Yeah, I know. That's what bothers me.
Classic Who on BBC America
- Thread starter OmahaStar
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Yeah, I know. That's what bothers me.
Shop dummies isn't a recent name - it's just what people would be more likely to call them in everyday speech.
Adam Garcia isn't particularly famous even here so I'm a bit surprised he was on it.
Even in America, I've heard the word dummy for mannequin. Shop dummy is a good clarification, imo, and nothing unusual.
Then again, he played the assistant to Harriet Jones (former Prime Minister), so it's "close" to having her back ... don't give me that look!
I'm not objecting to it, I'm just saying I hadn't heard it before. Indeed, I've always enjoyed learning the ways British usage differs from American.
I've probably heard "dummy" used before, but in the US we tend to say "store" instead of "shop," at least in my part of the country. "Shop" is used, but in a narrower context, more for a small boutique sort of thing, I guess.
On that subject, I found it interesting that the preceding documentary made a reference to how villains like the Autons could menace people anywhere "from the home to the High Street." Now, "High Street" is a British usage you don't find in America (the closest equivalent is "Main Street," although I gather a High Street is more of a shopping district, like an urban mall), and it wouldn't be surprising to hear that term in a UK production. But I thought these documentaries were made by BBC America for the US audience (after all, a UK audience would have less need for such overviews of past Doctors). So I was surprised to hear the term used here.
Yeah, I probably would say Department Store Dummy rather than Shop Dummy.
Saying it is easy, but when one is a "hunt and peck" typist like myself, I try to take the easy road.
Maybe I should in invest in one of those voice recognition, "voice to text" applications. Except I tend to stutter and ramble. Looks like I'm %^&#ed either way.
Sincerely,
Bill
Maybe I should in invest in one of those voice recognition, "voice to text" applications. Except I tend to stutter and ramble. Looks like I'm %^&#ed either way.
Sincerely,
Bill
Do you assume everyone has the exact same skill set you have? Perhaps someone has differing motor functions, or has lost the use of various digits. Instead of being happy someone is overcoming whatever limitations they may have, you're criticizing? Not cool.
The ugliness of that period in the 70s made that plastic baby factory even creepier. That looked like a horrible place to go to work.
Watching this again it's weird how casual the whole production is like everyone's doing just enough. Some of the sound can only be charitably described as "audible", like enough to make out what is being said. Just the most simple of blocking and delivery and what not. Did anyone run or even hurry in this whole story?
I liked Liz Shaw though and her coat with the white panels was kind of interesting. Her and the Doctor get on well enough but the whole thing is a bit too cozy. It seemed the later episodes had a bit more snap to them.
Watching this again it's weird how casual the whole production is like everyone's doing just enough. Some of the sound can only be charitably described as "audible", like enough to make out what is being said. Just the most simple of blocking and delivery and what not. Did anyone run or even hurry in this whole story?
I liked Liz Shaw though and her coat with the white panels was kind of interesting. Her and the Doctor get on well enough but the whole thing is a bit too cozy. It seemed the later episodes had a bit more snap to them.
As for the production values, it turns out that after the location/filmed parts of the production were completed, the union that operated the video cameras in the studio went on strike for more pay, so they had to complete the whole thing on 16mm film (since those cameramen were in a different union). The people who assembled sets were also on strike, so the whole thing had to be shot on location. I can't find any indication that the sound recordists were on strike too, so I suppose the technology at the time just didn't enable very good audio on location, or at least on the locations they had available to pass as UNIT HQ. (And it turns out they really did shoot at Madame Tussaud's.)
But because this was the only DW installment (other than the '96 movie) to be shot entirely on film, it's ironically the only classic story suitable to be released on Blu-Ray.
But because this was the only DW installment (other than the '96 movie) to be shot entirely on film, it's ironically the only classic story suitable to be released on Blu-Ray.
^ interesting details
And I don't see classic Who on Netflix streaming anymore so we can't complain about their episode selections anymore...
And I don't see classic Who on Netflix streaming anymore so we can't complain about their episode selections anymore...
The limited package the BBC licensed to the US service are still available.
http://instantwatcher.com/titles?q=Classic+Doctor+Who&view=box_art&popups=1&infinite=0
The blue Play button is present on the few title pages I checked before posting the link here.
The studio sound technicians may or may not have been on strike, but with no studio cameramen working they wouldn't have been of any use (film sound was done by different people, probably from a different union, so trying to use the studio sound people would likely have led to another demarcation strike).
Getting the extra resources to shoot the studio scenes on film was a touch and go job, so they'd have had to accept any film sound people they could get, experienced or not, and probably not for as long as they'd like to have had them.
Technology obviously wouldn't be an explanation for Spearhead having noticeably weaker location sound than other stories of the time. Lack of time would be.
^Okay, that would explain it, then. Thanks.
But it's amazing how much of Doctor Who was shaped by the perennial labor (sorry, labour) disputes at the BBC. Like how the early Tom Baker seasons were shaped by the ongoing dispute over which union was responsible for the TARDIS console -- the set department said it was a special effect, the FX department said it was a set piece. So we never saw the console room in Baker's entire first season, and then a couple of years later we got the retro wood-paneled console room with the simpler, time-rotor-free console.
But it's amazing how much of Doctor Who was shaped by the perennial labor (sorry, labour) disputes at the BBC. Like how the early Tom Baker seasons were shaped by the ongoing dispute over which union was responsible for the TARDIS console -- the set department said it was a special effect, the FX department said it was a set piece. So we never saw the console room in Baker's entire first season, and then a couple of years later we got the retro wood-paneled console room with the simpler, time-rotor-free console.
That's Britain in the 1970s, to be blunt. Even people who loathe Thatcher tend to agree that something had to be done about the abuse of union power and the silly inter-union disputes, even if they think she went too far with it.
I see them in my Netflix app but not playable on the Netflix website. Weird.
There's another reason for the sound quality at the plant, the soundtrack was altered to remove a song by Fleetwood Mac, the song has since been replaced in the special edition of the story on DVD.
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