Doctor Who, Part Two

POSTED BY: deepgirl187
UPDATED: Saturday, October 6, 2007 02:29
VIEWED: 6083
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DEEPGIRL187

Thursday, July 26, 2007 6:15 PM

The other thread's getting a bit lengthy, so I thought I'd start a new one.

Having just got into the show (I started watching a few weeks ago), I was wondering everyone's opinion on the companions. I know everyone has a favorite Doctor, what about the others? I've only had the chance to see two of them (three if you count the episode with Sarah Jane), so I don't know a lot about the previous ones.

Rose is definitely my favorite so far, but I' more than willing to give Martha a chance. She's very inquisitive, even moreso than Rose in some ways. Though I wonder how her relationship will evolve with the Doctor, especially since he's just lost Rose.

P.S. - And now that I think about it, the term companion really sounds weird, especially posting on a Firefly board.

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"Right! Because teenage pranks are fun when you're about to die!"

FIZZIX

Thursday, July 26, 2007 7:35 PM

I'm fond of Rose, though Martha's surpassing her. If I had to choose just one, I'd have to say Jack, but I don't think the pair of them together for any real length of time without a foil character might not be good. ... Or maybe that was just Nine and Jack. Ten and Jack might get along okay on their own... I dunno, Grace was okay.

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LWAVES

Thursday, July 26, 2007 9:30 PM

Well I can look back to the earlier Doctor's and their companions. I'd have to say Sarah Jane was the best. But I also liked Leela, Jamie and Nyssa.

For the new series I have to put Rose ahead of Martha. Martha was great but Rose had something about her, can't really pinpoint it. Maybe it was a certain type of energy that came through in Billie Piper's performance more than the character itself.

And talking companions I'd be interested to hear what people think it is that defines a Doctor's companion?
Is it someone who just helps the Doctor out?
Do they have to travel in the TARDIS?
Do they have to appear in more than one episode?
Do they have to appear in several episodes?
Any or all of the above?

My personal take is that they have to travel in the TARDIS and be in more than one episode/story (for the earlier Doctors an episode/story would be split into several parts - all the time, not just occasional two-parters).

So from the new series Adam (Dalek and The Long Game) would be a companion but Donna (The Runaway Bride) wouldn't be.

"If I hear voices and someone is really there, does that mean I'm going REALLY crazy?"

DEEPGIRL187

Thursday, July 26, 2007 10:52 PM

Okay, I take it back; Jack was my favorite. I guess I don't count him as a companion as much because of Torchwood. He seems like more of a leading man to me.

I think the thing that makes someone a true companion is 1) the bond they have with the Doctor, and 2) how well they match his personality. So far, I think Rose has accomplished both those qualities the most. But, then, I haven't seen all of season three, nor have I seen the older episodes, so I guess I'm not the best judge.

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"Right! Because teenage pranks are fun when you're about to die!"

LESATHER

Friday, July 27, 2007 7:31 AM

As far as what makes a 'companion', it has been about as loose as the shows own continuity.

Sara Kingdom (Jean Marsh) has been listed as a companion of the 1st Doctor (William Hartnell), but she only appeared in one story, the 12 part "Dalek Master Plan", and I am not sure if she ever actually traveled inside the TARDIS. She was also killed off before the end of that story.
The U.N.I.T. crew; the Brigadier, SGT Benton and CPT Yates all appeared in multiple stories, but were never actually counted as being the 3rd & 4th Doctor's (Jon Pertwee & Tom Baker) companions...only Liz Shaw, Jo Grant, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan (and Liz Shaw never actually traveled anywhere in the TARDIS during her one season on the show).

As for the current series...Jack was clearly a 'companion' with the 9th Doctor even though he was not listed in the opening credits until his re-appearance in series three (I think this had more to do with John Barrowman's raising status as a star than anything else). Adam did (briefly) travel in the TARDIS and I would count him as one even though he wasn't in the opening credits either. As for Mickie, he became a full 'companion' at the end of "School Reunion" when he began his travels inside the TARDIS, again even though he was not listed in the opening credits. Jackie though was not a 'companion' because her travels in the TARDIS were basically a hop from one location to another within the same story, which any number of people have done in the past...one example being the Brigadier in "Mawdryn Undead".

