General / Off-Topic What did we think of Doctor Who (spoilers allowed)

[GreyAreaUK]

Loved it. Bloody loved it. I thought that it was not only one of (if not the) best Christmas Who ever, but also a damn fine episode in its own right.

Capaldi has been superb. Moffat...well, ups and downs. But I can’t fault him for this one.

And the identity of the soldier...I guessed about 20 minutes before the end, and damn if I didn’t fill up a bit.

The next series (which is in autumn, I think) is going to be interesting in lots of ways. I’m cautiously looking forward to it.

 

[The Chairmaker]

I liked it as it was one of the few mature christmas specials. Loved the banter between the doctors. Lots of nods to early Dr Who as well.

In the past the chrimbo specials have tended towards very child friendly episodes and ive not liked them as a result.

Will be interesting to see how having a female doctor changes the dynamic. Having Missy certainly spiced up the Master.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

I thought the bit in the middle with the Dalek was...odd, somehow. Like it has been added afterwards to pad out the length slightly (which I’m sure isn’t the case). But on the whole I haven't loved a Christmas Who as much as this since ‘Voyage Of The Damned’. Which was silly, but I liked it.

 

[Stigbob]

I liked it as it was one of the few mature christmas specials. Loved the banter between the doctors. Lots of nods to early Dr Who as well.

In the past the chrimbo specials have tended towards very child friendly episodes and ive not liked them as a result.

Will be interesting to see how having a female doctor changes the dynamic. Having Missy certainly spiced up the Master.

It's OK for Doctor Who to be child friendly as it's kids TV, good kids TV but kids TV nonetheless.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

It's OK for Doctor Who to be child friendly as it's kids TV, good kids TV but kids TV nonetheless.

True, but the Christmas episodes have tended to dial up the child-friendly aspect to 11. Which isn’t bad, but it’s untypical compared to the rest of Who.

 

[Viper2kUK]

YOu know what - it was OK imo. There were a few good nods to the past but there were also times that it felt like it dragged on. Would of liked to of seen more of the new doctor - you know getting used to the new face an all - David Tennant, Matt Smith for example were great in that respect.

Anyone else notice the ring falling down inside the tardis though? The doctor was married to Riversong - looks like that storyline has now well and truely fallen away into the obscure.

V2k.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

YOu know what - it was OK imo. There were a few good nods to the past but there were also times that it felt like it dragged on. Would of liked to of seen more of the new doctor - you know getting used to the new face an all - David Tennant, Matt Smith for example were great in that respect.

Anyone else notice the ring falling down inside the tardis though? The doctor was married to Riversong - looks like that storyline has now well and truely fallen away into the obscure.

V2k.

Chris Chibnall apparently wants to make as clean a break as possible with the past, so no old companions etc.

 

[Stigbob]

True, but the Christmas episodes have tended to dial up the child-friendly aspect to 11. Which isn’t bad, but it’s untypical compared to the rest of Who.

True, it makes sense to make the specials extra family friendly though given the time of year.

 

[Alien]

David Bradley as the first Doctor ... perfect casting. Not only does he look like William Hartnell (having played him in the "behind the scenes" one-off special) he IS the first Doctor. I can't imagine anyone else playing that character. I have been looking forward to seeing this since the teaser.

I'd have liked Peter Capaldi to do a longer run, but if he wants to leave then we'll have to accept that.

I got the connection with the Captain the moment I saw Mark Gatiss as the character in the teaser, but then I remember Jon Pertwee's Doctor (I am that old).

Now ... Jodie as the Doctor ... I don't agree with the "why" of her being cast (it was to tick a politically correctness box, not because it served the story), but I will hold my opinion on her portrayal of the Doctor until I've seen more than her falling out of the TARDIS.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

David Bradley as the first Doctor ... perfect casting. Not only does he look like William Hartnell (having played him in the "behind the scenes" one-off special) he IS the first Doctor. I can't imagine anyone else playing that character. I have been looking forward to seeing this since the teaser.

I'd have liked Peter Capaldi to do a longer run, but if he wants to leave then we'll have to accept that.

I got the connection with the Captain the moment I saw Mark Gatiss as the character in the teaser, but then I remember Jon Pertwee's Doctor (I am that old).

Now ... Jodie as the Doctor ... I don't agree with the "why" of her being cast (it was to tick a politically correctness box, not because it served the story), but I will hold my opinion on her portrayal of the Doctor until I've seen more than her falling out of the TARDIS.

Pertwee was my first Doctor. ‘The Green Death’ had me literally hiding behind the sofa

Bradley was awesome, but some of the oldy-worldy sexism was a little heavy-handed.

 

[Anon Sin]

It was,in my humble opinion,one of the best episodes in a very long time. I'm looking forward to watching the new series and the new Doctor. Merry Christmas everyone.o7

 

[beelbeebub]

Pertwee was my first Doctor. ‘The Green Death’ had me literally hiding behind the sofa

Bradley was awesome, but some of the oldy-worldy sexism was a little heavy-handed.

I thought the "oldy-worldy sexism" was quite funny especially given where we knew things were going regeneration wise (and to illustrate the distance we have travelled in that respect).

Overall, liked it.

The new doctor's gender doesn't bother me one bit, a time lord changing gender is one of the least unbelievable bits of Dr Who lore.

I reserve judgement until Jodie Wittaker has had time to settle in. It took me quite a few episodes to get used to Matt Smith and I ended up liking his doctor a lot (maybe the most). Remember the angst around "how young he is"?

That said, I wasn't taken with her intro. Not sure what it was given it was so short.

Time will tell!

