Dr Who

[poliphilo]

I'm old enough to have seen the second ever episode of Doctor Who. I don't know why I missed the first, but I think it had something to do with rehearsing a play at Church.

My favourite Doctor is Patrick Troughton. He was fey, comedic, otherworldly- a magician and trickster, part Pied Piper, part Wizard of Oz.

He became my role model.

By the time Tom Baker arrived I had stopped being a regular viewer. I guess I was away at boarding school.

The Colin Baker episodes were the worst. His Doctor was a roaring bully and there was too much sadistic violence. I wasn't sorry the show got cancelled.
It had gone off.

I liked Sylvester McCoy. I was watching with my kids by now.

The TV film with Paul McGann was utterly misconceived- a poor stab at a Hollywood action movie. Dr Who isn't about freeway chases, it's about magic and wonder and anything being possible.

The new series with Christopher Eccleston is a miraculous return to form.
It has witty and imaginative scripts, great effects, expensive actors, fascinating aliens. Last night's episode gave us a tree woman (several billion years into the future) who said she was descended from the rain forests.

You'll believe a Dalek can fly!

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I was disappointed too when I heard that Eccleston was quitting. I felt cheated. But it's his life and career and- the way he tells it- filming this first series was punishing.

Besides, they'll find someone else. This country isn't short of A1 character actors. The gossip is that they're talking to David Tennant, who's just finished playing Casanova for the BBC, and he's amazing.

[butterscotch711.livejournal.com]

Yes I read that. Having not seen Christopher Eccleston's Doctor yet, I don't know much about his character - but I hope they can do the traditional thing of having him transform into a new Doctor who's a stark contrast, even though his Doctor won't have been around for long.

When Tom Baker quit he jokingly suggested that in the future a woman might be cast as the Doctor. I don't think they're going to be casting Joanna Lumley in anything other than a Comic Relief skit any time soon, but sometimes I wonder if they'll ever cast anyone other than a vaguely academic-looking white guy in the part. If regenerations can change the Doctor's regional accent, I don't see why he should be locked into a caucasian body.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I agree. I think if the show carries on long enough- and I don't see why it shouldn't- we'll sooner or later have black doctors and female doctors.

Eccleston plays the Doctor as a Mancunian cheeky chappie. He's good enough, but I'm not sure we're going to take him to our hearts.

[pdcawley.livejournal.com]

He was pretty good in the live Quatermass remake on BBC4 last night as well.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Tennant was in that? Bah, I'm sorry now that I missed it!