Sneak Preview - Thor on Blue Peter
Jul. 6th, 2014 10:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ffuturesThis is part of a longer story, London Calling, since people have been so helpful with the Blue Peter discussion I thought I'd post this bit as a sneak preview.
I hope I've got the Blue Peter flavour reasonably right, remembering that this is an outside broadcast bit, not in the studio, let me know what you think. Also, if anything seems odd about the way I describe the film crew working!
“What is this show anyway?” asked Jane, watching the BBC crew prepare for the next shot. “I wasn’t really listening properly when you and Darcy set it up.”
“Blue Peter?” said Ian. “It’s a magazine show for kids. It’s the oldest children’s TV show in the world, been on the BBC since the nineteen-fifties. Over the years everyone’s been on it; the Queen, Madonna, Johnny Storm, Doctor Who.”
“Which one?” asked Jane.
“Most of them from Hartnell onwards,” said Darcy. “Most of the monsters too. And they raise a ton of money for charity, a couple of million a year. You remember the YouTube clip I showed you, the black and white TV show with the baby elephant? That’s Blue Peter.”
“Quiet please, everyone,” said one of the crew, producing a clapper board. “Take seven! Action!”
The young Asian presenter smiled at the camera and said “We’re here at London Zoo tonight to see their latest exhibit; their first animal from another world, which somehow found its way to Earth when the Dark Elves invaded Greenwich. And we’re very lucky to be joined by none other than Prince Thor of Asgard, who’s going to tell us all about it.” She turned to Thor, who was in his Asgardian costume, and added “Prince Thor, welcome to Blue Peter.”
“Thank you, it is good to be here.”
“Prince Thor, we’re really not sure what to call this creature. What can you tell us about it?”
Thor gestured towards a huge steel-barred cage behind them, where a slate-grey creature, about twenty feet long with powerful legs, scaly skin, and a barbed tail was gnawing a tyre. “It is a creature of Jotunheim, the realm of the frost giants. I do not know what the frost giants call them; they are a little like the bilgesnipe of my realm, but larger. They are very dangerous when they are fully grown.”
“Fully grown? How big do they get?”
“At least three times this size. This is a mere infant.”
“Wow! Imagine that. What’s it like where they live?”
“It is a land of ice and snow. These creatures hunt in the wilderness. Often they bury themselves in the ice and sleep for many months, until they feel vibrations as something ventures close. Then they break free of the ice and attack.”
“What do they eat?”
“They eat other beasts like themselves, and anything else that is worth the effort of hunting. Often frost giants, or so it is said. The giants send their young warriors to hunt them; those that survive are considered adults.”
“That sounds very dangerous,” said the presenter.
“It is a harsh world, the giants must be harsh to survive.”
Behind them the creature spat out chunks of tyre and roared loudly, then hurled itself at the bars. There was a deafening clang.
“If he’s going to get as big as you say, won’t that cage be too small?”
“When it is fully grown no cage could hold it. It cannot remain on Midgard, and I have sent a message to Asgard, asking that they negotiate its return to Jotunheim.”
“Will that happen soon?”
“I am still waiting to hear. Asgard and Jotunheim recently warred, so it will probably take some time and diplomacy. And the frost giants may not want it back!”
“Now, our audience has sent in hundreds of questions for you, we picked three that seemed especially interesting. First, from Alicia Cummings of Luton: ‘What is your hammer made of?’”
“That is a good question.” Thor raised Mjolnir, and it glinted under the lights. “It is Uru, the Dwarven metal, forged from the hearts of suns. My Lady Jane tells me that those learned in your sciences believe that it is a mixture of strange matter and neutronium, but I know little of such matters. It is responsive to my will, and may only be lifted by those who are truly worthy to wield it.”
“Our next question comes from Kim Roberts of Newcastle: ‘Will you be joining the Avengers again?’”
“Another good question! There would need to be good reason for us to assemble again, another threat to this world, but yes, should the need arise I will be there.”
“Finally, Mark Jones of Wigan asks: ‘What do you like best about Earth?’”
“Many things! Pop tarts, coffee, pizza, cat videos, your ingenious machines, and the Avengers. But most of all my beloved Lady Jane!”
“That’s awesome! Now, before you go, we like to give all our guests a Blue Peter badge. The usual one is blue, to show that you’ve been on the show, but there’s a special badge that we only give to guests who have shown unusual courage. Prince Thor, please accept this gold Blue Peter badge from everyone on the show, as thanks for your defence of London and New York.”
“It is my honour to accept!” Thor took the badge, seemed slightly at a loss as to how to fix it to his costume, then pinned it to his cloak just above the left shoulder clasp. “I will treasure it!”
“Thank you, Prince Thor of Asgard.”
“And cut!” shouted the producer. “Thanks, Prince Thor, that looked really good, I don’t think we’ll need to do another take. Someone should be sending you a Blue Peter identity card to go with the badge, you can use it for free entry to Alton Towers and a couple of hundred other sites around the UK.”
“When will you be showing the interview?” asked Darcy.
“Probably next weekend, Sunday the eleventh at noon.”
“Excellent!”
Thor concentrated for a moment, and his armour vanished, replaced by the street clothing he preferred for everyday wear. Somehow the badge was pinned to the shoulder of his t-shirt.
As they walked back to Jane’s car Thor shifted the badge to his chest, and said “I do not think this badge is real gold, perhaps they have been deceived.”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Ian. “It’s symbolic. Wear it with pride, they don’t give them out very often. You deserve it.”
