The New Doctor
Matt Smith was announced as the new Doctor Who this evening, and the internet went crazy. Mostly with 'who?'. I remember him from the BBC's Sally Lockhart adaptations1, which is good, given that he wasn't a main character. I can see that he looks the part, too. No reason to think he won't be cool, and Steven Moffat seems to like him, so that's fine with me. I'll miss David Tennant, though.
- incidentally, what's happened to those? I really liked the first two, and was looking forward to The Tiger in the Well this Christmas, but it never turned up. Maybe Billie Piper spent this year filming Call Girl and being pregnant. [↩]
Crap evening for entertainment news
Well, that sucks. I enjoyed both of those people very much. A twitter friend suggested Steven Moffat should invite Russell Brand to be the next Doctor, which would be tremendous.
I guess it's not too surprising that David Tennant's leaving, but I was hoping the lure of Steven Moffat scripts would be enough for at least another series. Oh well.
It's ridiculous that RB was forced to resign. An apology was obviously appropriate, but demands for resignation? Get a grip. It's all a right-wing BBC-hater's wet dream, and their cacophony of outrage doesn't ring true.
And I bloody wish they'd stop calling them 'prank' phone calls - that's a broken definition of 'prank'. It wasn't set up, preplanned, or, imho, intended to be malicious. Calling it a 'prank' call gives completely the wrong impression. Call it thoughtless, say they should have known better, demand apologies, etc.. But calling it a 'prank' is undeniably unfair.
I still think the whole event is entirely explicable as a regrettable mistake without intentional malice, and that anyone listening to the show would see this. But maybe that's too subtle for the rabid prudes and BBC-haters. Not that everyone who complained can be classified as such, obviously. But many undoubtedly can, and they're very, very loud.
(edit) His resignation video is impressive and worth watching, imho. It confirms the impression I had of the guy, too.
*grump*. The story has caused some fun around here, mind: my Brand / Ross / Sachs post got linked to from Radio 4's Today Programme website yesterday, and that plus Google searches nearly killed the webserver.
Back home
Back home, and I had a really good time. The others were great at making sure I didn't feel isolated, and I almost always had someone to dance with. People are so nice 
I have to confess I went to Blackpool in the end. It was...the same. But I was invited, which was kind, and I did get to ride a carousel, which I try to do whenever possible. I also walked past the Doctor Who museum, outside of which hangs this:
Go figure.
Doctor Who Series 4
That went fast. Maybe I'm used to the big story arcs of the US dramas, but I felt there was scope for another ten episodes. If only.
Regarding the finale, I thought Catherine Tate stole the show. Everybody who was sniffy about her, including me, should be appropriately chastened. Her final ten minutes, from the delighted exuberance of DoctorDonna to the total horror of realising the only way out, were perfectly played and, for me, moving.
The more I think about Donna's resolution, the more awful it becomes. They did a good job of showing the character's evolution over the series, and the final stark contrast between knowledge and ignorance was heartbreaking. But the Doctor had no redemption either. Davros was right: he leaves a trail of death and tortured souls, and ends up alone in the bleak final moment. Abandoned by everybody he loves, there was no 'what? what!' to take the edge off. That was brave.
The rest of the episode, whether you liked it or not, was fairly inconsequential, but I think Donna's exit will linger. It's as haunting as the final moments of series 2, imho.
The surrounding events were ok, I thought. It's a shame Rose didn't do anything (although I'm pleased she had a happy ending), and I'm always a touch disappointed by internally-resolving plots - Bonkers Dalek was controlling it from the start, so the Doctor was really just an actor - but it was still a hell of a spectacle, with plenty of great moments. I'm going to learn my Catherine Tate lesson and say nothing about Mickey heading for Torchwood1. And Gwen still rules.
I thought it was another excellent series. Pompeii and the Sontaran & Library episodes stand out, but I didn't dislike any of them. David Tennant was good as ever, regularly making me laugh out loud yet able to switch to deadly serious at the drop of a screwdriver, and the surrounding cast were rarely less than impressive. There was plenty going on behind the scenes, too, with stories benefitting from (but not needing) knowledge of previous events, which is all great geek fun. I've always liked Doctor Who's series-long story arcs, and this season felt a little more structured and planned, which was nice.
I've recently seen a little more of the 'original' Doctor Who, and I think you have to salute Russell T. Davies for the work he's done. I don't know whether the 1980s Doctors seemed as contemporary and interesting, but I doubt it. I read comics, and know that no matter how much potential a character has - and a time-travelling ubergeek adventurer has a lot - it needs a good pair of hands to actually work. Bringing Doctor Who up-to-date can't have been easy, but RTD managed it with style, and I'm very grateful for the four series of entertainment.
