The Thirteenth Doctor

I'll preface this by saying that I haven't yet watched the New Year's episode of Doctor Who, but I have watched all the other new episodes.

The idea of this character being female for the first time sparked, well, lots of conversation. Strong opinions. While I didn't exactly feel the necessity for introducing a female Doctor, I didn't want to feel too deeply about it either way and in any case, I thought it would be better to just wait and see how it all went. After all, I wasn't the biggest fan of the twelfth Doctor, so I was probably already okay with the idea of liking some of them and others not so much.

When I started watching the show, though, it was like we just had another Doctor. They don't try to make much of the fact that she's female and that's the point: it's still the same character. And Jodie Whittaker also just approaches playing the character; she doesn't try to infuse the character with femininity on purpose or anything. She just is and that was the best way to go about it. So anything female about her is just a natural part of it all.

There are, of course, the moments when it does come in to the plot. If they're in historical places, then of course it makes a difference for the Doctor to be a woman than a man; the believability would go down otherwise (I mean, we all know this is fiction, but you know what I mean). Still, even when it needed to be an aspect of the plot, I appreciated that the plot never revolved around this.

Thirteen's companions are more reminiscent of the First Doctor's posse. Not just one companion to flirt with aka. Rose and Ten (though I did love them) or Amy Pond and Eleven. A group. The Doctor is great when he has a whole group, not just one companion. That also gives more space for the plot of each episode; you have more material to work with.

There was something fresh about the whole feeling of this season. Getting a new writer in obviously reworks the whole tone. It was great to have episodes that were just adventures, like before. Everything can't be a facing-the-end-of-the-universe thing because that gets old, as does having the same character die multiple times. It's fun at first and then it's draining and then it has so much weight that it has no weight. So it's better with such a long-lived show as this to go back to that lighter weight. To have the peril within the episode and that's it. To have the fun skittering over to the past or a new planet or whatever.

They also had a good mix of settings. Historical, present, future, Earth, not Earth, space, land, aliens, no aliens (or kind of no aliens). That's the fun and imaginative element of the show.

So I was pleasantly surprised by this new season. I liked the Doctor again, was entertained once more by that character. And I enjoyed just going along for the adventure of each episode, just a fun hour of exploration.

Peter Pan & the Doctor Flying Through Space

He's found a way to live forever, he's a bit arrogant, he brings travelers to places they had never imaged were possible (and certainly not possible to visit), he can fly, he has lots of friends but can somehow never get too close to any of them, and he's a beloved character to many, many people.

Who is he? Well, he's two people: he's Peter Pan and he's the Doctor.

I love it. Peter Pan and Doctor Who have so much in common.

Peter stays forever young through sheer mind power: he thinks to himself that he is young and that is enough to keep him that way (movies tend to say that Neverland keeps you from aging, but in the original story other characters there do age and it's only Peter who doesn't). The Doctor regenerates, which other Time Lords did, as well, but now he's the only one left and so it becomes a singular, strange, and rare thing for him to do. And both Peter and the Doctor are very thrilled at what they're able to do.

The Doctor's arrogance is usually funny or endearing or at least something you're willing to put up with, but Peter Pan is probably even worse. Though he has managed to become a beloved character because he reminds us all of our childhood, he can be quite rude and irresponsible and so self-centered that he either annoys or is a danger to the characters around him--which is not always endearing. Then again, the Doctor often puts the people around him in danger, too. But they don't necessarily mind, do they?

That's what both characters offer: adventure beyond the scope of sight. Peter takes Wendy and her brothers to see Neverland and she is in awe of this land up in the stars. The Doctor invites Rose and all the rest to be his companions on his endless journeys through time and space, showing them worlds they would never otherwise have visited and time periods they never thought they could enter; most of them love it so much that they get almost addicted to it and have a hard time leaving.

But no one stays forever with Peter Pan and no one stays forever with the Doctor. Peter's friends all grow up: there's that (semi-disturbing, if you think about it) line in the book that explains that he finds a way to let the boys who are getting older die, or characters like the Darlings leave Neverland and go on to live adult lives in the regular world. It's the same for friends of the Doctor: they either die in one of the Doctor's dangerous adventures or go on to live essentially normal lives (some choose to leave and some are forced to by outside circumstances). It's the choice, tragic at times, that we all must face: do we try and make adventure last forever until it tears us apart, or do we put an end to it and live the life everyone else leads? Peter looks in on Wendy only to find she's an adult with a daughter of her own, and the Doctor meets Sarah Jane again only to find that she's over the hill--and that gap is so deep, despite the fun adventures these characters had together when both sides were young.

Peter wants to remain young because he keeps making himself so, but he does feel pain at moments like this: there is tragedy that he, unlike Wendy, will never grow up. But he accepts that cost. The Doctor, on the other hand, has no choice: all he can do is continue to live while everyone he has known withers away. Both characters are eternal--all characters are eternal because they live forever within the (metaphorical) pages of fiction, yet these two characters are doubly eternal because they are literally living forever within those literal pages, as well as the metaphorical ones (not that Doctor Who is a book instead of a TV show, and therefore the main bulk of the story isn't on literal pages, but I'm taking "literal pages" to mean the content of the story as it is presented to the audience and "metaphorical pages" to mean what the audience can always go back to revisit, whether through rereading, rewatching, or going back over in their heads).

