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hmpfHow do I love the Doctor? Let me count the ways...
I love his stick-out ears. I love his lived-in face. I love his lanky frame. I love his frankly magnificent (*g*) hands. I love the way he moves – the way he almost seems to *drop down* stairs instead of walking down. I love his grins – warm or manic. I love his dangerous calm. I love his rage. I love the almost imperceptible shiver he gives when Jabe tells him it's a miracle he even exists. I love that single tear that drops when she says she's sorry. I love that single muscle that twitches when the Dalek says 'So are you.' I love his taunting, his mocking, his hatred, his guilt. His obscene satisfaction. I love his energy. I love his mania. I love his sadness. I love his loneliness. I love his desperate need to be with Rose. I love his jealousy. I love his manipulativeness. I love his caring.
I could go on.
The effect of all this is magnified rather by the fact that you find it where you least expect it, on a family programme ostensibly produced 'for the kids', and in a character who has, in his long history, seen a fair number of ups and downs, displayed a lot of mania and a little bit of darkness, but has never been this damaged, this dark, this seriously screwed up. 'Oh,' says my internal naysayer, 'but it's so cliché nowadays to make things 'dark'!' Well, maybe it is – but the beauty of the new Who is that it pulls off the very difficult feat of striking a balance. It's actually a lot of *fun* to watch, and the darkness only creeps in slowly, subtly. Much of the time it's a fun romp through science fiction clichés, and then suddenly, when you don't expect anything of the sort, it gets serious, and gives you a truly disturbing or truly touching character moment. And one by one, you put together the pieces, and see the bigger picture...
If you're a well-trained fangirl, it's not that difficult to see, really, and I suppose you even *could* say it is a bit cliché. Some of the old-time Doctor Who fans complained, after the first episode or two, about Christopher Eccleston's manic performance, his too-wide, mask-like grin. This fangirl here saw immediately that this was not the actor hitting a wrong note accidentally, but a deliberate decision to play the Doctor like that – with a half-faked enthusiasm bordering on the insane; basically, to play the Doctor as if the Doctor himself is trying to play the Doctor. The angst fangirl in me couldn't help but wonder about the reasons. I haven't seen a lot of the old Doctor Who but I've seen enough, I think, to know that the Doctor didn't use to be that manic, didn't use to appear quite that unhinged. Eccentric, yes, but not crazy. So, wonders the angst fangirl, what unhinged him so badly? And then the big revelation comes in ep two, and it's like straight out of a fanfic... but in a good way.
And that is largely thanks to Christopher Eccleston. The writing on the new show, while certainly way above average, and often a lot of fun, is occasionally anything but subtle. Christopher Eccleston, however, is nothing *but* subtle. All the emotion that the writing paints in very broad strokes, he plays out in a million intricate facets on his face, in his entire body and his voice. He layers in dimensions that probably weren't even scripted. It's amazing to watch.
(I should probably say something about Billie Piper here, too, because she honestly is very, very good as well, but I think I've gushed enough for one day. *g*)
I love his stick-out ears. I love his lived-in face. I love his lanky frame. I love his frankly magnificent (*g*) hands. I love the way he moves – the way he almost seems to *drop down* stairs instead of walking down. I love his grins – warm or manic. I love his dangerous calm. I love his rage. I love the almost imperceptible shiver he gives when Jabe tells him it's a miracle he even exists. I love that single tear that drops when she says she's sorry. I love that single muscle that twitches when the Dalek says 'So are you.' I love his taunting, his mocking, his hatred, his guilt. His obscene satisfaction. I love his energy. I love his mania. I love his sadness. I love his loneliness. I love his desperate need to be with Rose. I love his jealousy. I love his manipulativeness. I love his caring.
I could go on.
