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Doctor Who Omnibus Thread


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Coming to this thread blind because I am *just* about to watch "Into the Dalek", but I met my first Doctor this weekend (Colin Baker). He was super nice, helped steady my friend Mike (who had one leg amputated at the hip and can't stand easily even for a photo) for his photo op and was really warm both for Mike's photo and when I went back to get an auto the next day.

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I always contend that Colin got a shit deal during his season run.

 

How so?

 

I remember his outfit, but that's about it.  Don't think I ever saw any of his ep.

 

He followed Tom Baker and Peter Davison, didn't he?  Were they more popular (I'm guessing Baker was, at least).

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You always get the impression that Colin Baker is a guy who loves to be a former doctor, more than anyone else.

 

Was he the most famous actor to become the Doctor at the time that he became him?

 

I would guess it's Davison, who was a star on All Creatures Great and Small before Doctor Who.

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I got the impression that the biggest asshole in the Colin Baker story was BBC controller Michael Grade, kept relentlessly screwing with the show and complained constantly about the cheap effects, even though he was the one who could have given a bigger effects budget to the show. Every BBC controller has been knighted ... except Michael Grade. Don't mess with the Doctor, he has friends in the Palace.

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He got screwed a number of ways, most of which are now laid at the feet of producer John Nathan-Turner.

 

Also the show was jerked around badly by the BBC at that point.

This.  And he spent a good amout of time being touted as the "Worst Doctor" when he tried his ass off, but the stories weren't that good to begin with.  Add in that he got sacked between seasons solely because Nathan-Turner/Grade didn't like him at all, which lead to Baker being the only Doctor now(since McGann finally got his scene) to not be present for his regeneration scene (McCoy was in a curly blonde wig during the opening teaser of the series premier).  

 

Considering how badly he did get shit on, its a testament to his character that he's so positive about being a former Doctor and is genuniely happy to appear in panels and get togethers and interact with Who Fans, something Eccelson should probably take a lesson from.

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He got screwed a number of ways, most of which are now laid at the feet of producer John Nathan-Turner.

 

Also the show was jerked around badly by the BBC at that point.

This.  And he spent a good amout of time being touted as the "Worst Doctor" when he tried his ass off, but the stories weren't that good to begin with.  Add in that he got sacked between seasons solely because Nathan-Turner/Grade didn't like him at all, which lead to Baker being the only Doctor now(since McGann finally got his scene) to not be present for his regeneration scene (McCoy was in a curly blonde wig during the opening teaser of the series premier).  

 

Considering how badly he did get shit on, its a testament to his character that he's so positive about being a former Doctor and is genuniely happy to appear in panels and get togethers and interact with Who Fans, something Eccelson should probably take a lesson from.

 

 

Eh, why?  From what I've read, Eccleston doesn't want to be too closely associated with the role and seems to have no plans to work the convention circuit.  And..... so what?  He took a role, decided it really wasn't for him, and left after a year.  I realized a long time ago that a lot of roles are just jobs and paychecks to a lot of actors and fans get far more invested in the roles than the actors.  There are plenty of exceptions, of course.  But, honestly, I find the whole convention circuit dynamic bizarre.  I've never had any desire to go to a sci-fi/TV show convention, so I can't really form an accurate opinion on the people who do attend, but personally, I find the idea of living off a role I held briefly 20 or 30 years ago creepy and sad.

 

If an actor portrays a cult character in Dr. Who or Star Trek or whatever and wants to socialize with the fans, great.  I'm sure a lot of actors just enjoy being around the fans and giving back to the show that paid for their house.  I also suspect a lot of actors do conventions and public appearances because they're no longer getting work and need either the adulation or the appearance fee.

 

Eccleston probably could stand to be more gracious towards fans.  But he did the job he was paid to do.  He doesn't have any obligation to the franchise beyond that. 

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I went to Dallas Comicon this year with several friends who had never been to a con. It was the first time I'd seen someone really react poorly to the Walk of Fame area ("well, Ron Glass is mostly retired, so it's okay for him to charge for an autograph, but THESE people are still on TV, so they're just bilking the fans!")

