Yet Another Cycling Forum

Off Topic => The Pub => Arts and Entertainment => Topic started by: tiermat on 03 April, 2008, 11:18:50 am

Title: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 03 April, 2008, 11:18:50 am
Guessing this is why Torchwood has been moved to Fridays (so that the season finale of TW is the day before the season opening of DW)

Anyways 18:20 Saturday BBC1, enjoy...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 03 April, 2008, 11:37:32 am
*bounce*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: pcolbeck on 03 April, 2008, 12:31:36 pm
Yes but the new companion is Catherine am i bovered Tate  :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 03 April, 2008, 01:53:45 pm
Yeah just in time for us , as we have just finished watching the Doctor Who omnibus e.g. back to back of season 1 tru' 3 :)

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 03 April, 2008, 08:41:37 pm
I wish it was still Christopher Eccleston because he is hawt and David Tennant is all ferretyfaced but no matter, I'm still excited!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 03 April, 2008, 09:01:25 pm
Bring back Freema Agyeman! (http://www.waldoland.com/images/Hotties/British/FreemaAgyeman.jpg)

What am I saying?  I don't even have a TV - what do I care?  ;D

Oh - what the ell:

Freema (http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q55/ashtonlamont/freema-agyeman-lola-wise-preview-2a.jpg)

Agyeman (http://i15.tinypic.com/62ojd5k.jpg)

is (http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w169/aurorasands/25-1.jpg)

great (http://i18.tinypic.com/6heo57p.jpg)

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: pcolbeck on 03 April, 2008, 09:14:37 pm
I'm with you on this on Clarion. Freema Agyeman rocked as the doctors assistant.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 03 April, 2008, 09:39:10 pm
I'm with you on this on Clarion. Freema Agyeman rocked as the doctors assistant.

Catherine Tate doesn't seem like much of a substitute..... :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 04 April, 2008, 02:31:10 pm
Catherine Tate...

NOOOOOOOOOOO. NOOOOOOOOOO. NOOOOOOOOOO.

Did I say NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: groucho on 04 April, 2008, 02:40:00 pm
Bring back Freema Agyeman! (http://www.waldoland.com/images/Hotties/British/FreemaAgyeman.jpg)

What am I saying?  I don't even have a TV - what do I care?  ;D

Oh - what the ell:

Freema (http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q55/ashtonlamont/freema-agyeman-lola-wise-preview-2a.jpg)

Agyeman (http://i15.tinypic.com/62ojd5k.jpg)

is (http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w169/aurorasands/25-1.jpg)

great (http://i18.tinypic.com/6heo57p.jpg)



son of groucho, who worked on some the new series, reckoned that Freema and the Doc did not get on together  :-X
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: alchemy on 04 April, 2008, 03:28:26 pm
Am I the only person in the world who doesn't  "get" Dr Who  ???

I think I know the answer to this already, but hey ho
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 04 April, 2008, 04:37:56 pm
Bring back Freema Agyeman! (http://www.waldoland.com/images/Hotties/British/FreemaAgyeman.jpg)

What am I saying?  I don't even have a TV - what do I care?  ;D

Oh - what the ell:

Freema (http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q55/ashtonlamont/freema-agyeman-lola-wise-preview-2a.jpg)

Agyeman (http://i15.tinypic.com/62ojd5k.jpg)

is (http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w169/aurorasands/25-1.jpg)

great (http://i18.tinypic.com/6heo57p.jpg)



son of groucho, who worked on some the new series, reckoned that Freema and the Doc did not get on together  :-X

Meh.

Change the Dr then...  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 04 April, 2008, 05:02:56 pm
I wish it was still Christopher Eccleston because he is hawt and David Tennant is all ferretyfaced but no matter, I'm still excited!

I prefer Christopher Eccleston too

David Tennant seems to do all this mockney gurning stuff that just makes me want to heave.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 04 April, 2008, 05:25:02 pm
Am I the only person in the world who doesn't  "get" Dr Who  ???

I think I know the answer to this already, but hey ho

No.  You are not alone.  I think it's (excellent) kid's TV but I'm not a kid.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 04 April, 2008, 05:36:45 pm

....but I'm not a kid.

I am :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 04 April, 2008, 06:08:40 pm


Well, I don't really get the "hawt" bit - but he was definitely one of the more believable characters in Heroes.
I think he's a fantastic actor, but he's also hawt, and he's a good Red.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 04 April, 2008, 07:31:23 pm

I think he's a fantastic actor, but he's also hawt, and he's a good Red.

??  Translation please, for a thick sassenach.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 05 April, 2008, 01:05:14 pm
He's a Man Utd supporter.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 05 April, 2008, 03:40:19 pm
My 2p...

David Tennant: Brilliant. Got the role down to a T, and delivers the one-liners splendidly - right from his first episode, where he tosses in a reference to that other great archetypal Englishman in Space, Arthur Dent.
Catherine Tate: not as tasty eye candy as Agyema Freeman, but was extremely funny in the 2006 Christmas Special  (Remember the "Pockets!!" line?).  So I'm prepared to with-hold judgement until tonight's episode.

Having said that, my favouritest line ever was when Rose Tyler asked Christopher Eccleston:
"If you're from another planet, how come you sound like you're from the North?"

"Lots of planets have a North."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 05 April, 2008, 07:53:32 pm
1) I want some of those tablets
2) Why do I never get to fly away in the TARDIS?
3) Fiction is so much better than real life
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 06 April, 2008, 09:04:32 am
Well?

Is it worth clogging up the Tinterweb to watch it again?

H
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 06 April, 2008, 12:28:37 pm
Well?

Is it worth clogging up the Tinterweb to watch it again?

No, that was a pretty poor opening episode. Badly structured and lacked any genuine charm or bite. David Tennant just seemed like he was treading water. And Catherine Tate is truly abysmal... Chemistry? I have seen more in mouldy bread...  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 06 April, 2008, 03:06:03 pm
I think all you boys are interested in is seeing a pretty face, innit?  ;)

I'm sure if David Tennant wasn't so cute there would be fewer female fans too... but seriously, no, I just want someone who was a good actress* not someone who was chosen for a limp catchphrase (*or actor - it's been a while since we've had a male companion).

Quote
I'll definitely be watching DT and CT again.

Of course I will still be watching. It's still streets ahead of the evil days of Sylvester McCoy...  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: cometworm on 06 April, 2008, 08:50:36 pm

Without wanting to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen the first episode yet; I really really really really hope the appearance of you-know-who at the end means they're bringing you-know-who back later in the series... Catherine Tate makes my hair stand on end. In a bad way!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 06 April, 2008, 08:59:53 pm
I dunno about Catherine Tate, she did irritate me a bit when she did the Christmas Special, so I didn't look forward to her becoming the new companion, but after that episode I'm warming to her.

As peli said, the mouthing through the window scene was great, typical Catherine Tate, but it worked really well. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 06 April, 2008, 09:01:13 pm
I found Catherine Tate both irritating and disengaged - like someone shouting her lines through a megaphone from outside in the street.  In a really grating voice :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: urban_biker on 06 April, 2008, 09:05:38 pm
I found Catherine Tate both irritating and disengaged - like someone shouting her lines through a megaphone from outside in the street.  In a really grating voice :(

yeahh - but are you bovverd?




Sorry - can't watch C T without seeing that character!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 06 April, 2008, 09:07:01 pm
Not usually watching TV, I haven't seen Catherine Tate before (other than in The Runaway Bride), but I am sick to death of people saying "AmIBovvered" in a nasal tone, and then laughing at their own wit.* I therefore wasn't expecting great things from her, and found myself pleasantly suprised - she's a better actor than Billie Piper (she can do at least three emotions), and attractive without being as scrawny as the last two companions.

I'm happy to keep watching.

:)

*Edit - no disrespect to Urban_Biker - I wrote this before his post. :-[
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 06 April, 2008, 09:08:25 pm
I've never seen her comedy stuff so I didn't have so many preconceptions. I was pleasantly surprised. Good stuff. Long may it continue.

Edit: Ooh er! 2 of us pleasantly surprised. Spooky!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 06 April, 2008, 09:12:52 pm
CT didn't annoy me nearly as much as I expected which was good. Most comeians can play more than one role, but stereotyping them is a bad idea. Look at 'mr bean' for example.

All in all, it's not as good as Torchwood was, although I'm not sure that'll be so good after what happened at the end of the last series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 06 April, 2008, 09:15:27 pm
I think it'll get better as the series goes on.  The first episode is often a  a bit long on plot development and short on intelligent story
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 06 April, 2008, 09:40:51 pm
I think all you boys are interested in is seeing a pretty face, innit?  ;)

I'm sure if David Tennant wasn't so cute there would be fewer female fans too...
David Tennant is cute?   ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: urban_biker on 07 April, 2008, 11:52:15 am

*Edit - no disrespect to Urban_Biker - I wrote this before his post. :-[

This is what I get for being lazy and attempting obvious gags.  I'd just like to confirm that I am not at all bothered by your comments ;D

I do like Tennant though. One of the best Doctor's to date really. Its a shame the Doctor Who scriptwriters can't manage to avoid absolute silliness through. I mean what is it with the silly cute noises the little fat monsters were coming out with? I presume you will be able to buy little cuddly fat monsters at Woolys within weeks. I guess LEE is right about it being kids TV.

Was Dr Who silly like this in the Tom Baker days? I don't remember it being like that - but then I was just a kid myself at the time so I suppose I wouldn't have noticed.

As to Catherine Tate; I think she has just been a victim of her own comic character. A bit like Harry Enfield and Loadsamoney. It will take a long time for people to forget her catch pharse and I bet she regrets inflicting it on the public already.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Julian on 07 April, 2008, 11:56:41 am
I thought the silly cute noises coming from the silly cute fat aliens were great.  :D

I also think Catherine Tate did rather well.  Unlike former assistants, she doesn't play it as the Sultry Assistant.TM  Presumably as a result of doing so much character comedy, she is happy to let her character be a bit pathetic and not very glamorous, which I think works better than the Permanently Alluring Assistant type.  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: pcolbeck on 07 April, 2008, 12:10:56 pm
I don't think Bonnie Langford did "sultry assistant" either :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 April, 2008, 01:27:07 pm
I don't think Bonnie Langford did "sultry assistant" either :)

...gods, and she was bloody irritating.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 07 April, 2008, 02:11:38 pm
I don't think Bonnie Langford did "sultry assistant" either :)

...gods, and she was bloody irritating.

<cough>

Confession...when I was a younger volio, well, I would have. </guilty pleasure>
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 07 April, 2008, 02:39:57 pm
I don't think Bonnie Langford did "sultry assistant" either :)

...gods, and she was bloody irritating.

<cough>

Confession...when I was a younger volio, well, I would have. </guilty pleasure>

Due, that's  :sick:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: urban_biker on 08 April, 2008, 10:46:33 am
I don't think Bonnie Langford did "sultry assistant" either :)

...gods, and she was bloody irritating.

<cough>

Confession...when I was a younger volio, well, I would have. </guilty pleasure>


Some thoughts should always stay within the dark recesses of your own mind  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: urban_biker on 08 April, 2008, 10:51:21 am
I thought the silly cute noises coming from the silly cute fat aliens were great.  :D


I get that, I really do. But its only one small step away from Bertie Basset aliens and then we're getting into dangerous territory  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 08 April, 2008, 11:33:31 am
Don't care about who the actors were, I just wanna lard monster (baby Adipose) - they so cute  :thumbsup:

Back on topic.  I thought CT was OK.  Not sure whether she can keep it up without the act getting a bit jaded though - atleast with the other two they were considered a little more attractive (not that she isn't - just not in a movie star way) so they didn't have to rely on comedy for their place on the show.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 11 April, 2008, 01:40:20 pm
I don't think Bonnie Langford did "sultry assistant" either :)

...gods, and she was bloody irritating.

<cough>

Confession...when I was a younger volio, well, I would have. </guilty pleasure>

You should be locked up.  However, Ace was a companion worth considering.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 April, 2008, 05:57:25 pm


Back on topic.  I thought CT was OK.  Not sure whether she can keep it up without the act getting a bit jaded though - atleast with the other two they were considered a little more attractive (not that she isn't - just not in a movie star way) so they didn't have to rely on comedy for their place on the show.



Because obviously it would be ridiculous to write meaningful parts for women which contribute to the plot, and then cast actresses for their talent and ability...  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 11 April, 2008, 07:58:08 pm


Back on topic.  I thought CT was OK.  Not sure whether she can keep it up without the act getting a bit jaded though - atleast with the other two they were considered a little more attractive (not that she isn't - just not in a movie star way) so they didn't have to rely on comedy for their place on the show.



Because obviously it would be ridiculous to write meaningful parts for women which contribute to the plot, and then cast actresses for their talent and ability...  ::-)

Only reflecting the Whovian chat m'dear, no need to roll your eyes at me (unless you are aditioning for the part too?  ;)).  If it twere up to me Rose would still be there, not because I think her hot, but because I think that she really did bring charracter to the part rather than just being a screamer or a looker.

Glad to know, likewise, that you appriciate the Drs for their acting ability  ;):

Quote from: Kirst
I wish it was still Christopher Eccleston because he is hawt and David Tennant is all ferretyfaced but no matter
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 April, 2008, 08:13:35 pm
I wasn't rolling my eyes at you so much as just rolling my eyes at general media hypocrisy. And I did say later that I think Chris Eccleston is a fantastic actor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 12 April, 2008, 10:24:59 pm
I think it'll get better as the series goes on.  The first episode is often a  a bit long on plot development and short on intelligent story

Prescient  :)


Tonight's was much better, more complex, and Ms Tate was a lot better

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 12 April, 2008, 10:36:18 pm
Yeah, I'm definitely warming to her, and her "Celtic" accent. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 12 April, 2008, 11:14:47 pm
She was rather good wasn't she?  Superb effects too! 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 12 April, 2008, 11:56:35 pm
I thought this weeks episode was great, next week the ood are back with their scary balls!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Frenchie on 13 April, 2008, 12:10:31 am
I just find it totally uninteresting. Maybe I am lacking the background...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 13 April, 2008, 12:13:07 am
phone box, doctor, si-fi, jokes it is all there :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 13 April, 2008, 09:26:07 am
"I'm Spartacus"

"So am I"

That cost me a mouthful of coffee!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 13 April, 2008, 11:37:59 am
I thought it was excellent. Makes a nice change to have a really bolshie assistant.

There's lovely!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 13 April, 2008, 12:55:38 pm
I thought it was excellent, and I agree with nicknack, a bolshy assistant is just what the, er, Doctor, ordered.  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Captain Zep on 13 April, 2008, 07:57:50 pm
Apologies if you've already discussed this, I've not read the thread properly yet:

Has anyone else noticed this series' "word" yet.  Last night the Doctor said a very odd sentence (can't quite remember what the line was), but he over-emphasised the word "dust".  On the first episode, the "Nanny" was standing in front of a sign which said "Adipose Industries".  In a very prominent shot, it was just her with the large word "Dust" behind her (from inDUSTries).  Is this a Philip Pullman reference?  Remember "Bad Wolf" in series one?

RJMcB
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 13 April, 2008, 11:03:32 pm
"I'm Spartacus"

"So am I"

That cost me a mouthful of coffee!
I'm Brian, and so's my wife!

What was last series' "word"?  Unless it was the Saxon/Master theme?  The word 'dust' could just be coincidence - it turns up everywhere.
Stevie Wonder: "I dust called, to say, I love you..."

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 14 April, 2008, 04:14:33 pm
Caecilius est pater! Metella est mater! Quintus est filius!  :D

I was jolly disappointed that Grumio and the slave girl didn't show up. I was sure they were always up to hanky-panky behind Poppaea's back.   ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Julian on 14 April, 2008, 04:17:40 pm
Oh, they absolutely were.  I'm sure at one point we had "ancilla Grumio delectat..."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 14 April, 2008, 04:23:09 pm
Grumio est in canus  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 14 April, 2008, 07:02:50 pm
"I'm Spartacus"

"So am I"

That cost me a mouthful of coffee!
I'm Brian, and so's my wife!

What was last series' "word"?  Unless it was the Saxon/Master theme?  The word 'dust' could just be coincidence - it turns up everywhere.
Stevie Wonder: "I dust called, to say, I love you..."




The "Saxon" theme also occurred in Torchwood........ In the episode involving the oriental gentleman in the old dance hall there were "Vote Saxon" posters on the walls

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 18 April, 2008, 09:18:46 pm
Apologies if you've already discussed this, I've not read the thread properly yet:

Has anyone else noticed this series' "word" yet.

Just watching a repeat now

The Auger says "She is returning, Doctor"

I think this series' thing is the return of Rose (or what appears to be Rose ;))
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 18 April, 2008, 09:31:33 pm
And: anyone else get the Tom Tom Club reference ?

:)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 19 April, 2008, 07:12:56 pm
The latest episode made me cry! I don't care what anyone says, I think Donna's style is great. Go Ginger!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 20 April, 2008, 10:13:17 am
The Oud were good. Not outstanding as an episode, but good. Nigel Planer is always value for money. Donna is improving a bit, but to be honest she's just a cypher and anyone could deliver the lines she has as an assistant. Actually even the Doctor is becoming a bit one-dimensional right now. We need a classic - will return of the Sontarans provide it?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 20 April, 2008, 08:08:58 pm
Quote from: Flying Monkey
Nigel Planer is always value for money.
While that's true, it was Tim McInnery playing the villian.  ("Captain, Darling" from Blackadder 4)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 20 April, 2008, 08:38:43 pm
Oops, so he was. Why was I thinking of Nigel Planer?  ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 20 April, 2008, 08:45:05 pm
The nose?

Donna may be a cypher but Tate's delivery is very good. 

Sontarans!  Yay!  I feel neck jokes coming on: "There's nothing we Sontarans cannot achieve!"  "I can count two things, Commander: Take over the Earth on my watch... and wear a tie."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 20 April, 2008, 09:16:43 pm
The bees disappearing thing came up again.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 20 April, 2008, 09:26:32 pm
And the Doctor's song may be ending soon.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Séamas M. on 20 April, 2008, 09:52:30 pm
Late last night I caught up with this series using the Freeview HD recorder thingie.  I have to say that MS Tate is considerably better than I had expected and I'm looking forward to next week.  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 20 April, 2008, 10:19:07 pm
And the Doctor's song may be ending soon.
But the Ood seemed to lump them both together as DoctorDonna so maybe it's Donna's song...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 21 April, 2008, 08:21:30 am
And the Doctor's song may be ending soon.
But the Ood seemed to lump them both together as DoctorDonna so maybe it's Donna's song...

We can but hope...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 21 April, 2008, 11:21:02 am
It wasn't a bad episode, and I likes the Ood, etc but....what did the Dr actually do to help them?  Apart from turn off the bomb - which Sigma Ood could have done just as easily?  As far as I could see the Dr and Donna just got chased around a bit, cracked a few funnies and did a bit more screwdrivering......nothing really to merit being remembered by the Ood for eternity.

And another thing (while I'm in SF geek mode), if the processed Ood had had a 1/3 of their brain chopped off how come they appeared to be acting exactly the same as the raw Ood at the end?  Surely they either need the brain on a string or they don't?   

Thirdly, would humans really make slaves out of the Ood?  Surely any average human, given a few 'raw' Ood, would just try to get them drunk and encourage them to play conkers with their brains on a string?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 21 April, 2008, 11:34:55 am
And another thing (while I'm in SF geek mode), if the processed Ood had had a 1/3 of their brain chopped off how come they appeared to be acting exactly the same as the raw Ood at the end?  Surely they either need the brain on a string or they don't?   

This was puzzling me too - the plot had holes big enough to drive a large space freighter through...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 21 April, 2008, 11:38:48 am
It wasn't a bad episode, and I likes the Ood, etc but....what did the Dr actually do to help them?  Apart from turn off the bomb - which Sigma Ood could have done just as easily?  As far as I could see the Dr and Donna just got chased around a bit, cracked a few funnies and did a bit more screwdrivering......nothing really to merit being remembered by the Ood for eternity.

The real hero was the poor bloke who got enbrained - 10 years infiltrating the company, managed to turn the Circle down to minimum so that Red Eye started, really began the whole thing.  Then gets killed and forgotten as DrDonna waltz in and steal the glory. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 21 April, 2008, 11:47:12 am
"Friends of the Ood"  - loving it  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 21 April, 2008, 11:51:18 am
That big brain looked kinda comfy.

But who originally created the Ood, then?  There's no way a species that crap could come into being naturally!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: geraldc on 21 April, 2008, 11:56:15 am
BBC 7 have dvd style commentaries online for the Dr Who episodes. It's worth listening to them in real audio, as you watch the episode in iPlayer. You realise what a tiny budget they deal with. They only have something like 10 Ood costumes...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 21 April, 2008, 01:02:29 pm
That big brain looked kinda comfy.

But who originally created the Ood, then?  There's no way a species that crap could come into being naturally!

Well, if they only come from the Oodsphere, perhaps all life on that planet evolved into Oods, or perhaps the non-Oods got bored and went elsewhere.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 26 April, 2008, 09:34:16 pm
Right, I'm utterly bored with Dr Who as it's simply not as good as Torchwood; the script writers have got carried away with doing silly things plus they do lots of 2-parters which I really dislike.

There is, however, one episode that I would like to watch. The guy who wrote blink (statues that send people back in time), the empty child and the one in ye olde France; his episodes have been a notch above the rest. When is 'his' episode on this series does anyone know?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 26 April, 2008, 10:27:06 pm
Pass, but I do like the Grumpy Clone Martha.   :-*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 26 April, 2008, 10:32:35 pm
Right, I'm utterly bored with Dr Who as it's simply not as good as Torchwood

Different target audience.  You are the Torchwood generation.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 27 April, 2008, 04:57:43 pm
Are there budget troubles?  The sontarans seem to have, erm, shrunk!

But there again, with a neckid Martha, dripping in warm cloning juice....who's going to be watching the spud-'eds?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 27 April, 2008, 05:00:17 pm
Are there budget troubles?  The sontarans seem to have, erm, shrunk!

Starring role for Mike from the Young Ones.  He's a shorty.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Martin on 27 April, 2008, 05:13:49 pm
you gotta love TV / film aliens; Human body, Human clothes

and a funny head.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 27 April, 2008, 05:37:26 pm
... a neckid Martha, dripping in warm cloning juice...
Erm, yes, sorry about that.
IGMC = I'll get my cloth.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 27 April, 2008, 06:33:13 pm
I liked that last night. I laughed a lot at the Doctor's remarks about UNIT being more high-tec than it was when he was last there in the 70s (when he was Tom Baker). And I was glad to see Donna being useful, and I liked the chat between her and Martha, and I liked the Doctor getting all upset when she said she wasn't going with him.

But I did wonder why they didn't just smash the car window to get Bernard Cribbins out.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 28 April, 2008, 11:43:36 am
Are there budget troubles?  The sontarans seem to have, erm, shrunk!

Starring role for Mike from the Young Ones.  He's a shorty.
Well bu99er me - thank you MV.  I've endured 2 days of "I KNOW that voice, but I'm sure he wasn't playing a Sultanan last time ... ". I even read the credits without recognising Christopher Ryan <shame> .

Good to see he's still finding work.

[Actually I felt the height thing was a sort of tolkein dwarvish thing - shortish, stocky warrior types.]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 28 April, 2008, 11:50:37 am
you gotta love TV / film aliens; Human body, Human clothes

and a funny head.

You thinking of Farscape by any chance?  It was obvious in that they had spent so much on one or two Henson's puppets that all the rest of the aliens needed to be humanoid with strange makeup (see the grey Hazel O'Connor clone for ref.)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 10 May, 2008, 11:29:25 pm
I thought tonight's episode was rubbish, apart from Donna who was great. It had spin-off series written all over it and it was boring, derivative and dull. Nice to see the Sussex quarries getting a look in though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 11 May, 2008, 11:20:20 am
Funny think though is that the daughter didn't change form (face) when she regenerated just like the Doctor do.

Prolly because the actor playing her do not have a contract else where yet :) 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 11 May, 2008, 12:10:32 pm
Funny think though is that the daughter didn't change form (face) when she regenerated just like the Doctor do. ...

It's possible that she didn't actually regenerate.  The Doctor has previously survived his body being pretty badly abused (not unlike many other characters in TV and Film!), so it may just be that Jenny's Timelord body is more able to survive damage before requiring the ultimate recovery of regeneration.

I've got to agree with Kirst though, it wasn't much of an episode.

(It's interesting to see that Georgia Moffett is professionally using the surname that here father had to change to avoid confusion with another actor/director).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 May, 2008, 12:16:42 pm
Oh yes, in David Tennant's first episode where he got his hand cut off, he regrew it because it was within 12 hours of his regeneration. If we can accept that the daughter's creation counts as a generation in regenerating terms, she was shot within 12 hours so maybe her insides repaired themselves.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 11 May, 2008, 12:36:15 pm
I thought tonight's episode was rubbish, apart from Donna who was great. It had spin-off series written all over it and it was boring, derivative and dull. Nice to see the Sussex quarries getting a look in though.
I liked it.  Not for the acting or script, but for the welcome re-introduction of blonde eye-candy. In a tight T-shirt.
(Shallow, Moi?)
And was the final showdown scene filmed inside the Eden Project?  I missed the end of "Dr Who Confidential" last night, so I don't know if they explained that bit.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Jaded on 11 May, 2008, 02:01:26 pm
It looked like Kew Gardens to me.

oh, and I think I'm shallow too...  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 12 May, 2008, 10:36:50 am
Well I thought it was just what a Dr Who episode should be.  A great self-contained story with goodies, baddies and aliens who were, in fact, heroic and friendly.  Lots of jokes and plenty of running (it's all about the running, isn't it?).

Better than that, there was a strong anti-violence theme going through the story which I really liked.  The Doctor made it quite clear how much he disliked weapons and I thought that this was a brilliant way of educating kids against pointless gang disputes.

Oh - and the eye candy.  We liked the eye candy  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 12 May, 2008, 10:47:16 am
^^^ Wot she said. It was also a great way of picking up a bit more about the doctor. I loved the change in his feelings towards her and he realised that she was actually like him, and the fact that she could argue her point with him lol.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: geraldc on 12 May, 2008, 12:25:03 pm
They should have just cloned lots more of the Dr, it's not as if it was difficult.

When will people learn not to create laser grids that people can just somersault through...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 12 May, 2008, 01:24:49 pm
They should have just cloned lots more of the Dr, it's not as if it was difficult.

When will people learn not to create laser grids that people can just somersault through...

They solved that problem in Resident Evil (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8b3vnjCLPo)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 12 May, 2008, 02:07:28 pm
Martha got covered in something sticky and guey again  :thumbsup:

But, back to the plot, I enjoyed the episode, it wasn't a classic but it was entertaining and possibly the best of the season so far.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 12 May, 2008, 02:39:18 pm
Martha got covered in something sticky and guey again  :thumbsup:

But, back to the plot, I enjoyed the episode, it wasn't a classic but it was entertaining and possibly the best of the season so far.

It reminded me of the old series a lot more than some of this series.  I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing...

We need a Martha-spooge gallery.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 12 May, 2008, 02:47:57 pm
I thought this week's episode was somewhat dull, and I found The Doctor v9.1 rather irritatingly bubbly. And I didn't think much of the previous two-parter either. :(

Me, I'm a Monster-of-the-Week fan, so I really liked the Fires of Pompeii episode. And also having a deep love of trashy whodunnits, I'm *really* looking forward to next week's episode. :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 12 May, 2008, 02:48:33 pm
We need a Martha-spooge gallery.

Martha Jones splosh pr0n?

You'll go blind, I tell you!

:D

(http://images.craveonline.com/article_imgs/Image/Freema_p.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 12 May, 2008, 02:53:09 pm
Maybe not:

(http://www.eyeofhorus.org.uk/images/photo/10tennant/series-04/04-thesontaranstratagem/sontaran-clone.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 12 May, 2008, 03:32:29 pm
Maybe not:
(snip)

How did you get into Tuggo's bathroom?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Jaded on 12 May, 2008, 04:47:49 pm
We need a Martha-spooge gallery.

Martha Jones splosh pr0n?

You'll go blind, I tell you!



Could you type that a bit bigger please.  :-[
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: cometworm on 12 May, 2008, 11:04:17 pm

Not fussed who the assistant is as long as it isn't Catherine Tate. Please... please just make her go away. Her voice makes my spine twist, and not in a good way.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 18 May, 2008, 03:21:01 pm
Having just watched the latest episode "The Unicorn and the Wasp", I thought it was rather good.

Tying in Agatha Christies disappearance was very clever, and I particularly enjoyed the bit where the Doctor was gesturing to Donna, and she was making an appalling mess of working out what he wanted!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 18 May, 2008, 03:25:31 pm
Yes, classic Dr Who, I thought

I was also rather impressed with Ms Tate's acting for the first time.  Less of the bellowing lines through a metaphorical megaphone and more real acting stuff

Plus...the thing about the bees disappearing again.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 18 May, 2008, 07:26:35 pm
Well, it was OK, but still haven't had a really good one this series.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 18 May, 2008, 07:36:27 pm
It's still the only thing I bother to turn the tele on for.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MSeries on 18 May, 2008, 07:41:06 pm
The woman who was Agatha Christie is very very nice. ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 18 May, 2008, 10:50:50 pm
We loved catching the Book titles - theywere so brilliantly dropped in

When Dr Who started - "This endless night...."
Agatha Chistie describing the  poisoning as "Sparkling Cyanide"
The comment on the stairs about "The mirror crack'd"

We spotted over a dozen!


The girl is Fenella Woolgar... recently seen with James Nesbitt in Jekyll.




Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 19 May, 2008, 11:54:52 am
I'm getting back into it all now!

I liked the last episode; it's feasible as it fills in bits of a story that are left blank and it also has some clever references like the expeliamus bit from the last series. Aliens killing half the population of the world is just plain silly.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 19 May, 2008, 01:13:31 pm
OK it's not quite Torchwood, but...I thought I was going to have to have a discussion with our 7 and 10yr old daughters about why the son, out for his afternoon constitutional, gazed lovingly at another man, then they walked off hand in hand.  The most we've had from the mini-ao's so far is - 'so and so told me that a man can marry another man.'   :)

Even for Doctor Who, I wasn't sure about vicars turning into giant alien wasps...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 21 May, 2008, 09:25:45 am
I thought I was going to have to have a discussion with our 7 and 10yr old daughters about why the son, out for his afternoon constitutional, gazed lovingly at another man, then they walked off hand in hand.  The most we've had from the mini-ao's so far is - 'so and so told me that a man can marry another man.'   :)

Would this be a discussion you'd rather not have?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 31 May, 2008, 08:21:05 pm
The Library Part 1:

best one of this series.  Fabulous stuff.

Glad we have to put the kids to bed in the daylight!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 31 May, 2008, 08:35:32 pm
Brilliant episode! The love-interest-he's-not-yet-met reminded me strongly of The Time Traveller's Wife. Donna is getting better with each episode. Love it!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 31 May, 2008, 08:50:11 pm
Steven Moffet returns and the quality suddenly increases dramatically!
Looking forward to next week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 01 June, 2008, 12:10:06 am
The Guardian Guide described it as intelligent sci-fi. So, how good would it be?

A stunning episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 01 June, 2008, 08:18:37 am
That was quite good although Dave "Oi, who turned the lights out" skeleton was a bit corny
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 01 June, 2008, 03:49:42 pm
Nice bit of recycling - PC fan grills on the back of the helmets....carrying on the traditions of BBC scifi sfx
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 01 June, 2008, 04:35:21 pm
Written by the same guy who did the empty child and blink by any chance?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 01 June, 2008, 05:26:53 pm
Nice bit of recycling - PC fan grills on the back of the helmets....carrying on the traditions of BBC scifi sfx

I did wonder if they were meant to be part of the costume, or simply there to keep the faceplates from misting up while filming and meant to be hidden?  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 01 June, 2008, 05:37:57 pm
Nice bit of recycling - PC fan grills on the back of the helmets....carrying on the traditions of BBC scifi sfx

 But all the keyboards were from Macs!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 01 June, 2008, 06:34:58 pm
Nice bit of recycling - PC fan grills on the back of the helmets....carrying on the traditions of BBC scifi sfx

I did wonder if they were meant to be part of the costume, or simply there to keep the faceplates from misting up while filming and meant to be hidden?  :)

Yes I noticed that and thought it was a bit.... shit.

Ah, or was it supposed to be ironic?

H
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 01 June, 2008, 09:00:04 pm
With BBC special effects, you're on a safe bet if you go for "a bit shit" over "ironic" most days...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: cometworm on 01 June, 2008, 09:22:27 pm

Does this mean [gulp] that we're finally rid of ... her?

(Only just watched the rerun)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 02 June, 2008, 10:07:09 am
Doubt it: they'd have made a lot more song and dance if that was true.

Spolier ('cos I can't work out how to format them properly):

I assume she's been "saved" as a biography, along with all the other people, including the little girl.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 June, 2008, 11:05:51 am
That was the best episode this series. I was out on Saturday night so watched it when I got back, alone, in the dark.

Big mistake.

I wonder if I'll ever grow out of being scared?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 02 June, 2008, 11:58:22 am
That was the best episode this series. I was out on Saturday night so watched it when I got back, alone, in the dark.

Big mistake.

I wonder if I'll ever grow out of being scared?

Perhaps not, but at least you now know tha it's not an irrational terror.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 02 June, 2008, 01:44:55 pm
Given how good 'Blink' was, I was a little disappointed. The way the people were all got together in the library just seemed to be all about the situation with no believable backstory - 'well, we've got these people in a library, never mind how they got there, just so long as they are...' Nice touch with the lovely Ms Kingston as the mysterious future Doctor / Companion / Timelord (who knows...?). It wasn't really tense enough, that was the main problem - it needed some suspense.

I really hope Donna is dead too, but I bet she isn't...   >:( ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Tourist Tony on 02 June, 2008, 06:10:36 pm
I did like the Jethro Tull "No Lullaby" moment:
"You know there is a difference between the real world and your nightmares? Well....."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 07 June, 2008, 08:02:16 pm
River Song's a bit magnificent, isn't she?   :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Julian on 07 June, 2008, 08:09:18 pm
Doubt it: they'd have made a lot more song and dance if that was true.

Spolier ('cos I can't work out how to format them properly):

I assume she's been "saved" as a biography, along with all the other people, including the little girl.

Nearly right! :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 07 June, 2008, 09:19:08 pm
River Song's a bit magnificent, isn't she?   :P
Professor River Song to you.  ;)

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 07 June, 2008, 11:05:33 pm
I really really really liked this pair of episodes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 07 June, 2008, 11:10:57 pm
Me too, Kirst. Excellent, nail-biting stuff.

Poor Donna, losing her beau... Though tbh, she didn't look for him very hard ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 07 June, 2008, 11:24:39 pm
They might find each other again another time.

So, was River the doctor's future wife, or a future regeneration of him?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 07 June, 2008, 11:33:54 pm
Or his daughter...?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 08 June, 2008, 12:06:53 am
Oh, she can't be a future regeneration of him because you can't have two lots of doctor together at once or the universe blows up or something. Someone on the Doctor Who forums is suggesting that he told her his real name when he was dying - the Doctor said in tonight's ep that there would only be one time when he could tell her his real name, so maybe that was it. Or a wedding.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: geraldc on 08 June, 2008, 12:11:23 am
You can have more than one doctor at once, there was the 5 doctors episodes and the 3 doctors episodes.

The original doctor had a granddaughter as a companion, so he must have had a family at some point.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 08 June, 2008, 09:15:34 am
Sack all of the doctor who script writers apart from him and give him free rein to do as he wishes; that man is a genius!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 08 June, 2008, 02:09:59 pm
Someone was telling me today that he's taking over from Russell T Davies anyway  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 08 June, 2008, 07:52:08 pm
You can have more than one doctor at once, there was the 5 doctors episodes and the 3 doctors episodes.



Ah but on those the timelords frigged it so that they could all come together at once....the three docs were at Omeg's tomb where things don't work like in the real world, the recent two docs were in a tardis, the five docs were brought throught he matrix IIRC (no, not that matrix, the galafray one), and the two docs with the spud 'eds...well that was Jim Davidson when they didn't care about the integrity of the universe if it meant getting a few more viewers.  No timelords or matrix now* so it'd be a bit tricky.  Anyhow, if she were he then she'd have know what the solution was from the start and there'd have been a lot less faffing.

* well, yes, "now" is relitive to a timelord....but that leads on to the whole bag o'fish about why thetimelords were wied out if they knew what was going to happen in the future.....a slight problem that I don't think the script writers will want to tackle.

As for the Dr's name...I think that Steven Moffat is probably one of the few fans of the later Sly McCoy episodes...Silver Nemisis dropped a bit of a vague hint.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 08 June, 2008, 08:43:47 pm
Someone was telling me today that he's taking over from Russell T Davies anyway  :thumbsup:

I also wish that someone would accidentally fill my bank account.

...


...

*rushes off to check account*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 08 June, 2008, 09:10:57 pm
Well, that wrapped things up quite nicely. And anything with Alex Kingston in is worth watching. She is quality. Donna is now acquiring some depth and vulnerability which is making her a much better character. Maybe it is also a case of Catherine Tate slowly becoming a better actor.

BTW, did everyone read about David Tennant's on-set relationships? I thought he was still with the lass who played Madame de Pompadour, but it turns out that he left her for one of the production team, then moved on to another, and now he's dating the lass who played his daughter!  :-\ ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Noodley on 08 June, 2008, 09:14:12 pm
...I thought he was still with the lass who played Madame de Pompadour, but it turns out that he left her for one of the production team, then moved on to another, and now he's dating the lass who played his daughter!  :-\ ;)

I never had you down as a reader of chav-mags FM  ;D

How are Ant and Dec getting along in the jungle?  And what about that burd in Eastenders?  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 08 June, 2008, 10:27:05 pm
...I thought he was still with the lass who played Madame de Pompadour, but it turns out that he left her for one of the production team, then moved on to another, and now he's dating the lass who played his daughter!  :-\ ;)

I never had you down as a reader of chav-mags FM  ;D

How are Ant and Dec getting along in the jungle?  And what about that burd in Eastenders?  ;)


Apparently in the Daily Wail as well
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 08 June, 2008, 11:08:15 pm
They might find each other again another time.

So, was River the doctor's future wife, or a future regeneration of him?

Future wife.

Definitely.

Brilliant pair of episodes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 08 June, 2008, 11:32:44 pm
Great pair of episodes :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimC on 09 June, 2008, 07:49:15 am
Excellent story!

Did you motice that the good prof had three kids to tuck in at the end? The two 'generic' ones and the Doc's daughter, perhaps? Spoilers!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 09 June, 2008, 08:14:54 am
I assumed that the 3rd one was the girl in charge of it all.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 09 June, 2008, 09:30:54 am
Yeah, the third kid was CAL.

I hope you all noted the reference to 2001...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 14 June, 2008, 09:36:17 pm
Well, that episode was a bit crap.  No real explanation, just a lot of people getting excessively paranoid and scared, and frankly I couldn't relate to any of them.  Largely I found them to be a bunch of unpleasant arseholes.

Hopefully next weeks episode should be better, since it looks like we get Rose and Donna, since Catherine Tate has improved vastly, and I actually quite missed her this week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 14 June, 2008, 09:57:58 pm
Well, that episode was a bit crap.  No real explanation, just a lot of people getting excessively paranoid and scared, and frankly I couldn't relate to any of them.  Largely I found them to be a bunch of unpleasant arseholes.

Hopefully next weeks episode should be better, since it looks like we get Rose and Donna, since Catherine Tate has improved vastly, and I actually quite missed her this week.

I think this was the Dr Who lite economy episode.

Another one in the genre of invisible monsters that you can't see, but not as good as the sun one.

..d
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Julian on 14 June, 2008, 10:54:55 pm
Well, that episode was a bit crap.  No real explanation, just a lot of people getting excessively paranoid and scared, and frankly I couldn't relate to any of them.  Largely I found them to be a bunch of unpleasant arseholes.

I think that was the point - when faced with a difficult situation, human beings can show capacity for both great nobility and great evil.  Also, the Doctor doesn't always just show up and save the day.  He doesn't always know; he isn't infallible.

I thought it was really good.  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Quisling on 14 June, 2008, 11:01:58 pm
Well, that episode was a bit crap.  No real explanation, just a lot of people getting excessively paranoid and scared, and frankly I couldn't relate to any of them.  Largely I found them to be a bunch of unpleasant arseholes.

I think that was the point - when faced with a difficult situation, human beings can show capacity for both great nobility and great evil.  Also, the Doctor doesn't always just show up and save the day.  He doesn't always know; he isn't infallible.

I thought it was really good.  :)

It smacked of "We can't afford to do lots of special effects so we'll stand everyone in one place and you'll all have to imagine there's a monster....". ::-)

EDIT - Bah, just noticed David got there first!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: IanDG on 14 June, 2008, 11:07:51 pm
Mrs W thought it was good, I thought WTF. Must be a woman thing?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Captain Zep on 14 June, 2008, 11:09:59 pm
Pretty poor.  Seems like this was the one in each series they've got to make for £x at the most.  :(  Bring on Rose Tyler next week.  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 15 June, 2008, 12:06:26 am
No it's not a woman thing - my 6-yr old niece thought it was crap as well. No monsters!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 15 June, 2008, 02:15:07 am
I quite liked it, but generally was down on standards.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 15 June, 2008, 08:17:46 am
I thought it was one of Russel T Davis' better ones.

Next week's will be rubbish. It's set on Earth again with the "everyone's going to die" scenario again. I ceased to identify with any of these people the moment that the entire population got involved with aliens.

Oh yeah, it'll be a 2 or 3 parter too. Bah humbug!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 15 June, 2008, 11:48:16 am
I really liked last night's - it was about the performances rather than the effects and the monsters.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 15 June, 2008, 01:16:13 pm
I thought that the script was excellent and built a sense of paranoia and claustrophobia very well, but unfortunately the set was terrible. They could have tried a little harder to make it look less like a section of a 1970s commercial passenger jet...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 16 June, 2008, 10:37:27 am
I liked it, thought it was the second best of a fairly poor series.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: cometworm on 16 June, 2008, 01:04:39 pm
Just watched the most recent episode on iPlayer, and the first thing that came to mind was "drama school" ... not my favourite episode.

Given that the trailer mentioned something about Donna dying, I'm (still) ever-hopeful we'll be rid of her soon. But I'm not betting the ranch on it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 16 June, 2008, 01:49:48 pm
I thought the tension built quite well - had our two (7&10) gripped, and hiding behind cushions.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: pcolbeck on 16 June, 2008, 01:58:49 pm
Pcolbeck junior (11) was watching it on iPlayer last night as we had been at a BBQ on Saturday. He came and got me to watch it with him as it was beginning to spook him.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 17 June, 2008, 07:03:00 pm
Pcolbeck junior (11) was watching it on iPlayer last night as we had been at a BBQ on Saturday. He came and got me to watch it with him as it was beginning to spook him.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 18 June, 2008, 09:35:04 am
 ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 19 June, 2008, 10:12:13 pm
Anyone else notice that when the video screens return live as the creature arrives (16:36) it shows Rose shouting "Doctor"

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 19 June, 2008, 10:31:16 pm
Anyone else notice that when the video screens return live as the creature arrives (16:36) it shows Rose shouting "Doctor"

Yeah, I wondered what that meant.  I guess will find out shortly.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: spesh on 19 June, 2008, 11:11:36 pm
I thought that the script was excellent and built a sense of paranoia and claustrophobia very well, but unfortunately the set was terrible. They could have tried a little harder to make it look less like a section of a 1970s commercial passenger jet...

The future ain't what it used to be.  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 20 June, 2008, 09:40:04 am
Anyone else notice that when the video screens return live as the creature arrives (16:36) it shows Rose shouting "Doctor"

Yeah, I wondered what that meant.  I guess will find out shortly.

Well, she's been trying to contact him for several episodes now... I guess it is difficult from another universe!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 21 June, 2008, 08:07:25 am
I enjoyed it and thought the absence of monsters was more than made up for by the tension.

H

Aged 45.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 21 June, 2008, 07:29:02 pm
Three words: absolutely f*cking brilliant!

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 21 June, 2008, 08:19:00 pm
Oh yes!!

A subtle dig at our overweight cousins - the fat's flying in America.  ;D

Plus the cloister bell ringing.   :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 21 June, 2008, 09:07:58 pm
Who's afraid of the big Bad Wolf?

Wonderful episode if slow in places and not a small nod to the classic "Wonderful Life"

Next week looks like a "Who's Who" of the last few years.





Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 21 June, 2008, 09:18:49 pm
Now, that was much better, although so many questions have been raised!  Who was the woman with the beastie, the return of Bad Wolf, more mention of bees (albeit in another universe), how did Rose get to know so much, and for that matter, how did she get there?

It looks like we get Torchwood mixed into things as well next week, so if this weeks was a little slow in places, I suspect that to get so much in, next week might be the opposite!

The whole parallel universe, and things happening differently was also quite entertaining, although a little dark.

Next week definitely looks very promising, I did think the Cloister bell at the end was a nice touch, and nod to the Doctors of old. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 22 June, 2008, 05:51:26 am
Brilliant ep, I can't wait!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 22 June, 2008, 08:45:30 am
Three words: absolutely f*cking brilliant!



Indeed - but I missed the cloister bell reference - what was that?

What amazes me about DW is that is is often feature film quality stuff (with the odd exception) but churned out week after week. Stunning.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 22 June, 2008, 09:13:28 am
Interesting in that Rose refers to the fact that she was "sent"from her parallel universe, and the comments about Donna - "What could you become?"

I love the undertones and the small references to past and future. The way they gradually disassembled the  character list with each one dying in an appropriate manner.

To me though the most powerful image from last night was the deterioration of moral values, and the way  that the "soultion" became apparent to Bernard Cribbins - superb atmsophere and acting " LAbour camps - That's what they called them last time"

Would we?

 






Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 22 June, 2008, 09:15:45 am
Bizzarely I thought that Catherine Tate was a better actress than Billie Piper. She just seemed sort of dis-interested that episode.

Question is; how many weeks will the next episodes be dragged out over?

Regarding Donna, I'm going to go for a "dying to save everything, but in turn becoming part of it" type ending to the multi-part end of series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 22 June, 2008, 09:53:25 am
I think 2 weeks as there is 2 episodes left of this season. It looks like a superp grand finale.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 22 June, 2008, 02:59:48 pm
Bizzarely I thought that Catherine Tate was a better actress than Billie Piper. She just seemed sort of dis-interested that episode.



That's what I got from it too - BP seemed to be just reading out the script in a Rose accent at times.

Anyhow, from the bit at the end of DW Confidential it looks like Davros is coming back too.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 22 June, 2008, 04:01:23 pm
I've just watched it. Oh, it was great. Bloody wonderful, and I can't wait till next week!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 22 June, 2008, 10:18:58 pm
The producer claimed that was one of the cheap episodes. How did they manage that?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 22 June, 2008, 10:24:48 pm
Three words: absolutely f*cking brilliant!



Indeed - but I missed the cloister bell reference - what was that?


The cloister bell is like an alarm, and it's supposed to ring in times of great danger.   I thought however, it was only triggered by the Time Lords in Gallifrey, but they've probably decided to alter that part of history (or future).  ::-)


Also, did any one else think Billie Piper seemed to have false teeth, as her mouth and the way she was speaking seemed a bit odd? 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 22 June, 2008, 10:27:30 pm


To me though the most powerful image from last night was the deterioration of moral values, and the way  that the "soultion" became apparent to Bernard Cribbins - superb atmsophere and acting " LAbour camps - That's what they called them last time"

Would we?

 

Are German people inherently evil?

Yes we could, scarily easily I would guess.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 22 June, 2008, 10:36:15 pm
I assumed the weirdness with Rose was deliberate and not an acting failure ( if you see what I mean). I am expecting an explanation.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 22 June, 2008, 10:36:53 pm


Also, did any one else think Billie Piper seemed to have false teeth, as her mouth and the way she was speaking seemed a bit odd? 
I wondered if her mouth was botoxed, but she's very young for that.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 22 June, 2008, 11:27:52 pm
I must admit, I thought that Rose's speech seemed a bit odd, but I just put it down to either me not remembering what she was like in previous episodes, or just BP being out of practice at being Rose.

Maybe she's not the Rose we know, but some other alternate reality Rose from yet another parallel universe (what does that phrase remind me of... ;D)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 23 June, 2008, 08:51:47 am
Also, did any one else think Billie Piper seemed to have false teeth, as her mouth and the way she was speaking seemed a bit odd? 

I did wonder (out loud) why she was doing a hamster impression throughout....

BTW I am looking forward to the return of Stavros Davros...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 23 June, 2008, 09:04:33 am
Exterminate everbody peeps!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 23 June, 2008, 12:24:58 pm
I assumed the weirdness with Rose was deliberate and not an acting failure ( if you see what I mean). I am expecting an explanation.

That's how I saw it - she's been trapped in a parrallel universe and has been struggling to get back through. Could be botox though!  ;)

The only bad thing about that episode was the creature - it was rather crap. But then again, as The Doctor said, it wasn't a remarkable thing and the effect it had on Donna was very unusual...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 23 June, 2008, 01:31:22 pm
Read an interview with her somewhere - she said that she found it very difficult to get back into the character and had to re-watch all the old episodes to try and get the hang of it again.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 28 June, 2008, 08:00:53 pm
Oh my god oh my god oh my god.

*wibbles incoherently*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: GruB on 28 June, 2008, 08:01:35 pm
Bollocks.
Who is the new Who?
We can't wait until the 5th of July.
Someone must know.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 28 June, 2008, 08:01:53 pm
Well... slap me with a wet Sontaran!

Talk about leaving the end hanging in suspense!







Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 28 June, 2008, 08:04:49 pm
The new Dr will be the old Dr............
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 28 June, 2008, 08:11:30 pm
Christopher Eccleston?

*perks up and looks hopeful*

That was the most amazing episode ever! The Doctor! And Captain Jack! And Rose! And Sarah Jane! And Torchwood! And Donna! And Martha! And Daleks! And Bernard Cribbins!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 28 June, 2008, 08:12:57 pm
One of the girls at work is an avid fan and tips.....

Spoiler (http://www.torchwoodforum.co.uk/images/vote_saxon.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 28 June, 2008, 08:17:12 pm
Slightly OT....

Bernard Cribbins was actually auditioned as the Doctor, but pipped at the post by Tom Baker!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 28 June, 2008, 08:23:28 pm
I really really don't want to be spoiled for next week. I just want it to be next week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 28 June, 2008, 08:30:28 pm
I really really don't want to be spoiled for next week. I just want it to be next week.

Sorry - that's why I gave the option!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 28 June, 2008, 08:32:46 pm
The other "heads up" from my colleague is that it will be a "Feature length" episode next week - about an hour and a half!


PS - Band on the run?

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/medialibrary/images/main-promo/s4_12_wal_02.jpg)




Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 28 June, 2008, 09:04:27 pm
According to the BBC website, next week's is 65 minutes long.

You know when they say the darkness is coming, does anyone else get a vision in their head of Justin Hawkins screaming through time and space?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 28 June, 2008, 09:33:47 pm
Oh very good, last weeks episode was just the start of it, this is turning into a rather smashing story.  Bringing all the groups, Torchwood, UNIT, Sarah-Jane, Donna, Martha Jones etc all together was rather good.  The Bees bit seemed a bit a minor after the build-up, but heah, at least there was a point to it.  Presumably Bad Wolf was just a reference to the Daleks coming back again, since Bad Wolf was them last time?

Next week should be interesting, lets hope it's not an anti-climax, and it doesn't leave too much for the next season!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 28 June, 2008, 10:42:15 pm
I guess it helps that I live next door to someone who played an extra in the Dr Who Xmas special so I know who'll end up as the doc!

Rose's acting did just seem genuinely rubbish as happy emotions she was able to do well, it was jus thte serious ones that were awful!

Also, has everyone noted Rose's bf and mum in the photo above?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 28 June, 2008, 11:11:33 pm
Yay, Micky the idiot!

Did everyone notice Donna's heartbeat?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 28 June, 2008, 11:15:37 pm
Zomg squee! 

And as for Rose... any girl in leather who can cock her enormous cannon with a ka-chock-bweeeeeee! shotgun-charging noise after wasting a Dalek is all right in my book. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 29 June, 2008, 02:43:27 am
Why can't we have 1 day weeks?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 29 June, 2008, 07:52:00 am
Zomg squee! 

And as for Rose... any girl in leather who can cock her enormous cannon with a ka-chock-bweeeeeee! shotgun-charging noise after wasting a Dalek is all right in my book. 

Oh yes - gotta love a girl wiva big gun. Looked to me like she was doing a Ripley. Her gun did need to look a little less like a super soaker though.  :D :D :D

(http://www.collinet.plus.com/photos/ripley.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 29 June, 2008, 08:13:04 am
<lone voice>

I realise this may be against the gushing flow of enthusiasm for this latest mini-series two episodes but I found the contrived nature of them a bit irritating.

I also struggle with the constant recycling of characters that have, in previous episodes, been killed off or relegated to the back of the garage of the space-time continuum.

Of course, despite this, it has got me hooked in and I shall watch the final episode from behind the sofa next Saturday.

H
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 29 June, 2008, 09:44:23 am
I also struggle with the constant recycling of characters that have, in previous episodes, been killed off or relegated to the back of the garage of the space-time continuum.

There is an argument that they are trying to be a little be too clever with the interlinking of episodes.  With the old Dr Who, there was very little between episode other than the occasional bringing back of a baddie.  How many times have we had the Daleks back in this new series?  I know the Daleks are one of the Drs main adversaries, but they have been brought back (and from total annihilation) multiple times, which does seem a little lazy.  It would show more imagination to invent a few new ultimate nasties rather than relying on the Master, Daleks, Sontarans, etc
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: geraldc on 29 June, 2008, 10:44:00 am
Davros was the baddie of my generation. He was the scariest thing on Dr Who. It's good they've brought him back for a new audience. It bridges the generation gap.

The master was always a bit too Shakespearean.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 29 June, 2008, 12:16:39 pm
It would show more imagination to invent a few new ultimate nasties rather than relying on the Master, Daleks, Sontarans, etc

Yep, my thoughts entirely.

They can put together a good plot (I enjoyed the one on the Crystal Moon), although these one-offs seem at odds with the pace and theme of the rest of the series.

I hope they sort this out for the next series.

Also, do we have to have another fresh faced slightly earnest looking young man as the Doctor?

Why not a middle aged, overweight chap with moobs and a fondness for beer.

H
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: GruB on 29 June, 2008, 12:34:28 pm
John Sims, yep, I like him.  The boys will be pleased.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 29 June, 2008, 07:35:35 pm


There is an argument that they are trying to be a little be too clever with the interlinking of episodes.  With the old Dr Who, there was very little between episode other than the occasional bringing back of a baddie.  How many times have we had the Daleks back in this new series?  I know the Daleks are one of the Drs main adversaries, but they have been brought back (and from total annihilation) multiple times, which does seem a little lazy.  It would show more imagination to invent a few new ultimate nasties rather than relying on the Master, Daleks, Sontarans, etc
I'm bored of the Daleks. I think in the first of the new series, the episode Dalek with just the one, and then the last two of the series, were excellent. And the finale of series two, with the comedy Dalek vs Cybermen bickering, was excellent as well. But that's enough Daleks for me for a few years. They're not special and scary any more. They just keep doing time shifts and coming back, and it's boring. I'd like a few years without them now.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 29 June, 2008, 07:52:47 pm
Slightly OT....

Bernard Cribbins was actually auditioned as the Doctor, but pipped at the post by Tom Baker!
Goodness, I didn't know that!

What was up with Donna's heartbeat? I missed that.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Noodley on 29 June, 2008, 07:57:17 pm
Andrew Lloyd-Webber will be the next Doctor...or Ant and Dec.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 29 June, 2008, 07:58:35 pm
My vote's on Carol Vorderman.
IGMC.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 29 June, 2008, 08:00:48 pm
I thought it started off really well with the Earth being taken... and then went rapidly downhill from there. Just throwing everything at an episode doesn't work. And Davros needs dark and creepiness to work properly... great sfx, but shame about just about everything else.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 29 June, 2008, 08:20:40 pm


What was up with Donna's heartbeat? I missed that.
It was ... unusual. We heard it when she was sitting on the steps in the Shadow Proclamation. I wouldn't go so far as to say it might have been two heartbeats, but it was definitely not normal.

ETA: I've just watched it again and paid attention to what Dalek Caan was saying. Things that stood out for me were

"he is coming, the threefold man" - the Doctor? What's threefold about the Doctor?

"the children of time are moving against us" - implies more than one Timelord? The ring was picked up at the end of the last series by a female hand. Is Donna the Rani? That would explain the two heartbeats.

"Death is coming - I can see it - everlasting death for the most faithful companion" - hmm. Rose left him, Martha left him, he left Sarah Jane but then she left him - is it Donna? Or is it his absolutely most faithful companion, the TARDIS? Or is it Rose - she only left because she was whisked into another universe against her will and she's fought her way back.

There's a facebook group campaigning for Boris Johnson to be the next doctor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 29 June, 2008, 09:27:50 pm
My seven yr old didn't quite ::-) manage to keep the whole story from me until I saw it on BBC3 tonight, but very good (if slightly recycled...) anyhoo.

I reckon he'll come back as himself before running out of puff against the daleks and turning into...

dunno.   What happened to his good lady wife and childer from the scarecrows episode?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 29 June, 2008, 11:42:05 pm
Frankly, it's time for a change. Don't know if I can put up with David Tennant's over-frantic gurning any more... :-\
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 30 June, 2008, 08:21:57 am
From my viewpoint, the best episode since Dr Who restarted, especially, but not just, due to Davros's return.  Well done BBC for not mucking around with him, he is still as scary as I remember him from when I was a nipper...

Roll on Saturday
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 30 June, 2008, 08:36:35 am
I reckon he'll come back as himself before running out of puff against the daleks and turning into...
Of course he'll come back as himself. Someone posted a picture of DT with Mickey, Roses' (former) partner, and Mickey wasn't in the last episode.

edit: Cunobelin posted the pic.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 30 June, 2008, 09:58:08 am
More obscure references to past lives: did anyone notice Bernard Cribbins dropping in a line from a Wombles song  ;D

i think that ythey had to work hard in this episode to set things up for the next, thus bits of it were a little awkward.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 30 June, 2008, 10:07:29 am
More obscure references to past lives: did anyone notice Bernard Cribbins dropping in a line from a Wombles song  ;D
I didn't, can you remember which scene?
Wondering why they didn't use Bernard Cribbins as the copper, trying to catch criminals, and making a call with the TARDIS phone and meeting Peter Cushing's Dr. Who? Maybe it was an unofficial movie and not to be confused with the televised series.
IMDB Clicky (http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0060278/)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 30 June, 2008, 10:13:08 am


What was up with Donna's heartbeat? I missed that.
It was ... unusual. We heard it when she was sitting on the steps in the Shadow Proclamation. I wouldn't go so far as to say it might have been two heartbeats, but it was definitely not normal.

ETA: I've just watched it again and paid attention to what Dalek Caan was saying. Things that stood out for me were

"he is coming, the threefold man" - the Doctor? What's threefold about the Doctor?

"the children of time are moving against us" - implies more than one Timelord? The ring was picked up at the end of the last series by a female hand. Is Donna the Rani? That would explain the two heartbeats.

"Death is coming - I can see it - everlasting death for the most faithful companion" - hmm. Rose left him, Martha left him, he left Sarah Jane but then she left him - is it Donna? Or is it his absolutely most faithful companion, the TARDIS? Or is it Rose - she only left because she was whisked into another universe against her will and she's fought her way back.

There's a facebook group campaigning for Boris Johnson to be the next doctor.

It was the 'everlasting death' that got me wondering. It makes it sound like constantly dying or something.

Not a bad episode. They've definitely been setting Donna up for something major. I hope Tennant doesn't disappear cos I like him as the Doctor (and they're gonna run out of regenerations). I read/heard somewhere that he was in contract negotiations for another series...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: onb on 30 June, 2008, 10:15:07 am
Did anyone notice the Daleks saying "resistance is useless ".I suspect they were flying as near to a Borg quote as possible.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 30 June, 2008, 10:25:04 am
Nah, that's a Douglas Adams line.  There are many links between him and Dr Who, and funnily enough, I felt the ghost of DNA during the show - but 'why?' now escapes me - it wasn't that line, it was something else.  I may have to go and fiddle with the iPlayer page to see if I can find it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 30 June, 2008, 10:35:20 am
That was fun!  :thumbsup:

My thoughts as to what will happen: There's been no hype about a new actor, so I reckon somehow we'll keep David Tennant. We haven't yet learned why it is so special that Donna keeps getting her own little universes, so perhaps that will be utilised.

As for "the most faithful companion": just a thought, but has anyone seen K9 lately? ;)

Lots of HHG references: "Resistance is useless futile", the planets hanging in the sky in exactly the way that bricks don't, the dolphins bees disappearing...

Oh, and I wanna cuddly Dalek Caan! :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 30 June, 2008, 11:55:55 am
Oh, and I wanna cuddly Dalek Caan! :D

You're going to have to knit it (http://www.entropyhouse.com/penwiper/who/extermaknit.html) yourself then!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: cometworm on 30 June, 2008, 01:09:45 pm
As for "the most faithful companion": just a thought, but has anyone seen K9 lately? ;)

He gets toasted in the episode where they brought Sarah Jane back, last series or the one before.

In any case, good episode, and although I can't say Donna is growing on me, having Rose back certainly helped.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 30 June, 2008, 02:17:36 pm
I must just have very different tastes to most of you! I liked the downbeat 'Turn Left' so much more, and thought this one was largely a glittery mess. Oh well...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 30 June, 2008, 03:21:43 pm
More obscure references to past lives: did anyone notice Bernard Cribbins dropping in a line from a Wombles song  ;D
I didn't, can you remember which scene?

It was the "open your eyes, look to the skies" bit when the earth is transported - it's the begining of A Wombling Merry Christmas.

Of course, it could be so obscure that it was just chance....but I believe that anything is chance in Dr Who anymore!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: blackpuddinonnabike on 30 June, 2008, 03:25:57 pm
I must just have very different tastes to most of you! I liked the downbeat 'Turn Left' so much more, and thought this one was largely a glittery mess. Oh well...

Nah, I'd agree overall. I liked it at the weekend, but it was definitely an epsiode setting up the climax. And I'm a bit bored of the Daleks. And how come Cap'n Jack can have a gun that blows up Daleks but doesn't leave one for the other two?

With 'Turn Left' it was 10 minutes from the end before I thought, 'hang on, the Dr hasn't been in this...' Much like 'Blink', probably my favourite of the most recent lot.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Julian on 30 June, 2008, 10:00:05 pm
More obscure references to past lives: did anyone notice Bernard Cribbins dropping in a line from a Wombles song  ;D
I didn't, can you remember which scene?

It was the "open your eyes, look to the skies" bit when the earth is transported - it's the begining of A Wombling Merry Christmas.

It's the beginning of Bohemian Rhapsody!  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MSeries on 30 June, 2008, 10:03:40 pm
More obscure references to past lives: did anyone notice Bernard Cribbins dropping in a line from a Wombles song  ;D
I didn't, can you remember which scene?

It was the "open your eyes, look to the skies" bit when the earth is transported - it's the begining of A Wombling Merry Christmas.

It's the beginning of Bohemian Rhapsody!  ;D

No it isn't. BH starts like this "Is it this the real life" or is this just Timperley. And what part did Bernard Cribbins have in Queen ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 30 June, 2008, 10:46:50 pm
I reckon he'll come back as himself before running out of puff against the daleks and turning into...
Of course he'll come back as himself. Someone posted a picture of DT with Mickey, Roses' (former) partner, and Mickey wasn't in the last episode.

edit: Cunobelin posted the pic.

But I also posted the spoiler ith the new Dr Who......
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 July, 2008, 09:01:57 pm
Why isn't it Saturday yet?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 01 July, 2008, 09:05:53 pm
Why isn't it Saturday yet?
I know, I know. Are you missing Woolly, too?  :'(

 ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 July, 2008, 08:23:59 pm
Is River Song the new doctor?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 02 July, 2008, 08:39:46 pm
ZOMG WTF SQUEE?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 02 July, 2008, 10:49:45 pm
Why isn't it Saturday yet?


Dat's 'cos you isn't a Time Lord.............innit!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 03 July, 2008, 08:16:17 am
I hate not being a Time Lord!

I don't think River Song is the new doctor.

Why isn't it Saturday yet?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 03 July, 2008, 10:18:36 am
Damnably linear time!

Everlasting death?  I reckon Rose's wazzing around will end up in her being bloiped out of the timestream entirely. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 03 July, 2008, 10:20:58 am

Everlasting death?  I reckon Rose's wazzing around will end up in her being bloiped out of the timestream entirely. 
I love these words!!  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Regulator on 03 July, 2008, 11:00:22 am
I know what happens...










...but I am sworn to secrecy.  You will all have to suffer until Saturday!  ;D :demon:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 July, 2008, 11:32:08 am
Bugger bugger bugger.  I'm off to visit the family this weekend, so won't be in a position to watch it until Sunday evening... >:(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 03 July, 2008, 12:38:11 pm
The Crowned Prince of the Neologism  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 03 July, 2008, 09:33:01 pm
I hate not being a Time Lord!

I don't think River Song is the new doctor.

Why isn't it Saturday yet?

Slightly OT, but it would be fun....

Someone left hooks you, so you go back in time, let down his tyres and thus prevent it happening!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 04 July, 2008, 09:49:04 pm
Wow.  :o

I've just caught up with the two episodes I missed by being away on a work trip to the States. The way they pulled so many diverse threads together was impressive. And regeneration - I didn't see that coming. Tomorrow's finale is going to be a real tour de force.

But can somebody explain Rose Tyler's false teeth?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 04 July, 2008, 10:47:21 pm

Everlasting death?  I reckon Rose's wazzing around will end up in her being bloiped out of the timestream entirely. 
I love these words!!  :D
They're perfectly cromulent (http://www.cracked.com/article_15269_p2.html) words.
Bugger bugger bugger.  I'm off to visit the family this weekend, so won't be in a position to watch it until Sunday evening... >:(
I too am visiting family, but I have made it clear that I will be watching the Dr Who concluding episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Regulator on 05 July, 2008, 09:09:37 am
We will be at Mr R's parents tonight - but Dr Who is a bit of a religion in their household, so no problem there... :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 05 July, 2008, 11:00:34 am
It's Saturday It's Saturday It's Saturday It's Saturday
It's Saturday It's Saturday It's Saturday It's Saturday

Wooooooooeeeeeeeeoooooooooo Ooooooeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooo



 ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 05 July, 2008, 01:07:29 pm
Five and a half hours to go!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 05 July, 2008, 06:37:59 pm
Here we go...  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 05 July, 2008, 07:48:06 pm
Hmm... hmmmmmm.... hmmmmmmmmm...

well, despite the multiple doctor / hybrid doctor-human developments, I was beginning to think it was really quite shite, until that really rather fantastically downbeat and lonely ending. Just how it should be...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 05 July, 2008, 07:49:29 pm
Top show though now we have to wait until xmas :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: GruB on 05 July, 2008, 07:53:15 pm
I loved it when Donna started to talk like Dr Donna.  That was very clever.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 05 July, 2008, 08:22:40 pm
Exterminieren!

Damn, German Daleks sound skary... :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 05 July, 2008, 08:23:54 pm
I think Daleks talking German sound like it's their natural language.

I loved Captain Jack having filthy thoughts about two Doctors and a DoctorDonna.

That was so wonderful and so sad and so beautiful, plus explosions.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 05 July, 2008, 08:24:13 pm
Yebbut

It's not even a German word!

 ;D

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 05 July, 2008, 08:25:20 pm
Actually I really liked Davros in this one too... and Donna grew on me through the series, although she was far, far outshone by the wonderful Bernard Cribbins... but actually thinking about it, I enjoyed this episode more than I was thinking immediately. I still wasn't as excited by the whole Torchwood / Sarah Jane Adventures link up. But that's probably because Torchwood is pretty dismal sub-Buffy hokum and SJA doesn't really fit at all...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 05 July, 2008, 08:28:01 pm
I'm going to sit by the window now in case the Doctor swings by in the TARDIS looking for another assistant. If you don't hear from me for a while, I'm off travelling in space and time. There's no psycho bus drivers left-hooking the TARDIS.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: agagisgroovy on 05 July, 2008, 08:29:48 pm
I bet the pyro team had fun with that episode!

And German Daleks are so cool! Exterminaren!  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: cometworm on 05 July, 2008, 08:31:59 pm
Thank F for that! The end of the Donna Era, finally...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 05 July, 2008, 08:32:41 pm
Donna was excellent. I'm going to miss her.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 05 July, 2008, 08:33:35 pm
What a cracker. Funny, clever, terrifying and tugging at my heartstrings, Hollywood-style for the ending. To anyone who's ever pondered why an Earth-conquering alien race speaks English - when they're in Germany they speak German - of course.  ::-)

My six year-old niece phoned me up before and straight afterwards to talk about it - she was most dismayed after she'd worked out that she'd be eight when the Doctor returns. Christmas special notwithstanding.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wowbagger on 05 July, 2008, 08:34:45 pm
I thought he was a Time Lord. You never know when they are going to appear.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 05 July, 2008, 08:42:54 pm
What a cracker. Funny, clever, terrifying and tugging at my heartstrings, Hollywood-style for the ending. To anyone who's ever pondered why an Earth-conquering alien race speaks English - when they're in Germany they speak German - of course.  ::-)


Well, I just assumed everyone understands them because of that thing the TARDIS does to translate, like a babelfish. But I suppose they had time to learn German. Good job the Osterhaagen station wasn't in Italy, or the Daleks might have sounded quite comical.

ETA: and I don't think they thought their masterplan through very well. What would they do if they were the only life form left in the universe and they had nobody to exterminate or wage war against? They'd get bored quite quickly.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 05 July, 2008, 09:09:09 pm
EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT :)

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Tennant still Doctor after finale (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7490613.stm)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 05 July, 2008, 09:19:47 pm
I liked how the Doctor and Rose realised Gwen was Gwyneth. And K9! He's such a good dog.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Noodley on 05 July, 2008, 09:24:14 pm
My six year old started watching then found out the Tour de France highlights were on ITV4 and told me to switch over - good girl!  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 05 July, 2008, 10:31:35 pm
I liked how the Doctor and Rose realised Gwen was Gwyneth.

yeah but - what have I missed?  And what's the question about whether her family are a long-time resident of Cardiff?

Am I stoopid?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 06 July, 2008, 10:27:10 am
You must have missed this episode BBC - Doctor Who - Episodes - The Unquiet Dead (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2005/unquietdead.shtml), Click on the gallery and you will see the link between Gwen and Gwyneth.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 06 July, 2008, 10:32:01 am
It'll be interesting to see if Martha moves to Torchwood (which is a significantly better show btw ;) )

And it would appear that Billie Pipper was just being rubbish at the whole actress thing! I thought that Catherine Tate was excellent in that episode and seemed to really step up to her role.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 06 July, 2008, 11:19:09 am
It was OK, I guess.  In fact the acting, the interplay between the character, the banter, etc was great.  Story was a little contrived though.

BTW, given that the earth hd bee zapped away and then towed back- absent for a number of hours at least - wyh was the moon still in place?  eh? eh?

Also, do you think that RTD has something about mother-in-laws (or is that mothers-in-law?) as the assistant's mothers all seem to be somewhat bolshy and overbearing?

Anyhoo, who do we see s the next assistant?  Given their slightly left field approach in choosing Cafferine  Tate as Donna I'm going to go for Boris Johnson as the next assistant: all the requirements: blond, absent minded, looks like the type to run round screaming in a crisis and there could definatly be some love interest with Capt. Jack, if not the Dr.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 06 July, 2008, 11:28:23 am
BTW, given that the earth hd bee zapped away and then towed back- absent for a number of hours at least - wyh was the moon still in place?  eh? eh?

I'm glad to know it wasn't just me who was geeky enough to notice that!

Personally, I'm wondering how the earth avoiding freezing over on the trip back to it's orbit around the sun!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: geraldc on 06 July, 2008, 11:30:24 am
Well the earth had only been gone for a few hours, so I'm sure the moon wouldn't have drifted that far away. Or the tardis could have gone and dragged it back.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 06 July, 2008, 11:47:01 am
Moon travels at a little over 1 km/sec according to wiki. Thus it would have travelled 3,600 km in an hour.

Assume it's 400,000km away normally, then in an hour, it will have travelled about 1% of the distance between the earth and moon's original position.

So there you have it, if we were gone for 100 hours, there'd be problems (assuming the moon, for some bizarre reason when directly towards te earth)!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 06 July, 2008, 02:04:02 pm
I liked how the Doctor and Rose realised Gwen was Gwyneth.

yeah but - what have I missed?  And what's the question about whether her family are a long-time resident of Cardiff?

Am I stoopid?

The torchwood lass who dug up captain jack in the victorian era

..d
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 06 July, 2008, 02:14:48 pm
You must have missed this episode BBC - Doctor Who - Episodes - The Unquiet Dead (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2005/unquietdead.shtml), Click on the gallery and you will see the link between Gwen and Gwyneth.

Quote
The torchwood lass who dug up captain jack in the victorian era

..d

hmm

you're right - and thats just one of many that I think I've missed.

real life gets in the way a bit, eh?  what a bummer!

must try harder...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 06 July, 2008, 06:19:26 pm
My least favourite character in Dr Who recently has been Martha. She just sucks her teeth too much, and has absolutely no chemistry with the Doctor (or anyone else for that matter).

Donna was class. My favourite assistant so far, bar none.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 06 July, 2008, 09:46:51 pm
Martha is a bit pointless really.

Dr Who fans' anger as 2,500 try and call Doctor's mobile number shown during show
 | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1032510/Dr-Who-fans-anger-2-500-try-Doctors-mobile-number-shown-show.html)

I've just used the comments section to say I rang and had a lovely chat with the Doctor, and he's agreed I can be his new assistant and he'll be round to pick me up in the TARDIS some time this week. Bet they don't print it.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Woofage on 06 July, 2008, 09:47:24 pm
I was slightly disappointed after what was probably the best cliff-hanger in sci-fi history. However, the Doctor Donna bit was great fun and using the "clone" Doctor as the scapegoat was a clever bit of writing.

Towing the Earth back was b****x though.

And I really really wanted Wilf (Bernard Cribbins) to ask the Doctor if he could go with him. But he didn't :(.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 06 July, 2008, 09:51:40 pm
I wanted Wilf to be digging a hole.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 06 July, 2008, 11:37:44 pm
I have just remembered with someone's mention of K-9 how stupid that bit was - proper deus ex machina - and I mean if K-9 could do all that, why didn't they just get him to do all of the tricky computer linky stuff? Still, it's a kid's show, and if the kids enjoyed it, that's what matters in the end. Mind you, I hated K-9 when I was a kid - same reason I hated Scrappy-Doo and all those attempts to cutesify perfectly good shows. I have unresolved issues with that pointless robot dog!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 07 July, 2008, 08:26:35 am
<heresy>

I thought it was complete, toe curlingly bad, bollocks.

Why on earth can they not conjure up some new characters, good and bad?

This includes the replacement Doctor who has done his time IMHO.

It feels like Mr Davis has run out of ideas.

H

</heresy>


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Attitudeless Badger on 07 July, 2008, 08:52:40 am
<heresy>

I thought it was complete, toe curlingly bad, bollocks.


</heresy>




Agreed,  as someone who watched the last three episodes I thought this was just like a fast moving pantomime.  If you had seen the the last three episodes, but instead of it living on the Dr Who name, it was called "Bob Collier's Space Adventure" with the Dr replaced by said Bob, I would have thought the comments would be nowhere near as gushing.....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 07 July, 2008, 11:09:01 am
So, anyway, now that it's all over and done with...does that mean there is a new series of torchwood about to start?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 07 July, 2008, 11:45:14 am
One thing a friend said to me, which I think is true, is that Dr Who has become too hamstrung by US-style seasons, requiring finales. This means you always know that nothing really shocking will happen until near the end. The old Dr Who used to be much more flexible in its format - some single episodes, soem that ran over a few weeks, some in long story arcs, and didn't really feel the need for season finales. It would be nice to see them try something that was really integrated and wierder like The Key of Time. And I wish they would stop relying so much on bringing back Daleks and Cybermen...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: matthew on 07 July, 2008, 12:53:00 pm
I wanted Wilf to be digging a hole.

/OT

Round or Square?

/OT
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 July, 2008, 02:32:04 pm
I think overall that the finale episode(s) were very good.  There are always some bits from Doctor Who which are likely to annoy people, and that's especially true in this sequence of episodes, that contained an awful lot of stuff.

The towing of the Earth back into place was a bit silly, and K9 also annoys me, since even by the standards of the era when he first appeared, he's a fairly naff special effect.

There were some great bits in there though.  The Harriet Jones bits with the daleks; "Harriet Jones, ex-Prime Minister", "We know who you are <zap>" was a classic, and Doctor Donna was very amusing, as was the bit with the second Doctor acting a bit Donna-ish.

Over the series I've got to quite like Donna, so it'll be a bit of a challenge to find someone as good to replace her.  Billie Piper as Rose was frankly awful in these episodes, which was odd, because by the time she left originally, the character had become rather good.  Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones was also a bit meh.  I've never found Martha to be as interesting as either Rose or Donna, but I think that's possibly the fault of the character more than the actress.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 07 July, 2008, 04:08:58 pm
...as was the bit with the second Doctor acting a bit Donna-ish..

I thought that was a nice comment on the mockney gurning that DT has tended to display throughout as the Doctor :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 July, 2008, 06:52:57 pm
btw, has anyone translated the German bits in the episode?  I suspect I understand what "Extermineran" means ;D, but what does the German Guardian of the Castle (Valda Aviks) say?  I'm guessing it's various things about not using the Osterhagen Key to destroy the world etc?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 July, 2008, 07:41:13 pm
So, anyway, now that it's all over and done with...does that mean there is a new series of torchwood about to start?

Apparently not, looking around Wikipedia says this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Torchwood_episodes#Series_3_.282009.29).

Quote from:  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Torchwood_episodes#Series_3_.282009.29)
In a press release in June 2008 the BBC have confirmed that a third series has been commissioned.  This is to be a mini-series of five episodes to be shown over one week, with Peter Bennett as the producer, and Euros Lyn set to direct.  In an interview with Digital Spy, James Marsters hinted he would be back filming for Torchwood.  TV Guide confirms that John Barrowman has signed up for the new series, and it is set to air in spring 2009, with a possibility of more episodes.

Which is a bit of a disappointment. :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 07 July, 2008, 08:14:28 pm
Spooks usually starts in September/October. That'll do me till Torchwood starts again.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: agagisgroovy on 07 July, 2008, 08:18:04 pm
Spooks usually starts in September/October. That'll do me till Torchwood starts again.

Rapal (Gaelic youth music program), De a-nis? (Gaelic Blue Peter) and Eorpa (Gaelic Surrent Affairs) start again in the autumn.  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Julian on 07 July, 2008, 10:50:42 pm
btw, has anyone translated the German bits in the episode?  I suspect I understand what "Extermineran" means ;D, but what does the German Guardian of the Castle (Valda Aviks) say?  I'm guessing it's various things about not using the Osterhagen Key to destroy the world etc?

From the Beeb site:

DALEKS: Exterminieren! Exterminieren! Halt! Sonst werden wir Sie exterminieren! Sie sind jetzt ein Gefangener der Daleks! Exterminieren! Exterminieren!
Exterminate! Exterminate! Stop! Or you will be exterminated. You are a prisoner of the Daleks. Exterminate! Exterminate!
OLD WOMAN: Hier ist niemand. Was immer Sie wollen, gehen Sie fort. Lassen Sie mich in Ruhe.
There's no one here. Whatever you want, just go away. Leave me alone.

MARTHA: Ich heisse Martha Jones. Ich komme von UNIT. Agentin fuenf sechs sechs sieben eins, von der medizinishen Abteilung.
I'm called Martha Jones. I come from UNIT. Agent 5, 6, 6, 7, 1. Medical officer.

OLD WOMAN: Es hiess Sie kaemen vorbei.
They said you might come.
******

OLD WOMAN: Sie sind der Albtraum. Nicht die anderen, Sie! Ich sollte Sie umbringen, am besten gleich jetzt!
You are the nightmare. It's not them, it's you! I should kill you right now!

MARTHA: Then do it.
OLD WOMAN: Marta. Zur Hoelle mit Dir.
Martha. You're going straight to Hell.

I was so pleased to find I'd understood the last line correctly.  That German GCSE came in handy after all. :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 08 July, 2008, 08:45:41 am
There's a BBC Dr Who website?! :o

Stupid of me, I only looked at IMDB and Wikipedia... :-\

Ta muchly Liz.  About all I understood from my schoolboy German was "Ich heisse Martha Jones. Ich komme von UNIT".
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 24 July, 2008, 04:17:43 pm
I half watched the Pompeii episode again this week

hre were some nice hooks into future events: "You have something on your back"

But did anyone else get the Tom Tom Club homage ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 24 July, 2008, 04:19:55 pm
I half watched the Pompeii episode again this week

hre were some nice hooks into future events: "You have something on your back"

But did anyone else get the Tom Tom Club homage ?

Funnily enough I watched the previous series last week, and noticed the "something on your back", as well as some other references which I forget now.  Lots of "Bad Wolf" of course, but that's all old hat now!

I haven't a clue what you mean about Tom Tom Club though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 30 August, 2008, 01:00:18 am
I'm just watching Dr Who from S1 as I've not seen S1, S2 or most of S3. Tis brilliant. Next to watch is Torchwood. I just watched the episode with the Daleks/Human and it was brilliant.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 30 August, 2008, 08:44:34 am
I'm just rewatching the first season of Torchwood.  I've realised that I never saw the first half of the first episode!  The box set was a bargain from Play for £18, but it's gone back up to £42 now.

Some people don't like Torchwood, but I've enjoyed most of the episodes immensely, it's a bit different from Dr Who, since it doesn't seem to rely on the Dr saving the world/universe from invading aliens every week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 30 August, 2008, 08:52:43 am
Oh, and there's going to be a special radio edition of Torchwood on Radio 4 on Wednesday week (10th), this'll be part of the Big Bang (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/bigbang/), when CERN (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERN) turns on the new Large Hadron Collider (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider) (LHC).

It should be interesting to listen to the Today programme, being broadcast live from the LHC control room, when the actual turn on occurs!  Baby Black Holes and The End Of The World As We Know It, anyone? ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: alchemy on 01 September, 2008, 11:16:45 am
I've been watching Dr Who for the last few months on a Sunday night and, despite never being a fan in the past, have quite enjoyed it. David Tennant is very engaging and, considering how unbelievably irritating and unfunny she is as a "comedian", Catherine Tate is quite enjoyable as Donna.

