The Parfit Gentil Knight, His Squire, the Squire's Lady and The Evil Taskmaster Big Brown Charles

The Parfit Gentil Knight, His Squire, the Squire's Lady and The Evil Taskmaster Big Brown Charles

Lady Amanda had fleeced her Fine Flouncy Curls and returned to her Blonde Boyish Bob.  The Parfait Gentile Knight was busy Becoming a dragon and eating (no Smaug no) with Princes. He was beginning to get bored and the whole empire knew what happened the last time he got bored.  His hair grew longer and curlier as his patience worn thinner and sharper. His faithful squire who had been beside him for many of his adventures was away doing some private work for a consultant of the empire.   The squire had but one more task to finish, this time for his overlord.  There was a small squabble between the pair of lifelong friends over this assignment when their unthinking, overbearing, taskmaster, the Big Brown Charles, decided that they would both fence against the Best fencers in the world for a championship.  But in the final round if it came to a match between The Knight and his Squire it would be declared a draw. More importantly, no one would be named champion.  If BBC decided, this it would happen.  He was their overlord and more importantly the person who could decide their life, as far as it goes.  He decided whether they got jobs, how much they got paid, when they worked, even whether they could take jobs outside his little empire.  When the day of the big fencing match came, people came from all over the world and from outside the kingdom to see the squire and the knight.  After all the fuss the taskmaster had made it seemed the Kingdom was not that big and the world was plenty big enough for two World class Fencers.  In fact the Squire and the Knight each had a different approach to fencing.  One brought a more disciplined approach and one was looser and free flowing.  One was more agile and one more ridged and inclined to stick to the set rules.  In the end, it did not matter.  Both went out and conquered the world and brought back so many riches that the taskmaster Big Brown Charles relented on his threats that they would never work in his kingdom again.  He allowed them to quickly continue their travels as a Knight and squire errant, solving the puzzles of the Kingdom and never again threatened to separate the pair.

Spoilers, Sweeties!

Finally! We have anniversary goodies from the Beebs!  Since it's almost time to air the the episode it's about time.  Two trailers, yeah!  I swear I see Jenny.  I think I heard River Song.  I at least saw her bracelet (which was Jack's).  We have the return of Bad Wolf.  Also a looming big red button and marching Time Lords.  My only question is why are they staring at ten to the hour?  That's just odd.  Maybe that's a brit thing, I don't know.  The original episode aired at 5:15pm (tea time, you know).  But if by some miracle of modern science you haven't seen the latest trailers, here are the  short one the long one and Elizabeth's credential's.  Have fun and Allons-y! (Guess which Doctor I like?!)

What ever happened to Susan?

So I've been buying up Doctor Who DVD's from Amazon like they were going out of style.  I swear I'm keeping the economy going.  I  must be over 70.  My latest purchase was Dalek Invasion of Earth.  I always wanted to know what happened to Susan the granddaughter.  For the most part, even though Doctor Who is non linear wibley wobbley timey wimey, I can understand it.  But Susan is the fly in the ointment.  If she is there, it kind of messes with everything.  The general explanation of her being left behind because she was in love is good but sort of lacks and really screws with time lines.  Prime Directive, Anyone?  According to the cannon of the radio plays she has children and if you follow the books as well and accept that the Doctor is half Time Lord then she is a quarter Time Lord.  Why has he never gone back and visited her?  One of the things I love about the BBC DVD's is the extras.  On my copy of Dalek Invasion of Earth there is a production called What Happen To Susan?  It has a different explanation of where she went.  I don't believe that the BBC actually authorized this although they certainly utilized it.  I thought buying this DVD would clear things up but it only served to make me more confused.  It also cast the Doctor in a sort of bad light.  I wouldn't believe the things said of the Doctor.  Although I thoroughly enjoyed the DVD and expanding my horizons.  I think that is one of the best things about Doctor Who.  It makes you think outside the box that's bigger on the inside.  If the problem can't be solved you just haven't though of it properly.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Trailer

I have a link to the trailer here along with someone's thoughts and someone of my own appear at the bottom.  I will go through this trailer with a fine tooth comb later because I think this is all we are getting until November,  MOFFAT!!!!!!!!

Tumbler Blog Trailer

N.B. The Beebs issued a statement that the trailer contains NO IMAGES from the fiftieth anniversary special.

Is the BBC screwing with us?

Ok, Is it just me?  It seems odd that when new episodes of Doctor Who happen to show up they are much regarded episodes and almost completely intact.  I know the original rumors were that almost all the lost episodes were found.  From almost 100 episodes to 9, that seems odd.  Also that the episodes found were intact episodes.  I am not old enough to remember when previous episodes were recovered but weren't they found in drips and drabs.  The two serials found are key serials.  Web of Fear is one of the most sought after episodes.  Enemy of the World is also one of the most sought after because of the dual role of Patrick Troughton.  Also the BBC didn't release them until they were digitally restored.  That means they had them for quite a while BEFORE they had the press release.  This coincides with the original rumors.  The original rumors said they came from Nigeria which was true.
Here's my theory.  The BBC has all the episodes.  They are digitally restoring them and are going to release them slowly over a long period of time to make as much money as possible off of them.  I think the only reason they released these early was because they couldn't hold off the rumors anymore.
If it's true we'll find out soon enough...

