Dr Who (David Tennant)

[DanaC]

*chuckles*

I just watched 'School reunion' from the first Tennant series (for about the fifth time) as it's on BBCIplayer currently. Then logged into the Cellar and the first thread on the list was this :P

Love that episode. The whole thing with Sarah Jane Smith and Rose was excellent.

@ Sundae: Dalton was my Bond too :P I was head over heels in love with him lol.

'My doctor' was probably a hedge between Tom Baker and Peter Davison, though my favourite of the old classic doctors was Colin Baker.

I gotta say though, much as I love David Tennant, he ties with Paul McGann for me now as favourite Doctor. Even though McGann only got to do the slightly dodgy tv movie in the late 90s, and never actually had a stint in the tv series, he's done loads of the Big Finish full-production audio plays. He's so good in those productions, and they are (on the whole) so well written and produced that he looms quite large amongst the fans. You can get away with so much on radio that you just can't do on tv. One play for instance (Scherzo) consists almost entirely of a dialogue between the Doctor and his companion Charley( widely thought to be the inspiration for Rose in terms of the kind of relationship she has with the doctor). Take out a couple of very obvious sci-fi elements (the sound creature and the setting) and it is just a very, very good play. It's beautifully played by McGann and India Fisher and is my favourite ever radioplay.

[Sundae]

I'm hoovering up the Torchwood books/ radio plays/ CDs when I can hold of them at knockdown prices. They're not all that consitent, but at least being on a budget means I can't resent what I've paid for them.

I've fallen asleep to Gareth David-Lloyd about three times this week - no disrespect meant, it's a 2.5 hour recording and as usual I am having trouble sleeping. He relaxes me

You're more a Who fan than I am - I became a Torchwood girl. More sex and violence. Oh, and more John Barrowman. I have such a crush on the Captain. Which does NOT make me a fag-hag, because he's omni My best buys by far have been The Unofficial Torchwood Guides (Series 1 and 2) by Stephen James Walker. I know he's done something similar for Who. They're so detailed, and just what a nerdette like me wanted to feed her head. Also, reading them keeps me sober - I can't read the small print and the footnotes if I've had a drink. Well worth the money secondhand - and probably even new.

I'm watching the San Diego Comic Con vids on YouTube at the mo.
Free, again stops me drinking, and I can have them loud enough to hear because Mum & Dad are housesitting. Yay! Three ticks!

[DanaC]

Oh I love Torchwood. I love all the Who related stuff :P

If you enjoyed the Torchwood audio-plays you might enjoy the Big Finish Doctor stuff. Frankly the eighth Doctor plays are worth it just for McGann's voice :P I can send you a disc with a couple of you want I have many *grins* I could cherry pick you a good one.

Oh, Mark Gatiss has done a few Big Finish plays btw. He plays The Master in the one I am listening to currently. Pegg's in a couple too.

[Sundae]

I knew Mark played the Master - he said his only regret was that it meant he would never be picked to play the Doctor Like they'd have a ginger Doctor...! This is a joke - I adore him.

Oh - yes please!
Send, send, send!

Oops, I still owe you for my Cellar mug & calendar - you can send when I finally pay you back!
I was going to do it this week - honest.
But then I found out the Barrowman was in La Cage Aux Folles, AND Mum would come with me, AND we could get opening night tickets.... and.... well. I'm 51% sure you will both understand and forgive me..


Got the soundtrack for £2 on Amazon. Not JB of course, just to familiarise myself with it (The Birdcage was only very loosely based on the musical). It's grand. I'm almost jealous of myself.

[DanaC]

*laughs* I'd have been annoyed if you'd missed out on that to pay me back hon. There's no rush.

I'll have a root through the plays I have and try and cherry pick a couple of good ones.

[Cloud]

I heard Barrowman's been casted into Desperate Housewives, but don't know if that's true.

I once had a Dr. Who mug that had the TARDIS on it--when you poured hot liquid in it, it disappeared.

[DanaC]

*blinks* I want that mug!

[Cloud]

to be clear, it was the TARDIS that disappeared--not the mug! The effect wore off after a few years. It was like this:

http://www.geocities.com/christoph_m...8CoffeeMug.htm

No sound effects though--that would have been cooler!

[Sundae]

The coollest thing would be Tardis pants.
Far roomier on the inside than they appear (space-age pants)
Occasionally have not only the Doctor, but the Captain inside.
And make a fearsome racket when you come.

Okay, scrap the last one.

[Sundae]

Just watched the last two episodes back to back.
Yes, I cried.
Lovely to see the Captain though. Looking so raddled

Roll on Eleven.
And Torchwood Four.

[DanaC]

I thoroughly enjoyed the finale. And yes I was a little choked up on several occasions!

I didn;t watch part one on Christmas day 'cause I was at my bros. So I downloaded it from i-player...then cuoldn;t bring myself to watch it for days! During which time I read several very mixed reviews (avoided the spoiler-ridden ones) and my best friends J and J both said that the first part was 'pants'. J(f) said it had no real story to it, was just confused and she hated the Master in it blah blah blah. Nothing much really happened, and she hoped part two wold be better.

