Ecclestone's pretty clearly distanced himself from the franchise now - the only living Doctor not involved with either this or Five(ish) Doctors? - but what is the franchise now? Has he been further from it than David Tennant?
I think of "the franchise" as turning up to conferences and stuff, doing audio stories - but those are all things that kept the flame alive before nu-Who, I'm curious if there is an equivalent.
― Andrew Farrell, Sunday, 24 November 2013 13:26 (ten years ago) link
I enjoyed it and I'm firmly with Dan on the "just enjoy it" kick.
Yeah, despite the nitpicking (which I think is just fun fan talk, not necessarily deep criticism), this was totally enjoyable. I can still see AA's point, though: they could've made this into a stand-alone celebration of the Doctor's 50 years, but instead it was pretty firmly rooted in the continuity of the current series... So I guess it was more of an extended regular episode with some extra dressing than a stand-alone special. But given that, I thought it was quite nicely done, certainly the best "big" episode ever since "Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang".
What is "Five(ish) Doctors", btw?
― Tuomas, Sunday, 24 November 2013 13:48 (ten years ago) link
I'm no big fan of Old Who but the Five-ish Doctors thing is HILARIOUS.
My take on Eccleston is that if he says yes to even one Doctor-related thing, next thing he'll be doing conventions and for him, that's probably VERY uncool.
― hatcat marnell (suzy), Sunday, 24 November 2013 13:59 (ten years ago) link
The Five(ish) Doctors
― Andrew Farrell, Sunday, 24 November 2013 13:59 (ten years ago) link
Three 80s doctors hadn't been approached to be in the special and Peter Davidson came up with an idea for an alternative special. Think he'd made a comment somewhere about if he wasn't going to be in the special he'd do one of his own. I haven't seen the thing beyond the clip that was on the Afterparty but it looked like this was a comedy about the 3 aging actors trying to get involved. They've all greyed and 2 of them have thickened out somewhat as us mere mortals are wont to do over 3 decades.
Looked like it might be pretty watchable, but i don't think I get the red button option since I'm getting the channel on cable. I may download a few things from this weekend though.
― Stevolende, Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:02 (ten years ago) link
I have to say that the biggest disappointment was they still haven't sacked Murray Gold... Especially after the episode started with the awesome original theme, it was pretty lame to hear his bombastic arrangements again. Like that "excitement music" (don't know if it has a name?) which I guess has at this point become the second theme of the show; I don't even think it's bad, I liked it the first time I heard it, but after that they've kept playing in every finale of every friggin' episode, so it's gotten really, really boring to hear that same riff again and again. If Gold is a composer, couldn't he, you know, compose some new music for a change?
― Tuomas, Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:03 (ten years ago) link
I think it's 3/3 for the thickening, 4/3 if you count Colin Baker twice.
― Andrew Farrell, Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:09 (ten years ago) link
Five(ish) Doctors was entertaining, cameo-tastic, and occasionally very funny. It was a nice wee counterpoint to the earnestness of the real episode.
― ailsa, Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:10 (ten years ago) link
Damn, the BBC won't allow me to watch "Five(ish) Doctors" because I'm no in the UK... Is there any way to circumvent this?
― Tuomas, Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:16 (ten years ago) link
The BBC site, that is.
― Tuomas, Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:17 (ten years ago) link
Best LOL was Georgia Moffett being mithered by her dad while in the throes of labour.
― hatcat marnell (suzy), Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:18 (ten years ago) link
Was her husband mithering her, no?
― ailsa, Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:23 (ten years ago) link
Or her at him. I can't remember now, but David T was definitely on the phone to her going "hmmm I'm sure there's something else I should be talking to her about..."
― ailsa, Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:24 (ten years ago) link
Tenant is Georgia's husband.
(Or was he just saying ma'am?)
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:27 (ten years ago) link
No, she was mithering her husband because her dad had mithered her. She says something along the lines of "he promises if you do this one thing then he won't bother you again."
Rusty's part in it brought the lols.
― Ian Glasper's trapped in a scone (aldo), Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:28 (ten years ago) link
that was very good - liked the incidental music gag and Peter Jackson mucking in. jolly well done all round, what
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:28 (ten years ago) link
xposts, yes, I know, that's why I said "her husband".
― ailsa, Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:30 (ten years ago) link
I don't know if it was mentioned anywhere, but Sylveste McCoy was in a blockbuster Hollywood movie of The Hobbit.
― Ian Glasper's trapped in a scone (aldo), Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:32 (ten years ago) link
He's the best thing about it though, boy should be proud.
