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Doctor Who To Become Hollywood Feature Film

Hugh Pickens writes writes "Variety reports that David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter films, is teaming up with the BBC to turn its iconic sci-fi TV series Doctor Who into a Hollywood franchise. 'We're looking at writers now. We're going to spend two to three years to get it right,' says Yates. 'It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena.' But not everyone is enamored with the idea of Doctor Who on the big screen. 'I fear that high production values and the inevitable sexualisation of the lead characters that a Hollywood treatment brings will destroy the show,' writes Andrew M. Brown in the Telegraph. 'The ecosystem of a great television programme is a delicate thing. Please, Hollywood, don't spoil Doctor Who."

357 comments

  1. Lol by JustAnotherIdiot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Please, Hollywood, don't spoil Doctor Who.

    That's like asking the school bully not to beat you up and take your lunch money.
    He does it every day, he's going to do it every day, and now it's your turn.

    --
    What do I know, I'm just an idiot, right?
    1. Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      You Brits don't have a thing to worry about. Hollywood will use cheap CGI and how does Eddie Murphy as Doctor Who sound?

    2. Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      I've stopped watching Who lately because it's already been spoiled by Hollywood stylings. The last few episodes I watched were the one with Van Gogh, the one with the girl who's actually dead and in software-only, and the zombie-like alien old people episode. All of them had just really sickening dramatics. I believe the library one had two or three different "Oh no, is the Doctor dead?" scenes in it where a few minutes were spent with crying out and the emotional cue music turned up. Then, the Van Gogh episode involved taking a man with mental instabilities and introducing him to time travel and seeing people in the future reacting to his works while horrifically third generation rip-off of Coldplay or Travis played extremely loudly on the soundtrack. Ever think introducing a man to the future, and quite possibly showing him works he hasn't yet made, could perhaps lead to his suicide? But no, it was a thoroughly insight-less opportunity to play the heartstrings. Even the goddamn zombie episode spent much of its time focusing on whether the two side characters were in love or not.
       
      After seeing those episodes, among others, I watched an episode where Pertwee's doctor has his companion stay behind. There were a couple of looks by the doctor before he left on his own. No soap opera modern rock soundtrack bullshit, no crying out, no soap opera bullshit. I did like the first season of Tennant, but what I've seen of what's after is just utter dreck. Grey's Anatomy is less manipulative.

    3. Re:Lol by roc97007 · · Score: 1

      You're right, and -- bonus -- we pay for the abuse. I'm thinking unless something truly amazing happens, I'll be avoiding this.

      --
      Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
    4. Re:Lol by roc97007 · · Score: 1

      I've seen I Spy. It sounds just like something Hollywood would do. Avoid at all costs.

      --
      Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
    5. Re:Lol by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      There have been a few good movies that started out as TV shows... Star Trek II of course, and... er... Transformers? The cartoon one from the 80s, not the new ones...

      Yeah, okay, odds are about 1,000,000:1 of it not sucking.

      --
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    6. Re:Lol by mikael · · Score: 0

      There was one made some time ago (1996?) The visual effects were quality as they would be, but having The Master just spitting at people like the lizards in V didn't really fit into his character.

      Shepperton Studios in London did do Dr Who movies in the 1960's. Dr Who and the Daleks take the battle to Skaro, and Daleks: Invasion Earth with London having been taken over, and robotoizing the local population in 2150.

      Perhaps they should try doing something simple like updating one of the series stories like "The Seeds of Doom". That one had people making contact with seed pods and being turning into walking pod-releasing trees in an Aliens/The Thing style.

      --
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    7. Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "Hollywood will use cheap CGI and how does Eddie Murphy as Doctor Who sound?"

      To be honest? Still better than how "The Avengers" turned out a few years ago...

    8. Re:Lol by Baloroth · · Score: 5, Funny

      Could be worse. Could be directed by Michael Bay and featuring Shia LaBeouf as Dr. Who.

      I'll take cheap CGI.

      --
      "None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
    9. Re:Lol by Pharmboy · · Score: 1

      After all, look at how great they did with Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , staying true to the original book.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    10. Re:Lol by Pope · · Score: 4, Funny

      I prefer the original series, "Inspector Spacetime."

      --
      It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
    11. Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How bout just ignoring the movie and getting on with your life?

    12. Re:Lol by cygnwolf · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I can't decide if you're being sarcastic or not, but in either case, Douglass Adams was heavily involved in writing the screenplay for the movie and stated on numerous occasions he had no intention of making any two incarnations of the Guide be the same.

      --
      Free Pie! The Pie is Also Evil!
    13. Re:Lol by wisnoskij · · Score: 3, Informative

      Only most of the time.
      Personally, while some agree, I would say that the lord of the rings trilogy was quite well done.
      and better then i would of thought possible.
      The Hannibal lector series is also, in my opinion, very good and even better then the books.

      --
      Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    14. Re:Lol by frisket · · Score: 2

      Please, Hollywood, don't spoil Doctor Who.

      I think the Op might be confusing them with someone who gives a shit.

    15. Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know Community just got knocked off the schedule, right? For those who don't watch it, Community has many kinds of geek appeal but without the kind of non-prescription glasses advertising that Big Bang Theory does. It's also one of the only two current comedies I know of that really swings for the fences (the other being Louie), which means many episodes of almost transcendent greatness mixed in with some whiffs. The Onion AV Club ranked it the 2nd best show behind Breaking Bad, and CmdrTaco recently tweeted that it's the only thing on TV that makes him laugh each week. #Sixseasonsandamovie

    16. Re:Lol by ajlitt · · Score: 4, Informative

      Just like how the original book is true to the radio series before it.

    17. Re:Lol by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

      Could be worse. Could be directed by Michael Bay and featuring Shia LaBeouf as Dr. Who.

      I'll take cheap CGI.

      Or Steven Spielberg, also featuring Shia LeBeouf, searching for his lost father. Or by George Lucas, staring Jar-Jar ... - okay, that does it, I want Eddy Murphy.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    18. Re:Lol by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      Not only will they make it, but they'll make it in 3D and charge you an extra $5 for some shit to pop off the screen. Then they'll release five different versions on DVD/blu-ray over the course of the next several years, followed by a full-on theatrical REMAKE--which will start the whole process all over again.

      And you know what? As much as fans bitch about it, they'll still shell out their money for every single release (and probably buy the comic book version too).

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    19. Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Look how well they failed when they worked with Fox (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_%281996_film%29). Perhaps the Hollywood production can just create an overhyped, overbudget B-film. That might be the best situation.

    20. Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You made my brain cry.

    21. Re:Lol by St.Creed · · Score: 1

      I only had one gripe with LotR, and that was how they portrayed Denethor. To portray him as insane in the way they did in the movie where he jumped of the cliff was much more of a cliché than what was described in the book, where he immolated himself. Basically, they changed "buddhist monk burning himself in protest" into "raging loon immolating himself by accident". I thought that was a wholly unnecessary, even counterproductive, change to the story.

      However, it was a fantastic achievement to film it like it was done. And I'm nitpicking.

      --
      Therefore, by the (faulty) logic you're using, you're just a cow with a keyboard - osu-neko (2604)
    22. Re:Lol by Synerg1y · · Score: 1

      Better yet why doesn't Yates come up with some OC? He already prevented a generation from reading HP for better or worse. Then again do kids still read? And who's actually watched Dr. who?

    23. Re:Lol by fortapocalypse · · Score: 1

      Please, Hollywood, don't spoil Doctor Who.

      That's like asking the school bully not to beat you up and take your lunch money. He does it every day, he's going to do it every day, and now it's your turn.

      I wouldn't go that far. In the case of Hitchhiker's Guide, there was just no way to ever do Douglas Adams justice. When he was alive the first movie was made, which was absolute crap and involved a papier-mâché second head on Zaphod, but everything else was forgettable. The hollywood movie did a good job on the "so long and thanks for the fish" song, but the rest was forgettable. Now the fact that only a papier-mâché head and a completely overdone song about dolphins leaving the earth are remembered from the video versions of Hitchhiker's is classic, and Adams possibly would have liked that rather than them being hailed as the bees' knees.

    24. Re:Lol by lgw · · Score: 2

      There have already been two non-canon Doctor Who feature films, starring Peter Cushing/a. I thought those were fine, by the stadards of the show at the time. Plus they were color when the show was B&E, and I really like the brightly-colored Dalaks - which made a recent reappearance, to my joy.

      The new show is very Hollywood-like already, with the ever-younger Doctor and the focus on CGI. Of cours,e the movie might stink, but there's no reason to assume so.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    25. Re:Lol by lgw · · Score: 1

      Wow, that will teach me the value of that Preview button!

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    26. Re:Lol by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 0

      I had one grip with LoTRs that made me not able to go see the final movie of the series in the theatre, and I can't even watch a rental, or even a downloaded version: They turned Frodo into a pussy. In the books he had the strength and fortitude to carry on. In the movie he was a pussy who everyone ended up having to save, and would never have made it out his front door without Sam. Now Sam was supposed to help, but it was Frodo who had the internal fortitude. That is the problem with Hollywood these days, they want to make the lead characters politically correct and show their 'vulnerable side'. They make our heroes look like pussies which are not what heroes are. I wish that guy would have stuck with making shitty slasher movies.

      --
      -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
    27. Re:Lol by lordbah · · Score: 1

      Frodo failed. In the end, he buckled.

      Bilbo was no better. "I'll hide here while someone else kills the dragon, then I'll take the loot."

      And I'm a fan of the movies.

    28. Re:Lol by chilvence · · Score: 1

      The TV series was great, what are you on? Look past the cheap bbc sci fi effects, and all the humour is there. What would make you happy, a scientific research project to surgically graft a second human head on zaphod?

    29. Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was disappointed when Faramir made the decision to take the ring in the films, when the whole point was he was a better man than his brother and let the Hobbits go in the book. (Don't quote me on when they were let go. It's been a while.)

      Re: Doctor Who - There's no way it won't be terrible. Hollywood likes to always up the ante with remakes - Mission Impossible Movie has their handle be the bad guy, new Three Musketeers film involved flying machines and large explosions, etc - but the Doctor's constantly battling against the entire fabric of the multiverse simultaneously unraveling at every point in all of time. Where can Hollywood even go?

    30. Re:Lol by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      Frodo failed quite a bit near the end. From the point of Shelob to the end he was pretty much utterly useless in the books. In the third book, I don't even see Frodo as heroic, it is Sam that keeps him moving the entire book.

      --
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    31. Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Warning! The above post was missing the foreword, "Spoiler alert!"

    32. Re:Lol by newcastlejon · · Score: 1

      I've said it before and I'll say it again: Paul McGann made a good Doctor. Far, far better than ol' Big Ears in my opinion.

      --
      If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
    33. Re:Lol by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 1

      I guess I upset a Jackson fanboy moderator.

      --
      -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
    34. Re:Lol by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but there was a lot of stuff going on up to at least that point where Frodo had demonstrated strength. IIRC in the books he was the one who got them out of the swamps where they almost got enchanted. Maybe I remember wrong, but I thought he pulled Sam out of those.

      --
      -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
    35. Re:Lol by jd · · Score: 1

      Some of his early Big Finish stories were impressive. Mind you, the first and third Stranger and Miss Brown stories were also good and showed what Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant could do with good scripts and no JNT.

      --
      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)
    36. Re:Lol by jd · · Score: 2

      The second head was actually not paper mache. It was plastic, fully animatronic and apparently exceedingly heavy. The problem was they'd no way to power it, a detail they'd completely overlooked at the time. They'd intended it to be heavily used.

      The BBC's special effects were cheap but not that bad. Their SFX crew were quite capable of actually doing a brilliant job, as they demonstrated on The Tripods.

      --
      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)
    37. Re:Lol by gd2shoe · · Score: 1

      Even the goddamn zombie episode spent much of its time focusing on whether the two side characters were in love or not.

      (without a spoiler) There's a very good reason for that story arc. If you'd seen the recent episodes, you'd know why. That arc leads through the Last Centurion to Demons Run and the season finale. It's actually a potentially significant change to the series.

      --
      I won't join Slashcott. OTOH, If Beta goes live, I just won't be back until it's fixed. Sorry Dice.
    38. Re:Lol by a_hanso · · Score: 1

      I want the CGI done by these guys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6C5_VbK6VCo (Ghana sci-fi)

    39. Re:Lol by mjwx · · Score: 1

      You Brits don't have a thing to worry about. Hollywood will use cheap CGI and how does Eddie Murphy as Doctor Who sound?

      Directed by Michael Bay,

      Lindsey Lohan will be the doctors Companion.

      The TARDIS will literally be made of explosions.

      I toyed with the idea of dressing the Doctor as a Pimp for Lohan's benefit, but given some of the outfits worn by the previous Doctor's that would be too much like the old BBC series.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    40. Re:Lol by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      The best thing is to stand up to a bully and utilise your awesome Karate Kid skillz to humiliate him.

      Either that or arrange an ambush after school with a couple of your friends and some cricket bats.

      What this has to do with Dr Who, however, I have no idea.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    41. Re:Lol by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I can't decide if you're being sarcastic or not, but in either case, Douglass Adams was heavily involved in writing the screenplay for the movie and stated on numerous occasions he had no intention of making any two incarnations of the Guide be the same.

      That would make it even more surprising that the film was so absolutely shit, were it not for the fact that he died four years before it came out, and so the final film had changed considerably from his original version.

      Either that, or Adams had simply stopped being either clever or funny in his final years, which I find hard to believe judging from the Dirk Gently books.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    42. Re:Lol by iapetus · · Score: 1

      We're hardcore Doctor Who fans. We have no life to get on with.

      --
      ++ Say to Elrond "Hello.".
      Elrond says "No.". Elrond gives you some lunch.
    43. Re:Lol by will_die · · Score: 1

      They got renewed for a new season. They are on hiatus for the midseason time and then will have the remaining shows of this season shown, probably around April/May.
      Side note Danny Glover has just released an album of him singing.

    44. Re:Lol by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

      Lindsey Lohan will be the doctors Companion.

      Good luck getting her to show up for the shoot sober, if at all..

      --

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    45. Re:Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Could be even worse... it could be directed by M. Night Shyamalan

    46. Re:Lol by DaVince21 · · Score: 1

      I thought lunch-taking bullies were a thing of clichés? In that they don't really exist.

      --
      I am not devoid of humor.
  2. I'm sorry by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Funny

    But a director of a Harry Potter film getting withing 10 meters of Dr. Who fills me with a cold, evil feeling.

    Either that or the breakfast burrito was bad...

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    1. Re:I'm sorry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am not a Harry Potter fan at all, I think the stories are the kind of mindless, macguffin driven drivel that make people not take fantasy seriously. That being said, Yates direction has been pretty impressive. I can't really sit through a whole movie, but the stories are coherently constructed, he gets good performances out of mediocre actors, and the movies definitely have that difficult to describe "cohesive essence" that is the hallmark of good direction. I wouldn't really spend a whole lot of time worrying about what he'll do with Doctor Who though, it is extremely rare in Hollywood for a director to be attached to an existing property this early in preproduction and actually stick with it all the way through to production.

