Doctor Who Thread! : Othor Games

» Fri May 27, 2011 9:27 pm

Someone here has to watch it! Who is your favorite Doctor? David Tennant is easily my favorite! I just watched the season premiere with the new doctor, I am glad to see the new doctor isn't as bad as I thought he was going to be, although I hate the remodel of the interior of the TARDIS, and don't like the new Sonic Screwdriver he has.

» Fri May 27, 2011 8:20 pm

When did they show it in the US?

» Fri May 27, 2011 10:33 pm

I love the new interior of the TARDIS, but yeah, David Tennant's my favourite. The new one will take some getting used to, but I think I'll like him more than I did Christopher Eccleston (whom I loved, don't get me wrong!). And Amy Pond is easily my favorite companion since Rose, and she's Scottish :wub:

» Fri May 27, 2011 11:27 pm

In the eleventh hour episode, was it my imagination, or was that Fedora on the laptop? It definitely looked GNOME-ish, not Windows-ish in any respect.

When did they show it in the US?

The Eleventh Hour just aired on Saturday 9 PM PDT on BBC America, It just aired again an hour ago.

» Sat May 28, 2011 2:39 am

I love Doctor Who. I've been hooked since November of last year. Since then, I've seen the entire new series and a lot of William Hartnell, Tom Baker, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Peter Davison... and I would like to say Patrick Troughton, but I'm not sure. Out of all of them, my favorite Doctors would have to be (in no order): Christopher Eccleston, William Hartnell, Tom Baker, Colin Baker, and David Tennant.

g-ranger and I have a self-imposed ban to not watch the new series until he comes to visit me, so I won't be seeing it until then. But either way, I love Doctor Who so much. I wish they sold Doctor Who SceneIt in the US for cheap. I haven't been able to find it.

EDIT: Also, Sontarans scary as heck in the beginning!

Favorite enemies: Sontarans, The Master, Cybermen (all iterations!), the Robots of Death, Daleks, and the Aztecs (some of them were enemies, at least). And those little fat things from either series 3 or 4 were so cute.

Favorite companions: Donna, Rose, Susan, Martha, Captain Jack, Sarah Jane, Barbara, and that's it from what I've seen. Peri was annoying, and so was freaking Adric. I'm so glad

Spoiler

he died

. I also can't stand Mickey; he needs to desperately increase his forehead size.

I also found Timothy Dalton's portrayal of the Time Lord President really awesome. I got goose bumps when the Time Lords appeared in the last two episodes of the last season.

» Sat May 28, 2011 3:29 am

I love Doctor Who, it's easily one of my favourite series. David Tennant is my favourite doctor on the basis that I have seen more of him than anyone else. I also like Colin Baker and Tom Baker, and even William Hartnell isn't bad, despite his weakness.

Me and IHAFD have a deal where we can only watch new episodes together, so I'll have to wait a while. In the meantime, audio books will have to suffice.

I also love the Daleks more than anything else. They're always my favourite enemy, only they have the ability to scare the Doctor.

» Sat May 28, 2011 5:35 am

I grew up watching Doctor Who with my dad

My favorite doctor is the Seventh, Sylvester McCoy. In fact for Christmas this year my wife is knitting me a question mark vest just like his :wub:

I haven't seen the Eleventh Doctor yet, or some of the Tenth Doctor's Christmas Specials (just the ones on Netflix). I'm very impressed with the new series, even some of the things I haven't liked that much were very Doctor Whoish. Although I do think Donna Noble was treated pretty poorly. Rose gets the entire time vortex in her head, which not even Time Lords are able to contain, and when its removed she's pretty much fine. Donna gets some Time Lord in her head and her entire memory has to be whipped? Not cool. I was also very disappointed in John Simm's portrayal of the Master . . . it just didn't feel like him :shrug:

However these small complaints aside I love the new series. In fact between Doctor Who and Midsomer Murders my wife and I watch more British television than anything else!

» Sat May 28, 2011 4:15 am

Rose was the best, I started watching Doctor Who with Eccleson but I didn't liek him as much as Tennant. The 11th Doctor is going to take so much getting used to.

» Sat May 28, 2011 3:10 am

My favorite character in the new series is definitely Captain Jack Harkness

I actually never got around to watching Torchwood, though, is it any good?

