Post by: MasterX0 on March 05, 2006, 10:10:07 AM
Master"i still miss the Tom Baker and Peter Davidson years"X0
Post by: The Warlock on March 05, 2006, 10:14:57 AM
The Warlock
Post by: collared_cherri on March 05, 2006, 10:23:58 AM
Post by: MunchWolf on March 05, 2006, 10:25:06 AM
-Munch "why is the US so delayed??" Wolf
Post by: smiley on March 05, 2006, 11:20:18 AM
Quote:
Munch "why is the US so delayed??" Wolf
It's just payback for you lot delaying DVD releases on our side of the pond. "Serenity", for example, only came out this week!
Post by: collared_cherri on March 05, 2006, 11:48:12 AM
Quote:
It's just payback for you lot delaying DVD releases on our side of the pond. "Serenity", for example, only came out this week!
I ordered the first series of Serenity just the other day from amazon.com. They were having a special. Think it cost around $22 or so.
Post by: Stretcherr on March 05, 2006, 01:13:14 PM
Quote:
I loved Dr Who as a k!d. The theme music used to terrify me, and a lot of the show did too, but I was back every week for more of it. I hope it does well.
it should be scary, the theremin is the official intstrument of 50's horror and scifi.
Post by: JH_ on March 05, 2006, 01:57:32 PM
Quote:
New series looks good, for two things: David Tennant (my gf has been making feeelthy "phwoar!"-ing noises) and the return of the Cybermen (woot!).
But that's not happening till the second season, to be broadcast in the UK this year. (OK, to be precise, Tennant debuted in the Christmas special.) What the US will be seeing, starting this month, is the first season, shown in the UK last year.
To reassure the original poster, in the UK the reactions of the hard-core fans, the general viewing public and the critics have all been overwhelmingly positive. And FWIW, I too thought that it was very good indeed.
Post by: AZWolf on March 08, 2006, 02:04:50 AM
I doubt most people from then will find anything new to be that good, though, almost no matter what. It's like people picking their favorite James Bond.
Post by: MasterX0 on March 30, 2006, 06:22:45 PM
Master"hearing the music at the end of a part made it good"X0
Post by: MunchWolf on March 30, 2006, 07:06:13 PM
-Munch "I like these hour long eps ... able to keep the flavor" Wolf
Post by: lars573 on March 30, 2006, 09:12:41 PM
Quote:
I have a friend in canada who has seen the first season, and she liked it. She's already ordering the dvds.
-Munch "why is the US so delayed??" Wolf
Because part of the deal when ABC (A as in Austrailia) CBC got together with the BBC to revive Doctor Who CBC got exclusive North American TV rights in the first run of the series. So I got to see the new Dr. Who 3 weeks after the BBC premier.
Post by: AZWolf on April 01, 2006, 01:53:33 AM
Post by: Breasts on April 01, 2006, 05:46:09 AM
The whole "Last Time lord" bit annoys me and also some of the episodes made me think 'Grrr they might as well rename the show "Rose"' and I was never really convinced by Christopher Ecclestone's portrayal of the Doctor either.
The 45 minute eps feel a litle rushed for my liking.
Why are they calling it season 1 when it's season 27?
I could nit pick all day but in the end it's back
it's popular and that's good. It was a hell of a long wait since 1989.
Post by: AZWolf on April 01, 2006, 06:07:55 AM
Quote:
I could nit pick all day but in the end it's back
Tom Baker.
Post by: Breasts on April 01, 2006, 09:19:14 AM
Quote:Quote:
I could nit pick all day but in the end it's back
Tom Baker.
Tom Baker was superb but my Doctor has to be Peter Davison.
Post by: collared_cherri on April 01, 2006, 01:20:42 PM
Post by: MasterX0 on April 01, 2006, 03:30:58 PM
Master"they need a new K-9 too"X0
Post by: TheZookie007 on April 01, 2006, 08:45:28 PM
Plus, the theme music is one of the best ever to come out of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop...which was probably just two guys in a shed somewhere, but doesn't sound more imperial and official?
Look forward to ever watching any of the new series, though, it's been a hell of a long wait.
Post by: Breasts on April 02, 2006, 03:11:27 AM
Quote:
Tom Baker and Peter Davidson for me. I think the hr does rush it, but they couldnt do the old format of Docotr Who. Well maybe lol
Master"they need a new K-9 too"X0
Funny you should mention K9...
If you don't want to know anything about season 2 don't watch this link. If you're not bothered watch away.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check...wm=1&bbwm=1
Post by: StevenWebguy on April 02, 2006, 06:45:50 AM
My first gripe they changed the number of regenerations a Time Lord is suppose to have when they did that TV movie and replaced Sylvester McCoy with Paul McGann. Paul McGann would have been the last incarnation if they had not so though.
My second gripe is that I have heard that a second movie or a mini series was done for the BBC exclusivly with Paul McGann as the Doctor that was called "The War of Time" that for some reason has never aired here. This is the lead in for my Third gripe.
What is this Last time Lord S*! Why the new Doctor? What WAR? With WHOM? Any war that would get all of the Timelords involved must be pretty damn serious as they usually only meddle when people are screwing around with Time. It is certainly serious enough to actually let us know WTF happened!
I do like the job that the new guy is doind so far, he has gotten most of the usual Doctor quirks down and he is not trying to hard like Peter Davison and Colin Baker did.
I do not like the short episodes as I am still used to the 2-3hour stories that were being done back when Tom Baker was The Doctor.
I like that they are taking advantage of modern FX and I can't wait to see how they handle the new versions of the old enemies like the Cybermen.
So as long as they eventually answer just how the hell only one Time Lord is left and a planet that was protected by a time displacment field was destroyed I think I will really enjoy the new show.
Post by: Breasts on April 02, 2006, 07:31:45 AM
Quote:
...My first gripe they changed the number of regenerations a Time Lord is suppose to have when they did that TV movie and replaced Sylvester McCoy with Paul McGann. Paul McGann would have been the last incarnation if they had not so though...
Fraid not mate.
The Doctor can regenerate 12 times which make a total of 13 incarnations. McCoy was no7, McGann was 8, Ecclestone was 9 and Tennant is number 10.
Post by: doggo on April 02, 2006, 07:34:11 AM
Post by: StevenWebguy on April 02, 2006, 08:30:01 AM
Quote:Quote:
...My first gripe they changed the number of regenerations a Time Lord is suppose to have when they did that TV movie and replaced Sylvester McCoy with Paul McGann. Paul McGann would have been the last incarnation if they had not so though...
Fraid not mate.
The Doctor can regenerate 12 times which make a total of 13 incarnations. McCoy was no7, McGann was 8, Ecclestone was 9 and Tennant is number 10.
You need to watch The Three Doctors, The Deadly Assassin, or Castrovalva again.
The Deadly assassin would be best because it gets repeated a number of times how it is impossible for "The Master" to have regenerated a ninth time.
Post by: Breasts on April 02, 2006, 08:44:37 AM
Quote:Quote:Quote:
...My first gripe they changed the number of regenerations a Time Lord is suppose to have when they did that TV movie and replaced Sylvester McCoy with Paul McGann. Paul McGann would have been the last incarnation if they had not so though...
Fraid not mate.
The Doctor can regenerate 12 times which make a total of 13 incarnations. McCoy was no7, McGann was 8, Ecclestone was 9 and Tennant is number 10.
You need to watch The Three Doctors, The Deadly Assassin, or Castrovalva again.
The Deadly assassin would be best because it gets repeated a number of times how it is impossible for "The Master" to have regenerated a ninth time.
I really think you're wrong.
Post by: Breasts on April 02, 2006, 08:49:26 AM
Quote:
With Delgado's death, the Master disappeared from the series for several years. In his next appearance, in The Deadly Assassin (1976), the Master appeared as an emaciated, decaying wreck (played by Peter Pratt under heavy make-up). Although Time Lords have the potential to postpone death by completely renewing their bodies, the ability can only be used twelve times. The Master had used up all twelve of his regenerations, and was nearing the end of his thirteenth and final life. It is not clear if the Master had any regenerations between the Delgado incarnation and the Pratt one, or which incarnation the Delgado Master was.[2]
Post by: Breasts on April 02, 2006, 08:51:44 AM
Quote:
It was established in The Deadly Assassin that a Time Lord can regenerate twelve times before permanently dying, though as with most such "rules" there were occasionally exceptions (for more on this see Time Lord). In The Christmas Invasion it was stated the regenerative cycle creates a large amount of energy that suffuses the Time Lord's body. As demonstrated by the Tenth Doctor for the first time in that story, in the first fifteen hours of regeneration this energy is enough to even rapidly regrow a severed hand.
Post by: Breasts on April 02, 2006, 08:53:01 AM
Post by: MunchWolf on April 02, 2006, 12:33:52 PM
anyway ... looking at that spoiler ... is that a new doctor already???
-Munch "And what are they going to do when this doc gets to 12?" Wolf
Post by: StevenWebguy on April 02, 2006, 03:44:46 PM
It is also the first episode I watched on TV.
I will pencil in some time to watch it so I can count how many times is mentioned the number of times "The Master" had already regenerated and therefore it was impossible for him to be alive. I am 90% certain it is a single diget #. Also, we need to remember that the sixth incarnation of The Doctor sacrificed a regeneration to save his female companion. So even if Timelords are suppose to have 12 regenerations (and I don't think they are) The Doctor only has 11.
Post by: Breasts on April 02, 2006, 03:45:58 PM
Quote:
yup ... it's 12 regenerations ...
anyway ... looking at that spoiler ... is that a new doctor already???
-Munch "And what are they going to do when this doc gets to 12?" Wolf
Much to the annoyance of many Doctor Who fans Ecclestone packed it in after one season, saying he didn't want to get type cast. I think it was a bit late for that really. Once you played Doctor Who then you're Doctor Who forever.
David Tennant looks like he may be in it for more of a long haul.
When the Doctor uses his 12th regeneration? I dunno to be honest.
Post by: Carter on April 02, 2006, 06:13:14 PM
Quote:
When the Doctor uses his 12th regeneration? I dunno to be honest.
Someone forgot about the Valliard....
Post by: Breasts on April 03, 2006, 10:43:33 AM
Quote:
Quote:
When the Doctor uses his 12th regeneration? I dunno to be honest.
Someone forgot about the Valliard....
Anorak!
I try to forget about the entire Colin Baker/ Sylvester McCoy era lol.
Post by: MasterX0 on April 03, 2006, 04:54:31 PM
One thing I DO want to see is more or complete dvd sets of Doctors. I knwo the Key to Time is out there and also certain episodes, but does any1 have any idea if that will ever happen? And if i have to take out a loan to get them?
Master"and where do u think i got the idea for me?"X0
Post by: rtpoe on April 03, 2006, 09:49:13 PM
Though that would take a lot of 'splainin.
rtpoe
Post by: AZWolf on April 04, 2006, 06:48:56 AM
Post by: MasterX0 on April 16, 2006, 05:09:00 PM
MAster"and Davrous, but didnt the Darleks kill him?"X0
Post by: TheZookie007 on April 17, 2006, 04:50:21 AM
"Ex-ter-min-ate! Ex-ter-min-ate!"
Post by: smiley on April 17, 2006, 03:24:51 PM
Post by: lars573 on April 17, 2006, 08:30:30 PM
Quote:
I watched the latest episode(in the States) Darlek and was very impressed. I think the best 1 so far. Showed the other side of The Doctor i havent seen yet in the new series and who doesnt miss The Darleks.
MAster"and Davrous, but didnt the Darleks kill him?"X0
All I'll say is do a google image search for "New Emperor Dalek". Also do the same for "New Cybermen".
Post by: Litch on April 22, 2006, 12:51:42 PM
Post by: doggo on April 22, 2006, 01:18:47 PM
Quote:
happy. In a british way.
Happy in a British way?
Ah, you mean like whenever we beat Australia?
Post by: Breasts on April 22, 2006, 02:24:53 PM
Quote:
Quote:
happy. In a british way.
Happy in a British way?
Ah, you mean like whenever we beat Australia?
Like in this kind of way?
Post by: ZoD on April 23, 2006, 11:57:06 AM
Post by: Shara on April 23, 2006, 08:36:17 PM
Post by: collared_cherri on April 23, 2006, 08:42:28 PM
Quote:
Ah, you mean like whenever we beat Australia?
*smacks doggo's nose with a rolled up newspaper*
Post by: MasterX0 on April 23, 2006, 09:21:58 PM
Master"but just snap your fingers"X0
Post by: MunchWolf on April 23, 2006, 09:36:58 PM
-Munch "Fantastic" Wolf
ps: Was anyone else amused that the head zombie controller was Shawn of the Dead?
Post by: ZoD on April 24, 2006, 03:13:23 AM
Post by: MasterX0 on April 24, 2006, 09:52:52 AM
Master"now i know"X0
Post by: MunchWolf on April 24, 2006, 06:42:23 PM
Quote:
The werewolf kicked ass...
WEREWOLF????
Nooooo ... you're a WHOLE season ahead of us ... no spoilers ....
-Munch "not even 1/2 way through season one in the US" Wolf
Post by: ZoD on April 25, 2006, 02:37:06 AM
Big suprise there! We never saw it coming!
Post by: MasterX0 on April 25, 2006, 10:15:28 AM
Master"dont ruin it for us on this side of the pond!"X0
Post by: Breasts on April 25, 2006, 10:30:43 AM
Post by: ZoD on April 25, 2006, 01:31:00 PM
Post by: Breasts on April 25, 2006, 03:50:35 PM
Quote:
MADE IN ENGLAND!
Damn right
(Well made in Wales technically)
Post by: Ms_DDDs_Lover on April 25, 2006, 08:16:28 PM
bigger boobies ( 'nd no bra underneath
)( ps, after the new 1st season ends, watch for the 2nd season too, for bigger surprises )
Post by: MissChievous on April 27, 2006, 03:23:35 AM
Its the nearest you can get to Richard Hammond being the doctor.
....I still say Richard E Grant should be the next one.
Post by: MasterX0 on April 27, 2006, 10:50:44 AM
Master"welcome back again Miis C"X0
Post by: MasterX0 on May 01, 2006, 05:43:43 PM
Master"and ill get the box set 2
"X0
Post by: BillN on May 01, 2006, 06:08:58 PM
P.S. Yes, the Time lords can do that. If you remember, the way the Tom Pertwee character was created was that the Time Lords forced The Doctor to regenerate, basically forfitting 1 regeneration.
Post by: MunchWolf on May 01, 2006, 07:14:43 PM
Quote:
This weeks episode was pretty good. The affect of time travel was shown, whcih i dont remember seeing in the older Doctor's. Anyway, i liked it. Series has been impressing me latly and thats tough to do.
Master"and ill get the box set 2
I've been thinking on it ... and there are a couple of points on why we didn't see something like this before:
A) He mentioned if the timelords had been around, something like this wouldn't have happened
B) Notice after Rose saved her dad, the earlier versions disappeared. This really really bugged me until I worked it out. Since she saved her dad, she would have no memory of being told he died, or the date, and therefor would not have travelled to that time, thus eliminating her need to be there. So changing history wasn't enough to summon the creatures (they make wrinkles in history all the time), it was the self-referential double loop she created that did it.
The question is, at the end did she remember everything that happened as well, or did she just remember her mom telling her that her dad ran out of the church for no reason?
Notice the Tardis moved to outside the Church instead of at the original car accident. So I'm figure by time being fixed, she rewrote it so that when she visited her dad, it was really outside the church, and thus she never changed anything (at least to her knowledge).
-Munch "Course the doctor will remember ... just cause" Wolf
Post by: MunchWolf on May 12, 2006, 11:05:10 PM
heh ... cool ep .. nice follow up to Hollow [censored] ...
I guessed it was something like it was (with the nano-bots) or somesuch ...
I like the sonic blaster .. and the Docs brief sonic envy ... usually the screwdriver is nifty since he never has to deal with anyone else who might know better
-Munch "I would almost suggest it would be cool if the nano's were imprinted with a large breasted woman ... but considering they don't acknowledge gender very well ... ummm ... that is a story for a different type of site" Wolf
Post by: smiley on May 13, 2006, 04:21:13 AM
Oh, and in a couple of weeks, something called "The Return of the Master" - although I have no idea what that episode is going to be about...
Post by: Breasts on May 13, 2006, 09:25:07 AM
Quote:
Tonight (for UK viewers only - sorry America): Trigger from "Only Fools and Horses" creates the Cybermen.
Oh, and in a couple of weeks, something called "The Return of the Master" - although I have no idea what that episode is going to be about...
"Skin of Metal! A body that will never age!"
"Return of the Master"? Ooooh!
Post by: Breasts on May 14, 2006, 09:54:07 AM
Post by: CaptainStupid on May 14, 2006, 01:12:10 PM
There wolf!
Post by: MunchWolf on May 14, 2006, 08:23:07 PM
-Munch "cybervior dogs" Wolf
Post by: smiley on May 14, 2006, 08:57:07 PM
Post by: ZoD on May 15, 2006, 03:27:31 AM
Post by: Breasts on June 28, 2006, 05:10:41 AM
SPOILER SPOILER
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zwRM9Ar4hW8
If you're watching series 2 then..... Wow how cool does next weeks episode look
Post by: smiley on June 28, 2006, 12:22:24 PM
Hopefully it'll make up for the last few episodes being sub-Twilight Zone tosh.
Post by: Breasts on June 29, 2006, 02:40:18 AM
Post by: MunchWolf on June 29, 2006, 07:22:45 AM
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
-Munch "can a timelord ever regen as a female ... he should come back as rose" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on July 18, 2006, 12:20:36 PM
Quote:
Is Rose going to die? Why does she say it's the last story she would ever tell?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
-Munch "can a timelord ever regen as a female ... he should come back as rose" Wolf
It was a damn good pair of eps imo.
You've got all that look forward to my colonial friends.
Post by: MunchWolf on July 18, 2006, 08:28:13 PM
-Munch "course I'm still missing seeing some eps 1st season" Wolf
Post by: CarlTL on July 18, 2006, 08:50:00 PM
Post by: Breasts on December 27, 2006, 11:34:53 AM
Excitment, adventure and really wild things.
Post by: AZWolf on December 27, 2006, 11:42:36 AM
Post by: Breasts on December 27, 2006, 11:46:00 AM
Post by: AZWolf on December 27, 2006, 11:50:34 AM
Quote:
so, does she die or not?
Post by: Breasts on June 16, 2007, 03:39:14 PM
Post by: MunchWolf on June 17, 2007, 03:08:04 AM
-Munch "quite masterfully done" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on June 17, 2007, 03:35:58 AM
Quote:
Yup ... sorry .. predicted this at the beginning of the season ...
-Munch "quite masterfully done" Wolf
At that particularly masterful moment I'm afraid I jumped for joy in fanboy happiness.
Post by: MunchWolf on June 17, 2007, 01:37:41 PM
-Munch "So I was a little surprised" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on June 17, 2007, 05:14:44 PM
I thought the voices in the watch was a very nice touch as they used the voices of the previous people in the role from the previous series's
Post by: Carter on June 17, 2007, 07:04:36 PM
Oh... and Mister Saxon is an anagram for Master No. Six... heheh
Post by: MunchWolf on June 25, 2007, 01:30:37 AM
-Munch "hope the finaly answers some of the wackiness ... but not really expecting it to" Wolf
Post by: MunchWolf on June 30, 2007, 07:18:55 PM
-Munch "and I have to wait til christmas to find out why the Tardis is an iceberg???" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on June 30, 2007, 07:20:32 PM
Quote:
Wooot .... The Face of Bo !!!!!!!!!!!
-Munch "and I have to wait til christmas to find out why the Tardis is an iceberg???" Wolf
Indeed who'd have thought that **** is the Face of Bo?
Post by: MunchWolf on July 01, 2007, 02:28:48 AM
-Munch "Course, I love the Master's assistant, I believe that was his first" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on November 17, 2007, 08:52:14 AM
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4I76p1cZbq4
He was my Doctor too.
Post by: rtpoe on November 17, 2007, 09:44:40 PM
For those of you who like the opening titles....
Post by: Breasts on November 19, 2007, 05:20:57 PM
Quote:
rtpoe said:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DnKNupdSH8g
For those of you who like the opening titles....
Cool stuff.
Post by: Breasts on November 19, 2007, 05:22:23 PM
Quote:
Breasts said:
Just magical.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4I76p1cZbq4
He was my Doctor too.
Did my previous link work for non UK BEA'rs?
If not try this one http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yn_NDKNlUa8
Post by: rtpoe on November 19, 2007, 06:46:00 PM
Post by: Breasts on November 20, 2007, 01:29:45 AM
Quote:
rtpoe said:
Thanks for the link to Timecrash!
You're welcome.
Post by: rtpoe on November 21, 2007, 10:54:59 PM
Can anyone think of a case (other than technical/FX things) where Star Trek - in any one of its incarnations - is *better* than Doctor Who?
Post by: Breasts on November 22, 2007, 01:08:46 PM
Quote:
rtpoe said:
I've been thinking lately (more than usual) about how Doctor Who compares to Star Trek. Being more of a fan of DW than ST, I keep coming up with ways to justify my preference. For example, Doctor Who never went for the blatant "eye candy" (e.g. Six of Nine...). Sure, the Doctor had pretty girls as companions, but they were companions *first*, then sexy babes.
Can anyone think of a case (other than technical/FX things) where Star Trek - in any one of its incarnations - is *better* than Doctor Who?
I think it depends to some degree whether you like a more militaristic solution to the stories i.e ST or more of an outfoxing the baddies through superior intellect solution i.e. DW.
But it's hard to say really as much as I like Star Trek I'd put Doctor Who 1st too to be honest lol.
Post by: Number6 on December 02, 2007, 05:48:21 PM
Quote:
rtpoe said:
Can anyone think of a case (other than technical/FX things) where Star Trek - in any one of its incarnations - is *better* than Doctor Who?
[Dalek voice] Star Trek characters are better in only one respect: they are better at dying! [/Dalek voice]
Sorry, couldn't resist, "Doomsday" was on this weekend.
Post by: Breasts on April 05, 2008, 05:58:39 AM
Tonight 18:20 BBC1
Post by: AZWolf on April 05, 2008, 06:39:44 AM
Heya.
Post by: TheZookie007 on April 05, 2008, 09:36:17 AM
Quote:Can't watch that video in my country...strange.
Breasts said:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0pkgVNbg4Zo
Tonight 18:20 BBC1
Post by: Breasts on April 05, 2008, 10:26:00 AM
Quote:
TheZookie007 said:Quote:Can't watch that video in my country...strange.
Breasts said:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0pkgVNbg4Zo
Tonight 18:20 BBC1
That's odd. Maybe it's because it's one posted by the BBC? Strange though.
Post by: MunchWolf on April 06, 2008, 04:09:20 PM
.... -Munch "is it bad I recognized the back of her head?" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on April 06, 2008, 05:13:42 PM
Quote:
MunchWolf said:
Watched the episode ... heh ... loved the ending
-Munch "is it bad I recognized the back of her head?" Wolf
It just shows you're a true fan mate.
Post by: TheZookie007 on April 06, 2008, 10:42:15 PM
Doctor Who: "Caves of Androzani: The Doctor Regenerates"
-- TheZookie "I agree with one of the commenters there: 'Nice tits Peri, I would give her a good seeing-to'
" 007
Post by: Breasts on April 07, 2008, 05:57:53 PM
Quote:
TheZookie007 said:
Since we were earlier talking about the number of reincarnations that a time lord could undergo, I thought it would be nice if we actually witnessed one of them:
Doctor Who: "Caves of Androzani: The Doctor Regenerates"
-- TheZookie "I agree with one of the commenters there: 'Nice tits Peri, I would give her a good seeing-to'
That is indeed an awesome scene in an awesome story, one of the best of them all, showcasing the 5th Doctor at his most heroic. I remember being gutted when I saw it at the time as Peter Davison was my Doctor as it where.
Infact why not watch the whole thing?
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=o3g2_fwswdI
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gSH_Me-ny1M
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iwNnFxL4Tas
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EKoS9ICL0Qk
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lgXtrXs18XY
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=J_Md8Y5S8OI
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ToamXTrNzr0
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_UDTcMylznw
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EFuGYcE4xJk
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RBGG8FsIccI
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oMIDUXXZjVk
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dmNN2CMDvgQ
And episode 3 ends with one of the most dramatic cliff hangers of the series to date.
Post by: Breasts on January 04, 2009, 08:45:09 AM
Post by: Hiram on January 04, 2009, 09:41:03 AM
Post by: Palomine on January 04, 2009, 11:24:19 AM
Post by: collared_cherri on January 04, 2009, 11:39:33 PM
Quote:
Palomine said:
Enough with the cast changes already! Just when you get used to a guy as the Doctor, they up and replace him.
You're not wrong there! I haven't had time to adjust to the current New Doctor and now they're bringing in a new New Doctor?
Post by: Breasts on January 05, 2009, 01:51:13 AM
Quote:
collared_cherri said:Quote:
Palomine said:
Enough with the cast changes already! Just when you get used to a guy as the Doctor, they up and replace him.
You're not wrong there! I haven't had time to adjust to the current New Doctor and now they're bringing in a new New Doctor?
A 4 year run is about the average for someone playing the Doctor.
Post by: rtpoe on January 05, 2009, 06:45:02 PM
It's not like Star Trek (in any of its incarnations) where despite being a pseudo-military environment, not one regular cast member ever got promoted or reassigned (during the same series) to another ship.
One can only hope that the new Doctor will be able to act like someone who is 900 or so years old.
Post by: collared_cherri on January 05, 2009, 11:08:27 PM
Quote:
Breasts said:Quote:
collared_cherri said:Quote:
Palomine said:
Enough with the cast changes already! Just when you get used to a guy as the Doctor, they up and replace him.
You're not wrong there! I haven't had time to adjust to the current New Doctor and now they're bringing in a new New Doctor?
A 4 year run is about the average for someone playing the Doctor.
I didn't realise that.
Time flies when you get older. I remember as a wee lass the Doctor would be the Doctor forever before a new one came along. Now it seems like they barely get through a season before they're contemplating change. 
Post by: MunchWolf on January 06, 2009, 12:16:17 AM
-Munch "I like the idea of switching out Doctors" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on January 06, 2009, 02:00:25 AM
Quote:
collared_cherri said:Quote:
Breasts said:Quote:
collared_cherri said:Quote:
Palomine said:
Enough with the cast changes already! Just when you get used to a guy as the Doctor, they up and replace him.
You're not wrong there! I haven't had time to adjust to the current New Doctor and now they're bringing in a new New Doctor?
A 4 year run is about the average for someone playing the Doctor.
I didn't realise that.
Fair enough.
1. William Hartnell (1963-1966)
2. Patrick Troughton (1966-1969)
3. Jon Pertwee (1970-1974)
4. Tom Baker (1974-1981)
5. Peter Davison - (1982-1984)
6. Colin Baker (1984-1986)
7. Sylvester McCoy (1987-1996) (Was cancelled in 1989 so isn't as long as it looks)
8. Paul McGann (1996)
9. Christopher Eccleston (2005)
10. David Tennant (2005-2010)
11. Matt Smith (2010 - ?)
Post by: Hiram on January 06, 2009, 02:35:12 AM
You tell how old you are by your first Doctor...
Post by: AZWolf on January 06, 2009, 03:07:58 AM
Quote:
Hiram said:
3. Jon Pertwee (1970-1974)
You tell how old you are by your first Doctor...
4. Tom Baker (1974-1981)
Indeed. And it's like arguing musical tastes.
Post by: Breasts on January 06, 2009, 11:53:57 AM
Quote:
Hiram said:
3. Jon Pertwee (1970-1974)
You tell how old you are by your first Doctor...
5. Peter Davison (1982-1984)
Post by: rtpoe on January 06, 2009, 08:46:17 PM
Thanks to DVDs, you can now see them all and compare them directly. They are all good, each in their own way.
Post by: homevintner on January 06, 2009, 08:52:54 PM
Post by: PregNut on January 07, 2009, 05:46:55 PM
Quote:I feel the same way about Bonds.
rtpoe said:
I have this theory that people feel the "best" Doctor is the one they first saw.
Roger Moore, FTW!
Post by: TheZookie007 on January 07, 2009, 08:21:59 PM
Quote:Fuck no! They should have gone for Joanna Lumley! This guy looks like a squishyhead! Yuck!
Breasts:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7808697.stm
(Let the fan and anti-fan debates along the lines of DanielCraigIsNotBond.com commence.)
Quote:Well, by the time I started watching Doctor Who, Tom Baker had long since come and gotten regenerated, but he is the Doctor...just like how though Roger Moore was the first Bond I really remember seeing, Sean Connery is and always will be the 007. That said, David Tennant is an extremely worthy Doctor in the mold of a Tom Baker, and his supporting cast (and that of the spinoff Torchwood) is one of the very best ever.
rtpoe: I have this theory that people feel the "best" Doctor is the one they first saw.
pregnut: I feel the same way about Bonds.
Roger Moore, FTW!
Christopher Eccleston is a fuckin' wimp IMO..."didn't want to be typecast", my ass...have you seen him in anything since he dropped the mantle after barely a year on the job? He was a damn good Doctor.
Other people who were in the running
Post by: rtpoe on January 07, 2009, 09:16:10 PM
Post by: TheZookie007 on January 07, 2009, 10:41:26 PM
Post by: Palomine on January 08, 2009, 09:39:20 AM
Quote:
PregNut said:Quote:I feel the same way about Bonds.
rtpoe said:
I have this theory that people feel the "best" Doctor is the one they first saw.
Roger Moore, FTW!
Tom whatshisface with the afro/jewfro was probably the first Dr. Who I saw as a kid, and I wasn't into him/it then at all. I prefer David or Christopher.
As for Bond... Moore was probably my first, but I vastly prefer Connery... as much for who's playing Bond as for the not-completely-over-the-top-garbage of the later films.
Post by: ROUNDandHEAVY on January 08, 2009, 08:24:30 PM
Post by: TheZookie007 on January 09, 2009, 04:29:11 AM
Post by: dennisnewark on January 12, 2009, 05:01:10 PM
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=h5YA0Uq2wXM
It's pretty poor quality.
These were the guys who went on to create the KLF, who had 4 or 5 top 10 hits with equally wacky dance tunes.
If anyone ever says that music has gone downhill...
Post by: Breasts on January 12, 2009, 05:50:40 PM
Quote:
dennisnewark said:
Hands up if you remember this (I do - just about)...a 1988 UK number one single for The Timelords called Doctorin' The Tardis. Classic Top of the Tops crappy action.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=h5YA0Uq2wXM
It's pretty poor quality.
These were the guys who went on to create the KLF, who had 4 or 5 top 10 hits with equally wacky dance tunes.
If anyone ever says that music has gone downhill...
I kinda like that song.
Post by: collared_cherri on January 13, 2009, 09:32:58 AM
Quote:
dennisnewark said:
Hands up if you remember this
*raises hand* I remember it! Loved it then and still do.
Post by: TheZookie007 on January 14, 2009, 02:45:56 AM
Post by: TheZookie007 on January 18, 2009, 03:21:08 AM
My favorite comment on that blog post:
Quote:
"You would have thought that he would have done himself up a bit to be revealed before the nation. What a shock and damn disappointment!
He should be Dr What as in What the hell!!!"
Post by: Prophet_Tenebrae on January 18, 2009, 08:58:02 AM
But then, you always get the cast moaning on about the gruelling shooting schedule. I suppose if you had to spend the better parts of 6 months a year in Wales, you might think it was gruelling too.
Unlike most people, I'm familiar with Smith from his time on Party Animals, somewhat hard to judge him from that as the show was itself - quite non-descript but he was a decent actor.
I'm hoping that Moffat is going to take us in a different direction with him because I'm sick of the Doctor being a big ol' Mary Sue pussy. Can't bring himself to wipe out the Daleks - after they destroyed his ENTIRE CIVILISATION FOREVER - but sure, some people chasing him through time are all suitable for a fate worse than death? And his "I have to give them a chance" in The Poisoned Sky was a lot more idiotic than suicidal.
But then, having grown up watching the re-runs of Pertwee and Baker and watching the twilight of the old show with McCoy... I suppose I'm still expecting something that is portioned out in little packages with abundant cliffhangers and not just handed out in 40 minute slices, that are generally self-contained.
And I hate the fact the companions can just go home/ call home every five minutes... or the fact the TARDIS can just materialise in Rose's flat just like that... Whether Moffat will choose to continue these trends or distance himself, remains to be seen and I think, it probably a more important issue for the future of the show than the choosing of Smith.
Post by: TheZookie007 on January 19, 2009, 02:13:03 AM
Post by: Prophet_Tenebrae on January 19, 2009, 07:53:10 AM
No, really I think the actors were just unaccustomed to such long location shoots - and because of the nature of the show, most of the leg work is falling onto the two principles who will be in every episode... which is of course, why they did some Doctor lite episodes - although, while reading, apparently this was actually something that went on back in the old days too.
Anyway, you should have a good feel for Cardiff at least. Given that most of the filming is done there - a lot of London is actually Cardiff and of course, Torchwood actually doesn't pretend otherwise... whatever happened to Torchwood? Back in "Spring 2009", apparently.
Post by: Breasts on January 19, 2009, 11:48:21 AM
Post by: Prophet_Tenebrae on January 23, 2009, 06:53:52 AM
Post by: TheZookie007 on January 23, 2009, 02:41:12 PM
Post by: Prophet_Tenebrae on January 23, 2009, 07:47:56 PM
She has yet to win me over... but yeah, I think a nasty case of ebola would be better than Tate or Piper.
Post by: Breasts on November 15, 2009, 05:33:00 PM
Not long till the End of Time now then.
Post by: SamV on November 16, 2009, 06:29:34 PM
I have this theory that people feel the "best" Doctor is the one they first saw.Would you believe if I told you the Doctor I saw first was Peter Cushing? ??? ::)
Thanks to DVDs, you can now see them all and compare them directly. They are all good, each in their own way.
No, he wasn't one of the Doctor in the series, but he did play him in a movie released in the US in the mid 60's called Doctor Who and the Daleks. I happened to see it at our local movie theater as part of a two bill Saturday afternoon matinee (and, no don't ask me what other movie was on the bill :-\).
It would then be almost twenty-five years until the BBC released the series to be broadcast by PBS affiliates in the US, which was when I discovered the other "Doctors". And as I recall when the local PBS station first started airing the series they began with the Tom Baker episodes. Eventually they would air every single episode that the BBC made available from their vaults. So that was my introduction to the character. :)
Post by: Breasts on December 27, 2009, 10:58:39 AM
I didn't think we'd be seeing those chaps again! :o ;D
Post by: Palomine on December 27, 2009, 12:28:05 PM
Post by: Breasts on December 27, 2009, 01:21:26 PM
I don't have BBC America, thus no Dr. Who. :(Awww that's not good mate.
Although isn't it shown on the Sci Fi channel over there?
Post by: MunchWolf on December 27, 2009, 11:19:08 PM
-Munch "I won't mention how I saw it" Wolf
Post by: Palomine on December 28, 2009, 09:48:09 AM
Awww that's not good mate.
Although isn't it shown on the Sci Fi channel over there?
Generally, mostly just the single-episode reruns here (and some a few years old at that... not played in sequence so sometimes you're jumping back and forth between Doctors) and not the new episodes/specials which only seem to be on BBC America (not part of my cable package) though they are advertised on SciFy (or however the F they spell it these days). I know that all of it is available online via various nefarious means ( ;) ) but frankly, I don't have that kind of time (to hunt it all down, let alone 'acquire' it). Guess I'll just have to wait till BBC puts them online someday, or buy DVDs some years from now. I'll live.
Post by: Breasts on December 28, 2009, 09:49:19 AM
Fair enough. :)
Generally, mostly just the single-episode reruns here (and some a few years old at that... not played in sequence so sometimes you're jumping back and forth between Doctors) and not the new episodes/specials which only seem to be on BBC America (not part of my cable package) though they are advertised on SciFy (or however the F they spell it these days). I know that all of it is available online via various nefarious means ( ;) ) but frankly, I don't have that kind of time (to hunt it all down, let alone 'acquire' it). Guess I'll just have to wait till BBC puts them online someday, or buy DVDs some years from now. I'll live.
Post by: Breasts on December 28, 2009, 09:51:11 AM
I liked it ... yah .. can't wait til the next one ... but I guess I have to ...Yup I'm sure there are ways and means. ;)
-Munch "I won't mention how I saw it" Wolf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IxBYUF973Q Gallifrey rises!
Post by: pedonbio on December 28, 2009, 12:14:03 PM
Generally, mostly just the single-episode reruns here (and some a few years old at that... not played in sequence so sometimes you're jumping back and forth between Doctors) and not the new episodes/specials which only seem to be on BBC America (not part of my cable package) though they are advertised on SciFy (or however the F they spell it these days). I know that all of it is available online via various nefarious means ( ;) ) but frankly, I don't have that kind of time (to hunt it all down, let alone 'acquire' it). Guess I'll just have to wait till BBC puts them online someday, or buy DVDs some years from now. I'll live.
I know the feeling.
I wish, I wish.
Post by: Hiram on December 28, 2009, 02:56:02 PM
Guess I'll just have to wait till BBC puts them online someday, or buy DVDs some years from now. I'll live.They are online, but only for UK IP addresses. If only you could use a proxy server? :)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00pk651/Doctor_Who_The_End_of_Time_Part_1/
Post by: rtpoe on December 28, 2009, 08:32:36 PM
Someone will post the full episode soon after it airs, and you can catch it if you're lucky.
That's how I saw "Waters of Mars" and "Planet of the Dead"...
Post by: MunchWolf on January 02, 2010, 03:59:44 AM
-Munch "maybe the confidential covers them" Wolf
Post by: Hiram on January 02, 2010, 05:53:06 AM
seen the second part ... and now there's a bunch of references I wish I knew more about ...I'm going to watch it today - hope its going to be good.
Post by: Breasts on January 02, 2010, 08:43:22 AM
Post by: Carter on January 02, 2010, 09:18:06 AM
So does anyone else think that the unnamed Time Lady who helps Wilf was Romana?
I assumed it was Susan.
Post by: Cutter on January 02, 2010, 04:13:22 PM
No worries I used to watch it on PBS years ago and have been watching the current Dr.
At least he kept the sonic screwdriver.
Post by: MunchWolf on January 02, 2010, 05:47:44 PM
-Munch "will avoid other curiosities, as it may enter spoiler territory" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on April 03, 2010, 12:59:25 PM
Post by: onion_writer on April 03, 2010, 01:05:32 PM
The new, 11th Doctor gives me the absolute creeps. And he's the youngest actor ever to tackle the role.
That's all good, but -- he is just ugly. Sorry, but this is the first Doctor who actually APPEARS alien! WTF, he is just -- bizarre. (No offense to ugly people.)
Ick and double ick. No gravitas, no presence. I sure as hell hope he can act, but the clips so far are uninspiring. Major points, though, for his honoring the Second Doctor!
Post by: Breasts on April 03, 2010, 01:34:44 PM
Yes the honouring was good as was the little montage near the end of the episode.
Post by: MunchWolf on April 03, 2010, 01:45:17 PM
-Munch "not here" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on April 03, 2010, 01:50:28 PM
Eleventh Hour - anyone seen it yet?Yes. It finished about 30 mins ago.
-Munch "not here" Wolf
I think he did well for his 1st ep and I think he'll do ok. :)
Post by: MunchWolf on April 03, 2010, 11:37:42 PM
Ok ... Steve Moffit is a god when it comes to making people scared ... he can put a boot in the middle of a floor and make you scared of it ... in this case though it was a crack in a wall ....
and he also understands the aliens are alien .... and not just people in rubber suits ... he does an amazing job there as well ..
but I'm not happy with the CSIish camera panning .. I mean .. I get it .. it makes a point ... and it is a lot neater than the doc just pointing in a direction going, what is that? and then using dialog to explain what he is see ... it lets you see his thought process ... but it was a bit jarring for me ...
-Munch "I like the already subtle (or not so subtle) hints about what the season will be about" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on April 14, 2010, 01:42:52 PM
I liked the space whale one and this weekends one looks good too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VAIuUNYrLc
You can't beat a bit of Dalek action. ;D
Post by: MunchWolf on April 14, 2010, 05:04:41 PM
-Munch "not that I'm saying there has to be a death .. but it is kind of a staple of Dr Who" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on April 14, 2010, 05:10:02 PM
Post by: MunchWolf on April 15, 2010, 12:05:28 AM
-Munch "unless they Go Joe the airplane battles with parachutes" Wolf
Post by: Prophet_Tenebrae on April 15, 2010, 12:07:57 PM
Personally, I have to say I loathed RTD - who was just writing poor fanfic - and Moffat is a breath of fresh air. I like Matt Smith... I thought Tennant was good but really, RTD made him such a big god damned Mary Sue (and The End of Time ramped that up PAST 11) that he was never really allowed any nuance, bouncing as he did between emo and hypermanic... Also, Amelia Pond is the first companion I've considered actually hot... and especially after Donna, that's a big plus.
All in all, it's pretty top drawer thus far. Not super special amazing but just a VERY welcome change from RTD's fanfic o' the week.
