http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24467337
This is fantastic news for fans of the show everywhere. In the year of the 50th, one complete story from the Patrick Troughton run and one nearly complete story from the Patrick Troughton run have been found.
Concerning The Name of the Doctor and the 50th Anniversary Special:
~Riella
1. The very first regeneration, from William Hartnell to Patrick Troughton, was not referred to as a "regeneration" at the time, but as a "renewal". I believe the term "regeneration" to describe the process whereby the Doctor apparently gets a new body was not used until Jon Pertwee's time in the early '70s. When Patrick Troughton began his stint as the Doctor, it may have been suggested or implied that Troughton's Doctor was simply meant to be Hartnell's Doctor but a bit younger. Subsequently the Hartnell-Troughton change was described as a regeneration (e.g. by Peter Davison's Doctor in "The Five Doctors" and "Mawdryn Undead") but maybe it wasn't a "true" regeneration after all...
2. We never saw the second regeneration from Patrick Troughton to Jon Pertwee. That apparently happened on Gallifrey and was forced upon him by the Time Lord Council. Again, the term "regeneration" wasn't used; they simply talked about "a change of appearance".
3. The Doctor could sometimes exist and even interact with people in a mid-regeneration state - the Watcher in "Logopolis" was in between his fourth and fifth selves, and the Valeyard was supposed to be between his twelfth and thirteenth incarnations.
4. As others have pointed out, we never saw Paul McGann regenerate into... Christopher Eccleston? Or someone else?
5. David Tennant's Doctor began to regenerate after being hit by a Dalek exterminator beam, but channelled the regenerative energy into his preserved severed hand, creating the "Doctor-Donna" clone of himself. Does that count?
6. River Song gave him the energy from all her remaining regenerations after he was poisoned. Just to heal him, or did that give him more regenerations?
Latest trailers for the 50th Anniversary special:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006q2x0
Also on the BBC Doctor Who website is a special mini-episode which acts as an introduction to the 50th Anniversary episode proper, which will be broadcast this Saturday. The mini-episode is well worth a look!
Looking forward to Saturday, watching the special in 3D.
In honor of this 50th anniversary, my cable provider's On Demand section has lots of DW stuff: all episodes of the current reboot (allowing me to catch some of those earliest ones I've missed), all of Torchwood (I've started watching the season 4 "Miracle Day" episodes, which I've never seen), not to mention all of the special retrospectives on all the Doctors. If I had enough spare time I could be watching a very long time!
But all night, Aslan and the Moon gazed upon each other with joyful and unblinking eyes.
*walks in, sits down*
Will we be able to watch the special online as it airs? I've been looking and looking, I can't seem to figure that out, it's airing on the BBC, but does that mean I can watch it on BBCs site?
"...when my heart is overwhwlemed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I."
-Pslam 61:2
I highly doubt it. They usually don't air it online. It's airing middle of the day here in the U.S. this time.
It's going to be shown all over the world (even in New Zealand) so try to find a TV channel.
There, shining in the sunrise, larger than they had seen him before, shaking his mane (for it had apparently grown again) stood Aslan himself.
"...when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards."
Yeah, but you need a tellie with cable to watch it on. I'll just have to look around, the BBC iPlayer has a slot for it that just says: "Coming Soon", so I'll just keep an eye on that.
"...when my heart is overwhwlemed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I."
-Pslam 61:2
I watched the 50th Anniversary Special. My thoughts:
~Riella
Just found this article:
http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2013/11/five-reasons-doctor-owes-c-s-lewis-debt-gratitude/
There, shining in the sunrise, larger than they had seen him before, shaking his mane (for it had apparently grown again) stood Aslan himself.
"...when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards."
Not sure of the answers to the rest of Ithilwen's points, but to address no. 4:
SarahHighland.
Welcome. I too enjoyed the book versions of the classic series when I was able to find them. I remember the one you mention. It is always interesting to read these, and other books from varying series of decades ago. Not only for the stories themselves, which were suprisingly well written, but for how things were politically, and socially "back then".
Unfortunatly I no longer posses as many books as before, much of my "library" being in boxes since shelf space is limited.
I know what you mean about the differnce in authors. But we must remember that many had to write on a schedual, and unfortunatly fell into catch phrases to fill in the required pages.
Not being too off topic, even "masters of sci-fi fantasy" such as Edgar Rice Burrughs fell into that trap. I seldom find one of his Mars books that does not contain, the phrase "barbaric splendore" in every chapter.
It looks like you have a good reading habit, and are willing to examine detail. good. To many today are satisfied in only watching, and boor easily when a book is in there hands. I say they are the ones missing out.
Keep the pages turning!