But could someone please explain to me what the hell the double episode about the library, the swarm and the little girl was all about...................because I still don't have the faintest idea ??? ??? ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 12 September, 2008, 05:34:59 am
Right all done. As is Torchwood. I kinda miss it now :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 12 September, 2008, 09:54:45 am
Did you catch the Torchwood episode on Radio 4?  Probably on Listen Again...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 12 September, 2008, 11:39:38 am
Was it any good? I love radio sci-fi (well, mostly).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 12 September, 2008, 11:42:09 am
Damn, I forgot to listen to this when it was on.  It is on Listen Again (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/afternoonplay_wed), I'm listening to it now.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 12 September, 2008, 11:44:04 am
It was...OK.

All right, I'll be honest - someone came into my office with a biiig problem in the middle of it, so I missed a chunk.  But it was the usual exposition-heavy, stylised and slightly camp product you'll be familiar with from the TV.

And, re: sci fi on the radio, did you hear Blake's Seven on BBC7?  Top.  Oh - and the reruns of Earthsearch?  Haven't ever heard that repeated until now.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 12 September, 2008, 11:49:52 am
And, re: sci fi on the radio, did you hear Blake's Seven on BBC7?  Top.  
Yes! I thought it was much better on the radio - I completely forgot about the low-budget effects. Good British stuff.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 12 September, 2008, 12:21:08 pm
And, re: sci fi on the radio, did you hear Blake's Seven on BBC7?  Top.  Oh - and the reruns of Earthsearch?  Haven't ever heard that repeated until now.

Things I didn't know, No 85,621b:

James Follett, who wrote Earthsearch, had written episodes of Blake's Seven.

Interesting, eh?

No?  Well, it is for me...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 12 September, 2008, 12:26:25 pm
Hmm, the radio version seemed OK, although to be fair I wasn't exclusively listening to it, I was doing other things at the same time (like posting on yacf...)

If you're not in the UK, or keen to get a copy in perpetuity, it's out on CD (http://www.play.com/Books/AudioBooks/4-/5479171/Torchwood-Lost-Souls/Product.html) in a few weeks time.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 12 September, 2008, 12:38:11 pm
Reminded by this, I've just been off on Wikipedia reading up about Blakes* 7.  I'd forgotten how brilliantly ground-breaking it was.

I was so completely a fan.




* No, there isn't an apostrophe.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 12 September, 2008, 12:46:29 pm
It's a shame that the last episode of Blakes 7 was so pants though...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 12 September, 2008, 12:47:42 pm
Bit cheesy, I'll admit...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: PhilO on 12 September, 2008, 02:48:29 pm
There was what looked like an outside broadcast unit setting up across from work as I cycled in this morning... As DrW and TW are both filmed round here, perhaps I should take my autograph album* with me when I cycle home.  ;D

* I don't actually have one - honest!  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 12 September, 2008, 02:50:13 pm
I have to admit I enjoyed the Dr Who radio shows more than the TV shows, they were broadcast a couple of years ago (and IIRC had one of the Beans as Dr Who and whatserface from 2 pints of lager.. as the assistant)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 12 September, 2008, 02:56:05 pm
Wasn't it Paul McGann as the Dr?  He seems to get left out of listings... >:(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 12 September, 2008, 02:59:37 pm
Was he the one that played the doctor on the millenium pile of pants episode? If so then 'twas him, I always get them mixed up...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 12 September, 2008, 03:00:32 pm
Um...er...I have no idea :-[
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 12 September, 2008, 03:08:09 pm
*Wiki search*

McGann played the Dr in a TV movie in the mid 90s, and in a BBC7 series
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 12 September, 2008, 03:10:04 pm
That'll be the one then, if you can, get hold of the BBC7 ones, they are pretty good, much better than the TV ones.

Oooo and a new series has just started recording, to be aired March 2009!

List of Doctor Who audio plays by Big Finish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Doctor_Who_audio_plays_by_Big_Finish#Series_3)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 12 September, 2008, 04:09:04 pm
There was what looked like an outside broadcast unit setting up across from work as I cycled in this morning... As DrW and TW are both filmed round here, perhaps I should take my autograph album* with me when I cycle home.  ;D
Are they bringing back Tomorrow's World?!?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 19 November, 2008, 12:46:02 pm
Newly released Dr Who history on the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7736130.stm)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 25 December, 2008, 05:38:06 pm
Heads up. Dr Who special tonight at 6pm BBC1
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Zipperhead on 25 December, 2008, 06:51:30 pm
I think on this storyline Andy Gates should be the next doctor!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 25 December, 2008, 07:01:50 pm
Giant steam-powered cyberking vs. montgolfier balloon?  Bring it on! ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 25 December, 2008, 07:23:38 pm
But... but... since when were balloons filled with town gas - the other Doctor said he had a deal with the local gasworks ?

All Miss Hartigan had to do was strike a light, and its goodnight Doctor.

Also, is town gas lighter than air?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 25 December, 2008, 07:57:56 pm
Typical composition was:

    * hydrogen 50%
    * methane 35%
    * carbon monoxide 10%
    * ethylene 5%
 
So yep, lighter.  Such balloons were used.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 25 December, 2008, 07:58:18 pm
But... but... since when were balloons filled with town gas - the other Doctor said he had a deal with the local gasworks ?

All Miss Hartigan had to do was strike a light, and its goodnight Doctor.

Also, is town gas lighter than air?

I queried this, and was told that it could be a gas-powered hot air balloon - he never explicitly states that he fills it with the gas.  :-\

It was OK, and nice steampunkishness, but the cybermen are fairly boring foes, and I got the impression that the ideas exceeded the budget.

Also, who phones up in the middle of Doctor Who to announce that someone is now a great-grandfather? I mean, honestly!  ::-) ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: cometworm on 25 December, 2008, 08:55:24 pm
Grrr! The sound on the iPlayer download (we were mid-xmas-meal when it aired) cuts out at 32 minutes. Trying to download again to avoid baaaad things happening to my TV.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 27 December, 2008, 11:22:34 pm
Grrr! The sound on the iPlayer download (we were mid-xmas-meal when it aired) cuts out at 32 minutes. Trying to download again to avoid baaaad things happening to my TV.

worked a treat for us last night on my new-fangled wireless broadband  laptop/hi-fi/tv spaghetti arrangement.

A treat indeed.

I've also been reading the 'Time Traveller's Almanac - the Ultimate Intergalactic Fact Finder' from BBC books.  £14.99 cover price. £4.00 bought in November from the book club guy that sells through the school.  Fabulous, altough I need to ensure that the little ones don't look at the pictures as they fall to sleep...
 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 January, 2009, 05:01:04 pm
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | New Doctor Who to be announced  (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7807742.stm)

New Doctor to be announced tomorrow. I hope it's me!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 02 January, 2009, 05:39:35 pm
Hugh Laurie FTW, or James Nesbitt lol
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 January, 2009, 05:40:52 pm
Oh no, I don't want either of those.

I want Christopher Eccleston back, but I doubt that'll happen.  :'( I don't know who I want.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 02 January, 2009, 05:43:32 pm
It's me. That's why I've not been on rides for most of the year. And I have a sonic subwoofer lol
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Tom B on 02 January, 2009, 06:23:53 pm
Quote
I want Christopher Eccleston back

Me too. What a wonderful accent - quite superb !
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 02 January, 2009, 10:53:59 pm
'Lots of planets have a North' :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 02 January, 2009, 11:17:36 pm
Name-Drop alert...

I had breakfast in a cafe in the centre of Derby last Monday.  At the next table, talking to other cast members of reduced stature, was Sylvester McCoy, currently in panto at the Assembly Rooms.

My brommie under the table was a conversation piece; he'd been asked to leave some establishment (I didn't hear where) as it was claimed that his folder was a fire risk.  ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 02 January, 2009, 11:25:11 pm
Sylvester McCoy is a genius - his 'Accidental death...' was fantastic (as was his work for Vision On).  He may have been among the not-so-good Doctors, but I rather think that was more to do with the writing & direction than anything else.

Tom Baker should be crowned King of the Time Lords...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 02 January, 2009, 11:50:54 pm
Paterson Joseph. It has to be.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 03 January, 2009, 08:58:39 am
5:35 pm this evening - the official announcement of the new Dr Who!

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rogerzilla on 03 January, 2009, 09:19:44 am
Sylvester McCoy was the father of alternative comedy, so it's said.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: FatBloke on 03 January, 2009, 10:53:54 am
Quote

1. William Hartnell
2. Patrick Troughton
3. Jon Pertwee
4. Tom Baker (pictured)
5. Peter Davison
6. Colin Baker
7. Sylvester McCoy
8. Paul McGann
9. Christopher Eccleston
10. David Tennant
11. ???


OK, so who have the BBC omitted?

Answers on a crisp £50 pound note please!  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 03 January, 2009, 11:30:46 am
I suppose the BBC are rewriting history because they had no hand in the 70s feature films...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 03 January, 2009, 05:44:25 pm
The suspense is killing me!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Soaplady on 03 January, 2009, 05:49:30 pm
It's on Wikipedia if you know where to look!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: eck on 03 January, 2009, 05:49:55 pm
We kinda hoped it would be Bill Nighy, but apparently it's someone much younger.  :-\
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 03 January, 2009, 06:00:17 pm
I know who it is now, as its just been announced on TV after too much preamble, but I don't know who it is as I have never heard of him.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: PrettyBoyTim on 03 January, 2009, 06:02:29 pm
It's
(click to show/hide)
.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 03 January, 2009, 06:02:57 pm
Oh, I don't know who he is and I certainly don't want to go travelling in the TARDIS with him.  :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 03 January, 2009, 06:06:16 pm
Oh I saw him in Party Animals. He did seem ver' young.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 03 January, 2009, 06:06:55 pm
Oh well, we always hate the new Doctor until we get used to him and then we like him and then we hate the next one.

I wonder what Captain Jack will think of him?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 January, 2009, 06:08:04 pm
I've never seen him before either.  The last two Dr's have been excellent, so he has a lot to live up to.  Lets see how he does.  I wasn't that keen on Catherine Tate as a companion either, but she grew on me, and I was ultimately sad to see her go.  This guy doesn't really look like I expect the Dr to look like, but maybe it'll work out.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LE on 03 January, 2009, 06:16:35 pm
Mmmmm intersting choice. I'm looking forward to seeing how they play it.

I'm wondering if they will ever have a female doctor? Could it work?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 03 January, 2009, 06:17:48 pm
The Mrs would have liked Richard Hammond to be the next Doctor  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 03 January, 2009, 06:18:53 pm
Yebbut Richard Hammond looks like David Tennant, just without the acting ability.

I think it will be very different, much more dynamic and youthful. Can't wait.

..d
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 03 January, 2009, 06:26:11 pm
I hope he gets his hair cut.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 03 January, 2009, 07:10:57 pm
You know you're getting old, when Dr Who is (considerably) younger than you.

David Tennant will be difficult to top as the Doctor though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rafletcher on 03 January, 2009, 07:20:08 pm
And we have to wait until next year to find out what he's like  :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 03 January, 2009, 07:33:00 pm
The Mrs would have liked Richard Hammond to be the next Doctor  ::-)

Only a "short" contract?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 03 January, 2009, 11:33:47 pm
Well he will be living up to the name, Dr. Who, the heck is he ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 04 January, 2009, 09:20:47 pm
"I like Matt Smith as the new Doctor Who: he looks like an alien"  :)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4109406/I-like-Matt-Smith-as-the-new-Doctor-Who-he-looks-like-an-alien.html   
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 04 January, 2009, 09:28:45 pm
He looks like a tossy wanker in an 80s wine bar.  That's what careless time travel does to you.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 05 January, 2009, 04:27:37 pm
This is not intended in a bad way at all, but... I couldn't help thinking of John Hurt's portrayal of the Elephant Man when I saw him.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 05 January, 2009, 04:54:04 pm
Matt Smith eh? He was excellent on R4's Go For It, but I thought his career had belly flopped when he got the job presenting ITV's footy. This HAS to be a step forwards.


Female Doctors?
It's bound to happen. Over the last few years LOTS of names have been bandied around the Big British Castle (French, Lumley, Izzard). I think they'll do it as soon as the right actress is available for a reasonable fee. i think their budget is still constrained.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 05 January, 2009, 04:55:02 pm
Matt Smith eh? He was excellent on R4's Go For It,

Oh, God - him! :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 05 January, 2009, 05:06:45 pm
Matt Smith eh? He was excellent on R4's Go For It,

Oh, God - him! :(

Imagine if they brought back Ace to be his assistant...  ;D

Fortunately, it's not that Matt Smith - it's the one who was in Party Animals and Ruby In The Smoke and is actually a pretty decent actor. Well, he was very good in Ruby In The Smoke (alongside Billie Piper, funnily enough) - I didn't see Party Animals.

I can't help feeling he's too young for the role but in fact he's only a couple of years younger than Peter Davidson was when he took the role so I shall reserve judgment until I've seen him in action.

I was rather hoping the rumours were true that it was going to be Paterson Joseph - he would have been excellent. But I'll give Matt Smith a chance.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: pcolbeck on 05 January, 2009, 05:09:32 pm
He was good in Party Animals.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 05 January, 2009, 09:48:21 pm
Imagine if they brought back Ace to be his assistant...  ;D

All my Christmases would have come early  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 05 January, 2009, 09:53:42 pm
Imagine if they brought back Ace to be his assistant...  ;D

All my Christmases would have come early  :D

Ah, so I wasn't the only one! ;)

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 April, 2009, 04:52:40 pm
Not long to go...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: GruB on 11 April, 2009, 04:53:35 pm
No, the reason we went to Swindon early  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 April, 2009, 07:58:33 pm
Meh.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Jaded on 11 April, 2009, 08:01:02 pm
She was rather gorgeous. She could steal my treasures any day.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 11 April, 2009, 08:09:24 pm
Hell yeah.  The Boblbee backpack with an entrenching tool, hand axe and climbing kit is way cool.  She's Ace for the twenty first century and I'm loving her style. 

:D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 11 April, 2009, 09:11:05 pm
Nice sound proofing on that bus, not even one case of rubber necking at all those sirens that were blaring after them.  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rogerzilla on 12 April, 2009, 07:01:23 pm
Would (x3).

Echidnite's journal - LIKE, EXTERMINATE! (http://echidnite.livejournal.com/23690.html)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 12 April, 2009, 07:07:19 pm
Dr. Who's meets Laura Croft.  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 12 April, 2009, 09:09:16 pm
Dr. Who's meets Laura Croft.  :D
I was actually quite taken aback that they didn't mention Lara Croft by name in the "Dr Who Confidential" afterwards.  It was all about the damage sustained by the bus in transit to Dubai, making sure that the sand didn't have footprints in, and generally feeling very smug about getting Lee Evans.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 13 April, 2009, 10:27:55 am
Scriptwriters: The whole universe is his lobster. Any chance of an episode that is free of London?
You cants!

Bring back the quarries, I say!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 13 April, 2009, 10:56:34 am
Dr. Who's meets Laura Croft.  :D


and the monsters from the Matrix
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 13 April, 2009, 11:02:45 am
Pitch Black.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 13 April, 2009, 11:27:11 am
and generally feeling very smug about getting Lee Evans.

I didn't understand why they were so smug about getting him, he's awful!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 13 April, 2009, 11:36:56 am
and generally feeling very smug about getting Lee Evans.

I didn't understand why they were so smug about getting him, he's awful!

The only good part he has ever played was being one of those 'flying monkeys' in The Wizard of Oz.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 13 April, 2009, 05:16:58 pm
Nice to see the old days of budget special effects and card board scenery are still going strong: making a bus fly by applying cheapo Halfords gear-pullers to the wheels!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 13 April, 2009, 07:52:52 pm
I was gonna say, must have had a teeeeny budget.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rogerzilla on 13 April, 2009, 08:03:38 pm
Scriptwriters: The whole universe is his lobster. Any chance of an episode that is free of London?
You cants!

Bring back the quarries, I say!

Isn't it normally Cardiff mocked up to look like London?  Even worse.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 13 April, 2009, 08:08:35 pm
The Cybermen even refused to invade all the capital until they'd had a go on the London Eye.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 13 April, 2009, 10:28:04 pm
Scriptwriters: The whole universe is his lobster. Any chance of an episode that is free of London?
You cants!

Bring back the quarries, I say!

Isn't it normally Cardiff mocked up to look like London?  Even worse.

Often Caerleon, though the werewolf/Queen Vic one was filmed at a fortified farm you can see from our gate

(http://www.bosphorus.f2s.com/run/5.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Bledlow on 13 April, 2009, 11:35:26 pm
and generally feeling very smug about getting Lee Evans.

I didn't understand why they were so smug about getting him, he's awful!

The only good part he has ever played was being one of those 'flying monkeys' in The Wizard of Oz.
I quite liked him in the Fifth Element. He looked such a prat, I couldn't help being amused.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 13 April, 2009, 11:44:47 pm
I thought Lee Evans was OK in this but the overall story was shite. Micro/Bionic Mo was awful as was the Tombraider slant.

Mind you, the 'fly men' in boiler suits was a glorious hat-tilt to Who of the 70s. Perhaps that was their intention?

Possibly not.

H
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 14 April, 2009, 11:48:12 am
I thought Lee Evans was OK in this but the overall story was shite. Micro/Bionic Mo was awful as was the Tombraider slant.

Pretty much my thoughts - I liked the Lee Evans character (I hadn't realised it was him, 'cos normally I dislike him on principle) who was a wonderful send-up of fanboys everywhere, but the Lara Croft character was annoying, cliched, and Just Not Angelina Jolie.  >:(

And of course, it was London and UNIT again, and UNIT are dull. The trailer for the next episode looked more promising.  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 14 April, 2009, 12:01:34 pm
but the Lara Croft character was annoying, cliched, and Just Not Angelina Jolie.  >:(


I thought the 'absolute zero' security measures above the "Cup" were hilarious.
I suppose with the show only being an hour long, they couldn't afford to have her piss about too much.  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 14 April, 2009, 12:09:14 pm
I think the best one they've done in recent years is "Blink" and they've really got their work cut-out to come up
with a script that'll come even close to that episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 14 April, 2009, 09:41:47 pm
For the Lee Evans fans there is Gargoyle onna bike (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv0l2tQRIks&feature=related&fmt=18).

It reminds me of a' Venetian plague doctor mask' when he turns the helmet around.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 November, 2009, 09:47:29 pm
*excited*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 11 November, 2009, 10:22:33 pm
It should be interesting.  The old Dr Who's used to drive me nuts with their four or more episodes per story.  At least the current ones are pretty much self contained (with the occasional two parter), so more instant gratification!

I just wish we had a proper series, rather than these occasional specials.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 11 November, 2009, 10:34:28 pm
I haven't watched that many of the Sarah Jane Adventures - but saw "The eternity Trap" a few days ago, and thought it was pretty good http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ny4nq  ...written by Russell T Davies.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 11 November, 2009, 10:41:12 pm
\o/
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 11 November, 2009, 11:34:19 pm
I think the best one they've done in recent years is "Blink" and they've really got their work cut-out to come up with a script that'll come even close to that episode.
Scariest thing I've seen for years. Definately one to watch from behind the sofa.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 15 November, 2009, 07:19:41 pm
Special on right now

Filmed here

Silent Running (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18420.0)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 15 November, 2009, 07:29:02 pm
Quote from: The Doctor
Bikes.  All I'm saying is Bikes.  Little Foldaway ones.  Don't weigh a thing!
;D ;D ;D :thumbsup: ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 15 November, 2009, 07:55:22 pm
I've always thought that the Doctor would appreciate the ingenuity, efficiency and environmental friendliness of bikes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 15 November, 2009, 08:02:47 pm
Bloody hell that was good.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: GruB on 15 November, 2009, 08:06:02 pm
Ditto.  :thumbsup:

My 8 year old had to bail before she left the containment room.  Too scary for him  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 15 November, 2009, 08:09:05 pm
Ditto.  :thumbsup:

My 8 year old had to bail before she left the containment room.  Too scary for him  ;D
Had to bail.  ::-)  Did he wet himself?  :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 15 November, 2009, 08:21:16 pm
I didn't find it scary but I thought the character and emotional stuff was great, and it was good to see an Ood.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 15 November, 2009, 08:30:40 pm
Bloody hell that was good.

+1 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: GruB on 15 November, 2009, 08:47:02 pm
Ditto.  :thumbsup:

My 8 year old had to bail before she left the containment room.  Too scary for him  ;D
Had to bail.  ::-)  Did he wet himself?  :P

No, luckily  ;D  He was trying to look through his fingers but then gave in.  I don't mind.  No pressure for the little man.  This way at least he will not be in our bed later  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 15 November, 2009, 08:49:34 pm
it was good to see an Ood.

It's interesting where the names they use come from.  Uwd is the Welsh for porridge :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 15 November, 2009, 09:20:37 pm
It was one big Timelord existential crisis. Very good.

Ood/uwd is just a coincidence though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Spinners on 15 November, 2009, 09:23:15 pm
Hugely enjoyable and enjoyed by all the family!

Notice the name of the base? Bowie (Life on Mars).

Tennant is going to be very hard to replace...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: eck on 15 November, 2009, 09:24:56 pm
Lindsay Duncan.  8)  :-*

That's all I want to say.  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: JohnP on 15 November, 2009, 09:51:07 pm
Luckily this was advertised well ahead of transmission time and I was able to find something better to do with my time.

Wish I liked the programme as I know it will be the sole topic of conversation in the office on Monday morning.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 15 November, 2009, 10:41:17 pm
It was one big Timelord existential crisis. Very good.

All a bit "grown up" though, eh? Especially the suicide - not sure if kids will really get why she did it.

It was good, though. But not nearly as scary as Blink.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 16 November, 2009, 12:31:16 am
OMFG that was good. I was scared and enthralled. Cannot wait for the Xmas special  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 16 November, 2009, 10:28:06 am
It were good, Mrs B screamed when the first alien face appeared, but - I know that we are not meant to actually ask questions of the mechanics of sci-fi, and that it was just light entertainment, and I don't want to sound like Comic Book Guy...but, why didn't he just grab all the people, take them to some far of planet of friendly aliens and leave them there to live out their lives quietly?  That way history wouldn't have changed - people on earth wouldn't know they survived and all would have been happy. 

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 16 November, 2009, 10:34:19 am
I wondered that too

Maybe because his judgment is so screwed that he thinks he can do anything now, so there'd be no need to do anything other than take them home ?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 16 November, 2009, 10:49:23 am
Bodger, I had the same thought. I was expecting him to take Adelaide into the future to meet her grand-daughter.

I think it ended like it did a) to illustrate the point MV makes about him believing himself omnipotent, and b) to prove that he isn't omnipotent - after all, Adelaide's death was a fixed point in time, so it was going to happen one way or another.

But it's probably best not to analyse Dr Who too closely or you'll soon start to find all kinds of holes in the plot.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 16 November, 2009, 08:08:06 pm


But it's probably best not to analyse Dr Who too closely or you'll soon start to find all kinds of holes in the plot.




Able to transport sufficient building materials to build the roof 10ft thick, but no folding bikes. That sort of thing?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Spinners on 16 November, 2009, 08:11:38 pm


But it's probably best not to analyse Dr Who too closely or you'll soon start to find all kinds of holes in the plot.




Able to transport sufficient building materials to build the roof 10ft thick, but no folding bikes. That sort of thing?

probably built using local materials...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 16 November, 2009, 08:14:55 pm
In Liverpool?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 16 November, 2009, 09:08:13 pm
Marscrete.

They did seem to have a whole load of kit, but couldn't be arsed to bring a few lightweight folders.

Actually, it would probably have been easier to have just not constructed the base with damn great big corridors linking the elements together for no good reason.

It may well be desirbale to isolate elements, eg put the a reactor a distance away, with ramparts of "earth" to minimise radiation exposure.  Likewise a launch/landing pad would sensibly be physically isolated from the base to minimise exposure to accidents.  This doesn't seem to have been the case here though, they just seem to have wanted a hub and spoke station design, with bits put stupidly large distances apart, and just vast unused sections of the station, which would increase the leak rate into the atmosphere, and create a higher risk of a rupture (aside from the already mentioned stupid distances to travel in an emergency).

(Actually, you would probably want to bury the base anyway.  Mars doesn't have a magnetosphere, so exposure to the solar wind would be a problem, although there is the suggestion that localised fields (possibly frozen into rocks) could provide miniature magnetospheres for this purpose... but I'm getting a bit OT).


Whilst the Dr does seem to be suffering a bit from delusions of omnipotence (presumably to give an excuse to provide some new companions in the near future), he is 900 odd years old, and quite experienced in mucking about with time.  Like James T Kirk and the Prime Directive on Star Trek, he breaks the rules more often than he keeps to them.  It seemed a bit rich for Adelaide, with her 60 odd years of experience, bugger all of it related to time travel, to in effect be saying, "Actually I know more about this than you". :-\
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Woofage on 16 November, 2009, 10:00:32 pm
it was good to see an Ood.

Aye. They are my favourite "aliens" of the new DW. I downloaded TWoM this morning and burned it onto DVD for everyone to watch again. At the end I saw the credit for the guy who played Ood Sigma and couldn't hepl feeling sorry for the bloke. Imagine getting news that you're going to be in DW again but when the script arrives all it says is "stand, move head on way then the other, disappear". Bugger!

I did enjoy the episode and watching it with 2 peeps aged 7 and 9 brought me back to my childhood hiding behind the sofa. Proper stuff that has something for everyone. But wouldn't the appearance of Adelaide back on Earth rather mess history up a bit? And what about Yuri and the other one?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 16 November, 2009, 10:03:45 pm
I noticed that the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton claims to be showing Taking Oodstock.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 16 November, 2009, 10:21:27 pm
, they just seem to have wanted a hub and spoke station design, with bits put stupidly large distances apart, and just vast unused sections of the station, which would increase the leak rate into the atmosphere, and create a higher risk of a rupture (aside from the already mentioned stupid distances to travel in an emergency).


Yes - but it does provide lots of corridors to run away in.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 16 November, 2009, 10:47:40 pm
Yes - but it does provide lots of corridors to run away in.

Good point, and as one of the previous episodes said, they do do a lot of running! ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 16 November, 2009, 10:57:11 pm
I think what I liked best about this episode was that it was filmed in a quarry.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 16 November, 2009, 11:00:23 pm
Except the bits that were filmed in the National Botanic Gardens :)

Special on right now

Filmed here

Silent Running (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18420.0)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 19 November, 2009, 12:10:57 am
Wii + iPlayer + Dr Who = up to speed at last!

That was a good one!  Very grown-up, I was fully expecting him to emo out over the destruction, then he has a Crowning Moment of Awesome, calls time his biatch, and STILL got hosed.  Ha! 

Scary too.  Naughty water.  Brrr. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Woofage on 19 November, 2009, 09:57:47 am
Wii + iPlayer + Dr Who = up to speed at last!

get-iplayer+DeVeDe+Brasero = DVD copy for whenever/wherever I like. Ner :P.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 19 November, 2009, 01:15:57 pm
get-iplayer+DeVeDe+Brasero = DVD copy for whenever/wherever I like. Ner :P.

I wonder how difficult it would be to do get_iplayer HD copy -> Bluray ?

I don't have a Bluray player yet, so haven't looked into the complexities of generating home produced discs.

For some programmes, the BBC-HD version is spectacularly better.  It's really noticeable on things like Wainwright Walks, where the landscapes were rendered so much better, with more detail and without the artefacts of the SD version.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 19 November, 2009, 02:12:02 pm
Yebbut that'd need a DVD player and all mine are full of fluff or Guitar Hero.   :demon:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 30 November, 2009, 11:01:42 am

Quote from: The Doctor
Bikes.  All I'm saying is Bikes.  Little Foldaway ones.  Don't weigh a thing!


And that's when all the salivating really began.  :o

All hell really does break loose when you hanker for a bike.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 01 December, 2009, 02:35:41 pm
I don't like Dr Who in HD, you notice the small budget lol
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 24 December, 2009, 05:21:58 pm
Tomorrow at 18:00 so no CM for us
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 24 December, 2009, 06:18:30 pm
Tomorrow at 18:00 so no CM for us

Bah!  That's why iPlayer was invented.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 24 December, 2009, 06:28:49 pm
You gotta see something that important LIVE, man, its up there with the Berlin Wall, first step on the moon etc.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 25 December, 2009, 07:00:44 pm
wooot we have to wait until next year for the final !!!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 25 December, 2009, 07:02:02 pm
Squeeeeee!!!!!

 :thumbsup: 8) :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 25 December, 2009, 07:03:40 pm
Brilliant!!!!!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 25 December, 2009, 07:16:55 pm
Wasen't scary ? Mr. Simm is brill as a nasty, can't wait until next year.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 25 December, 2009, 07:19:44 pm
Blimey! It's Timothy "You Should've Brought A Brolly"  Dalton.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 25 December, 2009, 08:24:32 pm
"I'm The Master"
"No, I'm The Master"
"I'm The Master, and So's My Wife"

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 26 December, 2009, 05:16:29 pm
Don't mean to be a party pooper, but I thought it was awful. First the mystical nonsense when they brought the Master back to life, which seemed to be more suited to Harry Potter, then the flying around and electricity bolts fired from the hands, which would be fine in X-Men but just looks wrong in Doctor Who.

And worst of all, they forget one key element, namely a flipping story. It seemed to be all just setting the scene for the next instalment, and it felt really long and dragged out. Frankly, the whole episode could have been condensed into ten minutes without losing anything.

And I wish they would stop trying to outdo themselves by constantly upping the stakes. First the Daleks came back and tried to destroy the human race, then the Daleks and Cybermen almost destroyed the universe, and now OMG! THEY'RE GOING TO END TIME ITSELF!

 ::-)

Oh well, I suppose it is a children's programme.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 26 December, 2009, 05:37:21 pm
Oh well, I suppose it is a children's programme.
You darn right it is ! Signed woolly, 39 and a half.

It's entertainment, switch off for an hour, be a child again and enjoy TV program and one of the best ones there is.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 26 December, 2009, 06:54:36 pm
Don't mean to be a party pooper, but I thought it was awful.

Bet you long for the return of William Hartnell and cardboard sets.  ;)

C'mon, Timothy Dalton's in it ferchrissake. The Time Lords are coming back - what's not to like.  ;D

Who needs a plot anyway? My daughter (age 24) would like it if David Tennant just stood there and did nothing for an hour.  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 27 December, 2009, 02:49:54 am
Look, I love the current incarnation of Doctor Who - it's miles better than it ever used to be in so many ways. There have been some fantastic stories in the Tennant era. Just a few weeks ago, the Waters of Mars story was great - really clever and exciting. It had a decent story. It wasn't intellectually demanding but it was Proper Entertainment. This latest one is just not up to standard. It's not even all that entertaining.

The problem with turning the whole human race into John Simm is that the only way to resolve it is with some preposterous Deus Ex Machina type device. And I mean preposterous even within the context of Doctor Who. That's just not how the Doctor solves problems. He does it with his ingenuity and wit. Last time the Master appeared was bad enough, when the Doctor turned back the clock so none of it ever happened. I dread to think what's going to happen in the denouement of this one.

That said, I do think it's brilliant that Timothy Dalton's in it. And I won't be able to help myself - I'll be watching the next one to see what happens.

But I'm still disappointed.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 27 December, 2009, 11:42:24 am
I'll need to watch it again to work out what was going on as my bloody family talked all the way through it AGAIN.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 28 December, 2009, 11:21:21 am
We had a "talking banned" hour, and amazingly is (mostly) worked.

Agreed that turning the entire planet into the master is daft. Some of the best episodes have been the less grandiose ones (Blink springs immediately to mind. Miss TC (18) still looks over her shoulder when passing a graveyard).

Still loved it though - and the TIMELORDS are coming back.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 28 December, 2009, 07:01:57 pm
Don't mean to be a party pooper, but I thought it was awful.
...

And worst of all, they forget one key element, namely a flipping story. It seemed to be all just setting the scene for the next instalment, and it felt really long and dragged out. Frankly, the whole episode could have been condensed into ten minutes without losing anything.

+1 x infinity    :P

None of it was exciting OR scary, because it all felt so pre-ordained. It was like those rambling back-story bits in Lord of the Rings, except you couldn't save time by skim-reading.

I wish I hadn't watched it, and could just tune in for the final 10 minutes of Part II just to see the new (and hopefully better) era ushered in.

[when Mr T. Davies pisses off, will they allow us more than 60 seconds per episode without music? Please? ]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 28 December, 2009, 10:07:39 pm
Curmudgeons :)

I loved it; can't wait until part 2.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 January, 2010, 07:21:19 pm
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the cactus woman running from side to side while the set tilted.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Tourist Tony on 01 January, 2010, 07:48:36 pm
I have met Mr Dalton, and found him a charming man. He has one of those voices (like Christopher Lee) that just ooze depth,character, class, stuff. However,until the close-ups of his mouth I never realised how much shpittle he shprays when he talksh.....

Oh, and a REALLY silly story.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 January, 2010, 07:54:33 pm
Oh, that was great. Totally makes up for the rubbish first half. I loved it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 01 January, 2010, 07:57:22 pm
It was a very melodramatic bit at the end, when he was visiting everyone.  It seemed a little over the top, although I liked the bar bit. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 01 January, 2010, 08:04:45 pm
Still not ginger? I dislike the new doctor already.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 January, 2010, 08:10:59 pm
I think that was to wind Catherine Tate up.

BBC News - Doctor Who plays the regeneration game (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8425171.stm)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 01 January, 2010, 08:55:43 pm
Good grief. That ending was long enough to fit at the end of a lord of the rings trilogy!


And what is all this about dying. All previous regenerations have been relatively trivial same-man-different-body type things. Not an ending.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bottlemasher on 01 January, 2010, 09:06:16 pm
Still not ginger? I dislike the new doctor already.

I have a son who has ginger hair and he asked why The New Doctor had said that.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 01 January, 2010, 09:22:08 pm
Still not ginger? I dislike the new doctor already.
It sounded to me like he was disappointed at not being ginger.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 01 January, 2010, 09:27:05 pm
 ::-)

Calm down folks...

The Doctor: (Tennant) [still recently regenerated] Am I... Ginger?
Rose: No, you're just sort of... brown.
The Doctor: Aww, I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger. And you, Rose Tyler, fat lot of good you were. You gave up on me. Ooh, that was rude. Is that the kind of man I am now? Am I rude? Rude and not ginger?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 01 January, 2010, 09:32:06 pm
Ah. You see, being ginger myself, I took his comment to be negative. Can't think why.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 01 January, 2010, 09:33:56 pm
A bit silly in places, but clever in others such as the 4 drum beats = a Time Lord's heart beat and the fact that it was Bernard Cribbins that ended up killing regenerating him.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 01 January, 2010, 09:34:54 pm
Ah. You see, being ginger myself, I took his comment to be negative. Can't think why.

Apart from the TV licence detectors and one or two other things, the BBC ain't always bad.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: docsquid on 01 January, 2010, 09:38:33 pm
Well, we enjoyed it, particularly the bit with the lottery ticket as that was just so "Donna".
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Basil on 01 January, 2010, 09:46:34 pm
Next but one Dr Who

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Bloke_on_a_bike/anneweakDM1311_468x411.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: onb on 01 January, 2010, 10:04:56 pm
Ah. You see, being ginger myself, I took his comment to be negative. Can't think why.



You were not alone ,although I am becoming more white these days.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 02 January, 2010, 01:23:06 am
I liked it better than the first half, but still felt there were too many longueurs and not enough plot. But some clever touches, and a nicely poignant ending.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 02 January, 2010, 09:35:04 am
I think the Christmas shows are always a bit more showy and a bit thinner on plot - maybe they're aimed a slightly different/wider audience.  Or the same audience after half a bottle of port :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 02 January, 2010, 02:17:19 pm
You could be right, but then again I thought the Titanic one with Kylie had a great story.

And it had Kylie...

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 02 January, 2010, 02:50:17 pm
You could be right, but then again I thought the Titanic one with Kylie had a great story.

Aye, but compared to Blink or the John Smith episode...

Quote
And it had Kylie...

A good point, well made.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 02 January, 2010, 03:06:55 pm
Aye, but compared to Blink or the John Smith episode...

Blink is possibly the best Doctor Who story EVER. It's good to know that the show is in safe hands now RTD has left.

I thought Family Of Blood (the John Smith one) was also Steven Moffat but according to Wikipedia it was by Paul Cornell, who also wrote the superb Father's Day episode, when Rose goes back to her parent's wedding and the church is attacked by giant demonic bat-like creatures.

Steven Moffat did write The Empty Child ("Are you my mummy?") and The Girl In The Fireplace (clockwork robots in 18th century France), both of which were pretty terrifying.

I hope the show continues more in that vein now RTD has left. And I hope there are more Mark Gatiss episodes too - The Idiot's Lantern (Maureen Lipman in the telly) was great, as was the other one he did. And I hope the new Doctor is more like Christopher Eccleston than David Tennant - I loved Eccleston's slightly sinister, eccentric-with-a-hint-of-malevolence shtick.

Not that I'm knocking RTD - he was responsible for some superb episodes - eg New Earth (the cat hospital) and Tooth And Claw (werewolves & Queen Victoria). I even enjoyed the Peter Kay one.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 02 January, 2010, 03:14:33 pm
And I hope the new Doctor is more like Christopher Eccleston than David Tennant - I loved Eccleston's slightly sinister, eccentric-with-a-hint-of-malevolence shtick.


Yes - agreed

Tennant was good but he wasn't really edgy enough, and his mockney gurning used to irritate me no end

I may be biased because Eccleston has the same accent as I do :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 02 January, 2010, 03:24:50 pm
Just been reminding myself of a few more old episodes on Wikipedia...

Gridlock was another excellent RTD episode - the one with the underground traffic jam and Ardal O'Hanlon as a catperson. And last year's Christmas special with David Morrissey as "The Next Doctor".

The Lazarus Experiment is the other one that I thought was written by Mark Gatiss, but it wasn't, though he was in it. He did write the excellent Charles Dickens episode though.

And of course Steven Moffat wrote the one with the hungry shadows in the library. He does seem to have a thing about baddies without faces.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Deano on 02 January, 2010, 03:30:55 pm
I quite enjoyed the Christmas episodes.  It was good fun, though it's hard to see how much more they can up the ante for next Christmas.  One of the things I like most about the new Dr Who is that they get good actors in, who clearly relish their roles.  John Sim was gleefully mad as the Master, and Timothy Dalton made an impressive megalomaniac.  And Bernard Cribbins was brilliant as a cuddly old duffer.

The only problems I had with it were that the eventual confrontation between the Dr and the Timelords was quite an anticlimax, and the last half hour last night was very self-indulgent.  


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 02 January, 2010, 03:32:26 pm
Ah. You see, being ginger myself, I took his comment to be negative. Can't think why.

You were not alone ,although I am becoming more white these days.

I've never understood the thing about being ginger. Maybe its because I'm black.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 January, 2010, 03:34:21 pm
Bernard Cribbins was just fantastic. I liked the last half hour. I can see why people think it was self-indulgent, but they were all characters who were so important during the previous 4 series and people have a lot of affection for them, and I liked seeing that they were ok and knowing what they were doing - it won't matter if the new doctor never sees them again so much now.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MSeries on 02 January, 2010, 03:35:15 pm
And I hope the new Doctor is more like Christopher Eccleston than David Tennant - I loved Eccleston's slightly sinister, eccentric-with-a-hint-of-malevolence shtick.


Yes - agreed

Tennant was good but he wasn't really edgy enough, and his mockney gurning used to irritate me no end

I may be biased because Eccleston has the same accent as I do :)

I think it's time Dr Who hailed from the North East of England. Jimmy Nail perhaps or Anthony McPartlin.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Deano on 02 January, 2010, 03:37:07 pm
Jeff Stelling.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 02 January, 2010, 03:39:47 pm
Bernard Cribbins was just fantastic. I liked the last half hour. I can see why people think it was self-indulgent, but they were all characters who were so important during the previous 4 series and people have a lot of affection for them, and I liked seeing that they were ok and knowing what they were doing - it won't matter if the new doctor never sees them again so much now.

It was self-indulgent, for sure, but I think it was also making a point about the state-of-mind of the Doctor that reflects back to the darker episodes a few weeks ago

He'd been through the meglomanic phase, seen time fucked-backwards at the whim of the Timelords and decided that he was just going to get his last bit of happiness by bending the rules a bit in ways that were not going to affect things overall.

(tho' it was an interesting contrast to the Church episode that Smudge mentions above, where Rose's saving of her dad invokes the time-phage things to the damaged timeline)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 02 January, 2010, 03:40:54 pm
And I hope the new Doctor is more like Christopher Eccleston than David Tennant - I loved Eccleston's slightly sinister, eccentric-with-a-hint-of-malevolence shtick.


Yes - agreed

Tennant was good but he wasn't really edgy enough, and his mockney gurning used to irritate me no end

I may be biased because Eccleston has the same accent as I do :)

I think it's time Dr Who hailed from the North East of England. Jimmy Nail perhaps or Anthony McPartlin.

:)

James Bolam ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MSeries on 02 January, 2010, 03:42:11 pm
Bob Mortimer ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 02 January, 2010, 03:42:35 pm
Oh yes - now you're talking

Perhaps we could have a Scottish one...oh, sorry, as you were.

Or Welsh: Ruth Jones would be bril.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MSeries on 02 January, 2010, 03:46:19 pm
Oh yes - now you're talking

Perhaps we could have a Scottish one...oh, sorry, as you were.



Or Welsh: Ruth Jones would be bril.
Rob Bryden
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 02 January, 2010, 03:49:25 pm
How about the Chuckle Brothers as a timelord and sidekick ensemble?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 02 January, 2010, 05:54:50 pm
How about the Chuckle Brothers as a timelord and sidekick ensemble?

With the one sonic-screwdriver between them. "to me, to you"
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 02 January, 2010, 05:59:30 pm




I think it's time Dr Who hailed from the North East of England. Jimmy Nail perhaps or Anthony McPartlin.

The Doctor traditionally runs from new adversaries and then works out a scheme in how to defeat them.

You can't have the Doctor instantly wading into the bad guys and kicking the ever loving shit straight out of them.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Greenbank on 03 January, 2010, 03:25:11 am
Jeff Stelling.

Chris Kamara.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 03 January, 2010, 01:21:08 pm
<sigh>

Well, it had a few good bits, but overall I wish I hadn't watched. It's come to something when John Prescott can upstage David Tennent on NYDay tv.

Still, some of you seemed to love it, so I'll file it with mushrooms, and accept I just never "got" the RTD era.

I'm still optimstic about the Moffat era.

[What The F was that "Nuclear Bolt" nonsense about? Couldn't they have just killed him off 'normally'. <exits stage left tutting ... > ]

p.s. is noone going to mention all the Star Wars pastiche stuff?!?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Greenbank on 03 January, 2010, 02:45:34 pm
p.s. is noone going to mention all the Star Wars pastiche stuff?!?

Kirst made a start:-

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the cactus woman running from side to side while the set tilted.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 03 January, 2010, 03:14:09 pm
That was more Star Trek than Star Wars to be honest. It still makes me giggle.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MSeries on 03 January, 2010, 03:16:25 pm
It was probably the camera tilting rather than the set by the way.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 03 January, 2010, 03:23:06 pm
(http://i578.photobucket.com/albums/ss226/SgtBikeo/Noone3.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 January, 2010, 03:53:14 pm
I'm not sure I agree that using a bar with Aliens in it makes it related to Star Wars.  Bars and pub are pretty common in most contemporary programmes (and others like Westerns), so I don't see why they shouldn't be used in other Science Fiction stories just because Star Wars had a notable bar scene.  Possibly there are other elements which make it related to Star Wars, but I didn't notice them.

I thought that short scene was actually rather well done, with a mixture of unknown characters as well as a few from previous episodes, like the somewhat inebriated Adipose. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 03 January, 2010, 04:28:43 pm
Just seen a preview of the forthcoming episodes.  The Weeping Angels are making a return.  Eek!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 03 January, 2010, 04:36:58 pm
Noooooooooooooooooooo!  :o *hides under the bed for rest of year*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 January, 2010, 04:39:12 pm
Oh. Cool. :thumbsup:

Blink was an exceptionally good episode, even though it didn't really feature much of the Doctor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 03 January, 2010, 04:44:39 pm

Got the link now for the forthcoming adversaries (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/newyear/).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Greenbank on 03 January, 2010, 05:33:47 pm
That was more Star Trek than Star Wars to be honest. It still makes me giggle.

D'Oh, yes, brain not engaged.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 03 January, 2010, 09:55:12 pm
I thought it was good on the whole - the whole of Dr Who is built around convenient story devices, so I had no problem with nuclear bolts.   :)  Wasn't so sure about RTD having his Cap'n Jack - Alonso 'are you thinking what I'm thinking, nudge, nudge' moment though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 03 January, 2010, 10:01:46 pm
What about his Martha & Mickey are married moment? What's that about? Wasn't she engaged to someone else?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 03 January, 2010, 10:03:40 pm
I wasn't too impressed with his leap from the speeding spaceship and scoring a bulls-eye through
the centre of the glass dome and then surviving it. (really though, I should've been)

I kind of missed the next few minutes because I was too busy thinking... 'no 'kin way?'

Ah, it's only a bit of fun.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Deano on 04 January, 2010, 12:57:15 pm
Jeff Stelling.

Chris Kamara.

Unbelievable, Jeff Doctor!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 11 January, 2010, 11:17:28 pm
Oh. Cool. :thumbsup:

Blink was an exceptionally good episode, even though it didn't really feature much of the Doctor.
We just watched this one again. Blumming heck, it's good. And scary. Apparently it got the second highest 'BBC Fear Forecaster' rating for a Doctor Who episode.

But I still don't get this: if Sally gives the Doctor a folder containing information on everything which occurs during the episode, which he uses to get himself out of 1969, where do the original ideas come from? For example, the idea of making the Angels surround the fading TARDIS, ending up locked in each other's gaze. If the Doctor is told that this happens by Sally Sparrow's information folder, then where did the original idea come from?

*wibbles off into a brain-spin*   :facepalm:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 12 January, 2010, 12:02:40 pm
Oh. Cool. :thumbsup:

Blink was an exceptionally good episode, even though it didn't really feature much of the Doctor.
We just watched this one again. Blumming heck, it's good. And scary. Apparently it got the second highest 'BBC Fear Forecaster' rating for a Doctor Who episode.

But I still don't get this: if Sally gives the Doctor a folder containing information on everything which occurs during the episode, which he uses to get himself out of 1969, where do the original ideas come from? For example, the idea of making the Angels surround the fading TARDIS, ending up locked in each other's gaze. If the Doctor is told that this happens by Sally Sparrow's information folder, then where did the original idea come from?

*wibbles off into a brain-spin*   :facepalm:

Ask Jeeves, go on... Do it!  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 29 March, 2010, 01:40:45 pm
Gratuitous Thread-Bump.
Just so that it's on the front page, so the enthusiasts out there in YACF-land can find it easily to discuss the first Matt Smith episode, broadcast this Saturday at 18.20.
 O:-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Moloko on 29 March, 2010, 02:01:44 pm
Matt Smith really reminds me of Christopher Lambert.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 29 March, 2010, 03:10:36 pm
Programme about Delia Derbyshire on R4 now.  Started 1502.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Bledlow on 29 March, 2010, 05:55:13 pm
Heard & enjoyed.

Hmm. Anyone else regret Paterson Joseph not getting the job?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 29 March, 2010, 05:58:07 pm
I'm looking forward to the next lot of the Doctor but I'm not so sure about this new fella, but lets see on Saturday.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Bledlow on 29 March, 2010, 06:00:36 pm
I must admit I wasn't too sure about David Tennant to start with, but he won me over quite quickly.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 29 March, 2010, 09:57:33 pm
What interests me is whether they will develop the more vulnerable and lonely Doctor that Ecclestone created and Tennant followed.

Will we take a step back, or develop this further?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 29 March, 2010, 11:56:56 pm
Programme about Delia Derbyshire on R4 now.  Started 1502.

Thanks for the tip-off - and hurrah for iPlayer! Something nice to listen to in bed.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 31 March, 2010, 10:06:12 pm
Well is is at it even before he have started

'Doctor Who' star's airport troubles | TV Blog - Yahoo! TV UK (http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/blog/article/415065/)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 31 March, 2010, 10:13:43 pm
Well is is at it even before he have started

'Doctor Who' star's airport troubles | TV Blog - Yahoo! TV UK (http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/blog/article/415065/)

As someone who has on two separate occasions over the years had swiss army knives picked up on airport x-ray, I have some sympathy.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 31 March, 2010, 11:01:23 pm
Damn, I had better make sure I don't carry any light sabres or ray guns through airline security. :-\
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Woofage on 31 March, 2010, 11:39:03 pm
I saw that the beeb was showing a preview in the form of The Eleventh Hour: The First Minute. I set my Myth box to record this not noticing it would be repeated constantly from 6am to 2pm. 8 hours of the same thing! Good job I had plenty of disk space... :-[
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 01 April, 2010, 07:02:59 pm
For Whovian Hitch-hiker fans:

BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - The Doctor and Douglas (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rp3dw)

Fri 11am R4

(Adams was the script editor for a while)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 01 April, 2010, 08:16:22 pm
Well is is at it even before he have started

'Doctor Who' star's airport troubles | TV Blog - Yahoo! TV UK (http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/blog/article/415065/)

As someone who has on two separate occasions over the years had swiss army knives picked up on airport x-ray, I have some sympathy.

I have a sonic screwdriver at work, and it is a joke that works well whenever one of the Gamma Cameras goes down. Half the time the fix is simple and the driver is an embellishment, but is fun
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 02 April, 2010, 10:11:08 pm
Well I finally saw the two Christmas specials. I made a couple of DVDs from my brother-in-law's hard drive/DVD recorder but they turned out to be coasters. Not as spectacularly good as I was led to believe, but I'm looking forward to the new Doctor now.

I thought all the Star Wars references were a bit much though!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 April, 2010, 11:12:50 pm
This is the first time since it came back that I haven't been at all excited about a new series starting.  :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Martin on 03 April, 2010, 10:09:00 am
you know you're getting old when you can't believe it was 5 years ago that the last one took over;

I missed both the Xmas specials, nice to see them. #2 son is gutted at the loss of DT
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 03 April, 2010, 11:20:11 am
This is the first time since it came back that I haven't been at all excited about a new series starting.  :(
Russell T - OUT
Stephan Moffat - IN

as a result, I am the closest to excited that I have been since it came back!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Bledlow on 03 April, 2010, 03:30:51 pm
If only Douglas Adams hadn't died, & had been tempted back.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 03 April, 2010, 07:28:42 pm
Our verdict: first half: rubbish; second half: thumbs up!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 03 April, 2010, 07:30:03 pm
I really really really liked that. Matt Smith might be a potato-faced Doctor, but I think he has captured the essential Doctorness very well. Yes, very good.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 03 April, 2010, 07:34:09 pm
Jury is still out for me. I probably need to give him a week or two.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 03 April, 2010, 07:39:03 pm
It took a bit of time to get going but it turned out fine in the end.  :thumbsup:

Is Amy going to marry, tomorrow, Geoff, the nurse, or someone else?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 03 April, 2010, 07:42:21 pm
I though it was ace

Gone is David Tennant's gurning. Matt Smith is playing it like a duffer, but with a really dark subtext just peeping through the slapstick, and already building is a sense of unreliability and apparent big-headedness.  Quite clever, I felt.

The writing was good - much more subtle than I think it seems at first viewing.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 03 April, 2010, 07:57:17 pm
I was looking for a dark subtext but didn't quite get it... hopefully it will return. The first few minutes looked as if it was aimed exclusively at a demographic personified by my 7-year old niece, but it improved from there on. I don't have any doubts that Matt Smith will be an excellent Doctor. My only criticism was the storyline of shapeshifting alien followed by spaceships hovering over the earth seems a bit tiresome by now.

The writing was excellent, apart from a couple of too-obvious gags.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 03 April, 2010, 08:56:11 pm
Brilliant! Proper scary as it should be. Matt Smith is great. Excellent script.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 April, 2010, 09:19:21 pm
I'm not yet sure about Matt Smith, although I'm not really a fan of his bow tie.

Amy Pond (aka Karen Gillan) is definitely a :thumbsup: however!

Attractive Scottish redhead, what's not to like. ;D

This episode was a bit of a light story, although not too bad.  I'm sure some of the later episodes will be better, this one had to create the new Doctors character a bit, put in place some of the back story, and set the scene for some future bits (like what's the "Silence will fall" stuff about?)

It's interesting that along with a new Doctor, we got a newly decorated Tardis, and even a slightly funked up Theme music.

I did like the way he kept on coming back much later than he was supposed to.  So much for being a "Time" Lord. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 03 April, 2010, 09:35:33 pm
Someone has eaten the Tardis.......


The new opening is awful, music butchered even more and the Tardis looks like it has been swallowed and is flowing through an intestine

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 03 April, 2010, 09:37:58 pm
it's just change.  Don't be frightened ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 03 April, 2010, 09:38:15 pm
Yes, I was very upset by the new music.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 03 April, 2010, 09:41:31 pm
Yes, I was very upset by the new music.

I dont like the new titles, but it could be worse.  I used to be well freaked out by the time vortex in the titles when I was little  :o.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 03 April, 2010, 09:41:44 pm
I wasn't too keen on the new theme tune, but I loved the funky film-style music at the end (which I ended up humming for about half an hour afterwards. Woolly can attest to this).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 03 April, 2010, 09:44:48 pm
The new music is awful.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 03 April, 2010, 10:38:09 pm
Don't like the new credits, but I like the way the new doctor is written. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 03 April, 2010, 11:16:31 pm
I have the Pertwee/Baker era music on my iTunes, and the Tennant version was a worthy interpretation of a classic. But I'm not keen on this new one, it seems to be diverging from the original melody too much.

And I think the Tardis has gone a bit too steampunk - that car windscreen washer tank stood out like a sore thumb.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 03 April, 2010, 11:44:40 pm
Overall pretty good, but parts of the plot were too predictable (as soon as he said he'd be back in 5 minutes it was obvious he wouldn't be - like Girl in the Fireplace).

There was also subtle nod to the Russell Davies style of dressing the assistants; when Amy was explaining that she had the choice of either wearing the police uniform or a french maid's outfit - all of the other assistants since it came back on have been dressed as a maid at some point.

I'll reserve overall judgement until it has settled down a bit.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 04 April, 2010, 12:11:26 am
I'll reserve overall judgement until it has settled down a bit.

Exactly - the first episode of a new era has to set the scene, establish the characters, we'll have to wait for the first proper series in order to pass judgement.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Dez on 04 April, 2010, 12:31:08 am
It seems the Doctor has regenerated as Tigger...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: microphonie on 04 April, 2010, 11:09:26 am
I don't normally watch Dr Who (the last Dr I remember watching is Tom Baker) but I channel-hopped & joined this at the point he was food tasting. For some reason* I just kept watching & quite enjoyed it. I was quite impressed by Matt Smith though.

The theme tune played over the closing credits was awful: they'd have been better off using the version by Orbital.

*Might have something to do with this:

Amy Pond (aka Karen Gillan) is definitely a :thumbsup: however!Attractive Scottish redhead, what's not to like. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 04 April, 2010, 11:23:42 am
I like the steampunk Tardis. Steampunk is good.

I listened to the Delia Derbyshire programme Clarion mentioned. The original theme tune still sounds incredible, waaaay ahead of its time. The latest incarnation sounds strangely old fashioned by comparison.

My TV writer friend has already seen ep2 and says it's even better than the first. He also hinted at what's in ep3 and I'm very excited!

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 04 April, 2010, 03:45:46 pm
Overall pretty good, but parts of the plot were too predictable (as soon as he said he'd be back in 5 minutes it was obvious he wouldn't be - like Girl in the Fireplace).

Predictable plots in Dr Who? That's nothing new. I think the first episode I ever watched as a 5 year old in 1977 was completely predictable to even my stupid young mind!!

I enjoyed it. The new Doctor is good and Amy is foxy!!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 04 April, 2010, 04:07:43 pm
It was ok, don't like the new theme. New Tardis is good, new assistant is good, particularly that she doesn't exactly want to go along with everything the doc says. As for Matt, it's too early to tell but so far he's not bad.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 04 April, 2010, 06:00:40 pm
-VEs:
Assistant - OK so far, choice of wardrobe pandering a little to the dad vote.(but then they've worn jungle thongs and bikinis in the past ... )
New music - pretty sucky, although the ooo-wee-ooo seemed more like old times than last season's?
New Tall Tardis - whaaaat?!? if it's not going to look like an actual police box, what is the point?!? Change it to something modern/practical/spaceship-like, but this is worse - something that looks only slighly like a police phonebox :facepalm:
Foreground Music - I thought Moffat might fix this, but no, I shall have to accept defeat. We seem to be stuck in an era where 67mins/70 require music to remind the viewer to be excited. Sigh.

however ...
New doctor - pretty good so far, less anoying than Tennant, some subtlety there.
Dialogue - top notch. Just what fans of Coupling & Joking Apart would hope for. Really excellent silly lines.(oh and the climbing UP out of the Tardis visual gag was cute).

Fortunately, the pros are much more significant than the cons, so

:big thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: geoff on 04 April, 2010, 06:46:02 pm
oh good - repeat appears to be on BBC3 in 15 minutes ( 7 pm tonight), so I can set the PVR to catch it "for the kids".
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 April, 2010, 07:26:02 pm
An interesting comment I read that someone else made, is that the character of Amy Pond allowed more flexibility, since the Doctor is constrained to keep at least partially in "character" with his predecessors, whereas Amy is totally new, so the actress can do what she wants.

Karen Gillan does do a good job as the new companion, she's amusing, interestingly surprised and confused, but still manages to come across as pro-active and her own confident person.

She should be interesting in future episodes, but most of the recent companions have turned out to be excellent, and I was much more suspicious of Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman and Catherine Tate than I am of Karen Gillan.  It was a bit of a shame that Kylie didn't do more than the one special, since I thought she also did the companion thing rather well.

What's also quite amusing, is that I was thinking how well they had done in casting Amelia, since she looks so much like Amy.  Of course, after watching Dr Who Confidential I found that they are actually cousins, which explains it!

Oh, and the young actress playing Amelia was also excellent, it's rare to see such a young actress behave in such a plausible fashion.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 05 April, 2010, 08:28:02 pm
-VEs:
Assistant - OK so far, choice of wardrobe pandering a little to the dad vote.(but then they've worn jungle thongs and bikinis in the past ... )

How on earth is that a negative?  ???

But seeing a you have reminded me of my pubescent yankings:

(http://www.radiotimes.com/shows/doctor-who/gallery/companions/013/photo_lrg.jpg)

 :P

H
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 06 April, 2010, 11:16:54 am
shite story...but then they always tend to be when introducing a new doc.

quite liked him as a doctor though.  defo has potential.

new assistant....i think that the little kid was better than her older self.

am off out now to the charity shops to buy up all the tweed jackets and flog them on ebay for silly money.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 06 April, 2010, 07:40:39 pm
Has anyone else noticed that they spend so much less time in the TARDIS than in the old days? Presumably they have better budgets for location shoots now.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 06 April, 2010, 11:08:44 pm
shite story...but then they always tend to be when introducing a new doc.

quite liked him as a doctor though.  defo has potential.

new assistant....i think that the little kid was better than her older self.

am off out now to the charity shops to buy up all the tweed jackets and flog them on ebay for silly money.
However this could be misconstrued........ Middle aged man (if that can be said?) travels universe with small girl
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Snazzaroo1845 on 07 April, 2010, 08:30:13 pm
Let's put it this way: it was better than I first anticipated. I was all up for giving Matt Smith a chance, although I did think that David Tennant was amazing. However, the episode itself was alright - we'll have to accept the fact that it was the intro to the new doc, so it wasn't great, but Steven Moffat always writes good episodes ('Blink' was among those). The part where the Doctor observes the whole area, zooming in on every individual character until they see the 'man' and his 'dog' was, to be fair, a little boring. It dragged out a bit.

I have a strong feeling that the 'silence will fall' quote we reoccur somewhere along the line - then again, the 'he will knock four times' thing last series was a little misleading (it was only Wilf).  ::-)

Karen Gillan was very good - Doctor Who seems to be getting a little sexual though, doesn't it? Amy Pond - a kiss-o-gram, and a woman who watched the Doctor get dressed, despite the fact that she's engaged...  ???

Also, the little girl that portrayed the young Amy Pond is in fact Karen Gillan's cousin, hence the look-alike...ness  ;)

So overall, I think we're in for a fairly good series - with Steven as head writer, the return of the weeping angels  :o and a new Doctor, who's better than I thought he was going to be - it should be good  :)

Although one last thing... I was very, very disappointed in the new title screen/music.

All I could do was laugh.  :-\

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 07 April, 2010, 11:58:01 pm
I have a strong feeling that the 'silence will fall' quote we reoccur somewhere along the line

I was a bit disappointed at first that the crack in the wall part of the story wasn't developed further because I thought there was a lot of potential there. But there were several not-so-subtle clues that it would form a key part of the main series storyline...

Could be good as long as it isn't just a rehash of the Bad Wolf story.

Quote
a woman who watched the Doctor get dressed, despite the fact that she's engaged...  ???

She wasn't engaged at the time of that scene - don't forget, when the Doctor comes back to collect her, it's two years later.

Quote
So overall, I think we're in for a fairly good series - with Steven as head writer, the return of the weeping angels  :o and a new Doctor, who's better than I thought he was going to be - it should be good  :)

Yeah - the story was a bit by numbers, but it worked fine as a vehicle to introduce the new Doctor. Performance-wise, it was a really strong first showing for Matt Smith. Plus we got to meet a really interesting new assistant and were treated to some excellent dialogue. Bodes very well for the series.

But they're going to have to do something very special to make the Weeping Angels that scary a second time.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 10 April, 2010, 07:03:46 pm
"I'm Liz 10. Basically, I rule." :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 10 April, 2010, 07:04:54 pm
Well, that was fairly shit in terms of story but very interesting in terms of the relationship between the Doctor and Amy. Not at all excited about more Daleks though. They need to not give us Daleks for a couple of years - I'm bored of them.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hulver on 10 April, 2010, 07:28:23 pm
Well, that was fairly shit in terms of story but very interesting in terms of the relationship between the Doctor and Amy. Not at all excited about more Daleks though. They need to not give us Daleks for a couple of years - I'm bored of them.


I thought that one of the problems with the David T episodes was all the old stuff they kept bringing back. They're definately overdoing the Daleks.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Deano on 10 April, 2010, 07:52:35 pm
The first thought I had on seeing the Daleks was "Phew, at least this means they won't be in the series finale".

I enjoyed that a great deal - the story was a bit weak, but I loved that weird Britain (it reminded me a lot of the future Britain in V for Vendetta), and the scary booths.  Very Gothic.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 10 April, 2010, 08:14:05 pm
I haven't enjoyed Dr Who for decades.

Christopher Eccleston tempted me back but Tennant reminded me very much of a smug Tosser so I gave up watching(plus the CGI budget made it quite embarrassing).

Most of all though, it's for kids.  It's like Harry Potter in that respect, it's only OK to watch if you are watching it with your kids.  I have a 12 year-old daughter who not only wanted to start watching Dr Who this series but looks uncannily like the new assistant.

Anyway, despite the usual low-budget CGI, I thought both episodes were extremely good (this is a kids show remember so my comments are in context).

I thought the episode tonight was a great story, owing a lot to "Memento" (and probably some classic novel I haven't read), knowing the terrible truth and having the option to forget or, if your morals are such, choosing the option to die for them.

Do stories get much better than that?  "Hobson's Choice" was never accused of being a poor story, "Memento" is a great story.

Best of all though, it isn't David Tennant and the new fella seems a good fit for the role.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hulver on 10 April, 2010, 08:24:47 pm
I liked that he's not a know everything show off.

The David Tennant doctor would have hit the queen's button and then explained it all really smugly, while saying "ha" a lot.

I'm quite liking this new doctor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 10 April, 2010, 08:27:19 pm
Why does she remind me so much of Ariadne of these parts?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 10 April, 2010, 08:57:59 pm
Voting booths: "...and every five years you get to forget everything you've learned: Democracy in action."

Did I imagine that line?   ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 10 April, 2010, 09:00:36 pm
Well, that was fairly shit in terms of story but very interesting in terms of the relationship between the Doctor and Amy. Not at all excited about more Daleks though. They need to not give us Daleks for a couple of years - I'm bored of them.


When I saw the Daleks trailer, I did think - how come the Doctor doesn't just sigh "oh, not you lot again. I thought I'd killed you off last time!"

I don't think they need to appear in each series. Or the Cybermen.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 10 April, 2010, 09:02:26 pm
Voting booths: "...and every five years you get to forget everything you've learned: Democracy in action."

 :thumbsup:

The Guide hinted at this this morning - this is exactly why it isn't just a kids programme.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 10 April, 2010, 09:48:30 pm
And Harry Potter isn't children's books. The first two, maybe, but once you get past those you're into very adult themes, just using children as the characters to tell the stories. Besides, I don't think describing something as for children has to mean it has less intrinsic worth - there are good children's books and telly which are far higher quality than some adult's stuff.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 10 April, 2010, 10:06:40 pm
I wuv army-green Daleks and jowly Churchill!  :thumbsup:

Also, space-whale excellent.  On the kiddy side, you get the space-whale, a cave full of teeth and the scary booth people  On the prodding preconceptions side, you get the democracy gag and a black Queen (gor' bless'er).  And then there's ample opportunity for overthinking the implications of the forget-o-matic and the bleak-as-feck moral place they were in.

That really was quality stuff.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 10 April, 2010, 10:15:40 pm
I loved the end scene. It was turtles all the way down.

..d
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 10 April, 2010, 10:27:00 pm
Doctor Who star Karen Gillan has defended short skirts - Monsters and Critics (http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1547188.php/Doctor-Who-star-Karen-Gillan-has-defended-short-skirts)

Well, I for one don't think she needs to defend wearing short skirts... quite the opposite really!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 10 April, 2010, 11:08:24 pm
Well, I suspect that wasn't the best episode that we'll see this series, but it wasn't bad.  I think we're still in the throat clearing stage of setting the scene with the characters of the new Doctor and Amy.  It certainly had it's good points though, as others have said the strangely Victorian multi-faced robots, and the big Forget & Protest (or Abdicate) buttons.

All the way through the episode I was sure I'd seen Liz Ten (aka Sophie Okonedo) in something like Doctor Who before, but I just couldn't remember what.  I had to resort to IMDB in the end, and she was Sithandra in Æon Flux, which was certainly Sci-Fi enough to count as "like" Doctor Who.

I can't help thinking Amy always being in her nightie is a bit Arthur Dent in his dressing gown though!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 10 April, 2010, 11:09:07 pm
I have a strong feeling that the 'silence will fall' quote we reoccur somewhere along the line

I was a bit disappointed at first that the crack in the wall part of the story wasn't developed further because I thought there was a lot of potential there. But there were several not-so-subtle clues that it would form a key part of the main series storyline...

Could be good as long as it isn't just a rehash of the Bad Wolf story.


If you watch I player, at the end there is a "pullback" to see the Space Whale, as the shot pans across the surface, and moments before the "Next Time"  cuts in  you clearly see "The Crack!

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/Cunobelin/Screenshot2010-04-10at230550.png)

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/Cunobelin/Screenshot2010-04-10at230601.png)




.......... but what does it mean?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 10 April, 2010, 11:11:49 pm
Yes, that was a particularly non-subtle crack.  I suspect bits like this will be peppered throughout the series, until explained at the end.  Hopefully will have something other than just cracks in everything, the "crack in reality" is a bit of a science fiction cliche.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 10 April, 2010, 11:15:17 pm
Damn! I saw that, but it didn't register. The Crack is clearly this season's Bad Wolf.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 10 April, 2010, 11:44:18 pm
And Harry Potter isn't children's books. The first two, maybe, but once you get past those you're into very adult themes, just using children as the characters to tell the stories. Besides, I don't think describing something as for children has to mean it has less intrinsic worth - there are good children's books and telly which are far higher quality than some adult's stuff.

Oh please, Harry Potter isn't just just for kids, it's almost entirely "borrowed" (I want to say "stolen") from other kids books.  I think it's great that it's got millions of children reading books again but, if it were actually targetted at adults, it would be considered dross.  

Same for Dr Who. It's kids TV with a few adult references but it's kids TV . If it were targetted primarily at adults then it would be, quite rightly, panned, but, because it's a kids TV show (with a few adult references), adult critics cut it, quite rightly, some slack.

Dr Who is a kids TV show, it was in the 60's (when I first watched it), it was in the 70's (when the REAL Dr Who, Tom Baker, starred) and it always has been.  Nothing wrong with that but let's not confuse it with grown-up TV.  The Daleks, the Cybermen, et al, should be scary.  I'd understand a 9 year old being scared by the "Smiley Booth people" but surely no adult is scared by Dr Who "monsters".

Note.  I actually did hide behind the sofa from the Daleks when I was 8 (literally, behind the sofa).

Next week, 39 years on, I'll probably just need a cushion, I've grown up you see.


Note.  I live in Andover, home of "Stannah Stair Lifts", a division of "Dalek Invasion Solutions Corp."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 11 April, 2010, 01:58:22 am
Nothing wrong with that but let's not confuse it with grown-up TV.  

Sounding a little pompous there, methinks.  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 11 April, 2010, 08:32:28 am
I would hardly describe Amy Pond as a "subtle adult reference"..... its a fairly blatant "lets pull in the adult males" type reference!

Now don't take this the wrong way - but I think adults don't scare because they now have a knowledge and experience that prevents this. You can immerse yourself in something and enjoy it, without being scared or picking out the minor (or major) faults in the storyline. Many of the best books and films are totally unbelievable in the truest sense of the word

PS .. I thought there were definite references to Hitch  Hikers Guide - strolling around in a dressing gown ( although no where near as practical as Arthur's) and about how unclean the spaceship was were tow I picked up on
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 11 April, 2010, 10:53:57 am
Nothing wrong with that but let's not confuse it with grown-up TV.  

Sounding a little pompous there, methinks.  ;)

Phew!  I was worried it wouldn't come across
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Spinners on 11 April, 2010, 02:28:31 pm
Note.  I live in Andover...

Ah, now I understand.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Spinners on 11 April, 2010, 02:29:31 pm
I'm quite liking this new doctor.

Yep, me too. And I didn't think I would.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 11 April, 2010, 03:16:06 pm
And Harry Potter isn't children's books. The first two, maybe, but once you get past those you're into very adult themes

All the best children's books deal with "adult" themes but they're still children's books (eg to pick a couple of examples that my son has read recently, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boy-Striped-Pyjamas-John-Boyne/dp/1862305277/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270994670&sr=1-1) and Two Weeks With The Queen (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Two-Weeks-Queen-Morris-Gleitzman/dp/014130300X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270994611&sr=8-1)). It's not the themes it's how you deal with them. The Harry Potter books are very much at the emotional and intellectual level of a teenager.

Quote
Besides, I don't think describing something as for children has to mean it has less intrinsic worth

Of course not. That's not what LEE said. And there's nothing wrong with being an adult and enjoying books, TV, films etc that are aimed at children. I enjoyed all the Harry Potter books. They are very good children's books. But they are children's books.

Quote
- there are good children's books and telly which are far higher quality than some adult's stuff.

Agreed. But however good they are, they're still children's books and telly.

Dr Who is a kids TV show, it was in the 60's (when I first watched it)

I saw Tom Baker yesterday. He was driving into Rye as I was riding out. Only caught a brief glimpse but it was definitely him. I had a real starstruck moment.

Quote
surely no adult is scared by Dr Who "monsters".

Except the blinking angels, or whatever they're called. They scared the bejeesus out of me. Slightly disappointed they're making a reappearance this series though - they won't have the same impact a second time. And the Family of Blood were a bit creepy.

I used to be terrified of the Cybermen when I was a tiny person, but not any more. The Daleks were always just a wee bit too camp to be genuinely scary.

Quote
Note.  I live in Andover, home of "Stannah Stair Lifts", a division of "Dalek Invasion Solutions Corp."

 ;D

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 11 April, 2010, 03:20:23 pm
Well, that was fairly shit in terms of story but very interesting in terms of the relationship between the Doctor and Amy. Not at all excited about more Daleks though. They need to not give us Daleks for a couple of years - I'm bored of them.


I don't know - I don't think RTB really 'got' the Daleks so this next one could be the first decent Dalek episode. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 April, 2010, 05:00:22 pm
The weeping angels were really scary - but even scarier was the wee boy in the gas mask and the creepy clockwork monkey banging the cymbals. *fear*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 11 April, 2010, 06:05:23 pm
the wee boy in the gas mask

Forgot about him. Very scary.

As were the clockwork robots in the Girl In The Fireplace episode.

And the darkness stuff in the library that ate everything.

All Moffat creations, of course.  :thumbsup:

Interestingly, Moffat hasn't written a Daleks or Cybermen story yet. And he hasn't written the Daleks story for this series either - Mark Gatiss gets the writing credit, according to Wikipedia. Which I have to say is very probably the next best thing, since Mark Gatiss is a brilliant writer and his Doctor Who episodes have been excellent (he did the one with Charles Dickens and the one with Maureen Lipman stuck inside a telly).

Also according to Wikipedia, there's an episode later in the series written by Richard Curtis, with Vincent Van Gogh as a character. Hmmm. Could be... interesting.  :-\

And one by Simon "Men Behaving Badly" Nye. Huh? ???

There's also one by Toby Whithouse, who previously wrote the episode in which K-9 and Sarah Jane Smith appeared, which was pretty good. He also wrote Being Human, which I've not seen but have heard good things about, and No Angels, the thing about naughty nurses in a Leeds hospital, which I vaguely recall enjoying when it was on.

Plus one by Gareth Roberts (who did the Agatha Christie and Shakespeare episodes) and a two-parter by Chris Chibnall, who was head writer on Torchwood.

Overall, the serise has ten separate stories, four of which are written by Moffat himself, two of them two-parters.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 April, 2010, 07:13:27 pm


As were the clockwork robots in the Girl In The Fireplace episode.
They scared me because they reminded me of the Robots of Death, which terrified me when I was little. Well, that and the fact anything in a mask is scary.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 11 April, 2010, 07:51:57 pm
There's another crack, you know - on one of the screens in the TARDIS.  It looks like a crack in a map of the Universe:

(http://ickle-nick.co.uk/crack4.jpg)

...and to get the RTD-levels back up, why is the vworper* now a huge glass butt plug?  Has Captain Jack been decorating?  Crack, butt-plug, I'm sensing that the rest of the arc may have fewer spooky children and more plumbers with moustaches.



* Well, what do you call the thing in the middle of the console that pumps up and down and makes it do the vworp vworp thing?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 11 April, 2010, 09:24:14 pm
...and to get the RTD-levels back up, why is the vworper* now a huge glass butt plug? 

You know, I thought it was just me that thought that.  Since noone else had mentioned it, I'd simply accepted it as a symptom that I need to get out more...  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 11 April, 2010, 09:50:54 pm
I didn't notice until you mentioned it. Now I'll never be able to look at it the same again.

While we're on the subject of inappropriate observations, am I the only one who wondered if Amy was wearing knickers while floating outside the Tardis at the start of the episode?

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 11 April, 2010, 09:57:59 pm
Here's another reference (http://www.visit4info.com/advert/Perfect-Product-with-Guide-Polycell-Product-Range/83415)

.. but probably not very exciting
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Bledlow on 11 April, 2010, 10:16:41 pm
While we're on the subject of inappropriate observations, am I the only one who wondered if Amy was wearing knickers while floating outside the Tardis at the start of the episode?

d.
Pictures, please.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 11 April, 2010, 10:27:51 pm
More importantly, when they started talking about the "Starwhal", how many others yelled "YEEEEAAAAAAH!"?

:-[
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 12 April, 2010, 12:37:08 pm
....am I the only one who wondered if Amy was wearing knickers while floating outside the Tardis at the start of the episode?

Nah, you weren't the only one  :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 12 April, 2010, 01:05:37 pm
Pictures, please.

You'd want the Doctor's viewpoint for a definitive answer...

(http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k170/smutchin/amy.jpg)

...but he does seem to have quite a big grin on his face!

(http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k170/smutchin/doctor.jpg)

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 12 April, 2010, 01:12:19 pm
He also seems to have changed handhold and foot between pictures :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Morrisette on 12 April, 2010, 01:25:35 pm
The weeping angels were really scary - but even scarier was the wee boy in the gas mask and the creepy clockwork monkey banging the cymbals. *fear*

Those things are creepy. Does anyone actually have one that isn't possessed/evil/a harbinger of doom?

As for the butt plug thing, am I the only one on this forum who doesn't know what one looks like  O:-) ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 12 April, 2010, 01:34:47 pm
I believe the plug thing is referred to as a Time Rotor.
It is only your collective filthy minds which see a resemblance to a sex toy. Shame on you all.  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 12 April, 2010, 01:42:19 pm
I am in possession of something which resembles a huge glass butt plug, which a mate found in a field circa 1975.  He always maintained it to be some king of insulating wossname from a high-tension power line, but now I know better.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 12 April, 2010, 01:46:18 pm
He also seems to have changed handhold and foot between pictures :)
I have pictures disabled on my Distance YACF Viewing Screen, but I believe in the episode I watched, Amy had 2 separate excursions.

Hope This Helps
The Continuity Team, Whovian Studios, Cardiff.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 12 April, 2010, 01:48:10 pm
There's another crack, you know - on one of the screens in the TARDIS.  It looks like a crack in a map of the Universe:

(http://ickle-nick.co.uk/crack4.jpg)

That is the same shape as the crack in Amelia Pond's bedroom wall.

..d
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 12 April, 2010, 01:51:19 pm
I have pictures disabled on my Distance YACF Viewing Screen, but I believe in the episode I watched, Amy had 2 separate excursions.

I took two grabs, about a second or two apart. The view cuts from the first to the second with nothing between...

I can feel a letter to Points Of View coming on!

d.


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 12 April, 2010, 01:59:11 pm
There's another crack, you know - on one of the screens in the TARDIS.

That is the same shape as the crack in Amelia Pond's bedroom wall.

Yes, that's the not-so-subtle clue I was referring to in my earlier post. I thought the crack storyline had been brushed aside until I caught a glimpse of it on the screen later in the episode.

It's also the same shape as the crack in the hull of Starship UK seen at the end of ep2 (see Cunobelin's screen grabs upthread).

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 12 April, 2010, 02:19:03 pm
I have pictures disabled on my Distance YACF Viewing Screen, but I believe in the episode I watched, Amy had 2 separate excursions.

I took two grabs, about a second or two apart. The view cuts from the first to the second with nothing between...

I can feel a letter to Points Of View coming on!

It is your duty, Citizen. Commendable observation skills. Heads will roll ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 12 April, 2010, 03:48:31 pm
Interestingly, all the cracks appear to look pretty much the same, ie are they the same crack ? :

Episode 1 (Amelia's Bedroom, just as it's closing)

(http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/Episode1_Crack1_thumb.jpg) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/Episode1_Crack1.jpg)

Episode 1 (Screen on the Tardis)

(http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/Episode1_Crack2_thumb.jpg) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/Episode1_Crack2.jpg)

Episode 2 (On the side of Spaceship UK)

(http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/Episode2_Crack1_thumb.jpg) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/Episode2_Crack1.jpg)

Episode ? (Another screen on the Tardis)

(http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/EpisodeN_CrackN_thumb.jpg) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/EpisodeN_CrackN.jpg)

I can't find Andygates' crack for comparison (which episode is it in, and where?), but from his shot it certainly looks similar.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 12 April, 2010, 03:51:19 pm
You've been looking online for pics of andygates' crack?

Next stop: NSFW :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: spesh on 12 April, 2010, 03:51:38 pm
...
I can't find Andygates' crack ...

 :o ;D ;D

It's a good thing that I've not made my afternoon cuppa yet, otherwise you'd be owing me a new keyboard...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 12 April, 2010, 03:53:53 pm
<fx>Gets out the mind-bleach</fx>

That's an image I don't need. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Tim on 12 April, 2010, 04:19:31 pm
I think what you are looking for is named Upkilt_horror.jpg
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 12 April, 2010, 07:53:25 pm


As for the butt plug thing, am I the only one on this forum who doesn't know what one looks like  O:-) ?
Yes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 12 April, 2010, 10:30:28 pm


As for the butt plug thing, am I the only one on this forum who doesn't know what one looks like  O:-) ?
Yes.
No
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 13 April, 2010, 02:27:29 pm
Shock story: Dr Who Acid Casualty (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/entertainment/8616413.stm)

:D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 13 April, 2010, 02:34:20 pm
Eleventh doctor?

I can think of:

William Hartnell
Patrick Troughton
Peter Cushing
Jon Pertwee
Tom Baker
Peter Davison
Colin Baker
Sylvester McCoy
Paul McGann
Christopher Eccleston
David Tennant
Matt Smith

That makes Twelve.  I think I may even have missed someone...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 13 April, 2010, 02:36:03 pm
Ah but Peter Cushing was the film version, so doesn't count, and Paul McGann just doesn't count due to his totally wooden performance.... so is ackshully 10 :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 13 April, 2010, 02:37:58 pm
Ah, if we're counting it like that, there's:

1.  Tom Baker
2.  Christopher Eccleston
3.  (Grudgingly) David Tennant
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 13 April, 2010, 02:48:04 pm
Peter Cushing doesn't count, since he wasn't involved in a regeneration.  All the other doctors have regenerated from the previous one, or been regenerated into the next one eg Paul McGann & Christopher Eccleston only did one direction each, the regeneration between them presumably is taken to have occurred off camera, and William Hartnell & Matt Smith are at the "ends" so only have one regeneration each.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 13 April, 2010, 04:03:46 pm
I think Peter Cushing is generally considered to be one of several "non canonical" Doctors. Richard E Grant is another.

There's a list on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_actors_who_have_played_the_Doctor), of course.

I really like the idea of Geoffrey Bayldon as the Doctor. Tbh, I didn't know he was still alive - probably too old for the part now though.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 13 April, 2010, 04:10:50 pm
I really like the idea of Geoffrey Bayldon as the Doctor.

According to Wikipedia (again), he actually turned down the role before it was given to William Hartnell. Shame.

Don't know how he would have compared to Hartnell, though, since I've not seen many Hartnell episodes - a bit before my time. Probably would have been quite a similar style, I expect.

d.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 13 April, 2010, 04:23:10 pm
Don't know how he would have compared to Hartnell, though, since I've not seen many Hartnell episodes ...

