Dr Who

[AdrianF]

The new series of Dr Who starts next saturday on ABC at 7:30.

Adrian

[richardda1st]

:rofl::eyepop::eyepop::lol::lol:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do-wDPoC6GM
Till next week.:thumbsup:

[that_guy]

Or, you can watch it online :lol:

[Ric]

I'm eagerly counting down the days.

I think this series will be one of the best yet.

[that_guy]

after david tennant... i dont know

[ballaratdragons]

I really don't get it with Doctor Who :shrug:

I watched the first series with William Hartnell for about a year or two in the late 60's when I was a kid, and even then I noticed the really pathetic production quality and lousy special effects. I didn't like it.
I did however make model Daleks :lol:
I remember thinking at the time what a badly made show it was. I thought it was amateurish crap.

Many years later I accidentally turned on ABCTV (I rarely watched ABC, and still don't) and Doctor Who episode was starting. I noticed the different start to the show and thought 'is this crap still on' but I watched the full episode to see if it had gotten any better with time.

My answer was immediate: No.
This one had John Pertwee in it and was as crappy as the original series I saw many years before. In my eyes it was still amateurish rubbish.

Then, many years later I saw it again with yet another Doctor! This time it was Tom Baker.
And yep, to me it was still the same old absolute dribble made by some amateur film class.

I have never watched it since then and never will. It is so badly produced.

Good on it for surviving for so long and for having many millions of followers and supporters, but to me it is crap.

Don't post in here and tell me off for MY opinion on the Doctor Who series. It is MY opinion and I am entitled to have one.
I also happen to know other people who don't like it.

If you like Doctor Who, good on you. That's YOUR thing.

I just never got it. :zzz:
But I never liked Star Wars either. :lol:

[mithrandir]

That's part of the charm of the earliest series. To see how much they could do with no budget and management who didn't believe they could get an audience. The BBC even scrapped some of the videotapes because they though they would never be able to show them a second time.

If you think Dr Who is crap, try watching 73 (7Mate) during the day when they are playing American TV shows from the 60's and 70's. They might have had more money to spend on sets, but the acting is no better. The more sophisticated audience of today expects more.

But then today's audience is fascinated by Masterchef, My Kitchen Rules, The Biggest Loser, anything with Eddie McGuire in it, and so on, so maybe they aren't any more sophisticated.

Andrew

[Liz]

Looking forward to the new series, this Doctor has captured me yet. :shrug: Hmmm... observing night next Saturday, but am sure i will catch it somewhere. :D

[Davros]

First one was good, strange but good. :P

[jjjnettie]

I watched part 1 of the Impossible Astronaut today.
I loved it.
Can't wait to see part 2.


Ken.....:P
:rofl:

[Gem]

JJJ - now that is teasing! :lol:

[AdrianF]

I watched it today I thought it was OK too. Strange and confusing start to the series.

Adrian

[EddieDog]

Ken, I too watched the original series in '65, I was ummm, errrr, 19. I think the criticism you make, much of it warrented, is what turned it into an immediate cult hit. Yes, tight budged resulted in poor props, heck - were it NOT for props then all the doors would have fallen in each time they were closed. As others have written, that was part of the charm of the series, so too the gross scientific innacuracies and plot deficiencies. And yet...I have just watched a heap of the original William Hartnell series and was quite supprised at a number of scientific gadgets they had that only now are mainstream. Re-watcning I now have far more regard For the Late Mr Hartnell and his acting skills then I realised at the time. Jon Pertwee was, to me and many, the quintisenntial Dr Who, though for others might argue it was Tom Baker. I have enjoyed them all. When finally the Beeb got the rights back, I wondered just how the new lead would manage. Christopher Eccleston did a superb job in 'Regenerating' the character. David Tennet made it his own, whilst Matt Smith has yet to grow on me but I'm willing to give him more time.
The modern series all have spectacular special effects undreamed of in the '60's. But I feel that much of the original charam has been lost. In those days it was either Dr Who or Star Treck. Decades later some of us managed to accept both. I will be watching the new series.

Eddie

[Liz]

Great to hear ... will watch it tonight. :D

[The_bluester]

I will admit to having been a fan all of my life (I was not around when it started (Cough))

The current generation of the series is undoubtably far better produced than the original and I think that it has lost some of its appeal as a result, but a program produced like it was in the 60's 70's and 80's would die a quick death I think.

