YouTubing It #18
Here we have a special offering for those desperate for a Who fix: Steven Moffat’s first script for Doctor Who.
In Britain, the BBC hosts an annual show called Comic Relief where they make a lot of funny one-off programs with big stars to raise money for global aid work. In 1999, the signature piece for Comic Relief was a Doctor Who mini episode, The Curse of Fatal Death featuring Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor, Julia Sawalha as the companion Emma and Jonathan Pryce as the Master. It also features cameos by several other actors. It was a great little spoof of Who that affectionately made fun of Doctor Who while at the same time celebrated it as well. And it’s really, really funny.
It was written by then comedy writer Steven Moffat and produced by Richard Curtis. Wonder what happened to them?
Curiously this version, which is on Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day YouTube channel appears to be an edit that doesn’t include the episode title, the cliffhangers (it was transmitted in four parts on TV, and was released on VHS in two parts) or special effects (the Daleks guns have no rays and there isn’t the enhanced shot where the Doctor and Emma encounter an army of Daleks). But it’s 20 minutes of glorious Doctor Who goodness.
Say hello to the sofa of reasonable comfort…
Posted by Graeme on Friday, September 17 at 11:27 am
5 Comments...
I’m just glad that this isn’t a canon version, and that we’re still seeing Doctors today
Posted by Rachel on 09/17 at 01:58 PM
This is quite funny. I enjoy the ridiculous humor and effects (or lack thereof). However, I am also glad this is not the original Doctor Who for I am still partial to the regular episodes
Posted by Amy on 09/20 at 08:40 AM
This was the best type of parody because it was made by fans, starred a fan (Atkinson apparently lobbied to play the Doctor on a few occasions) - even the TARDIS console they used had been made by fans (and I think was the same one used in the Devious fan film with Pertwee). I hope this shows up on DVD one of these days - and that’s not just wishful thinking, as BBC Video did put this out as an official Doctor Who VHS release about 10 years ago, so they have the rights to it. I was half expecting to see it included on the TV Movie new edition.
Posted by Alex on 09/20 at 01:55 PM
Love this Rowan Atkinson Video !!! It really is a classic **
Meanwhile, as we eagerly await the return of the Doctor at Christmas, I posted another blog to help us kill “time”...
http://lowiczanka.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/waiting-for-the-doctor/
Posted by Łowiczanka on 09/21 at 12:49 AM
Does anyone know who did the Dalek voices in this? It really sounds like Nicholas Briggs (years before he started doing them on TV and probably before Big Finish, too!)
Posted by Alex on 09/23 at 01:54 AM
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