Doctor Who: New and Old

[deptfordmarmoset]

I just saw Doctor Who season 8 available in a local store, and couldn't believe the price tag: it was $70 (£39)! How can they possibly justify it? I'll be waiting until it drops down to about half that, I think.

If you travel far enough into the future it'll be in a box in a 2nd hand shop. Probably 10 for $10.

 

[Profpointy]

Giant Maggots?

Surely you mean men wrapped in bubble wrap

Two different stories - the bubble wrap episode was The Ark in Space, one of the best ever stories, and truly horrific concept. The Green Death was indeed giant maggots back in the Pertwee era - another rather good one if my 40 years later memories serve me well. Some of my own favourites include Pertwee in The Mutants, and Day of the Daleks, and Baker in Pirate Planet (by Douglas Adams no less). And the recently re-discovered Troughton story Web of Fear is pretty good too.

Bad effects (bubble wrap, or silver cricket gloves for the Cybermen in other stories) don't matter one jot if the storytelling is good! I recall a (stage) production of Macbeth, where the one prop was a table - the cast brought it on stage for the in-the-castle scenes and took it off again for the "blasted heath" - worked a treat. And on TV, I Claudius was one of the very best TV series of all time, but the sets were basic - but who cares ?

Regarding the new series, mostly very good is my view, albeit with the odd stinker. I'm afraid the very last episode I considered very poor indeed, and the Moon one was a bit weak, but overall, they've been first rate, and I'd say Capaldi is my favourite of the new crowd - and all the new Doctors have bee pretty good.

Unusually I have a soft spot for McCoy's doctor - he's a fine actor and really brought something to the show, albeit he could only do so much with some of the poorest stories in the programme's history. But his "Curse of Fenric", the last but one of the Classic era was truly outstanding - genuinely scary, well acted with Nicholas Parsons of all people putting in a subtle and moving performance as a vicar doubting his faith

Anyhow, must get back to Planet Geek in the constellation of Sad and Lonely

 

[burndust]

I wouldn't say I'm an uber fan....but I did like it when Eccleston and Tennant were in the role....The last guy was ok....but it now seems a bit to indulgent now....find it boring...but like I say I'm no uber fan

 

[marinyork]

Two different stories - the bubble wrap episode was The Ark in Space, one of the best ever stories, and truly horrific concept. The Green Death was indeed giant maggots back in the Pertwee era - another rather good one if my 40 years later memories serve me well. Some of my own favourites include Pertwee in The Mutants, and Day of the Daleks, and Baker in Pirate Planet (by Douglas Adams no less). And the recently re-discovered Troughton story Web of Fear is pretty good too.

If we're getting into discussions about green blobs then it isn't just the Wirrn larva, others of the worst monsters have all been green blobs.

Compare (Erato, the Tythonian) the Creature from the Pit

with the Rutan in Horror of Fang Rock

 

[Julia9054]

Not better. Not worse. Just different.

Spot on.
Loved it as a kid. Loved it when I was too old for it. Love watching it with my son (age 16, bit geeky, into science - just like me!) who loves it too.

 

[Tin Pot]

I realise it's off topic slightly but the pizza monster in old Star Trek is my favourite old bad monster.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Ahhh, green blobs. Fabulous staple of SF telly since it began. Where would we be without them?.

I am now enjoying the 'new' (9 years old almost!) Dr Who, but still find myself yearning for those long serials like The Seeds of Doom with our Tom. Okay, old Who had cheesy effects on a tight budget but made up for it by strong characterisation, longer plotlines and generally a bit slower so you had time to sink into the story. Now the show is in the commercial format of 50 mins average, written with advert breaks and the plot neatly wrapped up in an hour. Better FX, but faster plotting, shallower characters (you hardly get time to know them). I suppose it's my age, but I miss the old format still. Anyway, generally impressed with Capaldi, nice to see an older Doctor. Matt Smith was fun, but for me, seemed to be doing a more clownish version of Pat Troughton.

BTW, who got it right about MIssy?

 

[andyfraser]

There are 2 Tom Baker stories on today, both with all episodes joined together. The Robots of Death at 10am on horror and Pyramids of Mars at 4pm on Drama.

 

[winjim]

The longer stories were much better. I remember being on the edge of my seat as the music went neeeeeeooooooowwwwwww dun dun dun.... and having to wait a whole week to find out how the Doctor was going to get out of whatever fix he was in. And I hate that bloody screwdriver. It's deus ex machina. They won't get rid of it though because of the merchandising...