Dr Who (blah spoilers)

[Trapper]

Anyone else irked by the appearance of Matt Smith at the end?

 

I can't figure out if it's Colin-Baker-ism or ageism.

 

Either the Beeb are scared of another Colin Baker backlash over a dark doctor, or are fearful that after four pretty boys (McGann, Ecclestone, Tennant and Smith) that the young 'uns will turn off from an "old man" playing the part.

 

It felt shoe horned in. No previous incarnation has warned his companion about the coming regeneration and plenty had time to do so. Surely Rose would have benefited more from this between 9 and 10 than Clara - the girl who's interacted with all of the Doctor's incarnations!

[sted]

i thought it was a poor episode felt like a 45 min episode stretched out without enough story to cover it.

[rich_tech]

I like Capaldi, he has gravitas and seems a lot more world-weary, the assistants though have been having way too much airtime since the revamp a few years back I feel, we just don't need to have them involved massively, in fact the whole "Rose/Amy/Rory" actually detracted from it for me majorly the last few series, I came away last night and did think after just watching it again on iPlayer, that it was a little weird that she was thrown by the differing appearances of the Doctor though considering her "backstory" and having been supposedly interacting with each one.

 

I don't expect much from the opening episodes of a series on a regeneration, as they always have to "bed in", that episode was not great, the dinosaur did nothing much and the "bad guy" had lots of gaping plot holes I felt, first half was taken up with a "mad" tail end of a regeneration.

 

I cannot see it happening without people changing at the top for this program, its struggled since Russell Davies left for me, but the writing has to improve, some of it over the years has been absolutely outstanding - The End of Time was probably the peak for me of the quality writing since the revamp, Tennant/Ecclestones writing was much much better than Smiths, Smith had a peak with Day of the Doctor though, so it is possible under Moffat to get decent writing done it seems.

[Vasriel]

I like Capaldi as the doctor, dark characters are more fun.

 

Hopefully episodes get better as that was rubbish. Dinosaur in ye olde London, ok lets see how this goes. Oh its dead after 15 mins

 

Not very sure of the new title sequence as well.

 

Matt Smith being in it was not needed. Clara doesn't like the new doctor? jump in Matt Smith to make it all better

[Roberto]

I like Capaldi as the doctor, dark characters are more fun.

 

Hopefully episodes get better as that was rubbish. Dinosaur in ye olde London, ok lets see how this goes. Oh its dead after 15 mins

 

Not very sure of the new title sequence as well.

 

Matt Smith being in it was not needed. Clara doesn't like the new doctor? jump in Matt Smith to make it all better

 

I like Capaldi too, think he'll do well. Thought Matt Smith wasn't needed but I wonder if his phonecall to clara was actually a letter from the director to all the fans who came on board for the "pretty boys".

 

In any case, I think regeneration episode plots are always a bust. There's just too much tidying up of the interaction between the doctor and his companions to build a decent plot into it too, especially within a 1-episode story arc.

[plexer]

And a lesbian kiss.

 

Ben

[Alkaline]

The whole style of how it is edited has been changed. When it restarted in 05 I liked the style, but now it has been made ever more show off style and I don't like it. I prefer this new doctor as I really did not like MS, too young and the stories were again show off style. Hopefully once his assistant is gone at xmas they will begin to work back to a more stable style.

 

Then again they have to please the young audience of today who cant keep interest in anything which is too slow.

[JJonas]

Not very sure of the new title sequence as well.

 

 

I like the title sequence. A bit more info This Fan-Made Doctor Who Opening Is So Awesome Stephen Moffat Stole It

[Fleetwood]

Not the strongest of openers, but it wasn't bad. The rest of the series sounds more promising however. The dinosaur felt completely irrelevant to the episode and they probably could've left it out, I liked the clockwork droids - especially how it was aware of its references from The Girl in the Fireplace (Madame De Pompadour)

 

Matt Smith's cameo.... ayeee..... first time I watched the episode it left me feeling A) P155'd off B) Sympathetic for Capaldi as it was like it undermined him and stole the limelight again. But then I watched it again and I could see why they did it, you can tell by his dialouge that it's really a message to the fans as well, MS telling them all that this is really happening and you need to give him a chance. Personally I grew up watching Classic Who on GOLD before 2005 when the show rebooted, so such a message for me and other proper Whovians isn't needed - but let's face it, over 50% of current Whovians are people who only joined the bandwagon because of the pretty boys - particularly when Tenant made the big time toward the end of Series 2. Now, if we reverse back to The Eleventh Hour - MS' first episode. If they had made a cameo appearance from Tenant, THAT would've been insulting and shoe-horning, particularly as smith was practically a newbie and had barely been heard of by most. But with Capaldi? I don't think it's any bother. He's well known, he's a huge character - and while he may be different, I think it's a good kick up the arse that the show needs. I've wanted to see a dark doctor for ages. Colin Baker had the right idea but was never given the opportunity, so fingers crossed Capaldi will ace it - and let's remember he's an actual lifetime fan, this isn't something his agent suggested him to attend rehearsals for. He's wanted this since he was a boy, I doubt he'll want to muck it up.

 

While Colin Baker's being spoken of too, let's not forget that it wasn't Baker that was bad - it was the scripts they gave him. AFAIR it was a certain high-up in the BBC around that time who hated Doctor Who and wanted to get rid of it. A boycott? Perhaps. If you look through some of his interviews, he wanted to wear black - but they insisted on the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat look. He was pretty much given no say in any decisions and was forced to go with all the things that were terrible with his era as we all remember.

 

tl;dr - First episode wasn't great but not due to Capaldi, Capaldi was brill and I look forward to the rest of the series - upcoming episodes sound very exciting. Matt Smith cameo was a bit lame but needed for the 'pretty boy' whovians to put them at ease and be more forgiving for Capaldi. Dark Doctors rule. The end.

 

EDIT: I loved the new theme graphics, but the soundtrack will take a few episodes to grow fond of... just sounded a bit too high-pitched, particularly as this is a darker doctor now. Oh well, I'll grow to love it!

Edited August 26, 2014 by Fleetwood

[Trapper]

I've been re-watching some classic and new Who whilst stuck in my chair (damn surgical recovery) and The Eleventh Hour was far better than Deep Breath. Moffat does seem to blow hot and cold.

 

Although it's all well and good I think they need to turn down the ManlyTears on the regenerations. In classic Who it was simply a need to change the actor, change of direction everyone's happy.

 

Now they turn them into hour long "make-the-kiddies-cry" which they really don't need to do.

 

Still you can't beat the fantastic acting and filming angles during the 5th to 6th change!