Dr Who @ UEA - 2008 06 18
Jul. 6th, 2008 11:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethDr Who 2008 06 18
Pre class vid: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
On TV: BtVS, first episode. Isn’t showing the cheerleading episode. Hot blooded male just ends up watching it for some reason.
Reason showing it: it’s a big influence on the latest incarnation of Doctor Who, especially regarding the companions. Not a million miles away between Rose Tyler and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Obviously both blonde, both have a single mother as well. After Buffy it’s very difficult to do ‘young girl in distress’ any more. It’s something that just doesn’t happen any more. Which is a good thing.
Register question: Who would you cast as the new Doctor?
Be: Not another white guy.
NH: Adrian Lester, chose for same logic. Interesting and a very good actor.
Fiona: No idea.
Katie: nope
Deborah: Lulu.
Steven: Steven Fry. NH: Too old. Class: Older Doctor would be good. NH: Way current incarnation shown now they’re going to tend towards people younger than 50. Also has to be children friendly. Ten years ago, yeah, but now… highly improbable. Still waiting for his script to be made. Wrote one for second season but it was too expensive. Asked him for rewrites but was too busy. One day his story may just appear.
Robert: Tony Slattery. NH: He nearly was. He auditioned for the McGann movie. Back then he would have been quite a good choice. He’d have to lose a lot of weight now. or Marc Warren. NH: Who has already been in DW but that didn’t stop Colin Baker. Or Freema Agyeman. MW has nasty edge and cheeky chappie.
Mike: Rowan Atkinson. Did it in the spoof. Robert Linsey. NH: Also auditioned for the McGann movie.
Will photocopy potential casting for that.
NH: Biggest fear, kept him awake the other night, is they’d do Something About Maria ‘who is the Doctor’. Worst most appalling terrible thought.
Laughter about Sun rumour about Mitchell & Webb. (I don’t know this reference)
Going back to McGann movie: John Sessions was seen. Too supercilious? His audition was basically like Who’s Line Is It Anyway. Another actor not well known, Liam Cunnigham. In the film Little Princess.
Other casting: Sylvester McCoy era: Tony Robinson. Also: Ken Campbell (sp? ... for all names if I'm honest.) One of the great unsung figures of Brit popular culture. Was in the Alf Garnett series, played the man next door. Apparently his audition was one of the scariest things anyone had ever seen.
Debating it because… just something to chuck out. Harder this time than after Eccleston. DT has been there a few years now. He was interviewed on Sunday and said they’re doing 4 specials. Torchwood drops down to 5 next year, on BBC1, shown every week night for one week. Interesting piece of scheduling.
Clearly various reasons. Non increase of licence fee being one. And unlike DW Torchwood is actually shot in HD. DW couldn’t be shot in HD because the FX would cost too much.
Did you hear about Eurovision on HD? People watching it on HD the sound was terrible. Pictures spectacular but sound awful. No difference from normal then.
Fixed number of regenerations: Most likely to be changed.
The Master reached the end of his 13th incarnation and he’s still popping up.
All the fans thought the Doctor was immortal, live forever, barring accidents.
Then the regeneration limit.
Up in arms!
Too much backstory would bog down bringing the Master back. God knows how the Master from McGann story ended up being… Derek Jacobi. Bizarre to go from Eric Roberts to DJ.
If Eccleston was still the Doctor would John Simm have been the Master or would they cast differently then? JS was a contrast to Tennant’s Doctor.
Next month on DVD: Brain of Morbius. There’s a sequence where Morbius challenges the Doctor to a Mind duel. In this duel you see pictures going back from TB to WH… to a load of other people. The implication being there they were earlier incarnations of the Doctor. Fandom was up in arms about that one. But DT is always referred to as the 10th incarnation.
ASH another good choice. (too old by his earlier suggestion)
Interesting to see who was on the list for when they brought it back. Apparently they offered it to Hugh Grant. Wonder who else. Colin Firth?
Within the narrative he’s only got about three more to go before he turns into Eric Roberts.
Jon Pertwee road crossing: SPLINK. Stop, pavement, Look…
Green Cross Code man worked a lot better.
Splink worst ever… sounds rude as well.
Next week register question – which actress as the Doctor. Not Joanna Lumley cause that’s just so obvious. Who would be a female doctor?
(I mentioned the girl from the Mummy films in LJ fic)
Casting the Doctor is controversial.
Saturday’s episode, what do you think?
Is repeated on BBC3 with commentary.
Saved budget, people stuck in lift episode. Bottle shows = One set and regular cast. Differs cause CT was hardly in it, was off filming the ep from next Sat, double banked.
It’s almost RTD trying to do Steven Moffatt, trying to do the spooky scary stuff. Thought if he was an 8 year old he probably wouldn’t like it so much. No real monsters. Adults may be more disturbed by it than youngsters. Though there’s all the repeating.
I said about school bullying.
Was pointed out without companion Doctor sounds arrogant. And a bit stupid about people.
Interesting to hear the DVD commentary. Podcast this week was pretty good. Wants to hear from actors.
Warn now that the spoilers are starting to hit the fan. Even in the back of the Radio Times there’s one now. Be careful.
Anyone doing presentation? Only written ones.
One thing NH will mention: Does anyone listen to Nebulous on Radio 4? Or know what it is? Stars Mark Gatiss as mad boffin professor of Kent, environmental intelligence taskforce. David Tennant guest star playing Doctor Beep. Not bad. Best SF comedy on Radio 4 since Hitchhikers. Better than Hyperdrive. Which is not very good. Tomorrow night, 11pm, Radio 4. Has the listen again. No podcast, sell on CD.
Last week: Ending of the show and fandom on the rise. Kept alive because it was a commercial property even though they didn’t want it on TV. Books, spin off shot out there. For One Night Only, Paul McGann, He’s Back and It’s About Time. Everyone pointed out the problem with the film right from the outset is that it’s so stuck with DW continuity. First ep when it came back there’s none of that, we met the Doctor through someone else. Major difference, why it worked.
Now we’ve gone through all the Doctors…
When DW wasn’t on, did they show repeats?
