Jason Frost
Member
Damn, I was trying earlier to understand what YA meant.
I thought it was the name of the production company, lol.
I thought it was the name of the production company, lol.
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Doctor Who Series 9 |OT| Let Zygons Be Zygons
- Thread starter Quick
- Start date
It's a BBC3 show, so the target audience is likely to be 14-29. That's essentially what BBC calls young adult anyway.
Had a friend worried it'd be dumbed down like The Sarah Jane Adventures (although she never gave that much of a shot, that had some surprisingly good content in it, excluding Raxacoricofallapatorians). However, that was a CBBC show and clearly aimed at kids.
Seems people see the word "school" and assume it means it is for kids.
Personally, I'm sceptical, but will give it a shot.
Had a friend worried it'd be dumbed down like The Sarah Jane Adventures (although she never gave that much of a shot, that had some surprisingly good content in it, excluding Raxacoricofallapatorians). However, that was a CBBC show and clearly aimed at kids.
Seems people see the word "school" and assume it means it is for kids.
Personally, I'm sceptical, but will give it a shot.
Gotham Academy is pretty decent. It's a similar idea. A school in Gotham with pupils as the main characters, how they discover mysteries in their school and how they perceive the known events and characters in Batman.
Future Foundation
Member
So, quick heads up for anyone with IFC - they're going to show a combined version of the S9 two-parter tonight at 10:30.
Patrick Ness has been tweeting about the new spinoff. Some interesting things:
- Clara isn't in it
- Airs on BBC3 (online) first, then BBC 1, and as it airs on BBC1 the next episode is put online. So online will be one week ahead, it seems. Will air on BBC America as well.
- It will apparently be darker than people are expecting, and he's saying people shouldn't get too obsessive over the YA-label. He says he's got some 'evil, evil' stories planned.
- Clara isn't in it
- Airs on BBC3 (online) first, then BBC 1, and as it airs on BBC1 the next episode is put online. So online will be one week ahead, it seems. Will air on BBC America as well.
- It will apparently be darker than people are expecting, and he's saying people shouldn't get too obsessive over the YA-label. He says he's got some 'evil, evil' stories planned.
This intrigues me
Accidently passed by the Tardis last week. Didn't meet the Doctor and also had no keys to open the Tardis.
Didn't know they had a blue police box in London
We actually have one in my town, but they painted it black so people wouldn't actually constantly be taking photos with it. Fully used as a police public call box
Though, one time I had completely forgotten about it existing and went past it on a bus, was staring out the window and saw it and had to do a double take. Took me a few seconds to remember that they did it.
So considering he's promised "all-new" villains, what exactly is going to link this spin-off to Who? Unless we come across the heroes later in series 9, I suppose.
Torchwood had all-new villains, too. As did The Sarah Jane Adventures. Mostly new characters as well.
This is set in Coal Hill School, a place that has been in Doctor Who since An Unearthly Child as well as being where Clara currently works. Wouldn't be surprised if there's a cameo by William Russell in the pilot
I'm guessing the same as the previous spin offs: a main show monster showing up for two or three episodes (think Zygons, not Daleks), cameos from side characters once in a while (Unit, Ian, etc.), the Doctor turning up for one episode (returning as the school caretaker probably), and, as you said, I wouldn't be surprised to see some castmembers this season whenever we'll visit the school again. I don't think you should read all-new villains as 'no old villains', just some newly created bad guys/aliens along some of the classics.
Doctor Who is aimed at a wide (family) demographic, Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood and Class are all aimed at subsets that existing demographic.
paradox121
Member
I wonder if they'll bring Courtney back considering she'd probably be around the right age. As much as she was a divisive character it'd be neat to have someone who has travelled with the Doctor and maybe been negatively affected by it / no one believes her.
And I'm sure Sarah Jane style they'll bring out at least one classic baddie. I'd kinda love to see something like the Ood or the Silence in an urban setting.
CrimsonFist
Member
Cyberteenager!
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
I didn't watch Torchwood, what classic enemy did they muck with?
I've been looking around a bit, and I see a lot of people comparing the head writer's work more to something like Buffy rather than something you'd see on Sarah Jane (or Torchwood for that matter). Even people who don't like the announcement seem to be pretty impressed with him as a writer.
I've never read anything he's written and I've never watched Buffy, but I guess that should give some people here some indication of what to expect. I'm not completely against this - we don't know anything yet after all. I don't get the criticism that the BBC was building hype for nothing, because all they did was put out a bunch of tweets a couple of hours before the press embargo broke. All the hyping was done by fan communities really. They're allowed to promote something like this, and a new spin-off show is pretty big news, even if most people here might not be in the target audience.
I'm keeping an open mind. Big Finish has shown that spin-offs in the world of Doctor Who can be super interesting, even if they're stories without any of the big players. The only real thing I'm worried about is that the setting would mean that they'd have to cast kids, and that doesn't work out well for the show very often. Thinking back, the only child actors on Who I liked were young Amy, and possibly the kids from Sarah Jane's show, but that was going for a very specific, very CBBC vibe. Kids are generally fine when they don't have to do a lot (see: young Davros), but when they have bigger roles it often pulls me out of the show, like, recently, Courtney.
