Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Doctor Who.

furie

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Anyone here a secret (or not so secret) fan?

I always was as a youngster (Tom Baker is my Doctor :p ), but watched the new emerging series with interest... and some disappointment and some more interest.

I find it's a real mixed bag and while I like Ecclestone and Tennant as Doctors, I've found the short and stabby stories with drawn out plot arc a little tedious. It's been getting worse and worse with Matt Smith leading up some really dreadfully put together stories.

Maxi-Minor_Furie though loves it, but everything happens so fast and in such a confusing manner, he can't keep up and constantly needs to ask what's happening. Again, this has got worse as things have progressed. We've been making our way through the newer series on Watch and the like and he enjoys it (he's also got into the Sarah Jane Adventures).

It's then you realise it's a kid's program, but it tries to straddle a grown up line and I think it fails. I like the Doctor characters generally and enjoy the lines and acting, but the stories are generally very poor.

Last weeks was very bad. Great idea, and a generally good start, but then the entire thing fell apart in the last ten minutes and just became obvious and awful. Likewise the series opener, with some absolutely stunningly "scary" stuff that just became a damp squib by the end.

I want to love it, and I'm glad MMF is watching something that isn't a cartoon and which can be challenging (for a five year old). I just don't really :lol:

I then watched the Tom Baker special put on BBC4 in memory of Liz Sladen last night and what a contrast. It's proper, slow paced, tortured British Sci-Fi. I have no idea how I sat through it and enjoyed it as a kid, it's so tedious. The pacing is awful and it's hard to really enjoy. I know it's a different era and things have moved on, but I'm happy to leave it in memory. A four part (45 mins per part) single story? That's like an entire film and a bit, only done on the budget required to feed up a well fed pigeon. Again, characters are great and everything, but it's the complete opposite of the modern stuff with every last detail dragged out.

Anyway, anyone else take part in a bit of Who-age? Any real fans or hardcore haters?
 
I (secretly) like it. I've obviously only seen the 'new' doctors, but I think there's elements of childishness and wisdom that getting mixed together surprisingly well. Ecclestone and Tennant were good (I think Tennant started to get on my tits towards then end though) and I think Matt Smith is doing a pretty good job too.

As for this new series? Well I like the first episode(s), I thought they were very good, but I can see what you mean about them stumbling at the end of them. I HATED the most recent one, I thought it was ****. It started off good, but then about half way through it just got crap for some reason.

It's interesting how you say MMF is really enjoying them, I've been surprised at how 'adult' they've been over the last few weeks (especially the first two). Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure MMF is a tough little guy who isn't fazed by anything (he's met us lot FFS!), but somehow I think it seems quite intense for a program that is broadcast around 6pm. Maybe that's just me turning into an old man already, but I'm surprised it's not been seen as 'too creepy' for 6pm. In a way it's reminding me more and more of Torchwood...

Also, another pointless nugget, I didn't realise the 'Silence' were based on the "Slender Man" conspiracy/meme. I think it's quite clever that they used them in the episode as it gives the plot a bit more of a basis in 'fact'. (Link)

So overall yes, I do enjoy Dr Who. I'm not overly dedicated to them, but they are something I will try to watch every week. I've never seen an old episode (doubt I ever will to be honest), but so far I'm liking it. :)
 
Doctor Who <3

Tennant is obviously the best ever, but, Smith is really good in his own way.

I really enjoyed the opening double parter, they were a really cool, interesting villain that were quite scary, boo... Even if they were just the Gentlemen from Buffy :p

The third episode started really good, but, I agree, it went off the rails a bit when they headed into other dimensions and space and... *yawn*

But, it was still as good as bad episodes have always been, if you get me? Plus, I really like how it's darker and stuff than the earlier seasons (I'm watching 3 at the moment cause, David <3), so, yay.
 
