IAmATVJunkie.com is a Torchwood Spoiler Free Zone Until July 20

Billie Piper Movie Alert -- Set Your DVR, Spirit Trap On Showtime Beyond Wednesday

I'm not a horror film guy, I'm a Billie Piper guy. So I'm gonna check out Billie in this UK comedy/horror film about a group of college students who get a message from the housing office that there's an old creepy mansion that they can live in if they want.

I'm sure this will turn out to be a bad idea for them. And that's why it's a horror film.

It co-stars Luke Mably who you might recognize from 28 Days Later. But mostly I'll check this out because I enjoy seeing my faves in different situations.

I'd provide a trailer, but I can't find one. Sorry. It's on Wednesday at 2pm. Which is why you have a DVR. Set it and DON'T forget it.

DVR Alert -- Sci Fi (Or Syfy, Whatev!) Doctor Who Series 2 Mini-Thon Tomorrow; Why Should You Watch?

Why? You're seriously asking why you should record these? Oh, that's right, that was me.

Record these episodes and watch them at your leisure, but certainly these are some of the best of the second series, and if you're a Billie Piper fan from Secret Diary of a Call Girl or a fan of Sophia Myles from Moonlight you will find a way into these eps and then you'll be hooked.

I'm certain of that.

Hat tip to the blog with a very long titile that will just call Morjana's for the heads up.

Myles' episode, The Girl in the Fireplace, won a Hugo award for writer Steve Moffat (who's at the helm for series five).

These eps include Billie's departure from being a regular companion of the Doctor, btw, for the uninitiated.

Tennant? Charming, engaging, and of course there's the outstanding hair. Great, great hair!

Award winning fan vid using footage from The Girl in the Fireplace after the jump is by YouTube username seduff and features music by New Zealand artist Brooke Fraser.

After that you'll be wanting to buy the series two DVD set. If you click to it through the icon below maybe I can buy the specials on DVD from the UK and a region-free DVD player to watch them.

Or a sheet of paper, depending on the number of converts.

Are Brits Really Placing Bets on Who Will Play Deceased UK Reality TV Star Jade Goody?

Dear Friends from Britain,

When we hear stuff like this in the States, we either don't believe that people are actually wagering or we don't want to believe it (because it's a sucker's bet as far as I can tell), but I think you, my British readers can shed some light on this.

I thought it was strange that people would bet on who would be Doctor #11, too. I mean, it's not like it's a game that is won or lost on a field, there are people who know who's gonna be cast and they could, and in the case of Matt Smith apparently did, go out and wager on it once the casting decision was made.

Now I'm seeing news pop up from my Billie Piper Google alert that she's 6-1 to play Jade Goody, the British reality TV star, in a film about her life that may or may not be made, which I say because I haven't seen anything definitive in the press.

Ashley Jensen (Ugly Betty) is the odds-on favorite, by the way.

My issues here:

• Why would anyone want to play Jade Goody in a movie, anyway? Wasn't she not very well liked until she announced her cervical cancer diagnosis? Didn't she say some rather racist things to Indian actress Shilpa Shetty on UK Big Brother?
• Did having cancer really make you all change your opinion of her?
• Has she done anything more than be a reality show contestant and contract cervical cancer?

I just don't get it. Anything you got for me can go in the comment section. Thanks.

CBS News Video -- Mexican Drug War, Sec. of State Clinton Interviewed by Lara Logan

Serves two purposes, gets you up to date on the roller coaster ride to failed statehood that Mexico is on, and you get to look at Lara Logan.

Because I get huge hit counts every time I post Lara online.

Still getting big hits on the post I wrote about how Billie Piper should play Lara when she eventually writes that book about her Iraq experiences.

Important stuff after the jump. And an attractive woman, for those of you who don't get that this drug war across our Southern border is gonna destroy us if we don't stop it.

Do you want Tuco from Breaking Bad in your neighborhood distributing drugs? 'Cause I've seen what guys like that can do, and it ain't pretty.

