I liked the cacti - they were cute

Sarah

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They were a salvage team sent to pick up the device - so they did have a pretext to be there...

Caroline - I agree about Steven Moffat. "Blink" was one of the best things I've ever seen on telly and, if you've seen the trailer I posted you'll see the weeping angels are back.
Can't wait for him to be in charge of the new series.

I agree about that episode being one of the best things on TV, Jem. Did he do the WW1 stories, Family of Blood, too? They were brilliant as well.

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PS yes, saw that trailer after Confidential the other evening. Looks exciting!

Have to agree with Terry. There has been a strong thread of naff-ness all through the new Dr Who and I've long lamented the more sinister tone of the past series. When we were kids, the Dr Who music had us hiding behind the couch, but now it's more like a who's who of British MoR T.V. It's still enjoyable in places, but a lot of the plots are totally absurd. The new Master is all over the place - is he a baddie, a goodie, misunderstood, are we meant to hate him or feel sorry for him? And all that mwha ha ha-ing really does grate. As does wading through all the neck-deep sentimentality. I miss Tom Baker. You could respect Baker as a Time Lord. You believed in the perils he faced. Not so now. Sigh.

JB

Waxy, speaking as a writer, I feel that the modern Dr Who has turned out to be largely a missed opportunity. British TV, for whatever reasons, does not seem to generally have as much money to spend on drama as the US. So, it was very good that the BBC put so much funding and promotion into a series. The regret is that (as usual) effort does not appear to have been concentrated on improving the writing. Therefore, while Joss Whedon's series always become more multi-layered as they progress, and the characters go on fascinating development journeys, Dr Who never seems to go much beyond a lot of running around in circles, panto laughter and arched eyebrows, the odd excellent episode notwithstanding. When I've mentioned this to people, the response is often, oh well, it's primarily a children's series, which of course doesn't say much for children's writers, not to say children.

Terry

Well, I disagree, Terry. I used to hate Dr Who as a kid but I love it now, primarily because it focuses more on relationships and not adventure-ing which I'm not too keen on. It's also sexier and the women get more of a look in than in the old days. I only started watching it keenly when Chris Eccleston starred and he WAS the Doctor for me. I loved Billie Piper too and the relationship between them. Admittedly the last two episodes weren't as good as we'd hoped but there have been some crackers.

Fair points, Jem. But I think they got a lucky break with Billie Piper: for me, she invested more depth into the character than the writing strictly did (and let's face it, the next assistant never really rose above flat pack still in the box). And I still think much more could have been done on the characters overall, and in making the science and the plots less silly. Okay, SF is always going to have one or two improbability points, but there's a critical mass that can be passed if there's just too many of them.

Like a burning planet 6 times the size of Earth suddenly appearing next to our world without any visible effect? Or a lock in time that is undone without throwing Doctor and Master right back to the point where it all started? Or a worldwide mind-meld that also somehow bestows the Master's face upon every living human being and then reverses with no physiological damage? Or a space ship that flies at several hundred miles an hour over the ocean with a shattered front window and barely a breeze in the cockpit?

Hmmm. I see your point.

JB







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I think it's called 'style over substance'

I liked the first episode -though it was a terrible mess. But, it charmed and held me, and I really liked John Simms as The Master. Though he was brilliantly menacing.

But, oh dear - that second part was terrible. It went on and on at the end - a bit like The Lord of the Rings. By the time The Doctor said, 'I don't want to go' I was shouting, just bloody well go and leave us in peace!

Sarah

I miss Tom Baker. You could respect Baker as a Time Lord.

Wise words

Have to say despite the the plot absurdities I did enjoy the final episode - I kind of saw all that as go out with a bang - throw in everything just for the fun of it - why not?

The never ending farewells were a bit much - I suppose everyone got their last look in and a Christmas bonus out of it - but what a pity we got all the mush instead of more Timothy Dalton - shamefully underused?

There was a sense of running out of ideas - 'I don't want to go' - we know

Sarah

I agree about that episode being one of the best things on TV, Jem. Did he do the WW1 stories, Family of Blood, too? They were brilliant as well.

Caroline, ditto everything you said here. Blink is my favourite, the one with Christopher Ecclestone ("Are you my mummy?") set in WWII is my second fave and the Family of Blood my third favourite.

My 7 year old son was glued to the last episode and burst into tears at the end because he didn't want the 10th doctor to go. Awwww (I agree it went on too long but still I'm a bit sorry that DT's days as the doctor are now over. There was a

je ne sais quoi

that I liked about him as the doctor.)

In some ways I like that Dr Who is not quite so much of the hide behind the sofa type of programme now as there aren't too many programmes which the young and the old alike can enjoy.

Just my opinion.

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I meant to italicise je ne sais quoi, not put it in quotes. Doh!

I think each generation of children love their own Doctor Who - I much preferred John Pertwee, but David Tennant has grown on me.

Aw, on your little boy, Sharon!

I think it takes quite a lot to make a child hide behind the sofa on TV these days. Let's face it, time was when we thought the bloody plastic shark in Jaws was terrifying!

I can;t help thinking there is an element of 'and the Mars Bars used to be huge' in your comment about DW of times gone by, JB!

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a lot on tv to make a child....oh, you know what I meant.

I can;t help thinking there is an element of 'and the Mars Bars used to be huge' in your comment about DW of times gone by, JB!

Thank goodness that only relates to the Mars Bars!

Look, I know I'm turning into an old bastard, but what can I do? I'm rarely satisfied by the humdrum fare served up these days and am often found scratching my head when people start rattling on about how good this or that was. That's because, as far as I can see it, most of modern artistic culture is shit. On the one hand, you can state that the Dr Who of yesteryear is simply improved by the glow of memory, but on the other you can argue that the old Dr Who only had plastic monsters and landfill settings so it had to rely a lot more on good, honest acting. And when I dig out the old DVDs, I'm afraid to say that Tom Baker still knocks DT and his CGI, ham-ridden friends and foes into a cocked hat. In my opinion, of course.

Dr Who was never a 'fun' show. It was a dark space opera that inspired generations, not franchises.

JB

I was genuinely terrified of Dr Who - I still watch it with a cushion to hand - just in case - old terrors die hard

Alternatively one can always hide behind a small child?