Who Do's and Don'ts

Since its return in 2005, Doctor Who has provided viewers with an ever-growing list of commands. Quite are few are prohibitions - mostly things that we must not do in order to be safe from monsters, though a bit of personal prejudice might be creeping in at number 5.

1.       Don’t blink - from 2007’s Blink.  If you do, the Weeping Angels will get you.

2.       Don’t step in the shadows from 2008’s - Silence in the Library.  The Vashta Nerada are lurking in the shadows - any shadow.

3.       Don’t breathe - from the Twelfth Doctor’s debut story, Deep Breath.  If you breathe the Half-Faced man will get you.

4.       Don’t look - from the 2014 story Listen.  Perhaps the scariest command of all, don’t turn round to look at the monster you think is behind you.

5.       ‘You must not watch this’ advice concerning the 2015 episode Sleep No More that I wish I had heeded.

6.       Never eat pears - the Twelfth Doctor’s parting advice to Clara in 2015’s Hell Bent.

7.  [Late addition] Don't pop bubblewrap - as we learned when the Thirteenth Doctor visited Kerblam!

It’s not all don’ts though.  There are some things which are positively encouraged:

1.       Smile - your life may depend on it if there are any Emojibots around.

2.       Always take a banana to a party.   Not only are they a good source of potassium, you might invent the banana daiquiri a few centuries early, as the Tenth Doctor did in The Girl in the Fireplace.

Warning: If you are thinking about New Year Resolutions, this is not the list you need.  But don’t forget your banana on New Year’s Eve.

May 2006: the Doctor impinges on my working life

3 May 2006

Am moving to new office at the entrance to our building.  Head of Department is concerned that I may get constant interruptions.  I suggest putting sign saying “Hazard: Radioactivity” on the door.  He counters by suggesting sign saying “Beware of the Doctor Who fan”.

Wonder whether mentioning Doctor Who under other interests in my profile in professional journal (‘Who does [redacted for professional reasons] think she is?”) was a good career move.

6 May 2006

Did I say I was overcome last week?  That was nothing to this week.  Steven Moffat strikes again.  Who else could have the Doctor jumping on horseback through a mirror to save the woman he loves?  And he even stole RTD’s ending from Casanova (well, almost).  My only quibble would be that the final shot which shows the name of the spaceship and the explanation of it all is easily missed by a casual viewer.  I had to explain it to our Academic Registrar afterwards.

8 May 2006

An inflatable Dalek, labelled ‘Departmental Administrators, for the use of’ arrived mysteriously outside the Head of Department’s office whilst we were having our weekly management meeting. He attended the remainder of the meeting as an observer.

 13 May 2006

And so from the sublime to the ridiculous. After the wonderful bittersweet ending of last week’s episode, we have some appalling ham acting from Roger Lloyd Pack. I love the idea of the zeppelins though – I wonder if RTD is a fan of Jasper Fforde? And full marks for playing The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

Am getting some interesting reactions to Derek the Dalek. My German colleagues have no idea what a Dalek is as they don’t have televisions.  The American ones are bemused, and the English ones amused. The Head of Department keeps patting him on the dome. (Don’t try this at home with a real Dalek).

Derek the Dalek

 

20 May 2006

Went to local library for talk by Gareth Roberts, who was promoting I am a Dalek.  There was us, assorted kids with parents (including a large proportion of girls) and a rather confused little boy in a spiderman outfit. There was a book-signing afterwards, and husband had brought along his copy of The English Way of Death.   Mr Roberts was a bit surprised at this blast from his past but signed it cheerfully enough. Husband then tactfully commented on the similarities with the work of E F Benson. Oh God!

Better this week than last. I was never really that keen on Cybermen to be honest, but I like the new design. It was quite a shock to see that Jackie (albeit an alternative Jackie) had been ‘upgraded’.

27 May 2006

Slightly disappointed with this week’s episode.  It was good, certainly better than the Cybermen episodes, but I have very high expectations of anything by Mark Gatiss. Maureen Lipman was perfectly cast as the Wire, though.

 

The trailer for next week looks awful.