If Your Shiny Gets Broken, Get A New Shiny
If Your Shiny Gets Broken, Get A New Shiny:
Moving On From Torchwood Using The RTD Expert Guide to Mourning
It has seemed to me that, ever since that fateful day in July 2009, RTD has presented us with a very dubious and questionable approach to the process of mourning. He has often asserted that it is crucial that we 'move on'; and, according to his wisdom, the way in which we successfully 'moving on' is by never mentioning that which you have lost again and, also, by replacing said lost, unmentionable thing with a pretty new thing to take your mind off it. Example:
Jack: Oh noez, oh woez iz me!
Doctor: Jack, Jack, don't cry, wazza matter?
Jack: My pretty iz dead and my heart iz breaked 4EVA!!!
Doctor: Aww, no matter, Jack. Here, see, I haz another pretty for you!
Alonso: Hai, I iz very pretty.
*insert man-shagginz*
Jack: YAY!! My heart iz all fixed!!
But I'm getting distracted. The point here is that I have made the decision, after eighteen months of lambasting his attitude to grief, to seriously consider taking some of his advice to heart. And so, I have decided to compile a list (in no real particular order) of all the wonderful, glorious fandoms that I can put in place in order to replace my very own broken 'shiny'.
Phantom of the Opera
This fandom holds a very special place in my heart, as it is the place where my whole existence in the world of 'fandom' itself had its beginnings. I proudly wore the badge of 'phan' at the age of thirteen, and still look upon it as a very special part of my life nearly six years later. I identify with the story that is told in both the book and the musical; it spoke to me at that young age and still speaks to me now. This was the fandom which sowed the seed of my future career in fanfiction, letting me publish my first few rough explorations into this fascinating world which would later become such a fundamental part of my life. I would not be the writer of fanfiction I am today without those first few tentative steps in Phantom fandom; without that chance to better myself, and without the continued gentle guidance of the people within the fandom, I would not have been able to become the far-more confident fan that I am today. This stretches to all of my fandoms; I would not be able to interact within those fandoms as I do were it not for this very first fandom experience. I have recently found my love for this fandom going through a sort of rebirth. As I have found myself grasping outwards for some kind of comfort in the face of my recent fandom disappointments, the very first thing to reach in and take a strong hold of me was the fandom which had started it all. It was as if it had been there all along, just waiting for the time when I would need it there to look after me. Although I have only been a lurker since my re-entry into this fandom, having not yet ingratiated myself back into the swing of things enough to be an active participate, it has indeed helped and comforted me; just like it did through the angsty teenage years when I needed it so much.
Eastenders
Despite spending nearly nineteen years absolutely, positively determined never to watch a soap in my life, Eastenders somehow provided me with a perfectly positioned crash-mat as I fell awkwardly from the Torchwood fandom. I was first drawn to it in my somewhat beleageured search for a compelling and well-done same-sex relationship; from my discovery and subsequent love of the Christian/Syed pairing (actively nicknamed Chryed even by the actors themselves) has developed an addiction to the entire programme. This is to the extent to which I actually forwent a little food in order to buy a copy of 'Inside Soap': primarily, it was for the interview with John Patridge (above) on the Chryed storyline, but I hungrily devoured everything within. In fact it is for this (and Doctor Who) that I have started planning my first pieces of Non-Torchwood fanfiction in approximately five years. Eastenders may be bleak as all hell when it wants to be, and willing to go to almost absurd lengths to create drama (the controversial Sudden Infant Death and baby snatching plotline which is airing at the moment; which I have actually found myself defending, much to my surprise), but I found it almost cathartic rather than draining. And, although there are those moments of high drama, there are also moments that are endearing, moments that make you laugh and moments that keep you wanting more. The fact that it is on a few days every week has been a God-send - instead of having to endure the 'getting over it' stage whilst waiting for something to come on and rescue me, with Eastenders I am reassured that it will always be there. I guess that's the joy of soap, a necessity and a blessing that I had never considered before. And I am so grateful that I have discovered it now.
Doctor Who
As much as I became a hardcore fan of Doctor Who following the 2005 reinvention of the series, I had never quite managed to summon the courage to enter into the scary world of Doctor Who fandom. On my one experimental jaunt over into the abyss, I was immediately mocked for the 'gayness' of liking Torchwood. I subsequently fled with the taunts of 'fangirl' and 'drooling over the man love' ringing in my ears. Although this was obviously just one bad experience, it was a fear that stayed with me for a long time; despite my need to find myself a new fandom following that-which-shall-not-be-mentioned, the similarities between Nu Who and the show I had lost were too painful for me to even consider. However, with the complete regeneration of Series Five: from the production team, to the sets, to the tone, to the companions and to, of course, the Doctor himself: I suddenly found myself a gorgeously fresh new world to play in. The characters drew me in, and, in particular, the relationship between Amy and Rory had me glued to the screen. In fact, in the wake of that-which-shall-still-remain-unmentioned-even-though-it-takes-a-fuck-of-a-lot-longer-to-type-these-things, the character of Rory gave me someone new to adore; he may not be quite at the same level as a certain coffee conoisseur, but he is steadily clawing his way up into a rival position. Doctor Who, and this character, gave me relief when I really needed it. I have since started planning my first pieces of Non-Torchwood fanfiction for this show, and I predict a bright and loving future in which Eleven and his friends feature heavily.
