Doctor Who

[The Master]

So who here is watching the new series of Doctor Who? We've had two episodes of Series 5 so far and it's looking good. Steven Moffat (the new Head Writer) has taken the series in a new direction. There is a new logo, new theme music and a totally different feel to the episodes when you watch them. But this was bound to happen seeing how we were entering a new era of Doctor Who. We've got a new Doctor and a new companion - even a new TARDIS!!!

I hope all the Doctor Who fans on here enjoy Series 5 and everything it has to offer.
Before I go, here's a list of the first seven episodes in Series 5. The titles of episodes 8-13 have yet to be revealed.

1. The Eleventh Hour
2. The Beast Below
3. Victory of the Daleks
4. The Time of Angels
5. Flesh and Stone
6. Vampires in Venice
7. Amy's Choice

The Master.

[Joedward]

I'm watching it. It's awesome.

I'm loving the new Doctor and the stories seem pretty sound so far... Except that "The Beast Below" kept ripping off Star Wars.
Looking forward to the episodes to come, especially WW2 Daleks and Space Spitfires. Cooooooool stuff.

[theJudeAbides]

Yo, English people, I'm really happy that you like your silly little Dr. Who show, and Imma let you finish. But Fringe is one of the greatest shows of all time. OF ALL TIME!!!

Did you see the episode a couple weeks back entitled "Peter." That was honestly the most gripping Sci-Fi I had ever seen, and if John Noble doesn't win an Emmy for his performace in that episode, then it's clear the Emmys are a sham. If you're going to talk about excellent writing, acting, and overall quality of a show, then you'd better start talking Fringe. That is all.

[The Master]

I'm watching it. It's awesome.

I'm loving the new Doctor and the stories seem pretty sound so far... Except that "The Beast Below" kept ripping off Star Wars.

In what way?

Looking forward to the episodes to come, especially WW2 Daleks and Space Spitfires. Cooooooool stuff.

Yeah, I really hope Victory of the Daleks turns out to be excellent. All of the Dalek episodes in the New Series have been great but some "hardcore fans" (that's what they claim to be) like to continually criticise the two-part story Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks (from Series 3).

I wouldn't call them fans myself as they seem to relish attacking Helen Raynor's script. She made history with those two episodes - she became the first woman to write a Dalek story in Doctor Who's history. Despite the hardcore idiot's who didn't like DIM/EOTD, there are those out there who very much enjoyed the story and are fans of Helen's work.

She went on to write the Series 4 two-part story The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky and has also written two separate Torchwood episodes (Ghost Machine for Series 1 and To the Last Man for Series 2). Anyone who says she isn't a competent writer is clearly forgetting the fact that she had the important task of script editing during the Russell T Davies era of Doctor Who and was also a script editor for the Torchwood series.

Sadly, she is not currently listed as being a writer for any of the Series 5 episodes. As for Torchwood, well Russell T Davies has said that Series 4 is "in the works". At the moment, it's unknown whether it will feature another Helen Raynor script.

[Master Fetty]

A fan of Helen Raynor by any chance, Master?

I'm watching it. It's awesome.

I'm loving the new Doctor and the stories seem pretty sound so far... Except that "The Beast Below" kept ripping off Star Wars.

In what way?

They go down a garbage shute into a massive room full of garbage. They end up in the mouth of an odd alien.

I think the new episodes are good. Matt Smith is certainly a worther succesor to Tennant and the episodes have a nice feeling to them. I've not seen any of the originals, but I bet this is what they were like in tone.

[RfAurora]

We Americans get to watch the new season starting this Saturday. I like the series as a whole, but Im a little skeptical about the guy playing the new doctor as I wasn't too impressed with him at the end of the Time Lord's special.

[Joedward]

About Matt Smith. I had serious reservations about whether or not he'd be a good Doctor, and already I think he's bested some of David Tennant's work.

[Master Fetty]

I think Matt Smith has an amazing spring board from the fact that he's got some great writers behind him. As good as Russel T. Davis was at bringing back the series, I always found his scripts a bit flat and over the top. They hyped up objects or events without provocation and his plotting had many threads that felt unexplored.

