Dr. Who Season 3 Thread (1 Viewer)

[BrianW]

Is beginning each series (season, to us Yanks) with a Christmas episode an established tradition with this new batch? If so, I'd rate "Runaway Bride" as the best Christmas episode yet. (But I still wouldn't quite give it an "A". Maybe a "B".) "Smith and Jones", I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought the chemistry between Martha and the Doctor was great, and the character of Martha showed more promise in the first episode than any companion I can remember. And considering that Martha has some pretty big shoes (figuratively) to fill following on the heels of Rose Tyler, the potential she displayed in her debut episode (as a companion) is especially encouraging.

And, yeah, I'll be the first to say it: the "cheap time-travel trick" at the end was a hoot.

 

[Tony J Case]

Not really - the only reason the xmas episode starts each season is because that's what is inbetween Doomsday and Smith and Jones. The end of the season is usualy around June/July, there's 5 months off until the special runs on the 25th and then another 4 or 5 months until the start of the next season sometime around easter.

 

[TheLongshot]

I'm actually not down on Tate as much as most on here seem to be. Sure, she was shrill and annoying in the first half. But, her experience with The Doctor seemed to be one that would change her life. I don't think Tate would play Donna quite the same way again.

Anyways, it sounds like Tate will only be a temporary replacement, so what's the problem?

Jason

 

[Andrew Beacom]

The only problem with knowing this casting news is that I now know Martha either leaves or is killed during or at the end of her first season.

 

[Robert Floto]

I know that some of you here have knowledge beyond what some of us have seen in the two episodes that have so far aired, but can we maybe have a thread for the U.S. Sci-fi Channel broadcasts and another for those who have already seen season 3?

I just watched the two episodes and came here to this thread...and regret having done so considerably. I don't wish to watch this program with information that will inform my understanding of certain characters...

 

[BrianW]

I thought the same thing. The thing I liked most about the previous season was the depiction of Rose's transformation as she saw things through the Doctor's eyes.

 

[Steve Y]

I would definitely avoid forums if you're just getting into this show. Spoilers abound.

Concerning "companionship":

A "Sally Sparrow" would have been the obvious choice. Another cute, young, spunky heroine (at least she wouldn't be in love with him). In that light, Tate is a bolder, more challenging choice, and I'm looking forward to a different dynamic. And yes, doubters - you may be forgetting the end of "The Runaway Bride". She can reign herself in, and the actors were not without some quiet chemistry.

Season 3 (of the new Doctor Who) I found to be (overall) of higher quality than Season 2, which was (in my lonely opinion) even better than Season 1.

 

[Andrew Beacom]

Apologies to anyone that hadn't joined the dots but there were enough references to the character/actor not spoilerized for me to know exactly what was going on without having seen any S3 episodes.

 

[Jeffery_H]

It's best to keep everything in this thread, since I started it with the word "OFFICIAL".

Those outside the USA should put anything we haven't seen yet in season 3 in spoiler tags, as the intent was clear from the first post what this thread was for. It's the START of season 3 here on the SCI-FI channel and everything NOT about the shows airing on our time level should be WARNED to others here!

 

[BrianW]

Thanks, Andrew. I know you meant no harm, and I hope I haven't made you think I don't welcome your participation. Besides, you're right in any case: casting news of that nature would have been utterly impossible to avoid from all sources for the duration of the season.

Maybe if Donna toned down her wardrobe, she wouldn't come across as being so demandingly shrill. Maybe she should wear, you know, a bridesmaid's dress, or something.

 

[TheLongshot]

Actually, I think Martha is supposed to be back at some point. She's mostly going to be hanging around Torchwood next season.

Jason

 

[Robert Floto]

If ever a thread needed a moderator it's this one. Geez!

Okay, thanks anyway. I'll just watch the program and stay out of this thread from now on.

 

[Jeffery_H]

ATTN: MODERATORS!!

I've WARNED everyone since I started this thread to be careful becuse we have some real jerks on here hi-jacking my original topic and intent.

I made it clear from the start what this thread was for and even a 2nd posting making it understood even for those that seem intent on ruining it. Yet people overseas seem just fine with ignoring the original post topic and upsetting everyone else in the USA. WE DO NOT CARE IF YOU HAVE SEEN IT, THIS IS FOR THE USA!!

If I wasn't clear before, I will be now, STOP POSTING SPOILERS WITHOUT SPOILER TAGS!!!! Better yet, just stay out of this topic PERIOD if you can't read or follow the rules of the original post topic.

