MY OPINION ON: MARTIN FREEMAN

I think my first memory of Martin Freeman is watching "The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy" movie and seeing him get slapped in the face by the idea-slapper-thingy. I never really took much notice in him until I saw the Hobbit and Sherlock. It was seeing him tromping down through Hobbiton, rushing off and going to catch up with the dwarves that really made me go "Hm, this guy is a pretty good Bilbo!". Then watching Sherlock where he is Sherlock's completely-straight-soon-to-be-married-not-in-love-with-Sherlock room mate John Watson. The thing that finally nailed him to the top of my favorite actors list was seeing the top half of his head get taken off in "The Worlds End". Why that made him my favorite I have no idea.

It's difficult to describe Martin Freeman in terms of acting style. One minute he can be laughing around and being happy, the next his face is downcast and serious. The variety of characters he plays is amazing. From bumbling old Bilbo to serious business man Oliver. From sure-of-himself, sidekick Doctor Watson to down-to-Earth, typical British middle-class man Arthur Dent. He's just an amazing actor. I find that the best actors are good at being happy and upbeat and then at a click of the fingers angry and serious. Matt Smith, Benedict Cumberbatch, Harrison Ford and many more are good with this. However Martin can be so happy and so sad! It's not just the quality of his performance, it's the reality he brings to it. Martin Freeman! ARGH! He's so awesome!

Martin Freeman is just brilliant. That's my opinion on Martin Freeman.

OLIVER

DOCTOR JOHN WATSON

BILBO BAGGINS

ARTHUR DENT

      

WHO ARE MY FAVORITE DOCTORS?: PART 2

As I sit here watching Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia I wonder... What if the secret to life, the universe and everything is not 42 but in fact Small Bowl of Petunias. Perhaps Douglas Adams was tricking us and that Small Bowl of Petunias was, in fact, an omnipotent being of all powerful cream cheese. 

That has nothing to do with the list I just wanted to get that off my mind.


Number 5

Jon Petwee 

This Doctor is brilliant. It's like the Doctor we saw in episodes like "The Lodger" and "The Power of Three". He's trapped on Earth with a bunch of "Ham-fisted bungler's" and has to fill up his time. So what does he do? He helps those bunglers (Also known as the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce) with their own issues, usually involving the Master or other aliens that have joined with the Master or working with their own intent. The way the third Doctor deals with UNIT's working team and how he always assumes an air of authority over them is brilliant. His three seasons with Jo Grant will always stay as the best of his era with the Liz season kind of falling short and Sarah-Jane's season following up with varied results. This Doctor is always a treat to watch but only in a select number of episodes. "The Daemons" and "Terror of the Autons" being some of his best.


Number 4

Sylvester McCoy

"Oh wonderful! What power, what brilliance!" The setting and context of this line is what describes the seventh Doctor. Faced with the imminent destruction of Earth, the Doctor calls up Davros for a final showdown. The thing is though, the Doctor knows that Davros will end up destroying the Dalek ship. The Doctor doesn't let this on though, he keeps up his ruse of fear and desperation while still hinting that he has full control. He is having fun with Davros, toying with him. He mocks him and laughs and has a go at him while still pretending to be deadly afraid of him "Please Davros, I beg you... you're making a grave mistake!". The seventh Doctor controls everything behind the scenes, he is the only one that truly knows what's going on and that's what gives him his place at number four.


Patrick Troughton

Number 3 

I assure you, Patrick Troughton would be number one on this list if it were just him that made his era so wonderfully brilliant. The second Doctor and Jamie combo is what really makes him so amazing. But alone he is still wonderful but not number one material. Back to the positives that place him at number three. His timid demeanor, his wonderful sense of humor, his ability to be serious and happy, his friendly approach to everything, his friendship with his companions, how he deals with foes and finally... that hair.


