2005 replies to this topic

[DamnCoffee]

Right that was creepy:

I was watching the Blink Easter Egg on my series 3 DVD...



I typed in "Doctor Gho Series 5" in google..

Me: DOCTOR WHOOO! *I went to change it*
The Doctor: Yep that's me.
Me: Don't you ever shut up....
The Doctor: Yes I do.

A few minutes later, the mother walks in my room...


Mum: Matthew, how long has the internet been on?
Me: Hm, probably since 10 this morning? Why?
The Doctor: People don't understand time, it's not what you think it is.

[Tybre]

Right that was creepy:

I was watching the Blink Easter Egg on my series 3 DVD...



I typed in "Doctor Gho Series 5" in google..

Me: DOCTOR WHOOO! *I went to change it*
The Doctor: Yep that's me.
Me: Don't you ever shut up....
The Doctor: Yes I do.

A few minutes later, the mother walks in my room...


Mum: Matthew, how long has the internet been on?
Me: Hm, probably since 10 this morning? Why?
The Doctor: People don't understand time, it's not what you think it is.

lol that's golden

[baerrtt]

My blasted computer at work won't let me post a link but if anyone goes to the Media Guardian page or The Sun website apparently Richard Curtis (who was once rumoured to be writing for Bond) has been confirmed as a writer for next year's series of DOCTOR WHO.

[Ernst Stavro Blofeld Jr.]

The article says that he will only be writing one episode, which he is doing because his kids are big fans of the show. He says he's always been interested in time travel and he's working on his own movie about the subject so it could be good. I don't think he would have worked for Bond, but I can definitely see him writing the Doctor.

[DamnCoffee]

Interesting news. If he's writing it for his kids, then it should be indeed very special.

[dee-bee-five]

Interesting news. If he's writing it for his kids, then it should be indeed very special.

As long as he doesn't trot out his usual ecological/Green claptrap, I'm sure it'll be interesting. Can't say I'm overwhelmed by the news, though. Like the proposed Stephen Fry penned ep, it smacks of the equivalent of stunt casting to me. But we await with interest...

[Safari Suit]

I have a mild alergy to the work of Richard Curtis from the last twenty years (although The Boat that Rocked was OK), but I have to say this talk of a "green angle" to his work is news to me. Where has this cropped up?

[dee-bee-five]

I have a mild alergy to the work of Richard Curtis from the last twenty years (although The Boat that Rocked was OK), but I have to say this talk of a "green angle" to his work is news to me. Where has this cropped up?

Have you never endured The Girl In The Café? If not, lucky you. I mean, to be fair, its sentiments were doubtless well-meaning, but by God, did he hammer home his message with a, well, a sledgehammer. Bit misleading of me to label it "green" I suppose, as it was just the usual claptrap about wicked capitalists being responsible for all that's wrong with the world, blah-de-blah...

[Ernst Stavro Blofeld Jr.]

So he does one movie that has a green message and now that is all he does? I didn't realize one movie can invalidate over 20 years of work and turn him into another Michael Moore-esque filmmaker who only cares about his personal agenda.

[Jim]

Interesting news. If he's writing it for his kids, then it should be indeed very special.

As long as he doesn't trot out his usual ecological/Green claptrap, I'm sure it'll be interesting. Can't say I'm overwhelmed by the news, though. Like the proposed Stephen Fry penned ep, it smacks of the equivalent of stunt casting to me. But we await with interest...

Half-baked lefty crap.

As usual.

So he does one movie that has a green message and now that is all he does? I didn't realize one movie can invalidate over 20 years of work and turn him into another Michael Moore-esque filmmaker who only cares about his personal agenda.

It's not work, it's ineffable tosspottery.

[dee-bee-five]

So he does one movie that has a green message and now that is all he does? I didn't realize one movie can invalidate over 20 years of work and turn him into another Michael Moore-esque filmmaker who only cares about his personal agenda.

When the canon comprises such gems as Four Weddings And A Cliched Script, Notting Swill and Appalling, Actually, it doesn't take much overtuning. That said, I had my tongue in my cheek somewhat when I posted. Actually. (Although I thought The Girl In The Café was the most ghastly, clumsy polemic which wouldn't have passed the most junior script editor had Curtis' name not been on it).

