The Cloister Room

TCR 012: The FOX Factor

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 20:52:00 GMT

This week, it's a slightly abbreviated Cloister Room, as Tom talks about the recent setbacks with the US version of Torchwood. There are some interesting implications if you read between the lines.

Check out Tom's review of Victory of the Daleks: http://www.behindthesofa.org.uk/2010/04/spitfire-from-space.html

TCR 011: Mo Monsters Mo Problems (16 April 2010)

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 03:08:00 GMT

This week on The Cloister Room, Tom digs into Doctor Who: The Beast Below and Lost: Everybody Loves Hugo, with some kind words for Ashes to Ashes as well.

In Act One, it's all about the monsters, and whether Doctor Who always needs them. In Act Two, Tom makes some minor complaints about how the final season of Lost is going. But in Act Three, Tom turns it around and brings the optimism, praising the first two episodes of series three of Ashes to Ashes.

All this plus the Dune Quote of the Week!

Check out Tom's review of The Beast Below: http://www.behindthesofa.org.uk/2010/04/pushing-the-right-buttons-.html

TCR 010: The Fish Custard Dating Controversy

Fri, 9 Apr 2010 23:51:00 GMT

In this episode, Tom shares some brief considerations on the most recent episodes of Doctor Who and Lost.

In Act One, it's all about the Doctor and the companion keeping secrets form one another. In Act Two, Tom discusses the Fish Custard Dating Controversy. In Act Three, Tom explains why, if anything happens, Desmond Hume will be his constant.

All this plus the Dune Quote of the Week.

Check out Tom's review of The Eleventh Hour: http://www.behindthesofa.org.uk/2010/04/the-pinwheelest-pinwheel.html

TCR 009: NOT about Matt Smith

Fri, 2 Apr 2010 23:59:00 GMT

In this episode, Tom does not talk about Matt Smith or Steven Moffatt or Series Five or any of the amazing things that are going to happen tomorrow.

Instead, he goes ahead with the episode he was planning on doing two weeks ago, reviewing the Klein stories by Big Finish, and talking about recent mythological revelations on Lost. And at the end, some impromptu reviews of classic series episodes.

TCR 008: Incursion of the Ha'Roul

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:42:00 GMT

In this weeks (er... actually, LAST week's, since I was four days late in releasing it) thrilling episode of The Cloister Room, Tom talks about sense an nonsense.

In Act One, Tom talks about the lack of nonsense in Doctor Who story titles. In Act Two, the "Tom Says Some Stuff About Lost" is about the answers (or non-answers) that Lost is delivering in its final season. Are we making sense of Lost, or aren't we?

Plus, the Dune Quote of the Week, and Haiku Reviews on... well, music, which is entirely off-topic. Does that make sense? Maybe not, but that's what this episode is about!

TCR 007: I Hope It's Cool!

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 14:41:00 GMT

This week on The Cloister Room, Tom talks about reboots. No, not ReBoot. Franchise continuity reboots. Of the kind that, back in January, Jane Tranter was considering engaging in for the purpose of bringing Doctor Who to the US. Tom explains his reaction and, well... it's not fanboyish bile.

Plus two new, presumably regular segments: Tom Says Some Stuff About Lost: Tom unravels the mysteries of the new narrative device introduced this season of Lost. The Haiku Review: Tom offers his poetically pithy reviews of three currently-running TV programs.

All this and more*, on this week's episode of The Cloister Room.

Please follow me on Twitter! You can get updates about this show at @TheCloisterRoom, and you can follow my daily musings on all sorts of banal things at @tdickinson.

*NOTE: And by "more" I mean the Dune Quote of the Week. That's more, right?

TCR 006: An Announcement, and a Lament for Gallifrey

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:26:00 GMT

Tom announces the advent of weekly episodes, and shares his thoughts on the Gallifrey One Convention. By singing.

Links: Blinovitch: "The Ultimate Foe" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMMsuhwZ7Bo Blinovitch: "Five Docs" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLPkpxl4u7E

Special thanks to these guys for featuring my song! Bridging the Rift: http://bridgingtherift.wordpress.com/ Tim's Take On...: http://timstakeon.libsyn.com/

Please follow me on Twitter! You can get updates about this show at @TheCloisterRoom, and you can follow my daily musings on all sorts of banal things at @tdickinson.

TCR 005: The Great Genre Panic

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 23:48:00 GMT

It's back! The Cloister Room bursts back onto the scene for Christmas eve in an episode that has... nothing to do with Christmas at all. Ah well. This week, I take a look at the state of genre television on major networks in the United States, looking at the problems posed by shows like Dollhouse and what the American industry can learn from the UK, and, of course, Doctor Who in particular. Feedback is welcome, and one particular question of interest: if an American actor had to play the Doctor, who would you want it to be? Some thoughts are in the episode, but I'd love to hear your opinion on this and other issues in the comments!