The effect of all this is magnified rather by the fact that you find it where you least expect it, on a family programme ostensibly produced 'for the kids', and in a character who has, in his long history, seen a fair number of ups and downs, displayed a lot of mania and a little bit of darkness, but has never been this damaged, this dark, this seriously screwed up. 'Oh,' says my internal naysayer, 'but it's so cliché nowadays to make things 'dark'!' Well, maybe it is – but the beauty of the new Who is that it pulls off the very difficult feat of striking a balance. It's actually a lot of *fun* to watch, and the darkness only creeps in slowly, subtly. Much of the time it's a fun romp through science fiction clichés, and then suddenly, when you don't expect anything of the sort, it gets serious, and gives you a truly disturbing or truly touching character moment. And one by one, you put together the pieces, and see the bigger picture...
If you're a well-trained fangirl, it's not that difficult to see, really, and I suppose you even *could* say it is a bit cliché. Some of the old-time Doctor Who fans complained, after the first episode or two, about Christopher Eccleston's manic performance, his too-wide, mask-like grin. This fangirl here saw immediately that this was not the actor hitting a wrong note accidentally, but a deliberate decision to play the Doctor like that – with a half-faked enthusiasm bordering on the insane; basically, to play the Doctor as if the Doctor himself is trying to play the Doctor. The angst fangirl in me couldn't help but wonder about the reasons. I haven't seen a lot of the old Doctor Who but I've seen enough, I think, to know that the Doctor didn't use to be that manic, didn't use to appear quite that unhinged. Eccentric, yes, but not crazy. So, wonders the angst fangirl, what unhinged him so badly? And then the big revelation comes in ep two, and it's like straight out of a fanfic... but in a good way.
And that is largely thanks to Christopher Eccleston. The writing on the new show, while certainly way above average, and often a lot of fun, is occasionally anything but subtle. Christopher Eccleston, however, is nothing *but* subtle. All the emotion that the writing paints in very broad strokes, he plays out in a million intricate facets on his face, in his entire body and his voice. He layers in dimensions that probably weren't even scripted. It's amazing to watch.
(I should probably say something about Billie Piper here, too, because she honestly is very, very good as well, but I think I've gushed enough for one day. *g*)
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no subject
Date: 2005-05-08 11:48 pm (UTC)I watched a full episode of Dr Who this week. And most of the one with the Dalek, and the last ten minutes of the one where the world blows up and I fall in love with Rose for the way she cries and and says "help her" in a little tiny voice and OMG. I was semi-indifferent but this one clinched it. WORD on everything you say about the Doctor. Especially his desperate need to be with Rose. I have no intention of getting into the fandom but as far as I can see from my flist no-one else is very into the relationship between them, but I believe it. Can't articulate why yet, though. But I believe it and it makes me happy and squee and warmed.
Rose/Billie reminds me of my mum. That reflexive unhesitating tenderness. I loooove her yes and she is utterly believable :).
OMG the Doctor! *dies*
no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 08:54 am (UTC)Or.... Riker/Worf.
Or Odo/Quark.
Or Bashir/Garak.
Heh I can only compare to star trek ships really.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 05:52 pm (UTC)Look! I found you! (squee) ;)
And I'm going to tell you here, although I read what you wrote on OG, that I think you're absolutely right, and that's such a beautiful, *celebration* I think is the best word for it, of CE and his Doctor.
*gets a bit teary*
He has bandy legs. I love that. And I love the vulnerability in his eyes. Gah. *loves your post some more* See, I try to be that articulate about the Doctor, but then I forget how to type ;)
And I'm going to cry buckets when he goes. Despite being a grown woman who is usually fairly sensible. In fact, I may find myself Crying In Advance a week or two before, lol.
Star Trek ships?
Date: 2005-05-09 08:50 pm (UTC);-)
Re: Star Trek ships?
Date: 2005-05-09 09:03 pm (UTC)Rose squee.
Date: 2005-05-09 09:03 pm (UTC)Also, her "sorry, I was a bit slow" in 'Dalek'. I don't even have words to describe what she does with her voice there.
And her culture shock in 'Rose':
R: "It's bigger on the inside than on the outside."
D: "Yep."
R: "It's alien."
D: "Yep."
R: "Are you alien?"
D: "Yep... That all right?"
