Doctor Who - Season... Spring 2013

[JamesC]

Disappointed in 'Nightmare in Silver'.

I'm not exactly sure if it was the script that was particularly bad of if it was just the production itself. Matt Smith over acted terribly in this and the children were horrendously stage schooly and wooden. Warwick Davis was the saving grace in terms of cast.

The Cybermen have been redesigned - I think the head looks much better and they're an improvement overall but still too 'Iron Manish'. Bring back the big headlamps and boiler suits.

Ever since Who returned the Cybermen have never seemed a credible threat. It's as though the producers idea of a robot (because as far as they're concerned, a robot and a cyborg are obviously the same thing) comes from a 1950s Flash Gordon episode. Why do the Cybermen have to vocalise it every time they upgrade? And why do they move like someone from a bad am-dram workshop pretending to be a robot? If I were the director I'd have shown the actors clips from the old show, along with everything from Star Wars to Robocop and Iron Man - none of the characters in any of these move in such an unconvincing way.
Also, I refuse to believe that anyone thought that the 'super-speed' effect looked good. Naff as hell and then totally forgotten about for the rest of the episode.

Also, what the hell was going on with those cyber implants on the Doctor and the kids (with flashing lights ) They looked so naff. They'd have been better off just using make up to make it look like a spreading infection or something.

[Jimmy Baker's Assistant]

I quite liked Silver Nemesis 2.

Reckon that Gaiman was mostly interested in the CyberDoctor, so that's where all the good writing was.

Warwick Davis' performance was splendid, though. He's really come on as an actor since the days of Willow and I would be very glad to see his character come back.

Okay, so the plot wasn't that great and the ending was pretty hilariously abrupt, but that's the 45 minute format for you.

Now with any luck Name of the Doctor won't be a total load of Moff-shit that doesn't even tell us the name of the Doctor....

[Greg M.]

I went into that one with hopes it'd be something special, largely off the back of Gaiman's excellent episode in the previous series. Sadly, my hopes were completely dashed, as I thought it was absolutely rotten, weaker than almost everything else in this half of the series (apart from the execrable 'Rings of Akhaten'.) Far too much of Matt Smith arguing with himself, which I found pretty tiresome. If Gaiman was commissioned with making the Cybermen scary again, I'm not sure where in that episode anyone thought that was being achieved. I'd echo the praise for Warwick Davies though - he was the best thing in it by a wide mile.

[Charlie boy]

I'm going to say at least it has given us a chance of decent Cybermen at a later date. That's probably the best I can come up with for the episode.
Series wise, this splitting into two (so the wait between Christmas specials and running series) isn't really working. Can't remember much of the first half of the series, this second part has been rather bad. I've said as well Moffat needs to surround himself with better writers but Gaiman proved how easy it is to fail on that front last nite. So what I think they should do is similar to what Grant Goggans suggested not too long ago on this thread. Keep the 11th Dr series as two parters if you must, but put a 'lost adventures of the 8th Doctor'* somewhere in between the break- with whoever is most likely to take Moffat's job once he leaves. It's good practice for the person who'll eventually replace Moffat, the competition of sorts might hopefully encourage the Moff to put his arse back into gear.

*If the BBC could find the money for that ridiculous Torchwood (or even Robin Hood) show, they can surely find money for this.

[Charlie boy]

Series wise, this splitting into two (so the wait between Christmas specials and running series)

That should be so the wait between Christmas specials and running series doesn't seem too long. Damn my foolish fingers.

[Hawkmumbler]

How I see series 7 part 2 thus far...

Hide
The Crimson Horror
The Cold War

The Bells of Saint John
The Rings of Akheten
Nightmare in Silver







Journey to the Center of the TARDIS

[Charlie boy]

Two things-
1. Ol' Richard E. will be in the 50th Anniversary special. Wouldn't it be great if we get so see Withnail killing, erm... "I" ?!
2. Pictures have started appearing of Matt Smith filming his Hollywood debut. He's shaved his hair off for the role. Anybody else think that could be a sign of an upcoming departure?

[Jimmy Baker's Assistant]

I'm So what I think they should do is similar to what Grant Goggans suggested not too long ago on this thread. Keep the 11th Dr series as two parters if you must, but put a 'lost adventures of the 8th Doctor'* somewhere in between the break- with whoever is most likely to take Moffat's job once he leaves. It's good practice for the person who'll eventually replace Moffat, the competition of sorts might hopefully encourage the Moff to put his arse back into gear.

*If the BBC could find the money for that ridiculous Torchwood (or even Robin Hood) show, they can surely find money for this.

Yeah, would be lovely, but it will never ever happen.

I did think Moffat's natural successor was Gatiss, now I fear he may be ensuring his reign terminates with the show getting axed again.

God forbid I should praise RTD, but he did at least know how to get the ratings.

[Steve Green]

I didn't mind it - I thought Warwick Davis was really good though.

Regarding the cyberman movement, not sure who the main performer was, but they did seem more elegant than the other performers.

[von Boom]

What is going on this second half of series seven? Why are all the guest stars outshining the regular cast so much?

Warrick Davis was outstanding while Smith was not so grand. This episode was pretty disappointing and I can only hope that the last episode will be something outstanding. Fingers crossed.

[Leigh S]

Eek! As a Moffatt apologist for the most part, that was hideous.  Matt Smith failed to make the (admittedly pretty ropey) Cyber Planner stuff work - Having the Doctor bring kids along was a bad idea all round, in-story wise and from a production/viewing pov too.  I suppose it was less ridiculous than taking a baby with him to fight off Cybermen a season or two back, but ridiculous nonetheless .  And Nu Whos so called emotional superiority showed its bare arse once again with Clara having no concern over the fate of the kids - as the true depth of the peril became apparent, she was smugging her way around the fair showing off her newly acquired military strategy training - presumably all part of her "mystery" if theres any kind of explanation, but bad drama all the same to not even draw attention to the fact this was a pretty heartless and as emotionally false as anything Who has ever seen.

Plus why didnt the Emperor just transmat them up in the beginning and a hundred other unanswered holes of plot. 

[Steve Green]

Pretty sure Porridge said they had no communication with the outside, although it seemed like it was just him wanting to stay in hiding until he was given no choice.

[Taryn Tailz]

Very unsure about this episode. The Cybermen were underused and not even slightly scary, The children could quite easily have been written out without changing much about the episode, and Angie has to go down as one of the most annoying characters in recent history.

I was expecting a lot from this episode and it failed to deliver on pretty much every level. It wasn't especially bad, just very disapointing.

I'm thinking it really is time for a fresh start. New producer, new writers, new Doctor. I do like Matt Smith but I think a change would do the series good.

[Daveycandlish]

Warwick Davis and the Cybermites were the good points but found it a very unengaging episode in every other aspect.

I like Matt Smith as the Doctor but feel he's been let down by some very average stories

[Ghost MacRoth]

Horrendous episode. This whole "series" has been a complete shambles.

Couldn't agree more.  I believe it's Matt 'wooden from the knees up' Smith's fault.  If the same shite scripts where done with Tennant, we'd have been pissing ourselves laughing, not bemoaning the ruination of a series well loved.