Doctor Who

[Rusty Chainsaw]

I still don't really understand what happened at the end of series 7 when John Hurt made his first appearance.

John Hurt's Doctor was a regeneration inbetween Eight and Nine that The Doctor later refused to acknowledge, given that he came into being in the midst of the Time War, committed mass genocide by wiping out Gallifrey and the Daleks (ending the Time War) and refused the title "Doctor". This was covered in The Day of The Doctor and its prequel, The Night of The Doctor (where we see Eight regenerate into Hurt).

 

[Tituscrow]

I'll be honest here...I was a bit underwhelmed by this episode, but I think my expectations were unrealistic after the barnstorming 50th anniversary episode - that would have taken something extra special to beat it, and sadly for me, this wasn't it.

And yes, the regeneration was very anti-climactic.

 

[BassyBill]

John Hurt's Doctor was a regeneration inbetween Eight and Nine that The Doctor later refused to acknowledge, given that he came into being in the midst of the Time War, committed mass genocide by wiping out Gallifrey and the Daleks (ending the Time War) and refused the title "Doctor". This was covered in The Day of The Doctor and its prequel, The Night of The Doctor (where we see Eight regenerate into Hurt).

Yeah, but what happened to the Doctor (Matt Smith) and Clara at the very end of series seven? They both got well and truly messed up in time, and then encountered John Hurt, and then the next we saw was them all happy at the start of the fiftieth anniversary episode.

Titus - I have to disagree a bit, I enjoyed this one tonight as much or more than the 50th anniversary one, even though I'm a big David Tennant fan. Both were great, but not of the best. I still think "Blink" is the best of the new batch (since the reset).

 

[Rob22315]

Yeah, but what happened to the Doctor (Matt Smith) and Clara at the very end of series seven? They both got well and truly messed up in time, and then encountered John Hurt, and then the next we saw was them all happy at the start of the fiftieth anniversary episode.

Titus - I have to disagree a bit, I enjoyed this one tonight as much or more than the 50th anniversary one, even though I'm a big David Tennant fan. Both were great, but not of the best. I still think "Blink" is the best of the new batch (since the reset).

+1 for Blink, best 43 minutes on TV.

 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

John Hurt's Doctor was a regeneration inbetween Eight and Nine that The Doctor later refused to acknowledge, given that he came into being in the midst of the Time War, committed mass genocide by wiping out Gallifrey and the Daleks (ending the Time War) and refused the title "Doctor". This was covered in The Day of The Doctor and its prequel, The Night of The Doctor (where we see Eight regenerate into Hurt).

How could I argue with a man that has Gene Hunt and Sam Tyler in their Camberwick Green guise for his avatar?

 

[Milk]

Yeah, but what happened to the Doctor (Matt Smith) and Clara at the very end of series seven? They both got well and truly messed up in time, and then encountered John Hurt, and then the next we saw was them all happy at the start of the fiftieth anniversary episode..

Yeah that's been bugging me too. Was just talking about it with my gf earlier. It feels like it was jsut a scene to set up John hurt as the unknown doctor (so he can turn around and they can write and John Hurt as the War doctor....who personally i'm calling the ninth...the only reason they don't want to call him ninth is because for marketing purposes it would eff everything up, have to renumber all those doctors, too much work and confusion) but they couldnt somehow link it to the following episode.

 

[Rocker949]

A great episode (except for the regeneration.) Nevertheless, Matt Smith has been one of my favorite doctors. My expectations now are really not all that high. DW will still most likely be better than anything else on TV, though.

 

[Exploiter8]

The Pre-Regeneration Regeneration, where he ended up back to being young, was quite epic according to my son. Compared to the actual Regeneration, I agree!

So, just how many people CAN pilot the TARDIS? River Song made sense.

+1 on disjointed

X8

 

[Milk]

A great episode (except for the regeneration.) Nevertheless, Matt Smith has been one of my favorite doctors. My expectations now are really not all that high. DW will still most likely be better than anything else on TV, though.

