How has RTD relaunched Doctor Who? How has he remixed and rejigged the previous eras of the show? How to sell the magic of Who? How do the aesthetics of this era compare to what’s come before? What’s present, and what’s missing? And what do the extras and the novelisation add?
TIMECODES:
00:00:00 Thoughts vs. Specials 1-3
00:06:48 Awkward ‘Special 4’ positioning
00:10:59 Doctor dancing in club scene
00:15:59 Remixing the foundling lore
00:23:03 Attitudes to adoption & Ruby’s family
00:30:23 Dark Carla scene and its implications
00:40:24 Goblin controversy
00:44:45 The direction, editing and composition
00:56:00 Visual storytelling issues in climactic scenes
01:12:11 The Flood reveal & her identity
01:19:06 Liminal checkpoints vs. jumping-on points
01:29:15 Experiencing media the ‘right way’
01:32:51 How to sell the magic of Who
01:38:16 Ruby’s motive for entering the TARDIS
01:41:58 Showrunners’ interest in the TARDIS
01:46:59 The “Disney scene”
01:51:19 “I finally saw him as the Doctor”
01:53:17 Music in the show’s DNA
01:58:35 The Goblin Song
02:04:29 Cringe, insecurity & sincerity
02:11:11 Goblin Song stylistic choices
02:13:43 Darkness, diegesis, magical church & fake snow
02:19:27 The missing Goblin King attack sequence
02:24:54 Overcompensating CGI over practical effects
02:31:31 Photos on the fridge
02:33:40 Praise for Millie and Ncuti’s performances
02:41:21 Costume design & companion comparisons
02:49:46 The mysterious musical motif
03:01:41 More musical highlights and parallels
03:13:42 Interview quotes about the new TARDIS
03:18:53 The new sonic’s design and usage
03:30:17 Most and least exciting future episodes
03:38:00 Millie Gibson interviews
03:43:41 Millie rumours & the online outrage industry
03:52:00 Influencer ideology
03:57:43 Janis Goblin
03:59:32 Novelisation: author backstory
04:06:30 Novel: Opening
04:10:25 Novel: Chapters 2-3, writing style
04:13:42 Novel: Dance scene, chapters 5-6
04:17:29 Novel: Action scenes & Ruby internal monologue
04:21:48 Novel: The ship escape & room for authorial liberties
04:27:29 Novel: Cut psychic paper and jargon
04:31:47 Novel: “I’ve got no-one”; Drastic Transgression
04:34:56 Novel: Ruby’s family & 15’s emotions
04:40:24 Novel: Crack in time
04:43:14 Novel: Spiking the ship & Doctor’s motivations
04:52:44 Novel: Ruby entering the TARDIS
04:58:08 Novel: Overall thoughts
SOURCES
1.
00:06:51
Davies, Russell T. “Get Ready For Ncuti Gatwa’s First Season!” Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 599, 4 Jan. 2024, p. 4.
2.
00:25:51
Ruby’s family give her strength
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 36:52-37:14, 50:-13-50:30, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
3.
00:35:16
RTD praises Carla subtlety
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 37:30-38:06, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
4.
00:38:34
Ruby yelling ‘don’t move!’
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 37:30-38:06, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
5.
00:39:23
Christmas Carol/Wonderful Life comparison
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 39:44-40:37, 50:13-50:30, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
6.
00:40:54
“Kelly Osbourne Breaks Silence on the ‘If You Kick Every Latino Out’ Video Going Viral.” Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2024, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/kelly-osbourne-regrets-if-you-kick-every-latino-out-video-1234948054/
7.
Tonderai, Mark. Web comment. “The Church on Ruby Road Review.” Eruditorum Pres, 26 Dec. 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20231227000251/https://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/the-church-on-ruby-road-review
8.
00:52:57
RTD rehired Chibnall colourist
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 22:32-22:52, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
9.
00:59:55
RTD wanted more of London behind the ending TARDIS scene
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 51:59-52:09, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
10.
01:00:15
RTD explains why eps are banked so early
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 28:50-29:15, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
11.
01:02:55
Gatwa, Ncuti. “Need to know more about the PSYCHIC GLOVE! 😱” YouTube, uploaded by BBC, 15 Dec. 2023, https://youtu.be/zrk7WO1beSU
12.
01:13:11
RTD compares Flood teaser to Marvel
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 53:59-54:33, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
13.
01:15:06
RTD prevaricating about Flood 4th wall break
Davies, Russell T. “Episode 4: The Church on Ruby Road | The Official Doctor Who Podcast | Doctor Who.” YouTube, uploaded by Doctor Who, 25 Dec. 2023, 20:48-21:05, https://youtu.be/6TrjP8zpSes
14.
01:34:24
RTD forgets Clara looped around the TARDIS too
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 52:22-52:43, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
15.
