Who is watching Doctor Who tonight

[Firefly2009]

And if you've now seen it, what are your thoughts?

I'm predicting I will love it no matter what. But look forward to discussing it.

But this was explained? 15 is the Doctor after 14 and he is going to be a chilled out Doctor because 14 did the rehab to overcome all the trauma - the rehab is 14 going to live with Donna so hadn't happened yet, but has to happen because it already happened for 15.
I can't make sense of that - they split off before 14 had done rehab, so how does 15 have memories of it? They need the 14 timeline to somehow synch back in. Or do they stay connected so 15 benefits from 14's rehab as he does it?

Looking forward to the new series and I hope somehow it's explained why DT can be cost and still have the ability to travel. I unfortunately saw a spoiler saying about the bigeneration, I quickly closed the page and in my mind I was thinking he would live on in Donna's world with a human lifespan. or be in an alternate universe (wasn't that what happened with the Rose/BadWolf thing?)

I think for now it helps not to scrutinise it too closely, they've only introduced the concept so far. I saw a clip with RTD talking about it and I think it'll work a bit like a parallel timeline

I can't make sense of that - they split off before 14 had done rehab, so how does 15 have memories of it?

Because time isn't linear and is more like a big ball of timey wimey stuff?

Lol, yes perhaps I'm over thinking it. Of course I'm over thinking it.

Loved the toy maker and puppets properly creepy and the spice girls entrance and glitter guns

Ncuti is going to be amazing.

I have wisteria envy from Donnas house

What happens if 14 gets mortally injured on one of his outings with Unit? He dies, or regenerates, or what?

There are no answers to these kinds of questions.

So what? Of course there are no answers because it hasn't happened! There are no answers to lots of things like "what forces the current doctor to regenerate?" Or "what happens 15 episodes from now?"

it's a light entertainment show not a fictional documentary.

I do think some fans take it way too seriously and look for things that just aren't there. I just want to suspend belief for a while and be entertained.

I watched a "behind the scenes" thing on you tube earlier" - looks like they had a lot of fun filming the catch scene.

also, the wheelchair ramp for the tardis was added in response to a letter sent by a fan in a wheelchair who said something along the lines of how he loved the tardis etc even if he couldn't get in there because it wasn't accessible. Ruth Madeley got very emotional when telling the story.

I think what I'm getting at is, based on how things have been going the past few years and with these specials, I'm betting there won't be answers to these things. Yeah, sure, I can suspend my thinking and just be entertained, but for me to actually like something the writing has to be good. Everyone will have different opinions on what good writing looks like. I don't like retconning Doctor Who lore because it creates plot holes retrospectively and now everything I already watched over the past few decades doesn't make sense anymore.

I'm glad if other people can enjoy it though

I watched a "behind the scenes" thing on you tube earlier" - looks like they had a lot of fun filming the catch scene.

At least they enjoyed it. I thought it was never going to end.

Surely there should be some narrative coherence though. The best examples of world building include logical consistency. And when one of the major premises of the show for the last 60 years has been “when the doctor is on the verge of dying, he can regenerate”, it’s not unreasonable to question what would happen if 14 were in that position now that he continues to exist at the same time as his successor.

No I meant that it was just a bit shit even if you allow for the deliberate accents (which didn't help the overall effect). He was basically in it for the Spice Girls scene which was fine and fun. But the rest of his performance couldnt have contained more cheese and ham if he tried!

I suspect 14 won't die, apart from in some fanfiction, and like Sarah Jane, having adventures in the background. I don't think they will bring him back for a spin-off having adventures on screen. As PP said, maybe he eventually regenerates into The Curator from the 50th, with Tom Bakers face. Maybe as they have unlimited regeneration now they have shared them. 14 has basically retired so he won't be being killed by Dale's anymore. I eill be extremely disappointed in Tennant and Doctor Who if they keep bringing him back like some ghost of Christmas past for a ratings boost.

Is he in the same time as his successor? The doctor has met himself on multiple occasions before and all the doctors exist at the same time whilst also being sequential (cos timey wimey stuff). His future generations already exist in time and space for him to bump into even though he is yet to regenerate. Otherwise he couldn't have bumped into his past selves (who have bumped into his future selves).

