Doctor Who

[StarFuryG7]

Over at Digital Spy:

David Bradley for 'Doctor Who' 50th biopic



www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a454816/doctor-who-david-bradley-to-play-william-hartnell-in-50th-biopic.html

[captainbasil]

I've been commuting with the wonderful an underrated 8th Doctor Paul McGann's BBC radio drama Blood of The Daleks. Sure, the Fox Dr. Who movie was a crapsterpiece but that was no fault of this guy. These BBC shows were made to aid in the transition from McGann to Eccleston when the newer TV series debuted. Paul already had a series with the audio company Big Finish, in fact the BBC hired these guys to make this 2 part masterpiece. Who translates seamlessly to radio or "audio" , if you will ( as does Dark Shadows ). For some Dalek goodness download parts one and two from Big Finish Productions and you will see why the 8th Doctor is a delight. If he's not in the TV Anniversary show I'm going to be one unhappy camper.

[StarFuryG7]

Over at Blastr:

That Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special has found its companion
By Nathalie Caron
Wed, 02/06/2013 - 10:51am

Filming is now well underway for that Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special and we've just heard some exciting new casting news.

More: www.blastr.com/2013-2-6/doctor-who-50th-anniversary-special-has-found-its-companion

[CRAMBAM]

It would be if the special somehow figures out a way to reunite the Doctor and Susan.

[captainbasil]

I'm trying to figure out what the Hartnell special is supposed to be. Is it a Who story or a docu-drama about the making of the first season? Other actors have played Hartnell before in multi-doctor shows in the 80's. I'm intrigued and confused at the same time. ;D

[CRAMBAM]

I think it's a story of how everything got started. At least that's my impression.

I really would love to see the story of how McGann regenerated into Ecclesston.

[captainbasil]

I would too. I love both Eccleston and McGann. I really have to give McGann credit because he only made one video appearance, but he became the doctor on radio and CD for millions between the TV series. Listening to him you hear the delight and whimsy in his voice. He's just a fantastic Doctor. Eccleston just nailed it as a new brash Dr. Who. He was fresh and new but still the same character. From what I have read on some British boards, I guess there is a rift between what's called Classic Dr. Who and the series started in 2005. As an American who started with the 70's Jon Pertwee, I don't feel this way. Sure the newer version is updated as far as format , but it's still the same show. I appreciate all the doctors. I think if you ignore doctors from either version, you're missing out.

[StarFuryG7]

They're back to this AGAIN . . .

Over at Blastr:

Rumor of the Day: ALL former Doctors will be back for Who's 50th
By Nathalie Caron
Fri, 02/15/2013

Annnd the rumor mill is at it again. Apparently, the BBC bosses are hard at work to get ALL former Doctors for that Who 50th anniversary bash.

www.blastr.com/2013-2-15/rumor-day-all-former-doctors-will-be-back-whos-50th

[CRAMBAM]

I think that's what we want. But HOW? I still think to do this right you need a full season featuring all the doctors.

Most of the episodes would be buddy episodes, where Smith is paired with another doctor. Then the finale would somehow be an epic conclusion that has all of them.

[StarFuryG7]

They make it sound like news, and maybe it is to some, but to me it looks more like an excuse to post a story about Doctor Who.

Over at Blastr:

We just found out how long Who's latest companion will stick around
By Dan Roth
Fri, 02/22/2013

We might not know who exactly Clara Oswin Oswald is, but we've got an idea how long she'll be sticking around.

More: www.blastr.com/2013-2-22/we-just-found-out-how-long-whos-latest-companion-will-stick-around

[CRAMBAM]

This Sunday, they are going to re-air the special about the First Doctor, and follow it with a special on the Second Doctor.

[StarFuryG7]

Feb 22, 2013 18:20:10 GMT -5 CRAMBAM said:

This Sunday, they are going to re-air the special about the First Doctor, and follow it with a special on the Second Doctor.

Right, but you're not interested in watching those, just knowing what the story involved. : )

[StarFuryG7]

Jan 29, 2013 23:32:13 GMT -5 StarFuryG7 said:

Over at Digital Spy:

David Bradley for 'Doctor Who' 50th biopic



www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a454816/doctor-who-david-bradley-to-play-william-hartnell-in-50th-biopic.html

He played such a cranky, miserable old bastard in the episode he already appeared

[CRAMBAM]

Interestingly enough, I find myself drawn to the documentary over the episodes they aired.

[captainbasil]

Feb 22, 2013 18:20:10 GMT -5 CRAMBAM said:

This Sunday, they are going to re-air the special about the First Doctor, and follow it with a special on the Second Doctor.

Thanks for posting this. I forgot about it but, luckily for me, you and my DVR did not. ;D

[CRAMBAM]

That's what we're here for.

