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Doctor Who Series Seven |OT| The Question You've Been Running From All Your Life

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A

Arment

Member
Been trying to get my friend into the show but having pretty bad luck.

He loves sci-fi...The entire Stargate series, Star Trek, BSG, Fringe, Sliders, Firefly, Quantum Leap etc. Likes them all. I figured Doctor Who was a shoe-in.

We watched S1 over the course of a month and he didn't like it much. Citing things like low budget, boring villains/episodes, not enough episodes off earth. I told him to wait a bit and see if he likes Tennant and some budget increases but he's been avoiding watching it. I figured I would just give up, but I mentioned to him that I thought the show became more interesting toward around S4/5. If he could preview a top notch episode from the later material he might slog through the earlier seasons and catch up. He agreed so I've been mulling it over.

There's lots of lists here of favorite episodes, but...any suggestions for some of the better episodes that might entice him to go on? Something that stands alone so there isn't much confusion, perhaps. Blink came to mind, but I think he needs a normal Doctor episode first.
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
I was started on Blink. Sold me on the Doctor concept more or less.

Eccelston was kind of a disappointment after Tennant though.
 
U

User 100115

Banned
Arment said:
Been trying to get my friend into the show but having pretty bad luck.

He loves sci-fi...The entire Stargate series, Star Trek, BSG, Fringe, Sliders, Firefly, Quantum Leap etc. Likes them all. I figured Doctor Who was a shoe-in.

We watched S1 over the course of a month and he didn't like it much. Citing things like low budget, boring villains/episodes, not enough episodes off earth. I told him to wait a bit and see if he likes Tennant and some budget increases but he's been avoiding watching it. I figured I would just give up, but I mentioned to him that I thought the show became more interesting toward around S4/5 and if he could preview that and get through the earlier seasons and catch up knowing he'd like it.

There's lots of lists here of favorite episodes, but...any suggestions for some of the better episodes that might entice him to go on? Something that stands alone so there isn't much confusion, perhaps. Blink came to mind, but I think he needs a normal Doctor episode first.
Click to expand...

Waters of Mars. I've hooked people on that one pretty easily. (I love that I just mentioned it)

Midnight is a good stand alone episode as well.

Also, Girl in the Fireplace and Gridlock or 42. So you have one from each Tennant season.
 
A

APZonerunner

Member
The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit would be a great episode, especially if he has strong feelings either way on religion. Interesting themes, does a lot of work on its limited budget.

If he's the type of person more into the emotional stuff (what does he like more in Trek - the character moment episodes or the big Borg explosion episodes?) then Human Nature/Family of Blood are fantastic also. I think that's a really good introduction to the Doctor.

Midnight; incredibly low budget, but designed that way. Good thriller.

I think if he really can't look past it not having the budget of a US show it might be a problem that may never be fixed, though. To compare it to Star Trek Enterprise, for instance, even the highest budget episode of Who cost about $300,000 less than the cheapest Enterprise episode, and the average is an even more significant difference.Even now you've got dumb immersion-wrecker CGI moments, and if he can't roll with them, he'll never be able to properly enjoy the show.
 
S

Symphonia

Banned
Start him off with S5. Can't go wrong with The Eleventh Hour, and there's a few decent 'off Earth' episodes too, particularly The Doctor's Wife.
 
A

APZonerunner

Member
Cyanide Strike said:
Start him off with S5. Can't go wrong with The Eleventh Hour, and there's a few decent 'off Earth' episodes too, particularly The Doctor's Wife.
Click to expand...

It depends, really. If he's as fickle on his sci-fi/TV as he sounds, starting off in Series 5 just seems a bit dangerous because you get:
1) Really, really bad CGI snake exascerbated by being the first thing they ever did in HD
2) Eye spaceships
3) Two of the worst episode of the Smith era, including the worst New Who Dalek episode, immediately afterwards

That's why I sometimes think it's better to start people out with practical FX driven episodes like Human Nature or The Impossible Planet (which admittedly has the Satan, but it's used & shown in a very sparse manner) - there's less CGI/budget stuff to complain about. Easier to get them hooked, then from there reel them in.
 
S

Symphonia

Banned
The CGI for the snake is poor, I'll admit, but everything else about the episode is fine. It sets up the arc for Eleven and the 'cracks in time' nicely, and you get Karen Gilligan in a police uniform - can't go wrong there.

As for the Daleks, well, I remain neutral on them although the whole Fisher Price 'My First Dalek' look does not work for me.
 
T

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Yeah given what his problems are I wouldn't start him with Eleventh Hour

You can't go wrong with Fires of Pompeii! Or Impossible Planet is also a great suggestion
 
V

Vinci

Danish
Most effective combination I have found after gettin perhaps a dozen people into the show:

Blink
S5

After that, I find that people tend to proactively seek our earlier seasons and appreciate them more.
 
