Does This Plot Sound Familiar?
Jul. 9th, 2007 04:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sdelmonteSo there was a plot on a Sci-Fi TV show...
(Spoilers for Dr Who)
This was one of those shows about a hero, the kind who always saved the world. One of his enemies, a time traveller, decided to run for higher office, and used advanced technology hooked up to the phones to brainwash people into voting for him even though he didn't have any identity in the present. Or a platform. Upon taking office, he gets rid of his enemy, and the public sees him for what he is too late.
Thankfully, our hero has allies, and the evil time travelling politician is defeated.
Is this Doctor Who? Yes. But it's also Lois and Clark. Anyone else remember Tempus, a time traveller from a perfect future who wanted nothing more than to change history and undo the utopia created in a world inspired by Superman. He called himself John Doe, ran for presidnet, managed to hypnotize everyone but Lois and Clark into thinking he was a swell guy, even trapped Superman. Luckily, HG Wells brought a Superman from a parallel timeline to save the day.
No, I am not suggesting that Russel T. Davies stole the plot. I'd bet he never saw a single episode of L&C, and certainly not during the show's doomed fourth season. But I always find it interesting when plots return, as if they are swimming along in the creative ether, waiting to be fished out. And it is strange that we would see the same plot on two shows that were as much about playing with the legend as merely recapitualating it.
Weird, huh?
(Spoilers for Dr Who)
This was one of those shows about a hero, the kind who always saved the world. One of his enemies, a time traveller, decided to run for higher office, and used advanced technology hooked up to the phones to brainwash people into voting for him even though he didn't have any identity in the present. Or a platform. Upon taking office, he gets rid of his enemy, and the public sees him for what he is too late.
Thankfully, our hero has allies, and the evil time travelling politician is defeated.
Is this Doctor Who? Yes. But it's also Lois and Clark. Anyone else remember Tempus, a time traveller from a perfect future who wanted nothing more than to change history and undo the utopia created in a world inspired by Superman. He called himself John Doe, ran for presidnet, managed to hypnotize everyone but Lois and Clark into thinking he was a swell guy, even trapped Superman. Luckily, HG Wells brought a Superman from a parallel timeline to save the day.
No, I am not suggesting that Russel T. Davies stole the plot. I'd bet he never saw a single episode of L&C, and certainly not during the show's doomed fourth season. But I always find it interesting when plots return, as if they are swimming along in the creative ether, waiting to be fished out. And it is strange that we would see the same plot on two shows that were as much about playing with the legend as merely recapitualating it.
Weird, huh?
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Date: Jul. 10th, 2007 12:47 am (UTC)Yeah, the story soup gets ladled out in odd ways.
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Date: Jul. 10th, 2007 01:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Jul. 10th, 2007 07:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Jul. 10th, 2007 10:06 am (UTC)