Yeah, I don’t know that I would ever characterize Doctor Who or British sci-fi (Hitchhikers Guide, Red Dwarf, etc) as “exciting” in the same way American sci fi is. I feel like instead of telling the story about Luke Skywalker, British sci fi would focus more on Moff Jerjerrod “redoubling his efforts” to get the Death Star II working after his awkward status update to Darth Vader.
I really enjoyed the third series of Torchwood, the one called Children of Earth, so perhaps it’s a good thing that Russell T Davies is returning?
I thought Whittaker did a fine job with the material she had. She maintained the Doctor’s scatterbrained enthusiasm, ability to take charge in a room full of chaos, and loyal protection of her companions from her dark history. I just hope some blowhard executive won’t conclude the reason for the ratings dip is because the world isn’t ready for a female Doctor. IT WAS THE WRITING YOU PUTZ!
You jest, but there was an episode of UFO that had Straker arguing budgets with Gen. Henderson.
I actually liked that one, oddly.
Doctor Who became boring several seasons ago.
I’m convinced they’ve run out of fresh ideas. What’s left for the Doctor? You can create a new evil alien that threatens earth. How many times has that already been done? The Doctor can travel in time and face danger. That’s been done dozens and dozens of times.
The original series eventually ran its course and ended. They had to wait 15 years and find a new audience.
I think this run of Doctor Who is just about over. It’ll probably get rebooted in another ten years.
Hopefully they’ll find another brilliant writer like Russell T Davies for the next reboot.
Russell T Davies is taking over as the next showrunner, so there is some legit hope of massive improvement once he does.
To what extent is Dr Who meant to taken seriously? How much is it just light fun, the modern equivalent of the old Saturday movie serials for kids?
And plot holes that are bigger on the inside.
Half-jest. I was specifically thinking about Arthur Dent from Hitchhikers or the crew of Red Dwarf. There is something very funny (and very British) about ordinary humans getting swept up in what should be an amazing interstellar adventure but end up stuck in a queue to renew the permit for their hyperdrive or whatever.
In fact, some of my least favorite Who moments is when The Doctor is treated like some kind of avenging all powerful god or something with his “I AM THE DOCTOR!!” nonsense. Just once I’d like to see him/her do that and get the Star Lord treatment (“…who?!”)
In contrast, I think some of the best Who moments are when people call out the Doctor on his/her pretentious, self-righteous bullshit. For example:
- Veteran Mr Pink telling the Doctor he sounds like every elitist officer he’s served under.
- His genetically engineered soldier “daughter” pointing out that in spite of the Doctor’s pacifist BS, he sounds a general strategizing and whatnot and how he uses his sonic screwdriver as a weapon.
- Captain Harkness asking “who looks at a screwdriver and asks ‘can this be more sonic’”?
- Rory exclaiming “But he’s a TIME LORD!”, only to be quickly rebuked by Amy Pond “That’s just what they are called!” (implying he can’t actually see the future).
- The old Tom Baker episode where he came back to some planet centuries later to find that he had accidently set himself up as a god of sorts.
Basically little hints that the Doctor isn’t this all-powerful time god that can basically just crush empires on a whim. He’s just this guy (girl) who stole a time machine and he’s really smart and likes to help people and frequently lands himself in these situations where he can.
Within limits of course. Otherwise every episode would be “shit here is fucked up. Let me back the TARDIS to 3 hours ago so it goes down differently.”
You’ve maybe given me a deeper understanding of why the Third Doctor was my favorite.
I just left Brussels, where I could see the BBC: in Berlin I can’t. So the Doctor, whether I like them or not, is over for me. But I did not really enjoy the last episodes, I guess the accent was too much for me (it’s frustrating for an interpreter not to understand up to 20% of the dialogue, it hurts my professional pride), and the plot was weirdly overcomplicated. Ah, well…
I liked Capaldi usually, and Matt Smith mostly, but most of all I liked Louise Coleman’s neoteny. Can’t tell you how disappointed I was when I saw her in other roles: she can’t act at all! She played herself (or was it the only role she could play?) in the Doctor, that was fitting. Other companions (Rory and Ami Pond, for instance) I liked too.
Well, it’s difficult to explain. It’s had awesome, mind blowing moments that hook you in for more, and it’s been laughably terrible, but still entertaining in its badness. It has plenty of kid appeal and pseudo-scientific intrigue for nerds. Some people may dig it and not take it seriously at all, while others take it at blood oath-level seriousness. So, the answer is “it depends.”
In other words, pretty much like Star Trek.
Sarah in this last episode.
I was amused by the Dalek exchange:
Sarah: It’s a robot.
Doctor and friends: It’s a Dalek!
Sarah: Okay, it’s a robot with a stupid name.
What really sells it is how we’d seen her likewise shut down her mother’s attempts at bickering.
“I met your father on New Year’s Eve.”
“You did not.”
“January 9th, same thing.”
“…it’s literally not the same thing.”
This reminds me of one small thing I’d like to see. A new person, first visiting the TARDIS, who says, “Hm, it’s smaller on the outside.”
There’s got to be at least one other person out there whose brain works like mine, right?
Ah, a Christmas episode, that’s why I missed it. They’re actually hard to find here in Canada. I’ve missed more than I’ve seen, I’m pretty sure.
New on Doctor Who! A space alien that means Certain death! An unwinnable situation! A Mystery! A speech!
I overlook a LOT in the name of suspension of disbelief but after hundreds of episodes, to have it be one of the same 5 existential threats and have The Doctor miraculously win the day…again…it’s what happened to Star Trek TNG, and that property needed to take a break…although I’m not 100% happy with them turning a couple of series into the structure to support an entire streaming service.
Oh boy. BBC+Streaming, all Dr Who, all the time, forever. We’re gonna need more Cybermen.