[Tybre]

I have no idea how old this is, but it made me laugh:



Edit:

Possibly already know to some of you, but I've heard rumours Steven Moffat intends for the titles to go back to the more "classic" style. Exactly how, I don't know, just that it's supposedly no longer going to be time-tunnel (or at least, tunnel as it is now, as opposed to, say, Tom Baker opening) and will feature the Doctor's face once more. Personally this is the best news I've heard in days.

[dee-bee-five]

Possibly already know to some of you, but I've heard rumours Steven Moffat intends for the titles to go back to the more "classic" style. Exactly how, I don't know, just that it's supposedly no longer going to be time-tunnel (or at least, tunnel as it is now, as opposed to, say, Tom Baker opening) and will feature the Doctor's face once more. Personally this is the best news I've heard in days.

I have mixed feelings about this because the "classic" titles varied a great deal and some were much better than others. The jury's out.

[DamnCoffee]

I really wouldn't mind a revamped title sequence, and theme. I don't really want to see Smith's face, because I'll end up getting upset that Tennant didn't have one.

Actually, doesn't anyone think that Tennant will get a 'special' title sequence for his last episode? That would be cool.

[Tybre]

Possibly already know to some of you, but I've heard rumours Steven Moffat intends for the titles to go back to the more "classic" style. Exactly how, I don't know, just that it's supposedly no longer going to be time-tunnel (or at least, tunnel as it is now, as opposed to, say, Tom Baker opening) and will feature the Doctor's face once more. Personally this is the best news I've heard in days.

I have mixed feelings about this because the "classic" titles varied a great deal and some were much better than others. The jury's out.

True, but even with the changes between them all, you can at least get a vague idea of what it might be like. I'm also slightly hoping they replace Murray Gold, at the very least for the title sequence. I positively love his score, but at the same time, I much prefer basically every other version of the titles out there. Actually, my personal favorite version happens to be the one David Arnold composed for the early adventures of Big Finish's Eighth Doctor audio drama. The Nicholas Briggs version they replaced it with is so...much more normal.

@Mharkin
While I think it would be cool, I doubt they're going to do much of anything special for his title sequence. Maybe a new version of the theme, but I don't know that there will really be any stylistic changes. Time will tell.

[DamnCoffee]

How's 'Doctor Who' filming coming along?
Friday, September 11 2009, 21:19 BST

By Neil Wilkes, Editor

It's now a couple of months into filming on Doctor Who series five, so what are our new-Whobies up to?

Well, it's cold out in Wales so Matt is wearing a big old jacket.



To clarify, it's a BIG old jacket.



OI! KAREN! HAVEN'T YOU GOT A TV SHOW TO FILM?!?!?



The gang are now four episodes into filming of the thirteen episode series, which airs on BBC One from next Spring. This latest episode was being filmed this week at Neath Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery dating back to the 12th Century. Rather appropriately, monks sporting brown robes were spotted on set, while rather more dubious rumours suggested that Billie Piper was also around to shoot some secret scenes.

Christ all mighty!

[Tybre]

How's 'Doctor Who' filming coming along?
Friday, September 11 2009, 21:19 BST

By Neil Wilkes, Editor

It's now a couple of months into filming on Doctor Who series five, so what are our new-Whobies up to?

Well, it's cold out in Wales so Matt is wearing a big old jacket.



To clarify, it's a BIG old jacket.



OI! KAREN! HAVEN'T YOU GOT A TV SHOW TO FILM?!?!?



The gang are now four episodes into filming of the thirteen episode series, which airs on BBC One from next Spring. This latest episode was being filmed this week at Neath Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery dating back to the 12th Century. Rather appropriately, monks sporting brown robes were spotted on set, while rather more dubious rumours suggested that Billie Piper was also around to shoot some secret scenes.

Christ all mighty!

Heard those rumors on Sat/Sun along with attached photo. Judging by what the source I found believed to be the image people thought they saw Billie Piper in, it's just a bunch of Ten/Rose fanaticals going crazy because of random blonde crew person.

[DamnCoffee]

I hope so. If SHE comes back again, I swear to god, I'll abandon Doctor Who all together.

[Tybre]

I hope so. If SHE comes back again, I swear to god, I'll abandon Doctor Who all together.

I wouldn't necessarily mind if they did something like they did with some past companions and brought them back once, or if they bring her in on a multi-Doctor special, but in either case I'd want to see it a very long way down the line.

