The new Dr. Who

[Killbeggar]

Just got through watching the new Dr Who on SciFi. It has all the things I remember from days of yore - unrepentant sillyness and cheesy special effects.
It's great to see a show again that's interesting and not afraid to be goofy.

 

[gdb]

Just wait til you see the rest of the season! Some really pretty good stuff all around. Goofy, interesting, funny and at times touching... and yeah, cheesy low budget f/x. Next week is the weakest of the season, IMHO, but after that it's all pretty good stuff.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

I don't have much experience with Dr. Who aside from having seen a few of the old Tom Baker episodes, but I really dug this new one. Haven't enjoyed watching a sci-fi show this much since Farscape was cancelled.

 

[bluesparrow]

Just got finished watching the first two episodes, which I enjoyed. I don't understand why they have such terrible special effects though. They're 1995-level. Are they deliberately bad? I realize the series has a history of bad sfx but I never thought it was deliberate. I work at a very small market tv station in the US and the guys in our 5 person Creative Services department have done better than the sfx seen in the pilot. Which is to say, this isn't even a matter of better sfx being prohibitively expensive.

 

[gdb]

Just got finished watching the first two episodes, which I enjoyed. I don't understand why they have such terrible special effects though.

Yeah, the f/x kinda suck.

I think it's because A) they stretch their entire budget over all 13 episodes and it seems they prioritize spending it on locations and sets. Plus, B) they don't get a very big budget from the BBC to begin with, espcially this season which was untested. Hopefully with the DVD sales, its Torchwood spinoff and the America import, they'll have more money for the season in the current production. And C) BBC veiwers don't seem nearly as demanding as their American counterparts.

 

[creecher]

Dr Who is great. It allows you to suspend belief way beyond the means or ordinary mortal shows, allowing the active use of the imagination to fill in the blanks. The effects were literally throw away, and move on. Maybe they spent half the budget getting the synthesizer developed to record the theme music. I always believed it was the first ever recorded musical use of the synth. You dont get much better from Eno, or Emerson Lake and Palmer.

The new Dr Who, is like he time travelled to the 21st and a half centuryyyyy. I haven't seen many episodes, but it seemed alot more compressed, trying to get too much into the time they have.

 

[Darth Kustomizer]

The New Dr. Who

The wife and I caught it on Friday. I thought it was pretty good for Dr. Who. The wife on the other hand lasted about 15 minutes and then was done with it.

 

[morbidaj]

I wouldnt say the effects were bad at all.. for some reason though the transfer looked like total crap. I downloaded all the shows last year which were captured on hdtv pal format, and the version i watched on friday looked nothing like that... its almost like the effects really stood out and the overall look of the show was pretty poor. Its too bad because the show really does look good..

The bbc airs the episodes commercial free as well I think (or maybe the episodes I downloaded were really edited good) which helps.. the sci fi people picked some really bad spots to put in commercials.

At least they put it on in its original aspect ratio..

 

[airbond2]

If anyone wants to know more about the Who figures that are coming out (in the UK at least!) check out this site:
https://newdoctorwhostuff.blogspot.com

 

[MiskatonicNick]

The bbc airs the episodes commercial free as well I think

It does, and long may it continue to do so

There were one or two shakey moments along the way, but it was a most excellent return series for the Doctor. 'Dalek' (c. episode 5 or 6?) was superb and the 'Empty Child'/'The Doctor Dances' is an instant classic of a two-parter. The special effects come good for the season climax too, giving Who fans a sight they've long dreamed about seeing (but no spoilers from me!).

Nick

 

[Gruff Old Bear]

Okay, I've finally seen two episodes, thanks to the promptings on this thread. THANK YOU!

The first was called "Rose," and it explained how Rose and the Doctor met. The second was called "The End of the World," and it contained the funniest Michael Jackson joke I've ever heard. The third airs Friday, and it appears to be called "The Walking Dead" and is set in England in 1869.

My question is, did I miss anything? Was "Rose" the pilot episode?

 

[gdb]

My question is, did I miss anything?

Nope. Rose was the pilot.

 

[gdb]

...the 'Empty Child'/'The Doctor Dances' is an instant classic of a two-parter. The special effects come good for the season climax too, giving Who fans a sight they've long dreamed about seeing (but no spoilers from me!).

Thanks for no spoilers! I've seen the season, too, and agree that Empty Child/Doctor Dances are the best. And I was surprised more than I should have been to find out they were written by Steven Moffat of Coupling fame.

My other fav is Father's Day.

 

[Kabukiman]

My wife, my young son, and I all enjoyed the new episodes that played in the US so far. I'm usually not a fan of British television but the Doctor transcends normal British television.

To those that can't look past the "cheesy" effects, I say, sit back, shut up, and enjoy the fantastic storytelling and quirky dialogue!

I think "The End of the World" would have made the late Douglas Adams proud.

 

[Gruff Old Bear]

I think "The End of the World" would have made the late Douglas Adams proud.

Agree! It was real Hitchhiker-esque!

Thanks gdb -- I thought it seemed like a series premiere but I couldn't be sure.

Thanks everyone for letting me know about this. I've been reading about Dr Who for years, but I never would have seen it without this thread.

 

[Darklord Dave]

I hadn't followed this thread and was about to post after watching the 2nd episode about how Hitchhikerian it was, but someone beat me to it. Definitely a step above what a remember from the old Who days. The effects don't seem that primitive although no where as elaborate as Farscape or Trek they serve. The make-ups/creatures in the 2nd ep. were all very good.

But it's the characters that are interesting, Rose is just awesome and the Doctor fascinating. And it's definitely not for kids anymore, considering Cassandra's rather interesting design (notice she had one hole on the back?) and her fate.

 

[Killbeggar]

After watching both episodes (twice (in a row)) on SciFi I'm hooked. I am so buying it on DVD.
The Doctor is just awesome and funny as hell. I can't wait for this weeks shows.

Also, to highjack my own thread, can anyone from the UK give me any info on the status of the Red Dwarf movie? Have they finally killed it or is it still in limbo? And what about Season 8?

Edit Woo Hoo- just noticed I passed 100 posts! jlcmsu - I'm coming for you!

 

[Michael Crawford]

I posted a guest review yesterday of the Dr. Who figures as well...

https://www.mwctoys.com

Michael
MWC

 

[gdb]

FYI:

There's a Doctor Who marahton on SciFi today and then a brand new Doctor takes over with a brand new season starting tonight with the Christmas Invasion special followed by the first episode of the new season.

Took me awhile to get used to this new guy. Didn't like him at first. But by the time of the new Cybermen episodes, I thought he had relaxed into the role. Or maybe I stop missing Ecceleston. Eitherway, it's a hell of a season -- there's Cybermen, and Torchwood, and Giles stops by and so does K-9. And yes, the new Doctor was Barty Crouch Junior in Goblet of Fire.

 

[morbidaj]

its more that the stories are crap
the cybermen stuff though is pretty cool, along with the lady in the fireplace.