I reckon that they still occasionally show some real brilliance and it is usually in what you would call a "low budget" episode. To my mind the two best episodes ever produced were "Blink" and "Midnight" SFX light and making use of fairly sinister baddies without any actual violence!

[DJDD]

exciting episode and hopefully the "twist" at the end, what ever it will be, will be good. Written by Steven Moffat.

Of course, I now compare every episode to "Blink", arguably the best episode of Doctor Who ever produced, also written by Steven Moffat.

when the focus is on other characters, and they act well, with a good storyline, the episodes really shine. Blink had those aspects:
- focus on a good character: Sally Sparrow, played by Carey Mulligan
- a good storyline
- an excellent start, with suspense

[Liz]

Really enjoyed this episode too!!

[Liz]

Sooo enjoyed this last episode with the 'female tardis' - fabulous writing!! Alas, still not keen on the docor or Amy, like the female Tardis and Rory.

[Gem]

For me Matt Smith is doing a fine job. Just need to keep the episodes fun. Doctor Who is at its best when it is combining suspence with humour.
Some themes could be dropped for a long time (daleks, soltarans, cybers) while some should be taken up (doctor's daughter, sally sparrow) again. The only show I will not miss during the week!

[AdrianF]

Just can't get into this series. First one was ok second alright but........

Adrian

[Draconis]

I agree, it's all very disjointed and doesnt flow like the superb last 2 series, I'm hoping they fix it in the next couple of episodes and bring everything together and resume normal service

[Liz]

Good episode last night of Dr Who (part 1) which will be repeated on ABC tonight. :D

[Omaroo]

I'm with you Liz - great episode. Personifying the Tardis is a first, and I'm surprised that it is. It is a character in its own right and should have been focused-on before this.

Amy is dreadful. Still.

[Liz]

Yes, the female tardis was great, hopefully we will see more of her. Ditch Amy, and bring her in. :thumbsup:

[Paddy]

I think the first 2 episodes of this series and the personification of the Tardis were fantastic. Could well have done without the silly pirate one.

[TheDecepticon]

I think they have all been great. Loved the Rebel Flesh one, cant wait for part two. I've got my 15 yo son interested as well and he is hanging for the next one too.:thumbsup::)

[Liz]

:lol::lol:

[Liz]

The ending took me by surprise, and I went 'Oohh' .... look forward to next weeks. :D

[TheDecepticon]

Well, there you have it!! So, where is the real Amy? I wonder how they are going to tie it all together, with the Astronaut, the Doctor's death and Amy's baby??

[DJDD]

What happened to the Doctor's belief that people made from the Flesh were real and should not be killed?

[Ric]

It just keeps getting better, can't wait until next weeks episode.

[EddieDog]

Liz, it was, Tardis was personified by Jon Pertwee in 1972, in an episde of 'The Time Monster'
Eddie

[TheDecepticon]

LOL!! I don't think that applies when his friends go missing! :eyepop:

[TheDecepticon]

A whole week! Sooooooo loooooong!;)

[AdrianF]

Amy's baby is the new Dr Who?:shrug:

Adrian

[DJDD]

the belief system that he espoused throughout the two episodes suggests that it should not matter!

anyway, the direction in which the personalities of the two doctors has gone suggests that the doctor is no better than a human being rather than being the more enlightened individual that he the entirety of Dr Who's from no 1 onwards has been.

just my $0.20 worth

[TheDecepticon]

Well, I have seen the next episode by chance, and without giving too much away, you might be on the money.:question:

[Liz]

Am not trying to read these, but cant help myself. Havent seen this episode yet, but will watch in am on iview, sounds ... ah, interesting. :D

[tlgerdes]

Oh you are gunna love this next one. It asks as many questions as it answers.

Hello Sweety!

[Polmear]

Hey, lay off the pirate ep will ya? At least it had pirates in it, which is a lot more than you can say about a lot of the rubbish on TV these days, even if they don't actually say 'yo ho ho', which I always thought they did.

I think the best way to approach this season is to get it on DVD and watch it a few times and then if it still doesn't make sense, put the DVDs on e-Bay. I certainly found watching The Almost People a couple of times cleared things up.

