[janetteB @replies]

@whohar I thought also that the anniversary of the screening of New Earth is hardly celebration worthy so here must be something more going on. I would be very happy if it is an announcement regarding more lost episodes.

I don’t recall New Earth being a particularly good episode but then I was not a fan of most of that series.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

I read somewhere a week or so ago that  there is going to be an anniversary special screening tomorrow night, on BBC 4 I think. It is to mark the 20th Anniversary of the first screening of New Earth which seems rather odd to me. I wonder if that is just a cover for an announcement?

@ps1l0v3y0u We got lucky with our last state election. there was an alarming surge of votes for the far right party which is essentially the Gina Rinehart party but fortunately they only actually got four seats, still four too many but it does not bode well for the future or do much for one’s faith in humanity.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston the maple syrup sounds lovely. I always think of you when I buy it in a little bottle from the supermarket. so much nicer to make one’s own. I miss snow. I think that is why I like to watch tv series set in the Arctic or Antarctic.

@dentarthurdent fingers crossed for you here too.

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent talking of weather, I just saw that a cyclone is heading your way. Hope you are all ok.

We have been getting a lot of rain here, unusual for April. Our river, which cuts through the centre of town, has started flowing which is always lovely to see.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston I loved spring when we were in Sweden. Crocuses were the first sign of life to emerge from the frozen soil. I have photos of them peeking through snow. We were renting and the garden was deeply buried in snow when we moved in and so it was a daily discovery of new flowers and plants all through the spring. Maria, the owner, who had just moved out, clearly had similar taste in plants and colours to me. I felt a little guilty, enjoying the garden that she had clearly put so much work and love into.

Spring here is nice because everything is still green and the weather is kind but it is not magical like Spring in colder climates.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent, I agree with you, the cloud is giving someone else your stuff to mind or otherwise. I also like to manage my own back ups. I have several, one on a desktop hard-drive, one on a portable that I carry everywhere with me, and a few old back ups in the sideboard.

I also have doubled up on my op shop dvd purchases. I keep thinking I should go through my collection and donate the duplicates back but they are on the top shelf of the bookcase and I require a chair to reach them.

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u and @dentarthurdent Oh damn. Torchwood is now twenty years old. I am part of a podcast that reviews cult tv from 20 years ago and before. I have been bringing an episode of Dr Who to the table every year, one from each Doctor and this year we are doing the film, (yuck) and to make up for it I am going to introduce “Curse of Fatal Death” in November. Which means next year I am going to have to do Torchwood. I never liked Torchwood. I liked the concept, liked the characters, though I agree, Barrowman is best in small doses, but the rest of the team had potential. it did not work out. Maybe in part due to RTD trying to be too “adult” and not getting what that means, and Chibnell.

On the plus side Sarah Jane Adventures hits the 20 year anniversary next year so we can do that the following year.

dentarthurdent I think the idea that people can own their own media is fast disappearing. We are supposed to just consume but not to have any kind of agency over how and what we consume. I am always buying DVDs from opp shops, even if I have a version of the tv series/film because I like to own them, just as I like to own books. I don’t borrow books so guess streaming to me is the same. I appreciate that it exists just as I actively support our local library but I prefer to own my own library.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent Yes It does seem like they are throwing all the old companions into UNIT as a way of bringing them back. It feels very contrived. I also don’t like the corporate feel of UNIT> the office under the tower of London was real style. Not the shiny Marvel style glass towers. there seems to be an inverse relationship between budget and character.

Joy the the World was a delightful episode with emphasis on story as one would expect from Moffat. Joy (Nicola Coglan) was also delightful

and thank you for breaking the silence. I check every day but don’t have much to post about. the possums are still eating my garden. I have seen that they are a problem in N.Z. like any invasive species.I can’t imagine why anyone ever thought it was a good idea to take them there in the first place.

cheers

Janette.

[janetteB @replies]

A story about watching Dr Who this time which made me smile.

@blenkinsopthebrave. I have not heard of that one. Will have to look it up. there is something magical about old cinemas. Are there any extant episodes?

cheers

Janette

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

Talking of Possums I thought this might bring a much needed smile to the face.

