BuzzSugar

It's Here! Doctor Who Season 7 Preview

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:19:40 PDT

Fans at the weekend's Doctor Who Convention were the first to get a look at the trailer for series seven, and thankfully now we can all share in the sci-fi magic. Watch as The Doctor winds up in an American-style Western complete with a sheriff badge, a pistol-wielding Amy Pond, and yes, even a Stetson-clad Timelord. Watch a preview of what appears to be the most explosive Doctor Who episode yet below!

Doctor Who Viewing Party Must Haves

Kelly Schwarze — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 09:30:33 PDT

Citizens of Cardiff, Wales: be on the lookout for thousands of bowties this weekend, as cosplay Whovians descend on the city for the first ever Doctor Who Convention. For the sad fans that can't get to Cardiff, Wales this weekend, let's make a pact to dress up and put just as much effort into an Eleventh Doctor Series Five and Six viewing party. In? Celebrate everyone's favorite time traveling show with these tips for the best party this side of Gallifrey.

Doctor Who CliffsNotes For Noobs

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:50:51 PST

New to the Doctor Who world and a little confused about the blue police-box spaceship, enemies threatening to end time, and the alien that calls himself a Doctor though seems to have no academic qualifications? We've all been there. Call it the timey wimey Who initiation, call it bewildering, but now call yourself a master, thanks to this Doctor Who time line infographic. This graph provides an outline of all 11 Doctors, human companions, and fearsome villains since the show's beginning in 1963, and a couple of hours spent studying it will make you a Who expert before the special on Christmas Day.

Here's a snippet of the early Doctor's adventures, and be sure to click through for decades of Whovian details.

Watch the Doctor Who Christmas Episode Prequel

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:01:24 PST

The traditional Doctor Who Christmas episode is set to air Christmas Day, Dec. 25, at 9 p.m./8 p.m. Central on BBC America. As the episode's name - "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe" - suggests, it has a plot reminiscent of the C.S. Lewis novel, with the Doctor leading a family away from their normal lives and on a Winter adventure.

The BBC released a tense prequel to the special episode, showing a desperate Doctor calling on the help of an old friend. Check out the short below and let us know if you'll tune in on Christmas to watch the return of Doctor Who.

Chris Hardwick on His TV Show, Doctor Who, and Star Trek Battles

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:05:30 PDT

With an upcoming special on BBC America and book slated for a Fall debut, we caught up with Nerdist Chris Hardwick for more details on the TV show, viral video culture, and his nerdiest facts.

Taking the Nerdist blog and podcast format to television, Chris's half-hour BBC America comedy special called, Nerdist, naturally, will air on Sept. 24 at 10 p.m. Joining the show to talk all things nerd and pop culture will be infamous Doctor Who fan and talk show host Craig Ferguson and the not-so-secret special guest: the doctor himself, Matt Smith.

You may remember him as host of dating game shows Singled Out and the under-the-radar gem, Shipmates, but with his place as unofficial ambassador of current geek culture, we asked Chris for his expert take on all things nerd.

On his love for Doctor Who - "I haven't watched any of the previews, because I love the show so much that I want to be as surprised as possible. I watched the prequel to the episode, because they obviously wouldn't spoil anything in that, and it would just be setting up the episode."

As host of Web Soup, you see a lot of Internet viral videos. What percentage of the Internet do you estimate to be videos and photos of cats? - "64 percent, I think it's pretty high. Cat videos are the glue that keeps America together."

Singled Out or Shipmates - "They were both delightfully horrible in fun ways. Shipmates was fun, because they let me say whatever I wanted. I would literally finish an episode of Shipmates by saying, 'Thanks for watching. Be sure to root for Gryffindor in the upcoming Quidditch trials,' and they never said I couldn't do it. But probably Singled Out, because I was right out of college and it completely redefined my life."

Best nerdy pick-up line - "I'd like to upload this file to your hard drive."