[StarFuryG7]

So, did anyone watch the Sunday night Special?

I thought this one was better than "The Aztecs", but I get annoyed not just with the primitiveness of these early productions, although this one was a step up from the last one from a production standpoint also, but the writing and the way things are acted out clearly lack both polish and sophistication. How long was Klieg allowed to get his hands on a weapon and stir up mischief even after he killed another member of the expedition? The only black guy who is a member of the team is referred to as being there only for the purpose of being a "servant" at the beginning, to provide brawn where necessary, and is then turned into a tool of the Cybermen to do their bidding. Gee, no racial overtones or insensitivity there whatsoever. The American Captain of the expedition, tall in stature and well-built,, is made out to be a coward.

I could go on, but let's hear some other thoughts on the episode, unless of course, I'm the only one here who watched it.

[captainbasil]

I recorded it but have not watched it yet. I'm psyched that it's about the Cybermen. I was not too thrilled with The Aztecs either. I think we will see a slow increase in sophistication as the years go by. By sheer coincidence, I rented the first Jon Pertwee episode: Spearhead From Space from Netflix over the weekend. Even though he was my first Doctor I never saw his debut story which was the first Doctor Who filmed in color. This was 1970 so, that tells you we have a way to go before we see the much higher tech product we have seen since 2005. ;D

[CRAMBAM]

I actually just watched the special. I may not be giving it a chance, but classic Doctor Who doesn't do it for me.

[StarFuryG7]

Feb 26, 2013 12:39:06 GMT -5 CRAMBAM said:

I actually just watched the special. I may not be giving it a chance, but classic Doctor Who doesn't do it for me.

It's quite primitive as I had said, which can be hard to take, but the core of "Doctor Who" --the essence of the character and the way the show functioned was evident in "The Tomb of the Cybermen" and remains today. You can still see it in the work produced by Russell T. Davies and Moffat.

I think "Doctor Who" may be winding down though. After all, the best they can boast is eight episodes for 2013. How many will there be through all of next year ...six?

[captainbasil]

While Tomb of the Cybermen still sits in my DVR I can understand older episodes getting a tepid reaction from newer fans. When I watch a newer story and than an old one, the difference in pacing is profound. Most older Dr Who stories were in 4 or 6 parts with cliffhanger endings between each chapter. It was a slow burn. A newer Tennant episode, for example, is comparatively frantic. Once I watch the Cybermen episode I plan to download the audio story Spare Parts featuring 5th Doctor Peter Davison, which reveals the origins of the Cybermen in , what I'm told, is a very creepy way. Creepy is good.

[CRAMBAM]

I think the ratings are still very high. They are just splitting their seasons, and preparing for the 50th.

[StarFuryG7]

Feb 27, 2013 9:59:34 GMT -5 CRAMBAM said:

I think the ratings are still very high. They are just splitting their seasons, and preparing for the 50th.

I didn't say it had anything to do with ratings. This is a problem with the BBC Production model, which begins defunding a show after it's been on the air for a certain number of years. This is how "MI-5" (titled "Spooks" in Britain) ended up getting cancelled despite consistently good ratings. It has nothing to do with the 50th Anniversary, which is probably considered separate as far as budgeting goes. Then again, maybe not, but I wouldn't be surprised if money was allocated specifically for that and that alone compared to the budgetary needs of the weekly series, but I'm just guessing on that point. "Doctor Who" is a little different in that it has such a long first-run history in series television, but it looks to me as though there's only a couple of years left at best for "Doctor Who" before they run out of money and BBC Productions decides to take another long break from the property as they have also done in the past with it at various times.

[CRAMBAM]

Hard to say. I would think that this is the show where they make the most money. It's very popular, and the quality is very high.

[gavin1701]

As far as I'm aware we will get more Who this year than usual
8 episodes in the spring
An anniversary special on the anniversary (November)
5 episodes of season 8
Christmas Special.

There aren't less episodes this year that they have said, that was last year because they decided to break the season up (I'm guessing this was so Matt Smith could do other things and Moffat could have more time to prepare for the 50th as they write these things nearly a year before we see them).

[StarFuryG7]

Feb 27, 2013 19:46:48 GMT -5 gavin1701 said:

As far as I'm aware we will get more Who this year than usual
8 episodes in the spring
An anniversary special on the anniversary (November)
5 episodes of season 8
Christmas Special.

Where exactly have you heard that? And have you not noticed BBCAmerica advertising the series as bringing just 8 new episodes to the screen for 2013? Their advertising doesn't indicate anything about new episodes in the fall, only that there will be eight new shows seemingly for the entire year.