Hope everyone is getting by. I do sometimes wonder, where the hell is the Doctor Why aren’t they here right now.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

I just googled to see if there was any news about Dr Who and found this just “breaking”. Not what I was looking for but a very nice surprise. Hopefully it will be possible to see these two episodes at some future time.

@ps1l0v3y0u I think of it more as “possum” noises. (Maybe because we hear of a lot of the latter. Had one snarling at the cat the other night, through the font door. they sound demonic.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston wonderful news. You are very fortunate and I hope that the future for the wee lad will be a happy one. We do all need to keep up the fight to make it better, hard though it is.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@nerys there are some pretty ropey special effects though good for their time, some woeful filler stories and dodgy acting from minor characters but the main arc and man characters are so good. It certainly has its faults but when is is good it really is “good”. JMS was also a Who fan and apparently wanted to get Tom Baker to do a “guest” appearance. He really pioneered the story arc in U.S. television. It just wasn’t done before the 90s especially in si fi.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@nerys I hope you are enjoying it. Our eldest started showing it to his gf. She was not initially impressed but it has grown on her. I watched it when it first aired. would sit up to late to record it on VHS and cut out the adds. It is part of the family culture, as much as Who and Blake’s 7.

@dentarthurdent. I don’t think I have even watched the later series. I certainly don’t remember seeing the Liberator destroyed. I suspect I ditched out shortly after Gareth Thomas did. I felt the show lost direction after that so I guess I am only half a fan.

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u Avon was a “crook”. they were all convicts being sent to a penal colony only Blake was falsely accused. don’t remember Avon’s crime. It was something corporate I suspect.

@dentarthurdent I agree that a “re-imagining” would be preferable to a remake, or a sequel. Blake’s daughter or son take up the rebel mantel. get a gang together, find the liberator. Have to have the liberator it was character in its own right, with Orac and Zen. Or maybe just Orac. Zen was a but painful.

A few years ago now, J.M.S. tried to do a re-imagining of Babylon 5. ( B.5 was originally inspired in part by Blake’s 7 incidentally.) It did not get off the ground. He recognised however that any attempt to ‘re do” the series needed new characters for new actors and a fresh take on the story. He wasn’t going far enough with that however, trying to just do a time reset and I don’t think it would have worked.

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@whohar And who would play Servalan? That’s key. I’d go with Ruth Wilson (who’d also make a great Doc btw)

 

Excellent suggestions.

Reading the article I have hopes that if they do get funding etc they will do a good job. It won’t, can’t should not be the same but as you say the reboot of DR Who kept the important elements while giving it a contemporary feel. I was also thinking while reading the article that they might just have the right approach to DR Who as well.  Hoar did direct some Dr Who episodes.
I also liked that they compared Blakes 7 to Andor. There are similiar themes but I felt that Blake’s 7 lost the original vision a little. Andor followed that through to deliver a message that was accidentally well timed. (given that writing and production would have happened before TrumpII era.) Blake’s 7 started out with a political concept that would certainly chime well today. (before it became Avon’s gang in space)
And I love the models even if at times they are very wobbly. We watch a lot of old sci fi for Cult TV Club and it is generally agreed that the shows using models have aged better than early use of cgi. It is the same with the original Star Wars movies. The special effects hold up much better than the dodgy but expensive cgi of the following prequel trilogy.
And lastly, this is a long post but,, I loved Blake’s 7 when I was a teen. Watched it when it first aired on ABC. Bought the novelisations. Even have a couple of sci fi mags that featured it. (never let it be said that I am not a sucker for merchandise) We of course introduced it to our sons when they were growing up as well. I would love to see a good “reboot”. fingers crossed.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@mudlark. Good to hear from you but sorry to hear about your friend, (and the health issues. I hope they are all in hand.) Your story about the kettle made me smile. Back in 1983 my friend and I, newly arrived in London, bought a kettle. We had no idea of how to attach the plug. In Australia appliances always came with plugs attached. We were sitting down in the basement kitchen in the guest house where we worked trying to put it together. the Polish porter/doorman, who had not spoken a word in our hearing since we started working there was watching. fortunately, for he took the kettle from us in silence and fixed the wiring otherwise we might have shorted out Bloomsbury. We later found out that he spoke very fluent English having studied at London University and had many an interesting discussion with him.

