The Randomizer has returned!
Erm............DOCTOR WHO!
YAY!
I might have mentioned that I am a wee bit obsessed with the
show, and how can I not? It is a great show. Full of suspense, iconic creatures
and great acting from those few numbers who have been lucky to play the iconic
role (this I will come to later). And
obviously a good number of you will know that this year is the good doctor's 50th
birthday since its inception on 22nd November 1963.
For a good while this year, I have thought about doing a
Doctor Who special in celebration of the show's 50th anniversary.
But what could I do? I have thought about doing a 50 Years, 11 Doctors list,
showing a list from my least to most favourite person to play the Doctor. But
with personal issues arising in the past few weeks, I have not had the time to
compose properly such a list. In addition, I'm thinking now the list will be
growing with Peter Capaldi announced as the new Doctor at the Christmas
special.
So in time honoured tradition (no pun intended), I would
like to reflect to you all my own time as a Doctor Who fan with a few example
points: How I got into the series in the first place, what I think about new
and old series alike, and finally who my favourite Doctor is overall for the minute.
All in all, this will really be a genuine discussion. No
lists, no overbearing details of the show, just a good old fashion talk about
one of my favourite shows of all time (aside from Game of Thrones.....and
Pingu).
So let's go back in time (pun definitely intended, so you
can shoot me) to my first coming into the Doctor Who fandom.
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When I was a young warthog.....................ahem! human
being! (If you thought about Pumbaa, well done), I was quite obsessed at the
time with a certain radio show called Dead Ringers.
It was a satirical programme by comedic impressionists who
virtually took the piss out of everyone: Politicians (who doesn't), royalty, TV
shows, and soap operas, namely The Archers. And one of the shows that was
parodied was.......Sesame Street. Obviously.
One of the comedians called Jon Culshaw played a parody of
the well-renowned Forth Doctor (played in the original series by Tom Baker),
making prank-calls to taxi companies, train station services etc, even making
prank calls to the actors who played the Doctors! Look them up on You-Tube,
especially the Tom Baker one. It is a fucking laugh!
All along the way, I would reherse what Jon Culshaw and his
victims said to each other because I was so awesome like that, listening to the
tapes and CDs over and over again. Such is the little things in life. What
probably wasn't the best idea was saying them out in public to myself, because
people would think I'm more weird then I intended. And I don't think saying
part of the Archer's helped either.
But anyway, one morning in 2003 I was up early and watching
TV when I came across one of the original Doctor Who serials squished into one
episode.
No Johnny Depps were hurt in the making of this show
It was called 'The Pirate Planet' and starred Tom Baker in
the role (everything's coming up Tom Baker isn't it?). In the episode, The Doctor,
his companion at the time Romana and his robot dog K-9 land on the planet
Calufrax, with a character called 'The Captain' in control. However, The Doctor
and Romana soon discover that Calufrax is in fact the hollowed out planet
called Zanak, which goes around plundering other planets and leaving them as
minor husks.
Soon enough in a other twist, The Captain is revealed to
simply be a puppet controlled by his nurse, a projection of Zanak's old ruler
Queen Xanxia. With the help of Zanak's population, The Doctor manages to thwart
her plans with sabotaging the engines on the planet. He then realises that
Calufrax is in fact a second segment to the Key of Time compressed, an artefact
that the two are searching for that show's season, converting it into a part of
the actual key and picking it up and the duo take their leave to seek out the
other pieces.
To be honest, I really don't remember this episode as much.
The few things that did stand out to me was the blue-screen effects (it was the
70s of course), the twist at the end of the story and.........that's pretty
much it actually. I don't think it was as bad as I remember it, but I suppose
there was nothing really that stood out so much in particular. Though looking
at the pirate captain now, he does look a bit like Hitler. Where he got the
Saxon style helmet from, I have no idea.
This definately trumps Prince Harry. Mwahahaha!
The next episode I saw was The Androids of Tara. And quite
honestly, the only thing I really DO remember from this serial was the
ending. K-9 is in a boat in the moat,
and The Doctor just laughing. Let's see if the plot is any reminder.
The Doctor and co travel to the planet Tara to get the forth
piece of the Key of Time, hidden as part of a statue. Unfortunately, they are
taken prisoner by Count Grendel of Gracht. Huh. Didn't know Angelina Jolie was
in the series.
Anyway, Grendal is attempting to take over the throne from
its rightful heir Prince Reynart, and mistakes Romana for a android duplicate
of the betrothed Princess Strella. The Doctor meanwhile, is sent to help the
Prince make his own android for any potential assassination attempts. When
Grendal kidnaps the real Prince, The Doctor has the Android Prince crowned in
his stead. In time, Grendal destroys the android, and both Doctor and Romana
escape from the castle Grecht.