Post by: MunchWolf on April 15, 2010, 07:24:04 PM
-Munch "this was probably the most noticeable reusale" Wolf
Post by: Prophet_Tenebrae on April 16, 2010, 07:12:34 AM
Post by: Breasts on April 18, 2010, 12:11:58 PM
I'm really liking Matt Smith and Karen Gillian I really am :) and I'm liking the stories but not only have we had the ruining of the theme tune we now have the (visual) ruining of the Daleks. ::)
Post by: Cutter on April 18, 2010, 06:21:41 PM
Post by: MunchWolf on April 19, 2010, 02:07:55 AM
-Munch "The pink one has the biggest boobs" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on May 02, 2010, 06:29:45 AM
Post by: MunchWolf on May 02, 2010, 12:02:46 PM
-Munch "I'm liking Amy as a companion so far .. better than most" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on May 02, 2010, 06:20:38 PM
I'm liking her as a companion too. To be honest I found both Rose and Martha somewhat annoying, I did like Donna though.
Post by: MunchWolf on May 02, 2010, 10:58:43 PM
I don't like the companion as robin-the-boy-hostage ... which they usually end up ...
I did like in the second ep with Amy solving the issue (by **77** the queen) ... and she is smart in this ep, and solved one issue .. but she was still a bit of the hostage .. hmmm ...
-Munch "not sure how I feel about the need for a romance angle ... hmmm" Wolf
Post by: rtpoe on May 03, 2010, 06:58:13 PM
A look at gender relations (between The Doctor and his Companions) in the New Series.
Post by: twistytwistxxx on May 06, 2010, 02:43:54 AM
Loving the new Doctor. Loving Amy. LOVING the new sonic screwdriver. And I'm even going to risk saying I loved the new Daleks... should I run and hide now?
Yet to opine regarding Angels and Ms Song and whatnot.... being in Australia, I'm a few weeks behind.
Post by: MunchWolf on May 08, 2010, 08:35:51 PM
-Munch "sadly the scene does not match up with what the line envisions" Wolf
Post by: rtpoe on May 10, 2010, 07:05:18 PM
I did quite a bit of eye-rolling at the reappearance of the Crack in the Wall... Enforced story arcs are so tedious, especially when you aren't able to watch all the stories in the arc in the correct order.
Now there's nothing wrong with a good story arc, whether deliberate (like the Turlough and the Black Guardian stories) or accidental (like the 'Jo Loves The Doctor' that can be seen in the entire Companionship of Jo Grant only when you step back and look at all of her three seasons). But when you keep shoving THIS VITAL AND IMPORTANT PLOT ARC THING into your viewer's face.... ::)
Oh, the trailer for the next episode after the Angels pair shows that Amy's boyfriend comes along for a ride to Renaissance Venice... hopefully he'll stick around a bit; it'll be nice to have a male companion again - if only to keep the female companion from trying to snog The Doctor...
Post by: twistytwistxxx on May 10, 2010, 07:43:19 PM
Now there's nothing wrong with a good story arc, whether deliberate (like the Turlough and the Black Guardian stories)
Hah! That'd easily get my vote as 'most annoying story arc' ever.
"Kill the Doctor!"
"No!"
..... twenty-nine times per episode.....
XxX
Post by: Breasts on May 16, 2010, 10:32:07 AM
Hah! That'd easily get my vote as 'most annoying story arc' ever.lol true.
"Kill the Doctor!"
"No!"
..... twenty-nine times per episode.....
XxX
Post by: Breasts on May 16, 2010, 10:32:41 AM
Post by: MunchWolf on May 17, 2010, 02:06:36 AM
as for the 'Dream Lord' ... he could easily have been written up as either the Trickster or one of the Trickster's agents ... which since that isn't mentioned I wonder if there is a copyright issue with the previous crew (since the Trickster only appears in the Sarah Jane Adventures, and was mentioned in Dr Who once - the Turn Left episode of season 4)
-Munch "another possibility ... return of the Valeyard" Wolf
Post by: rtpoe on May 18, 2010, 11:01:27 PM
Though, when the final shot came up, with the voice-over of children reciting that poem, I couldn't help but think of SPOILER this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-UACM_8q_Q)SPOILER
Post by: rtpoe on July 14, 2010, 11:06:53 PM
The TARDIS materializes in a gray void. Its scanners say that there’s a livable environment outside; the Doctor makes references to "The Mind Robber" and "Warrior’s Gate". The Doctor, Amy, and Rory step out, and come upon a table, at which are seated both the White Guardian and the Black Guardian*.
The Doctor brings up the Key To Time. The White Guardian says that it wasn’t so much the actual Key that he needed, but it was the act of collecting the pieces that set in motion the events he wanted done. The Black Guardian comments that destroying the Key and sending the pieces back helped him maintain the balance between the two Guardians.
The White Guardian cuts short the chit-chat. There’s something afoot that, if not stopped, could utterly destroy the entire universe. And for real, this time. He may have already noted the cracks...
It seems that the Time War was supposed to effectively remove BOTH the Daleks and Gallifrey/the Time Lords from the universe, but the Daleks haven’t gone away. The White Guardian displays a picture of a man who looks remarkably like Russell T. Davies, and says that he is the focal point of the situation.The Doctor must decide to either totally erase the Daleks from existence, or bring back the Time Lords. If he does nothing, the continuity stresses will result in the absolute, irrevocable End Of Everything. For Real. He has to go back in time, find that man, and convince him to stop messing with the continuity of the universe.
* I know there’s no chance of getting the original actors, but they are superpowerful beings who can appear in any form they like.
Yes, I thought the Daleks were supposed to have been wiped out. Twice, by my count. Why the hell do they keep coming back, and the Time Lords are reduced to a spittle-spewing Timothy Dalton in a special episode?
Post by: MunchWolf on July 15, 2010, 01:40:22 AM
I haven’t heard how the whole “cracks in the universe” thread was resolved, but here’s my not-so-serious take on how it ought to have gone.
How'd it go? oh ... the tardis blows up ... destroying the universe ... but everything's fine ... and they don't explain anything
-Munch "Steve Moffit makes you wish RT Davis returns" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on July 15, 2010, 03:33:39 AM
Post by: number3fac on July 16, 2010, 01:22:17 PM
I'm ready to move on past this mess and start exploring the Silence entity, that wanted the TARDIS to explode. I've already half-convinced myself it's Omega.
Post by: MunchWolf on July 16, 2010, 03:19:28 PM
-Munch "with the inclusion of the Dream Lord, it is kind of hinted at" Wolf
Post by: number3fac on July 19, 2010, 01:51:31 AM
I suspect Omega because if it hadn't been for the silly "wedding rhyme" fix at the end, only two outcomes were possible:
1) The Universe vanishes into nonexistence, leaving room for the creation of a new universe of anti-matter
2) The Universe's existence is preserved, but with the Doctor forever sealed away in a pocket existence, never to return.
I have to think Omega would be pleased with either result. Also, I haven't been paying enough attention over the season, but there was that oddly-placed Greek Psi on the "MYTH" trademark in the season premiere, and on rewatching the two-part finale, there have been more Greek letters tossed around as well. I may be reading too much into it, but now I'm curious if there were others this season, or if there will be more next season as the "theme" leading to that finale.
Either way, I noticed that the phrase "Silence Will Fall" plays in nicely with the several times this season where importance is attached to the Doctor talking (and/or he tells everyone else to shut up).
Post by: Breasts on December 25, 2010, 01:57:00 PM
Post by: Shara on December 26, 2010, 07:33:16 AM
Post by: Breasts on December 26, 2010, 01:32:24 PM
is Dr. Who worth watching if you've never seen the original?I think you'd be able to get the gist of it enough to enjoy it.
Post by: Breasts on February 23, 2011, 11:22:01 AM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12549622
Post by: rtpoe on February 23, 2011, 11:17:45 PM
And with David "#10" Tennant on Big Finish's 'Unbound' story, "Sympathy for the Devil".
Post by: TheZookie007 on March 03, 2011, 06:29:25 PM
YouTube: "Doctor Who meets Top Gear" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N77GAsv8X-Q)
Post by: MunchWolf on March 04, 2011, 11:12:51 AM
-Munch "the Top Gear mashup is from a various number of eps" Wolf
Post by: TheZookie007 on March 05, 2011, 12:26:05 AM
Post by: Breasts on March 23, 2011, 12:21:11 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51JtuEa_OPc and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkmiefoRcfU ;D
Mmmmm 2 Amy Pond's...
Post by: MunchWolf on April 20, 2011, 12:23:34 AM
-Munch "sad" Wolf
Post by: Cutter on April 20, 2011, 08:12:37 AM
She was a very good actress.
Farewell Miss Sladen.
Post by: Breasts on April 20, 2011, 11:42:28 AM
Post by: TheZookie007 on April 20, 2011, 11:48:47 AM
Post by: rtpoe on April 20, 2011, 10:49:00 PM
Sarah Jane Smith : "Don't forget me."
The Doctor : "Oh, Sarah... don't you forget me."
Post by: rtpoe on April 22, 2011, 07:52:38 PM
Quote
"I feel very sad and my mum started to cry as she watched Elisabeth when she was little in Doctor Who. We will both miss her."
David, 9, Essex, England
Quote
"I will miss her saving the world in the Sarah Jane Adventures. My mum's shown me the videos of Elisabeth in the 1970s, she was AMAZING!"
Jannine, 13, Stoke on Trent, England
Quote
"My dad said he used to watch Elisabeth when she was on Doctor Who. I have watched every episode of the Sarah Jane Adventures and me and all my family are upset about the news."
Rosie, 11, Worcestershire, England
Quote
"She was the BEST monster hunter EVER. :( "
Nyah, 10, Plymouth
Post by: Breasts on April 23, 2011, 12:47:26 PM
1st ep of the new season was great! ;D
Post by: Breasts on April 30, 2011, 12:48:23 PM
A very interesting bit right at the very end. :o
Post by: Breasts on May 28, 2011, 01:30:58 PM
Post by: number3fac on June 05, 2011, 04:06:57 AM
Post by: Palomine on June 05, 2011, 10:51:17 AM
Post by: number3fac on June 05, 2011, 05:54:13 PM
I don't get BBC America. :-\ :'(
Neither do I... ;)
Post by: MunchWolf on June 06, 2011, 01:34:10 AM
So...that stuff happened. Any thoughts? Are we paced for the BBCAmerica broadcasts or the UK ones?
I have to say it was the best twist since the Face of Bo ...
-Munch "everything before that was crap though ... cept for Madam Vastra and Jenny .. they should become permanent companions" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on June 06, 2011, 11:06:52 AM
Post by: rtpoe on June 06, 2011, 07:12:11 PM
After the first three episodes, I have to say it's nice to see Rory (Arthur Darvill) as a full-fledged Companion. Not just because I find the idea of serious romance between The Doctor and any human female "icky" (He's an ALIEN! NOT HUMAN! It would be on the order of **15**!), or because he's the first true male Companion since Turlough, but because I like the character.
So far, the stuff that screams "STORY ARC!!" at you isn't as offensive as the "Crack in the Wall" nonsense from the last season. There it was "THIS IS IMPORTANT! PAY ATTENTION! VITAL INFORMATION COMING AT YOU HERE!"; now it's more like "Oh, hi! This is important, you'll find out what it's all about soon enough. Carry on..."
And it's kind of cool to know that just as The Doctor was behind Agatha Christie's missing time, he was also behind Neil Armstrong's line flub: "That's one small step for (KILL US ON SIGHT) man...." :D
Post by: Quadhouse on June 12, 2011, 05:59:31 PM
Post by: TheZookie007 on June 26, 2011, 11:33:42 PM
YouTube: "Doctor Who Series 3 Preview including their first kiss (WKC)" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DQ7tod62fo)
Post by: Freddy on July 09, 2011, 08:00:01 PM
As for the big reveal to end the first half of the new season, well, I didn't see it coming and I was pleasantly surprised. It definitely left a big smile on my face. I can't wait for the second half to begin already.
Post by: rtpoe on July 09, 2011, 11:04:22 PM
I hope that Moffat will be able to wrap up all those loose threads he left hanging. It doesn't look like it's going to be easy to do in a satisfying manner.
As far as Matt Smith goes, he's OK. I think of him as a "Junior Professor"*. The bow tie and tweedy jacket help. Though I am getting quite tired with the "Dark Doctor" stuff (the Doctor has done things in the past that we don't know about, which cause people to send armies after him out of pure hatred).
Of the episodes to date, my favorite was "The Curse of the Black Spot". A nice little mystery, no extraneous background needed. Though it could have used about 10 extra minutes of story development to show the Doctor figuring out the real situation and coming up with the solution instead of having him pull it out of his ass (as usual). But, when you have only 40-50 minutes for a story....
*Each Doctor has his own distinct persona:
Hartnell: The Wizard of Oz
Troughton: The Cosmic Hobo
Pertwee: Action Man!
T. Baker: Galactic Bohemian / Interstellar Van Helsing
Davison: The Cricketer
C. Baker: The Mad Genius
McCoy: The Chessmaster
McGann: The Extraordinary Gentleman
Eccleston: Your Best "Mate" (as in **94** buddy; get your mind out of the gutter!)
Tennant: The Boy Scout
I believe it was Colin Baker who said that any actor can play the Doctor, but whether you last for two minutes or seven years is up to you.
Post by: number3fac on July 14, 2011, 03:48:10 PM
While Moffat's been pretty good with pushing plenty of action and/or suspenseful scenes, quippy dialogue, and "shocking" twists, I've been disappointed with the characterization and storytelling aspects of the show. For instance, I don't have any conception of who Amy is, even after a season and a half; only in the last episodes of season 5 do we get a hint that the Doctor had an ulterior motive for bringing her along, but it's never actually mentioned why she wants to go with him...I have to presume she wanted to live out adventures she missed out on because of the Doctor's absence, but there isn't a shred of dialogue anywhere to support that. And now that reality's rebooted, Amy should have a totally different life where she wasn't lonely because people around her were always vanishing...but we don't even get a hint of who that person is or what she does in the un-Cracked universe, she just brings the Doctor back because he planned for her to help him out that way, and off they go again. Her most significant character developments are that she's got a "special" memory thanks to growing up with the Crack in her room (which only became relevant in Big Bang, though it *might* somehow still be relevant if there are more run-ins with Silents), and then she got knocked up in the TARDIS. And neither of those things are actual personality traits; all Amy's got in that department is "fiesty Scottish girl". At this point after a season and a half of RTD, I knew way more about Rose as a character and could actually relate (either positively or negatively) to who she was and what she'd experienced. I feel bad for Karen Gillian, because I think she's really doing the best she can with Amy, but unfortunately there's only the barest outline of a person written for her to work with. And also unfortunately, I think it's almost the same with Moffat's Doctor, Rory, and River, though they have gotten a smidge more character work than poor Amy.
BTW, I have a different impression of the last two Doctors on your list RTPoe, though I'm too long-winded to boil the description down without some explanation--
Eccleston: Survivor's Guilt. Pretty much his whole performance has this haunted-by-his-decisions feel to it, where he's acutely aware that he's the one that destroyed all his own race just to be finally rid of all the Daleks. Although we do learn later on that the Timelords needed to go too, it was he that decided to end them all and in doing so rewrote reality, essentially making him responsible for the status (good or bad) of everything and everyone left in the universe. Not seeing a whole lot of jovial best-mate stuff there, though a joke or bit of goofiness does sometimes get past his angry exterior.
Tennant: The Lonely God. I don't think I need to explain this one too much, actually; it got hit pretty hard as a theme throughout his adventures, what with deposing Prime Ministers, fighting (and beating) Satan, hordes of Daleks and Cybermen (and both combined), very nearly breaking the Laws of Time, and desperately reaching out for companionship to his oldest, angriest enemy. I don't see much Boy-Scout-ness here either, what with throwing people into black holes (Satan, Family of Blood), freezing them for all eternity (Weeping Angels, Family of Blood) or trapping them in dimensional limbo-worlds (Daleks+Cybermen, Family of Blood). Granted, they all had it coming, but my point is he didn't hold back and play nice when deciding to punish them.
Post by: rtpoe on July 19, 2011, 11:22:00 PM
I suppose they will have some sort of big event for it, as with "The Three Doctors" for the 10th anniversary or "The Five Doctors" for the 20th.
Any guesses as to what they might do? Or what you'd like to see?
I'd like to see Paul McGann in the role again.
Post by: number3fac on July 20, 2011, 10:58:38 PM
One other thing that each of the previous specials had was a notable presence of other Time Lords, and that would also be appropriate if they bring Eight back, as it could certainly show some of the lead-up to the Time War. Alternatively, the latest finale had some interesting developments: the Eyepatch Lady now has extensive info on Time Lord DNA plus a live specimen. Moffat's work in Who has often hit upon the notion of storing/transferring/implanting consciousnesses between bodies, and the End of Time revealed Rassilon's plan to turn the Time Lords into pure-consciousness entities to escape the Time War, so it could be possible that we'd see a revival of the entire species. Something else I discovered that was pointed out on another forum is that the insignia used by the cleric-army in the finale included a stylized form of the "Omega" symbol. So it might just be that one particular villainous Time Lord behind the whole thing, and maybe he'll get reconstituted somehow. Frankly, I'd be okay with either outcome but really anything's possible because as entertaining as Moffat's incarnation of the show has been, it's kind of all over the map with loads of loose threads that may-or-may-not be related in some way.
Post by: TheZookie007 on July 22, 2011, 11:46:51 AM
Meanwhile:
Daily Mail: "Politics, bullying and principles: The real reason why Christopher Eccleston left Doctor Who after just one series" (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2017666/Christopher-Eccleston-left-Doctor-Who-just-1-series-politics-bullying.html?printingPage=true)
Post by: rtpoe on July 22, 2011, 09:52:15 PM
How about this: The "Face of Boe" shows up again, and advises the Doctor that one (or two) of his previous selves is in a spot of trouble and needs help. But since the current Doctor doesn't remember meeting himself, he's got to go back and fix things without letting his earlier self know that he's being helped. Could make for some nice light comedy... Maybe, if Big Finish can be persuaded to go along with it, they could have some of the "exclusively audio" companions show up, too.
Post by: number3fac on July 22, 2011, 11:28:30 PM
Anyway, I would definitely like to see the "unseen manipulations" idea of the Eleventh Doctor secretly intervening in the adventures of one of his earlier incarnations. He's certainly not above messing with personal timelines and hiding things from Amy and Rory, so it would be the ultimate manipulation for him to try doing that with himself. It would certainly be a good way to showcase the "time can be rewritten" stuff that would probably have to be addressed in averting Eleven's death from the start of the season, plus it does kinda fit with some of the stories we've been seeing like the Christmas Carol (changing the Scrooge guy) and Vincent Van Gogh (the beast is removed from the church painting, and a message to Amy appears in another). I don't know about dragging the Face of Boe into it, I'm sure there are other ways for the Doctor to end up crossing paths with himself.
Post by: Breasts on July 31, 2011, 01:59:49 PM
I love his line at the end. lol.
Post by: rtpoe on September 25, 2011, 12:27:11 AM
Well, "Let's Kill Hitler" turned out to be "Let's Shove Hitler in a Closet and Ignore Him While We Fill In More of River Song's Backstory".... What a confusing mess. So many interesting things and ideas introduced - and then dropped along the way without any fuss or comment. I can't sum it up any better than The Flick Philosopher (http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2011/08/doctor_who_blogging_lets_kill.html), so I won't.
You know, I think I've finally had it with River Song. Nothing against Alex Kingston, but the character has gone from a bit of over-the-top silliness to being downright "What else is on?" annoying. Can't wait until she finally leaves.
One other bit of annoyance is that they pick and choose what stuff from the Original Series to call back, ignoring whatever doesn't fit their "idea" of The Doctor. There's a quick bit in "Hitler" where The Doctor cries out to the TARDIS as it is showing him his previous Companions, "Show me someone I haven't screwed up yet!" (or something to that effect).
Right, then!
* Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton: Returned to Earth via a Dalek time travel device, left happily. From the looks of it, they had fallen in love over the course of their travels.
* Steven Tyler: Left of his own free will to help a society rebuild after he and The Doctor stopped a long and bitter war.
* Ben and Polly: Happened to wind up back on Earth the same day they first met The Doctor, so they decided it would be the best time to bid him farewell. Left happily.
* Jo Grant: Thanks to The Doctor's influence, went from being a stereotypical blonde ditz to an aspiring scientist and adventurer.
* Romana: After her "graduate studies" with The Doctor, left to help the Tharils in E-Space. Eventually (in the books and audios) became the President of Gallifrey.
* Nyssa: Though The Doctor couldn't stop the "killing" of her parents by The Master, or the destruction of her home world (also by The Master), she eventually found herself and stayed on Terminus to help find a cure for Lazar's Disease.
* Turlough: Thanks to The Doctor, he matured from a snotty schoolboy into a young adult ready to take his proper place in his home planet's society.
There you have it. Proof that The Doctor *doesn't* screw up everyone he meets.
By the way, here's a very nice essay on "How Doctor Who Became My Religion" (http://www.cracked.com/blog/how-dr.-who-became-my-religion/).
Post by: Palomine on September 25, 2011, 09:45:31 AM
Post by: rtpoe on September 26, 2011, 06:48:43 PM
I can't complain too much about how Moffat is running the show. After all, I still say it's one of the best things on TV. But with all the complex threads running all over this season, I get the feeling that Moffat is gearing the show towards the people who are going to buy the boxed DVD set when it first comes out. Reading about the episodes online, I'm being told about a lot of things that make sense only when you have seen every single one. That's all well and good, but he's got to remember that not everyone sees every episode as it first airs. And, more importantly, there's always going to be someone who is seeing the show for the very first time. You should not be piling so much stuff into an episode that you need a commentary track to figure it out!
And I just thought of one huge problem with "Let's Kill Hitler!"...
A big blue box comes flying out of nowhere and crashes through a window in to the Fuhrer's office. Not exactly a subtle **103**.... So where are the guards? Is everyone on their lunch break? Sure, security around Hitler tended to be quite lax, but there's no one else around? And what about the guys in the driveway outside the window? Okay, TARDIS magic might render it invisible in flight, but didn't any of them notice the demolished window and think, "Gee, that's not supposed to be like that. I should go and see what's up"? And Hitler just sat quietly in the closet for well over half an hour?
Post by: number3fac on October 11, 2011, 01:14:31 AM
On a more positive note, I did like the three episodes prior to the finale; even though the antagonist/problem wasn't particularly large-scale, it allowed the writers to fill out the scenes with some strong character moments that had been lacking for the main cast. And even with Moffat's continued direction, I'll certainly still be tuning in...but I probably won't be rewatching his episodes as much as some others.
Post by: CarlTL on February 10, 2012, 07:20:51 PM
Post by: rtpoe on February 10, 2012, 11:04:37 PM
If that is reasonably accurate as a preview, I'm feeling a tad disappointed. Amy and Rory had been given a really great sendoff; there's no need to bring them back as Companions.
I've been thinking about it lately. As I mentioned before, quite a few Companions depart under pleasant circumstances. And one of the things that I noted is that they tend to leave when they have, for all intents and purposes, grown up or matured in some way. (see Jo Grant, Romana, Nyssa, Turlough).
And this past season has seen a good deal of that as key plot elements. In "Night Terrors", a young boy faces down his fears. In "Closing Time", a bloke comes to terms with what it means to be a father. Key moments in the process of growing up...
Though The Doctor said (or at least implied) that he let Amy and Rory go because he didn't want them to get hurt by traveling with him, he could have just as easily (and probably more appropriately) said that it was time for them to get on with their lives. The honeymoon was over, in more ways than one. And as we saw in "Closing Time", they were indeed getting on well enough by all appearances. It was time for them to be the adults that they supposedly are. There's absolutely no call for dragging them out of that life to go gallivanting about the Cosmos.
Post by: number3fac on February 11, 2012, 03:21:41 AM
Though to be perfectly honest, I feel that Moffat's botched a fair bit of the Companion portrayal during his time as showrunner. The Doctor drops them off for their honeymoon between season 5 and 6 (in last year's Christmas special, and at least one other time if you're counting his story from Sarah Jane Adventures), then leaves them at home afterwards while he goes gallivanting around (seen at the beginning of season 6), and then he sets off without them at midseason for his quest as though they couldn't or wouldn't be useful in finding their own daughter (not that *he* does). Overall, season 6 makes it seem like the Ponds are just a relatively ordinary British couple with a wacky nameless neighbor-friend who occasionally takes them on outlandish road trips. It doesn't reflect well on either the Ponds or the Doctor, which is kind of a shame because I actually like them--I just don't get how we're supposed to see how they belong together as an adventuring team.
Post by: pedonbio on March 06, 2012, 07:31:55 PM
Post by: number3fac on March 07, 2012, 01:59:46 AM
::)
I believe!
Er...The Truth Is Out There?
Post by: Breasts on July 26, 2012, 11:38:49 AM
Post by: number3fac on September 11, 2012, 08:06:53 PM
Episode 1 was a neat twist on the Daleks...they have an asylum full of their castoffs, they've become alarmed at the crazy stuff that's happening, so they grab the Doctor to do what he does best: defeat Daleks. And thanks to some weird telepathic/computer glitch, every Dalek ends up forgetting the Doctor. Wiping out the species' longstanding history with the Doctor (from their point of view) could be interesting, though I wonder if it's just a huge stunt to set up the "Doctor WHO?" question looming over the season.
Episode 2 was overstuffed with characters to accommodate the cast of actors. Mr. Weasley from Harry Potter (aka Peterson from Red Dwarf), Filch from Harry Potter, Mitchell & Webb (a British comedy duo with their own show) as funny killbots, an actor guy I recognize (but whose name I don't know) as a big-game hunter, and some unknown hottie as Nefertiti. On the plus side, even though it was borderline ridiculous it was loads of fun. And a piece of tech with the identity and value of everything, everywhere, everywhen, in its database fails to identify the Doctor.
I'm still kinda dreading the resolution to the "Doctor WHO?" plot, but hopefully there'll still be lots of fun in the meantime...I enjoyed these two more than most of last season!
Post by: MunchWolf on September 16, 2012, 05:11:40 AM
-Munch "I was a bit disturbed that the doctor outright killed someone in the second ep ... even if he was bad" Wolf
Post by: salem on September 16, 2012, 05:33:55 AM
Post by: salem on September 16, 2012, 06:04:56 AM
Shame she's leaving soon. Will miss those incredible legs!
Post by: number3fac on September 20, 2012, 01:28:54 AM
I feel that is also the set up ... the Doctor will be wiping himself from history ... even maybe to the point that Amy/Rory forget him ... and that is where the question comes from ...
-Munch "I was a bit disturbed that the doctor outright killed someone in the second ep ... even if he was bad" Wolf
It seems to me that he's already been reduced/removed from history; the Daleks know him forever of course, and now they've been selectively mindwiped of him. For everyone else, he's presumably dead-and-gone-and-forgotten from the fakeout at the end of last season (even though so much of that makes no sense...but that's what Moffat's given us). But between the first two episodes, and the recent one with the townspeople and cyborg looking for an "alien doctor" and briefly thinking the Doctor is him until it turns out to be a mix-up with some guy with a tattoo (and a name), it's being set up that only those closest to the Doctor (his former companions, but also Amy and Rory, who are the only two that know he's still alive) will know who he is. However, it looks like there is an acknowledgement that the Doctor is even drifting away from them...as I noted, he kept dropping Amy and Rory off over and over again during season 6, and they only occasionally get together even now so that the Doctor's spent lots of time on his own and getting further disconnected from them. Presumably that'll lead to the Ponds' exit (coming soon, if casting info is right) and a fresh start with a new companion who may be the one that eventually asks him the Question. On the plus side, the theme of the Doctor's separation from "the spotlight" and the upcoming Question haven't been dropped on our heads like anvils in the same way as the ongoing plot threads of the previous 2 seasons.
Anyway, I liked this last episode; some nice ethical/moral dilemmas being faced by the Doctor, the other doctor, and the cyborg, with the companions and townspeople providing some perspective and backdrop. The part about the war-machine becoming a protector was a bit much at the end, but it may be a kind of clunky parallel with the ultra-crazy-Dalek friend from the Asylum episode. I have to wonder if that'll be some sort of overarching theme among some characters we'll see this season, or if it's just a coincidence.
Post by: MunchWolf on September 20, 2012, 02:26:18 AM
-Munch "unknown if same character" Wolf
Post by: rtpoe on September 20, 2012, 07:20:35 PM
From the very beginning, "An Unearthly **09**", we never really knew exactly who the Doctor was. Yes, he's a Time Lord; yes, he went off into exile (presumably voluntarily); yes, he was chosen to be their President... But what is his real role in Gallifreyan history? It's never been made clear. Not in the show, not in the books, not in the audio dramas. That is the fundamental mystery of the series.
And if it ever gets answered, much of the magic will be gone... the Silence will fall...
Post by: number3fac on September 21, 2012, 11:10:47 AM
It sounded ambitious but unfortunately also incredibly convoluted, and I can't say it would've improved anything. I do prefer the mysterious nature of the Doctor; in fact, if it's simply left at him having been an "ordinary citizen" among his fellow Time Lords, I would find that preferable. The show (especially during the RTD era, but at most times during its entire run) has very much been about ordinary people finding inventive ways of displaying courage and heroism in the face of dangers and tyranny. So it would be entirely appropriate for the Doctor himself to have that very same background; it won't make him an epic-super-important-Time Lord figure, but since they're all gone anyway I don't see that it would be necessary to somehow distinguish his place in their society any more.
I don't think Moffat would bother with any of that storyline anyway, but I'm still anxious about what he has planned, because while his one-off contributions to the show have been excellent, he's been markedly poor in his long-arc planning and character backstory/development. I really hope that his resolution to this "first" "Doctor WHO?" question doesn't negatively impact or trivialize the series, is all.
Post by: MunchWolf on September 22, 2012, 04:12:59 AM
-Munch "an odd reoccuring trait of his, is he likes monsters that don't kill, but instead turn you into a monster as well" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on September 22, 2012, 03:01:43 PM
But noooooooo I don't want Amy and Rory to go! :'(
Post by: number3fac on September 23, 2012, 11:04:07 PM
I don't think he will really answer anything. He's great at creating drama and fluffy, but lacks substance.
I've been saying (elsewhere) that Moffat's work is much like cotton candy: delicious and delightful, and quite enjoyable when first experienced. But largely insubstantial, so that it leaves you wanting...but having more just makes you sick.
For the current episode: what was the deal with the badguy's minions at the hospital? They **70** random people, all of whom were apparently on the ship when it exploded; but since the cubes were supposed to infiltrate and then observe/collect data on people, it's not clear why there was any need for the other minions to even exist. Except to make Rory and his dad (much as I like them) marginally relevant to the climax, though that was still mostly about the Doctor waving his sonic and reversing the damage done. I liked seeing more of the Ponds and their lives with and without the Doctor, Rory's dad, and the new head of UNIT, so the episode was great on that account. But the villain plot didn't make much sense, and I get the impression that we've gotten introduced to Rory's dad specifically so we can sympathize with his reaction to the Ponds' fate (whatever that is) when they're gone from the Doctor.
Post by: MunchWolf on September 24, 2012, 05:09:41 PM
I've been saying (elsewhere) that Moffat's work is much like cotton candy: delicious and delightful, and quite enjoyable when first experienced. But largely insubstantial, so that it leaves you wanting...but having more just makes you sick.
For the current episode: what was the deal with the badguy's minions at the hospital?
That's happened a lot on Moffat's watch. The one that really bugged me was the Christmas Carol episode. The family put up their relative as collateral for a loan, to be frozen and thawed out when the loan repaid ... but the relative only had a few days left to live ... where is the incentive to repay the loan?
You can find little niggling bits like that in most of the eps, and they bug me, but like in the Christmas Carol episode, moffat brushes them off like invisible fish ... just ignore them .. it's only a *small peoples* show afterall ...
-Munch "I still want to know why the tardis blew up" Wolf
Post by: MunchWolf on September 24, 2012, 05:13:16 PM
or that they are trying to avoid Amy from being girl hostage .. so they brought in Cleopatra ... (or in this ep it was rory and his dad)
-Munch "when things make the least sense, you can tell as they rush through the action/dialog" Wolf
Post by: number3fac on September 25, 2012, 11:11:46 PM
-Munch "I still want to know why the tardis blew up" Wolf
Yes! Thank you for noticing, no-one else has mentioned it (on other forums, which I'll rant about briefly now), it's kind of infuriating...other posters talk mainly about the various levels of characterization (which is fine too), but I'm annoyed that no one's even bothered to look at the plotlines and notice that they too are woefully problematic. Moffat's bad enough (especially so, considering he's supposed to be running the thing), but it's notable that "Power of Three", "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship", and the season 5 Silurian 2-parter were all written by Chris Chibnall, so I'm thinking that he's not a good fit for Who at all. He's done some decent Torchwood stuff at least.
At this point, I almost can't believe that I was stoked for Moffat to take over when I heard RTD was leaving. Now I really want someone to take over from Moffat, hopefully while Smith is still the Doctor...he's done a fantastic job portraying whatever crazy thing Moffat's putting him through, it's not Smith's fault that Moffat's been all over the map with the characterization and plotlines. I'd like to see someone else take the reins and really turn the Eleventh Doctor (and his adventures) into something coherent so I can properly enjoy the series again. In the meantime...well, I'll stick with it anyway because it's still fun (on first viewing, at least) and because at the moment that's the only way I can support the show.
Post by: madcow4 on September 26, 2012, 06:57:44 AM
That and I fully admit to being biased to any episodes where Dinosaurs are on a Spaceship.
Post by: Nimrod on September 26, 2012, 07:19:02 AM
With the reset of the series with a more modern production it is almost a whole new show that just happens to have characters that reference the earlier work. Very much like Star Trek but with even more departure from the previous feel and pace. We do like watching and the writing has some moments that are better by far, but as some have already said, in the move toward a more gritty and realistic Dr. Who the need to tighten up the plot holes and some of the basic logic appears to have been forgotten.
Yes, I agree that there are times you can easily see how they simply introduce a character in order to do something to move the back-story along, like Rory's Dad, Nefertiti in lieu of Amy Pond, Donna's Dad, Rose and her Mom, etc. (they use parents a lot)
I did want to mention that our favorite Dr. Who episode of the modern version was The Weeping Angles, many people agree, and ironically it hardly had the Doctor Who in it. The writing is very good, it stands alone and made such a good antagonist for the context of the series that is forever changed the show. Much like the Borg in Star Trek.
Post by: number3fac on September 27, 2012, 01:00:11 AM
You guys do remember that RTD put Tennant through some pretty stupid stuff too, right? Love and Monsters, Tinkerbell Jesus Mode, Handy McHanderson, he okayed all of those. Maybe I'm being a Moffat apologist, but you can't pick and choose your evidence either.
That and I fully admit to being biased to any episodes where Dinosaurs are on a Spaceship.
Oh, I'm not saying RTD's era was perfect, he had some clunky stuff and for finales, it was either "throw a ton of Daleks at the Doctor!" or "throw Timelords at the Doctor!" which just made things escalate to greater and grander scales, so it was getting ridiculous. One thing I did appreciate from the S5 finale was that the last episode was basically the Doctor, the Ponds, and a rusty Dalek, and it still worked (though I have huge gripes about the Crack, and Moffat's decision in both finales to "break" reality so he can simply make stuff up left and right until the episode is over).
But one of the distinctions is that, whatever the flaws in RTD's scripts, there was some real attempt at using thematic elements and developing characters. A great example: in the RTD era, the Cybermen exemplified being cut off from emotions. The people who were converted (without others noticing) were people who had already become distant and detached (Torchwood personnel, the people wired into the Cybus network, the wealthy owners of orphan poorhouses), so that no one noticed any difference once the earpod things were implanted and they came under Cyberman control. And the only way to fully defeat them was to force them to feel their humanity and emotions once again; the exploding heads might've been a bit overkill, but it made the point. And so the RTD Cyberman stories were about the personal costs of shutting yourself off from your feelings.
Moffat's first example of using the Cybermen in a story was in the Pandorica episode; and the reason for including them was...to eat Amy's face. While they had to make an appearance to show the extent of the Alliance against the Doctor, having one lumbering around as a threat didn't have any thematic relevance (though it did look cool, and dangerous too). Ditto for their appearance in A Good Man Goes To War; they were an easily-recognizable villain with a cool scene...but had zero relevance to either the story or the theme. As with the cotton-candy analogy: a delicious treat, but ultimately insubstantial (just like Dinosaurs on a Spaceship ;) ;D)
Post by: number3fac on September 30, 2012, 10:44:59 PM
I did want to mention that our favorite Dr. Who episode of the modern version was The Weeping Angles, many people agree, and ironically it hardly had the Doctor Who in it. The writing is very good, it stands alone and made such a good antagonist for the context of the series that is forever changed the show. Much like the Borg in Star Trek.
"Blink" was a superb episode, and by none other than Moffat himself; which is why, given that excellent example, his **103** as showrunner seemed like it would be the best thing for the show. But I've been largely dissatisfied with the results since he took over, including his 5th season two-parter revisiting the Angels where their previously-established powers were largely ignored and new abilities were introduced in a series of twists that mainly existed to draw out suspense until they were dropped into the Crack (which I've admitted to having issues with).
The return of the Angels this week was better mainly in that they returned to their "original" time-zapping (and therefore more interesting) tactics. The Liberty Angel was a bit much to take, and it was odd that they didn't even bother to deal with the "surviving" Angel at the end after the Ponds had been zapped away. For that matter, I felt it was a bit disappointing that the Ponds ended by getting time-zapped by a random lone Angel after going through the supreme (and dramatically well-earned) sacrifice to create the paradox that saved the entire city. It was practically the equivalent to the Tenth Doctor's reaction (in the Next Doctor XMas special) of "I hope I don't trip over a brick? That'd be embarrassing." At least they ended up together, and in the meantime River was looking especially "Yowza".
Post by: Keisha_Evans on October 15, 2012, 01:04:53 AM
Post by: rtpoe on October 15, 2012, 06:48:23 PM
(and I hope you can make out the small print)
Post by: salem on November 09, 2012, 06:09:01 PM
I have been a huge fan of Doctor Who ever since the late 70's when Tom Baker was the Doc, and I am delighted to see the show stronger than ever. Here's to the next 50 years!
Post by: rtpoe on November 30, 2012, 08:24:26 PM
An underappreciated highlight of the episode is Rory’s dad, Brian. When they are in a bit of a spot, Brian just happens to have something useful on him. Have to dig in wet sand? Here’s a folding trowel! How many times has The Doctor pulled something out of a pocket (and not just the sonic screwdriver) that just happened to be of use? Maybe we could all be a bit more like The Doctor if we had more than just a smartphone with us, and had the wits to find a way to use what we had.
Anyway, it looks like the Theme for the season is going to be along the lines of “The Doctor *needs* Companions to keep him from going off the rails into megalomania. After all, the Time Lords aren’t around anymore to keep him in line.
A Town Called Mercy – Possibly one of the best episodes yet! Not so much for the production values or the acting, but for the philosophical issues it raises. If the ends are clearly to be desired, does it mean that you can use any means necessary to achieve them? At what point does one finish atoning for their sins? And who decides what that point is? Serious ethical questions, which do come up in the real world. The show does not flinch from facing them, and it doesn’t pretend to have the answers.
These issues are handled so well that one doesn’t much notice or even care about other unanswered questions. What’s the point of the wood and stone ring around the town? What’s stopping The Gunslinger from just strolling into town in the wee hours of the morning when people are **83** and finishing his mission? I suppose that we’d have been given the answer if the episode was more than 45 minutes long and they had the time for it.
A few other things to the episode’s detriment. The music was too intrusive at times, and did we really need the closing narration? Surely a brief scene with the new marshal saying goodbye to The Doctor, Amy, and Rory would have sufficed. It’s not like we couldn’t tell he was going to become the marshal anyway. It totally broke the mood.
Anyway, we are clearly shown that The Doctor needs Companions to keep him morally grounded – in keeping with the apparent theme for the season.
Post by: number3fac on December 01, 2012, 12:33:38 AM
Anyway, it looks like the Theme for the season is going to be along the lines of “The Doctor *needs* Companions to keep him from going off the rails into megalomania. After all, the Time Lords aren’t around anymore to keep him in line.
(snip)
Anyway, we are clearly shown that The Doctor needs Companions to keep him morally grounded – in keeping with the apparent theme for the season.
