1. Learn to act
2. Learn to sing
3. Learn to dance
4. Have good presence and a pleasant disposition
5. Appear on Doctor Who or another highly rated UK TV show
6. Create humorous viral videos
7. Pitch a TV show
8. If the pitch doesn't work, redevelop and try again
9. Twitter doesn't hurt
10. Don't take this list seriously
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Being Human US and Being Human
Imagine this opening, a young man walks into the woods, and mysteriously begins to undress, then covers his genitals with his hands and waits. As the full moon rises, he has spasms of pain and begins screaming. Suddenly, he begins to transform, growing claws and his face expanding into a snout. He's a werewolf.
Meanwhile, another young man is talking with a beautiful young woman. She lets him seduce her and welcomes him to casual sex. And through this, his eyes suddenly turn black, though she doesn't see that, and as they become intimate, he bites her neck with fangs that have suddenly appeared. He's a vampire.
So, that is how Being Human opens. But which version, the original BBC production that began with a pilot in 2008, or the just premiered new series on SyFy? The answer: both.
So, yes, I am a fan of the original BBC Being Human, so that really tainted my view of the SyFy remake. As someone in a review I read pointed out, remaking British shows like The Office and Skins (neither of which I've really watched either version of) is understandable, because while the humor may be global, the cultural difference can be keenly felt in places like jobs and schools. Being Human, on the other hand, is a supernatural show, and aside from accents and Annie's fondness for tea, there is little that is exclusively British. Yes, it was Being Human that sent me into my descent to Anglophilia.
I suppose the "little that is exclusively British" would also be an argument for remaking it as an American series. The big problem a lot of people really worried about was that the original series would use the supernatural to examine the human condition and unfortunately, a lot of American series are not known for being deep, but just really developed stories. (Or barely developed.) Every now and then, something really good comes along, but it eventually degrades. (And don't think that I think only American series degrade in quality. It's happened in the UK.) Has the time of great American TV programming passed? Well, you can barely try to use a remake of a British series to win that argument...
So, I did watch the first episode of SyFy's Being Human. Twice, in fact, as it was available on SyFy's On Demand channel through my cable provider. My thoughts?
First off, I was very disappointed that the story of the first episode was very much modeled on the original's withdrawn pilot and first episode. (Withdrawn? Yeah, the original recast from pilot to series, whatever, back to SyFy's show.) My enjoyment of the show would largely be based on what was new and fresh.
So, what did I get in that area in the first episode? Extremely little. As I already pointed out, the pre-titles opening of the episode mirrors that of the original's pilot.
Josh is a werewolf, Aidan is a vampire. They both work at a hospital and get a house together, only to discover it is haunted by Sally, a young woman who recently died in the house (her ex-fiancee Danny is the landlord), though she can't remember how. Josh discovers his sister, Emily, is visiting her girlfriend at his hospital, and the two meet, Josh having left his family behind after becoming a werewolf. Meanwhile, Aidan is dealing with with his accidental killing of Becca, the girl he bit in the opening. Bishop, an older vampire who works as a police officer, is pushing Aidan to come back to the other vampires. At the end of the episode, Josh is transforming locked in a room in the hospital basement, desperate for someone to get Emily out of there.
There are some changes in mythology for ghosts and vampires. Sally, unlike the original's Annie, is completely intangible and is confined to the inside of the house. (At least, for now. I'm expecting that this may change.) In the original, Mitchell the vampire curbed his bloodlust with food, claiming carbs had become his blood substitute. Aidan cannot eat normal food. (Great, Josh will have dinner with his two roommates just watching him.) And while not a change in mythology, the vampires appear to use "blood whores," women (or other vampires?) who bleed themselves willingly for vampires to feed from. This wasn't exactly present in the original, though the second series did have an emo girl visit the vampire headquarters expecting to be fed from.