You know who is pretty? Lara Logan ... after the jump.

More Doctor Who News -- Billie, Freema, Donna On Board For Tennant's Finale

Yes, they are all on board, and, according to the Coventry Telegraph, their inside source says, "Anything can happen in Doctor Who. His assistants are always recurring and Donna is no exception. When you're a Time Lord you can go back to any point in history and meet whoever you want."

It's in a story about Tate getting a co-starring role in the Jack Black Gulliver's Travels, which I wrote about here.

So, all that talk about Billie never coming back? That wasn't true. I think the Matt Smith call reported on the other day from every point on the Internet was actually a back-door attempt to get her in, and it worked.

So, all that talk about the Doctor Who crew being all aggro about Freema moving over to ITV's Law & Order UK was just a story, huh?

So, Donna can come back without her brain exploding into a million pieces or melting down and pouring out her ears. Lovely.

Oh, and my fave Bernard Cribbins (above right) comes back as Donna's grandfather, love this guy. And John Simm, too. The Master returns.

This is the episode with the regeneration. From proper Doctor to Intern Who.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I should wait and see. But sheesh, do I hate that hair.

Some Doctor/Rose/Donna moments from Journey's End and series four , in a fanvid after the jump.

2 Clips -- Secret Diary Season Finale & Win a Season One DVD!!!

So we come to the end of this season and Hannah turns out to be so much less competent than alter ego, call girl Belle at, well ... everything.

Girl just can't be a regular girl. Doesn't know how. She can't even dress well unless she's seeing a client -- have you looked at some of the clothes she's worn on dates with Alex the anesthesiologist? The Flashdance-inspired get up at the movies was particularly bad.

On another note, it does bother me a bit that we don't get any reason why this young woman has such a problem with intimacy.

I remember how she told us in the premiere that she wasn't abused and she wasn't an addict, but when you take a hard look at the character she's not really that sympathetic. Ben's right in his rant in the last ep, she takes and takes.

I hope in upcoming episodes (and I believe season three is in the can) we find just a little bit more out about this family of hers that she can't stand to be with. Gotta be something there.

If I could cut one scene from that last episode it would be the copying machine sequence. She can't make copies? Really? Stealing a scene from the movie 9 to 5? How very retro.

(I want to note that this last episode is the only one written by a man and one of only two scripts so far in the series not written by creator Lucy Prebble.)

And Alex is quite the sanctimonious prig, but he's Catholic (I'm pretty sure), he's never gonna be able to handle the dichotomy. In my experience Catholics have a problem with the Madonna/whore thing. And this is with an actual whore, so what are his chances, really?

But Belle will be Belle, and even after she's back with Alex for one more chance in this Sunday's season ender, Hannah is gonna be tempted to let Belle out one more time.

Big payday, plum assignment ... what's a girl to do?

I have a clip after the jump. But first ...

FREE STUFF ALERT!!!

The lovely people at Showtime Networks want to thank all of you for watching this seasonof Secret Diary of a Call Girl, but they can't give you all a DVD of season one so they're letting me pick one person who will get it.

The only restriction on this one is you can't be related to me and you have to be a US resident.

Simple question -- On what network does Secret Diary of a Call Girl air in Britain? 

First commenter with the correct answer wins a season one DVD box set of the show.

Thanks, Showtime.

Here's How I Will Report on the New Doctor Who Movie News

Listen, who knows if it will happen!

(Pun intended.)

Every time a reporter sees Russell T. Davies they stick a mic in his face and ask him a ridonkulous question. Thing is, Russell seems to like to answer. I think it's his way of keeping the show relevant in this year of the four specials and all the brouhaha over Matt "Intern Who" Smith.

So, just read what he says. Don't tie it in with the wild conjecture that comes from the chattering class.

