Doctor. Strange.

[captainsblog]

We're now eight episodes into our first series with a Doctor who's not like the others- except that she is. Brilliant. Snarky. Even fezzy in one of them:



The eps have rotated among historical, character-driven and wibbly-wobbly-scary-wary-monstry. Much has been made of the gender change in the lead, but to me the bigger development is having a Family of Companions and not just one (or a second attached to the grrl).  Yaz, Ryan and Graham have brought as much to the TARDIS table as Thirteen has, and they've exponented, rather than multiplied, the plot-sibilities of the series in the way they've woven their stories into A Story with their Doctor.

Several remain- but oddly, one among them will NOT be a Christmas special:

It's been a year of big changes for Doctor Who and here's another big 'un: the show won't air a special episode on Christmas Day this year.

[CUT TO BLACK: A LONELY TARDIS DRIFTS ACROSS THE VOID, A TINY HOWL FLOATING ON THE SOLAR WINDS]

Yup.

There's been an episode on December 25 on BBC One every year since 2005 when the series stormed back on to our screens under showrunner Russell T Davies. Davies' successor Steven Moffat even stayed on the show for longer than he'd intended to ensure that it wouldn't lose its coveted Christmas Day slot.

But wait! While it's giving up its traditional slot, there will be a Doctor Who festive special, just on a different day. Phew.

The TARDIS will land on the other most prestigious day in the Beeb's Christmas and New Year schedule: January 1.

Chris Chibnall, showrunner, said: "We're thrilled to be starting the New Year with a bang on BBC One, as Jodie Whittaker's Doctor and friends face a terrifying alien threat in an action packed, hour-long special adventure for all the family."

The BBC's Director of Content, Charlotte Moore, added: "We're delighted the Doctor and her companions will be welcoming BBC One audiences into 2019 with this exciting new episode. The Doctor's fans are in for a special treat on the first day of the new year."

Just as well. The Bills will be playing New England on Christmas weekend, bound to depress us all- as one caller to their midday talk slot put it today, we hate the Patriots, but lawnmowers don't have a rivalry with grass.  They finish the season at home against Miami, which is much more likely to bring happy feelings going into the holiday ep.

----

Meanwhile, back in reality, the past two workdays have been just plain weird, and not from alarms going off.

As I mentioned last time, yesterday was one of my relatively few trial days for the year. We were booked for a slot beginning at 10:30 and running for six hours.  And although all of us were there closer to 10, things didn't get going until closer to 11; civil cases are the redheaded stepchildren of many courts, including this one, and we spent close to an hour sitting around while criminals were dragged in and out. (But one of their lawyers reported that she won $10 lottery tickets to Hamilton and saw it the night before, yay! I'm 0-for-8 trying myself, boo!) 

Making it weird was that we were on and done in barely two hours. My opponent, I sensed, wanted to be there way less than even I did.  He did a nice job of preparing copies of documents to introduce into evidence, and then didn't bother to introduce more than half of them: I wound up grabbing a couple from him to introduce as part of my case. My client noticed, during him cross-examining her, that he seemed very nervous.  I make no predictions about outcome (keep reading), but there was nothing obvious to suggest he'd met their burden of proof.  I got out in time to put in a decent productive afternoon at the office before heading out to meet a client and trying to help her save her home.

Then, today.  A brief client meeting out of town in the morning, followed by a court hearing I had every reason to win- except I didn't. The other side did (or rather, didn't do) something utterly inexcusable- and the judge didn't care. "Maybe I'm wrong- take me up, it's happened before." By that, she meant "file an appeal," which I've come close to doing with at least one or two of her odd decisions.

Even weirder, she has a model TARDIS, and an autographed picture of Ten, behind her desk in chambers.  I don't think any of the Doctor's incarnations would find this cool.

That got me home again, to check in to see if the Sabres can win a franchise record 11th straight game tonight against the team that, until recently, was considered the best in the league until we beat them in Buffalo and then surpassed them in the standings.  It'd be the first time ever that this team would ever

"Spinal Tap - These Go To 11" (Watch on YouTube)

Comments

[warriorsavant]

Have only managed 1-2 of latest Doctor. I agree about having multiple Companions, but not sure how I feel about the character. Not one of those ppl who can't deal with a female Doctor, but not sure I like the personae beyond that. Hope to have time to see several more, then decide.