Doctor Who

[Deborah54]

This will be my 12th Doctor. I’m a big Doctor Who fan. Happy memories of Sat with my dad watching cyber men and darleks.
But what the hell has happened? I’ve just finished, well I managed 25 mins, before I couldn’t take it anymore the 1st episode with the new Doctor and sidekick. Awful acting with a ludicrous plot (yes I know it’s fantasy) but it’s never been this stupid. Can’t help but think the BBC aren’t bothered and think they can put out anything and we’ll watch. Russell T Davies should have his pens taken off him and spare us anymore pain.

I can’t be the only Doctor Who fan who thinks like this. Absolutely Gutted 😞

I think the new companion is additional

Sorry, Sutekh (cannot spell)

Yes … Again (although we know he blatantly lies sometimes) RTD has stated that Milie Gibson isn’t leaving and will be a big part of the next season, with many more adventures. So the new companion must be additional, rather than a complete replacement. But honestly, who knows?

He has stated Ruby Sunday is a big part of season 2 but not the actress by name.
She wouldn't be the only actress to only get one series (Freema/Pearl only had one each, didn't they?)

What did you dislike then like then dislike @KomproMatilda?

Surely denying the old lady a drink is a sign Mrs F is evil?

We pondered this - and decide it was unclear.

Also wonder if she is the Dr daughter and Ruby mother - but again it's very unclear - or if River Song was the woman dropping off with Ruby being her DD or if it wasn't the mother at all like PP suggested.

It was better - always nice to see Unit - nice touch them arguing about time window existence at unit - though many question PP have posed like why gun in time window, why employ a 13 year old - what counts as essential personnel at unit.

The Dr used to be the smartest person in the room - doesn't come cross that way anymore but still it was better than pervious episodes - still don't feel settled with this Doctor incarnation despite season being nearly over he doesn't feel established in role yet.

Apparently they are now admitting audience figure aren't what they hoped for - and are trying to get 28 metric used now rather than 7+though the audience figures are apparently getting harder to access anyway. Also claim to be reaching under 30 more than anyone else - and while next season is shot one after hasn't yet been green lit.

https://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/rtd-doctor-who-series-14-ratings-102279.htm

Yeah, they both only got one season. Though Bill was at the end of both Doctor and show runner so would have been difficult to carry forward.

Martha had a great exit, IMO (leaving aside the Mickey nonsense) “This is me. Walking away.”

There are photos of Millie, Ncuti and Verada (new companion) together.

i enjoyed that. best episode so far. the soldiers with guns was daft though.
the 13 year old and Rose was pointless.

@AprilPoisson after my second viewing I’d amend to, maybe, 👍👍👍👍👎

On the midnight watch it seemed far too crowded - with cast and stories.

Here’s a woman we need to find out about.

Here’s another woman we need to find out about.

Hello UNIT!

Oh, sorry, I have to be somewhere else at the crucial moment.

Here’s Ruby’s mother.

Here’s Mrs Flood. Another Woman We Need to Find Out About.

Etc.

It seemed too confused and disjointed and scrambling towards the finish.

On a second viewing it seemed to flow better; I had more time to appreciate the effort and achievement of the visual departments; NG standing around acting - while the camera admired his cheekbones - was a little less distracting. (I love him, but the show makers love how he looks a little too much.) Everything about and around Susan was actually interesting and entertaining.

I hope there’ll be much more Cherry next week - she’s my favourite character of the season. And more interaction between the Doctor and Ruby. And more reason for each of the named characters now at UNIT headquarters to actually be there - Carla in particular. Although perhaps the only reason she had to follow Ruby was so that we could have Mrs Flood alone in the flat with Cherry?

Oh, but my main gripe was all the anagrams - that worked in English. I refuse to believe the Big Bad wouldn’t have turned up in China or India - not little old London …

Not all the unanswered questions have to be answered next week, some could be for next series.

The bit that grated on me was the 'show me the lovin! ' when they arrived at UNIT. Just a bit too me me me!

Agree. IMO, the Doctor often appears superficially arrogant because, while he appears human, he has abilities and knowledge far beyond any human and doesn't always feel the need to be discreet about it. But to me, that bit came across as actually arrogant and presumptuous. He might reasonably know that he's more skilled, more intelligent and more knowledgeable than humans, but he can't reasonably know that everyone at UNIT will be thrilled to see him and want to express their adoration of him.

I think writers often get the Doctor wrong in this kind of way. They'll take a personality trait or habit or something that's been established — for example, being unconcerned by human social niceties unless necessary to further his purpose — disregard the original reason behind it, and ramp it up to the max.

WRT sometimes ignoring human social niceties, that got Flanderised to the point where Capaldi's Doctor had the socially appropriate cue cards and Whittaker's basically just explicitly stated "Ooh I'm dead socially awkward me", and it felt like we were a hop and a step away from a Very Special Episode where the Doctor goes to an NHS adult ASD clinic to receive an autism diagnosis 😬🙄

I thought the Show me the Lovin’ was explicitly at Rose?

(i do wish RTD hadn’t chosen for Donna’s child to pick the name Rose!)

Still twatty IMO. The new!Rose character seems a bit reserved and not the kind of person who'd feel comfortable about responding in kind to that sort of greeting in front of other people.

Yeah… and we haven’t seen any onscreen interaction with Fifteen, only with Fourteen.

Yes timelords can chose to regenerate to look like someone they have met.
Romana was a timelord/lady during Tom bakers run. She regenerated and when she did she tried different looks before settling on looking like princess Astra who had appeared in the previous story.

Yes I'm watching those at the moment

I like both the incarnations

I play spot the actor (what have they also been in) with the characters

I enjoyed Shada

It has a nostalgic feel for me

I tell you what though…none of the new series have brought raw emotion to the surface for me. Not since Capaldi and the castle of crystal.

I just finished Vincent and the Doctor for the umpteenth time and the storytelling and heart get me in the gut every time. Something is missing from the scripts lately. Or am I just jaded?

I think having half an eye on appealing to the Disney audience is taking the edge off the storytelling. The British DW cult following enjoys nuance, glances and complex narrative. The new D+ audience prefers fast-paced, bold action with tacit reinforcement of pertinent plot points.
Trying to satisfy the needs of both audiences is difficult and I don't think they have the balance right yet.
I recall the year BBC teamed up with BBC America and it all went a bit X-Files with the Silents, but at least it stayed true to the UK viewers.

I spent most the episode distracted by trying to work out where I had seen Harriet before and if she was part of the story, what she had to do with it all.

Turns out I recognised her from Silent Witness!

A new tales from the tardis is coming out on iplayer on Thursday. It will have ruby and 15.
I wonder if it will be pyramids of mars as the episode being bookended by them ? Since that was the previous appearance of sutekh.

Yeah thats how I feel. There hasn't been that wow/inpact/emotional moment but don't think it's helped with how few episodes they've been and how separated in a way the Doctor and Ruby have been in episodes.

I loved that!
i especially loved when mrs flood denied cherry a cup
of tea.

And I’m loving all the theories.

Mrs flood as grown up Amy would be good.

All the links to water - tears. Mrs flood, snow as mentioned up thread must be relevant.

I want mrs flood to stay so hoping she’s a goody.

I had assumed that RTD would have learned from the disaster that was the 4th series of Torchwood - Miracle Day.

It was, if I recall, made in conjunction with Starz (who are owned by Disney, I think?) and they tried to marry together two completely competing types of TV and for me, it just didn't work.

I'm not sure what the end game is for having Disney part fund Dr Who. I'm not sure why they took the deal in the first place or how they see the series developing?