# Dr Who's back! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 13, 2001, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329 "2001-07-13T04:45:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/1 "2001-07-13T04:45:23Z")
[HOORAY!](http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/entertainment/tv_and_radio/newsid_1436000/1436272.stm) (runs around squawking) Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! In your face, Trek! Yahahahaha!! (runs straight through plate glass window and off across moor in ever widening circles, still clapping gleefully) ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/2 "2001-07-13T04:51:13Z")
Hey, I love Who as much as the next sci-fi geek, but an _online radio drama_? Eh… I’m unimpressed. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![wayward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@wayward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wayward)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/3 "2001-07-13T09:56:53Z")
I heard a rumour that Anthony Head (Giles from Buffy) was going to be the new Dr Who. Wheteher that means a new TV series or what, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/4 "2001-07-13T10:19:04Z")
Dr Who has had more rumours of restarting the series than any other SF franchise ever. And any talk of actors filling the roles should be considered 100% fan-based rumour. An online radio drama is nothing too new - there have been a goodly number of radio dramas (utilising most of the Doctors while they were alive) up till now. ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/5 "2001-07-13T11:17:37Z")
Well that’s all as may be. But I’m listening to the new drama right now and it’s by far the funniest thing I’ve heard for a while. “Commander I take it you surrenderOHDEARHEHESITATEDFIRE!” Tom Baker may have been the best all-round Doctor, but Sylvester McCoy will always be the funniest. Remember when he accused the Daleks of wanting unlimited rice pudding? Whether it’s new or not ain’t the point. It’s free and very high-quality, full of top cast, and you can download it here: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/death/enhanced/index.shtml](http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/death/enhanced/index.shtml) They weren’t very nice to Sylvester McCoy on Radio 4 this morning… ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/6 "2001-07-13T15:32:11Z")
On another note, the Daleks have cropped up in a UK TV ad showing various people acting the opposite of their normal behavior. So we get the Daleks charging around shouting things like “I – NEED – A – CUDDLE!” and following a bunch of Hare Krishnas chanting “PEACE – AND – LOVE!”. [sub]Well _I_ thought it was funny…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/7 "2001-07-13T16:51:05Z")
I still cling to my childhood ambition to be the first lady Doctor Who. No, really - I’d be ace. I’d wear Issey Miyake pleated silks and I’d have a big handbag with a ‘?’ shaped clasp. I give the Cybermen _such_ an ass-whupping, maybe with a pair of silk lined leather gloves. Oh, and I’d like a small bevy of impressionable young male and female assistants, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/8 "2001-07-14T00:02:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Esprix \* > \*\*Hey, I love Who as much as the next sci-fi geek, but an _online radio drama_? Eh… I’m unimpressed. > > Esprix \*\* Ditto. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Funky McDuck \* > \*\*I heard a rumour that Anthony Head (Giles from Buffy) was going to be the new Dr Who. Wheteher that means a new TV series or what, I don’t know. \*\* I’m pretty sure he’s going to be doing a _Buffy_ spinoff on the BBC. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jr8 \* > \*\*On another note, the Daleks have cropped up in a UK TV ad showing various people acting the opposite of their normal behavior. > > So we get the Daleks charging around shouting things like “I – NEED – A – CUDDLE!” and following a bunch of Hare Krishnas chanting “PEACE – AND – LOVE!”. > \*\* Please, _please_ tell me there is someplace I can get this on the web. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tansu \* > \*\*I still cling to my childhood ambition to be the first lady Doctor Who. No, really - I’d be ace. I’d wear Issey Miyake pleated silks and I’d have a big handbag with a ‘?’ shaped clasp. I give the Cybermen _such_ an ass-whupping, maybe with a pair of silk lined leather gloves. Oh, and I’d like a small bevy of impressionable young male and female assistants, as well. \*\* Hmmmm…well, I’m still young compared to Dr. Who, and impressionable. I’d love to be your assistant 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Verrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/46a35a/32.png) [@Verrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Verrain)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/9 "2001-07-14T03:59:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tansu \* > \*\*Oh, and I’d like a small bevy of impressionable young male and female assistants, as well. \*\* Knit me a Tom Baker scarf and I’d follow you anywhere. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/10 "2001-07-14T04:09:38Z")
