Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

[TheWombatOfDoom]

That's correct information.

[CelestialStick]

@CarpeGuitarrem:

I can see where you're coming from but don't share it. I always felt Eccleston was kinda a jerk. My quintessential moment for him is him ranting at the Dalek, him being happy, inquisitive, or silly just never clicked with me

While I think Rose always had other intentions (quiet aside from 'lol imma save my dad') he's not someone I ever quite felt was someone I buy people wanting to travel through time with. Share a drink with in a bar maybe sure, watch a football game with or something.... but I never quite believed for example he could fell himself "falling through space" or the like. Its that fantastic part that fails.

Maybe its the hair, or lack thereof.

While Tennant I think (while arguably verging on bipolar) could be serious, sentimental, or silly with equal believability. I might call Tigger fair, except hit the wrong button once too often and suddenly its this Immortal Angry Cat Demigod piercing your soul and ready to rip you apart. And I think Tennant was always great at acting with a look, a great deal of looks from his Doctor.

Smith... I think has has so far been a bit too much style without enough substance. I don't know whether to blame this on Smith or his material. It certainly doesn't help that I get the impression that collectively everyone was a little too afraid to rock the boat and so 10 to 11 is arguably the smallest change between characters. Not that I've seen enough Classic to make that but just in description from I feel each manages to be distinct, though probably the outfits. I can still do that between Tennant and Smith but its not as far.

I characterize it like being in a bar and finishing your drink and telling the bartender to suprise you and the the suprise is... a drink similar to the one you just had. One may be better then the other, but the second still suffers for being not that different. Again possibly the outfits in play here shaping my perceptions.

I always had trouble seeing Eccleston as the Doctor. With his buzz cut, skinny frame and leather jacket, he looked like a neo-Nazi skinhead. Once he grew some hair and gained 30 pounds, I loved him as the Invisible Man on Heroes. I wonder how I would have reacted if he'd looked as the Doctor more like he looked as the Invisible Man? In fact it would have been interesting to see him play the Doctor more the way that he played the Invisible Man, as it would have harked back to Bill Hartnell's original, techy Doctor.

Of the NuWhos, I definitely prefer Tennant. He really seemed Doctory in a way that Eccleston never did. I had my doubts about Smith, but he's grown on me. I mean even Eccleston grew on me over the season he did, but Smith has grown on me more. He has a bit of a goofiness that really reminds me of Patrick Troughton's Doctor, who's one of my favorites. I mean I started out watching Jon Pertwee, so in some ways he will always be "my" Doctor, but I've liked them all, even Eccleston by the end. I would be hard-pressed to rank them. I'm not even sure if Eccleston is my least-favorite, or my second-least-favorite after Paul McGann.

I can tell you this: my favorite episode is The Three Doctors, and my favorite scene where Bill Hartnell's Doctor shows up on the monitor, with Jon Pertwee's and Patrick Troughton's in the Tardis smiling at him, and he says, "Oh, so you're my replacements: a dandy and a clown!" and they both scowl at him. That scene is priceless.

[Scorpina]

I always had trouble seeing Eccleston as the Doctor. With his buzz cut, skinny frame and leather jacket, he looked like a neo-Nazi skinhead.

It does my heart good to finally see someone else say this, and put it in words I never quite managed to find myself. I've spent seven years telling people I don't like The Ninth Doctor because he's 'not Doctor-y enough'. (Of course, I also hate Rose and most of the stories he was in in-and-of-themselves, so that has something to do with my not enjoying that season).

That being said, I think it was - to some degree - necessary that The Ninth Doctor not be as eccentric in terms of his physical appearance, clothing and mannerisms as some of the other incarnations (like, say, the current Doctor); the original show - in the public consciousness - has been associated with ridiculous clothes (because, y'know, The Sixth Doctor) and having a Ninth Doctor who wore 'ordinary' clothes allowed the new show to get the mainstream acceptance it has, clearing the way for the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor to have a more eccentric style.

