Welcome to Fantasy Friday everyone. It’s time to Blog For A Beer! (Click here for the rules) Each week we give readers a chance to blog on a science fiction or fantasy-related topic, from comic book movies to favorite authors to which tabletop game is best.
I considered a lot of topics for this week, but knowing how much our readers love Doctor Who, and since the announcement of the new Doctor rocked the fandom a few days ago, I felt I would be remiss if I didn’t give you all a chance to talk about it.
I was not impressed with the choice of Matt Smith, but then I’m becoming disenchanted with Doctor Who in general. That last Christmas episode was a stinker, and you all know my thoughts ont he season finale from last year. And though I was excited when I first heard that Stephen Moffat was taking over as lead writer, I’m now quite worried that every episode is going to be the same Mary Sue-fest that we’ve been treated to since season 2.
I’m pretty doom and gloom about Doctor Who, but not everyone is. Are you excited about the new choice? Who will the new companion be? Will Stephen stop writing fanfiction now that he can write as much as he wants?
I thought the latest Christmas special was pleasant but unimpressive. Not any better or worse, really, than previous years’ Christmas specials.
I’m cautiously optimistic about Matt Smith, and I think it’s much too early for doom and gloom. It will be at least another year before we see Smith as the Doctor, or Steven Moffat as executive producer. I’m still very much enjoying the show, and every interview I read or commentary I hear with Moffat leads to me to suspect my faith in him is not misplaced.
And if any one character on the Doctor Who has been a Mary Sue, I’ve always felt that it was Rose, standing in for Russell T. Davies — or at least the version of him as a young English boy that fell in love with the Doctor — especially in that exceptionally disappointing Season 4 ender. The man could knock them out of the park when he wanted, but I’ll not be sorry to see the last of his unrequited-love, puppy-dog-eyed-Companion stories. I’ve never felt that any of Moffat’s new characters were Mary Sues, if only because a) they’re incredibly compelling characters in very entertaining episodes, and b) their stories don’t upstage the Doctor or take center stage. (Sally Sparrow is obviously an exception to this second point, but that’s more a quirk of the BBC’s production schedule than Moffat’s writing: they need an episode each season where the Doctor hardly appears so he can do double-duty on another, filming at the same time.) Personally, I think Moffat’s episodes are some of the best and hardly fan fiction.
I don’t know if I’ll like the fifth season. But I’m very eager to find out.
I liked both Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. I’m not a rabid fan of the series, I think it’s fun scifi tv on about a Stargate level, and have only seen new series Seasons 1 and 2 thus far.
But what I find sad about this choice is that, according the linked article, it was made in (large?) part based on his being young and therefore good for marketing and merchandising purposes targeting the younger Harry Potter-generation fanbase.
On the plus side for fans, perhaps, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Doctor Who sonic screwdrivers in the toy aisle next Christmas, next to the Matt Smith action figures (with fully posable hair! Press his back for 20 witty sayings. Dalek figures and Remote Control TARDIS sold separately).
And for young girls, there will be Time Travel Barbie and Doctor Who Ken dolls, with the Barbie Dream TARDIS.
I do however like his Flock of Seagulls hair swoop. I’ve been so waiting for that look to come back! Needs a bit more hairspray though…
I’m willing to give Matt Smith the benefit of the doubt. Following David Tennant is tough, and I think the fans are going to be much harder on him than perhaps they should. Rather than assessing him on his own merits, everyone is just going to bemoan the loss of Tennant and wish he’d never quit. So I’m tentatively endorsing Matt. I thought the wild hand gestures he made in that first interview were very Doctorish.
As far as companions go, I’d really enjoy Georgia Moffett (Jenny from “The Doctor’s Daughter”), but I’m definitely not expecting it. We’ll find out soon enough, I suppose.
Fred,
Here’s my case for Moffat and Mary Sues.
1. Mary Sues can be compelling characters, even though most are not. Just look at Hermione from the HP books.
2. Mary Sues do tend to take all the attention from established characters, though. They wouldn’t necessarily take away from the Doctor — after all, the whole point of the Mary Sue is to get all of the Doctor’s attention. So, Girl in the Fireplace? Rose and Mickey QUICKLY marginalized in favor of this blonde chick we have never seen before. And the part where the Doctor abandons Rose on the space station with no hope of getting home (unless he’d taught her how to drive the TARDIS) even though every waking moment of the series up until that point had been about how the Doctor really, really cared for Rose and would go to great lengths to protect her. That was complete Mary Sue bullshit, even if the Mary Sue in question was awesome.
