At the recommendation of several of you I have decided to watch Dr Who for the first time. Other than the little bit I learned in the Let's Kill Hitler thread I know absolutely nothing about this show. I'm not as diligent as Robotech Master so don't expect a write up of every episode along the way. It will be more of a thread following the highlights as I move through the series. I'm starting with Rose. My first impression is that this is going to require some patience. The episode started slow and I really didn't gain any interest until they went into the TARDIS. I don't need good effects in a show to like it but these seem like they might be bad enough to detract. It's hard to believe this was done in 2005. So far the only word that comes to mind is weird.
Just keep an open mind and remember this wasn't shot in the Paramount lot with a massive effects driven budget that you would expect from an American show. The low budget and local nature of the programme is part of the character.
Well, I kept my mouth shut to this point. I know little enough of nuWho to speak with any authority on it. The little I saw of Eccleston, I wasn't disappointed by. From what I saw of Tennant, it consisted of pointing his sonic screwdriver at a disturbing variety of things, running about, emoting emphatically, and making goo-goo eyes at his companions. Bleh! While I was cool about Smith, the little I've seen of him makes me think he's gotten the closest to the character. All that said, I'm increasingly of the opinion that Tex should be introduced to the good Doctor the way the vast majority of Americans first were. Not on PBS, obviously, but with the Tom Baker episodes. Yes, the FX were atrocious by pre-"Star Wars" standards--let alone by modern standards--but the stories were fucking strong and well written. And Tom Baker played the Doctor as a genuinely alien character. Yes, later in the series he tended to be a bit of a clown--this was a tendency of the era. Look at the Roger Moore Bond films. But those early episodes were quite good. The one that stands out the most in my mind is, of course, "Pyramids of Mars". But the early Tom Baker arc of "Robot", "The Arc in Space," "The Sontaran Experiment", "Genesis of the Daleks", and "Revenge of the Cybermen" nicely introduces the Doctor, the TARDIS, the Time Lords, companions, UNIT, Cybermen and Daleks. Then there's a bit back on Earth where we run into "The Seeds of Doom", that one with the Loch Ness Monster--"Terror of the Zygons"? and "Pyramids of Mars", which predates "Stargate: SG-1" by a good number of decades. We see ancient Italy, murderous Chinese tongs, and eventually get into "The Deadly Assassin". Later we get Leela and some very good episodes like "Robots of Death" before it starts heading south with the introduction of K-9 and later, Romana. Which is funny, because at the time I really liked K-9 and Romana I. But now that I'm older, I see the show really went downhill in a couple ways then. Well, gotta go. Very, very tired. Time for unconscious time. Later.
I found "Doctor Who and the Daleks" with Grand Moff Tarkin on Hulu last night. I made it about 10 minutes before I couldn't stand it anymore. [spoilers][/spoilers]
Part of me has always wanted to see those out of curiosity, but I've always heard that they're absolutely dreadful.
^^^ Yeah, I can't blame you. Fortunately, that was just a film based on Doctor Who, and is in no way, shape, or form, part of the actual continuity of the TV series.
Well, I can't tell you if it redeemed itself in the end, because I couldn't bear it, but what I saw was abysmal. The Doctor was actually an old man with the last name of "Who," and apparently lived on earth with a daughter and granddaughter. Was showing everyone his new TARDIS invention at the beginning. Schlocky mid 20th century horror movie shit like women shrieking at the absolute top of their fucking lungs on the slightest provokation, wierd moments of half-assed slapstick comedy, and lazy fictional science, even for 1965. So I moved on to Spaceballs the animated series. Couldn't get through the first episode.
I picture really old Dr Who stuff, the real stuff, not this stuff that isn't canon, like old BSG. Cheesy and terrible. I really don't have much interest in going back to see it. After I finished Rose last night I moved on to the 2nd episode where they went to the year 5 Billion. It was so bad, so so so bad. Seriously I'm going to try and like this show but I would have abandoned it already if it was just something I was trying out on TV for the first time. I did watch half of something that was movie length 2 days ago before I saw Rose that had the 10th Doctor. He was on Mars in the year 2059 on a space station and there were some water creatures and I was enjoying the episode but I decided to stop and go back and watch it in order. Now I'm starting to think that might be a mistake. I get the premise of the show so I could probably jump in with a few of the better episodes because it doesn't appear to require in order viewing so far. A lot of people obviously like this show and I want to like it too but it's not making things easy on me. I do enjoy the bits of comedy they throw in and the Doctor's attitude is amusing as well. So far that's about all I like other than looking at Rose.