[CelestialStick]

It does my heart good to finally see someone else say this, and put it in words I never quite managed to find myself. I've spent seven years telling people I don't like The Ninth Doctor because he's 'not Doctor-y enough'. (Of course, I also hate Rose and most of the stories he was in in-and-of-themselves, so that has something to do with my not enjoying that season).

That being said, I think it was - to some degree - necessary that The Ninth Doctor not be as eccentric in terms of his physical appearance, clothing and mannerisms as some of the other incarnations (like, say, the current Doctor); the original show - in the public consciousness - has been associated with ridiculous clothes (because, y'know, The Sixth Doctor) and having a Ninth Doctor who wore 'ordinary' clothes allowed the new show to get the mainstream acceptance it has, clearing the way for the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor to have a more eccentric style.

Although I actually loved Rose, I'm happy to oblige on the Eccleston front. The Doctor's funny clothes, of course, started long before Colin Baker. Going backwards in time, Peter Davison wore a celery on his collar (as well as having question marks on his collar) and a funny hat, Tom Baker had question mark collars a funny hat and of course a scarf (or more than one scarf over time) that's probably the most distinctive of the Who outfits, and Jon Pertwee wore old-fashion, Victorian-Era clothing replete with poofy sleeves and shirt ruffles. For that matter both Patrick Troughton and Bill Hartnell wore old-fashioned clothing, suggestive of someone out of time, albeit not of the flamboyant Victorian type that Pertwee wore.

You could be right about Eccelston's outfit making the Doctor more mainstream, but it's my understanding that in Great Britain at least, Doctor Who was widely popular, and that it was BBC executives who didn't like the show and shut it down over protests.

[Scorpina]

Oh, I know that Colin Baker's costume wasn't the first eccentric one, but it's widely accepted as the most ridiculous costume The Doctor has ever had, and the most 'abnormal' since - while, say, the First through Third Doctors wore out-of-period clothes, they wore things that people would - at some point in human history - have been seen dead in. Colin Baker's coat was not such a thing (nor, for that matter, was Tom Baker's scarf, but obviously that was much more forgivable and suggested 'lovable eccentric' rather than... whatever the hell the Sixth Doctor's coat suggests).

I still really like The Fifth Doctor costume, however, though I can see why some would criticise it, and - ultimately - I do agree with Peter Davison himself that it would have been better had it not been so obviously a designed costume, rather than whatever old mis-matched cricket whites The Doctor happened to have lying around en-route to the Zero Room in Castrovalva.

[CelestialStick]

Oh, I know that Colin Baker's costume wasn't the first eccentric one, but it's widely accepted as the most ridiculous costume The Doctor has ever had, and the most 'abnormal' since - while, say, the First through Third Doctors wore out-of-period clothes, they wore things that people would - at some point in human history - have been seen dead in. Colin Baker's coat was not such a thing (nor, for that matter, was Tom Baker's scarf, but obviously that was much more forgivable and suggested 'lovable eccentric' rather than... whatever the hell the Sixth Doctor's coat suggests).

I still really like The Fifth Doctor costume, however, though I can see why some would criticise it, and - ultimately - I do agree with Peter Davison himself that it would have been better had it not been so obviously a designed costume, rather than whatever old mis-matched cricket whites The Doctor happened to have lying around en-route to the Zero Room in Castrovalva.

Oh, I meant to say that I really love your icon! Did you draw it yourself? At one time I had a Superman icon but it was taken from a website and vanished.

I thought that Peter Davison's outfit was just fine. I'd never really heard anyone comment on Colin Baker's outfit although it was pretty goofy. I was never really a big fan of Colin Baker until Trial of a Time Lord when he too grew on me. I thought that Mel in particular really challenged his Doctor in a way that Peri never could, deflating his pomposity. I think the costume goofiness really started with Jon Pertwee, and just expanded from their, culminating with Colin Baker before they toned it back down.

