The Exact Size of Belgium

Oh, right, you.

Just a couple quick things, because it's way too nice out for long things.  (Cough, New York Times Magazine, cough.  And look who's coughing.)

Muxtape had a meltdown, which afforded an opportunity to offer something sunnier and outsidier.  So here's some soulfunkstuff for you to burn off an hour to.  Sharon Jones does something for Janet Jackson, Aretha gets gospel on Simon & Garfunkel, Merry Clayton steps out on the Stones.  Swamp Dogg, King Khan, Miguel de Deus, and Alèmayèhu Eshèté totally destroy your mind, man.  Always close with Sam Cooke when you can.

And yes, I was happy to hear - after so recently gushing over his merits - that Steven Moffat has been named the new showrunner at Doctor Who.  Only concern being that it might dilute his effectiveness.  I'd rather have one brilliant episode a year than a gaggle of okay ones.  (His new two-parter starts in the UK on Saturday 5/31, in the US a few weeks after that.)  But fingers crossed, hopes high.

Season Four, so far, has been a typical, watchable mixed bag.  The Ood ep was oddly affecting; the silly Sontaran thing was redeemed by a single giddy sequence.  If you're following the UK schedule, you know that "The Doctor's Daughter" was a solid sf idea made enjoyably awful by bad writing and acting and classically lousy f/x .  There was some sort of fanboy appeasement in casting, in the titular role, Georgia Moffett... who is no relation to Steven Moffat, obviously, but who IS the daughter of Peter Davison, the long-running show's Fifth Doctor (1981-1984).

Which is all just a roundabout excuse to post this great short scene, filmed for some British "Children in Need" (but aren't they always?) charity telethon:

Unlike Georgia, that is a product of Steven Moffat; it features current Doctor David Tennant bumbling into Fifth Doctor Davison.  It's meant to take place between Seasons Three and Four, but that doesn't matter; the plot's just a gobbledygook toss-off to bring the two actors together.  On display is the enthusiasm what makes Tennant such an enjoyable lead - he is the biggest fan - and the show's adoring, self-deprecating view of its own corny, lovable past.  "You were my Doctor," indeed.

Have a good holiday weekend.

tags: doctor who  steven moffat  muxtape  

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