W

wwm0nkey

Member
equippedwithtowel said:
Victory of the Dalek's is terrible.

Impossible planet got me hooked and it still holds up pretty well.
Click to expand...

Yup Impossible Planet is what got me on the train!

tumblr_libiknJzAK1qgosk0.jpg
 
A

Axiom

Member
I still find the combo of Blink then Girl in the Fireplace the most effective and most 'this shows why the show is unlike anything else' - but being scared is a part of Who as well, so Impossible's not a bad choice at all.
 
D

Deleted member 231381

Unconfirmed Member
I'm still shocked by the fact some people consider Gridlock good. Genuinely one of my least favourite episodes of NuWho.

I drafted my top 10 list and this was it:

1. Blink
2. Midnight
3. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
4. The Doctor's Wife
5. Human Nature/The Family of Blood
6. The Waters of Mars
7. The Girl in the Fireplace
8. The Girl Who Waited
9. The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit
10. Dalek

Blink and Midnight are very close; I have trouble deciding which I like more. Which is strange, really, thematically they are very different episodes.

EDIT: Also, the Empty Child/The Doctor Dances are easily the scariest episodes of Doctor Who. I have tested this on at least 3 batches of small children and 1 batch of girlfriend with the same conclusion every time. :p
 
I

infiniteloop

Member
The Silver Cloak ‏@TheSilverCloak 11h
We've heard that filming for the Christmas Special may end this week. You know what this means! #Geronimo #ThankYouMatt #Goodbye11

tumblr_inline_mmz8dxWc5c1qz4rgp.gif

Amy-crying-doctor-who-31870686-500-281.gif

tumblr_lwxrdtBnRA1r1hdnho1_500.gif

tumblr_mhlow3TyaR1s51zjyo1_500.gif
 
L

Laurentius

Member
I think Midnight might be my favorite episode...love the fact that the Doctor had his only real weapon removed in that episode -- his voice. While watching I was sure that he was just faking it to trick the alien or something, but when it turned out it had really stolen his voice, it really struck home how helpless he was in that situation. Would love more episodes like that.
 
G

gabbo

Member
MasterBalls said:
Go out like a pro Matt. Don't cry. Face it with your bow-tie straight and your hair ridiculous. Geronimo.
Click to expand...

I can't see them having the 11th go out like 9. That's just too simple. I can't picture it as anything but slightly cartoonish and undignified. Undignified is cool.

Undignified or a Michael Bay-esque explosion-o-rama (budget permitting).
 
Q

Quick

Banned
gabbo said:
I can't see them having the 11th go out like 9. That's just too simple. I can't picture it as anything but slightly cartoonish and undignified. Undignified is cool.

Undignified or a Michael Bay-esque explosion-o-rama (budget permitting).
Click to expand...

tumblr_mny0naVffz1qikjlio3_500.png

tumblr_mny0naVffz1qikjlio4_500.png
 
B

Broken Joystick

At least you can talk. Who are you?
infiniteloop said:
The Silver Cloak ‏@TheSilverCloak 11h
We've heard that filming for the Christmas Special may end this week. You know what this means! #Geronimo #ThankYouMatt #Goodbye11
Click to expand...

MasterBalls said:
Go out like a pro Matt. Don't cry. Face it with your bow-tie straight and your hair ridiculous. Geronimo.
Click to expand...

TetraxShards said:
"It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for."
Click to expand...

Quick said:
igzG73kfKXpui.gif
Click to expand...

You lot. You spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs, or beef, or global warming, or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible: that maybe you survive.

(While we're still on quotes, this is one of my favourites.)
Hello, Stormageddon. It’s The Doctor, here to help. Be quiet. Go to sleep. No really— stop crying. You’ve got a lot to look forward to you know: a normal human life on Earth. Mortgage repayments, the 9 to 5, a persistent nagging sense of spiritual emptiness. Save the tears for later boyo. Oh, that was crabby. No, that was old. But I am old, Stormy. I am so old. So near the end. But you, Alfie Owens. You are so young, aren’t you? And you know, right now, everything’s ahead of you. You could be anything. Yes, I know. You could walk among the stars. They don’t actually look like that, you know — they are rather more impressive. [uses his sonic to make a starry sky appear on the ceiling] Yeah! You know, when I was little like you, I dreamt of the stars. I think it’s fair to say, in the language of your age, that I lived my dream. I owned the stage. Gave it a hundred and ten percent. I hope you have as much fun as I did, Alfie.
Click to expand...
 
B

bluepolicebox

Member
Vinci said:
Most effective combination I have found after gettin perhaps a dozen people into the show:

Blink
S5

After that, I find that people tend to proactively seek our earlier seasons and appreciate them more.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. Hook them in with Blink then use Eleven's introduction as a quick primer. I think Nine's season would just turn some people off and make them give up before giving it a real shot.

infiniteloop said:
The Silver Cloak ‏@TheSilverCloak 11h
We've heard that filming for the Christmas Special may end this week. You know what this means! #Geronimo #ThankYouMatt #Goodbye11
Click to expand...