I think Rose was the first Doctor Who character with whom I fell in love, but then, she was the first character allowed to have that sort of role. Although when they brought Sarah Jane back they intimated that she'd had feelings for the Doctor, that was never in the original series with either Pertwee or Baker. I mean both Susan and Joe Grant found someone (and Peri too, if you can accept that ridiculous six seconds toward the end of Trial of a Time Lord) but in neither of those cases did we really see much in the way of adult romance. My best friend's wife actually originally didn't like all the "emo" stuff is NuWho, in fact, but ironically just melted when they brought back Sarah Jane and introduced the romantic aspect. Go figure.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Although I actually loved Rose, I'm happy to oblige on the Eccleston front. The Doctor's funny clothes, of course, started long before Colin Baker. Going backwards in time, Peter Davison wore a celery on his collar (as well as having question marks on his collar) and a funny hat, Tom Baker had question mark collars a funny hat and of course a scarf (or more than one scarf over time) that's probably the most distinctive of the Who outfits, and Jon Pertwee wore old-fashion, Victorian-Era clothing replete with poofy sleeves and shirt ruffles. For that matter both Patrick Troughton and Bill Hartnell wore old-fashioned clothing, suggestive of someone out of time, albeit not of the flamboyant Victorian type that Pertwee wore.

You could be right about Eccelston's outfit making the Doctor more mainstream, but it's my understanding that in Great Britain at least, Doctor Who was widely popular, and that it was BBC executives who didn't like the show and shut it down over protests.

Just butting in here mid-conversation because Rose hate. It was her direction throughout Ten's reign that actually really put me off Ten.
Seriously so.

That said, I do agree with you on the clothing front. I like the Doctor's clothing being 'off' somewhat, by that I mean more than a bit eccentric, but not straight out wacky.
Nine was a bit too skinhead (although if I'm honest it did fit his character), Ten was just bleh, Eleven works. Old man in a young person's body, and his clothing leans that way.
Six was just no. All the other Doctor's had clothing that worked in that fashion, although Two's was pretty damn close to normal. Perhaps a bit too much. Sensible clothing does not a Doctor make.

ION:
Ahem.
So recently I've been dead re: Doctor Who, and the internet in general because Thing In Real Life Are More Important, and really the effects from some of that put much in such a bitter hating mood that I seriously avoided anything linked with this forum, because this forum is happy for me.
If that makes sense? I don't know if it does. But meta-philosophy and psychology is weird so let's avoid that.
And I've only been intermittently Playgrounding for the past week. And yesterday I was Christmas shopping and saw the Christmas edition of the Radio Times with the traditional Doctor Who front cover, and I read the article about the Christmas special and yummy.
Pics may be slightly spoilery, but that's okay, because trailer can be found here! And that's way more spoilery than a few pics.

Spoiler

Show

Also, I will be heartbroken if there is not a single reference to The Snowman Christmas special. You thought of it too.
Plus Madame Vastra, so the begging from the fans worked.

I say yummy because Eleven in a dark purple/plum great coat and brown top hat works so well. See? Clothing tie-in! Also Clara's eyebrows are fascinatingly large.

So, spurred on by that, I will catch up on the last two episodes of season . . . seven (I think) and a half, the thing called P.S., the CiN mini-sode and then More Things.
All before Christmas Eve.
And then, 'The Snowmen' on Christmas Day. Because even though I'm not entirely certain when Christmas Supper is, I'm still sad and geeky enough to do this on Christmas Day.
Eventually.
All of these will be liveblog style.

All I know about any of these (aside from the Christmas Special) is that somewhere amongst this is something that made my mother cry.
She does not cry easily.

[Scorpina]

Oh, I meant to say that I really love your icon! Did you draw it yourself? At one time I had a Superman icon but it was taken from a website and vanished.

No, I didn't draw it. It was done for me by a user here named FdL. I dunno if he's still around, though.

I thought that Peter Davison's outfit was just fine. I'd never really heard anyone comment on Colin Baker's outfit although it was pretty goofy. I was never really a big fan of Colin Baker until Trial of a Time Lord when he too grew on me. I thought that Mel in particular really challenged his Doctor in a way that Peri never could, deflating his pomposity. I think the costume goofiness really started with Jon Pertwee, and just expanded from their, culminating with Colin Baker before they toned it back down.

I do quite like Colin Baker's performance as The Doctor, but I find that I absolutely hate most of the actual TV stories he was in because of things that weren't his fault. Because of that I actually didn't like him as The Doctor at first, but he really won me over with his brilliant audio work for Big Finish and - in retrospect - his on screen performances have grown on me a great deal.