Doctor Who - Story No 15 - The Space Museum - 1965 (http://www.seesaw.com/TV/Drama/p-8934-Doctor-Who). :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 13 April, 2010, 06:49:42 pm
Ah but Peter Cushing was the film version, so doesn't count, and Paul McGann just doesn't count due to his totally wooden performance.... so is ackshully 10 :)

There are some episodes that do show Paul McGann when the doctors history is involved.  The Christmas one with the cyber king was one.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 13 April, 2010, 07:03:46 pm
Doctor Who - Story No 15 - The Space Museum - 1965 (http://www.seesaw.com/TV/Drama/p-8934-Doctor-Who). :thumbsup:

Oooh! Nice!  :thumbsup:

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 13 April, 2010, 08:20:36 pm
Ah but Peter Cushing was the film version, so doesn't count, and Paul McGann just doesn't count due to his totally wooden performance.... so is ackshully 10 :)

There are some episodes that do show Paul McGann when the doctors history is involved.  The Christmas one with the cyber king was one.

Paul McGann's Doctor has been included several times.

In the first episode of this series he is one of the incarnations the Atraxi see when the doctors sequence through

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 13 April, 2010, 08:44:08 pm
In the first episode of this series he is one of the incarnations the Atraxi see when the doctors sequence through

(http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/PaulMcGann_thumb.jpg) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/PaulMcGann.jpg)

So he is, I hadn't even realised that they go through every previous Doctor in that sequence!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TheLurker on 14 April, 2010, 08:22:06 am
<tinfoilhat sanity="suspended">
OK. So there was a separate Scottish ship. Or was there?

The way the story was written it suggested that both the Scottish ship and the English ship were built at the same time; the schoolgirl says something like, "The Scots wanted a ship of their own" to Pond whilst she's trying to pick the padlock. 

The star whale was the last of its kind. So; how was the Scottish ship powered?  It seemed to me, from the way the story was presented, that the English used the star whale as a 'last resort' solution which suggests either lack of technology or lack of time.  Constraints that would also apply to any hypothetical Scottish ship.

I don't think there ever was a separate Scottish ship.  I reckon those untrustworthy sassenachs either ditched the Scots or fed them to the star whale.

Yet another reason that Scotland should declare independence now.  :)
</tinfoilhat>

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 14 April, 2010, 08:30:16 am
I expect that the Scots just lived at the other end of the one ship but people believed that they were on a separate ship.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 14 April, 2010, 08:30:25 am
Nah, once the brits buggered off, the scots turned the heat down.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 14 April, 2010, 08:33:32 am
Nah, once the brits buggered off, the scots turned the heat down.

The Brits can leave The Scots behind? How can that work?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 14 April, 2010, 10:37:00 am
Nah, once the brits buggered off, the scots turned the heat down.

... before writing the royalty cheque to the estate of Douglas Adams.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 14 April, 2010, 10:39:16 am
...either that or the Scots had a bunch of Scotties borrowed off of Star Trek to build a ship from a pile of leftover bits (a la A-Team!)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 14 April, 2010, 06:28:26 pm
The girl they meet, the school girl Mandy, looks very much like, and dressed the same as, the niece of the Peter Cushing Dr. Who, Susan.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 14 April, 2010, 08:06:17 pm
The Scots used their massively superior technological abilities to build a decent ship powered by dilithium crystals and Irn Bru, and left months ago, with every other country from Earth. (Or perhaps, in best Tartan Army tradition, they chartered a submarine). England was too busy buggering about and ended up having to be rescued by a nstarwhale.

Why hasn't anyone photoshopped a narwhal-tusk to a screengrab of the star whale?

Have you noticed how many references to bikes there have been in recent episodes? Well, Waters of Mars and this last one. So, two. But still.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 14 April, 2010, 08:19:58 pm
The little girl said "Scotland wanted their own ship" There was no reference to how successful it was or if it still existed. It could have crashed and burned without a spazwhal or whatever it was called. Which could be a reference to where Scotland would go without England  ;)

*runs and hides from Scots*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 14 April, 2010, 08:49:56 pm
Pfffffffffffffft.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 14 April, 2010, 09:08:25 pm
Pfffffffffffffft.

Absolutely rubbish retort  :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 14 April, 2010, 09:53:14 pm
Well, I had to taper it to your understanding.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 14 April, 2010, 10:00:04 pm
Well, I had to taper it to your understanding.

There is such an obvious come back to that, but I'll let it go  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 14 April, 2010, 10:02:25 pm
Yeah yeah. Pwnd.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 14 April, 2010, 10:05:42 pm
Yeah yeah. Pwnd.

You can Pwnd me any day, sweetheart! ;)

Edit: And you'll love it!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 14 April, 2010, 10:08:16 pm
I'll let you know when I have a spare two minutes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 14 April, 2010, 10:58:08 pm
Get a room you two. ;D

...or possibly a car park.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 15 April, 2010, 04:36:08 pm
I spoke to Matt Smith this morning! :o

No.  Not that one.  Bet he's getting pissed off with it by now.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 15 April, 2010, 04:45:36 pm
I'll let you know when I have a spare two minutes.

It wouldn't take you that long.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 15 April, 2010, 05:20:55 pm
This is brilliant (but kind of spoilerish if you don't want some big clues as to how the series is likely to develop, so be warned):
The Great Doctor Who Conspiracy Of The Fifth Season   Bleeding Cool Comic Book News and Rumors (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/04/14/the-great-doctor-who-conspiracy-of-the-fifth-season/)

It does answer a couple of questions I've had so far, the main one being when the hell the first episode was supposed to be set, which has been really bugging me. Can't believe I didn't spot the clues.

d.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: PaulF on 15 April, 2010, 05:30:58 pm

Why hasn't anyone photoshopped a narwhal-tusk to a screengrab of the star whale?



Like this?

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4523108231_5f941dc094_o.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36022173@N08/4523108231/)

Your wish etc.  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 15 April, 2010, 05:33:41 pm
Like this?
Narwhal nor arsewhal! You've put it on backwards. :facepalm:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 15 April, 2010, 05:37:13 pm
The Great Doctor Who Conspiracy Of The Fifth Season   Bleeding Cool Comic Book News and Rumors (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/04/14/the-great-doctor-who-conspiracy-of-the-fifth-season/)


Hardly news - the 5th season was before I was born, IIRC ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: PaulF on 15 April, 2010, 05:43:07 pm
Like this?
Narwhal nor arsewhal! You've put it on backwards. :facepalm:

Doh!

You try telling the arse from the elbow of one of those things. No wonder they went extinct :)

Any better?

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2700/4523778494_bb13d146b1_o.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36022173@N08/4523778494/)

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 15 April, 2010, 06:39:25 pm
This is brilliant (but kind of spoilerish if you don't want some big clues as to how the series is likely to develop, so be warned):
The Great Doctor Who Conspiracy Of The Fifth Season   Bleeding Cool Comic Book News and Rumors (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/04/14/the-great-doctor-who-conspiracy-of-the-fifth-season/)

It does answer a couple of questions I've had so far, the main one being when the hell the first episode was supposed to be set, which has been really bugging me. Can't believe I didn't spot the clues.

I'm not sure that convinces me of the date.  The cellphones and laptops put Amy+12 at now within ±2 years.

The hospital identity card conflicts with this since it was issued in 1990, and can't be more than a few years old.  Since we are also assuming Rory isn't that old (say he is around the actors age, 28).  At that age the latest that Amy+12 could be is 2000 (assuming he got the badge at age 18, and it's now 10 years later).

That's a ten year gap, which can't easily be explained away.

On the other hand, the identity card also say "Emergency Unit", but Rory doesn't seem to work there, he works in the ward with the Coma patients in it, which I would have assumed had little to do with emergencies.

Hence, I'm inclined to think that the identity card is a badly selected prop, and that the date based on the technology level (ie now for Amy+12) is more likely to be correct, and not the date based on the identity card.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 15 April, 2010, 09:46:18 pm
Ah but Peter Cushing was the film version, so doesn't count, and Paul McGann just doesn't count due to his totally wooden performance.... so is ackshully 10 :)

Ackshully the PAul McGann has been included on several occasions.

In Episode 1, there is a point where the medley of Doctors is shown it includes McGann:

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/Cunobelin/Screenshot2010-04-15at212601.png)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 15 April, 2010, 09:55:33 pm
In Episode 1, there is a point where the medley of Doctors is shown it includes McGann:

It includes all ten previous Doctors, in chronological order.  We talked about this two pages back. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Captain Zep on 15 April, 2010, 10:15:20 pm
This is brilliant (but kind of spoilerish if you don't want some big clues as to how the series is likely to develop, so be warned):
The Great Doctor Who Conspiracy Of The Fifth Season   Bleeding Cool Comic Book News and Rumors (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/04/14/the-great-doctor-who-conspiracy-of-the-fifth-season/)

It does answer a couple of questions I've had so far, the main one being when the hell the first episode was supposed to be set, which has been really bugging me. Can't believe I didn't spot the clues.

I'm not sure that convinces me of the date.  The cellphones and laptops put Amy+12 at now within ±2 years.

The hospital identity card conflicts with this since it was issued in 1990, and can't be more than a few years old.  Since we are also assuming Rory isn't that old (say he is around the actors age, 28).  At that age the latest that Amy+12 could be is 2000 (assuming he got the badge at age 18, and it's now 10 years later).

That's a ten year gap, which can't easily be explained away.

On the other hand, the identity card also say "Emergency Unit", but Rory doesn't seem to work there, he works in the ward with the Coma patients in it, which I would have assumed had little to do with emergencies.

Hence, I'm inclined to think that the identity card is a badly selected prop, and that the date based on the technology level (ie now for Amy+12) is more likely to be correct, and not the date based on the identity card.

That guy is just wrong.  His other main piece of evidence to support his hypothesis is that all the cars were 1990's models.  Except the screenshot he uses has a current model Nissan Micra (came out in 2002 according to Wikipedia)  ::-)  It like it if it were true, but it appears he's wrong.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 15 April, 2010, 10:25:49 pm
I suppose a technologically advanced alternate reality could have come up with the Nissan Micrs ten years earlier. ;D

d. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 16 April, 2010, 06:44:24 am
In Episode 1, there is a point where the medley of Doctors is shown it includes McGann:

It includes all ten previous Doctors, in chronological order.  We talked about this two pages back. ;D

..... but it was also raised on this page as well?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 16 April, 2010, 10:00:16 am
I'm not necessarily convinced by the age-of-the-cars thing, and I can't
decide whether the date-on-the-badge is deliberate or a mistake.

However, I did think that seven-year-old-Amelia was in a kitchen which
looked remarkably old-fashioned for 1996(ish) (fourteen years ago). I
thought it looked far more like a 1980s or even a mid 1970s kitchen -
especially since it contained fish fingers (ver' popular in those
decades). When could custard be bought in that sort of carton?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 16 April, 2010, 10:15:45 am
... When could custard be bought in that sort of carton?

I'm fairly sure you could buy it like that in the mid-80s, but I don't know if it existed earlier.

The kitchen design doesn't mean a lot, people often stick with a kitchen for decades, often far after it looks really dated.  I know my parents did!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 16 April, 2010, 11:55:51 am
If that kitchen was a twenty-year-old one, then it was awfully pristine. The BBC Props department are usually better than that.

Oh - another thing I noticed: Amelia made dolls of the "Raggedy Doctor"* and played with them. A child growing up in the mid-nineties would have had a TV, a Nintendo, etc. Playing with home-made puppets is the sort of thing that a kid in the late-seventies/mid eighties would have done.

And the garden: didn't it have vegetable plots and such? Very fashionable now, very normal in the seventies/eighties, but I don't think I know anyone who had one in the 1990s. Of course, I spent the 1990s in suburbia, so that may be a narrow sample size.

I hadn't realised the incongrueties until now due to the fact that her
childhood seemed to be very similar to mine (born in 1979)!

*Co-incidentally, Raggedy Anne was a very popular TV show in the
late seventies...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 16 April, 2010, 12:03:28 pm
I'm not sure that convinces me of the date.  The cellphones and laptops put Amy+12 at now within ±2 years.
I agree.  Not least because the Doctor told the bloke on the computer to delete his browsing history.
(If we're talking about the same thing - i.e. trying to date the grown-up-Amy part of episode 1.)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 16 April, 2010, 12:37:56 pm
We'll probably get to the end of the series and find the Daleks/Cybermen/Weeping Angels have been artificially accelerating Earth technology for their own nefarious purposes again.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 16 April, 2010, 01:54:29 pm
We'll probably get to the end of the series and find the Daleks/Cybermen/Weeping Angels have been artificially accelerating Earth technology for their own nefarious purposes again.
We'll probably get to the end of the series and find the rip in the fabric of space-time is just large enough for Rose Tyler to drop back through.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 16 April, 2010, 02:06:44 pm
Yes, probably. And will she bring the non-Doctor with her?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 17 April, 2010, 09:04:05 am
I'm not sure that convinces me of the date.  The cellphones and laptops put Amy+12 at now within ±2 years.
I agree.  Not least because the Doctor told the bloke on the computer to delete his browsing history.
(If we're talking about the same thing - i.e. trying to date the grown-up-Amy part of episode 1.)


Trying to date the grown-up-Amy..... I can imagine a few have had that thought.


..and with all that computer skullduggery happening with no crashes, it must be pre Windows Vista / 7
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 17 April, 2010, 07:14:21 pm
Well I thought it was quite dull tonight. Am hoping that the Alex Kingston episode next week will be much better.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 17 April, 2010, 07:17:24 pm
I thought that was very rubbish, although seemed to be setting things up for the future to be interesting. But rubbish.

I did wonder if the Doctor would run into Captain Jack, like he did last time he was in the Blitz.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 17 April, 2010, 07:20:10 pm
Well I thought it was quite dull tonight. Am hoping that the Alex Kingston episode next week will be much better.

It was really dull and I knew that he was holding a biscuit when it was meant to be a remote control.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 17 April, 2010, 07:21:09 pm
Quote
Broadsword Calling Danny Boy
:facepalm:
Oh Dear.  That wasn't a homage, it was a rip-off of a "So Bad It's Good" war movie.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 17 April, 2010, 07:22:02 pm
Power Ranger Daleks. At least that was the view of my kids.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 17 April, 2010, 07:22:27 pm
That was pretty shit. Amy's still hot though  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 17 April, 2010, 07:22:54 pm
Who knew the RAF could bullseye wamprats on Tatooine?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 17 April, 2010, 07:24:41 pm
Agree a dull one tonight.

I wonder why she can't remember.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 17 April, 2010, 07:29:50 pm
Because she's either from another reality through the crack in the wall, or the Doctor is in another reality through the crack in the universe. Or, given where she's from, she was banjoed out of her head on WKD Blue and missed the entire Dalek invasion thing. I think the Doctor fancies her.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 17 April, 2010, 08:22:55 pm
I must have missed a bit 'cos none of it made sense (I was trying to entertain the kittens).

- why did the daleks have to go to earth and why did they have to have the doctor say that he was the doctor?

Twas a bit boring, again.  this new series isn't doing very well.  New Dr is OK but the stories are a bit lame.  Next week's looks better...we shall see.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 17 April, 2010, 08:28:43 pm
Because they were the Daleks that were made before with a bit of human DNA in them, so not pure, and they'd made a new one with pure Dalek DNA and the pure one didn't believe they were real Daleks so they wanted the Doctor's testimony that they were to prove it to the pure Dalek.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 17 April, 2010, 09:53:15 pm
Here I go, out on my own again - I thought it was pretty good!  :P

When I first saw the Ironside I was instantly back in 1979, painting Airfix kits in Humbrol Olive Green... what a stroke of genius. Don't like the new Daleks though. A certain amount of reinvention is to be expected (and welcomed) but they've messed too much with an iconic design now. Private Eye reckons it's just a ploy for BBC Enterprises to make more money from must-have new Dalek toys.

Interesting development on the "when did Amelia come from" plot axis, but my enjoyment was somewhat spoilt by my constantly scrutinising the background for The Crack!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 17 April, 2010, 10:40:22 pm
Here I go, out on my own again - I thought it was pretty good!  :P

When I first saw the Ironside I was instantly back in 1979, painting Airfix kits in Humbrol Olive Green... what a stroke of genius. Don't like the new Daleks though. A certain amount of reinvention is to be expected (and welcomed) but they've messed too much with an iconic design now. Private Eye reckons it's just a ploy for BBC Enterprises to make more money from must-have new Dalek toys.

Interesting development on the "when did Amelia come from" plot axis, but my enjoyment was somewhat spoilt by my constantly scrutinising the background for The Crack!

I agree with all of this, I thought the stylisation was fab, and my husband was ooohing over the WW2 Daleks. But I found myself just losing concentration on it, which I put down to just boredom with the plot.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 17 April, 2010, 10:56:25 pm
I've just managed to see my first episodes of the new doctor (being in Canada we can't get it) - and I think that it's offering not much different from the previous, except for Amy Pond being hot in a safe kind of way. So it's okay. Nothing new, nothing revolutionary, but pretty good really. I hope it will develop.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 18 April, 2010, 05:48:16 pm
That was pretty shit. Amy's still hot though  :)

+1  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 18 April, 2010, 05:55:10 pm
When the Tardis finally left the war rooms at the end of the episode, was it my imagination, or did it have a St. Johns ambulance logo on the door?  ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 18 April, 2010, 05:59:25 pm
When the Tardis finally left the war rooms at the end of the episode, was it my imagination, or did it have a St. Johns ambulance logo on the door?  ???
See Doctor Who A History of the TARDIS Police Box Prop and its Modifications (http://www.themindrobber.co.uk/tardis-police-box.html)

Quote
The St John Ambulance logo returned to the prop for the first time in 45 years and the window frames were once again white with the bottom corner panes made to mimick the hammered glass of the real boxes
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 18 April, 2010, 07:23:09 pm
It was yet-another-daft-plot, but no worse than 90% of Russell T stories.

However, Matt Smith is still doing the business, and I am delighted my licence fee was spent on the following moments:
- Battle-of-Britain planning table with dalek model being pushed across. Cue theme tune.
- Dalek2: "Can i get you a cup of tea?"

Bliss.

(You lot do know it's supposed to be funny, don't you?)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 18 April, 2010, 07:34:22 pm
- Dalek2: "Can i get you a cup of tea?"

Yeah that pissed myself on that one :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 18 April, 2010, 07:46:43 pm
I did like the military green Daleks, with the utility belts tied around them. :thumbsup:

It probably wasn't the best of stories, and it seemed a little strained, but I guess they wanted some way to bring in a new set of Power Rangers Daleks (as said upthread!).

It had it's good points, like the Tea preparing Dalek, although the Dalek's showed their normal inability to hit the Doctor if he moves at a slow walking pace, whereas anything else gets exterminated in the blink of an eye.

I couldn't quite work out why the Spitfires in space still had their props turning though.

At least Amy has got out of her Nightie now!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 18 April, 2010, 08:16:51 pm
Power Ranger Daleks. At least that was the view of my kids.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

That is *EXACTLY* what Pete Said  ;D

At least Amy has got out of her Nightie now!

And that statement I can get along with  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 18 April, 2010, 08:33:02 pm
I couldn't quite work out why the Spitfires in space still had their props turning though.


It stops it from spinning around due to the effect of Hamster on its wheel.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rogerzilla on 18 April, 2010, 08:37:01 pm
Wouldn't the plane start to contra-rotate, though?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 18 April, 2010, 08:43:46 pm
I just watched Doctor Who Confidential, which as for many of the recent ones, was quite interesting.

I like that the Drone Dalek is red, it's very much like the guys wearing red jerseys in Star Trek, you know a lot of red Daleks are going to get shot later in the series!

I don't think they completely listed all the types of Dalek, we only had Dark Green - Legacy / Ironside, White - Supreme (Leader), and Red - Drone.  There are also an Orange, Yellow and Blue Daleks.  In the programme, Mark Gatiss mentions Strategist, Scientist and Eternal Daleks, which I guess match up to the other three colours.

It was also amusing to hear that the last series Daleks were scaled to Billie Piper, and these are now taller, since Karen Gillan is a taller assistant!

Did anyone else notice that Bracewell is referred to by the Doctor as having a Positronic Brain, very Issac Asimov!  (I don't remember Positronic Brains ever being mentioned in Dr Who before).

Is it just me, or was the crack behind the Tardis at the end even less subtle than the various non-subtle cracks in the previous episodes?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 18 April, 2010, 08:44:46 pm
The Spitfires were inside gravity bubbles. Like, duh! ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 18 April, 2010, 08:55:55 pm
- Dalek2: "Can i get you a cup of tea?"

I'd forgotten about those green cups and saucers, you used to see them all the time...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 18 April, 2010, 10:04:01 pm
Is it just me, or was the crack behind the Tardis at the end even less subtle than the various non-subtle cracks in the previous episodes?

Oh yes. I spent the entire episode studiously scrutinising the background for subtle cracks, then right at the last second they smack me in the face with it.  :facepalm:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 18 April, 2010, 10:23:03 pm
Yes, probably. And will she bring the non-Doctor with her?

Fnurk  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 18 April, 2010, 10:26:47 pm
Yes, probably. And will she bring the non-Doctor with her?

Fnurk  ;D


Wrist slap
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 18 April, 2010, 10:27:27 pm
:-[
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 18 April, 2010, 10:29:42 pm

I like that the Drone Dalek is red, it's very much like the guys wearing red jerseys in Star Trek, you know a lot of red Daleks are going to get shot later in the series!


There used to be a Star Trek game my younger brother liked where there was an Ensign called "Trustworthy Expendable" for this very reason
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 18 April, 2010, 10:50:31 pm
I was expecting the last Spitfire to fly up the Dalek's spout, so to speak... what, it wasn't an ID4 homage?

I may have to get "Can I get you a cup of tea?" as my ringtone!

Were those new Daleks styled onna Renault Megane?  They've got awfully big arses. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 18 April, 2010, 10:53:12 pm
Were those new Daleks styled onna Renault Megane?  They've got awfully big arses.  

I thought that.  I'm not keen on the new stye Daleks but am curious what children think of them - old style Daleks deliberately had a Nazi Panzer thing going on.  Perhaps as the Airfix Generation ages, that's not a relevant/scary concept anymore.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 18 April, 2010, 10:57:39 pm
I was expecting the last Spitfire to fly up the Dalek's spout, so to speak... what, it wasn't an ID4 homage?

I may have to get "Can I get you a cup of tea?" as my ringtone!

I already have a Dalek saying "Bollocks!" as my text message alert, so the 'cup of tea' as a ringtone will, from my experience, cause huge amounts of amusement.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 18 April, 2010, 11:05:03 pm
what, it wasn't an ID4 homage?

What it reminded me of most was the attack on the Death Star in the original Star Wars.

Quote
Were those new Daleks styled onna Renault Megane?  They've got awfully big arses.

Yeah, I really don't like them. Way too chunky. They're supposed to be sleek fighting machines, not Hummvees.

And how come they emerged from the Progenitor in their fully formed fat-arsed pepper pots? Surely they should have emerged as flabby pink aliens, then to be inserted in the pepper pot.

But I'm being too picky. It is a kids' programme, after all...

Btw, my TV writer friend has already seen next week's episode and reckons it's "the first stone-cold classic of the new series".  :thumbsup:

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 19 April, 2010, 10:38:37 am
what, it wasn't an ID4 homage?

What it reminded me of most was the attack on the Death Star in the original Star Wars.

...which, of course, was consciously modelled on the Battle of Britain, so things come full circle and I just hop up and down on the sofa with glee. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Bledlow on 19 April, 2010, 01:27:41 pm
At least Amy has got out of her Nightie now!
Where?

Dammit, you meant into some other clothes. :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 19 April, 2010, 01:30:20 pm
I just wish they'd got Patrick Stewart (as he is in Extras) to write an episode, her clothes would be falling off constantly!!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 19 April, 2010, 01:36:35 pm
what, it wasn't an ID4 homage?

What it reminded me of most was the attack on the Death Star in the original Star Wars.


I was waiting for them to find a channel to fly along for the 'crucial' shot.

..d
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LindaG on 20 April, 2010, 01:29:29 pm
Power Ranger Daleks. At least that was the view of my kids.
I thought they'd been made by Apple.  i-Daleks. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 20 April, 2010, 02:29:41 pm
My kids were disgusted.

What's with all the touchy-feely stuff, anyway?  What happened to the Doctor Who did a bit of neat sabotage, quick pop round the back of the dalek, rewire, etc.

Daleks aren't scary anymore. They can't stop talking.

the Angels coming back promises to be a bit better. Maybe Ms Pond will think of the close one eye at a time trick, or she'll hold up a mirror.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 20 April, 2010, 03:04:29 pm
Good news for men of a certain age - Jo Grant returns. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2010/apr/20/doctor-who-jo-grant-sarah-jane)

<scuttles off to google images "katy manning" & "dalek"...  :P >
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 20 April, 2010, 03:39:55 pm
LOL, Dalek pron... a very bizarre photo shoot!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 21 April, 2010, 08:00:02 pm
From Private Eye:

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/Cunobelin/IMG.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 24 April, 2010, 07:08:19 pm
Tonight is not a good night to be sitting at home alone.

*gibber*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 24 April, 2010, 07:14:17 pm
Indeed. I daren't look behind me, just in case.

Also, I think I want to be River Song when I grow up.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 24 April, 2010, 07:31:11 pm
Also, I think I want to be River Song when I grow up.

I don't know what I lust over more: her shoes, or her pistol/blowtorch multitool.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 24 April, 2010, 07:36:03 pm
Also, I think I want to be River Song when I grow up.

I don't know what I lust over more: her shoes, or her pistol/blowtorch multitool.

I was wondering whether River's maiden name was Barnes...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 24 April, 2010, 07:54:39 pm
Great episode. However...

Am I the only one who has already registered a complaint about the ridiculous onscreen graphic advertising Over The Rainbow that appeared in the closing scenes? Or were you all watching on analogue?

Those fecking graphics annoy me at the best of times - they're never necessary or welcome. But when they slap a large, colourful, animated graphic on the screen that obscures and distracts from the action of a tense, exciting scene, that really is taking the piss. Someone deserves to get fired.

Totally ruined it for me. I'm sure I'm overreacting but I am furious.   >:( >:( >:(

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 24 April, 2010, 08:30:34 pm
Maybe Ms Pond will think of the close one eye at a time trick, or she'll hold up a mirror.

She was clearly reading your comments and advice. Any other recommendations for her*?

*assume that she's not removing any clothes regardless of what you say!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 24 April, 2010, 08:32:36 pm
That made Peli jump quite alot ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 24 April, 2010, 08:35:33 pm
Yeah there was no need for that vacuous trailer when I was trying to read the credits. I did catch that it was Mike Skinner as the security guard though ("jeez, that looks like that Streets guy"). Who played the bishop? Looked kinda familiar.

That's the kind of episode I could watch for two hours, shame we have to wait a week now.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 24 April, 2010, 08:47:38 pm
Peli have just been reading about it, it is already on wiki and twitter hae gone mad about it. Glad that we watched it on iplayer.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 24 April, 2010, 09:07:34 pm
"Its not supposed to make that noise - its just that you leave the brakes on!"

That is one of the best lines yet!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 24 April, 2010, 09:08:24 pm
Great episode. However...

Am I the only one who has already registered a complaint about the ridiculous onscreen graphic advertising Over The Rainbow that appeared in the closing scenes? Or were you all watching on analogue?

Those fecking graphics annoy me at the best of times - they're never necessary or welcome. But when they slap a large, colourful, animated graphic on the screen that obscures and distracts from the action of a tense, exciting scene, that really is taking the piss. Someone deserves to get fired.

Totally ruined it for me. I'm sure I'm overreacting but I am furious.   >:( >:( >:(

d.

Open letter from Den of Geek. (http://denofgeek.com/television/471290/open_letter_to_whoever_put_a_graham_norton_graphic_over_tonights_doctor_who.html)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 24 April, 2010, 09:09:39 pm
Yeah there was no need for that vacuous trailer when I was trying to read the credits.

Never mind that, I'm talking about a dirty great animated graphic that appeared on the screen during the closing scene when the Doctor was talking to the dead soldier over the radio. Quite simply the most inappropriate use of onscreen advertising graphics I have ever seen.

You may not have seen it if you were watching on analogue.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 24 April, 2010, 09:11:21 pm
Open letter from Den of Geek. (http://denofgeek.com/television/471290/open_letter_to_whoever_put_a_graham_norton_graphic_over_tonights_doctor_who.html)

Thanks. I was beginning to think I'd imagined it.  ;D

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 24 April, 2010, 09:15:57 pm
They do this all the time in the US and it is well annoying.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 24 April, 2010, 09:34:06 pm
Charlie Brooker on Twitter:

"I hope they trail the news with an animated George Alagaiah in the final scene of Over The Rainbow."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 24 April, 2010, 09:47:55 pm
For those who weren't treated to the sight of an animated Graham Norton dancing over Matt Smith's exciting speech, here's a screen grab:

(http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/3298/vlcsnap00002k.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 24 April, 2010, 10:15:28 pm
Feck me that is big and wrong
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 24 April, 2010, 10:38:22 pm
That was pretty good, although splitting it into two Episodes is a bit annoying, at least I hope it's only two Episodes, any more and I'll want to throttle someone!

I did like the bit at the start, with River using that artefact to send a message to the Doctor, and then just jumping out of the airlock!

Is it just me, or is River being quite so smug about knowing some things a little irritating?  She comes across as a bit condescending, although I guess that's meant to be deliberate, since it's normally the Doctor who behaves like that.

I'm glad I watched it on iPlayer, so didn't have that fairly irritating trailer across the screen.  I've noticed that on quite a few US shows which I may have <cough> watched here, somehow. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 24 April, 2010, 11:17:32 pm
Of course River Song could be the Doctor?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 24 April, 2010, 11:50:32 pm
Or even the Doctor's daughter...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 24 April, 2010, 11:55:33 pm
For those who weren't treated to the sight of an animated Graham Norton dancing over Matt Smith's exciting speech, here's a screen grab:

Wow, I don't remember seeing that.  ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 25 April, 2010, 07:14:47 am
Of course River Song could be the Doctor?
Or even the Doctor's daughter...
In the Library she said they were married. What sort of relationship are you having if you marry your future/past self?  ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 25 April, 2010, 09:12:23 am
Rhys, apparently it wasn't shown on BBC NI, Scotland or Wales, or on BBC HD - only English viewers got it. (you're in Wales, right?)

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 25 April, 2010, 11:46:08 am
Of course River Song could be the Doctor?
Or even the Doctor's daughter...
In the Library she said they were married. What sort of relationship are you having if you marry your future/past self?  ???

AHA.....

In last nights episode when they are discussing the Church - there is a several line discussion about the ban on self-marrying!

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 25 April, 2010, 01:59:49 pm
For those who weren't treated to the sight of an animated Graham Norton dancing over Matt Smith's exciting speech, here's a screen grab:

(http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/3298/vlcsnap00002k.jpg)

That was the first time I have watched it "live" on TV, so I assumed such irritations were standard. I shall certainly go back to watching it on iPlayer in the future.  >:(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 25 April, 2010, 04:21:00 pm
Rhys, apparently it wasn't shown on BBC NI, Scotland or Wales, or on BBC HD - only English viewers got it. (you're in Wales, right?)

Oh, that explains it. The BBC have had thousands of complaints apparently, I doubt they'll do it again.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 25 April, 2010, 04:38:18 pm
BBC News - Doctor Who fans angered by trailer for Over the Rainbow (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8642854.stm)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rob on 25 April, 2010, 08:42:31 pm
Anyone else spot Mike 'The Streets' Skinner at the start ?

Shouls have saved that one for the pop quiz......
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 25 April, 2010, 10:17:33 pm
From the previous page:
Quote
I did catch that it was Mike Skinner as the security guard though ("jeez, that looks like that Streets guy")
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 26 April, 2010, 04:51:46 am
The Crack TM is doing my head in. Everywhere I look, I see it. My desk has one, there's a small one on my garage wall. But the worst one is on a cardboard box that my cat keeps attacking. It is identical and I'm thinking my cat may be some evil alien! It is real people! Look out!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 26 April, 2010, 07:56:16 am
... and I'm thinking my cat may be some evil alien! ..

What do you mean, "may be some evil alien" ?

;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 April, 2010, 08:12:39 am
Firstly:
What a F****** brilliant episode. I have almost nothing to criticise. Proper scary, brilliant gags. Well worth waiting 3 average shows for.

(p.s. why doesn't Ms Pond LOOK tall - does she just have a clever costume team? )

Moving on:
For those who weren't treated to the sight of an animated Graham Norton dancing over Matt Smith's exciting speech, here's a screen grab:
...
Yes, that was sh1te. Sackings should result.

They do this in american shows, and it's not a MAJOR problem. This is because US shows normally have 5 minutes of light-hearted wrap-up at the end (viewers brains are exhausted after 47 mins with a mere 17 of adverts, so lets not ask too much eh?).
Virgin have got a delightful one with a little demon erecting the sign.

But in the scene the Beeb used it on: FuckTards! Utter DalekFrotters.

The Crack TM is doing my head in. Everywhere I look, I see it.
I didn't even notice this week's. Either I've filtered them out, or there wasn't one. Good news either way!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 26 April, 2010, 08:44:02 am
iplayer before bed + weeping angels = leave the lights on.   :o

I *love* how infuriatingly smug the redoubtable Dr Song is.  When you're fecking around with time, you're bound to be confident, aren't you?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 26 April, 2010, 09:15:45 am
For some strange reason, the angels don't scare me - I just look at them and think of sledgehammers.

Pond is getting better and better; this could be the best assistant ever (and I've been watching D Who since pre-Pertwee days).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 26 April, 2010, 11:19:23 am
It reminded me of Alien and Aliens a bit.  Alien has just one monster, and a load of civilians, and is very scary; Aliens has hundreds of monsters as well as marines and is more action than scary.

Best episode of the series so far (no coincidence that it is the first one written by Moffit?).  Will probably benefit from being over two episodes - less rushed, more able to get some texture into it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 26 April, 2010, 11:25:32 am
no coincidence that it is the first one written by Moffit?

He wrote the first two episodes, didn't he?

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Tourist Tony on 26 April, 2010, 11:28:51 am
iplayer before bed + weeping angels = leave the lights on.   :o

I *love* how infuriatingly smug the redoubtable Dr Song is.  When you're fecking around with time, you're bound to be confident, aren't you?
I unfortunately* find her difficult to separate from memories of her unclad romping as M Flanders.....

*well, not THAT unforunate....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 April, 2010, 11:45:05 am
no coincidence that it is the first one written by Moffit?

He wrote the first two episodes, didn't he?

d.

Don't think so - he is in the titles as Series Head Honcho (or similar), but has only written very few of this series. I think.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 26 April, 2010, 12:01:55 pm
IMDB says:

Episode 1 : The Eleventh Hour written by Steven Moffat
Episode 2 : The Beast Below written by Steven Moffat
Episode 3 : Victory of the Daleks written by Mark Gatiss
Episode 4 : The Time of Angels written by Steven Moffat
Episode 5 : Flesh and Stone written by Steven Moffat
Episode 6 : Vampires of Venice written by Toby Whithouse
Episode 7 : Amy's Choice written by Simon Nye
Episode 8 : written by Chris Chibnall
Episode 9 : written by Chris Chibnall
Episode 10 : written by Richard Curtis
Episode 11 : written by Gareth Roberts
Episode 12 : written by Steven Moffat
Episode 13 : written by Steven Moffat
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 26 April, 2010, 03:37:11 pm
ah, in which case I can forgive him the first one, but not the second - a bit below his par!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Regulator on 26 April, 2010, 04:56:32 pm
Would it be considered heretical to say that I'm finding this series a bit Meh...

...and that I didn't find the Angels episode the slightest bit scary?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Julian on 26 April, 2010, 04:58:22 pm
Of course River Song could be the Doctor?
Or even the Doctor's daughter...
In the Library she said they were married. What sort of relationship are you having if you marry your future/past self?  ???

No, she refused to say whether they were or not.  Amy asked and she said "you're good" but wouldn't say for sure.  The Doctor appeared to say they were when Amy Pond asks "Is she your wife?" repeatedly, when he said "Yes.  Yes, you're right... I am in a grumpy mood" (can't remember the exact quote) but he was obviously answering her first question (are you grumpy) not the second (is she your wife).

I think.  Unless the Weeping Angels scared me so much that I missed a bit.  :-[
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 26 April, 2010, 05:06:12 pm
Would it be considered heretical to say that I'm finding this series a bit Meh...

...and that I didn't find the Angels episode the slightest bit scary?

No, you're not the only one Reggie. I think Matt Smith is great, Karen Gillan is trying a bit too hard and love the stylisation of Alex Kingston's character but its all a bit boring.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 26 April, 2010, 05:11:16 pm
Would it be considered heretical to say that I'm finding this series a bit Meh...

It's brilliant. And if you fancied women you'd find a very good reason to watch it  :P

It was "Mr grumpy face" BTW, J. I think the whole relationship between River and The Doctor is deliberately left open for the future - I doubt the writers know yet.....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 26 April, 2010, 06:18:13 pm
... I think the whole relationship between River and The Doctor is deliberately left open for the future - I doubt the writers know yet.....

Don't bet on it.  Apparently these two episodes are one of the things that River mentioned in her first appearance, in The Library, so they possibly are thinking ahead a bit!

Of course, it could also be that they are leaving lots of this sort of things lying around in stories, so they can appear clever later on, but in actuality they just need to look around, and see what bits they can hang a new story line on.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 26 April, 2010, 07:29:58 pm
Pond is getting better and better; this could be the best assistant ever

I was saying exactly that to Mrs C whilst watching this week's episode  :thumbsup:. My previous favourite was Jo Grant (closely followed by Rose Tyler) but I'm rapidly becoming seriously smitten by the gorgeous Amy.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Notsototalnewbie on 26 April, 2010, 07:34:14 pm
Did anyone see the Charlie Brooker programme where he said Matt Smith looked like a friendly Easter Island statue with a bow tie?  ;D Made oi larf, that did.

I knew he reminded me of something! (Not that I don't think he's a good Doctor, mind)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 26 April, 2010, 08:00:03 pm
Pond is getting better and better; this could be the best assistant ever

I was saying exactly that to Mrs C whilst watching this week's episode  :thumbsup:. My previous favourite was Jo Grant (closely followed by Rose Tyler) but I'm rapidly becoming seriously smitten by the gorgeous Amy.

Better than Leela? (http://www.my-silvermac.com/wordpress/wp-content/images/leela.png) ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 26 April, 2010, 08:34:27 pm
Not sure. But I reckon so...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 26 April, 2010, 08:39:38 pm
How come Amy is so good? How does she know how to fix all these things, but she doesn't remember the Dalek/Cyberperson invasion? Has she come through the crack from another dimension? Is she the Master?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 26 April, 2010, 09:10:57 pm
Fuck all that. She's just fit....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 26 April, 2010, 09:34:30 pm
Shit!!

OK, I can live with The Crack made by my cat on a cardboard box full of inner tubes and shit. But the pickled egg is freaking me out. I swear one of them had started to develop a crack this morning, but now it's gone! I don't know what to do, can someone please come and help me because I think I'm about to die..........
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 26 April, 2010, 09:37:04 pm
Try going without Stella for the next 48 hours and see what happens. ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Fab Foodie on 26 April, 2010, 09:53:13 pm
Would it be considered heretical to say that I'm finding this series a bit Meh...

...and that I didn't find the Angels episode the slightest bit scary?

Glad it's not just me.  I know I'm usually mis-aligned with these things, but I found the Angels episode well dull...
I liked the first episode and the Space-Whale one, but last weeks Daleks episode was very weak.
The new Doc and the skinny Amy just aren't doing it for me.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 26 April, 2010, 09:53:30 pm
Fuck Stella! I only drink that once a year. I'm seriously worried about my eggs. Unless Amy jumps out of them of course  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 26 April, 2010, 10:28:42 pm
How come Amy is so good? How does she know how to fix all these things, but she doesn't remember the Dalek/Cyberperson invasion? Has she come through the crack from another dimension? Is she the Master?

Mistress shurely?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 26 April, 2010, 10:59:06 pm
Fuck all that. She's just fit....

I was pondering this ( ;)) earlier today. She doesn't have an amazing figure. She doesn't flash flesh, or have a face to die for.

Yet she's universally regarded as well fit . . .

I think it is because she haz teh attitude.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 27 April, 2010, 07:50:18 am
How come Amy is so good? How does she know how to fix all these things, but she doesn't remember the Dalek/Cyberperson invasion? Has she come through the crack from another dimension? Is she the Master?

She's not that good: she didn't see anything wrong with landing on unknown planet which contained hostile beings whilst wearing a red jersey. ::-)

(On a similar vein, did anyone else look at the two Token Black Guys heading off to explore and think "this isn't going to end happily for you"?)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 27 April, 2010, 09:02:03 am
How come Amy is so good? How does she know how to fix all these things, but she doesn't remember the Dalek/Cyberperson invasion? Has she come through the crack from another dimension? Is she the Master?

Mistress shurely?



You git - i've just had a K-9 flashback!


The references/homages/pilfering of old SF continues ...

Falling out of an airlock and being picked up -> pure H2G2.

Which they acknowledged with some probability techno-babble, and I'm 90% sure that one of the gadgets made a noise like the TV version of the physical guide.

oh, and Kathy isn't the only one to notice the red shirt thing - I did wonder if this was deliberate, what with it being Amy's first  "Away Team" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Away_team)trip :)
</SF geek>
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 27 April, 2010, 10:40:56 am
She doesn't have an amazing figure. She doesn't flash flesh, or have a face to die for.

Aside from the fact that I don't know what "flash flesh" is, I would have to disagree with this.

Figure-wise, she looks far better in a bikini than I ever will, so I'm not going to criticise her there, and I find her face very easy on the eye.

Quote
I think it is because she haz teh attitude.

That just adds to her charm.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 27 April, 2010, 10:56:36 am
Figure-wise, she looks far better in a bikini than I ever will, so I'm not going to criticise her there, and I find her face very easy on the eye.

This thread has now become useless without pictures.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 27 April, 2010, 11:28:41 am
Dude, you do not want to see what I look like in a bikini. I look bad enough in lycra.  ;D

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 27 April, 2010, 01:57:03 pm
Quote
Thank you for your e-mail.

The 'Over the Rainbow' trail in 'Doctor Who' should not have played out on Saturday and we apologise to all 'Doctor Who' fans whose enjoyment of the show was disrupted. We recognise the strength of feeling that has been expressed and are taking steps to ensure that this mistake will not happen again.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us with your concerns.

Regards

BBC Complaints
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 27 April, 2010, 06:30:27 pm
Quote
Thank you for your e-mail.

The 'Over the Rainbow' trail in 'Doctor Who' should not have played out on Saturday and we apologise to all 'Doctor Who' fans whose enjoyment of the show was disrupted. We recognise the strength of feeling that has been expressed and are taking steps to ensure that this mistake will not happen again.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us with your concerns.

Regards

BBC Complaints
Never mind Amy being the new Master, perhaps it's Graham Norton who's the new Master...Now that is a scary thought  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 27 April, 2010, 07:02:58 pm
Fuck all that. She's just fit....

I was pondering this ( ;)) earlier today. She doesn't have an amazing figure. She doesn't flash flesh, or have a face to die for.

Yet she's universally regarded as well fit . . .

I think it is because she haz teh attitude.

I think she's really beautiful. And let's face it, I couldn't give a toss about a girl's personality  :P

Edit: Only joking  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Spinners on 27 April, 2010, 07:49:45 pm
She looked great in the police uniform with 'pelmet' skirt. Hopefully, she'll be in a nurse's uniform before the end of the series...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 27 April, 2010, 07:58:08 pm
(http://www2.b3ta.com/host/creative/55979/1271840002/CameronDalek.jpg)

I love b3ta.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 28 April, 2010, 03:52:17 am
Or even the Doctor's daughter...

I wonder what happened to her. Now she was fit.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 28 April, 2010, 07:16:31 am
Or even the Doctor's daughter...

I wonder what happened to her. Now she was fit.

Good point, yes I'd forgotten about her, Peter Davison's daughter.  Yes, well fit  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 28 April, 2010, 09:22:17 pm
Or even the Doctor's daughter...

I wonder what happened to her. Now she was fit.

Perhaps River Song is her daughter (Fathered by Cap'n Jack Harkness?)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 28 April, 2010, 11:21:56 pm
Georgia Moffet? Surely no coincidence ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 29 April, 2010, 10:26:00 am
Georgia Moffet, Karen Gillan, Freema Agyeman, Carey Mulligan, Billie Piper, Sophia Myles, Kylie, Michelle Ryan, Myanna Buring... the people in charge of Doctor Who at the moment really are doing their best to keep the dads interested.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Spinners on 29 April, 2010, 09:19:27 pm
Georgia Moffet, Karen Gillan, Freema Agyeman, Carey Mulligan, Billie Piper, Sophia Myles, Kylie, Michelle Ryan, Myanna Buring... the people in charge of Doctor Who at the moment really are doing their best to keep the dads interested.


You've forgotten Catherine Tate  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Fab Foodie on 29 April, 2010, 09:43:13 pm
Surprised nobody's mentioned 'Peri' (Nicola Bryant) yet...
The original Bikini Dr Who Babe.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 29 April, 2010, 10:48:41 pm
Surprised nobody's mentioned 'Peri' (Nicola Bryant) yet...
The original Bikini Dr Who Babe.

I made an oblique reference earlier - surprised you didn't pick it up, being such a big fan ;)

(she's also before the time of a lot of youngsters here!)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Fab Foodie on 29 April, 2010, 11:11:32 pm
Surprised nobody's mentioned 'Peri' (Nicola Bryant) yet...
The original Bikini Dr Who Babe.

I made an oblique reference earlier - surprised you didn't pick it up, being such a big fan ;)

(she's also before the time of a lot of youngsters here!)
Sorry matt, didn't pick it up... it does give my age away though...  :(
But she was a lovely curvy young thing  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 29 April, 2010, 11:12:21 pm
Is this Arts & Entertainment or Nuts magazine?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 29 April, 2010, 11:18:32 pm
Was Peri the one that was from Australia?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 29 April, 2010, 11:46:36 pm
Is this Arts & Entertainment or Nuts magazine?

Well, I was in the office when I made my earlier post... ;)

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 30 April, 2010, 12:24:57 am
Was Peri the one that was from Australia?

Perpugilliam Brown was an American, who I believe was supposed to come from California.  I was always annoyed by her irritating accent (I don't get annoyed by US accents generally, her's just grated for some reason), and I've since found out that she's actually a British actress, so gods know why they didn't just get an American actress. :-\
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 30 April, 2010, 08:52:40 am
Is this Arts & Entertainment or Nuts magazine?
Well you lot started it!
David this ... Matt that ... he's got hidden depths, what a nice jacket! ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Fab Foodie on 30 April, 2010, 09:09:27 am
Was Peri the one that was from Australia?

Perpugilliam Brown was an American, who I believe was supposed to come from California.  I was always annoyed by her irritating accent (I don't get annoyed by US accents generally, her's just grated for some reason), and I've since found out that she's actually a British actress, so gods know why they didn't just get an American actress. :-\

She had an accent? I don't remember her talking...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 30 April, 2010, 10:10:58 am
She had an accent? I don't remember her talking...

The annoying accent is the only thing I remember about her. Perhaps it blinded me to her other charms.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 30 April, 2010, 11:26:46 am
Has anyone mentioned Ace yet?  Fit and fond of blowing shit up.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 30 April, 2010, 12:00:19 pm
Quote
Was Peri the one that was from Australia?

the Aussie one was Tegan, the airline hostess who generally screamed and whinged a lot.

Saw Peri last year in Don't Look Now, playing opposite Chris Tate.  She has aged well, and her acting has improved!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 01 May, 2010, 07:28:51 pm
Did they really need two episodes for that story?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 01 May, 2010, 08:15:53 pm
Er, yes, I think they did. It would have felt rushed if they'd packed it all into one episode. The story had room to breathe, which I like. The first ep was mostly setting the scene, the second was mostly action. I thought it was great. Best of the series so far.

In the old days, much thinner stories would have been spread out over four or five episodes.

My only criticism of this series so far would be that the main story arc is far too reminiscent of Bad Wolf.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 01 May, 2010, 08:19:09 pm
So... does River Song kill the Doctor in the future?  ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 May, 2010, 08:40:53 pm


My only criticism of this series so far would be that the main story arc is far too reminiscent of Bad Wolf.

d.

I did wonder if that was Bad Wolf Bay they were in.

So... does River Song kill the Doctor in the future?  ???
I think they want us to think that.

I wasn't impressed with that episode - it was quite dull and not scary at all.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Fab Foodie on 01 May, 2010, 11:32:03 pm
So... does River Song kill the Doctor in the future?  ???

After today's even lamer part 2, I'm beginning not to care...

Dr Who has suddenly become less than the sum of its parts, polished but lacking in 'substance' somehow.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 May, 2010, 11:53:30 pm
I'll be very disappointed if the crack/Amy's lack of memories doesn't turn out to be anything more than what we saw tonight.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 02 May, 2010, 01:11:42 am
I thought it was quite good - the angels causing their own demise. The 'open your eyes and you die' reversal of all we thought we knew.

Apart from the snogging. That has no part in Dr Who....

..d
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 02 May, 2010, 07:28:15 am
Apart from the snogging. That has no part in Dr Who....

..d



Exactly - I think it's all part of a cunning plot, so things may not be what they seem.  Or at least that's what I'm hoping.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 02 May, 2010, 09:36:58 am
My money's on a weepy goodbye as Amy gets thrown into the time vortex crack thingy to save mankind.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 02 May, 2010, 09:47:41 am
Did River Song kill Sam Tyler ?  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 02 May, 2010, 09:53:38 am
So... does River Song kill the Doctor in the future?  ???

I think that's sufficiently vague, since people aren't always clear over whether the Doctor is a man or not.  From our perspective of knowing he's not a man, we know that it shouldn't be him that she kills, but from someone else's perspective, who doesn't know he's a Timelord, they may consider him to be a man.

Deliberately ambiguous I think.

I quite liked that Episode, maybe a little drawn out, but I think that all that story would have been rushed into one Episode.

They've now "formally" brought the crack into the story-line, but without really telling us much about it.  Killing the Angels with the crack was clever, since they caused their own demise, and it removed the Angel from Amy's head by never having existed.  River is obviously going to come back again in this series, which could be amusing.

The Doctor's behaviour was significantly different from the immediately prior two doctors, he's definitely a new incarnation.  More deep thought, and less blatant humour maybe, but a very dry wit from time to time.

The bit with Amy at the end was a little comedic, probably deliberately, although as others have suggested maybe a little out of place in what is at least partially a programme targeted at younger people.  Torchwood is the proper location for more adult humour and story-lines, although the way things played out and were discussed in this Episode was quite light, and some of the phraseology could definitely be taken in different ways depending on your age and experience.  It could also possibly be relevant to the later story.

I'd say that Episode was above Par, not as good as Blink, which I think many people were expecting since it involved the Angels, but definitely better than some of the earlier episodes in this series which were weak, although primarily through having to set the scene with the new Doctor and Companion.  Blink was an exceptional episode, and will be very difficult to better, not being as good as Blink is not much of a criticism.  I think that overall this wasn't a bad episode, and has probably set the scene for some good episodes to come.

Major points for coming up with a new original way of doing a Teleport.  This has been done so many ways in episodes of Star Trek, Blakes 7, and Doctor Who itself, that the swirling upwards disappearing vortex was rather refreshingly good. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 02 May, 2010, 01:43:09 pm
Maybe the Doctor is gay? Because if Amy offered me a fuck, I'd accept. Even if it meant the end of the universe!  :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 02 May, 2010, 02:47:32 pm
Whilst killing somebody who can regenerate isn't exactly polite its not the end of the worlduniverse.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 02 May, 2010, 02:54:16 pm
Didn't there use to be a limit on how many regenerations the Doctor could have?

That aside, presumably if you do enough damage, then regeneration wouldn't be enough, somthing like dropping him into a sun for example.  We know Capt Jack seems to be able to tolerate anything, but I'm not sure it's clear that Timelords are totally immune to all damage.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 02 May, 2010, 03:10:54 pm
Major points for coming up with a new original way of doing a Teleport.  This has been done so many ways in episodes of Star Trek, Blakes 7, and Doctor Who itself, that the swirling upwards disappearing vortex was rather refreshingly good. :thumbsup:

A tadge Death Eater-ish, I thought, sniff.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 02 May, 2010, 03:36:01 pm
Didn't there use to be a limit on how many regenerations the Doctor could have?

I'm not sure where I got this from, but I always used to believe the limit was 12 regenerations.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 02 May, 2010, 04:03:16 pm
Didn't there use to be a limit on how many regenerations the Doctor could have?

I'm not sure where I got this from, but I always used to believe the limit was 12 regenerations.

d.


I had 12 in my mind. But this is Dr. Who! They can just explain that away with some kind of weird space timey type thing!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 02 May, 2010, 04:05:46 pm
Peter Davison & Colin Baker don't count, anyway ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 02 May, 2010, 04:43:42 pm
I always thought it was 10, and remember there was one story involving The Master who was getting towards the end of his last incarnation and somehow managed to takeover some-one else to start again.  Or something like that.  

Although after googling, it turns out it was 12 but who knows what will happen next (http://news.whoviannet.co.uk/2010/04/regeneration-limit-mystery-to-be-resolved/)............
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 02 May, 2010, 07:02:52 pm
Major points for coming up with a new original way of doing a Teleport.  This has been done so many ways in episodes of Star Trek, Blakes 7, and Doctor Who itself, that the swirling upwards disappearing vortex was rather refreshingly good. :thumbsup:

A tadge Death Eater-ish, I thought, sniff.

<Googles>

Aha, I haven't seen the later films, so I haven't seen that.  Still that's magic, not proper technological teleportation. :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 02 May, 2010, 07:06:35 pm
I always thought it was 10, and remember there was one story involving The Master who was getting towards the end of his last incarnation and somehow managed to takeover some-one else to start again.  Or something like that.  

Although after googling, it turns out it was 12 but who knows what will happen next (http://news.whoviannet.co.uk/2010/04/regeneration-limit-mystery-to-be-resolved/)............

I always thought it was 10 too, but 12 brings us very close to this being the last Doctor. Until they change the rules.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 02 May, 2010, 07:43:40 pm

Aha, I haven't seen the later films, so I haven't seen that.  Still that's magic, not proper technological teleportation. :)

But any suitably advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic..
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 02 May, 2010, 07:46:18 pm
Major points for coming up with a new original way of doing a Teleport.  This has been done so many ways in episodes of Star Trek, Blakes 7, and Doctor Who itself, that the swirling upwards disappearing vortex was rather refreshingly good. :thumbsup:

A tadge Death Eater-ish, I thought, sniff.

Reminded me of The Adventure Game
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Deano on 02 May, 2010, 08:37:06 pm
Major points for coming up with a new original way of doing a Teleport.  This has been done so many ways in episodes of Star Trek, Blakes 7, and Doctor Who itself, that the swirling upwards disappearing vortex was rather refreshingly good. :thumbsup:

A tadge Death Eater-ish, I thought, sniff.

I thought it was quite witchy, like when the panto villain vanishes, cackling, in a puff of smoke.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 02 May, 2010, 08:56:58 pm
Peter Davison & Colin Baker don't count, anyway ;)

No, they count, but Paul McGann certainly doesn't!

Or Peter Cushing.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 02 May, 2010, 08:58:45 pm
We just re-watched The Girl in the Fireplace (another story of the Doctor meeting a girl when she's seven, and returning when she's in her twenties - I'd not noticed that repeated theme before). One striking difference between the old and new series is the quality of the production. The editing, production and music of TGitFP seemed far slicker than in recent episodes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rob on 02 May, 2010, 09:29:48 pm
Did River Song kill Sam Tyler ?  :)


;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 02 May, 2010, 09:32:18 pm
We just re-watched The Girl in the Fireplace (another story of the Doctor meeting a girl when she's seven, and returning when she's in her twenties - I'd not noticed that repeated theme before). One striking difference between the old and new series is the quality of the production. The editing, production and music of TGitFP seemed far slicker than in recent episodes.

That is my favourite Dr Who episode of all time. It was just wonderful.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 03 May, 2010, 10:08:17 am
We just re-watched The Girl in the Fireplace (another story of the Doctor meeting a girl when she's seven, and returning when she's in her twenties - I'd not noticed that repeated theme before). One striking difference between the old and new series is the quality of the production. The editing, production and music of TGitFP seemed far slicker than in recent episodes.

That is my favourite Dr Who episode of all time. It was just wonderful.  :thumbsup:

+1

-

Thinking about the new series, as the Doc said at the end of the last episode, it does seem to be all about Amy.  It wouldn't surprise me if she'd had more  'air-time' than the doc.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 03 May, 2010, 12:26:58 pm
A little disappointing after last week (which was bloody great).

Ending are always rubbish - after all the tension, some arbitrary-sounding pseudo-science saves the day. Twas ever thus.

But PartI was genuinely creepy, and I wonder if they lost that when we walked away from the TV for a week.

Not bad, just not great.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 04 May, 2010, 01:12:27 pm
Has anyone mentioned Ace yet?  Fit and fond of blowing shit up.

Me.  Regularly.

When I was a much smaller Charlotte, she was something of a role-model  :D


Random Ace fact - she came from Perivale, wot is just up the road from hereabouts.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 05 May, 2010, 11:14:02 am
A little disappointing after last week (which was bloody great).

Ending are always rubbish - after all the tension, some arbitrary-sounding pseudo-science saves the day. Twas ever thus.
Looks like Old Man Pratchett may agree with me!

Terry Pratchett attacks 'ludicrous' Doctor Who (http://www.imdb.com/news/ni2319092/)

(actually a Grauniad interview, but their site's DNR)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 08 May, 2010, 11:28:06 pm
What a rubbish episode! I found myself utterly bored throughout. I don't agree with Stephen Fry that Matt Smith was "serious and dignified". Self-conscious, and just a bit naff, more like. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 08 May, 2010, 11:33:36 pm
"Fish from space have never been so buxom." :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 08 May, 2010, 11:36:07 pm
Yes I agree it had its laughs but it was dull.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 08 May, 2010, 11:42:47 pm
And next week, Amy Pod does trailer trash.

Looks like a bit of a psychological one...

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 09 May, 2010, 12:11:21 am
What a rubbish episode!

I loved it!

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 09 May, 2010, 09:14:32 am
How come the Doc has got his Harris Tweed jacket back this week ?  I'm sure I remember him sacrificing it last week in order to escape the clutches of a statue.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 09 May, 2010, 10:42:35 am
How come the Doc has got his Harris Tweed jacket back this week ?  I'm sure I remember him sacrificing it last week in order to escape the clutches of a statue.

I should imagine he has a boatload of them in one of his many wardrobes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 09 May, 2010, 01:10:12 pm
How come the Doc has got his Harris Tweed jacket back this week ?  I'm sure I remember him sacrificing it last week in order to escape the clutches of a statue.

I should imagine he has a boatload of them in one of his many wardrobes.

The weavers of Harris will be v pleased to hear that  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 09 May, 2010, 01:11:23 pm
What a rubbish episode!

I loved it!

d.

I must have missed something. Why did you love it?  ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 09 May, 2010, 01:21:52 pm
It's possible that the Tennant era Dr Who is seen as a golden age, when in reality, that had some duff moments, just like Matt Smith seems to.  Don't forget it's not real and is just entertainment.

Possibly at times they cut corners to try and fit things into 45 minutes (such as what happened to the things left in the canals at the end), but overall it's OK.  I thought it was a nice touch showing a photo of William Hartnell on the "bus pass" when the Dr was stopped by the official shortly after they arrived in Venice.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 09 May, 2010, 02:58:40 pm
What a rubbish episode!

I loved it!

d.

I must have missed something. Why did you love it?  ???

Completely underwhelmed by it. What is going on?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 09 May, 2010, 03:15:00 pm
I like Matt Smith as the Doctor, I quite like Amy, but these last few episodes have been dull, dull, dull.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 09 May, 2010, 03:22:15 pm
I do think the (poorer than usual) production and music has a lot to do with it. Yesterday's episode seemed to have a lot of characters just walking around, shot from a distance, which just looked daft. As for characters, I don't mind the way Matt Smith is playing the Doctor, but Amy is just too cool4skool, and annoys me.

I will keep watching, however! 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 09 May, 2010, 04:38:36 pm
I thought it was a bit shit. (I thought the last two were really good BTW) I think Matt Smith is great and the thought of Amy can supply me with enough wank fodder for months! But I never really like it when any Doctor goes back in time. It's irritating and doesn't really work IMO. I did pay attention during history lessons at school, so the idea that the Doctor had something to do with all that stuff is just a bit rubbish. Maybe the next episode will be good, but I'm not happy that Amy's fella is on board. He's a bit shit and he can fuck off 'cos SHE'S MINE!!!  :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 09 May, 2010, 04:40:29 pm
So, Dr gets attractive new sidekick.  She leaves her boyfriend behind, the boyfriend being a bit of a plank.  Then boyfriend, continuing to bumble around, gets caught up in an adventure and gets all jealous of the Dr....haven't we been there before with Rose and Mickey?

Also, why all the hassle of sneaking Ami in so that she could unlock the tunnel for them, when on the Dr's next visit he just walks straight in and starts messing with the 'throne' thing?  And why did sunlight only affect the fish people when it was beneficial to the plot?  And why did the fish people look more like insects? And why am I turning into Comic Book Guy?

Next week, the Dr has to decide if it's a dream....Neil Gaiman then.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 09 May, 2010, 04:43:39 pm
Also, why all the hassle of sneaking Ami in so that she could unlock the tunnel for them, when on the Dr's next visit he just walks straight in and starts messing with the 'throne' thing?  And why did sunlight only affect the fish people when it was beneficial to the plot?  And why did the fish people look more like insects? And why am I turning into Comic Book Guy?

All completely plausible. I mean, nobody seems bothered about an old phone box being a time machine!  :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Tourist Tony on 09 May, 2010, 05:55:42 pm
Well,Ididnotreally like thisone. Just seemed ratherailly,even more so than normal.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 10 May, 2010, 03:00:54 pm
GREAT humour, nice use of vampires, but another odd plot with no sensible ending.

6/10, watchable.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 10 May, 2010, 03:07:07 pm
I liked it.  There have been better episodes this season, but it was great entertainment curled up in bed of a Sunday night with the laptop and a cup of tea.

Mind you, I really do think it's getting much darker of late.  Gothik Horror aplenty and more to come by the look of it.

Perhaps as kids get more and more savvy, to keep in step with the times, it all has to get much more scary to get the buggers hiding behind the sofa like wot we all used to?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 10 May, 2010, 03:13:54 pm
I must have missed something. Why did you love it?  ???

I think perhaps my enjoyment of it was heightened by watching it with my wife and 12yo son, both of whom were cowering on the sofa, terrified.

It's easy to pick holes in the plot and/or criticise it for lack of originality, but I prefer to let myself be swept along by it and take it for what it is. Which is easier to do when you have performers with the style and charisma of Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in the lead roles.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 10 May, 2010, 03:15:28 pm
GREAT humour, nice use of vampires, but another odd plot with no sensible ending.

6/10, watchable.

A bit rubbish really. I'm rather with Pratchitt. I know the doctor is brilliant but it would be nice to have some sort of logic/plotline to support his last mininute 'rabbit out of hat' solutions. As is its getting a bit repetitive...

<Nitpicking Mode>

Why at the end did the queen fish take some of her kit off when it was generated by a perception filter? Why not simply turn the PF off? Come to that, why was she and the other girlie fishes in any danger from the male fishes?

Where was she when the doctor was sabotaging her throne and the thing on the roof?

Why were the fishes sometimes affected by daylight and sometimes not?

</NM>

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Regulator on 10 May, 2010, 03:21:23 pm
Naff episode... [We need a thumbs down smiley]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 10 May, 2010, 03:41:15 pm
I thought that was possibly the weakest episode of the series so far, although it wasn't too bad.

Lots of holes in the plot, and not a terribly exciting or original storyline, but a few humorous bits and lines.

I'm still happy to keep on watching.

This week had a slight reference to the crack, purely verbally, I didn't see any actual cracks in anything in this episode.

It's hard to tell from the teaser at the end of the episode, but I wonder if the next episode will have any direct bearing upon the "crack in reality" storyline?  When we had the Bad Wolf bits, it was quite subtle, and it wasn't until well through the series that we realised it kept on cropping up.  With the crack, it's very unsubtle, and if they keep us waiting until the very end for any reasonable details, it's going to be a bit annoying.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 10 May, 2010, 03:48:25 pm
It reminded me a lot of the "Shakespeare Code" episode - but a bit better. It was good switch-off-brane fodder, but I did also watch "The Island" last night so my taste may be questionable.  

I think my main problem with this series is that the continuity feels very jumpy. People go from running through a building to running through a street scene with a big lurch between the two scenes. It's amateurish and disconcerting.  
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 10 May, 2010, 03:51:32 pm
It reminded me a lot of the "Shakespeare Code" episode ...

Yes, it did seem similar, although that may just be because it was a similar era, so the clothing wasn't too different.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Deano on 10 May, 2010, 07:31:07 pm

This week had a slight reference to the crack, purely verbally, I didn't see any actual cracks in anything in this episode.

It's hard to tell from the teaser at the end of the episode, but I wonder if the next episode will have any direct bearing upon the "crack in reality" storyline?  When we had the Bad Wolf bits, it was quite subtle, and it wasn't until well through the series that we realised it kept on cropping up.  With the crack, it's very unsubtle, and if they keep us waiting until the very end for any reasonable details, it's going to be a bit annoying.

What about the close-up of the TARDIS's Yale lock at the end?  I immediately leapt to the conclusion that the crack and the keyhole were connected.  The shapes do seem to be similar:

Yale lock (http://www.libertysecure.co.uk/images/yale%20x5.jpg).

Anyway, I enjoyed Saturday's episode (vampires! Venice! pale lasses in nighties!), as I've enjoyed most of the series.  It's just silly fun, and at least they haven't been maundering on about Rose Tyler again (again). 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 10 May, 2010, 08:06:15 pm
What about the close-up of the TARDIS's Yale lock at the end?  I immediately leapt to the conclusion that the crack and the keyhole were connected.  The shapes do seem to be similar:

I thought that.

Anyway, I enjoyed Saturday's episode (vampires! Venice! pale lasses in nighties!), as I've enjoyed most of the series.  It's just silly fun, and at least they haven't been maundering on about Rose Tyler again (again). 

I think they were playing to the 'Twilight' fans a bit.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 10 May, 2010, 09:18:01 pm
What about the close-up of the TARDIS's Yale lock at the end?  I immediately leapt to the conclusion that the crack and the keyhole were connected.  The shapes do seem to be similar:

Hmm, I don't think the cracks (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=555.msg594520#msg594520) that we saw earlier, look all that much like a yale lock.

(http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/TardisKeyhole1_thumb50percent.jpg) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/TardisKeyhole1.jpg) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/TardisKeyhole2_thumb50percent.jpg) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/TardisKeyhole2.jpg)

...and all that we saw through it was the intro/end sequence anyway. :-\
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 11 May, 2010, 06:56:39 am
Totally off Topic(ish)

Found this - Dr Who theme on twin tesla coils (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KRja415Iwk&feature=related)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Deano on 11 May, 2010, 08:19:07 am
This is the sort of thing I was getting at:

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3620/4598096140_dfd7c5e2f0.jpg)

The lingering shot of the keyhole after all that ominous talk of "The Silence" seemed a bit too deliberate to be coincidental.

Anyway, I enjoyed Saturday's episode (vampires! Venice! pale lasses in nighties!), as I've enjoyed most of the series.  It's just silly fun, and at least they haven't been maundering on about Rose Tyler again (again). 

I think they were playing to the 'Twilight' fans a bit.

Since I'm only vaguely aware of Twilight, that bothered me not at all ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 15 May, 2010, 08:12:07 pm
I actually enjoyed tonights episode. And Toby Jones was fantastic  :thumbsup: More like this please.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: PaulF on 15 May, 2010, 09:45:47 pm
I actually enjoyed tonights episode. And Toby Jones was fantastic  :thumbsup: More like this please.

Me too.

I once blew Toby Jones up! Well several times actually, but once caused more singing than intended :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: goatpebble on 15 May, 2010, 10:28:45 pm
GREAT humour, nice use of vampires, but another odd plot with no sensible ending.

6/10, watchable.

A bit rubbish really. I'm rather with Pratchitt. I know the doctor is brilliant but it would be nice to have some sort of logic/plotline to support his last mininute 'rabbit out of hat' solutions. As is its getting a bit repetitive...

<Nitpicking Mode>

Why at the end did the queen fish take some of her kit off when it was generated by a perception filter? Why not simply turn the PF off? Come to that, why was she and the other girlie fishes in any danger from the male fishes?

Where was she when the doctor was sabotaging her throne and the thing on the roof?

Why were the fishes sometimes affected by daylight and sometimes not?

</NM>

She turned the perception filter on, a clear reference to an earlier scene. She had made the decision to die. Remember what her 'son' said, about his 'brothers' being fed twice?


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 15 May, 2010, 10:58:53 pm
I actually enjoyed tonights episode. And Toby Jones was fantastic  :thumbsup: More like this please.

Me too.

I once blew Toby Jones up! Well several times actually, but once caused more singing than intended :)

I was working in the library a couple of months ago and this chap wearing a rather bizarre hat walks in and says 'can I just return these here please?'. I said 'Just put them over here' whilst resisting the urge to add 'thank-you Mr Jones'.  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 15 May, 2010, 11:02:12 pm
GREAT humour, nice use of vampires, but another odd plot with no sensible ending.

6/10, watchable.

A bit rubbish really. I'm rather with Pratchitt. I know the doctor is brilliant but it would be nice to have some sort of logic/plotline to support his last mininute 'rabbit out of hat' solutions. As is its getting a bit repetitive...

<Nitpicking Mode>

Why at the end did the queen fish take some of her kit off when it was generated by a perception filter? Why not simply turn the PF off? Come to that, why was she and the other girlie fishes in any danger from the male fishes?

Where was she when the doctor was sabotaging her throne and the thing on the roof?

Why were the fishes sometimes affected by daylight and sometimes not?

</NM>

She turned the perception filter on, a clear reference to an earlier scene. She had made the decision to die. Remember what her 'son' said, about his 'brothers' being fed twice?

I got that but it really didn't make sense. If the boy fishes eat the girl fishes how are there ever going to be any little fishes? More to the point the previous feedee was (originally and recently) human.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 16 May, 2010, 12:28:05 pm
Yep, last night's episode was probably the best of the series so far. Very clever. And funny.

I didn't notice the crack anywhere - anyone else? It seemed to be very much a standalone story, which may partly explain why it was so good.

If the boy fishes eat the girl fishes how are there ever going to be any little fishes? More to the point the previous feedee was (originally and recently) human.

The girl they fed to the brothers was still human - she hadn't undergone the transformation process yet.

As for the little fishes... well, after the fish-girls had been blown up, that put paid to their chances of breeding. That's why the mother committed suicide by feeding herself to her sons - no point carrying on if there's no hope of saving the species.

And the Doctor disabling their equipment meant they couldn't just create a new batch of fish-girls either.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 16 May, 2010, 12:35:29 pm
... well, after the fish-girls had been blown up, that put paid to their chances of breeding. That's why the mother committed suicide by feeding herself to her sons - no point carrying on if there's no hope of saving the species. ....

Well, there was still the Mum fish, she was female.  A mite incestuous maybe, but if it's that, or the end of the species...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 16 May, 2010, 03:23:25 pm
Last night's was the best episode since the star whale one.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 16 May, 2010, 04:02:23 pm
"Amy's Choice" wasn't bad, although the final explanation was rather too much like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.  I always feel a bit cheated when there was no way we could have have known the cause, since it's some entirely novel concept which came from nowhere, with no warning or hints whatsoever.

In some respects the whole "I know who you are, there's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do." was pretty obviously a reference to himself, although there was a nagging "Is the master going to reappear somehow" thought. ;D

It seems a little sneaky to make Amy definitely choose Rory at this point, since it kind of removes the doubt and uncertainty about her and the Dr, although any amount of sexual tension is probably out of place in this programme, and probably more appropriate in a series like Torchwood.  I guess her and the Dr will still come up in storylines, and at least it's not a repeat of Rose and Mickey.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 16 May, 2010, 04:25:11 pm
It seems a little sneaky to make Amy definitely choose Rory at this point, since it kind of removes the doubt and uncertainty about her and the Dr, although any amount of sexual tension is probably out of place in this programme, and probably more appropriate in a series like Torchwood. 
Sexual tension does NOT belong in Dr Who. I had a bad feeling about the amy-snogs-DR scene, and I'll be very glad if the idea never returns.

Not only does it not fit the tone of Who, but it's a really hackneyed TV trope - Moonlighting did it to death, we don't need any more! It's a humourous adventure in space/time for kids (and big kids) - not bloody Eastenders.


Crack update:
A being in my vicinity has suggested there was a crack in the bedroom where Rory got powdered, but isn't sure. I'd like to think there was an episode without the bloody thing - I do feel they're ramming our faces into it for no good reason.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 16 May, 2010, 04:49:29 pm
I didn't see the crack anywhere, including in that bedroom (and I just watched those bits again to check).

If they have the crack in an episode, I think they need to wet our appetite a bit with some more story relevant to it, which they have in some of the episodes, like with the Weeping Angels.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 17 May, 2010, 11:41:58 am
Yep, best one so far.  But was it really down to the crystals or will it be referenced later with a 'real' explanation?  And what of the laugh after they'd all woken?

Scariest monster so far too.  No, not the old people, the pony-tail!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 17 May, 2010, 11:59:44 am
Reminded me of an old episode of Hammer House Of Horror where Denholm Elliot can't work when he's awake and when he's dreaming. He dreams of murdering his wife... except he wasn't dreaming.

Tell you what though, I could do without the Doctor opening the Tardis doors so often whilst in flight, even if he comes up with a deus ex machina to explain how he can do so without them all being sucked out in nanosecond.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 17 May, 2010, 08:20:49 pm
Reminded me of an old episode of Hammer House Of Horror where Denholm Elliot can't work when he's awake and when he's dreaming. He dreams of murdering his wife... except he wasn't dreaming.

Tell you what though, I could do without the Doctor opening the Tardis doors so often whilst in flight, even if he comes up with a deus ex machina to explain how he can do so without them all being sucked out in nanosecond.

He explained a couple of episodes back that he extended the air bubble outside.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 17 May, 2010, 08:27:22 pm
Reminded me of an old episode of Hammer House Of Horror where Denholm Elliot can't work when he's awake and when he's dreaming. He dreams of murdering his wife... except he wasn't dreaming.

I'm pretty sure that Star Trek NG had a similar storyline

This week's was filmed in Skenfrith, not far from here.  Bit of a continuity failure re weather though :)

Sleeting at the castle and sunny & warm at the cottage...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 17 May, 2010, 08:32:11 pm
Sleeting at the castle and sunny & warm at the cottage...

Isn't that just a normal British summer? ??? ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 17 May, 2010, 08:33:24 pm
well yes, I suppose I have to agree, after this weekend :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 17 May, 2010, 08:41:59 pm
Reminded me of an old episode of Hammer House Of Horror where Denholm Elliot can't work when he's awake and when he's dreaming. He dreams of murdering his wife... except he wasn't dreaming.

Tell you what though, I could do without the Doctor opening the Tardis doors so often whilst in flight, even if he comes up with a deus ex machina to explain how he can do so without them all being sucked out in nanosecond.

He explained a couple of episodes back that he extended the air bubble outside.

My point exactly. Except I wouldn't have used the word "explained".
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 17 May, 2010, 08:50:04 pm

I'm pretty sure that Star Trek NG had a similar storyline


This was when there was a writer's strike wasn't it?

H
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 17 May, 2010, 11:13:17 pm
Yep, last night's episode was probably the best of the series so far. Very clever. And funny.

I didn't notice the crack anywhere - anyone else? It seemed to be very much a standalone story, which may partly explain why it was so good.

If the boy fishes eat the girl fishes how are there ever going to be any little fishes? More to the point the previous feedee was (originally and recently) human.

The girl they fed to the brothers was still human - she hadn't undergone the transformation process yet.

As for the little fishes... well, after the fish-girls had been blown up, that put paid to their chances of breeding. That's why the mother committed suicide by feeding herself to her sons - no point carrying on if there's no hope of saving the species.

And the Doctor disabling their equipment meant they couldn't just create a new batch of fish-girls either.

d.

IIRC the girl was at least part transformed but still dont understand why the boy fishes eat the queen fishy, and as before, why was she taking her kit off when it was all generated by the perception filter?

Got to go now. Resident Evil is just starting on Channel4!

Swap you the fishy queen for milla jovovich...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 18 May, 2010, 10:36:35 am
Daleks poised to invade tour UK • The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/17/who_tour/).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 18 May, 2010, 06:09:57 pm
My old next door neighbour was one of the old ladies in that episode (The one next to the door when the dr locked himself in the butchers cupboard).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 18 May, 2010, 06:35:47 pm
I didn't see the crack anywhere, including in that bedroom (and I just watched those bits again to check).


Hummers!  What's going on?  The batteries in your Double-Entendre Detector need replacing or summink?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 22 May, 2010, 07:07:02 pm
 >:(!

Damn these two parters!

H
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 22 May, 2010, 07:33:38 pm
I like the two parters, more story and the suspense. Though for people who are not able to watch every episode two parters must be a pain.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 22 May, 2010, 09:04:09 pm
The new-look Silurians remind me of something... maybe from the David Tennant era? Not as scary as the originals appearance-wise, but the hint of fascist ideology certainly is.

Yet again they've found a cracking location in South Wales.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 22 May, 2010, 10:07:37 pm
It was pretty obvious that's who was coming, since anything coming up from deep in the Earth's core tends to be the Silurians.

I quite liked the old look Silurians, these ones don't have the third eye, but presumably this was to allow them to look more expressive to our eyes.  I guess this could be explained away as being only related to the original Silurians, and not necessarily identical.  Alternatively they could use the mask as an explanation, and suggest that the "other" Silurians just wore a different mask, with a third eye on it.

Kind of an OK episode so far, but like others I get annoyed when I have to wait a week for resolution!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 22 May, 2010, 11:16:48 pm
Hey, remember the Pertwee/Baker era? 25 minutes and a cliffhanger and the week-long wait for the next episode of a four-parter?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 23 May, 2010, 06:46:02 am
Hey, remember the Pertwee/Baker era? 25 minutes and a cliffhanger and the week-long wait for the next episode of a four-parter?

Indeed! I don't mind the two-parters as it reminds me of my childhood. Most Tom Baker era episodes ended with a cliffhanger and I clearly remember getting an almighty telling off from my mother when I was about seven for shouting "For fucking cunting sake! I have to wait another fucking week!"

I have never sworn in front of my mother since  O:-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 23 May, 2010, 10:51:41 am
Yeah - but you started in the advanced class!!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 23 May, 2010, 02:16:03 pm
Oooh that was good!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 23 May, 2010, 10:56:16 pm
The new-look Silurians remind me of something... maybe from the David Tennant era? Not as scary as the originals appearance-wise, but the hint of fascist ideology certainly is.

Yet again they've found a cracking location in South Wales.

All within a few miles of each other!

 Locations - Google Maps (http://www.doctorwholocations.org.uk/)

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 23 May, 2010, 10:59:04 pm
You can see one of them (Torchwood House, where Queen Vic met the Werewolf) from our drive :)

Treowen, an historic holiday house (http://www.treowen.co.uk/)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 23 May, 2010, 11:09:40 pm
You can see one of them (Torchwood House, where Queen Vic met the Werewolf) from our drive :)

Treowen, an historic holiday house (http://www.treowen.co.uk/)

But that was in Scotland!

;)

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 23 May, 2010, 11:24:31 pm
Ah, the magic of television!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 24 May, 2010, 02:00:45 pm
quite a good episode I thought.

Yep, the old Silurians were better, and event better than them were their close relations, the Sea Devils - that episode scared seven colours out of me when I were a kid.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 24 May, 2010, 10:12:38 pm
Yet again they've found a cracking location in South Wales.

I surprised anyone still lives there - it's clearly very dangerous!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 24 May, 2010, 10:18:57 pm
"I dressed for Rio"

Really? Tights in Rio? Surely a bikini would have been a better choice? :)

Far harder to disguise the whole C&B thing tucked up between your legs.

H
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 25 May, 2010, 07:43:40 pm
Yet again they've found a cracking location in South Wales.

I surprised anyone still lives there - it's clearly very dangerous!

Probably safer then Midsomer.... various calculations suggest that the number of murders actually exceeds tha population of the village!

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 May, 2010, 11:16:00 am
Probably safer then Midsomer.... various calculations suggest that the number of murders actually exceeds tha population of the village!

In similar vein the Local Authoritah in Ystad are getting a bit fed up with Wallander, as it appears to be only slightly less full of violent DETH than Baghdad.  The last murder in the area was actually in 1999.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 29 May, 2010, 09:45:13 pm
You know, I actually think this series is starting to grow on me.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Bledlow on 29 May, 2010, 10:40:44 pm
Probably safer then Midsomer.... various calculations suggest that the number of murders actually exceeds tha population of the village!

In similar vein the Local Authoritah in Ystad are getting a bit fed up with Wallander, as it appears to be only slightly less full of violent DETH than Baghdad.  The last murder in the area was actually in 1999.
A couple of years ago, the Torygraph pointed out that whereas Lewis had solved 8 murders in Oxford in a single month, the actual number in the previous year was - one. Which is about average, for Oxford. The last time a member of the university was killed was in 1991.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 30 May, 2010, 12:11:11 pm
You know, I actually think this series is starting to grow on me.

Yeah, definitely some nice bits in this weeks episode.

Will we get to see the Earth in 1000 years time, when these Silurians wake up ? (I doubt it, but it could make for a good episode).

What is going to happen with Rory?  They've gone a long way to keep him in the series, so I'm sure something clever will happen to keep him around.

I like the bit of the Tardis in the crack, obviously there's an important story there.  How come if anyone else gets touched by the light, they're wiped out of existence, but the Doctor can shove him arm into it, and nothing happens to him.

This episode seemed a little but too smug about the whole "Don't kill" anyone bit, and Ambrose being involved in Alaya's death.  The more recent Doctors can be rather too preachy about things like this.  From the internal storyline point of view, it's easy to be like that, when you're 900 years old, and always seem to be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat (when those around you are being regularly killed).  From an external storywriters point of view, we get enough of this moralistic crap from USA sitcoms, I don't need it laid on quite so thick in UK programmes as well.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 30 May, 2010, 01:12:20 pm
What is going to happen with Rory?  They've gone a long way to keep him in the series, so I'm sure something clever will happen to keep him around.

I've been pondering that. It's a brave move to kill off a significant character like that - I was inconsolable for days when Adric died.

But the only way they could bring him back is with yet another of those tiresome unravelling time devices that they seem to have become so fond of, and I really hope they don't do that again, because they are LAME.

Quote
How come if anyone else gets touched by the light, they're wiped out of existence, but the Doctor can shove him arm into it, and nothing happens to him.

Yes, that's another thing that bothered me. But sod it, I thought it was a really good episode so I can excuse the odd continuity glitch like that. And Stephen Moore was in it, which is always enough to keep me happy.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 30 May, 2010, 02:14:42 pm
What is going to happen with Rory?  They've gone a long way to keep him in the series, so I'm sure something clever will happen to keep him around.