I don't want Christmas this year.
 
T

twobear

sputum-flecked apoplexy
The Technomancer said:
I'm going to put together my list of that now. I'm going to try very hard to distinguish it from what I think are the "best episodes", although there will be a lot of overlap there are some episodes where a decent script was elevated by excellent acting or, in the case of The Girl Who Waited less then stellar acting dragged down a fantastic script.

I'd probably go with, in no particular order

Midnight
Blink
The Fires of Pompeii
The Girl Who Waited
A Town Called Mercy
Dalek
Army of Ghosts/Doomsday (yes its cheesy, but its very deliberately so, it embraces it and elevates it)
Gridlock
The Doctor's Wife
Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways

So yeah...God Complex barely misses top ten, but its definitely in the next five since I'm running low on standouts
Click to expand...

You forgot Human Nature/The Family of Blood.
 
V

Vinci

Danish
equippedwithtowel said:
Can I just reiterate how good The Impossible Planet is?

I would honestly trade all of 7A to have another Planet or Waters of Mars level episode.
Click to expand...

That's because Series 7 has sucked. I mean, we've gotten two or three remotely worthwhile hours of entertainment, all in all. I'd be thrilled with something that's just largely personal and genuine, like Vincent and the Doctor. Forget Impossible Planet or The Doctor's Wife - we're nowhere near that level. Everything feels so forced and leaden this series.
 
Q

Quick

Banned
Cross-Section said:
What's, uh, going on in the background there?

Production errors hoooo
Click to expand...

I was making a GIF that involved that scene, and there was actually a camera cut to the spot where Amy vanished before the New York skyline popped up.

I cut that out, and it played seamlessly. lol
 
E

equippedwithtowel

Member
Vinci said:
That's because Series 7 has sucked. I mean, we've gotten two or three remotely worthwhile hours of entertainment, all in all. I'd be thrilled with something that's just largely personal and genuine, like Vincent and the Doctor. Forget Impossible Planet or The Doctor's Wife - we're nowhere near that level. Everything feels so forced and leaden this series.
Click to expand...

I don't want to turn into a RTD4lyfer but honestly if you look at it.

Series 5 was the product of a talented showrunner with pent up vision to where he wanted to take the show, but without some standout writers like he was to RTD

Series 6 was ultimately a failed endeavor to try and create a more involved series long arc but collapsed under it's need to be clever but had some great one offs.

Series 7 is hurt by having the Ponds in one half, limiting Clara. Not only does that leave Clara underdeveloped but it means we need another half season arc for the Ponds, who kind of inexplicably regressed. Also it just didn't have any true standouts.
 
F

Future Foundation

Member
The Technomancer said:
I'm going to put together my list of that now. I'm going to try very hard to distinguish it from what I think are the "best episodes", although there will be a lot of overlap there are some episodes where a decent script was elevated by excellent acting or, in the case of The Girl Who Waited less then stellar acting dragged down a fantastic script.

I'd probably go with, in no particular order

Midnight
Blink
The Fires of Pompeii
The Girl Who Waited
A Town Called Mercy
Dalek
Army of Ghosts/Doomsday (yes its cheesy, but its very deliberately so, it embraces it and elevates it)
Gridlock
The Doctor's Wife
Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways

So yeah...God Complex barely misses top ten, but its definitely in the next five since I'm running low on standouts
Click to expand...

I like your list. I didn't realize how damn hard it would be to come up with a favorite ten.

Midnight
Blink
Dalek
The Eleventh Hour
The Doctor's Wife
Human Nature/Family of Blood
The Waters of Mars
Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways
Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang

EDIT: I'm legitimately starting to think I may be one of a handful of people who liked a majority of Series 6 and 7.
 
Bloodsent

Bloodsent

Member
Has there been any word on if the Bluray Boxset will be sold later without the screwdriver universal remote? I don't really care about that, but would love to get the rest of the stuff in the set.
 
S

Slowdive

Banned
I love most of series 6 and I like a lot of series 7 too, mostly the first half and the last episode. I haven't rewatched series 7 fully yet, so that could change.
 
A

aHebrewMenagerie

Member
Cross-Section said:
What's, uh, going on in the background there?

Production errors hoooo
Click to expand...

FUHHHHHH CANNOT UNSEE

Anyway, I liked the 1st half of Series 6, but the rest was the worst, IMO, The Wedding of River Song was the worst series finale of all NuWho.

Most of Series 7 was good, all of the episodes were at least "pretty good" to me, and the finale is probably in my top 3 favorites.
 
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