writer Aaron Sorkin made the characters walk. It didn't matter where they were walking, just that the dialogue had some action to it. He later admitted the only reason he had done this is to stop characters talking to each other statically, and in the process created a new verb: 'To sorkin' - the act of walking fiercely in one direction while holding a rapid-fire conversation. Intelligence and a good sense of direction is required.
However, Game of Thrones has discovered something different in the form of visual gimmicks: noble butchery and ... sigh ... lesbian tryouts. I wish I were kidding.
Read more >>
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 4. 'Escape to LA' - Spoiler-free review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge previews 'Escape to LA', the fourth episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day. The Torchwood team arrive in Los Angeles, but there's no time for sun and surf...
Torchwood: Miracle Day continues to build steadily in 'Escape to LA', as the world tries come to terms with what to do with the undying sick and injured. Gwen's not the only member of the Torchwood team attempting to protect their family, and in each case, it brings unhappy consequences.
Arriving in Los Angeles, the Torchwood team take the fight to PhiCorp, but a trap is closing around them. Meanwhile, Tea Party politician Ellis Hartley Monroe is stirring up the masses with the slogan "Dead is Dead", and stealing Oswald Dane's limelight while she's at it...
Oswald Dane's self-preserving self-promotion reaches new heights, or depths. Although he's one of the most interesting characters, I find the role he takes on at the end of episode 3 as unofficial spokesman for PhiCorp to be rather unbelievable. Even if he was able to win some measure of sympathy on Twitter, a convicted child rapist and murderer who's escaped justice would still be a massively hated and controversial figure. His trajectory in this episode is no more credible, though his interplay with Jilly Kitzinger in this episode is entertaining.
Dr Vera faces the medical emergency and ethical questions. "The Western world has always hidden its unwanted", one character observes with the clunkety-clunk of unsubtle social commentary in one scene. It's good to see some of the larger patterns and theme of the series beginning to emerge more clearly.
There's also a building sense of foreboding as the extent of PhiCorp's plans begins to be revealed. A generous dash of action and humour go a long way once more to keeping the whole show watchable amid its many improbabilities. Watch out for Gwen's attempt at an American accent!
So far Miracle Day has never been less than entertaining, but has yet to fully deliver on the promise of its premise. Four episodes in, the show really needs to be hitting its stride, but it still feels stuck in third gear. It continues to dangle the promise of greater things to come in front of the viewer. I'm intrigued by the Miracle Day concept, and the irreverence of the show keeps me watching, but it has yet to wow me.
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 4. 'Escape to LA' - Spoiler-free review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge previews 'Escape to LA', the fourth episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day. The Torchwood team arrive in Los Angeles, but there's no time for sun and surf...
Torchwood: Miracle Day continues to build steadily in 'Escape to LA', as the world tries come to terms with what to do with the undying sick and injured. Gwen's not the only member of the Torchwood team attempting to protect their family, and in each case, it brings unhappy consequences.
Arriving in Los Angeles, the Torchwood team take the fight to PhiCorp, but a trap is closing around them. Meanwhile, Tea Party politician Ellis Hartley Monroe is stirring up the masses with the slogan "Dead is Dead", and stealing Oswald Dane's limelight while she's at it...
Oswald Dane's self-preserving self-promotion reaches new heights, or depths. Although he's one of the most interesting characters, I find the role he takes on at the end of episode 3 as unofficial spokesman for PhiCorp to be rather unbelievable. Even if he was able to win some measure of sympathy on Twitter, a convicted child rapist and murderer who's escaped justice would still be a massively hated and controversial figure. His trajectory in this episode is no more credible, though his interplay with Jilly Kitzinger in this episode is entertaining.
Dr Vera faces the medical emergency and ethical questions. "The Western world has always hidden its unwanted", one character observes with the clunkety-clunk of unsubtle social commentary in one scene. It's good to see some of the larger patterns and theme of the series beginning to emerge more clearly.
There's also a building sense of foreboding as the extent of PhiCorp's plans begins to be revealed. A generous dash of action and humour go a long way once more to keeping the whole show watchable amid its many improbabilities. Watch out for Gwen's attempt at an American accent!
So far Miracle Day has never been less than entertaining, but has yet to fully deliver on the promise of its premise. Four episodes in, the show really needs to be hitting its stride, but it still feels stuck in third gear. It continues to dangle the promise of greater things to come in front of the viewer. I'm intrigued by the Miracle Day concept, and the irreverence of the show keeps me watching, but it has yet to wow me.