R: (nods and sort of simultaneously has half a breakdown)
D: (looking somewhat concerned) "Culture shock. Happens to the best of us."
Brilliant scene.
>I love YOU.
If you love me so much, how about those travel plans of yours? ;-)
>But I believe it and it makes me happy and squee and warmed.
Are you telling me you're shipping a non-slash ship??? *checks for other signs of the apocalypse*
Hey there!
Date: 2005-05-09 09:05 pm (UTC)As for crying buckets... yes. Definitely. It's a cruel world where we're robbed of Beautiful Men on TV after only one season...
BTW -
Date: 2005-05-09 09:10 pm (UTC)Shipping ships outside of ST:
Date: 2005-05-09 09:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 09:52 pm (UTC)What have you seen of Classic Doctor Who? I've seen the Doctors 1-8. Within this house it's agreed the 4th Doctor was the best, played by Tom Baker from '74-'81. Some how while I didn't like the 6th Doctor at first, played by Colin Baker from '84-'86, I grew to be quite fond of him. My brother adores the 7th Doctor, played by Sylvester McCoy from '87-'96. I was disappointed that the attempt to resurrect the show with Paul McGann in '96 was a dud. Does the New Doctor Who treat Christopher Eccleston as the 9th Doctor? Was there a scene where Paul McGann's Doctor, or Sylvester McCoy's if they chose to ignore the 8th Doctor altogether, died and regenerated into the 9th Doctor?
"Oh," says my internal naysayer, "but it's so cliche nowadays to make things "dark'!"
The New Battlestar Galactica seems to get hyped as more mature and dark than the original, but to me it is just thoroughly plastic. Reviewers who dismiss the original as junk while hailing the new leave me somewhere between laughing and crying. When I get to ranting I call it things like "Battlestar 90210" and "Battlestar O.C." Its bad fanfic gender bending... *Shakes head.*
Some of the old-time Doctor Who fans complained, after the first episode or two, about Christopher Eccleston's manic performance, his too-wide, mask-like grin.
As I recall, it's been a long time since I shared my being a Whovian with much of anyone, Colin Baker's Doctor wasn't very popular because he was manic. He was unhinged. Taking a quick look at Who stuff to make a few icons I saw this comment on his Doctor, "He also introduced a somewhat dark element into the Doctor's personality. During his premiere episode, he tried to choke his Companion."
Re: BTW -
Date: 2005-05-09 10:11 pm (UTC)Re: Shipping ships outside of ST:
Date: 2005-05-09 10:13 pm (UTC)I know, but...
Date: 2005-05-09 10:35 pm (UTC)Oh, and: yay for ship femslash!
So, how about my offer of sending you some new Who?
Ooops, overlooked this before.
Date: 2005-05-09 10:54 pm (UTC)I've seen one season with Tom Baker (his first) and part of the TV movie - but the TV movie was so long ago it hardly counts. I really liked the Tom Baker stuff. I'm trying to find a few more of the old eps now. A friend has offered to get me some of the Sylvester McCoy era stuff. I may also be able to procure more Tom Baker stuff, and I found a few random eps for download - not a lot, though.
I know a lot more about the Doctor than I could learn by those few eps I've seen, though. I've read everything I could find on several websites... *g*
|Some how while I didn't like the 6th Doctor at first, played by Colin Baker from '84-'86, I grew to be quite fond of him. My brother adores the 7th Doctor, played by Sylvester McCoy from '87-'96. I was disappointed that the attempt to resurrect the show with Paul McGann in '96 was a dud. Does the New Doctor Who treat Christopher Eccleston as the 9th Doctor?
Yes. That's been stated quite emphatically by the executive producer, Russell T. Davies. Although there seem to be some continuity problems (but then, judging from the discussions on Outpost Gallifrey, that is hardly a new thing).
>Was there a scene where Paul McGann's Doctor, or Sylvester McCoy's if they chose to ignore the 8th Doctor altogether, died and regenerated into the 9th Doctor?
