After watching two episodes of the new series I'm leaning towards the Who is cool post I always lived at. I was vaguely wary of the new series but I am pleasantly surprised. Anyone else have an oppinion?

I didn't catch the first one but I saw the second one and it was a travesty. it was an insult to all true fans and to the legacy of Doctor Who. The new guy is terrible and, frankly, Billie Piper should have stayed under whichever rock she has just crawled out from under.

Bring back Tom Baker!

Absolutely!! I think so far it's been stormin!! I've really enjoyed the interaction between Rose and The Doctor, Christopher Ecclestone is fan-fookin-tastic, bringing in just the right balance of the quirkiness, innocence and downright loveabilty factor that just wasn't there with Paul McGann.
Yeah,deserving of being up there with Tom Baker, I reckon
Im really looking forward to seeing some Dalek action soon

I have a book by him! It's signed

/irrelevant

I actually like the new Doctor, he may not be able to pull off the humour like I think he should, but that may just be because he's played rather serious characters in the past (and he's afraid of being typecast?!). To be quite honest, he may be a good actor but I don't think he's quite capable of pulling off the quirkiness written for the new docter. Unliky as it is, I would be intereted in seeing someone like Eddie Izzard as the next Docter, he may be typecast as a comic but I think he's a good serious actor and I want to see him in something that isn't quite as comical.

I'm really enjoying it so far. Along with new Quatermass tonight, I'm very impressed with the output from the BBC at the moment. Finally something that's not about interior decoration!

Well, I should be able to comment on this, when it finally makes it over here... Like, in about ten years!

I hear that!

Bwaaahthazhhaakakahfaaaaaa.

Can you keep a straight face when saying that?

Doctor Who has always been about tremendously silly and charmingly ropey sci-fi family viewing, and that's exactly what the new series is. I've happily sat through two episodes, which has now totalled ninety minutes of me in front of the telly and not getting at all bored, which, for the BBC on a Saturday evening, is a bloody marvel.

If "true fans" is a cunning way of saying "humourless geeks", then I'm happy to insult them.

Okay, you've got me

Alway said wheelie bins were out to take over the world! The even have a Higherarchy (sp?) differn't colours = differn't ranks!

Any way my whole family have enjoyed what we've seen so far it's up to standard in my books and it was also really good to see it put in the same sort of time slot as it used to be in which to be honest I wasn't expecting.

I've only seen the first episode so far (downloading from the net due to lack of television) and I liked what I saw.

I had expected it to be so much worse, especially Billie Piper-wise!

I have to agree with the Christopher Ecclestone yummyness that Tara pointed out. And as far as Billie is concerned could Bonnie Langford ever act? Or Sophie Aldridge? I mean I am firmly in the Ace rocks party but hey! All she ever said was "go stuff yourself" and then run! Rose appears to have some realistic personality flaws. Like wanting to get in touch with her mum. Sappy but very real

*didn't know about any new Quatermass*
When's it on? Have I missed it?

I saw the first episode and I thought Christopher Ecclestone absolutely pulls it off, missed the second due to a social life. I love the relish he took in all the danger and he did make me laugh out loud which is always good.

My only beef with it was that it had the feeling of a kids programme. You know, something they'd show at about 6 in the evening for teenagers. Anyone else get that?

I did feel it was a tad on the childish side. Generally enjoyed it though!

Only saw the first one as I slept right through the second - d'oh!

But isn't that what Dr Who always was

*cries* I've missed both episodes of Doctor Who so far. Does anyone know when it repeats and on what channel?

Also, I concur about Ecclestone's tastiness. I wouldn't kick him out of bed for farting.

They've always been suitable for kids really, but I think we've just become unaccustomed to seeing things that are actually 'proper' family TV shows. These days that usually means some rubbish '50 greatest bebroom makeovers', an appalling selection of out-takes from other shows, home-movies where bride after bride falls over, or a diabolical talent show that is designed not only to take people's money but then to also inflict the vocal 'talents' of the contestants on us for the next three months until they disappear into deserved obscurity.

The new Doctor Who is daft of plot, lacking big effects, and perhaps a bit thin on actual acting, but it is still genuinely entertaining stuff that you wouldn't be embarassed to watch with your parents (or vice versa). Despite all this stuff, it is actually a drama that features no gore, sex, overt violence, or swearing, in other words, it's precisely the kind of thing that the BBC was always supposed to be making.

Alanity: yep, you missed the new Quatermass Experiment. It was broadcast live on BBC4 (actually live, the actors had to run between sets for different scenes... They only fluffed their lines noticably once, and the bloke from Casanova (which was also very good) nearly fell over when he was running around a corner too fast). Apparently it was a remake of an original six part series, rewritten to take up two hours, but the adrenal glands kicked in for the actors and they got through it with twenty minutes to spare without it being noticably clipped. 'Twas very enjoyable.

After some checking around, I've found it's being repeated (not live this time!) on Wednesday, 6th April 9pm-11pm on BBC4 (so you'll need digital if you don't already have it). I'd also be quite surprised if at least a few people haven't put torrents of it up on the net.

