Sunday, 4 August 2013

Space Recast

A simple thought on the new Dr. Who.
We are closer to the end of Steven Moffatt's era, than we at the beginning. That's a reason for sadness.
Those of us who love him begin to grieve at that.
I suspect it's a slightly British thing - grieving in what is not yet over.
I cannot see the Americans doing the same.
They might give you a "missing you already". But it's not meant. It's not real. Not real truth.
We have to remind ourselves to celebrate what we have when we have it. That's why our early grieving doesn't make us inferior (although I'm not claiming it's entirely wise). But it is the opportunity to realize what we have, when we can still validate it. It's the attitude of gratitude - though tinged. Tinged with an early remorse for what we've not yet lost.

The latest casting gave us an older Doctor.
Not vee-rrry old, but a quarter of a century older than the last one, and that counts for something. A positive something. A lack of kowtowing.
It reflects current society. We've lived through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age. (I was going to we've lived through the Ice Age but you might have seen the same episode of QI that I did and therefore know that due to the polar ice caps, we are still living in the Ice Age). Anyway,  we've lived through many ages but now we're living in the Golden age. An age of Golden girls and Silver haired boys. It's old-age. It's an aging age. It's an aging world.
And the most popular, and best , television drama in the country is going to bring this very observation into our living rooms on Saturdays. After tea. Reflecting humanity again in possibly the most important of all ways.
What's wrong with having your dose of  sci-fi wisdom delivered by somebody who looks as though they are old enough to deliver it? (Putting aside for a moment the fact that the character is nearly 1000 years old).
Already there's been criticism that the new Doctor isn't young and sexy enough to win over BBC America and the demographics they sordidly kneel before. They say that this decision will bury the program Stateside.
Well, there's nothing wrong with being British. There's nothing wrong with our values. Read the news. We are winners. We win. We count for something. Alan Partridge no longer takes his breakthrough movie to New York. He manages his hostage crisis at North Norfolk Digital. We don't need to yield anymore. We have identity to spare. We just need to be us.

We are British.
Dr. Who is British.
Gallifrey is a colony.
And a generation of children who hate Grandad?
Do me a favour.

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