No, we didn't get to see that, but the first ep feels like he's quite new to his ninth body. He makes a surprised remark about his ears.
>The New Battlestar Galactica seems to get hyped as more mature and dark than the original, but to me it is just thoroughly plastic. Reviewers who dismiss the original as junk while hailing the new leave me somewhere between laughing and crying. When I get to ranting I call it things like "Battlestar 90210" and "Battlestar O.C." Its bad fanfic gender bending... *Shakes head.*
Well, while I wouldn't say the original BSG was crap, I would't say the new BSG is plastic, either. I sort of like the old BSG, and I'm very impressed with the new BSG. I think it has incredibly strong actors - much like the new Doctor Who! - and some really good writing. I like how the politics of the show are so complex. And I love the atmosphere - space really feels like space in (new) BSG: cold and vast and dangerous. And, weird as the sex changes are, taken on their own the characters work really well for me - both Starbuck and Boomer are very convincing, I think. Apollo is a bit lifeless to me, but Cdr. Adama is making up for that with loads and loads of commanding presence *g*, and the President is a great character, as well - female, strong and *middle-aged*! She has a fascinating relationship with Adama, or rather with both the Adamas, too, I think. (Not in a shippy sense.)
>As I recall, it's been a long time since I shared my being a Whovian with much of anyone, Colin Baker's Doctor wasn't very popular because he was manic. He was unhinged. Taking a quick look at Who stuff to make a few icons I saw this comment on his Doctor, "He also introduced a somewhat dark element into the Doctor's personality. During his premiere episode, he tried to choke his Companion."
Yeah, I've heard that he was kind of 'dark' before. That also gets said about the McCoy Doctor occasionally. I'm really rather curious to get to know them all...
It's really interesting to see all the comparisons to previous Doctors that have been made about the Ninth Doctor. I think I like the idea best (stated somewhere on the Outpost Gallifrey forums) that you can see shades of all of them in him. Troughton, both Bakers, and McCoy are the most frequent ones mentioned, though, it seems to me. There's a few fans who complain that Russell T. Davies is getting the Doctor's character wrong, but the overwhelming response seems to be positive. I think.
Gleet...
Date: 2005-05-09 11:17 pm (UTC)Re: I know, but...
Date: 2005-05-10 03:34 am (UTC)*Giggles.* Aww, can't hold the shift button down through the ARDIS? :)
So, how about my offer of sending you some new Who?
I talked to my folks and they agreed we should have some of the New Who, however good or bad it is. I mean we've got the '96 movie with Paul McGann's Doctor...
Re: Ooops, overlooked this before.
Date: 2005-05-10 04:31 am (UTC)The series ran from '63 to '89. The movie with Paul McGann as the 8th Doctor was '96, still less than a decade ago. Of course there were 2 Doctor Who movies in '65 and '66 with Peter Cushing as the Doctor. The first was 40 years ago now. I've seen most of the surviving episodes from the beginning at one time or another in my life. I've got some on VHS, but none on DVD yet.
I know a lot more about the Doctor than I could learn by those few eps I've seen, though. I've read everything I could find on several websites... *g*
The main books I have from childhood are the first American printing of The Doctor Who Technical Manual by Mark Harris, Copyright 1983, and Doctor Who The Time-Travellers' Guide by Peter Haining, the 1989 Reprint. I've got various other books, a graphic novel, some Choose Your Own Adventure books. My K-9 pin, and the life sized stuffed K-9 in my bedroom are hardly all I've got for memorabilia. Heck, one of the few times I ever dressed up as a TV character it was as Romana's first incarnation on the series in "The Stones of Blood."
No, we didn't get to see that...
Mmh, not sure what I think of that. Having watched a great many of the other Doctors die I feel it's a bit unfair to deprive Paul of his death scene, however I'm not sure I'd really take watching him get killed well either.
I sort of like the old BSG, and I'm very impressed with the new BSG.
*Shrugs.* I wouldn't call the old BSG great sci fi, but I don't think the new BSG is an improvement. I'm happy for you that you enjoy it Hmpf.
