From one Whovian to another: interview with a classic Whovian

Hello Today we're joined in the TARDIS by a classic Whovian, named Penelope Anne, and we offered her Fish Custard, and bananas, she took the banana, but for some reason nobody wants the fish custard. Even

though Eleven made it himself...but anyway, while peeling the banana Penelope looked around, for some reason not as shocked about the interior of the Doctor's time machine as Carl was, but she still humoured the Doctor and mentioned how much bigger it was on the inside. Then we sat down inside the library, by the side of the pool, and we got down to business. We're going to see what drew fans to the show before the Doctor was seen as a big eared alien wearing a leather jacket that is Nine, or the man in the pinstripes, converse and coat that is Ten, or even the tweed loving bow-tie wearing Eleventh.

I'm going to interview, my mother, the classic Whovian, to figure out what the Doctor was like when she first started to watch the show. 

Bookworm: alright let's kick this off with the question, what is your earliest Doctor Who memory?
Penelope Anne:
Way back when I was growing up, in the old days before multiple channels and cable that extended for miles... we had limited channel selections and here in the USA we could only watch Doctor Who on PBS. My girlfriend in high school got me hooked on it one night at a slumber party and eventually it became a regular habit to get together on Friday nights for our Doctor Who sleepover parties. 
Peter Davison was my first doctor, but I also caught older episodes and became quite attached to Tom Baker. I loved that scarf, far more than the celery stalk. 







Bookworm: When did you first realize that you yourself were a Whovian?
Penelope Anne: I will have to admit that because the term did not truly exist until the reinvention of the series with Christopher Eccleston, it would be 2005 when I realized that I was 100% Whovian. I bleed T.A.R.D.I.S. Blue I think these days. 

Bookworm: What incarnation of the Time Lord, is your favorite?
Penelope Anne: The Tenth, or I guess he is now the Eleventh, I so hate these last minute changes. David Tennant, basically. 

Bookworm: What makes that Doctor so memorable?
Penelope Anne: His personality and charisma! He brought a level of humanity to the Doctor that had not truly been seen since the early days. He showed emotion beyond the crazy Doctor versus the moody Doctor. Eccleston tried to reach this level, but his heart was not into the characters fully. Smith has done a good job of adapting the Doctor's humanity into his portrayal, but there have been some major flaws in how stories were handled in the latest Doctor's run, Tennant made the Doctor memorable again, he made an impression on you as an actor and not just a character. He made you want to watch the next episode and the next. 

Bookworm: Which of the Doctor's TARDIS' would you say was by far the best?
Penelope Anne: Ultimately that is the Eleventh Doctor's first T.A.R.D.I.S. rendition. I loved the blend of classical instruments and technology. Many are calling it the Steampunk version and that would be befitting, but it was also the most enticing one. I loved the various ways that you needed to crank up the lady, the tools
you utilized to communicate and it wasn't a shame that it was the T.A.R.D.I.S. that revealed herself to the Doctor. 

Bookworm: Who is your favorite companion of the Doctor?

Penelope Anne: Rose Tyler. I loved the Ponds and liked that they doctor had them as a duo to work with, but Rose had so many aspects that made her the perfect companion. I know many do not like her, but I think that may be a level of jealousy, she did capture the Doctor's heart and that made her someone to dislike for all the gals crushing on David Tennant. I loved the Bad Wolf version as much as the innocent Rose, and the Rose who came back to show she could fight with the best of them. 


Bookworm: Which companion would you like to see return to the show, from the past?
Penelope Anne: Captain Jack Harkness, not truly a companion, but someone who totally fit the show. And hey, Mr. Barrowman breaks hearts everywhere.I felt that he added an extra special spark to the reinvented series, and considering that the early years had plenty of periods of time in which there were multiple companions. Jack Harkness was a hoot to have around, and yet could be very intense when he needed to
be. 

Bookworm: What is your favorite episode of all time?
Penelope Anne: Picking just one episode is so very difficult, especially when you are getting as old as I am, so many episodes, so little timey wimey to watch them all again and again.
"The Girl in the Fireplace" stands out as one of my favorites though. I loved how it started out in her childhood and progressed into a life long relationship. I also loved the clockwork Victorian era aliens that were created for the episode. For me it was a combination of the writing and cinematography that made the episode good... the acting though, made it exceptional!

Bookworm: Which monster that the Doctor has faced in the past, would you say was the best?
Penelope Anne: I am a major fan of the classic enemies, the Daleks. Such a simplistic looking character that truly looked so childish and far from dangerous in the early years, only went on to become a more sadistic and dangerous race, that has had a lasting impact on the Doctor's existance. 


Bookworm: Which one would you call the most terrifying monster that the Doctor has ever faced?
Penelope Anne: The Weeping Angels. "Blink" was one of the most intense episodes that came into play for a new enemy in the Doctor's catalog of dangerous creatures. We then moved forward with the Angels and they managed to get more terrifying by the appearance. Then we get the reality that anything can become an angel, it made life a whole new dilemma of survival for the universal traveler. The Silence comes in a very close second though... here is an enemy that you cannot see, that can be anywhere... very close decision between which scares me more. 

Bookworm: While we are still on that subject, which monster would you consider the most

ridiculous monster you have ever seen?
Penelope Anne: Sil, he reminded me of a reject from the Star Wars universe. He seemed more like a mini Jabba the Hutt with a voice. I know I had a hard time not laughing at the character every time he appeared on the screen. The thing is that in the early era of the show, it was very low budget and many of the creatures were far from spectacular in design. The campy designs were far from the complex creatures that the younger generation is getting today, but they were just as lovable. I mean an adipose seriously was ridiculous, yet so dang adorable you could not help
but like them. 

Bookworm: Which of the classic monsters that we haven't already seen return would you want to

see return to the show?
Penelope Anne: Oh there are so many classics that have not made a return, but selecting just one comes down to a design aesthetic that could be really fun as a return creature, the Terileptils. They loved beauty, yet could not help but demand war. 

Bookworm: If you got the chance to meet any actor/actress from the new or old series, which would you choose?
Penelope Anne: Again, just one? I would love to have a chance to actually sit down with all of the actors who have portrayed the Doctor... old and new. I would be happy though to chat with Tom Baker and David Tennant. I would also like to chat with several of the older companions and the newer ones. Personally I would love to meet anyone who has ever had a chance to act on the series, just to get to bathe in their glory!

Bookworm: If you were told that you could have anything from the Doctor Who set, that wasn't a living person, or thing. What would you take?
Penelope Anne: A fully designed T.A.R.D.I.S. Box or the original K-9










Wisdom of the Bookworms, Micheyla 

© 2013 Micheyla Bartotto, All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be used without the express permission of the author.

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