Take Tennants final two shows; both had awful plots, were badly written, made little sense within the created world and had elements in just for the sake of it. There was no slow build, or sense of gratification (until the last half an hour, which I thought was amazing).

[The Master]

A fan of Helen Raynor by any chance, Master?

Yeah, I loved The Sontaran Strategem/The Poison Sky. They were awesome episodes! I also thought her two Torchwood scripts were superb and thoroughly recommend that you watch them if you have the time. However, I'm in two minds about Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks. I loved the idea of the Daleks trying to create Hybrid Daleks so that their race could somehow live on! But the story is set in the Depression era and it isn't that fun to watch when compared to other Dalek stories from the New Series.

Despite that, I wouldn't say no to sticking it on one afternoon just to see Dalek Caan escape 1930s New York (at the end of the episode) and end up in the heart of the Time War just in time to save Davros. It was a pure accident that he crashed into it - because "the Time War is Time Locked"! lol Russell T Davies made up some crazy sayings when he was in charge! lol

A fan of Helen Raynor by any chance, Master? [ TAKE 2 ]

Well it's not just her scripts that I like!

I'm loving the new Doctor and the stories seem pretty sound so far... Except that "The Beast Below" kept ripping off Star Wars.

In what way?

They go down a garbage shute into a massive room full of garbage. They end up in the mouth of an odd alien.

Don't forget the (is it called?) screen wipe towards the end of the episode (a Star Wars thing). It went from left to right, cutting to a shot of Matt Smith looking out to the stars through a giant window. Naughty Moff! He's stealing ideas from George Lucas! But it looked very good.

[Solo]

I just read something about a recent episode featuring Spitfires in a space battle... I have to see this. I know one of you can find a link for me.

[Joedward]

The episode sucked. Real let down.

Don, as far as I know you can't view iPlayer. Other than that I can't find any decent videos on youtube due to a crap ton of copyright.

[ccjwprongs]

I was kinda disappointed too. The overweight rainbow Daleks just didn't do it for me. And while "WOULD YOU CARE FOR SOME TEA?" sure did crack me up, I think it would have worked better had they just been a Nazi weapon and gone with the old cliches of Dalek vs. the Doctor straight from the off. Sure, it would probably have been a recycled plotline style, but it's better than gorram RAINBOW Daleks. Or at least have them reveal themselves, and turn it into some kind of Skaro-on-Earth thing. That was my first thought upon seeing WW2 Daleks in the trailer anyway, and I'm disappointed they didn't go down that route. Though I have to say, it still managed to retain the overall feel of the new series - that is; a return to the style of the classic series.

[RfAurora]

I saw the first episode of the new season, and alot of my reservations are gone.

[The Master]

Has anyone been collecting the FREE Doctor Who audio CDs that are being given away when you purchase the Daily Telegraph this week? The offer has been running since the Saturday just gone and ends this Friday.

Saturday 24th April - The Runaway Train (featuring the Eleventh Doctor)
An exclusive BBC Audiobooks story for the Daily Telegraph, read by Matt Smith.

Arriving on Earth in the midst of the American Civil War, the Doctor and Amy must get a posse together to help them retrieve an alien artefact. But before they can, the duo are chased across the Wild West and find that their only hope of escape is to catch the 3.25 to Arizona!

Sunday 25th April - Pest Control: Part 1 (featuring the Tenth Doctor)
An original BBC audiobooks story, read by David Tennant.

The Doctor and Donna face monstrous insects and a ruthless robot exterminator in this thrilling audio story. The TARDIS is lost in battle on a distant planet. When the Doctor sets off in pursuit, Donna is left behind and finds herself accepting a commission in the Pioneer Corps. Something is transforming soldiers into monstrous beetles, and she could be the next victim!

Monday 26th April - Pest Control: Part 2 (featuring the Tenth Doctor)
An original BBC audiobooks story, read by David Tennant.

Part 2 of the audiobook adventure featuring the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble.

Tuesday 27th April - Slipback (featuring the Sixth Doctor)
Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant and Valentine Dyall star in this BBC Radio 4 adventure from 1985.