Number 2

Matt Smith

What? Matt Smith only number two!? Once again this Doctor would be above this position but... his next opponent surpasses him in such a way that I most likely won't be able to describe and will boil down to pure opinion. I shouldn't need to explain Mr Smith. You've all seen him and you all either like him, love him or think he's the best thing to come to Doctor Who since Andrew Cartmel. If you get that reference then I salute you. Matt Smith is like Troughton and Jamie without the Troughton and Jamie while still retaining the playful cheek of Troughton and Jamie. Once again, if you understand this another salute will be headed your way in three... two... one


Number 1

Peter Davison

Can I even describe him? His charm, his costume, his response to the issues faced, his ability to move on while still harboring guilt and pain... Adric dies, the Doctor seems to move on by the end of the next story. But does he miss him? Yes! Does he show it? Only if you know where to look. The fifth Doctor is just so brilliant. I can't describe how he came to be number one. I just love his portrayal of the Time Lord. "The Caves of Androzani" stands above great stories like "The Curse of Fenric", "The Daemons", "Remembrance of the Daleks" and "Logopolis" and the fifth Doctor is what makes TCoA fly right up on everyone's favourite episode lists. The fifth Doctor is just... plain... brilliant.


There you have it! All of the Doctors lined up in a list of least favorite (Sorry Mr Hartnell) all the way up to the best of the best (You're welcome Pete)


Next up...

MY OPINION ON: MARTIN FREEMAN  

*DOCTOR WHO 50TH SPOILERS* REFERENCE HUNTING

The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary has aired and being a colossal fan of the show, new and old, I went hunting. Hunting for references to old and new and I found some great ones! As for my top 10 Doctors, that shall be finishing in two days time and I apologise for the wait. Without further adieu!

_________________________________________________________________

When in the Black Archive images of many of the classic companions and more are located on boards. These include but are not limited to: Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright, Steven Taylor, Katarina, Sara Kingdom, Polly Wright, Ben Jackson, Jamie McCrimmon, The Brigadier, Liz Shaw, Sarah-Jane, Leela, Romana the 1st, Tegan, Adric, Nyssa, Kamelion, Peri, Ace, Rose, Martha, Donna, Amy and Rory to name a few. Also if you look even closer to one of the Brigadier pictures you can just see Isobel the Photographer from the Patrick Troughton episode "The Invasion".

_________________________________________________________________
When leaving the under-gallery Kate Stewart asks for her father's files and wonders if they are from the 70's or the 80's. This is a reference to the famous UNIT dating controversy. The episode "The Invasion" takes place in 1979, this is UNIT's first appearance. The later episode "Mawdryn Undead" states the Brigadier retired from UNIT in 1976. This implies the Brigadier retired from UNIT before UNIT existed. Hence the reference to the confusion.

_________________________________________________________________

In the Black Archive several items from the Doctor's past are located there. Those I have spotted are: A clockwork drone mask, Amy's sonic probe (The Girl who Waited), the chair the Tenth Doctor was tied to in "The End of Time", River Song's red shoes from "The Time of Angels", the aforementioned "Companion picture boards", the magna clamps the Doctor used to hang to the wall in "Doomsday", Captain Jack's Vortex Manipulator and most likely many more.

_________________________________________________________________

Clara riding the motorcycle into the TARDIS is reminiscent of the scene in the 1996 movie where a policeman accidentally rides into the TARDIS on a motorcycle.

_________________________________________________________________Speaking of policemen, the beginning scene where the constable is walking past 76 Totters Lane is a reference to the very beginning of Doctor Who in "An Unearthly Child" a constable does the same thing.

_________________________________________________________________When Clara is driving down the road just after leaving Coal Hill School (Which is where Ian and Barbara worked. I.Chesterton is Chairman of the Governors) she drives down the same road used in filming for the Seventh Doctor episode "Remembrance of the Daleks"

_________________________________________________________________

All Doctors are seen during the teleportation of Gallifrey including a shot of Peter Capaldi's determined eyes. 

_________________________________________________________________

Often Kate Stewart mentions a UNIT scientist named Malcolm. This could be the same Malcolm from "Planet of the Dead".