[DamnCoffee]

I wouldn't mind either, but the thing is, this new series has had too many companions and they're returning too frequently.

Now, I can't see how they can bring back companions for a one off, without it looking cliched.

[Tybre]

I wouldn\'t mind either, but the thing is, this new series has had too many companions and they\'re returning too frequently.

Now, I can\'t see how they can bring back companions for a one off, without it looking cliched.

Indeed. RTD needs to learn to let characters go. Journey\'s End is a mash of about every companion he ever introduced that wasn\'t killed or given the boot by the Doctor (a very slim few; only two come to mind, both from Eccleston\'s Doc) and when you look at the cast list for The End of Time, it\'s basically Journey\'s End all over again. Okay, we don\'t know how everyone\'s returning (Rose, for example, could just be in that spoiler we got a little while back), but still. That\'s another thing I dislike about RTD\'s writing, come to think of it. Series 1 finale - Daleks. Series 2 finale - Daleks & Cybermen. Series 3 - The Master. Series 4 - Daleks. Specials - The Master. And they\'re always big blowouts, too. Whatever happened to stories like The Tenth Planet or the Caves of Androzani, which progress more or less like normal stories and then OSHI- he\'s regenerating? Still, much as I rag on it, I do love the RTD series, and it\'ll always have a special place in my heart for introducing me to my favorite TV show.

Edit:

Friend linked me to some videos a guy recorded of them filming Waters of Mars and the Christmas Specials. Some spoilers naturally follow. Seriously, don\'t come complaining to me if you opened them without reading my warning.

The Waters of Mars:

Spoiler

First clip - Snow. Doctor in blue suit flings open TARDIS doors, Adelaide following him. Tenth Doctor looks up and says something. Cannot hear, but it\'s short, possibly something like \"allons-y\" or \"molto bene\" etc. Two other people from the Mars base step out of the TARDIS. Inaudible conversation. Can sort of make out one of the characters\' words, male, sounds like he says \"hundreds of...\". Sounds a bit like girl in red shirt said \"no\". Red shirt backs away like she\'s afraid and starts running. Man goes running off after her.

And well that\'s about it, actually. Everything else appears to be alternate takes of the same scene, or in one case a rehearsal (confirmed by man saying \"alright, everyone standby for rehearsal\" in video). Can actually sort of hear the Doctor in one of the takes, but can\'t really make out any words.

Okay, actually I lied, in the same one where you can sort of hear the Doctor, it continues, to Ten and Adelaide talking, again can\'t hear what about. Ten uses his sonic on something, turns back to Adelaide, uses it again, and then puts it away. Talking resumes briefly and Adelaide goes walking up into one of the homes along the street.

Christmas Specials:

Spoiler

First clip - A kid with dark hair, around college age, is walking across the street talking on his cell phone. Ten rushes out and saves him from being run over by a car. They exchange some words on the sidewalk (cannot hear what) and the kid goes running off across the street shouting \"mum\" (or maybe ma\'am). Ten makes his way down the sidewalk to the TARDIS and as he opens the door, waves at someone, presumably the person he rescued. Video comments suggest it may be from SJA and not EOT. I can\'t tell. Haven\'t seen SJA in a long while seeing as Syfy dropped the series after the first season, and the person filming was focusing on Tennant. Could also quite possibly simply be that SJA characters are being brought over to EOT, much as they have been in the past.

Second clip - people running about frantically screaming. That\'s really about all there is to it.

Third clip - More people running around, this time not screaming, staring up at the sky like there\'s something horrifying happening.

Fourth clip - Ten, Wilf, and Sylvia come walking out of someone\'s yard, Ten carrying a book (looks like a book anyway). Ten leans in and says something to Wilf, can\'t really hear what.

Fifth clip - Appears to be more of above. Just Ten walking along out of the person\'s yard, Wilf & Sylvia in tow.

Final clip just looks like an alternate take of 4&5.

[dee-bee-five]

I wouldn\'t mind either, but the thing is, this new series has had too many companions and they\'re returning too frequently.

Now, I can\'t see how they can bring back companions for a one off, without it looking cliched.

