Lords of Time Doctor Who convention press conference

Lords of Time Doctor Who convention press conference

As we gear up for the Lords of Time Doctor Who convention in Auckland tomorrow, the press was given some time with the stars of the show who are over in the city of Sails for the event.

Doctors Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann and voice of the Daleks and Cybermen (as well as Big Finish executive producer) Nicholas Briggs all sat down for a press conference earlier today.

Below are a heap of pictures from the press conference - and there will be a fair few more coming over the weekend from the event itself. Plus over the next few days, there will be interviews with Sixth Doctor Colin Baker and Big Finish's Nicholas Briggs.


"Four stars of long-running BBC TV series Doctor Who have arrived in Auckland ahead of tomorrow's special convention, celebrating the show's 50th anniversary.

Sixth Doctor Colin Baker, Seventh Doctor and Hobbit star Sylvester McCoy, Eighth Doctor Paul McGann and voice of the Daleks and Cybermen, Nicholas Briggs are all in town for the Lords of Time convention at Auckland Girls Grammar School tomorrow.

Fifth Doctor Peter Davison is due to be at the convention this weekend as the show marks its 50th anniversary.

At a press conference in Auckland today, the four actors were on jovial form as they readied themselves for the masses of fans which will swamp to the one day event, run by the organisers of the Armageddon Expo series.

The actors admitted they'd learned this morning that New Zealand was the first country in the world to begin showing the BBC Doctor Who series after it premiered in the UK in 1963. Transmission started here in September 1964, beating Canada and Australia by several months and there has been an enthusiastic Kiwi fan base ever since.

All four of the actors talked of their love for the series, which has seen them involved in conventions worldwide and a continuing series of radio dramas. Executive producer of the Big Finish audio range of Dr Who stories, Nicholas Briggs said the series remained so phenomenally popular "because it's an Odyssey type story" with one man "whose Achilles' heel is that he always interferes." Sixth Doctor Colin Baker believed the show would live in forever because of the way it garnered new fans. He says people now watch and claim the show as their own. "That's my Doctor - and once that ball is rolling, it's hard to stop" said Baker.

The actors were this afternoon immortalised in coin form at the New Zealand Mint - something which seventh Doctor and Hobbit star Sylvester McCoy claimed was "amazing". His character from the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has already been immortalised in a stand in New Zealand.

The show celebrates its 50th anniversary in the UK on November 23rd."

Pitch Perfect: Blu Ray Review

Pitch Perfect: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

It's off to the world of acapella singing we go for this latest female ensemble piece.

Anna Kendrick stars as Beca, a newbie to college and a wannabe DJ who'd rather be spinning the tunes than singing them with a slew of other ladies. Cajoled into joining the all girl group The Bellas, whose past was rocked by one of their number vomiting everywhere at the finals, she finds herself in battle with the Treble Makers, the reigning boy band champs.

But Beca's attitude towards the a cappella world and the desire to mix it up using more upto date music puts her on a collision course with those running the Bellas...

Let's get this out of the way - Pitch Perfect is no big screen version of Glee. And for that, we should all be grateful.

In fact, early on during auditions, Christopher Mintz-Plasse makes an awesome cameo telling the auditionees that this is no place to work out social issues, that's high school, clearly cocking a snook at the sing-along antics of Glee.

It's a fairly throw away film though, but one which is packed with heaps of energy and singing obviously and is guaranteed to be a great night in.  Plus it has one major thing going for it - Rebel Wilson. She steals every single scene she is in, with great delivery of great one-liners and put downs. If anything, Pitch Perfect is the breakthrough role she's been looking for for her unique brand of sarcastic awkwardness and the writers have catered excellently to her.

Anna Kendrick remains her perky and likeable self throughout as well; but it's more of a film which caters for the women rather than the other way round - the males of the piece are strapped for screen time and slightly underwritten.

But when you have an ensemble of women, I'm not sure what the push is to have them going for a bit of gross out behaviour - call it the Bridesmaids effect if you will - but once again vomiting plays a big part in this musical mash up piece. Throw in Elizabeth Banks as an aca-judge with some truly funny zingers though and this is clearly the oestrogen generation which is being targeted.

The energy levels dip somewhat towards the end as we near the frantic finale as it concentrates on Beca's love story but overall, even if it is slightly overlong, Pitch Perfect is a fine piece of celluloid fun.

Extras: Deleted scenes, extended scenes, music videos, commentary

Rating: