Doctor Who (again) [SPOILERS]

[The Big Dice]

From the teasers on the BBC site, it's looking like this first half of the season won't be seeing the return of any classic monsters, characters or threats. Which will definetly make a change.

[Partysan]

Doesn't have much to do with the discussion, but I just have to mention it: Dr. Who is being synchronized to Persian and MY COUSIN SYNCHS THE DOCTOR!

[Thufir]

From the teasers on the BBC site, it's looking like this first half of the season won't be seeing the return of any classic monsters, characters or threats. Which will definetly make a change.

The Radio Times episode guide has a picture with Cybermen in it, I'm afraid.
About which, incidentally, I'm annoyed. Because for once, the presence of a classic enemy isn't given away by the episode title! It could have been a surprise. But no, they just had to have a picture.

[industrious]

I actually heard from Neil Gaiman on Wednesday (he spoke to a crowd for One Book, One Chicago) about his episode. Apparently, there is an Ood in it.

Just letting you guys know.

[The Big Dice]

The Radio Times episode guide has a picture with Cybermen in it, I'm afraid.
About which, incidentally, I'm annoyed. Because for once, the presence of a classic enemy isn't given away by the episode title! It could have been a surprise. But no, they just had to have a picture.

That could be from the second half of the season, too. After all, last year's teaser trailer from before the season started had shots of Amy waving a torch at a headless Cyberman. Which came from the next-to-last episode.

I am of course completely speculationg here, mainly I just hope they are Cybermen and not Cybus-Men.

[Aidan305]

I am of course completely speculationg here, mainly I just hope they are Cybermen and not Cybus-Men.

I think they're effectively the same thing these days.

[bloodtide]

I also propose a challenge. Can this season go without Daleks? Now don't get me wrong, I love Daleks, they're awesome. But they're becoming a bit overplayed. The first Dalek we saw took on the doctor and the military and only lost because it gave up. Since then it seems like the writers have just been creating larger and larger armies of Daleks with the Doctor adding in some reason why they're currently "more dangerous than ever" to make the episode have tension.

I agree. As an old fan of Doctor Who, I remember when the Daleks only showed up every couple of years. And even more so, not every old Dalek encounter was a 'End of the World' type encounter...sometimes the Doctor would just encounter a couple Daleks.

And even more so, I think the 'destroy the Earth' type Doctor Who shows have really, really, really run their course. The idea that every single thing in existence wants to conqueror/destroy/take over 21st Earth(and England, no less) is just silly. The Daleks are overly guilty of this too.

I heard the Russel T. Davis was the one behind 'everyone only cares about Earth' type plots and the idea that people watch Doctor Who to see the Doctor walk around 21st Earth and encounter aliens. As if no one would ever watch Doctor Who if he was on an alien planet or time or something, right?

[The Big Dice]

I heard the Russel T. Davis was the one behind 'everyone only cares about Earth' type plots and the idea that people watch Doctor Who to see the Doctor walk around 21st Earth and encounter aliens. As if no one would ever watch Doctor Who if he was on an alien planet or time or something, right?

Bear in mind that RTD was actually establishing Who as a new show that nobody had ever seen before. Even though it happened to come with a 27 year legacy. It wasn't actually until season 2, with School Reunion, that we had hard evidence that the show wasn't a reboot and was actually a continuation.

With that in mind, it sort of makes sense to play it safe. Though I have to say that the thing last season of the TARDIS exploding and wiping out all of time and space seemed a little bit too much. Especially with the (what I felt to be) rather clumsy handling of the cracks in time. Those things that just happened to be everywhere the TARDIS went, but mostly only seen in the final shot of the episode.

[Jallorn]

Bear in mind that RTD was actually establishing Who as a new show that nobody had ever seen before. Even though it happened to come with a 27 year legacy. It wasn't actually until season 2, with School Reunion, that we had hard evidence that the show wasn't a reboot and was actually a continuation.

With that in mind, it sort of makes sense to play it safe. Though I have to say that the thing last season of the TARDIS exploding and wiping out all of time and space seemed a little bit too much. Especially with the (what I felt to be) rather clumsy handling of the cracks in time. Those things that just happened to be everywhere the TARDIS went, but mostly only seen in the final shot of the episode.

See, I got the impression that the Tardis exploded out to where it had been, and that's why the cracks were everywhere they went.

[dehro]

could it not just be that the doctor is a trouble magnet and since he likes earth, trouble comes to earth..because history tends to form around him on account of him being the last timelord and therefore also some sort of ...history magnet (yes, I know, the master, his daughter etc etc, but that's still the premise of most of the tale)

in other words, if he did like mars or venus or Raxacoricofallapatorius (yes, I had to google that), then most of these events would happen there...
but they don't, and aren't we lucky, that we get front-row seats?