 

[Eidolon]

I gave up on the show. Sadly as an old who can, it lost me when missy turned up. I rather hoped her being a rani was going to be the final plot twist with that plot line.
Sadly it was just to set up the time travelling cross dresser thing I have long dreaded. So now the timelords change gender when regenerating? Sigh, another win for political correctness I guess.
But on the plus side at least I now know I am not missing out on dr who as the show is technically not that anymore.
I wish I could find the old episode where an early companion asked the doctor if he always regenerated as a male. His response was somthing along the lines of "no! We army time travelling cross dressers" or Similar words.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

And the identity of the soldier...I guessed about 20 minutes before the end, and damn if I didn’t fill up a bit.

I thought it was Captain Darling from Blackadder Goes Forth.

 

[beelbeebub]

I gave up on the show. Sadly as an old who can, it lost me when missy turned up. I rather hoped her being a rani was going to be the final plot twist with that plot line.
Sadly it was just to set up the time travelling cross dresser thing I have long dreaded. So now the timelords change gender when regenerating? Sigh, another win for political correctness I guess.
But on the plus side at least I now know I am not missing out on dr who as the show is technically not that anymore.
I wish I could find the old episode where an early companion asked the doctor if he always regenerated as a male. His response was something along the lines of "no! We army time travelling cross dressers" or Similar words.

So you're on board with the idea that near immortal travelling alien can regenerate with an entirely different, height, build, age, accent, dress sense, character traits.

But changing gender is a step too far?

I honestly don't see what the fuss is about, other than some vague dislike for "political correctness". It's more important that the writing and story lines continue to be fun and interesting than the gender, age, accent or race of the lead character.

This reminds me a little of the "fuss" that accompanied Daniel Craig being announced as the new Bond.

The craignotbond.com website criticises brother and sister producing team, Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, for replacing Brosnan - "the most beloved actor to play Bond since Sean Connery" - with Craig.
"How can a short, blond actor with the rough face of a professional boxer and a penchant for playing killers, cranks, cads and gigolos pull off the role of a tall, dark, handsome and suave secret agent?" the site demands.

"This is what happens when you lose touch with public opinion. By casting Craig, Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have proven once and for all that they care little for the opinions of Bond fans."
Earlier this week, veteran actor Christopher Lee called on critics to give the new Bond star a chance.
"People should not pass judgment until they have seen the film," said Lee, a former Bond villain and a distant cousin of 007 creator Ian Fleming.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4738536.stm

 

[DoctorDanny]

Way too British for my taste.

Never got the appeal of doctor who.

 

[Alodia]

I gave up on the show. Sadly as an old who can, it lost me when missy turned up. I rather hoped her being a rani was going to be the final plot twist with that plot line.
Sadly it was just to set up the time travelling cross dresser thing I have long dreaded. So now the timelords change gender when regenerating? Sigh, another win for political correctness I guess.
But on the plus side at least I now know I am not missing out on dr who as the show is technically not that anymore.
I wish I could find the old episode where an early companion asked the doctor if he always regenerated as a male. His response was somthing along the lines of "no! We army time travelling cross dressers" or Similar words.

they were literally going to stunt cast number 7 as a woman to "save the show" after the colin baker era ran it into the ground, with zero build up / plot insertion / canon or anything else unlike the new series which first referenced it back in 2011 and has built on the idea many times since then. additionally the notion of the character turning into a woman was floated often by both producers and lead actors during the original series.

i've watched every episode from the original series including the telesnaps with audio and stills, and the doctor has never said anything about cross dressing so you're gonna have to show some receipts on that one.

the "diversity tickbox" and political correctness claims thrown about are laughable, in a show that's had strong women characters going back to the 60s, half the time saving the day in the process, in a program dragged kicking and screaming to the screen by one of the few women producers around and a gay indian immigrant.

 

[Alien]

the "diversity tickbox" and political correctness claims thrown about are laughable, in a show that's had strong women characters going back to the 60s, half the time saving the day in the process, in a program dragged kicking and screaming to the screen by one of the few women producers around and a gay indian immigrant.

Look, there's nothing wrong with strong women characters, but the decision to make the Doctor regenerate into a woman this time wasn't done to serve the story, unlike they did with Missy where we had almost a whole series wondering just who this woman was before the reveal moment and the collective "OH ..." from all of us. No, the decision to have the doctor be female was done solely because people kept asking "Why can't the Doctor be female?" and someone at the BBC decided to make the Doctor be female because it then ticked a politically correct box. There has not been a single story reason for the Doctor to be female, not one.

EDIT: I don't see them making the central characters in Call The Midwife male just to tick that politically correctness box ... strange eh?

 

[Stigbob]

In ten years (or three female Doctors) after she's had Jack Harnesses kid then split up with him, there'll be an outcry when they propose going back to a man because the female Doctors were better.

We'll also get a Torchwood spinoff where the backstory is the Captain trying to evade time travelling alien child maintenance collectors.

 

[Viper2kUK]

Look, there's nothing wrong with strong women characters, but the decision to make the Doctor regenerate into a woman this time wasn't done to serve the story, unlike they did with Missy where we had almost a whole series wondering just who this woman was before the reveal moment and the collective "OH ..." from all of us. No, the decision to have the doctor be female was done solely because people kept asking "Why can't the Doctor be female?" and someone at the BBC decided to make the Doctor be female because it then ticked a politically correct box. There has not been a single story reason for the Doctor to be female, not one.

EDIT: I don't see them making the central characters in Call The Midwife male just to tick that politically correctness box ... strange eh?

Next thing you know it'll be Loose Men or they'll bring about another "Cheers" with women sitting around the bar with their prosseco ing on their husbands - Oh the worlds turning upside down

V2k.