Doctor Who

[meganlynn09]

I'm sure most of you are pretty sick of these posts, aren't you?
I was re-watching "Father's Day" the other day, capping it to make icons and I realized that I really did watch the show for the Doctor. When you watch an episode like that where it's prominently about someone else, Rose, and you can't help but focus completely on someone else, the

Comments

[nina_ds]

I'm sure you and I could talk for ages...we have, and undoubtedly will! But let me just say this about CE as an actor.

I have always admired that he threw himself so entirely into every part; there is utter commitment, even to ugly parts of characters who could be treated much more safely and "sweetly" (Derek Bentley in Let Him Have It and Drew MacKenzie in Hearts and Minds are two very good examples) As the Doctor, that stretched even to being silly, as with the plastic hand in "Rose" (the one and only time I've ever been popped out of the scenario, "OMG, it's Chris Eccleston rolling around with a plastic hand, though he's turning quite a convincing shade of burgundy..."). I always find him compelling and believale as a whole character, and it's something I loved about his Doctor, that he showed such range but it felt like a complete performance. Perhaps that intense commitment is what feels "forced" to some, but I believe him in a way no other Doctor has ever managed to convince me.

[meganlynn09]

There are so many ticks that CE put into his character as the Doctor, that I was never disappointed. I glad to have found someone that I can agree with and who knows CE beyond Doctor Who, gives me better perspective about the actor and really makes me eager to see his other work.

And I love our discussions about CE. When I see more of his work, I'll get to talk about him more with you.

Funnily enough, Gone in 60 Seconds was on last night. I, again, refused to watch it. Even though I kept trying to catch CE and never did. :)

[nina_ds]

I have admired CE for about a decade now. I still wasn't sure about him as the Doctor, but what he did for it satisfied me for the first time, because I haven't been able to get into it all that much before - and it wasn't the "cheesiness", it was the acting. The combination of writing and acting - and the chemistry with Billie Piper - really drew me in far beyond expectation.

I like the Nine/Rose dynamic much better, and essentially unique. Ten (who feels much more inconsistent and...juvenile) and Rose have the same-ol' same-ol' kind of standard relationship we see in many TV shows and teen movies, and I found that often forced. Nine and Rose did have this odd combination of innocence and deep passion that was rooted in friendship and a tremendous physical chemistry. In addition to their bantering rhythm and friendship, their bodies liked each other. A lot. I found their intimacy utterly compelling and quite touching.

[meganlynn09]

100% agree, although I did get into Ten/Rose by "Fear Her", ignoring the last few minutes of the episode. I just honestly can't wait to see Ten on his own, it sounds mean and all, but either something drastically had to change with the Doctor, DT had to leave or Rose had to leave, and I think they went with the right one, even if I'll miss Rose like hell.

But I'll miss Nine/Rose for a long time. Good thing we have a wonderful 13 episodes to watch over and over again.

[meganlynn09]

Aw, thank you for your comment. It was refreshing to read. I'm pretty much about Nine/Rose when I ship Doctor/Rose, but I do see and enjoy the appeal of Ten/Rose and it's lovely to see some that enjoy them both.

Nine was my first Doctor but he's also MY DOCTOR, y'know?

You just described my feelings! :)

There was an innocence to their relationship, a certain delicacy that made it beautiful.

I absolutely love the way you put it, it perfectly fits them.

I so far prefer the Ninth Doctor, but it's just a personal preference, but I do adore the Tenth Doctor and have accepted him, long ago because I can into the show about a year after it first aired, but I know the love for Nine, it's overwelming sometimes.

Thank you again for sharing your comment!

[meganlynn09]

Maybe that would have helped. In the UK, they were able to have several months to get used to the idea of the new Doctor, so when Americans that just started watching start to watch the new Doctor at the same time, it's hard really. Now, I'm going on!

Friend away, I love new friends!

