Television Doctor Who

lsd

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What do you expect with John Bishop showing up? Probably going to be Liverpool references every episode and Klopp appearing in the finale
 

Mickeza

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So I’ve got over the Doctor being a Liverpool fan and have finished it now. The opening two minutes of eye rollingly ridiculous exposition had me fearing the worst, it then “introduced” about 8 new characters with zero background including a teddy bear and some Voldemort impressionist all in the space of 15 minutes - and then we had John Bishop telling us Liverpool is great because it has musicians and footballers so naturally at this point I’d lost all hope. The first half was also the unique combination of being exceptionally fast paced whilst also being incredibly dull and I was completely bored like I have been throughout most of this era despite having no clue what the feck was going on. However, somehow by the end I was at least somewhat invested and I’ll watch next week. Utter shite with some very questionable dialogue but by the end mildly intriguing. So a step up from Chibnall’s usual efforts in fairness.
 

The Cat

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I really don't mind her as the Doctor she could have been very good but has been let down terribly by all the writing.
 

Loon

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Russell T Davies used to get a kicking, but I think he'll get the show going again. Wonder who he'll pick for his Doctor?
 

choccy77

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Lots to dislike about the new episode :mad:
It get's worse and worse.

This show has been totally ruined. Id rather watch the classic Who over this rubbish any day.

Also, how much did LFC pay to plug themselves that much!
 

Smores

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My thinking as well. Top actor let down by utterly shit writing.
I find it hard to believe she's a top actor only having seen her play this role. She may be fantastic at serious drama but she can't do eccentric or quirky.

I really don't understand how she got the role. All of the previous new era doctors make the dodgy dialog into something better by what they bring.

I almost hope the next doctor is female again so she hasn't ruined it for anyone else.
 

Fingeredmouse

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Russell T Davies used to get a kicking, but I think he'll get the show going again. Wonder who he'll pick for his Doctor?
Did he? Only really towards the end when the protracted emoTennent exit and the stick an animal head on some people in a boiler suit schtick got a bit much. He's remembered fondly surely?

I thought tonight was decent enough for the Chibnall era.
 

roseguy64

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Caught up with this over the last week. Hadn't watched Series 12 past the opening two parter. Was much better than the previous even though I don't like the changes to the lore that they did.

Will watch this new series once a couple episodes go by.
 

Trequarista10

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Weirdly, I really liked it. Seems most people I've encountered hated it.

I'm not sure if I liked the episode as such, or if I just like the concept of it being a 6 chapter series that all links. I'm not often a fan of the filler episodes you get in most series, which include one detail that becomes relevant to the bigger picture later in the series. This format cuts that out, its going to be all about the big storyline.

First episode obviously created a ton of questions and mysteries. I may wait until the whole series is out and watch them back-to-back, to save having to guess what the feck is happening between episodes.
 

padzilla

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I watched the first episode of the new series and my initial thought is there was too much going on to know if I liked it or not.
You can't argue with the scale of it, they are going all out.
Ultimately though I am still unmoved by Whitaker's Doctor, she is clearly miscast in the role.
Also heard Omari Douglas from It's a Sin is the new front runner to take over in the title role.
 

choccy77

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What I hate about Dr Who is that now the people in charge think they have to make it very American and so if it is slower paced with more story and character based telling, it will flop somehow.

The classic Who will always be great, because the formula worked and RTD did well initially doing both old and modern storytelling, but his last season was poor and then the new guy took over and it just wasn't as good and it became more about the explosions and rushing through a story or plot and it's just been badly written and very Woke also which again, if done in a good way is fine, but the show has lost it's way and they need a big reset.

Hopefully RTD will not scum to past mistakes or present ones and let the episodes breath, have a 3 episode story arc etc and deffo ditch scousers from it!!
 

lsd

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Jodie Whittaker was bad but now John Bishop? I swear the end can't come quick enough.

Omari taking over is interesting it's about time for a black person to become the Doctor for real and not a throwaway episode which messed up the canon
 

Trequarista10

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Jodie Whittaker was bad but now John Bishop? I swear the end can't come quick enough.

