Monty Python, Doctor Who, and The Lord of the Rings

[kiaer.ts]

The fact that people who enjoy Doctor Who, The Lord of the Rings, and Monty Python often seem to be one and the same has been mentioned here before.

For example:

Thomas, forgive me, but you sound a bit like

here. What word are you talking about?

Ugh. British 'comedy.'

See, Michelle, I told you liking Python, Doctor Who and LotR was all of a kind. You have to realize this sort of satire is often much better than a serious reply. I am glad Thomas took it as kiddingly as it was meant in this context.

I'll get back to you on that once I manage to watch Doctor Who.

And so I have started this thread rather than to let that observation hijack other topics.

[kiaer.ts]

Michelle, if you want to watch Doctor Who, I would recommend starting with a vintage episode, perhaps one of the episodes of the Fourth Doctor, portrayed by Tom Baker from the mid seventies to the late eighties. Face of Evil and Invisible Enemy are representative episodes. Any episode with Leela or one of the two Romanas as a companion would be good. You would either have to rent these from netflix or buy the episodes on DVD which is outrageously expensive. These older episodes will perhaps seem a bit draggy, but they give you a feel for the character. The newer revived series episodes which begin in 200f with Christopher Eccleston, and then David Tennant are a lot more hip and flashy, a bit more Americanized. Had I not already been a fan I would have found the pilot episode of the revival, entitled Rose, a bit pointless. The story trades a lot on nostalgia. But I have become quite a fan of the new series also. Of the new series, the episode entitled Blink is viewed as the best - and one of the best of all time, but the doctor actually plays a very small role in it.

Currently I kn ow of no authorized outlets for epsiodes on line. You can occassionally see them on YouTube, and here are most of the revival episodes available in full at TVShack. Aliens of London is maybe a good episode to start with.

Here are the wikipedia articles on the series and on the Doctor as a character. They are a bit dry and give no real analysis or flavor of the show, unfortunately, just trivia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_(Doctor_Who)

Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor

[kiaer.ts]

Michelle, if you want to watch Doctor Who, I would recommend starting with a vintage episode, perhaps one of the episodes of the Fourth Doctor, portrayed by Tom Baker from the mid seventies to the late eighties. Face of Evil and Invisible Enemy are representative episodes. Any episode with Leela or one of the two Romanas as a companion would be good. You would either have to rent these from netflix or buy the episodes on DVD which is outrageously expensive. These older episodes will perhaps seem a bit draggy, but they give you a feel for the character. The newer revived series episodes which begin in 200f with Christopher Eccleston, and then David Tennant are a lot more hip and flashy, a bit more Americanized. Had I not already been a fan I would have found the pilot episode of the revival, entitled Rose, a bit pointless. The story trades a lot on nostalgia. But I have become quite a fan of the new series also. Of the new series, the episode entitled Blink is viewed as the best - and one of the best of all time, but the doctor actually plays a very small role in it.

Currently I kn ow of no authorized outlets for epsiodes on line. You can occassionally see them on YouTube, and here are most of the revival episodes available in full at TVShack. Aliens of London is maybe a good episode to start with.

Here are the wikipedia articles on the series and on the Doctor as a character. They are a bit dry and give no real analysis or flavor of the show, unfortunately, just trivia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_(Doctor_Who)

Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor

Oh, and, of course, why should you care? Well, the doctor is a libertarian. He eschews violence. But even more so, he cares about stopping violent victimization, and he will use a weapon if he has to. One of his best ploys is to offer the bad guy advice, and let him destroy himself if he chooses to ignore that advice. He's brilliant, and funny, and wise. And he's got a cool British accent. Tom Baker has the voice of god.

[thomtg]

[...]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_(Doctor_Who)

Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor

I remember watching back-to-back episodes of Doctor Who on Saturday mornings on PBS. That's how I got interested in the TV series.

I like the third and fourth doctors best. I never did watch the prior doctors, since at the time I had a bias against B&W TV shows, especially British subsidized ones. Shows of the fifth and sixth doctors were short-lived in syndication, so I did not watch them as much. I did not like the seventh doctor--he looked too plump and fastidious--and the storylines often turned mystical. Even though the syndication continued on, I stopped watching the series after that turn.

My all-time favorite serial was with the fourth doctor. Having visited Gallifrey and having brought aboard a young Time Lady as apprentice, the Tardis crew got trapped in the parallel universe E-Space that they ended up having to leave behind the apprentice woman. At the end, a male companion asked the Doctor whether she (the woman) was going to be all right in E-Space. The Doctor said, "Yes, of course, she will be. After all she is a Time Lord." That, I thought, was classic.

[kiaer.ts]

[...]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_(Doctor_Who)

Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor

I remember watching back-to-back episodes of Doctor Who on Saturday mornings on PBS. That's how I got interested in the TV series.

