Doctor Who

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38648

Is she from Middlesbrough? The accent sounds familiar on that Tom Baker video.

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14515

Poster and name of the final episode revealed (spoiler)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/ar ... the-Finale

NervousPete · **Posted:** Fri Apr 19, 2013 16:57

Here's hoping the episode features...

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

- the end of River Song. Sorry, but much as I like Alex Kingston that character has grown to really annoy me. Also, I predict something convoluted and hurried with frustrating plot holes. Harumph.

But I'd like to be surprised.

Kern · **Posted:** Fri Apr 19, 2013 17:11

I ordered a set of the 50th anniversary stamps for a friend's birthday present recently. Truth be told, I think sticking a Dalek or a Weeping Angel on my post would make paying bills that much more satisfying.

Derek The Halls · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3742

There will be something done to get out of that thing on the poster for the final episode. Because that's how Moffat works.

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14515

DerekFME wrote:

There will be something done to get out of that thing on the poster for the final episode. Because that's how Moffat works.

I'm quite sure there will be but it doesn't bother me that its a tease.

Kern · **Posted:** Sat Apr 20, 2013 19:36

'Hide'

Much better than the last two weeks. On a dark night, the early part would be suitably creepy, and a fun resolution.

I'm little concerned about the number of 'Doctor Who' references I picked up on though - what have I become over the last 8 years?

MaliA · **Posted:** Sat Apr 20, 2013 20:02

I really liked it.

miki · **Joined:** 30th Apr, 2011 **Posts:** 1458 **Location:** NL

yay, I really liked this one! finally!

Curiosity · **Posted:** Sat Apr 20, 2013 21:22

Yes! A good one!

NervousPete · **Posted:** Sat Apr 20, 2013 21:58

Yay! I liked that one. Dougray Scott has an unfamothably awesome voice, and Grayling was yum. Nice plot too, annnnnnnd - Nikon F! The Doctor uses the Nikon F! The sturdiest camera ever built! Perfect for time travel.

I might get one, there's one cheap and second hand. Might need the mirror foam replacing though, and I'll have to che ("That's enough, stop right there," - Ed.)

Anyway, I caught up on the entire series this evening with me mam, who's also become a big Whovian. Thoughts:

1: Bells of St. John

Fun one this. Fantastic creepy mobile wireless bot. Good turn by Celia Imrie. Science was utter bobbins, obv. Also concerned about the dismissiveness of death. But I reckon the wireless had only claimed those on the screen so far and was in its inception stage, so not a staggering global loss. Entertaining, but not great.

3.5/5

2: Rings of Akhtan

There's actually quite a bit of stuff to like in this. Sadly it doesn't quite hold on to its intitial charm but it's still quite a pleasant ride. The big-bad is a little disappointing but a reasonable idea. I think the only problem is some languid direction in the second half that squanders the air of tension. The mummy is sort of wasted and never seems as much of a threat as it should, as neither does the sun, oddly. Still, the moments of the song-story itself are a great slice of space-opera and a pleasant moment of breathing room in a show that all too often races along too quickly. Plus the sinister sonic-boom emitting agents feature some great design and are nicely creepy. And its good to see some honest spectacle. It's an episode that has a lot of good, not great elements but it never quite catches fire. Shame. Again, I blame direction. But take a bow SFX crew.

It really needed a line such as, "The sun has gone back to sleep, forever. It's a giver of life, once again." Or, "What about the sun, Doctor?" "Time to make a new one, I think." (Show sun reigniting or jury rigged awesome sun-machine or something. C'mon story editors, you work out.)

3/5

3: Cold War

A fun romp. Some great effects and I love the Ice Warrior design, very old skool but with lots of neat features. And aw... the Grand Marshal had a heart. Plus you get hugely entertaining David Warner. A good effort by Mark Gattis, but nothing classic. Once again, some breathtaking effects. Dad was very pleased by the flying saucer. It didn't really mean anything or have anything to say especially, but it was entertaining.

