Which stories have you watched lately?

[Cherry Pepsi Maxil]

World Enough and Time. I don't want to watch the whole Capaldi era, but I thought I'd throw on the most watchable of his next to Heaven Sent. This should be great, but it's held back by the most idiotic shit. I've made a list, actually:

The "Doctor Who" name stuff isn't funny. It's childish and annoying and takes up far too much time.
Missy doing a dab (Moffat trying to get down with the kids again)
The none too subtle pushing of the idea of a female Doctor.
The utterly stupid "bacon sandwich" argument the Doctor makes that only the most insane vegan would use.
The Master's "bottom very fast" line. In fact, the comedy is shockingly bad across the board.

Take that stuff out and you've got a creepy, effective episode.

[Cherry Pepsi Maxil]

The Runaway Bride

Oh, the nostalgia! I remember coming back from eating my Grandad's Christmas sausage rolls and watching this. I believe that Who concert aired the same day. I quite enjoyed it at the time but the highlight for me was seeing Dalek Sec in the "coming soon" trailer. Watching it now it's quite clear that the production is superior to anything in the first two years. No more vaseline filter, bigger and better sounding orchestra with some of Murray's most notable tunes making their debut here and more impressive effects. I can't help but separate my cosy 2006 Christmas nostalgia from my more critical 2024 views so I refuse to rate it. I like it even if it is silly nonsense.

[Cherry Pepsi Maxil]

I watched The Giggle on Blu ray again earlier this evening. I still like the stuff in the Toymaker's domain and it at least feels like an anniversary special compared to the other two. The world ending stakes aren't really felt in the same way as they were in Doomsday or Stolen Earth. The Toymaker is defeated too easily and Tennant's worn out persona (which is the point, in fairness) is a far cry from the Series 3 Doctor I grew up with. I do like Mel, the direction and Murray's score but everything else is not quite as epic as it should be. Perfectly watchable with pretty visuals (the Blu ray is outstanding) and welcome references to the real series, but lacking in depth.

7/10

[Cherry Pepsi Maxil]

Rose

I watched this earlier in the year and thought it was silly. I was in a better mood last night because I kind of enjoyed it though I still think it has aged poorly in most areas.  It does however remain the only Series 1 episode I watched all the way through when it originally aired. Rose was such a piece of arse back then.  The same can't be said for Eccleston though who attempts to do his best impression of someone who isn't the Doctor. Even if he had continued I don't think the show's popularity would have been nearly as big as it was when Tennant came onboard. There's stuff I admire about the episode, though.  It's corny and carefree, lacking the pretentiousness of other episodes and generally delivering some entertaininment value.  The one thing it isn't though is Spearhead from Space. That serial is light years ahead of this one. Light years. 

[Ludders II]

Must admit,I haven't watched any Dr Who for ages.

And neither has Peps. 😉 😁

[Cherry Pepsi Maxil]

You're right. I should probably watch some classic who soon to prove that I'm not going insane.

-

Bad Wolf

I love it. This along with The Sound of Drums are my favourite Russell T Davies scripts. He is so good at building things up especially here. I know the Daleks are in it, even my dog knows they're in it, but I like to pretend that I don't. I enjoy the sense of something evil hiding away, controlling things that our characters have absolutely no idea about. That's probably why I prefer Bad Wolf over Parting of the Ways just because of the slow build up and subsequent reveal of the Daleks. I felt the same with Legend of Ruby Sunday although on that occasion I actually didn't know who the villain was going to be. Everything else in this episode is sublime. Even the lighting is memorable. I can't finish the review without saying how lovely and gorgeous Jo Joyner is as "the best companion that never was" Lynda (not Linda with an I. Cow) Moss. She's so bubbly and her fashion is peak 2005.

Really solid stuff.



10/10

[rushy]

Oct 11, 2024 23:44:43 GMT Cherry Pepsi Maxil said:

You're right. I should probably watch some classic who soon to prove that I'm not going insane.

