Irritated Reminders to an Entire Fandom

[neadods]

In which Nea gets a few things off her chest, having read them a few times too often.

1) There have been 10 actors playing the Doctor over 44 years. Old Who had a regeneration 3 years in and kept running; New Who had a regeneration 13 episodes in and has kept running.

Take the clue regarding the cosmic importance of any actor vs. the franchise

Comments

[missbaxter]

Hope you don't mind me asking, but you're the person on my flist who seems to know the most about the history of the show: is there this much insanity in fandom every time the Doctor regenerates, or do you think it's related more to the revival and to the rise of the Internet? (*goes back to take refuge in one of the sane corners of fandom* I'm not trying to stir up wank or anything; I'm genuinely interested in your answer, but if you think this might cause trouble, feel free to delete it!)

[neadods]

Oh, there's wank. It's inevitable that there be some WAAAAHHHH MY DOCTOR, NO! and I've felt that way myself. (Christopher, come back! All is forgiven!)

But I'm gobsmacked by the number of people who think the show is over or "not canon" or that for some reason a popular Doctor being replaced by another popular Doctor (despite it having happened a few years ago) simply cannot happen again.

So yes, I think it's the revival, but I think it's people watching the revival who have *really short* memories, considering we've been through this once. It's like watching Rose bitching about the possible regeneration in Stolen Earth and thinking "but you've SEEN him go through this and loved him more! So why are you so afraid of it?"

[darthfox]

It's possible that because we knew going in that Eccleston was only going to do Nine for one season, in some people's heads that was Always Part of the Plan, but Ten was going to be The Permanent Doctor. (Just playing devil's advocate, here.) But also the revival and the really short memories -- and the internet in general. People who weren't really in online fandom before must be reacting differently than people who were, even if the latter hadn't been fans of old-school Who, y/n? That is, people I've known since the Star Wars prequel mailing lists are v.v. unhappy, but not bringing this "omg the show is over everything going forward is not canon" of which you speak. Even, interestingly, people who afaik came into online fandom with Harry Potter, a fandom I believe is notorious for thinking it invented the wheel, New York, wars, and so on, are taking it sadly but philosophically on the chin.

[darthfox]

Tell it, sister!

(On the up side, if this causes the particularly chauvinistic strain of Ten/Rose 4EVA shippers to flounce away, we can do bloody well without them, can't we?)

[ladyfox7oaks]

(One can hope... and pray...!!!!)

[bizarra]

You know what? I'm sad that David is leaving, but I'm looking forward to seeing who the next Doctor is and where he takes the series/character.

I'm glad that I'm not directly in the fandom. Whew, boy!

[darthfox]

Also, the room points out: Jackie traveled on the TARDIS. (And there's not specifically a need to travel on the TARDIS at all to be a companion: viz., Liz Shaw, Mike Yates, and That Crowd. [Although Sgt Benton and the Brig did both travel, we suppose.])

[neadods]

That's why the "even if you don't accept one trip = companion" line, because otherwise there are even MORE companions, starting with Jackie. (I'm sorry there wasn't more to that storyline, because David and Camille had fabulous chemistry working together.)

It's hard to call Liz, Mike, or for that matter Harriet Jones a companion because they didn't travel. Liz was back when they called 'em "assistants" anyway, which avoids the whole travel thing, but Harriet was certainly more than "recurring character."

[amilyn]

THANK YOU!!!