2005 replies to this topic

[marktmurphy]

Ack; so's the Bond theme!
I didn't notice until someone pointed it out.

[DamnCoffee]

Quite a solid episode on saturday night. Smith is really comfortable in the role. Dare I say, more comfortable than Tennant in his first series. The Vampires of Venice is a fun episode, with some great imagery.

Next weeks episode looks fantastic, too. I was under the impression that it would be a Doctor-Lite episode, but judging by the trailers, I guess not.

[Lachesis]

Quite a solid episode on saturday night. Smith is really comfortable in the role. Dare I say, more comfortable than Tennant in his first series. The Vampires of Venice is a fun episode, with some great imagery.

Next weeks episode looks fantastic, too. I was under the impression that it would be a Doctor-Lite episode, but judging by the trailers, I guess not.

Agreed, this season seems more consistent quality wise than Who has been since it returned in 2005 imo.

[Zorin Industries]

Lazy, obvious episode with the VAMPIRES. We have been here countless times before.

I would put money on Moffat not sticking around for long and being replaced by Russell T Davies as showrunner.

[sharpshooter]

I would put money on Moffat not sticking around for long and being replaced by Russell T Davies as showrunner.

I wouldn't.

[marktmurphy]

Lazy, obvious episode with the VAMPIRES. We have been here countless times before.

It was a familar story, but a lot of fun. Lest we forget, this is a James Bond board: you should be used to getting variations on a theme!

I would put money on Moffat not sticking around for long and being replaced by Russell T Davies as showrunner.

I'll take that bet! After what time period will you pay up, then?

[Zorin Industries]

Lazy, obvious episode with the VAMPIRES. We have been here countless times before.

It was a familar story, but a lot of fun. Lest we forget, this is a James Bond board: you should be used to getting variations on a theme!

I would put money on Moffat not sticking around for long and being replaced by Russell T Davies as showrunner.

I'll take that bet! After what time period will you pay up, then?

So folk are saying Mr Davies will not return to DOCTOR WHO are they?

[Jackanaples]

I think it's the rest of your statement that people disagree with, Zorin.

For myself WHO seems finally to be firing on all cylinders. Smith's portrayal of the Doctor seems far stronger in a rather matter of fact way than either Tennant or Eccleston. Moffat is working the season arc into the episodes in a gradual progression that I'm certain will pay off in structurally brilliant finale that will leave the majority of the audience gobsmacked.

Russell T. Davies may indeed return, but I don't think it's going to be because the BBC want to oust Moffat. Moffat's presence is attracting writers like Richard Curtis and Neil Gaiman to work on the show. I think Moffat will be showrunner for three to four years and then move on to other projects.

[Zorin Industries]

I do believe Matt Smith is already possibly more intriguing, engaging, playful and sexy (if that is allowed) than Mr Tennent or Mr Ecclestone - the two benchmarks of this era for me. Smith is now the intergalactic prince with alien instincts and knowledge rather than the doomed professor bound by a life sentence to time itself.

I don't think Moffat's scripts have been bad, but they have been samey - which no-one expected.

To be fair, the likes of Curtis, Gaiman, Nye and others were attracted to the series because of Russell T Davies legacy and work. There is a waiting list for writers and that is because of Davies at the moment and not Moffat.

Moffat is a master of making the ordinary utterly creepy (shadows, statues, gas masks, carnival clowns) but I don't think he is bringing anything to this series other than stability and more of the same. The growing arc (the cracks / AMY / The Pandorica) are surely templates created by Davies based on his knowledge of titles such as BUFFY, which he echoed in each series of DOCTOR WHO.

I don't think Moffat will do as many series as four. His second series is semi-locked in (and in pre-production) and the Christmas episode will begin filming soon. But I don't think he has been as brave and as original as Davies or as the wider audiences (and the critics believed).

As an example, THE VAMPIRES OF VENICE was just a retread of THE SHAKESPEARE CODE, THE UNQUIET DEAD and a few others. It was an entertaining, well paced retread, but it was still a retread. And it was the same ground without the character beats Davies would not have overlooked - i.e. we never saw AMY react to the DOCTOR bringing along RORY for the ride when moments before she had just come onto our hero and displayed a certain lack of love for her betrothed and there was zilch chemistry between AMY and RORY to take the pairing beyond a samey retread of MICKEY and ROSE.