-

Bad Wolf

I love it. This along with The Sound of Drums are my favourite Russell T Davies scripts. He is so good at building things up especially here. I know the Daleks are in it, even my dog knows they're in it, but I like to pretend that I don't. I enjoy the sense of something evil hiding away, controlling things that our characters have absolutely no idea about. That's probably why I prefer Bad Wolf over Parting of the Ways just because of the slow build up and subsequent reveal of the Daleks. I felt the same with Legend of Ruby Sunday although on that occasion I actually didn't know who the villain was going to be. Everything else in this episode is sublime. Even the lighting is memorable. I can't finish the review without saying how lovely and gorgeous Jo Joyner is as "the best companion that never was" Lynda (not Linda with an I. Cow) Moss. She's so bubbly and her fashion is peak 2005.

Really solid stuff.



10/10

This is classic Who by this point. 

[iank]

No, not it isn't.

I haven't watched any lately cause I haven't got my stuff yet. I know I could use iPlayer but f*ck that.

Last one I saw was Planet of the Daleks about Julyish, which I enjoyed more than I ever have before.

[burrunjor]

Oct 12, 2024 6:59:21 GMT iank said:

No, not it isn't.

I haven't watched any lately cause I haven't got my stuff yet. I know I could use iPlayer but f*ck that.

Last one I saw was Planet of the Daleks about Julyish, which I enjoyed more than I ever have before.

Agreed I don't get the fuss over the season 1 finale. It was the Missy of its day for me in that it was like, how? How can people not view that as an insult to the show? How can they eviscerate other even new who episodes for so much less?

A paper thin, completely unoriginal plot with the Daleks, mixed in with references to the most tedious reality show crap, cringe inducing comedy like guns up the arse, blubbery school girl mush with the have a good life, and a bollocks ending that makes no logical sense either in terms of lore (if one obsolete TARDIS has the power to destroy the Daleks, how the f*ck did the Time Lords lose?) Why did Eccelston die from having that power in him after 3 seconds and not Billie who had it in her for presumably hours? 

Apart from a few scenes like Lynda with a Y's death it was absolute bollocks, by far the worst Dalek adventure until the Missy two parter. 

[ClockworkOcean]

Most of the scenes in the second episode that aim to depict the Daleks as a serious threat are well executed, even if they end up being completely undermined by the nonsensical deus ex machina ending. Everything else about it sucks. I fail to see how anyone can take it seriously as a critique of reality TV's exploitative nature while it simultaneously serves as product placement for those very shows.

[Ludders II]

Oct 12, 2024 14:57:04 GMT ClockworkOcean said:

I fail to see how anyone can take it seriously as a critique of reality TV's exploitative nature while it simultaneously serves as product placement for those very shows.

Davies loves all that shite.

[iank]

It's his intellectual level.

[Ludders II]

It's not unknown for me to be more charitable towards this one on occasion, (largely because of the Daleks), but it's stained by Jack/Barrowman, who ads an extra thick layer of unwatchability to the proceedings. He demeans every episode he's in.

[UncleDeadly]

Oct 13, 2024 15:02:15 GMT Ludders II said:

it's stained by Jack/Barrowman, who ads an extra thick layer

So what's new..?

[rushy]

The Eccleston speech when he sees the Daleks again is one of my favourite moments in Doctor Who. It would be endlessly imitated and watered down later on, but that very first time of hearing 'No weapons, no defences, no plan. Doesn't that scare you to death?' is just such a punch-in-the-air moment.

Same with the 'just this once, everybody lives', actually. They're both great scenes originally, but they work in isolation, in these particular contexts. The writers should have moved on to new great scenes after that instead of regurgitating them with less passion to the point where it becomes the Doctor's ludicrous modus operandi.

Parting of the Ways will always be my favourite Dalek story, I just love the atmospheric direction of it, Eccleston's committed performance, the way Rose rises to the occasion, the way everything builds to a crescendo at the end... and then a nice understated regeneration. I get happy just thinking about this one.