In the 90s Cult TV became a viable property. You could repeat old programs, which you couldn’t do for a long time due to Equity rights. Do you remember Tracy Island? The big Thunderbirds came out and the island was they toy you had to have one xmas and they ran out and Blue Peter had to show you how to make one. Thunderbirds was huge when it came back. So the BBC troll through the archives and decide to do Doctor Who. Decide to do one from each Doctor. Started out with Hartnell’s The Time Meddler. Not bad in itself, but not going to engage young people. Second episode WH isn’t even in it. Due to having a 42 week season a year. And it didn’t do that well. PT came along and they used The Mind Robber. Which is completely unique… and lots of wandering around. And the face changing. And it has no ending, it just stops. They showed two black and white ones. They didn’t show it after Thunderbirds, shoved Man from Uncle in between. Pertwee, The Sea Devils. Break for the summer. Tom Baker, Genesis of the Daleks. Davison was his last one Androzani. CB Daleks. McCoy Battlefield. Figures weren’t great, one or two million. They tried to do more repeats. Showed some against Coronation Street in 93. 30th anniversary. Showed Planet of the Daleks. Six episodes. Including episode 4 in black and white. Last time black and white on prime time on BBC. Then moved repeats to Sunday mornings and didn’t do very well.
Tried it again in 1999. Started with Pertwee from the outset. Spearhead from Space. Silurians… with a break over xmas. Audience had turned off. Then showed Genesis of the Daleks again.
BBC doesn’t show old stuff now. Apart from Dangermouse. Archive TV actually shown on TV seems to have faded now. Now the bastions of cable channels. ITV 4.
And there’s the rise of DVD now as well. Once upon a time you could show repeats and it was exciting cause they weren’t out on video or DVD.
But the audience has never been what they hoped. And there’s always a scheduling problem. And black and white is a problem.
They thought of doing a run of repeats prior to bringing it back, but RTD said no. Comparisons are inevitable but. So happily… now when you get repeats of DW they’re on BBC4.
Just after Easter they showed the original Daleks serial. When they had an archaeology weekend they bunged on The Daemons.
If they do repeat it now it’s seen as classic TV so it’s shoved on BBC4. Now the home of classic TV.
That’s it for repeats as such.
Apart from a repeat of The Runaway Bride they didn’t repeat the new series on BBC1. Interesting.
Plenty of repeats on BBC3. need something to distract.
There were repeats during the 90s but. Weren’t great ratings successes.
Thought cause we’ve seen most of the Doctors now… one word description of each Doctor as an exercise. Fix them in our minds and see what we make of them.
Projector and pictures.
Hartnell: Irascible. Crotchety.
Troughton: Mischievous.
Pertwee: Dandy.
Baker: Bonkers.
Davison: English.
Baker: unpredictable
McCoy: scheming
McGann: Generic.
Eccleston: Damaged.
Tennant: Complex
How many fan clichés we can knock out as well? Some have passed into folklore.
Crotchety often appears with dear old Bill.
Why JP as Dandy?
Something about TV sex symbol Jason King. Looks like a porn star. Was he referred to as a dandy?
Studmuffin. Ladies man. One thing you wouldn’t say about Jon.
Great thing about Jon is you look at him and he is just so early 70s.
Wasn’t going to be David Troughton this week, was going to be (missed name) from Ello Ello. He broke his leg and they got Troughton in at very short notice.
JP tall. TB six one. Eccleston tall as well.
Dandy has become the catchphrase for 3.
But then again, Dandy man of action. Intergalactic James Bond is the other one. The whole second half of episode 2 of planet of the spiders they indulge JP – (all the vehicles)
TB pushed the eccentricity higher. Difference between 4 and 2. Troughton was acting…
Youngest actor to play the Doctor to date, PD. Suggestion: Angst. Always played it… young man saying old things. Pained about what was going on and his role in it. Edwardian. British eccentric. He’s the one who probably is most tied in to Brit eccentricity. Cricket and costume. And that is a costume, a designed costume.
At the time, brideshead revisited, chariots of fire, he seemed to tap into it.
He’s not eccentric in the Tom Baker sense.
CB: Unpredictable. Acid bath, beat up policeman.
Unpredictable a good word for the era too.
7: I said scheming. Other suggestion manipulative. He’s there for a purpose.
8: Lots of words. I said Half Human to start. NH says last time the starter was Lazenby. Other suggestions are confused and absent.
Generic all purpose Doctor. Blank canvas, can be manuevered into positions. Persona as defined on TV is difficult. Lots more in novels, audios, comic.
Look at the costume and it does him a slight disservice cause he was the best casting for the Doctor for many a year and his performance was one of the best.
9: I said damaged and PTSD. One word from before was Haunted. He does play it like a damaged war survivor.
He does mellow as the series goes on. It’s amazing, he was only there for 13 weeks but for those 13 it felt longer than Colin Baker.
Very defined character arc.
Part of the reason they didn’t know if the series would be a success. Reached a kind of natural conclusion.
Regenerated into 10.
David Tennant. How to describe?
Flippant. Doesn’t seem to take it seriously. Flippant and wide eyed. (says the guy I never agree with at all.)
I said it’s like a guy who’s depressed and trying really hard.
Discussion of the accent. Mockney. Why? Trying to get around the line lots of planets have a Scotland.
Complex. And falls in love. And complex relationship with family and stuff. Complicated relationship with the Master as well.
Life is sacred etc etc but prepared to destroy it.
Every Doctor they say is a combination of previous Doctors. There’s aspects of that with DT. But moving it on. The romantic entanglements… had the McGann doctor gone to a series there’d have been romantic entanglements with McGann.
Could have put Byronic with McGann.
DT? The flippant stuff is obviously the Doctor’s way of offputting the creatures, something Tom Baker used to do, not take the villain seriously.
On the podcast for the previous episode Moffatt said the Doctor’s weapon is he can talk. You can give DT big long speeches and he’ll do them. Give him pi to places.
Certainly the way the series is now with all the storylines, choosing stories to explore different facets of his character, make him human, give him a daughter, have him fall in love, have someone fall in love with him but he doesn’t notice, have him meet his alter ego the Master. Often he’s defined by other people (I think he said).
Once again interesting to see where we end up at the end of this series.
Do the Doctors rather than the companions. Define all 21 or 30 odd companions.
Dodo, brief.
Talk about DT’s accent waving all over the place, if you watch Dodo her accents all over the shop.
So we have a character who’s (all that list of 10).
Why on earth would anyone want to travel with this absolute lunatic?
Why do we have companions?
Article has reasons.
Identification. You need someone to identify with.
That’s the usual reason given. It’s for us at home to identify with someone.
Does that actually work though when you have Tom Baker travelling with Leela. How many people identify with Leela? If they’re male do they identify with Leela?
Give credibility to the Doctor himself.
This week, no support.
If he’s got someone travelling with him it gives him credibility for a start. And he didn’t have credibility because there’s no one backing him up this week.
With an SF show we need someone there who can act like the audience. We need explaining to. He can’t be speaking to himself to get across to the audience.
McGann on audio talking to himself in the TARDIS. The Doctor’s mad enough as he is. If he starts talking to himself you do become worried.
Asking ‘What is it Doctor’.