 

[RickER]

You know i was wondering if the show was still doing OK. I thought one of the UK folk would have started a thread when it was on for them. Guess no one cared enough at the time. I am probably one of the few who doesnt give a rats if i know how a show or movie ends. Matter of fact i read most of the Dr. Who books, back in the day, before i ever saw the episodes. But i have a respect as well for the guys who dont want to know the last chapter before they read the book, as it were.

 

[Steve Berger]

I was confused myself from your title since "Officially" Series 3 has already ended. For me "Official" indicates the original broadcast of a show. Since the USA is 2 weeks behind Canada, we're the third market to get the show, which means a lot of North Americans are ahead of Sci-Fi. There's no way (in my mind) that Sci-Fi (or PBS that's showing Series 1) constitute "Official" anything that didn't originate on the channel (SG1, SG Atlantis, Eureka, etc).

I would have titled your thread "The USA Dr. Who Season 3 Thread" or "The Sci-Fi Dr. Who Season 3 Thread", but definitely not "OFFICIAL".

As far as casting information goes, even Sci-fi's own official website, SciFi Wire, has posted it, which would make that info "Official", using any definition of "Official", that I've ever seen. Please remember that lot of people will look into a thread like this (or find it using a search function) to find current infomation without reading the first pages, so the title description can be very important.

 

[Tony J Case]

The US is the fourth market, actually - the ABC started running the show down under a couple weeks back. They are up to The Shakespeare Code, if my memory serves.

**EDIT**
Oh, as to concern if the show was doing fine or not, It's totatly kicking ass in the ratings and AI index.

Official figures released by BARB show that the final episode of Season Three, Last of the Time Lords was watched by 8.61 million viewers, making it the 7th most watched programme on British television for the week.

The programme got higher ratings than three editions of EastEnders, one edition of Coronation Street and all editions of Emmerdale.

The Sunday repeat was the 3rd most watched programme on multi channel Television with 0.87 million viewers.

It was beaten by the Saturday edition of Doctor Who Confidential, which topped the multi channel charts with 1.02 million viewers, the highest rating the programme has ever achieved on this channel, narrowly beating the rating for last years season climax which had 1.01 million.

The Friday repeat of Episode Twelve, The Sound of Drums was 17th in the list with 0.62 million watching.

That's not bad numbers for being in the middle of summer where the overall viewing figures were down across the board. And that's what the show's been pulling in week after week, so I'd say it's in DAMN fine shape.

 

[TheLongshot]

If a mod wants to delete my posts, go right ahead.

Personally, I don't think anything I said is a spoiler, since I don't even know the details as to why the cast changes are happening next season. I haven't been following anything about what happens this season.

Believe me, if a character was going to die, I certainly wouldn't talk about it without spoilers.

Jason

 

[RickER]

I have to say its a well known fact companions and doctors change all the time. Its also a fact when a change happens you would have to hide under a rock not to find out, six months before. But i know some people dont know the show, except in its new form.

 

[Tony J Case]

Yeah, the show's always been pretty open about the comings and goings of the cast - well, save for Adric, but that was a one off shock departure. Everyone else is known pretty well in advance of them actually leaving that they were going.

 

[BrianW]

I hate spoilers as much as anybody, but I quite agree, casting news is difficult to avoid, especially when the first episode of a season doesn't air in our market until the final episode of the season has aired in the show's primary market. It's not as if people here have revealed the story or plot. They haven't, and I wouldn't categorize anything here as being the product of malevolence or "jerkitudiness". I'm disappointed to know the casting news, but I do think it's rather minor.
This makes sense to me. I avoided this thread at first based solely on the thread title, fearing it would contain discussion of episodes aired in other, more "OFFICIAL" markets. Jeffery, I appreciate your starting this thread, because I love discussing Doctor Who with everyone here. But when this thread is 89 pages long, your first post will not be referenced with regard to establishing the thread's purpose. The thread title is all newcomers will go by. Perhaps I'm not jingoistic enough to always associate "OFFICIAL" with "United States" (that's a joke), but it strikes me that it would make more sense to request the moderators to change the thread title to include "SciFi US Broadcast" rather than to call upon them to smite the Brits.

Not that I'm against smiting Brits in general, mind you...



For my part, I simply intend to have fun here. Martha is the one and only Companion that I warmed up to in the very first episode, and I look forward to her story line, especially if it involves more "genetic transfers".