Doctor Who *spoilers*

[marvindj]

I know there is a Dr Who forum somewhere, but, anyone here looking forward to the new show??

[ChrisII]

Personally, I think Eccleston's great as the Doctor-he embodies Tom Baker's goofballness and Peter Davidson's energy, but also makes the role his own. Mcgann had similar elements, but Chris uses them in a different way. Several of the Doctor's characteristics are here, such as his non-concern for one human life in comparison to several (Shades Of Pyramid Of Mars) and also his ambigious sexuality (When confronted with advances by Rose's MILF mother).
This seems to be a Doctor who's recently regenerated-he quickly examines his new face in Rose's mirror, although apparentally in this incarnation he has appeared throughout history in his new incarnation (Perhaps later on). I would have liked maybe a passing reference to another incarnation in a scene where a conspiracy junkee reveals what he knows about the Doctor, but oh well...
Regarding the production aspects: I personally have no problem. It's shot in a glossy digital style, similar to some British shows these days, but it's a far cry from the video/film switcheroo of the old days.
The sets are pretty good, such as the underground lair of the Nestenes. The TARDIS set here seems like a compromise between the TV movie and TV show designs, with a time rotor that's more or less identical to the TV movie one and a console that looks slightly "borgish" in design. Wonder where the scanner and doors to the rest of the ship are, though...

The CG isn't exactly perfect, but acceptable...at least as good as say, the 1996 TV movie and to use a more recent example, Smallville. The Autons are done pretty well, the main 'bad' FX seems to be the Nestene Consciousness (A scene which also hints that the Doctor was somehow involved in a war that drove them to seek Earth) and even that-a bunch of smelted plastic-is much better and more interesting visually than the wacky Octopi of the Pertwee serials. Yes, there are some campy elements such as an Auton replicant that does MAX HEADROOM style twitches, and the Autons seem to be doing "The Robot" a little bit more than in their 70's appearences (The Autons are pretty effective here, though).
Rose seems to be a slightly more educated, less street-rat version of Ace, actually doing a lot of the action scenes. She also has considerably more background than a good chunk of the series's companions. Although we've seen companions with families and friends before,
The major problem seems to be the music. It's not as bad as say, Keff McCollough(Who did a chunk of the McCoy scores) but it doesn't exactly fit as well as it should, and sometimes was not needed.
Anyway, the series might not be as "adult" as some were hoping, but features some sexual innuendo that you'd never hear on the old WHO...as well as what looks like a continuing story arc, something the series really didn't do that often....and the series has only just started, so who knows what's in store?
It's not exactly a classic, but it's still a decent welcome back! for WHO, and much better and more in tone with the series than the TV movie.

[ragnarok_2012]

I was blown away. I fully expected it to stink. And I agree with most everything that Chris has written.


I don't know if Rose' mom qualifies as a MILF. She had a huge butt. ;) I really liked how he shut her down.

I particularly like how the Doctor "looks" normal until he does or says anything. He has a great energy about him.

Favorite bit o' dialogue: "Why do you sound like you're from the North?"
"Lots of planets have Norths."

I figured that he'd just regenerated, since he was checking his face. But I'm a bit surprised that every historical picture and drawing of the Doctor looks exactly the same.

I'm happy with the FX, though the Nestene(Nesting?) Consciousness could have looked more interesting.

[Donald M.]

I really enjoyed this and have no idea what Sci-Fi's on about saying it isn't good enough. It's a bit cheesy sure, but no more so than most of the crap they've got on.

As to the pictures, funny thing about time travel, he may not have done any of those things yet, but technically they've already happened.

I don't know much about the Doctor's past (I've only seen a few episodes here and there, most of the them Tom Bakers eps when I was a kid, my memory's vague.) so I don't know how high-profile the Doctor's past adventures on Earth have been. Possibly this new incarnation of the Doctor is just really, really bad at keeping a low profile.

[MicroZone]

I really enjoyed this and have no idea what Sci-Fi's on about saying it isn't good enough. It's a bit cheesy sure, but no more so than most of the crap they've got on.


I wonder if it has anything to do with the Doctor refering to the black boyfriend as a "domestic". SciFi could just be acting on overly PC motivations. Or they could just be really stupid. Quality-wise, it's superior to either Stargate or that abomination Andromeda that they paid good money to keep going.

I watched it early this morning and I was grinning from ear to ear for much of the show. It really was a delight to watch. I can't wait for the rest of the season.

[MicroZone]

I was blown away. I fully expected it to stink. And I agree with most everything that Chris has written.


I don't know if Rose' mom qualifies as a MILF. She had a huge butt. ;)


Some of us like that in a woman. I mean, besides Sir Mix a Lot. :D

[ragnarok_2012]

Some of us like that in a woman. I mean, besides Sir Mix a Lot. :D

I stand corrected then.

[Artemis1]

Where is this show on?

[DoubleWide]

I've been wanting to see it ever since it was announced last year. The BBC has redisigned its website and moved it out of the Cult catagory, www.bbb.co.uk/doctorwho. They also have three trailers, and a countdown to when the show debuts on March 26th. Unfortunatly, no one in the US has picked up the rights to show it. :mad:

[DocAbsurd]

Just saw the ad for the new show on CBC, outta Canada. April 6. I'll be taping it, damn straight.




Doc "Tardis" Absurd

[roguespirit]

it was leaked onto the internet early and Chris has started a thread about it in the TV/film forum.

Lets just say it has its flaws but at the end of the day I gave it a thumbs up. The program finished and I relaxed which meant that I had been gripped by it

[Wesley Dodds]

What's a Dalek?

[Alex]

What's a Dalek?
Someone finaly told me.
Its a robot in the dr who show.
So now, i never have to ask that question again.

[Asmith]

Someone finaly told me.
Its a robot in the dr who show.
So now, i never have to ask that question again.

Yeah, it was just a seminal piece of popular culture for the last several decades. Hell, even my mother (a 70yr old) references Darleks!

But I'm glad you finally know, Alex. It's good to see that you're trying to get into 'the loop' on things. But next time Google instead of waiting on the off chance that someone will take the interest in bringing you up to speed.

I'm really hesitant about this new Doctor. I've read some good stuff about his performance but can it be really that good to make up for the terrible outfit he wears? (Well terrible for the Doctor. As day to day wear goes, it's fairly nice and I wouldn't mind a leather jacket like that myself).

[Sanagi]

Someone finaly told me.
Its a robot in the dr who show.
So now, i never have to ask that question again.
Oh, but Daleks are so much more than just robots. They look like saltshakers, they shout "Exterminate" in weird voices, and they can levitate up stairs. Oh and they have little squid things inside that are controlling the robot.

About the new Dr. Who... Cautiously optimistic, but I have doubts about the seeming modernization of the character, who was previously sort of timeless(pun not intended).

[roguespirit]

Oh, but Daleks are so much more than just robots. They look like saltshakers, they shout "Exterminate" in weird voices, and they can levitate up stairs. Oh and they have little squid things inside that are controlling the robot.

About the new Dr. Who... Cautiously optimistic, but I have doubts about the seeming modernization of the character, who was previously sort of timeless(pun not intended).

Ihad my doubts too especially when I saw his costume but I think he was quirky enough for me to buy it.
I love this quote

Spoilers
Rose: If your an alien then why have you got a northern accent
Dr: Lots of planets have norths
End spoiler

[Fabian]

But I'm glad you finally know, Alex. It's good to see that you're trying to get into 'the loop' on things. But next time Google instead of waiting on the off chance that someone will take the interest in bringing you up to speed.
It's getting to be a problem when people confuse me for Alex. But i also found out what the heck a Dalek is before our crazy mod Cronin closed the thread

[Stony]

And here I was hoping they'd finally put this wretched show out of my misery...




And it's off to the TV/Film forum we go!

[ragnarok_2012]

I expected it to be really bad. Instead, it was quite good. I was happily surprised with the first episode.

I got the quote wrong. I think the dialogue reads more like this:

Rose:"If you're an alien, why do you sound like you're from the North?"
The Doctor: "Lots of planets have a North."

[roguespirit]

I expected it to be really bad. Instead, it was quite good. I was happily surprised with the first episode.

I got the quote wrong. I think the dialogue reads more like this:

Rose:"If you're an alien, why do you sound like you're from the North?"
The Doctor: "Lots of planets have a North."



i'm sure its me that got the quote wrong

[ragnarok_2012]

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=46440 I mentioned the dialogue on this thread, and I wanted to rectify the error.

[roguespirit]

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=46440 I mentioned the dialogue on this thread, and I wanted to rectify the error.
aha...................

[Artemis1]

Nobody knows yet they've SEEN it?

[roguespirit]

Where is this show on?

26th march in the uk

[Leslie Lee III]

Really low production values, I can see why even SciFi would pass on it. Good when it's funny.

Nobody knows yet they've SEEN it?

Watching things when they come on TV is so last year.

[roguespirit]

Really low production values, I can see why even SciFi would pass on it. Good when it's funny.



how can you say that after last year's Earthsea debacle. Man if sci-fi can shpw that then they can bloody well pick up Dr Who. I actually thought some of the slapstick moments let it down

[ChrisII]

Also, it's been reported that the Episode leaked is a "rough cut"-for instance, there will be a new theme tune and according to Eccleston the FX weren't finished.

