Doctor Who Thread

[dazzy05]

I have to say that this Doctor Who Special was just awesome. My favorite bits were when the Tardis took a trip down the motorway, come on, a damn motorway, probably my overall favorite bit. Other favorite bits were of that giant spider, and when The Doctor showed Donna how the earth was formed. Last of all, that Spider Star was amazing, beaming out lasers, then it was destroyed by tanks. Same time next year.

[Pitt]

Those rhinocerous aliens from the series three preview looked quite similar to the Slitheen pig creature from the first series.

Also the Sontarans.

[Baron Canier]

t3hchaosx3 said:

I -swear- I saw Ecclestone in the preview.

Me too. Multi-Doctor episode or just a cameo? I'm hoping the former, myself. As it'd mean we'll be seeing one of the Ninth Doctor's escapades before he met Rose. ;D

For a giant spider-esque creature, the alien didn't do much moving about. And both Catherine Tate and the Ragok (Is that correct? I'm a bit scatter-brained today) shouted far too much towards the end.

Still, an enjoyable episode. Though I agree with the sentiment that the christmas aspects were tagged on.

[Chigs!]

Well that certainly filled a Tardis shaped gap in my television viewing today

I agree that the christmas elements were rather tacked on, mind you they wern't exactly intrinsic to the plot last year either. I think the diffrence is that there were lots of disperate elements, all of which felt they were crowbarred in as opposed to fitting together naturally - the robot santas, the obligatory Torchwood reference, even asking about Rose seemed very forced despite the fact that it should have been a natural thing.

Having said that, its Doctor Who, so of course I enjoyed watching it - series 3 offered some tantalising clips, we shall have to see how Miss Jones gets on in the new year

[Charles]

I've now decided to LOATHE this episode, simply because of Outpost Gallifrey posters and their really crappy excuses for Donna not knowing about the global invasion in broad daylight that happened a few months ago.

[Pitt]

What sort of things have they suggested?

[Blizz]

Nice that Galifrey's finally been mentioned by name.

Though the Empress's constant screeching did annoy me.

And the preview....Ohhh.....
I'm pretty sure those Rhino things are the new Sontarans, I recognised the armour. And SEC!

[Devo DrakeFox]

Even though I missed it all, I do have some speculation on the whole Eccleston thing. I'm wondering if maybe the Eccleston/Dalek Sec scenes will be part of the same episode. Perhaps a flashback of the Time War?

[Michael]

I really enjoyed it. I was quite upset the killer christmas tree didn't make a return appearence, I was all geared up but it turned out to just be killer baubles, oh well.

I loved the look of the Spider Queen, granted she didn't move much but I didn't mind, they stuffed enough sfx in there to probably kill the budget. Speaking of sfx, I think the TARDIS on the motorway has to be one of the best sfx scenes so far, it was just excellent, I really get a thrill seeing it move about like an actual vehicle rather than just warp away to wherever.

As for Donna not noticing the previous invasions, I found that pretty funny, but also a slightly sad indictment that that happens in real life with major current events.

The Torchwood ref was nice, because it fit the season 2 theme nicely. I wonder what the watch word will be next season? I really need to watch some Torchwood, not seen any so far. I got hold of the first 3 episodes I think, I'll borrow them from someone at work. I heart Captain Jack so if nothing else he's in it.

The season 3 preview was cool, if very badly paced at the end, the sound went all a bit odd and then we saw a Dalek. Honestly, I didn't need to see a Dalek to get excited about next season. Or rather, I didn't need to see a Dalek to get me to watch next season. The Pig aliens looked interesting, as does the new companion. I'd like to see a male companion though. One that isn't a moron like that guy from season 1, even if only for a few episodes to see a different dynamic between the Doctor and companion.

Mike

[Alex]

You do realise that Russell T. Davis' Doctor with a Male Companion is just going to turn out to be a Gay Orgy Pr0n film, right?

[Baron Canier]

mikec said:

I wonder what the watch word will be next season?

I hope there isn't one. Twice is enough, methinks.

[Charles]

shazam said:

What sort of things have they suggested?

"Oh, that's what humans DO" was one.

Another was a suggestion we don't know what, "if any", effect being invaded would have on people. WHAT.