You're right about the costume pattern, I'd think.

I think Rose was the first Doctor Who character with whom I fell in love, but then, she was the first character allowed to have that sort of role. Although when they brought Sarah Jane back they intimated that she'd had feelings for the Doctor, that was never in the original series with either Pertwee or Baker. I mean both Susan and Joe Grant found someone (and Peri too, if you can accept that ridiculous six seconds toward the end of Trial of a Time Lord) but in neither of those cases did we really see much in the way of adult romance. My best friend's wife actually originally didn't like all the "emo" stuff is NuWho, in fact, but ironically just melted when they brought back Sarah Jane and introduced the romantic aspect. Go figure.

I genuinely don't mind there being romance in Doctor Who. In fact, one of the few times I will ever admit to 'shipping' anything is for Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright because, god damn it, those two belong together. I really dislike the extreme level of focus on relationships that NuWho sometimes has, which is exacerbated by my dislike for Rose and my even greater dislike for River bloody Song. I did enjoy the Amy/Rory/Doctor love triangle in Season Five, though.

[Thufir]

It does my heart good to finally see someone else say this, and put it in words I never quite managed to find myself. I've spent seven years telling people I don't like The Ninth Doctor because he's 'not Doctor-y enough'. (Of course, I also hate Rose and most of the stories he was in in-and-of-themselves, so that has something to do with my not enjoying that season).

I, personally, loved Nine, but I rather dislike a fair amount of his episodes (Some episodes I straight up dislike, others I just dislike a fair amount of the episode, and some I'm OK with). I feel he was rather let down by the writers in that regard.

And yesterday I was Christmas shopping and saw the Christmas edition of the Radio Times with the traditional Doctor Who front cover, and I read the article about the Christmas special and yummy.
Pics may be slightly spoilery, but that's okay, because trailer can be found here! And that's way more spoilery than a few pics.

Spoiler

Show

Also, I will be heartbroken if there is not a single reference to The Snowman Christmas special. You thought of it too.
Plus Madame Vastra, so the begging from the fans worked.

I say yummy because Eleven in a dark purple/plum great coat and brown top hat works so well. See? Clothing tie-in! Also Clara's eyebrows are fascinatingly large.

Yep. I also loved in the article that apparently Matt Smith's first comments when asked about the special were regarding his new outfit.

So, spurred on by that, I will catch up on the last two episodes of season . . . seven (I think) and a half, the thing called P.S., the CiN mini-sode and then More Things.
All before Christmas Eve.
And then, 'The Snowmen' on Christmas Day. Because even though I'm not entirely certain when Christmas Supper is, I'm still sad and geeky enough to do this on Christmas Day.
Eventually.
All of these will be liveblog style.

All I know about any of these (aside from the Christmas Special) is that somewhere amongst this is something that made my mother cry.
She does not cry easily.

Yay! (For the reviews, not for your mother crying)

[CurlyKitGirl]

I, personally, loved Nine, but I rather dislike a fair amount of his episodes (Some episodes I straight up dislike, others I just dislike a fair amount of the episode, and some I'm OK with). I feel he was rather let down by the writers in that regard.

I will never not stop asking people to write their own reviews, so could you? Even if they're only a paragraph long?
On the tone, yeah, I skim read up to page 24 or so and saw that Sunken Valley rated every episode at eight out of ten or higher (because there were lots and lots and lots of things I suspected were curlers and I didn't open any spoiler so I may not be accurate), so where's this Special Review of his?

Yep. I also loved in the article that apparently Matt Smith's first comments when asked about the special were regarding his new outfit.

Interviewer: So what do you think about Jenna-Louisde Coleman coming back for her second episode as someone who looks identical to Oswin but isn't? Is she?
Matt Smith: Who cares?! I get to wear a purple coat and a top hat! In the snow! *gesticulates excitedly* And there are evil snowmen and Richard E. Grant is the villain! I'm a big fan of his films, and did you know he once played me? Well, I say me, but I mean David Tennant. And Christopher Ecclestone. And he once acted alongside the Doctor! Not just for this though, I mean with Withnail and I. I was Eight then, it was Paul McGann you see.
Interviewer: Are you still in character Matt?
Matt Smith: Only a little bit.

