Doctor Who

[EricMontreal22]

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/

[DRW50]

I like Colin too. I think most people liked Colin, it's the writing that some of us didn't like.

The special was put in some movie theaters in the UK, Australia, and the US, and seemed to do well. Here's the US taking.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/11/26/screenings-of-doctor-who-the-day-of-the-doctor-earn-4-77-million-at-the-u-s-box-office/218608/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Tvbythenumbers+%28TVbytheNumbers%29

[Vee]

I liked Colin a lot.

[EricMontreal22]

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.)

[EricMontreal22]

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.

[~bl~]

We had Monday screenings and then the live screenings on Saturday like the rest of the world.

[Vee]

As we gear up for The Time of the Doctor and the Fall of the Eleventh - it's been heavily spoiled by British tabloids harvesting legit spoilers from Gallifrey Base, but my lips are sealed - I wanted to re-post a few clips of something that I think is crucial to the institution of DW. Namely, the Doctors and their relationship with their first and most important audience: Kids.

I think this is from Christmas 2010 - Matt Smith visiting a boy and his family. I believe the oldest boy was battling a brain tumor at the time.

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And this is Tom Baker in a Belfast primary school in 1978 - a very dangerous time for Northern Ireland, but he did it just the same.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Vee

[marceline]

I finally watched DOTD today and really enjoyed it.

As a new Whovian, I knew that I was missing a lot of the inside stuff yet it was still accessible and enjoyable. I haven't started watching any of the original series so I only "know" three doctors and I like them all equally.

Frankly I was glad that Rose didn't show up as herself. She's my least favorite companion although Clahrrrrrrah is not far behind her. Jenna Coleman is cute enough but she grates on my nerves.

[DRW50]

The special managed to not delve too much into past history.

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

What do you think of River Song?

[marceline]

Not particularly fond of her. In fact I find her immensely annoying. The only reason I don't completely hate her is because of my inexplicable fondness for Alex Kingston even though I think she's wildly miscast.

River's such clusterfuck of a character. I think of characters like her as "paper clips." They get bent and twisted back and forth and finally they break. Archaeologist, friend, nemesis, daughter, diva, wife, hologram...I really didn't buy any of it. I didn't see any chemistry. Not with The Doctors or Amy or Rory. I did think she worked well enough as a con artist, thief, time traveler.

I guess that the bottom line is that whenever River Song showed up, my first thought was "Argh. You again?" The show never gave me a decent answer to that.

ETA: Plus I hate the fact that her existence is a result of Amy and Rory being cheated out of being young parents.

Edited November 30, 2013 by marceline

[DRW50]

I thought she had terrific chemistry with Matt Smith, and there were a few moments with Amy and Rory (the scene where Rory asks her to help them save Amy, and she says she can't, and talks to him about her birthday - it's one of my favorite scenes on the show, it's so tragic), but River was often such a plot point, and some sort of confusing, all-encompassing Moffat idea of womanhood. Her being Rory and Amy's child was something that could have worked only with great writing - instead we got "he's my son-in-law" jokes, and the whole thing with Mels somehow being a consolation prize for Rory and Amy, which was ridiculous. Everything was much better before she was their daughter, when she was just this cool woman who popped in sometimes and got to know them.

I did love Alex Kingston, and she/Matt/Karen/Arthur all had a ton of chemistry together. They were the main reason I stuck with the show in seasons 5 and 6. It's not the same without them for me, although I think Vastra/Jenny/Strax almost fill the gap.

Clara - she doesn't seem like a person, if you know what I mean. I wish they'd write less of the quips and more of the old soul part of her personality. We saw that with John Hurt.

Edited November 30, 2013 by DRW50

[Vee]

I loved the Mels thing. And Let's Kill Hitler. I thought it was so Doctor Who and cracked fairy tale for them to 'raise' River that way. I never had a problem with what they did with her.

[Faulkner]

I loved River in "Let's Kill Hitler" when she discovers her sexy, voluptuous, post-regeneration body, looks down at her chest, and says, "I'm going to wear LOTS of jumpers!"

That was just a fun episode, even though it made almost no sense.

Edited December 2, 2013 by Faulkner

[Vee]

Apologies if this has already been posted: Waris Hussein keeps it real in the Radio Times. Very candid, fascinating stuff, and not just about DW but his whole career. The second part of the interview is linked at the bottom of the page.

[DRW50]

Thank you so much. I hadn't read this. I'd seen the interviews which talked about his time on Doctor Who, but not his other projects or his personal life. I didn't realize he'd directed Possession of Joel Delaney.

I wish he still had some involvement in Who. I feel like it needs another voice.