Edit: tis what I get for changing idea mid-thought.

» Fri May 27, 2011 9:37 pm

My favorite character in the new series is definitely Captain Jack Harkness

I actually never got around to watching Torchwood, though, is it any good?

Edit: tis what I get for changing idea mid-thought.

I've heard mixed reviews. Some people really like it, a lot don't. People like the kiddie/family appeal of Doctor Who. Since Torchwood comes on after 9 PM in the UK, they have a bit more liberty to implement language, scenes, and themes not typically seen in Doctor Who. Morality aside, some people (including myself) just don't like to associate Doctor Who with what seems to be trivial plot devices. But I'm sure if that's all ignored and you just stick with the sci-fi, it should be fine.

Not to derail the topic, but I do love how Captain Jack was a vehicle for the message Russel T. Davies wanted to send to his audience.

I've also heard mixed reviews about The Sarah Jane Chronicles and the K-9 spinoff.

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:55 am

Dr. Who?

» Fri May 27, 2011 8:03 pm

The new Doctor is growing on me, I have to admit. Good to see them keeping up a strong Scottish contingent in the show as well.

I was also very disappointed in John Simm's portrayal of the Master . . . it just didn't feel like him :shrug:

Really? I thought his first performance of the Master was one of the highlights of the series.

» Fri May 27, 2011 10:59 pm

Been watching a few episodes of the american version with my brother and law...meh..I mean it's ok, but honestly it's not something I'd seriously want to watch season by season. Honestly, it seems a bit too confusing to me. And that's saying a lot, since I understand Lost.

» Fri May 27, 2011 7:23 pm

Been watching a few episodes of the american version with my brother and law...meh..I mean it's ok, but honestly it's not something I'd seriously want to watch season by season. Honestly, it seems a bit too confusing to me. And that's saying a lot, since I understand Lost.

American version!?

Oh dear God please say it isn't so!

» Sat May 28, 2011 5:34 am

Tennant is by FAR my favorite Doctor(not surprisingly considering he was the first one I saw, and didn't know about the series prior to that), followed by Tom Baker and Patrick Troughton. It's such a shame that Troughton's era is pretty well decimated. :sadvaultboy:

As for the new Doctor.... well, he won me over in the first episode; and it doesn't hurt that he seems to have some Troughton-esque mannerisms about him(look at the beginning of The Beast Below, with him wringing his hands). And I love the new TARDIS interior, a nice blend of old and new.

Strangely, though, the scripts have been rather sub-par with the exception of the first one.

The last two have had plot-holes a mile wide even by Doctor Who standards.

Spoiler

The Beast Below was entertaining, even if certain issues(like why they feed kids with bad grades to a beast that refuses to eat kids) was never explained; but the last episode just felt... off. The first 15 minutes were great, but then it went pear-shaped. Aside from even bigger plot holes and being even more rushed than usual, there was just something that didn't feel right. The dialogue felt stiff and un-Doctorly at times, and it really felt like it needed to be a two parter. To be honest, the best part after the first 15 minutes was the self-destruct button being a Jammy Dodger. :shrug:

I'll be watching the rest of the series regardless, because I love Doctor Who, but I'm afraid if Moffat doesn't hit a home run with this two-parter, this season may be in trouble.

Been watching a few episodes of the american version with my brother and law...meh..I mean it's ok, but honestly it's not something I'd seriously want to watch season by season. Honestly, it seems a bit too confusing to me. And that's saying a lot, since I understand Lost.

wat?

The only American version I've heard of was that God-awful TV movie.

» Sat May 28, 2011 8:09 am

My favorite character in the new series is definitely Captain Jack Harkness

I actually never got around to watching Torchwood, though, is it any good?

Edit: tis what I get for changing idea mid-thought.

I've seen the first season and it didn't do much for me. It's connection to the Doctor Who universe is tenuous at best - sure sometimes names are dropped but it rarely does more than that. I thought Captain Jack Harkness was a great companion in Doctor Who but in Torchwood he rarely has the same presence. I've heard season two is better but at the moment I'm not sure if I'll bother.

Really? I thought his first performance of the Master was one of the highlights of the series.

