At last, at last--the new Doctor has arrived (or perhaps materialized) in the U. S. of A.! For that I give a big {[] , but I must also sound off a bit:
Why why WHY did the Sci Fi Channel have to be the cable network to air the show? I'd forgotten its propensity to break into programs every five minutes or so to run commercials! I hope they didn't make cuts to allow for more commercial time, but I wouldn't put it past 'em. SOBs! X-(
So--how did I feel? A bit of a shock. . .I was prepared for Eccleston's more "modern" take on the character, but I was kind of thrown by the business of him being the last surviving Time Lord, one who had fought in a galactic war that destroyed his home planet. Doesn't that contradict what was established by the Troughton Doctor, who said that Gallifrey had become so advanced that it was boring and stodgy? I can't see them involved in a war! I was further thrown by his slight contempt for humans, calling them "apes;" by his panic when the TARDIS wouldn't operate correctly; and especially by his running around like a galactic secret agent, as opposed to being a cosmic traveller who just happens to fall into trouble at every turn. And a Doctor Who where the words "hell" and "bitchy" are used. . .by the Doctor and his companion?!?
Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.
That said, I quite enjoyed this new take on the Doctor. "Rose" was essentially "Terror of the Autons" revisited; but as soon as I saw a man-eating garbage bin I knew I was indeed in the goofy universe of Doctor Who. A monster pit underneath the London Eye, and the Eye itself being used to send commands to a plastic dummy? Sheer insane genius! On the whole, though, I preferred "The End of the World." Despite the Restaurant at the End of the Universe set-up, it had some incredibly funny moments; and such elements as Cassanda the strip of skin and the tree people could have come from the series when Douglas Adams was script editor. And I'm greatly pleased by the interior of the TARDIS, which looks like it was assembled in a junk yard; and I'm happy they retained such things as the sonic screwdriver and the distinctive sound the TARDIS makes when it materializes and disappears. I'm not quite blown away yet, but I'm happy.
Except for the show being on Sci Fi Channel, that is.
Vox clamantis in deserto
FelixLeiter ♀Staffordshire or a pubPosts: 1,286MI6 Agent
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Hardy.
I've watched Jon Pertwee on UKGold this morning. I really enjoy the old ones - almost as much as the new ones and some as much. But it's getting really hard to continue getting up earlier on weekend mornings, than I do on week days. ) Oh well - I'm sure some of them are gonna be put on later anyway.
Meanwhile, the 2nd series is getting closer and closer to us in the UK. The Doctor Who Magazine is coming out on the last Thursday of March, instead of the first of April this month. Could this possibily be because it shall be transmitted before the first Thursday in April? That would make the showing date April 1st. I have my suspicions but we shall all have to wait and see.
I certainly enjoyed 'Rose' and 'The End Of The World' when they were first broadcast. Looking back on them now (though still enjoyable) they are two of the weaker episodes in the series.
So, Hardy. I can and do promise you that the best is yet to come. Namely, Dalek, Father's Day, and the two-part story The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.
As for being thrown by the Doctor's (Christopher Eccleston's) contempt for humans. I was a bit put off at first by his rudeness towards Rose & Mickey amongst others in the early episodes. But then it's clear from very early on that this Doctor is still wounded by the (recent?) events and loss of the Time War.
I was kind of thrown by the business of him being the last surviving Time Lord, one who had fought in a galactic war that destroyed his home planet. Doesn't that contradict what was established by the Troughton Doctor, who said that Gallifrey had become so advanced that it was boring and stodgy? I can't see them involved in a war!
The whole thing of him being the last Time Lord and the effects of the Time War are part of a much larger, slowly unravelling plot. That wider plot hadn't been fully explained and, ergo, resolved, by the end of the series. So I think there's a lot more to come in that department. Russell T Davies has remained tight lipped on the possibility of a return for The Master (asked because there was fervent speculation at one point that Anthony Head's character was The Master because the press release had him down as "Headmaster" - since clarified, by the way). So who knows, the beauty of playing with time means that anything can happen! )
A little upset, (actually not a little) after I sat back to enjoy a little Who time the following afternoon, I'd noticed the clocks (and thus the vcr) were all flashing, (the inevitable sign, one of our all too frequent power surges)
A little upset, (actually not a little) after I sat back to enjoy a little Who time the following afternoon, I'd noticed the clocks (and thus the vcr) were all flashing, (the inevitable sign, one of our all too frequent power surges)
As I've already said, just a little upset.. X-(
There is some light at the end of the tunnel, Alex. I do know that episode 2 'The End Of The World' is scheduled to be repeated next Friday evening. Hopefully, you will have no more problems with power surges.