Blink — it’s not just that the Doctor wasn’t much in that episode that made Sally a Mary Sue, it was the fact that everyone loved her/wanted to be with her/thought she was awesome. Also, it’s all down to her to save the Doctor cuz no one else can. Classic MS.
Silence in the Library — Riversong is a future companion who quickly eclipses Donna and, we find out, is so super special and loved by the Doctor that she even knows his real name. She can call him up anytime she likes, not with a phone, but with her MIND. In addition to being super confident and good at everything, she’s brave and selfless. Again, more classic. (This does not take away from the fact that she was and hopefully will be a good character. She’s still a Mary Sue, though.)
Moffat is really good at making Mary Sues. hell, the series he is famous for, Coupling, is 4 seasons of Mary Sue (well, Gary Stu). He’s a talented writer, so even his silly fanfiction is great on some level. But I am tiring of it. If I wanted to watch fanfiction, I would watch Torchwood. and I do.
Randy at 2, right on with the hair. But why not go full-on ginger! And since youth doesn’t seem to be an obstacle anymore, Rupert Grint could use some work once they finish wrapping the HP: Deathly Hollows movie.
Honestly when I heard about they picking a new Doctor, and the buzz started coming out that it could be a woman in the role, I had high hopes for Jessica Hynes of Spaced fame (not that she was in the running, but still). Holy crap! She would have ruled!! I loved that show!
But this Smith character. I dunno. Not that I even follow Dr. Who anymore, but he doesn’t seem right for it. Eccleston had an intensity, a mania about him. Tennant was also along that vein. This kid looks like the sort of guy that would shank you in the schoolyard with a Stanley boxcutter, but lacking of the other charms the Doctor usually employs.
Tom Baker had his scarf and hat, the next guy had celery or something, then the others up until Eccleston had their gimmick. Tennants got the shoes, but what…damn it, it’s the hair. It’s the frakkin’ hair!
Or maybe the freakish “Mac Tonight” jawline. (Go ahead, Google “Mac Tonight”. You know you wanna).
Then come back here and tell me if I wasn’t right.
We have such a long wait that to see Matt as the Doctor that I’m willing to suspend judgment on him (although I am going to track down some of the movies he has been in). He definitely had very Doctor-ish moments in the interviews I’ve seen, so I’m cautiously optimistic.
My larger concern is the new companion. I agree with Fred that the companion with unrequited love should die an inglorious death. What I would really love to see is for the Doctor to have an alien companion. It happened in the old series, and I think Moffat would create some interesting story lines.
The choice of companion largely sets the tone of the season, so that is what I will be focusing on. Once we see the new companion and their relationship to the Doctor we’ll have a good idea of where the show is going. Until that point I’m just going to keep faith in Moffat.
Egads Clint! You nailed it! He even has Mac Tonight hair! Could the marketing they were talking about be a merchandising deal with McDonalds?
I’m psyched. personally, I wanted the guy who played the Marquis De Carabas from Neverwhere (Joseph Paterson I think was his name)…but I knew deep down that the BBC would pull somebody out of their ass at the last minute and “surprise us” like the did with last year’s regeneration.
I am still pissed off about what they did to Donna. But, but, but, I’m very excited about where they go next and what they do. Whole new Doctor means a whole new personality and a whole new set of craziness.
I also liked Matt Smith in Ruby and Smoke (he stole every scene he was in) and so I can’t wait to see what he does with the doctor. Part of the fun is seeing who this generation of the Doctor will be like- will he be dark and doomed and depressed? Will he be crazy, mad, mad and crazy?
Who knows!
I’ve watched this show since I was a kid (Tom Baker reruns on PBS), and it really means a lot to me. So, I’m willing to forgive it the shitty episodes and the annoying stuff that happens from time to time, for the overall awesomeness that exists.
“On the plus side for fans, perhaps, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Doctor Who sonic screwdrivers in the toy aisle next Christmas, next to the Matt Smith action figures (with fully posable hair! Press his back for 20 witty sayings. Dalek figures and Remote Control TARDIS sold separately).”
