New Dr. Who Episodes?

[Sky]

I caught one on Cernadian tv, too. Always forget to watch serials and I hadn't set up my DVR to catch them. I love my DVR, even if it is a Cylon...or Dalek or whatever.

[Johny Cee]

<Insert necropost joke here>

Scifi is starting the run of the new Dr. Who episodes that both the Brits and the Canadians viewed almost a year ago.  At 9 PM next Friday.

I caught a few episodes on CBC, thanks to living within spitting distince of Quebec, and I think it's worth checking out.  The Doctor is good,  effects aren't cheesy,  and the plots are well-crafted.

It's definitely not the "Star Trek" clone that too much of American scifi has to live with.

[Furiously]

It's no BSG, but it's fun.

[Yegolev]

Daleks and Cybermen still don't look like humans.

[raydeen]

Well, I caught the first episode and part of the second (have it on tape and will finish it later). Someone please tell me it gets better. I don't know how to take it. The start of the second episode almost had Hitchhiker's Guide overtones. Were they going for quirky? Or is the writing just that bad? It's down there with any of the worst Colin Baker or Sylvester McCoy episodes. And what's really throwing me off is the fact that it's filmed and seems to have fairly good effects. It's jarring with the acting and the story line.

I was pleased with how it started out. I immediatly recognized the alien baddies (could've sworn they were originally called the Autons, but it's been so long), but then it just got all silly. Is it because they're trying to shoehorn everything into an hour? Dr. Who was always great because the story was long enough and complex enough that it kept you going for a few hours (or weeks at a time). This series seems rushed and half-baked.

And I hate what he's done with the place. Ugliest Tardis Ever.

Best Doctor Who in recent years? The parody called 'Curse of Fatal Death' with Rowen Atkinson. Yes, it was silly, but it was true to the original in so many ways that this series isn't.

Tell me it gets better.

[Ironwood]

Um.  Yes, it gets better.  However, if you didn't like the 'tone' of the first, switch off.

Seriously.  Don't waste your fucking time and ours listening to you.

Switch it off.

Nestenes control the Autons, btw.  The Nestene consciousness was the orange chap in the pool.  The Autons were merely the plastic servants.

Rushed and Half-baked it is not.  It does get more serious later on, but the undercurrent of 'THIS IS FOR CHILDREN FIRST AND FOREMOST, SO LET'S HAVE FART JOKES' never leaves.

Nor should it.

Go watch BSG.

[Abagadro]

I also thought the first ep wasn't particularly good.  If you are basically going to remake a well-known and liked episode you are facing an uphill battle in the first place, but the execution wasn't very good. Probably too much to bite off trying to fit an entire plot line plus exposition on the whole series backstory.   Second ep was definitely an upgrade. Still felt rushed though. I guess I'm too used to the old ones where they have 90-100 minutes to put together the story. 

[Signe]

I hated the first episode.  It was crap.  I haven't watched the second yet as it aired at the same time as the F1 race.  I did record it, however, so I'll give it another try.

[raydeen]

Well, I did just watch the second episode. It got slightly better. There was a little bit of the old Who in there somewhere.

As the show being for children first and foremost, yes it was/is and should be.. But it used to be  much more than that. Classic Who worked on many levels. It was funny and intelligent at the same time. But never do I remember it stooping to fart jokes thank you very much. It was originally written as  semi-historical sci-fi show for kids, sort've pseudo-educational (from what I've read). And it worked very well and outlasted it's original planned 13 episode run for very good reason. It was smart. Goofy costumes aside and effects aside, the story and characters were what counted and kept people enthralled. I'm 37 years old and still love it. Call me a geek or weirdo, I don't care.

I like BSG. A lot. But it's a different show. I guess I wanted the new Who to have matured a bit since it's last run.

And I'll f'ing waste my time as I see fit. You'll only waste yours if you choose to do so.

And that couldn't have been Earth being incinerated. Everyone knows it was moved waaaaaay out of it's orbit and renamed Ravolox. 

[Sky]

The first ep was ok, not bad. I liked the second one, especially the nice touch of the last human basically being Joan Rivers.

[Furiously]

I thought the first half of the series was fairly weak, but really turned the corner after "Father's Day". If I were to sit someone down to watch just one episode I think that would be the one.

[raydeen]

Well, episode 3 (Unquiet Dead) made a believer out of me. That felt lilke the old Doc. I guess my only real gripe with the series now is that when the whole story is compressed into that 45 minute segment, there's no 'cliff hanger' feel to it. That's what really made Doctor Who great, not knowing exactly how he or his companions was going to get out of whatever the current scrape was. All in all, it's shaping up. 'Course most of you already know that being that you live 365 days and 5 hours in the future.

[schild]

I'm fairly unimpressed with the new Who. I'll admit a lot of my problems come from two things:

1. British TV has terrible production values.
2. The dialogue is, how should I put this, Not Impressing Me.

But I'll persevere. I'd like to think there's a good storyline or two in there.

[Roac]

Who looks bad.  Writing is bad, set is bad.  "But I trusted you!"  What, in however many centuries the doctor has lived, he's never met someone who lied? 