What do you mean it’s “back?” When did it ever go away? Dr. Who has been on my local PBS station every friday night for at least the last 30 years. I’m watching it right now. ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/11 "2001-07-14T07:31:53Z")
Re: Dalek comedy This has happened more than a few times over the years, probably because it’s so easy, and for some reason it’s _always funny, **even when it’s not.** _ Spike Milligan, I seem to remember, did a sketch in Q2 about a dalek coming home from work to his 2 bedroom semi (and, predictably, knocking everything over). Harry Hill, who often blames his sad childhood on the fact that his mother was a dalek and his father a timelord, had an ongoing love-affair with a female dalek called “Jean” in his radio show “Fruit Corner”, as well as auditioning a team of dalek singers, who were always fine until they had to sing a song with the word “Doctor” in it, whereupon they exploded into deadly instinctual rage and wiped out half the audience. A whole race driven to psychotic imbalance by one peculiar little man who pops up at different points in their history to ruin _every idea they ever have._ Excellent. In fact just about anybody with a machine for dalekising their voice can become instantly hilarious. Where can I get one? Huh? Where? Huh? Will you guys buy me one? If I stop going on about the radio show? Which is brilliant by the way and stars John Sessions and Stephen Fry and there’s a screensaver with rather an attractive comic picture of Ace and… (SNIP) * * * KILL THE DOCTOR ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/12 "2001-07-14T07:38:27Z")
One last point in favour of the drama: \*\*“The more hits it gets the better chance there is of the Doctor returning to television” - _James Goss, BBC Online_\*\* That’s all. ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/13 "2001-07-14T09:24:48Z")
The television show was cancelled in 1989, but there’s about a gazillion new novels and [Big Finish Audio](http://www.doctorwho.co.uk) has been producing new Doctor Who audio dramas for two years now, available on CD. The Who fans over at Gallifrey One rate the audios very highly, and I’ve just bought a couple myself… they’re very nice. I’ve asked for a subscription for my birthday. **Esprix** and **Weird\_AL\_Einstein** , if you can’t enjoy a good BBC radio drama then you’re a lost cause. Hello??? Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy? Anyway, making it an audio drama eliminates the Achille’s heel of Doctor Who… special effects! Oh yes, Anthony Head is not going to play the Doctor or the Master… he’s agreed to do some of the Big Finish audio dramas, but it’s not clear if the ones he will do will even be Doctor Who. Colin Baker was in an episode of Jonathan Creek the other night and I didn’t even recognize him. -fh ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/14 "2001-07-14T12:58:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tansu \* > **I still cling to my childhood ambition to be the first lady Doctor Who. No, really - I’d be ace** You’d play both the Doctor AND a sub-par sidekick?? - the BBC could never afford the effects budget 😃 ---
**Author:** ![big\_yellow\_kingswood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@big\_yellow\_kingswood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/big_yellow_kingswood)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/15 "2001-07-14T17:24:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tansu \* > **I still cling to my childhood ambition to be the first lady Doctor Who.** I do believe that Johanna Lumley (sp?) has beaten you there. I realise that it’s not entirely official, but in “The Curse of Fatal Death” She does become the Good Doctor, along with Rohan Atkinson and Hugh Grant plus others… ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/16 "2001-07-14T22:05:08Z")
Apropos of this subject, the SciFi Channel is showing the 1996 Dr. Who movie featuring Paul McGann on Sunday at 8PM Central. I don’t think it’s ever been on the air since 1996. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-whos-back/72329/17 "2001-07-16T11:57:59Z")
Damn it, I didn’t mean ‘ace’, I meant ‘glorious’. (Nearly fell into the same trap. Nearly put ‘I’d be divine’. What, Doctor Who and an enormous transvestite at the same time? Shurely not.) Damn Joanna Lumley, too. Actually that does ring a faint bell. I think I may have read that somewhere before.