Dr Who Series 6

[Jonsmad]

Begins…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/videos/p00fxf06

And I’m wondering if the presidents name is Adam Klaus-Clinton.

Topic

[ChrisM]

Interesting. And suitably creepy.

[genericnerdyusername]

I bet they all die.

[Ian Symes]

I might not bother with the new series, now I’ve seen this review of the last one:
http://www.lovefilm.com/film/Doctor-Who-Series-5-Vol1/144913/review/943146/

[Ben Paddon]

Well that’s it. I’m switching over to Primeval forever.

[pfm]

I almost agree with that review…then I remember Amy’s Choice, how delightfully fresh I found Matt’s performance in the first two episodes, how the opening of The Time of Angels is more entertaining than anything we should ever dare to expect from a BBC production, how my love of red hair often manifests itself in the form of a recurring dream of Karen Gillan and I – how the two of us can hardly walk for days after we…both pull our backs during a manual handling meeting.

[genericnerdyusername]

Stephen Moffat is the main reason I watch Dr Who. I’ve loved everything he’s had a hand in, from Press Gang to Jekyll to Sherlock. The rest of this year’s Dr Who COULD be bad, but I think Moffat’s episodes will be awesome enough to make up for any sucking that may happen. Though the dolls in Mark Gatiss’ episode look very promising to me.

Then again, I’ve just had a sausage roll from Gregg’s so I might just be in a chipper mood from that…

[Alex]

New trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vIsQ25Krq8&feature=player_embedded

It’s really rather marvelous.

[Ian Symes]

“Fear me. I’ve killed hundreds of Time Lords.”
“Fear me. I’ve killed all of them.”

Fucking yes.

[redhead85]

That new trailer is MADE of fucking win. And those lines are awesome on toast.

[pfm]

Gaiman’s episode…I think it’s safe to say that’s the one we should be getting more than a tad excited about. Though I really realllly can’t wait for the opening ‘Astronaut’ 2-parter.

Also, the best guest stars so far?? Mark Sheppard, Lily Cole, Sarah Smart, Marshall Lancaster, Suranne Jones, Michael Sheen, Alex Kingston (again, obviously), James Corden (yep, again), Hugh Bonneville…we are being seriously spoiled here!

> Fucking yes.

Ohhh this. THAT.

[Alex]

Somewhat annoyingly it would seem that when it was shown tonight on BBC 1 there was an extra shot, absent from the online version. Unfortunately, for anyone watching in England there was just a black screen for the opening 15 seconds or so.

[Ben Paddon]

I am excited. My friend Simon and I are supposed to start doing a Doctor Who podcast (YES I KNOW SHUT UP) after the first episode airs called “Still Not Ginger”, although he appears to have been eaten by internet ghosts.

[NitroChrisUK]

about 37 secs in.. very briefly, is that the 9th and 10th docs TARDIS interior???

[Seb Patrick]

It appears to be, yes.

Judging by clothes, I think this is from Gaiman’s episode. Is the old broken console room now lurking somewhere in the depths of the TARDIS?

[Rad]

The trailer looks like more of the same for me. Note to Steven Moffat – Series 7 should not include any vague prophecies about the Doctor.

[genericnerdyusername]

Vague prophecies about the Doctor?

[Alex]

Here’s that missing shot of the Silents:

[Alex]

In fact, the BBC America trailer that had the shot only some parts of the UK saw also seems to have had a lot of other new bits that can be seen here:

http://madimpossible.tumblr.com/post/4222150621/bbc-america-doctor-who-series-6-trailer-link-or

[Ben Paddon]

Some of the Penny Arcade Forum chaps have speculated that the Silents – if they are indeed the Silents – are based upon the Slender Man.

Considering that bit of “folklore” actually originated from a “make up some creepy stories” thread on the Something Awful forums, it’d be pretty chuffing incredible if true.

[Seb Patrick]

>Some of the Penny Arcade Forum chaps have speculated that the Silents – if they are indeed the Silents – are based upon the Slender Man.

Pfft, that’s been speculated on Gallifrey Base for WEEKS now.

[Ben Paddon]

Ooh, get you.