Does anyone know how old the kids in the show are supposed to be? That kid who played Rigsy(?) was pretty good.
Don't say that, before we know it we'll have an episode with a goth teen claiming he doesn't feel emotions so he wants to become a cyberman.
I've never read anything he's written and I've never watched Buffy, but I guess that should give some people here some indication of what to expect. I'm not completely against this - we don't know anything yet after all. I don't get the criticism that the BBC was building hype for nothing, because all they did was put out a bunch of tweets a couple of hours before the press embargo broke. All the hyping was done by fan communities really. They're allowed to promote something like this, and a new spin-off show is pretty big news, even if most people here might not be in the target audience.
I'm keeping an open mind. Big Finish has shown that spin-offs in the world of Doctor Who can be super interesting, even if they're stories without any of the big players. The only real thing I'm worried about is that the setting would mean that they'd have to cast kids, and that doesn't work out well for the show very often. Thinking back, the only child actors on Who I liked were young Amy, and possibly the kids from Sarah Jane's show, but that was going for a very specific, very CBBC vibe. Kids are generally fine when they don't have to do a lot (see: young Davros), but when they have bigger roles it often pulls me out of the show, like, recently, Courtney.
Does anyone know how old the kids in the show are supposed to be? That kid who played Rigsy(?) was pretty good.
Don't say that, before we know it we'll have an episode with a goth teen claiming he doesn't feel emotions so he wants to become a cyberman.
infiniteloop
Member
It'll most likely have one or two DW villains. If I'm betting based on nothing, I'd say we'd get a Weeping Angels episode. They'd probably link whatever happens to Clara to it, too.
Also, 12th Doctor cameo.
Yikes.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
Wut.
It was an amazingly bad show at times.
It didn't take long at all: the second episode had a sex cloud from Mars that took over people's bodies so it could fuck people because it lived of the energy released from orgasms (and the other person would disintegrate at the point of orgasm). I did not make any of this up.
I mean, people often say that Sarah Jane was the kids show and Torchwood was the adult show, but it was only adult in the sense that they talked about sex and death all the time. It was incredibly juvinile, moreso than Sarah Jane I think. If that's what people think an adult version of Doctor Who should be, I'm very happy the new series is getting a YA-label.
(of course there are good parts too - Children of Earth was a very nice surprise at the time).
Triggerhappytel
Member
I believe it's supposed to be part of some Paramount theme park/leisure complex they were planning to open in Dartford in Kent. Not sure if it's still happening though. The reason why I know this is because I live near there so my wife and I took an interest.
Yeah, Children of Earth was good, but it was kind of a "Death of Torchwood" story. The only other story I 100% loved was "A Day in the Death" That was a great episode from beginning to end. I mean, it helped that it was focused on my favorite character on that show, but it was also just a great character piece showing a very human reaction to incredibly inhuman circumstances.
Plus, I just really like the idea of a coroner who is also kind of undead.
The rest of it ranged from, "Yeah, that was kinda alright." to "Absolute Garbage".
Torchwood was always a better idea than it was an actual show.
CrimsonFist
Member
I wouldn't mind if they carried over the Trickster from Sarah Jane as an antagonist.
CrimsonFist
Member
Torchwood really didn't do itself any favours by immediately jumping into the sex alien plot on day 1. Series 1 still had a few good episodes though, and series 2 was stronger on average, then of course Children of Earth was on par with the best of Doctor Who.
Shame that it wasn't better overall really, I liked how it kind of tried to differentiate itself by almost going for a more occult tone at times, on top of being able to get away with more due to the target audience, but it just fell into the trap of trying to be too grim dark. Still, at least it will live on through Big Finish. I wasn't blown away by Conspiracy, but there's still a lot of potential left with the concept, so hopefully we get some more good stories from it.
Shame that it wasn't better overall really, I liked how it kind of tried to differentiate itself by almost going for a more occult tone at times, on top of being able to get away with more due to the target audience, but it just fell into the trap of trying to be too grim dark. Still, at least it will live on through Big Finish. I wasn't blown away by Conspiracy, but there's still a lot of potential left with the concept, so hopefully we get some more good stories from it.
paradox121
Member
What are you doing man? Like, from your posts in the thread I'm pretty sure your tastes corroborate a lot with my own and so I can pretty much guarantee you'd love Buffy. I think Whedon and Moffat share very similar senses of humour (or at least undercutting moments of tension with jokes) and a talent for writing really troubled characters. It's what...nearly 20 years old at this point and gets campy as anything at times but seriously, do yourself a favour and just plow through it. Particularly if Class does turn out to be Buffy-esque. It's kind of the pinnacle of sci-fi/fantasy drama aimed at a young audience before YA was particularly a thing.
They briefly mentioned A-levels which would place them from 16 up to 18 which is typical YA character ages. If I had to guess I'd say they'll go for fairly young actors in their 20s who can pass for late teens because that at least guarantees some degree of acting credibility. Which I imagine is where all the trepidation about the announcement came from. One mention of being set in a school and everyone thinks it'll be 8 year olds running around. Think of something like Misfits or Skins. If nothing else having older teens means you can have romance storylines without it feeling icky.
