Amph Doctor Who Discussion (Russell T. Davies returns)

Jacobi was also in The King's Speech and Gladiator, and starred in I, Claudius -- among about 1K other roles.

On an unrelated note, can anyone offer an explanation of Capaldi's regeneration after Smith established that he was at the limit of his regenerations? Did they explain this in the series and I missed it, or is it a mystery yet to be unraveled?

 

The Time of the Doctor explains it. (Not really explains, though. More portrays.)

 

Well, thanks -- but I've watched that episode twice! Once last Sunday. Whatever did I miss?

 

Clara talked to the crack in the wall, which was really the Time Lords. They granted him a new cycle of regenerations.

 

A-ha! Thank you!

 

Congrats to Listen for the Hugo Award nomination!

http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2015-hugo-awards/

 

you sure he wasn't the queen ?

 

Today I picked up the excellent 1997 book Doctor Who: Monsters, which is an overview not only of every single creature, robot, mutant, and evil being shown in the original 26-season series, but also of the entire show's genesis, development and content. It features in-depth interviews with directors, script writers, producers, effects and make-up personnel, and actors. It is quite a flipping treat, and after 6 hours of reading it I'm now something of an expert on OldWho.

 

So I just got done watching Torchwood (finally). The first few episodes were so terrible that, on my first attempt at this a year and a half ago, I stopped. Now that I have Netflix, I gave this series another go. Once you get past the first few episodes (where the writers got the gratituous blood-and-sex just because we can out of their system--or as I call it, Casual Vacancy syndrome), the show definitely picks up. The first two seasons on the whole were pretty good, but I loved the mini-series format of seasons 3 and 4. The latter two are my favorite parts of Torchwood (even though admittedly season 4 can barely be considered Torchwood anymore by that point).

It's a shame the powers-that-be never continued Captain Jack's story.

 

I haven't got into Torchwood yet... and here's why. When I watch Doctor Who I find I sort of tune out during the villains-only scenes, or when supporting characters are blathering to one another about this or that: really any time the Doctor and companion are absent, so am I. For me, it's all about those two-ish characters. So despite my liking Captain Jack (and loving that he one day becomes the

Spoiler

Face of Boe

), I'm reticent to give Torchwood a chance. I don't want to find myself "tuning out".

 

Yet you liked Blink?

 

I was kinda 'so-so' on Torchwood. I mean, I watched it but I couldn't get into it the way I do Doctor Who. Each to his/her own tastes. I did like Capt Jack in his Doctor Who appearances though.

 

What is this fourth season of "Torchwood" you refer to? I seem to recall something on Starz that was said to be a "Torchwood" story, but, so far as I know, it wasn't. Definitely not "Torchwood". Certainly not part of the "Doctor Who" universe. Never happened.

 

It beats me. Perhaps in the states, season 2 was split and so they refer to Children of Earth as series 4

 

No, it refers to Miracle Day. Never seen it, so don't know how Torchwoody it is or is not.

 

Here now is my Doctor Ranking, which I'm sure you've all been awaiting breathlessly! This ranking expresses my overall opinion of the era of that Doctor's tenure, including general quality of storylines, concepts and execution, as well as the performance and personality of each Doctor. (Note: The War Doctor is not included.) (Also note: I've seen only certain episodes of the OldWho Doctors, so my sample size may be limited.)

12. The First Doctor (William Hartnell): I know, I know. Heresy, right? How can I rank the one who started it all so low? Well, I'll tell you. He's grumpy, rarely smiles or laughs, exhibits no sense of adventure or excitement, and is featured in a preponderance of dry, historical episodes.
11. The Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy): His best feature is his sense of humor. His worst is his lack of charisma. I don't find him very engaging to watch, as he is physically underwhelming and lacks intensity. I also dislike his question-mark-riddled outfit and that dumb straw hat.
10. The Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker): Rather arrogant and presumptuous. His colorful outfit, which seems to promise an air of whimsy or fun, contradicts his proud and impatient demeanor.
9. The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison): I like him okay; he's got a gentlemanly quality that appeals to me, like an Edwardian earl with a love of cricket and croquet. But he's also rather bland. And I've never understood that goofy celery stalk.
8. The Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann): It's difficult to judge based on the single movie he's in, but I do appreciate his enthusiasm and his mellifluous voice. He also shares the Fifth's gentlemanly quality, and the Third's penchant for velvet coats, of which I approve.
7. The Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi): Almost as grumpy as the First, with a darkness that seems to haunt and distract him, despite having saved Gallifrey from certain doom. He also comes across as contemptuous of humanity, a marked contrast with his immediate predecessors. However, his sense of humor and fun become more prevalent as his series progresses. His costume, however, is begging for a tie.
6. The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston): The reason I'm even here; his excited, intense performance drew me back into this series after a multi-decade break. His occasional bouts of temper are understandable given what he has just endured, and at heart he seems a joyful soul awaiting a moment to relax and laugh... which rarely if ever comes, before it's all over.
5. The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton): A delightful, whimsical, musical sprite! I get the sense the Seventh was striving to play the character in this vein, but couldn't quite pull it off. He's easily flustered, it seems, but he always manages to pull it together in the nick of time.
4. The Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee): A serious, focused, dedicated Doctor, whose outward foppishness masks an intense and action-ready personality. He engages in fisticuffs, runs fast when called upon to do so, and is generally more physical than most of his regenerations, but he is also capable of showing genuine affection with his companion Jo.
3. The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker): "My" Doctor from the period I discovered the show. Friendly and easy with a laugh or a wry aside, but oh-so-intense when the going gets rough. His patchwork outfit and chaotic hairstyle reveal a wild, untamable side, an anti-authoritarian streak which I too embrace. Certainly the best, most charismatic regeneration of the OldWho cycle.
2. The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant): High-energy, high-charisma, prodigiously intelligent but also friendly, caring and fun-loving. Unafraid to declare ringingly his own superiority over the villainous species that seek to harm those he loves. Affectionate protector of humanity and of the Earth.
1. The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith): Like the Tenth Doctor in many ways, but added to those traits he has a puppy-ish quality, a need to receive affection, that mark him as distinct. Beyond that he possesses an air of nobility, or courageousness, of choosing to do the right thing even and especially when that choice is difficult or even impossible. The youngest of all Doctors, he has the oldest eyes, and by the end of his regeneration he is arguably, also, the longest-lived. Plus his outfit is so classical in color and design: bowties are cool. (Fezzes, on the other hand, not so much.)

