Doctor Who 2005: The Second Half

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The old thread has reached 1000 posts pretty much so as Pete says time for a regeneration. Post your plot holes, Bad Wolf references, dodgy cameos, gay agendas, continuity quibbles, ratings speculations, magic mobile phones and reinventions of Saturday night TV here please!

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 9 May 2005 10:08 (twenty years ago)

Bah, some regeneration. This thread looks exactly like the old one.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:16 (twenty years ago)

Yes but it has a Scottish accent.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:17 (twenty years ago)

it's not as good as the who thread on greenspun

― ja (_ja_), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:24 (twenty years ago)

Lots of planets have a Scotland.

Serious note, I thought it was good the way the got rid of Adam. Almost as if to say, he's not our kind of chap - he keeps asking questions rather than getting involved/he does everything for himself rather than others...
(Tho perhaps a bit unfair on him).

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:26 (twenty years ago)

Yes I liked the whole "what does it take to be a companion" subplot, it answers well a question nobody had ever really asked. Though it does make one wonder about some of the lame-arse companions he has been saddled with. "I only take the best" - ahem TURLOUGH??? Maybe it was the shorts.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:32 (twenty years ago)

NB I wuv Turlough.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:32 (twenty years ago)

Silly speculation from Outpost Gallifrey — Adam is First Cyberman shocker!

(or perhaps not)

― carson dial (carson dial), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:35 (twenty years ago)

Ooooh! I like it!

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:39 (twenty years ago)

Tom, you and me was 'bout to have a what? NERDFIGHT! because Turlough is k-awesome.

I really liked the way they dealt with Adam. It was kind of great to watch someone do something egregiously wrong and see the Doctor punt him out of the TARDIS for it. Also, I kind of thought Adam sucked ass and if anyone was going to play the role of hapless companion, it should be Mickey.

I also like how this episode sets up the next episode in terms of companion "betrayal" (too tired/unfocused to think of a better word there).

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

(Also was anyone else giggling at the infoginas every time they were revealed?)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

Yeah Turlough is grebt but if the criteria for TARDIS kick-off include selfishness, cowardice, lack of curiosity etc then, um, yeah.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:47 (twenty years ago)

But clearly Turlough was on the verge of getting kicked out of the TARDIS until "Enlightenment" came around! Weren't they on the verge of shooting him out of an airlock in "Terminus"?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:50 (twenty years ago)

Yeah but I'm only talking about AFTER Enlightenment, I was discreeetly not mentioning the episodes where he was actually trying to murder the Doctor!

From r.a.dw (not about gay menace amazingly)

"My sister-in-law who works in the BBC Newsroom tells me....

...it really is far too hot in the Newsroom as the aircon never works
properly and there are no windows.

...the management all inhabit the 5th floor, and people who are promoted up
there really are never seen again.

...the Director General of the BBC, Mark Thompson, also has the title
'editor in chief' of BBC News and once bit an underling he didn't like (so
I'm assured), hence the huge teeth of the Jagro-thingie.

The BBC isn't 91 years old, it's 81 years old. Close enough."

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

Infoginas. ClassiXor.

Unlikelihood of Adam being first Cyberman
a) Cyberman in the museum last week clearly predates him
b) Cybermen do not have infoginas
c) Cybermen come from Mondas/Telos/ somewhere-else rubbish
d) Its a rubbish idea.

I wonder if they did anything else to him. Not just the ice-cube vomit thing? Maybe he pisses out slush puppies.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

I just realized that Adam is the onscreen rendering of Grant Markham, the world's worst companion. Ew.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 9 May 2005 13:24 (twenty years ago)

The point is on paper Adam is a really good companion, genius, loves space & technology, inquisitive. But its the wrong kind of inquisitiveness, the wrong kind of lack of adventure bumbler. It also allowed Rose briefly to have the Doctor thing, of watching someone else share "her" adventures and her being the smart one (hence the triffic intro).

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 9 May 2005 13:32 (twenty years ago)

Theory read on fansite somewhere: Adam is Bad Wolf OMG WOW etc. This would be so k-lame if true.

(It also requires him to turn into the Face of Boe though so maybe it is actually grebt.)

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 9 May 2005 16:26 (twenty years ago)

Adam is definitely coming back. I mean, he's got an easily-exposed infogina and he pukes popsicles; he's destined either to become evil or get dissected by someone evil. Imagine if the coup woman from "Dalek" finds out about him!

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 9 May 2005 16:32 (twenty years ago)

talking of coup woman - the secretary usurping bad guy is one of my fave who things. right now i can only recall it in Caves of Androzana - which is tremendously OTT in that sub-plot with all the talking to camera stuff.

― ja (_ja_), Monday, 9 May 2005 16:56 (twenty years ago)

Considering Rose got off scot-free for letting loose a Dalek capable of killing everyone in Salt Lake City, I think the Doctor was a bit harsh on Adam. Sounds like she's in for a bollocking next episode though.

Dan OTM re: Mickey, though.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 9 May 2005 19:29 (twenty years ago)

I think intention is a big factor there, Matt; there's a world of difference between accidentally unleashing a terrible evil upon the Earth because you felt sorry for it and wanted to do something nice (an unintentional side-product being to sow the seeds of said evil's self-termination) and using every bit of technology you can find to send messages back in time to yourself so that you can pimp out in a techno stylee when you get back home (an unintentional side-product being telling the bad guys every secret you've learned about your new friends).

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 9 May 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

I just noticed that http://whoisdoctorwho.co.uk/ (currently run by Mickey) is being mirrored at http://www.bad-wolf.co.uk/

The former is inside a single frame in the latter, with the page title changed to "but not yet..."

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Tuesday, 10 May 2005 11:52 (twenty years ago)

Evidence A) Mickey runs who-is-Doctor-Who, mirrored by bad wolf.
Evidence B) Welsh girl telling Rose she has seen the Bad Wolf in episode 3.
Evidence C) Bad Wolf Graffiti in Aliens Of London.

Snap conclusion: Mickey = Bad Wolf. Doctor is always putting him down after all, he is a bit niffed by him. Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf (Doctor Who Is Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf).

Why am I even giving this nonsense the time of day in my head is beyond me.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 10 May 2005 12:51 (twenty years ago)

Bad Wolf is actually an anagram of Adolf BW - further support to my belief that the Time War was orchestrated by a monochromatic Hitler revived via the implantation of a human brain, specifically Adric's.

― $V£N! (blueski), Tuesday, 10 May 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

Bad Wolf is also an anagram of Blow Fad, so maybe the Doctor is going to get chased by trendy socialites looking for interstellar cocaine?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 10 May 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

Also Flab Woad: maybe Dr Eccles will become overweight and get Ancient British tattoos?

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Tuesday, 10 May 2005 13:02 (twenty years ago)

"Bad Flow": The Doctor and Rose are swept up in a vortex of menses; can they assemble the Maxipad of Time before the universe is completely red-washed?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 10 May 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

i think chazbaps sound like a troughton era alien.

Dr Who and the Chazbaps

― ja (_ja_), Tuesday, 10 May 2005 13:14 (twenty years ago)

Not entirely sure about tonight's episode - the Doctor has been through eight former regenerations, tons of human companions, and it doesn't occur to him that taking Rose back would be a Bad idea Indeed?

Liked the reaper/chronovore-type things, and the telephone messages from Alexander Graham Bell, but as a whole it didn't work too well for me (and those who have been annoyed about the Doctor's hands-off handling of affairs must have been really pissed off when the Doctor had a chat with the reaper).

― carson dial (carson dial), Saturday, 14 May 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and if they're going to bring up the paradox stuff, then Rose's question of why the Doctor can do what he does needed to be addressed better than "'cause I know better!"

― carson dial (carson dial), Saturday, 14 May 2005 18:24 (twenty years ago)

the doctor-should-know-better stuff was sort of covered in who confidential by them saying (again) how the doctor as well as rose is on a steep learning curve. though all of them pretty much agreed yeah, we know, he should know better by now... but rose is diff to all other companions etc etc... i still love everything about this series. and the reapers were seriously cool.

― emsk, Saturday, 14 May 2005 18:30 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and little Mickey! Probably a little too cute, but I liked that moment as well. Confidential is itself getting on my nerves a bit, as it tries too hard to drive home that this series is "TEH BEST EVER! WITH A PROPER FEMALE COMPANION!", but I like the old actors pointing out that they did similar things in the past.

The reapers were splendid. But the incidental music - oy. Was it just me, or was there an odd, almost out-of-tune note at the end of every sad bit?

― carson dial (carson dial), Saturday, 14 May 2005 18:40 (twenty years ago)

The Streets!

Rose: This hasn't come out yet.

Dad: Thank god for that.

It was... emotional.

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Saturday, 14 May 2005 18:57 (twenty years ago)

"out-of-tune note" was deliberate wunnit. it was time warping.

for 5 mins it looks like the doctor will DO something to save the day in incomprehensible timelord way, but hurrah is foiled and we get the sapphire & steel end we were expecting.

― ja (_ja_), Saturday, 14 May 2005 19:04 (twenty years ago)

Good.

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Saturday, 14 May 2005 19:07 (twenty years ago)

Bad Wolf update: on the Thatcher posters at the beginning of the episode apparently.

― carson dial (carson dial), Saturday, 14 May 2005 19:34 (twenty years ago)

Not the best I've seen, but ja has the twist down pat, I think. Saved the episode.

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 14 May 2005 20:45 (twenty years ago)

Well done overall, but I'm not sure it felt quite as should have, overall. Might have looked more genuinely 80s for me if they'd shot it on video.

Some good writing for the regulars, and yes, it did what was asked of it (demonstrating problems associated with time meddling; filling in Rose's deeper past), but were all of the incidental elements quite there? I didn't ultimately feel as embroiled and emotionally engaged in this as in those final McCoy stories. Is this the music? Which is much too safe where it should get under your skin, as Mark Ayres and Dominic Glynn's pieces for stuff like "Ghost Light" and "Survival" did for me.

Not sure how easy it was to engage that much with the background setting and characters, as the 45 mins (in fact, 43 for this one; the shortest so far! ;)) sped by... DW book veteran Cornell does a good job overall, I would say, but did it all quite gel as a production?

― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 15 May 2005 00:15 (twenty years ago)

One of those final notes in the music (last time Rose talked to her dad in the church?) was some kind of electronic processing bizniz applied to the last couple seconds, stretching it out, which would appear to go against the logic of what we assume that kinda music is "for". that said the music in the touching bits seems more alienating than anything, really.

did the radiophonic workshop last into the mccoy days? n.b. i'm way too young to have any kind of memories of critically watching doctor who, although i am informed i was of the legion of sofa-hiders

no one has mentioned that victor meldrew is in the next one yet, have they?

― tom west (thomp), Sunday, 15 May 2005 00:51 (twenty years ago)

i think everything going on with 'ordinary'-vs-'extraordinary' lives seems to be in great danger of being wasted if the finale doesn't do anything good with it, although i'd need to rewatch some of them to justify that

― tom west (thomp), Sunday, 15 May 2005 00:54 (twenty years ago)

I thought it was a wonderful episode, no problems with it at all. Probably my favourite so far, in fact. The only bit of incidental music I didn't like was the crappy drum'n'bass bit when the Doctor looks like he's going to save the day.

The late emo McCoys don't compare IMO cos they have Sophie Bloody Allred in them.

― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 15 May 2005 08:04 (twenty years ago)

I saw the Dalek one. It may be the first Doctor Who episode ever that I watched from start to finish!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 15 May 2005 08:06 (twenty years ago)

Bad Wolf was graffiti on the lower of the two "ENERGIZE" rave posters.

― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 15 May 2005 08:18 (twenty years ago)

Fantastic episode! Really good use of 45 minute format as well, really terrific characterisation, esp from Doctor and Rose, and properly sci fi plot as well. Little bit more about Timelord's former role, their status above merely being part of the time stream etc. Doctor's decision to not condemn Rose's Dad for a second time, to save ordinary people because he admires, or at least thoroughly respects, them, to indulge Rose's wish to see her father in the first place - all very significant in my book. Note that he wasn't around after the TARDIS ploy had failed, avoiding the conflict of him choosing to Mr Tyler that the car was for him.

― h., Sunday, 15 May 2005 09:51 (twenty years ago)

God, I almost cried at this episode. Heaven help me when I have children.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Sunday, 15 May 2005 19:53 (twenty years ago)

torrent link plz dp

― kyle (akmonday), Sunday, 15 May 2005 20:01 (twenty years ago)

yeah anyone got an xvid torrent?

CURSE YOU MPAA

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Sunday, 15 May 2005 20:04 (twenty years ago)

also curse you SciFi channel for not picking it up, I would have just watched, you know

― kyle (akmonday), Sunday, 15 May 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

Paraphrasing here but, Rose had a line where she mentioned something to the Doctor about giving Mickey Jr a lifelong 'mother hen' or 'mother chicken' impression. Hmmm.

― mzui (mzui), Sunday, 15 May 2005 20:16 (twenty years ago)

Might have looked more genuinely 80s for me if they'd shot it on video.

Mmmm but the 'reapers' would've blended appallingly with video innit.

― $Vï¿½N! (blueski), Sunday, 15 May 2005 20:20 (twenty years ago)

I've watched the episode again and have decided that it really is one of the best ever. EVER.

― h., Sunday, 15 May 2005 21:18 (twenty years ago)

There's a torrent available at TorrentSpy.

― scotstvo (scotstvo), Sunday, 15 May 2005 21:45 (twenty years ago)

It made me feel like a filthy bastard.
Rose holds close to the doctor, then looks up at him and asks "have you got something hard?"