― Andrew Farrell, Sunday, 24 November 2013 14:53 (ten years ago) link
Adam is AA
Tuomas that theme is called "I Am The Doctor" (yawn) tho tbf it is the only effective piece Gold has composed ever
― ͼѾͽ (sic), Sunday, 24 November 2013 15:11 (ten years ago) link
(BTW Edinburgh is showing this Monday-Friday in the cinema again, does anyone know if it'll be on in London on Monday or Tuesday?)
[...at a time that won't clash with the Radiophonic Workshop at Rough Trade on Monday, or Lance Parkin & Alan Moore on Tuesday?]
― ͼѾͽ (sic), Sunday, 24 November 2013 15:15 (ten years ago) link
Oh right, it gets a repeat then?
WAsn't actually sure fi the local cinema actually did the show since the time seemed to be struck out when i checked it on my phone's internet. & I'm not sure if they had updated time at all, still had a message about not knowing what the time would be until after the 13th.
Might be tempted to go see it again there if it was. Struck me watching it on my too small tv that it might have actually been good to see it in large scale.
― Stevolende, Sunday, 24 November 2013 15:21 (ten years ago) link
saw this in an absolutely sold out packed theater in SF at noon, great fun, I thought it was all it could have been and then some. Theater got a great Strax intro where he told people to turn their phones off and talked about popcorn screaming as it is eaten, plus a nice tennant/smith pair up describing 3d with barbs about chins and wrinkly old lines. Special itself was wonderful. But, who was the scientist girl? who was her sister supposed to have been? where did she get the scarf? I thought at the end perhaps from Baker's Doctor, but...
Scientist girl was Kate Lethbridge-Stewart's daughter. Sister was plot angst. She probably made the scarf herself because she is a Doctor groupie.
― deX! (DJP), Sunday, 24 November 2013 15:54 (ten years ago) link
I enjoyed that well enough tho I was a little let down by Hurt's part - like I felt I had been set up for a warped, bitter and near-murderous doctor/anti-doctor, then got a likeable chatty old cove along for the romp. Ditto the save-the-children Gallifrey stuff - much more interested in the Time Lords as dreadful dalek-level shits, get a bit of weight behind the 'push the button' billie-bomb question.
― woof, Sunday, 24 November 2013 15:55 (ten years ago) link
also, there seems to be an awfully big gulf between 'name of the doctor' and this. how come clara doesn't remember Hurt? what happened after that?
Clara never met that Doctor, as established at the end of The Name of the Doctor. Also, her memories of the time she spent as Clara fragments were hazy.
― deX! (DJP), Sunday, 24 November 2013 16:02 (ten years ago) link
I thought the beginning of the episode was excellent rompish nu-Who fun, especially the Doctor trash talking to a rabbit. And the thirteen-Doctor resolution was terrific, which was great seeing as the resolutions are usually the worst bit of any episode. It did sag quite a bit in the middle though, there was rather too much survivor guilt really, could have done with more tension given how high the stakes actually were.
The very beginning, with the original opening credits and the school, was an excellent touch, also yes Capaldi yes Tom Baker.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 24 November 2013 17:15 (ten years ago) link
I'm not exactly clear on what was supposed to have happened between the Doctor arriving on Trenzalore and the beginning of this episode, though.
Scarf girl is potentially a really good recurring character, hope she comes back.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 24 November 2013 17:18 (ten years ago) link
seems like a likely future companion, if they want to move away from the sexiness with Capaldi and go more toward 'older fatherly figure' and 'normal kid' rather than 'supple 20 yr old sexpot'.
― akm, Sunday, 24 November 2013 17:30 (ten years ago) link
Quite a nice touch that Smith kept blaming Tennant for all the sexiness, there hasn't been much of that with his Doctor at all.
Odysseus Doctor is going to have a different feel from what we've had for a while, he's not just going to be ambling about getting into trouble. Somewhat wise for a show that's lacked direction in the last couple of years. That said, every time nu-Who has done Timelords they've been kind of terrible, maybe they always have been.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 24 November 2013 17:36 (ten years ago) link
lol the rabbit bit was v funny
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 24 November 2013 18:36 (ten years ago) link
Five(ish) Doctors a total treat.
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 24 November 2013 19:16 (ten years ago) link
just realised the companion face that breaks in at the end of Moffatt's nightmare must be Matthew Waterhouse
― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Sunday, 24 November 2013 19:55 (ten years ago) link
Does he write NO MORE in English on a wall in Arcadia? If so why? I thought Gallifreyan looked very different.
― Stevolende, Sunday, 24 November 2013 19:56 (ten years ago) link
He being the Doctor.
relationship between Kate and Osgood certainly looks a bit overfamiliar for boss & subordinate. &it does sound like Mum, Mum at the beginning of the show.
