Nothing To See Here. Just Pop-Culture Icons, That's All...

I think I'll be having the theme music from 'Doctor Who' running through my head for a very long time. It's a brilliant show, seriously - and I mean that in the sense of 'awesome' as well as 'very, very smart'. It doesn't pander to the audience, it explains things that need to be explained cleverly and concisely, it's completely fun and totally INSANE. Good times. I started watching the re-broadcast of Season 5 (not completely accurate, since it's been running since 1963, but was 'rebooted' in 2005) with Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and I was hooked. The second half of Season 6 has just started (and the first half was a doozy). I keep hearing about how David Tennant (Seasons 2-4, Tenth Doctor) was 'the best', and 'THE Doctor' and what have you, so I decided to check it out - I'm glad I did, because there are inside jokes and self-referential moments all over the place and it's (have I mentioned this?) SO. MUCH. FUN.

Christopher Eccleston starred as the Ninth Doctor in 'Season 1', the re-boot (FYI, he's an alum of my drama school in London!*) and when he pulled out he was replaced by David Tennant. Eccleston was charming and zany, and a wonderful introduction to the world of Doctor Who. Tennant, as I have mentioned before, is a fantastically brilliant actor and compulsively watchable (which is saying something - have you ever really LOOKED at the guy? He's emo-skinny, with bulgy eyes and not really enough chin, - plus he usually looks like his head is about to explode - and yet he is mesmerizingly attractive ((in the 'charismatic' sense, which spills over into the 'total hottie' sense)).) and he has been paired up with some fantastic women. My impression is that Billie Piper (just lovely with Eccleston and riveting with Tennant) is not actually that great an actress - but man, does she COMMIT. She completely believes in the world that she's creating, and that brings the audience right in with her!

The blue Police box is the TARDIS, the
time-traveling spaceship. You can Google
what the letters stand for.

The writing is creative and crazy and still logical (usually), care is taken to remember what has gone before (most of the time), and it's a real treat to see actors and actresses from other shows and movies that have done a stint on Doctor Who (definitely a quintessential British institution). I'm on to Season 3, and just had a terrific trip to visit Shakespeare in 1599. (And much of the time I was boggling over the fact that they filmed it in the current Globe Theatre, built to replicate the original Globe, with Shakespeare onstage in the 'past' and David Tennant onstage in a space where he had performed with the RSC in the - relative - present playing the part of someone who traveled into the 'past'... Layers of time-traveling, all IN MY HEAD. I think I've been watching too much Doctor Who.)

Not representative of Matt Smith
as the Doctor, but a good picture.
Hmmmm.

Anyway, good times. Watch it. (And I can't say that I like David Tennant better - Matt Smith was my first Doctor, I developed a little crush on Christopher Eccleston, and I adore all three for their respective portrayals of The Doctor. All different, all fantastic!)

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In other news, I was going to talk about taking pictures, trying to do schoolwork in spite of Doctor Who, and Breast Cancer awareness, but I think I'll save those for other posts. I'll just finish up by letting (all two of) you (who read this) know that I'm cutting off all my hair a week from Monday - not quite shaving my head, but something in the 'long buzz' category. I had wanted it to be a big surprise, but then I felt badly about that, and then I thought I might try to use the occasion to raise some money for cancer research (I'll still try, if I can get organized) (also, I don't have cancer or anything, some friends suggested I 'use the moment', as it were), and it's not like my parents or siblings (other than my sister) read this anyway. So - heads up! Pictures soon! Watch out for falling turtles!




ETA: I take it back. David Tennant may be a little bit skinny and geeky, but he is actually quite attractive on his own merit (especially when he does NOT look like his head is about to explode). Fantastic 'normal person' smile. I've spent a little too much time Googling pictures and watching YouTube videos in order to come to this new conclusion, and will now be turning in my stalker card. Thank you.



*Along with Judi Dench, Lawrence Olivier, Carrie Fisher, Jennifer Ehle, the Redgraves, and Ben Browder (Farscape!) among many, many others...