Thought it was very interesting with a "mysterious" woman giving the Doctor's number. I think it was River. Also, I would like slowly more things getting revealed about Clara besides the fact that she's similar to her last version. Love the social media comments, thought that was funny, even thought I really don't use any.
I'm somewhat interested and I've never seen any episodes. Where would you recommend I start?
I'm sure it's somewhere in the last 25 pages, but I don't want to read 25 pages, but I'm sure the hardcore fans are going to come to page 25 regardless.
michael, just start with the new series, but read up a bit on the 96 movie because Chris Eccelston's doctor was a little harsh but when you look at what had happened recently in the doctor's story it makes sense and he grows on you if you dont like him too much after a few episodes go to season 5 episode 2 "the beast below" its a pretty damn good one
im so glad I found this thread...i LOVE Dr Who to the point where i have a Dalek tattoo and I am planning on getting a whole half sleeve dedicated to the show because it's been a part of my life for so long
On March 31 2013 07:56 michaelthe wrote: I'm somewhat interested and I've never seen any episodes. Where would you recommend I start?
I'm sure it's somewhere in the last 25 pages, but I don't want to read 25 pages, but I'm sure the hardcore fans are going to come to page 25 regardless.
If you just want to see a random episode to check the series out, the one recommended most often is Blink, the tenth episode of the third series (2007). It's a stand-alone episode that has minimal parts for the recurring characters, making it easy to follow without knowing anything about the series. It's also considered one of the best episodes of all, and gives a good sense of what kind of show Doctor Who is at its best. The downside is that since it doesn't feature the recurring characters much, it might not give a clear view of how the show is in the more standard episodes. But it's still a good start point if you just want to dip your toe in the water.
If you just want to plunge into the deep and start watching episodes on mass, there are imo only two real starting points: Rose the first episode of the first series of the revival (2005); or The Eleventh Hour the first episode of the fifth series (2010) and the first episode since the current head writer (Stephen Moffat) and the current Doctor (Matt Smith) took over. Both Rose and The Eleventh Hour are written to allow new viewers to start watching and don't require any prior knowledge to follow. The advantage of Rose is that you start at the beginning, so you get to see everything. The advantage of The Eleventh Hour is that you get to see the revived show after it has had time to establish itself and it hits the deck running so to speak. If you start at Rose you run the risk of being turned off by bad(/lesser) episodes from when the writers and crew were still figuring things out.
On March 31 2013 08:16 ToT)OjKa( wrote: Start at the first Eccelston's one. At the very least, watch "Dalek".
I found Eccelston's bit the most difficult to watch of 9, 10, 11 but did not regret watching them. After a quick google, I am half surprised/half not that there isn't a recommended episode list for hit time as the doctor. I just imagined there would be a mythos run for Dr. Who like there is for other classic sci fi series like X Files.
On March 31 2013 07:56 michaelthe wrote: I'm somewhat interested and I've never seen any episodes. Where would you recommend I start?
I'm sure it's somewhere in the last 25 pages, but I don't want to read 25 pages, but I'm sure the hardcore fans are going to come to page 25 regardless.
I've just starting watching this on a recommendation from a work mate. For some reason or the other, despite the fact that I love sci-fi, I never really got into Dr. Who. I watched the occasional episode with Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker as the doctor, and that was it. I started watching the renewed series with Chris Eccleston and have enjoyed it immensely.
Sure, you get a few dud episodes, but you also get some real good ones too. I realised i liked it after watching the third episode of the first series, The Unquiet Dead. Other favourites so far are Dalek, Father's Day, The Parting of the Ways, The Christmas Invasion, The Girl in the Fireplace, The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit (these last two are part 1 and part 2 of an imaginative cool horror story in the best sci-fi tradition).
If you are really keen to watch, I recommend starting with series one of the new Dr. Who (i.e. with Eccleston).
I started last weekend, and am just about to wrap up season two over this Easter weekend. It's a real fun show.
I stopped watching it a couple years ago. I didn't really liked Gaiman's writing on the show, though I loved Sandman and absolutely hated that Moffat had become lead writer, even though I loved "Blink". I liked Russell Davies more. Maybe I could give it another try.
I wasnt really convinced of the last few episodes of dr. who because the main story did not progress at all in my opinion but the next one seems to do this. I am looking forward to next week.
On April 21 2013 12:59 Chexx wrote: I wasnt really convinced of the last few episodes of dr. who because the main story did not progress at all in my opinion but the next one seems to do this. I am looking forward to next week.
I think it's because Steven Moffat trying a Russel T. Davies-like approach (Bad Wolf, Vote Saxon, etc.) for the Clara arc in which the Doctor travels around space and time with his companion with only hints of the main story sprinkled throughout the series.
On March 31 2013 11:09 TiTanIum_ wrote: I stopped watching it a couple years ago. I didn't really liked Gaiman's writing on the show, though I loved Sandman and absolutely hated that Moffat had become lead writer, even though I loved "Blink". I liked Russell Davies more. Maybe I could give it another try.
