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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:30 am

Cake for Brains wrote:After Mark Gatiss, of course. :D

:shock: A joke, I hope...

But yes, fingers crossed this comes off. I'd love another Gaiman episode. Rumuors are it'll feature the return of the Cybermen.

Bleh, pretty sick of them to be honest - especially after the dreck that was "Closing Time" (yes I digress, it was awful, if you'll remember I defended it back it when it first aired... lord knows why). I just think the classic era villains can only go so far.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Moon-Crane » Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:50 am

Certainly an improvement on the previous few Dalek based episodes. Very enjoyable. Only very minor niggles come to mind so not very important and the plusses massively outweighed the negatives. I'll never really get sick of Daleks.

I actually recognised the new companion immediately she appeared, even though the pic posted on this thread is the only time i've ever seen the actress. Going to be interesting to see how this pans out. I hadn't really clicked that she was a Dalek but i was too busy anticipating their actual physical meet because i knew she was to be the companion.

Relatively heavy hitting for the Amy/Rory relationship. I'll actually miss them when they depart. I hope it's nothing tooooo bad.

All in all, an enjoyable start.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:54 am

Paul B wrote: :shock: A joke, I hope...


Mark Gatiss is even better than Russell T Davies!

Bleh, pretty sick of them to be honest - especially after the dreck that was "Closing Time" (yes I digress, it was awful, if you'll remember I defended it back it when it first aired... lord knows why). I just think the classic era villains can only go so far.


Glad you came to your senses on Closing Time - a travesty of an episode! I did a full Series 6 re-watch around Christmas time and it really is awful. The Girl Who Waited really went up in my estimations though - a superb little episode.

I'm not too keen about seeing the Cybermen again, but I trust Gaiman enough to make them interesting again. And talking of classic series monsters returning, I am eager to see the revival of the 1960s Mars dwellers The Ice Warriors. Their return is currently just a rumuor, mind.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:56 am

Moon-Crane wrote:Certainly an improvement on the previous few Dalek based episodes. Very enjoyable. Only very minor niggles come to mind so not very important and the plusses massively outweighed the negatives. I'll never really get sick of Daleks.

I actually recognised the new companion immediately she appeared, even though the pic posted on this thread is the only time i've ever seen the actress. Going to be interesting to see how this pans out. I hadn't really clicked that she was a Dalek but i was too busy anticipating their actual physical meet because i knew she was to be the companion.

Relatively heavy hitting for the Amy/Rory relationship. I'll actually miss them when they depart. I hope it's nothing tooooo bad.

All in all, an enjoyable start.


Re; the new companion - nicely spotted!

And I agree with you. I may complain about the Daleks, but I don't think I'll ever get sick of them either.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:57 am

Cake for Brains wrote:Mark Gatiss is even better than Russell T Davies!

Well, that's not hard. :wink:

Glad you came to your senses on Closing Time - a travesty of an episode! I did a full Series 6 re-watch around Christmas time and it really is awful. The Girl Who Waited really went up in my estimations though - a superb little episode.

Yeah, I really like that episode. It has a great atmosphere. Definitely one of the better non-Moffat ones of that series.

I'm not too keen about seeing the Cybermen again, but I trust Gaiman enough to make them interesting again. And talking of classic series monsters returning, I am eager to see the revival of the 1960s Mars dwellers The Ice Warriors. Their return is currently just a rumuor, mind.

True, he has the potential to make them great. I went into "The Doctor's Wife" assuming it would be something quite different, and was very pleasantly surprised.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Moon-Crane » Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:06 am

As with the Daleks, i'm never too unhappy to hear of Cybermen episodes. They've never really been used to their potential since the show returned (that i can recall, at least), but i'd be hopeful of a writer like Gaiman being able to employ them effectively.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:11 am

Moon-Crane wrote:As with the Daleks, i'm never too unhappy to hear of Cybermen episodes. They've never really been used to their potential since the show returned (that i can recall, at least), but i'd be hopeful of a writer like Gaiman being able to employ them effectively.