Dude. You can buy all that stuff (well, minus the posable hair) on amazon. I myself want a sonic screwdriver and psychic paper:
http://tinyurl.com/88a92b
Clint at 5:
“But this Smith character. I dunno. Not that I even follow Dr. Who anymore, but he doesn’t seem right for it. Eccleston had an intensity, a mania about him. Tennant was also along that vein. This kid looks like the sort of guy that would shank you in the schoolyard with a Stanley boxcutter, but lacking of the other charms the Doctor usually employs.”
Are you just going by that picture? If so, you’re crazy. Watch him in the many many BBC tv shows he’s appeared on. The kid is brilliant. And I can easily see him being the Doctor.
Paul – ah, well, there you go. But Amazon is one thing. I’m seeing more like George Lucas Clone Wars level shameless merchandising in every store.
Naw, it won’t happen. Scifi channel has flat out said they’re not picking up the new series, and not enough people get BBCA. So unless CBS or ABC or NBC picks it up (and I doubt it, since they’re more into remaking British shows that showing them) we’re not going to see them in our toy stores.
But if you cross the pond, you’ll see Doctor Who toys EVERYWHERE.
Whoa, wait a minute. Scifi isn’t picking up the next season of Doctor Who?
That’s what I heard- and I’m trying to find out where I heard it…so I could be wrong…
I really hope you’re wrong, but considering some of the questionable programming choices Scifi makes that wouldn’t surprise me too much.
Why in the heck would SciFi blow money on Dr. Who when another sequel to Manticore could be made?
Paul, actually that wasn’t the picture I was going by. IMDB had another one. And yeah, I should give the kid a chance, but I am serious about Jessica Hynes. Not to mention it would have added something to the milieu.
But, now we get another incarnation of the only hip guy in Britain–no matter the era.
Don’t worry Rupert Grint. I see this Doctor lasting as long as the last James Bond.
Also, I fully expect to find the Doctor snowboarding, encountering aliens who use rave music as mind control, and other hip and groovy things to connect wit da youth.
The Doctor’s companion? MacGruff of course, in the vein of K-9, but, you know, he’s hip, he’s cool, the kids REALLY dig him. Really. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbGS2TQ8QSE&feature=related
Or in the vein of Billie Piper (only cooler) — MIA.
I get high like TARDIS, I fly like planes,
If ya catch me on a planet I got visas in my name,
If ya come around here, I make em all day,
I’ll make one out of psychic paper while you wait.
(Repeat)
All I wanna do is
WooOOOo, WoooOOOoo, WooOOOoo, WooOOOoo,
And a
Cha-CHING
and travel in time.
(Repeat)
Dalek shells and bones,
Cybermen and weed and bones,
Runnin when we hit em,
Sonic driver to their system.
No one in the timestream has swagger like us,
Victor of the timewar, travel in the TARDIS,
Daleks reappearing but what’s the big fuss?
Can’t we just destroy them with super space rust?
All I wanna do is
WooOOOo, WoooOOOoo, WooOOOoo, WooOOOoo,
And a
Cha-CHING
and travel in time.
(Repeat)
Hell yeah, Randy! FTW!!!
The coolest Doctor Who inspired remix since the KLF’s “Doctorin’ the Tardis.”
Here’s the video for posterity. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdTELokKfCk
It also illustrated why Daleks are possibly the lamest adversary ever. And have never conquered a planet where the inhabitants use stairs or drive old Fords.
That reminds me of the other reason I am looking forward to Moffat at the reins: he uses different enemies. The weeping angels and Vashda Naradi (sp?) were incredible and I am expecting him to use the Daleks and Cybermen less. We really need a break from those two villains so that when they show up it is actually scary/surprising instead of “Oh, here we go again.”
Randy-
The Beeb has always considered Doctor Who a “family show” (which means targeted at kids, but hoping to draw in moms and dads as well). Take a look at the Doctor Who website on the BBC- they have a bunch of kids (and have had them doing this since the reboot) talking about the “fear factor” of each episode and talking about how scary it is.
So really, it’s always been targetted towards kids. The latest Doctor won’t be much younger than Jenny the Timelord’s dad was when he played the Fifth Doctor back in the day.
Sorry about that rant there. But his age doesn’t seem like such a whoop dee do to me. People complained about Tenant’s age too, and he rocked awesome. Will we probably get an old Doctor Who again? Probably not- he hasn’t gone up in age since Doctor #4- and with Tom Baker and Tenant being considered the best Time Lords, I don’t think he’s going to get old again anytime soon.