Just about the only other changes I noted was that the original's pilot didn't have George the werewolf's sister, but his ex-fiancee, who was admitted into the hospital where he worked. In addition, the pilot didn't end with that cliffhanger. Annie managed to rescue George's ex before anything could happen to her. I am also unsure as to whether or not Aidan has sworn off blood. They might be having him come to the decision.
Now, a critical factor in the original was that the main cast gelled. Even in the original pilot, the cast had chemistry before two thirds of them were recast. And then it worked again after the recasting. Here, Aidan and Josh do act off each other very well, but both seem very distant from Sally, thus making her the character I sympathized with the most. However, if the ensemble cast is going to work, this really needs to change. (I understand from a press review that it is still felt in the third episode.) In the original, George grudgingly put up with Annie's presence, while Mitchell whimsically entertained it, before Annie managed to endear herself to George.
Josh feels a lot like a lighter version of George, not quite as neurotic or even as funny, but then Russell Tovey is a hard act to follow. Aidan, on the other hand, doesn't strike me as quite genuine. He's supposedly 200 years old, or so I understand from press releases, but why is he so weepy and upset when he accidentally kills Becca in the opening? You'd think that after two centuries of drinking blood, if he was going to reform and slipped, he'd be disappointed, but not crying over it. And he doesn't strike me as mature enough for 200. It's not just the actor's look, it's the way the character is being portrayed. I've never seen most of the cast in anything before (Sam Huntington, Josh, I did see briefly in Superman Returns as my favorite supporting character Jimmy Olsen), so I'm hesitant to write them off as bad actors. It can be entirely in how they were directed to act, or how the part was written.
Is SyFy's Being Human different from the original? Yeah, but the differences in plot aren't too big. The other differences aren't building any confidence. Now, yes, the show has just started, so I've decided to try the next couple episodes, but if we keep seeing retreads from the original show, I doubt I'll be coming back.
Which really is a shame. I know my tone has been largely negative here, but the fact is, I really began to hope I could enjoy both the original show and SyFy's version. However, if I feel like I'm watching the same show again, I see no point to continue.
(Real quick, I'm going to refer to the original show as Being Human from here on. SyFy's will be called SyFy's or Being Human US.)
Meanwhile, another young man is talking with a beautiful young woman. She lets him seduce her and welcomes him to casual sex. And through this, his eyes suddenly turn black, though she doesn't see that, and as they become intimate, he bites her neck with fangs that have suddenly appeared. He's a vampire.
So, that is how Being Human opens. But which version, the original BBC production that began with a pilot in 2008, or the just premiered new series on SyFy? The answer: both.
So, yes, I am a fan of the original BBC Being Human, so that really tainted my view of the SyFy remake. As someone in a review I read pointed out, remaking British shows like The Office and Skins (neither of which I've really watched either version of) is understandable, because while the humor may be global, the cultural difference can be keenly felt in places like jobs and schools. Being Human, on the other hand, is a supernatural show, and aside from accents and Annie's fondness for tea, there is little that is exclusively British. Yes, it was Being Human that sent me into my descent to Anglophilia.
I suppose the "little that is exclusively British" would also be an argument for remaking it as an American series. The big problem a lot of people really worried about was that the original series would use the supernatural to examine the human condition and unfortunately, a lot of American series are not known for being deep, but just really developed stories. (Or barely developed.) Every now and then, something really good comes along, but it eventually degrades. (And don't think that I think only American series degrade in quality. It's happened in the UK.) Has the time of great American TV programming passed? Well, you can barely try to use a remake of a British series to win that argument...
So, I did watch the first episode of SyFy's Being Human. Twice, in fact, as it was available on SyFy's On Demand channel through my cable provider. My thoughts?
First off, I was very disappointed that the story of the first episode was very much modeled on the original's withdrawn pilot and first episode. (Withdrawn? Yeah, the original recast from pilot to series, whatever, back to SyFy's show.) My enjoyment of the show would largely be based on what was new and fresh.
So, what did I get in that area in the first episode? Extremely little. As I already pointed out, the pre-titles opening of the episode mirrors that of the original's pilot.
