thisbluespirit | Two things & a meme

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Two things & a meme

* First off,

no_true_pair is now open for sign-ups! \0/ (I'm still trying to decide who to put on my lists. Only 4 characters in a set!! *runs around in circles*)

* Secondly, Marie-Clare has just started watching sapphire and Steel over on her YouTube channel ("Is this going to be scary?" she asked about halfway through. XD) Anyway, if anyone else would like to see her reaction, there it is!

And now for a meme! I picked this up via

lirazel - List 8 television shows that you would show someone to get to know you.

Which sounded like fun, although with the necessary caveat that I don't think anybody who isn't me should watch ALL of these, which probably tells you all you really need to know about me anyway. This list is 100% true and I would rec all of the things on it to at least somebody round here, but I don't think it'd make the best watchlist! XD

1. Doctor Who - tl;dr - just watch DW. Bits from all of it. Whatever you like. DW has been just about every kind of show in turn. It's been my first and foremost and sometimes only fannish love since I was 11 and I watched the last ten minutes of The Happiness Patrol and found out that sometimes one show can embrace at the same moment killing Bertie Bassett and reflecting that happiness and sadness are two sides of the same coin. (You can't have true happiness without sadness, because you can have neither without love.) And that blue is a great colour.

I learned that the most extraordinary things begin in the most mundane places, that we're all bigger on the inside really. It's about true friendship (found in unlikely people) across space and time, about imagination and stories - all kinds - and facing your fears and the monsters they shape themselves into; the importance of free will (it's not an illusion after all, do i have the right?), that evil must and can be fought; that change is hard but everything must evolve in the end. There's always good in it, too (even if nobody likes it when you redecorate). No matter how serious you are about what you do, you don't necessarily have to be serious about how you do it. There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes. It's better to travel hopefully than arrive. Take the long way round. All of time and space, where do you want to start?

And there's at least one episode or serial or audio or comic or book or Doctor or era to please everyone; and nobody is pleased by all of it.

My most formative bits are probably (inevitably) Seven & Ace, and the first season in 1963, and Robots of Death and Vengeance on Varos and the Fifth Doctor's era, but then there's season 7 (old who), and episodes like Hide and Listen and The Day of the Doctor, and The War Games (which I watched rented out from Aberystwyth Library - 3 day loan - in installments in two days, gripped), and honestly, the point is, you should watch whatever till you find your bits, because randomness and choice and freewill and sometimes being quite silly is the order of the day.

2. Enemy at the Door - it represents history like I studied it, it is TV that is shaped around characters, and it shows you what a librarian actually does, when Miss Brown risks her life for a professional code of conduct that I shared, too, and it was a series that gets how it feels to be trapped through circumstances outside your control. I felt like someone had made this specially for me, weirdly, given that I didn't even want to watch it because I didn't think it'd be my thing.

3. Spooks - my first grown up fannish love, with snarky pretty tragic spies and also RUTH EVERSHED. If you're going to understand me, you need to watch Ruth. Also I love tragedy and characters dying when I'm in the right mood. It helps if it's snarky and ironic tragedy because you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Plus, it's important to know how to kill people with forks and disarm a bomb in your microwave, and the key is in the things that are never said.

4. Shadow of the Tower - because wordy, theatrical historical old time drama that wants to be shakespeare is my thing. also it is the only way anyone can understand my James Maxwell thing. Not that you necessarily will. But SotT does at least make it more explicable than anything else if you can sit through it. Which, tbf, you might not be able to, but. I have. At least ten whole times and probably more. It's awesome really. ;-p

5. Sapphire and Steel. I'm weird, how weird am I? Also you will need to meet Silver and that I think the most perfect relationship is between three mysterious non-human beings who pretty certainly will be doing something that isn't sex when they're together, whatever it might be. I think that's wonderful.

6. Once Upon a Time - for fantasy, my absolute love of fandom crossovers - this whole show is a giant crossover - my ridiculous sense of humour (this show frequently shares it), for a female-led show that also has sword-fighting and dragons and pirates and curses and magic, and for Regina (covering my love of evil ladies who know how to dress + my evident love of grudgingly reformed evil ladies) and also, from s7, Alice, whose story I think resonates with quite a few people, but she's another rare character who genuinely knows what it is to be isolated and trapped.

7. Hinterland (Y Gwyll, but since I watched Hinterland, it has to be that version). Because of Aber. To understand me, Aberystwyth, where I went to uni is important. Hinterland does not necessarily reflect Aber properly because it never goes up Penglais Hill, but it does show a lot of the reasons why I'll always love it. Plus, Wales and Welsh and Mared, and I should have at least one detective show to be representative. (Even if my general taste is more Golden Age/Cosy than this.)