[TheLeen]

Here’s a challenge. Imagine you don’t know when the new Who episodes start. Because, I don’t know, you live in another country or something so you don’t get spammed with tv trailers and you don’t know how regular the regular time slot is and was it Fridays or Saturdays?
Now go to the BBC website and find the date and time so you can put it in your calender.

Then let me know what to put in my calendar. Ta.

[Jonathan Capps]

EASTER SATURDAY.

But, yes, good point.

[TheLeen]

THANK YOU.

[Gwynnie]

Now imagine you live in Japan, where they don’t celebrate Easter…..
When is that?

[Ian Symes]

http://www.google.com

[Pete Part Three]

Now imagine you live in 1421 and have no concept of TV, the Internet or Doctor Who.

Wha…huh..where…I…oh…

[si]

So. BBC One, Saturday 23rd April, 6pm. Ten days, One hour, 28 minutes.

http://bit.ly/e1nkhg (Radio Times listing)

This makes me happy.

[Alex]

Now imagine you live with Lawrence Mills. Nothing to do with the start time, but Christ doesn’t that sound awful?

[Jonathan Capps]

SIX IS TOO EARLY.

[si]

Six *is* too early, you’re right. Admittedly, the ratings were good, apparently, when the show was on at 6pm last year, but if this year is going to be scarier, then it stands to reason that it wants to be on later.

[Ridley]

Now imagine you live in Japan

[Gwynnie]

Haha, Japan is awesome. I need to seek out the Japanese RD fans, though.

I was too lazy to Google, Ian. Or I was just trying to make conversation :'(…. so 6pm eh? That’s 2am on the morning of the 24th for me…. plus I’ll have to wait until somebody uploads it, as I can’t get iPlayer here (unless there’s a way that I’m unaware of). I also need to make my heathen American boyfriend watch ALL of Who up until this point… we’re halfway through series 2 (of new Who)…

[betelgeuse]

well I’m biased as I’m a big fan of doctor who. I have to say that I like matt smith as the doctor much more than steven moffat’s writing for the show which has been better on sherlock up til now. however, the stuff I’ve seen and heard concerning the series 6 looks much much much much better than series 5, so I hold out for Moffat. Besides mild criticism, I think its fantastic that anyones actually putting out great sci fi, what with dismal products such as outcasts, and brilliant shows like the blakes 7 remake and red dwarf being mooted over the years or put on the back burner.

[Jonsmad]

Yes. But Red Dwarf is once again on the front burner. :-) At least it’s going in the microwave soon with some chilli suace squirted on top.

[Ben Paddon]

Didn’t the Blake’s 7 remake get shitcanned? At the very least Sky pulled out.

[Dave]

>Didn’t the Blake’s 7 remake get shitcanned? At the very least Sky pulled out.

They did indeed.

[genericnerdyusername]

Well?

[Dessie]

I enjoyed that a lot but i feel there was far too much packed into it. I kind of feel like ive watched another trailer and the main event is next week, which it is but i think a 90 minute episode would have been far better to start with.

[genericnerdyusername]

I have to agree. Although my enjoyment was hampered by who I was watching it … My parents who insisted on, every time there was a plot twist, looking at each other while rolling their eyes in a “I could do better than that” way. Really irritated me throughout, so will have to have a second viewing on my own tonight, though I think it was a very interesting episode regardless, I just need to actually have a chance to ENJOY it. Am I rambling? Well I like rambling. :)

[genericnerdyusername]

That should read “who I was watching it with”. Didn’t spot the error in time.

[Alex]

Well my comment doesn’t seem to be showing up on URP! so i’ll put it here. I greatly enjoyed that. The 45 minutes seemed to fly by, and even with the large amount squeezed in some of the scenes seemed longer than last time, allowing the dialogue to breath more. For example, I particularly enjoyed the moment between Rory and River where we can dwell briefly on a relationship we are all familiar with and be reminded of why it is essentially at heart a tragedy.

As for opening with a two parter, well I believe that it paid off. I’m certainly more interested about episode 2 than I have been in some considerable time and it would seem that it has allowed Moffat to set up various plot strands for the rest of the series as in TEH last year. The only thing that slightly concerns me is how the average audience might react to starting with a timey-whimey plot right off the bat.

