Doctor Who

[MsMiaWallace]

Anyone going to be watching the new Doctor Who now it is a woman?
Love Jodie as an actress. Never been fussed on the doctor before!!

She was also in Fresh Meat

I have also been binge watching the series from 2005 onwards over Christmas (Sky have nicely included it as a box set) and what this series lacks is continuity with the others - the 9th/10th and 11th/12th had companions remaining the same the 10th/11th interacted with each other, the 12th signing off River Song - there was a sense of it all been one Doctor.

I know Chibnall has said he doesnt want that but its a mistake - it becomes something different. The previous doctor since the reboot were all tied together - there is nothing of that here at all even the Daleks didnt really fit into anything at all.

There is no sense that the companions even know she was a man before and had been 13 times (including John Hurt)

This summed it up well for me www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-05/11-changes-doctor-who-fans-want-when-the-series-returns-in-2020/

Fresh Meat! Thank you. I spent most of the episode trying to remember what I'd seen her in. And the rest of the time wishing the episode would end.
They really need to bring in someone who can write a female Doctor or just the Doctor - forget the female angle. I am desperate for them to give Jodie an episode where she 'leads', where she knows the answers, isn't dithery, doesn't make mistakes and has an air of competency and menace. atm I'm thinking an Amy-Acker-as-Illyria-vibe. Jodie's Doctor is lacking an 'alien' component. They've written her too ordinary.
Quartz my DH thinks the lack of continuity is deliberate so if this reboot (with a female Doctor) is a disaster then the next Doctor can slot back into all the big arcs and this experiment can be 'forgotten' about.

“I’d also love to see more background on each of the companions,” wrote a fan.

“When the episode ends I want tosee them go back to their families, relationships, jobs and see their lives beyond the walls of the TARDIS.”

“Companions must have bigger personalities,” said another

Oh please no.

KateAdiesEarrings that kind of makes sense - though I think the runner is at fault here not the fact there is female doctor.

Its just not quite doctor who for me (and its not cos she is female)

I dont think the companions work

Quartz yy it's entirely the fault of the showrunner imo but DH thinks the BBC will have considered a female Doctor such a gamble that they'll have wanted her series to be almost standalone so it can be lost in the mists of time if it's a disaster. It frustrates me that poor writing might scupper the chances of another female Doctor

They really need to bring in someone who can write a female Doctor or just the Doctor - forget the female angle.

Yes, they should have ignored the fact that she's female.

I haven't watched the NYD episode but, apart from the spider episode, have finally caught up on the rest. I simply cannot equate what I've seen with Dr Who. It's an okay series as long as an don't remember it's the latest incarnation of Dr Who. Like some others, I've watched since the days of William Hartnell and whilst there have been Doctors I didn't like - Sylvester McCoy /Peter Capaldi, I have stuck with it. Sadly, for me, JW just doesn't work, so after the NYD episode, I won't be watching again until there's a change of actor in the role.

For me I think it needs to be a change of showrunner rather than actress - she can only work with the scripts she has been given and its not been good

JW is doing the best she can with terrible scripts and three planks of wood.

what this series lacks is continuity with the others - the 9th/10th and 11th/12th had companions remaining the same the 10th/11th interacted

When Matt Smith took over, I found it to be totally different from the David Tennant doctor. There were no references to what had gone before, no on going companions e.g. Captain Jack. Yes, there was River Song but she was created by Steven Moffat in the first place. The whole "crack in the wall " thing erased previous history.

I've never really seen JW before (I saw series 2 of Broadchurch but obviously found her totally forgettable) so am not sure if she's wooden or if it's the script making her so. I would expect a good actor to be able to get something from it, at least.

I'm not sure if I'll watch again either and I've seen every single doctor but McCoy. Some I preferred to others of course (and the same goes for the companions too.) but I stuck with it. However now, I think they are all hopeless. I doubt I'll change my mind if I re-view it in the future either, whereas having binge watched over Xmas I have decided Catherine Tate isn't as irritating as I originally thought, and Matt Smith is definitely better. I also prefer the long story arcs and particularly like the two partners which give time to explore a story.

I read that Chibnall is on a five year contract, which concerns me.

Two parters, not partners.

I read that Chibnall is on a five year contract, which concerns me

Online rumours are saying that chibnall and JW will leave after the next series so not all is lost.

JW is doing the best she can with terrible scripts and three planks of wood.

You just can't tell though. I do think the main problem is the crap scripts but it's difficult to know if JW would have been good with better scripts. It is almost like they've set her up to fail at the whole "female doctor thing. You can imagine them saying "See, we gave in to public pressure and had a female doctor and it was crap. Now here is a real Doctor..." before presenting the male replacement.

I didn't want a female doctor but I haven't had a problem seeing JW as the doctor as such. It's just difficult to see through the general crapness.

I agree the writing is a big problem and makes it difficult to see if JW is falling flat just because of that or if her acting is a problem too. I've seen her in other things and have never been blown away so do feel they could have found a better actress or just one more suited to the role. One that doesn't pant constantly would be good.

But with 10 to 11 it was seen as being a continuation

In this one how much has it being referenced the doctor used to look different or indeed be a man - they could have made something of that but they didnt. and it made the character sterile as well. I think JW lacks some oomph as well, some charisma that doesnt help either.

I would hate it to be because they have made it a female doctor because for me that isnt the issue at all

I really liked Missy. Changing the Master to Missy worked well for me. It could have worked but JW is just playing a pointless, unintelligent, ditzy character. It's infuriating.

You can imagine them saying "See, we gave in to public pressure and had a female doctor and it was crap. Now here is a real Doctor..."
I don't think it was public pressure, I think it was another of the BBC's brilliant ideas of telling us what to think/accept but just a bit behind actual public feeling. Spoon feeding us again (ABC Murders anyone?)

Noeuf

Changing the master to missy worked because they had a good script and a good actor.

The main issues I have with all of this is that it is very easy to draw comparisons between this and the last time the BBC wanted to ditch Dr Who and put in weird actor choices (McCoy) and poor scripts. But even then he owned the part, JW eoither isn't owning the part as she doesn't understand it or isn't being allowed to own it due to poor scripts and pressure from above.

I’m in agreement about the writing, the virtue signaling and the portrayal of a female Doctor as dithery and ditzy - annoying.

However, my kids are loving it and they haven’t wanted to watch since mid - Matt Smith. I really couldn’t get on with Capaldi and stopped watching altogether and although this is no way a return to form, I think we’ll stick with it for a bit and hope JW settles into it.

Boney that's what I said? Changing the sex doesn't matter, it could have worked.

I think JW is a good actor but when I think of previous Doctors and the Master and Missy, they were very charismatic. Often, even in other series, their actors command your attention regardless of who else is in scenes with them. I don't think Jodie has that presence . . .but, again, it may just be that she doesn't have enough to work with.

Noeuf

sorry, I was agreeing with you, What I replied was badly written.