For those of you who don't know, John Nathan-Turner, the longest serving Doctor Who producer, died on May 1st, 2002 following a brief illness. He was 54.
Villified by some quarters of fandom, worshipped by others, it is undeniable that JNT played a part in Doctor Who's success for nearly 35 years.
Back in 1969, JNT was floor manager on the Space Pirates. This was his first Who credit. He added to it in the Ambassadors of Death, and Colony in Space. Now, contrary to popular belief, the BBC have always rewarded talent and flair. Thus it was that JNT rapidly rose through the ranks during the 1970s, until he became a Production Unit Manager on Dr Who in 1979. The following year, he took over from Graham Williams as Producer.
This is where the Curate's Egg reference comes in. If you are unfamiliar with this reference, the story goes that a young curate was served an egg during a meal that was past its best. Eager not to cause offence, when asked if his egg was off, he replied "Madam, not at all. Parts of it were excellent."
Which sums up JNT's tenure as producer of Doctor Who nicely. On the plus side, he toned down the often over-the-top humour, fought against the constant accusations of violence, and ushered in three very different Doctors. Despite wanting to move on to pastures new, when the BBC insisted year in, year out that he remain on the show, he gave it 100%. On the down side, some of his decisions made Dr Who more like a piece of light entertainment, than a drama series.
He rode the wave of the anti-JNT movement within fandom with a reasonable amount of decorum. And rightly so. Given the recent arguments about certain people being "right" to produce a new series, JNT was that man. He knew the show, probably better than he would have chosen. Every new direction was taken in the belief that it would improve the show's standing. Ironically, as Doctor Who was starting to improve dramatically, with Season 26, the BBC pulled the carpet from under him, axing the show.
Even then, he wasn't deterred, throwing himself whole-heartedly into a variety of Who-related projects both within and outside the BBC. His involvement saw the long-awaited release of the Shada footage, several Dr Who exhibitions, talks with American networks, and the Years series of videotapes. The truth of the matter is that whether you liked or loathed his producership, JNT gave a lot of time and effort to a format others around him thought long-dead. Having been privileged enough to have met him on several occasions, I found him to be personable, and open to the ideas of fans. He LIKED hearing criticism, when delivered in the correct manner. He answered the criticism, giving reasons for certain decisions.
It is rare within the media to find people so open to the people they produce entertainment for. So, on behalf of Doctor Who fans, I'd like to take this opportunity to say Rest In Peace to a man who gave everything he could to the show we all love.
JNT will be sorely missed.
This article was written shortly after the tragic death of JNT. In the wake of Russell T Davies' spectacular new version of Doctor Who, it is easy to forget that without JNT pioneering the post-Survival initiatives of the New Adventures, the BBC Video and Audio lines, and numerous other ventures, there wouldn't have been such a receptive audience. Dr Who's continued existence and success still owes a massive debt to John.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Spiral Mutterings 9: Oh, Borusa! What happened to you?
Remember the intro to Deadly Assassin? "For millennia, the Time Lords of Gallifrey...", yada, yada, yada "the greatest threat they had ever known." Well, in 2003 we won't be swearing in a new President of Gallifrey, but we WILL be celebrating Dr Who's 40th.
How? Will we be going on holiday to episodes we've not had access to before? Will we be attending parties where Uncle Ixzlyr and Aunty Chessene dance drunkenly, before having a huge spat? Possibly.
However, my cynical, post-material eighties, side says no. We will be enjoying the first episode(s) of The New Adventures of Doctor Who, starring Paul McGann (at least in Ep 1), a BBC Production. Simultaneously released a week early elsewhere, British viewers will be amongst the first (i.e second or third) to see the new look to an old favourite. And when the BBC announce that the 26 episode run, that filled the post-News slot on BBC1 Saturday Evening schedules, failed to justify any more series', we will mourn.
But who will have killed Dr Who? The Daleks? The BBC men in suits who will suspend their socks rather than suspend their disbelief? No. Sad to report, the hangman responsible for this noose is...(cue dramatic music)..........FANDOM!
So, why would the fans, who have kept the good Doctor alive these past 13 years, kill off a show they've hankered after for so long? Well, first of all, let me start by saying it wouldn't be deliberate. They would not be setting out to kill off a character that they have been following for nearly 40 years. The way it will happen is this. If the BBC commission a new show for 2003, they will have two aims.
Firstly, they will be wanting to produce a flagship fantasy series that will attract huge audiences who may never have watched Dr Who before, and something that will sell well on Video and DVD worldwide due to its quality.