01:44:19
Jukebox songs
“Music of the Sphere.” Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 599, 4 Jan. 2024, p. 35.
16.
01:47:11
Disney’s note about seeing the Doctor sooner
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 06:13-06:57, 08:37-09:10, 09:10-09:27, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
17.
01:51:09 17
RTD says he liked taking a long time to introduce the Doctor
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 10:55-11:12, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
18.
02:10:43
Ncuti/Millie in extras explaining their awkwardness doing the music scene
“Doctor Who Unleashed: The Church on Ruby Road.” Doctor Who Unleashed, BBC iPlayer, 25 Dec. 2023, 22:58-23:30, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001tv5z/doctor-who-unleashed-the-church-on-ruby-road
19.
02:11:12
Tonderai wanted stamping gang rhythm
“The Church on Ruby Road: Behind the Scenes | Doctor Who.” YouTube, uploaded by Doctor Who, 25 Dec. 2023, 06:40-07:18, https://youtu.be/MIKeuC3IE9c
20.
02:13:48
Millie outraged at goblin king’s death
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 29:26-30:02, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
21.
02:17:58
Fake snow
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 46:41-47:12, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
“Doctor Who Unleashed: The Church on Ruby Road.” Doctor Who Unleashed, BBC iPlayer, 25 Dec. 2023, 15:45-16:49, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001tv5z/doctor-who-unleashed-the-church-on-ruby-road
22.
02:19:45
Cut goblin king in home sequence
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 31:48-32:53, 33:21-33:59, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
23.
02:31:36
Photos on fridge were art department’s idea
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 32:53-33:21, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
24.
02:33:48
RTD talks up Millie’s youth
“The Church on Ruby Road: Behind the Scenes | Doctor Who.” YouTube, uploaded by Doctor Who, 25 Dec. 2023, 01:58-02:26, https://youtu.be/MIKeuC3IE9c
25.
02:35:50
Ncuti was off shooting Sex Education for much of filming
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 10:55-11:30, 42:47-43:22, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
26.
02:35:56
First block was Eps 4/5
“Doctor Who Series 14: production and crew updates.” Cultbox, 9 Nov. 2022, https://web.archive.org/web/20240324055023/https://cultbox.co.uk/news/headlines/doctor-who-series-14-production-and-crew-updates
“Doctor Who Series 14: latest production news.” Cultbox, 2 Jan. 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20231225194027/https://cultbox.co.uk/news/headlines/doctor-who-series-14-latest-production-news
27.
02:43:15
Millie costume
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 10:36-10:55, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
28.
03:13:47
Collins, Joel, Phil Sims, Crissy Howes, and David Tennant. “Even Bigger on the Inside.” Interview with Paul Kirkley. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 599, 4 Jan. 2024, pp. 32-35.
29.
03:20:03
“Sonic Disruptors.” Interview with Paul Kirkley. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 599, 4 Jan. 2024, pp. 36-37.
30.
03:27:28 Why they didn’t make the gloves Star Wars metallic style
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 20:17-20:56, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
31.
03:32:13
RTD mentioning a script starts in Roswell
Davies, Russell T. “Letter From The Showrunner.” Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 584, 10 Nov. 2022, p. 11.
32.
03:34:05
“New Doctor Who “one of the greatest things” showrunner has ever made.” Radio Times, 14 March 2023, https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-greatest-things-showrunner-russell-t-davies-newsupdate/
33.
03:36:27
RTD spoiling Rogue’s ending
Davies, Russell T, Millie Gibson, and Chris May. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, 2023 Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road, 25 Dec. 2023, 42:32-42:50, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0gsdjvx/doctor-who-video-commentaries-christmas-special-the-church-on-ruby-road-with-commentary
34.
03:39:59
Methven, Nicola. “BBC Doctor Who’s new companion Varada Sethu spotted filming with Ncuti Gatwa after Millie Gibson exit.” The Mirror, 23 Jan. 2024, https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/bbc-doctor-whos-varada-sethu-31943517
35.
03:40:05
“Doctor Who star Millie Gibson seen on set for first time since Coronation Street exit.” The Daily Express, 12 Jan. 2023, https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1719896/doctor-who-millie-gibson-filming-pictures
36.
03:40:44
Gibson, Millie. “Sunday Girl.” Interview with Lisa Gledhill. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 600, 1 Feb. 2024, pp. 24-25.
37.
03:44:48
Yaqoob, Janine, Nicola Fahey, and Laura Armstrong. “Dr Who star Millie Gibson branded a ‘diva’ after being ‘annoyed’ about night shoots.” The Mirror, 17 June 2023, https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/dr-who-star-millie-gibson-30258693
38.
