Doctor Who Club of Australia

Greg · Last edited by Greg on Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:10 pm; edited 1 time in total

I'm going to be away from my time/space visualiser this weekend, but don't let that stop you from discussing the debut episode of the new series of Doctor Who...

I'll catch up later!

dave · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 10:41 am Post subject:

I thought it was pretty good, even if I thought the Adipose were beyond silly.

Hated the new version of the theme. Didn't think that was such a good start.

The scene where Donna and the Doctor finally see each other was great. Very well played out. That, along with the grandfather sitting on top of the hill with his telescope whilst the alien ship passed by behind him were the highlights for me.

I'd been spoiled on the surprise at the end by going to another MB and reading to see if it was going to be a good episode or not, and considering the reaction there, didn't have high hopes, which probably lead to me enjoying it more than I would've otherwise. Curious about Rose's vanishing act though. Guess this is going to be this season's 'Bad Wolf'.

It's not been a bad weekend for (downloaded) TV for me. I'm just glad that one of the three shows I got was excellent (hooray for BSG!).

Panecea · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:12 pm Post subject:

I believe Rose may be searching this dimesion within her own. We all know who she is searching for the real question is why here and why now?

This episode was a wonderful bit of entertainment. The slapstick scenes involving the Doctor, Donna and all their near misses.

Yes, the Adipose were silly but very well expained. Doctor Who has again become a vehicle for social comment.

The nursery ship was very impressive.

When the Doctor put the pen and the screwdriver end to end, then activated them was reminiscent of Fragments. Torchwood viewers will know what I'm on about.

Looks like the established episode pattern will be broken this time, Greg. We're visiting Pompeii and the 1930's this series.
The computer system the Matron used was also vaguely reminicent of the system used by the Family of Blood in Human Nature.

KnottyEmily · Joined: 12 Aug 2007 Posts: 115 Location: Melbourne

I enjoyed it, as Panecea said, it was entertaining and fun.

Did anyone else notice that the stretch of corridor in the basement of the Adipose building looked awfully like the one under the Thames in The Runaway Bride?

dave · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:37 pm Post subject:

Yes, it most certainly did.

meglos · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 670 Location: Perth

A good episode and a lot of fun. I like Donna, It's good to have a companion who is not in love with the Doctor. And although I knew Rose was coming back It was a shock to see her so soon.

SharazJek · Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 902 Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Tegan · Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:05 am Post subject:

It was a little bit "screwball comedy" (think Lucille Ball) for my liking, but it did rather set in concrete that Donna won't be falling in love with The Doctor. Or at least I hope that's what it was meant to convey.

We get an good idea where Donna gets her rather ... unique ... personality from with her mother.

The concept was good. A little undercooked maybe. A reasonable start to a new series. I can't wait to find out who or what "Rose" really is. I'm not convinced yet that it's really her.

Hiruma · Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Posts: 173 Location: Australia

Oh No!

How did I manage that? And for that matter, dont they normally air the series to start a bit later in the UK?

Panecea · Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject:

Tegan · Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 6:28 pm Post subject:

Panecea · Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:09 pm Post subject:

My thoughts exactly.

AaronBrockbank · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 27

FredDag · Joined: 01 Jun 2006 Posts: 70

I thought Partners in Crime was good. I was glad that Donna already knew the Doctor and the TARDIS. I didn't want to go through a excited new companion who had to be explained everything again this year. I loved the interaction between Donna and the Doctor and she seems a bit more agreeable this time, thank goodness. Like everyone else I'm so glad it's not a love thing, nice to see a companion who just wants to travel with the doc.

Looks like Doctor who's heading into a new direction with the Adipose, I think this is the first time in history that there's a been a Dr Who monster that's cute and cuddly. Though cute and cuddly in a twisted weird sort of way, because for them to exist people (humans) either die or have to lose something. So there not as cute as you'd expect. My 9 year old step daughter will love with them she sees it. I'm sure kiddies all round the world will make this there favourite episode.

Hiruma · Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Posts: 173 Location: Australia

Oh I dont know. Those Kaled freaks from the Creation lab in Genesis of the Daleks were pretty cute and friendly. One just wanted to hug the 4th Doctor to Death.

I enjoyed this episode. A little more humorous than Im used to with Dr Who, but very good. Not every alien need be shot or destroyed.. I was actually waiting on Torchwood to 'beam weapon' the saucer.

Panecea · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 3:31 pm Post subject:

Dazza · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 106

I think I must've seen a different episode. I thought Partners in Crime was very ordinary.

The Bad:

- Was there a plot?
- The fat creatures - terrible.
- The sonic screwdriver is turning into Harry Potter's wand. Get rid of it. Have the Doctor solve problems with his head.
- Too much "just flick the switch" and everything is solved.

