On The Sofa (7)

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@wolfweed

How excellent to see you again, Dr Basil Wolfweed Funkenstein.

I must confess that I miss the crazy captions.

[McCotton @mccottonthedoctorfan]

@nightfell Oh I hope not.  Back when I had DirecTV, watching Doctor Who wasn’t an issue, I could DVR it and catch up whenever I wanted.  But, between series eight and nine, I switched over to Charter, and on the basic package, Charter doesn’t get BBC

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

OB-Wan

“We are all stories in the end”.

[OB-Wan @ob-wan]

@pedant

That reminds me of…

“That’s a fairy tale.”

“Doctor. Aren’t we all?”

 

[Whisht @whisht]

OB-Wan, pedant – my thoughts on the Music thread (as ever)

[OB-Wan @ob-wan]

@whisht

do actors paint a world on the writer’s canvas, with the brushes of the technicians?

That’s not bad.  Let’s see what some others can come up with.

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

For those of you into spacey type stuff (which I figure covers most of us), Popular Mechanics doing what it does so well: An oral history of the Challenger accident. 30 years. Blimey.

I wandered into my flat at LSE (dorm room, for the Americans among us) and flicked the telly on. It was on BBC 1 and Blue Peter was on while I pottered about unpacking stuff and putting on some toast, and (I think) John Leslie said something about BBC2 staying with the news because of the ‘situation with the space shuttle’. That got my attention as a long-time space geek. Flicked over and the replays were already pointing out the tongue of flame licking up from the rear.

If you have never seen the BBC film The Challenger then I highly recommend it. William Hurt is just mesmerising in capturing the intellect, frustration and sheer determination of Richard Feynman.

[Anonymous @]

Mr @pedant

thank you for that information.

Puro was telling us where she was when that happened. It was during her second year at university and a friend of hers had to fly from Adeliade to Brisbane -the friend saw this on the news before she boarded the plane. It was very upsetting as they were excited by the NASA mission. Apparently the local Catholic Church had a mass for the people who had died and my mum’s friend attended. It was a very sad day. I did not know a movie had been made about this and I don’t know the actor you mentioned but I will let Mum know and we can find this. It would be one way of remembering the lost, I think.

Thank you

Son of Puro

PS: mum says halloo to @wolfweed aka. Dr Funkenstein who  we have missed and she hopes you are as well as you can be.

 

[Missy @missy]

Has anyone noticed (of course you have, however…) that the Doctor likes to sniff flowers?

Anyone feel that it may have some significance? I know why he does in Heaven Sent (gravity), but I wonder why the other times?

Cheers,

Missy

[Mersey @mersey]

I’m watching the Power of Three and I wonder whether Brian has ever met River? In the end she was his family. Who else left for him (except that unofficial Amy and Rory’s adoptive son)? Scriptwriters haven’t thought much about companions’ families lately.

[winston @winston]

@mersey      I have also wondered about poor old Brian. He was a favourite of mine and I hope he knew about River at least. What about Amy’s Mum and Dad ? She just got them back.I guess Clara can stop in at any time to see her Dad and maybe even her Mum.

If the companions have a family then we will always be left with those  questions about what happenned to them. Something else for us to mull over on a cold winter night.

[Moondragon007 @moondragon007]

I’ve been wondering – with all that regenerating, how come Gallifrey doesn’t have a problem with rampant identity theft?

For example –

Person walks up to bank Teller:

Person: Hi, I’m The Plumber. I’d like to withdraw $500 from my account. [Yeah, I’m a ‘Murican. Get over it.]

Teller: ID please.

Person: Here you go. (shows ID)

Teller: This doesn’t look like you….

Person: Well – I stepped in front of a bus and had to regenerate. You know how that goes.

Only it turns out “The Plumber” is actually The Mugger and he stole The Plumber’s ID.

 

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@moondragon007

No banks, no money and any identity theft usually turns out to be The Doctor or The Master. 🙂

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

@moondragon007 @bluesqueakpip

And also it has been heavily implied that Time Lords can always recognise each other, absent a chameleon arch thingummy.

And I bet Gallifreyan DNA readers are pretty darned sophisticated…

[Moondragon007 @moondragon007]

I was using that as an example. What actually got me started on that chain of thought was I was wondering how War General was going to be able to access her office and stuff, since it’s likely her biometrics have changed radically. Fortunately she had a witness who can vouch for her and they can just rekey the biometrics. What if someone regenerated without a witness and couldn’t prove they were the same person as before?

