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[WyndhamPrice]

So I've spent the past few weeks powering through the revival (I started with Eccleston back in December but didn't really watch past that until June).

It's funny, because I was kind of anti-Who for a while. My mom really loves it. I never thought it would be something I could get into. I didn't like the idea of a protagonist that was regularly going to change, I didn't think I could invest. Plus the hilariously low budget nature of the 2005 season really put me off.

But I guess I caught the bug. I really love this show now, having made it through all of the Tennant seasons and just now starting season 5. I plan to be caught up by the time 7 starts.

It's campy, it's cheesy, and until the final Tennant specials it's still kind of low-rent in the effects department but damn if the writing isn't just pretty good-to-great all the time. It's really elevated by some of the performances, too. I loved Eccleston and wish he had one more season than he got, but Tennant was just a titan towards the end of his run. Maybe that's why I suddenly began to love the show; at this point in my life I can really relate to someone who feels kind of out of phase with those around him and goes through this cycle where nobody really sticks around but you need to soldier on.

As a result his last words as the Doctor were just gut-wrenching for me.

And now I'm adjusting to Smith, but it's been harder than going from Eccleston to Tennant. It just seems like there should be so much more baggage on the character after where he's left at the end of Tennant's run, but I guess that's the nature of the show. Also I'm only a couple episodes in so perhaps I just haven't gotten there yet (not to say he hasn't been great on his own merits as "The Doctor").

 

[infiniteloop]

Episode 2 is called

Spoiler

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

Episode 3 is called

Spoiler

A Town Called Mercy

 

[The Technomancer]

Is there a story reason why Jack can never come back or did they just drop him for Torchwood?

 

[JordanKZ]

Is there a story reason why Jack can never come back or did they just drop him for Torchwood?

Torchwood is in limbo, last I heard. I hope Starz never get their fucking hands on it ever again, because last season was completely terrible. At least when you stack it up to Children of Earth, which was superb and nothing else.

The BBC really need to get the UK writers back on Torchwood and get it back into main line Who... I just don't see that happening. Torchwood is still RTD's baby and quite frankly I don't think Moffat wants anything to do with it.

 

[The Real Abed]

I'd still like to see Jack again. He was one of my favorites from the older new era.

 

[CorrisD]

Is there a story reason why Jack can never come back or did they just drop him for Torchwood?

Not really, that is the magic of Time Travel I guess. If there is a problem it will be RTD and the mess they have made of Torchwood now.

 

[The Technomancer]

I'd still like to see Jack again. He was one of my favorites from the older new era.

Two of the three best companions from the revival have been guys, despite them usually getting second billing.

 

[Exterminieren]

I reckon we'll see Jack in the fiftieth anniversary stuff.

Episode 3 title is great.

 

[Dr Zhivago]

Crossover?

 

[Team Filler]

And now I'm adjusting to Smith, but it's been harder than going from Eccleston to Tennant. It just seems like there should be so much more baggage on the character after where he's left at the end of Tennant's run, but I guess that's the nature of the show. Also I'm only a couple episodes in so perhaps I just haven't gotten there yet (not to say he hasn't been great on his own merits as "The Doctor").

You will not be disappointed.

 

[brucewaynegretzky]

You will not be disappointed.

I wouldn't build his hopes up. There a number of plot devices from Tennant's run which are never returned to. Some yes. But it's more noticeable how many are just completely dropped. Jack being the most notable.

 

[CorrisD]

Crossover?

Maybe he can go back in time and tell Bioware that some of their ideas were terrible, lol.
Neat though, his face, lol.

 

[BatDan]

Torchwood is in limbo, last I heard. I hope Starz never get their fucking hands on it ever again, because last season was completely terrible. At least when you stack it up to Children of Earth, which was superb and nothing else.

The BBC really need to get the UK writers back on Torchwood and get it back into main line Who... I just don't see that happening. Torchwood is still RTD's baby and quite frankly I don't think Moffat wants anything to do with it.

I recall reading that Moffat forbade the Doctor from showing up on Torchwood, as Doctor Who is a family show and he doesn't want children watching the explicit scenes Torchwood has.
So it's likely he doesn't want to touch it with a pole the size of Barrowman's schlong.

