Doctor Who Fix

Last night I got my Doctor Who Fix by watching the Doctor Who special "Waters of Mars" last night.  We had a couple of other Doctor Who fans over and it was great to watch with others who are long time fans.

This was an exciting episode, with lots of action, gross looking villains and lots of running (although they never run like they did in the classis series - where they would run up and down the same hallway but they would try to make it look different cause they couldn't afford the extra sets).  While I love the funny, witty Doctor. I also love it when they show the potentially dangerous Doctor. He really does need a companion to help keep him back off the edge.  I mean who else is there... there certainly won't be a "Trial of the Time Lord" anytime soon.  There really is nobody to stop him from doing what he wants.  Who policing the last of the time police?   Really 'Doc' you need someone to talk some sense to you.

Great action and I can't until the Christmas special.  Sadly this also means only 2 more Tennant specials.  I'll miss him. 

We finished off our evening by watching 2 parts of the original original (pilot episodes) Doctor Who.  It always amazes me to see how far the series has come.   And I don't just mean the improved sets.

Doctor – Who??

Yesterday I got quite excited when twitter friend @jonbreisnes informed me the latest Doctor Who special will air Nov 15th in the UK. I met Jon in a photography class and bonded with him and his wife over our mutual love of Doctor Who. We will probably have a small Doctor Who tweet-up at our house to watch it.

Then I began to wonder when this city girlie-girl got so hooked on sci-fi. Sure sci-fi isn’t new to me, I was a dedicated Buck Rogers, Star Trek and Battlestar Gallatica fan in the 70’s. But I never considered myself a sci-fi fan because I never read a lot of sci-fi, I was more likely to be pouring over a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book.

But when I look at my favorite tv shows today it runs like a long list of sci-fi and fantasy (with a little vampire thrown in for fun).

Those that know my husband well will likely blame him. One of my favorite memories is him walking down the aisle at our wedding doubled over laughing, because I played the Doctor Who theme for his procession (and yes it was at that moment that his family knew he had married the right woman). While he may have introduced me to the Doctor - he didn’t force me to watch close to 30 years of episodes.

So when did I become such a fan? I’m the one who follows the Doctor Who fan groups and surfs online to find out the next bit of news or future air dates. I’m the one who reports updates on new companions. I’m the one who reminds hubbie to download the latest Sarah Jane Adventures. I'm the one emailing my MIL dalek cake pictures for little guy's next birthday. I’m even the one who suggested if we had a girl we’d call her Teagan, after my favourite companion. I even looked for a Doctor Who related boy name (never found one we liked). I can name my favourite Doctor (Jon Pertwee, followed closely by David Tennant), my favourite villain (The Master), my favourite cheesy effect (the actors jumping around the set whenever the tardis crashed).

My sci-fi geekiness has gotten so bad I have a Red Dwarf quote on my facebook profile (and I know I own my geekiness because I’ve watched every episode of Red Dwarf – many of them twice).

My take on the season finales

So I've been blogging on a lot of marketing topics lately, so I thought I'd bring it back to my tv obsession. It is a sad time of year for the TV addict - season finales. Now it certainly is better today than it was 10-15 years ago when the summer was dead for TV. But even as I turn to my summer friends (Dexter, Entourage, So you think you can dance) I am sad to wish my regular season friends farewell for a few months. And I am certainly going to feel that big black hole of Friday night Sci Fi. Maybe Space will bring the next Season of Torchwood to air this summer (please, pretty please...).


So what did I think of the big season finales...

• BSG - LOVED it. Even after a few months to digest it I think the shows went out in style. Answered some questions nicely... left a few ambiguous... gave due to the original. (and yes I might still be a bit in denial that this was a series finale and not just a season finale)


• Doctor Who - Again a bit old now, but still can't wait for more. The last show to air in Canada was the Christmas 2008 special called the "the next doctor". Knowing that we only have a few more David Tennant specials and that a new Doctor is on his way in 2010, this was a nice bit of fun.


• Dollhouse - How GREAT is it that this show got renewed. It certainly took some time gathering steam, but the brilliance that is Josh Whedan was really starting to show by the end of the season (frankly I felt Buffy took a season to start really building some solid characters and chemistry between the cast too). I loved the switch of Paul Ballard from hunter of the dollhouse to employee. Some interesting foundation has been laid and I can't wait to see where Josh takes us next year.


• Sarah Connor Chronicles - So sad that this got cancelled. After a rough first half season this was really starting to get interesting. I did like the way the ending left room for more, but also could be closure too. John ends up in the future ready to take the helm with his 'new' family that only he knows are his 'real' family. Could be that this was what was supposed to happen for John to lead the resistance.