_________________________________________________________________

When the Tenth Doctor first sees the Eleventh Doctor's TARDIS interior he comments "You've redecorated! I don't like it!" The Eleventh Doctor replied with "You always say that!". This is a reference to the Three Doctors special where the Second Doctor says "You've done the place up a bit! I don't like it!"

That's all for now! While I know there are much more it will take repeated screenings to discern all of them. Happy Anniversary!

  

WHO ARE MY FAVOURITE DOCTORS?

The Doctor, a timeless character (literally) with a dozen (Or more *looks in John Hurt's direction) faces and personalities. This list is solely my opinion and I ask that if you want to discuss the best Doctors with me just comment! It ain't difficult!

Now then, without further adieu...

Number 11

William Hartnell

Don't get me wrong, some of the First Doctor's episodes are amazing with the War Machines and the Celestial Toymaker being some of the best he has to offer. But other than that his era is dotted with... historical episodes... The Gunfighters, The Crusaders, The Reign of Terror and many more substandard episodes. This coupled with his personality just makes him... boring for the most part. I respect William Hartnell immensely (May he rest in eternal peace) and if not for him the show would have floundered. But his Doctor, while being the first, is just not the Doctor everyone loves.


Number 10

David Tennant

And the fangirls scream in pure rage. "The tenth Doctor? This low on the list? WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING?" Hear me out o' rage filled girl! I have many reasons for this! As with the first Doctor, the tenth just feels like *too much of a departure from his usual wacky and zany self*. Gone are the quirky question mark jumpers and colorful coats! The decorative vegetable and scarf and velvet frill coats have all but vanished from this incarnation. "But he's got cool things! Sneakers and 3D glasses!" I'm sorry fangirl but the Doctor needs something original to define his character. The fourth Doctor wore a long multi-colored scarf to show he was all over the place! The seventh Doctor wore a question mark jumper to show what an enigma he was while still retaining that quintessential British style. Tennant only wears them once and they never made much of an impact on me, 3D glasses have been used in many other settings for novelty before this. The Doctor needs something original. "But he fell in love! No other Doctor has done that!" My point exactly. This brings me back to the departure from the established Doctor character. "He's hot!" And that makes him a good Doctor how...? "He has a more intimate and close friendship with his companions!" The Doctor just doesn't do that! He has close friendships yes! I mean just look at Jamie and Sarah-Jane! But not intimate! "Well... He has great hair!"... Finally something we can agree on...


Number 9

Christopher Eccleston

(See * in the previous section)


Number 8

Colin Baker

O' Colin we knew you well... Brought into Doctor Who during the turmoil of the mid eighties this Doctor was going to be anything but quintessential. His coat, mannerisms, anger-bursts and many more reasons send him far down on this list. The only reason he stands above the previous 3 is his "friendship" with Peri. These two go to hell and back and by the time of "Trial of a Time Lord" these two are as thick as thieves. Their arguments in Vengeance on Varos and Mark of the Rani is what gives this pair their appeal in my opinion. No other companion has thought to actually verbally fight against the Doctor to the extent that Peri did. Not to mention this is the 6th Doctor she was yelling at. Peri has some serious courage.


Number 7

Tom Baker

The classic Doctor that everyone and their mothers know. From fedora topped curly haired head right down to the very tips of that 12 foot scarf this Doctor just oozes wackyness. His episode "The Pirate Planet" (Written by Douglas Adams that also wrote THHGTTG) ranks in my top 5. I own a scarf like his (Albeit not 12 feet long, that one cost $90.00) and along with that I got his Key to Time box-set. "Why is he so low on your list if you like him so much?" asks the reader. Well reader, when it comes to his episodes and character he is brilliant but only in a few. Of all the episodes I've seen of his the only ones where the Doctor stood out to me were Logopolis, The Pirate Planet, The City of Death and the Ark in Space. Otherwise he's just kind of... meh...


