The Written Podcast: Streaming is the New Terrestrial TV

The Golden Age of Television. A phrase that’s well known across the world. The first known era of the golden age is when networks were only showing live broadcasts of shows and many associate the end of that era when there was more demand for pre-recorded shows. Since then, that term has been used across the eras, and as TV became even more popular and accessible across the world, and more networks were being created, either showing repeats of shows they purchased from other networks or airing their own original content before repeating them, that phrase has since been attributed to the past and not to the present. Many people believe that the Golden Age of Television is over.

What intrigues me about that statement is, I’m inclined to believe it. In fact, I’m inclined to believe that Terrestrial TV itself is starting to fade away. And when I say starting to, I mean we’ve still got a few years to go before we can say it’s extinct. Terrestrial TV is still a major contribution to everyday society. Networks across the world airing their shows at set times each day, whether original content or repeats; as I’m writing this my mum is watching a repeat of Murder She Wrote on the TV, with adverts. Terrestrial TV is still something we enjoy, but isn’t something we’re worried about anymore. During the first era of the Golden Age of TV, if you were to miss a show that was being performed live, then you’ve missed that show. There were no repeats. When shows were being pre-recorded before airing, maybe you’d get a repeat of a popular show, but generally, if you missed an airing of an episode of a show you wanted to keep up to day with, you missed it.

Nowadays, if you missed an episode, no worries, just watch it on catch-up. On demand streaming services are becoming an increasingly popular era of TV. A Television is a device that lets you watch shows, but the word “television” has morphed to become an umbrella word for any device that allows streaming of content. Desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones, all have the ability to stream content, and yet we still associate that act as watching TV. Sure, we have smart TVs that can connect to the internet and therefore has access to the popular streaming services, so by that context you are watching shows on the Television, but you’re not watching terrestrial TV, you’re watching an on-demand streaming service, and we are in an era where there are so many of them our bank accounts are looking like a TV guide.

Netflix is essentially the company that pioneered the streaming service and brought the ability to watch whatever you want on demand, at a touch of a button, into mainstream society, and since then we’ve had what can be dubbed as The Golden Age of Streaming Services. TV has evolved. Maybe the large amount of streaming services available is just another era of The Golden Age of TV, but since the majority, if not all, streaming services can be accessed by multiple devices, can it really be called TV anymore?

The problem is, as terrestrial TV is slowly fading away and streaming services are growing in popularity, companies are jumping at the chance to start their own and as a result we may have one too many of them, each offering their own competitive subscription rate and original content, it’s quickly becoming equivalent to sitting down in the evening with you meal on your lap scrolling through the channels not knowing what to watch and by the time you find something interesting you’re meal’s grown cold. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, Sky Store, Now TV, Britbox Apple TV HBO Max. YouTube Premium, Crunchyroll, Curiosity Stream, and all the on-demand content by networks such as BBC, channel 4, and Discovery, with iplayer, 4 On Demand, and Discovery+; and more; where the heck do we even begin?

I haven’t watched terrestrial TV in years. I’ve watched only on-demand catch up and streaming services, which means the only adverts I see on the TV are when I’m passing through the living room, and TV adverts are another conversation to have at a later date, because they’re getting crazier and crazier with time.

Whether you class a streaming service as a branch from terrestrial TV, or is its own separate entity, we’ve either entered a new era of The Golden Age of TV, or began the first era of The Golden Age of Streaming Services. Whatever that conclusion may be, streaming services are certainly becoming more and more the new form of TV.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: In Defence of - The Great Escapists

The Great Escapists is a documentary series focusing on Richard Hammond and Tori Belleci standard on a desert island and they have to try and survive and find rescue. That premise does stipulate it’s going to be an educational program in which Tori uses his experience gained from Mythbusters and working in the film industry to show us a bunch of helpful top tips, and Richard Hammond being the comedic element whilst also getting his hands dirty. I will admit that is what I was expecting and was surprised when I discovered it to be apropos to a situational comedy. The trailers did not showcase the true nature of the show, and that’s where I can see how people have taken a disliking to the show - they were also expecting something akin to education.

What we’ve got instead is a situational comedy about to guys stuck in a room telling a story about their time on a desert island, and basically being the best survivors ever and giving the impression that they can build anything out of rubbish, including a fully functioning car and tank, and a three storey treehouse apartment complex all in the first episode. I did sit down the expectation of being taught a few tricks here and there, and when the sequences depicting the interviews first appeared on screen, I was confused at first. This is not what the trailers depicted the show to be at all, and so I had to adjust to a different genre entirely, which is only made even more confusing when it still comes under the category of a documentary series, usually filled with facts. It’s basically fiction. Every conversation between Richard and Tori is scripted. They did not build that house themselves, and Richard did not build that car, nor did Tori build that Tank - at best it took a good few weeks of planning to make it work whilst looking as if it was made up of stuff washed ashore.

Now, none of what I’ve said has been positive about the show when this article is about defending it, which doesn’t make much sense I know. My defence for this show came when I had adjusted to the format of the show, and I had accepted the situational-comedy-esque style of the show. My defence came when Richard was being his on-screen persona, similar to that of which is displayed on The Grand Tour between James May and Jeremy Clarkson - it’s the same style of acting; emphasising his personality for comedic purposes. Richard’s been doing it for years, and so he slips into the scripted nature of the show effortlessly, whereas Tori has practically done nothing but non-scripted TV for years, and so his acting is a little wooden at times. My true defence of the show is, this was made with the intention of not taking itself too seriously, but marketed as if it was entirely serious.

If they had marketed and edited the trailers to resemble exactly what the show was about, it would have received much favourable opinions. We’re used to Richard’s on-screen personality from The Grand Tour, and why shouldn’t Tori branch out and do something different? They clearly had a lot of fun making it, but unfortunately it was let down by promising something different to what we got.

It is a good program. Once I had adjusted to what it was actually about, I was entertained. I found it funny, I found it a brilliant way to escape into a light-hearted series. When I finished the first episode I went back and rewatched it again, this time fully adjusted to the ideas it had within and found it just as entertaining, and was able to pick up upon the bits that I had missed during those times when I was a bit confused. Sadly, however, it seems that the trailers have subverted people’s expectations too much - an understandable reaction considering they’re literally designed to promote the show - and the show as a whole is suffering for it. The reviews slating it will deter people from watching it, even those who haven’t seen the trailers and wouldn’t have been tricked. It’s unfortunate, but I think Amazon has killed this show before it could grow. I just hope that I’m able to convince enough people to give it a chance.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: Friday - 01/01/2021

And so begins another year around the sun - for the Northern Hemisphere, anyway. Last year was an historic year for one major reason. Many years before have secured their spot in the historic history books for one reason or another, but last year was certainly perched on its own podium, away from all the other years. Those previously historic years have one thing in common, that whatever happened between January 1st and December 31st is usually what is talked about, not necessarily the year itself, whereas 2020 will be the thing that people will talk about within that year. If my manager were to come up to me on January 1st 2020 and said that the company is going to shut down for 3 months of the year, of course I wouldn’t believe him. Most probably I would question why. But that is what happened. For 3 months of the year, not only did the company shut down, nor did only the country shut down, but the entire world came to a standstill. By early April, 3.9 Billion people, more than half the world’s population, was under various levels of lockdown.

