Doctor Who

[Cop]

I'm with Chris on this one, it was a poor episode, but like I said comparing to previous series it should be good. The episode was weak but that's because writers want to build up the relationship between Donna and The Doctor. (I would rather just have him blowing things up... none of that soppy nonsense)

I didn't like the cutie little fat things... I was expecting a Gremlins parody where they turn nasty.

I was also disappointed that they killed off Sarah Lancashire's character, she was good... although the plot was a recycled version of Torchwood in the Dooms Day episode at the end of series two.

I noticed the writers shoe-horned a few things into the script, probably setting the foundations to future story lines, like the "disappearing bees" line.

I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt, because they had to fill plot holes... us blokes have also lost our eye candy too

 

[Strawbs]

Not the Daleks again. They're becoming as overused as the sonic screwdriver. It would be good to have a series without them, to be honest. Just to stop it being predictable.

 

[Cop]

Not the Daleks again. They're becoming as overused as the sonic screwdriver. It would be good to have a series without them, to be honest. Just to stop it being predictable.

I was talking to Finchy about the Daleks... they are my favourite "Who" baddies.

I would like to see a Torchwood episode where the Daleks attack Earth, killing innocent people, women and children with blood and gore... actually show how coldhearted they really are. I think that would be terrifying.

One of my favourite Doctor Who episodes is when The Cybermen returned with Roger Lloydd-Pack (Trigger from Only Fools...). It was a parody of The Holocaust, very well written, and very scary (as my little sister can vouch for)

I also like episodes when The Doctor is not the main character. When Peter Kay cameoed - I thought was a good one, I also liked Blink - the one with a Statues... In fact, I think The Doctor annoys me... yes I think he does.

Oh and Yes, I think the sonic screwdriver is pretty annoying too

 

[Strawbs]

No I like the Daleks but they didn't appear every year in the classic series, so when they did come back in was more of a surprise. So far they've been in every series and it's become a bit too throwaway to have them. I'd like to see a new enemy that's genuinely quite scary. Like the Family of Blood or weeping statues.

One of my favourite Doctor Who episodes is when The Cybermen returned with Roger Lloydd-Pack (Trigger from Only Fools...). It was a parody of The Holocaust, very well written, and very scary (as my little sister can vouch for)

Cyberspamalot

 

[Joanna]

Yeah, Chris, definitely some good points. I do hold to what I said about enjoying the episode, and still think (without actually, er, thinking about it too deeply), the way Donna and the Doctor came into contact with each other again worked well, but you're right that the episode could of been so much more.

The plot wouldn't, imo, stand up to much scrutiny, and I didn't think too much of how the Adipose creatures were brought to life either. They definitely didn't have the 'cute' factor for me.

Blink is also one of my personal favourites, and this episode can't be said to match up to that. This story was nothing particularly original and some of it veered slightly too much into kids TV territory, being quite simplistic. At times it felt a bit more like something you'd get in Sarah Jane Adventures. For instance, when they had Miss Foster proclaiming to the Adipose, as they were beamed into their spacecraft, that they were going home, her speech was incredibly, er, 'basic'.

I think the acting was a good part of why I did enjoy the episode. As I've said, Sarah Lancashire was amazing. Bernard Cribbins was equally as good. However, ironically, it's been Catherine Tate's, for me, quite variable acting in DW so far that's been the reason I'm not engaging too strongly with Donna. I suppose that that could easily change, though. Just have to see as the series goes on.

I think another factor for me could be that there is so much total and utter drivel broadcast on TV these days, that when I watch something that doesn't fall into that category, it's a certain plus!

Anyway, even though this episode wasn't exactly of the most challenging and satisfying kind, it did pass the time well for me and I'm looking forward to episode 2....

 

[Strawbs]

 

[Chris Finch]

Yes I agree that Bernard Cribbins was great but he hardly had anything to do!! He should have become more involved in the story...perhaps he will do further down the line.

The meeting of Donna and the Doctor was a little tenuous in terms of believabilty...I didn't buy it. Also a great chilling moment could have been had when Sarah Lancs was watching them mouthing through the glass. I think she said something like "are we interrupting you". It was played for laughs when it could have been a good sci-fi dramatic moment. Tates stooopid faces didn't help things either. Perhaps funny in a sitcom but this is not that.

I agree also that Blink was an excellent ep, genuinely scary and original. I also really liked the ep where the Dr travelled back in time through the mirror to visit the girl. A great cast, a great story and no stupid CGI aliens.

