Mia

Is it a character saying that? Maybe it's just colloquial speech...

I suppose a 9 year old has some excuse - don't know what mine is! No, I didn't cry, but I'm feeling very depressed. (Yes, I know it's just a TV programme.) I just hope there's some loophole where he regenerates into... David Tennant!

The Doctor! Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! :D

I love QI - the programme where you find out that everything you ever learnt at school is wrong!

When I finished The Lord of the Rings. I felt like I'd been through so much with them, and knew them all so well that I didn't want to say goodbye to them or to Middle Earth.

That's interesting - I didn't realise it was based on a novel.

Wow, that episode was amazing! I loved it, even though DT was hardly in it. I'm fascinated by stories based on what happens if you take a certain decision or go a different way, so this was really interesting for me anyway. The whole thing was bloody scary really. The part where the family were taken off to the "labour" camps was downright disturbing and nearly had me in tears. And the father of the family was so dignified and stoic, even though he knew what was going to happen. *sniffle* Donna was a bit slow on the uptake there though. Overall, I thought Catherine Tate did a really good job and carried the episode well. I got so caught up in things that I didn't really miss the Doctor at all (unthinkable!). I think she makes it very believable - it's a nice change to have people showing they're terrified, instead of being all gung-ho about things. When she realised what she had to do and made the ultimate sacrifice... Very brave indeed. It's nice to see Rose back, even though at the moment I still think it's a bit of a cheat. I thought her voice was really weird tonight though - how come I've never noticed before that she talks with a Sean Connery-esque, mouthful-of-cotton-wool type indistinction? Has she always been like this? I loved the end of the ep, when Donna told the Doctor "Bad Wolf", and his reaction, then when they charged outside and all the signs read Bad Wolf, even the ones on the Tardis. Excellent! Can't wait for next week's ep (it's not the last one, is it?).

Blimey, I've only just seen Season 1! I'm watching it on terrestrial UK TV, so I'm obviously waaay behind. It was an excellent series. I worked out who was the Ice Truck Killer pretty soon, but I didn't work out that he was Dexter's brother - that was a great twist.

I'm impressed, DWMG! Looking forward to reading your article. (Nobody famous ever came to our school.)

I used to watch her in that thing where she was psychic (oh dear, can't remember the name of it). I like her, but sometimes her voice is kind of flat and monotonous and becomes a bit irritating.

I can't make my mind up about that episode... I sort of liked it, but sort of didn't! It was quite clever, but the endless repetition of people's words started to drive me nuts. Saying that, I was very impressed with Lesley Sharpe and David Tennant; when they had to say their lines simultaneously they were spot on! (Unless it was editing trickery, in which case I'm so disillusioned. ) I know why I didn't like it: it was too much a Lord of the Flies situation, with everyone turning on everyone else. Plus my beloved Doctor nearly got murdered. Plus, I actually think it suffered from Donna not being there. She would have been great, but of course it would have spoiled the story as the Doctor would have had an ally. Liked the fleeting Rose appearance. Next week's looks amazing, but I'm scared Donna is going to get killed - they've been dropping hints all over the place.

That's very helpful, because it means I was right. And I just love being right! Anyway, you've got to read this book when you get the chance Michelle because it was really good.

Well, I was wrong when I said that Alex would win, but right that he wouldn't give the job to Claire! In my opinion, Sralan just doesn't like women. He did exactly the same thing last year - Kristina was excellent and yet he gave the job to the guy (can't remember his name). He has stated in the media that he's not keen on giving jobs to women in case they go off and have children. I agree with H&D that Lee's lying on his CV should not have gone unpunished. It bodes ill for his integrity, but then again, as long as he makes a lot of money, I don't think Sralan will be that bothered how he makes it.

Ooh, now I'm scared I've got it wrong! I just thought it's fiction about 1845, so it's historical. Is that the criteria?

I read these books and really enjoy them! I think the author does a really good job with the plots and writing them in a way that will appeal to teenagers. The characters are very believable and realistic, rather than the usual saccharine-sweet versions of teenagers books often contain. I think in the more recent books, the author is bringing up some of the younger, more minor characters to replace James when he gets too old and has to leave. Although the earlier books focused on James and Lauren, I think it's a pretty clever idea to have so many characters to base a story around.

I finished this a couple of days ago and found it a very compelling read. It was a real page-turner and I just had to find out what happened next. I haven't read such a fascinating, touching, compelling, heartbreaking and downright depressing story for a long time! I never normally read this kind of thing, but I would heartily recommend this book. It's written in a very plain, simple style, mostly from extracts of various women's journals, which makes everything seem so realistic. I know some people have to be pioneers, or nothing much would ever be achieved, but... Why couldn't they just have stayed where they were? All those women, some of them pregnant, being forced to up sticks and travel across the country just because their husbands wanted to. It's a very good insight into how women at the time had no say in anything and no rights, they were literally the property of their husbands. They weren't even entitled to any land when they reached Oregon! I found the book quite upsetting - I was reading it on the train and had to stop myself from crying many times. If I'd been at home I would have been bawling my eyes out! This was an excellent book. I want to say I enjoyed it, but I don't think "enjoyed" is the right word when it was so sad. I'm glad I read it though. I so agree, madcow! It was horrific how the slightest injury led to death in those days. *shudder* And the toilet arrangements for modesty!! PS: I'm wondering if this book should be in the Historical Fiction forum rather than Contemporary Fiction?

I will make my prediction now that Alex will win. Not because he's any good, but because he's young enough for Sralan to mould in his likeness. He's only 24, you know! Did you all know that? Because he's never mentioned it! I would like Claire to win. Go Claire!

Is it? That's rather disappointing. I don't mind Davies, but I prefer Moffat's writing.