Davies' return: A mainstream success or a tired damp squib?

[Deleted]

Bastard

[iank]

What do you expect from such a towering intellect?

[Spark Doll King]

Dec 30, 2023 21:45:54 GMT iank said:

What do you expect from such a towering intellect?

The ability to respond to reasonable criticism with more then one word sentences? Who am I kidding thats way too optimistic.

[cyberhat]

Davies seems the kind of person that lives and dies by the ratings. He's described his works in the past that have underperformed as "complete flops", very unsparing. Wonder how he will deal with this? Can't think his hubris wont take a serious knock.

[iank]

I'm sure that in his cosssetted ivory tower he'll only ever be confronted with the fiddled "monthly iPlayer figure posing as 7 days" result to assure him he's as beloved as ever.

[Spark Doll King]

The only way to put a dent in his ego is for the fandom to do it what Kathy Bates did to James Caan's legs in Misery.

[Bernard Marx]

A surprisingly critical write-up in Doctor Who TV:

www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/guest-feature-why-doctor-who-is-no-longer-the-show-that-i-fell-in-love-with-100409.htm

[Deleted]

Jan 1, 2024 10:19:23 GMT Bernard Marx said:

A surprisingly critical write-up in Doctor Who TV:

www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/guest-feature-why-doctor-who-is-no-longer-the-show-that-i-fell-in-love-with-100409.htm

They're just talking about bi-regeneration and all that rather than Gatwa's unsuitability for the role, which unsurprisingly I've seen absolutely nothing about.

[Bernard Marx]

Admittedly true. Mainstream publications- including the marginally more critical ones- were incessantly gushing over his supposed “charisma” after the last episode aired.

Some highlights. The Guardian came out with this:

Ncuti Gatwa is so charismatic you want to leap into the TV with him

…

This exhilaratingly fun adventure features CGI goblins and Davina McCall, but it’s the raw magnetism of the new Doctor that’s the real joy. He’s astoundingly, knee-weakeningly smooth.

…

And now, as a Christmas treat for all of us, a delightful new era captained by Davies and Gatwa seems certain. When Sunday asks the Fifteenth incarnation, “Who are you?” and he stares down the camera to deliver a self-assured “I’m the Doctor”, it hits like a shot of pure dopamine because … he really is – and he’s a joy to watch.

And the Independent in a five-star review:

Amid the hype and hyperbole, Gatwa makes playing the Doctor look effortless

The Telegraph offered seeming dissent:

In his first proper episode, the new Doctor was faced with baby-eating goblins – and a muddled story that flew off in all directions

But that shouldn’t be allowed to spoil the “charisma”:

Ncuti Gatwa rescues a poor-plotted Christmas special

Over to you, UncleDeadly. Shades of “potential charisma”, perhaps?

[Spark Doll King]

I've seen a few clips on YouTube and I'm really not impressed. If Jodie was an inconsistent, Tennent caricature, and Tennent's 14 is just a massive piss take of 2005 fans, Ncuti is now barely recognisable as the character. It's not his race, or sexuallity but how the character is written.

Sadly it's everything I could have feared it would be with RTD back, it's not a new take on the character or even a retread of his old Doctor, what we have his is the Doctor fully corrupted into RTD's ideal version. A modern day captain jack withe some minor Doctor aspects.

[RobFilth]

Jan 1, 2024 12:20:37 GMT Spark Doll King said:

What we have his is the Doctor fully corrupted into RTD's ideal version. A modern day captain jack withe some minor Doctor aspects.

That's exactly what he is.

[Deleted]

Jan 1, 2024 10:59:55 GMT Bernard Marx said:

Admittedly true. Mainstream publications- including the marginally more critical ones- were incessantly gushing over his supposed “charisma” after the last episode aired.

Some highlights. The Guardian came out with this:

Ncuti Gatwa is so charismatic you want to leap into the TV with him

…

This exhilaratingly fun adventure features CGI goblins and Davina McCall, but it’s the raw magnetism of the new Doctor that’s the real joy. He’s astoundingly, knee-weakeningly smooth.

…

And now, as a Christmas treat for all of us, a delightful new era captained by Davies and Gatwa seems certain. When Sunday asks the Fifteenth incarnation, “Who are you?” and he stares down the camera to deliver a self-assured “I’m the Doctor”, it hits like a shot of pure dopamine because … he really is – and he’s a joy to watch.

And the Independent in a five-star review:

Amid the hype and hyperbole, Gatwa makes playing the Doctor look effortless

The Telegraph offered seeming dissent:

In his first proper episode, the new Doctor was faced with baby-eating goblins – and a muddled story that flew off in all directions

But that shouldn’t be allowed to spoil the “charisma”:

Ncuti Gatwa rescues a poor-plotted Christmas special

Over to you, UncleDeadly. Shades of “potential charisma”, perhaps?

Even if he'd spent the entire episode making fart noises with his armpit and wearing a big red clown nose those reviews would still be exactly the same. 

[Deleted]

I read a comment on YouTube where the person said that he couldn't wait for the Christmas special to make a certain bunch of people miserable, a thought that made him feel a great deal of warmth and pleasure. Thankfully someone called him out on the fact that he was a bit of a loser for getting off on people being annoyed about a shit TV show. I've seen a lot of comments like this, actually. I remember there was one idiot who used to say, "that episode is going to annoy the right people" after every Jodie episode. I was very tempted to say, "what, people with good taste?"

[Deleted]

Jan 1, 2024 16:34:27 GMT @kengrubshaw said:

I read a comment on YouTube where the person said that he couldn't wait for the Christmas special to make a certain bunch of people miserable, a thought that made him feel a great deal of warmth and pleasure. Thankfully someone called him out on the fact that he was a bit of a loser for getting off on people being annoyed about a shit TV show. I've seen a lot of comments like this, actually. I remember there was one idiot who used to say, "that episode is going to annoy the right people" after every Jodie episode. I was very tempted to say, "what, people with good taste?"

Those are the sorts of people that know nothing about anything, losers who'd be better off melted down into glue and used to plaster houses than existing in their current forms. I so wish you could punch people through the screen.

[burrunjor]

Dec 31, 2023 21:30:30 GMT iank said:

I'm sure that in his cosssetted ivory tower he'll only ever be confronted with the fiddled "monthly iPlayer figure posing as 7 days" result to assure him he's as beloved as ever.

I actually burst out laughing at the recent attempt at fiddled viewers. They are now claiming that Star Beast, that was shown on 25th of November was the number 1 watched show of that week. Not based on how many people watched it at the time, or even overnight, or even during that week. No based on how many have watched it since the 25th of November. Five f*cking weeks worth of viewers! Based on those views it managed to narrowly beat Strictly Come Dancing. RTD and others are harping about this as a huge victory for DW. Again it's quite incredible how divorced from reality these people are. 

Reminds me of a line from Death to the Daleks "a fact that must penetrate even Dalek arrogance." Surely the desperation RTD has gone too here must penetrate even Fitzroy arrogance? To be honest you'd have a better chance getting through to the Daleks.