Josh is a werewolf, Aidan is a vampire. They both work at a hospital and get a house together, only to discover it is haunted by Sally, a young woman who recently died in the house (her ex-fiancee Danny is the landlord), though she can't remember how. Josh discovers his sister, Emily, is visiting her girlfriend at his hospital, and the two meet, Josh having left his family behind after becoming a werewolf. Meanwhile, Aidan is dealing with with his accidental killing of Becca, the girl he bit in the opening. Bishop, an older vampire who works as a police officer, is pushing Aidan to come back to the other vampires. At the end of the episode, Josh is transforming locked in a room in the hospital basement, desperate for someone to get Emily out of there.
There are some changes in mythology for ghosts and vampires. Sally, unlike the original's Annie, is completely intangible and is confined to the inside of the house. (At least, for now. I'm expecting that this may change.) In the original, Mitchell the vampire curbed his bloodlust with food, claiming carbs had become his blood substitute. Aidan cannot eat normal food. (Great, Josh will have dinner with his two roommates just watching him.) And while not a change in mythology, the vampires appear to use "blood whores," women (or other vampires?) who bleed themselves willingly for vampires to feed from. This wasn't exactly present in the original, though the second series did have an emo girl visit the vampire headquarters expecting to be fed from.
Just about the only other changes I noted was that the original's pilot didn't have George the werewolf's sister, but his ex-fiancee, who was admitted into the hospital where he worked. In addition, the pilot didn't end with that cliffhanger. Annie managed to rescue George's ex before anything could happen to her. I am also unsure as to whether or not Aidan has sworn off blood. They might be having him come to the decision.
Now, a critical factor in the original was that the main cast gelled. Even in the original pilot, the cast had chemistry before two thirds of them were recast. And then it worked again after the recasting. Here, Aidan and Josh do act off each other very well, but both seem very distant from Sally, thus making her the character I sympathized with the most. However, if the ensemble cast is going to work, this really needs to change. (I understand from a press review that it is still felt in the third episode.) In the original, George grudgingly put up with Annie's presence, while Mitchell whimsically entertained it, before Annie managed to endear herself to George.
Josh feels a lot like a lighter version of George, not quite as neurotic or even as funny, but then Russell Tovey is a hard act to follow. Aidan, on the other hand, doesn't strike me as quite genuine. He's supposedly 200 years old, or so I understand from press releases, but why is he so weepy and upset when he accidentally kills Becca in the opening? You'd think that after two centuries of drinking blood, if he was going to reform and slipped, he'd be disappointed, but not crying over it. And he doesn't strike me as mature enough for 200. It's not just the actor's look, it's the way the character is being portrayed. I've never seen most of the cast in anything before (Sam Huntington, Josh, I did see briefly in Superman Returns as my favorite supporting character Jimmy Olsen), so I'm hesitant to write them off as bad actors. It can be entirely in how they were directed to act, or how the part was written.
Is SyFy's Being Human different from the original? Yeah, but the differences in plot aren't too big. The other differences aren't building any confidence. Now, yes, the show has just started, so I've decided to try the next couple episodes, but if we keep seeing retreads from the original show, I doubt I'll be coming back.
Which really is a shame. I know my tone has been largely negative here, but the fact is, I really began to hope I could enjoy both the original show and SyFy's version. However, if I feel like I'm watching the same show again, I see no point to continue.
(Real quick, I'm going to refer to the original show as Being Human from here on. SyFy's will be called SyFy's or Being Human US.)
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Going West
As those of you who also read my Oz blog know, I went to the 2010 Winkie Convention. It was something I'd wanted to do for years, so when I realized I could afford to pay my registration and take the time off work, I jumped for it. Getting there and back was a story in itself.
Due to being unable to find affordable air fare, I decided I would take a Greyhound bus to California. A former Winkie attendee advised I go to Salinas, CA and take public transport from there. Another Winkie was persuaded into meeting me at Salinas and going the rest of the way from there.
