Dr Who: 50th Anniversary.

[Handley_Page]

The good Dr Who has been round for a good while:

There's a special programme on BBC. And it's in North America come November.

Look here.

 

[PennLady]

I saw this earlier, about the cinema screenings, which I think is pretty cool, and I wish I could attend one. Ah well.

I'm really looking forward to this. My only regret is that I gather they couldn't get too many of the past Doctors -- those still living -- to participate for various reasons. And I wish I knew why Christopher Eccleston seems intent on totally avoiding anything Who, but to each his own.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I saw this earlier, about the cinema screenings, which I think is pretty cool, and I wish I could attend one. Ah well.

I'm really looking forward to this. My only regret is that I gather they couldn't get too many of the past Doctors -- those still living -- to participate for various reasons. And I wish I knew why Christopher Eccleston seems intent on totally avoiding anything Who, but to each his own.

Yeah, he did so well in that G.I. Joe fiasco, you would think he would like to at least do something worth while.

 

[annanova]

*checking dates and locations listed*

Oh thank goodness.... I have options!!

Penn, I'm with you. Why Eccleston avoids Who, I don't understand either. Then again, he was clear from the beginning that he was only doing the first season/series.

 

[PennLady]

Yeah, he did so well in that G.I. Joe fiasco, you would think he would like to at least do something worth while.

That I missed, but he was good in 28 Days Later and Amelia and amusing in what I saw of Gone in 60 Seconds.

*checking dates and locations listed*

Oh thank goodness.... I have options!!

Penn, I'm with you. Why Eccleston avoids Who, I don't understand either. Then again, he was clear from the beginning that he was only doing the first season/series.

True, and that's fine. But that doesn't mean he can't reminisce a little. He seems to be trying to distance himself from the series and that's a shame, since if he hadn't carried it off, we probably wouldn't still have the series.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

That I missed, but he was good in 28 Days Later and Amelia and amusing in what I saw of Gone in 60 Seconds.

He was in Gone in 60 seconds?

I don't remember seeing him in that or did they remake the remake of the original?

You are talking about the one with Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie in it?

ETA: He was in that one...must have been a very memorable performance. I don't remember seeing him in that. Robert Duvall, Will Patton, I remember them, but NOT Christopher.

 

[PennLady]

He was in Gone in 60 seconds?

I don't remember seeing him in that or did they remake the remake of the original?

You are talking about the one with Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie in it?

ETA: He was in that one...must have been a very memorable performance. I don't remember seeing him in that. Robert Duvall, Will Patton, I remember them, but NOT Christopher.

Yes, that's the one. IIRC, he's the one who sends Cage on the massive car heist. I don't think it was a big part, but it stood out to me b/c I knew him from Dr Who and he had the only British accent (I think) in the cast. The only line I remember is, when he was talking to Cage: "Do I look like an asshole?"

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Yes, that's the one. IIRC, he's the one who sends Cage on the massive car heist. I don't think it was a big part, but it stood out to me b/c I knew him from Dr Who and he had the only British accent (I think) in the cast. The only line I remember is, when he was talking to Cage: "Do I look like an asshole?"

Ah...no don't remember him. My answer to that question is always "Yes, yes you do. Now take this tissue and wipe the shit off your chin."

 

[PennLady]

Ah...no don't remember him. My answer to that question is always "Yes, yes you do. Now take this tissue and wipe the shit off your chin."

Here's a YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jv-PizKoMo (not great quality, sorry)

He's actually somewhat hard to recognize because, unlike when he played Dr Who, he has hair.

 

[desertslave]

My daughter just flew in to visit her Granma and me yesterday. She just finished midterms, and was tired. To my amazement she got up bright and early this morning (for her, 8:30 qualifies), lurched to her laptop, and hovered until 9, when she scored tickets for herself and roommate and promptly screeched her joy for most of the neighborhood to hear.

