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[mllelaurel]

This is where I'm very thankful for the abundance of classic Doctor Who episodes, because after I psych myself up to watch End of Days (can't bring myself to do it just yet - Chibnall so close after Tregenna just ain't right) I'll have nothing new in this universe till either March/April, or whenever they start releasing Sarah Jane Adventures, whichever comes first. Hopefully, they'll be smart and give us SJA soon, so as to not have a great big gap.

Comments

[cktraveler.livejournal.com]

Watching the ones I grew up with now, though, sometimes I miss little things -- the sense of humor being much less wry, the pacing being much more variable. It's weird. I think the Tenth actually is my favorite Doctor now.

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

*nods* It's very different. The best of the classic series though, are the ones where the pacing/characterization/etc. stands up to modern viewing. Maybe not 100%, but enough so to count. I've watched a few where that was the case.

[cktraveler.livejournal.com]

Yup -- I noticed that when I was rewatching the Seventh Doctor. "The Happiness Patrol" and "Remembrance of the Daleks" could have been modern episodes with just slightly snappier writing.

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

"Greatest Show in the Galaxy," too, at least judging by the first episode and a half I've seen. And I've heard good things about "Ghost Light" and "Curse of Fenric."

What's amazing is when the early stuff does it. "Genesis of the Daleks," "City of Death" - even as early as "Inferno." There are draggy bits, but things get good enough I forget all about it after a while.

[cktraveler.livejournal.com]

"Greatest Show in the Galaxy" falls apart near the end, not in the sense of being bad but in the sense of making no sense unless you know BBC history. "Ghost Light" is fantastic ... "Curse of Fenric" has one of the greatest moments in all of television history: a nice accidental shot of Sophie Aldred's knickers.

"Genesis" needed editing but the characterization is fantastic. "City of Death" is REALLY up there, too -- great plot, great villain -- though Douglas Adams' reworked version of it was still better. *winks broadly*

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Must brush up on my BBC history, then.

Oooh, knickers!

With "Genesis," I figured the writers were working on the opposite of today's mold. Instead of trimming episodes to fit the amount of time they had, they had to fill six episodes' worth of space. Putting most of the redundant stuff early on was probably a good move.

Reworked version, eh? Do tell!

[cktraveler.livejournal.com]

There's probably a chart somewhere, but I remember that the whole thing is a metaphor (and an unsubtle attack on Michael Grade).

OH yes. I would say "I had a crush on Sophie Aldred when I was growing up," but that would incorrectly imply that it is no longer the case. When I saw her doing the naked-but-covered bit on the cover of those audio books I think a good portion of my brain melted. 6_6

*nods* Some stories got out of hand, like "Seeds of Doom," but I can definitely see them pitching stories based on their complexity and only realizing later that they had to pad it to fill out the schedule.

*grins cryptically* Have you read the non-Hitch-Hiker's Adams books? One of them is a little bit similar to "City of Death" ... just like Life, the Universe, and Everything is rumored to have been a rejected Who script, Adams took the ideas that didn't get used in "City" and did something with them ...

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

Wow, I really am clueless. I have no idea who Michael Grade is.

Guh, Sophie Aldred! Not that I know much about her personally, but I adore Ace, and she played Ace, which is reason enough for me. <3

I've caughts bits of Shada in "Dirk Gently," but haven't come across "City of Death" stuff yet. Which book(s) would the references be in? (Bear in mind that I read Adams' stuff long before I knew DW, so I may have read something and had references go over my head.)

[cktraveler.livejournal.com]

Michael Grade ... I'd hit Wikipedia, as it's kind of complicated. As I understand it, it has to do with the series' shabby treatment imminent cancellation (which is what the episode is ACTUALLY about).

Sophie likes to hang out with the fans after a convention. Since DW she's mostly done kids' television, though she still participates in the fandom; she's posed for the covers of a couple of the novels, read some audio books, and published her own photobook of series memories that's well worth it if you can find it.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency -- the villain's goal is the same as Scaroth's, to travel back in time to prevent the same thing from happening. The Professor is actually the Doctor, complete with the "broken telephone" that allows him to travel in time. Of course, the most brilliant part of Dirk Gently was the Coleridge and Bach material, which obviously didn't appear in "City of Death," and the best bits of "City of Death" (the yuppie art thieves, the villain in timelost shards) didn't appear in Dirk Gently. ^_^

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

Ah, Wikipedia. Wikipedia's my shiny friend. And thanks! GSinG will make much more sense now.

Sophie sounds absolutely lovely! Now I really want to meet her.

Must re-read Dirk Gently's, now that I've seen the episodes. I know. Such a chore, re-reading good books. ^_^

[cktraveler.livejournal.com]

*bows* I am glad to be of assistance, milady.

Oh, me too ... yes ... *kinda gets distracted*

*smiles* It's fascinating to look at all the things Adams wrote and find the common links ... there's a coherent philosophy there, and one I should find the time to write a paper on.

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

If you ever do write that paper, alert me, please, as it's bound to be fascinating.

[yoritomo-reiko.livejournal.com]

Mmm. I liked End of Days. There were a few bits that you kind of rolls your eyes at, but I've watched it a couple of times and it still holds up.

And the ending. Oh my god.

[mllelaurel.livejournal.com]

I maaaaay have been semi-spoiled for the ending. I'm not sure if we're thinking the same thing.