BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!

Subject: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 06:25 AM

For those out there who remember watching this classic televisual science fiction the first time around, 23 November 1963 was a great day. The introduction of The Doctor, and his time machine.
The start of this programme was somewhat overshadowed by the news of an assassination in America the previous day, but it forshadowed a long series of cheaply made programmes which were greatly enjoyed.
So raise a glass to Dr Who (in his many guises)

Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 07:41 AM

I had to be content with watching the Dr. in syndication over here in the US. Nigel, when I first saw this, I wondered if today were the actual birthday of Dr Who - fictionally speaking of course. I don't know if they ever said when he was born and whether it was a long time ago or not yet. It gets so confusing when one can go backward OR forward in time.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: CapriUni
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 08:50 AM

Yay!!! I love birthdays! I also love Doctor Who.

(Now for a longish palaver, but don't worry, it's leading up to something 'Cat related)

When I'm not hanging out in Mudcat, I'm likely to be over in either of the following Newsgroups: Rec.Arts.Drwho, and Alt.Drwho.Creative. I love a lot of the regulars over there, but Rec.Arts.Drwho especially became a playground of trolls -- mostly falling into two camps arguing the various merits (and demerits) of Doctor Who actors Jon Pertwee (who played the third Doctor) and Sylvester McCoy (who played the seventh). Why the arguments were about this particular pair I cannot say, but the worst insult the McCoy trolls could throw around was "You're just a pro-Pertwee Troll!", and from the McCoy camp: "You're just a pro-McCoy Troll!"

Which camp did I fall into? Well, it didn't take long for me to get stuck with the label Pro-Fun Troll, and a movement (and my alter-ego, a little green troll in a big birthday hat, named Eloise) was born.

In May of 2000, I decided to try and bring peace to the battleground by hosting a "Pro-Fun Hoedown" and (Here comes the 'Cat-related bit) so I searched the DT for a hoedown-type song which I could filk, in honor of the show and its fans.

Since the 'Cat played such an important part in the birth of a mini-tradition, this seems as good a place and time as any to share that first Hoedown song, in honor of Doctor Who and this wonderful community here (note: the line with "Wombles and Snarks" and "Penguin and Pants" refers to certian prolific RADW contributors of the time):

The lights dim, replaced by one spotlight aimed at a small, round platform in the middle of the floor. An expectant hush falls over the crowd. An avocado green troll in a fishing vest with bulging pockets hops onto the stage. Tucking a fiddle under her chin, she begins to play a melody that sounds suspiciously like "Turkey in the Straw." She plays two verses through, and then begins to sing:

As I was watching "Fang Rock" one night,
Sure to hell it didn't look right.
Tried "track control" and went too far --
I seys "Goodbye" to my VCR!

Surfin' on the web, postin' to the 'group,
Surfin' on the web, postin' to the 'group.
Roll 'em up and twist 'em up a high tuckahaw
And twist 'em up a tune called "Post to Rad-wah"!

Went to the newsgroup, tried to post a thread.
Called Pertwee "Tom", and my face turned red.
A Womble and a Snark began to rant
And changed all my words to "penguins" and "pants".

Surfin' on the web, postin' to the 'group,
Surfin' on the web, postin' to the 'group.
Roll 'em up and twist 'em up a high tuckahaw
And twist 'em up a tune called "Post to Rad-wah"!

Saw a Nasty Troll on my screen
Seys to Nasty Troll "What do you mean?"
Take a deep breath and count to ten,
I'll never talk to that troll again!

Surfin' on the web, postin' to the 'group,
Surfin' on the web, postin' to the 'group.
Roll 'em up and twist 'em up a high tuckahaw
And twist 'em up a tune called "Post to Rad-wah"!

Sat on my couch and I gave a yell,
Tracking went crazy, VCR broke to hell.
Sugar in the gourd and honey in the horn,
I never been so happy since the day I was born.

Surfin' on the web, postin' to the 'group,
Surfin' on the web, postin' to the 'group.
Roll 'em up and twist 'em up a high tuckahaw
And twist 'em up a tune called "Post to Rad-wah"!


Happy Birthday, Doctor! And Thank You, Mudcat (aka Max!)

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Firecat
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 03:22 PM

Happy Birthday Doctor! I may not be old enough to hae watched it first time round, as I was born near the end of the Peter Davison era (2 months, 11 days before the end if you want to be exact!), but I have watched my Dad's videos of it. My favourite is probably Sylvester McCoy, with Peter Davison and Tom Baker close behind. My favourite assistant's Ace, cos she's like me, rebellious!!

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: CarolC
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 04:15 PM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR WHO!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 04:41 PM

We should also give honorable mention to the Daleks, spiritual forerunners of the Borg.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Shifter
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 05:02 PM

Great programme! I was there when it began as a an 8 year old!

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: GUEST,CapriUni's Secret Santa
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 05:09 PM

Mmmmm. Been wondering what to do with my old Dalek costume.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: CapriUni
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 05:18 PM

Dear SS -- will it fit over a motor wheelchair?

Only problem is, Pro-Fun Trolls don't want to exterminate anyone... maybe, for next Halloween, I could go as one of those "reformed" Daleks, from the Kit-Kat commercial...

BTW, I sent my profile to Jeff, and the picture I included shows Eloise and me together ... a rare photo, indeed! Alter-egos don't often appear on film... ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: GUEST,CapriUni's SS
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 05:23 PM

Right, I am just popping down to the underground laboratory to make a few modifications.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Dita
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 06:25 PM

Happy 39th Doc,

love, john.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: DonMeixner
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 06:42 PM

I liked them all up to Colin Baker. Not that I didn't like Colin Baker but our PBS affiliate stopped carrying the Doctor about then.
I'd like to have seen more of Patrick Troughton tho' I liked his take on the Doctor, a little whiney at times perhaps, and played like a man on the edge. But interesting.