I've got about 2/3rds of the story written now, hopefully posting in the next day or two.
I hope I've got the Blue Peter flavour reasonably right, remembering that this is an outside broadcast bit, not in the studio, let me know what you think. Also, if anything seems odd about the way I describe the film crew working!
“What is this show anyway?” asked Jane, watching the BBC crew prepare for the next shot. “I wasn’t really listening properly when you and Darcy set it up.”
“Blue Peter?” said Ian. “It’s a magazine show for kids. It’s the oldest children’s TV show in the world, been on the BBC since the nineteen-fifties. Over the years everyone’s been on it; the Queen, Madonna, Johnny Storm, Doctor Who.”
“Which one?” asked Jane.
“Most of them from Hartnell onwards,” said Darcy. “Most of the monsters too. And they raise a ton of money for charity, a couple of million a year. You remember the YouTube clip I showed you, the black and white TV show with the baby elephant? That’s Blue Peter.”
“Quiet please, everyone,” said one of the crew, producing a clapper board. “Take seven! Action!”
The young Asian presenter smiled at the camera and said “We’re here at London Zoo tonight to see their latest exhibit; their first animal from another world, which somehow found its way to Earth when the Dark Elves invaded Greenwich. And we’re very lucky to be joined by none other than Prince Thor of Asgard, who’s going to tell us all about it.” She turned to Thor, who was in his Asgardian costume, and added “Prince Thor, welcome to Blue Peter.”
“Thank you, it is good to be here.”
“Prince Thor, we’re really not sure what to call this creature. What can you tell us about it?”
Thor gestured towards a huge steel-barred cage behind them, where a slate-grey creature, about twenty feet long with powerful legs, scaly skin, and a barbed tail was gnawing a tyre. “It is a creature of Jotunheim, the realm of the frost giants. I do not know what the frost giants call them; they are a little like the bilgesnipe of my realm, but larger. They are very dangerous when they are fully grown.”
“Fully grown? How big do they get?”
“At least three times this size. This is a mere infant.”
“Wow! Imagine that. What’s it like where they live?”
“It is a land of ice and snow. These creatures hunt in the wilderness. Often they bury themselves in the ice and sleep for many months, until they feel vibrations as something ventures close. Then they break free of the ice and attack.”
“What do they eat?”
“They eat other beasts like themselves, and anything else that is worth the effort of hunting. Often frost giants, or so it is said. The giants send their young warriors to hunt them; those that survive are considered adults.”
“That sounds very dangerous,” said the presenter.
“It is a harsh world, the giants must be harsh to survive.”
Behind them the creature spat out chunks of tyre and roared loudly, then hurled itself at the bars. There was a deafening clang.
“If he’s going to get as big as you say, won’t that cage be too small?”
“When it is fully grown no cage could hold it. It cannot remain on Midgard, and I have sent a message to Asgard, asking that they negotiate its return to Jotunheim.”
“Will that happen soon?”
“I am still waiting to hear. Asgard and Jotunheim recently warred, so it will probably take some time and diplomacy. And the frost giants may not want it back!”
“Now, our audience has sent in hundreds of questions for you, we picked three that seemed especially interesting. First, from Alicia Cummings of Luton: ‘What is your hammer made of?’”
“That is a good question.” Thor raised Mjolnir, and it glinted under the lights. “It is Uru, the Dwarven metal, forged from the hearts of suns. My Lady Jane tells me that those learned in your sciences believe that it is a mixture of strange matter and neutronium, but I know little of such matters. It is responsive to my will, and may only be lifted by those who are truly worthy to wield it.”
“Our next question comes from Kim Roberts of Newcastle: ‘Will you be joining the Avengers again?’”
“Another good question! There would need to be good reason for us to assemble again, another threat to this world, but yes, should the need arise I will be there.”
“Finally, Mark Jones of Wigan asks: ‘What do you like best about Earth?’”
“Many things! Pop tarts, coffee, pizza, cat videos, your ingenious machines, and the Avengers. But most of all my beloved Lady Jane!”
“That’s awesome! Now, before you go, we like to give all our guests a Blue Peter badge. The usual one is blue, to show that you’ve been on the show, but there’s a special badge that we only give to guests who have shown unusual courage. Prince Thor, please accept this gold Blue Peter badge from everyone on the show, as thanks for your defence of London and New York.”
“It is my honour to accept!” Thor took the badge, seemed slightly at a loss as to how to fix it to his costume, then pinned it to his cloak just above the left shoulder clasp. “I will treasure it!”
“Thank you, Prince Thor of Asgard.”
“And cut!” shouted the producer. “Thanks, Prince Thor, that looked really good, I don’t think we’ll need to do another take. Someone should be sending you a Blue Peter identity card to go with the badge, you can use it for free entry to Alton Towers and a couple of hundred other sites around the UK.”
“When will you be showing the interview?” asked Darcy.
“Probably next weekend, Sunday the eleventh at noon.”
“Excellent!”
Thor concentrated for a moment, and his armour vanished, replaced by the street clothing he preferred for everyday wear. Somehow the badge was pinned to the shoulder of his t-shirt.
As they walked back to Jane’s car Thor shifted the badge to his chest, and said “I do not think this badge is real gold, perhaps they have been deceived.”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Ian. “It’s symbolic. Wear it with pride, they don’t give them out very often. You deserve it.”
I've got about 2/3rds of the story written now, hopefully posting in the next day or two.
