Doctor Who (2 Viewers)

[Jeffery_H]

http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/9571/doctor-who-primer-who-is-the-great-intelligence.html
And Matt Smith has signed on to continue playing the Doctor in 2014.

Crud, I was hoping to finally see a change. I have never been a Matt Smith fan and much preferred Tennant so far to any of the ones from the new series. He has been there long enough, much longer than the others and it's getting quite stale for me to see Smith in that role. I think there are much more capable actors out there and someone a bit older in their late '30s or '40s would be great, not someone so young.

Anyway, hopefully at the very least they will finally tone down his Doctor parady he tends to do like the over hyperness on drugs. If they make him a lot more serious and OLD in his actions like Tennant conveyed more so, then it would help.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The show so rarely does an out-and-out aliens on alien worlds story any more than when they do it's always a treat. Tonight's episode was no exception.There were definitely times where the production realities butted up against the budget, but never to the point where it was distracting. The little girl who played the Queen of Years did a terrific job, both with the singing and the acting. And Jenna Louise Coleman is starting to really create a character.

My favorite part of was the opening with the montage of Clara's life story, as researched and witnessed by the Doctor. It becomes clear why they had to kill her twice; since she definitely was born in the normal fashion and aged and grew up and loved and lost, we'd assume that however she died was just the end of her story, like with River Song. But since the Doctor has seen her die twice, they can't both be her future self.

 

[JohnS]

The Rings of AkhatenNot too bad of an episode.The Doctor mention Susan Foreman (his granddaughter) visiting the planet from his first Doctor adventures. Is it a call out or something more?The Doctor is obsessively visiting Clara throughout her timeline.Clara's mother seems very important to this season and mystery.Clara started age recorded keeping in the 101 Places book at age 9.Ellie Ravenwood, Raiders of the Lost Ark nod, written her age down at 11.Clara's mother died on March 5th 2005 which is also the date that the Doctor and Rose first met with the invasion of the Autons.The Tardis isn't letting Clara inside the Tardis while on Akhaten.Also The Doctor mysteriously disappears while on the planet. Where did the Doctor go?Some talk forums are saying it's quite important.

 

[JohnS]

Cold WarI really liked this episode.Also really like what they did with the Ice Warrior.Great atmosphere and time period.The Doctor has made a new modification on the TARDIS, when it's attacked.And we also get the great David Warner.

 

[Jeffery_H]

The Cold War episode was the first decent, but not great episode for me since this season returned.

I was not impressed at all with the first two and thought the re-introduction of Clara was very poorly written. It's always been a running joke about how bad the visual effects are for Doctor Who and how all the aliens appear like the old sci-fi films of guys walking around in rubber suits. Now, it seems like nothing much has changed in that regard. The Rings of Akhaten is proof of that and looked like some kid slapped together the effects playing around with Adobe After Effects and some toy models. Also, I guess any sort of reality is gone totally given how they traveled in space with no protection, oxygen, etc. or how gravity would factor into any of this. I'm willing to forego some laws of physics, but stretching it to absudity and making it a cartoon is dreadful.

The Ice Warrior in the rubber suit was bad too, but they at least had better sub effects and showed some small detail of the creature inside the armor. To me, it seems like the show is always low on budget and they continue to stuggle for quality of production. However, the script was better and it was the best one I thought with "new" Clara.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Cold War
I really liked this episode.
Also really like what they did with the Ice Warrior.
Great atmosphere and time period.

The problem I had with this episode was the same problem I had with "A Town Called Mercy." They take a high concept setting, like an Old West town or a Soviet sub, and then proceed to tell a run-of-the-mill Doctor Who story that we've seen countless times before: the Doctor and his companion are faced with an alien threat, and the Doctor must appeal to its better nature.
That being said, I totally agree with you about the Ice Warrior. Once it came of its armor, there was a great really creepy Alien vibe. The fact that we never saw the entirety of how a "naked" Ice Warrior looks made it all the creepier.

The Doctor has made a new modification on the TARDIS, when it's attacked.

The feature in question, the HADS, actually dates back to the Second Doctor in the original run of the show. The running joke was that the feature had to be manually set and the Doctor always forgot to do so. Now the Eleventh Doctor was apparently trying to get it to work automatically, only for them to be trapped. I liked that the TARDIS rematerialized at the South Pole, because in addition to providing a funny punchline, it creates an inconvenience large enough to justify not having the feature on all of the time.

And we also get the great David Warner.

He was terrific. I wish we had another 10 or 15 minutes of his character and Clara chatting.

It's always been a running joke about how bad the visual effects are for Doctor Who and how all the aliens appear like the old sci-fi films of guys walking around in rubber suits.

There's a difference between crappy effects because the budget can't accommodate anything better and deliberate homages to the low-budget earlier era. "The Rings of Akhaten" is an example of the former, because it was absolutely massive story and they decided that going truly epic was more important than having rock solid effects. On the other hand, "Cold War" is an example of the latter; the Ice Warrior looked like a guy walking around in a rubber suit because the Ice Warriors have always looked like guys walking around in rubber suits. The fact that we didn't see more of the Ice Warrior outside its armor wasn't necessarily a budget issue but rather an a matter of less is more; much like the shark in Jaws, the less you see the scarier it is.