Don't get me wrong. The first Smith episode was beautifully done. The ANGELS two-parter was equally effective, unexpected and cracking story-telling. But then a shoehorned episode with the DALEKS was a major let-down whose shortfalls were pretty apparent before anyone saw the episode (Daleks, WWII, the Blitz, Churchill, Spitfires in space, Bill Paterson....but ALL in 40 mins...?!). And Ecclestone and Tennent's second episode involved future Earth/Britain and so did Smith's - and lazy movements like that can only be laid at Moffat's feet.

I don't want to come down on DOCTOR WHO. I like that we have left Cardiff and Wales in the writing and production design (even though we haven't). I like that the show is not tripping over itself to feature lazy pop references like cameo-ing news readers, show branding and celebrity mugging at camera. And a friend's other half is very involved in the show right now so I watch developments with great interest, support and hopes it all holds up.

It is obviously a show that will have less effective episodes, of course it will. But Moffat has not brought anything new to the show (the ANGELS had been done before, as had Prisoner Zero and Future Britain in different, Earth-under-attack guises). Episode One was sublimely good with all the sweep of a Danny Elfman / Tim Burton inspired fairytale (no accident, I'm sure). The ANGELS two-parter had beautiful imagery (the red-caped AMY alone in a Anton Furst-esque Brothers Grimm forest).

Maybe the bedtime story angle will be Moffat's saving grace and final rabbit out of the hat (or hole?)? It is certainly what is nearly marking out this series with a different stamp than before (which is what Smith deserves).

[marktmurphy]

Lazy, obvious episode with the VAMPIRES. We have been here countless times before.

It was a familar story, but a lot of fun. Lest we forget, this is a James Bond board: you should be used to getting variations on a theme!

I would put money on Moffat not sticking around for long and being replaced by Russell T Davies as showrunner.

I'll take that bet! After what time period will you pay up, then?

So folk are saying Mr Davies will not return to DOCTOR WHO are they?

Not as showrunner. He's already writing the Doctor in a one-off for Sarah Jane Adventures, but I think it'll be quite a while before he even does a proper Who story for the series, if at all.

[Royal Dalton]

A good episode tonight. I thought the ending was a bit of a cop out, though.

[DamnCoffee]

Tonight's episode was rather solid. It was SO weird though, but fresh. Wasn't too keen on the ending either, Dalton.

[Lachesis]

I enjoyed this one more than the Dalek and Vampires stories but yes the ending was a bit of a let down.

[sharpshooter]

Cool episode. Literally.

Particularly liked the revelation of the Dream Lord's identity - being The Doctor's negative side. An entity that doesn't suppress its thoughts. I honestly didn't see that coming.

Makes me wonder how much truth is in his words, eg. his thoughts about companions, his possible diet (vegetarian) and his costume. It offers an interesting insight into this Doctor's personality. "There’s only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you." Telling statement. I'm going to watch the episode through again with a different perspective.

As for the reflection in the TARDIS console at the end, obviously just The Doctor seeing things. Offered a good mind bending conclusion, especially after it’s all meant to be figured out and balanced. Nice touch.

[marktmurphy]

Cool episode. Literally.

Particularly liked the revelation of the Dream Lord's identity - being The Doctor's negative side. An entity that doesn't suppress its thoughts. I honestly didn't see that coming.

The Valeyard?

Thing is, if the Doctor worked out who the Dream Lord is, why didn't he clock straight away that both situations were dreams? If the D Lord is himself, a dreamt-up dark version of his subconscious, surely he can only appear to them in dreams? And he appeared to them in both locations; ergo both were dreams, so it shouldn't matter where they die.

[Royal Dalton]

The Valeyard?

I bought the Trial of a Time Lord DVD set, brand new and sealed, for the grand total of three quid the other week.

Just about worth it for the extras, I thought.

[the doctor]

The Valeyard?

