# The Doctor and the Pond **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2008, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911 "2008-02-09T06:59:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/1 "2008-02-09T06:59:04Z")
You know, all these years have gone by and I never once concidered what it may be like for our friends across the pond. I never thought that, despite witty shows like “The East Enders”, of which I’ve liked and my father is a fan of and “Are You Being Served” which is, frankly, hysterical, that I may really have no problem with Tv and the difference between what we produce in the US and what comes out of the UK. For so long I’ve known things had to wait so very long before they crossed. But now … damn. I want new Doctor Who and I can’t get it. I’m bloody desperite. I suppose it works out well for us all in the end. But _Damn!!!_ I want my who! And no spoilers! DAMMIT!!! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/2 "2008-02-09T07:58:00Z")
The new season hasn’t begun airing yet (except the Christmas special, of course) so there’s nothing more than that yet. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/3 "2008-02-09T08:01:24Z")
And season 3 is currently on constantly on BBC America… ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/4 "2008-02-09T09:04:50Z")
You could always tide yourself over with Torchwood (season 2 at the moment), which is on BBC America as well. Amazingly, the second season does not suck as much as the first one did. ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/5 "2008-02-09T09:15:25Z")
MRS. SLOCOMBE: [on the phone] Hello, is that Mr. Akbar? Mrs. Slocombe here, your next door neighbour. I wonder - would you do me a little favour? Would you go to my front door, bend down, look through the letter box… and if you can see my pussy, would you drop a sardine on the mat? ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/6 "2008-02-09T11:58:14Z")
[QUOTE=Gorgon Heap] For so long I’ve known things had to wait so very long before they crossed. [/QUOTE] Viewers with satellite access weren’t treated to the dénouement of _The Sopranos_ until 3 months ago. Those restricted to terrestrial TV have just started watching Series 6 Part 2. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/7 "2008-02-09T13:55:13Z")
[QUOTE=Einmon] You could always tide yourself over with Torchwood (season 2 at the moment), which is on BBC America as well. Amazingly, the second season does not suck as much as the first one did. [/QUOTE] Agreed. But with my intense hatred of Season 1, it wasn’t all that hard, in my opinion, to improve upon it. Doctor Who Season 4 and Sarah Jane Season 1 come to Sci Fi in April. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/8 "2008-02-09T15:05:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Doctor Who Season 4 and Sarah Jane Season 1 come to Sci Fi in April. Oh, really? That’s welcome news! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/9 "2008-02-09T15:36:30Z")
[QUOTE=Gorgon Heap] You know, all these years have gone by and I never once concidered what it may be like for our friends across the pond. I never thought that, despite witty shows like “The East Enders”, of which I’ve liked and my father is a fan of and “Are You Being Served” which is, frankly, hysterical, that I may really have no problem with Tv and the difference between what we produce in the US and what comes out of the UK. [/QUOTE] When you get a chance, look for the UK comedy [Coupling](http://imdb.com/title/tt0237123/), it is the best sitcom I have seen in decades. If you see any reviews that say it is similar to Friends ignore them. The similarities are really minor and only a lazy reviewer would compare the two beyond the surface. It is an exceptionally funny and clever show. I like it better than Fawlty Towers and the Young Ones for Britcoms. I like it almost as much as Taxi & WKRP or Monty Python. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/10 "2008-02-09T20:18:41Z")
I’ve heard of it. I’ll try to remember. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/11 "2008-02-09T21:14:52Z")
I second the recommendation of Coupling and also recommend Father Ted and Black Books. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/12 "2008-02-09T21:28:19Z")
Father Ted is an awesome show. It just kills me. Another great comedy to check out is **Spaced**. If you liked John Simm as the Master in S3 of Doctor Who, then you should check him out on **Life on Mars**. Also, the person responsible for **Coupling** , and for some of the strongest episodes of the new Who, Stephen Moffat, did a show called **Jekyll**. A friend of mine gave me the DVDs for Christmas, and it’s really clever. Somewhere along the way, 90% of my television viewing became British shows. I’m not sure how that happened. ---
**Author:** ![shamrock227](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shamrock227](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shamrock227)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/13 "2008-02-09T23:02:20Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn] I second the recommendation of Coupling and also recommend Father Ted and Black Books. [/QUOTE] I second _Black Books_. Great show. > [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > Somewhere along the way, 90% of my television viewing became British shows. I’m not sure how that happened. Because for the most part the British shows we get are better than the almost total crap that is American TV. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/14 "2008-02-09T23:51:20Z")
Just like how the American shows we get are better than the average show over here. You only get to see the best of British TV (and _Keeping Up Appearances_, apparently), while we get to see maybe a bit more of your TV, but mostly the good stuff. Some of it doesn’t translate, though - _Everybody Loves Raymond_, for example, died on its arse over here. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/15 "2008-02-12T06:35:38Z")
[QUOTE=ArizonaTeach] Agreed. But with my intense hatred of Season 1, it wasn’t all that hard, in my opinion, to improve upon it. Doctor Who Season 4 and Sarah Jane Season 1 come to Sci Fi in April. [/QUOTE] “Sarah Jane”? I haven’t heard of this. What’s the deal? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/16 "2008-02-12T13:35:57Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] Some of it doesn’t translate, though - _Everybody Loves Raymond_, for example, died on its arse over here. [/QUOTE] For good reason, it was a nearly generic sitcom with nothing particularly witty or unique. It was an okay sitcom, but it seems like an odd choice to export. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/17 "2008-02-12T13:42:09Z")
[QUOTE=Oslo Ostragoth] “Sarah Jane”? I haven’t heard of this. What’s the deal? [/QUOTE] The Sarah Jane Adventures - Former companion Sarah Jane got her own show (which has just been renewed for Season 2). It’s definitely on the other side of the spectrum of Torchwood - it’s more of a children’s show, much closer to old-school Doctor Who. Sarah Jane and a couple of plucky teenagers ™ fight the baddies. The Slitheen make an appearance. It’s actually quite good. K-9 makes a couple of surprise appearances too. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-doctor-and-the-pond/436911/18 "2008-02-12T17:34:49Z")
I agree. I was highly skeptical of _The Sarah Jane Adventures_, especially since _Torchwood_ didn’t make me long for further expansion of the franchise (I’d rather they make more _Doctor Who_). They definitely have some kinks to work out, and the basic premise leaves me scratching my head, but the last couple of episodes showed the real potential of the series. Quite good. And the most recent episode of _Torchwood_ (“Meat”) gives me hope for that show, too. It looks like they might actually explore the characters, instead of using them as props for random angst and un-thought-out couplings. I would have been really disappointed if they’d killed off Rhys. Majorly pissed off. But they’re actually going to deal with the repercussions of letting him on the team. I loved Gwen’s scene where she refused to retcon him. Possibly the most believable speech of the show from a previously bland actress. It looks like Rhys gets another shot of the action next week, too! He’s easily my favorite character. I’m glad he’s excited by what Gwen does, and not turning out to be another “tin dog.”