Oh, yes, and when I said that both characters can fly, I was naturally referring to the TARDIS. Through it, the Doctor can fly--through both time and space. Peter Pan just literally flies through the sky. Two characters, forever flying away from the stable life they will never have--forever flying away toward adventure.

  

From First to Second

Wow, I hadn't realized I had spent so much time on the Second Doctor's episodes of Doctor Who. My post on the First Doctor was in October of last year; that means it took me somewhere around nine months to watch the Second Doctor's episodes. That's a long time.

Transitioning

Technically, though, it was less. I didn't want to watch too many of the Classic episodes at the same time as the new episodes, which were still airing at the end of last year, so I put the Classic ones on hold. And then I had to give myself time to transition from William Hartnell to Patrick Troughton. That was really hard. Really hard.

I liked William Hartnell, and then it was also hard to lose him because there weren't really any familiar companions to help smooth out the transition. The missing episodes meant that the companions at the time of the Doctor's first regeneration felt like strangers to me: I had barely met them and they didn't feel worthy to guide the First Doctor into the Second. That's what it felt like: like the Doctor and his companions were suddenly all strangers and I didn't want to watch strangers. Then the great amount of missing episodes in the beginning also made it hard to adapt: by the time I was able to watch the Second Doctor, I had missed the settling in and he was already settled in, while I wasn't.

The Companions

Jamie and Victoria helped, though I'm sad that their first episodes are missing and so I never got a proper introduction to them (I do read the summaries online of the missing episodes). But I liked Jamie and Victoria almost right away. They were both from points in history instead of modern times: Jamie with his brash and courageous (and yet also gentlemanly) ways and Victoria with her delicate face and demeanor. It was they who helped me soften to the Second Doctor: through first liking his companions, I was also able to like him.

Then Victoria was gone, and we got Zoe instead, and while I missed Victoria, Zoe was a good character and completed the trio nicely. While Victoria was from Victorian times, Zoe is a modern character (since she's from the future): she's young and pretty and yet she's very smart and quick to give her ideas and opinions, too. I love when Zoe is giving complex calculations to the men at UNIT in The Invasion. Her intelligence makes her a good companion to the Doctor: he has someone there who can understand some of the sciencey things he talks about or refers to and can help him make plans.

Jamie, on the other hand, is a fit for the Doctor's courage and willingness to get into the middle of situations. I like the fact that he's uneducated and the show is constantly pointing out that difference between him and Zoe: it somehow makes him more endearing and yet also makes him no less valuable in the Doctor's travels. The Doctor trusts Jamie more than, I think, any previous companion, and they get along as well as the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond. These are two characters that are just meant to be in the same place, and so it was a pleasure to see them interacting on screen. I'm going to miss Jamie just as much as the Second Doctor.

The Doctor

At first I wasn't exactly sure who the Second Doctor was or was supposed to be: he was William Hartnell's replacement, so was he meant to just be like William Hartnell's Doctor, just a little younger and a little more able to move around and be in more scenes? But with time, I became familiar with Patrick Troughton's particular quirks and I think also he became more able to put himself into the character. If the First Doctor is the grandfatherly character, the Second is the avuncular character. This is why he can get a little closer to his companions: there isn't quite so much distance between them. He's the silly uncle who goes around on adventures acting like he knows what he's doing but not fooling anyone (Jamie always makes fun of how he can't control where the TARDIS lands).

He has authority--but he also has vulnerability. He's quick-thinking, but he's not able to save everyone or everything. He gets frustrated when he can't control everything, but I think he never gets too much of a depth of sadness (certainly nothing like the Tenth Doctor does). It's like he's still figuring out the world and his place in it. When he first brought out the Sonic Screwdriver (well, I know the first episodes is missing, but I mean the first time I saw it), I unexpectedly got really happy; it was funny, though, to see the way he uses it. It was more like just a screwdriver before: and that's like he hasn't quite found out all the uses it can have yet. It's a tool he's still getting to know. There is so much he knows but also so much the Second Doctor doesn't know yet.

It's amazing how this happens: I was so reluctant to meet the Second Doctor and now I really like him.

The Future

Can I just say that the last set of episodes, The War Games, were amazing? Everything about them, I loved those episodes, they were wonderful, and I didn't want them to end. That was a really good way to end the Second Doctor's reign. But now I'm hesitant for the future.

Maybe most people would look forward to finally starting the color episodes, but I'm reluctant. Black and white is much more forgiving for mediocre (or dated) sets and effects, and of course it also hides dated color palettes, making things a little more timeless. Color is unforgiving. So I'm not really looking forward to that.

And then now I'm leaving behind the episodes from the sixties to begin on the seventies. I like sixties TV, but the seventies? Weren't the seventies kind of weird? I don't know: it's like I'm expecting the show to get goofier instead of just quirky, and I'm a little afraid of that happening.

