The last of the red-hot lavas
- Publication: The Times
- Date: 2006-05-06
- Author: Caitlin Moran
- Page: The Knowledge, p. 6
- Language: English
The sparks of passion are flying in Doctor Who, but nothing can eclipse the eruption of Krakatoa, says Caitlin Moran
What is it that makes Doctor Who just so good? The producer and writer Russell T. Davies, as the man who donated his own, conceptual, kidney and blood to the programme to resuscitate it, obviously. David Tennant and Billie Piper, certainly. A production team with enough passion to turn a modest budget into a whole galaxy of pleasingly old-fashioned wonder, definitely. But perhaps the most pertinent of all has been basing the series around the universe's hottest OAP.
As I realised a couple of years ago. while watching the Dallas box-set in six marathon sessions, one thing largely missing from modern drama is the venerable character. Although Dallas is only 25 years old. it now seems culturally bizarre to sit down and watch a drama partially based around Jock Ewing, Miss Ellie, Ray Krebbs. Clayton Farlow and JR — all guys and dolls who won't see 50 again. What became apparent very quickly, of course, is that if you have older people as major characters in your dramas the opportunities for gripping storylines increase tenfold. Any character has a million possible futures, but a twentysomething character has only about ten possible pasts. Someone who has got to 60 and can still walk around in cowboy boots, however, has a million possible pasts as well.
Of course, the Doctor is more than 900 years old. Anything could have happened to him. And as is evidenced in this week's episode, it has. In an historical event that has been hushed up by the same people who don't want you to know that it was the time-travelling physicist Dr Sam Beckett, from Quantum Leap, who shot JFK, it turns out that Madame de Pompadour did not die in 1764 from congestion of the lungs, but in 1761, beheaded by robotic killer clowns. Beheaded by robotic killer clowns, that is, until the Doctor steps in and saves the day, the wily and quite literally very old dog.
It is another thrillingly good episode, with a twist at the end that will put a narratively satisfied smirk on your face for days. For those who love the soap of Who, this episode is particularly notable, as Madame de Pompadour is played by Sophia Myles, who is now Doctor Who's real-life actual lucky bitch girlfriend. David Tennant has claimed you can see them falling in love on screen and really, who can blame them? It's one of the hottest role-play sessions of all time. She is the legendarily foxy, witty mistress of Louis XV, and he is a Time Lord. He reads her mind, then she reads his mind back and whispers, "Such a lonely childhood. Such a lonely little boy. Come with me, Doctor! There comes a time when every lonely little boy needs to learn how to dance."
To be fair, spending two weeks shooting that scenario, I'd probably embark on a four-year affair with Gavin Essler.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Moran, Caitlin (2006-05-06). The last of the red-hot lavas. The Times p. The Knowledge, p. 6.
- MLA 7th ed.: Moran, Caitlin. "The last of the red-hot lavas." The Times [add city] 2006-05-06, The Knowledge, p. 6. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Moran, Caitlin. "The last of the red-hot lavas." The Times, edition, sec., 2006-05-06
- Turabian: Moran, Caitlin. "The last of the red-hot lavas." The Times, 2006-05-06, section, The Knowledge, p. 6 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=The last of the red-hot lavas | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/The_last_of_the_red-hot_lavas | work=The Times | pages=The Knowledge, p. 6 | date=2006-05-06 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=12 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=The last of the red-hot lavas | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/The_last_of_the_red-hot_lavas | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=12 March 2025}}</ref>
