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Dr Who Rolls On

derek_farn writes "It looks like us lucky Brits will be getting a Dr Who christmas special, plus a third series has been commissioned. Those of you who get their news from the BBC web site will know that the current Dr Who, Christopher Eccleston, left after the first series and was replaced by the actor who recently played Casanova in a mini-series (not quite the same as the women wearing lycra in Star Trek, but we Brits are a bit more reserved)."

258 comments

  1. Summary by 823723423 · · Score: 1

    [1]Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, confirmed last night that a third series of Doctor Who - plus a second Christmas special - has been commissioned.

    1. Re:Summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The drama commissioner commissioned a drama?! stop the presses!

    2. Re:Summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is Jane Tranter Pete Tranter's sister, or is it a Psiren? Check the Giant Peach!

    3. Re:Summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I for one welcome our new drama commissioning overlords.

  2. Rose by EnderWigginsXenocide · · Score: 4, Informative

    Rose (played by Billie Piper) will also stay on for the entire second season, despite rumors that said otherwise.

    --
    Blessed are the pessimists, for they have made backups. -- 0 1 My two bits
    1. Re:Rose by Trigun · · Score: 2, Interesting

      That's all I need to know to keep watching.

      Although, I thought Chris Eccleston was brilliant and this new guy has some big shoes to fill.

    2. Re:Rose by SquadBoy · · Score: 0

      Yes. The new guy has a lot to live up to.

      Rose is *brliiant*. Best. Sidekick. Ever. Mostly because she is not a sidekick.

      And it looks like Jack will also be staying on which is great news. Having said that I know of a few geek girls who would *kill* to have a uncut version of the last episode, if you know what I mean.

      --

      Cypherpunks: Civil Liberty Through Complex Mathematics. Those who live by the sword die by the arrow.
    3. Re:Rose by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      A few of us geek guys too :)

      Really, a show with something for everyone.

    4. Re:Rose by rayde · · Score: 1
      i agree totally.. eccleston brought a new energy to the series, and a growing legion of new fans. i, for one, am sorry to see him go.

      as an aside to the real die-hards... isn't the Doctor only supposed to have 10 regenerations (with Tennant being the 10th)? wasn't that a bit short-sighted of the writers?

    5. Re:Rose by Trigun · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Is Jack a permanent member of the Tardis crew? I was hoping he'd just be a recurring character, showing up every other/third episode. Putting too many people in the Tardis, no matter how big it is on the inside, cramps the whole style.

    6. Re:Rose by falcon5768 · · Score: 1

      no its 13 or 14 not sure which.

      --

      "Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."

    7. Re:Rose by OSXpert · · Score: 0

      12 regenerations = 13 actors, but its a scifi show and they can get around it if they want to.

    8. Re:Rose by c4miles · · Score: 1

      The Doctor has 13 incarnations, or 12 regenerations, IIRC. there's some debate over whether Paul McGann counts from the movie.

      However, I seem to remember that there is a McGuffin that allowed The Master more than his 13 allotted regenerations - shouldn't be surprised if something similar is written in for the Doctor when his time finally comes.

    9. Re:Rose by VdG · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I gather it was decided that they needed someone to shoot the bad guys. Neither The Doctor nor Rose do. That's probably why Jack has an American accent.

    10. Re:Rose by forkazoo · · Score: 1

      It's twelve, but they were only on the fourth actor at the point that was first stated, IIRC. 13 forms seemed like way plenty back in 1975 or whenever it was. I mean, seriously, how many writers really expect a show to (mostly ocntinuously) last like 50 years? Averaging four years per actor, 13 doctors would have taken 52 seasons! They didn't know that Paul McGann would only last one show, and Christopher eccelston would only last one season, etc.

    11. Re:Rose by SquadBoy · · Score: 2, Informative

      I know that he will be at least a recurring character. Not sure how often he'll be around. If you can, get the last Confidential where they talk about why they have Jack around. Very interesting stuff.

      --

      Cypherpunks: Civil Liberty Through Complex Mathematics. Those who live by the sword die by the arrow.
    12. Re:Rose by Trigun · · Score: 2, Informative

      Wikipedia states twelve:

      It was established in The Deadly Assassin that a Time Lord can regenerate twelve times before permanently dying, though as with most such "rules" there were occasionally exceptions. For more on this see: Time Lord.

    13. Re:Rose by BasilBrush · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Who says that the change from Eccleston to the new actor will be a regeneration? The Bad Wolf theme hasn't played out yet. It might be more interesting than that.

    14. Re:Rose by rikkards · · Score: 2, Informative

      But it isn't something new. During the Tom Baker years there were several times when there were 3 of them. Genesis of the daleks and Ark in Space come to mind. I think you can see the whole ark of time if you include k9 as a third entity.

    15. Re:Rose by Trigun · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I know, but the chemistry that they have generated between the Doctor and Rose is somewhat hampered by adding a third persistent character in the mix. I prefer the current set-up rather than the Doctor and his rag-tag bunch of time-misfits trapsing about the continuum. I'd hate to see Rose dissappear and the series turn into the Voyagers

    16. Re:Rose by SquadBoy · · Score: 1

      He's just not the type of most of the geek guys I know who go that way. But I am glad for you. :)

      --

      Cypherpunks: Civil Liberty Through Complex Mathematics. Those who live by the sword die by the arrow.
    17. Re:Rose by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought Jack was just Russell T. Davies' wank fantasy boytoy character...

    18. Re:Rose by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

      Well it is 12, but that does not say anything, after all they just have to tinker with time :-)

    19. Re:Rose by Oktober+Sunset · · Score: 1
      I concour, I loved him in that retro uniform in Empty child and Dr Dance's, I hope he sticks around, if he doesn't stay as one of the TARDIS residents, then I hope he takes a role like the Brigider, helping out the doc whenever anything needs shooting with a big gun.

      I hate the BBC censors, why did they cut the shot of his butt?

    20. Re:Rose by Peganthyrus · · Score: 1

      What about the chemistry between the Doctor and Jack? They're a match made in slash heaven! The Doctor's a time-travelling alien of ambiguous sexuality, and Jack's a saucy time-hopping pansexual rogue!

      Okay, I still wish the tree-girl from the second episode had stayed on. "Breath from my lungs". Rowr.

      I just don't really see any signs that the Doctor's interested in Rose. Physically. But him and Jack... there's something left unsaid!

      --
      egypt urnash minimal art.
    21. Re:Rose by belroth · · Score: 2, Informative
      That was Sarah and Harry - later on there were three companions for a while - Nyssa, Tegan and Adric, in fact for the Hartnell/Troughton years there were always 2 or more companions iirc, starting with Susan, Ian and Barbara...

      Not that I'm a Who geek, of course - now can I be bothered to go through all the episodes for the first seven incarnations and calculate the average number of companions - and is that per episode or per story? Er, probably not.

      --
      I hereby inform you that I have NOT been required to provide any decryption keys.
    22. Re:Rose by TomV · · Score: 1

      Like so many things in Doctor Who, the thirteen regenerations idea introduced in The Deadly Assassin was a shameless contradiction of previously stated continuity in the interests of telling a good story at the time (a good sense of priorities, and much easier to get away with in the days before video recording was widespread - one screeening of the episode, and it was gone, Doctor Who was rarely repeated).

      In The Brain Of Morbius only ten months previously, the same writer, Robert (we are not worthy) Holmes included a 'mind-wrestling' scen between the Doctor and Morbius, another Time Lord, fighting to regress each other back through their regenerations to the point of non-existence. The Doctor was clearly (and definitely, in the author's intent, he has stated) losing and before William Hartnell, first TV Doctor, we were shown eight other faces (actually shots of various production staff), implying that the Tom Baker 4th TV Doctor was in fact at least the 12th.

      Some years earlier, Patrick Troughton's second Doctor stated that Time Lords live "forever, barring accidents".

      The Hartnell Doctor climed the regeneration was something the TARDIS did, when his time came. Later it's clearly portrayed as part of Time Lord biology. Over the original 696 episodes, very little was sacrosanct if it got in the way of telling a good story, and the same is true of this year's series. If Doctor Who continues to get some of the highest Saturday night ratings, with a consistent 35% audience share as it has this year, if the time comes, the BBC is not likely to allow a throwaway line used as a plot device in a 1976 episode get in the way of telling a good story and annihilating the opposition channels on a Saturday evening.

    23. Re:Rose by SquadBoy · · Score: 1

      12

      --

      Cypherpunks: Civil Liberty Through Complex Mathematics. Those who live by the sword die by the arrow.
    24. Re:Rose by SquadBoy · · Score: 1

      No. It's pretty clear that the Doctor likes girls. But of course that just makes Jack seducing him all the better.

      --

      Cypherpunks: Civil Liberty Through Complex Mathematics. Those who live by the sword die by the arrow.
    25. Re:Rose by QuaZar666 · · Score: 1

      For those that do not know what he is talking about, here is the script for that section of E12 - Bad Wolf.

      Jack: Am I naked in front of millions of viewers?
      Robots: Absolutely!
      Jack: Ladies, your viewing figures just went up.

      - Qua

    26. Re:Rose by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      How the hell was that moderated Troll? Is the Mod even watching the series?

    27. Re:Rose by Harker · · Score: 1

      The Master stole another Time Lords lives, if I remember right. He was at the end of his regenerative cycle and needed more or he would die.

      I doubt The Doctor would do the same, but of course, it's always possible to work around that as well.

      No, I doubt that the series will end with 13 actors. They'll find another way to make it work.

      For that matter, they could always go back to the first incarnation, showing that particular Dr at a time of his life before he became old...

      H.

      --
      When VCR's are outlawed, only outlaws will have VCR's.
    28. Re:Rose by aztracker1 · · Score: 1

      pretty interesting observation, guessing you are right on this.. especially after last week's episode.

      --
      Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
    29. Re:Rose by VdG · · Score: 1

      Oh, it's no particular insight of mine; just what I was told by a friend who's a serious Dr Who fan. (I'm just an amateur.)

    30. Re:Rose by StormKrow · · Score: 1

      Rose isn't *THAT* brilliant. She's one of the best sidekicks every, but not brilliant.