And then I have this Third Doctor to get used to, this third actor to replace someone I've grown accustomed to. It's so sad and so hard, every time.

Doctor Gandalf Who?

Even in the realms of fantasy and sic-fi, there are only so many people like him. Some characters have some of his traits, but few have all.

He is the wanderer, the the great one who is doomed to walk forever across the world without stopping for himself. He brings chaos in his wake, but he also rescues so many, saves so many, and keeps even greater negative forces at bay. He walks alone, in the end; yet he also makes friends along the way, friends who begin to understand who he is even if they can only share in part of his adventures. He can fit himself into any situation in any place: he can be regal or rustic, show off his intelligence or feign dim-wittedness, whatever is necessary. He usually thinks he is always right because he usually is right--but because he is so often right and so often great, when he falls he falls all the harder. Yet he can fall right into death and still return to the land of the living.

He is the Grey Pilgrim, Mithrandir; he is Gandalf. He is the Doctor.

Think about it. There are other characters who are outsiders, who pass by just long enough to save a few lives or the town or whatever it may be. There are characters who can be both serious and jolly. But what other characters share so many traits as Gandalf and the Doctor do? I have to keep pondering this: I really can't think of any more.

It is true that Gandalf is not the only wizard in Middle-earth. But the blue wizards are hardly spoken of, Radagast only makes a brief appearance (ha, ha, ha, Sylvester McCoy, who is the wizard doctor), and even Saruman becomes separate from Gandalf when he turns to evil. Saruman can also be like the Master. The Doctor wasn't always alone--and then, later, he finds that he is alone except for the Master, who always has so many evil plans. But perhaps the Doctor has more sentiment than Gandalf does. Gandalf's interest in hobbits is not so unlike the Doctor's interest in his companions, yet the Doctor always feels he has a connection to the Master just because they are all that's left of the Time Lords. Gandalf has no such loyalty to Saruman; he is only interested in keeping Middle-earth safe.

Wow, Doctor Who has really reawakened my character comparisons. But I think it says something that the comparisons are often of very valuable or well-crafted stories. If a story has powerful characters, that story will stick around, as both Doctor Who and The Lord of the Rings have done. These two characters have remained so memorable because they give us hope, not just the hope that the world can be made better but also the hope of living a simple day and enjoying it just for being itself.

The Doctor Is Gone

It's been one of those weeks where I don't know if I've been really busy or just haven't been doing anything at all. Time just keeps on passing and passing.

I'm also a bit sad. Partially. Partially sad. Only sad about one thing: I've finished all of the First Doctor's episodes. 

Although I have the boxed set of the eleven Doctors' action figures, I decided to only remove each one when I started watching each character's episodes. That's why the pictures I posted earlier had the odd collection of the First, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Doctors. (I also keep going back and forth on whether or not to capitalize the numbers--what's the standard?) Who is this Second Doctor? I don't even know what his accessory is, if it's an early sonic screwdriver or something else.

Back to William Hartnell. When I say I've watched all his episodes, I of course mean that I've watched all the ones that are available through Netflix and Hulu--I haven't hunted out audio recordings or anything like that. It is tragic that there are so many missing episodes . . . I always like to watch everything, and this time I literally can't. 

What is strange right now is that the phrase "Classic Doctor Who" always was synonymous with William Hartnell to me. When I watched the new series, there were three (or four, if you count the War Doctor) actors. But when I watched the old episodes, I was always watching William Hartnell. He was the Doctor of "then"--of the past. Having so many decades in between, it really was sometimes as if they were two different shows, or at least the same show within alternate realities. When I first saw the TARDIS in the pilot episode, or the first appearance of the Daleks, it was like seeing something familiar, but also something in a completely different context and atmosphere. 

Everything was the same. A mad man in a box. Time travel to anywhere and any time. But everything was different. Black and white, slower pacing, more historical episodes, a different relationship with the companions (a little more distance, I'd say). Then there is that comparison with Matth Smith. Where the Eleventh Doctor, as they said, is old trying to be young, the First Doctor is younger trying to be important. He is important, smart and quick-thinking and all--but more in the tradition of the daft inventor/professor/scientist. He's like the best of the professor in Journey to the Center of the Earth. 

I really grew quite fond of the First Doctor. That closeness to old traditions, plus the turn of the century outfit, must have added to it. I like his little laughs and the way he admonishes his companions--and the cane. I love a character with a cane. (Mr. Gold, anyone?) He's not "my Doctor:" my first Doctor was Christopher Eccleston and my favorite is David Tennant. But he's the First Doctor. Yes, I found a few of the episodes boring, but I also really enjoyed many of them. (I do tend to be fond of TV from the sixties, as I often mention.) And William Hartnell was a big enough part of my enjoyment that I'm very sad to see him go, as it is always sad to see a Doctor go. Maybe I'll wait a few more days before meeting Patrick Troughton.

The Adventures of Connor & Abby: Part 20

Sometimes time and space reveal amazing things, like four Doctors in the same room (or standing on the same book, as the case may be). 

