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Daleks Return to Dr Who

Posted by Zonk on from the killllll-the-doktoooooorrrr dept.

Jim Hall writes "An article on the BBC says that a Dalek will return to Dr Who, in an episode titled simply 'Dalek'. The Doctor discovers that a Dalek has been collected by an unsuspecting billionaire. Many of the perceived weaknesses of the Daleks have been addressed: Stairs have not been a problem for Daleks since 1988, when they first levitated towards Sylvester McCoy in Remembrance of the Daleks. The new Dalek can also spin its torso independently of his head, so creeping up from behind is no longer an option. Its trademark 'sink plunger' attachment also reveals a terrifying new function. 'Dalek' is on BBC-1 on Saturday, 30 April."

84 of 339 comments (clear)

  1. Sink plunger? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    > Its trademark 'sink plunger' attachment also reveals a
    > terrifying new function.

    Is it just me or does that sound terrifyingly sexual?

    1. Re:Sink plunger? by LewsTherinKinslayer · · Score: 2

      Is it just me or does that sound terrifyingly sexual?

      You mean like this?

      WARNING: Not safe for work. lol.

    2. Re:Sink plunger? by LewsTherinKinslayer · · Score: 5, Funny

      Damnit, I screwed up the URL. lol.

      I meant this!

      WARNING: still not safe for work. ;)

    3. Re:Sink plunger? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      google for 'gay daleks'...

    4. Re:Sink plunger? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
      From TFA:
      "You would be amazed at the number of people who wanted to get inside the Dalek," says Edwards

      For Christ's sake, this is supposed to be a family show, not alt.sex.daleks
    5. Re:Sink plunger? by bechthros · · Score: 4, Insightful

      a) the fact that the picture has been published without the publisher being sued into oblivion shows clearly that the woman in the picture was perfectly content to pose for, and profit from, it's publication

      b) most male geeks don't get laid because we're not good looking. never forget SNL's three rules for getting dates: be handsome. be attractive. don't be unattractive. BTW a lot of female geeks don't get laid either.

      c) women are superior to men in some ways, men are superior to women in others, and neither could survive without the other. anybody who tells you all of one group is always superior to all of another group, especially when dealing with groups as large as all men and all women, is either very very dangerous or selling something.

      d) you have a massive male-guilt complex and I don't envy you it, assuming you're even a man, which i somehow doubt from your SCUM manifesto-ish tone

      e) the people who would really disempower women (in other words, dangerous fascists like you) are the ones who would deny them the right to pose for pictures like this if they wanted to. this is america, asshole, you have no right to deny others' humor or entertainment no matter how much you disagree with it, as long as nobody's being hurt. you either have free speech or you don't. where would you draw the line? do women have no right to participate in, and profit from, the production of pornography? do they have the right to "degrade themselves" by telling off-color jokes? by wearing pants? have fun sliding down that slippery slope.

      f) it's probably just photoshop anyway

      g) let the PC modbombing begin, i'm not posting this anon because i'd like there to be some record that i'm not a knee-jerk leftist, karma be damned.

      h) i'm thrilled to see the return of the daleks. or at least a dalek. i've always harbored a sneaking suspicion bill gates has one hidden away somewhere. now all that needs to happen is for some villain to somehow "borrow" a tardis, go back and grab davros, bring him to this one renegade dalek and have him close it, etc etc...

      i) daleks still aren't as cool as cybermen, even if (and perhaps because) they did kill adric.

      --
      They will never stop until somebody makes the
    6. Re:Sink plunger? by TWX · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Based on what I've seen (used to frequent the Goth scene and go to RHPS for years) you're probably right. Hell, they might not have even gotten paid.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    7. Re:Sink plunger? by zakezuke · · Score: 4, Funny

      For Christ's sake, this is supposed to be a family show, not alt.sex.daleks

      Experiment
      Experiment
      EXPERIMENT!

      --
      There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
    8. Re:Sink plunger? by bechthros · · Score: 3, Interesting

      oh, don't get me wrong, i'm definitely a leftist. just not a knee-jerk one. that is to say, i have liberal values, but i don't let others manipulate me into things like censorship with them. i remember in the 80's when self-purported "liberals" thought it'd be great to have copies of huck finn purged from all public schools because they used the word "nigger". never mind that the novel was set in the mid 1800's and had a very anti-racism message. they burned the books anyway - nobody who burns books is a liberal. period.

      i'd be completely against the photo if it was taken against the woman's will, or was of a minor, etc etc. but i've seen a lot of women do a lot more offensive things than pose for a photo of them with a plunger that may or may not be photoshopped in on their face. this was clearly consensual, and as a leftist i don't believe anything that goes on between consenting adults should be illegal.