But of course, it was "hot". Teh keye!!

― Øystein (Øystein), Sunday, 15 May 2005 22:23 (twenty years ago)

The only thing that would have improved it is if it were called "Something For The Dad".

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 16 May 2005 05:40 (twenty years ago)

Nice try, but not even in the same emotional galaxy as When Buffy's Mother Died.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 16 May 2005 06:36 (twenty years ago)

Even I nearly blubbed during Rose/Dad scene. 'Kin hell.

― $V£N! (blueski), Monday, 16 May 2005 08:03 (twenty years ago)

The suggestion was that if the Time Lords were still around, then they would have stopped the Doctor from going there, or at least sorted it out afterwards to be set in the same ways. It had plenty of plot holes (as time paradox episodes ALWAYS do) and did not really need the bird things - it might have been spookier without 'em. Liked the "death of the Doctor" though.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 16 May 2005 08:33 (twenty years ago)

I sort of agree actually - the spookiest scenes (with the phone, the car radio, the killer car re-appearing) were all before the monsters showed up.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 16 May 2005 08:37 (twenty years ago)

first DVD is out today (first 3 episodes). they are calling it

"Doctor Who : Series 1 Volume 1"

which is just plain wrong. wonder if the confidentials are going to be on the dvd or broadcast anywhere other than bbc3? they add quite a bit.

― koogs (koogs), Monday, 16 May 2005 09:02 (twenty years ago)

Generally I think Confidential is a bit rub as in it's tailored for newcomers TOO much, is annoyingly edited and narrated (and I'm actually a Pegg fan) - would rather just have all the web content (Making The Dalek, or whatever) on the DVD in good quality.

― $V£N! (blueski), Monday, 16 May 2005 09:11 (twenty years ago)

Confidential won't be on the box set DVDs apparently, I don't think it will be on these either.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 16 May 2005 09:13 (twenty years ago)

xpost - My annoyance at the amount they apparently add is growing by the week. Or possibly just relative to the feeling that the show should stretch its wings a bit, story-length wise.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 16 May 2005 09:21 (twenty years ago)

They never add anything to the story, other than RTD going "Ooh I wonder who installed the Jagrafess eh viewers" last week.

I think the last few weeks have settled down into the 45 minute format very well, or rather that I've got used to it.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 16 May 2005 09:25 (twenty years ago)

mzui, she said she's "imprinted" herself on mickey, no? (tho might've missed mother hen line as football came over wall into garden and v small kid was trying to clamber over to rescue it so had to go get it for him before he fell off and landed on head or sth) either way, i thought that bit was sweet.

― emsk, Monday, 16 May 2005 09:32 (twenty years ago)

They never add anything to the story, other than RTD going "Ooh I wonder who installed the Jagrafess eh viewers" last week.

- Well, they also said "all will be revealed at a later date" too.

― M Carty (mj_c), Monday, 16 May 2005 09:56 (twenty years ago)

BBC3 always falls down when I try to watch confidential. Or more likely I am in ver pub.

DVD release schedule seems a bit stupid, they should make people hold out for the box set - which is the done thing these days.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 16 May 2005 10:28 (twenty years ago)

Ugh, apparently, the DVD episodes still keep the "Next Week" trails in them...

― carson dial (carson dial), Monday, 16 May 2005 10:33 (twenty years ago)

Bad show BBC. This will be a big seller, it should not be so shonky.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 16 May 2005 10:34 (twenty years ago)

A quick up-to-speed kit of the first three episodes, for those who are interested by the buzz but terrified of 40 years of history, is a pretty good idea, nicked from the world of comics. The Volume 1 suggests they'll do more in this format though, which is a bit silly if there's also a enormo set.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 16 May 2005 10:39 (twenty years ago)

It worked for South Park, though; they didn't start doing full season DVD sets until after the movie IIRC.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 16 May 2005 11:08 (twenty years ago)

WORLDWIDE SALES, innit.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 16 May 2005 11:14 (twenty years ago)

Nice try, but not even in the same emotional galaxy as When Buffy's Mother Died.

Not really a fair comparison. We had four years of Joyce as a recurring character on Buffy, so killing her off was always going to be a big deal emotionally. DW had one episode to establish Rose's dad as a character and then kill him off, and considering that I think they did pretty well.

― Philip Alderman (Phil A), Monday, 16 May 2005 15:17 (twenty years ago)

I liked the way her Dad worked it out pretty quickly, once he had worked out she was time traveling. And he also worked out that she had come back to save him AND that this might well be a bad idea. Its nice when people in genre fiction think about the consequences of the ridiculous plots.

(Of course nothing that happened actually made ANY sense but...)

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 16 May 2005 15:46 (twenty years ago)

I've been downloading the Confidentials but hadn't planned to watch any until after the end of the series, so fearful am I of spoilers. Am I just being daft though? Could I safely watch them now? Might they even be completely obsolete by the time the series ends?

― JimD (JimD), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:36 (twenty years ago)

I think there's one monster-sort-of-thing who turns up in the opening Confidential titles who we haven't seen yet, but aside from that you're safe. Oh and RTD talks in broad terms about what he likes and doesn't like in Dr Who, which implicitly closes off certain possibilities but doesn't directly spoil anything.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:38 (twenty years ago)

I've only seen a few but they usually refer mainly to the week's episode that's just been broadcast, with clips from earlier episodes in this series, and much older clips from William Hartnell onwards. No spoilers at all.

― M Carty (mj_c), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:38 (twenty years ago)

Why they don't go anywhere else in the universe?

I'm enjoying the series.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:40 (twenty years ago)

I felt sorry for the Dalek most of all, that was the most emotionally involved episode I think.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

Here's my speculation as to the dramatic reasons.

As for a plot reason why they don't go anywhere else - either the Doctor doesn't want to, or they do go to other places but it isn't being shown, or someone else doesn't want them to.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:43 (twenty years ago)

OMG Rose's Dad Was A DALEK!!!

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

Hmmm, good points Tom.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:45 (twenty years ago)

Yep, Rose dad has to die so he become Davros, or something.

Where is K-9???

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:47 (twenty years ago)

The first K-9 was on Gallifrey last we saw him so he's probably dead.

The second one is presumably kicking around the home counties but he must be getting on a bit and I'd guess it's hard to get the parts.

Dan, has K-9 ever turned up in the books?

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:51 (twenty years ago)

The second K-9 was in E-Space with Romana before she came back to be President of Gallifrey; presumably he's dead too.

The third K-9 is hanging out with Sarah Jane Smith and Sam Jones in Croyden somewhere. (K-9 played an integral role in Interference.)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:57 (twenty years ago)

God I'd forgotten there were three. Shows how much I know.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 16 May 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)

The CBC is two episodes behind but I can't stop myself from reading this thread!

― Leon Federline (Ex Leon), Monday, 16 May 2005 17:26 (twenty years ago)

K9 DEAD?!?!?! That's worse than Bambi's Mum, except we didn't get to see it, so it's not really.

― $V£N! (blueski), Monday, 16 May 2005 17:39 (twenty years ago)

One plot reason might be that the Doctor is breaking in Rose easily, in that nearly everything they've seen to date has a recognizable face. It's more like a series of daytrips than a holiday.

Tom, were the UNIT years like what you were talking about in the article, or were they more "life in the proto-X-files was strange, imagine that"?

Has Doctor Who ever actually addressed "What the hell's so special about Earth?". The Human Empire seems to deal with that a bit (or at least "What's so special about cabon-based bipeds?")

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 16 May 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

I wish the TARDIS would go to Brazil so the Doctor can be pursued by El Chupacabras.

― $V£N! (blueski), Monday, 16 May 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

I was thinking t'other day: has there ever been a Doctor Who episode set in Oxford?

― MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 16 May 2005 20:50 (twenty years ago)

Andrew: no, and I was going to mention that in the article but I forgot. The UNIT years were all set on Earth (hurrah!) but they all had only two locations - UNIT HQ which looked a bit like a school science block, and whichever place served as the focal point for the invasion (a power station, a prison, a quaint village, a wicked corporation). There's generally a strong sense the stories are set in England but not that they're affecting ordinary English people. There are exceptions - the shop-window dummies in Spearhead From Space, the plague in The Silurians - but location filming in towns and cities was mostly beyond the production budget, and even then the victims are anonymous.

Mark: Not that I can remember. Two in Cambridge, one of which (Shada) was filmed on location in real actual Cambridge, but then never actually transmitted.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 05:47 (twenty years ago)

apart from that one bit used in The Five Doctors right?

― $V£N! (blueski), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 08:26 (twenty years ago)

In books, there's a Fifth Doctor/Nyssa book (Asylum) set in 18th Century Oxford, and an Eighth Doctor/Ace/Benny book (The Dimension Riders) partially set in Oxford.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 08:41 (twenty years ago)

The cliffhangers inside episodes is causing me to think that this might be as close as we get to 2000AD: the TV series.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 09:19 (twenty years ago)

sven is teh geek :-)

― ja (_ja_), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 09:19 (twenty years ago)

I blubbed during the Rose/Dad death scene but thought the episode on the whole was kinda rubbish - those monsters were shite

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 09:30 (twenty years ago)

- There'll be a complete series 1 box set, packaged in a big tin TARDIS box, with arseloads of extras including commentaries

- Earth is the Doctor's favourite planet, he said so a few times in the old series

- They don't leave Earth because the writers very deliberately want this show to be about the human condition. Going to alien planets now would, well, alienate a lot of viewers. Tom's theory is a bloody good one.

- One of the books goes to a different planet I think, because in the author's notes he thanks Russell T Davies for letting him take Rose to her first alien planet [the new covers SUCK btw]

- My wife, who until seeing this new series hated Doctor Who with a passion, actually cried at the end of Father's Day. SO DID I. Doctor Who never used to make people cry ffs [Nicola Bryant's accent notwithstanding]

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 20 May 2005 00:09 (twenty years ago)

Also I'm dead glad they didn't leap for the nearest OMG ALTERNATE FUTURE plot with this episode, instead focusing on all the dissonant nasty shit that happens if the time line is buggered up in some way.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 20 May 2005 00:10 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, man, Rose's dad, what a performance.

What did I see in next week's preview? Do the WW2-era RAF have a UFO-shaped time machine of their own?

― Michael Stuchbery (Mikey Bidness), Friday, 20 May 2005 01:19 (twenty years ago)

i hope they come to their senses and redesign that box set. if i want a model toy tardis i have plenty of options already. just give us a nice cardboard case with slimline cases for each dvd a la the family guy box sets.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 20 May 2005 02:04 (twenty years ago)

and yeah, re: father's day, wowee... i don't think doctor who has ever been like that before. yahoo!

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 20 May 2005 02:06 (twenty years ago)

I was disappointed that rose's dad wasn't dennis waterman.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 20 May 2005 04:57 (twenty years ago)

What else has that actor been in?

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 20 May 2005 07:46 (twenty years ago)

Err, bugger all really. Loads of serious TV drama. Great performance though.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0227681/

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 20 May 2005 07:56 (twenty years ago)

I thought he was one of the double take brothers, when I thought about it, but he isn't.

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 20 May 2005 08:21 (twenty years ago)

I was disappointed that rose's dad wasn't dennis waterman.

"i wanna do the theme tune..."

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 20 May 2005 08:26 (twenty years ago)

Dude, Captain Jack Harkness, what a bitchin' name for a swashbuckling time traveller from earth's far future.

― Michael Stuchbery (Mikey Bidness), Friday, 20 May 2005 08:29 (twenty years ago)

John Barrowman, (Captain Jack Daniels) was on BBC Brekfast this morning enthusing about its coolness. He also made the presenter dissolve into fits of goo when he used his glaswegian accent.

He is well known for his roles in stage musicals suggesting that when Tennant comes on board, a musical episode cannot be far away.

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 20 May 2005 08:40 (twenty years ago)

Shit.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 20 May 2005 10:22 (twenty years ago)

I was so hoping that Captain Jack would be an old sea dog a la Captains Haddock and Birds Eye.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 20 May 2005 10:25 (twenty years ago)

It's a Billy Joel song isn't it (*retires behind screen to shoot oneself*)

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 20 May 2005 10:27 (twenty years ago)

This week's looks fun...

BBC: 'Horrible' Dr Who episode toned down

― Si Carter (Si Carter), Friday, 20 May 2005 10:29 (twenty years ago)

Written by Steve Moffat of Press Gang and Coupling gubbins. Should be good.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 20 May 2005 10:30 (twenty years ago)

Bisexuality ahoy!!!
There's one in the eye for the gaysayers on Gallifrey one.

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 20 May 2005 13:33 (twenty years ago)

The spoilers for episode 12 on Outpost Gallifrey make it sound SO AWFUL! and yet SO FASCINATING.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 20 May 2005 13:34 (twenty years ago)

pointers plz

― ja (_ja_), Friday, 20 May 2005 13:38 (twenty years ago)

(I am so happy that everyone else has discovered Outpost Gallifrey; it is no longer my secret shame)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 20 May 2005 13:46 (twenty years ago)

the fear panel on bbc site is great this week. genuinely frightened young children. yay!

― ja (_ja_), Friday, 20 May 2005 13:47 (twenty years ago)

Billie leaving mid-series 2, apparently.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 20 May 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)

Er…

http://bigbrother.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds7609.html

*speechless*

― carson dial (carson dial), Friday, 20 May 2005 16:24 (twenty years ago)

(link contains possible spoilers)

― carson dial (carson dial), Friday, 20 May 2005 16:26 (twenty years ago)

Oh My God. That had better be true.