Indeed. RTD needs to learn to let characters go. Journey\'s End is a mash of about every companion he ever introduced that wasn\'t killed or given the boot by the Doctor (a very slim few; only two come to mind, both from Eccleston\'s Doc) and when you look at the cast list for The End of Time, it\'s basically Journey\'s End all over again. Okay, we don\'t know how everyone\'s returning (Rose, for example, could just be in that spoiler we got a little while back), but still. That\'s another thing I dislike about RTD\'s writing, come to think of it. Series 1 finale - Daleks. Series 2 finale - Daleks & Cybermen. Series 3 - The Master. Series 4 - Daleks. Specials - The Master. And they\'re always big blowouts, too. Whatever happened to stories like The Tenth Planet or the Caves of Androzani, which progress more or less like normal stories and then OSHI- he\'s regenerating? Still, much as I rag on it, I do love the RTD series, and it\'ll always have a special place in my heart for introducing me to my favorite TV show.

Edit:

Friend linked me to some videos a guy recorded of them filming Waters of Mars and the Christmas Specials. Some spoilers naturally follow. Seriously, don\'t come complaining to me if you opened them without reading my warning.

The Waters of Mars:

Spoiler

First clip - Snow. Doctor in blue suit flings open TARDIS doors, Adelaide following him. Tenth Doctor looks up and says something. Cannot hear, but it\'s short, possibly something like \"allons-y\" or \"molto bene\" etc. Two other people from the Mars base step out of the TARDIS. Inaudible conversation. Can sort of make out one of the characters\' words, male, sounds like he says \"hundreds of...\". Sounds a bit like girl in red shirt said \"no\". Red shirt backs away like she\'s afraid and starts running. Man goes running off after her.

And well that\'s about it, actually. Everything else appears to be alternate takes of the same scene, or in one case a rehearsal (confirmed by man saying \"alright, everyone standby for rehearsal\" in video). Can actually sort of hear the Doctor in one of the takes, but can\'t really make out any words.

Okay, actually I lied, in the same one where you can sort of hear the Doctor, it continues, to Ten and Adelaide talking, again can\'t hear what about. Ten uses his sonic on something, turns back to Adelaide, uses it again, and then puts it away. Talking resumes briefly and Adelaide goes walking up into one of the homes along the street.

Christmas Specials:

Spoiler

First clip - A kid with dark hair, around college age, is walking across the street talking on his cell phone. Ten rushes out and saves him from being run over by a car. They exchange some words on the sidewalk (cannot hear what) and the kid goes running off across the street shouting \"mum\" (or maybe ma\'am). Ten makes his way down the sidewalk to the TARDIS and as he opens the door, waves at someone, presumably the person he rescued. Video comments suggest it may be from SJA and not EOT. I can\'t tell. Haven\'t seen SJA in a long while seeing as Syfy dropped the series after the first season, and the person filming was focusing on Tennant. Could also quite possibly simply be that SJA characters are being brought over to EOT, much as they have been in the past.

Second clip - people running about frantically screaming. That\'s really about all there is to it.

Third clip - More people running around, this time not screaming, staring up at the sky like there\'s something horrifying happening.

Fourth clip - Ten, Wilf, and Sylvia come walking out of someone\'s yard, Ten carrying a book (looks like a book anyway). Ten leans in and says something to Wilf, can\'t really hear what.

Fifth clip - Appears to be more of above. Just Ten walking along out of the person\'s yard, Wilf & Sylvia in tow.

Final clip just looks like an alternate take of 4&5.

Oh, come now: RTD is surely the most accomplished and gifted writer currently writing for British television today. He virtually rewrote the drama rulebook with Queer As Folk ten years ago and has reinvented popular family drama with Doctor Who. He turned a national joke into must-see TV; trust me, that is no easy feat. His vision is utterly extraordinary.

[Tybre]

Oh, come now: RTD is surely the most accomplished and gifted writer currently writing for British television today. He virtually rewrote the drama rulebook with Queer As Folk ten years ago and has reinvented popular family drama with Doctor Who. He turned a national joke into must-see TV; trust me, that is no easy feat. His vision is utterly extraordinary.

I don't deny the man is good. I do enjoy his works, Doctor Who and otherwise, but his Doctor Who scripts tend to get a bit...stale, for the most part.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Anybody read this, yet?

http://uncyclopedia....wiki/The_Doctor

[Tybre]

Anybody read this, yet?

http://uncyclopedia....wiki/The_Doctor

Is it sad that the "You only have until Christmas..." amuses me more than the article itself?

