Tonight's Doctor Who

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Molony

Tonight's Doctor Who

Postby Molony » 26 May 2007, 19:57

Doctor Who was fantastic tonight. I haven't been enjoying many of the episodes this series (they're in danger of overusing the Daleks in particular), but this two-parter looks set to equal the brilliance of 'The Empty Child' from Ecclestone-era Who. Anyone else see it? The scarecrows were great...
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Moleskin
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Re: Tonight's Doctor Who

Postby Moleskin » 26 May 2007, 20:00

molony wrote:Doctor Who was fantastic tonight. I haven't been enjoying many of the episodes this series (they're in danger of overusing the Daleks in particular), but this two-parter looks set to equal the brilliance of 'The Empty Child' from Ecclestone-era Who. Anyone else see it? The scarecrows were great...


We'll be watching it after the kids are in bed. They aren't allowed to watch it just yet.
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Phil T

Postby Phil T » 26 May 2007, 20:49

It was very good. Sort of "Mr. Chips meets a pre-WW1 Invasion Of The Body Snatchers".

They haven't done anything like this before, certainly not told bits of the story in flashback. David Tennant's performance as John Smith was markedly different to what he is like as the Docotr.
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Postby Clippernolan » 26 May 2007, 20:56

Miles Cholmondley-Warner wrote:It was very good. Sort of "Mr. Chips meets a pre-WW1 Invasion Of The Body Snatchers".

They haven't done anything like this before, certainly not told bits of the story in flashback. David Tennant's performance as John Smith was markedly different to what he is like as the Docotr.


It's based on one of the Virgin books novels called Human Nature, by Paul Cornell who apparently wrote the teleplay for this episode, I'm told - and I only know that because of my connections in Who fandom. I have to wait until June to see it (legally)! The book is very, very good, not only as a Who story, but just as a story by itself.

Cornell is an acquaintance of mine, although I haven't seen him in years. I stayed in his flat for a night the first week I was in Britain. I have a number of Who connections in Britain, actually. I'm not sure how that happened ...
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Phil T

Postby Phil T » 26 May 2007, 20:58

I do remember reading the book some years ago, but sadly can't remember a thing about it.

But I have found Mr. Cornell's stuff to be amongst the better written, I have to say.
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Postby Clippernolan » 26 May 2007, 21:05

Miles Cholmondley-Warner wrote:I do remember reading the book some years ago, but sadly can't remember a thing about it.

But I have found Mr. Cornell's stuff to be amongst the better written, I have to say.


He is very good. I think it's because he's still a kid on the couch watching the show, or at least that was my first impression of him. He and I share an affection for Peter Davision's version of the character, Davision being the most underrated having had to follow Tom Baker. He's written quite a few Davision stories which are really sharp. One called Goth Opera (with Nyssa) is very good, another favourite.

For me, it makes sense that they adapted "Human Nature" for Tennant. I think what they're doing with the character is entirely in keeping with the original material - that the Doctor is old and lonely, and has a part of him that wishes that he could stay in one place, but is ultimately driven by a sense of curiousity which precludes him from doing so.
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Postby doctorlouie » 26 May 2007, 22:15

Yeah, very good. I do get a little annoyed that there aren't more cliffhangers. They used to be every week and I loved it. Now I get annoyed that there's a cliffhanger followed by a preview of next week before the credits have finished rolling.
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Molony

Postby Molony » 26 May 2007, 22:19

Liked some of the references to past Doctors. There were pics of his different selves in his sketchbook, and the cricket ball episode put me in mind of 'my' Doctor, Peter Davison...
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Phil T

Postby Phil T » 26 May 2007, 22:24

molony wrote:Liked some of the references to past Doctors. There were pics of his different selves in his sketchbook, and the cricket ball episode put me in mind of 'my' Doctor, Peter Davison...


And of course, with the pic of the 8th Doctor in the Doc's/Smith's journal, Paul McGann finally gets his face on the TV series proper.
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Postby Neil Jung » 26 May 2007, 22:57

Miles Cholmondley-Warner wrote:
molony wrote:Liked some of the references to past Doctors. There were pics of his different selves in his sketchbook, and the cricket ball episode put me in mind of 'my' Doctor, Peter Davison...


And of course, with the pic of the 8th Doctor in the Doc's/Smith's journal, Paul McGann finally gets his face on the TV series proper.


Did he? I must have missed that...fascinating.

I too thought it was probably the best since The Empty Child, which itself was the best since the relaunch. Am looking forward to next week. it was much better than last week's "let's run up and down this spaceship for 42 minutes" episode.
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Phil T

Postby Phil T » 26 May 2007, 23:14

Yes, he was on there, right in the centre of the page.
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Phil T

Postby Phil T » 27 May 2007, 00:31

Neil Jung wrote:
Miles Cholmondley-Warner wrote:
molony wrote:Liked some of the references to past Doctors. There were pics of his different selves in his sketchbook, and the cricket ball episode put me in mind of 'my' Doctor, Peter Davison...


And of course, with the pic of the 8th Doctor in the Doc's/Smith's journal, Paul McGann finally gets his face on the TV series proper.


Did he? I must have missed that...fascinating.


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Clockwise, from top left: 7th, 8th, 1st, 5th and (I think) 2nd
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Postby Moleskin » 27 May 2007, 09:32

Miles Cholmondley-Warner wrote:
Neil Jung wrote:
Miles Cholmondley-Warner wrote:
molony wrote:Liked some of the references to past Doctors. There were pics of his different selves in his sketchbook, and the cricket ball episode put me in mind of 'my' Doctor, Peter Davison...


And of course, with the pic of the 8th Doctor in the Doc's/Smith's journal, Paul McGann finally gets his face on the TV series proper.


Did he? I must have missed that...fascinating.


Image

Clockwise, from top left: 7th, 8th, 1st, 5th and (I think) 2nd


No, I think the bottom right is the top half of Tom Baker - it's the nose.
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Postby petulant clarksville » 27 May 2007, 09:50

It was a great (half) episode. As soon as it started you knew it was going to be worthwhile. (Last weeks was really tiresome. Although the floating off into the sun bits were okay. And the sun being alive was good. And I always like it when the Doctor is in a lot of pain! :shock: Am I twisted? He's just such a good actor, though. All the running around in the spaceship was boring) But those scarecrows were really scary.
Plot hole, though... why didn't Martha just look after the watch herself?
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Molony

Postby Molony » 27 May 2007, 10:08

I thought top-right was Colin Baker. Either that or a rogue Roy Kinnear...
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Postby Corporate whore » 27 May 2007, 14:18

Have not seen this yet - but it is recorded.

This series has been fairly poor so far I thought - hopefully they have kept the best stories for last.
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Postby Errant Panda » 27 May 2007, 18:42

Rumour has it Martha is being dumped after this series.
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Postby petulant clarksville » 27 May 2007, 18:45

Errant Panda wrote:Rumour has it Martha is being dumped after this series.

Seems a little hasty. I didn't want there to be anyone after Rose but I'm getting used to Martha, she's okay. They ought to give her a decent chance.
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Postby Neil Jung » 27 May 2007, 20:59

Errant Panda wrote:Rumour has it Martha is being dumped after this series.


Where'd you get that from then? Why? She was on Jonathon Ross last night so it seems unlikely to me.
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Phil T

Postby Phil T » 27 May 2007, 21:18

Neil Jung wrote:
Errant Panda wrote:Rumour has it Martha is being dumped after this series.


Where'd you get that from then? Why? She was on Jonathon Ross last night so it seems unlikely to me.


I believe it was in that oh so reliable publication, The Sun...
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