British Comedy Guide

Doctor Who... Page 731

Quote: chipolata @ May 23 2011, 11:45 AM BST

Isn't there a new series of Primeval starting soon? I hope so.

It stars this week. On Watch Tv. If you've got that. Repeated later in the year on ITV.

Quote: john lucas 101 @ May 23 2011, 11:51 AM BST

It stars this week. On Watch Tv. If you've got that. Repeated later in the year on ITV.

Watch TV?

?

Quote: Marc P @ May 23 2011, 11:56 AM BST

?

?

Quote: Marc P @ May 23 2011, 11:56 AM BST

?

?

Yes, is it on Sky?

Watch is on Sky. It's where Richard and Judy went.

And Cable.

Quote: Griff @ May 22 2011, 11:59 PM BST

Well that's nearly all the regulars accounted for, but I still don't know exactly what the BCG view of this episode is until we hear from Badge and Kenneth.

I've just watched it tonight.

The basic story was pretty good and as some have said there was a kind of old-school Who set-up in having groups going to war out of fear of the other, on some siege-style base. But when the Doctor tried to get them to talk it all through it reminded me of that dreaded Silurians thing and I briefly started to gag.

Seeing the is-she-up-the-duff scanner again at the start was lame, and the snakey head thing was crap, but everyone's said that as far as I can tell. The Jennifer face transformations were pretty good, though.

I didn't like the Rory love interest plot because it didn't seem real, though Rory is not a bad character and he's pretty well played.

Worst part for me was Jennifer's red wellies scene, mainly because for the first time in a while (actually, since Rory was being revived in the pirates episode) I got really annoyed by the mawkish heartstring gushy Murray Gold music.

I'm surprised some people liked the dialogue - for me there was an awful lot of "tell don't show" in it. Maybe that's why it felt a bit like classic Who in places! *ducks for cover, but remembers watching The Hand of Fear last week*

Like Griff, I did get a bit bored of it by the end, so it's a ho-hum okayish from me. What are the odds that the resolution involves the common cold virus?

Quote: Nil Putters @ May 23 2011, 6:34 PM BST

And Cable.

Surely he went into Government?

Quote: Badge @ May 23 2011, 11:50 PM BST

Surely he went into Government?

But he has a huge Primeval tattoo on his back, like De Niro in Cape Fear.

Quote: Badge @ May 23 2011, 11:50 PM BST

I've just watched it tonight.

The basic story was pretty good and as some have said there was a kind of old-school Who set-up in having groups going to war out of fear of the other, on some siege-style base. But when the Doctor tried to get them to talk it all through it reminded me of that dreaded Silurians thing and I briefly started to gag.

Seeing the is-she-up-the-duff scanner again at the start was lame, and the snakey head thing was crap, but everyone's said that as far as I can tell. The Jennifer face transformations were pretty good, though.

I didn't like the Rory love interest plot because it didn't seem real, though Rory is not a bad character and he's pretty well played.

Worst part for me was Jennifer's red wellies scene, mainly because for the first time in a while (actually, since Rory was being revived in the pirates episode) I got really annoyed by the mawkish heartstring gushy Murray Gold music.

I'm surprised some people liked the dialogue - for me there was an awful lot of "tell don't show" in it. Maybe that's why it felt a bit like classic Who in places! *ducks for cover, but remembers watching The Hand of Fear last week*

Like Griff, I did get a bit bored of it by the end, so it's a ho-hum okayish from me. What are the odds that the resolution involves the common cold virus?

Surely he went into Government?

I think I was the only one who praised the dialogue. I'm not prepared to watch it again to pick out any bits, but what I always consider when I listen is any alternative to what is given. Good writing - as we all know - is about making non-obvious choices.

There was a line that ended in the 'chinny-chin-chin' quote which I thought was good.

Stott suggested I liked it because it was more like 'classic who' - a statement I ignored for it's underlying assumption that the modern show is somehow more sophisticated and less accessible to me.

I just felt there were lots of lines explaining what was happening or what they had to do next and then they did it. And dialogue to say how much peril people were in, as a substitute for conveying a real sense of peril. Some dialogue doing these is fine, but I felt there was too much. There were some good lines - there usually are.

Quote: Godot Taxis @ May 24 2011, 1:26 AM BST

Stott suggested I liked it because it was more like 'classic who' - a statement I ignored for it's underlying assumption that the modern show is somehow more sophisticated and less accessible to me.

I meant nothing of the sort, but I'm not in any way surprised to find out you took it that way. That was all in your head, not my words.

It seems that most people thought this was an merely an indifferent episode, but I felt it was one of the worst of this series. Too much of it felt over-familiar, and much of the plot was predictable (Badge, I do hope they don't all die of a cold, that would be taking the piss). There was a lot of standing around explaining obvious stuff, like the whole seen-it-all-before identity crisis thing, and did anyone actually not expect the gangers and the 'originals' to start fighting? Yes, the effects were crap too, but I an accept crap effects if there's a bit of originality going on, but precious little of that was displayed.

There were some good bits. I especially liked the casual indifference to the death of a fellow ganger at the start, and I always like Rory, he's funny.

I don't think they'll die of a cold. I think some of the newcomers will survive and some of the old ones will die and they will all live happily together. I think it will all be a lovely metaphor for modern Britian. :)

Quote: Nogget @ May 24 2011, 9:22 AM BST

Yes, the effects were crap too,

Really? Apart from the rubbish snake neck bit, the effects work seemed decent enough.

Quote: Nogget @ May 24 2011, 9:22 AM BST

but I felt it was one of the worst of this series.

It was certainly below the opening two parter and last weeks. For me only the pirate one would rank below it.

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