I think everyone would love to have the identity of the actor remain secret and have it be revealed through regeneration, but as that's never going to happen then there's no harm in all the reveal and speculation. You can't just ignore it.
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Doctor Who Series Seven |OT| The Question You've Been Running From All Your Life
- Thread starter Mr. Sam
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MadNinjaZero
Member
I, too, was a bit disappointed to have the Doctor revealed before the regeneration. I'm fond of the mystery of the regeneration as I'm sure many other fans are and so empathize with their feeling a bit robbed.
And for those fans who have been following along with the show since their childhood... I can only imagine how they felt.
So while I'm not inclined to break out the torches and pitchforks as some appear to be; I get where they are coming from.
In any case I'm really excited for the 50th because I'm now focused on imagining what sort of Doctor that Capaldi will be.
And for those fans who have been following along with the show since their childhood... I can only imagine how they felt.
So while I'm not inclined to break out the torches and pitchforks as some appear to be; I get where they are coming from.
In any case I'm really excited for the 50th because I'm now focused on imagining what sort of Doctor that Capaldi will be.
Exterminieren
Banned
There has never- never- been a Doctor that hasn't been revealed in the media months and months before he appeared in the show. It's impractical for a whole host of reasons. People who have been following the show since childhood are very well accustomed to how this all goes- it's newer fans who tend to have the problem.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
It's just not feasible unfortunately. It would be nice if it was a surprise. It would be nice if Eccleston had returned for the 50th. Lots of things would have been nice.
Even if it was feasible to hide the new Doctor's identity until the regeneration it would do a huge disservice to the current Doctor's last episode. Imagine if everyone was tuning in at Christmas with their attention not on Matt's final adventure but their anticipation focused on the final few minutes when we see who the new Doctor is. Much better to get it out of the way ahead of time rather than distracting the audience from the other big events coming between now and the regeneration.
infiniteloop
Member
Filming on the 2013 Christmas ep started today.
Won't be long until we see an official photo of Matt Smith. I'm sure the wig will look just fine.
infiniteloop
Member
A film starring Capaldi with premiere next week in London, however, he won't be there because "of his work commitments for Doctor Who."
Filming the regen early in the shooting schedule or is he more involved than a usual regen?
http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/new...es_his_first_feature_hit_big_screen_1_2370659
Filming the regen early in the shooting schedule or is he more involved than a usual regen?
http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/new...es_his_first_feature_hit_big_screen_1_2370659
Yep...popped up on spotify this morning!
Or, you know, it's a really convenient excuse to avoid going to those tiresome shindigs
Or, you know, it's a really convenient excuse to avoid going to those tiresome shindigs
Or they don't want it mobbed by Who fanboys.
APZonerunner
Member
Ahh, I dunno about that - I mean, for a small-scale project like this, any crowd is a good crowd, right?
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Oh sweet jesus yes! Time to play "To Save the Doctor" on loop. Probably the best track in Who.
Exterminieren
Banned
Holy fuck, I hadn't realised just how good The Rings of Akhaten score was, in addition to the songs. Never mind what else was going on with that production, Murray Gold hit that episode right out of the park.
Also, there is no better arrangement of I Am The Doctor than Up The Shard.
Also, there is no better arrangement of I Am The Doctor than Up The Shard.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Rings of Akathen is a really good episode to be honest. Not very hard sci-fi, but a solid episode nontheless.
The Long Song is the biggest redemption for that episode. That and the Doctors epic speech during that song. Such amazing television.
GarthVaderUK
Banned
That is definitely one of my favourite 11 moments.
Exterminieren
Banned
I could watch the five minutes of confronting the God over and over. Unfortunately, that episode has the rest of the runtime to drag it down.
That said, can anyone find a video on Youtube of just that five-minute scene? I've tried looking, but all I can find are either just the music over a still image or 'fan tributes' with clips of all the previous Doctors tied in with the speech.
GarthVaderUK
Banned
Used to be one but the BBC took it down.
Just watching it again - some great acting from Matt Smith, some great lines, great music and visuals - definitely one of 11's best moments.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
It's weird, even though the second half of Series 7 are some of the most mediocre Doctor Who episodes since the reboot, the Doctor's Akathen speech and the intro to Name of the Doctor are two scenes I could watch forever on end.
"I have seen things you wouldn't believe, I have lost things you will never understand." Fucking powerful stuff.
"I have seen things you wouldn't believe, I have lost things you will never understand." Fucking powerful stuff.
sonikokaruto
Banned
i didn't liked matt smith's first season, it felt rushed and out of place.
One. of the redeeming qualities was: i'll wear a fez, fez's are cool
One. of the redeeming qualities was: i'll wear a fez, fez's are cool
Exterminieren
Banned
Series 7 has gone right down in my estimation since I rewatched it last week. Were it not for Moffat's exemplary work (best series worth of writing from any showrunner we've seen in New Who), The Crimson Horror, Hide and most of The Power of Three, it'd be a wash.
Seriously though, I don't know how Moffat got his writing mojo back, but he's put some serious good work in since the trainwreck that was The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.