Number 6

Paul McGann

So much potential, so much class, so much character, so much originality and so much of it all thrown away! The Movie was good despite some parts of it completely ignoring the canon. Paul McGann completely owned the Doctor. His sudden outbursts of random happiness "These shoes! They fit perfectly!" and sudden quick plans "*Points gun at chest* now kindly hand over the bike or I will shoot myself *Smiles*" the 8th Doctor is one I just want to see more of. While Night of the Doctor is great I want more! A series, another movie, a lot of shorts! Anything!

I will conclude this list tomorrow with my top 5 Doctors! *Doffs Panama hat, turns with a sweep of coat and trips over on scarf*




   

WHAT DO I THINK OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS / THE HOBBIT?

Ash nazg durbatulûk, 
ash nazg gimbatul, 
ash nazg thrakatulûk, 
agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.


One Ring to rule them all
One Ring to find them
One Ring to bring them all
And in the Darkness bind them

The Lord of the Rings! The Hobbit! I beg you to find a better and more thought out book series than this. And if you do then I highly doubt it will ever reach the amazing levels of prestige that this series has. From Hobbits living in Hobbit holes to the Elves of Rivendell and Lothlorian to the War torn city of Osgiliath to the soaring heights of Minas Tirith to the bubbling lava at the center of Mount Doom. The world of Middle Earth has a weird feeling of immersion, like it's almost a real world. Considering the fact I live in New Zealand and Edoras is in my backyard (Not literally but it is about 100 kilometers away) I feel even closer to LotR than most. 

Long story short (Which is incredibly difficult considering 4 books make up the Hobbit and LotR) I absolutely love LotR GO WATCH/READ IT NOW!  

WHAT DO I THINK OF THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY?

This book/radio serial/movie deserves a whole lot more attention than it gets.

There's nothing like sitting down reading about Arthur Dent's adventure's in space and further and beyond and possibly a little less further than beyond but still quite far away from that small Islington flat where Arthur completely failed to get off with the girl of his dreams. HHGTTG is a book quite unlike any other. The unique brand of comedy that Douglas Adams brings to the table is a sight to see and I found myself laughing with almost every turn of the page. So what's this almighty tome of hilarity and important life lessons about?

Arthur Dent is a man, nothing particularly impressive or stand-out about him. One day he wakes up. (This part is taken straight from the book, there's no other way to properly describe it.)

_________________________________________________________________
At eight o'clock on Thursday morning Arthur didn't feel very good. He woke up blearily, got up, wandered blearily round his room, opened a window, saw a bulldozer, found his slippers, and stomped off to the bathroom to wash.

Toothpaste on the brush --- so. Scrub.

Shaving mirror --- pointing at the ceiling. He adjusted it. For a moment it reflected a second bulldozer through the bathroom window. Properly adjusted, it reflected Arthur Dent's bristles. He shaved them off, washed, dried, and stomped off to the kitchen to find something pleasant to put in his mouth.

Kettle, plug, fridge, milk, coffee. Yawn.

The word bulldozer wandered through his mind for a moment in search of something to connect with.

The bulldozer outside the kitchen window was quite a big one.

He stared at it.

"Yellow,'' he thought and stomped off back to his bedroom to get dressed.

Passing the bathroom he stopped to drink a large glass of water, and another. He began to suspect that he was hung over. Why was he hung over? Had he been drinking the night before? He supposed that he must have been. He caught a glint in the shaving mirror. ``Yellow,'' he thought and stomped on to the bedroom.

He stood and thought. The pub, he thought. Oh dear, the pub. He vaguely remembered being angry, angry about something that seemed important. He'd been telling people about it, telling people about it at great length, he rather suspected: his clearest visual recollection was of glazed looks on other people's faces. Something about a new bypass he had just found out about. It had been in the pipeline for months only no one seemed to have known about it. Ridiculous. He took a swig of water. It would sort itself out, he'd decided, no one wanted a bypass, the council didn't have a leg to stand on. It would sort itself out.

God what a terrible hangover it had earned him though. He looked at himself in the wardrobe mirror. He stuck out his tongue. ``Yellow,'' he thought. The word yellow wandered through his mind in search of something to connect with.

