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Doctor Who

Best Doctor?

  • (1st) William Hartnell

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • (2nd) Patrick Troughton

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • (3rd) Jon Pertwee

    Votes: 7 12.1%

  • (4th) Tom Baker

    Votes: 21 36.2%

  • (5th) Peter Davison

    Votes: 2 3.4%

  • (6th) Colin Baker

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • (7th) Sylvester McCoy

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • (8th) Paul McGann

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • (9th) Christopher Eccleston

    Votes: 7 12.1%

  • (10th) David Tennant

    Votes: 20 34.5%

  • (11th) Matt Smith

    Votes: 8 13.8%

  • (12th) macaroni_tony

    Votes: 2 3.4%

  • (13th) Carrot McCarrots

    Votes: 2 3.4%
  • Total voters
    58
  • Poll closed .
#381
JMacBass65 said:
I thought so too, very well done. My kids, 14 & 11, big fans of Tennant and Smith, as they were the first doctors they ever saw (me too, in fact), were impressed as well. Shows what good writing can do.
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I like Capaldi. I had no expectations at all, good or bad. Ever since Eccleston revived the role, I've been wrong. I thought Tennant would suck after Eccleston. (he didn't.) Then I thought I'd hate Matt Smith. (I didn't.) So I had no expectations of Capaldi, but I already like him better than Smith, by just a little. He's more scary and alien, and unpredictable. I thought they softened him up a bit too much at the end, but that is a minor quibble.
 
#382
I haven't finished the episode yet (30 minutes into it), but so far I like Capaldi.

I liked Matt Smith, but it's really the writing that hasn't been up to par since Russell Davies left the show. They spent 95% of the Matt Smith era on sets, giving every episode a very small feel. The R.T. Davies years featured lots of big, wide open areas... maybe they spent a little too much time in Cardiff, but that era had a bigger feel of adventure.

I also just don't like Clara. I think her story is a huge cop-out to keep her on the show. She's too fan-girly/ in love with the Doctor like Martha was. I'd take Martha back in a heartbeat. Rose had the same affliction, but the writing was much less obtuse.

I hope they let Capaldi have more of the raw emotions that Eccleston and Tennant had, since they were still really recovering from the War Doctor era.

And for the love of jeebus, can we stop with the lizard lady and the potatoey one?
 
#383
"Doctor Who" is the name of the show. "The Doctor" is the name of the character. I've always thought that (been a fan since I was a little kid and Tom Baker was the incumbent).

As for "Deep Breath", overall it was great. The direction was great, slow and deliberate. Capaldi is a great actor, intense, sarcastic, although he didn't project much warmth until right at the end, after you-know-Who's cameo. The biggest change was with Clara, who was much better written this time than she had been before. I guess you were supposed to be on her journey, and you weren't supposed to warm to Twelve until she did, right at the end. The Paternosters were good comic relief as usual, and the Half-Face Man was suitably menacing (the whole did he jump, or was he pushed thing will probably play a big part in this season). The only downside was, for me, the new theme music. It's dreadful and seems to lack weight compared to the last version.
 
#384
Rusty Chainsaw said:
"Doctor Who" is the name of the show. "The Doctor" is the name of the character. I've always thought that (been a fan since I was a little kid and Tom Baker was the incumbent).

As for "Deep Breath", overall it was great. The direction was great, slow and deliberate. Capaldi is a great actor, intense, sarcastic, although he didn't project much warmth until right at the end, after you-know-Who's cameo. The biggest change was with Clara, who was much better written this time than she had been before. I guess you were supposed to be on her journey, and you weren't supposed to warm to Twelve until she did, right at the end. The Paternosters were good comic relief as usual, and the Half-Face Man was suitably menacing (the whole did he jump, or was he pushed thing will probably play a big part in this season). The only downside was, for me, the new theme music. It's dreadful and seems to lack weight compared to the last version.
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They should NOT mess with the theme music!

The original theme was fantastic, and the seventies version was great too. Every time they mess with it, they take something away.
 
#387
Did any of you guys see "An Adventure in Space and Time"? It got a few mentions earlier in this thread, but I thought it was worth flagging up again here in case any of you missed it. This was a dramatisation of the earliest days of Doctor Who at the BBC. It was first broadcast last year and then repeated again by the BBC this week (it's on iPlayer currently). I'm not sure when or how it got aired in the US.

It was really well written, acted and directed. The focus was very much on Verity Lambert (first producer), Waris Hussein (first director) and the first cast including, of course, William Hartnell. Also, there was a cameo from Matt Smith. Great TV drama. It brought out the institutional racism and sexism at the BBC at that time without overstating it. See it if you can.
 
