Doctor Who: Season Two [Archive] - Anime Academy Lounge

Tremolo

03-28-2006, 01:25 PM

It's coming.

April 15th has now officially been confirmed by the BBC as the start date for the second season of the joint-greatest sci-fi series on television right now (Battlestar Galactica is the other for those wondering) and even though it's still a few weeks away I'm already excited beyond belief.

David Tennant is, of course, playing the Doctor and Billie Piper returns as Rose Tyler. Sadly, it seems John Barrowman's Captain Jack won't be making an appearance this season thanks to the darker, more adult-orientated spin-off Torchwood in which he will be starring, but an appearance in season three is pretty definite.

For those interested, the new season will be looking like this:

2.01. New Earth by Russell T Davies
2.02. Tooth and Claw by Russell T Davies
2.03. School Reunion by Toby Whitehouse
2.04. The Girl in the Fireplace by Steven Moffat
2.05. Rise of the Cybermen by Tom MacRae
2.06. The Age of Steel by Tom MacRae
2.07. The Idiot's Lantern by Mark Gatiss
2.08. The Impossible Planet by Matt Jones
2.09. The Satan Pit by Matt Jones
2.10. Love & Monsters by Russell T Davies
2.11. Fear Her by Matthew Graham
2.12. Army of Ghosts by Russell T Davies
2.13. Doomsday by Russell T Davies

In other news, the first season has been nominated for Best Drama Series in British Television's most prestigious awards, the BAFTAs. Incredible news.

Anyway. Go! Speculate, ruminate, anticipate... It's not long now :D

And while we're at it, what did you think of the Christmas special?

darylcrowe

03-29-2006, 01:52 AM

I've been looking forward to this series for months now, at least there's a date now, and its quite near from now.

Is it true that K9 is to brought back for this season?

soundchazer

03-29-2006, 03:22 AM

I've been looking forward to this series for months now, at least there's a date now, and its quite near from now.

Is it true that K9 is to brought back for this season?

Both K-9 and Sarah Jane Smith (Companion for Doctors 3 and 4, and probably the most popular among fans) will be back for the episode "School Reunion".

Tremolo

03-29-2006, 12:20 PM

A great gallery of screencaps from the recently aired preview of the new season on BBC News Wales: http://doctorwho.time-and-space.co.uk/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=35

Be aware, all the scenes are from New Earth and there are spoilers within. And doesn't it just look amazing?

Pedro The Hutt

03-29-2006, 02:02 PM

Yay, more David Tennant goodness. XD This doctor looks set to be quite....energetic.

darylcrowe

03-30-2006, 03:21 AM

Yay, more David Tennant goodness. XD This doctor looks set to be quite....energetic.
If he acts like he did in the christmas special, this new season will be a treat.

Also when the new season starts, the doctor who thread will have to be resurrected.

Tremolo

03-30-2006, 04:40 AM

Also when the new season starts, the doctor who thread will have to be resurrected.

I would've resurrected it to start off with, but I felt a fresh new thread focusing on a fresh new set of episodes and Doctor was ultimately a better move. Hence it being called "Season Two" for season two episode discussion. :XD: Impeccable logic!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-fhuXjZXbjI <-- The actual video of the Wales Today report. I just can't get over the sheer awesomeness of it all.

Two. Weeks. On. Saturday!

Yurika Star

04-01-2006, 08:45 PM

* Yurika Star waits for Doctor Who to be released on 110% legal DVD in China so he can watch the new ones!

So I'm off to Shanghai, Beijing or Xi'an to harass DVD sellers into getting it for me. Score.

Tremolo

04-15-2006, 12:35 PM

2.01. New Earth

Brilliant. Very funny and very exciting, just like Doctor Who should be, and I can't get over how right David Tennant (easily one of the best Doctor's ever, and I bet he'll get even better) feels in the role. Billie Piper was excellent and I was surprised with how moving the end was. Beautiful visuals, too. Definitely a strong start, and if I have to compare, far better than Rose.

Roll on the next twelve episodes.

Scoot

04-15-2006, 12:55 PM

I've been a fan of Tennant's ever since Casanova - He's one of those actors who can fill any role requiring a bit of charisma. Good to see Doctor Who hasn't foregone the use of hammy BBC face-painting for its extras!

Tyrdium

04-15-2006, 10:04 PM

I'm only starting the first season, since I live in the States. ("Dalek" rocked, by the way.) I absolutely love Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, so I'm really wary of Tennant. Alleviate my fears?

soundchazer

04-15-2006, 10:13 PM

New Earth:

This episode absolutely rocked. Tennant is just wonderful in the role. I wouldn't say he is better than Eccleston, but every bit as good, and he seems to better at the comedic parts.

And boy, Billy Piper does have a good set... maybe the sexiest companion since Nicola Bryant acting as Peri (actually those 2 would be the only really sexy ones, now that I think about it).

Gbatdeamon

04-16-2006, 04:36 AM

Its anime? here its on Sifi it dosent make sence:greensplo

Tremolo

04-16-2006, 04:47 AM

Its anime? here its on Sifi it dosent make sence:greensplo

If it was anime it'd be in the General Anime section, no? It's a British live action series and as such is in Miscellaneous because it doesn't pertain to the other forums. Honestly, pretty easy to work out. Think before you post.

I wouldn't say he is better than Eccleston, but every bit as good, and he seems to better at the comedic parts.

That's pretty much my thoughts, although with the added bonus that Tennant feels a bit more like the Doctor than Eccleston did. I guess it's just more of a perspective from an Oldskool fan, but Tennant is INSTANTLY the Doctor, whilst it took Eccleston a few episodes to really win me over. He's still the most "different" kind of Doctor in the series' history and that's a good thing.

Alleviate my fears?

He's brilliant, don't worry. And yeah, Dalek is definitely one of the best of the first season - and it's going to get even better, the second half is consistently excellent and the two-part finale is a masterpiece.

Gbatdeamon

04-16-2006, 06:04 AM

first im not up to date and whats Rose?

Pedro The Hutt

04-16-2006, 06:19 AM

Rose, ah... bane of my existance. The Christmas Invasion and New Earth and I still can't get myself to like her (Behold, noob Doctor Who fan). Kudos for Billie Piper for doing the dual role thing though.

And I still love the tenth doctor. XD So... energetic and bizarrely carefree. Something between Jack Sparrow and the Episode II Obi-Wan. >.>;; Or something, he's mainly his own character though.

soundchazer

04-16-2006, 06:47 AM

first im not up to date and whats Rose?

Using Google before asking always helps, but...

http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/drwho.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_who

PsychoSaiya-jin

04-16-2006, 01:08 PM

New Earth was incredible.
The New Doctor is really fresh and energetic whilst at the same time being 110% "The Doctor". I hadn't seen all of season 1, so I can't comment on Eccleston's Doctor but I did feel that he was very different and possibily a little dark/moody.. a bit more like the 5th and 6th perhaps.
Tennant's feels more like the Third and Forth Doctor.
Looking at SC's link, the numbers fit each Doctor pretty well.
Tennant is "Doctor X" ^_^

I liked New Earth quite alot. "The Flesh" seemed like a genuinely scarey concept and I'm almost saddened that they didn't become a new type of monster for the DrWho universe. The ending was pretty good nonetheless.
Line of the day "I'm.. a chav!" XD

[edit] Richard E Grant as the Doctor? http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/webcasts/shalka/

Retlor

04-18-2006, 02:31 PM

I wasn't so sure about New Earth.

The episode kinda dragged. Cassandra is the most annoying character of the new Doctor Who, and Rose comes a close second for me, so a fusion of the two was never going to come off. I also don't get Russell T. Davies' love of redeeming bad characters. I'm all for complexity, but some things just don't work. In the first season he did it with that Slitheen woman, and even the Dalek (I know that was written by someone else, but it still smacked of Davies).

Anyway, I'm not a great fan of Davies. The episode was ok, but not an appropriate season starter.

Pedro The Hutt

04-19-2006, 08:31 AM

Retlor

04-19-2006, 08:53 AM

I watched the whole first season and Rose still hasn't grown on me yet. I find her irritating.

PsychoSaiya-jin

04-19-2006, 12:31 PM

Well Rose is a Chav afterall :P
She does have her moments. The freshest thing about her is that she has her own background and personality (instead of being "Companion #x") and her chemistry with the Dr. is interesting.

soundchazer

04-19-2006, 01:09 PM

I dunno, Cassandra amused me to no end, yay Zoë Wanamaker. XD For all I care she could've stayed in Rose permanently. (Of course, my entire opinion of her is based on the Christmas Invasion, so perhaps she still needs to grow on me)

You should watch last season first before coming to conclussions on Rose. It is like saying you hate Robert DeNiro because your introduction to him was Analyze this, without knowing he did Taxi Driver and Raging Bull.

I think your are better served knowing the background of the character.

And seriously, she is probably just one of a handful of companions with a real personality (Ace and Romana being probably the only others that really stand out). Now whether or not you like her personality is another issue altogether.

I don't particularly mind her, and she does have a pivotal role in the series.

Retlor

04-19-2006, 01:59 PM

Kill me if you want, but I liked Adric.

And you missed Sarah-Jane and Jamie, both of whom were excellant companions.

I can't explain what it is I don't like about Rose, but she just irritates the hell out of me.

soundchazer

04-19-2006, 02:05 PM

Adric?!? Oooooook. Moving on.

Sarah-Jane was great until K-9 appeared. She went down the toilet as a character afterwards.

Tremolo

04-19-2006, 02:26 PM

Sarah-Jane was great until K-9 appeared. She went down the toilet as a character afterwards.

Thankfully that was only for that dreadful one-off spin off programme K-9 And Company, so we didn't get any of that in the series. Leela and K-9 however was totally the weirdest combination. :XD:

As for Rose, I like her a lot. I don't see anything particularly wrong with her, she's just an above average companion - it's more Billie's acting that's impressed me considering her previous career.

And Pedro, I'm intrigued, why did you jump onboard with The Christmas Invasion?

Retlor

04-20-2006, 05:50 AM

[QUOTE=soundchazer]Adric?!? Oooooook. Moving on.[QUOTE]

The first one I ever saw him in was the one where he kicks the bucket, in which he had some fairly good acting and scripting. That kinda biased me when I saw others with him in.

Pedro The Hutt

04-20-2006, 04:57 PM

Well, I owe that one to my Irish friend Kitty. XD I had missed all of the Eccleston season since well, I didn't know about Doctor Who at the time. And over the summer she got me hooked on another BBC sci-fi franchise, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. So as Christmas approached she told me of this christmas Doctor Who special that I should catch as it'd be a pretty standalone episode without too much backstory. And so on Christmas I sat down in front of the telly and watched this highly charismatic, happy-go-lucky Doctor with more knowledge than you can shake a stick at save the world in his jammies and make a HHGTTG reference to boot, and 'lo, I was hooked.
I should also thank Kitty for kindly sending me copies of the Eccleston season, which I started watching today.

Once I'm done with the Tennant and Eccleston doctors I might go for Tom Baker, I loved him in Blackadder. ("Ooh! You have a woman's hand milord!")
[/end rant]

soundchazer

04-20-2006, 05:19 PM

Once I'm done with the Tennant and Eccleston doctors I might go for Tom Baker, I loved him in Blackadder. ("Ooh! You have a woman's hand milord!")
[/end rant]

Well... Tom Baker is THE Doctor, although I have to admit I have a lot of fondness for Peter Davison's version.

Retlor

04-22-2006, 12:26 PM

Today's episode: 'Tooth and Claw' was fairly good.

They built up suspense nicely and had good dialogue and action.

Shame about the mad monks though.

Tremolo

04-22-2006, 12:41 PM

Fairly good?

2.02. Tooth and Claw

One of the best so far, no doubt about it. Easily one of the best werewolves I've seen, too. Next to the Ginger Snaps movies that is.

Utterly sublime stuff, beautifully shot and acted with a wonderful musical score and utterly amazing CG. David Tennant, not to mention Russell T. Davies' writing, just gets better and better. Dark and genuinely creepy stuff, but not too graphic, which I guess is good for the timeslot. It's wonderful what some sound effects and tight editing can do rather than buckets of blood.