A musical Dr Who ep would be great.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 20 May 2005 16:37 (twenty years ago)

there's actually an audio drama called doctor who and the pirates that is a musical. it's pretty entertaining.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Saturday, 21 May 2005 04:44 (twenty years ago)

It's on at 6.30 tonight, not 7.00. So everyone should make sure they don't miss it. It's in a 40 minute slot too. Hmm.

― JimD (JimD), Saturday, 21 May 2005 14:21 (twenty years ago)

wow thanks for the reminder! i'd have missed it

― Slumpman (Slump Man), Saturday, 21 May 2005 14:42 (twenty years ago)

Aww, I tried so hard to look for the Bad Wolf reference this week, and missed it *again*.

Capt Jack Harkness = worst character ever. Billie in Union Jack t-shirt = worst plot device ever. However, I quite liked the stylised floating-over-London-on-a-barrage-balloon sequence, like Moulin Rouge meets Mary Poppins with added German bombers.

Also, THEY'VE DROPPED THE SPOILERS! (or at least done the credits first then warning you that the preview is coming up if you want to turn over)

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 21 May 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

It's an unofficial Invisibles cross-over! Heh. Not bad at all, and really creepy at points!

― carson dial (carson dial), Saturday, 21 May 2005 17:30 (twenty years ago)

Grr, I missed this agane!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 21 May 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

It's on at 6.30 tonight, not 7.00.

Arsebuckets!

― Andrew Farrell in Boston with two VCRs on at home (afarrell), Saturday, 21 May 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

Andrew, I'll tape the BBC Three repeat for you tomorrow, if you like.

I was genuinely scared by tonight's episode. If you know me you'll know that's not difficult, but there's no way I could have watched this as a child. It features things at the door trying to get in, as well as remorseless oncoming horrors and things changing into other things. All the ingredients for terror.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Saturday, 21 May 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

Oh god yes, the part with the child at the door sticking its hand through the letterbox, and The Doctor trying to ask it questions, was *terrifying*

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 21 May 2005 21:23 (twenty years ago)

This one was really excellent; and rather reminded me of bits of Moffat's 1st series "Press Gang" story with the girl and the chalk drawings on the ground... along with a visual "Sapphire and Steel" influence.

Interesting developments with Rose's character; she's coming across as a lot less the identification figure now, a bit more assertive and questionable in her actions... methinks they are building up to something.

Not sure if Captain Jack worked that well - and I'd expected he might be really good; as it happens he seemed a truly pale shadow of a Zaphod Beeblebrox type adventurer - but it didn't detract overall much.

Overall, this was a cracker, and close to my favourite so far (2nd, 3rd and maybe 6th are other contenders); CE's Doctor was at his most consistently engaging, no question. Richard Wilson terrific... well-structured writing.

Not sure about this 'Big Brother'-themed episode... postmodernist genius in the offing, or a potential debasement of Dr Who? Could the point not be made by allegory...? Certainly sounds a lunatic idea that could go either way.

― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 22 May 2005 01:04 (twenty years ago)

In the old series Nancy would have had 'companion alert!' written all over her. Still hope she makes it through the next episode.

― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 22 May 2005 07:54 (twenty years ago)

Rose falls in love in every story = Teh New Ace.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Sunday, 22 May 2005 07:57 (twenty years ago)

Captain Jack is a tit.

― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 22 May 2005 08:01 (twenty years ago)

He's *supposed* to be a tit surely?

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 22 May 2005 08:05 (twenty years ago)

Yes. But he's still a tit.

― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 22 May 2005 08:07 (twenty years ago)

Saw the second half last night with a group of people, which, although they were all largely well behaved, wasn't hte perfect circs for an episode like this one.

Rewatched it this morning, though: still really effective on a second viewing. This realy would have been a talked-about for weeks episode if I were a youngster. The kind of thing that seeds nostalgia conversations in later years. Great!

― h., Sunday, 22 May 2005 08:49 (twenty years ago)

Is this the first time Dr Who has acknowlegded Star Trek?

― h., Sunday, 22 May 2005 08:50 (twenty years ago)

oh no, no bad wolf reference, OH NO

― ja (_ja_), Sunday, 22 May 2005 09:04 (twenty years ago)

In the old series Nancy would have had 'companion alert!' written all over her. Still hope she makes it through the next episode.

I thought that as well. But of course then you'd be taking her away from people who really need her, and do they normally do that with assistants? Aren't they usually kind of, well, a bit spare? Absolutely fantastic acting from her as well. You'd have to be nails hard to keep going if your creepy little brother was following you around trying to... well, we all saw it.

First Dr. Who nightmare in 25 years! Yay me!

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Sunday, 22 May 2005 10:43 (twenty years ago)

bugger, missed this due to being lost in a field in oxfordshire, and won't see it tonight cos am going to shimura curves :( sounds fucking brilliant though, anyone in london got it on vid? i am very well-behaved and responsible and will return it to you safe and fast and stuff.

― emsk, Sunday, 22 May 2005 11:09 (twenty years ago)

Feck. I was supposed to tape it for YMOF and forgot. Sorry, Andrew.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Sunday, 22 May 2005 18:26 (twenty years ago)

aldo_c: did Ace actually *ever* fall in love? In the TV stories at least, I can't even think of one example; the most we have is her tactical 'seduction' of that guard in "The Curse of Fenric".

― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 22 May 2005 22:22 (twenty years ago)

"Remembrance of the Daleks" - Ace falls for a racist.
"Survival" - Ace's childhood sweetheart gets turned into a cheetah.
Love And War - Ace falls for a pyrokinetic who gets turned into a giant mushroom.
Deceit through Set Piece (intermittent) - Ace sleeps with half the universe because she misses Mushroom Man.
Happy Endings - Ace sleeps with Benny's fiance.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 23 May 2005 01:45 (twenty years ago)

PS: This episode = WOW, even with Mr. American Timecrook Wankface.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 23 May 2005 01:47 (twenty years ago)

Loving the Alien - Ace falls for James Dean, gets pork for dinner

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Monday, 23 May 2005 02:08 (twenty years ago)

Summary please? I fell afoul of the 6.30 start.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 23 May 2005 05:15 (twenty years ago)

In Fenric, Ace falls for the Russian leader.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 23 May 2005 05:34 (twenty years ago)

And not once did she fall for the Doctor.

Nor would I with all them question marks.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Monday, 23 May 2005 05:44 (twenty years ago)

Yay! Cybermen for the next series!

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 23 May 2005 11:13 (twenty years ago)

Summary: Doctor & Rose chase rogue time craft to 1941 London where Rose meets a freelance "Time Agent" called Captain Jack and Doctor gets involved with some plucky cockernee kids who are being chased by a spooky child with a gasmask face. Gasmask face turns out to be i) a plague which turns anyone who touches child into gasmask face and ii) linked to time craft. Cliffhanger as Rose, Doctor and Captain J are in a hospital with armie of gasmask zombies bearing down on them.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 23 May 2005 11:19 (twenty years ago)

That was freaking CREEPY!!! That was way the creepiest and scariest Doctor Who in ages! Oh god, I hope someone tapes it for me next weekend as I will be onstage when it's on. Argh.

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Monday, 23 May 2005 11:21 (twenty years ago)

I stand corrected, r.e. Ace, and agreed: these 'romances' are just as vague as Rose's with Captain Jack...

― Tom May (Tom May), Monday, 23 May 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

TOO MANY SPOILERS. My head hurts now.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:07 (twenty years ago)

Bring us the spoilers.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:11 (twenty years ago)

The 'face turning into gasmask' thing is the most ridiculous thing I can remember ever happening in any Dr Who. Richard Wilson was good though.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:13 (twenty years ago)

[spoilers removed and put on new thread]

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:20 (twenty years ago)

[spoilers removed]

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:29 (twenty years ago)

[spoilers removed to new thread]

― Philip Alderman (Phil A), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:32 (twenty years ago)

Do we need a separate spoilers/rumours thread and reaction thread or would that be wanky? I feel guilty now for askin you to spoil cos I know one regular reader of this thread who likes it unspoiled.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:33 (twenty years ago)

Also I will be disappointed if the Face of Boe is not involved somewhere as my rub rumour sources will have lied to me.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:36 (twenty years ago)

If a mod with the interweb skills to do white text intervenes AND TELLS THE REST OF US (OK, me) HOW TO DO IT then that would do.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:38 (twenty years ago)

I didn't think non-mods could do white text; I was under the impression that any html stuff along those lines gets stripped out of new messages.

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:40 (twenty years ago)

I'm a mod but caitlin is right, non-mods can't do it.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:42 (twenty years ago)

I only object to spoilers if they are not VERY clearly signposted. I don't want to read them for anything I view with any interest at all.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 12:01 (twenty years ago)

All of those spoilers SOUND like complete bull anyway (this doesn't mean they are actually true, but I won't believe it til I see it).

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 12:13 (twenty years ago)

RTD's claimed that the last few episodes are him trying to make 60s widescreen Dr Who, huge space opera stuff a la Daleks Masterplan.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 12:16 (twenty years ago)

Do we need a separate spoilers/rumours thread and reaction thread or would that be wanky?

Um, is it wanky? Cos yeah, I'd have preferred not to have read the bits I just did. :(

― JimD (JimD), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 12:26 (twenty years ago)

Sorry Jim -

pre-UK transmission spoilers to go here:

Doctor Who SPOILERS, Rumours and Speculation Thread

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 12:36 (twenty years ago)

Did anyone else see this icily grim story on ananova? http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/story/sm_1408882.html?menu=

Jennifer Ellison replacing Billie sounds like a spectacular case of shark-jumping to me.

― M Carty (mj_c), Friday, 27 May 2005 05:14 (twenty years ago)

She was rotten when she was in Brookside, but possibly because chavette gangster's moll is not the best role to play ever. However a lot of people probably thought Billie would be rubbish also, and she's not.

Why does it have to be a young(er) woman? To give the dads something to look at?

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 27 May 2005 05:30 (twenty years ago)

Zoe Slater instead, please, thanks

― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 27 May 2005 06:05 (twenty years ago)

OG tracked down some other recent stories that her agent leaked to the Daily Star (where this story started) - she's also going to be in a remake of the Poseidon Adventure with Heath Ledger, the next Bond Girl and a third major project I can't remember.

So, this seems as likely as any of the others, but I'd guess she'd struggle to find the time to do more than one. Or they could all be shite.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 27 May 2005 06:09 (twenty years ago)

That's a good point, I was similarly cynical about Bille, but now I think she was a really good choice.
I'd be much more surprised if Jennifer E could make a go of it, though (if this story proves to be anything more than a Daily Star rumour, of course!).

― M Carty (mj_c), Friday, 27 May 2005 06:09 (twenty years ago)

Bit of an xpost from me there - I was referring to ailsa's post above.

But that they could all be shite is also very likely.

― M Carty (mj_c), Friday, 27 May 2005 06:11 (twenty years ago)

Jennifer Ellison seemed like a nice enough girl when I went to a Brookside press reception/pissup and talked to her for a bit there; she must have been all of 15 then (best people being the woman who played Jackie Corkhill, the woman who played Susannah Farnham and dullest being Claire Sweeney, eurgh). She was just about to 'go bad' on the telly and friends and I wrote down a literary recommendation for her: Dirty Weekend by Helen Zahavi.

― suzy (suzy), Friday, 27 May 2005 06:25 (twenty years ago)

You know Dr Who is back when stars' agents are leaking "new companion" stories to the press!

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 27 May 2005 07:50 (twenty years ago)

Can I just say again how bloody good doctor who is and I've only seen a few. Next episode looks very good but this one was fantatstic. Good twists and turns, good pseudo science, gags about bananas, and enough quippy homoeroticism to fuse some brains on planet galiffrey.

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 28 May 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

"I CAN DANCE"

had me in fits

― Slumpman (Slump Man), Saturday, 28 May 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

"Don't you ever get bored? And need to put up a lot of cabinets?"

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Saturday, 28 May 2005 18:17 (twenty years ago)

That episode was CLASSIC. So many great lines (well, I was hoping as much given who was writing it).

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 28 May 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

who wrote it? it was a very good episode.
My favourite bits were
the doctors utter GLEE at everybody surviving (i will say "give me a day like today" the very next time something fortunate happens to me),
and also that they explained the cause of the plague so that the reveal was surprising but also made total sense. i wasn't expecting that. It reminded me of an episode of the outer limits where nanobots cure this guys cancer but carryout other improvements like gills and extra limbs and stuff.

i thought the bots in the episode were going to change the doc's DNA and make him human, but i'm glad they didn't

― Slumpman (Slump Man), Saturday, 28 May 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

"Are you sure you haven't just miscounted?"

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 28 May 2005 18:41 (twenty years ago)

who wrote it? it was a very good episode.

Steven Moffat

"Are you sure you haven't just miscounted?"

I was pleased he managed to get "there *is* a war on, you know" in somewhere.

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 28 May 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

I was pretty confused by this episode. Was it implying that Jack was bisexual? Or did I get the wrong end of the stick? And I didn't really think the nanogenes thing made sense, either. Why would coming in contact with the mother change them, but not coming in contact with any other humans? And by the 200th time someone said "are you my mummy?" I was getting really irritated. An ok episode, still.

― Cathy (Cathy), Saturday, 28 May 2005 18:59 (twenty years ago)

I was watching the confidential, after, (I'm at my parent's and they have a box), and russell TD said "maw-fat", for "moffat", just like cathy did, last week.

what's going on?

I'm not sure how I am going to type its true phoneticisation, though, if anyone challenges me.

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 28 May 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

I will "explain" the nanogenes thing, to you, later.

yes, jack is supposed to be bisexual. I thought I told you, last week.

