Timey Wimey Business- a thread for Doctor Who

[G.B.Blackrock]

...okay, yeah, but I feel like the complaints towards Chibnall are far more consistent than those towards Moffat and Davies.

I don't have stats, but that's very much NOT my impression, which is simply that fans on the internet have been hating on Who (despite saying that they love it and are just being objective) since 2005.

It was probably true before then, too, but I wasn't on the Internet for the Classic era. (I did see the McGann movie happen in real time online... come to think of it, THAT got a lot of "great Doctor, bad writing" comments, too....)

 

[Kalidor]

It *really* seems to bother you that people can like something but not have the same opinions you do.

People are vocally displeased about something because they like it and want it to be better. You're really playing the "They must not be real fans card" and you seem to devalue their opinions simply because they criticize it. That's not cool.

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

People were much the same when the classic series was being made, they just didn't have the Internet to express themselves on, so it was mainly angry letters to the Radio Times.

Or to "Points of View".

 

[LiamA]

BBC America is running a Doctor Who marathon and they are now up to Matt Smith. I have to chuckle seeing Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill knowing that they are Nebula and Rip Hunter.

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

BBC America is running a Doctor Who marathon and they are now up to Matt Smith. I have to chuckle seeing Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill knowing that they are Nebula and Rip Hunter.

Then imagine how smug many Brits feel whenever we see local talent in any American film or TV show. For example, the main star of "House" is a famous British comedian, famous for playing upper-class nitwits...

 

[Telly]

BBC America is running a Doctor Who marathon and they are now up to Matt Smith. I have to chuckle seeing Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill knowing that they are Nebula and Rip Hunter.

i havent had cable for a few years. do they still primarily show trek and news like they did then?

 

[Princess Viola]

i havent had cable for a few years. do they still primarily show trek and news like they did then?

I haven't seen BBC America air news in years, nowadays their entire schedule is basically just Star Trek repeats on weekdays, nature documentaries on Saturdays, and movies on Sundays.

 

[Haywire]

Then imagine how smug many Brits feel whenever we see local talent in any American film or TV show. For example, the main star of "House" is a famous British comedian, famous for playing upper-class nitwits...

...it’s hard for anyone not to see Bertie Wooster when they watch House, if they saw Jeeves and Wooster first.

 

[Shadewing]

So basically just binged Flux.

After the last special, which I didn't hate and also didn't inspire me to want to see more; combined with my RL issues; I'd just not had much care to catch up. But between being on sale on Vudu and getting my roommate into the series; I decided to check it out. And overall, I kinda liked it. Fizzled out towards the end, but lets be honest... so do a lot of DW finales. I do feel like it was an improvement over season 2, which I felt was an improvement over season 1. I felt there was a lot of good elements and some really well done episodes here.

That said, I'd give just about anything to have Jodie stay on for another year under RTD. I want her to go out on a high-note by someone that can write really fun stuff. Jodie's Doctor need something other then constant drama. I think the Tesla episode last season was the closest we've come to an actual fun adventure during Chibnal's stuff.

Also, I feel that Flux did the 'Team Tardis' idea MUCH better in six episodes, with a larger cast overall, then we got with 3 in the two seasons before this. Yaz becomes more of a character, Dan is instantly likable with a very distinct personality and chill attitude, Jericho might be my favorite of them because he was just constantly impressive with his ability to cope and handle with the insanity, Vinder and Bel had a good starstruck lovers storyline going on, Clair had an interesting element with being tied to the Angels. It's not perfect, but by god if I didn't actually CARE about what was happening with them.

And they brought Kate back! And didn't kill her off! Seriously, that was my main thought through every scene she's been in: You'd better not kill her off. Seeing as how Chibnal's treated UNIT during his run, it felt like he would kill her off too.

The Division and Timeless Child stuff... eh, I'm largely in V's corner. It's not gonna stick, they're gonna sweep it under a rug, retcon, or something. It's not worth getting upset over. All I want is them to somehow just un-hug Gallifrey, as that was the real dick move.

 

[LiamA]

...it’s hard for anyone not to see Bertie Wooster when they watch House, if they saw Jeeves and Wooster first.

I see George from 'Blackadder'.