Actually, I'm pretty sure this was the theme of the Tenth Doctor's season with Donna (and through the end of his tenure). Her shouting, slapping, etc. and "Earth-girl"-ness was generally in response to his giddy/pompous "spaceman"-ness. It was not only fun to watch (for me), but I think it made Donna the absolutely perfect companion to the Tenth Doctor. He had perhaps allowed his own self-importance get inflated after two starry-eyed/swoony companions with romantic feelings, and Donna's absolute refusal to take his proclamations as ultimate authority (as well as her inability to see him as attractive) was exactly what was needed to "ground" the Doctor's ego and pull him away from that "Lonely God" archetype. And once Donna was gone, he regressed heavily into that persona; after a light moment in The Next Doctor where he managed to briefly connect with the deluded Jackson Lake, he went around on his own, turned down the Bionic Woman as a companion for fear of losing someone else, and then in Waters of Mars he practically broke time itself not only to keep alive another woman he came to respect, but also because he realized that there was nothing stopping him from making the attempt. I thought The End of Time did a good job of wrapping up that story, as the Master and the return of the Time Lords both showed the ramifications of what the Tenth Doctor might become if he kept going on; defeating them both not only showed his rejection of that path, but put him on what I thought would be the next sensible step: "stepping down" from that "God" pedestal that he'd climbed up on, and engaging/reconnecting with the Universe and the people in it on a more personal level. I thought that was well represented by the fact that, immediately after saving all reality from all the other Time Lords, his next (and final) act was to sacrifice himself (well, the Tenth Doctor version of himself) for just a single good man, someone whom he'd felt a strong personal connection to.
Unfortunately, Moffat seemed to ignore all that wrenching character progression as Eleven banked on his demi-god-like reputation multiple times in his first two seasons before finally considering the notion of stepping away from his self-appointed role of grand savior. Not that the Doctor hasn't earned the right to play up his importance, but there wasn't any indication that he'd learned or accepted or even changed from that aspect of the Tenth Doctor, which undermines the notion of each regeneration having its own distinct persona. But it also seems like Eleven's borrowed a significant amount of other traits from his previous lives in addition, and that's kind of disappointing because it means that Moffat's just coasting on previously-established characters rather than making something new and interesting. Which is too bad, because Matt Smith has done a fine job performing all the little personality elements that make up his pastiche of a Doctor, and I'd really like to see what he could do with a real direction and character arc for Eleven.
Even more so, I feel like Moffat has missed another great opportunity of his own design: he brought onboard Amy and Rory as a couple, with Amy as a woman whose life was messed-up (however inadvertantly) by the Doctor's lifestyle (the TARDIS made the Crack and skipped the Doctor over her youth), but who found a stable, happy, loving relationship with someone anyway. Having them and their "domestic" lifestyle paired with the Doctor would not only give the show a new dynamic (a "couple" on the TARDIS), but could showcase Eleven engaging with those "human"/non-god-like perspectives that he'd so desperately lacked as Ten (and to some extent, as Nine). Instead, we got the Crack erasing the Universe and scrambling timelines and the companions' memories, followed by the mind-screwing Silence and an even more scrambled timeline as Amy and Rory become parents, have their ch!ld **70**, get left on Earth repeatedly by the Doctor, and only reunite after time actually does get broken (but despite the lessons of Waters of Mars, the only remarkable aspect of that event is that the Doctor apparently gets married). So rather than show the Doctor's new personality and develop a character arc for him, or even establish Amy and Rory coherently, there was a massive mishmash of crazy time-traveling/reality-breaking events that sounded (and even looked) good as ideas, but made a mad mess of the show's continuity and seemed to barely affect the Doctor's entourage.
Ultimately, I probably won't be rewatching most of seasons 5 and 6 (apart from a handful of gems that I really liked a lot), and so far the same goes for season 7. That said, I *am* looking forward to having a new companion on board, because it means new opportunities for stories and development with the Doctor and the new character, and I'm hopeful that they won't be wasted this time around.
Post by: rtpoe on December 01, 2012, 11:01:29 PM
Back in the "Classic" Era, you rarely had pre-planned season-long story arcs. Other than the "Key to Time" and the "Trial of a Time Lord", you'd be hard pressed to find any. And none of them built to a grand "Doctor saves the Universe" finale.
It's all awkward and forced, which is why none of the finales (so far) have been particularly satisfying.
Post by: salem on December 04, 2012, 03:50:16 PM
Anyway, certainly looking forward to the Christmas Episode and then onwards to the 50th anniversary year.
Post by: MunchWolf on December 05, 2012, 03:31:11 AM
-Munch "but until we see how Moffat ends, we won't know the beginning" Wolf
Post by: salem on December 08, 2012, 03:04:18 PM
Post by: number3fac on December 12, 2012, 01:32:42 AM
I wonder if it's all out of some misguided need to build towards a Season Finale.
Back in the "Classic" Era, you rarely had pre-planned season-long story arcs. Other than the "Key to Time" and the "Trial of a Time Lord", you'd be hard pressed to find any. And none of them built to a grand "Doctor saves the Universe" finale.
It's all awkward and forced, which is why none of the finales (so far) have been particularly satisfying.
I think the season finale is now the common thing in modern television with seasons building towards it. Buffy and Angel were famous for it and now the 'season finale' is everywhere. I think it is probably (like most things in TV nowadays) geared towards ratings. You always get a bump at the end of a series when finale time comes around. It also gives writers the chance to seed things through and tie-up all plot threads that have been woven throughout the season. I'm not against the season long build up per se, in some cases it is something to look forward to, but in the case of Doctor Who and the non-linear narrative of the show it is not the easiest thing to do. Every story is a different place and different time, so to have a running theme through a season doesn't really make sense. Having said that, there is certainly something exciting about a rip-roaring season ender.
Anyway, certainly looking forward to the Christmas Episode and then onwards to the 50th anniversary year.
I'll agree that a season ender is kind of a fixture in most scifi series these days, and despite the difficulties of Doctor Who's premise of a time-and-space-hopping alien, a finale to wrap up each season is still feasible. But I also agree that it's been pushed to hard into the "big/overblown" realm of spectacle, which I didn't mind it much when RTD was in charge, because his Doctors were dealing with that god-complex thing, so that was appropriate. But as I mentioned earlier, when RTD stepped down it seemed like he laid things out to put that to rest but Moffat's just spinning wheels and kept with the big Universe-saving plots, except they got even more ridiculous since both times he's broken reality so that all the rules can be made up as things happen and then everything's put together somehow (but without any real ramifications on what the effects of doing so are).
I'm somewhat reminded of SciFi's Eureka series; for the first few seasons, they had some big finales, and it kinda contaminated the rest of the show in that they were regularly dealing with problems that could wipe out the planet or entire sections of the continent. Then the Eureka writers kicked off a season (I think it was 4) with a timeline reboot that persisted, but it also represented a scaling-back to stories where the problem-of-the-week didn't threaten the world; only a couple of characters--or at worst, the town--were at risk. Even though the stakes were lower, it was a vast improvement as it was still made clear that the crisis would still harm innocent people. If Eureka could do it, I have to think that Moffat would be capable of it if he spent some more effort developing his characters and actual stories instead of cramming a zillion plot twists into his scripts and calling it a day.
While Moffat bugs me, I think he does have a grand scheme that will be fully realized when 11 is done and we switch to the next doctor. I think that scheme is he is doing the whole 11 arc in reverse, with the 1st season being the tardis exploding, the second season was basically a war against the doctor, and this season is the doctor being erased from everyone's memory (thus the question Doctor Who) ... thus if we flip it around, the Doctor erases himself, he is discovered anyway, and mistaken for an enemy, attacked, and the tardis destroyed, which causes the cracks in time.
-Munch "but until we see how Moffat ends, we won't know the beginning" Wolf
And unfortunately, that's why I have almost no confidence in the notion that everything is part of some grand scheme of Moffat's. I expect he'll throw something together that connects to various points and elements that we've seen (like the bit with Van Gogh at the end of season 5), and while it'll superficially seem to tie everything together, I seriously doubt that it'll be the result of some master plan he's working from...it'd more likely be just another setup for yet another in a sequence of plot twists which may or may not make any sense or have any overall relevance to anything.
I apologize for being such a downer...honestly, I DO like Doctor Who, and I even like many (if not most) of Moffat's ideas. I'm just unhappy with what I perceive to be a mismanagement of those ideas, which has severely detracted from my satisfaction with the series. And, I don't get to talk about it much in real life or elsewhere...so you get to hear my rantings. Sorry. :(
Post by: Breasts on December 25, 2012, 01:43:07 PM
I also like the more classic style titles which include the Doctor's face as they should and also finally, finally a long overdue return to the classic style high tech
TARDIS console room!!! Just like it ought to be! None of this cobbled together or steam punk rubbish. :D
Post by: TheZookie007 on December 27, 2012, 01:26:07 AM
First started watching Doctor Who back in the early 1980's when the Tom Baker episodes were shown on PBS in the USA. His version of the title character is still my favorite. He brought just enough gravitas to an otherwise silly somewhat sci-fi "kids" show. It was very campy and yet it worked because in typical British fashion the acting and plots had something more going on while still ignoring the cardboard sets and models on stings look of it...
...I did want to mention that our favorite Dr. Who episode of the modern version was The Weeping Angles, many people agree, and ironically it hardly had the Doctor Who in it. The writing is very good, it stands alone and made such a good antagonist for the context of the series that is forever changed the show. Much like the Borg in Star Trek.
I completely agree. "The Angels Take Manhattan" is one of the best episodes of the show I've seen yet.
Meanwhile, the Royal Mail is going to issue Doctor Who stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the show. All you UK-based BEArs, get in on it (http://www.royalmail.com/doctorwho).
And Alex Kingston was pretty in her ER days, but man she is sooooo fucking hot as River. Damn!
Post by: Breasts on December 27, 2012, 03:15:48 PM
I completely agree. "The Angels Take Manhattan" is one of the best episodes of the show I've seen yet.
Meanwhile, the Royal Mail is going to issue Doctor Who stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the show. All you UK-based BEArs, get in on it (http://www.royalmail.com/doctorwho).
And Alex Kingston was pretty in her ER days, but man she is sooooo fucking hot as River. Damn!
I've registered so hopefully I'l be able to get some. :D
Also on the Xmas special I loved the return of The Great Intelligence and the Doctor inadvertently giving it the idea for what was it's 1st appearance in the London Underground.
Also loved the return of Madame Vastra and the lovely Jenny Flint (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p011gpsb/profiles/jenny-flint) also Strax was hilarious. :D And even better going by the trailer for next season it looks like they'll be back.
Post by: number3fac on December 29, 2012, 01:41:40 AM
Post by: Breasts on December 30, 2012, 06:07:00 PM
Post by: salem on December 30, 2012, 07:48:46 PM
Post by: CarlTL on December 30, 2012, 09:27:27 PM
Pretty good Christmas special this year, the mystery of who Clara Oswin Oswald REALLY is should keep us guessing for a while. Liked the return of the Great Intelligence, although surely the Doctor should remember more about it since he's met it twice before. Mind you if Simeon was the origin of the Great Intelligence, that would be dissapointing, kind of how I felt when we found out what the smoke monster in Lost was. Looking forward to the return of Doctor Who soon.
They've hidden clues in the name of the character before in the form of an anagram-Mister Saxton comes to mind.
http://www.wordsmith.org/anagram/anagram.cgi?anagram=Clara+Oswin+Oswald&t=1000&a=n
Post by: PregNut on January 01, 2013, 08:44:25 PM
Post by: Breasts on January 02, 2013, 11:23:58 AM
They lost me with the sentient snow. ???That was a reappearance of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Intelligence :)
Post by: number3fac on January 03, 2013, 11:33:08 PM
They lost me with the sentient snow. ???
The snow wasn't sentient, it was being controlled puppet-like by a disembodied alien intelligence, apparently the classic-era's villain known as the Great Intelligence (though not a very creative one). Same sort of thing as how the Nestene Consciousness (the big oozy plastic blob creature) could control anything made of plastic (notably store mannequins; also known as Autons when being controlled that way), in the very first episode with the Ninth Doctor (as well as previous adventures with the Third Doctor). Presumably they're both cut from the same cloth as your Lovecraftian unknowable-intelligences-from-beyond-that-drive-you-mad-and-wish-to-consume/control-the-world. The Great Intelligence is just a little bit more reliant on a human "conduit" to carry out its instructions until a suitable host can be found for it to properly manifest and get about the business of world-conquering.
Post by: madcow4 on January 04, 2013, 11:42:37 AM
The snow wasn't sentient, it was being controlled puppet-like by a disembodied alien intelligence...
Yeah, this is Doctor Who.
Post by: MunchWolf on January 05, 2013, 04:10:00 AM
And unfortunately, that's why I have almost no confidence in the notion that everything is part of some grand scheme of Moffat's. I expect he'll throw something together that connects to various points and elements that we've seen (like the bit with Van Gogh at the end of season 5), and while it'll superficially seem to tie everything together, I seriously doubt that it'll be the result of some master plan he's working from...it'd more likely be just another setup for yet another in a sequence of plot twists which may or may not make any sense or have any overall relevance to anything.
Rewatching Moffat eps as I am introducing them to people ... just saw The Hungry Earth (the first of the two parter with the Silarians) .. at the very beginning Rory & Amy are waving at Rory & Amy ... except, now that we know how their story ends, we know they weren't there the second time to wave.
There are ways of quibbling it to work out ... but it feels off to me ...
-Munch "Which makes me wonder what other inconsitancies I will spot, specifically with River's history/future ... ie, she 'killed the doctor' and went to jail for it .. but also he erased his existance ... so who did she 'kill'?" Wolf
Post by: MunchWolf on January 05, 2013, 04:11:32 AM
Also loved the return of Madame Vastra and the lovely Jenny Flint (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p011gpsb/profiles/jenny-flint) also Strax was hilarious. :D And even better going by the trailer for next season it looks like they'll be back.
I would like to see Lady Vastra, Jenny, and Strax become regular companions for a few episodes ...
-Munch "That would rock!" Wolf
Post by: MunchWolf on January 05, 2013, 04:16:12 AM
The snow wasn't sentient, it was being controlled puppet-like by a disembodied alien intelligence, apparently the classic-era's villain known as the Great Intelligence (though not a very creative one). Same sort of thing as how the Nestene Consciousness (the big oozy plastic blob creature) could control anything made of plastic (notably store mannequins; also known as Autons when being controlled that way), in the very first episode with the Ninth Doctor (as well as previous adventures with the Third Doctor). Presumably they're both cut from the same cloth as your Lovecraftian unknowable-intelligences-from-beyond-that-drive-you-mad-and-wish-to-consume/control-the-world. The Great Intelligence is just a little bit more reliant on a human "conduit" to carry out its instructions until a suitable host can be found for it to properly manifest and get about the business of world-conquering.
I'm surprised they didn't bring back the psychic dust from Amy's Choice ... it would have fit the bill for the snow perfectly ... and allowed the Dream Lord to return as a villain
-Munch "the snowmen looked scary, but didn't move much .. mostly leaned slowly" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on January 06, 2013, 06:20:40 AM
Post by: Cris_H on January 08, 2013, 03:09:22 PM
Just realized that this thread existed since I don't often climb down here in the "Off-Topic"s Dept...
Been reading about all the love for the Tardis' new interior. I, myself, find it "okay". I rather enjoyed all the clutter of the earlier incarnation. Since the controls of the Tardis are basically far too advanced to be properly displayed by us mere 20th & 21st century types, I thought the idea of representing advanced systems with whimsical ideas very appropriate. I find a certain "fun" factor sucked out of it now, actually.
'Though far from an intricate expert on All Things Who, I was under the impression that the Tardis interior changed when The Doctor changed. Why is it suddenly different?
Post by: Breasts on January 08, 2013, 03:21:36 PM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/galleries/p0129lz5 :)
Post by: Cris_H on January 08, 2013, 03:31:31 PM
Post by: Breasts on January 08, 2013, 03:35:17 PM
And glad you liked the Songtaran Carols.
Post by: number3fac on January 09, 2013, 01:04:39 AM
The Ninth/Tenth Doctors were both very much products of the post-Time-War fallout (which would've removed the TARDIS' main/original power source), and so the console room was a more stripped-down stony/coral structure (which also lent itself to the 'TARDIS is alive' plot elements). There were exposed cables hanging around, grates & catwalks made of metal mesh, and the console itself had all sorts of stuff bolted on or wired up to it--from keyboards and monitors to gears and levers--and there was a toolkit hanging from it too, all of which indicated just how much damage and/or jury-rigging must've had to be done in the wreckage/aftermath from the devastation of the Time War.
The Eleventh Doctor's first control room...well, I stand by my assessment that it looked like a box of toys and other k1ds' stuff exploded and embedded into a glass-and-brass structure. It wasn't necessarily all bad...I liked the stairs and the big monitor screen, the shiny brass was actually quite nice, and the glass floor with all the tech-guts underneath the console was fine. I just hated looking at the goofy controls and that bubbled glass spike inside the rotor. Technically though, it matched with the Eleven/Amy dynamic, where he was her "imaginary chi1dhood friend" and the stuff of fairy tales. And Moffat did seem to skew several adventures towards the younger viewers, with various instances of k1ds being in trouble and the Doctor working to rescue or save them. So in that respect, the season 5/6 console was appropriate...I'm just annoyed that the "hey, this is geared towards chi1dren because that's our main viewership" implications got shoved at the audience's face every time the controls were on screen. Because the program can be made viewable to the younger audience members without alienating the rest of the viewers or needlessly pandering/dumbing down the stories or visuals in the process, but apparently Moffat didn't care to make that effort.
I don't know what direction is in store for Eleven's future adventures, or companions, or the themes and styles between them, and I don't know how much I'll like the new control room until I've seen it in action for more than a brief scene...but for the moment it's a welcome change from the toybox-explosion.
Post by: Cris_H on January 09, 2013, 05:44:38 AM
To me, the explosion-of-the-box-of-toys-look reflected Matt Smith's Doctor's character very well. He acts very much The Little Boy. I thought it fit very well. I suppose the clean-up of the Tardis' interior reflected his decision "not to give a crap" about the universe. Until he met Oswald in the Christmas special, he'd given up on fun. That's my guess for the change.
Post by: Breasts on January 09, 2013, 11:54:23 AM
... What was the power source that was removed after the war?...The original power source for all TARDIS's and Gallifrey itself was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eye_of_Harmony :)
Post by: Cris_H on January 09, 2013, 01:23:08 PM
Thanks! :)
Post by: rtpoe on January 09, 2013, 11:00:21 PM
Some (OK, I only checked two) noted how unfair to Amy and Rory's families (especially Rory's dad, who was on the verge of becoming a Companion in his own right!) it was to have the two of them vanish the way they did. Me, I'd have added a line to the end of the "Afterword": "P.S. Rory says to tell you that as long as you have the money, you can get anything you want put on a tombstone..."
Post by: number3fac on January 09, 2013, 11:28:30 PM
To me, the explosion-of-the-box-of-toys-look reflected Matt Smith's Doctor's character very well. He acts very much The Little Boy. I thought it fit very well. I suppose the clean-up of the Tardis' interior reflected his decision "not to give a crap" about the universe. Until he met Oswald in the Christmas special, he'd given up on fun. That's my guess for the change.
I've come to prefer the Doctor's description of himself taken from his rapid-fire exchange in "The Lodger", where he's comparing himself to the roommate traits that Craig's listed: "Less of a 'Young Professional'--more of an 'Ancient Amateur'". The Doctor's always had an off-the-cuff, make-it-up-as-you-go mentality, but the Eleventh seems to be moreso than usual, despite being so very old inside his youthful frame. At least a couple of times in season 5 (and maybe since then, though I haven't particularly noticed) he claims to have a plan when he really doesn't, and/or proclaims he'll "do a thing" which will somehow solve the problems and save the day. In a sense, that's what he's done all along but in most cases it seems like Eleven gets well out of his depth worse than he used to...like he's disregarded a thousand-year lifetime of experiences that should be reigning him in or at least guiding his actions when it comes to plunging into danger. It certainly made for some madcap adventures/romps, but I felt it left him lacking in actual characterization and development, so I'm looking forward to him getting more "serious" about what he's doing. Maybe he'll actually tie up some plot threads! ;D
What was the power source that was removed after the war? Are you referring to the Timewar?
The original power source for all TARDIS's and Gallifrey itself was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eye_of_Harmony :)Yep, and as has been mentioned by Nine, Ten, and Eleven, the TARDIS now refuels itself from "rift energies"--radiation that saturates and leaks out from rifts (both open and sealed) in space and time. So the implication is that the resolution of the Time War ripped the Eye of Harmony out of the universe (along with Gallifrey itself), **77** the Doctor to re-rig the engines and controls so that the TARDIS could still function, resulting in the stripped-down, jury-rigged/slapdash look of the console room during Nine and Ten's adventures. I didn't mind that it changed...the end of the RTD era seemed to end the 'fallout from the Time War' part of the Doctor's characterization, so it made sense to dump all the other reminders of that within the show. But the thing I didn't like was Moffat's choice to create a 'Doctor-as-a-chi1d's-imaginary-friend' theme, and the toybox-explosion console was just further evidence of that. So I actually do agree that the console well reflected the Eleventh Doctor (though I may not have been clear on that point), I just didn't like the theme I was seeing in Moffat's vision (among other things I've already ranted about).
As for the new console...well, as I mentioned before I'll have to see a few more adventures with it before deciding, but at the moment I like the new designs and the spinning rings at the top of the time rotor. Because spinning is so much cooler than not spinning (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9XrrEaZ7Y4&t=2m58s). ;D
Post by: salem on January 14, 2013, 09:20:26 AM
Just saw "Angels Take Manhattan". Nice pacing and direction, I'll give it that. Thought Amy and Rory deserved a happier send off, but I guess Moffat needed his "season finale", so I can deal with the schmaltz. At least Rory got a great scene there on the ledge - kudos to Arthur Darvill for making it work!
Some (OK, I only checked two) noted how unfair to Amy and Rory's families (especially Rory's dad, who was on the verge of becoming a Companion in his own right!) it was to have the two of them vanish the way they did. Me, I'd have added a line to the end of the "Afterword": "P.S. Rory says to tell you that as long as you have the money, you can get anything you want put on a tombstone..."
Apparently Chris Chibnall wrote a scene where Brian is visited by his Grandson, similar to the visit in blink where she receives a letter from her friend that is delivered by her friends grandson.
Post by: rtpoe on January 14, 2013, 07:30:27 PM
Post by: MunchWolf on January 15, 2013, 04:21:44 PM
I've come to prefer the Doctor's description of himself taken from his rapid-fire exchange in "The Lodger", where he's comparing himself to the roommate traits that Craig's listed: "Less of a 'Young Professional'--more of an 'Ancient Amateur'". The Doctor's always had an off-the-cuff, make-it-up-as-you-go mentality, but the Eleventh seems to be moreso than usual, despite being so very old inside his youthful frame. At least a couple of times in season 5 (and maybe since then, though I haven't particularly noticed) he claims to have a plan when he really doesn't, and/or proclaims he'll "do a thing" which will somehow solve the problems and save the day. In a sense, that's what he's done all along but in most cases it seems like Eleven gets well out of his depth worse than he used to...like he's disregarded a thousand-year lifetime of experiences that should be reigning him in or at least guiding his actions when it comes to plunging into danger. It certainly made for some madcap adventures/romps, but I felt it left him lacking in actual characterization and development, so I'm looking forward to him getting more "serious" about what he's doing. Maybe he'll actually tie up some plot threads! ;D
This is covered in the xmas episode, where Clara points out that he just acts like he is making it up on the way, but has a plan all along
-Munch "slumbering" Wolf
Post by: number3fac on January 16, 2013, 12:15:40 AM
This is covered in the xmas episode, where Clara points out that he just acts like he is making it up on the way, but has a plan all along
-Munch "slumbering" Wolf
True, his improvisation was also "coincidentally" testing her, but then I remember season 5...at the Pandorica, he mentions to Amy that he was curious about her because her house was too big; except that was the first time it was ever acknowledged in any way, which makes me suspect it was another thing Moffat shoved in to reference his previous adventures as though there was some sort of long-term plotline.
But I know that the Doctor explicitly used the "I'll do a thing!" phrase to substitute for a plan in the Angels 2-parter and the Van Gogh episode. With the Angels, he made that proclamation and then proceeded into a panicked flight from the advancing Angels, got caught up with investigating the Crack, nearly lost Amy (without the intervention of River), and then when finally cornered, realized that the Angels had thankfully panicked and drained the ship's power reserves, shutting down the artificial gravity and luckily dropping them right into the Crack (another problem he had no clear idea how to actually resolve). In the Van Gogh adventure, his "thing" appeared to be using the techy mirror to spot the creature and then hope he could sonic it into submission (and it turned out that sonic-ing it didn't do anything useful).
Again, I don't have a problem with the Doctor's improv-heavy lifestyle, as that's been a feature of the show since its inception...the issue is that Eleven seems to figure "whatever, I'm sure it'll all work out fine somehow...Geronimo!" despite the fact that he's got a thousand years of experience to show that it almost never does, what with the tragic loss of innocent life and exceptionally rare "everybody lives!" moments. So either he's an "Ancient Amateur" who (for whatever reason) is exceedingly reckless, or Moffat's mainly just concerned with having "cool things happen" to resolve his episodes and/or ongoing plotarcs. For the past two seasons, I've been of the opinion that it's pretty much just the latter, which can still be entertaining yet ultimately is unsatisfying...however, with the stronger plotting and thematic consistency of this Christmas special, I'm hopeful that this'll change. Maybe the reckless streak will end and he'll be an "Ancient Amateur" who's seen so much yet can still be astonished and blindsided by the wonders of the universe, including Clara and her strange multi-incarnation existence. So...still excited for the new episodes to air! :)
Post by: MunchWolf on January 16, 2013, 03:08:32 PM
Moffat's mainly just concerned with having "cool things happen"
pretty much this
-Munch "doesn't matter if it resolves anything, as long as it is cool" Wolf
Post by: rtpoe on January 17, 2013, 08:28:09 PM
Though "Doctor Who" is much, much better visually, "Blake's 7" is much, much better written....
Post by: rtpoe on January 21, 2013, 07:39:08 PM
Post by: salem on January 22, 2013, 07:27:39 PM
Post by: DruulEmpire on January 29, 2013, 03:25:43 PM
Druul "a man's got to have his priorities" Empire
Post by: Breasts on January 30, 2013, 01:55:38 PM
On a dark frozen planet where no planet should be, in a doomed city with a sky of stone, the last denizens of Earth’s long-lost twin will pay any price to survive, even if the laser scalpels cost them their love and hate and humanity.
And in the mat-infested streets, round about tea-time, the Doctor and Nyssa unearth a black market in second-hand body parts and run the gauntlet of augmented police and their augmented horses.
And just between the tramstop and the picturehouse, the Doctor’s worst suspicions are confirmed: the Cybermen have only just begun, and the Doctor will be, just as he always has been, their saviour...
Very very good indeed.
If you really really think about what they are the Cybermen have always been Doctor Who's most horrifying villain and this story really brings that home.
Post by: MunchWolf on January 30, 2013, 05:56:32 PM
And just between the tramstop and the picturehouse...
I read that as TrampStamp .. and wondered ... who, the Doctor or Nyssa?
-Munch "Collen Baker with a TrampStamp?? no!" Wolf
Post by: rtpoe on January 30, 2013, 09:18:26 PM
Quote
October, 1930. His Majesty's Airship, the R101, sets off on her maiden voyage to the farthest-flung reaches of the British Empire, carrying the brightest lights of the Imperial fleet. Carrying the hopes and dreams of a breathless nation.
Not to mention a ruthless spy with a top-secret mission, a mysterious passenger who appears nowhere on the crew list, a would-be adventuress destined for the Singapore Hilton... and a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey.
These are no mere 'books on tape' with someone reading a text, but a full-blown audio drama. The range continues the TV series, filling in gaps in chronology and adding details to characters. Though some of them have been adapted for the TV series ("The One Doctor" became "The Next Doctor"), others do things that cannot be done on TV - one of the Audio Companions is a shapeshifter who has settled on the form of a penguin...
And if think Colin Baker is the worst of the Doctors, give a listen to him on his many audios.....
Post by: number3fac on January 31, 2013, 02:04:33 AM
For those curious about the Big Finish audios, "Storm Warning" starring Paul "8th Doctor" McGann is a good place to start.
These are no mere 'books on tape' with someone reading a text, but a full-blown audio drama. The range continues the TV series, filling in gaps in chronology and adding details to characters. Though some of them have been adapted for the TV series ("The One Doctor" became "The Next Doctor"), others do things that cannot be done on TV - one of the Audio Companions is a shapeshifter who has settled on the form of a penguin...
And if think Colin Baker is the worst of the Doctors, give a listen to him on his many audios.....
While I haven't actually listened to any of the audio adventures, I've read from many fans that both the 6th and 8th Doctors (both the character and the actors performing) come off much better than in their televised stories. I don't know where to get a hold of these things--and I don't know that I'd have the patience to listen to them if I did get one--but they sound like a promising addition to the Whoniverse.
ETA: Found this artwork over at DA, thought it was a nifty shout-out/crossover for Who and Mass Effect:
Post by: rtpoe on January 31, 2013, 09:21:52 PM
I don't know where to get a hold of these things
If you have a reasonably fast connection, you can purchase them for direct download from the Big Finish website.
Post by: Breasts on March 02, 2013, 09:27:53 AM
Post by: salem on March 05, 2013, 04:44:06 AM
Post by: Breasts on March 05, 2013, 11:18:37 AM
Also they venture deeper into the TARDIS interior than we've ever gone before. :D
Post by: PregNut on March 05, 2013, 05:06:30 PM
Well new season in just 4 weeks! ;D
Yeah, and it's six episodes instead of five like last season!
Post by: number3fac on March 06, 2013, 12:21:03 AM
I hadn't seen any spoilers for the upcoming episodes...where are you guys getting your info? Sometimes I like to check that stuff out if I have time.
Post by: salem on March 06, 2013, 10:15:47 AM
I get most of my info from official sources, namely the BBC website and Doctor Who magazine.
The Draconians are rumoured to be appearing too, but personally I think it is just something that looks similar.
Post by: Cris_H on March 08, 2013, 09:43:16 AM
I just rented "The Five Doctors" (made in the early '80s) and watched it with my daughter. Have you guys ever seen that special? It's with the "original" 5 Doctors. After we watched it, we wondered why Tom Baker (Doctor 4) was hardly in it at all. Afterwards, we took a look at some Who's Who stuff, as it were, on the DVD, and discovered that Tom Baker had declined to participate in the movie. Anyone know why? They only showed archival footage of him in the special.
The other thing we thought was interesting was that the actor who played the first Doctor died shortly after "The Three Doctors" special aired and they had another actor portray him in "The Five Doctors", though the fellow looked so similar to the original actor, we had assumed the differences were due to aging. Interestingly, that actor died shortly after the making of the special, too.
In any case, if anyone knows why Tom Baker didn't want to participate in that special, I'd love to know. He was the Doctor I grew up with as a teen.
Post by: Breasts on March 08, 2013, 10:08:47 AM
I believe he felt it was too soon after the end of his tenure to come back. He's said though that he regretted it afterwards.
The unfinished and unaired serial they used the clips from is also a real classic btw. Shada.
Post by: salem on March 08, 2013, 11:17:33 AM
I watched it on TV at the time and have it on DVD. :)
I believe he felt it was too soon after the end of his tenure to come back. He's said though that he regretted it afterwards.
The unfinished and unaired serial they used the clips from is also a real classic btw. Shada.
Me too. In fact (call me a geek if you like) but I have the original Five Doctors Video, the Special Edition video, the original DVD and the special edition DVD. I also have the novelisation. I too watched it on TV, it was part of the Children in Need night on the 25th of November 1983. I think however, it was broadcast on the anniversary of Doctor Who (23rd of November) in the US.
As Breasts said, the Tom Baker portions are taken from the industrial action affected serial 'Shada' which was written by Douglas Adams of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy fame. It has recently been novelised by the very talented Gareth Roberts. It is a good novel, very Adamsesque. Incidentally, Shada can also be purchased on DVD as part of the 'Legacy' boxset, it comes along with the fantastic documentary 'More than 30 years in the TARDIS'.
Tom Baker for years was a bit reluctant to have much to do with Doctor Who, even to the point of having nothing to do with the Big Finish audio adventures. He has very much relaxed his attitude towards the show since it came back on TV, and has even recorded some audio dramas for Big Finish now. Who knows (pardon the pun) we may even see him in a cameo in the 50th anniversary special.
Post by: rtpoe on March 08, 2013, 09:35:51 PM
With regards to "Shada", the BBC produced an animated version for a webcast in 2005 that was reworked to have Paul McGann as The Doctor. I'm sure you can find it out there somewhere.
Post by: gOOber on March 08, 2013, 09:57:18 PM
Post by: Cris_H on March 12, 2013, 07:05:59 AM
Question: After "The 5 Doctors", was there another special involving multiple Doctors (besides just audio, I mean)?
(cool little video, thanks gOOb!)
Post by: Breasts on March 12, 2013, 12:37:35 PM
Post by: Cris_H on March 12, 2013, 01:30:19 PM
Thanks!
Post by: Breasts on March 12, 2013, 02:23:42 PM
The 2 Doctors involves the 6th Doctor, the 2nd Doctor and the Sontarans and was shown in 1985. Not a bad story either.
:)
Post by: Breasts on March 12, 2013, 05:03:56 PM
Post by: Breasts on March 19, 2013, 04:51:01 PM
lol! ;D
Post by: number3fac on March 19, 2013, 06:58:49 PM
Post by: Cris_H on March 30, 2013, 01:59:00 PM
But, you already knew that. ;D
Post by: Breasts on March 30, 2013, 02:01:40 PM
Awesome stuff. ;D
Post by: Quadhouse on March 30, 2013, 10:47:13 PM
Post by: number3fac on March 31, 2013, 11:52:11 AM
Anybody watching "Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited"? It's airing on BBCA tomorrow at 6 pm eastern. They're doing the 3rd doctor. They've apparently done the 1st and the 2nd doctors.
Yeah, they did The Aztecs (which I wanted to see but missed) and Tomb of the Cybermen (which I'd already seen). I don't know what 3rd Doctor adventure they'll do, but I plan to catch it.
In the meantime, I was quite pleased with the latest episode! The Great Intelligence seems to be our Big Bad for the season, and he's appropriately menacing and persistent. There's still some mystery about Clara, but the Doctor's delighted to have found her and will be figuring that out over time I'm sure; Clara herself is good companion material, and very easy on the eyes. Looking forward to the rest of the season!
Post by: Breasts on March 31, 2013, 02:01:00 PM
And cool to see the Doctor riding a Triumph. 8)
Post by: Quadhouse on March 31, 2013, 04:01:17 PM
I was wondering when the Great Intelligence would come out of the underground. I wonder how long it will take The Doctor to figure out who he's against this time around.
Post by: number3fac on April 01, 2013, 12:03:54 AM
A brief re-observation from the new episode: I liked that Clara called the Doctor on holding back info and he admitted it (it was getting tiring to hear "the Doctor lies" from his friends). It also makes me wonder if he's already made the connection (or at least suspects) that the Great Intelligence was behind this, as the last time he bumped into Clara (in the XMas episode) he did read a business card with "the Great Intelligence" on it and remarked that it rung a bell. At any rate, if the Doctor is going to play a long game of playing against the Intelligence, I hope we see some evidence of that rather than dropping the plot until the finale, because that would be disappointing. But I'm still optimistic...this episode was a departure from Moffat's usual so-fast-and-busy style that I could really enjoy the action with our new TARDIS Crew.
Post by: TheZookie007 on April 01, 2013, 03:41:55 AM
Post by: Eliza D on April 01, 2013, 07:39:25 AM
(admittedly, not a guy) ;D
Post by: Breasts on April 01, 2013, 07:41:41 AM
Post by: number3fac on April 01, 2013, 10:55:55 AM
Also, ever since Moffat's Whovian comedy special "Curse of the Fatal Death", speculation about the next Doctor always includes the option that it'll be a woman. I expect that the showrunner would have to have a very specific vision for the show and the Doctor's character to pull off something like that. And for the moment, I'm pretty sure Moffat's comfortable with a male Doctor getting all awkward in weird-yet-sitcommy ways around women he meets who fancy him.
Post by: Eliza D on April 01, 2013, 01:31:44 PM
"Yesterday 4:09pm
Matt Smith confirms he'll still be starring in Doctor Who in 2014
There have been tons of rumors about Matt Smith leaving the role of the Doctor, that ageless, mercurial time traveler, on Doctor Who at the end of this year. In the 50th anniversary special, or the Christmas special after that. But now it's official: He's on board for season eight.
In the latest issue of the British magazine Radio Times, Matt Smith confirms that he'll stick around next year -- although it's not 100 percent clear that he'll be there for all of the eighth season, but it seems likely. So those of us who want to see Smith continue to find new dark folds and permutations in his giddy portrayal of the Time Lord can relax, and rejoice."
The Sun says otherwise, though, their news is from March 22nd --> Matts All Folks (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/4854006/matt-smith-set-to-leave-doctor-who-at-christmas.html)
Post by: Eliza D on April 11, 2013, 07:02:12 AM
(http://forum.bearchive.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=669434.0;attach=307768;image)
Post by: number3fac on April 14, 2013, 12:12:56 AM
Post by: salem on April 20, 2013, 07:40:57 AM
**Spoiler alert**
I see filming has begun on the 50th anniversary special, which is to be in 3D and will also (apparently) go on limited release worldwide in cinemas. Be good to see that on the big screen in 3D.
Billie Piper and David Tennant are in the special, no word yet if any other of the older Doctors will be in it, although apparently Christopher Ecleston turned down the chance to appear. The older (i.e. 20th century) Doctors have 'not been approached' but this could all be a massive cover-up.
The Zygons will be appearing on screen for the first time since 1975, and rumours are that Cybermen and Daleks will be in it. John Hurt, veteran movie actor of among other things, Alien, is to appear too, along with Joanna Page of Gavin and Stacey fame and also Jemma Redgrave is back as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. Would not be surprised if James Corden didn't appear back in it too.
Filming has taken place at, among the usual Welsh locations, Trafalgar Square and The Tower of London.
**Spoiler alert over**
Didn't enjoy The Rings of Akhaten much, bit too much like a cross between Lexx and Farscape, not that I don't enjoy those shows, but it doesn't quite sit right with me, I feel the stories are always better if they are relatable. How do you relate to, or even care about an alien race and a soul eating monster?
Loved Cold War, great to see the Ice Warriors back, oh and was great seeing the Doctor back in contemporary London. Cool seeing the Shard and St Pauls on screen. Jenna-Louise Coleman is shaping up nicely in the role.
Phew, pause for breath! Time to peruse my copy of Doctor Who Magazine issue 459!
Post by: salem on April 22, 2013, 01:37:00 PM
The Zygons are BACK!
Post by: Eliza D on April 22, 2013, 01:47:33 PM
Post by: Breasts on April 22, 2013, 05:39:07 PM
I don't know the Zygons. Were they in any of the NEW Doctor Who episodes, or are they from the 20th century?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_of_the_Zygons
Very good story. :)
Post by: number3fac on April 23, 2013, 01:07:30 AM
I don't know the Zygons. Were they in any of the NEW Doctor Who episodes, or are they from the 20th century?
They've only been mentioned in conversation in the new series...the Doctor talking with the Master, and I think Sarah Jane and the Brig on SJA (although now that I think of it, I may be thinking of Axons instead). But they were a distinctive alien design, and the story involved the Loch Ness Monster (which was also referenced when Sarah Jane and Rose compared their respective adventuring milestones). So, despite only making a single appearance they're memorable in their own weird little way.
Post by: Eliza D on April 23, 2013, 07:27:22 AM
Post by: salem on April 23, 2013, 11:22:54 AM
Terror of the Zygons is one of my favourite stories, and although it is set in Loch Ness, it was actually filmed in Sussex.
Post by: Eliza D on April 24, 2013, 11:38:01 PM
Post by: number3fac on April 25, 2013, 07:29:39 AM
I've been catching up episodes with Clara. In "The Rings of Akhaten", how come Clara can't understand what all the aliens are saying if the TARDIS translates? :P
Well, she seems to think that the TARDIS doesn't like her (which does seem to be true), so maybe it wasn't translating for her there.
Post by: Cris_H on April 25, 2013, 10:57:28 AM
Post by: salem on April 27, 2013, 06:13:18 AM
Post by: number3fac on April 27, 2013, 12:07:51 PM
See, I was watching that episode with Eliza and we discussed whether the TARDIS doesn't like her or whether the Doctor just locked up the door. But since they actually had her say that, you are probably right. Hadn't thought about the non-translating thingy, but then, it did translate for her when it came time to talk to the Queen, so, I'm thinking it's just an inconsistency in the script. Or maybe the TARDIS will only translate humanoid life forms for her :P.
It comes up in later episodes too. Though it's only come up because Clara can't get in to the TARDIS--if the Doctor just gave her a key it wouldn't even seem a problem. Maybe we'll get to see some more about it in tonight's new episode. At any rate, I suppose it's possible the TARDIS is just translating the words she's "supposed" to understand and no others.
Also, can't wait for the Cyberman episode--as I understand it, it's written by Neil Gaiman.
Post by: Eliza D on April 29, 2013, 07:40:22 AM
But will there be wolves in the walls, Coraline? :)
Post by: salem on April 30, 2013, 02:18:06 PM
Post by: salem on May 01, 2013, 04:23:22 PM
At last, the new Doctor Who has PROPER Cybermen.