I just had a check on IMDB, and he is listed in the cast for a later episode, so he's definitely back in some form.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 30 May, 2010, 04:59:47 pm
Quote
I was inconsolable for days when Adric died.

eh? we had a party to celebrate - he was even more annoying than having Bonnie Langford as a companion.

As for Rory, yep, I saw an interview with him the other day where he was talking about filming episodes later in the series. 

Regarding the current series - they could save a lot of time, effort and expense if the tardis was just to materialize, doc steps out, waves sonic screwdriver around, everything becomes magically fixed, and off goes the doc to the next adventure.  Ah, no, wait, that's what happened isn't it?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 30 May, 2010, 06:25:50 pm
When are we going to be told why Amy don't remember anything that happened before, with the old doctor and the two other side kicks ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 30 May, 2010, 06:33:18 pm
Quote
I was inconsolable for days when Adric died.

eh? we had a party to celebrate - he was even more annoying than having Bonnie Langford as a companion.

Yes, OK, I already know I'm the only Doctor Who fan ever who actually liked Adric. And I was only 10 years old when he died so didn't know any better.  :(

Quote
Regarding the current series - they could save a lot of time, effort and expense if the tardis was just to materialize, doc steps out, waves sonic screwdriver around, everything becomes magically fixed, and off goes the doc to the next adventure.  Ah, no, wait, that's what happened isn't it?

 ;D

Yes, the sonic screwdriver has become rather too powerful. I don't recall Tom Baker or Peter Davison using it half so often, nor to perform quite so many different tasks as the recent Doctors use it. Disarming the Silurians like that was just a wee bit too convenient.

It has indeed become more like a magic wand. Maybe that's down to the pervasive influence on popular culture of Harry Potter.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 30 May, 2010, 07:02:17 pm
Yes, the sonic screwdriver has become rather too powerful. I don't recall Tom Baker or Peter Davison using it half so often, nor to perform quite so many different tasks as the recent Doctors use it. Disarming the Silurians like that was just a wee bit too convenient.

 I concur. It was also cooler when it was blue. Green LEDs don't cut it these days.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 30 May, 2010, 07:18:21 pm
That's the trouble with any too powerful technology, you start having to invent reasons why you can't use it in all scenarios, otherwise you loose the twists and turns of a storyline which makes it interesting.

The sonic screwdriver seems to have gotten a bit like that, but rather than invent artificial limitations, they just ignore using it, and leave us wondering why. :-\
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 30 May, 2010, 09:42:14 pm
Just watched it. Eep. Is the TARDIS going to die in the crack?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 30 May, 2010, 10:11:28 pm
Not to mention that the Doctor said he'd destroyed the original Sonic works back in the Empty Child / Doctor Dances eps with Christopher Eccleston (Cap'n Jack had a weapon from the same place, but the Dr said there wouldn't be any more).  When the TARDIS produced a new one, my first reaction was "Bollocks..."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 30 May, 2010, 11:22:36 pm
The Sonic Screwdriver has a key role somewhere as it is a link between the Doctor and River Song?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 31 May, 2010, 01:07:49 pm
And Stephen Moore was in it, which is always enough to keep me happy.

Hitchhikers Crossover alert!

Quote
I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 31 May, 2010, 05:24:50 pm
Quote
I was inconsolable for days when Adric died.

eh? we had a party to celebrate - he was even more annoying than having Bonnie Langford as a companion.

Yes, OK, I already know I'm the only Doctor Who fan ever who actually liked Adric. And I was only 10 years old when he died so didn't know any better.  :(


Don't worry, you are not alone - I believe that he was Flying Money's hero too  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 02 June, 2010, 10:01:55 am
The Sonic Screwdriver has a key role somewhere as it is a link between the Doctor and River Song?

Obviously River Song kills the doctor. I reckon she uses the sonic screwdriver to take control of the tardis and blow it up, to prevent the end of the universe (which is going to be brought about by The Master, who transferred his consciousness into the woman with the red dress before shooting himself).
The Doctor is trapped in the Tardis, and tells River to blow it up anyway. Amy is elsewhere and survives, but when the tardis is destroyed it removes the crack, and 'undoes' the effects of the crack. She remembers Rory, but he wouldn't have died without the crack taking him. This creates a space time paradox that the universe can't sustain, so it recreates the Doctor to balance the space time continum, and Rory conveniently pops out, unharmed and bewilderedly asking what is going on.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 05 June, 2010, 07:31:14 pm
I loved tonight's episode. It made me weep! And 66.66666% of the cast were ginger.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 05 June, 2010, 07:35:06 pm
I loved tonight's episode. It made me weep!

+1, to both of those.

Very good, inna Richard Curtis stylee.  Some very nice little jokes too :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 05 June, 2010, 07:38:37 pm
And Bill Nighy!

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: токамак on 05 June, 2010, 07:43:33 pm
Cor-dear, what a load of sentimental tosh! ;)

[edit] but I only really watched the last 20 minutes, whilst eating my dinner.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 05 June, 2010, 07:53:23 pm
I thought that episode was complete bollocks. Yes, I got all the gags, but it was still shit.

If it wasn't for Amy's hotness I would probably have thrown something at the TV.....

Edit: What the fuck was going on with van Gogh's accent?!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 05 June, 2010, 08:01:24 pm

Edit: What the fuck was going on with van Gogh's accent?!

I assumed that it was a joke, having a Scottish actor for Vincent so he could ask Amy if she was also Dutch.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 05 June, 2010, 08:08:39 pm

Edit: What the fuck was going on with van Gogh's accent?!

I assumed that it was a joke, having a Scottish actor for Vincent so he could ask Amy if she was also Dutch.
It was a bit like the Pompeii episode in series 4, where Welsh = Latin.  Look you.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 05 June, 2010, 08:25:10 pm
Well, that was like every Richard Curtis film - mawkish, sentimental, ridiculous but soppily affecting.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 05 June, 2010, 08:46:17 pm
+1

It was really irritating in places but did the job for me. All felt abig rushed though - the story needed breathing space. Should have been a two-parter.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 05 June, 2010, 09:00:04 pm
Didn't like that. OK, Curtis wrote Blackadder, but everything else he's done is tainted with that church-going cloying sentimentality. And we certainly didn't need a sub-Coldplay soundtrack. I looked at my watch, realised there was ten minutes to go and thought "oh no, he's going to take Van Gogh to the gallery to show him he is finally appreciated..."

Next week we get James Cordern playing himself.  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 June, 2010, 09:44:57 pm
It was a bit sentimental, but I don't think excessively so.

All too often the only thing the Doctor uses his time machine for, is to get to some random location where the storyline plays out.  Today, just for once, he actually used it to do something interesting.  Taking an artist who wasn't appreciated in his own era to see that he's considered one of the greatest painters of all time (up to now anyway) is the sort of thing you would want to do with a time machine.

Not a bad episode, although it seemed a bit contrived with the storyline about the beasty not really being very interesting or important, and a lot more about how Van Gogh was treated, behaved and felt.

Next week we get James Cordern playing himself.  ::-)

Doesn't James Cordern always play himself?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 05 June, 2010, 10:14:35 pm
The Doctor is supposed to thwart aliens, not be some kind of extemporaneous social worker.  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 06 June, 2010, 05:32:47 pm
+1

It was really irritating in places but did the job for me. All felt abig rushed though - the story needed breathing space. Should have been a two-parter.

d.

Goodness me no. One episode like that was bad enough. The monster looked like an overgrown rubber chicken. Our overwhelming impresison was 'Oh %^& we have run out of special effects money. Quick, fight invisible monsters.'

The storyline was rather meh - somewhat boring and didn't captivate me at all.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 06 June, 2010, 05:36:25 pm
The Doctor is supposed to thwart aliens, not be some kind of extemporaneous social worker.  ::-)

That doesn't stop him from trying to solve individual's problems.  In the Vampires of Venice he tried to stop Mum from killing herself, I'm sure there are other cases in the current series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 06 June, 2010, 05:47:25 pm
I kinda felt that there was one episode missing between the last two.

1: Rob gone, 2: Amy sad, 3: Van Gogh. 

I know that it is not normally a continuum in this series, but they have built it up somewhat to have a flow between each episode. And this big event of Rob getting taken by the crack and then nothing felt like something missing. 

But still great entertainment for a Saturday evening.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 06 June, 2010, 06:04:02 pm
There was a certain amount of the Doctor trying to ensure that nothing happened between Amy and Vincent.

The episodes aren't always primarily about the long term storyline, which I think Rory's future reappearance will be involved with, so I guess that some episodes aren't going to fit into a sequence, and could be simply "stand alone", and not intimately tied into other episodes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 06 June, 2010, 06:53:15 pm
I kinda felt that there was one episode missing between the last two.

1: Rob gone, 2: Amy sad, 3: Van Gogh. 

I know that it is not normally a continuum in this series, but they have built it up somewhat to have a flow between each episode. And this big event of Rob getting taken by the crack and then nothing felt like something missing. 

But still great entertainment for a Saturday evening.
We couldn't have an Amy sad episode though, because she doesn't remember about Rory. But Van Gogh knew she was sad inside. He could see what had happened to her, even though she didn't know.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 06 June, 2010, 06:58:22 pm
Oh yeah forgot that bit
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 07 June, 2010, 08:52:58 am
I thought that it was the best of the best of the series so far.  Although that wasn't difficult.

It had a similar sort of feel to Girl in the Fireplace but wasn't as good.

But at least the sonic screwdriver failed to fix all of the world's ills for a change!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 07 June, 2010, 10:12:13 pm
I thought it was a totally pointless episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 07 June, 2010, 10:45:57 pm
I liked it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: alexb on 08 June, 2010, 11:23:06 pm
Did anyone else wonder if the Dr's all-powerful wing-mirror on a stalk was a tilt at the I-Pad?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 08 June, 2010, 11:27:15 pm
Oh yes. And the idea of only being able to view the world while looking into it and walking backwards was inspired :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 09 June, 2010, 09:35:45 am
I thought it was a totally pointless episode.

Is there such a thing as a pointful episode of Dr Oho?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 09 June, 2010, 10:41:19 am
Good episode. 7/10

Made a nice change from the others - I guess that's the advantage of the guest writers.

Curtis fooled us; we were sure VG would lose an ear battling the chicken-thingy!

... so I guess that some episodes aren't going to fit into a sequence, and could be simply "stand alone", and not intimately tied into other episodes.

Chrikey I hope so. It's Dr Who not Eastenders. (or Touchwood)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 09 June, 2010, 12:17:27 pm
Curtis fooled us; we were sure VG would lose an ear battling the chicken-thingy!

That would have been neat. I enjoy it when they do that in Doctor Who - like when Peter Davison accidentally started the Great Fire Of London.

Which reminds me...

At the start of that story, the Doctor is trying to take Tegan back to Heathrow, but due to the erratic behaviour of the Tardis, he gets her there 300 years before the airport is built. This unpredictability has always been a key feature of his adventures. So answer me this: how is it that in this series the Doctor suddenly seems to have complete control over when and where the Tardis materialises? Did he take it in for an MOT or something?

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 09 June, 2010, 12:21:54 pm
You mean apart from the South Wales / Rio misunderstanding?

[or was that deliberate , can't remember ... ]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 09 June, 2010, 12:22:21 pm
I'd say the percentage of TARDIS fuck ups has been about the same in this series as in the past. He was several years late getting back to Amy and weren't they supposed to be in Rio a couple of episodes ago but weren't?

Edit: Bit of a X post....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 09 June, 2010, 12:50:21 pm
You mean apart from the South Wales / Rio misunderstanding?

Good point.

He was several years late getting back to Amy

And another.

I was forgetting about those incidents, but there have been a few times where his Tardis driving skillz have been uncharacteristically accurate. I guess whether or not the Tardis arrives in the right place depends on whether or not it suits the plot.  ::-)

The Rio "mistake" was clearly just a way for the writers to provide a reason for having Amy in a short skirt.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 09 June, 2010, 12:53:23 pm
Doubt it. They don't usually require an excuse.  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 09 June, 2010, 01:01:32 pm
At the start of the season he did say something about it being rebuilt
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TheLurker on 09 June, 2010, 01:13:20 pm
The TARDIS is probably more accurate at this time travel lark when the handbrake is off. So mebbe he's remembering to release the handbrake  now or the brake linings are so shot that it doesn't matter any more that he's left the handbrake on? :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 12 June, 2010, 07:30:31 pm
That was a much better episode than the last one.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 12 June, 2010, 09:44:11 pm
That episode was very good. I even warmed to the ubiquitous James Cordern. Daisy Haggard (as seen in Psychoville) was an inspired piece of casting. The Doctor trying to act human was comic genius. One criticism - the alien/monster seemed superfluous to the plot, something which has happened before in this series.

Only two more episodes left - a Daleks/Cybermen/Sontarans/Olivia Colman extravaganza, with the River Song and Crack loose ends tied up. Can't wait!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 13 June, 2010, 09:07:30 am
I could see James Cordern's belly from the back of the room!  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 13 June, 2010, 12:34:06 pm
Oh, that was great. Nice to see them doing comedy.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 13 June, 2010, 12:43:59 pm
I really liked that episode too. I loved the football scene  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 13 June, 2010, 01:57:07 pm
... One criticism - the alien/monster seemed superfluous to the plot, something which has happened before in this series. ...

Well, not really.  Without the alien/monster/whatever, there wouldn't have been anything to hang the rest of the storyline off of.

They needed an excuse for Amy to get stuck in the Tardis whilst the Doctor went off and did zany "human" things.  The alien/monster/whatever was the mechanism used to do that.  This did mean it seemed a little superfluous, since they didn't really flesh it out very well, probably for reasons of brevity, ie keeping the episode within it's limited duration.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 15 June, 2010, 10:02:02 pm
Just watched it with Peli and PGtips. And PGtips got Pelli with a great placed Boo! :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: goatpebble on 15 June, 2010, 10:53:04 pm
I could see James Cordern's belly from the back of the room!  ::-)

I am probably the only person who dislikes James Corden even more than Patrick Stewart might.

The belly debacle just confirmed it.

I wish I could watch him being 'disembellied' by the alien. I would hope to be toasting this messy event in the company of Sir Patrick...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 15 June, 2010, 11:51:31 pm
I really like James Corden, I think he's funny as fuck. It's sad when people use "He's fat" to criticize him. So what if he could lose a few *insert whatever units you wish to use*

I probably weigh half as much as James, but what the fuck has that got to do with the price of kettles?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 16 June, 2010, 12:14:19 am
I've met James Corden and he's every bit the lovely bloke he comes across on telly. I like him.

My only problem with him is that he's a bit over-exposed at the moment - seems to be on the telly every time I turn the darn thing on. However much you like someone, this is never a good thing.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 16 June, 2010, 05:44:50 pm
... One criticism - the alien/monster seemed superfluous to the plot, something which has happened before in this series. ...

Well, not really.  Without the alien/monster/whatever, there wouldn't have been anything to hang the rest of the storyline off of.

They needed an excuse for Amy to get stuck in the Tardis whilst the Doctor went off and did zany "human" things.  The alien/monster/whatever was the mechanism used to do that.  This did mean it seemed a little superfluous, since they didn't really flesh it out very well, probably for reasons of brevity, ie keeping the episode within it's limited duration.
Well yes really. What obviously happens here is that a writer comes in with a good idea that makes a nice 40min story [DW plays football, meets Bernard Cribbins, whatever], then the head writers remind them to have some proper Who elements, so they crowbar an alien in there.

So Amy needed to be in the tardis:
well have the lock jam, or Amy get sick ... keep it simple if you only have 2 screen minutes for it!
<\grump>
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 16 June, 2010, 09:40:26 pm
Anybody been playing the free adventure game yet? I'm no gamer, but I enjoy frittering my time away on this.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 19 June, 2010, 07:32:22 pm
Stunning episode tonight - wow. Nice bit of misdirection, I was  :facepalm: only about 2 seconds before the reveal.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 19 June, 2010, 07:38:42 pm
They appeared to have stirrups on the horses.I thought that conventional wisdom was the Romans didn't have stirrups.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 19 June, 2010, 07:41:31 pm
 :o

Ooooh! I thought they would open the Pandorica to find the Doctor, not that they'd lock him in it.

I wish it was next week!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 19 June, 2010, 07:50:32 pm
Why if the screwdriver is a torch did he not use it when it went dark in the angels episode?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 19 June, 2010, 07:51:50 pm
Why if the screwdriver is a torch did he not use it when it went dark in the angels episode?
New update released :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Dave on 19 June, 2010, 08:03:12 pm
God, I *love* River Song so much.

Anyway. Can't wait for next week. That was brilliant - almost as good as 'Blink' - the intro pre-credits was just superb. I think Moffat can do these big stories much better than RTD.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 19 June, 2010, 08:13:31 pm
Lined it up nicely to a big episode next week, just hope that it will not fail.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 20 June, 2010, 08:24:16 am
Excellent episode. The kids predicted that the pandorica would hold the Dr just from the "next time" at the end of the last episode. Though like Kirst they thought it would hold a future Dr.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Dave on 20 June, 2010, 08:27:33 pm
OK. My take on it. They've got the wrong person in the box. The cracks in time are being caused by Amy - the Dr *knows* there's something not right with her.

I still think River is by far the most interesting character - is the diary really hers? She doesn't seem the kind of person who would create a diary like that, but does come across as the kind of person who would steal it off someone. Like Amy, who does seem like the kind of person who would write a diary like that...

But where did River get the ability to pilot the Tardis? Or the funky sonic screwdriver? Hmm.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 20 June, 2010, 09:55:57 pm
I think they put the Doctor in the box which means he's the only thing which survives the TARDIS exploding and the universe ending so then he can sort it all out and make it not happen. Because obviously the TARDIS exploding isn't a fixed point in time thing that always has to happen, or else River wouldn't have all the memories of the future because they wouldn't have happened.

I think it is River's diary and the reason she keeps it is because she and the Doctor both travel in time, separately and together, and she uses it to keep track of when they are when they meet so she doesn't give him spoilers - I think it really is that simple. And I think she's his wife. But from a future regeneration. So he gives her the screwdriver and teaches her to fly the TARDIS in the future.

I'm scoobied about Amy though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 20 June, 2010, 10:12:15 pm
Is River the future Amy? Mabe this Doctor likes gingers...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 21 June, 2010, 07:57:59 am
Excellent episode. The kids predicted that the pandorica would hold the Dr just from the "next time" at the end of the last episode.
Does anyone think the "next time" bits are a good idea? In our house they are always the cue to lunge for the remote :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 21 June, 2010, 08:22:55 am
The whole point of the cliffhanger at the end of an episode, back in the bad old days of four- and six-part stories, was that there was no guarantee that anyone would survive.  If you have a cliffhanger, followed by 'ooh look, they're all there in next week's episode,' it kind of defeats the object.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 21 June, 2010, 08:33:15 am
I was very pleased there was no "next time" at the end of this week's episode - no idea what's going to happen. It's properly exciting!

However...

(click to show/hide)

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 21 June, 2010, 08:52:50 am
Hmm that was interesting (I just watched it on iPlayer whilst eating my breakfast).

I must admit I thought maybe the Pandorica contained the Doctor (or one of him anyway), seeing as generally he's the worst thing in the Universe for most of the baddies (I also wondered if his Daughter could reappear, since she's sort of in the same category, basically being a clone of him).

It's a bit of a dark end to that episode, what with everyone apparently incapacitated by something, although we don't really need any "...and next time", because we know they'll be back, or at least the Doctor will.

I wondered about the Nestene intelligence, because I've always thought of that as a bit of a second class baddie, not really up to the level of the Daleks or the Cybernen, but I guess within the Alliance they were a suitable candidate for that function, being good at being undercover.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 21 June, 2010, 11:06:50 am
That was fabulous. Rivetting stuff. I thought it would be the Dr too in the box.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 21 June, 2010, 11:22:21 am
I was half expecting the Pandorica to open and reveal the interior of the TARDIS that River Song was trying to get out of.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 23 June, 2010, 08:40:12 pm
I expected it to contain the Master
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 23 June, 2010, 08:42:41 pm
I expected it to contain the Master

That was my bet, with a side order of River Song being The Master.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Crapaud on 23 June, 2010, 09:02:56 pm
... (I also wondered if his Daughter could reappear, since she's sort of in the same category, basically being a clone of him). ...
I've a suspicion that River Song's his daughter. She knows the Dr's true name and can operate the Tardis. Being Timelordish, she may have regenerated.

Anyhoo, a cracking episode; the best so far excepting the first of the Weeping Angles ones.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 23 June, 2010, 09:04:15 pm
Oh, it would be really creepy if she's his daughter - she's too flirtatious!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 23 June, 2010, 09:08:22 pm
I also expected it to be The Master. There are so many loose ends that they are going to have to be super clever to tie them all up. I doubt they will, but I don't mind as I've enjoyed this series (for the most part) very much  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Crapaud on 24 June, 2010, 07:48:42 pm
Oh, it would be really creepy if she's his daughter - she's too flirtatious!
I'd have said familiar.

At the end of 'The Doctor's Daughter' I initially thought that there'd be a spin-off series, but not only hasn't it happened, there aren't even any rumours of one. I find it strange that they created a daughter and haven't had her back in another story. It seems a significant character.

The hints that River is the Doc's future wife could be deliberate misdirection. Also, River has a very mischevious look when she replies 'spoilers' when she's asked.

I doubt that we'll find out on Saturday.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 24 June, 2010, 08:02:52 pm
I doubt that we'll find out on Saturday.

Yep, I don't think who or what River is will come out any time soon, it would spoil all the random little comments and things that are spattered around in the conversations she has with the Doctor.

Saturday will just be the Doctor (or Amy or Rory) pulling a rabbit out of a hat to somehow foil the Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans etc, assuming Amy somehow survives or Rory manages to throw off the control of the Nestene Consciousness.

I suppose if the Tardis doesn't explode and create all the cracks in time, then anyone who disappeared because of the cracks wont, and could "reappear".  This could bring Rory back.  It would also bring all the Weeping Angels back, but I suspect that little story twist would be ignored!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 24 June, 2010, 08:16:18 pm
Steven Moffat gas already said that the River Song mystery won't be resolved in this series because he doesn't know himself yet. He's deliberately keeping that open for future as-yet-unwritten stories to resolve. The rabbit-out-of-hat solution seems most likely. I just hope it's something a bit more inventive than the old it-never-happened chestnut. What is this - Dallas?

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 24 June, 2010, 09:12:30 pm
Well I just meant "rabbit out of a hat" as whatever mysterious mechanism they use to get out of what currently appears to be an impossible situation.  ie the Doctor locked in the Pandorica, Amy dead (seemingly), and Rory just an automaton of the Nestene Consciousness.

Possibly River could come to the rescue, but I assume that she's stuck and about to cause the Tardis to explode, unless the Doctor somehow escapes and stops her, so she can't really rescue him.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 25 June, 2010, 07:42:34 am
It's all going a bit 1930s Flash Gordon isn't it?

Everyone is captured or dead, but next episode the Doctor will actually jump out of the truck just before it goes over the edge get out his screwdriver just before the Pandorica closes, press a button on it and escape, just leaving him to sort out the Tardis by some other deus-ex-machina that could not have been predicted.

It's still good fun though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 25 June, 2010, 07:57:11 am
My theory on the conclusion yesterday - the whole series has been set in an imagined universe (or parallel universe). In the first episode I thought the Tardis looked odd - as if it was made of plywood freshly painted with blue emulsion paint - I still think this.
Many things in the series have revolved around the objects from Amy's childhood - raggedy Doctor doll, Romans book, Pandoras box - OK that was explained as the background for the trap being created at Stonehenge.

I wonder if the whole thing is set inside Amy's imagination, and the cracks are the real universe getting in.

We see the picture of Rory and Amy as strippograms - Rory as a Roman soldier is explained, but no reason yet why Amy was a policewoman. Can anyone think this might be significant?



Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 25 June, 2010, 08:40:08 am
You're probably right - the Matrix is probably the only major SF source they haven't ripped off yet!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 25 June, 2010, 08:41:47 am
It's Life On Mars! Amy is really John Simm/The Master/Sam Tyler!  ;D

But that still doesn't explain why she'd never seen a Dalek before...

d.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 25 June, 2010, 09:31:28 am

We see the picture of Rory and Amy as strippograms - Rory as a Roman soldier is explained, but no reason yet why Amy was a policewoman.

She did comment that it was the policewoman or the french maid outfit. As (almost? I don't remember if Donna did) every other companion since it was brought back on has ended up in a maids outfit of some sort I thought that this was just a nod to that.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 26 June, 2010, 03:32:32 pm
I wonder if there's any significance re the Roman stuff that in ep 11 Amy stated their location as Colchester?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 26 June, 2010, 07:00:26 pm
Did that make any sense to anyone?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 26 June, 2010, 07:04:24 pm
Did that make any sense to anyone?
Not me.
Wibbley-Wobbley, Timey-Wimey.
Amy looked lovely in her wedding dress though.
When the DVD comes out, I'll see if the director's commentary explains it at all.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 26 June, 2010, 07:06:32 pm
Nor me. Too much jumping around in time, none the wiser about Amy/Amelia's memories and existence, and all we got about River Song was a tease about being the Doctor's wife.

Oh well, looking forward to the Christmas special!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 26 June, 2010, 07:22:32 pm
I told you! I told you the Tardis looked too new - like plywood painted with blue emulsion.
Something borrowed, something new, something old, something blue.

The Doctor said earlier - he borrowed the Tardis. It is very old - and now it is new, and blue.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 26 June, 2010, 07:24:18 pm
Did that make any sense to anyone?
It made perfect sense in the context of the series but not so much in the context of reality. I was surprised Amy remembered and brought her family back. I thought she'd sacrifice her family to concentrate on remembering the Doctor to bring him back, but this way was better.

It's too long til Christmas!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 26 June, 2010, 07:42:35 pm
Yeah, she brought her family back... and then ditched them almost immediately!

I think I'd need to watch the whole series again a couple of times before I fully understood everything that happened in the last episode, but I still thought it was totally and utterly brilliant.

Bravo, Mr Moffat!

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 26 June, 2010, 08:54:09 pm
I still don't get it. Is Amy's life (& family) real? What about Amelia living on her own in that big house? What about the Tardis-shaped book and the Raggedy Doctor doll? Is Rory an Auton? How come we didn't see Amy's family until now? Why did River Song walk past the window, smirking?

I have to say I felt rather uneasy at the sight of Amy pleading for the Doctor to "kiss the bride" while the hapless Rory looked on.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 26 June, 2010, 09:26:21 pm
I still don't get it. Is Amy's life (& family) real? What about Amelia living on her own in that big house? What about the Tardis-shaped book and the Raggedy Doctor doll? Is Rory an Auton? How come we didn't see Amy's family until now? Why did River Song walk past the window, smirking?

I have to say I felt rather uneasy at the sight of Amy pleading for the Doctor to "kiss the bride" while the hapless Rory looked on.
Amy's family were real, but they'd been sucked out through the crack in the wall of her bedroom and therefore never existed and she'd forgotten them, like she forgot Rory when he went through the crack. That's why she was living on her own in the big house - the rest of her family had gone. Rory was a Nestene consciousness living plastic, but he's real again now. We didn't see Amy's family because they'd gone through the crack and she restored them when the TARDIS made the second big bang by remembering them. River Song walked past the window because she'd left the book for Amy at the wedding reception to trigger Amy's memories so the Doctor could come back.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 26 June, 2010, 10:00:43 pm
Thanks for that Kirst... not totally convinced though!

Still, an enjoyable episode, but didn't quite live up to what was promised in part 1.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 26 June, 2010, 11:41:44 pm
you need to watch the 'confidential' stuff immediately afterwards on BBC3.  It always tells me much more than I saw!

I thought it was luverly, and so did my girls (and thats what counts)  I'm slightly disappointed though (from a dramatic perspective) that the tardis crew didn't change completely.  At one point i thought Amy must BE the Dr in the future.
And as an aside, their both a little too glib still for my tastes.  I prefer the 'mind games' type stories, but I think they are concentrating on appealing to the 'sarah jane adventures' viewers for this series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 27 June, 2010, 12:48:54 pm
That was an interesting albeit confusing episode.  I think Kirst summarised some of the complex bits.  I liked the way that Doctor bounced forwards and backwards in time, doing all the sort of things that you shouldn't do in time, like nicking Amelie's drink. ;D  Of course generally that sort of thing isn't done, because of things like "fixed points in time", and was explained away as being OK, since the universe was so small (temporarily).

I'll probably need to watch it again to clarify some things.

I'm still annoyed that we didn't find out exactly why the Tardis did explode, but at least it's been clarified (by the Doctor) that there was some reason, which he intends to work out, and it's not just some big gaping plot hole that's going to be ignored.

Great quote towards the end, at the wedding:

Doctor: ...I'll be leaving the kissing duties to the brand new Mr Pond.
Rory: No, I'm not Mr Pond, that's not how it works.
Doctor: Yeah it is.
Rory: Yeah.... it is.

;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 27 June, 2010, 01:10:40 pm
That was an interesting albeit confusing episode.  I think Kirst summarised some of the complex bits.  I liked the way that Doctor bounced forwards and backwards in time, doing all the sort of things that you shouldn't do in time, like nicking Amelie's drink. ;D  Of course generally that sort of thing isn't done, because of things like "fixed points in time", and was explained away as being OK, since the universe was so small (temporarily).
Well, not exactly. In every series it's been explained that some things are fixed points in time and have to always happen, but other things are flexible and the Doctor or other people/events can change them. The TARDIS exploding and destroying the universe clearly wasn't a fixed point in time, because if it was the universe would never have happened at all including the TARDIS so it could never have exploded. The Doctor's always been very careful not to meddle with fixed points in time, but he's always quite willing to have a go at saving people if it's not a fixed point in time, so we can assume that all the fiddling he did last night was to things that weren't fixed points in time. But we know none of it was a fixed point in time because it becomes a self-fulfilling non-event - if the universe exploding and being destroyed and never having existed always happened, it would never have happened because it would never have existed, but because it did exist, it never having had existed couldn't happen.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 27 June, 2010, 01:43:21 pm
Well, exactly what's meant by fixed points in time is never explained, so very conveniently they can use this excuse whenever they feel like it.  I'm not sure the fact that the entire universe is about to disappear is sufficient to say that events happening there are not fixed point in time.  This is admitedly based on a somewhat vague handwavyness way of thinking what a fixed point is ie something significant which has significant implications for following events.  Arguably not having a future is a way to avoid significant events in the future would imply that there are no fixed points, because there are no points whatsoever.  I tend to think that the universe doesn't know it's not going to exist, so you could still have fixed points, albeit pointless (sic) ones.

I'm pretty sure that the Doctor did make some comment about the universe being so small, that it was OK anyway, the implication being that the Vortex Generator was a bit iffy, and in a big universe could cause disaster, but presumably in the somewhat truncated, star less universe, there was a sufficiently low amounts of material that it was OK.  This seems reasonable, whereas conveniently not having any fixed points sounds a bit of a cop out.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 27 June, 2010, 05:05:53 pm
Anyone daft  enough to try making sense of a time-travel story (other than Ray Bradbury's, obviously), should rewatch their copies of:

- Back to The Future
- Bill and Ted.

Possibly not in that order.


Really enjoyed this. Nice lines, good bits for River Song, not _too_schmaltzy .... and possibly the ultimate ' ... Something blue' joke.

What's not to like?!?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 27 June, 2010, 10:54:11 pm
. . and . . . I do like the way River Song says "Yes".
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 28 June, 2010, 08:14:39 am
I loved it and got what he was doing when he was jumping to and fro. Yes if you wanted to you could pick holes in it, but that is not what Doctor Who is about. Looks like (after we watched confidential) that we are going to find out who River is.

Is it xmas yet ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 28 June, 2010, 08:32:25 am
... Yes if you wanted to you could pick holes in it, but that is not what Doctor Who is about. ...

Sez who, that's half the fun. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 28 June, 2010, 11:06:59 am
The whole exploding TARDIS wossname made me start to wonder whether there was to be a Collapsing Hrung gag in there, and I was rather disappointed when there wasn't ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 28 June, 2010, 06:51:52 pm
I want a Pandorica to put half my caseload in.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 30 June, 2010, 11:38:46 am
OK, I can see why Amy had the half memories of the raggedy man - because the doc put them there when he visited her in bed, etc.

But why was River at the wedding?  For her to be there she would have had to remember the Dr, and if she did , why didn't that bring him back rather than having to get Amy to remember him?

Also, River's closing comment: "That's when it all changes" - is she a reincarnation of Captain Jack?  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 30 June, 2010, 12:07:32 pm
Also, River's closing comment: "That's when it all changes" - is she a reincarnation of Captain Jack?  ;D

Or the Master?
 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Crapaud on 30 June, 2010, 01:04:11 pm
Also, River's closing comment: "That's when it all changes" - is she a reincarnation of Captain Jack?  ;D

Or the Master?
 

or the mysterious elderly Gallifreain (sp?) woman from the end of Tennant's last series? She winked; River winks a lot.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 30 June, 2010, 03:53:24 pm
I presume that River has to be female, if she's another Time Lord (Lady), since as far as I know they don't change gender during regeneration.

How about the Rani as another possibility?  Apparently (according to this (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/The_Rani) Wikia entry) "A past relationship between the Rani and the Doctor was hinted at, but never elaborated upon."

Edit:  Amusingly, the Wikia (http://tardis.wikia.com/) refers to that mysterious elderly Gallifreyan Woman as "The Woman".
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 30 June, 2010, 09:02:39 pm
But why did she apologise for whatever it is that will be revealed?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 30 June, 2010, 09:26:39 pm
Because it's going to be all awful and tragic and sad.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 30 June, 2010, 10:07:56 pm
Yes but why, or in what way. Is there a big clue to her identity in this?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Tourist Tony on 30 June, 2010, 10:11:31 pm
Anyone daft  enough to try making sense of a time-travel story (other than Ray Bradbury's, obviously), should rewatch their copies of:

- Back to The Future
- Bill and Ted.

Possibly not in that order.


Really enjoyed this. Nice lines, good bits for River Song, not _too_schmaltzy .... and possibly the ultimate ' ... Something blue' joke.

What's not to like?!?
Which one?
If you want a deeply unsettling time travel knotwork, try Heinlein's "All You Zombies"
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LindaG on 30 June, 2010, 10:25:18 pm
Making the dalek beg for mercy.  I love that. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 01 July, 2010, 09:52:01 am
Tony:
A Sound of Thunder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Sound_of_Thunder)

It's a really well told story, and all time-travel stories since just seem a bit ... lame (but back to the future is still a great film!)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 01 July, 2010, 11:00:56 am
If you want a deeply unsettling time travel knotwork, try Heinlein's "All You Zombies"

For the audio version of this, try Escape Pod (http://escapepod.org/2009/07/02/ep-200-all-you-zombies/)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Tourist Tony on 01 July, 2010, 12:22:02 pm
Tony:
A Sound of Thunder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Sound_of_Thunder)

It's a really well told story, and all time-travel stories since just seem a bit ... lame (but back to the future is still a great film!)
Of course! [slaps forehead] As ripped off many, many times.....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 01 July, 2010, 12:35:36 pm
It's the Daily Star, so very likely made up by bored hacks one afternoon, but I do so hope this is true...

Daily Star: Simply The Best 7 Days A Week :: News :: Eric Cantona to join Doctor Who as an evil alien (http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/142302/Eric-Cantona-to-join-Doctor-Who-as-an-evil-alien/)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 01 July, 2010, 08:20:51 pm
It's the Daily Star, so very likely made up by bored hacks one afternoon, but I do so hope this is true...

Daily Star: Simply The Best 7 Days A Week :: News :: Eric Cantona to join Doctor Who as an evil alien (http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/142302/Eric-Cantona-to-join-Doctor-Who-as-an-evil-alien/)

That would just be being himself then
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 01 July, 2010, 10:26:39 pm
River Song is Amelia's aunt. What that means, I don't know. But pay attention at the back!!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 25 December, 2010, 05:34:28 pm
ba humbug special is on in 25min \o/
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 25 December, 2010, 06:50:00 pm
Did the
(click to show/hide)
break everyone else too?

ibble bibble wibble
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 25 December, 2010, 07:06:15 pm
That was brilliant and the next series look the bees knees too and River is back :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 25 December, 2010, 07:12:22 pm
I thought it was really boring. Even my nephews who would normally be glued to the screen got bored halfway through and took to prodding the cat. Being attacked by an irate feline was far more entertaining for them.....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 25 December, 2010, 07:21:11 pm
Top Christmas Day post-port schmalz :)

And a nice reaffirmation of the true nature of Christmas: halfway out of the dark.

Ace
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 25 December, 2010, 07:42:16 pm
Well I cried when the reason that Kazran kept Abigail in cold storage was revealed.

Because I'm a great big wuss.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 25 December, 2010, 07:48:57 pm
And a nice reaffirmation of the true nature of Christmas: halfway out of the dark.
That made me grin, too.   :thumbsup:

But still, buh buh buh shark harness.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 25 December, 2010, 10:29:53 pm
I didn't think it was that good to be honest - other Christmas specials have been better.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 25 December, 2010, 10:37:58 pm
I wasn't overly impressed either. It just seemed lacking in originality; "A Christmas Carol" has been done to death, and it all seemed too strained.

Even Ms Pond in her Police uniform didn't give it much interest.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 December, 2010, 10:22:11 am
Did the
(click to show/hide)
break everyone else too?

Yes.

But overall it was pretty enjoyable. Creaked a bit in the 3rd quarter, but plenty of neat silliness to maintain interest.
MUCH better than most Russellty Davies episodes.

I'm a massive humbug about any
(click to show/hide)
[no doubt I'll be corrected, never mind ... ]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 26 December, 2010, 10:27:07 am
One thing confused me - maybe I was a bit pissed...

The family of sister of the cold girl; that Christmas in their house the son was the same age as he was when they all first met, when everyone else was considerably older and one person was played by a different actor completely.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Clandy on 26 December, 2010, 10:29:39 am
I watched this after Chrimbo dinner at the parents place. It's the first episode I've seen since David Tennant left. If it wasn't for Katherine Jenkins I would have switched off. I am well aware this may have been previously said, but I'll say it anyway: The new Doctor is shite, he's practically a teenager! Whose idea was it to turn Doctor Who into Doctor Who Kids?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hummers on 26 December, 2010, 10:30:17 am
One thing confused me - maybe I was a bit pissed...

The family of sister of the cold girl; that Christmas in their house the son was the same age as he was when they all first met, when everyone else was considerably older and one person was played by a different actor completely.

Indeed but I gave up trying to work up any enthusiasm for this damp squib. It was bloody awful.

H
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 26 December, 2010, 10:30:32 am
I thought it was brilliant - maybe I'm just easy to please
 ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: SandyV on 26 December, 2010, 10:31:40 am
It's just been on here and my stepdaughter (23) pronounced it the best ever.  I'm not so sure about that but did spend time on here and managed to multi-task successfully without feeling the need to focus solely on the show.

We missed the first couple of minutes though, did it explain what the sharks were all about (or were they just part of the local scene)? (The harness gave me a good laugh too)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 26 December, 2010, 10:35:04 am
I thought it was brilliant - maybe I'm just easy to please
 ;D


I really enjoyed it too.

It's designed, I suppose, to work in that post-feast miasma of goodwill-to-all-men and it did, in spades, with tearjerkers aplenty and a rollercoaster ride to the final destination.  Viewing it on a cold, cynical January morning, it would be pretty sickly, I'd guess.  But yesterday ? Ace.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 26 December, 2010, 10:36:07 am
I liked the whole "cyberpunk" feel of the planet - Victorian style clothes, control board with switches and levers, and people wearing darkened flying goggles.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 26 December, 2010, 10:39:21 am
Katherine Jenkins has a mighty fine pair of lungs!   :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Not sure about the rest of the episode though....   ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 December, 2010, 10:46:13 am
I liked the whole "cyberpunk" feel of the planet - Victorian style clothes, control board with switches and levers, and people wearing darkened flying goggles.
I think you mean "steampunk" (I didn't see any cybernetics!). But whatever, it was a good choice for a christmas  sci-fi show  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 26 December, 2010, 10:49:34 am
I only half watched and half listened to it because I was busy roasting and steaming things at the time. I'll have to sit down and give it my full attention to see.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 26 December, 2010, 11:35:52 am
It's repeated on BBC3 at 7pm tonight.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 26 December, 2010, 11:38:22 am
It's repeated on BBC3 at 7pm tonight.

Thanks, I'll try to catch it all then.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wowbagger on 26 December, 2010, 08:07:36 pm
41 pages have been added to this thread since my last visit. However, a conversation this afternoon with Mrs. Wow's sister revealed that a niece on her husband's side had, at the age of 18, never heard of Dr. Who or the Daleks.

This is an achievement of which any one of us would be rightly proud.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Clandy on 26 December, 2010, 08:09:22 pm
a niece on her husband's side had, at the age of 18, never heard of Dr. Who or the Daleks.

That's just wrong. A childhood deprived of watching the telly from behind the sofa from between your fingers.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 26 December, 2010, 09:51:49 pm
This is an achievement of which any one of us would be rightly proud.

 ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 26 December, 2010, 11:01:55 pm
This is an achievement of which any one of us would be rightly proud.

Really? Why?

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 27 December, 2010, 12:12:44 am
This is an achievement of which any one of us would be rightly proud.

Really? Why?

d.

Exactly! My husband and his fledgling organisation have been setting up a licensing agreement with the Beeb for a RPG for Hoctor Doo, and I am immensely proud of him.

Plus seeing my mate Laura doing a sterling (if brief) job as Katherine Jenkins plainer sister in the Xmas special was also very cool  8)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 27 December, 2010, 12:21:13 am
This is an achievement of which any one of us would be rightly proud.

I'd lean more towards retarded than proud....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Chris S on 27 December, 2010, 12:23:09 am
I was pretty pissed TBH, and I'm not really a Dr Who fan, so no useful judge I guess.

I was hopelessly confused from start to finish, and really had no idea what the hell it was about. A flying shark that liked opera, was that it?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wowbagger on 27 December, 2010, 12:32:57 am
This is an achievement of which any one of us would be rightly proud.

Really? Why?

d.

I've never met the girl, but to me it indicates an independence from mass media which I think is quite laudable.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 27 December, 2010, 01:10:38 am
She's bullshitting. And if you believe her, your beard is starting to grow over your eyes!! Unless she was kept in a cellar during her childhood, there is no way she wouldn't know about Dr Who or the Daleks....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 27 December, 2010, 01:17:13 am
This is an achievement of which any one of us would be rightly proud.

Really? Why?

d.

I've never met the girl, but to me it indicates an independence from mass media which I think is quite laudable.

Darling boy, I know it does to your good self but it can be incredibly well written and there is some superb acting. As my hubby likes to say, anyone who is anyone in the acting world wants to do this show - it is the gig which is why I am so proud that my friend Laura got. Which is why Sir Michael Gambon said that he had always wanted to do this show. It ain't mass media, its a well loved show which I have adored since I was a little 'un and will continue to appreciate for the rest of my life  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 27 December, 2010, 01:19:33 am
This is an achievement of which any one of us would be rightly proud.

Really? Why?

d.

I've never met the girl, but to me it indicates an independence from mass media which I think is quite laudable.

Darling boy, I know it does to your good self but it can be incredibly well written and there is some superb acting. As my hubby likes to say, anyone who is anyone in the acting world wants to do this show - it is the gig which is why I am so proud that my friend Laura got. Which is why Sir Michael Gambon said that he had always wanted to do this show. It ain't mass media, its a well loved show which I have adored since I was a little 'un and will continue to appreciate for the rest of my life  :thumbsup:

*applause*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wowbagger on 27 December, 2010, 01:35:37 am
Jolly good! And long may you enjoy it, Katie!

But why is it so incredible that people have somehow not been touched by a certain aspect of the mass media / culture? Bobb, re-read: I have never met the girl. This cropped up in a conversation with my sis-in-law. I'm not lying in my reporting of that conversation to you and I'm sure she wasn't lying in her reporting of the conversation she had yesterday lunch time.

It's part of the rich tapestry that not everyone fits into the same mould. For me to say it's laudable that someone has somehow avoided that which is quite difficult to avoid doesn't mean that I'm in any way criticising people's favourite television programme or people who like the programme. It means that I'm celebrating people's diversity.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 27 December, 2010, 01:53:08 am
I'm most certainly not saying you are a liar, or your sil. Just that the girl in question is. Maybe not a full on liar - just a bit of a bullshiter.

I don't give a flying bollock bag about Dr Who. I enjoy it as a bit of Saturday evening light entertainment, but apart from that I only watch it because Amy Pond is fit as all fuck.

You avoid the meeja and you've heard of Dr Who and the Daleks, so how on Earth is this 18 year old to be believed when she says she hasn't?

She's clearly a nutter....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wowbagger on 27 December, 2010, 02:06:26 am
I must have been about 9 when Dr. Who was first on the telly (my recollection was that the first episode was on about the same time that Kennedy was assassinated*), and the Daleks probably turned up in the first series (I can't remember). I watched quite regularly: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker... how many years did that lot cover?

I also recall (possibly incorrectly) that the first episode was broadcast twice, on consecutive Saturdays, because the first one was so popular but lots of people missed it and requested that it be shown again.

*Just checked: Kennedy assassinated 22/11/1963. Dr. Who was first broadcast 23/11/1963.  :smug:

Quote from: Wiki
Premiering the day after the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy, the first episode of Doctor Who was repeated with the second episode the following week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 27 December, 2010, 02:18:33 am
So we have the king of popular culture avoidance (you) admitting to knowing all kind of facts about the show!!  :P

You know I love you, Pete - it's just that I do not believe for one second that this girl is being truthful....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wowbagger on 27 December, 2010, 02:27:26 am
So we have the king of popular culture avoidance (you) admitting to knowing all kind of facts about the show!!  :P

You've seen from the cricket quizzes what a prodigious memory I had for totally irrelevant facts.

I didn't always try to avoid popular culture. In fact, I don't think I make any effort to avoid it now. People are allowed to lose interest in stuff and if, after a period of more than 47 years, I've lost interest in what I always regarded as a children's programme, then surely that's not that surprising.

The same is true of television in general. If you watched just 10% of what's on offer you'd never have time for anything else. I've just become totally fed up with watching telly. I've even got fed up with watching cricket. Televised cricket was ruined by Mark Nicholas and the trashy Channel 4 presentation of it. I was brought up on commentaries by John Arlott, Jim Laker and E. W. Swanton. No contest.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Biggsy on 27 December, 2010, 12:01:31 pm
This is an achievement of which any one of us would be rightly proud.

Really? Why?

She's in training to be a High Court judge ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 27 December, 2010, 12:05:32 pm
This is an achievement of which any one of us would be rightly proud.

Really? Why?

d.

I've never met the girl, but to me it indicates an independence from mass media which I think is quite laudable.
Excepting the Guardian of course ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 29 December, 2010, 07:25:37 pm
 Not keen on the Christmas episode really. No real sense of peril. The trailers for the new series look great though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 29 December, 2010, 08:10:34 pm
The trailers for the new series look great though.

They do, don't they?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: darkpoint on 30 December, 2010, 08:48:52 am
The trailers for the new series look great though.

They do, don't they?

And one of them is written by Mr Neil Gaiman..

bounces.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: alexb on 30 December, 2010, 10:47:48 am
The Christmas special totally failed the 6 year old test...my 6 year old was completely unable to summarise what he'd just seen to his elder sister.
She tends to use him as a barometer for how scary it is. If he isn't too freaked out, she'll watch it with him on demand!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 30 December, 2010, 02:48:28 pm
The trailers for the new series look great though.

They do, don't they?

And one of them is written by Mr Neil Gaiman..

bounces.

Squeeeee (as the youth would say), didn't he write one episode for Babylon 5 many moons ago? I seem to recall it had Pen & Teller in it...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: essexian on 30 December, 2010, 08:20:33 pm
Any one been watching the Sarah Jane Adventures (9am on BBC1 during this holiday period)?

A first rate spin off which, IMHO, is better than some of the recent Dr Who's.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Clandy on 02 January, 2011, 12:39:28 pm
Whilst waiting for dinner today at my brother's, I see Doctor Who is being repeated. Not the new crap Doctor, but the previous entertaining and well acted Doctor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 02 January, 2011, 01:39:39 pm
Who, Tom Baker?  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Tourist Tony on 04 January, 2011, 10:59:46 am
Who, William Hartnell?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 04 January, 2011, 11:01:55 am
No, Patrick Troughton.

(Actually, I rather like Matt Smith)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 05 January, 2011, 10:53:30 pm
I bought the DVD box set of series 5 as a Christmas present.  Actually 2 copies - one for me to keep for myself.
I was watching "The Hungry Earth" - the episode where there's a drilling rig in Wales somewhere, with Meera Syal managing the project.

Just propped against the wall is an Itera plastic bike.

Anyone else notice that?  (Sorry if it's already been mentioned; I did a search for "Itera", and all I got was lITERAly lots of lITERAture-related posts!)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 06 January, 2011, 11:37:27 am
Doctor Who to marry Doctor Who's daughter • The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/01/05/who_marriage/).

I thought there was a la against that sort of thing (except in Norfolk, obv.).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Chris S on 06 January, 2011, 11:49:30 am
Doctor Who to marry Doctor Who's daughter • The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/01/05/who_marriage/).

I thought there was a la against that sort of thing (except in Norfolk, obv.).

 ::-)

The definition of a Norfolk virgin? A girl who can run faster than her father.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 17 April, 2011, 04:21:25 pm
I was just watching the Christmas Carol episode on iPlayer (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00wyj5p/Doctor_Who_A_Christmas_Carol/), and I don't think I've seen the "Coming Soon" bit at the end of that episode before.

It looks quite promising for the new series, more River Song obviously, but what looks like period drama again (it worked pretty well with The Girl in the Fireplace), Nazis, what could be Kennedy era US special agents (a who killed President Kennedy storyline, or would that be too cliched?), the Ood, mention of a Stetson and a fez, and what looked like the interior of the spacecraft from The Lodger. ;D

(It's at around the 1 hour 40 seconds point).

... and the new series starts next Saturday, which I hadn't realised until I hunted around a bit.  Yay! :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 20 April, 2011, 12:17:40 am
*is excited*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 20 April, 2011, 09:30:14 am
Mythtv box set to stun record...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 20 April, 2011, 09:43:11 am
And we're going to be away!

:(

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 23 April, 2011, 05:47:14 pm
13 minutes!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 23 April, 2011, 05:52:26 pm
*squirms excitedly*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 23 April, 2011, 06:05:16 pm
Ohhh new theme tune. But now be quiet all so we can watch this
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 23 April, 2011, 06:48:49 pm
Now that was good, loud laughs, spooky and what the heck is going on next week. Can't wait!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 23 April, 2011, 06:50:09 pm
An awful lot of "Spoilers!"
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 23 April, 2011, 06:59:22 pm
We just have to cosplay Charlotte as River Song some time.

Were those
(click to show/hide)
?  And was that the
(click to show/hide)
?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 23 April, 2011, 07:00:35 pm
That was scary...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 23 April, 2011, 07:10:36 pm
That was scary...


That's how Dr Who should be!   :thumbsup:  Looking forward to next weeks episode.   ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andyf on 23 April, 2011, 07:24:53 pm
And River Song is just so hot...... :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Billy Weir on 23 April, 2011, 07:27:26 pm
Good episode.  One of those that left lots of interesting plotlines to speculate over, both in relation to the next episode and the series.

Fine new monsters as well.  That's where Stephen Moffat kicks ass.  He brings the fear.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 23 April, 2011, 07:36:56 pm
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 23 April, 2011, 07:40:33 pm
(click to show/hide)
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 23 April, 2011, 08:50:29 pm
Well that was a blinder. I'm still trying to work it out - all part of the fun.

And yes, I have a major crush on River Song.  :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 23 April, 2011, 09:22:58 pm
I was out riding my bike.  Gawd Bless BBC iPlayer.

Wibbly-wobbly, Timey-wimey.

Which is all the more surreal given that iPlayer itself messes with time. 8)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MacB on 23 April, 2011, 11:06:14 pm
The 5 of us just watched it on I-player and all I can say is WOW!!!!!!! time paradox makes my head hurt at the best of times and I've read a lot of scifi. Spooky, scary, confusing and funny, that's about as good as it gets.

Even scarier I'm now in the position of yet again changing my favourite Doctor...David Tennant finally beat out Tom Baker but Matt Smith is superb.

It's like being a kid again, got to wait a whole week for the next episode  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 23 April, 2011, 11:39:01 pm
It was so good, I might watch it again on iPlayer, maybe around Wednesday or Thursday...

There's a theory that Stephen Moffat is leaving the kids behind. I will consult with my uberfan 8-year old niece tomorrow to see what she thinks.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 24 April, 2011, 12:32:10 am
Yup, that's a good plot. Time paradox and seriously spooky aliens (or are they?) to boot.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 24 April, 2011, 08:35:46 am
... loud laughs,  ...



(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: GruB on 24 April, 2011, 09:00:16 am
The 5 of us just watched it on I-player and all I can say is WOW!!!!!!! time paradox makes my head hurt at the best of times and I've read a lot of scifi. Spooky, scary, confusing and funny, that's about as good as it gets.

Even scarier I'm now in the position of yet again changing my favourite Doctor...David Tennant finally beat out Tom Baker but Matt Smith is superb.

It's like being a kid again, got to wait a whole week for the next episode  ;D

My 10 yr old refused to watch it but the 14 yr old was well chuffed to have made it home on time.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 24 April, 2011, 11:26:33 am
... loud laughs,  ...



(click to show/hide)

My favourite laugh was:

(click to show/hide)
  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 24 April, 2011, 12:07:23 pm
(click to show/hide)
(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 25 April, 2011, 10:01:25 pm
Lots of good stuff but some bits I really didn't like...

(click to show/hide)

But even more annoying was...

(click to show/hide)

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Arch on 25 April, 2011, 10:03:39 pm

Even scarier I'm now in the position of yet again changing my favourite Doctor...David Tennant finally beat out Tom Baker but Matt Smith is superb.


I think DT will always be it for me, but having just watched on iPlayer, I think Matt Smith is pretty damn good. I was put off the last series when it seemed a bit too 'kiddie' (plus I missed a lot of episodes).

The new music is still awful though. Bring back the DT incarnation theme.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 25 April, 2011, 10:06:43 pm
Lots of good stuff but some bits I really didn't like...

(click to show/hide)

But even more annoying was...

(click to show/hide)

d.


Yep, sums it up for me.

It doesn't help that I rewatched some old stuff with Sarah Jane in this weekend - yes the old stuff had flaws too but the Doctor was more interesting when he wasn't a god/superhero.

I don't hate the recent stuff but I thnk they have written themselves in to a very tiny corner by having too many plots with huge climaxes.  
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 25 April, 2011, 10:08:14 pm
It's a shame they feel the need to include lines that aren't going to be understood by their core audience. It's a kids' programme, FFS.


Since when?

One of the strengths of Dr Who has always been the ability to be suitable and maintain the interest of both children and adults
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 25 April, 2011, 10:25:50 pm
And I did like the way their little exchange went over the heads of everyone in the room at the time, too.

Plus, y'know, he's a Time Lord.  Plots that appear impossible without doing some wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff are absolutely bread and butter.  Second only to the Tourist Of Time ones (quarry, ancient evil, kidnapped assistant, kaboom).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 25 April, 2011, 10:50:03 pm
We enjoyed it, but I haven't made up my mind about 'Rory-the-Roman' tagging along - River Ok, but Rory possibly too many.

Apparently, though, the first episode ratings were down on last year...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 April, 2011, 09:27:22 am
We enjoyed it, but I haven't made up my mind about 'Rory-the-Roman' tagging along - River Ok, but Rory possibly too many.


Gillan makes the point that with Rory around, any romance between her character and The Doctor is snuffled out - I think this is a good thing, Dr Who is a much better programme without falling back on the worn-to-paper-thin cliche of will-they-wont-they between the leads.

Agree about deus-ex-machina stuff. It just makes the episode/series/multi-parter seem pointless. Yes, the Doctor is clever-n-powerful - but if there doesn't seem to be any struggle, what's the point? Why doesn't he just stun every bad guy with eye-ball lasers (or his sonic screwdriver)? etc ...

Fortunately Moffat wrote all the better stories a few years ago, so hopefully he prefers a 'proper' plot.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 26 April, 2011, 10:06:46 am
Buggeration, I just realised that I'll be at Chez Molio for the next episode.  Ah well, that's what iPlayer is for.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 26 April, 2011, 10:08:31 am
Buggeration, I just realised that I'll be at Chez Molio for the next episode.  Ah well, that's what iPlayer is for.

And Mythtv and SKY+
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 26 April, 2011, 10:12:04 am
Is RtR able to get Pond preggers? And what's with the sickness experienced by both River and Pond?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 26 April, 2011, 10:15:19 am
Buggeration, I just realised that I'll be at Chez Molio for the next episode.  Ah well, that's what iPlayer is for.

If you ask nicely am sure that Monsieur Molio will put it on for you  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 26 April, 2011, 12:44:28 pm
We enjoyed it, but I haven't made up my mind about 'Rory-the-Roman' tagging along - River Ok, but Rory possibly too many.


Gillan makes the point that with Rory around, any romance between her character and The Doctor is snuffled out - I think this is a good thing, Dr Who is a much better programme without falling back on the worn-to-paper-thin cliche of will-they-wont-they between the leads.

Agree about deus-ex-machina stuff. It just makes the episode/series/multi-parter seem pointless. Yes, the Doctor is clever-n-powerful - but if there doesn't seem to be any struggle, what's the point? Why doesn't he just stun every bad guy with eye-ball lasers (or his sonic screwdriver)? etc ...

Fortunately Moffat wrote all the better stories a few years ago, so hopefully he prefers a 'proper' plot.

Twas ever so..?  e.g. the Tardis pulling the earth back to it's proper orbit etc., etc.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 26 April, 2011, 12:56:18 pm
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TheLurker on 26 April, 2011, 01:11:11 pm
Fine new monsters as well...
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 26 April, 2011, 01:17:53 pm
(click to show/hide)
(click to show/hide)
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Tim on 26 April, 2011, 01:22:07 pm
I thought this was supposed to be a new series. Ho hum, meh.

River Song in an episode about aliens in space suits/aliens you shouldn't look away from...

edit: seeing Tim's post I hadn't registered that they were reusing sets as well.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 26 April, 2011, 01:27:56 pm
edit: seeing Tim's post I hadn't registered that they were reusing sets as well.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 April, 2011, 01:56:27 pm

Twas ever so..?  e.g. the Tardis pulling the earth back to it's proper orbit etc., etc.

Depends on your definition of 'ever'; did this sort of thing happen before Russell T.Davies?

(this is the problem with non-sf writers trying to come up with suitable spacey-awesome ideas  :facepalm: )
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 26 April, 2011, 04:09:51 pm
Depends on your definition of 'ever'; did this sort of thing happen before Russell T.Davies?

There was a fair bit of "reversing the polarity" back in Jon Pertwee's day...

About the most cataclysmic thing I remember happening in Doctor Who when I was growing up was when the Cybermen crashed their spaceship into the Earth, killing off Adric and apparently causing the extinction of the dinosaurs.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 26 April, 2011, 04:21:31 pm
I remember that. And also something the Doctor did in 1666 started a fire in Pudding Lane.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 26 April, 2011, 04:22:47 pm
Depends on your definition of 'ever'; did this sort of thing happen before Russell T.Davies?

There was a fair bit of "reversing the polarity" back in Jon Pertwee's day...

About the most cataclysmic thing I remember happening in Doctor Who when I was growing up was when the Cybermen crashed their spaceship into the Earth, killing off Adric and apparently causing the extinction of the dinosaurs.

d.

It was worth finishing off the dinosaurs just to kill Adric.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 26 April, 2011, 04:25:23 pm
wot he said. Anything to kill off the whiny little twerp.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 26 April, 2011, 04:29:34 pm
Thanks to the tinterweb you can watch it again


    YouTube
        - Doctor Who - Adric's Death
   (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idEcvdL_zHA)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 26 April, 2011, 04:30:09 pm
Oh, you people... I think I must be the only Who fan who ever actually liked Adric. I cried when he died. For hours.

Kirst - that was The Visitation, with those weird fishlike creatures called Terileptils. That was always one of my favourite stories.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 26 April, 2011, 04:57:18 pm
Oh, you people... I think I must be the only Who fan who ever actually liked Adric. I cried when he died. For hours.

I kind of feel bad now – they wrote Adric for us, all the little proto-geek girls and boys and lots of us hated him. 

I did like his gold star thing with which he offed a cyberman if that’s any consolation?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Billy Weir on 26 April, 2011, 06:57:45 pm
Wondering if it would be best to have a spoiler free Dr Who thread and a spoilers allowed one.

Trying to following discussions about the show that are a series of drop down spoiler boxes is dashed difficult!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 April, 2011, 10:30:02 pm
Normally it's not worth the trouble ... but we're upto 76 pages now, so there would seem to be not a little interest in  DW on YACF!

It would be nice to have someone to merge the spoiler posts back into the main thread after a series has finished. MV is good at that stuff ... :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 27 April, 2011, 01:28:31 pm
I quite like the idea of separate threads.

Frood and I are both a bit concerned that DW has peaked and we've already seen the best of them. The Christmas Special made me cross and last night's was disappointing.

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 27 April, 2011, 07:31:32 pm
I quite like the idea of separate threads.

Frood and I are both a bit concerned that DW has peaked and we've already seen the best of them. The Christmas Special made me cross and last night's was disappointing.

Sam

.......... or you're simply getting old and sensible?

 ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 27 April, 2011, 09:19:49 pm

.......... or you're simply getting old and sensible?

 ;)

I shouldn't have thought that's ever likely.

 :smug: :demon:

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flying_Monkey on 27 April, 2011, 09:19:53 pm
Oh, you people... I think I must be the only Who fan who ever actually liked Adric. I cried when he died. For hours.

No, I liked him too. Or it felt like he could be me.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 30 April, 2011, 03:27:39 pm
I've got to agree that there's only so many times you can use THE WORLD'S GOING TO END. Oh no, sorry, forget that. My mistake.

I still reckon that some of the best episodes were the clever ones that didn't revolve around big events. eg. the (v limited) budget one where it was all filmed in an alien tour bus thing (with the possession and all that).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 30 April, 2011, 03:59:56 pm
I've got to agree that there's only so many times you can use THE WORLD'S GOING TO END. Oh no, sorry, forget that. My mistake.

I still reckon that some of the best episodes were the clever ones that didn't revolve around big events. eg. the (v limited) budget one where it was all filmed in an alien tour bus thing (with the possession and all that).

"Midnight". Brilliant. I've rewatched it several times and it still gives me the shivers. It received poor reviews, and although I can see why I think they were undeserved. It was a great little demonstration of how the worst monsters are usually the prejudices and internalised hatreds of the people we think of as being the same as us. In that it was far darker and more horrifying than some of the more overt monsters that have been shown.

Moffat seems to like killing the Doctor. He did it at the end of last series, too. Really wish he'd quit it with the self-referential temporal loops, though. I like my science-fiction writing to be rather more cerebral than Bill & Ted, and you know, the kids can take it. The writing is starting to become a bit hand-wavy. I hope River Song isn't wasted -- I'm worried by the reference to Silence in the Library and the inconsistencies that are creeping in already.

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 30 April, 2011, 04:06:24 pm
I've got to agree that there's only so many times you can use THE WORLD'S GOING TO END. Oh no, sorry, forget that. My mistake.

I still reckon that some of the best episodes were the clever ones that didn't revolve around big events. eg. the (v limited) budget one where it was all filmed in an alien tour bus thing (with the possession and all that).

+ 1. And the 'oh this series is going to be darker than ever bullsh*t'

I agree - the one off episodes which has less of a linkage to the overall concept of the series is to my mind a lot more original and there is more license to be more creative. 'The Girl in the fireplace' is my favourite one of all time and left me feeling genuinely touched. The alien tour bus was extremely clever and thought-provoking. I am intrigued by that image of the sad clown with the balloon on his own in that room - I hope that is an episode we can get our teeth into  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 30 April, 2011, 04:19:35 pm
I agree - the one off episodes which has less of a linkage to the overall concept of the series is to my mind a lot more original and there is more license to be more creative. 'The Girl in the fireplace' is my favourite one of all time and left me feeling genuinely touched. The alien tour bus was extremely clever and thought-provoking. I am intrigued by that image of the sad clown with the balloon on his own in that room - I hope that is an episode we can get our teeth into  :thumbsup:

The Girl In the Fireplace is also one of my favourites. There was a lot more emotional depth in the pre-Moffat days. The only time he's come close so far is in the odd little moments of the Doctor shows the thin end of his patience at people he considers inferior trying to second-guess him, or in a few scenes in the second Big Bang episode. Given that Moffat wrote the memorable Blink I was hoping for more.

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 30 April, 2011, 04:32:30 pm
The Girl In the Fireplace is also one of my favourites.

That was Moffat too.

He's basically written all the best episodes; the original WW2 gas mask one, blink, midnight and the girl in the fireplace. It all seemed to go wrong once he started writing more than one episode per series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 30 April, 2011, 04:46:19 pm
The Girl In the Fireplace is also one of my favourites.

That was Moffat too.

He's basically written all the best episodes; the original WW2 gas mask one, blink, midnight and the girl in the fireplace. It all seemed to go wrong once he started writing more than one episode per series.

Yes I agree - plus the pimping of the Blink Concept (from the original episode)  I found quite boring to be honest  :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 30 April, 2011, 06:16:27 pm
Spooky for words says peli
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 30 April, 2011, 06:46:11 pm
What. The. Hell?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 30 April, 2011, 06:49:02 pm
A female doctor how cool is that.  But who is she?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 30 April, 2011, 06:49:52 pm
Anyone want to explain that to us?

That's what happens with these two-parters, the build-up is fantastic, which leaves the concluding part a hard act to follow. Disappointing.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 30 April, 2011, 06:50:34 pm
Oh dear. I almost don't want to bother watching the next one.

It's a bit like what happened when Hollywood remade "The Italian Job".

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 30 April, 2011, 06:50:54 pm
A female doctor how cool is that.  But who is she?

Ah, right, so the little girl at the end was a regenerating timelord?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 30 April, 2011, 06:53:15 pm
I agree with you Rhys, tonight's episode was disappointing. I know that they have to do 'set-up' for the entire season but it was just dull.

If we are looking at River Song and the Doctor as being like 'the life of bejamin button' then maybe the little girl could be River Song? I am also referring to what Rory asked her what she was a doctor of.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 30 April, 2011, 06:53:39 pm
A female doctor how cool is that.  But who is she?

There are very few options. There already is a female Time Lord out there -- we know that from the Doctor's Daughter.

We also know that he has been a father before even that.

River Song was given children in the library episodes, and one could assume that, as Moffat seems to think no woman can be fulfilled unless she has children then, the marriage we are presuming she has with the Doctor (it seems pretty clear they are/will be/have been married) would produce at least one child.

Or Moffat could pull something completely at random from somewhere with no precedent and little justification. Like he did with this two-parter.

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 30 April, 2011, 06:55:19 pm
I agree with you Rhys, tonight's episode was disappointing. I know that they have to do 'set-up' for the entire season but it was just dull.

If we are looking at River Song and the Doctor as being like 'the life of bejamin button' then maybe the little girl could be River Song? I am also referring to what Rory asked her what she was a doctor of.

That's the other option, of course, although didn't River Song imply she was human in the last series?

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 30 April, 2011, 06:56:08 pm

(click to show/hide)

Looks like it.

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Billy Weir on 30 April, 2011, 06:56:17 pm
Sub par edition, compounded by not being able to understand a freaking word the Silence were saying.  This detracted.  As did Nixon.

Nice teaser at the end.

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 30 April, 2011, 06:59:39 pm
A female doctor how cool is that.  But who is she?
Don't look if you want to keep up suspense!!
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 30 April, 2011, 06:59:57 pm
Not too sure about that episode.   ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 30 April, 2011, 07:01:53 pm
Great concept, brilliant one liners, terrible in every other way.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 30 April, 2011, 07:08:07 pm
The Amy pregnancy scan result was left ambiguous, I can't help thinking that's of some significance...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 30 April, 2011, 07:10:24 pm
Gonzo : that is why Dr. Who is great :)

Rhys W: Peli said it could be the baby regenerating.

The kiss is Rivers last kiss but the Doctors first.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 30 April, 2011, 07:11:58 pm

(click to show/hide)

Looks like it.

Sam

I've just had my 8-year old niece on Facetime explaining that to me...

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 30 April, 2011, 07:18:13 pm

I've just had my 8-year old niece on Facetime explaining that to me...

(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 30 April, 2011, 07:53:53 pm
Did Steven Moffat used to have a job writing the clues for 3-2-1?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 30 April, 2011, 08:54:34 pm

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 30 April, 2011, 09:02:28 pm

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(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 30 April, 2011, 09:58:58 pm

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Don't you worry your head about it pet, you just keep looking pretty for me.

*want* (http://www.pulpshop.co.uk/brands/tv_and_film/doctor_who/series_6/mug_-_doctor_who_-_who_did_the_doctor_trust_the_most.htm)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 01 May, 2011, 12:31:55 am
Wow, those t-shirt guys are quick off the mark:

(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rhys.llangefni/lluniau/dr_nonn.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 01 May, 2011, 08:38:01 am
Plot - utter nonsense
Everything else - utterly brilliant

(Including surely the best ever use of the old joke: there's always a bit left over, isn't there?)

I like my science-fiction writing to be rather more cerebral than Bill & Ted ...
Well ... I can only assume that you acknowledge Bill and Ted's excellent spoofing of the whole over-used time-travel get-out patch, and are only referring to the general tone and dialogue when you say 'cerebral'.

Otherwise, Madame, we will be forced to disagree.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 01 May, 2011, 10:39:03 am
So why exactly did the Silence need a space suit? And why did they have to put the girl inside it?

My son laughed when River did her twirly shooty thing. And not in a good way. I think that sums it up for me. Very disappointing.

I didn't like the way they told the story out of order either. The resolution of last week's cliffhanger was handled particularly badly.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 01 May, 2011, 10:49:12 am
I'm surprised no one's rolled-eyes at the manner of River Song's...
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 ;)

I thought the episode was not too bad; as long as there's still some fun, surprises, and scares...

BTW I thought the execution style
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 01 May, 2011, 10:52:11 am
(click to show/hide)

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 01 May, 2011, 01:31:12 pm
You can tell it's going after the American market. There's just something about it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 May, 2011, 07:04:53 pm
What connections can we make between these two episodes and Silence in the Library?

Silence.
River Song.
People in spacesuits.
A little girl.

What else?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 May, 2011, 09:35:03 pm
I've just watched the two episodes again back to back to see if I can make sense of them.

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 01 May, 2011, 09:52:46 pm
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MacB on 02 May, 2011, 01:16:41 am
Yep, confused as heck here as well, though I did enjoy it, agree the speech for the Silents was hard to hear, etc, but overall has promise. I hope they don't go too far though, it was definitely straying into 'too clever for their own good' territory.

That line about the dream....oh I do hope we don't find that they cop out by having Amy dreaming all of this.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 02 May, 2011, 10:15:38 am
If we consider the Silents to be a parasite, then many parasitic relationships do have a partially symbiotic nature.

I wonder if the fall of the Silents has a negative effect somewhere... something they should have triggered and that won't happen now?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: DaveJ on 02 May, 2011, 10:23:59 am
I wonder if the fall of the Silents has a negative effect somewhere... something they should have triggered and that won't happen now?

So thats why we haven't gone anywhere since the moon in 1969!

Dave
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 02 May, 2011, 04:07:27 pm
(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/65_years.png)

Good old XKCD!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 02 May, 2011, 05:58:27 pm
If we consider the Silents to be a parasite, then many parasitic relationships do have a partially symbiotic nature.

I wonder if the fall of the Silents has a negative effect somewhere... something they should have triggered and that won't happen now?

You can get them in a can, now though!   ;D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-fUeCNgIaw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-fUeCNgIaw)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 02 May, 2011, 07:46:12 pm
I liked the "probably best to record everything that happens in this office, Mr President"  - or somesuch - line :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 02 May, 2011, 08:52:09 pm
I just watched it, and it certainly had some good points, like the clever resolution of the Silents invasion by
(click to show/hide)

... but there were an awful lot of loose ends, which may or may not be tidied up at some point.

It also left me feeling rather unfulfilled, because so many things were left unexplained.

I'd just like a nice self contained episode, which doesn't have lots of obvious links to other episodes, like the aforementioned Blink, or even The Lodger, which it turns out is linked to this episode, but which does stand alone anyway.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 02 May, 2011, 09:28:17 pm
(click to show/hide)

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 02 May, 2011, 11:07:27 pm
(click to show/hide)

Sam

That's true.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 07 May, 2011, 07:20:08 pm
Avast!  Didn't see much of this episode, but am watching with *interest* the blue-screen filming on Dr Who Confidential with the rather fetching Lily Cole.  In green make-up and a sheer dress and not much more.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 07 May, 2011, 07:21:54 pm
I liked the random tank of mower petrol/2-stoke oil dangling out of the control panel of the Tardis :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 07 May, 2011, 07:36:32 pm
Mmm - one or two things seemed odd. 

Wasn't Rory still a 2,000 year plastic Roman centurion?  In which case how could he drown?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 07 May, 2011, 08:21:43 pm
Best Doctor Who line in a long time - "there's worse ways [to die] than having your face snogged off by a dodgy mermaid."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 07 May, 2011, 08:55:46 pm
Mmm - one or two things seemed odd. 

Wasn't Rory still a 2,000 year plastic Roman centurion?  In which case how could he drown?
And how could he get Amelia pregnant?

I wasn't too keen on that episode. A bit pedestrian compared to the first two.

And I fear that Amy might be dreaming it all, which would be rather dull. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 07 May, 2011, 09:31:59 pm
Best Doctor Who line in a long time - "there's worse ways [to die] than having your face snogged off by a dodgy mermaid."

Snogged off? Did he really say that?

I didn't think much of that episode to be honest, far too melodramatic. You just knew Rory would cough and splutter back to life after they'd milked it for a while. I sussed this out soon enough and just sat back and enjoyed it as a bit of fluff. Getting the old captain and crew to "sail" the alien ship was a nice touch though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 07 May, 2011, 09:40:25 pm
I'm trying to work out the "Woman in the wall"

When they are in the Powder Store, and the woman slides open a non existent hatch, says "You're doing fine, stay calm" and then closes the hatch which disappears again!

 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 07 May, 2011, 09:44:05 pm
She was there last week suggesting that Amy was dreaming.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 07 May, 2011, 09:46:01 pm
Yes, the spooky woman in the wall with the silver eyepatch appeared in the hatch of the door of the attic room which had the framed photo of Amy with a baby.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 07 May, 2011, 09:52:40 pm
Pretty shit episode I thought.....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 07 May, 2011, 09:57:33 pm
I'm trying to work out the "Woman in the wall"

River Song, no ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 May, 2011, 10:17:03 pm
Mmm - one or two things seemed odd.  

Wasn't Rory still a 2,000 year plastic Roman centurion?  In which case how could he drown?

No, because the Universe was recreated when the Doctor used the power of the exploding Tardis to power it's regeneration.  The Amy and Rory produced from that eventually remembered the Doctor, but the plastic Rory in effect was left in that disappeared Universe.

I thought that was an OK episode, although the concept of a medical system going over the top has been done before, in the "Are you my Mummy?" episode (whatever that was called).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 07 May, 2011, 11:00:48 pm
I'm trying to work out the "Woman in the wall"

River Song, no ?
Nope.
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 08 May, 2011, 12:32:36 am
I'm trying to work out the "Woman in the wall"

That's clearly a series-long slow-burner.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 08 May, 2011, 07:42:37 am
I wouldn't say that was a good episode last night.  Started off as a good  fun Dr Who Adventure on a Pirate Ship.

But did it really have to end up with alien space ship trapped in space time plot whole?  It seems to me that having an alien space ship trapped in a space time plot hole makes for an easy episode script as everything can be explained in the last 10 minutes due to an alien ship trapped in a space time plot hole.....   :-\
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rogerzilla on 08 May, 2011, 08:11:33 am
I said to Mrs Z, "That's the M&S model" and I was right  :smug:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 08 May, 2011, 10:24:04 am
I'm trying to work out the "Woman in the wall"

When they are in the Powder Store, and the woman slides open a non existent hatch, says "You're doing fine, stay calm" and then closes the hatch which disappears again!

 

It will turn out to be related to Amy's pregnancy no doubt, hence the "You're doing fine" line.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 08 May, 2011, 10:46:42 am
I said to Mrs Z, "That's the M&S model" and I was right  :smug:

I think she does Rimmell 'Get the London look' but not Magic & Sparkle  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 08 May, 2011, 12:42:15 pm
That was a bit mediocre.  :-\
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 08 May, 2011, 12:45:38 pm
They are rather nicking characters now. Renfrew in the insane asylum, Captain Avery . . .
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 08 May, 2011, 12:50:25 pm
They are rather nicking characters now. Renfrew in the insane asylum, Captain Avery . . .

I assumed Renfrew was a reference to Renfield from Dracula, but who is Captain Avery?

Oh, and the entire episode could have been made by taking Pirates of the Caribbean and cut-n-pasting the scenes in a different order.  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 08 May, 2011, 06:38:56 pm
Henry Avery was a Pirate who pulled off some audacious and rewarding raids.

Then he disappeared without trace............
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 08 May, 2011, 06:40:58 pm
Henry Avery was a Pirate who pulled off some audacious and rewarding raids.

Then he disappeared without trace............


Actually I just checked my facts and Wiki has Dr Who references on the Avery entry:

Quote
    A pirate captain named "Avery" is repeatedly mentioned in the 1966 Doctor Who serial The Smugglers; the plot centres on the search for Avery's treasure.[65]
    The 2011 Doctor Who episode "The Curse of the Black Spot," also features a pirate captain named Henry Avery, played by Hugh Bonneville.[66] While not explicitly linking the character to the historical figure, it makes clear that he had started his career in the Royal Navy before turning pirate, was dedicated to his wife and children, and had captured a great treasure from an Indian Mughal. It also provides a fictional aetiology for his disappearance.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rogerzilla on 08 May, 2011, 08:22:21 pm
They are rather nicking characters now. Renfrew in the insane asylum, Captain Avery . . .
I think the sick bay was nicked from "Coma" and there was a fair bit of "Red Dwarf" in last night's episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Itit Wifan-Ammer on 08 May, 2011, 09:00:08 pm
I wouldn't say that was a good episode last night.  Started off as a good  fun Dr Who Adventure on a Pirate Ship.

But did it really have to end up with alien space ship trapped in space time plot whole?  It seems to me that having an alien space ship trapped in a space time plot hole makes for an easy episode script as everything can be explained in the last 10 minutes due to an alien ship trapped in a space time plot hole.....   :-\

I have a vague memory of an episode of "Voyager" in which two copies of the ship were locked together in the same point in space but slightly off-set in time. Strange things happened as members of each crew moved from one ship to the other.

If I remember correctly, one ship had to be sacrificed in order to separate them. The plot provided a convenient mechanism for "killing off" characters only to have them replaced by the end of the episode with their doppelgänger who escaped the doomed ship.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hulver on 09 May, 2011, 10:45:34 am
This doctor seems a bit haphazard with regards to his impact on future events.

Giving a working space ship to a crew of pirates?

I don't think much of this series so far.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 09 May, 2011, 11:57:04 am
This doctor seems a bit haphazard with regards to his impact on future events.

The Doctor not interfering with the past and future is rather like James T Kirk sticking to the Prime Directive. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 09 May, 2011, 12:58:17 pm
This doctor seems a bit haphazard with regards to his impact on future events.

Giving a working space ship to a crew of pirates?


Yes, but it was a different Universe though. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 09 May, 2011, 06:29:23 pm
The only way the Matt Smith seasons make sense is if they all take place in an alternate universe that exists in Amelia Pond's head.

It's the only way it can work.

Evidence? If nothing else, only in her head could that CPR technique have actually worked.

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 10 May, 2011, 07:42:59 pm
The only way the Matt Smith seasons make sense is if they all take place in an alternate universe that exists in Amelia Pond's head.

It's the only way it can work.

Evidence? If nothing else, only in her head could that CPR technique have actually worked.

Sam


Or on Casualty / Holby City ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 11 May, 2011, 11:25:28 am
BBC News - Doctor Who boss 'hates' fans who spoil show's secrets (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13353367)

Duh, if you reveal the plot in advance, chances are it's going to get leaked...  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 14 May, 2011, 07:27:15 pm
Well, that was a peculiar episode....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 14 May, 2011, 07:34:37 pm
If anyone knows anyone who writes for the show can you please tell them to sort their act out please. Less "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!" and a little more towards the "Today I got up and had a shower and then brushed my teeth and..." end of the spectrum would be good.

I seem to remember Torchwood as being good because "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!" actually did make you wonder if they would all die (and who honestly believed that they'd all stay dead at the end eh?)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 15 May, 2011, 07:55:23 am
Well that went down spiffingly in this house.

It almost made me think Neil Gaiman isn't too far up his own arse to write decent stuff - although I fear someone might have frizzed up his first draft with some jokes!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 15 May, 2011, 10:41:47 am
I thought that was a rather good one too.  To my mind better than I have seen in a good while.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 15 May, 2011, 10:58:24 am
I was trying to place the clipped questioning speech of the "Tardis" with a similar creation, but can't place it... despite the fact I know its going to be obvious.

(It's NOT the whale in Hitchhikers)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 15 May, 2011, 12:12:18 pm
I thought that was a rather good one too.  To my mind better than I have seen in a good while.

Totally agree. Suranne Jones is a wonderful actress and she must have loved the part that was written for her. I liked the fact that I did not know it was written by Neil Gaiman until I saw Dr Who Confidential.

Is it me or does Amy Pond end up in an emotional wreck every bloody episode? I'm not really liking her and Rory in this.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: darkpoint on 15 May, 2011, 12:48:56 pm
It was a good episode,  I had been looking forward to it as I knew Neil was involved.  but it is the 3rd time they have killed Rory recently..  which made us think..

"OMG you've killed Kenny^dw Rory, you bastards..." 

Hey I liked it, and think it was one of the good ones,  but I do really like Neil's other work, and it was very obvously written by Neil.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 15 May, 2011, 02:04:30 pm
I was trying to place the clipped questioning speech of the "Tardis" with a similar creation, but can't place it... despite the fact I know its going to be obvious.

(It's NOT the whale in Hitchhikers)

Orac? No. I'll get it in a bit. I know what you mean.

It was slash fic. It was Doctor Who/TARDIS slash rendered family-friendly, although I agree that (a) it was obviously Gaiman; and (b) it was much better than previous episodes this season. Which is saying something, because I don't like Gaiman all that much.