I've watched every single of episode of Doctor Who since the 'reboot'.
Tennant is my favourite doctor and I didn't really grow to like Smith as the Doctor last series as usually it only takes me a couple of episodes to get used to a new doctor. This series however has been great so far. The opening two-parter was really good and I'm loving the much darker and adult tone the show has taken.

I agree with the last episode starting off great and lacking a bit but it was still enjoyable and I didn't hate it.
 
Generally love it, and have been completely won over by Matt Smith (I see him as Tom Baker for a new generation - they being the only slightly off-worldy ones, and therefore more convincingly alien). When it's bad, it rarely stinks, when it's good it is up there with the best shows on TV. It can be inconsistent though, having said that, and last week's episode compared to the previous two showed that particularly well. The first two episodes of the current run almost had a lost/heroes feel about them, the third episode was more like a kids show, and thereby harder to engage with.

Tennant was decent, but I find it hard to watch his talking-through-his teeth-hammyness now, and even over the course of the last couple of years, the production values have soared, and some of the reboot episodes really haven't aged that well. Similarly, I found the Tom Baker episodes reshown over the last couple of nights hard to watch, in the same way it is sometimes hard to play a computer game you used to love when you were 14, that said, Tom baker was still excellent in it though (even if I can't help see him as Jon Culshaw's Dead Ringers characterisation of him in my head...)
 
3 episodes into the new series and I am not a fan (of the series, I like Who)...

Those first two episodes were just a rush, too much, too quickly and it really didn't work well in my opinion... Introducing the Silents so early on was also a rather meh decision... Even if apparently they were around in the last series... Cop-Out Moffat and his continual 'timey-wimey' reasoning that keeps appearing...

They just seem to be cramming so much into these episodes recently and it is too much to digest in 45 minutes... They either need to slow the pace down or try and make it longer... Preferably by replacing "Don't Scare The Hare" beforehand... But that's a whole other topic...

The pirate episode ALMOST redeemed itself by killing Rory... But they didn't... What a useless character he is... And it made me angry that they would tease us like that...

On the subject of Doctors, Tom Baker is by far the best... Followed by Tennant... But it's hard to compare the old with new because of the stark differences between the writing/action/everything...


TL;DR, I like Matt Smith as the Doctor, but the stories are rather crap and unentertaining atm... Hopefully they will improve but not been impressed so far...
 
I've never been a massive fan of sci-fi (or light entertainment for that matter, unless it's about con men or the mafia) so I don't watch it.

The few I have seen never caught my imagination or interest. I'm chuffed that it's a popular British export though.
 
Who the **** said Doctor Who was actually meant to be good???

Ah, Neil Gaiman, that'll explain it.

In terms of story and stuff, it sat pretty much where the rest of the recent series has, a bit rushed and undeveloped. In terms of dialogue though it was fantastic. I can't believe it, I really can't - it was actually really very good tonight. Loved the interaction with The Tardis, even if the bint playing it so wanted to be HBC.
 
^Hmm... not sure I agree (or understand) what you're saying. I REALLY liked the idea of the doctor being able to 'talk' with the TARDIS, but I didn't really see the point in the whole 'alien-asteroid-outside-universe-timelord-eating' bit.

I'm not sure, I'd been told good things about Neil Gaiman, but I'm not really sure this episode was that great. It all just feels a bit... rushed... these days.

One thing that I did like though, he didn't remake the blue box. I'd have been pissed off if he had.
 
I liked getting to see the corridors of the Tardis and them going into Tennants old control room. I thought it was a really good episode as well and I'm really enjoying this series so far. I don't think there's been one episode I've not liked yet.
 
Hixee said:
^Hmm... not sure I agree (or understand) what you're saying. I REALLY liked the idea of the doctor being able to 'talk' with the TARDIS, but I didn't really see the point in the whole 'alien-asteroid-outside-universe-timelord-eating' bit.

I'm not sure, I'd been told good things about Neil Gaiman, but I'm not really sure this episode was that great. It all just feels a bit... rushed... these days.
Click to expand...

It was the former I loved. It was all the dialogue and a very fast paced wit that worked really well.