The key difference is what happens to his memory? Linear doctor makes sense because memory exists within his cells and passes down at the point of regeneration. How does that work with him becoming a conjoined twin and then separating? Can his memories created after separation float back to his sequentially higher doctor(s) or has the doctor reproduced a clone with a shared history but uniquely separate future? Has Tennant doctor used up all his regeneration energy this is now mortal like humans or can he regenerate or bigenerate again. If it's the latter he could theoretically repopulate the universe with time lord clones of himself. And if each bigenerate is genetically different due to having different DNA then potentially they could reproduce in other ways.

We know that the Doctor was actually not technically a time lord either. The timeless child came from another dimension and was looked after by a mortal who then replicated the ability to regenerate, and in doing so created the time lords (who were limited to twelve regenerations by artificial means). And these time lords reproduced in whatever was their traditional manner too (not getting into time lord sex). But if the doctor is an alien of unknown unique origin, there is nothing to say how his experimented species couldn't reproduce in a different way. Bigeneration is apparently an ancient rumour - which could come from one of the doctors early forms.

Which is why the whole of doctor who is literal bollocks!

Which one is going to regenerate into the American doctor for an American audience because they have to have everything for themselves?

Yea I looked it up afterwards - it went from a direct translation to poets waxing lyrical in nice ways to a derogatory term for anyone vaguely from that part of globe in USA and Canada in 1800s.

I assume that knowledge must be around in USA still - but I was completely unaware hence initial confusion.

@RedToothBrush Fair enough - I thought cheese and ham was more the character he was playing with underlying malice being there but I like his acting so I'm probably more forgiving.

There are always different versions of the Dr traveling round space and time - more with Jo Martin's Doctors prior and after her - so that fine but the whole we get to keep the doctor not lose something with regeneration - the price as it were - is a bit of a cop out and adds to whole sentimentality/syrupy feeling at end. I suspect it's more to do with Disney + hunger for content - they've done spin off before mainly without the DR - Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood - but can image if they can get different versions with Dr storylines they'd prefer that.

Dr Who should be escapist hokum.

It has never been that!

I think it's always been that.

My opinion is that Doctor Who used to be a great show; in particular I loved the Matt Smith era. I have watched the first episode of series 5 on repeat. I will mourn the loss!

I also think that Disney ruin everything. They ruined Star Wars IMO, so although I think this is mostly RTD's fault, I can't help but suspect the money making machine of Disney as well.

Dh thinks they did the biregeneration as a safety mechanism after Jodie's rubbish seasons. So if Ncuti's seasons feel like a disaster, they'll just drop DT in (who a lot of people recognise - especially in the US - and lots of fans love - although personally I'm over him!). He's become the reset button.
Maybe the BBC is worried that the US won't like an ambiguously-sexually-oriented, Black Doctor.
Is RTD staying on as showrunner for Ncuti's season? Or was he just responsible for the anniversary specials?

Idk if Disney ruined star wars or not. 7 was OK, 8 was a hot mess and 9 might have been great if it didn't have to follow (and undo most of) 8.
The streaming shoes are fab though, love them

@MelsMoneyTree RTD is staying on

I'm pretty sure RTD is staying on.
Your DH might be right! I think that's highly likely.
I was hilariously in love with DT when he was Dr no. 10. And I don't know why, but I'm completely over it. Partly due to MS surprising me and loving him more.
I partly blame the writing, but that's just me. I think it's shit.

They ruined Star Wars IMO

The new films are bad but some of the series are good though some really aren't - it's a very mixed bag IMO.

I didn't enjoy DT as much as before but the Good Omens 2 was a massive disappointment and while again I'd mainly blame the writing I do wonder if it's possibly his acting as well - Michael Sheen seemed as good as ever with same script.

I think people in the media use this as an excuse to do what they want. Star Trek has lots of Black actors and gay characters. Its cowardly when they should just have the courage of their convictions. I dont believe the BBC do that as much as Hollywood so I would imagine if that were true, it would be a Disney requirement rather than something the BBC would do.