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Doctor Who

James

James

TS Founding Member
So TST Doctor Who fans, where are you all? :p

Today the Series 7: Part One trailer has been released by the BBC. You can view it below, along with that is a promotional image for the new series.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrEUBl2pacU&[/youtube]

s07_wall_01_16x9.jpg


Also, if any of you remember on TTF I was in the process of writing a series 6 review - is anyone still interested in this? As I've written over half of it and haven't touched it for months due to other parts of my life being very busy. If anyone is still interested I'll finish it off and throw it up on here. :)
 
Doctor Who

It's really sad, but I've lost all enthusiasm for the show now.

I definitely think that it was time for RTD to leave when he did, and I maintain that Moffat's episodes series 1-4 were pretty much the best, but my word has he ruined the show for me having taken it over fully.

I will of course watch, there are certainly parts of and some whole episodes that I enjoy, and Matt Smith does have certain endearing aspects, but overall, meh :(
 
That looks a lot better than series 6 which I never enjoyed that much. :)

Also I'm glad the normal Deleks are back in there as I don't like the updated ones, they look ugly and sound stranger. And at some part in that he mentioned The Master, does that mean a return of John Simm? :)
 
I much prefer the new series and the Matt Smith to RTD tripe and Tennants over exaggerating every bleeding emotion. I did feel last season though lacked a certain something so hopefully they can get that missing "no idea what" back in the series.
 
See I've always like the RTD and Moffat era equally. This show is about changing every few years, becoming something different with it keeping the same basic formula. I prefer Moffat's take with the show more than RTD's. However Doctor Who is Doctor Who - I will always love the show no matter how they change it. The change is the heart and beauty of the show.

I wasn't that fussed on series 6 (last year) as much as series 5. So I'm hoping things pick up with the new series coming this year.
 
The trailer looks exciting! ;D

I only got into doctor who when Tennant's last season was showing which was a few years ago. I do think Matt Smith does portray the part better than Tennant.

But i cant really compare much else as I haven't seen any of the older ones!
 
It's time for NastyPasty to have his good old Doctor Who rant.

Well... frankly, it's Mr. Moffat who has done it. In my opinion, he has taken a family show, loved by many, and transformed it into a complicated sci-fi farce. It's not that I don't like him. Quite the contrary. His episodes with David Tennant and Ecclestone were the best; the Clockwork robots were terrifying, the Weeping Angels remain one of the show's strongest creations and the Empty Child actually gave me nightmares.

But as soon as the takeover occurred, he changed the show from an hour of transportation to distant galaxies and adventures, that pulled at everyone's heartstrings, into a complicated parade for his nonsense plots. I find it difficult to understand what's happening and whilst the actors are fantastic, they are not given the plots they deserve. River Song is increasingly irritating, and Rory tags along like a spiritless whelk. There is little spark and the overpowering energy that Tennant played with is no longer present.

Tennant's iconic image as this forlorn, lost man in the midst of danger and adventure was innovative and captured the nation's attention. Matt Smith has his own personality in the role yet it is not strong enough in the current stories. We want to see him cry as his companion fades through The Void. We want to see him humiliated as The Master attacks the Earth. We want to see him furious, and elated. But all we see is 'quirky'. It's such a shame, as I believe there is potential. But to me the basic plot formula is:

Doctor + Amy (plus Rory?) -> Travel somewhere -> Universe threatened -> Run around, shout, complicated escape clause, rushed and unexplained -> Universe saved -> Typical banter between companions.

Sorry to slate the show, but it's a programme I hold dear to my heart. I have many recollections of my youth, anticipating next week's voyages, moved and petrified; the show oozes creativity. I just don't want to see it continue to rot. :(
 
NastyPasty said:
It's time for NastyPasty to have his good old Doctor Who rant.

Well... frankly, it's Mr. Moffat who has done it. In my opinion, he has taken a family show, loved by many, and transformed it into a complicated sci-fi farce. It's not that I don't like him. Quite the contrary. His episodes with David Tennant and Ecclestone were the best; the Clockwork robots were terrifying, the Weeping Angels remain one of the show's strongest creations and the Empty Child actually gave me nightmares.

But as soon as the takeover occurred, he changed the show from an hour of transportation to distant galaxies and adventures, that pulled at everyone's heartstrings, into a complicated parade for his nonsense plots. I find it difficult to understand what's happening and whilst the actors are fantastic, they are not given the plots they deserve. River Song is increasingly irritating, and Rory tags along like a spiritless whelk. There is little spark and the overpowering energy that Tennant played with is no longer present.

