Now we turn our attention to the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton. What shows will give you the best idea of his time as the Doctor? Well, unfortunately much of his work was lost, but there are still some really great options to get to know this Doctor better.
The Lost in Time collection presents the remnants of the many lost episodes of the first and second Doctors. Where possible the available video is used, in other cases the surviving audio along with still images from the production. Unfortunately you won't be able to see everything of all the episodes, but you will appreciate what was done in the productions.
It's a pretty typical storyline in science fiction these days. What would happen if you found yourself in a word where fiction became reality, where the stories are all real? That's what happens in this story, but at the time it came out, it was a unique idea. The Doctor and company land in a strange land and meet Gulliver, Rapunzel, and even a fictitious version of William Shakespeare. This world is run by a man known as the Master (who is not to be confused with the Time Lord of the same name.)
This is the penultimate story of the second Doctor. It is his final story. In it, we learn lots of interesting new details about the Doctor's people, and how they operate.
The Doctor and his companions Jamie and Zoe arrive in the middle of a WWI battlefield. They manage to get to safety only to get accused of spying and desertion. They manage to escape and suddenly find themselves on a different battlefield being attacked by Roman soldiers, when they run from there they suddenly end up in the Civil War. Confused yet?
It turns out there is an alien race plotting to use humans to conquer the human race. They have the help of the War Chief, another Time Lord. At the end, the Doctor is put on trial by his own people. (This is the first time that the Time Lords are named and seen.)
These discs are all worth checking out as a way of getting to know the second Doctor. Be on the lookout for suggestions for the third Doctor.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
What is wrong with editting Huck Finn?
I'm sure you've heard about the latest edition of a certain Mark Twain classic. You know, the one that has had certain offensive words removed from it. It's been all over the news and internet, and a lot of people are upset about it. In case you couldn't tell already, I'm one of those upset people.
I can understand why someone would choose to make this edit happen. By eliminating the 'n' word he hopes to keep the book from being banned in various schools across the country. This Twain scholar is hoping to get Twain read by more people. I just have several problems with his approach to the problem.
First, I want you to think about why Twain wrote. He wanted to open the minds of the people who read his work. He wanted to speak about specific issues of his time and world. Twain also wanted to record the words and stories of the people he encountered. He did not use the 'n' word out of spite or prejudice. He was reflecting the language of his time.
Next, let's consider history. A very famous quote by George Santayana. "Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it." Why are we trying to deny this was a part of our history. I know it's bad, but if you want to complain about it, go watch Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind again. Ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away.
One more point point before I wrap this up: Mark Twain would have ridiculed anyone who tried to mess with his work. Not only ridiculed but publicly humiliated over and over again. Twain was a man who knew how to use words to his advantage. I couldn't find a Twain quote that would work well with my rant, but I can hear one of the many Mark Twain impersonators (check out Hal Holbrook is one of the best and has done an annual show for 56 years) saying something like, "In my day, a man could write a book, and if another man didn't like it, he didn't have to read it."
Anyway, that's my opinion. It won't change the fact that the book is getting published right now. Maybe it will convince people to read the book that wouldn't have otherwise.
I can understand why someone would choose to make this edit happen. By eliminating the 'n' word he hopes to keep the book from being banned in various schools across the country. This Twain scholar is hoping to get Twain read by more people. I just have several problems with his approach to the problem.
First, I want you to think about why Twain wrote. He wanted to open the minds of the people who read his work. He wanted to speak about specific issues of his time and world. Twain also wanted to record the words and stories of the people he encountered. He did not use the 'n' word out of spite or prejudice. He was reflecting the language of his time.
Next, let's consider history. A very famous quote by George Santayana. "Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it." Why are we trying to deny this was a part of our history. I know it's bad, but if you want to complain about it, go watch Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind again. Ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away.
One more point point before I wrap this up: Mark Twain would have ridiculed anyone who tried to mess with his work. Not only ridiculed but publicly humiliated over and over again. Twain was a man who knew how to use words to his advantage. I couldn't find a Twain quote that would work well with my rant, but I can hear one of the many Mark Twain impersonators (check out Hal Holbrook is one of the best and has done an annual show for 56 years) saying something like, "In my day, a man could write a book, and if another man didn't like it, he didn't have to read it."
