Dr Who: Colin Baker - the Sixth Doctor Who - has materialised on Twitter under the clever code-name of SawbonesHex.

Welcome, Colin Baker
to the world of Dr Who Twitter.

Tweeting under the cheeky nom de plume of @SawbonesHex, the Sixth Dr Who has joined the twittering thousands of Doctor Who fans on Twitter and has already built up a large number of followers.

In his Twitter profile, Colin describes himself as: "Actor, columnist, writer, husband, father, Wycombe Wanderers fan, grumpy old man."

Colin Baker - The Sixth Dr Who

So what can we expect from a real Doctor Who in his forthcoming Tweets?

If his first few offerings are anything to go by - and knowing Colin's comical nature - we are in for a treat of Tweets, as the following early epigrams prove:

"Woken to find I have 3260 followers! Quick Colin - do something interesting... erm - er ...boiled egg and soldiers perhaps while I think."

14 Mar 2011

"Am sitting with Derek in the Ideal Home Exhibition being told by a strange lady that she can't stand Dr Who - sigh!"

12 Mar 2011

As Colin has not been on Twitter too long - his first Tweet was only four days ago - it is too soon to really judge what 140 character long insights and pearls of wisdom he will shower us with. But, he has - in the past - been one of the more vocal of the Eleven Doctors on speaking about and supporting the show and the character. So, to welcome Colin to Twitter, here are a few of our favourite Baker's Treats from his time on the show ...

COLIN on HIMSELF, THE DOCTOR AND THE TV SHOW

On previously appearing as Commander Maxil in 'Arc of Infinity' (1983) - "In one episode I actually shot Peter Davison, but this was in no way an attempt on my part to get his job."

"It is everybody's dream to play their hero, whether it is Lancelot or Biggles or Doctor Who, because they are characters in modern mythology."

@SawBonesHex - Big Outfit & Big Hair

"It was John Nathan-Turner's edict for me to have big hair. He thought that short-back-and-sides was not the Doctor."

"Doctor Who is special, it's a huge part in the British public's consciousness."

"The good thing about Doctor Who is that it does carry messages. Behind every story, if you look for it, it is usually making some other point. The tolerance of violence on television goes with swings of the pendulum, and we have to go with whatever is publically acceptable."

"We were told there is one Golden Rule: no hanky-panky in the TARDIS."

On the BBC's decision to temporarily postpone the series in 1985 - "I'm astounded that the BBC sees fit to axe its most popular product. The programme is part of the British way of life. If I were an ordinary member of the public I would express my rage."

On news of the 2005 reboot - "Fantastic! The backs of sofas, which haven't been visited by children much in the last 15 years, are going to be busy, We're moving ours away from the wall in readiness. A whole new generation have their own Doctor about to happen."

"I don't know if it's a prompted memory, but people still say, 'I used to hide behind the sofa.' If Doctor Who came back, think of all those backs of sofas that have been lonely for so long they are suddenly going to have children behind them again."

"I have four daughters aged 15 to 22 and as far as they were concerned, Doctor Who was like listening to the radio in the Fifties, it was a thing of the past. But now they are all hooked on the New Series and because they liked the new one they went back and got my old episodes to watch and suddenly it's made me a hero in my own home."

On the possibility of making a reappearance in the New Series - "I take every job on its merits. I'm not not keen, nor am I sitting here waiting for the call. It's so unlikely to happen that I don't spend much time thinking about it. I don't look the same. I started playing the part 25 years ago! Peter Davison does still look pretty much like he did then, but not me. I suspect I could play a part in the New Series without you even knowing it was me."

On the 11th Doctor - "As if David Tennant hadn't already proved the visibly beneficial power of time-travel on the genes, the new one, Matt Smith is so young that he is likely to be asked for ID if he tries to purchase an intergalactic gargle blaster in licensed premises either side of the Atlantic."

OTHERS on COLIN

On his pre-Doctor role as Commander Maxil in Arc of Infinity - "I cast Colin because I liked him as an actor, and as a person he has a tremendous sense of humour. He’s a very intelligent guy and he’s bringing a lot of himself to the part, especially in the form of this dry wit."
Ron Jones - Dr. Who director

"Colin Baker, a decent-enough actor who got stuck with the least-appealing personality of any Doctor, and the worst costume in the entire history of television itself."

Christopher Bahn on AVClub.com (2010)

"It would certainly be gratifying to witness the resurfacing of the character's old disdain and distance, which manifested itself to a greater or lesser extent in each incarnation from William Hartnell's irascible professor to Sylvester McCoy's scatterbrained yet ruthless game-player, peaking with the blisteringly arrogant and vainglorious Sixth Doctor, performed with camp abandon by Colin Baker in the mid-80s."

Joe Stannard on TheQuietus.com (2008)

"Colin always was a damn fine actor and a damned fine Doctor. He plays the role with care, consummate professional skill and you would have to be blind as an exceptionally short-sighted bat not to notice that he is having the time of his life doing it."  
Michael Angus in The Celestial Toymaker (1992)

"Though dressed in the most ungodly attire ever seen on television, the sheer awfulness of Season 23 left Colin the much maligned innocent pleading for decorum while the panto rages around him. Under these circumstances, even Billy Hartnell would have appeared to have been playing it deadpan."