And sometimes, it all goes one step further, as Connor and Abby found out when they found themselves in the presence of the tenth Doctor. Connor was thrilled; Abby was rather bemused by how thrilled Connor was.

Time for snapshots?

Then behold, along came the eleventh Doctor, as well. Just when Connor thought it couldn't get any better. 

Who Are You?

It is a strange thing to stop watching a TV show on Netflix or Hulu and to begin watching it, episode by episode, as it airs on TV. It is very strange to have to wait in between episodes, and somehow everything new that you see feels all the more new than if you're watching a pile of episodes online. It just feels different.

Season 8 is my first season of Doctor Who that I will be watching on TV, episode by episode. This is it; this is the beginning. Fitting, then, that this season is also the start of a new doctor's reign. Sure, I watched Christopher Eccleston regenerate into David Tennant and David Tennant regenerate into Matt Smith, but Matt Smith regenerating into Peter Capaldi feels so much more permanent. He isn't the next actor that I'll be watching for the coming week's worth of episodes (as it is when you're watching old episodes online); he's going to be the Doctor for I don't know how many years to come. I don't know if it's heartbreaking this time; it's just weird.

Everyone was also expecting this to be a weird transition because we're going from the youngest doctor to a much older actor. But oh, my goodness, the script has all this make so much sense. The Eleventh Doctor was always trying to be young and enjoying being young and pushing away worry. He left the Twelfth Doctor to inherit all of that worry. He carries an enormous burden of time with him. This first episode had such wonderful moments in it, moments that ponder the difference between physical identity and inner identity. What does age mean? What impact does eternity have on individuality? How can you keep one character intact if he is constantly changing? Does he have anything new to give? Anything good?

Besides giving this episode a wonderful steampunk style, the clockwork droids serve as a way to combine the episode's plot with what is happening to the Doctor. His questions about his own identity reflect back and forth to the droids. And the connection to "The Girl in the Fireplace" (which was one of the episodes that helped establish the Tenth Doctor as, in many ways, a tragic figure) also helps us reconnect that sense of tragedy to this doctor. Then there's that scene where he tells the dinosaur that he'll save it and it instantly burns up in flame; that was just the entire show (at its current point) encapsulated in a single moment. The Doctor, believing all can be right in the world and that he can help make it so, but bringing death and destruction in his wake.

Clara's reaction to Peter Capaldi's doctor is not only a smart way of helping the audience get used to a new doctor, but also an intriguing exploration of character. Who is any person? Would we be the same if our consciousness could be put into a different body? What does "the same" even mean? And are we even "the same" all throughout our lives, even if we live in the same body the whole time? These are the types of things I find so compelling about this show and while the time travel, the history, the action, and all of that are all fun, it's this that keeps me most interested. So as a first episode, "Deep Breath" was quite good and definitely has me curious to see more.

An Adventure Beyond a Lifetime

I've been having a good time this week: in preparation for Season 8 beginning on Saturday, BBC America is playing all sorts of Doctor Who material in addition to the episode reruns. So some of what I missed out on by only getting into the show this year is now available to me. One of those sometimes is the docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time, which covers the story of how Doctor Who began.

Certain parts of this story I already knew--but not everything. And even for me, there was much of nostalgia in this movie. When I watched it, I had watched the classic episodes up to "The Web Planet," so I recognized the clips and sets that they showed because most of them were up to this episode. And the way that they introduced the Daleks, with suspense and comments about their silliness, all leading up to their ultimate success as foes. I heard about Daleks years before I ever heard of Doctor Who--that's saying something.

But besides all the excitement at seeing this show begin and seeing reminders of its early days and its greatest successes, as a movie this story offered something rather unique--and just like the show itself. It's tragic the way that William Hartnell is so successful as the Doctor and yet simply cannot, physically, handle the role anymore. It's heartbreaking when he has to leave. But then his words "I don't want to go" echo the Tenth Doctor, and as he is filming his final scene, he sees the Eleventh Doctor on the other side of the TADIS. And we're reminded of the cyclical nature of the show and of everything. Sadness must precede a new dawn, and every person's role, however important, must end and a new person's role begin. It's the story of Doctor Who and it's the story of life.

The story of Verity Lambert was inspiring and the story of a show's success was sweet, but best of all in An Adventure in Space and Time was the sense of a moment in time setting the stage for and overlapping over every future moment in time. There is joy, there is tragedy, there is hope, and there is life. I really enjoyed this movie.

Gifts from the Doctor

That title sounds funny if you're not thinking of Doctor Who, doesn't it? But ever since I started watching, the phrase "the doctor" only reminds me of one character. Of course, the gifts I refer to come not specifically from the Doctor, but almost. The Hillywood Show has been shipping out the gift packages that went with donations to their Doctor Who Parody fund. Mine arrived this week.

I had kind of forgotten what my package included. I have an autographed photo, a thank you note (handwritten on the back), and a new wristband (I still have my thinner, white one from years ago). I think I have six autographed pictures now? Time to get another frame--and also time to watch the parody again:

What's more exciting is that these gifts come right before Season 8 of Doctor Who begins airing next week. This is the first time I'll be watching the episodes as they come out. I'm so very glad that they air on the same day in the U.S. as in the U.K. 