But they come back to save the kingdom, and get the forth
piece of the key, forcing Grendal to retreat and jump into the moat to escape.
In the end, the Prince and Strella are re-united and The Doctor and Romana
continue their journey onwards, along with saving K-9 in the moat.
Reading this back on myself, there was probably good reason
why I don't remember this episode so well. It doesn't read well when you learn
the plot and get all confused by the shenanigans happening all around. I
suppose some things were a little interesting with Romana and Strella being the
same person, but other than that, I don't think I was that vested in it. Maybe
it's worth watching these two episodes again so at least I have a full picture
of what the bejesus I was watching.
In that same year, I found that the BBC would be creating an
animated mini-serial of Doctor Who available on the BBC website, called Scream
of the Shalka. I was quite happy enough to sit and watch this little serial,
and I do think it was good thinking back to it.
The plot revolves around The Doctor landing in a Lancaster
village and investigating (as ever) strange occurances. With the help of
barmaid Alison Cheney, he discovers that the Shalka are preparing for a wider
invasion plan and thoroughly defeats them ease. Alison then accompanies him,
leaving her dear boyfriend behind (well that's obviously never been done again).
I did enjoy the story greatly, and had a vested interest in what was actually
going on.
Richard E. Grant as the 'Shalka Doctor' was quite
interesting to see as the iconic figure: a little grumpy, but quite dramatic
and still willing to fight the good fight (after some coaxing). Sophie Okonedo
playing Alison Cheney is as good too, being someone who is not exactly afraid
to talk about the Shalka , but can be I suppose a little bland. Maybe she was
saving her performance for Hotel Rwanda. She did get an Oscar nomination for
that. Oh yeah, there was someone else I forgot to
mention.....erm....whathisname....Tennant wasn't it? Apparently had a small
cameo.....hmmm I can't really remember. Oh well, I'm sure I won't care so much.
Now perhaps those above serials didn't endure me to the
legend so much. But then I came across these jolly creatures right here. At
least I think they're jolly.....
HELLO. THERE. YOU. CALLED. FOR. SOMEONE. TO. KILL. JUSTIN. BIEBER?!
First time I was introduced to the Daleks was oddly enough a
kit-kat commercial, preaching "GIVE US A CUDDLE!" (Surreal tangent,
in that same commercial, Lemmy of Motorhead is playing a violin. o_o). I did
wonder to myself if they were the exact opposite in the actual series.
That particular Christmas, I had the opportunity to find out
for myself. My parents brought me the 40th anniversary Dalek
Collector's Edition, consisting of three Dalek focused serials: The Dalek
Invasion of Earth with the 1st Doctor (played by William Hartnell),
Resurrection of the Daleks with the 5th Doctor (played by Peter
Davison), and Remembrance of the Daleks with the 7th Doctor (played
by Sylvester McCoy).
I have very fond memories of watching these stories as a boy
of 14, getting a more real taste of the old series and seeing how well done
these stories were, considering their production values at the time. The Dalek
Invasion of Earth was a favourite of mine to watch. Just seeing the Daleks as
actual conquerors of our little planet was something that fascinated me at
best, though I don't think I understood the full idea of their plan. I was also
quite saddened a little by the actual departure of Susan Foreman, The Doctor's
Granddaughter and first real companion he ever had. It was something I wasn't
expecting to come out of the blue, and it was quite emotional watching the
scene back on You-Tube.
A few days later, the BBC played an hour-long documentary
called 'The Story of Doctor Who', where it introduced me to a general history
of the old series. Some of the people interviewed included a great number of
the companions featured such actresses as Carole Ann Ford (Susan Foreman),
Louise Jamieson (Leela), and of course the late, enduring Elizabeth Sladen
(Sarah Jane Smith). It also showing some moments that prompted the kids to
'hide behind the sofa'. One example was of a plastic monster that stuck its
fangs into a elderly man and his wife discovering the body. Oh err!
It was an interesting retrospective into the series overall,
seeing where the idea for Doctor Who came from originally, how it developed
overtime into the mega-hit it became, and how everything went wrong for it,
going on hiatus finally in 1989.