Yeah, I've heard that he was kind of "dark" before. That also gets said about the McCoy Doctor occasionally. I'm really rather curious to get to know them all...
Hmm, I think ranking them off the top of my head from my most favorite to least I go...
1. Tom Baker
2. Colin Baker
3. Paul McGann
4. Peter Davidson
5. John Pertwee
6. Sylvester McCoy
7. Patrick Troughton
8. William Hartnell
That's not having seen the 9th to rank him. The Peter Cushing Doctor was the first played by Hartnell on TV. The Cushing Who movies were theatrical versions of TV episodes.
There's a few fans who complain that Russell T. Davies is getting the Doctor's character wrong...
Eh, I remember people being appalled that the 8th Doctor got to kiss a girl. But, each Doctor is his own person, and there's more freedom with his characterization than there is with other things. "Does the TARDIS look and sound right? Are there Daleks? Do they look right?" Are the kind of questions that bear more consideration than how the Doctor acts.
That should have been 'glee'.
Date: 2005-05-10 04:47 pm (UTC)Re: I know, but...
Date: 2005-05-10 04:58 pm (UTC)As a matter of fact, I can't. I'm typing with ten fingers, which means I type 'TARDIS' like this:
T = left forefinger on the 't' and right little finger on the shift button
A = left little finger on the 'a' and right little finger on the shift button
R = left forefinger on the 'r' and right little finger on the shift button
D = left middle finger on the 'd' and right little finger on the shift button
I = *right* middle finger on the 'i' and *left* little finger on the shift button
S = *left* ring finger on the 's' and *right* little finger on the shift button.
You've got to admit that that is slightly awkward! The QUERTY keyboard clearly wasn't made for comfortable TARDIS typing.
>I talked to my folks and they agreed we should have some of the New Who, however good or bad it is. I mean we've got the '96 movie with Paul McGann's Doctor...
Okay... I'll wait until the season is through and send you the CDs then. (I assume you can't download stuff from the internet yourself due to lack of broadband or something? 'cause if you *can*, then, naturally, that would be a lot faster than waiting for me... I could give you a link if you just don't know where to get it. *g*)
Got some other stuff lying around for you here, too, btw.
The Doctor
Date: 2005-05-10 05:23 pm (UTC)Yup, I know. Done my homework. ;-)
>The movie with Paul McGann as the 8th Doctor was '96, still less than a decade ago.
Yeah, I know - but it *is* long ago if you've only seen it once, and only half of it, and while being distracted, and not really knowing what you were watching. So, for me, that half-watching of the movie doesn't really count, as I don't remember a thing, except for a vague idea of the Tardis (TARDIS *g*).
Only very little of Doctor Who has been on German television btw, and what there was was only transmitted once, long before I was watching TV on my own, so I never saw it here. I saw that bit of the movie when I was visiting Jemstone in 1999, and the rest of the eps I know I've only seen thanks to friends who provided me with episodes, and in some cases thanks to the internet.
I've done a tally of my Doctor Who eps now, btw. If I didn't miscount, I have 64 eps (14 complete stories) of the old series, with Doctors 1 through 4. Most of the eps I have feature Tom Baker, and a fair number Jon Pertwee. I've so far seen 16 eps, all of them featuring the 4. Doctor.
>My K-9 pin, and the life sized stuffed K-9 in my bedroom are hardly all I've got for memorabilia. Heck, one of the few times I ever dressed up as a TV character it was as Romana's first incarnation on the series in "The Stones of Blood."
Wow. You *are* a fan! :-)
What does it say about me, btw, that I could tell you the names of at least three of the actors (Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee and Peter Davison, for some unfathomable reason) who've played the Doctor at one time or another, and knew what 'TARDIS' stood for, long before I ever watched a single ep? And that now, even though I've only seen a handful of stories, my head is stuffed with trivia like Romana's full name (Romanadvortrelundar, isn't it? I may have got a letter or two wrong somewhere in there...)?
