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Post by newtondkc on Dec 24, 2006 13:12:50 GMT -5
With only one day until the 2006 Christmas Special airs in Great Britain, and the season 2 finale just wrapping in the U.S., it's a WHO-tastic holiday weekend! :-)
Okay, so maybe that was cheesy - just wanted to make sure Doctor Who had a thread! :-)
Newton
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Post by tvilike admin on Dec 24, 2006 13:14:14 GMT -5
I have heard about this show but have never watched it... What's it about?
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Post by jinxieman on Dec 24, 2006 13:26:30 GMT -5
I had never watched it until Scifi had a marathon the other day and I caught a 2 parter where they were traped on this dead planed orbiting a black hole. It was really good, so I DVRd the rest of the marathon and the season finale. I havn't watched the season finale but it look really good. I might be a Who fan yet
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Post by Girl Power on Dec 24, 2006 14:14:02 GMT -5
Newton's been trying to get me on board with Dr. Who for awhile, but when I looked I couldn't find it on my Tivo schedule. I'll check again now. what network is it on? I'd love to catch the season 2 finale.
I never even saw the original show, so it will all be new to me.
I think Darrell explains the plot really well. Newton, can you do us the honors and tell us a bit about it?
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Post by madvicks on Dec 24, 2006 14:50:15 GMT -5
I have heard about this show but have never watched it... What's it about? An humanoid alien with two or three hearts called the Doctor. He travels in an old Policeman's telephone box (its blue) called the TARDIS (time and relative dimensions in space) throughout time and space. If a doctor gets killed he regenerates into another doctor. Each doctor has a young female sidekick. And occasionally K-9 (canine, get-it?) a robotic dog the doctor created appears to offer help and support. Pivotal baddies include the cybermen and darleks. I used to watch the 1980s series but these new ones IMPO are really bad as something of the magic of the 1980s is lost. If you are a fan, I'm glad and enjoy so please don't jump on me! And the Who comes from the Doctor being called just the doctor. Also fans are called Whovians.
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Post by newtondkc on Dec 24, 2006 16:35:56 GMT -5
Great Summary MadVicks!!!! I actually like the new series quite well, but I understand what you mean about the original series. It was so low budget that the aliens were always campy and it had this sort of bohemian feel to the whole thing, like a band of travelling vagabonds, gypsies/hippies travelling thru time and space. The new one has much better effects and a substantially increased budget, so the more realistic feel does make it a departure from the original, but the writing is much better as are the characaterizations (for example, the Doc's companions in the old series tended to be cardboard cut outs to explain the "What Where Why" to the viewer, whereas the new series brings the companion (Rose) to life and even gives her lead billing like the Doctor himself! But I've grown to like the new series as much as the old series - like the old series that changed drastically and yet in someways not at all with each new Doctor, so the new series continues that. To paraphrase..."It's the same...just different". :-)
MadVicks summary was great, and here's a little more info (I'm a total Whovian):
ABout the Show: In Nov 1963 the BBC aired a new Sci Fi show called "Doctor Who" about a crotchety old man travelling thru time and space with his "granddaughter". They picked up companions during their adventures and it was meant to be somewhat educational (i.e. historical tales would teach history, sci fi ones, science concepts, etc ) while also being entertaining. Due to budget constraints, the Doctor Time ship. called a TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) could disguise itself to fit in with it's surroundings as a means of camoflauge, so if it lkanded in a forest, it'd look like a tree, etc. However, in the first episode, it landed in 1963 London and got "stuck" in the shape oif a British Police Box (which is sort of like a phone booth that a criminal could be locked in until more police arrived, and it had a phone and a flashing light on top). So the TARDIS has always been (with a couple exceptions) a Police Box and the view of it matierializing on an alien landscape is an iconic feature of the series. The ship itself - courtesy of the Doctor's species' ultra dvanced technology - in bigger on the inside than the out, so when you walk in that little phone booth, you are actually walking into a large ship! :-)
ABout the Doctor: When the elderly acting playing the first Doctor had to quit the series due to failing health, the ratings were still great so the BBC didn't want to cancel it. As the Doctor was an alien, it was revealed that when his life was endangered, he could "regenerate" all the cell of his body to renew himself. So voila - new actor comes in and takes the role over and we have a younger, new Doc. This has happened a total of 9 times - thuis we are on the 10th Doctor currently. He is the same man, just "different" and often has a slight personality change with the body and outfit change. This has also become a hallmark of the series, with a new Doctor (and rotating crew as people come in, stow away, join up, etc while others fall in love and stay behind on an alien planet or earth to help the locals fight evil, to teach them, etc).