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 28 May 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

Was it implying that Jack was bisexual?

Yup.

Why would coming in contact with the mother change them, but not coming in contact with any other humans?

Because they shared 50% of their DNA, so the nanobots realised that they were related and that Nancy was who Jamie was looking for. You could try and read in a whole metaphor about repairing the damage caused by not knowing his real mother's identity if you want.

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 28 May 2005 19:02 (twenty years ago)

This was the first episode I thought was any good - some of the dialogue actually made me laugh! I didn't like the way the Dr had to bully the confession out of the girl at the end, though. She seemed ballsy enough to know what to do herself. Alternatively, it would have worked better dramatically if it had been Rose who had sussed it. The bananas business as the bombs fall reminded me of 'Gravity's Rainbow'.

Still not as good as an average episode of Buffy, though.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Saturday, 28 May 2005 20:11 (twenty years ago)

Oh, another of my favourite bits of dialogue was as they were escaping from the hospital:

"DON'T DROP THE BANANA!"

"Why not?

"BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT SOURCE OF POTASSIUM!"

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 28 May 2005 20:15 (twenty years ago)

Oh, I see.

I didn't say maw-fat, I said mo-FATT.

― Cathy (Cathy), Saturday, 28 May 2005 20:38 (twenty years ago)

I would say it MOFF-it.

I missed a fair bit of tonight's one due to inconveniently timed phonecalls and badly planned cooking, but what I saw was really good fun, a bit scary and also funny (bananas, the leg bit I mentioned up there, Eccleston dancing etc). I will watch the repeat of this as from what I saw it seemed like the best one so far.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 28 May 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

It was my favourite so far, for certain.

Amusing to see two "Curse of Fenric" allusions in quick succession (to my knowledge the only other WW2 era-set DW?): Rose's mooted 'distraction of the guard' and Nancy's singing 'rock-a-bye baby...', much as Kathleen Dudman did in an interior in the midst of danger.

Some utterly fantastic lines and inspired surprises and leaps in tone. And "Haha! Only 20 years 'til pop music!" or whatever the Doctor said to that bewildered child, rescued from the dead. It was overall a great story for Eccleston's Doctor, who is centre stage and archetypally the Doctor: silly, ecstatic, moved, hangdog - that great stuff about the Sonic Screwdriver... However good the series may generally have been thus far, the Doctor seemed truly to arrive for me with this two-parter.

― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 29 May 2005 00:25 (twenty years ago)

Agreed, I thought it was the best so far. Spotted those two Fenric refs, I was waiting for Rose to say "There's a breeze getting up..."

It was definitely the episode that most filled TEH GAY AGENDAR so far though. Jack is a brilliant character (omnisexual, according to Barrowman, which ties in with The Doctor's assertion humans "dance" their way across the universe), but we also had gay soldiers ("You aren't Algy's type"), a potentially gay Doctor (he seems willing to "dance" with Jack at the end - "I think The Doctor means Jack can cut in." "Yes, but with which one of us?") and most overtly the means of Nancy's escape ("Everyone thinks your wife's having an affair with Mr [insert butcher's name here4], but she isn't, is she. It's you.").

Much speculation Tennant will be a more Hartnell-esque Doctor to Eccles' Troughton.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Sunday, 29 May 2005 05:36 (twenty years ago)

A racist doctor!

(that double episode was terrific. It made me feel all funny inside when Rose was telling her it was going to be OK and the Germans were going to be OK. Maybe the Doctor overegged it with the welfare state thing though)

(it's hard to believe Steven Moffat was also responsible for Coupling. Actually, it's not that hard. I have a sophisticated worldview these days)

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 29 May 2005 18:14 (twenty years ago)

("The Germans were going to be OK" = "The Germans are going to become valued European partners rather than our evil overlords")

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 29 May 2005 18:16 (twenty years ago)

I wondered if the makers were deliberately trying to get more complaints than the previous 'scary' episode re the gay thing. It was a bit 'madcap' at the end. I'm annoyed Madge Slitheen is back next week.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Sunday, 29 May 2005 18:49 (twenty years ago)

At least if she's back next week it makes it less likely she will be around for the series finale.

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 29 May 2005 18:53 (twenty years ago)

have they had any stories not set on Earth yet? the ones I've seen have been a bit earthbound, which kind of misses the point of being able to travel through time and space.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Sunday, 29 May 2005 20:11 (twenty years ago)

No, they've all been either on Earth or in Earth orbit

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 29 May 2005 20:13 (twenty years ago)

RTD has stated that he's directed that all of the stories should be human orientated, so that audience ampathy is easily invoked. A lot of Earth, then. Moffat reffed it well with a line something like:

"Do we have to come back to Earth every five days, or is that just when we're out of milk?"

― h., Sunday, 29 May 2005 21:33 (twenty years ago)

The http://www.whoisdoctorwho.co.uk/ site has Mickey calling Rose his EX now (at the bottom).

Also, he tellingly suggests that he'll have the new UNIT password soon - more internet hacking in the coming episode then?

― h., Sunday, 29 May 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

First episode I didn't like :(

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Sunday, 29 May 2005 22:14 (twenty years ago)

Schlechter Wolf bombs? My German's not great, but doesn't that mean...?

― scotstvo (scotstvo), Monday, 30 May 2005 10:03 (twenty years ago)

Well, schlecht does mean bad!

― M Carty (mj_c), Monday, 30 May 2005 10:38 (twenty years ago)

Really enjoyed that one. (not much to add to comments upthread)

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 08:09 (twenty years ago)

It's difficult for me to imagine that this episode would have been the first one disliked out of the lot, by anyone... for me it was the best yet encapsulation of Dr Who, whilst being utterly accessible in mainstream terms.

Most criticism seems to have been directed towards ones like "Aliens of London" and "The Long Game".

― Tom May (Tom May), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 22:19 (twenty years ago)

I found the Who Shop last Friday:

http://www.base58.com/photos/london/0505/whoshop_eastham.jpg

right opposite East Ham tube station.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 12:06 (twenty years ago)

Weirdly despite the bi agenda stuff this last one 'felt' most like old Who to me.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 12:14 (twenty years ago)

I'm just glad Nicholas Lyndhurst didn't show up claiming to be the man behind "Yes Sir That's My Baby".

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 12:16 (twenty years ago)

Steve, I used to walk past that shop every day (turn left out of the tube, and my old home road was second on the left).

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 16:13 (twenty years ago)

Doctor Who obsessed kids shockah!

ihttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/aldo_cowpat/charliewho.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/aldo_cowpat/alexwho.jpg

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Saturday, 4 June 2005 09:46 (twenty years ago)

That seriously warms the cockles of my bloated, overloaded heart.

― Mike Stuchbery (Mike Stuchbery), Saturday, 4 June 2005 09:57 (twenty years ago)

Charlie's cyberman is brilliant. I didn't have the heart to tell Alex hers looked like Metal Mickey.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Saturday, 4 June 2005 10:04 (twenty years ago)

Check this out!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1450&item=6537308341&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

― K9, Saturday, 4 June 2005 15:07 (twenty years ago)

I didn't learn Welsh for long, but I know what "blaidd drwg" project means when I hear it.

― lupine lupin (lupinelupin), Saturday, 4 June 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

I think even those like myself who cannot speak a word of welsh knew what it meant!

― K9, Saturday, 4 June 2005 17:29 (twenty years ago)

Yeah. It's a shame the writer didn't think so and had to get the doctor to translate it later on. People would have worked it out anyway.

― lupine lupin (lupinelupin), Saturday, 4 June 2005 17:48 (twenty years ago)

I'm saying the "next issue" blurb, were it not for the fact it had been all over the internet (plus see me on the Spoiler thread) would have been best reveal ever, even better than Earthshock.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Saturday, 4 June 2005 17:51 (twenty years ago)

I've avoided spoilers, thanks to some quick action by the moderators, and the coming episode looks BRILLIANT TIMES MAD TO THE POWER OF BONKERS! And it did work as a terrific reveal to me.

The only thing I suppose I'm worried about is that the Daleks are going to be cheapened by some quite straightforward gameshow as deathtrap parodies. Having said which, the series seems to have avoided such pitfalls so far.

I've a theory about the whole thing, but don't know if discussing it here would count as a spoiler - should even speculation be on the spoiler thread? Of which I've read none.

― h., Saturday, 4 June 2005 18:01 (twenty years ago)

We just watched the "next week" blurb with eyes wide open and chins hitting the ground, and I already *knew* about it thanks to ILE spoilers. It looks like the best thing ever in the history of everything, perhaps. Is it a Russell T Davis-scripted one?

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 4 June 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

Hmm, it reminded me of the more stinky Sylvester McCoy episodes, TBH.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Saturday, 4 June 2005 18:12 (twenty years ago)

Aye, the robot Anne Robinson was a bit gimmicky like the old Bertie Bassett baddie, which is about the only Doctor Who I remember seeing when I was a kid.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 4 June 2005 19:04 (twenty years ago)

It's called Anne Droid (ho ho ho) according to imdb. b-b-but Robot Trinny and Susannah! Big Brother! I have great faith in the abilities of RTD and I will be really disappointed if this isn't the greatest thing ever.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 4 June 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

No thoughts on the actual episode? It was a nice breather, I respected its ambition and I thought the idea of the Doctor facing up to his fly-by-night ways was a good one but in the end it fell a bit flat for me, Mags Slitheen was a bad 'un after all and didn't really deserve the Deus Ex Machina ending.

I liked the character stuff, but fun though Cap'n Jack is they really don't need a second companion which makes me think he might be plot/cannon/wolf fodder.

Next week's trailer: har har, very satirical. Good reveal though!

― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 5 June 2005 18:47 (twenty years ago)

I didn't like this episode. I do not need to see more baddies questioning themselves and coming over all metaphysical. Plus, there is something uncomfortably nerdy about the words "pandimensional surfboard". Eugh.

Mind you, the flirting between Captain Jack and the Doctor was great.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Sunday, 5 June 2005 18:53 (twenty years ago)

Oh god, I'd forgotten the pandimensional surfboard.

Yeah, worst episode of the series, still a decent way of passing 45 minutes tho.

― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 5 June 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

I liked it much more than I thought I was going to. But overall, a bit meh.

Who can say what happened when Margaret looked into the heart of the TARDIS, however, particularly after what happens in the TV Movie.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Sunday, 5 June 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

I enjoyed it, because it was an example of a slower Doctor Who (no real cliffhangers this time), and because I always like well-written "people in a closed room" stories (even if they expanded the room a bit). The end was complete pants, though. "Stare into the Eye of Deus Ex Machina!".

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Sunday, 5 June 2005 20:47 (twenty years ago)

It struck me as a contractual Cardiff episode, included because of the BBC Wales money that had gone into the programme. They got access to any Welsh monument or civic building they needed, it seemed. And there were jokes about the London attitude etc.

― h., Sunday, 5 June 2005 22:43 (twenty years ago)

Has everyone seen:

http://www.badwolf.org.uk/

Sorry if 1) this has been posted before, and 2) if it should go on the spoilers thread, but although it highlights lots, I don't think it gives anything away that asiduous viewers won't have gathered already.

― h., Sunday, 5 June 2005 23:34 (twenty years ago)

"Highlights lots" - this was deliberate and you know about the disclaimers page, right? If not, hie thee to the spoilers thread (where I'm going to post in a bit).

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 6 June 2005 06:12 (twenty years ago)

It struck me as a contractual Cardiff episode, included because of the BBC Wales money that had gone into the programme.

Yes. I did find myself thinking, hey, Cardiff looks quite good. No you fool! That's what they want you to think!

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Monday, 6 June 2005 06:29 (twenty years ago)

No thoughts on The Doctor cheerily dismissing the whole Bad Wolf thing as 'just coincidence' in the previous episode then?

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Monday, 6 June 2005 08:03 (twenty years ago)

My thoughts: "Har har blind fule"

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 6 June 2005 08:15 (twenty years ago)

i am convinced the Deus Ex Machina was deliberately crowbarred in for later plot purposes.

I liked this more than the long game to be honest. the long game did nothing new, this expanded the repertoire of (telly) who stories to include having a chat over dinner with the alien bent on destroying earth. pertwee never recommended this tactic to UNIT.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Monday, 6 June 2005 08:19 (twenty years ago)

I think you might be right about the DEM.

See your point and Long Game isn't a great favourite of mine either but I liked Simon Pegg more than Annette Badland, so there.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 6 June 2005 08:26 (twenty years ago)

i liked the peggg!

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Monday, 6 June 2005 08:31 (twenty years ago)

http://www.freakytrigger.co.uk/see/2005_06_01_dys_archive.html#111805460685863878

Report on the Brighton Pier exhibition.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 6 June 2005 09:48 (twenty years ago)

BBC website updated with Bad Wolf stuff. The picture 'leaked' a while ago has been replaced with something more innocuous.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 11:54 (twenty years ago)

I actually quite liked this past episode. I liked its breather-like quality, but also the idea that they went back and tied up some of the loose ends and hanging threads from old episodes. That gave it a sense of completeness and continuation which I find satisfying.

Also, seeing the Doctor as a more rounded character, in terms of morality and ethicality. Not sure about the Heart of the TARDIS stunt - I can't remember from Canon (oh god, Canon, why did I bring that up, I leave the Theology to my mum) what's in there, Eye of Horus or Super-Massive White Hole or what.

Bad Wolf is bored sci fi writers playing with us. Accept it, you sad DVD-pausing freaks. ;-) (Quoting Nathan Barley there before anyone gets upset.)

Also, I finally got to see the end of the Gasmask episode, which I thought was particularly well written and enjoyable, recapturing the downright SPOOKINESS and scariness of the original series when we were all little kids. It was clever and unpredictable and genuinely unforeseen plot twists.