[ChrisII]

BTW here's what a Dalek is (Some spoilers for Doctor Who serials in here!):


On the planet Skaro, two humanoid races-the Kaleds and the Thals-had been fighting a war for centuries. Eventually, the radiation from the war caused mutations. Kaled scientists, led by the crippled (and guite mad) Davros, designed a new casing (Mark III travel machines, or Daleks) for the eventual mutations-small, green, blob creatures. However Davros conditioned the mutants without a conscience and the belief that they were the superior beings. The Daleks eventually turned against Davros himself. (GENESIS OF THE DALEKS)

The Daleks continued the battle with the surviving Thals for some time, but eventually set their sites on conquering the universe. (THE DALEKS) They conquered Earth and other worlds and built an Empire.(THE DALEK INVASION OF EARTH) Although eventually chased off of Earth, they continued to try to conquer it and the rest of the galaxy. Most of their plans of course were thwarted by the Doctor and his companions. They also developed time travel technology, although weak compared to the Doctor's time lord race (THE CHASE, THE DALEK MASTERPLAN, POWER OF THE DALEKS, EVIL OF THE DALEKS, DAY OF THE DALEKS, FRONTIER IN SPACE, PLANET OF THE DALEKS, DEATH TO THE DALEKS)

Eventually, the Daleks got involved in a conflict they couldn't win, and sought out their creator, Davros. (DESTINY OF THE DALEKS) Although hit by the Daleks's weapon (Which scrambles internal organs), Davros somehow survived. Davros's first attempt to help his creations ended with him being sent to an Earth prison. Eventually he was freed by the Daleks, but Davros knew that once his usefullness was at an end, they would turn on him again, so he worked on conditioning Daleks to serve him.(RESSURECTION OF THE DALEKS, REVELATION OF THE DALEKS) This work continued until Davros's Daleks assummed control of the Dalek homeworld of Skaro-with Davros as their Emperor-and the old Daleks were forced to live as renegades. Both forces attempted to seize the Hand Of Omega, an ancient Time Lord steller manipulator that the Doctor had hid in 1963 Earth. Davros's faction eventually got the device, but the Doctor booby-trapped it causing it to explode Skaro's sun and vaporise Skaro. Both factions were pretty much wiped out at this time. However, Davros escaped...(REMEMBERANCE OF THE DALEKS)

[Leslie Lee III]

how can you say that after last year's Earthsea debacle. Man if sci-fi can shpw that then they can bloody well pick up Dr Who. I actually thought some of the slapstick moments let it down

This show reminded me of the Power Rangers knockoffs that came out. Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills to be exact. I really couldn't see SciFi putting this on as a prime time show.

[The Fury]

Ahh, Daleks, powerful, feared, yet easily defeated by stairs.

[ChrisII]

Also, Doctor Who has always been low budget. I can't quite see the Power Rangers comparison though; the closest WHO came to that was in it's campiest seasons (17 and 24, respectively).


In reviews such as those by AICN, The Autons for some reason have come under a lot of flak; nobody seems to remember them from the early Pertwee years.

http://shillpages.com/dw/story/d3/st--3a86.jpg


Maybe it's because they move more and look more like a plastic dummy should if it were to come to life and less man-wearing-a-mask. Also the Mickey replicant is a bit more camp than the creepy-looking Channing from SPEARHEAD IN SPACE...

Personally, I think the music is the biggest problem; but that's hardly new for DOCTOR WHO; since Dudley Simpson (Who scored almost all of the Tom Bakers) left in the 80's, the music has been widely variable in quality.

[ChrisII]

However, both REVELATION OF THE DALEKS and REMEMBERANCE OF THE DALEKS show Daleks capable of hovering. Apparentally so will the new series, as well.

[The Fury]

However, both REVELATION OF THE DALEKS and REMEMBERANCE OF THE DALEKS show Daleks capable of hovering. Apparentally so will the new series, as well.
I'm pressuming the Daleks have gone through some 'redesigning' Their original look was rather 70's. (Besides the fact they don't look that evil or menacing anymore).

[ChrisII]

Apparentally there are two Dalek redesigns: One that appears to be a merging of the TV series and movie designs with some added details (seen in Episode 6) and a completely new version (Episode 11 and 12)

[Matt]

Well, I just watched the first episode of the new series and these are my thoughts.

I like the intro sequence though it's pretty similar to the 1996 movie one. Still, it works. I would've liked to have seen some sort of montage of the previous Doctors worked into it, just for the first episode and that slow motion jump from the blue vortex to the red just looks silly.

Visually, the new Doctor simply ... doesn't work. The leather motiff might work better if the jacket was longer but right now there's no feel of eccentricity which every single Doctor has so far had. One thing the Doctor has always done is dress in a manner which never stands out (well, except for the 6th) but also never fits in.

Overall, I liked the episode but there are still major points I dislike. The biggest, unfortunately, being the new TARDIS. The outside is far too ... blocky somehow while I utterly detest the interior.
It doesn't look functional and is more a complete mess than anything else. There are no visible controls even and having the doors the same on the inside than outside is ... well, it just goes against everything we already know about the ship. The 1996 movie may have been woefully written but I do wish they'd kept the control room from that for this series. The interior is also just way too dark and doesn't look futuristic like it should. There are electrical cables just hanging down for crying out loud ...
For now I have to assume the shocking condition of the TARDIS is related to some major damage it may have suffered when the Doctor regenerated last (which was pretty recently by his reaction to his ears).

The attitude of the new Doctor isn't that great so far either and that ties in with the feel of the series. It's too jovial and light hearted - reflecting the slap stick later era of Tom Baker which I never liked that much. The series would be better off building the Doctor up to be more of an enigma and complete mystery as an element to keep viewers interested as they slowly find out more and more about the character.
That scene where the Doctor doesn't see the importance of the Wheel is pretty much what I mean - he's portrayed as an idiot when he really is one of the smartest beings in the who-universe. He should be a master planner and also one step ahead of everything else like some of his past incarnations have been. Instead he grins like a complete idiot and often misses the completely obvious which, quite frankly, isn't the Doctor.

The Autons, I thought, looked pretty good except for when the NC was destroyed. They should, really, have just fallen over instead of jerking about like they were doing the robot dance really badly.
A UNIT reference might have been nice as well, especially when Rose asks if there's anyone else helping.

Still, overall it wasn't bad. Far from perfect for sure but...

[Matt]

One other thing that irked me was the Doctor asking Rose to join him in the TARDIS. The Doctor has never asked any of his past companions to travel with him (with the possible exception of Susan, his grand daughter) - they've always been a victim of circumstances (Victoria), a part of the the Doctor's planning (Ace) or forced upon him (Romana).

[ChrisII]

"I never choose which company I keep"-The Fourth Doctor, Logopolis.

I think that the 8th Doctor asked Grace to come with him...although she did decline....and the Doctor did meet Rose pretty much by circumstance...

[Matt]

For those not that familiar with Dr Who, here are some images which can be used to compare the various control rooms the Doctor's Type 40 TARDIS has had.

2nd/3rd Doctor
7th Doctor
4th Doctor's secondary control room
8th Doctor (movie)
New series control room

[ChrisII]

http://www.crosswinds.net/~tardisrooms/tardisrooms/pictures/index.html

This site also features a lot of the TARDIS's interiors, including the various incarnations of the console room.

[leg end]

What's great is that my local pub, the Pirnce of wales, is gonna get blown up in this series. I'm happy.

[roguespirit]

One other thing that irked me was the Doctor asking Rose to join him in the TARDIS. The Doctor has never asked any of his past companions to travel with him (with the possible exception of Susan, his grand daughter) - they've always been a victim of circumstances (Victoria), a part of the the Doctor's planning (Ace) or forced upon him (Romana).

very true, I knew there was something bothering me about that but I couldn't pin it down.

[Donald M.]

One other thing that irked me was the Doctor asking Rose to join him in the TARDIS. The Doctor has never asked any of his past companions to travel with him (with the possible exception of Susan, his grand daughter) - they've always been a victim of circumstances (Victoria), a part of the the Doctor's planning (Ace) or forced upon him (Romana).

Well, to be fair the series has only just begun. The Doctor seems just a tad disoriented, suggesting his latest regeneration is fairly recent, but he may still know something about Rose and whatever part she may have to play in his upcoming adventures that he has yet to reveal.

Also, I admittedly know very little about the mythology of the Doctor, but it's my impression that if only for the practicality regarding the ever changing role of the Doctor that each regeneration brings with it not only a change in appearance, but also minor or major changes in personality. So unless I'm wrong, the Doctor not having done something in the past doesn't seem much of an obstacle.

[ChrisII]

BTW for those curious about the Autons/Nestenes, the Autons appeared in the Pertwee serials "Spearhead From Space" (In 1970) and "Terror Of The Autons(In 1971) which were both the openers of their respective seasons. The first mainly potrayed the Autons as plastic dummies, while the second had the Autons taking the forms of chairs, dolls, flowers etc. in addition to dummies. The latter serial featured the first appearence of The Master, the Doctor's arch-nemesis.
Attempts were made to make another Auton serial over the years, but none made it past the script stage; eventually an independent trilogy-with no Doctor-was produced by BBV, who also made videos with WHO monsters such as the Sontarans and the Yeti. The Autons have also made various appearences in novels.

[Gaz]

For those not that familiar with Dr Who, here are some images which can be used to compare the various control rooms the Doctor's Type 40 TARDIS has had.

2nd/3rd Doctor
7th Doctor
4th Doctor's secondary control room
8th Doctor (movie)
New series control room
I remeber the Autons, from Uk Gold repeats but I've seen them!
I like the new interior, it reminds me of Farscape. Why would the Doctor need traditional controls anyway? He may look human but that doesn't mean he thinks that way.

[redlantern2051]

Just finished watching the first episode. Loved it. I'm a HARDCORE fan, but man, this is the shit. AT LAST IT'S BACK!!! And props to Christopher Eccelston, and Bille Piper: I almost cried out for joy when she runs into the TARDIS at the end! Why can't that happen to me??? Hehehe, I loved it.

[niall mc cann]

I liked it. I'm a little underwhelmed, but i liked it.

I thought the trendy time-lapse photography at the start was needless in the context of the rest of the episode, and the actual auton rampage was a little camp (but then it is Doctor Who...).

I liked Ecclseton (sp?). I liked his "I can feel the turn of the world..." speech.

It was solid. Not a blow-me-away return to the screen, but solid. I'll be watching next week.

[cactusmaac]

It was allright.

CGI looked a bit crap and it didn't seem very science-fictiony but I liked the performances by both leads (Mrs Chris Evans was surprisingly good) and next week's episode takes place 5 billion years in the future which seems worth tuning in for.

[tony2074]

i thouroughly enjoyed it. it was a tad underwhelming, but in some of the iterviews eccleston (who was awesme) has done, there seem to be some very, very neat episodes coming up.
billie was ok in it too, which was a pleasant surprise.
i also thought it maintained the very british tone of doctor who, which is essential in my book.

[The Fury]

CGI looked a bit crap and it didn't seem very science-fictiony
I suppose it's on BBC budget, some of which I though was very very good but other bit's not as good.

But I though it was very good.

The Doctor's character seems a bit on the quirky side, which is not a bad thing.