The Good:

- Rose

The Indifferent:

- Donna will take some time to grow on me.

I can't take to RTD's zany stories. Looking forward to better episodes.

Greg · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:34 pm Post subject:

*yawn*

Not much of a story, padded out by the 'hilarity' of the Doctor and Donna being in the same place and not seeing each other in an over-long sequence that has been done better in many places in the past.

One of the flaws of having someone best known for comedy in the show is that they tend to fall back on what they know, so quite a bit of Catherine Tate's acting fell into comedic exaggeration - not so bad when it is expressions and gestures, pretty awful when she puts on a funny voice. (Compare with Jon Pertwee's awful being strangled by the Nestene creature acting in Spearhead from Space and Sylvestor McCoy's atrocious delivery of the 'If we live like animals, we die like animals' line in Survival.) Comic actors should be taken be given better direction to avoid such slips.

While the Adipose were excessively cute, at least the concept (including the motivation of people to willingly participate) was sound. Suffered a bit from playing to what can be done because of earlier uses of the same special effects, rather than looking to do something new. And, seriously, why did the Adipose babies have one tooth - and what was it made of? Making the CGI animators do something that stretches their skills might have eliminated the excess cuteness.

Over all: too light, not enough plot. As the show continues it is far too easy to fall into an approach that makes new episodes seem like just another episode, as this one did. Hopefully we've got the obligatory not too complex first episode out of the way and we'll see the story cranking up at least a notch next week.

SharazJek · Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 902 Location: Hobart, Tasmania

I take it all back....Catherine Tate was wonderful! Not nearly as annoying as she was in 'The Runaway Bride'. And after another season of a comapnion being in love with the Doctor, I welcomed the romance being put firmly in it's place and out of the way at the end of this episode. It was slightly disappointing to then see a moping Rose pining away for the Doctor. I would have liked to see Tate without the baggage of the upcoming multi-companion story. Multi-companion stories must be the go these days rather than multi-Doctor ones.

RTD has done it again. Even though the story has been slightly bagged in this thread as plotless, it had many interesting elements in it and it was superbly crafted by RTD into a great season opener. Thumbs-up from me.

Gotta LOVE those ratings!!!

Speckled Jim · Joined: 14 Jul 2006 Posts: 136 Location: Auckland, Un Zud

Another dependable RTD episode; dependable in that it's the standard, unexceptional, unimaginative, self-indulgent fare I've come to expect from him.
As a standalone RTD story it ticked all his usual boxes: lots of running about, shouting, crowds of useless extras yelling into mobile phones on the streets of London, endless scenes where everything hangs by a thread and practically no plot. All noise and colour and no substance.
And as a season opener, which might've had the chance to try something wholly different, dangerous or awe-inspiring to set the tone for the fourth series, we got yet another formulaic Hollywood bucket of goo.
Breathakingly huge plot holes and scattershot continuity? Check.
Sonic screwdriver for every moment RTD finds he's written himself into a corner? Check.
Awful romantic gush from new companion with dialogue that wouldn't be seen dead on a Hallmark card? Check. More than once.
Doctor puffs chest out to thumping operatic score and grits teeth as he threatens to unleash hell on new alien? Please, not again.... but, yep, check.
Somewhere in there lurked a potentially good story, if you can ignore RTD's incessant need to "comment" on topical issues (obesity, OK; Supernanny?? C'mon!), but the Adipose thread hardly rated; it was consistently pushed beneath the surface in favour of scene after scene tearing through corridors, hanging from windows or psychobabbling moronic pseudo-science to resolve yet another global disaster by the 45-minute mark.
Watching an RTD story has become like eating Maccas. Before I eat it I know it's going to be crap; I eat it anyway, and sure enough, it's crap. Then I feel empty, tired and remorseful for hours afterwards.
He's not even trying anymore. The screwball comedy and accompanying wacky music, even by RTD's standards, was embarrassing (case in point: the Nanny hanging suspended in the air, Wile E Coyote-style, before plummeting to the ground). As for the Adipose ... seriously, little blobs of blu-tack? This is the show that brought us Zygons, Sontarans and the Krynoid. Now we have soft toys made out of cellulite. Or are you being ironic RTD, and I'm just, like, so missing your point?
The only, only saving grace was Rose. I knew she was due to appear at some point (as did everybody, it seems), but it still took me by surprise, and was handled brilliantly. Pity the best bit was only 10 seconds long. Still, it pumped some dark mystery into the episode, and I hope they've got a brilliantly weird and inspiring reason for her return ... or maybe it'll just be explained away with a few explosions, a car chase and a really loud soundtrack.
And yes, as someone said: the sonic screwdriver. Please, please, please stop.