Discussion [Dr. Who/Torchwood] The 21st Century changes it all, but the TARDIS can bring us back to fix it!

Welcome to the discussion thread for Doctor Who and Torchwood! I grouped them together since Torchwood is a spin off (or as I like to think of it as a spin with, since their time-lines coincide) and fans tend to like them both.

When discussing the shows, please highlight for at least a week after it airs in the United States, since the shows air in the UK a few weeks ahead of less fortunate. (Though that doesn't apply right now... but it may later! )


So, just a fun little survey about Doctor Who/Torchwood to get us started!

Doctor Who:
Who was your first Doctor? (As in, which Doctor was the first one you watched?)
Who is your favorite Doctor?
Who is your least favorite Doctor?
Who is your favorite villain?
Do you write Doctor Who?
What are your favorite type of Doctor Who stories to read?

Torchwood:
Who is your favorite TW character?
Who is your least favorite?
Who has been your favorite villain?
Do you write Torchwood?
What are your favorite types of Torchwood stories to read?

Both:
Which did you watch first, Doctor Who or Torchwood?
Which do you prefer to watch?
For which show do you more typically get the most plot bunnies?
Which do you typically read?

 

Reserved just in case it's needed!

 

I'll get us started!


Doctor Who:
Who was your first Doctor? The 10th Doctor... David Tennant
Who is your favorite Doctor? As the Think Geek shirt says, "You never forget your first doctor" I have to say David Tennant
Who is your least favorite Doctor? Hmmm.. considering I've really only watched the new DW, I guess I gotta go with the 9th Doctor-- Chris Eccleston.
Who is your favorite companion? Are we counting Jack as a companion??? If not him, then Martha though Rose comes a close second!
Who is your favorite villain? Definitely the Master!
Do you write Doctor Who? Not yet, but I hope to eventually!
What are your favorite type of Doctor Who stories to read? The Year that Never Was fics! (What can I say, I'm a sucker for torture Jack fics! )

Torchwood:
Who is your favorite TW character? Hmmm.. toss up between Jack and Ianto!
Who is your least favorite? I don't really know, I love them all, but if I had to choose, I'd say Tosh.
Who has been your favorite villain? Captain John Hart. (Though does he really count as a villain?)
Do you write Torchwood? Yes, though only one completed fic so far.
What are your favorite types of Torchwood stories to read? Janto fics!

Both:
Which did you watch first, Doctor Who or Torchwood? Torchwood. I'd been interested in DW, but never really had the chance to watch it. I saw TW advertised on BBC America and thought it looked interesting. Only 3/4 of the way through it did I find out it was a spin off of DW. I then started watching Who.
Which do you prefer to watch? I still gotta Torchwood. I'm a big Jack fan!
For which show do you more typically get the most plot bunnies? Torchwood. They come to me frequently, I just don't always get them written!
Which do you typically read? Definitely TW... I read them just about as much as SW fics.

 

Rather than do the questionnaire, I'm just going to talk. I've been a fan of Doctor Who for a great many years and first started writing Who fanfic for the net in the summer of 1996. It was through Doctor Who fanfic that I discovered the drabble, which I started writing in 1997. I was most prolific from 1996 to 2001, then from 2002 to 2004. During that time, I would write for every Doctor through the Ninth (who had been cast in 2004, but not yet seen on television), including some of the apocryphal ones. I got in every TV companion through Rose (again, cast but not seen), every novel companion through Anji Kapoor, and some of the comic and audio companions as well. The huge area where I'm lacking is the new series, mainly because I hit a slump shortly before it came out and haven't really recovered. I've only done one drabble with the Tenth Doctor, and haven't yet done any with a new companion other than Rose (nor have I done any Torchwood or Sarah Jane Adventures fic, though Sarah Jane herself has been in many).

Given time, I'll probably post most of what I can here, but I don't want to dump it all on the board at once.

 

I have to laugh at the title, mav!

Doctor Who:

Who was your first Doctor? (As in, which Doctor was the first one you watched?)