[zyphyr]

could it not just be that the doctor is a trouble magnet and since he likes earth, trouble comes to earth..because history tends to form around him on account of him being the last timelord and therefore also some sort of ...history magnet (yes, I know, the master, his daughter etc etc, but that's still the premise of most of the tale)

in other words, if he did like mars or venus or Raxacoricofallapatorius (yes, I had to google that), then most of these events would happen there...
but they don't, and aren't we lucky, that we get front-row seats?

The events in "Turn Left" do a pretty good job of nixing that idea - even without the presence of the Doctor, all the badness still came to Earth.

[Gaelbert]

I've always thought that these things happen everywhere and all the time, but we only hear about the ones the Doctor sees. And since the Doctor likes Earth, we see more of the problems on Earth.

[Jallorn]

Just rewatched Vincent and the Doctor, and it made me realize something: among my favorite episodes have always been these, "Let's go meet a famous person," episodes, although two of the four are a bit lower on the list than the other two. Anyway, I was wondering what everyone else thought of them, whether or not you guys thought they did justice.

[Thufir]

Raxacoricofallapatorius (yes, I had to google that)

I am disappoint. Next you'll be telling us you can't recall off the top of your head the full title of the Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxoradenfoe!

[The_Admiral]

No I can't *Shrinks in shame*

[bloodtide]

could it not just be that the doctor is a trouble magnet and since he likes earth, trouble comes to earth..because history tends to form around him on account of him being the last timelord and therefore also some sort of ...history magnet

I have always liked this idea, that the Doctor just has a way of 'making history' happen, just by being there.

The problem is the show does it so badly. The Sontarins come to Earth and do a whole plot to make smog cars for months, if not years. The same thing with the cute little 'fat' thinghys, that plot took time. And so on...


I do also hate the 'Hitchhickerafication' of Doctor Who. In the Old Who, Earth, or let alone the universe was never in that much danger of destruction. But in New Who, the space liner Titanic crashing was powerful enough to obliterate the Earth. One tiny spaceship and boom, no more planet. And if it's so easy to obliterate things by accident, they why is the Earth even still there....someone would have dropped a dommsday penny by now. And if you can obliterate a planet by accident, why do we never see items created to obliterate planets on purpose!. In fact, you would not even need an armada, if a space canoe could accidentally obliterate a solar system.

[Gamer Girl]

Just rewatched Vincent and the Doctor, and it made me realize something: among my favorite episodes have always been these, "Let's go meet a famous person," episodes, although two of the four are a bit lower on the list than the other two. Anyway, I was wondering what everyone else thought of them, whether or not you guys thought they did justice.

It depends, they can be very hit or miss. It can be fun to see a famous person, but the episode needs to be well written.

And with real famous people you will always run into the problem of what they were like in public, what they were really like, and the mythology around them now.

[dehro]

The events in "Turn Left" do a pretty good job of nixing that idea - even without the presence of the Doctor, all the badness still came to Earth.

nuh-uh... you're talking about the future doctor-donna here.. she's "destined" to share much with the doctor, down to an intimate being half a timelord.. and given the nature of time in this particular show, I'm not sure your objection holds, since stuff tends to go back and forth etc etc..
if the episode had been about another companion, then yes, I'd see your point (though one episode over several entire series doesn't really cut it, I believe)... but since it's the doctor-donna, no. the creepy crawly was a trickster, something that act in small ways.. and it was clinging on to somebody who is, or is going to be and therefore was, a bit of a timelord...
I realise it's mostly semantics, but in my head the principle still holds

The problem is the show does it so badly. The Sontarins come to Earth and do a whole plot to make smog cars for months, if not years. The same thing with the cute little 'fat' thinghys, that plot took time. And so on...

well..yes..but eventually the doctor appears. history knows the doctor and knows he will appear

[1dominator]

I've only watched the new reboot of the series, but have enjoyed it so far. Am really looking forward to this new season (especially Neil Gaiman's episode, he is goooooooood).
Does anyone know if the old episodes are still available for sale? I have heard that some of the really old ones (like the one about Marco Polo) have been lost forever! A friend of mine had a link with all the old episodes, but it was of dubious legality and has vanished by now. But perhaps there are others?
In any case, if anyone could point me in the right direction that would be great, I would really like to watch the old (and by definition of higher caliber) episodes.

[Timeras]

nuh-uh... you're talking about the future doctor-donna here.. she's "destined" to share much with the doctor, down to an intimate being half a timelord.. and given the nature of time in this particular show, I'm not sure your objection holds, since stuff tends to go back and forth etc etc..
if the episode had been about another companion, then yes, I'd see your point (though one episode over several entire series doesn't really cut it, I believe)... but since it's the doctor-donna, no. the creepy crawly was a trickster, something that act in small ways.. and it was clinging on to somebody who is, or is going to be and therefore was, a bit of a timelord...
I realise it's mostly semantics, but in my head the principle still holds

What about Tochwood? Obviously things happen on (or to) earth even when the Doctor is neither here nor about to come here to stop them.