Ah. Don't have digital. We get our tv, telephone and internet in a cable package even though we don't watch any of the cable channels...
Oh well, downloading the Quatermass thingy on Bittorrent now.

Some good solid fun.
Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but a fun evening nonetheless.

I missed the second, but the first was well done. The Lines were decent, the special effects not completely laughable, and the plot reminded me of the old Dr Who's I knew and loved.

Maybe a bit to 'kiddy' for my tastes, but thats what it is suppossed to be. I'm sure it will have some scary episodes in future just like the oldies did.

My main fears were the actors.. but I was pleasantly surprised. I still would have preferred someone other than Billy though. Someone without an annoying face or accent. BRING BACK ACE! Or perhaps a sexy goth sidekick *drools*.

Noooo! They can't bring in a sexy goth sidekick, if they did I expect Sues wouldn't want me watching it!

Ace really was a great assistant, but Billy's performance is growing on me, although I do wish that she wou' jus' ge' ou' ov tha' Larndarn accen' an' ler' to finish 'er words. After the program I have to sweep up in front of the television to clear away all the consonants that she's dropped.

Billy in victorian black anyone?

Bizarrely, she actually looked rather good in the outift.

I did like the comment of a comedian on BBC4 last night:

Christopher Ecclestone has accepted the nomination as the new pope, but has said that he intends to step-down as soon as he beomes popular in case typecasting prevents him from later becoming the Dali Lama.

Sounds about right. Aparently though Billy i s going to stick around so that will make her the FIRST assistant to outlive her doctor

I heard Alan Davis (Johnathan Creek) is a hot contender for the part, I think he'd be really good, he's certainly quirky enough. I just hope the guy who plays Casanova (don't remember his name) doesn't get the part, because he's favourite to apparently...

Me too Tara. Although I personally favour Eddie Izzard. Don't know why. He may not even be in the running. Just the thought.... I think they're looking for a younger doctor which would explain casanova dude but I think Christopher Ecclestone and Billie Piper have a lot of on screen chemestry that would be missing

She'd be silly not to, and she's doing a surprisingly good job (especially now her 'cor blimey' accent has been sedated). I think pretty much everyone agrees that he's being daft by leaving.

So who would you like next? The bloke from Casanove is a top tip, but I'd like Richard E. Grant. He would be very cool! Although I did see footage of him at the wedding this weekend and his face had had the character botoxed out of it...

Didn't Richard E Grant play the Doctor in a comic relief skit?

I'm a big fan of Jonathan Creek, but I think Alan Davis' voice would sound incredibly dull after our current enthusiastic Mr Ecclestone. I haven't been watching Casanova, but I can't really picture a younger doctor.

Thinking about it, I wouldnt mind seeing Jack Davenport playing the doctor.

Jack Davenport to me will always be the lead guy from 'Ultraviolet', which was a truly brilliant vampire thriller on Channel Four during the 1990's.

I reckon the guy from Casanova could do a good job. I've only seen him in a couple of things, but I thnk he has real potential. Some people you see you suspect will grow to be good actors, but I think he will be great.

Well, its confirmed now. It is David Tennant (the cassanova guy).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/4452119.stm

I really didn't enjoy tonight's episode. Seemed to me like it had become a bit childish. But I've enjoyed the other episodes. And the end was reasonable.

Rah! I'm quite up for the Casanova chap, although I would have preferred Richard E Grant. Casanova was actually really enjoyable, mainly due to his incredibly energetic and naive performance. He demondtrated that he's capable of more in the live Quatermass show, so I think he could be a reall good doctor.

Tonight's 'aliens in London' episode... Not the best of the series so far (Charles Dickens gets my vote for that one) but the monsters were amusingly British.

Am I alone in loving the old-fashined aesthetic of the whole thing? Frankly the monsters were crap; the difference between the bouncey-headed rubber versions and the lithe CG aliens was stark, to say the least, but I didn't care... The weird thing is, I don't know why I don't care. Usually if the effects in something are so crap it will bother me...

I think it might be that the cast all seem to be having so much fun. I really do think that this is a factor in it. We say that television is mainly rubbish these days, but maybe that's because the people involved in it think that it's rubbish too. The people I've worked with in the media certainly have an awareness of this, and it's not surprising that this rubs off on the audience.

The new Doctor Who series is full of a load of people who are clearly enjoying doing daft sci-fi horror, and I think it's their entire uinderstanding that this is what they are doing and the fact that they don't care that makes it fun to watch.

We have a cliff hanger episode!!!! This was one of the main things that I felt was missing from this series and now it has happened. YAY!!! I will say that this episode was a touch too adolescent for me (the farting was really starting to annoy me) BUT I did like the way that they put in a subtle dig at the original alien costumes of Doctor Who. The zip in the fore head was classic and I also loved the MP from <insert silly location here> I thought she was brilliant!! Billy is really growing into the role and hopefully her dappy boyfriend will get bumped off. And her mum too! THEN we might be able to get the doctor to stop poncing around in 2005 and start going to other planets and other times!

No no NO!! Jack Davenport will always be Miles from "This Life" although he was, I agree, bloody great in Ultraviolet.
Im disappointed that the guy from Casanova will be the next Doctor, I find him soooo annoying.
I cried when the pig got shot yesterday...

