I'll start: DOCTOR WHO 4.1-the awesomeness

POSTED BY: reginaroadie
UPDATED: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 21:07
VIEWED: 20047
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IMNOTHERE

Sunday, July 6, 2008 12:20 PM

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Originally posted by wytchcroft:
wytchcritic:
and more baloney science than a fistful of STNG

Doctor Who was doing baloney science before Star Trek of any generation existed. This is the show that gave us the immortal words "reverse the polarity of the neutron flow". Genius.

The problem with STNG was that it took itself far too seriously. Doctor Who doesn't really pretend to be anything other than camp, escapist but imaginative B-movie fun. There's room for more of that.

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And the point of Davros again?

...as explained in last week's "confidential" - the Daleks are only really good for barking orders and chanting "exterminate!" - you need someone slightly more human to carry off the old verbal sparring and explaining the evil master plan routine.

IMNOTHERE

Sunday, July 6, 2008 12:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by lwaves:
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The TARDIS moving the Earth was the worst bit. Way over the top, even beyond that vehicles capabilities and the FX looked ropey as well.

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I think it has been well established that the TARDIS has near-omnipotent powers, and that part of the Time Lords' - and especially the Doctor's - ethos is choosing not to wield that power (the Lord of the Rings strikes again!)

As for the SFX - I agree it was disappointing. Those morons at The Mill have clearly never seen a 1950s police telephone box towing a planet using a space-time rift as a tow-rope before in their lives

.

Actually, I've never really liked it when they try to show the TARDIS physically flying through space: its fine and iconic as something that materialises out of thin air, but when it depicted as a "proper" space ship it rather lacks gravitas.

SIMONWHO

Sunday, July 6, 2008 12:53 PM

Loved it. Perfectly encapsulated why the Daleks are so dangerous - they're prepared to destroy in existence in every reality anywhere purely to leave themselves as the last race standing.

LESATHER

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 5:31 PM

I agree, this was a top-notch season finale (MUCH better than "Sound of Drums"/"Last of the Timelords" last year). Yes, some of the SFX were weak, but given everything else going on with the show I am certainly not going to bash the entire episode because of that.

Hey, it was just announced today that Nick Courtney is going to be in the first story of second season "Sarah Jane Adventures"! Hopefully we can get Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (retired) back on "Doctor Who" in one of the 2009 specials or in the 2010 series!!!

"Jayne is a girl's name" - River

EMBERS

Saturday, July 12, 2008 4:20 PM

I thought it was an amazing finale!

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the sci-fi effects are obviously not as perfect or expensive as they would be for an American made show...
but they were beautiful and created a wonderful imaginary image to go with the brilliance of seeing the TARDIS flown as it should be (with 6 pilots at the helm)

I love Donna so much, and I am so grateful that she lives, because I do hope that she'll recover all, or at least some, of her memories someday!

It really was a very character driven story with all our people getting a moment... and the Doctor left alone... again... naturally.

BUT the Doctor also knows these people are all out there, ready to do whatever they can to help.

I think this 4th series was the best ever, and I am definitely going to need to own it!

to celebrate I would like everyone to enjoy this:

(funniest ever!)

New Firefly fans should check this out: http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=15816
DON'T MISS DR.HORRIBLE! Nathan Fillion sings!!!!!

WYTCHCROFT

Saturday, July 12, 2008 5:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by lesather:
I agree, this... season finale... MUCH better than "Sound of Drums"/"Last of the Timelords" last year.

oh definitely:) i agree.

ENGINEANGEL

Saturday, July 12, 2008 8:55 PM

thank god! i was afraid i was the only one who loved this years finale! i looked online and i saw so many reviews hating it!!! :(

_____________

"Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away."

REGINAROADIE

Saturday, July 12, 2008 9:18 PM

You know, I have to say that with DOCTOR WHO, it's not a question of which season is better to buy. I have the first season, haven't gotten around to looking at it, and I would have picked up seasons 2 and 3 if BBC didn't put $100 plus stickers on them. When I have a better cash flow, I'll be getting tons of DVD's.

But in terms of a quality arc, I have to say that DOCTOR WHO never had a dry spell like so many other sci-fi series recently. I mean, LOST spent season 2 and half of season 3 with it's head up it's ass, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA has that problem of having a lot of filler episodes usually in the middle of their seasons, and while I personally didn't have a problem with it, some people were ready to write HEROES off as a lost cause after only a handful of arguably iffy episodes.