Post by: Breasts on May 01, 2013, 06:01:43 PM
Post by: rtpoe on May 03, 2013, 07:16:47 PM
Liked Richard E. Grant as the villain Mr. Simeon. Would have been nice to have seen more of him. By the way, this probably makes him the only actor to have played both a Who “baddie” and The Doctor (though "Curse of Fatal Death" and "The Scream of the Shalka" are in no way "canonical").
I see Moffat is continuing the idea of making the Companion a "Woman of Mystery". Look, can we give it a rest already? With the exception of Martha Jones, all the New Series female companions have been the "ordinary woman who somehow holds the key to saving the universe". That’s the worst sort of Mary Sue fanwank. While appropriate for all the tween girl fans of the show, he risks losing the other demographics if he keeps it up.
The Doctor does not need a girlfriend. He needs someone to:
1. Explain things to – so the audience can follow along, too.
2. Keep him from getting too full of himself and developing megalomania.
3. Help him see all the wonder and magic of the universe, so he doesn’t fall into melancholy and despair.
Clara is perfectly suited for the last role. There’s no need to build a Rubik’s Cube of plot devices around her. Davies fell into the trap of hypercomplex story arcs; Moffat can still escape it, as long as he realizes that not everyone is watching the show in the exact order that the episodes are being aired, as soon as they are aired. Your international audience isn’t all on the BBC’s schedule. Stop writing the show as if you are creating a boxed set of DVDs and make each episode capable of standing on its own.
To the fans and viewers wondering where the Great Intelligence will appear later on; it’s already happened. See "The Web of Fear". That’s how you do "wibbley-wobbly timey-wimey" without confusing the viewers.
Nice comic relief with Strax. Just enough at the right moments. I figure that his "softness" (as opposed to all the militaristic Sontarans we’ve seen in the past) is due to his being stuck on Earth for so long, away from any real action. Still want to see something of the Rutans, the Sontarans’ long-standing enemies. Shapeshifters who look like electric jellyfish in their natural form – the FX people can have some easy fun with them.
With regards to Clara falling off the staircase/platform into the courtyard, I don't think the Doctor reacted properly to the situation. Admittedly, he hadn't been really himself for most of the episode, but still....
What they should have done:
1. After the Doctor sees Clara fall, he runs back into the TARDIS and dematerializes it. Back in the house, we hear a dull thud and then everyone looks out to see Clara lying on the ground. Oh noes! We next see the TARDIS materialize in the courtyard/room. The Doctor comes out, and says "Help me get her inside..." While people get her inside onto a couch/table, the Doctor dashes out into the courtyard and digs something out of the wall/ground. He comes back in, holding a small device. "Force field generator. Put it there six months ago. Should have slowed her fall enough so that she'll make it."
2. Strax is fussing with his equipment over Clara's body while everyone watches.
STRAX: I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do here with the tools I have at my disposal.
DOCTOR: How long has she got?
STRAX: A few minutes, at the most. (pause) What about that spare Stasis Box?
DOCTOR: "?"
STRAX: The one you have in the kitchen. You are using it for food storage. Place the girl in it, and she should last until we can get her to proper medical facilities.
Overall, a decent way to spend an hour.
Post by: Cris_H on May 04, 2013, 01:47:56 AM
1. She's written really well.
2. She's really cute.
3. She's f**king hot.
4. A mystery is always fun.
5. Her cheekiness is a fitting foil for the Doctor.
Just sayin' :)
Post by: rtpoe on May 06, 2013, 07:14:33 PM
Especially when the Mystery never gets a good solution.
Rose Tyler's "Bad Wolf" meme was set up, and then never did get properly resolved. It would have made sense for it to be the password that allowed access to the interior of the TARDIS console, but no... they had to use brute force to open it.
Donna Noble was set up to be the Savior of the Universe, but then had her entire memory of being with the Doctor erased for no valid reason.
Amy Pond had that whole "crack in the wall/universe" thing, which wound up getting handwaved away (as I recall... I think. It didn't seem to ever be resolved - great set up, no resolution). And wasn't Rory actually an Auton construct after the rebooting of the universe? Please explain then how he wound up having a father. And was there ever a clear explanation of where Amy's daughter came from, and how she became River Song? NOTE: If you need someone to explain it to you afterwards, on what are essentially footnotes from the writers, it doesn't count! It has to be explained in the context of the story, in the episode itself. And in a way that makes you go, "Oh! That's what it was all about!" Like how they resolved the "Impossible Astronaut" situation. All the clues were there for us to see and put together....
These aren't fatal problems, to me, but it is always annoying to have them shoved into my face when there's absolutely no call for it.
Post by: Starscream on May 06, 2013, 10:04:23 PM
Post by: Cris_H on May 06, 2013, 11:19:04 PM
Oh, I agree that Clara is a good Companion, especially with the Doctor in his gloom after losing Amy. But do we really need another Grand Cosmic Mystery Companion?
Yeah, I'm game for it. Why not? :P
Especially when the Mystery never gets a good solution.
Rose Tyler's "Bad Wolf" meme was set up, and then never did get properly resolved. It would have made sense for it to be the password that allowed access to the interior of the TARDIS console, but no... they had to use brute force to open it.
I missed a few episodes at the end of that season. There was no explanation for "Bad Wolf", huh?
You mean, there's no explanation... yet. ;D
Donna Noble was set up to be the Savior of the Universe, but then had her entire memory of being with the Doctor erased for no valid reason.
Haha! I hated Donna. I purposely missed whole boatloads of Donna episodes. I always assumed the they had her memory erased and had that thingy where she couldn't see the Doctor again because she was so damn annoying. :P
Amy Pond had that whole "crack in the wall/universe" thing, which wound up getting handwaved away (as I recall... I think. It didn't seem to ever be resolved - great set up, no resolution). And wasn't Rory actually an Auton construct after the rebooting of the universe? Please explain then how he wound up having a father. And was there ever a clear explanation of where Amy's daughter came from, and how she became River Song? NOTE: If you need someone to explain it to you afterwards, on what are essentially footnotes from the writers, it doesn't count! It has to be explained in the context of the story, in the episode itself. And in a way that makes you go, "Oh! That's what it was all about!" Like how they resolved the "Impossible Astronaut" situation. All the clues were there for us to see and put together....
Well, here I don't really have a precise memory of things like you do. I felt that the Amy "crack in the wall" thingy was resolved enough for Doctor Who, and the same for Melody Pond, for that matter. I don't remember the details anymore, but that may be because there weren't any details. ;D
The Rory thing always annoyed me, though. I mean, he's not REALLY Rory, and he should have a gun in his hand, no? :P It's almost as if, he got "better" over the millennium and the timeline went back to normal, even though it didn't. Yeah, in the new universe, he shouldn't have Ron Weasley's dad for a dad, should he? Perhaps Mr. Weasley adopted Rory. Hee hee! >shrugs shoulders< Guess we never learned how that happened. That's what I always chalk up Doctor Who inconsistencies to: "We, as the audience, never got to see the explanation part, but it was there, somewhere." :P ;D
I'm worried about the whole "Name of The Doctor" thing... Isn't it a law of Doctor Who that we should never learn the true name of The Doctor? Isn't this akin to changing Superman's costume? Something that you DO NOT EVER do... EVER!?
Yup. But DC did change Superman's costume, didn't they?
Post by: rtpoe on May 07, 2013, 08:48:00 PM
Quote
"One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it." Chekhov, letter to Aleksandr Semenovich Lazarev (pseudonym of A. S. Gruzinsky), 1 November 1889.
"If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don't put it there." From Gurlyand's Reminiscences of A. P. Chekhov, in Teatr i iskusstvo 1904, No. 28, 11 July, p. 521.
"If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there." From S. Shchukin, Memoirs (1911)
It's crappy writing to make much of a plot point, and then ignore it completely. And leaving it for some unnamed subsequent episode, for commentary tracks, or for the fans to work out - well, that's even worse.
Post by: number3fac on May 08, 2013, 12:10:15 AM
Season 1: Two words--ontological paradox. Or "Bad Wolf", but it's the same thing. Moffat gets a lot of attention for all the time-split shenanigans these days (sometimes good, sometimes bad), but this was a good realization of the idea. The Soul of the Time Vortex/TARDIS (acting through Rose) sees the Bad Wolf phrase on the station, knows that Rose saw it throughout her travels and in the past as a message to open up the TARDIS, so she takes the words and spreads it across time and space so that Rose will see it throughout her travels so that she can open up the TARDIS so that the Soul of the Time Vortex/TARDIS will come to the station, save the Doctor, see the Bad Wolf phrase, and spread it across time and space so that Rose will see it....etc. It's a form of stable time-loop, being its own beginning and end and therefore resolved, even if it is with a literal handwave.
Season 4: In the Library episodes, Donna gets teleported into the mainframe, where she's made to forget everything about her life with the Doctor and goes on to have a happy life. In the Agatha Christie episode, A.C. (who the Doctor lauds as a woman with an acute perspective on fully-human matters) had a grandiose adventure with the Doctor but then found herself robbed of all memories of these events, yet still continued on with her life and even had small bits come out in some of her prose. This is Chekhov's gun for the big finale, where Donna (our all-too-human-perspective "Earth Girl" as foil for the Doctor's weird-alien "Space Man") loses all her memory of the Doctor and her adventure(s) with him but at least goes on to have a good life even with little bits of her Time-Lord consciousness leaking out later.
As for Moffat...
Well, unfortunately I can't defend (or even explain) much of what's going on. It does look to me like he's littered the landscape with a ton of scenes and dialogue that could all be used as Chekhov-gun hints for what's going to happen, but I actually see that as poor plotting--I don't know that he actually has a firm plan in mind, but because he's got all this random junk strewn about he could cobble together just about anything for a grand finale and *claim* that it's something that he'd been building to all this time. An easy example: in the Pandorica Opens, the Van Gogh painting sets everything in motion, but it only comes to the Doctor's attention through River's actions. But at this point, Rory's been erased from history--presumably both past and future, so that he could never get Amy pregnant, which means that River should no longer exist. Furthermore, after the Big Bang 2 reboot, the Doctor and the cracks should no longer exist in the universe, which means that Rory and Amy won't be celebrating their honeymoon on the TARDIS, so again River shouldn't exist--or at least not in such a way that she'd be able to visit their wedding and drop off her book. All this suggests that Moffat really didn't have a complete idea of who River was during season 5; he dropped hints about her killing someone (easily guessed to be the Doctor himself), but apart from that and her previously-established flirting/out-of-sequence-ness with the Doctor there still wasn't anything more. I expect the entire storyline of her being the Ponds' daughter was entirely invented for season 6, though I honestly don't see why other than to add "domestic" drama to the TARDIS...which I simply don't care for, and obviously I'm not thrilled with the fact that it makes those previous adventures unresolvably complicated. All this on top of the plotline where River kills the Doctor as a fixed point against some future calamity around his name (which is even more convoluted reasoning).
And even the season 6 stuff isn't where it began...consider in season 5, after Rory gets crack-eaten: if Rory truly never existed, then the Doctor would not have been able to alert the Atraxi to all of Prisoner Zero's forms, which meant he had no way of getting the Atraxi to finally locate it, and thus the Earth would've been burned along with the Doctor and Amy. So either there's some other convoluted explanation for how the Eleventh Hour was resolved (which is never offered, of course), or the Crack doesn't operate in the way we've repeatedly been told it operates (an explanation for which is also never offered). Getting hung up on it is futile, because at this point it doesn't seem like Moffat has even the slightest inclination to really, fully, and coherently explain all this stuff. It still annoys me because I prefer my scifi (even those that lean heavily into semi-fantasy territory like Who frequently does) to at least attempt some consistency.
Anyway, as for Amy and the Crack...probably the best analogy I read for this is to think of Amy's mind as a USB drive for the computer that is the Universe. The exploding TARDIS caused the Universe to require a reboot, so the Doctor saved himself and all his adventures up to when he flew off in the Pandorica (and somehow the un-exploded TARDIS too) into young Amy's mind (the USB drive, password-protected with the Wedding Rhyme). The Universe rebooted, and when grown Amy thought of the Wedding Rhyme all the saved data (the Doctor and his adventures) was accessed and imported to the system. So up until the wedding reception, Amy and Rory are both flesh-and-blood humans (as they were at the beginning of the Eleventh Hour) with a full, ordinary life in the rebooted system (Amy now has a history where she grew up with her parents, even though apparently she has EXACTLY the same personality, because having parents is no different from having no parents, right? ::)). But when the Wedding Rhyme gets cued, the Doctor gets installed from the USB drive with his TARDIS, and somehow all the rest of that saved data gets imprinted onto Amy, Rory, and River so that Rory remembers being a 2000 year old plastic Roman (even though he's none of those things anymore), River's book is now full of adventures with the Doctor (getting past the idea that she shouldn't even exist without the Doctor in Amy and Rory's lives...), and Amy...is STILL the EXACT same person even though she now supposedly remembers two completely different personal histories. So...yeah, you can probably guess that I'm not thrilled with Amy. I like the actress and there's been good scenes and dialogue, but I never got a good sense of her as a person and the fact that she didn't change one bit even with a drastic alteration to her personal history didn't help.
So far, I'm happier with Clara...not even considering her reincarnation-history, I felt that they did a better job establishing her character in the first two episodes with her attachment to the family she's living with and the flashbacks to her mother. It's both deepened the mystery (as it seems that she's just an ordinary girl despite the other incarnations) while also demonstrating who she is, what she cares about, and why she cares about it, which is more than I feel we ever got with Amy. I'm not sure what the payoff for Clara will be, but I'm still hoping it's good.
Post by: MunchWolf on May 08, 2013, 05:42:38 PM
-Munch "he's doing the whole 11th Doctor episodes backwards" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on May 18, 2013, 06:13:06 PM
Awesome seeing all the previous Doctors too!
Post by: Starscream on May 18, 2013, 08:52:05 PM
Ok that was kinda epic! :o :oI'm new to the whole Doctor Who thing, started with the 2005 series. This episode made me want to see the old ones but man they are hard to find.
Awesome seeing all the previous Doctors too!
As for this episode, nice handling of his name thing, there was set up for the 50th anniversary if you use Who-logic... And that ending.... DAFUQ!?
Post by: Breasts on May 19, 2013, 03:45:27 AM
I'm new to the whole Doctor Who thing, started with the 2005 series. This episode made me want to see the old ones but man they are hard to find.Well worth checking as many as you can out as it's been going 50 years for a good reason. :) Oh and this'll be well worth a watch for you if you've not seen it. http://youtu.be/iN5jPQdJXYE :)
As for this episode, nice handling of his name thing, there was set up for the 50th anniversary if you use Who-logic... And that ending.... DAFUQ!?
And yes very much a wtf ending :o :o ;D
Post by: salem on May 19, 2013, 03:35:59 PM
As for the ending, in a way it makes sense, given that there is one regeneration that we never saw, it is very plausible. Something from the Doctor's past that he is definitely not proud of and has repressed. Bring on the 50th anniversary!
Lovely to see old Doctors, and the beginning was terrific! A great way to use the episode to look forward AND back.
Post by: rtpoe on May 20, 2013, 07:20:55 PM
Not a bad story. A wonderful idea, decently executed. Clara got to show how independent she is, and that The Doctor really does need a Companion who can think and act on their own. Perhaps overly sentimental, but that's the way things roll with New Who.
In "Rings", you've got a religion/cult that sings a lullaby to a godlike being (that appears as a dwarf star) so it won't suck their "souls" away. The Doctor offers his own memories and experiences ("A man is the sum of his memories you know, a Time Lord even more so." - Peter Davison in "The Five Doctors") in the hopes that he will sate the being. Matt Smith gets a great little speech, and the day is saved.
That's "New Who". Sentimentality, religion, mysticism.... "Classic Who" is more scientific. I figure the same story would have gone something like this:
A race or races builds a number of settlements/outposts/tourist resorts in the ring system around a dwarf star. It's such an awesome view, what with the turbulence visible in the star. For safety, they install some sort of computer AI system to control and moderate the very dangerous flares of the star. Over the centuries, the maintenance of the AI system has taken on aspects of a religious cult with all its rituals. The "changing of the guard" ceremony becomes a huge tourist draw, so The Doctor brings Clara to one to show her the "something amazing" that she asked for. But this time, something goes wrong, and the system starts to fail just as a flare starts. The Doctor has to fix everything before everyone is destroyed.
Anyway, I still think the story was rather well done. Matt Smith seems to have matured (in more ways than one) in the role. This old Whovian is content.
Post by: Cris_H on May 20, 2013, 10:24:38 PM
(Yeah, I know: Eliza already asked this question on a previous page of this thread. Sorry, I still find it odd)
Post by: number3fac on May 21, 2013, 02:14:31 AM
Why didn't the TARDIS translate what all the aliens were saying, including the salesbeing that sold them the transport?
(Yeah, I know: Eliza already asked this question on a previous page of this thread. Sorry, I still find it odd)
Well, Clara seems to think the TARDIS doesn't like her and that's also shown in later episodes, so apparently it didn't share the translation with her outside of the "necessary" conversations she had with the Queen. Although even with the Big Reveal of Clara's Secret in the finale, there's still no good explanation as to *why* the TARDIS doesn't like her, and only Moffat knows if we'll get one. To be fair, the TARDIS didn't translate the Hath language for Martha in "The Doctor's Daughter" so it has happened before, even though it was a bit more plausible there because of the water-breather doohickeys they had.
In "Rings", you've got a religion/cult that sings a lullaby to a godlike being (that appears as a dwarf star) so it won't suck their "souls" away. The Doctor offers his own memories and experiences ("A man is the sum of his memories you know, a Time Lord even more so." - Peter Davison in "The Five Doctors") in the hopes that he will sate the being. Matt Smith gets a great little speech, and the day is saved.
That's "New Who". Sentimentality, religion, mysticism.... "Classic Who" is more scientific. I figure the same story would have gone something like this:
A race or races builds a number of settlements/outposts/tourist resorts in the ring system around a dwarf star. It's such an awesome view, what with the turbulence visible in the star. For safety, they install some sort of computer AI system to control and moderate the very dangerous flares of the star. Over the centuries, the maintenance of the AI system has taken on aspects of a religious cult with all its rituals. The "changing of the guard" ceremony becomes a huge tourist draw, so The Doctor brings Clara to one to show her the "something amazing" that she asked for. But this time, something goes wrong, and the system starts to fail just as a flare starts. The Doctor has to fix everything before everyone is destroyed.
Anyway, I still think the story was rather well done. Matt Smith seems to have matured (in more ways than one) in the role. This old Whovian is content.
Well, don't forget that old Who had psychic-feeding beings like the Mara too, who was defeated (I think) with its own mirrored reflection...not exactly scientific. Point being that classic Who had the potential to be just as quasi-magical as science-fictional, and how much you got of one or the other depended on the writers and/or showrunners. I recently read through the blog formerly known as The TARDIS Eruditorium (http://www.philipsandifer.com/), whose author analyzed the cultural progression and storytelling techniques of the series from the beginning (the first post in the archives is about The Unearthly Ch!ld), and he makes a pretty good case over the course of his analysis that David Whitaker (one of the original story editors, and a writer for several of the black-and-white adventures) drew a lot of inspiration from the principles of alchemy. There are references to the TARDIS needing mercury (an important alchemical element) to operate, and there's a story in which a Victorian alchemist actually invents a time machine using mirrors (which then happens to find Daleks). So it could be argued that the principles of weird/kooky/crazy fantasy-land are actually a valid part of the roots of Doctor Who, just as much as amok-tech/super-sciencey sci-fi is. Moffat's sensibilities seem to tend towards magical-fairyland, which I don't have a problem with as long as there's still some attempt at logical consistency (which...sometimes he manages very well, others not so much).
The story that you proposed, while workable as a plot, would probably involve a lot of screentime with the Doctor and Clara figuring out that the rituals, chants, and so on were all centered around a malfunctioning AI that they would have to repair over the protestations of the believers, which might make for some good tension but would take away a lot of character-establishing/developing moments for Clara, the Doctor, and their relationship. That's passable in the classic series which didn't make a lot of effort to explore those elements, but in the new series it'd be a shortcoming. By making the solar entity an actual creature that needed to be appeased with personal mementoes, it becomes less about "solve a technical problem" (with whatever roadblocks along the way) and more about "triumph by strength of character" (which helps us gain insight into our protagonists and invest more in their actions and adventures). So again, it boils down to how the storytelling is being done; and in this case, I think it works even though there are some shortcomings.
Post by: Breasts on June 01, 2013, 04:41:26 PM
Post by: number3fac on June 01, 2013, 11:36:34 PM
Post by: salem on June 09, 2013, 11:28:24 AM
Unfortunately whenever the Doctor changes (moreso now than at any time before) the press endlessly speculates and the PC brigade wants to see a black/Asian/female Doctor Who. I'm sorry but the day a Doctor Who is picked purely to satisfy the PC nuts who want equality is the day I stop watching the show.
I'm not aversed to a Black actor playing Doctor Who as long as their audition is the best one, although I would prefer it to be once the Doctor has used up his original 12 regenerations, then they can make out that once he has used them up, anything can happen. Although I'm sure if they remade Shaft with a white man it wouldn't go down well.
I would prefer not to see a female Doctor Who simply because I believe TV show characters should NEVER change gender just to make things more 'interesting'. Which they admittedly do at first just simply for the novelty value, but novelties tend to wear off after a while. So we have had a female Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica, a female Dr Watson in Elementary (although you could argue that technically it is not the same character since it is John in the books and it changes to Joan in Elementary) it doesn't mmean we are ready for a female Doctor Who. Would you see a male Miss Marple? A female Hercule Poirot?
My personal preference for Doctor Number 12 would be either Kris Marshall or Richard Coyle.
Post by: TheZookie007 on June 10, 2013, 03:28:00 PM
Casting decisions like this (I recall the same noise being made about Idris Elba playing Heimdall in the first Thor movie) prove to be more of a litmus test for the people watching the result.
Post by: salem on June 11, 2013, 08:08:43 PM
There is nothing "PC" about wanting the Doctor to be a non-white person, or a non-male person. After all, "he" is an alien, and does not have to conform to earthly prejudices and bigotry of what he "should" look like. IIRC the Doctor was played by a white woman in one of the Christmas specials.
Casting decisions like this (I recall the same noise being made about Idris Elba playing Heimdall in the first Thor movie) prove to be more of a litmus test for the people watching the result.
I have to disagree...
It is ENTIRELY the PC brigade that brings up this 'we need a black Doctor' argument every time we are due a new actor in the role. My reasoning? Because they always use the phrase 'It is TIME we had a black actor in the role'. They never state an actor who is black and give a good actual reason WHY he should be the Doctor, simply that there should be a black actor in the role. This sort of arbitrary posturing gets on my nerves.
Personally if the role was given to someone like Chiwetel Ejiofor (who I consider to be a tremendous actor who could carry off the part well) I would not be throwing a hissy fit, on the other hand, give it to a woman and I might!
It is always the same argument too for why there should be a female Doctor, always that it SHOULD be and that it is TIME we had one? Why? Unless you can give a valid reason why the Doctor should be a woman and can name a woman who can carry it off, it's just an equality exercise.
For your information, the Doctor has NEVER been played by a woman in a Christmas special. I believe you are referring to a comic sketch done for Comic Relief entitled 'The Curse of Fatal Death'. In that instance the Doctor became female after he used up his twelve regenerations. The Doctor was played then by Joanna Lumley. Incidentally, it was written by showrunner Steven Moffat himself, before he wrote for the series proper.
The Doctor is a Time-Lord, and while there was a throwaway line in 'The Doctors Wife' about a Time-Lord called Corsair who was female AND male, I simply do not think making the Doctor female would be a good idea. You have Time-Lords and you have Time-Ladies, if Time-Lords could become Time-Ladies then you would not need to use a gender description for your people, you would just be Time-People! No Lord or Lady suffix required.
Time-Lords (and Ladies) can regenerate 12 times, giving 13 incarnations. Now, given that the show is going to go on for (hopefully) some time to come it is plausible that there will be some way for our eponymous hero to regenerate again after he has done it 12 times.
OK, so what if when a Time-Lord says he has 12 regenerations and 13 lives, and he is referring in this to 13 lives of ONE gender and once he has used up those regeneration, a new life cycle begins with a DIFFERENT gender... Now that could work.. I could live with that, you would have a female Doctor and an actual REASON behind it. Then you would have 13 WOMEN playing the Doctor before it becomes male again.
Ultimately though, since Doctor Who began he has always been male, and that is how he should stay. You wouldn't make Sherlock Holmes female or Miss Marple male would you?
If the PC nuts are that intent on a female oriented Sci-Fi show, then create a new one! You could introduce a female Time-Lord (or simply bring back Romana and give her her own Spin-Off series), after all The Sarah Jane Adventures worked well enough didn't it? Why mess with a tried and tested formula like Doctor Who just because some people who barely watch the show can only find as an argument for a female Doctor the fact that it 'is time we had one'. Do me a lemon!
Post by: rtpoe on June 12, 2013, 08:44:24 PM
http://www.bigfinish.com/ranges/v/gallifrey
And I agree with Salem. If you want a black/female/whatever Doctor, find an actor who is black/female/whatever, and promote them for the role.
Frankly, your blathering about needing a black/female/whatever Doctor says more about you than the show.
As far as extending the cycle of regenerations, there's a precedent. In The Five Doctors, the Time Lords offered The Master a new cycle in exchange for his help. So it is possible....
Post by: TheZookie007 on June 13, 2013, 03:30:48 PM
Post by: salem on June 13, 2013, 06:37:43 PM
Like I said, and as salem and rtpoe have just proved: litmus test.
I hardly think comparing the PC nuts wanting a black/female/ethnic Doctor Who can exactly be likened to Idris Elba in Thor.
For a start I don't remember seeing endless speculation in newspapers and the internet as to who was going to play Heimdall. And as a consequence there was no PC brigade saying that Heimdall should be played by a black actor or a woman, so your comparison there is so flimsy as to be non-existent.
The point I was getting at, which you obviously failed to grasp is that when the Doctor changes (at least since the show returned in 2005) the people who say he should be black or female have no argument as to why it should happen other than that it is ABOUT TIME. What sort of reasoning is that?
Since Thor the movie appeals to far more people than simply the comic officianados I doubt very much if most people even knew who Heimdall was! Let alone care if he is played by a black actor or not. The Doctor is a long established character with nearly 50 years worth of televised adventures and countless other Audios and books. It isn't quite the same thing is it?
And as for the litmus test idea, the reaction to the casting of Heimdall was as a direct consequence of the casting and NOT the speculation. Doctor Who number 12 (or 13 depending on whether or not John Hurt is a missing incarnation) has yet to be chosen and all there IS is speculation. So it's really rather moot at this point. It could be that the flurry of speculation over the next Doctor is being watched closely by the showrunners of Doctor Who to gauge if the time is right for a female/black actor. However, until one is cast you won't get an idea about how the public feel because no-one really believes it will happen until they see it on screen with their own eyes. That will be the true test.
Oh and nice sidestepping about being wrong about the female Doctor in a Christmas special.
Post by: TheZookie007 on June 13, 2013, 08:36:59 PM
I hardly think comparing the PC nuts wanting a black/female/ethnic Doctor Who can exactly be likened to Idris Elba in Thor.I didn't sidestep it. Remember that I originally said "IIRC". You corrected me, correctly. So, what do you want, a cookie?
For a start I don't remember seeing endless speculation in newspapers and the internet as to who was going to play Heimdall. And as a consequence there was no PC brigade saying that Heimdall should be played by a black actor or a woman, so your comparison there is so flimsy as to be non-existent.
The point I was getting at, which you obviously failed to grasp is that when the Doctor changes (at least since the show returned in 2005) the people who say he should be black or female have no argument as to why it should happen other than that it is ABOUT TIME. What sort of reasoning is that?
Since Thor the movie appeals to far more people than simply the comic officianados I doubt very much if most people even knew who Heimdall was! Let alone care if he is played by a black actor or not. The Doctor is a long established character with nearly 50 years worth of televised adventures and countless other Audios and books. It isn't quite the same thing is it?
And as for the litmus test idea, the reaction to the casting of Heimdall was as a direct consequence of the casting and NOT the speculation. Doctor Who number 12 (or 13 depending on whether or not John Hurt is a missing incarnation) has yet to be chosen and all there IS is speculation. So it's really rather moot at this point. It could be that the flurry of speculation over the next Doctor is being watched closely by the showrunners of Doctor Who to gauge if the time is right for a female/black actor. However, until one is cast you won't get an idea about how the public feel because no-one really believes it will happen until they see it on screen with their own eyes. That will be the true test.
Oh and nice sidestepping about being wrong about the female Doctor in a Christmas special.
As this commenter (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/12/just-change-the-damn-football-teams-name-already/#comment-929458381) said:
Quote
"PC" is just a weasel term that white men use to keep down people who those white men don't treat with respect. Once upon a time the term "black" was the "PC" term that white people resisted, because they preferred terms like "negro" that were used in association with oppression and racist acts by public authorities. Now we all use "black."
Post by: Starscream on June 13, 2013, 08:40:10 PM
As for Doctor Who, there's a bigger chance of him being a Ginger than being Black.
Post by: TheZookie007 on June 14, 2013, 12:26:34 AM
Post by: salem on June 14, 2013, 03:32:52 AM
I didn't sidestep it. Remember that I originally said "IIRC". You corrected me, correctly. So, what do you want, a cookie?
As this commenter (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/12/just-change-the-damn-football-teams-name-already/#comment-929458381) said:
Oh well if a commenter said it, it MUST be true... That's my world view shattered...
Oh, and yes, a double stuffed Oreo would be nice... ;)
Post by: salem on June 14, 2013, 06:46:19 PM
To stop me getting grumpy over Political Correctness gone haywire, I thought I'd post about a few people who have been 'tipped' for the role and why I think they will not be the next Doctor.
David Morrisey - I think it is extremely unlikely that anyone who has already appeared in the 'New' Doctor Who will be considered for the Doctor. Especially as David had such a prominent role in the Christmas special entitled 'The Next Doctor'. Which means that if he WERE to become Doctor who, watching 'The Next Doctor' would just confuse kids everywhere!
David Harewood - Again, he has also appeared in the show, in David Tennants swansong 'The End of Time'. Plus he is too 'polished'. Doctor Who should really be a bit more quirky and eccentric. Harewood is too smooth.
Rupert Grint - Seriously? You have to be kidding! Apart from the fact he is WAY too well known as Ron Weasley from Harry Potter, he is too young. I don't think They would EVER go younger than Matt Smith. It's possible, but unlikely. Same goes for Daniel Radcliffe.
Helen Mirren - Getting silly now. She is female for a start, and despite calls for a female Doctor (most likely from people who more likely casual viewers than real fans) I really don't think it would work. Besides, she is too old, the shooting schedule and all that comes with it is punishing, probably be too much for a woman in her 60's!
Ben Wishaw - Would be a good choice actually, he has a very Doctorish quality too him, but he is too similar to Matt Smith. Maybe further down the line.
Colin Morgan - Bit young and too well known as Merlin.
People Who Could be the Next who?
Kris Marshall - Actor from comedy My Family, also been in the movie Love Actually. In his 40's now, quirky, has a good grasp of comedy and is a fine actor. Would be an ideal choice.
Richard Coyle - Has worked with Moffat before in the TV show Coupling. Also starred as John Strange in the BBC demon hunting show 'Strange'. Good actor, good grasp of comedy and again pretty quirky. Also in his 40's.
Chiwetel Ejiofor - Also in Love Actually and the Joss Whedon flick Serenity. Damn good actor and along with Patterson Joseph (known for a very Doctorish turn as the Maquis in Neil Gaiman's 'Neverhwere') probably a couple of the most credible choices for a black Doctor.
Julian Rhind-Tutt - Was in the TV show Green Wing. Quite eccentric but at the same time has a very cool persona. His unflappable nature
would make him an ideal Doctor.
Julian Barrett - Comedian and actor from shows such as Nathan Barley, Mighty Boosh and Garth Merenghi's Darkplace. Has some nice Doctorish characterisitics.
Damian Maloney - Played Hal in the final series of 'Being Human'. A relative unknown would make him an ideal choice. Similar to JR-T in his demeanor.
However, the papers seem to think Rory Kinnear has been given the part, but time will tell.
Post by: Starscream on June 14, 2013, 07:44:12 PM
Post by: gOOber on June 15, 2013, 04:45:51 AM
Post by: salem on June 15, 2013, 06:37:13 AM
Has anyone had the slightest thought that all the hints and speculation are just a smoke screen for John Hurt to actually take the role?
Extremely unlikely.
Given that Matt Smith seemed to recognise John Hurt's Doctor as one from his past, probably from the Time War. One that betrayed the Name of the Doctor.
Plus, he would be too old for the rigours of filming 10 months a year in Wales, and probably too expensive for the BBC to hire!
Post by: Starscream on June 15, 2013, 07:57:01 PM
Given that Matt Smith seemed to recognise John Hurt's Doctor as one from his past, probably from the Time War. One that betrayed the Name of the Doctor.
It's Doctor Who. Remember the wibbly wobbly timey whimy stuff... That explains everything.
Post by: salem on June 16, 2013, 06:51:48 AM
It's Doctor Who. Remember the wibbly wobbly timey whimy stuff... That explains everything.
Ah, but if John Hurt's Doctor IS from the Time War, that would mean he would become his younger self when the 11th(12th?) regenerates. The 11th (?12th) wouldn't have recognised him had he been a future Doctor and he wouldn't have spoken about him in the past tense, if there is such a thing as past tense to a Time-Lord anyway...
A future incarnation (if that is what Hurt is) would not have been able to fight in the Time War because wherever the Doctor is in Time he and the TARDIS are in sync with the Gallifreyan time stream. It would be possible for the Time Lords to use an EARLIER Doctor to fight in the Time War, just not a later one (I think).
Anyway, John Hurt's Doctor might have a totally different reason for being the one who betrayed the Doctor's name, maybe he parked his TARDIS on some puppies? :)
All speculation at this point, am REALLY looking forward to November and finding out what it is REALLY all about!
And since it is a TV show about Time Travel and anything can happen, all that I said there could be total bollocks! The Moff can make up what he likes! Lucky guy...
Post by: rtpoe on June 17, 2013, 06:35:49 PM
Post by: salem on June 19, 2013, 08:07:30 PM
My top choices are...
1) Kris Marshall
2) Daniel Rigby
3) Julian Rhind-Tutt
4) Richard Coyle
I've avoided anyone who has appeared in the show before, and also ignored any nonsense about a woman becoming the next Doctor. Just because he is an alien and can change his appearance into apparently 'anything' it does not mean you should go against 50 years of history simply because 'it is about time a woman played him'. If people want a woman Time-Lord so bad, bring back Romana and give her her own spin-off show! After all, since Romana is in E-Space, a totally different Universe, chances are she is still alive.
Number 2 is an interesting choice. Relatively unknown but did beat Matt Smith AND Benedict Cumberbatch to the 2011 BAFTA for best actor. And since Moffat Executive produces the shows that Matt and Benedict work on, Daniel is surely on the radar.
Julian Rhind-Tutt worked with Gatiss on 'Crooked House' and Gatiss has quite a bit of say on Doctor Who (next showrunner maybe?).
Richard Coyle also worked with Moffat on the TV show 'Coupling' so he knows the guy well, plus Coyle played the very Doctor-like 'Strange' on the BBC, so we know he can a role like the Doctor easily enough.
I suppose you can't rule out Jack Davenport or Dexter Fletcher as Dark Horses too, since they too have both worked on Moffat shows (Coupling and Press Gang).
James Nesbitt (who played Jekyll in a 6-part drama penned by Moffat) would be my dark DARK horse. Since a lot of producers like to work with people they have worked with before, although I have to say, when Matt Smith got the part, that came right out of left-field!
I shall wait for the result with giddy anticipation.
Post by: Freddy on June 24, 2013, 02:01:10 AM
Post by: MunchWolf on June 24, 2013, 05:46:56 PM
After all, Romana took the princess's form after the princess died. Maybe Clara dies (again) at the same time that the Doctor 'dies', and because she was in his timestream it influences the next regeneration to be her?
-Munch "not dead yet" Wolf
Post by: rtpoe on June 24, 2013, 06:50:49 PM
Post by: salem on June 30, 2013, 06:50:25 PM
What if Clara becomes the next Doctor?
After all, Romana took the princess's form after the princess died. Maybe Clara dies (again) at the same time that the Doctor 'dies', and because she was in his timestream it influences the next regeneration to be her?
-Munch "not dead yet" Wolf
I don't think Moffat would do something like that, he's too much a fan of the show to mess with it like that. He'll most likely go for a relative unknown.
Post by: Breasts on August 02, 2013, 04:46:30 AM
Quote from: BBC News, 1 August 2013
New Doctor Who star to be unveiled
Matt Smith's 11th Doctor will depart in this year's Christmas special
The half-hour show, presented by Zoe Ball, will feature an interview with the new lead, as well as 11th Doctor Matt Smith and executive producer Steven Moffat.
"The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who's taking over the Tardis," Moffat said.
"For the last of the Time Lords, the clock is striking twelve."
Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor, is on BBC One at 7pm on 4 August.
According to the official announcement, Ball "will unveil the 12th Doctor in the first ever interview in front of a live studio audience set against the backdrop of a swirling vortex, amongst Daleks and the Tardis".
The 11 Doctors
1. William Hartnell (1963-1966)
2. Patrick Troughton (1966-1969)
3. Jon Pertwee (1970-1974)
4. Tom Baker (1974-1981)
5. Peter Davison - pictured (1982-1984)
6. Colin Baker (1984-1986)
7. Sylvester McCoy (1987-1996)
8. Paul McGann (1996)
9. Christopher Eccleston (2005)
10. David Tennant (2005-2010)
11. Matt Smith (2010 - 2013)
Smith, who has played the Time Lord since 2010, announced in June that he would be bowing out in this year's Christmas special.
The announcement sparked much speculation about who might take over, with Peter Capaldi, Ben Daniels, Rory Kinnear and Ben Whishaw among the bookies' favourites.
Ben Stephenson, BBC drama controller, said: "Amongst all the speculation and betting, there has been lots of fun and intrigue at work as we've been using the codename Houdini as a decoy.
"It's the biggest secret in showbiz, even those working with the new Doctor on other projects at the moment have no idea they are in the presence of the 12th incarnation."
Doctor Who marks its 50th anniversary on 23 November with a special episode, starring Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt as the Doctor.
Billie Piper will return as Rose Tyler, while Jenna Coleman will continue as Clara Oswald.
The episode will also see the return of the Daleks and the Zygons.
Sunday we'll find out for sure.
I changed your link to a quote because the linked page included at least one image of a chi!d. Posts and links including images of chi!dren are absolutely prohibited in this forum. Please be more careful about this. Thanks.
_
gonZo
Post by: TheZookie007 on August 06, 2013, 12:09:49 AM
Post by: salem on August 06, 2013, 06:38:09 AM
He is a terrific actor, probably best know as Malcolm Tucker in the political comedy show 'The Thick of It'.
I really didn't expect them to
a) go for someone as old as Capaldi and
b) choose someone who has already guest starred in the show. However, if it is good enough for Colin Baker, Freema Agyeman and Karen Gillan then why not?
He will be the second oldest actor to have taken on the role, after Hartnell, the very first Doctor. Nice to see an actor older than me in the role! To date only Matt Smith is younger than me!
He is such a versatile actor, and unusually, a pretty well known one. His appointment is a bit out of left-field, but a good choice nonetheless.
The only thing that disappointed me was the choice of presenter for the Doctor Who Live show... Zoe Ball? Was everyone else booked up already?
I look forward to seeing him tackle the role, and will be interested to see the dynamic he has with Clara.
Post by: rtpoe on August 06, 2013, 07:18:12 PM
Peter Capaldi has an Academy Award on his shelf as the director of the "Best Short Film" of 1995: Franz Kafka's 'It's A Wonderful Life' - starring Richard E. Grant....
Post by: TheZookie007 on August 06, 2013, 10:48:32 PM
One of the comments on this Sydney Morning Herald article (http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/can-peter-capaldi-add-finishing-touches-to-doctor-who-20130805-2r8jn.html), dealing with the conundrum that the Doctor only has one regeneration left (according to canon) is particularly interesting:
Frunke: It's likely they'll ignore the 12 regenerations rule - River gave him all her regenerations, so they could easily stick a few more on without too much of a continuity problem.
"You beat me to it, Frunke. All the commentators seem to forget this gift from River. She'd only used two regenerations that we know of. How she was accessing them we don't know, because only one of them happened nearby to a Tardis.
There are more points where bonus regenerations might enter the story. The Second Doctor's regeneration was imposed by the High Council of Time Lords so may not have come off the Tardis's quota. The High Council also disabled the Tardis at the start of the Third Doctor's "life", so when they re-activated it the regeneration counter might have been reset. And don't forget that the Tardis is defective. Remember Romana's crazy sequence of multiple regenerations while in the Doctor's Tardis? Perhaps its regeneration counter is as faulty as its chameleon circuit. The Doctor's "daughter", Jenny, is also out there if they wanted to make a sideways jump.
One thing is certain. The producers of Doctor Who aren't about to retire a perennially successful show just because some geeks and anoraks tell them they've run out of lives."