Speaking of WG, I love her last line – “How do you cope with all that ego?”

Also, I imagine the majority of Gallifreyans are genderfluid and pansexual by necessity. When you and/or your spouse could change sex at a moment’s notice, you kinda have to go with the flow. I suspect The Master became The Mistress cos he’s always had a crush on The Doctor and finally realized that The Doctor is one of the few TL who are cis-gendered heterosexuals.

 

 

[TheDentistOfDavros @thedentistofdavros]

Hello everyone I’ve just joined the forum but have been reading it for a while and I would just like to introduce myself. So I suppose I got into Dr Who from the start of the revival but I don’t remember much about series 1 and I believe I got hooked when I bought the series 2 finale on dvd. Since then I have watched all the new series stuff but I’m willing to admit that I’m much more in tune to the classic series. I look forward to joining in with you all on this wonderful forum. Thank you.

[Anonymous @]

@thedentistofdavros

Well he’d need one (or did!) -a dentist, that is!

Welcome -this is a great place -lots to think about. Enjoy 🙂

Puro and Son.

[TheDentistOfDavros @thedentistofdavros]

Yeah I’ve always gotten a bit squirmish at the sight of horrible decaying teeth (I’d make the worst dentist).

Thanks for the welcome and am I the only one who finds writing their first post very scary.

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

@moondragon007

You are thinking a very Terran way….

[Moondragon007 @moondragon007]

Well, I’m thinking as a) a biology major (a species that doesn’t reproduce doesn’t survive past the first generation), and b) a member of the LGBTQ+ community (I’m Ace).

Incidentally, I’m a complete noob here, I just kinda jumped in with both feet. I don’t know how to do those @ things.

 

[winston @winston]

@moondragon007    and   @thedentistofdavros    Welcome to you both!  I hope you will it here.

I lurked for months before I finally joined and made my first post and it was pretty scary but the people here are kind and polite so I had no problems. It has been fun to talk to like minded people about Doctor Who, a show we all love. So have fun , post away and explore.

[winston @winston]

@moondragon007     If you want to address a certain person then you just put the @ and the name under that persons avatar. I hope that helps or someone else may explain it better.

[Moondragon007 @moondragon007]

@winston Thanks!

 

[winston @winston]

@moondragon007     You are welcome, I’m glad it worked.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

Welcome, @thedentistofdavros! I love your user name. If I had it to do over again, I would probably go with something like TheHarpsichordOfRassilon. (Actually, that’s pretty cool, except that I would never get any replies because it would be so much work to type!)

And welcome also to @moondragon007. Yours is an interesting perspective. I have always had the view that marriage-type relationships among Time Lords would not necessarily have survived a regeneration; that marriage contracts (if there were such a thing) might even have only had force for the duration of an incarnation (until “death” do them part, in fact). Because even without the complication of a complete sexual makeover, the personalities seem to change greatly at times, and there would be a strong possibility of winding up with someone that you just couldn’t get on with on a daily basis? (Can you imagine having been married to the Fifth Doctor, for instance, and suddenly have found yourself with Six?) The fact that a potential sex change is now in the mix as well seems to make that even more likely.

I can imagine the conversations: “Are you acquainted with So-and-So?” “Oh, yes, I was married to him for a few centuries. Then he was killed in an accident with a table saw, regenerated, and all hell broke loose…  short skirts, annoying pop songs, and the piercings…! It all ended in tears.”    🙂

[Anonymous @]

@thedentistofdavros

Yep, you’re not alone. When I joined about two years ago -nearly – I was nervous too. I jumped in and stuffed up right away. There’d been some ‘words’ between people and I should’ve avoided that but otherwise talking about the 50th anniversary and loving it to bits, I was welcomed. I ended up on the Favourite doctor thread (or something similar) and lots of people welcomed me. I’ll never forget that moment: when people, who don’t know much about you holler: “hey, it’s good to hear your opinions, your ideals, and, you’re great by the way. Have a good time here, we do.”

So, that’s why I try to pass that welcome on to any and all. Because it helps. We’re polite here and some of us are even witty!

We talk about other telly shows (on the relevant thread); books; our favourite doctor (good place to start); Doctor Who retrospectives (we’re watching ’42’ starring Tennant and written by Chris Chibnall at the mo) and chats at the Pub called The Fox Inn.