03:57:43
Rotondo, Christina. “The Goblin With the Golden Voice.” Interview with Jason Quinn. Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 600, 1 Feb. 2024, p. 43.
39.
04:00:16
Novelisation
Jikiemi-Pearson, Esmie. “Doctor Who: The CHurch on Ruby Road.” BBC Books, 25 Jan. 2024.
Author experiences with Doctor Who when younger
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson | Doctor Who Author Interview.” YouTube, uploaded by WHO Corner to Corner, 28 Jan. 2024, https://youtu.be/Q8j-nUhv6Xc, ~5m20s
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson LIVE Interview | The Principle of Moments & More.” YouTube, uploaded by FanFiAddict, 8 Feb. 2024, https://youtu.be/JybN0sVCEho, ~58m51s
40.
04:01:03
Proto-Time Lord Victorious project
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson | Doctor Who Author Interview.” YouTube, uploaded by WHO Corner to Corner, 28 Jan. 2024, https://youtu.be/Q8j-nUhv6Xc, ~7m50s
Quick pace of getting the script and writing the novelisation
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson | Doctor Who Author Interview.” YouTube, uploaded by WHO Corner to Corner, 28 Jan. 2024, https://youtu.be/Q8j-nUhv6Xc, ~11m, ~18m47s, ~56m
The Principle of Moments inspiration from Doctor Who and Ncuti Gatwa + lack of black women SFF writers
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson | Doctor Who Author Interview.” YouTube, uploaded by WHO Corner to Corner, 28 Jan. 2024, https://youtu.be/Q8j-nUhv6Xc, ~14m11s
Lack of leeway with additions
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson | Doctor Who Author Interview.” YouTube, uploaded by WHO Corner to Corner, 28 Jan. 2024, https://youtu.be/Q8j-nUhv6Xc, ~22m54s
Visiting the 13 TARDIS during the proto-TLV era
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson | Doctor Who Author Interview.” YouTube, uploaded by WHO Corner to Corner, 28 Jan. 2024, https://youtu.be/Q8j-nUhv6Xc, ~41m
What it’s like to write for someone else’s characters + script being obvious with character motivations
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson | Doctor Who Author Interview.” YouTube, uploaded by WHO Corner to Corner, 28 Jan. 2024, https://youtu.be/Q8j-nUhv6Xc, ~54m18s
Interest in writing more Doctor Who novels
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson | Doctor Who Author Interview.” YouTube, uploaded by WHO Corner to Corner, 28 Jan. 2024, https://youtu.be/Q8j-nUhv6Xc, ~1h6m
Avoiding reading novelsiations
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson | Doctor Who Author Interview.” YouTube, uploaded by WHO Corner to Corner, 28 Jan. 2024, https://youtu.be/Q8j-nUhv6Xc, ~1h11m
Imposter syndrome, dialogue formatting
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson LIVE Interview | The Principle of Moments & More.” YouTube, uploaded by FanFiAddict, 8 Feb. 2024, https://youtu.be/JybN0sVCEho, ~1h2m53s
Doctor Who fans loving added scenes in novelisations
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson LIVE Interview | The Principle of Moments & More.” YouTube, uploaded by FanFiAddict, 8 Feb. 2024, https://youtu.be/JybN0sVCEho, ~1h11m47s
41.
04:34:56
Author family connections
“Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson | Doctor Who Author Interview.” YouTube, uploaded by WHO Corner to Corner, 28 Jan. 2024, https://youtu.be/Q8j-nUhv6Xc, ~22m54s
Who Cares? 
Loved your discussion, as always! Really thoughtful, considerate and critical. I’ve been really taken aback by the new era- definitely not what I had expected from RTD2. In particular, the editing, pacing and writing. The constant quick shots and hyper close ups and loud music have been so overwhelming and jarring. It has left no room for thought and acting and relationship building. Constant hyper close ups just have no room in a world in which a lot of viewers now have big flat screen TVs- they make me want to lean back, rather than lean in! The pacing has just been way too fast- there is no time to think or to spend time with the characters and how they’re feeling or thinking. If everyone keeps highlighting the acting, then the creators should have confidence in letting the acting take main stage as it were! We can’t see them emote or their body language towards one another. This is clear from RTD1- we get great full body and mid shots, to showcase movement and emotion. As for the writing- what is happening?? Everything is so exposition heavy and explicit- we’re intelligent viewers, no need to spell it out! People love mystery, so please leave some! Characters make really odd choices and we don’t see any relationship development between the doctor and ruby- instant BFFs. Side characters are so weak. I don’t feel anything for Ruby, as she feels so thin. So silly doing a fake death scene for a character we don’t properly know or feel anything for.
