Children in Need 2012: Christmas Special prequel + trailer

[Redfern]

Anyway...back to the clips.

I wonder how many fans upon hearing the special would depict "snowmen" assumed they were going to be Troughten era "Yeti"? I bet there were a few fans muttering curses upon seeing the clip.

I don't mind the idea of literal "snow" monsters; that seems right up DW's alley. I just think they might have looked more interesting if their "teeth" resembled icecicles. Whether or not they are composed of frozen water, visually, I think they'd look better than the cartoonish triangular "chompers" I saw in the clip.

But Strax? Oh, man, he's gonna steal the show, I just know it! Uh, he is the same actor who played the "wet nurse" Sontaran in "A Good Man Goes to War", isn't he? It was a bummer that character died, but I'm thrilled the production found a way to reintroduce a similar character. I rather like the idea of a grumpily reluctant Sontaran ally.

Sincerely,

Bill

[Alidar Jarok]

Pindar wrote:

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All of the original doctors had alien companions or companions from quite different times, without looking it up my brain wants to say that current day companions were the minority.

I did a quick count. About 17 out of 29 or so were contemporary, so a slight majority. There's obviously disagreements over who is a companion, though. In the modern era, the number of contemporaries has obviously increased.

[The Wormhole]

Redfern wrote:

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But Strax? Oh, man, he's gonna steal the show, I just know it! Uh, he is the same actor who played the "wet nurse" Sontaran in "A Good Man Goes to War", isn't he? It was a bummer that character died, but I'm thrilled the production found a way to reintroduce a similar character. I rather like the idea of a grumpily reluctant Sontaran ally.

Not just the same actor, but the same character as well. Yes, the Sontaran nurse in Good Man was Strax. I sure would like to know how he survived a fatal gunshot wound.

[Saul]

The Wormhole wrote:

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Not just the same actor, but the same character as well. Yes, the Sontaran nurse in Good Man was Strax. I sure would like to know how he survived a fatal gunshot wound.

Maybe because it takes place before that happens?

[The Wormhole]

Saul wrote:

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Maybe because it takes place before that happens?

I think not.

1) If this were before Good Man, shouldn't Strax be with that gang in the year 4000 or whatever who dressed as though it were the 18th century fighting a war whose wounded Strax was responsible for treating?

2) Spoilers indicate that Vastra, Jenny and Strax have another apperance later in the season. Having both episodes set before Good Man kind of guts the drama out of them, plus limits storytelling possibilities. Unless they're going to make this relevant to an ungoing story arc like with River. Strax as the Doctor's latest lover, living their lives in the opposite direction? I guess it has potential...

[Alidar Jarok]

I'm not clicking on the spoiler. However, just addressing that first point, he's always free to leave them and become a nurse later.

[Allyn Gibson]

The Wormhole wrote:

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I think not.

1) If this were before Good Man, shouldn't Strax be with that gang in the year 4000 or whatever who dressed as though it were the 18th century fighting a war whose wounded Strax was responsible for treating?

2) Spoilers indicate that Vastra, Jenny and Strax have another apperance later in the season. Having both episodes set before Good Man kind of guts the drama out of them, plus limits storytelling possibilities. Unless they're going to make this relevant to an ungoing story arc like with River. Strax as the Doctor's latest lover, living their lives in the opposite direction? I guess it has potential...

Remember, though, that the Doctor punished Strax for some reason yet unknown by forcing him to serve in that war as a nurse. Strax may not have been from the time period we see in "A Good Man..." That, too, could have been part of the debt that Strax has to pay for whatever he did.

[diankra]

I'm assuming that it's earlier than Good Man... for Strax. Interesting question is, is it also earlier for Jenny and Veshtra? Or are they also dealing with the earlier version of someone they've seen die?

[Redfern]

Ah, Dan Starkey... Doing a bit of brief research, I see he played Skorr in the Sontaran two-parter; he was Jask (not to be confused with the Cult of Skaro member) in "The End of Time"; and, of course, the afore mentioned Strax. Hmm, he's actually tied with Kevin Lindsay for the number of Sontaran characters portrayed. (Remember, Lindsay played both Styre and his Marshall who appeared on a video relay.) Even Chris Ryan has played only two, General Staal and later Commander Stark.

Sincerely,

Bill

[Lonemagpie]

I suspect it's just going to be that he wasn't *quite* dead in AGMGTW, and that he probably just went home with Vastra & Jenny afterwards. Occam's Razor, and all that...

[Alidar Jarok]

Occam's Razor with Moffat?

[Emh]

To throw people off.

[Starkers]

Lonemagpie wrote:

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I suspect it's just going to be that he wasn't *quite* dead in AGMGTW, and that he probably just went home with Vastra & Jenny afterwards. Occam's Razor, and all that...

Whilst I kinda hope that’s true as on the whole I hate to see characters I know are going to die (although strangely it doesn’t bother me with River) that was quite clearly a death scene in AGMGTW.

Dan Starkey (no relation as far as I know) is great though, although I don wonder if it’s just that he’s the only one who fits in the costume…

On an unrelated note, I find our reading tastes are spookily converging, I was reading Ash whilst I saw you were on Crickley Hall, ok not a major coincidence, but just a few days ago I started 11-22-63! If you read Stephen Baxter’s Wheel of Ice in between we might need to worry

[intrinsical]

Also, Vastra and Jenny were quite nervous, twitchy and very eager to appease The Doctor. Its very unlike their confident selves in AGMGTW who even challenged the Doctor's motives and ideas. So these might indeed be their younger selves.

[The Wormhole]

Problem is, Jenny didn't recognize the TARDIS in Good Man, which would make no sense if it is the younger Vastra and Jenny we see in the Christmas special.

Especially since Vastra and Jenny are supposed to have a trip in the TARDIS in the special.