Doctor Who returns tonight

[Quasimodo]

on Scifi channel

[SonicZone]

I'll be watching . . . thanks for the reminder.

[dinchart]

Thanks for the heads up. On the subject of BBC sci-fi, is it too much to hope that Red Dwarf will ever return to US TV?

[BeatleJWOL]

re: Red Dwarf, check your local PBS station and hope hope hope

[Hawkman]

I need a TARDIS and a Sonic Screwdriver.

Anyone know where I can get these?

[Frodis]

Originally Posted by dinchart

Thanks for the heads up. On the subject of BBC sci-fi, is it too much to hope that Red Dwarf will ever return to US TV?

I had to buy the last season to see it as it was never aired here. I LOVE Red Dwarf!!

As for Doctor Who, I'm still a Tom Baker fan. LOVE the scarf! I think it reminds me of the famous towel from the Douglas Adams Hitchhiker series.

[Todd Fredericks]

The 3rd season just finished in the UK. I really enjoyed it (thanks to internet). Some very nice surprises......

Todd

[davenav]

I've seen this third series and it's a pip!!!

David Tennant continues to grow in the role, and I really like new companion Martha.

[Hawkman]

Originally Posted by davenav

I've seen this third series and it's a pip!!!

David Tennant continues to grow in the role, and I really like new companion Martha.

I haven't seen David Tennant in the role. In fact, I never used to watch Doctor Who until Christopher Eccleston took the role. I was totally disappointed when he only did it for one season.

[Hawkman]

Originally Posted by davenav

I really like new companion Martha.

Okay, I fell asleep during the show. Long day. Is she the bride??

[davenav]

Originally Posted by Hawkman

Okay, I fell asleep during the show. Long day. Is she the bride??

No, that was Catherine Tate in a one-off appearance, although they hint that she could return. I thought her character was great. Martha was introduced in the next episode, the first one of the third season. She is a doctor herself.

I just love this show and it's utterly British mixture of understated and outlandish. The season includes many highs, including a two-parter that WILL win awards such as The Hugo and BAFTA's.

Chris Eccleston was, to use his catch-phrase, fantastic as the Doctor. Unfortunately, he did not like the schedules involved in tv production, so he left. The new Doctor -- David Tennant, stepped in and gave the role his own flavor which, by looking at the ratings, is quite successful. He played Casanova on the BBC prior to Who and brought a large, extremely female, following with him which has helped push the show to the top of the viewers lists every week.

Perhaps because of this, the budgets have been lavish (for the BBC that is) with stories filmed in New York, more eye-popping FX, and bigger guest stars like John Simm (of Life On Mars) and Sir Derek Jacobi, and more location shooting at places like The Globe Theatre.

Highly recommended.

Also of note -- writer Steven Moffat (the writer behind Coupling and some great DW episodes) has a new series out -- Jekyll -- and it is well worth a look.

[Shawn1968]

Originally Posted by davenav

No, that was Catherine Tate in a one-off appearance, although they hint that she could return. I thought her character was great.

It is confirmed by the BBC that Catherine Tate (the bride) will be a companion in series four (the next season). Personally, I couldn't stand her character in the Christmas special (way too whiney and complaining IMO) but perhaps they'll develop her more for the better.

Regardless, I'm just thrilled the show is back on the air

[Hawkman]

Originally Posted by davenav

No, that was Catherine Tate in a one-off appearance, although they hint that she could return. I thought her character was great. Martha was introduced in the next episode, the first one of the third season. She is a doctor herself.

I just love this show and it's utterly British mixture of understated and outlandish. The season includes many highs, including a two-parter that WILL win awards such as The Hugo and BAFTA's.

Chris Eccleston was, to use his catch-phrase, fantastic as the Doctor. Unfortunately, he did not like the schedules involved in tv production, so he left. The new Doctor -- David Tennant, stepped in and gave the role his own flavor which, by looking at the ratings, is quite successful. He played Casanova on the BBC prior to Who and brought a large, extremely female, following with him which has helped push the show to the top of the viewers lists every week.