Also, I guess any sort of reality is gone totally given how they traveled in space with no protection, oxygen, etc. or how gravity would factor into any of this. I'm willing to forego some laws of physics, but stretching it to absudity and making it a cartoon is dreadful.

This has always been the case with "Doctor Who." In that case, you have to sort of accept that the law of physics behave differently within the rings than they do on a proper non-ringed planet and just move on.

 

[JohnS]

The 50th anniversary special airing Nov. 23rd will be shot in 3D.

 

[Jeffery_H]

The 50th anniversary special airing Nov. 23rd will be shot in 3D.

Yes and EW had a Doctor Who special issue recently with some rumors on this they said was from "reliable sources". Their web site "EW Insider" had some more info for subscribers. Here is what they believe to be true:

1. It will be HD and also shot in 3D as mentioned. The story will be a 2-hour movie special that is said to be the best celebration of Doctor Who ever done.

2. ALL living actors that have played Doctor Who will be returning for the special. It's unknown how they will explain their aging, but it's said to do with the power of the Time Lords. They know that all living actors are said to be on-board, including "the most beloved actor of the classic era, Tom Baker".

3. The actors will unite for the first time on screen and be along the lines of The Five Doctors for a basic reference to go by.

4. The actor that played Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe, is said to portray one of the Doctor's. They don't know which, but do know it will be one of the non-living actors or possible Doctor #8 since that was only one show. Rumor has it he will be Doctor #1 though, but that seems "a bit strange given he would be a better fit for Doctor #2 or 8".

5. The budget is said to be as much as a whole season of the show.

6. Possible surprise appearences from past companions is rumored but not "as strongly so that's less confirmed".

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Christopher Eccleston is definitely not returning for the anniversary special. If the Ninth Doctor appears, it'll be through the magic of visual effects.

 

[Jeffery_H]

Christopher Eccleston is definitely not returning for the anniversary special. If the Ninth Doctor appears, it'll be through the magic of visual effects.

Well, that sure stinks, but I wonder if this is a ploy for more money as is usually the case? The filming must be soon or already underway, so it looks unlikely. This news had to come out after EW went to press and the date on the article indicates such so that's a real shame. Now, I wonder which Doctor Daniel Radcliffe will be playing? It leaves open Doctors #1, 2, 3 and 9.

All I know is the script is said to involve all prior Doctors with all the living Doctor Who actors on-board EW said, which now counts out #9. Someone must be going to take his spot if they intend to unite all 11 in the way they claim to be.

 

[JohnS]

From IMDB Doctor Who discussion board.A spokesperson for the BBC previously said: ''Chris met with Steven Moffat a couple of times to talk about Steven's plans for the Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode. After careful thought, Chris decided not to be in the episode. He wishes the team all the best.''But Chris' voice will be heard in

Spoiler

Journey to the Center of the TARDIS episode.His line will be from "Rose" episode in which he mentions Gengis Khan army trying to break into the TARDIS

And according to other sources Daniel will not be in Doctor Who. but John Hurt will be.

 

[AlexF]

Filming for the episode has been going the last couple of weeks, and only photos of Tennant and Smith have been seen to date.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

What's interesting too is that there are photos with the Eleventh Doctor's shiny new dark blue-purple TARDIS, and then other photos with what appears to be the paler blue more worn TARDIS seen in the episodes with Nine and Ten.

 

[JohnS]

There is an audiobook called "The Light at the End" that will include all doctors.
http://www.hypable.com/2013/01/10/doctor-who-50th-anniversary-to-officially-include-all-former-doctors/
You can preorder it here.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-light-at-the-end-limited-collector-s-edition-860

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Posters for episodes 10, 11 and 12 of the current series:

 

[JohnS]

Hmmm....In the Crimson Horror we have Clara looking like Clara from The Snowmen.I love the Journey to the Center of the TARDIS poster.Clara said on the Nerdist podcast that we will see sections of the TARDIS we've never seen before and see many, many rooms.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The poster (and title!) for the finale of the current series:

 

[NeilO]

I liked that the TARDIS rematerialized at the South Pole, because in addition to providing a funny punchline, it creates an inconvenience large enough to justify not having the feature on all of the time.

I would have liked the punch line a lot more if the next episode was going to feature the Doctor and Clara calling in UNIT to help them get to the South Pole and then they run into an adventure there before leaving.

I guess they are leaving room for a novel or something to fill in the gap.

 

[JohnS]

HideI liked this episode quite a bit.Spooky and great atmosphere.I could have done without the alien creature looking for his lost love.the Tardis still is not warming up to Clara.Clara talks to the TARDIS through its holographic voice interface.I liked how the TARDIS picked Clara in order to reason with her.Emma tells Clara that The Doctor "There is a splinter of ice in his heart" isn't this used from Graham Greene's writer quote meaning that while a writer can sympathize with other people's suffering, that there is a little part of him observing and taking notes, so he can use it in a future book.Also The Doctor asks Emma about Clara, in which she says that she's just an ordinary girl.I'm betting she knows the truth.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

That episode was my favorite in a while, too. Not a "showy" episode, but a good story with good characters. Really excited about tonight's episode.