For us UK residents, and probably, for the most part, Europeans as well, Brexit dominated the news since 2016 when the residents of the UK voted to leave the EU. Ever since then, without fail, every single day, Brexit was mentioned at least once. Leaving an entire continent of countries sounded easy to some people, was an agonisingly difficult job for a lot more, because making sure everyone’s happy is not an easy task. The Government struggled to keep everyone happy long before Brexit was a thought in David Cameron’s mind, but here we are, going into 2021 with a long-awaited deal that was made late last year, practically at the very last moment. Coronavirus, lockdown, tier systems, the furlough scheme; they became the new talking point for everyone. At the pandemics full strength, Brexit seemed like something that was pushed to one side. When the deal was finally reached between the UK and the EU, who the heck thought that it would be seen by many as secondary.

Now that we’re firmly in the grasps of 2021, if last year proved anything that we should definitely expect the unexpected. The global pandemic and Brexit will forever change the way the UK functions from this moment on, and probably the entire world, too. Last year was definitely a decade defining year, but we have to be prepared for the possibility that the 2020s is a millennium defining decade. When the world looks back at this millennium, I would be very surprised if 2020 wasn’t at the top of everyone’s list of major moments. Although, to be perfectly honest, I would be very surprised to be very surprised at all within the next millennium, considering it’s just under 980 years away. A lot can happen in that time, but the year 2020 may be overshadowing many more events to come - unless we finally make contact with extraterrestrials this year, then that might just take the top spot, or we finally successfully develop time travel and send people back in time, which could lead to many rewrites and major catastrophes.... I think I’m straying a bit too far from my initial point, but I think you understand enough to know what I’m talking about.

Last year will live on in infamy, that’s for definite: documentaries will be made about it, conspiracy theories will spread all over the world, historians will discuss what happened on TV, and multiple books both nonfiction and fiction will be written about the year - it will be the talking point for many years to come. I will be fascinated to consume as much information as I can possibly get hold of relating to the events of last year, whether true or not, to give a true perspective on how the world was truly affected by that historic year.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: In Defence of Supernatural - The Finale

 It seems there is an unfortunate pattern when it comes to ending a popular TV show. It doesn’t go well. It can be difficult to get the tone of the finale correct, especially after so many years. For the most part, the worst finales are talked about more than the good ones, an understandable reaction considering loyal fans have been following the show since the beginning and would like to say goodbye to the characters in a meaningful way. Whilst I haven’t seen Dexter or Game of Thrones, I do know that the finales destroyed the show. Game of Thrones stood out above the rest simply because it was the most talked about and watched TV show year after year and then, after the 8th, is not even mentioned once. Not a single person who was once a fan of the show is recommending people to watch the first 7 seasons, but instead have completely turned their back on the entire show, a feat that’s remarkable in its own right, to be honest. And I haven’t seen many articles talking about Dexter anymore, but only mentioned on those top ten lists talking about the worst finales.

Supernatural could have easily gone down that route, but it thankfully hasn’t. Lasting for an outstanding 15 seasons, the long running ghost-hunting, demon-killing, God-fighting series came to an end a couple of weeks ago, and has generated a few debates. It split the fanbase down the middle - some are happy; some are mad; there is no in between. Looking at it simply, it did seem strange that for someone who, in the previous episode, defeated God himself after a lengthy battle be stopped by a rusty nail. It seemed strange that Dean, a human being, spent 15 seasons going up against the most powerful ghosts, demons, Gods, and everything else in between being stopped by a group of vampires. 

Looking at it in regards to the entire series as whole, it no longer becomes simple as there’s a lot to unpack. Since the very first episode, Sam (Jared Padelecki) has been wanting to lead a normal life, away from all the hunting. He only got dragged back in when his brother, Dean (Jensen Ackles) came knocking on his door stating their dad had gone missing on a “hunting trip”. At the end of the first episode, his then girlfriend was killed off by an entity who we now know to be the yellow-eyed demon and prince of hell, Azazel, who also took the life of their mother who had made a deal with him to spare their dad’s life, John some years prior to the first episode. Over the 15 seasons there has been so much lore explored about the world in which Sam and Dean live, but fundamentally, even though he had accepted the life of a hunter, Sam never forgot his one true desire of living a normal life. And Dean never forgot that deep down, he knew he was destined to go out as a hunter.

It was obvious that the show was planned to only be 5 seasons long, ending with the climactic battle between Lucifer and Micael, two archangels, which would have seen the end of the world. The Apocalypse was prevented by Sam and Dean, specifically with Sam’s sacrifice which landed him in hell, trapped in the cage with Lucifer. The end of the 5th season had Chuck (who we gradually learnt to be God himself) stating that no story is ever truly over before mysteriously vanishing into thin air.

Skipping ahead to the 19th episode of season 15, we see them defeating God by taking his power away from him, making him mortal. The last scene of the episode saw Sam and Dean sitting in their bunker making a toast to everyone they’ve lost along the way, stating that they’re finally free from God’s plan/story. Ultimately, God had been the one writing their story from the very beginning. Long before they were even born, God was writing their story, making sure specific things were in place to make for a good story. A few episodes, including the show’s 200th episode, heavily focused on the fact that they were a part of a story, and by taking away God’s power, they were finally free from that story, enabling them to go about their lives as they choose.

The finale episode of Supernatural saw Sam and Dean fight a nest of Vampires. They win, but Dean gets stabbed in the back by a rusty nail. He begged Sam to let him go, to not find another way and to keep his word once he’s gone; to live a normal life. Again, it did seem strange that the episode prior saw him go toe to toe with God himself, but as explained above, he was no longer a part of a story written by God. Jack, who had become the new God, stated clearly that he was not going to be as hands on as Chuck was, saying “that was his mistake,” before disappearing. Seeing Dean go out so simply does seem weird, but it does put into perspective of all the time he could have died before. How many times could Dean have died, and how many times has Dean actually died - each time he has survived and came back to life because it was a part of God’s story. Because God was no longer influencing events anymore, unfortunately, for Dean, he does go out relatively simply compared to all the complex situations he had survived through.

Sam and Dean are hunters, so though acknowledging that they’re finally free doesn’t stop them from hunting. Sam has been through so much that leaving the life they’ve lived for so long doesn’t seem like an option anymore. It’s only after Dean begged him to give up that life does he finally remember what he had always wanted. Dean’s story ended the way he always knew it would, and Sam’s story ended the way he always wanted it to; and ended they both knew since the very beginning, and for that reason I found the ending to be a poetic final bow before the credits rolled.

Of course, I would like to see more of Sam’s normal life, have him tell his son, Dean, of his uncle - and tell stories of what he used to do when he’s all grown up. Of course I would love to see Sam’s son’s story more so we can better understand who he is. Because I want more, and I know many more of us fans want more, shows just how strong Supernatural as a series is - we just have to accept that it’s over.

