# Doctor Who Series Five: UK pace thread \[edited title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 3, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851 "2010-04-03T21:23:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/221 "2010-04-18T22:54:53Z")
The episode could only have ended with the Daleks coming back and as intrigued as I was by how, when the episode ended, all I could think was “Meh, the Daleks came back”. This should not be, as a child and teenager, nothing thrilled me on TV than the thought of the Daleks returning. Cursed with fatal death it seems, I could easily have gone without them for this new series, or the rest of this Doctor’s tenure. I also pretty sure that by three episodes in, I was pretty much sold on the previous two Doctors. This one, the man himself and the stories he appears in, not so much. I’ll watch the rest of the series, what else is there to do on a Saturday evening? But the quality of writing will have to go way up if I’m to enjoy it too. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/222 "2010-04-18T23:34:48Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > Usually I can see what people liked or didn’t like in an episode even if I disagree, but having watched it again with an eye to critique, I’m even more flummoxed by the reaction here. I liked it too. What amazes me is that the people who don’t like this one, really liked last week’s with the star whale, and I thought that one was very poorly done. It seems I am inverse to the majority, once again. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/223 "2010-04-19T03:30:03Z")
I wouldn’t say it was a _bad_ story overall, though it did come off as being a two-parter that got pushed back and forced into one installment. The color-coded Daleks come off pretty toyetic to me (look for the “Dalek Eternal” action figure on the shelves this summer). Seems to me that they missed a big opportunity to feature Captain Jack in a cameo role. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/224 "2010-04-19T06:57:15Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I understand that the phone call from Churchill isn’t that unusual. The tenth Doctor gave cell phones to his companions. They could call back to relatives on earth whenever they wanted. Somehow the phone made the necessary adjustments in time > I do wonder why the phone call was necessary. I’m pretty sure the Doctor monitors the time vortex. If a major change occurs, then he goes to investigate. My Doctor Who memory is fuzzy, but I seem to recall him saying “something in time changed” as he races off. Obviously, the Dalek’s would have shortened WWII, and there’s no telling what else they had planned. The Doctor should have seen the interference in time before the phone call. It would have been kind of cool if the Doctor answered the phone and said, “Ah, looks like there’s trouble in 1943” before Churchill said anything. It adds to the mystique of the Doctor. But if the TARDIS is always a bit late, maybe the vortex is screwed up too. Perhaps it didn’t show the problem until after the call. ---
**Author:** ![Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walker_in_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/225 "2010-04-19T08:07:34Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The _Doctor Who_ series deserves better than this. The episode felt very rushed. It would have been better as a two part. Maybe then they could have developed the characters better. > > What happened to the preview scene(s)? I didn’t see the Doctor point a gun. Or that dialog he spoke about the Daleks setting a trap for him. Unless I fell asleep, that wasn’t in the show. > > I lost interest when the robot scientist somehow modified the spitfires to fly in space. Yes, he had advanced knowledge, but how did he do it in only a few minutes? He would have needed several days to make modifications. > > This show needs to get better soon. The dialogue about setting a trap wasn’t from this episode it was from the Vampires in Venice story, don’t know where the gun seen appears, but I guess later in the series. I enjoyed the episode on the whole, it was very reminiscent of Power of the Daleks. In fact it had a very similar plot, including a Dalek factory and subsevient Daleks. I agree that there was no way they could get the Spitfires into space that quickly, but then when has Doctor Who bothered about common sense and the laws of physics? I thought Matt Smith found his feet this episode and also saw a few flashes of previous Doctors in his mannerisms and words, particularly Troughton and Tennant. Churchill certainly had too many chins, but was generally well played, IIRC the line about supporting the Devil if Hitler invaded hell may have been a real quote. The Daleks in British Army Green were great, but I wasn’t keen on the redesigned primary colour Daleks. To make it worse they didn’t even clarify which colour was supposed to signify which role except for the Supreme Dalek. Also what is a Dalek eternal supposed to mean? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/226 "2010-04-19T08:46:32Z")
> [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](#): > > …and also saw a few flashes of previous Doctors in his mannerisms and words, particularly Troughton and Tennant. I actually saw a bit of Fifth Doctor Peter Davison in there. ---
**Author:** ![Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walker_in_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/227 "2010-04-19T08:56:37Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I actually saw a bit of Fifth Doctor Peter Davison in there. I think you have a point there, he probably channelled Davidson too. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/228 "2010-04-19T10:35:41Z")
Awesome sauce. So much wrong here. So much. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/229 "2010-04-19T10:36:48Z")
> [@MJinks](#): > > The only interesting parts were the bits that might develop throughout the series; The Doctor always being late and Amy not remembering the Daleks. I am reminded of the Doctor’s comment in “The Next Doctor” about how funny it was that no one in later times remembered anything about a giant Cyberman (sorry, CyberKing) stomping around 19th-century London. It seemed to me at the time that it was a set-up to something that didn’t happen, but maybe it was foreshadowing something in this season? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/230 "2010-04-19T12:54:36Z")