Setting out on July 21st, I got a taste of what traveling on a Greyhound would be like: there was some idiot overreacting about everything and asking people a bunch of questions. I was really glad he wasn't on the same route I was.
Reboarding buses and making transfers can be boring, frustrating, and confusing, as the intercom systems they announce the buses on are often full of static. Transfers are really frustrating when the bus you're supposed to catch is late.
Riding the bus is okay, except when there are people talking loudly (something they tell you NOT to do), or when there are young children crying and screaming!
Oftentimes, I'd resort to my MP3 player, some books I'd brought along, or my phone, which I had to recharge a number of times, to ignore the other passengers. As I passed through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, I also took some photos.
As I mentioned, I had to recharge my cell phone, and at most Greyhounds, there are outlets they allow people to use for this purpose. At larger ones, power strips or specially designed rows of outlets were available. In Flagstaff, AZ, however, there was a sign over uncovered outlets saying that they were not for you to use, and if you were caught using it, "your trip ends here." Instead, they'd recharge your stuff for you at the counter for $2. Great, so all the other ones offer it for free, while here, if someone makes a simple mistake, you'll strand them? A little harsh!
As for food (each of my trips lasted about 48 hours, spread over three days), I had intended to bring some sandwiches to save money, but by the second day, they were turning rancid, and the last one I had made me sick, so I discarded the rest at a Circle K and bought some crackers. Most Greyhound stations offered over priced vending machines, and some had built-in cafeterias, but I couldn't bring myself to eat there. Sometimes, the bus would take a break near restaurants or convenience stores, and I had better luck there.
The bus arriving at Salinas was about two hours late, the guy picking me up knew it wasn't my fault, though he wasn't thrilled about it, and believe me, neither was I. You'd expect better service for $200+. I guess, given the nature of the transport, you can't blame them for stiff necks, sore backs and tail bones.
Anyways, we got to Winkies in plenty of time.
Sunday, I opted to take the public transport back to Salinas, and the bus system that connects Pacific Grove, Monterey, and Salinas is incredible! On time, comfortable seats, and a pleasant atmosphere. (The price was a bit steep compared to Springfield, but hey, it's California.) I arrived in Salinas, grabbed a late lunch, and headed over to the Greyhound station, which was ... dark and really ghetto. You had to get a key to use the bathrooms.
The bus I was supposed to catch in Salinas was late, but I reflected that it would just cut into my four-hour layover in Los Angeles, making that shorter.
In L.A., we got a new bus that was on time, and eventually made it to Oklahoma City on time as well. Making the final transfer there was easy, as it turned out the same driver was also going to be starting that route.
However, it was spoiled when, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, our driver was changed, and the new one wound up getting us 30 minutes behind schedule. But at least Audrey, my ride home, didn't have to wait too long, as she got there about 10 minutes before.
Next year, I'm trying a different mode of transport!
Due to being unable to find affordable air fare, I decided I would take a Greyhound bus to California. A former Winkie attendee advised I go to Salinas, CA and take public transport from there. Another Winkie was persuaded into meeting me at Salinas and going the rest of the way from there.
Setting out on July 21st, I got a taste of what traveling on a Greyhound would be like: there was some idiot overreacting about everything and asking people a bunch of questions. I was really glad he wasn't on the same route I was.
Reboarding buses and making transfers can be boring, frustrating, and confusing, as the intercom systems they announce the buses on are often full of static. Transfers are really frustrating when the bus you're supposed to catch is late.
Riding the bus is okay, except when there are people talking loudly (something they tell you NOT to do), or when there are young children crying and screaming!
Oftentimes, I'd resort to my MP3 player, some books I'd brought along, or my phone, which I had to recharge a number of times, to ignore the other passengers. As I passed through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, I also took some photos.
As I mentioned, I had to recharge my cell phone, and at most Greyhounds, there are outlets they allow people to use for this purpose. At larger ones, power strips or specially designed rows of outlets were available. In Flagstaff, AZ, however, there was a sign over uncovered outlets saying that they were not for you to use, and if you were caught using it, "your trip ends here." Instead, they'd recharge your stuff for you at the counter for $2. Great, so all the other ones offer it for free, while here, if someone makes a simple mistake, you'll strand them? A little harsh!
