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2 mini-reviews of U.K's Comic Relief "Doctor Who" episode !!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
Glen here...
...with two mini-reviews of yesterday's U.K Comic Relief sketch featuring...various
incarnatrions...of Doctor Who!
BASSMAN and JONATHANwere kind enough to send in these little reviews, which detail the
multi-part Doctor Who sketch which aired throughout last night's Comedy Relief broadcast,
and has been previously
referenced on Coaxial.
Hre's what they had to say:
BASSMAN wrote:
Greetings from Scotland on a cold Saturday morning.
Friday 12th of March is Comic Relief/Red Nose Day here in the UK.
Normally this would mean our high streets would be occupied by
humerously dressed volunteers collecting for the BBC's charity
programme. Normally for me, this is as welcome as a bout of amoebic
dysentry, but part prompted by revelations in SFX magazine, reports
arrived of a Dr Who special with a host of household names - known to
both UK and US.
Tuning in to BBC1 met with the sight of Rowan Atkinson (Blackadder, Mr
Bean), Jonathon Pryce (Tomorrow Never Dies) and Julia Sawalha
(Absolutely Fabulous) occupying the roles of the Doctor, the Master and
Token Female Assistant. The setting and script was humourous, as fitted
the setting, parodying the wobbling sets and technobabble that predated
Brannon Braga (Star Trek).
The story continued with the Doctor regenerating after recieving a
mortal blow (well...3 mortal blows in as many minutes) and turning into
Hugh Grant (Sirens, Four Weddings and a Funeral), Jim Broadbent (The Crying
Game, Bullets Over Broadway) and finally, in a first for
the franchise, the buxom form of Joanna Lumley (The Avengers, Absolutely
Fabulous)
The 4 mini episodes spread over the evening left me with one lingering
impression - Rowan Atkinson WAS the Doctor. Fitted with a dark
long-haired wig and trademark foppish clothes he gave the Doctor a
combination of gravitas and whimsy, last witnessed in Tom Baker's
manefestation many moons ago.
After the abortive TV movie with Paul McGann and Eric Roberts (a worthy
but dull attempt), Atkinsons's sterling performance hopefully the
commissioning editors within the BBC will pull their collective fingers
out and get everyone's favourite Galifreyan back on the box!
JOHNATHAN wrote:
Greetings from the UK, where we're all enjoying Comic Relief.
Thought I'd drop you a line to let you know how the Dr Who episode turned out. Well,
its really a case of 'The Doctor is dead, long live the Doctor!' If only all the Doctor Who
episodes were approached from this comic angle, the franchise might actually be in a position to start
up again (I know this will upset purists, but let's face it, Dr Who has always been fairly funny
in an ironic kind of way).
As you know, Rowan Atkinson was the Doctor, Jonathon Price was the Master and Julia
Sawalha (Absolutely Fabulous) was the Doctor's assistant (and fiancée!)
During an adventure to a long-deserted planet where the former occupants communicated by
erm, let's say 'gastric emissions, the Doctor and Master embarked on some great gags about going
back in time to out-foil one another. A bit Red Dwarfish actually (and Time Cop
come to think of it), but still good.
Following the Master's enlisting of the Daleks, the Doctor was finally imprisoned and told of the
Master's plan to destroy the Universe with a Zentronic(?) beam. Unfortunately the beam
malfunctioned and the Doc was caught in the blast.
He died, but of course was immediately regenerated as Richard E. Grant who must take the
prize for vainest Doctor so far. Another explosion and its now Jim Broadbent (The
Borrowers) as a girl-shy Doctor. Explosion 3 and (girls all swoon) Hugh Grant dons the tweed
jacket.
Actually he makes quite a good Doctor, but let's face facts, this is all for a laugh so don't get too
serious about it. Doctor Grant is then caught in the beam of the still-malfunctioning Zen-thingy and
again dies. But, alas, the beam is too powerful and he cannot regenerate.
Moved by the Doctor's sacrifice (he mended the beam so it didn't explode and kill the Master
and the Daleks) the Master renounces evil and vows to follow the path of righteousness. The Daleks
also vow to follow the Doctor's good ways.
That could have been the end, but just as everyone is about to leave, the Doctor *does*
regenerate as... Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous). So the assistant goes off in disgust,
but the Master takes quite a fancy to her.... The End?
All quite ridiculous of course, but probably not more so than the real Doctor Who
series itself. Too many little in-jokes to mention, and suffice to say the sets were splendidly wobbly -
as they should be.
Best gag? The new female Doctor finds an interesting new use for the vibrating sonic
screwdriver...
All good fun, plus it's helped raised cash for charity.
Fast.
Glen again...
Thanks to both BASSMAN and JOHNATHAN for sending in these little review. Very much
appreciated by all...
Glen
Or call:
(512) 347-1992
Mail can be sent to:
Glen Oliver
P.O. BOX 160812
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
P.O. BOX 160812
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
USA
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+ Expand All
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you can download the spisodes here
to watch.
http://www.forums.beeb.com/comic_relief/zineindex.html -
you can download the spisodes here
to watch.
http://www.forums.beeb.com/comic_relief/zineindex.html -
when you go to the site click on
best bits they have a behind the scenes vid as well
oh and sorry about the double post -
I Loved it! Obviously written by a fan, but also produced by a team who understood the need for it to be fun for all. It managed an affectionate, mocking tone that most sci-fi paradoies don't achieve - we were treated to a masterful Master, clever series references and amusing antics from all involved!
What impressed most was the sucession of Doctors after Rowan Atkinson, namely; Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant and Joanna Lumley. If memory serves, with the exception of Broadbent, all have been linked to the role in the British press at one time or another - it seems any would do us proud!
My personal favourite would be Richard E., JOHNATHAN called him 'vain', I prefer 'confident'!
All in all a good piece of fun - and it's helped to erase the memory of the abysmal 'Dimensions in Time' Children-in-Need special from '93.
Now, as ever, all we need is a new series! -
Am I the only one that thought the Comic Relief Doc Who was crap. It was quite embarrasing really. Realy strained humour! It did however have a couple of redeeming features, first the all the various actors who played the Doc in it would be excellent for the part (ironic that they'd only appear as him in this poor cobbled together piece of work), and secondly the appearance of Joanna Lumley as the Doc in the end (perhaps a tip of the hat to an old Doc Who fan legend that she was thought to have been up for the role years ago). But in all it was a failure and I doubt it'll help to resurrect one of the greatest Sci-fi series of all time. But then again I could be wrong, I do hope so......
-
Respectfully, I have to disagree with the other poster who thought the Comic Relief Dr. Who story to be embarrassing. I thought it was hysterically funny, but also respectful of the original show in a nostalgiac way. (Now if you want to talk embarrassing, let's talk about Sylvester McCoy's run as the Doctor...)
If anything, the reaction of the audience at the BBC studios should tell you something about the potential for a Dr. Who revivial... of course, there were probably "applause" signs, but still... -
I could not agree more with the chap who said that Rowan WAS The Doctor.
He currently is the 2nd best Doctor I have ever seen (Baker will always be 1). The way he could be seriously silly was Masterful. (Speaking of which, Jonathon Price was a great Master as well.)
Until now, I had never been interested in a new Doctor incarnation, but now I know that inside Atkinson, The Doctor Lives! -
I agree with the previous poster. I thought Rowan did a great job as The Doctor.
As for the program itself, some of it was good, some of it was not so good. But it did make me nostalgic for the show which I haven't seen in years.
Now if we could only get the beeb to get better real video streaming.
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