Where are my Whovian's at?

psychopiglet

Add me to your Whovian List! (You're writing this all down, right?)

I admit I didn't get into it until the Chris Eccleston ones started, but since then I've watched all the episodes I can find. It's awful how many episodes are still missing, I'd love to see them.

I'm also a big Torchwood fan. I do love the Whoniverse.

lyssamichelle

Lots of posts since my last log in

Pete1471

I'm a former Whovian. I watched it back in the original run way back when. The new stuff since it came back isn't the same show to me. Seeing how many of the posters in this thread are women and are fans of David and Matt shows how much the show has changed and isn't what it was. It's now on par with stuff like Buffy, Angel and the like as far as I can see.

Do I watch the show? Yes, Do I enjoy the show, not that much. I watch it more out of habit and as there is usually naff all worth watching on ITV. I used to schedule my TV watching ad going out around the show. Now I just Sky+ it and watch it sometime before the next episode airs.

My era has gone but I am lucky enough to had the opportunity to meet some of the actors from my time at conventions.

A shame but that's how it is. Times change.

chefkev

Been a fan since the Tom Baker days!

AtticusFinch

Pete:
I'm a former Whovian. I watched it back in the original run way back when.....

Each to his own Pete but you're correct, it isn't that same show - it's about 4 times better.

Pre-2005 was good, had some great dialogue occasionally and some good performances. But - it also had low production values, (not just the available cash), cheesy acting, and stories that were dragged out to 6 or sometimes more 25 min episodes when 4 or less would have sufficed.

Contrast that with intelligent, and oftern consistently good writers, good acting, convincing special effects and costumes, pace, and a soundtrack worthy of a feature film and I know which I prefer.

As much I appreciate the likes of 'Genesis', 'Robots of Death' and 'Kinda' - they're not a patch on 'Dalek', 'Family of Blood', :Girl in the Fireplace'.

Incidentally there's a company called Big Finish who do brand new audio stories featuring the older Doctors - mostly 5, 6, 7 and 8, but this year for the first time Tom Baker as Doctor No 4. Check them out




:drinker:

1a1a

The lack of CGI and cheesy acting was part of its brilliance (out of work Shakespearean actors anyone?) along with good story telling.

brittanyjeanxo

Also, David Tennant will forever by Barty Crouch Jr. in my mind. HP fan before I was a Doctor fan, sorry! lol

lyssamichelle

Also, David Tennant will forever by Barty Crouch Jr. in my mind. HP fan before I was a Doctor fan, sorry! lol

FUNNY STORY..
Our little Barty JR Died in the chapter The Parting of ways... ( I think )
& Mr Ten was showed up at the end of the episode the parting of ways.. ;D

Pete1471

Pete:
I'm a former Whovian. I watched it back in the original run way back when.....

Each to his own Pete but you're correct, it isn't that same show - it's about 4 times better.

Pre-2005 was good, had some great dialogue occasionally and some good performances. But - it also had low production values, (not just the available cash), cheesy acting, and stories that were dragged out to 6 or sometimes more 25 min episodes when 4 or less would have sufficed.

Contrast that with intelligent, and oftern consistently good writers, good acting, convincing special effects and costumes, pace, and a soundtrack worthy of a feature film and I know which I prefer.

As much I appreciate the likes of 'Genesis', 'Robots of Death' and 'Kinda' - they're not a patch on 'Dalek', 'Family of Blood', :Girl in the Fireplace'.

Incidentally there's a company called Big Finish who do brand new audio stories featuring the older Doctors - mostly 5, 6, 7 and 8, but this year for the first time Tom Baker as Doctor No 4. Check them out




:drinker:

Thanks for the reply

Let's start with the last bit first as it' easier. Thanks for the heads up to the Big Finish stuff. I have lots of them and they're really great. I'd recommend them to everyone.

