Archive for June 2013

16 June 2013

Next in Line: Who Should Be Matt Smith's Successor

The day after it was announced that Matt Smith was leaving, my sister asked me if I was going to post an article on my blog about who the next Doctor should be. I said that it was too early to speculate and that I wanted to wait until I was completely content with Matt leaving. That never happened, but I slowly started to compile a list in my head. The list consists of well known and not so well known actors, but in my honest opinion, I think it should go to someone who isn't very well-known as Doctor Who has a wonderful knack for opening doors for actors.


Ben Whishaw
I first saw him in The Hour and immediately fell in love with his character of Freddie. Then I watched
Brideshead Revisited where he starred alongside Matthew Goode (who's also on this list) and he has a remarkable ability to fit into any character he plays. The only problem I see with him, besides the fact that his fame has skyrocketed, is that he may be compared to Matt Smith with regards to some of his gestures (a word I coined as Matt Smith-isms). This may not be the best route to go if they want to start with a completely new Doctor, but I would love to see Ben piloting the TARDIS.

Helena-Bonham Carter
A pretty well known name, I know, but she's perfect to play a more eccentric Doctor. She'd be great to bridge that gap between the Doctor's eleventh incarnation and the Valeyard. She's a fantastic actress and I would love to see her in an episode written by Neil Gaiman. The only drawback, off course, is that she's to closely attached to other famous characters like Bellatrix Lestrange, The Red Queen among others. If any woman were to play the Doctor, it would be her.
Dev Patel
His fame shot up when he starred in Danny Boyle's film adaption of Slumdog Millionaire and before then he was only known for his role in Skins. Since then he has starred in The Last Airbender, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Newsroom showing his diversity. He has a sort of charm about him that can capture the audience and his companions and would be a great choice if they want to go the young actor route. 

Tom Hiddleston
He's an absolutely amazing actor and his smile... Sorry I got a bit carried away there for a second. He is well known as playing Loki in Thor and The Avengers. I think he would make a wonderful Doctor and  I think he would work perfectly with Jenna-Louise Coleman. He's also got that bit of charm and I know that almost every single girl's heart may skip a beat when he says "I'm the Doctor." Only drawback? He's probably busy filming more Avengers movies and is possibly one of the most in demand actors right now. But a girl can dream, can't she? 


Harry Lloyd
Most will recognise him as that creepy guy from the episode where David Tennant's Doctor was human, but recently he's acted in the BBC adaption of  Great Expectations as the well loved Herbert Pocket, in Game of Thrones as Viserys Targaryen and The Iron Lady as a young Denis Thatcher. Honestly, I don't have a particular reason for choosing him besides the fact that I think he's great and I want to see him play the Doctor. But he will be able to also play a darker, more mysterious side to the  Doctor while also giving us some light hearted moments. The only problem with this choice is that he's already associated with quite a famous episode of Doctor Who and trying to explain why the Doctor looks like a previous enemy would be hard.

Mathew Baynton
He's known for his roles on Horrible Histories and starring in the short lived comedy series, Spy. He's also friends with James Corden (Craig from The Lodger and Closing Time) and he has a great sense of humour. Mathew may be able to bring out the funnier side of the Doctor and we all know from his performances in Horrible Histories that he has the ability to make children laugh, but we will have to see how he fairs in the more serious moments that Doctor Who has. Another problem is that with the popularity of Horrible Histories he won't really have time for Doctor Who's twelve hour work day.




Some other names that have been circulating are Rupert Grint, Rory Kinnear (a favourite for the bookies), Chiwetel Ejiofor, Idris Elba, Helen Mirren (!), Daniel Kaluuya and Dominic Cooper. Who do you should be the new Doctor? Comment below and give me your suggestions. 

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13 June 2013

The Art of Words

My mouth has gone as dry as sawdust. I desperately find Cinna in the crowd and lock eyes with him. I imagine the words coming from my lips.
                                     The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

Words. The pure essence of life. How else do we understand each other? Stories. Fuel to an ever growing fire, your growing knowledge. Books. Words and stories strung together to create something beautiful for the enjoyment of the masses. Without words, stories or books, life would be as bland as a slice of dry toast.

