As excitement continues to build about the debut of the 13th Doctor this fall, BBC America took Doctor Who fans on a trip to the past by airing, Shada, the long-"lost" adventure from the 1970-1980 season. The story features the Doctor and Romana visiting the eccentric Professor Chronotis, who is much more than he appears to be at first glance. Professor Chronotis is somehow tied to the forgotten Time Lord prison called "Shada," and it appears he needs the Doctor's help. Shada was written by Douglas Adams, who also the terrific Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Filming was halted... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back, and a happy Friday to you all! Man, this week went by quickly. I would like summer to slow down a wee bit. Nothing too dramatic, mind you. It just throws me a little that we're already in the back half of July. Anyway, today looks like it should be beautiful outside, so we'll just focus on that instead. Oh, a quick programming note: Real life events may mean we won't be back here until Monday. BDH, Little Buddha, and I have some things we need to take care of which might keep us occupied for... Read more →

The Doctor is coming! First we had the quick teaser clip, and now the BBC has released the first proper trailer for Jodie Whittaker's debut as the 13th Doctor. What a great time to be a Doctor Who fan! Let's take a look and see what we've got here: A 40-second trailer can certainly be misleading, but the obvious theme for this year is, "Everything is new here, so come join us." Besides that, our sense is that this reset is going to include the addition of more humor back into the show. We loved Peter Capaldi's Doctor, especially in... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back! How are you? BDH, Little Buddha, and I were just wondering what we're going to do tonight since the Red Sox don't resume playing until tomorrow. Any suggestions? Maybe we'll see what's on Netflix... .or maybe the guys can teach me what they've learned about bird-watching this year. Anyway, the sun is shining, the Clutter Tree looks good, and the coffee is here. How about we get to work? Help yourself to a nice medium DD, because it's time to clear out some Thursday Clutter. Donald Trump is doing his best to make sure no one... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back! Come on in, have a seat. How are you? I had a much better night's sleep last night, so I'm ready to go today. Gotta thank BDH and Little Buddha for looking after everything yesterday while I was basically reduced to just watching the rain. They're the best. The garden got a solid soaking on Tuesday, so the flowers should be good for the rest of the week. It also looks like the temperatures are going to be a bit more reasonable for a while, so that's also a win. The guys say the coffee is... Read more →

HBO's much-anticipated documentary, Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind has finally been released. It's a two-hour look back at the life and creative drive of the late comic genius. There are classic clips, footage and pictures we've never seen before, and interviews with family and friends, all narrated by previous Williams interviews. Before we go any further, we have to acknowledge that we recently reviewed Dave Itzkoff's new Robin Williams biography, which many would say is the definitive account of the man's life. Television has limitations that books do not, so we'll try to not to compare the two (too... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back! Come on in, have a seat. How are you? I might have to ask for some patience from all of you today. I slept horribly last night, so things are moving a little slowly around here at the moment. I don't know what happened, it just felt like the heat and humidity increased 100% after I went to bed. Today's forecast calls for some severe storms, and while I don't love the "severe" part, it would be nice to have an excuse to stay inside today. BDH and Little Buddha said they could handle whatever I... Read more →

Folks, We're in trouble. While we already knew it to some degree, Donald Trump's bizarre abomination of a press conference with Vladimir Putin today makes it clear that Russia owns him, lock, stock, and barrel. The indictments continue to increase, and the evidence becomes more overwhelming by the day that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help Trump get elected, and the only person left who won't acknowledge it is Trump himself. His only "defense" is to attack the U.S. intelligence community, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and anyone else who acknowledges reality. The question now becomes,... Read more →

Popula.com just published what is apparently Anthony Bourdain's final interview, and it's a terrific read. The TV host/author/chef gives such thoughtful answers on number of topics in a wide-ranging discussion with author Maria Bustillos. There are comments on fame, travel, journalism, the #metoo movement, and much more. This piece is a long read, but it could have been twice as long, and it still would have been too short. It's a gift to hear from the man one last time, although the sadness comes on strong at the end of the article, knowing this is the last word from Bourdain.... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back! How are you? We were just checking out the weather forecast for today. Looks like it's going to be generally cloudy, but there's not that much of a chance of rain. Do you think I have to water the garden this afternoon? I probably have to water the garden this afternoon. Speaking of the garden, I was sitting out there last night, enjoying the view, when I was joined by a rather large toad. He hopped over and sat in front of me for about 20 minutes, just relaxing. I brought him a bowl of water... Read more →