nu-Who new series...thoughts on the first episode?

[Spud1]

So the BBC's latest Nu-Who episode has just aired - what are everyone's thoughts?

Personally I thought the story was pretty terrible, being a lazy family friendly rip off of predator, with a lot of stupidity, some absolutely awful scenes and far too much silliness...but two of the new companions seem like they are going to be great (Tosin Cole & Mandip Gill), and it's far too early to tell if Jodie will work out as a good "Dr Who" or not.

I didn't like Capaldi at all at the start so I am hoping she grows on me as he did - he took 3-4 episodes before I started to believe he was a good Dr Who. He was also given some terrible stories at the start of his season, so again, lets hope it improves.

The Cinematography seems to have changed a bit too - it has the distinct feel of a Spin Off (felt much more "Torchwood" that nu-Who) which is a bit odd.

Time will tell how the series works out - I give the opener a 4/10 but like I say Capaldi started out the same way so never know! I have to keep reminding myself that none of the new series are really Dr Who and that it needs to be taken as it is...I still wish they had re-branded it to take away the comparison between the classic series and the new one given how radically different they are.

Thoughts?

[peterb]

It has become a parody of itself.

[spacein_vader]

Reserving judgement till next week. The first episode with any new doctor is always the same plot. Memory loss, confusion, before remembering who they are just in time to save the day.

[Gerrard]

Seemed OK, but then I am not very astute at critising things like this. Seemed like a more upbeat Dr, more in line of Matt Smith (or at least, how I am rememerbing him playing it).

Still, I can't help thinking of the accidental spin-off Frank Skinner came up with a couple of years' ago due to a mispronounciation on the radio about Dr Hugh, from the west country, fighting the Cidermen and the Dereks!

[Jonj1611]

Overall I thought the new doctor was ok, nothing more or less really. The story was average. Tosin Cole I think will do well, Mandip Gill seemed a bit like she wasn't sure if she should be there or not.

Time will tell. No pun intended

[Saracen]

I agree that it takes a few episodes to tell if a Doctor is going to work. I think that's partly about me (us) getting used to a new Doctor's quirks, but also about the new actor relaxing a bit into tne roke.

That said, so far, not impressed. Partly it's that having been watching DW since the original Hartnell series, to me, Doctor Who just isn't a woman, and I rather resent the gender-equality political correctness messing about with a childhood favourite.

But also, so far, not impressed with Jodie. She seems to be trying to be a female Matt Smith and it isn't working, at least, for me. That said, it took a few episodes to get used to Smith, and I never did much rate Capaldi. Doctor Who peaked with Ecclestone and Tennant, and has progessively slipped since. Mind you, some of the companions have been great, including Piper and Coleman.

But this series? Jury is out.

[Spreadie]

Only caught a few minutes of it, and I don't care that the new Doctor is a woman - it's a fairly gender neutral role anyway IMO - but, like Saracen, I wasn't enamoured with Matt Smith when I first saw him in the role, and he turned out to be great.

So, I'm happy to and let it develop.

[DanceswithUnix]

I think that's partly about me (us) getting used to a new Doctor's quirks, but also about the new actir relaxing a bit into tne roke.

I'm not convinced that changing the person in charge of the series and the Doctor who actor at the same time could ever go smoothly.

Some googling on Chibnall's past turned up some mini episodes he did called Pond Life which somehow I hadn't seen at the time, here mixed into one 5 minute short: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00y9ly3

Edit: I think the way they built up towards having a female doctor who was a bit rubbish. The ground was plainly laid out in "The Night of the Doctor" when McGann was told he could choose:

"Fat or thin, young or old, man or woman." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U3jrS-uhuo_

then they turned the Master into Missy. Much though I enjoyed Cipaldi, I think the timing would have been better if they had used a woman for the last regeneration not this one.

It also feels to me given how they dragged the whole gender thing out like the next doctor has to be a female as well or people will say "well that was a token role, back to male actors."

[g8ina]

Three words completely killed any chance of me liking it :

"I would of"

[Spud1]

Partly it's that having been watching DW since the original Hartnell series, to me, Doctor Who just isn't a woman, and I rather resent the gender-equality political correctness messing about with a childhood favourite.

I do still find this an issue too, even if the world seems to be against me for it I did go back and watch two episodes of early Dr Who after this to remind myself how good it can be (Enemy of the world, as that DVD arrived yesterday, and then the power of the daleks, just because it's an amazing Troughton story, even if most of it is an animation on the recovered copy).

It could have been worse though - they could have brought back a Catherine Tate style companion. There is an entire season of nu-who with a good Doctor that I just cannot watch because of her.

That is another reason why this season may tank - no Daleks. even if I am not fully on board with the direction they have taken them, it is still a shame!