Fifteen seconds later he was out of the house and lying in front of a big yellow bulldozer that was advancing up his garden path.
_________________________________________________________________

Hopefully this extract has given you enough of an idea of what this book contains. I personally love this book to death. I can't describe it. 

All I can really say is...

WHAT DO I THINK OF EUReKA?

EUReKA is a honestly a fantastic show. Every episode is simultaneously dramatic and serious while still retaining a childlike sense of fun. All of the seemingly impossible problems are backed up with seemingly legitimate scientific reasons. Here's the lowdown.

Sheriff Jack Carter and his angst-ridden teenage daughter Zoey have a small car accident after seeing an odd sight while driving north to Seattle. Coincidentally the town the crash outside of is a town called Eureka. A town, funded by the government and containing nothing but incredible scientists ranging from the slightly enigmatic Henry Deacon to the genius doctor Allison Blake. And from here begins one of the most original and interesting TV shows I have seen in a while... since Doctor Who actually. 

The writing for this show is gold, the characters are gold, the setting is gold. I know I will never forget the establishing camera shots of Main Street and the brown interior of the local cafe "Cafe Diem". There is just so much to love about this show! It's so fun to watch and you begin to genuinely care for the characters. I can't share too much about why these characters warrant so much love as that happens in Season 3 to 4. Unfortunately it was cancelled after 5 fantastic seasons. But that leaves no yearning for more episodes, it ends where it feels like it should. 

EUReKA makes up part three of my "Trifecta of small Pacific Northwestern towns with secrets that are not immediately apparent". There's just this intriguing feeling I get whenever I see the opening titles of EUReKA (Which are absolutely brilliant) or Gravity Falls (This opening perfectly captures the mystery behind the show) or Twin Peaks (This opening... pure beauty). I can't recommend all 3 of these shows enough!     

WHAT DO I THINK ABOUT MARVELS: THE AVENGERS?

It is a very rare moment in this world when we see things handled with sleek precision that doesn't disappoint at all. That's what I think about The Avengers and the Marvel movie franchise. I honestly never saw it coming. It was a great thrill to realize all of my favorite super-hero movies were coming together in one big blockbuster. At the time Iron Man was, of course, my favorite. Iron Man brings a weird leadership role to the team. Bruce Banner is always perceptive to his surroundings, always noticing things like how the previously mentioned team is, in fact, not a team... it's a time bomb. Captain America! He was handled well in terms of a 1940's man transported to the modern world. His recent cameo in Thor: The Dark World was a precious moment that we all cherished... after laughing so hard our stomachs hurt. Thor... Thor is definitely my favorite Avenger. Why? Because I have always loved Norse Mythology and seeing that brought to the big screen (albeit in a representation that strayed far from the original stories and gods) was a true sight to behold.

The Avengers is where all of these heroes (Plus Hawkeye and Black Widow but no one really cares about them) come together to put a stop to Loki and find out the true secrets behind how he keeps is hair so well done! Okay maybe not, but I want to find that out. 

The fact that all of these seemingly unrelated movies have been brought together in a glorious fashion is enough to prove that Marvel is on to something. I'm just waiting for "The Winter Soldier" and "Ant-Man". 

WHAT DO I THINK OF GRAVITY FALLS?

Gravity Falls! Finally Disney hasn't completely flopped in the end! Gravity Falls operates on the same basic principle as Twin Peaks, except without murder. The Pines twins arrive in Gravity Falls, Oregon for their summer holiday. They stay at the Mystery Shack, a tourist trap filled with fake creatures (See: Sascrotch) and owned by their Great Uncle Stan. Together they work with their friends Soos and Wendy to help take down creatures and oddities found in the forests around the town. 

While it may sound like childish and aimed at a younger audience this show goes much deeper. The occult, conspiracies, supernatural creatures and much more hides beneath the idyllic town. The twists and turns will leave you wondering who knows what and what knows about who. It is extraordinarily similar to Twin Peaks, when you have watched both shows you will know what I mean. It makes up part two of a trifecta of "Small Pacific Northwest towns with secrets that are not immediately apparent". Gravity Falls is a wonderful, deep show that is a fantastic juxtaposition of it's initially childish skin.  

