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Doctor Who
- Thread starter nutso42
- Start date
He was in Dinosaurs On A Spaceship (series 7a) opposite Matt Smith. He was great in that, the highlight of an otherwise lightweight, slightly gimmicky episode.
Context free pronoun. Who exactly?
I assume that you mean Peter Capaldi. If so, you are correct. The episode was The Fires of Pompeii. Capaldi played the character Lucius Caecilius Lucundus, who, according to Wikipedia, was a real person who's home partially survived the eruption in 79AD.
Hardly the first time that a writer has decided to co-opt a real historical character into a story. One random example, remember Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone? Nicolas Flamel was a real person who, according to some stories (and I stress the word stories) actually discovered the philosopher's stone, a 'fact' witnessed by the 'fact' that there is no record of his death.
Back to Dr Who.
Of the recent Doctors, I liked David Tennant the best. Davis' writing was seriously negative with a strong anti-religious tone, but the stories were good. I also liked both Billie Piper and Rose Tyler. Piper is really attractive and a really good actor. I really liked Rose Tyler too. She was believable and not wide eyed and fawning. Well, believable insofar as someone travelling through time in a tardis, with a time lord, facing Daleks, Cybermen e.t.c. and not totally freaking out can be considered believable!
Freema Agyeman is an ok actor but I couldn't really believe Martha Jones. Perhaps a reflection of the so-so acting?
Catherine Tate is really good at playing characters. Her whole career is based upon it. It shows. Donna Nobel was so bloody loud! She talked, she interrupted, she wanted explanations, she sometimes looked scared. I can relate to that. Her responses were the kind of responses I could imagine myself having. She was also a big change from the pretty girl companions. Yes, I know that a cute face, curves and bumps brings in the boys (I had a crush on Sarah Jane Smith since I was a boy), but what I want most out of my entertainment,is, well, entertainment. Bringing in someone mainly because they are good looking doesn't work if they can't act. Catherine Tate can act.
Karen Gillian is also a very good actor. Not really what I go for (wrong size, shape and hair. Think Lis Sladen, Carrie Fisher, Clara Bow, Louise Brooks). Amy Pond took a while to grow on me, but after an uncertain start, the wonderful sarcasm and occasional bad temper won me over. So normal.
Then we move on to Matt Smith. Perhaps it's the writing, perhaps it's the actor, but I never really liked Smith as the Doctor. Not hatred, derision, or even active dislike. Just, what, damning with faint praise? He was OK. An also ran.
Then there's Clara...
Jenna Coleman? Gorgeous! Short, cute, curvy, add her to the above list after Louise Brooks. Clara Oswald? Hmmm.
Again, maybe it's the writing, but I don't get the character. "She ran the whole gamut of emotions from A to B" (Dorothy Parker). She's flat (the character, not Coleman!!). No great fear, no great anger, no great sarcasm. Perhaps there will be a bit more range in the new series (I saw a tear, possibly water, possibly aided by an onion, but nevertheless a tear in Deep Breath).
Peter Capaldi. What can I say? Only time will tell.
I would just like to say at this point that I am not a sad Dr Who fan. Really. No, really! I just like the program. The fact that I have been watching Dr Who since at least 1973 is simply a reflection of the quality of the program making, not an indication that I am a sad, nerdy Dr Who fan. OK? Good! Well, that's nice and clear then. Just a fan of good entertainment...
No not PC, David Bradley, as Rusty Chainsaw said, it was indeed, Dinosaurs, with MS, not DT, I stand corrected on that, thanks RC.
'73? I saw the original from '63 - it's probably hard to appreciate the impact the programme had on British kids at that time, it was revolutionary.
'73? I saw the original from '63 - it's probably hard to appreciate the impact the programme had on British kids at that time, it was revolutionary.
I possibly missed that episode.
You must be rather older than me. I wasn't born when Unearthly Child was broadcast. I have only the haziest memory of Patrick Troughton turning into Jon Pertwee, then some partial memories of various episodes such as the sea devils, daleks, green death, planet of the spiders. But my memories become really clear with Tom Baker. He was 'my' Dr Who, hence the Sarah Jane Smith thing.