Omari taking over is interesting it's about time for a black person to become the Doctor for real and not a throwaway episode which messed up the canon
I was surprised at how bad John Bishop's acting was. Never seen him act in anything before but just assumed he'd be quite good, at least at the comedy stuff. He was very wooden though.
 

lsd

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I was surprised at how bad John Bishop's acting was. Never seen him act in anything before but just assumed he'd be quite good, at least at the comedy stuff. He was very wooden though.

I can't say i expected him to be able to act so not surprised he was awful
 

Fingeredmouse

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Jodie Whittaker was bad but now John Bishop? I swear the end can't come quick enough.

Omari taking over is interesting it's about time for a black person to become the Doctor for real and not a throwaway episode which messed up the canon
Messing up Doctor Who canon is impossible. This is a series with a book called "The Discontinuity Guide" about it, where the authors (often entirely ridiculously) try to make sense of the wildly contradictory nature of a sixty year old show written by many, many (often jobbing) writers.
That's part of the fun.
 

Fingeredmouse

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I was surprised at how bad John Bishop's acting was. Never seen him act in anything before but just assumed he'd be quite good, at least at the comedy stuff. He was very wooden though.
He was fecking terrible indeed. Ken Dodd's appearance is now the second worst from a Liverpudlian comedian in the series.
 

lsd

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Messing up Doctor Who canon is impossible. This is a series with a book called "The Discontinuity Guide" about it, where the authors (often entirely ridiculously) try to make sense of the wildly contradictory nature of a sixty year old show written by many, many (often jobbing) writers.
That's part of the fun.

I wouldn't know I just would like a proper Black Doctor and not one popping up for one show saying i was the first but everyone can only hear about it now.

I just prefer to think Hartnell was the first and move on from there without thinking too much into it.

We got a female doctor we had loads of white guys now unless Tom Ellis wants it it's time for a Black Doctor
 

Fingeredmouse

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I wouldn't know I just would like a proper Black Doctor and not one popping up for one show saying i was the first but everyone can only hear about it now.

I just prefer to think Hartnell was the first and move on from there without thinking too much into it.

We got a female doctor we had loads of white guys now unless Tom Ellis wants it it's time for a Black Doctor
Yeah. That'd be cool.
 

El B

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I've recently been watching all the Nu-Who from the beginning. I'd never properly watched it apart from episodes here and there. Although I did catch almost all of the Capaldi run for some reason. Anyway....

After Ten and the shift to HD and bigger budgets it feels like it lost a lot of its charm. Matt Smith was fine but I really enjoyed watching Tennent and Billie Piper running around alleyways in Cardiff for example haha.

From what I remember, the writing in the Capaldi episodes was a bit all over the place and I've only seen a few Whitaker ones so can't really judge.

Ideally, the return of RTD means a return to some of the darker stories from the Ten run, or even something akin to the better Moffat episodes, but with the budget of the new series. Could be fun. Maybe the best example of that is the Silence double-bill or The Doctors Wife. Gaiman going full Michael Moorcock.
 

Zaphod2319

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The writing has been so poor in the Jody run. The directing has been bad also. Josy’s character is all over the place from epsode to episode and she is a great actor in her other work. I think Tennent spoiled us on a solid Doctor.
 

Sparky_Hughes

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The jody episodes have been universally dire. The sooner rtd comes back and puts some quality writing in place the better. Also I never thought john bishop could be worse at anything than he is at comedy. I was wrong.
 

The Cat

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I've recently been watching all the Nu-Who from the beginning. I'd never properly watched it apart from episodes here and there. Although I did catch almost all of the Capaldi run for some reason. Anyway....

After Ten and the shift to HD and bigger budgets it feels like it lost a lot of its charm. Matt Smith was fine but I really enjoyed watching Tennent and Billie Piper running around alleyways in Cardiff for example haha.

From what I remember, the writing in the Capaldi episodes was a bit all over the place and I've only seen a few Whitaker ones so can't really judge.

Ideally, the return of RTD means a return to some of the darker stories from the Ten run, or even something akin to the better Moffat episodes, but with the budget of the new series. Could be fun. Maybe the best example of that is the Silence double-bill or The Doctors Wife. Gaiman going full Michael Moorcock.
Billie Piper got on my nerves in the end - she seemed to try and adopt a really annoying accent completely different to her early episodes, it was really hammy - then Tennant started doing it too as if they were trying to outdo each other.
 

choccy77

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It would be great if they could somehow re write Jodies storyline and all this crap they created last season was just some trick and not real.

