Doctor Who, curly toes and solidophiles

[elettaria]

D and I, who are televisionless and staying that way, have discovered that you can watch reasonable-quality episodes of Doctor Who on BBC iPlay for a week after they air. So last night we watched the Christmas special, with the intention of watching the first episode of Season 4 in the next few days.

I know that the quality of Doctor Who has been

Comments

[eye_of_a_cat]

although we're glad to hear that they've stopped having idiotic love interest plots for Season 4

Well, such is the claim, but based on the first episode of S4 I have my doubts. It's okay, though - not as good as some of the better episodes from the past couple of series, but definitely better than the last Christmas special.

(On your other point: Paul Bettany as the Doctor. Tell me I'm wrong.)

[elettaria]

Oh well, probably worth seeing one evening when we're in the mood and it's too late to watch a whole film.

I've not seen Bettany in much and I can't remember him too well. Possible, though. Sing his praises and explain why you think he'd work?

You know, it's really hard to think of a good companion, which I think tells you something about the nebulousness of the role. I still can't believe how bad the Kylie thing was. It's horrendous enough when they put girls of twenty in that sort of outfit and role, but for a woman of forty it is beyond ludicrous. And then the Tinkerbell effect at the end... *shudders*

[eye_of_a_cat]

Oh, he's got an interesting presence, is all. Plus, he's a pretty decent actor. It'd work.

Re: companions - have you only seen New Who (Christopher Eccleston onwards)? The older series had a wider range of companion-types and one hell of a lot less of the unrequited-love stuff. My favourite companion is Ace, who was (IIRC) a bit younger than Rose, but a very different kind of character with whom the Doctor had a very different kind of relationship - much more of a daughter/protege role.

[Although, weird thing - Ace falls very firmly the into 'spunky-but-[emotionally]-vulnerable' category by a lot of definitions, really, and yet her relationship with the Doctor read entirely differently. Partly because 'spunky' meant 'troubled, impulsive kid with a fondness for explosives' rather than 'mostly awed kid who will occasionally stand up for herself', and partly because Sylvester McCoy's Doctor related to his companions very differently.]

[bouncy_penguin]

That Christmas one was... pretty bad. Well, fairly mediocre. They've done worse recently. By now I'm mostly just watching the show in the hope that there'll be another one with Steven Moffat doing the words soon. (Both 'The Girl In The Fireplace' and 'Blink' are his, and probably the best of the last three seasons. Ooh, and he gets a double-episode in this run, hurrah!)

The season 4 opener was also quite bad, though not horrific, and in my experience red-headed woman really doesn't get any less annoying the more you see of her.

The idea of Tilda Swinton as the Doctor makes me giggle excitedly, but then few things to do with Tilda Swinton don't have that effect. Paul Bettany is also an interesting thought.

(Still puzzling over the solidophiles.)

[garpu]

Apropos of nothing, I'm making myself an army of adiposes. Any ideas how to do the mouth? I can't embroider for boo.

[elettaria]

I've never embroidered on knitting, though I suppose it's not all that different. Which stitches do you know already? Do you want the line to be thicker in the middle, or don't you care as long as it's a slightly curved line that looks neat? I tend to default to chain stitch, though stem stitch is a possibility (can be harder to get neat on both ends of the curve), and probably quite a few others.

The episode wasn't too bad. She spent rather too much time enthusing, which I'm hoping was temporary, but otherwise Catherine Tate seemed rather promising. I'm trying to work out where I've seen the blonde woman with specs before.

[garpu]

Stitches I know: none! Kind of wanted it to be thicker in the middle and curved. Figured the eyes were French knots.

Foster? I know what you mean, but I can't place her.

[elettaria]

I looked her up on IMDb and nothing sprang to mind. Odd. Maybe it was the particular look she was wearing, if you know what I mean?

If you want it to be thicker in the middle, you can always do a second line of stitching there, I've done that several times. Get yourself a scrap to practise on and try chain stitch, see if that will work. It's flexible, so it's fine in curves, and it's very easy to do. The picture shows a sort of idealised version, whereas in fact the stitches are pulled tight so don't look open like that. This (scroll down past the mug) was almost entirely done in chain stitch, with a little feather stitch and couching as well. I'm never doing that much solid chain stitch on a project again in my life, though. In fact, I look back at it and wonder how on earth I did it.

For the eyes, it depends on the size. If French knots are too small, you can chain stitch in a circle. I think I've done this for eyes before. They're round, so they shouldn't be troublesome, whereas the eye on the bird on this (again,

[deadmonywalking]

although we're glad to hear that they've stopped having idiotic love interest plots

Thank God. Now if they could just cut down on the loud and flashy climaxes.

off topic

[mariz]

I hope you don't mind that I added you as a Friend. Usually, I ask before adding but the small changes they've made to LJ really confuses me, which is why I didn't ask first. I hope you understand and I really hope you don't mind that I consider you a friend!

xo
mariz