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...NEW DR WHO TONIGHT, 01/07/06, 7pm, ARMY OF GHOSTS...

Started by ARRISARRIS, 01 July, 2006, 02:58:54 PM

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DavidXBrunt

Captain Jack as a character was handed to Stephen Moffat in his list of things to be included in Empty Child along with the basic plot points of kids in London hunted by a thingy that's created by nanobots. The fact that it all worked so well and Jack was a likeable character has much to do with Moffats immense strength as a script writer (and Barrowmans irritatingly amiable personality) but it's not quite true to say he's going to mess with a character Moffat created. One Moffat defined is perhaps closer.

And no there's no real reason for the programmed to have a name that's an anagram of Doctor Who. I believe the initial reference in Bad Wolf was an in-joke. Torchwood was an anagram used to disguise the content of Who related tapes and files from other people.

I'm quite optomistic about Torchwood but hope season three is better than two. I can't help feel that season one having a longer gestation was a good thing and think it's a shame we couldn't alternate. I'd happily wait a year for season three if that meant a better general quality.

Adrian Bamforth

"I jsut ahd a flashback to how RTD would give interviews where he said that the papers were speculating that actors of the calibre of Ken Dodd and Paul Daniels were being touted, and that showed how far the show had fallen."

I thought one of the complaints about the old show was they were giving cameo appearances to the likes of Ken Dodd, a sign of how far the show had fallen. That was before Trinny and Susannah and Anne Robinson.

ADE

SmallBlueThing

Have to say that I thought this was probably the weakest episode of the whole relaunch, and the- frankly rather brilliant- shark jumping pictures above sum it up exactly.

However.

In it's (possible) defence, I will just say that this could well be the first really, really bad episode that is really, really bad in exactly the same way that the really, really bad episodes of original Doctor Who were really, really bad. Shitty fx, lazy over-lit direction, no attempt to build-up suspense, a ludicrous plot that makes no sense to the casual viewer and relies upon things mentioned over a year ago (who was it who said that, in TV, anything that happened more than six months ago is ancient history and should be ignored?), internal logic-breakdowns, blatant fanwank of the most spurty order, terrible performances (esp Tennant) and a bored-looking cast (Coduri and Clarke). If it WAS really, really bad in that way, then hopefully this might also be the first episode that becomes a much-loved classic for those reasons alone- like so many of the originals.

And maybe bloody Dr Who Magazine can go back to be affectionately humorous about the show and ditch the po-faced sincerity that everything is utterly wonderful and all negative comment is purely evidence of sad geek-boys at work/ get a life/ etc- the agenda that it has held since 'Rose'.

If next series is to be the last (which is looking ever-more-likely: just when were we all expecting the BBC to commission series four? I'd've thought by now, definately) I'd be happy in the knowledge that, while there have been some astonishingly good stories over the last year and a bit (Empty Child/ Dr Dances, Impossible Planet/ Satan Pit being just two) that it wasn't afraid to be SPECTACULARLY bad as well. I think I'd love it all the more for that.

Next week: Oh please let it be Davros- or Adam from Dalek/ Long Game, in a Davros chair, with a stick-on third eye. He says, crowbarring in a Biotronic Man reference to get it a little more on topic for this board.

Steev
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The Amstor Computer

Well, the second and third series - together with the 2005 and 2006 Christmas specials - were commissioned at the end of series one, so I wouldn't be surprised if an announcement about a fourth series came in the next few weeks. It's still attracting large audiences & great audience share so I'm not seeing any reason why they would ditch it after series 3, rather than persevere with what's becoming a flagship show for them.

 

SmallBlueThing

Er, weren't the xmas special, series 2, xmas special 2 and series 3 all commissioned at the same time in the days following series 1/ep 1's massive impact? I believe they were...

We are now at the very end of series 2 and... nothing. If the BBC are so keen to commission ahead, I would have expected at the very least a series 4 commission- and probably ser4/xmas3/series 5.