The Doctor and Peri board an alien craft which the TARDIS has materialised inside. They soon find themselves investigating illegal time experimentation, but that's not the only illegal activity onboard!

Wednesday 28th April - Exploration Earth (featuring the Fourth Doctor)
Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen star in this special BBC School Radio episode from 1976.

The TARDIS travels 4,500 years into Earth's past, and the Doctor and Sarah Jane witness the very beginnings of the planet. As the ship takes them forward to different stages of the planet's development, they encounter Megron, the High Lord of Chaos. Earth is under his control, and he intends for chaos to reign ever more!

Thursday 29th April - Genesis of the Daleks (featuring the Fourth Doctor)
Tom Baker narrates an abridged audio version of the 1975 television adventure.

The Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry are sent to the planet Skaro for an important mission. A crippled Kaled scientist named Davros is developing protective casings for a number of genetic mutations that he believes his race will become as a result of the 1,000-year war of attrition between the Kaleds and the Thals.

However, the Doctor works out that this is the day the Daleks are first created and that he is the only person who can stop it from happening! He must stop Davros and destroy the incubator room which contains the very first Dalek mutants! But if the Doctor succeeds, what will happen to Time and Space if the Daleks never exist?

Friday 30th April - Mission to the Unknown (a First Doctor story.....but he's not actually in it)
The soundtrack to a Doctor Who adventure from 1965, but which famously does not feature the Doctor himself, with linking narration by Peter Purves.

In this one-off prelude to "The Daleks' Master Plan", Special Agent Marc Cory becomes stranded in the jungles of Kembel, the most hostile planet in the Galaxy. What makes it worse is the fact that the Daleks are there and they are planning to destroy the Universe, planet by planet. Cory has to get a warning back to Earth before it's too late. If he doesn't, the Daleks will win and Earth will be destroyed!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Simply purchase the Daily Telegraph and hand in your voucher at a local WHSmith to claim your FREE Doctor Who audio CD. Or you can get the whole pack of seven CDs posted to you for just £12.99, inclusive of postage and packaging.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/promotions/7 ... o-CDs.html

[Athos]

I'm still waiting for season two from netflix. Though disk one has changed from "long wait" to unavailable...

Steve

[Coret]

You do realize Doctor Who seasons are on Netflix Instant, right? I know I rented them before they ended up on there, and then was upset because I wasted rentals on them. But now I own them, so it's all good.

[The Master]

Brief News: Change of Episode 6 Title
If you've been checking out the BBC Doctor Who website this week, you'll have noticed that Episode 6 has had its title changed not once but twice! Back when Series 5 began, Episode 6 was listed as "Vampires in Venice". But last Saturday, it turned out that it had been changed to "The Vampires of Venice". Now, it's just being called "Vampires of Venice". Someone from the Doctor Who team obviously can't make their mind up on what the episode should be called.

Which title will it end up with? I guess we'll just have to wait until Saturday night to find out. At the moment, I'm sticking with the first title it was given as that's my favourite one. So if my Doctor Who signature is incorrect at the moment (where I list the next episode).....tough!

UK General Election
And yes, if you haven't already noticed (where have you been?!), today is Election Day!
I won't say anything here. Simply because there's nothing to say!
But I know you'll vote for the right person. Won't you!



"This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that what this country really needs, right now, is a Doctor."

[Joedward]

Just gotta say, the last episode, 2nd part of the weeping angels storyline, hands down, one of the best episodes ever. Truly brilliant, and bloody creepy.

[Iare Tosevite]

We stopped watching that show.

Not by choice, but because that show moved to BBC.

[The Master]

Episode Titles Update

The titles of Episodes 8-11 have been revealed and confirmed by the BBC.
Just in time too, seeing how tonight was Episode 7.

Episode 8 - The Hungry Earth
Episode 9 - Cold Blood
Episode 10 - Vincent and the Doctor
Episode 11 - The Lodger

This leaves just Episodes 12 & 13 without confirmed titles.
Those last two episodes form a two-part story which is (of course) the Series finale!