Author Topic: Doctor Who General  (Read 57982 times)

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Offline Dakota Bob

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Doctor Who General
« on: August 29, 2013, 06:28:44 pm »
The last Doctor Who thread was about its recent portrayal of women so I thought I'd make a thread about general discussion of the series and the leadup to the 50th anniversary special.

I know there are some fans of the 8th Doctor here, so I figure this will be appreciated.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56h_JuBZ9_0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56h_JuBZ9_0</a>
I think the original storyline for the film had potential to be interesting, but then again one of the best features of the character is the mystery of his backstory and I don't like the idea of the Master being a relative of the Doctors. It is a shame that McGann didn't get longer to flesh out the 8th Doctor on film, thank fuck for the audio plays.

Offline SpaceProg

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2013, 07:13:34 pm »
Paul McGann was great as the Doctor.  It's a real pity they couldn't have taken up the DW rebirth with 8 played by McGann instead of 9.  Though, I wouldn't have changed who played 9.

I wonder if they'll ever have McGann in the show at all aside from TVM "Flashback" clips.  I hope someday, if and when they try to flesh out what happened to the Doctor in the Time War.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2013, 07:15:18 pm by SpaceProg »

Offline Dakota Bob

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2013, 06:02:24 am »
If McGann makes an appearence in the 50th special, I'll be a happy man.

Since I only got into the show several years ago, I haven't managed to watch all of the classic episodes yet. My mothers favorite doctor was Sylvester McCoy so I decided to go through all of his first. His first series was pretty awful, but damn did the quality pick up after that. Remembrance of the Daleks, Curse of Fenric, Ghost Light...I even enjoyed The Happiness Patrol, even with the Kandyman "villain"

Offline SpaceProg

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2013, 12:50:09 pm »
The Happiness Patrol was one of those eps that was very symbolic and metaphorical for its time.  It also works as a cautionary tale.  I found it interesting that the one person who was so into enforcing happiness was the one at the end crying her eyes out over her dead pet.  I actually felt for her at that time.  Helen-A meant well (happiness IS good), she just went crazy with it (enforcing it on pain of death). Then she ended up finding that she had sadness in her as much as anyone.

One of the examples of a non black and white DW villain.
« Last Edit: August 30, 2013, 12:52:26 pm by SpaceProg »

Offline Dakota Bob

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2013, 07:07:02 pm »
Yeah, I figured the episode was anti-Thatcher satire, but to be honest it was as subtle as a brick. It still worked but I think it would have been better if they wrote it more low key. The real stand out scene in that episode was when the Doctor confronted the sniper, great performance by McCoy.

Offline SpaceProg

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2013, 10:08:25 pm »
Oh yeah.  The "End my life" bit.  Yeah... Classic DW sure did have its moments.

Offline PosthumanHeresy

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2013, 08:57:03 am »
Yeah, I figured the episode was anti-Thatcher satire, but to be honest it was as subtle as a brick. It still worked but I think it would have been better if they wrote it more low key. The real stand out scene in that episode was when the Doctor confronted the sniper, great performance by McCoy.
I have a feeling that if it was subtle, nobody would get it. People tend to be dim.
What I used to think was me is just a fading memory. I looked him right in the eye and said "Goodbye".
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Together as one, against all others.
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Humanity does learn from history,
sadly, they're rarely the ones in power.

Quote from: Ben Kuchera
Life is too damned short for the concept of “guilty” pleasures to have any meaning.

Offline SpaceProg

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #7 on: August 31, 2013, 10:31:17 am »
Yeah... I hate to agree, but...

Like the old saying,  "A person is smart.  People are stupid".

Offline Dakota Bob

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #8 on: August 31, 2013, 05:04:24 pm »
Yeah, I can certainly believe that.

Here's a question, what do you think the worst episode of Doctor Who is? for me its easily "Love and Monsters",  I just can't stand to watch it any more. I especially hate the Abzorbaloff, and the ending (The Doctor decides to rescue that one woman by letting her live the rest of her life as a floor tile? oh, and that blowjob joke at the end, ugh)

Offline SpaceProg

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #9 on: August 31, 2013, 05:21:10 pm »
Yeah, I think it's my least fave too.  I don't bother watching it when it comes on.  I barely watched it when I saw it the first time, hehe.

Offline Patches

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #10 on: August 31, 2013, 05:51:26 pm »
"Love and Monsters" had its decent moments, like examining Jackie's feelings towards Rose's relationship with the Doctor, and describing how the Doctor can indirectly inspire normal people to gain the motivation to better themselves (a theme I really appreciated that has been disappointingly lacking as of late).  Buuuut other than that, yeah, it was a pretty terrible episode.

Another one that's difficult for me to sit through is "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe".  The guest characters are all mind-numbingly dull, and the repeated theme spanning the entire episode of "You're going to have to work up the courage to tell the children their father died and help them get through it" is completely nullified at the end with "lol j/k, we stopped him from dying in the first place, so n/m".  That episode's only saving grace was the final two minutes where the Doctor reunites with the Ponds.

Offline SpaceProg

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #11 on: August 31, 2013, 10:14:12 pm »
I thought Androzani Major was pretty though.  What with the glowing snowy trees.   Kind of a nice blast to the past considering Androzani Minor (a desert planet, as opposed to snowy) was the final destination for the 5th Doctor.
I don't really expect much from the 'special' type eps though.  It's nice when they deliver more, but I go in expecting fluff.

Offline Dakota Bob

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #12 on: September 01, 2013, 02:33:33 pm »
While I loved the cinematography of "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe", one thing I don't think Moffat does well is writing these Christmas specials, and that episode was a victim of that. It just didn't capture my attention.

Watching an episode of the Sixth Doctors run, "Revelation of the Daleks". Goddamn is this episode creepy. The "Glass Dalek" scene is especially haunting. The only big problem I have with it is that the Daleks have a higher pitch than normal.

Offline SpaceProg

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #13 on: September 01, 2013, 02:40:52 pm »
It was that particular episode which inspired a change in the Audio Dramas for the 6th Doctor into a blue themed wardrobe.    True there's not that much impact unless you imagine it, though.  Hehe.

Offline Dakota Bob

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Re: Doctor Who General
« Reply #14 on: September 01, 2013, 03:08:44 pm »
Although what I can't stand about the early Sixth Doctor stories is the way he treats Peri. I hear he was supposed to soften in later series, but since he only got 2 he doesn't get that and just remains douchebaggy. I haven't heard any of his audio stories but I hope he got some real character development.