Just jump on in!

Kindest

Puro and Son (the other part of the hybrid is at school so I’m typing this solo)

[Anonymous @]

@arbutus

halloo! You’ve been noticeably absent. I think you’re in the middle of soccer management and trials right now? Is it a trial (my dim effort to be witty exposed!)?

@moondragon007 welcome to you too -and yes I agree that a wedding contract, as tt were, would last for a single iteration (if that’s the correct term) – Ursula Le Guin might have a different view on that in the Left Hand of Darkness, a book that I hadn’t read until 2014/15 .

I like the harpsichord of Rassilon too! I do like arbutus because of the trees in your part of the world. As a moniker it rolls off the tongue -much like ‘purofilion’ used to.  🙁

Still my new name is a bit easier to ‘get right’. Speakin’ of my part of the word, and things “rolling,” there’s another huuuge storm rolling in.

Kindest,

PuroSolo

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@puroandson       Hello, dear Puro. I’ve been lurking. I brought popcorn, as my son likes to say when watching fireworks that don’t involve him.  🙂  And learning about things like “Pastoral Care” class! Yes, soccer, only three more weeks thank goodness. The boys played yesterday in what had to be the coldest rain ever that wasn’t actually snow, but at least we fielded 11 players for once. I’m feeling seriously fed up with it. Basketball, on the other hand, takes place in a warm gym, and all I have to do is show up and shout “Go, Griffins!” every so often. I’m preferring that, at the moment.

And Son of Puro is back at school, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s a new year for him? I hope that is going well. It has been a pleasure reading his thoughts on the Forum, he is articulate and personable. I’m glad to hear that you’re back home.

Left Hand of Darkness– isn’t that a great book? Well ahead of its time, probably. I am a big fan of LeGuin.

Tomorrow I will have a chance to watch “42” again, and join in the discussion there. It’s a bit of a jump ahead as my current rewatch has only gotten into the early part of Series 2. I’m looking forward to it!

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@moondragon007

What if someone regenerated without a witness and couldn’t prove they were the same person as before?

The lack of banks aside, there’s some on-screen evidence that Gallifreyans simply don’t recognise each other in the visual way that humans do. In The End of Time, the Master and the Doctor seem to smell each other (and Missy later refers to Osgood’s smell).

It’s quite possible that their version of biometrics is psychic. We know that they’re a semi-telepathic race, and that things like psychic paper are possible; if they do ever need ID it may simply be tuned to whatever psychic core (that seems to be the way Moffat uses ‘soul’) remains constant through the regenerations.

[Missy @missy]

@thedentistofdavros and @moondragon007

Hello there, lovely to meet you. Everyone here is a delight and very patient.

Cheers,

Missy

[Missy @missy]

@arbutus

Wasn’t “42” clever. We’ve watched this quite a few times my OH and I.

Cheers,

Missy

[TheDentistOfDavros @thedentistofdavros]

@missy

Yes this is one of the few forums I looked at where you can actually feel very relaxed. All the people here are very kind and its a great community.

[Missy @missy]

@thedentistofdavros

They are indeed very kind and – in my case – patient.

I decided to not see the last six episodes of DW 9 until I got the DVD. Naturally I’m so far behind everyone it isn’t funny. Have seen all of them now and shan’t be going down that path in series 10.

Enjoy

Missy

[Anonymous @]

@arbutus

3 more games? It is a Winter Sport isn’t it?

Here (don’t know about the UK) they play for, ooh, about 7 bloomin months. Actually, no, it’s about 9 months.

Mad.

Utterly.

Son goes off to train with some National League, gets the time wrong and because some other Under 16 team is doing poorly doesn’t get to train…but gets chosen for the team…even the coach is quite useless (I hear all this: for all I know, I could be quite wrong!) and so he comes home a member of a….shall we say…strange team….the once ‘best team’ which due to some horrible allegations (you can imagine them) has sacked managers, coaches, and leftovers and now is brand new and fresh.

And the U16? Hog. The. Ball. None of this “touch and pass”.

Son is hanging his head? “What am I doing there? Why didn’t I say, just pis** off?”

“probably because  I brought you up better than that.”

“Well, I wish you hadn’t”.

ooh, tough day, Son?