Doctor Who Again

Click here for my initial thoughts on Doctor Who.

Really, I was watching the classic Doctor Who episodes. I was enjoying them; some were pretty good. But some were less good, and I got stuck in The Web Planet. Those episodes just seemed to keep going and going, and I was really starting to miss the newer series--so I stopped on the classic episodes and jumped back to 2005, running all through to 2013 again. It was like I had my time machine, eh?

It's always a test of how much you like something (or what it is about it that you like) to rewatch it. I found myself more resigned to things I didn't like (like some of the creatures), paying more attention to an anticipating my favorite moments or lines. Oh, and I've come to really like River Song now that I know more of her story; it just makes her easier to understand when you know more about her. So it was a wonderfully fun time to go back and watch the dear old episodes a second time. And then I got to the final one, "The Time of the Doctor."

I always liked Matt Smith's second coat more than the tweed: it's longer and more Victorian in its shape. But then this time, I started wondering about it. I thought maybe they gave him a longer coat to go more with David Tennant's long coat to prepare for "The Day of the Doctor." And then came the second part of "The Time of the Doctor," when the Doctor ages and starts using a cane--and I realized that they were making him look like William Hartnell. The Eleventh Doctor circled around to be like the First Doctor. And I became nostalgic for those 60's episodes and I missed the First Doctor. And that was lovely.

Now I'm sort of stuck again. I'm going to continue where I left off in the classic episodes, but Season 8 is going to start in one month. Will I watch both simultaneously? Or will I let the classic episodes wait again? I feel like I must quickly watch everything, but there is so much to go through after fifty years of one show--and I suppose if I've waited this long to begin, I can wait a little longer to finish. The time machine called Netflix will let me visit those old moments again whenever I want. 

Doctor Who Parody

Let's see, how long did it take for everything to go full circle? Was it four months? Four months from when The Hillywood Show announced they would be parodying Doctor Who and I decided it was time I started watching the show to the release of their video--it felt like a long time to wait, but maybe it was all a rather quick process, after all. In five months, I've gone from being one of the group who were confused about what Doctor Who was really about to being a bit of a fan. And now, today, the long-awaited parody came out. It was worth the wait.

On the third view, it struck me that what this video is about is, essentially, what the show is all about. In under five minutes (not including credits), Hillywood has packed in so much. They really know how to successfully enter a new world and capture its tone. I have already mentioned that I am thrilled that they chose the tenth doctor, but we don't just see one companion. Rose, Martha, and Donna all feature, in an homage to the tradition of companions who all come and go but all are important. The rather large cast of creatures and villains represents that aspect of the show. Then there are the quick changes in emotional range, all wrapped up in a single song. We see the tragic moments with Rose and also the lighthearted moments with Donna. That's how the show is: it gives us fun and comedy and it also gives us tragedy and sadness. That's one of the things that makes it good. 

I already felt certain that Hilly was playing the Doctor, and she was wonderful, as always. I wasn't, however, expecting Hannah as Donna. Perhaps I was surprised because, when they revealed that the tenth doctor would be the focus, they also revealed Bad Wolf Bay, which made me think of Rose. I always thought Hannah might play Rose. But she was a fantastic Donna. Along with Mrs. Lovett and Alice, I think Donna has turned into one of my favorite of Hannah's roles. 

If the parody was missing something, it may have been England. The sets are limited to Bad Wolf Bay and the TARDIS, inside and out--because I think that's all that they could do. And even that was quite a bit. The TARDIS, how wonderful. I was expecting the outside, but the inside, too? Lovely. And the Daleks. There were Daleks. Two of them. How did they manage to get those? Even K-9 had a cameo. And, of course, all of this is in addition to all the wonderful creature costumes. Have they ever included so many special costumes? They really put everything into this one video.

And because we all enjoy behind the scenes so much, in addition to the 50 minutes of Behind the Scenes, there is a second, 20 minute video with even more footage. Hillywood fans, we're getting spoiled. (Maybe not since it was about a six month wait since the last video. It's okay, though, we'll wait.)

The old Hillywood episodes used to center around time travel through the DeLorean; it seems only fitting that they should return to time travel once again. I wonder if, perhaps, in the future, the TARDIS might take over a similar role to the DeLorean's. What a grand old time it all is. 

Doctor Who? Doctor Hilly?

A ripple within a timeline creates another ripple than will later return back to the grasp of the first ripple. 

So it was that after The Hillywood Show announced that their next parody would be based around Doctor Who, I decided that it was time to listen to everyone and watch the show. So it was that while they were busy raising funds and getting into pre-production and filming, I became a bit of a fan of the show, watching the new series and then starting in on the classic episodes. And then, while I am in the middle of black and white episodes with William Hartnell, along comes the teaser trailer for Doctor Who Parody. 

Life is a curious thing, fraught as it is with such tender emotions and then with such wailing of excitement over something so small and insignificant. But the coming of this parody, that is me coming full circle. The very reason that I first got into this show that I am now enjoying is finally coming to fulfillment. And as every Hillywood fan will attest, their videos are nothing like insignificant to us.