3.5/5

4: Hide

Ahh, that's more like it. Not sure if it's a classic but it is very, very good. Dougray Scott and Jessica Raine have real chemistry and add a nice, adult tone. The Doctor has some great physical stuff in this one. His abrupt movements in searching the house were bizarrely compelling. Also good work by Jenna Louise Coleman who is growing on me. At first I took agin' her for being too perfect. The sort of character she played in her debut is the type that really gets on my tits. But they've reigned it back now and she shows vulnerability and confusion. Good. The atmospheric effects were pretty tremendous, one of the best looking Borley Rectory type houses ever. Great lightning effects too. And its a nice departure from the usual ho-hum evil aliens threaten earth malarky. Also felt smug that I figured out the ending. And lol on the Tardis hi-jinks. Good work Neil Cross, et al.

4.5/5

So despite some mehness I'm way preferring this to clever-clever watch-out-for-this-seeming-throwaway-line-cos-my-entire-story-arc-rests-on-it-or-does-it-no-it-doesn't-yes-it-does-no-yes-now-cry!-ha-ha-no-but-seriously-cry-now! Moffat indulgence.

Moar Ice Warriors please.

RBR2 · **Posted:** Sat Apr 20, 2013 23:01

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10172

This was a really good one.

What was less cool was just after I went to pee... and halfway up the stairs, the bathroom door slowly swung open. Fucksake!

Derek The Halls · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3742

This episode shows why I can never give up on Doctor Who no matter how bad it gets as there's always a chance we get something like this which makes the whole thing worthwhile.

Dr Lave · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5979

Really enjoyed it, but I was pissed that he when back 6billion years to 'birth' of Earth.

It's only 4.5billion dammit!

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11897

Well, I think I trust the time traveller more than your so called physics, thank you very much!

Agreed, a very good episode.

Agent Starling · **Joined:** 8th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 1701

Just watched it, and it was most excellent.

Whoever wrote that one was clearly influenced by Nigel Kneale, still if you're going to sort of copy, best to copy from the master of such things (see The Stone Tape).

I mean regardless, you can't really go wrong with a haunted house setting, can you? Top stuff.

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

Extraordinary endorsement of of the JNT book from Russell T Davies:

Quote:

"(The) book is extraordinary - a great piece of work. A major piece of Doctor Who history and the history of an entire industry - an entire age, really. I read it in two days flat, I couldn't stop. I've never seen a biographer enter the story like that, it was brilliant and invigorating.
The ending is devastating, genuinely tragic. All those hopes and dreams poisoned and rotted by alcohol. By writing about it, you have made something elegant and even beautiful out of such a wretched mess. And I think that's very kind of you indeed. This book says a lot about JN-T, but it also says a lot about your good and kind heart, too." Russell T. Davies (Writer/Producer)

Kern · **Posted:** Sat Apr 27, 2013 20:15

Enjoyed most it, but was disappointed by the resolution.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

Not just the 'clever-clever' reset button schtick, but also the undoing of the revelations and growth between the siblings that had formed most of the story

Still, I think the Tardis library would look good in Kern Hall.

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12334

Everyone keeps abbreviating JNT. What does it stand for?

MaliA · **Posted:** Sun Apr 28, 2013 17:28

Mr Russell wrote:

Everyone keeps abbreviating JNT. What does it stand for?

A producer of doctor who way back when

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

Mr Russell wrote:

Everyone keeps abbreviating JNT. What does it stand for?

John Nathan Turner, the longest serving producer of Doctor Who (1980 - 1989).

Everyone called him JNT. He's a rather divisive character as he was responsible for some of the shows biggest successes, but also some of his biggest failings.

There's a biography out soon which is extraordinary. http://www.sfx.co.uk/2013/03/10/jn-t-the-life-and-scandalous-times-of-john-nathan-turner-review/

Agent Starling · **Joined:** 8th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 1701

Kern wrote:

Enjoyed most it, but was disappointed by the resolution.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

Not just the 'clever-clever' reset button schtick, but also the undoing of the revelations and growth between the siblings that had formed most of the story

Still, I think the Tardis library would look good in Kern Hall.

Mostly agree on your spoiler bit, but then again

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

wasn't it shown that the 'bad' brother had redeemed himself and become a bit nicer after the Doctor had reset time (or whatever)?

For me, not the bestest episode of this new series, but still enjoyable as these things should be.

Right looking forward to next week though, with Diana Rigg and daughter.

Kern · **Posted:** Sun Apr 28, 2013 19:23

Agent Starling wrote:

still enjoyable as these things should be.