Follow the break for more of Chris's nerd picks and his choice for victor of the ultimate Star Trek battle.

Doctor Who Midseason Prequel

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:51:27 PDT

Knowing fans on both sides of the pond are anxiously awaiting the continuation of the Doctor Who season, BBC America just released a mini prequel ahead of the midseason kickoff episode "Let's Kill Hitler." Spoilers ahead, for those who haven't caught up through the end of the first half of the season.

The show left us with the heart-wrenching disappearance of Amy and Rory's baby and a Doctor in turmoil. The prequel brings us back to this same point and suggests little has improved. What are your theories for the rest of the season?

4 Life Lessons From the Eleventh Doctor

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:31:33 PDT

The countdown is on for the return of the second half of the Doctor Who series. The new episode premieres Aug. 27 on BBC America; that's 15 days away, not like we're counting. Looking back at the Eleventh Doctor's escapades through space and time, there are some life lessons to take away from the zaniness and danger.

Patience pays off - Though the Doctor told her he'd be right back, Amy waited 12 years for the Doctor to return, dealing with the skepticism of adults through her childhood. The Doctor's return results in Amy's ensuing adventures on the time-traveling TARDIS.
Keep an open mind when faced with potential foes - We humans can be quick to dismiss people who aren't like us. In his encounters with the Silurians and the flesh people, the Doctor showed that these races feared by others had emotions, memories, and lives to be respected, just like humans.
Always go "have a look" - Famous last words or the voice of an intrepid explorer? When the Doctor emerges from the TARDIS to have a look at a new foreign land, you know excitement is to follow.
Accessorize with care - One statement piece is all you need to complete an ensemble. Two pieces tops, when adding a fez to an outfit already adorned with a bow tie.

What have you learned from the Doctor?

Doctor Who at Comic-Con and Fall Sneak Peek

GeekSugar — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:21:45 PDT

Doctor Who fans had quite the Comic-Con experience last weekend. Matt Smith, who plays the eleventh doctor, and Karen Gillan, who plays the doctor's faithful companion Amy Pond, were interviewed by G4 and distributed Tardis burritos to audience members at the sold-out recording of the Nerdist podcast. The stars then, along with show writer Toby Whithouse, spoke to an excited crowd of over 6,000 people at the Doctor Who panel in Hall H, traditionally reserved for the most popular Comic-Con panels each year.

Spectators at Hall H previewed the Fall season trailer, which will premiere Aug. 27 on BBC America. Check out the action-packed trailer (is the doctor's time really up?!) after the break.

Brit-Com Gavin and Stacey Arrives on Our Shores

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:30:00 PDT

When I first told my good friend PopUK that the comedy series Gavin and Stacey was coming to BBC America, she was nothing short of delighted. Since it's one of her faves, I asked her to give us Yanks a taste of what makes the show so great before it premieres at 8:40 p.m. PDT/EST tonight. I'll let her take it from here:

So, you've already got our "British teens gone wild" import Skins airing on your shores, and now it's time for one of our most beloved series to arrive: Gavin and Stacey. It's a British comedy show with a love story at its (big, big) heart, so here's my guide to what you need to know before turning on your telly (er, TV) tonight!

Let's start with the adorable 20-something couple at the center of all this: Gavin and Stacey. The series begins before their first meeting - they've been talking on the phone for months at work and are finally taking the plunge and seeing each other face to face. The couple both live at their family homes, Gavin with his parents Mick and Pam, and Stacey with her widowed mother Gwen under the protective eye of her uncle Bryn. Gavin's a down-to-earth lad from Essex, England - which is to London as New Jersey is to New York City - and Stacey's full of sparkle and hails from Barry Island in Wales, the equivalent of a small town in South Carolina. (These American equivalents are where the characters are rumored to be hailing from in the upcoming NBC remake.)