I understand many people don't like Amy. Whilst I personally cannot understand what's not to like about her (though maybe that's just my second brain talking) I would like to point out that it could be worse. She could be Adric.

[tlgerdes]

BTW the next episode is the last for 6 months.

[issdaol]

I reckon the best Doctors in order of my opinion are:

1: Jon Pertwee

Even with poor budget and special effect I think Pertwee was the only actor to bring real credibility to the show as serious SciFi

2. Christopher Eccleston

Eccleston really reinvigorated the show from the "lost years" after Tom Baker with a similar seriousness to the Pertwee years backed by much better budget and effects

3. David Tennant

Great follow on to Eccleston however some of the episodes seem to come adrift along the way and revert to a style that reminded of the Syvester McCoy primary school audience

4: Tom Baker

Introduced a great blend of seriousness and humour to the show and opened up the Doctor character



At this stage the show seems to have reverted to a show targetted primarily at a primary school audience some flashy though cheesy CGI effects and a lot of nonsence an ramblings to fill the scripts.

It has lost a lot of the elements and reinvigoration that Eccleston and Tennant achieved.

Matt Smith is a pretty poor "serious" doctor character and the companions are also a big letdown over all of the prior Pertwee, Tom Baker, Eccleston and Tennant companions (apart from Donna).

[Gallifreyboy]

I couldn't disagree more with the above but hey everyone has an opinion.
With Steven Moffatt in charge I find the scripts are generally tighter and there is a lot more depth and integration from episode to episode than Russell T Davies tenure. Russell T was keen on spectacle and scale, you were guaranteed a 2 or 3 part finale that would blow your socks off, trouble was I had no more socks for David Tennant's final finale. Steven M to me prefers a really good story. I look at it as the difference between an album with several hits and a few fillers compared to a well crafted concept album. I like Matt Smith's portrayal of The Doctor, he really has brought his own feel. I also like Amy Pond, I sense that we don't really understand her yet. The character who annoys me the most in the current series is Rory, he may be a necessary foil though.

One thing for sure, after so many years in the wilderness it is good to have well written and acted Dr Who back for the foreseeable future.

[issdaol]

Dr Who is such a long running show that there is bound to be many different opinions across different generations, however it is great to hear everyones opinions :-)

The show has always had great potential but has always been held back by budget and some Doctors have been better than others and the same goes for the companions.

The companions that really annoyed me the most are:

1. Donna
2. Rory

The question is what are they planning to do for the Doctors final regeneration ?? Will the Evil Valeyard personality finally appear ?? :-)

[EddieDog]

I tend to agree with Phil. Maybe its a generation thing. I find much of today's Dr Who very dark and lacking the humour and spontaneity and charm of the past. I'm not at all keen on either Amy Pond or Rory. And still trying to get to grips with Matt Smith.

Eddie

[tlgerdes]

I just like Dr Who!

Everyone is different, everyone is good.

[Liz]

OMG, I did not see that coming!!! :eyepop:

Season now over for quite awhile. :sadeyes:

[Ric]

Simply awesome, I loved every second of it, and what a twist at the end.

It's going to be a long wait until the next series.

[Gem]

Saw it coming but still loved every minute. :)

[Gem]

I should clarify: I saw it coming that River was the baby but not that she is somehow timelord...

[Paddy]

I've found the scripts in this series to be excellent except for the pirates. Quite intriguing with the ongoing puzzles. Could well do without the silly intro by Amy with the opening titles. Seems quite pointless to me.

[Gjn200]

Have you not looked at her skirts or lack of?:thumbsup:

[Liz]

:mad2:

Ah, no. :whistle:


I agree, this series has been great. :)

Give 'Outcasts' a go everyone, it is great, though already cancelled. :mad2:

[Ric]

I agree with "Outcasts" Liz, it has me hooked.

It's sad to watch and enjoy it knowing that it has already been canned.

[Gem]

My kids enjoyed the Pirates episode the most and being newer to the series in general they also enjoy the opening credits.
Each person is different... :)

[Liz]

I nearly missed tonights episode (think I missed last weeks??) but what an excellent episode!!! Welcome back Dr Who!!

[anthony.tony]

I am a Dr. WHO fan and Have watched his Show -When I was about 9 or 10 years old right up to now -Tony

[AdrianF]

I watched last night but it a bit wierd.....again.
River Song is Amy's daughter ?????????????????

