The Doctor Who Thread

[Kelsain]

Yeah, expiration notes started popping up last week. I remember this happened last year too, but the scuttlebutt online says Bbc is trying to start its own service.

[technoblue]

Yeah, expiration notes started popping up last week. I remember this happened last year too, but the scuttlebutt online says Bbc is trying to start its own service.

Interesting! I caught myself up on those articles. Netflix was convenient, but a BBC America portal could also work if done well. One major benefit would be access to more classic Who episodes. My only concern with it is finding the new access locked behind a cable TV subscription paywall.

[Kelsain]

Exactly. We cut the cable 2 years ago and have been largely fine. Of course, there are workarounds to watching the new episodes, but using those methods to watch a 10 year series... Yeesh. Maybe we'll get lucky & they'll decide to renew with Netflix.

[F-ZeroOne]

The BBC recently added the ability to "buy" episodes of its classic T.V. series to iPlayer, at least in the UK, so that probably explains it.

[Kelsain]

Phew, the Doctor is returning to Amazon next month. Luckily, I'm already a Prime member...

http://nerdist.com/doctor-who-streaming-on-amazon-prime-beginning-in-march/

[Dynaman]

Phew, the Doctor is returning to Amazon next month. Luckily, I'm already a Prime member...

http://nerdist.com/doctor-who-streaming-on-amazon-prime-beginning-in-march/

Good news, I was just getting ready to start re-watching the new show from the start when it got yanked from Netflix. This way I might be able to load a couple episodes on my table for watching on plane rides too.

[technoblue]

Big Chief Studios has opened pre-orders for their 1/6-scale Clara Oswald here:

http://www.bigchiefstudios.co.uk/collectables/doctor-who/sixth-scale-figures/clara-oswald-series-7b

And the likeness of this figure really captures the essence of what Coleman did with the character, I think. I'm impressed with how BCS is improving these figures with each new release. They've come a long way since Amy Pond (who could use a reissue, if Gillan were to allow it).

I'm thinking of going back to Clara's roots with this figure and building an Oswin mock up. I think the beginning of the Impossible Girl's story with Matt Smith had better characterization and writing than what we got at the end with Clara and Ashildr(Me)—when the Doctor was forced to stop saving her. Generally, the implications of what was being done were sound: the Doctor was trying to do a good thing, but in the wrong way and he put countless others at risk (including his own people) to achieve his own selfish ends. Missy pointed out a number of times that the Doctor had started to act more like the Master, and she was right. Moffat was perhaps heavy handed with that message.

Anyway, I don't know how many other people are into the figures, but the new TARDIS is arriving this week and John Hurt's War Doctor is also planned. Although it's a quiet year for the series, there are other things to keep one's interest.

[F-ZeroOne]

The figure in general is lovely but... those hands!

Edited March 15, 2016 by F-ZeroOne

[technoblue]

LoL! Still some room for improvement, I guess.

[F-ZeroOne]

I hope they're pre-production, because they really do look like they've come from a different figure.

Edited March 15, 2016 by F-ZeroOne

[technoblue]

Did I mention I was more of a Rose fan than a Clara fan?

BCS is opening up pre-orders for their new 1/6 Rose Tyler. There's a sign up available for those interested in picking this one up early. This version depicts Billie Piper when she was reprising her role in the Season 4 episode of Doctor Who—The Stolen Earth.

[Dynaman]

Power of the Daleks is being shown in the US on BBC America on the 19th! Always wanted to see this one. Sadly they had to recreate some footage using animation (which looks a bit dodgy but actually fits the old Dr Who look quite well). Also getting shown in theaters via Fathom Events (that will be a few days earlier).

http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2016/09/bbc-america-brings-destroyed-doctor-who-episodes-back-to-life

[technoblue]

Its about time. I know the BBC have said that animating the missing episodes is costly, but I hope they continue to fund more of these projects in the future.

[Gordon Freeman]

Is Class worth watching, or should I just skip around episodes until The Doctor or aliens from the main series show up? Touchwood was terrible until Children of Earth, and the only episodes I watched of the Sarah Jane Adventures was when the Doctor appeared.

Edited November 4, 2016 by Gordon Freeman

[azrael]

Is Class worth watching, or should I just skip around episodes until The Doctor or aliens from the main series show up? Touchwood was terrible until Children of Earth, and the only episodes I watched of the Sarah Jane Adventures was when the Doctor appeared.

Didn't even know it started.