What about you?

 

Hmm, that's a toughie, and I do have my own say on them, but that'll be for later.

With all the talk of Torchwood, I have to lament how Sarah Jane Adventures will never get a chance to see the light of day again. It had its own share of unique characters, villains, and whathaveyou.

Heck I won't even be mad if they tease that The Rani will be returning to the show, and then it turns out be SJA Rani. SJA should live on via its characters appearing in Doctor Who, after the 10th and 11th Doctors returned the favor by appearing there.

 

It's not about whether or not it's "Torchwoody". It's about how it's heavily padded, features some really unbelievable plot twists, makes a massive retcon regarding Jack Harkness, uses a type of evil threat that's already been overused, and has a needlessly open ending. Plus, it seems that they've basically tossed out any notion that the story has any connection to the Whoniverse.

 

I almost completely disagree with Hogarth.
The First is awesome, and just takes time to discover the twinkle.
Seven's quietly manipulative air is impossible to look away from.
Old Sixie is simply superb. Absolutely superb, though let down somewhat by the scripts. Check out hi Big Finish work.
I'm not actually a huge fan of Five, he seems fairly bland honestly, though I'm not up to Caves of Androzani yet.
Eight is the perfect, brilliant bundle of bouncy ADHD, the greatest voice ever, and the ability to snap into sadness, rage, and deadly seriousness in a moment. Oh, what could have been in a series. His Big Finish work is absolutely marvelous, and catapults him to the upper reaches of the best actors to take on the role. Though not the highlight of his work, the story where he split into three aspects of his personality is a very intriguing character piece that attempts to get at the heart of what makes the character tick.
Twelve is the best thing to come from NuWho since Eleven. Which doesn't actually say much, but by the end of his era, I could perhaps easily see him locked in my first-place tie.
Nine's angst and humour are played extremely well, no argument there.
Two's ability to dominate the scene from the shadows is enviable, but seems to me very different from how Seven interacts with his characters.
Three is, well, he's there. Serviceable enough, but nothing special.
Four is overrated, but has an era full of classic scripts, so he gets away with it.
Ten is just ridiculously overrated, and deserves far less praise than he gets. Painful watching at times, though like all the others, he has flashes of brilliance.
Eleven's "young man in an old body" is fabulous, and he's a joy to watch even when his stories aren't the best.
War is interesting, but I still regret that he wasn't Paul McGann.
Peter Cushing is an interesting interpretation of the First Doctor Who as a human.
The Valeyard is a fabulous antagonist.
The Morbius Doctors are Morbius, not the Doctors.
None of the Curse of the Fatal Death Doctors would be good casting for the actual show.
TenToo is just depressing and sickeningly sweet.
Think that covers most of them.

 

Jesus, Kenny, you want to chill out? What are you, William Hartnell?

 

Hartnell would have gotten the show's name wrong.

 

Admittedly I'm something of a novice where it concerns First - Third and Fifth - Eighth. I've only seen a handful of stories with each: basically what's on Netflix and a few others friends have shown me over the years. And I've never listened to a single DH audio drama or read a DH novel or comic book. So it's enlightening to read others' viewpoints and see their rankings. I'm sure my opinions will continue to be refined as I dig more deeply into the Old stuff.

EDIT TO ADD: But I'll stand by my opinion of Third (Pertwee). With his intense, realistic performance and velvet coat, he is absolutely my favorite non-Baker OldWho Doctor.

 

Sorry, meant to edit and wound up quoting.

 

Like I said, it's barely Torchwood, but I still liked it.

Come on, it wasn't that bad. I thought the spacing was fine (though it could've been a bit compressed), and once you get past the fact it's not really Torchwood or all that British anymore, it's an intriguing drama about what would happen if death were no longer possible for the human race. It did have its plot issues (e.g. why did that suicide bomber in the beginning survive grotesquely but all other explosion victims afterward are presumed goners), but overall it was a well-told tale IMO.

And even though I personally prefer Children of Earth over Miracle Day overall, at least the latter isn't guilty of killing off Ianto Jones or having Captain Jack kill his own grandson while his daughter (the boy's mother) watches screaming.

 

Gaaah, I can't believe I abbreviated the series "DH"... and no one called me out on it! Doctor Ho??!!??