Doctor Who

[solaris72]

The new Doctor Who series is finally hitting North American shores on DVD. The 13 episode first season will be released Feb. 14.

The DVD set will carry a suggested retail price of $99.98.

Booooo.

Link

[Harold Gervais]

My R2 set arrived the other day. Pretty spiffy looking package although I've read several complaints of discs flopping around. Pre-order price came out to about 73 bucks.

[solaris72]

So this was pushed back when the BBC finally made a deal with the SciFi channel to air the first season (the first two episodes premiere this Friday). Anyway, Warner has finally announced the advised street date, which will be July 4th.

link

[Harold Gervais]

As a whole the series is a lot of fun. If anyone is checking out the show's Sci-Fi premiere this Friday, bear in mind the first episode is easily the weakest of the season. Things really kick in with the third show which was written by League of Gentlemen writer/performer Mark Gatiss.

[starmanof51]

I thought the seventh was easily the weakest, but yes the pilot does have some of the troubles that pilots often do. Things really pick up in the second half of the season.

I was pretty impressed with the christmas special too - another sign of incremental improvement. The fx are gradually getting surprisingly good after an iffy start.

[knives]

Is this really all that we've written about this series? For shame.
Anyways I'm just going to co-opt the thread to talk about the old series which I'm beginning to be a fan of. I've only seen what's been released of the first ten serials, but it's been massively entertaining. Surprisingly even for me it wasn't the Dalek serial that convinced me that the original show was any good, but The Aztecs. The show has a tendency to spend episodes on filler that doesn't lead the plot nor characters forward at all and that was especially bad in The Daleks. The Aztecs though really evolved all of the characters and had the most exciting surviving plot to date. Every character seems to serve a purpose for once and they all have great little moments. The relationship between the old woman and the doctor was the top of it all for me though. It's the first time they really let him show human emotion beyond wonderment or menace. The ending to it all is really touching too.
Terrible the sets are all so overpriced though. It's sad when the English copies are dramatically cheaper(even than though they don't reach reasonable until they are half off).

[teddyleevin]

Is this really all that we've written about this series? For shame.
Anyways I'm just going to co-opt the thread to talk about the old series which I'm beginning to be a fan of. I've only seen what's been released of the first ten serials, but it's been massively entertaining. Surprisingly even for me it wasn't the Dalek serial that convinced me that the original show was any good, but The Aztecs. The show has a tendency to spend episodes on filler that doesn't lead the plot nor characters forward at all and that was especially bad in The Daleks. The Aztecs though really evolved all of the characters and had the most exciting surviving plot to date. Every character seems to serve a purpose for once and they all have great little moments. The relationship between the old woman and the doctor was the top of it all for me though. It's the first time they really let him show human emotion beyond wonderment or menace. The ending to it all is really touching too.
Terrible the sets are all so overpriced though. It's sad when the English copies are dramatically cheaper(even than though they don't reach reasonable until they are half off).

Let it be clear that the show, with small exceptions, until 1980 wasn't about developing the plot or characters but more about the separate serials as separate adventures with your favorite characters.

[knives]

Oh totally, but an adventure story even in its most basic form can utilize it's characters really well as I felt The Aztecs did. The second Dalek serial(Invasion of Earth)is splendid in this way. It was also surprisingly chilling. That first shot of the Dalek rising from the water sent my hair on end. I've come to expect many things from the series, but not that. Actually on the whole it was far more emotionally involving than I expected out of the series.

Spoiler

Susan leaving just nearly broke my heart. She wasn't used all that well in the series, but they really did know how to sell things when they are worth it.

[knives]

Two of the missing episodes have been found, hazzuh.

[domino harvey]

Peter Capaldi from the Thick of It is the new Doctor Who

[Professor Wagstaff]

Peter Capaldi from the Thick of It is the new Doctor Who

You, sir, have made my day.

[Murdoch]

Looks like I'm going to start watching Doctor Who.

[domino harvey]

Coulda been better though:

[colinr0380]

Peter Capaldi from the Thick of It is the new Doctor Who

I'd prefer to say Peter Capaldi from The Lair of the White Worm!

It is also sad that Peter Cushing never gets mentioned in the official cannon of Dr Whos, since he played the part in the two feature films rather than the BBC series.

[domino harvey]

He'll always be Sid's dad on Skins to me!

[knives]

Peter Capaldi from the Thick of It is the new Doctor Who

I'd prefer to say Peter Capaldi from The Lair of the White Worm!

It is also sad that Peter Cushing never gets mentioned in the official cannon of Dr Whos, since he played the part in the two feature films rather than the BBC series.

I was about to make a joke that this is the first bespectacled Doctor.

[starmanof51]

I'd prefer to say Peter Capaldi from The Lair of the White Worm!

Me too! He's pretty terrific in it. And the Who shop seems pretty lucky to get him

[MichaelB]

This was bound to happen sooner or later.

But at least it's actually funny. Although spectacularly NSFW unless you've got headphones to hand.

[Mr Sausage]

Not quite Dr. Who, but Lego...they're all made of lego.

[colinr0380]

I wonder whether, since Capaldi is a relatively big name, the show is going to do another Christopher Eccleston kind of thing and get Capaldi in for a limited period of maybe just one season to reinvigorate things before handing over to more unknown names for a longer run?

[starmanof51]

I wonder whether, since Capaldi is a relatively big name, the show is going to do another Christopher Eccleston kind of thing and get Capaldi in for a limited period of maybe just one season to reinvigorate things before handing over to more unknown names for a longer run?

Unlike Eccles we're talking about a straight up fanboy. Makes me think that's not his going-in position, because who needs the ghost of Jon Pertwee frowning at you? To be fair I don't think Eccleston went in expecting to be one and done either. The workload may end up having Capaldi heading for the door before the money does.

[zedz]

Looks like I'm going to start watching Doctor Who.

Peter Capaldi cast as Doctor Who - good for him; Malcolm Tucker cast as Doctor Who - I'd actually watch it.

[knives]

It certainly should be a thankful change of pace from the last four doctors.

[Mr Sausage]

It certainly should be a thankful change of pace from the last four doctors.

Agreed--especially since part of me always thinks of The Doctor as being an older gentleman in the Quatermass mould. But I really liked the last (still technically current) doctor. He's the only reason I even watch the show since it's such sentimental rubbish most of the time.

I know a lot of the general excitement is down to people actually thinking they're getting Malcolm Tucker as The Doctor, but I do hope that this casting means the doctor will go back to being irritable and aloof and this in turn cuts down on the sentimentality. If not I'll probably give up again like I did with the 10th doctor.

[MichaelB]

I know a lot of the general excitement is down to people actually thinking they're getting Malcolm Tucker as The Doctor

...despite the irony that Tucker is arguably Capaldi's least typical role.

Prior to The Thick of It, he was widely regarded as one of the nicest men in the business, something that was as true of the characters he played as his own behind-the-scenes persona. Although, that said, it's hard to watch his gauche Danny in Local Hero these days without getting flashbacks (or flashforwards?) to Tucker!