Doctor Who

[Speederino]

You know, I think there's one other person who deserves to come back for the 50th anniversary. Focusing on bringing back as many Doctors as possible is ideal, but how about someone who was around at the very beginning? Obviously William Hartnell can't come back since, well, he died long before most of us here were even born.

 

But William Russell is alive and (surprisingly) well, AND willing to come back.

 

 

Though apparently there was some line in the Sarah Jane Adventures saying Ian and Barbara are now Cambridge Professors that haven't aged a day for some reason (seriously, what?) but I'd imagine that could be easily retconned or explained away. I just think it would be fitting to have one of the original companions come back, even if only for a moment.

 

I guess they could also bring back the actress that played Susan, but Susan was a terrible, terrible companion so I don't care (though to be fair I haven't heard any of the Big Finish stuff with her in it, she might be better in there). And since the Doctor is supposedly "the last Time Lord", that kind of implies she's dead. Oh darn.

Edited January 12, 2013 by Speederino

[Badnik Mechanic]

The following post contains huge spoilers for the next series.

 

At the London Toy Fair today, the 2013 Doctor Who toys are on display, including playsets, which include scenes I don't recognise from any series of doctor who

 

No really, these spoilers are huge! I think one scene is potentially the final episode.

 

 

And a few more...

 

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BBOG0l_CEAAZW_y.jpg:large

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BBOGplhCYAAh8qn.jpg:large

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BBOGplhCYAAh8qn.jpg:large

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BBN_uZFCQAIDiK6.jpg:large

[Debug Ring]

The following post contains huge spoilers for the next series.

 

At the London Toy Fair today, the 2013 Doctor Who toys are on display, including playsets, which include scenes I don't recognise from any series of doctor who

 

No really, these spoilers are huge! I think one scene is potentially the final episode.

 

 

And a few more...

 

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BBOG0l_CEAAZW_y.jpg:large

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BBOGplhCYAAh8qn.jpg:large

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BBOGplhCYAAh8qn.jpg:large

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BBN_uZFCQAIDiK6.jpg:large

So, I had a look, and the big Union Flag Dalek caught my eye. The packaging says it's for the 50th anniversary, though I'm guessing it's not got anything else to do with what the show is doing. It looks cool, but I hope they learn to spell 'Obey' as they've wrote ''Obay'' on the side.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Even more series 7 spoilers, thanks to toy fair =p

 

http://merchandise.thedoctorwhosite.co.uk/doctor-who-character-toys-2013/

 

I for one like the Daleks

[Salamander]

To be cautious, I'm pretty sure this wouldn't be the first time that the toy lines have had original content that's nothing to do with the actual TV series.

 

Although I suspect the Ice Warrior toys out of nowhere aren't a coincidence.

[Debug Ring]

If you follow Doctor Who in Twitter you'll probably know this, but for those who don't, today they confirmed the show returns on Saturday, 30 March. Easter Weekend. (I'd post a link but I'm on my phone and it's a bit tricky.)

Edited January 23, 2013 by Debug Ring

[Speederino]

After several months of watching, procrastinating and (in some cases) reading, I have finally, FINALLY gotten through the entirety of Hartnell's era. If you had told me even a year ago that I'd be working my way through the catalogue of a black and white television show...hah. So how was it? Overall, yeah, it was great. A bit slow to start, and it took a while for me to adjust to the different style of 60's television, but once I did it was all very enjoyable.

 

I just loved seeing how the show evolved. In the first few serials, it's pretty clear that the Doctor was not meant to be the main character. He's just a grumpy, selfish old man who is mostly there so Ian and Barbara can travel throughout space and time. But ever so slowly, he starts warming up to them and becoming more jolly. Companions start coming and going, continuity starts getting stronger, the writers start mixing the sci-fi and historical elements together, and by the end the Doctor is basically a more sophisticated version of how we know him today.

 

Just for fun, these were my five personal favorites that I would recommend to anyone wanting to look at this era of Doctor Who, in no particular order:

 

Planet of Giants- This one just barely makes the list on account of a rather unremarkable plot. The TARDIS materializes in plain ol' modern (1960's) Britain, but something has gone wrong. The Doctor and company are only a few inches tall, and after getting swept away from the TARDIS they get caught up trying to stop an evil executive from testing an unstable chemical or something. Like I said, the story itself is nothing special. The reason I include this is because of the marvelous sets. For anyone of my generation and younger, this is a great example of why this type of low-budget stage production can still be effective. The actors really DO look like they're in a world inhabited by giants, with everyday items like fruit and telephones being gigantic. It's a great episode to look at if you're not used to these sorts of effects.

