#peter davision

[starandsims]

Diary Entry - December 25, 1899

Dear Diary,

Christmas has come once again to the Carter family farm, and this year has been particularly special. Clara and her family, the Davises, have stayed with us, bringing their own unique energy to our festivities. Edwin and Clara’s girls, Theresa and Melissa, added a spark to the household. It was delightful to see how well they got along with Harry and Peter. 

Our home was filled with laughter as he all joined in decorating the tree, a task that Harry especially enjoyed. The sight of children giggling and running around the room, hanging ornaments and draping garlands, filled my heart with joy. Even little Petter, who’s almost two now, was fascinated by the shiny baubles. 

However, amidst the merriment there was an undeniable sense of longing in our hearts. This Christmas marked the first without Jane, as she passed almost a year ago. Her absence is deeply felt still, her warm smile and kind words are deeply missed. The holiday season seemed a little less bright without her. As we exchanged gifts, we couldn’t help but think of how Jane would have enjoyed this joyous occasion. Her memory lingered in every corner of the house, and although we missed her terribly, we know that she is watching over us from a better place. 

With the snow falling gently outside, we gathered around the hearth, sharing stories and savoring the precious moments of togetherness. It was a day filled with love, laughter, and gratitude - a Christmas to be cherished in our hearts, even as we held onto the memories of those who are no longer with us. 

As the new century approaches, we find ourselves looking forward to what the 1900s will have in store for the Carter family. The challenges and triumphs that await us in the year ahead remain a mystery, but with love and unity we will face them together.

[rawyld]

By MistressAinley via Deviantart. Sexy Fifth Doctor and The Master. @ainleymaster @fifthdoctor

[bigfinishforbeginners]

Fifth Doctor & Nyssa

These stories cover the Fifth Doctor’s travels with his companion Nyssa from the Classic Series. For this reason, I’d recommend having a familiarity with Nyssa and her backstory going into these audios, though a quick browse through her character profile on TARDIS wiki or any other similar source will suffice.

These stories can be more accessible to newcomers to Big Finish as most of the stories don’t form an overarching story, and so most of them can be listened to separately and out of order. However, there are some groups of stories which take place within trilogies, which all tell one overarching story.

Because of this, I will be listing the Standlone Travels, which are stories that can be listened to in any order or skipped completely, and the trilogy arcs separately, making it easier for you to pick and choose which stories to listen to.

So, let’s get started.

Standalone Travels

4. The Land of the Dead

10. Winter for the Adept

15. The Mutant Phase

26. Primeval

34. Spare Parts

44. Creatures of Beauty

66. The Game

91. Circular Time

93. Renaissance of the Daleks

143. The Demons of Red Lodge and Other Stories

168. 1001 Nights

178. 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men

224. Alien Heart / Dalek Soul

The Thomas Brewster Trilogy

107. The Haunting of Thomas Brewster

110. The Boy That Time Forgot

113. Time Reef / A Perfect World

The Stockbridge Trilogy

127. Castle of Fear

128. The Eternal Summer

129. Plague of the Daleks

The Hannah Bartholomew Trilogy

185. Moonflesh

186. Tomb Ship

187. Masquerade

[alzarious]

mermaid!five au made me gay

[swearwho]

I know, I know. Hopefully, they'll soon resign themselves.

[twistedtummies2]

Two Weeks in the TARDIS - The Fifth Doctor

Welcome to Two Weeks in the TARDIS! I’m talking about the different versions of the titular protagonist from “Doctor Who.” Each day I’ll be covering a different Doctor, going in order from the First to the Thirteenth.

Today, we’ll be discussing the Lord of Salad Dressing himself! This is the Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison!

BACKGROUND

When the Fourth Doctor came onto the scene, he was probably the youngest yet, but he was soon trumped by his own successor: Peter Davison was only 29 when he took on the role of the character, and already had made quite a name for himself on television in other BBC productions. While his tenure of the standard three seasons meant he had much less time to work than Tom Baker’s portrayal, he was, nevertheless, one of the most impactful depictions of the character. This is especially evident in the New Who era, where - out of five Doctors there so far - two are largely inspired by Davison’s portrayal, in particular, and a third has certain little quirks directly tied to him. Three out of five Doctors in the modern times, all paying homage to ONE version in particular? That’s got to count for something. Once again, the intention was to go as far from the previous Doctor as possible. Davison’s Fifth Doctor emerges from his regeneration scarred; for almost a full quarter of his debut serial, he is in a state of dissociative identity, switching his personality and mannerisms frequently, adopting phrases and quirks from all four of his earlier incarnations, before - finally - managing to settle in. And once settled in, Davision turns out to be a far cry from Baker’s wild bohemian. He’s still a traveler first and foremost - the Doctor as an outright conqueror of evil, in fact, wouldn’t really become a thing till the next two incarnations - but he treats things with a more casual air. Many people refer to Davison’s turn as the Most Human Doctor: he feels the least alien, the least remote and detached, and with his dashing good looks and commanding, high-flying voice, it’s no wonder so many modern Doctors look to him for inspiration.

