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While the US was busy delivering a certain tablet product yesterday, British sci-fi fans sat comfortably at home for a brand new
Doctor Who series. We won't go into too much detail here, but the eleventh Doctor -- played by the charming Matt Smith -- was spotted writing a computer virus and sending pictures on a BBC-debranded
Blackberry Storm, minutes before the aliens were to incinerate Planet Earth. Perhaps the freshly-regenerated Time Lord's a fan of the virtual keyboard? As a bonus, the Doctor also borrowed a disguised 15-inch
Acer Aspire laptop for some virtual face time with chief brainiacs around the world, and then promptly reminded the owner to "delete your internet history" in reference to, well, something more disturbing that he found on the computer. And who are we to question the orders of a time traveler?
Update: Turns out the new Lead Writer Steven Moffat learned of his job offer
on a Blackberry back in June 2008. Too bad the Storm wasn't due out for another five months, but a quick trip through the time vortex could turn this into an amusing coincidence.
posted April 4th 2010 4:17PM
This might have something to do with the fact that product placement is now legalised in the UK.
@Gav
the BBC aren't allowed to advertise or do product placement in the uk - they have to get their money from their tv licensing fee.
which is why the black berry (hope he was holding it the right way around) says "BBC" on it instead of "blackberry"
@Gav
What does that have to do anything, these things aren't showing any brand names on them (hence the word debranded in the article)...
¬_¬
@Wiggy Fuzz That doesn't stop them mentioning Twitter on TV and radio every 5 seconds though...
@Wiggy Fuzz
BBC = British Broadcasting Communicator.
@Joanna D They can't just ignore life, so they just throw in "other services do exist" and carry on.
@Wiggy Fuzz
In dramas they debrand the thing totally rather than than replace it with BBC branding.
Also, why (in Firefox at least) does engadget's picture galleries require about me to click back about 40 times for every picture I look at to get back to the article?
@Wolfticket You can always click on the "Back to Post" link at the top right corner of the gallery pages.
@Richard Lai
I know.
It isn't a big problem, just a niggle :)
I tend to use the back button rather than return links because I know where the back button is without thinking and it keeps my back/forward history in a logical order.
@rederikus
BBC = British Broadcasting Corporation ;-)
@Wiggy Fuzz
Yes, he was saying a Blackberry with BBC on it would be a British Broadcasting Communicator :)
@rederikus BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation
The phone was the least of the show's problems.
@MikeZ
yea, you obviously haven't seen the 2009 christmas special, because you would have died from a severe case "of being pissed off" after watching that THING.
@NIMBUS Oh come on. That episode wasn't that bad, and I thought the new Who episode was pretty good. But all people can do is whine...
@NIMBUS Shove your assumptions where the sun don't shine.
The Christmas special was the last moment where they let Tennant shine before they replaced Doctor Who with Doctor WhoCares.
Hell, this time around they practically had to shove the first piece of the series' main arc into the viewers face in hope of keeping people watching despite how bland the series pilot turned out.
@MikeZ
You're crazy. It was an excellent episode. Matt Smith is good, and the new companion makes Rose look like chopped liver.
@kadajawi I concur. The monster was a bit rubbish, but the story of the Doctor and Amy was great.
@MikeZ
Are you kidding me? The episode was pretty awesome! Matt Smith is wacky and whimsical, the monster was sufficiently creepy, the new companion is heardheaded and cute, and I literally shouted with joy when the montage of earlier Doctors happened.
This Doctor is a badass with a bow tie. And the preview for the upcoming season made me squeal. This first episode perfectly handed over the Doctor torch to Matt Smith, and artfully (if not subtly) set up the nemesis for this season. I like the new revamped TARDIS.
Sue me.
@MikeZ
Bullshit. Tennant had played his version of the Doctor out and he knew it. Matt Smith's Doctor works and works well and Karen Gillan is teh hottz0rz.
Win.
@NIMBUS
I miss tenant and his companion : Claire
\crying loud
@D1Only1
I meant rose not Claire
\when your short term memory is gone, and your long term memory is going.
then you're going :(
@ZeroCorpse Why denigrate Rose? She was fantastic. This one hasn't done anything special yet to earn that comment.
I will say that the girl who played young Amelia was unbelievably great. Amazing acting, I thought. I almost wish young Amelia had been the companion, rather than "old" Amy.
As for the new Doctor, he seems pretty interchangeable with David Tennant. Same mannerisms, same demeanor. I liked Christopher Eccleston better than David Tennant. I liked his "edge". Matt Smith is a bit odd-looking, though in my opinion.
@darex Speaking of Amelia / Amy, turns out the two actresses are actually estranged cousins!
Blackberry...good hardware.
Can't get into the software.
Should have had him use an HTC evo.
Grins.
@HERO - yeah, have fun using an Evo in Britain.
@NewL
Ah, forgot.
My hero on sprint is pretty stoked about meeting its
New friend.
The new girl in it is hot.
@CHESTERCITY
+9,(9)*10^(9)
@CHESTERCITY Agreed.
@Richard Lai. I never knew you where a storm trooper. I'm glad to know you remain faithful to the empire
@CHESTERCITY
Indeed, I'd hire her to one of my parties to be a "kiss-o-gram"
If anyone seen that episode, it was actually the phone that saved the day. It must be destroyed
Black is way old these days. even Obama leave it!
What? They did a series reboot of Dr. Who???
Being a Brit, this makes zero sense to me..
@SolidSnake It's not a series reboot. The Doctor regenerated (for the 10th time) at New Year.
@SolidSnake
And also they have a new load of staff and they redid the TARDIS.
@d0mth0ma5 Dr Who has always been a Brit except 1. It's made by the BBC after all. Don't tell me you thought the US made for TV movie was the first Doctor????
@xenon73 What made you think that I thought it was anything but British. I'm English, living in England and have been watching Dr Who my entire life, including the Peter Cushing films.
@xenon73
d0mth0ma5 is right and you are wrong....
I am not a Dr. Who fan, so I had no idea this was happening..
They better not have refreshed the Tardis.
@joelaf Afraid so, it regenerated as well I think. Which I don't think it did between Ecclestone and Tennant.
@joelaf
You may be in for a disappointment......
@d0mth0ma5 I don't remember it regenerating between the 9th and 10th Doctor (and his sonic screwdriver regenerated too now, it's glowing green?!). The TARDIS redesign wasn't too bad though. A bit weird, but I think it's ok.
@kadajawi I don't think it got regenerated (the sonic-screwdrivier), I think the Tardis made a new one.
@joelaf completely new tardis inside and slightly new on the outside personally I prefer the inside Tennant had!!
@joelaf
The Tardis is only new because it crashed and had to rebuild itself, and I personally prefer the new look.
@nathan2597
I just bought the specials on DVD. The last episode was tough to watch. I used to watch BBC on PBS as a teen in the "70's. BTW, I found a cool TARDIS USB hub online. I'll probably order it. I'd like to see someone do a TARDIS case mode.
@joelaf I though that from about 5 minutes before the four knocks until the end of the New Years special was amazing, the rest was just setting those scenes up though.
@joelaf
OK, I just watched the trailer. At least he kept the Chuck Taylors~