> [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](#): > > I agree that there was no way they could get the Spitfires into space that quickly, but then when has Doctor Who bothered about common sense and the laws of physics? My problem wasn’t with the lack of realism, it was with the lazy writing. All it would have taken was for the android guy to say something like, “Oh, yeah, I’ve had this idea about antigravity, and I’ve actually put together a few prototypes that are sitting in a hangar…” But it’s clear they just didn’t think about it at all. It went from “The Germans are 10 minutes away” to SPITFIRES IN SPAAAACE! without the tiniest bit of effort to make it logical, or at least explain it. Laziness. Again, I think this episode was suffused with Stephen Moffat. Good ideas, very poorly executed. I really liked the episodes he wrote in previous seasons, despite their weaknesses. Now that he’s in charge, it seems like the weaknesses are getting more prominent, which is worrisome. ---
**Author:** ![Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walker_in_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/231 "2010-04-19T13:20:03Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > My problem wasn’t with the lack of realism, it was with the lazy writing. All it would have taken was for the android guy to say something like, “Oh, yeah, I’ve had this idea about antigravity, and I’ve actually put together a few prototypes that are sitting in a hangar…” But it’s clear they just didn’t think about it at all. It went from “The Germans are 10 minutes away” to SPITFIRES IN SPAAAACE! without the tiniest bit of effort to make it logical, or at least explain it. Laziness. > > Again, I think this episode was suffused with Stephen Moffat. Good ideas, very poorly executed. I really liked the episodes he wrote in previous seasons, despite their weaknesses. Now that he’s in charge, it seems like the weaknesses are getting more prominent, which is worrisome. You do have a point, I hope this is not indicative of the way the rest of the series is headed. I would hate to see my favourite programme consigned to BBC limbo for another 20 years. Viewing figures for this episode were a little over 6 million, which is respectable, but poor compared to soaps and the DT Christmas specials. Hopefully it will be enough to prevent cancellation. The [Guardian](http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2010/apr/17/doctor-who-series-31-episode-three) was fairly positive about the new Daleks, while the [Sun](http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2937261/Redesigned-Daleks-look-like-toys-say-angry-Doctor-Who-fans.html)was not. [QUOTE=Guardian] Once again, the emergence of the new, pimp-my-Daleks from the progenitor fully restored the menace they had way back in series one (or series 27, or whatever). And tellingly, that was the one last part of Who-lore that the new team had yet to tweak. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=The Sun] ANGRY Doctor Who fans claim a shock redesign has turned Daleks from cold, menacing metallic killers into brightly coloured TELETUBBIES. Read more: [News, sport, celebrities and gossip | The Sun](http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2937261/Redesigned-Daleks-look-like-toys-say-angry-Doctor-Who-fans.html#ixzz0lYHHXY00) [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walker_in_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/232 "2010-04-19T13:47:27Z")
This [blog](http://www.radiotimes.com/blogs/925-doctor-who-victory-of-the-daleks-episode-three/) on the Radio Times website is almost universally negative on the subject of the theme music, the new TARDIS (which I quite like) and the new Daleks. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/233 "2010-04-19T13:56:24Z")
The new theme music sounds a bit muzaked to me. Elevator Who theme. It’s not awful, but it mostly sounds toned down. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/234 "2010-04-19T14:44:19Z")
I quite like brightly coloured Daleks. Am unsure about the redesigned bodywork, though - it makes them look like the unholy offspring of a Renault Megane and a wheelie bin. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/235 "2010-04-19T14:55:28Z")
Hated this week’s episode. The height of suckitude was the whole making him believe he’s human to disarm the bomb. Anyone else think there was a subtext in that “Ever fancied someone you shouldn’t” line? Especially with the significant glance at the Doctor straight after. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/236 "2010-04-19T15:09:29Z")
Was it even subtext? Everyone in town was familiar with her stories of the mysterious Doctor who visited her as a child. It was verging on creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/237 "2010-04-19T16:08:43Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > Hated this week’s episode. The height of suckitude was the whole making him believe he’s human to disarm the bomb. Oh, yeah, I forgot about that part. That was stupid too. Weird how divided opinion is on this one. [Den of Geek](http://www.denofgeek.com/television/465918/doctor_who_series_5_episode_3_victory_of_the_daleks_review.html) liked it, but then they like pretty much everything, and when they dare to slightly dislike something, they apologize profusely and generally blame themselves for not getting it. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/238 "2010-04-19T17:01:47Z")
I just posted a US pace thread over [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=560224). ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/239 "2010-04-19T19:05:42Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > Anyone else think there was a subtext in that “Ever fancied someone you shouldn’t” line? Especially with the significant glance at the Doctor straight after. Didn’t detect any subtext myself, but I did find myself thinking that, had RTD written this episode, his crush would have been “Don” instead of “Donnabella”. ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/240 "2010-04-19T21:25:33Z")
> [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](#): > > Churchill certainly had too many chins, but was generally well played, IIRC the line about supporting the Devil if Hitler invaded hell may have been a real quote. It was, as was “KBO: keep buggering on”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851.md?page=13)