Michael Haslett in Skaro 6 (1992)

"Despite Colin Baker giving a grandiose theatrical performance that the micro-budgeted show just can't take, he occasionally delivers moments of quiet angst and subtlety."

Jonathan Wilkins on TotalSciFiOnline.com (2009)

"Colin tried his best to raise scripts literally written on horse s**t with cow-pie pencils to something watchable, but even Anthony Hopkins couldn't have saved Colin's Doctor stories."

Penny Sautereau-Fife on Cracked.com (2009)

"It's harder to take this Doctor seriously than it was with any other Doctor. I don't blame Colin Baker: I blame that he was given so little to work with. He was saddled with a steep uphill clownishness that it would have been hard for any actor to get over."

MaryAnn Johanson on FlickFilosopher.com (2010)


For more on Colin Baker, click here to visit his Official Website.




All the above quotes can also be found in the Blue Eyed Books' publications The Quotable Doctor Who: Volume One and Volume Two.
Click here for more information on both volumes.

Click here to follow the 'Quotable Doctor Who' on Twitter for more Dr Who quotes and quotations.

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Happy Birthday Alex Kingston aka River Song in Dr Who

HELLO SWEETIE!
Happy Birthday Alex Kingston

aka Professor River Song in Doctor Who

Today marks the birthday of Alex Kingston, the English actress famous for her roles as Dr Elizabeth Corday (in E.R.), Queen Boudica, Moll Flanders, Helen Maynard in Marchlands and a host of other film roles including Croupier and Alpha Dog, plus cameos on TV in CSI, Without A Trace, Peak Practice, Flash Forward and The Bill.

But Alex, born in Epsom, Surrey in 1963, is best known to Doctor Who fans as the enigmatic and extremely sexy Professor River Song.

To celebrate Alex's birthday today, here is a selection of quotes by Alex and about the actress and River Song.

Alex Kingston is Prof. River Song

ALEX on RIVER SONG

"I've always wanted to be like Sigourney Weaver in Alien; this is probably as close as I'll get."

"I like the character. She's feisty. It's a nice meaty role in a fun television show. I decided that she's a female Indiana Jones because she's a time-travelling archaeologist and you don't get to play those roles very often at my age."

"She has met this Doctor before, although he hasn’t met her yet in his incarnation, except that he remembers when he was David Tennant. He remembers seeing her die - so he knows her future. He knows the bit she doesn’t know - God it’s so complicated!"

Comparing 'Doctor Who' to 'E.R.' - "The budgets are smaller but everyone works just as hard. Someone told me I’m going to get a River Song action figure. I don’t quite believe it. You don’t get that on E.R."

OTHERS on ALEX and RIVER SONG

Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead (2008)

"Alex Kingston - effortlessly hip in a slim-fitting astronaut's suit - playing Professor River Song. If Clint Eastwood were a woman, this would be her."

Benjamin Cook in The Radio Times (2008)

"We don’t yet know what the significance of River Song’s relationship with the Doctor is, but what we do know is that Kingston and Tennant have a fantastic on-screen chemistry with each other. Obviously there’s something with Tennant where he clicks with 40-something redheads. Sorry Kylie."

Iain M Hepburn on BehindTheSofa.org (2008)

"The calm poise Kingston brings to River Song taking the wind of out David Tennant’s usually full sails like never before in the course of the series."

Mark Wright on TheStage.co.uk (2008)

"The Doctor's backwards love interest, the kick-ass space-archaeologist Professor River Song."

Daniel Martin in The Guardian (2010)

The Time of Angels / Flesh and Stone (2010)

On being asked to reprise her role - "I was quite surprised, I thought I died in my previous episode!"
Alex Kingston (2010)

River Song: "Have gun ... will time-travel!"

"A typical piece of Moffat timey-wimey plotting, reintroducing us to River Song, as sassy and loveable as ever. Alex Kingston looks like she’s having a riot. Also, her relationship with the more geeky Doctor Eleven is possibly even more fun than it was with Doctor Ten."

Dave Golder on SFX.co.uk (2010)

"Sharing guest star status with the returning foe is Alex Kingston as the enigmatic River Song. Alex Kingston’s portrayal of this adventurer was the highlight of season four and she makes a welcome return here, sparring with the Doctor from the get-go. Sexy, confident and witty, River Song is an intriguing character, and there’s the implication that she’s more than the Doctor’s wife. Might she actually be a future version of the Doctor him / herself? Fandom would probably explode, but it’d certainly be funny."

Jonathan Wilkins on TotalSciFiOnline.com (2010)

"In the space of three short episodes featuring River Song (and the awesome Alex Kingston), we’ve gone from 'The Doctor’s what?' to 'No, she can’t really be the Doctor’s wife - that’s too obvious.' "

Maryann Johanson on FlickFilosopher.com (2010)

"If you’re like me, you’ve probably already stopped wondering who this River Song woman is and have simply accepted her as an occasional bonus companion whenever the Doctor’s situation looks especially bleak."

