Watching Doctor Who

Okay, this one is for The Vig. It’s a follow-up to my question about which companion costume you’d choose. This week I’m wondering: Which of the Doctor’s outfits would you like to wear? There are ten Doctors to choose from, and some of them even have a few different outfits to choose from. So, what will you choose? Are you a fan of the tenth Doctor’s blue suit? Do you have a secret yen for celery on your lapel? Perhaps you prefer a cloak and a frilly shirt. Let me know. To help you jog your memory of our Doctor’s stylish choices I am including links below. (No chance of wandering off this time, sorry. Just stick with our ten versions if you please.)

Doctor…who? (I get that a lot…)

• The First Doctor
• The Second Doctor
• The Third Doctor
• The Fourth Doctor
• The Fifth Doctor
• The Sixth Doctor
• The Seventh Doctor
• The Eighth Doctor
• The Ninth Doctor
• The Tenth Doctor

I actually have a thing for waistcoats, so is it any great surprise that I have chosen the eighth Doctor’s outfit? Actually, I think I’d look quite nice in it, and not merely because I’d have to get it custom made to fit me. (I’m five feet tall, for those of you who don’t know.) Mind you, I’d have to learn how to tie a cravat, but that would be a small price to pay.

So. Who’s outfit did you chose?

8th Dr. Image: BBC

I was reading this article yesterday, and I discovered that there is a band from Manchester called I Am Kloot. Why should you care about this band with a huge cult following? Well, it turns out that they made a video for their song “Proof” that was never released. It consisted solely of a close up of Christopher Eccleston’s head. (Well, you see his shoulders some, but mostly it’s his head.) I’m curious to know what you all think of it. I liked it, but I did also get that thing where you feel a bit uncomfortable maintaining eye contact with someone for too long. It’s quite interesting how much emotion Eccleston can convey with just the tiniest movements. Enjoy!

I Am Kloot - Proof:

John Barrowman is currently touring the UK. Perhaps “singing his way across the UK” would be a bit more accurate. Among the songs he includes in his concerts is one called “The Doctor and I.” apparently he sings it from Jack’s point of view (which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who sees Jack’s coat behind him.) Here is a video that gives you a wee taste of the song.

John Barrowman - “The Doctor and I”

I Am Kloot, Christopher Eccleston, John Barrowman

Well, we’ve seen Billie Piper do her lap on Top Gear, and David Tennant as well. John Barrowman hasn’t done it yet. Though, considering the fact that he seems to be everywhere, how long can it be? Now, it’s Christopher Eccleston’s turn. Did you know that he first got his license fourteen months before he did this? Wow. Good thing they didn’t need him to drive Bessie or anything for Doctor Who. We also learn that Mr. Eccleston is a runner. No wonder they hired him to play the Doctor. He really can run for his life.

Enjoy!

I was surfing around for other reasons yesterday and I encountered something that made me wonder what other projects the folks from the Whoniverse have been up to. Outside projects, don’t you know. What did I see that caused all of this?

Christopher Eccleston is in The G.I. Joe movie. Seriously. He’s playing Destro. And Jonathan Pryce is playing the U.S. President, if you’re interested.

So, you see why I got curious about what folks are doing.

Here’s what I found:

Christopher Eccleston: It looks like he’s in the middle of filming that G. I. Joe film (which means that I have to go see it) and he has also finished New Orleans, Mon Amour in which he plays…Dr. Jekyll. The official site for New Orleans, Mon Amour has a trailer, if you’re curious. (He is, however, most definitely not wandering around the San Francisco Bay Area frequenting In N Out restaurants late in the evening. No, the fellow that I saw looked rather like him and was wearing black and all, but was not, in fact, him.)

David Tennant: He’s got a run with the Royal Shakespeare Company coming up. He will be playing the title role in Hamlet from 24 July - 15 November 2008 and playing Berowne in Love’s Labour’s Lost from 2 October - 15 November 2008. He also has the upcoming Einstein and Eddington in which he plays Sir Arthur Eddington and Andy Serkis plays Albert Einstein.

Steven Moffat: Well, it looks like he’s writing the screenplay for Tintin. Last I heard, they were talking about making a series of films, so I’m not sure how he fits into all of that. Don’t worry. He’s written a two-parter for Doctor Who series 4.

