New Doctor Who

[Nearly Sane]

I felt for the last two or three years that the series was losing its mojo somewhat. Hopefully, it'll regenerate along with the Doctor.

I can see why they chose to go back to Tennant and Tate. Somewhat incredibly Tate finished as Donna Noble over 15 years ago. Whether the influence of Disney has an effect we'll have to see.

Having watched the 1st series of new Who recently, the excellence of what RTD did stands up. Returning though will be harder.

[Steve H]

Wow!
Quite impressive, with a typically Whovian cliffhanger ending. Donna's daughter is very tall and mature-looking for a girl who can't be more than 14. A bit over-inclusive, what with race, disability and a suggestion, if I understood aright, that Rose is transexual, but this is 2023, after all.

[Steve H]

Guardian review (don't read until you've seen it).
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/nov/25/doctor-who-star-beast-60th-anniversary-special-david-tennant-catherine-tate

[Nearly Sane]

Really disappointing, even leaving aside the trans gospel according to RTD, it had his usual deus ex machina solution, the story telling was a mess, and the 'trial' scene both out of character for the Doctor with showboating that led to death of 'good' characters, and no reaction to that, and the new function of the sonic screwdriver would have been useful a thousand times before and removes a lot of future jeopardy

Catherine Tate as usual was good.

[Nearly Sane]

One take on it.


https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/11/29/why-is-doctor-who-lecturing-us-about-pronouns/

[Outrider]

One take on it.


https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/11/29/why-is-doctor-who-lecturing-us-about-pronouns/

Oh, the irony. "Once the genre dared to hold up a provocative mirror to contemporary society." Like making the beloved hero of a long-standing franchise face up to the realities of contemporary society, where gender identity is one of the rising issues?

O.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Where's Michael Grade when you need him?

[Steve H]

I still love it, but they're going a bit overboard with the tokenism - in the last few years, we've had the first female Doctor, the first black Doctor (soon), the first Asian-descended companion, the first supposedly disabled companion (Ryan, who was supposed to have balance and co-ordination problems), the first disabled UNIT person (The scientific advisor last Saturday, who used a wheelchair), and the first disabled companion's companion (Dan's one-armed lady friend). Enough, already! (Also, the first Asian Master, but he's a baddy.) (Oh, and Missy, of course - by far the best Master)

[Nearly Sane]

I suspect that given my reaction to last night's episode, and to Strictly, for which see appropriate thread, that I may not have been in the best of moods.


I sat stunned by boredom thinking it must get more exciting, and it did in an incoherent way, which made the boredom somehow worse. It seemed like a bad cross between Midnight and The Doctor's Wife, while trying to be Davies's answer to Heaven Sent. More of a writing exercise than a show.

Nice to see Bernard Cribbins farewell.

[Steve H]

Well, I liked it. Not the best DW ever, but well up to average. The opening bit must have been filmed at Woolsthorpe manor, Newton's mother's home, where he was staying to avoid the plague in London when the apple incident occurred. It still exists, now a National Trust property. What's more, a successor to the tree still exists in the grounds: the original blew down in a storm in the early 19th Century, but one branch which touched the ground had rooted, and from it another tree grew.

[Nearly Sane]

 This is a kinder take than mine but one which I have some sympathy.


https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who-wild-blue-yonder-review/

[Aruntraveller]

I caught up with both new episodes last night and preferred "Wild Blue Yonder". It was weirder and much less "busy" than the first episode. I also think the cute furry transformation into the vicious furry monster trope is too predictable due to familiarity.

Lovely to see Tate and Tennant back, as well, of course, as the late Bernard Cribbins.

It's not quite firing on all cylinders yet, but my what an improvement on Chibnall's attempts.

[Nearly Sane]

Coincidentally it was time to watch Midnight in my rewatch of old nu Who. It is one of the best bits of TV ever for me. Lesley Sharpe is incredible in it.

[Aruntraveller]

Midnight is certainly one of the best of nu who. As you say Sharpe is excellent.

Interesting trivia facts:

David Troughton who is a guest actor on the show is Patrick Troughton's son.

Alice Troughton who directed it is no relation.

[Nearly Sane]

Midnight is certainly one of the best of nu who. As you say Sharpe is excellent.

Interesting trivia facts:

David Troughton who is a guest actor on the show is Patrick Troughton's son.

Alice Troughton who directed it is no relation.

David Troughton had appeared in classic Who in The Enemy Of The World, and The War Games in minor roles with his dad, and also as King Peladon in The Curse of Peladon with Jon Pertwee.

[Steve H]

Just watched the third special. Brilliant! Well, there are no doubt nits to be picked, but I loved it. I thought the Toymaker was Alexander Armstrong, but he turned out to be Neil Patrick Harris.

[Nearly Sane]

A dropped ball

[Steve H]

Just read about NP Harris on Wikipedia. He doesn't half look like A Armstrong!

[Nearly Sane]

Just read about NP Harris on Wikipedia. He doesn't half look like A Armstrong!

It's weird, possibly because I've watched NPH since Doogie Howser days, it wasn't that obvious to me but you're right especially tonight.

[Aruntraveller]

Just finished it. Generally very good. The disposal of the Toymaker was a bit too easy but it is in the rules I suppose. I thought NPH was great.

Rather more of the new Doc than I was expecting but that was a welcome change.

After all these years it still managed to surprise me with the regeneration twist.

[Steve H]

Just seen a short video online called '10 big stars who appeared in Doctor Who', or something. One was Brian Cox, who, according to the subtitles, appeared as "the voice of a nude"! (They meant "an Ood".) https://www.msn.com/en-gb/video/news/10-big-stars-you-forgot-appeared-in-the-world-of-doctor-who/vi-AA1lfSPt

[Nearly Sane]

Is Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor a 'magical negro'?

https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/12/23996697/doctor-who-the-giggle-bigeneration


Well, it's one view.

[Aruntraveller]

Is Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor a 'magical negro'?

https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/12/23996697/doctor-who-the-giggle-bigeneration


Well, it's one view.

I think the argument falls at this statement:

makes it seem as if Davies is trying to placate the contingent of fans who don’t want to accept a queer, Black actor playing the Doctor role by keeping Tennant in the mix.

Whatever his faults (and I have one or two issues with The Giggle even though I mostly enjoyed it) RTD is not faint-hearted. I think he just wanted 10/14 and Donna to have a happy ending. It's as simple as that. The possibility of some kind of spin-off is clearly lurking in the background but that will depend on how well the new Doctor performs for Disney. I think it's a toss-up whether Bi-generation was the correct decision, but it was something new to the franchise and Lord knows it needs some changes to keep it fresh.

I am more worried about the apparent tendency to "cameos" for historical figures which you have alluded to elsewhere. Although I read the other day that one of the episodes in the new series will feature The Beatles fairly prominently, so hopefully not. Odd to think of The Beatles as historical - but we grow old, we shall wear our trousers rolled.

[Nearly Sane]

I think the argument falls at this statement:

Whatever his faults (and I have one or two issues with The Giggle even though I mostly enjoyed it) RTD is not faint-hearted. I think he just wanted 10/14 and Donna to have a happy ending. It's as simple as that. The possibility of some kind of spin-off is clearly lurking in the background but that will depend on how well the new Doctor performs for Disney. I think it's a toss-up whether Bi-generation was the correct decision, but it was something new to the franchise and Lord knows it needs some changes to keep it fresh.

I am more worried about the apparent tendency to "cameos" for historical figures which you have alluded to elsewhere. Although I read the other day that one of the episodes in the new series will feature The Beatles fairly prominently, so hopefully not. Odd to think of The Beatles as historical - but we grow old, we shall wear our trousers rolled.

Of course The Beatles have already 'appeared' in Doctor Who

https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/The_Beatles


I think that the footage of The Beatles only exists because of Doctor Who, which given the issues of so many episodes of Doctor Who no longer existing has some irony.

[Nearly Sane]

A hark back to classic Who. 50 years ago was the first appearance of Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Jane_Smith