On episode titles: Episode 2 sounds like a B-movie, I like it! Episode 3 sounds pretty awesome.

 

[Bluth54]

Is there a story reason why Jack can never come back or did they just drop him for Torchwood?

Steven Moffat was planning on bringing him back for a Good Man Goes to War but they was filming Miracle Day at the time so it didn't work out.

It's really too bad, I would of preferred to see Captain Jack in that episode instead of all of Miracle Day.

 

[Exterminieren]

Blow-by-blow description of the Comic-Con clips.

Spoiler

So the first clip we saw was just from the third episode, tentatively called "The Gunslinger," where the Doctor visits the Old West. (We already saw footage from that episode a while back.) The Doctor, Amy and Rory walk into a saloon in the Old West town of Mercy — and it looks like the usual bit where everybody stops playing cards and the piano stops playing, as everyone stares. The Doctor bellies up to the bar and asks for a tea — the strongest possible, with the teabag still in there. The undertaker comes and starts measuring him for a coffin — and then something truly surprising happens. Someone asks the Doctor if he's an alien.

The Doctor says that it's all a matter of perspective — from his standpoint, all of them are aliens. But yes, as far as they're concerned, he is an alien. And they all mob him.

But the second clip was a lot more exciting — because it was from an episode called "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship," the season's second episode, written by Chris Chibnall. It was one of those "the Doctor rounds up a bunch of allies" things the show has made its trademark lately. We start out with the Doctor in Ancient Egypt, where Nefertiti has fallen in love with him and doesn't want to let him leave. Then the Doctor gets a sudden alert (like a car horn honking) and so he takes Nefertiti with him — to the future, where a mysterious spaceship is going to crash into Earth.

The Earth defense leader tells the Doctor that if the ship comes within 10,000 kilometers of Earth, they're going to have to shoot it down — and that's six hours from now. So the Doctor decides to round up a gang to investigate it.

FIrst, he lands in 1901, where Riddell, a big game hunter on Safari has been waiting ten months for the Doctor to return with some sweets. The big game hunter (played by Rupert Graves from Sherlock) hears that the Doctor has a big adventure afoot, and at first pretends not to be interested in getting dragged in again — but then he quickly relents and goes with the Doctor.

Then we look in on the Ponds, where Rory's father Brian (played by Mark Williams, aka Arthur Weasley) is fixing a light socket. And then the TARDIS materializes at the worst possible moment — right around Amy, Rory and Brian. The Doctor doesn't even notice that he's taken Rory's dad along for the ride... until they've materialized on the mysterious spaceship, and then he yells at Rory for bringing his father without asking first. Because the TARDIS is not a taxi service, etc. etc. Until Rory finally explains that the Doctor materialized around his father, and the Doctor sort of apologizes. And then Rory's left to explain to his dad that he and Amy didn't go traveling in Thailand after all... it was a bit further than that.

And then we're investigating the spaceship, and there are spider webs everywhere — which, as the Doctor says, is unusual in space. Eventually, the Doctor and his "gang" (Riddell, Nefertiti, Rory, Amy and Brian) come to a huge ominous door... which slowly opens, revealing two huge, massive dinosaurs. They look huge and spiky, possibly like stegosauruses. The Doctor tells everybody to run — and they do. But he doesn't, because he's too busy staring excitedly at the dinosaurs on a spaceship.

I do love the episodes where the Doctor

Spoiler

rounds up a posse.

 

[The Giant]

When is the trailer coming out?

 

[Exterminieren]

When is the trailer coming out?

The official website's normally quite good with this sort of stuff; if it's coming, it'll be within a few days.

If not, then it won't be long anyway; the promotional hype train will be kicking in at the start of August.

 

[grimshawish]

I don't think there will be a trailer until during/after The Olympics.

 

[gabbo]

It's really too bad, I would of preferred to see Captain Jack in that episode instead of all of Miracle Day.

In retrospect, yes.

I don't think there will be a trailer until during/after The Olympics.

Perhaps during, in which he competes?