Post by: number3fac on August 07, 2013, 02:34:43 PM
To the best of my knowledge, it's Time Lord biology, not the TARDIS, that determines the quota of lives. The TARDIS provides an environment conducive to a smoother regenerative transition, but isn't strictly necessary for it to happen, nor is the TARDIS responsible for "counting" how many lives have regenerated.
River handing the Doctor her regenerations was a ploy to counteract the poison she'd given the Doctor, which had been stated to be so fatal that NO regeneration was possible, so presumably all her regeneration energy was used to remove the poison with no change to the Doctor's own regeneration count.
For that matter, if you want to count regeneration energies being used, the Tenth Doctor regenerated without changing...funneling all the energy into his spare hand in Journey's End so that he remained the same, but it could arguably "count" as using one up in terms of what the Doctor is biologically capable of. I would almost count Eleven's aborted regeneration at Lake Silencio, except that turned out to be a fireworks display by the dumb chameleon/robot/ship thing (although for some reason some fans do count that). The Tenth Doctor claimed to have "given up" some years of his life to recharge the TARDIS when it was stranded in the Cybus-world, and the Eleventh Doctor explicitly used some regenerative energy to fix River's broken wrist in the Manhattan Angels episode.
Of course, I ultimately end on the same point that they do...the show isn't going to get hung up on the Doctor having a limited set of lives; as long as there's any intention to continue the series they'll find a way to get around it and keep it going. Heck, I'm fine with taking Eleven's offhand remark in Sarah Jane's show about being able to change 500+ times as truth if it means we can ignore the limit. And if I really wanted to get out-there in speculation-land, the last episode had the Doctor somehow "entering his own timestream" (as if it's a place you could get to), and presumably like Clara experiencing his earlier selves...it could easily be conceptualized as a move similar to the Valeyard's in Trial of a Time Lord, where somehow interacting with his own past (even paradoxically) could somehow grant the Doctor a renewed set of regenerations "taken" somehow from his previous incarnations. Though it doesn't even have to be so convoluted...in The Five Doctors, the Time Lords try to bribe the Master into helping them and the Doctor with an offer of a new cycle of regenerations, and we've even seen that they somehow did just that when bringing him into the Time War (before he escaped to the end of the universe). Which means there must be some Time Lord technique or technology or something that could presumably reboot the cycle, so all that need be done is handwave a way for the Doctor to experience it and move on with a fresh 12 lives available (at the end of which it's done again, and so on).
Honestly, there are plenty of "outs" to go with this "issue", and I don't think anyone in the fandom really expects it to actually be a problem if/when it comes around.
Post by: salem on September 17, 2013, 07:02:08 PM
Post by: TheZookie007 on September 19, 2013, 09:31:24 PM
Post by: salem on September 20, 2013, 12:44:27 PM
Post by: Breasts on October 19, 2013, 03:44:57 PM
http://youtu.be/7hRy2N2CMhQ ;D ;D
Post by: Breasts on October 19, 2013, 03:54:10 PM
http://youtu.be/Z9Ckdpvg22w
Post by: salem on October 20, 2013, 07:25:14 AM
Isn't it funny that they found The Web of Fear not long after the Great Intelligence was re-introduced in the modern-day Doctor Who!
What a present for the 50th Anniversary. 9 previously lost episodes, a 75 minute multi-Doctor special on the anniversary of Doctor Who's first broadcast, and a Christmas regeneration.
I don't think Doctor Who has ever had so much going on in such a short space of time in it's history.
Oh, and I nearly forgot, the dramatisation of how it all began in 'An Adventure in Time and Space'
Post by: number3fac on October 20, 2013, 04:23:47 PM
I don't think Doctor Who has ever had so much going on in such a short space of time in it's history.
Thanks to the TARDIS Eruditorium (a blog discussing the threads of pop-culture narrative through Doctor Who's history, taken chronologically and including spinoffs), I can point to the end of 2006, where Torchwood aired the last episodes of its first season, Doctor Who aired The Runaway Bride Christmas special (with popular comedian guest star Catherine Tate, who was surely there as a one-off ;) ), and Sarah Jane Adventures aired its premiere movie-esque episode Invasion of the Bane, all within a single week.
Perhaps not quite as important in terms of the show's complete history, but certainly worthy of notice that the main program plus its two spinoffs were all airing at roughly the same time, and during the popular (or at least highly visible) block of holiday programming.
Post by: salem on October 20, 2013, 04:47:19 PM
Thanks to the TARDIS Eruditorium (a blog discussing the threads of pop-culture narrative through Doctor Who's history, taken chronologically and including spinoffs), I can point to the end of 2006, where Torchwood aired the last episodes of its first season, Doctor Who aired The Runaway Bride Christmas special (with popular comedian guest star Catherine Tate, who was surely there as a one-off ;) ), and Sarah Jane Adventures aired its premiere movie-esque episode Invasion of the Bane, all within a single week.
Perhaps not quite as important in terms of the show's complete history, but certainly worthy of notice that the main program plus its two spinoffs were all airing at roughly the same time, and during the popular (or at least highly visible) block of holiday programming.
Had they found missing episodes that week too, it would have been Mardi Gras time!
Post by: MunchWolf on October 22, 2013, 04:19:56 AM
-Munch "how long was I gone this time?" Wolf
Post by: number3fac on October 22, 2013, 10:23:45 AM
In the new series I do not believe the limit of 12 regenerations has been mentioned, and the only person existing in the universe who would be aware of that limit and/or care, is the doctor. They could blow past that limit without explanation because who would he need to explain that he has extra regenerations to (besides the audience)? The Master has broken that limit many times.
-Munch "how long was I gone this time?" Wolf
A) The audience does matter within the context of the series; consider that in "Blink", there's some scenes where Sally's exploring the house and not looking at the Weeping Angels...but they're frozen in place as statues because *we* can see them. ;)
B) Technically, the question of how many times the Doctor can regenerate has been brought up (in the Sarah Jane Adventures, when the Eleventh Doctor showed up), though not really addressed (he said he could regenerate 507 times, but it was so off-the-cuff that it's almost certainly not intended to be a serious number).
I expect the show will address it, the only question is whether they're going to have a protracted bit of exposition over the issue or just move right along from there.
Post by: MunchWolf on October 22, 2013, 04:42:44 PM
-Munch "seriously, why again did the tardis explode destroying the universe?" Wolf
Post by: number3fac on October 22, 2013, 10:04:14 PM
-Munch "seriously, why again did the tardis explode destroying the universe?" Wolf
Because it looked cool! Were you even paying attention? :P ;) ;D
Though I do hope that it's left to a writer other than Moffat to address the regeneration limit issue.
Post by: salem on October 26, 2013, 07:42:57 PM
I just booked my ticket for the 3D screening of 'The Day of the Doctor' at my local Cinema!
Just 4 weeks to wait!
Post by: salem on November 14, 2013, 03:02:59 PM
http://www.youtube.com/embed/-U3jrS-uhuo
It may not play for anyone outside the UK, but give it a go, and if it doesn't play, then look it up!
Post by: Breasts on November 14, 2013, 04:29:17 PM
So, the 50th anniversary special is now just over 1 week away. The BBC has just released 'The Night of the Doctor' minisode, and holy crap! wait till you see who is in it!I did shout out loud with joy at that! And such a great opening line from the Doctor too. ;D ;D ;D
http://www.youtube.com/embed/-U3jrS-uhuo
It may not play for anyone outside the UK, but give it a go, and if it doesn't play, then look it up!
Post by: salem on November 16, 2013, 05:13:35 PM
Post by: salem on November 17, 2013, 05:57:52 PM
Post by: rtpoe on November 18, 2013, 07:22:58 PM
(https://i2.ytimg.com/vi/7A-MAp3ZsYs/mqdefault.jpg) (http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/7A-MAp3ZsYs)
Post by: Breasts on November 19, 2013, 11:38:01 AM
Post by: Robin_K2 on November 19, 2013, 03:57:01 PM
Post by: salem on November 19, 2013, 04:28:53 PM
In the previous episode the Doctor went to Trenzalore where the Great Intelligence attempted to enter the Doctor's time stream and undo every good thing he had done. Clara, the Doctor's companion also entered his time stream and in effect got 'splintered' through time, appearing in many points of the Doctor's life. This act restores all the good acts done by the Doctor. The Doctor then enters his own time stream to rescue Clara and when he finds her also comes across a shadowy figure. Clara mentions having seen all 11 of his faces while in there and asks who this new figure is. The Doctor is visibly shaken and does not seem to like the presence of this figure, stating that he betrayed the Name of the Doctor. The fidure turns round and it is John Hurt, the caption at the bottom of the screen says - Introducing John Hurt as The Doctor.
The 3D special will feature Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt as a 'warrior' Doctor who fits between McGann and Eccleston. It will also feature Billie Piper as Rose. Zygons and Daleks will feature and part of the story is rumoured to be concerning the Time War.
Post by: Robin_K2 on November 19, 2013, 05:05:21 PM
Post by: salem on November 22, 2013, 06:31:23 PM
Happy 50th Anniversary Doctor Who, here is to the next 50 years!
Post by: rtpoe on November 22, 2013, 10:46:42 PM
Post by: Cris_H on November 23, 2013, 03:40:40 PM
Post by: Breasts on November 23, 2013, 04:18:50 PM
Post by: Starscream on November 23, 2013, 04:54:47 PM
Post by: TheZookie007 on November 23, 2013, 05:06:00 PM
Post by: Cutter on November 24, 2013, 05:39:03 AM
There are 11 Doctors, Matt Smith being the 11th.
Where does John Hurt come into the numbering? Is he an older version of number 8? From Day of the Doctor he regenerates into Doc Number 9.
Cause I count 12 of them in the pic.
Post by: salem on November 24, 2013, 06:27:07 AM
Loved the 50th anniversary special. The whole cinema clapped and cheered at the end (very unusual occurence in the UK), mind you since it was shown on TV at the same time, only devoted who fans would probably go to the cinema to see it, hence the increased excitement.
Pity Eccleston the party pooper declined to be in it!
I have yet to see a decent review in the UK papers, they all seem to be written by idiots who have no clue about the show and were not particularly paying attention. That's not to say the reviews were bad, they were all good, but no reviewers really seemed to get it.
We've been spoiled this week what with the 50th Annversary special and the wonderful 'An adventure in Space and Time' on BBC2 on Thursday.
May the next 50 years bring another 12 Doctors and another 800 episodes of Joy!
Post by: TheZookie007 on November 24, 2013, 05:38:20 PM
I'd wanted to make it out to the cinema to watch it, and I wish I had because some friends of mine who did go reported that it was standing room only! Also, I would've loved to have seen it at the Way Station Bar (http://www.girlgonegeekblog.com/2011/07/a-tardis-lands-in-brooklyn-the-waystation-bar/) -- they've got a TARDIS in there!
I think BBC Worldwide did a phenomenal job of marketing. The episode The Day of the Doctor was shown simultaneously in 94 countries around the world, from Argentina to Botswana to Nigeria to Poland to Turkey to Zimbabwe, as well as in over 1500 cinemas. It's now in the Guinness Book of World Records for the world's largest ever simulcast of a TV drama.
And you know that I've already got the episode on pre-order on Amazon (http://amzn.to/1hbX0KZ) too ;)
Post by: number3fac on November 24, 2013, 10:57:40 PM
Ok Whovians, I need a explaination here.
There are 11 Doctors, Matt Smith being the 11th.
Where does John Hurt come into the numbering? Is he an older version of number 8? From Day of the Doctor he regenerates into Doc Number 9.
Cause I count 12 of them in the pic.
Starscream's pic shows the 12 lives of the Time Lord that is the protagonist of the show "Doctor Who", while Zookie's pic shows the 11 lives that took the name "The Doctor". After the 8th Doctor (played by Paul McGann) died, he regenerated and took the form of John Hurt, who had renounced the name of the Doctor, even though he answers to that in the special. At the end, Hurt's character begins to regenerate into (presumably) Eccleston's character, who reclaims that name (making Eccleston's incarnation the 9th Doctor).
There were some issues I had (how did the 1500s Zygons get their hands on a Time Lord art installation?), but overall it was wonderful fun, gave the promise of the return of Gallifrey and the Time Lords (though another issue, that would presumably bring back the insane Rassilon as well as the Master), and we technically had the first special with 5 Doctors (I'm willing to count a glimpse of Capaldi's eyes as an appearance just as much as the elderly Baker being a future version whose features "revisit a few old favorites"). It would have been even nicer if Eccleston had shown up, even if just to complete Hurt's regeneration scene.
Definitely excited for the Christmas special and Capaldi's Doctor! ;D
Post by: rtpoe on November 25, 2013, 08:10:29 PM
Written and directed by Peter Davison, it stars him, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy as the three of them try to "crash" the 50th anniversary special. I can't link to it here - since the sons and daughters of a number of people appear in it.
But also appearing are Sean Pertwee, David Troughton, Steven Moffat, Russell T. Davies, Matt Smith, David Tennant, Paul McGann....
Post by: salem on November 26, 2013, 06:34:14 PM
Haven't seen "The Day of the Doctor" yet, but I HAVE seen "The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot"...
Written and directed by Peter Davison, it stars him, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy as the three of them try to "crash" the 50th anniversary special. I can't link to it here - since the sons and daughters of a number of people appear in it.
But also appearing are Sean Pertwee, David Troughton, Steven Moffat, Russell T. Davies, Matt Smith, David Tennant, Paul McGann....
I watched that too, thought it was very funny.
Post by: rtpoe on November 27, 2013, 10:17:38 PM
John Hurt is a GREAT Doctor.
The character of Elizabeth I was eye-rollingly bad. WAAAAAY to over the top for my taste.
Very nice scene with Tom Baker as The Curator at the end.
And an alternate 16:9 wallpaper screencapped (and tweaked a bit) for you if you are interested:
Post by: number3fac on November 27, 2013, 11:29:30 PM
I didn't care much about the character of Liz 1, though I definitely appreciated her cleavage. ;D
Post by: salem on December 05, 2013, 07:15:19 PM
1. The original titles used instead of the modern titles.
2. A policeman as the first shot, echoing the first shot of the very first episode in 1963.
3. Sign for 76 Totters Lane, the junkyard where the TARDIS was stored in the first episode.
4. Coal Hill School - the school Doctor Who's granddaughter Susan attends in then first episode.
5. Chairman of Governors at Coal Hill School - I. Chesterton. The original Doctor's first male travelling companion.
6. Headmaster W. Coburn, Anthony Coburn wrote the first Doctor Who serial.
7. Clara is a teacher at Coal Hill school, same as Ian and Barbara in the first episode (Ian and Barbara being two of the three travelling companions of the first Doctor)
8. Clara leaves the school grounds at 5.16pm, the time of the first epiosde's transmission.
9. The UNIT callsign of Greyhound is used again by the helicopter picking up the TARDIS.
10. Osgood is wearing the Fourth Doctor's scarf.
11. Kate Lethbridge-Stewart appeared in the episode 'The Power of Three' and is the daughter of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
12. Kate mentions Malcolm, the UNIT scientist played by Lee Evans in 'Planet of the Dead'
13. The Doctor mentions the Brigadier, but not by name.
14. Queen Elizabeth the 1st is mentioned, she met the 10th Doctor in 'The Shakespeare Code' and he was mentioned to have married her previosl to arriving on the Ood planet in 'The End of Time - Part 1'
15. Fall of Arcadia is mentioned and then shown.
16. We see the last day of the Time War which is mentioned throughout the return of Doctor Who from 2005.
17. The Time-Lord uniforms once again bear the seal of Rassilon.
18. According to members of Gallifrey's War Room, the High Council's plans when in emergency session failed. We saw these plans in 'The End of Time - Part 2'. Hopefully Rassilon was deposed after the unsuccessful attempt to pull Gallifrey from the Time-Locked Time War!
19. The Omega arsenal is mentioned, perhaps a reference to Omega, the stellar engineer who gave Gallifrey the power source necessary for Time Travel.
20. The 'moment' is mentioned, it was previously mentioned by the High Council of Time-Lords in 'The End of Time - Part 2'
21. The conscience of 'The Moment' resembles Rose Tyler, companion of the 9th and 10th Doctors.
22. The conscience of 'The Moment' mentions Bad Wolf, the running theme of the first season of the 2005 continuation.
23. The 10th Doctor played by David Tennant appears in a painting in the gallery.
24. The Doctor rides a white horse, similar to the one seen in 'The Girl in the Fireplace'
25. We see a Zygon for the first time since 'Terror of the Zygons' in 1975.
26. The 10th Doctor partially recreates the speech from 'Voyage of the Damned'
27. The Fez once more makes a reappearance!
28. Kate Lethbridge-Stewart mentions the 'Cromer' incident file. Of course referring to the television story 'The Three Doctors'
29. The Doctors attempt to 'reverse the polarity' something the third Doctor often did.
30. The phrase 'Timey-Wimey' is used again, a common 'Moffatism'
31. The Tower of London is first used as UNIT's headquartes in the 2005 Christmas special.
32. The Black Archive has countless pictures of previous companions.
33. The Vortex manipulator of Captain Jack Harkness is shown.
34. The 11th Doctor mentions that Clara has 'met' the 10th Doctor and the War Doctor before. This was at Trenzalore in the Doctor's tomb.
35. The roundels make an appearance in the TARDIS
36. The Doctor's comment about 'You've redecorated, I don't like it' echoes the comment make by the second Doctor in 'The Three Doctors' and 'The Five Doctors'
37. The Doctor uses the Space/Time telegraph, used by the Brigadier to bring the Doctor back to Earth in, suitably enough 'The Terror of the Zygons'.
38. We see a cyberman head (Cybus industries version)
39. The moment mention the TARDIS's 'wheezing groaning' sound. Terrance Dicks, former script editor and writer of several Doctor Who stories, was the most prolific writer of Doctor Who novels, and he always described the TARDIS noise in that exact way in his books.
40. We see all the Doctors including the 13th Doctor, Peter Capaldi. Footage is taken from old stories for Doctors 1-9.
41. Geronimo!
42. Allon-sy!
43. In John Hurt's regeneration he says 'wearing a bit thin' echoing what Hatnell says before regeneratin in the 1966 story 'The Tenth Planet'
44. He also says 'I hope the ears are a little less conspicuous this time' a reference to Ecclestone's prominent ears.
45. The 10th Doctor says that it is reasurring thatn his future is in safe hands, this is what the 1st Doctor says to the 5th at the end of 'the Five Doctors'.
46. The 10th Doctor saying 'I don't want to go'
47. In the dream sequence we see the 12 Doctors.
48. Tom Baker makes an appearance as 'The Curator' a possible future incarnation of the Doctor? It is implied that one day the Doctor will retire after regenerating into an older version of one of his old bodies.
49. The credits feature images of all 12 Doctors.
Think that's them all. If I missed any, please let me know.
Post by: rtpoe on December 05, 2013, 09:21:06 PM
Post by: salem on December 06, 2013, 06:40:16 PM
In the "mini-episode" "The Night of the Doctor", as Paul McGann regenerates into John Hurt, he mentions Charley Pollard, C'rizz, Lucie Miller, Tamsin Drew, and Molly O'Sullivan. These were/are some of his Companions from the Big Finish series of audio adventures (http://www.bigfinish.com/hubs/v/doctor-who) - making this the first time those stories have been referenced in the "main" series.
And we saw the return of the Sisterhood of Karn...
Post by: rtpoe on December 06, 2013, 11:36:58 PM
Though you could call that a nod to the fans instead of a real reference, since it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things exactly when those stories took place....
Post by: Nimrod on December 07, 2013, 11:52:58 AM
It is not officially sanctioned in any way, however it is well reasoned out and actually makes symbols that match up well to the totally random set dressing graphics that had no thought beyond looking neat.
I find it really cool that someone would figure out a system that actually works and can be translated both directions.
The implication is that this system could be used to approximate the Doctor's actual name as it has been shown in the show in the Time Lord script. Of course it would not be the actual name as it is unlikely they will ever provide a sanctioned acknowledgement.
(His name has been translated by some using parallel systems and as you would expect it yields meaningless text)
The script below says "Boobs" by the way
Post by: salem on December 07, 2013, 04:16:00 PM
Salem, to make your list an even 50, there was a reference to the UNIT dating controversy (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/UNIT_dating_controversy) when (I forget the characters) one UNIT person was told to go back and check the files from "either the 70s or 80s". It seems that the writers of the Classic Series messed up the show's internal continuity by giving incompatible dates for some of the stories featuring UNIT and the Brigadier.
Though you could call that a nod to the fans instead of a real reference, since it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things exactly when those stories took place....
That was also done in the Tennant episode The Sonataran Stratagem. The 10th Doctor mentions that he 'worked for UNIT in the 80's, or was it the 70's?'
Of course the dating system which led into UNIT began in the 2nd Doctor story The Abominable Snowmen which was set in 1935, the formation of UNIT story 'The Web of Fear' was set 40 years later, which makes it 1975. The first proper UNIT story 'The Invasion' was set a while after that, late 70's. Then when the Third Doctor was exiled to Earth and worked for UNIT, the stories were supposed to be set in the 80's (Sarah Jane Smith mentions in 'The Pyramids of Mars' that she was from 1980). The problem began in the fifth Doctor story 'Mawdryn Undead' which features the Brigadier in two time streams 1977 and 1983, he is retired in both, hence putting the original UNIT timeline up in the air. The Brigadier also mentions that Sergeant Benton retired in 1979, which also does not fit in with established continuity.
The reason it all came about...? The original script was written with William Russell in mind (Ian Chesterton from the first Doctor Who stories) which is why he was a teacher at a school in it. He was unavailable so they changed it to the Brigadier and ignored previous continuity, causing uproar in the fan community!
Post by: number3fac on December 08, 2013, 12:53:28 AM
Post by: salem on December 08, 2013, 05:05:06 PM
Post by: number3fac on December 09, 2013, 01:10:56 AM
The Moffat era only seems to have one piece of theme music, the 11th Doctor's--or at least, that's the only one I've noticed. It's a nice upbeat here's-the-hero theme, but it gets busted out for virtually every bit of action, so it gets overused and in some cases I don't think it's a good fit for what's happening onscreen. It hasn't been overwhelming loud that I've noticed, but I kinda wish there was a little more variety because that particular theme has gotten a bit tiresome, which is too bad because it's otherwise fine.
Post by: Breasts on December 11, 2013, 11:51:40 AM
http://youtu.be/TWwYLlcPekA
Post by: TheZookie007 on December 12, 2013, 04:05:37 PM
Meanwhile:
BBC America: The Graham Norton Show: "Matt Smith & David Tennant Answer Whovian Fans' Questions" (http://www.youtube.com/v/zi7K22QRaUM&rel=0)
Post by: salem on December 18, 2013, 07:32:03 PM
Post by: number3fac on December 18, 2013, 11:52:04 PM
Post by: rtpoe on December 19, 2013, 10:30:48 PM
Post by: number3fac on December 20, 2013, 01:50:18 AM
Post by: Cutter on December 20, 2013, 05:24:58 PM
Post by: salem on December 21, 2013, 06:20:32 AM
Gold doesn't affect these ones, but petrol and a zippo does!
I was wondering if it is something similar to the wooden creatures from the Christmas special a couple of years ago (The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe). Maybe a helpful Cyberman? Who knows? (excuse pun)
Post by: salem on December 22, 2013, 06:25:37 PM
Post by: salem on December 23, 2013, 06:28:12 PM
Post by: salem on December 24, 2013, 06:25:59 PM
So today is the day Matt Smith regenerates...
Today is the day Peter Capaldi becomes 'The New Doctor Who'
Here is an odd bit of Trivia for you...
David Tennant had his first Doctor Who adventure on the 25th December 2005 and his last on January 1st 2010.
Matt Smith BECAME the Doctor on the 1st January 2010 and regenerates on the 25th December 2013...
Of course Tennant actually BECAME the Doctor months before his first full adventure, so he is still by far and away the longest serving Doctor since the show came back.
Post by: Breasts on December 25, 2013, 03:26:23 AM
Post by: salem on December 28, 2013, 05:58:51 PM
What a year...
We've seen the return of Paul McGann as the 8th Doctor...
Been introduced to a BRAND NEW forgotten 'Doctor' in John Hurt...
We've seen Matt Smith AND Paul McGann regenerate...
We've seen how it all began in 'An Adventure in Space and Time'...
Had Doctor Who in the CINEMA in 3D...
It's a funny thing, now Doctor Who is 50 it almost feels like it has come full circle, since we are effectively starting the Doctor's life all over again because he has been given a new regeneration cycle by the Time Lords. Capaldi is 55, the same age Hartnell was when he became Doctor Who and another thing to note is that THIS Doctor is also travelling along with a teacher from Coal Hill School, just like he did way back in 1963.
It will be interesting to see how Doctor Who carries on from here, hopefully the interconnectedness of the seasons/plots will be toned down a bit, but will still be a bit more meaty than when RTD was in charge. I felt that during the Christmas special, there was so much to tie up, there wasn't as much time to enjoy Matt Smith's final adventure. I loved the final fling of Matt Smith, but the Clara going back and forth was repeated too many times, the pacing was a bit inconsistent and the regeneration was too abrupt.
All in all, a good regeneration epsiode, but not a classic.
Post by: Breasts on December 29, 2013, 04:33:56 AM
I felt the loose ends where tied up as well as they could and I felt the regeneration worked very very well.
Matt's superb speech and the momentary but delightfully unexpected return of Amy made it a very emotional moment. :'( :D
Here's to another 50 years of Adventures in Space and Time!
Post by: TheZookie007 on December 29, 2013, 04:36:44 PM
Post by: Nimrod on December 30, 2013, 02:05:23 PM
Post by: number3fac on December 30, 2013, 03:36:33 PM
I'll be glad when that Moffat character finally leaves the show.
It's too bad he became a regular; he was really great as a guest star. ;)
Only problem is, who'd take his place?
Post by: salem on December 31, 2013, 01:50:26 PM
Post by: salem on January 18, 2014, 08:16:58 AM
Post by: salem on January 28, 2014, 03:20:20 PM
Post by: rtpoe on March 20, 2014, 07:32:08 PM
* Portentious Opening Narration! Ho hum.
* Was the nudity really necessary?
* Gee, the thing with all those fleets waiting around a planet might have been impressive if it hadn't been done so recently....
* Cool! A reference to "The Five Doctors"!
* So the Sontarans have become comic relief..... sigh....
* OK, let's cram as many old, dangling threads from the Matt Smith era into the plot as we can.
* So that's what was meant by "Silence will fall". Nice of them to finally get around to explaining it.
* So nothing in the town changed over three centuries? I know they were under siege, but still....
* Matt Smith doesn't do "old" very well.
* Given how pretentious the show has been lately, you'd have thought they'd have made a bigger deal about The Doctor getting the extra regeneration(s).
* Oh no, not her again. Thank god it's only a hallucination.
I note in passing that over at Big Finish, the first 50 of their "Monthly Range" of Doctor Who audio adventures are available for direct digital download at $2.99 each.....
Post by: salem on March 21, 2014, 07:35:28 AM
Looking forward to Peter Capaldi taking on the role, hopefully we can dial down on the silliness, the overly intricate story arcs and get down to some damn good storytelling!
Remind me to post a picture of my full-size Dalek on here sometime!
Post by: number3fac on March 22, 2014, 01:27:46 AM
As to "Time of the Doctor"...well, there's still loads of stuff that doesn't work from the past few seasons in regards to the overall plot-arc things even with the context that the Church tries to explain. But I see it as Moffat hand-waving a "no, see, really, all that crazy kooky stuff I dropped all over the place now has an explanation so we don't need to bring it up ever again." So while I don't think the exposition (what little there is) rectifies the plot holes or other issues, I can at least respect that he seemed to bring all that up so that he could then properly dismiss it as a done deal, and if we never have to address that snarled mess again then I'm all for it.
I'm looking forward to the new era...with Amy/Rory gone we've left behind the sitcom-esque antics brought onboard by their pairing. Clara's nice (and rather nice to look at too), and I liked that the only clear plotarc she's sort-of had around her was the Doctor's repeated attempts to understand her origins; it was more sensible and less random than the plotarcs during the Amy/Rory era, though disappointing that it was so heavily truncated, with only a half season to develop. The short time meant that we only really got Clara as a sort of mystery object than as a full character; now that the mystery's been resolved we can hopefully get to see a stronger characterization and better development. Same goes for Capaldi's Doctor; while I liked Smith, I never really got a good sense of his Doctor's character...mannerisms and momentary emotional states, sure, but not much about his drive or personality (which I blame much more on the writing than Smith's performance, since he really did a good job selling those emotional states even with the silly mannerisms). It'd be nice if Capaldi's Doctor gets a stronger, more coherent personality at the same time that Clara might start to get one of her own...hopefully that's not too much to ask.
In the meantime, I'll mention this: Matt Smith had shaved his head for another role he'd taken during a significant portion of the Christmas special, hence the silly bit with him wearing a wig, but it means he's wearing one for the Amy hallucination. And as it happened, Karen had shaved her head for her role in the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie (a Marvel movie which ties into the world of the Avengers, though I don't know that the connection will be all that strong or evident). So in that hallucination, neither actor has any actual hair, it's all wigs. Just a funny bit of trivia.
Post by: number3fac on March 29, 2014, 09:06:55 AM
Post by: rtpoe on March 30, 2014, 12:03:37 AM
Post by: Breasts on March 31, 2014, 11:35:55 AM
Post by: salem on May 23, 2014, 04:23:41 AM
Post by: number3fac on May 26, 2014, 02:15:03 AM
In the meantime, I'm looking forward to Karen Gillan in Guardians of the Galaxy (well, I'm looking forward to GotG in general) but I feel bad for her new show "Selfie" which looks horribly dumb (apart from Karen and John Cho).
Post by: ftl03 on May 26, 2014, 04:08:01 AM
Post by: salem on June 01, 2014, 01:12:27 PM
Post by: salem on June 17, 2014, 11:51:10 AM
Meanwhile, it looks like the TARDIS is shrinking in the new series. Are the Logopolitans, the Master or the Meddling Monk going to make an appearance?
Post by: salem on June 28, 2014, 11:20:02 AM
Meanwhile luscious Leigh Darby has done a rather good Doctor Who porno parody, the special effects of which are pretty much better than they were in the original series...
Post by: Cris_H on July 12, 2014, 06:26:31 AM
The Doctor premieres on BBC America on the same day as the UK! Woooooo!
"I see into your soul, Doctor!" (http://www.bbcamerica.com/doctor-who/videos/the-doctor-has-two-hearts/)
This simulcast-stuff is great. This way we Yanks don't have to hear about what happens ahead-of-time!
From DoctorWho.tv:
"Filming is well underway for Series 8 of Doctor Who. Guest stars confirmed to join Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman in the new series, which will air on BBC One this Autumn include Foxes, Frank Skinner, Ben Miller, Tom Riley, Keeley Hawes and Hermione Norris."
Foxes? hee hee hee... Her name is Foxes? :P
Post by: salem on July 12, 2014, 04:48:48 PM
23.11.13
#SAVETHEDAY
The above quote is from the official BBC trailer for The Day of the Doctor, the 50th anniversary special in which the Doctor saves Gallifrey from the Daleks.
I watched ‘The End of Time’ last night and it threw up some interesting points which I intend to address here, most notably about how the two stories are connected and interact with each other.
Firstly, how do the two stories fit together and what is the continuity?
Well in ‘The End of Time’ we see the High Council attempt to escape the time-locked Time War by using a repeating noise of a beat of four (the so-called drumming the Master hears throughout his life) sent through time to the Master in order to establish a link through which they can send the whole of Gallifrey. Once done they intend to continue with a plan called the ‘Ultimate Sanction’ which would see the end of time itself and the Time Lords ascending to a conscious only state. This plan however fails and in the ‘Day of the Doctor’ we discover the failure of this plan when we visit the War Council.
So…
The intertwining continuity of the two stories may go something like this…
The War Doctor (John Hurt) tires of the endless war and steals ‘The Moment’ an immensely powerful Time Lord weapon from the ‘Omega Arsenal’ (Day). At the same time, the High Council are discussing the fact that the War Doctor has this weapon and intends to use it to destroy Daleks and Time Lords alike (End). The War Council discover that the Moment is missing and we see the War Doctor engage the Moment in the form of Rose Tyler (Bad Wolf version). The Moment sends the War Doctor back to Elizabethan England where he meets his future selves (Day).
While this is occurring the Time Lords attempt their plan to take Gallifrey out of the Time War and fail (End) The Master attacks Rassilon and goes with him into the time-locked Gallifrey.
Having helped Doctors 10 and 11 with the Zygons, the War Doctor return to Gallifrey and is about to destroy it along with the Daleks when 10 and 11 show up and instead of destroying Gallifrey, they manage to hide it away in a pocket universe.
Now, in the End of Time the Doctor (in a conversation with Wilfred Mott) mentions that he doesn’t want the Time Lords to return because of what they have become. He also states that he knows they were planning the ‘Ultimate Sanction’ and that is why he did what he did. So why did he seem so eager to SAVE Gallifrey in the Day of the Doctor? Well, my opinion is that the 10th Doctor probably realises that by SAVING Gallifrey and hiding it, the Time-Lords will have no need of the Ultimate Sanction and would therefore not have to use it. The 11th Doctor of course remembers the events of the End of Time and knows that the High Council’s attempt to extricate Gallifrey from the time-locked Time War failed, which is why he talks not to the High Council but to the War Council (although Doctor No 1 does indeed refer to the High Council). They then of course begin their plan (along with all the other Doctors) to hide Gallifrey and make it look like it blew up.
Of course the 10th Doctor forgets most of this and then pops back into his TARDIS and heads for the Ood-Sphere, where he learns of a deadly threat which is returning to end time itself, and hence begins his final adventure which strangely enough occurs just before the adventure he has already had!
So what of Gallifrey, the High Council and the Master?
Well, the High Council were sent back into the time-locked Time War, along with the Master and Gallifrey, only to be frozen by 13 Doctors not long after. However, Gallifrey still exists and given the failure of the High Council and their nefarious plans, I would suspect they have been replaced. The Master may or may not still be alive and Rassilon has either been deposed or placed back in the Dark Tower from where they plucked him to become President for the duration of the Time War.
I guess we’ll find all that out when we eventually re-join Gallifrey, which may or may not be sometime in the next season.
.
Post by: rtpoe on July 12, 2014, 10:26:06 PM
Post by: salem on July 13, 2014, 09:38:56 AM
I was never a fan of the whole 'Daleks and Time-Lords being wiped out during the Time War' thing anyway. The Daleks have been back so often and in such great numbers that it actually made the Doctor's sacrifice of his own people meaningless. I think Moffat realised this and decided to do something about it. By making out that the Time Lords survived too means that he isn't responsible for aimlessly wiping out his own people. Besides, I think we needed the Time-Lords 'back' in some capacity to issue the Doctor with a new regeneration cycle.
It would have been totally different if the Daleks had never come back in the new series, but they are always popping up with alarming regularity which made the Doctor's attempt to wipe them out a terrible failure.
One important thing is that the Master is still 'alive' of sorts on Gallifrey as he got sucked back to Gallifrey when the link was broken in 'The End of Time' so we will most likely see him back again. Capaldi is a good Doctor to stand up against the Master, I mean I liked Matt Smith as the Doctor, but his quirky, eccentric Doctor wouldn't have looked quite so good next to an evil being like the Master (although Tennant managed it).
Looking forward to the new series very much.
Post by: salem on July 14, 2014, 03:52:42 AM
First up we have 'The Eleventh Hour' a clever play on words introducing Matt Smith to the world in his first full adventure as the 11th Doctor.
As initial adventures go, it isn't bad. Unfortunately having to introduce a new companion AND a new Doctor in the same episode tends to detract a bit from the flow of storytelling, but as this episode was slightly longer (an hour rather than the usual 45 minutes) then I think it works out quite well, giving us a few nice scenes of the Doctor's quirkiness and his attempt at getting used to his new body. The scene where the Doctor tries to find something to eat that he likes was particularly good, showcasing not only Matt Smith's comic ability but also Caitlin Blackwood as a young Amy Pond.
We start off with the Doctor hanging from the open doors of the TARDIS as it flies erratically over London, and after a near miss with the Bell tower of Westminster Palace the TARDIS eventually crashes into a shed in the garden of young Amy Pond, who is in the middle of asking Santa's help with a crack in her wall. The Doctor, once fed, pops upstairs to examine the crack and seals it using his sonic screwdriver, but not before seeing a giant eyeball staring back at him and hearing the ominous phrase 'Prisoner Zero has escaped'.
The Doctor hears the cloister bell of the TARDIS and realises that he must stabilise the engines or his ship may blow up, promising young Amy a trip in the TARDIS once he has popped ahead a few minutes. Unfortunately, this 'few minutes' turns out to be 12 years and when the Doctor returns to Amy's garden he returns with a terrible knowledge of the escaped prisoner. Once inside Amy's house he is knocked **61** by a now adult Amy dressed in a Policewoman's uniform. After a brief exchange with the Doctor Amy realises that there is an extra room that she has forgotten about on the landing of her house, she enters the room against the Doctor's advice and gets his sonic screwdriver, which had rolled under the door, but also comes face to face with Prisoner Zero in the form of a snake like creature with sharp teeth.
When prisoner zero comes out of the room it is disguised as a man and his dog, but bizarrely, the man is the one barking. The Doctor and Amy escape after hearing a broadcast from an alien ship that states 'Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence, or the human residence will be incinerated'. Once outside the Doctor realises that the 'human residence' is not Amy's house, but the entire planet and he has 20 minutes to save it.
All in all, not a bad debut story. Matt Smith is in fine form, and the stunningly beautiful Karen Gillan is also very good as Amy Pond. We also get our first look at Arthur Darvill as Amy's SO, Rory Williams and a nice little cameos from Annette Crosbie, Olivia Coleman and stargazer Patrick Moore.
Post by: number3fac on July 17, 2014, 02:41:45 AM
Though honestly, I have grave doubts that watching the 5th-7th seasons in a short timespan will do anything to improve or clarify the storylines...I'd think it'd make the flaws and plotholes more evident, as Moffat doesn't seem to be much bothered by inconsistencies and/or may have counted on the spread-out broadcasting span to help keep contradictory bits from being remembered too clearly by the audience. Anyway, on to some thoughts of the episode:
There's very little establishing of character here, as once the Doctor timeskips over the 12 years it's pretty much all go-go-go, racing around and trying to stop the Earth from being broiled. The bit before the timeskip is wonderful though, and being that it's not only a post-regen episode, it's also a showrunner-reboot and a promoted move to BBCAmerica (bringing in a whole new audience), so it's understandable to put an action-y adventure as the format, drawing in new viewers as they reboot the look of the show (new Doctor, Companion, TARDIS, Sonic, etc). The Doctor's new characterization is "yes, I'm totally the Doctor, and totally all-new" yet "here's many ways in which I echo my predecessors", which is kind of all over the place, but Matt Smith's performance holds it together well enough. Young Amelia is brave and curious, but Amy has a more fiesty-and-petulant combination, which can be entertaining but is also kind of a heavily-treaded character type/trope (especially in sitcoms, which is one of Moffat's previous showrunning experiences and may be relevant to later developments ;) ).
And speaking of later developments...the Atraxi secure Prisoner Zero because Amy dreamt it into its true form; and Prisoner Zero only used Amy's mind/dream because it was forced to find a different form than one of those that Rory had photo'd with his phone. Rory's pseudo-sleuthing and phone were crucial to the Doctor's plan to save the planet. Without Rory, the Doctor would've had no way to expose Prisoner Zero to the Atraxi (the Doctor might've been able to set all counters to 0 but wouldn't have had the pics of the alternate forms). So Rory's existence is vital to the Earth (and everyone on it, including the Doctor) not being burnt to cinders; if somehow that existence were removed or erased, the world should look radically different... ;)
One other observation is that there's a definite start of a trend where the exact (or nearly so) amount of time for a deadline or timespan is cited. The Doctor's timeskips are mentioned of course, but the bit that I found weird was the Doctor calculating that he had no more than 20 minutes to save the world. I'm pretty sure that more than 20 minutes of runtime elapsed after that declaration, and that even leaves out the scene changes/edits where the Doctor is walking about town with Amy, or vehicles are being driven around to the hospital. I don't know why there was that emphasis on the timing when it was then pretty well ignored; a simple "we haven't got much time" would work, or just make the Doctor's calculation turn out an hour or some other length of time that could plausibly cover all the action that gets skipped in between the go-go-go pacing of what's on screen. It only bothered me a little bit here, but since there come along at least a few other instances of the Doctor citing specific timespans for reference, I figured I'd mention it at the outset.
All told, despite my picking at it, the Eleventh Hour was still a pretty fantastic way to kick off the everything-new-again 5th season. The interaction with the Doctor and Amelia with the fish fingers and custard was clearly a memorable highlight (at least in terms of character moments), while the rest was a flurry of activity, which made for an exhilarating first outing.
Post by: Breasts on August 23, 2014, 03:19:37 PM
Post by: Eliza D on August 23, 2014, 04:03:26 PM
Counting down the minutes!
