Just watched the above episode of the new series. Not as good as previous efforts.
The scripting was not up to the standards of previous episodes, with far too much time spent with Rose’s fafmily and friends. This seemed more like a soap than a sci-fi series, like Eastenders (shudder) but with special effects.
There were a few good touches like having Andrew Marr reporting the PM’s disappearance, and references to UNIT and the Doctor having looked different “in the old days”.
Unfortunately it then degenerated into farce with the appearance of farting aliens, it seemed more like the comic relief effort from a few years ago. All in all the whole episode seemd to be played for laughs. Still better than most of the crap on British telly though.
The effects were cheesier this week, especially the spaceship crash and the alien modified pig.
Some good news, it was announced in Saturdays Times that the bloke from Cassanova is going to take over from Eccleston at the end of this season, a christmas special and new 13 part series are confirmed.
It’s a shame you missed it, while I was bashing this episode a little, it’s only because it falls below the high standards of the rest of the current series. Also it’s the first of the new series to end on a cliffhanger as it is a two parter. Another homage to the old days.
I quite liked it (and rather more importantly my kids liked it - they found it funny. Don’t forget it IS a kids programme!)
The farting was a bit silly, but I thought that as the first person who we saw farting was a boorish, northern, deputy PM, that they were having a bit of fun with Prescott.
It could get better now the monsters are out of the closet.
I was hoping it’d be a race of aliens that we’d know already, like Sontarans or something, but I guess none of the clues were really pointing to that anyway…
I wonder why this one was taken in such a cheesy direction when the others have been so careful about being of such impressive quality.
Actually, I think it was monitoring calls to the alien hotline.
I liked the ep, even though the transformation when the aliens took off their human costumes was a bit too cheesy, even for Dr Who. It felt like something from the Tom Baker era, not 2005.
Agreed. I was almost expecting a dodgy looking robot under the suit, but instead we got fat farting aliens. Not that the Tom Baker era was bad, he was my favourite Doctor, but he was just let down by poor effects due to low budgets.
I hope things will improve in the second part and the gags will be dropped. I much prefer the wit of the first three episodes, not the slapstick of this one.
As I watched, I was thinking: Wow, the Earth’s being invaded by fat, flatulent aliens? That’s … original.
Slapstick, yes, but after a little I actually started to find the very grotesquerie to be slightly chilling. The aliens seem to be practical jokers – nasty practical jokers.
The segments with Rose’s family worked for me. I kind of like the reminder that she’s someone who, while she’s chosen to go off with the Doctor, nevertheless isn’t prepared to just throw away the rest of her life. The people she’s left behind still matter. Most other companions in the past really haven’t seemed to care that they’ve just been cut-off from everything they’ve known.
It would be good if they actually left earth at some point though and went to visit other worlds. As long as they don’t all look like a quarry like in the original series.
I’m hoping that the current storyline will give Rose the opportunity to tell her family that she’s going off to explore the universe and not to worry. Otherwise we will be subjected to continual family visits. In the past the Doctor has not taken companions to visit relatives, I for one hope this trend does not continue.
