...NEW DR WHO TONIGHT, (MAYBE!!!) 14/04/07, 7.40pm, GRIDLOCK...

[TordelBack]

Setting aside the perfecton of Father Dougal as a comedy character, how does Ardal O'Hanlon keep getting work as an actor?  He is completely and utterly rubbish, with teleprompter-style delivery and two (count 'em) inane expressions - gleeful and bewildered - that make-up did nothing to hide.  I did briefly wonder how many nipples his character's wife might have, but that's just me...

I thought this was a very poor episode, and I kept waiting for Richard Briers or Bertie Basset to show up in of the ridiculous cars.  The Face of Boe's revelation was an anticlimax, and a sad end for one of the strongest visuals of New Who, and about as difficult a connundrum as the anagrams in the daVinci Code.

[Leigh S]

I watch it every week because it has promise,and even though it falls short most weeks, its better than a lot of TV out there.  Where theres life, theres hope.

The first series seemed to be on an upwwards trajectory, the second series dissolved into a mire of smugness, but not so much as it felt worth giving up on... to be fair, I dont think the major critics of new Who on this forum are still watching it each week.
 
I dont know, I can see what you're saying RAC, but I'd if those who enjoyed it could mount a robust defence against the criticisms (other than "its a kids show" or "its the emotions that matter").

[IndigoPrime]

:: Should Rebellion be getting a payment then?

Because, clearly 2000 AD has never been inspired by ideas from elsewhere.

:: Who would choose to travel on a subterranean Motorway
:: that was perpetually gridlocked when they have flying
:: cars?

Who would choose to drive on the M25 every day when there are trains?

:: Yards", "feet" and "miles". You think they'd have got around
:: to using metric on roadsigns

Metric's still made almost no headway in the USA, here in 2007.

Anyway, I thought this was greatâ??one of the best Doctor Who episodes of Tennant's run, and it's great to see a lack of 'gurning' from the lead.

[Steve Green]

I noticed in the podcast that he does namecheck Rebellion in a 'don't sue us' moment...

- Steve

[The Monarch]

Loved it and I hope that hymn that the people stuck in the motorway sang is in the next soundtrack beautiful.

[opaque]

I've not heard the podcast yet I just went by the DW Confidential show, but nice that he at least acknowledges his references.

The bit I have the problem with the show was in a way you can accept people getting used to travelling so slowly (although those cabs were far too small, if you can't even stand up properly they'd all have curved spines!) but what about the people who were at the front when it was closed off, what about the people at the front at any point? People who set off on the day of the accident and weren't getting anywhere would wonder whats going on.
How did they not know about the Macra? Well it looks, just like now, that most people were on their own or with one other person, therefore theres not many people going onto the fast lane to contact their friends when something happens. They weren't discovered before the accident as the traffic moved so quickly they probably only caught the dregs.
Why wasn't there any queue jumping etc? They might have had to get permission to get to the fastlane but they could certainly move about when they were trying to escape or when the roof got open. But why was there a roof anyway? didn't seem to be anything above it, was it covered just for aesthetic reasons?

I thought it was an excuse for another 'celebrity' cameo for no real reason but was saved by the end of it with the revelation of what happened to the senate and the wonderful visuals.  Very MC1 really.

[SamuelAWilkinson]

I thought this was a very poor episode, and I kept waiting for Richard Briers or Bertie Basset to show up in of the ridiculous cars.

You mean...http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ab/Kandyman.jpg/130px-Kandyman.jpg">

[IndigoPrime]

:: what about the people at the front at any point

If the motorway is akin to the M25, it's just a continuous stream of traffic, with people exiting and joining all the time. If all of the exits on the M25 were simultaneously closed, you'd end up in a similar situation, until fuel ran out.

:: How did they not know about the Macra?

They all seemed to suspect something was wrong, but tried not to think about the noises they could hear.

:: was it covered just for aesthetic reasons?

Sounds about right. They've been trying, unsuccessfully, to do the same to the road past Stonehenge for years.

[Leigh S]

Watching it again, the only real problem with it all is the reasoning for the people staying on the roads...