PERSONALITY

Of all the Classic era Doctors, and arguably all of the Doctors in general, Davison is the most mellow. I wouldn’t call him “serious” in the way Jon Pertwee was, but he’s not as nutty as Tom Baker, Patrick Troughton, or even, to a certain degree, William Hartnell. This is the first Doctor where it’s easy to forget he’s not a human being. He’s a lot less mad, even as a facade; he still has a quirkiness to his personality, but he isn’t a Madman in a Box. He is endlessly compassionate and merciful; more emotionally invested in the people around him than previous Doctors were. He was less childish, as well; in fact, he seemed to go in the complete opposite direction. Davison combats his youthful appearance with a personality that’s a bit more like an eccentric old uncle; despite his almost princely demeanor, you really do feel this is an older gentleman trapped inside a younger man’s body. While he always tries to be nice and is, in his own words, “the most agreeable one,” he still has an ego (all the Doctors do, to some degree or another), and he can be somewhat tetchy at times. Nevertheless, you always know he’ll do the right thing, no matter the cost: even if he doesn’t like you much - in fact, even if he HATES you - he’ll often try to find some way to help you when you need it, or, at the very least, hesitate a great deal when it comes to killing you. In fact, I would argue number five is the single most merciful of all Doctors; at points where other Doctors wouldn’t pause to destroy their foes, he either hesitates or shows intense regret afterwards. This was a Doctor who truly valued ALL life, and seemed to be starting to realize there was more to the universe than simply exploring it. He wanted to UNDERSTAND it, and that sense of understanding was what made him so likeable and fun.

COSTUME

Once again, as all the best Doctor outfits do, the costume Davison wears reflects his personality magnificently, and also helps to make him stand out greatly in comparison to whomever came before him. Instead of a loud, slapped-together bohemian adventurer, we have a young man dressed largely in beige and white, with accents of red and orange. The question marks on the collar of his shirt were an idea of the producer’s, first implemented in Tom Baker’s final season; a lot of fans seem to hate them, but I’ve personally never felt any need to complain at all. His panama hat and neat, fluttering coat help him cut a dapper but sporting figure, while the cricketer outfit underneath it - complete with trainer shoes - really does speak of a younger, more physical Doctor: not the sort to pummel his enemies, but the sort who loves a good game. It’s an inviting, mellow figure...but still eccentric in its own way. The most glaring part of the outfit, of course, is the stick of celery in his lapel; that one item - which, ironically, is revealed to have a practical function in Davison’s final serial - says it all: an otherwise normal man who just happens to have a small spark of something weird and seemingly inexplicable in him; that inner alien that can never be fully suppressed.

NOTABLE COMPANIONS

Davison’s TARDIS crew once again started off with a whole gaggle of companions “inherited” from the Fourth Doctor. This proved to be both an interesting addition and a bit of a problem, at the same time. On the one hand, it was hard to make sure every separate character got their due at the start...but on the other hand, the result was that you almost had a sort of family aboard the TARDIS for a time, traveling the stars together. Overall, the Fifth Doctor wound up having almost as many companions as the Fourth, and in less than half the amount of time. The crew started out with Tegan Jovanka; an opinionated airline attendant who sort of got roped into things; Nyssa, the last survivor of the world of Traken, who seemed to look up to the Doctor as something of a big brother figure after he saved her and took her with him on his adventures; and then there was Adric, a boy genius who I can only describe as the Jason Todd of the Doctor Who universe. One by one, these companions would disappear, and other companions - most notably Vislor Turlough, an assassin who joined the Doctor first as a double-agent, then due to a change of heart became a true friend - would come and go as well. Over time, the TARDIS crew would get smaller and smaller, which made the writing easier and easier...but also left out that wonderful family dynamic that the earlier parts of the series seemed to have. It’s sort of a give or take game here.