I am very much excited to find a cloudy beach scene in the teaser; it is a location that can be none other than Bad Wolf Bay. And those shoes and pants can belong to no other but the tenth doctor. I am utterly pleased by both of these facts. I was selfishly hoping to see my favorite doctor in the parody and it seems that, in fact, I will. But we are left with the question of casting, since the teaser's view goes no higher than the knee. I suspect, however, that Hilly will be playing the doctor. Doesn't it just look like that could be her? And I've long thought that Hannah would be well-suited to play Rose, if Rose is in the video. Was I perhaps right in both casting guesses?

As far as how the rest of the parody will go, I really have no idea. Bad Wolf Bay is such a sad place, and while Hillywood never disrespects the original material, they do have to lighten things up--so how will that happen? And will there be other locations, as well? Probably, but how many? I am reminded of one last point: didn't they already do a good job on the teaser? It's lovely. It's so short and simple, but it gives us so much that we want to see, so much that plays on our emotions and our memories. I can't wait until the video comes out later this month. 

The Doctor in Disguise

As many people say and as I believe is true, one of the reasons for the successful longevity of Doctor Who is the way that the Doctor, and the show with him, is able to regenerate again and again. I could write so many spin-off topics based around this concept; for now I will start with the most ridiculous, and boring, of them.

I did a character comparison of the Doctor and Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie. Now we will go for something more direct. I'd like to explain why Willy Wonka could be a missing version (or future version?) of the Doctor. Incredibly boring and obvious, right? But I can't help it.

I was explaining to someone the other day why I do like Willy Wonka in the movie (Gene Wilder, not Johnny Depp). He has a cane and wears a hat and a long coat and acts crazy. The Doctor's also crazy, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not but always in a good way. And he tends to have a significant fashion accessory. David Tennant, right away, asked for a long coat. Matt Smith has the bow tie--and sometimes the fez. I haven't even watched him yet, but I already know that Tom Baker was the one with the scarf. Crazy, signature fashion items. I love it. That's how I like to be sometimes. Hello, here I am with my green shoes or my dinosaur necklace or, yes, a hat. Or worse, green tights.

It all sounds so simple to describe. But either character isn't just about throwing in odd clothes and behavior: it all has to come together in a certain way. Willy Wonka spins his cane around and uses it in important moments, like when he introduces himself to the crowd and pretends to have lost his grip on it or when he forms a barrier out of it when letting the group into the chocolate waterfall room. The tenth doctor's coat is designed to have the perfect shape for all the running scenes, so it's never just a bulky, oversized garment; as something that could easily obscure a person, it never does. You see what I mean? The specific brand of craziness must go with the specific clothing or accessory selections. If I wore a wide-brimmed hat, it would swallow me and I would look awkward. But if I throw on my green heels, purple tights, a gray dress, and my T-Rex necklace, I just look like crazy me.

Never to obscure but to enhance must always be the outfit.

(And, yes, I did go on a bit of a tangent inside a tangent. I had intended to go over things like how the Oompa Loompas are probably just aliens that the Doctor has helped out and how he has the best chocolate recipes because he gets them from the future and he also traveled in time in order to make sure that Charlie Bucket would get one of the Golden Tickets and such.)

The Adventures of Connor & Abby: Part 19

You know, sometimes worlds collide. Although it technically involves time travel, I wouldn't call Primeval a time travel show. But I was just thinking that perhaps, since the ARC team deal with anomalies through time, they might perhaps cross paths with the Doctor at some point. Maybe their observations lead them to find the TARDIS traveling through time? Let's send Connor and Abby to investigate. 

An example of one of the reasons why, years ago, I had to at least look up Doctor Who to find out what was the deal with different actors as the Doctor and subsequently find out what regeneration was, was because I saw people in YouTube comments nominating Andrew Lee Potts (Connor) for the next doctor. Now that I've met the Doctor, I heartily agree. So let's imagine what that would be like . . . 

Ah, travels through space and time.

March Favorites

1) The Lord of the Rings Elven Leaf Brooch - Do you know for how long I've been fascinated with leaf jewelry because of this brooch? Do you know for how long the idea of having the actual piece from Weta was simply a fantasy? At long, long last, I have this beautiful brooch in my possession, complete with its little bag made of the same wool material as the cloaks in the movie. Although, naturally, I prefer the brooch as a pin, it comes with a silver chain so that you can also wear it as a necklace--which does make it easier to wear more often.

2) Grantham Breakfast Blend Tea - It isn't that I'm obsessed with Downton Abbey; it's just that, once I started collecting the show's teas, I couldn't stop. My latest addition is a blend of black tea and ginger. The label suggests adding milk, and I do find that I like it better with a splash of almond to mellow out the ginger some. I do, however, generally like it more as an afternoon or mid-morning tea than as a breakfast one.

3) Bracelets - Now that Spring is here and I'm in short sleeves much of the time, I'm trying to remember to adorn my wrists. My handy bracelet holder is an old copper candlestick I didn't have any other use for. You can see some of my beaded bracelets, green and brown leather, wooden, and the Hillywood Show one on top.