Looking back on those episodes, I am struck by how wet and screaming Sarah Jane was. She was independent and feminist by the standards of the BBC in 1976! But popular entertainment can only move forward at the rate of public acceptance.
For comparison, can you imagine the letters from Mary Whitehouse if she saw Deep Breath. A lesbian lizard married to an earth girl, with lip contact, on prime time BBC!!! At this point I imagine the opening scene from Scanners, by David Cronenberg, but with Mary Whitehouse as the unfortunate (?!) victim. "Ban this filth!!" [Boom].
And with that delightful image, time for bed.
You must be a similar age to me, or very slightly younger - I have hazy memories of Troughton (and the Yeti!) and then somewhat clearer memories of the very same Pertwee stories you mention. I loved those a fairly young child. But I switched off to a large extent throughout the Tom Baker era (I got rock 'n' roll as a substitute) and remember little of his output from the time, or that of subsequent Doctors. It wasn't until relatively recently that I started to enjoy the program again.
Does anybody think Hugh Laurie would make a good Doctor?
He's already kinda known as a doctor. I feared they may intend to try casting him but then again, aside from Eccleston, they've been known to case relatively unknown (well or marginally known anyway) actors. For one, they couldn't afford Laurie. And its probably why they've never cast anyone really famous as the doctor (Hurt doesn't count, it was just one episode)
The one actor who I've wanted for years as the doctor is Richard E Grant. He's just weird looking enough too. Thing is, he did play the doctor's voice on radio but never on film (aside from some Comic Relief sketch). I was glad he was in Dr Who episodes in the last season but his role was a bit of a waste. If he's not going to be the doctor, at least he should have been the Master. But again he's probably too well known to be cast as the doctor.
The one actor who I've wanted for years as the doctor is Richard E Grant. He's just weird looking enough too. Thing is, he did play the doctor's voice on radio but never on film (aside from some Comic Relief sketch). I was glad he was in Dr Who episodes in the last season but his role was a bit of a waste. If he's not going to be the doctor, at least he should have been the Master. But again he's probably too well known to be cast as the doctor.
Richard E Grant played The Doctor in the animated Scream of the Shalka adventure which was shown on the BBC Doctor Who website in 2003. He was intended to be the Ninth Doctor, before the 2005 series established Christopher Eccleston as the "official" Ninth Doctor. He also, as previously mentioned, played an incarnation of The Doctor in The Curse of Fatal Death, a Comic Relief sketch, alongside Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Grant and Joanna Lumley (!), with Jonathan Pryce as The Master (with his "dalek bumps"). It's on Youtube, definitely worth seeing as it's hilarious, and, what's more, is Steven Moffat's first Doctor Who story!
Here in America, he got really popular because of House. I always knew him as the guy from Blackadder, and found his House character really offputting, due to being too American, and too serious, and too intelligent. When I would show those episodes to friends, they would say, "he does a pretty good English accent," to which I would invariably reply, "it's uncanny, isn't it?"
Americans don't really think of Englishmen doing American accents. They don't realize that's an actual thing.
Anyway, he was great on House, great on Blackadder, and he'd be great in anything he did. Dude is fantastic! He would be a very good Doctor, but as another poster mentioned, I don't see how they could afford him.
Can't really see Hugh Laurie as the Doctor; in my head he has too many other faces, including leading his jazz/blues band - yep I bought his album and enjoyed it. 
and his great comedic partnership with Stephen Fry.
John Sim who played The Master, will, I hope, be back, he is an excellent actor and I think he played against DT's Doctor superbly well. Check out some of his other work, Life On Mars probably the best known, with the equally brilliant Philip Glenister, lots of other short series as well..
and his great comedic partnership with Stephen Fry. John Sim who played The Master, will, I hope, be back, he is an excellent actor and I think he played against DT's Doctor superbly well. Check out some of his other work, Life On Mars probably the best known, with the equally brilliant Philip Glenister, lots of other short series as well..
Someone else mentioned that too, and I hadn't even thought about it, but I think that is very likely true.