    2. Re:I'm sorry by Oxford_Comma_Lover · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Depends on the Potter film. The directorial quality jumped around... was it the third movie? The bigger issue is themes. The potter themes are pretty simple. The Who themes are more bipolar--the deep loss and the brilliant moment. The writers sometimes do a good job with this. The themes are good enough, though, that you could do it very well. My guess is it will be better than the last horrible attempt, but still trying to serve a non-who and a who audience, which just doesn't work. You need to serve a who audience in a way which neither leaves everyone else in the dark nor wastes ridiculous time on backstory.

      --
      -- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!
    3. Re:I'm sorry by Dusty101 · · Score: 3, Funny

      J.K. Rowling was asked to write an episode of Doctor Who a few years ago, but she said she was too busy finishing the last of the Harry Potter books at the time.

      And I like breakfast burritos: probably the greatest North American invention of all time!

    4. Re:I'm sorry by Whalou · · Score: 1

      Depends on the Potter film. The directorial quality jumped around... was it the third movie?

      From TFS:

      Variety reports that David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter films [...]

      So no, not the third movie.

      --
      English is not this .sig mother tongue...
    5. Re:I'm sorry by roc97007 · · Score: 1

      Both, probably.

      --
      Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
    6. Re:I'm sorry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The fourth then. Does it matter? Fact is, the new movies are good, the older ones were crap.

    7. Re:I'm sorry by Kjella · · Score: 2

      I don't know, with the Doctor's style of gatecrashing it can't be that hard to arrange a situation where you get "Time lord? What's a time lord?" "I thought they were extinct" "They say he's the last of his kind" and then fill in the necessary back story in a relatively short time. A movie would probably have to spend a regeneration though, they can explain the concept early though some flashbacks or whatever but they almost certainly have to use it. And not just cheat-use it as we've seen in the series, but an actual change of character.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    8. Re:I'm sorry by hvm2hvm · · Score: 1

      The last Harry Potter really was good (still not as good as the book). I hope they make Doctor Who a multipart series since that seems to work well. When you don't need to end the story in 1h30min you can put in some interesting side-stories and back-stories.

      --
      ics
    9. Re:I'm sorry by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Any thoughts about the quality of the directing were squeezed out of me when I found out that Terry Gilliam was set to be the director for the series (one influencing factor on J.K. Rowling signing over the film rights) but was squeezed out at the last minute by the same studio politics that buried Baron Munchausen.

    10. Re:I'm sorry by gd2shoe · · Score: 2

      I hope they don't do a regeneration just because they feel they must. They've already got a great actor in the lead part. Why mess with that? A regeneration would both feel cliche and risk finding a lesser talent.

      --
      I won't join Slashcott. OTOH, If Beta goes live, I just won't be back until it's fixed. Sorry Dice.
    11. Re:I'm sorry by nosfucious · · Score: 1

      Please don't make it sound like Twilight for Whovians.

      Shudder.

      --
      Q:I was listening to a CD in Grip and it sounded horrible! What's up? A:Perhaps you are listening to country music
    12. Re:I'm sorry by hvm2hvm · · Score: 1

      What? The fact that I don't like endings to be rushed? The way it usually happens in movies - 1h20min of talking and buildup and 10min of hasty conclusions...

      --
      ics
    13. Re:I'm sorry by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I am not a Harry Potter fan at all, I think the stories are the kind of mindless, macguffin driven drivel that make people not take fantasy seriously.

      What's wrong with a plot being macguffin driven? What would you call the Ring in LOTR?

      And the books are far from mindless, they might not be Tolstoy or Dickens but they're streets ahead of most of the American Teen Vampire crap for young adults.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    14. Re:I'm sorry by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      The fourth then. Does it matter? Fact is, the new movies are good, the older ones were crap.

      I disagree, I think like the books, the films move from innocence towards not always very pleasant experience, and so become progressively more serious and darker as the characters grow from children to young adults.

      As Wordsworth said, shades of the prison house begin to close upon the growing boy.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  3. yes! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If the series is kept fresh, with a James Bond style of movie, I am all for this. I just hope the TV show continues, and this/these are just story arcs.

    1. Re:yes! by Gilmoure · · Score: 1

      So... Rowen Atkinson or Johnny Depp as the Doctor?

      --
      I drank what? -- Socrates
    2. Re:yes! by Trarman · · Score: 3, Informative

      Rowan Atkinson played a great doctor already. If you haven't seen it, you should.

    3. Re:yes! by viridari · · Score: 1

      Naw. Sounds like a job for Will Smith.

    4. Re:yes! by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Not as good as Joanna Lumley :)

  4. oh god by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    as an American(aka leader of the world), i do not want this to happen. The only thing brits are good at is television. between top gear and doctor who, they blow our shit out of the water. Hollywood will shit on this project.

    1. Re:oh god by interval1066 · · Score: 1

      If Hollywood can come up with better special effects, I'm all for it. As fictional villains, the Daleks are great. In all practicality however, the design is crazy flawed. If I were a Time Lord I'd have a hard time being really scared of them.

      --
      Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
    2. Re:oh god by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No kidding. Although it's now well-established that stairs aren't a problem, since they're shown hovering at least half the time, the primary power of Daleks and Cybermen, and hell, every Doctor Who nemesis, appears to be "mill about semi-menacingly". It's amazing how many times the Doctor is in a Dalek's sights and they LET HIM LIVE. Okay, I can buy the Cult of Skaro not ex-term-in-ating him immediately, since they're kind of nuts and fascinated with him, but all the others?

      As for the awesome destructive power of Daleks, they have a death ray they appear to be able to shoot about once per five seconds tops, and it can't penetrate wallboard.

  5. "The sexualisation of the lead characters" by Leuf · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes, we wouldn't want to risk sexualizing Amy Pond.

    1. Re:"The sexualisation of the lead characters" by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yes, we wouldn't want to risk sexualizing Amy Pond.

      I'll be in my bunk. ;-)

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    2. Re:"The sexualisation of the lead characters" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly, I was thinking they did enough of that in the last season (which I strongly disliked, BTW).

    3. Re:"The sexualisation of the lead characters" by GameboyRMH · · Score: 2

      Breaking news! Role of Dr. Who to be played by Robert "Footface" Pattinson.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    4. Re:"The sexualisation of the lead characters" by Artifakt · · Score: 1

      Rose? Are you really saying you'd take a smoking hot blonde who has never been hardened by working in the sex industry over a ... Well, a smoking hot read-head who's only real flaw is a severe centurion fetish? You're missing the real option - "The three companions" (Martha Jones for the trifecta)

      But Ghod forbid that this companion business should in any way be sexualised. It's not like all those sixties and seventies and eighties companions included any hot babes.

      --
      Who is John Cabal?
    5. Re:"The sexualisation of the lead characters" by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      But Ghod forbid that this companion business should in any way be sexualised. It's not like all those sixties and seventies and eighties companions included any hot babes.

      Mmmmm, Nissa. Yummm.....

      And Leila -- shall I kill him now?

      And Sarah Jane. Always Sarah Jane.

      Please Hollywood, realize that the US market doesn't support Dr. Who and drop the project. The US TV version had what little success it had only because US Whovians didn't realize how bad a US adaptation would be and they watched it for free on the telly, even when it truly was "a penguin on the telly" level of quality.

      Of course, if they make it in 3-D, I'd watch it twice.

    6. Re:"The sexualisation of the lead characters" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Careful. You might end up with a time head.

    7. Re:"The sexualisation of the lead characters" by drsquare · · Score: 1

      Rose? Are you really saying you'd take a smoking hot blonde who has never been hardened by working in the sex industry

      You haven't seen secret diary of a call girl have you?

    8. Re:"The sexualisation of the lead characters" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Amy and the rest are nubile and hot as hell and so were Tegan, Romana and the originals. That is a feature of the show. But they are clean wholesome hot. Leela pushed the envelope with a skimpy outfit and supermodel body and looks - that is fine. But no interspecies sex please!

    9. Re:"The sexualisation of the lead characters" by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      To paraphrase Vyvyan from the Young Ones, what's wrong with being sexy?

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  6. Steven Moffat's reply by tuffy · · Score: 5, Informative
    --

    Ita erat quando hic adveni.

    1. Re:Steven Moffat's reply by roc97007 · · Score: 2

      In other words, there's no news here. I'm actually a little relieved.

      --
      Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
    2. Re:Steven Moffat's reply by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "LOL" -- That's the best thing Moffets ever written!

      Wouldn't it be funny if hollywood cast an old guy and got back to the original idea behind the show? I understand why they went with Matt Smith, he's excellent in the role but the story lines have been terrible.

  7. DO NOT WANT! by Cheerio+Boy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    DO NOT WANT!

    What the hell?? I mean why would anyone...oh yeah...greed. Forgot about that for a moment.

    I sincerely hope that this does not get made.

    Anybody got any Daleks or Cybermen we can sic on these guys?

    --

    "Bah!" - Dogbert
    1. Re:DO NOT WANT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      So don't watch it. Gee, that was hard.

    2. Re:Do not want! by Twinbee · · Score: 1

      No what's really a bad dream is the characters dying, and then "oh they're not *really* dead". Or are they? Oh they are, kind of. Do we even care anymore?
      Like that previous slashdot story said, death should be a very rare occasion for important characters, and not used as a gimmick in almost every episode.

      --
      Why OpalCalc is the best Windows calc
    3. Re:DO NOT WANT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As it happens, I might know where to find Daleks and Cybermen. But think: has The Doctor taught us nothing? How many times have we seen minor megalomaniacs and rubber-suited monsters attempt to involve more dangerous beings in their conquests only to find themselves hopelessly out of their depth when the chips were down? Remember the Felinian Globulons of Tabulus 3? No? That's because they never made it to Doctor Who -- the Daleks killed them all, then the Cybermen repurposed the bodies. Seriously, you're better off sticking yourself in the Pandorica now, and planting something 10 years in the future to wake you up. By that time, the movie will be a distant memory available only through the TARDIS databank, or IMDB..

    4. Re:DO NOT WANT! by lgw · · Score: 1

      The first two Doctor Who feature films weren't so bad. Why do you think this one will be?

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    5. Re:DO NOT WANT! by Cheerio+Boy · · Score: 1

      I'm reserving my collection of Pandoricas for certain CEOs, bank presidents, and members of government. ;-)

      --

      "Bah!" - Dogbert
    6. Re:DO NOT WANT! by Cheerio+Boy · · Score: 1

      The first two Doctor Who feature films weren't so bad. Why do you think this one will be?

      Because this director specifically says he wants to completely depart from the existing Doctor Who. In the hands of Hollywood that can only mean a disastrous big budget action film that means nothing to existing fans and would be Doctor Who only in name.

      It would be a large-scale train wreck similar to the US version of Top Gear.

      --

      "Bah!" - Dogbert
    7. Re:DO NOT WANT! by lgw · · Score: 1

      How would a "big budget action fillm" differ materialy from the recent Doctor Who TV shows again? Of course they will want to appeal to the movie-ticket-buying masses, not the smallish US Who fanbase, but the reboot has been pretty darn Hollywood-eque all along, so I don't see the difference here.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    8. Re:Do not want! by drb226 · · Score: 1

      Please tell me this is a bad dream.

      Yes, this world is the dream. The freezing-star Tardis is reality. Better wake up and deal with that.

  8. Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 2

    Because the Doctor Who movie that we made with the Canadians was great!

    Actually- it wasn't that bad- but it wasn't Doctor Who. It was something else entirely.

    Really, it all depends on how they execute it- they can make it good or they can make a real hash of it. I'll probably watch it regardless.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    1. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by Guspaz · · Score: 4, Informative

      Please don't blame Canada for that movie. We didn't write it, we didn't direct it, we didn't produce it. We just provided facilities and most of the cast and crew, not the creative team that actually made the film.

    2. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by The+Great+Pretender · · Score: 2, Informative
      No Dr Who movie has really been Dr Who. I mean the Cushing movies he was an Earth born inventor with the last name Who, and this was before all the copyright BS really hit the fan. In fact any movie with Bernard Cribbins in it is not really a valid movie.

      Doctor Who: The Movie, was a weakly veiled attempt at a reboot pilot episode, and for the love of all that is holy, it had Eric "Best of the Best" Roberts as the Master...such a bad decision. It was obviously targetted at the American audience.

      This next one, I have very little hope for. In my opinion Dr. Who is a live action cartoon strip, one I grew up with (Baker years). Any movie will just seem like a glorified Christmas special, and really I wish they would stop those.

      --
      A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
    3. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by Dogtanian · · Score: 2

      Please don't blame Canada for that movie. We didn't write it, we didn't direct it, we didn't produce it. We just provided facilities and most of the cast and crew, not the creative team that actually made the film.

      You're right- it was basically made in Canada around the same time that a lot of US TV series were being made in Canada for reasons of cost- it was still made by a US company with the US market in mind.

      They compromised it a lot to appeal to the Americans and it still didn't succeed- America is such a big market that they're used to getting stuff that panders specifically do them, and IMHO it's clear that they will never be able to make Doctor Who appeal to a *mainstream* (i.e. non-"cult") US mass audience without totally losing what makes it Doctor Who.

      The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation actually co-funded the first few new series of Doctor Who, but (apparently) didn't stick their noses in too much.

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    4. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      The Railway Children was a good movie with Bernard Cribbins in it. Probably not the sort of movie that would appeal to a lot of Slashdot readers, unless they saw it as a child. But good movie non-the-less.

    5. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by blair1q · · Score: 1

      Don't kid yourself. All that stuff in the background? Canada. All the production values? Canadian technology and skill and artistry. All the directorial and producing decisions that ordinarily are affected by cost and environment? Made or not made by being in Canada.

      The color of the sky and the sunlight is usually enough to make a film Canadian enough to be different.

      Then let just one accent slip; one bit-part actor say "aboot" instead of "about," and it's like putting wristwatches on the Orcs in LotR.

    6. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by Andrewkov · · Score: 2

      Seriously, WTF? I've lived in Canada my whole life and I've never heard anyone say aboot, and the colour of the sky and sunlight is the same as everywhere else I've been in the world.

      Have you ever actually been to Canada?

    7. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by fermion · · Score: 1

      I am thinking more of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It wasn't a bad rewrite. It was a decent iteration of a story that has been iterated many times. But it was a bad movie. At this point there is no canonical Dr. Who. It has been sexualized since Sarah Jane Smith came out in a swimsuit back when the episodes were still grainy B&W. it only became more so with the minimizing of Teagan's outfits, not to mention Turlough in speedos. Certainly many of us consider the relationship of the Doctor and Rose to be a little over the line, and the opposite kind of relationship between Donna Noble was kind of a way to fix that. I suspect the issue with a major movie will the that the fx will continue to degrade the importance of the story and characters.

