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[Little Old Man]

Season 1 feels like a low budget indie film on youtube compared to the later seasons. What the what the?

UK sci-fi never gets much money thrown at it, especially in the first season since it is such a big gamble. Even Doctor Who only had a major jump in production quality since Smith arrived and the BBC started selling it abroad, along with merchandise/toys.

In fact, what other UK sci-fi shows have there been in the last decade on terrestrial TV? Primeval, SJS adventures, Torchwood.....that's all I can think of. Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes and Black Mirror at a push. None of the main channels want to touch it with a bargepole 90% of the time.

Edit: Misfits! Thought of another!

 

[mightynine]

I'm shocked I didn't realize that was Emma Peel. The reveal of the symbiotic alien was rather creepy.

 

[APZonerunner]

I think it's gonna be Whithouse.

I think so too. I think the BBC is going to try to seek out somebody who strikes a balance between RTD's hand-wringing emotion and Moffat's deeper story stuff, and Whithouse actually settles disturbingly well into that gap.

Being Human was not only a huge success but was also a break-out hit with the teenager demographic, too, which the BBC has in the past described as the 'lost viewership' of modern Who - people who didn't grow up with Who on the air, and aren't young enough to get dragged in. A lot of us fit into that - I do for instance, I was born the year it went off air - but being sci-fi fans means you don't count, I think, and the situation is different for Americans, too. They may well see him as a way to finally nail that audience.

Gatiss and Chibnall could both be seen as safe pairs of hands also, though - Gatiss has run League of Gentlemen and co-run Sherlock, and Chibnall has done Broadchurch as well as led the charge on Torchwood 1 & 2.

Wasnt he just promoted to executive producer? Seems like a shoe in for next showrunner.

He's not, no. The new exec worked with Whithouse in the past, though, which led people to speculate that was why he was moved; to be a friendly face to entice him when Moffat goes. The new exec is arguably the best they've had (on paper) since Gardner left; he's worked on Torchwood Children of Earth (and regrettably the Wales-based bits of Miracle Day), Sarah Jane Adventures, and worked his way up from Script Editor, so he's not a career producer; he understands how scripts work, which is good. He also wrote a Torchwood comic and audio book and an Eleventh Doctor novel on the side - so he's clearly a fan!

UK sci-fi never gets much money thrown at it, especially in the first season since it is such a big gamble. Even Doctor Who only had a major jump in production quality since Smith arrived and the BBC started selling it abroad, along with merchandise/toys.

In fact, what other UK sci-fi shows have there been in the last decade on terrestrial TV? Primeval, SJS adventures, Torchwood.....that's all I can think of. Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes and Black Mirror at a push. None of the main channels want to touch it with a bargepole 90% of the time.

Edit: Misfits! Thought of another!

Yep. It was also 8 years ago now, too - it wasn't nearly as bad then as it is now. It has just aged a lot worse as it was merely only just passable then.

 

[Slime]

Fun, well-rounded little pulp adventure. This and Hide are the only episodes from this part of the series that have really done anything for me.

 

[Exterminieren]

I still think Whithouse has the job if he wants it, but I absolutely would not say no to a series with the tone and ethos of The Crimson Horror.

APZonerunner x Exterminieren OTP

their insane love of Gridlock will bind them forever more

The joint kings of WhoGAF. I like it.

 

[Vesmir]

Gatiss, Whithouse, Chibnall. They're the three choices, it seems. Pick your poison!

In terms of episodes:

Gatiss
Unquiet Dead
Idiot's Lantern
Victory of the Daleks (lol)
Night Terrors
Cold War
Crimson Horror


Whithouse
God Complex
Town Called Mercy
Vampires of Venice
School Reunion


Chibnall
Power of Three
42
Hungry Earth
Cold Blood
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship
and some of the worst episodes of Torchwood

I think I'll take Whithouse

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

Gatiss, Whithouse, Chibnall. They're the three choices, it seems. Pick your poison!

Why would they go from one of the most celebrated, Moffatt to someone who very often has the most poorly rated episodes of the series, Gatiss?

 

[grimshawish]

If Neil Gaiman's latest episode is as good as The Doctor's Wife episode, I'd say we have to start a drive to get him to run the show

Am still waiting for Simon Nye (Amy's Choice) to get forced to write another :/

 

[Future Foundation]

It's amazing how much people have been calling for two part episodes this series, when one of the bigger criticisms I'd read from other places was the Moffat-run Who's over-reliance on multi-parters. In fact, I remember being a very reading positive reactions when he said no two-parters.