 

[Fuzzy]

They should have the Doctor light the Olympic torch with his sonic screwdriver.

 

[Exterminieren]

There are rumours that there'll be Doctor Who content of some kind in the opening ceremony; probably nothing more than a bit of the theme tune, though.

 

[Team Filler]

I wouldn't build his hopes up. There a number of plot devices from Tennant's run which are never returned to. Some yes. But it's more noticeable how many are just completely dropped. Jack being the most notable.

Ah, I was thinking he meant emotional baggage, which I thought Smith shows wonderfully throughout his run so far. Yeah, it would be neat to see some more threads from 10's run return during 11.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

I'm not watching any more New Who until I can get to the pre-revival material. But what I've seen is great stuff.

 

[twobear]

I'd still like to see Jack again. He was one of my favorites from the older new era.

Jack is a horrible character. I hope we never see him again tbh.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Episode 2 is called

Spoiler

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

Episode 3 is called

Spoiler

A Town Called Mercy

Episode 3 is obviously the

Spoiler

Western episode

shown in the series 7 trailer.

But episode 2? Great title, or greatest title?

 

[infiniteloop]

Episode 4 title has been confirmed as Cubed.

Moffat on Epsiode 2

Spoiler

Dinosaurs On A Spaceship

- what more do you need? The Doctor will come face to face with some of the most monstrous creatures evolution has ever produced, on some of the most monstrous sets we've ever built. We took one look at Chris Chibnall's brilliant script and said to ourselves: "We're going to need a bigger corridor".

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2012/07/dwn160712153217-more-series-7-episode.html

Both episodes written by Chris Chibnall (Torchwood, 42, The Hungry Earth, Cold Blood) so keep those expectations low.

 

[DrForester]

Jack is a horrible character. I hope we never see him again tbh.

I liked Jack well enoughin Doctor Who. He, and pretty much everyone, sucked in Torchwood.

 

[Exterminieren]

Both episodes written by Chris Chibnall (Torchwood, 42, The Hungry Earth, Cold Blood) so keep those expectations low.

I'm still hoping Chibnall's bought his Fragments and his Life on Mars game to his episodes this year.

 

[Acid08]

I'm still slowly working my way through the series, just finished Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead. That was probably my favorite two parter so far, pretty amazing.

 

[Pixel Pete]

So I've spent the past few weeks powering through the revival (I started with Eccleston back in December but didn't really watch past that until June).

It's funny, because I was kind of anti-Who for a while. My mom really loves it. I never thought it would be something I could get into. I didn't like the idea of a protagonist that was regularly going to change, I didn't think I could invest. Plus the hilariously low budget nature of the 2005 season really put me off.

But I guess I caught the bug. I really love this show now, having made it through all of the Tennant seasons and just now starting season 5. I plan to be caught up by the time 7 starts.

It's campy, it's cheesy, and until the final Tennant specials it's still kind of low-rent in the effects department but damn if the writing isn't just pretty good-to-great all the time. It's really elevated by some of the performances, too. I loved Eccleston and wish he had one more season than he got, but Tennant was just a titan towards the end of his run. Maybe that's why I suddenly began to love the show; at this point in my life I can really relate to someone who feels kind of out of phase with those around him and goes through this cycle where nobody really sticks around but you need to soldier on.

As a result his last words as the Doctor were just gut-wrenching for me.

And now I'm adjusting to Smith, but it's been harder than going from Eccleston to Tennant. It just seems like there should be so much more baggage on the character after where he's left at the end of Tennant's run, but I guess that's the nature of the show. Also I'm only a couple episodes in so perhaps I just haven't gotten there yet (not to say he hasn't been great on his own merits as "The Doctor").

It was easier to adjust to Tennant because Tennant is a pretty amazing actor. I was truly sad to see him leave as Doctor, even though it was inevitable. Matt Smith still plays an amazing doctor, more playful and endearingly odd.

 

[The Technomancer]

It was easier to adjust to Tennant because Tennant is a pretty amazing actor. I was truly sad to see him leave as Doctor, even though it was inevitable. Matt Smith still plays an amazing doctor, more playful and endearingly odd.