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 3. 'Dead of Night' - Discussion
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge and P.G. Bell discuss episode 3, Dead of Night (spoiler-free review here), including Captain Jack's "mortal urges", the implausible rise of Oswald Danes and whether Miracle Day is suffering from Lost syndrome.
With Swithun in America, Peter moving house, and Caleb going to a wedding and a job interview, real life has caught up with us, meaning a discussion rather than a commentary this week - but never fear, normal service will be resumed next week! Or at least, our usual episode commentary - we make no pretensions towards normality.
Length: 22 minutes
Download: Click here
Did you enjoy episode 3 of Torchwood? Are you gripped by each episode, or is your attention beginning to wander? What's the purpose of the Miracle - is PhiCorp behind it, and why? Let us know your opinions, theories and speculation!
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 3. 'Dead of Night' - Discussion
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge and P.G. Bell discuss episode 3, Dead of Night (spoiler-free review here), including Captain Jack's "mortal urges", the implausible rise of Oswald Danes and whether Miracle Day is suffering from Lost syndrome.
With Swithun in America, Peter moving house, and Caleb going to a wedding and a job interview, real life has caught up with us, meaning a discussion rather than a commentary this week - but never fear, normal service will be resumed next week! Or at least, our usual episode commentary - we make no pretensions towards normality.
Length: 22 minutes
Download: Click here
Did you enjoy episode 3 of Torchwood? Are you gripped by each episode, or is your attention beginning to wander? What's the purpose of the Miracle - is PhiCorp behind it, and why? Let us know your opinions, theories and speculation!
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 3. 'Dead of Night' - Spoiler-free review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge previews 'Dead of Night', the third episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day. With Torchwood on the run, can they uncover the secrets of the Miracle?
After some slow development in Rendition, the plot picks up again in Dead of Night, as Torchwood begin investigating the Miracle in earnest. This week's episode comes from the pen of Jane Espenson, scribe for Buffy and Battlestar Galactica and builds the story well as the new Torchwood team begins to come together, while the cult of the Soulless takes to the streets.
The main weakness of episode 2 of Miracle Day was that the Torchwood team - which was technically just Gwen at this point - was too busy brewing a magic potion to save Jack to actually do anything to investigate the Miracle. Here, Torchwood are being hunted down while actually investigating what's going on, which makes for a much better balance.
Read more >>
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 3. 'Dead of Night' - Spoiler-free review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge previews 'Dead of Night', the third episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day. With Torchwood on the run, can they uncover the secrets of the Miracle?
After some slow development in Rendition, the plot picks up again in Dead of Night, as Torchwood begin investigating the Miracle in earnest. This week's episode comes from the pen of Jane Espenson, scribe for Buffy and Battlestar Galactica and builds the story well as the new Torchwood team begins to come together, while the cult of the Soulless takes to the streets.
The main weakness of episode 2 of Miracle Day was that the Torchwood team - which was technically just Gwen at this point - was too busy brewing a magic potion to save Jack to actually do anything to investigate the Miracle. Here, Torchwood are being hunted down while actually investigating what's going on, which makes for a much better balance.
Read more >>
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Video Games - Sonic The Hedgehog - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsReady for a blast from the past? As SEGA's champion celebrates his 20th birthday, video games industry insider Christopher Bell looks back to the game that started it all and wonders if Sonic can ever regain his winning streak. Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below!
June 23rd, 1991. After an in-house contest to design a new mascot, SEGA finally had something that could give Mario a run (pun intended) for his money. Poor old Alex Kidd was given his marching orders and replaced by an impatient, sapphire speed demon by the name of Sonic. Although SEGA eventually lost the console war against Nintendo's SNES, the once chasm-sized difference in market share narrowed to a spine's breadth. At one point, he was as popular as Mickey Mouse, with a huge range of merchandise (books, ring binders, plush dolls and even ketchup!), a Macy's Day balloon and a gene (one that controls the development of your digits and organisation of your brain) to his name.
Now, 20 years later and on the verge of a Star Trek-esque anniversary reboot; Sonic the Hedgehog, this is your life...