Gah fie your tongue! Personally really enjoyed Gaiman's episode and looking forward to his treatment of my favourite baddies the Cybermen later this year. Frankly the Cybermen have been a bit crappy in the reboot.
As for a recommended starting point, can I suggest the two-parter The Empty Child and the Doctor Dances. To me, these episodes exemplify the best of Dr Who, with a creepy setting, cool characters and showing the character of the doctor in his interactions with his companions, those he is helping and those he is fighting. Have to say a lot of the early episodes were kinda awesome even though Ecclestone is my least favourite of the modern doctors.
I really didn't like the rings episode. More often then not i prefer the "future" episodes over the "past" ones, since they are usually more creative (and because i really like SciFi) and paint cool future worlds.
However this one was mostly a lot of mystic mumbojumbo, and the resolution through having the doctor explaining just how cool he is for ages ONCE AGAIN with epic music in the background to a sun that was apparently eating memories and could be satisfied through singing for no apparent reason was pretty annoying. The whole "eat infinite possibilities leaf" thing was even more annoying. Really, the doctor needs to do smart stuff rather than that. In retrospect, there was not really anything i liked in this episode besides the few short minutes they ran across the market on that planet.
On April 24 2013 14:19 Simberto wrote: I really didn't like the rings episode. More often then not i prefer the "future" episodes over the "past" ones, since they are usually more creative (and because i really like SciFi) and paint cool future worlds.
However this one was mostly a lot of mystic mumbojumbo, and the resolution through having the doctor explaining just how cool he is for ages ONCE AGAIN with epic music in the background to a sun that was apparently eating memories and could be satisfied through singing for no apparent reason was pretty annoying. The whole "eat infinite possibilities leaf" thing was even more annoying. Really, the doctor needs to do smart stuff rather than that. In retrospect, there was not really anything i liked in this episode besides the few short minutes they ran across the market on that planet.
The show very often has mystic mumbo jumbo and wibbly wobbly stuff!
Remeber the episode "blink" and how the angels eat your "time". That is no less mystic mumbo jumbo than eating memories. The show's biggest appeal was to the emotion. We have a little queen who has all of her people's knowledge - representing future and hope against a hate and bitterness that feeds off past memories (represented by the gigantic sun).
The scale is very interesting. How the more positive aspects are so tiny and precious (the young child-queen) while the hateful aspect is gigantic (the star). The Doctor is the "adult" who steps in to protect what is precious; while the others are succumbing and submitting their memories to that star - some due to blind belief (the worshipers), some due to fear (like the priests).
I could go on, but that's just off the top of ma head.
/edit
Oh right. This might get some flak but how can the show find good AND pretty actress but not something similar to play the Doctor? Seems just a bit unfair yeah? 10th was cute though
On March 31 2013 08:22 ahswtini wrote: The thread title makes me sad....
It's been bothering me for ages. It's not like 'who' is his name.
Didn't realize this was a problem with this thread =) Changed the title.
I've watched up through the first few Matt Smith episodes after starting with the Eccelston episodes. The show is okay. In my opinion there's not a clear narrative and the episodes are only very loosely tied together, if at all. I guess that's just how it goes when a show has been on for decades. Some of the episodes are really hit or miss and the quality varies wildly from writer to writer which can make it hard to follow, but I feel like I didn't really have this problem with shows like ST:TNG. Not sure if I'll come back to this show to be honest.
Ah, but there is a large difference between mumbojumbo and wibblywobbly. Wibblywobbly is basically science, just not explained. And that is a large part of the series. Stuff works in rational ways. It might LOOK like ghosts, or vampires, but then the doctor is smart and/or the companion says something smart, and stuff gets figured out, and a smart solution is found.
This is also why i don't have a problem with the angels. They are weird, but the way they work is very defined, especially in the first episodes where they appear, and it makes sense following that weird logic. There are a lot of weird creatures (most of whom are people) in the Doctor Who universe, and i like that.
However, none of what i described above happened in this episode. There was no smartness, no figuring things out, no doing interesting things. There is just "It's an evil god, and singing stopped working, so now the doctor tells that thing how cool he is with epic music. Problem solved forever". I find this disappointing for the same reasons i found the ending of the new BSG disappointing. The whole "emotional" aspect also feeled very forced.
This is all of course very subjective, i just don't really like that forced overepic aspect that appears more and more often in the later parts of the series. I like the "smaller" episodes a lot more.
On April 24 2013 14:07 GreenManalishi wrote: I'm looking to get into this show, should I start with the new series, or go back to the original?
Don't bother with the original. The original was terrible (IMO). I absolutely love the new series though. It is really witty and funny and the characters are really good. The effects might make you cringe at the incredibly low quality of them, but that is part of the show and can be a lot of fun to laugh at.
I found the original series to be incredibly slow and painful to watch. It kind of has the plot development equivalent to the "Brady Bunch" which is a hell I wish on no one. If you are curious about the original just see if you can find a brief summary of it and save yourself the torture.