[dehro]

What about Tochwood? Obviously things happen on (or to) earth even when the Doctor is neither here nor about to come here to stop them.

yup... I asume the same happens elsewhere but we don't get to know about it because we're watching earth.. and those are obviously menaces we can handle without the need for the doctor being there to help us out..

[Gaelbert]

I've only watched the new reboot of the series, but have enjoyed it so far. Am really looking forward to this new season (especially Neil Gaiman's episode, he is goooooooood).
Does anyone know if the old episodes are still available for sale? I have heard that some of the really old ones (like the one about Marco Polo) have been lost forever! A friend of mine had a link with all the old episodes, but it was of dubious legality and has vanished by now. But perhaps there are others?
In any case, if anyone could point me in the right direction that would be great, I would really like to watch the old (and by definition of higher caliber) episodes.

I know some of them are free online, but I'm not sure about the legality of those. Netflix has some of the original series, even all the way back to the very first Doctor. I know it has the Aztecs for sure.

[Eldan]

I've only watched the new reboot of the series, but have enjoyed it so far. Am really looking forward to this new season (especially Neil Gaiman's episode, he is goooooooood).
Does anyone know if the old episodes are still available for sale? I have heard that some of the really old ones (like the one about Marco Polo) have been lost forever! A friend of mine had a link with all the old episodes, but it was of dubious legality and has vanished by now. But perhaps there are others?
In any case, if anyone could point me in the right direction that would be great, I would really like to watch the old (and by definition of higher caliber) episodes.

Try hunting around on the net... there's a rare few pieces of lost episodes where people videotaped and later uploaded them.

[1dominator]

What about Tochwood? Obviously things happen on (or to) earth even when the Doctor is neither here nor about to come here to stop them.

Yea, but I do not think they get invaded by Daleks too often. While stuff might happen without the Doctor around, his presence amplifies it by several point on the epic scale (Which is bloody logarithmic!)

Say, Dehro do I have to fill out any paperwork to join the Vetinari Fanclub

EDIT:

I know some of them are free online, but I'm not sure about the legality of those. Netflix has some of the original series, even all the way back to the very first Doctor. I know it has the Aztecs for sure.

Try hunting around on the net... there's a rare few pieces of lost episodes where people videotaped and later uploaded them.

Thanks for the suggestions (Should I find anything I will definitely communicate it here).
I have not used Netflix before is it some sort of online renting service?

[The Big Dice]

Does anyone know if the old episodes are still available for sale? I have heard that some of the really old ones (like the one about Marco Polo) have been lost forever! A friend of mine had a link with all the old episodes, but it was of dubious legality and has vanished by now. But perhaps there are others?
In any case, if anyone could point me in the right direction that would be great, I would really like to watch the old (and by definition of higher caliber) episodes.

Try looking on Amazon. There are literally dozens of Classic Who stories on DVD, with many more in the pipeline. Ranging from The Beginning box set, featuring the first episodes, right through to Survival, the final story of the classic era. But be advised that you might think that old means good, but that isn't always the case.

[Thufir]

I think you can find pretty much all the old episodes online. As for the lost ones, as far as I know all the audio tracks survived, so you can probably find those - you just don't have the visuals, or if you do, they're just a series of still shots taken during the filming.

[bloodtide]

Does anyone know if the old episodes are still available for sale? I have heard that some of the really old ones (like the one about Marco Polo) have been lost forever! A friend of mine had a link with all the old episodes, but it was of dubious legality and has vanished by now. But perhaps there are others?
In any case, if anyone could point me in the right direction that would be great, I would really like to watch the old (and by definition of higher caliber) episodes.

Your local Borders, Best Buy or such should have a couple on the shelf. Often hidden in the 'British TV' section. Any place like half-price books or other used stores should have a couple.

Sadly, a whole lot of the 1st and 2nd Doctor was been lost forever. The original tapes were copied over or destroyed.

[Reluctance]

Both Netflix and the Amazon online video thingie have classic Who. The Hulu pay service might, I've never really looked. It's the legal alternative to dubiously legal streaming sites, and both offer one month trial memberships.

[1dominator]

Thanks for your suggestions! There are indeed quite a few online, and I think I will watch those first before making any monetary commitments.

[Kobold-Bard]

Elizabeth Sladen (aka. Sarah Jane Smith) has died. Figured this would be the most relevant place to mention it.

It's a shame, I liked Sarah Jane.