Post by: TheBoobGuy on August 23, 2014, 04:08:55 PM
It was a good episode, a few shaky moment, but it happens. Lots of old references which fitted in alright without seeming too forced.
Post by: toefoo on August 23, 2014, 06:47:13 PM
Post by: salem on August 24, 2014, 07:03:59 AM
Post by: number3fac on August 25, 2014, 12:58:28 AM
Post by: TheBoobGuy on August 25, 2014, 03:46:43 AM
I have a personal theory that this is actually the first Doctor again. The new regenerations that he got where the ones he had already had. It would explain why he couldn't fly the TARDIS, why he left Clara to be locked in the room, his age and a few other things. He is the first Doctor again, but with all the memories of the previous Doctors, hence his confusion and struggling to remember things.
Post by: salem on August 26, 2014, 07:52:59 PM
Post by: salem on August 30, 2014, 12:39:14 PM
They are coming.....
Post by: Breasts on August 30, 2014, 06:06:11 PM
Post by: rtpoe on August 30, 2014, 10:48:08 PM
Post by: salem on August 31, 2014, 01:45:17 AM
Post by: number3fac on September 03, 2014, 01:50:43 AM
Clara's an English teacher from Coal Hill, and the other teacher she's flirting with is a Math teacher (Barbara & Ian were History & Science).
The teacher Clara's flirting with has the last name Pink, and the soldier the Doctor rejects in the future has the last name Blue.
The first soldier that dies in the Dalek doesn't get any special notice, but the second one announces her name to the Doctor with the clear intention that she's sacrificing herself to stop the onslaught of Daleks...she ends up in "Heaven" with that strange woman. It suggests that in the previous episode, the half-faced clockwork droid might have chosen to voluntarily throw himself out of the balloon and sacrifice himself, thereby arriving in "Heaven" as well.
Also, soldier Blue is on the verge of death at the episode's start and seems to get vaporized, only to be revealed as having arrived on the Doctor's TARDIS via the materialization trick he's used before. It may suggest some sort of parallel with whatever's happening with the weird "Heaven" scenes and the strange "Missy" woman there.
Overall, I'm much more liking this season than the last couple. The ongoing mystery is being built much better than just getting a picture of the glowing Crack shoved at us each episode, and there's some really good characterization for Clara (and I'm presuming Mr. Pink will be joining shortly, as he's getting some good buildup too).
Post by: TheBoobGuy on September 03, 2014, 07:59:57 AM
But someone did point out that that garden is the same place as Amy was trapped in in the episode The Girl Who Waited, where she is trapped in a different time stream.
Post by: number3fac on September 03, 2014, 10:30:11 PM
I am thinking Missy is a Time Lady. The garden thing is her TARDIS, because they can look pretty much however the owner wants.
But someone did point out that that garden is the same place as Amy was trapped in in the episode The Girl Who Waited, where she is trapped in a different time stream.
Well as I mentioned, there seemed like a possible parallel with soldier Blue seemingly dying--only to be revealed as being on the Doctor's TARDIS--and how the half-faced droid and the other soldier died and then found themselves in "Heaven". So it could certainly be a TARDIS, though there's been rampant speculation that Missy is somehow River in another form (from referring to the Doctor as her presumed "boyfriend", and perhaps the garden being an afterlife-esque construct like River's home in the Library database), or that she's the Rani, or the Master returning in a female regeneration. All that said, I'm fine reading such speculation but I generally prefer not to engage in it beyond that, because it's going to play out some way or another over the course of the season anyway, so it's ultimately a waste of time. But as I mentioned, I'm liking the way this ongoing mystery is playing out so far, so even if the end result is disappointing I can still enjoy and appreciate the attempt to make it interesting as it unfolds.
Post by: Nimrod on September 04, 2014, 01:14:24 AM
Kithara and I are still on the fence about the newest Doctor. There were are few times in the most recent episode where we had to back it up simply to understand what was said. He needs to work on his enunciation.
Neither of us like the concept of the Daleks and we never get the feeling of dread but find them silly which is unfortunate as they just miss the mark in our minds. This episode also felt very much like the "Dalek" episode which was the 6th in the first season of the revived show. (April 30, 2005)
I guess my opinion of the Doctor Who franchise is one that is a bit jaded due to the simple fact that the show actually stopped and ended. It did not go into hiatus, prolonged delay or some other euphonium. They stopped production, sold the sets and closed shop. It is great that is has been revived but every time the modern writers make small adjustments in the facts or just toss in random comments about the show from the 70's or early 80's it just feels a bit forced. I think I am also a bit miffed that I missed taking the studio tour by a few months back in 1989.
I also like that one of the highest rated and most liked episodes was "Blink" which was an adapted short story and hardly has the Doctor in it.
(http://forum.bearchive.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=452157.0;attach=348084)
One side issue I have with the makers of the show is their tendency to either ignore, forget or actually rewrite show cannon to fit their current story line or season. The biggest one that comes to mind is that the Doctor's actual name was written out as a random stage prop which was so liked as a graphic that it was reused in the modern revived versions, then turned into merchandize and made part of the Who universe and even part of the TARDIS decorations as far back at David Tennant's early run. After all of this creation of a language and giving it a syntax and translation some enterprising mega-fans actually worked out what the original graphics said way back in the 80's. Essentially translating what the Doctor's name is using the very subsequent content provided by the short-sighted current creators. However because the producers had never intended to actually name the Doctor they had unwittingly provided all the tools needed to do it because they did not see the show as a continuous story but rather seasonal or episodic at best. So, instead of acknowledging that the Doctor's name is known they dismissed it, clammed up and did not confirm that it had been solved by enterprising fans while even being a bit dismissive about it all. It has the feeling that they could not handle the one two punch of having first so clumsily let a critical "secret" of the show out and to have it done by fans simply paying better attention to the show than the production team. For the record the Doctor's name is essentially random letters, something akin to JEFGILOKOLMFIGNOPUS.
Post by: solvegas on September 04, 2014, 09:04:39 AM
Kithara and I are still on the fence about the newest Doctor. There were are few times in the most recent episode where we had to back it up simply to understand what was said. He needs to work on his enunciation.
Yea, them Limeys need to learn how to speak good English like Americans. ::) ;D ;)
Post by: Nimrod on September 04, 2014, 12:02:47 PM
There was one point where we had to replay a particular scene twice to understand that she said "He sometimes gets it right." It sounded much more like "Ah um immes gots eto rought" - we thought she was saying "He thought its on right (rough)" which possibly coincided with the removal of a "door" but was actually a reply to a soldier's previous question which was equally impenetrable but if understood would make the scene much more meaningful and revealing of the Doctor's character.
It does not help that as a rule British TV productions tend to have loud sound tracks and softer dialog feeds. We are always turning up the content from over the pond. On Doctor Who with so much background and post production the dialog typically gets pushed a bit down. Throw in a heavier rural British accent and our Midwestern ears get thrown by where they have taken the language.
Contrary to what many think, American English has changed less over time than British English from colonial days. If taken from the point of American Independence it has actually been the British tongue that has undergone more radical shifts in pronunciation, emphasis and migration away from that common point. If the British get upset that there are differences between the two they have to blame themselves more. There have even been pockets in the Appalachians studied because they have remained mostly unchanged since the late 1700's.
Also - Kithara and I both grew up by what is called the Hoosier Apex which is a unique linguistic balancing point right in the middle of the generic Middle Mid-Western dialect band running from Pennsylvania into Missouri that also oddly has a north-south balance between generic southern and northern dialects. It essentially is the most neutral accent area in the whole USA. http://forum.bearchive.com/index.php/topic,374745.msg10063484.html#msg10063484 (http://forum.bearchive.com/index.php/topic,374745.msg10063484.html#msg10063484) To our ears everyone else has some manner of accent in various degree as we grew up in an area that relatively speaking has no accent.
Note: Not that it is better and in fact lacks the special and colorful distinctions of other areas of the country - essentially making the Apex rather plain in terms of speech. :-[
When we hear someone on Doctor Who speaking quickly in a heavier British accent it can throw us sometimes.
(http://forum.bearchive.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=374745.0;attach=170481)
Post by: salem on September 04, 2014, 03:51:53 PM
Post by: rtpoe on September 04, 2014, 10:37:59 PM
Like Nimrod says, fans poring over every frame and every second of dialogue are **77** the show's creators to do things to the show's detriment.
Case Study #1: The Farewell to the Ponds.
Rory and Amy had a perfect "goodbye" at the end of "The God Complex". They were set up in a nice home with a nice car, and were allowed to get on with their lives. In "Closing Time", we got a quick glimpse of them, and it did indeed look like they were doing fine. No problems there. At the end of "The Wedding of River Song", we got to see them as a nice, happy family. Yet *another* nice place to leave them to get on with their lives.
But no, fans wanted still more.
So they had a little appearance in "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" where we say them happily celebrating the holidays.
That wasn't enough. They got dragged back for no valid reason the next season.
"Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" at least set things up perfectly so that Rory's Dad could serve as their own "personal" Doctor, what with all the odds and ends in his pockets and his new love of travel.
Nope, that wasn't good enough. They had to come up with an episode that made it impossible for the Ponds to ever appear in another episode again - "The Angels Take Manhattan". Now while it did hit all the right emotional notes, the blasted thing was so full of plot holes that the story falls to pieces on even a cursory examination (What do the people stuck in the Winter Quay (a shitty name for a hotel/apartment building) eat, for god's sake? If the Doctor was blocked from bringing the TARDIS into Manhattan in that era, couldn't he have brought it to, say, Boston, and then taken a fucking train into New York?)
The story had to have been written to get the fans to finally STFU and let go of the Ponds. That's the only reason for its existence.
Fandom needs to realize that they can kill what they love.
Post by: MunchWolf on September 05, 2014, 06:04:45 PM
-Munch "course, there are not many female time lords to choose from" Wolf
Post by: Breasts on September 06, 2014, 10:16:37 AM
I am betting on the Rani ... it is time to bring her back ...The Rani was my 1st thought too. 8)
-Munch "course, there are not many female time lords to choose from" Wolf
Post by: salem on September 07, 2014, 02:06:25 AM
My first guess is still the Valeyard. The line about 'keeping the accent' seems to suggest she is what she is BECAUSE of the Doctor. And what better time to bring back the Valeyard when the Doctor is in his 13th Incarnation.
Post by: Breasts on September 07, 2014, 05:17:10 AM
Post by: salem on September 07, 2014, 07:56:30 AM
Moffat likes to tie up loose ends, which is why I think it is the Valeyard. He's already done the Great Intelligence and now is the perfect time. Of course, knowing Moffat, it'll be something new and bizarre!
Post by: rtpoe on September 08, 2014, 07:54:09 PM
Quote
...there was nothing remotely British about this presentation of the Robin Hood myth. It wasn't interested in the culture of the time, or in teaching us anything about the period. It was a Hollywood version of the Robin Hood myth, one with exploding castles and robots with lasers. It got me thinking about the show in general and why perhaps it is going down so much more successfully in the US than it is in the UK (and why, incidentally, I genuinely believe that it would never be cancelled even if the ratings over here were to hit a record low). The BBC have a hit in America and as low as that remains the case they will continue to support the show. More than that though, even since Moffat has become aware of it's popularity in the US I think he has started to tailor the show to appeal across the pond, Doctor Who is being made in Britain for the American market and unsurprisingly they are lapping it up. We've visited America three times in the last two years and the very structure of Matt Smith's final season was to make mini Hollywood movies on a BBC budget, nuggets of cinema. The Day of the Doctor was the ultimate expression of cinematic Doctor Who with some astonishing action sequences and effects being plastered all over the local cinemas. Look at where the Matt Smith era began...all rural villages and quirky British tics. Look at where it ended... heroic speeches, a menagerie of monsters, style over substance and convoluted and unsatisfying resolution of arcs. The Americanisation of Doctor Who started with season six and it's impossible astronaut arc and it hasn't looked back. Capaldi was a chance to bring the show back to it's humble, idiosyncratic British roots. Instead we've had a Hollywood version of Victorian London (complete with a roaming dinosaur), a Hollywood version of a Dalek story (Honey I Shrunk the Regulars, Reservoir Daleks) and a Hollywood version of Robin Hood (replete with spaceships and robots). I'm not saying this approach is a bad thing, I'm just saying that it isn't quite for me. With the help of my husband I have figured out why the show isn't quite gelling for me. Don't get me wrong the Americanisation started in Davies' era, with him favouring big set pieces over decent plot resolution but he somehow managed to ground the show in this country with his salt of the Earth characterisation, natural dialogue and obsession with London. With Moffat it is style over substance, lacking character, originality and logic (the Sheriff of Nottingham can accept and comprehend technology from the future?) because it is always trying to get to the money shot (the spaceship splitting free of the castle and taking off). Pure Hollywood baby. It's probably why the Doctor is so at odds with the story too, all British dourness and lunacy (fighting with a spoon). He doesn't fit into this Hollywood world.
(emphases mine)
Post by: CarlTL on September 08, 2014, 10:16:59 PM
In his review (http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.com/2014/09/robot-of-sherwood-written-by-mark.html)of "Robot of Sherwood", Joe Ford of "Doc Oho Reviews" comments on the "Americanization" of Doctor Who:
(emphases mine)
The Sherif of Nottingham was a robot...that's why he could comprehend the technology...
Post by: number3fac on September 09, 2014, 01:13:24 AM
Over at the TARDIS Eruditorum (which has discussed the development of Doctor Who in the context of the culture at the time of each broadcast), there's been running commentary that the series indulges in a "Heritage Theme Park" view of history (including British history especially), but it's been happening throughout the show even back into the classic era. The idea being to have a sanitized/entertaining presentation of events rather than something factually accurate, since the show is in fact supposed to entertain its audience (even back in the days when it was ostensibly intended to educate as well)...whether or not it succeeded is also open to debate, but the point is that this sort of approach to the historical/pseudo-historical is not new or even unique to Moffat. So the accusation that the latest episode is a "Hollywood" rendering of the Robin Hood myth rings a bit hollow, simply because it seems to be just another in Doctor Who's long sequence of idealized historical settings in which a bit of adventurous entertainment occurs.
Another bit discussed over at the Eruditorum is the growing tendency to bring epic scope to the series is more of a phenomenon of pop culture than anything specifically American or British; Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer or JMS's Babylon 5 or Deep Space Nine (to my recollection) really kicked off the trend for serialization-toward-epicness in genre fiction shows, such that it's essentially become an accepted & expected element of scifi genre series since then (like Battlestar Galactica or Lost, etc...granted these are primarily American shows, but their overall popularity has resultingly influenced genre shows produced anywhere in the world from around that time onward). RTD's Doctor Who incorporated those expectations into his own vision for the show, which included many of the well-treaded (but also entertaining) elements previously used, and updated to appeal to a modern audience. And by most evidence, he expected that audience to primarily be the mainstream British viewing public (with several old-school fans returning). Moffat's Who mostly continues in pretty much the same way (why break a successful approach?), just with his own sensibilities for storylines. So I can't say that I agree with that author's view on that either.
I can still see validity in some of the criticism being leveled at the series...I know at least some of the fans were disappointed with the resolution of "Day of the Doctor", since it concluded with the Doctor taking up the trope of "searching for home" as his life's work which is fairly well-treaded in other series and actually has less potential than simply "seeing the wonders of the universe" that had been his previous life goal (and ostensibly the sustaining principle behind the show's 5 decades). I don't have a problem with the Doctor's life and adventures having this grand scope as an ongoing presence, but I'll admit that it would be nice to step away from that and have some more "low-key" stakes, and it's a valid criticism that the show hasn't done that. I would compare it to the situation with SciFi channel's Eureka show...at some point (I think it was season 3-ish), the series had gotten kind of ridiculous, with the town's experiments threatening all life on one or another coast of the U.S. almost every week. Then they had the time-travel reboot/reorientation, and the show got WAY better, because in addition to finding better roles for the characters to fill, they scaled down the stakes...problems in town would still jeopardize lives, but usually of isolated individuals, so that while there were still crises to deal with, they could do more personal-focused stories of people's lives in the town's environment. I think there could be some merit for Doctor Who to attempt a couple of seasons in a similar fashion, dropping the season long arcs and much of the spectacle for lower-scale stories, but I don't expect them to try that while the show's current format has proven to be so popular. Fortunately for me, I don't mind the current format either...really, I just enjoy the scifi genre! :D
Post by: Cutter on September 09, 2014, 05:32:17 AM
Post by: CarlTL on September 09, 2014, 07:31:59 PM
The plot point about the Sheriff was edited out (at least in the BBCA broadcast), so that it appeared that a real human got dunked in the boiling vat at the end. The scene I've read about had the Sheriff getting beheaded instead, revealing that he's a robot; I don't know why they decided to change it, but I suspect recent news items about similar actions may have been at least partially responsible.
Yea, the ISIS beheadings were the cause. The BBC apparently didn't want to look like they were make light of the beheadings by showing the Sherif pickup and reattach his own head.
Post by: rtpoe on October 07, 2014, 09:39:42 PM
Post by: number3fac on October 08, 2014, 02:46:31 AM
Post by: Eliza Dewliddil on October 22, 2014, 05:08:47 PM
The current season is great.
Just had to drop this off.
Post by: salem on October 22, 2014, 06:17:05 PM
Just stopping by to mention that the stretch of the last 4 episodes (Listen, Time Heist, Caretaker, Kill the Moon) have all been really great. I don't have time to elaborate further (and maybe it's not even necessary), but I'm really enjoying this season, and I'm especially glad that it doesn't seem like it's going to be split into two half-season chunks.
I concur. As a long-time Doctor Who fan, I would have to say that this is the best season since the show came back in 2005.
I still think Missy is the Valeyard.... :)
Post by: salem on November 16, 2014, 09:08:41 AM
Really enjoyed season 8 and am tentatively looking forward to the Christmas special, not least because it means that Capaldi will equal the number of episodes enjoyed by Christopher Eccleston!
Overall, very impressed with the season. A few of episodes (Robots of Sherwood, Kill the Moon and In the Forrest of the Night) were maybe a bit below par, but still watchable. Top marks go to Flatline for me, despite the Doctor not being in it much (Blink syndrome, maybe?)!
Looking forward now to series 10!
Post by: number3fac on November 17, 2014, 10:35:33 PM
Kill the Moon was seemingly about "testing" Clara in assuming the Doctor's responsibility, which turned into a bit of a theme for the season (mainly in the back half, but certainly starting its prominence here). Unfortunately, it *was* rife with gaps in logic/physics/plot in addition to the use of another "space whale" creature and hanging the problem on an analogue of an abortion debate.
Forest of the Night is apparently a phrase from one of William Blake's poems, which also references tigers (hence the brief confrontation with one); and Blake himself was said to have visions of glowy creatures, which was clearly the point of reference for the student who saw/spoke with those creatures that made the forest. The TARDIS Eruditorum blog is written by a guy who clearly loves Blakean ideas (his post on the classic Three Doctors adventure is overflowing with them, ascribing bits to Omega and such), so at least he was a huge fan of this episode. Though it still had ultimately very little apart from some "appreciating the wonders of the world" sentimentality.
Anyway: I too enjoyed this season, it had its flaws but had a LOT of good work and was probably the most coherent sequence of story and characterization that Moffat's done while in charge of Doctor Who, so I'm wondering what will come next, and hopeful that it'll continue in this style.
Post by: rtpoe on November 19, 2014, 07:32:57 PM
So far, Capaldi is a rather sinister Doctor. I hope the next stories get him to lighten up a bit.
The new title sequence is WAY too busy.
Post by: salem on November 21, 2014, 02:14:40 PM
Post by: salem on November 23, 2014, 12:16:18 PM
Post by: salem on December 10, 2014, 06:01:22 PM
Not long now to the Doctor Who Christmas Special (the 10th year in a row we have had one). Nick Frost (he of the TV series 'Spaced' and movies 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Hot Fuzz' and 'Paul') is in it. Simon Pegg (he who was also in that series and movies) has also appeared in Doctor Who. You may recall he appeared in an Eccleston episode 'The Long Game'. He was originally going to play Rose Tyler's father, but there were scheduling conflicts. Shame, he would have been awesome as Rose's dad.
The Christmas episodes so far have been
The Christmas Invasion (Tennant's debut adventure 2005)
The Runaway Bride (Tennant 2006)
Voyage of the Damned (Tennant & Kylie Minogue 2007)
The Next Doctor (Tennant 2008)
The End of Time: Part 1 (Tennant 2009)
A Christmas Carol (Smith 2010)
The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (Smith 2011)
The Snowmen (Smith 2012)
The Time of the Doctor (Smith's final full-fledged appearance 2013)
Last Christmas (Capaldi 2014)
Eccleston also had a Christmas episode of sorts - 'The Unquiet Dead' , which featured Charles Dickens and the wraith-like Gelth was set in Cardiff on Christmas Eve. So if you wanted a Doctor Who Christmas-athon then you should include that one too!
Post by: salem on December 12, 2014, 04:25:56 PM
We've already had Timothy Dalton (and back in the 80's we nearly had Pierce Brosnan playing Commander Maxil in 'Arc of Infinity'), so why not another Bond? He'd make a great Lord President of Gallifrey, would be great to see him in a scene with Timothy Dalton as Rassilon (I can always dream).
Peter Jackson, self-confessed Doctor Who fan said he would LOVE to direct an episode (Jackson wanted 4th Doctor Tom Baker as Gandalf bu he turned down the role, he later gave the role of Radagast in 'The Hobbit' to 7th Doctor, Sylvester McCoy). If the Doctor ever makes it over to New Zealand, then why not?
Not long now till the Christmas special, with Santa's explanation being a 'scientific one'. Alien pretending? A dream? The land of fiction returning? Who knows (or maybe he doesn't, time will tell).
Post by: salem on December 14, 2014, 05:22:29 PM
Post by: number3fac on December 14, 2014, 10:46:24 PM
Post by: salem on December 15, 2014, 12:54:31 PM
Post by: number3fac on December 15, 2014, 10:59:11 PM
Post by: Breasts on December 16, 2014, 01:44:45 PM
Post by: salem on December 16, 2014, 01:56:57 PM
Both The Snowmen because it was great fun and The Time of the Doctor because it was epic.
I DID like 'The Snowmen', that was a really good story and a great cast. Terrific having the Paternoster gang in it too.
Post by: salem on December 26, 2014, 05:58:05 AM
Post by: number3fac on December 29, 2014, 01:29:39 AM
Post by: Breasts on December 30, 2014, 09:41:25 AM
Post by: salem on January 31, 2015, 10:16:57 AM
It's a decent read, the only thing spoiling it (and this is a minor gripe) is that I noticed over half-a-dozen either typos or spelling mistakes in the novel. Surely it wouldn't have been difficult to get someone to proof read the manuscript before it was published. I guess they were in a hurry to get it printed!
The book itself is a pretty straight-forward adventure, featuring the War Doctor in his attempt to stop both the Daleks and the Time-Lords from destroying a star system. We read about battles between great Dalek fleets and fleets of Battle TARDISes, we are re-introduced to a character from the classic series and also get re-acquainted with Rassilon, last seen in David Tennant's farewell story.
Essentially it is about the Dalek's attempts to develop a weapon to destroy Gallifrey. I recommend it, and it IS likely to be the only novel to feature that particular incarnation of the most famous of Time-Lords.
Post by: Breasts on January 31, 2015, 10:37:03 AM
Post by: salem on February 06, 2015, 07:24:09 AM
In fact how great would it be to have the next regeneration happen in a MOVIE! Upping the stakes. I don't think any regeneration episodes have been that great since the show returned. High radiation dose, Time Vortex energy and old age? Hmmm, although the 9th Doctor sacrificing his life to save Rose was noble, as was the 10th sacrificing his life for Wilf (my personal favourite of the 3).
Post by: TheBoobGuy on February 09, 2015, 07:06:35 AM
Post by: salem on February 10, 2015, 05:55:31 PM
What bugged me about 10s regen, wasn't the regen itself, but the writing of it. That episode became nothing more than a big "Look! I'm leaving!" thing for David Tennant, and while I loved him as the Doctor, I felt that it became too much about the actor leaving, than the character changing. I mean, he takes a huge does of fatal radiation, then has quite a bit of time to wander around seeing old friends again. Surely SOMEWHERE in all of time and space, there would have been someone who could have fixed the radiation poisoning?
To be fair, they set a precedent for that back in the 70's. Pertwee's Doctor gets a massive dose of radiation on Metebelis 3 and he travels through the Time Vortex for months until the TARDIS brings him back to U.N.I.T. HQ to regenerate.
Post by: salem on February 23, 2015, 11:57:34 AM
Still, what HAS increased dramatically is Doctor Who's global audience which has grown year on year, and as that makes more money for the Beeb it is unlikely cancellation is ANYWHERE near an option, especially when you factor in merchandising and DVD sales etc.
However, if they DID want to boost rating, I have an idea for the next companion...
Post by: solvegas on February 23, 2015, 12:18:07 PM
However, if they DID want to boost rating, I have an idea for the next companion...
Yup, that's ticket alright. ;D
Post by: number3fac on February 25, 2015, 11:03:28 PM
Post by: salem on March 03, 2015, 01:42:42 PM
Initially Doctor Who novels were based on the stories from the TV series (the so-called TARGET novelisations). When the series originally went off air in 1989 almost all of the original series stories had been turned into novels. In fact at the time only Power of the Daleks, Evil of the Daleks, Resurrection of the Daleks, Revelation of the Daleks, Shada, City of Death and The Pirate Planet were as yet un-novelised. After a couple of years John Peel novelised the Power of the Daleks and The Evil of the Daleks to leave just 5 un-novelised stories. However, a couple of years prior to these Dalek stories being released (in 1991) Virgin Books got the rights to publish original Doctor Who stories. This began with a series of 4 linked novels called the Timewyrm series. Written by John Peel, Terrance Dicks (former script-editor, writer and author of over 60 Target novelisations), Nigel Robinson (former Target novels editor) and newcomer Paul Cornell (who later went on to write for the TV series when it came back in 2005). This series proved popular and paved the way for another series of novels called the Cat's Cradle series, a set of 3 books this time. Mark Gatiss and Russell T Davies, both writers when Doctor Who returned, wrote novels for the series.
With the popularity assured, Virgin kept publishing original novels up until 1996 (including a sister range called 'Missing Adventures' which featured older Doctors) when Doctor Who returned, albeit briefly, to our TV screens with a co-produced TV movie with Paul McGann and Sylvester McCoy. With the BBC hoping to capitalise on the popularity of a 'new' Doctor, they took back the rights for novels after Virigins contract expired and began publishing their own novels. This too included a range of 'old Doctor' novels. Paul McGann to this day is actually one of the most represented Doctors in novel form.
The first novel in the range was entitled 'The Eight Doctors' and was written by none other than Terrance Dicks, Doctor Who's most prolific author. However, this was not the first novel to feature the 8th Doctor as a novelisation of the movie (by former Doctor Who Magazine editor and future Doctor Who script Editor Gary Russell) and a final Virgin New Adventure entitled 'The Dying Days (by Lance Parkin) were published prior to this.
The series came to an end when Doctor Who returned to our screens in 2005, and a new range of books were published by BBC books. These took the form of more 'young person-friendly' novels produced in groups of three throughout the year. Christopher Eccleston remains the poorest represented in novel form, having had only 6 novels to feature his Doctor. So far, Doctor 9,10,11 and 12 have all had novels written for them.
Alongside this, once a year, there is a 'quick-reads' novel produced, which features a very short novella type format. Terrance Dicks also wrote for this range too. The novellas tend to feature popular monsters such as Daleks, Cybermen, Silurians, Weeping Angels and Sontarans.
And finally we have the larger format more 'adult' books. A couple of these feature older Doctors (Wheel of Ice for example features the 2nd Doctor) but the rest (such as Dark Horizon) feature the 11th Doctor. The latest large format novel (which I mentioned in an earlier post) was Engines of War, which featured the 'War' Doctor.
Of course in between we have also had a publication of Douglas Adams unfinished story, Shada (which leaves only 4 un-novelised Doctor Who stories now) by Gareth Roberts, prolific Doctor Who author and scriptwriter of a few episodes of new Who.
The one I read most recently was 'Sting of the Zygons' a 10th Doctor novel featuring Martha Jones and of course, the Zygons. It isn't a bad read, passes the time. The new BBC books range aren't great, and certainly not as in-depth as the BBC books or Virgin original novels, but they are a cosy thing to dip into when you have no new episodes to watch!
Post by: rtpoe on March 03, 2015, 09:00:21 PM
As if you didn't have enough Doctor Who stuff...
Post by: salem on March 13, 2015, 05:15:36 AM
Not many people will know that Kate Lethbridge-Stewart made her first appearance in a Doctor Who spin-off video entitled 'Downtime', written by Marc Platt (who also wrote the TV story 'Ghost Light'). It featured Sarah Jane Smith, Victoria Waterfield, the Brigadier and the Great Intelligence/Yeti. It was directed by Doctor Who stalwart Christopher Barry.
Nice to see Moffat taking note that the Brig had a daughter and making her cannon. Kate in that story had a son called Gordon, who has so far NOT appeared in the series, but may come into it somewhere down the line. Kate was of course played by a different actress in that video.
Post by: rtpoe on March 18, 2015, 09:15:24 PM
Plenty of people have done those "alignment chart" things for the various regenerations of The Doctor. I haven't yet seen any for the Companions and Enemies...
Lawful Good: Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart - "I just do the best I can." (Battlefield)
Neutral Good: Lady Romana - "I'm a traveler, I'm a Time Lord, and I am not used to being assaulted by a collection of hairy,
grubby little men." (Creature From The Pit)
Chaotic Good: Leela of the Sevateem - "It is fitting to celebrate the death of an enemy." (The Horror of Fang Rock)
Lawful Neutral: ?
Neutral: ?
Chaotic Neutral: River Song - "Well, I was on my way to this gay Gypsy bar mitzvah for the disabled when I suddenly thought 'Gosh, the Third Reich's a bit rubbish. I think I'll kill the Fuehrer.'" (Let's Kill Hitler)
Lawful Evil: Cybermen - "You. Shall. Be. Like. Us." (Tomb of the Cybermen)
Neutral Evil: The Daleks - "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"
Chaotic Evil: The Master - "I am The Master and you Will Obey Me."
As you can see, I'm stuck on Lawful Neutral and Pure Neutral. I was thinking of the Silurians for the latter...
And when it comes to Evil, The Master could be anywhere, the Daleks could also be CE, and the Cybermen could be NE.
Any comments or suggestions?
Post by: salem on March 19, 2015, 01:51:12 PM
Post by: salem on April 05, 2015, 05:40:43 PM
Barry Letts was the producer of Doctor Who during the Pertwee years and also wrote the Script for this particular adventure.
The televised story itself is the last time a Doctor Who story was broadcast in 5 episodes, and only the third time ever that a 5 episode story was used (the other two being 'The Dominators' and 'The Mind Robber' from the Troughton era.
It's a really good novel, one of the best written of the original 'Target' novelisations (Target printed the Paperback versions, WH Allen did the Hardbacks). It features the core UNIT group of the Brigadier, Sergeant Benton and Mike Yates and also features (naturally) the Doctor's then companion Jo Grant and the Master.
I won't go much into the basic story other than saying it takes place in a village called 'Devil's End', where an ancient barrow is opened, releasing a member of a long dormant alien race that resembles the Devil.
The Daemons had a semi-sequel in the form of a Direct to DVD story released just before the return of Doctor Who called 'Daemos Rising'. It features the character of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, a character which has been used a few times in the recent series (although now played by a different actress, the character of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart also appears in another spin-off release 'Downtime', released in 1995).
I have the DVD but have yet to watch it. I think I'll need to sit down and watch 'The Daemons' and follow it up with 'Daemos Rising'.
In many ways I always feel that the Pertwee era and the Russell T Davies eras are similar. Both held mostly Earthbound stories and both had a core of characters that appeared throughout. Indeed, the character of Captain Yates in the Pertwee serials is removed from UNIT after trying to kill the Doctor in 'Invasion of the Dinosaurs'. However, he does return in the final story of the Pertwee era, along with a mention of Jo Grant, in a similar way that Donna Noble comes back (among others) in David Tennant's farewell adventure.
Indeed, Eccleston and Pertwee's brusque, yet humorous Doctors are very similar and certain Ecclston episodes such as 'The End of the World' would have worked very well with Pertwee in the role (and vice versa, some Pertwee stories would look great with Eccleston).
Jo Grant of course did appear again on screen in 'The Sarah Jane Adventures' story 'Death of the Doctor' funnily enough, written by Russell T Davies himself.
Post by: salem on May 10, 2015, 12:41:03 PM
I guess when you’re from a TV show where the lead character has the uncanny ability to turn into a popular British actor in the face of death, disintegration is merely a setback rather than permanent. Yes, lovable UNIT scientist/Doctor fangirl Osgood will be in Doctor Who’s next season, along with some familiar foes.
Many Doctor Who fans have taken current showrunner Steven Moffat to task for the fleeting nature of death during his run on the show. So many characters have died and come back to life again. The afterlife, fictional or otherwise, is more like a one-night stop at a motel rather than an everlasting resting place. But it seemed that death had come for good for Ingrid Oliver’s UNIT scientist Osgood in last year’s season finale Death in Heaven, when the Master chillingly blasted her into dust for funsies... that is, until now.
Today, the BBC confirmed that the character would return in a two-part episode later this year, currently being filmed in Cardiff — and not only that, she would be facing off once more against the Zygons, shapeshifting aliens that first appeared in the 1975 story Terror of the Zygons, before making a vaunted return during 2013’s 50th Anniversary shindig, The Day of The Doctor. Here’s Steven Moffat on Osgood and the Zygons’ return.
Oooh Moffat, you sly cad you, et cetera, et cetera.
But how is Osgood being revived from the dead? Actually, she presumably isn’t. Keen-minded readers might remember that when last we saw the Zygons, they had duplicated Osgood, UNIT commander-in-chief Kate Stewart and others, and negotiated a peace treaty with their actual UNIT counterparts after having their memories wiped. Perhaps then, instead of Doctor Who’s usual brand of timey-wimy shenanigans, this Osgood is a Zygon duplicate, and the actual Osgood is still a pile of dust floating along in the wind?
We’ll find out when Doctor Who returns in autumn, I guess.
Oooohhhhh, which Osgood will it be, or will it be Osgood BEFORE she died? Guess we'll find out soon!
Post by: rtpoe on May 11, 2015, 07:25:22 PM
Post by: salem on July 30, 2015, 11:32:42 AM
Post by: Breasts on September 19, 2015, 02:04:40 PM
Post by: salem on September 28, 2015, 02:50:53 PM
Great to see Davros back, and looks like he will play a further part in the future of Doctor Who, a fact I am very glad of because Daleks milling about chanting can get pretty boring, I like them to have a human-ish mouthpiece. He adds something to the Dalek stories. Wonder what has become of the new paradigm Daleks, maybe there will be a future war between them and the old style Skaro Daleks?
The second part was better than the first. For the 10th anniversary of Doctor Who's return, we have already seen the return of The Master, Davros, old school Daleks and the Sisterhood of Karn. Looking forward to see what other delights from the past may turn up.
Post by: salem on October 06, 2015, 06:54:49 PM
Post by: salem on October 14, 2015, 08:23:29 PM
Another good two part story, again using the story device of the ontological paradox (or as they call it here, the bootstrap paradox)
The story features a creature called the fisher king, voiced by Peter Serafinowicz. Peter also did the voice for Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode 1 and has appeared in movies as diverse as Guardians of the Galaxy and Shaun of the Dead (alongside fellow Doctor Who guest stars, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Penelope Wilton and Bill Nighy)
Post by: salem on October 15, 2015, 08:33:54 PM
Pretty unremarkable, right?
Well actually it is quite remarkable.
Firstly, it is one of only four Doctor Who stories from it's original 1963-1989 run to have not been novelised (there are 3 left now, The Pirate Planet, Resurrection of the Daleks and Revelation of the Daleks).
The story itself was written by Douglas Adams, he who is famous for the Dirk Gently novels and much more famously, the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Hopefully we will see The Pirate Planet novelised soon, which will leave only the two Dalek stories, both of which were written by Eric Saward, and he does not have a particularly good relationship with the show, so it may be a while before they are novelised.
Post by: Starscream on October 16, 2015, 03:00:07 AM
Post by: TheBoobGuy on October 16, 2015, 05:22:24 PM
Post by: number3fac on October 20, 2015, 10:12:50 PM
That said, I liked the concept of the Fisher King, the "ghost-making" rationale and the always-cowardly aliens, but it was just the pacing that I didn't get. Are they doing all 2-parters for the whole season? That seems a bit ambitious, but would explain why the Lake/Flood had as much stretching/filler as it did.
Post by: TheBoobGuy on October 21, 2015, 06:13:05 AM
Post by: salem on October 25, 2015, 08:48:10 PM
Pretty good so far, although the latest two-parter wasn't really a two-parter at all, but did feature the same character in both episodes. The episodes could just have easily been at the beginning and end of the season.
Zygons next week and the return of Osgood, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and UNIT. Should be a cracker.
Post by: rtpoe on October 26, 2015, 09:43:36 PM
I did like that rock-remix of the theme music. But the extended description of the paradox and then pointing out that that was what just happened at the end of the episode felt like they were really stretching to fill time. Plus, they could've easily figured out that the one guy was immune last episode, they just left it until now so that they could again stretch out the presumed suspense.
That said, I liked the concept of the Fisher King, the "ghost-making" rationale and the always-cowardly aliens, but it was just the pacing that I didn't get. Are they doing all 2-parters for the whole season? That seems a bit ambitious, but would explain why the Lake/Flood had as much stretching/filler as it did.
Did you catch the "Magpie Electronics" label on the amp? (see "The Idiot's Lantern")
Post by: number3fac on October 26, 2015, 09:50:19 PM
Did you catch the "Magpie Electronics" label on the amp? (see "The Idiot's Lantern")
I did not, good catch. I know they've done bits like that elsewhere...I think Torchwood or Sarah Jane's show had some equipment with the "Magpie Electronics" brand, or maybe it was just in the main show...now that I think of it, I think Martha's TV (the one the Master booby-trapped) was a Magpie. Inside references are fun! :D
Post by: salem on October 27, 2015, 12:47:55 PM
There were one or two references to other episodes in 'The Woman Who Lived' with the Doctor mentioning that the fire of London was caused by the Tereliptils (from the 1982 story 'The Visitation') and the mention of Captain Jack Harkness.
Now that we have a female immortal character, I wonder if that is a way of the getting Captain Jack into another episode at a later date?
Post by: salem on October 31, 2015, 07:53:57 PM
Zygon's of course were last seen in the 50th anniversary special 'The Day of the Doctor' (one would suspect their appearance may have something to do with the fact that they are David Tennant's favourite monster and he never got to come up against them in his era). Their sole appearance before that was in the 1975 story 'The Terror of the Zygons' where Tom Baker was the first Doctor to battle against them. Nice to see them back, and Osgood too.
Brilliant cliffhanger to end it on too, really looking forward to next weeks episode.
Post by: salem on November 08, 2015, 06:21:11 PM
Post by: salem on November 09, 2015, 07:27:43 PM
Not much is known about it as yet except its name 'Class'
I know, rubbish name, but hey-ho, it may be good. Only 8 episodes though.
Post by: MunchWolf on November 12, 2015, 02:19:21 PM
-Munch "although I guess they could dig up that actress if they were going for a darker tone" Wolf
Post by: rtpoe on November 12, 2015, 06:08:06 PM
Also, I'm getting quite a bit tired of this "The Doctor ruins people's lives" crap. It didn't seem to bother him in the Classic Series; probably because he had Companions who made something of themselves during their time with him. Jo Grant was last seen planning to explore the Amazon, Romana completed her field training and left to help the Tharils, Nyssa found her calling working on a treatment for Lazar's Disease, Turlough grew up from a boy into an adult, gaining wisdom along the way.... They, among others, seem to have done all right.
It's only in New Who that it's a problem. I blame Rose Tyler. She clearly fell in love with The Doctor, and he almost fell in love with her. Now, several years on, he's still moping over her. It doesn't help that all these young female Companions he's getting stuck with fall for him, without realizing that he cannot return their affections. Only Donna Noble had no romantic feelings for him, and she made it clear she just wanted some excitement in her humdrum life. Maybe that's why a lot of people think she was a successful Companion. If only she had a better send-off....
Post by: salem on November 12, 2015, 06:37:14 PM
After having seen "The Girl Who Died" and "The Woman Who Lived", I think Moffat botched the scheduling of the two episodes. We know that Jenna Coleman is leaving the show this season (in order to portray a young Queen Victoria in another series). Why, then, do you not save "The Woman Who Lived" to air after Coleman departs (or at least later on in the season), so the big character "reveal" in the opening gets a bit more punch since we will have forgotten her by then, and The Doctor's internal debate over taking another Companion is a bit more relevant?
Also, I'm getting quite a bit tired of this "The Doctor ruins people's lives" crap. It didn't seem to bother him in the Classic Series; probably because he had Companions who made something of themselves during their time with him. Jo Grant was last seen planning to explore the Amazon, Romana completed her field training and left to help the Tharils, Nyssa found her calling working on a treatment for Lazar's Disease, Turlough grew up from a boy into an adult, gaining wisdom along the way.... They, among others, seem to have done all right.