      --
      "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
    8. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by Guspaz · · Score: 1

      Some of those US TV series, though, were basically Canadian shows in everything but budget. Stargate SG-1, for example. My understanding is that the owners paid the budget, but almost all of the writers/producers/executive producers/etc were Canadian. So we like to take credit for shows like that ;)

    9. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by Guspaz · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well, I always just assumed while watching it that the movie was *set* in Vancouver, although it wasn't. Anyhow, being made in Canada certainly influenced the production, but it's ultimately up to the director/producers/etc to make decisions. You've got movies made in Canada that have no indication that they were. Source Code was made here in Montreal, but I had no idea until the credits rolled. That's the way it normally is; we watch a movie, and only when we start seeing a lot of French Canadian names in the credits does it become obvious the movie was made locally.

    10. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The TV movie would've been a good regeneration story during an ongoing series. Paul McGann was a great Doctor, the companions (Grace and Chang Lee) were great, the console room was awesome and the effects weren't half bad. Really, it just gets a lot of hate because of the half-human nonsense and Eric Roberts (who was really no worse than Anthony Ainley). The TARDIS ex machina at the end grated me at the time, but it doesn't seem out of place with what's been established since then in the new series.

      All in all, it was a very faithful continuation of the series.

      But as a *pilot* for a new TV series? Terrible introduction

    11. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by surgen · · Score: 1

      Yeah and I spent a few weeks working in a town on the border. Its not all Canadians, nor is it actually said a-boot (that was just used to lampoon it, but somehow caught on in pop culture), its more like a-boat, and depending on accent is anywhere between close and very close to way about is pronounced in the States.

    12. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by surgen · · Score: 2

      Certainly many of us consider the relationship of the Doctor and Rose to be a little over the line

      It was way, way, way over the line. Oh, you mean the sexualzation? I meant the fact they cast Billy Piper at all.

    13. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by Stevecrox · · Score: 1

      No but I saw this Doctor who movie

    14. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by lgw · · Score: 1

      The few Canadians I knew all say "aboot". I'm guessing it's regional. And the color of the sky of course varies with lattitude (and season), as sunlight passes through more or less sky.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    15. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by AmbushBug · · Score: 1

      Its actually a phonetic phenomenon called Canadian Raising (and you are correct, it's more like a-boat). It definitely regional and not restricted to Canada (it occurs in some parts of the US). See Wikipedia's page on Aboot.

    16. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      To us non-North Americans a Canadian and US accent are indistinguishable except for the subtle aboot/boat thing.

      Don't forget, if you've grown up somewhere, you don't think of yourself as having any accent at all, it's everyone else who talks differently..In the UK, people from London think their accent is neutral/normal, just the same as people from Devon or Yorkshire do.

      And yes, I have been to both ocuntries, and you're right about the sky and sun.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    17. Re:Because the last Doctor Who movie was great... by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      The Railway Children was a good movie with Bernard Cribbins in it. Probably not the sort of movie that would appeal to a lot of Slashdot readers, unless they saw it as a child. But good movie non-the-less.

      Those of us who saw it an impressionable age still think with a tear in our, er, eye of Jenny Agutter.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  9. Do not want! by SirGarlon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The last thing Doctor Who needs is the Hollywood treatment. Please tell me this is a bad dream.

    --
    [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
  10. We saw what it did to Miracle Day by PhrostyMcByte · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Take a short miniseries and stretch it out to a full series to milk it and make the plot run like molasses. Add in a lot of mindless action with big explosions and helicopter chases, because that's what American shows look like, right?

    I'm afraid of what they're going to do to Doctor Who, but if Torchwood was any example, keep Hollywood's dirty hands off it.

    1. Re:We saw what it did to Miracle Day by Maximum+Prophet · · Score: 2

      "Take your stinking paws off it, you damn dirty producer!"

      --
      All ideas^H^H^H^H^Hprocesses in this post are Patent Pending. (as well as the process of patenting all postings)
    2. Re:We saw what it did to Miracle Day by mikael · · Score: 1

      It's probably more a case of "every other movie has these effects included, so we have to do the same".

      So they end up trying to weave a plot line around a fixed set of visual effects current at the time.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
    3. Re:We saw what it did to Miracle Day by Hatta · · Score: 1

      Miracle Day was still better than the first two seasons of Torchwood. WTF was that?!?

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    4. Re:We saw what it did to Miracle Day by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      The problem with Miracle Day was that they had a great idea for a British TV series and tried to turn it into a US series, so they had to add some filler episodes. The original draft was for six episodes, as I recall. The US network said that they couldn't do a series that short, so they extended it to ten. That just doesn't work. You can't take a story and then stretch it out to be twice as long. The one thing that might have worked was doing 5 hour-long episodes for the UK and showing them as 10 45-minute episodes in the USA (30 minutes, plus the obligatory recap because American TV viewers seem unable to remember what happened last week, plus adverts). If they'd started from scratch with the aim to make a ten-episode series, it might have worked.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    5. Re:We saw what it did to Miracle Day by AvitarX · · Score: 1

      I liked the helicopter chase :(.

      The last half of Miracle day did drag on though, and honestly, it was on Starz, they don't really benefit on 10 vs 5 episodes. Either the series makes people want to subscribe, or it doesn't, I doubt the five extra episodes is the difference.

      I really don't think they butchered the show, so much as didn't have as good a series. If anything, I'd say the first two seasons butchered the show.

      --
      Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
    6. Re:We saw what it did to Miracle Day by drb226 · · Score: 1

      Miracle Day was still better than the first two seasons of Torchwood. WTF was that?!?

      I have a small army of fanboys that disagree.

    7. Re:We saw what it did to Miracle Day by mattack2 · · Score: 1

      Note to others: Miracle Day is apparently the name for the 4th season of Torchwood.

    8. Re:We saw what it did to Miracle Day by Hatta · · Score: 1

      Yes, and like all fanboys, they have the emotional maturity of a toddler. Which just happens to be the problem with the first two seasons of Torchwood. When Captain Jack Harkness is your most believable character, you know you have a problem.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  11. Just Say No by jIyajbe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No no no, for the love of God, no!!!

    A major aspect of the show is the fact that it is small-screen. Its roots are in the campiness that the early shows had, and that occurred because of the tiny budget and fast turnaround. The effect of that can still been seen today.

    The campiness and fun will be eliminated in a Hollywood blockbuster treatment, and it will turn into just another sex-and-explosions vehicle.

    --
    "Don't blame the log for the fire." --Andrew Ratshin
    1. Re:Just Say No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      Getting rid of that God-awful campiness can only be a good thing. Hopefully, they'll also get rid of all the annoying British accents so I can understand what the fuck they're saying.

    2. Re:Just Say No by Abstrackt · · Score: 2

      Sorry about that. You're supposed to hear it in an American accent but the translation circuit's been a bit on the fritz.

      --
      They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett
    3. Re:Just Say No by element-o.p. · · Score: 1

      Exactly!

      I haven't watched Doctor Who since Tom Bakker played the good Doctor (although that has more to do with time and priorities than quibbles with the quality of the show). What I loved about Doctor Who was that it was campy, it was hokey...but it didn't take itself too seriously and as a result, it was fun. Hollywood has an entirely different feel than the Doctor Who. I can't help but fear that Hollywood will try to make it too modern, hip, sexy, trendy...and will lose the essence of what made Doctor Who so enjoyable as a result.

      --
      MCSE? No, sir...I don't do Windows. Yes, I am an idealist. What's your point?
    4. Re:Just Say No by Gilmoure · · Score: 2

      Get Bruce Willis and Fran Drescher to do the voice overs?

      --
      I drank what? -- Socrates
    5. Re:Just Say No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well... there would be no harm if they could make a slightly longer Christmas Special or any double episode and call it a movie. I just hope they don't turn it into a Transformers thing full of Daleks, Cybermen & Co. It will be interesting to know if we're going to have two different Doctors, movie and TV serial, and maybe two different continuities or only one actor for both. Star Trek movies always arrived after the end of the TV serial, right?

    6. Re:Just Say No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Like Moffat hasn't already tried that. Davies and Tennant did an AMAZING job at it (best since Baker in my opinion) but Matt Smith and Stephen Moffat have gotten way too serious about the entire ordeal. The last season was the worst in a long time.

    7. Re:Just Say No by camperdave · · Score: 1

      I haven't watched Doctor Who since Tom Bakker played the good Doctor (although that has more to do with time and priorities than quibbles with the quality of the show).

      You really missed out by not seeing David Tenant's tenure as the Doctor. He and Tom Baker are neck and neck fan favourites for best portrayal of the Doctor. He was there for the return of the Master, and of Sarah Jane Smith.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    8. Re:Just Say No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I don't think Doctor Who's appeal has been the campiness as much as the budget forces the writers to focus on plot.

      The new series has taken its liberties with the sonic screwdriver. It's much more a wand than it was back with Tom Baker. The uses were far more practical for a sonic device than today. "Hey I reprogrammed the nanobots with my screwdriver!" just doesn't add up.

      On the other hand, the new series has brought us some really good stories, along with some down right daft ones.

      I expect they want an American studio to make the film because they'd have to budget do to the sets and effects right, but there's are big Britsh studios and Brittons with the expertise. There's been a number of British animated films that have made it to the US (Dougal/Magic Roundabout and Gnomeo and Juliette). It's cooler to be British in today's America than 20 or 30 years ago. The Britishness of Doctor Who doesn't have to be washed away to be successful. James Bond still works for Queen and Country and there's millions of Americans who go to every new film.

      As other people have pointed out, there's a whole background story that you have to deal with. If the film takes that into account and doesn't try to make it's own story (aka Dr Who and The Daleks), and don't wash away the whole Britishness of the franchise, and stop doing magic with a bloody screw driver, we'll be good.

      Gordon Bennitt, we're plucked!

    9. Re:Just Say No by element-o.p. · · Score: 1

      I'll have to check it out, then. Thanks for the tip!

      --
      MCSE? No, sir...I don't do Windows. Yes, I am an idealist. What's your point?
    10. Re:Just Say No by Lunzo · · Score: 1

      Two words that will make you shudder: Gritty Reboot.

    11. Re:Just Say No by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      You really missed out by not seeing David Tenant's tenure as the Doctor. He and Tom Baker are neck and neck fan favourites for best portrayal of the Doctor. He was there for the return of the Master, and of Sarah Jane Smith.

      Plus David Tennant is actually a good actor. Tom Baker is great fun, but he's just Tom Baker playing himself, same as someone like Brian Blessed.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    12. Re:Just Say No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll have to check it out, then. Thanks for the tip!

      If you watch just one Tenant episode, watch Blink.

    13. Re:Just Say No by 19061969 · · Score: 1

      I can sell you a Babelfish if you'd like. It's not like those goddam Limeys don't not speak proper English nohow.

      --
      bang goes my karma... again...
  12. Hell , yah. by UziBeatle · · Score: 1

    I can see it now

      Doctor Who in 3D!!

      With Tom Baker brought back in full youth and form
    via the miracle of CGI.
      After all, as everyone knows he was the only Doctor
    that was, The Doctor. The rest are just pretenders.

      Yah, that's the ticket.

      As an American, proud as I am, I wish to apologia in
    advance for what Hollywood is surely to do to the Doctor
    Who image.
          That said, recent incarnations of the series
    just are plain bad and I can no longer watch these past few years, but I suppose the lack of weed and youth
    are the reasons it seems to bad to me now.

      Yah, still a fan of Baker Who.

     

    --
    Something between the lines jumps out and bites your arm off. Soltan Gris / London
    1. Re:Hell , yah. by sribe · · Score: 4, Funny

      Tom Baker??? Fuck that. The obvious and only choice for a Hollywood version: Arnold Schwarzenegger!

    2. Re:Hell , yah. by SirGarlon · · Score: 2

      With Tom Baker brought back in full youth and form via the miracle of CGI.

      I wish. More likely, some 25-year-old pretty boy who walked straight out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog and can't act his way out of a wet paper bag.

      --
      [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
    3. Re:Hell , yah. by Dunbal · · Score: 1, Funny

      Nah they'll cast Ashton Kutcher. I mean, the guy is going to be looking for a job soon anyway.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    4. Re:Hell , yah. by Gilmoure · · Score: 1

      Justin Bieber?

      --
      I drank what? -- Socrates
    5. Re:Hell , yah. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, I just started watching Two and a Half Men because Ashton is now one of the main characters. And he's still sort of playing his old not-completely-there, childish Michael Kelso character from That 70's Show, so it's all good.

    6. Re:Hell , yah. by need4mospd · · Score: 1

      They already cast Shia Labeouf?

    7. Re:Hell , yah. by pgpalmer · · Score: 1

      LEAKED SCENE:

      As the world fell apart around her, the Companion hugs her boyfriend as they expect death to arrive at any moment, cries of "Exterminate!" echoing in the background. But then they both hear a grinding sound and look up to see, of all things, a odd blue box, about the size of a telephone booth, appearing out of thin air. The light on its top ceased flashing as the grinding sound stopped, and the door opens inward. Standing in the doorway was a tall, muscled man, staring at them intently. He holds out his hand, and with a heavy Austrian accent says to them:

      "Come with me if you want to live."

      ****

      Ehhhh...

    8. Re:Hell , yah. by chooks · · Score: 1

      LEAKED SCENE

      In the remote jungles of a distant planet, the companion and her mother run through the dense growth. As they glance fearfully behind them they can barely detect the shimmer of Daleks with camouflage metal skins -- upgrades skilled at seeking, locating, exterminating, and now...climbing stairs. In front of them a muscled man with a long scarf appears. In his hands is a small device. He waves them forward, anxiously, and says:

      "Run! Go! Get to the chopper!"

      --
      -- The Genesis project? What's that?
    9. Re:Hell , yah. by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      With Tom Baker brought back in full youth and form via the miracle of CGI.

      I wish. More likely, some 25-year-old pretty boy who walked straight out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog and can't act his way out of a wet paper bag.

      So the exact opposite of Matt Smith then.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  13. HHGTTG by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    It'll be as just as good as Hitchhiker's Guide!

  14. Everyone, relax by grasshoppa · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Dr Who has been around for 50 years. It has survived pretty much anything you could throw at it. It will survive hollywood.

    I have to wonder, however, if the folks doing the market research realize just how adverse Dr Who fans will be to a big budget movie. One of the appeals of Dr Who is the low production value of it, and the ability to take risks that goes along with that. It's unconventional, it's interesting. These are two attributes that hollywood has demonstrated a knack for destroying. Further, one of better attributes of Dr Who has always been it's "continuity" ( which is hilarious in and of itself ), of it's long scope story arcs. Again, not a "movie" thing.

    A Dr Who movie will need to somehow work in the back story, build an interesting plot and come to a conclusion. All within 2 hours. Unless they plan for a series of movies, which would make more sense. That way they can build the backstory and get the plot rolling, then continue in the second movie and finish up in a third. But that might be too much of an investment for a relatively unknown franchise ( unknown to anyone outside geekdom at any rate ).

    --
    Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
    1. Re:Everyone, relax by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Well- take a look at the last Star Trek movie (and the next one coming out) - that was not designed for Star Trek fans.

      It was written for the Non-Star Trek fans. (Heck, my wife hates Star Trek but enjoyed that movie).