RECOMMENDED VIEWING

This is the first time where my choice of suggestion is NOT my favorite episode for this respective Doctor. My favorite Peter Davison episode is “The Five Doctors,” but since that one DOES feature...well...FIVE DOCTORS, and Davison, while the main focus, still has to share the screen with so many others, I don’t think it’s the best one to show what made HIM, and his era, so particularly special. Now, I know a lot of fans would probably recommend his final episode, “Caves of Androzani,” but a.) I don’t want to include the final episodes for ANY of the Doctors, if I can, and b.) I know this is heresy, but I’ve always felt “Caves of Androzani” to be somewhat overrated. No, my choice of recommendation is “Earthshock”: this story featured the return of the Cybermen (who had not been seen in about six years, and whose previous story had sucked, anyway), and if you’re wondering why I called Adric the Jason Todd of the Doctor Who universe, this episode will show you what I mean. In my opinion, it’s the very best Cybermen episode, and it’s my second favorite of Peter Davison’s era. It shows all the qualities that made him a great Doctor in spades, and also plays with that family dynamic I mentioned quite delightfully. It’s hard to find a better place to start with him than this.

Next time, we’ll discuss Colin Baker, the Sixth Doctor: the Most Underappreciated Time Lord of All.

[k9mark69]

peter, colin, and sylvester do interviews together so often that i have begun to see peter davision, a 69 (nice) year old, as very young

[circular-time]

I want y’all to be be proud of me for not straight up murdering a Twitter follower today

I don’t feel like posting the thread here, but... LOOK. Look at this person strangely fixated on what’s in people’s pants, misusing terms like “hermaphrodite,” and ignoring hints until I finally gave up and pulled out the sledgehammer.

 (The thread started here, if that link to the end of it doesn’t show what came before. He hijacked a discussion of Big Finish audios to dump on new Who making the Doctor a woman.) 

I’ve been posting Jodie fanart. Mine, and other people’s.

I’ve been posting intermittent rebuttals of various misogynist comments about the Thirteenth Doctor for months.

Just this week I did another takedown of “the Doctor can’t regenerate into a woman because SCIENCE” with a tactful version of YO, IF THEY CAN CHANGE GENES/PHENOTYPES ENOUGH FOR COLIN BAKER TO TURN INTO SYLVESTER THEN THAT CHROMOSOME CAN CHANGE TOO. I posted the Sydney Newman quote again.  And Patrick Troughton’s.

And this dude thinks he can persuade me that the Doctor shouldn’t be a woman because Peter Davision Said So, and obviously, as a staunch Peter Davison fan, I must believe everything that man ever said. Uncritically.

Uh huh.

And when Mansplaining By Proxy didn’t work, this dude links me to two articles he’s written about why he objects to a female Doctor.

When I finally put my foot down, he does the whole “yeah, I’m evil [tell me I’m a good person]” rhetorical move. Which, yeah, I know, self-deprecation is a knee-jerk reflex I’ve got too; it’s a typical way to express embarrassment, especially when one is insecure. But that turns it from a discussion about the Doctor being a woman into a discussion about him. Which is another move in this endlessly-rerun debate that I’m tired of.

So I’m just going to ignore it. 

(No, PLEASE don’t jump on this guy or pile onto him; the internet should NOT be used as a mob to attack people. That’s an easy-to-overuse weapon that should be reserved for for extreme circumstances and only to punch up — e.g. politicians in power— not down. And I’m not really that upset, just eye-rolling.)

This guy is a mix of well intentioned and clueless. 

I just need to vent here, so I don’t vent there. Especially because pain and lack of refreshing sleep (not to mention 24/7 dread over what’s happening in the news) are making me irritable, and more liable to lash out.

Ironically, sitting in my Tumblr draft folder is a collation of my past Tweets rebutting the usual anti-women-Doctor arguments. I meant to pare them down to a list of bullet points so I could just link to it whenever this discussion on Twitter comes up again. But I haven’t, because I don’t want to doom my Twitter to become Feminism 101 Groundhog Day.

[samprestonbigbadabruce]

The Thirteenth Doctor is the perfect choice. Here’s Why.