Though I do have to say that the biggest difference between Old Skool Who and Nu Skool is the level of characterisation of Rose. She is turning into an intriguing and interesting character in her own right. (And not just when we dress alike, heh.) I think that Old Skool writers saw assistants either as chaste and never stated Romantic Interests, or else as thinly veiled Plot Devices.

Perhaps because these writers grew up watching Dr. Who, and perhaps fetishing (is that the best word? Definitely identifying with) the companions, they've actually put a lot more thought into Rose and Captain Jack. At times they seem almost more interesting than the Doctor himself. Maybe because of Wesley Crusher syndrome, where the companion is a chance to project the writer into the story - but I think more because these writers realise how important the companions are, rather than "just something for the dads".

And I must say, I never thought I'd say these words, but Rose has been exceptionally well acted. Blimey.

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 12:14 (twenty years ago)

(now the companions are something for the Dads, and something for the Gay Dads)

― Andrew Farrell is very sorry (afarrell), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 12:22 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, sure, Gay Dads, because you know, actual WOMEN would never be interested in either watching, or relating to characters in a sci fi program, now would they?

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 12:24 (twenty years ago)

I was the drummer in the rock group Gay Dad.

― reviving.memes@will.today (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 12:37 (twenty years ago)

I liked The Long Game a lot having finally seen it last weekend, especially the ending. The only true 'cliffhanger' ending in the series so far not to be resolved in the following episode, non? The 'headjack' was probably the most fluid CGI in the series too.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 12:39 (twenty years ago)

Settle down, Kate, it was a joke (which Aldo spotted).

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

Bring back the Brigadier aka Something For The Grannies.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

http://www.badwolf.tv

'Official' BBC forum, sort of.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 12:33 (twenty years ago)

We demand further instructions

― zebedee (zebedee), Thursday, 9 June 2005 16:00 (twenty years ago)

I can't remember if Harriet Jones knew that the female Slitheen was Margaret - presumably not, or she would never have been able to re-emerge as Mayoress Of Cardiff, you would think.

Also it's funny to think that none of them are implicated in the resultant 'MAYORESS DISAPPEARS - LAST SEEN PURSUED BY GAUNT MAN IN LEATHER' drama that presumably ensued, unseen by us.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:02 (twenty years ago)

I wondered about that, but figured that was why Margaret didn't want her photo taken, though Mayor seems a bit of a prominent role to take on if you don't want to be noticed. Surely some faceless head of planning or something would have been better?

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

I must admit I have no idea what the actual Mayor/Mayoress of Cardiff looks like.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)

that empty child ep is still creeping up on me when i don't expect it and giving me serious heebie-jeebies. it's the bit where he says "we told it to go to its room... THIS is its room". always in the deserted ill-lit backstreets of bits of hoxditch/hackney late at night, when i'm not feeling creepy at all and suddenly he climbs in my head and that phrase echoes a couple of times and am completely terrified and freaking out at every sound or flicker of shadow. aaaargh. obv this means it was a brilliant episode.

― emsk, Saturday, 11 June 2005 12:20 (twenty years ago)

For Steve http://www.millbankprm.cardiff.sch.uk/images2004-5/events/041116-mayor/041116-mayorthumbs2.jpg

I figure it's the sort of thing Harriet would know, though.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 11 June 2005 12:49 (twenty years ago)

Wow.

― AdrianB (AdrianB), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

Tonight's episode = totally fucking bonkers. And brilliant. Next week's is going to be very good indeed, isn't it?

I'm so happy I've missed half this series so it'll give me something to look forward to when I buy the DVD box set.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:50 (twenty years ago)

Also I was wrong about Captain Jack, he's fantastic.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:51 (twenty years ago)

I thought the androids looked a bit *too* tacky, and the reveal of the enemy's identity was a bit slow with all those things like the Dalek's eye view shots of Rose, seeing them in reflections, and so on; but overall it was great.

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:52 (twenty years ago)

The robots tonight reminded me of Davies's Why Don't You? stories, but FUCK ME, Daleks!! Plus, finally, a 'next week' trailer that actually built tension rather than deflating it!

― carson dial (carson dial), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)

OMG!

When the camera pulled back to reveal all the Daleks at the end and some of them started levitating and rotating I felt like I was going to explode. Fuck me. I am so excited about next week it's ridiculous.

― RickyT (RickyT), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)

Aaarrrggghhh!!!f*ck!! f*ckkkk F*CCCKKKKKK!!!

Alright, I missed the Return of the Flying Daleks ep, so I'm even MORE creeped out by this.

Dammit, I need to see those missing episodes now...

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)

All the Daleks pouring out of the ship into space!

― RickyT (RickyT), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:54 (twenty years ago)

oh, did anybody else think the dialogue was a bit quiet tonight? Sometimes, I had to strain to hear them past the music.

― carson dial (carson dial), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:54 (twenty years ago)

A bit, maybe. They definitely overplayed the BB music as well. But sod that, DALEK ARMY OF DOOM!!!!

― RickyT (RickyT), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, it was quiet. But then again, my chavvy neighbours were having a pissup in the garden so it was hard to hear anything over Peter Andre (you think I'm kidding). But I did think the background music was occasionally overwhelming.

Yeah, Rick, that moment where ALL THE DALEKS APPEARED AND STARTED LEVITATING... yeah, I got that "I am seven and scared out of my wits@ feeling of terror and exhileration.

OK, all of the gameshows were lame, but who cares? It was a funny one dimensional joke hiding the TRULY SCARY STUFF.

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

Russell Davies wrote for Why Don't You?!

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 11 June 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

Yes, he wrote quite a bit of it, and was responsible for steering it away from the magazine format and turning it into more of an adventure serial (the stuff with Ben, the computer, and the Shake'n'Vac was all his). Apparently, he also wrote the scripts for The Flashing Blade redubs used in On The Waterfront as well…

― carson dial (carson dial), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:00 (twenty years ago)

This was all on the docu about RTD a few weeks back... however, I was out of the country when they were all onair, so lots of the cultural references flew over my head. :-(

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:01 (twenty years ago)

(the stuff with Ben, the computer, and the Shake'n'Vac was all his)

I *loved* that plot. In fact, as soon as you said that, that was what I thought of, and not just because that was one of the Welsh series.

Watching Confidential has reminded me about one of the little details I liked in the earlier Dalek episode: the way that the colour of the Dalek looks realistic for something that has survived re-entry - particularly, it looks very like the Apollo capsule in the Science Museum.

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:03 (twenty years ago)

Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod they killed Rose! Oh wait, no they didn't! Hurrah!

― C J (C J), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:04 (twenty years ago)

I hate you people with proper cable and not the shitty free cable that my housemate gets. :-(

Argh, I was hoping that M would bring the missing tapes to Poptimism on Thursday, but I forgot to bug him. Now I won't be able to see them before the conclusion.

OK, just answer me this spoiler? What era of earth did the surviving dalek episode happen? Before the Babylon 5 episode? I mean, Channel 5, or Space Station 5 or The Long Game or whatever that ep was actually called. (Rubbish at remembering names.)

x-post... I KNOW!!! They really got me with that one. I was almost as moved as when Adric died. (Shut UP.)

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:06 (twenty years ago)

Xpost: That did leave me wondering what has happened to every other one of their contestants ever. Clearly they can't have landed back on Earth, as people would have noticed; were they actually zapped somewhere useful, or just killed by being beamed into the heart of a star or something like that?

Kate: it was supposed to be slightly in the future from today: around 2015 or so.

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:07 (twenty years ago)

They were zapped to the Dalek invasion force to be eaten. I mean EXTERMINATED!!! After all, I bet the Daleks play with their food before they eat it.

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

x-post

I thought exactly the same when I first heard about him writing for WDY (I loved it too!), but I only found out for sure when I saw the doc that Kate mentioned a month or so ago.

Sadly, the Internet hasn't chronicled the adventures of Benjamin Rory Slade in as much detail as they deserve, but I did find this blog entry which has a sweet comment from Ben…

xpost 2: Using failed contestants as Robotmen, possibly?

― carson dial (carson dial), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

Yes! What a fantastic cliffhanger! The Doctor is a real actual hero!

The Doctor can have a Dalek, even one that can wipe out the whole of a mad tycoon's private army and possibly all of Utah! But can he take on HALF A MILLION DALEKS? Find out soon!

― h., Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:10 (twenty years ago)

Bloody hell, Ben left a comment on Richard Bloomfield's blog! It's a small internet.

Incidentally, did the Dalek Fleet make anyone else think of Mars Attacks!?

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:11 (twenty years ago)

The last Dalek episode happened in present day Earth, I think. Although as it was all in that huge subterranean complex it was difficult to tell.

I strikes me that all that "OMG no Daleks in the new Doctor Who" stuff in the press last year must have been nonsense. Rather than hastily writing one Dalek into one episode they would have to've rewritten the entire premise of most of the series.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:12 (twenty years ago)

Yo, hump, is there any way you can get me that tape before you go? Please, please, PLEASE?

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:12 (twenty years ago)

So, without getting into Spoiler City (I don't go in that thread coz I don't want to be spoiled) - is the entire Bad Wolf repeated meme going to be revealed to be the Daleks...? If so, that's a stroke of genuis!

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:14 (twenty years ago)

Is this all we need to know about Bad Wolf? That it was a cryptic cry for help from the TV Controller somehow implanted throughout history, or his travels or something - I would like a little more, I suppose, but if it was left there, that would be plenty and leave enough for the viewer to solve to keep the whole thing fun.

― h., Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

Cross-post: Where is the walk tomorrow then?

― h., Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:16 (twenty years ago)

It's now half an hour after it's finished and I'm still ridiculously overexcited. I'm going to be bouncing off the walls all night.

― RickyT (RickyT), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:17 (twenty years ago)

It was unclear to me whether the Bad Wolf meme was caused by the Daleks themselves, or was an attempt by the Controller to bring them to the Doctor's attention.

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:17 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, good job on turning Captain Jack into a proper sidekick. I don't dislike him now.

I liked all the crappy Big Brother stuff "Rose, I'm coming to get you" etc, nicking Davina's catchphrase since you didn't get to use it herself.

Bad Wolf = Daleks! Cool. We were grinning like fools at the huge pullback to a ship full of floating talking Daleks.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:17 (twenty years ago)

That bit when Captain Jack held up two huge fuckoff guns and said "do I look like a rules kinda guy?" was grebt. Also he was hiding a gun IN HIS ARSE. How is that not classic?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:18 (twenty years ago)

Argh, I don't have another 50p to continue this discussion...

Hump, we're leaving Paddington at 11am, so we'll be near yours around noonish. Can you meet us in a pub if you don't want to walk all the way to Southall? I'll ring you when I get home.

x-post... A GUN IN HIS ARSE!!! Plus, obv. President Swartzenagger would be legally impossible, mind you.

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:19 (twenty years ago)

yes i thought mars attacks! also

plus the inside of the dalek ship reminded me of that not-very-good dennis potter SF thing he wrote as he wz dyin and wouldn;t let anyone edit and rewrite (as he wz dyin)

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:20 (twenty years ago)

RickyT: Feeling hyper too! Mind you, I've been heaped with cheer since the series started. Going to play some loud dance music now.

― h., Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:20 (twenty years ago)

Unless that gun unfolded somewhere, it looked pretty big to be up there. And he pulled it out damn quick for something with sharp edges.

Now I am going to be annoyed because I, too, cannot remember the name of that not-very-good Dennis Potter sci-fi thing. It had Frances De La Tour in it.

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

The Dalek twist would've been better if we hadn't all known about it since last week, mind.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

Cold Lazarus! I knew it reminded me of something, but I couldn't remember what.

― RickyT (RickyT), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:22 (twenty years ago)

Or what Caitlin said about Bad Wolf not being the Daleks at all, but just a means of alerting the doctor to them. That works too.

Dennis Potter thing = Cold Lazarus, wasn't it?

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

The ending was slightly spoilt in that the lead Dalek that the Doc was talking to kept jerking slightly whenever it talked. We have a friend that does this so by the end of that part we were both in a heap on the floor laughing ... "Dave the Dalek! (giggle)" etc.

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

I enjoyed the gameshow stuff! Thought it made the point that it could be done decently, following McCoy debacles. Plus, had the recognition from other, mainstream bits of television in the Doctor Who revival - all real voices, actual licenses, not nod-wink near copies etc. The only objection was that newer, more futuristic gameshow formats would shurely have been developed within thousands of years. Mind you, Three Bears!

― h., Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:26 (twenty years ago)

Bear With Me!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:28 (twenty years ago)

Ground Force where if you lose you get turned into compost! The BBC should make these shows happen.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

is the bbc still allowed to broadcast any music by anyone ever w/o paying for it? (hence BB music eg)

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

I wondered about the BB logos and stuff as well, since the other things they were parodying were BBC programmes.

"You are live on Channel 4400, please do not swear"

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:31 (twenty years ago)

Last night's real Big Brother would have been a million times better if Lesley had been disintegrated.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:33 (twenty years ago)

That applies to all TV channels - they pay an annual payment to cover their entire music use. I remember Belle and Sebastian saying they didn't get any option to say no when Teachers used their music for the theme tune.

However, they definitely would have had to get permission to use the Big Brother name and logo anyway, and that presumably would cover the theme music too. Didn't someone on the other thread link to a story about the BBC licensing Big Brother for this episode a few weeks ago?

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:35 (twenty years ago)

Holy crap. That was fantastic! Plus, getting Trinny and Susannah to voice their descendants was a swish move. And Captain Jaxx's really come into his own, charming sod that he is.