Secondly, they will want to retain the loyal fan base, as this guarantees a minimum UK audience of about 4 million. However, the two aims are potentially mutually exclusive. If you make a series that is popular with the fans, it will have to conform, and refer to, established continuity. This means in-jokes, sequels, and the following of precedents set in earlier years. This is something that can alienate potential new viewers. It would be like joining Babylon 5, famed for its 5 year story arc, in the middle of season 3, and thinking "What the hell is going on?". By the same token, a Dr Who show that has to explain Time Lords, Gallifrey, UNIT, the Daleks, etc to a new audience will bore the fans, because its all stuff that we know. So a balance would have to be struck.
A good example is the Fox Telemovie of 1996. In the UK, it achieved an audience of 9 million, almost doubling the audience of Survival in 1989. We have to assume that those 4 or so million who tuned in to season 26 were fans, as the show was scheduled against Coronation Street, a show consistently in the top 3 for 30 years! The Movie also garnered good appreciation figures. Now, although it hinted at the Master's rivalry with the Doctor, and mentioned Skaro, it did so without a) confusing the newcomers, and b) constantly referring to the Doctor's previous encounters with his arch-enemy. In the US, it suffered from poor scheduling, and so no series was made. However, fandom was in uproar: the Doctor kissing a companion, the TARDIS containing an Eye of Harmony...it was all wrong!!!
Of course, what fandom forgot was that the nature of Dr Who is that the show is naturally disposed to change, and to new ideas. Remember, the BBC have used Dr Who as testing grounds for many radical technological advances (first show to use CSO, SceneSynch, Quantel, first show to be made exclusively in colour, first show to have a complete story aired online). As for the history, I wonder how today's fans would have reacted at the end of the Tenth Planet, when William Hartnell became Pat Troughton. "Oh, you can't do that! Billy is the Doctor". Until organised fandom (and the fanctions within it) reared its head in the mid-70s, such changes in the show could occur with little negative comment. The media hailed such innovation. Why such animosity to concepts such as the Doctor being half-human? Silver Nemesis hinted at the fact that the Doctor was not "just a Time Lord". And when the Doctor kisses Grace, it is more an expression of joy that he can remember who he is, than any kind of sexual thing (for him, at least).
If a new series does arrive, it should be viewed by fans as being a new era. You can't, in all honesty, look at An Unearthly Child and Survival and say that they are episodes of the same show. OK, the change was a gradual evolution of 26 years, but its now half that time again since Survival aired. I, for one will view the new series as I would have viewed An Unearthly Child in 1963 - as a new show. If I want the Hinchcliffe years, I'll dig out a copy of Ark In Space...if I want the old Master, I'll watch Terror of the Autons. Come on, my fellow fans, if the show comes back, let's give it support. Don't kill the Golden Goose with petty nostalgia....
Written originally in 2002, in the run up to the 40th Anniversary, this piece was still relevant when new Who did take to the air in 2005. However, I think one reason that organised fandom has been more lenient with this revival is down to the writer. Russel T Davies is not only a gifted TV writer, but also a fan. He's one of us. And he's not done too badly - has he?
How? Will we be going on holiday to episodes we've not had access to before? Will we be attending parties where Uncle Ixzlyr and Aunty Chessene dance drunkenly, before having a huge spat? Possibly.
However, my cynical, post-material eighties, side says no. We will be enjoying the first episode(s) of The New Adventures of Doctor Who, starring Paul McGann (at least in Ep 1), a BBC Production. Simultaneously released a week early elsewhere, British viewers will be amongst the first (i.e second or third) to see the new look to an old favourite. And when the BBC announce that the 26 episode run, that filled the post-News slot on BBC1 Saturday Evening schedules, failed to justify any more series', we will mourn.
But who will have killed Dr Who? The Daleks? The BBC men in suits who will suspend their socks rather than suspend their disbelief? No. Sad to report, the hangman responsible for this noose is...(cue dramatic music)..........FANDOM!
So, why would the fans, who have kept the good Doctor alive these past 13 years, kill off a show they've hankered after for so long? Well, first of all, let me start by saying it wouldn't be deliberate. They would not be setting out to kill off a character that they have been following for nearly 40 years. The way it will happen is this. If the BBC commission a new show for 2003, they will have two aims.
Firstly, they will be wanting to produce a flagship fantasy series that will attract huge audiences who may never have watched Dr Who before, and something that will sell well on Video and DVD worldwide due to its quality.
Secondly, they will want to retain the loyal fan base, as this guarantees a minimum UK audience of about 4 million. However, the two aims are potentially mutually exclusive. If you make a series that is popular with the fans, it will have to conform, and refer to, established continuity. This means in-jokes, sequels, and the following of precedents set in earlier years. This is something that can alienate potential new viewers. It would be like joining Babylon 5, famed for its 5 year story arc, in the middle of season 3, and thinking "What the hell is going on?". By the same token, a Dr Who show that has to explain Time Lords, Gallifrey, UNIT, the Daleks, etc to a new audience will bore the fans, because its all stuff that we know. So a balance would have to be struck.