Early days, technical difficulties, needed to not have the Doctor on screen. Part of the reason why you had so many early on. Also because you’ve got to give them a week off once in a while.
The identification point is interesting regarding the original setup as well. Don’t think children would identify with teachers. Susan seemed to be the identification figures but was a bit outside of it.
Ian and Barbara were there to explicate as well.
Ian was there to do the strong arm stuff. Because Hartnell couldn’t do the fighting. Though in one episode he does beat up a Roman centurion, but it’s played for comedy.
Troughton couldn’t. But Pertwee could.
But that’s why the 60s have a male companion to do the action stuff where the lead men can’t.
Sex appeal as well. The whole notion of sex appeal didn’t happen until Polly came along. She was the first dolly bird assistant. “there for the dads” After the football results, family viewing, Dads will watch.
Sometimes goes a bit odd. Victoria. Prim young lady. Next week in a mini skirt. Fashions are sometimes ridiculous. Poor Nicola Bryant. Ridiculous and impractical.
New series, clothing for companions is practical.
Planet of the Ood, Donna goes back in the TARDIS and dresses properly for the environment they’re in. In the past they’d just go out in whatever they’re wearing.
Other major difference is the Doctor’s attitude to the companions has changed in the new series.
With the possible exception of PD the Doctor’s relationship to his companions tended to be paternal. He was the father, grandfather, dotty uncle. Paternal figure towards especially the young ladies. Often the male companions throughout the early days tended to be feminized. The obvious one being Jamie. Wearing the kilt = skirt. Almost feminised in their function. Do some violence but always kowtow to the Doctor. Ian’s the exception in the early days. [I disagree quite a lot.] Mentioned last week more often than not the travelling companions on the female side tended to be orphans or children to a degree. It’s part of the reason why TB’s period is regarded so highly is the companions. First Sarah Jane Smith, a journalist and a mature woman. Followed by Leela. They were trying to do a Doolittle thing but never quite. Then Romana, his intellectual equal. Mary Tamm, deliberate casting for sex appeal. Her introduction: first we see is a shot going from her feet up over her body. Laura Mulvey, the male gaze. Perfect example. Women always introduced by the male gaze and there we have it. “That’s the new assistant.” Then replaced by Lalla Ward, who plays her more mischeviously, more like the Doctor. Then the last season they all go and we end up with Tegan, Nyssa, and Adric. Adric is… the worst thing you can do in a science fiction show. A clever young boy. A technical scientific genius as such. Don’t know why they do that because fans always hate smartass tech genius boys. STTNG they started with Wesley Crusher. He’s become quite a good political commentator in the states now, NH heard him on the radio one night.
From then on in most of the companions tended to be children to a degree. Certainly not fully mature adults as such. And it breaks with McGann, he gets an assistant but leaves her behind, who is a doctor and a mature woman.
Then when we get to the new series… firstly they have families. They have backgrounds. Normally the Doctor the family would be there in the first story and then vanish, normally killed off, so they’re left orphans and the only thing they can do is go off with the doctor. And clearly written to be the Doctor’s equal. Rose saves the Doctor in her first story. New series, the Doctor is an enabler. He might not solve the problems but (inspires others to). Normally people end up destroyed and sacrificed.
There were always female figures sacrificing themselves to save the Doctor. Introduce female characters to bump themselves off to save the doctor. Thankfully they moved away from that rather fast. [?]
As a way of showing the contrast between companions then and now.
McCoy and Ace. The Doctor’s relationship to Ace, who was like this young juvenile delinquent from the 80s in a very RP BBC type way, basically he ended up being her social worker through time and space sorting her out.
The Curse of Fenric.
Has a line in it that never appeared in Doctor Who before.
Anyone care to explain what’s going on? It’s WWII, they’re on a base by the sea where they’re decoding german messages, Russians turn up to steal the machine, meanwhile Fenric, evil from the dawn of time, has reawoken, and hell’s breaking loose.
“Intelligence. Pure evil.” Genie in a bottle. That bit after Ace yells at him to tell her.
“I can distract the guard.” “I’m not a little girl”
Ace chatting up the guard. “I can feel it through my clothes. Is there a storm coming?”
Doctor runs in with keys. The background music is a bit… pervasive.
“Sometimes I move so fast I don’t exist any more.” “Undercurrents, bringing things to the surface. I can’t stay.”
/clip
What do you make of that then?
As a seduction technique first.
Unconvincing, says the student. Didn’t feel natural or right, incredibly staged.
1989 BBC.
NH: The dialogues terrible quite frankly.
It’s like a first attempt to actually acknowledge sexuality within the companion in Doctor Who properly. “I’m not a little girl” is a good line. Takes him back. The Doctor shouldn’t notice such thing. Tennant would now but he doesn’t.
And then it just… goes into the most awful purple prose seduction technique. Which in a way is absolutely toe curling.
Thematically it’s quite an interesting story. Undercurrents being there are things you can’t see happening like evil from the dawn of time manipulated up to this point. Also a symbolic bit in the end where she actually dives into the water. Almost flashes on the screen ‘allegory moment’. Ace acknowledges her sexuality at this moment. Wahey. So there we go.
Unfortunately as a story when it was originally broadcast it’s a bit of a mess. DVD version is extended and the pacing is better. Not bad. At the time held up as one of the greatest stories of all time. NH doesn’t think so. [I do.] But towards the end the show was trying to do something different with the companion. If the companions were sexy as such they never actually acknowledged it. Like there’s the wonderful… Louise Jameson was really taken aback for all the letters she got appearing as Leela, from the raincoat brigade basically, then realised she’s in a loincloth just after football results. Leela falls in love in five minutes and it’s really badly done. Jo Grant falls in love with a younger version of the Doctor and it’s quite a sad farewell scene.
As far as sexuality goes it’s normally just dress it’s not actually in the characters.
Companions killed off: Adric was, and boy did we cheer.
He’s the only one to date. Though there were a couple back in Hartnell’s time. Like Katarina, an Ancient Greek handmaiden… a really great idea on a science fiction show. Normally they become more intelligent but with her they had to explain the TARDIS is not a temple. She filmed her death scene before anything else for the show. Another was Sara Kingdom, a sci fi Emma Peel. Peri, Nicola Bryant, nearly got killed off, but got married to Brian Blessed. It’s always dangerous to bump off companions. It produces resentment if the fans are fond.
Making it look like Peri had been killed off NH really loathes. Worst DW story ever. Lots of running around in caves.
Only reason companions are there, so they can run around.
6 episode stories – capture, escape, capture escape, that’s the companions role.
With the new 45 minutes there’s really no time for that.
Big worry for the end of this season is it’s another one where the Doctor’s hardly in it.
Apparently the last ep this season might be feature length, 75 minutes.
