Top 5 Time Travellers

Today (Saturday) sees the return of Doctor Who, complete with new Tardis, new assistant and a new Doctor, played by Matt Smith. Time travelling as a concept, was arguably popularised by H.G. Wells Time Machine. Certainly the common notion of having a vehicle/device to transport you through time can be linked back to this story. In celebration of this most paradoxical of plot-devices I've devised the following list:

Top 5 Time Travellers

5. Bill & Ted
Every time I think about the plot of this movie, I wonder if I got it right. Bill & Ted get taken on a trip through time so they can pass their history class, otherwise Ted will be shipped to military school, and the Wyld Stallyns will never make the music that forms the utopian society of the future with its very simple philosophy:

Be Excellent to each other. And Party on Dudes!

It's strange that I was first introduced to Genghis Khan, Napoleon and Abraham Lincoln through this movie (and possibly also the short-lived animated series) but there you go. In fact, growing up most of my knowledge of non-British history comes from films/shows like Forest Gump, Animaniacs, etc. It makes me wonder how many kids nowadays were first introduced to Shakespeare and Dickens through their appearance in Doctor Who? Or whose primary knowledge of the past is through the excellent Horrible Histories series? Anyway back to matters at hand:


4. Donnie Darko
Perhaps a less obvious time-traveller than all the others. However, his conversations with the bunny rabbit, following of worm holes, and so on have definitely earned him a place. Without spoiling anything, its surprising that his decision at the end of the movie hasn't been considered more often by time travellers. It and It's a Wonderful Life would make a brilliantly murky double bill.


3. Hiro (Heroes)
Say what you want about Heroes, in its prime you couldn't help but smile as Hiro got to grips with controlling time and space. His determination to follow a hero's arc, based on superheroes he has read about, feels like a very noughties concept. I often felt sorry for his character as he went on all these ridiculous journeys in later seasons, why couldn't his adventures be as cool as his role-models like Superman or Spiderman?

2. The Terminator
Come with me if you want to live.
There's a lot of great things about the first two Terminator movies. Perhaps the most obvious is the fact that Arnie has only ever been believable in his role as an almost indestructible being. He truly was born to play a robot.

Beyond that, I think the idea of a mother being told her son is destined for greatness is a very powerful one. And Sarah's arc in doing her utmost to protect and develop her son has a surprising amount of depth in it.

Finally the time travel in the movie exists essentially without rules. It's never really established how the technology came about, or whether its creators know whether it's even possible to change the past. It's probably the only movie about time travel where the concept is of little importance to the characters involved.

1. Marty McFly
Marty McFly almost sums up the 80s for me, or at least teen movie stars in the 80s. He's wise-cracking, slick, and confident; he's the guy all the geeks in 80s movies wanted to be. As a child my favourite scene was always the climax of him playing "Johnny Be Good" to get his parents together. Although the brilliantly played scene when he ends up being seduced in his mother's bedroom has probably overtaken it since then.

It's influence on me is such that the rules established in this movie about setting things right for the future, and not seeing your future self are the rules for time travelling. And I always have a deep suspicion for any story where claims to the contrary are made. Example of the types of conversations that go on in my head: "He's meeting his former self - why isn't the universe imploding?! I've never seen something so ridiculous in all my life! Don't they know ANYTHING about time travelling?"

Over to you now: What are you favourite time travellers? Is there any movie/television show whose time travel rules you consider absolutely definitive?

What I've Been Watching (Television) - January

One of my favourite podcasts is slashfilm: a podcast hosted by self-confessed movies geeks. One feature they have on the show is "What We've Been Watching" and I've borrowed that ingeniously simple idea for this blog in what will hopefully be a regular feature.

So without further ado, here's some thoughts on the television I've been watching over the past few weeks:

Doctor Who: The End of Time

David Tennant's well publisized exit took place over the holiday period. The story saw The Doctor team up with Donna's grandfather, Wilfred, to do battle with the resurrected Master.

For me, the episodes were a triumph. A minor quibble would be that the first instalment lacking a completeness that previous episodes broadcast on the same day managed. Like Christmas day movies, there was always something nice about watching a complete adventure with The Doctor, and then being able to switch it off and feel all was right with the world. As such, it would have been nice if the second part had been broadcast on Boxing Day, to give us a sense of imminent closure on the episode. I think what the writers were going for was more a two-part season finale feel, and if viewed simply as that, it worked.

Putting this trivial issue aside, I thought the reason the episode worked so well was the choice of the Doctor's assistant. Having Wilfred at his side was a complete masterstroke. So much so, you forget how little screen time they'd had together previously.

We've seen the writers misstep in the past in this regard. And by this I'm referring to none other than Martha Jones. Creating a Rose-clone for the Doctor to spend time with, merely reminded us of everything we loved about Piper in the role. As such, the show lacked a freshness the previous two seasons had. Donna, although annoying at first, was an incredibly clever move. It was great to see how the Doctor reacted to a different dynamic, and having someone loud and obnoxious to counter his intelligence, wit, (and arrogance) made the show a lot more enticing in its fourth 'season'.

In the combination of The Doctor and Donna's grandfather, we saw two characters with real history in their souls, who had been through hardships and knew their story was approaching its final chapters. That shared bond had an incredibly profound impact on this two-part story. The conversations between the two of them crackling with energy and foreboding.

Clearly this was what the writers were aiming for, since despite all the loud bangs, and flashing lights, this bond was at the centre of the Tennant's final exit. An entirely fitting way for the tenth doctor to leave the show.


Gavin and Stacey (Season 3)

I can't decide whether this comes under the category of 'guilty pleasure' or genuinely well-written comedy. Less laugh-out-loud moments than a programme like "The Royle Family". A show, incidentally, it owes an awful lot to. Then again, unlike most comedies, its characters are much more rounded, and as such you are a lot more invested in them. I also felt it was a series that rewarded regular viewing with plenty of references and on-going subplots threaded into its run.

It's ironic (or perhaps entirely intentional) that the two characters after whom the show is named are the least interesting. They live a fairytale romance with storylines that leave little doubt about their future together. It's Smithy and Nessa, played by the shows' creators, that have the best lines, moments and arcs throughout the series. These two characters are its heart and soul, and hopefully their real-life counterparts, James Corden and Ruth Jones, will continue their writing partnership in the future.

Gavin & Stacey started as a small show on BBC3, and finished its run on New Year's Day on BBC1. I think its almost-universal appeal comes from the central bond between all its characters: they look out for each other, love spending time together, and as such, you actually want to spend time with them. Gavin and Stacey was never going to be a ground-breaking show, but it should be commended for its simplicity and warmth in a genre increasing dominated by cynicism, and unlikable leads.

Peep Show (Season 2)

Speaking of unlikable leads, I wouldn't normally mention a show that's been out for five years, and fairly well-known. However, the whole series (seasons 1 to 6) is available on 4od here:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/peep-show/4od (UK Residents only)

If you've never watched the show about two guys in their late 20s/early 30s. Its uniqueness comes from the fact that most of its episodes take place from Mark and Jeremy's point of view. As such, we always know what they're thinking. The insights we get are excruciatingly honest (imagine someone could hear every single thought that crossed your mind), yet funny and (mostly) endearing at the same time.

Peep Show is not for the faint of heart (it does nothing to dispel the idiom that guys only think about one thing) However, beneath its crude exterior lies a very funny and insightful show.

Coming Up Next: Expect A "What I've Been Watching: Film" Post in the near future, as well as a preview of Glee, a new American Musical Comedy Show, which premieres on E4 next week.