House was my introduction to him, so when I heard the english accent, it was a shock to me.
Well. I'll weigh in and say--I liked Matt Smith--I enjoyed his portrayal of the Doctor--even in some of the uneven episodes.
After watching The Eleventh Hour I thought he was the Doctor-of the revived series I think he had the best intro episode
(I've only watched a handful of the older series--so I can't comment as much on them-thus I'm referring to the revived series)
And after Deep breath I'd say Capaldi is the Doctor as well.
So his intro episode is good as well.
I felt like Eccleston was the Doctor after his intro episode as well--but I had nothing to really compare him to, other than a handful of episodes seen in re-runs.
It took me a while to adjust to David Tennant, but somewhere along the line he got real good at it.
Of the revived series I'd rank the Doctors 9, 11, 10 & War.
But all rate very well.
We'll see where #12 ranks, but so far he has a shot at any position there.
After watching The Eleventh Hour I thought he was the Doctor-of the revived series I think he had the best intro episode
(I've only watched a handful of the older series--so I can't comment as much on them-thus I'm referring to the revived series)
And after Deep breath I'd say Capaldi is the Doctor as well.
So his intro episode is good as well.
I felt like Eccleston was the Doctor after his intro episode as well--but I had nothing to really compare him to, other than a handful of episodes seen in re-runs.
It took me a while to adjust to David Tennant, but somewhere along the line he got real good at it.
Of the revived series I'd rank the Doctors 9, 11, 10 & War.
But all rate very well.
We'll see where #12 ranks, but so far he has a shot at any position there.
We're a bit behind here, as usual, so I've only seen promo snips, but the new Doctor looks and sounds really great.
I thought the interaction between the Doctor and Clara was superb - excellent performances from both - Moffat's script was also excellent - the exploration of self and the concept of Vastra's veil, the relationship between her and Jenny all reflected in the new/old relationship between the Doctor and Clara and her coming to look behind his "veil" was, I thought very well done.
Peppered with great lines, good visual supports and for me, anyway, PC's visual referencing of previous Doctor's mannerisms, made it a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting introduction.
I like Peter Capaldi anyway, from way back in "Local Hero" and was delighted when he was chosen, I don't think he will let me down.
Peppered with great lines, good visual supports and for me, anyway, PC's visual referencing of previous Doctor's mannerisms, made it a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting introduction.
I like Peter Capaldi anyway, from way back in "Local Hero" and was delighted when he was chosen, I don't think he will let me down.
I really liked Eccleson and Tennant. I didn't care for the Smith run and stopped watching. Nothing against him personally but I feel the writing suffered and the show became corny. It was like watching a Threes Company rerun. Okay, maybe thats a bit strong but bottom line I stopped watching.
Capaldi looks like he might restore the shows sense of adventure. I hope so and am looking forward to more episodes.
Thought the girl being married to a lizard chick was weird. When I was a kid occasionally I would read Eerie comics. In one story a race of lizard aliens had taken over the Earth. Humans became both slave labor and food. There was this one lizard who felt sorry for this little girl slated for dinner. He decided to save her and ran off with her. His friend came after him, in the end convincing him of the error of his ways. The segment ended with the two lizard friends sitting at a fancy table being serverd the girl on a platter for dinner...shivvver.
Capaldi looks like he might restore the shows sense of adventure. I hope so and am looking forward to more episodes.
Thought the girl being married to a lizard chick was weird. When I was a kid occasionally I would read Eerie comics. In one story a race of lizard aliens had taken over the Earth. Humans became both slave labor and food. There was this one lizard who felt sorry for this little girl slated for dinner. He decided to save her and ran off with her. His friend came after him, in the end convincing him of the error of his ways. The segment ended with the two lizard friends sitting at a fancy table being serverd the girl on a platter for dinner...shivvver.
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Episode 3 - oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I'm starting to get a little worried about this new series. It's not really Capaldi's fault, it's the writing. I almost feel sorry for Jenna Coleman because the Clara character is becoming less plausible every week and seems to be there just as eye candy. Oh well, I'm sure the money will come in pretty useful.
