Doctor Who

[SteveH]

The new series, with Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, is available on iPlayer from midnight on Friday, earlier than I thought, so we need a thread for it. (If we've already got one, it's dropped at least two pages back, and I'm not searching all the way back to the oldest topic.)
In the meantime: who's your favourite Doctor and companion, in the original adventures, since the revival, and ever? Mine: 4 (Tom Baker), 12 (Peter Capaldi), and 4; Ace i(Sophie Aldred), Donna (Catherine Tate), and Donna. (I like uppity, bolshie female companions - there's a noticeable change in the f.c.s over the course  of the original series; the early ones were there to scream a lot and get rescued by the chaps, but by the hiatus they were much more feisty.)

[Nearly Sane]

The new series, with Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, is available on iPlayer from midnight on Friday, earlier than I thought, so we need a thread for it. (If we've already got one, it's dropped at least two pages back, and I'm not searching all the way back to the oldest topic.)

Good idea but it's midnight Friday 10th and just the first 2 episodes, I think, which will then be on BBC1 on the Saturday  before Eurovision.

[SteveH]

Oh bum - I thought it was this coming Friday.

[Nearly Sane]

As to favourite Doctors - Troughton, and Smith. Favourite companions, Barbara, Jamie, Sarah Jane, Donna.

Gatwa's Doctor looks way too cool for my liking. And the politics is wearing.

[Nearly Sane]

Ffs!


https://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/rtd-sonic-screwdriver-gun-101283.htm

[SteveH]

Well, he's sort-of got a point, and it's not as daft as 12's sonic sunglasses.

[Nearly Sane]

Well, he's sort-of got a point, and it's not as daft as 12's sonic sunglasses.

I'd be happy if he'd said we're getting rid of it because it's become a lazy plot device that I and too many other writers have used to get out of bad writing, but no kids are shooting each other with 'sonic screwdrivers'.

[Aruntraveller]

My favourite doctor has always been Troughton followed closely by Smith. Companions Sarah Jane and Donna.

The quote doesn't seem to be a quote so not sure if it's true.

I'd rather they do away with the blasted thing altogether. It is an overused, lazy deux ex machina.

[Nearly Sane]

My favourite doctor has always been Troughton followed closely by Smith. Companions Sarah Jane and Donna.

The quote doesn't seem to be a quote so not sure if it's true.

I'd rather they do away with the blasted thing altogether. It is an overused, lazy deux ex machina.

Agree, it's still not a quote but it's taken from this.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/its-about-time-ncuti-gatwa-on-becoming-the-new-face-of-doctor-who/ar-AA1nRvdi

[Aruntraveller]

Rankings of the various doctors:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/may/03/the-greatest-doctor-who-ranked

[Nearly Sane]

Rankings of the various doctors:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/may/03/the-greatest-doctor-who-ranked

I like Tennant but... There are some good stories, including my favourite of New Who, also some very crap ones. His time is flawed by the sexualisation of the Doctor, and him being a bit too cool, while also the finales in the main being too deus ex machina, and very little to do with the Doctor - most of those are RTD's flaws though.

[SteveH]

The ultimate deus-ex-machina is the Tardis, which is central to the whole series (or serieses). The whole thing is lightly-scified fairy stories.

[Nearly Sane]

The ultimate deus-ex-machina is the Tardis, which is central to the whole series (or serieses). The whole thing is lightly-scified fairy stories.

That's a plot device rather a suddenly introduced resolution to the plot. Is Who hard science fiction? No. But that doesn't mean the Tardis as used in the end of first series of New Who is doing the same thing as it is as a plot device.

[Nearly Sane]

Prepare to have your socks blown off apparently

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/doctor-who-season-1

[Aruntraveller]

Prepare to have your socks blown off apparently

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/doctor-who-season-1

I wish they wouldn't build programmes up like this. It leads to false hopes.

If they just let it find its own way, I'd personally enjoy it a lot more. All this sort of talk does is force me to look for all the plot holes and lazy writing which would probably pass me by or I'd let it go if I hadn't been led on to have high expectations.

[Nearly Sane]

I wish they wouldn't build programmes up like this. It leads to false hopes.

If they just let it find its own way, I'd personally enjoy it a lot more. All this sort of talk does is force me to look for all the plot holes and lazy writing which would probably pass me by or I'd let it go if I hadn't been led on to have high expectations.

I'm less bothered by this than the politicisation stuff and it's not just the BBC they are selling for now. RTD does go for bog finishes so having to top them seems built in.

[Nearly Sane]

Jinkx Monsoon on playing Maestro


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-68983502

[SteveH]

Wrong link!

[Nearly Sane]

Wrong link!

Ta! Updated, and also here


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-68983502

[jeremyp]

Well, he's sort-of got a point, and it's not as daft as 12's sonic sunglasses.

Really? Who cares?

[Aruntraveller]

Some reviews are in:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/may/06/doctor-who-first-look-review-ncuti-gatwa-will-make-this-show-far-more-fun-than-its-been-for-years

https://variety.com/2024/tv/reviews/doctor-who-disney-plus-review-ncuti-gatwa-1235991471/

It's largely positive so far.

[SteveH]

I'll see whether I agree tomorrow morning.

[SteveH]

Just watched the space babies one. Not one of the all-time great stories, but not bad. However, the Doctor said he was the last Time Lord, Gallifrey and the other Time Lords having been destroyed. I rather thought that turned out to be untrue, Gallifrey having been hidden in a fold in spacetime (or something).

[Nearly Sane]

Just watched the space babies one. Not one of the all-time great stories, but not bad. However, the Doctor said he was the last Time Lord, Gallifrey and the other Time Lords having been destroyed. I rather thought that turned out to be untrue, Gallifrey having been hidden in a fold in spacetime (or something).

It got destroyed again in the 2nd Jodie Whittaker series by the Master, who was then destroyed or maybe not.

[Aruntraveller]

It got destroyed again in the 2nd Jodie Whittaker series by the Master, who was then destroyed or maybe not.

I've given up trying to keep track of what has happened to the Time Lords. I do feel it is a shame that an interesting option, in terms of developing the lore of Who has been shut down by getting rid of them. Although, this is Dr Who so a return is not impossible.