4) Doctor Who - I shouldn't be allowed to investigate anymore franchises. I really shouldn't. I don't know how much more capacity I have: every time I get into something, I have to really get into it. I made my way through the new seasons; now I'm on the classic episodes. I seem to have acquired two books, one DVD, and too many packs of Jammie Dodgers (I had never even heard of these before, then I saw them at World Market just at the time when I was watching Matt Smith's doctor bring them into the script at every turn).

5) Antonio Melani Vest - I wear a vest now. Vests are cool. No, you know I've liked vests for a long time; it's just that the vest I have, while it's the best I was able to find for a long time, has a looser fit than what I ideally wanted (probably because it's a size big). So imagine my joy at casually finding a size 0, black, Antonio Melani vest on the sale rack. Perfection. Side note: I am always amused that my two favorite Dillard's brands are Antonio Melani and Chelsea & Violent (M.S.S.P is also good)--and I frequently wear them together. I've worn this vest, for instance, over my green lace dress.

6) Cholula Hot Sauce - There was a time when I was eating tortilla chips and hot sauce every day. I would just crave the flavors and never want to stop; it was good snacking for moving through classwork.  Now I have rediscovered why this hot sauce was my favorite. Valentino and Tabasco and everything else, they just don't taste the same. To each their own.

7) Antonio Melani Flip-Flops - I've resigned myself to getting a new pair of medium-quality, plain sandals for daily use during the warmer months (aka. about half the year). Starfish aren't my favorite, but the gold color is neutral and I found these on sale a few months ago when last summer was winding down, so they work.

8) The Illustrated Jane Eyre - I stalked this copy of one of my two favorite books (the other being The Lord of the Rings, of course) for a while, trying to decide whether or not I liked Dame Darcy's illustrations. Now I suppose I've decided that I find their gothic turbulence compelling and partially fascinating, whether or not I like the style. You don't have to know whether or not you like something to like looking at it, right? And it had been a while since I'd picked up another edition of Jane Eyre.

9) Tocca Florence Soap - Since Florence is my choice of Tocca perfumes, I also ended up with the Tocca Florence soap at some point. Its leafy, golden wrapping is beautiful, as is the mermaid design on the soap mold. While the scent is more perfumey than the perfume itself, the soap is so silky soft and smooth that I think I do forgive it.

10) Tootsie Fruit Rolls - I turned away from these in the Christmas aisle a couple months ago, so I couldn't resist them again among the Easter candies. You don't usually see the fruit version of Tootsie Rolls, and yet I find them such an interesting candy. Vanilla is the best flavor, then cherry. Even orange, lime, and lemon are nice. They all have the perfect blend of artificial flavorings that they just taste like whimsy and nostalgia. These and Smarties are like the best candies ever. I'm so strange.

Jeannie the Doctor

Spring, March in particular, always seems to be the time when I discover new shows. I might watch a new show at any time during the year, but it's always at this time that I find the ones I get absorbed into. This year it's been Doctor Who, last year it was Once Upon a Time, the year before it was Primeval, then Harry Potter (which isn't a TV show, but watching all the movies as a sequence is sort of like watching a show), and in 2010 it was I Dream of Jeannie.

While I was watching Doctor Who, I found myself comparing certain elements to I Dream of Jeannie. All of this varies greatly depending on which doctor or which companion is on the screen at the moment. But let me go through the general idea.

Jeannie lives in and sometimes even travels in her bottle, which has become a symbol of her character and of the show, just like the TARDIS. (For the record, I prefer the bottle: though the TARDIS is great, it's just so blue.) Jeannie is magical; though the Doctor is not, he does have magical-like characteristics because he is "clever," uses science from another world, and regenerates every so often. Likewise, they're both off-kilter from the rest of (our) society. They dress different, they talk different, they get bored by everyday life.

Jeannie has Tony, whom she is always trying to awe and amaze with gifts and travel. The Doctor acts similarly around his companions ("No one is around to see me being clever"); he likes to show off the universe to them. The big difference, of course, is that Jeannie is trying to woo Major Nelson, while any extra feelings that come about between the Doctor and one of his companions are never planned--or entirely wanted. But when a relationship does develop, in either show, it is very sweet--despite the fact that it, in a way, goes against the entire show. People still complain that Jeannie and Major Nelson were married in the last season (I don't), and the Doctor and Rose could only be together with the plot-invention of a clone and a parallel universe.

Both shows, I think, win in their mixture of the regular world and the sci-fi/fantasy world. We see regular things and places, but we also adventure into history and either magic or space. The horizons grow, and the characters are constantly trying to keep a fix on reality and to keep everything organized.

The Doctor Lives

The most important thing I have learned from finally watching Doctor Who is that, as I had suspected, it is, after all, nothing like my beloved Primeval--though the two sound similar in summary, their dynamics are completely different.