BUT what really grabbed my attention was at the end of said
documentary was the Sixth Doctor Colin Baker's words: "We now hear that
there's going to be another series coming out soon". My jaw dropped. I
think I can best express that feeling in these words:
AHFGHSDGUSDHFJUHDSVUHSRUIBVJISHBVHUSDVGHDSHJGDSKJBVFKDSBVHJBDSJVBDSHJBHJSDBGHDSGBDSBOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGDOCTORWHOISGETTINGANEWSERIES!!!!!!!!!
(ahem)
In the mean-time while waiting ever so patiently for the new
series to start.......actually, that's bullshit, I'm NEVER patient, while
waiting for the new series to start, I decided to start my own collection of
Doctor Who old serial DVDs.
The second one I got was actually 'The Three Doctors',
staring Jon Pertwee, Partrick Troughton and William Hartnell in their roles as
the Doctor. I thought it was more practical to do this because I could get a
feel for each of the second and third Doctors. The Three Doctors was a pretty
good story, with it being shown for the programme's tenth anniversary. Some of
the special effects...can be a little silly I grant you, but as a story it does
hold up well.
In a way it developed the idea in my mind to get a DVD for
each Doctor when I got the opportunity (and the money obviously. Do you have
any idea how much they can cost, or nowadays they can be rare to find in HMV?
ARGH!). So that's pretty much what I did, going through the next years buying
whatever Doctor Who DVDs I could get my grubby mitts on.
Here's the collection I have of the old series thus so far:
Some of which I still haven't watched...... :(
I know it's not as big as you'd imagine but hey, get what
you can!
After a number of promotional trailers and posters alike,
the new series finally broadcast on March 26th 2005. And it was a
bloody joy to watch. Lots of drama, new creatures to behold and of course,
Billie Piper. Duh! Those three months that the new show was on kept me glued to
the sofa, wondering the bloody hell was going to happen (though I admit I
didn't see the introduction of Captain Jack Harkness in the two-partner 'The
Empty Child'/'The Doctor Dances. Believe me I was like Mickey). Russell T.
Davies was the first man to produce the new reboot, and he has made us all
proud with his fresh spin on our favourite Time Lord.
Now eight years have passed since the reboot, and as far we
have been reintroduced to the Daleks, the equally jolly Cybermen, and a new
host of evil creatures, especially the recently marked Angels. And of course,
new Doctors. Christopher Eccleston was on board for only the one season, and
was replaced by arguably one of the most popular Doctors of all time: David
Tennant. Ohhhhhh....oops. From the 2005 Christmas Special to New Year's Day
2010, he was THE Doctor and wowed audiences alike with his aloof personality
and quirky charm.
But of course all good things must come to an end, as Mr.
Tennant left right at the start of 2010, turning into Matt Smith. It was the
start of a new era as well, with Russell T. Davies leaving after five years at
the helm. In his place has come the complex controversial Steven Moffat, who
has made some quite mixed reactional changes to the series. I think one of
these is about to come upon us a week on Saturday....
Smith's Doctor won over the fans greatly with his quick
temper and quick thinking, and even managed to attract the attention of my
friend Jamie. Get in there Jamie! Again sadly, this is coming to an end with
Smith bowing out of the role, and bringing Peter Capaldi into the role as the
man. Whether Capaldi will bring out a better role remains to be seen. Although
I do have it on good authority that he is fucking brilliant. Thank you Mibs!
Needless to say, I have enjoyed the new series a great deal
as much as the old serials. The three new Doctors are all great in their own
right, and can hold their own against the Doctors of old. And of course I will
continue watching like the geek I am.
Also I think this might have been the reason why
the Ninth Doctor didn't allow cats on the TARDIS.
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So here's another question to drool over: What do I think
about both the new series and old alike?
Well, my opinion of the new series thus far is that
obviously it's brilliant. What got me thinking is a point that really the first
four seasons can be all one great big reintroduction. Seriously, all the big
stuff is established in the first season. You have the Doctor, The Daleks, the
Time Lords etc. Over the coming seasons, more of the memorable villains are
introduced: Cybermen, The Master, and creator of the Daleks, Davros. It's all
one big awkward family reunion, headed by one Russell T. Davies to begin with.
What he essentially did was bring all elements of the past
26 seasons into the 21st century, and showing a good chunk of those
to a new generation of fans who had never seen the show before, as well as the
old generation who had so they could sink their teeth into it. With all those
bits in mind, I think Davies succeeded in that respect because he chose the
right kind of elements that made Doctor Who the popular show it was: a good
balance of the well-known stuff, with new monsters and challenges thrown in for
good measure. I enjoyed it all the same, especially being quite surprised with
the Time Lords and whatnot.
