Dr Who

[jaywhat]

I see Richard Dawkins is to appear on Dr Who (see BHA Bulletin in the Humanism,secularism, freethought thread).
I look forward to seeing that. Of course, his wife got there first.

[Jaybird]

*sigh*

The lovely Romana - Lalla Ward was my favourite assistant. Not sure who the best Dr Who was - Tom Baker maybe?. I wish Christopher Ecclestone had done it for a bit longer.

[Emma Woolgatherer]

Did anyone read Mark Ravenhill's very, very annoying article in the Guardian today? It's entitled: "God is behind some of our greatest art", and has the infuriating standfirst: "Richard Dawkins' secular army must be stopped or future generations will be denied a source of inspiration".

I mention it here because the article begins:

And so the stellar casting in Doctor Who continues with the news that Professor Richard Dawkins, biologist and bestselling author of The God Delusion, is to appear in the current series as himself. On Outpost Gallifrey, the definitive Doctor Who website, I read that Russell T Davies, the show's executive producer, and all the crew were delighted to see Dawkins. "People were falling at his feet," says Davies. "We've had Kylie Minogue on that set, but it was Dawkins that people were worshipping."

It's a great tribute to our age that a scientist can still be greeted with more adulation than a pop princess. But I can't help noting the irony of the imagery that Dawkins' reception has conjured up. Falling at his feet? Worshipping? It all seems oddly reminiscent of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the days before his Passion; a strange resonance for the scientist who has declared himself the champion of secularism in a world where, he claims, the delusions of faith are gaining an increasing stranglehold.

And it gets worse after that. Some of the comments are rather good, though.

Emma

[jaywhat]

Yes. Made me angry and shows a total ignorance of what secularists, on the whole, stand for.

[Thomas]

The bit that Emma quoted is the only bit I have some sympathy with. I have seen a kind of adulation of Dawkins amongst atheists that is reminiscent of adolescents worshipping a pop or soccer idol. I find it embarrassing.

[Thomas]

I agree that Tom Baker was the best, though I like the current guy. Louise Jamieson was my favourite assistant.

[Felicia]

Agree with Thomas on all counts. Although, showing my age, have residual respect and liking for the first, William Hartnell.

[fullerwiser]

Peter Davison was the first Doctor I knew, so I have a soft spot for him, and I think he had the coolest outfit. I like Baker, but I kinda dig the Pertwee era, Brigadier and all. I was a Doctor Who FREAK in my early teens, which was rather odd around these parts. It still gives me warm fuzzy memories.

It's a shameful fact that since I've, you know, gotten a life and stuff, I haven't been able to watch any of the new ones. I'm a bad fanboy.

[Botfield]

It was good to see RD wasn't it?

Lalla Ward was the assistant to Tom Baker, and was also married to Tom briefly.

RT Davis who is responsible for the successful reboot of DW, is an atheist and apparently a fan of RD.

If you watch DW there are always fairly sound scientific ideas in there and lots of attacks (albeit sublime sometimes) on religion.

Star Trek is the same. Roddenberry the ST founder was also an atheist as a lot of science fiction writers are.

[Alan H]

Roddenberry the ST founder was also an atheist as a lot of science fiction writers are.

Except Ron L Hubbard, of course!

[Alan C.]

Alan H
Except Ron L Hubbard, of course!

Well he was probably the most Atheistic of them all.
He set out to "invent" a new religion for a bet, and didn't he do well?
Had he not been an Atheist, he wouldn't have been able to invent scientology, IMHO

[coledavis]

Patrick Troughton (number 2) and Sylvester McCoy (the obscure number 7). And my favourite was Elizabeth Sladen (Sarah-Jane Smith), er, sorry, Elizabeth, but when she was with Jon Pertwee. Although I liked Tom Baker too. I wouldn't mind Tennant if it wasn't for the horrible populist/girly-mag stuff that presumably Russel Davies encourages. (Or am I just old? )

[thundril]

Tennant is, IMO, the most identifiable DW since Baker.
Pity he only has one facial expression.
(Looks as though the cat has just recommended some lottery numbers.)