At least Big Finish are keeping me happy with some genuinely brilliant Dr Who content - I cannot recommend their full cast audio plays enough if you are a Dr Who fan - I often find if I start one I have to have (or find!) 3-4 hours to finish it there and then. Their Time War series has been particularly brilliant.

@Saracen if you are a Hartnell fan then give this a shot - https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v...of-winter-1323 - first episode is free, like anything you know will be addictive (all DRM free, available as MP3/audiobook/CD)

[Ttaskmaster]

They're just scoring points on the diversity quota and waving it in our faces. I usually don't even notice what race someone is in this programme, and the fact that I noticed what race every person was in this just screams Diversity Quota, IMO. Not only in the main story, but especially in the preview bit at the end, it was very much a mixture of BBC Names You Might Recognise, and Token Person Of Ethnic Origin.

The Doctor, as usual, is some pretty decent actor whose talents will be utterly wasted in some pissy nonsensical scripts. So far, she's basically copying David Tennant all over again, who was fun but nothing like The Doctor should be. Smith, Ecclestone and Capaldi were all fantastic Doctors, but again each suffered from utterly dire scripting and the fact that the programme was more about the 'companions' than the Doctor himself - They used to be called 'assistants', because they're supposed to play second fiddle, not come up with the solutions themselves all the time.

[Jonj1611]

Why don't you tell us how you really feel Ttaskmaster

[Saracen]

@Spud .... it's not so much that I'm a Hartnell fan. I certainly prefer the recent few series and it's hard to see, oh, Cybermen for example, where "effects" consists of a bloke in a tinfoil hat. Though, something tells me I ought to be fine with that. Not sure ....ahem .... why.

But I do remember those days. Black and White minstrels, and for that matter, B&W TV. Neither of which, perxonally, I remember without a shudder.

But Doctor Who, for me, is a life-long tradition. If they'd brought out a new series with a female TimeLord that somehow escaped, fine. But a female Doctor just grates on my nerves. It's a bit like Hollywood's penchant for reinterpeeting history to put US forces, or an American character, as the hero/centre of a historical tale where it's just plain wrong.

It grates like doing Florence Nightingale or Joan of Arc as a dude. Or Julie Caesarette getting stabbed by Barbie on the Ides of March.

And before someone asks if I know Doctor Who is fiction, my reply would be :-

a) Yes, of course he is,

b) Are you sure?

It's like Paddington Bear was female, or Father Christmas was female, of for that matter, Little Red Riding Hood was a guy, or Rapunzel aas transgender.

Why do film/TV makers feel tyey have to mess with tradition and Doctor Who is moee of a tradition to me having lived through all 55 years of it's evolution, than all those others put together.

Does a gender shifted Doctor breach any 'rules' of the Doctor or regeneration? Probably not. But it just doesn'% feel right. It also feels absolutely unnecessary, done for all the wrong reasons, and it .... how do I put it ... cheapens the concept.

Will I settle in to Jodie as the Doctor? Dunno. As someone said, time will tell.

But right now, I feel a bit like I did when Mum and Dad sat me down and told me ..... *** SPOILER ALERT FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES *** ....
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.... Santa Claus isn't real.

A female Doctor jyst somehow pops the illusion.

I'll give it a few episodes, but frankly, it feels to me like the end of an era. I'd almost rather both the Doctor and the series had died ... but gone out with a bang, instead of this politically correct bull-doodah.

[Smudger]

I don't care if the Doctor's a man or a woman, the re-generation thing kind of says to me 'why not?'. We won't have true equality until it's a ginger, like Tennant wanted to be at the beginning of his tenure.

Interesting fact from last night's episode: The lady who plays Grace provided lead vocals on Nomad's "I want to give you devotion". FACT.

[Ttaskmaster]

Why don't you tell us how you really feel Ttaskmaster

Because if I did that, I'd be hit with the Banhammer so hard the fallout would ban everyone who ever posted here in The Lounge....!
I have to curb and moderate my postings, you see.

I've no problem with a female Doctor and the possibility was established a while back.
But the time to do it was long ago, not today where it just comes across as finally giving in and pandering to the long-standing social equality demands of the luvvies.
In addition to Tennant's act, they're clearly trying to evoke the spirit of previous Doctors in her outfit, with the stripes, boots and braces. Bit of a Capaldi hoodie, bit of a Baker longcoat...

TBH, they should never have gotten rid of Paul McGann in the first place!

[Zak33]

Doctor Who peaked with Ecclestone and Tennant, and has progessively slipped since.

this.. with a blue tardis on

The random madness of Ecclestone followed by the depths that Tennant finally went too....

but I am not watching the new one until a few are on iplayer so I can back-to-back them and not suffer from one opening nu-Who episode