Great… podcast can’t be downloaded. Any program longer than 60 minutes you can’t download the podcast for rights issues, NH don’t know why.
Once the companions have left the Doctor, killed off or married bliss, they’re very rarely referred to again. Which opened up a lot of fanfiction. There’s a lot of fanfic stories about old companions meeting up and not knowing the one thing they’ve got in common.
Stories about Ian and Barbara. Nice suburban lifestyle. Cats. Lib Dems. Nice and cosy.
Anyway.
The one thing about the new series is it has addressed the problems of being a companion.
Going to show a lengthy clip now from a top five from the show since it came back, School Reunion. This is the one where things are going on at a school, brilliant premise for DW. And the Doctor and Rose with her on off boyfriend Mickey are investigating. Meanwhile an old companion of the Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, is also investigating.
Says so many things the old series never actually did.
Clip:
Sneaking in the dark with torch, Sarah Jane Smith climbs in a window. Doors of wonky as the Doctor sneaks around a school. And I note this TV is not widescreen.
“Right team… I hate people who say team…” funny.
Mickey and Rose and not knowing where the maths department is.
SJS and the blue and green corridor of dooooooom.
Screechy noises.
SJS and the red door of dooooom… and sees the TARDIS. Backs out.
Music.
Doctor behind her.
Turns and recognises him.
“Hello Sarah Jane.”
“I lived. Everyone else died.”
Sarah Jane just shakes off the “Everyone else died” bit. Because she’s having her own issues.
SJS and Rose snark.
Scream like a little girl… er, Doctor being a bit sexist.
“Anyway, moving on”
“Did I do something wrong, cause you never came back”
“You were my life”
Loooong clip, but all good stuff.
“We get a taste of that splendour and then we have to go back.”
She never gets an answer to “Why not.”
… “Aberdeen”
… has DT actually got skinnier or is it the aspect ratio?
“And add another suitcase full of bad.”
“The Doctor likes travelling with an entourage.”
“Oh my god I’m the tin dog.”
“How many of us have there been.”
“I thought you and me were… I obviously got it wrong.”
(I looked up the http://mimi-na.deviantart.com/art/Doctor-s-Girls-Wallpaper-58513223 I thought I was special)
“I don’t age”
“You can spend the rest of your life with me. But I can’t spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That’s the curse of the Time Lords.”
School Reunion – introduces that the companions tend to fall in love with the Doctor. Which when you watch the old series is very difficult to read into it. SJS they’re not playing it like lovers at all, they’re playing it like best friends. That’s a vast difference. It’s one of the things that has shifted in the new series. The sexy doctor, the fanciable Doctor. We hadn’t had that before.
I mentioned fanfic goes there.
There have been male companions but they travel for very brief times.
If we go back to the male companion being feminised that’s clearly at work in the new series.
Mickey and Adam. Adam was there as… the new thing is the Doctor selects his companions, you have to be good enough.
And Jack. NH takes it back about feminising. Jack’s just anything basically.
That’s how it’s… it does differ really. It’s always said the best setup is the Doctor and a female companion. Though for most of the while that’s the exception rather than the rule. Exception in the 60s and fair bit of the 70s. It’s the most workable one in the new format as well. 4 companions you’re really going to be stuck for things to do.
Like the end of the previous season when Jack got brought back into it. Jack’s basically there so he can fire guns which is the thing the Doctor doesn’t do. That’s why the Doctor could take moral high ground with UNIT.
It’s going to be interesting though if the rumours are right about the end of this season. All Star Doctor Who. Where many companions are coming back. See how it all fits in.
Going to be like Justice League of America.
That’s what the Doctor is about
New Series – you travel with the Doctor, you become a better person.
Old series, you travel with the Doctor then your contract is up and you leave.
I said Jo and Romana and Nyssa have all been read that way.
Jo character arc takes place in the last two stories. Goes through a period of being exceptionally dim and then gets clever again.
NH says it’s the exception not the rule.
… Ace?
Turlough?
SJS is the most popular. Basically why she was brought back.
First time they’ve brought back figures from the past. They brought the Daleks, but actual characters? This is the first time. Draws on its heritage. Didn’t just do a one scene hello, actually builds a story about her.
As well its also because most of the writers on this show were young when Sarah Jane was the main companion. And Lis Sladen still looks amazing today. Which you can’t say of some of the other companions, sadly.
What would be the point of bringing back Polly cause very few people would remember her. It would just be something for the fans.
It works on two levels, SJS. Works for new fans, Doctor’s had companions before, younger children may not know it. Their parents watching perhaps remember her.
One thing never touched upon in the old days, “I can’t stay with you forever cause basically you’re going to get old.” Just wouldn’t happen.
It’s interesting… the other thing as well about… its gone through the variations in the new series. Rose, in love with the Doctor, Martha, in love but not reciprocated, Donna, nothing there. How many more variations can they do? They’re going to start running dry on companions. They’re probably going to keep it a contemporary companion from today.
Student - Would series have worked as well without bringing sex into it?
Don’t know.
It survived 26 years without it before.
Student - Youth of today, got Hollyoaks, capture a new audience.
NH: When you ask children what their fav shows are they aren’t children’s shows, they’re like Eastenders and Hollyoaks.
Kids today are more savvy.
The other thing as well make DW attractive is like… the Doctor probably isn’t gay in case you’re all wondering.
I said kissing Jack, might not be straight either.
NH: Children may not notice.
(If I missed out a few words his point would change.)
NH: I keep wondering whether or not you can do a new variation on the companion.
River Song, in the library.
Bit wary when you start constricting the continuity for the future.
Donna the first mature woman travelling with the Doctor since Barbara.
Nice to have Donna answer the Doctor back. Which hasn’t happened in some time. The companions get miffed and ask what’s going on.
NH thinks Donna’s not going to make it to the end of the season.
Interesting to see what’ll happen on Saturday, the Doctor lite episode. What will happen when Donna and Rose meet? Which we know they do cause we saw in the trailer. Are they going to be like Sarah Jane and have a bitch fest or not? What’s the variations you can do?
Was going to say stuff about monsters. What do monsters want? Real estate. That’s what it boils down to. The Earth is real estate and they want it. Though the one thing you notice in the new series is there’s far more emphasis on capital gain through invasion. To invade a planet is a profit making business. Old series monsters were generic, they invade a planet for the hell of it. Now it’s either profit or survival. Previous series just wanted to survive. The obvious one being the family of blood, they just wanted to live on. No real notion of conquering.
That’s why the Daleks are great, they want to destroy everything.
It’s the last one next week. We will be here. Next week… probably chewing the fat over Rose’s return.
Exit video: Part three, Comic relief.
