Astrid Peth

Last night my two obsessions had a crossover. Kylie Minogue was a guest-star on our episode of Doctor Who.  She played Astrid Peth, a waitress aboard a futuristic Titanic cruise ship.

We knew she was going to be on at some point. A few weeks back, I had consulted Lord Wiki about Doctor Who companions. I was quite shocked to see Kylie Minogue on the list, because I thought it meant she was a series regular. I couldn't believe I didn't know already know she was one of the stars of Doctor Who. But then I looked closer and saw she was on for only one episode.

The thing is, after that, somehow Tim and I got it into our heads that a Doctor Who companion is anyone who takes a ride in the Tardis.

So I was waiting and expecting that to happen.

But....

Anyway.  

The Doctor seemed to be in love with Astrid after knowing her for about ten minutes. Or maybe it took even less time than that. A few episodes back, he was in love with a school nurse. Travel back in time a little further, and there was Rose. He definitely seemed to love her. 

Tim made a comment about his quick-changing heart. I forgot his exact words.

I used to be unnerved and slightly offended by the Doctor's fickleness.  But then I realized his relationship with his companions mirrors my feelings towards my favorite TV shows. 

I looked at a message board on GoodReads yesterday where people list their "Fandoms".  The first thing I wondered is what is a fandom, and am I in any of them? It seems to be people who not only love a show or book but also heavily participate in a community made up of other fans. I'm not sure I do that very often. So I think mostly I'm a fan who lives outside the fandom. I don't know.  Or maybe if you simply write about something online, it puts you in the fandom. Maybe there doesn't need to be actual interaction.  

The second thing I wondered is what would be on my list if I was going to add something to the message board. Then I realized I don't really have multiple fan-thing/fandoms at the same time. I'm kind of like a serial fan. I jump from one thing to another. And when I jump to the new thing, I lose a lot of interest in the old thing.  But if the old thing returns...for example, a new season for a TV show, I will often eventually get back into the old thing.

Right now I'm really into Doctor Who. I have a strong emotional attachment. Before that I had a strong emotional attachment to Bates Motel. Prior to that, it was In the Flesh. Prior to that, it was American Horror Story.  And so on....

As for Australian shows, Jack and I were both quite obsessed with McLeod's Daughters back in 2008.  As for more recent stuff, I think my strongest feelings have probably been with Dance Academy, Home and Away, and Offspring.

Besides McLeod's Daughters, I'm not sure I've had that strong of an attachment to an Australian show. I love some of them, but I don't feel for them the same way I have felt for American and British shows.

I do NOT think it's because Australian shows are less in quality than American and British shows. I think it's more the fact that Australia doesn't often make the type of shows that I get really into— shows like Lost or The Walking Dead.

I am amazed by the tragic deaths on Australian television and then wonder if it's not that big of a deal. Maybe it's the same on American television, and I just don't know, because I don't often watch that type of show on American television. I've watched a lot of Australia drama, and I don't usually choose to watch that sort of show in America.  But I'm desperate to watch anything Australian available, so I end up trying things I wouldn't usually try. Which I think is actually pretty cool.