"Jayne is a girl's name" - River

HOBBLEIT

Friday, July 27, 2007 9:25 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Fizzix:
I'm fond of Rose, though Martha's surpassing her. If I had to choose just one, I'd have to say Jack, but I don't think the pair of them together for any real length of time without a foil character might not be good. ... Or maybe that was just Nine and Jack. Ten and Jack might get along okay on their own... I dunno, Grace was okay.

I love Jack. He's so great!

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DEEPGIRL187

Saturday, August 18, 2007 3:17 PM

Have a question for you guys. Is there anyone here who had listened to the audio dramas or read the novels? I've been trying to find more information about the Time War, but what I read on Wikipedia is more than a little confusing. I know that The Doctor is in some way responsible for the destruction of Gallifrey, but it doesn't say exactly how. I thought the answer might be in the audio plays or the books (but then, it may never have been explained at all). Any help, please?

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LWAVES

Sunday, August 19, 2007 7:30 PM

I don't really have an answer for this, just a theory on my own part.

I don't bother with the audio dramas or novels. Too many people get involved in the creation of it, and strays from the original vision. Not that some of it isn't good stuff.
So I can't really say if any of them cover the Time War. I do believe (if memory of the older TV series is correct) that it was never part of the earlier Doctors but has been brought in for the newer incarnations.

So my theory (in spoilers in case you don't want to know):

Select to view spoiler:

I think that the Time War must have occured during the 8th Doctors (Paul McGann) incarnation. When the 9th Doctor walks into Rose's flat in the forst episode he catches himself in the mirror and makes comments about how he looks, as if he's recently regenerated).
How the Time War began is open to debate but the Daleks always wanted to perfect time travel ever since they heard about it in Genesis Of The Daleks (Tom Baker, 4th Doctor), so I assume that they wanted complete control and the only way to do that was to be rid of the Time Lords.
Both sides would be immensely powerful and I imagine they would reach some kind of stalemate (as happens so often in this show). The Doctor then finds a way to destroy all the Daleks but only at a great cost. But he knew that the Daleks couldn't be allowed to survive, so he either made the choice and wiped everybody out, or he may have even been ordered too by the Time Lords. They are the type of race that would protect the universe, even if it meant their own death.
Either way when he meets the Dalek in episode 6 of the new season you can tell he is genuinely shocked and mortified. He acts like he has failed and all is lost. He really thought they had all been destroyed, despite them coming back again and again in the earlier seasons.

I have to say that it is a part of the new show that I like, it provides the character with some anguish and pain.
Part of me wants to know what happened and another part of me wants to never know, just get little hints, and then use my own ideas and imagination to fill in the blanks.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

"I don't believe in suicide, but if you'd like to try it it might cheer me up to watch."

DEEPGIRL187

Monday, August 27, 2007 12:50 AM

You know, I never thought I'd say this, but The Doctor is a right bastard.

SPOILERS AHOY, ME MATEY!

Let me explain. I just watched Human Nature. And yes, I know he's had his memory wiped. But to put Martha in that position (and in a time period very unfriendly to blacks) is not only unfair, it's almost callous. But then again, The Doctor has never been very accommodating to Martha, right from the very beginning. She deserves so much better, and even she can't see it.

*sigh*

Sorry about the rant, but I needed to get it off my chest.

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"But I neeeeed tacos! I need them or I will explode! That happens to me sometimes."

WYTCHCROFT

Monday, August 27, 2007 1:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by deepgirl187:
Have a question for you guys. Is there anyone here who had listened to the audio dramas or read the novels? I've been trying to find more information about the Time War, but what I read on Wikipedia is more than a little confusing. I know that The Doctor is in some way responsible for the destruction of Gallifrey, but it doesn't say exactly how. I thought the answer might be in the audio plays or the books (but then, it may never have been explained at all). Any help, please?

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heard almost all of them. they are VERY VERY much more rooted in the 'classic'/'old' dr who and are very good radio.

the time war hasn't played out yet - but was developed because of a need to link to the new tv show (which first made the idea 'canon') and some pesky books. truthfully, it's one of the weaker plot arcs.

the audios that veer away from the show are either the small 'unbound' series (a kind of bizarro world version) and (clearly marked) spin offs lead by other characters.

Paul mgann's dr and davisons have devloped very well and very truthfully through the audio.

sometimes it DOES get crowded without visuals - placing action gets a little confused - but this is pretty rare. Also, given varied writers some are better than others.

give them a try if you feel comfortable with an audio format - they are very popular in the uk - and a lot of the prod company have been head hunted now for the tv.

hope that helps - don't blame me, blame my mad dr who chum 'M'.

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