The Doctor Who Thread.....

[Tallguy 3,411]

12 minutes ago, Bofur01 said:

Ah, but they’re resetting the Series counter - RTD confirmed that Ncuti’s first series will be called “Series 1” 

 

So we are beginning a new era

 

That... Has some interesting implications. Maybe not that interesting since season 1(c) has direct ties to season 4(b).

[Tallguy 3,411]

RTD also confirms that he is NOT retconning the Timeless Child.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

Bugger.

[Sweeping Strings 2,384]

Have been an even crabbier git than usual these last couple of days ... fireworks round my way were a noisy pain in the arse for 2-and-a-half hours on Hallowe'en night, plus my right hip is achy and that has affected sleep. 

So the 2 Who progs on Beeb 4 last night were something of a welcome soother ... Tennant looking back at interview clips of classic era Doctors and occasionally chipping in with his own comparative experiences was fun, and the concert was great (I closed my eyes and 'had a moment' during Abigail's Song ... gorgeous). 

[Sweeping Strings 2,384]

Watched the first eps of The Leisure Hive and Warriors Of the Deep last night ... I am aware that in a classic case of ambition outstripping budget, a monster more akin to a pantomime horse (the Mykra, I think) awaits me in the latter. Probs best if they'd just left it at Siluarians and Sea Devils, lol. 

Also watched 'Whose Doctor Who', a late 70s docu presented by Melvyn Bragg about the show featuring several delightful interview clips with Tom Baker, not to mention schoolkids and academics.   

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

"The Leisure Hive" is a decent story.

"Warriors Of The Deep" had ambition, and good production design, but it's let down by shoddy effects, and, yes, that bloody Myrka.

The shot of a character trying to... well, I won't spoil it for you, Sweep.

 

[Sweeping Strings 2,384]

I see from Warriors' Wiki page that a General Election was announced early in its production, thereby leading to a greater demand for BBC studio space and its production time was consequently cut by a fortnight. That wouldn't have helped. Found the first ep decent enough ... some not-bad modelwork, as you said pretty good production design and a good cliffhanger.   

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

Just you wait until the Myrka makes an appearance 

[Brónach 1,302]

RTD is probably ignoring The Timeless Child / making it so that there are multiple conflicting timelines on purpose.

 

personally my only problem is making the Doctor important (and also that it was mostly boring), not that there are many doctors.

[Tallguy 3,411]

1 hour ago, Brónach said:

RTD is probably ignoring The Timeless Child

 

He's flat out said that he's not.

[Brónach 1,302]

yeah but my alternative is functionally equivalent

[Sweeping Strings 2,384]

I prefer to ignore it. Felt too much like a (IMO) unnecessary apology for the Doctor having been a white man for 54 years.  

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

2 hours ago, Brónach said:

RTD is probably ignoring The Timeless Child...

 

49 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

 

He's flat out said that he's not.

 

RTD has said that he's not retconning The Timeless Child, which implies that, as @Brónach suggests, he's ignoring it.

The whole Timeless Child thing - heck, Chibnall and Whittaker's entire tenure - is, probably the most devisive thing that ever happened to DW.

Personally, I choose - I want - to ignore it, but it's a part of DW lore, so I can't. I have to accept it, and move on.

[Brónach 1,302]

yeah but RTD doesn't have to!

 

let's consider the following: RTD has no issues about campy excess. RTD wants to make his own DW. RTD may not indulge in timeloop gags like someone else but knows it's a timetravel show. RTD may or may not have some appreciaton for some of the things Chibnall may have wanted to do  (is he a truther about the faces in that one episode?). RTD can't go an undo stuff.

 

What can he do? Say "I'll do you one better" and make a third, different timeline of events, perhaps as conflicting as possible, and shrugh and say "oh no, the doctor has travelled so much up and down his own footsteps, that everything is broken we can no longer reconstruct the real backstory" and then use his own version.

 

or maybe it's me, us roleplayers like to do some "yes and".

[Richard Penna 3,716]

I'll defend some of what Chibnall did in that when he wasn't delivering social sermons and slaying those consumers who dared to buy a plastic figurine, some of his plots weren't half bad. I seem to remember a lot of flack for that episode with the metal-eating creature on a spaceship, which I really enjoyed. I also rather liked Eve of the Daleks.

 

Unfortunately, while Flux largely ditched the populist social rubbish, its storyline couldn't have been less engaging - I couldn't tell you one single thing about its plotline.

 

But I'm not enough of the geeky sort of fan to care about how RTD treats the canon so far. As far as I'm concerned, if the new specials and series are fun, exciting and make some vague sense, he can pretend series 11-13 never existed.

[Sweeping Strings 2,384]

20 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

I'll defend some of what Chibnall did in that when he wasn't delivering social sermons and slaying those consumers who dared to buy a plastic figurine, some of his plots weren't half bad. I seem to remember a lot of flack for that episode with the metal-eating creature on a spaceship, which I really enjoyed. I also rather liked Eve of the Daleks.

 

Unfortunately, while Flux largely ditched the populist social rubbish, its storyline couldn't have been less engaging - I couldn't tell you one single thing about its plotline.