I knew at the time I'd probably enjoy it more than that because...well because I do generally :P But it meant when i sat down on 1st Jan to watch my download, a couple of hours prior to the finale being shown, that I had low expecations.

I loved it! I don;t understand all the negativity around part one. It had a very clear story. Several very clear story strands in fact. It was tightly paced and fast moving, but managed to get in several really emotional scenes (the ones between Wilf and the Doc nearly had me blubbing, especially the cafe scene). I honestly don;t know what it was that people were expecting to see that they were disappointed with it. Maybe it was just too hyped. Nothing could live up to that level of hype I guess.

The second part was brilliant. Really dark and when the four knocks came...having been so much a part of the build-up they were surprisingly unexpected.

Sat down today and rewatched part one wioth Mum, who hadn;t seen it. She was thrilled by it. She also nearly cried dring the cafe scene and likewise has no clue what J(f) was talking about when she said it had no real story to it.

I think Doctor Who, and especially the big seasonal episodes, have to be watched without cynicism. It's the only way they work.

I noticed in the reviews of this as with other big episodes, a lot of criticism of RTD. I think he's made the cardinal sin for this country of becoming mega succesful. Once that happens people take against you. Also a lot of criticisms over the jack scene. People see that as RTD's gay agenda (?) Which I just think is bizarre.

Of course some of the reviews were very warm and positive. One of them was by a chap who'd been watching it withhis seven year old son. As he was watching it he was thinking: what was all the hype about? This just isn;t very good. The bad guys aren't scary...the story line is unclear. Then he had an epiphany. It came in two parts; first when he realised that every time the master appeared on screen his son jumped and grabbed his arm. Second when the closing credits scrolled for part one and his son turned to him and said "That was the best christmas telly ever!"

That's the way to truly get Who: watch it with a 7 year old. I said that to J: he said yeah....a seven year old or you!

Anyway....that's it. The RTD/tennant era is over, and the Moffat/Smith era has begun. Good luck to them. I hope it continues to be as fresh and cynicism-free as it's been for the last 5 years.

[wolf]

Originally Posted by DanaC

*blinks* I want that mug!

I have that mug. They were quite popular at Science Fiction Conventions.

[fargon]

I just saw the finale on BBC and got all teary eyed, it was sad he didn't want to go.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by DanaC

I loved it! I don;t understand all the negativity around part one. It had a very clear story. Several very clear story strands in fact. It was tightly paced and fast moving, but managed to get in several really emotional scenes (the ones between Wilf and the Doc nearly had me blubbing, especially the cafe scene). I honestly don;t know what it was that people were expecting to see that they were disappointed with it.

I watched them back to back (more or less) but managed to avoid reviews. I'm glad, because it meant I could simply enjoy it without having half an eye on it having to prove itself.
I think Doctor Who, and especially the big seasonal episodes, have to be watched without cynicism. It's the only way they work.

Also a lot of criticisms over the jack scene. People see that as RTD's gay agenda (?) Which I just think is bizarre.

That makes me really cross.
In Dr Who*, Captain Jack is a bisexual man with no angst or hang-ups. Thank God! How rare is it to see non-heterosexual people/ relationships without having "Issues" thrust upon you? Any soap with a gay character has to "do!" AIDs, coming out, homophobia etc etc etc.

*Yes, Jack has issues (lower case and no speech marks) in Torchwood. But they're nothing to do with where he likes to stick his cock.

Children should see everyday interaction between gay people. It happens. It's real. Okay, Jack was seen picking a man up in a bar rather than walking with a partner hand in hand through a park or reminding him to go to the library to pay an overdue fine. But that's Jack - why should his last appearance with the Ten go against character? I was glad to see Jack getting a little light relief - suggested rather than explicit because of the young audience - after all he's been through.

Sorry. I'm off my soapbox now.
It just makes me so mad.

People with opinions like that ruin it for the rest of us. I mean what hope is there now of getting a Torchwood episode in which we see explicit shots of Jack giving the new Doctor head? A shame I tell you.

Completely off topic (well - mostly) Mum shared the wisdom last night that John Barrowman and his partner Scott Gill will not stay together. Scott is apparently not flamboyant enough for John. The fact they've been together nearly two decades, have a civil partnership, dogs, shared family and property does not seem to matter. Hmmmmmmmm. Then again she was in Doom-Saying mode last night. And after all her predictions my hair hasn't fallen out yet, so I'm thinking she might not always be on the button.

[DanaC]

I've just blown-up about this on the Big Finish Off-topic forum.

Someone said they'd be glad to see RTD go and are sick of him ramming his gay agenda down their throats (a rather unfortunate turn of phrase lol).

Two and a half hours of programme and there's a two minute scene in which two gay characters hook up. All as part of the loose ends tie-up in which Donna gets married, Rose runs off to greet the year in which she'll meet her love etc etc. Nobody is up in arms about the wedding scene saying it's pushing a heterosexual agenda. 5 series and two doctors and there's been 1 recurring 'gay' character and maybe 2 non-recurring gay characters. Nothing graphic has ever been shown. How is that pushing a gay agenda? basically, if the programme recognises the existence of gay people this is RTD's gay agenda. Fucking disgraceful.

I don't know why but I tend to expect better of Who fans. You need a certain kind of openness to get Who.