Patrick Riley on Kasterborous.com (2010)

The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang (2010)

"There was still room to weave River Song still further into the Doctor’s life, although hers are mysteries still yet to come (she’s the woman to call if there’s a Dalek to kill, mind)."

Simon Brew on DenOfGeek.com (2010)

"The glamorous and inscrutable Ms. Song ... the most emblematic character of the Moffat era ... She really is sort of a female Captain Jack. She's from the future, like Jack. She's flirty and impure and takes time travel in her stride, and is a bit of a con artist/rogue. She reminds me of how much fun Jack was before he became immortal and a boss."

Charlie Jane Anders on io9.com (2010)

OTHER DOCTOR WHO TRIBUTES

Happy Birthday John Barrowman 

Tribute to the late Nicholas Courtney - The Brigadier 

Happy Birthday Christopher Eccleston 

Happy Birtday Elisabeth Sladen 

Happy Birthday Tom Baker 

Happy Birthday Nicholas Courtney 

ALL THE ABOVE QUOTATIONS ON ALEX KINGSTON and PROF. RIVER SONG
CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN THE BLUE EYED BOOKS' PUBLICATIONS:
THE QUOTABLE DOCTOR WHO - VOLUME ONE and VOLUME TWO.

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Happy Birthday John Barrowman aka Captain Jack on Dr Who / Torchwood

Happy Birthday John Barrowman
aka Captain Jack Harkness
on Doctor Who / Torchwood

Capt Jack Harkness + The Doctor + Martha

One of the best-loved actors to have appeared in the Dr Who series reboot celebrates his birthday today. John Barrowman who plays, the bisexual time-agent cum erstwhile companion of the Doctor, Captain Jack Harkness in both Doctor Who and his spin-off series Torchwood was born - in Glasgow - on this day in 1967.

To celebrate his 44th birthday here are a few quotations about John and Captain Jack ...

JOHN B. on Capt. Jack Harkness

"There's a lot of me in Captain Jack and there's a lot of Captain Jack in me. And there is no pun intended."

"I'm a grown man who gets to go to work every day and fight aliens, play with guns and kiss beautiful people. What more could I ask for?"

"When I go back to Doctor Who, I have to readjust and do things differently because Jack is not the leader, he's just part of a team. Jack is the brawn in that organisation, whereas in Torchwood, he's the brain and the brawn."

Others on John / Jack

John Barrowman's Autobiography

"Captain Jack Harkness makes his debut [in The Empty Child - 2005], and becomes one of the great fictitious captains in history."

Seth Moore on GutMunchers.com (2010)

"Enter Captain Jack, the 51st-century denizen who has evolved past bisexuality, past polysexuality, past pansexuality, into the realm of the just plain horny. As long as it might be able to say "Yes," it's a potential partner."

Whitney Cox on SMRT-TV.com (2006)

It was ... the introduction of gorgeous pansexual eye-candy Captain Jack Harkness that made the First Series of the revival watchable."

Penny Sautereau-Fife on Cracked.com (2009)

"Captain Jack is so boring. If I'm gonna have to look at his face and acting, then they might as well hire David Duchvony."

Matthew Milam on BlogCritics.com (2006)

"Jack Harkness is played with gung-ho camp by John Barrowman, having appeared last year in Doctor Who as - steady, chaps - a bare-chested piece of homoerotic cheesecake."

David Belcher on HeraldScotland.com (2006)

"In Jack regalia, Barrowman looks like Tom Cruise with suspenders, but minus the Scientology. (Except for when he starts musing about 'alien intervention,' 'mind probes,' and 'sleeper agents...ready to take over')."

Ken Tucker on EW.com (2008)


Above quotations taken from The Quotable Doctor Who - Volume One.

OTHER DOCTOR WHO TRIBUTES

Happy Birthday Alex Kingston aka River Song

Tribute to the late Nicholas Courtney - The Brigadier 

Happy Birthday Christopher Eccleston 

Happy Birtday Elisabeth Sladen 

Happy Birthday Tom Baker 

Happy Birthday Nicholas Courtney 

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Dr Who: Bernie Ecclestone evokes memories of Doctor Who and Davros

BERNIE ECCLESTONE

Formula One supremo and Doctor Who villain in waiting?

BEN CARTER on TheRoar.com.au posted an article about Formula One supremo and "the now silver-haired 80-year-old Bernie Ecclestone from Suffolk." Nothing new about an Australian motor racing blog taken a pot shot at old Bernie. But, Ben shows he's a long-time Doctor Who fan as he makes several allusions to Dr Who characters and storylines ...

Bernie aka Dr Who #1 William Hartnell

"Ecclestone, who variously appears to be considered as either a genial-looking type in the mould of an early incarnation of Doctor Who or challenging Wikileaks’ main main Julian Assange for best-James-Bond- villain-in-waiting-for-MGM-writers, has been ruling the sport of Formula One racing with a maniacal streak matching Who baddie and Dalek creator Davros for the last few years."

