The All-Purpose Current Doctor Who (2005-) Thread

[John Williams]

Just starting this thread as it will no doubt be needed at some point.

[Mr_Wolf]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Evyz9zzPMf8

[Doom Patrol]

Could possibly be the highlight of Christmas, maybe. Be refreshing to see a new companion as well.

[Juswuh]

The bloody Weeping Angels again?

[Doom Patrol]

What! Where?

[Juswuh]

If that's not them in the trailer it's some close relatives.

[Doom Patrol]

They look a bit snowy to me. Unless you're suggesting they are a variation on a theme, and we can't know that.

[George White]

Looks cheesy, naff, panto rubbish, oddly seasonal but I won't be watching!

[Doom Patrol]

Okay.

[Bob Richardson]

Looks cheesy, naff, panto rubbish, oddly seasonal but I won't be watching!

We've had killer Santas, now killer Snowmen. A pattern seems to be emerging. Killer Christmas Puddings next year? Reindeer maybe?

[videoking]

Apparently we will be getting a re arranged theme tune with new graphics for the Xmas special.

[Bob Richardson]

Apparently we will be getting a re arranged theme tune with new graphics for the Xmas special.

It would be nice to have a bit of video howlaround as a nod to the anniversary next year, and I see that the new Tardis set is closer to the original than any of the "re-boot" versions since 2005.

[Mark]

Apparently we will be getting a re arranged theme tune with new graphics for the Xmas special.

It would be nice to have a bit of video howlaround as a nod to the anniversary next year, and I see that the new Tardis set is closer to the original than any of the "re-boot" versions since 2005.

(Spoiler)

Yes, it's not bad, much better than the other Nu-Who ones, High-Tech, instead of typewriters and bike pumps, never liked that much.

If only there had been more circles, I liked the circles, lots of them.

[Doom Patrol]

It's one of those things we'll get used to I suppose. It all looks a bit spartan to me.

[Doom Patrol]

The bloody Weeping Angels again?

Got you now. No, it's not them. But yes the look is familiar.

[GarethR]

It would be nice to have a bit of video howlaround as a nod to the anniversary next year

AIUI it's actually difficult to achieve the same psychedelic effects with modern equipment. In fact I think Bernard Lodge said that when he came to do the first Pertwee titles he expected that the howlaround would look even better with a 625 colour monitor and camera and in reality it didn't look anywhere near as good, which is why he did it in B&W and added the colour in post.

[Bob Richardson]

It would be nice to have a bit of video howlaround as a nod to the anniversary next year

AIUI it's actually difficult to achieve the same psychedelic effects with modern equipment. In fact I think Bernard Lodge said that when he came to do the first Pertwee titles he expected that the howlaround would look even better with a 625 colour monitor and camera and in reality it didn't look anywhere near as good, which is why he did it in B&W and added the colour in post.

I believe that all of the original experimental footage is still in the Film Library at Perivale. There are hundreds of feet of it, all telerecorded, so they could probably recycle some of that if they wanted to achieve a similar effect today. I'm a big fan of recycling, as was Terry Nation, who sold the BBC the same Dalek story on several occasions under different story titles.

[Doom Patrol]

I feel like Christmas has just been cancelled. I wanted to like this Christmas special so much and for a while I was actually fooled. It was a lovely little story, well paced and funny, and Clara was such a good character I thought they might be breaking the mould. But then she mentioned soufflés and my heart sank. From then on it was gibberish with a timey wimey twist at the end. So much promise thrown away and back to stodgy Moffatt fayre. Desperately disappointing.

[Bob Richardson]

Clara was such a good character I thought they might be breaking the mould. But then she mentioned soufflés and my heart sank. From then on it was gibberish with a timey wimey twist at the end. So much promise thrown away and back to stodgy Moffatt fayre. Desperately disappointing.

Much as I expected - part "Crackerjack" pantomime and part "Mary Poppins" on a budget. "Nanny MacPhee" earlier in the day was more adult "drama". I recorded all of the last series but haven't got round to watching more than a couple of episodes. On the basis of this rubbish I'll probably just delete it.

I'm 58 and this is obviously aimed at the kiddiwinks, so perhaps it's time to bail out - or perhaps I'll wait until after the anniversary in November.

On a related theme, I bought "Pardon My Genie" (series 1) in the Network sale because I enjoyed it so much as a teenager. It's rubbish, redeemed only slightly by Hugh Paddick's performance. I wonder if kids who watched today's "Who" Christmas Special will have the scales fall from their eyes when they re-view it in 2057?