Watching the first episode, knowing what they’re going to be involved in and how their story is going to end puts a whole new perspective on the characters. The incredible amount of knowledge we know about everything, from their mother and father, to who’s pulling the strings behind the scenes. That level of dramatic irony doesn’t come often, and I believe it will make fans of the show rewatch it over and over again whilst inviting new people to watch alongside, because I know I will. Supernatural will not go the way of Game of Thrones, because it will be watched and recommended many times in the future, and if we talk about it a lot, maybe they’ll continue the story. Sam and Dean’s story ended in the way they knew it would since the beginning, but what they never knew was what was going to happen along the way.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: Energy Drinks

We've all been there, unable to keep your eyes open due to tiredness. Either at work or at home, trying to concentrate on something is a hard thing to do when you're tired, and the more you will yourself to concentrate on whatever it is you're doing, the worse you become. Your eyes begin to ache and all you want to do is snuggle beneath the covers, roll over, and get some well-earned rest. When you're at work, however, curling up into a ball under your desk wouldn't go down well with your boss, so you resort to the only thing that will keep you functioning properly, and that's an energy drink.

There are many different energy drinks on the market these days, some expensive, some mid-range, and other vert cheap, each one packed full of sugar and caffeine. That heart-racing mixture will help you get through the day.

There are many different brands of energy drink, each with their own quantities of sugar and caffeine, you can almost line them up in how effective they are, or in order of "how tired you have to be before you drink this brand". You could also put them in order of how popular they are in the UK, but the two brands I know more than any of the others are, "Red Bull", and "Lucozade". Red Bull is, without a doubt - pardon the pun - the most active energy drink brand as the company sticks its fingers into so many different pies, sponsoring monster truck rallies, motor cross racing, formula one racing and world rally championships, along with many more. Lucozade is a gigantic company, but it doesn't show itself off as much as Red Bull, and both have different levels of effectiveness when it comes to eradicating tiredness.

Lucozade has a far more gradual impact on the body that Red Bull. It has been recommended by many that Lucozade is good for when you're ill, to help keep your body going instead of giving into the lethargic feeling that comes with being ill. I drink it when I have a cold or when I'm feeling worn out. It is my go-to drink for when I need a pick-me-up. It has been a long time since I've drunk a Red Bull. There is no gradual increase of energy when drinking that, but instead, when my body started extracting and processing the sugar and caffeine, I almost went into overdrive. Lucozade also helps you calm down as well once your body has processed what it needs to, so you don't drop like a rock falling through the air, but with Red Bull, it doesn't even know the meaning of the world gradual. When I had finished the can, a couple hours later, I dropped like a tonne of bricks. I went from going a hundred miles an hour to zero in a short space of time. I went straight back to how I felt before I had that Red Bull, whereas Lucozade will eventually return you to that state, but it will gently ease you back into it, allowing that extra time to keep going, build momentum so when your body has finished processing the drink, you have a fighting chance to continue.

But there is one energy drink that is even more effective than Lucozade and Red Bull, and it's available in your own home. Water. If you haven't drunk enough water and you're naturally tired from a long day, you can feel even worse. Water can and will help more so than any energy drink can, although Lucozade is a close second as I do resort to that when I do feel slightly rough around the edges. Water is what our body functions on more than anything else. You can survive longer without food than you can water, and it escapes your body with every little movement you perform and every word you speak, dehydrating you droplet by droplet, making you tireder and tireder. Water is extremely powerful stuff; it'll give you all the energy you need.

Right now, as I'm writing this article, I am struggling to keep my eyes open. I could do with a bit of energy to finish this off. Water will help, but so will the other two. However, water has the special property of helping and not keeping me from getting some sleep afterward. Lucozade and Red Bull, if consumed whilst I write this article may dislodge my sleeping pattern as my mind would be racing as it's trying to process all the energy the drinks released whilst I'm not moving at all. Water will also help you sleep better, and give you the necessary energy to keep writing. But, in times when you're feeling rough, sometimes Lucozade keeps you standing. Red Bull is also there, but only if you want to run laps around the building; but prepare for the comedown, it would be highly dramatic.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: CGI (Titanic and the Justice League)

It has been pointed out on numerous occasions how the CGI in Justice League doesn’t quite live up to people’s expectations of 21st Century technology, when you have the likes of Ready Player One and, dare I say it, Avengers: Endgame. One comparison states that Steppenwolf is no better than a PS2 character. That metaphor has stuck with me and disallowed me from seeing the character any other way, because I still play a few PS2 games and, whilst they certainly set a new industry standard, they are nowhere near the photorealistic graphics we have on today’s consoles and PCs.

The PS2 hit the shops in 2000 and became the highest selling console of all time, with 3,800 games released. It was my first exploration in the gaming world, and the graphics were outstanding. When the console came out, I was six years old, so it is true when I say that I hadn’t seen anything like it before.

Nowadays, being 26, and able to play more mature games and watch more mature films, and have developed an awareness of CGI and whether it’s any good or not, if a game or film were to hit the market with graphics which can be associated with a console than came out 20 years ago, especially when it has been proven it’s possible to achieve a greater level of detail, it shouldn’t be a surprise when it receives a lot of criticism.

The day before writing this article, I watched a film that came out 23 years ago and became the highest grossing film of all time for 13 years before being dethroned by Avatar, which was directed by the same person as the previous record holder, James Cameron. I am, of course, talking about Titanic. I don’t think it’s necessary to tell anyone about the plot of Titanic, or give my opinion on whether Jack could have survived (even though Mythbusters proved that the door was absolutely big enough to fit them both); instead, I’m talking about the CGI. 23 years ago, or to put it in another way, in 1997, Titanic wowed audiences all over the world. Seeing the film from the perspective of someone who has watched multiple films with extraordinary CGI within, I was amazed to see how well Titanic’s CGI had held up. Sure, it’s had a few re-releases over the decades with a few touch-ups here and there, making the CGI much better compared to the original, or at least that’s what I have to assume as I haven’t actually seen any of the re-releases.

CGI in films have developed a new saying among audience members “you only notice bad CGI”, meaning if it’s good, you won’t even know that, that particular shot was entirely made or helped by a computer. There are plenty of practical effects throughout Titanic, but the seamless blend of practical and computer generated imagery makes James Cameron’s epic film almost ageless. Instead of touching up the already rendered images but instead create the entire film from scratch with up to date technology, then we would definitely see the difference, there’s no doubt about that. And what I mean by the previous sentence is those films that have been made with up to date technology is definitely noticeably different to those which were released some years ago, but Titanic still holds up. The CGI has remained remarkable that it can compete with today’s greats, even going toe to toe with some of the best PS2 games, and, to swing things back around to Justice League, laugh in its poorly rendered lips.

If Justice League had been released back in 1997, then it would have been seen as one of the greatest uses of computer technology in film, with a considerable amount of it being created on a computer. It probably would have broken a large number of records at the time of its release, but unfortunately, today’s standards have escalated by a large margin and a film that came out 23 years ago having better computer generated imagery than one that came out 3 years ago, that says more and in better ways than I can ever put it.

It’s been a long-time rumour, but it’s finally been confirmed that a Snyder Cut of Justice League will be released next year, and I, among many, have expressed excitement as it will hopefully strip away everything Joss Whedon had done, and an update on the CGI aspect of the film, making Steppenwolf looking like a PS4 or even PS5 character, rather than a PS2 one.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: Long Car Journeys

There aren’t many things that I can never get bored doing, and driving is one of them. Whether it be a car or a van, there’s something about being behind the wheel which makes every trip, whether short or long, enjoyable.