Angelus Errare
Banned
I'm on season 4.
I want to like Donna I really do...
I want to like Donna I really do...
It's alright. I never really warmed to her either. Hopefully you like her more by the end.
I know, I know, it's one of those things that slipped between the cracks for me. When Buffy was airing I was deep into stuff like Spaced, and other smart/nerdy comedy stuff like that. Didn't really watch any genre shows/movies at all. A lot of scifi/fantasy-books, but that was all still stuff like Pratchett and Adams - I didn't get into the more 'straight' genre stuff at all (which I know now Buffy wasn't really, but still). Also, my sister was a big fan of Buffy so that automatically meant it wasn't for me at the time.
It's on my list though, but it's a very long list that just keeps getting longer. If it's on Netflix I'll give it a go one of these days.
And yeah, that age group is good to hear. That's just a little bit younger than your average companion. I saw other people reference Misfits or Skins as well, and a lot of people who keep saying that Patrick Ness is actually a pretty smart writer who doesn't just go for the easy teenage romance melodrama with a scifi-flavour. It's way too early to tell, but I think this show might take some people by surprise.
Took me awhile but it happened. I guess I was still kinda bummed about Martha leaving, unlike a lot of fans I loved her.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
I like the concept but Class is such an overwhelmingly stupid name.
WadiumArcadium
Member
I remember that episode really freaking me out. It was damn tense.
The memories...thanks for that, infiniteloop.
I stuck to Torchwood until Countrycide in Series 1. It was a struggle to get into it, and that episode and the preview for Greeks Bearing Fruit didn't make it appealing enough for me to continue on.
What I hated the most about Torchwood was probably its attempt at being "for adults only". It felt forced. Edgy for the sake of it.
And I wasn't very fond of the cast after the 6 episodes.
StopMakingSense
Member
At least watch Children of Earth, it's amazing.
To me, the Trickster is tied with the Angels as the most memorable villain in nuWho. Considering his one-liners, Whisper-like face, sweet wardrobe, and time-based powers, I'm surprise Moffat haven't used him yet.
StalkerUKCG
Banned
I'm an apologetic fan of torchwood. It's not without it's shit episodes but.
Series 1
Everything Changes
Countrycide
They Keep Killing Suzie
Random Shoes
Out of Time
Combat
Captain Jack Harkness
Series 2
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
To the Last Man
Meat
Adam
Reset/Dead Man Walking/A Day in the Death
From out of the Rain (only for bleach)
Fragments
Exit Wounds
and Children of Earth / Miracle Day are all good tv with enough interesting elements to warrant their own existence. Sure it might not be the doctor who people know and love but it was a great look at a darker side of the world and some exposition for interesting characters. Martha again got time to shine and I'm a big Jack fan.
The way humanity dealt with aliens in thing's like Combat was interesting also.
Plus Miracle day had some great performances from Mekhi Phifer and Bill Pullman which elevate it in my books.
Series 1
Everything Changes
Countrycide
They Keep Killing Suzie
Random Shoes
Out of Time
Combat
Captain Jack Harkness
Series 2
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
To the Last Man
Meat
Adam
Reset/Dead Man Walking/A Day in the Death
From out of the Rain (only for bleach)
Fragments
Exit Wounds
and Children of Earth / Miracle Day are all good tv with enough interesting elements to warrant their own existence. Sure it might not be the doctor who people know and love but it was a great look at a darker side of the world and some exposition for interesting characters. Martha again got time to shine and I'm a big Jack fan.
The way humanity dealt with aliens in thing's like Combat was interesting also.
Plus Miracle day had some great performances from Mekhi Phifer and Bill Pullman which elevate it in my books.
nice to see Q and Kira getting some work too
Doctor Who is a family show for all ages.
The Sarah Jane Adventures was a kids show, and a pretty good one at that.
Angelus Errare
Banned
End of season 4.
Uuuugh are you serious? Uuuugh. Rose and Second Doctor
Uuuugh, what is this??
Also how can the Doctor be mad that the Doctor ended all the Daleks? I can't imagine he could plot device his way out of that one.
Uuuugh are you serious? Uuuugh. Rose and Second Doctor
Uuuugh, what is this??
Also how can the Doctor be mad that the Doctor ended all the Daleks? I can't imagine he could plot device his way out of that one.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
More wanky fan service than Moffat has ever gone for, in my opinion
Napoleonthechimp
Member
I'm 99% sure they ripped that off from an Outer Limits episode.
Yeah people give Moffat a lot of BS (and while his writing is not perfect I think a lot of the hate is undeserved) but I'm glad he never gave us anything as stupid as a second human Doctor to give to one of his former companions.
RTD wrote a lot of really great cliffhangers but he usually had some really shitty resolutions to those cliffhangers.
At least he resolved those cliffhangers. One of Moffat's numerous issues across both Who and Sherlock is his utter inability to deliver a cliffhanger resolution worth shit.
Freewheelin'
Member
Doctor Who is on at half 8 tonight? Against the rugby? And they wonder why the ratings drop, lol