The bit with the pig was quite sad...


Yep, I was hoping that they were going to start putting multi-episode storylines in too. I guess they started off with a few solo ones to get people in the mood of it before going into a big daft plot.


It was a bit odd, but I think the idea was that it was due to trying to fit their big alien shapes into smaller human bodies, so they needed to expel gas... Or something...

The big bouncy rubber suits were rather funny!


I liked the aside from one of the other MPs: "I'm going to miss being Oliver, he had a wife, a mistress, and a farmer." !!!!


Yep, she's definitely getting a lot more comfortable in the role. I think the relationship with the Doctor is being handled very nicely.

Oh, and it's 2006, twelve months in the future

So far the Dickens one is my favourite. It was really quite spooky!

When I saw the rubber monsters I cheered I was so please to see them do that. I also liked the aside Mata it amused me muchly.

I agree with the Dicken's ep being really cool. It has all the atmosphere of a classic who episode with just a touch of desperation. Very sophisticated story line and a mention of the underlying question about the time wars and what happened to Galifray(sp) and the rest of the time lords.

Question: Does anyone else feel like Ecclestone's Doctor Who is being portrayed as a time travelling tourist? I always thought the doctor had much more behind his actions than just an excursion!

I think there's a real touch of sadness about the Doctor's wanderings. A bit like the idea of the wandering Jew, doomed to spend eternity watching everyone he knows die.

I do hae to agree with you there Mata, but I find that this doctor has less of a purpose than the others AND he actually seems to enjoy this. Don't know whether its just me picking holes in Ecclestones performance after he abandonned us (ar$ehole!!! calls himself a brit. No british actor would EVER give up the role of Doctor who willingly!) or if I'm too picky but this Who sounds very 'hollow'. Not as in wooden, but missing something that makes him tragic . I dunno

I've been keeping up on this new Season of Doctor Who via the magic of BitTorrent and I must say while the Doctor has a lot of really good moments, there are occasional moments when I see some bits that may seem a bit forced,but that's just my interpretation.

And the more I see her, the more I adore Rose. She's not exactly damsel in distress material, but she does need saving on occasion, though mostly because she's just an ordinary girl in outstanding situations.

I've downloaded the latest episode World War III and I'm going to watch that tonight. Should be fun.

And what *IS* this obsession with Earth? Is it a lack of creativity? Or is there some underlying plot element that has yet to emerge? Guess we'll see.

I wonder when we'll find out more info on this "war" that was mentioned. Should be interesting.

Anyway, I'm ranting. Great show, flawed, but it's fun and frisky, nonetheless. Thumbs up.

I think there's two reasons for there being lots of stuff on earth:

1) Budget

2) Familiarity.

I think a lot of this series is about reintroducing the spirit of Doctor Who to the audience, and that's easier to do if people aren't going 'oo look, they're in the chalk pits in Kent again'.

True, but they should be able to get some blue screen backdrops, alien costumes and green goo for a reasonable price shouldn't they? Orat least set it in the past/ future?

Well, I think we're off into the near future this week.

Possibly another reason for it is Russel T Davies. As a writer, he's always liked dealing with how we are shaped by moving away from our families, and you can't really deal with that when you're five billion years away!

I don't know how much was spent on this series, but the next one will be £10m for thirteen episodes. I'm really enjoying it, but is that much money really necessary?

*cath Stamps her foot and throws a tantrum*

I missed Saturdays episode! And it was a 2nd part and everything! *sulks*

I don't think money is a problem. I'll love it whether it is made with £10 billion or coupons from the back of cereal packets!!! I think you make a good point about the writer though. The best episode so far was the Dickens episode and THAT wasn't written by Davies

Oo, I'm not complaining about Russel T Davies, I think he's doing a great job, and I've loved every series I've ever sen by him, from Dark Season, through Bob & Rose to Doctor Who, but he does have a certain set of memes that he likes using, and they are evident here.

I think we've got the the end of the modern-day recognisable section of the series now and we'll be out of 2005/6 for the rest of the series, perhaps with the exception of the last episode.

Cath, try getting yourself some Bittorrent software, I'm sure you could download the episode without too much difficulty.

I think there is a good storyline reason why it has been mostly based on Earth so far. The doctor is trying to break Rose in (hur hur).
If he starts gallivanting around the universe and all time with Rose straight away, she might go insane. Culture shock, y'know?

So graduly she is getting used to it, and that all her previous beliefs and preconceptions may not be applicable to this new life. Soon enough the Doctor will think she has adjusted enough and use her as a meat shield against Darleks, you just have to wait a bit.

Prod me on IRC and I'll link you to the torrent site I usually download them from.

lessthanthree Mata today, I just googled Dark Season and it turned out to be a show that I had vague memories of from years back and really wanted to watch again but had never managed to work out what it was.

I must say, it's refreshing to see Billie Piper in something other than a rubbish music video. Though like Mata said, the dropped consonants are terribly annoying - realistic, though. I have to live with people talking exactly like that, every day. Shed a tear for me.