That's I'm hoping for. I guess maybe when The Doctor says that he knows who the dream lord is but not how he can be there, maybe he is under the impression that this is the actual Valeyard and can't work it out for a while. hopefully the series will touch on this again

[marktmurphy]

The Valeyard?

I bought the Trial of a Time Lord DVD set, brand new and sealed, for the grand total of three quid the other week.

Just about worth it for the extras, I thought.

Ooh that's good; I was looking at it myself but didn't want to spend top whack. Is that a one-off offer or did you find it somewhere I could?

[Royal Dalton]

I got mine from an Amazon Marketplace seller. There were quite a few copies going for around the same price at the time, but the cheapest one on there at the moment is about £10.

But keep an eye on it, Mark, because the price will probably drop again soon.

[DamnCoffee]

Just seen 'The Hungry Earth'...

Awful cliffhanger. I HATE the new Silurians as well. They're not even faithful to the original design. The plot was weak, but there were some great moments. I enjoyed the bits with the Doctor in the church. I loved the bit with Amy being taken as well, nice emotional side of the Doctor, there.

Probably the weakest episode of Series 5 so far.

3/5.

[Royal Dalton]

Well, I really liked it. Very old school Who and quite strong stuff for the kiddies. Which means that it was probably the best episode of the series so far for me. The Eocene line was a nice nod to the late great Barry Letts, as well.

I thought the new Silurian make-up design, although well done, was pretty disappointing, as well. Especially the non-reptilian eyes. Lizards don't have boobs, either. Seemed rather a pity to encase the very lovely Neve McIntosh in green prosthetics, anyway. But, of course, that does mean she can come back, sans make-up, in another story.

Agreed about the cliffhanger. They should have swapped the last two scenes around and ended it with Amy being menaced by the Silurian.

[Lachesis]

Well, I really liked it. Very old school Who and quite strong stuff for the kiddies. Which means that it was probably the best episode of the series so far for me. The Eocene line was a nice nod to the late great Barry Letts, as well.

I thought the new Silurian make-up design, although well done, was pretty disappointing, as well. Especially the non-reptilian eyes. Lizards don't have boobs, either. Seemed rather a pity to encase the very lovely Neve McIntosh in green prosthetics, anyway. But, of course, that does mean she can come back, sans make-up, in another story.

Agreed about the cliffhanger. They should have swapped the last two scenes around and ended it with Amy being menaced by the Silurian.

Agree with all of this, part 2 can still make or break it though.

[Brian Flagg]

Just watched Vampires of Venice and I hope that future episodes don't continue this Amy/Rory/Doctor triangle, as it's looking like Rose/Mickey/Doctor all over again. Other than that, an enjoyable episode.

[the doctor]

Agreed about the cliffhanger. They should have swapped the last two scenes around and ended it with Amy being menaced by the Silurian.

Yeah they really should have swapped those around. Though I think all this set up will lead to a good second part. What annoyed me most about the new silurians was the predator rip off mask. I mean how many sci-fi series are going to rip that off? that and the fact that they look nothing like the original silurians.

[Harry Fawkes]

Vincent and the Doctor!

Classic!

10 out of 10! Nearly brought a tear to my eyes at the end.

What is Saturday without Who?


HF

[DamnCoffee]

I completely agree! The strongest episode of series 5, without a doubt. Great mix of drama and humour. Fantastic.

[Brian Flagg]

"Amy's Choice" aired here last night and Amy is now the first companion of the new series that I officially don't like. She's just annoying. And the story itself was mere filler--

Spoiler

some pollen or crystals that induce a dark side of the Doctor???

What crap. Matt Smith really needs to assert himself in this series because he's in danger of fading into the background. At this rate, he's becoming the most ineffective Doctor since Peter Davison.

[Harry Fawkes]

I think Amy is the best DR Who companion since Rose.

She's cool and bubbly, intelligent, bright and sexy, very very sexy.

I just love what they have done to the series.

HF

[sharpshooter]

Great mix of drama and humour.

Good way to describe this episode.

[Royal Dalton]

I completely agree! The strongest episode of series 5, without a doubt. Great mix of drama and humour. Fantastic.

I thought it was dire.