I loved Tennant so much anc didn't like Smith's general look when they announced him so i basically decided not to give smith a chance for about two seasons. Then i tried it and caught up realised it was stupid because the writers make the show and Moffat was always one of the great one. I was actually also pretty sad when Eccleston left after the first season as i also really liked him (even before he was the Doctor). Tennant is still my fav and i did really love Smith in the end but i dont have any negative opinion of Capaldi outright. I think it was time they went back to an older doctor and he has kinda of a quirky face (like e less handsome Hugh Laurie) so i think he'll fit just fine. Time will tell of course but i was more worried when Tennant or Smith first appeared. The only thing is they'll have to cut on the flirting with the companions as it might seem creepy now. unless they give him an older companion anyway.

 

[Milk]

The thing actually that really annoyed me about this season is that they had Richard E grant in the series and misused him when for years i'd wished Grant would be a doctor . There was never really an opportunity before...except this season they decide to have a previously unknown ninth doctor. Now i love john hurt, but Grant HAD been an unnofficial ninth doctor on radio in 2003... This was a perfect opportunity to make him official! And ninth doctor too! you knwo what that means? I regenerates into Withnail! Mind = blown! They missed such an amazing opportunity there. Yes ok, if Grant wer eto be a doctor he SHOULD have been a kinda crazy quirky doctor and not the serious one Hurt was but still, i just really really would have lost my **** if Grant had been made a doctor and this season the had a perfect occasion which they didnt use....

 

[Tituscrow]

Yeah, but what happened to the Doctor (Matt Smith) and Clara at the very end of series seven? They both got well and truly messed up in time, and then encountered John Hurt, and then the next we saw was them all happy at the start of the fiftieth anniversary episode.



Titus - I have to disagree a bit, I enjoyed this one tonight as much or more than the 50th anniversary one, even though I'm a big David Tennant fan. Both were great, but not of the best. I still think "Blink" is the best of the new batch (since the reset).

I watched the episode again this morning, and I recant some of me earlier disappointment, although I still don't think it was a 'great' episode.

There were some lovely touches in there...the truth field, Matts skinhead, Handles' last words, the aging doctor, Clara's leather skirt and knee boots....

Anyway, it'll take more than one slightly sub-par episode to lose me.

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Yeah that's been bugging me too. Was just talking about it with my gf earlier. It feels like it was jsut a scene to set up John hurt as the unknown doctor (so he can turn around and they can write and John Hurt as the War doctor....who personally i'm calling the ninth...the only reason they don't want to call him ninth is because for marketing purposes it would eff everything up, have to renumber all those doctors, too much work and confusion) but they couldnt somehow link it to the following episode.

It seems to me that, after we met the War Doctor in The Doctor's timestream, the implication was that The Doctor would have just pulled Clara out of the timestream, back into the TARDIS on Trenzalore, gathered up the Paternoster Gang, then they'd have just gone on their way.

It also seems that The Doctor hasn't seen Clara for a while at the beginning of Day of The Doctor, since she's got a new job (at Coal Hill School) and so on since last time they met.

Regarding the numbering, they spelt that out in yesterday's episode - including the War Doctor and Doctor 10.5, he'd used up all 12 of his regenerations, so there'd been 13 Doctors in total. The War Doctor didn't call himself The Doctor so he doesn't count, and 10.5 was basically just a half-human version of 10, so he didn't count either, preserving the previously established numbering.

 

[Rocker949]

I loved Tennant so much anc didn't like Smith's general look when they announced him so i basically decided not to give smith a chance for about two seasons. Then i tried it and caught up realised it was stupid because the writers make the show and Moffat was always one of the great one. I was actually also pretty sad when Eccleston left after the first season as i also really liked him (even before he was the Doctor). Tennant is still my fav and i did really love Smith in the end but i dont have any negative opinion of Capaldi outright. I think it was time they went back to an older doctor and he has kinda of a quirky face (like e less handsome Hugh Laurie) so i think he'll fit just fine. Time will tell of course but i was more worried when Tennant or Smith first appeared. The only thing is they'll have to cut on the flirting with the companions as it might seem creepy now. unless they give him an older companion anyway.

