Dr Who - newer - bigger - better

BBC 1 saturday night at 7
Anyone see it? It's been given a huge make over,I'm liking it and will watch again next week to see how it goes.
Last nights episode started in the "now" with the doctor chasing plastic people about the place.
I saw the docu on the making of it and what comes in the next few weeks looks good and pacey.The reviews have been very good so far,with most of the tv critics having seen ep one as a preview and lauding it.
And for a change, they've actually spent a bit of effort and money on the special effects

You can read up on it here

Ivan

I like the replacement Doctor Who actor, but Billie Pyper?!

BuffyBot

but Billie Pyper?!

Surprisingly enough, not as bad as you might think

MorningStar

I liked it too. It's a little bit strange with all the old cliche. It looks like they were having fun with the whole let's run down here then here. There was a bit of social commentry (mother going on about making a claim) and references to the Doctor's views on individual value and greater good. It could be on the right track for a broad audience but the time seems a bit crap even though it is it's traditional spot.

secret_squirrel

I liked it. Played semi-tongue in cheek with plenty of knowing references for the fans - think of it as Dr Who for the Buffy generation.

Billy Piper was better than expected and Christopher Eccleston brings just the right amount of quirkyness to the role.

dahamsta

It must have been incredibly difficult to modernise the show while still retaining the feel of the old show, but I think they pulled it off.

adam

KTRIC

Does anyone know if it will be repeated during the week ??? or does anyone have it on VHS/DVDRW they can loan me ??

secret_squirrel

dahamsta wrote:

It must have been incredibly difficult to modernise the show while still retaining the feel of the old show, but I think they pulled it off.

adam

Agreed.

banta fodder wrote:

Does anyone know if it will be repeated during the week ??? or does anyone have it on VHS/DVDRW they can loan me ?

The first episode was alledgedly widely leaked on the internet. The canadian guy who did it got the sack.

I recorded it onto my HD but am missing the first 5 mins. Also its lousy quality (thanks chorus).

Gavin W

I've been waiting for this for 16 years and it didn't disappoint. Not the most fantastic Dr. Who episode ever but very, very good. Eccleston is brilliantly barmy as the Doc and Billie Piper was perfectly good too. Roll on the next 12 weeks. Shame about the sound fault during the first 5 minutes though. We heard bits of Graham Norton and his audience fading in and out over the soundtrack, gah!

Banta Fodder wrote:

Does anyone know if it will be repeated during the week ??? or does anyone have it on VHS/DVDRW they can loan me ??

It's repeated tonight at 7.00 on BBC Three if you can get that.

CathyMoran

I liked the new Dr. Who - have been watching Dr. Who since I was 2 thanks to my brother who is 6 years older than me, the Daleks used to really scare me when I was 4! Christopher Ecelston is an excellent choice of Dr. - he brings a bit of gravitas, they went too lighthearted in the previous few Dr.'s Liked his outfit too. Billy Piper is suprisingly good also. Looking forward to the next episodes.

dahamsta

Gavin W wrote:

Shame about the sound fault during the first 5 minutes though. We heard bits of Graham Norton and his audience fading in and out over the soundtrack, gah!

I was wondering what the hell was going on there! Until I heard Norton's voice I thought they were sound effects and I couldn't figure out what they were supposed to signify!

adam

foxybrowne

finished work at 6 then off home to watch it on BBC3.
16 yrs its been since we had a full series.

mike65

Its going to take a while to acclimatise, every time I think Dr Who I see either Pertwee or Baker (Tom). Christopher Eccleston is fine actor but is he Doctor material? The showroom dummies kinda reminded me of episodes in both The Avengers/New Avengers, and Dawn of the Dead (!). Pity about the slick visuals I miss the grainy "location photography in a Sussex quarry" look and shaky sets.

Mike.

secret_squirrel

mike65 wrote:

Christopher Eccleston is fine actor but is he Doctor material?

On this evidence yes - it didnt even occur to me to compare him to the other doctors - which must be a good thing?

mike65 wrote:

The showroom dummies kinda reminded me of episodes in both The Avengers/New Avengers, and Dawn of the Dead (!).