What makes every journey unique is the traffic; you can take the same route to work every day and never be able to predict what’s going to happen next. Someone slowing down, attempting to pull out when they’re not supposed to, tailgating so close you can’t even read their number plate, and massive HGVs in a long line with one optimistic lorry attempting to overtake them all, causing a massive tailback of cars.

The closest analogy I can create to represent driving is playing a game of chess, except the board is as big as the gap between your house and your destination, and there are no limits to how many players can participate, and to make things even more interesting, you have no idea how many players are involved. In a game of chess, it’s safe to say, every game is different. There are rules you must obey when moving pieces about the board, and there may be similar strategies and patterns beginning to get noticed with the more games you play, but ultimately, every single game you’ll ever play will be different. When out on the road, there are rules you must obey when moving your car, and the patterns you’ll develop will be in the form of changing gears, looking out of your mirrors, and braking when necessary. Other than that, no two journeys will ever be the same.

I used to be a driver for a living, picking up and delivering cars to a garage and back to the customer’s home five days a week, and I did mainly in the town of Colchester, with many customers living further beyond. Colchester is notorious for having insane traffic jams throughout the town. No matter where you go, slow moving traffic will always greet you, whilst attempting to navigate around an endless sea of roundabouts and constantly stopping and starting at traffic lights; the only predictive thing about journeys in Colchester were when the traffic would be at its worst and best. I used to average about 200 miles a day.

But wait, if I’ve just stated that driving is one of only a few things I can never get bored with, why did I write the previous paragraph in the past tense? If I love driving so much, why have I stopped? Well, that’s a rather long story with many elements unrelated to driving and explaining the full story would probably take so long it’ll naturally turn into an autobiography.

Even though I compared driving to the game of chess, I’d like to point out that I actually don’t know how to play the game, but I do understand it requires a lot of strategic thinking and planning to checkmate your opponent. I picked chess because it’s usually played with a calm demeanour, with polite manners with a few unexpected moves from either player which would make even the strongest player sweat. But in reality, this game of chess is being played online, and every single online game ever played has people screaming at each other for something the other player has done wrong, or they believe someone is acting as if they own the board, or there’s a constant debate going on between two players on whether one of them performed an illegal move, whilst many players actually do successfully perform an illegal move and gets away with it because the administrators are too busy giving penalties to those who don’t deserve them. I may have gotten a bit satirical there, but I’m sure you have understood the point I’m trying to make, whilst also conveying that driving is such a unique venture every time you leave the house that it cannot ever get boring.

I love long journeys for many reasons, a couple of which I’m sure you’ll think I’m sad for suggesting it as for why I love driving. Watching the scenery change drastically multiple times as you bypass or drive straight through towns and cities, using driving as a reason to break away from the madness of everything and be with your own thoughts, the uniqueness of every journey, especially the long ones as I don’t get the chance to sink my teeth into a really long journey that often, and many other reasons which I could list in this article but you probably would get bored and rather go out driving yourself.

To finish off this article, I’d like to say that I now drive 350 miles a week backwards and forwards to work, with 99.9 percent of it being the A12, and that’s a duel carriageway that is infamous for being blocked with traffic from one end to the other. With it being the main road to London, lorries and commuters who understands it’s cheaper to run a car than it is to fork out a season ticket for the trains, my journeys used to be slow, with a few areas where I was able to reach the speed limit and remain there for a mile or so before having to slow down again as a tractor just merged, causing everyone to bottleneck into the overtaking lane and slow everyone behind down. And whilst traffic can be irritating even for someone who loves driving, the acknowledgement that what your experiencing on the road that day is unique for that journey and will never be replicated again. So appreciate and embrace the uniqueness, because it won’t happen again.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: In Defense of Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End

I will admit the trailer for this film did set up something spectacular. All the pirates from all corners of the seven seas coming together, fighting as one. At the time it was the most expensive movie ever made at £300M, and after two incredible pirate movies, with the second leaving us on a completely unexpected cliff-hanger, it's safe to say we were all excited when we walked into the cinema. Except for me. I never saw the film in the cinema nor did I see the trailer. In fact, I never saw the previous two film's trailers before watching, because I was young enough not to pay attention to what was being advertised, just watched the films when I was either they were recommended to me, or I saw them as interesting.

The first film, Curse of the Black Pearl reinvented live-action films for Disney as it was the first film they ever released with a 12 rating, and it proved a massive hit. The second - Dead Man's Chest, upped the visuals slightly by making it a hard 12 rating. The third, At World's End, made sure there was no doubting that it was a 12 rating. With audiences being ok with a Disney film being a 12, and having £300M in the bank, it was clear they saw the opportunity to flex their muscles and go all in with the action, the comedy, the suspense, pretty much everything. It was an ending of not just a trilogy, but a two-part story. When At World's End came out in 2007, I was 13, so old enough to watch it, but at the time I wasn't an avid film viewer so it took me a couple more years before I saw it, but I was still in high school when I did and still not an avid film viewer. Having not seen the trailer and the first two films, At World's End was a truly epic film.

I didn't analyse the film, just watched it. I was immersed with the world building, the practical effects, the computer animation, but at the ager I was when I watched it, I didn't see any of that specifically, just watched the film for what it was. As I grew up and evolved into an avid film viewer, I naturally started to develop an analytical side. The more films I saw the more patterns I spotted, the more cliches I noticed, the more one-liners that were repeated. I'm not saying films can't do anything original anymore but are just a repackaged formula over and over again, because that would be highly incorrect. As I my analytical side developed, I was able to distinguish the good from the bad, and began to justify why I saw each film as such, even ones that I had mixed feelings over. The Pirates of the Caribbean series started out as an epic adventure movie with stunning visualisations and unparalleled music, to what I've labelled as, a popcorn movie. Grab your freshly cooked popcorn, stick any one of the now five strong franchise and enjoy. There's no need to study or analyse what's going on, just enjoy your evening in before going back to work.

I have no seen the trailer for At World's End and I will admit it did build up something it didn't deliver. Even the film itself builds up something it never delivers, hence why the trailer did, too. Imagine how epic that would be if every pirate ship fought in the war between the English, with the main two ships encircling the whirlpool created by a literal Goddess of the sea, with Captain Jack Harkness fighting one on one with Davy Jones. Or it would be too convoluted, there would be too much going on at once, and there wouldn't be enough time to focus on everyone and everything to give a proper telling of the story, or make the film seven hours long, which would be far too long for even a super fan to care for.

So, many have wondered if it was necessary to include all those other pirates if the film wasn't going to bother including them in the final battle. It does seem that way. They brought so many characters together only to bench them, but that's what the question focuses on only. If you study the film through and through, including that of the previous film, the question morphs into one with a different context. The very reason why all the pirates across the seven seas gathered together to fight against the British is because the British fleet, lead by Beckett, who had Davy Jones and the Kraken in the palm of his hands, if left unattended, would take over the seven seas, and they had to be stopped. Beckett was an incredibly powerful force on the waters and had to be defeated. The main story saw an impending fight between Captain Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones and that's exactly what we got. Davy Jones had the intention of stopping Jack from stabbing his heart, and Beckett had the intention of defeating Jack as it would prove him to be an even more powerful force on the waters. The two ships were first to fight, and it depended on who won for the other pirates to intervene or not. When Beckett's ship was destroyed, the British saw this as an absolute loss, saw that the pirates are not to be messed with and decided to best option was not to fight them, so turned around.