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ok first, sorry if this comes across as a bit abrasive. i really enjoy you guy’ses (sp?) channel and it’s honestly… one of the few places in youtube with Actual Analysis (if not the only one).
but i do gotta get this … slight annoyance off my chest, which I’ve also noticed in other videos when the subject of chibnall stuff comes up:
at 18:40 when you guys start praising this ep because it “grounds the story” of the timeless child and it’s not “longer this super big super important story” I’m like… tbh this… has always been there? sdlkfj it’s why sometimes us ~timeless child enjoyers~ are like… lol idk, exasperated I guess. Because none of this is new to us. and a lot of us even called it before TTC aired, bc chibnall kept repeatedly bringing up recurring themes of broken families, colonialism (Demons, etc) and of 13 being ‘disconnected’ or “different” from her friends.
Like no, it was never about making the doctor super special or a “chosen one”. none of that was in the story. there’s no implication that by being the foundling, the doctor is some kind of “god” (quite the opposite, the implication is re generational abilities are “as natural as breathing” from the species they come from). this is something people brought into it from their (completely valid, but unrelated) exhaustion with other cliches in other universes. like sorry if this sounds harsh but that was quite entirely a misinterpretation from the audience. it was always fundamentally a story about parental abuse and exploitation.
like, the backstory made the doctor actually less powerful! it made them a refugee! and a powerless victim of parental abuse and the type of exploitation they always faught across the universe!! and the whole “i belong nowhere” is a universal situation in these apocaliptic “sixth great mass extinction” times we live in!! (O55 may be a fail in a lot of ways but it along with other subtext in the flux, made the show put us in the framework that those series were about The Current Times.
like you just need to give these professional writers a little credit and good faith to realize yeah, that was likely always intentional (and even if chibnall didn’t intent all implications or subtexts… like, that doesn’t stop them from being valid interpretations or meanings of the text. tho that’s a separate, larger media analysis discussion that isn’t specific to doctor who…)
so like. yeah i also love how this episode builds upon that, BUT imo is one of those things fandom needs to … at some point… start giving chibnal credit / cutting him some slash. like rtd is building on it BECAUSE there was a strong foundation to build on from in the first place.
(anyway, again sorry if I sound a bit rude, it wasn’t the intention. Gonna keep listening and hopefully will have less abrasive points to contribute here later lol)
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as for the rest of the video:
31:38 for me it works because it’s like… “this is how life is like without light”. it’s sort of like the equivalent to all those times doctor has done “inferno type” apocalyptic sadness. bur here it’s just like, 1 person missing in this one 1 family suddenly has all these ramifications.
and also it’s something that it’s been evoked with Donna recently -> “I think I had something lovely, and now it’s gone” so i think, thematically it works.
and also 15 going “why are you crying?” is so good. it just. it just is guys dsfkjfs there’s not much to explain. also suggests sm stuff about how 15 isn’t actually Over their baggage (they are projecting onto carla their own tecteun baggage)
i do think there’s like… a bit of an uncomfortable “whiff” of a racist trope lurking in it, like oh so if 1 thing went wrong with carla then she would immediately turn into a “welfare vampire mother” ? the other angle that
however personally i think it’s much more about a general ‘don’t be selfish or u’ll become bitter, kids’ Aesop that feels very Who, and it’s why the moment works for me.
1:53… some of this aged really well some of it didn’t… twist at the end? being important? “yeah i don’t think it’s that important!” but that’s part of the game lol
2:07. LOVED this whole section!!! I so agree. it’s never been “so bad it’s good”, it’s just good. daleks are a good design. getting plunged to death is scary. it reminds me of how often rtd insists that this is the best show ever made. and he means it 100% sincerely. and i fully agree with that sentiment.
2:16:33 now the discussion about the carols being non-diagetic DID age extremely well
the bit about martha’s fashion. high key disagree lol i still want that jacket
2:50:00 loved this bit about the motif! didn’t notice it at all. this kind of discussions lend themselves well to podcast in ways the ones about shots / direction may not (I at least got a bit lost trying to think of which shots you were referring too, thought it was still interesting of course)
the whole millie gibson’s faux scandal is a good lesson to us all to not believe randos with “set privileged info” so much,…
a final point, on the discussions of new years specials vs christmas specials… well, i do miss the more secular specials tbh. you can say “but isn’t christmas been so secularized and commercialized anyway?” but like… it’s still christmas. it’s a christian thing. it’s *the* christian thing. there’s a reason jewish people for example make a point *not* to celebrate it. the symbology of it all is still religious and of the power the christian church still holds in society. in fact it becoming so “prevalent” that people don’t even question it (and call it “secular) is, i would argue, even more worrying about how much political power it holds.
(that said, can’t said it’s a hill i’m too invested to die on lol if they want to do christmas specials, meh, fine. whatever. it’s also a tv-ratings thing probably, so it makes sense for that… but im not super thrilled about it either. i do feel it’s a bit of a step backwards)
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