Doctor Who Missing episodes

The Beebs has put rest to the rumors that have been circulating all summer.  Lost episodes have been recovered.  How many and which ones have yet to be revealed.  All the BBC has officially announced is that a "Number" of episodes were recovered and that they will be made available digitally.  Now, since these rumors have been circulating for, oh so long, one wonders if these episodes were held deliberately, either to coincide with the anniversary or to be cleaned up digitally.  Also one wonders if the lost episodes will hold up to the memories of the fans.  I, for one, never saw anything earlier then the "new" Doctor in it's original broadcast so I have no old memories to interfere with.  I started with Tennant and went both forward and backwards from there.  I find the old episodes make me appreciate the new and the new, the old.  No matter how many episodes or what the condition, I will be grateful because it is more than I started with.  Waiting till Thursday's announcement or till I hear the T.A.R.D.I.S. calling....

50th Sneak peeks Doctor Who

I told you so
So this came up on my Twitter.  I dutifully watched through all the video.  In the last, and I mean last minute or two of video, there is a clip on set with David Tennant and Matt Smith.  There is no action just them standing there.  But the clip is in a forest.  Not on a plain in Edinburgh.  Not in the Castle.  Not in any of the photos that we were allowed to see.  I told you that they were filming in secret.  Now all bets are off.

Regenerations #1-11 and What’s in Store for #12:Part 12 The New Guy

Regenerations #1-11 and What’s in Store for #12 A twelve part series on the episodes, serials, and one Movie that surround the most iconic piece of Doctor Who Cannon, The Regeneration and what will be coming for Peter Capaldi

Part 12 The New Guy

So we have a new Doctor in the house.  I haven’t seen any of Peter Capadli‘s work except Doctor Who and Torchwood:COE.  I’m not sure how he will be as The Doctor.  He strikes me as a cross between Chris Ecceslston and Peter Davisdon.  He seems like he will be serious but with a wry sense of humour.  There is one important thing to note though.  Moffat said story ARC.  That implies a set period of time.  I give him one, two years tops.  Then we will be going through this all over again.  It seems we will always be getting our hearts broken with the Doctor.  I think I know why.  He can never belong to us.  Like Martha Jones discovered, he not for us, he’s for the universe.  Rose couldn’t have him either, she only got half, the human half in fact.  The Doctor is more important than we know.  We should be grateful that we have had such wonderful men to play him and be hopeful that we get as much time as possible with him.  After all he’s already in his 13^th incarnation if you count John Hurt’s character as cannon.   And Time Lords only get 12 regenerations!

My FIRST Doctor...

So everyone says you always have a soft spot for your first doctor.  I think I like Doctor Who despite my first doctor. My first episode was the first episode of the new version.  I am too young and too American to have seen the original.  There had been no expectations.  I had watched other modern BBC programming but never a sci-fi.  For some reason there is no vivid recall of a lead up to that first episode. I don’t remember a great advertising campaign, or someone telling me about it. I just remember watching it.  Then suddenly the doctor was a part of my life, as much as if I had grown up watching the original serials on Saturday mornings in Britain. 

Chris Eccleston may be other things but he just will not be remembered as Doctor Who. The only important thing he did was further the plot. He introduced us to Rose and Jack. For that we should be nothing more then grateful but as the doctor he just didn’t impress me. 

Then… REGENERATION

David Tennant will always be my first doctor no matter who I actually laid eyes on in which temporal order, after all this is the doctor. Here was this bright eyed intelligent young old alien, quick witted who had morals and cool adventures every week. Every episode was fast paced and full of these great little puzzles.  The doctor was always there to save the day, but there was a big picture going on too.  American television, with a few exceptions, had been lacking these key ingredients. The good shows had a tendency to either get cancelled or bounced around from night to night.  Every Saturday night, I got to see my doctor, all summer. 

Then Jack got his OWN show, TORCHWOOD.  I made it through the off time between Doctor Who by surviving on this spin-off police procedural.  It was battling aliens every week, X-files but everyone knew what was out there.  Of course, there was that unerringly British inclination to kill someone off every week too, but it keep you guessing.  Who will be the last man standing? (Please, dear god, let it be JACK!)

Five years, I had my wonderful, quirky doctor.  Times were great. Then the clouds started to gather.  Rumors began that David was leaving the show. NOOOO!!!  It couldn’t be true, could it? I not only faced losing my first doctor but would the show even go on without him?  And what about the fate of Torchwood?  Would I lose all my television show at once like a nuclear bomb?

Then REGENERATION…