Posted in: Movies, TV | Tagged: bbc, doctor who, entertainment, peter capaldi, robin hood, Robot of Sherwood, tv

Ten Thoughts About Doctor Who: Robot Of Sherwood

I feel like a glutton. Three episodes of Doctor Who in three weeks. And this is my favourite…

1. Is This The Real Life? Is It Just Fantasy?

Shakespeare In Love beat Saving Private Ryan to the Oscar. Why? It wasn't just the marketing campaign. It was the realisation that if you set up something ridiculous, but then gradually add more realistic details, it's far more satisfying than setting something up as if it were a real true story, and then add ridiculous contrivances. Today, Doctor Who was Shakespeare In Love. Giving us a completely ridiculous Robin Hood that is suspect from the beginning. And then making him more and more real. And giving this family audience a fantastic time in the process. My favourite episode since the 50th.

They say you should never meet your heroes. So who is the fiction and who is the reality, and which is more important? Reality lets you down, fiction builds you up. So play the hero and hope it works out…. and inspire others to be real heroes. Not that in this episode and last, Clara, who sees the Doctor as her hero, is doing the leading – and being mistaken for the leader as a result. Basically? It's working. As reality writes fiction, so fiction writes reality. And the computer banks create the very legends that they will then record….

Ha ha! Woof! And nice bit of Rik Mayall in the Robin Hood as well.

2. All Theft Is Property

There were anachronisms galore – you know, as well as the robots. Not only is Robin Hood made up, it was made up over centuries. Friar Tuck was a late 15th century addition for example. The identity of Robert of Locksley in the 16th. But all this ridiculousness and taking the Hollywood Robin Hood completely straight means that, a) it's tremendously entertaining without having to think too much about the practical aspects and b) the payoff about who Hood is is far more wonderful as a result.

3. The Spoon Is Mightier Than The Sword

The Doctor doesn't carry a gun. He doesn't like soldiers. And he won't wield a sword. But he does have a spoon, and it's a completely ridiculous, wonderful, addition to the Doctor's history of battling with a recorder, a slice of celery and a jammie dodger. Musketeer lessons perhaps?

Also, the second time the Doctor and co have magically dried off after getting soaking wet….

4. Tucker Who

"Do people ever punch you in the face when you do that? Lucky I'm here then." "He's soiled himself". These are not lines you'd have had from a Tenth or Eleventh Doctor is it? With this episode we start to get the glimpses of a very Malcolm Tucker Doctor.

Another difference? This Doctor cheats at sport….

5. The Scottish Question

"Strangers to vegetables". Not at all, Scots love vegetables! Once they've been deep fried, obviously. Also, chips! Chips are vegetables too, aren't they? Come on, Robin, that's not going to help win over the Yes voters is it?

6. Guest Starring Patrick Troughton

As we looked through the computer's memory banks of Doctor Who, we have the first person ever to play him on television. In glorious black and white, we have the young Patrick Troughton from the BBC's Robin Hood of 1953.

And wasn't there a William Hartnelly line about one day returning home? Yes, one day…. and a Jon Pertwee miniscope to boot…

7. Gallimaufry?

Let's check on that one.

And, yes, it sounds a bit like "Gallifrey". Very good.

8. Something To Reflect UpOn

Again, it is reflections that save the day. The mirrors and the tea trays of the first episode take on a more literal use here…

9. There Are A Lot Of Disguised Spaceships Going Around Aren't They?

And I don't mean the TARDIS. I'm starting to think that there are fewer buildings in Doctor Who that aren't a disguised space ships, than ones that are.

10. Where Is This All Going?

He may not get there with you. But the Doctor has seen the Promised Land…

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