8. Dracula (1968). I couldn't decide at this point, so I went for this because it was the shortest of those vying for the last spot! This has a lot of my favourite old telly people in at once, it is very iddy for me and it taught me where the line lies between the creepy things I do like (often very much) and most horror (which I don't), which is basically that I like a bit of old fashioned (usually historically set) Gothic horror, and Dracula-esque vampires, too. Plus, fainting men, always a plus. You can also experience my sadness at tragic fake hair, which clearly is important.

It is very weird to me that I didn't include B7 and Press Gang in particular, but DW + Spooks = B7 (as I was told when someone who also liked both of those recced it to me) and DW also has Steven Moffat. Even if probably not quite as good as in PG and a list without Lynda Day is probably not quite right.) I did very nearly go for Survivors in the last spot, because even if it also made me wild at times, it was great, and I really really appreciate that it went full steam on asking all the hard questions. EatD doubled for Public Eye and Mr Palfrey. But mainly DW has everything, really. Nothing more is truly needed in this context.

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You can have as many sets of four as you wish... just saying. ;D

I know!! I'm trying to work out who goes in which one and how many!! XD (I'm having fun. I have 2 sets done and I'm trying to decide whether or not I should have a third and who it should have in it.)

I hope to write something for it but last year only managed one story.

So, I decided to go a bit easy on myself and my two groups of four are at least vaguely contemporaries. I say 'vaguely' in that it isn't always possible to establish a date in the ones set in Ancient China! ;D

That sounds sensible! Luckily for me, I have a bunch of go-anywhere fandoms like DW, so it's quite easy to do randomised prompts. So far I've got a DW-only list and a late 19thC set + DW list, but I'm thinking I should maybe have a true random one as well. I mean, I won't write all of them, but it did set me off nicely last autumn, so...

I also might have 1 or 2 OC lists, which I'd save for amnesty (they'd double up for an extra on the origfic comm I use anyway). But idk. I might just use the ersatz generator for that sometime myself, maybe.

Good luck with yours! <3

Doctor Who is a very all-encompassing series, it’s true! And what a beautiful summary of why.

I admire your ability to think of things you’ve seen. Whenever I try to do a meme like this I immediately go, “I have never consumed any media ever in my life!” (Of course, I really am that bad at watching TV, my list probably would have to be “eight TV shows that I’ve watched on purpose ever”…)

Aw, thank you!

And, heh, when it comes to TV shows, I've always been chiefly into books and TV (we never listened to radio growing up - BF taught me that can be a thing - or even watched all that many films, and only ever on TV anyway). And latterly I've not only blogged here about stuff, but I keep a list. But mostly for the past 12 years and more, watch TV has quite literally been the only nice thing I've been able to do at many points, and even then, only old TV (which is slower-paced and quieter and easier to process) - so this is probably the easiest category for me!

I learned that the most extraordinary things begin in the most mundane places, that we're all bigger on the inside really. It's about true friendship (found in unlikely people) across space and time, about imagination and stories - all kinds - and facing your fears and the monsters they shape themselves into; the importance of free will (it's not an illusion after all, do i have the right?), that evil must and can be fought; that change is hard but everything must evolve in the end. There's always good in it, too (even if nobody likes it when you redecorate). No matter how serious you are about what you do, you don't necessarily have to be serious about how you do it. There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes. It's better to travel hopefully than arrive. Take the long way round. All of time and space, where do you want to start?

This is lovely and sums it up so perfectly! <3

I felt like someone had made this specially for me, weirdly, given that I didn't even want to watch it because I didn't think it'd be my thing.

Some shows are sneaky like that, it's true!

Sapphire and Steel. I'm weird, how weird am I? Also you will need to meet Silver and that I think the most perfect relationship is between three mysterious non-human beings who pretty certainly will be doing something that isn't sex when they're together, whatever it might be. I think that's wonderful.

YES TO ALL OF THIS! <3

And "The Shadow of the tower" really is awesome--I'm glad I watched it thanks to you!

Some shows are sneaky like that, it's true!

Yes! "I really don't think I want to watch a WWII thing right now; it might be depressing." /falls in love with EatD and cries for 3 days over the librarian ep and then watches it again and again and...

"What else has its lead actor been in? Oh, a 70s PI show, I wouldn't like THAT." /cut to me boring everyone silly for at least 18 months non-stop here about Public Eye

On SotT: "Well, this is terrible! If it doesn't improve before David Collings arrives, I'm not watching any more." XD

YES TO ALL OF THIS! <3

<3<3<3 I knew you would understand that part.

And "The Shadow of the tower" really is awesome--I'm glad I watched it thanks to you!

Who doesn't secretly like a bit of torture and beheading in the Tower?? <3<3<3

The librarian's story still haunts me. I like to think that I'd do what she did, but I know I wouldn't. And it illustrates that Richter knows exactly what sort of regime he's working for, even so early on in the series; he tries so hard to get the librarian (and Clare) to compromise for their own safety - and they just won't, perhaps because they have no clue, but also because they have standards, dammit.