― Negativa, True Believer (You know you love it when I'm dressed in drag) (Barima), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:38 (twenty years ago)

in the old days the bbc didn't pay an annual payment - it wz in their charter that they could do it for free*, and i'm not sure that it isn't still (hence eg newsnight always usin quirky bits of indiepop to introduce or score their stories)

*i am 83% sure of this

but yes, the logo wouldn't be covered by that (though "plz don't swear" is probably not registered, and cd be claimed under satirical useage)

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

his own = hiding things in his rectal colon!

xpost: yes, I'd say that something like "this is channel 44,000; please do not swear" is Fair Use under the copyright law.

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:40 (twenty years ago)

why would the cybermat appliance leave a pile of dust? poor wiring, verisimiltude (ie convince ppl that contestants have been destructed) or is it how the daleks keep the spaceships tidy (ie army of slaves needed to sweep and polish, and commanded at extermination point to place in the transmat terminal on the dalek ship) (instead of eg usin daleks themselves as fliptop bins)

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:51 (twenty years ago)

i realise that a marxist analysis of dr who is the road to gibbering insanity but dalek economics makes no sense at all

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:53 (twenty years ago)

No need for dust removal - the Dalek base units double as hoovers. They levitate by going into blow mode.

― RickyT (RickyT), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:54 (twenty years ago)

but that would vomit dust out all over the place!!

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 11 June 2005 18:57 (twenty years ago)

Which all the other Daleks then hoover up! This is why only about 5% of the Daleks were levitating in the reveal, the rest have to stay on the ground and control the dust situation.

― RickyT (RickyT), Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

I don't think the Bad Wolf references are either the Controller or the daleks, I think they're more to do with the "THEY SURVIVED THROUGH ME" guy.

(Incidentally fantastic use of the next week trailer!)

The gameshow stuff reminded me a bit too much of 2000AD in satirical mode.

― Tom (Groke), Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:02 (twenty years ago)

haha so it's kind of a keynesian economy?

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:02 (twenty years ago)

"THEY SURVIVED THROUGH ME" guy = bertie bassett (i hope)

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

Neil wouldn't let me watch the next week trailer. What happened?

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

Surely the Candyman didn't have such a deep voice!

(it would be great, though)

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

No update on Mickey's website :(

(bcos he is too busy transforming into the Face of Boe)

― Tom (Groke), Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:07 (twenty years ago)

Lots of shots of TV staff machine-gunning Daleks, a Princess Leia-style hologram message from the Doctor saying "if you see this I am probably about to die", and an evil villain with a *very very* deep voice.

(xpost)

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:08 (twenty years ago)

Ailsa: Bertie Basset returned with an army of Bannermen.

― h., Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:08 (twenty years ago)

I love this show. At the start I was hating the excessive use of BB music but by the end none of this mattered one bit.

The Controller also reminded me a bit of A Finney's preserved head in Cold Lazarus.

The bit where Captain Jack grabbed Trinnybot's 'breasts' = possible nod to when Jonathan Ross did the same on his show? Not that it's important at all.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:31 (twenty years ago)

The Face Of Boe thing is a red herring. It's The Face Of BOEMINA who is the culprit!

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:32 (twenty years ago)

Really like the way that Captain Jack will chat up ANYONE.

― h., Saturday, 11 June 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

I loved the way the whole capture-escape routine lasted under a minute!

― Tom (Groke), Saturday, 11 June 2005 21:23 (twenty years ago)

This was a real triumph of an episode by the end. A valid point is made above that it seemed (possibly ill defined) satire of the present, than anything like an anticipation of how much further game shows might go. What was there, bar the assertion that such games would turn deadlier, with the guiding hand of a malevolent power?

But it was very well balanced writing; never excluded any section of the audience (the Doctor begins to condemn the and built to a stupendous final section and climax... seriously I am excited about next week, and *deliberately did not watch the next week trailer*. ;)

Eccleston has really got better and better, hasn't he? There were great moments in some of the earlier episodes, but he's come fully into his own from "The Empty Child" onwards for me; his manic eccentricity plays all the better alongside a prominent anger and righteous desperation. He has great, great scenes responding to Rose's apparent death and then his giving up the gun and finally *that* rolicking address to the Daleks...

― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 12 June 2005 00:50 (twenty years ago)

My wacky theory: wasn't the transporter thingy called a Transmat only in the Cyberman stories (ie the one with the space station and the planet made of gold one) therefore the deep-voiced blokey is a Cybercontroller who's managed to take control of teh Dalek fleet? Or summat?

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Sunday, 12 June 2005 00:51 (twenty years ago)

"The gameshow stuff reminded me a bit too much of 2000AD in satirical mode."
- There was even a passing use of the word 'grexnix' in there!

― M Carty (mj_c), Sunday, 12 June 2005 06:17 (twenty years ago)

transmats were absolutely everywhere in who in the 70s

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Sunday, 12 June 2005 07:38 (twenty years ago)

Have just thought: maybe the "disintegrated" gameshow contestants are transported into the middle of a sand dune where they suffocate to death - hence the sudden appearance of a pile of sand in their place!

(yes, I know, this doesn't explain Rose being replaced by sand, does it)

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 12 June 2005 08:56 (twenty years ago)

Captain Jack is gonna killed isn't he? What was that guy in before?

It was a really a great episode.

― jel -- (jel), Sunday, 12 June 2005 08:58 (twenty years ago)

Incidentally, it took me *ages* to remember where I'd seen the other Weakest Link contestant with a decent part - the one who eventually beats Rose. It was really annoying me.

(answer: he's in Hustle)

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 12 June 2005 09:05 (twenty years ago)

According to imdb he used to be a presenter on Live and Kicking. I absolutely cannot remember this though.

Is it at all possible that the doctor isn't the doctor at all? That the whole thing is a big old set-up, either by Bad Wolf TV, or van Stratten/Adam (they own the internet, remember!) - we never saw a regeneration? It would satisfy all the purists complaining that Ecclescake bailed too quickly as the doctor only gets twelve regenerations.

I love how I used to totally slag off Doctor Who geeks before this series and I've got so stupidly into it I've been watching old episodes and reading up on it and am actually jealous of all you lot who have theories stretching back into the past that I can't formulate yet. What have you (or the BBC) done to me?

(xpost Caitlin, no he's not. He was in Green Wing though, and used to be one of the doctors in Casualty when it was good)

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 12 June 2005 09:15 (twenty years ago)

Bah.

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 12 June 2005 09:26 (twenty years ago)

If my crap labelling of crossposts doesn't make it clear, Captain Jack was the Live and Kicking dude, and the Weakest Link contestant is the guy from Green Wing who isn't Mickey from Hustle.

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 12 June 2005 09:39 (twenty years ago)

Adrian Lester is the guy from Hustle, who was also in Primary Colors. I thought it was him at first too, Caitlin. Then I thought he looked very like a younger Andi Peters. Now I've realised he just looks like other people and isn't really them.

I'm also convinced I saw Captain Jack in a cider ad the other day.

"Ladies, your ratings just went up."

Excellent.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Sunday, 12 June 2005 10:06 (twenty years ago)

I actuallly thought he was Danny from Spooks at first. I heart Adrian Lester so I knew it wasn't him.

Captain Jack seems to be from Glasgow and have had a career as a Channel Five chat show host as well as doing Live and Kicking with Emma Forbes, bit I DON'T REMEMBER THIS AT ALL.

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 12 June 2005 10:12 (twenty years ago)

From Glasgow? With that accent?

(On Confidential it showed him being given a birthday cake (and Dalek) on-set, still with the American accent. Unless he was staying in character, of course.)

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 12 June 2005 10:15 (twenty years ago)

so is there more explaining to do wrt Bad Wolf - or are we to take it that the controller can influence events through time and has been trying to bring the dr to this point for a while? or WHAT?

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Sunday, 12 June 2005 10:21 (twenty years ago)

he was born in glasgow and raised in teh americy. he switched between the accents on that Breakfast news interview.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Sunday, 12 June 2005 10:27 (twenty years ago)

Moved to Illinois at a young age, innit? (xpost)

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 12 June 2005 10:28 (twenty years ago)

Ahh, I see - in a classic Jerry Springer / Bob Hope style.

(although as he has Clydeside roots David Byrne would be a more appropriate comparison)

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 12 June 2005 10:59 (twenty years ago)

is there anywhere decent to bittorrent these now that btefnet is down? i've missed the last two and quite desperately want to catch up in time for next week

― tom west (thomp), Sunday, 12 June 2005 11:48 (twenty years ago)

u k n o v a ?

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Sunday, 12 June 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

yeah all still on uknova - try signing up. they've chucked loads of people off for rubbish upload/download ratios of late.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Sunday, 12 June 2005 13:01 (twenty years ago)

ergh, i was probably one of them :( but i can hopefully upload more now, and one day i might even suss how to upload torrents properly.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Sunday, 12 June 2005 13:19 (twenty years ago)

i've just had a stunning yet simple idea - mp3 blogs suffer from bandwidth issues as we know too well, so why doesn't anyone do an mp3 blog with torrents?

IT IS TOO SIMPLE - what have i forgotten? could we do this on nylpm?

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Sunday, 12 June 2005 13:25 (twenty years ago)

i have an experiment in mind...

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Sunday, 12 June 2005 13:35 (twenty years ago)

The only thing I think you'll need to bear in mind is that you'll have to run a tracker server, wouldn't you? (I think the latest version is now trackerless, but I'm not sure)

― carson dial (carson dial), Sunday, 12 June 2005 14:14 (twenty years ago)

I don't like torrents for MP3s - what's the point when each file is only about 5mb?

― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 12 June 2005 18:20 (twenty years ago)

quite right - such small files aren't going to work as torrent really - the demand is going to be too sporadic to maintain the stream without constantly seeding at source. it would have been a good way to get round the bandwidth issue though.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Sunday, 12 June 2005 18:28 (twenty years ago)

I hate u knova as they kicked me off without so much as a warning and my ratio was about 0.5 and improving. My HD was filling up so I couldn't leave stuff on it for ages. Still no new signups allowed. Shout if they open them up again.

m ininova.org has Dr Who and everything else.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 12 June 2005 20:53 (twenty years ago)

i am not reading the recent above cos have not seen yesterday's yet (63% downloaded, come on, i got work in the morning!) but i wanted to say as discussed today at punjabi cafe (over the best sag paneer known to humankind omfg) we are having a who marathon at oor hoose in hackerney at some point in the next cpl of months after me or my bro has put it all on cd and the other emma has borrowed the projector and there are no festivals/marriages i have to be at so we can show it on the wall bigstyle there will be junk food and bouze and roaring for all who wants to come pls thanks.

― emsk, Sunday, 12 June 2005 21:06 (twenty years ago)

!!i am up4 hackney/who marathons!!

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 12 June 2005 21:21 (twenty years ago)

Wasn't the guy on the weakest link in Peep Show? (I forget the name of the character, maybe Alan, he was the go-getting management-speak boss of the nerdy office worker).

― Teh HoBB (the pirate king), Sunday, 12 June 2005 21:40 (twenty years ago)

Oh yes, so he was.

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 12 June 2005 21:43 (twenty years ago)

yay mark! i am inordinately excited about this even tho we will all doubtless spend entire time yelling BAD WOLF! etc ad i over whole thing. excellent. how many eps are there, and they are all 45 mins each except first one which was 1hr right?

― emsk, Sunday, 12 June 2005 21:58 (twenty years ago)

12 or 13?

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 12 June 2005 22:11 (twenty years ago)

goodgood. so like 9/10 hrs. can easy do in a day-night or night-morning sitting/slouching.

― emsk, Sunday, 12 June 2005 22:33 (twenty years ago)

Since I was RUBBISH and missed the walk yesterday, a Dr Who marathon sounds v. good. I'll come!

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Monday, 13 June 2005 06:40 (twenty years ago)

didn't like it, too gimmicky.

(who was it said this series is too english to be sold overseas (grant morrison?), well, this episode was the worst for that. trinni and susanna ffs, how am i going to explain that to friends who watch it on CBC?)

bloke playing anne droid really suffered for his art judging by confidential.

― koogs (koogs), Monday, 13 June 2005 07:36 (twenty years ago)

All of the shows they sent up are VERY popular - or at least very recognisable - in the US.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 13 June 2005 07:43 (twenty years ago)

On the Bad Wolf speculation, from episode ordering if Rose had met them by episode three then the person who saved the Daleks can only be:
a) Mickey
b) The Face Of Boe
c) Someone else from episode two I can't remember
d) CLIVE!
e) Charles Dickens
f) The Nestene Consciousness
g) The (Real Actual) Doctor = rubbish plot meme that won't go away.
h) Rose's Dad.

I am guess btw that the transmat gets the people when they then mutate to create more Daleks. And Rose touches them and they all go soppy.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 13 June 2005 08:09 (twenty years ago)

trinni and susanna ffs, how am i going to explain that to friends who watch it on CBC?

oh come now, the most popular American shows that are shown here are always referring to celebrities and political figures over there that most of us don't know of - but you can still get the joke, plus in the context of Dr Who it doesn't matter that the two droids were based on real-life characters. That's gonna go over quite a few British kids heads anyway.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Monday, 13 June 2005 08:13 (twenty years ago)

my ratio was about 0.5 and improving.