 

[APZonerunner]

In terms of episodes:

I think I'll take Whithouse

On the flip side, there's a lot more to being the show runner than just delivering quality scripts, as I think the scheduling/delays/split series/budget disasters/producer musical chairs the show has endured under Moffat has proved. He's a better writer than RTD, but that doesn't help navigating the BBC machine and bureaucracy.

Being Human is solid as hell from that perspective, mind, so, again... Whithouse.

Why would they go from one of the most celebrated, Moffatt to someone who very often has the most poorly rated episodes of the series, Gatiss?

Gatiss makes sense as next to RTD and Moffat he is Doctor Who royalty, basically. Long string of support during the wilderness years - he did novels like RTD, spoofs like Moffat, and frequently referenced his Who fandom in his other works, like both. He's even played both the Doctor and the Master in various expanded universe audio stuff. In one way or another he's written material for seven different Doctors. He also failed to get support for a reboot several years before RTD succeeded. He understands the show acutely... he's just not as good a writer. I imagine he would've been the next person RTD would have pointed the BBC to ask if Moffat had declined.

 

[acheron_xl]

It's amazing how much people have been calling for two part episodes this series, when one of the bigger criticisms I'd read from other places was the Moffat-run Who's over-reliance on multi-parters. In fact, I remember being a very reading positive reactions when he said no two-parters.

Well, if he actually used the expulsion of two-parters to tell smaller stories, people probably wouldn't be clamoring for a little more breathing room.

On the flip side, there's a lot more to being the show runner than just delivering quality scripts, as I think the scheduling/delays/split series/producer musical chairs has proved.

I think a lot of it is interfacing with the BBC and managing their expectations while taking their notes and whatnot. It's why I can't ever see Gaiman running the show, since he has no experience doing that kind of work, whereas Moffat had been in TV for years and years already.

 

[King of the Potato People]

I guess that makes me part of the Clara defense force, she's not just mystery.

- She's a "governess", really good with children.
- She's really good with technology, able to hack, ride a space bike and fly the Tardis.
- She's good at handling near-death situations, like her interaction with the professor in Cold war.
- She has an interesting trust/mistrust dynamic with the Doctor, doubts shown in Hide and in JTTCOTT.
- Her reactions with the Tardis are often amusing.

She isn't really worse than any modern Doctor Who companion and still has plenty of time to evolve as a character.

 

[Exterminieren]

In terms of episodes:
I think I'll take Whithouse

Of course, you can't really just look at their Who work. Chibnall wrote some good Life on Mars and recently wrote Broadchurch, my favourite new drama since Sherlock. Gatiss co-runs Sherlock, and is behind great stuff such as The League of Gentlemen and Crooked House.

By this metric, I still vote Whithouse, because his Being Human is an amazing achievement in character work and arc plotting, while being one of the most masterful examples of writing around exiting actors and other emergencies I've seen. None of the original cast was present by the end, but the series retained its quality and was never better than that final series. Sounds like just the attributes needed for Doctor Who and its heavy cast rotation.

Why would they go from one of the most celebrated, Moffatt to someone who very often has the most poorly rated episodes of the series, Gatiss?

I suspect Gatiss would be seen as a safe pair of hands, after all the experimentation of the Moffat era. We'd see 13 episode series like clockwork, but I don't reckon we'd see him pushing at the boundaries of the show like RTD and Moffat before him.

 

[Tizoc]

Next episode looks like it'll be really good

Spoiler

I assume we'll see every Cyberman from the first Doctor til latest? That's what I kinda gathered from the trailer

 

[obin_gam]

I guess that makes me part of the Clara defense force, she's not just mystery.

- She's a "governess", really good with children.
- She's really good with technology, able to hack, ride a space bike and fly the Tardis.
- She's good at handling near-death situations, like her interaction with the professor in Cold war.
- She has an interesting trust/mistrust dynamic with the Doctor, doubts shown in Hide and in JTTCOTT.
- Her reactions with the Tardis are often amusing.

She isn't really worse than any modern Doctor Who companion and still has plenty of time to evolve as a character.

Her "name" right there! I hope the reveal is that she's a Timelady but doesnt know it.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

I guess that makes me part of the Clara defense force, she's not just mystery.

- She's a "governess", really good with children.
- She's really good with technology, able to hack, ride a space bike and fly the Tardis.
- She's good at handling near-death situations, like her interaction with the professor in Cold war.
- She has an interesting trust/mistrust dynamic with the Doctor, doubts shown in Hide and in JTTCOTT.
- Her reactions with the Tardis are often amusing.

She isn't really worse than any modern Doctor Who companion and still has plenty of time to evolve as a character.

this is kinda why I'm starting to think Moffat is making her the next Doctor. She plays less like a companion and more like an idling Timelord.