Roll on Sarah Jane, K-9 and Tony Head next week. :D

Retlor

04-22-2006, 12:49 PM

Scoot

04-22-2006, 01:17 PM

It's wonderful what some sound effects and tight editing can do rather than buckets of blood.

Damn straight. The sound editing was so good you could almost feel the evisceration.

Not sure if i'm going to be able to see Anthony Head as anything other than Buffy's watcher or the Prime Minister With the Gay Assistant.

Tremolo

04-22-2006, 01:25 PM

I'm not a fan of Russell T. Davies.

This episode and the penultimate one last season are the only ones of his I really liked. The other writers are better generally. (I mean, compare Moffat's 'Empty Child' double with Davies' 'Aliens of London' double. Moffat is clearly the better writer.)

It's strange, because I loved the version of Casanova he did, which also starred David Tennant.

That's fair enough - I guess his writing doesn't appeal to everyone, but I think perhaps his scripts suffered over season one because he wrote over half of the episodes, and Aliens of London would've fared a lot better with a different director and had it not been in the first production block, but I still liked it quite a bit. It honestly gets better with repeated viewings. Obviously, The Empty Child is in a different league, but Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways still remain my favourite episodes of the first season.

That said, that was the last Rusty episode for a good seven weeks. His next one is 2.10, then 2.12 and 2.13.

Pedro The Hutt

04-22-2006, 01:51 PM

That said, I'm looking forward to season 3. XD One of the episodes will be written by Stephen Fry. That ought to be amusing. (Pity we don't have Douglas Adams around anymore for writing more episodes. >.>;; )

soundchazer

04-22-2006, 09:53 PM

Cool episode... and the first genuine mention of the new spinoff, Torchwood (although there have been hints in previous episodes).

It is a shame we won't get to see Captain Jack as part of the Doctor Who cast though. He was a very amusing companion.

Pedro The Hutt

04-23-2006, 05:37 AM

Rumour has it that he'll re-appear in the third season though. So cross your fingers.

Retlor

04-25-2006, 09:20 AM

His appearence for the third season has been confirmed and he may appear in the final two episodes of this season.

Until then, we have to see what Torchwood will be like.

Tremolo

04-29-2006, 12:41 PM

2.03. School Reunion

This one won't have nearly the same effect on the new fans, which is a real shame. For oldskool nerds like myself, I can say that I almost cried like a baby at the end, which is pretty unusual for me.

Just wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. I really hope Toby Withouse gets another script sometime because there's no sign of him in the writers line-up for season three (see below).

It was just so, so good to see Sarah Jane and K-9 again.

Glad that Tennant finally got some proper emotional stuff to work with, too. He really IS the Doctor now, no doubt about it.

I know my thoughts are a bit muddled, but I just loved this episode so much.

Scoot

04-29-2006, 01:00 PM

For me the most touching part was how SJ said "He's just a stupid metal dog" - I really felt it communicated the fact that The Doctor had left her all alone for so long, with only K9 to tell her that it had actually happened at all.

Pedro The Hutt

04-29-2006, 01:45 PM

Eeeevil Anthony Head... is interesting. (I couldn't help but think about HHGTTG though when they were talking about being able to access the greatest mysteries of the universe.... 42 babeh)

Also, even though he got some emotional stuff, it doesn't seem to take long for him to be back to his usual genki self either. An interesting Doctor all in all. Even though a friend of mine keeps describing him as selfish.

darylcrowe

04-29-2006, 01:46 PM

I loved that episode. K9 was so cool and "we are in a car" moment was funny. Also the fact that the whole evil network can be shut via one plug was hilarious.

The headmaster reminded me of the guy out of the "demon headmaster" show which was on tv a while ago.

Dirty Harry

04-30-2006, 11:28 AM

I tried to watch season one but it was boring. ;_;

Is season two any better, and do I really need to see season one to understand it?

Trem still blows because he hates Queen.

Pedro The Hutt

04-30-2006, 11:38 AM

I never knew dildos to be square. That would hurt muchly for a woman. Oh well. You rampant post editor you.

*goes on to watch The Curse of Fatal Death whilst waiting for next week's episode*

soundchazer

04-30-2006, 09:01 PM

This episode was SUCH a treat. I wonder what the doctor meant by the "not you" response to Rose's question. Hmmmm...

PsychoSaiya-jin

05-01-2006, 11:18 AM

I don't know what was best about that episode;
SJ vs Rose
Evil Anthony Head (HE HAS TO RETURN!)
K9
Mickey = The Metal Dog ^_^

Mickey officially joining the crew will be interesting. I've already decided he must secretly be an Agent of Torchwood, simply because he knows far too much.

Pedro The Hutt

05-01-2006, 12:44 PM

PsychoSaiya-jin

05-01-2006, 02:57 PM

Hmmm... if the 9th Doctor didn't hand him those convenient passwords to britain's best guarded databanks he wouldn't be knowing nearly half as much though. Why would Torchwood employ a 20 something year old working in a garage?
Why not :)
I haven't seen all of season 1 so I don't remember seeing him get those passwords from the Ninth.

I'm still hoping to see the return of Anthony Head's character seeing as he chose not to take the bat-form and thus wouldn't be hurt by the oil.

Which reminds me, seeing BIllie Piper/Rose as a dinner-lady made me lol

Pedro The Hutt

05-01-2006, 04:32 PM

Oh yes. "How the pretty have fallen." XD

But I don't think he'll be back, seeing how well, they all exploded. >.>;; Explosions are tough to survive.

Yurika Star

05-01-2006, 06:33 PM

But not impossible ;p

The amount of times I've seen someone explode then come back to have there wicked way with me, well, you know how the saying goes.

And I thought the episodes in this season are getting better. Didn't think ep. one was that great, and enjoyed episode 2, thought 3 was the best so far (of this new season).

I still think I prefer Eccleston as the Doc, but Tennant is more conventional. I think he'll get better as his character develops. I'm not sure if it is just Tennants acting isn't as good as Ecclestons emotionaly, or if he hasn't had the parts to show off his emotions yet. But episode 3 was a step in the right direction.

PsychoSaiya-jin

05-01-2006, 10:11 PM

Tremolo

05-06-2006, 03:53 PM

2.04. The Girl in the Fireplace

"Everyone has nightmares - even monsters."
"What do monsters have nightmares about?!"
"Me!"

