Stealing the good plots

So I was talking about Doctor Who the other day and someone said that the big difference between classic and new series was the classic series ripped off everything and the new series only rips plots from the old.
Which I don't quite agree with, because if the classic series has already ripped everything then anything borrowed will look like it comes from Doctor Who already.
But.

I was thinking: Take plots from one series, apply them to characters from the other.

I'm mostly thinking Torchwood, because I mostly do.

And, say, Buffy. Because both I and the Torchwood writers like it.

The tricky part is to transfer the metaphor. Buffy is about high school and young adult life as hell, and the monsters, at their best, reflect some precise aspect of the experience. You could transfer Beer Bad to the Torchwood team - in fact please do, it could be bloody hilarious - but it would mean something rather different. For Buffy and Xander it was about latching on to this symbol of mature adulthood and trying to fit in with some idealised grown up social group. Team Torchwood... well, they've already been drinking for long enough the former really doesn't apply. The latter might. And makes me tempted to make it a Tosh story. Or, make it an Owen story post non-drinking because he'd get really wound up about possibility of drinking and if he then discovers a substance that duplicates the effects, well...

So, can be done. But requires alchemy.

Some of the plots are naturals for particular characters. It would be oh so easy to Marcie Ianto. Especially since if someone takes invisible people away for secret training in the Torchwood 'verse it should be Torchwood.

Xander's love spell meets Owen's aftershave quite neatly.

I can't currently think of much for Gwen to do. If I want to write proper Torchwood stories I'm going to have to rewatch with an eye to Gwen. Because really all I've noticed her bringing to the story thus far is whining about humanity and yet not being able to cope with it when she finds it. Which, actually, hello Angel? Maybe? Hmmm. ANYway, must pay attention to Gwen to write her properly.

Anyone else want to play?

Torchwood or Doctor Who characters, Buffy or Angel plots... who needs to meet what and why?

Doctor Who Audio

The other reason I thought all that just now was I listened to another Big Finish 8th Doctor audio, Max Warp. It's Top Gear in Space with a murder mystery. I didn't really feel it grew beyond the one line there. But I'll be listening to the next one, which is the other point of the things. I'm not in love with them yet.

Anyone on LJ actually listen to audio adventures? I asked the guy in the shop where to start but people on LJ are more likely to be looking for the same stuff as me.

I hear there's also good books, but finding those is also... challenging.

Doctor Who - Big Finish Audio - 8th Doctor - 2.3 - Brave New Town

Now that's a proper Doctor Who adventure. Something funny with time, people being weirdly British, and a twisty little mystery with Clues. Oh, and bonus teenage girl blowing things up.

I don't know as these audio's are much good on the excitement and running around with things chasing you side, but a proper mystery works fine with just the sound on.

I'm trying to figure out how they work so as to write one. Is trickier than it looks.

Having a 'doh' moment

Okay, you know the other day I posted about Captain Jack's theatricality? The short version is: some people comment on Barrowman's acting style being theatrical, big gestures, see it from the back seats body language. I asked what we could learn about Jack if we assume this symbol set is intentional and try and figure out what background could lead to the character being that way.
I forgot a bit of data:
In Adam we see how Jack dressed, how his family and friends dressed, when he was a kid.
And it covers their face. Not all the time, but they have big goggles and cloths to cover up from the sand.
So from that, canon, bit of data we have an actual reason to develop a communication style that relies on body language rather than facial expression.