 

[Hot Coldman]

Next episode looks like it'll be really good

Spoiler

I assume we'll see every Cyberman from the first Doctor til latest? That's what I kinda gathered from the trailer

Spoiler

I doubt it, it'll probably just explain how they go from the Pete's World model to the new "knight" look. They're braver than I thought if they have the OG Cybermen show up, haha.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

Her "name" right there! I hope the reveal is that she's a Timelady but doesnt know it.

Booooring. So booooring and obvious and done.

 

[EleventhDoctor]

Whithouse deserves the gig-Being Human is fantastic and had some truly heart wrenching episodes and raised above the genre-he was capable of making incredibly sympathetic characters and imaginative story lines. I'd love to see what he could do with it. One thing about Being Human-it was never predictable. I'd love to see that in Doctor Who.

 

[acheron_xl]

this is kinda why I'm starting to think Moffat is making her the next Doctor. She plays less like a companion and more like an idling Timelord.

I'd love to see her absent-mindedly whip out a nice old fob watch...

Spoiler

and have it just be a watch

 

[Future Foundation]

Well, if he actually used the expulsion of two-parters to tell smaller stories, people probably wouldn't be clamoring for a little more breathing room.

A whole 'nother episode isn't "a little more breathing room".

An extra ten-fifteen minutes? That's perfect.

With the exception of maybe Journey, nothing else this half has warranted a two-parter. I've seen people asking for an extra episode for Hide, for what reason? (Well, other than gawking at Jessica Raine, but you can watch Call The Midwife for that.)

 

[Hot Coldman]

JttCotT is a HORRIBLE acronym

let's just say "Journey"

 

[Exterminieren]

Neil Gaiman sets the scene for Nightmare in Silver.

 

[Htown]

I really wish they had resisted the temptation to give Mr. Sweets that dumb face

 

[Future Foundation]

JttCotT is a HORRIBLE acronym

let's just say "Journey"

Yeah, that's a better idea. I fixed my post.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

Just reminded myself of what episodes Whithouse has done, yeah definitely him. All his episodes are pretty great (I really liked School Reunion!)

 

[grimshawish]

I really wish they had resisted the temptation to give Mr. Sweets that dumb face

Really? Thats what I thought was so fun about him. Works for the joke at the end too.
It goes with her madness I feel, the entire thing is absurd.

 

[EleventhDoctor]

Just reminded myself of what episodes Whithouse has done, yeah definitely him. All his episodes are pretty great (I really liked School Reunion!)

Yea-that episode proved he has the ability to tap into the characters and relationships. Amazing writer.

 

[obin_gam]

Neil Gaiman sets the scene for Nightmare in Silver.

YAY!

Spoiler

Warwick Davies

 

[RedShift]

Wait,

Spoiler

Warwick Davis

is cast in this next episode? That's pretty cool.

 

[Little Old Man]

I really wish they had resisted the temptation to give Mr. Sweets that dumb face

Another reason I couldn't take the episode seriously.

 

[acheron_xl]

Really? Thats what I thought was so fun about him. Works for the joke at the end too.
It goes with her madness I feel, the entire thing is absurd.

Agree. It was all really dumb, but it totally worked for me. Kinda like The Happiness Patrol that way.

 

[EleventhDoctor]

Another reason I couldn't take the episode seriously.

Bawahahahaha

 

[mclem]

Gaiman + Kids = Good Omens, right? Think positive!

If I remember right - and it's been a long time - I seem to remember mention that Pratchett did most of The Them, although the scene where Adam is portioning out the world and getting kinda intimidating is Gaiman.

 

[CorrisD]

Another reason I couldn't take the episode seriously.

I knew it reminded me of something but I couldn't figure it out, this is what it was, lol.

 

[nephilimdj]

Another reason I couldn't take the episode seriously.

Sarah Jane smith adventures prop crew were brought back for this ep haha

I keep thinking about how she spends 1min looking at the speakers/phonograph when she's snooping, noise was never heard before that.

 

[Zeouterlimits]

I actually didn't mind the episode, it felt like every episode for me since the split (apart from St John's).

It's the ending that always leaves me wanting, I always feel dissatisfied at the end.

I've been watching Donna episodes again this week and feel they close much better.

 

[RetroMG]

So I just picked up the Rifftrax Video on Demand "The Apple," and I swear to God one of the guys looks just like Anthony Delgado as The Master. It's not actually him, but it made me laugh, then hit IMDB.

EDIT: Ok, as the movie is going on, he looks less like Delgado. Or at least, he looks like a very thin, flamboyant Master.