The trailer gave us the impression that every pirate would be involved in the fight, but the film justifies everyone's involvement. Because I didn't see the trailer before watching the movie, as my mind developed that analytical side, I was able to see the film's intention. I couldn't be disappointed by what the film gave me as oppose to the trailer as I saw the film first before the trailer. However, I do understand how the trailer does cause deception.

That's my defense on Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End. Don't watch it knowing what the trailer wants to give you, watch it knowing what the film series as whole wants to give you, it changes that question. You won't be asking if it was necessary for them to be there if they didn't participate, but instead be asking why would the film be worse off if they did.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: Resetting the Clock

As I’m writing this, I have less than one day to go before officially returning to work. When this post comes out, I’d have been back to work for an entire week. After 12 weeks of being lockdown and being furloughed, it is certainly giving off the impression of starting afresh, or resetting the clock back to 0, if you will.

I remember at the beginning of the year, keeping track of the virus as it spread throughout the world, watching countries go into lockdown one by one, thinking that we’re next. For a couple of months of the year, the entire world had come to a standstill; England had come to a standstill, save for all the heroic NHS staff and every single individual essential worker who made sure it kept ticking over at a steady pace until England was ready to gradually reopen.

The first couple of weeks of being furloughed was certainly a new experience for everyone, but for me personally, I might have been off work, but it certainly didn’t feel like a holiday. The first full week of lockdown, I remember firmly believing that I had slept in and would be late for work, only to realise straight after that I’m legally disallowed from stepping in through those doors.

I wrote a post whilst during lockdown about keeping my mind active by posting a few images of Premiere Pro and the sequences I made as I gradually developed my editing skills. That’s not all I did, though. I finished editing 1 book, whilst publishing another and wrote 2 short stories. I also watched an incredible amount of TV and used up a fair few hours playing games that I’m quite sure I now have literal square eyes. I also made sure I went outside for some fresh air by taking my dog, Jerry, for a decent walk around the area. Whilst Jerry will miss all the extra attention he’s been getting during this lockdown when I return to work, I don’t think he’ll miss all the exercise he had, but he needed all of that to compensate all the extra treats he was getting simply for being a good dog. In fact, as I’m writing this, he’s curled up by my feet asleep after a good long morning walk.

This is where I stopped writing this article as I didn’t know what to write. Whatever I had in my head sounded too poignant for this article, and I didn’t want to sound too philosophical or say what has already been said about the lockdown. I had intended to write this article in one go, but once I had gotten to the end of the paragraph above, I realised there wasn’t anything else I could say. This paragraph is being written on a Thursday night after four days being back at work.

On Monday, I didn’t know what to expect. Some things had changed, but the actual job itself remains the same. The first couple of hours certainly felt as if I was playing catch up even though there wasn’t anything for me to catch up to. When the phones began to ring, they never stopped, when customers began appearing at the counter they never stopped, and when every other element comes into play, the day resumes to what it was before the furlough period. It did not take long before it got back to how it was before lockdown began, but it never really felt like I hadn’t taken 12 weeks off, simply because I knew I had and therefore knew I had taken the opportunity to relax when I could.

Before the lockdown began, I was stressed. I was constantly feeling tired and knew my performance at work was greatly affected, but I kept powering on. Whilst I’ve mentioned that being furloughed didn’t feel like a holiday, I was still able to do acknowledge that I did not have to go to work, and therefore could sit back and relax.

I didn’t just reset the clock in terms of going back to work after a long weekend, I reset the clock in terms of having never worked there before and yet gifted with all the necessary knowledge to do the job. I walked into my work on Monday with the unexpected mentality of, this is a brand new job, and yet I know all that I need to do to do a good job. My performance has greatly improved, I have noticed.

Being furloughed was an unique experience, and during those times when that word had been used more times in the last three months than it ever had been in the last five years (I had not done any research to support that claim, just wanted to state how I had heard that word every day on the news), I let myself relax. I couldn’t go outside (except of course it was absolutely necessary), I couldn’t go to work, and I couldn’t not do nothing. Going back a couple of years when I was looking for a job, I put in a decent amount of effort into finding a job I equally knew I could do and enjoyed, but it was tough. I spent a year and a half since leaving college and finding my first job looking hard, but not being remotely successful. If I had sat around and watched TV all day, films, played games, I would have been told I had wasted my time. During the last three months in furlough, whilst I did keep myself occupied with various things I wanted to do, I did spend a good chunk of it watching TV and films, and I never once felt guilty of doing that. I watched two films back to back one day and did not once feel like I had wasted my time, because simply, the world had come to a standstill so I could.

Being able to sit back and not have to worry about wasting my time helped me reset my clock back to 0, allowing me to be the freshest I’ve been in a very long while.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: Am I Hypothetically Right or Wrong?

Surely the whole point of a hypothetical debate is that neither side is right or wrong, and yet the whole nature of a debate is both sides share different viewpoints, thus alluding to the other person being wrong; or am I misunderstanding something?

Hypothetical debates are fluid with their meaning, anyway, aren't they? Commonly used as a way for a character in a story to subtly admit they done something wrong by using the phrase, "but what if, hypothetically..." and also commonly used to discuss topics based upon the individual person's perspective and knowledge of whatever is they're discussing. Some take it seriously, some take it not so seriously, others accidentally take it seriously, and a small percentage don't understand don't play along and refuse to accept anything remotely not real, by using the phrase after being pitched a hypothetical question, "but that won't happen, though." This can be annoying, but isn't the subject of this article.

The hypothetical debate I've been building up to happened the night before writing this article, because it's still fresh in my mind and maybe keep the nature of the debate alive long enough for me to get the words written. Last night, I and three friends were playing Red Flags, a card game where you set up dates for the other person. Each round someone is the designated "single" person, and the others play 2 white cards known as positive traits for their partner. Once everyone has played their 2 cards, a third red card is played - a negative trait. The goal of the game is to convince the "single" person to pick your person to be their partner and win points. The game continues for as long as anyone wants. We weren't really competing to a specific score, just played until we had enough.

Red Flags can be immediately comparable to Cards Against Humanity, a card game solely focused on absurd hypotheticals, and when I say absurd, I really mean completely absurd. Anyone who's played the game knows why I can't go any further into the nature of the game. Red Flags is a little light-hearted compared to Cards Against Humanity, but still include the absolute absurdities. They're solely hypothetical and should never be taken seriously. But you still have to convince the "single" to pick your cards, so the nature of the game is structured around debating, and those debates can get a little hairy, but again shouldn't be taken as serious, but I fell into one of the personas and started to take it seriously, purely because I was adamant my set of cards were the best. And I know what I've just said; being adamant about your set is the purpose of the game, but let me explain the hypothetical situation.