Anyway, that's my opinion. It won't change the fact that the book is getting published right now. Maybe it will convince people to read the book that wouldn't have otherwise.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
My plan for Doctor Who's 50th anniversary (please share this if you think it's a good idea)
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| Since 1963 these eleven men have played the Doctor. What will BBC do for the 50th anniversary in 2013? |
In the past, major anniversaries of the show were a chance to bring the actors who played the Doctor together in a common adventure. For the 10th anniversary, "The Three Doctors" brought together the original three actors to face the Time Lord Omega in a black hole. (This was the last performance by William Hartnell who passed away a few years after the show aired.) For the 20th anniversary, "The Five Doctors" brought the first five Doctors together. (William Hartnell was replaced by Richard Hurdnell, and Tom Baker participated through clips of an unaired story named "Shada.") In this story, the Doctors (as well as some past companions) faced off against Rassilon and the "Death Zone" on Gallifrey. The show was having issues or off the air for the other major anniversaries.
So what about the 50th anniversary? There's no chance of getting all eleven (or possibly twelve depending on what Matt Smith decides to do in the future) Doctors together since Hartnell, Troughton, and Pertwee have all passed away. I also don't like the idea of trying to find replacements for all of those Doctors. What about a different approach?
The new series has worked hard to have individual stories with a storyline that ties the whole season together. So what if the writers of Doctor Who take a page from the past to help them out. In 1978-1979, the fourth Doctor (played by Tom Baker) went on a quest with his new companion Romana to find the Key of Time. This story took over the entire season over 6 story arcs. What if the Doctor has to go on a quest that requires him to reconnect with previous companions? Let's consider some story ideas.
In 1964, the first Doctor left his granddaughter, Susan, behind in 22nd century London after the events in "The Dalek Invasion of Earth." The Doctor promised to check up on her some day. That still hasn't happened. Why not fix that problem?
Whatever happened to Scottish Highlander Jamie McCrimmon? The Time Lords returned him to 1746 after sentencing the second Doctor for interfering with the universe, but what happened after that?
The list could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Not only would this make for an interesting storyline, but it would also be great for the BBC. They have been working hard to promote DVD sales of the older shows, and what better way to do that than to make a real connection with modern viewers and the older characters?
That's my idea. If you liked it, share it around. I'm hoping someone at BBC that is involved with Doctor Who sees it and at least considers the possibility. It's my opinion, feel free to comment below, and to check out more of my opinions on this site.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Top Twelve Characters from MASH (part I)
While M.A.S.H. wasn't the top show for it's entire broadcast run, it had the distinction of having the most-watched episode on television with its series finale. It wasn't until the 2010 Superbowl that a show surpassed that record. It also has the distinction of being a very popular show in syndication almost 30 years after the final episode. (and more than just on TV land.)
What was it about this show that makes it so popular even today? It's the characters. The interaction of these doctors and nurses in the middle of a war zone still connect with viewers. The characters drove the stories and that's what people wanted to see. So let's look at the top twelve characters from M.A.S.H. We'll start with the honorable mentions.
Jeff Maxwell played Private Igor Straminsky in 66 of the 251 episodes. Igor was most often seen in the mess hall serving up the meals. No one had a kind word for this poor private who had the sad task of serving up meals that he didn't cook, and no one wanted to eat. Just about everyone had a complaint to make to the Private in charge of serving the meals, even Father Mulcahy.
We all know the type of character. The guy who's supposed to be doing a specific job but isn't above trying to get something out of it on the side. At the 4077, that man was Staff Sergeant Luther Rizzo. Sure he made sure a jeep was ready when it needed to be, but that didn't stop him from letting Klinger try to eat one when the price was right. I almost forgot to mention that Rizzo was played by G. W. Bailey who you might recognize from the Police Academy movies.
Whenever Radar or Klinger needed to get something and get it fast their first call went out to Sparky. He was only seen in one episode, but he was definitely an important part of life at the 4077. He was played by Dennis Fimple.
If you don't recognize the name "Painless Pole" Waldowski or the face of John Schuck in the picture, it's probably because you haven't seen Alan Altman's film M.A.S.H. that led to the television show. (If this is the case, shame on you. Go watch it now. I'll wait for you.) Now that you're back you already know the part of the movie where Waldowski is having performing so he thinks he might be a latent homosexual. His best option is to commit suicide. The doctors hatch a plan that comes straight out of Romeo and Juliet (without the actual death) where they pretend to help him commit suicide. The real reason he gets the honorable mention is his funeral song is "Suicide is Painless," the theme song for the movie and television show.
There's the honorable mentions. Next time we'll look at the first group of the top twelve. Feel free to leave a comment below.