No really. All of that's true (except possibly the Richard E. Grant's films bit), Richard E. Grant has acted alongside at least Doctors Eight, Nine and Eleven. And played AU!Ten and Nine.
Serendipity or deliberate?

Yay! (For the reviews, not for your mother crying)

Review's being written as soon as Most Haunted finishes. I'd say it's a guilty pleasure, but it's not. I am pretty sure a good portion of my enjoyment is ironic, but two-thirds of it isn't.
That show is so. awesome.

[dps]

I genuinely don't mind there being romance in Doctor Who. In fact, one of the few times I will ever admit to 'shipping' anything is for Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright because, god damn it, those two belong together. I really dislike the extreme level of focus on relationships that NuWho sometimes has, which is exacerbated by my dislike for Rose and my even greater dislike for River bloody Song. I did enjoy the Amy/Rory/Doctor love triangle in Season Five, though.

Yeah, this pretty much sums up my view of the issue, as well. I don't mind there being romance in the show, but it shouldn't be the focus, and I'm sick of River Song.

[Dienekes]

I have kind of a unique relationship with fictional romance, in that I hate or am bored by most of them. For instance Rose almost made me quit the show, and I didn't start liking Rory/Amy until after the love triangle thing, because I found the "who's she going to pick?" subplot rather tedious at best. Once that was mostly brushed away I actually did start to enjoy Rory/Amy as a couple though. And I've never really been bothered by River Song. Don't particularly care she's the Doctor wife, and except for the scaring the Dalek thing, I don't have much distaste for her in general.

[CelestialStick]

I have kind of a unique relationship with fictional romance, in that I hate or am bored by most of them. For instance Rose almost made me quit the show, and I didn't start liking Rory/Amy until after the love triangle thing, because I found the "who's she going to pick?" subplot rather tedious at best. Once that was mostly brushed away I actually did start to enjoy Rory/Amy as a couple though. And I've never really been bothered by River Song. Don't particularly care she's the Doctor wife, and except for the scaring the Dalek thing, I don't have much distaste for her in general.

I loved Rose from start to finish. I found her charming, and I was happy to see the Doctor finally have some love in his life. I think Amy took a bit longer to grow on me, and of course they did something fresh by having her with Rory instead of the Doctor, but having Rory pulled into the Doctor's life too without losing Amy the way that Rose's boyfriend lost her. I really hated Alex Kingston as Elizabeth Corday in ER, and never bought her as a romantic interesting for Mark Green. I see she was in FlashForward, but I don't even remember her character, as much as I liked that show. But as soon as she showed up as River Song I really started to enjoy her. River has just the right amount of "mischievous rogue with a heart of gold" or my taste, sort of like a female Han Solo, except far better educated.

[Dr. Simon]

I do quite like Colin Baker's performance as The Doctor, but I find that I absolutely hate most of the actual TV stories he was in because of things that weren't his fault.

I agree with you here. It doesn't help that the Sixth Doctor highlights the negative aspects of the Doctor's persona - the arrogance and tetchiness - moreso, but actually Colin Baker the actor is unfairly maligned, IMO, as far as the Doctor goes. If he'd had better stories and production values...

I genuinely don't mind there being romance in Doctor Who. In fact, one of the few times I will ever admit to 'shipping' anything is for Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright because, god damn it, those two belong together.

Yes, absolutely! Y'know, I think those two are probably my favourite companions. I loved how Ian was always leaping to Barbara's rescue, but also how quite often she'd manage to extricate herself anyway. And what had they been up to in that villa in The Romans?

Only partly agree with the rest, though. I liked that RTD bought the romantic element between Doctor and Companion to the fore, and the final encounter in Bad Wolf Bay was a poignant moment. What I didn't like is that they then made bloody Martha fall in love with Ten too, which turned her character from a potentially interesting one into a wet lettuce.