The main thrust of Ben's post was about Bernie's idea for introducing artificial rainfall during F1 races to make the action more exciting in the wet. Such climactically questionable thinking put Ben in mind of the evil creator of the Daleks ...

"This is a man clutching at straws. Like Cricket Australia – and, in some ways, the AFL – it’s structural changing of the game for the sake of a short-term wide-eyed impulse, with little thought of the consequences. Just like Davros and his best-ever rants at his arch-enemy, the Doctor, really. Some thirty years later, Davros, almost inexplicably after falling into a black hole, was back in The Stolen Earth."

For the full article, go to TheRoar.com.au.

btw Bernie is no relation to Christopher Eccleston - the 9th Doctor.

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Dr Who: Far from Mundane Day on Twitter for Doctor Who Fans

"Mundane Dr Who" is far from boring for Doctor Who Twitterers

After a day of idle thought (Well, Eric Idle thought maybe) a number of Doctor Who fans wiled away their time submitting their suggestions for Mundane Dr Who shows on Twitter under the hash tag of #mundanedrwho. The idea was to come up with slight variations of real Dr. Who shows that would make them boring in some way.

Follow Us on Twitter (@QuotableDrWho)

Here are some of our favourite submissions ... as well as being a fun read some suggestions do make you stop and think about what the real show title was.

The following were suggested by a number of Twitterers ...

The Nice Warriors

Blank

Spearmints from Mars

Terror of the Zygotes

Daleks In Matalan

The Dalek Invasion of Perth


The following appeared to be the sole work of these Twitterers ...

@Markgatiss
The Unquiet Deaf

@UndeadMedic
The Files of Pompeii

@RadarRanger
Tea-Time and the Rani

@onesharper
LegoPolice

@ThatBenBaker
The AOL 30 Day Trial Of A Time Lord

@Ewoolerton
The Tampons of Weng-Chiang

@cloud64
The Unrinsible Enema

@milkcarton
The Rooibos Operation

@ChrisDWilliams
The Bran of Morbius

@daibhidc
The Pantry Door Opens

@cliffchapman
The Keys of A Morris Marina

@suthers
The Claws of Argos

@dr_whom
The Planet of Ikeas

@catmachine
The Cursor of Peladon

@rachelhatesjazz
The Caves of Andrew Sachs

@TimAJefferies
The Ledger

@scottm
The Macrame Terror

@davidbrider
The Celestial Teamaker

@Greebobek
The Julie Walters of Mars

@Brian_Burr
The Hedge of Destruction


Some suggestions from us at The Quotable Doctor Who (@QuotableDrWho) ...

Planet of the Itsy-Bitsy Spiders

Carnival Cruise of Monsters

Ambassadors of Ferrero Rocher

The Kind Robber

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Dr Who: Nicholas Courtney 1929-2011 - Tributes to The Brigadier pour in.

With the very sad news that Doctor Who has lost one of its legends in Nicholas Courtney, who so memorably brought Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart to our TV screens.

The following are just some of the thousands of tributes that have poured in proving that The Brig was more than a much-loved character and Nicholas Courtney was more than a perfect gentleman ...

RIP: Nicholas Courtney - The Brigadier

Nicholas Courtney official site obituary - GreyhoundLeader
This site will be setting up a special page for condolences to be left.

"The Brigadier is dead ... We shall miss him terribly."

Tom Baker

"Desperately sad to hear that Nicholas Courtney has passed away. A childhood hero and the sweetest of gentlemen. Splendid chap. All of him. x"

Mark Gatiss

"Doctor Who 'Brigadier' Nicholas Courtney dies aged 81"

BBC News Obituary

"Legendary Doctor Who actor who played The Brigadier opposite five Time Lords dies aged 81"

Daily Mail Obituary

The Telegraph Obituary

The Express obituary

"Nicholas Courtney, Doctor Who's legendary Brigadier, mourned by fans ... The time-space continuum feels a little bit smaller without him in it."

Dan Martin  in The Guardian

"Doctor Who actor Nicholas Courtney dies"

The Mirror Obituary

"Doctor Who legend dies at 81."

Jen Blackburn in The Sun

The Brigadier with Doctor Who #3, Sarah Jane & UNIT

"Nicholas Courtney is a trending topic on Twitter. I shouldn't be surprised, I don't think anyone ever had a bad word to say about him."

Tom Spilsbury - Editor of Doctor Who magazine

"Very sad news about Nicholas Courtney. A true gentleman, a wonderful actor, a dear friend - splendid chap, all of him."

Barnaby Edwards

"Nick Courtney really meant something to my generation of Who fans. His performance- funny, emotional, restrained, human - heart of the show."

Paul Cornell

"Has no words to decribe the loss of Nicholas Courtney, a true gentleman and much loved icon. RIP, with a heavy heart."

Toby Hadoke

"To those wondering, actor Nicholas Courtney has died. He played the Brigadier in Doctor Who for many years. He was one of life's good guys."