Ever seen Sapphire and Steel? This episode was kind of a mixture between that, and bizarrely, David Tennant's Casanova, and it's a good deal better than that combination sounds on paper.

Strange, beguiling, surreal, beautiful, moving... And in a way, quite atypical Doctor Who, but all the better for it. There's no real comparison between this and Steven Moffat's season one episodes The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances because this is quite a different beast. There are a few jumpy scares here and there but this is more of an epic romance.

Sophia Myles was fantastic and Tennant was perfect once again, getting the honour of being the first actor to play the Doctor drunk, too... outside the early 90's novels that is. Although I think I'm the only one that read those.

This is shaping up to be the best season of Doctor Who ever and I simply can't wait for the Cybermen next week. Wonderful stuff.

Pedro The Hutt

05-07-2006, 09:58 AM

PsychoSaiya-jin

05-09-2006, 05:22 AM

A pretty good episode (Horsey!), but if anything, Madame Du Pompadour's Mary-Sue-ness got a bit unnerving. Not only does she reverse the Doctor's mindreading, she also manages to unroot all the necessary information about him AND, no less, understand his persona and NOT go into the kind of culture shock that would make Rose's seem like a mild cultural electric discharge.

Other than that, great stuff. =D
Well she was Madame du Pompador afterall ^_^

The cybermen looks like they'll be fun. They seem to be making the old favorates even scarier than I remember them being before and the Cybermen look like they'll be a good example of that.
The prospect of "alternate worlds" seems unusual. Has Dr Who ever had those before?

Tremolo

05-09-2006, 06:09 AM

The prospect of "alternate worlds" seems unusual. Has Dr Who ever had those before?

They have but only once, way back in the classic 1970, Jon Pertwee-starring Inferno which is actually getting a DVD release either this month or next. The world the Doctor gets thrown into is a kind of facist dictatorship at the brink of destruction.

soundchazer

05-09-2006, 09:58 AM

Hmmm... this was indeed an interesting episode.

Something I am finding a bit humorous is how the writers are playing with the fact that Tennant was previously acting as Cassanova, since his portrayal of the Doctor so far seems to have a particular weakness for women, much to Rose's dismay. I think that aspect of this Doctor will be one of the reasons why Rose ends up leaving (as far as I know, Billie Piper is not returning for a third year).

Pedro The Hutt

05-09-2006, 10:01 AM

She's not? No complaints on my end. XD

soundchazer

05-09-2006, 10:17 AM

She's not? No complaints on my end. XD

* soundchazer shrugs

She has been on of the best companions ever. Maybe for your standards she is not all that, but for those of us who grew watching the series, she is one of the few female companions that would not yell and scream every time there was a problem.

The best companion ever, in my opinion, is still Captain Jack. I liked Peri a lot too, but only because she looked hawt.

Tremolo

05-09-2006, 10:29 AM

I've grown to hate Peri >.> I think it's the voice and the stupid clothes.

It was all about Ace when I was 10, but now I think my favourite TV companion is both versions of Romana. I like Evelyn from the 6th Doctor audio range a lot, too.

But the companion that holds the biggest key to my heart is none other than Professor Bernice Summerfield. I will not hear a word against Benny for she is made of win and gold. I just wish she'd been a TV companion as opposed to just the books and audios, but that doesn't matter, she owns too much.

soundchazer

05-09-2006, 10:40 AM

I've grown to hate Peri >.> I think it's the voice and the stupid clothes.

If it is the clothes, then blame the 80's for her style. She seems to be par for the course. Plus, that cleavage of hers in the regeneration between the fifth and sixth doctor was awesome! ;)

As for the audio doctor stories, I don't consider those to be legit doctor stories, so that Bernice character says absolutely nothing to me. Doctor Who has been all about the stories AND the visuals. The audio versions may be good, but represent to me the same thing the "Ultimate" line in comic books represents for the original continuity... good entertainment, but not the genuine article.

Tremolo

05-09-2006, 10:56 AM

If it is the clothes, then blame the 80's for her style. She seems to be par for the course. Plus, that cleavage of hers in the regeneration between the fifth and sixth doctor was awesome! ;)

As for the audio doctor stories, I don't consider those to be legit doctor stories, so that Bernice character says absolutely nothing to me. Doctor Who has been all about the stories AND the visuals. The audio versions may be good, but represent to me the same thing the "Ultimate" line in comic books represents for the original continuity... good entertainment, but not the genuine article.

I think the great thing about Doctor Who is you can make your own mind up about what is and isn't canon, TV series included mainly because bits of the TV series retcon other bits from time to time. As for the non-TV stuff, I can completely understand your viewpoint and I don't disagree with it at all, but I personally consider the 90's book range of Doctor Who New Adventures to be canon (Benny included) because it fills the gap between Survival and the TV movie perfectly. Sure you can leave what happened to Ace up to your own imagination, but if a book like Set Piece does her leaving so well, what's the point? And, unlike the 8th Doctor books range (which had Gallifrey destroyed by the Doctor due to the machinations of the time travelling voodoo cult Faction Paradox - nothing to do with the Time War), not a single aspect has yet to be cancelled out by the new series. Not to mention RTD's human empire in the future is EXACTLY the same as that depicted in the NA's.

As for the audios, I dunno. It is afterall proper, BBC-licensed Doctor Who starring the proper Doctor Who actors with proper Doctor Who scripts - all that's missing are the visuals :XD: And there are a few audios that I wish had been made at the time rather than some others. Season 21 with Loups Garoux instead of The Twin Dilemma would've been perfection... but these are merely fanwanky thoughts are are best ignored. As for for their canonicity, I'm not sure what to think considering how well they slot inbetween the past TV stories. I do hate that they've inserted a whole new companion and a big long run of stories inbetween Planet of Fire and Caves of Androzani which I always assumed followed each other pretty directly, but it's not a big deal. Ultimately, I think it's all down to opinion and preference, especially considering the BBC have yet to say "THIS ISN'T ABOUT CANON!" about the books and audios or anything.

soundchazer

05-09-2006, 11:08 AM

The one thing that I find telling on the matter, is that the stories presented in these 2 seasons of the Doctor are only making mention of material from previous TV incarnations of the characters and NOT the books nor the audio serials. And it makes sense.