 

[gabbo]

Another reason I couldn't take the episode seriously.

That was my only real problem with the episode to be honest. I would have preferred another means to show it attached to her (cgi it under her skin if need be). Found it really good otherwise.

 

[Quick]

That was my only real problem with the episode to be honest. I would have preferred another means to show it attached to her (cgi it under her skin if need be). Found it really good otherwise.

We'd probably bitch about how bad the CG would be.

 

[Little Old Man]

We'd probably bitch about how bad the CG would be.

True. The speed bike scene (CGI, colours and composition) in episode 2 did remind me of:

 

[gabbo]

We'd probably bitch about how bad the CG would be.

Oh I'm sure that's the case, but not seeing it as a giant red penis xenomorph would have been preferable to a quick flash of her skin rippling as it squirmed up her back/arm/etc.

 

[GameplayWhore]

Updated my companion rankings:

0. Wilf
1. Rory
2. Amy and Rory
3. Donna
4. Amy
5. Clara
6. Rose
7. Martha

Edited for completeness, but this list is pretty along my lines. My jury's out on Clara, and I think it'd be fairer to compare her with the Rose of similar level experience, which'd swap the two in my list.

this is kinda why I'm starting to think Moffat is making her the next Doctor. She plays less like a companion and more like an idling Timelord.

Thing is, that wouldn't actually resolve her mystery. Chronarchs don't noncontinuously resurrect; they continuously regenerate. Modern Clara turning out to be a Time Lady wouldn't at all explain who the other Claras were. The only thing that might explain it is having a sudden revelation, say, that a regeneration actually takes the physical form of a being who actually existed at some other point in spacetime. Image vampirism, eh? I mean, Moffat said that he's going to do something that would change the course of the show forever, but even something like that would be a bit of heavy baggage (not to mention more than a bit nuts).

"The Governess" is a very Gallifreyish name, though.

Spoiler

Of course, maybe that's Moffat's incredibly out of the way fanboy manner of explaining Commander Maxil.

 

[The Real Abed]

Just saw this week's episode. When I saw the kids discovered Clara's secret, I figured the Doctor would never let them on the TARDIS. It'd be too silly and a bad thing to do. Especially after that guy from Dalek that went with them to the next episode and ended up getting in trouble and a surgically implanted uplink device in his forehead that he now has to live with. So surely the Doctor would never let them come along.

NEXT TIME...

Oh, look. He brought them to an amusement park.

I didn't mind the episode. Though the best parts were Clara, Jenny and Strax as usual. Strax is awesome. My favorite Who side character since Jack. Was he about to disintigrate the horse before the kid showed up? Love that guy.

Edit: Also, I am actually watching Power of Three right now. It's actually one of my favorites of this season. Sorry but I'm not sorry. Sure the end is a stupid meh but I really like the build-up to the climax a lot. Just like The Lodger. One of my favorites from season 5.

 

[Avixph]

Here are the hints and teasers for "Nightmare in Silver".
Hints.
Teasers.

 

[Discotheque]

i really liked the flashback scene in this episode, the grainy 30s movie filter they added to it really made it work and i wish the whole episode looked like that

and also matt smith's head shape really lent itself to that frankenstein performance lol. best episode of the clara series so far

 

[The Real Abed]

Here are the hints and teasers for "Nightmare in Silver".
Hints.
Teasers.

I'm trying to define this part:
»

Spoiler

The Doctor evokes a Batman villain.

Do they mean evoke as in he brings to mind the idea of

Spoiler

a Batman villain

? That he reminds us of one? Or that he actually summons one?

»

Spoiler

Matt does mean impersonations of a certain two actors.

I'm hoping for

Spoiler

Eccleston and Tennant. Impersonations of them would be fantastic!

»

Spoiler

We find out something new about a Time Lord invention.

What, that

Spoiler

The Doctor bought his screwdriver at Olivanders? Or that he finally found the "wood" setting?

 

[Lach]

I think CH was ok...nothing to special but not that bad. That TomTom Joke was incredibly bad and out of place though....

 

[ag-my001]

Here are the hints and teasers for "Nightmare in Silver".
Hints.
Teasers.

That last teaser...

Hopefully that will start tying all the strings together. I NEVER LOST FAITH, MOFFAT!

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

That last teaser...

Hopefully that will start tying all the strings together. I NEVER LOST FAITH, MOFFAT!

The episode before the finale, I should fucking well hope so.

On the subject of companions, I do wish Amy had been kidnapped a little longer so Rory the Roman and The Doctor could have gone around doing things like fucking Cyberman shit up.