      Hollywood knows the real Dr. Who fans will watch anyway out of curiosity- but they will write it for those who are not fans... just like the last Star Trek.

      Win/win for Hollywood.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    2. Re:Everyone, relax by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have to be from the US. In the UK, everyone knows about Doctor Who...

    3. Re:Everyone, relax by grasshoppa · · Score: 1

      Yup. And hollywood is in the US, and it's arguably it's largest market, hence my US-centric response.

      --
      Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
    4. Re:Everyone, relax by Riceballsan · · Score: 1

      Wait you think Hollywood producers actually care what the fans of the original think when they remake? How many people who liked Douglas Adam's books thought positive things about the movie? How many DBZ fans were happy with the movie? Heck even when it's the same creator of the original they don't care about what the fans of the original think, just ask George Lucas. Hollywood is about taking an idea, dumbing it down low enough that the fans of jersey shore can follow it, and targetting it towards the largest possible group of people with money. They know that the fans of the origional are 1. an inconsequential number (Generally less then 5-10% of the people who will see it if they market it to idiots). and 2. Half of them are going to pay to see it anyway even if it is awful.

    5. Re:Everyone, relax by DeadDecoy · · Score: 1

      I dunno. I always considered a Hollywood movie adaptation the death knell for a tv series. Consider the following list http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_based_on_television_programs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_based_on_television_programs. Most of those movies were made at or after the end of the series. I don't think it's because the tv series became stale, but rather that movie-fying something changes the criteria by which it is enjoyed. I find it difficult to articulate how it changes, Probably because the movie ends up being a capstone and anything after is relegated to the epilogue.

    6. Re:Everyone, relax by OldeTimeGeek · · Score: 1

      Not even close. Not any more. Hollywood loves special-effects-heavy extravaganzas because they require little to no translation to be sold in foreign markets.

    7. Re:Everyone, relax by nabsltd · · Score: 1

      A Dr Who movie will need to somehow work in the back story, build an interesting plot and come to a conclusion. All within 2 hours. Unless they plan for a series of movies, which would make more sense.

      Or, they could just treat a movie as a 2-hour long Christmas special.

      In most of these, the Doctor has to spend some time explaining who he is, because he is not with his regular companion(s). But, there is absolutely no need to go all Kal-El in a Doctor Who movie, where we see Gallifrey, the "borrowing" of the TARDIS, etc. Likewise, regeneration doesn't even have to be mentioned, nor does there need to be anything other than "Time Lord...last of".

    8. Re:Everyone, relax by Spad · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The difference being that when Star Trek was released, the Trek franchise was pretty much dead in the water, whereas Doctor Who is currently pretty damn successful; it's either going to have to be canon (and thus a commercial failure) or non-canon and thus not really Doctor Who.

    9. Re:Everyone, relax by ZackZero · · Score: 1

      There's a lovely little gap between McCoy (#7) and Eccleston(#9) that they can work with if they choose. Maybe now we can get past 9's angsting about the Time War... and 10's angsting about Rose... and the Time War.

    10. Re:Everyone, relax by ZackZero · · Score: 1

      The Trek movie was actually well-received all around, and worked in a new direction in a way that allowed it to not screw with timelines and continuity.

    11. Re:Everyone, relax by Thumper_SVX · · Score: 3, Informative

      The difference being that when Star Trek was released, the Trek franchise was pretty much dead in the water, whereas Doctor Who is currently pretty damn successful; it's either going to have to be canon (and thus a commercial failure) or non-canon and thus not really Doctor Who.

      Not really sure I agree with that. It's quite possible to create a canon Doctor Who that would be commercially successful. To my mind, the only piece of Doctor Who that could be turned into a movie though would be the beginning. That is; the point at which The Doctor stole the Tardis... or when the Tardis stole him depending on your POV of course :) There's no reason at all he couldn't do so as a young man and through the course of even a metric ton of movies grow into a crotchety old man who will eventually end up in England in the 1960's. There's no telling how much travel he did prior to the beginning of the TV series... could be a long time. That would be canon, has the potential to be a good movie (or more), doesn't restrict itself to Earth in any particular time period (how long did it take before The Dr. discovered his soft spot for Humans?) and doesn't need to get into that annoyingly complicated regeneration thing.

      There's certainly a lot of potential there for an intelligent but less wise Doctor, learning how to fly the Tardis for the first time and perhaps dealing with the consequences of having stolen it.

      And for the record, I DO agree that Star Trek was moribund due to mismanagement... but even as a fan of TOS, TNG and DS9 (and have a soft spot for Enterprise even though it was not great) I actually rather enjoyed the movie because I went in with no preconceived notions. I for one look forward to a sequel.

    12. Re:Everyone, relax by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dr Who has been around for 50 years. It has survived pretty much anything you could throw at it. It will survive hollywood

      Exactly - if it's too far from canon the fan base will all mock or ignore it, while the newbies will respond to what's on the screen.

      To all of the doubters: Consider that the Harry Potter franchise of wizards and magic would have been unthinkably far out of the mainstream when I was a kid, and now it *is* the mainstream. Even kids were expected to understand when Harry and friends went back in time to observe an event from a different point of view - and *cause* it to happen exactly as they remembered it but with very different perspective. As long as the point is made that the Doctor can go back to *observe* any time, but must be careful not to *change* any time, even newbies will understand. (Heck, "City on the edge of forever" was on TV a long time ago and people understood the moral conflict *then*.)

    13. Re:Everyone, relax by Eil · · Score: 1

      I have to wonder, however, if the folks doing the market research realize just how adverse Dr Who fans will be to a big budget movie. One of the appeals of Dr Who is the low production value of it,

      I don't have any numbers handy, but it always looked to me like the newer Dr Who shows had amazing production value. Most two-part episodes looked to me like they could have had the budget of a full-fledged Hollywood flick. The special effects are pretty spot-on. The sets are huge, detailed, and plentiful. Yes, you can sometimes notice when a set or prop has been repainted for a different episode. (I particularly liked being able to recognize when the same neighborhood street was used for two different episodes in the same season.) They could do with more extras in some scenes, that's pretty much the extent of my complaints.

      Now contrast with the average American prime-time drama where the bulk of their 43 minutes is pretty much summed up by inane banter that bounces back and forth between 5 or 6 sets maximum.

      But honestly, if it were a Dr Who movie, I could care less about the production values. I just want an entertaining Doctor and a really good science-fiction story. They achieve that, and I'll be happy.

  15. Trailer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20100702

  16. Doctor Who Movie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If Matthew Jacobs is writing the screen play, just kill me now.

  17. The only Yates I want near Dr. Who... by Psmylie · · Score: 1

    is Captain Mike Yates.

    Seriously, though... a movie could be great, or it could be terrible, and I would be ok with either result. If it's good, then huzzah! I'll watch it and enjoy it. If it's terrible, then yay! We can ignore it as far as canon goes (like that terrible 80's thing... Paul McGann made a good Doctor, the Tardis set was awesome, the reinvented theme was ok... the rest sucked goat ass).

    My big fear is that it will be kind of decent. Too good to ignore, but too bad to really energize the franchise.

    But if this is going to be it's own continuity, then I guess do whatever you want, Hollywood. If I don't like it, I'll ignore it. Though, the influx of new Who fans who are only familiar with the movie(s) will be annoying to deal with. But that's life.

    --

    psmylie's dictionary: Godzillion (noun) Any number large enough to destroy Tokyo

  18. Hugh Laurie by invid · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I would only watch it if Hugh Laurie played the Doctor.

    --
    The Moore-Murphy Law: The number of things that will go wrong will double every 2 years.
    1. Re:Hugh Laurie by haplo21112 · · Score: 1

      Thats might qactually be interesting to see....I could buy him as the Doctor.

      The biggest problem, is if they screw with the known rules of the Dr Who universe, and what happens with the TV series in all of this?

      --
      Power Corrupts,Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely, leaving one person(group)in charge is absolutely corrupt.
    2. Re:Hugh Laurie by Rerracoon · · Score: 1

      How about Rowan Atkinson, Richard E Grant, Hugh Grant (as Doctor Who), Jonathan Pryce and Joanna Lumley instead? Link

    3. Re:Hugh Laurie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I could watch that, as long as he doesn't use that awful Brittish accent he likes to affect for interviews.

    4. Re:Hugh Laurie by invid · · Score: 5, Funny

      Plot Synopsis: Start in Victorian England. The Doctor (Hugh Laurie) is helping Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) to stop Moriarty (Alan Rickman) who has kidnapped Ada Lovelace (Angelina Jolie) and has stolen H.G. Well's (Zach Galifianakis) time machine. Moriarty goes into the future and uses Ada's knowledge of programming to take over the cybermen. Combining his evil genius with his robot army he goes to war against the only force that can stop him, the Daleks. The Doctor has a moral quandary: try to stop the war or let these two forces destroy each other. Lots of big explosions.

      --
      The Moore-Murphy Law: The number of things that will go wrong will double every 2 years.
    5. Re:Hugh Laurie by Chelloveck · · Score: 2

      What "known rules of the Doctor Who universe"? Practically every episode either conveniently forgets established events, or retcons them right out of existence. As long as they give us an alien with two hearts who travels through time in a blue box, they can't very well damage the shredded tatters of continuity.

      I do agree that Hugh Laurie would be a great Doctor. I'd pay eight bucks to see that.

      --
      Chelloveck
      I give up on debugging. From now on, SIGSEGV is a feature.
    6. Re:Hugh Laurie by blair1q · · Score: 2

      Tough. You'll get Tom Cruise, and you'll like it.

      (P.S. I concur. Laurie would be an awesome idea. And it gives you the option of casting Stephen Fry as the Master, if you want to take it several million parsecs into funnytown.)

    7. Re:Hugh Laurie by blair1q · · Score: 1

      the known rules of the Dr Who universe

      Have you ever even watched the show?

      It mirrors Physics precisely in that its rules are made to be broken.

    8. Re:Hugh Laurie by viridari · · Score: 1

      Sean Pertwee would give the movie at least some credibility.

    9. Re:Hugh Laurie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That would be BRILLIANT!

    10. Re:Hugh Laurie by sorak · · Score: 1

      So, is the Tardis the only one of its' kind? It seems that Hugh Laurie could be a future incarnation of the Doctor, or perhaps a regeneration of the doctor's daughter (or leave it a mystery, as if someone had decided to fill his shoes after he failed to regenerate). Of course, I'm not up to date, so I'm sure I just committed some non-canonical heresy with this post.

      I see no reason you couldn't have Hugh Laurie show up in a beaten-up Tardis, allude to the terrible thing that will happen to Matt Smith*, and have both Doctors exist at the same time.

      * Which, of course he doesn't want to talk about. He might also struggle with the desire to prevent it.

    11. Re:Hugh Laurie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rowan Atkinson

    12. Re:Hugh Laurie by mostlyDigital · · Score: 1

      What "known rules of the Doctor Who universe"? Practically every episode either conveniently forgets established events, or retcons them right out of existence. As long as they give us an alien with two hearts who travels through time in a blue box, they can't very well damage the shredded tatters of continuity.

      I do agree that Hugh Laurie would be a great Doctor. I'd pay eight bucks to see that.

      I'd pay $8. But then I'd be seeing it in a tiny theater months after release. By the time it gets into the theaters expect to pay $20 a ticket. And of course it will be in 3D. And pseudo-IMAX.

    13. Re:Hugh Laurie by CommieLib · · Score: 1

      You didn't make this awful enough. Replace Angelina Jolie and Zach Gali#$)(*#)(*# and I'm in the seat at the theater. Who am I kidding? I'm in the seat either way, I'm a Whovian.

      --
      If your bitterest enemies are people who hack the heads off civilians, then I would say you're doing something right.
    14. Re:Hugh Laurie by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

      um just a point, he is British, and it is a British show. so yes he would have a British accent and he doesn't put it on for interviews he is in fact "putting on" a American accent the rest of the time.

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    15. Re:Hugh Laurie by Thumper_SVX · · Score: 2

      I think I saw that movie. They called it "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" I think. It was horrible... I didn't finish.

    16. Re:Hugh Laurie by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      I do agree that Hugh Laurie would be a great Doctor. I'd pay eight bucks to see that.

      I accept cash, check, or money order. Now tune to Fox on Friday night, or USA (check your local listings).

      Would he still have a limp and an irascible attitude if he plays a Time Lord doctor? Will he denegrate and insult his companions and pit them against each other in a battle to find the right answer? Will he still have an oxy addiction, and will his "best friend" be an oncologist?

    17. Re:Hugh Laurie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hugh Laurie (House) as the Doctor and Robert Sean Leonard (Wilson) as the Master.

    18. Re:Hugh Laurie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, that's the joke. Thanks for explaining it so the slow kids can keep up.

      *cough*tard*cough*

    19. Re:Hugh Laurie by dbIII · · Score: 1

      He's got a very wide range as can be seen in six years worth of the short skit comedy series "A little bit of Fry and Laurie".

    20. Re:Hugh Laurie by dbIII · · Score: 1

      They took the main character of the story and turned her into almost lineless eyecandy so that Sean Connery's character could dominate. That was just the first of many mistakes made on the fly after shooting started, as well as a pile of stupidity in the script. I saw it after downloading but didn't even think it was worth burning onto a DVD or keeping on the drive.

    21. Re:Hugh Laurie by Skywolfblue · · Score: 1

      That would pretty amazing IMO. He can match the same happy-with-a-side-of-sarcasm Tennent did so well. I'd love to see that.

    22. Re:Hugh Laurie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or John Noble

    23. Re:Hugh Laurie by 1s44c · · Score: 1

      um just a point, he is British, and it is a British show. so yes he would have a British accent and he doesn't put it on for interviews he is in fact "putting on" a American accent the rest of the time.

      British people don't actually talk like that. His accent is exaggerated to a crazy extent.

    24. Re:Hugh Laurie by rust627 · · Score: 1

      problem is, its more likely to be Stephen Fry.

      --
      da da da dum indeed.
    25. Re:Hugh Laurie by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I would only watch it if Hugh Laurie played the Doctor.

      But would he be able to do a convincing British accent? Most American actors seem to find it quite difficult.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    26. Re:Hugh Laurie by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I'd like to see Ada Lovelace's real life great granddaughter Linda being played by Angelina Jolie, if you know what I mean, and I'm sure that you do.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    27. Re:Hugh Laurie by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I think I saw that movie. They called it "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" I think. It was horrible... I didn't finish.

      There are almost as many rubbish films made from graphic novels/comics as there are from TV shows, so no surprise there.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    28. Re:Hugh Laurie by coolmadsi · · Score: 1

      um just a point, he is British, and it is a British show. so yes he would have a British accent and he doesn't put it on for interviews he is in fact "putting on" a American accent the rest of the time.

      British people don't actually talk like that. His accent is exaggerated to a crazy extent.

      I once heard about an interview of a British actress, playing a British character in an American film/show, who had to be given accent lessons to have a fake-British accent because otherwise some of the American audience wouldn't understand an actual British accent. (Not directly related to your post, but I thought it was interesting when I first heard it)

    29. Re:Hugh Laurie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forgot to add that his newest female sidekick suffers from Lupus

    30. Re:Hugh Laurie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dont forget: In the end Dr. Who gets a big smooch from the hottest babe in the film.

