...NEW DR WHO TONIGHT, 28/05/05, THE DOCTOR DANCES...

ARRISARRIS · 28 May, 2005, 04:59:48 AM

...must thank the BBC this time for not putting the trailer before the end credits this time, i switched of my video before they came on so this weeks part 2 wil be a complete surprise, cant wait...

Artificial Idiot · 28 May, 2005, 05:00:45 AM

This probably wins the award for strangest episode title of the series though...

ARRISARRIS · 28 May, 2005, 04:02:24 PM

...ive been thinking that, weve had some really good episode titles for this new series but nothing like the classic ones from the sixties and seventies, like 'return of..' 'seeds of..' etc etc, but they are better than most during John Nathan Turners stint, eg castrovalva, ghostlight, mindwarp etc etc...

Leigh S · 28 May, 2005, 05:01:07 PM

Id agree - the series hs rarely reachd the heights of the old series, but it is finding its feet, and as you say, the importatn thing is its a mile away from the oddly insular thing it became in the 80s

Bico · 29 May, 2005, 01:41:28 AM

Vomit-inducing ending sort of ruined the rest of it for me.
Bleugh!

paulvonscott · 29 May, 2005, 01:45:17 AM

I dunno, I don't mind a bit of soppiness, and this was within tolerance limits for me.

Great episode, the first two parter that's fully worked. Jolly exciting stuff I thought.

SamuelAWilkinson · 29 May, 2005, 01:50:52 AM

Time for my play-by-play, bit-by-bit analysis:

First 20-odd minutes: damnable good stuff. Liked your various spooky effects with the tape/typewriter and the like. "Go to your room" was a bit of brilliance.

From teleportation onwards, it starts to decline. I've always objected slightly to teleporters being used in shows like Dr Who, especially when it makes the Doc look like a bit of a technological chump.

As for the ending? What the fetid monkey droppings was all that about, then? Made me want to hurt things.

Did quite like the Doctor's elation that everybody got to live, though. Makes a nice change for him.

Trailer for next week - return of the Slitheen, looks like it'll be a fun one. But perhaps a bit early to bring back baddies who were in an earlier episode of the same series?

paulvonscott · 29 May, 2005, 02:01:36 AM

Nah, best to bring em back while people still remember them.

The Amstor Computer · 29 May, 2005, 02:10:36 AM

Well, it was slightly soppy, but worked well when compared to earlier episodes when the Doctor hadn't been able to help people as much as he'd wanted.

The dynamic between the Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack was great & I'm looking forward to these three working together for the final three episodes. The casual way Jack's bisexuality was handled was nicely done, and not made into the kind of tiresome "aren't we *daring*!" element that it could have been.

Some more creepy and horrific moments - the point when the tape runs out and you realise exactly which room the Doctor sent the Empty Child to being a particularly good one.

Effects were great, and it looks like some of the dodgier moments in earlier episodes were flukes. The scenes with Jack's ship in deep space were fantastic, and really wouldn't have looked out of place in any recent movie.

The next episode looks like a fun bit of fluff, but I'm not too fussed to see the Slitheen back. Someone on another forum made the point that these are the first monsters that really belong to the kids seeing the show for the first time, so it's nice to see them being considered by the writers.

Great stuff!

McNulty · 29 May, 2005, 02:20:18 AM

Is it me, or are a lot of these new Dr Who episodes using a lot of the living dead? I count four different stories using zombies. That's rather a lot, don't you think?

McNulty · 29 May, 2005, 02:20:54 AM

Still liked this week's ep, though...

Wils · 29 May, 2005, 02:21:35 AM

I've just got back from a shopping trip, so I missed it. Cockbiscuits. :(

DavidXBrunt · 29 May, 2005, 02:22:30 AM

Of course Slitheen just happens to be the family name of that perticular group. The race name is Raxacoricofallapatarian.

And as we saw in the preview they're returning to Cardiff to deal with the rift - which the Gelth used to enter our world back in the 1880's and Mickey is back as well.

Lord Running Clam · 29 May, 2005, 02:27:35 AM

I really injoyed this episode,and thought it worked well.
I like Captain Jack alot and hope they keep him around for the second series.I wonder if him having two years of his memory removed will have something to do with the last episode.

Artificial Idiot · 29 May, 2005, 02:28:27 AM

I liked it. Soppy ending and all. In fact, it was nice to see the Doctor so happy and to have everything work out just the way he wanted it to for a change.

And while, initally I wouldn't have minded if the Captain Jack was blown to pieces, I really can't help loving the character. His banter with the Doctor is pure class, especially the scenes with the sonic related items.. And of course the bananas.

Much as I found it a little cringeworthy at the time, I can't stop grinning like an idiot at the moment. It really has made my day, and I still have quite a buzz from it.

Best thing on TV. Hands down.