Okay, the new Who might actually be growing on me

[snorkackcatcher]

Despite the fact that I have a soft spot for Old School Dr Who (i.e. One through Four, maybe Five at a pinch), I've actually got around to watching the first two episodes this season and they've been great fun! Now I should confess that I only watched very occasional episodes of the first two new series because I found it all a bit self-referential -- so perhaps it's just that I've got used to it, or that the writers have now settled into a groove.

I know some people on my flist have been watching regularly, so was I being too harsh, and should go back and check out what I missed sometime? Or was it anything like the first couple of seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation -- which I also mostly missed, and then when I eventually saw them after seeing Season 7 was astonished at how generally crap they were?

Actually, one interesting LJ article (via metafandom) on Second Generation Doctor Who posited that the difference in the episodes from Five onwards was due to the fact that the writers and actors had grown up watching the Doctor and in some cases were big fans -- in effect, I think you could rephrase what they wrote as follows: they were getting the chance to write fanfiction that was made into canon. For a fan, I think that has to be like winning the lottery!

Incidentally, I think both Shakespeare fans and HP fans will love the second episode which aired tonight, full of great in-jokes. :)

Comments

[such_heights]

Wasn't the episode great?? *beams*

As primarily a New Who fan (though delving into Old when I can) I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed both series, and I think there are some episodes that are completely outstanding.

Both double parters in Series 1 were really enjoyable, plus Dalek's a good watch. Series 2: Girl in the Fireplace & School Reunion are just wonderful, and The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit are fantastic.

But, um, I'm probably a bit biased and also still flaily from this week's episode. But go! Watch! Especially School Reunion from an Old Who perspective *nods* Sarah Jane love.

[snorkackcatcher]

I somehow managed to miss School Reunion, and I really liked Sarah Jane. *sulks* Although I did see Dalek, and yes, that was good. I'll have to make an effort to catch up on some of these things!

[catkind.livejournal.com]

I thought today's episode was fantastic - then scifi + period drama + word-games + Shakespeare was bound to be a hit with me. Agree it did kind of read like fanfic. The sort where you spend the whole time dodging quotations from every direction under the sun.

I've been a big fan of both the recent series. Personally I liked Ecclestone better as the doctor - a bit more solid and grown-up somehow, though he's still got an excellent manic grin. My list of favourite episodes is pretty much the same as such_heights's, particularly the Impossible Planet episodes. Proper, hard, grimy SF, with none of your shiny uniforms and cute computers.

I suspect a lot of the difference between the new series and the old series Dr Who is also to do with the size of the budget being thrown at it. Hats off to whoever thought of reviving it now; perfect timing.

[snorkackcatcher]

Yes, the special effects in tonight's -- er, last night's -- episode were way above anything the show used to have, which has to be a good thing. "Oh no, it's an Ignoid from the planet Tharg!" "No it's not, it's obviously an extra in a papier-mache suit."

Tennant's rather growing on me, because he plays the role with more eccentricity than Ecclestone did. That was why Peter Davison never really worked as the Doctor for me. :)

[meddow.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the Shakespeare Code yet, but I found the first Martha episode to be pretty in line with the general quality of the first two seasons. It's kind of hard to tell since quality does vary a bit. There are some clunkers which would have me questioning whether I should tune in the next week if they were all I had seen, but most of the time it's very good and those times when it's great, it's the best show on TV.

I'll say such_heights is pretty onto it with her list. The Moffat episodes of The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances and The Girl in the Fireplace are absolutely brilliant. School Reunion is also essential viewing; it was that episode which got me into Old School Who.

Though I would avoid the first double parter Aliens of London/World War Three for the start, just because it's a bit harder to get past the juvenile humour in that one and swap it for The Christmas Invasion. I'd also add The End of the World, since although it's the second episode, it's the best introduction to the new series and the Ninth Doctor, and Father's Day, which while isn’t a particularly sci-fi heavy episode itself, it explores the human ramifications in time travel in a superb way and delves into the emotional element in a way the old school Who was never allowed to (in that aspect the new series is a lot like fanfic).

Oh and if you feel the need to delve into the spin-offs, avoid Torchwood like the plague. Strangely enough the children's spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures, is far better (though there's only one episode of SJA so far and I've only seen the first four episodes of Torchwood so that judgment may be a bit premature and harsh).

[snorkackcatcher]

It's a pity the first Ecclestone episode was (IMO) a clunker -- far too rushed, and too obviously trying to play on earlier Who (the first Three serial, which I have seen when it was repeated as part of a retrospective, and had previously seen the novelisation of).

I had the first episode of Torchwood taped (it was shown on a night when I'm usually out), but never got around to watching it. Then when I saw the reviews, I didn't bother.

The Shakespeare Code was really good -- it did just enough with the plot, and Will was great fun. :)

[jesspallas.livejournal.com]

I agree with avoiding Torchwood - it tries much, much, much too hard to be "not Doctor Who" by having lots of blood and sex and gore and no actual plot or character empathy.

As for episodes to watch - yes to what others have said, good choices but also I'd recommend The Impossible Planet/Satans Pit from series two - I don't know what it is about those two, but I really think they're very good. :)

[snorkackcatcher]

I'll have to check those out (although if I ever get a DVD player it's probably going to be cheaper to buy a season box set or something).

[maple-clef.livejournal.com]

Bugger, I KEEP ON missing the new series! I blame it on Easter messing around with the weekend...

The writing's pretty variable in the first two, to be honest - much the same as any sort of fanfiction ;) Actually, I think that's it - the writers have such different approaches that it must be really difficult to keep the continuity and balance throughout the series.

I personally agree that the Moffat eps are particularly good, and although I didn't think any of the episodes were bad, a couple were a pretty flimsy. I quite liked Torchwood (even though I only caught a few episodes), if only because all the characters were so seedy and unsympathetic.

[snorkackcatcher]

Yeah, I keep meaning to watch these things and then suddenly realising at 8pm "oh sod it, I forgot to switch the TV on". Although this has just reminded me to switch on for the cricket World Cup highlights. :)

I suppose continuity is too much to hope for from a long-running series like this (it's not as if Trek doesn't have huge continuity errors).

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I felt that the second New series needed a really good script editor, to stop trying to be so obviously clever, and to go lighter on the whole Rose/Ain't London Brilliant stuff. It produced some really good episodes when it did so, but otherwise could be very annoying. Hopefully the new series will be more consistent - I'm happy with what I've seen so far. But I haven't seen that much of old Who.

[snorkackcatcher]

Yes, the plotting did seem to be a bit self-consciously 'clever'. Old Who was also very variable, I suppose (and had a tiny special effects budget), but didn't do that so much. :)