British Comedy Guide

Doctor Who... Page 712

It was good and not really sure how it could have been improved, I'll call it iconic.

It's up there with Dalek, Father's Day, Blink, Turn left and The Pandorica opens as a stone cold classic.

The notion that the TARDIS may be a sentient being was introduced way back in 1964 in the third ever Hartnell story, Edge of Destruction. I agree that Who needs a reboot, just to sweep out all of the ethereal emotional crap. Also agree with "show it, don't state it". Can you imagine watching an episode of Minder, where after outwitting Chisholm and a nasty villain, Terry and Arthur pause and tell each other how much they love each other? Of course not. Certainly they do have great affection for each other, but they don't blab on about it like soap opera characters. They just go to the Winchester and ask Dave to chuck it on the slate.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ May 15 2011, 11:07 AM BST

You're trying to convince me of the things you see as wrong in the script, in the writers technique, but this week I thought it was a top notch script. I think Gaimen is a terrific talent who loves and gets Who.

I think you are misunderstanding me I thought it was a great ep too. I love the idea of a relationship with the Tardis, I just thought it was a great idea, some of the logic was a bit skewed for me (Which I know is a bit of a silly thing to say.. but) and I do think the big Arc business does impact on the drama in individual eps like this. Not Gaiman's fault, maybe this should have been a two parter - so the ideas could be explored more fully. Maybe it should have been the opening two parter. And somebody needs to jump on the Space Wacey whirly army - I have a sneaky suspicion it was improvised.

Quote: sootyj @ May 15 2011, 11:12 AM BST

It was good and not really sure how it could have been improved, I'll call it iconic.

It's up there with Dalek, Father's Day, Blink, Turn left and The Pandorica opens as a stone cold classic.

It is, it's in the top tier of New-Who.

Quote: Kenneth @ May 15 2011, 11:12 AM BST

The notion that the TARDIS may be a sentient being was introduced way back in 1964 in the third ever Hartnell story, Edge of Destruction. I agree that Who needs a reboot, just to sweep out all of the ethereal emotional crap. Also agree with "show it, don't state it". Can you imagine watching an episode of Minder, where after outwitting Chisholm and a nasty villain, Terry and Arthur pause and tell each other how much they love each other? Of course not. Certainly they do have great affection for each other, but they don't blab on about it like soap opera characters. They just go to the Winchester and ask Dave to chuck it on the slate.

You missed the one where Arfur accidentally buys a gay sauna and thanks to a hilarious series of misunderstandings ends up getting bummed by Terry.
It guest starred Henry Cooper and Kevin Kegan.

Quote: Marc P @ May 15 2011, 11:12 AM BST

I think you are misunderstanding me I thought it was a great ep too. I love the idea of a relationship with the Tardis, I just thought it was a great idea, some of the logic was a bit skewed for me (Which I know is a bit of a silly thing to say.. but) and I do think the big Arc business does impact on the drama in individual eps like this. Not Gaiman's fault, maybe this should have been a two parter - so the ideas could be explored more fully. Maybe it should have been the opening two parter. And somebody needs to jump on the Space Wacey whirly army - I have a sneaky suspicion it was improvised.

Ok granted it would have been better as a 2 parter. How ever Neil Gaiman is both an A list Hollywood talent and a Jew (a proper one) so he probably charged a fortune for one episode.

I bet Alan Sugar would write a blasting episode.

I thought it was visually dull. They could have done more with the Tardis Graveyard, for example. And they didn't really do anything exciting with the interior of the Tardis. Generic corridors - meh.

Quote: sootyj @ May 15 2011, 11:16 AM BST

You missed the one where Arfur accidentally buys a gay sauna and thanks to a hilarious series of misunderstandings ends up getting bummed by Terry.
It guest starred Henry Cooper and Kevin Kegan.

That is one of my favourite episodes. Series 2, if I recall correctly. The look on Terry's face when Arthur discovers the gay antique dealer on his (Terry's) bed is magnificent.

Back on Who, after a lot of work over recent months, it's almost time to buy a stack of the latest Classic Who DVDs and a few cartons of wine to accompany them.

Was I right about the Rory dying trick twice last night though? The corridors reminded me a bit of the Old Avengers?

Quote: chipolata @ May 15 2011, 11:19 AM BST

And they didn't really do anything exciting with the interior of the Tardis. Generic corridors - meh.

The corridors did look suspiciously like that same section of corridor they were always running up and down in Blake's 7.

Quote: chipolata @ May 15 2011, 11:19 AM BST

I thought it was visually dull. They could have done more with the Tardis Graveyard, for example. And they didn't really do anything exciting with the interior of the Tardis. Generic corridors - meh.

Visually dull?? It looked wonderful!

Yeah, only seeing the corridorsm wasn't great, but, as has been mentioned elsewhere, that was down to a lack of money; in the script we saw other rooms.

Turns out originally they would have done more with the tardis graveyard too, according to Gaiman, but money stopped that too. All the time machines were going to be in their hidden form, then Idris would make them all appear.

The show doesn not have endless cash to spend each episode, it was apparently a stretch to get what we did see, and was the main reason this ep was bumped from last year to this.

Quote: Marc P @ May 15 2011, 11:21 AM BST

Was I right about the Rory dying trick twice last night though? The corridors reminded me a bit of the Old Avengers?

No, I think he died once; and really, that was just a trick.

Tardis Graveyard was a little dull, but well budgets?

I mean look how amazing the Tardis looked in the Who movie when they had a bob or two. Watching the Hand of Evil it was sad just how cheap poor old Tom's Tardis looked.

Most of the FX budget must have gone on that rather good CGI Tardis chase through space.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ May 15 2011, 11:36 AM BST

Visually dull??

Yes.

Quote: sootyj @ May 15 2011, 11:16 AM BST

Ok granted it would have been better as a 2 parter, I won;t doubt you again Marc. How ever Neil Gaiman is both an A list Hollywood talent and a Jew (a proper one) so he probably charged a fortune for one episode.

I bet Alan Sugar would write a blasting episode.

I'd like to see a David Renwick one if we are going to go with JeWho.

Dr Jew

Quote: chipolata @ May 15 2011, 11:40 AM BST

Yes.

Okay.

Quote: Marc P @ May 15 2011, 11:40 AM BST

I'd like to see a David Renwick one if we are going to go with JeWho.

Actually, it's surprising, considering some of thre other people who have written one now, that he has yet to. Of course, maybe he has no interest in it.

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