[Androgeus]

Did some one ask for some teases by Moffat about the second half of series 7? No? Well tough, I'm linking it anyway. http://www.sfx.co.uk/2012/12/12/stev...rs-doctor-who/

[Eldan]

More Gaiman is best Gaiman.

Also, Journey to the Center of the Tardis? Will we finally see more than one room of the Tardis?

This, however, worries me:

“And then there’s the finale, which has got some serious fanboy-pleasing going on in it. My aim for it – which I’m about to humiliate myself at the tone meeting by saying – is to have slightly more than you think could possibly happen in one episode. Slightly more treats than you think you could be allowed…”

That sounds like exactly everything that was wrong with the last finale. Too many things happening, not enough of them going anywhere or really working.

[Weezer]

I agree with Eldan, the idea of a fanboy pleasing episode that packed just makes me worry...

[CarpeGuitarrem]

All I know about any of these (aside from the Christmas Special) is that somewhere amongst this is something that made my mother cry.
She does not cry easily.

My money's on P.S., but I will say no more.

[Thufir]

Did some one ask for some teases by Moffat about the second half of series 7? No? Well tough, I'm linking it anyway. http://www.sfx.co.uk/2012/12/12/stev...rs-doctor-who/

“We’ve gone all-out to give you a fantastic alien planet, which is looking absolutely amazing.

Yes.

“We’ve got Neil Gaiman doing the Cybermen – part of the impulse there was to say “Have we fully exploited the creepy factor of the Cybermen yet?” I thought Neil would be a good match for that.

YES.

“You’re going to see “Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS”, with more of the TARDIS than you’ve ever seen before.

ALL OF MY YES.

Regarding the finale, I reserve judgement. Personally my issue with (the second half of) WoRS was not that it had too much stuff, but that some of it was poorly executed or elements/characters were misused in my opinion.
Furthermore, my impression from that quote is that the lots of stuff will be less in terms of big plot events and more in terms of little elements of the story put in for the fans. I can't think of anything in terms of big plotline stuff that would be obviously fanboy-pleasing, but there are plenty of elements whose addition would be.

[Iskandar]

I believe the entirety of the new show is on netflix, but you'll have to get someone who actually has netflix in the states to confirm that.

Confirmed through the 6th season.

[Androgeus]

Confirmed through the 6th season.

Awesome, I do remember hearing that there's some problem with the specials being sorted somewhere else.

In other news we are apparently getting a new theme and opening titles for the Christmas special (I don't know why I say apparently when my source is the bbc themselves)

[Strawberries]

Did someone already post

Spoiler

Show

the photo of the new TARDIS interior we are apparently getting for Christmas?

I'm not sure if I should have spoilered it or not, I'm erring on the side of caution just to avoid being yelled at.

EDIT: by the way, I really really like it.

[Hullabaloo]

Confirmed through the 6th season.

Fantastic, I just so happen to see Xbox live on sale cheap for a year, and got an email from Netflix asking me to come back :)

[Sunken Valley]

Did someone already post

Spoiler

Show

the photo of the new TARDIS interior we are apparently getting for Christmas?

I'm not sure if I should have spoilered it or not, I'm erring on the side of caution just to avoid being yelled at.

EDIT: by the way, I really really like it.

Why? Why do we need a new one after only two years? What was wrong with the old one? All these changes. "Oh we need to do something fancy and stylish, like have the Doctor play dress up in suits and have River enter in a ridiculous way". Silly.

@Thufir: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS is written by Steve Thompson. Be careful what you wish forever. However, it does have the prestige of being episode 10, which is always the best/one of the best episodes of the season.

I also know who is writing which episode.

"Urban Thriller": Moffat: Bells of Saint John
"Alien Planet": Neil Cross: Rings of Akenhaten (that is the name of an egyptian pharaoh. Take that as you will).
"Siege Story": Gatiss: Cold War
"Ghost Story": Neil Cross: Hider in the House
"Period": Gatiss: Crimson Horror
"Cybermen": Gaiman: Last Cyberman
Finale: Guess.

Thoughts: this will be rubbish. All Christmas specials are. The only good one is Christmas Invasion, with Carol coming close (but not, due to unfortunate implications).