 

But I'm not enough of the geeky sort of fan to care about how RTD treats the canon so far. As far as I'm concerned, if the new specials and series are fun, exciting and make some vague sense, he can pretend series 11-13 never existed.

Yep ... probably the thing that stuck in the throat most about Orphan 55 and Praxeus' eco finger-wagging was remembering the amount of plastic Who merch that exists. I've joked in the past that all the stuff floating in the ocean in the latter was probably unsold Chibnall-era action figures. 

I enjoyed some of Flux's episodes in its first half, but lost track of what was going on in the second. The fact that Chibnall felt duty-bound to post a 15-minute video on YouTube explaining same suggests I wasn't alone.  

[Richard Penna 3,716]

The latter part of Flux may have been a victim of distracted viewing for me. I'm not engaged by the story so I start doing something else, then suddenly realise I haven't actually been watching for the last 5 minutes. It goes the other way plenty of times - I start out half distracted, then 20 minutes later I'm glued to the screen. That last happened in a major way with EEAAO (I'm amongst the crowd that really liked it).

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

FLUX's only saving grace, was Kevin McNally. The rest of it, like most of Chibnall's tenure, was utter shit.

[TBO1711 32]

I wonder at the end of The Giggle will there be a trailer for this years Xmas Special or will it say Doctor Who will return this Christmas?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

Apparently, Season 14 will now be called Season 1.

Work that out.

[Tallguy 3,411]

  

2 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Apparently, Season 14 will now be called Season 1.

Work that out.

 

Well...

 

On 01/11/2023 at 6:36 AM, Naïve Old Fart said:

Now, just a damn minute?

What's the difference between NuNuWho, and OldNuWho?

I think I know what OldOldWho is.

 

On 01/11/2023 at 1:39 PM, Bofur01 said:

Ah, but they’re resetting the Series counter - RTD confirmed that Ncuti’s first series will be called “Series 1” 

 

So we are beginning a new era

 

Yup. Just like they didn't call the first NuWho series 26. Apparently every time RTD runs the show we reset.

 

It's funny how much they seem to emphasizing the new global reach of the new show and the first thing they do is introduce a bunch of content no-one outside of the UK can see.

[TBO1711 32]

Apart from his appearance in The Giggle Target Novelization, i hope we get some Fifteenth Doctor books next year 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

11 hours ago, Tallguy said:

Yup. Just like they didn't call the first NuWho series 26. 

 

They wouldn't have called it Series 26, but they might have called it Series 27 

[Tallguy 3,411]

7 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

 

They wouldn't have called it Series 26, but they might have called it Series 27 

 

To quote the illustrious Captain Quint: Yeah yeah yeah yeah YEAH!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

You're certifiable, @Tallguy, you know that?

YOU'RE CERTIFIABLE!

[Brónach 1,302]

maybe he's certifiable but i'm already certified

[Sweeping Strings 2,384]

'I started to think you were just a madman with a box'.

'Amy Pond, there's something you better understand about me 'cause it's important and one day your life may depend on it. I am DEFINITELY a madman with a box'. 

[Tallguy 3,411]

1 hour ago, Sweeping Strings said:

'I started to think you were just a madman with a box'.

'Amy Pond, there's something you better understand about me 'cause it's important and one day your life may depend on it. I am DEFINITELY a madman with a box'. 

 

Oh, thanks. Now THAT will be stuck in my head all day.

 

 

 

I was always rather charmed that this theme was the last that was played for 11.

[Brónach 1,302]

oh this time was quite spot on

[Richard Penna 3,716]

Having noticed that all of NuWho is on iPlayer, I reminded myself of Smith's regeneration - it was possibly the only Xmas special I've watched with the family and while much of the story went over everyone's head (I had to explain to the others that DW Xmas specials are usually more straightforward) the combination of the music and Gillan's cameo put a smile on my face - it may be crowd-pleasing but it damn well works. In retrospect the change to Capaldi feels a bit rushed though.

 

 

Plus nothing will ever, ever beat the season 5 trailer at the end of episode 1 in terms of the music and overall feel.

[Sweeping Strings 2,384]

'Goodbye, raggedy man' would bring a tear to a glass eye. 

'Kidneys! I've got new kidneys! I don't like the colour'. 

The last few posts have reminded me of the answer Moffat gave when asked at the 60th anniversary concert about writing the show ... 'You can have Matt doing TERRIBLE things, and then all he has to do is turn those puppy-dog eyes on you and you're 'Awww, you're forgiven'. Whereas I told the writers they could put in as many goofy jokes with Peter as they wanted ... but those eyebrows are always going to scare the crap out of you'.    

[Tallguy 3,411]

8 minutes ago, Sweeping Strings said:

'Kidneys! I've got new kidneys! I don't like the colour'. 

 

I still adore that line.

 

Every time I watch Smith and Gillan I can't help but think "They're both BALD!"

 

The most understated regeneration. And probably my favorite. Tennant's is up there just because it's so amazing to go from crying at Tennant to cheering at Smith. Brilliant.