      BTW, has anybodye else figured out that now that daleks are made of gold, a dalek-cyberman war would be MUCH more interesting?

      --
      They will never stop until somebody makes the
    9. Re:Sink plunger? by bechthros · · Score: 3, Insightful

      let me clarify - where I'm posting from, this is America. if you're unlucky enough to live in a part of the world where people can't at least pay lip service to freedom of expression, my sympathies. regardless of location, consent is consent is consent. the minute you say a woman has no right to pose for this picture if she chooses too, you disempower her more than the picture ever would.

      --
      They will never stop until somebody makes the
  2. I can exclusively reveal by Timesprout · · Score: 4, Funny

    The terrifying new feature is a dupe checker for /.

    --
    Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
    What truth?
    There is no dupe
  3. Scary things, these daleks. by Amiga+Lover · · Score: 5, Funny

    "But there were a lot of shots which had to be re-done because the Dalek got stuck in a doorway."

    Well there's an enemy that has me scared.

    1. Re:Scary things, these daleks. by fm6 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yeah, not the most convincing bad guys. But remember that before it became late-night PBS fare, Dr. Who was a kiddie show, and thus couldn't make its horrors too conspicuously horrible. The main selling point of the Daleks was not that they were scary, but that it was a lot of fun to march down the streek, one arm pointing directly in front of you, and screaming in a high-pitched voice, "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

    2. Re:Scary things, these daleks. by spockette · · Score: 4, Funny

      I may be alone in this, but I'm scared of the Daleks. I saw an episode of DW when I was about five, and I had nightmares about Daleks for YEARS afterward. I'm pathetic, I know.

    3. Re:Scary things, these daleks. by Amiga+Lover · · Score: 2, Funny

      Oh not so much - I was perhaps 12 when I saw an episode (the name escapes me) with a robotic maggot thing that bit people on the arm and gave them green pulsing glowing veins until they were cured.

      I remember little more than that from those episodes, and it's the reason I'm STILL apprehensive about What Might Be Under The Bed :)

    4. Re:Scary things, these daleks. by joFFeman · · Score: 3, Informative

      that would be the green death. go find the dvd and come to terms with your fears.

      --
      "Life is great; without it, you'd be dead." -Harmony Korine
    5. Re:Scary things, these daleks. by cruachan · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Apparently, when I was about 5 or 6 I was so scared of Daleks I didn't just hide behind the sofa, I actually used to run to the end of out back garden when they appeared and hide out for the rest of the episode.

      And I do still remember those green glowing maggoty things as really yuck. I've had a real parania about maggots ever since.

    6. Re:Scary things, these daleks. by Angostura · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You're thinking about Doctor Who and the green death. A very scary story, which if I remember correctly involved a computer running a company that pumped out toxic waste that caused these nasty mutant maggots. One bite and you died as the green glowing stuff slowly grew up you arm.

      Let's see... a yes here we are.

      Scared the willies out of me, as did the daleks. Oddly though, it was The Master that always scared me most.

    7. Re:Scary things, these daleks. by jd · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Your average Dalek taskforce has nukes, time machines, radiation-proof armor, the ability to remotely brainwash people, pure evilness, the propensity to massacre in order to control populations. They even tried to extract the Earth's core in order to turn the Earth into a gigantic warship.


      Is it just me, or does this sound awfully familiar?

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    8. Re:Scary things, these daleks. by Darren+Winsper · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They're all things George Bush claims Saddam could do in 45 minutes?

  4. Radio interviews by RonnyJ · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's been known for a fair while about the return of the Daleks - Eccleston has said in radio interviews that they will appear in this next (the 6th) episode, and that they will also have a part to play elsewhere in the current series (although he has been somewhat vague on the details).

    1. Re:Radio interviews by code601 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      They should make an entire series, DR who vs daleks

  5. The more things change... by The+Amazing+Fish+Boy · · Score: 5, Funny

    "We have taken all the perceived weaknesses of the Dalek and made them deadly" - Mike Tucker, miniature effects supervisor

    Well, they used to be deadly, too. It's just they were deadly for the Dalek, not for it's opponent.