What was it about this show that makes it so popular even today? It's the characters. The interaction of these doctors and nurses in the middle of a war zone still connect with viewers. The characters drove the stories and that's what people wanted to see. So let's look at the top twelve characters from M.A.S.H. We'll start with the honorable mentions.
Jeff Maxwell played Private Igor Straminsky in 66 of the 251 episodes. Igor was most often seen in the mess hall serving up the meals. No one had a kind word for this poor private who had the sad task of serving up meals that he didn't cook, and no one wanted to eat. Just about everyone had a complaint to make to the Private in charge of serving the meals, even Father Mulcahy.
There's the honorable mentions. Next time we'll look at the first group of the top twelve. Feel free to leave a comment below.
Will Arnold ever be President of the United States of America?
For as long as I can remember, people have been talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger becoming President some day. The scary part of that discussion is that many of those people were serious about that possibility. Keep in mind that this was during the days when Arnold was playing the Terminator rather than having his face imprinted with CGI. He had moved past his days playing Hercules running around NYC and his self promoting video biography of his days from the body building circuit, but he was still just a big man with a funny accent.
These days Arnold has built some significant clout that could put him in position to run for office some day. He's married to a Kennedy, he's been the governor of California, and even though things didn't always go the way he planned in California, he did manage to keep the state in one piece in some pretty rough times.
So what's to keep the strong man from running say in 2012? There is the little detail of him not being an American citizen. At some point in the process of developing our system of government, the founding fathers decided that while foreigners were more than welcome to move to America, they certainly could not run for President. That makes sense to a certain extent, and what that means is that poor Arnold isn't eligible to be a part of that electoral race.
Is there a loophole? This is America, land of the loopholes. All Arnold needs is a Constitutional Amendment. That can either come through the Legislature or each state would have to have a vote on the matter, and if every state said yes, then it could happen. If you think about the process, you can quickly determine that this would be a lengthy process. If there were a major push, and the majority of the country was behind it, the Amendment might get passed in 10 years. (Remember, you have to have state-wide petitions, each state would have to consider the proposition and have a vote on it before anything else would even be possible.)
So what about Arnold? As far as we know, he has no Presidential aspirations, but even if he did, he wouldn't be in any condition to run the country by the time he actually could. At 67, Schwarzenegger would be in his late 70s by the time he might be eligible to run for office. McCain had a hard enough time with the age issue during the last election, so I don't think that Arnold would make out any better on that front.
My money is on this answer being no, Arnold Schwarzenegger will never be the President of the United States of America. That's just my opinion. Feel free to comment on this topic below.
These days Arnold has built some significant clout that could put him in position to run for office some day. He's married to a Kennedy, he's been the governor of California, and even though things didn't always go the way he planned in California, he did manage to keep the state in one piece in some pretty rough times.
So what's to keep the strong man from running say in 2012? There is the little detail of him not being an American citizen. At some point in the process of developing our system of government, the founding fathers decided that while foreigners were more than welcome to move to America, they certainly could not run for President. That makes sense to a certain extent, and what that means is that poor Arnold isn't eligible to be a part of that electoral race.
Is there a loophole? This is America, land of the loopholes. All Arnold needs is a Constitutional Amendment. That can either come through the Legislature or each state would have to have a vote on the matter, and if every state said yes, then it could happen. If you think about the process, you can quickly determine that this would be a lengthy process. If there were a major push, and the majority of the country was behind it, the Amendment might get passed in 10 years. (Remember, you have to have state-wide petitions, each state would have to consider the proposition and have a vote on it before anything else would even be possible.)
So what about Arnold? As far as we know, he has no Presidential aspirations, but even if he did, he wouldn't be in any condition to run the country by the time he actually could. At 67, Schwarzenegger would be in his late 70s by the time he might be eligible to run for office. McCain had a hard enough time with the age issue during the last election, so I don't think that Arnold would make out any better on that front.
My money is on this answer being no, Arnold Schwarzenegger will never be the President of the United States of America. That's just my opinion. Feel free to comment on this topic below.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
So you want to start watching the First Doctor episodes of Doctor Who
As part of an ongoing attempt to get more people checking out Doctor Who, and to answer a question asked on one of my previous posts (a five-part series ranking the top 12 actors to play the Doctor) I will be doing a series of posts with suggestions on stories to check out for each of the Doctors. This will be geared towards starting with the particular Doctor rather than a listing of best episodes. We will start this process with the first Doctor, William Hartnell. I will also include links to DVDs you can buy on Amazon.