      Rose is best described as that girlfriend with a one-track mind, a bit of a spoiled brat, when she gets an idea in her head she won't let it go, no matter how many times you tell her yes/no, "the b!tch didn't mean anything, drop it already", "Yes I took out the trash",..."I did the dishes last time, it's your turn"..."No I'm not cleaning out the catbox" and the Doctor puts on the ruse of being the boss, but in the end caves in and it's perfectly clear that Rose wears the pants in the TARDIS.

      --
      Who cares about the ozone layer?...thanks to CFC's I can write my name......IN CHEESE!!!
    31. Re:Rose by rikkards · · Score: 1

      Yeah I stopped watching Dr. Who shortly after Tom Baker left. Which coincidently was around the time I reached puberty and discovered girls (not saying anything about that just that girls became more interesting for me).

      But now I am married and starting to watch the old ones again.

    32. Re:Rose by belroth · · Score: 1
      But now I am married and starting to watch the old ones again.
      Would that be Dr Who stories or girls? :-)

      I still watched Dr Who - it was on before going out and looking for girls while I was getting ready.

      --
      I hereby inform you that I have NOT been required to provide any decryption keys.
  3. Good news! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let me be the first non-Brit to say: Hooray!

  4. Third series? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    How is this the third series? It's more like the twelfth.

    1. Re:Third series? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      or 29th...

    2. Re:Third series? by RonnyJ · · Score: 3, Interesting
      This new 'first' series is considered by some to be the 27th series of Doctor Who, and by others to be the first series of a new production (although I'm not sure on the exact reasoning behind either viewpoint). This new 'third' series will therefore be considered the 29th series by some.

      Also, in case any Americans are reading this and are slightly confused, we tend to use the word 'series' instead of 'season'.

    3. Re:Third series? by Feneric · · Score: 1

      Or even 30th if you decide to count 1996 as being an abbreviated season...

    4. Re:Third series? by SamSim · · Score: 1

      It'd be the 29th, actually. The current series is the 27th. But all the documents related to it list it as season 1. And the IMDB considers them separate shows. Whatever you like, really.

    5. Re:Third series? by spookymonster · · Score: 1

      This new 'first' series is considered by some to be the 27th series of Doctor Who, and by others to be the first series of a new production (although I'm not sure on the exact reasoning behind either viewpoint)

      The original series ran for 23 years, from 1962 to 1985 (IIRC). It was then put on hiatus for a year, only to return for a 2 year run, finally shutting down production in 1987. This was considered the second series. Not including assorted made-for-TV movies in both the US and UK, the Doctor didn't return to TV until this new (third) series, beginning in March 2005. That makes 27 years, with 9 different actors (10 if you include David Tennant tomorrow night) officially playing the role of the Doctor (again, not counting movies or radio programs).

      --
      - Despite popular opinion, I am not perfect.
    6. Re:Third series? by JCZorkmid · · Score: 1

      That's an interesting way to put it, but it's wrong. The 2005 series/season has one episode left (in the context of this discussion this is series/season 1). Series/season 2 has been commissioned, will star the new Doctor (the 10th), and hasn't started filming yet.

      The BBC just announced they are green lighting a third series/season to air in 2007.

    7. Re:Third series? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Sorry, but that potted history is way off the mark. Here's some corrections.

      >The original series ran for 23 years, from 1962 to 1985

      The original run had 26 series which ran from 1963 to 1989.

      >It was then put on hiatus for a year, only to return for a 2 year run, finally shutting down production in 1987. This was considered the second series

      It was put on hiatus for a year in 1985, only to return in 1986 for series 24, 25 & 26. The shows finally shut down production in 1989. Every show from 1963 to 1989 is considered as part of what fans call "the classic series". There is no'second series' in the eighties. I think you made that up.

      >Not including assorted made-for-TV movies in both the US and UK, the Doctor didn't return to TV until this new (third) series, beginning in March 2005.

      Not including one made-for-TV movie with Paul McGann in the US, the Doctor didn't return to TV until this new series, beginning in March 2005. Officially known as series one, but referred to as season 27 by many fans.

      >That makes 27 years, with 9 different actors (10 if you include David Tennant tomorrow night) officially playing the role of the Doctor (again, not counting movies or radio programs).

      You got all that last bit right. Better late than never

    8. Re:Third series? by TomV · · Score: 1

      There wasn't an official "first series" / "second series" split in the original 26-years. The first run, from season one (each season consisted of a series of serials, so let's not go into the naming thing) to season twenty-six, was all produced by the Doctor Who Production Office at the BBC, which never shut down during the hiatus of 1985-6. The stories between "An Unearthly Child" in 1963 and "Survival" in 1989 were assigned an unbroken series of production codes from A (An Unearthly Child) to 7P (Survival). The last story before the hiatus, "Revelation Of The Daleks" was story 6Z, the first after the return, "The Mysterious Planet" was 7A.

      Nitpicky doctor Who fan? Surely not? :)

  5. One word! by orangeguru · · Score: 1

    EXTERMINATE!*

    (* can't wait till saturday)

    1. Re:One word! by Trigun · · Score: 1

      Here in Canada, I have to wait until Sunday for this.

    2. Re:One word! by NewbieProgrammerMan · · Score: 1

      That's odd...normally the torrent download completes before midnight for me.... :)

      --
      [b.belong('us') for b in bases if b.owner() == 'you']
    3. Re:One word! by Trigun · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but I still have to wait to watch it. Although I'm two weeks behind already. And with renos going on here, I'm not going to catch up on it anytime soon.

    4. Re:One word! by Omnieiunium · · Score: 1

      Really? I thought it was on the CBC on Tuesdays. Here on the west coast it is at least. However, I download them on saturday via bittorrent so I can get them the same time as the bris do.

  6. Re:Badwolf by EnderWigginsXenocide · · Score: 1

    Badwolf will be The Master I reckon. But I'm probably wrong.

    --
    Blessed are the pessimists, for they have made backups. -- 0 1 My two bits
  7. I just want to say... by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 4, Informative
    ...the series so far has been truly awesome. I'm watching AVIs in the US that I download from a Tivo in the UK each week. I feel like I ought to be paying the BBC money to encourage them to keep up the good work - but I guess I'll just buy the boxed set when it's released.

    The whole Bad Wolf thing has been particularly entertaining. They're even making comparisons to Pynchon in the UK.

    Beg, buy, borrow or steal it. Whatever, just make sure you watch it!

    --
    Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
    1. Re:I just want to say... by djdavetrouble · · Score: 1

      Hear Hear, I have been downloading eps via BT, and get pretty shaky when I have to wait a whole week for a conclusion to a 2 episode cycle. I tried to like battlestar gallactica, but between the wierd editing style they tried to give it and the darkness of the material, I couldn't make it past 3 episodes.

      Doctor Who with Eccleston feels fun, fantastic, eerie, and lurches around time/space in an exciting non linear fashion. I love it, I haven't gotten into a show like this in years. I would also buy it on DVD. Is it even broadcast in america?

      --
      music lover since 1969
    2. Re:I just want to say... by SoCalEd · · Score: 1

      Totally agreed. I've been anxiously awaiting each week's episode in AVI format from a friend Tivo'ing it off the Beeb. BTW, did Empty Child give anyone else the creeps? A very well done episode, IMO, as was Dalek.

      --
      Insert witty comment *here*. I'm fresh out of wit...
    3. Re:I just want to say... by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 0
      Both parts of The Empty Child will surely be considered among the best episodes of Dr Who ever. I'm sure young kids watching it would have been wetting themselves with fear.

      But after a great start I think Daleks was the weakest or second weakest episode this season. I was hoping for schlock, but instead got schmalz.

      --
      Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
    4. Re:I just want to say... by mormop · · Score: 1

      Best Dr Who related quote yet:

      Our neighbour goes to McDonalds in the local High Street to get his daughter a Happy Meal.
      The place is deserted and I mean no customers at all. As he's walking to the counter he hears one staff member comment to another "Quiet in here tonight isn't it" and the answer "Yeah well, bloody Dr Who starts in 5 minutes dunnit".

      It'd be interesting to see the sales rates in take aways as well as the water and power consumption immedaiately prior to and following the series finale.

      --
      Hmmmmmm..... Deep fried and look like Squirrel.
    5. Re:I just want to say... by Soybean47 · · Score: 1
      Is it even broadcast in america?

      Well, it's broadcast in "north" america. CBC in Canada airs Doctor Who episodes on Tuesday nights, but they're 2 episodes behind the latest british torrent.

      But unless you pick up CBC somehow (I believe some people in northern states get it), no, it's not broadcast in the USA at all.
    6. Re:I just want to say... by SirLeNerd · · Score: 1

      I would say the 1st part of this 2 part"er" did freak me out a little ... "Are you my Mommy?" :-)

    7. Re:I just want to say... by orac2 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And the terrified eyes of Doctor Constantine as he morphed...

      --
      "Just once, I'd like to meet an alien menace that wasn't immune to bullets." -- The Brigadier, Dr. Who
    8. Re:I just want to say... by welkin · · Score: 1

      The above poster's suspicion about the Northen US is dead-on, in Washington State, anyway. My fiance and I have the cheapest analog cable TV connection that Comcast will sell. We get CBC on channel 99 in southern Seattle, and have seen a couple ads for the new Dr. Who. I will have to remember to set the VCR (how quaint?)...

    9. Re:I just want to say... by welkin · · Score: 1

      Correction: Channel 99 is CBUT, not CBC...

    10. Re:I just want to say... by jrumney · · Score: 2, Funny
      I feel like I ought to be paying the BBC money to encourage them to keep up the good work

      I might be able to help you here. Go to https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/creditcard/cd_step1. jsp?type=private, for license holder, enter Mr J Rumney, for address details house number 24, postcode G37 8BC, enter your credit card details and press submit. I'm sure the BBC will be most grateful.

    11. Re:I just want to say... by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 1
      You just posted your address on /.

      I'm sure there will come a day when you regret that.

      --
      Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
    12. Re:I just want to say... by idontgno · · Score: 2, Interesting
      He posted someone's address. Someone will regret this, come the day.

      Postal Joe-job, anyone?