  6. What I wonder is... by halivar · · Score: 4, Funny

    What is it about the typical English psyche that finds the image of giant saltshakers so horrifying?

    1. Re:What I wonder is... by TelJanin · · Score: 2, Informative

      for the daleks this has been forty years and still no clear look at anything but the travel machine.

      Yes there was.

    2. Re:What I wonder is... by The+Amazing+Fish+Boy · · Score: 5, Funny

      What is it about the typical English psyche that finds the image of giant saltshakers so horrifying?

      Dude, didn't you see it? Not only is it a giant salt shaker, it's made of gold. GOLD! Nothing can stop gold! And what are those little bulbs on the outside? Those could be anything! They might be filled with death itself, for all we know. That giant lever? I'm going to assume that plays a random clip from Walker, Texas Ranger.

      But even Cordell Walker himself couldn't stop these things from shaking the salt of death on it's enemy. Oh, no. Maybe Walker could take a Dalek, but only if he enlisted the help of that black Texas Ranger and possibly the younger man & woman Texas Rangers, too. But that's only if the Dalek hasn't taken Walker's wife hostage.

      I predict: many drop kicks in the next Dr. Who episode.

    3. Re:What I wonder is... by Skuld-Chan · · Score: 2, Informative

      I know your joking, but when the dalek's first made an appearance on the show they were made out to be these cold, unfeeling, utterly ruthless beings. I remember when I was a kid the fact they will kill anyone who got in their way without question was pretty frightening.

    4. Re:What I wonder is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What is it about the typical English psyche that finds the image of giant saltshakers so horrifying?

      It's related to the thing in the American psyche that makes space aliens be humans with wrinkly foreheads.

    5. Re:What I wonder is... by Mancat · · Score: 3, Funny

      This thing looks like R2D2's gay cousin from the Big City.

      --
      hello dear sirs my name is jamesh i are india (bihar) can u guide me install red had linux 9?
    6. Re:What I wonder is... by myowntrueself · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "...the fact they will kill anyone who got in their way without question was pretty frightening"

      Like US military patrols on the streets of Iraq.

      --
      In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
    7. Re:What I wonder is... by Anonymous+Monkey · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think it is the same thing that made the Borg scary, way back in the day. One face, one voice, no individuality. They can't be scard, they can't be talked out of what they do, therefore they are unstopable. Deeply scary is corect

      --
      We are the Borg...
    8. Re:What I wonder is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      oh HAHAHA ORIGINAL. With all these lame stereotypes, you'd think you were perpetuating a stereotype of the dumbass american who doesn't know anything of the outside world... but seeing as this is /., I'll get modded down for saying that, so AMERICA RULES EVERY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD SUCKS

    9. Re:What I wonder is... by Zey · · Score: 5, Informative
      Lets see...
      1. They're symbolic of the results of nuclear war (particularly terrifying in 1963 when they were introduced, just after the Cuban Missile Crisis proved how close nuclear war could have been).
      2. General fear of the unknown; what mutant lurks inside the Dalek travel machine. It took a few stories before they were shown. Even then, they're generally only seen briefly.
      3. Fears of biological and genetic engineering, classic Frankenstein losing control of a creation story.
      4. Stories involving Davros also add the fear of fascism, the seductiveness of evil and warns of the dangers of logic and self-preservation over ethics and humanity.
      5. The 'next generation' seen in Revelation of the Daleks added the question: what if you went to sleep and woke up with only your head and turning into a Dalek hybrid?
      Unfortunately, not a lot of that was seen in the Tom Baker era, apart from Genesis... just a lot of Tom causing them to get confused and explode by dropping a hat on their eye-stalk, or yell "Exterminate!" a lot, which really cheapened them as villains.
    10. Re:What I wonder is... by alib001 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Looks like Davros has been on Pimp My Ride.

    11. Re:What I wonder is... by mikael · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It was probably the fear of evolution into unemotional machines, world war, mutation from radiation, and the ability to replace parts of the human body with machines. The latter concept was greatly extended upon by the "Cybermen", who fought off disease and old age by replacing the failing parts of their bodies with robotics, until everything from their hearts to minds was machine.
      From HypnosInMedia

      The Doctor's first and most persistent enemy. Created by the mad scientist Davros, they were the descendants of the Kaleds from the planet Skaros. When centuries of nuclear war caused mutations in the race, Davros encouraged the mutations and designed the travel shells they use. He also gave them their unstoppable thirst for conquest. Their chilling cry of "Exterminate!" was feared throughout the galaxy.