Feb 27, 2013 19:46:48 GMT -5 gavin1701 said:

There aren't less episodes this year that they have said, that was last year because they decided to break the season up

No, they've been experiencing a budget problem that was evident almost two years ago. There have been news reports about it, I just got through reading over a few of them. And as I said, I saw this happen with "MI-5", a terrific show that I really enjoyed, some seasons more than others, but it was a great series that was cut down while still going strong after seeing its episode orders cut in its last several seasons. Its final season amounted to just six episodes in total, which was utterly pathetic. Part of this is directly related to the way the system operates over there, with the BBC's funding coming via direct taxing from its citizenry. I think they're struggling just to keep this show going right now, especially given that this is its 50th Anniversary year. But I haven't heard anything about new episodes coming in the fall this year, and for all we know there may only be a handful on tap for next year, only they're sitting on that news for the time being over there at the BBC so as to not depress fans of the show.

[gavin1701]

Budget problem? They filmed in New York and Spain in the first 5 episodes of the year. One episode had CGI dinosaurs in it. Budget problems are when they do bottle shows set entirely on existing sets. Doctor Who is not suffering from any sort of problems.

As for the episodes where have you read that they aren't airing the new season at the end of the year? Moffat said they were doing that starting with last year. They have not announced that changing. BBC America is not BBC Wales who make it. They are only advertising the episodes they have got in the can already. BBC Wales produce Doctor Who so unless you see an announcement this side of the pond, you can bet your arse there will be 5 episodes at the end of the year

[captainbasil]

What's the best Dalek story ever ? Probably this one. I had not seen it for years and I bought the DVD for my wife.

www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/drwhogenesisdaleks.php

This one has it all. Probably the best Doctor ever, Tom Baker, though I think he played the role a little too long. The original Dalek writer, Terry Nation, and top companions. If you loved Asylum of the Daleks (did anyone not like it ? ) you will love this one.

[StarFuryG7]

Feb 28, 2013 13:37:55 GMT -5 gavin1701 said:

Budget problem? They filmed in New York and Spain in the first 5 episodes of the year. One episode had CGI dinosaurs in it. Budget problems are when they do bottle shows set entirely on existing sets. Doctor Who is not suffering from any sort of problems.

Uh huh. I think you've decided to view the situation through a pair of rose-colored glasses.

Tough Economy Hits 'Doctor Who,' Splitting Season 7
airlockalpha.com/node/8548

This one is much more recent, but you'll have to look passed the grammatical errors . . .

2013: The Biggest Year Ever? Maybe Not
Published January 22, 2013.
doctorwhotv.co.uk/2013-the-biggest-year-ever-maybe-not-44711.htm

Another one going back more than a year and a half ago . . .

Doctor Who is in trouble
www.tgdaily.com/entertainment/56640-doctor-who-is-in-trouble

A little more recent than the last one . . .

On the seventh season of Doctor Who
www.tgdaily.com/entertainment/59885-on-the-seventh-season-of-doctor-who#eTkGymy6v6vSw6xJ.99

I'm not in the mood to quote from any of those, but clearly there have been money problems behind-the-scenes. The Airlock Alpha article at top also outlines some of those details pretty well.

Feb 28, 2013 13:37:55 GMT -5 gavin1701 said:

As for the episodes where have you read that they aren't airing the new season at the end of the year? Moffat said they were doing that starting with last year.

Where exactly? As I thought I made fairly clear in my last post, I'm also going by how BBCAmerica is advertising the show, as bringing fans 'eight new episodes for 2013', which would seem to indicate that there won't be anymore this year after those episodes finish airing. Perhaps it's just sloppy short-sighted advertising on their part, but given what else is evident, and has also been repored, it's not exactly so far of a reach to conclude that they haven't anything planned for the fall. Perhaps a Christmas special, but that may well be it for this year beyond these next eight shows.

Feb 28, 2013 13:37:55 GMT -5 gavin1701 said:

They have not announced that changing. BBC America is not BBC Wales who make it. They are only advertising the episodes they have got in the can already.

If that's the case, then they shouldn't be touting eight new episodes for 2013! Perhaps they should be saying "eight new episodes for spring 2013!" instead, but that's not how they've been marketing them.

Feb 28, 2013 13:37:55 GMT -5 gavin1701 said:

BBC Wales produce Doctor Who so unless you see an announcement this side of the pond, you can bet your arse there will be 5 episodes at the end of the year

We shall certainly see.

[CRAMBAM]

I know a lot of people loved Tom Baker. But I have had no experience with the guy as the Doctor. I seem to have some sort of allergy to the classic episodes. It's like I want to watch them, but I sit down to try, and within seconds, I'm bored, even though I'm sure they are fine.

But the newer Who is must see TV.