If they hadn't used the name I would have never guessed he was the Master. :shrug:

» Sat May 28, 2011 6:48 am

Im a huge fan Dr Who, but the new matt smith series isnt all that great. Ive watched most of the classic episodes and all of the new series. The best doctor is either david tennant or tom baker (4th doctor). Anyone seen the new daleks, i dont like them.

» Fri May 27, 2011 8:49 pm

David Tenant is my favourite Dr. His assistants ruined it for me though. Donna and the other one i just didn′t like. I know donna was supposed to be comical relief, but honestly in doctor who, to me she just fails miserably. David Tenant and Jack harkness would be a real dynamic duo, but the doctor unfortunately only has eyes for the ladies.

The last episode I watched was the conclusion of the dalek invasion of earth this time with davros.

» Fri May 27, 2011 10:31 pm

I actually never got around to watching Torchwood, though, is it any good?

It jumps from excellent commentary on the human condition to the standard RTD agenda-pushing of Doctor Who.

I've loved Doctor Who since i watched the Pertwee episodes that got repeated in the 90s for a bit. I bought a craplopad of DVDs to make up for it.

My favourite is Patrick Troughton, I like his scruffy dress, scarily low height and yoyoing personality. He also has one of the best stories in Tomb of The Cybermen. He's followed a close second by Doctor no. 7, Sylvester McCoy, who managed to bring something of the mystery back to the role that had been missing since Hartnell quit. His untimely death in an LA hospital has to be one of the darkest scenes in Doctor Who and the only reason to watch that awful 1996 movie.

Peri has to be my favourite assistant, erm, largely not because of her acting, where the directors apparently hired an Englishwoman to play an American since they couldn't actually afford to employ a real American, but she did fit into some awesome outfits. Almost as much as Zoe's catsuits. :hehe:

As for the new series, well, although RTD started it well enough in 2005, I got sick of the recurring plots, as well as the fact that I can't stand David Tennant at all. Like how at the end of every dalek episode, they would be UTTERLY UTTERLY DEFEATED! Only to reappear next season due to one that slipped below the radar, resurrects the entire race, is UTTERLY UTTERLY DEFEATED again and the cycle continued. That got ridiculous after the fourth time.

The only episodes I could actually enjoy were those written by Stephen Moffat, like the Gas Mask children and Blink, which were the only ones to have any actual suspense or dramatic timing. In the end, I couldn't actually follow the plots, because whenever a major point would be explained, the music would start going DUNN DUN DUN DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DE DUH so you couldn't hear what was being said.

WIth the latest series, its like the whole thing has been restored. Moffat now being the exec, and the self professed geek that he is, seems to be putting it back on track. The theme tune has something of its old vigour back, kinda like the 1987 one. The new Doctor, despite being about 12, has more of Troughton and Pertwee in him than anything else. When I watched the first episode it was like watching a 70s story again.

Spoiler

I also really like the new daleks. I know a lot of people complain, but the daleks have been redesigned so many times anyway, and I think its mostly newbie fans of the 2005 series that are experiencing their first big update to the show. Those bronzy daleks were very impressive when they were first shown, but they look a bit millennial and old fashioned now. Especially when the new shiny white Dalek Supreme standing a foot taller than them simply blasted the crap out of the old ones.

I think what Moffat is trying to do with that story is what I've been saying since 2006: stop having the daleks die off every time they appear, and give them a stable population existing in real space like they used to have. The doctor used to be lucky if three daleks got killed in an entire story, now he's not satisfied with less than 100,000. Mark Gatiss almost said as much in an interview. So basically I'm extremely happy with the new direction. It does help that according to my family the new Doctor mirrors my demeanor very closely.

Its probably a matter of interest that the BBC has put quite a few of the http://www.youtube.com/show?p=Ps0e32nFzs0&feature=fvsp, Including The Caves of Androzani, featuring Peri in all her ample-briasted glory.

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:14 am

Since the new season has only just started here I've only seen the first episode so far, which I though was pretty good. Certainly better than the first episodes of the other seasons. Matt Smith looks to be a worthy replacement, and I really liked the new companion. I have to say my favourite doctor is Christopher Eccleston, though.