DOCTOR WHO on the other hand maybe had a handful of iffy episodes during its four season run so far, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it had a bad year or so. And I never saw it as a campy B series. I thought it balanced perfectly the comedic and adventurous tone of the franchise with a lot of heavy dramatic and scary moments. I always think about the one ep from season 1 called "Father's Day" where they traveled to the 80's and Rose saves her father from getting hit by a car and the repercussions it has.

And with this finale, loved it like all the others. I thought it was strange though for there not to be a cliffhanger that would lead into the Xmas special. I just like after a really dramatic moment, something completely shocking and random getting into the TARDIS and The Doctor going "WHAT???....WHAT????....WHAT???"

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"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

LWAVES

Sunday, July 13, 2008 11:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
I thought it was strange though for there not to be a cliffhanger that would lead into the Xmas special. I just like after a really dramatic moment, something completely shocking and random getting into the TARDIS and The Doctor going "WHAT???....WHAT????....WHAT???"

Doctor Who ISN'T a camp show, but it has elements of campness in it. Just like it has comedy, drama, supense, horror, romance, tension, thrills, chills and all those other things.
It features everything and when done right can effortlessly flit between one or the other.

I'm glad they didn't do the What What WHAT!! ending. It was really well done before and any more and it would have been overused. At least this way they can start with a completely clean slate and we'll get to see how they introduce the Doctor into the story. I always like it when they have a story begin, you get into it and then after a few minutes you catch a glimpse of the TARDIS, or the Doctor appears in a hospital bed like when he met Martha.

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some people were ready to write HEROES off as a lost cause after only a handful of arguably iffy episodes

This is something I thought about touching on before but resisted. Not having a go at anyone particular but it seems too easy for people these days to just give up on a show when they get a couple of episodes they don't like. There just doesn't seem to be any commitment to TV shows from the general masses. And where do they go after they stop watching? Reality TV.
I have a mate who is exactly like this. He won't try anything new, and when he does if it doesn't get him in half an hour, he's off. Yet he watches all the versions of Big Brother. Sometimes I just can't understand people like him.

The same happened when the Peter Kay Doctor Who episode came out. Most people hated it and some cried out it was the end of the show mainly because the Doctor wasn't in it much. They may have gotten that one wrong but after it they did Blink and Turn Left which hardly featured the Doctor. Look how they turned out.

Like I say not having a dig at anyone, especially us Browncoats, seeing as we are still here writing about our show years after it ended.

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

EMMARIGBY

Sunday, July 13, 2008 6:23 PM

Hey guys.

I'm bummed.

I have been getting more and more jittery and restless all day and I've just worked out why.

No Who for over a week. And no more for MONTHS! Help! How will I survive?!

I've tried to analyse why I'm so addicted to Dr Who and am finding it difficult to put my finger on. Actually, that's a lie. Possibly one of the main reasons is that I find David Tennant to be the most deliciously edible man that I have ever been reduced to smooching a pixelized image of.

Ahem. But that's incidental to the supposedly mature critical analysis of my post.

Before I got sidetracked I was going to propose a discussion about what makes Who so addictive? I like lwaves' suggestion that it could be the varied nature, including

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comedy, drama, supense, horror, romance, tension, thrills, chills and all those other things.

Still, it doesn't do 'quality storytelling' in a reliable and consistant way.You couldn't point a sci-fi virgin at any episode and be sure of a convert with as much reliability as with Firefly (I have tried this with my friends. Total so far 8 out of 8 converted Browncoats - to one degree or another, 3.5 out of 7 Dr Who fans). I don't think that anyone here could argue that "The Unicorn and the Wasp" was an inspired bit of writing exploring something fundamental about the human condition (after a while the protestations of "But it's fun camp" and "No, that's self -depreciating mockery - you're meant to laugh at the silliness", do start to sound a bit thin even to my ears).

Possibly the success of this series lies in its universal appeal. It was marketed as family entertainment and has hit its niche perfectly. I can't think of another programme on at the moment that I could sit down with my 12 year old neice and my parents and predict that none of us would get bored. I think part of why I love it is that feeling of community, of inclusiveness. Kind of similar to Firefly actually. Joss Whedon gave me a new family but Russel T Davis has helped reconnect me with my own.

Long rambling rant over. Thank you for listening!

___________________

Hissssssssss!

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