 

[Telly]

I haven't seen BBC America air news in years, nowadays their entire schedule is basically just Star Trek repeats on weekdays, nature documentaries on Saturdays, and movies on Sundays.

thats just ridiculous. i see no point in a british channel showing an american show in america (plus one im sure is airing somewhere already). they have so much of their own stuff they could show, but nope. that would be silly. guess thats what britbox is for now

not like it matters to them. they get all the money anyway

 

[LiamA]

thats just ridiculous. i see no point in a british channel showing an american show in america (plus one im sure is airing somewhere already). they have so much of their own stuff they could show, but nope. that would be silly. guess thats what britbox is for now

not like it matters to them. they get all the money anyway

I've found that BBC America will show American shows if there is at least one British actor in it or some connection to Britain.

 

[G.B.Blackrock]

One assumes BBC America hasn't put the money into securing streaming rights that competing folks have done. Thus, all the properly British stuff has gone elsewhere to folks willing to pay for the rights, leaving BBC America with little truly British product....

 

[Princess Viola]

I lay the blame entirely on streaming services tbh.

Like why would someone who specifically wants to watch British programming in the United States pay for a cable or satellite subscription just to watch BBC America (even if they did air more British programming on the channel) when they could instead just pay $7/mo. for BritBox and have immediate access to several hundred programs they could watch on-demand without ad-breaks?

So, while I don't agree with it, it kind of makes sense for BBC America to have drifted from its original focus of British programming because that niche in America now has a better service that caters directly to them.

 

[G.B.Blackrock]

I lay the blame entirely on streaming services tbh.

Like why would someone who specifically wants to watch British programming in the United States pay for a cable or satellite subscription just to watch BBC America (even if they did air more British programming on the channel) when they could instead just pay $7/mo. for BritBox and have immediate access to several hundred programs they could watch on-demand without ad-breaks?

So, while I don't agree with it, it kind of makes sense for BBC America to have drifted from its original focus of British programming because that niche in America now has a better service that caters directly to them.

I know *I* wouldn't. I *don't* pay for cable, opting instead for no more than 3 or 4 pay-streaming services at any one time.

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

...it’s hard for anyone not to see Bertie Wooster when they watch House, if they saw Jeeves and Wooster first.

That and his character in Blackadder.

 

[Glitch]

Next time:

 

[electricidad]

Solid New Year's special! Dan, Yaz and the Doctor continue to make a great team. The Doctor was able to use the situation to her advantage, saving the day and putting the Daleks in their place. Thoughts:

•I laughed out loud when Yaz and Doctor said, "Time loop" while Dan said, "Groundhog's Day." Well done.

•The Daleks 100% believe that their warfleet was destroyed by the Doctor, and NOT the Sontarans. Certainly, it's only a matter of time before they rebuild, but I do wonder how depleted their forces are. Will this come into play in one of the specials later this year?

•THE DOCTOR'S SPEECH. Jodie NAILED IT.

•I admire that the Flux was an audacious storytelling risk, but I missed the simple, fun done-in-one adventure. That's was this episode was.

•Not super excited that we have another companion who may or may not be in love with the Doctor. I feel that storyline has been done.

•Bring on the Sea Devils!

 

[Shadewing]

If there is just ONE thing Chibnal is good at, its using the Daleks. Three outta Three specials, and each one the Daleks remain a legit threat; not quite as scary this go around; but their ability to adapt to what the Doctor is planning, certainly scale the threat level way up, combined by the shortening countdown.

•Not super excited that we have another companion who may or may not be in love with the Doctor. I feel that storyline has been done.

I'm okay with it, since its much much more low key then previous ones, like even less blatant then Martha's pining for him. It also feels a bit more... realistic? Like as its not been on display since the word go, like pretty much all others, it feels like she might have developed the feelings over the past few years, and only started to realize it when the Doctor was imprisoned. Least last year's special is the first time I really feel like she has feelings for the Doctor. Do we know if Yaz is staying? Probably not, and if not I don't see this resolving very well with only a few "episodes" left. ...but then as stated, Chibnal seems to really rush his endings...

I'd kinda like her to stay on, because I wanna see how their relationship might work after regeneration, likely back into a guy; because that would be a twist to the storyline. We'd seen Rose tackle it, but that was still a purely hetero relationship; versus one that is gay and could have a trans-allegory. Then we got some interesting story potential imo.

 

[Monique]

It does feel.. odd to be introducing this right at the end yeah. Like.. I guess it wouldn't be the first companion that pined over a doctor who then went into a regeneration but like.. I dunno.

I dunno if they even will go back to a guy for the next regen. It would be a twist on the romance part and add drama, unless shes bi, but I feel like BBC would get dragged into the firery pits of news media hell if they "went backwards" making the next doctor a dude, even if they weren't a white dude.