      The Daleks would eventually come to realize that they were imperfect, mainly because of their many failures at conquering the galaxy, and they would seek out and eventually be led by their creator, Davros.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
    12. Re:What I wonder is... by NanoGator · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "It's related to the thing in the American psyche that makes space aliens be humans with wrinkly foreheads."

      That's not American psyche, that's budget control. When Gene Rodenberry, for example, pitched Star Trek, one of the selling points was that the budget wouldn't grow out of control because the aliens would simply be makeup tricks on humans.

      Star Trek, in particular, is lengendary in it's effeciency with money. The 'bumpy headed alien' is one of the reasons why.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    13. Re:What I wonder is... by nickco3 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The funniest thing about "horrible British food" jokes is it's always Americans, of all people, that make them.

      Coming from French or the Italians it would just be standard "my country is better than yours". But from Americans? Americans! The country whose major contribution to world cuisine is the supersize portion?

      Who says Americans don't appreciate irony?

      --
      -- Nick "Hallo this is Beel Gates, und I pronounce weendows as ... WEENdows"
  7. This could be really good... by cliffski · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yeah doctor who was fairly crap, the acting bad, the scripts dire, the special effects a joke... But in terms of concepts it was actually pretty good.
    I remember the first time I read the story of genesis of the daleks, in some book, before there were repeats or DVDs of the episodes. Maybe I was young, maybe I was drunk, but its actually a pretty grim, depressing and scary story. The whole idea of the war on skaro being so endless, so destructive, and some maniac scientist deciding that instead of fighting the mutations, he just had to 'roll with it' and see what they would turn into... Its all pretty heavy stuff, carried on into dr who and the daleks, where they are convinced they will never ever be able to leave the dalek machines because they basically fucked up their own planet. The potential for the daleks to be scary is certainly still there, if you can suspend disbelief on the stairs thing.
    My fingers are crossed that this will be a really good episode, handeled well.

    --
    DRM-free indie games for the PC and Mac: Positech Games
    1. Re:This could be really good... by Timesprout · · Score: 3, Funny

      What would be really good is if the Daleks became sez crazed machines. Just to hear all the daleks chanting for-ni-kate in their little dalek voices would be priceless.

      --
      Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
      What truth?
      There is no dupe
  8. Sink plunger?-Deep Sink. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Is it just me or does that sound terrifyingly sexual?"

    Now you know why former IT workers are going into the plumbing business.

  9. Torrent? by stalefries · · Score: 3, Funny

    Anyone got a torrent of it yet?

    --
    -stalefries
  10. Yes, now that they've fixed all the limitations by Colin+Smith · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Daleks can rule the world....

    Hang on a minute... What if we made all the doors just that bit too narrow for them to get through!!!

    Ha ha! Foiled again!

    --
    Deleted
    1. Re:Yes, now that they've fixed all the limitations by AkaXakA · · Score: 3, Funny

      What if we made all the doors just that bit too narrow for them to get through!!!

      Shhh, that's China's plan to foil the American takeover of earth!*

      *Come on, being able laugh at yourself is a sign of maturity :)

  11. Re:Space has a terrible secret. by tehshen · · Score: 3, Informative

    Sorry to break it to you, but the stairs thing doesn't work anymore. They can (apparently) climb stairs in this series as well.

    So, to be safe, I'm sleeping on the roof.

    --
    Guy asked me for a quarter for a cup of coffee. So I bit him.
  12. Return of classic scifi: Land of the Lost by AtariAmarok · · Score: 3, Interesting

    With a Land of the Lost movie in the works, this new Dr Who, and the success of "Battlestar Galactica", it seems that these are good times for the return of classic scifi. Except for "Star Trek", which hardly went away, and managed to wear itself out.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  13. Dr. Who? by Darvin · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Hopefully the next episodes will be much more welcoming. The last two episodes had a good story line, however the slapstick of the farting aliens, and hearing the Dr. actually say "fart" several times was more than pathetic, it was cring-making.

    1. Re:Dr. Who? by Zaiff+Urgulbunger · · Score: 2

      I kind of agree, although I'll cut it some slack 'cos it is a kids programme really!

      Did anyone notice it getting a little bit political with the alien-PM using the threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction against the Earth, and being able to deploy them in 45 seconds**?

