The Doctor Who Thread

[hivemind]

Originally Posted by iank

The Empty ChildIt frustrates me no end that the modern version of Who clearly has the potential to be like this, yet has chosen to spend so much of it's run being mediocre or just plain crap instead.

I suggest you take a rain check on that. There's been some decent stories written for the new series. Inparticular, The Unquiet Dead, Dalek, The Parting of the Ways, The Christmas Invasion, Tooth and Claw, School Reunion, The Girl in the Fireplace, The Impossible Planet, The Satan Pit, Doomsday, Gridlock, Human Nature, The Family of Blood, Blink, Planet of the Ood, Silence in the Library, Forest of the Dead, Midnight, Turn Left, Stolen Earth, Waters of Mars, The Eleventh Hour, Time of the Angels, Flesh and Stone, The Vampires of Venice, Amy's Choice, Vincent and the Doctor, The Lodger, The Pandorica Opens, The Impossible Astronaut, Day of the Moon, The Doctor's Wife, The Snowmen, The Crimson Horror, Deep Breath, Into the Dalek, Listen, Time Heist, Flatline, The Magician's Apprentice, Knock Knock, Oxygen, Empress of Mars, Twice Upon a Time

Plenty to enjoy. But Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat both have plenty of dud stories between them + the hired writer's who were employed by Davies and Moffat throughout not-so-new Who's run. I suppose it's no different to Doctor Who back in the 1960's, 70's and 80's. I can think of plenty of Doctor Who stories that makes you wonder how they ever got commissioned in the first place.

[iank]

Please tell me you're joking. Twice Upon a Time? A story that recasts the 1st Doctor as a sexist pig?
The phrase "utter garbage" springs to mind. Many of those were also awful, such as Time Heist (the most boring heist in the history of TV or film) and the pompous, pointless Listen. The Magician's Apprentice was complete drivel too.
Yes, there are a few good stories. Not as many as you'd think for 12 years of TV, and buried under aisles of complete horse manure.
So no, I don't think I'll be taking a raincheck, thanks.

[hivemind]

Originally Posted by iank

Please tell me you're joking. Twice Upon a Time? A story that recasts the 1st Doctor as a sexist pig?
The phrase "utter garbage" springs to mind. Many of those were also awful, such as Time Heist (the most boring heist in the history of TV or film) and the pompous, pointless Listen. The Magician's Apprentice was complete drivel too.
Yes, there are a few good stories. Not as many as you'd think for 12 years of TV, and buried under aisles of complete horse manure.
So no, I don't think I'll be taking a raincheck, thanks.

I quite like the 1st Doctor as a sexist pig iank. Doctor Who certainly won't be the same later this year when what's her name plays the female version of Doctor Who with that ridiculous Andy Pandy costume. Doctor Who will reach new heights in PCness. When you bring back a past Doctor from the 1960's, you also bring back the character trait's that the 1st Doctor had during his tenure. That means showing up his non-PC character, which Moffat did. Though Moffat did this for a reason, and so did the PC BBC. But I did enjoy seeing David Bradley deliver his sexist lines in all the right places. Time Heist wasn't perfect by any means, but i've taken to the story a little bit more over the years. I still cannot bring myself to watch Voyage of the Damned or the absolutely awful End of Time. So what Doctor Who stories from the series past do you elevate to a standard of excellence? And what was wrong with The Magician's Apprentice? I thought it started out so well.....

Forgot. You live in Australia, so it doesn't rain cats and dogs out there. More koalas and kangaroos.

[iank]

I couldn't make it passed the first fifteen minutes of TMA - three of the worst female characters ever seen on television, Clara, Missy and the charmlessly wooden Kate "my dad was in this show once and he was awesome so LOVE ME" Stewart. Ugh.

Moffat's last act as showrunner was to take a piss on the original - and still one of the best - Doctor. That won't be forgotten any time soon.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

On the whole the ten series have been very good.

I wasn't keen on series 6 but even that had an excellent opening two parter, A Good Man Goes to War and my personal fave Closing Time (I know, i know, but i love it).

Series ten was instantly forgettable but Empress of Mars and the two part finale were very good. I haven't even bothered to buy this series yet. It was very lackluster.

Series 9 was where the rot really set in for me. I enjoyed the opening Davros two parter but even that had parts that made me cringe. The only other really good episode was Face the Raven. The rest were average (Zygon double header) to completely abysmal (The Woman Who Lived, Heaven Sent, Hell Bent)

Capaldi's first season was pretty good, only Kill the Moon which was utter bollocks lets it down. I thought Deep Breath and Dark Water to be outstanding.

Matt Smith (my fave Doctor) saved many of his episodes which could have been dire, with his performance, but even he could do little about Nightmare in Silver which is in the bottom three episodes since the series was revived.