As for food (each of my trips lasted about 48 hours, spread over three days), I had intended to bring some sandwiches to save money, but by the second day, they were turning rancid, and the last one I had made me sick, so I discarded the rest at a Circle K and bought some crackers. Most Greyhound stations offered over priced vending machines, and some had built-in cafeterias, but I couldn't bring myself to eat there. Sometimes, the bus would take a break near restaurants or convenience stores, and I had better luck there.
The bus arriving at Salinas was about two hours late, the guy picking me up knew it wasn't my fault, though he wasn't thrilled about it, and believe me, neither was I. You'd expect better service for $200+. I guess, given the nature of the transport, you can't blame them for stiff necks, sore backs and tail bones.
Anyways, we got to Winkies in plenty of time.
Sunday, I opted to take the public transport back to Salinas, and the bus system that connects Pacific Grove, Monterey, and Salinas is incredible! On time, comfortable seats, and a pleasant atmosphere. (The price was a bit steep compared to Springfield, but hey, it's California.) I arrived in Salinas, grabbed a late lunch, and headed over to the Greyhound station, which was ... dark and really ghetto. You had to get a key to use the bathrooms.
The bus I was supposed to catch in Salinas was late, but I reflected that it would just cut into my four-hour layover in Los Angeles, making that shorter.
In L.A., we got a new bus that was on time, and eventually made it to Oklahoma City on time as well. Making the final transfer there was easy, as it turned out the same driver was also going to be starting that route.
However, it was spoiled when, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, our driver was changed, and the new one wound up getting us 30 minutes behind schedule. But at least Audrey, my ride home, didn't have to wait too long, as she got there about 10 minutes before.
Next year, I'm trying a different mode of transport!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Irk!
Here's something that irks me: going to a message board and someone has posted a thread about a remake of a movie or possible movie adaptation of a book (or something else) and then, asks who should play whom. And that's it.
I find it quite disturbing how little people actually know about making movies. Here's a few myths people have about making movies.
I find it quite disturbing how little people actually know about making movies. Here's a few myths people have about making movies.
- A movie based on a book is basically transcribed from the book. As most people who actually read books and see the movie can tell you, this is not true, but the myth remains surprisingly prevalent. While some dialogue from books can work very well on film, in many movies, very little of the book's dialogue is used.
- Why read the book? I've seen the movie! Because reading the book sounds more intellectual? And plus, if you're reading the book for a school assignment, you might as well not even finish the assignment, because you'll get an F either way. A book is a story. The movie is an interpretation of the story, sometimes with the ending or important elements changed or eliminated.
- If the movie sucks, it's the actor's fault. Hardly. Someone wrote the script, someone directed it, and someone thought it would be a movie worth making. The actors are just doing their jobs, following the writers and directors.
- Okay, let's say this movie was being made. Who would play who? Too early. It depends on the interpretation of the story and characters that the movie will go for. And frankly, they'll often go against what the fans think should happen, because the fans don't really understand it.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Random Thought
You ever heard this urban legend?
Husband and wife go out for the night and hire a babysitter to watch their kid and put it to bed. They come home and find the babysitter having sex with her boyfriend. When they ask her about it, she says it's okay because they're using Saran Wrap. Turns out the Saran Wrap isn't a great condom substitute and the babysitter gets pregnant.
I'm not for abortions, because if you're that much of an irresponsible slut, you should keep the kid to learn about being a responsible adult.
What I don't get about this urban legend is the parents' unconcerned attitude about their kid. (Guess that's a hint it's not true.) Suppose the kid got out of bed because they missed their parents, wanted a glass of water, or needed to use the bathroom, then sees babysitter Suzy putting out for a guy with Saran Wrap on his penis. Kid would be scarred for life.