Come on, there's no excuse not to wait until you've uploaded more than you've downloaded.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Monday, 13 June 2005 08:18 (twenty years ago)

the tv refs weren't too obscure. bbc america shows what not to wear and ground force like 50 times a day, and the weakest link crossed over to network tv here a few years back... a family guy episode even references it. the joke works even if you don't recognize the shows, since we've got the same reality show madness here anyway. then again, i probably pay more attention to UK media than the average american. tonight we watched miss marple! and it had the girl from fathers day/the doctor dances in it!

i agree this episode was very silly, as many have been, but i'm liking the main characters so much i don't mind. the doc/rose/jack chemistry is great, especially compared to previous TARDIS crews.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Monday, 13 June 2005 08:21 (twenty years ago)

Who wouldn't? Go all soppy I mean.

Way upthread Matt asked : **The last Dalek episode happened in present day Earth, I think**

I think it was 2012 or thereabouts.

Saturdays was phenominally grebt, although I am still cringing from the "I Moisturise" line.

We watched it twice and also the BBC3 Dr. Who Confidential or whatever it's called twice. Katy Manning's post-botox would make a good alien, I think. Actually I hate 'the making of' progs, but this is a must watch for the odd old Baker/Pertwee/Troughton era clip. And of course the lovely Katy pre-botox.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 13 June 2005 08:21 (twenty years ago)

my mum thought it was really exciting = this is the most succesfull telly ever

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Monday, 13 June 2005 08:42 (twenty years ago)

> All of the shows they sent up are VERY popular

not in my house 8). yes, weakest link crossed over and BB is worldwide i guess, but i still think T&S are a very english thing. i guess 'gay eye' or whatever it was called is similar. yes, american references in things we get over here. but i always HATE that. nipsey russell?

um, http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/whatnottowear/stylegurus/index.html

(btw, who was it (jerry springer?) saying that american tv is 10 years ahead of british tv? didn't someone post a list hereabouts about the new summer schedule where 75% of the shows were knockoffs of english things? (not that english tv isn't 75% a knockoff of american tv...))

still didn't enjoy it. spent the whole thing imagining RTD dancing around his office singing 'i'm so good at television...'

― koogs (koogs), Monday, 13 June 2005 08:53 (twenty years ago)

The first half - as someone may have said upthread - was a bit like The Celestial Toymaker and The Mind Robber, the TARDIS crew forced into a childish playworld, except nowadays it's other TV shows that occupy kids, not games and books.

RTD has said this two-parter is his love-letter to 60s Who so I'd guess that was an intentional effect.

(Except I don't like those stories as much as I liked Bad Wolf)

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 13 June 2005 08:58 (twenty years ago)

my dad likes it too — RTD etc have rediscovered the "appeals to all ages magical brass ring"? very interesting if so - general momentum towards more and more tiny niche-marketing crashes into reverse/what next? WHAT NEXT!!

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 13 June 2005 09:27 (twenty years ago)

Er, do kids like it? I know ther were positive reactions to the first episode, but it was very straightforward stuff compared with "these words have been following us around!"

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 13 June 2005 09:45 (twenty years ago)

Haven't you been reading the 'Fear Factor' column on the official BBC Who website?

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Monday, 13 June 2005 09:46 (twenty years ago)

i was basing that on dr c's kids (who i assumed - perhaps inkorrektly - were included in his "we")

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 13 June 2005 09:47 (twenty years ago)

I read somewhere that about 25% of the first couple of episodes' viewers were kids. That's a decent showing but I don't know if the audience has declined. Anecdotal evidence (Isabel's tutorial kids, other assorted ppl-with-kids) suggests that kids like it and some love it but it's not a must-see thing for most.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 13 June 2005 09:55 (twenty years ago)

is anything a must-see for kids? i would be surprised given the relentless excellence of possible distraction from TV not available when i wz 8 grumble grumble

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 13 June 2005 10:06 (twenty years ago)

Nah, also the impression I get is that the idea of an actual broadcast time is a laughable anachronism for the under-12s, DVD culture roolz, they do still gather together to watch stuff but not at a time that RTD (or anyone else) decrees.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 13 June 2005 10:48 (twenty years ago)

they get em on bittorrent innit

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Monday, 13 June 2005 11:13 (twenty years ago)

When I was a child, "Saturday Morning" i.e. kids shows were all cartoons and sci fi - Dr. Who and G-Force and Hanna Barbara. Now "Saturday Morning" is Top of the Pops and endless shouting presenters wearing too little clothes being ironic. Yoof today, etc. shouldn't they be hanging around on canal corners in West London using condoms or something? etc. blah blah.

When I was old enough to care, Dr. Who was the sole domain of a certain Kind of kid, i.e. the geeks, and it had a very heavy uncool factor. I think in a way that was kind of a good thing. Though Dr. Who seems a lot more "cool" now (i.e. with it in terms of pop culture now, Big Brother references and all - or maybe that's because the cultural references of old school Who were all A) English and B) several years out of date by the time the US got them)

Anyway, yeah! Emsk! Mark S! Let us do Hackney Who marathon! (I managed to get Episodes 3 through 9, I think, off hump, ha ha, will he ever see them again?) Soon!

If Emsk wasn't off bicycling, I'd say let's do them next week before/after the Last Episode Of The Season.

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Monday, 13 June 2005 11:20 (twenty years ago)

Come on, there's no excuse not to wait until you've uploaded more than you've downloaded.

My hard disc was almost full so I couldn't keep things on there for long! There were loads of users with like 0.1 ratios! I am aggreaved! More free stuff!

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 13 June 2005 11:22 (twenty years ago)

Actually, I think my ratio was quite a bit better than 0.5, thinking about it. I think my problem was that I only had Dennis Potter plays that no one else wanted much.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 13 June 2005 11:24 (twenty years ago)

They could have at least warned me anyway.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 13 June 2005 11:24 (twenty years ago)

aggrieved.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 13 June 2005 11:25 (twenty years ago)

I am not very good at dealing with rejection.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 13 June 2005 11:30 (twenty years ago)

I hate u knova as they kicked me off without so much as a warning and my ratio was about 0.5

that can't be, because I have a .48 or something and haven't received a warning and haven't been kicked off. they delete the worst sharers, and if you look at the site's stats, there are people with like a .07 ratio; these are the ones getting kicked off. you must have been a mistake; that sucks. anyway, uknova doesn't even have xvid versions of dr. who now so they're pretty useless except for eastenders; and even then, if yo have a bad ratio, it's hard to get it up because they keep you from downloading for so long, that by the time you get something, there's no-one else trying to download so it takes a LONG LONG time to get your ratio back up. frustrating.

anyway, on topic, I finally started catching up, just watched Dalek and the Long Game last night. Dalek wasn't as good as I wanted it to be, but the Long Game was where I thought this series really took off.

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 13 June 2005 15:41 (twenty years ago)

yeah, I reckon maybe it was a mistake because they didn't even send me an email saying I'd been kicked off. Actually, thinking about it, the site went down for a while and traffic was redirected to a BBC page boasting about how they'd closed down one of the major torrent sites. I gave up on it then a friend said, no it's still there and that was when I found I could no longer log on. So maybe I just didn't log on for the 45 days or whatever the time limit is for inactive accounts. I didn't think it was that long though - ah well.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 13 June 2005 15:50 (twenty years ago)

I hate u knova now, they kicked me off with no warning even though I hadn't downloaded very much and had uploaded a couple of things. Even if they opened up membership, I don't think I'd try re-signing up again, it isn't worth the aggravation.

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Monday, 13 June 2005 17:00 (twenty years ago)

Hurrah! Let us unite against the smug elitist u knova hivemind scum.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 13 June 2005 17:02 (twenty years ago)

Err - blimey. I just went to http://uknova.com/signup.php and snuck in. I'm back on uknova! Then I went back again 30 secs later and got the old 'This site is not open for public use' message again.

(I realise I am an appalling flip-flopping collaborator)

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 13 June 2005 17:08 (twenty years ago)

I wish the BBC would just get on with their own 'subscribe and download' service for all their good stuff. Stupid red tape holding everything back shockah.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Monday, 13 June 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)

Err - blimey x100. I get back on uknova and the first thing I see in the page of torrents is a video of the Smiths gig at the Hacienda in July 1983. I had no idea this existed! (I am not just making this up to torment Nicole).

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 13 June 2005 17:13 (twenty years ago)

Like I'd fall for that one.

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Monday, 13 June 2005 17:17 (twenty years ago)

Googling reveals that this video is (now) widely-know about. Well it wasn't when I was on top of such things.

Sorry - this has been an appalling derailment.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 13 June 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

Did anyone else see this earlier?
"I am the God of all Daleks"
"Worship Him Worship Him"

Blimey

― Greig (treefell), Monday, 13 June 2005 19:31 (twenty years ago)

i still hope it's bertie bassett

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 13 June 2005 19:36 (twenty years ago)

"I am the God of all Daleks"
"Worship Him Worship Him"

Is that from Alba's Smiths gig video?

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 13 June 2005 20:27 (twenty years ago)

That would be cool, but no.
From a very short promo for Saturday's episode shown after tonight's Eastenders.
Apparently there's going to be a different one each day this week.

― Greig (treefell), Monday, 13 June 2005 20:31 (twenty years ago)

'dr who confidential' seemed to have been renamed 'dr who confidential countdown' (or maybe just 'countdown'). it's also on before the finale on bbc1 next week.

can someone post a quick episode guide? just names and numbers (i think i've lost count and missed one whilst migrating between disks)

ah, ok:

01: Rose (26th March)
02: The End of the World (2nd April)
03: The Unquiet Dead (9th April)
04: Aliens of London (16th April)
05: World War Three (23rd April)
06: Dalek (30th April)
07: The Long Game (7th May)
08: Father's Day (14th May)
09: The Empty Child (21st May)
10: The Doctor Dances (28th May)
11: Boom Town (4th June)
12: Bad Wolf (11th June)
13: The Parting of the Ways (18th June)

― koogs (koogs), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 07:45 (twenty years ago)

who was it who said something about "the long game", in the most recent episode? I did think it was the title of one of the previous episodes.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 07:48 (twenty years ago)

The Doctor says something like "Someone's been playing the long game", referring to the Daleks' manipulation of 201st century Earth.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 07:52 (twenty years ago)

oh, that was it, yes.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 07:53 (twenty years ago)

was the phrase "The Long Game" used in The Long Game. ISTR at the time i thought the title had been left unexplained

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 08:41 (twenty years ago)

i think episode eleven works a lot better after seeing episode twelve, setting up the facing up to just leaving bit. also i liked how it implies that captain jack wants to have sex with the tardis

― tom west (thomp), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:34 (twenty years ago)

He wants to have sex with everything.I look forward to some Dalek Sex next week:
WHITE - WEE - WEE - WHITE - WEE - WEE.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:42 (twenty years ago)

SILLY COW. I'm looking forward to more Dalek references to 'THE - WOMAN - YOU - LOVE'.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:52 (twenty years ago)

http://www.badwolf.org.uk/unsolved.html

ILX larffs at RTD's obvious misdirection.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 06:58 (twenty years ago)

Weaving a tapestry from clutched straws: THEY SURVIVED THROUGH ME = Paul McGann, the actual Doctor.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 07:43 (twenty years ago)

Tom in being Andrew Davies best friend shockah!

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 08:02 (twenty years ago)

I don't like, or frankly understand, what's being implied there.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 08:09 (twenty years ago)

I still like the idea of Adam being the God Of All Daleks. He has seen a real one + has loads of geeky alien knowledge + has strange cyborg thing in his head + has good reason to be really pissed off with The Doctor.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 11:34 (twenty years ago)

where did this 'Rose had met Bad Wolf by episode 3' thing come from? I missed that. In all seriousness, if the voice at the end of 'Bad Wolf' isn't revealed to be Adam I think I will be very disappointed.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 11:38 (twenty years ago)

The psychic maid in the Dickensian one was looking into Rose's head and said "You've seen the big bad wolf".

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 11:42 (twenty years ago)

But that maid was seeing Rose's future, as in events ahead of Rose, including what WE'VE yet to see!

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 11:45 (twenty years ago)

It could of course just be Davros...

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 11:55 (twenty years ago)

This was the conclusion Alang and I reached last night in the pub. "It's going to be sodding Davros, isn't it?"

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

i don't remember saying that. i do remember deciding that the "it's someone before ep 3 beacause of the psychic welsh girl" was bollox, because SHE ISN'T PSYCHIC.

it was just a coincidence.

my real theory is that the voice/dalekGod is DOCTOR WHO, just as the face of evil was teh 4th doc. we didn't see what happened at the regeneration - what he did was faff about for AGES building daleks from scratch. then got into a war with his future self (which we are about to see) and in the result regenerated and forgot about it all.

brane hurting now

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 11:59 (twenty years ago)

also real story of doctor who: http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:00 (twenty years ago)

I have realised that the resignation to it being Davros came after I got home, not actually in the pub.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:05 (twenty years ago)

"THEY SURVIVED THROUGH ME!"

http://www.entertainers.co.uk/images/comedians/bobby-davro/bobby_davro_large.jpg

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:09 (twenty years ago)

Has anybody checked this week's Radio Times for the cast list?