That's it! That's how to describe the aspects of 11 that I dislike! Or rather, that the character is so deliberately endearingly odd. Thanks!
The annoying part of that is that the writers almost certainly recognize it, as evidenced by some of The Dream Master's lines.

 

[Incendiary]

Both episodes written by Chris Chibnall (Torchwood, 42, The Hungry Earth, Cold Blood) so keep those expectations low.

I dunno, I liked 42. As long as it's more like 42 and less like Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, I'm good.

 

[Pixel Pete]

That's it! That's how to describe the aspects of 11 that I dislike! Or rather, that the character is so deliberately endearingly odd. Thanks!
The annoying part of that is that the writers almost certainly recognize it, as evidenced by some of The Dream Master's lines.

I can see how you would think it a bit heavy handed sometimes, but I've not personally caught myself rolling my eyes when it happens, just thinking "David Tennant would make the Doctor both odd and full of depth at the same time".

That said "Can you hold? I have to eat a biscuit." is amazing.

 

[maharg]

Pouty faces are not depth.

 

[Pixel Pete]

 

[StealthGoblin]

I think Smith is much better than Tennant.

Smith does the irritable Doctor better.
Smith does attachment/wonder better than Tennant in my opinion. He does it without it seeming forced.
Smith is flat out more nuts.
Smith also feels more alien. Tennant felt like a time travelling man. Smith feels like a wacky alien who looks like a man.

Eccleston over Smith though.

 

[Exterminieren]

I get the feeling that Tennant is a better actor than Smith.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, however, that Smith is a better Doctor than Tennant.

Funny how these things work out.

 

[brucewaynegretzky]

Smith over Tennant? Ew.

 

[Hot Coldman]

Smith is always at his best in like every episode.

Tennant often had shitty material to work with and suffered for it.

 

[CorrisD]

I prefer Smith over Tennant.

I found Tennants over acting to be annoying sometimes and for me makes it harder to watch older episodes when they come on, but then I think a lot of that has to do with him trying to compensate for some poor writing.

Some of the stories that Moffat comes up with are all over the place a lot of the time, but Smith I have found to be solid throughout his series so far, regardless of what he has had to do or say.

 

[Exterminieren]

Smith is always at his best in like every episode.

Tennant often had shitty material to work with and suffered for it.

Yeah. Smith has a habit of elevating the material that Tennant didn't really have, too. Observe The Curse of the Black Spot or The Doctor, The Witch and the Wardrobe, which Smith basically carried single-handedly, and then observe the supreme awkwardness that was most of Tennant's performance in Daleks in Manhatten, or The Idiot's Lantern.

 

[APZonerunner]

I recall reading that Moffat forbade the Doctor from showing up on Torchwood, as Doctor Who is a family show and he doesn't want children watching the explicit scenes Torchwood has.
So it's likely he doesn't want to touch it with a pole the size of Barrowman's schlong.

That rule was RTDs - it was in the original Torchwood series pitch. He said no Doctor, no Daleks (even though he has pointed out Torchwood would be a great setting for a one-Dalek claustrophobic episode ala Series 1 of Who) - because it'd make kids want to watch.

Moffat has said on the record that he'd love to bring Jack pack if & when the timing is right, though. He said around series 5 he wanted to clean break from the RTD era material more to ease Matt's arrival, but would love to do it later on. With the new companion coming in maybe there's a chance next series - as in Series 8.

 

[BatDan]

I do think Smith is a waaaay better Doctor than Tennant. While Tennant is a great actor, he was given a lot of bad material to work with.

I have some hope that one day the BBC will allow Big Finish to produce New Tenth Doctor Adventures and allow for better stories. Ones without all the awful romance, or the lame movie references, or Ten's constant crying, or RTD's "concept writing", or Rose.

That rule was RTDs - it was in the original Torchwood series pitch. He said no Doctor, no Daleks (even though he has pointed out Torchwood would be a great setting for a one-Dalek claustrophobic episode ala Series 1 of Who) - because it'd make kids want to watch.