So, Hardy. I can and do promise you that the best is yet to come. Namely, Dalek, Father's Day, and the two-part story The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.
Yes indeed, the series starts well but from 'Dalek' onwards it really steps up a gear as the production team visibly work out how to make this show exactly right. The greatest episodes being the 'Empty Child' and 'Doctor Dances' two-parter; perfect telly.
Have any of you American viewers been showing it to kids? It's really a family show so they should get a lot out of it.
I was kind of thrown by the business of him being the last surviving Time Lord, one who had fought in a galactic war that destroyed his home planet. Doesn't that contradict what was established by the Troughton Doctor, who said that Gallifrey had become so advanced that it was boring and stodgy? I can't see them involved in a war!
Well, by Tom Baker's time the Time Lords had been thoroughly re-invented from the super beings they started out as to the load of boring old men they became. Plus we had heard of a few wars they were involved in through the original series (against a race of Vampires in one instance!), so a new war doesn't really contradict anything we know of them. Indeed, they had been fighting a similar war against an unseen enemy in the continuation novels at just the time the new series started (although the two are very much unconnected, plotwise) so fans weren't seeing anything that shocked them in this.
According to information from the programming department of the Sci-Fi Channel, Doctor Who did well its first night in broadcast. 1.58 million viewers tuned in to watch "Rose", says the report, with 1.61 million viewers watching "The End of the World" and 0.78 million viewers each watching "Rose" and "The End of the World" in their 11pm and 12am repeat slots. These numbers are somewhat lower than the standard viewing the channel received for its broadcasts of its original series "Stargate: Atlantis" and "Battlestar Galactica" in the same time slots, but higher than any broadcasts of syndicated series that evening (including repeats of "Firefly" and "John Doe"). Final numbers including Nielsen rankings should be available within the next week or two.
Sci Fi Channel ran "The Unquiet Dead" this evening. Trans-dimensional aliens trying to take over dead bodies in Victorian Cardiff. . .classic Who! Being a Victorian scholar, I got a real kick out of this episode; especially when it came to the Doctor's fanboy-ish gushing over Charles Dickens: "Do the death of Little Nell! That cracks me up!" I was a little concerned about Simon Callow as CD--he can be either brilliant or an over-ripe ham--so I was happy to see Callow put in a good performance.
And I'm beginning to see where Moonraker 5 is coming from. . .apparently this business about "Time Wars" will pop up throughout the series and be explained. 'K, I'm cool with it. And I can't wait 'til "Dalek". . .!
Vox clamantis in deserto
FelixLeiter ♀Staffordshire or a pubPosts: 1,286MI6 Agent
I remember seriously being hyped about Dalek when I sw the 'next time' trailer.
Well, for those of us in the UK, channel 4 are showing 'The Green Death'(better known as 'the 1 with the giant maggots') starting on Monday 3rd at 7.10-8 (pm). They'll be showing 2 episodes on the 3rd, 4th and 5th.
And Hardyboy- weirdly Unquiet Dead is, looking back on the series, one of the more unadventurous, um, adventures and a number of fans have gone off it because it doesn't feel much like the new series. It's great, but looking back the series gets a lot better. Which is great!
FelixLeiter ♀Staffordshire or a pubPosts: 1,286MI6 Agent
Yeah that's what I meant. ;% I've heard some rather... interesting things about it.
It'll be nice because UKGold are currently showing Jon Pertwee's episodes as well. Unfortunately I missed Sunday's because of us puuting the blummin clocks forward. X-(
UKGold are currently showing Jon Pertwee's episodes as well. Unfortunately I missed Sunday's because of us puuting the blummin clocks forward. X-(
This may seem a silly question, felix. Do you have access to UKGold+1? It transmits all UKGold programmes one hour later. If you don't have access to it then I am more understanding of your frustration at missing Sunday's episodes.
Oooh, we've seen those little spiders before. And I see they've moved the Burj Al Arab from Dubai for the second pic!
Still no air date though
Marc Warren (currently Danny Blue in Hustle, previous credits include Band Of Brothers and Clocking Off) and Shirley Henderson (recently in The Taming Of The Shrew and Harry Potter recurring character Moaning Myrtle) have joined the cast for Episode 10 - Love & Monsters - alongside Peter Kay.
Well, the object in the last image looks more than vaguely familiar.