      Hollywood, man.

  19. Yeah, because that worked out so good before by roc97007 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I personally am looking forward to a bunch of people stumbling around with a human inventor whom they call "Doctor Who" as they remake one of the more pedestrian and overused storylines. That would be so much better than, say, bringing back Paul McGann (who got robbed in my opinion) and filling in the final time war and destruction of Gallifrey that occurred between Doctor Who (1996) and Rose (2005) but was never filmed.

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
  20. already ruined by Deadplant · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dr Who has already been ruined. They may as well sell it for scrap now.
    The latest season has been an utter disgrace.

    I'm a big fan, I've seen every episode.
    (those early black and white ones are pretty campy)

    The recent episode about the fat bumbling idiot with the talking baby was the straw that broke the camel's back.
    "herp a derp... I'm a fat moron, look, I walked into a wall and knocked over a display-case! hahahah, now my baby is making cutting remarks about me! Oh dear! aliens! oh dear, I've bumbled and stumbled into their grasp, how will I ever escape? Maybe if I really *really* love my baby the power of my love will make them explode! KABOOM! yay! it worked! *happily ever after*"
    I haven't been able to watch it again since that day.

    1. Re:already ruined by Hatta · · Score: 1

      This is true. I would have lost respect for Doctor Who with that episode, if I thought they were trying to do something respectful. They deliberately throw in trite shit like that to make it more kid friendly. Ignore those episodes and focus on the good ones.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    2. Re:already ruined by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yes, God forbid they make a show designed as a kid show more kid friendly. We wouldn't want that!

    3. Re:already ruined by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      Where's the "+1, Sad but true" mod?

    4. Re:already ruined by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm a big fan, I've seen every episode.

      And yet you call him "Dr Who."

    5. Re:already ruined by MrSenile · · Score: 1

      "herp a derp... I'm a fat moron, look, I walked into a wall and knocked over a display-case! hahahah, now my baby is making cutting remarks about me! Oh dear! aliens! oh dear, I've bumbled and stumbled into their grasp, how will I ever escape? Maybe if I really *really* love my baby the power of my love will make them explode! KABOOM! yay! it worked! *happily ever after*"

      Substitute 'fat moron' with 'skinny whiner', the baby with a redhead 'buddy', the doctor with a bushy haired smart girl, keep the 'love will kill them KABOOM', and you have the Harry Potter series.

      I guess we can now see why the director of Harry Potter wants to direct this movie. As far as he thinks, it's Harry Potter Book 8, Harry Potter and the Time Lords.

    6. Re:already ruined by pesho · · Score: 1

      Who moded this 'Funny'. It would have been 'Funny' if it wasn't 'Insightful'. Unfortunately the 10th doctor has turned into a stupid horror flick with nonsensical dialog and no story line. It its kind of drifting towards the basics of porn, no story just mumbling and close shots of weird body parts. I can't watch it either.

    7. Re:already ruined by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      its kind of drifting towards the basics of porn,

      Rose Tyler and Amy Pond together doing porn. That's one California produced Doctor Who film I would pay good money to see.

    8. Re:already ruined by coolmadsi · · Score: 1

      The recent episode about the fat bumbling idiot with the talking baby was the straw that broke the camel's back.

      That was James someone (Cordon I think, I'm not sure). He was/is one of the main characters in another fairly popular series in the UK (and was in an episode in the previous Doctor Who series) , so his role was partially "special guest celebrity".

      I'm not a particular fan either; the episode seemed to be more "lets write a role for this actor" as opposed to "lets write an interesting character and then find the best actor to play it". (However the Doctor has talked to a baby ealier in the series, so that part of the episode is not unprecedented)

    9. Re:already ruined by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My problem with the series is the constant "Alarm" plot device. I know Brits are a compliant bunch, but must writers always appeal to their basic instincts to follow authoritative voices and queue in an orderly fashion that is beneficial to the plot?

      "Donna Noble has left the Library..." "Donna Noble has left the Library..." blah blah. FML

  21. I Doubt It'll Make The Translation by RapidEye · · Score: 1

    What has always made Dr Who so endearing to many of its long time fans (myself included) is its cheap effects and campiness.
    I just can't see Hollywood leaving that alone - they'll make the effects "better" and the storylines more "compelling"....

    Sort of like what they tried to do with that abortion of a movie called "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy." It paled when compared to the comfortable cheeziness of the BBC TV production.

    No, Hollywood can't leave a good thing alone.

    BTW - Long Live Tom Baker and Rest in Peace Elisabeth Sladen

    --
    "Murderer? Well, that's a harsh word. I prefer to think of myself as a Mortality Technician."
    1. Re:I Doubt It'll Make The Translation by Yvan256 · · Score: 2

      I think the radio version of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is much better than the old BBC TV version.

  22. It could work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I read the article which provided the argument against turning Dr. Who into a movie, and I disagree with most of the points. A few comments:

    1. Length. TV episodes are one hour, which requires a tight plot. A movie would add an extra hour, which the writer of the article claims would ruin that. He says he's from the Tom Baker generation (I was too), but he seems to have forgotten that during the Tom Baker era, the show was a bunch of miniseries. Much longer than a movie. Even now, there are plenty of two-part and three-part episodes, and really the only difference between that and a movie is that in TV there's an incentive to add a cliffhanger each hour. Turning it into a movie actually gives them more freedom because there isn't that incentive.

    2. Sexualization of the characters. First, this isn't necessary even in a Hollywood film, so it might not happen. Second, he complains about the Doctor getting younger and younger to give him more sex appeal, but that's already happening on the TV show. Hollywood has nothing to do with it. Third, in the latest incarnation there's already sexual chemistry between the Doctor and his companion. Granted, it's all misdirection and misleading the audience into thinking there's more there than there really is, and other than one kiss, Amy has been completely faithful to Rory. But you can't deny that the sexual chemistry between the Doctor and Amy is there. Again, this is all without Hollywood.

    3. Cheap sets and props. True, that's been a hallmark of Dr. Who from the beginning, and some of it still remains in the latest series. However, there's plenty of high tech special effects these days in the show. Will the big screen change that ratio in favor of the high tech at the expense of the cheap? No doubt. But nostalgia aside, who really cares?

    So all of his concerns are things that are already happening in the show. Could Hollywood blow it? Sure. But if so, it won't be because of any of the things he complains about. The smartest thing for Hollywood to do would be to hire the writers from some of the better episodes of the past few years. Stick with what makes the show great and let the Hollywood format support the story rather than supplant it.

    1. Re:It could work by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Second, he complains about the Doctor getting younger and younger to give him more sex appeal, but that's already happening on the TV show.

      Are you seriously suggesting that Matt Smith was chosen for sex appeal? I highly doubt there are many women who would ooooh and ahhh over Matt Smith on the streets... those that would- only because he is famous. In Matt Smith they picked the ugliest man possible... but, I personally think he is a fantastic actor and plays the part well. Probably the best recent doctor.

      Third, in the latest incarnation there's already sexual chemistry between the Doctor and his companion.

      Not just his companion- but several other human's- including Queen Bess- and River Song.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    2. Re:It could work by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      he seems to have forgotten that during the Tom Baker era, the show was a bunch of miniseries. Much longer than a movie

      Actually, they were about movie length. They were 4 or 6 short episodes, each of which contained a fairly long title sequence and the last couple of minutes from the previous week. If you remove the titles and the overlap between episodes, you end up with one and a half to two hours of show.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    3. Re:It could work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The smartest thing for Hollywood to do would be to hire the writers from some of the better episodes of the past few years.

      Hire Stephen Moffat (Blink, Silence in the Library, Girl in the Fireplace) to do the writing, and I'll be in line on the first day!

    4. Re:It could work by MenThal · · Score: 1

      Not just his companion- but several other human's- including Queen Bess- and River Song.

      Lest not forget...

      "Ay-oh, Captain Jack, bring me back to the railroad track..."

      I was actually surprised to see how far they dared take the Americanized Torchwood series with regards to Jack's omnisexuality...

    5. Re:It could work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...I started watching Dr Who cause I thought Matt Smith was hot...I'm a girl...

    6. Re:It could work by rust627 · · Score: 1

      Are you seriously suggesting that Matt Smith was chosen for sex appeal?

      but what about the bow tie ??, bow ties are cool, and sexy .........

      --
      da da da dum indeed.
  23. "Radical Transformation" by Froobly · · Score: 2

    "It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena."

    Isn't this a good enough reason not to do it at all?

    1. Re:"Radical Transformation" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There was a bad FOX Doctor Who from the 90s? Did everybody forget that one too?

      Doctor Who is HUGE already. It doesn't need to be made stupid for masses like most the Hollywood crap. They'll have to kill another doctor and bring in some 1 time actor...Likely pull one of those Hollywood cameos by having previous doctors show up briefly to pay homage to the fans. They can't top the crisis of previous ones-- his death, end of the universe (multiple times), death of trillions... It'll suck if it isn't PG too; as of late they seem to be making a kiddie show of it but putting in some blatant crap to appease the older ones with some lousy melodrama. Expect bigger plot holes than the last Torchwood and less intelligent.

      Just insert every X seconds some obscure reference to keep "thick" fans happy and then do a bland futuristic action movie. Its rather easy, find some nutty fan to volunteer suggestions of minor stuff to insert into your movie, recycle names and a few concepts then use the old title. Hollywood does this all the time.

      Hollywood seems to hire writers who just take the job for the name/money and then do the same old thing they always do but tweak it a little to make it fit into the theme. Not far from MS windows themes; same thing just different paint. Rarely do they seem to hire the proper writers that fit with the job -- I'm not sure if any writers exist who can actually adapt and change their style to fit.

      Dr Who has been going downhill overall lately; since they are obsessed with bigger and bigger more crazy crisis with even more stupid resolutions (ok the last one was 'good' but the previous season's ending was stupid.) Moffit seems to have made it more of a children's show than it previously was then put in some stuff that this fan of 30 years didn't like. It needs to go a bit over our heads with some things like the classic ones did; while now they seem to talk more down to you and feel like they can't skip some things. Its removed too much imagination in recent ones-- that is, I think its a general trend towards the hollywood tripe so it may actually seem to blend seamlessly into the show by the time the movie comes out. Modern shows and especially big films are afraid to let the audience do anything; as if we are too stupid.

      Don't get me started on the New Trek movie... I think that they killed all the vulcans pretty much summed up how they felt about what made it Star Trek.

    2. Re:"Radical Transformation" by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 2

      Not to mention: bigger arena?

      The show is decades old, and seen globally. I encounter people in here the USA who have never seen it, but still know generally of "Doctor Who" and that it involves time travel. And it's on the BBC, one of the biggest networks in the world.

      Mr Hollywood DoucheGuy acts like it's some little production on a local station like MST3K's early days.

  24. Two words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Uwe Boll

    1. Re:Two words by blair1q · · Score: 1

      MOD -1000 HORRIFYING POSSIBILITY!!!!!

      (ugh. i wish i could un-read that.)

    2. Re:Two words by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Uwe Boll

      You're a sick individual.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  25. it started in 2005 by Thud457 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They've been trying to add romantic interest since the 2005 reboot. Look at Rose. And Amy. And River. And...

    One of the things I liked about Dr Who was that he was old enough to be cool and detached. He thinks his way out of a problem, not shoots his way out.

    Now it's all "RUN!" and zapping things with his magic wand, err, sonic screwdriver. And sublimated smootchy-face that would embarrass booger and Mrs diPesto.

    I've liked the story arcs with Amy, the way they try to enmesh every single goddamned little thing back into the big story. I just remind myself this isn't Dr Who, it's Han Solo with a Time Machine and a British accent.


    Oh, and apparently they're trying for some sort of record on how fast they can turn over doctors.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:it started in 2005 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      They finally added River so The Doctor could have a legitimate romantic interest without having to constantly work in the romantic tension with his companion. Personally I thought the tension was a legitimate character element, but it does get tired after a while.

      As for turnover, Tennant had a longer tenure than everyone except Tom Baker. What I'm wondering is that since the Doctor seems to be getting more cracked every incarnation, I wonder who they're going to get to top Smith.

    2. Re:it started in 2005 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least that means we're on pace for seeing The Six Doctors come out in the not-so-distant-future :)
       

    3. Re:it started in 2005 by avandesande · · Score: 1

      I have to give the producers and directors props for not sexualizing the Harry Potter series any more than made sense in the context of the films. One could hope they would do the same with Dr Who....

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    4. Re:it started in 2005 by blair1q · · Score: 1

      Um, FWIW, IMO, the thing with the Dr. and Rose worked, even if it didn't work out for them.

    5. Re:it started in 2005 by Kjella · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Now it's all "RUN!" and zapping things with his magic wand, err, sonic screwdriver. And sublimated smootchy-face that would embarrass booger and Mrs diPesto.

      Well they've run into one of the issues many shows do, they've overpowered him with the "time can be rewritten" arc, saving himself from the prison box when the whole universe has turned against him and so on. That you can't cross your own time stream was like the most important limit to his powers, the answer to "Why can't we just go back with the TARDIS and undo this?" So they've had to offset that with an action pace, because if there was actually time to stop and think about it, there's a million ways he could have gotten out of that easily.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    6. Re:it started in 2005 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just remind myself this isn't Dr Who, it's Han Solo with a Time Machine and a British accent.

      Nah - the doctor who would never shoot first.

    7. Re:it started in 2005 by Mercano · · Score: 4, Informative

      Oh, and apparently they're trying for some sort of record on how fast they can turn over doctors.

      Actually, the median per regeneration seems to be somewhere around three years, ignoring the gaps between the old run and the movie, and the movie to the new run, so even if Matt Smith leaves after next year, he isn't leaving unusually early. Granted, the 8th and 9th both were exceptionally short lived, but Tennant actually had the second longest run at 4 years, 6 months, after Tom Baker's 6 years 9 months. Granted, the modern Doctors don't stack up as well in episode count. Even when you account for the fact that they are making longer episodes then they did back when, the older Doctors still were making more content per year.

      If your interested in how long each Doctor lasted...

      --
      #include <signature.h>
    8. Re:it started in 2005 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *Romantic* interest isn't all bad, as long as it's been discreet and . . . romantic (rather than outright sexual). Nobody says the Doctor shouldn't notice a pretty girl; but any human is a mere infant in comparison. (BTW I've been watching since The Doctor regenerated as Tom Baker. The first time. Any geek who didn't want Leela is lying.)

      The current story arcs are so well entwined because they're written by Steven Moffat, who has done other great stuff too. It has nothing to do with who's playing the Time Lord.

    9. Re:it started in 2005 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      According to some other episode ,he can't do that because it would rip a hole in spacetime or something along those lines. Since the universe was already fucked, I'm assuming it didn't matter too much.

    10. Re:it started in 2005 by sco08y · · Score: 2

      (BTW I've been watching since The Doctor regenerated as Tom Baker. The first time. Any geek who didn't want Leela is lying.)