These shows today all seem to throw agendas down our throats for no good or well written reason and it clearly shows by how bad everything is.

Nothing wrong with change, but do it organically and logically, don't rewrite 60 years of history so you can say, oh actually the Dr was always a girl in the first place etc
 

lsd

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I thought Capaldi was an excellent Doctor though he was barely let down by the storylines and writing.

From what I have seen of Jodie it seems to be the same only with even worse stories.

Ecclestone was brilliant in the part and it's a shame we didn't get more but he had always been very principled and it's no surprise he walked if he felt there were issues.

Tennent obviously the best of the New era Matt Smith did a good job replacing him.

It's not going to be easy for the new Doctor and I do think it should be someone who has a lot of experience in a big production previously.

Tom Ellis ticks every box for me if he be wants the role and he says he does then it would be crazy not to give it to him

Michaela Cole and Michael Sheen likewise
 

ha_rooney

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I thought Capaldi was an excellent Doctor though he was barely let down by the storylines and writing.

From what I have seen of Jodie it seems to be the same only with even worse stories.

Ecclestone was brilliant in the part and it's a shame we didn't get more but he had always been very principled and it's no surprise he walked if he felt there were issues.

Tennent obviously the best of the New era Matt Smith did a good job replacing him.

It's not going to be easy for the new Doctor and I do think it should be someone who has a lot of experience in a big production previously.

Tom Ellis ticks every box for me if he be wants the role and he says he does then it would be crazy not to give it to him

Michaela Cole and Michael Sheen likewise
I really liked his season where they did a lot of 2-part episodes, just felt a lot better paced & enjoyable to watch with stronger stories.

The writing for Jodie’s been dreadful. At times it’s like watching a parody. Important they sort the writing out as much as getting the casting right for the new Doctor.
 

Fingeredmouse

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I thought Capaldi was an excellent Doctor though he was barely let down by the storylines and writing.

From what I have seen of Jodie it seems to be the same only with even worse stories.

Ecclestone was brilliant in the part and it's a shame we didn't get more but he had always been very principled and it's no surprise he walked if he felt there were issues.

Tennent obviously the best of the New era Matt Smith did a good job replacing him.

It's not going to be easy for the new Doctor and I do think it should be someone who has a lot of experience in a big production previously.

Tom Ellis ticks every box for me if he be wants the role and he says he does then it would be crazy not to give it to him

Michaela Cole and Michael Sheen likewise
I think there's some great stuff in the Capaldi era: the Zygon two parter, Flatline, Heaven Sent/Hell Bent, World Enough & Time, the two best Xmas episodes.
 
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choccy77

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Single episode stories is probably the worse they have been for ages regardless of overall arch.

The best formula is 2 parters to let the story breath and pace it better in the modern age of Who.

The last episode is a prime example of desperation to impact and shock at 1,0000 an hour and not bothering with good writing
 

choccy77

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This is worthy of a watch.

A recent convention interview with Christopher Eccleston about his time playing the Doctor and why he quit

 

Mickeza

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I think there's some great stuff in the Capaldi era: the Zygon two parter, Flatline, Heaven Sent/Hell Bent, World Enough & Time, the two best Xmas episodes.
Completely agree. Capaldi had some truly tumescent episodes such as kill the moon and I wasn’t a fan of Danny Pink and that dynamic but the peaks such as heaven sent have been the best of new who for me. And when he was given the material such as the Zygon speech he was just exceptional. A wonderful doctor for me.
 

Trequarista10

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Weirdly, I really liked it. Seems most people I've encountered hated it.

I'm not sure if I liked the episode as such, or if I just like the concept of it being a 6 chapter series that all links. I'm not often a fan of the filler episodes you get in most series, which include one detail that becomes relevant to the bigger picture later in the series. This format cuts that out, its going to be all about the big storyline.

First episode obviously created a ton of questions and mysteries. I may wait until the whole series is out and watch them back-to-back, to save having to guess what the feck is happening between episodes.
I take it back. This episode was even more nonsensical than the first episode. I kind of want to rewatch it, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't make things any clearer.
 

choccy77

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I was about to watch it but may leave it and try acupuncture instead for 45 minutes.
 

Robertd0803

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I didnt even realise it was back on and now Ive 2 episodes to catch up on that sound awful. Great.