But I thought it had that great Dr Who thing that makes it slightly cheesy in a way. But in a good way.

And as for 'science-fictiony' stuff, wait till next episode. Just by looking at the preview it looks good.

Also, anyone see Bryan Hitch's name on the credits?

[ace hole]

never really took off but they did well in introducing the doctor and everything that goes with him and tell an entertaining story and some in jokes in less than an hour.

[kazujin141]

I don't care what you people think, I was completely blown away on every possible front

[Jack]

I suppose it's on BBC budget, some of which I though was very very good but other bit's not as good.

But I though it was very good.

The Doctor's character seems a bit on the quirky side, which is not a bad thing.

But I thought it had that great Dr Who thing that makes it slightly cheesy in a way. But in a good way.

And as for 'science-fictiony' stuff, wait till next episode. Just by looking at the preview it looks good.

Also, anyone see Bryan Hitch's name on the credits?
Yes! Concept artist!

I saw the name first, and thought it was just a coincidence... and then I read across and it was for concept artist. Pretty cool.

I liked it quite a bit. Not great, but good enough to keep me coming back. And some bits made me laugh, which is always a plus. Definitely quirky in a good way.

I liked the fact that they showed that it was a new body for the Doctor, but all the same had him appearing throughout history already.. even though in his personal timeline he hasn't done those things yet. Cool and science-fictiony without over explaining itself.

Ecclestone won me over pretty quickly. Didn't like him at first, but once he had the exchange with Rose's mother I was a fan.

"I'm in my dressing gown."

"Yes."

"A strange man is in my bedroom."

"Yes."

"Anything could happen.."

"No!"

:D

[Charles RB]

Hurrah, the new episode's been on!

And it was fun, but really should've been better.

I'm not a fan of having it as 40-minute long single episodes, as Who works better as a serial and stories should be longer than 40 minutes. Have two episodes of that length for each story, that's better- more time to develop the story and characters, and things aren't as rushed as in Rose. We could see more of her dull life and see more why she's willing to drop it, we could get more of the Nestene's, we could get to see the Doctor when he's not with Rose, we could see more of Clive & his data on the Doctor (considering how often he's been on Earth, there should've been more examples of his being on Earth and esp. some subtle refs to previous Who disasters like the mysterious miner deaths at Llanfairfach).

Also... the death toll is oddly low. What was the point of having Mickey live after the Autons got him, when he didn't do anything when he was found alive? All we get out of it is him being shell-shocked and Rose leaving him because of that- which doesn't exactly endear me to Rose. Clive... we don't even see him getting shot, we just cut away from the Auton fire. The Auton rampage is nice and chaotic and looks impressive when watched the first time, but now I'm thinking "hang on, they hardly killed anyone!". Compare that to Spearhead From Space, where we actually get to see people being gunned down instead of Autons firing at nothing will people run about. An SFX action sequence done today should not come off as a poorer, wimpier copy of something done in 1970.

On the plus side, Eccleston is bloody brilliant as the Doctor. :)

[Matt]

For more new series Dr Who goodness, try reading this thread (some of us saw the ep some time ago, heh):
http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=46440

[Charles RB]

And someone brings up a good point in that thread, in:

Rose seems to be a slightly more educated, less street-rat version of Ace

However, Ace made more of an impact on me when I first saw her (in Rememberence Of The Daleks) and was cooler overall.

[Matt]

I came across this article ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4380477.stm ) with former Doctor Who, Sylvester McCoy and he said soemthing which I have to agree with:

I was not so sure about the new Tardis, however. I loved the one they made for the 1996 Doctor Who movie, a fantastic Jules Verne-type of creation.
The inside of this one looked more organic, like a skull or a brain held together by a bony structure. I'll have to see whether it grows on me.

As I said, I do greatly prefer the '96 movie TARDIS interior to the almost crampt and bizarre new one.

[The Fury]

As I said, I do greatly prefer the '96 movie TARDIS interior to the almost crampt and bizarre new one.
This si the one that had the control thing too it while also having a type of living area to it, with chairs, books, tables and stuff right?

Yeah, I liked that, this new one seem's well like there's not much too it, hwere do they sleep?

[Gaz]

This si the one that had the control thing too it while also having a type of living area to it, with chairs, books, tables and stuff right?

Yeah, I liked that, this new one seem's well like there's not much too it, hwere do they sleep?
We've only seen the control centre so far, they have'nt been there enough to settle in.
I liked Eccleston, he's like a less campy Tom Baker, the guy who sees stuff from a different perspective than us. He might overlook the Wheel but the "turn of the Earth" speech and his negotiatons with the Nestlene showed that he is intellegent and canny with the larger galactic stuff.
And as far as Rose being asked goes, he told her to leave at least 3 times, but she kept tagging along until she saved him, which made him see how useful she can be, as he began to think at the Wheel.
The new TARDIS is nice, probably less of a thing for me as a casual fan of the old Who via repeats.
And the CG will likely get better as the effects guys figure out what works and doesn't.
All in all, highly enjoyable, and fun, which is rare in SF now. :D

[Tadhg Adams]

This si the one that had the control thing too it while also having a type of living area to it, with chairs, books, tables and stuff right?

Yeah, I liked that, this new one seem's well like there's not much too it, hwere do they sleep?

There's more to the TARDIS than just the control room, the thing is monstrously big, we've never gotten an actual idea of how large it is. But all the companions have had their own sleeping quarters and there's a secondary control room, the cloister room, an abnormally large wardrobe, etc.

[Matt]

All those things you listed were features of the old TARDIS which had a completely different interior look. The old TARDIS didn't have cables hanging down, impractical floor design, bizarre controls or the inside of the doors matching to the outside (seriously, who thought that one up? It doesn't make any sense with the whole concept of dual dimensions and the chameleon circuit).

We'll just have to wait and see what other rooms the 9th Doctor's TARDIS has.

[niall mc cann]

we could see more of Clive & his data on the Doctor (considering how often he's been on Earth, there should've been more examples of his being on Earth and esp. some subtle refs to previous Who disasters like the mysterious miner deaths at Llanfairfach).

I'd be totally against getting too fetishistic about Who continuity so early on, actually. I thought the scene with Clive was one of the best sequences in the episode as it was. Creepy and exciting. Just like Doctor Who should be.



On the plus side, Eccleston is bloody brilliant as the Doctor. :)

Yeah, i liked him a lot too. :D

For more new series Dr Who goodness, try reading this thread (some of us saw the ep some time ago, heh):

Nobody likes a showoff, you bum! :mad:

:D

[cactusmaac]

I wouldn't expect too much continuity.

Russell Davies dismisses it as disappearing up your own arsehole.

[Matt]

I'd be totally against getting too fetishistic about Who continuity so early on, actually. I thought the scene with Clive was one of the best sequences in the episode as it was. Creepy and exciting. Just like Doctor Who should be.

As I've said in another thread, I would've liked to have seen a montage of the previous Doctors at the start of the intro sequence, just for the first episode.
Or, even better, have the 1st Doctor's goodbye speech to Susan from The Dalek's Invasion of Earth like it was at the start of the Five Doctors.

One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.

[Gaz]

All those things you listed were features of the old TARDIS which had a completely different interior look. The old TARDIS didn't have cables hanging down, impractical floor design, bizarre controls or the inside of the doors matching to the outside (seriously, who thought that one up? It doesn't make any sense with the whole concept of dual dimensions and the chameleon circuit).

We'll just have to wait and see what other rooms the 9th Doctor's TARDIS has.
Hmm, maybe I wasn't staring closely like real WHOphiles but the interior looked really spacious and empty to me, with a central area and pace around it. In McCoy's era, the thing had all of what you described however.

[Gaz]

As I've said in another thread, I would've liked to have seen a montage of the previous Doctors at the start of the intro sequence, just for the first episode.
Or, even better, have the 1st Doctor's goodbye speech to Susan from The Dalek's Invasion of Earth like it was at the start of the Five Doctors.

One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.
I think they're holding off that stuff because they're hoping to get a more mainstream audience. If it is too tied to the old series then people might be scared off, it's the comic numbering dilemma. Too much continuity can be daunting for newbies like me (I was occasional for both comics and Who)
Besides Matt, you liked it enough to make your AV the Ninth Doctor! :p

[Matt]

The new series has potential though it certainly had it's less than appealing elements.

It's still not a patch on the days of McCoy's 7th Doctor being all cunning, manipulative and enigmatic though.

[Charles RB]

I'd be totally against getting too fetishistic about Who continuity so early on, actually.

Well, they could at least make some Who-ish events up to go along with being near Kennedy. Standing near Kennedy is a little underwhelming when you know what else he's been involved in on Earth.

I wouldn't expect too much continuity.

I'm not expected a big load, but some subtle nods would be nice*. Heck, we've already seen some continuity in the Autons & Nestene being used again. And when it comes to the Dalek's showing up, you're going to have to make at least some mention of continuity.

* Rememberence of the Daleks has a nice use of this, when the Doctor talks about humanity's capability for self-denial and says "You remember the Yetis in the Underground?" as an example. It nods to the fans, doesn't confuse anyone who doesn't know that particular ep, gives an idea of what the Doctor's always up to on Earth.

[Gaz]

The new series has potential though it certainly had it's less than appealing elements.

It's still not a patch on the days of McCoy's 7th Doctor being all cunning, manipulative and enigmatic though.
Personal preference, I guess. I prefer Troughton and Tom.
And is it just me, or was Billie's reading of the "who are you" line (which lead into "Turn of the Earth") really flat?

[Matt]

I posted some screenshots of various TARDIS control rooms earlier in this thread (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showpost.php?p=1108210&postcount=38 ) and to me the new one seems pretty small.

Not in sheer floorspace but with all the railings, upramps and those odd support columns ... well, movement is rather limited.

And I still despise that whole interior door thing.

[Charles RB]

It's still not a patch on the days of McCoy's 7th Doctor being all cunning, manipulative and enigmatic though.

And whistling at babies to make them smile. Nobody ever mentions that when talking about Curse Of Fenric. ;)

[Matt]

A nice nod to the past would have been extremely easy to slide in with the dialogue. When Rose asked "Is there anyone else [fighting the autons]?" the Doctor could have said something like "UNIT's busy" and brushed the question off.