Read more >>
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Video Games - Sonic The Hedgehog - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsReady for a blast from the past? As SEGA's champion celebrates his 20th birthday, video games industry insider Christopher Bell looks back to the game that started it all and wonders if Sonic can ever regain his winning streak. Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below!
June 23rd, 1991. After an in-house contest to design a new mascot, SEGA finally had something that could give Mario a run (pun intended) for his money. Poor old Alex Kidd was given his marching orders and replaced by an impatient, sapphire speed demon by the name of Sonic. Although SEGA eventually lost the console war against Nintendo's SNES, the once chasm-sized difference in market share narrowed to a spine's breadth. At one point, he was as popular as Mickey Mouse, with a huge range of merchandise (books, ring binders, plush dolls and even ketchup!), a Macy's Day balloon and a gene (one that controls the development of your digits and organisation of your brain) to his name.
Now, 20 years later and on the verge of a Star Trek-esque anniversary reboot; Sonic the Hedgehog, this is your life...
Read more >>
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Video: Meet the Impossible Podcasts team!
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsWho are the impossible people behind the Impossible Podcasts? Meet the team as we discuss our favourite eras of Doctor Who, our geek interests and specialties, and our claims to geek fame!
What about you - what are your geek interests, and what else would you like to see us cover? Do you have any cool "claim to fame" stories? And what do you think of our first foray into video? Let us know below!
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Video: Meet the Impossible Podcasts team!
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsWho are the impossible people behind the Impossible Podcasts? Meet the team as we discuss our favourite eras of Doctor Who, our geek interests and specialties, and our claims to geek fame!
What about you - what are your geek interests, and what else would you like to see us cover? Do you have any cool "claim to fame" stories? And what do you think of our first foray into video? Let us know below!
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Game of Thrones - Ep 6: A Golden Crown - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsHBO's headline fantasy series is gathering pace and our reviewer, Kieran Mathers, is enjoying the ride... As always, some mild spoilers lie ahead. If you're new to the world of Westeros, be sure to check out our primer.
Gosh. When you don't think it can get any better, this show manages to up the bar once more. There is so much good to talk about in this episode that I'm going to get the bad out of the way first so we can enjoy what was yet another spectacular episode.
I probably should have mentioned this last week, but I hate what they've done with the Eyrie. It is the first major visual misstep (barring plaster) that the show has made. In the books, the Eyrie sits atop a mountain spur, higher almost than the clouds, an impregnable fortress with an incredibly treacherous path leading up to it. It could have looked absolutely amazing, with stunning views from the top - a smaller Minas Tirith of the mountains.
What we get instead is something that looks more like the Dome of the Rock - a temple rather than a castle. For some reason it also appeared to have taken over a small hilltop instead of a high mountain crag.
I think I can understand why the show's designers decided to do it that way, thinking perhaps that each area has to be visually distinct. But to fall into the trap of thinking that the Eyrie should not have stone walls and battlements because the other castles we have seen also possess those is akin to saying a dog is a cat as both have fur.
Read more >>
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Game of Thrones - Ep 6: A Golden Crown - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsHBO's headline fantasy series is gathering pace and our reviewer, Kieran Mathers, is enjoying the ride... As always, some mild spoilers lie ahead. If you're new to the world of Westeros, be sure to check out our primer.
Gosh. When you don't think it can get any better, this show manages to up the bar once more. There is so much good to talk about in this episode that I'm going to get the bad out of the way first so we can enjoy what was yet another spectacular episode.
I probably should have mentioned this last week, but I hate what they've done with the Eyrie. It is the first major visual misstep (barring plaster) that the show has made. In the books, the Eyrie sits atop a mountain spur, higher almost than the clouds, an impregnable fortress with an incredibly treacherous path leading up to it. It could have looked absolutely amazing, with stunning views from the top - a smaller Minas Tirith of the mountains.
What we get instead is something that looks more like the Dome of the Rock - a temple rather than a castle. For some reason it also appeared to have taken over a small hilltop instead of a high mountain crag.
I think I can understand why the show's designers decided to do it that way, thinking perhaps that each area has to be visually distinct. But to fall into the trap of thinking that the Eyrie should not have stone walls and battlements because the other castles we have seen also possess those is akin to saying a dog is a cat as both have fur.
Read more >>
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 2. 'Rendition' - Commentary
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge, P.G. Bell and Swithun Dobson give our commentary on episode 2, Rendition (spoiler-free review here, detailed review to follow), as we discuss CIA security, DIY chemistry, zombie Ianto and much more!