      **In the UK, the "intelligence" information that Iraq was able to deploy WMD in 45 minutes was used as a pro-war agruement by the government, but the evidence turned out to be very flimsy. Long story, but the government and the BBC were very much at logger-heads. So someone at the beeb obviously thought this would be fun!

  14. Re:Thanks for those massive spoilers, Slashdot. by hal2814 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Reminds me all the times there's "Dalek" in the title but they still tried to build suspense by making the Daleks appearance a surprise at the end of Episode 1.

  15. Scary things, these religions. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "The main selling point of the Daleks was not that they were scary, but that it was a lot of fun to march down the streek, one arm pointing directly in front of you, and screaming in a high-pitched voice, "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!""

    REPENT! REPENT! REPENT! CONVERT! CONVERT! CONVERT!

  16. Old... by EdZ · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This was news MONTHS ago, when the issue of 'rights' to the daleks first cropped up, and when it was resolved, also several months ago. And even before the first episode aired (and even before it leaked) we knew that the daleks would first appear in episode 6. How is this news then, if it's not new?

  17. I feel I should say something here... by Thedalek · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I mean, I just feel involved, you know?

    Anyway, the new Doctor Who series is absolutely gripping, laugh-out-loud funny, and subtly frightening all at the same time. In short, all the things Doctor Who has always been, and should always be.

    My only disappointment is that the new series seems to be heavily reusing plot elements from the Big Finish audio dramas. Episode two, The Unquiet Dead, basically took the setting and overall structure (Victorian ghost story, ghosts are caused by alien influence, seance held to communicate with spirits, heavily rational character who has trouble coping with the new facts before him) from the second Big Finish audio play, Phantasmagoria. Granted, they were both written by the same person, but he even goes so far as to mention it in the TV Episode (Charles Dickens [Upon seeing an alien/ghost]: What phantasmagoria is this?)

    Next week's episode (simply titled "Dalek") seems to be a retooling of the Big Finish play, Jubilee. They're both written by the same gentleman, and both deal with a lone Dalek captured and tortured for the betterment of mankind. The trailer at the end of last week's episode implies that they share other plot elements as well.

    Then again, I'm still puzzling over what all the "Bad Wolf" clues mean. I somewhat suspect that this Doctor's relationship with Rose extends prior to the first episode. Who (and where) is Rose's father? Why is the Doctor so staunchly opposed to Jackie travelling with them, when he was willing to bring Mickey? I also suspect that this Doctor may not be the Doctor. This will probably become more clear when the new novel, Gallifrey Chronicles is released, although the TV Show will probably reveal more plot details before then.

    --
    Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
  18. Hands off! by David+Horn · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'd just like to say to any non-British resident that I expressly forbid you to download the new series.

    My license fee paid for the Dalek (or at least the sink plunger), and I don't see why anyone other than me should enjoy it. After all, I'm always being told that it's "my BBC."

    Anyone interested in an exclusive DVD can get in touch using the usual methods, supplying delivery address and credit card number. Doesn't have to be your card, I'm not picky.

    --
    PocketGamer.org - For the gamer on the go!
  19. Obligatory by JumperCable · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well I don't know about you, but I for one welcome our new... aaah crap, that one actually makes sense.

  20. Re:lines by StrawberryFrog · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm having trouble imagining a Dalek having that much dialogue. They barely know words other than "Exterminate!".

    He commented on the quantity of the Dalek dialogue, not the quality.

    For all we know it could go like this:
    Rose: Hi. So, uh, you're like a robot Dalek
    Dalek: EXTERMINATE!
    Rose: Wot? Why are you being like that?
    Dalek: EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!
    Rose: Um, please stop saying that.
    Dalek: EXTERMINATE! ... etc...

    --

    My Karma: ran over your Dogma
    StrawberryFrog

  21. Re:What I wonder is...the English Class System by Quirk · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's the horror of being below the salt. At dinner there were two sorts. Those above the salt were entitled to sprinkle salt on their fare, but the unlucky, below the salt, were denied salt and were deemed to be below the salt. Granted they probably didn't use salt shakers when this quaint custom was in play.

    --
    "Academicians are more likely to share each other's toothbrush than each other's nomenclature."
    Cohen
  22. See the Trailer for yourself by gnugnugnu · · Score: 3, Informative

    The trailer for Doctor Who Episode: Dalek
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/video/index.shtml

    It is in Real Video format.

    Maybe a good slashdottting will encourage the BBC to put up bitorrent links for its trailers?