The dig sounds interesting and that must be quite a report. I would love to re-visit Winchester. When I was last there was prior to my interest in the Anglo Saxon period.

@thane16 we have been spared bushfires this time around. I hope that @whohar is also ok in that regard. We did have one 46c day but remarkably the garden survived the heat, maybe not the possoms however.

Cheers

Janette

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

Happy New Year all. Best wishes for the year ahead.

@thane16 Lovely to hear from you.

@nerys and @dentarthurdent I share your distrust of cloud storage. I have multiple hard drives, one backup I carry with me, one is in a sideboard. I once had two backup hard-drives in my laptop bag which was stolen. Have also lost hard drives so I no longer rely upon a single back up.

My camera is now a bit antique. A canon eos 60 D from 2012. I would like to get a Sony as I still have my old Minolta lens’s and would love to be able to use them as they are good quality. Second son just bought himself a Olympus OM5 mirror-less for christmas. It is a nice little camera and very portable. I am quite envious but also happy that finally one of the family has caught the photography bug.

cheers

Janette

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent that is impressive and requires dedication. My filing system is more akin to @nerys. I store all my images in folders roughly dated. No details attached. I have photos of places which I have forgotten the name of. Recently I made up a slide show for our eldest as a 30th gift. (it was started as an 18th gift so has taken a fair while and is still “a work in progress”, but his party got deferred so I have a short reprieve. Getting the photos in order has been bit of a nightmare especially those taken from film. At least the digital shots have dates but I did not “go digital” until 2004 so a lot of guess work was involved. At least it will be easier for the younger sons.

I am envious of your Trans Siberean photos. The partner and I did the trip in 1991, in the last two weeks of the Soviet Union so remarkable time to be there, as history was happening and it really felt like it too, but I had a brought a second hand SLR for the holiday and it rather let me down but even worse we had our baggage stolen from Prague Station and I lost all my photos from the train journey. I have some photos from Moscow onwards.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Every year, despite my best intentions I just never get time to sit down at my laptop and wish everyone here a wonderful yuletide. So this year I thought I would get in early and, as our tech has failed again and we cannot watch The Snowman< I am taking the time to wish everyone a wonderful season, (despite the lack of a Christmas Special).

And now the tech maestro has got the computer working and we have the Snowman starting ..

Merry Yuletide/winter solstice/summer solstice/Christmas/holiday season to all

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u I suspect the writers left because they were under paid, under appreciated and better jobs were on offer. also back in teh old days there wasn’t the love for the show that there is now and keeps writers like Moff and RTD on the hook. they grew up loving the show.

speaking of RTD, I was wondering if anyone has watched The War Between the Land and the Sea yet? Guardian gave it three stars but not a great review.

Meanwhile we are not doing our annual seasonal re watch of the Christmas Specials.Just watched what I refer to as “the giant stompy robot story”. I will be skipping the End of Time specials. Found them pretty unwatchable so now to some Moff christmassy goodness.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@nerys. We have or had the video of Curse of Fatal Death. I am going to be bringing it to our Cult TV podcast next year. I really enjoyed it and it is interesting to watch now post Moffat because there are so many of his ideas in there. At the end of our original recording there was an interview with Moffat and he was asked if he would work on Dr Who were it ever to be revived and his eyes lit up. You could see the love in his face. It made me very happy when Dr Who was revived and he was such a big part of it.  (that reminds me that I have a podcast about McCoy to edit. So much to do, so little time.I wish I could borrow a time machine right now.)

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@nerys and @dentarthurdent Agreed it is a very well written episode that plays very effectively with the contrast between the light and bubbly surface and underlying darkness.  RTD at his best. I also feel that he was establishing something here or attempting to; the Doctor’s sense of betrayal and anger with human flaws.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u In Oz the public broadcaster, (ABC) is purely government funded which I guess is a mixed blessing. Not dependant upon a drying up license fee but instead are subject to government whims and the malice of one side of politics who dislike anyone who dares criticise them and equate truth to bias. (it is universal sadly)

