The New Doctor Who and his companion start this weekend.

[JCC]

Yeah, exactly. I've stopped watching. I just don't get the sense from him that he's travelled a lot. He doesn't evoke that aura.  I still see him as a young guy trying to be the Doctor instead of just being the Doctor. Moffat's a favourite to many, and I liked many of the stories when he was writing them during Davies' run, but to me I don't think he's a great showrunner.

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. I think Smith has been BRILLIANT as the Doctor. Frankly as long as Moffat can end the season well in this week's episode, I would definitely call this the best season of the show since its return. The entire 2nd half of the season from Amy's Choice on has been magnificent.

[Rumpy]

Yeah, I know there are differing opinions, and that's great. I just personally don't get the same kind of feeling that I've had with Eccleston and Tennant. His episodes leave me wanting for something more substantial.

[Punisher]

Anyone know what's going on with this series? This was supposed to be the series finale (which makes me wonder why they bothered with a new actor for 1 season), but now I hear that it's coming back in October or something... My Google Fu has failed me on the explanation....
Anyone?

[Teggy]

In Britain, what the US calls a "season", they call a "series". So a series finale would just be a season finale. The new Doctor Who seasons are generally about 12-13 episodes plus a Christmas episode.

[Punisher]

In Britain, what the US calls a "season", they call a "series". So a series finale would just be a season finale. The new Doctor Who seasons are generally about 12-13 episodes plus a Christmas episode.

Ah thanks... very confusing... someone should teach them proper English...
I feel better now..

so what do they call a "true" series finale?

[metallicorphan]

the thing is here in England..our 'series' only usually last for about 6 episodes,and thats why we don't call them a season like you guys...(and you guys have every right as your 'series' last for 22-24 episodes,therefor lasting a season...i have forever bowed(?...bowwed ..bowed..looks funny,....sod it) to your writerrs,how they can come up with som much great(and it usually is great)material..whereas we struggle for 6 epiosdes)

Dr Who,however is a bit of a strange one,because it lasts for more then 6 epiosdes,but not as much as 22-24 episodes...so not sure what we should call it

i did however see the last episode...Dr wjo had a fez on his head...didn';t have a clue whsat weas going on though

Viva Cheers!!!!!...USAs best sitcom

[CeeKay]

Anyone know what's going on with this series? This was supposed to be the series finale (which makes me wonder why they bothered with a new actor for 1 season), but now I hear that it's coming back in October or something... My Google Fu has failed me on the explanation....
Anyone?

IIRC the last episode I watched in BBCAmerica said it was returning next Saturday, July 10th.

[Punisher]

the thing is here in England..our 'series' only usually last for about 6 episodes,and thats why we don't call them a season like you guys...(and you guys have every right as your 'series' last for 22-24 episodes,therefor lasting a season...i have forever bowed(?...bowwed ..bowed..looks funny,....sod it) to your writerrs,how they can come up with som much great(and it usually is great)material..whereas we struggle for 6 epiosdes)

Dr Who,however is a bit of a strange one,because it lasts for more then 6 epiosdes,but not as much as 22-24 episodes...so not sure what we should call it

i did however see the last episode...Dr wjo had a fez on his head...didn';t have a clue whsat weas going on though

Viva Cheers!!!!!...USAs best sitcom

6 episodes is pretty short.... after the 6 episodes, how long does it take for the next "series" to start?

[metallicorphan]

the thing is here in England..our 'series' only usually last for about 6 episodes,and thats why we don't call them a season like you guys...(and you guys have every right as your 'series' last for 22-24 episodes,therefor lasting a season...i have forever bowed(?...bowwed ..bowed..looks funny,....sod it) to your writerrs,how they can come up with som much great(and it usually is great)material..whereas we struggle for 6 epiosdes)

Dr Who,however is a bit of a strange one,because it lasts for more then 6 epiosdes,but not as much as 22-24 episodes...so not sure what we should call it

i did however see the last episode...Dr wjo had a fez on his head...didn';t have a clue whsat weas going on though

Viva Cheers!!!!!...USAs best sitcom

6 episodes is pretty short.... after the 6 episodes, how long does it take for the next "series" to start?

good question


if you take Fawlty Towers or The Office(UK version)...they both had 6 episodes for each series,not included the 2x 45minute christmas specials for The Office


The Office Series 1 episode 1 was 9th July 2001
The Office Series 2 episode 1 was 30th September 2002
and with the Christmas specials being over 2 nights in 2003(26/27th Dec 2003)

so,quite a gap there

Fawlty Towers series 1 episode 1 19th Spetmeber 1975
Fawlty Towers Series 2 episode 1 19th February 1979

so an even longer gap


Red Dwarf series 1 episode 1 15th February 1988
Red Dwarf Series 2 Episode 1 6th September 1988
Red Dwarf Series 3 Episode 1 14th November 1989
Red Dwarf Series 4 Episode 1 14th February 1991
(there were another 4 series that came pretty much the same type of intervals)


however.........