Clayton Hickman

"Nicholas Courtney will be very much missed. A brilliant actor and warm, charming man. God rest him."

Jon Culshaw

"Aw...Nick Courtney is trending worldwide. Feel the love. RIP"

Murray Gold

Nicholas Courtney's Autobiography

Scott Matthewman in The Stage

Frank Collins on Cathode Ray Tube

Simon Brew on DenOfGeek

Christian Cawley on Kasterborous

MaryAnn Johanson on FlickFilosopher

John Bensalhia on Shadowlocked

Chuck Foster on The Doctor Who News Page

Ryan Love on Digital Spy

Edstrading's YouTube video tribute

As our own offering on this sad day, we would like to point you in the direction of our Nicholas Courtney 81st Birthday tribute on 16 Dec 2010 - which contains a lot of great quotes by and about Nicholas and the Brig.



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Dr Who New Series Poll - Choose the best Doctor Who series since 2005.

Doctor Who Poll

Vote for the best Dr Who series 2005-2010

With the Sixth Series of Doctor Who fast approaching, here is your chance to vote for the best series since Dr Who returned to our TV screens in 2005.

Not that you should need reminding, but here are some of the key points from each of the series to date ...

SERIES ONE - 2005
Doctor: Christopher Eccleston
Main Companions: Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith.
Highlights: Rose, Dalek, Fathers Day, The Empty Child.

Doctor Who 10 & 9: Tennant & Eccleston

SERIES TWO - 2006
Doctor: David Tennant
Main Companions: Rose Tyler.
Highlights: School Reunion, The Girl in the Fireplace, Doomsday.

SERIES THREE - 2007
Doctor: David Tennant
Main Companions: Martha Jones
Highlights: Human Nature, Blink, Utopia.

SERIES FOUR - 2008
Doctor: David Tennant
Main Companions: Donna Noble
Highlights: The Doctor's Daughter, Silence in the Library, Journey's End.

SPECIALS - 2008-09
Doctor: David Tennant
Main Companions: Jackson Lake, Christina De Souza, Adelaide Brooke, Wilf Mott.
Highlights: The Next Doctor, Waters of Mars, The End of Time.

SERIES FIVE - 2010
Doctor: Matt Smith
Main Companions: Amy Pond, Rory Williams.
Highlights: The Eleventh Hour, The Time of Angels, The Pandorica Opens.

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Happy Birthday Tom Baker: The 4th Doctor Who Quotes - 77 going on 777

TOM BAKER
The 4th Doctor Who Quotations 

Happy Birthday: 77 going on 777

To celebrate Tom Baker's 77th birthday today, we have chosen a selection of our favourite Fourth Doctor quotes from the Doctor Who show ...

The 4th Doctor: You may be a doctor, but I am The Doctor. The definite article, one might say.
Robot (1974)


The 4th Doctor: I'm a Time Lord ... I'm not a human being. I walk in eternity.
The Pyramids of Mars (1975)


The 4th Doctor: Killing me isn't going to help you. It isn't going to do me much good either.
The Face of Evil (1977)


The 4th Doctor: The localised condition of planetary atmospheric condensation caused a malfunction in the visual orientation circuits. Or to put it another way, we got lost in the fog.
Horror of Fang Rock (1977)


Boursa: You have access to the greatest source of knowledge in the universe.
The 4th Doctor: Well, I do talk to myself sometimes.
The Invasion of Time (1978)


The 4th Doctor after outwitting Lady Adrasta's chief engineer - Well, to be fair I did have a couple of gadgets he probably didn't ... like a teaspoon and an open mind.
The Creature from the Pit (1979)


Fisk: Your name and date of birth?
The 4th Doctor: I'm called the Doctor. Date of birth ... difficult to remember, sometime quite soon I think.
Nightmare of Eden (1979)


The 4th Doctor: You know, K-9, sometimes I think I'm wasted, just rushing around the universe saving planets from destruction. With a talent like mine, I might have been a great slow bowler.
The Horns of Nimon (1980)


The 4th Doctor: They asked me to stay on, you know ... be a Decider.
Romana: You, a Decider?
The Doctor: Yes. I decided not to.
Full Circle (1980)


The 4th Doctor: Knowing is easy; everyone does that ad nauseam. I just sort of hope.
State of Decay (1980)

And a couple of choice quotes about the Fourth Doctor ...

K-9: Prognostication impossible in matters concerning the Doctor.
The Invasion of Time (1978)

The Countess: My dear, I don't think he's as stupid as he seems.
The Count: My dear, nobody could be as stupid as he seems.
City of Death (1979)



If you have a favourite quote from or about the Fourth Doctor, please share it with us all below in the comments box ... 

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Doctor Who Christmas Special - Top Ten Requirements of a Dr Who Xmas show

TOP TEN REQUIREMENTS OF A

DR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Did this year's Dr Who Xmas Special tick all the boxes?