#388
J Posega said:
I think the original theme and 10s theme were the best renditions.
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Same here.

I do like this new one though until they get into the hmm... ooh-wooh-ooh part. I would have liked a sound that is closer to the original.

Actually wait maybe it was the Eccleston one i liked best. Would have to check.

It's amazing to me though how the original theme doesn't really sound outdated. I mean you know, take Star Trek, even for the movies they thought it was too cheesy to keep the tv show one. But Doctor Who's theme still works and i think it would even if they kept the original version. Though this one seems to want to go back to the more synthetic sound of the original.

As for Capaldi, yeah i think i'll like him. Especially once he finds his footing more. this was a transition episode and they spent a lot of time establishing how the dynamic of the clara-doctor relationship has changed. She's an ageist!

The episode though, maybe partly because of this, was not as strong as it should be to introduce a new doctor. I think Clara is the worst companion yet and she does now seem out of place with this older doctor. I'm hoping that's her last season.. I don't even hate her but she's not as good a character as Amy or Rose or even Donna. And while i do like Strax as comic relief (supposing the show needs one since its not exactly dour...) i like Jenny only mildly (i think she's cute so it helps...) and Madam Vastra not at all and i'm hoping they phase them out soon (though if they have to have recurring characters it's better than the awful River Song who i hope will not return)

Also I don't agree that the writing has gone down since Davies left, obviously he was great but Moffat is pretty much on par in my mind, just different.
 
#389
BassyBill said:
Did any of you guys see "An Adventure in Space and Time"? It got a few mentions earlier in this thread, but I thought it was worth flagging up again here in case any of you missed it. This was a dramatisation of the earliest days of Doctor Who at the BBC. It was first broadcast last year and then repeated again by the BBC this week (it's on iPlayer currently). I'm not sure when or how it got aired in the US.

It was really well written, acted and directed. The focus was very much on Verity Lambert (first producer), Waris Hussein (first director) and the first cast including, of course, William Hartnell. Also, there was a cameo from Matt Smith. Great TV drama. It brought out the institutional racism and sexism at the BBC at that time without overstating it. See it if you can.
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I loved it. The actor who played Hartnell was excellent.
 
#390
mellowinman said:
I loved it. The actor who played Hartnell was excellent.
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David Bradley. He was superb, imo. Really got into it and showed the many different qualities of the man - his moodiness, his ambivalent attitudes to young people and children, his drinking, his arrogance coupled with a severe lack of real confidence - just a very, very complex character, sensitively and very naturally portrayed.
 
#391
BassyBill said:
David Bradley. He was superb, imo. Really got into it and showed the many different qualities of the man - his moodiness, his ambivalent attitudes to young people and children, his drinking, his arrogance coupled with a severe lack of real confidence - just a very, very complex character, sensitively and very naturally portrayed.
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I have gone back and watched a number of First Drama series, and they are often quite enjoyable, if slow and creaky at times. The first Dalek drama is one everyone should watch. It has a surreal sense of dread to it. The Dalek Invasion of Earth is also very good. I just love Hartnell. He created the character, after all.

They have recovered some Troughtons, as well. I just watched The Enemy of the World, and his acting in that is a hoot.
 
#394
Speaking of Tennant i liked when Capaldi went "oh that's good" just like Tennant used to do when he realised he was speaking with a scottish accent. Ironic of course since Tennant hid his scot accent... i felt he should have said "I've been scottish before" though, i mean because of McCoy.

"Lots of planets have a scotland"....i guess....
 
#397
I liked Tennant's doctor. Matt Smith turned me right off and I stopped watching. One episode into Capaldi it is too early to tell, but I will persevere for a while. Capaldi's done some great work in the past so there's hope.
 
#398
BassyBill said:
David Bradley. He was superb, imo. Really got into it and showed the many different qualities of the man - his moodiness, his ambivalent attitudes to young people and children, his drinking, his arrogance coupled with a severe lack of real confidence - just a very, very complex character, sensitively and very naturally portrayed.
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I watched it, and he was very convincing.
 
#399
BassyBill said:
David Bradley. He was superb, imo. Really got into it and showed the many different qualities of the man - his moodiness, his ambivalent attitudes to young people and children, his drinking, his arrogance coupled with a severe lack of real confidence - just a very, very complex character, sensitively and very naturally portrayed.
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Bradley's a superb actor IMO. OK he's best known for being Filch in Harry Potter, but his performances in Broadchurch (ft David Tennant) & Invalid Link Removed alongside Michael Caine were excellent.
 

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