Today: Doctor Who ramblings, and how I've spent my week
Reputedly, RTD and David Tennant are gonna announce a Doctor Who movie at Comicon. This is a phenominally stupid idea for almost every reason: it doesn't work at cinematic structure, it'd have no imagination, it wouldn't be fair to the legacy of the show, wouldn't be fair to Matt Smith or the Moff. Most likely, it'll be the opening scene of the next special Waters of Mars.
I'm fairly sure I trust them to work this out themselves ("Whatever they say about him afterwards: Russell T. Davies is a good man"), but just in case here's five announcements which would be better:
1. The Children In Need special will feature all 10 Doctors!
Very unlikely, but not as unlikely as last few times the Daily Mail ran this story. Previously, the biggest stumbling points have been the death of actors 1-3 and Tom Baker's reluctance to get involved. The 1983 special The Five Doctors actually only involves three original performers - William Hartnell, deceased, is replaced by Richard Hurndell, and they use stock footage and deleted scenes to shoehorn Tom Baker in. Death is still insurmountable, but Tom Baker has just recorded Big Finish audio plays for the first time suggesting he is now open to involvement. Still unlikely, but better than a movie.
2. David Tennant and Christopher Ecclestone have signed to Big Finish
Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann (5-8) all regularly record new radio-play adventures for their Doctors, all of which are rather marvellous. The BBC have made clear they want to keep the classic series and new series paychecks separate, but we can live in hope. This is the best possible news that could come out of tomorrow.
3. They're bringing back the Past Doctor Books
Again unlikely, because they're trying to clear the air for the changeover to Moffdom as much as possible. But it'd make my week if they announced a new series of old-series novels, in the modern hardback kid-friendly style.
4. Georgia Moffet is getting her own spin off show
A.k.a. The Doctor's Daughter, and easily the greatest thing in that episode. I'd watch it.
5. They're getting married
All we really know is that there is going to be a "big announcement". It could happen. It would also STILL be a better idea than a movie.
UPDATE: it's safe to come out! They're not doing a movie! Hurrah! Here's a sum-up of the panel, which is vaguely spoilerific but fine if you're careful. RTD on the regeneration: "As for the trauma coming up for you, that's quite fearful". Apparently, Murray Gold (composer) sobbed f0r the last 20 minutes. What hope there is for me! I'm also interested to note DT's comment, again slightly spoilerific: "There's a sequence in the final episode where one of the jackets gets slightly compromised."
Now that might not count as a spoiler of huge proportions to you, but it makes me instantly worried again. Earlier this year I wrote an essay about the Doctor's costume, apparently for publication. I haven't heard anything back, but the essay stands as something I'm enormously proud of. The basic premise is this: the Doctor IS his costume. I defended the statement in various ways, but the argument clustered around regenerations. For example, Peter Davison's first episode involves him unravelling the famous Fourth Doctor scarf. The metaphor is fairly clear. More subtle, but also more terrifying is Caves of Androzani, his last episode, where his impeccably clean beige jacket gets covered in black dirt, and he explains away then subsiquently loses his iconic stick of celery. They destroy him and the costume at the same time, and as one comes to pieces so does the other. There's a lot of scary stuff in that episode - a terrifying villain, a surprising amount of violence, effective direction, great writing - but if you asked what upset me most about it, it'd be the dirt on the jacket. Which is why the destruction of the Tenth Doctor's costume stood out for me as an interesting development. And I'm worried. Ironic, because it was my happy reaction to Matt Smith's costume last week that made me suddenly excited about the prospect of a new Doctor.
IN OTHER NEWS!
This week, my family have been over. There's enough of us to make a Fellowship, or a Firefly crew: 9 - enough to make up the cast of Reservoir Dogs. But luckily the atmosphere never got that bad. So far, the highlight has been me catching Supersquirrel writing. Turned out she was writing basically an essay on why doctors should be paid more than footballers. She is 9! Last week she told me she wanted to be a politicician, and recieved the full brunt of my Torchwood: Children of Earth paranoia. But I am impressed like you wouldn't believe! I'd vote for her!