And from the Who Novels (such as 'Bullet Time' and 'King of Terror') we know that UNIT has become quite a formidable organisation that continues it's work right up to the present day.

[Gaz]

I was a Farscape fan,I'm used to organic architecture in my SF.And the other sets looked VERY empty unless a huge number of people were inside. Why have all that space unless it's useful?

[Matt]

Personal preference, I guess. I prefer Troughton and Tom.



I quite liked some of Tom Baker's era, espcially the start. However, after about The Deadly Assassin it started to become rather silly and lost the gothic, darker elements which made stories such as Pyramids of Mars and Talons of Weng Chi-ang so appealing.

It's probably why I like the Hartnell era so much; the show took itself reasonably seriously and wasn't played for laughs. It was made as a serious drama/sci fi series.

[Gaz]

I quite liked some of Tom Baker's era, espcially the start. However, after about The Deadly Assassin it started to become rather silly and lost the gothic, darker elements which made stories such as Pyramids of Mars and Talons of Weng Chi-ang so appealing.

It's probably why I like the Hartnell era so much; the show took itself reasonably seriously and wasn't played for laughs. It was made as a serious drama/sci fi series.
I meant that part of Tom's era, and Chris reminds of that, with his cool speeches and the pathos he showed when the Nestene accused him of war crimes.

[Matt]

It's always been a part of Gallifreyan architecture/design - bright, sparse spaces. The Doctor is no typical Time Lord (heh, there's a long story) and his change to what was used in the 1996 Movie made sense for him - but the new control room just doesn't fit with his known personality.

Even from a technical viewpoint, the new control room isn't all that great. The dangling cables and support columns are going to make clear camera shots difficult while the glowing control panels make it difficult to see exactly what's going on with the piloting of the craft.

[cactusmaac]

Well, they could at least make some Who-ish events up to go along with being near Kennedy. Standing near Kennedy is a little underwhelming when you know what else he's been involved in on Earth.



That was a reference put in because the first Dr Who episode aired twelve hours after Kennedy was shot.

[Gaz]

It's always been a part of Gallifreyan architecture/design - bright, sparse spaces. The Doctor is no typical Time Lord (heh, there's a long story) and his change to what was used in the 1996 Movie made sense for him - but the new control room just doesn't fit with his known personality.

Even from a technical viewpoint, the new control room isn't all that great. The dangling cables and support columns are going to make clear camera shots difficult while the glowing control panels make it difficult to see exactly what's going on with the piloting of the craft.
Like I said, I loved Farscape so I'm used to this style, and clear shots can get boring, so shots through the conduits (that's what I saw them as) might be cool. I'm not bothered with seeing EXACTLY what he's doing. In any SF show, they tend to adlib what controls do what. (In Firefly, Alan Tudyk always hit the same 3 switches before doing ANYTHING)
Besides, maybe this Doctor prefers clutter?

[Matt]

On a side note, did anyone else think that Kennedy photo was an extremely badly done photoshop job?

[ragnarok_2012]

On a side note, did anyone else think that Kennedy photo was an extremely badly done photoshop job?

Yes, said the Rags.

Neat idea. Poor execution.

[Gaz]

On a side note, did anyone else think that Kennedy photo was an extremely badly done photoshop job?
It was OK except that without Eccleston's ears being visible it'snot clear who it is.

[billdo75]

Ah, I remember being a kid here in States and watching Kung Fu Theatre on the USA Network and Pertwee/Baker (for some reason, those are the only ones I remember...) Doctor Who episodes on PBS. Where did all those good times go? Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed the new show and looking forward to seeing more.

[B. Herren]

I'm in the States but I was able to find the first ep. I'm not a long-time fan but if only for the lack of availability of it showing here in the US. I've only seen some of the Tom Baker episodes and the 2000 movie, but remember the toy and related items from when I was a kid so I still have nostalgia for it.

I'd say it's a great start! It really captured everything I think was necessary for Dr. Who - the quirky switching between high concept sci-fi, action, humor, and a touch of horror. This might seem like an odd comparision, but it had some of the same things going for it that Buffy did. Fun action if not sometimes cheesy (but an FX heavy television show is going to be just be that way I think), great storylines and dialogue, and excellent characterization. I think the new Doctor is brilliant, btw.

I think it would be cool to see more of the UK comic talent involved. Can you imagine an episode written by Grant Morrison or Warren Ellis? (!!!!!)

I'll definately be looking for future episodes.

[Matt]

The next episode is due to be broadcast on April 2, so I wouldn't expect to find the second around until after then.
The first ep only appeared on the internet because some crafty sod managed to rip it off a disc that was sent to a Canadian station and even that wasn't a 100% finished version (still had the 80's theme and unfinished cgi).

[Doom]

Watched the episode.

I was unsure about the whole thing...until I saw ths scene where the Doctors trying to talk to the hive consciousness. And we see two Auton's walk up behind him. And Rose shouts out "Doctor, look out" way to late to be of any use.

Now THAT'S what Doctor Who is. So yes, indeed this series is indeed back.

[Charles RB]

Stopped using the Ninth Doctor avatar already, Matt? (That's McCoy's floating head from the Dust Breeding audio drama cover IIRC, right?)

[The Dosadi Experiment]

I didn't like it much.

bad acting, bad montage, bad cgi.

some good oneliners ("Anything could happen" ... "No") , but also some really dumb speeches ("I can feel the world turning")

[ChrisII]

BTW, the first episode of the documentary series DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL is up at the Doctor Who official site. (www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho). It features a few clips from future episodes.(BTW the small spider things are NOT Daleks).

For those worried about the show starting off too light-hearted, from the various clips and pictures seen, the series will get darker and creepier as it goes on. ROSE is sort of like ROBOT in that sense, apparentally(Light-hearted and fluffy before the darker and more serious ARK IN SPACE and GENESIS OF THE DALEKS). Also a lot of the episodes are written by those who have been involved with both the novels and audios.

BTW, about Mickey surviving-Mickey (as well as Rose's mother) still has a part to play in the series, in ALIENS OF LONDON and THE PARTING OF THE WAYS. SPOILERS Mickey in particular finds himself put through a few problems when he becomes a prime suspect in Rose's dissiapearence. Rose, like Ace, is a companion who is going to have considerable time given to her character development and background.

[ChrisII]

Fury, the rooms where people sleep are in other areas of the TARDIS (presumabely there's a door to the rest of the ship somewhere in the new console room). Tom Baker's last season and the Peter Davison years showed the companion's rooms in almost every serial, as well as new areas like the cloister and zero rooms.

The era to use the TARDIS interior the least, I think, is McCoy's. Although seen quite a bit in season 24, the console room is only seen I think once during the 25th season ("Greatest Show In The Galaxy") where it's obvious the set is in bad shape. For it's very brief appearence in season 26, the console was the only existing remains of the room so they had to make the whole set out of a curtain(With noticeably bigger, flat-looking roundels) !

Apparentally this was a decision they made since they felt that, especially in the Colin Baker era, that there were too many scenes in the TARDIS console room (VENGEANCE OF VAROS is a good example of this, almost half of the Doctor's scenes in the first episode are set entirely on the TARDIS).

Also, regarding it's size, the console room was probably at it's smallest during the Graham Williams era...

[niall mc cann]

It's still not a patch on the days of McCoy's 7th Doctor being all cunning, manipulative and enigmatic though.

Better than the days of McCoy's doctor being silly, clownish and easily-distracted though...

For me, Spearhead from Space is still the definitive Auton story, even if the Nestene was clearly green foam in a plastic bag. It's easy to make fun of old-time Doctor Who, but it's unfair if we forget that even at it's campest, Doctor Who could occasionally manage to be quite scary and creepy; the last ep-and-a-half of Spearhead from Space had moments that can still make me shiver.

I mean, clearly Davies and the new gang made a conscious decision not to go that way with this ep, but i hope they remember it for future episodes.

One thing i like about New Who is that the episode was self-contained; it was not uncommon for Who stories to contain a sometimes silly amount of padding (QUICKLY! Run down this corridor again! And this one! And now up this one!). Hopefully this new one-off episode will signal that Who's going to be a little less a slave to its format in future, even if it did sometimes seem a little rushed.


some good oneliners ("Anything could happen" ... "No") , but also some really dumb speeches ("I can feel the world turning")

The scene with Rose's mother was funny all right, but i liked the "Turn of the World" speech.

It's good that it gets reinforced early on that the Doctor is not human, doesn't experience the world like a human, and definitely doesn't think like a human. His indifference to the fate of Mickey was also well played in that regard. I think it could have come off as simply cold if it hadn't been previously established that the Doc just doesn't percieve life like we do.

He's an alien. That should mean something.

[Charles RB]

One thing I do like- Rose checking of the outside of the TARDIS after seeing the inside. I giggled. Then there's the start, which has this nice effect of being the middle of a regular Who episode and Rose has happened to wander into it.

[Gaz]

The scene with Rose's mother was funny all right, but i liked the "Turn of the World" speech.

It's good that it gets reinforced early on that the Doctor is not human, doesn't experience the world like a human, and definitely doesn't think like a human. His indifference to the fate of Mickey was also well played in that regard. I think it could have come off as simply cold if it hadn't been previously established that the Doc just doesn't percieve life like we do.

He's an alien. That should mean something.
The Turn speech is very similar in tone to the Heaven Is Empty one in Second Coming, particularly in delivery. That's a compliment as that's my favorite part of that drama.
I also liked how he seems to be more patient than Rose while still being urgent, he knew that Mickey might be alive, but didn't think it pressing to mention. He's into the Big Picture.
To clarify some confusion over the term "domestics", he's referring to the domestic situation between Rose and Mickey, her fawning over him. Not a racist derision of him.
And the preview of the next ep has them in another part of the TARDIS at some point.
Can't wait to see a Moffat story! :D

[Matt]

One thing I do like- Rose checking of the outside of the TARDIS after seeing the inside.

Heh, like we haven't seen that happen with just about every companion before. :p

[Matt]

Heh. Remember Clive and his website?
I only just stumbled across this but those sneaky BBC people really made it...

http://www.whoisdoctorwho.co.uk/

[The Fury]

Thread revival for the new Episode.

Man was this episode visually more impressive then the last, and I liked it, though it was very good, and clever.