» Sat May 28, 2011 9:55 am

I loved Torchwood!!!! I think by "American Version" he means Doctor Who on BBC America. I'll tell you what the British know how to make some damn fine shows!!!! (Torchwood,Being Human,Survivors, Robin Hood, Graham Norton,The list goes on and on!) I was at first a bit Apprihensive about Moffat, but all of my fears are layed to rest, I am certain that in his Hands Doctor Who will continue to eb a great series, although I don't like the Modern teen type things he put into it, the "Who Da Man" part, or The Doctor using a cell phone.

» Sat May 28, 2011 1:53 am

I watch it. So far I think Matt is a ton better than Tennant, but Christopher Eccleston is still my favorite. After him, Tom Baker. My favorite episodes from the old series are The Stones of Blood and The City of Death, and my favorites in the new series are Human Nature, Girl in the Fireplace, and Blink.

When did they show it in the US?

The Eleventh Hour aired on the seventeenth on BBC America.

Torchwood, in my opinion, is just your average CSI-type show. The only difference is it has aliens. The characters are unrelatable, and the writing itself isn't really anything special.

» Sat May 28, 2011 3:28 am

Dr Who was on when I was little, but I only barely remember it. I started watching it in about 2000, when the ABC in Australia started from Epsiode 1 (An Unearthly Child, thats first Doctor (Harnell), in Black and white). I think Hartnell was the best doctor, although Tennant, Troughton, Pertwee and Davidson were also great. Tegan Jovanka is my Fave Assitant, followed by Jamie the Scot (highland Warrior from a low tech time in all that high tech is quite amusing...).

I'm really liking the current Doctor. He's kinda Davidson-ish, and Daleks in WW2 Britan's Cabinet bunker I though was an inspired idea (even if the episode didn't quite live up to its potential.

There is some talk of RTD writing a Pilot for an American series of Torchwood, to be shown on Fox (Kinda like how there's an American series of the Office). The same rumours suggest that there's pressure to make Captain Jack Straight...

» Sat May 28, 2011 9:57 am

The same rumours suggest that there's pressure to make Captain Jack Straight...

:laugh: I'm sure RTD will take that well.

» Sat May 28, 2011 8:20 am

As for the new series, well, although RTD started it well enough in 2005, I got sick of the recurring plots, as well as the fact that I can't stand David Tennant at all. Like how at the end of every dalek episode, they would be UTTERLY UTTERLY DEFEATED! Only to reappear next season due to one that slipped below the radar, resurrects the entire race, is UTTERLY UTTERLY DEFEATED again and the cycle continued. That got ridiculous after the fourth time.

Yep.

You can't have Doctor Who without Daleks so they might as well drop the pretense that they're all gone at the end of an episode. Sometimes we actually get to see one escape but usually they just sort of pop back la-dee-da. I was OK with the season 1 finale since I knew at some point the Daleks would be back in force. The season 2 finale I forgave largely because I found those episodes to be quite funny, despite the "sweeps week" feeling. But after that it just got tiresome.

Given how many nooks and crannies the Daleks have found to hide in I'd love to see some Time Lords come back. Perhaps a group that fled and went in to hiding, or were extreme pacifists. Either situation would open up a can of worms for the doctor and I think that would be interesting to explore - it may also give them a reason to stop pretending that the Daleks keep getting wiped out when we all know that will never be the case.

As for Davd Tennant, his preference is very reminiscent of Peter Davison./ The Fifth Doctor, something that started off subtle but he was quite open about later (like when he did a special with Peter Davison!). Personally I didn't enjoy Peter Davison, he was a bit too wacky and wound up for me. Tennant does this sometimes as well but I felt he managed it better.

The only episodes I could actually enjoy were those written by Stephen Moffat, like the Gas Mask children and Blink, which were the only ones to have any actual suspense or dramatic timing. In the end, I couldn't actually follow the plots, because whenever a major point would be explained, the music would start going DUNN DUN DUN DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DE DUH so you couldn't hear what was being said.

I'm a big fan of Moffat as well. Blink is by far one of the best Doctor Who episodes of the new series, and the library two-parter was absolutely wonderful. I also love Midnight, another Doctor Who episode that doe a good job of keeping a tense atmosphere and involving a sense of alien-ness without using a rubber suit.

Not that that rubber suit episodes aren't a ton of fun, but I find its the creepier and more psychological episodes that really draw me in.