The comedy arrives via the cast of supporting characters who flesh out the show. Gavin's mother has an inability to think before she speaks, whereas her husband Mick is down-to-earth like their son and fails to see the method behind his wife's madness. Gavin's parents are awesome, and whenever I watch the show, certain things they do feel so familiar to me from watching my own family at various gatherings. Stacey's Uncle Bryn (played by British comedy great Rob Brydon) is a simple Welsh man with a simple life; he's amazed by everyday things like online route planners and is very endearingly protective over Stacey.

For more about G&S, including a glossary, just

The brilliant writers of the show (James Corden and Ruth Jones) also play Gavin and Stacey's well-rounded best mates Smithy and Nessa. The really-rather-lovely-in-real-life Corden and Jones arguably give themselves the best lines and definitely the most embarrassing situations, and the two over-the-top characters are my favorites (along with Bryn).

Nessa is older than Stacey, and boy has she lived - she constantly name-drops, mentions places she's lived (Namibia, Egypt), and seems to have slept with everyone in Barry and beyond. Her catchphrases like "What's occurring?" and adding "Oh" to the beginning of random sentences have caught on across the country. If you're having trouble understanding her strong Welsh tones, bear in mind that even we Brits don't understand her sometimes, which is something Smithy brings up later in the series.

So, onto Smithy, played by lovely James Corden (The History Boys), who's won a couple of awards for this role including one of the two BAFTAs that the show won this year. Smithy's a stereotypical English bloke on the surface, puts up a loudmouth front, loves football and beer, and has a really young girlfriend whom we never actually see. Underneath it all, though, he's fiercely loyal to his friends, especially Gavin, and is definitely a big softy.

All in all, it's hard to tell how the show will translate in America, and although American journalists enjoyed James Corden and the rest of the cast at the TCA Press Tour, we won't know how it fares with the public until it airs tonight! I'm curious as to what you'll all think, so do let me know.

But I'll leave you with some references in the first episode you might not understand. If you watch the rest of the series and there's anything you're not sure about, just ask!

"You sound like Barbara Windsor..." = English actress, sounds like a British version of Joey's manager Estelle from Friends
"cacking it" = really nervous
"Pet Rescue" = daytime TV series beloved by housewives
"shepherd's pie" = meat topped with mashed potato
"by the by" = beside the point
"driving theory" = written part of UK driving test
"River Island" = high street clothing store
"it's well nice" = it's very nice

Photos courtesy of BBC America

This Weekend's TV: Skins

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:38:56 PDT

Gossip Girl encountered its fair share of criticism about its sex, drugs, and other vaguely inappropriate content when it premiered last Fall. But frankly, the Upper East Siders have nothing on the cast of Skins, the British show that premieres Sunday on BBC America. This show takes the limits of American TV and stomps all over them - and that's even without the edited-out language and nudity.

Skins, which just wrapped up its second season in the UK, is the rare show about teenagers that's actually written by people who remember well enough what it was like to be one: The show's writing staff has an average age of 22. The main character is Tony (played by Nicholas Hoult, aka the little kid from About a Boy - just try to get your mind around that one), the hottest and most popular guy in town; he, of course, has a gorgeous girlfriend, Michelle, to go along with his status. And then there's Sid, Tony's nerdy friend, who enlists Tony's help in losing his virginity in the first episode and somehow ends up buying a large quantity of weed. Sid's maybe the most relatable character of the bunch, but the one I loved the most in the first episode was Cassie, a spacey, anorexic, drug-addled beauty who thinks everything in the world is beautiful - except, possibly, for herself.

My UK friends told me the show builds slowly but deserves all its buzz (and acclaim, including a prize at this year's Rose d'Or festival) by the end. The first episode left me wanting another, so it's a good thing that Sunday's BBC America premiere will have two episodes back to back starting at 9 p.m. EDT and PDT. To watch the US preview - and then the original UK preview, which looks oddly like an Abercrombie ad with more drugs and puking and is probably NSFW - just

Photo courtesy of BBC America