Prometheus shout out to Dr Who?
By
Agent White,
Posted on: 2012-05-07 01:08 in Comic and Hero-Villain Culture
Coincidence? I think not!
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Huh, hadn't realized that til just now. Nice shout-out then. 
S.
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Unless Ridley ever admits to a direct shout-out I could easily see this going either way. Like you say he might have been subconsciously aware of the name from watching Dr. Who or he might have really liked that Dr. Who character and specifically reused the name. After all the name "Elizabeth Shaw" is not the most unique or unusual name out there - I could easily see someone independently coming up with it just like I could come up with "John Smith". Sometimes coincidences are just that... coincidental.
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Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
Ridley Scott is the right age and nationality to remember this, so is it deliberate, or just leaked in from the subconscious?
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"Dr" Elizabeth Shaw is a much less probable co-incidence than just Elizabeth Shaw on it own.
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Originally Posted by Lothic
Unless Ridley ever admits to a direct shout-out I could easily see this going either way. Like you say he might have been subconsciously aware of the name from watching Dr. Who or he might have really liked that Dr. Who character and specifically reused the name. After all the name "Elizabeth Shaw" is not the most unique or unusual name out there - I could easily see someone independently coming up with it just like I could come up with "John Smith". Sometimes coincidences are just that... coincidental.
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Considering Scott did not write Prometheus, any shout out would have come from Spaihts or Lindelof.
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Scott didn't right the script, but the story outline was his. He may well have come up with the character names. If he didn't, and it is a co-incidence, then I would expect him to have notice...|
Originally Posted by Lachlin
Considering Scott did not write Prometheus, any shout out would have come from Spaihts or Lindelof.
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I usually do a google search on character names that I plan on using in my writing, anyway.
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Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
"Dr" Elizabeth Shaw is a much less probable co-incidence than just Elizabeth Shaw on it own.
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Originally Posted by Lachlin
Considering Scott did not write Prometheus, any shout out would have come from Spaihts or Lindelof.
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Yeah but John Smith is a very common name. Liz Shaw is not. I know I picked up on it right away.
Even if it started as a coincidence, there's no way the writers were not made aware of it soon after.
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I would still argue that "Elizabeth Shaw" is a relatively common name, common enough that I could see where this could have been a complete coincidence. I've been watching Dr. Who semi-randomly for 30+ years and even I didn't make the connection between these characters' names until this thread. I like the concept behind Dr. Who and I do respect its appeal, but like 99% of the rest of humanity I never quite became a super-serious fan/historian of it. *shrugs*|
Originally Posted by Agent White
Yeah but John Smith is a very common name. Liz Shaw is not. I know I picked up on it right away.
Even if it started as a coincidence, there's no way the writers were not made aware of it soon after. |
At least I would agree that even if this name thing was a complete coincidence that knowing how quickly sci-fi fandom typically operates on the Internet I'm sure the Prometheus people were made aware almost-instantly of the connection.
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Well, evidence that Scott watched Doctor Who is interesting, given that "The Ark in Space" came out in 1975, and "Alien" in 1979.
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I've just noticed that one of the characters in Prometheus is called Dr Elizabeth Shaw. I'm sure that some of you are aware that Dr Elizabeth Shaw was the name of a Dr Who companion, round about 1973.
Ridley Scott is the right age and nationality to remember this, so is it deliberate, or just leaked in from the subconscious?
Actually, 1973 was the year Ridley Scott made his breakout Hovis commercial.
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