 

The Time Meddler- The first serial to put sci-fi elements in a historical setting. Another Time Lord (though the species had yet to be named) has been using time-travel to try to speed up mankind's scientific evolution, so that by Shakespeare's time television will have been invented. Not to mention self-profit. I'm not going to spoil what his plan is, but let's just say it involves viking's in 11th century England.

 

The Dalek's Master Plan- The Dalek's have formed an alliance with several major species from across space to take over the universe. To do so, they have built a weapon called the 'Time Destructor' that greatly increases or reverses the flow of time around it. Aside from the Big Lipped Alligator Moment that is part 7 (A very out of place Christmas special), this serial would be right at home in the new series. Basically, this is where shit starts getting real. This was, by far, the darkest serial of its time with many plot twists and shocking moments. It was a clear sign that the series was growing up from being a simple kids show. Unfortunately, due to the BBC's carelessness, only three episodes of this 12-part serial remain intact. The rest only exists in audio format, so you'll either have to watch reconstructions or find some transcripts.

 

The Chase- I think I might be a minority on this one. This is another Dalek-centric story where they build their own time machine in the hopes of catching up with (and exterminating) the Doctor and his companions. I've heard some people trash this episode for the constant changes in tone (it goes from serious, to comedic, to scary, to silly, and back to serious) but I think you have to keep in mind that, at the time, you weren't expected to watch the entire thing in one or two sit-throughs. You got to see one episode a week and that was it, so it made sense that some episodes would have a different style to them. And I will admit that there are a couple of glaring plot-holes, such as the Doctor getting an omnipotent time-and-space television that he NEVER USES OR MENTIONS EVER AGAIN. So why am I including it on my list? Because it's damn fun, that's why. Watching the Daleks try to keep up with the Doctor and get put through various comedic situations made for a very enjoyable romp, and enjoyment is all I really ask for in my entertainment.

 

The War Machines- At the very tail-end of Hartnell's run is a story about a sentient computer that tries to take over the world using robot henchmen and what is essentially the 1966 version of the internet. It introduces you to Ben and Polly, who would go on to be the first of the second Doctor's companions. And it's also a very epic story with a very menacing threat that kept me glued to my seat. Well...'menacing' being a bit relative, since these evil super-computers and robots are exactly what you'd expect from the 1960's (Ticker-tape, anyone?). But the execution is what's important, and what you get is the Doctor going up against an ultra-powerful, brainwashing computer. My only major complaint with this one is that the Doctor's current companion, Dodo, gets an almost non-existent send off. She might not have been the most memorable companion, but she deserved to be more than an afterthought. On a more bizarre note, there are a few scenes where the Doctor is actually called "Doctor Who". I'm not sure why the heck they briefly decided to do this, but it stands out, and not in a good way.

 

I could really keep going with this, giving my thoughts on the various companions (*cough*Vickiwasthebest*cough*) and telling you to stay the fuck away from The Web Planet. But I'm not sure if anyone will really be reading this post anyways, so I'll just leave it there.

Edited January 25, 2013 by Speederino

[Patticus]

 

The BBC logo... this isn't a fan project, is it?

[Speederino]

 

The BBC logo... this isn't a fan project, is it?

 

Oh yeah, I had heard they were going to animate the missing parts of Reign of Terror. I'm glad to see it's looking better the last time they did this.

 

[Emperor Robrainiac]

 

I could really keep going with this, giving my thoughts on the various companions (*cough*Vickiwasthebest*cough*) and telling you to stay the fuck away from The Web Planet. But I'm not sure if anyone will really be reading this post anyways, so I'll just leave it there.

 

 

 

Awww, but that looks so hilarious! I love crappy low budget flicks. D:

 

But anyways, my middle sister and I have been interested in watching some episodes from the old series, and we'll definately check out the ones you listed. Thanks!

[Speederino]

Awww, but that looks so hilarious! I love crappy low budget flicks. D:

 

But anyways, my middle sister and I have been interested in watching some episodes from the old series, and we'll definately check out the ones you listed. Thanks!

 

 

It has an enjoyable cheese factor, I'll give it that much. Just prepare yourself for long sections of boredom and the most annoying sound in the world. And you're welcome!

[Spin Attaxx]

^What is that sound? Can't be any worse than Wily's UFO...

[Speederino]

^What is that sound? Can't be any worse than Wily's UFO...

 

 

 

You hear that sound the ant is making from 0:02-0:04? Well imagine that, only ten times louder and going almost nonstop for two and a half hours.