The other images look like they represent a futuristic Earth to me. Having said that, I do know that at least one episode from series two is set on an alien world.
I am really looking forward to it. I am just hoping that the overall quality from series one will be maintained.
FelixLeiter ♀Staffordshire or a pubPosts: 1,286MI6 Agent
I do have access to UKGold+1, because that's what I was getting up for.
Anyway, the pictures look great, really intriging.
Tomorrow DWM comes out and is meant to have the dates for series 2 in. I really hope it does becasue this waiting is driving me mad. Forst I thought it was in March, then this Saturday now who knows.
I've found something to distract me for a while. ITV4 show The Saint every Wednesday evening.
The other images look like they represent a futuristic Earth to me. Having said that, I do know that at least one episode from series two is set on an alien world.
Indeed- this is from Episode 1: New Earth. Set in the year Five Billion (or thereabouts) on Earth Mark Two. The Dubai-alike is the hospital in which the Doctor and Rose investigate creepy goings on... and there's a familar old bitchy trampoline about!
I am really looking forward to it. I am just hoping that the overall quality from series one will be maintained.
It was screened to the press last night and the embargo lifts at midnight tonight; so we should be hearing plenty of reactions. You can watch a little bit online here: www.bbc.co.uk/wales Click on the 'watch Wales today' and the Who feature is about 21 mins in. Only there for a day, mind!
It was screened to the press last night and the embargo lifts at midnight tonight; so we should be hearing plenty of reactions. You can watch a little bit online here: www.bbc.co.uk/wales Click on the 'watch Wales today' and the Who feature is about 21 mins in. Only there for a day, mind!
Thanks for the link, emtiem. It certainly whets the appetite for April 15th.
I'd like to see better plot development as well as good drama. The plot twists in some of the series episodes were weak and fudgey at times although no-one can fault the drmatic tension which is infinitely better than that of the earlier Doctor Whos.
Comments
Hoo-haw!
Check your local listings for times. And set your vcrs. (in case I miss it!)
And don't forget that two episodes will be broadcast on Friday evening ('Rose' and 'The End Of The World').
I hope that 'Who' fans in the US enjoy the new series as much as we did on this side of the pond.
Why why WHY did the Sci Fi Channel have to be the cable network to air the show? I'd forgotten its propensity to break into programs every five minutes or so to run commercials! I hope they didn't make cuts to allow for more commercial time, but I wouldn't put it past 'em. SOBs! X-(
So--how did I feel? A bit of a shock. . .I was prepared for Eccleston's more "modern" take on the character, but I was kind of thrown by the business of him being the last surviving Time Lord, one who had fought in a galactic war that destroyed his home planet. Doesn't that contradict what was established by the Troughton Doctor, who said that Gallifrey had become so advanced that it was boring and stodgy? I can't see them involved in a war! I was further thrown by his slight contempt for humans, calling them "apes;" by his panic when the TARDIS wouldn't operate correctly; and especially by his running around like a galactic secret agent, as opposed to being a cosmic traveller who just happens to fall into trouble at every turn. And a Doctor Who where the words "hell" and "bitchy" are used. . .by the Doctor and his companion?!?
Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.
That said, I quite enjoyed this new take on the Doctor. "Rose" was essentially "Terror of the Autons" revisited; but as soon as I saw a man-eating garbage bin I knew I was indeed in the goofy universe of Doctor Who. A monster pit underneath the London Eye, and the Eye itself being used to send commands to a plastic dummy? Sheer insane genius! On the whole, though, I preferred "The End of the World." Despite the Restaurant at the End of the Universe set-up, it had some incredibly funny moments; and such elements as Cassanda the strip of skin and the tree people could have come from the series when Douglas Adams was script editor. And I'm greatly pleased by the interior of the TARDIS, which looks like it was assembled in a junk yard; and I'm happy they retained such things as the sonic screwdriver and the distinctive sound the TARDIS makes when it materializes and disappears. I'm not quite blown away yet, but I'm happy.
Except for the show being on Sci Fi Channel, that is.
I've watched Jon Pertwee on UKGold this morning. I really enjoy the old ones - almost as much as the new ones and some as much. But it's getting really hard to continue getting up earlier on weekend mornings, than I do on week days.
Meanwhile, the 2nd series is getting closer and closer to us in the UK.
So, Hardy. I can and do promise you that the best is yet to come. Namely, Dalek, Father's Day, and the two-part story The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.
As for being thrown by the Doctor's (Christopher Eccleston's) contempt for humans. I was a bit put off at first by his rudeness towards Rose & Mickey amongst others in the early episodes. But then it's clear from very early on that this Doctor is still wounded by the (recent?) events and loss of the Time War.