      The hot original series companions were plenty hot, Leela obviously, but both Romanas were beautiful, and Perry was hot even in spite of her awful attempt at an American accent.

      I think you've really got to watch the reboot as an entirely new production. Sure, it continues with a few iconic characters, but beyond that, it just doesn't make sense. The romance and attachments are a good example: in the old series, when the Doctor left an assistant, that was it, they just went back to their old lives. In the new series, he comes back to Sarah Jane, and she almost hysterical upon seeing him. There can't be any explanation that really makes sense to explain why people never cared in the old series but they do now.

      And for all the faults of the new writing, the old writing could be *really* bad at times. I don't miss lame plot devices like mines that turned people into trees, which lead to the Master exclaiming, "ah, I can see there are going to be a lot of trees." And the new series' romance can be a bit over the top, but it's still far more likable than, say, the unbearable awkwardness of Star Trek romance.

    11. Re:it started in 2005 by jd · · Score: 1

      You never watched Unearthly Child?

      --
      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)
    12. Re:it started in 2005 by jd · · Score: 1

      I'd measure in terms of content, since episodes and seasons differ in length. It's the only way to produce a standard measure. William Hartnell managed about 67 hours of actual content, Patrick Troughton put in 59.5 hours, Tom Baker clocked in at 91 hours. In comparison, David Tennant put in a paltry 47 hours.

      --
      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)
    13. Re:it started in 2005 by jd · · Score: 2

      I don't think anyone in the old series went back to their old lives - save Zoe and Jamie, who had their minds wiped. Most who left were burned out on traveling, save those who discovered that they'd learned enough to be able to turn what they'd learned into action. The Doctor was seen as a mentor and a teacher, and nobody stays a student forever. You graduate. In the Old Series, the Doctor kept a measure of emotional distance. Somewhat necessary, since we learn in Deadly Assassin that a regeneration can live up to a thousand years, giving a potential lifespan of a Timelord of 13,000 years - only a little less than that of an Osirin, in fact, if you add the time shift the Doctor added to the transport from Mars to the date Sutek first gets mentioned in Egypt.

      --
      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)
    14. Re:it started in 2005 by gd2shoe · · Score: 1

      Um, FWIW, IMO, the thing with the Dr. and Rose worked, even if it didn't work out for him.

      FTFY

      --
      I won't join Slashcott. OTOH, If Beta goes live, I just won't be back until it's fixed. Sorry Dice.
    15. Re:it started in 2005 by gd2shoe · · Score: 1

      They've kinda substituted that with "fixed points", so they can choose as writers just how backed into a corner he is.

      --
      I won't join Slashcott. OTOH, If Beta goes live, I just won't be back until it's fixed. Sorry Dice.
    16. Re:it started in 2005 by gd2shoe · · Score: 1

      Touche

      --
      I won't join Slashcott. OTOH, If Beta goes live, I just won't be back until it's fixed. Sorry Dice.
    17. Re:it started in 2005 by hey! · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Oh, for Pete's sake. I've been watching those Dr. Who "classic" episodes recently, and even at it's best Dr. Who was never *The Prisoner* or *The Twilight Zone* for chrissakes. It's a fun and cheesy "sci-fi" series that doesn't mind being corny or flirting with camp so long as it was entertainment for the whole family. That meant not having The Doctor do any yucky kissing that would offend junior, while giving Pop the occasional shot of Zoe's besequined bum in that catsuit of hers.

      Don't get me wrong, I love the classic series, but in the same way I can enjoy "Buckaroo Banzai" without confusing it with "Blade Runner". I love the ridiculous monsters, executed with such cheesy verve. About the only thing I really don't like is how mind-numbingly bad the dialog is in many (although not all) classic episodes. Some of that dialog makes George Lucas's Star Wars Dialog sound like *Casablanca*.

      Now why even bother doing a new series that does the same old thing? Are you going to out-Tom-Baker Tom Baker? You can't get that movie serial vibe again because people are just too media savvy. The corn threshold is so much lower.

      So I think they've done a very good job keeping the cheesy spirit while spiffing up the production values. The cast and guest talent are top notch, episode pacing is crisp, and the writing for the most part witty, canny and thoughtful. But the writing is inevitably where the new series has to fall down now and then. This is a series that ran for 26 seasons before the modern incarnation, the main character has almost god-like intellect and the stories involve one of the most logically messy themes in science fiction: time travel. Dr. Who has always needed some ad hoc and not very credible limitations in what the Doctor is allowed do. So I think we have to accept a certain amount of story arc continuity sleight of hand, especially given the long history of the series.

      That said, I fear that using Great Temporal Reset Button in two successive seasons probably indicates the writers have written the show into a corner that can't be fixed without a fallow period or a series reboot that destroys a lot more than one season's continuity.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    18. Re:it started in 2005 by Daniel+Klugh · · Score: 1

      Doctor Who was never meant to be "camp", "corny" or "cheesy".
      (barring the occasional JNT gag)
      It just seems that way to you because it's so old. If you grew up on old-timey special effects it all seems normal. TV back then was more like a radio show where you had to use your imagination.
      On the other hand, it was never meant to be depressing or morose either. Hence the upbeat/hopeful endings.
      (even if half of the good-guys are dead by the end!)

      "NuWho", on the other hand, makes a mockery of of Doctor Who and sci-fi in general. With a very few episodes like "Dalek" being the exception. And even they have too much loud, dramatic music. Like it's screaming "FEEL SAD!!!" or some such.

      --
      Daniel Klugh
    19. Re:it started in 2005 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Get ready to have every character quirk, every catch-phrase, every bad guy, every doctor that ever was, every companion that ever was, crammed into 90 minutes of schlock meant to make über fans squeel like little girls while leaving anybody with two brain cells to rub together rolling their eyes. *cringes over memories of the Peacekeeper Wars*

    20. Re:it started in 2005 by wdef · · Score: 1

      Some great points in this post and ensuing thread. I'm not as negative about the rebooted show. I loved the original as a child and I like the reboot, which I think tries hard to create a similar exhilaration to the classic dr shows - especially the Tennant series, which is when the show really snapped into focus. As an update I don't think it can avoid a lot of run-run-zap action stuff, that'd all some people notice these days. Creepiness is an essential element and is largely done well.

      There was always sexual tension between the dr and companion, almost from the first series, that was by design. It is essential to the show and very effective. I'm still hot for Nyssa, Romana, Tegan, Leela etc after all these years and I'm definitely very hot for Rose and the rest. Apart from providing various classical dramatic functions such as a chorus, the girls were there initially for the dads to get off on (same reason as hot female presenters on any kid's show). Then they were there for girls to identify with, presenting an increasingly emancipated image, while lusting as girls together after the hunky cute non-threatening dr. The middle-aged average looking bag (whatsername River?) is there so that old and average bags in the audience have someone to identify with and so the older average men have someone to perv at who isn't infeasibly young and pretty.

    21. Re:it started in 2005 by Ginger+Unicorn · · Score: 4, Funny

      bobcat goldthwaite?

      --
      (1.21 gigawatts) / (88 miles per hour) = 30 757 874 newtons
    22. Re:it started in 2005 by hey! · · Score: 2

      Dude, you're right about me being so old -- I remember watching John Pertwee's Third Doctor when it was *new*. I'm not the least ashamed of being old because I've never confused growing up with getting priggish. I can still enjoy classic Dr. Who without having to defend most episodes as being serious literary science fiction ("reverse the polarity of the neutron flow" indeed).

      The classic series *also* had music that whacked you on the head with emotional cues when the story needed drama that the writers didn't supply. You just didn't notice because you were enjoying the show with your critical faculties turned off. What's more, classic Who had even cruder dialog and acting cues. I was watching an old Tom Baker episode recently and at one point the villain gloats, "Excellent!" and actually does the Montgomery Burns thing with his fingertips. As he does so he is accompanied by an ominous organ music riff. How much more on-the-nose can you get?

      The series *did* do some fairly straight science fiction drama story lines, but didn't shy away from burlesque, and some of those burlesque stories were quite entertaining if you were willing to take them on their own terms. The Douglas Adams penned "Pirate Planet" serial was one of them. While the story was clearly operatic in its credibility, it had many subtle Adamsesque touches to the dialog, characterization and plot twists that make the writing stand out. Adams had this gift for mixing the silly and the emotionally credible that you can't appreciate until you can tell the difference.

      Isn't it just possible that you're the one whose tastes have gotten a little more selective? That the difference in your reaction to the new series is that you no longer tolerate the obvious storytelling gimmicks you used to take at face value?

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    23. Re:it started in 2005 by mldi · · Score: 1

      They've been trying to add romantic interest since the 2005 reboot. Look at Rose. And Amy. And River. And...

      Bah. Rose was the only one with a continual and clear vibe of that. Amy only gave that vibe at the beginning of her reign. Amy and Rory together as Doctor companions I thought was refreshing, and it took away most of what some would call sexual tension between Amy and the Doctor (could you blame him anyway? Ow!). You also had Martha, who I didn't get much of that vibe from (she seemed more interested in the discovery and adventure), and then you have Donna, who gave him constant servings of his own shit. That and the total lack of interest between Donna and the Doctor is why the Doctor liked her so much as a companion.

      --
      If you aren't suspicious of your government's actions, you aren't doing your job as a responsible citizen.
    24. Re:it started in 2005 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't know if they plan any more but they sort of extended the eighth doctor's run by doing a number of radio episodes starring the eighth doctor a few years back, definitely worth listening to if you can IMO.

  26. dr kutcher by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

    i am going to have nightmares for months now of Ashton Kutcher as the Dr. although Charlie Sheen could easily play the master. :-P

    --
    ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
  27. Sexualization? by DaFallus · · Score: 4, Funny

    Uh, isn't Doctor Who fairly sexualized already (especially the 10th Doctor)? I mean, they have lesbian characters, guys from the 51st century who will have sex with anything, Amy Pond wanted the Doctor to "sort" her. Or is this simply an American vs British thing?

    I figure an American version of Doctor Who would be more like this

    --
    No one cares what your captcha was

    Houston TX, USA
    1. Re:Sexualization? by blair1q · · Score: 2

      Isn't that basically what Eccleston was?

    2. Re:Sexualization? by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Isn't that basically what Eccleston was?

      You are comparing Christoper Eccleston with Jason Stathan? Are you insane?

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  28. My predictions... by brennanw · · Score: 1

    ... since he was so faithful to the concept of John Constaine, Keanu Reeves will be cast as the Doctor.

    One of his companions will be a street-smart, wisecracking black man.

    One of his companions will be a 20-something slacker genius computer hacker (hollywood-style)

    The third companion will be Mary Jane Smith, played by either Christina Ricci or Angelina Jolie

    The hacker will manage to hack into the heart of the TARDIS by guessing its password, which will be "TARDIS"

    The TARDIS will be updated so that it's chameleon circuit is stuck on the form of a porta-potty. hilarity will, of course, ensue.

    --
    Eviscerati.Org: All Hail the Eviscerati
    1. Re:My predictions... by Phrogman · · Score: 1

      Well to be fair, the image of the Police Call box is very English and American audiences can't be expected to recognize anything from a foreign culture. The American TARDIS will probably *start* as a Porta-Potty so as to avoid confusion in the audience's mind, and then the low-brow shit jokes can start right away.

      On your other points, I think Angelina Jolie is too old for the part now. Christina Ricci might do as you suggest. Perhaps someone more noted for their acting ability, say Carmen Electra as a barrista girl who gets caught up in the Doctor's world?

      Note that any "hacker" has to use a computer that only displays in 72pt fonts on screen, and says "Processing" for a few seconds after anything is required of it.

      I think taking a fun and entertaining, creative story such as Doctor Who and letting Hollywood loose with it is a major mistake. There is almost no chance they won't fuck it up, in particular because its British and any translation to Hollywood is likely to require Americanization of the whole thing.

      I expect they will just ignore all of the pre-history and make a version where the Doctor IS American and try to kick start the whole thing for US audiences that way.

      --
      "The first time I got drunk, I got married. The second time I bought a chimpanzee, after that I stayed sober" Arian Seid
    2. Re:My predictions... by Yvan256 · · Score: 2

      The hacker will manage to hack into the heart of the TARDIS by guessing its password, which will be "TARDIS".

      Wait, that's way too obvious, even for the USA market. Let's make the password "SIDRAT".

    3. Re:My predictions... by blair1q · · Score: 1

      No, no, no.

      You're looking for the remake of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. That's down the hall.

    4. Re:My predictions... by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 2

      And the enemy will be a giant spider.

    5. Re:My predictions... by PSVMOrnot · · Score: 2

      The hacker will manage to hack into the heart of the TARDIS by guessing its password, which will be "TARDIS".

      Wait, that's way too obvious, even for the USA market. Let's make the password "SIDRAT".

      But... everyone knows the password is Crimson Eleven Delight Petrichor.

  29. I'd watch it by kiehlster · · Score: 1

    when they play it on the TVGuide channel. Beside that, I'd be happy to disavow such a thing. Doctor Who is strictly a product of Great Britain, and it should stay that. I'm an American, and I know absolutely that Hollywood would turn such a franchise into an oozing pile of PC trash.

  30. Hollywood version ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dr. Who (I meant 'Dr." NOT Doctor) will carry a sonic gun, his companion with have big tits, he will use movie martial arts, and he will solve problems with brute force and cynicism - not with the flair of outsmarting his opponents and making them use their brute force against themselves. ANd if they caste Shia LaBeouf as The Doctor, I will start an Occupy Hollywood movement.

    That's what is so awesome about Doctor Who to this American - he uses his brains to defeat the bad guys and does it with flair.

    1. Re:Hollywood version ... by Digital+Vomit · · Score: 2

      You had me at "big tits".

      --
      Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
  31. I can hear the doctor now by wjcofkc · · Score: 1

    Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.
    Anyway. This better not suck.

    --
    Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
  32. There was already an american Doctor Who movie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And ...it was shite. No surprise there.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_(1996_film)

    1. Re:There was already an american Doctor Who movie by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      To be fair to the Americans, the British films were pretty bad too...

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  33. No! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See the dreck that was "Torchwood: Miracle Day" -- I know, I know: not a hollywood feature, but it's "Americanization" TOTALLY SUCKED!!

    Leave well enough alone.

  34. What's the big deal? by Princeofcups · · Score: 1

    Let Hollywood do whatever they want and call if non-canon, like the Peter Cushing movies. They didn't destroy the franchise. Ignore it, and it never happened. Just like the Hitchhiker's Guide, Puppet Masters, Thunderbirds, and anything that claims to associated with that Star Trek series with Shatner.

    If anything, a Hollywood movie will get people to watch the TV show when they realize how much better it is.

    --
    The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican.
    1. Re:What's the big deal? by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

      i don't know why everyone derides the hitchhikers guide movie, its not like any of the cannon versions of hitchhiker even agree on anything other than names anyway, the records were different from the radio show, the radio show was different from the game, the game was different from the tv show. the only two version that were the same were the radio show and the published radio transcripts. hell adams wrote several the book the radio show and the record versions and none of them match so why should we care about the movie being different?

      yes the book was better by miles but isn't always?

