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

*drags conversation away from science and back to fiction*



Wasn't Rose's sceptical and yet perceptive comment an indication of the limits of her experience ... "the North" being to her a big, strange place, but at least on this planet and within her understanding. And the Doctor's response was a simple way of demonstrating that her knowledge could be transferable beyond her own planet and More anybody?

This Doctor is just particularly good at smart answers, I think.

Mol

Having seen Davis Tennant in last night's rather spiffy Quatermass re-make (did it REALLY run twenty minutes short or had they allowed a twenty minute over-run?) I have toi say he'll do fine.

Kudos all round to the actors and the production team on a thoroughly enjoyable re-visitation of one of the seminal moments of British Tv.

I think there was some slack in the shedule. It's hard to precisely time a live broadcast.

schedule, even.

I must say I really, really enjoyed Saturday nights tv. I shall be looking forward to seeing Quatermass again on dvd.

If Tennant doesn't want it, it occurs to me that Jason Flemying might be good, and give him a unique double of playing the two greatest characters in the history of british SF...

When did he play Kerr Avon from Blakes 7?

Yeah right, Kerr Avon.

Is to make me .

Not even fit to be mentioned in the same breath as Bernard Quatermass or the Doctor.

Due to being away this weekend and having the choice of taping Doctor Who or Quatermass, I haven't actually seen it yet. I'm hoping for a BBC 2 repeat or a DVD release pronto.

As an aside, nice to see that Doctor Who outgunned the grinning one in the ratings.

It occurs to me that Quatermass' non-violent resolution to problems was probably a very big influence on Dr Who in the old days.

Oh, indeed. Quatermass was I'm sure a big influence on the series. Having your hero as a scientist/engineer rather than a classic 'man of action', for starters.

Nearly worked through the backlog, I liked the line "Lots of planets have a North" as well, but because it reminded me that the first prog I saw him in was 'Our friends in the north'.

Oha dn I know its silly, but just think of Bill Bailey being the Dr, actually I think he would make a great assistant!

I loved Quatermass, Jason is one of my fav actors, as is Steven Mackintosh, can we fit him in anywhere?

Or maybe Julian Rhind-Tutt, Alan Rickman, Dougray Scott, Clive Owen, Hugo Speer, Terrence Stamp, Steven Tompkinson or even Tim Allen.

I must go do some work now.

Quatermass was great ~ just finished watching the tape.
Why bury it over on BBC4 ~ hope it gets a terrestial showing so everyone can see it.
Maybe the beeb could remake some more shows or even just re-run the originals.

Oops!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4410943.stm

"The BBC failed to speak to actor Christopher Eccleston before revealing he was going to quit Dr Who after the first series, it has admitted."

"The BBC further regrets that it falsely attributed a statement to Christopher and apologises to him."

"The BBC regrets not speaking to Christopher before it responded to the press questions on Wednesday 30 March.

"The BBC further regrets that it falsely attributed a statement to Christopher and apologises to him."


Altogether now:

"Regrets...I've had a few,
But not as many asthe Beeb seem to have had
over Ecclestones leaving the Who Show.

or

We never did see Quatermass here in NZ, but I did pick up the scripts in book form in the 1980s. A scientist hero - yes, it would have been radical back then...

<< Having your hero as a scientist/engineer rather than a classic 'man of action', for starters.>>

You obviously do not realise the mainstay of process engineering on a production site. Whae something on plant isn't working the first thing you do is get something heavty and hit the piece of equipment that isn't working. If it still doesn't work you hit it harder.

So, if Quatermass had been a true engineer the story would have basically gone:

Scene 1:

Strange alien attacks London.

Quatermass works quietly in his office block.

The police and army can do nothing.

Send for Quatermass is the cry.

Scene 2:

Army Major runs into Quatermasses office.

"Professor, we have an unstoppable alien attacking London."

"Have you tried tactical nuclear weaponry?"

"Yes, but it isn't working."

"Not working you say? Pass me the scaffold pole and stand well back"

Scene 3:

Quatermass walks back into his office bloodied but triumphant.

"That was a toughy. I had to give it a kick in the happy sacks with the old steel toecaps before it went down."

NEWS FLASH : Chris Eccleston not to blame :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4410943.stm

Anyone feel like appologising?

Well, he still quit after one season, he's just not to blame for the timing of the announcement, a point I made some time ago.