This is what I assumed as well.
And damn it, you people and your snack food conversations.
Doctor Who Series Seven |OT| The Question You've Been Running From All Your Life
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This is what I assumed as well.
And damn it, you people and your snack food conversations.
Hot Coldman
Banned
You're right, not everyone can. I'm just saying that's what I assume, when I shouldn't, haha.
APZonerunner
Member
Not just that, but in Bells he calls UNIT "old friends" - Web is the first major, major UNIT ep, really.
infiniteloop
Member
In 50th filming news
Surley The Snowmen> The Abominable Snowmen >The Web of Fear>The Bells of St John
today Clara filmed some shots riding the Anti-Grav bike from Bells
Surley The Snowmen> The Abominable Snowmen >The Web of Fear>The Bells of St John
infiniteloop
Member
Yes, I would love it if she was.
EleventhDoctor
Banned
Way off topic, but I've been watching Being Human, and I recognize this actor from Luther-I think he would make an awesome Master on Doctor Who....considering it will probably never be Cumberbatch.
Stephen Robertson
Stephen Robertson
Hot Coldman
Banned
Oooh, right. Interesting.
Zippedpinhead
Member
American Jam is different than American Jelly, Jam is typical English jam - Contains pieces of fruit but not quite qualifying for "preserves"
American Jelly is just the Gelatin portion of Jam, while still maintaining the texture of Jam but no pieces of Fruit.
Technically Gelatin could be called "Jelly" in america, but Jell-O's Trademark hold on america has kind of always made that "Jell-O" in the minds of the public. (think Xerox and copying paper in the '80s)
Personally, I prefer Jam to Jelly every time.
mightynine
Member
EleventhDoctor
Banned
Grapeoids? Sounds like something you see a doctor for.
See what I did there.
See what I did there.
infiniteloop
Member
or Paul McGann [from Doctor Who]
APZonerunner
Member
From the way he talks, I'm increasingly convinced we won't see The Master (or the Rani) under Moffat. He seems to fundamentally dislike the pair of them.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
He just doesn't seem into the whole supervillain thing. Moffat seems to enjoy the "gimmick" alien that have their own quirk that makes them newly terrifying and confusing to The Doctor. He's not above using old enemies though, I mean Cybermen, Sontaran, Daleks everywhere.
And also RTD sort of screwed the pooch by sending The Master back into the time-locked Time War.
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
Ah, now you are taking me back. My very first job was MAKING jammy dodgers in the Burtons factory in South Wales. Awesome place, full of enormous 1930s machinery with big wheels and gears and stuff that you had to keep taking to bits and putting back together.
EDIT: What? Am? I? Doing?
Saw a question on jammy dodgers and kind of assumed I was in BritGAF. I'm in a Doctor Who thread? Where did that come from?
Ehem. Apologies to anyone offended by off-topicness. And I never even got to talk about the extremely attractive girl doing the pink wafer fingers.
grimshawish
Banned
I think Moffat finds The Master a bit dull; I mean writing for him must be a pain.
Least RTD made him a psychopath but seriously, what is The Master's 'motivation'?
I wouldn't mind seeing him having attained some sort of power though as oppose to the cat and mouse chase we usually see. E.g. He lives a dictator over some people and is you know...actually a menacing hideous creature.
Least RTD made him a psychopath but seriously, what is The Master's 'motivation'?
I wouldn't mind seeing him having attained some sort of power though as oppose to the cat and mouse chase we usually see. E.g. He lives a dictator over some people and is you know...actually a menacing hideous creature.
Exterminieren
Banned
We won't see the Rani again under anyone.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Sigh
Fucking RTD.
Exterminieren
Banned
I will hear nothing against the Master Race. That was twisted genius.
Agreed. But I could do without Skeletor Master.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
2009 BBC CGI. Where's Georgey Lucas when you need him?
It's funny you mention the quality of the CG, because series 5 is a slight improvement over the series 4 and the specials, and they were done by the same production house.
This is assuming the CG for series 5 was done almost side-by-side with the specials.
My suggestion for the next Doctor
Richard Coyle
Wasn't he Jeff in Coupling?
APZonerunner
Member
I really loved that shit, even if the overall episode it was in was just sort of... middling. "I'm everyone! And everyone in the world... is me!" Great cliffhanger. Props has to be given, also, for swallowing the production cost of not undoing it immediately after the cliffhanger. Doing so many effects shots of John Simm so he'd remain everyone for pretty much the entire episode was a brave creative choice, and I'm amazed it came off. It's funny how that stuff is incredibly well done in the face of some of the other CGI in that episode being really dodgy.
