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The Life of P

Doctor (Blue Box)

With many of the TV shows Kirsten and I have been watching drawing to a close, some earlier than expected due to the writers’ strike, a void has been left. Kirsten is watching Bones which I’ve already seen, so I decided to pick up another show I haven’t been watching. It may surprise some of you to hear that it is Doctor Who. In some ways it seems like prime fodder for me (imaginative cult TV but with a decidedly British wit).

The short version is that I watched the first few episodes when the BBC decided to resurrect it but Eccleston’s interpretation of the good Doctor didn’t really gel with me. Arguably it was his appearance as much as anything. Conversely David Tennant seems like exactly how I would have imagined the role, so I always wanted to jump back in but it never happened.

I convinced Kirsten that since she loved Reaper she would enjoy this too (I think the campy monster link holds at least, and all Doctor Who fans ought to give it a whirl) and we are starting from the beginning with Rose. On second viewing I think I may have been overly harsh on Eccleston although he’s still not what I would have chosen. I may post thoughts about episodes that particularly strike me as we go along.

Meanwhile some people have also tried to see whether I can be tempted into seeing the Sex and the City film. The short answer is “no”. While I could comfortably watch an episode or two with Kirsten (who loves it), it was never a series I really enjoyed as such. The film appears quite evidently to be pure fan service — the equivalent of Serenity for us Firefly fans — and it is no surprise that I don’t know a single straight man who actively harbours any desire to see it, though many will be dragged along by their other halves. In fact the suspension of disbelief really requires being a fan in order to ignore the fact these are aging women (however good they may look for their ages), compared to the ludicrously young models they are supposedly dating. The necessary lack of evolution in the characters will further prevent outsider entry, coupled with the “here’s what you’re watching” narration that was already tired by the end of the series. In fact the only way I can see it drawing a wider  crowd is if the big reveal is that Samantha is a Decepticon. Actually that would explain everything

8 Comments

  1. Mark admitted loving SATC in the office on Friday… grown, successful man; early 50ies, genuinely nice guy – and he stands in the office telling people he definitely wants to see the film, has watched every episode of it before and ALSO adores Desperate Housewives… 😛

    There you go, your expample of a straight man wanting to see the film! 🙂

  2. Fair enough, though the fact you mentioned he “adores Desperate Housewives” completely undermined any semblance of taste he might otherwise have had…

  3. I’ll look forward to lots of comments on those dr who episodes which I will then of course need to go back and re-watch. 😀

  4. P.S. Number eight on google – not bad!

  5. I was wondering how high it would end up, given that my post URLs are based on the title. Number 8 isn’t bad at all! 😀

    I’d like to hear which eps fans would highlight too, sans spoilers of course!

  6. You stole the ending of this post from Penny Arcade didn’t you? Shocking!

    Recommended Doctor Who episodes (ha, in before Shamini):
    -The Empty Child
    -The Doctor Dances
    -The Girl in the Fireplace
    -The Impossible Planet
    -The Satan Pit
    -Doomsday
    -Human Nature
    -The Family of Blood
    -Blink

    Those are probably my favorite ones of the 3 new series.

  7. I did, but it was actually a reference — I forgot to add the link. Fixed now, and well spotted! =d>

    Thanks for the list: I’ll keep an eye out for those as we work our way through.

    “The Girl in the Fireplace” sounds more like a Bones episode title. I’m sure Fifi will agree with me, though I can’t remember whether she reads this…

  8. Damn you Adam. But yeah. 🙂
    Also: Euw. She was a living girl not a skeleton. 🙁

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"Civilization now depends on self-deception. Perhaps it always has."

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