Suranne Jones was fabulous.

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 15 May, 2011, 03:12:09 pm
I liked that episode, although I've only just watched it (I slept through the original broadcast in a post-FNRttC stupor), and haven't seen Confidential yet.

I'm wondering who you've got in mind for the Tardis's clipped speech.  It's not an unusual form of speech in many science fiction films and TV series, where you've got something not quite human talking.

In some ways they possibly could have made more of what the Tardis knew about the Doctor, and they could have come up with a better name for her/it than Sexy. ;D

The title "The Doctor's Wife" was quite clever, although not really alluded to much in the story itself (which is probably a good thing).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 15 May, 2011, 04:01:12 pm
There were a few twists that I thought were inetrsting

(click to show/hide)

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 15 May, 2011, 04:05:15 pm
Idris' speech and appearance reminded me a little of Bellatrix Lestrange. Though less evil and infantile.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 15 May, 2011, 04:17:12 pm
There were a few twists that I thought were inetrsting

(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 15 May, 2011, 08:11:14 pm
I absolutely loved that episode. Just the bringing to the fore of the relationship between the TARDIS as a living thing and the Doctor was wonderful. It was enough to make me overlook the Amy/Rory/dead/not dead boringness.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 15 May, 2011, 08:33:35 pm
I just hope this series doesn't end up with JR Ewing waking up in the shower Amy Pond waking up in the Pandorica to find it's all been a crazy dream...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 16 May, 2011, 08:59:01 am
but it is the 3rd time they have killed Rory recently..  which made us think..

"OMG you've killed Kenny^dw Rory, you bastards..." 


 ;D

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 16 May, 2011, 09:33:35 am
In some ways they possibly could have made more of what the Tardis knew about the Doctor, and they could have come up with a better name for her/it than Sexy. ;D

Yes, especially as when we first met the Dr he was in Bill Hartnell form - having Hartnell call the Tardis "sexy" is slightly disconcerting: somewhat perverted dirty old man!

Good episode - knocked spots off that rubbish pirate one.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 16 May, 2011, 10:54:11 am
(a) it was obviously Gaiman

Yes, very much so. This is a good thing in my book. I like his style. Makes me want to read The Sandman again.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 16 May, 2011, 11:40:48 am
Radio 4 Extra are running the Dr Who series again, started last week (I have recorded them on my Myth box, if anyone wants to hear them) and run through this week.

6PM, Radio 4 extra
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ravenbait on 16 May, 2011, 12:14:44 pm
Oh! Really?

I should take an opportunity to plug Minister of Chance, then. Prologue is free and it's great stuff:

Minister of Chance (http://www.ministerofchance.com)

Sam
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 16 May, 2011, 05:17:45 pm
I was trying to place the clipped questioning speech of the "Tardis" with a similar creation, but can't place it... despite the fact I know its going to be obvious.

(It's NOT the whale in Hitchhikers)

I know it's very sad to quote yourself...................

The reason I couldn't place this as it wasn't a SCiFi character - the Tardis reminds me on Miranda Richardson's Queen in Black Adder
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 16 May, 2011, 05:21:44 pm
Idris' speech and appearance reminded me a little of Bellatrix Lestrange. Though less evil and infantile.

I thought it was a pale HB-C copy myself - glad I'm not the only one who saw the similarity.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: GruB on 16 May, 2011, 10:17:51 pm
Yep, totally agree.  So clever, hats off stuff  :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 17 May, 2011, 10:45:55 am
The reason I couldn't place this as it wasn't a SCiFi character - the Tardis reminds me on Miranda Richardson's Queen in Black Adder

yes - only watched this last night so avoided this thread, but that was the comparison that came to my mind,.  See also Helena B-C in Alice...

I loved that episode. Plenty of silliness, some real story and a few extra characters to make it work.There was an interesting line to do with a river that I suppose alludes to Ms Song - maybe that also feeds into the title of the episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 17 May, 2011, 11:19:10 am
And, courtesy of my grate frend Mr. Sunshine, some more ol-skool Dokta Oho (http://www.legslarry.org.uk/Ibbydare/dalek.htm) (SFW).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 17 May, 2011, 12:48:47 pm
The reason I couldn't place this as it wasn't a SCiFi character - the Tardis reminds me on Miranda Richardson's Queen in Black Adder

yes - only watched this last night so avoided this thread, but that was the comparison that came to my mind,.  See also Helena B-C in Alice...

...she reminded me of Helena B-C as Morgan Le Fay, in Merlin.  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 18 May, 2011, 11:32:37 am
I enjoyed that episode, even the creepy running down corridors bit.

The only letdown was the simple ending. I'm getting a bit tired of the "Aha, you think you have us, but what you don't know is [bowties are deadly to the greebles|you've teleported us to just the place to turn you off|if I do this with my sonic screwdriver, you'll disappear]" solutions.

It's a consequence of the single-episode format I suppose.


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 21 May, 2011, 07:45:55 pm
OOh good strong start, but it all felt a little BSG in some respects. We shall see what the 2nd part brings!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 21 May, 2011, 09:09:13 pm
I'm dreading it after the last two-parter. The first part raises interesting questions, the second part merely provides unsatisfactory answers.

Where have you seen the boss before? I had to google her name straight after the credits...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 21 May, 2011, 09:42:21 pm
Actually, once they had introduced the concept of the Doppelgangers, I was just waiting for Amy, Rory, or the Doctor to turn out to be one.

At some point (or possibly several) the next episode will dissolve into paranoia, when people won't know who is or isn't a Doppelganger, and indeed just because we see two, and we know one is a Doppelganger, it won't mean that the other one is real.

This episode seemed a bit slow, and like it was avoiding spending money on special effects.

I wonder if this can be used to explain the 200 year older Doctor that we saw being killed in Episode 1?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 21 May, 2011, 09:52:20 pm
Where have you seen the boss before? I had to google her name straight after the credits...
I know her from Teachers.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 21 May, 2011, 09:56:32 pm
Where have you seen the boss before? I had to google her name straight after the credits...
I know her from Teachers.
And Lead Balloon?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: jane on 22 May, 2011, 05:04:26 pm
Oh, yeah! Jack Dee's wife. Thanks HW, that has been irritating me off and on all day as I sit trying to sort a mountain of paperwork.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Bledlow on 22 May, 2011, 09:05:32 pm
RIP Sarah-Jane Smith.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13137674 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13137674)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 22 May, 2011, 10:25:35 pm
That was my favourite episode so far this series. Good opening gag and nice cliff hanger. It's all a bit Phillip K Dick with the "are we anything more than the sum of our memories?" stuff. And the bassoon in the soundtrack sounded very Tom Baker era old school.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 23 May, 2011, 08:36:49 am
The unstable gangers look like Voldemort.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 23 May, 2011, 12:33:54 pm
The unstable gangers look like Voldemort.
I was thinking of the shape-shifter from Deep Space 9
I've never managed to watch a whole DS9, but yes, he looked exactly like this lot!

I was a little zombie-fied myself watching this one. Could someone plz confirm:
before everything went SNAFU, when the workers were hanging on the wall in their "harnesses", was their conshusniss transferred to the ganger, or was the ganger an independent being, cloned from the original?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 23 May, 2011, 12:45:00 pm
Independent being made from some sort of organic gunge, with the original person's memories etc copied/pasted in, as far as I can make out.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 24 May, 2011, 08:41:12 am
So does 'The Flesh' become the Nestine consciousness and does this mean that Rory is actually One Of Them?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MacB on 24 May, 2011, 09:02:31 am
Does anyone else think the rory/amy thing isn't working? not the idea itself but I just get no spark at all between the two players and find the idea they're an item stretching my credulity.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Fab Foodie on 24 May, 2011, 08:40:15 pm
Does anyone else think the rory/amy thing isn't working? not the idea itself but I just get no spark at all between the two players and find the idea they're an item stretching my credulity.

Actually, I'm thinking that little of this series is working.

As a family, Ma, Pa, 18, 16, 11 y/old, we've been hooked on every series, every episode since it's rebirth under Christopher Ecclestone, but frankly it's no longer doing-it for any of us.  Amy Pond is just annoying, Matt Smith is Dr Magnus Pyke on acid and it all seems overly frenetic.  I guess the plot's are just too complex for us because we no longer follow what's going-on, nor do we care.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MacB on 24 May, 2011, 11:07:39 pm
Does anyone else think the rory/amy thing isn't working? not the idea itself but I just get no spark at all between the two players and find the idea they're an item stretching my credulity.

Actually, I'm thinking that little of this series is working.

As a family, Ma, Pa, 18, 16, 11 y/old, we've been hooked on every series, every episode since it's rebirth under Christopher Ecclestone, but frankly it's no longer doing-it for any of us.  Amy Pond is just annoying, Matt Smith is Dr Magnus Pyke on acid and it all seems overly frenetic.  I guess the plot's are just too complex for us because we no longer follow what's going-on, nor do we care.

We's all different then, similar setup here, Ma, Pa, 15, 13 and 10 year old and we all think that Matt Smith is the best yet. I finally had to concede that David Tennant had knocked Tom Baker off top spot but was surprised how well, and quickly, I took to Matt Smith.

I don't mind the complexity but do agree the end of the world/universe/time itself bit gets a bit wearisome.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 25 May, 2011, 01:05:18 am

Actually, I'm thinking that little of this series is working.

+1.  :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 25 May, 2011, 01:17:07 am
DT beats MS AFAIC.  Matt Smith, who's not bad really, just doesn't seem to carry off the tense moments, that require a tad more gravitas. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 28 May, 2011, 06:48:10 pm
"I've reversed the jelly baby of the neutron flow."  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 28 May, 2011, 07:41:35 pm
I need to watch that again to make sense of it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 28 May, 2011, 07:46:52 pm
Here we go... let the discussion begin! I gave up trying to keep track of the human/gangers after 10 minutes and just enjoyed the ride. It didn't help that they kept referring to "the flesh" when I thought the gangers were made of plastic, like Autons...

So that's it now until the autumn?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 28 May, 2011, 07:57:49 pm
So that's it now until the autumn?

Nooooooooooo  :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 28 May, 2011, 08:00:06 pm

Rubbish pair of episodes, that.  Cluttered, incomprehensible (even though the storyline was obvious)  and so self-referential that even a hardened fan like me was bored.

I was struggling to care what happened.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 28 May, 2011, 08:02:50 pm
Here we go... let the discussion begin! I gave up trying to keep track of the human/gangers after 10 minutes and just enjoyed the ride. It didn't help that they kept referring to "the flesh" when I thought the gangers were made of plastic, like Autons...

So that's it now until the autumn?
They weren't plastic, they were organic matter.

There's an episode next week but I think that might be the last one before the break.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mcshroom on 28 May, 2011, 08:37:32 pm
Actually after not particularly liking the Pirates of the Carribean take off a couple weeks back, I thought the last two episodes were quite good

I think they are starting to write the Doctor a bit more of a brain (when not being silly on pirate ships) and not spelling everything out quite so much.

Still not too keen on Mat Smith but he's not a disaster
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 28 May, 2011, 09:56:17 pm
There's an episode next week but I think that might be the last one before the break.

I hadn't checked, but there was just a "To Be Continued" at the end today, rather than a teaser for next week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 28 May, 2011, 09:59:41 pm
I've checked. The BBC website has a trailer and a preview of next week's episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 29 May, 2011, 07:48:52 am
I need to watch that again to make sense of it.

I really can't be arsed to watch that again to make sense of it.  :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 29 May, 2011, 08:39:19 am
I quite liked it! Interesting moral dilemma, no "world's going to end" moments and unpredicted kidnapping and replacement of amy.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 29 May, 2011, 08:41:16 am
There's an episode next week but I think that might be the last one before the break.

I hadn't checked, but there was just a "To Be Continued" at the end today, rather than a teaser for next week.

According to the website there is an episode next week "A Good Man Goes To War"
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 29 May, 2011, 11:27:54 am
Rubbish pair of episodes, that.  Cluttered, incomprehensible (even though the storyline was obvious) ...

I've got to agree with Mal Volio on this.  It hardly seemed worth making it into a pair of episodes, there didn't seem to be enough to flesh the time out.

The ending did explain some of what's been happening to Amy, but they didn't explain how she was replaced by "The Flesh", when we've only just met that. The Doctor also seemed quite happy to do away with that Doppelgänger, which isn't generally his approach to living things.  For that matter, he didn't seem to be too worried about the Doppelgängers that they left behind at the Monastery/Chapel/Factory to also go splosh with the monster.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 29 May, 2011, 11:28:51 am
I'm sure he said something about molecular memory, but I need to watch it again.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 29 May, 2011, 01:36:18 pm
I can't believe the Doctor believes in homeopathy!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 30 May, 2011, 04:44:27 pm
I'm sure he said something about molecular memory, but I need to watch it again.

Yes, which probably means that the 200 year older Doctor previously killed by the girl in the spacesuit (which might be Amy's daughter) was the doppelgänger one.

I agree with MV.  It's all a bit of a load of tosh.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TheLurker on 31 May, 2011, 10:34:32 am
Yes, which probably means that the 200 year older Doctor previously killed by the girl in the spacesuit (which might be Amy's daughter) was the doppelgänger one.
What shoes was the "dead" Dr. wearing when he was topped by the spacesuit from the lake?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 31 May, 2011, 01:01:39 pm
ISTR from "Confidential" that Amy's wasn't the same. Twas more like a projection of her real body.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 31 May, 2011, 01:15:01 pm
ISTR from "Confidential" that Amy's wasn't the same. Twas more like a projection of her real body.

Oh well of course. How silly of us not to realise that - it all makes sense now. Hmmm...

I note this nonsense was written by the bloke behind Life on Mars. That's good - I can stop regretting missing those now.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Phil on 31 May, 2011, 01:15:56 pm
Yeah, not my favourite episodes.  In fact, this series is grating a bit.  Contradictions are fine as long as they're explained.  A lot seems to get shoved under the carpet and put down to the vagaries of timey-wimey. 

I do want to see what happens when Amy gives birth though, and I want to know when they switched her out.  When the Silents had her hostage? What's happened to the Silents, anyway?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 31 May, 2011, 01:24:14 pm
I guess we just have to suspend our disbelief and enjoy the ride.

Well quite. It's not meant to be deep and meaningful. It's just a bit of fun.

The curmudgeons upthread need to lighten up a bit.

We're enjoying it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 31 May, 2011, 09:32:16 pm
Is River Song Amy's daughter?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 31 May, 2011, 10:15:57 pm

Well quite. It's not meant to be deep and meaningful. It's just a bit of fun.


That must almost amount to heresy for some people.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 31 May, 2011, 10:16:24 pm
Lots of "Spoilers"

When did Amy's "Ganger" arrive, there were a couple of suggestions that she has been there for a while...... Remember when Amy disappeared and was "rescued" - Is that when the "Ganger" was substituted?

The woman in the wall dates from that episode.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 31 May, 2011, 10:19:55 pm
Is River Song Amy's daughter?

I said that ages ago!!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 31 May, 2011, 10:24:03 pm
Sorry. When the package is that pretty, I pay no attention to what's inside.  :demon:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 31 May, 2011, 10:42:48 pm
Is River Song Amy's daughter?

I said that ages ago!!

River Song looks a bit mixed race?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 31 May, 2011, 10:45:28 pm
Well, we don't know who Amy has been shagging!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 31 May, 2011, 10:47:34 pm


River Song looks a bit mixed race?
Does she?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 31 May, 2011, 10:53:43 pm


River Song looks a bit mixed race?
Does she?

Her mother is apparently German. Does that count?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 01 June, 2011, 09:17:20 am

Well quite. It's not meant to be deep and meaningful. It's just a bit of fun.


That must almost amount to heresy for some people.
I can't speak for everyone, but yes, it's a bit of fun. However ...

Even most fairytales have consistent plots. (Or Roald dahl stories.) Sure, the premises are usually pretty shonky, but they hang together.

The alternative is:
- Doctor finds new planet, with weird new aliens
- Makes jokes
- 30mins of running down corridors, with various 2ry characters being captured or becoming stuck in collapsing wormholes/vortex/trash-compactors
- Doctor shouts a lot, then presses sonic screwdriver button marked "Fix Everything"!

"Doctor you're so infuriating"

The End
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 01 June, 2011, 09:56:19 am
I think it's what the weaker episodes are, yes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 June, 2011, 08:01:09 pm
From a trailer I just saw on BBC1 (after watching Charlotte on The One Show)

River Song: "This is the day he finds out who I am".

It could be an interesting episode on Saturday.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 03 June, 2011, 08:25:26 pm
From a trailer I just saw on BBC1 (after watching Charlotte on The One Show)

River Song: "This is the day he finds out who I am".

It could be an interesting episode on Saturday.

Ooh that episode looks epic, cannot wait  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 03 June, 2011, 08:50:30 pm
From a trailer I just saw on BBC1 (after watching Charlotte on The One Show)

River Song: "This is the day he finds out who I am".

It could be an interesting episode on Saturday.

Looks good indeed.  Except that The Dr will probably not find out until after the series break!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 June, 2011, 09:07:43 pm
There are some video relating to this episode here:

Prequel (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/videos/p00h74x2)

Trailer (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/videos/p00h7m4l)

The Doctor Goes to War (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_110602_02/The_Doctor_Goes_to_War)
(It's also worth scrolling down to "Video Clips").

It looks interesting. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 03 June, 2011, 10:20:25 pm
KAAACHING!!!!!

The coin drops.

The title is a "Good man goes to war"

River Song stated in the last series she was in jail for killing a "Good Man"


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 04 June, 2011, 03:10:02 pm
BBC - Doctor Who - The Official Site (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw)

Who is that girl? Is that a younger River Song?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 04 June, 2011, 07:32:24 pm
That was a red herring HW...

My head is reeling, I still haven't worked it all out. Lots of loose ends tied up neatly, and a great Stevie Wonder joke.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 04 June, 2011, 07:37:15 pm
I made that connection as soon as the name was mentioned. So now

(click to show/hide)

Bobb, of course, thinks that his lucky guess the other week means he knew all along what was happening.  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 04 June, 2011, 07:46:48 pm
(click to show/hide)

Nice bit of satire on religion there as well. Never seen a Welsh Sontaran before either, but many of these Valleys boys are stocky, bald and have no necks.

Do we have to hide spoilers now the episode has been broadcast. If you haven't seen it yet, don't read this thread - obviously!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 04 June, 2011, 07:50:57 pm
I'm assuming it was buy one get one free on Dr Who Alien Costumes when filming that episode...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 04 June, 2011, 07:54:24 pm
(click to show/hide)

Yes, she definitely is.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 04 June, 2011, 09:10:27 pm
The Doctor also seemed quite happy to do away with that Doppelgänger, which isn't generally his approach to living things.

He did explain – he had to destroy the "flesh" Amy because she was blocking the signal to the real Amy. And, to be fair, he seemed to be quite regretful about doing it.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 04 June, 2011, 09:28:03 pm
Right, that's one really big question answered, although it still leaves us with wondering if the person who River killed was the Doctor, and did we see that at the start of this series?

Even if that's the case, it doesn't explain exactly who she killed, since I don't think the Doctor can be killed as the current Doctor for dramatic reasons, since it would mean that the Doctor could never regenerate again, which would be a bit of a git for continuing the series!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 04 June, 2011, 10:59:49 pm
I love the more subtle nods to classics like the Thunderbirds one where the Silurian leaves the carriage and says:

"Thank you Parker, I won't be needing you again this evening"
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 04 June, 2011, 11:15:23 pm
It was interesting watching Confidential, and seeing the Silurian and Sontaran being made up, and realising that the makeup is now so good, that I pretty much just accepted them as their alien characters, and didn't even think what they looked like as "humans" !
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 04 June, 2011, 11:31:32 pm
Or get distracted by the zip up their back  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 05 June, 2011, 08:35:37 am
Hang on, didn't we see slidey panel woman slide her panel open later on when Amy was holding the Plastic Baby after the battle against the headless monks?   ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 05 June, 2011, 08:43:05 am
"...to fool you twice the same way..." covered that.

I have to say I've been underwhelmed by the whole series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 June, 2011, 08:52:30 am
... but the previous implication was that Amy was seeing it because she was locked up on their asteroid, and it was somehow "leaking" through into her consciousness inside "The Flesh".

If it was her baby who was made of "The Flesh" (as it was), then Amy shouldn't have been able to see the sliding panel bit.  Unless this Amy is also made of The Flesh, and is another copy.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 05 June, 2011, 09:43:54 am
Interesting, but left a lot of questions.

(click to show/hide)

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 05 June, 2011, 10:22:59 am
... but the previous implication was that Amy was seeing it because she was locked up on their asteroid, and it was somehow "leaking" through into her consciousness inside "The Flesh".

If it was her baby who was made of "The Flesh" (as it was), then Amy shouldn't have been able to see the sliding panel bit.  Unless this Amy is also made of The Flesh, and is another copy.

I thought it was the 'flesh' baby that saw the slidey woman - wasn't Amy looking the other way?

-

Anyway, pretty crap episode overall - tried to pack too much into too short a time.  And we really have ODed on the super-epic battle to end all super-epic battles, not to mention the Dr becoming the feared warrior (I thought Rose was meant to have sorted all of that out with Chris Ecalstone?).  Or is his next regeneration as Paul Muad'Dib ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 June, 2011, 10:55:41 am
... but the previous implication was that Amy was seeing it because she was locked up on their asteroid, and it was somehow "leaking" through into her consciousness inside "The Flesh".

If it was her baby who was made of "The Flesh" (as it was), then Amy shouldn't have been able to see the sliding panel bit.  Unless this Amy is also made of The Flesh, and is another copy.

I thought it was the 'flesh' baby that saw the slidey woman - wasn't Amy looking the other way? ...

Ah, that might make sense.  Obviously I need to watch it again, more carefully,
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Tourist Tony on 05 June, 2011, 01:21:44 pm
(click to show/hide)

Nice bit of satire on religion there as well. Never seen a Welsh Sontaran before either, but many of these Valleys boys are stocky, bald and have no necks.

Do we have to hide spoilers now the episode has been broadcast. If you haven't seen it yet, don't read this thread - obviously!

I am NOT a valleys boy.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Biggsy on 05 June, 2011, 02:58:03 pm
"I’M OLD. I’M FAT. I’M BLUE. YOU CAN’T NEED ME."

That's the only bit I really liked.  A slowed-down and simplified DW would be so much more enjoyable for me (though I suppose boring for the kids).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 June, 2011, 03:06:29 pm
Yes, that comment by Dorium made me chuckle as well!

Interestingly, towards the end of the credits it says:

Cybermen created by Kit Peddler & Gerry Davis
Silurians created by Malcolm Hulke
Sontarans created by Robert Holmes
Ood and Judoon created by Russell T Davies

... but there were no Ood in that episode. ???

I wonder if this means that the Ood will appear in the next episode, when they complete this story (or complete some of it hopefully) in the Autumn.  I quite like the Ood, although they do tend to speak in somewhat mysterious ways.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 05 June, 2011, 07:31:02 pm
Interestingly, towards the end of the credits it says:
Ood and Judoon created by Russell T Davies
... but there were no Ood in that episode. ???
There was one in each Spitfire, pedalling furiously.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 05 June, 2011, 07:44:20 pm
That Silurian did look rather, ahem, hot, in a female lizard type way....  :-[  http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/characters/Silurian (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/characters/Silurian)

 ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 June, 2011, 08:40:06 pm
That Silurian did look rather, ahem, hot, in a female lizard type way....  :-[  ...

Possibly more to do with mannerisms than anything else.  Would anyone care to explain why a lacertilian lifeform has breasts?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 05 June, 2011, 08:57:16 pm
That Silurian did look rather, ahem, hot, in a female lizard type way....  :-[  http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/characters/Silurian (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/characters/Silurian)

 ;)

That's a relief. Not just me then.

And  I hope all you miserable fuckers that didn't like it will be submitting superior scripts to auntie asap.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 05 June, 2011, 09:56:59 pm
That Silurian did look rather, ahem, hot, in a female lizard type way....  :-[  ...

Possibly more to do with mannerisms than anything else.  Would anyone care to explain why a lacertilian lifeform has breasts?

They are idealised breasts, for decorative and recreational purposes?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andrewc on 05 June, 2011, 10:35:54 pm
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/06/05/anime-doctor-who.html (http://www.boingboing.net/2011/06/05/anime-doctor-who.html)

Anime Dr Who, via BoingBoing
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 06 June, 2011, 02:42:50 pm
Right, that's one really big question answered, although it still leaves us with wondering if the person who River killed was the Doctor, and did we see that at the start of this series?

Even if that's the case, it doesn't explain exactly who she killed, since I don't think the Doctor can be killed as the current Doctor for dramatic reasons, since it would mean that the Doctor could never regenerate again, which would be a bit of a git for continuing the series!

Answer
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 06 June, 2011, 09:33:54 pm
Proof that a great episode is not just lots of cool bits put together!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 06 June, 2011, 10:03:15 pm
I really liked that.  Lesbian jokes, gay married Christian soldiers, Thunderbirds, epic battle fleet being destroyed - what's not to like ?

Seems clear to me that the YACF collective have it nailed:

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 07 June, 2011, 12:16:56 am
There are some good lines:

"Don't give me those blank looks"

"We're the fat thin gay soldiers, we don't need names"

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 07 June, 2011, 10:55:32 pm
Interesting that the speech abut the meaning of "Doctor" as a healer was a "folk memory" of the Doctor's deeds, was in fact suggested many years ago in a fan site by a young fan.... Setphen Moffat


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 08 June, 2011, 06:57:16 pm
Thinking about it, I'm quite looking forwards to the prospect of the new series; building up to an end of series that's not DOCTOR SAVES EVERYONE'S LIFE EVERYWHERE!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 09 June, 2011, 03:38:46 pm
Interesting that the speech abut the meaning of "Doctor" as a healer was a "folk memory" of the Doctor's deeds, was in fact suggested many years ago in a fan site by a young fan.... Setphen Moffat

Nice story but not quite...

It was on usenet, 1995 - by which time Steven Moffat was in his mid-30s and already an established TV writer:

Dr. Who's real name - rec.arts.drwho | Google Groups (http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.drwho/browse_thread/thread/7cd734f99a62ae98/?pli=1)

SM's script - 15+ years in the making - Doctor Who and Torchwood - Digital Spy Forums (http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1486869)

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 25 August, 2011, 05:55:26 pm
This Saturday at 7:10PM :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 25 August, 2011, 10:05:28 pm
This Saturday at 7:10PM :)

YAY!   :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 25 August, 2011, 10:59:43 pm
I was struck by the fact that the Doctor Who episode to be shown on Saturday is "Let's kill Hitler", and the Torchwood episode tonight had Jack's speech about the parasite thing changing the course of history so that the Third Reich carries on.  Linked stories?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mcshroom on 25 August, 2011, 11:53:05 pm
Maybe they're following a TV equivalent of Godwin's law  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 27 August, 2011, 07:06:10 pm
Five minutes warning !!! Please BBC don't do a Touchwood on the the Doctor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 27 August, 2011, 07:59:21 pm
Five minutes warning !!! Please BBC don't do a Touchwood on the the Doctor.
And breathe.  They didn't.
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Shame we won't see more of Mels though.  She was ~17% more fit than River Song.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 27 August, 2011, 08:01:14 pm
That was certainly interesting. :thumbsup:

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A good episode though, a little silly in places, but I enjoyed it.  I was worried that the whole Hitler thing would be a bit of a drag, but ultimately it was really a bit cursory, which seemed to work.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 27 August, 2011, 08:03:05 pm
That was good, right old Doctor Who :)

Next week looks like a real watch from behind the pillows episode ....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 27 August, 2011, 08:07:30 pm
That was brilliant. Fast, clever, and more plot than you can shake a stick at. Such a contrast to Torchwood.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 27 August, 2011, 08:08:54 pm
oh, that was fantastic

Proper funny & exciting Dr Who :)

The "kill Hitler" thing was a pretty knowing nod at the genre, I thought, and it was good to have people queuing up to do it  :)

Quote
Such a contrast to Torchwood.

just what we thought
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 27 August, 2011, 08:19:08 pm
Hmm just hit me? Do you get jet lagged if you time travel?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 27 August, 2011, 08:20:52 pm
Oh, I liked that.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 27 August, 2011, 08:26:26 pm
Yes, a right rollicking episode. More please  :thumbsup: It is hopefully going scary next week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 27 August, 2011, 08:26:34 pm
That was certainly interesting. :thumbsup:

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 27 August, 2011, 08:31:28 pm
Lots of nominative recursion :)

Watching Confidential on BBC3 now; Steven Moffat refers to "the River" at one point.  I suppose it's about the flow of her life through the Doctor's, but in the other direction. It's a clever idea.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 27 August, 2011, 08:35:47 pm
Confidential is always good for a few "Oh, so they did!" and "What, I hadn't noticed that!" moments.

Today's, for me, was that Karen Gillan had previously appeared before in Dr Who, in the episode The Fires of Pompeii, as a soothsayer!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 27 August, 2011, 08:36:39 pm
Loved the Numbskulls...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 27 August, 2011, 08:37:26 pm
A very good episode.  Mels would have made a good Doctor's Assistant,  Ace (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_%28Doctor_Who%29) style!   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 27 August, 2011, 08:46:33 pm
Confidential is always good for a few "Oh, so they did!" and "What, I hadn't noticed that!" moments.

Today's, for me, was that Karen Gillan had previously appeared before in Dr Who, in the episode The Fires of Pompeii, as a soothsayer!
And that they've used that building many times before.  I recognised it from the welsh mining experiment episode - the Silurian conference room.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 27 August, 2011, 09:41:05 pm
I don't know... IMO, it was too self absorbed, too convoluted even for Dr Who, in danger of losing it's 'target' audience - while also appealing to adults,  didn't like the writing, not convinced by the series or this episode.  Matt Smith is no David Tennant, and bring back episodes like the Empty Child, Sally Sparrow, and the Girl in the fireplace...

Not saying it wasn't worth watching though...   

and... the Rory character was on-balance probably a mistake, as it IMO adds an unwanted plot dynamic detracting from the Doctor - companion relationship, a feature over the years.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 30 August, 2011, 09:37:31 am
I'm glad they've re-balanced the character of Rory.

He had more grit in the first few episodes, then was supposed to have lived for 2000years guarding the stone thing - then suddenly turns into an ineffectual wimp. Wrong.

He's back as a more balanced character.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Woofage on 30 August, 2011, 10:25:52 am
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 31 August, 2011, 01:38:01 pm
That was certainly interesting. :thumbsup:

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A moderately enjoyable episode, but I couldn't help but be annoyed at the whole "here is my bestest friend for the whole of my life so far who's somehow never been mentioned before" retconning.

Which is similarly complained about here (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/neilmccormick/100055733/doctor-who-theyre-making-it-up-as-they-go-along/).

Also,
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...unless they change the rules again. ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 31 August, 2011, 03:01:46 pm
Also,
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...unless they change the rules again. ::-)

Well, she could appear with Rory/Amy, but never in a scene with the Doctor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Woofage on 31 August, 2011, 03:08:14 pm
Also,
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 31 August, 2011, 03:41:40 pm
That was certainly interesting. :thumbsup:
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A moderately enjoyable episode, but I couldn't help but be annoyed at the whole "here is my bestest friend for the whole of my life so far who's somehow never been mentioned before" retconning.

Which is similarly complained about here (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/neilmccormick/100055733/doctor-who-theyre-making-it-up-as-they-go-along/).

Also,
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...unless they change the rules again. ::-)

There's always an element of pulling a hare out of the hat about many episodes, and with science fiction you often have to be careful about making sure that some of these hares have sufficient limitations that they can't be used to solve every puzzle, hence often the Tardis won't work for various reasons, or can't be used, or something to stop them popping back to just before whatever bad stuff happened, and stop that happening.  Time travel is often considered too dangerous an item to use in plots, because it's very powerful and can leave you with too many "Well why didn't they just ..." moments.

So long as they don't make a habit out of it, or do it too often, you can sort of get away with it, especially if it leaves you with a good episode, if you ignore that particular hole in the plot.  The big question is whether they're making too much of a habit of doing this, and I don't think they have yet, but it could be argued that they're getting close.

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 31 August, 2011, 07:52:07 pm
Bernard Cornwell (Sharpe) once wrote an explanation of the process of writing a novel, an explained something how you often have to go back and rewrite earlier parts.


Quote
"I entertain," he says several times in this conversation with the Observer, stressing his relationship with his readers. "I spend my day putting doors into alleyways," he says. "In every single book, you'll find Sharpe trapped in a blind alley with no way out. His sword is broken, his gun is out of ammunition, and he's faced with 20 malevolent Frogs who want to kill him. At that point, when the game seems up, magically, a doorway appears beside him and he steps through it to safety. Now, your readers won't accept that, so you have to go back 10 chapters and establish the door in that future alleyway without the reader noticing. This is always a huge amount of work."


An interesting slant.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 31 August, 2011, 09:00:59 pm
I think this series finale will see Tom Baker wake up, and the last 30 years were all a dream.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 03 September, 2011, 07:45:47 pm
That was epic/splendid.  (Choose appropriate mot du jour.)

I didn't hide behind the sofa, but only because I haven't got one.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 03 September, 2011, 07:59:33 pm
Halelua, someone's remembered what Doctor who's meant to be about!

Was that a new writer tonight? I'm now quite pleased these days when I see that Stephen Moffat didn't write an episode, which is a strange reversal from his first 3 stories!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 03 September, 2011, 08:06:27 pm
No, Mark Gatiss (LoG) who's written several

Fantastic episode that :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 03 September, 2011, 08:15:31 pm
No, Mark Gatiss (LoG) who's written several
Confidential has just done a long bit on Gatiss'seses previous 3 episodes.

The Unquiet Dead - Ecclestone, Piper, Simon Callow as Charles Dickens, and that phwooarh Eve Myles.
The Idiot's Lantern - Tennent, Piper, Maureen Lipman
Victory of the Daleks - Smith, Gillian, and some big bloke as Churchill.  With possibly the best reference quote ever: "Broadsword Calling Danny Boy..."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Arch on 03 September, 2011, 08:25:01 pm
That was epic/splendid.  (Choose appropriate mot du jour.)

I didn't hide behind the sofa, but only because I haven't got one.

Yup, that was a good one.

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 03 September, 2011, 09:02:44 pm
No, Mark Gatiss (LoG) who's written several

Fantastic episode that :)


Also appears to have been responsible, in part, for Sherlock.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 03 September, 2011, 09:26:00 pm
Proper old skool Dr Who,  hiding behind sofa moments aplenty!


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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 03 September, 2011, 09:39:41 pm
Spooky, funny and fecking scary right up there with any horror I have watched in my time. Pillows well and truly used today.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 04 September, 2011, 12:02:37 am

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Ex council if they have an independent landlord
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 04 September, 2011, 01:13:26 am
Re the Hitler episode:
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As for this week's episode, I thoroughly enjoyed it but thought they blew the ending, which - like so many recent Doctor Who stories - was all a bit deus ex machina.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 04 September, 2011, 01:33:40 am
Well my 8yo brother is refusing to sleep by himself so I guess it was good :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 04 September, 2011, 12:57:03 pm
Re the Hitler episode:
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Quote
As for this week's episode, I thoroughly enjoyed it but thought they blew the ending, which - like so many recent Doctor Who stories - was all a bit deus ex machina.

Agreed. The dolls were frikkin' scary - or would have been, had iPlayer not been on the blink and paused to buffer every 45 seconds.  :-\ But the ending was dull.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 04 September, 2011, 01:00:35 pm
As for this week's episode, I thoroughly enjoyed it but thought they blew the ending, which - like so many recent Doctor Who stories - was all a bit deus ex machina.

Isn't Dr Who always, though, and always was ? That's part of its personality.  It grew out of kids' TV, and the whizz-bang quick-fix outta nowhere for a crisis is a key feature of that.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adrian on 04 September, 2011, 01:04:33 pm
Agreed. The dolls were frikkin' scary -
Indeed they were and I only saw it on the screen with no sound so had no idea what was going on.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 04 September, 2011, 03:49:48 pm
It was an interesting episode, but not particularly one which I thought was great.

It reminded me a lot of the episode "Fear Her" with David Tennant as the Doctor in the Seconds Series of the current Doctor Who era (five years ago now! :o).

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Phil on 04 September, 2011, 05:13:38 pm
I didn't think it was all that good.  I had high hopes of the creepy dolls after the trailer last week, but felt a bit let down by the total lack of explanation of what actually happened and all the loose ends left over at the end.  Meh.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 05 September, 2011, 11:06:06 am
Isn't Dr Who always, though, and always was ? That's part of its personality.  It grew out of kids' TV, and the whizz-bang quick-fix outta nowhere for a crisis is a key feature of that.

Maybe, but I'm sure its solutions used to be more inventive than that. I think Ross makes a good point too - the explanation completely killed the tension.

But I'm being picky - it was a really good episode. I also agree with Ross that it was all the better for putting the Amy's baby storyline to one side.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 05 September, 2011, 04:03:01 pm
I prefer the 'self-contained' stories, rather than convolutions of the Pond family tree...  The miniao's found this episode one of the scariest - almost a hide behind the cushion job...  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 10 September, 2011, 08:09:13 pm
I really enjoyed that episode. Loved Rory's comment 'You're trying to turn me into you Doctor'.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 10 September, 2011, 08:21:01 pm
Really really good makeup.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 10 September, 2011, 08:58:50 pm
Really really good makeup.

I am assuming that the doll faces came from the same hand as the scarecrows in, IIRC, Family of Blood.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Phil on 10 September, 2011, 09:00:56 pm
Best episode in the series for me.  Timey wimey, but in a good way. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 10 September, 2011, 09:26:07 pm
Tedious filler episode, for me.

It was good makeup though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 10 September, 2011, 10:02:54 pm
I loved it. Completely gripped. Decent level of peril and clever story on theme of mortality. I felt it seemed more like proper sci-fi than the usual kids' adventure yarn. Maybe that's why I liked it.

And maybe why wife and son seemed ambivalent.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 10 September, 2011, 10:09:04 pm
I loved it. Completely gripped. Decent level of peril and clever story on theme of mortality. I felt it seemed more like proper sci-fi than the usual kids' adventure yarn. Maybe that's why I liked it.

And maybe why wife and son seemed ambivalent.

d.

+ 1. For me sometimes I feel like I have to get through 45 minutes of Dr Who. This was not like that. I thought that Karen Gillen was wonderful.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 10 September, 2011, 11:16:46 pm
Yeah that was pretty good. The Guardian Guide mentioned something about the "casual surrealism" of The Prisoner or The Avengers, which had me intrigued. I liked the general idea of the plot but eventually gave up trying to follow the timey-wimey paradox and just went with the ride. Ending got a bit sentimental, but it was saved by a following hint of existential darkness. Or something.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 11 September, 2011, 11:16:28 pm
meh.
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Billy Weir on 12 September, 2011, 07:23:31 am
Agree that Karen gave a good performance.  But she can't do action scenes for toffee.  All the ninja skills of a 12 year old boy mucking around with wrapping paper tubes in his bedroom.

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 12 September, 2011, 09:25:57 am
Agree that Karen gave a good performance.  But she can't do action scenes for toffee.  All the ninja skills of a 12 year old boy mucking around with wrapping paper tubes in his bedroom.

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The 'Predator' hair was a good touch.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 12 September, 2011, 10:20:53 am
really really good. OK, so time paradoxes are old-hat (and inherently a bit rubbish, really) , but this one had a new twist at least. And a not-quite-happy ending  :thumbsup:

Lots of good lines, visuals (i liked Rory carrying the comedy huge magnifying glass) and "casual surrealism"*.

"Well it's your marriage..."  :D

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*No idea what this is, but it sounds good
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 12 September, 2011, 10:59:30 am
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 12 September, 2011, 11:03:58 am
Good point.

Typical woman. So fickle.  ;)

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: gonzo on 12 September, 2011, 05:55:52 pm
I'm not sure that last one was that great, but I'm just enjoying the fact that Doctor Who has remembered that all the episodes don't need to be part of something bigger.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 12 September, 2011, 06:57:03 pm
One sodding great hole in the plot: they are in two time lines, moving at different rates. But can talk to each other.

Sorry, spent too long reading real SF...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 12 September, 2011, 07:03:40 pm
Yeah.

Timey-wimey Deus ex machina through-a-glass-darkly tosh. See also Amy's ability to hack & handily reprogramme The Interface and the Tardis's ability to just "lock on" to her.

The plot was so thin it was threadbare.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 12 September, 2011, 07:11:01 pm
One sodding great hole in the plot: they are in two time lines, moving at different rates. But can talk to each other.

Sorry, spent too long reading real SF...
Bollox. "Real SF" ?!? All time travel plots are bollox. :)

What matters is the issues/incidents/dilemmas that the writers hang off them.

That's why Back To The Future is high quality bollox  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 12 September, 2011, 08:19:29 pm
No, no, no. It must be self-consistent bollox

That's why Back To The Future is high quality bollox  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 12 September, 2011, 09:49:36 pm
I can tolerate a few holes in the time travel stuff, but I wasn't convinced by Amy's 36 year wait (nor Rory's longer one). There was plenty of scope to imagine what it might really have been like to be alone for 36 years. Apart from losing her sanity, would she even remember much about Rory and the Doctor (I struggle to remember what my eight years old school friends looked like)? They seemed to put all the effort into her makeup instead.

A more convincing "long wait" with a narrative short cut via time travel was in Hitchhiker's Guide with Marvin's wait to the End of the Universe.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 12 September, 2011, 10:01:23 pm
Yeah.

Timey-wimey Deus ex machina through-a-glass-darkly tosh. See also Amy's ability to hack & handily reprogramme The Interface and the Tardis's ability to just "lock on" to her.

The plot was so thin it was threadbare.

Well, she had 36years to play with; "hack" and "reprogramme' might just come down to 'asking the right questions', questions which simply might not have occurred/possible for intended population.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 12 September, 2011, 11:16:21 pm
Can't you lot just enjoy it?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 13 September, 2011, 09:23:25 am
Yes, and we can enjoy talking about it too  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 13 September, 2011, 09:57:36 am
No, no, no. It must be self-consistent bollox

That's why Back To The Future is high quality bollox  :thumbsup:

I would agree that self-consistency is what helps the suspension of disbelief, and is generally a Good Thing in SF.

Unfortunately time-travel plots never stand upto any close scrutiny. Which is also one of the arguments against time travel ever working in the real world. e.g. why doesn't anyone invent another DeLorean in the future, come back, and mess up Marty's timeline again? Hmm? etc ...

[Bill and Ted sent all this up beautifully.]

So I choose the sit-back-and-enjoy-it option (mostly).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 13 September, 2011, 10:22:46 am
Star Trek NG got this mostly right.  They had proper science consultants, and whilst there was of course plenty of made-up tech they did mostly stick within the laws of physics, respect causality and remain self-consistent.

There's very little else that has taken as intelligent an approach to the problem since.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 13 September, 2011, 10:45:35 am
Star Trek NG got this mostly right.  They had proper science consultants,
....
... who would insist on taking their vacations together, resulting in the Holodeck Episodes.  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 13 September, 2011, 11:53:34 am
I don't think the "science" is at all important. It doesn't matter that any of it is implausible, that's not what makes it good or bad. The story is everything.

For me, what makes good sci-fi is using that framework to explore the human condition or address moral dilemmas, stuff like that. In this case, facing up to mortality and whether or not you'd choose to sacrifice 36 years of experience to regain your youth.

OK, so having just a 40-minute single episode to work with, you're not going to get much chance to explore that theme in great depth, plus you have to also cram in a bit of being chased by scary robots, but I thought the episode was up there with the likes of The Girl In The Fireplace.

YMMV. I guess it depends what you're looking for.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 13 September, 2011, 11:57:06 am
No, no, no. It must be self-consistent bollox

I thought this episode did well on that score. OK, so there was the usual rabbit-out-of-the-hat solution, but I thought the story worked well overall.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MacB on 13 September, 2011, 01:17:15 pm
Yes, and we can enjoy talking about it too  :)

Nicknack has a point though, it's like joining a literary club to better appreciate books only to find all the magic being ripped out  ;D

My yardsticks are the kids, if they've got big grins, or trouble sleeping, then it's a good un
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 18 September, 2011, 02:34:17 pm
Re the Hitler episode:
(click to show/hide)


(click to show/hide)



But
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 18 September, 2011, 02:55:41 pm
Thanks for clearing that up Kirst.

Meanwhile, the Hotel episode went down quite well here. Lets say 7/10.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 18 September, 2011, 05:51:45 pm
Given the subtle references to other programmes and the Alan Sugar reference (Amy, with regret - You're fired) I was waiting for a child with a tricycle! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv-0kX_IzV4)

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 18 September, 2011, 07:47:40 pm
The Doctor's trousers are too short.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Arch on 18 September, 2011, 08:55:00 pm
Did anyone hear John Finnimore's Souvenir Programme on Radio 4 tonight, 7.15?  I loved the 'Boy who wants to grow up to be the man who makes the noise of the Tardis' sketch. I just looked and it wasn't there for Listen Again, but if it appears, it's good.

(I also liked the Pooh Honey Addiction sketch, but that's OT)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 19 September, 2011, 08:28:32 am
the last episode - the one in the hotel, scripts are scraping the barrel now.  Not so much a rabbit out of the hat ending, but a recycled one.  Sylvester McCoy had to break Ace's belief in him in the same way to defeat the viking sea god monster in the episode where Nicholas Parsons was munched by buxom young female vampires!  Want my money back.
Title: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 19 September, 2011, 08:39:03 am
Yebbut you're the only one who watched that era of Who, so they can get away with it. ;)

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Riggers on 19 September, 2011, 09:32:00 am
Am I the only adult here who doesn't watch Dr. Who?

Watched it in the 60s.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 19 September, 2011, 10:17:46 am
Yebbut you're the only one who watched that era of Who, so they can get away with it. ;)

d.

True, true, or perhaps more correctly - I'm the only one who will admit to really liking most of the McCoy episodes (apart from the candyman).  I believe that if they'd been allowed to continue back then, we would have had the modern version of the Dr twenty years ago - it was in the McCoy era that they start introducing the dark under currents of back stories concerning what the Dr had done in the past and how he hadn't always got things right: very much the prototype for the current revival versions.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 19 September, 2011, 09:54:34 pm
The Doctor's trousers are too short.


One of the girls at work has pointed out that the Doctor's coat changes as well - she is predicting a second Doctor, one which has to go and is killed
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 19 September, 2011, 11:04:02 pm
Just watched the Hotel episode.  I really liked that one; much better in my view than the 3 Amys one. More interesting concepts and a better script, I thought
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 24 September, 2011, 07:57:49 pm
Wow

Now that was a good episode.  Great script, funny & sad.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Canardly on 24 September, 2011, 08:16:21 pm
Shades of the 'cube' thinks and I seem to remember an avengers episode 'the house that jack built' but yes enjoyed it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 24 September, 2011, 08:28:28 pm
Yup that was well funny we all laughed out loud. I didn't know that the screwdriver had an app store :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 24 September, 2011, 08:42:01 pm
Yup that was well funny we all laughed out loud. I didn't know that the screwdriver had an app store :)

Yes I loved it this evening, and the ending was intriguing. Also loving Doctor Who Confidential.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 24 September, 2011, 08:48:49 pm
*wibble*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 24 September, 2011, 08:49:52 pm
I really warmed to james corbyn. I always imagined he was a bit of a git, but he came across as genuinely a happy bloke, which is always a good thing  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 24 September, 2011, 09:39:25 pm
James C. is good; but I thought the episode was a bit cybermen-lite, and quip heavy...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wowbagger on 25 September, 2011, 11:38:06 pm
Am I the only adult here who doesn't watch Dr. Who?

Watched it in the 60s.

I don't.

Dez and Mrs. Wow were watching it yesterday. At the end, I happened to look up (it was on Dez's computer and at my request they were listening with head phones) and I noticed something about BBC Wales on it. Dez explained that ever since it first reappeared, Dr. Who has been made in Cardiff. I retorted that I didn't know it had ever disappeared.

I recall William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee but that was when my interest waned.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 September, 2011, 09:25:36 am
I really warmed to james corbyn. I always imagined he was a bit of a git, but he came across as genuinely a happy bloke, which is always a good thing
<googles ... >

Quote
About Me | James Corbyn | ResearchMyName.com
A biography about James Corbyn detailing his early years in Winchester through
to working at Premier travel inn.

How could he not be genuinely happy?!?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 01 October, 2011, 12:30:14 am
Corden.

I just watched this tonight after being away at a wedding last weekend. My interest was waning after 10 minutes, triggered by the pathetic "man can't look after himself when his wife goes away" cliche. Nice to recognise parts of Cardiff though (I missed spectating on some outdoor scenes being filmed for the Christmas special in a park in Rhiwbeina last week - how do people find out about these things?). Cybermen-lite - yes, but good to see see the return of the cybermats (piranha teeth unnecessary btw).

Anyway, season finale tomorrow, where all the loose ends are tied up satisfactorily.  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 01 October, 2011, 09:39:54 am

Anyway, season finale tomorrow, where all the loose ends are tied up satisfactorily.  ;)

This is one of those possibilities where they could have a roistering finale which outshines the rest of the series and leaves us wanting more


Or......

There will be a couple of lame assumptions that tidy things up but leave more questions and is totally unsatisfying


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 01 October, 2011, 11:33:43 am
One of the girls at work has pointed out that the Doctor's coat changes as well - she is predicting a second Doctor, one which has to go and is killed

This is my expectation.  The second Doctor made of that gunky stuff.

Also, having just seen the trailer

(click to show/hide)
Title: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 01 October, 2011, 11:42:06 am
MV, that all pretty much tallies with what I've been thinking throughout the series.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 October, 2011, 11:44:23 am
I definitely agree with the second bit in spoiler tags there.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 October, 2011, 01:41:17 pm
http://news.scotsman.com/topstories/Doctor-Who39s-farewell-to-Brigadier.6845697.jp
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 01 October, 2011, 02:08:09 pm
http://news.scotsman.com/topstories/Doctor-Who39s-farewell-to-Brigadier.6845697.jp

I hadn't realised that he'd passed on.  Since the John Pertwee Doctor was really the first Doctor I remember, and of course the long period of Tom Baker following him, the Brigadier is still stuck firmly in my memory.

Nice that they've woven it into a story, I hope he'd be pleased, I certainly will/would have been (if those tenses make any sense).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 01 October, 2011, 03:08:11 pm
I definitely agree with the second bit in spoiler tags there.

another possibility is

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 01 October, 2011, 07:50:38 pm
Genius.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mcshroom on 01 October, 2011, 07:52:08 pm
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 01 October, 2011, 07:54:19 pm
Mrs MV was punting McShroom's spoiler.

Fantastic episode. yes it was all pull-it-out-of-your-arse stuff, but that's the nature of the beast :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 October, 2011, 07:59:39 pm
I am half wow and half wtf. And half lol at him attending all of Jack's stag nights.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 01 October, 2011, 08:01:12 pm
I am half wow and half wtf.

you've grown half a bushy beard ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 01 October, 2011, 08:02:06 pm
I spent 43 minutes being slightly underwhelmed, trying to keep track of the timey-wimey stuff, then, BAM! Bloody brilliant.

I'm not saying any more, discussing this episode is like dancing about architecture.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MacB on 01 October, 2011, 09:30:53 pm
massive thumbs up from the kids and the only bit I had to explain was the tribute reference to the Brigadier...which is fair enough.

In my book that made it a winner...oh and I really enjoyed it as well  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mcshroom on 01 October, 2011, 09:50:17 pm
The story of River Song bit was a good piece in Dr Who Confidential this week as well :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Woofage on 01 October, 2011, 09:51:46 pm
Wibbly wobbly timey wimey at its best :thumbsup:.

The story of River Song bit was a good piece in Dr Who Confidential this week as well :)

Yes. Made their first meeting make sense now. Good bit of writing.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 01 October, 2011, 10:36:21 pm
Once again, so many little nods to other films and series.

The Brigadier was touching, but I laughed out loud at the "Pond, Ameleia Pond" quote and calling the pyramid Area 52 was brilliant
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 01 October, 2011, 10:44:10 pm
(click to show/hide)

Bloody Universal Serial Batman.   >:(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 01 October, 2011, 11:38:14 pm
Once again, so many little nods to other films and series.

The Brigadier was touching, but I laughed out loud at the "Pond, Ameleia Pond" quote and calling the pyramid Area 52 was brilliant

Yes the alternative history/parallel universe thing is always ripe for ideas. The Silence stood in for the Greys there.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 02 October, 2011, 01:03:22 pm
(click to show/hide)

Bloody Universal Serial Batman.   >:(


As soon as the "Soothsayer" looked up I was reminded of Bernard Cornwell's quote about doors in passageways.

You knew the Doctor had survived, and accepted it, all they needed to do was explain.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Arch on 02 October, 2011, 05:49:06 pm
The story of River Song bit was a good piece in Dr Who Confidential this week as well :)

I especially liked that, coz it meant I got some bonus David Tennant....

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 02 October, 2011, 06:21:20 pm
One of the girls at work has pointed out that the Doctor's coat changes as well - she is predicting a second Doctor, one which has to go and is killed
This is my expectation.  The second Doctor made of that gunky stuff.

Pretty close.
(click to show/hide)

I thought that was a damned good episode, although I had to watch it delayed a bit, having been out yesterday.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 02 October, 2011, 07:27:13 pm
Well, I thought it was bloody brilliant. I've just watched it again and it's even better the second time round.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: border-rider on 02 October, 2011, 07:31:01 pm
I bet it is

I'm tempted to go back and look at some of the earlier episodes that that one referenced, too.

+1 to an excellent Confidential
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 02 October, 2011, 08:34:14 pm
I bet it is

I'm tempted to go back and look at some of the earlier episodes that that one referenced, too.

+1 to an excellent Confidential

Yes, Confidential was good, although I would have liked to have seen an extra episode showing the full outcomes of River and The Doctor.

As my husband had got back after the show he tried to watch it on iplayer and it had crashed  ;D
Title: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 02 October, 2011, 08:44:36 pm
I want to go back and watch them all over again from Silence In The Library - wonder if there's any significance to "silence" there that we missed first time round?

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 02 October, 2011, 09:29:05 pm
I want to go back and watch them all over again from Silence In The Library - wonder if there's any significance to "silence" there that we missed first time round?

d.

Of course they may have been there throughout the episode, but you can't remember seeing them?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 03 October, 2011, 01:07:48 pm
Ha! Yes, good point.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 October, 2011, 02:15:41 pm
I just came across these Air Swimmers (http://www.wowstuff.co.uk/product/Air-Swimmers/2) (I tried to put a link to the video, but the forum software insists on converting this to an embedded YouTube video), and they are so out of last years Christmas Special! (A Christmas Carol).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 03 October, 2011, 05:05:59 pm
I quite enjoyed that, as season finales go. Normally they've been getting bigger and sillier and requiring more and more use of a magic-macguffin-shark-repellant-bat-spray, but that episode was comparatively elegant. It wasn't perfect by a long shot, but my main complaint is that River Song seemed to be wearing fabulous shoes which didn't get the camera time they deserved! >:(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 03 October, 2011, 09:15:58 pm
Totally OT...

Louise Jameson is in Doc Martin as Loiusa's mother.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 05 October, 2011, 07:15:03 pm
I've just been emailed this. I pass it on without comment.
(Rather long)
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mcshroom on 05 October, 2011, 07:20:12 pm
I've just been emailed this. I pass it on without comment.
(Rather long)
(click to show/hide)
[/quote]
Some people take this stuff far to seriously
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 05 October, 2011, 11:35:27 pm
It is a piss take isn't it?

Surely nobody could be that stupid?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 05 October, 2011, 11:47:20 pm
Thing is, I broadly agree with pretty much all the complaints outlined in that piece, but then I come down on the side of thinking "Meh, so what?"

Plus I think there was a hint at the very end of the last episode that they acknowledge at least one of the complaints and are intending to move away from some of the worst excesses of the last few series.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 06 October, 2011, 10:27:05 am
Annoying plothole/inconsistency crap
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Fab Foodie on 06 October, 2011, 10:31:02 am
Some people take this stuff far to seriously

Errr... yes ....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mcshroom on 06 October, 2011, 11:28:53 am
Annoying plothole/inconsistency crap
(click to show/hide)
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 06 October, 2011, 12:04:16 pm
Annoying plothole/inconsistency crap
(click to show/hide)
(click to show/hide)
Very very good point.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 11 November, 2011, 09:30:41 am
If you get involved with this (and are in the UK), best to tone it down around 11am:

http://blogs.redeyechicago.com/geek-to-me/2011/11/04/dress-like-doctor-who-on-111111-aka-eleventh-doctor-day/
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 08 December, 2011, 08:05:49 am
Someone sent me this as a suggested christmas pressie:

http://technabob.com/blog/2011/11/28/tardis-dvd-bookcase/

I think it's almost cool.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 13 December, 2011, 08:02:19 pm
Crimbo day at 19:00 \o/
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 13 December, 2011, 08:37:11 pm
Crimbo day at 19:00 \o/

Just seen the trailer....

sqeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 25 December, 2011, 11:28:09 pm
Now how good was that ! A proper crimbo Dr. Who tonight!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: StuAff on 25 December, 2011, 11:46:35 pm
Now how good was that ! A proper crimbo Dr. Who tonight!

That was indeed fab.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 26 December, 2011, 12:15:17 am
Cringed a bit at the acid rain. Couldn't quite place the three goons with guns. Very weepy.

OT: Flashing coloured lights on a 1940's christmas tree? Especially sequential ones.

No real monsters though - just some rather happy aliens.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 26 December, 2011, 12:46:03 am
The goons were "lumberjacks" for the company who wanted to turn the trees into battery power. Bill Bailey was one of these goons
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 26 December, 2011, 01:04:18 am
Yes, the acid rain justification seemed a bit weak, but often there are points in Dr Who stories which are like that.  You just have to allow the script writers to have a bit of liberty, otherwise they'd never fit the entire episode in.

I think overall that was quite a good Christmas Special.  It wasn't too saccharine, which is something the recent Christmas episodes have all run the risk of suffering, but have mostly managed not to.  The odd bit of cute humour, with all of the Dr's repairs (which I suspect included the flashing lights on the Christmas Tree), and Bill Bailey et al doing their "please tell me it's not her cardigan" type thing was quite amusing, and the young actors managed to do a reasonable job of it, as did the older ones.

Overall not a bad effort, I quite enjoyed it (albeit a bit late because I didn't get to see it around at my sisters when it was broadcast, hurrah for iPlayer!)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 26 December, 2011, 01:08:30 am
The goons were "lumberjacks" for the company who wanted to turn the trees into battery power. Bill Bailey was one of these goons

That much was obvious but  they remind me of a reference to something, to wit I know not what.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 26 December, 2011, 11:02:29 am
It was easy family entertainment, but I think the Christmas specials have definitely peaked. Once you've had one featuring Kylie spending the hour running around in a short maid's uniform and knee high leather boots then anything else is going to be a disappointment, regardless of the storyline.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rower40 on 26 December, 2011, 05:11:50 pm
It was easy family entertainment, but I think the Christmas specials have definitely peaked. Once you've had one featuring Kylie spending the hour running around in a short maid's uniform and knee high leather boots then anything else is going to be a disappointment, regardless of the storyline.
+1.
Sigged. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 26 December, 2011, 05:55:02 pm
... Once you've had one featuring Kylie spending the hour running around in a short maid's uniform and knee high leather boots then anything else is going to be a disappointment, regardless of the storyline.

LOL.  Yes, I definitely have a soft spot (sort of!) for that particular episode. ;D ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 December, 2011, 06:05:22 pm
A good one. I'll go for 8/10, certainly better than recent efforts (including Kylie).

Two great gags early on, one of which totally made up for that cringe-worthy moment as he
(click to show/hide)

I thought Smith managed just the right level of 'zaniness' in this one, without creeping over to bloody irritating.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 23 May, 2012, 06:58:22 am
#DoctorWho is trending on G+

This one made me laugh.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WqOVcoiCZEI/T7xLcZUyJKI/AAAAAAAAOFo/HjLurdz-aTg/w497-h373/silence.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 23 May, 2012, 10:56:52 am
The solution to weeping angles:

(https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRlLD_-Sa5oa6o6ec5P0DCq9TO3yYGUeMt_34wECocZsLXn7SiY)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 23 May, 2012, 12:50:19 pm
The solution to weeping angles:

(https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRlLD_-Sa5oa6o6ec5P0DCq9TO3yYGUeMt_34wECocZsLXn7SiY)

Ah, but it depends on the observer does it not, so even with mirror glasses on, as soon as you blink the WAs are quantum unlocked and can move.   :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 23 May, 2012, 12:52:46 pm
nope, because they'd be observing themselves
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 23 May, 2012, 01:01:33 pm
nope, because they'd be observing themselves

OK.  Though where's the evidence that it can be a reflection of the same WA, rather than an actual and different weeping angel being required - as in the Sally Sparrow episode. (May have missed something).  :) 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 23 May, 2012, 04:10:25 pm
nope, because they'd be observing themselves

... but only if the mirror surfaces are perfect, in which case you wouldn't be able to see a thing through them.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 24 May, 2012, 01:16:39 am
When is the new season coming?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 24 May, 2012, 03:56:05 pm
wiki has...
Quote
In September 2011 Doctor Who Magazine stated series 7 will air from late 2012.[28] The Doctor Who official Twitter account announced in March 2012 that it was planned that six episodes will be shown in 2012, including a Christmas Special, to be followed by eight in 2013.[29] Episode 1 will screen at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival during 23–25 August.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 30 August, 2012, 01:13:32 pm
When is the new season coming?

SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!

Just in case you have missed the trailers...

According to the blurb:

Quote
When the Doctor is kidnapped by his oldest foe, he goes on an impossible mission - to a place even the Daleks are terrified of.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 30 August, 2012, 01:15:18 pm

According to the blurb:

Quote
When the Doctor is kidnapped by his oldest foe, he goes on an impossible mission - to a place even the Daleks are terrified of.

Didcot? Swindon?? Mordor Central???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 30 August, 2012, 01:16:23 pm
That Escher painting with all the stairs?


Woo oo oo oooo ooooo woo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo diddlerdumdiddlerdum
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 30 August, 2012, 01:16:55 pm
In the old days we could simply specify any well-known long staircase.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MacB on 30 August, 2012, 03:54:26 pm
one of the few TV programmes that bring smy whole family together...decision now is do we save them up and have a huge fest or do we spare ourselves the pain of trying to avoid spoilers and just watch them as they air....or soon after
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 30 August, 2012, 03:56:32 pm
From what I can see there is initially only 5 episodes (then a break, then a Xmas special, then more episodes next year).  IIRC ep5 is when Amy leaves/dies and the Xmas special is when the new assistant is revealed.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 30 August, 2012, 05:46:26 pm
I assume you've all been watching Pond Life?  If not, here are the links:
... Just one more tomorrow, and then Saturday the real deal. :thumbsup:

There is of course, also the Trailer (http://tinyurl.com/cp87bgq) for Episode 1.

(Apologies for the tinyurl-ing of the YouTube links, but I had to do that to stop the forum from embedding the videos, and making a stupidly long post).

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 30 August, 2012, 08:06:13 pm

Just in case you have missed the trailers...
Quote
When the Doctor is kidnapped by his oldest foe, he goes on an impossible mission - to a place even the Daleks are terrified of.

Well, that'll be Cardiff then. All of space and time to choose from, and he goes to Cardiff.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 30 August, 2012, 08:23:04 pm
Hmmphh - daleks.........

Again.


 ::-)


Meh.


Is that a shark over there?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 30 August, 2012, 10:35:27 pm

Just in case you have missed the trailers...
Quote
When the Doctor is kidnapped by his oldest foe, he goes on an impossible mission - to a place even the Daleks are terrified of.

Well, that'll be Cardiff then. All of space and time to choose from, and he goes to Cardiff.

If it is, they should have no problem getting there if they follow the directions (http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastermadmatt/7619005658/) (these signs are all over the place in the Cardiff Bay area).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 31 August, 2012, 02:07:54 pm
Well the last episode of Pond Life (http://tinyurl.com/9xwkcvh) has gone up, which whilst it has it's humorous elements, is a bit darker than the previous ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxXAY7LyjcM
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 01 September, 2012, 08:13:38 am
Hmmphh - daleks.........

Again.


 ::-)


Meh.


Is that a shark over there?

You cannae no like Daleks!   ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 01 September, 2012, 10:21:14 am
I like Daleks, but for a while, they were rather over using them.  We have had a bit of a rest from the for a bit, so I think bring them back for the first Episode of a new series is OK.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 September, 2012, 10:43:00 am
I'm still quite bored of them. I'd be quite happy not to see them for another couple of years.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 01 September, 2012, 12:59:26 pm
From a production point-of-view, they were probably quite an expensive bit of kit to have manufactured, and stored, so to an extent they have to use them, to get their moneys worth.

Yes, it would be nice if every episode had a new type of monster in it, but the Daleks are assembled already, so the most significant cost of using them is probably the guys who have to be inside them.  If you've got some new random humanoid alien, you'll have to pay for the actors who are dressed up, and the special effects artists who have to do any prosthesis and make-up that they'll need.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 September, 2012, 08:11:07 pm
Awesomesauce!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 01 September, 2012, 08:27:16 pm
You'd think that someone who could hack a Dalek IT system, rig goodness knows whatever and so on, could manage to make a souflee in a microwave.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 01 September, 2012, 08:29:56 pm
What happened to Soufflé girl anyway? Is she dead?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 01 September, 2012, 08:33:15 pm
Yes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 01 September, 2012, 08:40:06 pm
Frankly I spent most of that episode being bored. I appreciate the ideas (such as 'I Am Legend' esque-thing going on) but I am sick to death with bloody Daleks.

Great cast for next weeks episode  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 01 September, 2012, 09:39:55 pm
I had my suspicions that something like that was going to happen, ...

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rig of Jarkness on 01 September, 2012, 09:43:16 pm
Isn't Soufflé girl the new companion ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 01 September, 2012, 09:46:36 pm
I reckon they go back for her. They wouldn't let her die...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 01 September, 2012, 09:51:21 pm
Isn't Soufflé girl the new companion ?

Hmm, she does appear to be, having just done a quick Google on the New Companion.

I wonder how that's going to come about?  They've had companions (and similar) appearing on the show in the past, but have gotten around it with various trickery.

Eve Myles (Gwen in Torchwood) appeared as one of her ancestors in a much earlier Cardiff, and Freema Agyeman played Martha Jones cousin in an early Episode (based around Torchwood London funnily enough!)

I think plausibly bringing her back, is going to require a novel bit of writing.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 01 September, 2012, 09:53:40 pm
I reckon they go back for her. They wouldn't let her die...

... but keep her as what?

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 01 September, 2012, 09:55:47 pm
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It wasn't
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 01 September, 2012, 10:00:30 pm
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It wasn't
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 02 September, 2012, 02:14:46 pm
The trailer for Episode 2, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, is up now, although it looks very similar to the bit at the end of Episode 1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWdKU752rK4
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 02 September, 2012, 08:13:07 pm
If we're going to have dinosaurs on a spaceship, can we please have a guest appearance by Samuel L?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amYzBQMT4VI
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: a lower gear on 02 September, 2012, 09:32:07 pm
I reckon they go back for her. They wouldn't let her die...

... but keep her as what?

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My guess is that the Doctor will take the Tardis back to just after the crash of the 'Alaska' and extract her before she becomes infested with Dalek nanobots.

Genius level assistants (such as souffle girl seems to be) have always posed a scripting problem however  - the main role of assistants are to ask the Doctor clueless questions so he can explain to viewers whats going on / what he's going to do / why he's doing something (OH! and to scream a lot, and to give older male viewers something to oggle). As genius assistants don't need to ask clueless questions, the script has been problematic and hence they've  have been written out pretty fast in the past.

It'll be interesting to see what transpires this time. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mcshroom on 02 September, 2012, 09:36:10 pm
I reckon they go back for her. They wouldn't let her die...

... but keep her as what?

(click to show/hide)

My guess is that the Doctor will take the Tardis back to just after the crash of the 'Alaska' and extract her before she becomes infested with Dalek nanobots.

Genius level assistants (such as souffle girl seems to be) have always posed a scripting problem however  - the main role of assistants are to ask the Doctor clueless questions so he can explain to viewers whats going on / what he's going to do / why he's doing something (OH! and to scream a lot, and to give older male viewers something to oggle). As genius assistants don't need to ask clueless questions, the script has been problematic and hence they've  have been written out pretty fast in the past.

It'll be interesting to see what transpires this time. 

That's what they keep Rory for isn't it (except for the oggling bit). It wouldn't be the first time they've written someone out after one episode though.

Oh and TimO. I think, having just watched the Pond Life videos and the first episode back to back, the PL videos might actually run 2,3,4,5,1 :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 September, 2012, 10:08:32 pm
My guess is that the Doctor will take the Tardis back to just after the crash of the 'Alaska' and extract her before she becomes infested with Dalek nanobots.
I think we should all remember that timey-wimey is all wibbly-wobbly and therefore things might not be as they seem.

Besides, if he does that, then she's not there to help him when the Daleks fire him at the planet, so he and Amy and Rory all die in the asylum.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Dibdib on 02 September, 2012, 10:14:26 pm
I have heard gossip elsewhere, on somewhat tenuous grounds, but food for thought that:

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 02 September, 2012, 10:28:05 pm
Well, she'd need some serious plastic surgery along the way (although I guess a regeneration could solve that problem).

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 03 September, 2012, 12:42:07 pm
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d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 03 September, 2012, 12:55:57 pm
But, tbh, I find it doesn't pay to go looking too closely for plot holes because it only tends to spoil your enjoyment of it. I thought it was a cracking story and bits of it made me smile with glee
...
Amen! It's Dr Who (a kids programme with robot dogs and time travel), not flippin John Le Carré!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 September, 2012, 01:25:01 pm
Heah, some of the fun is in picking the plot holes to pieces!  If we just sat here and said how great it all was, the thread wouldn't have hit 103 pages!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 03 September, 2012, 01:29:16 pm
Fantastic line from the trailer for next week....

"Dinosaurs.....On a spaceship!"

Surely every young boy's dream Doctor Who episode tv program?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 September, 2012, 01:35:29 pm
Fantastic line from the trailer for next week....

"Dinosaurs.....On a spaceship!" ...

It's not just a line, it's the episode's title!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 September, 2012, 01:43:23 pm
Interesting, there's another prequel to the first Episode, that only seems to have been shown in the US, not over this side of the pond for some reason.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1r2dQkB1fY
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 03 September, 2012, 02:05:06 pm
Heah, some of the fun is in picking the plot holes to pieces!  If we just sat here and said how great it all was, the thread wouldn't have hit 103 pages!

Fair point! I just like letting myself get swept along by it though.

And I thought it was a really strong episode overall. I'm very pleased there's going to be no big story arc over this series - they've got a bit bogged down over the last few series with trying to make it bigger and better and even more cataclysmic. They need to get away from that and...

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d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 September, 2012, 02:09:00 pm
The Wikipedia entry for "Asylum of the Daleks" says:

Quote
... Whether Coleman's later character is the same as Oswin has yet to be confirmed. ...

But people have also pointed out that Moffat had denied that Jenna-Louise Coleman would appear before the Christmas Special, so Moffat, like the Doctor, lies. ;D

It would seem difficult to bring her in as a companion, but ignore her earlier appearance altogether.  Some have suggested that she could either appear as an ancestor of Souffle Girl, or possibly could appear from earlier in her own time line (albeit that then requires her to have forgotten about this somehow, before appearing on the Asylum Planet).

It'll be interesting to see what they do.  I suspect they'll be a bit more imaginative than any of those suggestions, both of which seem a little predictable.

Apparently there were around 25 different types of Dalek in that episode, being extracted from pretty much every previous appearance that they had made over all the preceding series!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 03 September, 2012, 02:18:16 pm
Only three and a half minutes long, but worth watching. :thumbsup:

BBC Doctor Who website: Life Cycle of a Dalek (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00y2rzx)

Quote
... if you want to experience what a Dalek is like, sit on an office chair and put a dustbin on your head for six hours, and then you've pretty much got it ... and obviously once you've been in there for hours and hours on end, the natural character of hating all of humanity just comes really naturally to you ...

;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 03 September, 2012, 02:20:12 pm
It would seem difficult to bring her in as a companion, but ignore her earlier appearance altogether.  Some have suggested that she could either appear as an ancestor of Souffle Girl, or possibly could appear from earlier in her own time line (albeit that then requires her to have forgotten about this somehow, before appearing on the Asylum Planet).

I can see that being easy to script.  In this episode the Doctor says the first thing that goes with the nanobots is the memory of love, and love itself....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 06 September, 2012, 04:50:35 pm
Two things: firstly, the setting for the next episode looks remarkably like somewhere I put up on 'Guess the Place'. the cliffs by Dunraven. The little I caught of them on the trailer certainly looks like that stretch of coast.

Secondly, human(ish) servants wrapped in leather harnesses. Why exactly, apart from kinkiness, did the female one have such high heels on?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 06 September, 2012, 04:57:41 pm
After 40 years of being an avid Dr Who fan* I've finally come to the realisation that it's a little bit boring and formulaic.


*I remember when I was about 9 sometime in the Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker era, thinking I'm glad my birthday is in the summer otherwise I'd miss Dr Who if I had a Saturday birthday party
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 06 September, 2012, 05:44:31 pm
Was all the "new companion" publicity back in the summer just a big con? Amy is in the trailer for Ep2 that I've heard, and the Doc still hasn't recruited a new one.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 06 September, 2012, 05:55:46 pm
Was all the "new companion" publicity back in the summer just a big con? Amy is in the trailer for Ep2 that I've heard, and the Doc still hasn't recruited a new one.

The new companion isn't supposed to appear until the Christmas special, although no one has quite worked out the relevance, or not, of the actress who will be playing her, appearing in last weeks episode even though it was explicitly stated that she wouldn't appear before the Christmas special. ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 06 September, 2012, 06:10:36 pm
Ah, thanks. That'll learn me for not reading the small print.

[Actually I tend to glaze over whenever Christmas Specials are mentioned ... ]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonyh on 06 September, 2012, 08:57:04 pm
I tend to glaze over whenever Christmas Specials are mentioned

Ah yes but the evenings are getting slightly lighter by then....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 09 September, 2012, 11:52:54 am
It took me ages to work out who the two robots were! Actually I didn't, my 14yo did in an instant.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 09 September, 2012, 03:51:29 pm
It took me ages to work out who the two robots were! Actually I didn't, my 14yo did in an instant.

I though the Mitchell and Webb robots were one of the better parts of the episode!

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 09 September, 2012, 04:55:23 pm
I though the Mitchell and Webb robots were one of the better parts of the episode!

Definitely
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Excellent episode. Nice self-contained story (much of it ripped off from H2G2, but that's no crime ... ), with lots of good gags.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Arch on 09 September, 2012, 06:06:38 pm
I though the Mitchell and Webb robots were one of the better parts of the episode!

Definitely
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Excellent episode. Nice self-contained story (much of it ripped off from H2G2, but that's no crime ... ), with lots of good gags.

And a few hefty 2001 references too.  Jolly good fun!
Title: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 09 September, 2012, 07:19:42 pm
It took me ages to work out who the two robots were! Actually I didn't, my 14yo did in an instant.

I though the Mitchell and Webb robots were one of the better parts of the episode!

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 09 September, 2012, 07:48:24 pm
Entertainingly silly stuff!

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 09 September, 2012, 07:53:36 pm
I was surprised to see Mr Weasley in a TARDIS, although I suppose he has lost his flying Ford Anglia.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 09 September, 2012, 09:31:53 pm
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It did seem a bit too much like more traditional stories, where the baddies get knocked off by the goodies.  The Doctor traditionally seems to find more appropriate, and original solutions, which generally don't involve just killing the baddies.

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That's also true, although with any dark episode, a certain amount of light relief is essential, but as you say it was a little incongruous.
 
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 10 September, 2012, 01:22:58 pm
We didn't watch it  :(

Why not?  Because the Windows media player download option ain't available anymore. The only computer we can move to plug a decent screen into couldn't handle playing the HD BBC iPlayer download (which seems incredibly bloated).

anyone have any suggestions?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 10 September, 2012, 02:31:16 pm
Are you sure that's still the case?  Over the weekend, I had problems downloading the normal resolution version using get_iplayer, and had to resort to downloading flashvhigh3, which would play on my netbook, unlike flashvhigh1 which would only playback whilst stuttering a lot (flashvhigh3 is 832×468, which is more tolerable on a netbook than the 1280×720 of flashhigh1.  flashstd (standard) is only 640×360).

They seem to have sorted this out now, and I can download the normal quality version using get_iplayer, so I would imagine it may well work with whatever you're using.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 10 September, 2012, 02:50:27 pm
There are often repeats on BBC3.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 10 September, 2012, 02:51:45 pm
Drop me a PM MrC, if you want a SD copy of it, I have it recorded on my Myth box and could make it accessible to you.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 10 September, 2012, 02:53:34 pm
It's suddenly appeared as available on mobile iplayer, so if all else fails we can play via my phone.

I'll be back in touch if that doesn't work.
ta, chaps
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 10 September, 2012, 03:23:44 pm
I'm pretty sure someone screwed up the upload at the weekend, and presumably the tech support guys who knew how to reconfigure things properly weren't around until this morning.  I've seen similar things happen in the past, and they normally get cleared up fairly rapidly on the morning of the first weekday after they went wrong.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 11 September, 2012, 10:42:56 am
Download/PC version still wasn't working last night. Let us download then started complaining about DRM.

So we streamed it using my phone and MHL connection. Wasn't super quality, but not bad at all really, considering it was:
A) streamed
B) same resolution as my screen (but on a 24" TFT)

Smartphones are freaking amazing
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 11 September, 2012, 08:48:09 pm
That's odd, I've managed to watch it "live" on a PC, Sony Bluray player and Xbox, as well as download an mp4 (transcoded from an flv) using get_iplayer, which will then happily play in VLC (and similar).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 15 September, 2012, 08:35:12 pm
Hmmm...
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 15 September, 2012, 08:40:28 pm
I liked the robots. Not being familiar with Mitchell and Webb I thought they were very much tweedledum and tweedledee.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 15 September, 2012, 09:39:57 pm
I quite enjoyed tonight's.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 15 September, 2012, 10:02:12 pm
Don't like the way he broke one of his rules about killing people (ie don't) though.
Tonights was good but again a solution arrived at by allowing death( suicide in this case)
The moral compass is awry I feel. (And so do my kids)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 15 September, 2012, 10:14:19 pm
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 17 September, 2012, 03:37:22 pm
Dr Who has turned into a panto.  >:(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 17 September, 2012, 03:43:54 pm
Dr Who has turned into a panto.  >:(

Oh no it hasn't. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 22 September, 2012, 11:50:52 pm
Over three hours and not a comment. The cubes were interesting but the story was a bit meh. There must be an awful lot of extra dimensions out there to hold all the ships orbiting the earth.

ANyway, weeping angels, River Song, and more next week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 23 September, 2012, 07:50:39 am
OK then - great episode. Plot was far from brilliant, but it was just a background to hang all the jokes and banter off.
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The usual mine of classic SF "homages". One that i wasn't sure about was Amy's voiceover introduction, ending in summat like "This is what happened when The Doctor came to stay." It rang a lot of bells, possibly from a kids book I consumed decades ago ...  :-\

The new Lethbridge-Stewart was good, too.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 23 September, 2012, 09:51:03 am
I thought it was very funny, and next week's looks awesome, but I'll be hiding behind my hands because the weeping angels are scary.
Title: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bumper on 23 September, 2012, 09:58:39 am
When Dr Who was revived with Ecclestone as the doctor, I thought it showed promise. It had matured from the series I remember as a kid with Ecclestone as the doctor, it was quite dark and more adult.

It has for me now turned into a kids programme with all hope lost :( the fact I can't stand the knobber who plays the doctor doesn't help it any. I was unfortunate enough to watch the entire episode this week, very poor!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 23 September, 2012, 10:48:53 am
My daughter (13, and so probably the right target audience) was very disappointed with the ending.

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 23 September, 2012, 10:59:10 am
My daughter (13, and so probably the right target audience) was very disappointed with the ending.

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Yes - that was a crap ending to the best episode so far of this (admittedly lacklustre) series.

I thought it was very funny, and next week's looks awesome, but I'll be hiding behind my hands because the weeping angels are scary.

Oh yes, ms TC (now a graduate) spent a long time coming to terms with graveyards after the original "Blink"


the fact I can't stand the knobber who plays the doctor doesn't help it any. I was unfortunate enough to watch the entire episode this week, very poor!

I don't dislike him - but he is by far the weakest of the three modern Dr's. He is completely unable to render the Dr's "tortured soul" persona, that Tennant handled with a touch of genius.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 23 September, 2012, 12:52:15 pm
That's true, the current Doctor is very good at humour, but can't bring across Tortured Soul at all well, it just doesn't really seem to suit the character.

As others have said, the story was really just a mechanism to hang some mysterious waiting, various nice ideas, and a variety of bad jokes off of.

I particularly liked that one of cubes played the Birdie Song on a loop, clearly intended to torture people. ;D

I guess part of the problem with the current series, is that the stories can potentially be long and complicated enough to require more than one forty five minute show, so requires either a split across two episodes (which I personally find irritating), a longer Christmas Special (or similar), or end up being a bit abbreviated in places.

For this one, they basically removed a lot of the explanation of what was going on, in favour of a very rapid ending, which sort of tidied up many loose ends, although a bit inadequately to my mind.  The Shakri may yet return, in a more concrete form, they seem to be a suitable not actually evil, but powerful race to get up to all sorts of cunning and mysterious things.

Even the title, the Power of Three, seemed a bit contrived, with not much basis in the end.  Not as clever as some of the earlier titles.  Using the Sonic Screwdriver to so trivially solve things was a bit of an over simplistic solution.  The Sonic Screwdriver is a tool with not enough limitations, which is why you generally don't have stuff like that in Science Fiction, because it's too powerful and you're often left asking why it wasn't used this time.  It's limitation against wood is a good example of how they provide a humorous limitation, which has been used to good joke effect in some episodes.  In older series of Doctor Who, they have discontinued the sonic screwdrivers use altogether, because of this plot problem.  Is there a term for this type of plot device?  It's not really a Deus ex Machina, but it has similarities.

It's never really explained why the Shakri used such a half arsed approach, when even we can think of many much easier approaches to solve that particular problem.  It may be novel, and a bit inexplicable, but that alone isn't the basis for a good plot device, it needs some internal consistency and logic.

Still, some good light-hearted moments, and as others have said, the return of a Lethbridge-Stewart, with a good line in banter.  Hopefully she'll also be back (and I'd be surprised if she isn't because this story was clearly partly a way to introduce her to us).

