posted
I quite liked this series. Not as good as the old ones, but I'll take British Sci-Fi wherever I can find it.
For anybody who hasn't seen it before - there's some brilliant moral ambiguity about the Doc that is hard to resist. He's often manipulative and he actually really HATES his enemies and wants to kill them all, while being basically a hyper intelligent, sort-of-immortal, impulsive, dynamic, exciting kind of guy. There's something a bit Ford Prefect-y about him. His companion this time is reasonably amusing too, being a normal chav girl who lives in an innercity block of flats with her Mum until the Dr. saves her from leading a normal life. Even though the actress used to be a really awful pop star, she's a slightly better at acting.
Watch out for the Christmas special episode, which takes place after the normal series and is definately the best yet. I think I like the newest Doc a lot better than Chris Eccleston's, despite the fact that he looks a bit like a surprised stoat. He reminds me of Tom Baker, in a good way.
So, basically, watch it.
EDIT - Gah, how could I forget Capt. Jack? Coolest bi-sexual spaceman in the history of bi-sexual spacemen. Posts: 1528 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I've heard some brits discussing the latest incarnation of the series, and it sounds good.
The latest version I saw (with Ace as sidekick) was pretty good too. I liked that Doctor pretty well. I still miss Tom Baker, though, and the scripts written during that era by Douglas Adams and others. The things that were so great were the subtleties, funny things they only hinted at that were so clever and delightful!
Like the fact that all the henchmen of Count Scarlotti in that one episode about the Jaggeroth had the names of Italian composers, remember that? Or that time when The Doctor and two others were captured by the cybermen and they were sitting dejected against the wall, and just happened to have their hands in the "see-no hear-no speak-no" positions? Or after the Doctor offed a cyberman once while they were being pursued, and he paused to recite "Out, OUT, brief candle..." before someone grabbed him and they both ran. The fact that they pinched King Henry V's speech from the Shakespeare play for the speech the badguy gave to the inhabitants of Atreos in their war against Zeos, "this blessed plot, this Atreos". Or when they had a whole episode about these bull-like creatures who invaded planets and built large mazes into which young men and women were sent as tribute, all alluding to the story of the Minotaur from greek myth, without ever connecting it to the myth in any way until the very end when the Doctor said something about "this time" when someone noted the returning spaceship was painted white, implying that he messed that up once before (obviously in ancient Greece) and made sure this time they wouldn't have that problem.
It was just so full back then of funny little in-jokes that they never made explicit. The whole show had that Douglas Adams insanity and wonderfulness. I wonder if the show now is still that good?
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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Ah- this is the first season of the most recent Doctor Who! How exciting!
This season is a fantastic one. I was blown away by the intelligence, sensitivity and wit of the writing. I've extolled the virtues of this Doctor Who before so I shan't again. Suffice to say, I really encourage everyone to catch a few episodes!
Although I agree with almost all of what Bella said, I do disagree with her slight and subtle criticism of Christopher Eccleston... I thought he was brilliant in the part; unconventional and funny but also utterly and completely his own Doctor Who-ish self. The other characters are equally interesting, believable and watchable...
quote:Even though the actress used to be a really awful pop star, she's a slightly better at acting.
I think that she fits her role perfectly. In the whole season, I was never disatisfied. She's actually done quite a few roles on British television by now.
No, not really (see surprised stoat comment above). He's kind of cute, in a newtish sort of way, but if I had to pick between the two on aesthetic grounds, I'd probably pick Eccleston, to be honest.
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Oh! Yeah, I meant to PM you and let you know--I got them a week or so ago. Thanks for sending them back--wish you could have gotten some use out of them.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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quote:Looks like Dr. Who is joining the SciFi Friday lineup starting this March.
Pardon my pessimism, but isn't this a sure sign that: 1) The show will have strong fan support, and 2) It will be cancelled after one or two seasons.
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It's already been renewed up to and including season three by the BBC. So not to worry.
I'm really looking forward to seeing what American audiences make of this series, since it's so incredibly popular in the UK. This year they're selling Dalek Easter eggs in Marks and Spencer's.
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quote:Pardon my pessimism, but isn't this a sure sign that: 1) The show will have strong fan support, and 2) It will be cancelled after one or two seasons.
I think you mean on American tv, neh?
But Bella's got a point. The episodes will exist, regardless of what American audiences or television stations think.
It's not all about America, you know .
quote:This year they're selling Dalek Easter eggs in Marks and Spencer's.
Darn! My father's in Britain right now but I have no way of asking him to bring me one! Do you mean big eggs or little eggs?
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Normal, largish Easter egg sized. They're in dalek shaped boxes so you can't actually see them, but presumably there's a dalek shaped chocolate in there.
It made me ridiculously happy to see it.
Posts: 1528 | Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:Looks like Dr. Who is joining the SciFi Friday lineup starting this March.