Ninth Doctor. My dad's been a fan for years (I think his first Doctor was either the first or the second), so when he heard about the new series, he convinced me to watch him with it. I was hooked -- and then I went and watched as many of the originals as possible because I just couldn't get enough.

Who is your favorite Doctor?

Fourth, Fifth or Tenth. I can't decide!

Who is your least favorite Doctor?

I would originally have said Sixth, but he's starting to grow on me, so I'm going to say: none.

Who is your favourite companion?

Sarah Jane, Jamie or Teagan; I also really like Ace and Donna. Jack's good too, if you give him companion status. As for the new series, Martha I think could have been developed a lot better, I disliked the fact that they had her turn into a little girl with a crush through her series. Rose got on my nerves in the second series and I strongly disliked what they'd done with her character in the fourth. Donna, I think, added something new and fresh in the fourth, I think I'll miss her quite a bit.

Who is your favorite villain?

Daleks, Master, Daleks, Master... Omega (random )! Um... I'm going to have to say the Master.

Do you write Doctor Who?

Not yet, but you never know with plot bunnies.

What are your favorite type of Doctor Who stories to read?

All of them?

Torchwood:

Who is your favorite TW character?

Jack, of course. He's the heart and soul of the show. Though I did really like Tosh.

Who is your least favorite?

Owen, I think. Or Gwen -- Gwen annoys me from time to time.

Who has been your favorite villain?

John Hart. (mav, I think he counts as a villain )

Do you write Torchwood?

Not yet, but you never know with plot bunnies. Something might jump at me.

What are your favorite types of Torchwood stories to read?

Not sure, haven't read a lot of them yet.

Both:
Which did you watch first, Doctor Who or Torchwood?

Doctor Who.

Which do you prefer to watch?

Doctor Who. I love the old ones. Though 10 really does steal the show in the new ones.

For which show do you more typically get the most plot bunnies?

At the moment, I've had no plot bunnies for Torchwood and a couple (old ones, though) for DW, so I'm saying DW.

Which do you typically read?

Doctor Who.

 

Doctor Who:
Who was your first Doctor? (As in, which Doctor was the first one you watched?) - Ninth Doctor
Who is your favorite Doctor? - ...Nine and Ten. And Five. And Four. Three, Two and One need mentions. Eight isn't bad...
Who is your least favorite Doctor? - A tie between Six and Seven. They're just not...interesting.
Who is your favorite companion? - Captain Jack, Mickey Smith, Martha Jones - Rose is okay, but doesn't interest me too much. Same goes for Donna.
Who is your favorite villain? - The Cybermen!
Do you write Doctor Who? - Not yet.
What are your favorite type of Doctor Who stories to read? - All of them!

Torchwood:
Who is your favorite TW character? - Mr. Ianto Jones. Snappy dresser.
Who is your least favorite? - Gwen.
Who has been your favorite villain? - Captain John Hart. He makes way more sense than Grey, that's for sure.
Do you write Torchwood? - No.
What are your favorite types of Torchwood stories to read? - Crossovers with Doctor Who.

Both:
Which did you watch first, Doctor Who or Torchwood? - Doctor Who
Which do you prefer to watch? - Doctor Who
For which show do you more typically get the most plot bunnies? - Doctor Who?
Which do you typically read? - Doctor Who

 

God bless you for starting this forum. I am a huge, huge Dr. Who/Torchwood fanatic. I mean, seriously. I could talk about it for... well, for about as long as I could talk about Star Wars.

Doctor Who:
Who was your first Doctor? (As in, which Doctor was the first one you watched?) Eccleston (Nine)
Who is your favorite Doctor? Tennant (Ten)
Who is your least favorite Doctor? To be honest, I've only really seen Eccleston and Tennant enough to judge, and I like both of them.
Who is your favorite villain? The Master. Hands down.
Who is your favorite companion? I guess it's a case of "You never forget your first companion" I've got a soft spot for Rose
Do you write Doctor Who? Not yet, but I've got some ideas.
What are your favorite type of Doctor Who stories to read? I tend to like "missing moments" fics a lot.