It's only in New Who that it's a problem. I blame Rose Tyler. She clearly fell in love with The Doctor, and he almost fell in love with her. Now, several years on, he's still moping over her. It doesn't help that all these young female Companions he's getting stuck with fall for him, without realizing that he cannot return their affections. Only Donna Noble had no romantic feelings for him, and she made it clear she just wanted some excitement in her humdrum life. Maybe that's why a lot of people think she was a successful Companion. If only she had a better send-off....
I agree totally with you on both counts.
I feel the two Maisie Williams episodes were put together due to the fact that there are so many two-parters this year, the two episodes themselves aren't really a two-parter and would have worked better if they had been separated by a few episodes. It may have something to do with the way the series is being released on DVD, maybe they didn't want to split a two-part story over two box sets. I think the episodes are being released as Part 1 (1-6) and Part 2 (7-12) with the Christmas special being separate. The best thing would have been to have the Maisie Williams episodes at number 3 and number 10 then released episodes 1-7 as Part one and include the Christmas Special in part 2 DVD box set as episodes 8-13.
And as for the 'Doctor ruins lives' thing, I could not agree more. I also get annoyed whenever it is brought up that people die when the Doctor is around, I am particularly reminded by the thing said by Clive to Rose in 'Rose' about him having one constant companion - death (mind you, that whole sequence was poorly written as Clive jumps from thinking the Doctor is immortal, to an alien without explaining why. I mean it would be conceivable that he thought he was immortal because he has pictures of him looking the same throughout history, but why think he is an alien, but not say why?)
Another thing that was said was by Mickey this time when he mentions a 'list of the dead' whenever the Doctor is around. This constant sniping that the Doctor is dangerous to be around, changes people for the worse, wreaks havoc etc is nonsense. If he didn't show up then entire worlds and in some cases the whole UNIVERSE would not exist!
Post by: rtpoe on November 13, 2015, 10:12:58 PM
Post by: salem on November 15, 2015, 11:47:47 AM
'**82** No More' also featured an actor by the name of Reece Shearsmith. Reece is one of a quartet known also as the 'League of Gentlemen' famous for the TV show of the same name set in the bizarre town of Royston Vasey. The episode was written by Reece's long time friend and collaborator Mark Gatiss (another member of the league of Gentlemen). Reece has had brushings with Doctor Who before. He appeared in Doctor Who spin-offs 'Auton', 'P.R.O.B.E. : The Ghosts of Winterbourne' and 'P.R.O.B.E. : The Devil of Winterbourne'. The last two also written by Gatiss. Finally, Shearsmith made a brief appearance as Patrick Troughton in 'An Adventure in Space and Time', the feature length drama special showing how Doctor Who came about. This too was written by (you guessed it - Mark Gatiss).
Reece isn't the first member of the League of Gentlemen to have dealings with Doctor Who. Mark Gatiss as mentioned previously has written several episodes for the revived TV series and also appeared in front of camera as Professor Lazarus' in the TV episode 'The Lazarus Experiment' and also provided the voice of 'Danny Boy' in 'Victory of the Daleks'. The other member of the League who appears in front of camera, Steve Pemberton appeared in the two-part story 'Forest of the Dead' and 'Silence in the Library'.
The fourth member of the League, Jeremy Dyson, rarely appears on camera in the League of Gentlemen series (except in brief cameos), preferring instead to write, but it is interesting to note that the actor who portrayed Jeremy Dyson in the movie 'The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse', Martin Sheen, was the voice of 'House' in the TV episode 'The Doctor's Wife'.
One final piece of Trivia, David Warner, Bruno Langly and Peter Kay who also appeared in the League of Gentleman's Apocalypse, have also appeared in Doctor Who, in the episodes 'Cold War' (Warner), 'Dalek' and 'The Long Game' (Langly) and 'Love and Monsters' (Kay).
Post by: salem on November 23, 2015, 06:08:40 PM
Post by: salem on December 10, 2015, 06:56:51 PM
I enjoyed it, some lovely touching moments between the Doctor and Clara. Wonderful to see the old TARDIS set back too, as well as Gallifrey.
Roll on River Song in the Christmas special.
Post by: Breasts on December 13, 2015, 05:53:43 AM
And I did chuckle to see that it was Me who was the only one left at the end of the universe.
Post by: TheBoobGuy on December 14, 2015, 03:31:51 AM
I enjoyed it very much indeed! It was worth it just to see the proper TARDIS interior. ;D 8)
And I did chuckle to see that it was Me who was the only one left at the end of the universe.
I think the Time Lords put her there. All part of the set up to make sure Clara is still killed off. We know that Me loses her memories over time, but she still remembers the Doctor and Clara just fine. And she alone of all the immortals just happens to end up on Gallifrey right when the Doctor shows up?
I smell a set up.
Post by: salem on December 24, 2015, 05:15:57 PM
Capaldi is appearing in his 26th episode on Christmas day, his second Christmas special after the wonderful 'Last Christmas' from last year. Showrunner Steven Moffat will need to be on top form to surpass THAT!
It is rumoured that Missy will make an appearance in the episode (at least according to IMDB anyway), but if she does, it will probably be right at the end, as a lead in to the next series.
The next series will feature a new companion, and may well be Capaldi's last as the Doctor, meaning the search will be on for Doctor number 13.
Post by: salem on January 16, 2016, 11:31:58 AM
Still a great piece of television, even today. Amazing what they could do with the budgets they had in those days.
Hartnell fairs much better than Troughton when it comes to being able to watch full stories with his Doctor. Unfortunately, because of the junking policy by the BBC in the 70's and 80's a lot of episodes are missing, but Troughton's era got hit the worst.
However, back in 1983 there were 120 missing episodes and now there is only 97. A lot of the recent finds have been Troughton episodes too, which is nice.
Of course a few episodes have been animated for DVD release and you can watch an animated version of 'Mission to the Unknown' on YouTube etc (an episode from the Hartnell era which does not feature the Doctor or his companions, but does feature the Daleks).
Hopefully a few more may come to light in the next 30 years!
Post by: rtpoe on January 16, 2016, 10:13:32 PM
Post by: salem on January 21, 2016, 01:23:42 PM
Post by: salem on January 23, 2016, 07:31:49 AM
We may not have found out the identity of the new companion, but we do know who the new showrunner of Doctor Who will be. Chris Chibnall.
Chris Chibnall has written for the show under both Russell T Davies AND Steven Moffat. He was also lead writer on the Doctor Who spin-off 'Torchwood' (although I was less than impressed by his stories on that show).
Chris Chibnall is also respnisible for the David Tennant-led series 'Broadchurch' (remade in the USA again with Tennant as lead, but this called called 'Gracepoint').
I am not sure how it will go with Chibnall in charge, but I actually think that the series is in pretty safe hands despite my apathy for the Chibnall-led Torchwood years.
I think a return to more old-school Who is required, take us away from conveluted stories that try to be too clever. I do admire the writing under Moffat, as more intricate and a bit more grown-up, but the stories felt less like proper Doctor Who. Doctor Who for me is always best when the Doctor arrives somewhere, has an adventure and leaves.
Additionally, and sadly, this means no full series in 2016! All we get is a Christmas special and a full series in 2017.
It will probably mean the end of Capaldi as the Doctor as well. Davies left along with Tennant and I can see the same thing happening here, giving Chibnall the chance to cast his own Doctor and take the show in a direction he wants.
Post by: salem on March 24, 2016, 07:19:45 PM
I have recently watched 'The Daleks' aka 'The Dead Planet', the first Dalek serial. I followed this up with the taut two-parter, The Edge of Destruction.
Of course in those days all Doctor Who stories were serials of a varying number of episodes. Every episode had a different title, so instead of 'The Daleks: Part 1, Part 2 etc you would have 'The Dead Planet', 'The Survivors', 'The Ambush' etc.
The Daleks was 7 episodes long, and even though it is over 50 years old, it still is great to watch. Amazingly the Dalek design has changed little over the years.
I met the man who designed them, Raymond Cusick. He was a special guest at a Doctor Who exhibition in my home town, I got him to sign a copy of my novelisation of 'The Myth Makers' another story he was the designer on. Sadly he is dead now. Raymond Cusick used to work next to one Mr Ridley Scott, a man who was originally going to be given the design work for the first Dalek serial, but he was not available and so Raymond got the job instead. Incidentally, with talk of a possible Doctor Who movie being mooted, I would very much like someone like Ridley Scott to direct it. A nice sense almost of coming full circle.
I am also reading through my collection of Doctor Who novelisations. In February I read 'The Power of the Daleks'.
Before 'The Power of the Daleks' was published, there were 6 Doctor Who serials which had been broadcast that had not been novelised and also the unfinished story 'Shada'. The Power of the Daleks was one of them. It was novelised by John Peel and was released as part of the Doctor Who 30th anniversary celebrations. The other as yet un-novelised stories were 'The Evil of the Daleks', 'The Pirate Planet', 'City of Death', 'Resurrection of the Daleks', 'Revelation of the Daleks' and of course the aforemention 'Shada'.
Because of a dispute between former script editor Eric Saward and the estate of Terry Nation (the Nation estate wanted 50% of profits from any novelisations) Saward's two Dalek stories are yet to be novelised to this day, however Evil of the Daleks was novelised by John Peel shortly after 'The Power of the Daleks' leaving 5.
A couple of years ago, Gareth Roberts (who rather impressively captured the essence of the fourth Doctor era in his books like 'The Well-Mannered War' and 'The English Way of Death') was given the opportunity to novelise the Douglas Adams story, 'Shada' (Adams himself used elemets of the story in his book 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'). This takes it down to four, and this past year has seen the release of 'The City of Death' which means that there are only 3 stories from the original 1963-1989 run as yet un-novelised. City of Death was originally to be written by Gareth Roberts, but was instead written by James Goss. The BBC has announced that 'The Pirate Planet' is also to be novelised, again by James Gross. Hopefully some arrangement can be met with Saward over his two Dalek stories.
Going back to 'The Power of the Daleks', it is a good novelisation. However I am of course unable to compare it to the televised story because it no longer exists in the BBC archives, only a tiny amount of footage survives. I do have it on video... in the form of a reconstruction using telesnaps and the original soundtrack, for a fan group called Loose Cannon. They no longer do these 'recons', but you can hunt down the episodes online.
At the beginning of this month I also read 'Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion' (even though it should really have been called The Nestene Invasion') which is the novelisation of Jon Pertwee's debut story 'Spearhead from Space'. It was Terrance Dicks' first Doctor Who novelisation, he went on to write more Doctor Who books than anyone.
Next month will see me tackle what else but Tom Baker's debut, Robot...
In other news, apparently the new companion has been chosen, and it is someone with whom Peter Capaldi has worked with previously. Who it is we do not know at the moment.
And last, but by no means least, new showrunner Chris Chibnall has asked Capaldi if he will stay on after Steven Moffat leaves, so we'll see what happens there too.
Post by: salem on September 15, 2016, 08:32:27 AM
I have continued my Doctor Who debut novels reading extravaganza. I read Tom Baker's debut 'Robot' in April, Peter Davison's debut 'Castrovalva' in May, Colin Baker's debut 'The Twin Dilemma' in June, Sylvester McCoy's debut 'Time and the Rani' in July and Paul McGann's 'Doctor Who Movie' novelisation in August.
I haven't started yet, but Christopher Eccleston's debut BBC books novelisation 'The Clockwise Man' is my Doctor Who book for this month.
Last time I posted I mentioned that Power of the Daleks no longer existed in the BBC archives, save for a few clips, well the good news is that a six-part animated version is to be released by BBC DVD this December, matched up of course with the original soundtrack. I am very much looking forward to that.
The novelisation of 'The Pirate Planet' should be out soon too, leaving only the two Eric Saward penned Dalek stories left to be novelised from the series original run.
In other news, Pearl Mackie was announced as the new companion, but will not make her debut (as far as I know) in the Christmas special, which, according to Mark Gatiss, is one of Moffat's best ever scripts. So, looking forward to that.
Finally, it appears that Peter Capaldi will make an appearance in the new spin-off show 'Class' which will be set at Coal Hill School, the school from the first episode of Doctor Who. I'm not sure when it airs, but I think it airs before the end of the year.
Post by: salem on October 18, 2016, 03:42:10 AM
On a personal note I have finished the 9th Doctor novel (of which there are currently only 6) 'The Clockwise Man' , I am now reading the 10th Doctor debut novel, 'The Stone Rose'.
In other news it appears that Capaldi MAY be the first Doctor of the new era to appear in 4 full series as it is rumoured that he wishes to stay on as the Doctor past series 10.
Finally, series 10 will see more of the bumbling Nardole from the 2015 Christmas special, played once more by Matt Lucas. Oh, and Missy is back too. Probably for the finale. Moffat may be planning to go out with a bang.
Post by: salem on December 01, 2016, 04:51:43 PM
I think I may have been spoiled by previous spin-offs in recent times. The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow are very good spin-offs from parent series, Arrow. They all have a slightly different tone but when you watch them all you do get a sense of a shared universe.
Not so much in the case of the Doctor Who spin-offs. Tonally they have all been totally different. You have Torchwood, the most adult of the Doctor Who series, followed by Class which is a more 'young adult' type of demographic. Doctor Who itself is more of a family show and finally the Sarah Jane Adventures was for more for the kids.
In a shared universe you really should have a more shared tone.
Not only that, I have the feeling that BBC3 wanted a new sci-fi show which was set in a school that was a sci-fi equivalent of 'Skins' and then at the last minute decided to make it a Doctor Who spin-off simply to give it a ready made audience.
The links to Doctor Who itself are minimal (much like Torchwood). A cameo by Capaldi in episode one, a few mentions of The Doctor and UNIT and the setting of Coal Hill School (now an academy, looking TOTALLY different than at any other time in the show's history!).
To put it in school teacher terminology, 'Class' gets a C-, must try harder.
In other news...
My one a month Doctor Who novel for this month was 'Apollo 23' by Justin Richards. An excellent entry into the Doctor Who BBC books range, the best one of the range since it came back in 2005.
Less than one month till we get the Doctor Who Christmas special, looking forward to that.
Post by: rtpoe on December 01, 2016, 08:58:20 PM
Post by: salem on December 02, 2016, 02:13:44 AM
I'm partial to this spinoff:
Ah, Jago and Litefoot!
I remember watching Christopher Benjamin in 'The Unicorn and the Wasp' and working out from the year that the character he played in that would have been Henry Gordon Jago's age. I think they missed a trick there! They could have had Jago in that episode, that would have been good.
Post by: rtpoe on December 27, 2016, 09:14:29 PM
Post by: Breasts on December 28, 2016, 06:54:53 AM
Post by: salem on December 29, 2016, 06:46:28 AM
Post by: salem on December 31, 2016, 10:44:03 AM
In the Russell T Davies era Doctor Who novel tie-ins with the show were far more frequent, six a year. Capaldi only has 6 in total, 3 in 2014 and 3 in 2015. There were no Capaldi tie-in books this year which is a great shame given that there was no full series on TV this year.
Tennant remains the best represented by the new novels, hardly surprising as he is the 21st century Doctor who stayed the longest. However, I have to say that the standard of writing in the novels has improved since we moved into the 11th and 12th Doctor eras.
I welcome January when I shall move on to 'Doctor Who in an exciting adventure with the Daleks' by David Whittaker.
Post by: salem on February 07, 2017, 06:41:10 PM
In other news Peter Capaldi has announced that he is due to step down as Doctor Who in this years Christmas special, so after 40 episodes as the Doctor, we are about to be introduced to the 13th Doctor.
Unfortuntely this means we have to suffer the usual slew of articles saying that the next Doctor Who HAS to be female or HAS to be someone who is non-white.
I have to admit by being rather irritated when this happens. My preference is for the Doctor to continue on as a white male, not for any reasons of racism, but simply because that is how he started and that is how it should continue, however if a non-white actor was cast I wouldn't take a hissy fit or anything as I feel there are some superb non-white candidate for the role. Richard Ayoade for example would be splendid in the role.
What I do not want is a female Doctor. I feel this would change the dynamic of the show too much and in my opinion would come across as gimmicky. Again however I do feel that there are some actresses who could certainly pull it off, and if that is the direction they want to go down, I should as least give it a chance.
What I really hate is when they say that it HAS to be a woman next. Why exactly? The whole concept of a Time Lord changing from Male to Female is only a very recent concept after it was first mentioned in a Matt Smith episode that a Time Lord had been both male and female. Why then are Time Lords and Time Ladies referred to as such if they are gender interchangable? Should they not just be called Time Masters or Time People or something gender neutral? I feel the whole thing about Time Lords changing gender was only made cannon to appease the moaning PC brigade that keep clamouring for a female Doctor.
All I want is for them to pick the best person for the role. If they audition 30 people of differing ethnicities and both genders, I jusr want them to pick the person who nails the audition, not just pick some random woman just because 'it is about time we had a female Doctor'.
The new produced, Chris Chibnall is an old-school Doctor Who fan, so I can't really see him choosing a female Doctor, but if he doesn'the will get moaned at as being a 'bottler'and if he does pick a woman he will get moaned at for having ruined the show. I don't envy him. I just hope whoever he picks is awesome, because he is going to need to be or the knives will be out.
My preference for a new Doctor?
Daniel Rigby
Kris Marshall
Julian Rhind-Tutt
Richard Coyle
Richard Ayoade
Post by: rtpoe on February 07, 2017, 11:01:54 PM
We - the World, not just TV or science fiction - needs a good male role model.
Yes, we need a good female role model too, but that's already known and being addressed (if only weakly). There are so few really good male role models in popular culture. We've taken all the superheroes and distorted them with a "post-modern" approach. Superman is confused and conflicted. Batman is borderline psychotic. Can't we have just one real hero?
Post by: salem on March 10, 2017, 06:34:21 PM
The Mondasian Cybermen first appeared in a story called 'The Tenth Planet' back in 1966, the story where the first Doctor, William Hartnell, regenerated. The story is also set to feature, Missy, in a parallel to Capaldi's fist season finale which also featured the Cybermen and Missy.
There have been a few parallels between Capaldi's and Hartnell's Doctors. Both actors where 55 when first starring in the role and both will be 58 when leaving. Capaldi's Doctor travelled with teachers from Coal Hill School, so did Hartnell's. Now it looks like one of the last thing either of them will have seen in their time as the Doctor, is the original Cybermen.
This season is shaping up to be very good indeed.
Post by: rtpoe on March 28, 2017, 10:38:56 PM
(http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/6YRLbzROkAM/mqdefault.jpg) (http://youtube.com/v/6YRLbzROkAM)
Post by: TheZookie007 on April 04, 2017, 12:26:55 AM
Post by: salem on April 04, 2017, 02:21:44 AM
Why would Capaldi want to leave the role so soon?
Three seasons in the role is about standard. It is unofficially called the 'Troughton' rule after Patrick Troughton who gave the three season advice to Peter Davison with regards to avoiding being typecast.
Post by: Breasts on April 04, 2017, 05:31:44 PM
Post by: TheZookie007 on April 04, 2017, 11:41:40 PM
Three seasons in the role is about standard. It is unofficially called the 'Troughton' rule after Patrick Troughton who gave the three season advice to Peter Davison with regards to avoiding being typecast.
I have to confess that I barely have watched the show since "The Day of the Doctor". And I think both Matt Smith and David Tennant have escaped being typecast as The Doctor. As if that's bad thing...
Post by: salem on April 05, 2017, 01:46:52 AM
Three seasons in the role is about standard. It is unofficially called the 'Troughton' rule after Patrick Troughton who gave the three season advice to Peter Davison with regards to avoiding being typecast.
I have to confess that I barely have watched the show since "The Day of the Doctor". And I think both Matt Smith and David Tennant have escaped being typecast as The Doctor. As if that's bad thing...
These days typecasting isn't such an issue. All the actresses playing companions have gone on to other things whereas in the past most women who played companions for the Doctor barely got another acting job. Tom Baker fared the worst, it took him many years to shake off the 'Doctor' tag and he was Doctor for the longest time (if you don't include Sylvester McCoy's forced protracted stint)
Post by: ftl03 on April 07, 2017, 01:47:22 AM
The story is also set to feature, Missy, in a parallel to Capaldi's fist season finale which also featured the Cybermen and Missy.Now we know also that John Simm is returning as The Master and will be coming face to face with Missy...
This season is shaping up to be very good indeed.
Post by: salem on April 08, 2017, 06:22:58 PM
I have to say that my anticipation of the new series is growing by the day, and there is less than a week to go now!
Ice Warriors, Movellans, Daleks, Mondasian Cybermen, Missy, the Master... I wonder what else Moffat has in store...
The 10th season is shaping up nicely, we even are getting a script from Rona Munro, the only person now to have written for the classic series and the revived series. She wrote 'Survival' the last aired serial of 'classic' Doctor Who.
Post by: TheZookie007 on April 10, 2017, 02:19:08 AM
Post by: salem on May 02, 2017, 05:55:57 PM
Rumour has it that David Bradley will be returning as the first Doctor in the Christmas special...
Post by: salem on May 21, 2017, 07:09:37 PM
Post by: rtpoe on July 04, 2017, 09:12:02 PM
"The Pyramid at the End of the World": You know, when you're watching the show, and you come up with a better solution to the problem faced by the characters before the show is over....
"Bill, I can't see the numbers."
"OK, Doctor, can you use your glasses to send me a picture of the dial?"
"Sure, coming right up!"
"OK, the dial is at 9867 right now, the numbers decrease as you go down."
"Got it! Thanks, Bill!" (turns dials, unlocks door)
"The Lie of the Land" was a mess. Nice acting, but what the script was asking us to believe about The Doctor..... wrong. And that godawful sappy ending with Bill's mom. Why couldn't you have had BOTH The Doctor and Bill place their hands on the alien device to break the transmission? Teamwork is good, you know....
Post by: salem on July 16, 2017, 07:01:44 AM
The new Doctor Who is announced today after the Wimbledon Men's final on the BBC. Jodie Whittaker is now apparently the favourite among the bookies with Kris Marshall in second place.
Then we have the Christmas special to look forward to, Doctor 1 and Doctor 12!
Post by: Hiram on July 16, 2017, 12:22:17 PM
The new Doctor Who is announced todayHe's a woman.
Post by: TheZookie007 on July 16, 2017, 02:14:13 PM
By the way, Jodie Whittaker is not the first woman to play the Doctor on TV. That would be Joanna Lumley, in the Stephen Moffat-penned segment of Comic Relief 1999, called "Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death" (https://www.youtube.com/v/tp_Fw5oDMao&rel=0).
Post by: salem on July 16, 2017, 04:18:24 PM
If the Beeb really wanted to troll us, they should have made the announcement to this song (https://youtu.be/nf0oXY4nDxE).
By the way, Jodie Whittaker is not the first woman to play the Doctor on TV. That would be Joanna Lumley, in the Stephen Moffat-penned segment of Comic Relief 1999, called "Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death" (https://www.youtube.com/v/tp_Fw5oDMao&rel=0).
I have The Curse of Fatal Death on video. Hugh Grant, Richard E Grant, Jim Broadbent and Rowan Atkinson played the other Doctors in that.
As for today's announcement
Doctor Who
Born 23rd November 1963
Died 16th July 2017
R.I.P.
Post by: TheZookie007 on July 16, 2017, 05:58:44 PM
Although, isn't the Doctor only supposed to be able to have 14 regenerations? And if you don't include The War Doctor, this would be regen #13?
So, maybe you have something there.
Or not.
Post by: CarlTL on July 16, 2017, 06:45:58 PM
I wouldn't go so far as to say that the show is dead.
Although, isn't the Doctor only supposed to be able to have 14 regenerations? And if you don't include The War Doctor, this would be regen #13?
So, maybe you have something there.
Or not.
The Doctor got a new batch of regenerations in the Day of the Doctor. He was dying of old age in it because he had used up all his regenerations - doctors 1-11, the war doctor, and the meta-crisis doctor (where the 10th doctor was shot by a dalek and regenerated into himself and directed the excess energy into his severed hand which in turn regenerated into a second 10th doctor (with out any regenerations of his own).
Post by: TheBoobGuy on July 16, 2017, 08:14:06 PM
Basically we now have no idea how many regenerations the Doctor has any more.
Regardless, the Doctor being female this time means not a damn thing. Time Lords are not male by default and we have seen several times that they can change to a different gender as they like. By all accounts the actress is very talented, and with a new show runner to shake things up I don't see why it can't still be enjoyable.
Post by: Cutter on July 16, 2017, 09:40:46 PM
Post by: TheZookie007 on July 16, 2017, 09:48:18 PM
The new Doctor will need to run into River Song.
That will definitely bring back all the male nerds who were angry over this casting choice...
The Doctor is a genderfluid pansexual alien with two hearts who could be killed by a single pill of aspirin and who travels through time in a fucking police box. Deal with it :)
Post by: salem on July 17, 2017, 02:04:37 AM
I wouldn't go so far as to say that the show is dead.
Although, isn't the Doctor only supposed to be able to have 14 regenerations? And if you don't include The War Doctor, this would be regen #13?
So, maybe you have something there.
Or not.
The Doctor got a new batch of regenerations in the Day of the Doctor. He was dying of old age in it because he had used up all his regenerations - doctors 1-11, the war doctor, and the meta-crisis doctor (where the 10th doctor was shot by a dalek and regenerated into himself and directed the excess energy into his severed hand which in turn regenerated into a second 10th doctor (with out any regenerations of his own).
It was in 'The Time of the Doctor' not 'The Day of the Doctor'
Post by: CarlTL on July 17, 2017, 06:26:16 PM
Post by: rtpoe on July 17, 2017, 06:48:35 PM
Post by: Robin_K2 on July 17, 2017, 08:19:01 PM
The Doctor travels back from our current time to become Romana.
Post by: salem on July 18, 2017, 04:32:09 AM
Jodie Whitaker played the female lead in Attack the Block, which I strongly recommend. Check it out if you want to get an idea of her acting chops.
I loved her in that. She was brilliant.
To be fair, she might be a good Doctor Who, but as a traditionalist I would have preferred a male actor in the role. Nothing sexist about it, I watch Supergirl and really enjoy it, even if it is pretty much a gender reversed version of Smallville where Cat Grant = Perry White, Winn = Chloe, Lena Luthor = Lex Luthor, Lilian Luthor = Lionel Luthor and Kara = Clark etc.
One thing did annoy me with regards to the casting. Had the new showrunner said that he chose her because she was the best person for the role, then fine, but he said he always wanted a woman to play it. Surely that is discrimination? It is just as bad as saying you only considered men for the role. Then of course you have all the feminists tweeting 'YES' in block capitals and running round punching their fists in the air like it was them that cast her and not Chris Chibnall! Worst of all is all the people who scream that 'it is about time Doctor Who was a woman' and that 'It needed something because it had got stale'. I would point out that...
The lead actor
The companion
The Sonic Screwdriver
The Opening titles
The TARDIS interior
The Theme Music and...
The Production team
changes every few years, not to mention that every story basically takes place in a different time and place. Add all that up and you have the least stale TV show in history!
Compare that to something like Friends or Smallville, the basic core cast stays the same, theme music stays the same, they use the same sets and it is set in the same place and time. By comparisson these programs would be the stalest ever compared to Doctor Who.
And don't even get me started on the 'it's about time' comment. Why exactly? Because he has been a man for over 50 years? Does that mean when I am 54 I am going to have to have gender reassignment surgery because 54 years is enough time as a man and it is about time I tried life as a woman? Let's not forget that it has only been in the last few years that they made comments (and eventually showed on screen) that Time Lords could change gender.
It really does smack a little bit like something to boost interest in the show and get people curious about it again. The show has received a lot of criticism in recent years, maybe this is their way of trying to grab as many headlines as possible. It is also a good way of avoiding criticism of another kind, because if they had cast another white male, like my personal choice, Kris Marshall, then the media (female media in particular) would have groaned and moaned that again minorities and females had been overlooked and that yet again the Doctor was another white male. Well why shouldn't he be? Is it so wrong to be a leading white male in a TV series these days?
From a more personal perspective it is nice that my daughter and I can 'share' a hero. She isn't even two yet but I am hoping she grows to love the show as much as me. I really do wish Jodie Whittaker all the best and hope she does a good job, I also hope she is written well. Don't write her as a woman, write her as THE DOCTOR and all will be fine.
In fact if you take her from the promo and plonk her into any Sylvester McCoy episode and have Ace and Mel played by men, then would it be much different?
I only hope they don't stick in phrases like 'women do it better' etc all the time with a knowing wink and a nod and dumb down all the male villians just to try and make her look smarter. She will need good strong villians to come up against.
I will look forward to the new series to see what happens and how the writers handle it, I do feel that if the storylines play up the female aspect instead of the alien aspect, it could get a bit grating.
Finally, it will be very interesting in future years when they get ready to announce a new Doctor. You will have a re-igniting of the 'battle of the sexes' with boys, girls, women and men sitting on the edge of their seats, hoping that the Doctor will be on 'their' side so they can ensure they have the bragging rights as to the gender of the new Doctor for as long as they are in the role.
Post by: rtpoe on July 24, 2017, 07:42:22 PM
And the science nerd in me has some real problems.
Yes, gravitational time dilation is a real thing. It's been measured, and GPS satellites need to take it into account. I don't have a problem with that.
What I *do* have a problem with is that if the gravity from the black hole was strong enough to produce the observed time dilation effect (seconds at the front of the ship equal hours - at least - at the back of the ship), the gravity would also be strong enough to spaghettify it!
If you say that the ship's internal gravity generators were strong enough to counter that, then you have to assume that the designers knew they'd need it - and if they plotted the ship's course to go anywhere near a black hole, they were insane. And they'd have also given it engines powerful enough to escape....
And if you assume that much of a difference, how the hell do you communicate between levels? How do the lifts work? How the heck hasn't the rear of the ship decayed away?
Other than that, good episodes. Though I thought Bill should have gotten a less contrived exit. And I want to know if Missy, knowing what was going to happen to her, would have prepared for it....
Post by: CarlTL on July 24, 2017, 08:00:53 PM
Post by: Quadhouse on July 25, 2017, 04:28:17 AM
Knowing the Master, the Master will be back.
He always comes back.
Post by: rtpoe on July 25, 2017, 10:03:03 PM
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/woman-explaining-things/
A Woman, Explaining Things by Sarah Gailey
The women who have walked alongside the man who understands the shape of time have always shared one unifying trait: courage.
They face the unknown, things that they thought impossible, things that they don’t understand. And they are brave enough to listen as those things are explained to them.
Even when they don’t grasp the new things the same way that the man explaining the new things to them does—even then, they are brave enough not to hate the things they don’t comprehend.
I think about those generations of women, and I cannot help but wonder about the furious people.
If they had the opportunity—if this new woman arrived at their front door with an extended hand, inviting them to come into the blue box with her and see a universe full of new and frightening things—I wonder what these furious people would do.
I wonder if any of them would be brave enough to accompany her.
Post by: Mr_Pickles on July 26, 2017, 08:16:09 AM
Post by: Hiram on July 26, 2017, 12:03:38 PM
Here I thought Bits were respectful people yet ever since the announcement they have been saying the most sexist shit they can think of. Boy, they sure had me fooled.You can't generalise about countries. Brits (I am one) are like everyone else - some are wankers.
Post by: Mr_Pickles on July 27, 2017, 08:12:36 AM
Here I thought Bits were respectful people yet ever since the announcement they have been saying the most sexist shit they can think of. Boy, they sure had me fooled.You can't generalise about countries. Brits (I am one) are like everyone else - some are wankers.
I apologize, but what they are saying about this poor woman is almost as disgusting as the alt-right over here.
Post by: salem on July 30, 2017, 05:50:19 PM
Post by: salem on August 05, 2017, 04:13:42 AM
Post by: rtpoe on January 18, 2018, 10:43:32 PM
In cheerier news, Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat's collaborator on the revived 'Sherlock' will be acting his socks off in the Christmas special as a character called 'The Captain'. Early teaser trailer for the Christmas special looks really good.
So, what did people think of "Twice Upon a Time"?
I think David Bradley aced the First Doctor, and it was a refreshing change from a lot of the usual season-enders where the Doctor had to save the entire universe.
Post by: salem on January 20, 2018, 05:27:28 PM
Unusual to have a Regeneration episode with two Doctors in it, a nice send off for Capaldi though.
Post by: salem on September 24, 2018, 06:43:36 AM
Post by: rtpoe on October 08, 2018, 09:16:40 PM
Seemed a bit padded to me. I know they had to introduce a whole bunch of new characters, but it still dragged in spots. And is it really that easy to make a Sonic Whatever?
And I don't know about you, but when I see something that is clearly Not Of This Earth, I'm *not* going to reach out and touch it with my bare hand! Poke it with a stick, people! Toss a pebble at it!
Post by: 3deroticer on October 09, 2018, 01:17:28 AM
Post by: salem on October 09, 2018, 04:33:01 AM
I like the dynamic though, truly is something for everyone. At times it didm feel like I was watching a first time writers interpretation of an essay on political correctness. Female Doctor - check! Old white guy - check! Black dude - check! Asian female - check!
With the lack of TARDIS and barely a mention of Jodie being the Doctor for the vast majority of the show (obviously, since all the newbs don't know her yet) it could have been a new sci-fi show about an alien falling to Earth and living among us, which is what the BBC could have done anyway instead of hijacking Doctor Who and making it female when it didn't need to be. I would have preferred them to bring back Romana instead and give her a spin-off show in the vein of the 'Arrowverse' shows, then we could have had proper crossover epsiodes and over 20 episodes of 'Whoniverse' a year. All the people who say 'ah but the Doctor is an alien who can change its appearance, why can't it be female'? well, why would a species who don't care about genders have genders in the first place. They'd simply be asexual and androgynous in appearance if that was the case. Now the Time-Lords just look like they can't make up their minds! Secondly, with that logic the Doctor could next regenerate into an 8 foot purple Kangaroo. I'd still watch it if he/she did.
I like Jodie though and love Doctor Who so I'd watch it male or female. My rant wasn't meant to be sexist, I just feel that making the Doctor female was unnecessary and a bit lazy when they could have invented a whole new brilliant original show with a female lead.
One great thing is that as I have a three year old daughter, hopefully she will grow up to love the show as much as me, and now the Doctor can be female she has a whole new role model to look up to. I can imagine her being more excited about meeting a female Doctor than a male one!
Finally imagine when they do the reveal of the next Doctor, boys and girls both sitting round the TV hoping for a male/female Doctor.
It's opened it up that's for sure, as long as the stories are good the fans won't care, ratings were good but it could be the novelty factor as first episodes with new Doctors usually score better in the ratings. Plus it was on on a Sunday, opposite nothing, in autumn when TV viewing figures are higher anyway. The true test will be the ratings for the whole season.
Russell T Davies managed to get Doctor Who as the most watched program in the week once, on a Saturday at that, and consistently in the top ten shows for the week.
Time will tell, it always does.
Post by: TheBoobGuy on October 09, 2018, 11:43:35 AM
One great thing is that as I have a three year old daughter, hopefully she will grow up to love the show as much as me, and now the Doctor can be female she has a whole new role model to look up to."
And THAT is why they made the Doctor female, rather than just inventing a new show with none of the status and following that Dr Who has.
For a first episode I thought it was pretty good. Very inclusive which I am fine with. The accent grates slightly though, but that is just me, and I can't help but think that when introducing a female Doctor, don't make her sonic device look like it came from the Hitatchi product line. It might be curved for her pleasure but if it STILL can't do wood I won't be impressed.
Post by: Charade Recherche on October 09, 2018, 05:35:26 PM
"The Woman Who Fell To Earth"
And I don't know about you, but when I see something that is clearly Not Of This Earth, I'm *not* going to reach out and touch it with my bare hand! Poke it with a stick, people! Toss a pebble at it!
Right?
As far as Jodie goes: haven't made up my mind, yet.
Post by: salem on November 23, 2018, 08:51:59 PM
After a run of 5 fairly poor/run of the mill/tedious episodes, with Jodie simply not cutting it, the last two have been much better and Jodie seems to be getting into her stride as the new Doctor. Demons of the Punjab was a very good episode and the one the following week, Kerblam! was even better. Neither of which was written by Chibnall, he really is the one of the weakest writers in Who history.
Bradley Walsh is still the best thing in it. Tosin and Yaz are very poor actors, you should never pick Hollyoaks actors for Doctor Who companions.
Yesterday was the 55th anniversary of the first episode, so here is a pic of the stunning Jenna Coleman for you to enjoy.
Post by: 3deroticer on November 24, 2018, 09:09:31 PM
Post by: rtpoe on November 24, 2018, 10:43:55 PM
Post by: 3deroticer on November 25, 2018, 03:34:46 AM
Post by: salem on December 05, 2019, 06:53:05 AM
I recently read the novelisation of The Day of the Doctor by Steven Moffat. Pretty good. It expands nicely on the TV version and addresses a few things not addressed in the TV special. For example why UNIT is able to treat it's staff so badly, having a person working in the black archive getting their memory wiped every day (the book goes into the affects it has on the man and has the Zygon Kate Lethbridge-Stewart breaking his neck to put him out of his misery). It also mentions the two 1960's movies with Peter Cushing, the idea being that they were the Doctor's idea. He and Peter Cushing were apparently very good friends (a fact that led to Cushing appearing in movies after he was dead - a nod to Star Wars Rogue One).
Post by: TheZookie007 on December 05, 2019, 03:15:12 PM
I recently read the novelisation of The Day of the Doctor by Steven Moffat. Pretty good. It expands nicely on the TV version and addresses a few things not addressed in the TV special. For example why UNIT is able to treat it's staff so badly, having a person working in the black archive getting their memory wiped every day (the book goes into the affects it has on the man and has the Zygon Kate Lethbridge-Stewart breaking his neck to put him out of his misery). It also mentions the two 1960's movies with Peter Cushing, the idea being that they were the Doctor's idea. He and Peter Cushing were apparently very good friends (a fact that led to Cushing appearing in movies after he was dead - a nod to Star Wars Rogue One).
Sad to say that I haven't had the time to watch much television these days and I don't think I have seen a complete episode of Doctor Who since "The Day of the Doctor". I would poke my head in once in a while during the Peter Capaldi run but I think I only was able to watch one complete episode with him in it due to time constraints. I haven't watched any episode of the Jodi Whittaker run yet either.
Last month I was supposed to go for a con where David Tennant was to appear but he turned out to be a no show. My schedule changed at the last minute so I wasn't able to go for it in the end. I hear though that Karen Gillian, Alex Kingston and Catherine Tate were there and spent four or five hours taking pictures with fans. I am sad I missed that.
Post by: rtpoe on December 05, 2019, 10:53:36 PM
Overall, I think the only real complaint is that with three "Companions", it's hard to give them all a fair shake, and the stories tend to suffer in the attempts. One of them should find a reason to depart.
Post by: salem on January 02, 2020, 07:55:00 PM
Much improved on last year, however I do have two gripes.
Still too many companions.
Poor casting continues into this episode. Great to see Stephen Fry as a government official, but Lenny Henry as a villian? Not so sure about that. He is very good though.
Great twist at the end and a mother of a cliffhanger, best cliffhanger possibly of new Who so far. Surprise villain however, I feel was again poorly cast. I won't say any more *spoilers*
Jodie still isn't as good as I hoped, really think having so many companions detracts away from her shining as the Doctor. Keep Graham and bin the other two!
Music was better, really liked his 'Bond' music. Still not got the excitement inducing music that Murray Gold was able to produce, but better than last year.
Cinematography and location filming is excellent.
Story is let down in places, but all the villains were good (there is a few to choose from).
Final verdict, very enjoyable, apart from the obvious plot flaws concerning a certain returning villain. About a million times better than the risable 'Resolution' from last year. That one was one of the worst episodes of Doctor Who i have ever seen. For once I am actually looking forward to the next episode, they even managed to keep the 'woke' stuff to a minimum.
Post by: rtpoe on January 06, 2020, 07:53:57 PM
Even for a "Start the season off with a bang!" episode, there was WAY too much going on.
What was the end game of the Kasaavin? One could guess that they were trying to take over the human race by "copying" themselves onto people, but nothing at all was even suggested in the story.
What was Barton's role in all this? What was he hoping to get out of the Kasaavin's scheme?
Was the scene in Paris really necessary? There was absolutely nothing about the setting that was relevant to the plot. And for the record, Paris was never subjected to the sort of destruction depicted in the episode. The Allies weren't going to attack one of their own like that! And for the Germans, Paris was a place where they went for R&R! It wasn't a battleground!
Post by: salem on January 11, 2020, 07:47:32 AM
Post by: TheZookie007 on January 12, 2020, 03:13:52 PM
Anyone else worried that this thread was started by MasterXO?
...or that he hasn't been on the Forum since? Maybe he's regenerated?
Post by: rtpoe on January 28, 2020, 09:27:10 PM
Wasn't one of the big points with the launch of the New Series that they'd forget all the old continuity, wiping it out in a Time War, and start almost completely fresh?