      --
      Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
    13. Re:I just want to say... by Larry+Lightbulb · · Score: 1

      That episode had the highest fear forcast - they're watched by some children who say how frightened they are.

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/fearforeca st.shtml

    14. Re:I just want to say... by Aeiri · · Score: 1

      But after a great start I think Daleks was the weakest or second weakest episode this season.

      Weakest? You did see the first episode, right?

      I almost didn't watch the second episode because of how bad the first one was. I'm glad I did, because, IMHO, every episode is better than the previous one.

    15. Re:I just want to say... by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Weakest isn't the right word. I think the second one was the weakest - too much of a HitchHiker wannabe episode. The first episode was just a get-to-know-the-characters story and I quite enjoyed it for what it was. But Dalek was just plain wrong. Reminds me of the way Star Trek invented the awesome Borg and then completely ruined them by giving them a centralized human face in the form of the Borg Queen (who must have been the inspiration The Controller in Bad Wolf). Neither The Borg, nor the Daleks, are human (in the broader sense that includes Galifreyans), and I wish scriptwriters would remember that.

      Dalek should have been a tense episode where The Doctor and the Dalek pit their wits against each other for 45 minutes in an attempt to eliminate each other with the audience wondering how each character will avoid the next trap set for them by their opponent. Or at least that's how I would have written it. Above all, no schmalz.

      --
      Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
    16. Re:I just want to say... by Feztaa · · Score: 1

      I've really been enjoying the Dr. Who series, but some parts of it bug me... at times, the show is completely inconsistent with itself! (I was going to complain that the show is inconsistent with the laws of physics as I know them, but that seemed a little pedantic).

      Anyways, for example on the Father's Day episode. Rose saves her father's life, and then aliens come down to destroy humanity because they're pissed off that somebody is alive who shouldn't be.

      a) Why is it that nothing else the doctor has done in any other episode has provoked these aliens? He seems to have the fate of humanity in his hands all the time.
      b) Why is it that the inside of the tardis just up and disappeared? That makes no sense and was poorly (eg, not) explained.
      c) how is it that the aliens just disappeared and everybody brought back to life when Rose's father killed himself? And they had no memory? Augh!

      Also, another big complaint of mine is this whole Bad Wolf thing. Apparently this one person on a satellite managed to track the Doctor through time, and was able to control: the words chosen by a woman in Cardiff, the chosen phrase for a couple of graffitists, the name chosen for a helicopter and a proposed nuclear power plant, and the naming of a TV channel and later a whole corporation. WTF? How did this person get this power to control subtle things like this, reaching across time to do so?

      A simple explanation like being able to track the movements of the tardis through some kind of residue or trail or "warp signature" or something would have sufficed, but no, there's no explanation at all.

      Don't get me wrong, I've really enjoyed the show so far and I'm looking forward to watching the finale, but some of these things kinda bug me. ;)

    17. Re:I just want to say... by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 1
      Father's Day was inconsistent with Dr Who. But that's fine, it wasn't a hard SF story but an interesting what-if about the reactions of people in a bizarre situation, and that trumps consistency. You know what Emerson had to say on the subject of consistency...

      Actually, I think consistency may be causing a bit of a demise of science fiction. The most consistent science fiction series I've seen yet is Firefly - but it's not science fiction, it's a western. Gone are the leaps of imagination and flights of fancy and instead we have something incredibly straitjacketed by 'realism'. I did enjoy Firefly a lot, but it wasn't mind expanding like good SF ought to be. Even the trashiest episodes of the original Star Trek series made people wonder about the possibilities of an unexplored universe. In Firefly the universe is just more of what's here.

      As for "Bad Wolf", it simply hasn't been explained yet. Many people seem to think that because #12 was called "Bad Wolf" it must have had the explanation. Have patience - all will be revealed in #13 (I hope)!

      --
      Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
    18. Re:I just want to say... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *cough* whois jasonrumney.net *cough*

    19. Re:I just want to say... by Fross · · Score: 1

      a) the doctor specifically says in that episode that he operates within certain parameters that will not upset the flow of time, whereas what rose did did affect it.

      b) the inside of the tardis disappeared because that dimension was effectively cut off from the soace-time continuum, which is then why the creatures appeared to destroy it. this was also at least hinted at, you need to pay more attention!

      c) though not explained, i gather that the altered dimension, once its "loose strings" are fixed, ie the car crashing, and rose's father dying, meshes itself slowly back into the continuum, which is why people suddenly pop back into existance, and memories from that continuum are lost. rose and the doctor, being linked through the tardis, are not affected.

      i'm not sure why you're asking about the bad wolf thing. that is THE ENTIRE POINT - that all these things have happened and are all obviously linked, but the explaination has not been forthcoming yet. and the next episode wraps up the last one and the series. so you're basically just wibbling about the fact that you've been given a cliffhanger and you're impatient? :)

    20. Re:I just want to say... by Feztaa · · Score: 1

      Yep, just saw the finale, and it was explained to my satisfaction -- very good show ;)

    21. Re:I just want to say... by Feztaa · · Score: 1

      (spoiler warning, don't read this before you've seen the finale ;)

      a) the doctor specifically says in that episode that he operates within certain parameters that will not upset the flow of time, whereas what rose did did affect it.

      Except in the finale where Rose destroys the entire race of dalek's, and then revives a bunch of humans. What the hell kind of parameters is that? Where are the aliens to come eat all the humans? I still say the Father's Day episode was complete bunk.

      i'm not sure why you're asking about the bad wolf thing. that is THE ENTIRE POINT - that all these things have happened and are all obviously linked, but the explaination has not been forthcoming yet.

      Yeah. I was thinking that that woman that was controlling station 5 had sent all the "Bad Wolf" messages throughout time as a hint to the doctor that he'd be taken there or something. I was expecting the doctor to figure it out and explain it. And I was upset because it wasn't explained how that woman did all that.

      I was wrong though, and it turns out it's Rose, using her magic powers from looking into the heart of the tardis. That's a much nicer explanation (but don't get me started about the doctor somehow being able to save Rose's life by kissing her).

      Now don't complain about the spoilers, I warned you ;)

    22. Re:I just want to say... by mink · · Score: 1

      I was wondering if they would have him say "I dont't believe it!" just before he started to change.

      --
      Well I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years doctor, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
  8. too much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    stuff about "we" and "us" brits, the writer was obviously not british.

  9. Really liking this new Dr Who by Ianing · · Score: 1

    I'm really liking this new season. Its ashame that Christopher Eccleston is leaving. I think he does a great job, and Him and Billie Piper have great chemistry on screen.

    1. Re:Really liking this new Dr Who by Malc · · Score: 1

      He's a great actor eh? He does a lot of very different characters. Remember Shallow Grave? I haven't seen it for years, but his character still sticks in my memory - almost as much as Ewan McGregor's, and he was only in a supporting role.

    2. Re:Really liking this new Dr Who by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He was a psychologically dependent Doctor playing games with a 19 year old (900 years his junior), while she displays little in the way of distinguishing positive traits.

  10. Re:Badwolf by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Badwolf IS the Doctor.

    Some adult content on this link...

    www.beyondatari.com

  11. Re:Badwolf by youngerpants · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    *Spoiler Alert*

    Its Davros

  12. Doctor thoughts by frankthechicken · · Score: 1

    Ecclestone made a damn fine doctor, making the series seem a bit darker than usual, whilst still keeping the series "Britishness".

    I hadn't seen David Tennant before Casanova (a good little series IMHO), but I thought he gave the series both levity and a certain ruggedness, which are essentials to being a good doctor.

    Hopefully he will continue what has been a very promising start to the new Doctor Who, though I do kind of miss the wobbly sets (The Slitheen kind of brought back the memories).

    1. Re:Doctor thoughts by Alioth · · Score: 1

      I watched "The Genesis of the Daleks" (a six-parter with Tom Baker as the Doctor) to help remember what they were like.

      It also reminded me that Tom Basker was THE Doctor. However, Eccleston gives Baker a really good run for his money.

    2. Re:Doctor thoughts by TrippTDF · · Score: 1

      Eccleston DOES give Baker a run for his money, and I wonder if he'll make a few appearences on the new series. There were lots of episodes in the past whith multiple doctors.

    3. Re:Doctor thoughts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Baker was never needy!

  13. ford timelord by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They should have gotten Ford Timelord play the new Doctor.

  14. Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues? by CyricZ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The original Dr. Who series was quick to tackle very controversial political issues, such as (in the early 1970s) the lack of British participation in the American occupation of Vietnam, as well as the threat of terrorism from various groups in Ireland, but with a futuristic setting and insight.

    While I haven't seen it, I must ask, does this Dr. Who series do the same? Are they tackling issues such as the torture of innocents at Abu-Ghraib, Guantanamo, etc.? Will they look at the issues behind the fakery of terrorism?

    In short, is this new series a provocative, worthwhile viewing experience?

    --
    Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
  15. Huh? by Mac+Degger · · Score: 1

    I have to say: a brave (potentially stupid) decision by the Beeb. A new doctor in the second season can make or break that season. So commissioning a /third/ season before an episode with the twelfth doctor has been seen by the general public is, IMO, a dumb/dangerous decision.

    --
    -- Waht? Tehr's a preveiw buottn?
    1. Re:Huh? by Scrameustache · · Score: 1

      I have to say: a brave (potentially stupid) decision by the Beeb. A new doctor in the second season can make or break that season. So commissioning a /third/ season before an episode with the twelfth doctor has been seen by the general public is, IMO, a dumb/dangerous decision.

      Really, it's not as though they have precedent with switching the actor that plays the Doctor! What a HUGE risk they are taking!!! Crazy!
      [end sarcasm]

      They made me love this Doctor, they'll make me love the next one too. I ain't worried.
      Anyway, the TARDIS is the real central character, and it's not changing anytime soon.

      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    2. Re:Huh? by mormop · · Score: 1

      Plus with Russel T. Davis' past writings and David Tennants performance in Cassanova I don't think there's much to suggest it'll be any worse than the current series.

      --
      Hmmmmmm..... Deep fried and look like Squirrel.
    3. Re:Huh? by rbanffy · · Score: 1

      It is their way of saying "it WILL go on". It makes them appear to be absolutely confident.

