Doctor Who: "Genesis of the Daleks" and "Inferno" on their way (1 Viewer)

[MatthewLouwrens]

I beat you all...

The Twin Dilemma

Well, to be honest, I had seen a couple of random snippets of Davison episodes, and seen the Dalek Invasion Earth movie when they showed it on TV in the holidays, but that was all. I really wasn't interested. And then they started to air Colin Baker episodes. Now, here in NZ, by the time they got to show those episodes, it was 1989, so we were a good five years behind. The day they started showing Twin Dilemma, they actually had an article on the TV page of the local paper talking about how unsuccessful Colin Baker was as the Doctor. For some reason, that article made me curious, and I decided to watch. And I carried on watching, despite the awfulness of that story and many of the ones from that era.

(Just for the record, I really like Colin Baker's Doctor, and I think he was let down by bad stories.)

 

[Scott Kriefall]

I don't remember which episode I saw first . It was the early 80s, and I think my dad saw the show and thought I might like it. I can't have been more than 10 at the time, and would watch it on the 13-inch B&W TV in the basement on Friday nights. The first episodes I saw may have been Pertwee episodes, since that's the era that I've always preferred.

Unfortunately, there aren't many Pertwee serials available on DVD at this time. "Spearhead from Space" is out, and is a good introduction. I'm looking forward to seeing "Inferno" again!

 

[Randy*S]

My first episode was The Sontarian Experiment, it came on late on a local non-pbs channel in the early 80's when I was about 15 and I fell madly in love with Elizabeth Sladen!
I also like Katy Manning and Louise Jameson but Liz is my favorite so I'll buy any of those episodes.

I won't touch the new Dr. Who with a ten foot sonic screwdriver though.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Just out of curiosity, may I ask why not? Have you seen it, or just basing it on reports? Because, while its not perfect and does come with a much more modern feel and attitude than classic Who, it's still pretty great television that still feels like Who, with some simply stunning and terrifying moments (the moment where the tape runs out absolutely freaked me out), and it really would be a shame to miss out on it.

 

[MikeStanbridge]

I wholeheartedly agree. You really can't skip this and call yourself a Dr. Who fan. This is some of the best science fantasy on TV and like it or not it is definitely the Doctor.

 

[Tony J Case]

Top shelf programming to go right along with Pyramids of Mars and the Caves of Androzoni.

 

[Randy*S]

That's it in a nutshell for me. I don't like "Modern" sci-fi at all, and I just don't like the directors, producers, and writers of today.
Closed minded I know, but I just prefer the classic years.

 

[Tony J Case]

*shrug* If that's your bag, then so be it. But dismissing it out of hand without even giving it a chance is just downright silly, in my opinion. I mean the writers were all fans of the old school show back so they've been true to what's come before, what the core of the show is.

To blow it off because "Well, I dont like Enterprise or Buffy or Battlestar Galactica so I of course I'm not going to like this new Who" - yup, that's pretty much silly.

Look at it this way - when the Sci-Fi channel starts running the show in a couple of weeks, watch all the way up to Dalek, the halfway point of the series. That's what - 5 hours of your life? That's nothing - a blip on the radar.

 

[Jonathan Kaye]

in The Empty Child.

 

[Tony J Case]

Even above and beyond the continuity to the old show (The Zarbi get the nod in a couple of places, the Cloister Bell goes off and so on), there are points where I could totally see Tom B's offbeat humor, Colin B's righteous outrage, Davison's vulnerability, the grumpiness of Hartnell - all come out in Eccleston at one time or another. I'm completely convinced that this is the same man with a new face.

The only thing that's changed is the wobbly sets are gone and the BBC has sunk money into the show. (And you know, some 20 years on and the Doctor is STILL playing against a man in a funny rubber mask. The more things change. . . .)

 

[AndyMcKinney]

I agree with much that has been said above. I'm not one who usually goes for "modern" sci-fi, but Doctor Who is an exception. Plus, at least they went with it as a continuation rather than a "reimagining" (ala Battlestar Galactica).

There are some goofy aspects to the new show that I could do without (such as some of the "replacement parts" on the Tardis console and a certain plastic rubbish bin in the premiere episode), but overall, this is a fine effort and is much better than the McCoy seasons. I do feel, however, that the show is different enough that the BBC made the right decision in declaring it the first season of the "new" version and not simply "season 27". Although it maintains continuity with the original, it is a different programme.

 

[seanOhara]

The new series is generally good, but there are some things that really grate -- not only the rubbish bin in "Rose", but the fart humor in "The Aliens of London"/"World War III", and the completely unsubtle attempts at satire.

 

[MishaLauenstein]

or you'll go blind.

 

[Tony J Case]

To be fair, as I understand it the burping bin was not in the original script, and while the aliens did fart it wasnt nearly to the level that it was in Aliens of London/WWIII.

All three episodes were done by the same director - who, I might add, is not coming back in the new season.

(Cant speak to the unsubtle attempts at satire tho - but then ANYthing compared to Colin Baker's jacket is downright restrained and understated)

 

[MattSav]

The burping bin was not in the original script, and while the aliens did fart it wasnt nearly to the level that it was in Aliens of London/WWIII. All three episodes were done by the same director - who, I might add, is not coming back in the new season.

Having gotten the opprotunity to meet Keith Boak, the director of the first block, recently, I felt the need to reply to this. The farting and burping and all that stuff were additions of Russell T. Davies, and not things that Keith neccesarily wanted in the episodes.

The burp was actually added by The Mill as a gag. Russell liked it and decided to keep it in. Likewise, references to other scatalogical stuff was increased to "appeal to kids" again, at the discretion of Julie Gardner and RTD. Keith didn't have anything to do with that.

It also isn't clear whether or not he wasn't asked back or if he was asked back and declined because of scheduling reasons (he's a very busy director, having done a ton of series in the UK.)

 

[Tony J Case]

I had always heard that the burping/farting came from a directoral level and not from on high. But I'm a big enough man to admit when I'm wrong. But then, I'll admit that all my information came from heresay - like Keith Boak didnt quite get along with the crew (and some behind the scenes stuff that the public may never know), which is why no invite.

As always, take fan ramblings with a grain of salt. Or several.

(For the record, I dont mind the burping/farting - it's neither funny or repulsive. It's just kind of "Meh" for me).