Tennant's iconic image as this forlorn, lost man in the midst of danger and adventure was innovative and captured the nation's attention. Matt Smith has his own personality in the role yet it is not strong enough in the current stories. We want to see him cry as his companion fades through The Void. We want to see him humiliated as The Master attacks the Earth. We want to see him furious, and elated. But all we see is 'quirky'. It's such a shame, as I believe there is potential. But to me the basic plot formula is:

Doctor + Amy (plus Rory?) -> Travel somewhere -> Universe threatened -> Run around, shout, complicated escape clause, rushed and unexplained -> Universe saved -> Typical banter between companions.

Sorry to slate the show, but it's a programme I hold dear to my heart. I have many recollections of my youth, anticipating next week's voyages, moved and petrified; the show oozes creativity. I just don't want to see it continue to rot. :(
Click to expand...

I for one may aswell not say something back at this because i havent caught a glimpse of the episodes before Tennant's seasons.

But if that is the plot formula now, then what was the old plot formula?

The doctor and his companion(s) travel somewhere and save the Universe every now and then. Thats how it goes.

But every episode has something different to it that doesnt just make it "Run around, Shout, complicated escape clause, rushed and unexplained." I must admit that some episodes lack an actual story plot that make it interesting, but thats not the case for every episode.
 
NastyPasty said:
Tennant's iconic image as this forlorn, lost man in the midst of danger and adventure was innovative and captured the nation's attention. Matt Smith has his own personality in the role yet it is not strong enough in the current stories. We want to see him cry as his companion fades through The Void. We want to see him humiliated as The Master attacks the Earth. We want to see him furious, and elated. But all we see is 'quirky'. It's such a shame, as I believe there is potential. But to me the basic plot formula is:

Doctor + Amy (plus Rory?) -> Travel somewhere -> Universe threatened -> Run around, shout, complicated escape clause, rushed and unexplained -> Universe saved -> Typical banter between companions.
Click to expand...

The joy of opinion, i personal felt Tennant could do two versions of the doctor.... Stupid Doctor and really bad acting emotional doctor. I went back and re-watched some of the Tennant era and it is cringe-worthy and every plot ends by resetting the fricking universe.

Matt Smiths doctor is better acted and more complex, he has more available emotion than stupid/ weepy and i enjoy his performances more. That said i agree season 6 was a bit hit-and miss especially on some of the stand-alone episodes.
 
I do like a spot of Doctor Who here, but two things have been increasingly annoying me over the past couple of seasons.

1) The stupidly forced quirkiness. Yes... we get it, Matt Smith's Doctor is supposed to be more quirky than the previous couple of Doctors.... this is no excuse for the lazy writing which tries to jam said quirkiness down viewers throats rather than just letting Smith act it, which he clearly can. I forgave Fish Custard, because clearly they were just trying to give an early signpost for audiences to latch on to. But increasingly this has started to get in the way of the actual story telling, perhaps leading us to the most excruciatingly painful scene in the last Christmas special where the Doctor got to take us on a tour of his 'quirky' house full of clichéd features, seemingly designed to talking at children, rather than talking to children.

2) The increasingly noticeable budget cuts. Even if you don't know that the creature in The Doctor's Wife wasn't supposed to be an Ood but a new creation, the cuts to the programme over the past series have become increasingly apparent as they start to intrude into the logic of the story-lines, as the budget cuts seem to eat into the show's ability to suitably edit and re-film sections. From characters randomly disappearing during the pirate episode, through to incidental storylines clearly being set up during Demons Run, only to never be mentioned again let alone concluded. Let's hope Moffatt can pull it back together as show runner, but the evidence of the past couple of seasons, don't bode well.
 
The whole David Tennant era was him becoming a hero,the Matt Smith era seems to be him going back into the shadows,I like that,it's as if you don't know who he is again
 
Re: Doctor Who

Islander said:
It's really sad, but I've lost all enthusiasm for the show now.

I definitely think that it was time for RTD to leave when he did, and I maintain that Moffat's episodes series 1-4 were pretty much the best, but my word has he ruined the show for me having taken it over fully.

I will of course watch, there are certainly parts of and some whole episodes that I enjoy, and Matt Smith does have certain endearing aspects, but overall, meh :(
Click to expand...

Moffat is nothing compared to RTD. His scripts are far too complex, especially considering it's supposed to be a kids show as well, but having said that I had no idea what was going on half of the time. RTD's stuff was far better, much easier to understand and was often standalone episodes rather than weaving incomprehensible threads of story throughout numerous hours and then expecting everyone to understand the ending.
 
I'm going to be a curveball here and say that, whilst I am a fan of Doctor Who and would sit through the current series, I haven't found myself wanting to know the revitalised series block per se.

Yes I've grown up watching it and wouldn't have discovered the Classic series without it but the entire revitalisation has felt... I don't know how to describe it, just more like broadcast fanfiction than an actual show at times due to Uncle Rusty and Moff. In my opinion they're just as bad with each other with incomprehensible stories and repetitive settings. I more or less watch it because it's there, it has inspiring moments (in filming rather than plot) and the rich history that surrounds it.