[Lost Mercenary]

I was really dissapointed with this special unfortunatly. It just didn't have the normal Doctor Whoish feeling that all the others do

[Pitt]

blizzard said:

I'm pretty sure those Rhino things are the new Sontarans, I recognised the armour.

NEW Sontarans? They were fine as they originally appeared. Of course, they probably won't be Sontarans at all.

[Charles]

lostmercenary said:

I was really dissapointed with this special unfortunatly.

That might be because it was naff.

[JJ]

Liked the special! Cheesy as hell, but fun.

Regarding Donna's ignorance of the alien/Cybermen invasions, I personally see it as a sly comment on the ignorance and self-obsessed nature of people in general. It's a bit like in Shaun of the Dead how there's a massive zombie plague, and people don't really acknowledge it for ages because they're so wrapped up in their lives to even notice the horror happening around them. You can criticise the realism and label it as a terrible plot hole, but it made me laugh because it sounds typical of a lot of people I know. It's surprising how many people were ignorant of huge events like 9/11 or Princess Diana's death, despite it being all over the news. Some people are very "huh, did something happen?"

But yeah, I'm not really a fan of Davies either. It couldn't be more obvious in his writing that he's a gay Buffy/Angel/Firefly fan.

[Tom]

i don't detect a hint of firefly in there. we should be so lucky...

anyway there's always explanations for this sort of randomness in science fiction. perhaps the face of boe has been controlling everybody's minds so nobody notices.

[Baron Canier]

Its clearly an S.E.P. field at work.

That's "Somebody Else's Problem" for those of you not familiar with Hitchhiker goodness.

[Alex]

The Daleks are poised to do battle in New York in a forthcoming episode from the latest series of Doctor Who.

The two-parter will see the show's star David Tennant and new assistant Martha Jones, played by Freema Agyeman, face their famous foes in 1930s Manhattan.

"This time, their plan is the most audacious Dalek scheme yet! Even the Doctor finds himself out of his depth," said lead writer Russell T Davies.

Tennant and Agyeman will be joined on the show by Spooks star Miranda Raison.

Raison, who plays journalist-turned-spy Jo Portman in Spooks, will feature alongside Holby City's Hugh Quarshie and Ryan Carnes, of Desperate Housewives' fame.

Other stars set to feature in the new series - the third since the BBC drama was revived in 2005 - include The League of Gentleman's Mark Gatiss and actress Anne Reid.

Agyeman (l) replaces Billie Piper as the Doctor's new assistant


The new series, which follows a Christmas special featuring comedian Catherine Tate, begins in Spring 2007.

Agyeman, 27, will replace Billie Piper as the Doctor's new companion, while Tennant returns for his second complete series.

Fans recently named Tennant the best Doctor Who in a poll, beating Tom Baker into second place.

The Scottish actor, 35, received 28% of votes cast in a survey of 4,000 readers of Doctor Who Magazine.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6211731.stm

[Pitt]

That's the first two part story of the series is it not?

[Tom]

Apparently Tennant is leaving the series. Yay!!!

[Charles]

jamiej said:

It's a bit like in Shaun of the Dead how there's a massive zombie plague, and people don't really acknowledge it for ages because they're so wrapped up in their lives to even notice the horror happening around them.

The difference is, that was because the movie was saying that everyone was already zombiefied by modern life, as seen by the opening credits, and Shaun didn't initially notice a difference. There's also never been zombies attacking before.

In Runaway Bride, it's some very lame throwaway jokes so Russell T Davies can have a character be ignorant of aliens without actually explaining how she DIDN'T NOTICE TWO MONTHS OF GHOST MANIFESTATIONS AND THAT HER SODDING COUNTRY WAS INVADED & TURNED INTO A WARZONE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.

Which pisses me off about RTD - he wants to do Biiiig Important Alien Invasions in broad daylight, ones Bigger and More Important than before, but he doesn't want to deal with the consequences i.e. that now people would know there are aliens. That's very lazy writing.

I don't care how many lames jokes he does - Donna lives and works in London. How did she not notice or hear that a destructive war had taken place there? How did she not notice the ghosts (which Army stated had been accepted by humanity)? For that matter, how did she go on holiday in Spain and not notice Cybermen had attacked there too?