Pre class vid: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
On TV: BtVS, first episode. Isn’t showing the cheerleading episode. Hot blooded male just ends up watching it for some reason.
Reason showing it: it’s a big influence on the latest incarnation of Doctor Who, especially regarding the companions. Not a million miles away between Rose Tyler and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Obviously both blonde, both have a single mother as well. After Buffy it’s very difficult to do ‘young girl in distress’ any more. It’s something that just doesn’t happen any more. Which is a good thing.
Register question: Who would you cast as the new Doctor?
Be: Not another white guy.
NH: Adrian Lester, chose for same logic. Interesting and a very good actor.
Fiona: No idea.
Katie: nope
Deborah: Lulu.
Steven: Steven Fry. NH: Too old. Class: Older Doctor would be good. NH: Way current incarnation shown now they’re going to tend towards people younger than 50. Also has to be children friendly. Ten years ago, yeah, but now… highly improbable. Still waiting for his script to be made. Wrote one for second season but it was too expensive. Asked him for rewrites but was too busy. One day his story may just appear.
Robert: Tony Slattery. NH: He nearly was. He auditioned for the McGann movie. Back then he would have been quite a good choice. He’d have to lose a lot of weight now. or Marc Warren. NH: Who has already been in DW but that didn’t stop Colin Baker. Or Freema Agyeman. MW has nasty edge and cheeky chappie.
Mike: Rowan Atkinson. Did it in the spoof. Robert Linsey. NH: Also auditioned for the McGann movie.
Will photocopy potential casting for that.
NH: Biggest fear, kept him awake the other night, is they’d do Something About Maria ‘who is the Doctor’. Worst most appalling terrible thought.
Laughter about Sun rumour about Mitchell & Webb. (I don’t know this reference)
Going back to McGann movie: John Sessions was seen. Too supercilious? His audition was basically like Who’s Line Is It Anyway. Another actor not well known, Liam Cunnigham. In the film Little Princess.
Other casting: Sylvester McCoy era: Tony Robinson. Also: Ken Campbell (sp? ... for all names if I'm honest.) One of the great unsung figures of Brit popular culture. Was in the Alf Garnett series, played the man next door. Apparently his audition was one of the scariest things anyone had ever seen.
Debating it because… just something to chuck out. Harder this time than after Eccleston. DT has been there a few years now. He was interviewed on Sunday and said they’re doing 4 specials. Torchwood drops down to 5 next year, on BBC1, shown every week night for one week. Interesting piece of scheduling.
Clearly various reasons. Non increase of licence fee being one. And unlike DW Torchwood is actually shot in HD. DW couldn’t be shot in HD because the FX would cost too much.
Did you hear about Eurovision on HD? People watching it on HD the sound was terrible. Pictures spectacular but sound awful. No difference from normal then.
Fixed number of regenerations: Most likely to be changed.
The Master reached the end of his 13th incarnation and he’s still popping up.
All the fans thought the Doctor was immortal, live forever, barring accidents.
Then the regeneration limit.
Up in arms!
Too much backstory would bog down bringing the Master back. God knows how the Master from McGann story ended up being… Derek Jacobi. Bizarre to go from Eric Roberts to DJ.
If Eccleston was still the Doctor would John Simm have been the Master or would they cast differently then? JS was a contrast to Tennant’s Doctor.
Next month on DVD: Brain of Morbius. There’s a sequence where Morbius challenges the Doctor to a Mind duel. In this duel you see pictures going back from TB to WH… to a load of other people. The implication being there they were earlier incarnations of the Doctor. Fandom was up in arms about that one. But DT is always referred to as the 10th incarnation.
ASH another good choice. (too old by his earlier suggestion)
Interesting to see who was on the list for when they brought it back. Apparently they offered it to Hugh Grant. Wonder who else. Colin Firth?
Within the narrative he’s only got about three more to go before he turns into Eric Roberts.
Jon Pertwee road crossing: SPLINK. Stop, pavement, Look…
Green Cross Code man worked a lot better.
Splink worst ever… sounds rude as well.
Next week register question – which actress as the Doctor. Not Joanna Lumley cause that’s just so obvious. Who would be a female doctor?
(I mentioned the girl from the Mummy films in LJ fic)
Casting the Doctor is controversial.
Saturday’s episode, what do you think?
Is repeated on BBC3 with commentary.
Saved budget, people stuck in lift episode. Bottle shows = One set and regular cast. Differs cause CT was hardly in it, was off filming the ep from next Sat, double banked.
It’s almost RTD trying to do Steven Moffatt, trying to do the spooky scary stuff. Thought if he was an 8 year old he probably wouldn’t like it so much. No real monsters. Adults may be more disturbed by it than youngsters. Though there’s all the repeating.
I said about school bullying.
Was pointed out without companion Doctor sounds arrogant. And a bit stupid about people.
Interesting to hear the DVD commentary. Podcast this week was pretty good. Wants to hear from actors.
Warn now that the spoilers are starting to hit the fan. Even in the back of the Radio Times there’s one now. Be careful.
Anyone doing presentation? Only written ones.
One thing NH will mention: Does anyone listen to Nebulous on Radio 4? Or know what it is? Stars Mark Gatiss as mad boffin professor of Kent, environmental intelligence taskforce. David Tennant guest star playing Doctor Beep. Not bad. Best SF comedy on Radio 4 since Hitchhikers. Better than Hyperdrive. Which is not very good. Tomorrow night, 11pm, Radio 4. Has the listen again. No podcast, sell on CD.
Last week: Ending of the show and fandom on the rise. Kept alive because it was a commercial property even though they didn’t want it on TV. Books, spin off shot out there. For One Night Only, Paul McGann, He’s Back and It’s About Time. Everyone pointed out the problem with the film right from the outset is that it’s so stuck with DW continuity. First ep when it came back there’s none of that, we met the Doctor through someone else. Major difference, why it worked.
Now we’ve gone through all the Doctors…
When DW wasn’t on, did they show repeats?
In the 90s Cult TV became a viable property. You could repeat old programs, which you couldn’t do for a long time due to Equity rights. Do you remember Tracy Island? The big Thunderbirds came out and the island was they toy you had to have one xmas and they ran out and Blue Peter had to show you how to make one. Thunderbirds was huge when it came back. So the BBC troll through the archives and decide to do Doctor Who. Decide to do one from each Doctor. Started out with Hartnell’s The Time Meddler. Not bad in itself, but not going to engage young people. Second episode WH isn’t even in it. Due to having a 42 week season a year. And it didn’t do that well. PT came along and they used The Mind Robber. Which is completely unique… and lots of wandering around. And the face changing. And it has no ending, it just stops. They showed two black and white ones. They didn’t show it after Thunderbirds, shoved Man from Uncle in between. Pertwee, The Sea Devils. Break for the summer. Tom Baker, Genesis of the Daleks. Davison was his last one Androzani. CB Daleks. McCoy Battlefield. Figures weren’t great, one or two million. They tried to do more repeats. Showed some against Coronation Street in 93. 30th anniversary. Showed Planet of the Daleks. Six episodes. Including episode 4 in black and white. Last time black and white on prime time on BBC. Then moved repeats to Sunday mornings and didn’t do very well.