Great show hope there is more of it to come even if there has been a wait between the last episode and now.

Don

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 06:44 PM

I can't eat toast or crumpets on a dark Saturday afternoon in winter without needing to watch Dr Who, and I can't watch Dr Who without wanting to eat crumpets or toast..... the two are inexplicably entwined in my pysiology....

Celebrated today with a pack of 8 crupmets and 'Dr Who and the Daemons'... for those who don't think it's folky, this story had in it the Headington Quarry Morris Men, credited as such.

Can I come out from behind the sofa now?

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: CarolC
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 08:00 PM

...for those who don't think it's folky, this story had in it the Headington Quarry Morris Men, credited as such.

The Headington Quarry Morris Men, AND a great huge piano accordion!

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Helen
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 08:19 PM

To the Secret Santa of CapriUni,

Why just lowly little Daleks, why not the big Cahuna himself? I'm sure you could conjure up a huge latex cover-all with the hideous features of Davros to put over that green troll called Eloise. (Ducking quickly from those terrifying Dalek weapons coming from both CapriUni and her SS)

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: CapriUni
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 10:17 PM

Great show hope there is more of it to come even if there has been a wait between the last episode and now.

Well, it's still going strong with books, and a company called Big Finish is producing wonderful audio dramas on two CD sets every month... with original actors from TV days. These are pricy -- but worth it!

And Douglas Adams Shada is going to be redone as an audio drama with Paul McGann as the Doctor, and broadcast in Real Audio via the BBC website...

Check the Doctor Who Reference Guide for synopses of most of the stories produced, since that this date 39 years ago, in nearly every format (I think the biggest gaps are in the Comics stories... but those have always been a bit of a seperate universe...

Oh, and as for "Folkie"... the Second Doctor's longest standing companion was Jamie McCrimmon -- of that McCrimmon clan... the famous bagpipers. The Doctor took him aboard, iirc, on the condition that Jamie teach him to play the bagpipes. We never did, however, witness those lessons... but perhaps that's for the best... ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: GUEST,Taliesn
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 10:25 PM

Just like there's only one true James Bond: Sean Connery, for me there's only one Dr.Who: Tom Baker.
Only saw him in one other film role and that was as the mad monk Rasputin in "Nicholas & Alexandra" and he was brilliant.
Wish he did more work .

To me he was one of those great British character actors with a great voice as well whom you only notice after a strong TV role.
I'm thinking of Derek Jacoby after the BBC production of "I,Cladius".
BTW: A slight aside of delicious irony was Ridley Scott casting derek Jacoby as a Roman senator in "Gladiator" whom finally is able to acheive what had aluded Claudius; namely rstoring the Ro,man Republic. I'm sure Ridley Scott was aware of this when he cast Derek.

Anyway, here's to character Dr.Who ,all of them , but Tom Baker
just worked the best ofr me.;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: CapriUni
Date: 23 Nov 02 - 11:42 PM

Well, at his best, Tom Baker's fourth Doctor was certainly the most fun to watch (IMNSHO, of course), but in imagining myself as a traveling companion, I think I would have most enjoyed traveling with the second Doctor (Patrick Troughton).

I've only seen two of his stories, and read a few of the missing scripts of some of the others... but of all of the Doctors, I can most easily imagine him and his crews between adventures, when they're not running from bad guys or bunging rocks at things...

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Nov 02 - 12:45 AM

I liked the guy with the long scarf and the really curly hair. Who was that? I believe it was in the early 70's...I think.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: CapriUni
Date: 24 Nov 02 - 01:35 AM

That was the fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker... he played the Doctor for the longest continuous stretch, from the tail end of '74 / early '75 until May of '81

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: fiddler
Date: 24 Nov 02 - 06:27 AM

I saw the first Episode live - her comes the Anorak, It was the first pre recorded BBC programme as the special effect (not the wobbling sets) were too complex to do live - what did they start eh.

I think the Kennedy thing sinks in to second place as Dr Who was and still is such a brilliant series.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 Nov 02 - 03:03 PM

And did the BBC mention any of this? No. Can't move for James Bond stuff at the moment, because it's 40 years of Bond, and much as I adore Sean Connery, there is far too much of the other crap as well....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Pushkin
Date: 24 Nov 02 - 04:13 PM

I have to be honest and say Tom Baker is my favourite Dr but then he's the one I grew up with.   My other half's favourite is Sylvester McCoy and he grew up with all of them because he's ancient.....   Tom Baker is also great company in the pub - he can't half drink!   He's completely insane!   Jon Pertwee was as much a gentleman in life as he was on the screen.   

Have any of you read the Virgin Dr Who books?   Absolutely superb (not for children), and portraying the Dr in a much darker light, particularly Sylvester McCoy's Dr.

I remember one of the big events of my childhood was John Pertwee bringing the Whomobile to my school.   

As to the baddies - I always thought the Daleks were scary but the Cybermen even scarier.    At least they could climb stairs which the Daleks didn't manage for a few years. However, Planet of the Spiders has given me a fear of spiders ever since.

Bring back Dr Who, the BBC seems to be ashamed of it for some reason.

Pushkin

Subject: RE: BS: Happy birthday Dr Who!
From: Pied Piper
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 08:52 AM

As it's his birthday perhaps some one should buy him a Dimensional Stabilizer.
I beg to differ about the fore runners of the Borg; it must be the Cybormen.
PP