EricMontreal22

It is, but it holds up for me. For me RTD's show was more about character, Moffat is more about cool/epic moments (Hey! Wouldn't it be cool if the Doctor rode up the side of a building! Yeah let's put that in, etc.) Of course the irony is Moffat wrote probably my fave individual episodes. And yes it's old--I tried to find a round table discussion with various Who writers about the strengths and weaknesses of both men done after the anniversary ep but for the life of me I can't find the link. I think calling Moffat a misogynistis wrong, but there's little doubt that every female character he creates exists as a sort of puzzle for the Doctor to solve. It's getting old for me.

Well you can't always show great taste.

Really? I actually find them scarier...

Really? I actually find them scarier...

River Song is an example of what I hate about Moffatt's writing (the long story arcs and his female characters, anyway.) I liked her when she made one or two appearances during Davies' run (in episodes written by Moffat, I believe) but... The River Song problem http://io9.com/5938410/does-steven-moffat-have-a-master-plan-for-doctor-who

OK now I'm confused--the US cinema screenings were Monday? here we got it live on Sat early afternoon. Hrmm. As for Colin -- I wish he would have done two years. I loved Tennant, much of the time, but near the end he often was slightly unbearable to me with all of his catchphrases and goofy moments.

I caught it in Canada and the showing was sold out for a month in advance (a friend of a friend couldn't go so I snagged his ticket.)

I loved Colin as the doctor. There, I said it. Anyway, this article completely exaggerates things - as blog posts tend to do, but I have to say I agree with many of the points about how Moffat writes women. https://theidiotboxx.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/what-is-wrong-with-doctor-who/

My twin sister had a brief period there where she really got into OLTL (after i had been watching it a few years.) It was the only soap she took to, and though she had largely stopped watching by the time they replaced Christian, she was horrified by the fact that her big crush had been replaced by a typical soap male model stud who (at the time) could barely deliver lines. It was a good compromise--I'm not a huge fan but I could accept it, using elements of the 80s opening, but updated (sorry Peobo fans, that beloved song with nonsensical lyrics simply can not work on a show post 1980s )

I totally agree there. But it doesn't sound like they even tried to contact her for a statement (maybe legally she's not allowed?) That's why it doesn't sound like legit journalism but more something from a gossip rag. Yes, I adore All About Eve. But if I was a reporter, I wouldn't try to see a story that could somewhat be shoehorned into the film's scenario and run with it. *shrug*. I see it as a *slight* dig at soap stars just because they underplay her career by referring her simply as a a minor soap star so that the story sounds even more like Eve -- if that makes sense. If they had said "Francesca James who has a history working on screen and off screen on soaps" that wouldn't give the story the spin they want. I mean they are pretty awful accusations, but in cases like this there are always multiple sides. Harris is well known to have had a tumultuous time with her family and children, going back before (from what this article says) Francesca moved in. I know in the 80s she had her son barred from some awards show (the Tonys?) (I admit though, I love the idea of picturing James playing Mrs Danvers )

I doubt it will be--the talent has already shown to have a different view of the world than Girls. I found Noah's Ark disappointing, but not because the leads are (at least the early episodes I saw) all black. Ideally I'd love a more mixed show, in either case (and in the case of Ark, one with better acting and writing although it's not at the level of something wretched like Dante's Cover -- maybe I need to give it more episodes.) Re race... I agree the race card is a difficult issue. There's no doubt that a tv show, even cable, is more comfortable casting white (and usually straight) leads. I mostly enjoy Girls, but what bugged about when people mentioned how white it was, was Lena's reaction to the question where she seemed to not even understand the critique. If she had just tried to understand the comment, and pointed out that this reflected her experience (growing up as a wealthy New York Jew, ) and then not turned it into a weird joke by immediately casting a black boyfriend for season 2 only tohave him quickly leave because he doesn't like her characters take on race, then I woulda been more ok with it. One of the (many) ways the remake of Queer as Folk bugged me was they set out to make it more inclusive of the gay (and lesbian) community and failed (and notably had very little in the way of non-whites either) whereas Davies with his original series flat out said he was writing about these certain characters he recognized and knew of, and that was that. On a less serious note, re beards, as mentioned obviously this reflects the creators (Groff's character started off at a no end internet job in the late 90s in SF just like the writer, etc.)