Not that I blame our showrunner. Interviews and articles I have read recently imply that Moffat has difficulty writing the scripts because he can’t cope with the deadlines (The ending for Angels Take Manhattan being written at the last minute the date before it was due to be handed in). He likely had more freedom when he was writing under RTD, which is why his works are better. Same with Sherlock, where he has longer. Any problems are because Moffat just can’t handle pressure. Which is ok. Chastising someone for being unable to cope with the pressure of a deadline is not cool, especially here.

Two early complaints:
New Companion. She has been described as "Fast and Witty". I'm having visions of her as being really annoying and just having those as her traits. River 2.0: with no redeeming features. Also given http://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/sci...companion.html this, I will make a prediction. She will not join as a companion. Instead she will keep appearing in every episode as a new character (with Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS as a companion-lite). This will be revealed in the finale that all the characters were different people. The real JLC is in the finale and the Doctor is seeing imprints of her through time on top of other characters. How she performs this, I’m not sure, but it will be something either really stupid or really clever.

The promos seem to imply that the Doctor has hidden himself away from the universe due to his fear of hurting anyone else, of “seeing the damage”. I see it as a gross misunderstanding of the Doctor. He has seen Sarah Jane and Jo Grant old. He has seen many people as old and “damaged”. And all the time he celebrates that. He is old, an immortal who has stared Death itself in the face every week. He is not some cosmic hipster, afraid of the inevitable. When River Song (River Sue?) has to comfort the Doctor like a mother comforting a seven year old child, there is a problem. The Doctor has never been a man child. He’s a wacky eccentric yes. A man who sees wonder and good in everything yes. Santa Claus yes, Man Child no.

And now for something completely different. I have said that Steven Moffat had disrespect for RTD on a professional level (not personal). I have been told I was over-thinking it. I was. Until today. Today I will say something very controversial. Moffat disrespects RTD (either on purpose or by accident), the latter more likely, through the usage of the companions. Rose, Martha and Donna are worlds away from Moffat’s ideal “pretty white girls” (yes, I know Rose was a pretty white girl, but is she like the Moffat characters? Really?). We know this because in every single pre-11 Moffat story, the companion always disappears halfway through in order for the Doctor to interact with Moffat’s “pretty white girl” one shot companion. His stories from that time were often formulaic (the mute or monotone monsters, the witty dialogue, the “pretty white girl” companion ending her story arc because of something coming in or out of her “lady-parts”) but this is the only thing that is truly jarring.

Empty Child: Rose gets trapped on the balloon and rescued by Captain Jack. She is trapped in a romantic subplot for a large part of the story. Meanwhile the Doctor meets Nancy, “Pretty White Girl #1”

Girl in the Fireplace: Rose and Mickey stay on the ship and get captured whilst the Doctor hangs with Madame de Pompadour “Pretty White Girl #2”. This is especially bad, as at one point Rose and Pomapadour meet, in which Pompadour “schools” Rose about if it’s worth living with the monsters for the Doctor. This is a misunderstanding of Rose. Rose loves the life, The Doctor is just a side benefit. She doesn’t live with the monsters for the Doctor, she celebrates travelling to far-off places across time and space.

Blink: Martha has one line, before being shoved away by the Doctor in his conversation with Sally Sparrow “Pretty White Girl #3” (the blandest of the lot, especially as she’s the most talented actor to play a Moffat girl). This is damaging as Martha complains about being forced to work at a restaurant in the late 60s, where sexism and racism were rife. She is shoved away as if to say “Silence Black Woman, the Whites are talking”. Still a good episode and I know why they had her in so little (Freema had 3.13 all to herself) but its weird.

Silence in the Library: Donna gets shoved into the perfect world so the Doctor can meet “Pretty White Girl #4” River Song for the last and first time.

What do you think? I’m probably overthinking it?