Part One

Ever since 2005, Doctor Who Christmas Specials have been as much a part of the BBC's Christmas Day festive schedule as EastEnders, The Royle Family, Strictly Come Dancing and The Queen's Speech. It is regarded by the Beeb as one of their BIG Xmas presents as they lavish a lot of money, time and publicity on the one hour spectacular.

So what is the recipe for the perfect Dr Who Xmas Epic? Like a perfect Christmas Cake or Pudding, there are some key ingredients that prevent the resulting concoction from falling flat or leaving a nasty taste in your mouth.

I have identified ten key ingredients in making a Doctor Who Christmas Special ... and the 2010 edition A Christmas Carol certainly met all ten requirements that make up a perfect Xmas treat.

1. CHRISTMAS

Wonderful Christmastime in 'A Christmas Carol'

This one is first and foremost a deal breaker ... and the simplest to understand. A Doctor Who Christmas Special has to be about Christmas, be set at Christmastime and revolve around all things Christmas with Christmas Carols, Christmas Trees and Christmas Lights.

Matt Smith himself made the point perfectly, "It's as Christmassy as it comes in Doctor Who land. It's loosely based on A Christmas Carol with a time-travelling twist. Steven Moffat has managed to reinvent it. I think those two things marry quite well together - Doctor Who and Christmas."

As The Doctor, Matt also utters the unforgettable festive line, "Father Christmas. Santa Claus. Or, as I've always known him, Jeff."

In fact, A Christmas Carol is by far and away the most Xmassy of all six Who Xmas Specials. To be fair, the previous five could have as easily been set in the summer since their Christmas content appeared to be tacked on like a fancy bow wrapped around a Christmas present.


2. NEW 'COMPANIONS'
Christmas Specials are a time to experiment with the Who formula and tweak a few basic tenets. Since the Doctor cannot change, the Xmas show's variation has to come from his companions (or usually the lack of them). Previous specials have dispensed entirely with 'returning' companions and have introduced one-off characters to fill the void such as Astrid Peth and Jackson Lake. This explains the perilous back seat that Amy and Rory take in this Special, while The Doctor roams time, space and an assortment of Christmas Eves with a new set of willing cohorts.

The 2010 Special companions Kazran (through the ages) and Abigail Pettigrew may enjoy their trips with The Doctor but they are fated to being temporary passengers on the TARDIS. Christmas companions should never return, yes Donna Noble we are talking to you.


3. NON-CONTIGUOUS
In order to appeal to the widest demographic and not alienate (which is difficult for a sci-fi TV series that relies heavily on alien-based life-forms) a larger than usual family audience, an Xmas Special should have a standalone storyline.

The narrative must be able to exist wholly within the parameters of its sixty minute running time. Christmas evening is not the time or place to have millions of non-Who fans asking for clarification of obscure plot points, interlinking back stories and trivia references that are a staple of a die-hard Whovian's diet.

Apart from the Amy / Rory honeymoon running gag (which is neatly disposed of within the script), Christmas Carol is as outstanding an example of a one-off episode as you could hope to bump into on a cold Christmas night. No loose ends, no need for any exposition ... sixty minutes of pure family entertainment.


4. NEW MONSTER / CREATURES
A Dr Who Xmas Special requires a ferocious new monster (not old foes like the Cybermen) and - to keep the kids happy and calm at Yuletide - a fluffy cuddly creature to offset the terror of the 'ferocious new monster.'

Those galactic guppies - the Fog Fish - may not have been fluffy or cuddly but they were certainly cute in the same vein as those adorable Adipose. I, for one, was glad that these peace-loving Pisces did not suddenly transform into something more sinister and evil and dangerous.

The scary remit was left to a fearsomely fanged shark, although I was a little upset that there only appeared to be the one Great White patrolling the misty skies. And quite why this Shark growled (yes it did! Listen the next time you watch it) I do not know - unless it was a steroidal dogfish off its leash.

The Doctor: "I bet I get some very interesting readings off my sonic screwdriver when I get it back from the shark in your bedroom."
Young Kazran: "There's a shark in my bedroom?!"
The Doctor: "Oh fine! Focus on that point."

A third new 'monster' introduced in the Special was the Face Spiders. This unseen menace probably gave over-attentive tots the heebie-jeebies and had them checking their bedroom cupboards and mattresses when they went to bed.


5. HOMAGE
There are two parts to a Christmas Special - the 'Christmas' bit and the 'Special' bit. And for me, the 'Special' bit means spotting the obvious and sometimes more obscure references to other TV shows and films.

2010 provided us with a bumper crop of popular culture references to pick over. Writer / producer Steven Moffat produced a unique take on Charles Dickens' classic that only Doctor Who could achieve.

In interviews before the press screening, Moffat had promised, "It's all your favourite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters. And the Doctor. And a honeymoon." So heaven's only knows how many references he threw in for good measure. With the obvious Xmas Movie 'mentions' from It's A Wonderful Life to quite probably Bad Santa, Moffat did not let us down with a Christmas list of homagiography.

Right from the James Bondesque high-octane pre-credits action sequence with a Star Trek flair (or should that be flare) the show was filled to the gunnels with knowing nods and clever touches.