Funny - they reminded me of the Autons from the original series.

mike65 wrote:

"location photography in a Sussex quarry"

Given the irreverence demonstrated in the first episode - I wont be ruling out a quarry episode.

Capt'n Midnight

mike65 wrote:

Its going to take a while to acclimatise, every time I think Dr Who I see either Pertwee or Baker (Tom). Christopher Eccleston is fine actor but is he Doctor material?

nicely lopsided and as unfocused on things as Tom Barker, though I hardly expect him to produce a Jelly Baby..

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

foxybrowne

Just saw it today on BBC3, its got the buzz alright. Some very clever bits for the fans. (wasn't the tannoy announcment in the Department store straight out of Dragonfire?)
Would have liked a bit more of the gritty late 80's Survival feel. Piper's a bit of an Ace.
At first was like, no way its going to be all one-off self contained stories, without cliffhangers etc, but then considered that the very first episode was just a once of really, which kinda went down the same road, introducing the charachters etc. In fact eh, we get a quote straight from the first episode, when the Doctor tells Billie that TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. This explanation of TARDIS was originally given back then, and hasnt been given since.

ixoy

foxybrowne wrote:

Would have liked a bit more of the gritty late 80's Survival feel. Piper's a bit of an Ace.

Yeah, I'll be interested in seeing how they play the feel of the show. As ya know , it could have lots of different tones. Pertwee's opening season (7 was it?) was very gritty at times, with the likes of "Inferno" and "The Ambassadors of Death". Similarly a lot of the Davison era had a gritty feel. I'd like to think we could do something like "Horror of Fang Rock" and have everyone butchered at the end but still tell a good story It's certainly clear they can do the lighter tone anyway, so hopefully we'll get the drama/horror that's there too.

In fact eh, we get a quote straight from the first episode, when the Doctor tells Billie that TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. This explanation of TARDIS was originally given back then, and hasnt been given since.

Aye, from "An Unearthly Child"/"100,000 BC". Coined by Susan, the Doctor's grand-daughter. Or, if you're being picky, the Other's daughter thrust through time by the Hand of Omega before the Pythian curse cursed the Timelords to using Looms to populate their Houses...

mike65

Are we going to get cliffhangers or single self-contained episodes?

Also I know the Daleks are coming in Ep 6 (so giving a mid season boost to ratings) but will we see the likes of the Cybermen, Ice Warriors, those chaps from under the sea. Also does anyone remember those creepy aliens who had to no head just a metal sphere?

Mike.

halenger

Watched the first 15/20 minutes. Thought it looked awful and went off to watch something else. *shrugs*

Might give it another try this week but I'm not expecting much. I watched a film before and bits of another. It wasn't what I had expected.

BuffyBot

Are we going to get cliffhangers or single self-contained episodes

Some of the 13 episodes are two parters which will most likely have some form of cliff hanger ending between parts I'd imagine.

foxybrowne

You can't beat a good cliffhanger. Anyone see Ghost Light, when the lift comes up from the cellar and then.....................

ixoy

Don't remember that one Foxybrowne. My favourite is still from "Caves of Androzani" when the Doctor and Peri get machine gunned to death

The Brigadier

mike65 wrote:

Its going to take a while to acclimatise, every time I think Dr Who I see either Pertwee or Baker (Tom). Christopher Eccleston is fine actor but is he Doctor material? The showroom dummies kinda reminded me of episodes in both The Avengers/New Avengers, and Dawn of the Dead (!). Pity about the slick visuals I miss the grainy "location photography in a Sussex quarry" look and shaky sets.

Mike.

You obviously don't travel much, did you not know that all planets look like a quarry!

foxybrowne

The Brigadier wrote:

You obviously don't travel much, did you not know that all planets look like a quarry!

Mainly a quarry in Surrey, but once a quarry in Lanzarote.

The Brigadier

Hmm....quarry in Lanzarote with Peri and her bikini.../rubs knees in a rather uneasy manner