It's surprising how many people were ignorant of huge events like 9/11

Any of them lived in New York?

It couldn't be more obvious in his writing that he's a gay Buffy/Angel/Firefly fan.

Yeah, but he's a fan in the same way a 14-year-old fangirl writing about how Angel & Spike are really hawt bishies in a rock band is a fan. They may be, but dear god stay far, far away from their writing.

[Pitt]

I can think of the only even semi-plausible reason that Donna wouldn't remember the Sycorax invasion, and even then it's absurd.

However, trying to explain how she didn't realise a raging, all-out war between two armies extra-terrestrial super-androids numbering in the millions was taking place across the whole world is not only impossible, but it also stupid.

[Charles]

"This time, their plan is the most audacious Dalek scheme yet! Even the Doctor finds himself out of his depth," said lead writer Russell T Davies.

So, more audacious and out-of-depthy than:

a) Gaining time-travel technology and using it to try & transform humans into Daleks, while forcing and conning the Doctor into helping them? (Evil Of The Daleks)

b) Whilst still recovering from a collosal defeat via viral warfare, seeding 20th Century Earth with androids in places of political influence in order to bring it down, and capturing the Doctor with intent to android him and assassinate the High Council of Time Lords? (Resurrection Of The Daleks)

c) Provoking warfare between two great Empires, so once they've battered each other the Daleks can unleash an army of 16000 invisible Daleks? (Frontier In Space/Planet Of The Daleks)

d) With only a few weak Daleks, manipulating the political situation of a planet towards chaos whilst constructing a vast new army and killing absolutely everyone? (Power Of The Daleks)

e) Subtly taking control of the Human Empire and directing its development for a century, making the entire Earth weak and defenceless whilst building up an army of half a million? (Bad Wolf)

f) Conning various space powers and corrupt Earth Empire officials into forming an alliance with them so they can conquer the entire Milky Way, creating a Time Destructor that can age an entire planet to death, and chasing the Doctor all across time and space to retrieve it? (The Daleks Master Plan)

g) Launching a direct assault on a gathering of temporal powers, getting a strike force onto Gallifrey to capture the Matrix, and unleashing a weapon that incinerates every planet in a galaxy to use it as a new base? (The Apocalypse Element)

h) Taking control of a government and using viral weapons to turn the population of dozens of planets into Daleks? (Dalek Empire III)

...it's not going to be the most audacious scheme yet, is it Davies?

[Pitt]

charlesrb said:

So, more audacious and out-of-depthy than:

a) Gaining time-travel technology and using it to try & transform humans into Daleks, while forcing and conning the Doctor into helping them? (Evil Of The Daleks)

b) Whilst still recovering from a collosal defeat via viral warfare, seeding 20th Century Earth with androids in places of political influence in order to bring it down, and capturing the Doctor with intent to android him and assassinate the High Council of Time Lords? (Resurrection Of The Daleks)

c) Provoking warfare between two great Empires, so once they've battered each other the Daleks can unleash an army of 16000 invisible Daleks? (Frontier In Space/Planet Of The Daleks)

d) With only a few weak Daleks, manipulating the political situation of a planet towards chaos whilst constructing a vast new army and killing absolutely everyone? (Power Of The Daleks)

e) Subtly taking control of the Human Empire and directing its development for a century, making the entire Earth weak and defenceless whilst building up an army of half a million? (Bad Wolf)

f) Conning various space powers and corrupt Earth Empire officials into forming an alliance with them so they can conquer the entire Milky Way, creating a Time Destructor that can age an entire planet to death, and chasing the Doctor all across time and space to retrieve it? (The Daleks Master Plan)

g) Launching a direct assault on a gathering of temporal powers, getting a strike force onto Gallifrey to capture the Matrix, and unleashing a weapon that incinerates every planet in a galaxy to use it as a new base? (The Apocalypse Element)

h) Taking control of a government and using viral weapons to turn the population of dozens of planets into Daleks? (Dalek Empire III)

...it's not going to be the most audacious scheme yet, is it Davies?

Seems to me that most of those evil plans actually ended up working against the Daleks in the end, but that's beside the point.