Quote: Matthew Stott @ April 15 2011, 9:39 PM BSTInterestingly tense snippet of ep 1; it does seem that this opening story is going to be a bit of a change from the more usual series opener.
Well, I'm hoping that last year was a transitional year and that this year The Moff fulfills the promise of his shows in the RTD era.
Quote: chipolata @ April 15 2011, 9:54 PM BSTWell, I'm hoping that last year was a transitional year and that this year The Moff fulfills the promise of his shows in the RTD era.
Yes, me too.
Quote: chipolata @ April 15 2011, 9:54 PM BSTWell, I'm hoping that last year was a transitional year and that this year The Moff fulfills the promise of his shows in the RTD era.
Me too, last year wasn't overall what I, or most I'd imagine, was expecting; but certainly his own self penned episodes, on the whole, were far from a dissapointment. To me , anyway! The Angels one and Smith's first ep are two of my favourites of the last few years; hopefully he can wrangle the other episodes into a better shape this year too. I have a feeling having it split into these two, tight halves this year is going to help.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ April 15 2011, 10:00 PM BSTtight calves this year is going to help.
And short skirts
I don't think anyone wants to see Matt Smith in a short skirt.
He'd look better than Tennant
Quote: chipolata @ April 15 2011, 9:54 PM BSTWell, I'm hoping that last year was a transitional year and that this year The Moff fulfills the promise of his shows in the RTD era.
It's perhaps more likely that this year will be weaker than last, alas - at least there's no reason to suppose that somehow Moffat wasn't able to realise his vision last year for some reason. It's more likely that he was able to realise it and it's just not what yours or mine is.
I don't even mind that, it makes sense that he would want to make the show he wants to see, the problem is Who isn't like most shows in that it was cancelled and there was an extensive postmortem as to why. I have a book of academic papers from Who symposia and you ignore that stuff at your peril.
The show didn't crash and burn because of Bonnie Langford, threadbare budgets and JNT's long liquid-lunch breaks. It was a dependance on specific things that so far Moffat has been an enthusiastic proponent of: the sonic screwdriver, over-reliance on series continuity, setting too many shows on Earth, having too many companions etc.
The show doesn't work with these things and cannot be made to work, anymore than you could make the Office work by making Brent self-effacing.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ April 16 2011, 12:55 AM BSTI have a book of academic papers from Who symposia your peril.
Geek of the week!
Poor old JNT died aged 55 of liver failure.
And he may have killed Who, but Dramarama was ace.
The Who of that era was just dreadful. I mean that one with all the Knights and shit, they were supposed to be mecha cyborg warriors. But they couldn't organise/afford the costumes so they stuck them in old suits of armour from some Tudor epic. And then didn't adjust the script so it was just rubbish.
Quote: sootyj @ April 16 2011, 1:11 AM BSTPoor old JNT died aged 55 of liver failure.
Years ago I watched this video:
which has some great interview footage with JNT, including where he says words to the effect of "so if you want to say I killed Doctor Who, so be it". A good video, which should be released on DVD and stocked at my local DVD shop with a low price tag.
Quote: Griff @ April 16 2011, 1:04 AM BSTMy complaints against Moffatt are mostly the 'fairy story' elements which were at their most egregious in the Christmas Carol episode. If he can reign in this revolting tendency and produce more episodes like the Weeping Angels two-parter I would be much happier.
* rein.
My main gripe against Moffatt is that I'm not part of his target audience. I dislike the Doctor's personality lurching between glib schmaltz and trendily snide smug. I wish the Doctor would get some gravitas back and be less jolly wow enthusiastic about everything he does. And he could get a less hockysticks companion or even an alien companion.
Quote: chipolata @ April 15 2011, 9:54 PM BSTWell, I'm hoping that last year was a transitional year and that this year The Moff fulfills the promise of his shows in the RTD era.
Is the problem that Moff has set the bar too high for himself? His were always the stand out eps under RTD. I still watch Blink in awe (apart from those cruddy shots of bronze statues at the end which ruined the concept.) He's also got a lot of stuff to unwind like the River story and that seems to be what's driving the bus at present. He's got to get to a specific place and its feeling a bit forced.
I too don't like the constant cliff hangers and the oh no someone is going to die. (Hasn't everyone but Amy died?) Perhaps a shorter run will help. Perhaps the beeb need to give him a bit more assistance. After all if he gets run over by a bus that basically finishes off the two big ratings shows.
Quote: sootyj @ April 16 2011, 1:11 AM BSTThe Who of that era was just dreadful.
I will always stand by McCoy's last two series, some wonderful stuff in there (yes, yes, and some duffers, like every series of Who ever made), Cartmel knew what he was doing.
Quote: KLRiley @ April 16 2011, 9:35 AM BSTI too don't like the constant cliff hangers
Huh? then you must have hated the original thirty year long stretch of Who!
Quote: Griff @ April 16 2011, 10:41 AM BSTA much bigger problem in dramatic terms is that as the new series has gone on the Doctor has transformed into an all-powerful figure who seems to know everything, is possessed of limitless superpowers, and is so completely in control of every situation that there isn't a scrap of jeopardy, you never get the feeling that he's actually struggling to save the world, or trying to figure out what's going on. Everything that happens is all just part of his plan with a wink and a merry quip. Let's get back to a much less powerful Doctor for whom the adventures are just as much a surprise to him as they are to the audience.
I dunno, you're exaggerating the truth there a bit, I think.
Though as a McCoy fan, I do like the slightly more knowing Doctor.
Quote: Griff @ April 16 2011, 1:04 AM BSTand Bertie Bassett monsters.
In the context of the story, that monster was perfect; but yes, it's going to be looked upon as absurd by many looking on.
Quote: Griff @ April 16 2011, 1:04 AM BSTI would agree with the list of weaknesses identified by Godot except for the 'too many adventures on Earth' one. Pertwee's era managed alright with very few trips to other worlds.
Quite.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ April 16 2011, 12:55 AM BSTI have a book of academic papers from Who symposia and you ignore that stuff at your peril.
This may be the geekiest sentance on this whole thread, and that's saying something.
Yup that is one geeky sentence, Godot give yourself a wedgie you turbo nimrod.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ April 16 2011, 12:25 PM BSTThis may be the geekiest sentance on this whole thread, and that's saying something.
Quote: sootyj @ April 16 2011, 1:00 PM BSTYup that is one geeky sentence, Godot give yourself a wedgie you turbo nimrod.
F**k you, you f**ks. At least I can read. I'm closer to being a 21 year old brunette underwear model than a geek.
Wanna borrow said book? (Please note that I cover all my books with sandpaper so that they destroy other people's books when lend them out.)
Quote: Kenneth @ April 16 2011, 7:14 AM BSTwhich has some great interview footage with JNT, including where he says words to the effect of "so if you want to say I killed Doctor Who, so be it". A good video, which should be released on DVD and stocked at my local DVD shop with a low price tag.
I met JNT on a staircase once years ago, leaving a convention and chatted to him for about five minutes. At the time we were all trying to find out if Paula Moore (Attack of the Cybermen) was actually Eric Saward(!). I didn't like what he was doing with the show but I didn't really challenge him. I was only nineteen. Nowadays I would have stabbed him up.