Then, of course, they had to resurrect the Daleks. And Gallifrey. Then destroy Gallifrey again. Then bring it back. Then almost destroy it, then somehow bring it back again, and now destroy it once more. Heck, I've lost track.
MAKE UP YOUR MINDS, PEOPLE! Figure out if you want Gallifrey and the Time Lords to be a part of your Whoniverse, and STICK WITH YOUR DECISION.
Post by: MaxBigfoot on January 29, 2020, 07:00:53 PM
Post by: salem on February 03, 2020, 11:37:08 AM
So they can't seem to ever stay away from Gallifrey.
Wasn't one of the big points with the launch of the New Series that they'd forget all the old continuity, wiping it out in a Time War, and start almost completely fresh?
Then, of course, they had to resurrect the Daleks. And Gallifrey. Then destroy Gallifrey again. Then bring it back. Then almost destroy it, then somehow bring it back again, and now destroy it once more. Heck, I've lost track.
MAKE UP YOUR MINDS, PEOPLE! Figure out if you want Gallifrey and the Time Lords to be a part of your Whoniverse, and STICK WITH YOUR DECISION.
Not quite.
Originally, when Ecclestone was the Doctor, he stated that Gallifrey had been destroyed in the Time War. It was later found out that he himself was responsible.
We next see Gallifrey in the two part Tennant regeneration story 'The End of Time' where we find that the Time-Lords are trying to save Gallifrey by moving it out of it's time-locked state to somewhere in Earth's solar system using the 4 drumbeats that they placed in the Master's mind as a **09** as a homing signal. They briefly succeed but are sent back into the Time War by the Master, angry that his existence seemed to be simply to serve the Time-Lords as a means of escaping the Time War, meaning his life was a misery because of them, and the reason for his madness.
In the 50th Anniversary story we see that in fact, Gallifrey was not destroyed by the Doctor (the Doctor responsible being John Hurt's War Doctor), after an intervention by 13 Doctors, using a long-running calculation to send the planet into a pocket universe, the result being that the crossfire and resulting shockwave would destroy the Dalek fleet surrounding the planet.
The Doctor returns to Gallifrey in the episode Hell Bent, where he gets Rassilon exiled!
The next we hear (and then see) of Gallifrey is in the current series (Spyfall episode 2) when the Master says he went to Gallifrey and saw it in ruins. The Doctor, not believing him, goes back to Gallifrey and sees for herself that Gallifrey is in ruins. The Master later informs the Doctor using a hologram message that he was responsible for its destruction. This may or may not refer back to the prophecy spoken of in Hell Bent, where it was mentioned that a creature called the Hybrid would be responsible for the destruction of Gallifrey and stand in its ruins.
Which makes me think that the logical thing to do would be for the next showrunner to reverse it all again and bring Gallifrey back!
Watching the new series (11 AND 12) and seeing hjow much is copied from the Tennant era, I get the feeling Chibnall is not a fan of Moffat's time as showrunner as he seems to ignore anything from his era and has reversed Moffat's decision to bring Gallifrey back.
Post by: MunchWolf on February 04, 2020, 10:26:12 AM
I feel the aliens from Spyfall are going to appear at the end and turn out to be .... cybermen
-Munch "I forgot to add a tagline" Wolf
Post by: rtpoe on March 02, 2020, 07:39:07 PM
The final two-parter looked great, the acting was very good, but.... by Rassilon's Big Toe, that was a whole lot of "WTF are you trying to do?" Questions we wanted to be answered weren't, and new questions were asked without any reason for bringing them up in the first place. Chibnall is making me look kindly on John Nathan Turner....
Post by: TheZookie007 on March 02, 2020, 08:22:04 PM
Post by: salem on March 03, 2020, 02:05:37 AM
Post by: rtpoe on March 03, 2020, 09:41:27 PM
How (to summarize very briefly what was going on the Classic Series) he was a key player in the origin of the Time Lords - but his exact role was unspecified, he probably became president (if you accept The Five Doctors as being canonical) and then got fed up with the place for a very good reason, and either was exiled or left in a huff?
You know, that stuff that all of Fandom accepted?
Chibnall chucked it all out the window.
True, the acting was outstanding and the production values were great, but come on.....
Post by: rtpoe on March 10, 2020, 06:42:19 PM
Where does Susan fit in all of this?
Seems everyone has forgotten that she was with The Doctor when he fled Gallifrey. Why did he take her? Who was she?
So let's see what I can come up with for "The Timeless Children" that preserves what we knew before the episode, most of what we saw in it, while getting rid of the worst stuff.
We know that:
The Doctor was involved way back in the beginning of the Time Lords and Gallifrey. His exact role is unknown, but he ranks right up there with Rassilon, Omega, and "The Other" in importance.
He said the reason he left Gallifrey was that he was exiled - but later on it seemed as if the exile was more a matter of his own choice than his being forced to leave.
He might have even served as president for a while; whatever the case may have been, he certainly held a very high office in their ranks.
Under normal circumstances, there is a limit to the number of times a Time Lord can regenerate - and they can regenerate at will, if they want.
Now, if (what I recall of the events in) Lungbarrow is canonical:
Way back in the beginning, there was some sort of major crisis that led to a huge decline in fertility of the Gallifreyans. Instead of the normal process, they came up with "looms" to essentially artificially reproduce. The Sisterhood of Karn had something to do with it, as well as the whole process of regeneration. Susan was somehow a key figure in the events.
So.....
Way back in the beginning during the Fertility Crisis (but after time travel had been discovered - and Rassilon laid down the law about looking in to the future of the Time Lords and all that), The Doctor was working with The Division, an elite government research team, on coming up with the solution. He invented / discovered "regeneration" (and was able to give it to himself before the gov't / Time Lords found out - and put limits on the number of regenerations). When he found out that The Division was testing the process on children (maybe he was given access to that information when he became president?), he grabbed one of the test subjects (Susan), stole a TARDIS, and fled. He would later give the Sisterhood of Karn the secret of unlimited regeneration - just in case. Presumably he gave the ability to Susan as well.
When the Time Lords found out about his flight, they slapped a sentence of exile on him ("If you ever set foot on Gallifrey again....."). Later on, however, after a change in the government of Gallifrey and the Time Lords, the sentence was lifted. But for personal political reasons, The Doctor prefers to have as little to do with them as possible.
Post by: TheZookie007 on March 11, 2020, 07:14:42 PM
You know all the lore that had been built up about The Doctor and his role in Time Lord History?
How (to summarize very briefly what was going on the Classic Series) he was a key player in the origin of the Time Lords - but his exact role was unspecified, he probably became president (if you accept The Five Doctors as being canonical) and then got fed up with the place for a very good reason, and either was exiled or left in a huff?
You know, that stuff that all of Fandom accepted?
Chibnall chucked it all out the window.
True, the acting was outstanding and the production values were great, but come on.....
So, basically, Doctor Who has jumped the shark?
This is a travesty. Still haven't seen the episode and now I'm afraid to :D
Post by: salem on October 31, 2020, 10:47:45 PM
It is anniversary month this month and for the anniversary I have not decided which episode I should watch. I have already watched The Day of the Doctor this year, so may go for The Five Doctors instead, the 20th anniversary romp.
Watching theses Tennant era episodes really does throw up the shortcoming of the Chibnall era. Despite series 12 being better than 11, I still feel it is not a patch on the Moffat or Davies eras, and I have a new found appreciation for even the weakest of their episodes now.
Post by: rtpoe on November 02, 2020, 06:59:22 PM
Post by: salem on November 02, 2020, 07:13:50 PM
Have you seen "The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot"?
Yes I have, it was very good.
Great suggestion too for watching on the 23rd of November!
Post by: salem on January 10, 2021, 11:59:01 AM
I haven't watched it yet. I did however spend the year watching all the Christmas specials, one a month. It is funny, the show is so bad now that even the Christmas specials from the past that I didn't enjoy that much at the time of broadcast now seem very much better by comparison.
Post by: rtpoe on January 11, 2021, 08:09:51 PM
It was pretty.....average, overall. Some good scenes, some great set pieces (the Daleks zooming in to the Tardis), some stuff that left me scratching my head afterwards.
One complaint about Ryan - when he was introduced, it was made careful note that he had an unusual medical condition that made him awkward and clumsy (thus his problems riding a bike). But at no time during his tenure can I recall it ever being mentioned again! This was an EPIC FAIL of the "Chekhov's Gun" Principle! For all the attention given it, he might as well have had "cyclophobia" - fear of bicycles. His getting back up on the bike and having another go in his final scene would have then represented how his travels with The Doctor gave him the confidence to tackle his fear head-on.
Well, at least Graham got to leave on his own terms. I'm trying to think of other Companions who left of their own will and on good terms, and there haven't been many of late....
Post by: MunchWolf on February 01, 2021, 02:04:03 AM
I do recall once or twice Ryan's condition was briefly mentioned, but it wasn't for anything significant.
at some point I might codify my gripes, but in a nutshell it boils down to Chibnal.
-Munch "so many gripes" Wolf
Post by: TheZookie007 on February 01, 2021, 03:58:13 AM
Post by: MunchWolf on February 01, 2021, 07:55:00 AM
-Munch "still kicking" Wolf
Post by: rtpoe on November 01, 2021, 07:26:39 PM
This time, it's kind of going back to the original serials, and doing the season as one big multipart story.
So, rather naturally, there was a LOT of stuff introduced without explanation in Episode 1.
It was kind of cool in spots, but also quite confusing in other spots.
They had BETTER manage to wrap it all up nicely. I have my doubts, though. It's been a problem with "New Who" that they always leave threads dangling. Was "The Face of Boe" relevant in any special way? He seemed to know quite a bit..... How about "Bad Wolf"? Was that particular phrase ever explained? All it needed to be was the password to unlock the TARDIS console in "The Parting of the Ways"....
Post by: salem on November 02, 2021, 06:44:21 PM
Well, The Doctor is back.
This time, it's kind of going back to the original serials, and doing the season as one big multipart story.
So, rather naturally, there was a LOT of stuff introduced without explanation in Episode 1.
It was kind of cool in spots, but also quite confusing in other spots.
They had BETTER manage to wrap it all up nicely. I have my doubts, though. It's been a problem with "New Who" that they always leave threads dangling. Was "The Face of Boe" relevant in any special way? He seemed to know quite a bit..... How about "Bad Wolf"? Was that particular phrase ever explained? All it needed to be was the password to unlock the TARDIS console in "The Parting of the Ways"....
It was hinted at that The Face of Boe was in fact Captain Jack Harkness (it was his nickname in the Boeshane peninsula where he grew up). What they never DID resolve about that was the missing memories of Jack referenced way back in 'The Empty **09**'.
Bad Wolf was simply 'God-Rose' scattering the words through time as a message to her past self. Realising in the future that the words inspired her to open the TARDIS console, she then knew that she had to scatter the words though time because if she did not, she would never have done had the idea to do that. An ontological paradox however and I was never fond of the 'God-Rose' ending anyway.
Post by: Shadowmuse Blown on November 08, 2021, 07:53:37 AM
Post by: rtpoe on November 08, 2021, 09:15:04 PM
So, that general manages to get all those explosives under all those Sontaran ships and set up the gun powder to detonate them in such a short amount of time with no one noticing? By himself?
You noticed that too?
Did you wonder why the Sontarans never figured out the concept of "recharging" in shifts? EVERY SINGLE ONE of them went back into the ships to replenish their suits.... Couldn't arrange to have a couple of guys wait ten minutes and stay on sentry duty....
Post by: Shadowmuse Blown on November 08, 2021, 10:37:01 PM
So, that general manages to get all those explosives under all those Sontaran ships and set up the gun powder to detonate them in such a short amount of time with no one noticing? By himself?
You noticed that too?
Did you wonder why the Sontarans never figured out the concept of "recharging" in shifts? EVERY SINGLE ONE of them went back into the ships to replenish their suits.... Couldn't arrange to have a couple of guys wait ten minutes and stay on sentry duty....
Yes, some sort of logical reason would need to be employed as to why they all need to recharge at the same time. Otherwise, the stupidity of the whole thing stands out like a sore thumb. This is their best military strategy?
Oh, yeah, why can’t anyone in the Sontaran ranks actually develop a cap that fits over their port in the back so someone can’t knock ‘em out?
This is just lazy writing.
Post by: rtpoe on December 07, 2021, 09:35:42 PM
Chibnall managed to catch all the balls he had in the air (I'm being generous), but he was so awkward and clumsy with the juggling act that we (OK, just me) were relieved that he didn't injure himself.
I have the feeling that it was supposed to be a full thirteen episodes, but they had to hack it to bits when they could only produce six.
I'm still not sure what the whole point of The Division was. Or when exactly did the Sontarans take over the Earth. So much confusion.
They really need to get back to the smaller scale stories. The Doctor & Companions defeating the Baddie of the Week, and not trying to save the universe or poke around in the Doctor's past....
Post by: TheZookie007 on December 08, 2021, 01:55:44 AM
Post by: rtpoe on January 04, 2022, 09:49:48 PM
Although set on New Years Eve, it really could have happened almost any time - and with any Doctor, for that matter.
I wonder if they'll change the TARDIS interior for the next episodes. That blue & orange is annoying AF.
Post by: Shadowmuse Blown on February 12, 2022, 09:48:51 AM
copyright © Charade Recherché & Shadowmuse Blown
Post by: TheZookie007 on May 08, 2022, 04:18:40 PM
"Doctor Who: BBC names Ncuti Gatwa as new Time Lord" (https://twitter.com/i/events/1523290964462252032)
The 29-year-old actor Ncuti Gatwa will take over from Jodie Whittaker as the star of Doctor Who, the BBC has announced. Scottish actor Gatwa, who was born in Rwanda, will become the 14th Time Lord.
Post by: rtpoe on May 09, 2022, 07:36:21 PM
Look, The Doctor is from Gallifrey. And Gallifrey is an entire planet. Who's to say that there aren't different colored Gallifreyans?
Post by: salem on May 09, 2022, 10:31:42 PM
What annoys me is the constant bleating about 'representation, diversity' and using TV to make 'bold statements'.
I don't care about identity politics, I just want to be entertained. Chibnall turned the show into a lecturing, woke, borefest with the lowest rated episodes ever.
Ncuti looks to be a decent actor, and his lack of roles should not impede him, much like it did not impede Matt Smith, who I liked a lot.
I personally think they needed a bigger name to bring the fans back, if you cast for any other reason than getting the best person for the role (which I hope they have in this case) then you are simply pandering. The casting of the Doctor and the speculation behind it has been driven more to appease the moaning media (oh no, not another old white guy).
Jodie and Chibs took the show from over 10 million viewers, to less than 3. It is going to get something really special to bring fans back in decent numbers. I don't think this is it, and if they double down on the 'Timeless **09**' stuff and the identity politics, the fans will stay away.
People want to be entertained, not lectured to.
I have cautious optimism, RTD has done social commentary in an allegorical way (not the blatant in your face way of Chibnall's run) and it worked very well and I am quite excited to see what he will do with the show and how Ncuti will play the Doctor.
Hopefully the buzz around the 60th anniversary will get the fans interested, lord knows it needs something!
Post by: TheZookie007 on May 09, 2022, 11:04:18 PM
And I'll wager the assholes are already complaining about a black guy becoming The Doctor.People always will have something to complain about. I pay them no mind. Especially when they start bleating about "identity politics" which is usually a synonym for "I don't like it when entertainment talks about, or highlights, or features, people who don't look like me: a white cis-gendered male, who has been the hero and the villain and everything in between in almost every thing since the beginning of Hollywood". Because as the saying goes: "when you're accustomed to (or largely benefit from) oppression, equality (or better, more equitable, representation of people who have historically not been well represented in media) looks like oppression to you."
Look, The Doctor is from Gallifrey. And Gallifrey is an entire planet. Who's to say that there aren't different colored Gallifreyans?
I always give a new Doctor a fair shake, or at least I try to. I didn't like Matt Smith at first because he looked too much like an alien to me (ironic, I know), and because I liked David Tennant so much. But he definitely grew on me as his tenure went on. So I will give Ncuti Gatwa a fair shake as well, or at least try to.
Post by: salem on May 10, 2022, 04:56:44 AM
I don't know, maybe it is because I am comfortable in myself that I don't need a TV show to validate me and I am quite comfortable and able to watch a TV show without seeing myself 'represented'.
I don't watch The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Luther or Luke Cage because I want to see myself, I want to be entertained. The same reason why I also like shows like Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars. I don't need shows to always have a male hero, but I guess I don't suffer from the need for constant validation.
The problem with TV the last 5 years is that entertainment has become secondary to the messaging. No-one made a huge fuss back in 1988 when two of the three main characters in Red Dwarf were black, or when Avery Brooks became the first black headliner of a Star Trek show (maybe they did, but I didn't notice), it all just seemed perfectly natural to me. Nowadays people have to make a huge deal about it, like it is something new, and the Twitterati are all out clapping like demented seals! Same as they do whenever Jodie Whittaker and Yazmin in the current series have a 'Thasmin' moment. Doctor Who is not written for everybody any more, under Chibnall it pandered to the woke progressives.
I am hoping under RTD that Doctor Who will get back to entertaining people, and I hope that Ncuti is a dynamic Doctor who stays away from romantic entanglements in the TARDIS.
And as for the term 'cis-gendered white male'? I don't know anyone who can take a term like that seriously as it highlights the obsession with race the far-left has, having to categorize all groups and put them in their little boxes. Most people are not that political and treat people as they find them, we can already see the woke types bitching that if Doctor Who does not succeed it will be because of 'racism' etc, even though a small number of fans are that way inclined. Most of the progressive types who are championing Ncuti's casting won't even watch the show. It is why, when you pander, rather than entertain, the ratings end up in the toilet. Progressives complain about TV shows, but they seldom support them.
I have a good feeling about Ncuti, especially with Russell's writing. Chibnall's era felt like a total box-ticking exercise and almost every episode felt like a lecture. When I watched an episode of Tennant recently (Partners in Crime) and Smith (The Eleventh Hour), boy, did those episodes seem incredible when compared to recent stuff. Jodie's first episode by comparison was awful.
Post by: Shadowmuse Blown on May 10, 2022, 08:51:07 AM
I’ll give the new guy a fair shake. Maybe I’ll start watching again. We’ll see.
Post by: TheZookie007 on May 10, 2022, 01:10:59 PM
^I like Jodie, but those first couple of episodes with her just put me to sl33p and I lost interest in the show. Part of the problem was that she had some thing like two-dozen companions, or something like that.I wasn't able to watch much of Peter Capaldi's turn as The Doctor, nor was I able to watch much of Jodie's turn. I should really try to remedy that.
I’ll give the new guy a fair shake. Maybe I’ll start watching again. We’ll see.
Post by: salem on May 10, 2022, 04:00:07 PM
One positive thing about the interviews I have seen Ncuti give is his respect for the show and the people who came before him. That will endear him to the fans. It is sad that his race seems to be the main talking point, rather than his talent, on both sides. I can forgive him talking about so much about visibility because he is a young black guy that is now a very positive role model for other aspiring black actors. I just hope the 'race' issue does not become the be-all-and-end-all of the show in the next year, let the press get it out of their system and RTD can then concentrate on planning the 60th anniversary and beyond. Russell was very much a trail blazer for diversity when the show came back, and it never felt forced, probably because it wasn't talked about as much. When you make a TV show more about representation and messaging, rather than entertaining people, you lose viewers by the millions. We've seen it happen.
I am wondering what will happen in the 60th anniversary show. It would be a lot to put on the shoulders of a new actor to have your first episode as the 60th anniversary special, and if it is a multi-Doctor story, will Jodie be in it? It's a bit much to have her back the episode after she left. I'm wondering of the 60th will feature past Doctors and wait until series 14 to introduce the 14th Doctor.
Maybe Russell will film a sneaky Christmas special for this year...
Either way, they have a long time to build up interest in the show again, and hopefully the buzz around the 60th anniversary special will bring the fans back, and for that to truly happen you NEED Tennant to be in it!
Post by: rtpoe on May 10, 2022, 08:53:27 PM
What I really can't stand is all these story arcs that pile on mystery after mystery -without ANY justification, mind you - and then fail to resolve even a single one.
Anyone remember how Clara Oswald was supposed to be "The Impossible Girl"?
Post by: Shadowmuse Blown on May 12, 2022, 05:29:00 AM
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Clara_Oswald (https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Clara_Oswald)
Post by: salem on May 12, 2022, 06:15:00 PM
^Yes, did you watch all the shows?
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Clara_Oswald (https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Clara_Oswald)
The impossible girl storyline is just one of the many things Chibnall's illlogical ham-fisted writing has destroyed along with U.N.I.T., the U.N.I.T. timeline (already convoluted), the Brigadier, the Doctor's past, the Master and Time-Lord history in general.
At this point in time I am wondering if the BBC actually hired Chibnall to get the show cancelled due to the cost of making it being too high!
He does old monsters pretty well though, like his Sontaran episode and although I have not seen the last episode, the Sea Devils looked great.
Post by: rtpoe on May 12, 2022, 08:28:37 PM
^Yes, did you watch all the shows?
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Clara_Oswald (https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Clara_Oswald)
I shouldn't have to read any fandom analysis - which includes things from outside the TV episodes - to figure it out....
Post by: Shadowmuse Blown on May 12, 2022, 09:06:00 PM
^Yes, did you watch all the shows?
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Clara_Oswald (https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Clara_Oswald)
I shouldn't have to read any fandom analysis - which includes things from outside the TV episodes - to figure it out....
I didn’t say you did. It’s been awhile so I just used it to refresh my memory. Was more of a recap than analysis.
Whatever.
Post by: salem on May 13, 2022, 05:03:05 AM
^Yes, did you watch all the shows?
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Clara_Oswald (https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Clara_Oswald)
I shouldn't have to read any fandom analysis - which includes things from outside the TV episodes - to figure it out....
I didn’t say you did. It’s been awhile so I just used it to refresh my memory. Was more of a recap than analysis.
Whatever.
In all fairness, it was pretty straight forward to me. Maybe I am too used to Moffat's way of writing!
Post by: salem on June 24, 2022, 05:43:44 AM
Personally, I don't care who plays The Doctor, and I'm not bothered that much by how "preachy" an episode can get.
What I really can't stand is all these story arcs that pile on mystery after mystery -without ANY justification, mind you - and then fail to resolve even a single one.
Anyone remember how Clara Oswald was supposed to be "The Impossible Girl"?
Give me a story arc over preachy any day.
Which is why Moffatt's era will be looked at fondly in the future and Chibnall's will look like a woke dumpster fire.
Post by: Breasts on August 31, 2022, 07:51:10 AM
I couldn't believe how quickly it went from really good to awful. World Enough and Time was up there when the best ever stories and then bang 3 episodes later it was the worst its ever been.
Post by: Breasts on September 07, 2022, 12:01:02 PM
Funny really as I was so happy when RTD was replaced by Moffat last time as I thought Moffat was a far better writer and runner than him.
Post by: TheZookie007 on September 16, 2022, 07:34:26 PM
Post by: salem on September 20, 2022, 07:28:39 AM
As a fan of the show for over 40 years, and with a full-sized Dalek in my spare room, I can safely say that most of the things in that video, I knew.
Post by: TheZookie007 on September 20, 2022, 07:21:59 PM
Post by: salem on October 24, 2022, 05:36:19 PM
Post by: rtpoe on October 24, 2022, 09:53:43 PM
Post by: TheZookie007 on October 25, 2022, 09:37:01 PM
Post by: rtpoe on October 26, 2022, 09:42:42 PM
I won't spoil the episode for you, rtpoe, but Jodie went out with a surprising bang.
Found it posted on DailyMotion.... I should watch it this weekend. I understand there's a LOT of "Whovian" cameos....
Post by: rtpoe on October 31, 2022, 05:43:18 PM
I've heard some griping that one of the characters would never have become a "gun-toting badass", because they left The Doctor under highly stressful circumstances, and they probably would have needed a lot of therapy.
Well, OK. Of course they'd get help - and why couldn't their therapist have heard of other PTSD cases involving the Daleks, and gotten in touch with UNIT? And why couldn't UNIT have helped treat them and perhaps even taken them on as a "special unaffiliated" agent?
Work with the existing lore, people.....
Post by: salem on November 01, 2022, 05:25:28 AM
Finally got around to seeing it. Loved all the cameos they crammed into it. Story wasn't anything special - probably because of trying to fit all the references in. Eh, it was acceptable.
I've heard some griping that one of the characters would never have become a "gun-toting badass", because they left The Doctor under highly stressful circumstances, and they probably would have needed a lot of therapy.
Well, OK. Of course they'd get help - and why couldn't their therapist have heard of other PTSD cases involving the Daleks, and gotten in touch with UNIT? And why couldn't UNIT have helped treat them and perhaps even taken them on as a "special unaffiliated" agent?
Work with the existing lore, people.....
My favourite was seeing Ian Chesterton back. I hoped he would make an appearance in the 50th Anniversary special, especially as it started off at Coal Hill School. It would have been nice if the person giving Clara the message at the beginning had been Ian.
Post by: rtpoe on November 01, 2022, 06:26:17 PM
Post by: salem on November 01, 2022, 08:05:25 PM
William Russell, who played Ian, is 98 years old. Being able to sit in a chair and smile is likely pretty much all he can do right now....
97, he isn't 98 for a couple of weeks. Which means he would have been 87 when the 50th was filmed, so he would have been able to do that small role. After all, he did more than that in the other 50th Anniversary Special 'An Adventure in Space and Time'.
Post by: TheZookie007 on November 11, 2022, 03:13:04 AM
It’s a 50 minute long video because there’s been so many.
Harbo Wholmes: ”What Happened to Every Doctor Who Companion” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZs-wwHZ1sw)
Post by: salem on November 20, 2022, 08:25:22 PM
You gotta hand it to RTD, he knows what people will tune in for! Ncuti has good energy about him and I have high hopes for this combination.
Now only if RTD can stick to telling good stories, rather than being all preachy and lecturing us, the show might get back on track. Doctor Who is very good at social commentary if done right, but done poorly (the Chibnall way of smashing you over the head with it) it turns viewers off.
The massive cash injection from Disney+ won't hurt either!
Post by: rtpoe on November 21, 2022, 08:12:15 PM
One of the panels was on the Jodie Whitaker era. One notable comment on the failings of the era was that the companions had zero character development. To considerable agreement, I noted that you could watch the episodes in pretty much any order and it really wouldn't matter.
Hope they can fix that this time.
Post by: salem on December 19, 2022, 08:37:14 PM
Post by: salem on January 14, 2023, 04:03:00 PM
Beep the Meep and the Wrarth Warriors.
Things are really ramping up for the 60th...
Also in the works are further 'lost' episodes that are going to be made into animation. Two episodes of the Patrick Troughton story The Underwater Menace (two already exist in the archives, two are missing) and The William Hartnell story, The Smugglers.
Given that the rumoured villain for the 60th Anniversary Specials is supposed to be the Celestial Toymaker, it might have been a good idea to animate the three missing episodes from that story, but I guess that might not be a good idea as they have not yet stated explicitly that the Toymaker IS the villain and if they did that it would surely be a dead giveaway...
Anyway, exciting times for Doctor Who fans now that Davies is back on board and the woeful Chibnall era is well and truly in the rear view mirror.
Post by: TheZookie007 on January 14, 2023, 10:47:27 PM
The new outfit for the Doctor and companion. Not that keen on orange, but the outfit works.Orange works for him. I'm actually looking forward to this Doctor.
Post by: TheZookie007 on January 14, 2023, 10:51:45 PM
Comic Relief 2007: "David Tennant is Catherine Tate's new English teacher!" (https://youtu.be/WxB1gB6K-2A)
Post by: Breasts on January 15, 2023, 07:09:18 AM
She's no Amy Pond mind you. ;)
Post by: Shadowmuse Blown on May 05, 2023, 01:10:00 PM
May the Fifth be with you! :P
Post by: solvegas on May 05, 2023, 09:01:07 PM
Old Doctor, but it seemed like a good thread to put it in.
May the Fifth be with you! :P
Have a good Cinco de Mayo. ;) ;D
Post by: Shadowmuse Blown on May 06, 2023, 03:35:36 PM
Old Doctor, but it seemed like a good thread to put it in.
May the Fifth be with you! :P
Sorry, got this TOTALLY wrong! It’s not the fifth doctor, it’s Dr Brian May, an astrophysicist, or a fifth of him. D’oh!
Post by: TheZookie007 on May 08, 2023, 04:10:39 PM
I hear he's also a bit of a dab hand with a guitar.Old Doctor, but it seemed like a good thread to put it in.
May the Fifth be with you! :P
Sorry, got this TOTALLY wrong! It’s not the fifth doctor, it’s Dr Brian May, an astrophysicist, or a fifth of him. D’oh!
Post by: TheZookie007 on June 24, 2023, 02:18:11 AM
It's still highly annoying to me that so many of the episodes from the First Doctor and the Second Doctor have gone missing or are pretty much lost forever (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_missing_episodes) due to the BBC's irrational infernal and shocking policy of wiping the tapes!
Fortunately dedicated Whovians (http://lostdrwho.proboards.com/) from literally across the globe (http://missingepisodes.blogspot.co.nz/) are still busy searching national TV archives for any sign of the missing 97 episodes. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/missingepisodes.shtml)
Here's a brief (4min) documentary on how they restored a small portion of "The Enemy of the World" featuring the Second Doctor:
Restoring Doctor Who
(https://img.youtube.com/vi/nsMgNCwYcXw/hqdefault.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsMgNCwYcXw)
Post by: MaxBigfoot on June 24, 2023, 06:01:47 PM
Post by: Breasts on June 25, 2023, 07:38:59 AM
It's been a long time, but I think I read the stupid ass BBC wiped or lost old episodes of many classic series. A bloody shame how so much history has been lost in Television and Cinema, between dumb policies, fires, and other disasters. :(Yes the BBC and many other broadcasters used to simply record over old tapes. It was common practice. Sadly.
Post by: salem on June 27, 2023, 04:22:08 AM
Finding The Tomb of the Cybermen back in '92 was a big deal, especially as Doctor Who was 3 years into its 'resting' period by that time. It was quickly rushed onto VHS (I still have a copy).
Of course in recent years the big find was recovering the remaining lost episodes of the Troughton story 'Enemy of the World' and 4 more episodes of 'The Web of Fear', this time cleaned up and put out quickly on DVD. The BBC has subsequently re-released The Web of Fear with an animated episode to complete it, the previous release had that episode covered by the use of telesnaps (photos taken from the screen during broadcast). The missing episode 3 was actually recovered alongside the other 4, but went missing, most likely sold to a collector.
I think 39 episodes have been recreated through animation (although my preference would be to re-mount them as live action, using similar looking actors), with another 6 apparently due to be animated this year. Maybe with all the Disney money, Doctor Who may one day ave a complete library of episodes again!
Post by: TheZookie007 on August 27, 2023, 03:28:04 AM
I remember reading the 20th Anniversary Hardback by Peter Haining called 'A Celebration', it was the first really big hardback book devoted to Doctor Who at that time. In that book, at the back, it listed all the missing episodes. At the time there was 120 missing. They have found 23 since then, and according to the Daily Mirror (large pinch of salt alert), they may have found more.A man can dream!
Finding The Tomb of the Cybermen back in '92 was a big deal, especially as Doctor Who was 3 years into its 'resting' period by that time. It was quickly rushed onto VHS (I still have a copy).
Of course in recent years the big find was recovering the remaining lost episodes of the Troughton story 'Enemy of the World' and 4 more episodes of 'The Web of Fear', this time cleaned up and put out quickly on DVD. The BBC has subsequently re-released The Web of Fear with an animated episode to complete it, the previous release had that episode covered by the use of telesnaps (photos taken from the screen during broadcast). The missing episode 3 was actually recovered alongside the other 4, but went missing, most likely sold to a collector.
I think 39 episodes have been recreated through animation (although my preference would be to re-mount them as live action, using similar looking actors), with another 6 apparently due to be animated this year. Maybe with all the Disney money, Doctor Who may one day ave a complete library of episodes again!
Post by: TheZookie007 on August 27, 2023, 03:31:46 AM
(https://img.youtube.com/vi/1StEYoCfD6Y/hqdefault.jpg) (https://youtu.be/1StEYoCfD6Y)
Post by: TheZookie007 on August 27, 2023, 03:42:59 AM
(https://img.youtube.com/vi/3idDA9h6rpE/hqdefault.jpg) (https://youtu.be/3idDA9h6rpE)
Post by: salem on August 27, 2023, 05:31:23 PM
WhoCulture, 25 August 2023: "10 Unnecessary Doctor Who Details You Need To Know"
(https://img.youtube.com/vi/3idDA9h6rpE/hqdefault.jpg) (https://youtu.be/3idDA9h6rpE)
I actually have one of those notes!
Post by: rtpoe on August 28, 2023, 07:17:34 PM
(http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/1_pj0UC29Kc/mqdefault.jpg) (http://youtube.com/embed/1_pj0UC29Kc)
Post by: TheZookie007 on September 09, 2023, 03:28:27 PM
Really? How lucky are you! How did you get your hands on 'em?WhoCulture, 25 August 2023: "10 Unnecessary Doctor Who Details You Need To Know"
(https://img.youtube.com/vi/3idDA9h6rpE/hqdefault.jpg) (https://youtu.be/3idDA9h6rpE)
I actually have one of those notes!
Post by: TheZookie007 on September 09, 2023, 03:32:05 PM
Post by: TheZookie007 on September 27, 2023, 03:02:46 AM
OFFICIAL TRAILER | Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials | Doctor Who
(https://img.youtube.com/vi/tEkC6InjWQ8/hqdefault.jpg) (https://youtu.be/tEkC6InjWQ8)
Post by: rtpoe on November 27, 2023, 10:15:33 PM
Not bad. The occasional flood of technobabble was annoying; you could tell what they were saying (or trying to say) made no sense whatsoever. "Jiggle the frannistan! Recombobulate the doohickey!"
New abilities for the sonic screwdriver; makes sense that he'd have something more like a personal computer.
The new TARDIS interior is great! Well, except for the color-changing mood lighting. Nice to have something that can be bright and clean so the cast doesn't get lost in the shadows.
And, umm, No. Just NO. Shutting down the ship's launch sequence is NOT IN ANY WAY going to completely reverse the damage it's already done.
That is all.
3 out of 5. Could have been a bit longer to allow for better plot development; it felt really rushed.
Post by: salem on November 28, 2023, 07:04:59 AM
Latest Doctor Who news is that new companion is 18 year old blonde stunner, Millie Gibson.
Now only if RTD can stick to telling good stories, rather than being all preachy and lecturing us, the show might get back on track. Doctor Who is very good at social commentary if done right, but done poorly (the Chibnall way of smashing you over the head with it) it turns viewers off.
So much for that!
Yes, I watched The Star Beast, when it was good it was very good. When it was bad it was cringeworthy!
RTD is determined it seems (like Chibnall before him) to inject his political ideology into the show. Steven Moffatt once said in an interview that Doctor Who is not just for progressive liberals, it is for everyone, so you really want to concentrate on telling a good story. Well that is out of the window now!
Having a trans actress in the show was not the issue, it was how it was handled. It become more a story about THAT, rather than the actual Star Beast itself. The dialogue was too on the nose and cringey. It really brings you out of a show when every few minutes it seems that they are pushing a trans agenda. It would have helped if the actor in question could actually ACT, the TARDIS exterior was less wooden. As usual the woke press is raving about the Rose character and how great she was, in reality it was just another way of pushing a message, I think they mentioned she was trans on average about every 8 minutes...
They handled the trans character much better in the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, it never felt forced, here it feels crow barred in!
I agree that it felt rushed, it would have served better as a two-parter. Yes, I rolled my eyes when the engines of the ship stopped, and all the damage healed itself. I seemed to roll my eyes a lot during the episode, not least the ending with Donna and the plank of wood berating Tennant's Doctor for being a male-presenting Time Lord, not a woman. The pronoun line was cringeworthy too. Fine if you ask a person how are they able to tell the sex of an alien, but to drone on about 'using the wrong pronoun' was just plain ridiculous and showed that the Rose character was making it all about her. Still RTD was able to tick off his woke agenda checklist to make sure 'The Message' was delivered loud and clear:
'Deadnaming' (obviously calling it the 'birth name' does not sound evil enough, so they call it this instead) - check!
Two characters talking about the trans person and how amazing they are as though it is the first time they have ever spoken about it (even though they would have had this conversation many times before) - check!
Complaining about a misgendering or assumed gender - check!
Trans person feeling like they are from another planet - check!
Use of the phrase 'non-binary' - check!
White male berated for not being as good as a woman - check!
Hopefully episode 2 will be less ideologically saturated, but I am not hopeful!
Loving the new TARDIS interior, I could genuinely believe that Tennant's reaction was real in the scene when he first walks in and sees it!
Despite all the attempts by RTD to make it a platform for his politics, I did rather enjoy it. Probably the wokest episode of the show to date though, so yes a 3 out of 5 sounds about right.
I know I moan a lot, and will probably be accused of being a 'right-wing' bigot, despite being pretty much in the centre of politics, but believe it or not I really think science-fiction is a very good genre for examining social issues of the day, when it is done right. I do feel that Doctor Who has lost the ability to be allegorical and has to shove the message in your face, a fact that has turned so many people off. I love a good sci-fi romp where I can analyse it and try and work out what the story was about and if it was a metaphor for something else. The writers have either lost that ability or they don't think the audience is smart enough.
Reading X (formerly Twitter) comments on the show, the fans are again divided. The ones who really liked it seemed to be from the coloured hair clapping seal brigade, whereas the people who did not like it were wanting more of a story and less overt social commentary.
I can go back and watch most of season's 1-8 and see very little obvious messaging, its mostly below the surface stuff, you can really see the difference from series 9 onwards though. It gets more pronounced each season.
In the later seasons it has corresponded with a severe drop in ratings.
The saddest thing is that when it was the 50th, there was a huge buzz around and the 50th Anniversary special was a real nostalgia-fest. I even went to see it at the cinema! Something for every fan, the 60th by comparison was a damp squib which felt like it was pandering to a certain group only. The 'Whoniverse' reveal on BBC iplayer and all the Doctor Who related stuff being in one place (in the UK at least) was great, but even that did not seem to generate much excitement.
Post by: rtpoe on November 28, 2023, 09:56:14 PM
I agree. Use a lot of metaphor and subtext; shoving it in the audience's face is a sign of a lousy writer.
SF is a great way to explore gender identity and relationship, too. Who says aliens have to be male and female? Why not asexual? Hermaphrodites? Able to switch sexes depending on the environment? William Tenn wrote a story where the intelligent aliens have SEVEN sexes. Admittedly, it wasn't that great a story (it was basically a "What would it be like if" exercise because he (probably) needed to make a sale), but he did the stuff to make it *work*.
Do something like that where it's relevant to the story, but not the sole driver of the plot. And don't keep shoving it in people's faces every five minutes.
Post by: rtpoe on December 05, 2023, 10:22:27 PM
A bit confusing, until you figure out what's going on.
Still want to know the point of that huge ship, though.
Post by: salem on December 07, 2023, 06:51:59 PM
Yes, it must have been very weird for Tate and Tennant, spending the whole time in front of a green screen.
Better episode than last week, but RTD still can't help himself with his agenda.
Still, he dialed down on it, and next week sees the return of the Celestial Toymaker.
Maybe the last 60th anniversary special will actually have something special about it this time!
Post by: rtpoe on December 11, 2023, 09:43:39 PM
OK, a bit of trivia for the History of Technology buffs; John Logie Baird really did come up with a mechanical television just as depicted.
A confusing (at times) but fun romp, thanks to Neil Patrick Harris stealing the show in every scene he was in. Also nice to see Mel (Bonnie Langford) is still around - Seems "retired" companions always get jobs with UNIT.....
As far as the "bi-generation" thing goes - just roll with it. It was necessary for the story they were trying to tell, so as long as it never comes up again.....
My one minor quibble: The Gold Tooth of Mystery was right at the edge of the helipad. So where was the person who picked it up standing??????
Post by: rtpoe on December 29, 2023, 09:38:46 PM
This one gets two units of leniency - one for being a Christmas episode, and one for being the first full story for a new Doctor (and an entirely new creative team, for that matter).
Didn't really need them, well, except for that musical number on the goblin's ship.....that pretty much used them both up.
A nice lovely story about fixing a personal timeline (and no threat of mass destruction, thankfully), with enough to satisfy all audiences. Time travel oddities for the grown-ups, icky monsters for the little ones, and some nice action sequences for everybody.
I don't want to pass judgment on a new Doctor until at least their 3rd episode - one is not enough to see what they can do, or what they will be like. Small sample size, and all that. But if this was a good sample, Gatwa will fun a fun and playful Doctor, without being too goofy. One who is actually enjoying what he does, and likes sharing the fun and adventure with others.
Post by: rtpoe on January 12, 2024, 08:24:06 PM
Louise Jameson NAILS IT!
We need to get her an appearance in the current show ASAP!
Leela vs the Time War - The Collection: Season 15 Announcement Trailer (it's a video, clickit)
(http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/HIBfUAF9otg/mqdefault.jpg) (http://youtube.com/embed/HIBfUAF9otg)