Back in the day the ABC were a force to be reckoned with, despite having a very small budget compared to the BBC. They nurtured original talent, had government changing current affairs, excellent docos and managed make some good tv series not to mention showing the cream of BBC and ITV and giving us a winter of Doctor Who including endless repeats every year. We were fortunate. They are teetering on the perch now sadly. Like libraries public broadcasters need to change to survive but they are just as essential to a robust culture.

cheers

Janette

 

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u re the corset, women did wear corsets in the Regency period but not the tight lacing variety that most people think of when they think corsets. In fact tight lacing only became a thing after the introduction of metal grommets in the mid 19th century. Before that a corset was basically the female undergarment/support. It was the bra of the time. there was a degree of body shaping involved but not requiring the kind of gruesome lacing that we see in films like Pirates of the Caribbean. that simply could not have happened then (on historical costume sites there are frequent discussions about corsets, how they changed over time and how they should be worn. According to some costume people a properly fitted corset is not uncomfortable to wear.)

& @nerys What did annoy me was when the Doctor was in a historical setting and nobody commented on the way she was dressed. Companions certainly got comments. WE have just watched Ghost Light where Ace’s attire is remarked upon and she has to dress according to the period. N.G. Doctor did dress for the time and his appearance was remarked upon. The Tardis conveys a language translation filter but not a perception one as far as I know. The chibnell era implied that it did without ever saying so.

J.W. also could have done with better companions. I just hope that we will see more female doctors in the future.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u that is an interesting theory and digs deep into the vault of Who canon. Image of the Fendahl is another episode I should rewatch. those were really golden years for Old Who.

Cheers

Janette

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

@nerys I second @mudlark. It is a fun story, Tom Baker Doctor, Sarah Jane and lots of pseudo Egyptian silliness. One of the best stories from that era. It may wobble a little now (as in doesn’t quite stand up), but it is still a very enjoyable watch.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Moff’s legacy:

Timelords rehabilitated

The Doctor gets a new regeneration cycle

1 is 1, he turns the cylindrical uncamouflaged Tardis into a police box.

All three are trashed in TTC. Not just (sarcastic) ‘cheers Chris.’ More… ‘Oh that’s a bit vindictive really… was that REALLY your idea?’

@ps1l0v3y0u and @whohar and there you have my objection to TTC and why I gave up at the destruction of Gallifrey. It did seem spiteful especially knowing that Moff contacted RTD to make sure he was ok with the re-instatement of Gallifrey after the Time War. Showrunners past and present collaborating as it should be. I don’t think something like The Fiveish Doctors Roboot could have done done during the chib years.

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@whohar Sea Devils was a good story but like all Who at the time, plenty of padding and shades of sexism. It is one of my favourite Pertwee stories. RTD has a good point about the name. It is probably time it was changed though as you say, Homo Aqua is not entirely accurate but it has a nice ring to it.

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

I have typed out a response twice now and both times neglected to copy before posting and lost the post. Will I never learn.

I was commenting on the strong fantasy element in “church”. Though one could argue that Dr Who is fantasy it is very grounded in a kind of sci fi way. Any fantasy type episodes tend to have a “rational” explanation. RTD does give us the salt and mavity as kind of get out of Jail free cards but is not convincing enough to explain the sudden tilt into full on fantasy in this episode. I find it jarring.

So not my favourite christmas special but there are a lot of good moments so I really should give it another chance.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston.I agree with on the disconnect between farting aliens and their murderous nature. RTD shows his strength and weakness as a writer in these episodes. He can write with depth and political bite but he does not know when to reign in the silly school boy humour. And these are the stories which introduce the wonderful Harriet Jones and, another feature of Post Gap Who is the recurring characters. (Only UNIT in the old series featured as recurring characters other than villains of course) Also the companion having a life beyond the Tardis is new and yes, Jackie is a great character. RTD addresses the hole that someone creates when they just vanish to go off and have adventures with the Doctor. Both serve to anchor the story in a real world.

So yes much to love in these two episodes. If only the aliens didn’t keep farting. It brings down the overall rating.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston There were many good moments in the past two series and it surprises me that they did not get better ratings. I also really liked Gatwa as the Doctor. I always have mixed feelings about RTD. He can be brilliant and he did bring Dr Who back but at times he needs someone to tell him that bigger is not always better and the universe does not have to end every series. His best stories, (like Moffat’s) were always the “small ones”, like Gridlock and Turn Left. He writes character very well.

