Doctor Who

[heisenbergman]

Any Doctor Who fans here?

50th Anniversary episode is airing this weekend!

I just got into the show during the time of David Tennant as the 10th Doctor and I was immediately hooked.

Love the show. So much so that we name our daughter (loosely) after one of the characters.

Any other fans here?

[Edmond Dantes]

Okay, I'm wowwed.

I'm wowwed because, while yes I am a Doctor Who fan, I had forgotten about it for like, two years, and then today it all came back to me completely at random and I just spent the last hour or so looking up prices on Amazon for DVDs... and now this topic just pops up out of nowhere.

Personally, I think you should try to see some of the pre-Tennant Doctors (I like Tom Baker, William Hartnell and Peter Davison personally) because in a lot of ways, Old Who was better. Yes, the special effects were more fakey, but that had an odd way of making them more believable. Not sure how to explain it but I'm sure someone here understands. Although there's not much wrong with the Nu Who (or at least there wasn't before it became all about Who and River Song)

[heisenbergman]

There's just so much old Who

I've recently gotten the Doctor Who film and will likely watch it this weekend because of the mini web episode they released recently (The Night of the Doctor) where they reveal what happened to the 8th Doctor, but that's about it.

[Edmond Dantes]

Yeah, it can get pretty daunting.

My personal suggestions on "good starting points" are any of the below (pick one):

* "The Beginning" box set, containing the first ever Doctor Who stories. I should note that if you pick "Play All" for the first story, it'll run through both versions of the first part... in the first version, Hartnell's doctor is an abusive dick, and in the second he's far more likable. I recommend skipping to the second version where he's more likable.

* "The Robots of Death", a Tom Baker adventure--this one is a murder mystery aboard a large sand cruiser.

* "Horror of Fang Rock," also a Tom Baker story, which is kind of a horror story.

I was tempted to recommend the "New Beginnings" box set, which includes the last two Tom Baker stories and the first Peter Davison, but that one probably loses something if you're not already familiar with the character. Likewise the Key to Time story arc is good, but it might be too long for someone who isn't already committed.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Doctor Who is kind of like the English football team: a constant source of disappointment since the sixties, yet whenever it comes back I am always hopeful and enthusiastic to see what they will do next. I will watch the shit out of the 50th anniversary episode. It will be terrible.

[AntiFritz]

Doctor Who is kind of like the English football team: a constant source of disappointment since the sixties, yet whenever it comes back I am always hopeful and enthusiastic to see what they will do next. I will watch the shit out of the 50th anniversary episode. It will be terrible.

Pretty much, except I'm not sure I'll bother watching it.

I somewhat liked the old doctor who eps as a child (tom baker etc). And I enjoyed the first maybe 3 or 4 seasons of the new doctor who but can't really stand it now. Most of the plots are so lazy and often resort to fan service ("you loved the weeping angels so lets bring them back. Twice!"). I just can't be entertained by it any more.

[shmuppyLove]

I've got my tickets for the show on Saturday -- they're showing The Day of the Doctor in 3D in theatres here

[drauch]

It really just blows my mind that a 50 year old show has all of a sudden become THE nerd staple in the USA. I can't escape it. I'm actually being serious: how did it get so damn popular just this past year or so? The only time I used to hear about Doctor Who was through BBC advertising on R2 DVDs or angry Harlan Ellison quotes. Not accusing anyone here in this forum for jumping on a bandwagon, for all I know you could be hardcore fans for years, but what the hell happened? I see clothing, cosplay, memes, facebook posts, quotes, meta humor, and all sorts of stuff literally every day. What's next? Is Quatermass going to be the next "nerd" buzz?

[CMoon]

It really just blows my mind that a 50 year old show has all of a sudden become THE nerd staple in the USA.

I feel like the Doctor Who reboot got a lot of attention on American television. A lot of people who I'd never imagine watching Doctor Who were suddenly checking out episodes. Also, the reboots were honestly a lot more accessible than the original series via human drama--and the doctor himself is a lot more emotional. The standard old school doctor who often ended up with every human character dead but the doctor somehow winning in the end, while the new series has the doctor joyfully yelling out that 'no one died today'. So in a way, a completely different vibe, and I think a lot more digestible by modern TV watching folk. That said, there's a fair amount of stuff in the reboot I like, and it clearly has ups and downs. Pretty much the same way it has been for the whole damn series.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Crossover appeal now. Meme worthy shit (allon-sy etc) and pretty actors to rope in 13 year old girls and bored housewives alike.

Factor in the BBCs typically British overinflated sense of self importance and the delusion that what they've created is worth sharing.

[Damocles]

I liked Eccleston and Tennant, but stopped watching because I couldn't stand Matt Smith. Being an American, I was only introduced to the show when it was briefly on the SciFi channel.

[Weak Boson]

Looking forward to the anniversary episode but I decided I decided against blowing £10 on it in the cinema when I can just watch it on TV. I think the show has been improving since Matt Smith has been in it and his second season was better than his first. They just seemed to run out of ideas with Tennant and there were many lazy episodes, but things have been a bit tighter lately. So I am hopeful but it's not like I ever expect much from it, it's just a fun romp.

[heisenbergman]

It really is just a fun cheesy romp

The new companion (Clara) is so great, but I feel like they wasted most of last season with bad writing. Basically, the only noteworthy episodes were the one where Clara was introduced, the Christmas episode for that year, and the season finale. Everything in between was relatively meh. Wasted opportunity with a potentially great companion.