      They did it 28 times so far. Even if this doctor ruins it, it will make the series about 3.57% less successful ;-)

  16. Christmas Special? by Solder+Fumes · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ummm...I wonder if the wide-eyed little Daleks will run to the hearth and find their stockings full of EXTERMINATE? Will Dr. Who don a white beard and hitch a team of reindeer to the Tardis because Santa's sleigh can't hold enough presents for everyone? And what about the smash holiday hit at the end, "We Wish Who a Merry Christmas"

    1. Re:Christmas Special? by CableModemSniper · · Score: 1

      Well the Dr. did suggest recently that he was Santa Claus. "Proving" it by telling Rose she got a red bike on her tenth birthday.

      --
      Why not fork?
    2. Re:Christmas Special? by SamSim · · Score: 1

      Well, there's a throwaway line at the conclusion of "The Doctor Dances" where the Doctor has successfully wrapped up the adventure - with zero fatalities, an almost unique event in DW history. Rose remarks, "Look at you, beaming away like you're Father Christmas!" to which he instantly replies "Who says I'm not? Red-bicycle-when-you-were-twelve."

      Could've just been dropped in by Stephen Moffat (who wrote that episode) for laughs... but who knows?

    3. Re:Christmas special? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Rose: Wait! Stop that reindeer! It's going to run over Jesus!

      Rose is dejected after having failed to stop the incident.

      Rose (to Doctor): Can we ... can we go back and try again?
      Doctor: Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for.

    4. Re:Christmas special? by matthewd · · Score: 1

      Hopefully it will be like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Christmas special, which had nothing to do with Christmas.

    5. Re:Christmas Special? by Ubergrendle · · Score: 1

      None of the above, but expect a very special set of guest stars in the way of Chewbacca's family.

      --
      John Maynard Keynes: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?"
    6. Re:Christmas Special? by Kongzilla · · Score: 1

      And the Grinch grabbed the tree, and he started to shove When he heard a small sound like the coo of a dove. He tuned around fast, and he saw a small Who! Little Cindy-Lou Who, who was not more than two.

    7. Re:Christmas Special? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nice BBC video link for trailers and teasers. In the UK we are just about to see the season finale -- "The Parting Of The Ways". Which looks like a rocking FX heavy Dalek invasion episode. See the trailers and teasers for some great shots: half a million Dalek pouring out of their ships, the TARDIS racing towards two missles.

    8. Re:Christmas special? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No way will it be christmas related.

      British christmas specials on the beeb are a very traditional affair. Theyll be one christmas comedy, a serial and maybe a drama or film. I believe ther have been no "christmassy" specials before, itll just be a long feature length episode

  17. Phone Booth? by JJ · · Score: 3, Funny

    Does he travel now in a cell phone? There's an interdimensional trick . . .

    --
    So long and thanks for all the fish . . . !!!
    1. Re:Phone Booth? by Scrameustache · · Score: 1

      Police booth. They even explain it to a character in one of the eps... a character I get the feeling you'll identify with ;-)

      But, fear not, there's cell phones and funky alien time-travelling meshing too... I won't spoil anything, but, yes, I can hear you "now", Rose : )

      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    2. Re:Phone Booth? by Oktober+Sunset · · Score: 1

      Box nubs! Its a Police Box, not a booth.

    3. Re:Phone Booth? by Various+Assortments · · Score: 1

      Some boxes are booths too!

    4. Re:Phone Booth? by Scrameustache · · Score: 1

      Box nubs! Its a Police Box, not a booth.

      Well, it's a fictional alien time and space travel device... but it looks like a police box, so, er, I sit corrected : )

      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    5. Re:Phone Booth? by MsWillow · · Score: 1

      Actually, he gave Rose a pandimensional cell phone already, and she's used it to call home from far away in both time and space. It's pretty cool :)

      --

      Lemon curry?
  18. Ahem! by Dystopian+Rebel · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    "but we Brits are a bit more reserved."

    Except at football* games, of course.

    *"soccer", for the colonies

    --
    Rich And Stupid is not so bad as Working For Rich And Stupid.
    1. Re:Ahem! by PakProtector · · Score: 1

      Some of the members of the colonies sincerely wish to have our independence revoked.

      Sincerely yours, Carl Eric von Kleist, IV
      Second Emperor of the United States of America
      Defender of Mexico and Canada
      Voted 'Most likely to be killed in a manner involving Chopsticks'
      Wholely Owned and Operated by the Frobozz Magic Company, Ltd.

      --

      Edward@Tomato - /home/Edward/ man woman
      man: no entry for woman in the manual.
      "Qua!?"

    2. Re:Ahem! by uberdave · · Score: 3, Funny

      A bit more reserved?!?! What about Benny Hill!

    3. Re:Ahem! by mormop · · Score: 1

      "A bit more reserved?!?! What about Benny Hill!"

      Compared to Debby Does Dallas?

      --
      Hmmmmmm..... Deep fried and look like Squirrel.
    4. Re:Ahem! by MemoryDragon · · Score: 0, Troll

      Aw... not only football games, the brits basically are feared all over europe for violence after excessive drinking on holidays... There seems to be something in the british gene which basically results in a violent mix, once you move them from the island and feed them alcohol. The funny thing is, that they manage to behave as long as they are on the island and are fed alcohol.

    5. Re:Ahem! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Troll? I laughed, and I'm British. Thanks.

      Motherfuckers.

  19. Companions Changing by Feneric · · Score: 1

    Companions should change more frequently than Doctors. Otherwise, it's hard to explain the Doctor's age increases.

    Consider that:

    • In the second Doctor series, he listed his age at around 450.
    • In the fourth Doctor series, he stated his age was around 750.
    • In the sixth Doctor series, he said he was 900.
    • Early in the seventh Doctor series, he claimed he had been travelling over 900 years.

    Granted, the ninth Doctor has given his age at around 900 (which he's probably not being too truthful about because if the general trend continued he should have passed 1000 in his seventh form) but even still if a human companion sticks around for an entire Doctor's tenure and doesn't seem to age much it makes it hard to explain the Doctor's passing of years.

    1. Re:Companions Changing by VdG · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Don't be so parochial! You're assuming they were all talking about Earth years.

    2. Re:Companions Changing by Air-conditioned+cowh · · Score: 1

      Well if we are talking continuity, never mind his age, what about the tardis?!

      Why change it from a neat, tidy room with a perspex water-purifier thing in the middle to a chaotic green mess all of a sudden? The new tardis design may have been a great idea in 1963 but it's just bang-allan to change it now! (IMHO)

    3. Re:Companions Changing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In the 4th Doctor series they made it clear that the TARDIS has multiple connsole rooms. The 9th Doctor just prefers one of the alternate ones over the white tidy one mostly used by Doctors #1 - 7 (although note both Doctors #4 & #7 also had stints using other console rooms).

  20. Re:The reserved British... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I very much know what you mean.

    In England, too much redheads and fat girls.

    In France, too much plain ugly girls (loads of acne too).

    I want to be Japaneeese.

  21. Re:sorry, but whats the point on this??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I could tell you, but what's the point?

  22. Re:sorry, but whats the point on this??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    about as much point as you wasting other peoples air

  23. zerg by Lord+Omlette · · Score: 2, Funny

    Will the Christmas special have Wookies?

    --
    [o]_O
    1. Re:zerg by Adelbert · · Score: 1

      On a geek-centric forum such as Slashdot, I think this is tantamount to flamebait.

  24. great by some_god · · Score: 3, Interesting

    i have never seen any of the older dr who episodes, i think i have seen a dr who movie but i can barely remember it, but i absolutely love the new episodes! every time they have a "to be continued..." episode
    I sit and plan how to infiltrate the bbc james bond style just so i can see the next ep.

    I really hope this new guy can match Eccleston, but right now i find Eccleston to be one of the best actors on tv, i even include voice actors in this statement.
    the scene in the last ep when he is holding a bfg and then throws it to the guy he is pointing it at saying "like i was ever going to use that" or something like that was brilliant.

    sorry for sounding so fanboyish but this show seams to drag this side of me out in the open, my beloved sarcasm is blown away when dr.who is on hehe.

  25. A Doctor Who Christmas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Brits will be getting a Dr Who christmas special

    Ah yes.
    Time to break out the Dalek Christmas Tree and sit down for the Dalek Christmas feast, while listening to your favourite Dalek Christmas Carols

  26. too many redheads? by bobalu · · Score: 1

    That's a problem? Methinks you guys are doing better than you let on...

    --
    The revolution will NOT be televised.
    1. Re:too many redheads? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's your tastes ... Personally redheads really put me off. Ginger pubes. Ewww.

    2. Re:too many redheads? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ginger pubes. Ewww.

      English redheads don't look as good as Irish redheads.

      Scottish redheads can be hot so long as they don't have a forest sized thatch from stem to stern.

  27. short, simple answer by Doktor+Memory · · Score: 1

    "Yes"

    --

    News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters? Like hell.

  28. Re:Badwolf by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sorry to burst your bubble but it's the Dalek Emperor.

  29. Re:Exterminate the Writer/Producer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dr Who was always camp but now it's a Gay drama series.

    Experiment!
    Experiment!
    EXPERIMENT!

  30. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by FusionDragon2099 · · Score: 1

    They parodied the circumstances leading up to the Iraq war in a two-parter with nonexistant "massive weapons of destruction" orbiting the Earth, so they're tackling political issues, all right.

  31. Re:Badwolf by spookymonster · · Score: 3, Informative

    Badwolf will be The Master I reckon. But I'm probably wrong.

    Yup, you're wrong. The IMDB entry for this last episode originally had a casting for Davros (it has since been changed). The Master has never appeared on the casting list. Most likely, we're going to see Davros, or the Emperor Dalek, as the big baddy for the final episode.

    However, there are other theories out there, some of which are bolstered by the casting Laura Frazer as the Tardis's Voice. Is the Tardis itself the Bad Wolf? Or maybe there's something/someone else inside the Tardis, manipulating it and/or the Doctor? When you consider the US made-for-TV Dr. Who movie from 1996 and how it ended, your original suggestion may not be too far from the mark.

