Matthew Mokhefi-Ashton
@mattmokhefiashton.bsky.social
Principal Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Nottingham Trent University. Mainly here to post about Doctor Who and other sci-fi
Reposted by Matthew Mokhefi-Ashton
Honey and Biscuit enjoy the cat milk served mid morning by their butler #proofofcat
July 15, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Honey and Biscuit enjoy the cat milk served mid morning by their butler #proofofcat
I wrote this on Elon Musk’s chances of starting a new political party in the US theconversation.com/elon-musk-sa...
Elon Musk says he may launch his own party: but US history tells us that’s not a recipe for success
Just having plenty of money does not guarantee success fo an insurgent political movement in the US.
theconversation.com
July 5, 2025 at 9:54 AM
I wrote this on Elon Musk’s chances of starting a new political party in the US theconversation.com/elon-musk-sa...
A Conservative Party candidate declaring war on Doctor Who was not on my bingo card for 2024. I hope Starmer responds by promising to take the fight to Servalan. Then Ed Davey can wrestle the Shape from Sapphire and Steel and the Greens promise to do something about Zelda from Terrorhawks #DoctorWho
September 2, 2024 at 6:11 PM
A Conservative Party candidate declaring war on Doctor Who was not on my bingo card for 2024. I hope Starmer responds by promising to take the fight to Servalan. Then Ed Davey can wrestle the Shape from Sapphire and Steel and the Greens promise to do something about Zelda from Terrorhawks #DoctorWho
Reposted by Matthew Mokhefi-Ashton
Admit it, they have the best colour scheme!
September 1, 2024 at 10:38 AM
Admit it, they have the best colour scheme!
Just had a photo taken with Katy Manning and Wendy Padbury. Am suddenly feeling very self-conscious about being 6 foot 4 #DoctorWho #Whooverville15
August 31, 2024 at 12:06 PM
Just had a photo taken with Katy Manning and Wendy Padbury. Am suddenly feeling very self-conscious about being 6 foot 4 #DoctorWho #Whooverville15
Off at Whooverville 15 in Derby. Great panel with Chris Chapman talking about the Doctor Who blu-ray collections and the upcoming Blake’s 7 collection.
August 31, 2024 at 10:22 AM
Off at Whooverville 15 in Derby. Great panel with Chris Chapman talking about the Doctor Who blu-ray collections and the upcoming Blake’s 7 collection.
Have been asked to talk to students about the benefits of AI. Am debating whether to wear my Logic Memory Systems, Tyrell Corporation, Weyland-Yutani or Cyberdyne Systems T-shirt while I discuss how AI is going to change our lives for the better
August 31, 2024 at 8:52 AM
Have been asked to talk to students about the benefits of AI. Am debating whether to wear my Logic Memory Systems, Tyrell Corporation, Weyland-Yutani or Cyberdyne Systems T-shirt while I discuss how AI is going to change our lives for the better
Watching the Paralympic Opening ceremony and it’s being interrupted by Channel4 advert breaks. I know it’s their funding model but it is spoiling it
August 28, 2024 at 6:29 PM
Watching the Paralympic Opening ceremony and it’s being interrupted by Channel4 advert breaks. I know it’s their funding model but it is spoiling it
Reposted by Matthew Mokhefi-Ashton
OK. so. My metatheory of Dr Who is this. Ahem. So, you know how there are Python sketches that collapse when one character realises the problems in the internal logic, or that sustain because no character realises?
That's Dr Who, that is. [continues]
That's Dr Who, that is. [continues]
My gut feeling on "worldbuilding" is that it varies wildly by project, but the core of it is establishing enough internal logic that the reader doesn't feel that nothing matters because anything can happen.
Internal logic does not have to be the same as real world logic.
Internal logic does not have to be the same as real world logic.
August 28, 2024 at 1:52 PM
OK. so. My metatheory of Dr Who is this. Ahem. So, you know how there are Python sketches that collapse when one character realises the problems in the internal logic, or that sustain because no character realises?