As I've already said, just a little upset.. X-(
There is some light at the end of the tunnel, Alex. I do know that episode 2 'The End Of The World' is scheduled to be repeated next Friday evening. Hopefully, you will have no more problems with power surges.
Yes indeed, the series starts well but from 'Dalek' onwards it really steps up a gear as the production team visibly work out how to make this show exactly right. The greatest episodes being the 'Empty Child' and 'Doctor Dances' two-parter; perfect telly.
Have any of you American viewers been showing it to kids? It's really a family show so they should get a lot out of it.
Well, by Tom Baker's time the Time Lords had been thoroughly re-invented from the super beings they started out as to the load of boring old men they became. Plus we had heard of a few wars they were involved in through the original series (against a race of Vampires in one instance!), so a new war doesn't really contradict anything we know of them. Indeed, they had been fighting a similar war against an unseen enemy in the continuation novels at just the time the new series started (although the two are very much unconnected, plotwise) so fans weren't seeing anything that shocked them in this.
US Debut Ratings
According to information from the programming department of the Sci-Fi Channel, Doctor Who did well its first night in broadcast. 1.58 million viewers tuned in to watch "Rose", says the report, with 1.61 million viewers watching "The End of the World" and 0.78 million viewers each watching "Rose" and "The End of the World" in their 11pm and 12am repeat slots. These numbers are somewhat lower than the standard viewing the channel received for its broadcasts of its original series "Stargate: Atlantis" and "Battlestar Galactica" in the same time slots, but higher than any broadcasts of syndicated series that evening (including repeats of "Firefly" and "John Doe"). Final numbers including Nielsen rankings should be available within the next week or two.
And I'm beginning to see where Moonraker 5 is coming from. . .apparently this business about "Time Wars" will pop up throughout the series and be explained. 'K, I'm cool with it. And I can't wait 'til "Dalek". . .!
Well, for those of us in the UK, channel 4 are showing 'The Green Death'(better known as 'the 1 with the giant maggots') starting on Monday 3rd at 7.10-8 (pm). They'll be showing 2 episodes on the 3rd, 4th and 5th.
And Hardyboy- weirdly Unquiet Dead is, looking back on the series, one of the more unadventurous, um, adventures and a number of fans have gone off it because it doesn't feel much like the new series. It's great, but looking back the series gets a lot better. Which is great!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/greendeath/trivia.shtml
read the trivia part.
It'll be nice because UKGold are currently showing Jon Pertwee's episodes as well. Unfortunately I missed Sunday's because of us puuting the blummin clocks forward. X-(
This may seem a silly question, felix. Do you have access to UKGold+1? It transmits all UKGold programmes one hour later. If you don't have access to it then I am more understanding of your frustration at missing Sunday's episodes.
Still no air date though
Marc Warren (currently Danny Blue in Hustle, previous credits include Band Of Brothers and Clocking Off) and Shirley Henderson (recently in The Taming Of The Shrew and Harry Potter recurring character Moaning Myrtle) have joined the cast for Episode 10 - Love & Monsters - alongside Peter Kay.
The other images look like they represent a futuristic Earth to me. Having said that, I do know that at least one episode from series two is set on an alien world.
I am really looking forward to it. I am just hoping that the overall quality from series one will be maintained.
Anyway, the pictures look great, really intriging.
Tomorrow DWM comes out and is meant to have the dates for series 2 in. I really hope it does becasue this waiting is driving me mad. Forst I thought it was in March, then this Saturday now who knows.
I've found something to distract me for a while. ITV4 show The Saint every Wednesday evening.
Apart from the confirmed and official April the 15th you mean?
Yup - I have a copy right in front of me! (Benefits of being a subscriber, you know) Lots of good stuff in it too!
Indeed- this is from Episode 1: New Earth. Set in the year Five Billion (or thereabouts) on Earth Mark Two. The Dubai-alike is the hospital in which the Doctor and Rose investigate creepy goings on... and there's a familar old bitchy trampoline about!
It was screened to the press last night and the embargo lifts at midnight tonight; so we should be hearing plenty of reactions. You can watch a little bit online here: www.bbc.co.uk/wales Click on the 'watch Wales today' and the Who feature is about 21 mins in. Only there for a day, mind!
Thanks for the link, emtiem. It certainly whets the appetite for April 15th.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fhuXjZXbjI&search=doctor%20who
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/03/30/30793.shtml