The new Dr Who, what do you think?

lazarus corporation · 13 Apr 2010, 22:42

Actually I'd really like to see the Ice Warriors make a reappearance. They did get a passing mention on one of the last David Tennant episodes.

timsinister · 14 Apr 2010, 13:27

Yes, I noticed that. I suspect it was more of a quick bodge-job, when the scriptwriters realised they'd made no reference to a popular alien species that comes from Mars...

DeWinter wrote:They've still got the Valeyard, Rani, Omega...

See, this is very much my point. I simply can't take the basic premise of the Time War seriously. They constantly recycle both sides, so what's the point other than to give the Doctor more livejournal-angst material?

Seriously, if he can knock the Daleks over every time they pop up in the show, how come he lost when he was fighting with the entire Time Lord race?!

And they'll never touch the Valeyard concept with a BARGE POLE! One, it'll be too confusing for the the little kids and two, they'll be desperately bodging together a way to get the Doctor past the thirteen lives limit.

weebleswobble · 14 Apr 2010, 13:48

moses · 14 Apr 2010, 14:20

weebleswobble wrote:

Oooooooooo Yes please! I've come over all guilty, arrest me.

stufarq · 14 Apr 2010, 21:09

DeWinter wrote:They've still got the Valeyard and the Rani to bring back.

Or they could try some good villains.

timsinister · 15 Apr 2010, 12:54

Controversy! I thought the concept of the Valeyard was quite exciting. Unfortunately, it came at a time of shrinking budgets and desperate script-writing.

DeWinter · 15 Apr 2010, 13:37

The Ice Warriors were pretty good, a martial race turned international peacekeepers. I suppose they were wiped out in the Time War or something.
I thought the Rani was a fairly good concept, an emotionless scientist experimenting on the "lower races". Colin Baker's tenure had some interesting ideas, but low budgets, bad scripts, and Micheal Grade ensured Colin got the shaft. I did like a cannibalistic alien gourmand called Shockeye electrifying someone to tenderise them and saying in his defence "Well, they don't feel pain in the way that we would..". I was able to feel suitably vegetarian smug.
The Valeyard was a brilliant concept, especially with Sylvester McCoy's doctor becoming more manipulative, you could see the character being developed. But I think he might be conveniently forgotten as well, much like the rule of 13, which I haven't heard mention of yet in the new series. Still, the new series doesn't ignore continuity in the same way the movie with Paul McGann did, so we should count our fanboy blessings.

weebleswobble · 15 Apr 2010, 13:59

Amy Pond

Erudite · 15 Apr 2010, 17:41

weebleswobble wrote:Amy Pond

Man after my own heart.

Oh to be the meat in a Karen Gillan / Florence Welch sandwich.

timsinister · 15 Apr 2010, 18:03

Erudite wrote:
weebleswobble wrote:Amy Pond
Man after my own heart.

Oh to be the meat in a Karen Gillan / Florence Welch sandwich.

STOPITSTOPITSTOPIT

timsinister · 15 Apr 2010, 18:04

DeWinter wrote: Still, the new series doesn't ignore continuity in the same way the movie with Paul McGann did, so we should count our fanboy blessings.

I love how the Telemovie has become the nadir of all Who. A benchmark of fail, if you will.

hellboy69 · 15 Apr 2010, 18:09

Did someone say "Ice Warriors"?

weebleswobble wrote:

Oh, wait.

timsinister · 15 Apr 2010, 18:10

Splash indeed.

Erudite · 15 Apr 2010, 18:50

DeWinter wrote:Colin Baker's tenure had some interesting ideas, but low budgets, bad scripts, and Micheal Grade ensured Colin got the shaft. I did like a cannibalistic alien gourmand called Shockeye electrifying someone to tenderise them and saying in his defence "Well, they don't feel pain in the way that we would..". I was able to feel suitably vegetarian smug.
The Valeyard was a brilliant concept, especially with Sylvester McCoy's doctor becoming more manipulative, you could see the character being developed. But I think he might be conveniently forgotten as well, much like the rule of 13, which I haven't heard mention of yet in the new series.

I've always felt Colin Baker's doctor to be rather maligned.
I enjoyed the idea of a regeneration gone wrong leading to arrogance and psychosis.

That and he has the distinction of being the only Doctor ever to be sacked.

timsinister · 15 Apr 2010, 23:23

Erudite wrote: I've always felt Colin Baker's doctor to be rather maligned.
I enjoyed the idea of a regeneration gone wrong leading to arrogance and psychosis.

That and he has the distinction of being the only Doctor ever to be sacked.

Currently approaching the end of watching Trial of a Time Lord - I'm quite taken with Colin's portrayal and agree he was much maligned. That said, I've put my support behind Syl McCoy so perhaps I'm more forgiving?

That said, he also refused to film his own regeneration - so Syl was the only actor to portray two incarnations!