Look at the Star Wars universe for a second. Even though there are books that were published before episodes 1-3, episodes 1-3 represent the "canon" for the series, even if some events contradicts chronology from the books.

I see books and audio materials to be nothing more than a marketing ploy to milk the brand for all its worth. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying people SHOULDN'T enjoy them, nor that the quality isn't there, but when even the TV writers fall back to the TV series and decide to ignore tha books and audio materials, it kind of takes away the legitimacy of the stories.

They make for good alternative stories though... just like Elseworlds did for the established DC characters.

Erigion

05-09-2006, 12:05 PM

Rose is coming back for S3

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4858010.stm

Captain Jack may return for S3 depending on scheduling conflicts with Torchwood.

soundchazer

05-09-2006, 12:34 PM

Hmmm... so Piper did change her mind then. All the previous reports said she was quitting at the end of season 2.

Tremolo

05-09-2006, 12:43 PM

I've heard very sketchy things - some say that she's signed up but won't be in all of it, some say Rose is leaving in the Christmas special which is technically part of season three's recording block, some say it's just a cover for whatever earth-shattering events occur in the season finale... but I think general consensus is that she's not going to be in the whole season. I've also heard that the replacement for Rose gets introduced in the the two-part season closer too, which would be nice. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

PsychoSaiya-jin

05-09-2006, 02:08 PM

I'd be difficult to imagine anyone else at the moment since Rose's character is becoming an integral part of this new format for Dr Who.

soundchazer

05-09-2006, 02:23 PM

You get used to it. In fact part of the reason why the show has lasted as much is because of those changes. It makes the whole premise stay fresh by having new group dynamics all the time.

PsychoSaiya-jin

05-13-2006, 12:06 PM

"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight..." :D

Tremolo

05-13-2006, 01:25 PM

2.05. Rise of the Cybermen

Very good, but not quite perfection for me, mainly because of all the required set-up for the next part - not that that's a bad thing of course, it's just not the most incredibly exciting thing to watch. It IS only half the story after all, and the pay-off should be fantastic. However, a definite 8/10, with lots of brilliant moments and the Cybermen are absolutely amazing.

Was I the only one who found John Lumic a bit unintentionally hilarious in places? The bit about the crashing the party joke with the mad cackle at the end had me in stitches; fantastically old series :D

And that scene with In The Jungle was genius!

gdavall2003

05-13-2006, 02:34 PM

The Cybermen episode was very good. Makes me wonder what would happen if they ever fought the Daleks. Actually, has it already happened? I've only seen these two series.

Tremolo

05-13-2006, 02:40 PM

The Cybermen episode was very good. Makes me wonder what would happen if they ever fought the Daleks. Actually, has it already happened? I've only seen these two series.

o.O You must've missed the two and a bit Dalek-centric episodes from the first season, then :XD:

EDIT - Dug up from the old Who thread:

I know, the Daleks are coming. EXTERMINATE!

Don't worry, we all have brain farts from time to time :D

gdavall2003

05-14-2006, 01:05 PM

o.O You must've missed the two and a bit Dalek-centric episodes from the first season, then

No, I meant what would happen if the CYBERMEN fought the Daleks. I've seen the series that have been shown the last two years but that's it.

Tremolo

05-14-2006, 01:25 PM

No, I meant what would happen if the CYBERMEN fought the Daleks. I've seen the series that have been shown the last two years but that's it.

I blow :(

I've actually heard that's on the cards for the season finale. Could just be wanky fannish "rumours", but I've heard a black Dalek prop was seen at the location, or something. I guess it's another case of waiting and seeing.

Tremolo

05-20-2006, 11:51 AM

2.06. The Age of Steel

It's nigh-on impossible to discuss this episode without spoilers, but I'll give it my best shot.

This is easily the joint best episode of the second season so far and much better than the first part, mainly because the shock factor and the drama is so much higher. This is genuinely terrifying stuff in places and really goes into the horror of the Cybermen better than anything than the old series (bar the audio drama Spare Parts which all self-respecting Who fans should listen to). I would've liked to see more of the conversion process, but what we got was more than good enough.

And it's a testament to Mickey that I started off hating him and absolutely loved him by the end of this. What a hero.

Magnificent stuff.

PsychoSaiya-jin

05-20-2006, 12:10 PM

Dammit, I missed most of this episode because it got movedforward.
Sodding Eurovision Song Contest >:-(

silan

05-20-2006, 01:11 PM

Well, I've finally caught up (up through episode 5 of the second season, anyway).

I'd like to start off by thanking all those people responsible for hooking me on the show and turning me into a raving Doctor Who fanatic. You know who you are. I now have only 1 or 2 GBs of harddrive left because of you.

But it's well worth it.

It was a big disappointment to me to see Eccleston leave after the first season, since his portrayal of the Doctor was one of the main reasons that I got hooked on the show to begin with. But, to paraphrase the main cause of my overburdened harddrive, I picked the wrong series to like if I don't like the main actors changing out. In fact, it's one of the more interesting concepts of the series, the more I think about it. The fact that the actors can all change out, but the series remains just as fascinating as before, is an idea that doesn't exist in American television. In most series of American TV (in fact, I'd say most TV series in general), the story is driven by one or two main actors, and if they disappear, the story soon fizzles out. (Think X-Files losing Duchovny.) But Doctor Who is unique, and even has an explanation built right into the story to account for the changes. Clever.

Anyway, I'm finally starting to really like Tennant, and mainly from "The Girl in the Fireplace," which is one of my favorite episodes from both seasons of the new series. It was an awesome episode and quite touching too. For a one-episode appearance, I thought Madame du Pompadour was a very strong and interesting character.

I also just finished watching the "City of Death" episodes, with Tom Baker. He's very good as well, and I'm looking forward to finding more classic Who episodes.

And I'm twiddling my thumbs waiting for ep 6 to come out.

Tremolo

05-20-2006, 01:30 PM

I also just finished watching the "City of Death" episodes, with Tom Baker. He's very good as well, and I'm looking forward to finding more classic Who episodes.

And I'm twiddling my thumbs waiting for ep 6 to come out.