How about the parents saying "Sorry, we don't pay prostitutes." "Well, apparently you think we need a new couch." Or, what Audrey and Shaun would say, "Oh, we've done it on that couch lots of times."
Still, I'd know I wouldn't pay someone when I come home and find that they've invited a stranger over and are going at it on my couch.
Husband and wife go out for the night and hire a babysitter to watch their kid and put it to bed. They come home and find the babysitter having sex with her boyfriend. When they ask her about it, she says it's okay because they're using Saran Wrap. Turns out the Saran Wrap isn't a great condom substitute and the babysitter gets pregnant.
I'm not for abortions, because if you're that much of an irresponsible slut, you should keep the kid to learn about being a responsible adult.
What I don't get about this urban legend is the parents' unconcerned attitude about their kid. (Guess that's a hint it's not true.) Suppose the kid got out of bed because they missed their parents, wanted a glass of water, or needed to use the bathroom, then sees babysitter Suzy putting out for a guy with Saran Wrap on his penis. Kid would be scarred for life.
How about the parents saying "Sorry, we don't pay prostitutes." "Well, apparently you think we need a new couch." Or, what Audrey and Shaun would say, "Oh, we've done it on that couch lots of times."
Still, I'd know I wouldn't pay someone when I come home and find that they've invited a stranger over and are going at it on my couch.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Switch up
Because some of my followers were not too crazy about my having daily Twitter digests here, and they also were linked to in my Twitter feed, I started a new blog just for that, and moved all my old digests there as well. It's mainly for me to have a place to search through my tweets, kind of like a real-time journal. A lot of my followers follow me on Twitter anyways, so I don't expect them to follow this new blog, but they can if they want.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Fish Fingers and Custard
Last night, BBC America premiered the fifth season of the revived version of Doctor Who. Along with the new series, it marked the first episode in which the role of the Doctor was played by the former unknown Matt Smith. (Of course, the episode actually premiered in the UK two weeks ago.)
Smith is the eleventh actor to play the role of the Doctor officially. The Doctor is an alien who can heal himself when he is fatally wounded or dying, but in doing so changes his body, and to some extent, his personality. This is why the show has had over 30 years on television, over a 47 year period that included a 16 year hiatus. Filming at 27, Smith is the youngest actor to play the role.
In addition to a new star, the lead producer and writer ("showrunner" as they are called in the UK) has been changed with writer Stephen Moffat, who penned the mini-series Jekyll, as well as previous Who episodes such as "Blink" and "The Girl in the Fireplace."
The story opens with the Doctor's TARDIS crashing through time (and the skies of London) before crash landing just outside the home of Amelia Pond, a little girl who lives in Leadworth, England. Amelia has been concerned about a crack in her bedroom wall, and observing it, the Doctor, who is still recovering from his recent regeneration, discovers that it is a crack in time and space, and deduces that it leads to a prison. A giant eye is seen in the crack, claiming that "Prisoner Zero has escaped." Before the Doctor can do anything else, he discovers the TARDIS will self-destruct unless he vents the engine by taking a quick travel through time. He promises Amelia to return in five minutes.
When the Doctor returns, he can't find anyone in the house, until he is unexpectedly hit with a cricket bat. Recovering from the blow, he discovers the resident, who tells him Amelia moved out six months ago. Soon, he exposes the presence of Prisoner Zero, a serpentine multiform alien who soon assumes the shape of a man and a dog. The Doctor manages to make the new homeowner let him go, and they both run out before the Doctor realizes the shed the TARDIS had destroyed on his first visit has been replaced. He quickly deduces that it has been there twelve years. Amelia is now Amy Pond, a "kissogram."
Amy and the Doctor quickly discover that all radios and televisions are broadcasting the message "Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence, or the human residence will be incinerated." The Doctor realizes that the aliens, a space police force called the Atraxi, are referring to the Earth. With only twenty minutes to spare, the Doctor must find Prisoner Zero and make the Atraxi take him, or it's the end of the world.
