# 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:** 33
**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:** [June 7, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/641 "2010-06-07T20:34:41Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > It SEEMS that even the Van Gogh episode showed it. He seemed to very much expect to fail to keep Vincent alive. And then, after taking him to see what the future thinks of him (one of the most moving moments in TV history IMO) he knew it wasn’t going to work. Amy had all sorts of hope, but I really think the Doctor is starting to get depressed by his own impotence. > > -Joe IMO, Van Gogh’s suicide is a ‘fixed point’ in spacetime and the Doctor knew from the start that he wasn’t going to be able to keep him alive. He just didn’t have the heart to tell Amy. ---
**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:** [June 7, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/642 "2010-06-07T20:43:44Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Only three people have admitted to crying? Well, I’ll make it four. . Number five here. I snuffled a bit at _Starry Night_ and lost it completely as Vincent listened to the tour guide and realised that all the pain wasn’t for nothing. Oh, and speaking of _Starry Night_, I’m really, _really_ glad that they didn’t use that bloody awful song! ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/643 "2010-06-07T22:32:34Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I was disappointed by that, actually. I thought they’d be a little more subtle and use a phrase like ‘Pour mon Amie’ - ‘For my Amy’ or ‘For my friend’. I thought the Tardis granted the Doctor and his companions the ability to understand and be understood in any language. Does that apply to reading in any language as well? ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/644 "2010-06-07T22:40:49Z")
> [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](#): > > IMO, Van Gogh’s suicide is a ‘fixed point’ in spacetime and the Doctor knew from the start that he wasn’t going to be able to keep him alive. He just didn’t have the heart to tell Amy. Nope. If that was the case there wouldn’t have been an urgent need to go back and save him. He could have just said, “He’ll be fine”. Even after going back, were Van Gogh a fixed point in time and space, he wouldn’t have been at all concerned about him dying. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/645 "2010-06-07T22:42:31Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I thought the Tardis granted the Doctor and his companions the ability to understand and be understood in any language. Does that apply to reading in any language as well? Yes. In the episode “The Impossible Planet” from series 2, The Doctor knows something is wrong when he can’t read the symbols written on the walls of the base station. ---
**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:** [June 7, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/646 "2010-06-07T22:43:51Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Nope. If that was the case there wouldn’t have been an urgent need to go back and save him. He could have just said, “He’ll be fine”. Even after going back, were Van Gogh a fixed point in time and space, he wouldn’t have been at all concerned about him dying. > > -Joe _Did_ they go back to save Vincent? I thought it was just the Doctor’s curiosity about the ‘not very nice’ face at the window. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/647 "2010-06-07T22:53:57Z")
Do they really call him Vincent Van Go **th** in British English? Good episode, but that name thing really distracted me. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/648 "2010-06-07T23:02:41Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Do they really call him Vincent Van Go **th** in British English? Good episode, but that name thing really distracted me. I thought they were pronouncing it as Van Go **ff**. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/649 "2010-06-07T23:20:51Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I thought they were pronouncing it as Van Go **ff**. They were, with the Egghead Tour Guide pronouncing it as “Van Gock”, which is the third pronunciation I’ve heard. As for The Doctor going back to “save” VVG, I think it’s clear he was. It wasn’t curiosity, it was “Oh shit, gotta go NOW!”. Then, when back there, he was quite clearly concerned for VVG’s survival. Oh, and good news for Torchwood fans. > **[Breaking News - Starz Fired Up for a New Series of the BBC's Hit Franchise...](http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2010/06/07/starz-fired-up-for-a-new-series-of-the-bbcs-hit-franchise-torchwood/20100607starz01/)** > > Starz Fired Up for a New Series of the BBC's Hit Franchise 'Torchwood' -Joe ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/650 "2010-06-07T23:40:52Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > They were, with the Egghead Tour Guide pronouncing it as “Van Gock”, which is the third pronunciation I’ve heard. I heard a great definition of a snob as one who pronounces van Gogh “as if he had a Brillo pad caught in in his throat”. ---
**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:** [June 8, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/651 "2010-06-08T01:28:03Z")
Bill Nighy’s pronunciation is closest to being right, because it’s a [Dutch name](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLTQv8RH1TE): “Van Gchoch.” But the British pronunciation is the generally accepted version. The US pronunciation isn’t even close to right, and should be banished. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/652 "2010-06-08T02:02:03Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Do they really call him Vincent Van Go **th** in British English? Good episode, but that name thing really distracted me. Van Goff. Neither Van Goff or the American Van Goe is correct. I’d argue that Van Goff is a lot closer than Van Goe, though. It’s supposed to be something like “Van hockkkkk” where the ckkkkk sounds like you’re about to spit… ---
**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:** [June 8, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/653 "2010-06-08T02:46:50Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Bill Nighy’s pronunciation is closest to being right, because it’s a [Dutch name](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLTQv8RH1TE): “Van Gchoch.” But the British pronunciation is the generally accepted version. > > The US pronunciation isn’t even close to right, and should be banished. I do wonder why we ever pronounced it with a [g]. but I do get both ending sounds. It’s the difference between what happened to cough and bough. In one the ending sound completely disappeared, in the other, it got moved more forward in the mouth. Also Wiki says that, in the artist’s dialect, it probably would have been pronounced [ˈʝɔç], quite similar to, of all things, the English name Josh. (although the sh is the German ch in ich) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/654 "2010-06-12T13:52:48Z")
Vincent Van Gogh was a fun episode. I thought they did a good job handling his mental illness. They didn’t insult the real man by ignoring it. But, they also remembered the kids watching. Nice touch with the monster. A personification of the mental demons that tormented Vincent. I loved the Doctor’s reaction when Vincent first attacked the monster. The Doctor thought he was hallucinating. I don’t recall the Doctor dealing with a disturbed individual before. Certainly not at this fragile an emotional level. Matt did a good job conveying the Doctor’s kindness and concern for Vincent. It seemed apparent that the Doctor knew there was little he could do to help the man… The lack of budget was very apparent in the limited CGI. I was disappointed we didn’t a better battle scene with the monster. Especially when Vincent stabs it. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/655 "2010-06-12T17:03:55Z")
I’m not sure what to expect from tonight’s episode. I’m cautiously optimistic purely on the basis that I’d like to have seen what the Doctor got up to while stranded in the 1960’s during _Blink_. Sitting on the couch, bored, eating beans on toast… ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/656 "2010-06-12T18:33:54Z")
Well, that was an episode of Doctor Who. Mostly harmless, and good natured. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/657 "2010-06-12T18:35:31Z")
…that was awesome. Any predictions on next week? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/658 "2010-06-12T18:53:26Z")
I think at this point I’d be quite happy watching Matt Smith pottering about the Tardis for 45 minutes, perhaps polishing some of the controls, making Amy a spot of lunch, or having a chat with a passing cat. He really is the Doctor that has lived in my head since about 1973. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/659 "2010-06-12T22:26:11Z")
Who is this: [![](https://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j302/paulsamfreya/picture.jpg) ](https://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j302/paulsamfreya/picture.jpg) Stolen from somebody elses account. It looks like Nick Cave, I guess. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851/660 "2010-06-13T01:18:45Z")
Looks like [Andy de la Tour](http://www.filmdope.com/Gallery/Actorsd/39090.gif) to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851.md?page=32) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-series-five-uk-pace-thread-edited-title/534851.md?page=34)