Some great points you make there, especially about the companions. I hadn't even thought of that yet. I like DT fine, but like MS more. Plus, I did think CE did a fine job. Too bad he was only there for one season as far as I'm concerned. He had an excellent season. Still, I'm seriously doubting I'll ever like anyone else as well as Smith. He was almost a little too quirky for me, but I'm sure that was intentional. These people are doing quite a job for something that sometimes seems larger than life. I've liked Clara as much or maybe more than Amy. Superb casting in all respects.

 

[BassyBill]

Jenna Coleman is 27 and Peter Capaldi is 55. Nothing creepy about that at all. Clara's a big grown-up girl now.

Anyway, when you consider the Doctor is several centuries old on his own timescale and most of his recent female companions have been mere babies in comparison, the age gap thing could always be considered a delicate issue, regardless of whom they cast in the role.

 

[Milk]

Jenna Coleman is 27 and Peter Capaldi is 55. Nothing creepy about that at all. Clara's a big grown-up girl now.

Anyway, when you consider the Doctor is several centuries old on his own timescale and most of his recent female companions have been mere babies in comparison, the age gap thing could always be considered a delicate issue, regardless of whom they cast in the role.

True about the actual age of the doctor vs his companions but you still have to consider the age of the actors. And sorry but that's a 30 years gap, anyway you put it i find it creepy. She's not a child, but the guy could still be her father.

 

[Milk]

It seems to me that, after we met the War Doctor in The Doctor's timestream, the implication was that The Doctor would have just pulled Clara out of the timestream, back into the TARDIS on Trenzalore, gathered up the Paternoster Gang, then they'd have just gone on their way.

It also seems that The Doctor hasn't seen Clara for a while at the beginning of Day of The Doctor, since she's got a new job (at Coal Hill School) and so on since last time they met.

Regarding the numbering, they spelt that out in yesterday's episode - including the War Doctor and Doctor 10.5, he'd used up all 12 of his regenerations, so there'd been 13 Doctors in total. The War Doctor didn't call himself The Doctor so he doesn't count, and 10.5 was basically just a half-human version of 10, so he didn't count either, preserving the previously established numbering.

And yet they still call him the war DOCTOR. I dont care what's official, John Hurt is still the 9th incarnation of the Doctor whether the doctor likes it or not. It is the same person. On my action figures shelf he will be between Mcgann and Eccleston and i will refer to him as the 9th doctor from now on.

 

[MartinG1957]

Here come the drums..........

"Series 8 will launch on BBC One on Saturday 23 August with a feature-length premiere episode entitled ‘Deep Breath’."

"BBC America has also confirmed that the new series will premiere in the US on Saturday 23 August at 8/7c.

Canadian viewers will also get the new series on Saturday 23 August on the Space Channel.

The new series will begin in Australia on Sunday 24 August, ABC1 has revealed.

German channel FOX Germany Invalid Link Removed plans to simulcast Series 8 as close as possible to the UK broadcast."

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Has anyone seen the new filming pics from the weekend? Spoiler alert if not...

Spoiler

The Cybermen are back for the finale, and UNIT, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Osgood are also back. I loved Osgood in Day of The Doctor, she's basically a Doctor-loving Comic-Con-style cosplaying fangirl, and even more so this time - she's got a bow tie and Converse.

Link to pics: Invalid Link Removed

 

[J Posega]

I'm excited to see them back in Cardiff. My biggest complaint since Russell T Davies and David Tennant left has been that most episodes occur in a small place/ building and that there's no sense of largeness , even in the TARDIS based episodes. And I don't think Clara carries any emotional heft, unlike pretty much all prior companions.

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

New teaser. Could that voice possibly be... Davros? They kept that quiet if so!