    1. Re:See the Trailer for yourself by onebuttonmouse · · Score: 4, Funny

      You're going to slashdot this?

      --
      MacBook Pro. Worst name since the Bicycle
  23. Re:Space has a terrible secret. by h4rm0ny · · Score: 2, Funny


    Real Daleks don't use stairs, they just level the building.

    --

    Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
  24. Re:sign of weakness by Thedalek · · Score: 3, Informative

    Except that the episode was written and filmed last year, back when the series was shot. This is not a case of "Oh, the ratings are slipping a bit. Let's put in a Dalek episode." This is a case of the fans saying, "It's not proper _Who_ unless we have classic _Who_ villians, like the Daleks, the Autons, the Cybermen..."

    The BBC is heavily banking on the new Doctor Who, and it's no wonder, considering that the first episode was the highest rated show in its timeslot, and third highest rated in the week. They've already gone and commissioned a second series, a Christmas special, a line of toys, novels, and heaven knows what else. They advertise the show non-stop, set up tie-in websites here and here, and even show a documentary series which ties in to the most recent episode of the show.

    Point is, they've spent a whole heck of a lot of money on the show, and they plan on spending a lot more. If this is a vote of no-confidence, I wish more sci-fi series would get such treatment.

    --
    Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
  25. Re:Thanks for those massive spoilers, Slashdot. by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 3, Funny

    The new series isn't like that saddly. It's damn obvious from the get go whats happening and just needs Rose to discover it basicly.

    The last 2 weeks episodes were quite frankly dire and maybe thats why the Dalek one is next.Go from "look farting fat bastards" to "look shiny like a spoon!"

    --
    I like muppets.
  26. Re:sign of weakness by wk633 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The true sign of ratings weakness will be Rose losing clothing.

  27. Bad Wolf... by Thedalek · · Score: 4, Interesting

    [i]Which clues would these be? Some kid wrote his nickname in graffiti on the side of the Tardis... later the doctor caught him and made him paint it blue again. This is a clue to something? Somehow I doubt it.[/i]

    Episode 1 (hearsay) - The Nestine Conciousness mouths the words "bad wolf" when speaking with the Doctor.

    Episode 2 - The Moxx of Balhoon mentions a "Big bad wolf scenario" to the Face of Boe.

    Episode 3 - Quinneth mentions the "Big bad wolf" and pulls away from Rose, terrified.

    Episode 4 - "Bad Wolf" spray painted on the TARDIS.

    Episode 5 - Indirect reference. Who Is Doctor Who?, the tie-in website, mentions "big bad wolf" when referencing the closing minutes of the episode.

    There is also an upcoming episode titled "Bad Wolf."

    Where is the ambiguity?

    The writers have already implictly and explicitly stated that there is a dark mystery regarding Rose and the Doctor, and their relationship.

    What? You are crazy... he is the best Doctor since Tom Baker.

    He's the first Doctor to brutally kill a villian. His behavior is sometimes darker than Colin Baker's darkest moments. We still don't know all the events surrounding the Time War, and we have no regeneration sequence to show that this Doctor came from McGann's incarnation. It has even been explicitly stated that there will be no such sequence.

    Plus, from a practical standpoint, he's eating up incarnations like candy. Going on to the 10th out of 13 after just one series seems a bit quick, but allowing the current Doctor to be a phoney gives the writers an extra incarnation to play with.

    --
    Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
    1. Re:Bad Wolf... by mark-t · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Allowing the Doctor to somehow resolve the time war and bring back Gallifrey and all Timelords also resolves his incarnation issues.

      Remember, the Timelords *were* willing to grant a whole new life cycle to the Master in exchange for his cooperation in "The Five Doctors". I think the Doctor somehow bringing the Timelords back from non-existence would be a service worthy of similar reward.

      And they don't even have to break continuity to pull it off, since the precedent is already there.

      --
      File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    2. Re:Bad Wolf... by DarkZero · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Episode 3 - Quinneth mentions the "Big bad wolf" and pulls away from Rose, terrified.

      I'm pretty positive that the Gelth just randomly says the words "Bad Wolf" while crying out during the seance. I didn't even notice the whole "Bad Wolf" thing until I heard that and then noticed the kid painting "Bad Wolf" on the TARDIS in the preview for episode 4.

      I wouldn't be surprised if the Nestine Consciousness in the first episode also said it, because it seems like most people didn't catch the Gelth saying it.

    3. Re:Bad Wolf... by Lavaeolus · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Plus, the BBC registered badwolf.org.uk last November.