I like the third and fourth doctors best. I never did watch the prior doctors, since at the time I had a bias against B&W TV shows, especially British subsidized ones. Shows of the fifth and sixth doctors were short-lived in syndication, so I did not watch them as much. I did not like the seventh doctor--he looked too plump and fastidious--and the storylines often turned mystical. Even though the syndication continued on, I stopped watching the series after that turn.

My all-time favorite serial was with the fourth doctor. Having visited Gallifrey and having brought aboard a young Time Lady as apprentice, the Tardis crew got trapped in the parallel universe E-Space that they ended up having to leave behind the apprentice woman. At the end, a male companion asked the Doctor whether she (the woman) was going to be all right in E-Space. The Doctor said, "Yes, of course, she will be. After all she is a Time Lord." That, I thought, was classic.

The episode you're referring to is Warrior's Gate. I have about half of the episodes from the Leela thru the Romana days taped on VCR but do not have that episode. The BBC would realize a lot of revenue if theu would stream their videos with commercials on the internet, but they'd rather not, apparently. You can watcht the losty episode Shada as well as a new episode, Scream of the Shalka done as animation here at the BBC.

[Michelle]

I see.

My Brother-in-Law has the first few seasons of the new series. I might try those.

I do know that I enjoy Torchwood.

Edited June 16, 2009 by Michelle R

[thomtg]

[...]

My all-time favorite serial was with the fourth doctor. Having visited Gallifrey and having brought aboard a young Time Lady as apprentice, the Tardis crew got trapped in the parallel universe E-Space that they ended up having to leave behind the apprentice woman. At the end, a male companion asked the Doctor whether she (the woman) was going to be all right in E-Space. The Doctor said, "Yes, of course, she will be. After all she is a Time Lord." That, I thought, was classic.

The episode you're referring to is Warrior's Gate. I have about half of the episodes from the Leela thru the Romana days taped on VCR but do not have that episode. The BBC would realize a lot of revenue if theu would stream their videos with commercials on the internet, but they'd rather not, apparently. You can watcht the losty episode Shada as well as a new episode, Scream of the Shalka done as animation here at the BBC.

Thanks, Ted. That's the story, and Romana is her name. I just checked, and the BBC has just brought it to DVD! :yes:

[emb021]

Hmmm, I happen to like Monty Python, Doctor Who and LOTR. Uh oh.

I've longed liked Monty Python. Their brand of sarcastic british wit has rubbed off on me years ago. too often people are put off by my sarcastic attitude and just think I'm rude.

I've also long liked Doctor Who, tho like some I have different Doctors I like more then others. I finally got to see Doctor Who when PBS started broadcasting the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker). However, I have seen many episodes of all the Doctors. I think I probably like the third more then the fourth. Jon Pertwee's Doctor was more a man of action with is venusian karate, whomobile, and the first use of the sonic screwdriver. Plus the first appearance of the classic DW villian, the Master.

the fifth doctor (Peter Davidson) I thought was too wimpy, the sixth doctor (Colin Baker) was too mean/sarcastic, and I didn't get to see enought of the 7th Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) to really make an opinion. The 8th Doctor only appeared in one movie (which I saw and taped). Not enought to make an opinion.

As to the new ones. the 9th one was ok, but like the 10th one better then him. I see we'll see an 11th one soon.

One thing about the original DW series is that all shows where half an hour, and were episodic, so it was anywhere from 2 to 6 episodes per show. But I think as PBS was showing them each afternoon, it wasn't too bad. the new show has been hour shows, with some being 2 or 3 parters, so a little better.

Not sure if I like the new Tardis inside. I thought the use of the Tardis in the past, especially with the 4th and 5th Doctor (rooms and rooms, etc), was better.

And I'm not sure if I like the idea that somehow all the Time Lords are gone. They're time travelers!!

As to LOTR. For me, it sets the bar for modern fantasy works. Most of them seem to come from LOTR and its ideas (different fantasy races, different world that may or may not be ours in the past, etc).

[kiaer.ts]

Jon Pertwee with his velvet and his pinky ring is just too metrosexual for my taste. Tom Baker will always be my favorite, and Patrick Troughton my second. If Tom Baker were god, I'd be a Christian in a snap. The Two Doctors, with Colin Baker, Patrick Troughton, Jacqueline Pearce (pictured as the evil Servalan) and the Sontarans is perhaps my favorite episode.

Any fans who haven't seen them should watch the animated episodes Shada and Scream of the Shalka at the BBC website. Shada is the lost Tom Baker episode not filmed due to a BBC strike. It is remade with the original Romana and with Mcgann, the 8th doctor. He seems like he would not have been half bad. The hilarious Richard E Grant (pictured) plays the doctor in Scream of the Shalka. He would be my choice as cast for the next Doctor.

[kiaer.ts]

Click here for reviews of ten of my favorites from the BBC, including Doctor Who, Posh Nosh, and Servalan and Blake's Seven.

[tjohnson]

You can get all the Doctor Who you want on the usenet. Try subscribing to graboid.com, it's very reasonable, you get 50 gig a month for only $15.