Doctor Who

[robwebster]

You ever been in a situation where someone hypes up something so much, there is no possible way it can live up to those expectations? That's why I'm staying away from it. I can't possibly go in with an open mind and watch the show.

I do "get" the feeling. I haven't looked into series like Mad Men and Breaking Bad because I can't stand that buzz, that constant hype of, "Oh my God, you've got to watch this." I'm sure they're both every bit as brilliant as people say, but the more I hear about how I should totally be watching them, the less interested I become in ever watching them.

That said, I wouldn't have considered it so important a thought that it must be etched into the fabric of the internet for those shows' fans to marvel at. It's me being obstinate and irrational, I have literally no idea why I'd want to write it down unprovoked unless I'd resolved to vocalise every thought I ever have without any sort of filter, but that might just be me.

Cos, seriously. What is it we were supposed to do with that information?

[snapple]

Well, it's the Doctor Who thread. I figured it was the most relevant place to put it. It doesn't seem like this board has the obnoxious-fan stuff that I see most of the internet having, so I felt safe posting it here. And, if any of you were able to tell me just what in the hell the show is about, I might change my mind. This being unemployed crap sucks and I just don't know what to do with my time.

[chknptpie]

Why would you expect us to try and change your mind when you state that you refuse to watch it? It isn't up to us to change your mind, that's up to you. If you want to know what its about then..

https://lmgtfy.com/?q=what+is+doctor+who+about

If you have specific questions, I'm up for answering those but not in an effort to change your opinion.

[snapple]

what is it about?

[robwebster]

Everything!

Fellow travels through space and time in a time machine disguised as a blue police box, making the universe a slightly better place. One week it's a period drama, the next it's an action thriller, another might be cosmic horror, comedy, speculative fiction. And most of the time it's half a dozen at once.

"Anywhere you want, any time you want. One condition—it has to be amazing."

[JRundquist]

So if I get this right...people are ignoring TV shows because they are being praised and people tell others they should watch it?

I get the hate for internet culture but come on. the same kind of people would exist with or without the internet, just on the internet they are known more.

That said I love Doctor Who and Breaking Bad, and I watch them from my own accord, not because of how others feel about it.

[robwebster]

So if I get this right...people are ignoring TV shows because they are being praised and people tell others they should watch it?

I get the hate for internet culture but come on. the same kind of people would exist with or without the internet, just on the internet they are known more.

That said I love Doctor Who and Breaking Bad, and I watch them from my own accord, not because of how others feel about it.

As I said - obstinate and irrational! I'm not claiming that it's sensible, but it's surely not a feeling that only me and snapple have ever experienced. The feeling that you're sick to death of hearing about something before you've even seen a frame? Downton Abbey's another! Haven't watched it, media's bored me, don't plan to. And I'll almost definitely feel like a moron when I finally do catch it, since I already think I'm being fairly moronic right now.

But I'll tell you what it's like, it's like having that one friend who won't stop rabbiting on about X or Y, except that friend has possessed everyone in Europe.

[Heretic]

Well to get back on topic..


SPOILERS BELOW:






https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/The-Ice-Warriors-are-Back

The Ice Warriors, from Troughton's term as the Doctor, are confirmed to be back in the third episode of the upcoming second-half of season 7. It will be written by Mark Gatiss. The entire episode will take place submerged on a... submarine!

I think Gatiss's episodes are okay as a whole, nothing entirely amazing but still solid stuff. I'm incredibly intrigued in regards to the setting. A submarine?! Awesome. Maybe it will have a "Midnight" feeling to it, too!

[robwebster]

Big news! But bigger for other people than it is for me. I'm aware of them, and I think it's pretty cool that they're coming back, just as there's always a little bit of hype when an old school monster returns, but it's ultimately just another creature I haven't met yet!

I have an odd relationship with Mark Gatiss - I think he's brilliant, but he's brilliant in other stuff. Acting and writing for The League of Gentlemen, acting and writing for Sherlock, I love so much of his writing, his television, his radio... everything he touches turns to gold. Except, bizarrely, his Doctor Who!

The Unquiet Dead was brilliant, and his turn in the Lazarus Experiment was cool, too. The rest? Not that fussed either way! He's capable, but I think his take on Doctor Who is a few inches to the left of mine. Which is cool! Can't be floored by everyone's scripts. But given how much I love his other work, it's curious that I'm not.

[Perpetual Change]

Snapple, you have a lot of weird opinions, and that's one of the weirdest. You love Skyrim, and that has a way larger internet culture.