      Coincidence?

    4. Re:Bad Wolf... by malf-uk · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Add another indirect reference on Episode 5. On one of the news clips on the site - the american news presenter is named as Mal Loup

      --
      R Tape loading error, 0:1
  28. Re:Thanks for those massive spoilers, Slashdot. by Dougy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I can't stand the american-esque way of revealing half of the ENTIRE plot of the next episode at the end of each one! At least we don't have commercial breaks, so theres no 5 minute segment telling you EVERYTHING thats going to happen after the commercial! (okay, I know most programs arent really like that over there, but the reality ones are full of it, and it is just dire).

  29. Its not sci-fi.. by Bazman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Its political satire.

    Last night's episode had aliens disguised as politicians trying to start a phoney war by claiming alien forces had "massive weapons of destruction" that could be unleashed in "45 seconds".

    And the reason for the war? They wanted the earth for fuel. Mmm. Sounds familiar...

    Now that the BBC cant be overtly political, what with the coming election, its sneaking its politics covertly into "kids" programmes :)

    Baz

    1. Re:Its not sci-fi.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      That story was riddled with political allusions. Consider the central idea of the show: an aircraft hitting a major structure in a city; stage-managed by aliens to provide a photo-oppurtunity that will allow those aliens, masquarading as politicians, to further their agenda by scaring the bejezzus out of the rest of the world.

      The reason the aliens crashed the spaceship was so that they could convince the world that there was (as you said) a threat from alien "weapons of mass destruction" that could be released in "45 seconds". The goal being that the Earth uses it's own military power to destroy itself, leaving the irradiated debris of the Earth available for sale as fuel, to the highest bidder.

      Not exactly the material from a "kids programme".

      I'll leave the real world parallels to the imagination of the reader. Needless to say, to anyone who's been paying attention for the last four years or so the allusions are obvious.

      -- G.S. (posting anonymously because this post will be moderated down by Republicans.)

  30. One of the greatest SciFi series by eno2001 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    With the possible exception of Sliders (which was still low rent compared to any season of Doctor Who), the Doctor Who series is one of the greatest science fiction series ever produced. They got it right from day one: the story comes first. Screw the special effects, the "ass kicking" or the quality of the acting and focus on what matters, a good story line. As a hero, the Doctor definitely has always been brains first and physical action as a last resort. It's not a wonder that this series is really good for children as well as adults. It's got a decent message.

    I've been keeping up with Doctor Who 2005 via P2P since it probably will never air in the states. I have to say that Eccleston plays a really good turn at the Doctor. He definitely doesnt' try to imitate anyone else that came before him. Billie Piper isn't as annoying as I had feared either. I was worried that she'd just be cheesecake like Nicola Bryant. But she seems to play a decent companion that thinks for herself. They also did a really good job of making the new theme song. They still have a lot of the original Delia Derbyshire rendition (1st-4th Doctor) mixed in with the new stuff. Prodution values are much higher, probably owing to better technology than what was available even in the late 80s with Sylvester McCoy.

    What I am surprised about is that I really haven't heard other people's opinions about the new series. I expected to hear lots of people either raving about it or potting it. But I've heard nothing. Hasn't anyone else on /. in the USA been doing the P2P thing to get hold of those shows? One more thing to mention... Apparently, the BBC is going to be releasing a DVD box set of this season in the fall. It will only be for Europe and the UK, so get out those region free DVD players or try out Xine if you're lucky enough to have a DVD drive that is reagion free. They will also be releasing the individual programs starting after the airing of this season's last episode.

    If you can find it... enjoy. :)

    --
    -"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
  31. Stairs? by Guppy06 · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Stairs have not been a problem for Daleks since 1988,"

    I've heard it said that real Daleks don't climb stairs, they level the building.

  32. Re:45 second alian WMD!! by rewinn · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, to be fair, "Dr. Who" is a work of fiction. This is to be distinguished from .. oh, wait, I see your point ...

    --
    --- Attorneys Assisting Citizen-Soldiers & Families -
  33. Get your Who on: (Bittorrents) by Mr.+Flibble · · Score: 2, Informative

    I don't even own a TV - however, I do like the 2005 Dr. Who series. For those of you who do not own a TV line myself, or get a channel that has Dr. Who on it:

    Dr. Who (2005) Bittorrents.

    The first torrent (at the bottom) is just a preview, the rest are the current episodes.