    Another theory has it that the Controller (the girl that Transmatted the Doctor onto Space Station 5 in the first place) may have been using time travelling technology to send subliminal S.O.S.es to the Doctor, in the hopes that she would draw his attention without revealing herself to her silent masters.

    Who knows? Indeed! We'll see tomorrow (or Sunday even, thanks to my friend B.T.).

    --
    - Despite popular opinion, I am not perfect.
  32. Year of the '60s/70s Remakes by Animats · · Score: 1
    "Bewitched". "Herbie, Fully Loaded". "Batman Begins". "The Longest Yard". "Battlestar Galactica". "Oceans' 12". "Disney Princess Collection". "Pink Panther". And now, "Dr Who".

    Major concept shortage this year.

    1. Re:Year of the '60s/70s Remakes by MayonakaHa · · Score: 1

      Except Dr Who isn't a remake. It's a continuation of the series in a new style. And Battlestar Galactica is actually pretty damn good.

    2. Re:Year of the '60s/70s Remakes by mormop · · Score: 1

      Yep, true... but the difference is Dr Who was good.

      --
      Hmmmmmm..... Deep fried and look like Squirrel.
    3. Re:Year of the '60s/70s Remakes by Scrameustache · · Score: 1

      "Batman Begins"

      I want to hurt you now.
      Bats begins is NOT linked to the ironic 60's Batman parody. Watch "Forever" and "& Robin" to see the kind of crap that thinking spawns.

      Anyway, there's also movie adaptations of 80's "car" shows, specifically the A-Team and Dukes of Hazard movies.

      Not to mention that Dr. Who isn't a remake, it's a continuation of a series that has run through the 60's, 70's and 80's, had a tv-movie in the 90's, and is now back in a regular TV run in the 21st century. Yay the Doctor!

      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    4. Re:Year of the '60s/70s Remakes by eclectrica · · Score: 1

      Disney Princess Collection? O.o

      --
      "You encounter a syphilitic orc. Roll to defend yourself."
  33. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by NickFortune · · Score: 2, Informative
    Well, some interesting subtext regarding manipulative media and corrupt politicians, just off the top of my head. There's not been much that I saw as a reference to a specific topic, but it satisfied my adult self as well as the inner child.

    I've enjoyed nothing on TV this much since the demise of Bab5. Watch it. It's good.

    --
    Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton!
  34. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by fartymenams · · Score: 2, Informative

    Not only have they gone after the non-existent WMD's in Iraq, but also capital punishment and the population being controlled by cable news channels...

  35. I've always thought UK Scifi was missing something by Colin+Smith · · Score: 1

    Women in Lycra!

    I mean, come one! Jeri Lynn Ryan! It's so obvious now that you point it out.

    --
    Deleted
  36. Christmas special by jangobongo · · Score: 2, Informative
    Originally, I was going to ask if it is possible to make a Christmas special that doesn't suck (a la The Star Wars Holiday Special, but then I came across this, where it says:
    "Russell is giving nothing away about what will happen in the Christmas special, although he does reveal that there will be a regeneration sequence in which ninth Doctor Chris becomes tenth Doctor David."
    That actually sounds like it could be interesting. The article also gives away some other small spoilers.
    --

    Sig cancelled due to lack of interest
    1. Re:Christmas special by Jagrafess · · Score: 1

      Actually, Eccelston is going to regernate into David Tennant at the end of tomorrow night's episode, so Tennant will be in the Christmas Special.

    2. Re:Christmas special by orac2 · · Score: 1

      I was going to ask if it is possible to make a Christmas special that doesn't suck

      You have obviously never seen the Christmas specials for either Father Ted or The Office, or actually a whole bunch of UK television shows. It only appears to be the Western side of the Atlanltic that dictates that Christmas Special = Sacharine Pap. :)

      --
      "Just once, I'd like to meet an alien menace that wasn't immune to bullets." -- The Brigadier, Dr. Who
    3. Re:Christmas special by Neil · · Score: 1
      Originally, I was going to ask if it is possible to make a Christmas special that doesn't suck

      "Christmas Specials" on UK TV are rather different to US "Holiday Specials", I think. When the BBC say that they are doing a "christmas special" they mean they are producing a one-off episode of a popular series (probably an extended length / bigger budget episode) which will get its first broadcast as a featured highlight of their Christmas programming.

      There often is nothing "christmassy" about the actual programme content - it's just a special treat for the viewer which is broadcast at Christmas time (or, if you're more cynical, a attempted ratings grab by the broadcaster, transmitted at a time when lots of people are sitting at home watching TV!).

  37. older episodes by bobalu · · Score: 1

    Ah, you should definitely be able to find some tapes of the older episodes. I've been watching a few lately because the heat has kept me upstairs and I just have a VCR there. It's really interesting to see how the different doctors played the part, and if you've ever considered the "Mary Ann vs. Ginger" question there are a number of lovely companions to check out.

    --
    The revolution will NOT be televised.
  38. Re:The question is... by BurntNickel · · Score: 1

    Dr. who?

    Yes.

    --
    And the knowledge that they fear is a weapon to be used against them...
  39. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by SamSim · · Score: 1

    Well, the episode "The Long Game" deals with the manipulation of individuals through the media, specifically the news. Take a look at the current state of Fox News and so on and I'm sure we can all find something to nod knowingly at...

    It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilise an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote..."
    Anybody else thinking the word "terrorism"?
  40. Christmas special? by Yankel · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm happy about a third season already being confirmed. However... Christmas special... what's up with that?

    [TARDIS materializes on a cold Arctic plane.. The Doctor and Rose walk out shivering..]

    Rose: Where are we, Doctor?
    Doctor: Oi! The North Pole, of course -- 25 c.e. We're here to witness the first time Jesus delivers gifts to children around the world.
    Rose: What the...?

    --
    --- Dan
  41. Re:The reserved British... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    French and British you say... that means you have the characteristics of both...

    You're shit in bed, and you have bad breath.

  42. Eccleston made a good doctor. by Goalie_Ca · · Score: 2, Funny

    I must admit i had never really heard of doctor who until the new series was shown on cbc. It's not something that's shown on space even. I don't really have a frame of reference to compare Eccleston to but I thought he did a very good job.

    I was also kind of happy they kept the daleks with the R2D2 design. I heard they were going to switch to some spider like thing. Don't mess with success or you'll end up like star trek ;)

    One thing that does annoy me is the short season. 13 episodes hardly feels like enough. At least it was longer than the hockey season. Movie night in canada is hardly the beer drinking hot wing fest that hockey night in canada used to be.

    --

    ----
    Go canucks, habs, and sens!
    1. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by Alioth · · Score: 1

      The Daleks, I think, are rather good. Unlike most aliens, they don't look like humans - inside the Dalek machine is a bizarre, octopus-like creature. Not many SF programmes do that sort of thing.

      If you want to see some older Dr. Who (wobbly scenery and all), then get a BitTorrent client and head on out to The Pirate Bay - there's some episodes floating around there. Be on the lookout for "The Genesis of the Daleks". Tom Baker is widely thought of as the best Doctor of the old series.

    2. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by British · · Score: 1

      If you want to see some older Dr. Who (wobbly scenery and all), then get a BitTorrent client and head on out to The Pirate Bay - there's some episodes floating around there. Be on the lookout for "The Genesis of the Daleks". Tom Baker is widely thought of as the best Doctor of the old series.

      I bittorrented Genesis like 3 weeks ago(thanks to whoever ripped it), and it was better than I remembered. It had a very involved plot, a decent budget, and overall yes, one of the best Doctor Who stories ever.

      It didn't wrap things up in 5 minutes like the new series, thankfully.

    3. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Actually before the era when Space Channel was synonymous with Star Trek Channel ,they played a lot of Dr Who, and Lost in Space. That was when the channel first started, in the late 90s...

      What's too bad is that many of the episodes are missing, so there were many holes in the storylines... Plus I didn't like it back then. The new show - much better :)

    4. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by aonaran · · Score: 1

      It's not something that's shown on space even. I don't really have a frame of reference to compare Eccleston to but I thought he did a very good job.


      Try BBC Kids if you have Cable/Satellite.

    5. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by 91degrees · · Score: 1

      One thing that does annoy me is the short season. 13 episodes hardly feels like enough.

      Short!? Most BBC shows last for 6 episodes.

    6. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by gbjbaanb · · Score: 1

      Remember - Quality, not Quantity.

    7. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by belroth · · Score: 1
      Sad who fan speaking:
      The daleks are the result of forced directed evolution of the Thals who are/were humanoid. Thus the Daleks are what we could become if follow an unremittingly militaristic and depersonalising path - and people wonder if Who is pointing up any moral comment on world trends now, never mind 1963!

      The same sort of comments could also apply to the cybermen (Pertwees favourite monster) who appear in series 2 (or 28?) iirc.

      --
      I hereby inform you that I have NOT been required to provide any decryption keys.
    8. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by TomV · · Score: 1

      As ever, the continuity's full of holes in the cause of good storytelling, so the Daleks have two evolutionary origins in the old series - either they're the accidentally mutated descendents of the peace-loving scholarly Dals who lost a nuclear war with the Thals, (while the Thals evolved into peaeful humanoids) - this is the version in the first Dalek story, by Terry Nation.

      Or, in Genesis Of The Daleks in 1975 (also by Nation), the Daleks are the forcibly mutated descendents of the nazi-like militant Kaleds created in an experiment towards the end of their rather more bilateral thousand year war with the similarly nasty Thals.

      Either way they were a clear Nazi allegory, with a huge side order of Perils Of The Nuclear Arms Race.

    9. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by belroth · · Score: 1
      I was assuming there was a 'logical' path from Genesis to Daleks - either that Daleks was towards the end of the Dalek story and they had regressed a bit or that Daleks was set (a long time) after Genesis but before they gain the ability to rampage round the galaxy. I prefer the second hypothesis.
      As you say continuity was never a strong point of the series.

      I'm not too convinced about the Nazi Allegory (despite the uniform worn by Nyder in Genesis) - to me it's more of a cautionary tale about following a too de-humanising and militarisitc path. Similar but not quite the same. Dr Who did just as much in the way of cautionary tales as Doomwatch without being so heavy-handed about it, think The Seeds of Doom, The Green Death, Inferno etc.