Here are the RTD quotes today from ThisIsSouthWales.co.uk:

1. There must be ways and means of doing it — I suspect one day it will happen.
2. I think once something is talked about often enough then it starts to happen.
3. I think being talked about in the papers could almost bring it into existence. It gives us an idea of whether or not anyone would want to go and see it at the cinema.
4. In The Voyage of the Damned Christmas special in 2007 our design department did a brilliant job. But in a film version it would have had huge, vast ballrooms and towering inferno-type sets with everything collapsing.
5. I think we'd stick very much to what we've made so far because it is successful. The Sex and the City film kept it very faithful to the core show and it was clever.
6. Doctor Who might seem as if it's a film sometimes, but if you actually look at films they're even bigger.
7. I think the important thing to say is that if it ever happened it wouldn't take the television version off air because that would be terrible and it would also be breaking the BBC's charter.

All very hopeful quotes. Nothing concrete. Do with this information what you will.

As long as it has Tennant and Piper, I'm in. Okay, I'd like some Freema with them, too.

Love Freema. Anyone know yet with Law & Order UK premieres?

Before Tomorrow's Secret Diary, Let's Check in With Ben & Bambi

They apparently hire out the same exact personal videographer to show up where they are, Bambi sitting in garish opulence in a room that you expect Donald Trump to walk through, and Ben laying around on his couch while that pain in the ass Vanessa (have we even see her yet?) is off getting limber.

And then the guy edits the stuff, escapes the fiction London that is on TV and uploads the thing to YouTube for you and me.

(Yes I get stuck in the abyss between TV world and real world, too. I blame Andy Richter. When I watched Andy Richter Controls the Universe, I really thought he did.)

I'd lay around on Ben's couch. I know, he's not asking. So?

And, I use the same lube as Bambi and Belle. And I mention that because I missed National TMI Week.

LINK

After the jump, Hannah gets the knock on the door Belle fears most, especially when it's the wife of a Member of Parliament.

And she's pissed.

Sunday, 10:30, Showtime.

Video -- Billie Piper Does a US Talk Show (but it's Carson Daly, at 1:35 am)

So I have the clip from YouTube user BilliePiperFan82, who you should all go and thank in the comments on this clip.

Secret Diary premieres Sunday at 10:30, Showtime.

LINK

Video -- Billie Piper is IN! Says Daily Mail, Soccer Wife Beckham OUT!!! Secret Diary Returns Sunday

Well, I'm with that!

This is what Clare Coleman says in her piece today in the UK paper, which starts:

It's no coincidence that M&S is closing some of its swanky food stores at the same time that Greggs and Domino's Pizza are announcing a leap in sales.

Whether or not you're being crunched by the crisis, there's something a bit tacky about ostentatious consumption.

And of course, Billie is working, and working it in the new series of Secret Diary of a Call Girl which starts back up this Sunday at 10:30.  Coleman continues:

IN: Billie Piper

Our new heroine; she dresses down and seems more interested in work and family than fashion.

OUT: Posh

Oh VB, you were the ultimate aspirational icon, but now we're just starting to resent your Birkins bags.

But Billie's not interested in working the press in the US, apparently, as the series picks up this weekend on Showtime. I was kind of hopeful when I saw images in the British press of Billie and Laurence and baby Winston in Miami that she might do a US press tour.

I just don't get why the networks, cable or otherwise, that are carrying British fare don't bring their folks over for a press tour, at least for the premiere week if not more. How are people gonna know if Ellen or Bonnie of even Matt Lauer don't tell them?

They just might have to ... gasp! ... read this blog. But I know how many of you are reading and it's really really not enough.

(I was just thinking about how much Lauer would enjoy meeting Billie, she's just his type. He would be stammering and falling all over himself.)

Anyhow, there's a new preview clip after the jump. This is from the premiere, as Belle has a "date" with a guy named Alex. The problem is that it's a common name. Oops.

Both Alexes will be an issue for Hannah/Belle as the series progresses.

Sunday night, 10:30, after Tara, on Showtime.