Tried it again in 1999. Started with Pertwee from the outset. Spearhead from Space. Silurians… with a break over xmas. Audience had turned off. Then showed Genesis of the Daleks again.
BBC doesn’t show old stuff now. Apart from Dangermouse. Archive TV actually shown on TV seems to have faded now. Now the bastions of cable channels. ITV 4.
And there’s the rise of DVD now as well. Once upon a time you could show repeats and it was exciting cause they weren’t out on video or DVD.
But the audience has never been what they hoped. And there’s always a scheduling problem. And black and white is a problem.
They thought of doing a run of repeats prior to bringing it back, but RTD said no. Comparisons are inevitable but. So happily… now when you get repeats of DW they’re on BBC4.
Just after Easter they showed the original Daleks serial. When they had an archaeology weekend they bunged on The Daemons.
If they do repeat it now it’s seen as classic TV so it’s shoved on BBC4. Now the home of classic TV.
That’s it for repeats as such.
Apart from a repeat of The Runaway Bride they didn’t repeat the new series on BBC1. Interesting.
Plenty of repeats on BBC3. need something to distract.
There were repeats during the 90s but. Weren’t great ratings successes.
Thought cause we’ve seen most of the Doctors now… one word description of each Doctor as an exercise. Fix them in our minds and see what we make of them.
Projector and pictures.
Hartnell: Irascible. Crotchety.
Troughton: Mischievous.
Pertwee: Dandy.
Baker: Bonkers.
Davison: English.
Baker: unpredictable
McCoy: scheming
McGann: Generic.
Eccleston: Damaged.
Tennant: Complex
How many fan clichés we can knock out as well? Some have passed into folklore.
Crotchety often appears with dear old Bill.
Why JP as Dandy?
Something about TV sex symbol Jason King. Looks like a porn star. Was he referred to as a dandy?
Studmuffin. Ladies man. One thing you wouldn’t say about Jon.
Great thing about Jon is you look at him and he is just so early 70s.
Wasn’t going to be David Troughton this week, was going to be (missed name) from Ello Ello. He broke his leg and they got Troughton in at very short notice.
JP tall. TB six one. Eccleston tall as well.
Dandy has become the catchphrase for 3.
But then again, Dandy man of action. Intergalactic James Bond is the other one. The whole second half of episode 2 of planet of the spiders they indulge JP – (all the vehicles)
TB pushed the eccentricity higher. Difference between 4 and 2. Troughton was acting…
Youngest actor to play the Doctor to date, PD. Suggestion: Angst. Always played it… young man saying old things. Pained about what was going on and his role in it. Edwardian. British eccentric. He’s the one who probably is most tied in to Brit eccentricity. Cricket and costume. And that is a costume, a designed costume.
At the time, brideshead revisited, chariots of fire, he seemed to tap into it.
He’s not eccentric in the Tom Baker sense.
CB: Unpredictable. Acid bath, beat up policeman.
Unpredictable a good word for the era too.
7: I said scheming. Other suggestion manipulative. He’s there for a purpose.
8: Lots of words. I said Half Human to start. NH says last time the starter was Lazenby. Other suggestions are confused and absent.
Generic all purpose Doctor. Blank canvas, can be manuevered into positions. Persona as defined on TV is difficult. Lots more in novels, audios, comic.
Look at the costume and it does him a slight disservice cause he was the best casting for the Doctor for many a year and his performance was one of the best.
9: I said damaged and PTSD. One word from before was Haunted. He does play it like a damaged war survivor.
He does mellow as the series goes on. It’s amazing, he was only there for 13 weeks but for those 13 it felt longer than Colin Baker.
Very defined character arc.
Part of the reason they didn’t know if the series would be a success. Reached a kind of natural conclusion.
Regenerated into 10.
David Tennant. How to describe?
Flippant. Doesn’t seem to take it seriously. Flippant and wide eyed. (says the guy I never agree with at all.)
I said it’s like a guy who’s depressed and trying really hard.
Discussion of the accent. Mockney. Why? Trying to get around the line lots of planets have a Scotland.
Complex. And falls in love. And complex relationship with family and stuff. Complicated relationship with the Master as well.
Life is sacred etc etc but prepared to destroy it.
Every Doctor they say is a combination of previous Doctors. There’s aspects of that with DT. But moving it on. The romantic entanglements… had the McGann doctor gone to a series there’d have been romantic entanglements with McGann.
Could have put Byronic with McGann.
DT? The flippant stuff is obviously the Doctor’s way of offputting the creatures, something Tom Baker used to do, not take the villain seriously.
On the podcast for the previous episode Moffatt said the Doctor’s weapon is he can talk. You can give DT big long speeches and he’ll do them. Give him pi to places.
Certainly the way the series is now with all the storylines, choosing stories to explore different facets of his character, make him human, give him a daughter, have him fall in love, have someone fall in love with him but he doesn’t notice, have him meet his alter ego the Master. Often he’s defined by other people (I think he said).
Once again interesting to see where we end up at the end of this series.
Do the Doctors rather than the companions. Define all 21 or 30 odd companions.
Dodo, brief.
Talk about DT’s accent waving all over the place, if you watch Dodo her accents all over the shop.
So we have a character who’s (all that list of 10).
Why on earth would anyone want to travel with this absolute lunatic?
Why do we have companions?
Article has reasons.
Identification. You need someone to identify with.
That’s the usual reason given. It’s for us at home to identify with someone.
Does that actually work though when you have Tom Baker travelling with Leela. How many people identify with Leela? If they’re male do they identify with Leela?
Give credibility to the Doctor himself.
This week, no support.
If he’s got someone travelling with him it gives him credibility for a start. And he didn’t have credibility because there’s no one backing him up this week.
With an SF show we need someone there who can act like the audience. We need explaining to. He can’t be speaking to himself to get across to the audience.
McGann on audio talking to himself in the TARDIS. The Doctor’s mad enough as he is. If he starts talking to himself you do become worried.
Asking ‘What is it Doctor’.
Early days, technical difficulties, needed to not have the Doctor on screen. Part of the reason why you had so many early on. Also because you’ve got to give them a week off once in a while.
