buttondown.com/cooray_smith... For paid subscribers, but you could always join them. It's The Dalek [Something] of Earth, over at Psychic Paper.

Dear Barry, The reason I’m writin’ Is cos I like fightin’

An inability to separate horror fiction from actual horror didn’t stop HP Lovecraft, a man of hateful and profound bigotry underpinned by constant fear and anxiety. I can’t look at the the New York Review of Books summary of his fears without a bit of sympathy and a lot of mirth.

Any horror fiction. Films, television, novels. It’s totally a ‘me’ problem. I don’t like avoiding an entire genre but I just can’t separate the art from the feelings I get. I don’t like being scared!

There’s a rich and necessary genre exploring how women fight against invisibility in middle age. I just can’t buy *Rachel Weisz* as the invisible woman.

At lunch today I sat next to a table of 20 somethings who had just discovered that a narrow slice is a ‘sliver’ not a ‘slither’. Everyone nodded along because it’s brand new information, “I thought it was because it’s thin like a snake” and pulling up Merriam-Webster. Meanwhile I’m:

In 1998 my brother gave me a book that he’d bought at a car boot sale. It contained the name and address of my future husband, who I would not meet for another 7 years.

The main reason I have a soft spot for Brendan O’Carroll is that his episode of Who Do You Think You Are? completely bypasses genealogy and nice locations to investigate his grandfather’s murder during the Irish Civil War.

Special shout out in this month’s DWM for @gossjam.bsky.social’s marvellous Randomiser on Political Cartoons in Doctor Who. Funny, tender and informative (love that Giles did right by the Daleks).

How I arrived on Bluesky

We lost Kenith Trodd last weekend, a brilliant producer and forward-thinking man who believed deeply in television and the British screen. He was ahead of his time in many ways. "A film is a film is a film." My tribute is now up on the BFI website: www.bfi.org.uk/news/kenith-...

You're trapped in the last TV show you watched. Where are you? Damn!

Roses are red Cactuses aren’t

I do have to say that the new Silurian/Sea Devil dialogue makes some bold choices.

Really enjoyed Warriors of the Deep redux at the BFI. The edit decisions strengthened the themes as well as corrections. The hexachromite reveal drives the Doctor, fully aware of the lethal option and desperate not to use it. New effects and sound design were cracking. You’re in for a treat.

Anyone going to the Warriors of the Deep screening tomorrow?

RIP Rob Grant. 😞 Red Dwarf. Spitting Image. And the glory of the Chicken Song and it getting to Number 1. youtu.be/5OiZNGYmvg8

Get Alexei Sayle as the token human and we have a winner here lads.

"Friends" is a beloved American sitcom that aired from 1994 to 2004, following six young adults—Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe—living in New York City. The show explores their friendships, romances, careers, and personal growth over ten seasons.

If you’re making a weekend in London for Comic Con, Warriors of the Deep at the BFI or something else, this is the perfect Friday evening or Sunday afternoon activity. Fun and truly mind-expanding (I’ll never look at the Lewis chess set in the same way again).

If Antarctica boom, it’s Seeds of Doom. If there’s foam on the Heath, it’s Seeds of Death.

“2026 is the year of the horse” The horse:

Your outdated pop reference are like honey, you can’t buy it with money.

Jim’s appreciation of Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife’s OG Doctor Who fangirl.

No cheating your last saved picture of a celebrity is your therapist. Bloody hell, it’s Kevin ‘Spearhead from’ Spacey.

One week until I’ll be chatting with Mark Norman about my forthcoming book on the BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas at QUAD in Derby. And it’s just one event amongst a plethora of eldritch endeavours at this year’s UK Ghost Story Festival

Daily, except for Sunday You dawdle in to the café where you meet her each day Heartbeat, increasing heartbeat As 20 cannibals have hold of you They need their protein just like you do This town ain't big enough for the both of us. And it ain't me who's gonna leave!

She never lived to see this moment, but it’s worth remembering that none of this would have happened without Virginia Giuffre. She had the courage to speak out against power and privilege when it was just her word against Andrew’s. Thanks to her, justice & accountability may finally have its day.

“You chicken-brained biological disaster”

Is there a technology the left is excited about?

Peter Rodgers and Talbot Rothwell should have done a smutty comedy film set on an airline. Carry On Luggage

In other Doctor Who/English local government connections, the Deputy Lieutenants of Dorset not only include Martin ‘Lon from Snakedance’ Clunes but also Jennifer ‘neé Lonsdale and Della from Nightmare of Eden’ Coombs.

While Tony Blair famously hosted Noel Gallagher in Downing Street, Gordon Brown invited Spinal Tap, and they turned up to No. 11.

No wonder it was crashing around Sea Base 4.

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Surprise Dicks content to brighten up tomorrow!

“Wuthering Heights” is big enough for multiple interpretations. But if I had Bezos money I’d chuck it at an adaptation that centres Cathy II and Hareton with Cathy I and Heathcliff as the weird toxic counterpoint. Until then, here’s baby Matthew Macfadyen with a puppy.

I found a more cursed chocolate flavour than beef. I give you ‘Brains with Eggs’. Hazelnut praline, eggnog. And *caramelised pig’s brains*.

Spent a rainy Saturday looking for my anniversary present from @cooraysmith.bsky.social which I lost dashing to the tube yesterday…and found it!

Just been on Queer To Stay: the LGBTQ+ History Tour of The British Museum conducted by the mighty @sachacoward.bsky.social. Fascinating, inspiring and thought provoking in turns. Highly recommended.

2, regrettably. Talulah ‘Miss Evangelista and Mrs Musk x 2 who told him to buy Twitter to get rid of the woke mind virus’ Riley was a few years below me at school. As an alumna I can confirm that we were both taught that both child abuse and fascism were bad, pretty comprehensively.

Castrovalva Kinda Snakedance Enlightenment Frontios

I’m also reminded of Louise Jameson and Nicola Bryant in their @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social Collection interviews recounting how they were groped in BBC Television Centre. Having to cope with that as a regular occurrence in your *workplace*.

Browsing the excellent Out of the Unknown reviews on @markbould.bsky.social’s blog, I was sidetracked by the economy and tactfulness of Bayreuth street naming. “We want to honour a great philosopher, and we don’t want to make him sound silly when people are asking for directions”

The Ark in Space The Robots of Death The Androids of Tara City of Death Warriors’ Gate

Extra unexpected presents for big brother in this month’s DWM. Not only @unamccormack.bsky.social bigging up Olaf Stapledon as Wirral’s finest in her marvellous Randomiser, but also @0tralala.bsky.social interview with Dr David Mone, the scientific advisor on The War Between the Land and the Sea

Competence is morally neutral, but when I think of Sue Gray’s ‘shit list’ (local authority funding! University finances! Thames Water!) and how she resigned after heavy briefing from that she didn’t understand the politics 🤬

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