• Friday Night Lights - I can't believe I almost forgot about this one because it ended weeks ago. Still one of my all time favourite shows. And this was yet another season of great story telling, and the last scene is heart wrenching seeing Coach Taylor and Principal Taylor standing in that broken down field at the end. Can't believe I have to wait until 2010 to see another episode.
• Lost - can't wait to see where the bomb takes everyone next season. I never try to figure this show out. - I just really enjoy the ride. My husband the physics guy tries to analyse the time travel options, but I really like the story about the human dynamics. How people change in these unusual situations, how they grow (OR don't), the chemistry between people (both platonic and non) as well as how people manipulate others to get what they want. The big question for me is who really is the 'bad' guy on this show? Because all of them have shown both the good and the bad of their personality. Is Jacob good or bad? Who is the guy that found the loop hole and killed him? Is this a classic devil vs god story?
• Heroes - the last half of this season was really about trying to fix the earlier mess and bring my favourite characters back together and focus them for next year. And I'm really looking forward to where they go with the Nathan/Sylar story line... could be a little Jekyl and Hyde there.
• Fringe - JJ Abrams and his team left a nice wide path of bread crumbs to the tomb stone revelation. I hadn't paid any attention to the teasers and I could see the Peter/alternate reality storyline coming a mile away. But overall JJ has really outdone himself on this one. I just love how the abnormal is normal in this show. Even the idea of alternate realities doesn't seem strange to me on this show. Plus LOVE how he integrated Star Trek into the 2nd last episode in a conspiracy theory (and LOVED him using Clint Howard in that small role). But most of all I thought the Leonard Nemoy casting was fantastic - and location of his office in the twin towers could lead us in all sorts of GREAT directions. But my big questions for next season are: (1) how did Charlie get that awesome scar in the alternate reality, and (2) why Astrid, as Olivia's assistance, is only ever seen in the lab assisting Walter? Will she ever get a story line? Will she ever leave the lab? I mean Charlie finally got a personal story, isn't it about time Astrid got her due?
• Project Runway Canada - My fix while the US version has been tied up in law suits. Iman is not Heidi. But she will do in a pinch. Oh yeah, the obvious guy won.


• Amazing Race - Great race to the finish, as usual. And the right team won - anyone but the Cheerleaders would have been the right one for me.


• Brothers & Sisters - Please remind me why I still watch this show?


• Survivor - Yup Coach was the most entertaining contestant since Richard Hatch. Yup I was disappointed that Stephen didn't win. And yup I still watch and LOVE this show. I think it is the human dynamics that keep me coming back for more. This season shows how GREAT this show can be. Now please lets not follow it up with a boys vs the girls OR racial separation concepts again.
• Grey's Anatomy - I cry every time I watch this show. Sad, but true. I sometimes wonder why Kleenex doesn't advertise during this show (sorry the marketer came out for a second) it is so perfectly set up each week for a cry fest. But I did NOT cry during this finalize. Not sure why. Maybe I just don't care enough about Izzie or George. Or I just figure there is no point in worrying about their fate as it is all caught up in contract negotiations anyways. Or maybe I thought the best bits were in the less GRAND story lines... the human-ness of Owen & Christina in the boiler room; the irony of Bailey turning down her fellowship in order to leave her husband who gave her an ultimatum that he'd leave her if she took it; Callie eating her words... again.
• How I met Your mother - I have to say I was a little disappointed in this episode. Why? Did it have great appearances by all its characters, including Lilly? Check. Did it have great Barney/Robin chemistry? Check. Did it have a goat? Check. Did it have ridiculous pregnancy hiding props? Check - and double check for Lily body double jumping. Did it have a reference to the crazy Swedish architecture firm? Check - and double check for that even crazier than ever though possible rib restaurant. Did it give us some fulfilling answers about the mother? Nope... just another tease.

So now onto the F Word and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmare from BBC Canada sitting on my DVR (not sure why I LOVE the British Gordon Ramsay so much, I'm certainly not normally a food show kind or girl AND I dispise the US versions of him). And I have hours and hours of The Hour waiting to satisfy my intellectual needs. But what about my summer brain candy? I mean "So I think you can dance" can only take a girl so far. Any suggestions?

New Blogger - Definition of TV addict

As a new blogger I think I'll address my TV addiction first. I don't attend any special addiction groups as I refuse to see my addiction as a problem (yup still in the denial stage). I celebrate and enjoy the boob tube as often as my son and husband allow. It was easy to justify my 'habit' over the years as I worked in advertising and marketing... so I had to watch what my target audiences were watching. Now with my PVR racing past all the commercials and no paid employment at the moment it is harder to justify. So I've had to edit a bit and not just mindlessly surf. I've become a true appointment TV viewer. The PVR is my best friend handily recording all my favourite shows without my even having to think about it. Then when I have some downtime I can relax and have a few moments with my TV friends. Since most of my time is spent with a 17 month old baby it is easy to say I watch more adult conversations on TV than have real ones these days.


To really show my dedication to reducing my tv watching ("I'm not an addict I can slow down at anytime..." LOL) I gave up the movie channels just before Christmas so we could save a few extra bucks each month. It was a big move for me as I've had the movie channels since 1996. So no more access to Big Love, Dexter, Entourage, HBO movies, etc. Unfortunately I miscalculated and had it cancelled with 3 episodes left in the current Dexter season... I certainly needed a sponsor the day I realized that error (thank goodness for the internet - but don't spoil it for me yet I haven't finished downloading the episodes).

Don't get me wrong I'm a pretty varied person who loves to read, cook, shop, dance, pilates, etc. But I was brought up as a latch key kid who did her homework in front of the tv. And had 'quality' time with my Grandparents watching Another World. So it really is just part of the fabric of my world. I really can do without it, I just don't really want to.

So what do I watch.... I'm pretty varied here too. Some of the top shows in my PVR priority list these days are: BSG (Battlestar Gallatica), Doctor Who, Torchwood, Lost, Grey's Anatomy, How I met my mother, Survivor, Amazing Race, Friday Night Lights, Mad Men, Project Runway - plus the HBO series which I don't currently get... Dexter, Big Love, Entourage. I also used to watch Coronation Street religiously, but as CBC is 6 months behind England I just keep up-to-date online.

What does all this mean? I guess it acts as an introduction to my television obsession and allows me to provide future posts with my thoughts on my favourite or un-favourite TV moments. I also might blog about my experiences with our PVR - just moved from Shaw to Telus TV. Will have lots to report about that experience very soon.