Day 30: When did you become a fan of DW?
Almost a full year ago? It hasn’t been very long, and I was very surprised at how quickly I became obsessed. But there you have it. To be fair, I had known about Doctor Who for a long time, and I’d seen some scatterings of the classic series when I was a kid. But I don’t really count that. So hooray for my first year as a Whovian!!!
Day 29: Favorite Guest Star
John Barrowman. Does he count as a guest star? I believe so. Anyway, I LOVE the dynamic he brings to the show as Jack Harkness and I LOVE how he and David Tennant became best friends on set. I haven’t seen him in Torchwood, mostly because I’ve heard how angsty that show is and I don’t know if I can handle seeing my baby go through loads of angst. But I’m fervently hoping he returns to Doctor Who soon and Moffat continues Jack’s storyline there (he was originally Moffat’s creation anyway).
Day 28: Favorite Gif
Its a tie between this one:
And this one:
Neither need any text to pass along the message, and they’re both some of my favorite scenes of that series. :)
Day 27: Favorite Interview
Nevermind the Buzzcocks, part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQAwdB8OJYw
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn8__FhDWKY&feature=relmfu
and Part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zIywFpgQSs&feature=relmfu
Its not an interview, but I DON’T CARE. Its a Doctor Who themed episode, with David Tennant hosting and Bernard Cribbins and Catherine Tate participating as contestants, and IT IS GLORIOUS. I laugh so hard every time I watch this, and its one of the few “videos,” if you will, of the actors that I continuously keep coming back to.
Other than that, basically every interview in Doctor Who Confidential. I don’t really watch interviews on late-night shows and the like, so those two examples are the best I’ve got. :P
Day 26: Favorite Doctor gadget
No contest. The Timey Wimey Detector. It goes ding when there’s stuff!!! What more do you need?? I wish they’d bring it back, especially since its now a staple of the show that time is less a strict progression of cause to effect and more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff. ;)
Day 24: Favorite Quote
There are so many. One of the great things about this show is that the writers spin out lines like gold. This will almost certainly change later, but right now my favorite quote is (surprise) a Donna quote, from Journey’s End.
“You two were just Timelords, you dumbos! Lacking that little bit of human, that gut instinct that comes hand in hand with planet earth. I can think of ideas you two won’t dream of in a million years. Oh, the universe has been waiting for me!”
This is Donna, who can’t even change a plug, who shouts at the world because no one is listening and doesn’t expect anyone to anyway. Who thinks she’s not worth anything, doesn’t see how amazing she is. Not only is she literally saving reality, she’s finally come to terms with herself and she can see how bloody awesome she is. And she didn’t need to wave a gun to do it. And its not even that her Timelord abilities are what she’s proud of. No, its her human side that makes her happy. Her humanity makes her more than just a Timelord, and it opens her mind to possibilities that have never occured to the Doctor.
Its amazing, to see her so happy and proud of herself and joking in that typical Donna way as if none of this is a big deal….when in fact, it is. And she can’t quite hide her jubilation. I love it. I love Donna.
Day 23: Favorite Doctor Who spin-off
Well, I’m pretty new to Doctor Who in general. I haven’t seen much of the original series, haven’t been exposed to any of the novels, comics, etc. I’ve seen a few scattered scenes from Torchwood and nothing from the Sarah Jane Adventures.
If it can be considered a spin-off (technically, I think it can) then I’ll go with Doctor Who Confidential. And this is keeping in mind that it is no longer airing and I can’t find DVD versions of it, so my exposure to it is limited to what people decide to post online. Still, I’ve seen more of it than any of the other spin-offs, and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen immensely. It brings a whole new dimension to the show to actually hear the cast and crew talk about scenes and characters and what it all means to them as they work the set. I love it.
Day 22: Favorite Friendship
Jack Harkness and The Doctor. Separate they are amazing, but together they are mindblowing. They totally have the “we’ll-give-each-other-shit-because-we-have-the-best-bromance-ever” dynamic down pat. I also love how you just know that nothing will ever change between them. They are comrades, brothers, best friends, partners in crime. There isn’t any drama when Jack meets a new incarnation of the Doctor, because he (Jack) loves and respects the man underneath whatever face/suit he is currently sporting. The same friendship is there, they pick up exactly where they left off, and they will both live for thousands/millions of years! This is a friendship that will span eons. How awesome is that!?
Day 21: Favorite Couple
Man, does this question start fights. There aren’t very many (canon) couples that I didn’t like, except perhaps Mickey and Rose because they were just not compatible at all (And Doctor/Reinette, but that’s a whole different rant). But for mostly everyone else, I was on board full tilt. Doctor/Rose, Mickey/Martha, Jackie/Pete, Amy/Rory, Doctor/River, etc.
One pairing that is probably more interesting than most of the others is The Doctor and River. Their story is just so damn intriguing and essentially brilliant. They complement each other really well, and its nice to see them growing both as individuals and as a committed couple as their relationship progresses.
