'Doctor Who' started out as a way to introduce an audience of children to the major events of History. But it wasn't long before space aliens were added to the mix and eventually, History showcases seemed to be swept under the rug to make way for pure sci fi adventures.
Since the series returned in 2005, History often has been showcased again, but often with some kind of peril to it remaining intact due to those space bugaboos and/or other Time Lords.
We've seen the London Blitz, the coronation of Elizabeth the Second, the invention of television, the construction of the Empire State Building, the destruction of Pompeii, and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
We also saw the Doctor interact with Rosa Parks, Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill, Queen Victoria, Madame du Pompadour, and most affecting of all, Vincent van Gogh.
These historical interludes were not confined to just the Doctor's adventures in Toobworld. They also can be found in the other metafictional universes of 'Doctor Who' - novels, comics, and audio plays.
That quote above from the Curator about C.S. Lewis is a good example of how History can still be included, even changed, without making it into some big, showy piece of interstellar derring-do.
Here's the TARDIS Wiki entry about Lewis:
Since the series returned in 2005, History often has been showcased again, but often with some kind of peril to it remaining intact due to those space bugaboos and/or other Time Lords.
We've seen the London Blitz, the coronation of Elizabeth the Second, the invention of television, the construction of the Empire State Building, the destruction of Pompeii, and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
We also saw the Doctor interact with Rosa Parks, Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill, Queen Victoria, Madame du Pompadour, and most affecting of all, Vincent van Gogh.
These historical interludes were not confined to just the Doctor's adventures in Toobworld. They also can be found in the other metafictional universes of 'Doctor Who' - novels, comics, and audio plays.
That quote above from the Curator about C.S. Lewis is a good example of how History can still be included, even changed, without making it into some big, showy piece of interstellar derring-do.
Here's the TARDIS Wiki entry about Lewis:
- C. S. Lewis was a writer. He was a friend of the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond.
- One well-known work by Lewis was "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". (AUDIO: Lost Property)
- Lewis belonged to a group called the Inklings, as did his friend John. They met at a pub called the Eagle and Child. He read a fantasy story inspired by the Doctor's adventures. It had fictional versions of Amy and Rory as its heroes, alongside "the Professor". The Doctor suggested that the story should include a wardrobe. (COMIC: 'The Professor, the Queen and the Bookshop')
- The Curator, a retired incarnation of the Doctor, remembered Lewis as "dear old Jack". He remarked that Jack, as he was known to friends, always disliked being called Clive. (AUDIO: Lost Property)
- Sarah Jane Smith told Clyde Langer that C. S. Lewis' children's books could be enjoyed at every age. (AUDIO: Wraith World)
- The story in which he appears implies that C.S. Lewis rewrote his tale about a bookshop into the Narnia books "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "The Magician's Nephew".
- C.S. Lewis wrote the Narnia books for children. He also wrote a "space fiction" trilogy, which, like early 'Doctor Who' involved ordinary people visiting alien planets. Many commenters have compared the TARDIS to the magical wardrobe in Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", the first-written of the Narnia books. The 'Doctor Who' story "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" borrows the form of its title, some visual imagery and plot elements from "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".
- Lewis died on the same day as the assassination of John F. Kennedy, 22 November 1963, which was also coincidentally the day before the very first broadcast of 'Doctor Who'.
- Matteusz Andrzejewski refers to the author that created books about the land of Narnia and the character Susan in the 'Class episode' "Detained", but does not identify him as Lewis.
When Russell T. Davies first took over the 'Doctor Who' series and reignited it, there were several episodes in which the Doctor and his Companions met famous writers throughout History - Dickens, Shakespeare, Agatha Christie. (H.G. Wells was on an adventure with an earlier incarnation.)
Maybe C.S. Lewis might get a spotlight in the TV Universe. For my own preference, there was that friend of his, John - I'm certain that could be J.R.R. Tolkien. I have imagined that he could travel with the Doctor (perhaps during the front line battles in World War I?) and meet denizens from the Forest of Cheem (like Jabe in "End of the World".) They, in nturn, could be the inspiration for his future creation of the Ents.
As for C.S. Lewis, perhaps while in the company of the Curator, he happened to cross paths with a Daemon from Daemos (and not necessarily an evil one.) After a successful conclusion to that adventure, Lewis might have been inspired to create Mr. Tumnus.
Maybe C.S. Lewis might get a spotlight in the TV Universe. For my own preference, there was that friend of his, John - I'm certain that could be J.R.R. Tolkien. I have imagined that he could travel with the Doctor (perhaps during the front line battles in World War I?) and meet denizens from the Forest of Cheem (like Jabe in "End of the World".) They, in nturn, could be the inspiration for his future creation of the Ents.
As for C.S. Lewis, perhaps while in the company of the Curator, he happened to cross paths with a Daemon from Daemos (and not necessarily an evil one.) After a successful conclusion to that adventure, Lewis might have been inspired to create Mr. Tumnus.
(Having suggested that the Daemon didn't have to be evil, I'm thinking now that maybe he should be. Being so devout a Christian, Lewis would likely remake the Daemon to be gentle faun in order to reclaim - at least in his writings - salvation for their species....
No comments:
Post a Comment