I would love for RTD and Moffat to continue to pen the odd episode, to not sever ties entirely with the series but I also feel that new blood might be what the show needs if it is to continue.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@whohar Interesting names both. I had to research McTighe. I liked his remark that he entire career has been aimed at getting to work on Dr Who. Thorne has done some sterling work but not sure he has the flair required for Dr Who. Also he does seem to have a lot on his plate at the moment.

I have suspected that the 26 Yule special is RTD and Bad Wolf’s  Dr Who swansong.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston Halloween is a rather recent U.S. import here so door knocking has not really become widespread. We have only once had kids come to the door and we did not have “lollies”. for a few years after that we did buy some, “just in case” but they were never needed. Ours is an entirely child free street however, Plenty of dogs and cats, possums, bats, and ducks but no kids. when our boys were young there was only one other boy living over the road. They did not meet until a Turkish uncle visited and was horrified to learn that they did not play out on the wide, open, almost traffic free street. He got them out there playing football/soccer and Sam’s Mum ordered him to go and join in. Soon she was referring to him as our fourth son.

We spent Halloween this year dealing with last minute travel panics. Our two youngest boys have headed off to Thailand. their first holiday “alone”. the elder is almost ten years older than I was when I headed out into the world. Life is getting far too serious these days. I don’t think they have the freedom we had.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@whohar thanks for the link. It sounds as though the 26 Yule special might be RTD’s swansong. I expect there will be big announcements next year, new partnership,new show-runner new Doctor. Fingers crossed they chose well and realise that it takes more than just a big budget to make good Dr Who.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston We always include this episode with our Christmas re watch too. I do like it too though Rose’s costume is questionable but then, like Bill, she chose it herself. (Bill chose better)

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston I recall enjoying this episode at the time but I don’t think I have ever re watched it. I did enjoy the diversity of aliens, and the humour. From memory it was beginning to feel as though Dr Who was really back but it isn’t one that i chose when I am going back through old episodes to watch. So many better episodes were to follow.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@whohar that seems quite likely. I would say that the BBC feel that RTD has not delivered the series saving coup that they were hoping for and they are fumbling in the dark right now for any way to keep their cash cow afloat. I don’t have much faith in whatever decision they make right now but will keep fingers crossed because I am a stubborn optimist.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u Yes it does seem like clickbait rather than news. I suspect it is just that, something to fill a page, get Who fans to read in the hope they notice the adds on the side.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@dentarthurdent Agree the relationship is subtle. Much is left to the reader to construe which is pitch perfect.

@ps1l0v3y0u Maybe the Doctor and Martha followed the spawning critters to Western Drumlins and got zapped. He was still holding the file which he had not had time to read. Or he put the file in his bigger on the inside pockets and forgot about it until he was zapped into the past.

Moff’s time travel logic is just not that, logical but time paradoxes rarely are. The angel episodes remind me of Curse of Fatal Death where he first played with time paradoxes. I think Moffat just can not resist a time paradox, his favourite narrative toy.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@whohar  I agree it is a move borne out of desperation hopefully not a misstep but that is perhaps my eternal optimism at play. fingers crossed it will be well handled if and when Who returns.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@whohar I doubt Billie Piper would play the Doctor for long. I suspect she is a “filler’ as there is no certainty as to when the next series will be and she stepped in as a favour to RTD and the show, and fans. I do think she could be good and would like to see her run with the role for a couple of episodes then hand on the baton to the next candidate.

@dentarthurdent I don’t agree with the Moff can’t write women but he did try perhaps a little too hard to make the main female characters strong. Bill Pots is I think the most rounded character. I never get the sense that the writer is trying to prove that he isn’t “sexist”. His claims that River Song and the Doctor are both psychopaths was incorrect and irritated me but overall Moff was a great writer. He has  massive task on his hands as show runner and there were some misfires during his tenure but given the scale of responsibility and pressure he was under I think he did a great job overall and the Moff years were my favourite of New Who. I would love for him to pick up the reigns again.