Seriously though, I don't know how Moffat got his writing mojo back, but he's put some serious good work in since the trainwreck that was The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Rushed? Did you prefer the slow-ass "Let's cut our seasons in two and have them be completely thematically different" feel of 6 & 7?
I'm accordant with all of your points other than the one bolded - its his weakest series of writing for me and nowhere near close to his season 5 output with regards to consistency or quality (yes, even the beast below is better than bells of saint john). I suppose its about on a level with season 6 in that none of his episodes are quite as bad as the wedding of river song, yet by the same token none are as accomplished as the impossible astronaut / day of the moon.
And on the rings of akhaten - am I the only one that finds the long song sequence melodramatic to the point of being embarrassing? It was one of the most saliently awful parts of season 7 for me and evoked the Russell T Davies era in all the wrong ways.
Exterminieren
Banned
Ooh, I don't agree at all. Yes, The Eleventh Hour is functionally perfect, and The Pandorica Opens is very powerful, but The Angels Take Manhatten is a far better Weeping Angels episode than the Time of Angels two-parter, Asylum of the Daleks has the best character writing and creepy atmosphere we've had since RTD was at the height of his powers, The Bells of Saint John is great setpiece after great setpiece with (unusually) a well-drawn Clara and a great resolution to the villain's story, and The Name of the Doctor is a masterclass in funereal tone, arc building and good old-fashioned fan pleasing.
By contrast, The Beast Below absolutely tanks at the worst possible moment for the show, and The Big Bang is an absolutely tremendous back-half let down by half-baked world-building, piss-poor cliffhanger resolutions and a totally unthreatening Stone Dalek.
Well, no one would call it subtle, but Smith takes the material and absolutely runs with it. He and Gold together elevate it far beyond what it should be.
Exterminieren
Banned
It's comfortably the worst directed episode of New Who, and amongst its worst written. Even Moffat has copped to its lack of quality.
Quick Mustard
Member
peanutbutterlatte
Member
" And you're sure it was Trenzalore, it was definitely Trenzalore?" Love that scene. So sad.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
The Beast Below is awful. It's not as bad as Name of the Doctor or many of Moffat's most recent outings, but it's pretty terrible. The plot is all over the place and the metaphors in that story are mixed pretty much to the point of holding no meaning. The entire episode doesn't have a single interesting thing to say.
It may not be Moffat's worst script, but I think it is his most amateurish one.
Quick Mustard
Member
Gets me every damn time. He pulls it off so well.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
NotD is bad? Damn, I reckon Name of the Doctor is the best finale Moffat's done.
Hot Coldman
Banned
No. No it's not.
Col WillieSharp
Member
I've always liked Beast Below. In fact, it's one of my "how to get into Who" episodes. The Smilers, Liz 10, the comment about the silently crying children. Plus, you get the tragedy of the Star Whale, and the sad narrator of the video in the "protest"/"forget" room, who tells the truth about what powers the Starship UK.
Ever since Moffat trashed it, the episode has been singled out as horrible. I think that he did himself a major injustice. Maybe he should take a hard, critical look at Angels take Manhattan before he singles anything else out as "bad work".
Is it flawless? No, but I will keep thinking that The Beast Below represents the best qualities of nuWho.
That's just nonsense. A lot of S1 was just terribly directed in ways that it hasn't ever been since. Beast Below is not even in the same ballpark.
Quick Mustard
Member
Dont! You'll get me going!
Hot Coldman
Banned
Beast Below is a purdy episode. I mean, the scene with Amy floating outside the TARDIS? Awesome stuff! The plot was more disjointed than a skeleton, but hey! Space England!
maharg's right, most of S1 looks like a Casualty Halloween special.
maharg's right, most of S1 looks like a Casualty Halloween special.
Nothing to be ashamed of. Smith's had more of an emotional impact on me than Tennant or Eccleston ever did. I really am gonna miss him as the Doctor.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
I'm going to be so sad to see Smith go but so glad to see Capaldi take up the reigns. It's going to be a very emotional November 23rd Christmas.
Exterminieren
Banned
OK, saying TBB was the worst directed episode might have been a stretch, but in comparison to nearly every other episode in the Moffat era, it looks like trash. Between that and Victory of the Daleks (that Dalek spaceship!), there's a reason Andrew Gunn didn't come back.
Series 1 had the excuse that no one knew how to make Doctor Who. The Beast Below doesn't have that.
Never mind that, it's the second-best finale the series has done, after The Parting of the Ways.
Series 1 had the excuse that no one knew how to make Doctor Who. The Beast Below doesn't have that.
Never mind that, it's the second-best finale the series has done, after The Parting of the Ways.
He hasn't written anything to match Blink since the advent of his tenure - but his season 5 output and the opening two-parter for season 6 easily equitable to the other episodes you mentioned in terms of the breadth of innovative ideas and compelling plot devices on display.
His series 7 output was lazy and unambitious in comparison and the remainder of his season 6 output a hot mess, I'll give you that.
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