[Gaz]

Thread revival for the new Episode.

Man was this episode visually more impressive then the last, and I liked it, though it was very good, and clever.
Yep, love Zoe Wannamaker, so she was a plus. The Doctor being evasive about Gallifrey and the Time Lords being wiped out was cool. And the alien concepts and designs were fun.
BTW, Matt, we SAW the TARDIS controls in this one, they looked alien but sensible.

[Jack]

We had the Doctor showing his crafty and intelligent side here as well, which is something that people complained about in the first episode.

I liked his "And really very obvious" comment.

Although I kinda think he had himself to blame for Jabe's death. I mean she might have survived if he hadn't paused those times to look back meaningfully.

[Gaz]

We had the Doctor showing his crafty and intelligent side here as well, which is something that people complained about in the first episode.

I liked his "And really very obvious" comment.

Although I kinda think he had himself to blame for Jabe's death. I mean she might have survived if he hadn't paused those times to look back meaningfully.
True, and since when can he bulet-time, which is what it seemed like with the last blade... :confused:

[Jack]

True, and since when can he bulet-time, which is what it seemed like with the last blade... :confused:
I figured that was related to the "I can feel the world turn" speech he gave last week.

[Gaz]

I figured that was related to the "I can feel the world turn" speech he gave last week.
Oooohhhh! Good call, heightened perceptions. And that was even in the ep earlier when he could tell what frequency the tremors were. D'oh!

[niall mc cann]

Liked this one better than the last one (not that i didn't like the last one).

Great ideas, great execution, imo.

So, the Doc killed Cassandra... nobody find that an interesting development? Or am i just studying him too hard 'cause he's still so new? I thought they did a good job of reigning in the extremes the character flew to last ep and actually developing him a bit farther. i liked Jabe too. As an idea as well as a character.

Also... am i out of the loop? What happened Gallifrey?

I loved the ending. Nicely guaged, i thought. Touching without being schmaltzy.

Does anyone know who wrote it?

[Gaz]

Writer is credited in the titles. It was "by Russell T Davies"

[Matt]

What happened to Gallifrey ... well, that's a long story.
It took place in the 8th Doctor novels and goes something like this:

A massive war had been foreseen between the Time Lords and The Enemy; a war which would do massive damage to the cosmos and time itself. Gallifrey would pull out all the stops (huge genetic looms reaching to the sky pumping out countless soldiers, making clone copies of Gallifrey, etc).
The very first casualty of the War in Heaven, as it would be called, would be the Doctor himself and, to be blunt, the Time Lords would lose the War.

Before the War in Heavan started, however, time was changed at once crucial point (the novel series sort of diverges at this point - a bunch of books dealt with the war and faction paradox). The Doctor's Type 40 TARDIS had been lost and thought destroyed some time back and the Doctor was using a humanoid form Type 102 which was unique.
The Time Lords wanted the Type 102, called Compassion, for a TARDIS breeding program so they could make Type 103 War TARDIS' for the upcoming war.

Eventually the Time Lords managed to track down Compassion and the Doctor and brought them to Gallifrey ... when suddenly a huge shape appeared in the skies above, a huge and intricate object shaped sort of like a rose made out of bone (see the novel 'The Ancestor Cell').
This object eventually turns out to be the Doctor's Type 40 TARDIS which had been in the Time Vortex for 5,000 years ... it's reapperance was attracting the Ancestor Cell and the Swimmers (looong story) to Gallifrey which was a definite bad thing.

The Doctor knew about the upcoming War in Heaven so he made a choice then and there and detonated his Type 40 TARDIS in the skies of Gallifrey - to stop the War ever happening he decided to destroy Gallifrey.
The result was that the Time Lords and Gallifrey were retroactively erased from time; it was quite literally as if they had never existed and the Universe was greatly changed for it.

The Doctor survived Gallifrey's destruction (one of only about half a dozen to do so) though he suffered massive amnesiac shock from the trauma. Another one of the Time Lords desposited him and a scrap of blue box (the remains of the TARDIS) on Earth just before the start of the 20th Century where the Doctor lived for 100 or so years while the TARDIS regenerated itself.

[Gaz]

Well, as of this episode, the Doctor says he is the LAST Time Lord. And some record of Gallifrey exists, although they're not easily accessed.

[Donald M.]

While I liked the first episode well enough, this one was just superior to it in every way, and lots of fun besides. I'm really enjoying this series. The next episode looks very good as well.

[marvelboy2004]

Liked this one better than the last one (not that i didn't like the last one).

Great ideas, great execution, imo.

So, the Doc killed Cassandra... nobody find that an interesting development? Or am i just studying him too hard 'cause he's still so new? I thought they did a good job of reigning in the extremes the character flew to last ep and actually developing him a bit farther. i liked Jabe too. As an idea as well as a character.

Also... am i out of the loop? What happened Gallifrey?

I loved the ending. Nicely guaged, i thought. Touching without being schmaltzy.

Does anyone know who wrote it?


Russel T davies - creator of (among other things) Queer as Folk. :D

[jam]

Simon Day is listed as playing the Steward.

Now here's why I'm confused. Isn't Simon Day the guy from the Fast Show who played Dave Angel, Tommy Cockles, Carl Hooper, "someone's sitting there, mate", competitive dad etc. Had his own show, "Grass". Was in "Swiss Tony".

The Steward didn't look (blue skin not withstanding) or sound like Simon Day to me.

I thought the Steward looked like someone else in the Fast Show -- Paul Shearer I think he is, he did the Channel Nine news with Paul Whitehouse among other things ...

Now am I going mad or what?

[Loki]

Simon Day is listed as playing the Steward.

Now here's why I'm confused. Isn't Simon Day the guy from the Fast Show who played Dave Angel, Tommy Cockles, Carl Hooper, "someone's sitting there, mate", competitive dad etc. Had his own show, "Grass". Was in "Swiss Tony".

The Steward didn't look (blue skin not withstanding) or sound like Simon Day to me.

I thought the Steward looked like someone else in the Fast Show -- Paul Shearer I think he is, he did the Channel Nine news with Paul Whitehouse among other things ...

Now am I going mad or what?

Nope, it was Simon Day, the guy you describe from the Fast Show, Grass and Swiss Toni, who played the Steward.

[B. Herren]

Another great episode! Bizarre, wacky, and straight up good sci-fi. It's weird to see elements of Farscape and Hitchhiker's Guide creeping in. I'm still pretty excited about this show and have been finding other sources of Doctor Who older eps (An Unearthly Child, The Three Doctors, etc.) and digging an old Dr. Who novel out of my stack of used bookstore finds. :)

It's a shame that Gallifrey is destroyed as I was looking forward to seeing it (not having seen it before in previous incarnations). This should also make the Doctor's relationship to the Master more interesting if (when!) he shows up making them the last of the Time Lords.

I have a couple of questions for long-time fans. Does the Doctor have any other abilities outside of being long lived (aka regeneration)? Does he heal rapidly, have extras senses, etc.? Plus, how does the British television schedule work? Will all thirteen episodes air in a row until finished, or does the BBC break them up like on American shows by showing a few new ones, showing a few reruns, then a few more new ones, etc.? Finally, is it one Season per year - will I have to wait a whole year for new episodes? Thanks in advance for any info.

[roguespirit]

Another great episode! Bizarre, wacky, and straight up good sci-fi. It's weird to see elements of Farscape and Hitchhiker's Guide creeping in. I'm still pretty excited about this show and have been finding other sources of Who like D/Ling older eps (An Unearthly Child, The Three Doctors, etc.) and digging an old Dr. Who novel out of my stack of used bookstore finds. :)

It's a shame that Gallifrey is destroyed as I was looking forward to seeing it (not having seen it before in previous incarnations). This should also make the Doctor's relationship to the Master more interesting if (when!) he shows up making them the last of the Time Lords.

I have a couple of questions for long-time fans. Does the Doctor have any other abilities outside of being long lived (aka regeneration)? Does he heal rapidly, have extras senses, etc.? Plus, how does the British television schedule work? Will all thirteen episodes air in a row until finished, or does the BBC break them up like on American shows by showing a few new ones, showing a few reruns, then a few more new ones, etc.? Finally, is it one Season per year - will I have to wait a whole year for new episodes? Thanks in advance for any info.


Lets see, The Doctor has 2 hearts, a respiratory bypass system and a transparent 2nd eye lid.

Dr Who has usually had each adventure split into 4-6 episodes (on average) of about 25m, while Colin Bakers era had an unorthodox programming this is really the first time this non cliffhanger format is being tried. It is running for 13 weeks back to back. The Uk doesn't do this annoying mid-season break thing.

[Matt]

making them the last of the Time Lords.

If the series follows the books, then a few others escaped Gallifrey's destruction. Susan, Romana, Lady Wyldtyme (I think)...

Does the Doctor have any other abilities outside of being long lived (aka regeneration)? Does he heal rapidly, have extras senses, etc.?

He does heal quicker, he has two hearts and a secondary respiratory system which allows him to survive in space for short periods and close off his respiratory system completely (useful against things like gas).
He's mildly telepathic and a master hypnotist.
The Doctor reached 1000 years of age in his 7th Incarnation, his 8th lived for at least 100 years. Most Time Lords live to at least 10,000 years old but they don't tend to do much physically.

[Loki]

Does the Doctor have any other abilities outside of being long lived (aka regeneration)? Does he heal rapidly, have extras senses, etc.?
As with other Gallifreyans, the Doctor is physically superior to normal humans in nearly ever respect, though not generally superhumanly so. He is slightly stronger than his appearance would suggest, has greater stamina and better than average agility. His senses are also slightly keener than a humans, and he is capable of noticing ripples in the patterns of time. He is capable of surviving without oxygen for short periods of time, and can even survive unprotected in the vacuum of space for several minutes. Among the more obvious physical differences between his body and that of a human is that he has two hearts. He is capable of healing most wounds given time, even regrowing severed appendages on occasion (although this can take weeks). If he suffers an injury so severe that he cannot survive then he is able to completely regenerate his body, taking on a entirely new form (based on examples of other Time Lords seen regenerating, even decapitation might not be fatal; severe injury to both hearts, however, would be). Doing so causes near fatal mental strain, and as a result he generally suffers a period of mental instability thereafter, which in the past has manifested as amnesia, mood swings, and even full blown psychotic episodes; in the end his mind settles down again, but in every instance his personality is altered by the experience. Perhaps due to the strain this imposes, Time Lords can only regenerate twelve times, allowing them a total of thirteen bodies.