This one is a bit of a cheat. The DVD is a set that includes several stories. The set is called Doctor Who: The Beginning. It has "The Unearthly Child" which is the original episode of Doctor Who. You get to meet the Doctor, his granddaughter Susan, and her teachers, Ian and Barbara. The teachers start snooping around to find out about this strange new student, Susan, and end up getting kidnapped by her grandfather. The quartet meet cavemen in this story. Next up is "The Daleks." This is the second story, and the first to feature the Daleks. Also you can watch "The Edge of Destruction" where the TARDIS has stalled someplace between time and space. This is a great episode to understand the interactions between the four main characters.
The DVD also has a recreation of "Marco Polo" that includes audio clips and still images from the production. (This story was lost in the BBC video purge.)
There are plenty of other episodes to check out, but this is just an introduction to the first Doctor. Later, I'll be doing lists on best episodes, but that is for another time.
This one is a bit of a cheat. The DVD is a set that includes several stories. The set is called Doctor Who: The Beginning. It has "The Unearthly Child" which is the original episode of Doctor Who. You get to meet the Doctor, his granddaughter Susan, and her teachers, Ian and Barbara. The teachers start snooping around to find out about this strange new student, Susan, and end up getting kidnapped by her grandfather. The quartet meet cavemen in this story. Next up is "The Daleks." This is the second story, and the first to feature the Daleks. Also you can watch "The Edge of Destruction" where the TARDIS has stalled someplace between time and space. This is a great episode to understand the interactions between the four main characters.
The DVD also has a recreation of "Marco Polo" that includes audio clips and still images from the production. (This story was lost in the BBC video purge.)
There are plenty of other episodes to check out, but this is just an introduction to the first Doctor. Later, I'll be doing lists on best episodes, but that is for another time.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
How rockin' was ABC's Rockin' New Year's party?
If you're like me, you don't spend much time watching the television on New Year's Eve. I just wait until just before midnight so I can officially know when midnight hits. I don't care about the rest of the nonsense that happens on the show. It's a matter of habit from growing up to pick ABC because my Mom always wanted to watch Dick Clark. (I think she may have had a thing for him.)
I'm not here to talk bad about Dick Clark. He had a stroke and that slowed the poor guy down. He hasn't recovered from it, and as a result he has a hard time being up until midnight, and looks a little weird when he gets to that point, but if you'd had a stroke, you wouldn't be doing nearly as well.
I do want to say that if Dick Clark is going to be a part of the show there needs to be something for the younger viewers to understand why he's involved with the show. All there needs to be is a short retrospective explaining that Dick Clark was the man who was unofficially in charge of what was good in rock music.
Anyway, back to what I really want to say: I'm no longer the audience for Dick Clark's Rockin' New Eve. (yeah, it's supposed to have the Ryan Seacrest tag on there, but I don't really know who Ryan Seacrest is, so I'm not adding it.) I'm not interested in seeing that Korean band that sings about G6s that don't actually exist, or unpopular songs from bands that I don't like. I don't want to see the aging lead singer for Train even if he isn't singing to his soul sister, and that "Cooler than Me" guy isn't any better when he isn't talking about how uncool he is.
I guess I'm glad the TV will tell me when the new year is officially here, but I think I need to find a show where they just have the count down and then go to bed.
I'm not here to talk bad about Dick Clark. He had a stroke and that slowed the poor guy down. He hasn't recovered from it, and as a result he has a hard time being up until midnight, and looks a little weird when he gets to that point, but if you'd had a stroke, you wouldn't be doing nearly as well.
I do want to say that if Dick Clark is going to be a part of the show there needs to be something for the younger viewers to understand why he's involved with the show. All there needs to be is a short retrospective explaining that Dick Clark was the man who was unofficially in charge of what was good in rock music.
Anyway, back to what I really want to say: I'm no longer the audience for Dick Clark's Rockin' New Eve. (yeah, it's supposed to have the Ryan Seacrest tag on there, but I don't really know who Ryan Seacrest is, so I'm not adding it.) I'm not interested in seeing that Korean band that sings about G6s that don't actually exist, or unpopular songs from bands that I don't like. I don't want to see the aging lead singer for Train even if he isn't singing to his soul sister, and that "Cooler than Me" guy isn't any better when he isn't talking about how uncool he is.
I guess I'm glad the TV will tell me when the new year is officially here, but I think I need to find a show where they just have the count down and then go to bed.
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