Billie Piper: There’s word that she’ll be doing another series of her Secret Diary of a Call Girl. I expect that she has other things on her mind that acting, just now, though. She did just get married recently, after all.

Nicholas Briggs: The voice of the Daleks is currently the Executive Producer over at Big Finish. Shame he’s not busy.

That’s what I have for now. If you have further news, please let me know.

Christopher Eccleston, G. I. Joe, New Orleans, Mon Amour, David Tennant, Royal Shakespeare Company, Einstein and Eddington, Steven Moffat, Tintin, Doctor Who, Billie Piper, Nicholas Briggs, Big Finish

Okay. We’ve had three seasons/series (depending upon where you live) of the new Doctor Who. There have been emotional highs and lows. We’ve seen baddies new and returning. The Doctor and his companions have survived all sorts of perils. There have been award winning episodes, grand story arcs, and fabulous guest stars. So. What is your favorite new series Doctor Who episode so far? As usual, I’ve included the episodes to help jog your memory. They are all linked to my reviews if you need more help.

The show so far:

Series 1:

1. Rose

2. The End of the World

3. The Unquiet Dead

4. Aliens of London

5. World War III

6. Dalek

7. The Long Game

8. Father’s Day

9. The Empty Child

10. The Doctor Dances

11. Boom Town

12. Bad Wolf

13. Parting of the Ways

Series 2:

Special: Children in Need Special 2005

Special: The Christmas Invasion

1. New Earth

2. Tooth and Claw

3. School Reunion

4. The Girl in the Fireplace

5. Rise of the Cybermen

6. Age of Steel

7. Idiot’s Lantern

8. The Impossible Planet

9. The Satan Pit

10. Love and Monsters

11. Fear Her

12. Army of Ghosts

13. Doomsday

Series 3:

Special: The Runaway Bride

1. Smith and Jones

2. The Shakespeare Code

3. Gridlock

4. Daleks in Manhattan

5. Evolution of the Daleks

6. The Lazarus Experiment

7. 42

8. Human Nature

9. The Family of Blood

10. Blink

11. Utopia

12. The Sound of Drums

13. Last of the Time Lords

I know. This is a really difficult question. To be honest, I’ll take your favorite couple of episodes. Personally, I’m torn. I love Idiot’s Lantern. The Satan Pit was incredible, as was Doomsday. Father’s Day and The Shakespeare Code are very dear to my heart. I suppose I’ll just have to go with my gut reaction on this one. My favorite episode of all (so far) is Idiot’s Lantern. There are other episodes that are better written or have a higher emotional punch. I just find the Idiot’s Lantern the most enjoyable.

Okay. Now it’s your turn.

Doctor Who, Rose, The End of the World, The Unquiet Dead, Aliens of London, World War III, Dalek, The Long Game, Father’s Day, The Empty Child, The Doctor Dances, Boom Town, Bad Wolf, Parting of the Ways, Children in Need Special 2005, The Christmas Invasion, New Earth, Tooth and Claw, School Reunion, The Girl in the Fireplace, Rise of the Cybermen, Age of Steel, Idiot’s Lantern, The Impossible Planet, The Satan Pit, Love and Monsters, Fear Her, Army of Ghosts, Doomsday

(Hi all. Thank you so much for your well wishes. I’m using a flakey dial-up connection on the one phone line here at slightly after midnight to bring you this guest post written by the wonderful JM of Fiction Scribe and The Book Stacks. I hate to leave this blog stagnant, so I bow to you, JM. I hope to get back to normal posting soon, but the way things are going up here it might be a couple more days still. Enjoy!)

Finding Doctor Who

I watched my first episode of Dr. Who when I came here to Australia last October. Admittedly, I watched the first episode where the Doctor meets Rose…and then didn’t watch any more.

My husband told me about the new season coming, though, and he and I began a tradition of sitting down in front of the television every Saturday night with our Chinese food to enjoy the latest episode.

I got to know the characters and, like Martha, slowly learned who Rose was. I got to know the Tardis and the Doctor, and before I realized it, I was completely addicted. Every Saturday afternoon I would grin at my husband and say, “Dr. Who is on tonight!�? Then, at 7.30, we’d turn up the surround sound and enjoy another instalment.