Aye. Still very much the most enjoyable show on telly, which is probably why we like to nitpick so much.

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

Two real good'uns in a row. Next week: Vastra and Strax, So I shall enjoy it whatever happens. Week after: Gaiman.

4 inna row?

Curiosity · **Posted:** Sun Apr 28, 2013 21:07

Really enjoyed this week. Had quite a classic sf feel to it.

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11897

I had no idea what was going on.

MaliA · **Posted:** Sun Apr 28, 2013 21:45

Did not like. Reset button is shitty story writing. Not-android brother was good. Rest was shitty alien/aliens rip off.

Zio · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6093

I'm in the "really enjoyed that" camp on this one, although I did let Zioette stay-up and watch it with us and then almost immediately regretted the decision when the monsters started to appear. One day, one day, I shall learn I really shouldn't let my 3-year old daughter watch Doctor Who with us immediately before her bedtime on a Saturday night. That kid is going to grow up with some mental scars. Or be a badass warrior girl fully prepared for the inevitable alien invasion. One or the other.

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14515

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14515

Teaser for this weeks ep and a reference to classic who

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14515

http://www.kasterborous.com/2013/05/the ... urce=pubv1

Quote:

The Light at the End Guest Cast Announced

There’s been grumblings recently regarding the news that the televised Doctor Who episode for the 50th Anniversary in November 2013 won’t be featuring any of the past Doctors apart from David Tennant as the Tenth. But never mind, that’s where Big Finish come in, providing a multi-Doctor tale so that every incarnation gets a birthday gift.

And not only are Big Finish offering us Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann alongside Louise Jameson, Sarah Sutton, Nicola Bryant, Sophie Aldred, India Fisher and Geoffrey Beevers in their 50th Anniversary tale, The Light at the End: they’ve also announced a huge list of other actors and actresses that will be making appearances in the 2-hour celebration. The list in full is:

William Russell as Ian, Carole Ann Ford as Susan, Maureen O’Brien as Vicki, Peter Purves as Steven, Jean Marsh as Sara, Anneke Wills as Polly, Frazer Hines as Jamie, Wendy Padbury as Zoe, Katy Manning as Jo, Janet Fielding as Tegan and Mark Strickson as Turlough!

Now that is a celebration! It does help that the whole thing is on audio and therefore makes it easier for older actors to drop in and do a small amount of work for a big return (especially from the fans!).

The Light at the End is available for pre-order now, as a 5-disc limited collectors’ edition and a 2-disc standard edition from Big Finish.

And a spoiler for the 50th TV version in the picture below

https://twitter.com/ryanfarrr/status/32 ... 20/photo/1

Kern · **Posted:** Sun May 05, 2013 15:29

This week's was excellent. Even the exposition scene setting out how the Doc and Clara ended up north was imaginatively done.

Curiosity · **Posted:** Sun May 05, 2013 15:45

Very good this week. Strax wasn't quite as awesome as last time, but was still awesome.

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

Just watched the ghost one.

Now that's a proper Doctor Who story. Exactly the kind of thing they were starting to do in the late 80's.

Speaking of late 80's Who, it didn't escape my attention that the Doctor drew a chalk circle in the same way as the iconic scene in Battlefield.

Or how about the reference to Metabelis 3, or the eye of harmony, or the cloister bell ringing? Lots of fanboy references for the 50th year.

The only bit I didn't like was the "monster of the week" coming back at the very end. There was a nice neat ending and then we had to waste time going back to reunite the monster with its ladyfriend. As a result what seemed like a nice clean end ended up rather messy. Sadly I think it's an annoying trend for new Who to try and give every monster a motivation for what it is doing. Nobody gives a fuck!

GazChap · **Posted:** Mon May 06, 2013 9:19

I thought it was a pretty good subversion of the normal monster trope. All through the episode, the monster is portrayed as being scary, because it's trying to scare the woman into running back to her portal so that it can follow and reunite with it's lover. It's not able to communicate with her, so it pretty much has to do that - unfortunately it didn't know the portal wasn't open.

Then the Doctor comes through, and is able to communicate with the monster, so it stops trying to be scary and just comes up for a chat.