I missed the beginning image of the show when I watched it yesterday, currently watching the BBC3 repeat. Yeah very nice touch having the yard gate then the school at the beginning though I thought the 2 were pretty separate/distant in 1963.
― Stevolende, Sunday, 24 November 2013 19:59 (ten years ago) link
It was translated for you by the TARDIS parked nearby
― ͼѾͽ (sic), Sunday, 24 November 2013 19:59 (ten years ago) link
It's a sign pointing to Foreman's, not the gate. They're moderately close in 1988, walking distance anyway.
― ͼѾͽ (sic), Sunday, 24 November 2013 20:01 (ten years ago) link
and thinking "man I hope Adam went to the cinema for this, even his shrivelled heart couldn't have resisted this much joy and delight":
apologise to have underestimated you, dude.
― ͼѾͽ (sic), Monday, 25 November 2013 00:03 (7 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
<3
― Autumn Almanac, Sunday, 24 November 2013 20:22 (ten years ago) link
every time nu-Who has done Timelords they've been kind of terrible, maybe they always have been.
― Matt DC, Monday, 25 November 2013 04:36 (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
they arguably slashed the show's viewership in the '80s (along with other factors)
― Autumn Almanac, Sunday, 24 November 2013 20:33 (ten years ago) link
Just re-watched the Ozwhat and Kate intro, geekette sez something like, "Sorry, it's your personal phone, but I recognized the ringtone" which sounds more formal boss-subordinate than child-parent to me.
― Matt Groening's Cousin (Leee), Sunday, 24 November 2013 20:51 (ten years ago) link
planning to rewatch this afternoon
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 24 November 2013 21:26 (ten years ago) link
I kind of forgot about the whole "ma'am"/"mum" thing so I retract the definitive statement re: glasses sidekick being Kate's daughter. I still think it's possible, though.
― deX! (DJP), Sunday, 24 November 2013 22:06 (ten years ago) link
The BBC subtitles have her saying Ma'am. Also, when Osgood finds Lethbridge-Stewart alive and covered in Zygon goop she calls her Kate - which seems an unlikely thing for a daughter to do.
― treefell, Sunday, 24 November 2013 22:12 (ten years ago) link
I liked a lot about this but re: woof's post, the "what about the children" slo-mo maypole dancing or whatever was laughably bad.
― Deafening silence (DL), Sunday, 24 November 2013 22:15 (ten years ago) link
when glasses realized that the Zygons were hiding under the sheets, it was so, so good
― deX! (DJP), Sunday, 24 November 2013 22:17 (ten years ago) link
Yeah, and in a later scene where Oswald finds Stewart all covered in Zygon goo, she calls her "Kate", not "mum". (Presumably, assuming she's not her daughter, the direness of the situation makes her drop the formalities; if she were her daughter, that'd be an odd time to switch from "mum" to her proper name.)
― Tuomas, Sunday, 24 November 2013 22:27 (ten years ago) link
(xpost with Treefell, ha!)
the ma'am/mum discussion was had on skyfall as well, it's ma'am. there were some fanservice winks that i groaned at but many more i ate up gleefully, no idea if how that ratio holds for ppl that got the surely many more fanservice winks that sailed over my head. thought the way they worked in billie piper was alright (and i'm someone who looks at the rose stuff from afar w/ horror, it's definitely a huge impediment on me exploring the tennant era any further than the couple of episodes that i have). got a bit fanfiction at times but not as much as you might've feared. heavy xmas carol aspect to it and i could imagine some version of the doctor that worked as touched by an angel on the highway to heaven, the doctor using time travel to play this was yr life week after week. if this show had somehow been an american show for fifty years, occasionally changing it's nature and guise, i guarantee one of them would've been evangelical self improvement oprah pablum. matt smith really strong in this i thought, will be very sad to see him go. at the same time got such a charge out of seeing capaldi's lunatic eyes, do hope that means his doctor isn't neutered.
― balls, Sunday, 24 November 2013 22:31 (ten years ago) link
wondering what type of treaty the brits worked out w/ the zygons - did they give them australia? allow them to hang around and do whatever as long as they looked like human and then perhaps used prisoners as the living template?
― balls, Sunday, 24 November 2013 22:33 (ten years ago) link
Sentenced to ILX
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 24 November 2013 22:36 (ten years ago) link
p. sure the government would be chilled about letting Zygons take over the general populace provided they all agreed to vote Tory at the next election and MPs were exempt
― Windsor Davies, Sunday, 24 November 2013 22:36 (ten years ago) link