Adrian

[Ric]

An excellent episode.

I loved every second of it.

[TheDecepticon]

It was an awesome episode!:eyepop:

River gave up the rest of her regenerations to save the Doctor! We thought Matt Smith was gonna change due to all the speculation he was leaving the show, thank goodness he didn't. :thumbsup:

So what now for River, does she still kill the Doctor on the beach, or is it really the Doctor or his flesh avatar?:shrug::question:

LOL, spoilers!!:lol:

[FJA]

You'll have to wait and see. ;)

The second episode in the new series was on last night. Beyond that I'll say no more. :D

[Gem]

I am enjoying this series... keeping me hanging for what happens next. :)

[TheDecepticon]

Awwww......don't be like that!:sadeyes:

I was just trying to get a bit of speculation and stuff going!!:lol:

[firstlight]

Just caught up with the latest episode in iView tonight. Sometimes Matt Smith does the Doctor well, but most of the time... well enough said.

Of the current incarnation of the Doctor Who series, I feel that David Tarrant did it best, although Christopher Eccleston was very good as well. The right kind of kooky, but dead serious when needed. Put me in mind of Tom Baker, who was my favourite in the old days.

[issdaol]

The Telegraph places Jon Pertwee as the No 1 Best Doctor

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8463377/Doctor-Who-the-top-ten-best-Doctors.html?image=9

[Stardrifter_WA]

I don't care who the Doctor is.....as long as there is one. Love the newer series and have liked all the Doctors except Sylvester McCoy; really couldn't watch him, at all!

[Mliss]

wow i had no idea this thread was even here (thanks Craig :thumbsup:)

same as most, been a who fan since 70's. Tom Baker was my favorite growing up. as a kid, i thought it was so cool that he always had jelly babies in his pocket :lol:

i was so excited when i found out a few years ago it was coming back and my kids were well psyched :D

i really enjoyed Christopher Eccleston and thought he did such a wonderful job bring Who back to life. He had a darker side to him which took me by surprise but liked the depth it gave to his character. I really enjoyed Rose too and thought they were great together. I didn't want Eccleston to go and was far from impressed he regenerated so quickly.

...and then came Tennant. :love2: yes, i'm one of 'those' fans.

by the end of his first episode i was sold. Rather than wait for it to hit tv here, i'd download each episode the second it was up in the uk. ;) if the download wasn't finished by Sun night, the kids and I would get up really early Monday morning and we'd watch it before school.

i loved being able to share my childhood memories of the show with my kids and to see their expressions as they watched the Darleks, Cybermen & Sontarans for the first time :eyepop::rofl:

I loved Tennant and Rose and cried like a baby during 'Doomsday'. I still can't get thru that epsiode without the tissues. :sad:

I didn't take to Martha and by the end of the season she really bugged me! Thank goodness for Donna. I liked the chemsitry between them and loved watching her holding the reins :evil2:(even moreso after moony-eyed Martha).

Sadly, that's where i've left the good Doctor. I really did try to enjoy the new Moffat/Smith combo but as much as it hurts to have that Sat night void, i honestly just can't. :shrug:

i won't go on and on about Smith as I know he has his fans. :lol:

so i will patiently wait for the next regen... :scared2:

'Blink', hands down was my fave!!

Billy Shipton: "it was raining when we met"
Sally Sparrow: "it's the same rain"

But then 'Midnight' was just wonderful and of course 'Doomsday'.... oh c'mon, i bet you all cried!!

[Liz]

Nicely said Mel, and agree with most of what you said.

Yes, the new doc isnt for me, and I have even missed the last 2 -3 eps as been busy, and probably wont catch up. :shrug:

Eek .... Donna drove me bananas, so loud, annoying and bossy.

Yep, bring on the next regen. :D

[TheDecepticon]

I can't say I'm a huge fan of Matt Smith, however, I think he has the right quirkiness and looks to be a reasonable Doctor and I think that he is. He is also rated as the 7th best Doctor of all time, so he must have some popularity.:rolleyes:

I am also inclined to agree with Stardrifter, as long as there is a Doctor, it is all good. :thumbsup:

Eccleston did have that bit darker side to him, but it is actually there in all the Doctors if you look for it. Both Tennant and Smith have these traits, as did Pertwee and Baker. The Doctor is not all Mr Nice Guy!!