[Sniperscope]

Oh, come now: RTD is surely the most accomplished and gifted writer currently writing for British television today. He virtually rewrote the drama rulebook with Queer As Folk ten years ago and has reinvented popular family drama with Doctor Who. He turned a national joke into must-see TV; trust me, that is no easy feat. His vision is utterly extraordinary.

Gifted or not I don't think RTD rewrote the TV drama rulebook - Dennis Potter did IMHO.

What I think RTD is very gifted at is reworking tried and true dramatic conventions in a new manner, which is no mean feat in modern television!
To me he seems to have been very successful in making DOCTOR WHO a bit of a soap opera, driven largely by the charisma of its lead. Season-long "arcs", love interests, love triangles, jealousy, returning companions, family dynamics, an angst-ridden protagonist, over-emotional, and stunt-casting are all hallmarks of the soaps and this is certainly RTD's vision of DW (by way of Joss Whedon). Sometimes it all works for me, sometimes it doesn't.
For example MIDNIGHT is one of his stories that is particularly admired, and although I very much like its concept, I just couldn't stand the manner in which it was executed, especially with the very contemporary English Stereotypes he whacks into the story (just in case we missed the point that this is a satire of Middle Class Morality).

National joke? Hmmm... Fans who stuck with the show through the 80s and the empty decade that was the 90s don't take easily to such glibly tossed out remarks - I'd take the old series any day, warts and all. If I'm thinking PLANET OF THE DEAD or THE DEAD PLANET, I know which one's going in the DVD player! But then I've never been overly concerned about what the majority consider "must-see TV" - this is the same majority that think BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT is "must-see"!!! Cringe!

Fair dues to you if you think RTD's vision is "utterly extraordinary" but I can't really agree.
Based on last season and the run of specials so-far I think he's definitely run out of juice and he has tended to rehash himself an awful lot. Too much of what RTD thinks is DW doesn't fit with how I see it (which may account for it's broad mainstream appeal of course!), but that's individual tastes I suppose.

Edited by Sniperscope, 23 September 2009 - 07:29 AM.

[David Schofield]

While I agree that RTD has been praised to the heavens while at the same time being repetitious and producing some of the biggest anti-climaxes in mainstream TV, he certainly deserves credit at least for the populist success of the relaunch.

He has made New Who™ by taking its history and remoulding that in a way that has ensured the success it has had. As someone who has followed Who since the 1970s, it HAd become tired and jaded, and something of an embarrassment to non Whovians, at least.

That said, I did enjoy the McGann 1996 relaunch attempt...

[Tybre]

That said, I did enjoy the McGann 1996 relaunch attempt...

Indeed. I'm still quite sad that didn't pan out. I liked McGann a lot just from that telemovie, and he's been growing in my book thanks to the Big Finish audio series. And I probably would've gotten into Doctor Who a lot sooner (probably a few years down the line, possibly after Eight had regenerated depending upon how long McGann stuck around) than when I did.

[David Schofield]

That said, I did enjoy the McGann 1996 relaunch attempt...

Indeed. I'm still quite sad that didn't pan out. I liked McGann a lot just from that telemovie, and he's been growing in my book thanks to the Big Finish audio series. And I probably would've gotten into Doctor Who a lot sooner (probably a few years down the line, possibly after Eight had regenerated depending upon how long McGann stuck around) than when I did.

Well, RTD and Co nicked - and developed on - a lot of the ideas established in the McGann movie.

Okay, so outwent the ludicrous Who "costume" in favour of contemporary clothing, but the idea was maintained of a "normal" man in his 30s, quirky looking but not unattractive (particularly as per Tennant) who could therefore also be more of an action man and consequently aspirational to non-tradtional Whovians. And the physical attractiveness and interaction as a consequence with the opposite sex all started with McGann. Similarly, the McGann movie was all set in familiar, contemporary San Fran, not some rubber monster alien planet; RTD has made much of the relationship between his Whos and Londoners.

Nor were there any brightly lit sets or plasticy console room, just dark, forboding photography.

Oh, and from my recollection of the time, the McGann incarnation was anticipated perhaps more than the RTD relaunch. Just had no back up or follow through.

[marktmurphy]

There are quite a few McGann episodes available to listen to; BBC7 is doing a season of them at the moment. Very good they are too.
http://www.bbc.co.uk...rammes/b009szrh