The only episode with them that I've liked is The Next Doctor, though one could argue it was Dervla Kirwan who made that episode. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday were good too, but I don't really count them as Cybermen episodes - it could've been any villains really.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Moon-Crane » Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:19 am

Paul B wrote:
Moon-Crane wrote:As with the Daleks, i'm never too unhappy to hear of Cybermen episodes. They've never really been used to their potential since the show returned (that i can recall, at least), but i'd be hopeful of a writer like Gaiman being able to employ them effectively.

The only episode with them that I've liked is The Next Doctor, though one could argue it was Dervla Kirwan who made that episode. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday were good too, but I don't really count them as Cybermen episodes - it could've been any villains really.


Ah yes, The Next Doctor was a very decent episode. The Army of Ghosts/Doomsday double was enjoyable, too.

To be honest, I've never watched 'classic' Who for god knows how many years, so i expect any 'old' Cybermen episodes would be far less amazing than my memories pretend. I probably don't really know what i'm expecting to see fleshed out into a great Cybermen story - but, given Gaiman's cv, i'm sure he could provide it.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:23 am

Moon-Crane wrote:
Paul B wrote:
Moon-Crane wrote:As with the Daleks, i'm never too unhappy to hear of Cybermen episodes. They've never really been used to their potential since the show returned (that i can recall, at least), but i'd be hopeful of a writer like Gaiman being able to employ them effectively.

The only episode with them that I've liked is The Next Doctor, though one could argue it was Dervla Kirwan who made that episode. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday were good too, but I don't really count them as Cybermen episodes - it could've been any villains really.


Ah yes, The Next Doctor was a very decent episode. The Army of Ghosts/Doomsday double was enjoyable, too.

To be honest, I've never watched 'classic' Who for god knows how many years, so i expect any 'old' Cybermen episodes would be far less amazing than my memories pretend. I probably don't really know what i'm expecting to see fleshed out into a great Cybermen story - but, given Gaiman's cv, i'm sure he could provide it.

I've never been overly fond of the concept of the Cybermen, to be honest. It doesn't seem that far removed from the Daleks - wanting everyone to be like them, albeit for different reasons - which makes them feel a bit unoriginal. It seems to me that they're just held in high esteem as they featured in the classic series, and only exist in the show out of nostalgia. Creating new and original villains can be done, just look at the Angels and the Silence. More of that, please.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Moon-Crane » Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:55 am

Daleks and Cybermen are definitely overused because of nostalgia. There're certainly enough alternative 'classic' villains to draw sparingly upon, while being able to introduce a whole bunch of new ones. The Angels were a definite success. My favourite, i think.

We certainly don't need episodes featuring Cybermen and Daleks every year. I understand the temptation, but the team are good enough to avoid it.

I do sometimes wonder what pressure and politics the showrunners are surrounded by to include various 'popular' elements in any given year. I'm sure there are programming directors with a checklist of things they expect to see included - choking on their cappuccinos when something's missing.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Forever Jung » Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:45 pm

Moon-Crane wrote:I do sometimes wonder what pressure and politics the showrunners are surrounded by to include various 'popular' elements in any given year. I'm sure there are programming directors with a checklist of things they expect to see included - choking on their cappuccinos when something's missing.


:twisted: That's a very interesting idea.

Or, I wonder if the showrunners have ever sent a script back to the writters with a memo attached "ENOUGH WITH THE ^"^*$^ "%^&$£ $£"%^$$&% DALEK STORYLINES! INVENT SOME NEW MONSTERS IMMEDIATLY YOU LAZY BASTARDS!!!!!!!!!!"

I've always been quite happy to see the Daleks myself, but in retrospect it seems that they are trying to make it bigger and bigger.
Let me explain.

In the episode "Dalek" there was a Delek. Single. Non plaural.

Then (trying to remember these in order) The Doctor fought a small army of invading Daleks (led by the Emperor Dalek, no less) on a TV satelite.

Then you had the Cult Of Skaro. Only 4 Daleks initially, but they went on to open the prison that brought forth thousands of the buggers.

Then the Daleks moved to Manhattan where they raised a pig army and made human Daleks.
OK, that was quite original.

Then we got to the part where the Daleks stole the Earth.
Not just the Daleks, but Davros got wheeled on, and Dalek Caan, as well as a new Supreme Dalek.
There were thousands of them.
Plus, we got a regeneration, two docrors for the price of one, and more assistants that you get working in Sainsburys on a Sunday afternoon :shock:

I enjoyed the episode very much at the time, but now I look back and think "just how much "AWESOME" were they trying to squeeze into one story?


