RTD gets me into ELO

Of all the amazing things Russell T Davies did during his first Doctor Who run, the one that still impresses me most is that he got me over my deep dislike of Jeff Lynne and the ELO.

Before I was a punk kid, I was a Pink Floyd acolyte, but I was never into the Electric Light Orchestra. It was the absolute epitome in middle of the road mush, with a hollow production style I actually found offensive, in the way only young people can. 

But then it was used in an episode of Doctor Who - Love and Monsters, a farcical Doctor-lite episode that took a scathing look at the worst aspects of the fanboy, and so became one of the most ridiculed episodes of Doctor Who. And the sheer joy with which Elton danced around the room to Mr Blue Sky was just lovely, and enough to pierce my cynical shell forever. It can't be that bad if it gets that kind of reaction.

I still haven't forgiven Lynne for making the Beatles sound like his fucking band when he got his hands on their tunes in the 90s, but I don't mind a little bit of Electric Light Orchestra now and then. If Davies accomplishes something half as miraculous with his forthcoming series, that would be enough.