Doctor Who

[Ally]

I like the guy.

He's one year my senior, and we were at the National Youth Theatre together a few years ago when the late and great Ed Wilson was at the helm of operations. I fondly recall the lavish praise Matt heaped upon my end-of-course performance at St. Aloysius College in Islington. I was, of course, equally impressed by his portrayal of the ill-starred Archbishop in Murder in the Cathedral a few months later, and told him so.

So I'd ask you, please, to give this undeserving jammy phuckwit a chance before casting aspersions in the direction of his latest work-related engagement.

Cheers,

Ben

No. I mean really why should we? He's your age and you knew him and think he's swell. None of those reasons are any that I or anyone but you should give a damn about.

We are talking about the fact that he's supposed to be playing an ancient, powerful being and he looks like he'd get carded to buy cigarettes. Combined with the writers preachy tendencies there's very little chance I am going to find his incarnation to be anything other than insufferable.

[Robert]

Steve, would you agree that Who started to lose its way in the Tom Baker era? Nothing wrong with Baker - he was great. But there began an increasing tendency to substitute pop science gobbledegook for mystery and wonder. The first episodes had the teachers amazed that something could be bigger on the inside than on the outside. Now it's "No problem, I'll just fix the time and space dimensional transducer, attach it to the corridor of infinity, rejig the interstellar quantum atomiser and we'll be home in time for tea." It's all rather glib.

[Ben]

He's your age and you knew him and think he's swell. None of those reasons are any that I or anyone but you should give a damn about.

Quite so.

In all honesty, I do share some of your concerns about his suitability for the role, and my toungue was firmly in my cheek when I wrote that last sentence.

Cheers,
Ben

P.S. It should have been ME!

[Sam Flynn]

P.S. It should have been ME!

Too tall, Ben... even for a Tardis

[Ben]

I guess I'll have to stick to that obvious made-for-me role in Jack and the Beanstalk again, then, Gareth.

Just a pity the beanstalk is a non-speaking role!

[KatBradshaw]

Wasn't Christopher Ecclestone quite tall?

[Ally]

Quite so.

P.S. It should have been ME!

Nah you don't really want all that fame and adulation and money. Those kinds of things cheapen a person tremendously. Besides, I have a feeling your boy is going to end up wishing he'd never taken the role.

If you don't fit a role, you shouldn't take it, no matter how bloody brilliant of an actor you are. Here's what I see happening now: either they change the Doctor character completely to make it suit him or he's going to end up not suiting the Doctor. Either way, he'll be slaughtered by fans.

[Robert]

Ben, I think if you do Jack And The Beans Talk you'll get a few lines.

[JTRSickert]

Anyone know when next season starts?

[Ben]

Ben, I think if you do Jack And The Beans Talk you'll get a few lines.

In which case, Robert, I'll open a can of them now and get practicing for my chorus role!

[Phil Carter]

In which case, Robert, I'll open a can of them now and get practicing for my chorus role!

Ben,

Don't forget the "Oh no he didn't!!!!!" bits... essential to all talking beans that respond to a call..

best wishes

Phil

[Robert]

Don't eat too many of those beans, Ben.

"Behind you!"

[Steve Thoroughgood]

Steve, would you agree that Who started to lose its way in the Tom Baker era? Nothing wrong with Baker - he was great. But there began an increasing tendency to substitute pop science gobbledegook for mystery and wonder. The first episodes had the teachers amazed that something could be bigger on the inside than on the outside. Now it's "No problem, I'll just fix the time and space dimensional transducer, attach it to the corridor of infinity, rejig the interstellar quantum atomiser and we'll be home in time for tea." It's all rather glib.

I entirely agree with you, Robert. However, I believe that Tom Baker's tenure as the Doctor perfectly reflected the direction television (in general) was going at that time; the decade in which the perceived elements of mystery, magic and imagination were all but removed in favour of action and 'brush-off' explanations. Compare Pertwee's era with other childrens' sci-fi fare during the early part of the decade and you'll find that all follow a similar vein. Examples from the top of my head include 'Jamie' and the vastly superior ITV offering, 'Timeslip'.

By the end of Baker's reign, there was little or no human interest left in the programme.

Steve

[JTRSickert]

Now that the Doctor is in his 11th incarnation, does that mean he only has 2 lives left? I think I read that a Time Lord has 13 lives altogether.

Although, the Master has found ways around that rule multiple times, so the Doctor could also just go on and on and on and on.

[Gman992]

Actually they were thinking a making a Doctor Who spin-off featuring Mr. Jago and his doctor friend, but it didn't pan out. BTW...Talons? One of my all-time favorite Doctor Who's.