The Doctor Who thread

dazzajl

I’ve really enjoyed these three specials, the first was a bit daft but they ramped up week by week and have definitely brought back the excitement to ‘tune in’ again. 

I thought the idea of some happiness and closure for the broken Doctor we met in ‘Rose’ is genius, a new swashbuckling Doctor going on from here should be amazing and Ncuti looks like just the one to deliver on that. 

Headphones

dazzajl said:

Ncuti looks like just the one to deliver on that. 

Once he settles on an accent.  Any one would do.  I reckon he swapped between at least three on that...

dazzajl

Headphones said:

dazzajl said:

Ncuti looks like just the one to deliver on that. 

Once he settles on an accent.  Any one would do.  I reckon he swapped between at least three on that...

DT was much the same. He was uber posh in his incoming regen scene. I’m sure he’ll settle into a stride. 

stickyfiddle

Excellent stuff. I like the new guy, I'm glad there's an option for more eps with the old guy in future, and that was clearly the best 3-episode run since Matt Smith AT LEAST. 

And I'm guessing the accent thing was intentional. Only 2 weeks till his first proper ep and I''M LOOKING FORWARD TO DOCTOR WHO AGAIN!!

dazzajl

stickyfiddle said:

………..I''M LOOKING FORWARD TO DOCTOR WHO AGAIN!!

Isn’t that actually a brilliant Christmas present

slacker

After two not so specials I was apprehensive  concerning the giggle. It was OK and maybe I'll continue watching.

Jalfrezi

Well, that was bloody awful.  Was hoping for a reinvention with Sci-Fi content, but gremlins, Jabba the Hut, and a musical section was just not my idea of Dr Who.  I also really dislike the uncomfortably "crowbarred" in wokery.  

digitalscream

Jalfrezi said:

Well, that was bloody awful.  Was hoping for a reinvention with Sci-Fi content, but gremlins, Jabba the Hut, and a musical section was just not my idea of Dr Who.  I also really dislike the uncomfortably "crowbarred" in wokery.  

I didn't find it as deeply broken as the Chibnall years, but...you can definitely feel the Disney influence on the writing now that they've bought the rights, and I don't think that's a good thing.

I'll give it a few more tries, particularly since The Master's obviously coming back, which means there's at least a chance that it might get better.

Kinda feel like The Giggle might've been the high point, though.

Rabs

It does not look promising...

Kittyfrisk

Anything with a moustache that isn't a telegraphed, knowing, winking nod in November, is a huge NO. So no thanks 

digitalscream

I think part of what's bugging me is the fact that every Doctor - particularly since the revival - has built upon the character development in the previous regeneration, so there are parts of the previous ones in every instance; even Whitaker's had elements of Capaldi's Doctor in the more serious moments. This one just seems like a whole different character altogether - he's affectionate, he's sentimental and emotional, he's dancing in nightclubs...even the sonic's now a funny-shaped remote control?

I kinda get why they've been calling this a reboot. At least on the basis of this one episode, the only thing remotely related to the previous series is the outside of the TARDIS.

On the other hand, at least one thing makes sense now - the whole gravity/mavity thing was the setup for the goblins directly changing the timeline (although the fact that the Doctor remembered the previous timeline kind of directly contradicts it, but I sort of see what they were attempting to do at least).

theatreanchor

This ended up being on today.  I do not understand this show. 

thumpingrug

I enjoyed it.  

Scary slug monster had the 8-year old in our household very scared - and he wasn't keen on the goblins.  He did like the flying ship and the big crack in the ceiling.

There will clearly be a running story about Rubys' parentage and the reason she was left at the church - and lots of speculation as to who Anitta Dobson was (my guess is she's the master - but if so why didn't DW recognise her ??)

I don't care that there is a lack of continuity between the previous incarnations - it's a TV show - it's entertainment - its not real and therefore not to be taken seriously.  It's a bit of frivolous fun that was by far the best thing on tonight.   I also don't mind about all the wokeyness.  It's a reflection on other TV media and to a degree wider society.  

At least May isn't that far off for the full series, I was concerned they were going to announce it as November.

WezV

I enjoyed it.   

I think Ncuti was great,  the new assistant seems good too and the Tardis is the best design in a while.

I phased out a bit for the musical number, but it's not really out of place in an Xmas special.

Seems the Timeless Child stuff from the Whitaker era has not been written off, but may actually play a significant part of this era.

The mavity stuff is going to become much bigger, as is Dobson's 4th wall breaking neighbour..

EricTheWeary

I enjoyed it a lot. RTD had talked about a reboot, this is a freed up doctor. There was lots of energy, it was Christmassy for a Christmas special, there was humour. Good performance by Michelle Greenidge as the foster mother, I know her more as a comedy actor and she is another of the It’s a Sin alumni that RTD has employed in a supporting role (see also Isaac Newton,etc). Just looking at the Guardian review I think they’ve hit the nail on the head with The Doctor needing charisma, something that pulls the companion toward them and Ncuti delivers this ( much in the way that Jodie Whittaker’s version didn’t). I thought the song and the goblins also had an air of Buffy and that’s no bad thing. 

The Chibnall era often gave us little moral lectures upon which he loosely hung a storyline (Chibnall failing to understand that middle class white men telling us how not to be racist is often a bit cringeworthy). Davies wants inclusivity and I’m perfectly happy that it was representing the diversity of modern London (or Cardiff pretending to be London anyway)the issue of woke hadn’t crossed my mind until I read the grumpy reactions. Perhaps a comedic nod as to why Ruby, raised from a newborn by the Sundays, has a Mancunian accent might have been nice. 

dazzajl

I enjoyed it. RTD’s way of writing Who has always been more of a cheesy romp and it’s no surprise that’s still the recipe. I think we should get a good series 

monquixote

I enjoyed it.

I'm assuming Anita Dobson was the one who picked up the masters tooth and is The Rani.

equalsql

monquixote said:

I enjoyed it.

I'm assuming Anita Dobson was the one who picked up the masters tooth and is The Rani.

Nope, Brian just asked her to nip out and get some teabags, a bit more milk and some sixpence pieces.
Poor chap must be worried sick.