Steven Moffat's time at the helm pushes deeper into the
mythos of the Time Lord and brings out more dramatic elements: Looking at the
power of the Doctor's name, the ever hopping River Song, and especially Amy
Pond being at the centre of the Eleventh Doctor's universe for a good two
years. He does have his critics however. A good number of people have shown
disdain at where the story is actually going in terms of plot, sometimes with
River Song and how things apparently got a little complicated in Season 6.
I regret nothing!
But quite honestly while watching it only two years ago I
didn't find massive problems with what he has done so far. The twists have been
quite interesting to me where River Song and another certain character was
concerned, and the emotional impact of Amy and Rory can be quite punching,
definitely more so in their last season onscreen (though some people can be
quite nit-picky). I just enjoyed the stories for what they were:
Twisty-turny-topsy-turvy-intelligent-creative programming.
But what I DO think sometimes, is that the Eleventh Doctor
can sometimes share personality traits with the Tenth Doctor. What I mean is
that sometimes on the outside, they both show themselves to be happy go lucky
people, always smiling in the face of danger and serious when they need to be.
It just kind of feels repetitive to me because why do we need another character
that sounds the same as your predecessor?
Another thing I've think the new series has developed more
is a human dramatic standing. What I mean by this is there's more emotions
emphasised by the characters all around. It's a more character-based series,
and we see them go through all sorts of different issues with time-travelling,
family problems, and romance. Romance is the new bigger addition to the series,
with the couplings of Tenth Doctor/Rose and Eleventh/Amy (yeaaah, there's got
to be fan fiction somewhere on that!) playing such a big part. That kind of drama
is pushed to the forefront more along with all the other stories happening all
around. Personally, I don't have a
problem with this. I jsut thought it would be interesting to note, as I shall
compare in a minute.
Now let's look at the old series.
From what I have watched so far, I have enjoyed the serials
with great fun and interest, gorging on the nostalgic goings-on with DVD after
DVD.
One of the things that should be noted is the production
values for the show. It would be pretty to do a comparison to the new series
because honestly there's not much point. The old series budget into making the
stuff they did can show the programme to be a little bit dated and unrealistic.
That's what various production teams have said, seeing the costumes as cheap
and daft. I do tend to agree, the costumes can be quite silly at times, mostly
on the monsters, and more so with the Sixth Doctor's costume.
That trip to the smarties factory didn't go too well
But on the other hand with all the bad stuff, they can be a
joy to look at. The Forth Doctor's costume is always the iconic image one can
see, and of course with the Daleks design is again a pleasure to watch. Some of
the sets can be creative too (apart from the appearance of a planet made of
rocks. I.E. a quarry), especially in the studio. None of the old serial sets
really bothered me so much, or made me care to notice. I was more into the
story of the serial itself.
Coming to the old Doctors for a moment, you can really tell
the difference between their personalities somewhat more then you can with
Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. Let's take....ooooh.....Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.
Pertwee was the technical boffin, someone who you could see as being
intelligent and sophisticated at the same time, but can be pushed to his limits
and shows a good deal of anger when he is serious. Baker on the otherhand was
someone who was from the off eccentric, calm and excitable at the same time,
and looked out of place with his scarf, and long coats. His voice had a kind
space-like aura to it, making him seem more as an alien with his ranges of tone
Baker could perform.
Compared to the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, you could really
tell the difference between the personalities properly. Each of the old doctors
had some kind of unique trait that made them not just three-dimensional characters,
but three-dimensional from EACH OTHER. In the anniversary serials when you see
all the Doctors get together, you can see definitely see the tension there from
seeing their previous or future selves as they bicker. But I think there is a
great deal of friendliness as well. Whether the 50th anniversary
special shows that balance as well remains to be seen, but from what we've seen
from the trailers, it might just be there. And perhaps I will see what some of
the differences are on-screen between those two better then what I've seen so
far!
This is them after the conjoined operation
And finally we come to the dramatic points that the old
series had. With the serials being almost always structured into their own
little stories, most of the drama is more or less focused on the situation at
hand, and what bad guy or such and such needs to be defeated. The adventure at hand, if you will. That's not
to say that some other dramatic elements aren't around because they are. But
they're not as overly developed so much as what's happening onscreen nowadays.
You do get really, I suppose, subtle glints that build up over time as the
characters relate to each other throughout the seasons, and see how much they
come to care for each other as friends, or perhaps even closer. (Even if the
companions can be intended to be the audience's mouthpiece to ask the Doctor
what the fuck is going on).