The newly reunited Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper (John Barrowman and Eve Myles) find themselves separated from Rhys (Kai Owen) and baby Anwen (aaaw!) as Rex Matherson (Mekhi Phifer) extradites them to the good old U. S. of A. But with sinister CIA agent Lyn Peterfield (Dichen Lachman off of Nieghbours and Dollhouse) taking orders from above, will they even make it across the Atlantic? (Yes, since it's only episode 2!)
Plus we discuss your feedback - thanks to Adam Purcell of Staggering Stories, A Figleaf of your Imagination (aka Aled Morgan) of Blogga the Hut and to Shuggie for their comments.
Length: 1 hour 5 minutes
Download: Click here
Did you enjoy episode 2? Did the high-flying shenanigans grip you or bore you? What were your favourite scenes? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned for our spoiler-free preview of episode 3!
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 2. 'Rendition' - Commentary
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge, P.G. Bell and Swithun Dobson give our commentary on episode 2, Rendition (spoiler-free review here, detailed review to follow), as we discuss CIA security, DIY chemistry, zombie Ianto and much more!
The newly reunited Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper (John Barrowman and Eve Myles) find themselves separated from Rhys (Kai Owen) and baby Anwen (aaaw!) as Rex Matherson (Mekhi Phifer) extradites them to the good old U. S. of A. But with sinister CIA agent Lyn Peterfield (Dichen Lachman off of Nieghbours and Dollhouse) taking orders from above, will they even make it across the Atlantic? (Yes, since it's only episode 2!)
Plus we discuss your feedback - thanks to Adam Purcell of Staggering Stories, A Figleaf of your Imagination (aka Aled Morgan) of Blogga the Hut and to Shuggie for their comments.
Length: 1 hour 5 minutes
Download: Click here
Did you enjoy episode 2? Did the high-flying shenanigans grip you or bore you? What were your favourite scenes? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned for our spoiler-free preview of episode 3!
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 1. 'The New World' - Commentary
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsAs Torchwood goes trans-Atlantic in Miracle Day, co-produced by Starz and BBC, we dissect the show that just won't die! But has it maintained the quality of Children of Earth or returned to the depths of Cyberwoman?
Join Caleb Woodbridge, P.G. Bell and Swithun Dobson in our commentary on episode 1, The New World, as we discuss John Barrowman's "acting", the dangers of immortality, dodgy Welsh geography, the talents of Michael Bay and much more!
Length: 1 hour 5 minutes
Download: Click here
What did you think of episode 1? Is Russell T Davies' latest effort another classic, or has it yet to hit the mark? Is the American/Welsh combo a match made in heaven or a dog's dinner? Let us know in the comments, and don't forgot to read our spoiler-free review of The New World!
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 1. 'The New World' - Commentary
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsAs Torchwood goes trans-Atlantic in Miracle Day, co-produced by Starz and BBC, we dissect the show that just won't die! But has it maintained the quality of Children of Earth or returned to the depths of Cyberwoman?
Join Caleb Woodbridge, P.G. Bell and Swithun Dobson in our commentary on episode 1, The New World, as we discuss John Barrowman's "acting", the dangers of immortality, dodgy Welsh geography, the talents of Michael Bay and much more!
Length: 1 hour 5 minutes
Download: Click here
What did you think of episode 1? Is Russell T Davies' latest effort another classic, or has it yet to hit the mark? Is the American/Welsh combo a match made in heaven or a dog's dinner? Let us know in the comments, and don't forgot to read our spoiler-free review of The New World!
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Torchwood Miracle Day - Spoiler-Free preview/review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge and Swithun Dobson look ahead to Torchwood: Miracle Day - we'll have our commentary on episode 1, The New World, online immediately after UK broadcast. Don't forget to check out our Children of Earth commentaries (Day 1, Day 5) and interview with Gareth David-Lloyd!
Length: 10 minutes
Download: Click here
Caleb's spoiler-free review:
Miracle Day opens with Oswald Danes, a murderer and a paedophile, about to be executed by lethal injection. It's a clear statement of intent: Toto, I don't think we're in Doctor Who any more. Like its immediate predecessor, Children of Earth, this series looks set to take a twisted sci-fi look at the dark side of our humanity...
