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First Impressions of the 11th Doctor Who
Mirk writes "The first episode of Doctor Who's new series 5 has just aired on BBC1 in the UK. This is an important episode for the show because so much has changed: Matt Smith plays the new Doctor, replacing David Tennant, and Karen Gillan portrays a new companion, Amy Pond. Maybe most important, Russell T. Davies is replaced as showrunner by Stephen Moffat, who is known for acclaimed Doctor Who scripts including The Empty Child and Blink. Here is an early review of the new Doctor, companion, showrunner, and series."
The new Doctor is quite impressive! A little bit on the stranger side, but fans of Doctor Who are no strangers to strange Doctors!
is hot.
Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
Pic 1 ;)
She is not really a police officer or a nun nor a nurse.
While Matt Smith seems capable of playing the Doctor, the new TARDIS on the other hand really was disappointing.
I'm sorry but a pinball plunger, an old typewriter and a decor that looks ripped from a kid TV show just doesn't suit the supposedly alien look of the inside of the TARDIS. Too many earth parts, levers and buttons too obvious. The new TARDIS is a pale joke compared to the previous one.
Always liked Christopher Eccleston more, he was much cooler. Tennant was also darn good though. Matt Smith got off to a decent start but as far as I'm concerned the jury is still out on him, after all we've only seen one episode so far. Didn't like the new intro music at all, a time vortex doesn't have smoke, for one, and the music was a lot worse - it didn't quite have that Doctor Who feel to it. The episode also seemed more low-budget than episodes from previous seasons, but that could be because it was the first time I've watched it in FullHD. My impression is that the acting performance was strong but almost everything else was a bit lacking, including the script. It was a still good, but I hope it gets better because I've come to expect a lot more from the show.
Indeed - "Box falls to earth; man falls out of box; man eats fish custard"
What's not to like?
"She's furniture with a pulse"
Here is a rather more intelligent take: http://iainjclark.livejournal.com/222121.html#cutid1
(for me: someone shoot Murray Gold and put a call into to Christophe Beck to write decent music)
The episode also seemed more low-budget than episodes from previous seasons, but that could be because it was the first time I've watched it in FullHD.
No, my reaction also was that the effects in this one were a bit naff. I thought that of the very first episode, too, though. Remember Mickey wrestling with the Dumpster? And the Nestene Consciousness wasn't very impressive. I figure they're just saving their budget for the best bits to come.
Breakfast served all day!
"We saw some amazing actresses for this part. But when Karen came through the door, the game was up - she was funny, clever, gorgeous and sexy. Or Scottish, which is the quick way of saying it. A generation of little girls will want to be her. And a generation of little boys will want them to be her too." -- Steven Moffat
-- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!
The Doctor is 900 years old. There are dozens of seasons.
Start with 2005, work forward. THEN go back and watch some of the classics. I like Tom Baker, but an Unearthly child is also worth a look.
Also, if you've seen even one episode, this is priceless.
-- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!
Blink
That's the one that got the current writer promoted so is a good prelude to the current series.
Unfortunately they aren't all as good as that.
[Intentionally left blank]
"The Girl in the Fireplace", which was also his, was so good, it was almost too good to be a Doctor Who episode.
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
The Dalek was not showing an English flag. It was in fact the British flag. England is no more the whole of this country than Texas is the whole of the USA. I agree that there are many Texans and English who may not fully appreciate the differences but people on /. are generally less parochial...
I'll see your Constitution and raise you a Queen.
The Doctor Who monsters from that era were priceless. My favorite was Alpha_Centauri from the Jon Pertwee "Peladon" episodes; a painted beach-ball head, a shower curtain for a costume, and six arms, the lower two sets hanging from strings below the actor's real arms. Cheesy defined!
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
...a time vortex doesn't have smoke...
Traveled through a few time vortexes have ya?
No sig for you!!
not to mention the theme itself, go read up on how it was actually made in the days before synthesisers and music-editing computer software. It was practically made before electronics were commonplace.
And you tell that they spliced individual notes together on analogue tape to the youth of today who expect to click the 'make music' button on your favourite music package and they won't believe you... (after saying "what's analogue tape")
Sorry, but your opinion is in my eyes bullshit.
I think the current series is really great
Sure, it’s not on the story complexity level of Revolver or the wow effect of Fight Club, or the thrills of Matrix...
But I don’t expect that from a weekly TV show.
And no, you don’t know more about good stories than I do, because I learned what makes a story good because of my job. (Of course I also don’t consider you bad. Because I don’t know you.)
By the way: Wannabe experts always thump that the story is so important. But in reality, the story is only one aspect. It is really the whole experience. A rollercoaster ride has no story at all, but is still a lot of fun.
So the aesthetics (including sound, behavior, everything that is styleable) are an important part.
And the technique/technology too.
In full games there also is gameplay as a fourth part.
Those parts strengthen each other. So even the charm of a character can be an essential part of what makes a whole show great.
Plus, it is very important to note, that every story has two parts: The part that Spok would enjoy. And the part that Troi would enjoy. A movie can have a complex emotional story, that us logic-loving male geeks would not even see as a story at all. Nonetheless it is just as important.
Ok, maybe that helped you get some perspective. If not, please enjoy life anyway, OK? You only have one! ^^
Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
Moffat also did The empty child/The doctor dances in the first season and Silence in the library/Forest of the dead in season 4. Considering he consistently made awesome episodes in the past I was very pleased that he's now main producer of the show.
Personally I consider both Blink and Girl in the fireplace to be extremely good. For me Blink wins out by a bit; but that's just me. What's fascinating is that Blink doesn't follow the normal Dr Who cast all that much, but he manages to introduce us to several new people and make us care more about them in 45 minutes than most shows manage for their standard cast in several seasons.
For starting Doctor Who I'd recommend going with the 2005 reboot. Every season after that kind of builds on top of it, and while the episodes are largely separate there are a lot of continuing plots as well. If you want some of the backstory I recommend watching the "Doctor Who Confidential" episodes as well. There is one for every episode and it's as 1 hour per episode. These give a lot of information and flash backs into the vast Dr Who library as well as interviews with the cast and former cast of the show. It really is an impressive "behind the scenes" presentation.
..Hugh Laurie be a Doctor? That would be interesting.