― carson dial (carson dial), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:10 (twenty years ago)

Yes, Tom has. See the spoilers thread.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:12 (twenty years ago)

I didn't actually check it, I read a post somewhere else.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:22 (twenty years ago)

How is the welsh girl not psychic, and why do we think she can see the future?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:28 (twenty years ago)

she spoke of "metal birds with people in them" etc.

she was evidently clairvoyant if not psychic.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:36 (twenty years ago)

But that's just stuff in Rose's head. She can see what Rose remembers, but she doesn't understand it. It happens to be her future, but it's Rose's past.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:38 (twenty years ago)

I'm using psychic as a general term for freaky mind stuff - blame X-Men.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

Her mobcap is the focused totality of her psychic powers.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:41 (twenty years ago)

she is not psychic cos i say so.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:44 (twenty years ago)

Ok she's psychic if not clairvoyant! But it's not made clear whether she's referring to these things as 'of the future' or not. Either way relying on the maid for some sort of verification on who/what the Bad Wolf is seems daft.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:45 (twenty years ago)

I have just realised how fortunate it is that the series didn't start a week later.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:46 (twenty years ago)

(I'm sorry, this is the worst sort of pedantry on my part)

She's shown to be able to read people's minds (in whatever she did that Rose caught her at), and then she's shown to be able to do so again (the metal birds). Occam's razor says that she doesn't also have the power to see things about Rose that Rose doesn't know (though she can see things that Rose doesn't know she knows, eg Bad Wolf).

In all seriousness, if the voice at the end of 'Bad Wolf' isn't revealed to be Adam I think I will be very disappointed.

That's the beauty of the "Adam = Face of Boe = Voice" theory. As well as the "Anyone = Face of Boe = Voice" theory.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

Occam's razor says

I'm not really saying "it has to be blah blah blah", I'm saying that's what this possibly misleading clue says, to me.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 12:58 (twenty years ago)

Does the Face Of Boe shave with Occam's Razor.

If we have the face of Boe, where is the face of Luke. And for that matter Daisy.

I am sticking by Bad Wolf being Charles Dickens, just cos he is grebt and no-one is suggesting it.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 13:03 (twenty years ago)

I don't know what Occam's razor is.

I don't see why the maid couldn't have looked into Rose's eyes and not seen Rose's future, given that this was a ambiguous scene in a science-fiction programme.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 14:00 (twenty years ago)

Hah, I finally saw The Welsh Episode last night, so I know what you're going on about.

Gwynyth had the "Second Sight" which meant that she could read peoples' minds, not see into the future. She was seeing things through Rose's mind, not foreseeing the future.

But the "Big Bad Wolf" thing really was out of left field, because there hadn't been that many references yet. (Had the graffiti even been sprayed at that point?)

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 14:01 (twenty years ago)

> I don't know what Occam's razor is.

the simplest explanation is probably the correct one

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 14:07 (twenty years ago)

But the "Big Bad Wolf" thing really was out of left field, because there hadn't been that many references yet. (Had the graffiti even been sprayed at that point?)

No - that was in the following episode.

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

Not reading this thread [don't want to spoil it for myself ffs] but a third series just got announced. THIRD. AND a second christmas special, and Billie Piper's staying on for at least the whole of 2006.

― Crankypants (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 22:15 (twenty years ago)

Rather good pieces of news on the whole...!

― Tom May (Tom May), Wednesday, 15 June 2005 22:35 (twenty years ago)

I'm not reading the spoiler thread anymore and I still don't know anything about the next episode other than what the trailers show.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 16 June 2005 09:44 (twenty years ago)

To distract everyone from Bad Wolf speculation for a mo:
The greatness of last week's episode led me finally to check out the BBC site's Dr Who pages, during which I found this page - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/clips/first.shtml.
Does anyone know if that really is Michael Palin providing the voice of the Cyberman from the Tenth Planet clip entitled 'We are Cybermen'?
It sounds like something straight out of Monty Python!

― M Carty (mj_c), Thursday, 16 June 2005 10:09 (twenty years ago)

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

(no not aaaaa)

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:27 (twenty years ago)

I'm looking forward to it a crazy amount. I haven't been this excited about telly since Season 3 of 24 when Bauer had to shoot his boss.

btw Alan I have a CD of TMWRNJ wmv files for you later.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:32 (twenty years ago)

I wish Saturday would hurry the feck up. I'm sick trying to avoid spoilers.
Why do newspapers feel compelled to do this? Dearest reader, we want to fuck up your viewing for the weekend. Please keep buying for more exclusive wasting of your time.

(not wishing to derail but why do people buy those TV/Soap mags that tell them EVERYTHING that's going to happen in the following week?)

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:32 (twenty years ago)

i have a dvd of series 2 for you too.

i'd forgotten about the boss shooting - did he do it? i can't remember now

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:35 (twenty years ago)

did he ever, i've forgotten the boss's name though.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:37 (twenty years ago)

Chapelle!

Sorry for the derail.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:37 (twenty years ago)

taped the confidential repeat on sunday only to find it was 15 minutes long rather than the usual 30. what did i miss?

> Season 3 of 24 when Bauer had to shoot his boss

argh, spoilers!

― koogs (koogs), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:43 (twenty years ago)

Stop spoiling the nice Dr. Who thread with your vulgar 24 talk.

For once, I've been avoiding spoilers so I fully expect ep13 to be a complete let-down.

Yay 3rd series with Billie in though!

― robster (robster), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:45 (twenty years ago)

so anyway, season 4 - Jack is persona non grata! OMG he will go and visit bleddy Kim

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:47 (twenty years ago)

argh, spoilers!

how have you not seen this yet koogs? apollo jeez.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:48 (twenty years ago)

I think I'll be bored of Billie by Series 3.

I am going to moderate all 24 talk into nonexistence.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:52 (twenty years ago)

Billie's best moment of the whole series was that 'looking drunk and laughing' expression during her second question on The Weakest Link. She's fried gold.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:55 (twenty years ago)

> how have you not seen this yet koogs?

in a not subscribing to sky tv kind of way. don't worry, i'll have forgotten by the time it gets on proper tv.

yes, avoid the dr who speculation thread, the spoilers on there are like lasers.

― koogs (koogs), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:57 (twenty years ago)

i don't think it's going to be on terrestrial TV ever is it? Considering Sky are halfway through season 4 as it is...

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 17 June 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

TS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40961000/jpg/_40961945_faceofboe300.jpg
vs.
http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/dreitter/blog/archives/bauer2.jpg

― robster (robster), Friday, 17 June 2005 13:12 (twenty years ago)

Bauer wins because he doesn't have bits of garlic hanging off his head.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 17 June 2005 13:23 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Hey dudes! It's a shame we're all older than 15:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/bluepeter/show/win/index_doctorwho.shtml

But, hey good idea for posters with kids!

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone know if that really is Michael Palin providing the voice of the Cyberman from the Tenth Planet clip entitled 'We are Cybermen'?

Nah, it's Roy "Zippy" Skelton. I'll admit the similarity is quite astonishing, though.
"You call them eeeeeeeeeeeeemotions, do you nooooooot?"

― Philip Alderman (Phil A), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

i don't think I realized quite how much I enjoyed this series until it was over and I realized I have to wait five months for another one.

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:48 (twenty years ago)

http://img284.imageshack.us/img284/304/drwho5vm.jpg

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 00:24 (twenty years ago)

I hope he doesn't wear that coat all the time

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 00:51 (twenty years ago)

he looks good but I still don't like him, yet

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 00:52 (twenty years ago)

And sarah Jane Smith is back!

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 00:58 (twenty years ago)

official? where?

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 01:01 (twenty years ago)

oh, saw that now. And Giles from Buffy!

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 01:09 (twenty years ago)

Hmm, SJS back can only mean...the return of K9!

― JimD (JimD), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 01:30 (twenty years ago)

Oh hell yes, love that get-up.

― Mike Stuchbery (Mike Stuchbery), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:00 (twenty years ago)

He looks a bit indie, doesn't he? He looks like he'd post twee relationship problem questions to ilx.

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:12 (twenty years ago)

Maybe he's Logged Out!

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:13 (twenty years ago)

trench coat = bad

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:23 (twenty years ago)

Actually, the more I look at his hair in that photo, the more I'm thinking of John Leslie.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:41 (twenty years ago)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4714061.stm

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 04:08 (twenty years ago)

Oh dear. Oh dear indeed. He reminds me of someone, but I can't exactly think who. Chuck Taylors. On Dr. Who. That is so wrong.

― It Is What A Man Does Which Demeans Him, Not What Is Done To Him (kate), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 06:44 (twenty years ago)

I have spent the days in my sickbed, surprising enough, watching mainly Who. I was surprised on Sunday by just how bloody good K9 & Company actually was, a sort of Wicker Man-lite. Erm... with a robot dog.

Also, the DVD release of Revelation of the Daleks is very, very good.

I might be back at work tomorrow, so i think I will try and watch atleast half of The Key To Time today.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 07:51 (twenty years ago)

On that Blue Peter site they have a scariest monster from series one vote. The Empty Child is walking it. The Moxx Of Balhoun WAS NEVER SCARY. OR MEANT TO BE.

Where is the Face Of Boe?

I can put up with Tennant in that get up, but NO BADGES.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 08:42 (twenty years ago)

I reckon he'll do a lot of spinning around in that trench coat.

I think he looks cool.

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)

he'd better only wear that coat when it's cold otherwise he's going to look like he smells as bad as Tom Baker

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 20:01 (twenty years ago)

That looks like a long version of the jacket I had on at the weekend. Which got all manky in the rain. You'd think, being from Paisley, he'd know better.

WHERE'S THE KILT?!?!?!?!

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 20:17 (twenty years ago)

I was struck this afternoon that Rab Nesbitt wore a pinstripe suit and daps too. A bit too unshaven, and the good Doctor could look like he's been sharing the bins round the back of Naveed's with Pete The Jaikie.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 21:15 (twenty years ago)

Dr. Who in a kilt... would they really make all my dreams come true?

― It Is What A Man Does Which Demeans Him, Not What Is Done To Him (kate), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 06:44 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

HOW COME NOBODY HAS YET BROUGHT UP THE CAPTAIN JACK FIGHTING/FUCKING ALIENS SPINOFF SERIES THAT HAS BEEN JUST ANNOUNCED???

― Mike Stuchbery (Mike Stuchbery), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 08:34 (twenty years ago)

Because they've been talking about it on Teh Livejournal/Freaky Trigger.

Anyway: more Captain Jack = good thing, obviously.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 08:39 (twenty years ago)

Because it was discussed on the other thread?

― Paranoid Spice (kate), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 08:39 (twenty years ago)

Dr Who New Series 2005 Part 3 - The Final Episode!

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 08:41 (twenty years ago)

I got told. Didn't see it anywhere on the 'New Answers'.

― Mike Stuchbery (Mike Stuchbery), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 08:48 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...

Easter Sunday:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/31/dr_who_bandwagon_rolls/

― Ed (dali), Friday, 31 March 2006 08:48 (twenty years ago)

Oh god! Whose house can I come round and watch this at?

Or do I cave in and buy a television just for this event?

― Coffee, Pizza and Boris Johnson Playing In My Smoke Free Living Room, Pls (kate), Friday, 31 March 2006 08:52 (twenty years ago)

Fuck's sake, 15th April is NOT Easter Saturday, people! It's Holy/Silent Saturday, Easter Saturday is a week later.

Grr.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 31 March 2006 09:02 (twenty years ago)

I love it when AF gets into his whole Ecclesiastical Calendar Rockism trip.

― Tim (Tim), Friday, 31 March 2006 09:16 (twenty years ago)

The register don't appear to get the 'dalek bread' gag.

― JimD (JimD), Friday, 31 March 2006 09:54 (twenty years ago)

Andrew, I feel your pain. Some People laugh at me because I know when Spy Wednesday is.

Of course I will be in stupid Scotland at my stupid brother's stupid wedding that weekend, and so will not see it. Thank heavens for Sky Plus.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Friday, 31 March 2006 10:09 (twenty years ago)

I'm particularly touchy on this because Easter Saturday = I'm probably settled in back at home, whereas Holy Saturday = I'm still packing my worldly possessions.

Your brother should have a themed wedding, clearly, accentmonkey (and say hello for me!).

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 31 March 2006 10:24 (twenty years ago)

Are you moving back to Ireland, or just moving house?

― Ed (dali), Friday, 31 March 2006 10:38 (twenty years ago)

omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg

i am looking forward to this a littel bit. kate if i am at home you're more'n welcome to come round... oh i just realised that's the day my cousin and his gf arrive. oh well, if they get into london any later than 6 they just won't be able to be picked up, is all.

― emsk ( emsk), Friday, 31 March 2006 10:53 (twenty years ago)

What Ed said. What is happening in world of YMF?

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Friday, 31 March 2006 15:14 (twenty years ago)

Don't know quite yet. Should know by early next week.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 31 March 2006 15:32 (twenty years ago)

bbc 4 showing The Green Death* over the next three nights (19:10 - 20:00):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/listings/programme.shtml?day=today&filename=20060403/20060403_1910_4544_49828_50

* the one with the maggots.

― koogs (koogs), Monday, 3 April 2006 08:57 (twenty years ago)

eighteen years pass...

pgwp and his son, both new to Who, watched the first Gatwa run and hopped back to try "Rose".

It was OK - a little goofy, bad special effects, and just generally... dumber than I expected it to be.

I appreciate everyone’s advice. Apparently my son has been doing his own research and I’m letting him lead the way - so we are back to the Eccleston season as he wants to see it how it transitions into the Tennant era, which his internetting tells him is a great era.
I won’t bog this thread down with our entire watch but we are now three eps into Eccleston. We just watched “The Unquiet Dead.” When we saw a few advance scenes of this ep I said “oh this looks like it will be a creepy one like 73 Yards.” He says, without missing a beat, “yeah but remember this show is really old so it will be creepy like Indiana Jones, so it will probably actually just be funny.”
Anyway, I know my perspective is severely limited but yeesh, Eccleston does not hold a candle to Gatwa (and Rose does not hold a candle to Ruby either). Also I feel like I’m picking up on a subtle romantic tension between them which I am finding very creepy.

more to come, hopefully!

― bae (sic), Sunday, 30 June 2024 18:13 (one year ago)

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