[technoblue]

The Sarah Jane Adventures was excellent. As a Who spinoff, it had the benefit of bringing the focus back to younger viewers and I think the late Elizabeth Sladen brought a lot of validity to it.

Class will be interesting since it roots itself in a place rather than rooting itself with a former companion of the Doctor. As a spinoff for younger viewers, I do think it has some daunting boots to fill. That said, I plan to give it a chance.

I agree that Torchwood fell flat, especially when it was finding its pace during the first season. I think my problem with Torchwood was that in creating a juxtaposition between how the Doctor solved problems and how the Torchwood team solved similar problems without the Doctor around, the writers limited the team's growth. They couldn't be anything more than a bumbling shadow organization.

[Dynaman]

Everyone must have seen a different Torchwood than me. It was great up till that that last season done with US participation - that was just off.

[ly000001]

Is Class worth watching, or should I just skip around episodes until The Doctor or aliens from the main series show up? Touchwood was terrible until Children of Earth, and the only episodes I watched of the Sarah Jane Adventures was when the Doctor appeared.

FWIW, I stopped watching it about five minutes into its fourth episode, when I realized I was watching it because it was a Doctor Who spinoff and not because I found it captivating. Mind you, this show is aimed at older teens and young adults, so I'm not the target audience.

[technoblue]

Onto the next season of Doctor Who, then? 

 

 

[big F]

Not long now

[F-ZeroOne]

Just to avoid any potential cross-Atlantic confusion from that trailer, "chips" = "french fries". Except traditional English chips are generally somewhat chunkier than french fries, which are also sold here as "french fries". In keeping with this nominative straightforwardness, in the UK what Americans usually refer to as "chips" are called "crisps". Clear? (we'll try and avoid the whole "cookie/biscuit" controversy).

[big F]

LOL I had that same conversation only a few days ago.

Also in the UK chips are made of potato slices where as French fries are sometimes a mix of corn flower and other stuff.

Both are equally nice in my opinion.

To me a cookie is a flattish round thing with chocolate chips embedded that come in various sizes and sometimes in packets of 20 or so. Biscuits are nearly the same but come in boxes or packets, and sometimes have chocolate on top or cream sandwiched in the middle like an Oreo cookie.  Oddly they are considered as cookies in the UK.  Equally all can be dunked in milk or hot beverages. No wonder the Americans are confused.

Edited January 7, 2017 by big F

[azrael]

Doctor Who returning in April 15, 2017

And lastly,
Peter Capaldi is leaving Doctor Who
With Moffet leaving this year as well, Chris Chibnall is now free to choose his Doctor for his run.

[technoblue]

Aw. I was hoping to see Capaldi and Chibnall work together for at least one season. At least we still have all of series 10 to enjoy.

Allons-y !

[F-ZeroOne]

The BBC had a line-up of contenders for the role, but its pretty much everyone who has ever worked in British television over the past few years so not overly helpful...

[Mommar]

That's too bad, Capaldi really hit his stride this season too.

[F-ZeroOne]

 

[azrael]

The Master (Not just Missy) returns

[F-ZeroOne]

Which is one of those brilliantly simple ideas that Moffat tends to do so well - "Okay, we've had Doctors meeting before - why not Masters?".

[Mommar]

50 minutes ago, F-ZeroOne said:

Which is one of those brilliantly simple ideas that Moffat tends to do so well - "Okay, we've had Doctors meeting before - why not Masters?".

Fantastic idea... execution though, Moffat can be off many times.

[Dynaman]

1 hour ago, F-ZeroOne said:

Which is one of those brilliantly simple ideas that Moffat tends to do so well - "Okay, we've had Doctors meeting before - why not Masters?".

Go one better - have a reunion of Doctors and Masters.  New Who in a week or so.

[F-ZeroOne]

Its not completely a new idea - theres at least one recent "Doctor Who" novel by Alastair Reynolds (yes, that Alastair Reynolds) where the 70s-era Master meets some of his... other... selves (though for plot reasons they don't play a major role in the story).

[big F]

Didn't the Master meet up with his older self already. IIRC  it was with maybe Sylvester McCoy or Peter Davidson.

I remember the 70's era one with the 80's one.

 

eaither way I'm glad as I enjoyed John Simm as the Master.

Edited June 7, 2017 by big F

[Dynaman]

Back to class - I watched the first three (I think) and stopped recording it after that.  Too much teen angst for me - I've not been a teen for FAR too long to care about that any longer.  The bad CGI work most of the time didn't help either.

[Dangard Ace]

I really want them to extrapolate more on the Water of Mars monsters and the Ice Warriors.