[Signe]

The first episode was just dreadful.  The rest have been better but still not very good.  For some reason, the guy who plays Dr. Who's over acting annoys me.  I've seen him in other stuff from time to time and he's an ok actor, just not as Dr. Who. 

I have had hiccups for almost 20 minutes.   :-(

[Furiously]

Suck on a Jelly Baby. Should fix it.

[Signe]

At least it's watchable.  I'm sure that if I were still living in England right now, I would hate it even more.  That's what one does in England.  One hates stuff.

[Ironwood]

In England there is so much stuff to hate.

[eldaec]

That's what one does in England.  One hates stuff.

This is different from message boards about MMOGs in some way?

[Signe]

That's what one does in England.  One hates stuff.

This is different from message boards about MMOGs in some way?

No... who said that?

[Yegolev]

Well, episode 3 (Unquiet Dead) made a believer out of me. That felt lilke the old Doc.

This is the first episode not written by Davies.  That's what I imagined New Who would be.  The non-Davies episodes are my favorites while my wife (a non-Whovian) prefers the Davies scripts, or anything with Captain Jack.

I don't recall the Autons being called Autons in their first appearance; Spearhead From Space if I recall.

[raydeen]

Well, episode 3 (Unquiet Dead) made a believer out of me. That felt lilke the old Doc.

This is the first episode not written by Davies.  That's what I imagined New Who would be.  The non-Davies episodes are my favorites while my wife (a non-Whovian) prefers the Davies scripts, or anything with Captain Jack.

I don't recall the Autons being called Autons in their first appearance; Spearhead From Space if I recall.

I've got it on DVD. Gonna have to dig it out and watch it again. I just immediately remembered them and thought it ironic (and cool) that they would feature in the first episodes of two Doctors (I'm pretty sure Spearhead was Pertwee's first ep.)

[Ironwood]

Well, episode 3 (Unquiet Dead) made a believer out of me. That felt lilke the old Doc.

This is the first episode not written by Davies.  That's what I imagined New Who would be.  The non-Davies episodes are my favorites while my wife (a non-Whovian) prefers the Davies scripts, or anything with Captain Jack.

I don't recall the Autons being called Autons in their first appearance; Spearhead From Space if I recall.

They were.  They were also called Nestenes as a race because they were centralled controlled by the Nestene consciousness (which always looked like a great big squiddy.)  Terence Dicks was teh bomb for Who scripts.

[Yegolev]

My bad, I watched Spearhead last May while at Hilton Head, SC.  Nestenes, yes, but I just don't remember the word "auton"... but whatever.  It was Perwee's first, yes.  I find that Pertwee has overtaken Baker as my second favorite, over the years.

[Ironwood]

New Tenant series consistantly good also.

Just finished watching Girl in the Fireplace.

:)

[Ironwood]

Head, K9, Guest On Who

Anthony Stewart Head, best known as Giles in TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, will guest-star in the upcoming second season of the BBC's hit SF show Doctor Who, the BBC Web site reported. Head will appear in an episode in which the Doctor (David Tennant) battles the evil Krillitanes, the site reported.

The episode will also mark the return of Elisabeth Sladen, who'll be making her first TV appearance as Sarah Jane Smith since 1983.

And the Doctor will also be reunited with his faithful robot dog, K9, last seen as the companion to Tom Baker's Doctor between 1977 to 1981.

"I am delighted to have been invited back on board the series, and a little gathered rust is no object to a fully functional K9," John Leeson, the original voice of the robot dog, told the BBC Web site.

The episode will be seen in the United Kingdom next spring. In it, the Doctor and his team investigate sinister events at a modern-day comprehensive school.

Incidentally, despite me moaning about this earlier in the thread, it was a great episode.

Honestly, after re-reading, is there ANYTHING I'm going to be right about in this thread ever ?  I'm far too pessimistic....

[Signe]

We just got one of the Tennent episodes from someone who I'm sure Ironwood knows, or knows of, but I won't say because I don't want anyone to get in trouble, although I really doubt anyone is looking.     Who knows?  Homeland security could be all over this.

[Ironwood]

Hope they have better luck with the code...

[Ironwood]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5146666.stm

Hmmm.

I would have preferred it if they'd brought back Mdm Pompadour as his assistant.  That would have worked wonderfully I think.

[Xerapis]

Hmmmm...

I think I tried to watch a Dr. Who episode once.

But I find the people in these British shows to be rather unattractive as a general rule, and so I care a lot less...and my attention wanders.....

Oh, look!  A shiny green scorpid!

[Ironwood]

You're Right.  Unattractive.

[eldaec]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5146666.stm

Hmmm.

I would have preferred it if they'd brought back Mdm Pompadour as his assistant.  That would have worked wonderfully I think.

That episode was repeated on bbc3 last night - I was thinking exactly the same.

[Ironwood]

Yeah, but you usually do.

 :-D

[Signe]

You're Right.  Unattractive.

I think this might better sway him.

[Yegolev]

But I find the people in these British shows to be rather unattractive as a general rule,

Well, this guy really helped my wife get into Doctor Who.  But your generalization does stand.

Nice try, Signe.  Let's not forget Captain Jack's blatant trisexuality.