My set of cards were: "writes poetry", and "never gets jealous". I played those cards because I believed simplicity would win. In a game about struggling to choose between the best of the worst, a straightforward set of traits would overcome the absurdity of the others, with no need to debate. The other set of cards were "casually practises spellcasting", and "chance of dropping legendary loot upon death." My friend who had the role of "single" asked me what type of poetry the person writes, and I thought I'd play it safe and state all types as a blanket safe-guard. He then immediately dismissed my person because of the chance of writing something he wouldn't like... can you spot the key word in this paragraph? It's chance. I picked up on that and the debating began.

He's a massive MMO player, and so loves his legendary items. They are exceptionally rare so most of the time you find nothing, but on the small occasion you come across something, I have no problem with liking that moment. The change of finding a legendary item is an opportunity I can understand why you want to take, because not taking it has a guaranteed 0% chance of not getting the legendary item. That part I can understand. But, let's flip the scenario and apply to my side of the debate.

His reasoning for immediately dismissing my partner was on the rare chance she'll write something he doesn't like, whereas the other chance involves the rare chance she'll give him something he does like. That's the issue I had here, because there's more of a chance my partner will write poetry he does like than he doesn't, whereas the other side has a more of a chance of my friend's partner will not drop something he likes, therefore becoming something he doesn't like.

The debate went on and someone pointed out the stats of acquiring a legendary item in of my friend's favourite game, which was 0.02% out of 100, which means there's a 99.8% chance he'll have something he doesn't like, which is nothing at all. I took those stats and placed it onto my card and stated that my partner would write poetry he does like 99.8% of the time and the remaining 0.02% would be something he doesn't like. And yet he's picking the loot because there's a chance he'll have something he doesn't like over the poetry which has more of what he likes... the debating lasted for quite a while, and we no one had played any red cards yet, which is the game itself.

I ultimately lost that round and the point went to my friend who played the card with the loot, simply because the red card did in fact change make it very difficult for me to defend, and when it was played, I had to accept the loss and move on, but that debate was still ringing through my head, and I remained convinced his reasoning for going for the loot was wrong.

So the question is: Am I wrong, is he wrong, or does it not matter in the slightest? For most of you, it doesn't matter. It's a hypothetical situation that'll never happen so making that decision within the context of the game has no immediate effect on the world; the person who you pick in the game doesn't suddenly become real. I will admit that I took that debate a little too seriously at the time, and I missed some opportunities to say some golden one-liners which came to my head the moment I settled down in bed, because that's just how it always works.

The idea is meant to ignite a friendly debate among friends involving situations that'll never happen, but since we're competing for points, shouldn't it be necessary to pretend as if it were real? Or am I misunderstanding something?

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: Keeping My Mind Active

There are two things I'll never get bored of doing, and they're writing and editing. Of course, editing what I've written is something completely different and does occasionally test my patience. The main reason for why I love editing videos is because of the chaos within the sequences - the crazy patterns (this one looks like a spaceship, if I do say so myself) that develop which appear to be nonsense, but once rendered plays back the idea you've envisioned, and that's awesome.

During lockdown I took the opportunity to build up my editing skills. Since lockdown began, I've edited 14 different videos, 13 of them specifically to introduce a new method of editing and incorporate it into the video, and the 14th was editing commentary from me and three of my friends, something I hadn't done for a while and thought it'll be good to familiarise myself with that style as well.

The above picture focuses on Nests (a timeline within a timeline). Instead of littering the main timeline with countless layers, combine a few of them into one nest, then within that nest, animate the text or video however you wish, and the main timeline will play out what you've done. For example, the nest called, Fictional Stats, has 19 layers within, whereas on the main timeline it only takes up one layer. I have a total of 7 original nests, with one that's copied. The main timeline has 11 layers in total, but if I were to take into account all the layers within each nest, the official total would be, 58. Imagine all of them on one timeline and that's why I used nests to make that video.

The above picture appears more complicated than it actually is. The placement of all the sound effects and music is what makes this timeline appear complex, but overall the final video was relatively easy. If I do say so myself, this timeline looks like a cruise ship floating on water. I didn't intend it to look like that, it just evolved as the video went along.

Timelnes are like clouds in the sky... that sounds way to poetic for this article, doesn't it? But like clouds, you can spot what they appear to be like. Such as the one below, looking like a heavy duty spaceship designed to carry cargo but also packs a punch against other ships when required.

I won't share all 14 timelines with you, but 90% of them can be associated with spaceships, but you do get the occasional one that looks different.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: A Call From Another World?

We've heard and read many stories from all over the internet or strangers you've met on holidays, about what many automatically disbelief as fiction and mere stories passed down from person to person. Known by many on the internet as Creepypastas, a genre of stories centred around the darker aspects of fiction, written in the vernacular as if it actually happened to the person writing the story, even providing "proof" to add to the reader's experience. These stories are considered fiction, but what we don't know is how many of them are actually real, and the writer is putting it out there to get it off their chest, to tell those who are willing to read and be apart of the story.

Ghost stories, alien stories, time travelling stories, and even parallel universe hopping stories, everyone has had a weird enough experience that they simply cannot be explained, even if the reason behind what happened is totally rational and not at all what our minds jump to. Sometimes an experience can be so weird, it must be true. Fact can truly be stranger than fiction.

This weirdness didn't happen to me, but I was in the room with someone who experienced a something weird with the normal landline. It was mid-morning and my dad was at work. My mum and I were keeping ourselves entertained at home by watching TV and playing games on the computer. On occasion my dad phones our home to update on what's going on with his work, or simply to check up on how we are. We've had problems with the landline before, as many people who have them do, such as the phone itself wearing out, the connection disconnecting suddenly, but no incident quite like what happened to my mum when my dad phoned up as he have done so many times before.

The phone rang and my mum picked it up, instantly recognising the number. When she answered it, his voice was not who came over the speaker. It was a woman's voice, who was stating she had recently acquired a new phone and trying it out. Now, people accidentally phoning the wrong number happens all the time - all you have to do is get two digits the wrong way round and you connect to someone completely different to who you were intended to phone. When the embarrassment eventually subsides, you end the call and try redialling but this time with the right number. But this wasn't the case of the wrong number, but instead it was the right number phoned by the wrong person, and my mum even stated that she believes the stranger has her husband's number, but the woman simply repeated her statement, that she had recently acquired a new phone and was trying it out. Not only was this a strange call, but the connection was terrible as well, and not wanting to sound rude, mum tried to get the other person to hear her voice by speaking louder, but for the third time the woman stated that she had recently acquired a new phone and she was trying it out.

Knowing that she wasn't going to get through, instead of trying over and over, mum had no choice but to end the call. The stranger on the other end didn't surprise her, it was that the number which appeared on the screen was my dad's number. Sometimes, when you get a bad connection, the best cure is to end the call and phone straight back, so that's why mum does; she phones dad's number straight back. This time around, dad picks up, which once again surprised mum, because only moments ago there was a woman on the other end using his number.

Dad conveyed his surprise because he was about to reveal the strangest part about the whole experience. When mum answered the phone, his end connected perfectly and could hear her clearly. So, just to recap, my dad phoned the home number and it connected to our phone as normal, but when mum picked it up and answered as normal, dad's voice was not who came over the speaker, as if someone had intercepted the call. When mum stated that the stranger has her husband's number, he returned by saying that he was her husband, proving that the call had connected perfectly on his end.