Aunt Em had just come out of the house to water the cabbages when she looked up and saw Dorothy running toward her.
“My darling child!” she cried, folding the little girl in her arms and covering her face with kisses. “Where in the world did you come from?”
“From the land of Oz,” said Dorothy gravely. “And here is Toto, too. And, oh, Aunt Em! I’m so glad to be home again!” 
                                          The Wizard of Oz, L Frank Baum

Most of you sitting in this room have grown up with stories. We’ve journeyed with Dorothy to the Land of Oz, helped Little Red Riding Hood save her grandma and even watched a caterpillar turn into butterfly. Books and stories have provided us with a means of escape since the dawn of time. One of the things children look forward to is story time. Stories are as much a part of our lives as eating or sleeping whether it’s the ones we make up or the ones we are told by other people. Our brains yearn for more tales because it expands our knowledge. We are curious creatures with inquiring minds that need words and new ideas to keep ourselves from becoming lazy. Stories, either from a novel, read from a script or put into a song breathes life into our imaginations.

Even though we forget it sometimes, books are written by people. Which means that they relate to our lives. People can always relate to a book even if it is filled with fantastical creatures. Harry Potter is a book about a boy who finds out that he is a wizard, but the reason it has done so well is because people can relate to some situations in the books. The series deals with friendship, loyalty, love and standing up for what is right. We all have our own Lord Voldemorts, be it a person, object or situation; our adversities are real just like Harry’s were to him. I’m sure every one of you reading this post has read a book that you relate to so much that you become attached to the characters and if you haven’t then keep reading.

Writing’s inside your head! It’s thinking! It’s a constant storm of pictures and voices and sometimes, if you’re, very, very, lucky, insight.
                                         A Writer's Tale, Russell T Davies

Writing is a personal thing. It involves every fibre of your being. It’s more than a basic storyline and regurgitating the Oxford English Dictionary. It’s about a passion, a love, a knowing that this is the only thing you want to do. It’s about understanding words and knowing the impact it has on people. Writing’s about having a million ideas swarming in your head and having the ability to string it into a coherent thought. Just like a painter uses paint to express themselves, a writer uses words. It’s a yearning to communicate and a need to be understood. Writers pour their hearts out onto the page, firstly for themselves and secondly for their audience. A good writer writes because they want to a great writer writes because they need to.

All endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.
                     The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom

A good book always had a memorable ending. When you finish a well written novel you should be happy, content and a tad bit disappointed because it’s over. Figuring out how to end something is hard, which probably why I’m still writing this piece. You have to figure out the perfect way to leave you characters that make you as well as your audience happy. So, before I start to bore you with my endless drivel. I leave you with one last thought: We’re all just stories in the end, just make this a good one.

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12 June 2013

An Unfinished Life

The soft whistle of a bird echoed throughout the garden. A delicate hand trembled as it placed the needle on the record. Low music started to blare from the gramophone. A small wrought iron table stood on the patio floor, there were two chairs, but only one was pulled out. Atop the table sat a tray of exquisite china with a pink flower pattern. The garden seemed to be at peace.

A small woman of about forty gently placed her book on the table and sat down. Although she was young of age, her face looked as if it was twenty years her senior. Her arms trembled as she lowered herself into the chair. She poured herself a cup of tea and observed as two sparrows played together on her well manicured lawn. They, somehow, made her think of James.

Suddenly, she heard a crunching noise on the gravel path, small stones moving for hard, black boots. She looked up and there he was, James, as handsome as the day he had left. He was still in his army uniform, his dark brown hair brushed back, his hat in his hands. He looked at her and a smile started to grow. She immediately got up from her chair and embraced him.
“James,” she said as she buried her face in his chest. “You were gone for eighteen years.” He held her closer and kissed her forehead.
“Jenny, I’m so happy to be back,” he looked her dead in the eye and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

Jenny poured him a cup of tea and they sat on either side of the table, facing out into the garden. The music from the gramophone still blared.
“It was 1940 when you left, it’s 1958 now,” she said, almost childlike. “The war ended in 1945, where were you?” He didn’t answer, he just looked out into the garden with his cup hovering in front of his mouth, deep in thought. The song on the record changed and his lips lifted up into a smile.
“Do remember this?” he asked placing his cup onto the saucer. “Our first date.” He got up from the chair and stood in front of her, his left arm extended towards her, the other tucked behind his back. She smiled jovially and grabbed his hand. James pulled her closer towards him and they started to sway in the breeze.