Steev

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SmallBlueThing

AND- is there anyone here who really believes that the show will still engender the BBC's goodwill, once RTD ups and leaves? It's only here because he wanted to do it, and now Phil Collinson has gone (after losing Mal Young right back at the start of series one), surely it must be somewhat 'up in the air'? And I can't believe that RTD's agent isn't DEMANDING he call it quits after series three...

Steev
Cynical? Pah, I'm far too cynical to be called cynical.
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The Amstor Computer

Were they? I must admit I can't remember exactly, but I thought that the new material had been commissioned toward the tail end of series 1. I'd be surprised if a further two series and Xmas specials had been commissioned off the back of the first episode.

Isn't it possible that any announcement on series 4 could be held up pending negotiations between the Beeb and David Tennant, or whoever is slated to be the Doctor's next assistant? More plausible than the BBC deciding to cancel such a successful series, surely?

SmallBlueThing

A quick check on the news archives at Outpost Gallifrey confirms that series two and The Xmas Invasion were announced on March 30th, 2005- four days after series one started- and that series three and Xmas Special 2; 'The Secret of Boe', were announced at the Bafta screening of 'Parting of the Ways' on June 15th, 2005. So we were both right!

But I'd still have expected series 4 to be commissioned by now.

Steev
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SmallBlueThing







































I was just being silly about the title of xmas special2, by the way... Heh.

Steev
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Trout

I enjoyed it a lot.

I liked the Daleks' entrance.

Lots of fun!

- Trout

Will I. Cooling

Indeed, and any optimism I had for Torchwood evaporated with his comments that it would be 'for adults... about action.. and SEXUALITY!'

Mrh. One track mind, that fellah...


I can't wait to see your reaction to the Graham Norton appearance in Series 3:)

Btw, I quite like this week's episode, and the Daleks managed to cheer me up even after the footie.
The I is for 'I can't remember the password to my other account' or Ian. One or the other.

LARF

Bloody hell - why is there always so much whining fanboyness when it comes to a who thread.

I thought it was a superb episode, very funny, very dramatic and a great Who - lots of fun the way it should be.

paulvonscott

"Bloody hell - why is there always so much whining fanboyness when it comes to a who thread."

Sadly, that's the coverall argument for people (including it seems RTD) who don't actually have an argument.  You see it in all sorts of discussions, including 2000AD.  And is the equivelent of singing 'tra lal la' loudly with your fingers in your ear.  It's designed to conveniantly disregard a whole lot of people's opinions, usually negative ones, without having to answer them.

Never allowed to apply to football fans for some reason, no matter how stupid or hysterical they are.  'I really thought this was the one...' 'that game wasn't very good, I'm going to cry'.

If you think it's a great Doctor Who episode, then fair enough.

Anyway, roll on Life on Mars.

Funt Solo

To be fair, though, a lot of the criticisms are exactly the same thing:  just "it's crap" without any kind of explanation.  It's difficult to deconstruct a vacuous statement.

I'm not sure, for example, why the idea of Daleks and Cybermen in the same episode is considered crap.  They're both cool baddies - why not combine them?  Fair enough if someone thinks the execution of such a concept is poor.

Anyway - it's like the new Star Wars trilogy - nobody over the age of about 20 has an opinion that really counts.  There's a reason that whilst I religeously watched Monkey, Doctor Who and Star Trek as a kid, and would gleefully murder anyone that got in my way, my Dad would do the same with the news.
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Dark Jimbo

To be fair, people do usually specify why they don't like it - lazy sci-fi, sloppy characterisation, deus ex machina resolutions, plot holes, overacting, RTD's sledgehammer-subtle propaganda (I love gays, I love Cardiff, Please watch Torchwood), crowbarred-in emotional bits, a tendency to concentrate on character at the expense of plot, empty technobabble, dumbing down for the CBBC crowd, the new shorter episode format, few decent new villians/races, relcutance to commit to anything (the Daleks are TOTALLY dead - but here are some more. And some more. And some more. There is absolutely NO WAY back EVER from the cyberman world - but here's a way back) - these seem to be the main recurring quibbles.

I'd agree with about two thirds of 'em, (and RTD is really the only main offender) but Grud help me, I'm still largely loving this new series.
@jamesfeistdraws