As for the Rani, she could be reworked into a good enough character, I think. The Master is kind of shit as well. I could see a Rani played a bit like River when she's 'evil' in Let's Kill Hitler, that'd work. Moffat hates other time lords though, so maybe under somebody else.
They had a lot more money for Series 5, as in mid 2009 BBC HD was granted a shit load more money, and Who became a tentpole program for them - whereas the Tennant/RTD specials basically had HD as an afterthought. There is one CG touch in The End of Time I really love, mind - when the wave shoots out of the machine that turns everyone into the Master, the ghostly image of John Simm's face is imprinted into the wave. Nice touch. Barely recognizable unless at HD.
As for the Rani, she could be reworked into a good enough character, I think. The Master is kind of shit as well. I could see a Rani played a bit like River when she's 'evil' in Let's Kill Hitler, that'd work. Moffat hates other time lords though, so maybe under somebody else.
They had a lot more money for Series 5, as in mid 2009 BBC HD was granted a shit load more money, and Who became a tentpole program for them - whereas the Tennant/RTD specials basically had HD as an afterthought. There is one CG touch in The End of Time I really love, mind - when the wave shoots out of the machine that turns everyone into the Master, the ghostly image of John Simm's face is imprinted into the wave. Nice touch. Barely recognizable unless at HD.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
The cliffhanger in Stolen Earth is just... goddamnit RTD. I wasn't on the internet back then. I got majorly trolled.
Yes...
Nothing beats the "Shadime" Scene
Coupling - Jeff's picking-up an Israeli girl
http://youtu.be/rQ6mxKxU3sA
YES! Loved him in Cover Affairs
Great more to add to my movie/tv watch list.
Thug Waffle
Member
Hello, there! I have to write a paper on Doctor Who for a class of mine and I figured this would be a good place to ask a question pertaining to my efforts:
What do you folks consider to be the most notable moments of change within the Doctor Who property?
Any circumstances that represent a fundamental shift in presentation, quality, art/character direction, or what have you would constitute as a significant moment of change.
What do you folks consider to be the most notable moments of change within the Doctor Who property?
Any circumstances that represent a fundamental shift in presentation, quality, art/character direction, or what have you would constitute as a significant moment of change.
Pop-O-Matic
Banned
Beginning of the 3rd Doctor's run, as the show changed it's focus to modern Earth and lost the time/space travel aspect for 3 seasons, along with making the Doctor much more of an action hero and the show filming in color for the first time.
Beginning of the 4th Doctor's run, as the show took on a more gothic horror-esque tone and arguably hit it's high point.
6th Doctor's run, which was the series's low point.
Beginning of the 7th Doctor's run, which lightened the tone considerably after the darker stories of the 6th.
The end of the classic series, the Fox TV movie and the beginning of the revival, of course.
There are probably a lot more that I am missing, but I think I got most of the big ones there.
The beginning of the 11th Doctor's run, due to showrunner Russel T. Davies leaving the show and Steven Moffat taking his place.
I'm probably missing a lot, but I think those are most of the big ones.
Adventurer, your life force is fading fast!
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Thought he went on Moffat's shit list after walking out on the fourth season of Coupling.My suggestion for the next Doctor
Richard Coyle
User 100115
Banned
Kinda hilarious, wanted to share.
My nine year old son, who hasn't been keeping up with Doctor Who but nonetheless loves it, just asked me if 12 is a girl.
"Why do you ask that?" I said.
"Because I saw an ad on xbox that said 'Time for the new Time Lord!' and there was a girl in the picture." he said
"Well, no one really knows yet. How would feel about 12 being a girl?"
"I dunno. I'd kinda like it. Cause, like, every single Doctor has been a boy! That's kinda not fair."
I done raised him right. *sniff*
My nine year old son, who hasn't been keeping up with Doctor Who but nonetheless loves it, just asked me if 12 is a girl.
"Why do you ask that?" I said.
"Because I saw an ad on xbox that said 'Time for the new Time Lord!' and there was a girl in the picture." he said
"Well, no one really knows yet. How would feel about 12 being a girl?"
"I dunno. I'd kinda like it. Cause, like, every single Doctor has been a boy! That's kinda not fair."
I done raised him right. *sniff*
Hot Coldman
Banned
He's right too.
(Yeah, I changed my mind.)
(Yeah, I changed my mind.)