I've fallen very hard and very fast for Blake's 7. I always think of my obsessions in terms of romances - caprices, lifelong passions, unhealthy-but-unstoppable lusts. If me and Blake's 7 were a Facebook status, we'd be "it's complicated". One of those relationships you know might eventually result in tragedy, but is worth taking a risk on anyway because it could be wonderful. For now, I am still in the honeymoon-happy period of first love. Long may it remain!
And my job at Oxfam has finally struck gold. What, you thought I was doing it out of the goodness of my heart? Well, maybe. Mostly, I like to think. But being behind the scenes at Oxfam also gives me a first chance at raiding their stocks. I came in this morning, and was immediately glared down by the two teens sorting the clothes. They're only there for their Duke of Edinburghs, which in turn they are only doing to buy their way into uni. So I'm justified in judging them (:p). But behind them, the dress! They left for lunch after five minutes, at which moment I pounced. 1980s wedding dress, white, HUGE, size 16 and a bit too long - but it fits well enough. Halloween and the Cosplay ball is my excuse - I can do Christine Phantom of the Opera, Liezel Sound of Music, Cecilia Virgin Suicides and any number of ghost-brides, ghost-maids and drowned souls from beyond the grave. But mostly, I got it because I'm no longer comfortable in normal clothing. After working as a Tudor for two hours a day, I feel weird without a huge skirt. Oh! It's the most marvellous thing. I haven't taken it off yet. A photo will follow very soon! I sailed around the house happy as a dream - a dream which cost £10. I wondered who it had belonged to, and was reminded of Marla Singer from Fight Club.
Which depicts the fantastic nihilism of that film perfectly, but mine is even more creepy because it used to belong to a bride. At that point, I did creep myself out catching sight of myself in a mirror.
Almost as exciting, I went to Herm. That's not the exciting part. Herm itself was Hermlike. The exciting part is my new pair of sunglasses, which are effectively Nite Owl's owl-goggles. They don't suit me at all, but I'm still very happy.
Reputedly, RTD and David Tennant are gonna announce a Doctor Who movie at Comicon. This is a phenominally stupid idea for almost every reason: it doesn't work at cinematic structure, it'd have no imagination, it wouldn't be fair to the legacy of the show, wouldn't be fair to Matt Smith or the Moff. Most likely, it'll be the opening scene of the next special Waters of Mars.
I'm fairly sure I trust them to work this out themselves ("Whatever they say about him afterwards: Russell T. Davies is a good man"), but just in case here's five announcements which would be better:
1. The Children In Need special will feature all 10 Doctors!
Very unlikely, but not as unlikely as last few times the Daily Mail ran this story. Previously, the biggest stumbling points have been the death of actors 1-3 and Tom Baker's reluctance to get involved. The 1983 special The Five Doctors actually only involves three original performers - William Hartnell, deceased, is replaced by Richard Hurndell, and they use stock footage and deleted scenes to shoehorn Tom Baker in. Death is still insurmountable, but Tom Baker has just recorded Big Finish audio plays for the first time suggesting he is now open to involvement. Still unlikely, but better than a movie.
2. David Tennant and Christopher Ecclestone have signed to Big Finish
Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann (5-8) all regularly record new radio-play adventures for their Doctors, all of which are rather marvellous. The BBC have made clear they want to keep the classic series and new series paychecks separate, but we can live in hope. This is the best possible news that could come out of tomorrow.
3. They're bringing back the Past Doctor Books
Again unlikely, because they're trying to clear the air for the changeover to Moffdom as much as possible. But it'd make my week if they announced a new series of old-series novels, in the modern hardback kid-friendly style.
4. Georgia Moffet is getting her own spin off show
A.k.a. The Doctor's Daughter, and easily the greatest thing in that episode. I'd watch it.
5. They're getting married
All we really know is that there is going to be a "big announcement". It could happen. It would also STILL be a better idea than a movie.
UPDATE: it's safe to come out! They're not doing a movie! Hurrah! Here's a sum-up of the panel, which is vaguely spoilerific but fine if you're careful. RTD on the regeneration: "As for the trauma coming up for you, that's quite fearful". Apparently, Murray Gold (composer) sobbed f0r the last 20 minutes. What hope there is for me! I'm also interested to note DT's comment, again slightly spoilerific: "There's a sequence in the final episode where one of the jackets gets slightly compromised."