That incident never happened before, nor has it happened since. Makes you wonder how often that happens to other people, if at all. Reading this article, of course it's hard to believe that someone from another world could have accidentally connected to our world via signals, and I'm sure there is someone out there who could provide a rational explanation as to what happened. But I cannot, and whilst it didn't happen directly to me, it is a story I can tell to those passing by or develop it as a creepypasta. Or maybe it truly was a call from another world.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: A Locked Down Introvert

There are two types of introvert: those who prefers to stay indoors and only go out when necessary, and those who occasionally goes outside, but prefers to do so alone (or with friends, but only with the same friends, never going to some place where interacting with strangers is required). I very much fall into the latter category. I used to fall within the confines of the first category where I very rarely went outside, but over time my confidence sneaked into the second. I am an introvert and I do go outside, but when I do, I enjoy my own company – case and point; last October I went to New York City. I was able to do what I wanted, when I wanted, and enjoy my holiday.

When the UK went into lockdown on 27^th March 2020, it was a weird experience for everyone. A countrywide lockdown has never happened, and it was noted by a few online communities that the introverts are celebrating because they do not need to interact with the outside world for an extended period. It was noted that they would forever keep themselves occupied and never get bored as they would do what they always do when inside the house. In fact, a colleague of mine at the place where I work quipped that I would be the only person who’d enjoy being lockdown because I’d get a lot of writing done, and in truth I have gotten a lot of writing done, but I never acknowledged I’d be happy about being stuck in doors. Sounds antonymous, doesn’t it?

For three weeks I have written and edited, subsequently completing what I had scheduled to take a couple of months as I had to weave it around work life. I kept myself busy by completing two of my projects and make good progress with a third. In between writing and editing, I’ve been recording and editing videos for myself and watching an incredible amount of TV. I have not gotten bored once during this lockdown. If anything, a couple of times I became a little indecisive as what to do as I wanted to maximise as much as I could. I made sure to stay home and safe by keeping my creative mind active.

But, the fact that I am only able to get on with my projects is due to a country lockdown and if the pandemic never happened, I’d still be going to work and shuffling my projects around to maximise what time I had between work and bed. The hypothetical situation many have expressed about staying at home all day but still getting paid has now come true, but unfortunately for the wrong reasons. Our hypothetical situation didn’t involve being locked down; it involved being able to go outside to wherever, whenever we wanted. Therefore, some extroverts are eager to get back to work, and introverts like me aren’t necessarily missing going outside, we’re missing the opportunity to go outside. Whilst we would spend 99% of the time indoors if given the chance, that remaining 1% involves getting out and about just to clear the cobwebs between the ears, to have a different change in scenery for a couple of hours, be on our own, because we are introverts after all.

For me, it's during that 1% I get a lot of my inspiration for my ideas for blog posts, short stories, and books. Being locked down has given me the opportunity to work on the projects I'd started - and I have finished a couple of them - but generating brand new ideas have dried up quite considerably. In other words, being an imaginatively productive introvert means that I prefer staying in doors to write down the ideas I've collected by going outside during that 1% I've decided to do so.

But whoever we are, the reason for all of us having to stay indoors is the wrong one. Regardless of whether we are extroverts who are itching to go outside or introverts who are taking this lockdown in their stride, we must all do our bit in combating the Coronavirus. I may miss going to the cinema, but if we do not pull together by staying in our own homes, only going outside when absolutely necessary, then we’ll all be missing what we enjoy doing outside for a lot longer than we'd like to, and soon even introverts of both variants will go stark raving bonkers.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: Doctor Who – Season 12 Finale, The Timeless Children

I am aware this article is being released a long way from when the episode aired, and that’s because I’ve had difficulty comprising a definitive opinion. Every time I try, I bounce between arguments which are just as strong as each other. Starting off this article with the conclusion, my thoughts on the episode are: “I don’t know.” I simply don’t have a clue. I’ve never not been able to have an opinion about an episode or film, but this has broken me.

Chris Chibnall’s second series as head writer, after the poorly received series 11, which was intended for both Jodie and Chris to find their feet. It didn’t have an overarching story, essentially acting as a reboot of the show as it didn’t focus on too much of the past either. That all changed with series 12. It focused heavily on the past. Episode 5 was a rollercoaster of a ride, beginning with the surprise return of Captain Jack Harkness, much to everyone’s delight, and then throwing a massive curve ball by revealing a never-before-seen incarnation of the Doctor, played by Jo Martin. Episode 5, Fugitive of the Judoon, was talked about by everyone. Theories were ripe with who Jo Martin’s Doctor really was, but no one expected what we actually got. Safe to say, no one predicted completely rewriting everything about the show.

That’s what a lot of people’s complaints lie, rewriting the entire history of the show. The show’s 57 years old. The format has been changed many times, continuity errors are ripe, and blatant retcons have been made. In a way, The Timeless Children does fit in with this long list – a list of which fans just accept without hassle. So why is this episode rejected? Because it does more than a nonchalant retcon or a genuine continuity error, this changes everything that has been built across the 57 years of the show.

The reason why I’ve struggled to comprise a definitive opinion is because I wanted to do a little research beforehand to make it clear why this retcon doesn’t work, and for the most part it doesn’t, but I was surprised to find out this retcon wasn’t an original idea. Chris Chibnall merely took an idea that never saw the light of day before the show got cancelled during the 7^th Doctor’s run (played by Sylvester McCoy). Before the show got cancelled, the 7^th Doctor does say that he believes he’s more than a Time Lord, and it the big reveal was that his past ties in with the foundation of his race, meaning it would confirm there being incarnations before William Hartnell’s incarnation, the man who started it all. Ultimately, the show got cancelled, and 19 years late in 2005, Russell T. Davis came along and successfully revived it, adding the fact that the Doctor is now the last of his kind.

Steven Moffatt’s run as head writer saw many episodes looking at the Doctor’s past. No head writer has revealed more about the Doctor’s life than Steven has. When the show started the Doctor was a mysterious figure, but that mystery was slowly eroded away during Steven’s run. You could argue that Chris’s retcon brought back that mystery. The Doctor is not Gallifreyan, but instead is someone from another dimension. She was found by an adventure and brought back to Gallifrey where after suffering from a fatal fall was discovered to have the ability to regenerate – change her entire body. This leads to the child being studied and after many regenerations later, the secret to how it worked was cracked and the Time Lords were born. I idea behind the Doctor being this child from another dimension with the ability to endlessly regenerate brings back the mystery Steven partly unravelled. But a strong counterargument is the mystery didn’t need to be brought back. Just move on.

As I conducted more research, I discovered that Chris Chibnall actually pitched this idea to both Russell and Steven whilst they were head writers, and they both turned down the idea. Why Steven made Chris the head of the show when he was obviously going to play out his twice rejected idea. I couldn’t find out the reasons both Russell and Steven had for turning down the idea, but I can trust they’d be justified.