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
  35. We must protest this.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Fight back guys! #OccupyTardis (don't worry, there's room for everyone...)

  36. Engage Emergency Temporal Shift by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Exterminate the Doc-tor!

    We will exterminate him where he is most vulnerable. Holly-wood. The human producer and direc-tor will be his undoing.

    Good-bye, Doc-tor!

  37. Hardly 'great television' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who is entertaining, without question. But the BBC is as politically correct as the DNC, and Who needs a Hartwell instead of a Smith.

    1. Re:Hardly 'great television' by blair1q · · Score: 1

      If you thought the Doctor was politically biased, why didn't you just root for the Daleks?

    2. Re:Hardly 'great television' by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Who is entertaining, without question. But the BBC is as politically correct as the DNC, and Who needs a Hartwell instead of a Smith.

      If you mean that the BBC doesn't actively promote racist, sexist, homophobic ageist drivel, you're right it probably is politically correct. But then again, you're a fucking fascist moron, so whatever.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  38. I'll say it again... Hollywood is out of ideas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tin Tin... total crap. Now this?

    I look forward to the Hollywood remake of the Flumps. Pootle in Hi Def 3d will be AWESOME. And of course, Willow The Whisp and The Magic Roundabout!

  39. Re:"inevitable sexualisation of the lead character by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2

    Don't forget the gay sex scenes, which are RTD's trademark and get shoehorned into every single thing he's made, irrespective of whether it actually makes sense to the story or whether sex scenes (between people of any orientation) are appropriate thematically. For some strange reason, he's actually proud of this when he's interviewed. Torchwood made it to, what, episode 3 before they had alien lesbians? And then finally admitted it had no plan with the episode 'kiss kiss, bang bank', the only episode of any show I've seen where the title was a complete and accurate summary of the entire episode.

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  40. Who said anything about Hollywood ? by Alain+Williams · · Score: 1

    The article talks about the ''bigscreen'', not Hollywood! There are places other than Hollywood that are capable of producing films, some are excellent -- like the James Bond or Harry Potter films. They might need to move out of South Wales to Pinewood or Leavesden -- and thus hopefully avoid Americanisation, which would ruin it.

  41. So he'd prefer low production values... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And ugly actors?

    1. Re:So he'd prefer low production values... by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      And ugly actors?

      I'd rather have ugly actors who can act than pretty actors who can't, but then again I'm not a superficial twat like you.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  42. Oblig. Subnormality by Fned · · Score: 1
  43. Full of fail..unless... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This idea is so very very full of fail..

    Unless..

    Make it a prequel.. Show us The Doctor taking the TARDIS, show us the first adventure...

    As far as who should play Who? Meh.. Of the current crop of popular actors I could see Hollywood put in the role, Depp would be the least offensive to me... Actually, maybe Zachary Levi could even pull off a half decent Doctor if needed.... Companions? Allison Scagliotti, Joanne Kelly, or Jaime Murray would be excellent choices IMHO...

    And all of this would hinge on Moffat and Gaiman being involved...

    Otherwise.. the basic concept of Hollywood doing Doctor Who is so very very full of fail... sigh...

    No.. no..for the love of Junior Johnson, frak no...

    1. Re:Full of fail..unless... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      or maybe Robert Downey Jr.... shrug...

      meh

  44. Heck, my wife hates Star Trek but enjoyed that mov by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 4, Funny

    Heck, my wife hates Star Trek but enjoyed that movie

    Do you think it is wise to broadcast your motive to the entire net while the police is still investigating her brutal and prolonged death?

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

  45. Does no one remember THIS Hollywood treatment? by Dubious+Maximus · · Score: 2
    1. Re:Does no one remember THIS Hollywood treatment? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sadly I remember this more recent hollywood tv production:
      http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116118/

  46. I second that by Quila · · Score: 1

    He's a older like earlier doctors, maybe bring a bit of that educated detachment back into it rather than being "hip," and more of a father figure to the famale companion than a possible sex interest. Laurie's got a strong grounding in comedy, so he could be as funny as Tom Baker, and he's great at drama too.

  47. Prediction: This will be like Coupon the Movie by KeithIrwin · · Score: 3, Funny

    I predict that this will be like Coupon the Movie all over again.

  48. The usual S*** by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Here we go again, mainstream Hollywhood picking a quality product from Europe (not quality in term of dry quality of the special effects but general quality of the story and likeability of the product), adding all "Immortal American Values"(C) to it like: chicks, compulsory manhood or womanhood, compulsory albeit blatantly forced multiracial presence; the abused "hero" concept, the usual puritanism and shortsightedness, plastic feelings, clear and simplified happy ending for dummies, location somewhere in the US with US names and habits, driving on the right side of the road) and basically making a hyperboring sh*t out of it.

    That same s*** the rest of the world will ever remember about the franchise, seen the excellent worldwide istribution capabilities of the majors.

    What a pity. This happens all the time with films, TV series and all. Don't they have new ideas of their own?

  49. I have a dream... by luis_a_espinal · · Score: 1

    ... that Hollywood doesn't pull a "Green Lantern" on "Dr. Who".

    1. Re:I have a dream... by blair1q · · Score: 1

      Hollywood runs about 50-50 on comic-book type movies any more. Dr. Who isn't a comic book (well, it is, but not really), but it's the same fan base. Depends entirely on who's running the show as to whether the franchise gets respect, or is just exploited because the fans will pay a few bucks to see it whether they think they'll be pissed off or not. Then again, Seth Rogen wrote the Green Hornet script and, despite his attempts to respect it, fucked it up enough that there will almost certainly not be another GH movie for another 40 years...

      If only we could get some Joss Whedon rubbed on this one...

  50. Keep the Doctor safe from Homowood. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's bad enough the "Americanization" that has occurred to Doctor Who with the latest revival. Come on, the Doctor will have sex with anything now. Such a sad departure from the original series.

  51. Who would play The Doctor ? by Zoxed · · Score: 1

    No word on who may play The Doctor. *Please* let the role be played by a female: the potential for Dr-Who-esq humour would be immense !! And of course a male "companion" !

    1. Re:Who would play The Doctor ? by coolmadsi · · Score: 1

      *Please* let the role be played by a female: the potential for Dr-Who-esq humour would be immense !! And of course a male "companion" !

      Check out the Doctor Who sketch they did for Comic Relief a few years ago - I think someone has posted a link here somewhere already.

    2. Re:Who would play The Doctor ? by Zoxed · · Score: 1

      Excellent, thanks: I had not seen that one before, I found it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_zNSSknXC4
      That was the idea, but unfortunalty Ms Lumley's part was a bit short :-(

  52. I totally agree by negatonium · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Doctor Who has passed into the realm of Modern Mythology now. Just like Dracula, Superman, and Star Trek has now become part of our "mythology". These characters and stories may take a rest from time to time but there will always be someone to come along and retell/re-imagine/re-work them. Doctor Who is just too fertile a ground for good stories to leave too long. Heck, we are still getting milage from Sinbad, Hercules, and Atlantis! The theatrical Who movies of the '60s didn't kill a much younger series... no worries here.

  53. No Worries. by negatonium · · Score: 1

    No worries. If he makes a mess of it we can always go back and kill his grandfather..... What was that? Is that you Adric?

  54. When exactly did Doctor Who jump the shark? by SirGarlon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I see a lot of comments in this threat that Doctor Who has already jumped the shark. I concur, and I haven't even seen anything later than David Tennant. When in your opinion did Doctor Who go irrevocably off track?

    In my opinion it was way back with Sylvester McCoy when the seventh Doctor blew up Skaro's sun with something-or-other of Omega. I just can't handle the idea of The Doctor committing genocide -- and smirking while he does it. Contrast with the fourth Doctor's moral dilemma in the Genesis of the Daleks, and you can see the quality of the writing had already sunk very from from its peak.

    At this point I would rather let it die and remember it fondly, the way it was.

    --
    [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
    1. Re:When exactly did Doctor Who jump the shark? by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 1

      I'm still enjoying the show. The fact that I have a crush on Karen Gillan might be a factor.

    2. Re:When exactly did Doctor Who jump the shark? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ah yes, the hand of Omega. I'm surprised they didn't bring Rassilon back into play for the whole Time War thing.

      As for when it went off track, I think it was the other Baker (Colin); but even from Dr big teeth, curly hair, you could see the quality of the writing going downhill. As much as the actors might have tried to compensate, the writers pandering and trying to associate with a younger audience really came through in their work and deteriorated the plots.
      The way I look at all of the Doctors, at the beginning it was pure acting - cheap sets, no distractions or explosions or distracting actions when the actors were speaking. Compared to now: sirens, explosions, CGI, flashy lights and everything under the suns. The actors are good, but the execution of the plots and how it's filmed has changed immensely.
      Favourite Dr? the second - Patrick Troughton. Accused by the first in The Three Doctors of being "a clown".
      For those who haven't seen the earlier Doctors, I highly reccomend it.

    3. Re:When exactly did Doctor Who jump the shark? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The whole idea of "jumping the shark" doesn't work for Doctor Who. The series is older than pretty much all things on television, let alone Happy Days. It basically needs to "jump the shark" every two years. The difference is that it comes out the other side of these moments, we forgive the writers for being ridiculous and we move on.

      I mean it kind of jumped the shark when Pertwee's Doctor was exiled to Earth to battle monsters of the week instead of tackling proper sci-fi stories. But then it came good with Baker. And lost it a bit when he needed to regenerate (shadowy character watching down from the hillside, universe is a giant computer), and totally fell apart around Peri (but don't we all), particularly when he was put on trial by himself (what the?). And then, as you say, Sylvester. His whole run was out there, and then we had the McGann movie, which was propably the shark jumpiest moment, when the doc had a girlfriend. But then the 2002 series returned with zombies in a department store (not to mention a locked up time war form whence imelords and daleks could never escape) which was dangerously close to what we had at the end of the last season when he revisited his old "flatmate" to discover some cybermen under another department store. Not to mention the Voyage of the Damned, Catherine Tate or the double-decker bus in space.

    4. Re:When exactly did Doctor Who jump the shark? by Ryatt · · Score: 1

      I stopped caring the moment Matt Smith's Daleks became the colored "Power Ranger" robots. Sorry, I can't cite the exact episode... I didn't care enough to remember it, and haven't watched the show since.

  55. Two Words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Adam Sandler

  56. Snooki will be the companion by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 1

    It needs quite a radical transformation

    Oops.

  57. Exterminate!!! Exterminate!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Enough Said

  58. I can just see it....it's going to be AWESOME! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We all know this is an excellent idea and I can already the pool of big name actors they are going to pick the Doctor from....

    Tom Cruise
    Christian Bale (at least he has a real British accent)
    Keanu Reeves (experience with time traveling phone booths)
    Bradley Cooper
    Will Smith
    Robert Downey Jr.
    Samuel Jackson
    Seth Rogan

    Can you imagine it with this talent? It's going to be AWESOME!!!!

    1. Re:I can just see it....it's going to be AWESOME! by buckeyeguy · · Score: 1

      The next Dr. Who: Will Ferrell. Just shoot me now.

      --
      I'd have a personalized plate on my car, but "toxic bachelor" won't fit into 7 letters.
  59. Don't even think it. by blair1q · · Score: 2

    It needs quite a radical regeneration

    There, is that better?

    1. Re:Don't even think it. by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 1

      No, I just meant oops, there's goes Hollywood again taking something loved and changing it beyond recognition for reasons only cocaine fueled egotism can explain.

  60. sexualizing the lead characters by sammy+baby · · Score: 1

    "I fear that high production values and the inevitable sexualisation of the lead characters that a Hollywood treatment brings will destroy the show."

    Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... Leela!

    (Ha, you thought I was going to go with Amy Pond, didn't you? Too easy. Old school, it's how I roll.)

    1. Re:sexualizing the lead characters by lordbah · · Score: 1

      Leela, my favorite! Her primitive, instinctive personality was a great complement to the Doctor's over-rational one.

      I was in college at the time, and she would have been welcome to sexualize me any time.

    2. Re:sexualizing the lead characters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Leila and Amy, sitting on my knee

      K - I - S - S - I - N - G

      First are tongues

      Then are fingers

      The noises fade

      But the smell kinda lingers.

  61. uh wtf by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    doctor who already got high production values & sexualization with the 2005 reboot, so the damage is done. You can't spoil doctor who there have been PLENTY of stinker episodes & doctors, they just move on.

  62. Christopher Eccleston by Any+Web+Loco · · Score: 4, Informative

    Bring back Christopher Eccleston and it might have a shot.

  63. Continuing theme... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hollywood makes terrible movies, people praise it, see it, complain about it. Next bad premise, Dr. Who Movie.

  64. Some suggestions to play the Doctor by rossdee · · Score: 1

    People have already mentioned Rowan Atkinson (bean there, done that) and Hugh Laurie, I'd like to add

    Peter Woodward
    Patrick Stewart
    John Hurt
    Sam Neill

  65. Anyone remember Perry? by Maintenance+Goof · · Score: 2

    Anyone remember the side kick, Peri? In 1984 they cast Nicola Bryant, as Perpugilliam Brown, and she lasted through 2 Doctors. Towards the end, they even let her wear entire sets of clothing.

  66. Stay away from it!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "we're going to have to spend two to three years to get it right". Umm yeah sure, you do that!
    It only took 48 years to build it. They're going to totally ruin it.

    "it needs quite a radical transformation". What the heck are you talking about?? You mean you need to dumb it down so that the clueless, cattle masses can understand it. Don't touch my show. Back away from it you money hungry bottom feeders.

    So many things about that news article is upsetting me.

  67. I've been thinking about this... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 2

    - and Hollywood could pull something off and make it work in such a way that it appeals to both "Hollywood" audience and the Dr. Who faithfull.

    The trick would be letting the glamour and the hollywoodization fall on the companions. Let the companions develop the love interests etc, and be the eye candy- just don't make that the main part of the story.

    I think America can enjoy a quirky excentric professor type Dr. Who, like the original doctors portrayed.

    I think they could remake the original Dr. Who episode "an unearthly child" into the film- just make the girl older- high school age and let her be the "coming of age" character that Hollywood so loves.

    They just have to balance it right- so as to not make the "Hollywood side" of things the main part of the story.

    Good special effects needn't ruin the story if encorporated correctly. What the '96 movie did wrong was turn Dr. Who into an action hero. He never should be.

    It's OK to have a companion that gets into a little bit of action- as long as that is not over emphasised. Think Perry Mason's P.I. that would get into a few action roles- but it was never about him- it was about Perry Mason.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  68. Re:"inevitable sexualisation of the lead character by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I guess just kissing is considered full on sex, well if you are living in your parent's basement, i suppose you would have that worldview.

  69. Craig Ferguson by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 2
    --
    -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
  70. Re:"inevitable sexualisation of the lead character by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

    From your post, I can tell you haven't watched much Torchwood. For which I envy you...

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  71. Re:Heck, my wife hates Star Trek but enjoyed that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    She isn't dead and she won't be. She is in unrecoverable coma.