 

[PennLady]

My daughter just flew in to visit her Granma and me yesterday. She just finished midterms, and was tired. To my amazement she got up bright and early this morning (for her, 8:30 qualifies), lurched to her laptop, and hovered until 9, when she scored tickets for herself and roommate and promptly screeched her joy for most of the neighborhood to hear.

Way to go!

See, we make time for the important things.

 

[StrangeLife]

And I wish I knew why Christopher Eccleston seems intent on totally avoiding anything Who, but to each his own.

Maybe he feared type-casting. Once an actor has been on Dr Who people tend to forget everything else he is doing later. And the longer he stays, the more of a fixture he becomes with the fans.

Too bad though - he did a fine job...

 

[slyc_willie]

Maybe he feared type-casting. Once an actor has been on Dr Who people tend to forget everything else he is doing later. And the longer he stays, the more of a fixture he becomes with the fans.

Too bad though - he did a fine job...

He did, but I think Tennant was better. He was suitably enigmatic, sarcastic, wild-eyed and even athletic, all at the same time.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Here's a YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jv-PizKoMo (not great quality, sorry)

He's actually somewhat hard to recognize because, unlike when he played Dr Who, he has hair.

Yeah, I remember the scene and I knew who he was back then, it's just he didn't click in my brain as Dr. Who for some reason. I guess the acting wasn't all that memorable. *shrugs shoulders*

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Maybe he feared type-casting. Once an actor has been on Dr Who people tend to forget everything else he is doing later. And the longer he stays, the more of a fixture he becomes with the fans.

Too bad though - he did a fine job...

He did, but I think Tennant was better. He was suitably enigmatic, sarcastic, wild-eyed and even athletic, all at the same time.

Personally, I think both David Tennant and Matt Smith did way better jobs at being the doctor than Eccleston. Of course that's just my humble opinion and does count for shit.

 

[StrangeLife]

Personally, I think both David Tennant and Matt Smith did way better jobs at being the doctor than Eccleston. Of course that's just my humble opinion and does count for shit.

Tennant is my favorite of the post-2005 doctors so far and some of the best episodes of the entire series were made during his reign.

However without Eccleston to create a baseline for a new darker, more "grown-up" and less campy Dr Who I don't think the series would have reached the quality it has today. Thanks to his dramatic performance Daleks and Cybermen were suddenly genuinely scary instead of funny, and lets face it - before Eccleston the Doctor himself had the character depth of Schwarzeneggers Conan The Barbarian. I would have liked to see what he could have accomplished with one more season before Tennant took over.

Matt Smith isn't bad but I can't shake the feeling that he was cast with the specific purpose of targeting a younger demographic.

 

[PennLady]

Tennant is my favorite of the post-2005 doctors so far and some of the best episodes of the entire series were made during his reign.

However without Eccleston to create a baseline for a new darker, more "grown-up" and less campy Dr Who I don't think the series would have reached the quality it has today. Thanks to his dramatic performance Daleks and Cybermen were suddenly genuinely scary instead of funny, and lets face it - before Eccleston the Doctor himself had the character depth of Schwarzeneggers Conan The Barbarian. I would have liked to see what he could have accomplished with one more season before Tennant took over.

Matt Smith isn't bad but I can't shake the feeling that he was cast with the specific purpose of targeting a younger demographic.

I agree here on pretty much all counts. Tennant's my favorite Doctor, and Donna my favorite companion, but if Eccleston hadn't done a good job when they started, the series wouldn't have gotten very far. I liked Eccleston when he played the Doctor, and he did set the standard for what followed. I think Tennant and Smith went back more to the Tom Baker model of the Doctor, but as you say, with a bit more depth.

I read that Matt Smith is going to play the lead role in a Broadway musical of American Psycho. Now that should be interesting. And why is it they keep getting Brits to play an American psycho?

 

[lovecraft68]

He was in Gone in 60 seconds?

I don't remember seeing him in that or did they remake the remake of the original?

You are talking about the one with Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie in it?

ETA: He was in that one...must have been a very memorable performance. I don't remember seeing him in that. Robert Duvall, Will Patton, I remember them, but NOT Christopher.