I saw the advert for the Dalek ep of this years Doctor Who, and it appeared to be a Dalek planet.

Just how many Daleks does the Doctor have to be surrounded by for the viewer to think "ooh, he's in trouble now".
Chris E had his hands full with one.
You don't need to have the Doctor on a ship with thosands of Daleks, surrounded by a fleet of hundreds of ships, each containing thousands more Daleks, to create a dangerous atmosphere.
It seems that the question "But haven't we done this before?" is answered by "No, this time there are 54% more Daleks, that makes it new and more dangerous".


Still, i've not watched any of the Matt Smith eps. I've seen a couple of clips, but it doesn't do much for me.
Amy Pond can do something for me if she likes :D

One was on the other evening, I think it's one discussed here, a christmas ep, and it just didn't work.
The dead dad who turns up alive at the end of the episode just seems a little cheesy now.
Maybe it's because it's made with kids in mind, noy cynical gits :lol: , or maybe (probably) it's because it's a Xmas episode so they want to spread some cheer, I don't know, but it just seemed to be too much happy ever after.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Forever Jung » Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:53 pm

:twisted: Anyway, enough withy the rant :lol:
I don't know if they've been back at all, but the Vashta Nerada were pretty scary 8-)
They also work cheap, and don't need much time in make up :lol:
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Moon-Crane » Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:12 pm

Forever Jung wrote:Or, I wonder if the showrunners have ever sent a script back to the writters with a memo attached "ENOUGH WITH THE ^"^*$^ "%^&$£ $£"%^$$&% DALEK STORYLINES! INVENT SOME NEW MONSTERS IMMEDIATLY YOU LAZY BASTARDS!!!!!!!!!!"


Knowing how tv world tends to be, i know which side my money's on - between the creators and the cheque writers - in the fight for who wants to see something different and who wants a whole bucket load more of what's already proven. :D
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 08, 2012 9:21 pm

Only a short review tonight, I'm in Wales and my net is unreliable - sad to say, I didn't really enjoy tonight's episode. It felt a bit over stuffed, I wasn't fond of the concept, there were too many characters resulting in them all being one dimensional. Mark Williams could've been great, but nothing really came of him. Disappointing after last week's great return.

5/10.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sun Sep 09, 2012 7:50 pm

Well, I was out last night so I've only just seen this week's episode. I thought it was an enjoyable mess! Not really my cop of tea, probably more for the kids, but I didn't mind it. I agree that it felt a bit over-stuffed. Shame really because all of the guest characters had potential and deserved more to do - Rory's dad reminded me slightly of Wilfred Mott. He's appearing again in Episode 4, so hopefully he'll make more of an impression in his second appearance. Having Mitchell and Webb provide the voices for the robots was a nice surprise touch, and I do love me a Pteradactyl.

A fun romp - but probably not an episode I'll be rushing to re-watch anytime soon.

Asylum of the Daleks 8/10
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship 6.5/10
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Moon-Crane » Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:39 pm

I actually enjoyed that bit of fun. Definitely one for the kids, though. I wouldn't want to see that style every week, but it's fine as an occasional installment.

I enjoyed recognising Mitchell and Webb doing those robot voices. I had no idea they were due a cameo in the show.

In spite of the overall tone of the episode, i thought Matt showed a lot of nice touches as the eccentric, friendly yet ultimately ruthless, Doctor.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Forever Jung » Mon Sep 10, 2012 9:08 pm

:twisted: BTW, going back to the subject of The Daleks, did I ever mention that I used to go out with Terry Nation's grand daughter? :shock: :lol:

We used to be really good friends, and we tried to turn it into a relationship. Bad move :roll:
She's still got some of the original design drawings her grandad did of the Daleks.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 15, 2012 8:25 pm

An entertaining episode tonight, and a definitive improvement over Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, mercifully returning to the maturity seen in the series premiere. Toby Whithouse has come a long way since School Reunion. The Doctor's sudden ruthless tactics seem an interesting direction for him to go in, I'm looking forward to seeing how it evolves. The Gunslinger made a formidable villain. Also loved the fact that the Doctor speaks horse - him and Susan made quite the team. My one complaint is that everything wrapped up rather predictably, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment. Visually, the show continues to thrive more than ever and props must go to Murray Gold, whose work was more notable here than it has been in many series, and contributed a great deal to the episode's unique tone and atmosphere. It probably helped that I recently re-played Red Dead Redemption and have been craving a bit of Western ever since.