Probably explains why I score high on every geek test. ;-)
>*Shrugs.* I wouldn't call the old BSG great sci fi, but I don't think the new BSG is an improvement. I'm happy for you that you enjoy it Hmpf.
Hmm... how much of it have you seen, if I may ask? Far be it from me to force my opinion on you or anything, but maybe you just caught a less than stellar ep? There are those, you know... ;-)
If you've seen a fair bit of it, though, I'll just have to accept that our ideas of what is good writing and good acting simply differ a lot.
>1. Tom Baker
2. Colin Baker
3. Paul McGann
4. Peter Davidson
5. John Pertwee
6. Sylvester McCoy
7. Patrick Troughton
8. William Hartnell
The ones I'm most curious about - among those that I haven't seen yet, that is - are Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Sylvester McCoy and Patrick Troughton. Mainly because they seem to be mentioned more than Hartnell and Pertwee or even McGann in discussions of the ninth Doctor. Unfortunately I don't have any way of getting any Colin Baker or Peter Davison eps. I may be able to get some McCoy from a friend, though.
>That's not having seen the 9th to rank him.
Obviously. But not for long, dear BABE, not if I can help it! ;-)
>Eh, I remember people being appalled that the 8th Doctor got to kiss a girl.
Okay. If you don't object to that kind of thing too much, there's a chance you won't be too put off by one new element of the series: there's a bit of will-they, won't-they with Rose, the new companion. It's not all that blatant, though - but nevertheless lots of old-time fans are complaining quite a bit. (No sex please, we're Gallifreyans! ;-))
>"Does the TARDIS look and sound right?
Look: depends on your definition of 'right'. Sound: yes.
>Are there Daleks?
Uhm... you really want to know? ;-)
Re: I know, but...
Date: 2005-05-10 05:52 pm (UTC)Hmm, maybe it's that I've got a spiffy ergonomic keyboard. I type all of TARDIS with my left little finger on the shift button, and pretty quickly. *Ponders.*
I assume you can't download stuff from the internet yourself due to lack of broadband or something?
Heh, yeah or something. I wonder if I should try to download an episode anyway. See if this machine is even capable of playing a television episode on it.
Got some other stuff lying around for you here, too, btw.
Really? Cool!
Hey, any chance you'll be in Leeds in March?
Re: The Doctor
Date: 2005-05-10 07:54 pm (UTC)Yeah, when you put it like that. ;)
Only very little of Doctor Who has been on German television...
Oh, it ran on our local PBS station all through my childhood, and for some time after the series went out of production.
I've done a tally of my Doctor Who eps...
I'd have to check how many eps a given story was told in to say how many we have. The main stories I know we have are the Key to Time ones. We also have some Peter, Colin, and Sylvester. I liked Peter and Colin, my brother liked Sylvester so we made sure to tape them.
Wow. You *are* a fan! :-)
*Nods.* The stuffed K-9 is one of a kind. My aunt Myra made him. I've got a number of issues of the Doctor Who Magazine. My brother won a Doctor Who mug at the costume contest we participated in. It's got a heat sensitive TARDIS, get it hot and the TARDIS dematerializes.
What does it say about me, btw, that I could tell you the names of at least three of the actors who've played the Doctor...
I'm not sure. I know we knew Peter before he became the 5th Doctor from the series All Creatures Great and Small.
Romanadvortrelundar, isn't it?
Well done! I doubt I could've gotten that much of it. You only lost an "a". I looked it up in The Doctor Who Programme Guide by Jean-Marc Lofficier, Copyright 1981. The "a" goes, Romanadvor"a"trelundar.
If you've seen a fair bit of it, though, I'll just have to accept that our ideas of what is good writing and good acting simply differ a lot.
I watched the original miniseries, and regretted contributing to its becoming an ongoing series. I tuned in to a "making of" special, and some of the regular series out of morbid curiosity. It's the writing I don't like. The acting... *shrugs* ...is by the script.
The ones I'm most curious about... are Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Sylvester McCoy and Patrick Troughton.