That's Dr Who, that is. [continues]
That's Dr Who, that is. [continues]
Have seen the trailer for sci-fi series Uglies on Netflix. The plot seems to be a young woman lives in a futuristic society where everyone is creepily good looking so she escapes to join a group of rebel outsiders made up of actors who are also really good looking but are presented as if they’re not
August 28, 2024 at 3:23 PM
Have seen the trailer for sci-fi series Uglies on Netflix. The plot seems to be a young woman lives in a futuristic society where everyone is creepily good looking so she escapes to join a group of rebel outsiders made up of actors who are also really good looking but are presented as if they’re not
Actually Bill Paterson and Jim Carter would both make excellent versions of the Master if they decided to go down the route of an older more brooding villain rather than the recent more eccentric versions #DoctorWho
August 28, 2024 at 7:35 AM
Actually Bill Paterson and Jim Carter would both make excellent versions of the Master if they decided to go down the route of an older more brooding villain rather than the recent more eccentric versions #DoctorWho
My other observation is that in the Singing Detective Bill Paterson has just insane amounts of charisma (maybe the beard helps). In a different reality he’d have been an amazing Hans Gruber. Also, why has he never even been nominated for a BAFTA for best actor/supporting actor. He’s always great
August 28, 2024 at 7:33 AM
My other observation is that in the Singing Detective Bill Paterson has just insane amounts of charisma (maybe the beard helps). In a different reality he’d have been an amazing Hans Gruber. Also, why has he never even been nominated for a BAFTA for best actor/supporting actor. He’s always great
Years ago Jim Carter was the villain in Cracker and was utterly chilling. It would be great to see a brooding older Master to set against the new younger more energetic Doctor
August 28, 2024 at 7:30 AM
Years ago Jim Carter was the villain in Cracker and was utterly chilling. It would be great to see a brooding older Master to set against the new younger more energetic Doctor
Secondly, how has Jim Carter never been in Doctor Who? He’s one of the few major British actors who somehow has never appeared in Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek. He’d make a great Master if they’d be willing to do a non-crazy/wacky/eccentric Master for once
August 28, 2024 at 7:28 AM
Secondly, how has Jim Carter never been in Doctor Who? He’s one of the few major British actors who somehow has never appeared in Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek. He’d make a great Master if they’d be willing to do a non-crazy/wacky/eccentric Master for once
Finished re-watching The Singing Detective last night and a few things struck me. Firstly, how has Jim Carter never been nominated for a BAFTA? He’s done nothing but give amazing supporting actor performances for the last thirty years.
August 28, 2024 at 7:26 AM
Finished re-watching The Singing Detective last night and a few things struck me. Firstly, how has Jim Carter never been nominated for a BAFTA? He’s done nothing but give amazing supporting actor performances for the last thirty years.
Reposted by Matthew Mokhefi-Ashton
Because I've been trying to get writing done the past couple of days, here's a comprehensive thread of incarnations of the Doctor responding to being introduced to someone called Bum Farto.
First: "What? Dont be absurd. I've never heard anything so preposterous. Bun Fatso, indeed."
First: "What? Dont be absurd. I've never heard anything so preposterous. Bun Fatso, indeed."
Bum Farto is clearly the name of a background character in the Mos Eisley cantina scene in Star Wars.
New fave wiki page en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bum_Farto
August 26, 2024 at 10:03 AM
Because I've been trying to get writing done the past couple of days, here's a comprehensive thread of incarnations of the Doctor responding to being introduced to someone called Bum Farto.
First: "What? Dont be absurd. I've never heard anything so preposterous. Bun Fatso, indeed."
First: "What? Dont be absurd. I've never heard anything so preposterous. Bun Fatso, indeed."