[sushigal007]

I've never been able to get into nine as a doctor, because I've been watching it since I was a small child, when the doctor was an old man who looked like my granddad and was a guardian figure, and the whole shippiness just weirds me out. Plus I think it was all spoiled for me when I found out he was quitting after one series because he didn't want to get typecast. I know it's childish, but I don't like CE for that, I feel like he only took the job because it was a big part that would look good on his CV.
Silly, I know, but that's my view.
Caps are nice though, and I will admit to loving Fathers Day very very much.

[nina_ds]

I wholly understand the guardian issue (I spent the first two episodes thinking, "Am I supposed to be seeing what I know I'm seeing?" in terms of sexual chemistry), but it's a shame that whole thing about being "typecast" is still out there in the air, because the BBC retracted the statement and has admitted that it was not true and that they were in the wrong to say so. Also, in Britain, CE is such a highly respected actor that people were more surprised that he was taking such a "lowbrow" show, rather than it showing up as a line on his CV. If anything, Doctor Who was trading on his cachet as an actor of great integrity to demonstrate that they were serious about bringing it back as a quality show. The chances are very high that he was only optioned for one series; he tends not to stand still for long (he even got himself written out of a very successful show once before), and since Russell T Davies has known him for ages and he's worked with the production company many times before, so they certainly must have known that

[sushigal007]

Ah, I never realised it had been retracted. I read it in the Sun originally, checked it out in proper news, but then they never said anything new. Stupid tabloids. ^^

[nina_ds]

Yeah, the tabloids are horrible. I couldn't help but be amused by the Daily Mail saying that the reason CE left was that he wanted to play a "more masculine, less fey" character. The idiotic reporter obviously had no clue... Othello? 28 Days Later? even Hearts and Minds? If you're going to make up lies, at least make them ones that make sense!

[andromeda05]

Boy have you hit the nail on the head...then again I don't think I've ever read one of your posts about episodes ect and not completely agreed with you! I never saw Dr. Who until CE, so for me he's my Doctor, he's my "Tom Baker" if you will. There was only one other man in all the world that I wanted to see as a Doctor before I saw CE, and that was DAvid Hewlett from Stargate Atlantis. However, I will always love and forever miss my Christopher Eccleston as Doctor Nine.

I'm going to add this bit in, since you like him so much, I'm writing a story that's a cross between Atlantis and Doctor Who, I don't know if you've ever seen SGA, but if you're interested I think you might actually enjoy the series. Let me know if you're interested.

Thank you again for sharing the beautiful pictures as well as the memory of CE.

Steph

[meganlynn09]

I'm glad you enjoy and agree with the posts I make! It's wonderful to find that in this fandom, or any fandom for that matter.

I could definitely check out that crossover, I'm not a huge fan, but I have been watching SGA with my dad so I'd be interested in reading it!

Thanks again for the comment! And I hope to share many more pictures of the Ninth Doctor and CE.

[jennaria]

Nine was my introduction to both Christopher Eccleston and Doctor Who, and I quite cheerfully fell for them both. Acquired taste? More like addiction: one hit and I was lost. (And I'll also note that the friends to whom I've shown "Rose" have all been half in love with the Doctor by, "Run for your life!")

[meganlynn09]

More like addiction: one hit and I was lost.

Most definitely. I'm so glad to meet others who were introduced to Doctor Who the same way I was and fell as hard as I did, although it did take me three episodes to get utterly drugged.

Thanks for commenting!

[jennaria]

Well, technically, it took me about the same -- first two episodes I saw were World War Three and Dalek, because those were the two my friend had managed to tape. Third one was Rose, snatched on the sly from YouTube, and there I went, gone, poking my nose into LJ communities and putting as many Doctor Who DVDs as I could find into my Netflix queue. Which is perhaps odd, because while I'm fond of Four and Five and Seven (less impressed with One, undecided on Three, haven't seen Two, Six, Eight, or Ten), they are almost but not quite entirely unlike Nine.

[meganlynn09]

The only other Doctors I've seen other than Nine and Ten is Five, which I haven't seen that much of. I won't give my opinion of Ten, since you haven't seen him, and like Nine, he's an acquired taste, I feel.

I saw the episodes in order, so surprisingly it took my until "The Unquiet Dead" to finally admit that I was in love with a TV show. :)