I understand the points you are making about the old series, not that any of that stuff bothers me. I don't been flashy CGI (most of which looks like CGI) and orchesteral music to impress me. I do admit it does sound better than a lot of the stuff in the original series especially some of the stuff i the 80's.

What switched me off from the modern stuff is all the unrequeited love stuff, which is more teen soap and buffy than Doctor Who. The whole season long story arcs don't work for me as I find that by the time we get to the end of the season I don't really care anymore and just want to get it over with. Ok we get it, The Doctor is dead. There is no point telling us that every sodding episode. The Bad Wolf one done in season 1/27 (whichever you use) was done well as it wasn't shoved down your throats like the last two under the Moffattt seasons.

However the biggest problem for me is the 45 minute format. it didn't work in Colin Baker's season 22 and it doesn't work for me. What the 4-parter and 6-partter had as it's strength was time to build a story properly. Was there padding? Yes of course there was, especially the chase stories "Planet of the spiders" and "City of Death." Despite that the stories did have time to grow.

Another thing you don't get is decent characterization. I'm not saying the original series was creating characters on par with something from a ****en's novel, but it's difficult if not impossible to remember strong or memorable characters in the modern series. Where are the Davros, Sharez Jek, Sabalom Glitz, Lytton types of characters that are memorable because they had tine to build over a few episodes? Even the monsters, they're not as memorable although they were only in one story.. You have a few exceptions, but mostly they're forgettable. Interestingly enough I remember more of the monsters from the first two series of the remake than I do the last two series. Are the monsters in the remake less memorable or is the focus too much on the love stories?

It's questionable whether the intelligent writing benefits the show. Usually it shows up how weak the stories are as it leads to too many coincidences and that doesn't make sense moments.
Putting aside the lack of decent characterization, the soppy will they, won't they and unnecessary season long story arcs the biggest probelm of the show by a long way is the complete over use of the sonic screwdriver. It opens doors, it scans things, it does the washing up, it teaches you how to Zumba, it does absolutely everything. There was a time when The Doctor had to improvise, now he has the screwdriver. There was a time when he made a mistake (not knowing the human was really a Zygon) now he whips out the screwdriver and scans a person and says you're not real.
Marvel Comic's Stan Lee said in an interview he likes DC's Batman but not Superman. He said you can't kill him what's the point of him if you can't build jeopardy around him Shoot him, stab him, hit him with a train. Nothing can stop or even hurt him so what's the point? The Sonic Screwdriver has done a similar thing. It's

The Doctor is now too clever, he's all knowing, too powerful and it's now too easy for him. There isn't the tension of how will The Doctor get out of this one, will even he be able to save them/us?

If I were the next producer i would shake things up dramatically even if it killed the show in the long run. 14 episodes brokkn up into 4x3-parters and a two-parter. No season long story arc unless it was needed and the next Doctor would be much older. I want an good actor to play the role, not someone that may or may not be a good actor but seems to be cast also because he is hot or younger purely to attract younger viewers.

I'm glad that people enjoy the new show and kids today get their own Doctor to grow up with. It's just a shame that it's changed so much from what it was, it could be so much better than it is.

psychopiglet

Also, David Tennant will forever by Barty Crouch Jr. in my mind. HP fan before I was a Doctor fan, sorry! lol

FUNNY STORY..
Our little Barty JR Died in the chapter The Parting of ways... ( I think )
& Mr Ten was showed up at the end of the episode the parting of ways.. ;D

He also appeared in a similar way!

stiobhard

here here..... I just bought a "whovian" sweatshirt with a dalek on it...

I first heard about Doctor Who from the July 1979 issue of Famous Monsters magazine and searched high and low for the show till they started showing it on PBS in 1982.... I always liked Tom Baker and William Hartnell best though the funny thing is I was a fan of the Sinbad movies that had Tom Baker and Patrick Troughton in them before I discovered Doctor Who.

The new series has a different audience, its true... I really got a sense of that when they showed the anniversary episode in theatres here and could see who was in the audience... not sure why that is exactly....