I cannot explain how much I love this show in one post so I will be going deeper into not just Gravity Falls but all of the things outlined on this page. After I've gone into The Avengers, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings and EUReKA I will do episode reviews, character analysis', in-depth explanations and so much more.

WHAT DO I THINK OF TWIN PEAKS?

This is the big one. The background with red curtains and the black and white zig-zag floor is from Twin Peaks. You will most likely recognize it from an episode of the Simpsons "Who Shot Mr Burns?"

Twin Peaks really is something else when it comes to television. I urge you to watch it because really, it is the best show I have seen since I first started watching Doctor Who. The characters, the storyline, the symbolism, the shooting style, the episodes! 

Twin Peaks' storyline goes a little like this: the body of a young girl, Laura Palmer, washes up on the lakeside in a small town named Twin Peaks. FBI Agent Dale Cooper is sent in to the town to investigate. From this comes twists and turns that surprised even the creator, David Lynch. The story is handled so well that you wonder why it ever got cancelled. That's right, cancelled. Firefly eat your heart out (Don't take offense, I am a massive fan of the space-trotting crew myself). After two critically acclaimed seasons it gets cancelled. I won't divulge any reasons why this is so enraging as you need to find out for yourself. 

Twin Peaks... just seeing it written down gives me goosebumps... Twin Peaks, Twin Peaks, Twin Peaks! I love it and so should you! Seriously, I cannot stress this enough, find the episodes, watch all of them, see life in a different light and enjoy every minute of it. 

"I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange." - Dale Cooper

WHAT DO I THINK OF SHERLOCK?

Sherlock is a genius program. The amount of work that is put into the adaptations of the classic Strand Magazine serials and novels is impressively well done. I myself have read most of the classic Sherlock Holmes adventures with a personal favorite being "The Final Problem" ending with the 'death' of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson reading out his final letter. How Stephen Thompson adapted "The Final Problem" into the epic story of "The Reichenbach Fall" with such skill is astonishing. Not to mention the characters! Sherlock and Watson have a friendship unlike any other (They are not in a relationship) and Mycroft is an enigma. Moriarty is a genius of an artistic level, his ultimate plan and how he executes it is done dramatically but with deadly skill. Sherlock himself is a fantastic representation of the original character and Watson? Watson is just this guy you know? (That was a Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy reference. I will probably also touch on that later on) 

Sherlock is fantastic, it's a mix of hilarity, drama, crime, slight romance, weirdly placed nudity (Watch "A Scandal in Belgravia") and much, much more that will make you want to watch more and more. Season Three ahoy!

WHAT DO I THINK OF DOCTOR WHO?

Doctor Who is and always will be one of my favourite TV shows. The originality, the inspiration, the characters, the variation, the writers... I could go on but it would go on until realistically possible. My personal favourite Doctor is the 5th Peter Davison and my favourite companion has to be Jamie McCrimmon from the second Doctor era. As far as the new series goes I love Matt Smith, his story arcs were something unseen since the 17th season of the classic series. David Tennant... I like him, he's got a certain spunk that few other Doctors have. But I find him a tad too distant from the established Doctor character from the Classic series. 

Doctor Who is a TV show unlike any other. It can go on for years and not break quality (brushes Colin Baker under the carpet). Doctor Who will continue to amaze and inspire children and adults alike. And 50 years of adventures doesn't betray the quality at all.

 

WHAT IS THIS BLOG ABOUT?

It's all about the television shows that people love. Doctor Who, Sherlock, Gravity Falls and my personal favorite that I would love to share with you, Twin Peaks. Not to mention movies like the Hobbit, The Avengers and possibly some others. So it would be greatly appreciated if you followed and joined me for reviews, music and much more! 

So this is a blog, that's fun, never had a blog before. Hopefully I can make this a big success amongst fandoms of Doctor Who, Sherlock, Firefly and many others. Full of references, opinions, ideas, top tens, reviews, lists, recommendations and many things of the like! Enjoy!