One Month Away…...
We’re only a month away from the anticipated debut of the new series of Doctor Who on the BBC. When that happens the world of Doctor Who and how we view it, will change forever.
Are you ready?
Like the ultra-fanatical, mega-infinitive, insane fan that I am, I’ve been trying to prepare ever since they announced that Doctor Who was coming back. More specifically, since last October I have been re-watching and re-listening to Doctor Who, in chronological order, from the beginning, one last time, before the new series, the new era and the new order begins. My goal was to get through every television story (including listening to all episodes currently missing from the archives and the original Shada but not Dimensions in Time), almost every Big Finish audio (save a few that are either (in my opinion) crap and/or I don’t consider “canon”) and all three radio serials, from An Unearthly Child to The Next Life before I get chance to watch Rose. I decided early on not to read the original novels that have come out since Survival as part of this marathon, for three reasons. Firstly the original plan was insane enough as it is and adding this would ensure that I would not get to the end in time, secondly I wanted to (and have been for the first time in 15 years) re-reading the Target novelisations instead and three, the books don’t count anyway, so why bother?
I expect to see Rose shortly after its UK transmission (either through a CBC broadcast expected 10 days later or if necessary through other means). With little over a month to go, I don’t think I’m going to make it. I’m currently in the middle of Season 15, and about to watch Underworld next, in all of its never-to-be-repeated CSO glory. Am I going to put off watching Rose until I get all the way through to The Next Life? No. I may be an insane fan, but I am not stupid. However, I do think I am going to get to The Next Life by the time the new series has finished broadcasting in Canada, that way I can head straight into a repeat viewing of the first season of the new series as soon as I’ve finished with the original series stuff. Which completely ignores the fact that I’m likely to re-watch each new series episode I am in possession of about 20 times each anyway before The Partings of the Ways part two is shown in Canada. Which will sort of ruin the whole “Doctor Who from beginning to present” idea of the marathon.
But at least I’ll be prepared. Well, sort of.
Posted by John on Saturday, February 26 at 3:20 pm
5 Comments...
there’s a new show?
Posted by John on 02/26 at 06:37 PM
According to Lalla Ward, no there isn’t.
Posted by Luca on 02/27 at 07:11 AM
I find it consistently amazing at how the “star” of Doctor Who seems to be the show itself. We, as fans, are willing to follow it even though new actors and creative teams are (and always have been) making the show in their own way, their own style. The only other similar franchise that follows this example would be Star Trek (and possibly the James Bond movies, as well…although the original producer’s heirs have been making the last few films, keeping it “in the family”). Imagine if the new Star Wars movies were overseen by someone other than George Lucas (actually, that might not be a bad thing after all!). I just find it interesting (and I say this AS a fan). If producer Russel Davies announced he was writing a new, original series about a time traveler, would anyone be that worked up about it beyond Davies’ own cadre of followers? But he has a love of Doctor Who, and is striving to make this a continuation of the legend, and we are all looking forward to it.
I sincerely hope that it is a success, both creatively and in terms of popularity. I won’t be worried if I don’t like the new Doctor or companion, or even the style of the show… If that happens, I will still wish the new series a long life, for if it survives, there will always be another Doctor and another production team somewhere down the line, and maybe their style will click with me. That is the inherent flexibility in the format of Doctor Who, and I suppose that it why the “name brand” brings fans like me back to it each time.
Posted by David on 02/28 at 09:21 AM
By the way, in another thread you mentioned that you were turned off by the excerpts you read from a book called “Script Doctor.” I’m curious to learn more as I am unfamiliar with that book.
Posted by David on 03/01 at 10:17 AM
Script Doctor is Andrew Cartmel’s diaries of his time as script editor in the series. The excerpts in DWM have actually been interesting, its just that he tends to put down older episodes of Who in comparison to what he did or was trying to do with Doctor Who which I personally found annoying. So I wouldn’t buy it, but supporters of the McCoy era might find the book more to their tast
Posted by Luca on 03/01 at 10:32 AM
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