The giant shark gliding silently through the sinister fog must have reminded every adult viewer of Spielberg's Jaws. So much so that I half expected Moffat to provide a few suitable throwaway lines of chummy dialogue, "You're gonna need a bigger TARDIS!" or "That was no Time Travelling accident!"

Kazran or Arthur Dent?

"Christmas is Cancelled!" is ripped heart and soul from Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. For a few scenes Michael Gambon even played the evil Kazran like a bare-faced pastiche of the cruel-hearted Sheriff and chewed the scenery for all his Rickmansworth.

Moffat must have loved playing tribute to former Who writer and story editor Douglas Adams. Having young Kazran cavort around time and space wearing his dressing gown and PJs just like the equally befuddled Arthur Dent in Adam's classic A Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy was a masterstroke.

Another nice touch was mimicking the romantic buggy ride (albeit without shark propulsion) from Oklahoma! Although with the mad Doctor at the reins it was more a case of 'a Surrey with a lunatic fringe on top.'

I wasn't sure if outfitting the planet's population in Roy 'Chubby' Brown goggles and headgear was a literal 'tip of the cap' to the stand up comedian or a nasty coincidence.

End Of Part One 

Keep posted for Part Two of the Top Ten Requirements of a Doctor Who Christmas Special.

Posted by Colin M Jarman

Photos copyright BBC TV

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Dr Who Quotes: Matt Smith - Top Ten Quotations on the Eleventh Doctor

Doctor Who - Matt Smith

Look Back in Hunger:
Revisiting his Dazzling Debut Season in Series Five of Dr Who

Photo copyright BBC TV

When Matt Smith was first announced as the successor to the seemingly irreplaceable David Tennant, as The Doctor, the earliest critical responses were " Who?" and "Far Too Young!"

In fact, he was deemed so young that Jan Etherington in The Telegraph was moved to write, "I've got jars of chutney that have been around longer than the new Doctor Who." 

As it turned out, a mature jar of pickled vegetable matter is a marvellous metaphor for Matt's take on The Doctor: an idiosyncratic blend of different textures and subtle sensations, sweet yet acidic, fruity yet spicy, hot yet soothing, smooth and chunky, potent and wildly invigorating, dark and deeply mysterious, aged and yet so fresh ... but not to everyone's taste.

So, has the 'Branstons of Time Lords' lived up to the legends of his ten predecessors?

Matt not only took over the mantle of The Doctor and ran with it ... but already has been glowingly referenced in direct comparison to all ten previous ten incarnations - from Hartnell to Tennant - of the world's favourite Time Lord.

Not only has Matt been positively likened to the earlier Doctors but he has been compared to a mindblowing myriad of multi-faceted memes: an adventure-seeking archaeologist, a 1930s Hollywood comedian, a scholarly TV quiz geek, a tropical island tourist attraction, a proto-gothic anti-hero, a foppish English thespian, a diaper-wearing children's cartoon character, a desert-dwelling rodent, a young know-it-all TV doctor and a blusteringly belligerent TV chef - making Matt the perfect popular culture chutney. And quite possibly, the best all round Doctor yet.

To celebrate Matt's fabulous first year and first season as The Doctor, here are some of our favourite quotations and reviews about him from Series Five.

"The Tenth Doctor's first action in defence of the Earth was to pick up a sword. The Eleventh doesn't look like he could even lift a sword."

Stuart Ian Burns on BehindTheSofa.org.uk

"Both Chris and David were quite cool Doctors, and while Matt certainly isn't short on cool, he has an amazing clumsiness. He's halfway between Indiana Jones and Stan Laurel."

Steven Moffat 

"The previous Doctor, David Tennant, smouldered his way across the space-time continuum. Smith is more of a geek-chic Time Lord. Floppy-haired and bright-eyed, he looks as if he has wandered onto the set by mistake on his way to appear for one of the more crusty colleges in University Challenge. Reading physics, of course."

Roland White in The Times 

"Early signs suggest that Doctor 11 might be special. Tall and gangling, with a weirdly handsome face - he looks like an Easter Island statue at the NME style awards - Smith appears to possess the requisite eccentricity, and the ability to suggest an ancient mind inside a youthful body, that the role requires."

Paul Whitelaw in The Scotsman 

"With his long, ascetic face, rather like Mervyn Peake's sketches of Steerpike in his Gormenghast novels, the 27-year-old Matt Smith has all the makings of an interesting Time Lord."

Gerard Gilbert in The Independent 

"There is much of both Davison and Troughton's Doctors in Smith's performance, with some lovely, quiet moments. However, when this Doctor gets angry, there's more than a hint of McCoy coming through, and that's not really a good thing."

Brian J. Robb on TotalSciFiOnline.com

"Whether you see him as an old head on young shoulders, or simply a bent shoe coincidentally on the same coat hanger as a tweed jacket, the Eleventh incarnation is an exhilarating bundle of energy and floppy fringes. The Time Lord equivalent of Hugh Grant crossed with a Rugrat."