For those of you who unfortunately don’t realise, today the BBC released a teaser trailer revealing the identity of The Thirteenth Doctor. It appeared after the Wimbledon Finale, lasted about a minute, and unleashed a torrent of responses. I’m not here to talk about the response, but more about the choice itself, one I feel is a great choice for multiple reasons. However, to expand on that, I have to discuss the choice, which is why i am hiding it underneath this break:

the trailer is very simple, it follows someone in a hood walking through a forest, and then removing their hood, to reveal Jodie Whittaker from Broadchurch as The Doctor. I have to admit, the moment I saw the hood, I thought to myself “It’s a female, look at the body shape, plus they’re hiding the head because they don’t want to give away the long hair and feminine build”. As the hand appears, it was also feminine, adding to my theory. Now, I personally had expected the safe choice would be Kris Marshall (good actor, wrong choice in my opinion) but what I had hoped for was a female choice, specifically Hayley Atwell from Agent Carter.

Whilst I may have hoped for Atwell, I do feel Whittaker is a good choice, for multiple reasons. Not only is she a good actress (able to do comedy, drama, the whole works), but it also feels like a decision propelled by creative and not business. The truth is, if it was up to the BBC, David Tennant would still be playing The Doctor, but because they can’t, the safe choice is a young male, such as Kris Marshall, who recently left Death In Paradise. In order to have Whittaker, Chibnall has had to go against massive expectations, and also, he has gone for the unsafe choice. We can tell this is the unsafe choice, because of those on Twitter who have instantly responded saying they will no longer watch Doctor Who because The Doctor should always be a male.

Those who are critiquing the choice saying James Bond would always be a man, and the same with The Doctor? Here’s the thing:

James Bond is a human male spy. He’s been played by a Scottish man, an Australian, and an Irishman. The only essential thing is that he’s human, and a male (so Idris Elba is still an option).

The Doctor is an alien, that originates from a planet where people die, and turn into another person to keep on living. They have shown to change sex, race, and even species (seriously, this may confuzzle you). The only thing that stays the same, is what that regeneration represents (The Master represents doing evil, The General following orders and leading arms, Romana being curious, intelligent but sheltered) and The Doctor, the very point of his name, is to do good (that’s the whole point of the War Doctor, who supposedly didn’t follow the name of The Doctor). In fact,t here are only two requisites to being The Doctor:

1 - you possess a TARDIS (Not use, because The Third Doctor was mostly grounded on Earth during his time).

2 - you do good.

That is legitimately the only two major facts of The Doctor. Having a cock is not essential in being The Doctor, regardless of what people say, it is the actions of the character that matters.

But even going beyond the sexuality of the actor, let’s look at the choice from a reactionary point of view. Each actor chose to officially play the Doctor was chosen for specific reason.

The First Doctor was chosen to set a standard, a tremendous actor with that stern, mature nature to him, so they chose William Hartnell. The second actor had to be someone who could replace The First Doctor but was strong enough to create his own distinctive persona and demonstrate that there was longevity in the character, so they chose Patrick Troughton. The Third Doctor was going to be based on Earth and required a more action-orientated choice, similar to The Avengers, so they chose Jon Pertwee. The Fourth Doctor was going to be going back into space, so needed to bring back the eccentricity and alien nature, so they chose Tom Baker.

After seven years of Baker, they needed someone renowned enough to replace but also younger and more team-orientated, so they chose renowned TV actor Peter Davision. The Fifth Doctor was more placid a character, so they wanted a darker and stronger iteration, so they chose Colin Baker. Baker was too dark, so The Seventh Doctor was more jovial a creation who had elements of mystery returned to him, so they chose Sylvester McCoy. And when introducing the series to a new audience, they chose a more modern and romantic style, in Paul McGann,

But more importantly, every choice for The Doctor in the revived series made sense because of what they represented. Christopher Eccleston was chosen as The Ninth Doctor to demonstrate that the character could have gravitas and drama, that it could matter in the present day. David Tennant was chosen to demonstrate an adventurous and kind iteration, one who loved too much and cared for everyone (I may have my issues with Davies’ version of The Doctor, but he was still fantastic), Matt Smith was chosen despite Moffat originally looking for an older actor because he represented the eccentric and weird element of The Doctor. Even John Hurt was chosen to demonstrate that The Doctor was willing to make the choice nobody else could, but the most important element was to prevent suffering for those not affiliated with The Time War. And finally, Capaldi was chosen not just because he was an awesome actor, but he also could remind the audience that whilst Tennant and Smith hinted at the oldness of the soul, Capaldi wore that age and frustration on his face, but when it came to the actions he performed, he was above all else, kind. And that is The Doctor,