Dr Who series 5 billion and 1 Christopher Eccleston-episode 1-26th March 2005(that series had 13 episodes)
Dr Who Series 5 billion and 2 David Tennant episode 0 25th December 2005...episode 1 of that series didn't happen until April 2006(13 episodes)
Dr Who Series 5 billion and 3 David Tennant episode 0 25th December 2006....Episode 1 of this series didn't happen until March 2007(13 episodes)
Dr Who Series 5 Billion and 4 David Tennant Episode 0 25th December 2007 Episode 1 didn't arrive until April 2008
Dr Who series 5 Billion and 5 Matt Smith Episode 1(there was no episode 0) April 2010


Dr Who Series 6 episode 0 25th December 2010<<<planned



so,to fully understand the path of the UK series...you have to just expect them whenever...if its a good series,you just have to hope that another series happens...look at Fawlty Towers,4 YEARS!!(or thereabouts)...surprised a second series even happened TBH

[CeeKay]

[metallicorphan]

LOL....but Jason Statham is English...although i guess what films he does are all American type action flicks now

[Teggy]

Did anybody else hate the season finale like I did? First of all the first half of the episode hinged on what I like to call "Bill and Ted's rules of time travel" - something used as a joke in the movie, but as a significant plot point in a few episodes this season. That is to say, decide in the present that you will do something in the future to save yourself in the present, therefore negating any sense of danger. This is something they simply didn't do in previous seasons of Doctor Who. Admittedly, it was done in Blink, one of my favorite episodes and written by the same guy, but not to the same degree.

The rest of the episode was just a jumble of nonsense and I had a hard time even paying attention to it.

It's definitely disappointing - I had high hopes for this season because I liked Moffat's previous stuff, but it just really hasn't been very good. And I don't think it's Matt Smith or Karen Gillan, as I liked them both - I think it was pure bad writing. Even River Song, who I quite liked in the library episode, became kind of an annoying character.

[Larraque]

Did anybody else hate the season finale like I did? First of all the first half of the episode hinged on what I like to call "Bill and Ted's rules of time travel" - something used as a joke in the movie, but as a significant plot point in a few episodes this season. That is to say, decide in the present that you will do something in the future to save yourself in the present, therefore negating any sense of danger. This is something they simply didn't do in previous seasons of Doctor Who. Admittedly, it was done in Blink, one of my favorite episodes and written by the same guy, but not to the same degree.

The rest of the episode was just a jumble of nonsense and I had a hard time even paying attention to it.

It's definitely disappointing - I had high hopes for this season because I liked Moffat's previous stuff, but it just really hasn't been very good. And I don't think it's Matt Smith or Karen Gillan, as I liked them both - I think it was pure bad writing. Even River Song, who I quite liked in the library episode, became kind of an annoying character.

Spoilers follow.

The bill & ted logic may have been present in earlier episodes but the first one I remember is  the Lodger. The doctor knew which house to stay at because Amy left him a note. Of course, Amy knew which house to put the note for because the Doctor told her to. So essentially, in this episode, there needed to be an initial time loop which didn't exist where a house blew up or something so that the doctor knew to tell amy to write a note so that the second time through the loop he would know where to go - thus erasing his memory of the first loop. Or something. That's pretty damn stupid - but it lead to an entertaining episode overall so as a viewer I overlook it. Or you just miss it if you're not looking closely.

If you do things like that often for story convenience, you end up with gaping plot holes in logic. The doctor got out of pandora's box because he told Rory after he had gotten out how to get him out. This makes him the most powerful entity that has ever or will ever live. Essentially he could 'die', but go back in time after dying and tell someone how to save him so he doesn't die, thus avoiding the death in the first place. It removes ALL suspension of disbelief from the viewer when you realize things like this. 