I'd say something like 6½ out of 10.  Not brilliant, not bad, and has some nice features.  The return of the Weeping Angels next week could be very good, but lets hope they don't get too overused, we've had them in several episodes now, and good baddies should be kept to a minimum, least they become a bit of a cliché, and predictable.  Blink was by far the best episode that they've been in, although The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone wasn't half bad.  An appearance by River Song is also rather good, since she always has good lines. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 26 September, 2012, 04:01:39 am
I'm not enjoying this season much :( I'll still watch it of course but it hasn't been anywhere near good enough to keep my attention 100% like the last few seasons.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 29 September, 2012, 08:21:04 pm
Hmm, I'm not sure that the Angels in this episode worked as well as in their previous occurrences.

The story felt a little contrived, to give them a mechanism to remove Amy and Rory from the storyline permanently, which I guess it has.  Apparently Karen Gillan wanted to be written out for ever, so that there was no risk of bringing her back, and reducing the impact of this episode.

I don't think this will necessarily be an episode that will be remembered as a classic, on the scale of many previous recent episodes (Blink being one of those).  It was OK, but as with last weeks episode, it seemed to have many holes in the plot which weren't explored to any depth.

Oh well, that's it until Christmas, and the new companion.  Over to Dave for a few weeks, to see how the new Red Dwarf turns out.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 29 September, 2012, 08:24:37 pm
I find the weeping angels terrifying, no matter what. And I was crying a bit during that. I love River Song.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 29 September, 2012, 08:55:31 pm
Fittingly, we all watched this after time shifting. Fabulous, really. Just the right level of confusion/understanding to make us all shocked at the finality of it all.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Jules on 29 September, 2012, 09:24:45 pm
Finally - a happy ending  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 29 September, 2012, 10:10:04 pm
The suicide pact was quite stunning. But the angels did get them in the end.  River Song - always a classic.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 29 September, 2012, 11:36:52 pm
I find tat I am over-analysing these series now.

After the Bad Wolf and Saxon "Spoilers" I am looking for hints, clues and plot lines.

For instance when Dr Who preens himself in the polished brass plate before meeting River Song, there is a deliberate and unmistakeable focus on the plate and the writing:

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/Cunobelin/ScreenShot2012-09-29at233101.png)

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/Cunobelin/ScreenShot2012-09-29at233113.png)

Does it have any relevance.. probably not, but then again ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 29 September, 2012, 11:52:14 pm
I'd forgotten about that.  At the time, I thought it bore some significance, so going back and checking on it was worth doing.

A quick Google doesn't throw up anything obvious as regards Rolls Royce FD 12, but I'm not an expert on such.  Is there a Rolls Royce enthusiast in the house?

As you said, they did seem to deliberately pause on the image of that plate, as though it will have some significance.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hillbilly on 30 September, 2012, 06:40:44 am
Like the rest of the series, I found it had a smack of knowing the destination but not how to get there.  Disappointed. And the  over reliance on US locations smacked of the  Beeb  trying too hard to increase audience  amongst  the armitage  shanks.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 30 September, 2012, 11:43:08 am

A quick Google doesn't throw up anything obvious as regards Rolls Royce FD 12, but I'm not an expert on such.  Is there a Rolls Royce enthusiast in the house?

..... someone as sad as me!

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimC on 01 October, 2012, 08:51:58 am
Well, I loved it! I don't really care about gaps in the story or other howlers - although, with 15 minutes to go I was wondering if it was going to be a two-parter as I couldn't see how they were going to get to the end. The double suicide had me in tears, I have to say. Stupid old sod.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 01 October, 2012, 11:23:56 am
Didn't watch it until last night.

I liked it; at last, an dilemma that isn't solved by the doctor waving his bloody screwdriver about. Fitting way for Amy to bow out - Rory guessing the solution, Amy to make the hard choice, then again at the end.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 01 October, 2012, 03:15:17 pm
I've increasingly felt that Rory & Amy have been getting in the way - a bit like Rose Tyler did in the end. It's all been getting a bit soapy for my liking. So in that sense, I'm glad they're gone, and that there's no way back for them (although they did find a way to bring Rose back, of course). But it was a good story and a good send-off. Better than the last Weeping Angels story, I reckon, though obviously not in the same league as Blink.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 01 October, 2012, 04:40:44 pm
... I'm glad they're gone, and that there's no way back for them (although they did find a way to bring Rose back, of course). ...

As far as I can see, it would have been trivial to bring them back, although the implication of the afterword that Amy wrote, is that they didn't (so presumably that's intended to close down any possible storyline escape methods).

As I understand it, the Doctor couldn't take the Tardis back to New York in that era, because of the mess that the paradox made etc, but there's presumably nothing to stop him going back to that era in some other part of the world, and using rather more traditional forms of transport to get to New York.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 02 October, 2012, 02:32:12 pm
I'd forgotten about that.  At the time, I thought it bore some significance, so going back and checking on it was worth doing.

A quick Google doesn't throw up anything obvious as regards Rolls Royce FD 12, but I'm not an expert on such.  Is there a Rolls Royce enthusiast in the house?

As you said, they did seem to deliberately pause on the image of that plate, as though it will have some significance.
I've seen a thousand plates almost identical to this. They tend to be attached to large item of RN stores (and presumably RAF and Army too). Granted I've seen them with Rolls Royce & Associates (the nuclear arm of the business) rather than Motors.

Nato Stock No is the number by which you order the kit from the Stores Accountants, and I'm almost glad they've left it blank, otherwise the Logistics Branch would be grinding to a halt right now!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 02 October, 2012, 03:03:45 pm
That's interesting.

I wonder if the fact that it's blank is anything to do with him going around the universe wiping out records of his existence, as per River Song's comment.

d.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 02 October, 2012, 07:29:58 pm
Why is Amy going to die at 87 while Rory died at 82?

What's going to happen to the extra 5 years that she will be in the doom hotel ( they went to school together, I think, and I'm assuming they are the same age)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 October, 2012, 08:17:26 pm
Do we know how old they both are? If Amy's 5 years older than Rory, they might die together. If they are the sameish age, then she just lives longer than him, alone in the doom hotel after he dies before her.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 02 October, 2012, 09:08:06 pm
I thought Rory was 2000 years older than Amy, as he'd waited for her.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 02 October, 2012, 10:44:09 pm
... Nato Stock No is the number by which you order the kit from the Stores Accountants, and I'm almost glad they've left it blank, otherwise the Logistics Branch would be grinding to a halt right now!

Oh gods, don't mention NATO Stock Numbers.  The microfiche with that on used to be the bane of my life.  Managing to find something on it was always a major achievement, the descriptions of some items was spectacularly bizarre.  I presume all the microfiche has been replaced by some tortuously complex and cumbersome computer system, with a completely useless search facility.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 03 October, 2012, 09:38:25 am
... Nato Stock No is the number by which you order the kit from the Stores Accountants, and I'm almost glad they've left it blank, otherwise the Logistics Branch would be grinding to a halt right now!

Oh gods, don't mention NATO Stock Numbers.  The microfiche with that on used to be the bane of my life.  Managing to find something on it was always a major achievement, the descriptions of some items was spectacularly bizarre.  I presume all the microfiche has been replaced by some tortuously complex and cumbersome computer system, with a completely useless search facility.
Yes. Yes it has. BRd 320+. Same stores descriptions, 350 options for machine screw with no further elaboration in the text.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hulver on 03 October, 2012, 11:57:06 am
Do we know how old they both are? If Amy's 5 years older than Rory, they might die together. If they are the sameish age, then she just lives longer than him, alone in the doom hotel after he dies before her.

I thought that the doom hotel had been destroyed, and the Angel had just sent them back in the usual way (see Blink) to feed off the time energy. So they would have lived out normal lives, just that the doctor couldn't get to them.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: PaulF on 03 October, 2012, 12:07:21 pm
We have a little gargoyle statue that, since the weekend, has been moving around the garden :o

I think it's my wife trying to mess with my head  ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Arch on 03 October, 2012, 07:46:20 pm
We have a little gargoyle statue that, since the weekend, has been moving around the garden :o

I think it's my wife trying to mess with my head  ???

A while back, MFWHTBAB and I were in a local hardware/garden shop and in the garden ornament sections there was a range of owls - each is a large cobble/pebble, with the base cut flat, and a face carved into it, with glass eyes set in. One alone would be kind of fun.  Twenty or so, in sizes ranging from a foot tall down to a couple of inches, was a bit freaky. We both looked at them said "Don't blink!"

Since then, we've seen them in a couple of other shops as far afield as Leicester, so nowhere is safe.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 31 October, 2012, 06:52:45 pm
http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2012/10/doctor-whos-ten-most-horrifying-moments/

Gah! The Robots of Death! They terrified me so much when I was little I couldn't even read the book! I couldn't even look at the cover of the book; I had to put it face down where I couldn't see it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 18 November, 2012, 10:50:58 am
The Wikipedia entry for "Asylum of the Daleks" says:

Quote
... Whether Coleman's later character is the same as Oswin has yet to be confirmed. ...

But people have also pointed out that Moffat had denied that Jenna-Louise Coleman would appear before the Christmas Special, so Moffat, like the Doctor, lies. ;D

It would seem difficult to bring her in as a companion, but ignore her earlier appearance altogether.  Some have suggested that she could either appear as an ancestor of Souffle Girl, or possibly could appear from earlier in her own time line (albeit that then requires her to have forgotten about this somehow, before appearing on the Asylum Planet).

It'll be interesting to see what they do.  I suspect they'll be a bit more imaginative than any of those suggestions, both of which seem a little predictable. ...!

The trailer for the Christmas special, appears to quite deliberately muddy the waters concerning exactly how the new companion and Soufflé Girl are related.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3KVpvEUTns

It certainly looks like it could be a promising episode, some characters returning, and snowmen with teeth! :thumbsup:

This bit (a "minisode") is also quite amusing. ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G17_B4uACgg
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 18 November, 2012, 12:05:11 pm


Quote
... Whether Coleman's later character is the same as Oswin has yet to be confirmed. ...

[/quote]

She is referred to as "Clara" not "Oswyn"
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 18 November, 2012, 01:41:58 pm
Quote
... Whether Coleman's later character is the same as Oswin has yet to be confirmed. ...
She is referred to as "Clara" not "Oswyn"

She was Oswin (aka Soufflé Girl) in her original appearance, Asylum of the Daleks.

Wether Clara is or is related to Oswin has yet to be made clear.  It may be some even more complex and original explanation.  Previous occurrences of companions, or Torchwood characters, in episodes of Dr Who, have been explained by them being relatives, but that would be a bit of a cop out for this one.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 18 November, 2012, 01:55:20 pm
We have a little gargoyle statue that, since the weekend, has been moving around the garden :o

I think it's my wife trying to mess with my head  ???

I have a large monk, several grotesques and Green Men around the garden.

Our gardener thinks I am a pagan, and even on Christmas cards refers t me as "the Husband". If I am at home when she comes round, she leaves!

!

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 20 November, 2012, 10:18:09 am
Thinking about it, wasn't Commander Strax dying in "A Good Man Goes to War" ?

"... It's strange.  I have often dreamed of dying in combat.  I'm not enjoying it as much as I hoped. ...".

... but he didn't actually die on camera, he just looked very ill.

That might make sense if the new episode was earlier in their timeline, but not the Doctor's.  Of course, then he wouldn't have met Madame Vastra and Jenny, so that doesn't work.

Presumably Strax is going to have turned out to have made a miraculous recovery.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 20 November, 2012, 08:25:58 pm

Presumably Strax is going to have turned out to have made a miraculous recovery.

Physician, Heal thyself?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 20 November, 2012, 08:50:28 pm
Presumably Strax is going to have turned out to have made a miraculous recovery.
Physician, Heal thyself?

Arguably, he's not a physician, only a nurse.  However, a more lax definition of physician than generally used, could encompass a nurse.

I suspect this particular point may be glossed over when the episode airs.  On the scale of things to be resolved, this is probably relatively minor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: a lower gear on 06 December, 2012, 07:39:26 pm
Jenna Louise Coleman, who plays Clara, the Doctor's new companion, graces the cover of the pre-Christmas Radio Times, and very pretty she looks too. The 3 page article on the Christmas Special is merely a marketing tease needless to say. The only thing that Ms.Coleman says concerning any connection between Oswin (aka Souffle Girl in this parish) and Clara is "the connection is that it's me playing both. I'm not Oswin: I'm a different person who looks and sounds like Oswin". Wait and watch the Christmas Special.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 12 December, 2012, 05:27:07 pm
There's a new trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEJNzJqMtjg

... with Oswin / Clara snogging the Doctor. :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 12 December, 2012, 05:52:13 pm
She had better watch her step...... I would have thought that having River Song as a "rival" is not a healthy lifestyle choice!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 12 December, 2012, 05:53:27 pm
Presumably Strax is going to have turned out to have made a miraculous recovery.
Physician, Heal thyself?

Arguably, he's not a physician, only a nurse.  However, a more lax definition of physician than generally used, could encompass a nurse.

I suspect this particular point may be glossed over when the episode airs.  On the scale of things to be resolved, this is probably relatively minor.

I always saw his role as more like a "Combat Medic"
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 25 December, 2012, 05:57:22 pm
Oooh, new interior design... for the
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 25 December, 2012, 07:10:58 pm
Quite a good episode.
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 26 December, 2012, 12:54:24 am

(click to show/hide)
Not just me then.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 26 December, 2012, 09:12:29 am

(click to show/hide)
Not just me then.

Indeed.  The mind boggles!   :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 26 December, 2012, 09:36:17 am
Couple of links...

Graun blog review [spoiler alert] liked this episode... http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2012/dec/25/doctor-who-snowmen-christmas-special

Vastra:   http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Vastra
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 26 December, 2012, 11:01:16 am
Just caught up. Strax and the Memory Worm = top stuff!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 26 December, 2012, 02:55:54 pm
Classic old gags there - you could see it coming a mile off but the delivery was flawless.
Clara was a bit flirty though..
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: a lower gear on 26 December, 2012, 03:14:20 pm
Clara (henceforth souffle girl II) came over rather well I thought - nicely assertive and inquisitive; promising companion material.

The thick plottens with souffle girl II as she asked if the Tardis had a kitchen 'cos she likes to make souffles, she had the same middle and family names as souffle girl I, and then the same final words as souffle girl I as well (her death was throughly unexpected in chez gears).

At the end the Doctor was rushing off somewhere / sometime, pursing souffle girl II / I, and we were left with a glimpse of a C21 Jena Louise Colman I (souffle girl III?) at the grave of souffle girl II.

Looking forwrd to so River Song style plot intricacies!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 26 December, 2012, 08:31:13 pm
It was quite good, but not as good as some of Steven Moffat's earlier writings.  Quite a few glaring plot holes though.  For instance when Clara fell off the roof, why didn't the Dr simply fire up the Tardis, zoom back in time 15 seconds and go and catch her?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 27 December, 2012, 01:07:33 am
I do hope they are not going to kill of soufflé girl in every episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 27 December, 2012, 01:49:41 am
It was quite good, but not as good as some of Steven Moffat's earlier writings.  Quite a few glaring plot holes though.  For instance when Clara fell off the roof, why didn't the Dr simply fire up the Tardis, zoom back in time 15 seconds and go and catch her?

Isn't it well established that the TARDIS isn't very good at that sort of thing?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 27 December, 2012, 02:14:53 am
The problem with Clara is/was that she completely upstaged the Dr like Mercutio did with Romeo. I had the nagging feeling she would die throughout the episode. Good episode though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 27 December, 2012, 10:05:08 am
I do hope they are not going to kill of soufflé girl in every episode.

"Oh my God, they killed soufflé girl!"  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 27 December, 2012, 10:57:27 am
I do hope they are not going to kill of soufflé girl in every episode.

"Oh my God, they killed soufflé girl!"  :)

Clearly she's related to Rory...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 27 December, 2012, 11:10:57 am
She seems a little hotter than sidekicks of late. Do you think there might be more baby shenannigans to allow there to be future doctors after this 'last' one of legend?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 27 December, 2012, 06:47:56 pm
I do hope they are not going to kill of soufflé girl in every episode.

"Oh my God, they killed soufflé girl!"  :)

I think this is a brilliant idea!  ;D (and younger viewers won't have a clue where the idea was stolen from. Then again, nearly every DW idea is stolen from some ancient SF book/film, so what the heck ... ).


What would also be fun - perhaps just for Xmas Specials - is for each story to involve the Dr at some random time in his many-threaded lives. (A bit like Moorcock's time-and-multiverse-jumping characters.) This would remove the tedious need to tie things up 'properly' (when we all know time-travel cannot work 'properly' anyway), and would give all sorts of odd possibilities:
- Dr turns up with wife and kids,
- Dr turns up fleeing galactic coronation ceremony, having stolen his latest starship [idea may not be original]
- etc ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: a lower gear on 27 December, 2012, 07:44:15 pm
I do hope they are not going to kill of soufflé girl in every episode.

"Oh my God, they killed soufflé girl!"  :)

I think this is a brilliant idea!  ;D (

A while into the future this thread may be discussing souffle girl XLVIII ... and how she's aged since nos. I to XII :demon:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 27 December, 2012, 08:03:23 pm
I do hope they are not going to kill of soufflé girl in every episode.

"Oh my God, they killed soufflé girl!"  :)

I think this is a brilliant idea!  ;D (and younger viewers won't have a clue where the idea was stolen from... )

They'll attribute it to South Park?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 27 December, 2012, 08:07:38 pm
- Dr turns up fleeing galactic coronation ceremony, having stolen his latest starship [idea may not be original]
- etc ...
About time for the Three Doctors again? Eccleston, Tennant, and Smith all turn up and run about a bit!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 27 December, 2012, 09:52:57 pm
It was quite good, but not as good as some of Steven Moffat's earlier writings.  Quite a few glaring plot holes though.  For instance when Clara fell off the roof, why didn't the Dr simply fire up the Tardis, zoom back in time 15 seconds and go and catch her?
Isn't it well established that the TARDIS isn't very good at that sort of thing?

Well, he did it a couple of times with River, once falling off a building, and once being shot out into space by an opening airlock.  That's the trouble with this sort of thing, if you use it, you eventually have to come up with a reason why you can't use it, or it becomes too powerful, and can solve every problem, so rather spoils plots!

Overall I think it was a good episode, albeit not as good, or quite as stand-alone as most of the last few Christmas Episodes have been, which is a shame, since that seems more appropriate for the Christmas special.

If they do keep on killing Soufflé Girl off, aside from the repetitiveness, are they going to produce an appropriate explanation, and I wonder what it will be?  Is she some form of lifeform that keeps on reincarnating ie not strictly speaking human, or will there be some more subtle explanation and long term story thread?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 31 December, 2012, 11:08:14 am
After watching this again, a few thoughts occur.

(click to show/hide)

Of course, none of that is essential to the episode, which works pretty well, even ignoring these minor points.  It think it bodes well for the remainder of the series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 31 December, 2012, 12:12:41 pm
... oh and from the snippets after the episode, there an image of Madame Vastra and Jenny, so clearly they'll be back, and a Sontaran in more traditional Sontaran garb than Strax was wearing, but it could be him.

(http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/xanthus/Random/FutureEpisodes_MadameVastraJenny.jpg) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/xanthus/Random/FutureEpisodes_MadameVastraJenny.png)  (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/xanthus/Random/FutureEpisodes_Sontaran.jpg) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/xanthus/Random/FutureEpisodes_Sontaran.png)

There's also one shot where's something is throttling a bloke with what looks like a very furry hand, which could be a Yeti, so it's possible that the Great Intelligence could be back in the near future (or possibly killer kittens).

(http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/xanthus/Random/FutureEpisodes_PossibleYeti.jpg) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/xanthus/Random/FutureEpisodes_PossibleYeti.png)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 31 December, 2012, 12:31:12 pm
I'd say killer kittens.  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: a lower gear on 31 December, 2012, 05:46:24 pm
"Smaller on the inside".

Want to revisit that one?  :smug:

The soufflé reference is barely allowed, since the episode is set in 1892, which is just about the time that the usage of soufflé entered into the English language (sometimes quoted as being at the turn of the 19th century), although it would seem doubtful that a barmaid, regardless of how good her ability to act as a governess was, would be familiar with what would probably have been bleeding edge catering.  .

Interesting point!  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 31 December, 2012, 08:11:27 pm
"Smaller on the inside".
Want to revisit that one?  :smug:

Meh, close enough, you know what I meant, and I need to use up my annual allocation of typos.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 01 January, 2013, 09:33:33 am
The soufflé reference is barely allowed, since the episode is set in 1892, which is just about the time that the usage of soufflé entered into the English language (sometimes quoted as being at the turn of the 19th century), although it would seem doubtful that a barmaid, regardless of how good her ability to act as a governess was, would be familiar with what would probably have been bleeding edge catering.  .

Interesting point!  ;)
Who knew that YACF was the home of top-notch investigative journalism? This is a scandal.

The DG should step down immediately for allowing this on our screens.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 01 January, 2013, 11:17:46 am
The soufflé reference is barely allowed, since the episode is set in 1892, which is just about the time that the usage of soufflé entered into the English language (sometimes quoted as being at the turn of the 19th century), although it would seem doubtful that a barmaid, regardless of how good her ability to act as a governess was, would be familiar with what would probably have been bleeding edge catering.  .

Interesting point!  ;)
Who knew that YACF was the home of top-notch investigative journalism? This is a scandal.

The DG should step down immediately for allowing this on our screens.


Are you suggesting that the BBC failed to rise to the occasion?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 01 January, 2013, 03:39:09 pm
possibly: there is definitely someone with egg on their face.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 12 January, 2013, 01:07:24 pm
Watched  Vincent and the Doctor (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00spgsf) last night with mini ao.  One of my favourite episodes, of any Dr Who series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 11 March, 2013, 01:54:20 pm
Did I just see that the Doctor is back on the 30th of March?

If so \o/
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 11 March, 2013, 01:57:33 pm
You were not dreaming, wooly:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Doctor-Who-to-Return-with-The-Bells-of-St-John-First-Official-Picture
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 11 March, 2013, 02:02:16 pm
\o/

<getting ready> lines up settee in front of the telly and finds favourite pillow to have at the ready </getting ready>
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: a lower gear on 26 March, 2013, 11:34:04 pm
Spolier alert! This week's Radio Times contains lengthy plot sumaries and pictures of the monsters for every episode of the coming series.  >:(  I carefully avoided reading them.   8) 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 26 March, 2013, 11:44:56 pm
<bounce> happy happy joy joy <still bouncing>
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 30 March, 2013, 07:02:54 pm
That was good.  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 30 March, 2013, 07:12:12 pm
oh yes, well fun - snog box :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bumper on 30 March, 2013, 07:22:24 pm
I thought I'd turned cbeebies on by mistake.

That knob is the worst doctor ever.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 30 March, 2013, 07:24:46 pm
Braw!   ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: essexian on 30 March, 2013, 07:31:24 pm
Kill him...... I'll tell HR..........  ;D

Enjoyed it but they rushed the ending again.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 30 March, 2013, 07:35:03 pm
Kill him...... I'll tell HR..........  ;D

Enjoyed it but they rushed the ending again.
Forgot that quote :)

Yes they are not that good at endings but I just switch off and sit back and enjoy :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 30 March, 2013, 09:08:16 pm
I think it was "I'll inform HR" Very cutting. There was a couple of other good lines that had me LOLing, can't remember them now...

Yes it was a little Cbeebies as bumper says, but I think it was necessary to introduce the new companion. I don't over-analyse them now, just enjoy the ride for 45 minutes. Next week's episode looks a bit more menacing.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: a lower gear on 30 March, 2013, 09:33:25 pm
... just enjoy the ride for 45 minutes. Next week's episode looks a bit more menacing.

Looking forward to spending a season finding out the inter-relationship of the three Claras.  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 30 March, 2013, 09:34:47 pm
I loved it, but my dad found it difficult to follow as the background music is so bloody loud. Why do they do that?!

I liked that Clara was using her (natural?) northern-ish accent.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 30 March, 2013, 09:46:11 pm
Yes, I found the music intrusive - and I don't normally care about that kind of thing. A few continuity errors as well, especially with regard to the geography of London...

But apart from that, I really enjoyed it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 30 March, 2013, 09:48:46 pm
London's geography was the least of my concerns. If Clara had been explaining to a camouflaged hub where the organisation were located, and was uploaded before the Doctor got back, how did he know where they were?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 30 March, 2013, 09:57:17 pm
Interesting, and the one liners were brilliant.

The new assistant seems good, but will there be any snogging?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 30 March, 2013, 10:00:29 pm
If Clara had been explaining to a camouflaged hub where the organisation were located, and was uploaded before the Doctor got back, how did he know where they were?

I also wondered about that but assumed the jump cut just skipped the bit where he must have looked at the screen of the laptop to see what Clara had just been looking at.

Here's another one: how did Clara's personality get downloaded back into her body at the end, given that the hub was back at the Shard by then?

Probably best not to think too closely about these things, just go along with it and enjoy the ride.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 30 March, 2013, 10:34:04 pm
There is a "significant"(?) quote " The one you told us about is here, the Doctor is here"

Richard E Grant has a cameo as the "Great Intelligence".

Are the two linked and is Richard E Grant going to be a Nemesis throughout the series - he makes a good Villain

(Edited:... and of course there is the further link with the Christmas special where he was also the villain)

However they are going to have to go some way to beat "No-one loves cattle like Burger King" or the 'Put your hands up if you are on FaceBook" lines
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 30 March, 2013, 10:37:14 pm
Yes, I found the music intrusive - and I don't normally care about that kind of thing. A few continuity errors as well, especially with regard to the geography of London...

Well, it is filmed in Cardiff...  ;)

The glaring error I noticed was when the lights in the houses were coming on - it was clearly raining in front of some houses and not others! Like I say, filmed in Cardiff.

And yes, the music was noticeably more intrusive than usual imo.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 30 March, 2013, 10:46:30 pm
Well, it is filmed in Cardiff...  ;)

When they referred to Clara living in West London, I didn't realise they meant that far west.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 30 March, 2013, 11:14:54 pm
The plot problems remind me of the Master / Doctor interaction in the 2009 Comic Relief (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do-wDPoC6GM) sketch, and the Joanna Lumley as Dr Who is ver similar to the reincarnation of River Song!

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 30 March, 2013, 11:22:01 pm
I loved it, but my dad found it difficult to follow as the background music is so bloody loud. Why do they do that?!

I liked that Clara was using her (natural?) northern-ish accent.
It may be time to start a petition about the background music. It's pretty much constant now  ::-)

(Clara's accent seemed to slide about a bit. Is it her natural accent, or did she learn 'northern' for Emmerdale? :P )

Anyway, not a bad episode overall. This thread is full of the usual nitpicking*, and yet NOONE has mentioned the plain-text passwords. Call yourselves geeks?!?

Best line - "I can't predict the future, I just work there". ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Ewan Houzami on 30 March, 2013, 11:49:29 pm
Well, it is filmed in Cardiff...  ;)

Mostly, yes, but they use London locations and studios every now and again. There's a bit of effects work being shot at Wimbledon Studios (formerly Sunhill Police Station of The Bill fame) at the moment.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 30 March, 2013, 11:53:15 pm
If Clara had been explaining to a camouflaged hub where the organisation were located, and was uploaded before the Doctor got back, how did he know where they were?

I also wondered about that but assumed the jump cut just skipped the bit where he must have looked at the screen of the laptop to see what Clara had just been looking at.

... or, ...
(click to show/hide)

Here's another one: how did Clara's personality get downloaded back into her body at the end, given that the hub was back at the Shard by then?

They implied (possibly stated outright, but I can't recall), that they had a lot of hubs around, so presumably another one was near enough, or automatically moved to near that location when it was necessary.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 31 March, 2013, 12:13:01 am
My favourite line:

The Doctor: Human souls trapped like flies in the worldwide web... stuck forever... crying out for help...
Clara: Isn't that Twitter?

 ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 31 March, 2013, 02:30:39 am
I liked it. I'm also partial to music, it all adds to it. But then I'm not listening through tv speakers so that might play a part.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 31 March, 2013, 07:46:46 am
Smallest magnoliette: 'the new assistant is very pretty, isn't she?'

Me: 'ummm, well, the doctor certainly seems to think so...'
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 31 March, 2013, 08:27:58 am
"For the dads" is the term I think.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: delthebike on 31 March, 2013, 08:47:48 am
She got the phone number from the women in the shop.
D'you think it'll be Rose who did that as part of the 50th anniversary, 3D, episode/special, with David Tennant and Billie Piper (should've got Chirstopher Ecclestone in to for a three Doctors remake) November 23?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 04 April, 2013, 10:23:16 pm
One of the girls at work reckons thatthe "Great Intelligence" dates back 40 odd years to early Patrick Troughton episodes and a quick Google (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Intelligence) shows her to be right

If so then it is not only the Doctors appearing in this anniversary year!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 04 April, 2013, 11:32:10 pm
Despite my strong feelings that Dr Who is a very good children's program, best watched by children, I watched it again, just to check.

Verdict: It's a very good children's program, best watched by children (in the same way that Harry Potter books/films are good children's books/films).

On that basis I wouldn't, as an adult, get too picky about technical "bloopers" and plot holes.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Riggers on 05 April, 2013, 09:52:14 am
I'm with you on that one as well big fella.

I also hear on R4 that Sue MacGregor in her programme Reunion, is reuniting certain people that appeared (or had dealings with) the first Dr Who programme in 1963.

I'm imagining an aged Dalek: "WELL, THAT TAKES ME BACK SUE!"
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 05 April, 2013, 10:24:59 am
Watched the latest episode last night - enjoyed it.  Funny moments and surprises.  I prefer this kind of single/double episode with 'self contained' story; albeit with some continuing thread e.g. villain.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 05 April, 2013, 12:33:10 pm
I also hear on R4 that Sue MacGregor in her programme Reunion, is reuniting certain people that appeared (or had dealings with) the first Dr Who programme in 1963.

I'm imagining an aged Dalek: "WELL, THAT TAKES ME BACK SUE!"
;D

- "And I guess you're all good friends now, all these years on?"
- " EXTERMINATE THE DOCTORRRR "
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 06 April, 2013, 10:47:37 pm
Well, it was pish this week. Started promisingly enough with the Mos Eisley Cantina setup, then there was too much singing, religious overtones and defeating of pumpkin-faced star-gods by shouting and a leaf. And the continuity in the space-moped scenes was at about the level of a primary school Christmas play.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 06 April, 2013, 10:54:58 pm
Well, it was pish this week. Started promisingly enough with the Mos Eisley Cantina setup, then there was too much singing, religious overtones and defeating of pumpkin-faced star-gods by shouting and a leaf. And the continuity in the space-moped scenes was at about the level of a primary school Christmas play.

Remember....it's for kids, then it all makes sense.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 06 April, 2013, 11:47:59 pm
mini ao (11) described it as a 'filler' episode.  Mark Gatiss story next week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 07 April, 2013, 12:11:42 am
Remember....it's for kids, then it all makes sense.

That's how I've approached it over the last couple of years. 45 minutes of "don't think too hard" enjoyment. But still, this week's was poor. I'm a fan of Mark Gatiss, so I'm looking forward to next week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 07 April, 2013, 12:16:51 am
Remember....it's for kids, then it all makes sense.

That's how I've approached it over the last couple of years. 45 minutes of "don't think too hard" enjoyment. But still, this week's was poor. I'm a fan of Mark Gatiss, so I'm looking forward to next week.

I'm with you both there. Tonight's episode had so much promise but the happy-feely singing was too much (and I bloody love singing). Bring on Gatiss.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 07 April, 2013, 08:01:50 am
Really crap. Total waste of my licence fee :P.

It better pick up again next week ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: essexian on 07 April, 2013, 08:08:59 am
........... And the continuity in the space-moped scenes....................

"Flash i love you but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth............"

Well I thought it was quite good. They spent a bit of SF although not much on the mopeds which were terrible!

 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 April, 2013, 08:56:41 am
Yes, the episode was a bit "Meh", the nasty alien as a god is a very heavily used meme in SF, and they didn't even use it terribly originally or well.  The "solution" was vague and wishy washy, being more an excuse to let them throw in some stuff relating to Clara's childhood, and how much she loved her mother.  Bring back Donna Noble (who I really liked), and her irascible mother, who I didn't like much as a character, but was probably more realistic of many people's relationship with their parents.

It wasn't a bad episode, but it quite clearly wasn't up there at the top either.  Many of the characters were very flat, and lacked any attempt to flesh them out, probably because there were lots of relatively minor ones.  The Vigil had good potential as baddies, but defeated by the Doctor rather easily in the end.

6/10 I'd say.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 07 April, 2013, 09:08:02 am
Yup a bit weak episode. Saw it on a different and older TV where we really struggled to hear what was said. It made keeping up so very hard and if there was any good one liners we don't know.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 April, 2013, 09:13:50 am
... and if there was any good one liners we don't know.

How about this one? ;D

Clara: Woof.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 07 April, 2013, 09:26:50 am
Oh yes that one. I wonder if that is the new Catwoman/Michelle Pfeiffer moment :-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 07 April, 2013, 09:56:20 am
It reminded me of the 2nd episode of series 1 'end of the world', when all manner of alien peoples gathered to watch the sun etc, except the one on Sat. wasn't as good IMO.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 07 April, 2013, 11:40:44 am
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TalkingTheMonsterToDeath

Though I did like the idea of the Long Song and there were teases that the whole thing was acoustic tech to contain in, which never made it to fullness; they'd have given it a Lost Tech Ritual Purposes cleverness.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 April, 2013, 01:20:54 pm
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TalkingTheMonsterToDeath

Though I did like the idea of the Long Song and there were teases that the whole thing was acoustic tech to contain in, which never made it to fullness; they'd have given it a Lost Tech Ritual Purposes cleverness.

Yes, good point.  I'm never any good at finding the TV Tropes, there are too many, and all too often they have clever names which makes them hard to find.

The apparent use of sonic weapons by the Vigil, and the opening of the door using a song, does led credibility to the argument that the Choristers are using some sort of acoustically based technology to control the Old God and Grandfather.

I had a hunt for a TV Trope relating to old technology being mistaken or forgotten about, and being viewed as a mystical magic or religion (pretty much the same thing, just with different names), but couldn't find one, although I'm sure it's there somewhere.

It would have made for a slightly more complete storyline, if they'd played that card, and it would only have taken a brief mention by the Doctor alluding to the technology to do it, so it's a shame they didn't, but some authors prefer the mystery of such actually being magic or religion, rather than rationalising it as lost science and technology.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 07 April, 2013, 02:10:45 pm
Any sufficiently effective religion is indistinguishable from technology?   ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hulver on 07 April, 2013, 05:36:57 pm
mini ao (11) described it as a 'filler' episode.  Mark Gatiss story next week.

I had my 2 with me, and a niece, and all three described it as "Rubbish".
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 07 April, 2013, 05:47:43 pm
mini ao (11) described it as a 'filler' episode.  Mark Gatiss story next week.

I had my 2 with me, and a niece, and all three described it as "Rubbish".

Yes, mini aos also said...  didn't like it, soppy - not scary, rubbish story line,  tatty special effects.    So I reckon for the main target audience,  the "The Rings of Akhaten" rates as a fail. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flynn on 08 April, 2013, 08:15:31 am
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TalkingTheMonsterToDeath

Though I did like the idea of the Long Song and there were teases that the whole thing was acoustic tech to contain in, which never made it to fullness; they'd have given it a Lost Tech Ritual Purposes cleverness.

Yes, good point.  I'm never any good at finding the TV Tropes, there are too many, and all too often they have clever names which makes them hard to find.

The apparent use of sonic weapons by the Vigil, and the opening of the door using a song, does led credibility to the argument that the Choristers are using some sort of acoustically based technology to control the Old God and Grandfather.

I had a hunt for a TV Trope relating to old technology being mistaken or forgotten about, and being viewed as a mystical magic or religion (pretty much the same thing, just with different names), but couldn't find one, although I'm sure it's there somewhere.

It would have made for a slightly more complete storyline, if they'd played that card, and it would only have taken a brief mention by the Doctor alluding to the technology to do it, so it's a shame they didn't, but some authors prefer the mystery of such actually being magic or religion, rather than rationalising it as lost science and technology.

I think the film Zardoz  has that theme.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 08 April, 2013, 09:05:41 am
I think the film Zardoz  has that theme.

Oh, it's not particularly original, but very little fiction is.  Mostly plots are taken from a limited set (although how many members that set contains, is open to argument), and then there are various plot elements and devices placed around.  The overall originality of a particular film or TV series depends a lot on both the variety of which elements are combined, and the exact detail of them.  The basic plot in this episode is fairly predictable, but some of the elements around it are moderately original, such as the apparent sonic technology.

Zardoz is an odd film, it has some nice bits, but as I recall, it does tend to drag on a bit.  Sean Connery's "clothing" leaves a lot to be desired, but what is seen cannot be unseen. :sick: ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 08 April, 2013, 08:29:42 pm
One of the girls at work reckons thatthe "Great Intelligence" dates back 40 odd years to early Patrick Troughton episodes and a quick Google (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Intelligence) shows her to be right

If so then it is not only the Doctors appearing in this anniversary year!

There is a scene where in the "Market Place" Clara asks if he has been there before, and the reply is "Yes with my Granddaughter"

Was that another Troughton era reference?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 08 April, 2013, 08:46:11 pm
One of the girls at work reckons thatthe "Great Intelligence" dates back 40 odd years to early Patrick Troughton episodes and a quick Google (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Intelligence) shows her to be right

If so then it is not only the Doctors appearing in this anniversary year!

There is a scene where in the "Market Place" Clara asks if he has been there before, and the reply is "Yes with my Granddaughter"

Was that another Troughton era reference?

That goes back to the start with William Hartnell.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 08 April, 2013, 09:21:16 pm
Yep = you are right, the link is still to the early Doctors though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 08 April, 2013, 09:25:52 pm
The other one that has come up is the Tardis and Clara.


In previous episodes there has never been a problem understanding aliens because the Tardis "enables" translation and understanding for the Doctor and the Companions.

Then there comes the line where Clara thinks that the Tardis "doesn't like her".... has the Tardis not enabled translation because of this?


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 09 April, 2013, 07:06:35 am
Perhaps something to do with Clara being a bit 'different'?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 09 April, 2013, 10:43:35 am
That aspect is getting a bit worn out now. It's no longer good enough that the Doctor finds some girl to prance around the universe with, using her normality as a counterpoise and viewpoint for us on the fantastical nature of the adventures. Now it appears that every single one of his companions has to be someone that the whole universe revolves around and who, handled incorrectly or not protected, could cause the destruction of the fabric of time itself, and the unthreading of all of creation.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 09 April, 2013, 11:48:37 am
To be fair, we don't know that this is the case with Clara, we haven't really been told what the explanation is with her.  You also can't expect every character to be bog standard normal, uninteresting, and of not particular significance, because there wouldn't be much story if that was the case.  It's better that the companions are sometimes woven into the plot, rather than just being a mechanism to allow the Doctor to explain things to the audience (which is always one of the reasons for the existence of a secondary character like this).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 09 April, 2013, 12:27:50 pm
I agree with MattH - they overdo it. Weaving the assistants into the plot is fine, and plenty of great Doctor Who stories over the years have been built around the fortunes of the assistants, but it's all getting a bit much (and a bit tiresomely repetitive) when the fate of the entire universe hangs on the pretty young lady every bloody series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 09 April, 2013, 06:09:25 pm
I agree with MattH - they overdo it. Weaving the assistants into the plot is fine, and plenty of great Doctor Who stories over the years have been built around the fortunes of the assistants, but it's all getting a bit much (and a bit tiresomely repetitive) when the fate of the entire universe hangs on the pretty young lady every bloody series.

Has he ever actually just said "bollocks to all this time-travel paradox and butterfly effects" and just shagged one of his assistants?

He's in the perfect position to go back in time and not shag them if any resultant kid is ugly or Welsh.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 09 April, 2013, 06:16:40 pm
He may well have done ... but it didn't make it into the scripts. Possibly one for the red-button?

IIRC he doesn't shag them cos he's not interested. Being an alien or something. This 'fact' seems to have got a little blurred since Ms Pond arrived on the scene, but it was my understanding. And I don't pay much attention anyway - it's for kids innit?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 13 April, 2013, 04:22:08 pm
Just a wee warning tonight it is on at 1800 not 1815 or 1830 or what ever random time the BEEP decide to broadcast it on. Please BBC do settle on one time slot and stick with it. Because I for one would hate it missing the start because the BBC moved the time and I forgot the random time the BBC decided to show it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 13 April, 2013, 06:17:23 pm
Did I just see Padbeat?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 13 April, 2013, 06:30:05 pm
Not unless they're at the Mos Eisley cantina (where I was this week - photos to follow) :smug:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 13 April, 2013, 06:49:15 pm
Padbeat : I didn't know you had Martians at your works place, now that makes your work place sooo much cooler :)

Pretty good show today, even if it was late. Was hoping that the monster would take over the sub. The sound was a wee bit better though we had to put it loud.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 13 April, 2013, 08:59:48 pm
I did miss the start, but just downloaded it with get_iplayer, and plugged the netbook into the TV.

Not a bad episode, and we did get to see what's inside an ice warriors suit, but I doubt it'll particularly become a classic.

(click to show/hide)

No real mention off anything unusual about Clara this week, which is good. I'm sure that'll come back eventually, but it's nice if it's something a bit unusual, and not used in every episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 13 April, 2013, 09:05:34 pm
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 13 April, 2013, 09:52:22 pm
(click to show/hide)
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 13 April, 2013, 11:12:54 pm
I'm afraid I found very disappointing again. Extremely shaky plot (random mistaken Baker-era style Tardis landing, and how come this is the first time we get to hear about the Tardis's babelfish talents?) They resurrect a classic monster, but there's only one of them. The voice was amateurish and a cliche. The "creature inside a robotic suit of armour" trope has been done to death, not least with the Daleks. The climax was predictable, bordering on a deus ex machina. And did the Soviets really have decent LED torches in 1983?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Dibdib on 13 April, 2013, 11:15:08 pm
how come this is the first time we get to hear about the Tardis's babelfish talents?

The Tardis's translation ability has been a staple for as long as I've watched it (everything since the reboot).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 14 April, 2013, 04:21:39 am
I really like that episode. I was aware of the translation matrix too.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 14 April, 2013, 06:25:53 am
I'm in the 'meh' camp.  Criminal underuse of David Warner (who would make an awesome Doctor Who - he's even got the right initials!)

This was a much more fun thing I saw recently with DW in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCWEq4BZgo&feature=youtu.be
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flynn on 14 April, 2013, 07:51:13 am
I enjoyed that. Haven't seen the Ice Warriors since my favourite Doctor, Patrick Troughton. That time they were in the tunnels of the London Underground. I wonder if this series will reintroduce the Great Intelligence and it's Yeti guardians?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 14 April, 2013, 08:04:55 am
I enjoyed that. Haven't seen the Ice Warriors since my favourite Doctor, Patrick Troughton. That time they were in the tunnels of the London Underground. I wonder if this series will reintroduce the Great Intelligence and it's Yeti guardians?

The Great Intelligence has already been referenced this series, last week I think (or the week before, can't remember as I watched them back to back on catch-up).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 14 April, 2013, 10:06:41 am
The Great Intelligence has already been referenced this series, last week I think (or the week before, can't remember as I watched them back to back on catch-up).

The Great Intelligence was brought back in the Christmas Special (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snowmen), and then again the week before last, with the first episode of this half of the series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bells_of_Saint_John), which is also the episode immediately following the Christmas Special.

Given that they've brought the Great Intelligence back, I'd be surprised if we don't see the Yetis at some point, although from the brief descriptions that we know of the remainder of this series, none of those episodes seem to obviously have Yetis in them (or the Great Intelligence either), but I guess we'll find this all out eventually.  They may just be planning a longer game, and these characters may not do anything significant to the longer term plotlines until the next series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 14 April, 2013, 10:35:32 am
I was really bored during that episode.

The TARDIS's translation capabilities have been part of it forever. How else do you think the Doctor manages to talk to all the aliens? They don't all speak English. Plus, Rose had it explained to her about one episode after she joined the Doctor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 14 April, 2013, 03:30:01 pm
I was really bored during that episode.

The TARDIS's translation capabilities have been part of it forever. How else do you think the Doctor manages to talk to all the aliens? They don't all speak English. Plus, Rose had it explained to her about one episode after she joined the Doctor.

Me too - I kept losing concentration which is a sure sign of boredom for me. The David Warner bits were fun, loved his performance in Hornblower
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 14 April, 2013, 05:50:52 pm
Awesome Bad Wolf theories about Rose and Clara http://who-lligan.tumblr.com/post/47304596201/the-bad-wolfed-clara-theory
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 14 April, 2013, 06:08:11 pm
Awesome Bad Wolf theories about Rose and Clara http://who-lligan.tumblr.com/post/47304596201/the-bad-wolfed-clara-theory

Whilst that may explain some features, it doesn't explain why her final words are identical, just as she dies.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 14 April, 2013, 10:25:12 pm
Good episode. Quite a few original ideas
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REALLY pleased by the reduction in background music :) (But it was in a submarine - if you don't have quite a lot of silence in a sub movie you should be banned from making anything ever again.)

[Clara's best look yet - the buttoned up too big naval jacket. Sigh.]

I'm in the 'meh' camp.  Criminal underuse of David Warner (who would make an awesome Doctor Who - he's even got the right initials!)

This was a much more fun thing I saw recently with DW in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCWEq4BZgo&feature=youtu.be
That's a good vid, and Warner was great; but he was a supporting character, they could hardly have given him much more to do without him taking over (he was rather good!)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 15 April, 2013, 12:18:32 am
REALLY pleased by the reduction in background music

Are you joking? For about the first five minutes, I couldn't make out a word they were saying. Had to have the subtitles on. It did quieten down noticeably after that though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 15 April, 2013, 01:18:40 am
Least convincing submarine set since Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 15 April, 2013, 01:20:15 am
Are you joking? For about the first five minutes, I couldn't make out a word they were saying. Had to have the subtitles on. It did quieten down noticeably after that though.

The subtitles set the tone quite well in the opening scene with "RADAR pings", I thought...   :facepalm:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 15 April, 2013, 06:35:46 am
I enjoyed that. Haven't seen the Ice Warriors since my favourite Doctor, Patrick Troughton. That time they were in the tunnels of the London Underground. I wonder if this series will reintroduce the Great Intelligence and it's Yeti guardians?

The Great Intelligence has already been referenced this series, last week I think (or the week before, can't remember as I watched them back to back on catch-up).

Don't remember them being in the Tube. Yetis and cobwebs, yes...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 15 April, 2013, 11:38:25 am
Are you joking? For about the first five minutes, I couldn't make out a word they were saying. Had to have the subtitles on. It did quieten down noticeably after that though.

The subtitles set the tone quite well in the opening scene with "RADAR pings", I thought...   :facepalm:

"Metallic thrumming" was my favourite.  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 15 April, 2013, 01:30:01 pm
Don't remember them being in the Tube. Yetis and cobwebs, yes...

Apparently so, according to the Wikipedia entry on The Web of Fear (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Web_of_Fear), which was broadcast back when my age was barely single digit, so I don't have any memories of it.

Interestingly that was also one of the first episodes to have UNIT and Lethbridge-Stewart in it, both of which have recently also been reintroduced, albeit with the Brigadiers daughter, rather than him, since he died (both in the Dr Who universe, and the actor in the real universe).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 15 April, 2013, 05:20:17 pm
Least convincing submarine set since Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus...
I haven't managed to watch it yet. Was there a big red valve that the Doctor/Captain/XO shut to stop the water/steam/radiation? If so, it can't be that bad. All submarines are fitted with them!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 15 April, 2013, 05:33:41 pm
REALLY pleased by the reduction in background music

Are you joking? For about the first five minutes, I couldn't make out a word they were saying. Had to have the subtitles on. It did quieten down noticeably after that though.
Joking? How dare you! Excessive background music is a very serious business.


I had the same problem as you during the shouty-floody-we're-all-going-to-drown scene - but the music wasn't the issue then. And I think you exaggerate - the few minutes before that were fine too.

After the water+shouting scene it was fine. Your Hearing May Vary. :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 16 April, 2013, 02:25:00 am
Don't remember them being in the Tube. Yetis and cobwebs, yes...

Apparently so, according to the Wikipedia entry on The Web of Fear (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Web_of_Fear), which was broadcast back when my age was barely single digit, so I don't have any memories of it.

Interestingly that was also one of the first episodes to have UNIT and Lethbridge-Stewart in it, both of which have recently also been reintroduced, albeit with the Brigadiers daughter, rather than him, since he died (both in the Dr Who universe, and the actor in the real universe).

I meant the Ice Warriors.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Ningishzidda on 16 April, 2013, 08:37:21 am
Dr Who is fiction.

That said, it could serve as the perfect vehicle to prepare Earthlings for Disclosure.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: matthew on 16 April, 2013, 08:41:22 am
Least convincing submarine set since Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus...
I haven't managed to watch it yet. Was there a big red valve that the Doctor/Captain/XO shut to stop the water/steam/radiation? If so, it can't be that bad. All submarines are fitted with them!
No lots of big wide open corridors. Two keys and a big red button.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kathy on 16 April, 2013, 09:09:22 am
Also, big hollow walls that the alien could hide in.

I don't know anything about submarines, but I figure space is at too much of a premium to have hollow walls. On the plus side, Brutus from Rome was there.  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flynn on 16 April, 2013, 09:33:39 am
I enjoyed that. Haven't seen the Ice Warriors since my favourite Doctor, Patrick Troughton. That time they were in the tunnels of the London Underground. I wonder if this series will reintroduce the Great Intelligence and it's Yeti guardians?

The Great Intelligence has already been referenced this series, last week I think (or the week before, can't remember as I watched them back to back on catch-up).

Don't remember them being in the Tube. Yetis and cobwebs, yes...

Possibly, it's been forty years or so, so my memory may be patchy.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 16 April, 2013, 09:50:11 am
Also, big hollow walls that the alien could hide in.

I don't know anything about submarines, but I figure space is at too much of a premium to have hollow walls.


Yes, that the the most spacious submarine I've ever seen.

Quote
On the plus side, Brutus from Rome was there.  :)

So that's where I recognised him from!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 16 April, 2013, 09:55:13 pm
Also, big hollow walls that the alien could hide in.

I don't know anything about submarines, but I figure space is at too much of a premium to have hollow walls. On the plus side, Brutus from Rome was there.  :)
If you had room for a hollow wall or a big empty deckhead to hide in, some bugger would have fitted lockers there! I did enjoy spotting the Bad Wolf references.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 20 April, 2013, 02:29:19 pm
BEEP will you stop it !!! This week show is on at 1845 last week show was on at 1800, I don't fancy playing the lottery when watching the telly. (sorry this should be in the rant part of this forum)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 21 April, 2013, 12:32:30 am
So, are we all just too completely awestruck with how brilliant that episode was to say anything?

It pretty much had everything. I was mostly terrified but also laughed out loud occasionally ("Ignorance is Carlisle"). Nice-clever-happy ending too. Superb.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 21 April, 2013, 08:26:11 am
Tell you after we've watched it tonight. Looking forward to it now!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 21 April, 2013, 09:38:00 am
Yup that was a real Doctor Who, just as you thought it was safe to crawl out from behind the sofa - boo! Spooky and funny at the same time, had Peli mum jumping a few times too. :-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 21 April, 2013, 02:01:07 pm
I thought it was a good episode, as Woolly says with both the horror and the funnies that a good episode often has.

There were definitely some good phrases used:

 Prof: Doctor What?
 Doctor: If you like.

 Doctor: Ignorance is Carlisle.

 Clara: Sharks are quite eaty.

The whole spiel with the Tardis' Voice Visual Interface, especially her "Whooa" when she first see's "herself".  That almost makes up for referring to Whisky as the 11th most disgusting thing ever invented.  Heresy!

The colouring of the episode was interesting.  Clearly it often had to be dark, to allow for the mystery and occasionally spooky item in the background, but there was also often a very brown tinge to things, and with the background colouring, it all made for a very, possibly slightly clichéd (deliberately I imagine) seventies feel.  Neat.

I did have a few minor quibbles however.

(click to show/hide)

Still, aside from those minor points, it was very good and I enjoyed it immensely.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flynn on 21 April, 2013, 02:16:08 pm
I actually found it quite dull this week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 21 April, 2013, 02:22:00 pm
It had monsters, spookiness, a complicated scientific explanation for an apparent parapsychological event, the Tardis doing stuff, various silly quotes, plausibly good special effects, and some (admittedly probably slight) implications for the whole Clara story.  What more could you ask for?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flynn on 21 April, 2013, 03:14:29 pm
Ghostly goings on in a large old house sorted out by the Doctor. Seen that several times since Dr Who returned to TV.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 21 April, 2013, 03:45:05 pm
I did have a few minor quibbles however.
Tim you do know that this is only a TV program :) :) :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 21 April, 2013, 05:01:15 pm
I did have a few minor quibbles however.
Tim you do know that this is only a kids' TV program :) :) :)

FTFY
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 21 April, 2013, 05:16:52 pm
Ghostly goings on in a large old house sorted out by the Doctor. Seen that several times since Dr Who returned to TV.
I'm not sure that's true.  In "Tooth and Claw", "The Unicorn and the Wasp" and "The Lodger" it could be said they had some elements of that description, but it wasn't really fundamental to the story, and the basic storyline could have been placed in other locations as easily (actually that's mostly true of this storyline as well).  Arguably one of the few where it's more significant was "Blink", but that was also quite different from this one.  Inevitably old buildings as locations are necessary sometimes, as are spaceships, exotic modern looking buildings and many other locations.  I'd hardly say it was common in the returned series, or overused.  In fact, most of the episodes I just mentioned have had a very good reception.

I did have a few minor quibbles however.
Tim you do know that this is only a TV program :) :) :)
Yep, I did say they were minor quibbles, otherwise I would have supplied a detailed list of the issues. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 21 April, 2013, 06:02:52 pm
I think it was brilliant. But I think TimO's list of minor quibbles was even more brilliant.  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 21 April, 2013, 10:29:47 pm
Ghostly goings on in a large old house sorted out by the Doctor. Seen that several times since Dr Who returned to TV.
It's so repetitive, isn't it? I do hope next week's doesn't involve aliens. Or time travel. Or peril...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 21 April, 2013, 11:28:16 pm
Ghostly goings on in a large old house sorted out by the Doctor. Seen that several times since Dr Who returned to TV.
It's so repetitive, isn't it? I do hope next week's doesn't involve aliens. Or time travel. Or peril...

I bet you any money there's a Police phone box and an eccentric "Doctor" in it.

Note.  It was recently pointed out that, originally, a Police Phone box was chosen as the Tardis because it would blend in, unnoticed, and that it would stand out like a sore....err...Tardis nowadays.

The obvious choice nowadays would be a Potalooo.

My family are tired of me saying "Oh look, Dr Who has crash-landed" every time we drive past a Portaloo (but now you will start saying it as well.....a meme I hope)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 22 April, 2013, 12:00:06 am
The obvious choice nowadays would be a Potalooo.

I'm fairly sure that the chameleon circuit was temporarily repaired at one point, and it indeed assumed that form.  I'm not a Doctor Who nerd though, so I couldn't tell you in what story.  Maybe it was an urban myth.  Or fanfic.


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My family are tired of me saying "Oh look, Dr Who has crash-landed" every time we drive past a Portaloo (but now you will start saying it as well.....a meme I hope)

I occasionally see http://www.tardishire.co.uk/ lorries driving portaloos around.  I'm glad that somebody formed that company, so I don't have to.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 22 April, 2013, 04:12:54 pm
The bit with Clara going on about "The entire life cycle of Earth ... and you're OK with that? ...  We're all ghosts to you, we must be nothing ..."

Hmm, so the doctor pops into the Tardis to go and take some photos, and comes back in a couple of minutes with a collection taken at points across a billion years.


Here's a question. How long had he been away, subjectively, from the Doctor's view point. Well, even if he had known exactly when and wher eto go to get the photos the process and travelling and running in and out of the tardis, setting up the photos, etc. would have taken a couple of hours. But maybe it took him a couple of weeks, a couple of months or years even. Maybe he went off and did a whole load of other things, watched galaxies be born and die, etc, and just kept clara bubbling away as a sort of long term project to return to when he CBA. Maybe he's got a whole bunch of Claras on the go. Not too difficult when you've got a Tardis. He's a Timelord, after all...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 22 April, 2013, 05:06:24 pm
Yeah doing that episode he was very accurate with time and location to gather all these photographs. Normally he is slightly off with time and location, just look at Pond he was around 20 years off with her. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 27 April, 2013, 10:15:59 pm
I can't decide if tonight's was really good or a horrible mishmash.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 27 April, 2013, 11:12:42 pm
Yeah doing that episode he was very accurate with time and location to gather all these photographs. Normally he is slightly off with time and location, just look at Pond he was around 20 years off with her.
I can barely forgive him for getting his timing wrong in The Girl in the Fireplace. Sophia Myles would have made a brilliant companion. And a bonus 'for the Dads' ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 28 April, 2013, 02:10:30 am
I can't decide if tonight's was really good or a horrible mishmash.

I'm thinking 'both'
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 28 April, 2013, 07:28:34 am
A horrible mish-mash of really good bits. About 30 mins of 'wow', then an increasing sense that nothing really had any point ... frustrating.

[I vote for the 'android brother' business as the Most Pointless Subplot. But there are a few candidates :( ]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 28 April, 2013, 10:05:26 am
It is a bit annoying how on multiple occasions the Doctor does seem to be able to arrive with a sub-second accuracy, and then on others, barely able to get the century correct.  When he caught River using the Tardis' swimming pool in "Day of the Moon" he needed to arrive on time, and River was probably being overly optimistic that he'd get it right, especially given he low opinion of his ability to drive the Tardis!

On the other hand, in "The Doctor's Wife", we have the following brief exchange:

 Doctor: ... I just want to say, you know you have never been very reliable.
 Idris/Tardis: And you have?
 Doctor: You didn't always take me where I wanted to go.
 Idris/Tardis: No, but I always took you where you needed to go.
 Doctor: You did.

Which implies that on at least some of these occasions, it's not the Doctor's poor steering, it's the Tardis deliberately taking him to the "correct" place, presumably because it (she?) can see loosely enough into the future to know where to go.  Maybe it has "defocused temporal perception", like Douglas Adams' lifts, it's certainly insane eccentric enough. ;D


I'm also a bit unsure about tonight's episode.  I found some of the subplot elements about the brothers a little irritating, and could have done without it, and I'm not sure about the zombies, and how reasonable that seems within the context of the excuse for their existence.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 29 April, 2013, 08:47:14 pm
Yup a "don't think too much episode" but some nice running down the corridors, somewhat spooky but lacking the laughter.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hillbilly on 29 April, 2013, 09:50:40 pm
And rubber suited men running around pretending to be monsters.  Very old school.

It was the first episode on iPlayer that I didn't skip some of, which makes it not so much a good episode as just not infuriatingly tedious.  This series has been pish so far  :'(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: a lower gear on 29 April, 2013, 10:00:02 pm
It had some good ideas and some well-executed parts. My carp is why the monsters, which were the part-melted / burning-up future versions of the protagonists were so desperate to kill their own selves from slightly in their past? Maybe an exposition of why this was so was one of the bits that was lost in poor editing. I know its only a childrens' series but such a major plot facet as why the monsters were hell-bent on killing their past selves must have been thought through.

Some good bits from Clara though and intriguing discussion on the 'cliff edge' that presumably will be reflected later in the series as her relationship to souffle girl and the governess/barmaid incarnations will be revealed.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hulver on 29 April, 2013, 10:24:24 pm
Some good bits from Clara though and intriguing discussion on the 'cliff edge' that presumably will be reflected later in the series as her relationship to souffle girl and the governess/barmaid incarnations will be revealed.

Yes, I'm wondering about next weeks episode. As they all saw her die when she was the governess, what will they say to her?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 29 April, 2013, 10:26:17 pm
This series has been pish so far  :'(

My daughter, who is early teens and so target audience AAIUI, shares this view (though not the way you phrased it  :)). She's losing interest, and she was a massive fan.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flynn on 30 April, 2013, 07:03:49 am
The magic wand is becoming seriously over-used.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hillbilly on 30 April, 2013, 09:20:55 am
I do wonder with that kind of thing whether it is largely to drive sales of imitation sonic screwdrivers.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 30 April, 2013, 11:43:06 am
My carp is why the monsters, which were the part-melted / burning-up future versions of the protagonists were so desperate to kill their own selves from slightly in their past? Maybe an exposition of why this was so was one of the bits that was lost in poor editing. I know its only a childrens' series but such a major plot facet as why the monsters were hell-bent on killing their past selves must have been thought through.

Yes, possibly lost in the editing. I liked it on the whole but it was a bit of a messy episode and felt very rushed.

Of course, the simplest explanation would be that the process of being melted just turned them into Scary Monsters. It didn't do much for their outward appearance, so it's bound to have mucked up their insides a bit too, right? If you want a more complex explanation, how about the partial melting process had left them in so much pain and torment that they wanted to kill their old selves to break the timeline and put themselves out of their misery by never having existed? Slightly paradoxical, but that's half the fun of it.

The magic wand is becoming seriously over-used.

Agreed. And the Big Friendly Button was a Deus Ex Machina too far for me.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 01 May, 2013, 01:52:27 am
I was not impressed this week. Now, the previous one: I am trying to remember who wrote the SF story that episode gratuitously ripped off, where a spaceman is returning in a different time rate so that he appears as a regular spectacle in a fixed place, his posture only very slightly different each time...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flynn on 01 May, 2013, 07:01:33 am
I was not impressed this week. Now, the previous one: I am trying to remember who wrote the SF story that episode gratuitously ripped off, where a spaceman is returning in a different time rate so that he appears as a regular spectacle in a fixed place, his posture only very slightly different each time...

I've seen that used in the original Star Trek series and Babylon 5.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 01 May, 2013, 08:45:20 am
Sounds like something Brian Aldiss might write.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 01 May, 2013, 09:41:42 am
I've seen the concept used in several science fiction books concerning time travel, it's not terribly original, although more so than the average Grandfather paradox time travel storyline.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 04 May, 2013, 08:09:24 pm
Diana Rigg! Strax! Vastra and Jenny!

And best of all... Thomas Thomas!

Superb.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 04 May, 2013, 08:55:23 pm
Finally, an improvement, possibly the first in this series that didn't have me cursing a deus ex machina. I should have expected that it would Mark Gatiss who'd deliver. Nice bit of pre-electricity steampunk, Victorian smog and comedy Yorkshire accents.

When Jenny ripped off her crinoline to reveal a shiny catsuit and start high-kicking baddies... was that a tribute/reference to Diana Rigg?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 04 May, 2013, 09:13:11 pm
There's trouble att' mill.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 04 May, 2013, 09:38:35 pm
Ay'up - how did it take me so long after thinking - he sounds just like a sat-nav to shorten the name. Doh!

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 04 May, 2013, 09:42:39 pm
I should have expected that it would Mark Gatiss who'd deliver.

Didn't realise it was his. Obvious now you mention it though.

Quote
When Jenny ripped off her crinoline to reveal a shiny catsuit and start high-kicking baddies... was that a tribute/reference to Diana Rigg?

Oh yes, the style of fighting and everything was pure Emma Peel.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 04 May, 2013, 09:44:34 pm
Mr Sweet freaked me the fuck out!  :-[
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 04 May, 2013, 10:10:59 pm
"Is that a lobster in your cleavage or are you just pleased to see me?"
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 04 May, 2013, 10:52:37 pm
Definitely a good episode, but the triumvirate of Madam Vastra, Jenny and Strax have always delivered.  Strax, and even Jenny to an extent in this episode, often manage to exceed their nominal employer, Madam Vastra!  Apparently we'll see them again later in this series, which is good. :thumbsup:

The Tom-Tom reference was a mild joke, although it was clear from the moment he comes out with his directions that this was going to relate to car GPS units.  I'm not sure it was worth the contrived effort to insert it into the episode however, but it doesn't distract significantly.

It hadn't occurred to me, that Jenny in her catsuit, which we've seen before in A Good Man Goes to War, was a nod to Diana Rigg and The Avengers, but I'd imagine that it was a deliberate homage in this episode.  She certainly had a quick session of beating up the baddies, but realistically it didn't continue to the extremes that is often shown, with her attempting to fight a huge crowd of armed nasties, and instead they followed the Doctor's traditional maxim of running. ;D

In some respects, there wasn't much of a story, but it had so many good little bits in it, that I'm not too fussed!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 04 May, 2013, 11:49:50 pm
And best of all... Thomas Thomas!

Superb.

Ah, now I get it!  :facepalm:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 05 May, 2013, 12:13:34 am
I've been reliably informedby Primo (14 years old) that yes ... it was Steampunk, but actually it was of the Ray-gun Gothic sub-genre. OK, if you insist.

Another nice nod to the Gothic that we picked up was the Doctor in red was very much Frankenstein's monster - from the way he moved and talked, the way Ada referred to him as her 'monster'.

I did wonder if Sweetville was a reference to Bourneville - an new town set up by a religious group.

In fact the only disappointment was that the title - The Crimson Menace - suggested some Lovecraftian shennanigans, of which there were none.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 May, 2013, 12:16:49 am
I was amused by Strax's comments about the North, although those of a more geographically northern tendency may be less so. ;D Later on the Doctor refers to t'Mill in a slightly clichéd fashion, obviously making another joke at the expense of stereotypically Monty Pythonesque northernisms.

Madam Vastra's discussion of how Jenny would locate the Doctor, by following his methods was also worth a brief chuckle, even though it is somewhat accurate description of the technique he generally uses.

I think the Doctor alludes to Tegan Jovanka, when he talks about getting a gobby Australian to Heathrow Airport, although her appearances were mostly before my time, and I don't really recognise her.

I also wonder if Ada is referencing Ada Lovelace, given that hidden behind Mrs Gillyflower's organ is something that looks remarkably similar to a small element of Babbage's Analytical Engine?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 05 May, 2013, 12:20:24 am

I did wonder if Sweetville was a reference to Bourneville - an new town set up by a religious group.


I did comment to TODM that Sweetville did have more than a passing resemblance to Wonkas chocolate factory, to the tune of 'Oh look, they borrowed the set'
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 May, 2013, 12:51:35 am
Sweetville is definitely similar to locations such as Bournville and Saltaire, since that sort of arrangement was becoming popular in that era.  Willy Wonka's factory is probably also a similar homage, so it's not surprising that they are seen as looking much the same.

The tall chimney amongst the factory buildings and the close colocation of the workers cottages is more a reflection of the necessity of having a power source, which would have likely been steam, near to the factory, and obviously you also want the workers conveniently located nearby.  So a similar look is more simply just form following function, and a lack of our current enthusiasm for not putting houses near a potentially smoky and unpleasant industrial chimney.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 05 May, 2013, 01:01:55 am
Ooooh, I've just noticed that next week's episode is by Neil Gaiman! ;D

Don't let me down, fella!

Who else do we need to write an episode? Terry Pratchett? Can Douglas Adams's Shada be polished up and used? Could Garth Ennis tone down to a PG rating?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Manotea on 05 May, 2013, 07:48:26 am
Mebbe its me but afaiac this week's episode was entirely predicated on setting on the trail in the last couple of minutes and was otherwise a waste of time, and for that matter the trail doesn't  look promising. God save us, (Who will save us?) from introducing 'kids' into the storyline. Probably inevitable once Clara is defined as a nanny but really, the script writers are really scraping the barrel here....

And the cybermen yet again, yawn.

P.s, chicks in leather catsuits are only interesting if they clear the room. Taking out three with ease then running away is just a nonsense. Pathetic.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 05 May, 2013, 08:55:33 am
I thought last nights episode was quite enjoyable!

(click to show/hide)

Nice to see the Hot Lizard Woman, Madam Vastra again!   ;D

Although it will be interesting to see how the Cybermen weave into next weeks plot, they are becoming a bit over egged.....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flynn on 05 May, 2013, 09:09:19 am

Mebbe its me but afaiac this week's episode was entirely predicated on setting on the trail in the last couple of minutes and was otherwise a waste of time, and for that matter the trail doesn't  look promising. God save us, (Who will save us?) from introducing 'kids' into the storyline. Probably inevitable once Clara is defined as a nanny but really, the script writers are really scraping the barrel here....

And the cybermen yet again, yawn.

P.s, chicks in leather catsuits are only interesting if they clear the room. Taking out three with ease then running away is just a nonsense. Pathetic.

The kids screamed to me that Clara and the kids may be the replacement for The Sarah Jane Chronicles following the death of Elizabeth Sladen.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 May, 2013, 09:10:57 am
(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)

... Although it will be interesting to see how the Cybermen weave into next weeks plot, they are becoming a bit over egged.....

Presumably because there are a lot of Cybermen in the universe, like the Daleks, they get absolutely everywhere.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 May, 2013, 09:42:36 am
... It hadn't occurred to me, that Jenny in her catsuit, which we've seen before in A Good Man Goes to War, was a nod to Diana Rigg and The Avengers, ...

Well, I got that wrong.  In A Good Man Goes to War she was wearing clothing apparently from the period of her presumed origin, albeit trousers that I imagine a woman of that era wouldn't be expected to be wearing in public.

(http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/xanthus/Random/DrWho_AGoodManGoesToWar_JennyNotCatsuit_480.png) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/xanthus/Random/DrWho_AGoodManGoesToWar_JennyNotCatsuit.png)

However, she does wear the catsuit (or something very similar) in The Snowmen.

(http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/xanthus/Random/DrWho_TheSnowmen_JennyCatsuit_480.png) (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/xanthus/Random/DrWho_TheSnowmen_JennyCatsuit.png)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 05 May, 2013, 10:47:07 am
I think the Doctor alludes to Tegan Jovanka, when he talks about getting a gobby Australian to Heathrow Airport, although her appearances were mostly before my time, and I don't really recognise her.
Yes, I thought that was her and I thought it was a nice touch, although I didn't particularly like Tegan.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 May, 2013, 11:11:11 am
After a quick Google around, interestingly Mark Gatiss appeared at one of the BFI's Dr Who 50th Anniversary events with Janet Fielding (aka Tegan Jovanka).

BFI hosts Doctor Who at 50 event (http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/349476)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 05 May, 2013, 01:00:32 pm
A fantastic episode! I think Sweetville was clearly based on Saltaire. Look at the names, for example: Mr Sweet vs Titus Salt. And Titus Salt had a daughter called Ada (he named the streets of Saltaire after his eleven children).

I'm sure there are other clues linking the two which I've not yet spotted.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 05 May, 2013, 01:08:04 pm
We had to replay the "Tomas Tomas" bit again cause the rest of the household didn't get it at the same time as me and therefore couldn't hear* the next bit.

*) been told that my laughter is a wee bit loud at times :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 May, 2013, 02:09:58 pm
... Mr Sweet vs Titus Salt. And Titus Salt had a daughter called Ada ...

Doh, why didn't I see the Salt vs Sweet bit. (http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/smilies/doh2.gif)

I can't say I know much about Titus Salt, aside from him building Saltaire, so wasn't aware that he had a daughter Ada.  I still think that it was also partially a tip to Ada Lovelace and the Analytical Machine, but obviously combined with Ada Salt.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 05 May, 2013, 02:12:30 pm
You're probably right, Tim.

We very recently walked along Ada Street (and Fanny Street, and Caroline Street...) as we were considering buying a place in Saltaire.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 05 May, 2013, 06:05:23 pm
Our PVR missed the first seconds of the show ... so it seemed that the Doctor took 14mins to appear.

If so, this must be a record. Can anyone confirm?

I thought last nights episode was quite enjoyable!

(click to show/hide)

That sums it up for me too.

It wasn't a classic - but had tons of good stuff in it. There was something ... missing from the plot/pacing, it didn't really grab me, and the 'de-redding' was irritating. Minor quibbles, probably the best so far this series  :thumbsup:

[I admit I didn't spot the Tom joke.]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 05 May, 2013, 06:08:56 pm
Yup He was not seen for a long while, except in a photograph of the victim eyes.
 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 05 May, 2013, 08:22:25 pm
How long was it before he 'appeared' in Blink?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 05 May, 2013, 08:26:39 pm
I have finally got the Thomas Thomas gag  :facepalm:  :P
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 05 May, 2013, 08:36:26 pm
Vastra, Jenny and Strax need a spin-off series.  Pleasepleaseplease with scissor grenades on top.

I still can't get over Diana Rigg cackling "Do you know what these are, Doctor? The wrong hands!"

And Mr Sweet is going to be the darling of the cosplay circuit.  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: a lower gear on 05 May, 2013, 10:51:07 pm
Vastra, Jenny and Strax need a spin-off series.  Pleasepleaseplease with scissor grenades on top.

Intriguing thought! But maybe too steampunk niche for the Beeb?

I still can't get over Diana Rigg cackling "Do you know what these are, Doctor? The wrong hands!"

I expected it to lead to a wrong trousers visual or script reference - but maybe the all-rivetted rocket was the conection to Wallace?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 06 May, 2013, 07:24:25 am
I still can't get over Diana Rigg cackling "Do you know what these are, Doctor? The wrong hands!"

Oh wow, I forgot that - top line! (and it's one of those jokes that has you wondering - how come noone's said that before???)

[2nd confession - I didn't even recognise Madam Rigg. So of course the link to catsuits also went over my head ... must watch Mark Gatiss episodes sober in future ...  :facepalm: ]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 06 May, 2013, 02:43:01 pm
I still can't get over Diana Rigg cackling "Do you know what these are, Doctor? The wrong hands!"

Oh wow, I forgot that - top line! (and it's one of those jokes that has you wondering - how come noone's said that before???)

Yes, absolutely. Great line. It occurred to me that Mark Gatiss had let himself off the leash for this one and was writing it more like a League of Gentlemen episode than compared to his previous efforts on Doctor Who.

Beautifully delivered by Dame Diana. Such an amazingly charismatic actress. That part might have been a lot more cheesy in lesser hands.

I can't believe I didn't get the Salt/Sweet joke - though I recognised the obvious similarity to Saltaire. Tbh, I thought the name "Sweet" might be more of a hint at Bournville than Saltaire.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 06 May, 2013, 06:25:06 pm
I think it's referencing both.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 06 May, 2013, 08:07:16 pm
Yes, Sweet as an (almost) antonym of Salt, and as a adjective describing Bournville Chocolate makes for a double reference, similarly to Ada relating to both Ada Lovelace (and Mrs Gillyflower's "baby" Analytical Machine) and Ada Salt.

I think they made a deliberate effort to go all out on this episode, so lots of clever allusions, Diana Rigg, and the triplet of Vastra, Jenny and Strax, all of which were likely to make for a good episode, since it was apparently the one hundredth episode of the revived Doctor Who series.

I wonder what else we've missed, that may yet become apparent?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 07 May, 2013, 12:53:08 am
I still can't get over Diana Rigg cackling "Do you know what these are, Doctor? The wrong hands!"

Oh wow, I forgot that - top line! (and it's one of those jokes that has you wondering - how come noone's said that before???)

[2nd confession - I didn't even recognise Madam Rigg. So of course the link to catsuits also went over my head ... must watch Mark Gatiss episodes sober in future ...  :facepalm: ]
My first thought was that it was Pete Postlethwaite in drag (until I quickly realised it couldn't be!)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 07 May, 2013, 12:57:01 am
That was a delightfully silly episode, marred only by the lack of comments on the rocket science in this thread.   ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 May, 2013, 09:24:44 am
That was a delightfully silly episode, marred only by the lack of comments on the rocket science in this thread.   ;D

Well, there's not a lot you can say about that.  The technology of that era wouldn't have allowed them to build such a boilerplate vehicle that actually worked, but I assumed that it was either based on information from Mr Sweet (is he sentient, or is that just Mrs Gillyflower's fancy?) or Mrs Gillyflower's genius.

The only point you can really argue is whether you'd survive the vehicle actually going up the "chimney" whilst standing on that staircase, and with anything remotely like our current technological development, I'd say not.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 07 May, 2013, 12:01:55 pm
Turns out Thomas Thomas was played by my colleague's little brother. That's a very cool little brother.

Apparently, there was a good gag about eating horses that was cut from the final edit.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flynn on 07 May, 2013, 12:32:51 pm
That was a delightfully silly episode, marred only by the lack of comments on the rocket science in this thread.   ;D

Well, there's not a lot you can say about that.  The technology of that era wouldn't have allowed them to build such a boilerplate vehicle that actually worked, but I assumed that it was either based on information from Mr Sweet (is he sentient, or is that just Mrs Gillyflower's fancy?) or Mrs Gillyflower's genius.

The only point you can really argue is whether you'd survive the vehicle actually going up the "chimney" whilst standing on that staircase, and with anything remotely like our current technological development, I'd say not.

It's Dr Who. Not a documentary.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 07 May, 2013, 12:57:27 pm
It's Dr Who. Not a documentary.

Well yes, but I like a *bit* of science in my science fiction.  I can accept that some alien technology or sufficiently clever engineering could just about make rocket designed to explode at altitude with Victorian materials, but not that the exhaust wouldn't be deadly at close range.

It's about consistency.  They debunked and then handwaved optography earlier in the episode.  The preservation processes were left to unexplained alien tech - that's allowed.  That you can quickly and usefully jibble pretty much any technology at a ridiculously low level with a sonic screwdriver is canon.  If the red goo had had some sort of antigravity property that they'd used to power the rocket, that would have been fine.  But the rocket was clearly Jules Verne style engineering, with a hot and probably toxic exhaust - at least a bit of duck & cover seems justified.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: graculus on 07 May, 2013, 02:18:05 pm
Only saw this last night and I found it delightful from the word go. With all the references flying around I was faintly disappointed not to faintly hear the shade of Kenneth Williams calling out 'Frying tonight' as the bodies were lowered into the red gloop.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 May, 2013, 08:04:10 pm
That was a delightfully silly episode, marred only by the lack of comments on the rocket science in this thread.   ;D
Well, there's not a lot you can say about that.  The technology of that era wouldn't have allowed them to build such a boilerplate vehicle that actually worked, but I assumed that it was either based on information from Mr Sweet (is he sentient, or is that just Mrs Gillyflower's fancy?) or Mrs Gillyflower's genius.

The only point you can really argue is whether you'd survive the vehicle actually going up the "chimney" whilst standing on that staircase, and with anything remotely like our current technological development, I'd say not.
It's Dr Who. Not a documentary.

If I'd thought it was a big issue, I'd have brought it up earlier.  That was purely in response to Kim's comment, since she obviously thought it required further in depth consideration.  I'm always happy to oblige. ;D

In depth nitpicking and moaning is what this thread is about, with the occasional "Wahay!" thrown in for balance.  If we all hated or loved every episode, it would have been dealt with about 72 pages ago.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 May, 2013, 08:09:32 pm
... But the rocket was clearly Jules Verne style engineering, with a hot and probably toxic exhaust - at least a bit of duck & cover seems justified.

To be fair, they do duck and cover a bit, the Doctor coming over all gentlemanly and covering Ada, but even quality Victorian clothing probably isn't going to be that proof against a large rocker engine at close quarters.  Arguably the Doctor and Clara could have had Nomex built into their clothing, on the off chance they met a deranged rocket enthusiast hell bent on destroying the world, but that wouldn't have done much for their hands, heads and hair.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 07 May, 2013, 11:08:21 pm
It's Dr Who. Not a documentary.

Well yes, but I like a *bit* of science in my science fiction.
Well it *HAD* a bit of science.

So stop moaning, kick back and enjoy the time travel with gurning. :)

[I too like my SF to have consistency - but Who isn't in that class of SF. That doesn't make it bad SF. But have I mentioned the constant background music? Surely there's no place for THAT in any SF?  What would Ray Bradbury think? etc etc ... >:(  ]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 09 May, 2013, 11:18:35 am
Oh!  Ada was played by Rachel Stirling, daughter of Diana Rigg.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 11 May, 2013, 10:53:39 am
We have to wait an whole hour tonight because Auntie is still moving the start time around randomly. My money is that next week show starts at 1805. This program is one of the longest running shows and one of the most popular shows she got, why the bleeping heck can't she stay on one start time. She manage so well with all the other crapshows why not this one, I know that the Doctor does have a wee bit of a problem flying his TARDIS, with arriving at the right times, but that is a story line not a program start time. The reason why the bees are in my bonnet is that this is the only program on the tellybox that I really care about seeing, the rest I happy can miss, and I don't fancy playing lucky dip and end up missing the start or end up watching East Holly Street Dancing Karaoke while you are bodily embarrassed with your cooking in your new property. Oh this should probably be in the rant part of the forum.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 May, 2013, 11:06:46 am
I think it's because of what time Britain's Got Talent starts on the other side. They try to avoid overlap, and BGT starts later tonight because ITV are showing (the very excellent film) Whale Rider before it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 11 May, 2013, 12:28:12 pm
Gosh, do people actually still watch programmes at the exact time they're broadcast?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 11 May, 2013, 12:49:08 pm
I know what you mean. I watch movies when I fancy and 24-hours-news when I can/want and happily miss the start or the whole program of other shows.

 But this is nearly the one and only television pleasure/interest I have left, other than cycling*. And yes I can set the recorder to record the series "automagically" but I still have to wait an extra hour tonight to see only program I care for because the beep have set it on Jo-Jo start time.

*) which I can't see since it is nearly always on a channel that I do not have access to and don't want to pay extra for. Yes there is steephill.tv for that but that opens up a different kettle of fish that is ISP speed and rural areas - can just about read yacf on a weekend since everyone in the village are home.

So can I please have one little pleasure on time :) Oh Cypermen are back tonight, I know a wee bit over kill, but it is good fun, I'll have my pillow at the ready for sure.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 11 May, 2013, 05:13:08 pm
... and watching stuff live means you are immune to the spoiler-minefield of the interweb  :thumbsup:

(I believe there are billions of tweets sent/read about TV shows - they'd be pretty pointless if folks were watching 3 days later. New technology rewinding other new technology. )
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 11 May, 2013, 07:33:43 pm
Thank goodness for Neil Gaiman, thats all I will say  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 11 May, 2013, 07:50:15 pm
That was so much better than any of the other episodes this series  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 11 May, 2013, 07:56:30 pm
Cybertastic!   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mr magnolia on 11 May, 2013, 08:00:06 pm
Hmmm, ponytail...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 11 May, 2013, 09:20:12 pm
That was brilliant. Totally brilliant. I was completely spellbound from beginning to end.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 11 May, 2013, 10:12:27 pm
I quite liked this episode, although the Cybermen were really only lightly used, the Doctor's internal war being more central to the story.

I do like Warwick Davis, and hadn't realised he'd been an Ewok in Return of the Jedi, until I was watching a Beeb interview with him (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22492172) about Episode VII.

I still think last week's episode, The Crimson Horror was better, but they clearly pulled out all of the stops on that one.

