The Magic Number

"No more. No less. It's the magic number"

What number am I talking of, dear reader? Why, that'd be three of course! Immortalised as having magic powers by De La Soul (and, I think, some form of hippy band in the 60s or 70s before that), influential in the naming of this website, and now the number of BAFTA awards the Good Time Lord picked up at the weekend. I'm ecstatic, quite frankly! Over a year ago, before Rose was transmitted, and I was a nervous mix of hope and fear for it all, I said that what I really wanted was for us to get recognised in some form, and if that could be a BAFTA that'd be ace. There it was, a silly pipe dream that I thought was never possible. Now, twelve months down the line, we didn't just get one! Oh no, we got three of the things: one from the industry for being ace, one from the viewers for being ace, and one for having the best writer in television attatched as Executive Producer (my close pal RTD, I doubt he remembers me, but he probably remembers the hat). So there we have it! Industry and viewers on our side! Enjoy it whilst it lasts, as I'm sure that somewhere someone is viewing it as further evidence of the debasement of culture (a sci-fi show, the best thing on television? But where is the single play? I can hear them now...) and sharpening up the knives for some form of backlash. However, for now at least, the offices of BBC Wales have something that designates Who as the bestest thing on telly, and it makes me proud.

Dunno if I'm going to get the chance to write again before Saturday, so if I don't just a quick note that the Cybermen are back this weekend! Apart from the fact their not from Mondas! Nor are they from Telos! They're from an 'alternate Earth', and they're the devious creation of Trigger from Only Fools and Horses! Who sits in a wheelchair! No, in all seriousness I'm glad they've turned their back on the whole backstory/continuity thing, or else we'd have ended up with something akin to Attack: all geeky sub-references that only mean anything to those three people in the audience who were/are that bothered about the history of the Cyber Race. Quite frankly, all you need to know is that they're big, they're metal, they're very rational and they basically take the idea of replacing malfunctioning human organs with replacements to the extreme. Oh and they should utter the immortal phrase of "Yes, Leader".

Aside from that, little to report of any consequence at the moment. Just plodding along with life and writing things, clutching the new Snow Patrol quite closely as it's very good. A bit floaty in places, but a real grower that contains four or five set piece songs that deserve to be heard.

Cyber Control's Top 5 to Take Your Mind Off the Return of the Cybermen:

Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
Panic! At the Disco - The Only Difference Between Suicide and Martyrdom is Press Coverage
Snow Patrol - Make This Go On Forever
Idlewild - Satan Polaroid
Snow Patrol & Martha Wainwright - Set the Fire to the Third Bar