Convince me that Dr. Who isn't the worst shit ever - Page 4

There's two ways to look at Dr. Who, the 60s-80s version that spanned 7 different men in the lead role and saw shit special effects and awesome Star Trek level campiness and a robot dog or the current version that began in 2005 and is written by the creators of Coupling, Queer as Folk and Jekyll, and features the best and worst in British actors working today (Jessica Stevenson as a 1910 school nurse who wants to bone a sexist prick of a Doctor is the shit).

I adore old school Doctor Who because I put on my nostalgia shades and suddenly I'm staying up late eating popcorn and watching it and Red Dwarf on PBS. However it is very much like original Star Trek and definitely not for everyone and difficult to watch if you aren't already familiar with it.

The new Doctor Who is MUCH more palatable for modern audiences, but like some of the best syndicated television (Star Trek: TNG and Xena) it is meant for a broad audience. It is not quite as sophisticated as Battlestar Galactica and you see that in the almost criminal reliance on a screwdriver as a deus ex machina. YET some of the best TV and film is not meant for Adults only and Doctor Who excels at entertaining adults and keeping kids motivated to watch (and I assume scared).

Doctor Who is ultimately pure escapism, both for the audience (dur) and the "companions" the Doctor takes on his journeys.

So if you're looking for the Brits answer to BSG or Lost look elsewhere. Doctor Who is an apple to those oranges. If you're looking for an absolute romp that runs the gamut of entertainment and emotions then slap it on your Netflix.

Now. Who wants to talk about how stupid it is that the new Cybermen and Daleks are basically less scary versions of the Borg? Fucking dumb.

I would have fucked Tennet but not this new guy. If this new guy is my only option I guess I'll stick to pussy.

He's good looking? I guess I can rest easy in my straightness then, because I don't see it.

Eh. He isn't my type but he does seem to have that foppish brit post-jarvis cocker thing going on that people get the horn for. I'd have done Tennant over this guy as well.

He kind of looks like he stepped out of a scene from Quadrophenia.

I'm divided on the new series, liking about half of it.

Dr Who works best as an oppurtunity for different writers to make sci-fi short stories for the small screen.

Many of the best episodes are a great sci-fi concept, with the Doctor thrown in as a secondary element. That's why I love things such as Midnight, Blink and even the one with the Devil.

The continuity about the Doctor and his plot is some of the worst elements. The 'Dilithium Bullshit' factor is high, and by the end of the fourth season, I felt they were self-conciously throwing in more 'Dilithium' just to be silly.

You'd be right about that.

Yeah, I didn't like that. I don't mind that it's not hard sci-fi. But aspects like that come across as actual dislike for sci-fi. It probably works to broaden the appeal of the show.

I honestly don't think RTD gives a shit about science fiction, he's just trying to be entertaining.

The lack of science undermines any drama the series is going for. It doesn't matter what situation the Doctor gets into, the TARDIS always has some magic feature to reverse it. There are no rules about what is possible or not is decided by the whim of the plot.

The end of the fourth season was particular bad at this. When the TARDIS 'towed' the earth across the universe (complete with papers blowing around on the surface, to show it was moving), my jaw dropped at the stupidity. I felt the series was now closer to Charmed than the old Dr Who.

So I'd agree that he's going for entertainment over sci-fi, but I don't think that's entirely consistant with the other writers. When an episode starts, if the writer is someone other than Davies, there's a good chance I'll enjoy it.

That was part of the charm of the early shows, the lack of a budget. They had too keep the audience engaged via other means.

I feel that's mostly lost of the new series considering how much time is given to computer graphics to fill time, plot, and to cover up very thin stories. That's not always the case with the new shows, but it certainly feels more and more like that.

But I reckon the target audience probably appreciates the spectacle RTD brings over the more 'intellectual' episodes. My problem with Moffat is that his episodes seem to be slanted older than the show should be, his only real connection to kids entertainment is his ability to scare the shit out of them.

They rarely use the TARDIS in the manner you have complained about though; it's usually sidelined for the entire episode and hardly ever is utilized as the actual solution to the problem. They have done it a few times but I don't think with enough frequency to be a flaw. I can only think of two occasions it was really used as anything other than a vehicle.
The sequence you mentioned was pretty crap but, technically, the device can only off something of that magnitude when it has a full cadre of people operating it; there were two Time Lords running that thing at that time and a bunch of TARDIS familiar people. With just the Doctor running it, its usually fucked.

I still kinda argue against the "It's Just For Kids" thing though; for me it's not a childrens show so much as a "Family Show" that all ages can access. K9 and fucking company is for kids; fuck that...but Doctor Who really does try and give something or adults to latch onto as well.

I feel the series is basically inconsistant, but it does work to get a broad audience. I'll tune in for the interesting sci-fi or horror episodes. My wife doesn't like 'old Who', but watches the new one for the romance and some of the sillier plots. My mother-in-law also loves it, and I think she likes the campy silly aspects.

It just frustrates me that one episode has a great concept such as medical nano-machines incorrectly 'fixing' humans, then following that there are farting aliens.

I don't know if it is intentional to have that variety, but that's how it is has turned out.

It's totally intentional. Davies openly admits it.

The variety is actually among the things I enjoy most about the program.

I found this thread highly amusing. I have been watching Dr. Who on and off since 1978 and like most of the actors who played the Doctor. And i was a fully grown adult when I started watching.I remember walking home from work every afternoon just in time to turn on the Tom Baker episodes. I have met every Doctor in person except William Hartnell (#1), Christipher Ecclelston(#9) and David Tennant--the present one. All were gracious, charming and fun to listen too. The show is all about the fun. i turn off my brain and sit back and enjoy.

Oh god, not the "turn your brain off" defense again.

Seriously, I wish that everybody who says that would literally do it.

Can't really turn off my brain without killing myself tho. I just mean that I don't care if people think Dr. Who is a kids show or not.

Hi Chiana. I think what Greg David was trying to say there is that he, in fact, would like for you to kill yourself. Just a little internet heads up.

Can't do that Tom. Then I would miss all the sparkling wit that is glorious CHUD. It's why I can't stop hanging out here. Altho I take my life in my hands everytime I post. Should i really put my foot in my mouth and admit I watched The Sarah Jane Adventures?

I actually TiVo'd a couple episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures. Then I came to my senses and realized that I had shit to do. And since nobody's informed me that it's any better than Torchwood, I'll rest easy in that decision.

There's only one reason I would watch Torchwood. That's for the cuteness that is "Captain Jack".

Unfortunately, they took everything that was fun about that character and ran it through a composter for Torchwood. He really became incredibly boring.

Noooo!!!!

Torchwood Season 1 is utterly dire, but Season 2 is kind of re-energised. It's almost like a different show, they strip back a lot of the adolescent excess and instead focusing on plots that are a bit more complex and 'adult' than Doctor Who. There are some nice sci-fi concepts at work. There still are a few dire episodes, but it's surprisingly strong.

Well I might get my friends to download some episodes for me. Tell me does John ever sing in Torchwood. I know he has a nice voice and has released several albums.

I don't think he's ever sung.