So, the new series has educated the audience upon several defining factors of The Doctor: He is old and weird, but cares and loves for all and is driven by not just adventure but also the weight of his past, and whenever he is near death, he repairs into a new person. So, the audience knows the majority of his character, but there’s one thing that hasn’t truly been emphasised: The Doctor is an alien, who can regenerate to repair himself but he is not governed by our rules or biology, he never even truly was a he. The Doctor is an alien, with multiple forms but no set race, sex or species. The Doctor is defined by his kindness, not his depiction. So, if the idea of a man turning into a woman confuses you, congratulations...you’ve just experienced the true alien experience of not understanding the biological requirements of a Time Lord. On Gallifrey, they can be male, female, black, white, oriental, humanoid or not.  And if you’re reacting badly to the idea of The Doctor being a woman...then maybe you never truly understood the concept of The Doctor in the first place.

Defined not by sex, not by appearance, but by The Name. In the name of The Doctor, that vow to do good. The belief that everyone could be better, to help those in need. The Doctor is defined by the TARDIS...a simple police box for people to call when they’re in need, when help was required.

There have been thirteen previous incarnations of The Doctor, one for War, and twelve for good...

But the most alien yet, may be our newest version...Jodie Whittaker as The Thirteenth Doctor.

And I sincerely hope, she fucking aces it.

[penny-anna]

Definitive ranking of the five doctors

a blue fellow. captures the mystery of the character but no personality. solid 3/5

friendly & grandfatherly face! but his eyes are cold and lifeless. deep down you know he is not the true doctor. 3/4

a round boy. i want to ruffle his hair. a friend! 4/5

his hair is so soft. it is a cloud of pure soft whiteness, like a sheep. 5/5

THAT IS NOT PETER DAVISION. IT IS AN IMPOSTER. AVOID AVOID AVOID. good celery tho. 1/5 (for the celery)

[for-the-love-of-art-history-blog]

Peter Davies-

In light of 2018 marking the 60th anniversary of the John Moores Painting Prize, the Walker Gallery has opened an exhibition displaying the various winner's works in a celebration of the long-standing award. 

Founded in 1957, the John Moores Painting Prize is one of Britain's most esteemed artistic competitions. Held every two years, the award is not only an opportunity for amateur artists to gain a name for themselves but is also a homage to Sir John Moore himself the original sponsor of the award and its prize. The competition overall was created to highlight the best most creative contemporary artists Liverpool had to offer and to give them a platform in which they could express this talent.

In 2002 Peter Davies won the John Moores Painting Prize for his work ‘Super Star Fucker - Andy Warhol Text Painting’. An acrylic on canvas painting, Davies wanted his text painting to offer a humorous and spirited view on the way people try and understand and relate to contemporary art history. Stating that he wanted his art to be ‘enjoyable to look at’ and to ‘convey a sense of fun and mischief’ (Davies 2002), Davies’ work offers a childlike perspective on the idea of conceptualism whilst simultaneously offering it’s audience a play-by-play of art history. The stars in Davises ‘Super Star Fucker’ depict the motifs of Pop Art like Studio 54, Capitalism and Rock N Roll, showcasing them in a somewhat spider-diagram format as if this were the formula for ‘great contemporary art’.

If you would like to check out Davies’ work or any of the other fellow John Moores Painting Prize winners, they are still currently on display at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

Bibliography:

Davies, P (2002) Super Star Fucker - Andy Warhol Text Painting, Peter Davies.[online] Available at: 

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/johnmoores/recent-exhibitions/22/prizewinners/davies.aspx

[Accessed 22nd February 2018]

[swearwho]

Fivey may look cute and not swear, but he's not as innocent as he seems. #SWG2DW

[elvisomar]

From Doctor Who Annual 1983

[unknown-companion-poems]

“Salute to Five”

Cricket, celery

Friendly, forgiving, faithful

The bravest of hearts

Happy 64th birthday to the Fifth Doctor (and father of Georgia Moffett, aka Jenny the Doctor’s Daughter and David Tennant’s wife!), Peter Davison!  I got his autograph at the 1997 Visions convention in Chicago.

[craigfernandez]

Such fun...

[russh92]

All my love to long ago.

David Tennant