A good example is the Fox Telemovie of 1996. In the UK, it achieved an audience of 9 million, almost doubling the audience of Survival in 1989. We have to assume that those 4 or so million who tuned in to season 26 were fans, as the show was scheduled against Coronation Street, a show consistently in the top 3 for 30 years! The Movie also garnered good appreciation figures. Now, although it hinted at the Master's rivalry with the Doctor, and mentioned Skaro, it did so without a) confusing the newcomers, and b) constantly referring to the Doctor's previous encounters with his arch-enemy. In the US, it suffered from poor scheduling, and so no series was made. However, fandom was in uproar: the Doctor kissing a companion, the TARDIS containing an Eye of Harmony...it was all wrong!!!
Of course, what fandom forgot was that the nature of Dr Who is that the show is naturally disposed to change, and to new ideas. Remember, the BBC have used Dr Who as testing grounds for many radical technological advances (first show to use CSO, SceneSynch, Quantel, first show to be made exclusively in colour, first show to have a complete story aired online). As for the history, I wonder how today's fans would have reacted at the end of the Tenth Planet, when William Hartnell became Pat Troughton. "Oh, you can't do that! Billy is the Doctor". Until organised fandom (and the fanctions within it) reared its head in the mid-70s, such changes in the show could occur with little negative comment. The media hailed such innovation. Why such animosity to concepts such as the Doctor being half-human? Silver Nemesis hinted at the fact that the Doctor was not "just a Time Lord". And when the Doctor kisses Grace, it is more an expression of joy that he can remember who he is, than any kind of sexual thing (for him, at least).
If a new series does arrive, it should be viewed by fans as being a new era. You can't, in all honesty, look at An Unearthly Child and Survival and say that they are episodes of the same show. OK, the change was a gradual evolution of 26 years, but its now half that time again since Survival aired. I, for one will view the new series as I would have viewed An Unearthly Child in 1963 - as a new show. If I want the Hinchcliffe years, I'll dig out a copy of Ark In Space...if I want the old Master, I'll watch Terror of the Autons. Come on, my fellow fans, if the show comes back, let's give it support. Don't kill the Golden Goose with petty nostalgia....
Written originally in 2002, in the run up to the 40th Anniversary, this piece was still relevant when new Who did take to the air in 2005. However, I think one reason that organised fandom has been more lenient with this revival is down to the writer. Russel T Davies is not only a gifted TV writer, but also a fan. He's one of us. And he's not done too badly - has he?
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Spiral Muttering 8: Canon Fodder
One of the great debates that has raged amongst who fans for the past few decades is that of canon. Which stories, or variations of the TV show, count as the core, "The Gospel According To The Doctor", and which stories aren't.
Many of us have tried to answer this over the years, not least was Lance Parkin's HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE. You see, if we can crack "canonical" Who, then we can start piecing together continuity. So here's a few words on those stories which, IMHO, should and shouldn't count as canon. I place some justification alongside each. I don't think this list is exhaustive, nor should it be deemed the definitive guide; its just my view. I'd be interested to hear others.
DOCTOR WHO (TV Series, 1963 - 1989, BBC)
Without a doubt, I would have to say that from An Unearthly Child, through to Survival, every tv episode has to count as canon. Hell, there wouldn't be any other sources, were it not for these. Now, I know that due to the nature of TV production the episodes are full of contradictions and discontinuity, but after 38 years, I think you'll find that some fan somewhere has found a way to reconcile most of these. I would even include Shada, as sufficient material is available to constitute the full story.
DR WHO AND THE DALEKS/DALEKS:INVASION EARTH 2150AD (1965,1966 AARU Films)
These two "blockbuster" movies, to my mind, do not count. For a start, they differ wildly from the tv stories that they re-work. In An Unearthly Child, the Doctor hints at being, if not alien, then from an Earth of the far future whose civilisation has advanced far beyond ours. In the 2 Aaru films, he is most definitely a contemporary eccentric inventor, tampering with a time/space machine in his back yard.
DOCTOR WHO (Novelisations 1964 - 1992)
Although based on the TV stories, I don't think we can count these, either. You see there are too many embellishments to give us strict continuity. If you actually read them in the same order as broadcast, then in An Unearthly Child, the Doctor meets Ian & Barbara in the junkyard, just as he does in the TV story. However, in Doctor Who & The Daleks (or "in an exciting adventure with the Daleks"), he meets them in entirely different circumstances (made necessary by the simple expedient of it being the first novelisation). By the time of McCoy's final two seasons as the Doctor, the novelisations so richly enlarge upon their TV originals that they almost become new stories. So because of these embellishments, and also due to the bulk of the material duplicating that of the TV stories, I'm afraid we should rule out Target novelisations as canon.
