Celebrity Historicals

I should also make clear that if it’s an important distinction, I don’t think that Chibnall and Blackman actively sanitized the history, so much as they opted to tell the story in line with the existing commonly told sanitized version rather than make efforts to better break free of it

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Let’s maybe not turn this into a religious debate as well!

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I imagine if Chibnall and Blackman were US-based it may have been different. The other thing to remember is that Doctor Who is written predominantly for a UK audience. Rosa Parkes significance is very different here than in the US.

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I do appreciate that and understand that it’s a bit better suited for UK audiences, I just think there were missed opportunities to do better, and as a US viewer who is decently knowledgable about the Civil Rights Movement (though far from any kind of expert), I find it to be the absolute low point of 13’s era. Worth noting though that there are still several elements that I enjoy, and I believe I currently have it rated as a 1.5, which is quite low for me but not among the absolute bottom of the series for me.

BTW, there’s no E in Parks.

EDIT: Interestingly, I just checked and Rosa and The Shakespeare Code are actually the only TV episodes I have rated 1.5 so apparently that rating is specifically reserved for historicals that irk me lol

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Yes true, I was a fan back then too, I just mean in hindsight.

But the Doctor did memorise and retell the Harry Potter books while imprisoned in Revolution of the Daleks :woozy_face:

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I knew that so no idea why I kept typing it with one!

Sorry!

And I’m sure you’re more of an expert than me.

I think we all have these areas which we find hard to ‘ignore’ (for want of a better word). Ones for me are often the depiction of modern Christians and the depiction of teaching as a profession and how schools work.

There is so much wrong with how these are depicted on TV and ‘simplified’ (or just got plain wrong) that I have to turn that part of my brain off to enjoy the majority.

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Oh, War of the Sontarans had Mary Seacole in it…

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Oh yeah that one there’s no excuse for, Chris what the hell were you thinking

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I don’t remember that bit.

Best forgotten!

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DOCTOR: Bedtime story, Doctor? Yes, please, Doctor. One of the classics? Ooo, yes, please. Settle down, then. (from memory) Mister and Mrs Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal…

A minor reason among a bunch of others that Revolution is also pretty low in my rankings of 13’s era, although it does get a significant ratings bump from me for having lots of great Thasmin stuff…

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Theres a reason “ACAB” is a common refrain amongst the marginalised, the entire concept is rotten

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This one was filmed in 2019 I think and it wasn’t until 2020 she went full mask off so I think that one is just really bad timing

But then again, aren’t we getting the Beatles showing up in the next series? Think about John Lennon’s track record with domestic violence, you hardly ever hear about that.
What I am saying is, the legacy of the art will most likely outlive the legacy of the artist.
Harry Potter is massive and has continuously brought joy to millions of people across different cultures, nationalities and ages - that is what will be remembered, not the artist, basically no matter the reprehensible, vile, venomous ramblings she spouts online.

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Just checked - Santa is in Historical Characters, Satan is in Monsters.

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Harry Potter is dying, its losing cultural relevance, you can’t seperate art and artist whilst the artist is still alive to profit from the art, especially as is the case with Rowling, when that profit is being turned against a marginalised community (she is funding various elements of the anti-trans movement)

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There is a fairly significant difference when the artist is still alive and actively spreading hate while profiting and maintaining cultural relevance from the art though

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Popping my moderator hat on to steer this thread back on topic before we get too deep into the whys, wherefores and rights and wrongs of Harry Potter and its creator.

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Alright. How about Timelash? It had HG Wells in it!

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Timelash! But yes - get it on the site @shauny!

Also - I’ve put a separate thread in the website area.

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