[TBO1711 32]

The title for Xmas Special has been released early

Here it is for anyone who wants to know:

Spoiler

 

[Richard Penna 3,716]

'Holiday Special'. Hah.

 

No Americanisations for Who please...

[Tallguy 3,411]

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

'Holiday Special'. Hah.

 

No Americanisations for Who please...

 

I'm sure it will be very Hanukkah centered.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

It's "Christmas Special". It's always been "Christmas Special".

Already, I can see where The Mouse is going to take DW, and I don't like it.

[Tallguy 3,411]

40 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Already, I can see where The Mouse is going to take DW, and I don't like it.

 

I know people said the same thing about a lot of early RTD. Good grief keeping the word "Christmas" is the most non-progressive thing in modern Who. (I don't know if I'm using the correct word. I just know not to use "woke".)

[Sweeping Strings 2,384]

I doubt it'll be referred to as a 'Holiday Special' on this side of the pond, somehow. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

2 hours ago, Sweeping Strings said:

I doubt it'll be referred to as a 'Holiday Special' on this side of the pond, somehow. 

 

... especially since they are in November, and early December 

 

 

4 hours ago, Tallguy said:

 

I'm sure it will be very Hanukkah centered.

 

Not sure whether to  at that, or not, but I'm going to... 

 

 

Yes, it's a holiday special for the whole city, so give the constitution a rest, ok? It's Christmas.

[Sweeping Strings 2,384]

I see a 75-minute colourised version of second-ever serial 'The Daleks' will air on BBC4 on the 23rd. Don't get me wrong, I know classic Who had 'filler' ... but that still seems like a HELL of a 'cutdown' from 7 25-minute episodes   .

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

Sometimes a cut-down works (ENLIGHTENMENT), and sometimes it doesn't (GENESIS OF THE DALEKS). Whether it works for PLANET OF GIANTS we'll never know.

Take 2 1/2 to 3 minutes off for titles, and a 75 minute cut might work.

Of course, it needs to be done by someone who not only has good editing chops, but who understands DW. We can't let and old Sec, Jast, or Thay get their grubby little protuberances on it 

It's well known that Nation had a lot of padding in his stories.

Watch it, and let us know you think.

[Tallguy 3,411]

On 07/11/2023 at 7:50 AM, Tallguy said:

 

I'm sure it will be very Hanukkah centered.

 

On 07/11/2023 at 12:21 PM, Naïve Old Fart said:

Not sure whether to  at that, or not, but I'm going to... 

 

 

Reading that back I want to be clear: I'm being sarcastic. Hanukkah is the only other holiday on December 25th this year and the special will have nothing to do with it. So calling it a Holiday Special is (as it always is) ridiculous.

 

Not that there is some shadowy conspiracy controlling the BBC. Yikes.

[Brónach 1,302]

It's only ridiculous in english. In other languages "holiday" or equivalent trying to default to christmas has always been normal.

[Richard Penna 3,716]

I see either Christmas or Festive used over here. Holiday has always felt like an American thing and I don't recall ever seeing it in the TV listings years ago.

 

I suppose 'Holiday' would be the blanket equivalent of 'Festive' to refer to Xmas/NYE all in one go. Although it's probably an easier term to use to avoid any possible issues with people getting offended by using 'Christmas' to refer to various celebrations.

[Tallguy 3,411]

1 hour ago, Brónach said:

It's only ridiculous in english. In other languages "holiday" or equivalent trying to default to christmas has always been normal.

 

It's when someone says "Hey, that's NOT a good word for it anymore" and changes it to something else that is the silly part. Clearly SOMEONE (Disney for example or Chibnal for another) does not feel they are interchangeable.

[Sweeping Strings 2,384]

RTD, you mean. 

[Tallguy 3,411]

2 minutes ago, Sweeping Strings said:

RTD, you mean. 

 

Well, RTD is the one that brought Christmas Doctor Who back, isn't he? Disney is posting it as the Holiday Special and Chibnal took DW off of Christmas.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,615]

The Mouse is already cleaning it's claws.

[Tallguy 3,411]

For YEARS my Christmas tradition was to do Christmas morning with the kids opening the presents, all the family stuff during the day, then settle down with a torrented copy of that year's Who (I wasn't going to wait until the day AFTER Christmas for the Doctor Who Christmas special) and a nice glass or three of bourbon. Ahhhh.

 

Then Jodie came along and everyone in my house started watching Doctor Who AND Chibnal nixed the Christmas specials.

 

My daughter is now worried that all of her friends will finally know what Doctor Who is but they'll only know Tennant and Gatwa. (She's a Smith fan.) (You know I've just realized that they've made such a hash of the numbers that I don't even care to use them anymore.)

[Sweeping Strings 2,384]

7 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

 

Well, RTD is the one that brought Christmas Doctor Who back, isn't he? Disney is posting it as the Holiday Special and Chibnal took DW off of Christmas.

I'm actually wondering if there are separate UK and US versions of Disney+, and if it's listed as a Christmas special on the former and a Holiday Special on the latter.