[drunkninja24]

I only started watching the reboot a couple years ago on a boredom stint. Pretty much marathoned everything from Eccleston up through the current (at the time) Smith episodes. Have been enjoying a lot of the new episodes up to now as well. Looking forward to the 50th anniversary special too

Really enjoyed most of the series of what I've watched so far, and don't really get why some people seem to hate Smith so much.

[heisenbergman]

Favorite reboot companion, anyone?

I gotta go with Amy Pond.

Most people seem to prefer Rose Tyler, but meh.

[AntiFritz]

Either Captain Jack if he counts, donna if he doesn't.

[heisenbergman]

Jack Harkness is awesome.

But I don't think he counts as a companion.

Catherine Tate and David Tennant had I think the best chemistry of any Doctor-companion pairing in the rebooted series thus far.

Most fans I think find Donna Noble annoying. She's okay though.

[CMoon]

Really enjoyed most of the series of what I've watched so far, and don't really get why some people seem to hate Smith so much.

I don't either. I find the Smith series really playful and thought it was a nice change.

Favorite reboot companion, anyone?

I hope I'm not alone in saying Martha Jones. First, the episodes with her are the strongest of the David Tennant episodes (and perhaps the best of the whole reboot), and second, it was so refreshing to have a companion who was actually quite intelligent that didn't needed to be saved constantly.

Edit: Did not care for Rose Tyler or Katherine Tate.

[BryanM]

That Children of the Earth miniseries, good lord was that terribulllllllllllllll. "Oh noes we haz to saves the children." "Who cares about the kids? Fuck'em. Let the aliens huff'em."

That is to say, the writing for youths in Whoverse, at least the latest iteration, is god awful. Maybe try having them be people or something, neh?

I'm actually being serious: how did it get so damn popular just this past year or so?

Any factor responsible for any sort of abnormal uptick would be a little show called Community.

Dr.Space-time, hey-ooo

[BrianC]

In the new series Donna is my favorite, but Leela is my favorite companion throughout all of Dr. Who.

[stryc9]

This NuWho is a little too hipster for my taste.

I dunno, some of the eps range from really quite good, to really quite bad if you ask me. It's getting a bit try hard lately. And this supposed explosion in popularity will only make it worse.

Still better than most of the garbage on television I suppose

[Edmond Dantes]

It really just blows my mind that a 50 year old show has all of a sudden become THE nerd staple in the USA.

You're missing one vital component: The Doctor Who everyone loves is the reboot, not the original.

It's like how any time you hear about Battlestar Galactica, it's invariably gonna be the one with the sexy women cylons who hump people to death, not the classic one with all the mormon symbolism and where they actually meet the fucking devil.

I garauntee that if there had been no reboot, you wouldn't hear as much about Doctor Who as you do now.

[drauch]

Yeah, that was the point I was making dude...

[Mischief Maker]

Either Captain Jack if he counts.

I HATE Captain Jack. An Insufferable Mary Sue among insufferable mary sues.

I prefer oldschool Dr. Who. There once was a time when the Daleks were actually crafty and capable of thinking rings around the doctor and not just inane killbots.

I hate how the new doctor has wrapped up pretty much every season (save 2) via deus ex machina. Hey Timelords, instead of battling to the death, how 'bout one of you sacrifices a (single) regeneration, looks into the engine of a tardis, and instantly eradicate the Daleks? Season 3 was the worst, defeating the master by turning the doctor into a LITERAL christ figure. He returns to save earth from the master by having people PRAY to him!

All that said, I did enjoy the first two seasons of the new Dr. Who, but its best moments didn't compare to the best moments of old Dr. Who.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Mischief Maker right on the money as usual. Although, these 'crafty' Daleks must've been pre-Pertwee. "Day", "Planet Of" and "Death To" were pretty much shouty killbot nonsense and the Daleks became background characters as soon as Davros came along.

[Mischief Maker]

Mischief Maker right on the money as usual. Although, these 'crafty' Daleks must've been pre-Pertwee. "Day", "Planet Of" and "Death To" were pretty much shouty killbot nonsense and the Daleks became background characters as soon as Davros came along.

Yeah, my essential Dalek Story is "Evil of the Daleks." The Dalek Emperor is The Doctor's intellectual equal who makes use of Dalek time travel tech to set up an intricate trap that The Doctor 'n palz fall into.

Compare that to the "brilliant" Cult of Skaro who just rolls through a warehouse shouting "exterminate" while soldiers and cybermen shoot at them to no effect.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Cult of Skaro - and trying to write Daleks as actual characters was a microscopic step in the right direction, though.

So, have you seen "Evil"? I thought only the audio still existed.

[Mischief Maker]

So, have you seen "Evil"? I thought only the audio still existed.

There are lots of fan edits all over youtube that attempt to reconstruct it using stills, cartoon, and CGI, with varying degrees of success. That's as close as I ever got to seeing the full episode.

Edit: (Spoilerz) At least the Dalek civil war survived.

[CMoon]

Mischief Maker right on the money as usual. Although, these 'crafty' Daleks must've been pre-Pertwee. "Day", "Planet Of" and "Death To" were pretty much shouty killbot nonsense and the Daleks became background characters as soon as Davros came along.

Damn it, Davros was one of my favorite Doctor Who characters. I know he was completely destroyed, but still worth bringing back.

[shmuppyLove]

Caught Matt & David on Graham Norton, pretty excited about the 50th tomorrow!