The Doctor is moderately telepathic, another of his species' gifts. He cannot read minds, but is capable of communicating with other telepathic beings. Boosted by his TARDIS, this telepathy is able to act as an instant translator of virtually all spoken or written languages, a gift which is extended to those who travel with him; it is so effective that those using the gift are generally not even conscious of the fact that they shouldn't be able to understand the alien tongues they are listening to. Time Lords can recognise one another by their telepathic signature even when they have changed their appearances, unless one of them is deliberately masking who they are.

The Doctor's greatest ability is his intellect. He is vastly more intelligent than any human, with extensive knowledge of most sciences, and an extremely quick and adaptive mind. He is resistant to forms of mental coercion such as hypnosis, brainwashing, mind control or mind probes. Trips into his mindscape has shown that each of his earlier persona's still survives there, acting as keepers of their portions of his memories and aspects of his personality (the fifth incarnation is generally seen as the conscience of the later Doctors, for example). Future personalities have also seen to form in this mindscape, in preparation for impending regeneration - for example the Doctor's seventh persona is widely believed to have deliberately usurped the body and forced a regeneration after his sixth body suffered a minor head injury. Combined with their telepathic ability, some Time Lords can give these future forms a level of physical presence in the real world separate from their main body; the Doctor himself has demonstrated this ability on two occasions, once when he subconsciously created a poorly defined "Watcher" entity just prior to his fourth regeneration, and once when a distilled composite of all his evil and less noble traits broke loose and became the being known as the Valeyard. All incarnations of the Doctor have been seen to be skilled hypnotists too, and most have displayed a talent for disguise and mimicry.

The Doctor is a brilliant engineer, well known for his ability to build a device for any circumstances he encounters. If what he needs is not to hand he often jury-rigs temporary equipment to combat the evils he comes across. His most common tool (other than his TARDIS) is the sonic screwdriver, which can be adapted to a number of uses, most commonly to open locked doors of all varieties. It has also been seen to remotely detonate mines and swamp gas, to repel creatures with sensitive hearing, and even to remove screws. The Doctor stores a variety of useful objects in his pockets, which he has finally admitted have an extra dimension sewn into them, making them much bigger on the inside.

Each version of the Doctor has certain abilities and skills peculiar only to that regeneration. The third was a master of unarmed combat, in particular Venusian Aikido, a talent he achieved without any training. The seventh could disrupt the brain's electrons with a touch, allowing him to render people unconscious. The eighth has the ability to read the patterns of time, allowing him to pull out hints about a person's past or future from their timeline.

While the Doctor normally disdains physical violence, he has shown himself in the past to be a skilled swordsman (at least from his fourth incarnation on), having been trained by one of Cleopatra's guards. He is an expert with a crossbow (trained with William Tell), and even his first, elderly form was an able fighter, having learned wrestling from the Mountain Mauler of Montana.

[Matt]

for example the Doctor's seventh persona is widely believed to have deliberately usurped the body and forced a regeneration after his sixth body suffered a minor head injury.

This was actually confirmed in the book 'Head Games'.
The Doctor's subconscious made a deal with Life, Time and Death to become Time's Champion; at which point the persona of the 7th Doctor purposefully steered the TARDIS into an attack by the Rani which killed the 6th Doctor.
This achieved two things - it brought the far more effective 7th Doctor into being and wiped out any chance of the Valeyard existing as a future Doctor.

This sent the personality of the 6th Doctor insane and the 7th later did mental combat with his own past incarnation - obviously the 7th won and he imprisoned the mind of the 6th in a room with no doors with the rest of his past incarnations keeping the 6th Doctor there.

[Loki]

If the series follows the books, then a few others escaped Gallifrey's destruction. Susan, Romana, Lady Wyldtyme (I think)...

The people who we know have survived the destruction of Gallifrey in the books are the Master (who informs the Doctor that there are only "four of us left") and Iris Wildthyme (not a Lady, as she is proud to point out she was not a Time Lord, just a Gallifreyan), Nivet who was seen to depart the destruction of Gallifrey in the humanoid TARDIS Compassion, and Erasmus and Chloe, who turned up in the novel Timeless. Since this is more than the four mentioned by the Master, it seems the villain wasn't referring to Time Lords in general when he gave that number, but something more specific.

Others who may have survived include Romana and Mali, both last seen attempting to escape the destruction of Gallifrey, Susan who was last seen travelling in a TARDIS she stole from the Delgado-incarnation Master, and the likes of the Rani and Monk (aka Mortimus), simply because they are crafty and natural survivors. Miranda, the Doctor's daughter, might also count, though strictly speaking she didn't survive the destruction of Gallifrey so much as get born after it.

However the destruction of Gallifrey might be getting undone in the novels, in the forthcoming Gallifrey Chronicles, and if so, then it looks like it will get restored only to be destroyed a second time prior to the start of the ninth Doctor's TV adventures.

[Loki]

This was actually confirmed in the book 'Head Games'.
The Doctor's subconscious made a deal with Life, Time and Death to become Time's Champion; at which point the persona of the 7th Doctor purposefully steered the TARDIS into an attack by the Rani which killed the 6th Doctor.
This achieved two things - it brought the far more effective 7th Doctor into being and wiped out any chance of the Valeyard existing as a future Doctor.

This sent the personality of the 6th Doctor insane and the 7th later did mental combat with his own past incarnation - obviously the 7th won and he imprisoned the mind of the 6th in a room with no doors with the rest of his past incarnations keeping the 6th Doctor there.

Not quite as confirmed as you make out; other writers have since implied it's not as clear cut, and that the seventh persona was partially blaming himself for stuff he isn't entirely at fault for. The seventh Doctor certainly harbours guilt about it, but the sixth Doctor he fought in mental combat seems to have simply been a manifestation of that guilt, not the actual persona - half way through the fight, the "sixth Doctor" transformed into the Valeyard. The seventh also strongly believed that when he regenerated, his other personalities would imprison him in the mental "Room with No Doors" as punishment for his various ruthless actions, such as destroying Skaro.

[Matt]

It's still quite possible that was the actual 6th Doctor, since it was the existence of the 6th Doctor and his mannerisms that would eventually lead to the existence of The Valeyard - that transformation was just an indication/confirmation of that.

And, quite frankly, I don't blame the 7th for being worried about being restrained. His actions, such as destroying Skaro and his manipulations of Ace (even if they had perfectly good intentions) would have horrified previous incarnations like the 5th Doctor.

[Metal-Demon]

CBC here in Canada aired the first Doctor Who episode "Rose" tonight ... now this is the very first time I have ever seen an entire episode of the famous Doctor Who program ... and I loved it.

I don't know very much about the Doctor and his history, but I really enjoyed the story.

I recall seeing the Doctor Who character when I was much younger (I think he had a long scarf and wild hair ... does that make sense?) on American PBS a couple of times but the show was never aired here before in Canada.

A fellow at work was a huge fan when he lived in the UK and we got talking about it, so I decided to watch the show at his suggestion ... and I'm sure glad I did. Makes we wonder what I missed out on when I was a little kid. :)

[Matt]

I recall seeing the Doctor Who character when I was much younger (I think he had a long scarf and wild hair ... does that make sense?)

You would be referring to Tom Baker who played the role of the 4th Doctor in the late 70's and Early 80's.

[Metal-Demon]

Yup! (Thanks Matt) That's the guy ... in fact, I recall being afraid of him! (Of course, I was only a little tyke at the time).

[B. Herren]

It has also been seen to remotely detonate mines and swamp gas, to repel creatures with sensitive hearing, and even to remove screws.

Ha!

Thanks for all the helpful information guys. I never realized the overall storyline was so complicated. You can sorta tell the 6th Doctor might be a little bonkers judging from his clothes. :) So how old was the Doctor before his first regeneration into the 2nd Doctor? Which Doctor "lived" the longest?

Also, what books would you recommend to a newcomer? I'm reading Doctor Who and the Talons of Weng-Chiang at the moment since I already happened to have it, but past that what are some of the best novels to go looking for?

[Matt]

The first Doctor was about, iirc, 450 years old when his body gave out on him - 450 is considered very young for a Time Lord to regenerate but the Doctor was very active and put his body through a lot.

The Doctor reached 1000 or so in his 7th Incarnation and the 8th lived for, at the very least, 100 years.

[B. Herren]

Oh okay, since someone else said Time Lords can live to 10,000 that means the Doctor has burned through most of his bodies in a relatively short amount of time as he's on his 9th incarnation (soon to be 10!). The 8th Doctor was from the movie (right?) so I'm guessing most of his 100 years of adventures have been in the novels. I'm also assuming a lot of the 9th Doctor's travels will be off-screen as well to justify all of the photographic evidence of him through time (Kennedy assassination, Titanic, etc.). Which makes you wonder why the conspiracy website guy only had photos of the current Doctor and not the whole group - aside from the convenience of focusing on the new Doctor.

[Matt]

In the novel Lungbarrow, some of the Doctor's relatives were quite amazed how quickly he had burnt through his regenerations.

As an example, on of the Doctor's 'cousins' didn't regenerate for the first time until he was about 1,500. But you have to remember that the lives of most Time Lords are extremely serene and have almost no physical stresses at all - their bodies get it really easy.

Whereas the Doctor does things like fall off observatories, get poisoned, get shot, and generally puts his body through hell.

Yes, most of the 8th Doctor's adventures were in novels. He lived through the entirety of the 20th century in an amnesic shock after the destruction of Gallifrey and had to wait for his TARDIS to regenerate itself.

[Loki]

I'm also assuming a lot of the 9th Doctor's travels will be off-screen as well to justify all of the photographic evidence of him through time (Kennedy assassination, Titanic, etc.).

Yes, though it's likely all of those trips happened after the episode "Rose" from the Doctor's point of view, as he seems to be recently regenerated based on his actions in Rose Tyler's flat - checking his face out in the mirror, etc.

Which makes you wonder why the conspiracy website guy only had photos of the current Doctor and not the whole group - aside from the convenience of focusing on the new Doctor.