      --
      I hereby inform you that I have NOT been required to provide any decryption keys.
    10. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by TomV · · Score: 1

      It's not so much the timing (The Daleks was certainly, as you say, a long time after Genesis) - the trouble is that when the Thals are explaining the history of Skaro in The Daleks, they give us the "Dals" version of history. While Iwouldn't belive a word the Daleks say, I'm more inclined to believe the Thals, and this version was considered pretty definitive until Genesis aired 12 years later.

      That's just the TV series - in the Century 21 comic strips of the 1960's, Terry Nation also provided a third origin where the Dalekswere thr product of a mad scientist, this time a Dal named Yarvelling (rather than a Kaled called Davros as in Genesis).

      And fans have fights about Canon? It's a non-starter in my view :)

    11. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by belroth · · Score: 1
      I've got a lot of Century 21 in the loft - I'll have to re-read them one day if they're not too brittle now :-(

      Another way of looking at it is that the TV series show the Doctors personal time line and that he has changed 'objective' reality several times so that there really aren't any continuity problems - all the apparent contradictions are only showing different states of external reality at different points in the Drs (or the Tardis?) peregrinations.

      --
      I hereby inform you that I have NOT been required to provide any decryption keys.
    12. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by TomV · · Score: 1

      Interestingly, without spoilering I hope, tonight's episode partly redefined what the daleks allegorise, making them a more contemporary demon for a 2005 audience rather than a 1963 one.

    13. Re:Eccleston made a good doctor. by rikkards · · Score: 1

      What is funny for me is in the HHGTG books when they talk about the Krikket robots, I always imagined the Cybermen with a cricket bat.

  43. Re:Badwolf by SamSim · · Score: 1

    Pretty sure the Master isn't going to appear in this series. RTD is trying to bring in new viewers, not alienate everybody except existing fans, which is what bringing in the Master would achieve.

    I think the Bad Wolf references are all attempts by the Controller to get the Doctor's attention, my opinion is outlined in more detail on my Bad Wolf page here. I'm also of the opinion that the mysterious "They survived through me!" voice is the Face of Boe...

  44. Dr Who roll on? by artemis67 · · Score: 1

    Strong enough for a man... but made for a Time Lord.

  45. So who is this doctor you mentioned? by spun · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes.

    His name?

    Who.

    The doctor!

    Doctor Who!

    I don't know, you brought him up! So what's his name?

    No, Who is his name. Watt inevented the steam engine...

    What invented the steam engine?!? Who were we talking about?

    Yes.

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    1. Re:So who is this doctor you mentioned? by davidmcw · · Score: 1

      Ahhh, its good to see the old classics getting rolled up and dusted off a bit sometimes.

      For anyone that doesn't know abou the classic, here you go http://www.whos-on-first.com/, bloody brilliant. I remember seeing it for the first time when I was about 8 or nine and crying with laughter.

      --
      Just because your paranoid doesn't really mean they aren't out to get you
    2. Re:So who is this doctor you mentioned? by gbjbaanb · · Score: 1

      In the first eipsode. where Rose and the Doctor are walking round the garages (the same garages twice..) they had a little conversation where I'm sure this was in mind...

      Rose: So what's your name?
      Doctor: The Doctor
      Rose: Doctor what?
      Doctor: That's right, The Doctor.
      Rose: yes, but what's your name?
      Doctor: just The Doctor.

      (or something like that).

  46. Dr. Rose by glrotate · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Who has turned into a miserable chick flick. While Piper is cute enough, I really don't need a Sci-Fi Gimore Girls or Dawson Creek.

    Not to mention the weak attempt at social commentary, "No Doctor, don't kill the Dalek, then you'll be just as evil as he is", or the constant references to the UN as if it were a legitimate institution.

    Bottom Line: Eccelston is very good, Piper is cute, the chemistry is good, but the writing is way too estrogen infused.

    1. Re:Dr. Rose by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Speaking of Dawson's Creek, you know what's funny? Apparently, if you want a gay character on a TV show, you name him Jack:
      • Dawson's Creek: Jack McPhee
      • Will & Grace: Jack McFarland
      • Dr. Who: Jack Harkness
      What's up with that?
    2. Re:Dr. Rose by oli_hd · · Score: 1

      Yeah well it beats US import junk like Enterprise which is all about getting on with people, making new friends and such like. :-)

    3. Re:Dr. Rose by RyatNrrd · · Score: 1

      At least chicks will watch it now, which is more than could be said for Dr Who right through the 80s. A year ago, I would never have thought that I could be watching Dr Who with my young wife, hearing her say: "Wow, finally the BBC are making some decent television."

    4. Re:Dr. Rose by jmelloy · · Score: 1

      Jack Harkness isn't gay, he's bi.

      Think in the ancient greek sense of the word -- if it's an orifice, he'll put it in there.

    5. Re:Dr. Rose by Neil · · Score: 1
      [...] or the constant references to the UN as if it were a legitimate institution.

      I don't think that this is wierdo social commentary by the programme makers - it's a cultural difference. We (the British) are no longer a global imperial power. On balance most of our TV writers / producers / directors / actors / viewers probably do regard the UN as a "legitimate institution".

      Admittedly, the suggestion in the Aliens of London / World War Three story that within a couple of years the UN will hold the UK nuclear launch codes in escrow was not very plausable. I think it's forced on the writer by the requirements of the plot, rather than something that he thinks is really likely to happen.

    6. Re:Dr. Rose by mink · · Score: 1

      The reason they keep mentioning the UN is because of U.N.I.T. from previous Dr. Who series and eaths seeming only line of defense (that still got it's ass handed to it). U.N.I.T. stood for United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. I do not know if the New U.N.I.T. we see in the 2 parter about the Slitheen is the same as the old one.

      --
      Well I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years doctor, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
  47. Free copy of "Honey to the B" for Insightful mods by Dogtanian · · Score: 3, Funny

    Here's the full interview with Billie Piper:

    Interviewer: Thank you for agreeing to chat with us, Billie. First off, why did you decide to stay on 'Doctor Who' for another series?
    Billie: Because I want to! Because I want to!
    Interviewer: I see... so your enthusiasm for the show is as strong as ever. I'm sure the fans will be pleased to hear that. The other question everyone's been asking is.... why you always run around in crowds?
    Billie: Because I want to! Because I want to!
    Interviewer: Why d'you always have to dance all night?
    Billie: Because I want to! Because I want to!
    Interviewer: Why d'you always say what's on your mind?
    Billie: Because I want to! Because I want to!
    Interviewer: Uh, it doesn't sound like you have a lot on your mind. What makes you think you can get away with palming one-dimensional answers off on your fans?
    Billie: I can do anything that I want, I can, I can, I can, I can do anything that I want
    Interviewer: Finally, in response to rumours of your sexuality, the question everyone wants an answer to- "Do you have a girlfriend?"

    (Billie kicks the interviewer where it hurts and storms off).

    --
    "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  48. Re:Badwolf by neil.pearce · · Score: 1

    Who knows?

    If you really want to spoil it, you can visit Outpost Gallifrey.
    You'll need to sign up and then modify your user settings so you can get into the "spoiler" forum group.

    The final episode was shown Wednesday night at some BAFTA shindig, where they also talked about the new series.

    The entire synopsis is posted for those who can't wait.

  49. They sort-of did a special once before by jd · · Score: 1
    "Feast of Steven" (episode 7 of "The Dalek Masterplan") was a christmassy pause in the story and was taken even further into the realms of a special when William Hartnell broke out of character and wished the audience a merry christmas. (As editing didn't exist, back then, there was nothing the BBC could do at the time, though the Director and Producer were said to be furious. Strangely, this story was never sold overseas and was never placed in the BBC archives.)


    There have also been Christmas spin-offs for Doctor Who, including a rather naff pop song titled "I want a Dalek for Christmas".

    --
    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)
  50. Yeah But by Greyfox · · Score: 1, Informative
    The Daleks couldn't even chase you if the building you ran into wasn't handcap-accessable! Yeah there was that rocket thing in a later episode but that was just plain awkward and I bet a lot of Daleks gave their lives testing the prototypes! If they're as smart as they think they are (And they HAVE somehow managed to oppress a LARGE chunk of the universe at various times) then you'd think they could design a body that could GO UP STAIRS.

    Of course, the robotic spider body should still have the toilet plunger laser gun...

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:Yeah But by LordJezo · · Score: 1

      Have you seen this series?

      They levitate all over the place now.

    2. Re:Yeah But by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Check Wikipedia.

      "Real Daleks don't climb stairs; they level the building."

      Puts in perspective just how much they make up for any shortcoming with sheer power and destruction.

      And they float too, but only when you get them excited.

    3. Re:Yeah But by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, and even the toilet plunger is scary now. One of them used it to suck a guy's face off.

      No joke!

    4. Re:Yeah But by belroth · · Score: 1

      In the first Dalek adventure (the Daleks 21/12/63) the Daleks were powered by 'static' electricity and had to stay on the metal floors of their city.

      --
      I hereby inform you that I have NOT been required to provide any decryption keys.
  51. Re:Badwolf by Alioth · · Score: 1

    The Daleks killed Davros in "The Genesis of the Daleks" (a 1975 6-parter, with Tom Baker as The Doctor).

    Of course that doesn't exclude the possibility that the Daleks have created a Davros-replacement as their new 'supreme Dalek' since then.

  52. 3rd Series? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    this is 29th series not 3rd

  53. They survived through me! by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 1
    and get pretty shaky when I have to wait a whole week
    I bet you're having a really hard time this week!
    --
    Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
    1. Re:They survived through me! by djdavetrouble · · Score: 1

      its the worst ever. I'm about to jump out of my skin I want to see the next episode so badly ! I'll be poking bittorrent trying to get it to go faster tomorrow night.

      --
      music lover since 1969
  54. One significant difference by jd · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The number of episodes in a season has dropped over time. The original few seasons had 40+ episodes. By Tom Baker's era, this had dropped to 25, and Sylvester McCoy's was down to 12.