Then yes, the latter with it feeling "rushed" so it ruins it all. I'm watching all the earlier episodes and none of it seems so manic. Even the Moffatt episodes are a lovely pace. So it must be the difference between RTD and Moffatt in the driving seat. I think Gaiman needed a double episode to really work with and just ended up chopping things down so much we ended up with things a bit poor (and rushed).
 
^Yeah, it would've been interesting to see a double episode by him. More of the interesting dialogue-y parts and generally less rushed. Is he doing any more episodes?
 
That was the best episode of the series so far...

Which is damning with faint praise... But at least it wasn't as pointless and actually challenged some of the background in an amusing fashion...

Also...

23k27b8.jpg
 
That stupid woman in the fourth episode who wanted to be Helena Bonham Carter was do not want.
 
I grew up with Tom Baker as The Doctor, when the next actor took over the role, I couldn't stand it.

A lot of the folks at work have been talking about the new series, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm up to ep.7 of the "first" season.

I like it. (Again.)
 
I quite liked Peter Davidson actually, but Colin Baker needed to be shot. Luckily they didn't have that many episodes. Sylvester McCoy was excellent though, it's worth hunting out his episodes.

I'm still watching the bloody show, but it's become a bit of a chore recently, though I do like Matt Smith. I've liked all three of the recent Doctors actually.

I love watching the old Tom Baker episodes though and so does Maxi-Minor_Furie. We kept "The Hand of Fear" for ages :lol:

The Sarah Jane adventures are worth digging out too, there are some decent episodes there, but it is a solid kids show, so don't expect anything too deep or complicated.
 
Peter Davison was by far and away my favourite Doctor growing up as a child - perhaps it was his garb and adoration of vegetable accessories? =P

But seeing as I watched it from pretty much the beginning (there's a few lost tapes of series one which haven't been seen since original broadcast), I feel I have quite a subjective view on the original 7 Doctors, as none of them fell into the trap of being "my" Doctor growing up. They'd already been and gone so I was well clued up on how the character change works. Plus, as a small child, I didn't really attach to individual actors, just the on-screen character.

I suppose "my" Doctor would have been, by default, McGann from the film, but again, to me he was a regeneration of Sylvester McCoy's Doctor. And when the new series emerged in the mid noughties I enjoyed (and noticed) the refreshing change of pace that I think furie mentioned last year. Ecclestone was a brilliant incarnation, Tennant's was better. And by the end of his tennancy (fnar) in the TARDIS I'd decided he was a better persona than even Davison. Smith isn't half bad on occasion. /irrelevant footnote

I suppose you can probably guess I'm quite a big Whovian after all that then xD
 
See, I liked Peter Davison too, but he's generally regarded as "poor". I've never understood it.

It may have been due to a change in writers or something, but I think it's simply the "people don't like change" thing.

Tom Baker is generally regarded as the best. He held the role for a long time and through a lot of changes in the series. The move from the low budget "trapped on Earth" Wurzel Gummage Doctor to a mind blowing (at the time) expansion into deep space and wild and well made serious sci-fi. Sci-fi also "grew up" in the 70's and became a very serious force on visual media (while serious sci-fi had been written for a long time, the on-screen adaptations had more or less been nothing but cheese).

So along with a great piece of acting, Tom Baker epitomised this change in both Doctor Who and the realm of sci-fi.

Peter Davison was a bumbling vet. He was famous for being young and petulant (as Tristan Farnon) to the (brilliantly acted by Christopher Timothy) superb, clever and loveable James Herriot in "All Creatures Great and Small". That show was to Sunday night what Doctor Who was to Saturday nights. Both were watched by the majority of the UK.

Davison actually played a brilliant role, but I think it type-cast him. He was too well known to the weekend tea-time TV watchers to take on the role of Doctor Who.

I think the fact he spent the first few episodes just bumbling around being useless didn't help his cause at all.

Personally, I liked the character and he had some of the most moving and exciting stories of that "era".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top