Doctor Who: A Historical Moment
Apr. 1st, 2010 11:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
andrasteIn a few days, we will properly have a new Doctor! This is deeply strange but quite wonderful. (I will miss David Tennant, but I am still looking forward to new new new Doctor.) I've been avoiding spoilers for the content of the series beyond the most basic things, so I know a few monsters and guest stars that will be turning up but not the details of where the Doctor will be going and what he'll be doing. But I got The Masque of Mandragora on DVD the other day, and was reflecting while watching it that I don't mind so much how many alien planets we get as long as there's plenty of visits to Earth's past, preferably complete with tights and sword fighting.
Many of my favourite Doctor Who stories are historicals or what the fan community calls pseudohistoricals (that is, science fiction stories with aliens etc. in a historical setting.) So in honour of the new adventures just around the corner, I've made a top ten list.
I've defined my terms here as only stories where the Doctor and his companion(s) go to some era in Earth history and stay there for the duration of the adventure. This leaves out some gems like The Girl in the Fireplace and even Pyramids of Mars, but I think those stories have a subtly different feel caused by the presence of space ships and side trips to other planets. It also only includes TV serials, although there are some great historical stories in the books and on audio.
10. The Time Warrior
The only historical outing of the entire Pertwee era see the début of a beloved companion and a great alien race, and it's an entertaining Medieval romp for everyone. The 'long-shanked rogue with a mighty nose' seems right at home crossing swords with Sontarans and medieval warlords, and it always makes me sad that they didn't do more of this kind of thing during his tenure.
9. The Gunfighters
I realise it's not everybody's cup of tea, but I love it. Yes, even the endless ballad of the Last Chance Saloon. The dreadful accents just add to the comedy, and I for one find this to be one of the funniest things the show has ever done to this day. (The dentist! Steven Regret! Mr. Werp!) It's also the only TV story where Dodo works for me as a character - everywhere else she's a total non-entity and my least favourite companion, here she's plucky and interesting. That alone puts this on my list.
8. The Unicorn and the Wasp
From the moment the vicar rides up the long driveway on his bicycle, it's obvious that this is going to be lovely to look at. British television networks seem to be able to do this kind of costume drama in their sleep, although I'm sure a lot of work actually goes into the detail. There's a lot more to it than the lovely scenery and period costumes, though, as the Doctor gets stuck in an Agatha Christie story that co-stars Agatha Christie. Delightfully meta, and it has a giant wasp. (Clearly giant wasps make everything better. Except picnics.)
7. The Unquiet Dead
The revived series takes its first trip to the past, and inevitable its to the Victorian era. (Classic Who doesn't go there as often as the general public seems to think it did, but this is an appropriate call back to the Hinchcliffe era even so.) It's got all you could want from this type of thing: ghosts, snow, gas lamps, Charles Dickens and the companion getting frocked up in a historically appropriate fashion.
6. Human Nature
Paul Cornell adapts his own novel for the Tenth Doctor with the result of a heartbreaking love story. Not only do we find out that Ten makes a rubbish human (at least in some ways) but Martha Jones gets to be completely awesome under extremely trying circumstances. The 'bones of the hand' scene may be my favourite Martha moment of all.
5. The Curse of Fenric
Almost my favourite Doctor Who war story (we're getting to that) and almost my favourite McCoy story (that too), this is one of the most psychologically complex things the series has ever done. Rich with subtext and metaphor even if not all of it works all of the time, and the scene where the Doctor starts murmuring the names of his companions under his breath to keep the haemovores away reveals more about him than almost any other single moment in the entire history of the show.
4. Marco Polo
Proof that you don't need aliens and explosions to make a historical story interesting, although sword-fighting certainly helps. The first adventure of all to take place in a recognisable period of Earth history (An Unearthly Child being set in some vague pre-historical time) and in my opinion there is no finer pure historical anywhere in the canon. And despite all the guest actors being European as far as I know,it's a much better treatment of Chinese culture in Doctor Who than ...
3. The Talons of Weng-Chiang
... which is still one of the greatest Doctor Who serials of all time. (If I can be a feminist and still own Sin City on DVD - and I am and I do - I can acknowledge the deeply problematic racism and still love a story that tries to revise the Fu Manchu legacy and fails to do a good enough job.) Funny, tense writing from Robert Holmes combine with fabulous performances from almost everyone involved. Also contains the Doctor in a deerstalker hat and awesomely hilarious giant rat. (Pseudohistorical + oversized vermin = win?)
2. Ghost Light
Now this is my favourite McCoy story, plus my favourite classic pseudohistorical. Just don't eat the soup.
That's the way to the zoo,
That's the way to the zoo
The monkey house is almost full
But there's room enough for you ...
1. The Empty Child
Funny, terrifying WORK OF SHEER GENIUS and one of the main reasons I'm looking forward to Moffat's first series as show runner. Gas mask zombies, barrage balloons, and the introduction of Captain Jack Harkness. For me, Doctor Who doesn't get any better than this.