As I watched the final episode and sat with my mouth gaping open about the Face of Bo reveal, I truly appreciated what it must be like to be a writer for Dr. Who. The pure and absolute genius behind all the plot connections, twists, turns, meanings… I was left asking a million questions not about the show, but about the writer.

Did s/he start with an ending, a middle, or a beginning? Was there a rough plot outline first and all the little details then later thrown in, or was it like a gigantic knitting process in which you have a bunch of yarn, two needles, and a lot of hope that it will turn out something similar to the picture you have in your mind?

I can honestly say seeing the most recent season of Dr. Who renewed a part of my passion for writing that I didn’t know had gone to sleep.

As a viewer, I love the show. As a writer, I admire the genius.

I came across this today in my daily surfing and I just had to share it with you all. The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (an adaptation of the second book in the Dark is Rising series) will appear in US theaters on 5 October 2007. It doesn’t look like they have made a very faithful adaptation of one of my favorite books of all time…but I’m just going to pretend that it is a different story. That way I can go to the theater and enjoy Christopher Eccleston playing The Dark Rider. Yep. He’s playing the baddie. Only a couple of weeks to go.

Image Source: SciFi.com

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising, Dark is Rising, Christopher Eccleston

I thought that it might be fun to do a Thursday Thirteen this week, so I offer you Thirteen people who have played The Doctor at various times. I know that there are more folks that I could add (Peter Cushing for example, though technically he played “Dr. Who.”) but I had to stick with thirteen. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy my list.

13 People Who Have Played The Doctor (in no particular order)

1. Christopher Eccleston (9th Doctor)
2. Mark Gatiss (The Web of Caves)
3. David Tennant (10th Doctor)
4. Hugh Grant (The Curse of Fatal Death – The (Handsome) 12th Doctor)
5. William Hartnell (1st Doctor)
6. Paul McGann (8th Doctor)
7. Tom Baker (4th Doctor)
8. Sylvester McCoy (7th Doctor)
9. Patrick Troughton (2nd Doctor)
10. Richard Hurndall (The 1st Doctor in The Five Doctors [William Hartnell had passed away])
11. Peter Davison (5th Doctor)
12. Colin Baker (6th Doctor)
13. Jon Pertwee (3rd Doctor)

Thursday Thirteen, Peter Cushing, Christopher Eccleston, Mark Gatiss, David Tennant, Hugh Grant, William Hartnell, Paul McGann, Tom Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Patrick Troughton, Richard Hurndall, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Jon Pertwee

In reality Christopher Eccleston only ever signed up for one series of Doctor Who, so his leaving the show was no surprise to the people in charge. The folks from Dead Ringers, however, propose an alternate hypothesis. Warning! Do not try to drink anything while watching this video. You will just get it all over your computer. The Vig, this one’s for you.

Christopher Eccleston, Doctor Who, Dead Ringers

This is pretty much what it says on the tin. 43 years, 10 Doctors, 5-and-a-half-minutes. For those of you who are not particularly familiar with the classic series of Doctor Who, here is a video that covers some of the important and amusing bits from each of the first ten Doctors. It’s sort of like a visit to the department of backstory, actually. The Doctor has been fighting the monsters for a very long time. (Great job with the vid, bishopzero!) Enjoy!

Doctor Who

(MKEJenkins has been kind enough to tell us about her First Doctor, and her first encounter with Doctor Who. It looks like she and I also share some favorite Doctors. Thanks for telling us your story!)

My First Doctor: by MKEJenkins

Ah, the memories, Where to begin? Let’s see…a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….ooops, sorry wrong fandom. Anywho.

In the mid 1980s I was in college. One Saturday night I was with a group of friends at someone’s home. We had dinner and our usual D & D game and everyone was talking about the new show that the local PBS station was going to start showing that night. Some sort of British science fiction. Well, we were all sci-fi fantasy geeks so we decided what the hay. Right before 9:00 rolls around we adjourned to the living room and start setting up chairs, snacks, etc.