I have a friend who is a big Dr. Who fan and has been for many years. He has given up on the newer series because he feels the character, stories and tone are so far removed from what Dr. Who used to be and still should be. I have sat through a couple with him and he gets annoyed because he finds it so laughable, cliched and cringeworthy. Its a shame as he has missed the handful of eps that he might have quite liked. It's a bit sad when loyal lifelong fans abandon something they used to love so much. I guess you can't please everyone all of the time. My friend would hate that comment because it's a cliche!!

 

[Joanna]

One of my favourite Doctor Who episodes is when The Cybermen returned with Roger Lloydd-Pack (Trigger from Only Fools...). It was a parody of The Holocaust, very well written, and very scary (as my little sister can vouch for)

Ooh, yeah. When the Doctor and Mrs Moore were in that dark tunnel of (initally!) deactivated Cybermen...Man, that was creepy!

 

[razo]

I also like episodes when The Doctor is not the main character. When Peter Kay cameoed - I thought was a good one.

I agree with that but thought the Peter Kay episode was poor- maybe thats just because of my hatred for him though.

 

[razo]

I hope they are not going to be sad enough to incorprate an 'Am I bovvered' line into Dr Who.

 

[Cop]

I agree with that but thought the Peter Kay episode was poor- maybe thats just because of my hatred for him though.

I liked it, OK Peter Kay as a green monster at the end was a bit daft, but I liked how Kay was playing a character rather than a token Northern guy.

Also I prefer episodes where The Doctor, the Tardis and other "Who stuff" is an enigma, and I thought it was well written episode, a bit goofy at times, but enjoyable.

 

[LovelyLaura]

I think Love and Monsters has it's good and bad points. I loved Marc Warren in it (I can't listen to Mr Blue Sky anymore without thinking of this episode!) and I also loved Shirley Henderson. But I hated Peter Kay, and I'm usually a fan. I just didn't think he was very good in this. I think the episode was an interesting experiment though, but one I'm not sure entirely worked.

Laura xx

 

[Joanna]

Just been reading Jim Shelley's latest TV Dinners..."How to make...Doctor Who"...from the Guardian's g2 supplement. Too much to type all his points, but thought these were 'worth' a mention...

+ Whip up some publicity about Doctor Who being served at tea-time. Make the first helping frothy and saccharine enough to guarantee parents let their kids partake of the forthcoming portions, "the ones that will give them nightmares."

+ To complement the Doctor, unwrap a nice, wholesome Donna. Do not bother to prepare a reason that explains what on earth would possess him him to travel through time with a dull, suburban nag who keeps breaking into characters from The Catherine Tate Show.

+ Rustle up a storyline on the back of an envelope, using a traditional mix of the dangers of fascism and strong, scary women who resemble Anne Robinson. Chuck in a dozen chase scenes and several explosions scattered with postmodern jokes for any grown-ups. Top it off with a dollop of sentiment based around love, loneliness and Bernard Cribbins.

+ Enjoy enormously while pining for the Daleks.

So he enjoys DW but also doesn't enjoy it...all at the same time!

 

[Strawbs]

I missed the first episode again. Nevermind.

 

[Strawbs]

Second episode...very enjoyable I thought. A bit silly here and there but otherwise a fine episode.

The stoney soothsayer was genuinely very creepy and possibly the first thing I've seen in New Who that matches the creep out factor of the squigley cyclops character of 30 years ago, which freaked the bejesus out me when I saw it as a kid. Brilliant!

 

[Chris Finch]

Not seen it yet but watching it tonight. Believe me if it isn't an improvement on last week the Finchy critical sledgehammer will be brought down with more force than a pyroclastic blast from Vesuvius!! BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMM!

 

[LovelyLaura]

Hahaha, I did enjoy episode 1, but I think episode 2 is even better so I'm sure you will like it....I hope so anyway, we don't want any critical sledgehammer incidents!

I thought it was a great episode and surprisingly rather emotional too. I must admit that I was a bit teary-eyed by the end, and I really didn't expect that to happen so early on in the series!

I thought Donna was especially great in this ep...she really has been a surprisingly good addition to the Tardis this series, and we're only on episode 2 lol!

Laura xx

 

[FrankButlar]

I'd say overall the show is great, two thumbs up. It just has an episode here and there where the quality is obviously not there. Much like any other great show, they have the odd filler episode with totally unrelated plots or details that you probably wouldn't have missed if they never aired them.

 

[Chris Finch]

Well that was a vast improvement on last weeks! Good script, inventive story, good acting and character development, good effects and sets.

I'm glad they took the production to the Cinecitta studios in Rome which gave the show excellent production values. I am also glad that the slapstick element was pretty much non-existent and there was only limited sonic screwing.

All in all an excellent episode...keep up the good work!

 

[curtinparloe]

And Phil Cornwell... nice one!