TLIAD: I Am A Legend

Thande

Thande

Donor
BTW, I hadn't really heard the term 'legend' bandied about to do with Boris before, so I googled it, and the first result was a thread from another forum: "Why is Boris Johnson such a Legend?"

Apparently this is quite common, to the extent that for a moment I thought Meadow was writing the truth in a Twilight Zone twist :eek:
 

Maltaran

Great story, I can genuinely see Boris doing Doctor Who.

Side note: I went to school with Owen Jones, it's kind of weird seeing his name pop up on here (even if it is in the ASB part).
 
Meadow

Meadow

Broader Liberty said:
Absolutely brilliant. Slightly scary. No, very scary, and I'd shudder to actually live in this world, but a phenomenal read none the less.
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Which world? The ASB or the 'real'? ;)

Thanks for all your kind comments. It's been a wild ride, and I'll definitely make sure I have a clearer idea of where I'm going with a TLIAD next time I start one ;)
 

Makemakean

Well, absolutely wonderful little piece if I may say so.

While the story has informed me that you don't hold Steven Moffat in too high regard, I hope you won't find it too insulting that the Borisocracy you describe, with television shows like Unsilent Majority does bring to mind the ethos (I already love that word, I need to start using it more) of such Doctor Who episodes as Russell T. Davies' Bad Wolf.
 
Meadow

Meadow

Makemakean said:
Well, absolutely wonderful little piece if I may say so.

While the story has informed me that you don't hold Steven Moffat in too high regard, I hope you won't find it too insulting that the Borisocracy you describe, with television shows like Unsilent Majority does bring to mind the ethos (I already love that word, I need to start using it more) of such Doctor Who episodes as Russell T. Davies' Bad Wolf.
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My relationship with Moffat is complex. He's written most of my favourite episodes, and the complexity he weaves into Sherlock is brilliant. His first series finale - The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang - is my favourite ever set of episodes of Who. But since then, particularly the mess that was Series 6, I've found myself agreeing more and more with the 'he just tries to be too clever and ends up looking stupid' brigade.

I could wax lyrical on this but for now I'd like to clear up any misconceptions about my view of Mr Moffat's work - his depiction here is in jest, but does level an accusation at him which I do hold to be mostly accurate!

I'm very glad you enjoyed the piece. Bad Wolf was probably one of the many inspirations for the Superdemocracy and Boristopia.
 
Thande

Thande

Donor
FWIW Meadow sums up my opinion of Moffat as well, both the positives and negatives.

The Red said:
When he was actually 14 did he just look like a gaping void of nothingness?
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Reminds me of a similar joke they used to tell at the DfES back in 2005 or so centring around the fact that David Miliband (then still a bit of a 'whohe'?, unbeknownst of his destiny as default Labour Prime Minister in 2008 in every British PM list with a POD in 1863 :p ) was popularly said to resemble a Year 8 on work experience.
 
Heavy

Heavy

Banned
Meadow said:
My relationship with Moffat is complex. He's written most of my favourite episodes, and the complexity he weaves into Sherlock is brilliant. His first series finale - The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang - is my favourite ever set of episodes of Who. But since then, particularly the mess that was Series 6, I've found myself agreeing more and more with the 'he just tries to be too clever and ends up looking stupid' brigade.
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I'm sure there's a multiplicity of factors at play, but I'm personally more inclined to attribute the problems of the sixth series (and the seventh) to the mid-season split which cost it a great deal of its cohesion and momentum.

My impression of Moffat is that he might be more at home if he was an old-school script editor rather than the head writer and executive producer (kind of a Robert Holmes figure with a Philip Hinchcliffe backing him up, if you get what I mean). Of course, I could be totally mistaken. Haha!
 
Meadow

Meadow

Thande said:
Reminds me of a similar joke they used to tell at the DfES back in 2005 or so centring around the fact that David Miliband (then still a bit of a 'whohe'?, unbeknownst of his destiny as default Labour Prime Minister in 2008 in every British PM list with a POD in 1863 :p ) was popularly said to resemble a Year 8 on work experience.
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Makes me wonder if after Chloe Smith's third General Election win, we'll look fondly back on the days where she was most notable for looking like a 17 year old boy.
 
Meadow

Meadow

And finally a (truly spoilerific) PMs, Monarchs and party leaders list for the TL.

Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

2007-2010 Gordon Brown (Labour)
2010-2013 David Cameron (Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition)
2013-2014 Boris Johnson (Conservative minority)
2014-2016 Boris Johnson (Conservative)

Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom

2016-2022 Boris Johnson (Conservative)
2022-2027 Sebastian Coe (Conservative)
2027- Stella Creasy (Labour)

Prime Ministers of Scotland

2016-2019 Alec Salmond (Scottish National)
2019-2020 Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National)
2020-2023 Alistair Darling (Labour-Liberal Democrat Coalition)
2023-2024 Jim Murphy (Labour minority)
2024- Jim Murphy (Labour minority with Caledonian support)

Mayors of London

2000-2012 Ken Livingstone (Labour)
2012-2016 David Lammy (Labour)
2016-2020 Sebastian Coe* (Conservative)
2020-2024 Steve O'Connell (Conservative)
2024- Chuka Umunna (Labour)

* Re-elected, but resigned

Leaders of the Conservative Party

2005-2013 David Cameron
2013-2022 Boris Johnson
2022-2027 Sebastian Coe
2027- Priti Patel

Leaders of the Labour Party

2007-2010 Gordon Brown
2010-2014 Ed Miliband
2014-2018 Chuka Umunna
2018-2022 Andy Burnham
2022- Stella Creasy

Leaders of the Liberal Democrats

2007-2014 Nick Clegg
2014-2023 Tim Farron
2023- Jeremy Browne

Leaders of the Scottish National Party

2004-2019 Alec Salmond
2019-2021 Nicola Sturgeon
2021- Michael Matheson

Leaders of the Labour Party (Scotland)

2015-2016 Johann Lamont
2016-2023 Alistair Darling
2023- Jim Murphy

Leaders of the Liberal Democrats (Scotland)

2015-2021 Charles Kennedy
2021-2025 Alistair Carmichael
2025- Jo Swinson

Leaders of the Caledonian Party

2016-2022 Murdo Fraser
2022- Derek Brownlee

Monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

6 February 1952-31 December 2015 Elizabeth II

Monarchs of the United Kingdom

1 January 2016-2 January 2016 Elizabeth II
2 January 2016- George VII

Monarchs of Scotland

1 January 2016-2 January 2016 Elizabeth
2 January 2016- George VII
 

Ed Costello

Fantastic. Pretty much everything about it was spot-on; the scene where Boris outlines 'X-Factor democracy' was harrowing.

More, I say! More! (That is to say, more works like this. I'm aware this particular TLIAD is a finished article.)
 
Meadow

Meadow

Thoresby said:
Would George VII be George VII of Scotland? The Kingdom of Scotland has never had a George on the throne.
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Yes it has - when it was part of Great Britain ;) (technically I think this is how it works, otherwise Scotland hasn't had a monarch since 1707, which I think a lot of people with disagree with).

Thanks Ed, glad X Factor democracy had the intended reaction.
 

Thoresby

Meadow said:
Yes it has - when it was part of Great Britain ;) (technically I think this is how it works, otherwise Scotland hasn't had a monarch since 1707, which I think a lot of people with disagree with).

Thanks Ed, glad X Factor democracy had the intended reaction.
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As I understand it the Kingdoms of Scotland and England were dissolved and a new Kingdom of Great Britain came into being. As all the first 5 Monarchs were all called George or Anne neither of which had been used by England or Scotland before regnal numbering wasn't an issue but on George IV's death and his brother William's ascension to the throne a decision was taken to use English Regnal numbers which in due course led to the fuss over Her Majesty being QE II or I if you were a Scot Nat. So you could argue that as Scottish Regnal numbering had not been used post 1707 and because the Kingdom of Scotland had been dissolved and incorporated that Prince Charles would be just King George, the Scot Nats would definitely have form.
 
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Meadow

Meadow

Thoresby said:
As I understand it the Kingdoms of Scotland and England were dissolved and a new United Kingdom came into being. A decision was later taken on George IV's death and his brother William's ascension to the throne to use English Regnal numbers which in due course led to the fuss over Her Majesty being QE I or II depending. So you could argue that as Scottish Regnal numbering had not been used post 1707 and because the Kingdom of Scotland had been dissolved and incorporated that Prince Charles would be just King George.
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A good point - though I assume you mean Great Britain, not United Kingdom - but in the real world, I think it would be difficult for Salmond and co to argue that Scotland had not already had six King Georges. It's one of those things that we don't actually know until they happen - in this case I had to weigh up what was realistic in the event of the end of the UK, and I stand by the original choice. But thanks for explaining your reasoning so thoroughly, it's an interesting conundrum.
 
Lemon flavoured

Lemon flavoured

IIRC the rule (which had been followed by accident anyway) is that they use whichever number is higher. So if there were another James they'd use VIII rather than III.

Obviously with an independent Scotland it might change, but it's part of the royal prerogative anyway.
 
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