EliteArtist
Member
So, I'm curious about the odds of Moffatt stepping down as showrunner when the 11th's course is over? Though if it's been discussed recently, a point in the right direction page number wise would be appreciated.
APZonerunner
Member
Wall of text incoming - here's what I'd say is significant:
- November 1963: Founding of the show. The pilot is filmed but is considered so bad by Sydney Newman, the man who comissioned it, that he ordered it reshot. Doctor Who was revolutionary and incredibly progressive from the start; it was a BBC show with a Canadian Executive, a young woman in her mid 20s as Producer and a gay Indian director! The show was conceived as a show about the Doctor, but with the companions as the lead characters. Over time, the pendulum has swung back and forth between the show being more Doctor focused versus companion focused.
- October 1966: In the episode The Tenth Planet, William Hartnell retires the role of The Doctor, and Patrick Troughton takes over. They envision the change as the Doctor's old man body dying - so he goes through a process that de-ages a body to a younger version of himself. Troughton looks a lot like a younger Hartnell - after this, regeneration becomes something else.
- January 1970: The third Doctor story 'Spearhead from Space' is the first Who story shot in colour. The advent of colour filming significantly impacts the aesthetic of the show.
- The Third Doctor era: The third Doctor is 'exiled' to Earth, and the time lords break the TARDIS. The real reason for this was production; earth based episodes are cheaper to make. In terms of the show, though, this led to UNIT, the military anti-alien force that would become a major staple of future years. Along with UNIT would come two of Who's most important recurring characters: Sarah Jane Smith and the Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart. The third Doctor was very different to the first two; he was a 'dandy' - a martial artist, a man of action. Literally wore a cape. Replaced his broken TARDIS with a classic car.
- The Tom Baker era: Massive expansion of the Who mythos and lore, including way more Gallifrey and way more Time Lords - even Time Lord companions. There's no 'significant events' as such, but this is considered a golden age of the show, and for good reason. He was considered the atypical Doctor until the modern show. He characterises him as an over-the-top idiot; a genius who hides the fact beneath a stupid gurn and excessive clothing.
- Peter Davison era: The show is significantly moved to run twice-weekly on weekdays rather than once a week on a Saturday. Boosted viewers massively. Davison's Doctor was younger and more unsure of himself. He almost always had more than one companion at a time, and travelled as a troupe - his companions were key; he wasn't showing them the universe, but relied on them.
- March 1982: 'Earthshock' - this fifth Doctor story kills off a companion. A pretty major event and a tonal crater in the history of the show - a very well-remembered story.
- 1985: The sixth Doctor, Colin Baker, takes over. The format of the show was changed again, from 25-minute episodes to 45-minute episodes. The series also returned to Saturday. The sixth Doctor is characterised as a narcissist. The intention was for him to mellow over time, allowing viewers to warm to him. This backfired. People hated him.
- Almost cancelled: Michael Grade, BBC1 Controller, hated the show. Freefalling popularity thanks to the sixth Doctor gave him a case; he pushed the show off for a financial year, saying it couldn't be afforded. The British press treated it as a threat of cancellation, and newspapers led a campaign to 'save' the show. There was even a charity song released as a single called 'Doctor in Distress.'
- 1986: The show returns, with a continuity-heavy arc called 'Trial of a Time Lord.' This exascerbated problems with Baker's Doctor's characterisation - something even Baker hated and fought against - and is regarded as the darkest period of the show's history.
- Sylvester McCoy: Baker's Doctor was written out off screen, and he was so angry about not being given a chance to right the ship that he refused to even film his regeneration scene. Sylvester McCoy is cast. McCoy's Doctor is characterised as a manipulator - rather than directly fighting enemies he'd play life like chess, manipulating people into taking their own quite often. He was also characterised as more a fun old man again, called 'Professor' by his single companion, who is a very 80s tomboy.
- The Cartmell Master Plan: Andrew Cartmell was the writer tasked with returning the show to form. The master plan was surprisingly similar to what would later form the basis of the 2005 show - Cartmell believed the mystery of 'Doctor Who' had been damaged by lore of Gallifrey, Time Lords etc etc, and aimed to inject mystery into his character. The plan never came to fruition, because...
- Cancelled: Who was placed on a Monday night at 9pm against Coronation Street by Michael Grade, who still hated the show. It never stood a chance, and it's largely believed Grade essentially assassinated the show with scheduling. On 6th December 1989, the TARDIS de-materialized for what most thought would be forever.
