Doctor Who Series 11 Discussion

[JamesC]

You could think of the Tardis as the Enterprise, The Doctor as Picard and the companions as assorted crewmembers.
In which case it would make sense to have certain episodes be very focussed on a particular character (as with TNG you definitely get Riker episodes, Picard episodes, Crusher episodes etc). And maybe to have more episodes based In-Tardis. The Tardis is one of the most underexplored elements of the show.

[TordelBack]

I'd agree there too - but it sort-of makes my point: the "new setting, new characters, new problem, new solution" model appears to be hard to do in a single episode, so why not have a mix of two-parters that have time to explore a new setup with one-offs that use leaner plots, based around the TARDIS, familiar enemy or Companion-based stories? 

I accept that the audience may not have an interest in two-parters, and that's obviously key, but I look at Demons of the Punjab or the Witchfinders and think how much better it would have been if the alien element could have been developed rather than feeling like an afterthought with a hand-waved solution. The good bits in Witchfinders, the fey James I, the menacing 'zombie witches', the family conflict between manor and village, could all have used the space that the 'alien prison' gubbins took up, whereas if the latter had been fleshed-out the concept of land 'improvements' freeing evil spirits from an ancient prison could have been used to strike all sorts of folkloric notes.  We could even have had time for the Doc reminisce about how many of James' ancestors and descendants she's been pally with (his aunt and his grandad for a start).

Maybe a really good script editor could make all this fly in 45 minutes, but so far I don't see one.

[Robin Low]

I quite liked it... but I was left thinking there were at least two moments that would have been good cliff-hangers in old-Who. You could have had three episodes that developed the story and characters.

Regards,

Robin

[Mattofthespurs]

Finally...An episode I, we, really enjoyed.

I started off thinking 'Inside No 9' did this better but it was really good fun.

The right balance of danger, comedy and just darn good fun.

I liked that one. The best so far as far as this household is concerned.

[von Boom]

A very good episode all around. The Doctor is still asking too many questions and not figuring enough out for herself, but we all need answers quickly in the one episode/one story format. It was funny to see that she was treated like a woman the way a woman would be treated in the 17th century and how she coped.

Alan Cummings was excellent as KJ VI/I. The villains were suitably creepy and forceful, if a little one note (We will conquer/kill you all blah blah blah).

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't hear the Doctor cite Clarke when she referenced his third law at the end. I think he should have, but I'm a bit of a Clarke fan so take that as you will.

[TordelBack]

Yeah, she just did the "a great man said" bit, which is a bit poor, when Tarantino got name-checked for something he didn't even write himself in the same scene.  Ace did mention him and the Third Law by name in that quite crappy Morgaine/Excalibur/Brigadier story where Sophie Aldred was infamously nearly electrocuted on set, so the Doctor certainly knows whose law it is...

Heh, I'm just remembering watching that episode on broadcast with a bunch of friends just before we all started college. A different life!

[Link Prime]

I'm just remembering watching that episode on broadcast with a bunch of friends just before we all started college. A different life!

Same cardigan.

[TordelBack]

I'm just remembering watching that episode on broadcast with a bunch of friends just before we all started college. A different life!

Same cardigan.

Different hair, that's for sure.

I give out about the Whohaters of the internet, but if we'd livestreamed our McCoy-era watching sessions, it would have been ten times worse: we were tiring of the whole thing even faster than the Beeb was.  IIRC I think the only things we liked about the Excalibur one were the Brigadier (last appearance?) and Bessie.

[Link Prime]

 

[Tjm86]

Different hair, that's for sure.

FTFY

[TordelBack]

Different hair, that's for sure.

FTFY

I thought I'd found all the spy cams.

[Dandontdare]

My favourite of the season so far. It could still be improved by slightly more complex/twisty plots and a more take-chargey Doctor, but at least this week I didn't know exactly what was going to happen from halfway in.

I may have local bias - you can see Pendle Hill* from my mum's garden (one of my schoolmates' families has lived in Whalley, near Pendle for generations - his mum complained when one of the local souvenir shops was selling a Pendle Witches tea towel that listed her ancestor as being among the women convicted - when in fact she was one of the few that were acquitted. She kicked up a fuss and made them withdraw it)

*one of those place names that has evolved and actually means hill-hill-hill

[BPP]

My favourite of the season so far. It could still be improved by slightly more complex/twisty plots and a more take-chargey Doctor, but at least this week I didn't know exactly what was going to happen from halfway in.

I may have local bias - you can see Pendle Hill* from my mum's garden (one of my schoolmates' families has lived in Whalley, near Pendle for generations - his mum complained when one of the local souvenir shops was selling a Pendle Witches tea towel that listed her ancestor as being among the women convicted - when in fact she was one of the few that were acquitted. She kicked up a fuss and made them withdraw it)

*one of those place names that has evolved and actually means hill-hill-hill

Take that mr evil corporate small village tea towel vendor!

.... and I thought Twitter was bad.

[Proudhuff]

My favourite of the season so far. It could still be improved by slightly more complex/twisty plots and a more take-chargey Doctor, but at least this week I didn't know exactly what was going to happen from halfway in.

I may have local bias - you can see Pendle Hill* from my mum's garden (one of my schoolmates' families has lived in Whalley, near Pendle for generations - his mum complained when one of the local souvenir shops was selling a Pendle Witches tea towel that listed her ancestor as being among the women convicted - when in fact she was one of the few that were acquitted. She kicked up a fuss and made them withdraw it)

*one of those place names that has evolved and actually means hill-hill-hill

Local towels for local people!

[Proudhuff]

That's likely the first time Berwick has ever been mentioned in a televised episode of Doctor Who, so...score one for the home team.  (I live ten minutes from Berwick, so this was as exciting as seeing Sheffield was to some of you.)

Sorry to potentially burst your Berwicky bubble, but I think it needs pointed out that King James VI/I was likely referring to North Berwick, and not Berwick-Upon-Tweed.

EEEK! I missed that 

never mind its where I live, but 'The "witches" held their covens on the Auld Kirk Green, part of the modern-day North Berwick Harbour area'  is at the end of my street!

Also Cumming's  aunt and cousins live in the town