I'd say time for me to do a re-watch - but it's not an easy series to watch!

It's such a fascinating series! And, heh, I actually find it so easy to rewatch that I am banned from rewatching it again for a while until it's been long enough that I won't spoil it for myself by overexposure. /o\ (I don't know what THAT says about me.)

I love that librarian ep so much. And idk. I decided aged about 12, watching Wish Me Luck that I could never, ever be in the Resistance and also that nobody would want me in the Resistance, either. (Not the best at poker faces or keeping secrets or being brave.) But suddenly, for an accepted professional code, like that - possibly the only way I might be. I also have a nasty temper. I probably would have hit Reinicke on purpose and not lived long enough to regret it. But premeditated, nooooo. <3

he tries so hard to get the librarian (and Clare) to compromise for their own safety - and they just won't, perhaps because they have no clue, but also because they have standards, dammit.

Yes, and I love that we always see both sides of that when it happens. It's never that they're wrong - because they're not - but it's also not necessarily wrong for Richter to want to keep people safe where he can.

It is very weird to me that I didn't include B7 and Press Gang in particular, but DW + Spooks = B7

I *was* wondering at the lack of B7, so glad to see the explanation for that, heh :)

I started trying to see if I could come up with 8 shows that were truly formative for me, and I'm not sure. I could do 5 or 6 quite easily, I think, but will need to ponder more if I can come up with a full list...

I *was* wondering at the lack of B7, so glad to see the explanation for that, heh :)

It was a very interesting list to make! It would have been quite a different list had it been top shows, or a rec list, or favourite shows, or even formative shows (that would have had a lot more things I watched when I was younger), so it took some thought. But the whole reason I watched B7 in the first place was because I was on a Spooks forum about 15 years ago and (as I do on forums), I spent my time hiding in the off-topic thread, where we were talking about classic Who - and then they deserted me and started on about B7 instead and I was ??? And they just turned round and said that if I loved Spooks and Classic Who, I should get on B7 right away. They were not wrong!" XD

I could do 5 or 6 quite easily, I think, but will need to ponder more if I can come up with a full list...

It definitely got more random after #5 for me too!! And, like I said, with DW containing just about everything its possble for a TV series to contain anyway, everything else is mostly superfluous.

I would certainly be interested to see other people's lists!

I am so glad you did this!!! I love it!!!

I think the most perfect relationship is between three mysterious non-human beings who pretty certainly will be doing something that isn't sex when they're together, whatever it might be. I think that's wonderful.

<3<3<3<3<3<3

I am so glad you did this!!! I love it!!!

It was fun!!

Also: <3<3<3<3<3<3

Truly, Sapphire and Steel is amaaaaazing.

A great meme! Your piece on DW is lovely and insightful. In fact it all is! I'd like to do this meme, but it would be like, 'this show represents me cos it's I like it.'

I hope Marie-Claire has fun with S&S, lol.

I hope Marie-Claire has fun with S&S, lol.

She liked the first episode, so I think she will! :-)

In fact it all is! I'd like to do this meme, but it would be like, 'this show represents me cos it's I like it.'

And, aww, thank you. The meme just says a list! So it would be absolutely fair to just come up with the list and let it speak for itself. I'd be interested to see what you'd put on it. <3

I like the idea of being mysterious with a list and leaving readers to work it out:)

I feel like this is a good time to mention that my mental image of you is your Ruth icon :P

Ha, excellent! XD (I don't really look like Nicola Walker, though!)

Oh, what a cool meme! This is fascinating. :D

Thank you!! <3

I don't think that the shows we've watched overlap very much, but Doctor Who would certainly be in my own list, and you've written about it beautifully. I think comedy series would feature quite heavily in my list. Not very originally, they would include Only Fools and Horses, which at its best was far more than just comedy. Also The IT Crowd and The Big Bang Theory. I'd also have A Very Peculiar Practice, written by Andrew Davies before he became famous and primarily an adapter of other people's books. And one show which I enjoyed as a child and can still enjoy as an adult: The Saga of Noggin the Nog.

Aw, thanks! And, yes, I thought after I really should have had at least sitcom on my list - but for this category, I couldn't think of which one.

If you haven't seen the two series of A Very Peculiar Practice, I think you might enjoy it if you get the chance to watch it. It dates from some thirty years ago; the lead is Peter Davison, and it also has Barbara Flynn, Graham Crowden and David Troughton, who are all very good in it.

I have! You (or possibly someone else) recced it to me several years ago and I watched it and enjoyed it a lot!

Glad to hear it. I can't remember whether it was me who recced it. I know that Vilikins, who I expect is on your Friends list, is also a fan of it.

Yes, and I think it might have been either/both of

pedanther and

john_amend_all as well!

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