- The Wilderness years: Between 1989 and 2005, Who fandom was kept alive by novels, comics and so on. Doctor Who Magazine continued to run, every month, right through until the revival. The 'Virgin New Adventures' novels, starring the seventh Doctor, were a primary source of continuing Who. A number of up-and-coming authors contributed to the series, including a Russell T Davies, who teamed the Doctor up with a council estate family with the surname 'Tyler'...
- Movie: In 1996, the BBC and Fox signed a deal to make a Doctor Who movie. Paul McGann is cast. The intention is to treat the TV movie as a pilot; if successful, Fox would co-fund a full new series of the show for both US and UK broadcast. The movie did incredibly in the UK, but poorly in the US. There's still some weird licensing issues - Fox claim ownership of original characters from the movie, for instance.
- 2005: The reboot. Headed by Russell T Davies, a writer more known for his human drama than his sci-fi - a significant change. The show becomes more character and emotion-focused. It's a reboot, but also continues on directly from everything that came before it. Christopher Eccleston as a grizzled survivor of an off-screen war that kills off Gallifrey, the Time Lords, and much of the lore that had begun to weigh the show down. That same year David Tennant takes over.
- 2006: Plans to expand the 'Whoniverse' set in motion. Gay space cowboy man Captain Jack gets his own 'adult' (I'd say more adolescent) sci-fi spin off, part Who, part Buffy, in Torchwood. Shortly after that, a Children's series starring Sarah Jane is conceived. This massive expanded universe begins to roll back into the main show over subsequent years, coming to a head in 2009. These are the first truly successful Who spin-offs; several attempts to get a spin-off going in the 70s/80s failed miserably. The Sarah Jane series only stops because Elizabeth Sladen passes away, while Torchwood chases American success, which ends up helping to raise Doctor Who's profile (paving the way for massive success in the next era) but also ends up being the show's demise.
- 2010: Steven Moffat, the most sucessful guest writer of the RTD era, takes over the show. He comes from a comedy background, so paints characters in broader strokes than Davies, but also doubles down on the sci-fi in a way Davies never did. Even so, little has changed between 2005 and 2013. Moffat's era is more successful abroad, but appears to be less culturally dominating in Britain than RTD's.
And here we are. That's the most significant stuff. There's stuff you can go deeper on, for sure, though. RTD being gay was a big deal, for instance, as it had a big tonal effect on the show. The 'downtime' years are massively important, too - over half the writers and plenty of other new Who talent since the reboot come from the books, audio plays and other media from those years. There's other things, like how the mechanics of regeneration were layered in over the years, or the moment that the 'assistant' (ie, the damsel, the helper) became the 'companion' and started to be something of an equal to the Doctor. Sarah Jane marks the start of that, and while it fades in parts of old Who, Sarah Jane is the blueprint that all modern Who companions would follow.
infiniteloop
Member
Good list. I think Tom Baker era could be broken down to the start of the JNT era as that was a pretty big shake up.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Excellent post APZonerunner. Didn't know that regeneration was initially intended as a "de-aging" process, but it's quite funny that something clearly intended to deal with cast issues is integrated so heavily into the lore.
Thug Waffle
Member
Amazing, thanks! Great posts.
APZonerunner
Member
The running theory is that Matt Smith is probably going to leave the show this Christmas, making this his last full series and the 50th episode his penultimate one. This is because he's refusing to be drawn on if he'll stay next year, and just keeps to deflecting with "I'm focused on 2013 for now." We know his contract in the role of the Doctor ends in November, and he hasn't signed a new one. Jenna Louise Coleman - Clara - has confirmed that she'll be back in 2014 for Series 8. She's also said there'll be "a big gap" between series 7 and 8, which suggests a big change is incoming.
Moffat, however, is 100% staying on for Series 8. 8 or 9 will end up being his last though, I'm sure. He keeps talking about how knackered he is.
EliteArtist
Member
Thanks man. Is he refusing to stay on the show for the sake of doing something different with his career? Or rather just not vibing with what Moffat's laying down for the next series? Or is it all one big mystery?
APZonerunner
Member
Hollywood has been knocking on his door for ages, and in between filming the 50th and Christmas, he's actually off to America to film his first big movie. So, that, yeah. Plus -- it'll have been 4 years in the role for him. That's a long time for any actor, really, when it's filming 9-10 months of the year.
EliteArtist
Member
Hmmm well hopefully his career goes well here in America. I think he'd have a decent install base at this point. What are the supposed rumored movies he's being courted for?
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