bring out the leather

Now what is this? Promotional pictures for the next Doctor Who?

A few months ago I wrote about the british phenomenon of the sixties called The Avengers, featuring Diana Rigg as Emma Peel -- the second actress to act as companion to the secret agent Steed, played by Patrick Macnee throughout the duration of the run. Frequently clad entirely in leather, Emma Peel subsequently became a symbol of feminine independence, keen fashion sense, and sexual frankness.



Was it any coincidence that she often found herself handcuffed and gagged? Such scenes, when transported to American television, were edited out of the episodes.



Her wardrobe contrasted with that of the quiet dandy Steed who was always clad in a suit coat and bowler hat. As with their clothes, both characters assumed a role unique for their time. Emma the progressive; Steed the old-fashioned.



Doctor Who, of course, also originated in the 60's, and often ran at the same time as The Avengers, and as both feature a man and a woman fighting evil -- whether monsters or human beings -- the two shows were inevitably compared. They both engendered a similar cult status, representing the changing times in British society. So it was with little surprise that I should see the main characters next companion on Doctor Who clad entirely in leather (as she is, though the pictures only show so much) beside the anachronistically clothed 21st century doctor. Pastiche has become a mainstay of post-modern life for those who argue that originality no longer exists, that all artistic endeavours are simply an imitation of forms that precede it.

I'll be waiting for the handcuffs.