Pardon my pessimism, but isn't this a sure sign that: 1) The show will have strong fan support, and 2) It will be cancelled after one or two seasons.
Nah, you're thinking of FOX. If it were to ever air on FOX spacetime would warp in such a way as to cause the all episodes after the 14th to wink out of existance.
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But I want to watch the old Dr Whos, too. I was just too young to get full appreciation for them when they were on PBS years and years ago.
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I think he'll grow on you. He certainly did on me. At first I thought that he wasn't terribly 'good' as the Doctor, but in the next few episodes I think he'll shine very brightly.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I really, really, really liked Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor. But David Tennant seems to be just as likable as Chris.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
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As someone who HATES, and I mean aboslutely HATES, any incarnation of Dr. Who - I liked what I saw of this new one. It might be the first one I might actually like if last nights' episodes were any indication of what it will be like.
Posts: 2207 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Occasional, let's face it, the British will always be just a little bit quaint about the way that they do science fiction. They can be great at fantasy, but their science fiction always seems campy somehow. It's like they can't tell a science fiction story without being tongue-in-cheek about it.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Ron Lambert: I think that there's a certain element about Doctor Who, and all the Doctor Who that comes before it, that demands a certain tongue in cheekness in order to carry it off.
I agree that the older British Sci Fi (Blake's 7, Thunderbirds, Doctor Who) tends to be funnier than its American equivalents (Star Trek, the original Battlestar Galactica), although I think there's a leaning now towards more funny.
quote:Honey, you live in a space ship.
I think the humour of this Doctor Who is one of its strengths.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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There is tongue-in-cheek and then there is just silly or stupid. For me, Dr. Who was the last two. And before anyone goes off about how I just don't understand the British humor, I really liked Red Dwarf and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books. There was something about Dr. Who, especially its low production values, that made me want to change the channel and forget the whole thing existed.
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I know what you mean, only that that certain something is what caused me to watch it every time PBS would air the show.
But yes, there is something about the old Who that caused people to love it or think it was completely idiotic.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Suspension of disbelief is important for a science fiction show to work. But how can you suspend disbelief about some kind of broadcast signal that makes all plastic suddenly come alive and move around and start attacking people? And what was the motive for sabotaging the viewing platform at the end of the earth? The back story is interesting--that the doctor is the last of his species, who lost a war. They were said to be Time Lords. Does that mean the war was a time war, to determine who was going to control time? That is a story worth its salt!
Yes, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was fun, but it was humor primarily, and science fiction incidentally.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: Occasional, let's face it, the British will always be just a little bit quaint about the way that they do science fiction. They can be great at fantasy, but their science fiction always seems campy somehow. It's like they can't tell a science fiction story without being tongue-in-cheek about it.
Someone should probably tell Arthur C. Clark. Or Brian Aldiss. Or George Orwell. Or Stephen Baxter. Or Aldous Huxley. Or Alastair Reynolds. Or John Brunner. Or any of the myriad other serious British SF authors out there. I'm sure they'll be interested to know that that's the case.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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One thing I loved about this series is how they updated the effects so that you knew you were watching a 21st century sci-fi show, but still made them just cheesy and unconvincing enough to reassure you that you were still watching Dr Who.
I only saw the first two episodes, but I think it's going to go on my regular Friday schedule now. I like the new doctor. His delivery of one line sold me and hooked me for the rest of the show.
posted
"Someone should probably tell Arthur C. Clark."
...that people are forgetting about the silent "e" at the end of his last name .
Are there going to be any more repeats of the 1st episode? Also, which is the best Dr Who season to start with?
Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Occasional: There was something about Dr. Who, especially its low production values, that made me want to change the channel and forget the whole thing existed.
I'm sorry that the Talking Box is not pretty enough for you. What other aides does your obviously infantile imagination need to enjoy the moving pictures?
Posts: 4753 | Registered: May 2002
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There's a pretty big difference between the new Doctor Who and classic Doctor Who. While most people who liked the classic also like the new one, they are not the same show. Of course, season three and season fifteen of classic Who aren't the "same show" either.
I'd start with the new Who and try out whatever you can find of the classic Who (listing a specific season to start with is pointless - though most on Hatrack will probably say a season with Tom Baker), but just don't expect it to be the same.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:Originally posted by GaalDornick: "Someone should probably tell Arthur C. Clark."
...that people are forgetting about the silent "e" at the end of his last name .
Nah, we're trying to keep that one from him, actually.
quote:Are there going to be any more repeats of the 1st episode? Also, which is the best Dr Who season to start with?
I expect that there'll be repeats--scifi is usually pretty good about rerunning shows. I don't have any idea of their timetable though.
I'd start with the Tom Baker years, myself; I love Tom Baker. I've heard other people suggest other places to start though.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Am Watching for the first time. I still miss the campy old one from my youth. Not Bad. I'll keep watching.
Posts: 555 | Registered: Jun 2005
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