For it is by grace you have been saved...

Friday, February 15, 2013

Would You Like A Jelly Baby?

(Warning.  The following entry is purely trivial and may be the cause of serious wasting of time)

Today, I'm told, is National Gum Drop Day.  Yes, a day to celebrate those wonderful little candies that get stuck in your mouth.  I'm not sure if the Bassett's Jelly Babies are technically a gum drop or not, but we're going to count it.

For those who don't know, Jelly Babies are a sweet little treat from Britain that date back to the end of WWI.  Originally called "Peace Babies" they were made in celebration of the ending of that war.  The Jelly Baby name came in the 1950s, and in the 1960s they were said to be a favorite of Beatle George Harrison, prompting fans to toss them at him.

But the Jelly Babies real claim to fame is that they are the favorite of a certain Time Lord simply known as "The Doctor."  Doctor Who fans are well aware of the history of The Doctor and Jelly Babies, especially as played by Tom Baker.  He regularly offered them to friend and foe alike, and often the phrase "Would you  like a Jelly Baby?" was used to diffuse a tense situation.  Since the Fourth Doctor has always been my favorite, my oldest daughter actually ordered some genuine Jelly Babies all the way from the UK as a Christmas gift for me.  What a kid!

So, in honor of Gum Drop Day, and simply as a complete waste of time, here is the complete collection of every Jelly Baby reference from The Doctor.  Have a bite and enjoy. 


2 comments:

Persis said...

Tom Baker is the best doctor of the lot.

Scott said...

You have great taste! Even now my wife is knitting a scarf for me with a pattern based on Tom's. It's almost done and I can't wait.