And, ha, ha, no, that is not really the most important thing I have gotten out of the experience. It's quite shameful, really, that I drifted through nine years of this franchise in one month. But I couldn't help it. In Season 1 (2005, that is), I felt lukewarm at first; by the end I was getting drawn in. And then along came David Tennant and I was completely absorbed by the show and never wanted to stop watching. So, yes, I can say that I am becoming, at long last, a bit of a fan of this show, this show that people have been telling me for a while now that I should watch. It's just that it's difficult to jump into something that you know is so iconic: you know there are so many opinions about it already and so it's hard to just sit and casually watch. But you know what I've found so nice about Doctor Who is everything that, as a whole, it offers. It has comedy, drama, adventure, mystery, fantasy. If you're ever not the fondest of a particular character (or even a particular doctor) or plot element, you know that this is only one element.

Now we will commence on the inclusion of, possibly, some spoilers up to the current episode, The Time of the Doctor.

What I think bothered me most about the first couple of episodes was the attitude toward humanity. I may be a pessimist in some things, but I choose to be an optimist in others, and so I don't like to dwell on negative perspectives. I was bothered by what I thought was just humanity-bashing. But then that changed, and I realized it was just one particular moment. The perspective changed to admiration of humanity's diligence, perseverance, and hope. And I liked that.

Has anything else in existence ever used time travel so well as Doctor Who? This show creates a wonderful spiral of cause and effect, then and now, moments both endless and forever over. And then, of course, time travel gives the opportunity to go anywhere, to do anything. There are historical episodes and sci-fi episodes, psychological and adventurous. The possibilities are endless. So here is what I mean about the show "as a whole." Maybe I didn't care too much for the Agatha Christie episode because I'm not a mystery person. But I loved all the drama in episodes like "Journey's End."

Which brings me to the next point. The Doctor, the Doctor, it's all about the Doctor. The Doctor is a great creation, ever so much better than any superhero. He becomes representative about so much of what society considers. He saves, he regrets, he forms friendships, he is fascinated by everything, he is excited to explore everything, he loves overcoming danger. And he is an exploration of identity: with every new actor, he becomes a new person while still staying himself. Even though it's heartbreaking every time he changes, it's such an interesting exploration of personality, habits, and such.

Before I ever even began watching, David Tennant was bound to be my favorite doctor. That was just always inevitable. He plays that ridiculous comedy that reminds me of Henry Higgins (in the play version of Pygmalion that I saw a few years ago), and yet he is also dramatic and hopelessly tragic like John Keats or someone like that. The energy plus the expression of sorrow, both in one character; love it. And he wears a long coat.

Because I liked the tenth doctor, I also really liked him with Rose--thank goodness for the way they at least gave them the "Journey's End" conclusion. I was so happy to see Rose reappear . . . When Matt Smith came along, he played more straight comedy. So for his episodes, the dramatic side went more to Amy and Rory, and their story is also concluded nicely. I used to think Walter Hartright from The Woman in White was the sweetest, most gentlemanly, steadfast, good, and honest male character in fiction. Rory, who always stood by Amy's side, reminds me quite a bit of him. Especially today, when fiction likes to explore the gray areas of a character, it's nice to simply see a good person portrayed.

It's ridiculous to try and react to nine years in one post. It would have been better to post about each season, but I was too busy watching, you see? Let me just say that "The Day of the Doctor" was one of the best things ever, not least because David Tennant was in it but also because it had that winning mix of comedy, drama, nostalgia, hope, and mixed timelines.

Through Netflix, Hulu Plus (I hate Hulu Plus, by the way), iTunes, and one DVD, I have managed to watch all of these newer episodes. Everyone told me I could start with the new series, instead of trying to start with the old episodes first, and it did seem much easier to start with the new ones. But I usually like to start at the beginning, and it feels so strange now to have started in the middle. So I will have to keep my temporary Hulu Plus subscription (yes, I am unhappy about this) and muddle back and forth between Hulu and Netflix, watching and watching and trying not to be driven crazy by the missing episodes. I wonder how long it will take me?

(Oh, yes, and thank you to The Hillywood Show for announcing that your next parody subject will be Doctor Who, as that announcement was what finally drove me to start watching.)

Funding Hillywood's Latest

Ah, yes, it has happened again. The Hillywood Show is planning to parody something that I have not yet seen. The trouble is, I haven't known where to start with Doctor Who. People tell me I can start with the newest series, but I usually like to start at the very beginning and work my way forward when investigating a new franchise/show. I think, though, that maybe I will go ahead and start with the new series soon, aye? I must prepare for the parody.

But that isn't the only way we must prepare for this parody. As Hillyfans know, The Hillywood Show was receiving funding from producers for a time, but they are, at least for now, no longer receiving those funds. And yet here we, the audience, are, quietly expecting the same level of quality we are accustomed to. The solution? Another GoFundMe, this time for Doctor Who Parody.

As they have done before, you can receive rewards for donating certain amounts. But, really, it's all about everyone giving what they can to help continue the show we all love. What, after all, would my YouTube be without The Hillywood Show? As of now, they're about a third of the way toward their goal; will you help them reach it?

(Oh, and I know a chocolate review was due today. It will come soon, although I may do a different sort of post tomorrow.)