Andy Christ 666 · 15 Apr 2010, 23:29

moses wrote:
weebleswobble wrote:

Oooooooooo Yes please! I've come over all guilty, arrest me.

She's a bit to thin for my tastes, as for the new Doctor Who, I managed to watch about 5 minutes of it, that was all I could stand, he can't act and his face looks like a foot.

stufarq · 16 Apr 2010, 00:55

Erudite wrote:That and he has the distinction of being the only Doctor ever to be sacked.

Unless you believe the rumours about Eccleston...

DrG · 16 Apr 2010, 03:13

It's still Doctor Who and I love it!!! Afterall, I have seen much worse...

16 Apr 2010, 08:41

stufarq wrote:
Erudite wrote:That and he has the distinction of being the only Doctor ever to be sacked.
Unless you believe the rumours about Eccleston...

What really? I just thought he was a bit of an ac-torrr about it and walked away to avoid typecasting.

timsinister · 16 Apr 2010, 11:56

Me too!

Any corroborating evidence, stufarq?

weebleswobble · 16 Apr 2010, 12:07

timsinister wrote:Me too!

Any corroborating evidence, stufarq?

He did announce his departure before ther BBC had planned to, maybe he did that to p*ss 'em off...

DrG · 17 Apr 2010, 01:57

weebleswobble wrote:
timsinister wrote:Me too!

Any corroborating evidence, stufarq?
He did announce his departure before ther BBC had planned to, maybe he did that to p*ss 'em off...

I recall reading/hearing something about how Eccleston wanted to play much
darker roles... you know, like Destro in the recent G.I. Joe film.

As if he had no idea what he was getting into when he chose to play the Doctor!
The series may get dark on occasion, but it's still for the kiddies!

Anyhow... he was short-lived, but absolutely brilliant!

DeWinter · 17 Apr 2010, 11:05

timsinister wrote:
Erudite wrote: I've always felt Colin Baker's doctor to be rather maligned.
I enjoyed the idea of a regeneration gone wrong leading to arrogance and psychosis.

That and he has the distinction of being the only Doctor ever to be sacked.
Currently approaching the end of watching Trial of a Time Lord - I'm quite taken with Colin's portrayal and agree he was much maligned. That said, I've put my support behind Syl McCoy so perhaps I'm more forgiving?

That said, he also refused to film his own regeneration - so Syl was the only actor to portray two incarnations!

Colin was my favourite, as it happens! I suppose because he was the Doctor when I first started watching. I missed the first five minutes of "Time and The Rani" and had no clue why all of a sudden it was a totally different man. Quite what was meant to have killed his version off I never quite understood when I re-watched it years later. A bad fall?
Can't blame him for refusing to come and film the plot device for his own sacking though, really! I got to listen to some of the audio plays he's done, and all I can say is it's a damn shame he never got the chance to show what he could do.
Sack Colin, and keep Bonnie Langford..there's logic for you!

McGann got the even worse end of the stick than Colin. His version had potential, shame he got stuck in a god-awful Americanised TV movie complete with personality-free romance interest and a car chase. Suppose if they ever do a serialised story of the Time War they can bring him back. And explain how Rassilon returned and the many other little niggles that annoy me so much when I watch..
As for Eccleston, I just thought he was being precious because he's such a grade-A misery guts?

timsinister · 17 Apr 2010, 12:36

Yes, the Sixth Doctor was supposedly killed when the Rani dragged the Doctor's TARDIS out of flight - apparently he fell and banged his head on the console!

The extended universe - novels and audios - prefer to dwell in a darker realm of possibility. They argue that 1) the Sixth Doctor's increasingly erratic behaviour was increasing the chance of him becoming the Valeyard, and 2) the Seventh Doctor was going to become Time's Champion, so he engineered his predecessor's death and regeneration so he could be born.

Grim stuff, hmmm?

Suppose if they ever do a serialised story of the Time War they can bring him back. And explain how Rassilon returned and the many other little niggles that annoy me so much when I watch..

Difficult to imagine - how do you exactly film a Time War? And it would be nothing but a string of defeats for the Doctor, who admitted amongst other things he was present at the Fall of Arcadia - hardly suitable for the hero!
Mind you, the Eighth Doctor was badly underused. I've heard his audio stories are awesome, and his novels read well.

As for Rassilon - there's no way it was the same Time Lord as the one from the Five Doctors. He probably took the name to inspire Gallifrey in the War. In the real world, the scriptwriters just tossed it in with the same careful attitude they apply to all their continuity.

DeWinter · 17 Apr 2010, 13:51

I dunno, wasn't Rassilon meant to be still alive according to rumour? But a tyrant who was locked in a tower in eternal sleep. If they were desperate enough to revive the Master, it's not impossible that they might bring back Rassilon, especially (if that was him in End of Time) if he's as powerful as it appears.

I never realised just how big a Who anorak I actually am untill this thread..