The original series ended it's historic run in 1989, there was a biref revival in 1996 with a Movie coproduced by the BBC and FOX, and the new series debuted in 2005 and was an instant hit with great ratings and the 9th Doctor and his new, fully realized companion Rose Tyler (played by pop star Billie Piper). The 9th Doctor regenerated at the end of the first season (err, 27th season?) and became the newest Doctor, played by David Tennant. Now, Rose is now gone (I won't say why/how for those who haven;t seen the season 2 finale) so a new companion will be introduced next season, though a mysterious bride appeared in the TARDIS and will be the subject of the 2006 Christmas special.
Will you like it? It's a sci fi show with healthy helpings of comedy, drama, science, fiction, mythology, and all sorts of things. The current person who brought it back to the screens, Russel T Davies, is a big Buffy fan and in fact molded Rose after Buffy (Giles even played a villain in the historic epsiode "School Reunion" this season where the Doctor met one of his companions from the *original* series who he had left behind (played by the same wonderful actress Lis Sladen) and got to hear what it's like for a companion after they leave (er, get left) by the Doctor behind to face a suddenly boring life on drab and dull earth. (wonderful epsiode by the way, and yes, K9 was on it too!!!). You don;t have to be familiar with the old series to enjoy the current, despite the massive series mythology that any show with 29 seasons would generate (not to mention the spin off media!). However, I would recommend starting with the first show of the new series, called "Rose" available on DVD and currently airing on BBC America on Saturday and Tuesday nights. You should give it at least a few episodes to get into it - plus each episode is typically written by a different writer so although the style is consistent, each epsiode will vary slightly and may be/not be to the viewer's liking. After a few episodes, you get enough of the back story and into the characters enough to care about them and enjoy the setup
And of course, I'll be happy to filed any questions. It's not Buffy, but then again, Buffy isn't Doctor Who. But both shows retain the sense of adventure, dicsovery, the nythic battle between right and wrong and the sense of disovering yourself by discovering other peoples, times, places, events. Definitely worth a check out!!!! :-)
Newton, Whovian and Buffite. :-) :-) :-)
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Post by madvicks on Dec 25, 2006 9:23:39 GMT -5
I always thought that Peter Cushing made a good Doctor in the film that was made. My favourites are Peter Davidson and Sylvester McCoy were the best, but you see, they have played Doctors I grew-up with. Thanks for the compliment on the summary - glad to help.
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Post by tvilike admin on Dec 25, 2006 11:42:47 GMT -5
Thanks for the summary newtondkc and madvicks
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esc
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Post by esc on Dec 25, 2006 11:51:48 GMT -5
I'm with madvicks on this. I only watched the first series on PBS here in the states. I was very young but my brother was the one who introduced us. I think I watched long enough to see the doctor transform to a 30 year old. For me, he started as 60 year old.
Since the first series was created so long ago with very little technology used, the storylines were much stronger. Very character driven.
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stakey
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Post by stakey on Jan 11, 2007 10:00:59 GMT -5
Has anyone read about the rumour that Jason Statham is being considered the role for the next doctor if Tenant decides to leave after series4.
Tennant hasnt said he is leaving but when he chooses to leave then j.statham may replace him. The bbcproducers...or the doctor who producers....well someone has said it anyways....that they want to 'sex up' the role of the doctor...