All the memories started to flood back to her. They had met at a party in 1937, he called her Jen and, in turn, she called him Jimmy. He asked her to dance and she agreed, albeit with a little bit of reluctance, but James didn’t care. Something told her that he had fallen for her the moment his grey eyes had spotted her from across the room. Six months later he proposed to her and, a year after they had met, they were happily married. Then, in 1939, Hitler’s reign began to take its toll on the world. The war had started and Britain was looking for soldiers. A later, in 1940, James was commissioned to join the army, and Jenny had to send her twenty-five year old husband out to fight in the war.  She started to suffer from insomnia and spent many restless nights staring at her ceiling hoping that he would return to her. Before she could even realise it, the tears started to roll down her cheeks. It was like this for nine months, and then the telegram came in the post...

Jenny would never forget the day she had received that telegram. It started out like any other day, slightly warm, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the trees. The words on the page were like daggers to her heart, each one drawing more and more blood. “Dear Mrs Lee…we regret to…husband, James Lee,…died in action…one of the noblest soldiers…”

Suddenly, she let go of all her thoughts and she was back in James’s muscular arms. “You’re dead,” she whispered struggling to hold back the tears. He tucked away a lock of her hair and solemnly smiles at her. Her warm, salty tears blurred her vision and, when they were finally flowing down her cheeks, James was gone. She stood alone in her tiny garden, weeping to herself, her entire body heaving with every sob. She reached out her hand to the place where James was standing, but he was already gone. His ghost carried away by the wind.

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07 June 2013

How Doctor Who Has Shaped Me: The Good and The Bad.

A little over two years ago, I found out about a TV show called Doctor Who, the way I get all my news, via the internet. The first episode I watched was The Lazarus Experiment with Martha and Ten. I wish I could tell you what drew me in about the show, but I honestly can't. Perhaps, it was because it was so different to everything else I watched and seemed more of something that I would enjoy. Truth be told, I've never watched much science fiction shows, but I've always loved the concept of time travel (I even started to write a story about it in grade six) and I absolutely love history. And by love, I mean adore as in I don't mind writing four page essays about the Civil Rights Movement. I've also liked the idea of traveling to new worlds; the Chronicles of Narnia was my favourite series when I was kid and what really seared my love for storytelling. My point is that if you had told me that in 2013 my favourite TV show would be about a time traveling alien who changes his face and has a female companion I would have awkwardly laughed at you and walked away pretending like you weren't a complete mental case.

Then I watched the show and I realised that it wasn't about that at all. It was about love and friendship and fighting for what is right. Doctor Who is about acceptance and being unique, look at the Doctor, he wears silly clothes and doesn't care about what people say. It teaches you to be comfortable in your own skin. It has also reinforced principles that I live by like violence is not always the best answer. Personally, it has taught me to grow as a human. I've learnt that no matter how much a situation seems hopeless, there's always room for optimism. I've learnt to see the inner value of people on a much higher scale and I've learnt that I don't have to be a genius to be special. It has taught me that change, although daunting, is part of growing up and is necessary if we want to move on with our lives. Through Doctor Who I have realised that no dream is too big and that one day I will live my dream of becoming an author. I've also learnt to never give up on what you love and believe in. 

But, it has also brought out the slightly worse qualities in me. I've come realise that I'm three things I hate in a person: jealous, greedy and overprotective. The insecurities I have elevate these emotions incredibly to the point where I almost explode. I initially didn't want anyone I knew to find out about Doctor Who because I wanted it to be a sort of secret. Something that I could share with a select few people and the internet, but I have comprehended that it's too big of a show for people not find out about. There's a part of me that believes that the show will be ruined by people who don’t fully understand it and get excited for no particular reason, but then I realised that it will boost its popularity which means that it has a better chance of staying on air. So, I guess that was just the youngest-in-the-family-and-gets-what-she-wants in me showing a little too much. The overprotective part in me shows through whenever someone comments on an aspect of the show or the show as a whole and I go off on a tangent saying “What the hell? You're an idiot, if you didn't like that episode so much then why you don’t write a better episode!" Note that this takes place in my head as I scroll down to more pleasing comments, but I fear that I may not be able to hold my tongue in real life and I might just go tumblr fangirl meets the Hulk on one of my friends and I'll be ostracized forever. Okay, that was a bit of an over exaggeration, but you never know with me. In short, Doctor Who is such an inspiration to me and has changed me so much that I feel as if it's my responsibility to stop it from becoming something that I'll hate watching or watch for the sake of watching because the people around me have influenced the way I see it. I’m too forgone into this fandom to have that happen to me. To me it is not just a TV show, it has become my life. I have never been so attached to characters and places before, no other book or TV show has done that for me. But I've learnt to control these bad qualities and I seem more accepting, while still having mixed emotions.