@ps1l0v3y0u Casting Billie Piper at the end was a practical decision I think without being cynical. It makes sense to use her as a stand in. RTD was in an awkward position and he set up the ending so that there was a face to run with when the next series eventually happens. Strategic planning are the words I would use. Not so much scraping the barrel as desperate measures for challenging times. (that reflects the current age really doesn’t it.)

cheers

Janette.

[janetteB @replies]

@winston I also like the fan club in Love and Monsters so agreed not all bad.it began well but the ending was questionable. Kill the Moon however I can find nothing positive about at all.

It would be nice to be able to do a Kryten (Red Dwarf) type memory wipe. (He had his memory of all of Agatha christie’s works deleted so he could read them again.)  Although I do enjoy rewatching and often get more out of a second or third watch.)

I actually think Billie Piper might be quite good as the Doctor. I would certainly like to see her in the role, even if it is only as an interim. (even though I didn’t always love her as Rose but I think she has developed a lot as an actor and given good scripts and direction..)

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

also I am not keeping up with this thread. I have a lot more to read so apologies for my post being a little behind the flow of the discussion which I am enjoying and will comment on if time permits.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston that is a noble goal. All of the episodes, even Love and Monsters and Kill the Moon!!! I always skip a few when we re watch. I do like the plan though, from Rose to Dr Rose?.

I have such happy memories of watching Rose that first time, now over twenty years ago. (making it now into our cuT TV Club criteria but I still have some series of Old Who to cover. We are currently up to McCoy.) After the film in the 90s when I saw that Who was going to be revived I was not optimistic. I did not even plan on watching Rose until I read the review and decided to “brave” it. It did not take long to convince me and by the end, like you, I was excited to watch the next episode.

I did not always like the way the character of Rose was written. WE were told too often how wonderful she was which was irritating. I prefer to form my own judgement of a character. Also at times it felt as though BP was a little too self aware. Seeing BP on stage as herself I realise that she is not like that at all. Again I think that is a fault in scripting and direction rather than of the actor. Still overall I really enjoyed the first season. I liked that the Companion became more of a character than in Old Who with a character arc and background.Eccleston and Piper clearly enjoyed working together and did a fine job of kickstarting New Who.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u that would explain why I did not find that episode so shocking. I was watching the edited version from DVD or maybe VHS. I think my s/o bought me the box set one Christmas or birthday.

Re companions. Barbara could be quite critical at times but as with Sarah Jane it depended on the writing. I felt that the writers really let the character of Sarah Jane down as her introduction was promising but she was reduced to screamer with twisted ankle as time went on and lost some of her spark and backbone and yes she definitely deserved a better final story as did Leela and Romana II. I have barely watched the later Tom Baker episodes. I thought the writing went downhill after Douglas Adams left.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u I was about 11 or 12 when i watched I Claudius but because it was ABC, (Australian Broadcasting Commission) Mum thought it was “respectable” until the ABC announced that they were censoring an episode. She got a bit jittery about my watching it after that. I think I had to skip one episode but watching it later don’t really see why the fuss. Perhaps we have all just been desensitised by GOT and the  like.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u You would be thinking of Phineas Finn? I was a young teen when the family inherited a 50s vintage black and white tv set and The Pallisers, (BBC) was airing along with such classics as War and Peace and I Claudius. (oddly it was several years later that I discovered Dr Who)

@winston I love our library and try to actively support it as a volunteer. I rarely borrow books now the children are older though but I do buy plenty from the book sales. There is a lovely cafe outside the library, and the culture heritage centre downstairs where I go every week to record a podcast so I spent quite a bit of time in the complex and it has became such a community hub. Libraries are going through a process of reinvention to become community centres which is wonderful. (during the heat waves in 2019 the library extended their hours so people could escape the heat or bushfire danger.)

you are lucky to find Dr Who merch’ in what we in Oz call Opp shops. I almost never find any. I did see a Dr Who backpack recently and almost bought it but changed my mind. I don’t think it would be used by us. I was happy to see that it has been bought so someone else is enjoying it.

cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u that is a good list and nothing that I would disagree with. “chucklegramps” always makes me chuckle.

I look forward to your list of old Who companions. that might take some time.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@ps1l0v3y0u We do have a good library system. Can borrow from any library in the state which is handy though Fftd is in our local library. I have seen it on the shelf, did not realise that we did not already have it.

cjeers

Janette

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