BBCA "The Companions" special
Mar. 31st, 2013 08:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dbskylerOkay, I admit that I didn't have high hopes for this special -- it had all the earmarks of a typical BBCA special (mindless fluff interspersed with clips). But while those are indeed the basic ingredients, the execution this time around is very well done. First of all, the "fluff" interviews, while indeed fluff, are delivered by people I actually want to hear from -- i.e., the actors involved. We don't have "person I've never heard of" giving their opinion on Amelia Pond, we have Karen Gillan giving her opinion. Which instantly makes it much more interesting. We also have Arthur Darvill, and Freema Agyeman, and Noel Clarke, and John Barrowman, and Jenna Louise-Coleman, and Steven Moffat, and David Tennant, and Matt Smith.
The other thing they have finally got right is that instead of just giving us clips, they are giving us backstage moments. There are backstage scenes I've never seen before, and scenes from the show that are from a backstage angle (i.e., you can see sound crew or camera crew in the shot), which again makes it far more interesting to watch. (Hee hee, I'm typing this as I'm watching, and they just did a clip where Nick Briggs is chanting "exterminate" into the microphone, and we hear the director yell "cut!" and the "exterminate"s kind of peter out in a very funny way.)
And yes, they covered Sarah Jane, and oh it was so sad but also so sweet. David Tennant and John Barrowman both fanboyed about her, which I always love because they became fans at the same time as I did, back in the '70s, and in the same way, through growing up watching her episodes. John: "If you have a little Sarah Jane in your companion, you're a good companion." Awwwwww!
And, it just ended. I'm actually sad. And now, the Third Doctor special is up next. Hopefully it will be good, too!
The other thing they have finally got right is that instead of just giving us clips, they are giving us backstage moments. There are backstage scenes I've never seen before, and scenes from the show that are from a backstage angle (i.e., you can see sound crew or camera crew in the shot), which again makes it far more interesting to watch. (Hee hee, I'm typing this as I'm watching, and they just did a clip where Nick Briggs is chanting "exterminate" into the microphone, and we hear the director yell "cut!" and the "exterminate"s kind of peter out in a very funny way.)
And yes, they covered Sarah Jane, and oh it was so sad but also so sweet. David Tennant and John Barrowman both fanboyed about her, which I always love because they became fans at the same time as I did, back in the '70s, and in the same way, through growing up watching her episodes. John: "If you have a little Sarah Jane in your companion, you're a good companion." Awwwwww!
And, it just ended. I'm actually sad. And now, the Third Doctor special is up next. Hopefully it will be good, too!