THE NEW ADVENTURES/MISSING ADVENTURES (Virgin Publishing 1991 - 1997)
For a period, these were the only new Who out there. Continuing directly from the end of Survival, they led us through new companions, new enemies, and familiar faces, through a whole new set of adventures. The final two New Adventures were even commissioned with the 1996 Telemovie in mind, thus we see the final complete McCoy story in Lungbarrow (and the reason why the TARDIS looks so different in the film), and the first post-movie appearance of the Eighth Doctor in The Dying Days. So for no other reason than the fact that there was nothing else, I think they should count.
COMIC STRIPS (Various publishers, 1965 - ?)
The problem with counting comic strip adventures as canonical, is that the licensing surrounding the likenesses of certain characters meant that that the Doctor was effectively travelling with several sets of companions contemporaneously (wooohooo - word of the week!). Also, if we count the Doctor's comic strip adventures, do we also include the Daleks separate sojourn into that medium, along with the Sontarans, the Autons, etc? OK, in one New Adventure, the Doctor and Bernice meet Abslom Daak, but the adventure stands as well on its own, as it does alongside Abslom's appearances in strip form. Basically, there are too many loose ends to tie up to include comic strips.
THE AUDIO ADVENTURES (1999 - ?, Big Finish Productions)
As the writers of these adventures are very careful with their continuity, I think it is safe to count these as canon (although squeezing the Sixth Doctor & Evelyn in is a tad difficult!). They feature the right cast and characters, and are a welcome addition to the adventures of our favourite Time Lord.
DIMENSIONS IN TIME/CURSE OF THE FATAL DEATH (1993/1999 BBC Children In Need/Comic Relief)
Noooooooooooooooo! Dimensions in Time should be consigned to the Dark Scrolls, buried in Rassilon's Tomb, or be used as a less acceptable alternative to the Mind Probe. Its just too AWFUL to be included. Fatal Death however, is a far better spin-off but should be ruled out. This is entirely down to the fact that it leaves in a position whereby the Doctor is a woman, now besotted with the Master, and on to her final regeneration.....
DOCTOR WHO (Books, BBC 1997 - ?)
For similar reasons as given for the New/Missing Adventures, they have to count. Don't they?
DOCTOR WHO (Telemovie, BBC/Fox 1996)
Love it or hate it, this story is definitely canon. The 7th Doctor regenerates, and becomes the 8th. I'm sure if it is decided in future to dispense with this half-human stuff, a suitable plot device can be found. As for this propensity for kissing companions, I'm sure that can be curbed too.......
SLIPBACK/GHOSTS OF N-SPACE/PESCATONS/PARADISE OF DEATH/DEATH COMES TO TIME (1986/1996/1976/1993/2000 BBC/Argo Records)
All audio, and no major departures from established continuity, these stories (with the exception of The Pescatons) were all written in the absence of televised Who. I would count them.
ANY STAGE PLAY (Seven Keys To Doomsday/Recall:UNIT/Curse of the Daleks/The Ultimate Adventure)
Due mainly to the fact that these stories are inaccessible to most people, I would hesitate to use them as canon (plus the appearance of David Banks, and the other stage Doctors would bring the grand total of regenerations to around 18!). And The Ultimate Adventure has singing in it, too!
DOWNTIME/WARTIME/MINDGAME TRILOGY/AUTON (Various Years, Reeltime Pictures/BBV)
Downtime counts as canon as it appears as a Missing Adventure (see above). However, other spin-off dramas (and I'm tempted to count K-9 & Company in this) seem to me to fall into the same category as comic strips. Whilst they are all very good (or the ones I've seen), I would not classify them as core stories.
THE DARK DIMENSIONS (Adrian Rigelsford/BBC, Unreleased)
As it was never made (I've even heard rumours that it wasn't even written!), no one has access to it, and no one seems to be particularly upset about this, I think it is best left as non-canon.There, I think I have given my canon/non-canon views on every aspect of Who storytelling there is (apart from the organo-crystal datacube release of "Doctor Who - Vengeance of the Voord" - but as that isn't due for release until 4254, it's not really an issue). Hope it gives you food for thought. I'm just off to throw on my atmosphere density jacket, and nip to the local shop on Io for a perigosto stick. Bye for now...
Of course we now have some rather crucial additions to this:
DOCTOR WHO (TV Series, 2005 - ????)
He's Back! And about Time. This is definitely canon, as its Dr Who, back where it belongs, on TV.