Ahh, City of Death is brilliant, and easily one of the funniest stories of the classic series ("What a wonderful butler, he's so violent!"; "You're a beautiful woman, probably..."). It's actually written by Douglas "Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy" Adams under another name, because of some silly BBC policy. But I love it, really great stuff.

I look forward to seeing what you make of some of the more harder-edged old series episodes, especially the marvellous The Caves of Androzani, although I'd recommend watching some more fifth Doctor episodes before that for maximum impact (Kinda, The Visitation, Earthshock, Frontios and Resurrection of the Daleks are my choice favourite fifth Doctor stories).

If I had to suggest some kind of viewing plan for anyone planning to delve into the old series on the back of the new one, I'd overlook the 60's stuff because it's all a bit slow and dull and not really very important. Once we hit colour and the Jon Pertwee era, season 7 is very good, although it comprises three seven-part stories and one four-parter, which is a little bit of a turn-off, but it's fantastic and easily the best part of his era. He has a few select good stories down the line, but I just don't enjoy either the era or his Doctor very much.

You can't go wrong with anything from Tom Baker's first three seasons (12-14) because it's mostly all fantastic and widely considered the best years of the show, some of 15, all of 16, bits of 17, all of 18. Peter Davison's three seasons are rather variable - 19 (avoid Four to Doomsday and Time-Flight like the plague, though) and 21 are mostly excellent, but 20 is mostly very bad (Snakedance is good, though). Colin Baker's two seasons are also a bit up and down - at least three quarters of 22 are excellent, but I'd save 23 (the famous 14-part Trial of a Time Lord story) for later. The last two McCoy seasons (25 and 26) are amazing - but make sure to avoid most of 24, although Delta and the Bannermen and Dragonfire are rather good.

If anyone wants me to go into anymore detail, just ask :)

Pedro The Hutt

05-20-2006, 04:05 PM

As to tonight's episode... a particular highlight to me was The scene where that one Cyber...woman gets her memory back... there was just something incredibly sad about it. Almost made me cry it did

All in all, great two parter though.

silan

05-20-2006, 06:40 PM

Ep 2.06: Oh, wow. What a great episode. That's the reason I've fallen in love with this show. Awesome writing, and with a compassion that still doesn't flinch at showing hard facts. Everything ends up well, but yet not well at the same time. It's a very bittersweet show.

One of the more tragic parts of the episode for me was when Peter and Rose saw what happened to Jackie. Not exactly that she got turned into a Cyberman, which wasn't really that surprising, but rather the part where they reassure each other that they can turn her back... and then turn around to see her lost in a group of other Cybermen... and they realize they can't even tell which one she is. Her humanity and her personality has been completely lost and demolished by the transformation, and now she no longer exists. Just one brief split-second in a series full of such meaningful split-seconds, but it perfectly conveyed to me the horror of what the Cybermen were. That moment actually meant more to me than the part where the Cyberman recovers her memories, although that was very sad as well.

And way to go, Mickey. That was another tragedy, because I always liked Mickey and felt sorry for him, since he could never be anything to Rose other than second best. It was sad that he could only really shine by parting ways with her forever, but at least he's got a purpose besides just to greet Rose when she comes back from another adventure.

Now, I'd just like to know when the Captain comes back, and how he'll react to the new Doctor. The three of them (with Eccleston) had an entertaining dynamic, and I want to see more of it... or something similar, with the Doctor's new personality.

Tremolo

05-27-2006, 12:11 PM

2.07. The Idiot's Lantern

Exactly what you'd expect from a Mark Gatiss script: good, old fashioned, scary-as-hell Doctor Who and that's by no means a bad thing. Beautifully directed and acted (easily Tennant's best performance so far) and with a ridiculously gripping finale. After the cinematic rush of last week's, this is exactly what was needed and it does the job perfectly.

I also found Rose to be easily at her most likeable since...probably The Doctor Dances, which is a Good Thing, it's just a shame that she seemed to be absent from so long. Clearly Billie was on holiday.

Highly effective subplot too, and not something Doctor Who does very often.

Scoot

05-27-2006, 12:35 PM

For some reason I found Rose way more physically attractive than I usually do - even with that much eyeliner. That in itself is quite a feat, but the episode was great too - though I thought the ending was a little too... convenient?

Pedro The Hutt

05-28-2006, 12:46 PM

2.07. The Idiot's Lantern

I also found Rose to be easily at her most likeable since...probably The Doctor Dances.

Would that be because she was hardly on screen for most of the episode? =D And without a face at that.

Tremolo

06-03-2006, 01:02 PM

2.08. The Impossible Planet

The first proper, proper alien planet story of the new series so far and probably my most anticipated episode of the season. To say it doesn't disappoint is an understatement, but it really, really doesn't.

The visuals are probably the best ever in Doctor Who's history - truly stunning stuff. Better still is the remarkable imagery apparent that manages to be both eerily beautiful and incredibly chilling. The Ood are very, very Lovecraftian creations and simply add to the episode's overwhelming eye candy factor.

Visuals aside, the acting, writing and horror movie-inspired direction are all more than up to par, whilst the musical score in particular feels a bit like something from Firefly, and is my favourite of the season so far.

Alongside The Girl in the Fireplace and Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways, this is my absolute favourite episode of the series since it returned back in 2005. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.

Pedro The Hutt

06-03-2006, 02:59 PM

Toby has the Orochimaru curse seal OMG!

Ehem, of course, just watch as it turns out to be an evil alien with delusions of grandure rather than Satan himself.

As to the episode itself, very exciting, very disturbing, very intriguing, lots of things starting with very really.

Also, the Tardis seems to be having a very lousy season really. Out of order, fallen down an immeasurable abyss, whatever next?

Retlor

06-06-2006, 12:57 PM

Good, scary episode for the first time in a while.

Although, if I was going to be pedantic, I would say that you wouldn't be able to see the light going into the black hole, because it would be a black hole, and the light would be being sucked in.

Pedro The Hutt

06-06-2006, 01:29 PM

Well, no one has ever seen a black hole from that distance, so there still is plenty of room for artistic license.

PsychoSaiya-jin

06-06-2006, 01:34 PM

Tremolo

06-10-2006, 12:49 PM

2.09. The Satan Pit

And so it ends.

Wow.