The hologram is telling them lies about whats happening in the Over city - is that The Face of Boe doing that?
Wouldnt it make more sense for the face of boe to have made contact with the undercity and told them to try and escape?
Is it that the Macra to encourage people to use the motorway so they can live in the fumes? Presumably not, as they have devolved into beasts.

If its a ring road, wouldnt people soon realise they had looped around and well.. give up? RTD says the show must be rooted in the reality of human emotions and reactions to events - in this story, theres no plausible explanation offered for why they believe the motorway is a good thing - You'd need some form of mind control or plausible manipulation for this set up to pay off.  

Its like an Agatha Christie where at the end, Miss Marple says "she dunnit" and the credits roll - you are left with this bundle of questions that leave me over analysing the story.  If ome of this mystery had been addressed in the plot, I wouldnt be so nit pickety now.    

I really dont think the 45 minutes work very well to be honest - especially not when a third of it is used on the character stuff - for my money, save that for the 2 parters, and fill you 45 minuters with pure plot - otherwise, they'll always feel a but shallow - basically 30-35 minutes to build a new world, introduce a mystery and resolve it?  Its rarely going to be more than superficial.

[paulvonscott]

I haven't seen it, so can't criticise, but based on what you've said, isn't the problem the script editor in these cases?  Should he or she sort all of this stuff out before it hits the screen.  From what I've picked up, many of the Old Who ones in the 70's were fairly formidable!

[Leigh S]

Well, theres no such thing as a script editor these days - the role exists, but it's a much less senior position, and certainly doesnt involve rewriting a script for senses sake.

[Huey2]

"Well, theres no such thing as a script editor these days - the role exists, but it's a much less senior position, and certainly doesnt involve rewriting a script for senses sake."

There are about 3 script editors. Much less senior as they are no longer selecting writers, themes or direction - that's all the show-runner's job now.

So, as far as I can tell the script editor job seems to only be making sure the running time is okay and checking it makes sense.

As for getting the story to make sense I think the plot-holes could have been brushed away with the tiniest of re-writes.

My only niggle: the Macra! Too large, not annoying in a fanboy way, but they seemed far less menacing when the car could dart around them. They'd have been much more threatening at their original size.

- huey

[Trout]

I liked it a lot. I enjoyed the 2000ad references and, although I was never really in too much suspense that there would be a happy ending, I thought it was quite exciting in places.

I'm not much of a Whovian, though. I just like entertaining TV.

- Trout

[Buddy]

I watched it again (cause I missed the ending on Saturday) and am of the opinion that it's one of the worst new who I've seen.

the whole thing came accross like a school boy essay.

'OK, so it's sci-fi so we have to put some sci-fi stuff in... OK twin suns, all the best sci-fi stories have planets with twin suns... ok silver leaves and blue grass.. yeah cos it's a different planet way out in outer space and silver leaves are just totally sci-fi & alien like...

OK so it's the future, let's set the story in the year 5000... no wait not sci-fi enough... 500,000.. no still not right... 5,000,000.. oh that's getting better. You can't get much more sci-fi than the year 5 million... UNLESS... yes! that's it.. It's the year 5 BILLION!!! wow this is going to be the most sci-fi story EVER' etc... I could go on and on and on.

And where did those crabs come from?
How did they get there?
Why was everyone driving the same campervan?

And why were the camper vans kitted out like they were from the 20th century (jars of pickled eggs etc...).

It's clear to see RTD got alot of his ideas from 2000ad and I'll guess he's had a look at this site and possibly this message board..

So Russel T Davis, if you read this please take note. You're shit at writing Dr Who... let someone with a bit of wit about them take over the writing/producing chores because you are clearly out of your depth.

This show isn't Dr. Who. It's something trying to be Dr. Who and failing miserably.

You might ask.. 'why watch it'. I have such a fondness of proper Who I just live in hope it'll turn out OK some day.

Sylvester McCoy come back. All is forgiven.

[Bad Andy]

I thought it was perfectly serviceable fare really and was surprised to see RTD had written it as there was hardly any forced emotion in it (although the Doctor was making too much of having 'lied' to Miss Jones).

All three episodes of this series have been better than I expected - even Tennant has calmed down in the role.