Well as significant of a movie as gone in 60 seconds was I'm sure he doesn't care if you don;t recall him.

Only good part of that movie was the joke about "The sleeper" Duvall must have been hard up at the time

 

[StrangeLife]

...and Donna my favorite companion...

I totally agree. She was hilarious.

"Stop bleeping me!"

But all the recent companions have been great. I like the way they have turned from damsels in distress to equal partners, who will often make a better call in certain situations than the Doctor himself. I almost expected Karen Gillan to get her own spin-off...

And why is it they keep getting Brits to play an American psycho?

If I were a Brit that would probably have me worried...

 

[soflabbwlvr]

Personally, I think both David Tennant and Matt Smith did way better jobs at being the doctor than Eccleston. Of course that's just my humble opinion and does count for shit.

I agree. It's a little painful to watch Eccleston's episodes. I think he was miscast. He labors too hard attempting to be zany. He's otherwise a fine actor, but he didn't have the proper range to pull off the Doctor. At least, that's how I view it.

I agree here on pretty much all counts. Tennant's my favorite Doctor, and Donna my favorite companion,

My favorite companion was Martha Jones. I wish they had made Sally Sparrow into a companion, instead of Donna Noble. But I guess that one had been set up well in advance of her taking on the part.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I totally agree. She was hilarious.

"Stop bleeping me!"

But all the recent companions have been great. I like the way they have turned from damsels in distress to equal partners, who will often make a better call in certain situations than the Doctor himself. I almost expected Karen Gillan to get her own spin-off...





If I were a Brit that would probably have me worried...

I think a better question is, how is it that so many Brits and Aussies are able to pull of playing Americans, but the reverse is not true?

 

[CaptainCreative]

Dr Who: 50th Anniversary

Good posts re Dr. Who. I have not watched the show for many years (boo, hiss) since I am not sure if Comcast here in Colorado is still carrying it. Can anyone on this Thread help me out here? From the old days, my favorite Doctor was Tom Baker (Bakker?). He was quite a character, what with his dry wit, long scarf, etc. His "stich" line and action whenever he was in trouble (which of course was in every episode) was to "reverse the polarity." I still use that phrase myself whenever I am shifting gears or going to a Plan B! Anyhoo, here's to the Good Doctor!

 

[PennLady]

Good posts re Dr. Who. I have not watched the show for many years (boo, hiss) since I am not sure if Comcast here in Colorado is still carrying it. Can anyone on this Thread help me out here? From the old days, my favorite Doctor was Tom Baker (Bakker?). He was quite a character, what with his dry wit, long scarf, etc. His "stich" line and action whenever he was in trouble (which of course was in every episode) was to "reverse the polarity." I still use that phrase myself whenever I am shifting gears or going to a Plan B! Anyhoo, here's to the Good Doctor!

I have Comcast as well, and I see the episodes on BBC America, although the first season was on SciFi (before it was Syfy), I think. Anyway, if your package includes BBC America, you should be able to see it, although there aren't any new episodes right now.

 

[StrangeLife]

Good posts re Dr. Who. I have not watched the show for many years (boo, hiss)

You're in for a treat Captain. With the 2005 relaunch Russell T. Davies managed to raise the show to the level of a modern high budget scifi-series without sacrificing the British charm of the classic episodes.

since I am not sure if Comcast here in Colorado is still carrying it. Can anyone on this Thread help me out here?

I will certainly not suggest going the pirate-way and get it through Bittorrent because that would be very bad.

From the old days, my favorite Doctor was Tom Baker (Bakker?).

He's a little before my time (and Tom Bakers) but I have always admired Jon Pertwee. Anybody who can dress like him and still look cool deserves admiration. He was like the Johnny Depp of the 1970es...

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I have Comcast as well, and I see the episodes on BBC America, although the first season was on SciFi (before it was Syfy), I think. Anyway, if your package includes BBC America, you should be able to see it, although there aren't any new episodes right now.

All seven series and most of the specials are also available on Netflix.