Read more >>
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Torchwood Miracle Day - Spoiler-Free preview/review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge and Swithun Dobson look ahead to Torchwood: Miracle Day - we'll have our commentary on episode 1, The New World, online immediately after UK broadcast. Don't forget to check out our Children of Earth commentaries (Day 1, Day 5) and interview with Gareth David-Lloyd!
Length: 10 minutes
Download: Click here
Caleb's spoiler-free review:
Miracle Day opens with Oswald Danes, a murderer and a paedophile, about to be executed by lethal injection. It's a clear statement of intent: Toto, I don't think we're in Doctor Who any more. Like its immediate predecessor, Children of Earth, this series looks set to take a twisted sci-fi look at the dark side of our humanity...
Read more >>
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Science Fiction & Fantasy in Videogames Discussion
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge interviews Olivia Cottrell, resident gamer geek for Impossible Podcasts.
When is a Reaper not a time-wound sterilizing flying dinosaur thing? When it's a synthetic/organic space ship, of course!
We discuss the many connections between science fiction, fantasy and video games, especially Olivia's favourites from Bioshock such as Mass Effect. What's the place of storytelling in video games today? Are they "art", and does it matter? What does the future hold?
Length: 30 minutes
Download: Click here
What are your favourite games? Are sci-fi and fantasy especially suited to games? Are games now mainstream? Let us know your thoughts!
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Science Fiction & Fantasy in Videogames Discussion
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge interviews Olivia Cottrell, resident gamer geek for Impossible Podcasts.
When is a Reaper not a time-wound sterilizing flying dinosaur thing? When it's a synthetic/organic space ship, of course!
We discuss the many connections between science fiction, fantasy and video games, especially Olivia's favourites from Bioshock such as Mass Effect. What's the place of storytelling in video games today? Are they "art", and does it matter? What does the future hold?
Length: 30 minutes
Download: Click here
What are your favourite games? Are sci-fi and fantasy especially suited to games? Are games now mainstream? Let us know your thoughts!
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Interview: Tolkien and Wales - Dr Carl Phelpstead
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge interviews Dr Carl Phelpstead, author of 'Tolkien and Wales: Language, Literature and Identity', recently published by the University of Wales Press.
Tolkien once wrote: 'I love Wales - and especially the Welsh language'. In this episode, we discuss with Dr Phelpstead how Welsh influenced Tolkien's ideas about language and his fiction, especially The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. We also discuss Tolkien's place in the university today, and what the future might hold for the academic study of Tolkien.
Dr Phelpstead is a Reader in English Literature at Cardiff University. His areas of research include Old Norse and Medieval English literature. Dr Phelpstead has published widely on Norse sagas and other medieval literature and has contributed to The J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopaedia and Tolkien Studies.
Length: 20 minutes
Download: Click here
Are you interested in the myths, legends and cultures that influenced Tolkien's writing? What light do you think academic scholarship can shine on books like 'The Lord of the Rings'? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments!
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Interview: Tolkien and Wales - Dr Carl Phelpstead
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge interviews Dr Carl Phelpstead, author of 'Tolkien and Wales: Language, Literature and Identity', recently published by the University of Wales Press.
Tolkien once wrote: 'I love Wales - and especially the Welsh language'. In this episode, we discuss with Dr Phelpstead how Welsh influenced Tolkien's ideas about language and his fiction, especially The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. We also discuss Tolkien's place in the university today, and what the future might hold for the academic study of Tolkien.
Dr Phelpstead is a Reader in English Literature at Cardiff University. His areas of research include Old Norse and Medieval English literature. Dr Phelpstead has published widely on Norse sagas and other medieval literature and has contributed to The J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopaedia and Tolkien Studies.
Length: 20 minutes
Download: Click here
Are you interested in the myths, legends and cultures that influenced Tolkien's writing? What light do you think academic scholarship can shine on books like 'The Lord of the Rings'? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments!
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Video Games - Dungeon Siege 3 - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsOur video games coverage continues as Olivia Cottrell assesses the newly rebooted RPG series. If you missed it, be sure to check out her podcast discussion with Caleb on sci-fi and fantasy in video games!
Coming to legacy games late is always something of a tricky proposition. You don't get the in-jokes, the lore can be boring without a vested interest, and without a strong dose of nostalgia to temper the game's flaws, the experience can often leave you wondering what exactly got the game's fans so excited in the first place. So it is with Dungeon Siege 3, the latest offering from Obsidian Entertainment.