Chris Alpha on TheOodcast.com

"Smith seems a perfect piece of casting: he looks like a boy who might grow up into William Hartnell."
Matthew Sweet in The Independent 

"Matt Smith is right for the part, isn't he? Look at him. He's got Patrick Troughton's hair and Jon Pertwee's nose and Tom Baker's eyes. He's also got a wonderful meerkat perkiness, a way of moving that's just a tiny bit out of sync with everyone else."

Mark Smith on HeraldScotland.com 

"He's kind of like the Doogie Hauser of Time Lords."

Lisa Fary on PinkRayGun.com 

"Is it the sherry talking, or is Matt Smith looking more and more like a stretch version of Gordon Ramsay?"

Phil Hogan in The Observer


These dozen quotations about Matt Smith form a very small part of the 2000 quotes about Dr Who to be found in The Quotable Doctor Who book - Volume One from Blue Eyed Books


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Dr Who Quotes about the Eleven Doctor Who Actors

ELEVEN QUOTATIONS ABOUT
THE ELEVEN DOCTORS

THE Dr WHO FIRST XI
by Catherine A Davies & Colin M Jarman 

With 2011 only a few days away, the time seems right for Doctor Who fans to look back at the first 11 leading actors to have played The Doctor on TV.

The following are some of our favourite quotations about each Doctor ...

1. WILLIAM HARTNELL

"His crusty characterisation sometimes made the premise seem more like Ebenezer Scrooge: Time Cop."

Christopher Bahn on AVClub.com (2010)

2. PATRICK TROUGHTON

"A piccolo playing Clive Dunn in baggy trousers and Tucker Jenkins haircut."

TVCream.co.uk

3. JON PERTWEE

"Pertwee's version, exiled to Earth to foil multiple extra-terrestrial incursions into the M25 area, was co-opted by the military establishment, but compensated by dressing like Jimi Hendrix and being as rude as possible to anyone in a uniform."

Matthew Sweet in The Independent (2003)

4. TOM BAKER

"Superbly intelligent, witty and fond of jelly babies, this Doctor would stick around longer than any other and inspire thousands of children to beg mothers everywhere to get knitting."

Chris Alpha on TheOodcast.com (2010)

5. PETER DAVISON

"When the Doctor was in his fifth regeneration, well, honestly, I couldn't take him seriously as a Time Lord ... All I could see in this Doctor was Tristan Farnon - adorable vet. I expected that at any moment he'd do a flea and tic check on K-9."

Carole E. Barrowman in Chicks Dig Time Lords (2010)

6. COLIN BAKER

"Colin Baker's acting talent - and his innate charisma - can easily be seen. He fulfils the main requirement that any actor who plays the Doctor must meet: he's interesting."

David Ryan on DVDVerdict.com (2008)

7. SYLVESTER McCOY

"The Doctor has not been in any danger of being mistaken for Michelangelo's David. Tom Baker nice chap but face like a bag of pork chops and Sylvester McCoy frankly disturbing."

Lucy Mangan in The Guardian (2006)

8. PAUL McGANN

"I wish we could see more of how he’d have handled The Doctor, because he has a funky Willy Wonka / Lord Byron vibe going on. And also because life is short and he is hot."

MaryAnn Johanson on FlickFilosopher.com (2010)

9. CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON

"Eccleston brought a real, nearly tangible, sense of madness to the character of the Doctor. He was the ladies' Tom Baker ... with a head injury."

Keith Breese on FilmCritic.com (2005)

10. DAVID TENNANT

"David Tennant brought humanity and humour to the part, as well as a lot of hair product. And the widest, stariest eyes on (and often off, obviously) the planet. "

Sam Wollaston in The Guardian (2009)

11. MATT SMITH

"You know you're getting older when the doctor starts looking younger. I've got jars of chutney that have been around longer than the new Doctor Who ... Anyway, I like him. Partly because he looks as if he could have come from the planet Gallifrey."

Jan Etherington in The Daily Telegraph (2009) 


The above quotations and more can be found in The Quotable Doctor Who Volume One compiled by Colin M Jarman & Catherine A Davies and published by Blue Eyed Books.


If you have a favourite quotation about any of the eleven doctors, please share it with us in the comments box below ...
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Dr Who Quiz - Are You Smarter than a 900 year old? Take the Time Lord Test - A Doctor Who Quiz to win a signed copy of The Quotable Doctor Who

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A
900-YEAR-OLD ?

THE QUOTABLE DOCTOR WHO QUIZ - TV Show

To celebrate the publication of the First Volume in The Quotable Doctor Who series, Blue Eyed Books are giving you the chance to win a copy of Vol One signed by both co-authors - Colin M Jarman & Catherine A Davies.

To win a copy of Volume One, complete the following quiz, fill out your name, email and country and we shall be in touch with the answers and winner once the competition has closed on January 10th, 2011.

The winner will be the entrant who has answered the most questions correctly. In the event of a tie, a name will be chosen at random from those with the most correct answers.
Standard Blue Eyed Books competition terms and conditions apply.

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