"The Eleventh Hour" offers some excellent writing, if this is your kind of show. Though the episode runs at a special length to introduce the new Doctor, his new companion Amy, his redesigned TARDIS (a time machine/space ship that looks like a common 1950's police call box on the outside), and the new sonic screwdriver, it manages to retain a tight plot, and keep the audience interested.
Matt Smith is excellent as the Doctor, bursting with energy, keeping a keen eye for investigation to rival Sherlock Holmes, and yet, he manages to feel like a continuation of the same character fans have been watching all along. Karen Gillan as Amy Pond is also amazing, and very easy on the eyes. Amy is strong willed, and even when she gets into a tight spot, manages to not feel like the typical damsel in distress. (Particularly as her boyfriend happens to be in the same tight spot.) Gillan's cousin Caitlin Blackwood plays the younger Amelia, and does it amazingly well for a child actress, setting up the strong companion who we'll see later.
If you've been a fan of Doctor Who for years, you will love this episode. If you're just curious, I think this would be a good episode to start with.
Smith is the eleventh actor to play the role of the Doctor officially. The Doctor is an alien who can heal himself when he is fatally wounded or dying, but in doing so changes his body, and to some extent, his personality. This is why the show has had over 30 years on television, over a 47 year period that included a 16 year hiatus. Filming at 27, Smith is the youngest actor to play the role.
In addition to a new star, the lead producer and writer ("showrunner" as they are called in the UK) has been changed with writer Stephen Moffat, who penned the mini-series Jekyll, as well as previous Who episodes such as "Blink" and "The Girl in the Fireplace."
The story opens with the Doctor's TARDIS crashing through time (and the skies of London) before crash landing just outside the home of Amelia Pond, a little girl who lives in Leadworth, England. Amelia has been concerned about a crack in her bedroom wall, and observing it, the Doctor, who is still recovering from his recent regeneration, discovers that it is a crack in time and space, and deduces that it leads to a prison. A giant eye is seen in the crack, claiming that "Prisoner Zero has escaped." Before the Doctor can do anything else, he discovers the TARDIS will self-destruct unless he vents the engine by taking a quick travel through time. He promises Amelia to return in five minutes.
When the Doctor returns, he can't find anyone in the house, until he is unexpectedly hit with a cricket bat. Recovering from the blow, he discovers the resident, who tells him Amelia moved out six months ago. Soon, he exposes the presence of Prisoner Zero, a serpentine multiform alien who soon assumes the shape of a man and a dog. The Doctor manages to make the new homeowner let him go, and they both run out before the Doctor realizes the shed the TARDIS had destroyed on his first visit has been replaced. He quickly deduces that it has been there twelve years. Amelia is now Amy Pond, a "kissogram."
Amy and the Doctor quickly discover that all radios and televisions are broadcasting the message "Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence, or the human residence will be incinerated." The Doctor realizes that the aliens, a space police force called the Atraxi, are referring to the Earth. With only twenty minutes to spare, the Doctor must find Prisoner Zero and make the Atraxi take him, or it's the end of the world.
"The Eleventh Hour" offers some excellent writing, if this is your kind of show. Though the episode runs at a special length to introduce the new Doctor, his new companion Amy, his redesigned TARDIS (a time machine/space ship that looks like a common 1950's police call box on the outside), and the new sonic screwdriver, it manages to retain a tight plot, and keep the audience interested.
Matt Smith is excellent as the Doctor, bursting with energy, keeping a keen eye for investigation to rival Sherlock Holmes, and yet, he manages to feel like a continuation of the same character fans have been watching all along. Karen Gillan as Amy Pond is also amazing, and very easy on the eyes. Amy is strong willed, and even when she gets into a tight spot, manages to not feel like the typical damsel in distress. (Particularly as her boyfriend happens to be in the same tight spot.) Gillan's cousin Caitlin Blackwood plays the younger Amelia, and does it amazingly well for a child actress, setting up the strong companion who we'll see later.
If you've been a fan of Doctor Who for years, you will love this episode. If you're just curious, I think this would be a good episode to start with.
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