Many of my favourite Doctor Who stories are historicals or what the fan community calls pseudohistoricals (that is, science fiction stories with aliens etc. in a historical setting.) So in honour of the new adventures just around the corner, I've made a top ten list.
I've defined my terms here as only stories where the Doctor and his companion(s) go to some era in Earth history and stay there for the duration of the adventure. This leaves out some gems like The Girl in the Fireplace and even Pyramids of Mars, but I think those stories have a subtly different feel caused by the presence of space ships and side trips to other planets. It also only includes TV serials, although there are some great historical stories in the books and on audio.
10. The Time Warrior
The only historical outing of the entire Pertwee era see the début of a beloved companion and a great alien race, and it's an entertaining Medieval romp for everyone. The 'long-shanked rogue with a mighty nose' seems right at home crossing swords with Sontarans and medieval warlords, and it always makes me sad that they didn't do more of this kind of thing during his tenure.
9. The Gunfighters
I realise it's not everybody's cup of tea, but I love it. Yes, even the endless ballad of the Last Chance Saloon. The dreadful accents just add to the comedy, and I for one find this to be one of the funniest things the show has ever done to this day. (The dentist! Steven Regret! Mr. Werp!) It's also the only TV story where Dodo works for me as a character - everywhere else she's a total non-entity and my least favourite companion, here she's plucky and interesting. That alone puts this on my list.
8. The Unicorn and the Wasp
From the moment the vicar rides up the long driveway on his bicycle, it's obvious that this is going to be lovely to look at. British television networks seem to be able to do this kind of costume drama in their sleep, although I'm sure a lot of work actually goes into the detail. There's a lot more to it than the lovely scenery and period costumes, though, as the Doctor gets stuck in an Agatha Christie story that co-stars Agatha Christie. Delightfully meta, and it has a giant wasp. (Clearly giant wasps make everything better. Except picnics.)
7. The Unquiet Dead
The revived series takes its first trip to the past, and inevitable its to the Victorian era. (Classic Who doesn't go there as often as the general public seems to think it did, but this is an appropriate call back to the Hinchcliffe era even so.) It's got all you could want from this type of thing: ghosts, snow, gas lamps, Charles Dickens and the companion getting frocked up in a historically appropriate fashion.
6. Human Nature
Paul Cornell adapts his own novel for the Tenth Doctor with the result of a heartbreaking love story. Not only do we find out that Ten makes a rubbish human (at least in some ways) but Martha Jones gets to be completely awesome under extremely trying circumstances. The 'bones of the hand' scene may be my favourite Martha moment of all.
5. The Curse of Fenric
Almost my favourite Doctor Who war story (we're getting to that) and almost my favourite McCoy story (that too), this is one of the most psychologically complex things the series has ever done. Rich with subtext and metaphor even if not all of it works all of the time, and the scene where the Doctor starts murmuring the names of his companions under his breath to keep the haemovores away reveals more about him than almost any other single moment in the entire history of the show.
4. Marco Polo
Proof that you don't need aliens and explosions to make a historical story interesting, although sword-fighting certainly helps. The first adventure of all to take place in a recognisable period of Earth history (An Unearthly Child being set in some vague pre-historical time) and in my opinion there is no finer pure historical anywhere in the canon. And despite all the guest actors being European as far as I know,it's a much better treatment of Chinese culture in Doctor Who than ...
3. The Talons of Weng-Chiang
... which is still one of the greatest Doctor Who serials of all time. (If I can be a feminist and still own Sin City on DVD - and I am and I do - I can acknowledge the deeply problematic racism and still love a story that tries to revise the Fu Manchu legacy and fails to do a good enough job.) Funny, tense writing from Robert Holmes combine with fabulous performances from almost everyone involved. Also contains the Doctor in a deerstalker hat and awesomely hilarious giant rat. (Pseudohistorical + oversized vermin = win?)
2. Ghost Light
Now this is my favourite McCoy story, plus my favourite classic pseudohistorical. Just don't eat the soup.
That's the way to the zoo,
That's the way to the zoo
The monkey house is almost full
But there's room enough for you ...
1. The Empty Child
Funny, terrifying WORK OF SHEER GENIUS and one of the main reasons I'm looking forward to Moffat's first series as show runner. Gas mask zombies, barrage balloons, and the introduction of Captain Jack Harkness. For me, Doctor Who doesn't get any better than this.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-03 01:48 am (UTC)Ghostlight blew my brain when I first saw it - it's just so good. And so many of my favourites are from Seven's era.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-04 12:57 pm (UTC)I am STILL WAITING for my download after internet failure resulted in a corrupted file the first time. I am not going to be until I've watched, though!
Ghostlight blew my brain when I first saw it - it's just so good. And so many of my favourites are from Seven's era.
Ghost Light is wonderful, and the McCoy era is great in general. A good way for the show to go out. (Temporarily, as it turns out. Longest series hiatus ever!)