Doctor Who Club of Australia

montypython · Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 10:10 pm Post subject:

Okay, fair enough. I thought Reinette was very up-herself. She acted like she knew everything. I don't like that she asked the Doctor to dance with her (what is it with Steven Moffat and dancing?). If she'd really seen his memories she would have known that he did know how to dance. Basically, I just didn't like her character. I found it highly improbable that the Doctor could care that much about Reinette, who he knew for about 5 minutes. I also didn't like that Rose didn't have a big part. The Doctor did his bit with Reinette, and Rose did her small bit with Mickey (who she didn't even want on board in School Reunion).

BTW it's funny that Reinette was always talking about how the Doctor didn't age a single day, while in 14 years she didn't seem to look very different herself...

Sulp Niar · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 2:24 pm Post subject:

"Smug". Well, I said the characters were smug - not the people who thought they should be in love. Fans who found their love story touching, that's fine with me - it just doesn't work for me. Also, since you refer to the kiss in The Parting of the Ways, I'll say that that didn't bother me. It still doesn't bother me. It didn't bother me because I liked Rose back then. In Series Two though, for me, Rose turned into one of those teenage girls who give anyone but their cool friends and cool hot boyfriends sneering looks, as if to say "What are you doing here?". Maybe this is annoying to me because of personal experience, but it still aggravated me. I should add that, again, so far I've had no problems with the Doctor and Martha's sexual tension either, because both have been nice and funny this season.

Lol, I agree about Reinette's age though. That was a tad strange. I have to say, if she hadn't of died, well... I can't imagine the Doctor with a grandma. It'd be kind of like Lazarus really (surely that's not a spoiler?).

Speckled Jim · Joined: 14 Jul 2006 Posts: 113 Location: Auckland, Un Zud

Matt Jones gets my vote - if nothing else, for having the balls to write a story that wasn't set on Earth. Remember when Dr Who was a sci-fi show.....?

montypython · Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 2:53 pm Post subject:

adamclark83 · Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:21 pm Post subject:

I would have to say Steven Moffat. His episodes have been superb and superbly creepy.

SharazJek · Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 885 Location: Hobart, Tasmania

uhumanite · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 88 Location: Sydney

SharazJek · Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 885 Location: Hobart, Tasmania

LOVE your avatar uhumanite!!!

Sulp Niar · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:05 pm Post subject:

uhumanite · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 88 Location: Sydney

Ickabod · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 479 Location: far far away

Stephen Moffats storylines made me cry.....but so did School Reunion and Dalek (I'm female so shoot me....) also Empty Chold introduces Captain Jack.....say no more

Greg · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:51 am Post subject:

Well, time for someone to take up the bat for an undermentioned writer in this thread - I'm talking about Rob Shearman.

There's a funny paradox in Doctor Who - the Daleks are the best known monster and opponent of the lead character, but they've appeared in more than their fair share of crap stories. And they have been relegated to the task of being henchmen for more than half of the history of the show, thanks to the introduction and reuse of Davros.

But with one stroke of his pen, Rob Shearman returned them to their status as the Doctor's most dangerous foes.

One Dalek is a threat of major concern - the Doctor told us this way back in The Power of the Daleks - and yet we have regularly seen them destroyed by futuristic weaponry, grenades and, unbelievably, a bunch of aliens armed with sticks. In Dalek, one solitary Dalek is unstoppable with conventional weaponry. None of this 'aim for the eye-stick' malarkey.
More importantly, Dalek is a story that explores what being a Dalek actually means. We get to see how they think, what their motivation is - Dalek superiority and obeying orders. They have no life that doesn't involve being part of the Dalek effort to conquer everything.

Until this story. Until one Dalek breaks out of the mould. Almost unbelievably, this story is one in which you can sympathise with a Dalek. Not trust, but understand.

And Dalek showed us another side of the Doctor. We understood that he was alone and mourning the loss of his entire race, but I don't think we've ever seen the Doctor truly hate anything before - not with this level of intensity. We're told that monsters fear the Doctor - watch here and see why this can be so. It's not just that he defeats all their plans; imagine if (based on Eccleston's performance, this was the guy who was out there waiting to deal with your plans.

Watch it again. Six episodes into the new series and, no matter how good the preceding episodes were, this one pushed the series to a new level. Other writers delivered great stories later, but this is the one that set the benchmark for 'great' in the context of the new series.

montypython · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 1:20 pm Post subject:

I didn't actually like Dalek at first, but now I think it's great. Chris's acting was brilliant, and it contains one of the best lines from the new series - "What use are emotions of you will not save the woman you love?".

Ickabod · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 479 Location: far far away

I think Dalek was the best.....bittersweet and emotional....I've been a fan for over 30 years but this one story tugged at my heartstrings and I cried for that Dalek.....and Chris was fantastic....the passion of his hatred for the Dalek race you could feel.....Dalek is on the top as far as storywriting goes.....and school reunion is next but only because of Sarah-Jane and K9 and how it felt for her to be abandoned with the loose ends never fixed up......promises that were broken.....so human-like

Sulp Niar · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:53 pm Post subject:

I suddenly realised why Steven Moffat is my favourite writer. Everyone else is either a 60s, 70s or 90s fan. Moffat is an 80s fan. And there's something about the combination of that amazing experimentation crossed with good effects, lighting and direction that makes his episodes stand out more for me.

Of course, I spose most people would be annoyed that I compared him to the 80s (maybe I should say the Davison era then? The Girl in the Fireplace is a lot like Time-Flight in its mix of bizarre things). Davison is his favourite Doctor though.

Rob Shearman didn't make my list purely because he's only contributed one (absolutely fantastic) script for the series. His best output is in the audios, obviously, so that's where I see him to be mostly. That said, I have a lot of time for The Cruel Sea as well. He is undoubtedly an awesome writer. Also, considering Dalek was (perhaps a wildly different) adaptation of Jubilee, I'd still be inclined to put Moffat first.

Ickabod · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 479 Location: far far away

I like Moffat because of the 80's.....and the fact that Moffat is Peter Davison's real last name......and that he had to change it because of Mr.Moffat....

uhumanite · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 88 Location: Sydney

Yes! Dalek was great! Rob Shearman did a great job in reintroducing such an icon. Wish hed return...

Paul Cornell is an 80's fan ( Sylvester McCoy is his favourite Doctor). Cornell's stories (Fathers Day and Human Nature/Family of Blood) have the common thread of one individual giving up everything to save everything (Pete Tyler, John Smith/The Doctor)

Russel T Davies has the habbit(unlike some fans i don't find it that bad, i find it funny) homosexual references . Mark Gatiss follows a gothic and morbid style

I've noticed Steven Moffat's recent stories seem to have TIME itself as a larger influence than most episodes. Time within his stories (Girl in the Fireplace and Blink but not so much Empty Child/Doctor Dances) not only influence the episodes environment but also the character's emotions. Aging and growing up are also common threads.

Can anyone spot writer habbits?

Ickabod · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 479 Location: far far away

Hmmmm.........I watched the Dr. Who weekend on UKTV.....my brain is on overload....but you're certainly right there....get back to you....cuz you've made me sit up and notice the writer's charateristics....clever person Very Happy

uhumanite · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 88 Location: Sydney

charlie · Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:56 pm Post subject:

Thank the lord that Shearman didn't bring Davros back. I love that line "you would make a good dalek" in 6 words he makes us realise that no matter how much we hate the enemy, no matter how much we KNOW they are evil, no matter who is against them, we are really all the same and if we were in their position we might do the same thing.