Assorted Ramblings...

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Well, in our house, Christmas isn't Christmas without viewings of Scrooge (the 1951 version with Alastair Sim, IMO the best version of them all), It's a Wonderful Life and The Muppet Christmas Carol! What? It's the Muppets. You don't diss the Muppets!

Eric and Ern are sadly no longer with us, but there are always repeats of their Christmas specials or of compilation shows on Gold, and they're still worth watching. I remember that when they bowed out, it was the turn of The Two Ronnies to take over the top slot.

But there wasn't anyone to take over from them in that variety-show-type format and I suppose that by the time they retired, TV had moved on. But it didn't move away from the double act - because then the coveted BBC Christmas Special spot was taken over by Del and Rodney as Only Fools and Horses pulled in massive audiences, in the day before Sky and cable telly fragmented the viewing figures. I remember the first time I saw the Batman and Robin scene in the 1996 special (which I believe pulled in in excess of 26 million viewers) - I was literally crying with laughter.

Now, the days of audiences in excess of 25 million are long gone, as is the comedy Christmas special featuring some of the country's most loved actors and entertainers.

But you know what? The BBC is one lucky bastard of a corporation. They said goodbye to Del and Rodney in 2003, two iconic characters who had become part of British TV history and two years later, they've filled the gap in a completely different way with another iconic TV character.

I'm delighed that Doctor Who has become as much a part of Christmas for some of us as Eric and Ern were, albeit in a completely different way. Although maybe one of these years they could produce a play wot Moff wrote and get Trinity Wells out of retirement to head up the newsreader's song and dance number!

Yes, I'm boringly predictable.

( Day 25 - Favourite TARDIS Team )

I was scratching my head a bit about this one, because I wasn't sure if it means location as in where the stories are set, or location as in where they're filmed. If the former, there's a lot to choose from, and if the latter, I'll be taking you on a trip around about three Welsh quarries! *g*

( Day 21 - Favourite Location )

I've been lookng forward to this one :-)

( Day 17- Favourite Donna Moment )

Day 13 - Favourite era visited by the Doctor & Co.

Hm. Bit of a odd one, this, because I'm generally more interested in whatever the story is that week than where it's set. I mean, I'm not likely to say "Ooh - I must watch that episode because it's set in medieval Germany!" *g* That said though, I do sit up and take notice when I know there's a "historical" episode coming because I'm a bit of a history geek and I like historical settings, (And yes, I'm taking the question of the day to mean "era in the past" rather than the future.) Also, the Doctor meets a famous "real life" person are some of my favourite stories in Nu-Who, which sort of narrows it down a bit.

So... I'm going to plump for Elizabethan London because that period of British history is probably my favourite.



The Shakespeare Code - picspam

( The list )

Oh, gawd. Now, I freely admit to being the sort of person who cries easily at TV and films - I couldn’t bear to watch Lassie films as a kid! But the number of TV shows that have reduced me to tears is few – I really could count them on the fingers of one hand – and DW is waaaaaaay out in front in terms of the number of times it’s managed it. I wonder sometimes whether it’s the quality of the writing, or if there’s something wrong with me – and then I’ll read something on someone else’s LJ or at one of the comms and I realise it’s not just me who’s affected that way by this wonderful, infuriating TV show.

( Day 11 - Scene/moment that makes you cry )

The good thing about DW is that even in what I regard as weaker episodes, there are still things that are good and/or interesting or thought-provoking. That said though, there are a small number of episodes that I tend to skip when I’m watching the DVDs.

( Day 9 - Least Favourite Episode )