TARDIS CUTAWAY (Comic Relief 2005)
Well, of course as it sits directly between The Parting of The Ways, and New Earth, does not introduce any issues, or discrepancies, its Canon.
Of course, its now apparent that habit of kissing companions is going to be around a bit longer yet. 'Course, when its Billie Piper, even a Time Lord's gonna turn his head.
Later....
Many of us have tried to answer this over the years, not least was Lance Parkin's HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE. You see, if we can crack "canonical" Who, then we can start piecing together continuity. So here's a few words on those stories which, IMHO, should and shouldn't count as canon. I place some justification alongside each. I don't think this list is exhaustive, nor should it be deemed the definitive guide; its just my view. I'd be interested to hear others.
DOCTOR WHO (TV Series, 1963 - 1989, BBC)
Without a doubt, I would have to say that from An Unearthly Child, through to Survival, every tv episode has to count as canon. Hell, there wouldn't be any other sources, were it not for these. Now, I know that due to the nature of TV production the episodes are full of contradictions and discontinuity, but after 38 years, I think you'll find that some fan somewhere has found a way to reconcile most of these. I would even include Shada, as sufficient material is available to constitute the full story.
DR WHO AND THE DALEKS/DALEKS:INVASION EARTH 2150AD (1965,1966 AARU Films)
These two "blockbuster" movies, to my mind, do not count. For a start, they differ wildly from the tv stories that they re-work. In An Unearthly Child, the Doctor hints at being, if not alien, then from an Earth of the far future whose civilisation has advanced far beyond ours. In the 2 Aaru films, he is most definitely a contemporary eccentric inventor, tampering with a time/space machine in his back yard.
DOCTOR WHO (Novelisations 1964 - 1992)
Although based on the TV stories, I don't think we can count these, either. You see there are too many embellishments to give us strict continuity. If you actually read them in the same order as broadcast, then in An Unearthly Child, the Doctor meets Ian & Barbara in the junkyard, just as he does in the TV story. However, in Doctor Who & The Daleks (or "in an exciting adventure with the Daleks"), he meets them in entirely different circumstances (made necessary by the simple expedient of it being the first novelisation). By the time of McCoy's final two seasons as the Doctor, the novelisations so richly enlarge upon their TV originals that they almost become new stories. So because of these embellishments, and also due to the bulk of the material duplicating that of the TV stories, I'm afraid we should rule out Target novelisations as canon.
THE NEW ADVENTURES/MISSING ADVENTURES (Virgin Publishing 1991 - 1997)
For a period, these were the only new Who out there. Continuing directly from the end of Survival, they led us through new companions, new enemies, and familiar faces, through a whole new set of adventures. The final two New Adventures were even commissioned with the 1996 Telemovie in mind, thus we see the final complete McCoy story in Lungbarrow (and the reason why the TARDIS looks so different in the film), and the first post-movie appearance of the Eighth Doctor in The Dying Days. So for no other reason than the fact that there was nothing else, I think they should count.
COMIC STRIPS (Various publishers, 1965 - ?)
The problem with counting comic strip adventures as canonical, is that the licensing surrounding the likenesses of certain characters meant that that the Doctor was effectively travelling with several sets of companions contemporaneously (wooohooo - word of the week!). Also, if we count the Doctor's comic strip adventures, do we also include the Daleks separate sojourn into that medium, along with the Sontarans, the Autons, etc? OK, in one New Adventure, the Doctor and Bernice meet Abslom Daak, but the adventure stands as well on its own, as it does alongside Abslom's appearances in strip form. Basically, there are too many loose ends to tie up to include comic strips.
THE AUDIO ADVENTURES (1999 - ?, Big Finish Productions)
As the writers of these adventures are very careful with their continuity, I think it is safe to count these as canon (although squeezing the Sixth Doctor & Evelyn in is a tad difficult!). They feature the right cast and characters, and are a welcome addition to the adventures of our favourite Time Lord.
DIMENSIONS IN TIME/CURSE OF THE FATAL DEATH (1993/1999 BBC Children In Need/Comic Relief)
Noooooooooooooooo! Dimensions in Time should be consigned to the Dark Scrolls, buried in Rassilon's Tomb, or be used as a less acceptable alternative to the Mind Probe. Its just too AWFUL to be included. Fatal Death however, is a far better spin-off but should be ruled out. This is entirely down to the fact that it leaves in a position whereby the Doctor is a woman, now besotted with the Master, and on to her final regeneration.....
DOCTOR WHO (Books, BBC 1997 - ?)
For similar reasons as given for the New/Missing Adventures, they have to count. Don't they?