Now that might not count as a spoiler of huge proportions to you, but it makes me instantly worried again. Earlier this year I wrote an essay about the Doctor's costume, apparently for publication. I haven't heard anything back, but the essay stands as something I'm enormously proud of. The basic premise is this: the Doctor IS his costume. I defended the statement in various ways, but the argument clustered around regenerations. For example, Peter Davison's first episode involves him unravelling the famous Fourth Doctor scarf. The metaphor is fairly clear. More subtle, but also more terrifying is Caves of Androzani, his last episode, where his impeccably clean beige jacket gets covered in black dirt, and he explains away then subsiquently loses his iconic stick of celery. They destroy him and the costume at the same time, and as one comes to pieces so does the other. There's a lot of scary stuff in that episode - a terrifying villain, a surprising amount of violence, effective direction, great writing - but if you asked what upset me most about it, it'd be the dirt on the jacket. Which is why the destruction of the Tenth Doctor's costume stood out for me as an interesting development. And I'm worried. Ironic, because it was my happy reaction to Matt Smith's costume last week that made me suddenly excited about the prospect of a new Doctor.
IN OTHER NEWS!
This week, my family have been over. There's enough of us to make a Fellowship, or a Firefly crew: 9 - enough to make up the cast of Reservoir Dogs. But luckily the atmosphere never got that bad. So far, the highlight has been me catching Supersquirrel writing. Turned out she was writing basically an essay on why doctors should be paid more than footballers. She is 9! Last week she told me she wanted to be a politicician, and recieved the full brunt of my Torchwood: Children of Earth paranoia. But I am impressed like you wouldn't believe! I'd vote for her!
I've fallen very hard and very fast for Blake's 7. I always think of my obsessions in terms of romances - caprices, lifelong passions, unhealthy-but-unstoppable lusts. If me and Blake's 7 were a Facebook status, we'd be "it's complicated". One of those relationships you know might eventually result in tragedy, but is worth taking a risk on anyway because it could be wonderful. For now, I am still in the honeymoon-happy period of first love. Long may it remain!
And my job at Oxfam has finally struck gold. What, you thought I was doing it out of the goodness of my heart? Well, maybe. Mostly, I like to think. But being behind the scenes at Oxfam also gives me a first chance at raiding their stocks. I came in this morning, and was immediately glared down by the two teens sorting the clothes. They're only there for their Duke of Edinburghs, which in turn they are only doing to buy their way into uni. So I'm justified in judging them (:p). But behind them, the dress! They left for lunch after five minutes, at which moment I pounced. 1980s wedding dress, white, HUGE, size 16 and a bit too long - but it fits well enough. Halloween and the Cosplay ball is my excuse - I can do Christine Phantom of the Opera, Liezel Sound of Music, Cecilia Virgin Suicides and any number of ghost-brides, ghost-maids and drowned souls from beyond the grave. But mostly, I got it because I'm no longer comfortable in normal clothing. After working as a Tudor for two hours a day, I feel weird without a huge skirt. Oh! It's the most marvellous thing. I haven't taken it off yet. A photo will follow very soon! I sailed around the house happy as a dream - a dream which cost £10. I wondered who it had belonged to, and was reminded of Marla Singer from Fight Club.
I got this dress at a thrift store for $1. It was worth every penny. It's a bridesmaid's dress. Someone loved it intensely for one day. Then tossed it. Like a Christmas tree. So special. Then bam! It's on the side of the road. Tinsel still clinging to it. Like a sex crime victim. Underwear inside out. Bound with electrical tape.
Which depicts the fantastic nihilism of that film perfectly, but mine is even more creepy because it used to belong to a bride. At that point, I did creep myself out catching sight of myself in a mirror.
Almost as exciting, I went to Herm. That's not the exciting part. Herm itself was Hermlike. The exciting part is my new pair of sunglasses, which are effectively Nite Owl's owl-goggles. They don't suit me at all, but I'm still very happy.
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