"Ok, so let me see if I understand everything. The Doctor is a time traveling alien, that just so happens to look like a pony. And he goes around traveling through time in a machine that's bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside, stopping threats to both Equestria and the time-space continuum before they happen?"

Carrot Top sighed as her friend, Ditzy Doo, nodded happily. They were out to lunch at the Corner and the two had gotten to talking about a new series the pegasus had gotten in to. Ditzy, despite normally forgoing clothing, had actually tossed a rather garish scarf around her neck.

"Yeah, he's amazing! He carries around this thing called the Tonic Screwdriver and it's like Unicorn Magic without being a unicorn! The only thing it can't do is kill living beans. But the Cyberponies are ok, since they're just macaronis."

The pegasus had gone on a massive binge, saturating herself with the culture of Doctor Whooves. The Fourth was by far her favorite, and she took out a package of sweet treats.

"Want a jelly foal?"

"Er, no thank you. Listen, Ditzy, just remember to take things slow. Remember the last show you really got into? How you went out and took four baby turtles and tried to see if Zecora had anything that would turn them into fighters?"

The grey pegasus sipped her alfalfa shake, avoiding eye contact with her friend. I know, I know. Reality is completely different from fiction. But I like this stuff. It's so out there, so different. It's crazy stuff that isn't happening to ME. Well, because of me most days...

The mares chat a bit longer then said their good byes. Ditzy had the afternoon free until Dinky's classes were over, so she stopped by the comic shop. The owner, a purple and gold Earth Stallion by the name of Hays, nodded at one of his best costumers.

"Good afternoon Miss Doo. I have some interesting news for you, but first, your order came in."

Ditzy squealed in delight as a manilla folder was removed from the special orders box. With shaking hooves, she opened the package and pulled out and aged but still readable comic book.

"Hellcolt Number One! Oh, I've been waiting forgone for this! It talks about his origami, and introduces his alibis and and.."

The owner coughed, with a nodded towards the cash register. The mailmare grinned sheepishly, and handed over the money. As Hays got her change, she dived right into reading the tale. It took her a while to read, having forgotten her reading glasses at home. Comic book print is a good bit smaller than the large scrawl used to show name and address after all. But she relished it, soaking in the subtle textures of the shading and other artistic tricks.

She finished it twice over before she thought to grab her change. Hays was either kind or greedy enough to have, knowing her habits, also charge her for a package of mini-muffins to enjoy. Putting the book away, she snacked as the owner got around to the news.

"Well, you've been buying quite a bit of Whooves merchandise lately, so when I got this flier, I thought I'd ought to tell you first."

He pulled out a simple poster with the face of a brown stallion with a kind, yet somewhat smug, smile. Ditzy's jaw hung loose in shocked ecstasy.

"Omigosh! They're making a new season, and they're looking to cast straight from Ponyville?"

"Well, from the letter I got about it, they're not just casting, they're shooting it here. With all the Bearers of Harmony living here, our humble little town has been seeing quite a bit more tourism than usual. I think they're trying to cash in on it, maybe get them to make an appearance once or twice. You know, Celebrity Power."

Ditzy wasn't listening, nor did she care. She tucked the poster away and took off. Hays yelled indignantly, the sudden stir of wind causing some of the comics to fly about like manic birds. She went straight home, and read the fine print carefully with her glasses on, to help counter the wall-eyes her excitement were worsening.

Ok, let's see. Looking for mares, able to work as assistant to The Doctor. No prior acting skill needed, however, it is encouraged. Familiarity with the series is a plus, YES!, as it will reduce the need to educate. Auditions will be held Sunday, good so I won't be working, at the local theater and music hall. You will be judged for the role by the head writer, Skyward Flight, and the actor to play The Tenth Doctor, Just-in Time.

…

"Just-in, are you sure about this? I thought the scripts were fine, now you want me to rework them all to fit in a sidekick?"

Skyward hovered in a small room, a rental until the studio decided to get them proper lodgings while they filmed. It was somewhat dusty, but the Mayor had informed them it was quite alright. Apparently, as the show would be a big boost to the local economy, she was more than willing to let them have her guest bedroom.

Just-in smiled at his friend and coworker.. The blue and yellow pegasus was actually the reason Just-in had got the role, as the new Regeneration or whatever it was was based off him. They were entertainment virgins, their first steps into true notability. Just-in put a hoof around his friend's shoulders.

"Now, listen Sy-Fy, you're an amazing writer. Action, comedy, suspense even horror are all your bread and butter. Even just looking over the script gives me goose flesh. But here's the thing. Something you ignored in all this. Romance, or at least a subtly hinted one, is a HUGE draw. You take a normal everyday pony and hand them something with a few jokes in it, they'll laugh and move on. But give them love and tender hearts to latch onto, why, the audience laps it up. It's been ages since Doctor Whooves has been on the air, all the old fans have children now. We need to cheat a bit and give the easy grab on for Season One to give us the rating to warrant Two, and therefore let us experiment. You know, sexual tension and all that."

The pegasus stopped hovering and began to pace, shaking his head.

"But... that feels so cheap. Like one big lie. Who in their right mind starts to watch a series for the romance, but stays for action and humor? Isn't it suppose to be the other way around?"

The Earth pony shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. Whatever helps us pad the numbers. Even if we lose them when the shift happens, we'll gain back more the next season with the better budget. Besides, you just have to write a few cliched lines. I'm the one who actually has to make it sound convincing."

I just hope whoever we get isn't a complete twit...

…

Ok, I feel really bad for this, as I wanted to start by giving a new spin on Doctor Whooves. But I just couldn't focus very well on the series proper, so it'll be pretty hodgepodge. Still, I am going to expand and try and make this worthwhile! Allons-y!

Kyle