I'm cock-a-hoop that tonight the Doctor finally got to meet the inspiration for Professor Death. As one of the flesh-and-blood archetypes of the "Mad Professor" Tesla had always seemed to me an obvious subject for Doctor Who, and Nina Metivier's episode had it all: Wardenclyffe, the Current War, the signals from Mars, nothing from Tesla's mythos was left unused, Goran Višnjić was a beautiful Nikola, and while it's always been a bit too easy to paint the "inventor of inventing" as the baddie, Graham was just the right choice to finally tear a strip off Edison, but an additional thrill for me was the choice of ultimate villain: Armoured Scorpions of Death!
I mean it's an absolute coincidence I know, but I loved it. My own sketch complete with giant robot scorpion is underneath, and I've written more about it, and Tesla, and the runny logic of so much of the cult surrounding him (much of which would go on to inspire the mythology of "Time Spanner") here. It's back from when this blog was on myspace though so none of the links work now, sorry. Anyway, didn't they pull out all the stops on this one! I love it.
Ooh, I see now where the Qualmian Needle Beam came from. (And a very good sketch too, especially the why on earth you elected to name this contraption of yours 'the Giant Death Ray' - oh, I see line.)
Speaking of Tesla being depicted as the archetype of the mad scientist, I don't suppose you ever watched The Prestige? (Quite a weird one, as far as films go, but also kinda terrifying, when you really think about it.)
The Prestige is the first time I ever heard of Tesla. I love The Prestige. I don't care if electricity can't clone people. And Professor Death's lab is very much based upon it.
I love the Prestige, too, but isn't it creepy that Tesla's machine not only clones people, but also somehow manages to transfer the original individual's memories/sense of self into the clones? (Not to mention the whole magic trick/water tanks situation. Yikes.)
Speaking of creepy, I have absolutely no idea why YouTube's algorithm decided to recommend this short film to me just now, but, well. Quite the original take on time travel, indeed.
Ooh, I see now where the Qualmian Needle Beam came from. (And a very good sketch too, especially the why on earth you elected to name this contraption of yours 'the Giant Death Ray' - oh, I see line.)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Tesla being depicted as the archetype of the mad scientist, I don't suppose you ever watched The Prestige? (Quite a weird one, as far as films go, but also kinda terrifying, when you really think about it.)
The Prestige is the first time I ever heard of Tesla. I love The Prestige. I don't care if electricity can't clone people. And Professor Death's lab is very much based upon it.
ReplyDeleteI love the Prestige, too, but isn't it creepy that Tesla's machine not only clones people, but also somehow manages to transfer the original individual's memories/sense of self into the clones? (Not to mention the whole magic trick/water tanks situation. Yikes.)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of creepy, I have absolutely no idea why YouTube's algorithm decided to recommend this short film to me just now, but, well. Quite the original take on time travel, indeed.
I assumed it wasn't the human that was reproduced but the timeline, or something quantum anyway.
ReplyDelete