Clara's two charges were used a little oddly, the end of last week's episode was obviously the basis for them being here, but they just appeared right at the start, basically without any discussion that Clara presumably had with the Doctor.  In many respects, they also didn't do a lot, although that's not unexpected with child actors, and whilst they're not bad, they're not the best young actors we've seen (Karen Gillan's cousin, Caitlin Blackwood, playing the young Amelia Pond was exceptionally good).

The crowd of useless military bods were amusing in places, and they possibly could have been played up a bit more, but I guess in the short time available for an episode, there's only so much they can do.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 11 May, 2013, 10:19:48 pm
I think this Doctor is hamming it up a bit too much for my liking, that two-faced battle of wills was very clumsy, twisting from one side to the other to express the two sides of his brain... pantomime stuff. Messing with the Cybermen mythology was a big mistake, but at least the Cybermats were back in a way, as the Cybermites.

Nice homage to The Turk though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 11 May, 2013, 10:23:55 pm
I think this Doctor is hamming it up a bit too much for my liking, that two-faced battle of wills was very clumsy, twisting from one side to the other to express the two sides of his brain...

I quite liked that, although it seemed a bit unlikely how the Cybermen were suddenly becoming very powerful, and after something stopped them, there would be a brief "Upgrading", and then they'd become immune to it.  That seemed far too convenient, and a bit too powerful potentially.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 11 May, 2013, 10:27:12 pm
When they said Cybermats I thought they said Cybernats and I expected a load of Edinburgh Evening News commenters to appear and start frothing.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 11 May, 2013, 10:54:34 pm
We had a Cybermat back in "Closing Time", a sort or reprise of "The Lodger" with James Corden, only not quite as good.

The Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_Time_(Doctor_Who)) for the episode has a nice toothy photograph of one at it's top.

They were also apparently used in the original Doctor Who series, in various forms, but I can't say I remember them.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 11 May, 2013, 10:57:37 pm
A mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a skirt that's just a little bit too tight
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 11 May, 2013, 11:05:03 pm
I quite liked that, although it seemed a bit unlikely how the Cybermen were suddenly becoming very powerful, and after something stopped them, there would be a brief "Upgrading", and then they'd become immune to it.  That seemed far too convenient, and a bit too powerful potentially.

Welcome to the weekly deus ex machina!  ;)

I recognised the drawbridge, it's Castell Coch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castell_Coch) just outside Cardiff, although it has no moat. I think some of the interiors were from there as well.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 11 May, 2013, 11:44:25 pm
They were also apparently used in the original Doctor Who series, in various forms, but I can't say I remember them.

I do! I also remember that the cybermen  are allergic to gold. Not sure about cleaning fluid though.

I like the new look too.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 12 May, 2013, 12:14:26 am
They were also apparently used in the original Doctor Who series, in various forms, but I can't say I remember them.

I do! I also remember that the cybermen  are allergic to gold. Not sure about cleaning fluid though.


Tom Baker: "I smell a rat: A cybermat rat".  They appeared in at least one of the stories set on the Ark in Space.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 12 May, 2013, 06:39:21 am
I quite liked that, although it seemed a bit unlikely how the Cybermen were suddenly becoming very powerful, and after something stopped them, there would be a brief "Upgrading", and then they'd become immune to it.  That seemed far too convenient, and a bit too powerful potentially.

Welcome to the weekly deus ex machina!  ;)
heh!


I'm surprised noone's mentioned how the current Cybermen are a total ripoff of the Borg (from TNG). Assimilate! Resistance is Futile! The 'instant upgrade' thing is (in effect) just like the Borg adapting their shields to phaser frequencies (or whatever it was they did - the point being that they were nearly invulnerable).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 12 May, 2013, 07:32:55 am
I'm surprised noone's mentioned how the current Cybermen are a total ripoff of the Borg (from TNG).

Who are the Borg? What's TNG? </Wowbagger>
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 12 May, 2013, 08:15:28 am
I do! I also remember that the cybermen  are allergic to gold. Not sure about cleaning fluid though.

Yes, I remember that.  Didn't they resort to using gold dust, which could be blown at them?

I'm surprised noone's mentioned how the current Cybermen are a total ripoff of the Borg (from TNG). Assimilate! Resistance is Futile! The 'instant upgrade' thing is (in effect) just like the Borg adapting their shields to phaser frequencies (or whatever it was they did - the point being that they were nearly invulnerable).

The Borg did pop into my mind earlier, I forgot to mention them.  As I recall this did require Voyager et al to pull various implausibly clever tricks out of the hat, because of their almost instant magical invulnerability.

It always seemed a bit crap to me, because it wasn't actually quite fast enough to make them more or less totally invulnerable, which would have been more realistic from a science point-of-view.  There was no real reason why they needed just long enough for our heroes to be able to shoot a few of them, before they could react to it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flynn on 12 May, 2013, 08:47:07 am
I quite liked that, although it seemed a bit unlikely how the Cybermen were suddenly becoming very powerful, and after something stopped them, there would be a brief "Upgrading", and then they'd become immune to it.  That seemed far too convenient, and a bit too powerful potentially.

Welcome to the weekly deus ex machina!  ;)

I recognised the drawbridge, it's Castell Coch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castell_Coch) just outside Cardiff, although it has no moat. I think some of the interiors were from there as well.

It looked familiar, wasn't it also used in an earlier series in an episode involving the Daleks, and Martha Jones working independently of the Doctor. I have a vague recollection of Daleks moving through a forest and Martha working with UNIT.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 12 May, 2013, 09:19:28 am
It looked familiar, wasn't it also used in an earlier series in an episode involving the Daleks, and Martha Jones working independently of the Doctor. I have a vague recollection of Daleks moving through a forest and Martha working with UNIT.

That sounds like "The Stolen Earth", the first episode of a two parter, with "Journey's End".  That mostly sticks in my brain for the German speaking Daleks; "Exterminieren, Exterminieren".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGx7c-QBotE

There are a handful of episodes around that time, where we see Martha working with UNIT; The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky, The Stolen Earth / Journey's End, and on Torchwood with Reset (probably others as well, but those are the ones I recall).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 13 May, 2013, 05:01:59 pm
It looked familiar, wasn't it also used in an earlier series in an episode involving the Daleks, and Martha Jones working independently of the Doctor. I have a vague recollection of Daleks moving through a forest and Martha working with UNIT.

That sounds like "The Stolen Earth", the first episode of a two parter, with "Journey's End".  That mostly sticks in my brain for the German speaking Daleks; "Exterminieren, Exterminieren".


There are a handful of episodes around that time, where we see Martha working with UNIT; The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky, The Stolen Earth / Journey's End, and on Torchwood with Reset (probably others as well, but those are the ones I recall).

I once dreamt that Davros was Scottish, and sounded just like Glen Micheal (off of Glen Micheal's Cartoon Cavalcade), except with a vocoded voice.....   ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hillbilly on 14 May, 2013, 04:03:48 pm
That's two good episodes in a row.  My faith in the series is returning...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 14 May, 2013, 04:08:01 pm
Yeah I really enjoyed it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 17 May, 2013, 04:24:26 am
Mr Gaiman been reading Fredric Brown?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/697123.Nightmares_And_Geezenstacks
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 18 May, 2013, 07:45:33 pm
 :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 18 May, 2013, 07:46:36 pm
Indeed
 :o :o :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 18 May, 2013, 07:49:02 pm
Indeed Rhys, that's certainly a bit of a teaser, and then some! They're obviously determined to keep us waiting for the next episode'in November.  :o

An interesting episode, and it answers some questions, but opens up so many more.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 18 May, 2013, 07:49:20 pm
I thought the episode was tedious self-mythologising nonsense, but that was the mother of all cliffhangers.

Reminds me of the X-Files a bit, when they had one-off plots it was great viewing, but it got dull when it went up it's own arse with the big overarching conspiracy theory.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 18 May, 2013, 08:08:11 pm
I know what you mean but it was much better than the last few series finales.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 18 May, 2013, 09:35:00 pm
The semi-mythological elements weren't necessarily the best, but we always knew something like this was on the way, to explain Clara. I think it was less confusingly bizarre than it could have been, and it had Madam Vastra, Jenny and Strax in it, so it can't be all bad!  The way they've left things we probably can't expect then to be in the next episode, which is a shame, but I'm sure they'll be back, because they always produce a good episode (even if this one was a bit weak).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 18 May, 2013, 10:16:32 pm
What was going on with the Sontaran going to Glasgow to start fights thing?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 18 May, 2013, 11:48:19 pm
I thought the episode was tedious self-mythologising nonsense, but that was the mother of all cliffhangers.

Yeah, that.

What was going on with the Sontaran going to Glasgow to start fights thing?
That was what Strax does to relax on his weekends off. I thought that was funny.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Flynn on 18 May, 2013, 11:59:31 pm
The big intro for John Hurt was unnecessarily patronising to the audience I thought.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andygates on 19 May, 2013, 12:33:35 am
It's a great set-up for a season where the Doctor's Big Bad is one of his own future incarnations.  That could get twisty.

The actual episode - and the VastraJennyStrax material in general - suffers a bit from mood whiplash in these mythos-heavy plots.  Balancing the fate of the universe and jokes about fightin' Scotsmen is tricky.  Poor old Strax is starting to look less like a comic relief sidekick and more like a slightly brain-damaged dog.

I recommend scissor grenades.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 19 May, 2013, 12:37:56 am
Wow fantastic, spooky, dark and a mother of all cliff hanger. But SIX month wait  .....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 19 May, 2013, 08:36:12 am
It's a great set-up for a season where the Doctor's Big Bad is one of his own future incarnations.  That could get twisty.

"Spoilers!"

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 19 May, 2013, 08:39:18 am
The big intro for John Hurt was unnecessarily patronising to the audience I thought.

I assumed that was something his agent had insisted on.

Anyway, I was glad to be told who it was - I thought it was Ian McKellen at first.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hulver on 20 May, 2013, 08:13:38 am
http://www.angryflower.com/screwd.html

;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 01 June, 2013, 10:54:52 pm
Who will be Who next ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22741493
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 01 June, 2013, 11:06:59 pm
Of course the simple answer is already far too obvious!

(http://cartermatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/john-hurt.jpg)

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 01 June, 2013, 11:11:04 pm
But that is while Matt is still around, don't think that John will be after the 50th ani episode.

Though I would like to have a older actor to play the doctor for a while, a bit about coming back to our time to sort it out. Or what about a female Doctor that could be great.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 01 June, 2013, 11:27:12 pm
As you said - far too obvious! He'll be some previously unseen incarnation, I reckon.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 01 June, 2013, 11:49:46 pm
As you said - far too obvious! He'll be some previously unseen incarnation, I reckon.

I think somoene alluded to that here (or on twitter) that there was a throwaway line about Matt Smith's incarnation being the twelth Doctor so Hurt might fit in somewhere between.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 02 June, 2013, 08:37:48 am
It was me - see comment hidden by spoiler tags above.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Dibdib on 02 June, 2013, 08:45:36 am
It was me - see comment hidden by spoiler tags above.

That was my interpretation too:

(spoilers for last episode of current series)

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 02 June, 2013, 09:28:10 am
In the Paul McGann film, the Master has used all of his 12 lives and plans to steal the Doctor's. THe film is quite explicit about the 12

Forgetting the fact that there have been incarnations of the Master since...

Having two Doctors, including a possible earlier Doctor could lead to a workaround of the 12 incarnations problem.

Otherwise the next one is the last, or if John Hurt is in fact an incarnation of the doctor, we aready have the full set of 12

Should be interesting to see how they protect the franchise

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Dibdib on 02 June, 2013, 10:40:55 am
The usual Moffatt excuse. Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 02 June, 2013, 10:42:31 am
I heard on the radio this morning that Matt Smith appeared in a Sarah Jane Adventure and one of the kids asked him how many times he could regenerate. His answer, apparently, was 507.

Moffat & co have no qualms about rewriting the canon on this one!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimC on 02 June, 2013, 12:38:45 pm
Let's see; give up Dr Who as a profitable franchise because the Doctor (a fictional character) has reached some arbitrary 'limit' of 'regenerations', or ignore such crap and carry on with the next guy, if necessary inventing some random excuse to get round an earlier plot device.


Difficult one, isn't it?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 02 June, 2013, 12:50:18 pm
From a biological viewpoint, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense anyway.  Some things in the human body do age and become unworkable, we see this ourselves, and at a fundamental level it's possibly a reflection of increasing damage to telemores.

However, generally those aren't hard limits, we don't have a fixed number of days or years before we suffer from a heart attack, or thrombosis.

There are numerical limitations on life, we have ten fingers and toes, two arms, and so forth, but I'm not sure there's anything chronologically speaking that is limited to a certain number, and that number being the same for all of us.  Someone with a background in biology feel free to contradict me, but I can't think of a similar circumstance in humans.

On the face of it, there's no reason why he should be hard limited to 12 regenerations, unless it's something utterly unnatural that they did to themselves, with this artificial limitation built in, but the implication seems to have been that this was a natural feature of Time Lords.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 02 June, 2013, 01:51:33 pm
Maybe the should just recycle the old ones. If they can do it for Les Dawson (http://bit.ly/Zmh9Ez) they could do it for all the old doctors (skipping Colin Baker natch).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 02 June, 2013, 03:48:17 pm
However, generally those aren't hard limits, we don't have a fixed number of days or years before we suffer from a heart attack, or thrombosis.

There are numerical limitations on life, we have ten fingers and toes, two arms, and so forth, but I'm not sure there's anything chronologically speaking that is limited to a certain number, and that number being the same for all of us.  Someone with a background in biology feel free to contradict me,
Teeth - baby teeth and whatever the later ones are called.


Here's my question - as the Doctor's name never changes, how would characters refer to the different incarnations. They can't refer to "Tom Baker" etc.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: pcolbeck on 02 June, 2013, 04:49:27 pm
In order:

The old one
The one with eyebrows
Worzel Gummage
The mad one
The soppy one
The one everyone forgets played the doctor
The "what were they thinking of" one
The one that was only in the film
The method acting Northern one
The Scottish one
The overacting one
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 02 June, 2013, 05:20:37 pm
 ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 03 June, 2013, 12:34:00 am
In order:

The old one
The one with eyebrows
Worzel Gummage
The mad one
The soppy one
The one everyone forgets played the doctor
The "what were they thinking of" one
The one that was only in the film
The method acting Northern one
The Scottish one
The overacting one

The overacting one ????

Care to narrow it down?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: padbeat on 03 June, 2013, 12:57:14 am
Tom Baker chewed his fair share of scenery in his time IIRC.

I have been winding up a couple of female friends of mine with hints that Benedict Cucumberpatch might be willing to take it on, and when they worked out that wasn't happening they got very excited at the idea of Richard Armitage. Interesting rumours that I've quite liked were Idris Elba and Olivia Coleman, but neither of them are going to happen. The role tends to go to someone with a much lower profile (the method acting Northern one excepted).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Bluebottle on 03 June, 2013, 03:15:09 am
I reckon Matt Smith's replacement should be Mark E. Smith. Would be ideal. A TARDIS control console with all those buttons to twiddle.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 03 June, 2013, 09:06:04 am
I have been winding up a couple of female friends of mine with hints that Benedict Cucumberpatch might be willing to take it on, and when they worked out that wasn't happening they got very excited at the idea of Richard Armitage.

The thing that makes Cucumberpatch sound plausible is that he's worked with Moffat before. And if I were a betting man, I'd put money on it being someone who's worked with Moffat before.

I love the idea of Stringer Bell/Luther as the Doctor.

I don't believe it will be either of those though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 03 June, 2013, 11:17:14 am
Just wait for it.

I know who they'll get (well, actually, one of two).

You sure you want to click on this?

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 03 June, 2013, 11:25:28 am
Ahem:

In order:

The old one
The one that was only in the films
The one with eyebrows
Worzel Gummage
The mad one
The soppy one
The one everyone forgets played the doctor
The "what were they thinking of" one
The one that was only in the film and on the radio
The method acting Northern one
The Scottish one
The overacting one
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 03 June, 2013, 10:52:39 pm
Interesting thoughts from one of the girls at work

The film established that the Master was trying to steal the Doctor's remaining regenerations.

This establishes the fact that they can be transferred

River SOng can regenerate an used two (one as a small girl and one to her present existence) then saved the Doctor transferring her remaining regeneratio energy to him.

So in theory she could have given him at least 8 regenerations.

Now comes the clever bit.

Would River Song's regeneration energy be gender specific?

If so does that mean that the rumours of a female Doctor are in fact true and also that all future Doctors would have to be female as well?

Bring back Joanna Lumley?






Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 04 June, 2013, 11:46:58 am
The gender of time lords, post regeneration doesn't seem to be clearly defined.  Whilst it appears that they mostly regenerate as the same gender when we consider The Doctor, The Master, Romanadvoratrelundar, and to an extent River Song, this isn't always true.  River is a bit of an anomaly, since she's not actually a Time Lord, but seems to have picked up some degree of their characteristics through being conceived within a Tardis, so pretty much anything about Time Lords and her may or may not be transferable, ie all bets are off as regardless these elements of the storyline.

We know that Time Lords can be regenerated as a differing gender, most recently from the Doctor's Wife, where we had this conversation:

The Doctor: ... There's a living Time Lord still out there! And it's one of the good ones.
Rory: You said there weren't any other Time Lords left.
The Doctor: There aren't.  No Time Lords left anywhere in the Universe.  But the Universe isn't where we're going.  See that snake, the mark of The Corsair.  Fantastic bloke.  He had that snake as a tattoo in every regeneration.  Didn't feel like himself unless he had that tattoo.  Or herself a couple of times.  Oo hoo, she was a bad girl! ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 04 June, 2013, 12:27:30 pm
Kathy Burke 4 Doctor!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 04 June, 2013, 12:32:09 pm
I've suddenly come to see that a Lady Doctor is almost inevitable (and probably before the next lady PM!). There's never been a good reason NOT to (in terms of mythos 'facts' - see Tim's post), and the current creative team seem to have the right sort of inclination.

I'd say it's just about finding the right actor. Dawn French was a funny idea but wouldn't have worked! Jo Lumley? she's great, but not in this sort of role ... I think ...

There must be someone out there, but women don't generally get these sort of parts, so she'll be hard to spot in an existing role. Come on Moffat, work your magic!

[Sorry jo: Kathy Burke would be the new Colin Baker - noone wants that! ]


EDIT: This is the sort of actress who might fit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve_Best
Anyone want to give me 1000:1 odds?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 04 June, 2013, 03:18:50 pm
Does this mean that we'd need more Eye Candy for the Mums?

(Was Rory Eye Candy?  I can't say my proclivities go that way, so I'm unsure how desirable he is to the female of the species, or suitably inclined males).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 04 June, 2013, 03:27:43 pm
Does this mean that we'd need more Eye Candy for the Mums?

Dear Tim,

Mums can ogle Amy too.

Yours,
Husband of Woman-Ogler
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 04 June, 2013, 03:34:53 pm
True enough, I probably should have explicitly allowed for all possible mixtures in my previous post (although at some point it would probably become overly complex!)

I'm still curious over what members of the cast of the male persuasion are considered ogleable (by women or men).  Presumably the Doctor himself is (almost by definition) when a male, but what about other companions/assistants?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 04 June, 2013, 05:14:14 pm
I'm still curious...

But not that curious, from the sound of it. ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andrewc on 04 June, 2013, 06:03:53 pm
Harvest of Time (http://scifibulletin.com/doctor-who/reviews/review-doctor-who-books-harvest-of-time/)

Pertwee era Dr Who adventure, penned by Alistair Reynolds .  Sounds promising.

http://approachingpavonis.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/harvest-of-time-whats-it-all-about-then.html (http://approachingpavonis.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/harvest-of-time-whats-it-all-about-then.html)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 02 August, 2013, 07:42:57 pm
In a just about related note, I was watching a trailer for Europa Report, and recognised the voice of Anamaria Marinca, who played Darla von Karlsen in Asylum of the Daleks.  She plays Rosa Dasque, one of the six astronauts on the spacecraft in this film.

Of course, when we'll be allowed to watch Europa Report in the UK, is anyone's guess.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 02 August, 2013, 07:45:12 pm
We will know who is Who on Sunday http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23537948
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 02 August, 2013, 07:57:03 pm
Is Tom Baker coming back?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 02 August, 2013, 10:30:45 pm
I hope it isn't Brian Blessed.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ran doner on 02 August, 2013, 10:42:30 pm
I can take Capaldi, I can take Kinnear and I can take Clara or Hurt. But I will not, ever, ever, ever accept BRIAN BLESSED. YOU HEAR ME ?

(If I knew how to do different fonts etc... on the phone I would have ;))
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 04 August, 2013, 04:56:46 pm
Allegedly one of the official photographers has tweeted:



Quote
"Just photographed the next Dr Who for tonight's announcement. Let me know what you think of the photo? He's going to be an ace Dr."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 04 August, 2013, 07:21:26 pm
I want the "Keep calm and regenerate" TShirt
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: PaulF on 04 August, 2013, 07:25:47 pm
I want the "Keep calm and regenerate" TShirt

Here you go http://forbiddenplanet.com/91272-doctor-who-t-shirts-keep-calm-dont-regenerate/
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Dibdib on 04 August, 2013, 07:31:59 pm
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 04 August, 2013, 07:34:26 pm
(click to show/hide)

 :thumbsup:

At last, a Dr Who, who doesn't look like he should still be in school!   :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 04 August, 2013, 07:36:41 pm
(click to show/hide)

Oh, if only.... ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Biff on 04 August, 2013, 07:38:28 pm
I've never liked DW but if he uses the same 'verbal dexterity' as he did in 'that political show' I might just start watching.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 04 August, 2013, 07:39:21 pm
I don't like the new choice. Wasn't he in
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 04 August, 2013, 07:45:55 pm
Good choice of new the new Dr, IMO.  He was in the Fires of Pompeii episode when DT was the Dr.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 04 August, 2013, 07:49:06 pm
I am trying to make up my mind.


He seems to have several serious roles as well.

It will all be down to deciding how these character traits combine in the new persona

However a serious Doctor will alienate (no pun intended) many of the younger audience who are used to the lighter scripts


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Pingu on 04 August, 2013, 07:52:21 pm
Uncle Rory  ???
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 04 August, 2013, 08:02:22 pm
I reckon,
(click to show/hide)
will be more like DT - gravitas/intensity but able to do fun and quirky too.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 04 August, 2013, 08:05:25 pm
You lot do realise the actor playing the Doctor doesn't write the scripts, yeah?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 04 August, 2013, 08:07:06 pm
You lot do realise the actor playing the Doctor doesn't write the scripts, yeah?

and..?   ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 04 August, 2013, 08:41:32 pm
Just tried to watch the programme.  I didn't last even five minutes before I wanted to slit my wrists.  So I came here to se who it will be.

TBH, I'd prefer the old fashioned way of finding out when the doctor regenrated, but I guess these days it's hard to keep something like that a secret.  Oh, for simpler times.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 04 August, 2013, 08:42:39 pm
Thank fucking sweaty horse cocks it wasn't twatting Russell Tovey.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: her_welshness on 04 August, 2013, 08:49:52 pm
There was lots of cheering on my facebook feed.  Matt Smith is a good actor but he just doesn't light it up as much as this actor does!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 04 August, 2013, 08:51:52 pm
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 04 August, 2013, 09:08:36 pm
Let's just hope he's allowed to keep his accent!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 04 August, 2013, 09:52:58 pm
Uncle Rory  ???

On the cludgie!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 04 August, 2013, 10:39:50 pm
You lot do realise the actor playing the Doctor doesn't write the scripts, yeah?

However they do have a say...... Stephen Moffat has made it quite clear on a number of occasions that the actors have improvised and it has been included, or script suggestions have been followed.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Riggers on 05 August, 2013, 08:44:21 am
I would watch Dr. Who if he was playing the Malcolm Tucker character. What a hoot that would be.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 05 August, 2013, 10:05:10 am
Uncle Rory  ???

That was the first role I properly remember him in. Brilliant. I looked it up on imdb to remind myself when it was on - 1996! That makes me feel old.

While I was on imdb, I also noticed the billing of his character in World War Z...

(http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k170/smutchin/ScreenShot2013-08-05at100141_zps1a4842d2.png) (http://s88.photobucket.com/user/smutchin/media/ScreenShot2013-08-05at100141_zps1a4842d2.png.html)

I thought I was being really clever to spot that, but of coures it was already all over Twitter by the time I noticed it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 14 August, 2013, 08:12:17 pm
If you are a wee bit bored here is a great little Easter Egg on Google map (https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=51.492159,-0.19092&spn=0.005291,0.013937&sll=51.492140,-0.193028&layer=c&cid=12502927659667388442&panoid=c9UMhWP_MWm9U0L48xEjYw&cbp=13,291.8,,0,18.86&gl=US&t=m&cbll=51.492132,-0.192862&z=17) just double click the double arrows in front of the phone box.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 14 August, 2013, 11:43:37 pm
Superb!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 05 September, 2013, 09:49:10 am
Is it only me who gets goose bumps and teary eyed while watching the BBC Doctor Who Proms, wasn't this years one good?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 19 November, 2013, 08:23:52 pm
BBC three is loaded with extra bits of Who stuff point your iPlayer/browser over here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01l1z04/profiles/dw50

Can't wait until Saturday !
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: pcolbeck on 22 November, 2013, 10:34:34 am
Google has gone all Dr Who today !
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: clarion on 22 November, 2013, 10:43:29 am
That looks involved.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 22 November, 2013, 11:20:37 am
They showed the first 4 episodes last night. Since I hadn't seen them for 50 years I wasn't surprised that I couldn't remember them. The thing that really dated them was the portrayal of the female characters. Much screaming, crying and falling over when running. Carole Ann Ford (Doctor's granddaughter) was particularly painful to my poor old ears.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 23 November, 2013, 09:09:50 am
Worryingly, I'm already in Who overload.

I've avoided the many shows on BBC3 and on the radio, but we watched the 'origins' docco on BBC2 last night. Quite interesting; nice stuff about D.N.A., hilarious footage of actors dressed as giant rats etc etc ...

Turned on 7Extra just now ... YET ANOTHER "how Dr Who started" type program (3 hours). I retuned instantly  :sick:

Not sure I can face tonight's show, may have to save it for later in the week ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 23 November, 2013, 11:18:03 am
The Beeb do seem to be rather over milking the subject, as a convenient excuse for lots of cheap documentaries made up of reams of old footage, and just repeating old episodes (but recent old ones, not the more unusual really old ones).

Still, I haven't watched a lot of that, so don't feel that I've been overloaded.  Just over eight hours to go ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 23 November, 2013, 11:25:22 am
We watched Mark Gatiss' An Adventure in Space and Time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Adventure_in_Space_and_Time) last night, which tells the story of how Doctor Who came about. It was excellent and rather moving (one moment in particular made me 'leak from the eyes' a little, towards the end).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 23 November, 2013, 11:40:59 am
Went to the Doctor Who exhibition in the ExCeL arena yesterday.

Looking forward to this evening's anniversary show...

Quiz time - guess the monster:
 :'( O:-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: graculus on 23 November, 2013, 01:39:35 pm
Weeping Angel.

So who what are these:

ABDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVXYZ  :demon:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 23 November, 2013, 02:12:04 pm
We watched Mark Gatiss' An Adventure in Space and Time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Adventure_in_Space_and_Time) last night, which tells the story of how Doctor Who came about. It was excellent and rather moving (one moment in particular made me 'leak from the eyes' a little, towards the end).

+1

Worth watching even if you're not a Who fan, I reckon.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 23 November, 2013, 02:16:06 pm
K-9, as Tilley is known for the day, and I are ready in front of the fire and telly, just need to find that favourite pillow to hide behind.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rogerzilla on 23 November, 2013, 04:03:15 pm
From Sickipedia:

It's the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who today, in that time the Dr has made friends, fought in fights and even experienced a bit of romance.

Which is more than the viewers can say they have done.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 23 November, 2013, 07:36:24 pm
Have people watched the mini episode 'prequel' to tonights Day of the Doctor...

The Night of the Doctor: A Mini Episode  (~7mins)
see-----www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U3jrS-uhuo
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 23 November, 2013, 09:16:07 pm
Some of the "new" Dr Who has been a bit and hit and miss (Pertwee/Baker was my era) but that was a blast.

Did David Icke have a hand with the script, with the Queen being a shape-shifting alien reptile? And when she  said she was the Queen of England the (Scottish) Dr said "I'm not English" I wondered how Steven Moffat will vote next year...  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 23 November, 2013, 09:23:16 pm
That was totally fucking the best episode ever shamazeballs w00t.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: geraldc on 23 November, 2013, 09:25:11 pm
May have spent too much time watching TV, as I'm now wondering why he didn't stop Lee Harvey Oswald for the 50th anniversary as well as saving Gallifrey.

Hate Bruce Forsythe even more for his spoiler in strictly, he said all the Doctors would be in it, so the surprise was gone.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 23 November, 2013, 09:30:13 pm
That was rather good, wasn't it.  John Hurt did a remarkably good job, as a somewhat curmudgeonly Doctor.  I liked the comment "Nice scarf", and of course Tom Baker's sort of cameo. :thumbsup:

There are too many things which I've probably forgotten about.  I need to watch it again. :)

I wonder what odds and sods we haven't immediately noticed, and which may come back and bite us in later episodes.  It didn't really encroach upon the whole current storyline with Clara and the Doctor's timeline, which I guess was sensible for this special, but Clara still worked pretty well in this episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 23 November, 2013, 09:32:50 pm
Quote
So who what are these:

ABDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVXYZ  :demon:

Sea Devils.

This evening's episode was a bit of fan service.

I squee'd at three bits. 

(click to show/hide)

I hope they take the opportunity with the next regeneration to have storylines over more than 1 or 2 hours.  I could have imagined the story of G.F.N.M. (which is a big deal) was the type of story that could have been split over a few episodes.  Too much was squeezed into the hour and a bit (although it was enjoyable).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 23 November, 2013, 09:34:26 pm
Clara always works..  Interesting episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 23 November, 2013, 09:36:05 pm
A great episode.   :thumbsup: 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 23 November, 2013, 09:42:06 pm
"The ravens are looking a bit sluggish - tell Malcolm they need new batteries"

Brilliant!



Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 23 November, 2013, 09:51:45 pm
Quick work on some reviews...  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/10469945/Doctor-Who-The-Day-of-the-Doctor-BBC-One-review.html
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 23 November, 2013, 09:56:17 pm
"The ravens are looking a bit sluggish - tell Malcolm they need new batteries"

Brilliant!

Oh yes, that was very good. ;D

I wonder if that's the same Malcolm as we saw in Planet of the Dead?  I'd quite like to see him come back.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 23 November, 2013, 10:13:40 pm
Almost as good as :

They're Screwdrivers - what are you going to do?

Assemble a cabinet at them?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Regulator on 23 November, 2013, 10:30:34 pm
I thought it was a bit meh!  I think it's probably time to retire the franchise...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: geraldc on 23 November, 2013, 10:37:37 pm
So did Hurt regenerate into Hartnell?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 23 November, 2013, 10:53:19 pm
No. See the mini-episode for the sequence:

McGann -> Hurt -> Eccleston

Hurt's Doctor was galactic galavanting while bad Mr Grade was keeping him off air.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 23 November, 2013, 11:00:53 pm
Too easy?

They could have shown Eccleston at the end of Hurt's regeneration, but chose not to do so .... WHY?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 23 November, 2013, 11:07:04 pm
Well, they did - look at the eyes. But according to the Radio Times, Eccleston left because he didn't like the way the production was managed, and although he had talks about coming back for this episode, he decided not to.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: drgannet on 23 November, 2013, 11:13:43 pm
I just wish they had come up with a story line that hung together with previous episodes/series. John Hurt was excellent though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 23 November, 2013, 11:45:34 pm
It was absolutely bloody brilliant. I got a bit choked up at times! Fantastic. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 24 November, 2013, 12:15:17 am
Well, they did - look at the eyes.
And also "I hope the ears are a bit less conspicuous this time."  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 24 November, 2013, 12:32:55 pm
Peter Davison's "The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot" is worth watching, it's very funny. ;D

(http://jakal.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~timo/xanthus/Random/FiveishDoctorsReboot.jpg)
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot (on BBC iPlayer) (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03lv3mj/The_Five(ish)_Doctors_Reboot/)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: geraldc on 24 November, 2013, 11:41:44 pm
That five-ish doctors thing is awesome. Like Extras but with Dr Who
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 25 November, 2013, 08:18:46 am
Sorry to be a dissenting voice but I thought it was terrible. Really, really bad.

Apart from John Hurt, who was excellent.

The story was disjointed, incoherent and rambling, and far too earnest with the heavy-handed moralising. It's a bit tiresome that they've spent several years building up this Time War myth only to overturn it on a whim. The producers need to learn the art of subtlety and self-restraint.

I did enjoy the use of the original opening title sequence though, and the "reverse the polarity" line.

Fortunately, I've managed to avoid most of the associated blarney but I do have An Adventure... saved to watch at some point.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: pcolbeck on 25 November, 2013, 08:49:37 am
I quite liked it. Thought Queen Elizabeth 1st was far to Queeny from Blackadder though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 25 November, 2013, 10:07:32 am

The story was disjointed, incoherent and rambling, and far too earnest with the heavy-handed moralising.

There's sermon fodder in just about anything, as Giles Fraser demonstrated in the Saturday Guardian.

Quote
The Bible is extremely weird in places: monsters with horns on their horns, men wrestling with angels, devils entering pigs, floods covering the whole Earth, people rising from the dead. For some, this weirdness is its very weakness. Such stuff obviously couldn't have really happened. It's just fiction, they scoff angrily, dismissing the whole thing as rubbish. But I often find the weird bits the best. Why can't the imagination be used to tell the truth – maybe not empirical truth, but something else. A truth about the human condition perhaps.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2013/nov/22/doctor-who-modern-scepticism-christianity-doesnt

If the Mosaic faiths are religions of the book, then perhaps Doctor Who is the religion of the video game.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 25 November, 2013, 10:23:44 am
There's always been an element of that to Doctor Who, but it's been done much better in the past. I found it laboured and tedious.

A super-weapon with a conscience is a really interesting idea, and about as close to proper sci-fi as Doctor Who has ever been in my recollection. It could have been the basis of a really good sci-fi story, but not this one.

Having two sides negotiating a peace treaty while not knowing which side they were on is also a potentially interesting theme, but again, I thought it was badly handled and spoiled by being too melodramatic.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 25 November, 2013, 10:29:44 am

The story was disjointed, incoherent and rambling

Agreed.
The fans seem happy though.

I never usually watch it but thought I'd join in with this one.
I never felt the sense of threat that would warrant the annihilation of London and the QE1 scenes were terribly am-dram and poorly thought out.

The whole thing felt like I fell asleep a few times and woke up having missed something important.

I definitely missed the part, during the last 40 years or so, when the Sonic Screwdriver changed from being a lock-pick (it wasn't that much better than a normal screwdriver) into a do-anything-you-can-possibly-imagine tool.

I may watch a Capaldi episode, just to see how they cast him but it's a Kids' TV show (admittedly with high production values) and I'm not a kid any more.  Pertwee and, briefly, Baker were my Doctors.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 25 November, 2013, 10:31:50 am
I'm with citoyen on this one. I really wanted to like this episode, but there were just too many wasted opportunities. The galaxy heater with a conscience was very Iain M. Banks, but it just lapsed into A Christmas Carol and never really went anywhere. And they could have done so much more with Rose Tyler. In the end it just felt like an excuse to shoehorn Billie Piper into the programme.

They tried really hard to make Tom Baker's appearance a poignant footnote, but again it just felt like a clumsy nostalgia insertion. And as for the cardboard cutouts of all the doctors at the end...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 25 November, 2013, 02:38:27 pm

The story was disjointed, incoherent and rambling

Agreed.
The fans seem happy though.

+1


Quote
I definitely missed the part, during the last 40 years or so, when the Sonic Screwdriver changed from being a lock-pick (it wasn't that much better than a normal screwdriver) into a do-anything-you-can-possibly-imagine tool.

Except solve NP-complete problems in O(1) time, which seems like the sort of thing a timelord would know how to do, given two instances of the same Turing-complete screwdriver.   :facepalm:


Quote
it's a Kids' TV show (admittedly with high production values) and I'm not a kid any more.

Exactly.  Like many Kids' TV shows, it's being made by geeks my age, putting in wanky references and in-jokes for other geeks my age to appreciate.  But it's still fundamentally a kids' show.  Long may it continue.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 25 November, 2013, 02:44:40 pm
Quote
it's a Kids' TV show (admittedly with high production values) and I'm not a kid any more.

Exactly.  Like many Kids' TV shows, it's being made by geeks my age, putting in wanky references and in-jokes for other geeks my age to appreciate.  But it's still fundamentally a kids' show.  Long may it continue.

It seems to be caught between two camps these days. If it really is a kids' show, it should be on at teatime, not at just short of 8pm with an "after party" on BBC3.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 25 November, 2013, 04:20:26 pm
Star Wars is a children's film.  And Harry Potter is a children's book.

Lots of adults enjoy those.

The difficulty I have with Russell T Davis and Stephen Moffat is that they are writing for an audience they believe lack any attention span and simply want to be entertained rather than challenged.  It's in tune with the times in that regard.  British TV is a poor environment to develop big ideas over an extended period.  All the more so when the aim is to maximise audience share and worlwide reach.

The coming Who will be interesting.  I can't see teenage girls swooning over such a character.  And the dynamic with the companion will change (less romantic undertones in these days of Yew Tree).  And he is less likely to flap around the set like a loon. Although the reset means that the darker Who I was hoping for is less likely, as he won't be driven by remorse.

Anyhoo, it is only a TV show....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 25 November, 2013, 04:36:08 pm
Star Wars is a children's film.  And Harry Potter is a children's book.

Lots of adults enjoy those.

<bites tongue>

I like Doctor Who. I think it's mostly great children's TV but I thought that particular episode was poor. There's nothing wrong with liking children's TV qua children's TV. I still think it should be on at teatime, not at what will actually be bedtime for a large part of its supposed target audience.

There's a kid's TV series called Yonderland currently showing at 6.30 on Sunday evenings on Sky1. Superb entertainment for kids of all ages, and on telly at an appropriate time. Listen and learn, Moffat.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 28 November, 2013, 03:20:38 pm
Inspired by recent Doctor Who themed shenanigans, I've started to revisit parts of my childhood that have long been forgotten, if they were even memories in the first place.  I've started to watch pre-2005 episodes of the series (I used to watch occasionally when I was younger, in the early 80s, but wouldn't pretend to be particularly interested in it.  Yes, we used to pretend we were daleks, but didn't everyone at some point?)

First out of the box was "City of Death", which is the one where Number 4 (Tom, luvvy) and his companion, Romana (Tom's lover), run around Paris (adds nothing to the script, but allows them to show that they were actually there and not simply relying on stock footage) seeking to thwart a dastardly count ("o" importnant - this is a kid's show, apparently) plotting to pilfer the Mona Lisa as part of a more profound plan that is sprinkled throughout time (carefully avoiding spoilers???)  It has aged remarkably well, with a solid script (written by Douglas Adams), a satisfying sci-fi twist, and good pacing.

Next up: "The Talons of Weng Chiang".  Looks like Doctor Who as Holmes. 

Jelly baby?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 28 November, 2013, 05:18:50 pm
First out of the box was "City of Death", which is the one where Number 4 (Tom, luvvy) and his companion, Romana (Tom's lover), run around Paris (adds nothing to the script, but allows them to show that they were actually there and not simply relying on stock footage) seeking to thwart a dastardly count ("o" importnant - this is a kid's show, apparently) plotting to pilfer the Mona Lisa as part of a more profound plan that is sprinkled throughout time (carefully avoiding spoilers???)  It has aged remarkably well, with a solid script (written by Douglas Adams), a satisfying sci-fi twist, and good pacing.

I definitely remember that one - it gave me nightmares. (It is the one with the bloke with the slimy green seaweed head, isn't it?)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 28 November, 2013, 05:55:10 pm
It is indeed.  Scaroth, last of the Jagaroth.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 28 November, 2013, 10:15:27 pm
I really liked it, though yes it wasn't the perfect episode but then it's Dr Who init.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 01 December, 2013, 09:02:30 pm
Hmm I don't know if I should mention this or not but since Sunday I have watched every episode of Dr Who since the reboot including some of the 50th specials docs.

Should I be concerned? That's over 100 hours :S
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 01 December, 2013, 09:04:01 pm
No not at all :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 17 December, 2013, 04:12:32 pm
Spoilered just in case anyone doesn't know what is lined up for the Xmas episode and is trying to avoid details.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 21 December, 2013, 05:43:35 pm
It's all about this:

http://youtu.be/q3bGYljQ5Uw
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 21 December, 2013, 05:46:01 pm
And remember chaps it is Wednesday not Saturday, don't want you to miss out.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: SteveC on 25 December, 2013, 08:36:52 pm
Not a classic...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MattH on 25 December, 2013, 08:51:46 pm
Agreed - especially as it's a Christmas special.
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 25 December, 2013, 09:39:59 pm
What a load of shite.

All the important stuff covered in the first 90 seconds, and the rest didn't add anything.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 25 December, 2013, 10:11:36 pm
A piece of Stephen Moffat self indulgent stuff[1] that seemed to have no plot, no tension, and really left me wondering whether he had completely run out of ideas. I can't admit to giving it a decent appraisal as it was so boring I fell asleep.


[1] for want of a better word
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 25 December, 2013, 10:14:44 pm
It didn't so much tie up the loose ends as tug them into an irreversible tangle.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 25 December, 2013, 10:28:35 pm
Yup that was not impressive, prolly the worst I have seen in a long time, bit of a damp squib.  I was hoping for more with the new Doc.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 25 December, 2013, 10:59:33 pm
mini ao,  'that was terrible'.  No so good, but at least the Matt Smith era has drawn to a close.  Just hope for some good single/two part story episode writing for the new Dr.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 25 December, 2013, 11:25:09 pm
Not what I was expecting. 

It started off promising enough, but soon after he arrived on the planet, the story shed the momentum it had built up over the series.  The second half felt increasingly awkward and confused.  It lacked a palpable sense of tension and menace.  This was meant to be him facing his fall, and the  mixed blessing of a regeneration into the Jocktor.  But it lacked the epic conclusion the story arc had suggested was in prospect (especially in the Name of the Doctor).  A fumble by the show runner, after a couple of strong episodes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: spindrift on 26 December, 2013, 12:38:12 am
That was shit.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 26 December, 2013, 01:44:47 pm
Disappointing.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 26 December, 2013, 02:37:03 pm
Very disappointed at the end of the episode.
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 26 December, 2013, 04:40:42 pm
You're all a bunch of miserable bastards, I thought it was great.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 December, 2013, 04:49:06 pm
A pile of pointless wibble. Only barely worth watching for the usual 2 decent minutes (i.e. Matt Smith's wonderous quips, and Clara's wonderous skirts).

Instead of trying to have the most epic episode ever - with every major baddie (even if they only got 50 seconds e.g. Weeping Angels), a parallel universe, knowing references to umpteen earlier episodes, pointless massive battles between creatures unable to shoot straight, yet-another uber-religion, and a not-very-interesting old flame - I'd have preferred an old-fashioned whimsical CHRISTMASSY special. With an actual non-epic story. That made some sense.

With perhaps 5-10 minutes of regeneration sad farewell stuff, just to tick the boxes.

Bah! And Humbug.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 26 December, 2013, 07:04:30 pm
I will say, Matt Smith was on good form, even if the plot wasn't.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 26 December, 2013, 07:53:57 pm
I'm sad to see the young'un go he did good. I have truly enjoyed our time with him. But the fare thee well was rather meh. I would have liked a wee bit more with the new fella.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 26 December, 2013, 09:18:41 pm

You're all a bunch of miserable bastards, I thought it was great.

Actually, I'm a very jolly bastard. But Doctor Who was shite.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Bledlow on 26 December, 2013, 09:37:49 pm
A pile of pointless wibble. Only barely worth watching for the usual 2 decent minutes (i.e. Matt Smith's wonderous quips, and Clara's wonderous skirts)....

Bah! And Humbug.
+1. And  :thumbsup: for the skirts.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 26 December, 2013, 09:41:18 pm
I really tried to like it but found myself utterly bored. I almost fell asleep, which is most unusual for me during Doctor Who. Moffat seems to be particularly bad at writing compelling female characters at the moment. Tasha, who holds important meetings on her bed, was like an unimaginative River Song without the catchphrases and Clara... well. She's so incredibly dull. Moffat must spend most of his time writing stage directions for her skirts instead of proper dialogue for her mouth. 

I'm surprised that it got so many positive reviews in The Newspapers.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 27 December, 2013, 11:14:46 am
It had some good bits, but overall it was pretty poor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 27 December, 2013, 11:37:59 am
(https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/7973620992/h8A4D51BD/)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 27 December, 2013, 12:25:23 pm
So next TARDIS touchdown in Autumn 2014.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 27 December, 2013, 12:28:26 pm
They have build that - wait - up big time, I was hoping Easter for the next.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 27 December, 2013, 02:58:28 pm
So next TARDIS touchdown in Autumn 2014.

  :o   By that time they could be doing the new Doctor's second season.   ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 27 December, 2013, 05:43:25 pm
Tosh - plot holes and inconsistencies galore.

Hopefully a new Doctor will mean a new writing team.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 27 December, 2013, 09:05:24 pm
Not sure I liked the sneaking in of the "reboot" gift from Gallifrey where they gave another 12 regenerations, thus allowing for 50 years.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 27 December, 2013, 09:47:34 pm
Not sure I liked the sneaking in of the "reboot" gift from Gallifrey where they gave another 12 regenerations, thus allowing for 50 years.

We all knew that was going to happen.  They've not let plot get in the way of the show yet.

Would have been good if they'd used it as an excuse to change the Doctor's race or gender, though.  (Yes, I'm still thinking of Sandi Toksvig)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 28 December, 2013, 01:16:58 pm
The episode seemed to lack a decent story, just appearing to be more like a series of loosely connected sketches.

It did have many nice little bits, but lacked continuity.  I did like the wooden Cyberman, and I'm sure there are other novel bits, I need to watch it again, although that may just highlight the inconsistencies and plot holes.

It was always going to have to be a bit contrived, to solve things like running out of regenerations, but it does seemed to have made rather more of a mess than you'd think was strictly necessary.

If we have to wait until Autumn, that's rather poor.  We've been waiting for quite a while recently anyway, just getting the 50th anniversary and this Christmas special.  I'm afraid this Christmas special has really let done the recent history of many good seasonal specials. :(

Ah well, where are the CD and Blurays. :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 09 May, 2014, 10:09:10 am
I just noticed, Amazon have the pre-order page up for the next season, so naturally, the reviews are already in:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B00I3JRCCO/ref=cm_cr_dp_hist_five?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addFiveStar&showViewpoints=0
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimC on 09 May, 2014, 01:23:20 pm
Bloody hell. Seems I've contributed a review. I wonder when I will do that?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 11 May, 2014, 07:19:41 pm
Great stuff! Amazon is becoming my favourite satire sight!

"The guest appearances were great. I particularly liked hugh Jackman in the penultimate episode Bad Wolf."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 24 May, 2014, 12:25:11 pm
He is back in August this year, so much for time travel :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 21 August, 2014, 09:49:30 pm
Get the pillows at the ready, move the sofa out so there is room to hide behind it. Cause he is back this Saturday at 7.50pm, oooh can't wait.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 22 August, 2014, 10:27:35 am
OK everybody, before you all get worked up on Saturday evening, about plot holes and Scientifically implausible events....

(click to show/hide)

Well somebody needed to break the news.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Riggers on 22 August, 2014, 10:41:20 am
Are you lot watching with your children or something!? Isn't it a kiddies' programme!!?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 22 August, 2014, 11:12:25 am

(click to show/hide)

:-)

So what I might be 44, going on 8 and a half, but I enjoy it, find it well fun and it is probably the best telly on the box.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Riggers on 22 August, 2014, 01:28:04 pm
Where's a slow shaking head emoticon when you want one!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rafletcher on 22 August, 2014, 01:29:43 pm
Where's a slow shaking head emoticon when you want one!

And the same goes for bloody Harry Potter and Buffy.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 22 August, 2014, 01:32:34 pm
OK but at least I'm honest about my guilty pleasure :-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Sergeant Pluck on 22 August, 2014, 10:23:15 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-28892903

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 22 August, 2014, 10:27:52 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-28892903


Peli just agreed to have this installed at ours :-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 23 August, 2014, 09:47:12 pm
Yes, not bad in the end.  Peter Capaldi is good.  The 'distracting' Mde.Vastra/Jenny & Strax should disappear down into the void between parallel universes, IMO (and the mini-aos).  Half face man sounded like Arby from Utopia.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 23 August, 2014, 09:51:15 pm
There were some good bits but I liked Peter Capaldi as the Doctor much more than I liked the episode as a whole.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TheLurker on 23 August, 2014, 10:12:43 pm
Oh dear. What _have_ they done to the theme tune?  Where's the ethereality?  Where's the otherness?  Where's the _menace_?  Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. It really won't do at all.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 23 August, 2014, 11:02:42 pm
Peter did a good job, not sure if I have warmed to him yet, expections were a bit high. The story and the episode was a bit meh, not sure about the efx they put on. Graphically the intro was great, but as TheLurker said where is the menace etc.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 23 August, 2014, 11:03:12 pm
That was underwhelming. And I really struggled to hear a lot of the dialogue against the music, as ever. I didn't care for the general ageist jokes, either.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Peter on 23 August, 2014, 11:20:19 pm
I haven't watched Doctor Who for ages but was trapped into it.  There were some funny lines, Peter Capaldi is good (he always is) but we all ended up with headaches.  The production was just trying too hard.  It also struck me as a bit creepy that all the male characters were either late middle aged or older, bonkers or both and all the females were nubile.  This strike anyone else or have I got a problem?  I may be misremembering....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 24 August, 2014, 07:50:19 am
That was underwhelming. And I really struggled to hear a lot of the dialogue against the music, as ever. I didn't care for the general ageist jokes, either.
I think we lost the battle against the constant music long ago :-(

what I noticed more this week was the frequent wavering of both female stars' accents!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 24 August, 2014, 08:25:11 am
I thought it was rather good! Madame Vastra!   :thumbsup:  :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

So, what were the cyborgs?  Cybermen reduced to scavanging human parts / bodged with Victorian era mechanics?  ???

Who is Missy?   ???

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: peliroja on 24 August, 2014, 08:29:38 am
Those icky cyborgs featured in an earlier episode. Was it The Girl in the Fireplace?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 24 August, 2014, 08:30:22 am
What, I wonder, was the 'I store oxygen in my lungs' moment/directorial insert, between Vastra & Jenny about...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 24 August, 2014, 09:38:04 am
Those icky cyborgs featured in an earlier episode. Was it The Girl in the Fireplace?
I thought they were from that, plus the Doctor was talking about a ship called the Madame Pompadour. I think timey-wimey is all wibbly-wobbly again.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimC on 24 August, 2014, 12:14:54 pm
I liked Peter Capaldi as the Doctor very much, but the plot was self-consciously confusing; like Moffat was laughing at his audience for caring. Vastra seemed to be merely a vehicle for mild titillation - but, ok, I liked her! I've always liked Strax as a bit of knockabout fun. Yes, it's silly but who said this was a serious drama? So 5/10. Daleks? Bring 'em on. I love them!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 24 August, 2014, 12:19:07 pm
Well I felt I had to watch it, just to give it a chance.

On the whole my favourite bit was the Lizard/Lesbian theme. 

I never knew Dr Who had moved on to this sort of stuff.  Now I can see why adults watch it.

I can't wait for next week. 

Dalek - "Please Doctor...show me this Earth thing...kissing"

Breaking News!!!

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/b7xUx86dChHV3lphFDX4xKE-8WurpXXaC6iAr5mmPvU=w640-h360-no)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 August, 2014, 05:04:57 pm
Dr Who?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 28 August, 2014, 04:18:56 am
I liked it. Hated the intro.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 28 August, 2014, 11:53:04 am
Dr Who?

Yes.  He amputated Oscar Pistorius's legs apparently.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 29 August, 2014, 11:20:08 pm
"Don't breathe!"

"Don't blink!"


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 30 August, 2014, 08:18:40 pm
I remember a Tom Baker story where the Doctor and Leela were miniaturised and sent into someone's body, possibly the Doctor's own body, to find a medical problem. My clearest memory of it was them being attacked by giant balls of polystyrene, which were meant to be white blood cells.

I still like Peter Capaldi more than I like the storylines.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimC on 31 August, 2014, 12:42:49 am
Frankly, that was carp.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 31 August, 2014, 06:00:59 pm
While mildly entertaining, I wouldn't say it was a Fantastic Voyage
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 31 August, 2014, 08:52:36 pm
I thought ep1 was mostly great, and I like Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, but ep2 was pretty dull on the whole. Some good lines though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 06 September, 2014, 08:58:47 pm
Most excellent episode tonight!   :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 06 September, 2014, 11:45:00 pm
I thought ep1 was mostly great, and I like Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, but ep2 was pretty dull on the whole. Some good lines though.
It had Vod in, which was confusing.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 07 September, 2014, 10:31:05 am
Hoodie :-)

Ohh and a spooky one next week, runs to find more pillows.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 September, 2014, 10:56:12 am
I found this weekend's episode to be a bit "meh".  It was OK, but the whole robots in a spacecraft, who whilst advanced enough to walk around fighting and so forth, couldn't work out that their whole scheme was going to end badly.  That was a pretty bad storyline issue.  In general they didn't really explain much, and what was explained was excessively implausible.  The Robin Hood bit was however quite amusing, if a little strained at time.

I like Capaldi as the Doctor, we've gone away from the sexy Doctor, and a stream of "will they, or won't they?" concerning him and his female companions, towards some more interesting questions about who the Doctor is, and how he thinks.  So far it's not been brilliant, but there is always a bit of a slow start with a new Doctor, and not every episode can be outstanding.  I'm happy enough with the series so far.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 07 September, 2014, 11:30:57 am
I think all the episodes so far have been gash. Peter Capaldi is great, but they're giving him crap material.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimC on 07 September, 2014, 12:04:30 pm
I only saw the second half last night, but I found it just a little bit too demanding of my powers of suspending disbelief! It's surely difficult to devise a science-fiction comedy drama plot that doesn't have huge holes in it, but I'm sure they can do better than that one! I love the pseudo-historical episodes, but please, please give a half-way credible enemy.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 07 September, 2014, 12:52:30 pm
It was mildly amusing at times, but mainly dreck.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 07 September, 2014, 05:43:02 pm
I think all the episodes so far have been gash. Peter Capaldi is great, but they're giving him crap material.

Yup, it's all going a bit Sylvester McCoy....expecting to see the Bertie Bassett monster back soon.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 September, 2014, 09:34:34 pm
... It's surely difficult to devise a science-fiction comedy drama plot that doesn't have huge holes in it, but I'm sure they can do better than that one! ...

That was the big issue with the episode.  Admittedly, in the short time available it can be difficult to flesh out the entire story, but the baddies in this one were vague and excessively stupid to the point of ridiculousness.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 08 September, 2014, 07:43:51 pm
It was all about Robin Hood!!! The robots were totally 2ry.

Can't we just have some whimsical pseudohistoric tomfoolery -with a grumpy Doc and a swooning Clara - without people banging on about
CONVINCING time-travel and aliens based story-lines :facepalm:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 08 September, 2014, 07:56:37 pm
I don't care about convincing. I just want the stories not to be shit.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bumper on 08 September, 2014, 08:04:11 pm
After the last  idiot doctor, I was hoping things would improve. I like Capaldi so was expecting a better series.

I watched him in the first episode acting like the previous cock doctor, after less than a minute I turned it off. I won't be watching it again, it's shite.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Riggers on 09 September, 2014, 11:00:14 am
 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 09 September, 2014, 11:19:32 am
more interesting questions about who the Doctor is, and how he thinks.

I find all the existential angst stuff rather dull, tbh, although admittedly not as dull as the will-they-won't-they nonsense. I'd rather they just concentrated on the stories - that's when Doctor Who is at its best. And make the stories more standalone rather than have them be part of some end-of-the-universe gubbins. I've found lots to enjoy in the current series so far, and I think Capaldi is a great Doctor, but I find myself not giving a toss who "Missy" might be (just as long as she doesn't turn out to be River Song).

I don't care about convincing. I just want the stories not to be shit.

This.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 14 September, 2014, 01:44:16 pm
I'm spending my Sunday afternoon watching Earthshock on Watch. Nice to be reminded of when Doctor Who was good. Rudimentary costumes and effects but a proper story.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Valiant on 15 September, 2014, 03:48:40 am
Now that was a great episode. Plenty of suspense and even the doctor was scared. Had a good flow all the way through the thing.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 15 September, 2014, 08:58:59 am
The ending spoiled it for me. The Doctor's childhood is an uninteresting irrelevance.

I really enjoyed watching Earthshock yesterday. It didn't make me cry like it did when I was nine, but I wouldn't say I was entirely unaffected by the ending either. What it proves is that there's plenty of scope for a personality driven story without being dull - it's all about the Doctor's relationship with Adric, but set within the framework of a proper adventure plot with a strong narrative structure. Ok, so the sets and costumes are cheap, and some of the dialogue is a bit ropey, but I can see why the 9yo me found it so gripping. Plus it has Beryl Reid in it. Beryl Reid! Aces.

Also, I don't think I realised as a 9yo quite how hot Janet Fielding is (was). But perhaps that's because they didn't keep banging on about it like they do with the lovely Jenna.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 15 September, 2014, 01:07:22 pm
Now that was a great episode. Plenty of suspense and even the doctor was scared. Had a good flow all the way through the thing.

Agreed.

The plot seems to have got jibbled about in editing, judging by the discrepancy between the audio and subtitles...

(click to show/hide)


The Doctor's childhood is uninteresting, but the idea that the whole thing might just be a timey-wimey self-fulfilling figment of his imagination is a reasonable idea, even if it's not particularly original.  They didn't need to dwell on it so much.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 15 September, 2014, 06:03:59 pm
You want an "original" time-travel storyline? good luck!

I've said it before; Marty and Doc covered pretty much all the permutations.
(And StarTrek TNG did them all to death. Repeatedly!)

Anyway, we loved this one. Proper, atmospheric, standalone story, with plenty of snappy quips from both sides.
:likes:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 15 September, 2014, 06:09:25 pm
You want an "original" time-travel storyline? good luck!

They may exist, but probably not on BBC 1.

I've no problem whatsoever with Doctor Who re-hashing old SF ideas.  They often make for good stories, and the target audience probably won't have read the originals.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 15 September, 2014, 06:54:24 pm
I've no problem whatsoever with Doctor Who re-hashing old SF ideas.  They often make for good stories, and the target audience probably won't have read the originals.
Yup - if a film reuses  a Shakespeare plot the critics all swoon!

It's about the way you tell 'em. The "ankle grab" moment was exquisite.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 15 September, 2014, 08:04:27 pm
Just caught up with "Listen" on iPlayer!

 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 15 September, 2014, 09:24:09 pm
I've no problem whatsoever with Doctor Who re-hashing old SF ideas.  They often make for good stories, and the target audience probably won't have read the originals.
Yup - if a film reuses  a Shakespeare plot the critics all swoon!

It's about the way you tell 'em. The "ankle grab" moment was exquisite.

Years ago, there was one of those "Tales from the Unknown" style programmes in which a young woman rented a room. Atmospheric creepiness was superb, especially with the understairs cupboard that she kept shutting and then finding open again, and the bit where she swings her legs off the floor and onto the bed just as something underneath grabs for her ankles...

Good creepiness in the Who, but there was no resolution. The ending of the old programme I describe was utter toss, and the resolution of the DW episode was, well, it wasn't a resolution. It was a series of well-done creepies put together with no credible explanation.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 20 September, 2014, 04:43:50 pm
The reviews are luke-warm , but tonight's show looks like looking good:
(http://www.cultbox.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Doctor-Who-Time-Heist-3.jpg)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 21 September, 2014, 06:21:22 pm
I quite enjoyed last nights show, more so than the previous one.  I thought it had some nice features, and was quite good fun, with little of the slightly odd back story that we're waiting to be resolved.

I actually quite liked the characters, and the storyline, and it actually surprised me in places. :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 21 September, 2014, 06:27:41 pm
I was disappointed that it lacked the line "You're only supposed to sonic the bloody doors off!"
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 21 September, 2014, 09:00:28 pm
I quite enjoyed last nights show, more so than the previous one.  I thought it had some nice features, and was quite good fun, with little of the slightly odd back story that we're waiting to be resolved.

I actually quite liked the characters, and the storyline, and it actually surprised me in places. :)

It was a good episode indeed!

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 21 September, 2014, 09:10:36 pm
That was a good episode, that Peter fella is becoming a good DocDoc.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 23 September, 2014, 01:26:12 pm
I thought the bank episode was pretty good -  with a decently 'scary' alien species.  Peter Capaldi as the Doctor is excellent, a first class actor who can do the tense moments convincingly, as well as barbed wit, and humour.  Just hope the stories keep getting better for him.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 23 September, 2014, 05:31:55 pm
I'm clearly not on the same wavelength as YACF DrWho fans! Although Capaldi was very good, I thought this one was pretty dull overall.

It was still very watchable, but very below par.

IMHO!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 24 September, 2014, 07:16:32 pm
I'm with mattc on that one....just didn't ring my bell, but he is a good doc.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 27 September, 2014, 11:27:53 pm
That was bit meh - almost 'filler' episode.  I reckon most would rather more alien story content & less of 'Clara & Mr Pink'.  Let's see what spidey alien does next week.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 05 October, 2014, 11:40:38 pm
Hmm I think the quiet on this thread shows the true nature of the last episode.

What surprised me was that it was already the 8th episode, I was sure it was only the 5-6th.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 05 October, 2014, 11:49:51 pm
Well, if you insist... I watched it on iPlayer at 23:33 last night, pre-warned by the reactions on the twitterwebs.  Here are the pertinent IRC logs:

Quote
23:32  * kim attempts to forget everything she knows about physics
23:42 <kim> dammit
23:43 <kim> the gravity i can forgive, but quindar tones...
23:43  * kim tries to forget engineering too
23:44 <Red> ...
23:59 <kim> i think it's about time to forget biology...
23:59 <kim> ...yup.
00:27 <kim> i think doctor who may have jumped the dalek
00:32 <nat> but yes, very little of that made sense, except Clara’s reaction at the end
00:35 <kim> i did like the yo-yo, of course
00:36 <nat> yes, Dark Season was referencing the same thing of course :)
00:41 <Red> oh, forgot it was on
00:42 <Red> I've just been a bit underwhelmed with it so far
00:42 <Red> Peter Capaldi has so much potential, and they're just not using it
00:43 <nat> I thought his acting at the end was amazing
00:44 <Red> I'm just waiting for them to DO something
00:44 <kim> i thin his acting's been pretty good throughout
00:44 <kim> shame about the stories
00:45 <nat> the episode looked brilliant, I loved what they did with Courtney, the ending was really powerful and justified, but the actual main story was bewilderingly ludicrous
00:45 <Red> yes, it's the stories
00:45 <Red> they just seem so... cbbc
00:45 <kim> i'm quite liking courtney, but in a 35-year-old-who-thinks-year-tens-are-like-that kind of way

...at which point the conversation drifted to 15th century BMX bikes, Dogtanian and the catholic church.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 05 October, 2014, 11:57:03 pm
Very logical drifting there :)

Yes the best part was the Yo-Yo.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: matthew on 06 October, 2014, 12:00:58 am
watched it tonight, Dad was all conservation of mass until I said it was a children's program.

Capaldi is a good doc, the radio episodes with sheridan smith are wonderful, it is unfortunate that the plots have had such holes in them.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 08 October, 2014, 11:41:45 am
I am trying to remember the title of the old SF story they ripped off (again) for the basis of the tale, in which all of the planets are eggs, and the end of the story has
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 08 October, 2014, 01:55:48 pm
I think the story may be "And Lo The Bird" by Nelson Bond.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 11 October, 2014, 10:00:40 pm
Are you my Mummy?    That was better.   :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Ruthie on 11 October, 2014, 10:03:34 pm
Was just thinking about The Empty Child this morning.  That was top telly that was.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 11 October, 2014, 10:21:21 pm
OK everybody, before you all get worked up on Saturday evening, about plot holes and Scientifically implausible events....

(click to show/hide)

Well somebody needed to break the news.

Something that's been bothering me for a long time... Why is 8.30 now deemed a suitable time for kids' telly?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 11 October, 2014, 11:12:52 pm
It's like it deliberately failed the Bechdel test, and then hung a lampshade on it.

But still less annoying than last week's, and I liked the jelly babies.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 12 October, 2014, 01:16:09 am
It's like it deliberately failed the Bechdel test, and then hung a lampshade on it.

But still less annoying than last week's, and I liked the jelly babies.
The sweeties were indeed a lovely touch.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 12 October, 2014, 05:14:25 pm
It's like it deliberately failed the Bechdel test, and then hung a lampshade on it.

But still less annoying than last week's, and I liked the jelly babies.

Doesn't applying tests make for a rather 'analytical' viewing experience...  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 12 October, 2014, 08:48:35 pm
Are you my Mummy?    That was better.   :)

That made me laugh.

I watched yesterday's and the previous three (in the correct order) today. I stand by what I said before - Peter Capaldi is a great doctor, but the episodes are shit.
They're not holding my attention at all. I didn't even notice any jelly babies.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 12 October, 2014, 08:49:48 pm
I didn't even notice any jelly babies.

He had them in a cigarette case, for 1930s authenticity :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 12 October, 2014, 10:01:05 pm
I liked the 'faux 1920's' where they were singing a Queen song  (Don't stop me now?) as if it were a 20's ballad in a nightclub.
Otherwise it was a bit Meh. Why are chief engineers the offspring of diesel engines?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 12 October, 2014, 10:36:12 pm
Jelly babies was the highlight of the episode.

Was I the only one that was hoping that this was goodbye to the sidekick. But sadly it wasn't to be.

Frak Skinner did a good job, story line a bit better but still lacking, Peter is a good Doc Who.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 13 October, 2014, 07:41:06 am
Nobody else spotted the two spoken lines where he was channeling Tom Baker?  just my imagination then.

I'm still waiting for his stint as the doctor to get started, and still drifting away from the show.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 13 October, 2014, 02:09:57 pm
Well, reading Stephen Baxter's latest there was a very clear nod, where a central character describes a wormholey thing as bigger on the inside than...you know the rest.

They've done the Titanic in space, and now the Orient Express ditto. Seems to show a groping for some originality that isn't there.

I'm with Woolly on this: I am getting tired of the ever-shorter skirts, for one.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 13 October, 2014, 05:54:32 pm
dont stop me now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-6fEj17MK4
______________________

I'm a bit surprised by this protest agaionst Claras skirt length. She's a lot less raunchy than many action female characters in this market, and her predecessor showed a LOT more leg.
Her '20s flapper dress looked pretty much bang-on to me.

Although if you're against employing actresses for their looks,  you may have a point (though again, this applies to almost every companion, and most modern genre heroines).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 13 October, 2014, 06:06:13 pm
I'm with Woolly on this: I am getting tired of the ever-shorter skirts, for one.
I'm not getting tired of the length of the skirts, more the wooden acting - no life, no character - just reading out lines while trying to remember to blink cutely. We need someone who can play up against Peter. This series still need an episode that would make you go - now that was a doctor who episode, me likey, lets watch it again.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 13 October, 2014, 06:15:21 pm
Its all about the Doctor. Always has been.
River Song was the only real 'foil' he's had, and they came pretty close to overdoing that!
(Alex Kington is also an unusually strong actor, they'd struggle to find someone else to pull that sort of role off - within the talent budget they appear to have.)

They are sidekicks. That's what theyre for. IMHO anyway!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 18 October, 2014, 11:26:09 pm
That one wasn't too bad, I thought.   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 18 October, 2014, 11:37:45 pm
Haven't seen this week's yet, and only saw last week's episode yesterday, so forgive me but...

It's like it deliberately failed the Bechdel test

Yes, I see what you mean. That scene where Clara and Maisie were chatting about boys was weird, in fairly cringey way. And it stuck out like a sore thumb that none of the Scientists were girls.

Better story than most so far this series though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 19 October, 2014, 01:43:08 pm
That one wasn't too bad, I thought.   :thumbsup:

Only things I didn't like were the lack of motivation for the monsters, and the 'Docus e machina' finish.

Now, sidekicks and skirt length. I am a great believer in picking people (all genders) for their ability and rightness for a role, rather than how eye-candyish they are.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 19 October, 2014, 11:05:18 pm
The miniaos voted this last episode the best so far, and I can't disagree.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 20 October, 2014, 08:44:31 am
I liked it, although the 2/3/4 dimensions thing bothered me.  We live in three visible dimensions with a fourth of time, right?  The doctor is a frikkin' time lord so I reckon he ought to call our universe a four dimensional one.  Which would make the flickery zombies three dimensional beings, right?

Oh and what Steph said about skirt lengths and stuff   ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 20 October, 2014, 10:10:35 am
He's dumbing down for the humans. He'd probably say there were considerably more than four dimensions in our universe.  ;)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 20 October, 2014, 11:16:46 am
I watched it because I'm a big fan of Frank Skinner and he's been desperate to appear in Dr Who, as anything, for years.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked him as the Cheeky technician character,Perkins.  Will he become a recurrent character I wonder.

There would be a slight issue of how similar he and Capaldi look..although maybe there's some mileage in that, "Here Perkins put my clothes on and speak to the Alien Blob thing".

It's still for kids though (although what time did it go out?  I taped it but I'm sure it was pretty late for what was always a Saturday, 6pm, show).

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 20 October, 2014, 11:31:40 am
I liked it, although the 2/3/4 dimensions thing bothered me.  We live in three visible dimensions with a fourth of time, right?  The doctor is a frikkin' time lord so I reckon he ought to call our universe a four dimensional one.  Which would make the flickery zombies three dimensional beings, right?

He gets the nerd points back with this:

http://4dc5.com/2014/10/19/doctor-who-hacks-a-calculator/
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Charlotte on 20 October, 2014, 11:42:09 am
n-dimensional hypercubes in Dr Who - that makes me happy  :D

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/From_Point_to_Tesseract_%28Looped_Version%29.gif)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimC on 20 October, 2014, 12:11:54 pm
I liked it, although the 2/3/4 dimensions thing bothered me.  We live in three visible dimensions with a fourth of time, right?  The doctor is a frikkin' time lord so I reckon he ought to call our universe a four dimensional one.  Which would make the flickery zombies three dimensional beings, right?

Oh and what Steph said about skirt lengths and stuff   ::-)

Missed it. Would I be forgiven if I quite liked the short skirts (had I seen them)?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 20 October, 2014, 12:49:46 pm
Missed it. Would I be forgiven if I quite liked the short skirts (had I seen them)?

I missed the short skirts - too distracted by the cleavage on display.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimC on 20 October, 2014, 01:36:11 pm
Missed it. Would I be forgiven if I quite liked the short skirts (had I seen them)?

I missed the short skirts - too distracted by the cleavage on display.

That's not helping!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 20 October, 2014, 05:14:40 pm
I liked it, although the 2/3/4 dimensions thing bothered me.  We live in three visible dimensions with a fourth of time, right?  The doctor is a frikkin' time lord so I reckon he ought to call our universe a four dimensional one.  Which would make the flickery zombies three dimensional beings, right?

Dr Wossname explained by Mr Scaryduck, who is excellent (http://scaryduck.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/condensed-doctor-who-flatline.html).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 02 November, 2014, 12:31:10 am
Tonight's episode was the best in recent years imho. Michelle Gomez was superb as the Mistress/Master. The one-liners kept coming thick and fast, I'm going to have to watch it again to remember them all. The Cybermen reveal was crafty, even though we knew that it was coming. Even the "throw the keys in the volcano" scene was not a copout.

"You have iPads?"

"We have Steve Jobs."

Class.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 02 November, 2014, 11:09:39 am
I thought it was all a bit *yawn* tbh, saved only by some splendid acting and a couple of witty one-liners.

Maybe I'm getting bored of the traditional end of season dalek/cybermen/fate of the universe cliffhanger spectacular.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 02 November, 2014, 05:05:19 pm
I liked the Missy reveal, but what worked best for me in that episode (apart from the Steve Jobs and the "Don't burn me!") was Capaldi. There was actually continuity between his lines for the first time, and he did rather well.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 02 November, 2014, 05:54:15 pm
https://twitter.com/spleenal/status/528851447371542529 (Spoilers!) sums it up nicely.


(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 02 November, 2014, 07:53:53 pm
Watching the Dr Who "Extra"

Discussing the development of the Cyberman, and mentioned the "iconic tear in the corner of the eye"

Then look at the 3W symbol, and they could not have made it clearer if they had tried!

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 02 November, 2014, 08:26:57 pm
The last two episodes really showed that Peter is a good man for the job. Sadly we have had a bad season regarding story lines, though it did pick up over the last two episodes.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 03 November, 2014, 08:33:08 am
The reveal and the clue in the 3W logo would have been far more effective if the cocks hadn't put a spoiler in the teaser at the end of last week's episode. :facepalm:

I too am heartily bored of the end-of-series end-of-the-universe spectacular grand finale. There was some very good stuff in this episode though, not least Michelle Gomez.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 04 November, 2014, 10:11:55 am
I thought that was the best episode of the series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Rhys W on 09 November, 2014, 12:28:06 am
Classic two-parter failing - build it up fantastically well and then fail to deliver.

I knew no good would come of messing with the Cybermen mythology. Oh well.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 09 November, 2014, 08:44:30 am
Thought it was pretty good - possibly did slightly lose the tension of the 'impending doom', but still not bad.  Enjoyed Chris Addison & Michelle G.  Still waiting for some more episode gems from Steven M, like his Empty child, girl in fireplace, or Blink, but PC has been great IMO.

Next stop Nick Frost as Santa... 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: a lower gear on 09 November, 2014, 06:50:44 pm
Filmed in our local cemetery http://www.llanelli-cemetery.co.uk/home.asp  so some of those pesky cybermen were relatives of mine...  :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 09 November, 2014, 06:54:09 pm
It's been brought to my attention that Dark Season is on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npkYRsMuZyM
http://youtu.be/npkYRsMuZyM

For those who aren't familiar, its a thiny veiled Doctor Who story written by Russell T Davis as a kids' show in the early 90s.  With the Doctor character as a slightly odd 13 year old girl called Kim Marcie.  Contains vintage computers, cool shades, day-glow socks, skateboards, yo-yos, yoghurt, Servalan and a young Kate Winslet.

A second series was never made, the funding going to Maid Marian And Her Merry Men instead.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 09 November, 2014, 07:06:37 pm
Was it just me or where the "tributes" to Gerry and Sylvia Anderson a nice feature?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 09 November, 2014, 07:41:30 pm
....... and they owe me a new keyboard for the "Mary Poppins " descent!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 09 November, 2014, 10:24:01 pm
I can't tell you what I thought of it because I didn't have a clue what was going on. My wife bailed out after ten minutes, saying "I'm too old for this." I stuck with it to the end but I don't really know why. Maybe in a vain bid to prove I'm not too old for this.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 09 November, 2014, 10:51:31 pm
I thought it was one of the more straightforward plots.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 10 November, 2014, 08:41:35 pm
After all the build up, I found it rather dull, not sure if I would be watching it again.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 12 November, 2014, 02:55:36 am
I think Michelle Gomez made that one. Her lunacy was a delight, especially when, on being asked about the logic of her plot, she just raised her eyebrows and said "Bananas!"
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 12 November, 2014, 06:59:23 am
Worth watching for Gomez alone. Plus a lot of good gags-n-references from various characters. PC is still solid, but not amazing; he could easily improve as he gets into it.

Storyline? Pffft. None of the recent writers understand SF or thrillers, so we get these bizarre kids stories pretending to be something grander, and they never really fit together at al well.

But that's not important, it's still very good fun most weeks.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 12 November, 2014, 07:39:06 am
Missy aka Gomez was/is one of the best villains we have had in a long time, a right old nutter. She is brilliant at that, laughed much at her character in Green Wing. I hope the writers find a way to bring her back. PC is a good as a doctor, but need a much better side kick and better story lines. The last two doctors first season had episodes I wanted to re-watch right away, this season is lacking, but I will probably watch them again at a later stage.

I wonder how Nick Frost will do as Mister HoHoHo.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 15 November, 2014, 01:24:52 pm
ooohh Missy will be back in season 9 :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 December, 2014, 09:37:45 am
Spiffing.

The best Xmas special I can remember,  and the best episode in quite a long time generally!

(And I have no idea why so many people are accusing Moffat of stealing all the ideas, oh no sirree ... )


The Wrong Mans was pretty good too - i think they may be able to keep that going for a few years yet.  /OT
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 26 December, 2014, 11:06:08 am
I enjoyed that a lot. Nick Frost was good. Some nice lines - especially for the elves. I really don't care if some of the ideas were, ahem, borrowed from elsewhere - originality is overrated anyway.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 26 December, 2014, 11:20:05 am
Originality is practically impossible.

We all liked it here.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 26 December, 2014, 01:28:18 pm
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 26 December, 2014, 04:57:33 pm
Jolly good show, I liked that they kudos'ed the movie they copied. The odd funny joke. Nick is good.  But the sad news is that we have to endure her in the next season. Can't they write her out like they hinted in a few episodes in the season just gone.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 26 December, 2014, 05:12:23 pm
(click to show/hide)
Like the spinning top in Inception.. Or was it just a tangerine that nobody liked at Christmas. (I like tangerines. But I am from the weird side fo the tracks that liked school, eats vegetables and thinks maths is fun)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 December, 2014, 05:14:03 pm
Jolly good show, I liked that they kudos'ed the movie they copied. The odd funny joke. Nick is good.  But the sad news is that we have to endure her in the next season. Can't they write her out like they hinted in a few episodes in the season just gone.
I imagine they were just keeping their options open during contract negotiations. Now the money has been sorted out, you're stuck with her for another year!

I really don't find Coleman any worse than your average companion/assistant. But I do think they have all had too big  a role in the"story arcs" in recent years. But then I do not like story arcs much anyway! I blame the X-files - sf was proper SF before then ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Gus on 26 December, 2014, 08:21:52 pm
Danish television keeps improving. I've just enjoyed the Christmas episode.
I reminded me of a Dr Who version of
(click to show/hide)
but  liked it.

Earlier today the broadcasted the very first episode "An Unearthly Child" from 1963.
I must admit it have improved quite a bit since  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: spindrift on 26 December, 2014, 10:39:55 pm
(http://40.media.tumblr.com/aec92eda55786b92ee49f283d3708ad4/tumblr_nh3u9kzm2R1sw4g05o1_1280.jpg)

Did anyone else spot the Doctor Who reference in BBC One’s ‘The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm’?

http://doctorwho247.tumblr.com/post/106084252179/imagine-that-a-police-box-that-you-could-travel
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 26 December, 2014, 11:00:07 pm
As references go, it made Inspector Spacetime look subtle.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 27 December, 2014, 01:00:09 pm
As references go, it made Inspector Spacetime look subtle.

Yes, they really didn't need the sound effects and imagery, but I guess it was a programme targeted at children even more than Dr Who, so subtlety possibly wasn't entirely appropriate.

I liked this Christmas episode.  The story wasn't up to much, but the comedy elves and Santa more than made up for that. :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 30 December, 2014, 08:51:56 pm
Just watched it. Thought it was a load of old toss.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 01 January, 2015, 05:17:41 pm
Just watched it. Thought it was a load of old toss.

At least it is not just me that thought this.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 18 January, 2015, 10:34:55 pm
I'm currently exploring the Eighth Doctor's audio timeline.  Big Audio have season 1 for download at £2.99 a pop.

They are great.  Paul McGann nails the role and the stories are properly engaging.  The tone isn't out of place with the post-2005 show.

(The audio range also allows Colin Baker to shine.  He is a top actor, and highkights what a waste of promise his 80s tenure was).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 10 July, 2015, 08:49:14 pm
Teaser! (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p02wnjh5/preview-doctor-who-series-9-teaser)  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 14 July, 2015, 11:26:06 am
Trying to remain reasonably spoiler free, within reason. I was a bit disappointed last year when the Dark Water reveal showed a certain silver nemesis as the bad guy.

But the countdown to season 2 of capaldi's tenure is definitely on.  This should be his best season, as most character development should happen in this one.  Fingers crossed.


(Currently dipping in and out of Peter Davison's time in the TARDIS.  There are some very good serials in that run.  Watching the visitation at the moment.  Whilst the low budget pokes through on occasion, it is one where they begged borrowed and stole costumes and props from the historical drama units.  So is quite well presented)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 14 July, 2015, 11:56:46 am
According to Paxo the Doctor got his degree at Glasgow uni.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 12 September, 2015, 12:52:08 pm
One Week to go!  Prologue - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0326qkd
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 12 September, 2015, 01:24:01 pm
I am going to miss it as I'm doing tomsk's 600. That goodness for iPlayer :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 19 September, 2015, 08:34:08 pm
I enjoyed that nearly as much as Peter Capaldi was enjoying being an axe hero.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 20 September, 2015, 08:37:56 am
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 20 September, 2015, 06:45:27 pm
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 20 September, 2015, 07:22:58 pm
Steph an Andrij bang on :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 20 September, 2015, 11:11:41 pm
I actually love her costume. Always wanted a dress and boots like that, and yes, Andrij, absobarkinglutely.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 21 September, 2015, 01:41:46 pm
Great opener.  So glad I avoided spoilers.  Had no idea who and what were lined up.  Will be interesting to see if there is any backtracking on the rather surprising last 5 minutes. I was like "oh no, they can't, surely" x2.  Great stuff.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 21 September, 2015, 02:08:47 pm
Good to see them...

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tiermat on 21 September, 2015, 02:10:17 pm
Good to see them...

(click to show/hide)

My thoughts, exactly!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 21 September, 2015, 04:22:56 pm
Looks like the viewers forgot it was on, about four million less than last season start.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34307519

And she is packing her bags \o/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34288721
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Séamas M. on 21 September, 2015, 08:55:18 pm
"oh no, they can't, surely" x2.

And I didn't see George RR Martin's name anywhere in the credits..
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 23 September, 2015, 09:42:56 am
I wasn't underwhelmed as I wasn't expecting much after the last series......but I think that they really are trying too hard.  I think that Capaldi makes a fine Dr but the material that he is given is less than inspiring.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 27 September, 2015, 10:03:07 am
Bloody drunks!
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 27 September, 2015, 11:23:24 am
I wasn't underwhelmed as I wasn't expecting much after the last series......but I think that they really are trying too hard.  I think that Capaldi makes a fine Dr but the material that he is given is less than inspiring.