*Nods.* I like Colin and Peter. I know my brother likes Sylvester, but I'm not sure how he feels about Patrick.
Mainly because they seem to be mentioned more than Hartnell and Pertwee or even McGann in discussions of the 9th Doctor.
Well, Pertwee's and McGann's Doctors dressed like dandies, whatever Paul's character might have proven to be with a longer run. I'm surprised Davison's gets mentioned. He was a younger Doctor, and a "good boy." I told kijikun what my favorite Doctors were like to me, "the 4th was a father figure, the 5th an older brother, and the 6th a crazy uncle." From what you've said and the images you've shared the 9th seems like sort of the "Bad Boy" older brother to Peter's good one. Hartnell's was an old man. I think he regenerated simply out of old age. Pertwee's I might call the sane uncle to Colin's crazy one. McGann's Doctor I had romantic feelings for. *Blushes.*
Unfortunately I don't have any way of getting any Colin Baker or Peter Davison eps.
Aww, (((((Hmpf))))). If I had a way to get some of our episodes into a format you can watch I would.
Obviously. But not for long, dear BABE, not if I can help it! ;-)
Thanks BABE!
If you don't object to that kind of thing too much, there's a chance you won't be too put off by one new element of the series...
*Giggles.* It certainly fits with my impression of the 9th Doctor being a bad boy older brother. I mean considering sleeping with a Companion? *Makes a mock gasp of shock.* I thought it was great Paul McGann's Doctor got to kiss the girl. *eg*
Look: depends on your definition of 'right'.
The inside of the TARDIS can change, it has at various times in the series run. I'd expect the New Doctor would have a new design for the control room. The outside however should be stuck in the form of the old blue police call box.
Uhm... you really want to know? ;-)
Well, I've heard there was some uncertainty about whether they'd be able to get the rights to all of the Old Doctor's foes. I just can't remember if I heard there was a positive resolution. I suppose if I really want to know if it got worked out I can always go find the official website. There is an official website isn't there?
Re: I know, but...
Date: 2005-05-10 08:41 pm (UTC)Nope, it's because I type with ten fingers. An ergonomic keyboard wouldn't change a thing as the 'i' would still be on the right half of the keyboard that is being manipulated by the right hand, while the rest of the letters are pushed with the left hand. See, I type the 'official way' - the way you're taught to in a typing class. There's a set way to type every word by that method (see my description of how I type 'TARDIS'), and some words are easier to type than others. For example, 'rest, 'test' 'art' 'sad' and other words only consisting of letters on the left half of the keyboard are really easy. And all-caps words are a pain to type, be they TARDIS or 'OMG TEH DOCTOR IS TEH HAWT!!!!!' ;-) All-caps is really only easy to do if you type the letters with one hand and hold the shift button down with the other, but that's not the way I was taught to type. And it's hard to unlearn the way you're typing - not to mention that it's not really something I would want to unlearn, as ten finger typing probably still is the fastest way to type.
>Heh, yeah or something. I wonder if I should try to download an episode anyway. See if this machine is even capable of playing a television episode on it.
Eeek. If the computer is the problem, then I'm not sure my eps would be any help to you at all. They're also supposed to be played on a computer. Though my parents' DVD player will play them, too - but not all DVD players play them.
>Really? Cool!
Yeah, remember, I wanted to send you a 'thank you' parcel for the book.
>Hey, any chance you'll be in Leeds in March?
Leeds? March? Uhm... No, not really. Or rather - what exactly is happening in Leeds in March? I don't really know where I'll be in March 2006, but if you give me a good enough reason to be in Leeds...
I'll be in Glasgow in August, though, if that's any help. ;-)
And the rest of the time anyBABE is welcome in Frankfurt, Germany, at Hmpf headquarters. ;-)
Re: The Doctor
Date: 2005-05-10 08:59 pm (UTC)That's... kinda cool.
>I'm not sure. I know we knew Peter before he became the 5th Doctor from the series All Creatures Great and Small.