I suppose if you think about it over the years, the ideas of
drama that come in TV shows have obviously changed, technically and
dramatically. Techniques about how to tell a dramatic story can change over
years. The love between two people has, to a point, always been a main-streak
in the series. It's just brought out more in this generation then it has in the
past, and makes for interesting storytelling. But at the same time, there can
be some strength in having a story with two good friends that contrast and compel
each other.
So there is quite a bit to take away from each series in my
mind. They're both as great as each other and give the audience a lot to
consider when watching. Story techniques can change overtime, but with
something like Doctor Who it doesn't lose itself into murky depths so easily,
as much as we dislike what can happen. All the Doctors are superb in their own
way despite what I think so far of the new Doctors being closely similar to
each other. Finally, the way the show looks between the past and now are
obviously different to each other, but I think most of the sets can hold pretty
well up despite looking like cardboard and plastic buttons all over the place.
My final thoughts on this section are thus: Bananas are a
good source of Potassium. It is law.
Don't mention Bananas to Eccleston! You know he's a recovering Bananaholic!
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So here's my third and final thought on the article: Who is
my favourite Doctor so far?
Fuck me that's a good question. And let me destroy that notion:
It's not David Tennant.
I don't have a problem saying that at all. You see, I didn't
mind David Tennant in the role, I thought he was good, displayed a great range
of emotions and you could really see the desperation on his face when things
don't go his way. But....something about him never really clicked with me. I'm
not sure what it is about him that doesn't resonate with me very much, maybe I
just feel he wasn't THE Doctor for me.
Awww, don't worry David. You have your fan girls to help. Even Michelle Brito!
After much deliberation with myself, I don't think I could
escape an inevitable conclusion: It's Christopher Eccleston.
Seriously, Eccleston to me has always been MY Doctor for the
time eternal.
Bow to me!
When Doctor Who rebooted, it was the first time I ever seen and
heard Christopher Eccleston. I didn't know what he would be like in the role as
the man. But good god he was GREAT. To some people, he may say his lines like
he doesn't care at all, but I think he put in a good amount of effort in getting
into a character that is weary from the events of the Time-War, angry, manic,
and maybe to a point, depressed.With the Doctor in that mindset, Eccleston
seemed more the perfect choice at that time. He could bring that fluctuating
attitude of happiness and sadness in a grandiose performance that David Tennant
and Matt Smith developed further in their own right.
The more I think about it, the more I think that Eccleston
came at the right time for the role. His kind of acting was what the show
needed to come back the way it did with the storylines set in stone, to bring
that depressed character back into the world. It is a shame that he only did the
one season, because his performance was, for lack of a better pun, FANTASTIC!
If I could say one thing to him, it would be this:
I hope you bloody well ARE in the 50th anniversary special because if you're not I will cry! But regardless, you are MY Doctor. And I would consider it a great feat if you would come back to the series. Just once. I guess it's not your style to come back to things you've done before and from what I've read on various news sites, not had a great experience overall. But still, me as a fan of your Doctor Who, tickles me best. All the best in your career and your life.
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So there we are. My 10 years of Doctor Who in a nutshell.
If I have any final words on this article it is this: The
show has always been a huge part of my life since teenage life and I do think
it will undoubtedly continue for years to come, whether the show will be
finished or continue as long as it's story-wise possible. The upcoming 50th
anniversary special and Christmas special are sure to be controversial in their
moment of glory, the former definitely more so, especially with the inclusion
of a certain prequel to 'The Day of the Doctor', called 'The Night of the
Doctor' which I only saw the other day.
Needless to say, it does bring in a few surprises and brings
in how John Hurt appears as the Doctor. I WILL NOT SPOIL IT FOR THOSE YET TO
SEE IT. But what happens is an absolute gem of a short story!
Also for those who don't know yet, there is a special
one-off drama about the creation of the good Doctor, starring Brian Cox as
Sydney Newman, Jessica Raine from Call the Midwife as the show's first producer
Verity Lambert, and..........(sigh) Lord Walder Frey as William Hartnell.
Memories.........damn you Walder Frey. Damn you to the Stranger!
It's due to shown in the UK (sorry worldwide fans you might
have to wait) on Thursday 21st November at 9 sharp!
So I hope you have enjoyed at my sharing my personal
experience of watching the good doctor do his work for over fifty years, and I
hope it will continue for many years to come.
Next fortnight will be a historical feature on Henry II and
how his relationship affected his reputation throughout history. Along with
that, I will be doing another mini-special concerning 'The Day of the Doctor'
special. So savor your pleasure for then guys. Til then, Randomizer out. And..........
Doctor.........Who?
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