h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Doctor Who and the Terror of the Titles - A59089189
Author: timdigital - U14195698

An interesting look at a popular topic which I feel has real potential following a bit of a polish, previously submitted to Peer Review here: F15194321?thread=7059810

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Being discussed here: F22142323?thread=8310182

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I just watched Episode 3 of this series

I'm just preparing the data ready for my analysis, and I notice that each episode has a title, and especially in the early days each episode is a member of a serial which also has a title...

Shall I include the serial titles as well as the episode titles, or just the episode titles, do you think?

Hmm - I now get to the days when each episode takes the title of the serial that contains it...

Perhaps leave out the serial title for the early episodes, as they are not all well-defined anyway, and then use the serial title when the episodes don't have titles...

You're right, for the first 2 ½ series, rather than having serial titles they had individual episode titles. Then they changed their minds, and as the remaining 23½ years had serial titles rather than episode titles, fans have tried to create serial titles for the first 2 ½ years too, even though they didn't always have them.

Various rules have been used. Sometimes the original working title has been used, but in the case of the second story, that would be 'The Mutants', a title later used by a Jon Pertwee adventure. The Radio Times 10th Anniversary special used the 'use the title of the first episode of that story as the overall serial title', but this has sometimes created strange titles. Other titles include using the same title as the novelisations, however as the novelisations often changed the titles of stories that did have an overall title – so 'Terror of the Zygons' became 'Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster' – that isn't a very helpful guide either.

More recently the dominant titles in use are the ones used on the BBC VHS and/or DVD releases, however as not every story has survived, not every story has been released.

So I'd include just the episode titles for the first 2 1/2 years and only take up the serial titles from when they were first used, with 'The Savages', the 26th Serial. Perhaps include some of the above in an explanatory section?

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Thanks <BB<

My working draft is A87847771 so you can have a look when you get chance and let me know your thoughts so far.

I think it looks excellent – I really enjoy trying to remember which stories the words come from.

Obviously there are quite a few episodes that mention 'Christmas' (Christmas Invasion, Christmas Carol, Last Christmas) and that's one that doesn't have a number after it.

I must say, as you're doing a very splendid job with this so far, what would you like from me? I don't think I've done anything to date to earn a credit on this to date, and if you want to finish it off yourself I'm happy for you to do so, but if you'd like to put me to work, just let me know.

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Thank you

I'm still plodding on with this - you can tell which bits I've looked at as I've put the double quotes into single quotes, so there's quite a bit to do...

One thing I know you could help with is the Friends and Enemies section - could you write the GuideML with links to the enemies and any other relevant Entries? If there are any enemies you would like to see included, let me know and I'll check my spreadsheet.

That I can do:

Daleks beat the Doctor here, with 17 appearances in titles, and the word 'Enemy' itself is included three times. The Rani is named twice, as are the Sontarans, and the Cybermen show up four times. The Ice Warriors make an appearance, as do the Autons, Ood, Silurians and Sea Devils and Zygons. The Master and the SlitheenAlthough the Slitheen appear in the titles of spin-off Sarah-Jane Adventures episode 'Revenge of the Slitheen'. are not commemorated in any titles, though.

(I've added 'Autons', 'Silurians and Sea Devils' and 'Zygons' and yes, they do all appear in titles (feel free to check spreadsheets) in Jon Pertwee's era for the first three, and Tom Baker for 'Zygons'.

Hurray, I've actually done something!

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Spot on thank you - excellent footnote.

I ticked off the extra enemies in my spreadsheet

Only 355 words out of 1073 to look at now

It is looking good

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Thank you

I've been through all the words now so it's over to you - feel free to suggest any changes at all... Help with links would be superb, too, like with the Friends and Enemies section, as you know the Doctor Who category better than I do

First thought – could we move a few of the categories around – namely, move 'Maths and Science' to after 'Opposites Attract'. That way we'd get 'Human' 'Nature' (and 'Human Nature' is a Doctor Who Title).

Then, after 'Opposites Attract' we have two opposites:
'Maths & Science' followed by 'Religion and Spirituality'.

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How about this after 'Underworld'?
'Underworld' inspired the name of television soap-opera Coronation Street's lingerie factory.

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Maybe you could reword ' special episodes like Dimensions in Time and The Curse of the Fatal Death have also been left out.' to 'special telethon episodes like Dimensions in Time and The Curse of the Fatal Death have also been left out.' This should make it clear that you are including Christmas specials and the 50th Anniversary special, but not Red Nose Day or Children in Need specials?

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Thanks <BB< - good stuff

I don't think I am including Christmas Specials and the 50th Anniversary Special - only the main series episodes are included. Is that not clear somehow?

I've tweaked the order around a bit so that Human Nature is in there, and Opposites Attract twice

I added the excellent footnote too

Hello

Since 2005 'Doctor Who''s normal format has been to have a run of 13 episodes as a series, and then a standalone episode at Christmas, which is called a Christmas Special. There have also been a series of Specials when David Tennant was unable to commit to a year's filming and the 50th Anniversary Special. These all fit in with the series as normal, but were broadcast at a different time of the year and are usually slightly longer. These specials are:

'The Christmas Invasion' (2005 Christmas Special)
'Voyage of the Damned' (2007 Christmas Special)
'The Runaway Bride' (2006 Christmas Special)
'The Next Doctor' (2008 Christmas Special)
'Planet of the Dead' (2009 Easter Special)
'The Waters of Mars' (2009 my wife's 29th birthday special)
'The End of Time Part I' (2009 Christmas Special)
'The End of Time Part II' (2010 New Year's Day Special)
'A Christmas Carol' (2010 Christmas Special)
'The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe' (2011 Christmas Special)
'The Snowmen' (2012 Christmas Special)
'The Day of the Doctor' (50th Anniversary Special)
'The Time of the Doctor' (2013 Christmas Special)
'Last Christmas' (2014 Christmas Special)

So those should be included. (Oh, and we could change 'Christmas occurs twice' to 'thrice').

What we shouldn't include are the titles of the telethon episodes (including 'Dimensions in Time' and 'The Curse of Fatal Death'), the minisodes and prequels and the animated adventures ('The Infinite Quest' and 'Dreamland')

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Here's a few Suggested links:

Doctor Who at the first mention of 'Doctor Who'
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - where the above is mentioned.
42
companion
Coronation Street
Soap Opera

Oh, and if my unexpectedly controversial entry on Doctor Who London Landmarks is approved soon, maybe add a link to that under 'London'?

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