Well, but I knew their names although the show had not been on the air in Germany in my time of conscious TV watching, was not part of our culture at all (nobody knows even the title of the show here unless they're hardcore Britscifi geeks), and I never saw any of them in *anything*.
I'm just a walking encyclopedia of geek culture, I guess. I remember loads and loads of useless stuff about shows and books and comics and movies I've never seen/read. I don't really know why.
>Well done! I doubt I could've gotten that much of it. You only lost an "a".
Yeah, it does sound better with that 'a' inserted.
>I watched the original miniseries, and regretted contributing to its becoming an ongoing series. I tuned in to a "making of" special, and some of the regular series out of morbid curiosity. It's the writing I don't like. The acting... *shrugs* ...is by the script.
Forgive me for not being able to let this go yet, but... my mind just kind of boggles a bit at the differences of our perceptions here. I think the writing on the new BSG is way, way above average - very mature, very subtle, very intelligent - and the acting has blown me away on various occasions (in particular Commander Adama, President Roslin, and, unexpectedly, Starbuck and Six - they both do great things with their faces; much like Christopher Eccleston in the new Who they add layers and layers to their characters - quite possibly far beyond what's been scripted.) What exactly did you feel was missing from or wrong with the writing? And the acting, I take it, you felt was a bit lifeless and bland? Or is that a misinterpretation of your 'by the script'?
And my favourite part of the new series so far has been the miniseries. I've watched it at least five times. I'm not obsessed with it as I am with Farscape and now Doctor Who, but I do love it a great deal.
>From what you've said and the images you've shared the 9th seems like sort of the "Bad Boy" older brother to Peter's good one.
I think part of the reason for the Peter Davison comparison may be that CE's Doctor gives off a very youthful vibe, even if CE actually isn't *that* young. He certainly doesn't always seem very mature.
>McGann's Doctor I had romantic feelings for. *Blushes.*
Nothing wrong with having romantic feelings for the Doctor! I'm all for having romantic feelings for the Doctor! *g*
>The outside however should be stuck in the form of the old blue police call box.
It is. There's a fun moment in the first ep when Rose doesn't even recognise what it's supposed to be as those police boxes have gone out of use for decades in Britain...
> suppose if I really want to know if it got worked out I can always go find the official website. There is an official website isn't there?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho
Bring some time - loads of great stuff there!
Re: I know, but...
Date: 2005-05-12 07:54 pm (UTC)Okay, then it's a difference in how we've been trained to use our ten fingers. I hold the left shift key down with my left little finger the entire time I'm typing TARDIS. I hit TARD and the S with other fingers on my left hand. The "I" however I hit with a finger from my right hand.
If the computer is the problem, then I'm not sure my eps would be any help to you at all.
Heh, don't panic. My computer might not be up to playing the Doctor Who episodes, but my dad's must be.
Though my parents' DVD player will play them, too - but not all DVD players play them.
Well, along with my dad's computer we've got two DVD players that might work. ;)
Leeds? March? Uhm... No, not really. Or rather - what exactly is happening in Leeds in March?
A Highlander convention with all four horsemen. I'm registered for it. I just have to get the money, and paper work like my passport, together in time.
Your description is perfect
Date: 2005-06-23 09:50 am (UTC)I love your description of Chris' Doctor - and why you love him! It's just, well - perfect. Like aminspace, I often try to describe what it is about him that I like so much, why he touches my soul, why he's just so important. And it's rare that I can come up with something that makes sense! I loved your comments about the well-trained fangirl - as I'm new to all this fangirl stuff, and squee, and Chrisgush... but from the moment with Jabe in TEOTW I was hooked. I saw all those things you describe, and I fell in love with the character. He's just so, well... you know? And played brilliantly by the lovely Chris!
Of course, the on-screen relationship with Billie (Rose) is also fantastic! I was truly upset when she uttered those words in Dalek "I'm sorry. I was a bit slow."
As for the TARDIS, IIRC, she's a Type 40 - and by all accounts he's been travelling around in her for centuries (hence the 900-years of time travel comments)... sorry, I'll take my geeky hat off now! ;)