Thursday, June 30, 2011

Can I Ax You a Question??

I'm a big fan of Catherine Tate. She's a comic in the UK who had (has?) her own sketch comedy show, and I spent hours watching YouTube clips of her best sketches when I should have been writing books on Lost. About a month ago when I finally watched the season finale of The Office, I was so excited when she was one of the potential managers, and posted my glee on Facebook, saying how much I loved her as a comic.

But now, I'm beginning season 4 of Doctor Who (yes, I owe you guys a bunch of blogs on previous seasons and I hope to do those soon!) I realize that many DW fans must have been chuckling behind their hands at me, knowing something I didn't know... that she would eventually play the Doctor's companion! I was SO HAPPY and already I'm really enjoying her.

But of course, this also casts a new light on this particular sketch that I've watched about half a million times (mostly because I'm fascinated by Tennant's real accent) and that has always made me laugh, not knowing she'd ultimately be a big part of the show. (When this was filmed, she wasn't yet on DW, but I'm wondering if this pairing led to it.)

This is probably Tate's best known character, Lauren, a shit-disturber who's always driving her teachers crazy, always in the same way but tailoring her response to the teacher and the subject he or she is teaching. So watch when she takes on her new English teacher.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Catherine Tate is the best companion that the Doctor ever has. Period.

Susan said...

I have to respectfully disagree with you there ;-)

But anyway, Nikki I'm glad to hear you've been watching and even more glad to hear you will be blogging soon. I've watched all the way up to the newest episode and can't wait to see your posts.

Page48 said...

I have this clip on my hard drive for easy access.

And, for the record, I do fancy Billie Piper. If that makes me a goodly rotten apple, so be it.

Colleen/redeem147 said...

Before you watched season 4, did you see Runaway Bride?

Nikki Stafford said...

Colleen: Yes... Space aired all the X-mas specials on Boxing Day so I recorded them all, and I've been careful to watch everything in order. However, I believe there was a "season" that just consisted of a few specials or something? I don't think that was played in order when Space aired the seasons. I'm just looking up the names of those episodes now and if I don't have them on the PVR, I'll order them so I can have them next week by the time I get to those eps. Am I right in thinking that S4 is Tennant's last, but then he did a few specials and then Matt Smith is S5 and S6? Does the Tennant regeneration happen in the specials?

Page48 said...

Nikki, the specials that marked the end of Tennant's days as TD began in April of 2009 with "Planet of The Dead", which was the first DW to be filmed in HD, and which co-starred Zoe Slater herself as a sort of one-off companion (Not very spoilery BBC Wallpaper).

Later came "The Waters of Mars" and then, during the Christmas holidays, "The End of Time" (Pts. 1 & 2), which sent Tennant packing in the usual spectacular fashion, giving way to Smith (who absolutely did not drop the ball).

Smith is now in his S2 and is confirmed for S3, which will be split between 2012 and 2013 (boo, hiss to the powers that be for that little detail)

Batcabbage said...

That was excellent, I can't believe I've never seen that. What's even more awesome is that now they're doing Much Ado About Nothing together.

http://www.david-tennant.com/2009/id160.html

Colleen/redeem147 said...

Don't even try to figure what seasons things are. The specials were a season, only numerically they sort of aren't.

Season 1 is also season 27, but what do you do with the McGann movie? Is that actually season 27 and Eccleston starts season 28?

Just watch them in order and you'll be okay. :) But the 'specials' are part of the continuity. I just see it as one long show that started in 1963.

Cindy/SenexMacDonald said...

@Nikki said: "But of course, this also casts a new light on this particular sketch that I've watched about half a million times (mostly because I'm fascinated by Tennant's real accent) and that has always made me laugh, not knowing she'd ultimately be a big part of the show. (When this was filmed, she wasn't yet on DW, but I'm wondering if this pairing led to it.)"

Actually Nikki the Christmas Special that Catherine Tate appeared on was done in 2006. This Comic Relief bit was done in 2007 - and then came Donna's full season!

Yes, for this batch of seasons (starting with Eccleston), this is the first time they have done a 'companion' in a Christmas Special who then gets a full season. You will love(!!) it. :)

I agree with Colleen on this - it really is one series (with a break imposed by the BBC). Once you catch up to the shows airing now - you should go back and explore the rich history of DW.

Can't wait for your blogs on what you have seen to date... lol

Inara said...

Nikki, if you like David Tennant's real accent you must check out his audio work: some of the Doctor Who audiobooks and the "How to Train Your Dragon" audiobooks as well as a few others—his voices are amazing and he's quickly becoming one of my favourite narrators.

EsDee said...

Love this clip...I found this after watching Tate's DW season and watched it over and over, it is so funny.

Anon - I also thought Catherine was a terrific companion. I think we needed a non-romantic companion at the time. Although, I am really liking Rory this season!!

Page48 said...

EsDee, as much as I like Rory, I feel like he's forcing Amy to the background a bit more than I'm keen on this season. I thought we had just the right amount of Rory last year.

EsDee said...

Page48 - I think Amy is better with Rory around, and I love the dynamics with the 3 of them.

Looking forward to more after the break!

Rebecca T. said...

hahaha!

VW: Gracerer - more graceful