  72. Protip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is not the first Doctor Who movie.

  73. It already happened.... by andrewa · · Score: 1

    'I fear that high production values and the inevitable sexualisation of the lead characters that a Hollywood treatment brings will destroy the show,'

    Where has this guy been for the past two years? That train has already left the station.... I've been seriously disappointed with Doctor Who in the last couple of years; it's possibly just me, but the whole storyline with River being Amy's daughter etc., has really put me off. Sure, all things should evolve and mature - we really couldn't have aliens made out of cardboard boxes these days (though I would likely prefer that), but I just don't like the direction it has taken.
    I've been a fan of Doctor Who since 1968, so a lot of my disappointment is probably through nostalgia. I mostly stopped watching at Colin Baker, detested Bonnie Langford. Christopher Eccleston was like a breath of fresh air (perhaps because it was nice to have a Doctor with a northern accent :-) ).

    --
    :(){ :|:& };:
    1. Re:It already happened.... by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I've been a fan of Doctor Who since 1968, so a lot of my disappointment is probably through nostalgia. I mostly stopped watching at Colin Baker, detested Bonnie Langford.

      Until they reinvented it with Christoper Eccleston, Doctor Who was strictly a kids' show (albeit a very good and slightly scary one). You're probably like me and most other people, and stopped watching it when you left school/went to college. The last Doctor I watched (at the time) was Tom Baker, I'd stopped watching by the time Davison/Baker/McCoy came along anyway.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    2. Re:It already happened.... by neminem · · Score: 1

      The sibling poster above me is entirely incorrect. I'm not viewing it through nostalgia at all (I only learned about DW when the new series started; I tried watching some of the old stuff, I found it mostly slow and dull.) The Eccleston season was fantastic. The Tennant seasons were also fantastic. The Smith seasons so far have been nothing but spectacle, no soul. No characters I actually care about, storylines that make little sense, hardly even any lines of particular wit. I've kind of given up.

      Hollywood could hardly frack up the franchise more than it already has been, the past couple years.

  74. Re:Heck, my wife hates Star Trek but enjoyed that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Heck, my wife hates Star Trek but enjoyed that movie

    Do you think it is wise to broadcast your motive to the entire net while the police is still investigating her brutal and prolonged death?

    I think that's what we call marriage. (yes I know Slashdot - what was I thinking).

    Marwage, that dweam wit in a dweam ...

  75. Oh no by renegadesx · · Score: 2

    This is going to be a disaster. Look there is a vast difference in styles between British and American shows that just don't cross over very well. Im not saying American TV is bad (reality TV is very bad but thats a worldwide problem) but whenever the Americans try to adopt another countries show it loses what made it appealing in the first place.

    I remember the horrible mess that was the US version of The Office, as well as the Australian show Kath & Kim.

    I remember Hollywood wanted to mess with Red Dwarf, replace The Cat with a female, which alone would have ruined it. What?

    Please America, you do you're own thing well and other countries do their thing well. When you try to "Americanize" an overseas franchise you kill the charm that made it good in the first place.

    --
    Make SELinux enforcing again!
    1. Re:Oh no by mjwx · · Score: 1

      I remember the horrible mess that was the US version of The Office, as well as the Australian show Kath & Kim.

      The Australian version of Kath & Kim was the original version.

      And it did suck, not in a good way like a filipina hooker, I mean horribly.

      As an Australian, I would like to apologise profusely for releasing thing horror on the world, we are deeply, deeply ashamed.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    2. Re:Oh no by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I thought Kath and Kim was really quite funny. Sozzes.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  76. So what would make it okay? by Commontwist · · Score: 3, Interesting

    1. Daleks. Use the color-coded Daleks but use their funny appearance more deceivingly and realistically lethal. I mean, much of their bodies are supposed to be highly sophisticated tech not people hidden inside. Use it. (Turn all those half-balls on the side into hunter-seeker spider-like drones?)

    2. The Tardis is big. Really, really big. Except lately we never see much of what's in it. (One exception was when the Tardis computer was extracted) Earlier series often showed the swimming pool, personal rooms, walk in closets, the warning room, etc. If Hollywood's doing it at least take advantage to show off the greatness that is the Tardis. Explore the concept. The Doctor is a scientist and time/space traveller and he doesn't have a personal lab or nic-nac room inside?

    3. The Time Lords. I was a little annoyed that the Time Lords all become Evil and Had To Be Banished. Maybe it's because I liked Romana and the times the Doctor visited but, again, have Gallefry live again.

    4. The Master. I loved the look of the old Masters. The new one seems to have lost much to the Time Wars. Make him intelligent Evil Overlord who pays attention to the Things I Will Not Do When I Am an Evil Overlord. Heck, have him READING it during the movie-now that would be funny!

    5. Companions. Have a more useful seeming Companion mixed in with one or two that needs to be rescued. Not too much so but Spock and McCoy were not captain of the ship and they rocked.

    6. K-9. Classic reborn but no real dogs please. Or perhaps mix him with the T-2000 and make him a K-9 with monomolecular teeth. Woof!

    1. Re:So what would make it okay? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1. Daleks. Use the color-coded Daleks but use their funny appearance more deceivingly and realistically lethal. I mean, much of their bodies are supposed to be highly sophisticated tech not people hidden inside. Use it. (Turn all those half-balls on the side into hunter-seeker spider-like drones?)

      2. The Tardis is big. Really, really big. Except lately we never see much of what's in it. (One exception was when the Tardis computer was extracted) Earlier series often showed the swimming pool, personal rooms, walk in closets, the warning room, etc. If Hollywood's doing it at least take advantage to show off the greatness that is the Tardis. Explore the concept. The Doctor is a scientist and time/space traveller and he doesn't have a personal lab or nic-nac room inside?

      3. The Time Lords. I was a little annoyed that the Time Lords all become Evil and Had To Be Banished. Maybe it's because I liked Romana and the times the Doctor visited but, again, have Gallefry live again.

      4. The Master. I loved the look of the old Masters. The new one seems to have lost much to the Time Wars. Make him intelligent Evil Overlord who pays attention to the Things I Will Not Do When I Am an Evil Overlord. Heck, have him READING it during the movie-now that would be funny!

      5. Companions. Have a more useful seeming Companion mixed in with one or two that needs to be rescued. Not too much so but Spock and McCoy were not captain of the ship and they rocked.

      6. K-9. Classic reborn but no real dogs please. Or perhaps mix him with the T-2000 and make him a K-9 with monomolecular teeth. Woof!

      The only thing that would make OK would be.
      1. if it was a spoof and it would be made by national lampoon.
      2. And his daughter is back as the sexy boom shell.
      3. And the doctor has to reprimand his daughter because is the leader of the headless monks.
      4. And she has mother in law that rocks but will die soon, and has to bring back from the library.
      5. And river can soon do what she likes to do the most, to shoot and blow up things.
      6. River meats Sara smiths son that has a crush on the doctor's daughter.
      7. And torch-wood leader is lead to be headless entity.
      Yes this would round every thing.
      But like I stated above as a spoof not a movie by brainless-wood.
      The last time that there was a entertaining movie that had something to say or had a plot was in early 60's.
      And even then that was left on the floor of the cutting room.
      Just look at all the piss poor remakes, that are made every day now.
      Or can any one tell me of a remake that is any better then the original that at some time was not even that good.
      Can you honestly say the war of the worlds was any better then it's counterpart, or the day the earth stood still.
      Or the 3 different versions of Poseidon adventure.
      Dose are just 3 movies, they are even worst then some of the comics that i saw when I was a kid.
      There is no plot no continuity just lots of CG, lots boom, paw, wam, they are just ass creative as the first batman TV show.
      Brainless-wood thinks that “if its made there they will come”
      not this one.
      I am tired I pay to see the real Doctor, not a Fuzzbuster.
      I have been watching the Doctor since I was 6, I am currently 50, do you honestly think I would spend a dime.
      on any movie made by a bunch of idiots that have no regards for any plot, or history, much less continuity.

  77. Past Examples by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 1

    Of cours,e the movie might stink, but there's no reason to assume so.

    Yes there is. The two Cushing films were British, not Hollywood and the only time the US made a Doctor Who film we got the 8th doctor. So going on past performance there is EVERY reason to think that a Hollywood production of Dr. Who will be terrible although I really hope I'm wrong.

  78. It's been done already. by Mozai · · Score: 1

    How many of you have forgotten? There have been three Doctor Who movies already.

  79. Dr Seuss by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most Americans will wonder if this movie will star Jim Carey and if it is set in Whoville.

  80. Hollywood, don't spoil Doctor Who by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't worry, they will.

  81. No offense to Yates, but... by eegad · · Score: 1

    Why couldn't it have been J.J. Abrams? After what he did with Star Trek, I'd trust him with just about any major reboot.

  82. its not just hollywood , its the companies .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I mean, its all about money. thats it. very few hollywood movies are that intelligent or deep (anymore?)
    although British movies that *are* British are prone to suffer being made particularly bland, but thats the way it goes, Bedazzeled (1967) was a superb Pete & Dud tour de force, and the wonderfullness you could get in the real 1960's filming in real London .. (i was there) and it suffered particularly during its Hollywood incarnation,
    but us lets not forget that as much damage can be done far closer to home, to classic series.

    i refer in particular to the landmark cult TV series 'Survivors' - an intelligent, relevent (still today, if not more so)
    fantastically written, acted, filmed, honest and bleak look at what happens in 99% of the worlds dies .. a fantastic 38 episode adventure, some dark and tragic, some funny and thought provoking, and a study in human nature almost, reduced by a ' re - imagining ' of the whole complicated stories, to some cheap filmed-on-a-manchester-car-park, chock full of politically correct chosen-actors, and boxes checked. with some conspiritorial junk thrown in, it was a disaster, and it was the BBC that did it.

    Agreed, most Hollywood movies seem to be an action packed, quick-cut shot, style over content, handsome hero gets the girl and 'everything works out in the end' sort of crass, moralising smiley mess .. so if Hollywood sticks to what its good at, which is the trite crap most audiences require, they'll do ok, its just that people who care about real quality, wont be watching. ever.

    1. Re:its not just hollywood , its the companies .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      he refers to Terry Nations 1976 BBC TV show Survivors, as opposed to the disaster in 2006 or whenever..
      check out 1977's ' The Changes ' or the 1980's BBC ' Day of the Triffids ' or the 1999 ' The Last Train '..
      also for superb gritty BBC Drama look on www.video.google.com for 1984 ' Threads ' (unless you're already feeling a bit fed up !) the BBC's 1977 Cult TV series ' Blakes 7 ' thankfully escaped Hollywood, but Hollywood do hold the rights (sadly) for John Wyndhams ' Chocky ' ' Chocky's Challenge ' and ' Chocky's Children '
      there are many classic UK TV that should never be re-made, including the seasona; ' Box of Delights ' - a eight part (i think) kids fantasy series with Timelord Patrick Troughton in .. wonderful story.. check 'em out folks ..

  83. allready done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This isn't the first time dr who has graced the silver screen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_(1996_film)

  84. It's been spoiled before by dbIII · · Score: 1

    There's the movie with Peter Cushing as Dr Who which diehard Dr Who fans try to pretend never existed. A good actor and Daleks could not save it from bad Hollywood style writing - and that's back when people in the movie industry actually cared whether a script was any good or not.

  85. Do it in Hong Kong - Jackie Chan as the Dr by dbIII · · Score: 1

    Jackie Chan is getting a bit battered from the bigger stunts but can still pull off the melodrama and slapstick. Nearly everything he has directed has turned some of the stupidist and crappiest script and the confines of a low budget into gold. Just keep it out of Hollywood.

  86. And the new Doctor is Keanu Reeves. by glutenenvy · · Score: 1

    You know... Ted.

    And The Master is Alex Winter.

    Hollywood already did this the last time the show went to the chopping block on Season 26. If this is a go and there is a Doctor change, Johnny Depp would work well with his character range.

  87. Craig Ferguson as Doctor Who by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...Assuming they do it after Smith leaves the show, it would be killer. Ferguson made fast friends with Smith on his last trip to the US and is a huge Who fan. If not the doctor, Ferguson should be the Master and Smith should regenerate into Charles McAvoy at the end of the last episode as prelude to the movie. Eccleston left on bad terms, he won't be back.
    Oh, and let's make it a PG13 at least with some Gemma Arterton hotness..

  88. A bad Movie copy was ...... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well if it's anything like the crapy Hollywood 2000AD Comic Judge Dredd Movie, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek, now it was bad, so VERY VERY bad.

  89. OH NO... by SuperDre · · Score: 1

    The on person who fucked up Harry Potter is about to FU another great franchise.. I never understood why he even got the chance to direct another HP let alone 4! his directing was bad as hell..

  90. Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe by Sussurros · · Score: 1

    I totally get what you are saying but look what happed to Hitchhikers when they turned it into a movie the second time. The first Trillian still sets my socks on fire though so it isn't all bad and Whoopi Goldberg would make an excellent companion - as would Ashton Kutcher, lolol!

    --
    I said - don't look Ethel!..., but it was too late..., she'd already looked.
  91. Samwise to Frodo in Osgiliath... by Sussurros · · Score: 1

    Samwise to Frodo in Osgiliath... "We don't belong here."

    --
    I said - don't look Ethel!..., but it was too late..., she'd already looked.
  92. Ashton Kutcher by Sussurros · · Score: 1

    Nah, Ashton's the Companion. Whoopi Goldberg will be the Doctor.

    --
    I said - don't look Ethel!..., but it was too late..., she'd already looked.
  93. Re:Heck, my wife hates Star Trek but enjoyed that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...whatever, he was just out to prove he's married to an actual girl.

  94. I am not worried by Tanuki64 · · Score: 1

    Hollywood also crapped on 'Hitchhiker to the Galaxy'. And still the old BBC series and the books are fun.

  95. Been there, done that and got the fucking T-Shirt! by madhi19 · · Score: 1

    I think they tried that in the late 90s and while that movie was not that bad it never worked out. Unless they get somebody like Peter Jackson to direct it and maybe a 600 millions budget for five movies. And for fuck sake don't recast the Doctor just pick one of the recent doctor's and work a story during his timeline. Last time war with Eccleston, Dalton anybody?

  96. Doctor Who Exposure by theVP · · Score: 1

    I don't know about anyone else, but I regularly encounter people who have never heard of Doctor Who. I'm not saying a bad Doctor Who film would be fine, but any Doctor Who film will help expose the show, especially to Americans.

    And it deserves more exposure.

    --
    "No one is more miserable than the person who wills everything and can do nothing." -Emperor Claudius 10 BC - AD 54
  97. hee hee hee eee by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I wish there was a way to write the laugh he did in Beverly Hills Cop.

  98. I am all for it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But only if they dig out John Pertwee and let him play the role as a stiff for the last time...

  99. Bring Back Tom Baker by bobzieruncle · · Score: 1

    Tom Baker could play the original crotchety doctor. And you could have awkward sexual tension that's become a hallmark of the new series every time he tries to whip out his Jelly Babies. :D