Promoted as a reboot of the Dungeon Siege franchise, Dungeon Siege 3 is set many years after the ending of the second game (released in 2006). The land of Ehb is in peril again and the player, taking on the role of one of four descendants of the Tenth Legion (a kind of medieval Torchwood), has to stop it. Along the way they have to deal with the usual waves of bandits, ghosts and witches alongside some less conventional foes. My particular favourites were the four-armed giant blue naked women who peeped over the edge of the scenery before they clambered up to fight you. This kind of interesting enemy design and variation allowed for some fun tactical gameplay and encouraged me to experiment with the different skills of my character, complementing the solid combat system.
Read more >>
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Video Games - Dungeon Siege 3 - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsOur video games coverage continues as Olivia Cottrell assesses the newly rebooted RPG series. If you missed it, be sure to check out her podcast discussion with Caleb on sci-fi and fantasy in video games!
Coming to legacy games late is always something of a tricky proposition. You don't get the in-jokes, the lore can be boring without a vested interest, and without a strong dose of nostalgia to temper the game's flaws, the experience can often leave you wondering what exactly got the game's fans so excited in the first place. So it is with Dungeon Siege 3, the latest offering from Obsidian Entertainment.
Promoted as a reboot of the Dungeon Siege franchise, Dungeon Siege 3 is set many years after the ending of the second game (released in 2006). The land of Ehb is in peril again and the player, taking on the role of one of four descendants of the Tenth Legion (a kind of medieval Torchwood), has to stop it. Along the way they have to deal with the usual waves of bandits, ghosts and witches alongside some less conventional foes. My particular favourites were the four-armed giant blue naked women who peeped over the edge of the scenery before they clambered up to fight you. This kind of interesting enemy design and variation allowed for some fun tactical gameplay and encouraged me to experiment with the different skills of my character, complementing the solid combat system.
Read more >>
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 2. 'Rendition' - Spoiler-free review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge looks ahead to 'Rendition', episode 2 of Torchwood: Miracle Day. But is it in-flight entertainment or mid-Atlantic pitstop?
Last week's opener 'The New World' seemed dedicated to putting the pieces on the board. With Rex Matheson extraditing Torchwood to America, you might expect episode 2 to be all systems go as the Torchwood team start investigating the "miracle". But whereas Rex's hop across the Atlantic took place between scenes, Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper find themselves in mid-flight peril.
It's entertaining conspiracy hokum if that's what you're after. But the spy-thriller elements seem somewhat divorced from the much more interesting issue of the Miracle itself. The best scenes are those not involving the Torchwood team, but those that continue to explore its impact. Bill Pullman as Oswald Danes continues to steal the show, with Arlene Tur as Dr Vera Juarez also putting in a very strong showing.
There's an important but credulity-stretching scene that echoes a comedy moment in series 4 of Doctor Who. But whereas Doctor Who could get away with it, it doesn't convince as easily here, though your mileage will probably vary - it's already divided opinion among American viewers. Believability takes a definite back-seat to dramatic effect on several other occasions too. I don't mind suspending my disbelief, but this week I had to hang, draw and quarter it.
There are some great lines, my favourite being "I'm American, too. Can't I contribute to our global cultural hegemony with a nice frosty cola?" We also meet Jilly Kitzinger, played to perfection by Lauren Ambrose as the annoying, smarter-than-she-lets-on PR lady. So it does have its redeeming moments, but so far is a long way from matching the quality of Children of Earth.
Check back 10pm Thursday night after UK broadcast for our podcast commentary on 'Rendition'!
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 2. 'Rendition' - Spoiler-free review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge looks ahead to 'Rendition', episode 2 of Torchwood: Miracle Day. But is it in-flight entertainment or mid-Atlantic pitstop?
Last week's opener 'The New World' seemed dedicated to putting the pieces on the board. With Rex Matheson extraditing Torchwood to America, you might expect episode 2 to be all systems go as the Torchwood team start investigating the "miracle". But whereas Rex's hop across the Atlantic took place between scenes, Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper find themselves in mid-flight peril.
It's entertaining conspiracy hokum if that's what you're after. But the spy-thriller elements seem somewhat divorced from the much more interesting issue of the Miracle itself. The best scenes are those not involving the Torchwood team, but those that continue to explore its impact. Bill Pullman as Oswald Danes continues to steal the show, with Arlene Tur as Dr Vera Juarez also putting in a very strong showing.