Also, HUGE shout out to Donna/Lee from Forest of the Dead. Everything about them was adorable and perfect and goddammit I will forever be bitter about that shit ending they had. I mean, really what the fuck.
Day 20: Favorite Writer
Honest to God, its Russel T. Davies. He wrote some of my favorite episodes of series 1-4 (as well as some of my least favorite). The episodes of his that I liked had such charm that those are the ones I inadvertently always go back to in selective rewatches. I know he wrote some pretty atrocious episodes as well, but I like that. He’s more rounded, he makes mistakes, and its always nice to be a fan of someone’s “art” (for lack of a better word) when you know what they produce on a bad day.
A couple special mentions, though:
Matt Jones, who wrote The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit. These two were the best episodes of series 2, in my opinion.
Gareth Roberts, who gave us The Unicorn and the Wasp, The Lodger, and Closing Time…..all episodes I love and adore.
Richard Curtis. To my knowledge, he only wrote Vincent and the Doctor, but my God was that a wonderful episode. Mad props.
Neil Gaiman, author of The Doctor’s Wife. Again, another single-episode writer who blew everyone away with his brilliance. If only guys like him wrote more episodes of Doctor Who.
And of course, I must mention Steven Moffat. I don’t like the guy. I think he’s way too arrogant and full of himself than is beneficial for anyone, and I also think he’s pretty overrated. But, he is a talented writer and I will give credit where credit is due.
Day 19: Least Favorite Actress
Oh man. Do I have to choose? I can’t choose. I literally cannot think of an actress (at least one that’s been around long enough to judge) who I didn’t like. I’ve always applauded Britain for somehow having brilliant actors and actresses (I still don’t understand….is it something in the water?), and all the actresses who have done Doctor Who impressed me. Honestly, I am racking my brain and simply can’t come up with a performance I didn’t like. I’ll have to pass on this one, I guess. Bravo to the women of Doctor Who!!!!!
Day 18: Favorite Actress
Why, helloooo there Alex Kingston. I’m going to be honest, she is why I like River Song. In the hands of any other actress, the way River is written could easily come off as a self-entitled, snooty Mary-Sue character. (And, to be fair, she kind of did anyway in a certain two-parter in series 5. YOU know what I’m talking about) But Kingston is another actress who is very good with facial expressions, and I love how she can smile mysteriously and go to desolation seconds later. River is more a character who’s agency in life has largely been taken away from her, and Kingston does a brilliant job portraying that struggle as she constantly tries to get it back.
Plus, I love the hair. ;)
Day 17: Least Favorite Actor
Gonna have to go with Noel Clark. I know I sang praises for Mickey Smith in an earlier post, and all that still stands. But I think this is another case where the actor’s talent directly influences how the character is received. Generally, I’m able to look past acting fallacies and just focus on the strength of the character, which is why I’m able to adore Mickey Smith and not be a fan of Noel Clark. But I suspect that a lot of fans hate Mickey Smith because of Clark’s rather weak acting.
I mean, do we remember “Ricky” and his little sniff-snarl thing he did to show he was tough? Yes? Good. Let us promptly forget about it.
To be fair, I haven’t seen Clark in any of his other roles, so he might be more impressive there. But judging from his Doctor Who work alone, I can see why his portrayal of Mickey would turn a lot of people away from the character. Which is a damn shame, because Mickey is amazing.
Day 16: Favorite Actor
Whyyyy. I really hate choosing favorites sometimes. But if I absolutely have to pick, it has to be David Tennant. Rarely have I seen an actor devote himself so much to a role as Tennant did, and it showed. He could go from exuberantly happy to miserably depressed within seconds, and do so more in subtle changes of expression than dramatic gestures. He expressed so much in his face alone, even when the camera wasn’t directly on him. His acting was incredibly fluid, and I honestly think his talent is why the 10th Doctor is a favorite for many people. Tennant brought a whole different dimension to the role that was fascinating.
I want to make some special mentions though, because there are some people I just cannot gloss over. Even though their roles were smaller, these actors brought the characters to life in such a way that they stick out amongst all the others throughout the six seasons (series?) that I’ve watched:
1) John Simm (The Master). Sometimes he overacted his part, but when he nailed it….MAN did he nail it!!!
2) Derek Jacobi (Professor YANA/The Master). I love Derek Jacobi on principle. And his flawless transition from good-hearted scientist to deranged psychopath was stunning. I wanted to see more of him as The Master.
3) Bernard Cribbins (Wilfred Mott). The man is amazing. Enough said.
4) Tony Curran (Vincent Van Gogh). His episode was beautiful, and a lot of it was due to Curran’s beautiful rendition of a broken but brilliantly amazing man. He was perfectly cast and I forever take of my hat in respect.
5) James Corden (Craig Owens). He is hilarious, and he and Matt Smith have acting chemistry like WOAH. I’m pretty sure they wrote an additional episode for this character simply because Corden hit it out of the stadium in The Lodger.
This is me. This is what I like. And some of what I don't like. Have fun.