David Tennant's era was a triumph throughout. The series was on such a high that complete clunkers like Fear Her could be forgotten when flanked by episodes like The Girl in the Fireplace, Rise of The Cybermen, School Reunion, The Satan Pit double header and Army of Ghosts.

The comeback series was brilliant. I've only revisited it once since transmission because the dvd's are housed in a great big shit TARDIS case that is held together with elastic bands.

There are always going to be poor episodes in a series, or at least episodes which aren't as well regarded, the problem being that by series ten these far outweighed the good ones.

As for Twice Upon a Time? Well thank heavens for Gatiss. He was the only decent thing in it... and that's saying something. Had Moffat not been leaving he should have been fired for his handling of the first Doctor. Such a pity as David Bradley was sublime in An Adventure in Space and Time.

[hivemind]

Originally Posted by iank

I couldn't make it passed the first fifteen minutes of TMA - three of the worst female characters ever seen on television, Clara, Missy and the charmlessly wooden Kate "my dad was in this show once and he was awesome so LOVE ME" Stewart. Ugh.

Moffat's last act as showrunner was to take a piss on the original - and still one of the best - Doctor. That won't be forgotten any time soon.

Missy was certainly one malevolent bitch. Michelle Gomez's performance sold me, but in certain ways I'd prefer her to have been the Rani than the Master, but never mind. Missy paved the way forward for a female Doctor. Just the way the BBC wanted it. Don't feel so negative about TMA. Get over the notion of Clara and Miss wooden Stewart, and you have a fairly enjoyable Dr Who story. Your being somewhat hard on yourself iank. There's always been cringeworthy moments in Doctor Who. Plus plenty of wooden acting. This is Doctor Who. Not William Shakespeare's As You Like It, even though that was a comedy of errors.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by hivemind

There's always been cringeworthy moments in Doctor Who. Plus plenty of wooden acting.

I find The Pirate Planet a real slog to get through for these reasons. The Underwater Menace is awful too. Time and the Rani and Paradise Towers have plus points, but the acting isn't one of them.

[hivemind]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

On the whole the ten series have been very good.

I wasn't keen on series 6 but even that had an excellent opening two parter, A Good Man Goes to War and my personal fave Closing Time (I know, i know, but i love it).

Series ten was instantly forgettable but Empress of Mars and the two part finale were very good. I haven't even bothered to buy this series yet. It was very lackluster.

Series 9 was where the rot really set in for me. I enjoyed the opening Davros two parter but even that had parts that made me cringe. The only other really good episode was Face the Raven. The rest were average (Zygon double header) to completely abysmal (The Woman Who Lived, Heaven Sent, Hell Bent)

Capaldi's first season was pretty good, only Kill the Moon which was utter bollocks lets it down. I thought Deep Breath and Dark Water to be outstanding.

Matt Smith (my fave Doctor) saved many of his episodes which could have been dire, with his performance, but even he could do little about Nightmare in Silver which is in the bottom three episodes since the series was revived.

David Tennant's era was a triumph throughout. The series was on such a high that complete clunkers like Fear Her could be forgotten when flanked by episodes like The Girl in the Fireplace, Rise of The Cybermen, School Reunion, The Satan Pit double header and Army of Ghosts.

The comeback series was brilliant. I've only revisited it once since transmission because the dvd's are housed in a great big shit TARDIS case that is held together with elastic bands.

There are always going to be poor episodes in a series, or at least episodes which aren't as well regarded, the problem being that by series ten these far outweighed the good ones.

As for Twice Upon a Time? Well thank heavens for Gatiss. He was the only decent thing in it... and that's saying something. Had Moffat not been leaving he should have been fired for his handling of the first Doctor. Such a pity as David Bradley was sublime in An Adventure in Space and Time.

I suppose Bradley did get somewhat shafted by Moffat. I was somewhat high on brandy mince pies and having some Vodka whilst watching Twice Upon a Time. But I still relished the notion of Doctor 12 meeting Doctor 1.

Kill the Moon just took the biscuit as worse concept for a Doctor Who story. The Caretaker was another story that made me cringe. Couldn't agree more with Nightmare in Silver. Awful!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by hivemind

Kill the Moon just took the biscuit as worse concept for a Doctor Who story. The Caretaker was another story that made me cringe. Couldn't agree more with Nightmare in Silver. Awful!

I acknowledge that The Caretaker isn't great but i really like the Skovox Blitzer and think Capaldi's quite funny in it as well.

[hivemind]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I acknowledge that The Caretaker isn't great but i really like the Skovox Blitzer and think Capaldi's quite funny in it as well.

What!

Dusty Bin

What about the rather dire Robot of Sherwood. Mel Brooks of would've had a field day with this episode. Robin Hood: Men in Tights eat your heart out!

I was waiting for the song and dance routine to kick in.