The man at the bar

[Kat]

Originally posted by Peter Murray:
The Doctor looks human, but isn't. Gallifreyans have two hearts and various other differences from Earth's humans, most of which were probably just convenient for a particular story. In the US TV movie, they said that the Doctor was half-human *ack* *sptt* which sounds too Star Trekky to fit the character.

The Doctor IS half human. It is hinted at that he change speices and - in Sliver Nemisis - it is said that he is more than just a Time Lord. He could be from anywhere.

"Now the question is, where is the photo from?"

I'd say Enlightenment or Castrvovala but I haven't watched any Peter Davidson Dr. Whos for a while now.

I know just a little bit too much about Dr. Who for someone my age...

[edited to fix quote tag. --kli]

[Peter Murray]

It's too long since I've seen Silver Nemesis to remember what it says. But the Doctor is more than an average Time Lord - he was made their President, though he chose to flee Gallifrey instead of serve.

I'm fairly sure from fans' reaction to the US TV movie that the Doctor hadn't previously been described as half-human. He'd always been a refugee from his own planet, since the first episode (when he was discovered living on Earth). That doesn't work so well if he's partly from Earth.

[Kat]

Don't forget, the writers didn't know what they had got for the first couple of serise so there will be minor discripencies in the character of the Doctor also Gallifey wasn't even named as his home planet until, ummm, Jon Pertwee... I think. It was just called the 'home planet' so it wasn't like the writers new where he was from except he was an alien.

[fred22]

Gigo Stephen King not Steven King

Sorry I have not posted in a while....
I just finished a book by Stephen King! It's called THE REGULATORS... (not approved for kids 12 and under, my oppinion) I'm 13 now! Celebrated my birthday! Anyway that was random in a non-random way! Dr.WHo eh? Well I think that he still is human. Mabye DD wanted him to represent how we can find hope in the darkest of places...?

[alla]

Well, as I am currently going through a phase where I am <STRIKE>obsessed</STRIKE> slightly interested with Doctor Who and now that I know what the fifth Doctor looks like, I reread the scence in HW where he shows up - and couldn't stop giggling for like five minutes. It just seems so like him. Hehe. *huggles DD* Its awesome!

Well, now that I've seen a few more Doctor Who episodes I'm starting to read the books. They only take about an hour to get through and I'm reading 'The Deadly Assassin' at the moment. I've just read past the part where the other Time Lords are going over a little about the Doctor when he was younger, and... hold on, I'll go and get the book. *flips through, trying to find the spot* Wow, this isn't it, but there is a reference to one of the other books in it. Hmm... here it is, went right past it...

He remembered his youth on Gallifrey, the long years of training to fit him for the place on the High Council that seemed his unavoidable destiny. He remembered the steadily growing build up of anger and frustration in his own mind at the never-ending ceremonials and elaborately costumed rituals... A final crisis had provoked rebellion. He had "borrowed" the TARDIS and fled through Time and Space.

Hmm.. You guys probably know more about what happened than I do, as my knowledge of it is limited to what I have seen in the past three or so weeks.

Alla

Random thought that I just had: The Doctor didn't have his companions with him when he ran into Dairine? ... lol Or is it that they're just not mentioned?

Another addon: This is probably less likely, but another one of the Doctor Who stories that I have been reading is The Ribos Operation and something that came up at the beginning is the shortening of Romana's name - to Fred. *shrugs* I'm probably reading too much Doctor Who...

[Peter Murray]

A final crisis had provoked rebellion. He had "borrowed" the TARDIS and fled through Time and Space.

That was before the first ever episode. As for his youth... in Unearthly Child, that first episode, he's an old white-haired man, whose granddaughter is followed home by two of her teachers, who discover there's something very odd going on (she lives in a police box!). The Doctor reveals they're from another planet and time, and that they're hiding out on Earth, and now they have to go on the run again. (November 23, 1963 was when that episode was first shown.)

The Doctor didn't have his companions with him when he ran into Dairine?

Oh, they've probably split up to explore this interesting place. And to make the cameo a little less obvious. "Dairine blinked at the woman, who had a very strong Australian accent, and was wearing a purple airline stewardess' uniform. Was this woman a wizard like Nita? How else could she have got there?" <<-- Doctor Who fanfic and therefore safe to read.

This is probably less likely, but another one of the Doctor Who stories that I have been reading is The Ribos Operation and something that came up at the beginning is the shortening of Romana's name - to Fred.

I don't seem to have any references handy, but I'm fairly sure that was from the 20th anniversary series, which would put it in 1983, the year that SYWTBAW was first published. It'd have to be coincidence.

And, for people who aren't <STRIKE>obssessed</STRIKE> slightly interested in the series, I'd better point out that the Australian woman isn't meant to be Alla, but Tegan Jovanka, played by Janet Fielding, who was one of the Doctor's companions during Peter Davison's time on the series.