With the Doctor now having unlimited regenerations, and the Time Lords implanting the ability into themselves brings up a couple of plot holes. With regeneration now being artificially injected, River Song’s shouldn’t have the ability. It was established in series 3 that you stare into the Time Vortex as a child and you are given the ability to regenerate. The Master stared into the Time Vortex and went insane. River Song was conceived in the TARDIS whilst flying through the Time Vortex, therefore giving her the ability to regenerate. But nope, now it’s artificial implanted. The second plot hole involves around having only 12 regenerations. If the Doctor can regenerate unlimited times, why did the Time Lords grant him a new set of 12?

This brings me onto the next section of the article: Theories. You see, the only way I can truly make sense of this retcon is by injecting theories into it. Theory number 1 is the reason why the Doctor ran away. The 12^th Doctor (played by Peter Capaldi) said he ran away because he was scared. Scared of what? Could he have found some information relating to him not being who he believes he was, so he ran away before it was revealed. Theory number 2 is the Time Lords granted him a new set of regenerations to keep the secret because the Doctor would have regenerated anyway, leading him to be curious as to why and eventually finding out the secret. Theory number 3 resolves the hybrid mystery which wasn’t fully explained in series 9 but was only prophesied. The hybrid isn’t one being, but a race of people: The Gallifreyan’s and whatever race the Doctor is. A strong counterargument to those theories is the necessity to make them to make sense of the show, when instead they should only be made for fun when confronted with a mystery which will be explained, or to add to an already understandable show.

Should I be mad that William Hartnell isn’t the first incarnation? Well, they alluded to there being 8 incarnations before William’s, and would have been confirmed during Sylvester’s run. But, 57 years of knowing William is the first is iconic. He started the franchise; he started an iconic show. Doesn’t answer my question though. That’s because I don’t know if I should or shouldn’t be mad. The theory that William’s incarnation wasn’t the first has been hotly debated long before series 12 came along, and I’m sure many believed it to be true. Let’s compromise; I shouldn’t be mad that there are regenerations before the first, I should be mad at the reason why there are regenerations before the first; and just how many are there, no one knows.

Maybe Chris could have handled the story differently. Have the Doctor be Gallifreyan, have only a set of 12 regenerations before William, have the Time Lords make him forget he ever had those incarnations, but only that one previous set. Instead of having the Cybermen in the two-parter, have both parts focus on the secret and drop in casual pieces of information regarding the previous set, and the reasoning why the had to wipe his memory. I would have accepted and understood that more than what we got.

The show has forever changed, that much is clear. All we can hope for is series 13 does everything it possibly can to justify why it made that retcon. If it doesn’t focus on the retcon but instead a completely different story, then I’ll be disappointed. Every episode during series 13 has be about justifying and explaining all the plot holes this new revelation has created, including how Ruth’s Doctor has a Police box as her TARDIS when it was clearly established that it changed into the Police box when it landed in the scrapyard and the chameleon circuit broke, that’s why it’s always a Police box. Every episode of series 13 cannot deviate from justifying everything, including where the Doctor came from and her race of people.

Chris Chibnall has changed the very fabric of the show. Can he redeem himself?

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Written Podcast: Guilty Pleasures

It should be made clear that anything that makes you happy shouldn’t make you feel guilty. Unless you’re doing something dodgy of course, but that’s another kettle of fish entirely. The term, “guilty pleasures” is used when someone likes something niche or likes something despite knowing it is of poor quality.

Everyone has their own guilty pleasure whether they want to admit it or not, and some have multiple. Some have one guilty pleasure in each category, be it film, television, music, fashion, or something else. We generally don’t choose our guilty pleasures, they just become them.

Whilst I could write about every guilty pleasure I have, I’m only going to write about one, and that’s a film series. The live-action Transformers series to be exact. They are my guilty pleasure. But, with most things, I like to be awkward about it and state I only like the first four, not the fifth. Even I must admit, Transformers: The Last Knight is a film I cannot enjoy. The first four on the other hand; they are my guilty pleasure.

The live-action Transformers series has been widely ridiculed by critics and the public alike, yet, the box-office numbers contradict those reviews, with the third and fourth film both breaking $1billion dollars. For a film series that’s constantly berated as having no story, hardly any character development, and nothing but fight scenes, breaking a billion is quite an achievement. It seems that the series isn’t just my guilty pleasure, but many others as well.

But why are they my guilty pleasure? If I’m honest with you, the reasons I have for them being such may not be justifiable to some people, but they make sense to me.

Reason no. 1:

I used to collect the toys when I was younger and play with them all the time. I had the entire set of the Amada series – and I watched the cartoons as well. I essentially grew up with Transformers, so when I discovered a live-action film had been made, I went to the cinema to watch it. (Fun fact: The Transformers series (except Bumblebee which is regarded as a reboot and not part of the main five) is the only series I went to the cinema for every film. No other franchise did I watch all their films at the cinema, but instead waited for some to come out on DVD first.) In 2007, I was 13 years old. Back then, Transformers was an epic action piece with incredible special effects. Through my 13-year-old eyes, a film which included 90% fight sequences between two gigantic robots was nerd heaven.

Reason no. 2:

If the first one was epic, the sequel would be, too. Revenge of the Fallen came out in 2009. I was 15 and still in high school. Two years had passed since the first one was released, and the MCU had officially kicked off with the likes of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk being incredible to my nerd-self. They are way better than the Transformers films, but it was hard to resist the calling of a fresh Transformers movie, with new action sequences to sink my eyes into. Explosion after explosion after explosion for a teenager’s mind was all that kept me happy when it came to film back in those days, and the second ramped up the explosions to a whole other level entirely.

Reason no. 3:

When the third one came around, I was committed. But I wouldn’t have gone to see that in the cinema if it weren’t for my friends inviting me out. A group of boys going to the cinema, we certainly weren’t going to see a romantic comedy, were we? No, Transformers kept us happy. Dark Side of the Moon was the biggest in the franchise yet, and was ridiculed as being the one with the least story and character development yet, but I enjoyed it because it’s yet another film with gigantic robots in huge action sequences; and I was with my friends.

Reason no. 4:

Probably the most controversial reason on this list, but one I have to include to be honest. It allows me to shut my mind off. The franchise having no story, having no character development and only action sequences is enough to send me into a trance-like state and forget about the world and its problems for 2-hours. I don’t have to concentrate on what’s going on, I can just sit back and enjoy.

Reason no. 5

All the above every time I re-watch one of the films. The first reminds me of when I was a teenager and all I needed to keep myself occupied was with that film. The second reminded me that there was more of what I enjoyed whilst still being a teenager. The third reminded me of the time when my friends and I were able to unite together easier than today due to having next to no responsibilities. It was simpler times back then, and those films remind me of that. This reason does include the fourth film, Age of Extinction. It came out in 2014, the year I finished college. I was about to enter the big wide world and the Transformers franchise allowed me to cling onto those moments during my teenage years. Now I’m 25 and fast approaching 26, watching those films to forget about my troubles has some peace about it, you know.

Why not The Last Knight?

Whilst it may seem I’m contradicting myself by saying how the next sequel was more of what I liked and yet the fifth was the one I didn’t, it’s because it was truly that bad. I was ready to shut my mind off to the world, but I couldn’t. The fifth did what the previous four hadn’t – have an actual story, and it was a bad story, so bad it involved about half a dozen sub-plots that only lasted five minutes. I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I did the other four, which is a shame because I still to this day consider the first four as guilty pleasures for the reasons above.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)