Doctor Who

[TheWho87]

Looks like Watch is matching their Revisited episodes with a 4 part story featuring that Doctor, todays is Aztecs which is a great historical story especally since it was before the time they started introducing aliens to historical stories.

[Colly]

I've given the two so far a go and have pretty much enjoyed both. I think there's a little bit of getting used to the relatively slow pace, but the characterisation is there already particularly with Troughton. Loved the fact that the big clever scheme at the end of The Aztecs was a pulley system after the Doctor whittled himself a wheel.

Current highlight: "Its cold in here, even with our anoraks".

[Lint]

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-10-13/steven-moffat-on-doctor-who-regenerations-go-back-and-count-again--theres-something-youve-missed

[Benji]

So he's basically just saying what nearly everybody had already assumed? I'm really starting to dislike Moffat as showrunner. He tries to be all mysterious and clever, but it's becoming tired.

[Colly]

He didn't really say anything there did he? I think its harsh to criticise him for not explaining it in the Radio Times ahead of the show itself, unless you also want him to explain how Sherlock survived falling off the roof?

[Benji]

I mean in general, he puts in a lot of mysteries that just end up obvious or ridiculous.

[Colly]

That I'll agree with. Doesn't mean I don't look forward to a reveal though, the big tease.

[Vamp]

To be fair the regeneration thing is a pretty boring and irritating discussion point anyway. Its a thing that people hang onto for god knows what reason. "But he can only have 13 regenerations!" Yeah, until he waves his magic wand around and says the magic words "timey wimey" and we can get on with the show rather than some hang up about one line from ages ago. Its vaguely interesting in that it could be used to add jeapordy in a "I don't know if I'll regenerate again now" plot but beyond that it's just a line. A lot of Doctor Who fans seem to be a pretty unimaginative bunch though. Hence the "but he's always been a man" dribble.

[Skummy]

Yeah, Doctor Who fans tend to cling to singular "facts" regardless of how much importance the series itself places on them, or whether they've been contradicted since. It's been established that The Master was given further regenerations as an incentive to fight in the Time War, so we already know it's possible that Time Lords can regenerate more, and I'd assume that the Doctor would have been similarly rewarded for his part. And didn't River Song give him some regenerations too?

Personally, I like Neil Gaiman's idea that the limit on regenerations is a guideline rather than a rule. That after 12 or 13, it becomes unsafe to regenerate, so the process is more unstable, and more likely to bring about drastic changes.

[Colly]

He might turn into a cat!

[therockbox]

British filmmaker Ben Wheatley has revealed he is to direct Peter Capaldi's first episodes of Doctor Who.

Best known for the grisly thrillers Kill List and Sightseers, he will shoot two episodes of the show's eighth series, which is due next Autumn.

Speaking to Screen Daily, Wheatley said he was "excited and honoured" to have been asked, adding "I've been a fan since childhood".

Scottish star Capaldi will replace Matt Smith in this year's Christmas special.

Capaldi's highest-profile role before now has been as the vicious spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in political satire The Thick Of It.

Rediscovering Doctor Who

Known for his bravura swearing, Capaldi's casting in the Saturday teatime series raised a few eyebrows.

The news that Wheatley will direct his debut may raise them even further.

His macabre films contain scenes of physical and psychological torture, brutal murders and dark humour.

But he has also been praised as one of the most promising directors of his generation.

Last year's Sightseers, a black comedy about a British couple who embark on a killing spree, received seven nominations at the British Independent Film Awards, eventually winning best screenplay.

His most recent film was psychedelic English civil-war drama A Field In England, starring The League of Gentlemen's Reece Shearsmith - who is due to play the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, in a BBC docu-drama later this year.

Born in 1972, Wheatley said Tom Baker was "his" Doctor, adding that he had "been watching the current run of Doctor Who with my son and have discovered it all over again.

"The work that has been done is amazing," he said.

"I'm really looking forward to working with Peter Capaldi and finding out where Steven Moffat is planning to take the new Doctor."

Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary next month, with a 75-minute special episode called The Day Of The Doctor on Saturday, 23 November.

Other programmes marking the birthday include a BBC Two lecture by Professor Brian Cox on the science behind the show and a BBC Radio 2 documentary, Who Is The Doctor?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24521790

[Lint]

Further proof that John Hurts Doctor is a mix of the 8th and 9th Doctor?

[Ruki]

They are showing the 50th special in theaters! Yay!

Couldn't get tickets for the Saturday showing, but I am going Monday.

[TheWho87]

Cant remember who mentioned it a couple months ago but Virgin Media have updated their list of Doctor Who's on demand for November, the stories from the classic series they have are

The Time Meddler

The Tomb of the Cybermen

The Dæmons

The Three Doctors

Planet of the Daleks

Genesis of the Daleks

City of Death

Resurrection of the Daleks

The Caves of Androzani

Vengeance on Varos

The Two Doctors

The Trial of a Time Lord

Remembrance of the Daleks

Ghost Light

The Movie

[Colly]

It was me, which is spooky since I just clicked here. I may have a look, but I'm still catching up with the ones Watch have been showing, just got up to Colin Baker. Any you'd recommend over the others?

[MGW]

Genesis of the Daleks, Caves of Androzani, Tomb of the Cybermen and Rememberence of the Daleks are all amazing and you should definitely watch those first. A lot of the others are good too, but I'd start with those four.

[Vamp]

Ghost Light's alright. Nowhere near as good as The Happiness Patrol (but then what is?) but alright. Just don't expect the plot to make any sense whatsoever. And it might have some "The Doctor is more than just a time travelling alien he's also a God or something" guff.

[Colly]

Tomb of the Cybermen the Troughton one where the Cyber Controller makes an appearance? Saw that one, so I might give Genesis of the Daleks a go. Watched Earthshock most recently, sadly it just felt a bit too naff 80s sci fi close to the type I grew up on a few years later, all poshos in jumpsuits (apart from the captain who looked and sounded like Rita from Corrie).

[TheWho87]

It was me, which is spooky since I just clicked here. I may have a look, but I'm still catching up with the ones Watch have been showing, just got up to Colin Baker. Any you'd recommend over the others?

I'd say these ones are a must watch

- The Dæmons

- Genesis of the Daleks

- City of Death

- Resurrection of the Daleks

- The Caves of Androzani

- Vengeance on Varos

These I'd rate as good stories

- The Time Meddler

- The Three Doctors

- Remembrance of the Daleks

- Ghost Light

The Trial of a Time Lord is broken up into 3 stories, basically the Doctor is put on trial about his meddling and stories from his past (that have not been seen) are used as evidence, personally the overal story is ok the only standout is Mindwarp. Plus this is the story with the Valeyard that was mentioned at the end of the last series.

- The Mysterious Planet (1-4)

- Mindwarp (5-8)

- Terror of the Vervoids (8-12)

- The Ultimate Foe (13 -14)

[Colly]

Caught up with what I had recorded (up to the Movie which I've seen before, then its Ecclescake and Tennant next week anyway), by watching Vengeance on Varos and Battlefield.

VoV was very good, and looked a pre-emptor for some of the modern odd future episodes (the Starwhale one in particular), production wise looked far better than Earthshock which was my previous space episode. Companions continue to irritate me though, Peri's accent is actually more annoying than the Australian whose name I forget, and basically her job seemed to be 'wearing very tight lycra to highlight her stonking tits'.

Battlefield less so, and its at this point where the production starts to grate. I remember watching tv in the late 80s, and its not a nice place, but you really don't need to start inserting music that sounds like the between rounds jingle on the Krypton Factor into dramatic scenes. It's the early days of CGI, and they make sure you know it too. More positively I do have vague memories of McCoy from when I was younger, and he doesn't disappoint, and the Brigadier makes a cool appearance. Fuck Ace though, she's the living embodiment of irritating turn of the 90s yoof as tv producers viewed it. Edgy, in a highly middle class way.