[Eleventh Doctor] New new Doctor Who series

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:19 pm

I really liked it. A relatively low key intro story but they nicely brought Amy Pond and Doc 11 together. Doc 11 comes off nicely as charming and nuts Matt Smith got increasingly better as the program went on and he was very engaging. Hard to make comparisions with previous yet but Smith did a nice start and his dialogue is already less forced than previous.

What I also really really liked about what thye did is:

SPOILER! (select to read)
How the fact Doc 11 was Amy's imaginary friend. And how thisled into him arriving for the third time the night before her wedding and taing her away but not knowing that at all. That is a fresh take on the companion character's developement, she has a secret the Doctor doesn't know, and will potentially have an interesting pay-off

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:24 am

Has it started? I didn't even bother watching it, and doubt that'll change any time soon. Didn't bother watching Waters of Mars or that toss with Simm, and don't feel like I missed anything...

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 8:48 am

I thought this was certainly a big step up from the RTD wank/rank fest of 2009. The dialogue was certainly a billion times better and the line the Doctor produces when he finally sees himself is one of the more sublime post regeneration comments.

SPOILER! (select to read)
Basically the monster is a polymorph type and after several disguisses it turns into the Doctor and Doc 11 responds "That one's a bit crap, whose that meant to be?" before being told it's him

In fact the episode was littered with some great lines, average plot but Doctor 11/Amy Pond already look a really delightful partnership and already has something different to most companion reationships.

Summerhayes · Post by **Summerhayes** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 11:04 am

It was nicely not up itself. RTD's "The fire and the burning and the pain and the big monologue because I am such a good actor" stuff was starting to grate.

Matt Smith was excellent. He brought an element of being a creepy old bastard to the role, which was nice. I particularly liked it when he spat apple in a little girl's face and said "you're scottish, fry something."

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 12:20 pm

Summerhayes wrote: I particularly liked it when he spat apple in a little girl's face and said "you're scottish, fry something."

That did have me in stiches

I quite like this as well:

Amy Pond: I thought-well, I started to think you were just a madman with a box.

The Doctor: Amy Pond, there's something you better understand about me, because it's important and one day your life may depend on it. I am definitely a madman with a box.

electro girl · Post by **electro girl** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 12:29 pm

I do rather like this new Doctor and his new assistant. But the whole

SPOILER! (select to read)
night before my wedding

thing seems like it'll end up with another Rose/Mickey "my girlfriend was fine until she started time traveling" sort of thing but overall I think it looks promising.

New look tardis=

New look screwdriver=:down:

Heinrad · Post by **Heinrad** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:28 pm

I thought it was a lot of fun. Not entirely sold on the revamped theme, but it's a good start.

The Doctor and food was great. Especially his reaction to bread and butter.

It's also nice to see that Moffat's willing to send up his scary story reputation.

Summerhayes · Post by **Summerhayes** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 9:28 pm

Heinrad wrote: Not entirely sold on the revamped theme

I felt that there was too much "bada-da-dum" before the "woo-ee-oo" kicked off.

kupimus aka(clocker) · Mon Apr 05, 2010 12:30 pm

I liked it and a. pond is the first companion i really fancy. my wife hates the new doctor though because she loves david tennant

Terome · Post by **Terome** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:52 pm

This was an enjoyable episode of a television programme!

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:34 pm

That was good stuff, no huge departure from the old style but did it well and it was nice that for once a relaunch episode of the show used the time travel part of the format properly. Some bits did seem half inched from stuff in the original Sally Sparrow story that didn't make it into Blink but it wasn't to distracting.

Bad Stuff: They make such a fuss of the Doctor having to save the day without any of his gadgets but in the end he just uses other people's so it's not that impressive; the title sequence and theme tune are odd; they make a big thing of the village not being in Scotland but make 50% of the villagers we meet Scots; whilst them properly integrating her uniform into the plot so it didn't seem just titillation it's strange she can bluff her way into the hospital as a policewoman when the running gag has been everyone we've met up till that point knows her. The monster would probably have been better as a physical prop as well.

Great stuff: the first realistic use of computers ever in Who with the porn business; "Kissograms" I word I don't think anyone has used in decades and seems rather sweet and innocent and most likely a euphemism; Sir Patrick Moore saving the Universe (at last, a celebrity cameo from someone who won't be completely forgotten about the week after); the Spearhead From Space nods with the hospital and clothes stealing, and of course the ten Doctors and old monsters montage, which was just awesome (as long as you ignore the question of how the alien knew to put them in the right order. Or that most of the clips were from stories set outside the 12 year period they're supposed to have been watching the planet).

Smith was great, especially considering most of the lines could easily have been for Tennant, and most importantly had good chemistry with Amy. Lets hope they can keep this up and don't screw up the arc stuff.

EDIT: Though it's kind of sad that McGann has now appeared in the show more in flashback than in "proper" 8th Doctor adventures.

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:47 pm

For someone totally new coming to Doctor Who I think this is perhaps the best place to start, apart from the old films.