He did ask Rose "This is your Doctor?", suggesting he knew about others - I suspect he had folders with photos and pictures of them too, but once he had established which Doctor she had met, he only showed her pictures of the one she had met. After all, the alternative was to say:

"I think the Doctor has been around for hundreds of years. I'll prove it - look, here's a photo of a guy who looks completely different watching the Kennedy assassination. Here's a picture of a guy who doesn't resemble either the guy you met or the one in the previous photo standing with a family who didn't go on the Titanic. And here's a drawing of someone else who doesn't look like any of the previous guys, back at the time of Krakatoa."

[lonewolf23k]

Tuesday night, at 8:00pm on CBC, the first episode of Dr Who was supposed
to be broadcast for the first time...

...And I frickin' forgot about it! AARRRGH! :(

...So, I'm wondering if anyone here knows where I could download it
online?

[lonewolf23k]

Thanks again to Daniel Nofftz to the download link for the episode. :D

And now for my comments/review:

I LOVED IT!

Dang it, I think I've found my brand spanking new favorite sci-fi series... ...And it's the one I first fell in love with back when I was a child watching episodes with the fifth doctor on PBS, I do think.

One comment about the whole "invitation" think. I think it was obvious by that point that Rose did want to travel with the Doctor, and he knew it. He was just saying out loud what she was thinking.

As for Rose not noticing the truth with Plastic Mikey.. ...Well, in real life, how quick would we really be to notice that a person we're talking to is actually a plastic robot, rather then just wondering "is he looking sick or something?" Never underestimate the human mind's ability at ignoring otherwise flagrant evidence...

[B. Herren]

As for Rose not noticing the truth with Plastic Mikey.. ...Well, in real life, how quick would we really be to notice that a person we're talking to is actually a plastic robot, rather then just wondering "is he looking sick or something?" Never underestimate the human mind's ability at ignoring otherwise flagrant evidence...

I figured that was more just a storytelling device. It's obvious to the viewer that the boyfriend is synthetic but for the characters it's matter of "you don't look quite right".

[B. Herren]

As an example, on of the Doctor's 'cousins' didn't regenerate for the first time until he was about 1,500. But you have to remember that the lives of most Time Lords are extremely serene and have almost no physical stresses at all - their bodies get it really easy.

So for a race of serene observers, how did they wind up in a war that eventually destroyed their planet?

And someone else said they found a way around the 12 bodies rule for the Master - how did they explain that?

He did ask Rose "This is your Doctor?", suggesting he knew about others - I suspect he had folders with photos and pictures of them too, but once he had established which Doctor she had met, he only showed her pictures of the one she had met.

That makes sense. I just thought it would have been cool to have seen a billboard in the background with pictures of the other Doctors or somesuch nice little homage.

Again, any novels to recommend to a new guy?

Sorry about so many questions but you guys are obviously the Doctor Who experts, so I have to ask! :)

[Loki]

So for a race of serene observers, how did they wind up in a war that eventually destroyed their planet?

Because the "serene observers" bit is at least partially PR on their part. One of the first things Rassilon did when he founded their current society and perfected time travel was to go to war and wipe out any species he thought might one day challenge their dominant position in the galaxy. However, no matter how many other races you eliminate, unless you wipe out all living creatures other than yourself, some of them will get to the point where they envy and covet your technology, and while they might not be able to match that technology, since the Time Lords had gotten complacent in their assumed superiority, opportunities arose to attack them. Both the Sontarans (in the TV series) and the Daleks (in the audio plays) managed to mount semi-successful invasions of Gallifrey.

Plus, at least some of their enemies originated from dissident elements within their own society - the Faction Paradox and the Celestis.

And someone else said they found a way around the 12 bodies rule for the Master - how did they explain that?

Though his original body reached the end of its life, his powerful mind allowed him to keep it going on the edge of death. In Keeper of Traken, he used the power of the Source to usurp and remodel some one else's body, giving him a temporary new lease on life. In The Five Doctors, the Time Lords offered to give him a new cycle of regenerations (presumably they intended to either somehow modify his stolen form so it could regenerate, or allow him to move his life-force into a new Gallifreyan form). In one of the novels (I won't say which, because his presence is a surprise in it) he used alien nanotech to regenerate his stolen form. In Happy Endings, he was found trying to loom a new form to occupy, so presumably the nano-tech trick was only a stop-gap. And in the TV Movie, he seemed to have used alien technology to create a gelatinous "snake" creature which temporarily housed his lifeforce until he could again occupy another person's body/corpse, and was trying to transfer that lifeforce into the Doctor's form so he could steal a body which could actually regenerate again.

That makes sense. I just thought it would have been cool to have seen a billboard in the background with pictures of the other Doctors or somesuch nice little homage.

I agree. Heck, even if he had been seen to lift down a folder with Doctor 9's face on a small pic on the side, and you could catch a glimpse of other folders with other pictures (which could have been obscured so you couldn't see the different faces if any permission issues with using their likenesses arose).

Again, any novels to recommend to a new guy?

Hmm. Tastes vary, and many of the older novels are out of print, making copies expensive to purchase. However:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/ebooks/index.shtml

The BBC site has several older ones available to read online - out of the ones there, I'd heartily recommend The Dying Days, Human Nature, Lungbarrow, and Empire of Glass, though all the ones listed are okay.

If you can track them down, the following out of print ones are pretty good, imho:
Nightshade
White Darkness
Conundrum
All-Consuming Fire
Blood Harvest
The Also People
GodEngine
The Room With No Doors
Goth Opera
The Romance of Crime
Time of Your Life (for explaining what happened to the Sixth Doctor post-trial)
Managra
Millenial Rites
The English Way of Death
The Dark Path

and simply because its whimsical and because of the title:
Return of the Living Dad

And out of the current range and still in print:
Face of the Enemy
Illegal Alien
Alien Bodies
The Burning
Father Time
The Crooked World
Infinity Doctors

are all good. There's a number of other good ones from the current range too, but I'm a bit behind with some of them, and some of the best are in the middle of continuity heavy story arcs.

Sorry about so many questions but you guys are obviously the Doctor Who experts, so I have to ask! :)

No problem - happy to help.

[B. Herren]

Cool. Thanks again. You are a wealth of Whovian knowledge! And extra thanks for the link to the free e-books.

So here's a few questions about the TARDIS. Have they ever explained what sort of power or drive system it has? Or given a pseudo-theory on how it can move around in time and space? And about the extra dimensions inside, what happens if the outside is damaged?

[Matt]

Have they ever explained what sort of power or drive system it has?

Each TARDIS has an Eye of Harmony onboard, which draws power from the main Eye of Harmony which is on Gallifrey. The main Eye was created when Omega did some stellar manipulation in Gallifrey's ancient past.

Or given a pseudo-theory on how it can move around in time and space?

The outter shell enters the Time Vortex and travels until it reaches a certain point wherein it appears at the wanted point in SpaceTime.
The Time Vortex is basically just another dimension.

And about the extra dimensions inside, what happens if the outside is damaged?

The outside is extremely hard to damage - the only things which are known to be able to destroy a TARDIS is:
Event One (the big bang)
A Time Ram (where two TARDIS' ram each other in the time vortex and it doesn't always work)
Certain weapon systems such as those found on Compassion and certain WAR TARDIS'.

If you've got some time and want to find out pretty much everything then try this site:

http://www.drwhoguide.com/who.htm

[jam]

Nope, it was Simon Day, the guy you describe from the Fast Show, Grass and Swiss Toni, who played the Steward.

Well, if it is him, he was completely unrecognisable in features and in voice.

[roguespirit]

What happened to Gallifrey ... well, that's a long story.
It took place in the 8th Doctor novels and goes something like this:

A massive war had been foreseen between the Time Lords and The Enemy; a war which would do massive damage to the cosmos and time itself. Gallifrey would pull out all the stops (huge genetic looms reaching to the sky pumping out countless soldiers, making clone copies of Gallifrey, etc).
The very first casualty of the War in Heaven, as it would be called, would be the Doctor himself and, to be blunt, the Time Lords would lose the War.

Before the War in Heavan started, however, time was changed at once crucial point (the novel series sort of diverges at this point - a bunch of books dealt with the war and faction paradox). The Doctor's Type 40 TARDIS had been lost and thought destroyed some time back and the Doctor was using a humanoid form Type 102 which was unique.
The Time Lords wanted the Type 102, called Compassion, for a TARDIS breeding program so they could make Type 103 War TARDIS' for the upcoming war.

Eventually the Time Lords managed to track down Compassion and the Doctor and brought them to Gallifrey ... when suddenly a huge shape appeared in the skies above, a huge and intricate object shaped sort of like a rose made out of bone (see the novel 'The Ancestor Cell').
This object eventually turns out to be the Doctor's Type 40 TARDIS which had been in the Time Vortex for 5,000 years ... it's reapperance was attracting the Ancestor Cell and the Swimmers (looong story) to Gallifrey which was a definite bad thing.

The Doctor knew about the upcoming War in Heaven so he made a choice then and there and detonated his Type 40 TARDIS in the skies of Gallifrey - to stop the War ever happening he decided to destroy Gallifrey.
The result was that the Time Lords and Gallifrey were retroactively erased from time; it was quite literally as if they had never existed and the Universe was greatly changed for it.

The Doctor survived Gallifrey's destruction (one of only about half a dozen to do so) though he suffered massive amnesiac shock from the trauma. Another one of the Time Lords desposited him and a scrap of blue box (the remains of the TARDIS) on Earth just before the start of the 20th Century where the Doctor lived for 100 or so years while the TARDIS regenerated itself.

How many books does this cover and is it really worth reading them?

[roguespirit]

Does anyone else think there is overuse of the sonic screwdriver going on?

[Loki]

Well, if it is him, he was completely unrecognisable in features and in voice.
It was, and yes, he was.

[Loki]

How many books does this cover and is it really worth reading them?

The first book to mention it was Alien Bodies, which mentions The War, and introduces the Faction Paradox and the Celestis (who look to be involved in that war in some way, but are not "The Enemy").

The Faction return to plague the Doctor in Unnatural History, Interference 1 and 2, and Ancestor Cell, before spinning off into their own series of audio plays, books and a short lived comic from Image.