Personally Im not too sure about this decision...of course its mainly just hearsay and ideas but as I said...im not too sure...itll be different I guess. By the way if people are unsure jason statham was in lock stock and two smoking barrels (LOVE that movie) and was the main character in The transpoter films and was recently in Crank and Revolver.
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Post by newtondkc on Jan 11, 2007 15:20:06 GMT -5
I read that too Stakey in the rumors section of Outpost Gallifrey. I'm not sure I can picture him as the Doc though - he definitely is a butch fighter type whereas I always see the Doc as more pacifist in the way he deals with things. I'm sure his personality would be diff from what we've already seen him do, but even his voice is something I can't picture... "Martha, to the TARDIS, the Daleks are right behind..." Hmm, dunno.
Regardless of who the 11th Doc will be, I really hope the series keeps going and going like the Energizer Bunny!!! :-)
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Post by shep on Jan 11, 2007 17:57:41 GMT -5
doctor who scared me when i was a kid. i remember that there was this huge building with loads of floors and there was a swimming pool on the top floor. does anyone know this series?
those daleks scared the crap out of me! and when in one of the latter seasons the dalek it kinda flew/glided because it couldnt get up the stairs - i thought poor rose, it was gona get her!
the last season finale was excellent (when billie piper left) with the war between the daleks and the cybermen.
i met a dalek at a convention (birmingham nec) a few years ago and i was scared to meet one in the flesh!
the christmas special with catherine tate: i was waiting for her to say 'am i bothard though' i have type casted her as a comedian, unfortunately not an drama actress
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stakey
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Post by stakey on Jan 11, 2007 18:47:57 GMT -5
doctor who scared me when i was a kid. i remember that there was this huge building with loads of floors and there was a swimming pool on the top floor. does anyone know this series? those daleks scared the crap out of me! and when in one of the latter seasons the dalek it kinda flew/glided because it couldnt get up the stairs - i thought poor rose, it was gona get her! the last season finale was excellent (when billie piper left) with the war between the daleks and the cybermen. i met a dalek at a convention (birmingham nec) a few years ago and i was scared to meet one in the flesh! the christmas special with catherine tate: i was waiting for her to say 'am i bothard though' i have type casted her as a comedian, unfortunately not an drama actress I understand what you mean...Im a massive Cath' tate fan and she seemed to almost be drifting through her different comedy characters in this role....dont get me worng I thought she was great and brought great life to the episode...but I could see characters from her show coming through at times with her body language and her facial expressions...I still thought it was very refreshing to see her in it and she did just bring a bigger sense of comedy to the role than anybody else would have.
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Post by newtondkc on Jan 18, 2007 21:09:23 GMT -5
Howdy Shep!!! Glad to see you on here! :-) And yes, I remember the building with the pool on top and the killer maintenence robots - it was in the 7th Doctor adventure called "Paradise Towers". The Towers were several hundred floors I believe and had been designed with self maintaining systems - after the War or whatever disaster happened the residents left behind were stuck and some (like the old ladies) resorted to cannibilism of other residents by luring them in their flat for a cup of tea, and others like the young people turned into gangs. I think Mel (the Doc's companion at the time) was attacked in the pool by the poolbots. But I think that was better than being a meal for the Rezzies! :-) I think th Doc took her there specifically for the pool (as the TARDIS' pool had apparently been jetisoned for a leak). Of course the description of what was going on is far better than the product we saw on screen - but definitely a scary idea for a story! :-)
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Post by Lior Knight on Apr 19, 2007 11:06:59 GMT -5
Funny thing about this show; I've got to catch few parts of season 1 and though it was ridicules, then after watching 4 episodes in season 2 I really liked it and decided to catch up on season 1. So, few minutes ago I've finished the season finale and wow! This is once of the best TV shows I've seen (still not toping Buffy but not far on my list). The writing is brilliant, and I really liked how the structured the season. Also, loved the hot casting (*cough*Billie Piper and John Barrowman*cough*). Now all I need is to get the DVDs and have a great time watching it again (with much better quality). ;D
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