And yet, somehow I still found this episode really fun. Probably because there was so much going on in this alternate reality that made me think that I just was having too much fun trying to figure everything out to be annoyed by the plot holes. Because if you focus on the plot holes, you've got an entire season that is now riddled with them. You've got the tardis, that was at the center of an explosion in time, that caused the everything to explode because of cracks in time... which were fixed by the doctor doing other ridiculous shit. You've got a concept that being at the place where time explodes somehow gives you more time to fix it. You've got Rory back, who never existed, but somehow there was a photo of him, in a book of romans in Amy's room that allowed him to come back based on Amy's memories of liking romans and pandora's box (because photos are more resilient to the space/time rifts than memories are) - and time travelling aliens. You've got Song who has future memories of the doctor after the universe exploded....

None of that makes sense. So fuck it. I like the Doctor as a character, I love the time travelling mess that he got in. I enjoyed the quirkiness of the characters. So I enjoyed the finale. It's way better than midget CGI doctor vs the master beating him because everyone on earth at the same time thought "DOCTOR", or a robot bomb being diffused by love.

[Teggy]

a robot bomb being diffused by love.

That was this season too. Yuck. And yeah, the note from the Lodger was the other very in your face example I was thinking of.

[JCC]

I loved the finale. It did many things I don't generally like: impossible time paradoxes, reset switch, etc. But, I thought it was done so well, cleverly, and so entertainingly that it worked for me. I do understand why it would really bother others. It's easy for me to get to nit-picky with Sci-Fi shows too. I thought Series 5 was pretty awesome overall. Victory of the Daleks was the only real blemish for me, and even it had one or two things I enjoyed.

I need more time and perspective to see if I like it as much as my previous favorite (series 4) (though I am leaning towards ranking this as my 2nd favorite). I do think it was a great season, and Matt Smith is just SUPERB as the Doc. I can't wait for next season when we find out who was manipulating the events leading up to the TARDIS explosion and finally have the mystery of River Song revealed.

[CeeKay]

finally have the mystery of River Song revealed.

THIS.  hopefully it's next season.  now just to wait for it....

[JCC]

finally have the mystery of River Song revealed.

THIS.  hopefully it's next season.  now just to wait for it....

Moffat said on the last episode of DW Confidential that it's happening next season (not to mention River herself basically said it in the last episode).

[CeeKay]

finally have the mystery of River Song revealed.

THIS.  hopefully it's next season.  now just to wait for it....

Moffat said on the last episode of DW Confidential that it's happening next season (not to mention River herself basically said it in the last episode).

she said soon, which to a time traveller could mean soon for her but a few years for the Doctor     still, since Moffat confirmed she wasn't playing coy definitely looking forward to next year!

[metallicorphan]

I'll stick this here

MSN

'Doctor Who' origin movie commissioned for 50th anniversary

Unfortunately(or maybe not)it's not that kind of origin.....it's going to be a movie(TV Movie) on how the series came to be

"Doctor Who" turns 50 years old next year, and to celebrate, BBC Two has commissioned a 90-minute film that will explore the origins of the series, the BBC said Thursday.

"An Adventure in Space and Time" will "tell the story of the genesis of 'Doctor Who,'" the BBC said. "Exploring all aspects of the longest-running science fiction series to date, the special one-off 90-minute drama will also look at the many personalities involved in bringing the series to life."


"Doctor Who" was first broadcast in November 1963, and has gone through several iterations, with numerous actors playing the Doctor. (Matt Smith, the 11th actor to tackle the role, is the latest.)

"Doctor Who" writer/actor Mark Gatiss penned the 90-minute special, with "Doctor Who" showrunner Steven Moffat and executive producer Caroline Skinner executive producing.

"This is the story of how an unlikely set of brilliant people created a true television original," Gatiss said. "And how an actor -- [original Doctor] William Hartnell -- stereotyped in hard-man roles became a hero to millions of children. I've wanted to tell this story for more years than I can remember! To make it happen for Doctor Who's 50th birthday is quite simply a dream come true."

Casting for the movie will be announced next year, along with production and broadcast schedules.

[Bullwinkle]

Whew!  I'm not sure I actually want the origin of Doctor Who.

Unless they did it like DC did for a Secret Origins issue on the Phantom Stranger where they actually had a bunch of different writers and artists put together origins, any of which might have been true (or it might have been none of them).