M*A*S*H
A few days ago, it was declared by someone online that the-series-which-shall-not-grace-my-screen would signal Torchwood's progression to becoming 'The Greatest TV Show Ever Made'. Whilst formerly this would have caused me great anger and frustration, by this point I had reached a stage in which all I had to do was smile - and then pop on one of my many MASH DVDs. Although MASH is now nearly forty years old, having ended its run on our screens a decade before I was born, it has been a stalwart and important part of my life since my mid-teens. It is still as fresh today as it was during its first run; whilst discussing this with my flatmate, we came to the conclusion that it is one of the only shows of its period which, when watched in a modern context, does not feel as old as it actually is. I do not, and cannot, think of it as old. This is to an extent to which, when watching contemporary interviews with the cast, I am often shocked at seeing that, whilst the show has not aged, they have. On occasion, such a thing has even reduced me to tears. Since I first became aware of MASH, it has gradually ingratiated itself into my heart and my soul, and I have long declared that it, and it alone, may dare to claim the dubious title of 'The Greatest TV Show Ever Made'. I have, on occasion, ventured further than just a viewing fan; I have read fanfiction and lurked on fansites, sometimes plotting my own fanfictions within my head (although the thought of tampering with such a perfect show is, in my mind, something which is just too terrifying to comprehend). As MASH has been a huge source of comfort to me over the past few weeks, as I gradually came to the conclusion that the Torchwood fandom was something that I was going to have to put behind me, the need to go just deeper than a viewer has intensified. I want to know everything there is to know about this show. I am so grateful to have such a source of comfort; it is truly a unique show, and one which I can guarantee you will be hearing a lot more about from me.
Sherlock
In the past year, Sherlock has played a very similar role to that of Doctor Who in helping me to move on from Torchwood: perhaps this is because both shows are headed by the Moff himself, who, whilst not perfect by any means, seems to have an uncanny knack for producing worlds which are a joy to immerse myself in. I have never been a fan of anything Sherlock Holmes related; the closest I have come is watching a not-particularly-good adaptation of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles', and I have certainly never ventured near the books. This has all changed; with only three episodes, my whole outlook on the Sherlock fandom has been shifted. I had never before been aware of its vastness - the deep love which people have had for these characters and these stories for one hundred years (indeed, the first known fan campaign was launched to save the beloved detective, a campaign which was ultimately successful). The modern adaptation of Sherlock was something that drew me in straight away; to the beautiful shots, the locations, the writing, the stories and, perhaps key, the actors that were cast. I am, it can officially be said, in love with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. They took what could have been a dismal summer (with the black cloud of the recently commisioned series-that-we-are-still-refusing-to-acknowledge-goddamit) and turned into something magical. You may notice that it is Sherlock communities which make up the intirity of my Non-Torchwood list of communities. I read the fanfiction, avidly, and I marvel at the people who are so knowledgeable about this marvellous creation. Although my expertise only extends to the modern day Sherlock (with perhaps a little of the version with Gareth David-Lloyd as Watson, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't actually count - y'know, what with there being dinosaurs and everything) I am currently swatting up on my Sherlock history in preparation for full immersion into this glorious fandom. Sherlock Holmes - I bow before you...and I thank you as well.
Primeval
I must say, I have not always been a fan of this show. I was immediately deflected from it when I heard from somewhere obscure that it had been made as ITV's response to Doctor Who; this seemed to be a ridiculous and absurd notion, and from that point onwards I was determined to have a severe dislike for it for even trying to equal such divinity as Who. As it stood, I actually found it quite enjoyable, although I did not stick around to see all of the second series. However, when the third series came around, suddenly I found myself hooked. I had always liked the character of Connor, as the geek always left in the background, and seeing him develop, as well as seeing the gradual progression of his 'will they/won't they?' romance with Abby, was a joy to me. The show retained that campness that I had loved so much in Torchwood. I mourned it when it was cancelled, only truly realising how much I had fallen in love with after it was seemingly snatched from my grasp. And then, when it was brought back as a result of fan campaign, I cheered and have been devouring all news of it since. The fourth series has now begun and, after a long wait, finally I have something that manages to be camp, silly, dramatic and not averse to the odd dinosaur or two (or seventy-two) at the same time back on my screens. After my disappointment with Torchwood, this is one fandom that continues to bring me joy. I have made brief, fleeting glances in the direction of the fandom for this show; I have not yet craned my head around for a good look, but as the fourth series has progressed it is becoming something which is firmly on my horizon. Let it be said now - I need Primeval in my life, and the Primeval fandom is the next step in moving on from Torchwood.