Main problem is lack of anything resembling an actual story. It's all too character-driven at the expense of plot. And far too much deus ex machina/magic wand waving - there's no real peril. Even when they apparently killed off two key characters last week, you knew they hadn't really.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 27 September, 2015, 11:35:39 am
(Currently dipping in and out of Peter Davison's time in the TARDIS.  There are some very good serials in that run.  Watching the visitation at the moment.  Whilst the low budget pokes through on occasion, it is one where they begged borrowed and stole costumes and props from the historical drama units.  So is quite well presented)

The Visitation was a great story. It's worth noting that it was the story in which the original sonic screwdriver was destroyed - on the orders of the producer who felt that it was overused, and too powerful/convenient a tool for problem solving.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 27 September, 2015, 01:02:56 pm
Absolutely. It is just too much of a panacea. Anyway, talking of tools, Missy whittling a poin-ted stick (your fault, Eric Idle) in order to kill any 'game'.

You're whittling, woman. You therefore have a knife.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 27 September, 2015, 04:18:52 pm
Glad I'm not the only one who got the Monty Python reference.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 30 September, 2015, 12:37:46 pm
Loganberries and bananas...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 02 October, 2015, 01:38:26 pm
After watching every Dr Who to date since Series I with ChristopherE the mini-aos have pretty much given up on it now...  Some of the current writers have been responsible for some great episodes, but perhaps it's time for RTD to make a reappearance.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 03 October, 2015, 09:53:10 pm
Tonight was proper scary. TODM didn't like it. Prefers the character development ones. I prefer simple stories.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 04 October, 2015, 09:59:45 pm
I kept thinking about "Waters on Mars" while watching, though I did enjoy it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 04 October, 2015, 10:16:51 pm
Good build up. Waiting for the pay off this coming weekend before opining too loudly.  But it was very promising :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 04 October, 2015, 10:56:35 pm
Proper old-fashioned spooky stuff and a creepy cliff-hanger.  We'll see what happens in the second half...

It was good to see a Deaf character on Doctor Who done properly, even if their sign-space wasn't always in frame (which is what always happens with hearing directors).  The interpreter was less convincing, for all the usual reasons (ability to see through solid objects, translate things before they've been said, and so on), but that was easier to ignore.  Also good to see lipreading portrayed as unreliable in a plot-critical context.

We came to the conclusion that the TARDIS doesn't translate languages across modes (it'll canoncially translate writing to writing, and speech to speech, but presumably since neither Clara nor The Doctor know a sign language, it doesn't intervene).  I assume it can translate all programming languages to Fortran, if required :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 06 October, 2015, 01:52:28 pm
Twas much better.  Apart from the sonic glasses.  What next? Sonic hearing aids?

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 06 October, 2015, 06:40:40 pm
No how cool is that !

(http://media.gizmodo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/lego-doctor-who-1-460x259.jpg)

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2015/10/doctor-who-lego-tardis-will-own-christmas-2015/

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 06 October, 2015, 07:21:18 pm
Someone has pointed out that Capaldi's costume is the regeneration one.  If you want his "regular" one, you need to buy Lego Dimensions.  I don't think I'll go that far but, yessir, this combines two of my big child likes (Who and Lego).  Already decided I am getting two: one for building and one for hoarding.

 :-[
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 10 October, 2015, 09:54:40 pm
And a demonstration tonight of why time travel doesn't work... Nice brain twisting to start with.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 12 October, 2015, 01:49:45 pm
Limping Chicken has an interview with Sophie Stone about the recent episode...

http://limpingchicken.com/2015/10/09/chicken-chat-sophie-stone-tells-the-chicken-about-her-starring-role-in-dr-who/
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 12 October, 2015, 10:56:14 pm
Vikings with horns arrgghh come on at least this once get it right.

Oh yes this last episode, nice spooky cuts etc just like horror and other scary things should be. But sadly it never really gripped me. I know he survives in every episode, but other episodes got me there where I have the feeling that this really could be the end of Who and people of earth. This season just lack this last bit.

Drums fingers and await the next side kick to come and kick some Doctor butt and hopefully one who can act and the writers can dig thier teeth into and get this going again, I want my pillow back again.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 12 October, 2015, 11:09:44 pm
Oh yes this last episode, nice spooky cuts etc just like horror and other scary things should be. But sadly it never really gripped me. I know he survives in every episode, but other episodes got me there where I have the feeling that this really could be the end of Who and people of earth.

The episode started with a lecture about the bootstrap paradox:  The suspense wasn't whether he was going to die, but how he was going to live.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: David Martin on 12 October, 2015, 11:16:35 pm
Or maybe it is you who has grown less sensitised and more critical of the acting and scripts with age? Looking back with rose tinted glasses at the stories that were great - but how would they appear now? I think there have been two truly great Dr Who episodes in the modern era.
Blink, and The Empty Child.

All the rest are also ran ore rerun derivative.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 12 October, 2015, 11:26:45 pm
I have re watched the first five years at least twice in the new run. That feeling has been there more than once and I still have that childishly giddy feeling when I sat down to re-watch one.

And I agree with you Blink and the Empty Child are epic, stroke of genius. Just say "are you my mommy?" or "don't Blink" in our house hold sends shivers. That said it is not just the spooky behind the sofa , I like the silliness, links to other things, Si-Fi etc that makes a good Doctor Who.

Just felt that this season has just lacked the little bit extra, I have enjoyed them, mind.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 14 October, 2015, 05:11:07 am
Anyone else think the corporate drone in the first of the two parts was a direct rip-off from Aliens?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 14 October, 2015, 09:11:37 am
Anyone else think the corporate drone in the first of the two parts was a direct rip-off from Aliens?

Not really, unless the Aliens character was the very first to do it.  That particular character is quite the cliche, and seemed a little bit unnecessary, other than giving them a another different "standard" character to inhabit the environment.

I guess they needed a number of characters, whose primary function was to die, and move that part of the story along somewhat.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 17 October, 2015, 04:56:47 pm
I thought the two flood episodes were rather good. The bootstrap paradox talk and the electric guitar Beethoven / Dr Who theme (Judas!) set the tone nicely. This was the first time I can remember a bit of 4th wall shattering, but it seems it has precedents (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Fourth_wall).

And are they consciously reverting to slightly cheap looking studio sets in reference to older episodes? Makes a change from overly CGId green screen performances.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 18 October, 2015, 10:31:31 am
Hmm, interesting.  I'm not sure how much I liked that episode, but it'll be interesting to see where it goes with the next episode.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 18 October, 2015, 03:27:20 pm
I was a bit bored by the first half, which felt a bit generic and lacked any threat or urgency, but the second half had some great moments.  The closing shot, with Miss Williams standing as time passed, was one of the best I can remember in Doctor Who.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 18 October, 2015, 09:10:27 pm
I loved the Doctor's definition of immortality (though I think it's been used before).

Also,
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 18 October, 2015, 09:47:57 pm
That speech reminded me of Highlander.  Although Capaldi sounded more Scottish than Christopher wot sit.  Mind you, so did Spanish Sean Connery.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 18 October, 2015, 10:03:16 pm
Spanish Egyptian.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 18 October, 2015, 10:16:55 pm
Yesh, sho he wash.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 19 October, 2015, 07:45:12 pm
Horns! I enjoyed it clever link back to how he looks and nice hints into the future. Horns!. I enjoyed the robot soldiers. But HORNS!

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 19 October, 2015, 08:18:13 pm
I heard something about a space helmet for a cow...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Si on 21 October, 2015, 05:25:12 pm
Horns! I enjoyed it clever link back to how he looks and nice hints into the future. Horns!. I enjoyed the robot soldiers. But HORNS!

I was assuming that this was going to be a clever plot twist with him realising that it wasn't really reality due t the horns.....and the lecky eels.

But maybe they just used whatever was in the costume dept box.

Anyway it was more historically accurate than that tat about the Celts with Neil long haired Scottish bloke and the nice lady from the Lapworth.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 24 October, 2015, 07:28:51 pm
Anyone else think the corporate drone in the first of the two parts was a direct rip-off from Aliens?

Not really, unless the Aliens character was the very first to do it.  That particular character is quite the cliche, and seemed a little bit unnecessary, other than giving them a another different "standard" character to inhabit the environment.

I guess they needed a number of characters, whose primary function was to die, and move that part of the story along somewhat.
I'd call him _completely_ unnecessary. His death just padded the time out (something we get a lot of with the double episodes). I don't know every work of SF written before Aliens,  but I'm not aware of them stealing the idea - lets say I wouldnt be surprised if Aliens was the first usage (certainly in a mainstream work). Either way, Dr Who stole it!
I think Moffat has been quite shameless in stealing from other SF. Perhaps not surprising given his total lack of experience writing anything genre-ish. (was this a Moffat episode?? ) See also: the sliding wall scene this week  :facepalm:

Other than that, not a bad couple of shows!   (slightly marred for us by watching the late night repeat - which of course has signing. Very confusing!  :P  )
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 16 November, 2015, 02:25:41 am
That accent. I assume it was meant to be Geordie. It wasn't, and it hurt my ears.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 16 November, 2015, 10:04:52 am
That accent. I assume it was meant to be Geordie. It wasn't, and it hurt my ears.

Is that what is was supposed to be?  She just kept on saying "pet" which I would have thought would be very odd for an officer to say, regardless of her origins.  Presumably in the intervening centuries, "pet" has become a normal turn of phrase, acceptable for an officer to use when referring to members of her squad?!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 16 November, 2015, 10:18:36 am
Verbal anomalies aside, I thought it was the best episode of this series so far, by some way.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 16 November, 2015, 11:06:32 am
Lots of running in corridors, true Doc style. A bit boring at first, but a very nice end to it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 21 November, 2015, 11:10:31 pm
Oh this last in one got Peli to jump :)

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 22 November, 2015, 12:43:00 pm
Whilst I quite enjoyed that episode overall, I did find . . .
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 22 November, 2015, 02:03:25 pm
Not for the first time this series, I found myself wondering why they'd forgotten to include a story.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 22 November, 2015, 02:57:33 pm
I think they have killed Me before they even got to use her, they have used her too much in too few episodes. She did well in the first two, but just used too much now. I really like the idea that there is another other one that keep on meeting the Doc, either helping, fighting against or just for a good old joke.   We need River, the Cap't or even "I'm the bloody Queen" back, once or twice a season, with some good humor about living a long time, can't die and how he (the Doc) made a fool of himself way back when etc etc. And Me could easily become one of that gang/gag.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 22 November, 2015, 04:29:47 pm
There was hype about a sidekick? I must have missed it (or ignored!). I've never expected much from the sidekicks - their role is basically like a more warmly-dressed* Bond Girl, with added plot-exposition-thru-stupid-questions. If they do more than that it's a bonus. There are plenty of mainstream sf/adventure TVshows/movies that use the same cliche (admittedly these are way past their heyday in number).

Some get dialogue where they get to show less respect to The Doctor. Or some jokes. But whether that works is mainly writer-dependent; it rarely makes a huge difference to the show as a whole.

I cant honestly remember any as being notably good. Happy to be reminded of any!

The characters like River and The Captain that you mention tend to be a lot more fun.

*with 1-or-2 big exceptions!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 22 November, 2015, 04:49:38 pm
I'm a child of the 80s.  My Doctor's companion was Ace.  It's all going to be a disappointment after that.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 22 November, 2015, 06:22:47 pm
TBF, I certainly remember Ace! A really nice idea,  but I just found the writing generally annoying (probably not just her character, the script in general). Perhaps it's just me; she seems to have a bit of a following. (it didnt help that I'd probably just graduated from the target age-range).

<googles ... > Oh heavens - she replaced Bonnie Langford. No wonder she was so popular!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 22 November, 2015, 09:52:53 pm
I'm a child of the 80s.  My Doctor's companion was Ace.  It's all going to be a disappointment after that.
My dad's favourite was Leela.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 23 November, 2015, 03:00:42 am
I'm a child of the 80s.  My Doctor's companion was Ace.  It's all going to be a disappointment after that.
My dad's favourite was Leela.

Yebbut Louise Jameson went and spoiled it by becoming Bergerac's grilf :-\
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 23 November, 2015, 12:23:32 pm
Only two more episodes to go, and the trailer for Next Week looked unlike anything I've seen British TV do for a while.  It had the feel of one of those Communist animations that were shown on BBC2 in my youth. 

Mark me down as "eagerly anticipating", not least because Capaldi has been acting his wee socks off and it looks like it will give him room to explore some interesting themes, like fear and paranoia (well, complicated for a piece of mainstream prime time entertainment).

I may be wrong, however, and the villain turns out to be the CandyMan :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Basil on 28 November, 2015, 09:03:15 pm
Just watched this for the first time in years.

What a pile of crap.  Drivel.  Waste of time.  Utter bollocks.

Ymmv
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 28 November, 2015, 10:44:01 pm
I thought tonight's was brilliant, really creepy and really clever.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 28 November, 2015, 10:59:41 pm
Meh, it's a variation on the old solving NP-hard problems in O(1) time by destroying the universe if it didn't work trick.  Not exactly original, and took a lot of wanking to get to the point.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 29 November, 2015, 01:14:30 pm
Rambling and incoherent, the music was annoyingly intrusive, and then...

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 29 November, 2015, 01:17:50 pm
Rambling and incoherent, the music was annoyingly intrusive, and then...

(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 29 November, 2015, 03:09:43 pm
I thought it was great. One of the best hour or so of original TV I've seen for a while.  Bold, for a Saturday evening show.

In even better news.  I took delivery of the Doctor Who Lego set that is officially launched on Tuesday.  I may have crossed a threshold in fan status, as its my first non-media who related thing.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 29 November, 2015, 03:15:57 pm
In even better news.  I took delivery of the Doctor Who Lego set that is officially launched on Tuesday.  I may have crossed a threshold in fan status, as its my first non-media who related thing.
Very envious, you lucky sod :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 29 November, 2015, 04:36:45 pm
A really good episode last night!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 29 November, 2015, 08:25:53 pm

(click to show/hide)

Hey, I liked that film!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 30 November, 2015, 02:12:10 pm
Moffat writes to Peter Jackson (https://www.facebook.com/PeterJacksonNZ/videos/10153602968491558/)  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 30 November, 2015, 06:12:19 pm
Moffat write to Peter Jackson (https://www.facebook.com/PeterJacksonNZ/videos/10153602968491558/)  ;D
Thank you, thank you, thank you. That is hilarious.

(Does anyone know the story behind this? Is it a cry for help - i.e. better scripts - by Capaldi??  )

EDIT: while digging around, I found this rather good news about the Xmas Special:
(click to show/hide)

[not sure I've ever visited that site before  :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 30 November, 2015, 06:37:05 pm
Does anyone know the story behind this?

Consensus is that Peter Jackson has actually signed up to direct an episode - although it doesn't appear to have been officially confirmed yet.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 30 November, 2015, 07:37:07 pm
He's a fan of the series, and IIRC Jackson directing a block was floated as a possibility a couple of years ago, but he passed because he was in the middle of directing The Hobbollox trilogy.  Now that the Hobbollox is in the can, and the Shitmarillion hasn't got off the ground, it may be back on the cards. 

Which would be jolly good, as Jackson is a great director (not just Lord of the Rings, but some of his earlier films were also very good.  Except Braindead - that was just mental).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: redshift on 30 November, 2015, 08:58:08 pm
Peter Jackson is a director who needs an editor who will say 'no'.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 30 November, 2015, 09:00:29 pm
Perhaps they could tell him its a 20-min special - he might then make something that fits nicely into 60!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 30 November, 2015, 10:45:18 pm
Funny because it's true :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 06 December, 2015, 03:42:30 pm
Now that was a good doctor who, I enjoyed that. Now let's hope they can keep it up for a few more. Even though we are in for a wait, crimbo and next season.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 06 December, 2015, 09:20:47 pm
I thought it was pants.  Great big billowing Y-fronts.  I take back any complaints I may have had about the previous episode.

Apart from the classic TARDIS.  That was good.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 06 December, 2015, 10:54:52 pm
I thought it was confused and a below average end to the series.  A lot of it felt irrelevant. Ho hum.

Good series overall though.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 07 December, 2015, 01:05:49 pm
Yes, "confused" seems the keyword. There were several nice ideas* in there, but it wasnt remotely glued together.
(perhaps the main man needs a script editor?? )

TBF it cant be easy writing coherent stuff with time-travel, memory loss and immortal beings ... but there are plenty of SF authors out there who do it for a fraction of the budget! And if the story seems too complicated ... well it probably is, write something simpler  :facepalm:

*
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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 07 December, 2015, 01:15:42 pm
I fell asleep 5 minutes into it.....

What was the story line? (no iPlayer access here)

I've tried to condense a meandering 65 minutes into a paragraph in the spoiler tag below.  Clearly it has SPOILERS.  Don't open if you want to avoid them.  My own take is that Moffat tried to do something unexpected, particularly given where it was left last week, but it didn't quite pay off. 

(click to show/hide)

Fair amount of fanwankery in the episode.  Which I liked but I think it would have left the majority wondering what the hell was going on.

The Christmas episode looks a bit suspect as well.  Has the return of a past character though, which I think might be a bit marmite.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 07 December, 2015, 01:21:09 pm
(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)


Christmas episodes are by definition a bit suspect.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mike on 16 December, 2015, 04:25:30 pm
Thanks to a chum who works at the BBC I'm off to the preview screening of the christmas special tonight.. I won't have any idea what's going on, so there's no point asking me anything afterwards :)

There's a 'meet the cast' reception afterwards, the main reason I'm going it to try and persuade Peter Capaldi to channel Malcolm Tucker and say "f*ck*ty Bye!"

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mike on 17 December, 2015, 05:55:35 pm
it was awesome... Not going to post any photos or say too much about it, but I was invited into the greenroom before and had a chat with the Dr (he wouldn't swear, too many kids about), the baddie and a couple of other cast members.    The show was as expected, my chum kept me up to speed with the historical bits I would have missed and it was v. entertaining.

and then Jo Whiley hosted the Q&A at the end, I nearly melted. 

Free wine too :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 17 December, 2015, 06:18:13 pm
You lucky git
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 17 December, 2015, 06:23:31 pm
"A couple of other cast members"

Alex Kingston and Matt Lucas?  If they were also there....

...you doubly jammy bastard.

*jealous*
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mike on 17 December, 2015, 10:09:52 pm
"A couple of other cast members"

Alex Kingston and Matt Lucas?  If they were also there....

...you doubly jammy bastard.

*jealous*

not matt lucas, no.  Greg Davis was there though.. :D [very very tall]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 18 December, 2015, 10:30:47 am
Thank Dog for the absence of Matt Lucas as stabbing him repeatedly with a fork would have been tricky in front of so many witnesses.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 18 December, 2015, 10:57:42 am
Greg Davis was there though.. :D [very very tall]

He's one of those people who's much taller than you expect him to be, even if you're already expecting him to be very tall.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 19 December, 2015, 12:33:12 am
Are we now going to get a double-woman spin off?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hillbilly on 19 December, 2015, 08:38:14 am
I wouldn't rule out Big Finish audio plays, or other media like novelisations, but I doubt a TV show would be given a green light.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 23 April, 2016, 09:09:19 pm
Pearl Mackie has been named as the new Doctor Who companion alongside Peter Capaldi's Time Lord in the Tardis.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36119977

But we have to wait until SPRING 2017!!!!!!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 December, 2016, 03:11:21 pm
I thought that was the best Xmas special I can remember. Proper entertaining nonsense. Passed the 6-laugh test*.

They should do more mash-ups with other genres. Much humour could await, and Mr Moffat's usual overblown melodrama has had its day.

(Did I hear that Moffat and Capaldi are both on the way out?? )


Thank Dog for the absence of Matt Lucas as stabbing him repeatedly with a fork would have been tricky in front of so many witnesses.
Did you enjoy yesterday's show Mr L?? TBH i couldn't figure out Lucas' character. My memory is failing - was he in the last series? He was harmless enough yesterday, but I felt his lines could have been delivered by any non-baddie character from the last 10 years of Who. A bit... so what?


*For Wittertainment fans
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 26 December, 2016, 04:20:58 pm
I'm not sure I'd consider that the best Christmas special ever, but it was perfectly acceptable, and quite enjoyable.  As you said, a genre crossover is always a fun novelty.

I don't think Matt Lucas was exceptional, but he did as good a job with that part as any actor would.  It didn't seem to be unreasonable to "resuscitate" him from his previous appearance, and the Doctor has previously had companions for a single occasion of several of the previous specials.  Ultimately, the companion isn't there to be in the limelight, but as a foil for the Doctor, and a character around which explanations can be woven.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 December, 2016, 04:38:08 pm
Thank Dog for the absence of Matt Lucas as stabbing him repeatedly with a fork would have been tricky in front of so many witnesses.
Did you enjoy yesterday's show Mr L??

No.  Though this may be connected with the fact of not having watched it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 31 January, 2017, 07:14:33 am
According to breakfast news on the tv, Peter Capaldi is leaving Dr Who at the end of the year.  :'(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 31 January, 2017, 01:41:21 pm
Seems fair.  He's waited long enough for a decent storyline.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 31 January, 2017, 01:49:54 pm
He was a good Doctor I think, just let down by the lack of good story lines and co actors.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Dibdib on 31 January, 2017, 03:46:51 pm
Thankfully Moffatt is leaving at the same time. Shame really - as you all say, I think Capaldi would have done much better with a decent showrunner at the helm. No idea if the new guy's any good.

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Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: madcow on 31 January, 2017, 03:47:47 pm
Seems to be a lot of lobbying for a FEMALE doctor.
Where are these people coming from?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Dibdib on 31 January, 2017, 04:00:19 pm
Seems to be a lot of lobbying for a FEMALE doctor.
Where are these people coming from?

Why rule out half the greatest actors in the world when it's a) established canon and b) an alien.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 31 January, 2017, 04:09:09 pm
I think we've had female doctor lobbying ever since the first "modern" doctor stood down (was it Ecclestone?? It seems aeon ago now ... )

Dawn French is always in the frame.

I've absolutely nothing against the idea, if they find a good 'un. It's unlikely, but no more so than Brexit/Trump, and will happen before a female Bond.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 31 January, 2017, 04:09:17 pm
Seems to be a lot of lobbying for a FEMALE doctor.
Where are these people coming from?

My actual Doctor is FEMALE so it's not such a leap.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 31 January, 2017, 04:21:41 pm
How about they just can the tired Doctor Who format and replace it with something original with strong female leads?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 31 January, 2017, 07:10:26 pm
Bring back Buffy!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 31 January, 2017, 07:20:09 pm
Seems to be a lot of lobbying for a FEMALE doctor.
Where are these people coming from?
The 21st century.

I've absolutely nothing against the idea, if they find a good 'un. It's unlikely, but no more so than Brexit/Trump, and will happen before a female Bond.
I've absolutely nothing against a male doctor, if they find a good 'un.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 31 January, 2017, 07:22:14 pm



I've absolutely nothing against the idea, if they find a good 'un. It's unlikely, but no more so than Brexit/Trump, and will happen before a female Bond.
I've absolutely nothing against a male doctor, if they find a good 'un.
Touché!

I've just realised how badly I phrased that - I did NOT mean that it would be hard to find a decent female actor for the part! I meant that they are unlikely to try.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Redlight on 31 January, 2017, 08:14:19 pm
Surely there must be a decent transgender actor out there....
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 31 January, 2017, 08:20:42 pm
Can't remember whether it was here or elsewhere the first pointed to this, but somewhere in the multiverse...

http://www.scifind.com/the-other-11-doctors/
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 31 January, 2017, 10:02:05 pm
Can't remember whether it was here or elsewhere the first pointed to this, but somewhere in the multiverse...

http://www.scifind.com/the-other-11-doctors/

A fine list, until you get to 11.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MacB on 31 January, 2017, 10:08:51 pm
Well my hero will always be Tom Baker but that's time and place and I have no particular internal gender assignment for The Doctor. Far more important is the actor and decent plotlines, I could see Dawn French fitting the role very well.

I haven't really watched since my kids stopped watching, funnily enough they were a bit put off by Matt Smith whereas I preferred him to David Tenant. I did dip into Capaldi a couple of times and he didn't resonate for me, a bit like Ecclestone. I can't find fault with their acting chops, so to speak, but I've never enjoyed their acting in this or other things.

But plotlines, even my kids were getting sick of the endless save the universe nick of time schtick.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: caerau on 01 February, 2017, 01:50:38 am
Was someone talking about Dr Who?


Look out for (https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/782/32259198100_280856014a_k.jpg) (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/[url=https://flic.kr/p/R9CPGG)2017-01-26 13.12.28 HDR (https://flic.kr/p/R9CPGG) by djm10001 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/136373024@N04/), on Flickr]this near you soon :)


They film it in our building often but I rarely get this close to him.  He was rehearsing his lines.  Also had some guys in typical solider type costumes with guns guarding it when I walked out before returning to this scene.


 8)


(not that I watch it either really these days - I see it in real life being filmed more often  ::-)  )



Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 01 February, 2017, 10:31:05 am
Can't remember whether it was here or elsewhere the first pointed to this, but somewhere in the multiverse...

http://www.scifind.com/the-other-11-doctors/
Miriam for me!


Someone should amend that with all the male assistants.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 01 February, 2017, 11:17:04 am
Love that, jo. Hattie Jacques would have been an awesome Doctor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Torslanda on 01 February, 2017, 02:33:07 pm
What have I missed? When did Bernie €cc£€$cáK€ play Doctor Who?

Or did you mean Christopher Eccleston (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Eccleston)?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MacB on 01 February, 2017, 02:47:20 pm
What have I missed? When did Bernie €cc£€$cáK€ play Doctor Who?

Or did you mean Christopher Eccleston (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Eccleston)?

Thank you for the spellcheck, or did you really think I meant someone else?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Torslanda on 01 February, 2017, 04:00:07 pm
No. I have an exceptionally SMALL mind.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 09 February, 2017, 04:01:17 pm
I think Zoe Wanamaker would be a good Doctor. Twitter is currently ablaze with the news that Danny Dyer would like the job. bobb's response to this is "Stavros you fakkin melt."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 15 April, 2017, 08:15:31 pm
Is this a knock through :)

Well she will do as a side kick :)

Ooooh and Missy and the Master are coming back !
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Steph on 16 April, 2017, 02:04:41 pm
I think Zoe Wanamaker would be a good Doctor. Twitter is currently ablaze with the news that Danny Dyer would like the job. bobb's response to this is "Stavros you fakkin melt."
I see your Zoe and raise you a Maggie
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 16 April, 2017, 03:51:32 pm
I'm just listening to Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow) and wondering what Yoko's up to these days.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 16 April, 2017, 08:01:35 pm
I just saw a wossname on Farcebok tipping Kris Marshall for the role :facepalm:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Ashaman42 on 17 April, 2017, 12:23:57 am
I saw that too. As much as I like him I really hope it's not true.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 17 April, 2017, 09:01:01 am
He'll always be the idiot from the BT adverts as far as I'm concerned.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: red marley on 17 April, 2017, 10:33:06 am
Assuming the Doctor regenerates randomly into human form, equally male or female, the probability that there should be 13 male doctors in a row:

0.513 = 0.012% = 1 in 8192.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rr on 17 April, 2017, 11:07:44 am
Assuming the Doctor regenerates randomly into human form, equally male or female, the probability that there should be 13 male doctors in a row:

0.513 = 0.012% = 1 in 8192.
But, of course, the probability that the next doctor is also male = 0.5

Sent from my XT1562 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 17 April, 2017, 04:06:43 pm
He'll always be the idiot from the BT adverts as far as I'm concerned.

By the time he was in the BT adverts, he was already known as the idiot from My Family. Or "The New Nicholas Lyndhurst".

Btw, I thought this week's episode was shite. Yes, I know "it's for kids" and I'm taking it too seriously blah blah blah, but I found it really dull, even by the standard of recent series.

The new sidekick is promising though. Hope she gets some better material to work with in the rest of the series.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 19 April, 2017, 09:12:23 am
He'll always be the idiot from the BT adverts as far as I'm concerned.

By the time he was in the BT adverts, he was already known as the idiot from My Family. Or "The New Nicholas Lyndhurst".
Ha! Yup, a fair appraisal.

Although I suspect it's his "detective in the Carribean" recent TV role - of which I've never watched more than 2 minutes - that would have set him up for Who. If anything has. He might not be awful, you never know ...



Btw, I thought this week's episode was shite. Yes, I know "it's for kids" and I'm taking it too seriously blah blah blah, but I found it really dull, even by the standard of recent series.

The new sidekick is promising though. Hope she gets some better material to work with in the rest of the series.

I enjoyed it. A lot more laid-back than the last few years of shows. New gurl wins "least annoying debut by sidekick" award comfortably.

I am cautiously optimistic ... [but please don't get me going on the unnecessary background music over every f**king second of the programme ... ]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 April, 2017, 11:35:40 am
Lt. Col. Larrington (retd.) will watch anything with coppers and the chance of killin's in it, hence I was exposed to the odd episode of "Detective In A Wheelbarrow The Caribbean" by accident.  Mr Marshall appeared to play an idiot.  I am beginning to sense a theme here.  I am no Doctor Wossname aficionado but cannot help but feel he didn't orter be the kind of chap to lose a battle of wits with a potato.

If they cast Kathy Burke as the Doctor I might start watching it again.  If they cast Olivia Colman as the Doctor I'd have to start watching it again, which would be a tad ironic since it was David Tennant that made me stop.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 13 May, 2017, 08:20:16 pm
That was pretty good and silly. The idea that you have to pay for breathing and you measure in breath is pretty cool.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ElyDave on 13 May, 2017, 09:46:26 pm
Marriott hotels have been doing that for years :hand:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 14 May, 2017, 12:20:45 pm
I'm quite enjoying the current series, although I wish they'd explain what the "thing" behind the door is, that's getting a bit irritating.

I quite like Capaldi's Doctor, he seems to have evolved to be quite different from some of the earlier Doctors, and his dynamic with Nardole can be amusing.  I'm not sure about Bill yet, she's still at the "gormless assistant" stage, but she does certainly seem to be a bit different, so far.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hulver on 17 May, 2017, 09:37:54 am
I'm quite enjoying the current series, although I wish they'd explain what the "thing" behind the door is, that's getting a bit irritating.


I think it might be the Master/Mistress.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 17 May, 2017, 09:57:45 pm
I'm quite enjoying the current series, although I wish they'd explain what the "thing" behind the door is, that's getting a bit irritating.
I think it might be the Master/Mistress.

I hope not, that would be a bit too predictable.  I'm fairly sure we've seen Missy in teasers for this series, so we know she's back at some point, if she turns out to be "behind the door", it's not going to be very exciting.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 18 May, 2017, 06:29:47 am
They like an appearance by the "classic" monsters in Who. So every week that goes by without
(click to show/hide)

appearing makes me suspect that one of them is behind that door.


Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 21 May, 2017, 12:52:28 pm
Extremis episode spoiler ...

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 21 May, 2017, 01:52:09 pm
Does anyone know Italian well enough, to know what the Pope says, when he comes out of Bill's bathroom?

What he says later on, according to Google Translate, is very close to the cardinal's translation, but I can't take dictation in Italian, and the subtitles don't include that bit !

I guess it's not terribly important, but I'm always curious to know what programme makers include, in such situations.  It's not quite a translation, but I'm always very amused that in the Red Dwarf episode, Backwards, one of the reversed sections is "I'm addressing the one prat in the country who has bothered to get a hold of this recording, turn it round and actually work out the rubbish that I'm saying. What a poor sad life he's got!".  I just cut and pasted that, from Wikipedia, I couldn't be bothered to reverse it myself, but they didn't foresee the Internet, and the profligation of such information. :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 21 May, 2017, 06:44:47 pm
I don't understand why the TARDIS didn't translate the pope.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 21 May, 2017, 07:10:12 pm
I don't understand why the TARDIS didn't translate the pope.

Maybe it did, for the Doctor and Bill, but they're not obliged to provide us with that translation!  Just because the cardinal chose to translate the Pope's speech, it doesn't mean he had to, he may just have been unaware that Bill and the Doctor didn't need it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Regulator on 22 May, 2017, 09:15:58 am
I do find the reliance on dark sets in the current series a little annoying...  the lighting is really poorly done.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 22 May, 2017, 05:40:05 pm
I don't understand why the TARDIS didn't translate the pope.

Interestingly, Steven Moffat said this:

Quote from: Radio Time - Doctor Who exclusive: Steven Moffat reveals the secrets of Extremis (http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-05-20/doctor-who-exclusive-steven-moffat-reveals-the-secrets-of-extremis-2)
Moffat: Well, the scenes just worked better with the Pope speaking Italian and being translated. I did write in the Doctor saying he didn’t really need the translation, and Nardole suggesting that he play along out of courtesy – but it glitched the scene, so I lost it in the edit. In fairness, the Doctor’s translation ability has wobbled before, so it’s just having another off moment. ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 03 June, 2017, 09:07:22 pm
Bill's eyebrows are annoying me. I don't get this trend for making them so thick they look like strips of gaffer tape instead of hairs.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 07 June, 2017, 06:35:59 pm
Due to Holibobs, we've watched all 3 "Monk" episodes in very quick succession. Bloody great!

Am I the only one thinking of it as a "3-parter"? If it is, it's neat that they have 3 different writing teams.


It's almost like Moffat has gotten someone to explain sci-fi plotting to him. Whatever next??
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 10 June, 2017, 09:32:34 pm
Hmm I do like Bill and Ted erm Doctor together, she is a much better side kick than the last one. And I still think that he is a good pick for a doctor, sadly the scripting is just missing something. That said I'm still glued to the telly box every week.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 01 July, 2017, 09:54:50 pm
well that a tribute !!!

so who is the next who?

at least for once I'm looking forward to crimbo
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 01 July, 2017, 10:09:40 pm
Interesting that we've more or less lost the Doctor and his Companion, at the same time.  We seem to have had Bill for a very short duration, when I was just starting to get used to her !  Of course, they could still play silly buggers and bring her back, but that seems unlikely.

There was a slight allusion to the Doctor potentially being female, not that this would be unexpected after having a female Master.

The Christmas episode should certainly be interesting, given the spoiler at the end of tonight's episode. :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: MacB on 02 July, 2017, 12:53:58 am
Next Dr Who...there can be only one:-

Dr Donna
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 14 July, 2017, 09:46:34 pm
https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/885907569696440320

#13 will be known after the tennis final on Sunday ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 16 July, 2017, 04:58:17 pm
Ok get a move on crimbo so we can get to watch an episode with Jodie!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 16 July, 2017, 05:47:53 pm
Yes, in that one short appearance (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p058prkw/doctor-who-meet-the-thirteenth-doctor), she does look promising, but it's hard to tell with so little to go on !

I've only seen her in the recent St Trinian's Film, as the somewhat zoned out receptionist, Beverly, which wasn't a part that needed an extensive degree of portrayal !

I don't think she figured anywhere in anyone's list of possible candidates.

... and she's still not ginger. ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: juliet on 16 July, 2017, 06:57:51 pm
My enthusiastic Whovian friend who watched Broadchurch said he reckons she's going to be good. (Assuming they do a decent job on the scripts obviously...thumbs crossed.) New showrunner also did Broadchurch so hopefully that bodes well for them working together.

I am very (very very) excited! I may have done a swear in front of Small L when I saw the reveal  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 16 July, 2017, 08:14:38 pm
She was good in Attack the Block.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 16 July, 2017, 10:32:26 pm
I thought she was dead good in Broadchurch.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Hot Flatus on 17 July, 2017, 06:15:05 am
Damn.

I was hoping it would be Warwick Davies.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Riggers on 17 July, 2017, 08:51:11 am
Boys, I stopped watching Doctor Who after my early teens. I hope that helps!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Monty on 17 July, 2017, 09:11:02 am
I've not watched Dr Who since sometime around 1976. I am however quite shocked at the recent news...

A Time Lord Lady. Hmpf...

 ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 17 July, 2017, 09:19:30 am
Doctor Who is for kids* and this may help break down stereotypes at an early age.  If she's gay even better.

*And also for people who get easily wound up when they are reminded they take childrens' programs too seriously.

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 17 July, 2017, 12:38:20 pm
I am looking forward to the new Yorkshire Doctor walking through the TARDIS, turning lights off and muttering "it's like Blackpool illuminations in here."
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: spindrift on 17 July, 2017, 12:43:21 pm
I've not watched Dr Who since sometime around 1976. I am however quite shocked at the recent news...

A Time Lord Lady. Hmpf...

 ;D

There have been a few Time Lords who were ladies. Two, I think.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 17 July, 2017, 01:12:33 pm
...

There have been a few Time Lords who were ladies. Two, I think.

Time Lady Romana (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romana_(Doctor_Who)), played by two different actresses, and The Master as Missy, in the recent series are the most obvious two.

There was also the Corsair, who has also been referred to multiple times as being both male and female, although (s)he doesn't make an appearance (possibly excepting Auntie's forearm in The Doctor's Wife, which is alluded to as being the Corsair's).

A number of unnamed Time Ladies also appear, in various episodes.

Googling also says:

Rodan (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Rodan), Darkel (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Darkel), and The Rani (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rani_(Doctor_Who)).

... oh, and the Doctor himself has been female before, during Comic Relief, portrayed by Joanna Lumley (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlQ2U-Ks67I).

... oh, oh, oh, do Doctor Donna or River Song count?  They're both part Time Lord (Lady), aren't they?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 17 July, 2017, 02:32:52 pm
Ohgod.  I go away for the weekend to the land of no bandwidth, and see a few tweets making bizarre references to bras in the TARDIS.  Now the internet has imploded.  More than usual, I mean.

Is it really that big a deal?[1]

I remember the fuss before Star Trek: Voyager came out.  Everyone was all worked up about there being a female captain.  Then it finally came out and we quickly realised that Janeway was literally the least annoying thing about it.


[1] A question you really shouldn't ask in relation to Doctor Who.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 18 July, 2017, 07:02:48 am
One of my friends (who stopped watching after Peter Davidson) is complaining that the BBC is flogging a dead horse and ripping up the "rule book" and ignoring 50 years of lore by now having  a female Dr....

This coming from someone who plays Warhammer, which regularly rewrites the rules so they ensure players have to buy new minature models to paint in new rules colours..
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 18 July, 2017, 09:26:43 am
I think they should have had a bisexual black female ood Doctor, then "that" section of the Internet would have exploded, hopefully permanently.  ;D

A female Doctor is hardly radical, probably less so than a black President of the USA, and that didn't bring about the end of the world, whatever Republicans may claim, and Barack Obama is actually real, and not a fictional character.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 18 July, 2017, 09:52:56 am
A female Doctor is hardly radical, probably less so than a black President of the USA, and that didn't bring about the end of the world, whatever Republicans may claim, and Barack Obama is actually real, and not a fictional character.

This Unit hereby endorses this product, service or sentiment. I may have to steal it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 18 July, 2017, 12:31:53 pm
A female Doctor is hardly radical, probably less so than a black President of the USA, and that didn't bring about the end of the world,

Well it did lead to President Trump. So depending on how you define causality, it may still lead to the end of the world ...


I also think this is all No Big Deal. Decent scripts are far more important to the quality of the Who Product, than gender/ethnicity/height/annoying_hats.

I caught the very end of Womans Hour - which I gather covered Doctoress Who in some detail - and they read a listener's email; she was complaining that The Doctor should also have been black, and hiring Jodie shows how slowly the BBC are stuttering into the 21stCentury  ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 18 July, 2017, 01:19:20 pm
Isn't a black, female, and above all BRITISH president of the USA already Doctor Who canon?  Something to do with Blinovitch, IIRC.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 18 July, 2017, 01:49:41 pm
I caught the very end of Womans Hour - which I gather covered Doctoress Who in some detail - and they read a listener's email; she was complaining that The Doctor should also have been black, and hiring Jodie shows how slowly the BBC are stuttering into the 21stCentury  ::-)

1) I suspect you also caught the beginning and middle of Womans Hour (but that's a different topic).

2) The mere fact that a woman, playing a non-gender-specific role on TV, is a topic on Womans Hour at all proves we are stuttering into the 21st Century.

As far as I am aware, the Doctor is an Alien life form and so, logically, there should have been a similar outcry when it was played by a human actor.

Anyone complaining that it's not OK for a woman human to play a shape-shifting alien but that it's fine for a man human to play it... strikes me as a bit of a dick (for caring about any of it it all).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 18 July, 2017, 04:07:49 pm
1) I suspect you also caught the beginning and middle of Womans Hour (but that's a different topic).

No, really, I didn't!


(mainly cos I was at work.)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 18 July, 2017, 06:29:53 pm
A female Doctor is hardly radical, probably less so than a black President of the USA, and that didn't bring about the end of the world ...
Well it did lead to President Trump. So depending on how you define causality, it may still lead to the end of the world ...

I guess that's an argument we can have, when they pick the Doctor after Jodie Whittaker!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 18 July, 2017, 06:33:44 pm
A female Doctor is hardly radical, probably less so than a black President of the USA, and that didn't bring about the end of the world ...
Well it did lead to President Trump. So depending on how you define causality, it may still lead to the end of the world ...

I guess that's an argument we can have, when they pick the Doctor after Jodie Whittaker!
If it's flipping Catherine Tate, you will owe me big time.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: itsbruce on 18 July, 2017, 08:31:38 pm

I remember the fuss before Star Trek: Voyager came out.  Everyone was all worked up about there being a female captain.  Then it finally came out and we quickly realised that Janeway was literally the least annoying thing about it.


This!  Janeaway was just great.  But Neelix?  Harry Kim?  Neelix?   Neelix?

Oh, and Tits of Borg was no feminist achievement.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Basil on 18 July, 2017, 08:36:39 pm
Yeah 
*but has moment *
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 18 July, 2017, 08:40:15 pm
Harry Kim was fine, if bland.  He's the archetype of the guy who quietly makes sure that stuff gets done without any recognition whatsoever from management.  Seven years stranded in the Delta Quadrant surrounded by a crew of semi-competents and character clashes and he's still only an Ensign.  Even O'Brien got regular promotions, but Kim was out-ranked by Wesley Sodding Crusher.

The less said about Neelix the better.  I think I genuinely preferred the Ferengi.

Seven of Nine serves as a warning about the hazards of spacecraft full of bras.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Basil on 18 July, 2017, 08:51:50 pm
I believe that earlier in the Woman's Hour prog mentioned above someone hoped that she would play it with no reference to gender.  In the style of Ripley.
Yes I know that part was originally written for a male actor,  but she made it absolutely work. Better than anyone else could have.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: itsbruce on 18 July, 2017, 08:57:45 pm
Yeah 
*but has moment *

We make allowances for young Basil
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 18 July, 2017, 09:54:29 pm
Oh, and Tits of Borg was no feminist achievement.

Though still a much better character than T'Pol from the Enterprise series.

Returning to the topic, I'm not bothered by the latest incarnation, but disappointed the Doctor still isn't ginger.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Andrij on 19 July, 2017, 09:11:06 pm
The final word.  ;D

(https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/20108451_1442625652458788_632292413917738549_n.jpg?oh=74f9ebbda7b5833eb91ff55d0bf1d21d&oe=59FA866B)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 17 November, 2017, 09:17:02 pm
The new trailer is out !

https://youtu.be/IkWxMG-JDk4

Crimbo looks to be good this year :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 20 November, 2017, 08:23:49 am
I just caught up with that.

     ".. I assumed I'd get younger'' ... ''I am younger. :o"

 ;D

I do quite like the current "Peter Capaldi" Doctor.  He's definitely grown on me (as they often have, after a while).  I'm going to miss him, but change is a part of what makes Doctor Who so good, and I'm sure Jodie Whittaker is going to stir things up a bit!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 24 December, 2017, 10:34:48 pm
Tomorrow 5:30 PM peeps !!!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: LEE on 24 December, 2017, 10:50:17 pm
It's for kids.

(I like to point this out when everyone starts getting excited about a new series/Doctor).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 24 December, 2017, 10:50:49 pm
and I'm am kid so there !

(just like I'm going to watch the Crimbo lectures, cause Who and the lectures is the best tell there is on the box by a mile and then some)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 December, 2017, 10:40:36 am
OT Crimbletrivia, the woman who was at the head of the queueueueueueue to see Philip Pullman a couple of weeks ago had previously been womanning the queue for the RI Lecture on behalf of her son until he got out of skool.  And was going to do the same the following day too.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 25 December, 2017, 07:32:09 pm
Oh brilliant!

Now we wait again until .... when ? Can't wait !
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 25 December, 2017, 08:07:00 pm
I'm sure I heard millions of "So Called" Dr Who Fans flounce out the TARDIS door in a huff on facebook once they saw the Dr Regenerate!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: SteveC on 25 December, 2017, 08:58:30 pm
I'm just grateful for iPlayer. MrsC failed to record it, but the technology saved the day.

A bit better than most of the Christmas specials I thought.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 26 December, 2017, 09:50:23 am
I'm just grateful for iPlayer. MrsC failed to record it, but the technology saved the day.

A bit better than most of the Christmas specials I thought.

It was really good! A shame we probably won't see any more of David Bradley as Dr One!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 26 December, 2017, 10:26:55 pm
David Bradley is an excellent William Hartnell. I really enjoyed that episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 12 June, 2018, 07:27:32 pm
For those who are interested, BBC Iplayer now has all 10 series available for the next 5 months



Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 13 July, 2018, 11:26:49 pm
I might watch sportball on Sunday so I can watch the new trailer for the new season !
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 15 July, 2018, 08:38:14 pm
 It's coming home it's coming erm to a screen in your home !

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p06dl32b/doctor-who-series-11-teaser#

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 19 July, 2018, 09:07:54 pm
oooh there is more

https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/1020024573822230528
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 17 August, 2018, 10:47:39 am
Firstly let me make this clear - I have no problem with the female Dr... Missy as the Master was a stunning and inspired piece of casting

Having watched the trailers though I am becoming I wonder just how much the character will be allowed to develop, and that will need well written plots and scripts as opposed to going for the effects and graphics.....

That is what will make or break the new Doctor.......
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 19 September, 2018, 09:22:19 am
Heads up radio time got the now start day to be a Sunday!

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-09-18/doctor-who-series-11-jodie-whittaker-doctor-gender-confronted-in-historical-episodes/

Doctor Who series 11 will air on BBC1 from Sunday 7th October

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: pumpkin on 20 September, 2018, 03:32:53 pm
My 8 yr old is getting into it all but still needs to work on her temporal physics/quantum mechanics to get the full picture. She likes the assistants who give the dr a hard time (Martha and Amy her faves). She is looking fwd to the new Dr.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday erm Sunday
Post by: woollypigs on 07 October, 2018, 08:28:59 pm
Well that will do just fine \o/


But Sundays and were was the intro music !!!!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 08 October, 2018, 06:32:08 pm
Not a spoiler........... the most unforgivable thing is the way that they have butchered the theme tune!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 08 October, 2018, 06:50:18 pm
An excellent opening episode, and Jodie is playing the character very well  :)
Quite a dark opening episode  :o
Can't wait to watch the rest of the series  :D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: tonycollinet on 08 October, 2018, 10:59:00 pm
I like the music - harks back to earlier times.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 09 October, 2018, 06:39:09 am
An excellent opening episode, and Jodie is playing the character very well  :)
Quite a dark opening episode  :o
Can't wait to watch the rest of the series  :D

Doesn't give too much away....so don't need a spoiler tag

One review posited a possible change here as r=the new team is not from a SciFi background, but more human based drama. Is there a possibility that we will be seeing more episodes where the human story is more pronounced
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 09 October, 2018, 09:00:24 am
Quite a dark opening episode  :o

I watched it last night. Quite enjoyed it. It was indeed a bit dark. It felt like a proper Doctor Who episode.

Some good lines -
"You're interfering in things you don't understand."
"Yeah, well, we all need a hobby."

The whole "Tim Shaw" business was amusing, and "Eat my salad, Halloween" made me chuckle.

Jodie Whittaker appears to be channelling David Tennant.

One review posited a possible change here as r=the new team is not from a SciFi background, but more human based drama. Is there a possibility that we will be seeing more episodes where the human story is more pronounced

I do hope not. It's been too much emphasis on "human story" that has put me off the last few series. There was a bit of it in this episode but not at the expense of a proper plot, which was pleasing. I hope it continues that way.

RTD and Steven Moffat weren't from a sci-fi background either.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hulver on 09 October, 2018, 10:28:17 am
Tim Shaw was in the credits as well.  ;D

The only fault I had on first watch was that
(click to show/hide)
. A minor quibble though, really enjoyed the episode as a whole. Got full approval of Daughter number two who was watching it with me.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 10 October, 2018, 08:52:11 am
I've been a bit Whod out over the last couple of years, so didn't watch much. But this was brilliant. Dark as hell - teeth face guy was creepy as fuck. The Doctor is excellent and I look forward to more. Bring it on...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Basil on 10 October, 2018, 10:52:40 am
But why would you carry a bike all the way up to the top of a moor if you want to learn to ride it?
Things like that always spoil it for me.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 10 October, 2018, 11:45:51 am
But why would you carry a bike all the way up to the top of a moor if you want to learn to ride it?
Things like that always spoil it for me.

I didn't give that a moment's thought, tbh, but now you mention it, it does seem a bit odd.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Butterfly on 10 October, 2018, 11:48:40 am
But why would you carry a bike all the way up to the top of a moor if you want to learn to ride it?
Things like that always spoil it for me.
To go where you won't run into mates who would take the mickey?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 21 October, 2018, 08:08:39 pm
Tonight's episode WOW !!!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Phil W on 21 October, 2018, 08:18:17 pm
But why would you carry a bike all the way up to the top of a moor if you want to learn to ride it?
Things like that always spoil it for me.

Soft landing when he falls off and no witnesses other than those he trusts.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ElyDave on 22 October, 2018, 05:12:16 am
I'll be two episodes behind by the time I get back from this trip
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 22 October, 2018, 07:34:16 am
Tonight's episode WOW !!!

Yes, very good - until it went all X Factor at the end.

I knew it was a good sign when I saw Malorie Blackman credited as a co-writer at the start.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 22 October, 2018, 09:57:53 am
Tonight's episode WOW !!!

Defintely a step-up  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rr on 22 October, 2018, 02:00:29 pm
It seems to be going a bit timeless.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 22 October, 2018, 05:29:59 pm
Tonight's episode WOW !!!

Yes, very good - until it went all X Factor at the end.
Eh, what? Did I miss a singalong bit? Or did an assistant get voted off??

Meanwhile, I've just rememberd the Banksy jokes - very clever  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Butterfly on 23 October, 2018, 07:02:10 pm
The Dr eats Kim biscuits!* Obviously.


*custard creams are known as Kim biscuits in our house as they are the only thing we've found that Kim and I both eat, so we buy them if we are going to see her so we can share.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 23 October, 2018, 10:37:12 pm
woot Kim is the Doctor ?!?!??!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 23 October, 2018, 11:13:49 pm
woot Kim is the Doctor ?!?!??!

Look, we've been through this before:  Kim is Marcie Hatter, from Dark Season.  A Russell T Davies character who bears an uncanny resemblance to, but for copyright reasons is not in fact The Doctor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 28 October, 2018, 07:38:14 pm
“Oh my god, it killed Kevin!”
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 28 October, 2018, 09:11:00 pm
^ I LOL'ed at that
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 28 October, 2018, 09:30:46 pm
Right, how the fuck am I going to get to sleep tonight? All I can think about is giant spiders!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 29 October, 2018, 07:54:17 am
^ I LOL'ed at that

Me too. In fact, I LOLed several times, in between shitting myself.

Great episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: spesh on 29 October, 2018, 07:54:16 pm
Speaking of nightmare fuel - or maybe post-late night cheese toastie dreams...

The average face of all the Doctors is a reminder of why it's a good thing that regeneration is a complete renewal: https://youtu.be/aHcwbYq7Ro8  :demon:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: BrianI on 05 November, 2018, 09:29:27 pm
I'm surprised social media hasn't been awash with people complaining that its pandering to political correctness gone mad to have a seasonal special episode broadcast on New year's Day rather than Christmas day. Im looking forward to it, at least it will make for a non Christmas story line!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 05 November, 2018, 10:46:58 pm
and the moved from Sat to Sunday, but I think the beep has numbed the viewers cause they have had a random start time for the last many years. Though I also think Iplayer got something to do with it

apart from that I do really enjoy this series, so there
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 06 November, 2018, 12:51:43 pm
I'm surprised social media hasn't been awash with people complaining that its pandering to political correctness gone mad to have a seasonal special episode broadcast on New year's Day rather than Christmas day. Im looking forward to it, at least it will make for a non Christmas story line!

It has been, mostly by Gammons and people taking the piss out of them.  There is a strong suspicion that the overlap between people who complain about the Doctor having breasts and those whining that those rampaging Trots at the BBC are stoking up the "War on Christmas " by not showing the seasonal offering on December 25th is close to 100%.

See also the "ibet they let the mooselimb win bakeoff!!1! im FUMMIN im gnu rite 2 teh bbc its perlitikle krectnis gon MAD!!eleven! FREE TOMMEH" crowd, who are the very embodiment of Wrong.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 08 November, 2018, 01:57:04 am
I'm not usually a fan of the "Stuck on a space ship" storylines - it's been done a zillion times across all sci-fi genres, but that was actaully pretty good IMO. Enjoyed it  :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 08 November, 2018, 07:32:24 am
I'm not usually a fan of the "Stuck on a space ship" storylines - it's been done a zillion times across all sci-fi genres, but that was actaully pretty good IMO. Enjoyed it  :)

+1

It did remind me somewhat of the classic ‘gremlins’ episode of the Twilight Zone.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 12 November, 2018, 06:47:12 pm
Two thoughts about this series...

1. I love some of the lines.....  are brilliantly  inserted and this weeks references to previously being a man were also inspired

2. It is becoming VERY political. The US Politician and future President with the pro-gin stance, the white supremacists trying to prevent Rosa Parks, and the references to racism in the US, then this week's moral tale about the formation of Pakistan
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 12 November, 2018, 08:00:08 pm
I'm glad you put a small p in political! I can't see any harm in the story lines we've had so far; they're more like history lessons with a moral than pushing some current Political agenda. Possibly the perfect BBC kid-oriented material??

[although I've compeltely forgotten the pro-gin POTUS ??  ::-)  ]

I'll be a bit miffed if there is a story about a horrible post-Brexit world :P

The pattern so far is:
history = good
"proper" SF = mediocre

Is there any sign of a "story arc" yet? I haven't noticed. That was something Dr Who never needed - leave it to the American shows.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: bobb on 12 November, 2018, 11:54:36 pm
I didn't really like the latest episode. I'm well aware of what happened after the partition, so I don't need a tv show to explain it to me. I can read.

I want creepy arse alien fucks, not a history lesson...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: hulver on 13 November, 2018, 09:46:51 am

Is there any sign of a "story arc" yet? I haven't noticed. That was something Dr Who never needed - leave it to the American shows.  :thumbsup:

The Doctor has a few times seemed to have forgotten that she was the Doctor, and should be helping everybody not just her companions. I was wondering if that was a very understated story arc, but there was nothing like that in this weeks show, so maybe not.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 18 November, 2018, 12:15:53 pm
I didn't really like the latest episode. I'm well aware of what happened after the partition, so I don't need a tv show to explain it to me. I can read.

I want creepy arse alien fucks, not a history lesson...

This.  I watch things like Dr Who for the escapism, when you start using it to make statements about fairly recent history, it's less science fiction, and more traditional drama.  'Rosa' and 'Demons of the Punjab' are my least favourite episodes of this series.  Overall I like Jodie Whittaker's Doctor, but less some of the storylines of this series.

It also seems like three (or more) companions spreads things a little too thin regarding how they and the Doctor interact.  With one or two companions, we learn about them, with this many we seem to get to grips with their stories far more slowly and in less depth.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 18 November, 2018, 02:25:57 pm
Since the early days of SF there has been just as much social commentary and satire as there has been pure escapism.

Time Travel fiction is more often bsed on trips into our past than our futures. The main USP of  Dr Who  (over other SF) is time-travel - hence "Time Lord"!

Anyway, it's all down to what floats YOUR patricluar boat :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 18 November, 2018, 05:24:51 pm
Anyway, the original remit of Dr Oho was to be semi-educational, hence the time-travelling to historical events.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 18 November, 2018, 07:23:34 pm
That was pretty good, but what a brilliant link back to Doc #11, that made me laugh out loud
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 19 November, 2018, 12:27:54 pm
At least 8/10  :thumbsup: Some very clever little touches; I have high hopes for the new writer...
<googles> ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_McTighe

Well I didn't expect this:
"
Quote
In 2012, it was announced McTighe would be writing a reimagining of Prisoner Cell Block H called Wentworth.[8]
"  ???

But I did like this:
Quote
The BBC press release quoted him as saying, "My entire television career has quite literally been an elaborate plan to get to write Doctor Who – and no one is more shocked than me that it paid off. I've been having the time of my life working with Chris, and writing for Jodie and the new team, and can't wait for everyone to see what we've been up to


If I was going to be uber-picky, I'd point out that both Electric Dreams AND the X-files did the amazon spoof idea first. Clearly it's fertile ground!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 19 November, 2018, 01:38:25 pm
Anyway, the original remit of Dr Oho was to be semi-educational, hence the time-travelling to historical events.

Working genuine historical events into storylines is certainly nothing new in Doctor Who, though they mostly seem to be incidental rather than fundamental plot elements - eg the Doctor accidentally starting the Great Fire of London, and the Cybermen causing the 'meteor' strike that wipes out the dinosaurs (and Adric).

More recently we've had the 2012 Olympic torch relay intruding on a storyline, though I don't know if that really counts as 'historical'.

I enjoyed both the Rosa Parks and Indian partition episodes. They didn't feel like pointless history lessons to me, more like historical events providing background context for the human drama of the episode's main storyline in each case. And given that the target audience is kids, a bit of edumacationalism is perfectly acceptable in my book anyway.

In fact, I reckon the whole series has been really good so far - a considerable improvement on the last few series.

Bradley Walsh's agent is certainly earning his 10% at the moment - while Doctor Who was on BBC1 yesterday, he was also presenting The Chase over on ITV at the same time.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 19 November, 2018, 03:07:36 pm
More recently we've had the 2012 Olympic torch relay intruding on a storyline, though I don't know if that really counts as 'historical'.

I reckon that one should be reasonably disqualified on the basis that the episode was broadcast in 2006.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 19 November, 2018, 03:13:11 pm
More recently we've had the 2012 Olympic torch relay intruding on a storyline, though I don't know if that really counts as 'historical'.

I reckon that one should be reasonably disqualified on the basis that the episode was broadcast in 2006.

It's historical in a timey-wimey kind of way. ;)


(Tbh, I'd completely forgotten that it went out before the event.)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 19 November, 2018, 03:17:23 pm
More recently we've had the 2012 Olympic torch relay intruding on a storyline, though I don't know if that really counts as 'historical'.

I reckon that one should be reasonably disqualified on the basis that the episode was broadcast in 2006.

It's historical in a timey-wimey kind of way. ;)


(Tbh, I'd completely forgotten that it went out before the event.)

I remember the opening scene of them watching the relay coverage on a laptop.  While video was normal on news websites at that time, this was the year before iPlayer launched, so I reckon it qualifies as quite a decent prediction of the future.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 26 November, 2018, 08:01:55 pm
Pendle Hill !!! How cool is that, Peli was a bit beside herself when we saw Pendle Hill.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 26 November, 2018, 10:04:47 pm
we saw Pendle Hill.

So it was about to rain?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: ElyDave on 27 November, 2018, 06:33:05 am
Anyway, the original remit of Dr Oho was to be semi-educational, hence the time-travelling to historical events.

Working genuine historical events into storylines is certainly nothing new in Doctor Who, though they mostly seem to be incidental rather than fundamental plot elements - eg the Doctor accidentally starting the Great Fire of London, and the Cybermen causing the 'meteor' strike that wipes out the dinosaurs (and Adric).

More recently we've had the 2012 Olympic torch relay intruding on a storyline, though I don't know if that really counts as 'historical'.

I enjoyed both the Rosa Parks and Indian partition episodes. They didn't feel like pointless history lessons to me, more like historical events providing background context for the human drama of the episode's main storyline in each case. And given that the target audience is kids, a bit of edumacationalism is perfectly acceptable in my book anyway.

In fact, I reckon the whole series has been really good so far - a considerable improvement on the last few series.

Bradley Walsh's agent is certainly earning his 10% at the moment - while Doctor Who was on BBC1 yesterday, he was also presenting The Chase over on ITV at the same time.

Only problem with using historical events as backdrop to drama is the potential to bias the storyline, whatever the intention.  Education and drama are quite hard to merge successfully.

I'm a bit mixed on the latest series, not enough mortal peril for me so far, about as dangerous as a windy Essex audax
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Butterfly on 02 December, 2018, 10:44:46 pm
I'm really enjoying this series. I haven't seen any of the last 11 years worth on account of not having a tv so I can't compare them. There is enough suspense without overdoing it and there is enough comedy for balance.

I finally caught up with the previous 2 weeks episodes. I was very confused that there was a character in the Kerblam! episode that I thought was Bradley Walsh again and I couldn't understand why no one commented on it. Apparently, it was actually played by Lee Mack, and they weren't supposed to look like the same person. That's not helpful.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 04 December, 2018, 12:23:06 pm
WHY IS NOONE POSTING ABOUT THE NORWAY EPISODE??

It's December - I don't believe you were all out on your bikes!

It was bloody brilliant. If there has been a better episode in the New Era* I very much look forward to being reminded of it.


* (that didn't involve statues or gas-masks)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 04 December, 2018, 01:21:57 pm
yes it was nice and spooky and a brilliant in-joke too :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 04 December, 2018, 01:29:43 pm
a brilliant in-joke too :)

You mean 'reverse the polarity'? Yes, that made me smile.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 04 December, 2018, 01:41:08 pm
And here I was trying not to do spoilers :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: cygnet on 04 December, 2018, 02:31:20 pm
At least 8/10  :thumbsup: Some very clever little touches; I have high hopes for the new writer...
<googles> ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_McTighe

Well I didn't expect this:
"
Quote
In 2012, it was announced McTighe would be writing a reimagining of Prisoner Cell Block H called Wentworth.[8]
"  ???

But I did like this:
Quote
The BBC press release quoted him as saying, "My entire television career has quite literally been an elaborate plan to get to write Doctor Who – and no one is more shocked than me that it paid off. I've been having the time of my life working with Chris, and writing for Jodie and the new team, and can't wait for everyone to see what we've been up to


If I was going to be uber-picky, I'd point out that both Electric Dreams AND the X-files did the amazon spoof idea first. Clearly it's fertile ground!

Slow to pick up on this but the bold section reminded me of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HdmNVXAiLc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HdmNVXAiLc)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 05 December, 2018, 08:10:59 am
And here I was trying not to do spoilers :)

I didn’t think that was a spoiler, since it’s incidental to the plot, but sorry if anyone’s enjoyment is ruined by my indiscretion.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 05 December, 2018, 08:49:51 am
And here I was trying not to do spoilers :)

I didn’t think that was a spoiler, since it’s incidental to the plot, but sorry if anyone’s enjoyment is ruined by my indiscretion.
For me, it's not a proper Who episode if nobody r******s any p******ies.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 07 December, 2018, 07:58:56 am
I see that the Independent has been getting in with a discussion of "Political Correctness" (https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/doctor-who-politically-correct-backlash-bbc-jodie-whittaker-mandip-gill-tosin-cole-a8669156.html) regarding this series.

Political Correctness being used in this sort of context, does strike me as being somewhat lazy writing, and Clarkson has apparently used it, so that's another reason to disagree with it being appropriate. :D

I'm not upset with the placement of episodes within these sort of historical contexts, or having characters who are less "middle aged white men" than have generally appeared, I just have an issue with the writers laying it on quite so thick.  It's not particularly subtle.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 07 December, 2018, 10:56:56 am
Subtle?

Well it is primarily a kid's show. How old are you TimO??

Many kids will not be particularly familiar with discussions about gender equality (, or the history of Pakistan, or the Rosa Parks story) which to some of us seem like old well-trod topics.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 07 December, 2018, 11:21:56 am
I don't think anyone needs to take much notice of the views on Doctor Who of a white, middle class, middle aged man. (I say this as a white, middle class, middle aged man myself.)

"Political correctness" is a classic dog whistle phrase. Perhaps the archetypal dog whistle phrase.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 09 December, 2018, 11:38:51 pm
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

On top of waiting until next year for the final of this season we also have to wait until 2020 before the next season, why are you doing this to us !!!

shakes fist in the general direction of BBC HQ
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: spesh on 10 December, 2018, 12:03:16 am
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

On top of waiting until next year for the final of this season we also have to wait until 2020 before the next season, why are you doing this to us !!!

shakes fist in the general direction of BBC HQ

Could be worse...

You could be one of those who's waiting for George R.R. Martin to finish writing the final volumes of A Song of Ice and Fire before the heat death of the universe...  :demon: ::-)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 25 December, 2018, 12:12:59 am
Since it isn't crimbo without we got https://youtu.be/UE840lgu4Ew
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 02 January, 2019, 09:36:23 pm
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 05 January, 2019, 01:45:34 pm
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Cunobelin on 05 January, 2019, 02:45:47 pm
Loved the plot

But ....

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 03 December, 2019, 10:35:15 pm
Jan 1st 2020 the waiting is nearly over https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/1201516374209765376?s=20
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 26 January, 2020, 08:21:47 pm
Two Doctors and Captain Jack!!
 ;D
I don't care what the miserable bastards think - I'm enjoying Ms Whittaker as Doctor.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 26 January, 2020, 09:52:00 pm
Nicknack you are taking the words out of my keyboard.

I saw the Jack spoiler and told the lass we gotta watch it now, cause well just because. Then another Doc Who stepped up \o/
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 28 January, 2020, 07:11:01 am
The most gratuitous fan-pleasing cameo I've ever seen!

Enjoyable episode overall, with loads of clever ideas. It just didn't hang together very well. One for the fans, who judging by social media reaction are ecstatic.

Jodie has been good in general :-) No really great shows yet, but she doesn't write the things.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rob on 28 January, 2020, 09:14:14 pm
Vogons anyone ?

Maybe just me spotting the nicked ideas.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 28 January, 2020, 09:26:32 pm
Vogons anyone ?

Maybe just me spotting the nicked ideas.
Do you mean the Judoon? They've been around a while in DW.

I don't really see much similarity with Vogons.

Or did you mean something else?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rob on 28 January, 2020, 10:19:04 pm
Vogons anyone ?

Maybe just me spotting the nicked ideas.
Do you mean the Judoon? They've been around a while in DW.

I don't really see much similarity with Vogons.

Or did you mean something else?

Yeah, I thought so.  I’ve been away from DW since David Tennant left so may be a bit behind.  There was something in the bureaucratic nature and rule quoting that I though was lifted from H2G2, but I could be reading too much into it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 29 January, 2020, 07:11:25 am
Modern DW steals 90% of ideas from SF written 30 years ago. and much older ...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 07 February, 2020, 08:30:05 pm
This week's (yes I'm very late) was fantastic, easily the best of this series.

On googling, it was written by the guy that did Kerblam ep11/7 (also with Jodie)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerblam!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 07 February, 2020, 08:40:20 pm
https://screenrant.com/doctor-who-joe-hill-writer-rejection/amp/
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 07 February, 2020, 08:45:56 pm
https://screenrant.com/doctor-who-joe-hill-writer-rejection/amp/
I've just skim-read that. I presume the main point is this bit?

(click to show/hide)

Did that really happen?? I'm amazed! It feeels like there's more to the story, but ... well what do I know?!?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 16 February, 2020, 08:10:47 pm
Doc Who tonight was brilliant going from hiding behind my pillow to roaring with laughter. Perfectly silly and scary at the same time. A classic.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 25 March, 2020, 08:03:24 pm
https://twitter.com/caitlinmoran/status/1242788963930292224

Totally agree, Caitlin.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 09 August, 2020, 10:47:04 pm
 :o 

 https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/aug/09/christopher-eccleston-to-return-as-doctor-who-in-new-audio-adventures

ETA.  OK, it's audio...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 02 January, 2021, 07:02:15 pm
If you haven't seen the Xmas - sorry New Year special, read this instead:

https://twitter.com/PennyRed/status/1345128376516808704?s=19

Finders Fee to Kim
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Kim on 02 January, 2021, 07:16:32 pm
I get all my Doctor Who knowledge from Bike Immunity Bi Community News.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mike J on 02 January, 2021, 08:49:15 pm
I get all my Doctor Who knowledge from Bike Immunity Bi Community News.

Nearly forgot to read my copy.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 24 September, 2021, 03:59:04 pm
You know who is back...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58682472
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 24 September, 2021, 04:20:59 pm
60 years!

I still have the Peter Haining book commemorating the 20th anniversary, which was also marked by the Five Doctors special. Wonder if they'll do a 14 Doctors story for this anniversary.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 16 October, 2021, 09:05:47 pm
Just watched the trailer back on the 31st of Oct and the Stone angels are back, I need more pillows.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 31 October, 2021, 07:25:56 pm
wow that's was a brilliant start back, a true hide behind the sofa and laugh out loud episode.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Beardy on 31 October, 2021, 08:06:44 pm
wow that's was a brilliant start back, a true hide behind the sofa and laugh out loud episode.
no Daleks though!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 08 November, 2021, 10:24:09 am
Ep1 was nothing special, but a nice enough hour.
Ep2 has got going a bit - I think simply because it was a lot funnier.

I'm a bit fatigued from the Doc saving the world from ever more contrived/bigger/infiniter threats: if the characters are going to joke around (and fight Sontar with their mum's wok), I might enjoy this a lot!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 08 November, 2021, 10:44:30 am
I'm a bit fatigued from the Doc saving the world from ever more contrived/bigger/infiniter threats

I got bored of this some time ago, and it's the main reason I haven't watched since mid-Capaldi era. When I saw the trailer for the new series, I just rolled my eyes. They've saved the WHOLE UNIVERSE so many times now, there's nowhere left to go.

When I was growing up, the stories were usually on a much smaller scale - the Genesis of the Daleks was about a 'local' scrap, and even Earthshock was low-key compared to some of the recent storylines.

And the best stories of the current era are similarly narrow in their scope - Blink and The Empty Child being great examples.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 08 November, 2021, 02:18:08 pm
Heathens !!!!

Can't ever be bored of the Doctor running around in a wibbly wobbly, timey wimey kinda of way !

Next you will be telling me that you have stopped playing with Lego, shudders...
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Beardy on 08 November, 2021, 06:34:48 pm
I have to say the current incarnation of the Doctor is just a little too Sylvester for my tastes which is a shame because I was looking forward to a Doctor with a Yorkshire accent.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: citoyen on 11 November, 2021, 12:06:05 pm
Heathens !!!!

Actually, looking back over the thread, I can see I did watch some of the early Jodie episodes and even said nice things about them. I just don't remember them.

Just had a look at the first episode of the new series - largely because my son's friend is in it. I don't think she has much chance of becoming a long-term character - she's the younger of the two guards who inspect the prisoner (Swarm?). Fair play to her though - she's come a long way since the school production of Twelfth Night that I last saw her in!

Found myself getting into it a bit. Maybe I'll give this series a chance.

Quote
Next you will be telling me that you have stopped playing with Lego, shudders...

Never!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 02 January, 2022, 04:49:14 pm
Has yacf stopped watching Dr Who?
Or are you all too drunk to comment?
(And I address that question to the last 18 months, all low on Who reviews).
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 02 January, 2022, 05:21:59 pm
I enjoyed it, a good old running down corridors episode.

I had understood that last night was the last of Jodie. Wiki tells me there is two more with her this year.

But sadly it looks like there is only two episodes more this year. Which is crap.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: perpetual dan on 02 January, 2022, 05:26:41 pm
We've not watched the new year one yet, so no spoilers please!

I've been enjoying this Doctor, and the last series though - despite my misgivings about series long stories.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 02 January, 2022, 05:40:03 pm
We've not watched the new year one yet, so no spoilers please!

I've been enjoying this Doctor, and the last series though - despite my misgivings about series long stories.
Ah right, well I hope you enjoy - as we did - Aisling Bea playing the hilarious character "Aisling Bea - you know, the one in her own TV show a few months back".

Good, 1-off PROPER story, much less derivative than recent story-lines. 8/10 !

(IMO to write a 6hr story requires serious writing skills - which Who writers have yet to display. The formula/setup works brilliantly for 60-90minute stories. And at least 1 dud doesn't spoil the other 5 hours!)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 03 January, 2022, 06:48:58 pm
https://twitter.com/WeeMissBea/status/1477378592355069957?t=fQ0-t911JlHPzXfLiEzmaA&s=19
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 02 April, 2022, 07:35:09 pm
Doctor who and pirates !!!! https://gizmodo.com/doctor-who-legacy-sea-devils-teaser-trailer-1848741956
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Basil on 17 April, 2022, 07:52:33 pm
Gah!  I remember when Dr Who wasn't embarrassingly cringeworthy crap.
Switched off with 10 minutes to go.   :-\
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: fd3 on 17 April, 2022, 10:28:35 pm
Yeah, back in the days of Tom Baker.
I think part of the issue is that the modern Who doesn’t try to tell a story that spans several episodes, there’s no craft to the tales, just fx and scifi tropes.  It’s the mcu take on the story.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: perpetual dan on 18 April, 2022, 05:41:42 pm
I thought the last series was basically one story?

I quite like a well done short story. It’s not as complex, but doesn’t end up dragging an idea out to fit the series that’s been sold rather than the limits of its interest. I also don’t mind a bit of humour, but I grew up with Tom Baker. So I thought this one was ok.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 18 April, 2022, 06:10:20 pm
I thought the story was a bit meh, not one of the best. Sadly Jodie haven't had the best writing around. Though the Stephen King jokes was rather good.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Mr Larrington on 08 May, 2022, 01:26:18 pm
Ncuti Gatwa: BBC names actor as next Doctor Who star. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61371123)  This Unit predicts further anguished howling from the Gammonariat.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 08 May, 2022, 03:04:24 pm
Ncuti Gatwa: BBC names actor as next Doctor Who star. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61371123)  This Unit predicts further anguished howling from the Gammonariat.
We've already come to accept Scottish actors.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TheLurker on 08 May, 2022, 03:37:15 pm
Quote from: Mr Larrington
...This Unit predicts further anguished howling from the Gammonariat.
You've got to admit it though, it is fun watching imbeciles getting worked up about who can or cannot play an (effectively) immortal being from another planet who can travel through time (& space) and who changes shape every now and again.  MInd you the shape changing is a bit limited, so far it's always been a variation on adult human.  Now what would be really exciting would be, say, a cephalopod or mebbe a dolphin.  Now that I'd tune in for.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 08 May, 2022, 04:36:46 pm
Now what would be really exciting would be, say, a cephalopod or mebbe a dolphin.  Now that I'd tune in for.
It would mean a lot more dialogue for the companions:

"What's that skippy doctor? The daleks have what? Oh dear, that's not good ...
The Tardis needs fixing? Sure tell us what to do, you can't hold the Sonic Screwdriver now!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TheLurker on 08 May, 2022, 04:46:34 pm
Ooh a kangaroo!  Now that's a good idea!  After all, if a kangaroo could be a leading character in Tank Girl, why not the star in Dr. Who?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: fd3 on 08 May, 2022, 05:06:29 pm
^ Point of order, he absolutely can't play the Doctor!
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Syd on 08 May, 2022, 05:18:18 pm
^ Point of order, he absolutely can't play the Doctor!
(click to show/hide)
Point of order. The doctor goes through a regeneration not a reincarnation.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 08 May, 2022, 06:48:30 pm
...
The doctor goes through a regeneration not a reincarnation.
I think the correct term is
recasting
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 18 October, 2022, 10:58:17 am
Only five more sleeps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxaDzBPBuP8
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rogerzilla on 18 October, 2022, 08:49:46 pm
An excuse to link to one of the greatest tweets ever https://twitter.com/ProfBrianCox/status/1479071653300785153?s=20&t=_F9jhpGHOE4UziydreFebA
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Beardy on 23 October, 2022, 09:03:31 pm
Well I didn’t see that coming.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 23 October, 2022, 09:04:41 pm
 ;D :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 23 October, 2022, 09:18:04 pm
I had seen the rumours in the mill so I knew he was back. But is he the 10th it the 14th or even the 16th doctor.

When the Boney M played I scared the dog with my laughter.

I enjoyed this one, didn't even notice that it was an hour and a half.

Now we wait again until 2023.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Beardy on 23 October, 2022, 09:49:45 pm
With cybermen and Darliks the only place to be was behind the couch! :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 23 October, 2022, 10:32:00 pm
Yes I was armed with the trusty pillow shield and guard mutt on the lap.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 24 October, 2022, 12:29:55 am
I had seen the rumours in the mill so I knew he was back. ...
I hadn't heard anything, so that was also somewhat of a surprise for me too!

When the Boney M played I scared the dog with my laughter.
They do seem to enjoy throwing in some music for him to dance too! I remember a similar usage way back in Series 3 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b007rsj5/doctor-who-series-3-13-last-of-the-time-lords) (3 minutes 12 seconds in).

I enjoyed this one, didn't even notice that it was an hour and a half.
Was it?!  :o
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 24 October, 2022, 07:29:51 am
Pictures circulate way back in May with Doc #10 and Donna filming in Camden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSN4xdaXTtM Though back then we didn't know it it was just a special for 60th year of Doc or if he was coming back as a doc.

Yes I didn't feel that it was that long either

I love the link to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g9oQKlFTbM at the every end :)

Sadly the wait looks we have to wait until Nov next year :(
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Wowbagger on 23 November, 2023, 09:09:51 am
60th anniversary of the first episode today. Anyone else remember watching it?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 23 November, 2023, 11:37:25 am
Yup.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: HectoJ on 25 November, 2023, 07:12:09 pm
Anyone watching tonight's new episode with Tennant back ?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 25 November, 2023, 07:30:46 pm
Excellent. Loved it.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 25 November, 2023, 07:42:13 pm
Boy was it good to see the old team back together.

Happy birthday Doctor Who!

Best of all 3 more episodes in this 60th anniversary special

Allons-y!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: HectoJ on 25 November, 2023, 09:02:57 pm
Had to record it... It was ok, nothing to write home about, better compared to recent series. Miss the days of Blink, Waters of Mars and A Christmas Carol.. but all in all, not bad.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimC on 26 November, 2023, 10:21:54 am
Excellent. Loved it.

Me too!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimC on 26 November, 2023, 10:23:20 am
60th anniversary of the first episode today. Anyone else remember watching it?

I did - and religiously watched all of that series. It's one of the few memories of TV that I've retained!
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 26 November, 2023, 01:15:49 pm
We all watched it - enjoy a good deus ex machina.   ;)  Still think none of the Drs following DT have matched him. 
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TimO on 26 November, 2023, 05:20:32 pm
Overall pretty good, I do like David Tenant and Catherine Tate, I think they work quite well together.

Mostly I liked the non-binary bit, although I've seen people complaining about it. It gave them a plausible-ish excuse to bring Donna back, which is good.

The Meep being the baddy and the insectoid Wrarth being the goodies, was fairly obvious from the start. The cute fluffy creature is never going to be nice nowadays, although it's become a bit of a cliché either way around! I quite like the Wrarth, and hopefully they'll replace the Judoon, who were excessively annoying and dogmatic as an outer-space police force.

... and of course, they sort of brought back the "Round Things".  ;D
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 26 November, 2023, 07:36:34 pm
I enjoyed it.

I did have an niggle though, as I couldn't understand why, after Donna got her memories back, she was querying why the Doctor had his old face back.  She couldn't have known he'd regenerated twice since she had her brain wiped back in 2008.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: woollypigs on 26 November, 2023, 07:50:51 pm
Details, Adam details. All you need it a pillow fort behind your sofa and enjoy the ride :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 03 December, 2023, 07:47:03 pm
Enjoyed the 2nd special 'Wild Blue Yonder', some funny moments too.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 05 December, 2023, 06:45:03 pm
Enjoyed the 2nd special 'Wild Blue Yonder', some funny moments too.
That was MUCH better. Ep1 passed an hour without irritation, whilst Ep2 is probably the smartest (or least worst!) SF-y story line from RTD. (who never seemed to understand the ethos of SF, let alone Dr Who. except when he was stealing an idea that had been done twice as well in some 60s/70s novel).

The 2-on-2 scene, as a verbal, quipping battle was great. One of the moments with the ... let's say "grotesque"-looking aliens was inspired use of CGI to do something genuinely funny AND sinister.

[ It was almost good enough to distract me from the poor overworked orchestra, who are forced to play something to accompany every second of the modern DW era. /whinge ]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Basil on 25 December, 2023, 06:47:41 pm
I've been tied up with my eyes pegged wide open, in front of Dr Who.
Thanks family.  What an absolute pile of steaming poo.  :hand:
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: nicknack on 25 December, 2023, 08:23:53 pm
It was brilliant.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 26 December, 2023, 02:23:00 pm
Clearly you cannot quite please all the people, all the time :P

[I liked it quite a lot, FWIW ...]
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 26 December, 2023, 03:02:23 pm
As a Christmas panto type of excursion, it was quite entertaining.  As well as setting up further mysteries such as who is the neighbour, Mrs Flood?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: rogerzilla on 27 December, 2023, 08:31:59 am
I've been tied up with my eyes pegged wide open, in front of Dr Who.
Thanks family.  What an absolute pile of steaming poo.  :hand:
I did wonder if the makers of Gremlins and Return Of The Jedi might sue for creature design.

SO: Finally, they've put a Manc in it!
Me: What about Christopher Eccleston?
SO: Oh yeah
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: TheLurker on 27 December, 2023, 09:23:56 am
Quote from: rogerzilla
I did wonder if the makers of Gremlins and Return Of The Jedi might sue for creature design.
If they do, they'd better expect a lawsuit from the Brothers Grimm. :)
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 27 December, 2023, 10:26:12 am
One of the actors in a goblin suit, was actually the person who played Po in the teletubbies.  :D

Grauniad liked Xmas Special...
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/dec/25/doctor-who-church-ruby-road-2023-christmas-special-ncuti-gatwa-millie-gibson
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: mattc on 27 December, 2023, 10:43:42 am
As a Christmas panto type of excursion, it was quite entertaining.  As well as setting up further mysteries such as who is the neighbour, Mrs Flood?
I think she was in EastEnders early on - probably ran a pub.
HTH

Talking of setting up...
It CANNOT be an accident that Ruby's mum is called Clara.
Thats too recent a name to reuse, without some planned intent. Did I miss something that everyone else knows about this?,?
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: andyoxon on 27 December, 2023, 12:03:20 pm
As a Christmas panto type of excursion, it was quite entertaining.  As well as setting up further mysteries such as who is the neighbour, Mrs Flood?
I think she was in EastEnders early on - probably ran a pub.
...

and married to rock royalty.
Title: Re: Heads up! Dr Who starts Saturday....
Post by: Adam on 27 December, 2023, 01:58:06 pm
As a Christmas panto type of excursion, it was quite entertaining.  As well as setting up further mysteries such as who is the neighbour, Mrs Flood?
I think she was in EastEnders early on - probably ran a pub.
...

and married to rock royalty.

I meant the real mystery as in how does she know what a Tardis is, and why Mrs Flood.  Following on from a River and Pond................