A 7/10, I feel. Not perfect, but an entertaining effort. Next week's looks interesting and uniquely structured but it's another one written by Chris Chibnall so I'm not overly optimistic.

The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe - 4/10
Asylum of the Daleks - 8/10
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship - 5/10
A Town Called Mercy - 7/10
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:23 pm

Oh dear...

We all know Toby Whithouse is a genius. His writing is so good that it's had me weeping on the floor in the past. But tonight's episode really didn't do anything for me at all. I liked the setting, I liked the stetson, I liked Murray Gold's score (as Paul noted) and I liked Susan the horse... apart from that, the story was formulaic and dull with a bland, forgettable antagonist. I was looking forward to seeing how Doctor Who would incorperate the familiar Western tropes, but for me, the episode never really seemed to get started and seemed to be over before it had begun. The supporting characters of the Moffat era are just so one-dimensional and empty, and as a result, I sometimes find myself struggling to care about what's happening.

The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe 4/10
Asylum of the Daleks 8/10
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship 6.5/10
A Town Called Mercy 4/10

And, by the way, is anyone else missing River Song this year? I know I am.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:29 pm

Shame, I thought you would've liked this one - but from the few reviews I've read on the net, it seems to be hit and miss with most people. I agree with your comments about the supporting characters, I really couldn't give a toss about the marshall that died, but I did feel sad knowing how it made the Doctor feel. I guess it's kind of shallow on my part but it was probably the tone and music that sold me on this episode as opposed to depth or storyline (or lack thereof.)

Although I think the Doctor does a good job of holding the show together on his own, I do miss River Song. Her presence just adds that extra layer of pizzazz to the show that it needs. Last year I would've said the same of Amy and Rory but they have had such a non-presence these past three episodes I don't feel the same way anymore.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 15, 2012 10:26 pm

I do quite like Rory's hair this series thoug... now who's being shallow. :)

But I do agree - the saving grace of this episode was the music and the setting. Just a shame the actual story was so disengaging. There was the occasional excellent/funny line of dialogue though.
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 15, 2012 10:37 pm

Cake for Brains wrote:I do quite like Rory's hair this series thoug... now who's being shallow. :)

Oh no you don't, I already bagsied Rory last year after The Girl Who Waited and you called me crazy - you've had your chance!
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 15, 2012 10:46 pm

Paul B wrote:
Cake for Brains wrote:I do quite like Rory's hair this series thoug... now who's being shallow. :)

Oh no you don't, I already bagsied Rory last year after The Girl Who Waited and you called me crazy - you've had your chance!


I called you crazy for liking him in those ridiculous glasses. And I stand by that. :)
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 15, 2012 10:47 pm

Cake for Brains wrote:
Paul B wrote:
Cake for Brains wrote:I do quite like Rory's hair this series thoug... now who's being shallow. :)

Oh no you don't, I already bagsied Rory last year after The Girl Who Waited and you called me crazy - you've had your chance!


I called you crazy for liking him in those ridiculous glasses. And I stand by that. :)

I liked him in those glasses. They looked like the kind Neil Hannon wears in some pics, and he's cooler than anyone!
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Re: The Doctor Who Discussion Thread

Postby Cake for Brains » Sat Sep 15, 2012 10:49 pm

Paul B wrote:
Cake for Brains wrote:
Paul B wrote:Oh no you don't, I already bagsied Rory last year after The Girl Who Waited and you called me crazy - you've had your chance!


I called you crazy for liking him in those ridiculous glasses. And I stand by that. :)

I liked him in those glasses. They looked like the kind Neil Hannon wears in some pics, and he's cooler than anyone!


Does Neil Hannon wear glasses?

And fine you can have Rory, on the condition that you fix me up with somebody else from the Whoniverse.
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