There's an important but credulity-stretching scene that echoes a comedy moment in series 4 of Doctor Who. But whereas Doctor Who could get away with it, it doesn't convince as easily here, though your mileage will probably vary - it's already divided opinion among American viewers. Believability takes a definite back-seat to dramatic effect on several other occasions too. I don't mind suspending my disbelief, but this week I had to hang, draw and quarter it.
There are some great lines, my favourite being "I'm American, too. Can't I contribute to our global cultural hegemony with a nice frosty cola?" We also meet Jilly Kitzinger, played to perfection by Lauren Ambrose as the annoying, smarter-than-she-lets-on PR lady. So it does have its redeeming moments, but so far is a long way from matching the quality of Children of Earth.
Check back 10pm Thursday night after UK broadcast for our podcast commentary on 'Rendition'!
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 1. 'The New World' - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsJames Willetts aims his bazooka of truth at the low flying helicopter that is Torchwood: Miracle Day.
Ever since RTD launched Torchwood as a spin off for Captain Jack in an attempt to make a more adult science fiction show, the programme has struggled to find a format that works. 'Miracle Day' is the latest attempt to keep Torchwood relevant, coming after two largely ignored seasons of varying quality, and a miniseries that was a critical success.
Following the idea of 'Children of Earth', a single storyline over a shorter amount of time, T:MD is a chance to prove that the achievements of the previous itineration have not been lost. More crucially, it's a chance to prove that serious science fiction (or at least adult science fiction) can work. Since the last Torchwood there have been few attempts to launch big budget science fiction series other than the execrable Outcasts, and there seems to be no sign that the success of the last miniseries has sparked a surge in the desire for further science fiction output. Even as Doctor Who continues to hold strong (or lose ground, or plummet towards inevitable disaster, depending on who you listen to) other franchises have found it difficult to gain a foothold.
Read more >>
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Torchwood Miracle Day - 1. 'The New World' - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsJames Willetts aims his bazooka of truth at the low flying helicopter that is Torchwood: Miracle Day.
Ever since RTD launched Torchwood as a spin off for Captain Jack in an attempt to make a more adult science fiction show, the programme has struggled to find a format that works. 'Miracle Day' is the latest attempt to keep Torchwood relevant, coming after two largely ignored seasons of varying quality, and a miniseries that was a critical success.
Following the idea of 'Children of Earth', a single storyline over a shorter amount of time, T:MD is a chance to prove that the achievements of the previous itineration have not been lost. More crucially, it's a chance to prove that serious science fiction (or at least adult science fiction) can work. Since the last Torchwood there have been few attempts to launch big budget science fiction series other than the execrable Outcasts, and there seems to be no sign that the success of the last miniseries has sparked a surge in the desire for further science fiction output. Even as Doctor Who continues to hold strong (or lose ground, or plummet towards inevitable disaster, depending on who you listen to) other franchises have found it difficult to gain a foothold.
Read more >>
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Game of Thrones - Ep 5: The Wolf and the Lion - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsSwords are finally clashing in Game of Thrones and our reviewer Kieran Mathers is on hand to pick over the aftermath. As always, this review comes with a mild spoiler warning. If you're new to Game of Thrones, don't forget to check out our primer!
At last we get some meaty and considerable violence! Headless horses, charging knights, sweeping swords, battering shields and brother-on-brother duelling - this is combat at its most graphic, and all the stronger for it. The violence of G.R.R. Martin's prose is not lessened, and is all the more horrifying to see. In fact, this episode is all about violence and its consequences. You also get noisy blowjobs, but hey, it's HBO.
Read more >>
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Game of Thrones - Ep 5: The Wolf and the Lion - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsSwords are finally clashing in Game of Thrones and our reviewer Kieran Mathers is on hand to pick over the aftermath. As always, this review comes with a mild spoiler warning. If you're new to Game of Thrones, don't forget to check out our primer!
At last we get some meaty and considerable violence! Headless horses, charging knights, sweeping swords, battering shields and brother-on-brother duelling - this is combat at its most graphic, and all the stronger for it. The violence of G.R.R. Martin's prose is not lessened, and is all the more horrifying to see. In fact, this episode is all about violence and its consequences. You also get noisy blowjobs, but hey, it's HBO.