Strangely, one thing I clearly remember at the time was that someone had the TV on MTV and they were playing the music video for Weird Al Yankovic’s ‘Eat It’. Three puppet mice dancing around like Michael Jackson. And THIS is what I was watching before Dr. Who came on. Don’t know why that has stuck with me…Oh well…

Nine pm rolled around and we were treated to our first Dr. Who story. The incomparable Tom Baker in ‘The Ark in Space’. Now admittedly, all of us had grown up with Star Trek, Star Wars, some of us could quote Trek dialog verbatim. But with that opening story, as campy as the production values were, we were hooked! From then on, every Saturday it became a ritual to hog the TV from Mom and Dad so that we could spend the next 2 1/2 hours watching the Doctor defeat evil across the galaxy.

I will always have a special place in my heart for Tom Baker’s Doctor. I just love the exuberance he brought to the role. My favorite has to be Christopher Eccleston though. He brought such depth and pathos to the role that had not been seen before. I only wish he had stayed with the role longer. Let’s just hope David Tennant sticks around for many years. The Doctor’s running out of regenerations….*bites fingernails*

(Do you have a My First Doctor story that you would like to share? Comment here or e-mail me today!)

My First Doctor, Dr. Who, Tom Baker, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant

Look what I found. This is a video containing all of the Doctor Who title sequences complete with title music. (Not each entire sequence, rather more of a continuous melding of once sequence into another.) Someone by the handle of “royalmarriage” over at Youtube put this together, and I think that they did a great job. They even included one of the 3rd Doctor sequences that I had completely forgotten about. For those of you who have not seen much of the classic series, this video will give you a better idea how the opening titles, and title theme, have changed throughout the years.

Doctor Who, 3rd Doctor

…So I wrote a guest post for Pop Buzz UK on just that topic. I blame re-watching the first six 9th Doctor episodes in a row. Well, that and DaveP needed to go away on vacation. You can check out my guest post here.

Well, I promised to try and keep you entertained during our week without Who, so here is my first attempt in that direction. Are you familiar with the concept of “fan music videos?” As the name would suggest, it’s a music video made by fans who take footage from a show or movie and set it to music. There is quite a spectrum of both style and talent out there. Yeah, some of the videos are badly made, but others are sublime. Some day I may yet manage to make one myself. In the meantime, I offer you one of my current favorites by Padme0 a.k.a. D.I.A. for the Doctor Who fandom. It is set to the song 30 Minutes by t.A.T.u.. Enjoy! (note: This video may contain spoilers for series one and two.)

Padme0, D.I.A., Doctor Who, 30 Minutes, t.A.T.u.

Okay, here we go. This is the one that some of you have been waiting for. What is your favorite Doctor Who series one quote? Yes, this time it’s open season. From Jackie’s “Anything could happen” to the Anne Droid’s “You are the weakest link. Good-bye.” Any quote from series one is fair game. And yes, that includes The Doctor and Rose. Feeling a bit forgetful? Why not consult some transcripts?

Here are a few suggestions:

• The “Turn of the Earth�? speech (The Doctor) - Rose
• “Who says I’m not? Red bicycle when you were twelve.�? (The Doctor) - The Doctor Dances
• “Oh, yeah, that’s a real load off, that is. I’m hanging in the sky in the middle of a German air raid with the Union Jack across my chest, but hey! My mobile phone’s off!” (Rose) - The Empty Child
• “You would make a good Dalek.” (The Dalek) - Dalek
• “I know where you’re from. Forgive me for intruding, but it’s remarkable that you even exist. I just want to say how sorry I am.” (Jabe) - The End of the World
• “Oh, yeah, great. We could write ‘em a letter.” (Mickey) - World War III
• “Mummy…�? (The Empty Child) - The Doctor Dances
• “I’ve traveled to all sorts of places. Done things you couldn’t even imagine, but… you two… street corner. Two in the morning. Getting a taxi home. I’ve never had a life like that…�? (The Doctor) - Father’s Day
• “You are live on channel forty-four-thousand. Please do not swear.” (Big Brother) - Bad Wolf
• “We’ve got a fully functional forcefield. Try saying that when you’re drunk.” (Jack) - The Parting of the Ways

Actually, for all that series one is a treasure trove of great quotes, I still say that my favorite quote is The Doctor’s “Turn of the Earth” speech from Rose. It just so very accurately describes The Doctor and who he is. A close second would be Rose’s Bad Wolf speech from The Parting of the Ways. Together, these two speeches sort of book-end series one. So, what do you think? What was your favorite series one quote?

Doctor Who, Rose, The Doctor, The Parting of the Ways