Quote: chipolata @ May 22 2011, 7:00 PM BSTYou realise you're essentially agreeing with me, Stott.
In what way? That Who isn't Breaking Bad??
Quote: chipolata @ May 22 2011, 7:00 PM BSTon a basic storytelling level it leaves a lot to be desired.
Depends, you didn't like the opening two parter for example; I loved the way it was setting up strands for later. A kind of storytelling that infuriates some, and is lapped up by others.
Who as a show has always had champagne tastes on a beer budget as far as effects go
Which might explain why so many of the best loved ones are set on Earth.
BSG may have had a whopper of a budget but it was the same basic sets through out.
That and few other shows are so nailed to a childrens audence whilst being expected to please adults.
Again the Sara Jane Adventures has always felt more comfortable in it's self, without having to be a bit adult.
Quote: Griff @ May 22 2011, 7:06 PM BSTI don't doubt it's difficult to write a good Who. But it's probably the most sought-after writing gig in Britain. I can't understand why they don't find more decent scripts than they do.
I do think it's been pretty good this year though, genuinly. The Pirate one was clearly duff, but apart from that I think it's been a decent-to-high standard for the rest.
Quote: Griff @ May 22 2011, 7:12 PM BSTI also think the 45-minute format works against the show, it's hard to tell an interesting story in 45 minutes in Who where unlike other shows you have to set up a whole new world for every story.
Oh sure, I would like more two parters, as they do sometimes squeeze too much for a satisfying tale in the single episode stories. Though they obviously get it right sometimes, such as last weeks; though even that one had to be given an extra five minutes.
I'm no expert on TV finance ( 
) but it does seem like the money would go further if there were more multi-part eps too.
The trouble with the eccentric scientist was even at a youthful age I found myself thinking
"why don't the Daleks just kill him?" or "Oh he's going to bloody trip them with his scarf again."
New Who might have picked a poor solution, Old Who didn't pick one at all.
I think Buffy might have been the last really well plotted scifi show,
i
If you were to put it against any other show, going out at about that time, going after the same family audience, well, there's no comparison, is there? It feels faintly unfair to put it up against adult drama's such as Breaking Bad, for example, as shows like that are obviously able to be much deeper, emotional and, in many ways, sophisticated than family fare like weird old Dr Who.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ May 22 2011, 4:59 PM BSTAnother episode set on Earth though, for f**ksake.
I have no problem with eps set on Earth at all, prefer they would be contemporary, I guess, like the JP era. Casablanca was set against the whole of the second world war - but was also set in a bar in a north African coastal town. Little can be big - and big can be very very little sometimes.
I've never really warmed to Buffy to be honest, so putting that as an example doesn't win me over!
Yeh after a while I was watching Buffy because I was interested in the characters.
That simply isn't true about Who...ever
Even Lost could fall back on interesting characters, when the story falls apart.
But Who it's always either cold or over played.
Quote: Griff @ May 22 2011, 8:51 PM BSTNew Who has gone all out for emotion and made a right bollocks of it.
To be fair it must have got this right to some extent for some viewers, as I dare say it's partly this element that has helped attract more of a female following.
Quote: Griff @ May 22 2011, 8:53 PM BSTOut of interest what didn't you like about Buffy?
He's intimidated by strong women?
nb Buffy fascinates me in that it's a show where the main character is actually quite dull.
The over emotional stuff would work if the characters would engage
I don't see the 45 minute running time as a barrier. If The West Wing can tell a complex story well in 40 minutes then Who should be able to too.
Quote: Griff @ May 22 2011, 8:53 PM BSTOut of interest what didn't you like about Buffy?
I think it's Buffy herself; I think a mixture of the character and Geller's performance put me off watching it much. She always seems so horrible. Plus there was only so many times I wanted to watch people defeat ancient, powerful demons by kicking them in the head.
I'm sure I'll try it again one day though and perhaps think different; I've certainly enjoyed some of Whedon's other work far more.
Quote: Griff @ May 22 2011, 8:57 PM BSTI wouldn't have said Buffy was dull. But the surrounding cast were certainly more interesting.
More as a model.
By the main character being quite dull, it allows all the other characters to bounce off of her.