Doctor Who - the new series

[Franklin]

Early 2005 I noticed the bbc broadcasted a new series of the all time classic sf-hit Doctor Who.
I watched a few episodes and then the stopped for a moment.

But a few weeks ago Dutch television started to show the first new series (bcc shows the second series, with again a new Doctor who I don't like) and I'm recording it every week now.
I love it!! Christopher Eccleston as being the ninth Doctor is fantastic and hilarious!
Even Billie Piper as Rose is lovely to watch.


I have some dvd's from old Doctor Who series from the early/mid 70's and those episodes look stupidous nowadays

But the Doctor Who theme is still one of my alltime favourites (thanks to Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond and their Timelords-hit Doctorin' The Tardis!).

Is/was anyone else into Doctor Who? I remember watching it in the early 80s as a young boy.

[CheapWallpaper]

Tom Baker as Doctor Who is one of the few things from my childhood I remember ;D

I'm very much in two minds about the 'new' version however. The acting is excellent (Christopher Eccleston was brilliant, and David Tennant is OK) but quite a few of the stories have just been totally stupid. And I prefered it with longer stories (they used to go on for months) and I generally prefer proper alien planet storylines rather than the Earth ones they seem to be doing at the moment.

There have been exceptions though - certainly there's been a couple of great episodes from the second series (the Madame de Pompadour one and the ancient-monster-stuck-in-a-black-hole one), but mostly it's garbage. I think they throw in a good one on occasion just to keep me watching

[teppic]

Eccleston was hugely overrated as Dr. Who. As much as i like the guy and really respect his acting abilities, he clearly felt the role was a bit beneath him - either that or he was simply very uncomfortable in the role. Not keen on the Doc having a chav sidekick either, though she's done far better than i'd have expected.


Tennant is 100 times better as the Doctor as far as i'm concerned. He has much more belief in the role, genuinely is giving it his all, and in one episode can express more emotion than Eccleston managed in a whole season. I've found the second season to be far better than the first was - the first year never really felt like Who to me, and even when it came close it still never seemed comfortable with it's heritage. The second season is unashamedly Dr. Who through and through (though i have to admit i found last weeks episode a bit so-so).


The only thing which is annoying me is that the BBC are insanely overhyping Who right now, and i get the feeling it could just crash from over-exposure at some point. Right now the Beeb seem to stick a Dr. Who reference in just about everything except their World Cup footage, and i wouldn't be surprised if that was only a matter of time. Eventually people will just get sick of it all the time, and it seems bizarre how after years of Who fans desperately pleading with the BBC to make a new series and being totally ignored that now the BBC seem to be sucking on it's udders for every last drop of milk they can drain.

[Franklin]

As far as the pictures of the 10th Doctor (new series season 2) concerned, he looks pretty lame to me. A stiffhead with no sence of humour, esp. compared to Eccleston in the first season.

But sometimes the odd and stupidous episodes are fun, just like The X-files used to have every now and then.

I don't know how the new series develops (I don't want to read the synopsis from the episode guides on the official site), but I remember the few eps I saw on the bbc last year, there was a continuous story happening (those "Mommy" chanting rubberfaced kids. Scary episodes btw).
I don't remember that much from what I saw in my childhood (maybe it wasn't Doctor Who AT ALL!!! But I remember a desert and some alien entities and some timetravelling in a phonebooth, so it have to be Doctor Who), but thanks to the internet and dvd's and episode guides I know every season consists of 4 or 5 stories and every story was divided in 4 parts of 23 minutes.
And the Dalek-episodes are like the Mythology episodes in The X-files, and Star Trek has recurring enemies all through the seasons.
Too bad Doctor Who is a cult series in The Netherlands, even the series is broadcasted on public network in early evening on Saturday's...

[teppic]

Trust me (especially since i've seen it)... Tennant's Doctor is far more humorous in one episode than than the entirety of the previous season. He has the ability to deliver the Joss Whedon style of humor where there can be a really serious scene and he suddenly comes out with a sarcastic one-liner which you'd never have expected and leaves you going "Did he really just say that?!".


The first season was a slightly awkward attempt to make a modern Dr. Who (and it worked better than anyone could have hoped for), but the second season is a modern Dr. Who in every way.


I say all this as someone who was extremely happy when Eccleston was announced as the Doctor and was raving about how he was perfect to bring back Who into the modern day, and as someone who was very worried about Tennant taking over and the look they'd given him. The christmas special where Tennant is introduced wasn't quite as good a start as they could have made, but if by the end of the first episode proper of season 2 you aren't singing his praises then ...well, you're just odd.


;D

[Franklin]

Just seen "Aliens Of London" with these Ghostbuster-ish aliens trying to take over London (and the rest of the world). The sfx are still crappy if you'd ask me

Why did Eccleston leave Doctor Who? Wasn't he what the bbc expected of him, or didn't he want to do a second season?

[teppic]

No idea... That's something which is being kept between him and the producer, Russell T Davies. The fact Eccelston's contract was only for one season leaked not long into the series airing on BBC1 and cause a huge uproar - everyone tried denying it at first, but since he definitely wasn't going to sign up for another season they had to admit it and thereby kind of ruin the surprise of the last episode (don't worry, i won't spoil anything by going into plot details - you already know there's going to be a new Doctor). There are rumors all over the place about what happened - everything from the BBC not having faith that the show would be a success to rumors that Eccelston asked for silly high amounts of money to return to the role due to how successful it turn out to be. Like i said, i personally don't think Eccelston was ever very comfortable in the role. It's just one of those great unanswered questions and Who fans can be so protective that even if the truth came out i don't think they'd believe it over their own theories (a lot of Who fans have turned quite nasty on Eccleston recently).


And i hate to be the one to break it to you if you haven't already heard, but Billie Piper has confirmed that she's leaving at the end of this season now too (it had been rumored since the end of the previous season, but now it's a definite). That hasn't gone down too well with the fans either as many saw her as the main character in the new Who after Eccelston left. By the start of next season there'll be none of the original actors left. I have mixed feelings on her leaving as she played the part so much better than i would have ever thought, but on the other hand she is Billy Piper, y'know... ;D And trust me, there's no chance of her changing her mind and staying on - the people behind the show and Piper herself have said that her final episode is very final. If you get my drift. Apparently the last episode of the current season is called 'Doomsday'. So that's that then. ;D


I'll get the joke reply to the question of why she's leaving out of the way now before someone beats me to it BTW: She's leaving "...because she want's to, because she wants to!" Ahem. Sorry. It had to be done.


On the other hand there's going to be a couple of spin-off programs. The one closest to being finished is named Torchwood (work that one out anagram fans! ).


Oh, and the special effects have been a bit better this year. A bit. ;D

[Franklin]

But since Billie Piper (luckily only 1 top 40 hit in Holland with the song Thank Abba For the Music, alongside some other singers) is leaving Doctor Who, do we now get Lindsey Lohan in return?? As sexy as possible ofcourse

[Saar°berry]

franklin said:

But since Billie Piper (luckily only 1 top 40 hit in Holland with the song Thank Abba For the Music, alongside some other singers) is leaving Doctor Who, do we now get Lindsey Lohan in return?? As sexy as possible ofcourse

Ugh... that's like exchanging something bad for something way worse!

[Franklin]

[teppic]

That would certainly be the point at which i stopped watching for good.

[Saar°berry]

;D