Really I consider myself to be more of a Classic fan than Current, mainly because it made an awful lot more sense and wasn't so self-absorbent in success or as lavish with effects, it was a lot more humble and thought provoking. Sad that the canon painstakingly made over those previous decades was shooed away.
 
Am I the only one that thinks Matt Smith's take on the Doctor is fantastic?

We've seen him cry, we've seen him hurt, we've seen the child within him, we've seen the excitement, we've seen his enthusiasm and most importantly we've seen the dark side of the Doctor - the life of a man that has raged through war and destruction.

The 11th Doctor has done just as much (if not more) than the 10th (David Tennant). I honestly don't see a big difference apart from the fact that people had a David Tennant fanism. The fact Christopher had one season as the Doctor didn't leave much for people to remember. So for much of the modern 'Who fans David Tennant has and will always be the Doctor - and to be honest if you feel like that then you're clearly a DT fan, not a Doctor Who fan.

I loved David as the Doctor - although I love Matt equally. The whole point of Doctor Who is that the show regenerates itself. That's why it's lead 49 years of being one of the most popular shows in British television history. If we kept David, kept RTD, kept the same look and feel the show would lose it's touch a few years down the line. It becomes the same old same old and gets boring. By changing the show every few years it keeps things fresh and an audience will never get tired of it.

Moffat realised how arc-heavy last years series was - and he was in a rush to get the bulk of River Song's story told. Now that's all done with this year is going to go a bit back in time and not be so heavy with the arc. River will not play such a main role this year and there will be no over-complicated arc's or stories to follow. However as always there will be a loose arc (think series one) and a few cliffhangers thrown into the mix.

This years budget has also been increased. Which means CGI has stepped up, plus they've been able to go all out with sets in the Roath Lock Studios.

May be it's just me, but I love the change in the show. There will always be bits I don't like and series I dislike more than others - but at the end of the day I love Doctor Who and I love the way they keep it fresh.
 
I quite like Eleven and I would equally agree that we've seen him do a lot more than expected. Just with every actor who has played the Doctor, Matt Smith has taken in a new stance on how to play such a heavy and popular role that, whilst isn't 100% liked, is certainly another powerful performance.

Eleven is playful and witty as much as he is mysterious but does anybody else he has a bit more spark? By that I mean the fact his regeneration was so much more damaging than any previous time with built up stress/guilt, broken morals and thus creating a rather dangerous aura (which all pooled into the Dream Lord's existence) underneath that cuddly exterior. The Doctor himself is coming to the end of his Time Lord regeneration cycle too and so that'll just conflict him further with his intentions as a broken character.

Though this isn't to say that the Doctor has only just become a broken character now due to the current writing (see Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctor serials) but considering Matt Smith is portraying an ancient being in a young body, the likelihood of the Doctor snapping into beserk mode seems quite high and Smith has proven he has the emotional range for that.
 
My thoughts are fairly similar to those of James, I like the fact the show keeps changing. Whether or not it has been in a way I like or dislike the show has never stopped feeling like the Doctor Who I enjoy. Admittedly my avid fandom died down after the second (2006) series but in some ways I've enjoyed the show more since I've stopped judging it and just enjoyed it for what it is; good family entertainment.

As such I can't exactly say which sub-series of New Who I've preferred but I will say that from the moment that Moffat was announced as the new lead writer I did have my doubts as to how his series would turn out. His lone episodes always worked because they were short and self contained, stopping him from getting too carried away. Personally I've liked the results but I can completely understand how the most recent series is seen by many as too complex and hard to follow.

I just hope Murray Gold continues to compose the amazing soundtrack as it sets the tone which I feel makes the show so different from everything else currently out there. I would also like them to occasionally show more of the classic series on live TV as I'd like to get into the original show but I’d like a taste of them first before committing to buying one of the BBC’s normally overpriced collections.
 
I love all the Modern series, and I think it gets better and better.

I love the River Pond Storyline, even if it gives me a headache, and watching episodes again, is so much more interesting knowing what is going to happen.

This new series is looking good, and I can not wait for it to start.

I think the Music, by Murray Gold, has made the last two seasons very enjoyable, and anyone who follows me on Spotify will notice I listen to the sound tracks a fair bit.

Ian
 
IanB said:
I love all the Modern series, and I think it gets better and better.

I love the River Pond Storyline, even if it gives me a headache, and watching episodes again, is so much more interesting knowing what is going to happen.

This new series is looking good, and I can not wait for it to start.

I think the Music, by Murray Gold, has made the last two seasons very enjoyable, and anyone who follows me on Spotify will notice I listen to the sound tracks a fair bit.

Ian
Click to expand...

I've never understood why these younger composers like Murray Gold, Andy Price, Rob Lane etc never get opportunities at composing for film - they have more than proven themselves in TV work which is arguably more demanding.
 
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