DOCTOR WHO (Telemovie, BBC/Fox 1996)
Love it or hate it, this story is definitely canon. The 7th Doctor regenerates, and becomes the 8th. I'm sure if it is decided in future to dispense with this half-human stuff, a suitable plot device can be found. As for this propensity for kissing companions, I'm sure that can be curbed too.......
SLIPBACK/GHOSTS OF N-SPACE/PESCATONS/PARADISE OF DEATH/DEATH COMES TO TIME (1986/1996/1976/1993/2000 BBC/Argo Records)
All audio, and no major departures from established continuity, these stories (with the exception of The Pescatons) were all written in the absence of televised Who. I would count them.
ANY STAGE PLAY (Seven Keys To Doomsday/Recall:UNIT/Curse of the Daleks/The Ultimate Adventure)
Due mainly to the fact that these stories are inaccessible to most people, I would hesitate to use them as canon (plus the appearance of David Banks, and the other stage Doctors would bring the grand total of regenerations to around 18!). And The Ultimate Adventure has singing in it, too!
DOWNTIME/WARTIME/MINDGAME TRILOGY/AUTON (Various Years, Reeltime Pictures/BBV)
Downtime counts as canon as it appears as a Missing Adventure (see above). However, other spin-off dramas (and I'm tempted to count K-9 & Company in this) seem to me to fall into the same category as comic strips. Whilst they are all very good (or the ones I've seen), I would not classify them as core stories.
THE DARK DIMENSIONS (Adrian Rigelsford/BBC, Unreleased)
As it was never made (I've even heard rumours that it wasn't even written!), no one has access to it, and no one seems to be particularly upset about this, I think it is best left as non-canon.There, I think I have given my canon/non-canon views on every aspect of Who storytelling there is (apart from the organo-crystal datacube release of "Doctor Who - Vengeance of the Voord" - but as that isn't due for release until 4254, it's not really an issue). Hope it gives you food for thought. I'm just off to throw on my atmosphere density jacket, and nip to the local shop on Io for a perigosto stick. Bye for now...
Of course we now have some rather crucial additions to this:
DOCTOR WHO (TV Series, 2005 - ????)
He's Back! And about Time. This is definitely canon, as its Dr Who, back where it belongs, on TV.
TARDIS CUTAWAY (Comic Relief 2005)
Well, of course as it sits directly between The Parting of The Ways, and New Earth, does not introduce any issues, or discrepancies, its Canon.
Of course, its now apparent that habit of kissing companions is going to be around a bit longer yet. 'Course, when its Billie Piper, even a Time Lord's gonna turn his head.
Later....
Spiral Muttering 7: Marketing the Doctor
When you have followed the exploits of everyone's favourite Timelord as avidly, and for as long as I have, you dream of the day when, in the company of like-minded folk, you can stand and display your complete collection of Dr Who videos, Target novelisations, New Adventures, Big Finish Audios, BBC Novels, and DVD's.
However, amongst the stalwart legions of media folk who bring us these tasty morsels of adventure in the fourth dimension, there are a few "bad eggs". They are to your Doctor Who collection what Borusa was to the Presidency, Davros to the Kaled race, Kelman to the Nerva Beacon. They seek to destroy from within, that which you hold most dear. They could have their own Dr Who adventure - Dr Who and the Marketing Men.
You see, the problem is if you look at a Star Trek fans video collection, all the spines for the Classic series are the same. So are their Next Generation spines. And DS9. And so on....but no such luxury exists for we Whovians. And its a malaise that has affected us for decades.
Target were the first culprits. They started us off with reprints of the early sixties novelisations, with a bold logo in the William Hartnell style.
As a set of three, divorced from the rest of the range, they look quite a nice set. These 3 classics were published in 1973. But by 1974 the rot had set in. The first three were published in January, the 4th in March, and the Sea Devils in August...each with markedly different designs. already, the Dr Who fan's book collection was suffering an identity crisis.
The following year saw a greater descent into madness. Different coloured spines, and full cover illustrations meant the books had a different feel yet again.
By 1976, the logo had at least settled down, keeping the banner from the "Diamond logo". The spines still varied in colour, though. Things carried on in this vein until 1981, when lo and behold - the logo changed again. Now, I could understand having each Doctor's respective logo on the novelisations of their era, but this was not the case.
I guess it could be argued that such a technique kept the range recognisable with the current TV logo, but wouldn't it be nicer to have a fixed design, to facilitate a nice set of novels?
I thought that just such a happy concept had occurred to Target, now part of Virgin, in the early 90's when their reprint range hit the shelves. Sharing their covers with the corresponding BBC Video release, this looked like it was going to be a really nice, complete looking set of novels. Until....
Yep, you guessed - the novelisations of Seasons 25 and 26 failed to bear the new style.