🙂

[TheDentistOfDavros @thedentistofdavros]

Hello everyone, I’m not sure if anyone has asked this before but I’d quite like to know what your favourite stories are. I’m just curious to see whether the well regarded stories are well loved here (Genesis and Blink) or if some of you like some other stories that not so many people like. I personally like The Power of the Daleks the best but then it really is so hard to choose a favourite. If you can’t choose a favourite just say a few that you enjoy rewatching.

[TheDentistOfDavros @thedentistofdavros]

P.S sorry if you’re all fed up answering this question.

[WhovianLiv @whovianliv]

Hello all. First post, both feet, only way I know to do it.

 

I agree with the theory of Time Lords being able to recognize each other inherently. I like to wax poetic even, and say that they recognize the soul rather than anything so minor as the physical body it happens to be wrapped in at the moment. Certainly it is a theme in many episodes that one must look deeper than a beings outer appearance to truly understand that being. Seems a logical conclusion that time lords would be far better at this philosophy than most humans…particularly with their unique abilities.

[Anonymous @]

@whovianliv

welcome and enjoy: great to see you here.

It’s a friendly place! I agree -TLs are no doubt equipped with a sense of ‘id’ and ‘ego’ as well as an ability to deconstruct exactly ‘who’ they’re looking at -‘out of the regeneration,’ as it were. The person transcends the regen, perhaps?

Kindest, Puro

[Anonymous @]

@thedentistofdavros

Ah yes, fav stories: for me Blink, Vincent and the Doctor, The 11th Hour, The Day of..The Time of…The Night of…well, anyone with ‘The….of the Doctor’ in the title…Loved Mat Smith (and McGann’s mini-sode).

Having said this, Girl in the Fireplace was adored by our family for many reasons. The twin episodes, set in WW2, with C.E. Doctor: “are you my mummy?” resonated as did the 2 parter with Tennant: The Satan Pit (that was brilliant story telling).

On to PC: pretty much all of it, actually but especially Dark Water (entirely due to Coleman and Capaldi) and this year, the twin parter, The Magician’s Apprentice, the Zygon Inversion/Invasion and of course, Hell Bent, Heaven Sent and the recent Christmas Special.

You probably wanted a short list?

🙂

Kindest, Puro

[timeywimeyemily @timeywimeyemily]

Hi, I’m a new member writing a paper on the popularity Doctor Who gained over the years and how it lasted so long and I was wondering if someone could point me in the direction of verified websites, books, forums, documentaries, etc etc etc. Thanks!

[tardigrade @tardigrade]

@kharis

Any other suggestions for Romana? It would be wonderful to have her back.

In terms of actors, is Lalla Ward herself not a possibility? Bring her back as an older and wiser Time Lady. I don’t think it’s been established in canon that’s she regenerated post her appearances in the TV series, and even if she had, she might have chosen to revisit a previous face. As others have noted, it’s probably time for a break from young female human companions. Introducing someone towards whom the Doctor doesn’t feel a duty of care – an equal- would, I feel, also be a good direction to go, as that’s been a heavily-mined story line over a number of series, and seems to fit with what the Doctor may be seeking at this point.

I wouldn’t necessarily see her as a long-term companion, but perhaps instead an ally in a clash with a vengeful Rassilon, or some other appropriate story arc.

I’ll have to admit I was more than a little enamoured with Lalla Ward in Dr Who reruns in my teens, and the 64-year old Lalla still retains a fair part of that attraction :-). Would certainly make a lot of long term Dr Who fans very happy to see Romana return to the series.

[TheDentistOfDavros @thedentistofdavros]

@puroandson

If we’re talking favourite Peter capaldi episodes I have to go for Under the Lake/Before the Flood or Heaven Sent. Matt Smith is a hard one to choose but I would go for Day of the Doctor or impossible astronaut/day of the moon. David Tennant has to be Human nature/family of blood or Waters of Mars. I can’t narrow down the BG episodes because there are just so many great ones.

I agree that most of PC episodes are very good and I do like the empty child episode as well.

Oh and you can never have too long a list!

[TheDentistOfDavros @thedentistofdavros]

Hello everyone I just wanted to let you know that there is a very good blog I’m reading called Adventures with the Wife in Space. Not sure if anyone here has heard of it but it is basically about a doctor who fan who decides to watch every doctor who episode from the beginning and he gets his not fan wife to join him. It’s very funny and I highly recommend it to any fans but if you’re not to familiar with BG episodes it might not be your thing.