[Speederino]

It looks like the 50th anniversary website is up. It's nothing too special yet, and the thing seems to slow down my connection so be aware of that. One thing of note that I could see: they're releasing a re-mastered version of The Aztecs this March, apparently in color and with a butt-load of special features. What's really interesting about that is it also includes part 3 of Galaxy 4, which BBC has been keeping hidden ever since it was recovered a year ago. No word on a release for the found Underwater Menace episode, but since Troughton's portion of the site is locked off until February, I wouldn't be surprised if we hear something in the next few weeks. (I'm calling it now: it's going to be included with the animated version of Reign of Terror)

 

EDIT: Looking at the site more closely, there seems to be this fake social networking thing going on where you can 'friend' various Doctors and companions, but whenever I try to sign up I just get an error message. It might be best to just leave the site alone for a couple of weeks until they iron out the bugs.

Edited January 28, 2013 by Speederino

[Kevin]

Speaking of The Aztecs, BBC America aired that episode yesterday as part of a "Doctor Revisited" special where they're going to show one Doctor a month starting with the first one.

[Speederino]

This news is a few months old, but it's the first I've heard of it and it's...just...wha? For the 50th anniversary, they are doing a movie about the show's creation. No, not a documentary, a "based on a true story" TV movie titled An Adventure in Space and Time about the original production team making the first ever episode. I'm not really sure what to think of this one. The premise could work, I suppose. If people can make a critically acclaimed movie about the founding of Facebook, then they can make one about the beginning of Doctor Who. Incidentally, who did they get to play William Hartnell?

 

 

...I'm surprisingly okay with that. It will be nice to see him play something other then a villain/slimy prick, at least.

Edited February 2, 2013 by Speederino

[Debug Ring]

This news is a few months old, but it's the first I've heard of it and it's...just...wha? For the 50th anniversary, they are doing a movie about the show's creation. No, not a documentary, a "based on a true story" TV movie titled An Adventure in Space and Time about the original production team making the first ever episode. I'm not really sure what to think of this one. The premise could work, I suppose. If people can make a critically acclaimed movie about the founding of Facebook, then they can make one about the beginning of Doctor Who. Incidentally, who did they get to play William Hartnell?

 

 

...I'm surprisingly okay with that. It will be nice to see him play something other then a villain/slimy prick, at least.

I remember reading about it. Monty Python did a similar thing and it worked pretty damn well. So I'm looking forward to this.

[Salamander]

I actually don't think this kind of thing is that uncommon, really.

 

No, what's getting people riled up is that apparently this thing'll be longer than the projected length of the anniversary special.

[Speederino]

I don't know what I just watched, but it's surprisingly awesome.

 

[Patticus]

Benedict Cumberbatch. Assuming, that is, that he isn't first cast as the Master. I'd love to see him and Smith face off.

[Speederino]

How about we let the Doctor be a ginger already? He's only been going on about it for the last eight years.

[TrueBlue]

Idris Elba would be my personal choice.

[Speederino]

I've never played Minecraft. THIS might be the thing that gets me on board.

 

[Speederino]

Actually, that just got me thinking: why haven't there been any good Doctor Who games? It certainly doesn't lend itself well to a platformer or an FPS...so why they've done those is beyond me (though Destiny of the Doctors is really more of a puzzle game then a shooter. Still, it's first person). If they're going to make a Doctor Who game, make it an adventure game. All the Doctor ever does is use his mind and explore wherever the Tardis drops him off, it's just begging for a good adventure series.

 

 

I said a GOOD adventure series. Like with interesting plots that don't just feel like lesser, more boring adaptations of classic episodes. Give the license to Telltale or some ex-LucasArts employees and let them work their magic.

Edited February 14, 2013 by Speederino

[Pikachu in a Sombrero]

Actually, that just got me thinking: why haven't there been any good Doctor Who games? It certainly doesn't lend itself well to a platformer or an FPS...so why they've done those is beyond me (though Destiny of the Doctors is really more of a puzzle game then a shooter. Still, it's first person). If they're going to make a Doctor Who game, make it an adventure game. All the Doctor ever does is use his mind and explore wherever the Tardis drops him off, it's just begging for a good adventure series.

 

I said a GOOD adventure series. Like with interesting plots that don't just feel like lesser, more boring adaptations of classic episodes. Give the license to Telltale or some ex-LucasArts employees and let them work their magic.

 

The Eternity Clock is alright... well, the PC version, anyway.

 

It has its flaws and definitely isn't perfect, but I still had fun playing it. Of course, the story's pretty crap though. I can't try to defend THAT.

 

Telltale doing a Doctor Who game would be pretty cool.

Edited February 15, 2013 by Pikachu in a Sombrero