Anyway, just watched Shakespeare Code. Awesome episode! Everything was good about it. Also, the random numbers in the dialog of the play had me rolling. The plot itself didn't make a lot of sense, but it was awesome anyway. Kinda reminded me of the type of humor you find at the Lancaster Renaissance Faire 

[snapple]

Snapple, you have a lot of weird opinions, and that's one of the weirdest. You love Skyrim, and that has a way larger internet culture.

I've been playing the Elder Scrolls since 1998 when I got Daggerfall.

[senecadawg2]

Just finished season 1! Eccleston was good, but I'm excited for a change.

Overall I thought the first season was a bit inconsistent, with some of the highest highs and some of the lowest lows (the only other doctor I've spent any serious time with is Matt smith).

My favorite episodes were:

End of the World
The Unquiet Dead
And the finale

I also loved the Silurian bits, and really enjoyed captain jack.

[El JoNNo]

Snapple, I'll try to fill in more gaps for you.

Doctor Who is about a man who comes from a race of people known as the 'Time Lords'. These Time Lords were basically the police of time. The Doctor has nothing to do with the Time Lords and in the 2005 remake/continuation (the one being discussed here) he is seemingly the last of his kind. As the series takes off right after the time war.

The Doctor, being a Time Lord, has many interesting abilities. When he is near death to avoid dying he regenerates, which is basically reincarnation. He retains all his memories of his previous self's but is now a different person. As much as they are different 'Doctors' they do share many similarities such as a child like enthusiasm when it comes to exploring or being in danger.

The Doctor will often travel with someone which the fans call the companion. He has gone through many, many companions over the centuries and goes through a handful in the mere 7 seasons this series has been on.

It is a good show with highs and lows but it is never always action, comedy, drama horror etc.. The characters feel real! One moment I love was with the 9th Doctor; he had just finished saving earth and had return to his TARDIS (his time machine). He was elated and shouting NO ONE DIED! Because often when he sets out on his adventures innocent bystanders, his friends, or enemies are killed. This time around no one died. That is what the Doctor is about helping people. 

[abydos]

I don't know if this can be considered spoilerish but I won't use tags and just paste the link. It's just the new companion looking amazing in a catwomanish suit https://i.imgur.com/H9rOzVF.png xD

[ariich]

*explodes*

[senecadawg2]

Which begs the question, who has been the most attractive companion?

I've only seen the ones from the very first season, Amy Pond, and Rose Tyler, so obviously I don't have many to choose from. But this new one certainly takes the prize for me.

[Nekov]

I love Amy to death and there can never be a girl that matches her! 

[senecadawg2]

Definitely a step up from Rose. But this next one shows a lot of promise, if her two appearances are any good indication of where she's headed.

[Cedar redaC]

It is a good show with highs and lows but it is never always action, comedy, drama horror etc.. The characters feel real! One moment I love was with the 9th Doctor; he had just finished saving earth and had return to his TARDIS (his time machine). He was elated and shouting NO ONE DIED! Because often when he sets out on his adventures innocent bystanders, his friends, or enemies are killed. This time around no one died. That is what the Doctor is about helping people.

This is a totally epic moment if you've seen it. I got cold chills.

[Heretic]

Jenna-Louise Coleman is DEFINITELY the most attractive companion. I mean, seriously, look at that outfit.

[adameastment]

Jenna-Louise Coleman is DEFINITELY the most attractive companion. I mean, seriously, look at that outfit.

I dunno, everyone loves a redhead

[robwebster]

If we're talking appearances - JLC's nice, but she's not really my type. Karen Gillan's nice, and completely and totally is. To the extent that if I were asked to draw a picture of my type, I would just try and draw the Kazmeister. To the detail! I'd have put "Scottish accent" in brackets and everything - it's just the best one!

JLC I find a little... generically beautiful, if that makes sense? She's gorgeous, but she's soap-opera gorgeous. Girl band gorgeous. All the right parts in all the right places, but she's almost too right. I don't feel like it's got as much personality as a more normal face. Gangly Scottish red-head, on the other hand? Now we're talking!

That said, I don't really know much about Jenna as a person, so she's got plenty of room for manoeuvre. After all! "There's some people, when you meet them you think, 'Not bad! They're okay.' And then you get to know them, and their face just sort of becomes them. Like their personality’s written all over it. " She might not be my type in the same way Karen Gillan is... but she might end up being my type in an all-round better way. Doctor Who's had a lot of brilliant, interesting ladies on board - they only cast the best, I'd be lucky to meet any of them, and I'm confident Jenna will prove to be no exception. Can't wait to start hearing more from her.