[Fox]

Peter Davison's

is'ant he the one out of meet the Braithwaits seen on UK tv about 1 year ago? I think he is in a current series called the last detective? It would be super cool if the kids meet the doctor again. I loved that last series on BBC1 and I think this guy is not going to live up to that other guys standard, its a shame he left! The BBC were idiots not to have him on a contract where he had to do another 2 if they wanted! well we will find out next year if this new guys any good then.
Fox

[Peter Murray]

Yes, Peter Davison was Mr Braithwaite, and now he's "Dangerous" Davies (haven't seen any of the Last Detective though). If you saw the repeats of the TV Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, he was the Dish of the Day in the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, too.

Well, given that the Doctor... uh, ended the series in the way that he did, maybe the BBC were happy for him to do just one series.

[Kathy Li]

I still have great difficulty understanding how anybody could entrust a T.A.R.D.I.S to Tristan Farnon, feckless lad that he was. And I gotta say, I'm hoping Season 2 kicks up a multiple-Doctor episode at some point...

[Kat]

Davidson also played Dr. Steven Barker in A Very Perculiar Practice - a British Black comady - which means he has played a vet, the Doctor, a Docotr and recently a surgon so maybe he likes playing Doctors?
As for Romana being called Fred - this was mentioned way back, or in another topic, by me.
The Ribos Operation was the first in the Key To Time which were Baker stories which places it in ummm, 1979. Pre 80's credits, Mary Tamm as Romana and Douglas Adams in pre-Hitchhikers fame.
Im very annoyed at Eccelston deserting the show. He was wonderful, fantastic even. Definatly the best since Trougton. And like Tom Baker, he is soooooo going to reget leaving. Still, at least Billie Piper is staying for a while as is John Barrowman.

[Peter Murray]

Ok, it must have been the 15th anniversary series then - good point, by 1983 Peter Davison had taken over. 1978-9 instead.

And before Doctor Who, or even A Very Peculiar Practice, I gather Davison was in the TV series The Tomorrow People about telepathic, teleporting mutants in contact with alien races. This led to stories with space- and/or time-travel, though not necessarily during his time on the series.

[Kat]

Originally posted by Peter Murray:

Well, given that the Doctor... uh, ended the series in the way that he did, maybe the BBC were happy for him to do just one series.

As far as I know with my vast Whovian knowledge (well, I at least know more than any of you lot anyway) Russell Davis thought that Dr. Who would get slated by the critics and hated by the viewers. He even came up with a whole load of reasons for re-making it just in case. Becuase of this when Eccleston said he was only doing one seaons, it didn't matter. (although as the only thing that ITV could come up with to go against Dr. Who was Celebraity Wrestling (I have really not made this up), the viewing figures were higher than anyone expected) As it turned out, Tennant has known for six months that he was taking over the role and has found it very hard not to tell people. I think it's only as the serise was so popular that they reget not putting him inder contract. Ecclestonm has desterted the fans and that is somthing no actor - no matter how good - should do.

[Peter Murray]

I read the Radio Times article where Davies admitted that before the first episode was even shown, he'd already had his excuses at hand for why the ratings were so bad. Then, of course, he didn't need any excuses: the series got good ratings. (About the same figures as 15-20 years ago in fact - they weren't good then, when there were only four TV channels to choose from, but now the BBC is impressed with them.)

I gather Celebrity Wrestling got dumped after three episodes, due to its bad ratings. I never watched it, so I've no idea what it was like.

One problem with Eccleston leaving the series is that the news of that was never really announced - it was leaked somehow and then mishandled by the BBC's Publicity Office, without anything that Eccleston might have had to say about it. If he didn't have a commitment to the BBC, and was offered other work, I can see why he'd want to take it.

(Are you ever going to ask Lee to change your username to <STRIKE>Angua</STRIKE> Earwen? )

[Fox]

WOW this converstation has gone on who ages nice to know. So who was the person playing the dead Doctor was that Ecclestonm? PM did you say that he's been offered other jobs? God I miss TV, being at Uni has stoped my TV viewing and the only way to find out whats going on is to talk to other people! haha like yourselfs.

So with Doctor Who being a hit again any chance of DD puting it into the Next book? Mind you if you read her blog she is still reading that Halk website thing which i have to say is quite funny.

Out of topic question for PM : I remember you saying you use Firefox and I do too now (For the last 3/4 months) and they have a new thing called 'Live bookmark' it allows the user to see any recent articles on blogs or pages. Do you think that might work on DD's blog, i have the same type of blog and I managed it on mine but its not Showing on DD's. Not asking for an answer but your thoughts would be nice PM as you know alot more than me about this sort of thing.

Thanks Fox

[Peter Murray]

Christopher Eccleston was the most recent Doctor, yes. I don't know if he was offered other work or not, I just meant that if Doctor Who wasn't promising him any security I can see that he'd be looking for other work.

I saw your question on Out of Ambit. DD had a similar question in the previous item's comments - I don't know if that would help you. I do use Firefox (and two other browsers) but I don't use the Live bookmark thing, so I don't know.