And how 'bout that beast, eh?

PsychoSaiya-jin

06-10-2006, 03:06 PM

2.09. The Satan Pit

And so it ends.

Wow.

And how 'bout that beast, eh?
Oh he was so angry :D

Of course, alot of these last 2 eps have been based on our current knowledge of black holes. Imagine the possiblities new discoveries would mean for this story. hehe

The Tardis is truely deus ex machina!

Pedro The Hutt

06-10-2006, 04:59 PM

I was in fact a tad disappointed by this episode. All this build up and, I dunno. More religious references than I'd care to shake a stick at does not a good episode make.

Oh well, onto next week! And hopefully Rose won't exploit her Mary Sue-ness so much then.

PsychoSaiya-jin

06-17-2006, 12:02 PM

Now this new episode is sheer brilliance. A proper bit of britf00 sci-fi writing.
Electric Light Orchestra for the win!
I feel the need for a densha-otoko/gainax-daicon style music video to be made XD

"This vision's danicing in my mind
The early dawn, the hands of time
Twilight's dancing in my window pane..."

Tremolo

06-17-2006, 12:45 PM

2.10. Love & Monsters

I always like mad experimental episodes - Farscape did them beautifully, and Doctor Who's first proper go at one doesn't disappoint either.

Very funny, very clever, very different and surprisingly moving in parts, too. This is Doctor Who really breaking all its boundaries and still being very, very Doctor Who in its ideas and general feel. That said, I don't think it'd be half the episode it is if it weren't for the wonderful performances, with Marc Warren especially carrying the episode beautifully.

Utterly fabulous - as anything with blowjob gags involving a paving slab should be.

Disappointed by the lack of 'Twilight', though :XD:

soundchazer

06-18-2006, 10:37 PM

pffft... Twilight was not even their greatest hit...

I was looking for "Last Train to London", "Rock and Roll is King" or "Calling America".

ELO for the win.

And it was great to finally have one of those silly moments that the old series had from time to time and expand it to almost a complete episode. Nice piece of acting on this one, since comedy requires good actors to make it work.

Pedro The Hutt

06-19-2006, 01:25 PM

While it certainly was a nice concept, I really got the feeling the episode didn't go anywhere for the first 30 minutes, leaving everything to be done in the final 15... oh well. On to next week's episode! With more Tennantness please!

In the meantime... for those who haven't seen it yet. Dalek Dalek Truck~ (http://artistic-insanity.net/song/daleksong.html)

PsychoSaiya-jin

06-20-2006, 07:11 AM

silan

06-20-2006, 05:18 PM

This episode (10) was great, as they've all been. It did take awhile to get going, but the comedy was dead-on, the acting was great, and overall it was a hilarious episode.

Over the weekend, I finally watched some of the old Doctor Who episodes I've been accumulating; in particular: Earthshock and the Caves of Androzani. I enjoyed both a lot, although I would have enjoyed Caves more if my DVD hadn't been screwed up. It probably would have been easier to follow the story if the disc hadn't jumped around all over the place every few minutes, and skipped for no reason. Damn you, DVD people!

Yurika Star

06-21-2006, 12:26 AM

I haven't seen the last 4 episodes because I pissed on my friends laptop and broke it....

I really wish I was joking T_T

silan

06-21-2006, 06:48 AM

You know, that's one of those tidbits of information that should never be posted.

Tremolo

06-21-2006, 06:54 AM

Over the weekend, I finally watched some of the old Doctor Who episodes I've been accumulating; in particular: Earthshock and the Caves of Androzani. I enjoyed both a lot, although I would have enjoyed Caves more if my DVD hadn't been screwed up. It probably would have been easier to follow the story if the disc hadn't jumped around all over the place every few minutes, and skipped for no reason. Damn you, DVD people!

Damn, that's a pain - especially considering it afflicted Caves. I'd definitely suggest emailing DVDpacific and asking for a replacement. They're really good at that kind of thing. Glad you liked 'em though - both stories pack a real punch at the end.

I haven't seen the last 4 episodes because I pissed on my friends laptop and broke it....

I really wish I was joking T_T

GG Yuri. :XD:

Yurika Star

06-21-2006, 07:54 PM

AHA! She just got her new MacBook Pro, she will be downloading The Doctor as we speak... I hope.

soundchazer

06-21-2006, 08:07 PM

yeah... as soon as she puts a really tight rubberband around your willy.

Dirty Harry

06-21-2006, 08:56 PM

Ummm... episode 10 was really funny and good and I liked it a lot, but not as much as the Christmas Invasion. But. It was awesome.

And I tried to watch Robot, but that was utter batshit.

Tremolo

06-24-2006, 12:37 PM

2.11. Fear Her

Ho-hum.

I usually feel pretty buzzed and happy after a new Doctor Who episode, but this was probably the first since the series returned that I can honestly say didn't really do it for me. Infuriatingly average stuff, rather than actively bad and if that weren't enough, completely overshadowed by the Next Time trailer.

Great performances of course and some nice moments here and there, but it never really takes off.

Sigh.

BUT HOW ABOUT NEXT WEEK, EH? HOW ABOUT THAT?!

silan

06-25-2006, 05:20 PM

Hmmm, I agree about episode 11. They did have some really good scenes between Rose and the Doctor, though, as well as some good lines.

But next episode!!! Holy crap!! "The last story I shall ever tell"?!

And we've got a whole week before we can see it, too! Argh!

PsychoSaiya-jin

06-26-2006, 09:45 AM

I can't wait for next week :D

lol Pedro. YELLOW TRUCK!

Pedro The Hutt

06-26-2006, 10:44 AM

And a funny and a fuzzy Dalek.

I kinda liked saturday's episode. But then, as a new fan I probably have a whole different idea about what makes a good episode. If anything I did love:

Doctor: "Well I used to be a dad once."
Rose: *stunned look* "What?"

I also got a laugh about the preview. My sister exploded into cheers of "Rose is gonna diiiee!".

soundchazer

06-26-2006, 10:51 AM

I dunno why you hate her so much... I think she has been a really good companion.

And I do agree with you, the episode was not as bad as Trem was describing it. It still outclasses about 1/3 of the episode of the old series (specially within the first 3 doctors).