Torchwood:
Who is your favorite TW character? Tosh. Owen's my runner-up. (I know, right? What am I going to do now?) Can I just say that I think everyone on that show needs a great big hug?
Who is your least favorite? I really didn't like Suzie, but she may not have been on the show long enough to count. In the beginning I thought Ianto was far too emo. He's starting to grow on me though. Also, Rhys bothers me.
Who has been your favorite villain? I can't think of any. For some reason, I don't see Torchwood as having "villians" in the same way Doctor Who does.
Do you write Torchwood? I've started a story but haven't finished it yet.
What are your favorite types of Torchwood stories to read? Stories where The Doctor shows up. But to qualify in this category of "my favorite", they have to be Torchwood stories with The Doctor in them, rather than Doctor Who stories with Jack in them. I also like Gwen/Jack stories.

Both:
Which did you watch first, Doctor Who or Torchwood? Doctor Who
Which do you prefer to watch? I get more excited about new episodes of Torchwood, but I feel like Doctor Who has better replay value. I can watch the same episodes of Doctor Who over and over when Sci-fi Channel has their marathons, but Torchwood episodes often can't hold my attention through a second or third watch.
For which show do you more typically get the most plot bunnies? Torchwood. I feel like Doctor Who is so epic that it is difficult for me to write well. I find it easier to play with the characters of Torchwood.
Which do you typically read? Both, but I feel like I read Torchwood more frequently. Probably for the same reason that I write it more frequently.

 

Drabba: I bow to your massive DW knowledge. I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!

Idrelle:
I have to laugh at the title, mav!
Thank you! I had a better one but it was too long. (And now I can't remember what it what! )

As for the new series, Martha I think could have been developed a lot better, I disliked the fact that they had her turn into a little girl with a crush through her series.
I agree, though I did like her. I think I liked her character better on TW... she had grown up a little bit.

Penguinator-176:
Captain John Hart. He makes way more sense than Grey, that's for sure.
I agree! I liked the idea of Grey, but it lacked something. I think I just wasn't a big fan of the acting job the guy who played him gave. Captain John's part was much more interesting.

karebear214:
I am a huge, huge Dr. Who/Torchwood fanatic. I mean, seriously. I could talk about it for... well, for about as long as I could talk about Star Wars.
Same here... at least about TW. I don't know quite enough about Who (especially the original)to talk that much about it, but I'm learning!

Tosh. Owen's my runner-up.
Oh no! You poor thing! I loved them both, but I don't know what I would do if one of them had been Ianto.


Ok, since this is a discussion thread, I guess we should discuss. If anyone ever has any ideas... feel free to throw them out here!

Who do you think is (or would be) the hardest character(s) to write??

 

For Torchwood, Jack, I think. He still has elements of mystery about him and I can't quite wrap my mind around how a bisexual man from the 51st century who can't die thinks. It makes my brain hurt!

On the same token, the Doctor makes my brain hurt as a writer as well, depending on which number we're on. I can't imagine writing something from his point of view, but I think he'd be a lot of fun to write when using a different character's POV.

 

The hardest character to write? Captain Diamond. That's like a ten right there.

 

I cannot write the Doctor. Someone who has been around for over 900 years, and jumped all through millenniums worth of time and space and seen more stuff than I can possibly fathom. Someone who has flat out said they live their life in the wrong order and who has had 10 different incarnations... nope, that's a character far too complicated and full of depth for me to do him any justice.

On the other hand, I actually find Jack pretty easy to write. To me, above everything else, he's just a little boy who desperately needs to be loved.

 

You could stick to writing the First Doctor.

 

Doctor Who:

Who was your first Doctor? (As in, which Doctor was the first one you watched?) The first whole episode I saw was Midnight with 10. His character grabbed me so much that I had to go back and watch the entire new series through from the first season (with 9).

Who is your favorite Doctor? 10

Who is your least favorite Doctor? Hmm? maybe 1. Haven?t really seen enough with him to see if he will grow on me yet.