I think as I get older I’ve learned to appreciate the brilliance of all of #DoctorWho. The Virgin New Adventures were great, but so were many of the BBC books. I’ve dipped into Faction Paradox, the Kaldor City audios, the DWM comics. Eras of the TV show I never thought I’d watch eg the Gunfighters
August 26, 2024 at 12:24 PM
I think as I get older I’ve learned to appreciate the brilliance of all of #DoctorWho. The Virgin New Adventures were great, but so were many of the BBC books. I’ve dipped into Faction Paradox, the Kaldor City audios, the DWM comics. Eras of the TV show I never thought I’d watch eg the Gunfighters
When I was a kid I loved the Jon Pertwee stories I read in the Target novelisations. Then in my teens and 20s I saw the videos and found them embarrassing and preferred dark brooding Doctors and the Virgin New Adventures. Now I’m in my mid 40s I absolutely adore the Pertwee era again #DoctorWho
August 26, 2024 at 12:22 PM
When I was a kid I loved the Jon Pertwee stories I read in the Target novelisations. Then in my teens and 20s I saw the videos and found them embarrassing and preferred dark brooding Doctors and the Virgin New Adventures. Now I’m in my mid 40s I absolutely adore the Pertwee era again #DoctorWho
Reposted by Matthew Mokhefi-Ashton
Stephen King has Maine Character Syndrome
August 26, 2024 at 10:28 AM
Stephen King has Maine Character Syndrome
I kind of miss the days when UNIT was a semi-secret organisation. I’m not sure the Avengers Tower look really works for me. Also, you’d think they would have learned their lesson from Torchwood and Canary Wharf. Why put the focus of alien attacks right in the middle of your largest city? #DoctorWho
August 26, 2024 at 8:44 AM
I kind of miss the days when UNIT was a semi-secret organisation. I’m not sure the Avengers Tower look really works for me. Also, you’d think they would have learned their lesson from Torchwood and Canary Wharf. Why put the focus of alien attacks right in the middle of your largest city? #DoctorWho
Both The Next Doctor and Planet of the Dead suffer a bit from RTD’s habit of having a very clear visual image of something he’d like to see (a gigantic Cybermen standing over London, a bus in the desert), and then writing the script to get to that point. Sometimes it doesn’t always work #DoctoWho
August 26, 2024 at 7:34 AM
Both The Next Doctor and Planet of the Dead suffer a bit from RTD’s habit of having a very clear visual image of something he’d like to see (a gigantic Cybermen standing over London, a bus in the desert), and then writing the script to get to that point. Sometimes it doesn’t always work #DoctoWho
The main problem with The Next Doctor is that the Cybermen’s plan makes no sense (do they ever?). They kidnap children to do some manual labour the Cybermen could more easily do themselves. Alternatively they could have just paid someone. Especially as the labour seems to take 5 minutes #DoctorWho
August 26, 2024 at 7:21 AM
The main problem with The Next Doctor is that the Cybermen’s plan makes no sense (do they ever?). They kidnap children to do some manual labour the Cybermen could more easily do themselves. Alternatively they could have just paid someone. Especially as the labour seems to take 5 minutes #DoctorWho
Whereas The Next Doctor was actually a lot better than I remembered. Everyone in it is excellent and looks like they’re enjoying themselves. However, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an explanation of what the Cyber shades are meant to be. They’ve not appeared since and just seem weird #DoctorWho
August 26, 2024 at 7:18 AM
Whereas The Next Doctor was actually a lot better than I remembered. Everyone in it is excellent and looks like they’re enjoying themselves. However, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an explanation of what the Cyber shades are meant to be. They’ve not appeared since and just seem weird #DoctorWho
Watched Planet of the Dead last night. Much worse than I remember. Special effects had aged incredibly badly, Lee Evans is irritating, and the line “the aristocracy survives for a reason” just seems weird. Also, worst museum security of all time where a 10 year old could spot the flaw #DoctorWho
August 26, 2024 at 7:08 AM
Watched Planet of the Dead last night. Much worse than I remember. Special effects had aged incredibly badly, Lee Evans is irritating, and the line “the aristocracy survives for a reason” just seems weird. Also, worst museum security of all time where a 10 year old could spot the flaw #DoctorWho
Am re-watching The Singing Detective on BBC Four. I remember Michael Gambon being brilliant but I’d completely forgotten Imelda Staunton was in it as well. It’s absolutely chock full of actors who were also in Doctor Who
August 25, 2024 at 11:38 AM
Am re-watching The Singing Detective on BBC Four. I remember Michael Gambon being brilliant but I’d completely forgotten Imelda Staunton was in it as well. It’s absolutely chock full of actors who were also in Doctor Who