Agent Starling · **Joined:** 8th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 1701

Enjoyed Saturday's one, though felt it was rushed a bit towards the end. All good stuff though, and great to see Jenny and the others again.

Anonymous X · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 2046

Noticed there was some old Doctor Who serials on Netflix, so watched the whole of Remembrance of the Daleks earliers with a younger relative. Hadn't seen RotD myself literally since it first aired. Surprised how much of it I'd remembered, most likely because some of it genuinely terrified me at such a young age. Which seems embarrassing to admit now, as I can see how wobbly and generally unthreatening the Daleks are, but heh. The contrast in pace with modern Who was perhaps the most notable difference, as with a few earlier serials it seems that DW of old used to allow more time for the setting to come to life, allow a bit of mystery to be built up and unravelled, and offer (slightly) more complicated plots. I'm beginning to wonder if modern DW suffers a bit from having to be so fast-paced, with the single episode stories in particular becoming a straightjacket for the series formula. Obviously I don't think that the old 4 part story template should be resurrected, as there are pacing issues with that too at the other end of the spectrum, but maybe there's a few things that modern DW can learn from the ways of the past. And it's not like modern DW couldn't do with offering a bit of subtly for once.

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

I loved it! 3 inna row. Gaiman next!

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

Anonymous X wrote:

Obviously I don't think that the old 4 part story template should be resurrected, as there are pacing issues with that too at the other end of the spectrum, but maybe there's a few things that modern DW can learn from the ways of the past. And it's not like modern DW couldn't do with offering a bit of subtly for once.

The Daleks wobble because they were having real trouble with the road surfaces. Seemingly the improved wheel designs (based on those wheel barrows with balls for wheels you saw in the 80's) were great on smooth surfaces but made the them wobble terribly when on London Streets.

Moffat is a big fan of RotD. He describes frantically rushing home to see it each week after being hooked by the first ep. He wasn't a kid though, at the time he was writing Press Gang!

Couple of RotD facts:

The yard which the Daleks blow their way into is in fact the prop storage area of London Weekend Television.

Said explosion was so large that it set car alarms off, smashed windows, and caused the emergency services to turn up thinking it was an IRA bomb. Not the best thing to do on a Good Friday at the height of the IRA mainland campaign.

First Doctor Who to be produced and transmitted in stereo (London region only) as part of the BBC's NICAM trials.

Just as the show returned to Coal Hill School for it's 25th anniversary, it is rumoured that said school may also be making an appearance this November.

Zio · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6093

I fucking love Rememberance of the Daleks - quite possibly my favouite Old Who serial... but then I was eight when it originally broadcast and it was genuinely exciting and scary back then. Because I'm a massively sad bastard, I did actually get to meet Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred back in 2011 and got them to sign my copy of the DVD. Sophie Aldred is lovely by the way, and I totally still would.

Malc · **Posted:** Tue May 07, 2013 10:22

Zio wrote:

Sophie Aldred is lovely by the way, and I totally still would.

You might even say she was Ace!

Malc

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

Zio wrote:

Sophie Aldred is lovely by the way, and I totally still would.

Imagine, you'd be on the Les Dennis fuck tree!

Zio · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6093

chinnyhill10 wrote:

Zio wrote:

Sophie Aldred is lovely by the way, and I totally still would.

Imagine, you'd be on the Les Dennis fuck tree!

Oh God, really? That's put me off a bit, that has.

Still would though.

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

Zio wrote:

chinnyhill10 wrote:

Zio wrote:

Sophie Aldred is lovely by the way, and I totally still would.

Imagine, you'd be on the Les Dennis fuck tree!

Oh God, really?

From the Guardian:

Quote:

, Dennis unflinchingly details his every failing - snobbery, misery, adultery, cowardice. The book recounts how he cheated on his first wife with actor Sophie Aldred, who played Doctor Who assistant Ace, and how he nervously wet his trousers before his first rehearsal for Extras.

But it was proper red top fodder at the time as well IIRC. They were in panto together just after Who had finished.

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue May 07, 2013 10:46

All: Oh, no, they weren't!