The Girls thing seems like more the marketers (for one thing, it's a generation older.) The main director, Haigh (who, as I mentioned, directed the great UK indie gay film Weekend) said this: "Haigh: Whenever before a show goes on air, people want to define it. The easiest way for the media to define it is to say it’s a gay “Sex and the City, or a gay “Girls.” But I think the show is different from both of those shows. Different people, different ages. It’s out of our control, and I’m not embarrassed to be compared to those two shows. They’re both great shows. But I think ours is distinct in its tone and feeling. Our characters are in their 30s, coming up on mid 40. It’s a different age group than Girls for one thing. Haigh: I think also because “Queer as Folk” came out in America, and ran for like five seasons, ages ago now. I think a lot of execs probably thought “We’ve done the gay show now. That’s been done. We don’t need to do something else.” Our show is very different from that show. It tells different stories from a different time and, not to negate Queer as Folk - I obsessively loved the British original myself so could never bring myself to watch the remake - but this show does not focus around issues particularly, even though they'll naturally come up."

LOL yet you can't watch? It does have a bit too much of the hipster beard I guess (I say that while currently having a beard, but that's more that I've been too lazy to shave during essay/exam month ), but that's undeniably the look of a lot of guys that age, now (particularly when I was in San Fran last Spring, I noticed it.)

I actually have high hopes for this. It has a pretty good production team and cast, and I appreciate that they're focusing on characters aged 30s to 40s. Like with Girls, there has been, probably fair, complaints about it being too white (though one male lead is Asian and another Latino,) but... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnGwmP8qg2c

I dunno, I think they word it that way to make it sound even more All About Eve. Like she was a minor soap day player who desperately aspired to be a MOVIE STAR, so glommed her way into this great actress' life. When really, whatever is true or not, it's pretty obvious that Francesca speaks the truth when she says she retired from acting and wanted to move onto production (she was still someone other soaps would have snatched up at the time) etc.

This is amazing you mentioned this so recently. My mom's favorite aunt, Joyce Marshall was a somewhat known Canadian novelist who was best friends with Judith Merril, and my mom was just mentioning how her aunt never understood Merril's deep love for sci fi and how Merril even used to do the TVOntario intros for the series. I never thought to look for them. (TVOntario is part of the provincial "educational" networks we have across Canada--or had, some are being privatized and has no connection to PBS but it is essentially the same concept, including relying on UK imports for many of their more watched shows.)

I just had to drop it --- too many episodes were piling up and really I had lost interest or even traction of major story arcs a long time back (probably when the first showrunner left.) I still enjoy a lot of the characters' chemistry, and there still have been strong individual episodes, but it is just a show that's past its sell by date for me (if I were less busy with grad studies and work this year I might try to find the time, but...)

Sorry i thought it was one of their free articles but I guess I can only access it online because I'm a subscriber. I'll see if I can find a run around (though Star Trek fans may not wanna read her opinion on why Who is infinitely better.) I admit, the current show has often lost me during the Moffat years, but I look forward to the special.

There;s a good, typically long, article about Who and its endurance in the current New Yorker.

WHA? This is just.... Wha??? So basically they don't have the OLTL rights and are going to make Ilene, Delia again?

I think there were though I don't think Gretzky was one...

I think I actually kinda enjoyed the Kevin/Cassie stuff (though that was when she cheated on Andrew, right? K/C were always flying off on journalism trips? ) Patrick and Marty were started under Malone/SHB. SHB talks about it in Llanview in the Afternoon--they knew RH wanted off, and Todd and Blair were very popular. Then a casting agent for ABC sent her a tape with Thorston Kaye's audition on it and said that they had 24hours to snap him up or else he would join AMC. SHB and Malone stayed up all night creating the character and decided they'd tie it into Todd's exit and hope that the supercouple fans would move on to Marty/Patrick, which I guess they did. Brown penny indeed.

Wha? You didn't enjoy the brilliant Leslie Coulson on AMC?

Ha I've seen those promos before--hysterical. I believe one of the soap books--maybe the companion to the late 90s Paley Center exhibition which has a chapter about advertising--mentions them specifically. One thing that's interesting is they actually show a *few* guys watching the soaps as well--something soap advertising doesn't often actually do (although much more recently when they had famous "fans" talking about the ABC soaps in promos I believe some were male.)

I believe Gottlieb brought Glass in to do the music--that's the implication from Llanview in the Afternoon. I also loved the anecdote that when Gottlieb premiered the new opening to the cast, the reaction was one of shock.