Rachel @ 20-
YES YES YES YES! I want more cool new ideas, and less rehashes of the classics. When the rebooted the show, it was said that it was a clean reboot, and that the Time War got rid of all that old stuff (the old enemies, the other Time Lords, etc) and was supposed to give them a clean slate to work with.
And until the Daleks, this was mostly true.
Although I must admit, the Christmas episode with the Cyberking rocked. I mean, giant cyberman mecha in Victorian England versus a hot air balloon? That was cool.
I’ll admit I liked the steampunk version of the cybermen, but that also partly b/c we haven’t seen them in a while.
However, I would like to see them challenge themselves to come up with something new. One of my friends brought up the idea of having a new overarching evil plot, and then surprise surprise it’s something the Doctor has never heard of. How would the Doctor react to something as powerful as the Daleks, but about whom he knows nothing? Knowledge is one of his most powerful tools, and what would happen if we took that away?
These are the kinds of questions I would like to see addressed now that the character and world are firmly established.
You’re completely right- that would be awesome, and I think Moffat would be the one to do it. Like you said before, he hasn’t ever regenerated an old enemy, but has always come up with something cool and new (and they usually span two eps, so it would be cool to see him make one span an entire season…could you imagine something like the two library episodes or Blink spanning an entire season? Oh that would be awesome…)
Oh, I got chills just thinking about it.
Although one caveat- I would love to see them bring the Master back. I love the reboot of the master- the character was just completely psychotic. And did anyone else notice a homoerotic subtext to the two characters (the doctor and the master) in the final showdown?
I would be okay with the Master coming back b/c he hasn’t been in ever single season; it’s been long enough to have the appropriate shock value. Although I have no clue how they could pull that off considering he died, and didn’t the Doctor burn him?
I haven’t watched any of the Doctor Who series reboot, but apparently the new guy grw up half an hour from where I did, so I say yay. Go him.
So, what you guys are telling me is that once again, the SciFi channel is going out of its way to encourage me to NOT get cable?
Clint @19: Classic! I bust a gut near the end when you see the guy’s feet shuffling under the Dalek.
Speaking of Daleks, why is it when they talk they always sound like they’re about to have a hissy fit? Babies.
By the way, has the Doctor ever travelled to Mu Mu land? He is, after all, justified and ancient.
Mu Mu land? I don’t get the reference.
Randy, the best way to find is to ask him a question: What time is love?
To help with Rachel’s question at 31 here’s the YouTube clip of some homegrown video. It might be the Tammy Wynette version too. Bonus! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8TLxa9Icc8
Thanks for the link Clint; I figured it was something I’m just too young to get
If nothing else, my love of Doctor Who is giving me an education in the pop culture of different eras, especially in the UK.
One argument I’ve seen (from other fans, mainly) is that the purpose of casting Matt Smith as an even younger/good-looking [white, male] Doctor is to appeal to fangirls. To which my response is… why does it have to be the Doctor? Why not the companions?
Although companions were originally conceived as viewer-identification figures (back when the title character was a tetchy old guy, and two schoolteachers were the newcomers discovering the universe, and the teenage girl had to be made less alien), the Doctor’s female companions have also often had the reputation of being cast as eye candy “for the dads” — and they, the dads, were probably not meant to identify with their eye candy. However, over the years and given the turnover rate for companions, it’s become pretty much self-evident that the Doctor himself is the viewer-identification figure to many (who aren’t necessarily “the dads”), in no small part because of his privileged position as the narrative’s hero. And, even given the Rose-as-RTD-Mary-Sue argument, the companions’ fates in the new series have hardly been happy ones, and the Doctor’s emo angst and loneliness and general increase of “characterisation” have made him ever more of an object meant for gathering viewer empathy and identification.
But the casting of a younger Doctor hypothetically meant to be more appealing to the idealised [ie, white, superficial, easily condescended-to] fangirl demographic, while putting the Doctor in the eye candy position, also has a distancing effect in terms of identification possibilities. We’re meant to admire and appreciate him, to want him romantically, but — not so much to be him, although the increased youth of the actor in the part also puts him closer to the idealised fangirl demographic in terms of age.
