...NEW DR WHO TONIGHT, 24/06/06, 7pm, FEAR HER...

[Artificial Idiot]

I'm more surprised they managed to fit any explanation, vague or no, inbetween all the emo, touchy-feely, 'becon of hope and love' munce that seems to have been forced into what would have otherwise been a good story with plenty of potential at all.

[JTurner]

It was a great idea - but I really did prefer last week's in a tongue firmly in cheek kind of way.

[Dark Jimbo]

Do people really feel ike this about the olympics? When the torch bearer faltered at the end and the announcer cried in anguish, "The Olypmic Dream is over!!!" I really cringed.

[Steve Green]

I live in London, and I honestly couldn't give a monkey's about the Olympics.

All I see is the potential for private companies to make a bundle on it, budgets go over, and council tax-payers having to bail it out.

If they want to regenerate an area, it should be done without the need for a one-off sporting event.

- Steve

[Lord Running Clam]

Tonight?s episode was alright. It seemed to be on the cusp of being something special but couldn?t quite reach it.
The main failings for me were the girl, se just came off as annoying, the whole all it needs is love resolution was daft, and if you?re going to have living drawings you should show them. I wanted to see the dad coming down the stairs, the drawing on the bedroom walls filled with movement, stuff like that.
The Doctor saying he?s been a dad, is that new? He had a granddaughter when the show started? Could it be referencing that?

Next weeks looks like it could be epic. Just a shame they seemed to have shown a good part of the plot in the trailer.
Could the Cybermen be using Dalek lasers? As they looked to have some kind of weapon on their arms.

[The Amstor Computer]

I think the "I was a dad once" bit is a nod to his earlier incarnation & Susan, his granddaughter.

Dunno about the Cyber lasers - I thought the reddish beams were from their weapons, but the "blazing skeleton" effect is a Dalek signature, isn't it? What I'm hoping for is that, if the Daleks do feature, it's only as an artifact retrieved by Torchwood rather than some kind of Dalek/Cyberman joint invasion thingy.

[Buddy]

Didn't like this episode much at all, very Paperhouse indeed (a crackin' film), The Doctor carrying the olympic torch could well be a shark jumping moment.

Next week looks good, I predict the return of Mickey (and hopefully he'll take over from Rose as the assistant), MILF Jackie and alternate Earth dad get together and of course we get rid of Rose (maybe not death but she's leaving anyways).

Talking of alternate Earth, can we assume there is an alternate Doctor also??

I'd be a good christmas special or some one-off tale with Tennent and Eccellson (who in the alternate Earth didn't regenerate into Cassanova) in a 'Two Doctors' story. Just a thought.

Very interested in the Torchwood side of things and looking forward to the series (when is that on??).

[Lobo Baggins]

Very disapointing indeed.  It had a really creepy idea, but the execution let it down - poorly acted, poorly directed and the music was running constantly, often drowning out the dialogue - and I got the feeling that the script had been lobotomised.

I could imagine the scene of the Thing in the Cupboard beginning to make its way down the stairs having real potential to be terrifying, but it had all the impact of someone turning on a light in the upstairs toilet.

I quite liked the bit where the Doctor had to move the TARDIS round so they could get out, though.

[The Amstor Computer]

Dunno that the Olympic Torch is a shark-jump - I'd have thought last week's episode was more of a contender for that...

I'd be surprised if Mickey didn't turn up next week, especially as he was last seen hunting the Cybermen down, but I'd be fucking irritated if Alternate Pete Tyler came across - it sets off horrible possibilities, like Rose, Jackie & Alternate Pete reunited and Rose leaving the Doctor because she has her "family" back...

I don't think we'll see Mickey as assistant - apart from Noel Clarke's burgeoning writing career, I suspect the production team will want to bring in someone completely fresh.

IIRC, comments from RTD suggest that the second series ends on a huge cliffhanger. Any ideas as to what it might be?

[Mr C]

The Master!http://www.2000adonline.com/images/page/disraeli.jpg">

[Buddy]

Rose, Jackie & Alternate Pete reunited and Rose leaving the Doctor because she has her "family" back...

Bingo!

Is next week the last one or is it a multi-parter?

[The Amstor Computer]

Next week's episode, Army of Ghosts, is the first part of a two-part story. It concludes the following week in Doomsday & that wraps up the second series.

The spin-off series, Torchwood, starts on BBC3 sometime in October & there will be a Christmas special followed by series 3 in spring 2007.

[Leigh S]

Its hard to form a critical judgement when tennant turns the Mallet level to 11 - Was this episode filmed earlier in the recording schedule - I really do hope so, as any warming I'd done to Tennant over the past month has suddenly cooled.  Why is such a good actor turning in such an irritating performance?

[paulvonscott]

First episode I've missed, I just had a better offer.  

Will catch the repeat no doubt, and it's doctor who, so I'll watch it until it goes entirely bertie basset, but I'm definitely entering a 'can't be fussed' stage.  If it was to go, I'd miss Doctor Who, though not really this reinvention as such, more the lost opportunity.

I'm already pinning my hopes on series 3, but then I did the same with series 2.

I know, I'm just being a miserable old bugger.

[Jim_Campbell]

"I'm already pinning my hopes on series 3, but then I did the same with series 2."

I'm very undecided on the New Who ...

Series 1: I have to say that I didn't particularly like Ecclestone. Liked the Dickens one, liked the Empty Child, quite liked Dalek ... none of the remainder made enough of an impression to comment, other than being fairly disappointed with the series finale.

Series 2: Liked the werewolf, quite liked the Coronation one, did like the Satan one because of the Old School vibe. Actively disliked the Cybermen two-parter, didn't object to the Peter Kay one, and thought this last was utterly "Meh."

The writing needs a much firmer hand, IMO. If you're going to do a science fiction show, I don't think it's acceptable to adopt such a slap-dash approach to the actual SF -- it needs to be more than an excuse to drop a Deus Ex into a more mundane plot to get the writer out of a hole.

The frustrating thing is that I don't think there's been a bad episode that couldn't have been very easily fixed.

Cheers

Jim