Past Seasons: Classic Who

[tearknee]

Edited April 10 by tearknee

[tearknee]

The artist has used Salamander rather than the second Doctor, i notice.

[Llywela]

On 4/8/2025 at 5:55 AM, Anduin said:

Even though Wales has plenty more than just Arthurian mythology, I remember someone getting grumpy with me about Wales = magic.

Probably me. It's one of my pet bugbears that so many people around the world associate Wales with magic and elves, as if we are a fantasy country and a fantasy language that fantasy writers can use as their personal playbox, rather than a real country with a real language that real people speak.

There has never been a regular character in Doctor Who who is Welsh (Torchwood, yes, but not Doctor Who) despite the fact that the show has been made in Wales for 20 years now. Lots of Londoners, a number of northerners, and multiple Scots, but never anyone Welsh. It's time that changed!

[tearknee]

Ulster hasn't figured much but that's because the Troubles were happening.

[Anduin]

6 hours ago, Llywela said:

Probably me. It's one of my pet bugbears that so many people around the world associate Wales with magic and elves, as if we are a fantasy country and a fantasy language that fantasy writers can use as their personal playbox, rather than a real country with a real language that real people speak.

There has never been a regular character in Doctor Who who is Welsh (Torchwood, yes, but not Doctor Who) despite the fact that the show has been made in Wales for 20 years now. Lots of Londoners, a number of northerners, and multiple Scots, but never anyone Welsh. It's time that changed!

Yeah, I think it was you too. Fair enough though, I get it. But would you accept a Welsh Doctor if he was Merlin? Among other things, of course.

[Llywela]

12 hours ago, Anduin said:

Yeah, I think it was you too. Fair enough though, I get it. But would you accept a Welsh Doctor if he was Merlin? Among other things, of course.

To be honest, I'm chary of anything Arthurian, as well, as so much of what people think of as classic, genuine (and 'Welsh') Arthuriana is actually late medieval/early modern French literature rather than the actual, original Welsh mythology - which we sadly know very little about, as the early Welsh were not literate, their legends were primarily passed down through the oral tradition. When the Norman invaders came to Wales, they heard these stories and loved them, as they really jibed with the concepts of chivalry and courtly romance that were becoming popular in France at the time, so they exported the oral tradition of these stories back to France, where they were completely re-written with loads of new original characters inserted (Lancelot is case in point here), and then brought back to Britain in a completely altered form. And people have been making up new Arthurian stories ever since, all of which get treated as if they are part of the actual Welsh legend, when really they are pure fiction that has nothing to do with Wales or Welsh mythology whatsoever. The closest we can get to the original Welsh legends today are the handful of stories captured as part of The Mabinogion, but even those are influenced by the Normans, as they weren't captured on paper until the 12th century.

And I don't trust Welsh history or mythology in the hands of English script writers/show runners, so to be honest, I'd rather Doctor Who avoided the subject altogether! The vague hints in Battlefield were enough. Nothing more than that is necessary!

Other than a Welsh Doctor or companion, of course. 😉

[tearknee]

Welsh nationalism after centuries of England and Wales may be a bit late

[tearknee]

https://tardis.wiki/wiki/Lime_Grove_Studios

[tessaray]

RIP Jean Marsh (1934-2025)

I was just mentioning a few days back  that Jean Marsh was one of the reasons I'm fond of Battlefield. She had a long life and an amazing career. Maybe I'll put Upstairs, Downstairs on the rewatch list. 

[tearknee]

14 hours ago, tessaray said:

RIP Jean Marsh (1934-2025)

I was just mentioning a few days back  that Jean Marsh was one of the reasons I'm fond of Battlefield. She had a long life and an amazing career. Maybe I'll put Upstairs, Downstairs on the rewatch list. 

The Crusade - she's good in that, too. The bit in ep 3 where with _one look_ she *owns* Julian Glover... masterful. And he played Scaroth against Tom Baker's Doctor years later - one of the best villains the show had.

 

But, Upstairs, Downstairs for London Weekend Television/ITV is her legacy.

Edited Monday at 09:02 PM by tearknee