You could have a bunch of the actors reprise the role and have each origin told from the perspective of people who encountered him over time.

[Turtle]

It's the origin of the TV show, not the character.

[hepcat]

You guys know it's the origin of the tv show and not the character, right?

 

[CeeKay]

That's what they want you to believe 

[metallicorphan]

that's what i said underneath the first line of quote so people wouldn't think it was that kind of origin

BBC have been doing a few of these kind of things recently on the lesser watched BBC channels,there was one on last year about the 'Carry On....' films,and one that won some kind of award(prolly a BAFTA) about the public battle that got ugly between Amstrad and Sinclair for UK Home Computer dominance in the 80s which actually starred Martin Freeman they have been well made and interesting to watch

as you may know i am not much of a Dr Who fan,but i may catch this it could be interesting especially as they usually get a decent sized name to star in them

[hepcat]

Man, I hope the movie is about how the character came to be and not the tv show.

[Bullwinkle]

Whew!  I'm not sure I actually want the origin of Doctor Who.

Unless they did it like DC did for a Secret Origins issue on the Phantom Stranger where they actually had a bunch of different writers and artists put together origins, any of which might have been true (or it might have been none of them).

You could have a bunch of the actors reprise the role and have each origin told from the perspective of people who encountered him over time.

[Purge]

It's like skimming a bunch of Bullwinkle posts in here.

I hope it's about how he got to be a doctor. Perhaps some crazy college hijinks ala Van Wilder, except instead of a bulldog, they milk a Dalek.

[metallicorphan]

I hope it's about how he got to be a doctor. Perhaps some crazy college hijinks ala Van Wilder, except instead of a bulldog, they milk a Dalek.

Eugh...you had to remind me of that VW scene,you know i could not even drink milk for a few weeks after seeing that,knocked me sick

And no,that is not some invitation(Ceekay)to put up a picture of it

[CeeKay]

And no,that is not some invitation(Ceekay)to put up a picture of it

I don't remember a milk scene from VW, but Kingpin had a hilarious one.

[hepcat]

Anyone find out yet whether or not this movie will be about the origins of the character or the origins of the tv show?

[JCC]

It is most definitely a drama about the creation of the series. It is not a drama on the origin of the Doctor.

Link

The BBC have confirmed that a special ninety minute drama has been commissioned to mark the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who. An Adventure in Space and Time will explore the creation of the series in 1963, looking at all aspects of the process and the variety of personalities involved in bringing the longest running science fiction show to life.

Writer Mark Gattis:

This is the story of how an unlikely set of brilliant people created a true Television original. And how an actor - William Hartnell - stereotyped in hard-man roles became a hero to millions of children. I've wanted to tell this story this for more years than I can remember! To make it happen for 'Doctor Who's 50th birthday is quite simply a dream come true.

[metallicorphan]

What,was Hepcat serious?,i thought he was being an ass



I always thought the Peter Cushing movies came first....I guess not


For some reason my mum every now and then likes to 'show off' that she went to the cinema to see the Peter Cushing's 'Dr Who and the Daleks' and 'Daleks Invasion Earth:2150 A.D.' films..shame it's wasted on me with not being a fan     (I've seen those films though on T.V.....about 30 years ago,LOL)..it's funny because this is from someone who took me to see Back to the Future in 1985 and didn't understand how Marty could disappear if he didn't get his parents back together,so i am pretty sure Sci-Fi isn't her strongest suit 

[CeeKay]

The movie is about the origin of the drama from the figuring out if the was about the origins of the character or the origin of the series, right?

[hepcat]

What,was Hepcat serious?,i thought he was being an ass

<pssst...I'm poking harmless fun at the couple of posts immediately following yours asking the same question that you answered IN your post>

Now, back on topic...where we at on the whole "origin of the character or the tv show" question?

[Bullwinkle]

What,was Hepcat serious?,i thought he was being an ass

<pssst...I'm poking harmless fun at the couple of posts immediately following yours asking the same question that you answered IN your post>

Now, back on topic...where we at on the whole "origin of the character or the tv show" question?

Actually, they mostly re-answer a question that was never asked, but was already answered in mo's post.

[hepcat]

I guess Turtle's post was what made me think people were questioning it.  Can't a guy troll in peace every now and again without stupid things like facts gettin' in the way!?