And Virgin/Target aren't the only culprits. What about BBC Video? At least 3 designs have been used for those. The Virgin New Adventures underwent a revamp at the 50th novel. The BBC Novels have changed once. And even the relatively infant DVD range has a "Five Doctors" that sticks out like a sore thumb. Big Finish have also made changes, albeit slight, to their rang of Audio sleeves. Only the Missing adventures have remained free of this malaise, and as things stand, its one of the few that I have complete....
Maybe this is just a personal gripe, but there you go. There are armies of fans out there who produce replacement covers for DVD/Video sleeves, just so they can all look like they belong to one series. Check out these links for just a few of them....
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quadrant/4626/
http://members.fortunecity.com/masomika/covers/jpcovers/jdvd.html
Of course, now that the series is back on TV, the BBC have appointed a "Brand Manager" to ensure all licensed merchandise is consistent. Oddly, it now feels slightly wrong....Also, I'm slightly peeved that DWM had a similar article in a recent issue - albeit a thinly veiled attack on the old World Distributors annuals. Don't get me STARTED on those....
However, amongst the stalwart legions of media folk who bring us these tasty morsels of adventure in the fourth dimension, there are a few "bad eggs". They are to your Doctor Who collection what Borusa was to the Presidency, Davros to the Kaled race, Kelman to the Nerva Beacon. They seek to destroy from within, that which you hold most dear. They could have their own Dr Who adventure - Dr Who and the Marketing Men.
You see, the problem is if you look at a Star Trek fans video collection, all the spines for the Classic series are the same. So are their Next Generation spines. And DS9. And so on....but no such luxury exists for we Whovians. And its a malaise that has affected us for decades.
Target were the first culprits. They started us off with reprints of the early sixties novelisations, with a bold logo in the William Hartnell style.
As a set of three, divorced from the rest of the range, they look quite a nice set. These 3 classics were published in 1973. But by 1974 the rot had set in. The first three were published in January, the 4th in March, and the Sea Devils in August...each with markedly different designs. already, the Dr Who fan's book collection was suffering an identity crisis.
The following year saw a greater descent into madness. Different coloured spines, and full cover illustrations meant the books had a different feel yet again.
By 1976, the logo had at least settled down, keeping the banner from the "Diamond logo". The spines still varied in colour, though. Things carried on in this vein until 1981, when lo and behold - the logo changed again. Now, I could understand having each Doctor's respective logo on the novelisations of their era, but this was not the case.
I guess it could be argued that such a technique kept the range recognisable with the current TV logo, but wouldn't it be nicer to have a fixed design, to facilitate a nice set of novels?
I thought that just such a happy concept had occurred to Target, now part of Virgin, in the early 90's when their reprint range hit the shelves. Sharing their covers with the corresponding BBC Video release, this looked like it was going to be a really nice, complete looking set of novels. Until....
Yep, you guessed - the novelisations of Seasons 25 and 26 failed to bear the new style.
And Virgin/Target aren't the only culprits. What about BBC Video? At least 3 designs have been used for those. The Virgin New Adventures underwent a revamp at the 50th novel. The BBC Novels have changed once. And even the relatively infant DVD range has a "Five Doctors" that sticks out like a sore thumb. Big Finish have also made changes, albeit slight, to their rang of Audio sleeves. Only the Missing adventures have remained free of this malaise, and as things stand, its one of the few that I have complete....
Maybe this is just a personal gripe, but there you go. There are armies of fans out there who produce replacement covers for DVD/Video sleeves, just so they can all look like they belong to one series. Check out these links for just a few of them....
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quadrant/4626/
http://members.fortunecity.com/masomika/covers/jpcovers/jdvd.html
Of course, now that the series is back on TV, the BBC have appointed a "Brand Manager" to ensure all licensed merchandise is consistent. Oddly, it now feels slightly wrong....Also, I'm slightly peeved that DWM had a similar article in a recent issue - albeit a thinly veiled attack on the old World Distributors annuals. Don't get me STARTED on those....
Spiral Mutterings 5: Doctor Who and The ....
"And with the time at 5.20, its time for a new adventure with Tom Baker as Doctor Who..." (cue the music).