    --
    Try to hack my 31337 firewall!
  34. Gitmo'd dalek by BlightThePower · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...well I reckon from the trailer and the fact that the last two episodes were thinly veiled 9/11/Bush allegory (destruction of national landmark by flying craft, blamed on pigs(?), weapons of mass destruction, the UN, fat-people-as-villains (ahem) and something about fuel).

    We'll know for sure when they start threatening it with dogs and taking polaroids I guess.

    --
    Plays violent online games as: Nerfherder76
  35. Who turned off the lights? by stuntpope · · Score: 2, Funny

    Its trademark 'sink plunger' attachment also reveals a terrifying new function

    It has a hat-removal function?

  36. Er... not really news though. by biglig2 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Am I the only person who watched Doctor Who on the telly yesterday and saw the trail for next week's episode, which had a Dalek in it?

    Am I also the only person to deduce that the Daleks might be back from the fact that the 6th episode is called "Dalek"? (The names of all the episodes except the twelth have been known for quite some time.)

    Was I the only person who read in various news articles that the BBC had sucessfully concluded negotiations with Terry Nation's estate to allow them to use the Daleks?

    --
    ~~~~~ BigLig2? You mean there's another one of me?
  37. Clip of the Dalek in action by WorselWorsel · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://homepage.mac.com/stuart621/dalek.mov Looks cool.

  38. Re:Confused by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Am I the only one who has no idea what a "Dalek" is?

    No. There's also a guy in Mongolia who hasn't heard of them. Unless you're him.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalek

  39. Cool, just as long as.... by otis+wildflower · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... The Daleks don't turn out to be hot chicks.. ;)

  40. Re:The previews.. by Funksaw · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You're forgetting something important.

    The Dalek is a f*cking tank.

    Who cares if he can fire once every 10 seconds. I would imagine a Bradley tank can't fire more often than that.

    Now, imagine this. An American tank, made with DU armor, up against a WWII era tank - the DU ammunition would tear through the WWII era tank like tinfoil, while the WWII era tank wouldn't be able to do more than scratch the surface of the modern tank.

    Okay, now replace Depleted Uranium shells with a DEATH RAY, and replace DU armor with Dalekanium. Put it into a package that has hover capabilities, 360 degree view, 0" turning radius, and put a mad monster with a nazi-like fascination for genocide of the whole human race behind the wheel.

    The only hope of defeating it is a device which requires you to get relatively close to it. It is paranoid and will destroy everything that gets in it's way. The only person that knows how to use the device is a person that the Dalek vows to kill on sight...

    Salt shaker, my ass. Those things are scary as hell...

  41. Return of the Nightmares by FrankTheCrazy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    One of the few recurring nightmares that I had as a child was of those friggin' Daleks.

    They were scary as hell just being a trashcan that awkwardly bumped around and screamed "EXTERMINATE" at everything... BUT NOW, with their "upgrades" they are scary as hell x 100 which = nightmares x 100 for me.

    Thanks BBC for bring back my nightmares!

  42. Re:lines by NanoGator · · Score: 2, Funny

    "I'm having trouble imagining a Dalek having that much dialogue. "

    Heh. There was a Red Dwarf vid a while back called from "From A to Z". They went down the alphabet and.. yadda yadda yadda. At some point, they had a pair of Daleks up for an interview. The first said that it didn't watch Earth programs, the second said the red alert bulb gag was funny. Then the first cried that its counterpart had been infected by human propoganda and blew its head off.

    That was the most I ever heard a Dalek speak.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  43. Re:OTS klingons by Minna+Kirai · · Score: 2, Funny

    On the other hand, shows like "buffy the vampire slayer" and "dark angel" had remarkably consistent, convincing and affordable special effects from start to finish.

    Actually, Buffy gave vampires forehead wrinkles remarkably similar to those on a Klingon, which had no relationship to pre-existing vampire mythology. So I didn't find them convincing at all- give me the pale, haughty beauties of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice any day.

    (Additionally, that program also made vampires distintegrate when stabbed through the chest, a plot and prop convenience that also is different from vampire legends, but similar to what happened to Klingons when Kirk zapped his phaser at them)

  44. Re:lines by SimplyCosmic · · Score: 2, Informative

    That's something the later Dalek episodes forced upon them, and adding Davros, who usually did most of the speaking for them in his episodes didn't help.

    In earlier episodes like The Dalek Invasion of Earth, the Daleks are downright chatty.