Whoniverse talk
I recorded the Doctor Who announcement on BBC America, and apparently I have lots of thoughts, though most of them are only marginally related to the actual content of the announcement.
1. Have they ever done an actual special TV program(me) for the announcement before? I always got the impression it was a regular kind of news conference, and then I would stumble across the news on some unexpected media source whether I was looking for it or not.
Also. Think back to 2005. Or 2006 or 2008. Or definitely anytime in the 1980s. If you were in America and you said you liked Doctor Who, you got blank looks, snickers, or on very rare occasions you found your new best friend. Now the BBC's announcement is being broadcast live in America and NPR -- NPR! -- is covering it during their hourly news breaks. Not even the entertainment portion at the bottom of a two-hour human interest show. Actual news! And people know what it is! I'm still amazed.
2. To the announcement program itself, I said, "If you're going to use a format like American Idol and string us along for half an hour while teasing the Big Reveal, I'm going to fast forward you just like I always wished my mom would do with American Idol." I did stop it to see what Peter Davison had to say, and to see the former companions. I was so happy to see Janet Fielding. I've been wondering about how she's doing; news got out last year that she had cancer.
3. About the announcement, I'm pretty pleased. It would have been really something (and could have been really great) if it had been a woman, but I do think that with all the buzz this time, and so many celebrities (Stephen Hawking!) supporting the idea, it's going to happen eventually. I'm not upset about Matt Smith going, either; not that I haven't loved him, I really have. But every Doctor regenerates sometime, and we get a new one and we get used to him and then we love him too.
Peter Capaldi is a good actor with an interesting face, and I'm excited to see what he'll do. Actually, the sooner he gets on with it, the better, because right now I'm busily trying to intercept most of my Frobisher flashbacks and replace them with "Fires of Pompeii"-dad flashbacks for my own peace of mind.
To me right now, because of his previous Doctor Who and Torchwood roles, Capaldi has a father vibe. He could use that as the Doctor, or he could go a different way.
And that just got me thinking about whether previous Doctors have had familial vibes. Here's what came to mind for me.
One - the crotchety grandfather, obviously
Two - maybe the pixie in the garden - more of a fantasy creature than a family member
Three - Action!Dad
Four - just an alien! Tom Baker really did a great job with the "otherworldly"
Five - the young, pretty uncle your friends are kind of in love with
Six - the silly uncle who is tolerated by the adults but loved by the kids
Seven - the eccentric uncle you like to visit because he's got weird, cool stuff all over his house and he encourages you to play with it
Eight - (help me! I don't know! And I love Big Finish Eight.)
Nine - the college professor who rides a motorcycle and is always in trouble with the administration for defying traditions and rules
Ten - your brother's college roommate probably isn't taking his ADD medication, but has so much charisma, you don't care
Eleven - the big brother
How about you?
NOTE:
In case anybody wants to comment, I should mention that I am quite behind on watching current episodes. As far as I know, Amy and Rory are still the Eleventh Doctor's companions and they're happily romping through the universe together. Right? RIGHT?
This entry was also posted at http://rustydog.dreamwidth.org/1150842.html. You may comment at either place.
1. Have they ever done an actual special TV program(me) for the announcement before? I always got the impression it was a regular kind of news conference, and then I would stumble across the news on some unexpected media source whether I was looking for it or not.
Also. Think back to 2005. Or 2006 or 2008. Or definitely anytime in the 1980s. If you were in America and you said you liked Doctor Who, you got blank looks, snickers, or on very rare occasions you found your new best friend. Now the BBC's announcement is being broadcast live in America and NPR -- NPR! -- is covering it during their hourly news breaks. Not even the entertainment portion at the bottom of a two-hour human interest show. Actual news! And people know what it is! I'm still amazed.
2. To the announcement program itself, I said, "If you're going to use a format like American Idol and string us along for half an hour while teasing the Big Reveal, I'm going to fast forward you just like I always wished my mom would do with American Idol." I did stop it to see what Peter Davison had to say, and to see the former companions. I was so happy to see Janet Fielding. I've been wondering about how she's doing; news got out last year that she had cancer.
3. About the announcement, I'm pretty pleased. It would have been really something (and could have been really great) if it had been a woman, but I do think that with all the buzz this time, and so many celebrities (Stephen Hawking!) supporting the idea, it's going to happen eventually. I'm not upset about Matt Smith going, either; not that I haven't loved him, I really have. But every Doctor regenerates sometime, and we get a new one and we get used to him and then we love him too.
Peter Capaldi is a good actor with an interesting face, and I'm excited to see what he'll do. Actually, the sooner he gets on with it, the better, because right now I'm busily trying to intercept most of my Frobisher flashbacks and replace them with "Fires of Pompeii"-dad flashbacks for my own peace of mind.
To me right now, because of his previous Doctor Who and Torchwood roles, Capaldi has a father vibe. He could use that as the Doctor, or he could go a different way.
And that just got me thinking about whether previous Doctors have had familial vibes. Here's what came to mind for me.
One - the crotchety grandfather, obviously
Two - maybe the pixie in the garden - more of a fantasy creature than a family member
Three - Action!Dad
Four - just an alien! Tom Baker really did a great job with the "otherworldly"
Five - the young, pretty uncle your friends are kind of in love with
Six - the silly uncle who is tolerated by the adults but loved by the kids
Seven - the eccentric uncle you like to visit because he's got weird, cool stuff all over his house and he encourages you to play with it
Eight - (help me! I don't know! And I love Big Finish Eight.)
Nine - the college professor who rides a motorcycle and is always in trouble with the administration for defying traditions and rules
Ten - your brother's college roommate probably isn't taking his ADD medication, but has so much charisma, you don't care
Eleven - the big brother
How about you?
NOTE:
In case anybody wants to comment, I should mention that I am quite behind on watching current episodes. As far as I know, Amy and Rory are still the Eleventh Doctor's companions and they're happily romping through the universe together. Right? RIGHT?
This entry was also posted at http://rustydog.dreamwidth.org/1150842.html. You may comment at either place.