[robwebster]

Also!

Overall I thought the first season was a bit inconsistent, with some of the highest highs and some of the lowest lows (the only other doctor I've spent any serious time with is Matt smith).

Funnily enough, I used to say this back in 2006 when there'd only been two series... except I used to say it about series two!

The ride only gets more turbulent. Some absolutely fantastic highs - the best episodes of series two are far and above the best of series one, in my book - but there are quite a few episodes I think are really very shaky. I'd say it contains a couple of (21st century) Doctor Who's shakiest stories. Difficult second album!

Silurians - did you mean Slitheen?

[senecadawg2]

Yeah, my bad. I meant silitheen. Very cool aliens...

[robwebster]

Nice! They're very polarising, I'm not 100% sure how well the SFX have held up, but there are a lot of cool ideas packed into the Slitheen eps. Cool little details. The surname thing, in particular - why do aliens always introduce themselves by their species? Great gag. And Harriet Jones is ace.

S2's great fun, too, but S3 is where the running gets properly smooth. S3 opens incredibly strong, follows up just as well, and from ep 3 onwards it's a list of increasingly neat episodes culminating in a finale.

But let's not skip ahead! S2's great. You'll like David Tennant, I think. Taking change in your stride, bodes well enough!

[ariich]

If we're talking appearances - JLC's nice, but she's not really my type. Karen Gillan's nice, and completely and totally is. To the extent that if I were asked to draw a picture of my type, I would just try and draw the Kazmeister. To the detail! I'd have put "Scottish accent" in brackets and everything - it's just the best one!

JLC I find a little... generically beautiful, if that makes sense? She's gorgeous, but she's soap-opera gorgeous. Girl band gorgeous. All the right parts in all the right places, but she's almost too right. I don't feel like it's got as much personality as a more normal face. Gangly Scottish red-head, on the other hand? Now we're talking!

That said, I don't really know much about Jenna as a person, so she's got plenty of room for manoeuvre. After all! "There's some people, when you meet them you think, 'Not bad! They're okay.' And then you get to know them, and their face just sort of becomes them. Like their personality’s written all over it. " She might not be my type in the same way Karen Gillan is... but she might end up being my type in an all-round better way. Doctor Who's had a lot of brilliant, interesting ladies on board - they only cast the best, I'd be lucky to meet any of them, and I'm confident Jenna will prove to be no exception. Can't wait to start hearing more from her.

I feel the opposite way round really, but each to their own. I'm with you on people who look too perfect, which is why I just don't find Cheryl Cole exciting, but JLC really has something ridiculously sexy about her.

Gillan is beautiful, of course, but I don't find her as exciting.

[El JoNNo]

One of the things I liked about Doctor Who was that they didn't always have super hot people on the show. They were be no means ugly but certainly didn't crank up the sex appeal.

[Super Dude]

Me five years ago:



They had me at "A Judoon platoon on the Moon."

[robwebster]

I don't know if I'm proud of this.

I do have a pair of red-blue 3D glasses kicking about, too, but I couldn't find them immediately. Everything else was within grabbing distance of my desk. Dear me.

[tapsmiled]

I used to watch the Tom Baker version when I was a kid and have wanted to get into the newer version. The Eleventh Hour was on this morning, and I thought it was fantastic. All of the characters were very likable, and I intend to try to watch when I can.

Any thoughts on just jumping in when the new season starts?  Should I go back and catch up or just pick up when it resumes?

[El JoNNo]

I used to watch the Tom Baker version when I was a kid and have wanted to get into the newer version. The Eleventh Hour was on this morning, and I thought it was fantastic. All of the characters were very likable, and I intend to try to watch when I can.

Any thoughts on just jumping in when the new season starts?  Should I go back and catch up or just pick up when it resumes?

You really should go back and watch the rest just because they're awesome.

[ariich]

I used to watch the Tom Baker version when I was a kid and have wanted to get into the newer version. The Eleventh Hour was on this morning, and I thought it was fantastic. All of the characters were very likable, and I intend to try to watch when I can.

Any thoughts on just jumping in when the new season starts?  Should I go back and catch up or just pick up when it resumes?

Watch from the Eleventh Hour and catch up with the current series, because that was the start of a new doctor and new head writer, so it's a great jumping-on point!

Then if you like it, go back and watch the first 4 series of the rebooted show.

[Sigz]

Yeah, catch up with the 11th Doctor and then the new episodes, then go back and see 9 and 10.

[robwebster]

Boom.

[tapsmiled]

Yeah, I instantly liked Matt Smith.