When I was a little girl, I was fascinated with dinosaurs. I read and memorized every book I could find on the subject (even the ones in the adult section) and drove everyone crazy with the estimated lengths and weights of brachiosaurs and pacycephalosaurs. When I was in first grade and competed in my first and only beauty pageant, they asked us what our greatest wish would be and why. The girl who won said that she wished she had a pony so she could share it with her friends. My wish was that dinosaurs would be alive again; my reason was "I like dinosaurs." Obviously, I didn't make it even to the top 10!
Loving dinosaurs was and is considered a "boy thing," for reasons I still cannot understand. Librarians would try to direct me to stories about princesses instead. I hate sexism!
But I digress.
Anyway, the other big obsession I had as a kid was Ancient Egypt. As I have said
before, this is still one of my big hobbyhorses. But of course, when I was a kid, it was all new to me. It is funny really that I was so interested in mummification, because I have never been good at handling anything remotely gory. In fact, one reason I didn't like those princess stories the librarians wanted me to read was that they seemed to often mention beheadings. Just reading the word "behead" was enough to make me throw up. I kid you not. And yet, I could read about the details of the mummification process and feel just fine. (In case you're curious, I read fairytales often now and can handle the idea of beheadings, but am still afraid of gore in movies despite being able to watch surgeries while eating. I'm strange). Anyway, as you can see, I was kind of an odd kid.
That odd kid (who is still a part of me) got a huge thrill a few weeks ago when Doctor Who featured an episode called Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.
Watch the official Dinosaurs on a Spaceship trailer
I mean to say, Queen Nefertiti, plus dinosaurs, plus the Doctor! Were they writing this just for my inner little girl? It certainly seemed that way. With glee I watched as the Doctor (full of equal glee) rode a triceratops and Nefertiti fought off small tyrannosaurs. I particularly enjoyed the way the Doctor was allowed again to show his Crocodile Hunter side, rejoicing in the beauty of a creature most find frightening or repulsive. Over and over throughout the episode I found myself exclaiming, "I just love him!" or "Gosh, if I didn't have you, Doldin, I would SO marry that man!" Luckily of course the Doctor isn't real, so my husband has nothing to worry about.
Doctor Who Recap Dinosaurs on a Spaceship
The euphoria this exhibition of boyish enthusiasm induced was slightly dampened by the reality check we received at the end as
SPOILERS
the triceratops was murdered and the Doctor chose justice rather than his usual mercy
END SPOILERS
but kept returning each time I remembered that crazy triceratops ride and the fact that the Doctor still makes a Christmas list.
In conclusion, thank you, BBC, from the bottom of my inner child's heart!