Read more >>
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Game of Thrones - Ep 4: Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsReviewer Kieran Mathers, who recently undertook an epic quest of his own when he relocated from Cardiff to Geneva (he now lives within sight of the CERN Large Hadron Collider and will be first into the black hole when things go wrong), returns to give us his assessment of the ongoing saga of Westeros. New to Game of Thrones? Check out our primer!
The opening credits in a Game of Thrones have confused me for a while. Putting geographical exposition within your credit sequence is a great idea, because it removes the need for Kurusawa-esque moments of map-based talking, complete with moving hands.
But what exactly is it about? It looks like a wargaming board, which makes sense when you consider the show's title, but why is it coming to life using clockwork mechanisms? I know it looks good but it doesn't make sense considering the level of technology we've seen in the show. Something simpler, like a stone chess board, might have been more in keeping with what we've already seen of Westeros.
Also, at the end of the sequence, the world curves the wrong way. When we arrive at Vaes Dothrak, city of the Horse Lords, we look back towards Westeros which is now higher in the horizon, curved above us. Does that mean this world is, in fact a Dyson Sphere?
Read more >>
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Game of Thrones - Ep 4: Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things - Review
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsReviewer Kieran Mathers, who recently undertook an epic quest of his own when he relocated from Cardiff to Geneva (he now lives within sight of the CERN Large Hadron Collider and will be first into the black hole when things go wrong), returns to give us his assessment of the ongoing saga of Westeros. New to Game of Thrones? Check out our primer!
The opening credits in a Game of Thrones have confused me for a while. Putting geographical exposition within your credit sequence is a great idea, because it removes the need for Kurusawa-esque moments of map-based talking, complete with moving hands.
But what exactly is it about? It looks like a wargaming board, which makes sense when you consider the show's title, but why is it coming to life using clockwork mechanisms? I know it looks good but it doesn't make sense considering the level of technology we've seen in the show. Something simpler, like a stone chess board, might have been more in keeping with what we've already seen of Westeros.
Also, at the end of the sequence, the world curves the wrong way. When we arrive at Vaes Dothrak, city of the Horse Lords, we look back towards Westeros which is now higher in the horizon, curved above us. Does that mean this world is, in fact a Dyson Sphere?
Read more >>
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The Return of the King? Finding Arthur in 'The Lord of the Rings'
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge brings us the first in a series of posts exploring the connections between 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Once and Future King'.
Between them, J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (published 1954-5), T. H. White's The Once and Future King (1958), and C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia (1949-54), helped define the fantasy genre for the second half of the twentieth-century. Tolkien and White were particularly influential on high fantasy, while White and Lewis strongly influenced children's literature in particular. Their influence can be felt from Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon through to the Harry Potter series and beyond.
All of them drew heavily on medieval literature to create their fantasy worlds. The most famous of all medieval legends is that of King Arthur and the Round Table. White retold the story of Arthur, beginning in The Sword in the Stone, first published in 1938, with his childhood and the magical lessons he experienced through his tutor Merlyn. In the subsequent volumes, the story follows Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur much more closely, and grows into a more adult and complex tale that includes the adulterous love of Guinevere and Lancelot, the Quest for the Holy Grail, and the inevitable fall of Camelot and death of Arthur.
Read more >>
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The Return of the King? Finding Arthur in 'The Lord of the Rings'
Episode Duration: 0 minutes and 0 secondsCaleb Woodbridge brings us the first in a series of posts exploring the connections between 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Once and Future King'.
Between them, J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (published 1954-5), T. H. White's The Once and Future King (1958), and C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia (1949-54), helped define the fantasy genre for the second half of the twentieth-century. Tolkien and White were particularly influential on high fantasy, while White and Lewis strongly influenced children's literature in particular. Their influence can be felt from Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon through to the Harry Potter series and beyond.
All of them drew heavily on medieval literature to create their fantasy worlds. The most famous of all medieval legends is that of King Arthur and the Round Table. White retold the story of Arthur, beginning in The Sword in the Stone, first published in 1938, with his childhood and the magical lessons he experienced through his tutor Merlyn. In the subsequent volumes, the story follows Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur much more closely, and grows into a more adult and complex tale that includes the adulterous love of Guinevere and Lancelot, the Quest for the Holy Grail, and the inevitable fall of Camelot and death of Arthur.
Read more >>
