Classic!Who

[akeyoftime]

Having four teeth removed at all once is very uncomfortable. I think I'll also feel better once the anesthetic has cleared my system. I would like to say though, I am never having my wisdom teeth out again. The operation itself went well, with a few predictable "redhead" complications. (If they were explained to me, I have now forgotten the details.)

Distractions it is, which means time for more fandom talk! I watched "The Five Doctors" and the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie.


I found The Five Doctors on YouTube, and thought it might be a good introduction to the early series. Here are the reactions I had as I was watching and then some beyond.

"I used to be tetchy", says Five, when Teegan takes offense to One's demand that she be a good girl and make tea while the men do the important work. By which Five really means "I'm sorry I used to be a jerk."

Sarah Jane: It's got all that power. What can we do against it?
Three: What I've always done, Sarah-Jane. Improvise.
Apparently, some things never change. This line made me absurdly happy. My only questions about Sarah Jane this episode stem from the lack of awesomeness on her part. Fandom has taught me that she was really fantastic and strong and independent, but it doesn't quite come across here, but there were trying to do a lot in a small space, I suppose.

Three: That's my best enemy.
Oh and he's your only hope (so far as you'll see it) for forgiveness, at the end. You could never guess, Three, where the two of you would end up, and it makes that line that much more loaded.

One seems like he'd be fairly likeable, if you can get past the fact that he's probably a sexist ass (a product of his time, I know). Two kind of grates on my nerves; largely because I strongly dislike the way he looks, but something about him puts me off. Three seems kind of awesome. He manages to be re-assuring to Sarah Jane without being patronizing (my how far you've come, Doctor!) and seems genuinely likeable, even there's probably something darker tucked away under there. Three even has the good sense to tell the Master off when he approaches offering help. Win! I'm not really sure if the Master mean to help (I get the feeling he did, for his own gain of course), but I loved seeing Three at work.

"Like Alice, I try and believe three impossible things before breakfast."
Dear Five,
I have just fallen in love with you. Also, you have now moved on to snarking the Master. More love. Seriously. Heart!
-Katie
ps You are a pretty boy after all, aren't you? No wonder the BBC established a "No touching" rule with your companions, or it would have been Rose all over again.... er, for the first time.

The Cybermen interrupt the Master and Five and the latter tells Teegan to go back, who wins the sensible award for actually listening! Yay Teegan! Dedication is one thing, but really now, there was nothing she could do. I look forward to seeing more of her.

... the Master says he wants to destroy the Time Lords. Even if he doesn't mean it, I'm seeing resonances with the current series again. If it's what you really want, Master, just wait around another four Doctors or so :(

There's the Sarah Jane I've heard so much about! She protests that she can't do something because of vertigo, but as soon as she's reminded of the stakes, she the first one to sign back on, striding out ahead of even the Doctor.

There seems to be a certain suspension of disbelief runing through the entire episode. No one questions these things very hard; where the questions Martha and Rose and Mickey would have asked if pulled off the street? Even knowing the Doctor and knowing that weird things happen around him, they'd still demand to know what was going on.

It's funny to hear One go on and on about "At my age", considering he's the youngest of the lot!

You know, I can't quite blame the Master for wanting the ring and the immortality that goes with it. For all intents and purposes, he *did* come to help and they really did tell him "Stuff it." Then again, maybe he just came for the ring.

The harp with the sheet music painted into the picture is kind of fantastic. We need more musical keys in the world.

*snorts* Fancy pants and Scarecrow. (Note: I have no idea why this made me laugh, but I imagine it's one Doctor describing some of the others.)

Also, I am imagining the Doctors meeting Nine - ohhhhhh god. Bit of a disaster, I think. And they think Five is rude! I think Ten'd do alright in a reunion with his past selves (though relations would probably be very strained with whoever actually pushed the button and thought he'd ended the time war), but the rest would probably find Ten... a little young. A little too exuberant. Ha. Conversely, when confronted with One, Ten'd probably rub the back of his neck and say something to the effect of "Blimey, was I really that pretentious?"

Throw loneraven's girl!Doctor into the mix and hilarity would really ensue!

Why do I have the feeling that Five and Eight would get along well?


The TV Movie... was kind of awful. Aside from one or two moments of Doctorish glee (these shoes...), I really felt like it was a wasted chance at a Who revival. Of course, we might not have had Nine and Ten in the same form had it taken off, so I'm not sorry it didn't take off. But it might have been nice had it actually been good. I think the only other redeeming features of the movie was the gorgeous design of the TARDIS interior (a bit heavy for me, but great for the mood) and our would-be companion's reply to a travel invitation. "You come with me," she says, and I love her for it.

The return of the two humans from dead was incredibly corny. The street punk - Lee, was it? - was also one of the most stereotyped and shallow characters I have seen in a long, long time. More a plot device than a character, really.

Martha the Medical Student and all the associated Doctor jokes seem a little less creative now that I've met Grace. I still think Martha is badass, but sad.

It's hard to reconcile the lightness of the Doctor with what he'll be in his ninth and tenth incarnations. I doubt the time war and the destruction of Gallifrey had even been dreamed of when the TV movie was made, but the jump must have been... off-putting for Classic Who fans in a "Here, have a brand spanking new completely overnight new cannon." Then again, maybe there were rumblings in the Audio Dramas, so that at least the really dedicated fans were not completely surprised.

Oh yes! I wanted to comment on the revelation that the Doctor is half-human. I knew that already, but felt like a ridiculously anti-climatic reveal. Classic fans got a one-liner with awkward timing, whereas for the new fans, there would have been no suspense or shock at all. Also, I am not entirely sure I like it. I am a fan of my Doctor as an alien, not as a half-human. It would, however, explain why his regenerations always seem to go so badly, when Romana seems able to control hers in the finest details.