Oh, how I used to yearn for those words, just after the news and sport. Having spent 7 days revelling in the relief that the Doctor and his companion had managed to escape the evil (insert name of monster/villain here), all that remained was to find out what new and thrilling dangers they were going to face this time. Rule number 4 of "Dummies Guide to Writing Dr Who" states that Episode 1 should end with the briefest glimpse of the villain of the piece, just enough to send the viewer scurrying behind the sofa, and living in fear for the Doctor's/Companion's life for a whole week. This simple plot device led to many memorable cliff-hangers; the sucker arm advancing on Barbara in "The Dead Planet", Lynx removing his helmet in "The Time Warrior", and Count Scarlioni revealing his true nature in "City of Death" are just 3 examples. Its a crucial part of what makes any drama series, not just Dr Who, a success. Keep the audience guessing, about who, what, when, where until the next episode. But, and it happens all too often in Dr Who, it don't half spoil it when you get the announcer saying "...and now on BBC 1, Tom Baker is Doctor Who, in part one of a new adventure, Destiny of the Daleks..."Fantastic. Cliff-hanger of episode one is now completely redundant. We don't NEED a taster shot of the monster at the end, because we already know who it is. 25 minutes of the Doctor et al chasing around trying to find out what's going on and who's behind it all is completed wasted.And the producers KNEW about this. That's why the onscreen titles for "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" just reads "Invasion" - to keep that suspense. Perhaps even more annoying is that in the various Episode Guides that are all over the bookshelves and the internet, you discover that a lot of the titles in question had more discreet working titles: for instance "Resurrection of the Daleks" was originally called "Warhead".
Now, I admit, there are some instances where it doesn't matter that much. "Terror of the Zygons", for example, worked fine, because at the time of its transmission, we'd never seen a Zygon, so there was still the suspense factor of "ooh, what must they look like?". Interestingly, the only recurring villains/monsters who have not befallen this fate are The Master, Sil and The Yeti. The Silurians & The Sea Devils actually underwent the reverse, named in their debuts, but not in their subsequent appearance.
"Is it that important?", I hear you ask. Well, possibly not. However, when you watch "Frontier in Space" and the Daleks turn up right at the end, isn't it a bit more of a thrill than when they turn up the first time you watch "Planet of the Daleks"? I think perhaps it is.
(Apologies to anyone who hasn't seen Frontier in Space - I think I may rather have spoilt the ending for you....)
...and still they do not learn. Although to be fair, last year's Dalek, and this year's Rise of the Cybermen, was probably more to do with publicity than spoiling your enjoyment - and of course, with the 45 minute format, the cliffhanger is largely a thing of the past...see you next time.
Oh, how I used to yearn for those words, just after the news and sport. Having spent 7 days revelling in the relief that the Doctor and his companion had managed to escape the evil (insert name of monster/villain here), all that remained was to find out what new and thrilling dangers they were going to face this time. Rule number 4 of "Dummies Guide to Writing Dr Who" states that Episode 1 should end with the briefest glimpse of the villain of the piece, just enough to send the viewer scurrying behind the sofa, and living in fear for the Doctor's/Companion's life for a whole week. This simple plot device led to many memorable cliff-hangers; the sucker arm advancing on Barbara in "The Dead Planet", Lynx removing his helmet in "The Time Warrior", and Count Scarlioni revealing his true nature in "City of Death" are just 3 examples. Its a crucial part of what makes any drama series, not just Dr Who, a success. Keep the audience guessing, about who, what, when, where until the next episode. But, and it happens all too often in Dr Who, it don't half spoil it when you get the announcer saying "...and now on BBC 1, Tom Baker is Doctor Who, in part one of a new adventure, Destiny of the Daleks..."Fantastic. Cliff-hanger of episode one is now completely redundant. We don't NEED a taster shot of the monster at the end, because we already know who it is. 25 minutes of the Doctor et al chasing around trying to find out what's going on and who's behind it all is completed wasted.And the producers KNEW about this. That's why the onscreen titles for "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" just reads "Invasion" - to keep that suspense. Perhaps even more annoying is that in the various Episode Guides that are all over the bookshelves and the internet, you discover that a lot of the titles in question had more discreet working titles: for instance "Resurrection of the Daleks" was originally called "Warhead".
Now, I admit, there are some instances where it doesn't matter that much. "Terror of the Zygons", for example, worked fine, because at the time of its transmission, we'd never seen a Zygon, so there was still the suspense factor of "ooh, what must they look like?". Interestingly, the only recurring villains/monsters who have not befallen this fate are The Master, Sil and The Yeti. The Silurians & The Sea Devils actually underwent the reverse, named in their debuts, but not in their subsequent appearance.
"Is it that important?", I hear you ask. Well, possibly not. However, when you watch "Frontier in Space" and the Daleks turn up right at the end, isn't it a bit more of a thrill than when they turn up the first time you watch "Planet of the Daleks"? I think perhaps it is.
(Apologies to anyone who hasn't seen Frontier in Space - I think I may rather have spoilt the ending for you....)
...and still they do not learn. Although to be fair, last year's Dalek, and this year's Rise of the Cybermen, was probably more to do with publicity than spoiling your enjoyment - and of course, with the 45 minute format, the cliffhanger is largely a thing of the past...see you next time.
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