Really very enjoyable, and I'm not a Who fan. This and 'Last Stand of the Wreckers' represent some really wonderful rejuvenations. I thought this Matt Smith bloke was excellent.

Edit: And the teaser trailer of Spitfires fighting in space like it's Battlestar Galactica, these writers know how to have some proper fun eh?

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:29 pm

inflatable dalek wrote:
Smith was great, especially considering most of the lines could easily have been for Tennant, and most importantly had good chemistry with Amy. Lets hope they can keep this up and don't screw up the arc stuff.

I believe that the story was written before Tennant had confirmed his departure, so it was scripted neutrally and had the regeneration stuff added in.

I should say, watching him again, I alreay really like Smith's take on the Doctor, I expect it to move away from Tennant's styles as the series progresses but he was utterly confortable with the role and rather more natural than Doctor 10. That could have been partly due to the clearly superior and less forced dialogue than RTDs scripts helping things along as well as his natural Chemistry with Gillian.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:07 am

Thought the opening farce stuff with the food was rubbish and vaguely embarrassing (joke stretched out far too long).

Enjoyed the rest. Smith stepping through The Doctor montage was a bit self indulgent but fun in a cheeky way. Certainly no worse than Colin's "like it or not, I am The Doctor" line.

Very Moffatt, though. Catchphrasey dialogue, camoflaguey alien [Blink, Silence in the Library], eyes [Blink], small children [The Empty Child, Silence in the Library], things you can't quite see [Blink/Silence], time travel overshooting as he tries to get back to the girl [Girl in the Fireplace]. So much for a bold new dawn.

Karen Thingy's rather yum, though.

Thought "Why am I doing it on a phone? You'll see" was a deft little touch. I was expecting some crap Independence Day mimicry from the virus bit. Nice to be subverted.

"Who's that meant to be, then?"

Ackula · Post by **Ackula** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 2:38 pm

I liked it a lot, despite expecting it to suck majorly. I think Smith did an excellent job all things considered, because it felt like to me, many of the lines were probably intended for Tennant originally. It will be interesting to see if he develops the character more as his "own" rather than a new version of Tennant's Doctor though.

I'll agree with Halfshell that the opening bit about the food was a tad too long. It was funny at first, but started feeling just awkward by the time he finally got the fish and custard.

Also agree that is was very much a typical sort of Moffatt script, lots of similarities to past stories that he has done. I don't particularly find that a negative thing however, but it could become one over the course of a whole season.

I absolutely loved the ending bit with Smith's line of "I'm the Doctor, basically, run.", even if it was a bit like something Tennant said at the end of the Library episode. Seems like he is going to keep with the cocky attitude that Tennant was doing a good job at near the end of the last season.

Anyways, can't wait to see the rest of the season, some of the bits in the "coming soon" trailer at the end looked really awesome, especially the vampire girls.

Post by **Denyer** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 4:42 pm

Sounded (voice) a lot like Tennant for most of it, but stronger script/filming and I prefer this Doctor and companion combo to most other 'new' Who so far on the strength of this ep. It was generally less cartoon-y. Continuing a trend of stronger "companion family" actors, too.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:04 am

Jetfire wrote:I believe that the story was written before Tennant had confirmed his departure, so it was scripted neutrally and had the regeneration stuff added in.

Seemingly not, IIRC when they were filming the first River Song story Tennant was still humming and arrrghing so Moffett told him he had to decide now as he was going to start writing the thing the next day. Also remember they filmed this something like fourth so they had plenty of time to tweak it for his style. I'm bet Moff is a bit of a Terrance Dicks in that he just approaches writing for the character as the same regardless of the actor.

Halfshell wrote:Thought the opening farce stuff with the food was rubbish and vaguely embarrassing (joke stretched out far too long).

I just assumed he was playing up to the kid in order to get her more at ease/draw the story out, it worked for me on that level.

Karen Thingy's rather yum, though.

Staggeringly one of the cheapo TV mags managed to find a picture for the cover that made her nose look like Mount Rushmore.

"Who's that meant to be, then?"

That was brilliant, nice new way of doing the mirror shot.

I wonder what made the people doing the title sequence think a blue background to go with the blue police box and blue logo was a good idea?

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:21 am

inflatable dalek wrote:Staggeringly one of the cheapo TV mags managed to find a picture for the cover that made her nose look like Mount Rushmore.

It's not her nose I'm interested in.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:28 am

Halfshell wrote:It's not her nose I'm interested in.

You're very shallow. I did love the Mail's "DOCTOR WHO'S ASSISTANT IS TOO SEXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!" outrage being basically an excuse not just to print a photo but one of Lela as well even if the later kind of disproves the main point of the feature that standards have fallen.

In other news, I think my DVD of Underworld may have been blank. I sat through the whole show and can't remember a single thing happening.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:30 am

I managed to watch The Face of Evil on Saturday afternoon, due to the Sci-Fi Channel's big Who Weekend.

Well, I say "managed to watch". I spent most of the time staring at Louise Jameson's legs. I'm not entirely sure what the plot was.