I’ll reserve my judgement on the Silents until we really see them fully next week, but the concept is a nice play on the idea of a perception filter that I don’t believe has been used before. It was also nice to see Moffat dealing with something a bit more abstract rather than taking something from everyday life and making it scary. It’s a technique that has worked wonders for him, but variety keeps things fresh and this was most welcome.

[Pete Part Three]

I’ll watch it again at some point as I didn’t really give it my full attention. It did seem reminiscent of the usual Moffat ingredients; timey-wimey, the spooky child, even the space-suits echoed Silence in the Library. And it’s great that Moffat is interested in the more complex effects of time-travel in a way that RTD never seemed bothered, but it is beginning to get a little repetitive.

Incidentally, I’m staying with my parents this weekend and, while they watched the Tennant and Eccelston years, they don’t seem to have an interest in the show since the Moffat/Smith takeover. It’s definitely not as accessible as it was and opening with a plot far more complex than Rose, New Earth, Smith and Jones, Partners in Crime and even The Eleventh Hour may be a mis-step.

[Rad]

I was disappointed.

I found a lot of the interaction between the characters was tired and Alex Kingston’s hamming it up annoying. And the Doctor really pissed me off in this episode. Whether it’s constantly telling us how great he is or overly enthusiastic hugging while saying patronising things like ‘And RORY the ROMAN!’, he really got on my nerves.

I found his approach to time travel and crisis situations just too careless and unreal. Landing in the Oval Office, appearing in films, treating an attempt to escape from prison with a friend like a game… the guy is out of control in this episode. This guy is Time Lord Cocky Idiot, recklessly blundering in ensuring things happen in the most madcap way while his followers say how much they love him in the corner of the room. It was almost Doctor Who self-parody at times with the hat-associated eccentricities (I’m really sick of the Fez), little history jokes, ridiculously powerful intuition and that gag about who has to explain the Tardis is bigger on the inside. I hope that’s the last time we see that one. I know it makes sense but I think it’s dangerous to make fun of the conventions of the show like that. Of course when the episode got out of the Oval Office things got a lot more interesting and the second episode will give The Doctor a chance to be more serious but for the first half-hour I was really worried.

Also, did Moffat forget Nixon was in the scene? It was bizarre watching Everett take charge of the scene, while the President said almost nothing. I think also that Everett III bloke really needed a character moment before he got taken by the guys at the bar, he’s just a nothing character walking around aimlessly.

3/5 for me because by the end of the episode I was very excited about how it all would come together.

[ChrisM]

I managed to completely miss this! Forgot it was on, actually. (The week went past so quickly.)

It’s okay, I’ll catch it later.

[genericnerdyusername]

I took the Doctor’s enthusiasm to be a sort of juxtaposition of the Future Doctor’s tiredness. His face when he went down to see the spaceman… He looked really, really sad to me. So I appreciated the over-enthusiastic and youthful Doctor turning up afterwards… and I think Matt Smith did a great job this episode. So many layers to his Doctor.

Meh, just my opinion. Thought I’d throw it out there.

I haven’t rewatched the episode without my parents yet, but it’s growing on my anyway. It certainly have an emotional effect on me, and I’m definitely going to watch the concluding part.

Oh yeah and I didn’t find Alex Kingston hammy at all, I thought she just had good chemistry with the rest of the cast. They all seem very comfortable in their roles, which I never take to be a bad thing.

[Ian Symes]

I’ve just remembered why I never read anyone else’s opinions on Who on the internet. Anyone who thought that was anything other than brilliant is clearly a twat.

[Jonathan Capps]

I thought that was incredible. Anyone who isn’t left terrified and excited by that episode (on many, many different levels, not least what it means for the show as a whole) just wasn’t paying attention.

It *was* very packed but it was handled well. Everything felt very out of control and chaotic, which was fitting considering the circumstances.

What generic says about the contrast between the two Doctors is spot on, in my opinion. Matt Smith was amazing.

I’ve just read a review that’s going to up on Unlimited Rice Pudding at some point soon. I strongly recommend you guys read it, because Julian Hazeldine nails exactly why I loved this episode, better than my half asleep brain can put into words at the moment.

[hummingbird]

> Anyone who thought that was anything other than brilliant is clearly a twat.

This.

[Kris Carter]

And yet again, Moffat and his team ensure I am glued to the TV… cannot wait for next week!

[Author]

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