...NEW DR WHO TONIGHT, 25/12/06, 7pm 'THE RUNAWAY BRIDE'...

[Concrete Block 15]

If you're talking about the guy with the gun that appears at 00:17 seconds, then upon closer inspection you'll see that he looks nowt like Eccles!

We would appear to be getting Ardal O'Bleedin' Hanlon as an Oirish Space Pussy, though...

Link: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=6442099207226163430&q=doctor+who+series+3+trailer " target="_blank">COMING SOON...

[JimBob]

 Ardals "hilarious" Thermoman  is another I'ld like to meet Dr Begby. In fact the cross over potential is endless, I particualrly look forward to then three doctors remake where he uses a sharpened poll cue on Colin Baker and Tennant in full gurn, before charming Peri and Rose with a battered Mars bar and a 6 pack of Super Brew.

[Tu-plang]

You're all jaded and cynical.

Its all OK as long as you accept that:

-RTD isn't the saviour of television.
-The whole show isn't the SF masterclass you want.
-Its a popular, entertaining show for families with spaceships and giant spiders.

Using these things as criticisms of the show don't work for me...

I like new Doctor Who.  I have both series on DVD and a tardis model that flashes when your phone rings.  I don't thrashwank over images of RTD and I didn't vote for the Nazi party.

[Tu-plang]

But I do defend the show on internet forums.

[Concrete Block 15]

I'm sure that it IS an entertaining show for families with spaceships and giant spiders... but for the rest of us plebs who don't have the luxury of such extravagant possessions, DW is rapidly deteriorating into a bunch of arse!

 

[ARRISARRIS]

...me thinks the surprise reappearance this year will be the Cybermen, because they showed the Daleks in the Trailer, the opposite of last years trailer...

...mind you the papers will spoil it all...

...talking of crazy thoughts, it crossed my mind the other day that Captain Jack will turn out to be the Doctors long lost son, or something!!! too much mulled wine eh?...

[Carlsborg Expert]

jesus ficking chrust; is that concrete IS as a matter of factly or 15?

1 is confused.

[Radbacker]

will re-iterate, I like the damn show and I've got no excuses why except that it entertained me more than most other shite on T.V in the last year.
But I also liked Maniac 5 so that blows my credability as a critic

CU Radbacker(see this xmas showe in about 6months or so)

[Leigh S]

It's not an SF masterclass I'm after - I generally feel the tone, pace and confidence of the show are about right - in fact, I think its not got enough pace;  Often things just grind to a halt so that people can emote!

All I'd really like to see are plot lines that assumed the audience had half a brain between them, and actual scares and thrills rather than the passing illusion of them.  With every possible problem that the Doctor faces solved pretty much immediately with a wave of his magic screwdriver, there's precious little tension - plots are perfunctory to the fun and meaningful glances.  Why can't we have fun, meaningful glances and clever storylines and proper thrills underpinning it all, rather than a half thought out threat wrapped in CGI set pieces?

When your subtext is showing so obviously through your plots, its time to get a thicker plot.  Otherwise, for me, it seems like little more than a vehicle for gags and a bit of artificial emotional button pushing.  Which is OK if you don't think too hard about it, but isn't very satisfying TV - junk food TV, when with a bit of thought, they could add layers of enjoyment to the show without taking away a single gag (though maybe the odd lingering 10 minute stare might have to go).  

[Concrete Block 15]

New bong and/or crack pipe for Chrimbo there, Carlsborg?

[Tiplodocus]

That was pretty dull. Catherine Tait was actually bearable but overall, I can't help thinking that, despite what they keep telling us, hardly any thought goes into writing these.

I keep reading in interviews that the writing arcs are dead clever because "character x starts off this episode as damaged goods but by the end..." but I never see any evidence as to why Character X is damaged.  Sure, they might gurn at the camera once or twice or there will be some really cloyong music as they look at a picture of character Y but there's never anything that makes me think "What a clever bit of writing!".

Another thing that shows up the laziness of the writing is the palaver that goes on everytime the tardis has to fly.  For no readily apparent reason, there are psarks, flashes, the Doctor rushing arond with a mallet and lot sof screaming adn shouting. Every time.  

Now, I see this as a rather crap attempt to build up a bit of drama.

But it's just rubbish.  Surely the Doctor (Brain the size of a planet) and the Tardis (always fixing itself or the daleks or the universe) would take a bit of time out to fix itself.  But no - we need some artificial drama so the slapstick tardis control stays in the show.

Just after watching Dr Who, I watched the mostly excellent MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3 which has a rather fabulous example of how to do this sort of thing exactly right.

The MI3 team are in a helicopter (instant cool) being pursued by another helicopter gunship (drama) through a field of wind turbines (added excitement and thrills) while trying to defuse the microbomb planted in a team members head (fan-fucking-tastic).  

Not only did all of these elements occur in the scene for vaguley logical reasons (OK, I'll admit, the wind turbines were just thrown in to spice it up - but it's not unreasonable to believe a skilled pilot might try to lose his pursuer among them) but you had added tension in that you never knew whether the bomb would kill just the team member of the whole team.

Compare this to the tardis loopiness (no logical reason for it and any tension is artificial because you know nothing will really happen or an "accident" will deposit the Doctor exactly where the plot needs him to be) and hopefully you can see why a lot of people moan about the quality of the writing on Doctor Who.

And they could have got the spider to move at least once.

[Buddy]

I thought MI3 was, as I said to my companion at the end of the film... 'a load of old wank'.

Practically a (bad) remake of True Lies for the most part and just shit the rest of the time.

[Tiplodocus]

Taste in films aside...

It's a spy film so it has a few staples of the genre thrown in and, sure there's an explosion on a bridge but I'd hardly say that qualifies it as a bad remake of TRUE LIES (itself a writ dodging mixture of "homage/pastiche/nobody saw the french version" all of it's own).

[The Amstor Computer]

itself a writ dodging mixture of "homage/pastiche/nobody saw the french version" all of it's own

...with one of the most excruciating, creepy "erotic" scenes in movie history...

[Buddy]

True Lies. Arnie plays a secret agent pretending to have a dull job in order to deflect suspision from his wife with chases and explosions on a bridge...

MI3. The Cruster plays a secret agent pretending to have a dull job in order to deflect suspision from his wife with chases and explosions on a bridge...

A tenuious link maybe but it was all I could think off when watching it, plus not liking Tom Cruse doesn't help.

And yes, True Lies is hardly original coming from the stable that gave us Aliens and enough has been said on that matter!!!

But anyway, back to Dr. Who..... anyone?