^^ IF you feel that way, I'd go ahead and watch The Unquiet Dead and then skip ahead to Dalek. If neither of those episodes grabs your fancy, I'd give up on it all together. Not everything is for everybody, after all, and I admit, from time to time it IS hard to be a Doctor Who fan. For what it's worth, I have ALWAYS been a hard-core fan of the old "cheesy and terrible " original Doctor Who, and even I don't really like Rose and The End of the World.
Yeah, "waters of mars", a really good one, you should have stuck with it. Screw order, you're right, you get the premise, go with your gut.
A lot of it is, but some of them are really good, Volpone mentioned Tom Baker, and he did one of my very favorites, "genesis of the Daleks". Davros is just a magnificent bastard in that, really great villain, I swear, Lucas totally copied him for Palpatine.
If you get discouraged with the 10th Doctor, (Volpone nailed it) start with The Eleventh Hour and give Matt Smith a try. By that time you'll have enough of the basics down to jump in. Don't give up without giving 11 a try, IMO. And yeah, Rose is good, but she's just the warm up for Miss Pond.
Rose was good from a 'It's back!' POV but some of the episodes that series are a bit 'first season of B5' if you know what I mean: cheesily done, poorly executed. IMO, if you want a quick speed through ModernWho you should do: Rose Dalek The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways The Christmas Invasion School Reunion Girl in the Fireplace Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel Army of ghosts/Doomsday Runaway Bride Smith and Jones Human Nature/Family of Blood Blink Utopia The Sound of Drums Last of the Timelords Partners in Crime Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead Turn Left The Stolen Earth/Journey's End The Next Doctor The Waters of Mars The End of Time The Eleventh Hour Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone Amy's Choice Vincent and the Doctor The Lodger The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang I won't do the most recent series since it hasn't finsihed. They are the episodes I either think are particularly good or are required for an understanding of the plot. And actually, going back through those has made me realise how good the new stuff is when it has been good - and it has been good way more than it has been bad. That run from Human Nature to Last of the Timelords reminds you how, even if you didn't like Martha, that series was not a dud.
Why don't you watch the episodes that were recommended to you instead of watching the ones that weren't and then complaining that it's bad?
Rose might be a turd but I think you do well to watch it if you are planning to get into it. Same for Smith&Jones and Partners in crime and Runaway bride. I didn't say they were all excellent. Actively disagree about The Christmas Invasion and The 11th hour. I consider the Age of Steel stuff to be decent if not mind blowing and again the point is that it is vital to the story arc. And last of the Timelords might be overblown but you don't watch the first two episodes of a three parter and not the third.
While I liked Eccelston as the Dr., the writing was pretty much crap for the entire season. I loved Tennant but hated Martha Jones. The series didn't really start to work for me until Donna Noble became the next companion. Since that time the show has vastly improved in terms of story telling and SFX.
The wife and I are Tom Baker fans, I guess because he was our first Doctor, on PBS in the 70s. Watched one this weekend. It's maddening that they're being released in a totally random order. granted, each 4-ep adventure is a standalone, but its nut that the companions are in random order - Sarah, Leela, Sarah, Romana, Leela, Romana II, Sarah...
I'm in the same boat as Tex. I'm sorta aware of the Doctor Who basics--cool opening theme, time lord, TARDIS that looks like a London callbox, travels through time and space, human companion (often tasty female), regeneration, Daleks, "Exterminate!"--but don't believe I've ever seen a full episode. I did enjoy the "Curse of Fatal Death" parody with Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor. I thought I, too, might start with the Eccleston episodes. I'd like to give the series a fair shot, so, if the first couple of eps are dogs, it'd be good to start out of order...
As I say, a lot of the first season and some of the second season is a little bit difficult to get through, but I recommended it for completeness sake. Rest assured, it gets a lot better as it goes on and there are some truly outstanding episodes of television along the way.
She looks just fine to me. In fact, all of the female companions of modern era Who other than Donna Noble would suit me just fine.
I think Tennant is our favorite modern Who. I don't mind Smith so much, but my wife thinks he's awfully funny-looking. I liked Rose a bit, but not nearly as much as Amy Pond. Donna was merely annoying. Post-Tom baker, the only other fellow I liked was Sylvester McCoy, especially when Ace was around. Ace was cool.
Tex, let me ask you - When you watch Dr. Who are you high? I mean, properly high? Also, have you inserted a crayon into your brain like this: I assume these two acts, done in tandem, would help the viewing experience.
I agree with your wife, and I was all ready to dislike him, but damned if he doesn't manage to act all Doctor-ey. Painful. Then you realize it's actually Mel Brooks voicing Yogurt and the president, and it becomes more sad than anything else.