Moffat has said on the record that he'd love to bring Jack pack if & when the timing is right, though. He said around series 1 he wanted to clean break from the RTD era material more to ease Matt's arrival, but would love to do it later on. With the new companion coming in maybe there's a chance next series.

Ah, I see. I do agree I would love to see Jack come back and have some interactions with Eleven. A shame he won't have any screen time with the Ponds, imagine the comedy gold from that.

On Chris Chibnall's two episodes: I liked 42, and I didn't hate the Silurian two-parter. I'll keep some hope.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Smith's Doctor is more fun to watch because of his zaniness and energy, but I would hate to hang out with him after a while.

Tennant's Doctor would be totally awesome to hang out with for a long period of time.

 

[The Technomancer]

I prefer Smith over Tennant.

I found Tennants over acting to be annoying sometimes and for me makes it harder to watch older episodes when they come on, but then I think a lot of that has to do with him trying to compensate for some poor writing.

Some of the stories that Moffat comes up with are all over the place a lot of the time, but Smith I have found to be solid throughout his series so far, regardless of what he has had to do or say.

Huh...I usually think that Smith is the one with the overacting problem. Everything is so incredibly melodramatic with him, even the smallest confrontations. He goes from manic hyper cheery to super serious "I am the Doctor, defender of X, fear my sudden change in tone" at the drop of a hat.

 

[GameplayWhore]

They both have some big positives and negatives. I got really tired of Ten going around being Supergod all the time. The Doctor is best when he's just this guy who happens to be smart, not this guy with random super powers who finds nonsensical solutions to problems using information never at hand to the viewer (there was a little of this in the old days, but not nearly as much). And he was too nicey-nice with Humans.

Eleven is at his best when he shows a bit of contempt for Humanity, just like One and Four and whatshisnumber-with-the-question-marks-all-over-the-place did here and there. And he sometimes really looks like he's a millennia-old guy in a young guy body, something that Ten never pulled off for me. I also agree with the earlier poster's suggestion that he actually seems like an alien. But his real problem for me is that he's literally all over the place in terms of characterization. Sometimes he's a Ten clone, sometimes he's like One, sometimes he's really happy, sometimes he's really sad, really (poorly acted) angry, really boastful, really mellow, etc, etc, but without any real stimulus of the sort that would cause such a dramatic shift in character.

I guess Twelve is pretty edgy in terms of where they took the character, but at times it seems the writers are almost too desperate to write the Doctor as "more different" than ever before. At least the new companion is really fun to watch.

 

[maharg]

Huh...I usually think that Smith is the one with the overacting problem. Everything is so incredibly melodramatic with him, even the smallest confrontations. He goes from manic hyper cheery to super serious "I am the Doctor, defender of X, fear my sudden change in tone" at the drop of a hat.

... Tennant basically invented that...

 

[EleventhDoctor]

Smith over Tennant, no question. Smith plays The Doctor like he IS 1,000 years old-not a 30 something year old man.

 

[The Technomancer]

Smith over Tennant, no question. Smith plays The Doctor like he IS 1,000 years old-not a 30 something year old man.

I don't necessarily disagree with this so much as I don't get it. I mean I genuinely don't understand where some people are getting that from.

... Tennant basically invented that...

Only in a few episodes that I remember and they were episodes that I disliked. Usually Tennent's transition to angry took more then a single line of dialogue. Believe me, there were plenty of episodes towards the end of Tennant's run that I disliked heavily, and I had hoped that Smith would reverse that trend. I definitely like most of the episodes of series 5 and series 6 but there are a fair number of them that I enjoy despite Smith, not because of him.

 

[Exterminieren]

I don't necessarily disagree with this so much as I don't get it. I mean I genuinely don't understand where some people are getting that from.

It's probably most noticeable when Smith's doing a monologue. Look at him talking to sleeping Amelia in The Big Bang, or to Craig's son in Closing Time, or most of the stuff surrounding his death. He manages to come off as a mix of weary and defiant, and it's a side of the Doctor that I love that Tennant never really came close to touching. The closest he came, off the top of my head, is bits of The End of Time, and they got swamped by the rest of those episodes.