[Kharis @kharis]

@tardigrade I like that idea!  Ms Ward is still lovely as ever and that would be a wonderful surprise for the fans.  I like it better than my Time Lady regeneration into a ballerina, ha ha.  Plus,  I doubt Sarah Lamb would leave her position as lead dancer for the Royal Ballet for any role in reality.  Of course, if they insisted on a regeneration they are still my first choice.  They do look the part and have a very regal way of moving and standing that would fit Romana.

Also, as I have probably overstated so I apologise to all, I would also like to see a male companion or alien, and River is the only exception to that desire.

@thedentistofdavros It’s hard to pick a favorite episode.  Of course I like Blink and Genesis, but how could someone dislike them?  🙂

Heaven Sent is my favourite

List of my other favourite episodes: Hell Bent, Vincent and the Doctor, City of Death, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, The Eleventh Hour, Witch’s Familiar/Apprentice, Christmas Carol, The Doctor, Widow and the Wardrobe, The Husband’s of River Song, The Lodger, Listen, Day of the Doctor, Time of the Doctor, Name of the Doctor, When a Good Man Goes to War/Let’s Kill Hitler, Doomsday, Journey’s End, End of Time, The Snowmen, The Girl in the Fireplace, Robots of Sherwood, The Pandorica Opens/Big Bang.

@puroandson I almost added Father’s Day for the same positive reasons you gave. I also have to give merit to anything with Harriet Jones, who was one of my favourite characters.  Very close to adding Empty Child/Doctor Dances, but it gets to me too much.  I love parts of it, and the best Captain Jack episode by far, and I love his character, but other parts are haunting and get to my personally.  The very thought of losing a child is too horrific for me to even watch.  It’s my issue with a certain season of Downton Abbey; like the show, but skip over those episodes.  Also skip over the way too good acting of the actress who played Donna in Forest of the Dead when her kids disappear, it actually horrifies me the way she played it.

 

[Missy @missy]

@whovianliv

Hello there. As I’m nothing if not thorough, you shall get your list – in detail.

I’ve gone through all the series and shall post tomorrow.

After I’d finsihed, I found that the majority of ++ (this will make sense when i post) were written by Steven

Moffat – now, there’s a surprise. *big, big grin*

Not at all fed up, great idea.

cheers,

Missy

[Missy @missy]

@timeywimeyemily

Hello and welcome.

Cheers,

Missy

[Missy @missy]

@thedentistofdavros

“Oh and you can never have too long a list!”

Just as well, mine is a looooong list.

Cheers until tomorrow.

Missy

[TheDentistOfDavros @thedentistofdavros]

Hello everyone thanks for all your feedback

@kharis interesting choices as quite a lot of people don’t like the Christmas specials but that’s the beauty of Doctor Who everyone likes different episodes.

@missy I’m really looking forward to that long list (who doesn’t like reading lists)

[Kharis @kharis]

@thedentistofdavros. Exactly! I agree, one of the things that make Doctor Who so unique and wonderful is how each person connects or enjoys different episodes.  Most shows have the obvious favorite character and episodes, but not Doctor Who.  Everyone in my family has a different Doctor they connect too.

Actually, one of the things I love about the Christmas Specials is how my family members who don’t watch Doctor Who demand we watch the Christmas Specials.  The last five Chistmas episodes have been so “Christmasy” and heart warming.  Another bonus is the kids, teens and grandparents love them, so it has become something that we all can sit down together and watch.  They have become a tradition alongside “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Story.” The adults have claimed “A Christmas Carol” their all-time favorite holiday movie, even with the “I don’t like sci-fi” crowd in my clan, and the kids universally love the “The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe”

I do love the episodes with amazing writing best.  Not big on CGI, effects, monsters or anything like that.  Admittedly, the music makes a difference for me, and also I enjoy the episodes that deal with real history and science.  A little prejudice towards the 4th, 11th and 12th Doctor’s stories, even though I love all the Doctor’s, the three I listed I just adore.

[Kharis @kharis]

I forgot about The Doctor’s Wife and The Wedding of River Song and the E-Space Trilogy, I love all three.  Oh dear me, I guess I just like every episode.  (:  Well, no, I don’t really like 42, Fear Her, The Lazarus Experiment, The Long Game, Love and Monsters, The Leisure Hive, and Boom Town, but I can’t say I hate them, I just find them boring.

[Author]

Posts