Who is your favorite villain? The Master.

Do you write Doctor Who? Yes, although I have yet to finish/post anything.

What are your favorite type of Doctor Who stories to read? Multi-Era and Doctor/Rose stories, even better if the story has both!


Haven?t seen Torchwood, so can?t say anything about it.


Who do you think is (or would be) the hardest character(s) to write?? Hmm, maybe Donna Noble. Haven?t written her yet, I love her character, but I?m not sure I could get her right.

 

I thought there could only be 10 incarnations of the doctor?

 

The established number (from "The Deadly Assassin" (1976)) was thirteen, one original and twelve regenerations. Of course, there are ways around that; the Master's used several himself, and at one point ("The Five Doctors" (1983)) the High Council offered him a whole new cycle.


EDIT: Three words: older character actor.

 

Thanks

 

Now give me a tough one.

 

Ok, since I don't have cable, and haven't yet seen Torchwood, I'm just going to answer the Doctor Who questions...

Who was your first Doctor?
Paul McGann, Doctor #8, although I understand that he isn't always considered canon, as he was only used one time in an American-produced Doctor Who TV movie. (It also starred Eric Roberts as a very flamboyant and over-the-top Master.) I saw that on Sci-Fi way back in...99? Something like that.

Who is your favorite Doctor?
That's a toughie. I'm split between David Tennant and Tom Baker. (Of course, the acting is just a teensy bit better these days, too....)

Who is your least favorite Doctor?
Peter Cushing. Totally wasn't his fault....those movies were just awful, IMO. Besides, I grew up on reruns of the old Hammer films -- Peter Cushing = Van Helsing (or Grand Moff Tarkin.)

Who is your favorite villain?
The Master comes most readily to mind, although Davros is certainly a piece of work. Honestly, I can't think of many others, at least not that recurred throughout the series. (Then again, I just now started on my second cup of coffee...)

Do you write Doctor Who?
No. Been tempted to try once or twice, but while I like the show, I don't think I could write Doctor Who. Unless of course he was a Jack Bauer-inspired Doctor... lol
...although it occurs to me that there might be fun to be had if the good Doctor were to meet up with the Red Dwarf crew.....

What are your favorite type of Doctor Who stories to read?
I haven't....yet.

And ok, I lied a little bit. My very first Doctor was actually Peter Cushing, but I was like 10 when I tried to watch one of those awful movies, and I couldn't stand it. Years later, when I saw the Paul McGann movie, I re-evaluated my position on all things Doctor-related, and therefore, I consider that my first real exposure to the Doctor Who-niverse.

You forgot, of course, the most important question of our time:

"Would you like a Jelly Baby?"

 

Interesting! My first reaction is sadness because I love David Tennant but I like the look of this guy. From the interview on the BBC news site he seems like he will play a really quirky Doctor. What I'm really worried about is that Russell T Davies left Who and I don't know how that's going to effect it.

 

Officially, McGann's Doctor has always been canonical; some fans who didn't like the movie may've wanted to discount him, but there are those out there who don't want to consider the prequel trilogy canon. The novels, comics, and audios have all reinforced his canon status, as has the identification of Eccleston and Tennant as Doctors Nine and Ten.

Now, all that said, there is one tiny little element of that movie that hasn't been treated as canon, that's mostly just been ignored as much as possible, and that's the "half-human" bit. That aside, everything else in the TVM, especially the Doctor himself, is A-okay.

 

I don't think I like the look of Eleven; a bit too trendy (are they trying to nab the Twilight fans?) and, dare I say it, emo, for my tastes...although I did think the same thing of Tennant when he first showed up (except instead of emo, geeky...which was cool?), so I'm probably just paranoid. Tennant won me over and I'm sure Matt Smith will too.

I don't know if the rumours of Bill Nighy being considered for Eleven were true or not, but I'm writing a fic about Eleven if Nighy had been cast...a bit lame when I see it written on this post, but hopefully someone else will see what I see in Nighy.