The identification point is interesting regarding the original setup as well. Don’t think children would identify with teachers. Susan seemed to be the identification figures but was a bit outside of it.
Ian and Barbara were there to explicate as well.
Ian was there to do the strong arm stuff. Because Hartnell couldn’t do the fighting. Though in one episode he does beat up a Roman centurion, but it’s played for comedy.
Troughton couldn’t. But Pertwee could.
But that’s why the 60s have a male companion to do the action stuff where the lead men can’t.
Sex appeal as well. The whole notion of sex appeal didn’t happen until Polly came along. She was the first dolly bird assistant. “there for the dads” After the football results, family viewing, Dads will watch.
Sometimes goes a bit odd. Victoria. Prim young lady. Next week in a mini skirt. Fashions are sometimes ridiculous. Poor Nicola Bryant. Ridiculous and impractical.
New series, clothing for companions is practical.
Planet of the Ood, Donna goes back in the TARDIS and dresses properly for the environment they’re in. In the past they’d just go out in whatever they’re wearing.
Other major difference is the Doctor’s attitude to the companions has changed in the new series.
With the possible exception of PD the Doctor’s relationship to his companions tended to be paternal. He was the father, grandfather, dotty uncle. Paternal figure towards especially the young ladies. Often the male companions throughout the early days tended to be feminized. The obvious one being Jamie. Wearing the kilt = skirt. Almost feminised in their function. Do some violence but always kowtow to the Doctor. Ian’s the exception in the early days. [I disagree quite a lot.] Mentioned last week more often than not the travelling companions on the female side tended to be orphans or children to a degree. It’s part of the reason why TB’s period is regarded so highly is the companions. First Sarah Jane Smith, a journalist and a mature woman. Followed by Leela. They were trying to do a Doolittle thing but never quite. Then Romana, his intellectual equal. Mary Tamm, deliberate casting for sex appeal. Her introduction: first we see is a shot going from her feet up over her body. Laura Mulvey, the male gaze. Perfect example. Women always introduced by the male gaze and there we have it. “That’s the new assistant.” Then replaced by Lalla Ward, who plays her more mischeviously, more like the Doctor. Then the last season they all go and we end up with Tegan, Nyssa, and Adric. Adric is… the worst thing you can do in a science fiction show. A clever young boy. A technical scientific genius as such. Don’t know why they do that because fans always hate smartass tech genius boys. STTNG they started with Wesley Crusher. He’s become quite a good political commentator in the states now, NH heard him on the radio one night.
From then on in most of the companions tended to be children to a degree. Certainly not fully mature adults as such. And it breaks with McGann, he gets an assistant but leaves her behind, who is a doctor and a mature woman.
Then when we get to the new series… firstly they have families. They have backgrounds. Normally the Doctor the family would be there in the first story and then vanish, normally killed off, so they’re left orphans and the only thing they can do is go off with the doctor. And clearly written to be the Doctor’s equal. Rose saves the Doctor in her first story. New series, the Doctor is an enabler. He might not solve the problems but (inspires others to). Normally people end up destroyed and sacrificed.
There were always female figures sacrificing themselves to save the Doctor. Introduce female characters to bump themselves off to save the doctor. Thankfully they moved away from that rather fast. [?]
As a way of showing the contrast between companions then and now.
McCoy and Ace. The Doctor’s relationship to Ace, who was like this young juvenile delinquent from the 80s in a very RP BBC type way, basically he ended up being her social worker through time and space sorting her out.
The Curse of Fenric.
Has a line in it that never appeared in Doctor Who before.
Anyone care to explain what’s going on? It’s WWII, they’re on a base by the sea where they’re decoding german messages, Russians turn up to steal the machine, meanwhile Fenric, evil from the dawn of time, has reawoken, and hell’s breaking loose.
“Intelligence. Pure evil.” Genie in a bottle. That bit after Ace yells at him to tell her.
“I can distract the guard.” “I’m not a little girl”
Ace chatting up the guard. “I can feel it through my clothes. Is there a storm coming?”
Doctor runs in with keys. The background music is a bit… pervasive.
“Sometimes I move so fast I don’t exist any more.” “Undercurrents, bringing things to the surface. I can’t stay.”
/clip
What do you make of that then?
As a seduction technique first.
Unconvincing, says the student. Didn’t feel natural or right, incredibly staged.
1989 BBC.
NH: The dialogues terrible quite frankly.
It’s like a first attempt to actually acknowledge sexuality within the companion in Doctor Who properly. “I’m not a little girl” is a good line. Takes him back. The Doctor shouldn’t notice such thing. Tennant would now but he doesn’t.
And then it just… goes into the most awful purple prose seduction technique. Which in a way is absolutely toe curling.
Thematically it’s quite an interesting story. Undercurrents being there are things you can’t see happening like evil from the dawn of time manipulated up to this point. Also a symbolic bit in the end where she actually dives into the water. Almost flashes on the screen ‘allegory moment’. Ace acknowledges her sexuality at this moment. Wahey. So there we go.
Unfortunately as a story when it was originally broadcast it’s a bit of a mess. DVD version is extended and the pacing is better. Not bad. At the time held up as one of the greatest stories of all time. NH doesn’t think so. [I do.] But towards the end the show was trying to do something different with the companion. If the companions were sexy as such they never actually acknowledged it. Like there’s the wonderful… Louise Jameson was really taken aback for all the letters she got appearing as Leela, from the raincoat brigade basically, then realised she’s in a loincloth just after football results. Leela falls in love in five minutes and it’s really badly done. Jo Grant falls in love with a younger version of the Doctor and it’s quite a sad farewell scene.
As far as sexuality goes it’s normally just dress it’s not actually in the characters.
Companions killed off: Adric was, and boy did we cheer.
He’s the only one to date. Though there were a couple back in Hartnell’s time. Like Katarina, an Ancient Greek handmaiden… a really great idea on a science fiction show. Normally they become more intelligent but with her they had to explain the TARDIS is not a temple. She filmed her death scene before anything else for the show. Another was Sara Kingdom, a sci fi Emma Peel. Peri, Nicola Bryant, nearly got killed off, but got married to Brian Blessed. It’s always dangerous to bump off companions. It produces resentment if the fans are fond.
Making it look like Peri had been killed off NH really loathes. Worst DW story ever. Lots of running around in caves.
Only reason companions are there, so they can run around.
6 episode stories – capture, escape, capture escape, that’s the companions role.
With the new 45 minutes there’s really no time for that.
Big worry for the end of this season is it’s another one where the Doctor’s hardly in it.
Apparently the last ep this season might be feature length, 75 minutes.
Great… podcast can’t be downloaded. Any program longer than 60 minutes you can’t download the podcast for rights issues, NH don’t know why.