    This makes a big difference, as it mean that early stories could be longer if needed (6-part and 8-part stories were not uncommon, and the longest was 13), which made for potentially richer stories. On the flip-side, the actors were pushed to their physical limits and there simply wasn't that much time available for script editing or rehearsal.


    The practical upshot is that modern stories have to sell on impact (there isn't time for an in-depth plot), whereas older stories had to sell on plot twists (otherwise nobody would tune in next week).


    Personally, I think the 25 episode format was the ideal balance and I wish they would switch back to that. Since Dr Who has proven so popular in its revival, it is possible the BBC might do that. Especially as the actors are only lasting one season anyway. The BBC might as well get the most for its money.

    --
    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)
    1. Re:One significant difference by Hognoxious · · Score: 1
      "Sylvester McCoy's was down to 12."

      Which is about 13 too many, IMHO.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    2. Re:One significant difference by trevick · · Score: 1

      The old shows were 25 minutes long (though I believe they switched to a 45 minutes format with Colin Baker); the new series' episodes are 45 minutes long, so the 13 episodes of the new series is roughly equivalent to the 26 episodes of the old.

      As you mentioned, the old series' episodes were longer. During the Tom Baker era, most seasons were made up of 5 4-parters (the equivalent of a two-parter in the new series) and one 6-parter. The new series had 3 two-parters and 7 one-parters and the second season will follow the same formula.

      I do agree that the one-part 45-minute episodes don't allow enough time for the kind of plot development we're used to. I hope they decide to do more two-parters for the third season.

  55. Re:Badwolf by Anonymous+Cowpat · · Score: 2, Funny

    duh, it's gonna be the Master in Davros' chair wearing a Cyberman outfit. I mean, what else could it be?

    --
    FGD 135
  56. regenerations by dpilot · · Score: 1

    But they handled the Paul McGann regeneration so well, especially bringing in Sylvester McCoy, and the Frankenstein footage...

    --
    The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
    1. Re:regenerations by RyatNrrd · · Score: 1

      Actually Russel T Davies reckons that's part of the the reason there wasn't an 8th doctor series - after years off air, the first thing that happens in the McGann movie is that he lands on earth and dies. Then dozens of precious minutes sneak by while he comes back to life, and explains what's going on, and before you knew it the film was half over and all the main character has done is died.

      I reckon RTD got it right this time. Maybe there can be some flashback or explanation for how McGann became Eccleston, but now Tennant's in the role and the kids understand it well enough, it seems less and less relevant.

  57. Re:Badwolf by mormop · · Score: 1

    SHIT! That's it!..... That where that bloody Bin Laden's been hiding out!

    --
    Hmmmmmm..... Deep fried and look like Squirrel.
  58. Re:Badwolf by Tony+Hoyle · · Score: 2, Informative

    IMDB us useless as a resource.. anyone can edit it, and they frequently do. I wouldn't read anything into stuff written there, any more than I do slashdot.

    Davros would be too fanwanky to appear really.. RTD so far hasn't used any characters from the previous series (except the Daleks). The hot favourites at the moment are the Metaltron or the other bloke he chucked out of the tardis with the entire Satellite 5 database in his head.

    David Tennent is in this weeks episode according to Radio Times (which *is* accurate). If the regeneration isn't happening until christmas then it could well be another watcher.

  59. Re:Badwolf by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    If they had really killed Davros, he wouldn't have returned in Destiny of the Daleks, Ressurection of the Daleks, Revelation of the Daleks and Rememberance of the Daleks. The Dalek backstory was richer and more plausible before the introduction of the Davros character, sadly his introduction relegated the daleks to cameo appearances.

  60. Leela? by charlieo88 · · Score: 1

    not quite the same as the women wearing lycra in Star Trek, but we Brits are a bit more reserved

    What was her name? Leela? Tom Baker's companion in the scanty animal skins. Brits helped pioneer the field, women in lycra is just the penulitmate expression of it.

    1. Re:Leela? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This word you use... I do not think it means what you think it means.

  61. Re:Badwolf by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's Rose. Even the name gives it away, "Parting of the Ways". Rose is the darkness. Go look at the evidence of the series and you'll see it clear as day. One more day to find out.

  62. Re:Badwolf by rizzo5 · · Score: 2

    Please oh please someone mod parent funny. I haven't had any mod points recently since someone modded one of my posts troll. I've been metamoderating like crazy lately trying to get them back, but so far no luck. But the parent post just doubled me over in hysterics.

  63. Re:I wish I could say this more diplomatically... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Flamebait

  64. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are you saying that terrorists don't exist? Obviously that's not true. People die all the time from terrorism. And sometime lots of people die in a day from terrorism (World Trade Center)

    Are you saying that terrorists aren't really an enemy? Obviously that isn't true.

    Are you saying that terrorists are not a threat? That might be debatable.

    Are you saying that terrorism is the wrong word and the US should be fighting terrorists?

  65. Re:Badwolf by ettlz · · Score: 1

    You're all wrong! It's Darl McBride!

  66. Re:Exterminate the Writer/Producer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I calibrate my gaydar by watching DW confidential

  67. They are worldwide political issues, my friend. by CyricZ · · Score: 1

    Actually, I'm British. I'm not American. And no, the political issues I listed affect the entire world.

    Don't forget that countries like Britain, Italy, Poland, and many other non-American countries are stuck in the Iraqi quagmire. There are young British men and women being sent over to places like Iraq and Afghanistan only to be blown to bits by some roadside bomb, just like is happening to American troops. Numerous British and other non-American citizenry are being held in places like Guantanamo Bay, and innocent Iraqi citizens were (are?) tortured and molested in places like the Abu-Ghraib concentration camp.

    All of those issues take place outside of America (ie. Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba), and involve many non-American citizens living in many non-American countries. To call them "U.S. of A. political issues" is an act of foolery!

    But from the responses I've gotten, it is good to hear that this show deals with such world issues, since most American media will not.

    --
    Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
    1. Re:They are worldwide political issues, my friend. by Scrameustache · · Score: 1

      All of those issues take place outside of America (ie. Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba), and involve many non-American citizens living in many non-American countries. To call them "U.S. of A. political issues" is an act of foolery!

      Well, when you say it like that. Yeah...

      Then again, I don't particularly like transparent political actualities in my time-travel stories, so combine that with a bad mood and you got me coming down on you hard for asking for it ;-)

      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    2. Re:They are worldwide political issues, my friend. by CyricZ · · Score: 1

      I'm glad we agree these are world issues, and must be dealt with on a global scale.

      --
      Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
    3. Re:They are worldwide political issues, my friend. by Scrameustache · · Score: 1

      I'm glad we agree these are world issues, and must be dealt with on a global scale.

      I only know of one country where these "issues" need debating though.
      The rest of the world pretty much goes "what? Torture? That ain't right at all" and doesn't require TV to do a mock debate on when you can become the monsters you replaced or not...

      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

  68. More reserved? by LarryVance · · Score: 1

    From the creators of Benny Hill?

    --
    Larry Vance Never Underestimate Your Influence!
  69. Best thing on TV at the moment by jregel · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I have watched previous Dr Who series but the current series has me absolutely gripped. It is the best thing on TV at the moment.

    This is largely in part due to the fantastic performances by Chris Eccleston and Billie Piper. The enthusiasm that they both bring to their roles is infectious and I spent the entire first episode with a silly grin on my face, loving every minute of it.

    The Bad Wolf arc has kept certain newsgroups chattering for the last couple of months and it looks like a lot of threads will be tied up tomorrow.

    The saddest thing is that Eccleston is not coming back. His successor has a lot to live up to.

  70. Re:Badwolf by BoneFlower · · Score: 1

    Not sure about the Master, but I expect it to be a Time Lord.

    Think, Bad Wolf. What is the Bad Wolf that people are most frightened of? The "wolf in sheeps clothing". My theory goes like this- The Time Lords had the upper hand in the Time War. The Daleks were about to lose, and decisevely so. Until a Time Lord switched sides and lead the Daleks to victory, until the Doctor "destroyed" them, but the Time Lord leading them, who the Doctor was unaware of, managed to get them to travel through time to a point they could regroup and take over.

    The long, subtle plan isn't the work of a Dalek after all. Not immediately aggressive like a good Dalek, something that would be done by someone who thinks in the VERY long term- a nearly immortal master of time and space, thats the sort of person to play such a long game. Not that Daleks are stupid, but this doesn't seem like anything a dalek would come up with, not their style. But a traitorous Time Lord... Definitely.

    So the Bad Wolf is a Time Lord that appeared to be a good guy, then turned on Gallifrey at the critical moment. Who knows, maybe the Doctor knows of this Time Lords existence, but due to the betrayal has refused to accept him as a fellow Time Lord, sort of how true Star Wars fans refuse to accept the Holidy SPecial.

  71. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

    Yes.... there are various references towards mass media moguls controlling the public, there has been a reference towards guantanamo in bad wolf (you are arrested and sentenced without trial....) etc... once you look deeper the whole series is highly sarcastic, and pretty dark.

  72. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by solios · · Score: 1

    You've summed up the first ten episodes, give or take some filler.

    Next question!

  73. Re:Badwolf by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

    Davros was killed about five times in the series so far, I would not even think, that the timelords are gone forever. One thing with Dr. Who is that the authors can do pretty much anything plotwise without having hordes of screaming fans at their door screaming, that they broke the prime directive :-)

  74. Could anyone PLEASE air Dr Who in Germany! by Dr.+Hok · · Score: 2, Informative
    I mean, seriously, what have we done that we never get to see him?

    BTW: Wanna play a fine game of Dalek on J2ME? http://home.arcor.de/heiko.selber/Dalek/Dalek.html

    --
    Say out loud: I'm an Aspie and I'm somewhat proud, I guess. Uh. Can I write an email in all caps instead? Hm...
    1. Re:Could anyone PLEASE air Dr Who in Germany! by 68kmac · · Score: 1

      Vox aired a few random episodes at an impossible time (around 11am, IIRC) a couple of years ago. No wonder it wasn't a success ...

    2. Re:Could anyone PLEASE air Dr Who in Germany! by Baron_Yam · · Score: 1

      Umm... invaded Poland?

