Saturday, July 21, 2007

WHICH BLAIR PROJECTED?

According to the Daily Express newspaper, an offer has been made to former Prime Minister Tony Blair to make a cameo appearance in an episode of 'Doctor Who' during the upcoming fourth season.

Blair has already appeared in an episode of 'The Simpsons' (animated, natch), and in a sketch with once and future 'Who' Companion Catherine Tate.

However, from a Toobworld perspective, his participation in the series wouldn't make sense. Since RTD took over 'Doctor Who', it has been firmly established to be taking place in an alternate TV dimension. As the audience, it was our perspective that changed sometime between the 1996 TV movie and the re-launch of the series in 2005. (Perhaps due to the Time War?)

The adventures of the Doctor in the universe of Earth Prime-Time, the main Toobworld, would probably be the same as those we've been watching, except that the Slitheen never destroyed Big Ben, Harriet Jones never became Prime Minister, and (hopefully) Arnold Schwarzenegger never becomes the President of the United States.

Add another to that list: in the main Toobworld, Tony Blair is still alive. Over in the TV dimension where the "nu-Who" takes place, he's been dead since the "Aliens In London"/"World War Three" two-parter. As far as Toobworld Central is concerned, that was Tony Blair whose body tumbled out of the closet at Number 10 Downing Street.

So if Tony Blair was to appear as himself, the perspective of the show would have to switch back to the main TV universe. And I don't think that's about to happen while RTD is in charge. He's created his own little sandbox in which he can create whatever scenarios he chooses, even if his vision of Life today doesn't reflect the world in which we actually live.

If I was Tony Blair - well, first I'd probably roger Cherie before anybody got wise to the deception, just to say I did. But then I'd tell RTD that I'd be happy to appear on 'Doctor Who'... just as soon as he was no longer in charge of the production.

As good a revenge as any for killing off Blair's televersion on a show his own kids were sure to be watching.....

Just sayin', is all.....

BCnU!
Toby OB

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Just a quick note--Arnold is evidently the President in the new Simpsons Movie, so while you separate all things animated from those live action, I don't, thus Doctor Who and the Simpsons are even more firmly linked.

Hugh