Only white males get to be the Doctor. And, on top of that, we, the actual audience behind the idealised audience, are now (moar tahn evar!) meant to love him, cementing our loyalties to this leading role, which only white males are allowed to play. And to love him based on the most superficial of characteristics, the looks and the gender that mark the role as off-limits to others, so that we still get to identify with the companions, and are only catered to inasmuch as that remains within the bounds of a dynamic as adjuncts to the hero. (It also stands to reason that they’d emphasise those characteristics, as they have progressively rewritten, for the sake of drama and expediency, other attributes that made this particular white male hero figure interesting.)
Stephen Moffat and Matt Smith may turn out to do very interesting things with the part, but I doubt that they’ll undo that dynamic.
Nor do I think that having an old character in a younger body is especially original — it’s been done often, with vampires or Immortals, and was notably done only a couple of years ago with Kyle Schmid in the part of Henry Fitzroy, but he was in the part of the eye candy/sidekick/love interest to a character played by an actress more than ten years older than him (Christina Cox) in the actual leading role of Vicki Nelson.
I watched the Doctor Who confidential last night and in it Moffat said several times that he really didn’t want to go young, but that Matt was the best. What if that’s true? While many of Ide Cyan points would still stand, it would no longer be about the idealized fangirl demographic (of whom I am part, and I must say Matt Smith isn’t that attractive) and more about who can actually do the part, and do it well.
The answer to the question of who can do the part and do it well depends on the criteria that the people casting the part have in mind for it. And how open the audition process is. A dozen actors? as I read it one article — that’s a pretty small sample to choose from.
It’s time to announce a winner. You were all so passionate about this topic! I’m glad
We thought all of your contributions were wonderful, but Ide Cyan @ 34 really struck a cord with us, especially this bit:
Only white males get to be the Doctor. And, on top of that, we, the actual audience behind the idealised audience, are now (moar tahn evar!) meant to love him, cementing our loyalties to this leading role, which only white males are allowed to play. And to love him based on the most superficial of characteristics, the looks and the gender that mark the role as off-limits to others, so that we still get to identify with the companions, and are only catered to inasmuch as that remains within the bounds of a dynamic as adjuncts to the hero.
Lots of food for thought. Congrats, Ide! You’ll get an email soon.
Keep the conversation going!
Wow.
When Matt Smith becomes the Doctor, he will be 27 years old. So much younger! Oh, such a child compared to all the others! Why, the youngest Doctor before him was . . . oh, wait. He was 29.
He’ll be two whole years younger than Peter Davison was, when he took the reins as the Fifth Doctor.
So Matt Smith’s casting is superficial casting based on nothing but his looks? And you can tell that based on–a photograph. Without ever having seen his acting. Talk about superficial.
Fortunately, most people will wait to see what he does with the role before judging him. If he actually is bad–and there’s no reason at all to think that he will be–then he’ll presumably be fired as unceremoniously as the widely-disliked Colin Baker.
Just another tempest in a teapot.
Just another tempest in a teapot.
Haha Melissa, I see what u did thar!
Ooh…some interesting comments. Will be interested to see how the ‘new’ doctor goes, feel best thing to be happy to wait&see.
Have been avidly watching Dr Who since I was three years old (seriously! I can remember watching the first doctor, then all the way through up to when I left home & didn’t have a telly but there were a couple of doctors there that weren’t much chop, so don’t reckon I missed much…until Chris E came along …thought he was brilliant! anyway, my Mum says I loved it!!! Last year I found a vid/dvd of series 1 and watched it again and cannot really see why a 3yo would be so fascinated, but there you go, there’s no working some things out.) Now watch with my 13yo son but my husband doesn’t ‘get it’…
Ooops. sorry so much waffle, just estab. POV as long-time Dr Who interest….
Yes, feel must reserve judgement until see how new boy goes…must say would like to see how Rupert Grint would go in role BUT I WAS DISAPPOINTED to see yet another white/caucasian face…was hoping for maybe Asian face…Indian, Chinese background, perhaps African or Middle-eastern? With a proper Pommie voice ofcourse…though would have to be handled well in writing/direction, maybe another time….
Don’t have problem with doctor being male. Don’t see why the Doctor should regenerate into a female body…nothing wrong with having strong female roles as companions, I always liked Lalla Ward’s character, ‘Ramona’, wasn’t it? Beautiful, serious and seriously intelligent (though am I correct in thinking that she wasn’t actually human, or didn’t come from earth or something? Hmmm….)
K. Tempest @ 37: Wow, thanks! Although, I do not have and cannot use PayPal. I will be looking out for that e-mail.