 

I've been congoing for twenty years, and while I only rarely get celeb autographs (I tend to get more from comics creators and novelists, less because they're free and more because those are the people who have impacted me most) it never really struck me as that *weird*. If I could spend my retirement getting $30 for ninety seconds being told how my TV show was an important mother-son bonding experience in the eighties, I'd do it. And I suspect there's probably pressure for most of the still-hot types *not* to make it a free signature (James Gunn was signing for free at Dragoncon, but he also only did 2 90-minute sessions which had "sold out" two hours in advance), because then you're putting peer pressure on the people who actually DO need the money.  I sometimes wonder how much of the really exorbitant pricing (Shatner, Stewart, etc.) is "Fuck you, I'm the biggest name here" and how much is creating a barrier to entry.  I suspect varying levels of both.

 

Anyway, "Into the Dalek."  There were bits of this ep I quite liked, but so far this season is not quite gelling for me. Danny's intro is so ungodly ham handed in its foreshadowing that I don't even know how to respond to it. "Clara has a crush on a new teacher" is fine, but they didn't have to hit us over the head with his war trauma so consistently all at once.

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I went to Dallas Comicon this year with several friends who had never been to a con. It was the first time I'd seen someone really react poorly to the Walk of Fame area ("well, Ron Glass is mostly retired, so it's okay for him to charge for an autograph, but THESE people are still on TV, so they're just bilking the fans!")

 

I've been congoing for twenty years, and while I only rarely get celeb autographs (I tend to get more from comics creators and novelists, less because they're free and more because those are the people who have impacted me most) it never really struck me as that *weird*. If I could spend my retirement getting $30 for ninety seconds being told how my TV show was an important mother-son bonding experience in the eighties, I'd do it. And I suspect there's probably pressure for most of the still-hot types *not* to make it a free signature (James Gunn was signing for free at Dragoncon, but he also only did 2 90-minute sessions which had "sold out" two hours in advance), because then you're putting peer pressure on the people who actually DO need the money.  I sometimes wonder how much of the really exorbitant pricing (Shatner, Stewart, etc.) is "Fuck you, I'm the biggest name here" and how much is creating a barrier to entry.  I suspect varying levels of both.

 

Anyway, "Into the Dalek."  There were bits of this ep I quite liked, but so far this season is not quite gelling for me. Danny's intro is so ungodly ham handed in its foreshadowing that I don't even know how to respond to it. "Clara has a crush on a new teacher" is fine, but they didn't have to hit us over the head with his war trauma so consistently all at once.

 

I still think it's bad writing for Clara to immediately forget her crush on the Doctor. I know they pretty much shut the door on that in the first episode, but I really want to see a more worthwhile resolution other than "I'm not your boyfriend, Clara" and that's it.

 

And no, I don't want to see the wrinkly old Scottish Doctor making out with her.

 

jenna-louise-coleman-gif-1424346036.jpg

 

Excuse me for a minute.

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I liked Into the Dalek much more than Deep Breath. Some kinda messed up moments in this one with the Doctor being somewhat responsible for the one soldier's death.

 

Neat way to bring back "Missy" too.

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I liked Into the Dalek much more than Deep Breath. Some kinda messed up moments in this one with the Doctor being somewhat responsible for the one soldier's death.

 

 

It wasn't so much that he was somewhat responsible for his death, it's that he didn't really seem to care.

 

 

Twelve doesn't like soldiers.

 

It's a shame Nicholas Courtney is no longer with us.  A meeting between the Brigadier and this Doctor would be intriguing.

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029281b6380b73a0c4cb7bb6a8494355_zpsbbb2

 

Does Baker normally look that good (I'm thinking they touched up that photo).  If he really looks like that, he looks great for 80.

 

Although he also looks sorta like a Jim Henson puppet to me.

 

Edit: Sorry about double-posting the ginormous photo.  Fixed now.

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