TCR 004: Requiem for a Drama

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:33:00 GMT

The Cloister Room returns! No, it has not been canceled before its time, but this is an episode about television shows that were canceled before their time. The question at stake: Is it worth setting yourself up for disappointment by investing in a show that's already been canceled, or looks like it will be? The answer: Well, you'll just have to listen to find out! Also, the Dune quote of the week. Which is a bit of a misnomer, coming from a podcast that makes no claim to a weekly schedule.

Elsewhere on the Internet:
You can hear Tom as a guest panelist on episode 7 of Bridging the Rift (as soon as it's released anyway, I'll put a link to the episode here once it's out).

And you can also hear Tom, singing! Tom has sort of started a Trock project called Blinovitch, and he sings a song about The Valeyard over at videobloggery. It's called "The Ultimate Foe".

TCR 003: Man, O Mandalorian!

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:51:00 GMT

Ha! After a brief dry spell, you thought this rookie podcast didn't have the staying power to last more than two episodes. But you were wrong, buster.

Last time on the Cloister Room, Tom promised a discussion of Star Wars. This week, he deviates from his plans but still fulfills the promise by talking about canonical issues in Star Wars. Also included is a defense of canon in Doctor Who. All this and also the Dune Quote of the Week in the third exciting episode of this rookie podcast.

The Cloister Room promo

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 03:02:00 GMT

Have a podcast? Want to run a promo for The Cloister Room? Well, please do!

TCR 002: O Captain! My Captain!

Sat, 1 Aug 2009 02:27:00 GMT

This week on The Cloister Room, Tom takes a look at Captain Jack Harkness: the background of the character, the major events that have shaken him in Children of Earth, and his thoughts on the character's direction for the future. But that's only one of the four acts in this episode. Tom also discusses the recently unveiled trailers for the upcoming specials and Russell T Davies' attitude on religion in Torchwood: Children of Earth. It's far and away the most jam-packed episode yet, which, Tom admits, is really not saying much, as it's only the second one!

Useful Links:
The Waters of Mars Trailer (youtube)
The End of the World Trailer (youtube)
The Minute Doctor Who Podcast (discussed in this episode)

Planet of the Dead liveblog on 7/26 at 7:45 PM Eastern

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:34:00 GMT

On Sunday, July 26 at 7:45 PM Eastern, I will be hosting a liveblog during BBC America's first airing of Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead, at my personal blog, tawm.net. You can join me and a bunch of other Doctor Who fans for a live discussion of Planet of the Dead as it happens on air. The chat will open early so people have time to arrive and say hi, then we'll watch the episode until its conclusion at 9:15 and stick around afterward for some discussion.

If you'd like to join us but don't get BBC America, feel free to bring along whatever copy of Planet of the Dead you have and we'll tell you when to start and stop to compensate for the commercial breaks and stay in sync with us.

Thanks to Chip from the Two Minute Time Lord podcast for this lively idea. His Torchwood: Children of Earth liveblogs were great fun. Unlike Chip's liveblogs, this liveblog will take a relaxed attitude toward spoilers as I'm assuming most of us have seen it already. The CoveritLive liveblog service makes it really simple which allows us to focus on having a good time.

I hope you'll join us! Just visit tawm.net at 7:45 and you'll find the liveblog.

TCR: 000 and 001 Special Compilation Edition

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:59:00 GMT

There was a massive outcry for mp3 over m4a, and I have obliged. This special mp3 compilation of TCR:001 and TCR:002 contains never-before-heard linking material by Tom Baker. Wait, Dickinson. Did I say Baker? I meant Dickinson.

The Small Screen, the Big Screen, and the Bigger-on-the-Inside Screen

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:16:00 GMT

After a wishy-washy, namby-pamby episode zero, The Cloister Room roars onto the scene with its triumphant episode 001: "The Small Screen, the Big Screen, and the Bigger-on-the-Inside Screen."

In this episode, host Tom Dickinson kicks it off by discussing Doctor Who films: The ones that were made, the ones that were proposed, and the one that's rumored to be in development. All this and more (but not much more) in the exciting premiere of The Cloister Room.

TCR 000: Pilot

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:10:00 GMT

The first, or rather zero-th, episode of The Clositer Room. Characterized by a distinct lack of any kind of content or enjoyability. Mostly just a test since I'm new to this podcasting thing.