If I recall correctly, Fox produced this one, which really makes trust them to produce and support good television even less.

Comments

[i-paint-the-sky.livejournal.com]

Yeah, wisdom teeth are fun.

I'll always remember the fact that the day I had them out, the director of a musical I was in had scheduled the song that I had a solo in to be worked on. And she thought I'd actually BE there.

Instead, I was home in bed and quite woozy. Silly director lady.

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

Even if you don't go under full anesthesia, I can't imagine anyone being in a fit state to sing the day of the procedure. I'd be afraid of ripping out my stitches, not to mention in pain. (Unless pain killers with anti-inflammatories are more effective than the narcotics?)

[i-paint-the-sky.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was pretty ridiculous that she thought I would be there, even just watching in the audience. I was up on my feet for the next rehearsal though and figured things out.

I don't think pain killers and anti-inflammatory would be more effective really, especially not T3s which was what I was on.

[thegreenavenger.livejournal.com]

Well, concerning Fox, they DID produced Buffy the Vampire Slayer...

...but, look what they did to Firefly.

Stupid Fox. They're literally fucked up BOTH of my favourite TV shows now. :D

It'd never happen (but with the amount of fanwank at the end of series three you never know) but I still want my Time War feature film / tv-movie with an Eight to Nine regeneration. Cause seriously... that'd be rad. Rad rad.

Also, I'm reading Harry Potter finally. Thought you'd like to know.

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

Okay, points for Buffy. It is not one of my favourite shows ever, but it did some really awesome things too.

There was fanwank? I mean, I know we had some ship wars over Doctor/Rose and Doctor/Martha and that the fangirls are going wild over Doctor/Master and that it maybe wasn't the most awesome episode ever.

A TV-Movie or film about the Time War would be, to quote Nine, Fantastic!

Still hoping Nine makes the Christmas Special. I want Nine to meet Ten! That would be awesome!

I hope you enjoy the book(s)!

[rufas.livejournal.com]

I will say that the 5 doctors is not that good an introduction. I quite like patrick troughton (2) he comes across quite well in the 3 doctors. Though Jon pertwee (3) does do a fantastic doctor. My mum used to fancy Peter Davidson (5). As always doctor who evens out between brilliant episodes and rubbish ones.

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

A good introduction to the early Doctors, then? Though obviously not Four, whom I can only imagine signed on to participate and then had to drop out for one reason or another. I liked this episode better than "Planet of Fire", at any rate, which I am nearly done.

I'll give Two another chance before I rule him out :)

[rufas.livejournal.com]

Interestingly 4 (tom baker) is one of the most popular and had the longest tenure (7 years), he later regeted not participating in the episode. I think it gives a good introduction to the personallity types of the early doctors certainly. For a good episode try Spearhead from Space with Jon Pertwee (3), this is the third doctors debut episode (and the for colour doctor who too).

[rufas.livejournal.com]

some episodes you might want to try include The invasion (2) actually quite a decent episode shame they had to annimate parts of it. And arc in space (4) it has a divinitive speach from tom backer about man kind thats worth watching. Oh and as always try to suspend belief when it comes to special effects, they did have rather a small budget. ;)

[lyore.livejournal.com]

'The Five Doctors' is the only classic who I've seen, and is responsible for my firm belief that I would love Five.

One of these days I shall watch more Five and confirm/disprove this hypothesis.

(Actually, I have very fuzzy memories of seeing the movie when I was a kid, but not enough to form any judgments on the plot/characters/redeeming features. I do vaguely remember the inside of the TARDIS though *g*)

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

Perhaps we could organize something and watch some Five more or less concurrently? I really love discussing episodes properly, but I don't have many Whovians on my flist and even fewer who have seen much of the Classic series.

I've seen most of "Planet of Fire", which is a Five episode, but he doesn't come across as especially interesting in it, maybe because they're busy introducing a new companion (Peri, who can scream louder than you) and writing out an old one (a ginger kid, like Ten really wanted to be :P).

[beth-d.livejournal.com]

I coulda sung an opera after my wisdom teeth were removed. But about a week later, I got this thing called dry socket. It's the worst thing ever (you'll know if you get it, because it's the worst thing ever). And it kinda went downhill from there.

Are you bruised like crazy because you're a ginger kid? that's the worst, eh?

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

My surgeon explained all about dry socket and actually put me on medication to reduce the risk from 24% to 2%, so despite my total lack of appetite and crazy swelling (ginger kid!), I am getting meals down so I can take the meds and hopefully skip the dry socket part of proceedings. I am sorry to hear you had it, though, because this is uncomfortable enough even without a round two.

I do bruise like crazy! I always have mystery bruises on my arms and legs because I am clumsy/dozy and ginger.

[beth-d.livejournal.com]

I was talking to my dental surgeon right before he removed my teeth, and he was saying about how ginger kids were the toughest to do because they get all bruised up just by looking at them. It was hilarious, and that was how I knew he was a doctor worth trusting... ginger kids are so funny.

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

I am about to prove my fatigue levels to you. Just wait and see.

... funny LOOKIN'!

[daiisydrops.livejournal.com]

Hey I didn't know where to leave this but I used to be funkifi3d_m3 on your f-list until I dropped off the face of lj for a while. I'm a hufflepuff over at h_e and this is my new lj. I was wondering if I could re-add you on here?

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

If you are inclined to keep me around, by all means!