Tremolo

06-26-2006, 11:05 AM

Just for the record, I certainly didn't think the episode was bad, I thought it was a bit of a curate's egg. A nice portion of good moments, but nothing else really all that noteworthy.

The problems I actually had with it are thus:

Visually, it was bland and rather samey. There's not a lot you can do with one street, no matter how well directed it is. I know the whole point of the episode is the mundane and the ordinary, but I just don't think it really worked.

It should've been scary, but it wasn't. There was absolutely no tension whatsoever with the girl when there really should've been. The script simply didn't convince me she was that much of a threat and as a result. all it seemed a bit half-hearted.

The concept of drawings coming alive and vice versa is perfect for Doctor Who. We should've had monsters coming alive and wreaking havoc in the street, or at the very least, a bit more prolonged threat with the dad in the cupboard thing, but all we get is a shadow and a red light. I guess I'm thinking more of what I would've done if I'd written it and you may disagree, but I think it would've been more memorable and effective if they'd just pushed the concepts and the horror factor of it all a bit more. The writer said in Doctor Who Magazine that it had a "gas mask moment" like The Empty Child, but I'm at a complete loss as to what exactly that was.

The finale with the olympic torch and the 8,000 people disappearing was frankly bollocks. The torch-bearer guy collapses and rather than seeing if he's OK, the Doctor picks it up and runs on, which seemed completely out of character to me. I thought it was misjudged and a bit too self-indulgent. Not only that, but there was the absurd moment of the people disappearing on the TV, followed by it switching to the progress of the torch as if nothing had happened. Lazy and undramatic.

I liked the idea of the alien a lot. I liked Nina Sosanya's performance as Trish, I liked Tennant and Piper, I loved the TARDIS landing the wrong way 'round in the teaser, I liked the "a storm's coming" moment with the "woooo ooooo oooo" theme, I even liked the doodle monster and the Doctor rubbing it out, but I don't think the concept was pushed nearly hard enough for it to work. You could tell it was a rushed-in replacement for Stephen Fry's episode, and with a lot more work to it it could've been really special, but for an episode called Fear Her, it wasn't at all scary, and that's its biggest crime imo.

That said, I'd still rate it 7/10 and it's nowhere near being an all-time least favourite or anything like that, but for me it was the most disappointing episode since the series returned, simply because it could've and should've been so much more.

Tremolo

07-01-2006, 12:51 PM

2.12. Army of Ghosts

The ending of this episode is an oldskool fanboy's ultimate wetdream. The rest of the episode is pretty much brilliantly entertaining set-up for what essentially is going to be amageddon of the highest calibre.

The usual wonderful performances, script and direction combined with a strikingly different but hugely effective musical score makes this one of the best episodes of the season.

And there's a Ghostbusters reference that made me laugh like a drain. >.>

PsychoSaiya-jin

07-01-2006, 05:24 PM

Good episode. Starts off with 'Shawn of the Dead' style humour with the acceptance of the ghost phenomenom, followed by Torchwood foundations, and finshed with a great with OMGWTFBBQ wildness.
The season finale and the Torchwood spin-off will be awesome.
and yes, "Who you gonna call?" XD

soundchazer

07-01-2006, 10:27 PM

OMGWTFBBQ indeed. I predict a lot of fireworks next week.

At least this time around we will have Torchwood to fill the void while we wait for the next season to start. The last part of last year felt so empty without DW goodness.

Pedro The Hutt

07-02-2006, 07:35 AM

For you perhaps. XD As a mainland European person I don't have BBC3 access. >.>;;

Bless Jackie~

And Russel T. is a lousy liar... last season was supposedly the last time we'd ever see Daleks. <.<;; Guess not. Kind of surprised that they managed to outengineer the Time Lords. >.>;;

Still a good episode though. Seems the Doctor will be a wee bit busy next week. All thanks to Britain's finest the world is doomed... if it weren't for said Doctor.

soundchazer

07-02-2006, 07:54 AM

Pedro... I live in the U.S., I have nothing other than BBC America, which does not air the new episodes, and yet I'm able to watch them. Is that good enough of a hint?

PsychoSaiya-jin

07-02-2006, 05:48 PM

Pedro; when you add in alternate worlds, anything is possible ;)
They did do a very good job at hiding the return though, even going as far as to secretly secure rights/permissions to use them.

Tremolo

07-06-2006, 05:39 AM

For those of you who are unaware (not many I'm sure), the new companion has been announced (http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/07_july/05/agyeman2.shtml). A further image gallery can be found here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/gallery/martha/). I can't wait for season three. >_>

But before that, only two days to Doomsday! Will it be as good as The Parting of the Ways? We'll just have to wait and see.

soundchazer

07-06-2006, 06:22 AM

Cute girl. It seems they have a thing for yummilicious main companions this time around.

Tremolo

07-08-2006, 12:06 PM

silan

07-08-2006, 03:09 PM

2.13. Doomsday

Brilliant, obviously. Was the ending a bit sentimental? Perhaps, but I think it was only fair to indulge it considering how well it was done and the rest was pure brilliance. And I loved the black Dalek's "pest control" line.

Perhaps not quite on the same level of brilliance as The Parting of the Ways for me, but damn close and I can't stress that enough.

Utterly bizarre ending, mind!
The ending was hilarious, in my opinion. It's the first time we ever really see the Doctor this shocked.

Tennant's acting in this episode impressed me a lot. He's been slowly growing on me throughout this season, until finally I really, really like him, and it is purely because of such acting talents.

And my favorite Dalek line for this episode, besides the "pest control" line, was the "Social interaction will cease!" line. Ha ha ha.....

The thing that I liked best about this episode, though, was the line "This is how I died." You spend the entire two-parter thinking the obvious, that she'll actually die somehow. And while figuratively she does "die" in the other universe, how I interpreted it was that when she lost the Doctor and the ability to travel in the TARDIS, something died inside of her, and that is the death she is talking about. She got to see so much during her time as a companion, and although she was silly to think she'd stay with him forever, I can still sympathize with her. It'd be like being able to see, and then being permanently blinded. You would know that so much is out there, but be forever unable to interact with it or ever see it again. Besides the loss of another companion on the Doctor's part, that, I think, was the most tragic aspect of this episode.