Loved the end of Season 6, roll on Season 7.:D

[Paddy]

I have to say I'm quite ambivalent about the new series. I sometimes quite like Matt Smith as the doctor, and sometimes I find him quite annoying. I've thought some of the scripts are very good and some just rubbish. I liked some of the big mysteries they've set up but thought the resolution at the end of the series pretty lame. All of that trouble of collapsing time would have been avoided if he'd just told River by the lake that he wouldn't die. And then reveals his secret to the blue head in the box in front of thousands of living skulls. I don't mind a few holes in the script, but there's a limit. Loved the Silents though. Very spooky!

[Mliss]

me too, when it all boils down to it.

Paddy, i know what you're saying. it must be hard to come up with a great ending when they build it up so much. but then you'd think that being such talented writers they could pull it off.

I think for a long time (and maybe even still) i felt ripped off with Smith as he's so young and a little too manic. i felt the Doctor should be played by someone with just a little more years under his belt. (actually maybe it's just because i wanted some eye candy more appropriate for my age) I saw an interview years ago with Matt Smith talking about when he first got the role. Watching him drove me up the wall.

:lol: ok, so that was harsh.



:2thumbs:

besides.... i've still got all those Who figurines to play with. no, i meant admire on my very grown up bookshelf.

:rofl:

[Paddy]

I feel exactly the same way but perhaps more so. The first Doctor that I watched was William Hartnell and I think I missed the regeneration to the second doctor and could never quite get that the doctor looked so much younger. And he's been getting younger ever since. And I haven't!:lol:

[Mliss]

:rofl: and he's supposed to be 900+ years old!!!

it's funny how the character has gone that way... too coincidental for it not to be their target audience.

pfft, where's the loyalty :rolleyes:

[Poita]

I've been a fan since the 70s too, still have the Dr Who Technical Manual on the shelf, and it is a joy to be able to share the fun with my 3 girls now.
Yeah, who was a kid in the 70s and couldn't have Tom Baker as their fave??

Just on Dr Who getting younger, I agree, but also his companions could be a little older too, but I'm probably thinking that for the same reasons as Mel :ashamed:

I really do miss Rose though, and there may perhaps have been a manly tear visible during *that* episode, or it could have just been raining on my face.

I was intrigued by the first and second episodes this year, it got me hooked, but then I missed a couple and didn't end up coming back, the year has been crazy, but it just didn't quite grab me like the Tenant series did.
I will probably catch it later though, but am also awaiting the next regen, or for him to turn up in my back yard like I used to wish for on the first star each night when I was a kid :ship1:

[EddieDog]

Paddy, I too grew up with William Hartnell. Until recently, whilst viewing all the available episodes - still going through them! - I didn't realise just how good an actor he was. For me, Jon Pertwee was the best. But liked most of them. Am currently re-watching the Peter Davison Episodes. I agree with others that Chris Ecclestone did a wonderful job of bringing the Dr Back, David Tennant was super. But not too wrapped with Matt Smith and just loath an hate his current 'companions'. Also much of the scripting has been too dark and convoluted and has lost the sponteniety and charm of the originals. Sometimes, fancy special effects are simply not enough. I really hope we get back to real Dr Who basics, else rating will drop and maybe too, sadly, the series.

Eddie

[Stardrifter_WA]

The criticism of the scripts in the latest series is probably justified as I have found a couple of the latest episodes to be less than ideal. But having said that, Dr Who is a marvellous canvas for trying new and unusual ideas. No other sci-fi show can really touch on some of the material we have seen in Doctor Who, old or new. Unfortunately, these sometimes work brilliant and at other times it is a little ridiculous and in some cases downright stupid. But that is Doctor Who and I just have to say 'long live DW' :thumbsup:

The quirkiness of this show is its strength and if it goes the way of the usual sci-fi and gets too serious, would it then work?

And, for those who like the spinoff 'Torchwood', Jack is back! The new series Miracle Day is due for release in Australia on the 1st December. I liked Torchwood, but then, I like anything sci-fi! :D

Although the latest series of 'Torchwwood' is made in the US, it is still written by Russell T Davies. The promo looks good.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Oh, and I have to agree with Mliss, Blink was the best episode of the new series. :thumbsup: :)