There are good things to come. Four specials next year, then the new broom. I'm a total sucker for romantic, epic grandeur, which Steven Moffat's episodes have thus far exemplified, and I'm excited to see where he takes it. Hopefully David Tennant will stick around for a bit, as I do so enjoy watching him. And more James Moran, please.
- other than I really, really hope Tosh and Owen wanted to leave, and weren't killed off to make way [↩]
Last night’s Doctor
Spoiler warning.
Stonking. Four things to say:
- Who didn't well up, even just a little bit, when the Doctor turned to see Rose? Anyone?
- I love how the only non-Doctory person to figure out the truth was Richard Dawkins.
- The twist at the end was quite the shock, but it took me out of the episode a little. Mainly because I was thinking 'Nooooo, David Tennant is the best Doctor ever - please don't leave!'. Given that a new actor wasn't introduced at the end, I'm guessing he doesn't, but I'm totally intrigued as to how they'll get out of it...
- Gwen rules. And many thanks to RTD for the crossover - such things make a geek very happy.
In case you doubt Mr Tennant's credentials as Doctor, here he is recording a message for Martha. It's from 'The Family of Blood', and, as will become apparent, the script calls for Martha to fast-forward the middle section:
Forest of the Dead
Regarding last night's Doctor Who, I'm simply going to invoke the Bad Astronomer:
Steven Moffat is made of awesome.
That is all.
Episodes like that are the reason I watch TV. Spoilers follow.
Richard Dawkins in Doctor Who
Weirdest news of the day: Richard Dawkins is apparently guest starring in Doctor Who this series. His wife Lalla Ward is an ex Doctor's-companion, but Russell T. Davies is an atheist and fan, too. Could be entertaining, one way or another.
Mainly posting this to warn against reading the explanatory Independent article, which is full of spoilers. Bastards. It would have killed them to put a warning at the top?
Translations of Doctor Who criticism
Via Lisa, fan-style comments on Doctor Who and their translations:
"Hollywood-style sentimentality."
A positive portrayal of human nature. Please note that if everybody dies in a massive bloodbath, I shall not be complaining about "shallow Hollywood-style cynicism."“Doctor Who used to be scary!”
I'm completely unable to assimilate the fact that the sort of reaction which led me to sleep with the lights on for a fortnight when I was five cannot possibly be replicated when I'm forty.“Why does RTD have to put something camp in every episode?”
I am worried that people at work might think that because I am a Doctor Who fan, I am also gay. Which I’m not.“Catherine Tate? I shall boycott Season Four.”
Catherine Tate? Excellent! I shall watch all of Season Four with preconceived ideas and then come onto Outpost Gallifrey each Saturday night during the Spring of 2008 and tell everybody who is interested - and anybody who isn't, for that matter - how much I disliked it. How it was "wretched", "childish", "embarrassing", "cringeworthy", full of RTD's "Gay Agenda" and how he and Catherine Tate have, personally, "raped my childhood". And then I’ll feel much better.
Pretty accurate, I'd say
New companions
Catherine Tate? Really? I'm sure she'll be all right, but, you know, bit shouty...Could we have Sally Sparrow instead, please? I liked her. Also, series are short and she is hot.
Doctor Who Series Three
Best series so far. No question. Most episodes were very good, the worst were mediocre at their lowest, and the best were up there with the triumphs of S1+2. Spoilers spoilers spoilers.
Did I mention there'll be spoilers?
Hello!
Hey, thanks for coming! I'm Andrew, and this is where my headthinks come to breed. They often meander around humanism and photography, but they're flighty and you can't trust them, so anything is possible.
Do feel free to email me - I get lonely:
Your hair looks swish, by the way - have you done something new?
Recent Comments
- vicky: going up this weekend having done all the welsh peaks except 4 snowdon, cant wait
on Climbing Snowdon. - vicky: what, how can u live in the 21 c and say that, probably a sexist thing
on Climbing Snowdon. - vicky: da iawn laura, cant believe what im hearing, all this fuss, anyway love the site, and i agree, normal people who swear and curse clomb mountains cos we live in the...
on Climbing Snowdon. - Andrew: Did a few quick test shots to check the light levels, then balanced the camera on the arm of a bench, set it for a 20s exposure and hoped for the best
on ISS. - lynsey: Wow, how did you take that photograph?
on ISS.
