THE TV EDIT: DOCTOR WHO
The first time I remember sitting down on a comfy couch and being entertained by a certain Time Lord was waaaay back in 2006... I believe; It could have been 2007. Anyway, it was a while ago. I had just come back from a hard day at work school when my sister from another mister, Rachael, invited me to join her in watching an old episode of Doctor Who (starring Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor if I remember correctly) she had to analyse for her Media Studies class. Now, had I known that that was the kind of homework I'd be set if I had chosen Media Studies as one of my A-Levels, my parents may not have had a chemical engineering graduate for a daughter. Anyway, when I sat down with her and she pressed play, we both got sucked into the world of Doctor Who one funny and/or scary episode at a time.
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I am by no means a massive fan of DW as I've only really seen Christopher Eccleston's and David Tennant's take on the Doctor. I, sadly, could not bring myself to continue watching the show after I found out that David Tennant will no longer be the Doctor as I felt somewhat betrayed - Heey! Don't judge me or my teenage self! This decision is totally justified...ahem. But I do like the show nonetheless. So, when I learnt that Season 8 Episode 1 of Doctor Who was to be shown at the Cornerhouse on the 23rd of August with a live Q&A session after it, nostalgia coaxed me into buying a ticket which ended up being one of the best decision I've made.
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Now, I am no stranger to going to the cinema by myself. I was not expecting to bump into an old friend or make a new one. All I wanted was to be wow'd by Steven Moffat's recent project. Having never seen the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) regenerate into the 11th (Matt Smith) nor watched any adventures the 11th Doctor had been in, which means I have also not seen the 11th Doctor regenerate into the 12th (Peter Capaldi), I was not sure what to expect. Chatting to the most charming & friendly 6' 4" guy I've ever met and his lovely & funny daughter was definitely not what I was expecting. All I did was turn round to him and asked, 'Can you still see the screen? I'm not blocking you am I?' when I sat in the seat in front of him. To which he replied with a smile, 'You're not that huge dear. I'm 6' 4", I can see just fine'. And that was the beginning of a 2 hr long friendship. He laughed heartily at my reason for not continuing to watch Doctor Who after David Tennant's reign and I giggled at his daughter cringing over the fact she could not take her dad anywhere because apparently, during the most anti-social of activities, he still seems to be able to start and hold engaging conversations with anyone; I for one admire that quality about him.
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Past Doctors of Doctor Who // Photo Credit: BBC
For the benefit of those that have never heard of this show before I will give you a brief blurb about it: Doctor Who is about a man who is not a man that travels in space, hopping across timelines with an ever changing face and trusty companions to help people anyway they can in a unique & iconic blue box called The Tardis. It was first aired in 1963 and ran until 1989. Then it was brought back to our 21st Century screens in 2005 by Russel T Davies (Wizards vs Aliens; Torchwood; The Sarah Jane Adventures) and his team where we were privy to the adventures of the 9th Doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston (Thor: The Dark World; Heroes; The Others), and his companions. Since then 3 more Doctors have graced our screens and it is the 3rd's adventures that makes up Season 8. Yep, I do believe I am happy with that summary.
'So, what were your thoughts on Season 8 Episode 1 of Doctor Who?' I barely hear you ask. I actually, unsurprisingly, quite liked it. Hilarious. Emotional. Intriguing. Confusing. These are but a few words I'd use to describe the episode, Deep Breath. You would not expect any less from Steven Moffat (Sherlock; Jekyll; Coupling) would you? Although this was Peter Capaldi's 1st time appearing on-screen as the Doctor (but not his 1st time on the show), there was something quite familiar about him. His mannerisms and accent were echoes of Doctors past which made the whole regeneration thing quite believable. It was quite sad and at times funny, watching him and his friends wait desperately for his mind to catch up with the present. And in this episode, I was introduced to the stubborn and loyal Clara Oswald; the determined and direct Madame Vastra; the caring and personable Jenny Flint and; the potentially formidable Strax. Four characters I definitely want to know more about. They were played by Jenna Coleman (Captain America: The First Avenger; Death Comes to Pemberley; Emmerdale), Neve McIntosh (Single Father; Bodies), Catrin Stewart (Stella; Frail; Misfits) and Dan Starkey (Wizards Vs Aliens; The Sarah Jane Adventures) respectively. Watching the Q&A session definitely did answer a few of the questions I had and also gave us a bit more insight into how the episode came to be which was quite cool. All in all, it was a good reintroduction to a show I left behind years ago.
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At the end of the Q&A session with Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Steven Moffat and everyone in the theatre got up to leave, the charming & friendly 6' 4" guy opened his arms wide and hugged me goodbye which caused his lovely & funny daughter to shake her head in embarrassment and say, with a smile similar to his, 'I am so sorry for putting you through this. I should have left him at home'. When we left the theatre, I waved goodbye to my new friends and walked home with a whopping big smile on my face as I was shown yet another small act of kindness in the same theatre.
And now, I am dabbling in a bit of time travel myself as I delve into the past of the Doctor, whilst keeping up with the present, to have a better understanding of him, his friends and the show in general. If you are in the UK, Doctor Who can be found on BBC One at 7.30pm on Saturdays. And if you've missed any episodes, you can always catch up on BBC iplayer.
Tell me, are you a big Doctor Who fan?
Mo x