[dehro]

Why? Why do we need a new one after only two years? What was wrong with the old one? All these changes.

probably not the best of times to tell you that somebody has been talking about making yet another twilight movie.. or even worse, rebooting the franchise

[Friv]

Two early complaints:
New Companion. She has been described as "Fast and Witty". I'm having visions of her as being really annoying and just having those as her traits. River 2.0: with no redeeming features. Also given http://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/sci...companion.html this, I will make a prediction. She will not join as a companion. Instead she will keep appearing in every episode as a new character (with Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS as a companion-lite). This will be revealed in the finale that all the characters were different people. The real JLC is in the finale and the Doctor is seeing imprints of her through time on top of other characters. How she performs this, I’m not sure, but it will be something either really stupid or really clever.

I think you are jumping to conclusions, here. Epically. At least wait for the companion to get a single moment of screen time before you start hating her.

And now for something completely different.

Spoiler

Show

I have said that Steven Moffat had disrespect for RTD on a professional level (not personal). I have been told I was over-thinking it. I was. Until today. Today I will say something very controversial. Moffat disrespects RTD (either on purpose or by accident), the latter more likely, through the usage of the companions. Rose, Martha and Donna are worlds away from Moffat’s ideal “pretty white girls” (yes, I know Rose was a pretty white girl, but is she like the Moffat characters? Really?). We know this because in every single pre-11 Moffat story, the companion always disappears halfway through in order for the Doctor to interact with Moffat’s “pretty white girl” one shot companion. His stories from that time were often formulaic (the mute or monotone monsters, the witty dialogue, the “pretty white girl” companion ending her story arc because of something coming in or out of her “lady-parts”) but this is the only thing that is truly jarring.

Empty Child: Rose gets trapped on the balloon and rescued by Captain Jack. She is trapped in a romantic subplot for a large part of the story. Meanwhile the Doctor meets Nancy, “Pretty White Girl #1”

Girl in the Fireplace: Rose and Mickey stay on the ship and get captured whilst the Doctor hangs with Madame de Pompadour “Pretty White Girl #2”. This is especially bad, as at one point Rose and Pomapadour meet, in which Pompadour “schools” Rose about if it’s worth living with the monsters for the Doctor. This is a misunderstanding of Rose. Rose loves the life, The Doctor is just a side benefit. She doesn’t live with the monsters for the Doctor, she celebrates travelling to far-off places across time and space.

Blink: Martha has one line, before being shoved away by the Doctor in his conversation with Sally Sparrow “Pretty White Girl #3” (the blandest of the lot, especially as she’s the most talented actor to play a Moffat girl). This is damaging as Martha complains about being forced to work at a restaurant in the late 60s, where sexism and racism were rife. She is shoved away as if to say “Silence Black Woman, the Whites are talking”. Still a good episode and I know why they had her in so little (Freema had 3.13 all to herself) but its weird.

Silence in the Library: Donna gets shoved into the perfect world so the Doctor can meet “Pretty White Girl #4” River Song for the last and first time.

What do you think? I’m probably overthinking it?

(Spoiler tags mine, for length reasons.)

...

Huh.

Well, I want to start by saying that specifically calling Moffat's girl of the week a "pretty white girl" as compared to Russel's more diverse crew is not fair. Billie Piper is absolutely a pretty white girl, and while Alex Kingston is a stunningly beautiful woman, she is not a classic Hollywood model. So I dispute your subtle allegation of racism.

But you're right about every Moffat episode involving the Doctor getting seperated from his companion and finding a new, one-episode companion. That's really, really weird.

I kind of want to go through the series and see how often that happens in non-Moffat episodes, and whether it's actually a common event.

[Hullabaloo]

I think you are jumping to conclusions, here. Epically. At least wait for the companion to get a single moment of screen time before you start hating her.

^This. When you have 2 early complaints based on previews and guess work, I would suggest waiting until you see her actually in the program. You might be 100% correct about everything you think, but its quite damaging to go into the show with those thoughts when n=0

[CarpeGuitarrem]

From everything I can tell, JLC hasn't been River 2.0, she's been Fem!Tennant. And I've found her to be enjoyable so far.

[Hullabaloo]

Christmas Prequel, not sure if its been linked yet
“Vastra Investigates”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rirju...layer_embedded

[Dienekes]

Huh, didn't know they were an item.