Through this wonderful show I've have seen my full potential and found bucket loads of inspiration and maybe my dreams will one day come true. Who knows, maybe one day I'll be writing for Doctor Who. Every time a bad quality starts to inch its way out, a good quality is reflected back at ten times the strength. Doctor Who has shaped me into a good person and made me see the bad that I could become if lose myself. No show has this big of an impact on me and love Doctor Who for that. It will always be there, through the good and the bad.

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02 June 2013

A Letter to Matt Smith

Last night, Matt Smith announced that he was leaving Doctor Who after the Christmas special this year. I thought I would write an open letter to him to thank him for the time he spent on the TARDIS.

Dear Matt Smith

It is with a heavy heart that I write this to you. If David was the man who made me fall in love with the Doctor, then you are the man who made me see the Doctor as my best friend. Through your Doctor I have seen the old man with the young heart. I've felt the rage of a thousand year old Timelord and seen the kind-hearted spirit of the Doctor.

Saying goodbye is hard and, like the Doctor, I hate endings. Whenever it does come to goodbyes, I never know what to say and I usually regret everything I've said afterwards. So, I'm not going to say goodbye, I'm going to say thank you. Thank you for all the times you have made me cry and laugh and say, "What the hell just happened?" Thank you for making me feel special and for those amazing moments when you made me feel like I was part of a community of people who were just like me. Your Doctor, like everyone who has entered the TARDIS, will always hold special place in my heart. I learnt to love, forgive and treat every battle like it's my last. Through your eyes I have seen new worlds and met great people and I've grown up. Thank you, Matt Smith, for being there. For crawling into my heart and making me love you even when I was still upset about David leaving. Thank you for being my best friend.

I know that I'm just a seventeen year old girl from South Africa with big hopes for the future, but thanks to you and the entire Doctor Who community, I have learnt to fight for my dreams and one day I hope to write for Doctor Who. Speaking as myself, you are always welcome back and you will always be part of this family. Always. Twenty years from now when you've won Oscars you will still have us, rooting you on and supporting your every decision. You are always in our hearts.

Lots of two-hearted love from
Rasmika.

I understand that Doctor Who is show about change, but that doesn't mean that I don't get upset when I find out that someone is leaving the show. I highly doubt that Matt will ever see this, but I thought I would just write it show the internet how I really feel. I'm sure the next person to play the Doctor will fill his (or her) predecessors' shoes well and that the legacy of Doctor Who will still live on.

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Fixing Alex Day's TARDIS Problem

Famous Youtuber Alex Day (Nerimon to some) wrote a post about a Doctor Who episode that he wrote the post goes as follows:

A few years ago, I wrote a script for an episode of Doctor Who as a writing exercise. The episode was called The Abandoned TARDIS - it’s a bit ropey but I’m really proud of it. The concept was that, although the Time Lords are all dead, there are still old TARDISes knocking about, abandoned, and the Doctor tracks one that has become unstable and needs to be neutralised (like when a battery starts leaking acid). Unfortunately, the abandoned TARDIS has been left in the cupboard under the stairs of a ten-year-old girl called Jessica, who doesn’t want to give up what to her is the ultimate playhouse … and that’s the premise of the story.
I never wanted to share this because I thought, y’know, on the off-chance I ever get to write for Doctor Who … but sadly my ending has now been invalidated by their recent season finale. In my ending, the Doctor takes the TARDIS to a graveyard where all TARDISes must go to die … and of course finds HIS TARDIS abandoned and decaying, because at some point in the future, he’ll have to go there.
But now it’s his tomb so whatever have my story internet (also at some point he uses a Magic 8-Ball to decide what to do, which I’m very proud of)
From this short synopsis I could tell that would make a good episode, especially with Matt Smith's Doctor, but Alex said that it wouldn't happen because of events in The Name of the Doctor. I think I may have found a way around that.
The TARDIS graveyard that the Doctor finds is...Trenzalore! Little is known about the history of Trenzalore and we only know now that it is a graveyard for time travelers, but what if previously it was a TARDIS graveyard? Then sometime between the TARDIS graveyard and now it turned into a time traveler's graveyard. When the Doctor finds his TARDIS in the graveyard he doesn't realise that the planet is Trenzalore until he looks at the co-ordinates. When the Doctor dies sometime in his future the TARDIS is so distraught that she makes herself his monument and it could follow that all the other tombstones followed after him. I just thought this up and may need a whole lot explaining in proper detail, but it's a great loophole and will bring that emotional element that I think Alex wanted. 

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