One of the running jokes at our 51st St. Speakeasy trivia night is my lack of appreciation for "Arrested Development." This first came to light when a team used a sly reference from the show as a team name. I think they were called "Dr. Fünke's 100% Natural Good-Time Family Band Solution." I didn't understand the reference. After they explained it to me, I said into the mic "Arrested Development sucks." This led to me being booed off the stage and Spencer openly questioning if I was beaten as a child.
I first watched Arrested Development during the dark ages of 2006. I was married, caught a cold, and rented the first season on DVD from Blockbuster. Yes, Blockbuster. I planned on doing one of those marathons where I watched an entire season while stuck in bed and blowing my nose, but it didn't work. Maybe it was the DayQuil, but the show just didn't resonate with me. I watched a couple of episodes, thought it was boring, and returned it a week later and paid $10 in late fees.
Well, we all make mistakes. I'm now proud to say that I'm an Arrested Development convert! I reached a deal this fall with a Level 4 Ogle Groupie that if she watched NFL football with me, I would give Arrested Development a second chance. Outside of buying the naming rights for this website for $20 from Garfield Ogle, the black sheep of the family, it's one of the greatest deals I've ever made. I'm hooked on the show. I'm halfway through Season 2 and it's already one of my favorite TV comedies ever. It's not in the Seinfeld / British Office category, but I'd put in the same class as Curb Your Enthusiasm and, uhm, Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Quite a field, huh?
Anyway, the reason I'm admitting this to you is because I like forced segues. You see, Dr. Who is another cult TV show I don't get. I'd watch the old BBC show in the 1980s with my dad, but that's when I was five and didn't know better. I just can't get into the new one. It's too corny and weird and the new Dr. Who is way too young and cool. Because of that, I'm not going to join the Dr. Who Club of Altus and help them make a fan film.
Via the Oklahoman:
Peggy Sue Clay expects Dr. Who and his Tardis to visit her this year.
She'll meet him with a group of like-minded people who will help him fight enemies like Daleks and Cybermen. One or two people might be lucky enough to travel with The Doctor as a companion.
Dr. Who, a time-traveling Time Lord, and his Time And Relative Dimension In Space (Tardis) blue phone box have been a staple of TV, celebrating 50 years in 2013.
The Doctor, a native of Gallifrey, regenerates into a completely different person when his current body is used up or damaged. That is the best way to explain why there have been 11 Dr. Whos. The current Doctor on the venerable BBC series is Matt Smith.
Now, a worldwide push is on to create a fan film featuring several doctors, their companions and thousands of fans.
Clay, who founded the Altus Chapter of the Doctor Who Fan Film project, had one meeting to start planning and is having another introductory meeting at 5 p.m. Saturday at Clay Cafe, 1117 N Jackson.
“We had 17 people at our first meeting,” Clay said in a phone interview. “Two people came from Oklahoma City.”
Chapter members will plan part of the global movie to be shot in the Altus area. It will be incorporated into one movie to be shown internationally, completely constructed of fan-made films using the same script.
The project's main website explains there will be three films which are mostly identical but with small bits that feature a specific part of the world.
…
She discovered the fan film project when she saw an ad in a local paper for a Dr. Who holiday gift basket giveaway from the Lawton Chapter of the Dr. Who Fan Film. What she learned there led her to the main Dr. Who Fan Film website, and she decided to create an Altus chapter.
“All chapter leaders get a speaking role in the film,” Clay said. “I am looking for anyone who wants to help make a film on either side of the camera.”
So I originally planned on making fun of virgins, fanny packs wearers, and Dr. Who fans in this post, but I decided against it. This is because I'm now terrified that the Level 4 Ogle Groupie is going to want to trade out Cubs baseball games on WGN for Dr. Who episodes. The consequence of that could be severe. What if I fall in love with the show and join the Altus Chamber of Dr. Who Fan Club? That would make me even a bigger backtracking hypocrite.
However, what if I joined the Lawton Chamber instead? That wouldn't be as bad, but it would still be equally embarrassing, like for instance, Altus and Lawton both having their own chapter of the Dr. Who Fan Club. Seriously, that would be like Bethany and Warr Acres both having Jedi OKC chapters or something like that.
Anyway, if you're still reading this, I apologize. I have no clue why I'm writing this either. I'm going to get back to Arrested Development.