Once the companions have left the Doctor, killed off or married bliss, they’re very rarely referred to again. Which opened up a lot of fanfiction. There’s a lot of fanfic stories about old companions meeting up and not knowing the one thing they’ve got in common.
Stories about Ian and Barbara. Nice suburban lifestyle. Cats. Lib Dems. Nice and cosy.
Anyway.
The one thing about the new series is it has addressed the problems of being a companion.
Going to show a lengthy clip now from a top five from the show since it came back, School Reunion. This is the one where things are going on at a school, brilliant premise for DW. And the Doctor and Rose with her on off boyfriend Mickey are investigating. Meanwhile an old companion of the Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, is also investigating.
Says so many things the old series never actually did.
Clip:
Sneaking in the dark with torch, Sarah Jane Smith climbs in a window. Doors of wonky as the Doctor sneaks around a school. And I note this TV is not widescreen.
“Right team… I hate people who say team…” funny.
Mickey and Rose and not knowing where the maths department is.
SJS and the blue and green corridor of dooooooom.
Screechy noises.
SJS and the red door of dooooom… and sees the TARDIS. Backs out.
Music.
Doctor behind her.
Turns and recognises him.
“Hello Sarah Jane.”
“I lived. Everyone else died.”
Sarah Jane just shakes off the “Everyone else died” bit. Because she’s having her own issues.
SJS and Rose snark.
Scream like a little girl… er, Doctor being a bit sexist.
“Anyway, moving on”
“Did I do something wrong, cause you never came back”
“You were my life”
Loooong clip, but all good stuff.
“We get a taste of that splendour and then we have to go back.”
She never gets an answer to “Why not.”
… “Aberdeen”
… has DT actually got skinnier or is it the aspect ratio?
“And add another suitcase full of bad.”
“The Doctor likes travelling with an entourage.”
“Oh my god I’m the tin dog.”
“How many of us have there been.”
“I thought you and me were… I obviously got it wrong.”
(I looked up the http://mimi-na.deviantart.com/art/Doctor-s-Girls-Wallpaper-58513223 I thought I was special)
“I don’t age”
“You can spend the rest of your life with me. But I can’t spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That’s the curse of the Time Lords.”
School Reunion – introduces that the companions tend to fall in love with the Doctor. Which when you watch the old series is very difficult to read into it. SJS they’re not playing it like lovers at all, they’re playing it like best friends. That’s a vast difference. It’s one of the things that has shifted in the new series. The sexy doctor, the fanciable Doctor. We hadn’t had that before.
I mentioned fanfic goes there.
There have been male companions but they travel for very brief times.
If we go back to the male companion being feminised that’s clearly at work in the new series.
Mickey and Adam. Adam was there as… the new thing is the Doctor selects his companions, you have to be good enough.
And Jack. NH takes it back about feminising. Jack’s just anything basically.
That’s how it’s… it does differ really. It’s always said the best setup is the Doctor and a female companion. Though for most of the while that’s the exception rather than the rule. Exception in the 60s and fair bit of the 70s. It’s the most workable one in the new format as well. 4 companions you’re really going to be stuck for things to do.
Like the end of the previous season when Jack got brought back into it. Jack’s basically there so he can fire guns which is the thing the Doctor doesn’t do. That’s why the Doctor could take moral high ground with UNIT.
It’s going to be interesting though if the rumours are right about the end of this season. All Star Doctor Who. Where many companions are coming back. See how it all fits in.
Going to be like Justice League of America.
That’s what the Doctor is about
New Series – you travel with the Doctor, you become a better person.
Old series, you travel with the Doctor then your contract is up and you leave.
I said Jo and Romana and Nyssa have all been read that way.
Jo character arc takes place in the last two stories. Goes through a period of being exceptionally dim and then gets clever again.
NH says it’s the exception not the rule.
… Ace?
Turlough?
SJS is the most popular. Basically why she was brought back.
First time they’ve brought back figures from the past. They brought the Daleks, but actual characters? This is the first time. Draws on its heritage. Didn’t just do a one scene hello, actually builds a story about her.
As well its also because most of the writers on this show were young when Sarah Jane was the main companion. And Lis Sladen still looks amazing today. Which you can’t say of some of the other companions, sadly.
What would be the point of bringing back Polly cause very few people would remember her. It would just be something for the fans.
It works on two levels, SJS. Works for new fans, Doctor’s had companions before, younger children may not know it. Their parents watching perhaps remember her.
One thing never touched upon in the old days, “I can’t stay with you forever cause basically you’re going to get old.” Just wouldn’t happen.
It’s interesting… the other thing as well about… its gone through the variations in the new series. Rose, in love with the Doctor, Martha, in love but not reciprocated, Donna, nothing there. How many more variations can they do? They’re going to start running dry on companions. They’re probably going to keep it a contemporary companion from today.
Student - Would series have worked as well without bringing sex into it?
Don’t know.
It survived 26 years without it before.
Student - Youth of today, got Hollyoaks, capture a new audience.
NH: When you ask children what their fav shows are they aren’t children’s shows, they’re like Eastenders and Hollyoaks.
Kids today are more savvy.
The other thing as well make DW attractive is like… the Doctor probably isn’t gay in case you’re all wondering.
I said kissing Jack, might not be straight either.
NH: Children may not notice.
(If I missed out a few words his point would change.)
NH: I keep wondering whether or not you can do a new variation on the companion.
River Song, in the library.
Bit wary when you start constricting the continuity for the future.
Donna the first mature woman travelling with the Doctor since Barbara.
Nice to have Donna answer the Doctor back. Which hasn’t happened in some time. The companions get miffed and ask what’s going on.
NH thinks Donna’s not going to make it to the end of the season.
Interesting to see what’ll happen on Saturday, the Doctor lite episode. What will happen when Donna and Rose meet? Which we know they do cause we saw in the trailer. Are they going to be like Sarah Jane and have a bitch fest or not? What’s the variations you can do?
Was going to say stuff about monsters. What do monsters want? Real estate. That’s what it boils down to. The Earth is real estate and they want it. Though the one thing you notice in the new series is there’s far more emphasis on capital gain through invasion. To invade a planet is a profit making business. Old series monsters were generic, they invade a planet for the hell of it. Now it’s either profit or survival. Previous series just wanted to survive. The obvious one being the family of blood, they just wanted to live on. No real notion of conquering.
That’s why the Daleks are great, they want to destroy everything.
It’s the last one next week. We will be here. Next week… probably chewing the fat over Rose’s return.
Exit video: Part three, Comic relief.
Just wanted to say
Date: 2008-08-03 12:12 am (UTC)Re: Just wanted to say
Date: 2008-08-03 12:50 am (UTC)