    3. Re:Could anyone PLEASE air Dr Who in Germany! by RyatNrrd · · Score: 1

      Ssh, don't mention the War.

    4. Re:Could anyone PLEASE air Dr Who in Germany! by Jarlsberg · · Score: 1
      Could anyone PLEASE air Dr Who in Germany!
      I mean, seriously, what have we done that we never get to see him?

      Sssh, everybody, whatever you do, don't mention the war...

      ;)

  75. And SCIFI channel wont show any of them by zymano · · Score: 1

    Great.

  76. problem solved. by floron · · Score: 1

    thirteen? no, no, you misheard. i said thirty.

  77. Is regeneration akin to resurrection? by plehmuffin · · Score: 1

    Regeneration sequence on Christmas? Remember that this is from the actor-writer team which brought us The Second Coming. Expect controversial, semi-subversive religious allegory.

    1. Re:Is regeneration akin to resurrection? by TomV · · Score: 1

      Semi-subversive? The second episode of the new series, "The End Of The World", starts with a shot of a space station in the year five billion and a voiceover of a welcome announcement ending with "Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation devices, and religion". I think Russell T Davies has already covered that one.

      The 2005 special's called "The Christmas Invasion", and Russell says it's got Santa in it. I'm SO excited! :)

  78. WOW I cant believe theres not one post... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    saying how much Dr. Who sucks.

    But I am ready to help. Want a jelly baby?

  79. Die Hard by uberdave · · Score: 1

    Die Hard is one of my brother's favorite Christmas specials.

  80. Davies, religion and Christmas by plehmuffin · · Score: 1
    Many people's reaction upon reading 'christmas special' is 'huh?'

    It's important to keep in mind that Russell T. Davies is someone who's not afraid to tackle controversial subjects, and that includes religion. For prove that he can pull it off, I recommend you to check out another Russell T. Davies production (featuring none other than Christopher Eccleson), which intelligently handled the subject of christianity: The Second Coming.

  81. The stand out - absolute stand out... by mwooller · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...from all of this, has to be Piper. Talentless teen pop sensation turned geek posterchild. She made this series - she actually WAS this series (her character is and is responsible for BAD WOLF) and she has defied every criticism I could ever think of. When she was announced I cringed - now I am whooping with joy - far more than CE, she MADE this (UK meaning of) series. Very happy Who fan...

    1. Re:The stand out - absolute stand out... by t_allardyce · · Score: 2, Interesting

      She needs to get her kit off for the late-night Christmas special thats for sure..

      --
      This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
  82. Lucky by mattsucks · · Score: 1
    It looks like us lucky Brits will be getting a Dr Who christmas special, plus a third series has been commissioned.
    It looks like "lucky" means something different in British English that it does in American English.
    1. Re:Lucky by chawly · · Score: 1

      In this context - it is hereby proven - "lucky" means what you want or need it to mean, in British English. (my 20 centimes de Euro worth)

      --
      How many beans make five, anyhow ? ... Charles Walmsley
  83. I disagree by schon · · Score: 1

    Rose can't hold a candle to Lady Romana.

    Lady Romana is best. Rose is second (or third, depending on if you count Romana as one or two.)

  84. Make that... by Robotech_Master · · Score: 1

    ...us lucky people with broadband.

    The Doctor Who episodes torrent just fine. Can't wait for Sunday when I get to see the season finale!

    --
    Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
  85. Extortion by slashmojo · · Score: 1
    Can't help thinking that whoever gets to play the doctor in his final regeneration will have auntie over a barrel!

    Umm.. that didn't come out right.. *the bbc* over a barrel.. ;)

    1. Re:Extortion by chawly · · Score: 1

      Liked it ! Still laughing ! True too.

      --
      How many beans make five, anyhow ? ... Charles Walmsley
  86. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is useless to discuss politics on slashdot. There is a very high percentage of socialists who will not allow logical arguements or facts get in the way of the opinion that they have been told to have. Let me sum up. US is bad. Republicans are bad. FoxNews is evil propaganda, Al Jazeera and NPR only speak the truth. GWB is either an evil criminal mastermind or a chimp being controlled by Halliburton.

  87. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Every time you hear the word "terrorist", try replacing it with "freedom fighter".

    Oh, and vice versa of course.

  88. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by TomV · · Score: 1

    Not only "massive weapons of destruction", but also the crashing of a flying vehicle into a landmark tall building (in London) with a dummy pilot to distract attention from the enemy's real identity, to provide a decoy from the real plan, to conquer the Earth just to plunder its resources for a quick buck. As for "Boom Town", it's practically a philosophy lesson (with running and explosions and the only-just-averted End of the World, plus a nice supper at a decent restaurant).

  89. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by RyatNrrd · · Score: 1

    Absolutely. Russel T Davies is proving to be something of a modern, big, gay, Welsh version of Ben Elton. It's all good.

  90. Feast of Steven script by RyatNrrd · · Score: 1

    The script for Feast of Steven is available, with all the other missing episodes, here.

  91. This year?? by RyatNrrd · · Score: 1

    I'd say, "Major concept shortage for the last five years". I mean, what percentage of movies this century have been re-makes of old ones, or adaptations of TV series or books? Or, while we're at it, TRILOGIES?

  92. bad wolf ? Arc Story ? by Nik+Picker · · Score: 1

    Hmmm JMS called ... we wants his plot device back !

    --
    And thats why Firecrackers and kittens don't mix.
  93. Dr. Who on CBC TV by Easy2RememberNick · · Score: 1

    You can watch Dr. Who on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Tuesdays nights.

    Get out those rabbit ears you border huggers!

    1. Re:Dr. Who on CBC TV by Larry+Lightbulb · · Score: 1

      Channel 99 on Comcast in Seattle.

  94. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The torture of innocents? I think you mean the torture of guilty.

  95. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by Mard · · Score: 1

    And sometime lots of people die in a day from terrorism (World Trade Center).

    I'm sorry, besides the Americans that we've placed in Iraq for the terrorist's convenience, about 10 Americans have died in terrorist attacks since 9/11, worldwide. That's like 3 people per year? Compared to the hundreds, neigh, THOUSANDS of Americans, Iraqis, Afghanis, and Brits that have died as the result of the wars we started since then...

    So they get lucky once, and we make people who had nothing to do with it (innocent citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan, caught in the crossfire of us and their defending armies) suffer. Excuse me, suffer is too weak a word here: We make them die.

    Terrorism is a nuisance, at best, when compared to the hundreds of other more common causes of death in America (which the $BILLIONS we've spent in oversea wars could help remedy). Let's do some more comparisons, shall we? Just to show how ridiculous our reaction to 9/11 has been:

    Leading causes of death (Year of 2001) [1]:
    Heart Disease: 696,947
    Cancer: 557,271
    Stroke: 162,672 / 1,648,448 * 80,000,000,000
    Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,816
    Accidents (unintentional injuries): 106,742
    Diabetes: 73,249
    Influenza/Pneumonia: 65,681
    Alzheimer's disease: 58,866
    Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 40,974
    Septicemia: 33,865

    So let's see... top 10 sources of death in the US; total number of causalties to these total 1,921,083 people. Or (very) roughly 0.7% of the nation's population. Terrorism related deaths in the US in the year 2001 was um.... 2,986. A statistically insignificant number, once put into proper perspective. The ECONOMIC toll was obviously far greater, and is really immeasureable (though likely just as trivial...our economy recovered before Bush's first term ended). But terrorism is typically aimed at ending lives, not harming economies, which is what makes 9/11 quite distinctive, in my mind. Well, besides the whole crusade that followed.

    So, let's take the (rough estimate, but easily agreeable) number of 80 billion dollars. Eighty billion spent in Iraq and Afganistan combined, to kill citizens and defending armies in the name of fighting terrorism. Well, we did catch some terrorists too. (Wait, are you a terrorist before or after you cause an act of terror? Nevermind, that's neither here nor there.)

    Let's "fight" the five leading causes of death in 2001, and distribute this $80,000,000,000 proportionately amongst them:

    #1 - Heart Disease: 696,947 / 1,648,448 * 80,000,000,000 = $33,823,183,988.82
    Let's write $33.8 Billion in checks to various Heart Disease research facilities and charities, and better educate people on the need to exercise and eat right. Hell, we could give a tax cut to people who eat right. Better than a tax cut "just for the hell of it," as per Bush's policy.

    #2 - Cancer: 557,271 / 1,648,448 * 80,000,000,000 = $27,044,638,350.74
    Let's write $27 Billion in checks to research facilities and charities to investigate new treatments to various cancers, and to better educate the population on prevention. Hell, we can find out what causes most of them while we're at it.

    #3 - Stroke: 162,672 / 1,648,448 * 80,000,000,000 = $7,894,552,937.07
    Let's give $7.89 Billion to stroke researches. Find a way to detect possible strokes before they occur. Find treatments to help mend damage which may lead to a stroke. Educate people on how to stay healthy (*cough*...)

    #4 - Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,816 / 1,648,448 * 80,000,000,000 = $6,057,382,459.14
    Let's give $6.06 Billion to figure out what Chronic lower respiratory diseases are... Think emphysema is included in this? Asthma? So let's raise air quality levels with that $6.06 Billion, and educate people as to why they shouldn't smoke.

    #5 - Accidents: 106,742 / 1,648,448 * 80,000,000,000 = Hell, do I even need to bother here? After spending billions on the above, people should get the point that their unhealthy lifestyles are s

    --
    DRM = Digitally Restricted Media. This is a viral sig, pass it on.
  96. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by dangitman · · Score: 1

    Welshie! Nooooo!!!

    --
    ... and then they built the supercollider.
  97. Nott much fun in Stalingrad by Dr.+Hok · · Score: 1
    Ssh, don't mention the War

    Ve didn't have much fun in Stalingrad... http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/nthmine.htm

    --
    Say out loud: I'm an Aspie and I'm somewhat proud, I guess. Uh. Can I write an email in all caps instead? Hm...
  98. Re:Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues by dangerousvegetable · · Score: 1

    Don't forget the torture of a poor little DALEK, which earnt the DVD a higher age rating. Even if the enemy is DALEK bad, is it right to torture them?