[Juswuh]

Frankly. all Moffat's Christmas specials have been duds - whereas in RTD's time the special was just an adventure that happened to take place at Christmas, under Moffat they've laid on the Christmasness with an industrial-strength trowel, not to mention each one homaging an established classic. And as feared, the new companion is going to be the nexus for an over-arching time-paradox continuity-bollocks storyline.

[Mr_Wolf]

I obviously watched a different show to you guys then. The one on my tv had a hauntologically '70s title sequence, genuinely funny character comedy, a personable new companion, a throw-forward to The Web of Fear and a quest to carry us forward into the anniversary year. A massive return to form.

[Mickey]

The opening titles amused me. It was like the seventies had been smoking something. Loved the brief flash of the Doctor's face in the middle of them. I'm rather taken by the new console as well. Not quite so sure about the walls, but they'll probably grow on me.

The companion I've liked both times, but then both times she's died. Not sure how I feel about that as an on-going plot, especially since I liked the idea of a companion from the future, and then liked the idea of a companion from the past, and now it looks like we're going to get one from the present again instead, which is a bit of a letdown, quite frankly. Still, we'll see. Richard E Grant was good, loved Ian McKellan as the voice of the evil snow, and the useless Sontaran butler raised a smile as well. The memory worm was annoyingly obvious, but perhaps not for the kids. Really could have done without the tears of a family crying on Christmas Eve being the only thing that could melt the evil snow. Partly because it was awful, and partly because it made the ending too sudden, with no proper battle. But then I'm a cynical old sod, clearly. Although not so much so that I didn't love the nod to "snowmen" invading the Underground. I wonder if this is the start of a trend, as we head towards the anniversary?

Still really liking Matt Smith, anyway. I was disappointed when they hired him, mostly because he wasn't Paterson Joseph. He still isn't, which is extremely unco-operative of him; but when the day comes that he decides to move on, I will be very sorry to see him go.

[Doom Patrol]

I obviously watched a different show to you guys then. The one on my tv had a hauntologically '70s title sequence, genuinely funny character comedy, a personable new companion, a throw-forward to The Web of Fear and a quest to carry us forward into the anniversary year. A massive return to form.

Much of it was good. Notably the first half. But then the frantic pacing and the over acting kicked in. I wish they had kept their nerve and we'd had a genuine Victorian companion though.

[Irongiant]

I obviously watched a different show to you guys then. The one on my tv had a hauntologically '70s title sequence, genuinely funny character comedy, a personable new companion, a throw-forward to The Web of Fear and a quest to carry us forward into the anniversary year. A massive return to form.

I agree wholeheartedly. Even though I had pretty much given up on Moffat's Who last series I decided to give this a shot and was very pleasantly surprised.

[FuzEE]

put me down for another massive return to form....

it had interesting characters, a promising and mysterious new companion, clever, even classic Moffatt dialogue mixing comedy, drama and pathos, the return of a Troughton villain and a modern take on the 1970s titles.

I was well entertained...

Fuz

[simon10011]

Well i liked it! Possibly my favourite Christmas episode along with The Next Doctor. Just wish we could have had a more conventional Doctor meets companion story but that was never going to happen was it! Love the comedy Sontaran and Matt's Sherlock cameo. Roll on the rest of the series!

[Mark]

I thought it was the best of all the Nu-Who, Christmas ones, so far.

Not much of a plot, though, and certain elements, such as the tears on Christmas Eve and the spiral staircase, seemed more "Harry Potter", than "Who", but the new girl is good, assuming they are not going to keep killing her off.

There does seem to be a conscious nod to the 50th, with the new titles (glad to see the face back again ) and new Control room.

Loved his hat.....very nice.!

[Al Mundy]

i wonder when smith departs will the doc get an older actor ??

[Beaker]

Apart from the resolution of the crying family I really enjoyed it....great fun and the best thing on tv so far this Christmas.

I've not been well over the past week, I finally felt up to putting it on today and it really cheered me up.


The comedy Sontaran is possibly my favourite ever Nu Who character.

[The Wooksta!]

I enjoyed it. Pace was slow burning until the end which became a bit too fast. Lots of good stuff in there for everyone to enjoy - loved the staircase that's longer on the inside, some good witty banter and yes, the comedy Sontaran was inspired.

Down sides? Ending over too fast and Richard E Grant seemed to be under-used. He was certainly very restrained, understated perhaps.