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14515

Short (pt1) interview with Neil Gaimen before this weeks epsiode (minor spoilers about location / cast but nothing you would not have got from the trailer)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/ar ... w-Part-One

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

Quote:

Nightmare in Silver is written by the internationally acclaimed Neil Gaiman whose previous episode – The Doctor’s Wife – was a brilliant, bonkers, wildly enjoyable adventure that won plaudits and the 2012 Hugo Award for the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

He returns with a story that sees the Doctor once more facing the Cybermen, but this being Doctor Who and Neil Gaiman, nothing about the iconic enemy’s return is as you’d expect, from the Cybermen themselves to the people battling them. We caught up with Neil and quizzed him about how he ended up back in the world of Doctor Who and what we can expect from his latest inspired nightmare…

Question: You’re back! Hurray! How were you persuaded to return?

Neil Gaiman: It began with an email from Steven Moffat. He said, ‘I know you’re too busy ever to write another Doctor Who episode… but would you like to make the Cybermen scary again?’ And I thought, Agghhhh! I do! I really do! I said,Yes, I’m in…

I thought it would be really fun to make the Cybermen scarier than they have been recently and then I got completely side-tracked by a mad, strange romp that just keeps getting bigger and odder in which the Doctor and Clara have taken two children to a big amusement park and they find themselves embroiled in a very peculiar galactic empire which has fought a battle against the Cybermen - and won…

Q: What can we expect from the Cybermen and the adventure in general?

NG: We’ve moved on a little bit, technologically, from the last round of Cybermen we saw, because we’re a bit further into the future. So instead of Cybermats, we’re now going to encounter Cybermites… We have to deal with various things we’ve had to deal with in the past, such as the Cybermen’s ability to take over people and transform them into Cybermen. And this time, it’s going to get very, very personal for the Doctor…

Q: It’s got a great cast! Could you tell us about them and the characters they play?

NG: I’ve been very lucky! Jason Watkins plays Mr Webley… He has a few waxworks and other things and made the rather foolish mistake of landing on Hedgewick’s World… and now he can’t get off. He’s really sweet and he is aided by Porridge who is played by Warwick Davis. And he’s wonderful! His performance is just brilliant. It’s funny. It’s charming, it’s deep… it’s very sexy! I’m very proud to have written his stuff.

We also have Tamzin Outhwaite. Tamzin is great! She plays a character who’s running a platoon – a captain. She’s grumpy and you rapidly discover that one of the reasons she’s grumpy is because this is a punishment platoon – they are in exile. These are people who’ve been in trouble and they’re being got out of the way… And she was sent there because she was not obeying orders, and now she’s going to have to make a big decision on whether or not she obeys an order…

Q: So, you’ve got the task of making the Cybermen scarier and this eclectic group of people… How did your story develop from this ‘original plot’.

NG: The only problem with my original plot was that I had no idea what I was doing with the Doctor. I knew what I was doing for everyone else in the story but I really didn’t have anything for the Doctor to do, except he was going to play chess, which isn’t really interesting. And then I had an idea. And the idea wouldn’t go away. So I emailed Steven Moffat and said, ‘Look, I have a mad idea. And it’s something that I wouldn’t do for any other actor except Matt Smith. I think Matt could pull it off. [Neil laughs and briefly outlines the Doctor’s plot-line]. And Steven Moffat said, ‘Go for it!’

Massive thanks to Neil Gaiman for taking time out to talk to us. We’ll be bringing you part 2 of our interview with him very soon and Nightmare in Silver is on BBC One on Saturday at 7.00pm.

Zio · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6093

I'm really looking forward to this episode, but Zioette is staying over this weekend, so I'm less enthralled about the inevitable lecture I'm going to get about letting my 3-year-old daughter watch Doctor Who with me just before her bedtime yet again.

Oh well, needs must. Besides which, this is character-building television as far as I'm concerned!

GazChap · **Posted:** Thu May 09, 2013 14:03

Zio wrote:

this is character-building television as far as I'm concerned!

Not for Clara it isn't. That's about the only complaint I have so far this series.

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14515

Wife in space gets to the end of the classic run (and the TV movie)

http://wifeinspace.com/2013/05/the-tv-movie/

Be Excellent To Each Other

Doctor Who
The boy/girl in the Blue Box!

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Be Excellent To Each Other

Doctor Who The boy/girl in the Blue Box!

Who is online

Doctor Who
The boy/girl in the Blue Box!