More info about The War is brought out in Interference (1 and 2), The Taking of Planet 5 and Ancestor Cell; the Time Lord's preparations for same influences The Shadows of Avalon, with The Banquo Legacy following up some aspects of that story.

Putting those in chronological order, with the books between missed out, you've got
Alien Bodies
Unnatural History
Interference: Book One
Interference: Book Two
The Taking of Planet 5
The Shadows of Avalon
The Banquo Legacy
The Ancestory Cell

Is it worth reading? If you find the concept sufficiently intriguing, then probably yes.

[Deathstroke]

Apparently the BBC has had to apologize to Christopher Eccleston.

Here's why! (http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/index.php?category=0&id=30784)

[Donald M.]

So they knew all along he was only doing one season? What was with the stories reporting his fear of typecasting then? Were they hoping to shame him into changing his mind or something?

Personally, I think that if one season was all he was interested in doing, they should have held out and found someone else for the role.

[Gaz]

So they knew all along he was only doing one season? What was with the stories reporting his fear of typecasting then? Were they hoping to shame him into changing his mind or something?

Personally, I think that if one season was all he was interested in doing, they should have held out and found someone else for the role.
Davies likes him and had worked with him before. I like him and he adds mainstream credibility to the role, as well as serious acting chops. It's unfortunate he won't be back next year, but he's done well so far, so enjoy it.

[Donald M.]

Davies likes him and had worked with him before. I like him and he adds mainstream credibility to the role, as well as serious acting chops. It's unfortunate he won't be back next year, but he's done well so far, so enjoy it.

Where did I say I wasn't enjoying it?

[Alistair]

So they knew all along he was only doing one season? What was with the stories reporting his fear of typecasting then? Were they hoping to shame him into changing his mind or something?

Personally, I think that if one season was all he was interested in doing, they should have held out and found someone else for the role.

The "fear of typecasting" thing was a quotation made up by someone in the BBC - they've been catching a lot of flak for that over the last couple of days:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4410943.stm

"BBC admits Dr Who actor blunder

The BBC admits it broke an agreement with Eccleston
The BBC failed to speak to actor Christopher Eccleston before revealing he was going to quit Dr Who after the first series, it has admitted.
It was originally claimed the actor feared being typecast if he stayed on.

In a statement, the BBC quoted Eccleston as saying "he hoped viewers continued to enjoy the series".

But the BBC has admitted it did not consult him about that statement and also broke its agreement not to reveal he planned to film just one series."

(More in the link)

As for getting a different actor in - Eccleston's extremely well regarded, carries a lot of dramatic weight and was a good choice to show that the BBC were behind the show. Besides, he's still going to have done about ten hours of Who all in, over a three-month period, so it's not like it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it situation.

[Alistair]

Things I've noticed while reading the thread:

1) The line in Rose about "Can we leave the domestics outside, please?" wasn't referring to Mickey as a "domestic" (i.e. a servant), and had nothing to do with his skin colour. It was used in the British sense, short for "domestic dispute", which are basically arguments between couples.

2) The destruction of Gallifrey, as seen in the books, isn't the same destruction of Gallifrey being referenced in the TV series (The books aren't "officially" canon any more than the Big Finish audio dramas, and the two diverge from each other. Basically, if you want to believe that any of the Eighth Doctor's adventures are "personal" canon for yourself, you can do so, but you'd have to pick either the books or the audios, not both). Davies isn't intending to reference the books or audios directly, nor to build off their plotlines.

3) Simon Day, who played the Steward, is not the same chap from The Fast Show, who is registered with Equity as Simon Daye. Instead, he is a British stage actor who recently won acclaim for his role as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in Anything Goes:

http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/site/media/images/24939_SimonDay120_2.jpg

[Loki]

3) Simon Day, who played the Steward, is not the same chap from The Fast Show, who is registered with Equity as Simon Daye. Instead, he is a British stage actor who recently won acclaim for his role as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in Anything Goes

I stand corrected. Though to be fair on my mistake on this front, between the two of them, only The Fast Show's Simon Day has an imdb entry that I can see, and a number of Doctor Who news sites made the same mistake I did; since I got the confirmation of his identity from them, I repeated the error.

[Alistair]

Yeah, I ran into the same problems when I was trying to find a picture of him!

[roguespirit]

Its the new series 1 complete Box set DVD

[jam]

Things I've noticed while reading the thread:

3) Simon Day, who played the Steward, is not the same chap from The Fast Show, who is registered with Equity as Simon Daye. Instead, he is a British stage actor who recently won acclaim for his role as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in Anything Goes:

God bless you, Alistair! I thought I was going mad. I just couldn't believe it was the Fast Show Simon ...

[Alistair]

God bless you, Alistair! I thought I was going mad. I just couldn't believe it was the Fast Show Simon ...

And with a swish of my cloak and a twirl of my immaculately-waxed moustache I am away into the night.

[Jack]

What did everyone think of the third ep?

I'll post any comments later.. not feeling so great..

[The Fury]

What did everyone think of the third ep?

I'll post any comments later.. not feeling so great..
Oh crap. Missed it.

Hmm,on to Tuesday's repeat.

[Gaz]

It was good. Nice misdirection about the aliens (can't remember what they were called), Callow was excellent and the season arc got advanced again with references to "the Time War".

[Gaz]

Anyone get the feeling that the Gelf (I think..., spelling?) were playing on the Doctor's guilt from the War when they made their "plea"?

[Matt]

What was the exact reference to the 'time war'? I'd be interested to see if they're trying to link back to the novels or not.

[Gaz]

What was the exact reference to the 'time war'? I'd be interested to see if they're trying to link back to the novels or not.
Something about it raging across the galaxy, affecting higher species, meaning these aliens were now stuck as gaseous entities. Can't recall the exact quote.

[B. Herren]

Very impressed once again with the new episode. This is officially my favorite new show! Simon Callow was a very engaging Charles Dickens. I get the impression from the blurb that ran during the credits that this isn't his first time playing Dickens. Nice interactions between Rose and the servant woman. The "Time War" reference was pretty vague, but definately made the Doctor uncomfortable. Great digital effects on the ghosts too. Rose and the Doctor seemed to have a really strong moment when caught in danger at the end and is played well against the tense moments of the Doctor's seemingly quick and loose moral decisions. Amazingly well done.

And the preview for next week looked great. The image of the ship and the building looked hauntingly familiar.

Quick question: Who is credited with creating Doctor Who?

[Loki]

Quick question: Who is credited with creating Doctor Who?

Sidney Newham

[Loki]

What was the exact reference to the 'time war'? I'd be interested to see if they're trying to link back to the novels or not.

I don't think they are planning to directly link back to the novels (or audios either); I'm fairly sure Russell T.Davies has said as much. Plus, the destruction of Gallifrey in the novels looks like it might be getting reversed in the forthcoming Gallifrey Chronicles novel, as the BBC books try to "hit the reset" in time for the novels to jump to covering the ninth Doctor. Davies and co. do know about the novels and that storyline though, so its hard to believe their concept of the "time war" was not influenced by the idea from the novels, at least in part.

Additionally, given that the Doctor's destruction of Gallifrey in The Ancestor Cell prevented The War from occuring, the restoration of Gallifrey might also restore The War. Since we only got snippets of vague details about The War and "The Enemy" in the novels, it wouldn't be hard for a fan who so desires to make whatever details the TV writers eventually reveal fit with what little solid info we have on The War in the novels. Ironically this would mean that Gallifrey was doomed either way; the Doctor destroys Gallifrey and suffers so much guilt and trauma that he blocks of his memories, or the Doctor allows Gallifrey to continue to exist, only to see it destroyed anyway after a devastating Time War which scars the entire cosmos.

[Rob Imes]

The second episode of the new Who was shown on CBC TV last night. I have to say that I enjoyed episode 2 even more than I liked episode 1!

Everything about it was top-notch: ideas and concepts, special effects, acting, use of music, dialogue, humor, seriousness (great moving ending), etc.

In fact, I think episode 2 would be a good stand-alone story to introduce newbies to what Doctor Who is all about. In fact, I'd have to say that I found this 2nd episode to be in my Top 10 of all-time favorite Who episodes. (And the previous episode would probably make the list, too!)

[roguespirit]

EP3 - incredibly well produced. My love of Eccleston as the Dr is still strong but fading somewhat and I actually thing Billie Piper is out acting him, which is a shame because I know he is capable of giving a bit more than he is at the moment. However still enjoying the show immensenly. My girlfriend who is not a sci-fi fan at all is loving it and insists on watching it with me every week which I think is recommendation in itself

[OZZ]

WOW!
I'm really.... REALLY enjoying the new Dr. Who!
I like each episode better than the last.
I'm thinking Sci-Fi channel is really dropping the ball by not picking this up...



I'm gonna haveta read through this thread again because it seems like every question I have is being answered (The Time-War, certain novels to read, free ibooks link - finally being able to read Lungbarrow!!!).

So i'd just like to say thanks to all you Who experts! You've been EXTREMELY helpful! :)



Oh... one last thing. I've heard references to the recent movie (8th Doctor?)... Anyone know how I can find a copy of that here in the states?

[Loki]

So i'd just like to say thanks to all you Who experts! You've been EXTREMELY helpful! :)

Happy to be of help. :)

Oh... one last thing. I've heard references to the recent movie (8th Doctor?)... Anyone know how I can find a copy of that here in the states?
At the moment it only seems to be out on DVD in the UK, not the US. So unless you've got a multi-region player, you might have to wait for a while until it gets a release over there (it's also possible that it might be a rights issue which is delaying US DVD release, as that story was a co-production with Fox, who might still retain some rights to DVD release in the States).

A pretty complete breakdown of which DVDs are available over there is online at
http://www.drwhoguide.com/usvideo.htm

[Matt]

Well, I just saw The end of the World and apart from a couple of things, I was greatly impressed.
The Doctor's buffoonish behaviour was at a minimum which was a much welcome change in mannerisms - he was much more serious, though he did have one or two funny moments. But he actually showed off his intelligence and technical knowhow this time around and didn't miss the blatantly obvious.

The major disapointment, yet again, was the TARDIS interior and specifically the controls. There was a bicycle pump there for crying out loud! The more of see of the new interior the more I wish they had just stuck wi