Perhaps because of this, the budgets have been lavish (for the BBC that is) with stories filmed in New York, more eye-popping FX, and bigger guest stars like John Simm (of Life On Mars) and Sir Derek Jacobi, and more location shooting at places like The Globe Theatre.

Highly recommended.

Also of note -- writer Steven Moffat (the writer behind Coupling and some great DW episodes) has a new series out -- Jekyll -- and it is well worth a look.

Thank you. I was a little hesitant about David Tennant. Remember, I NEVER watched Doctor Who before. But a friend of mine is a big fan and like so many people, loved Tom Baker in the role. He likes David Tennant. I DID catch the last Tennant episode with Rose in it.

Looks like I may have to get the second series on DVD now.

I am at least glad that Christopher Eccleston did the role. Otherwise I would never have watched the show to begin with.

[wayneklein]

Originally Posted by Hawkman

Thank you. I was a little hesitant about David Tennant. Remember, I NEVER watched Doctor Who before. But a friend of mine is a big fan and like so many people, loved Tom Baker in the role. He likes David Tennant. I DID catch the last Tennant episode with Rose in it.

Looks like I may have to get the second series on DVD now.

I am at least glad that Christopher Eccleston did the role. Otherwise I would never have watched the show to begin with.

Eccleston shook off the cobwebs. By the end of its run, "Dr. Who" had become somewhat pathetic. I lost interest shortly after Tom Baker gave up the role although the Fox TV movie (despite a script that tried to pander to "Middle America") had its moments as well although I understand it isn't considered canon.

Eccleston never planned on doing more than one season and it was kept from the public at his request from what I can recall. Tennant, on the other hand, has done a marvelous job of making the role every bit his own.

The twin episodes last night in the U.S. were good with "The Bride" episode being pretty good. I felt that the episode that introduced Martha really should have been a two part episode we really had no explanation as to what the vampire creature was up to aside from hiding. Still, it was the better of the two. It wasn't the best episodes (my favs are still the episode where Dr. Who encounters "the last" Dialect and also the one where Tennant's Dr. discovers a planet orbiting a black hole--along with the Cybermen episodes--as the best.

My only complaint--not enough far off planets. Evidently those episodes didn't score as well with audiences although I suspect it had more to do with the budget busting production costs.

[Nobby]

Watch out for "Blink" (S3 ep 10) - my favourite from this series.

Statues have never been more scary!

From Wiki:

The BBC Fear Forecasters gave this episode ("Blink") a 5.5 rating ("Off the Scale"). The only other episode with a rating above 5 is "The Impossible Planet", which received a 6 ("Beyond Fear"). A notice for parents was also attached to the top of the page, recommending that parents record the episode and watch it in the daytime with their children, as it was one of the scariest episodes yet.

[nobby the villan]

Watch out for "Blink" (S3 ep 10) - my favourite from this series.

Statues have never been more scary!




That was easily the highlight of this series for me and prbably the best episode since it's return.

[wayneklein]

Why has Martha been replaced so quickly?

[davenav]

It's true that he usually could not fully overcome most of the situations involved, without big help, and most-times, sacrifice by humans.

But hey, it's what he admires about humans, the way they endure in the face of a short life-span.

Anyway, they get away from Earth a bit more this season, IIRC.

The mid-season two-episode story, Human Nature/Family Of Blood is another to make sure and see.

[davenav]

William Hartnell's Doctor could seem dottering, in fact he was. But he was never a fool.

Hartnell fluffed his lines rather often, and this can be distracting, but when he's on, and it's a cracking story like The Aztecs, you can see why the show was a success, IMO.

About the films -- right, the Fox movie is canon, but the Cushing ones aren't. Don't ask me why. Oh yeah, and it's really only some of the tv movie. He's no longer referring to himself as half-human, and apparently he is a full-blooded Gallifreyan once more.

I don't want to give out any spoilers, but there are a few tie-ins with the tv movie in the course of this season. You'll have to watch it to see what though.

[KevinP]

About the films -- right, the Fox movie is canon, but the Cushing ones aren't. Don't ask me why.

They're not canon because they're adaptations of existing tv stories. The Hartnell story The Daleks and the motion picture Doctor Who and the Daleks can't both exist in the same canon. Plus (if I recall) The Cushing Doctor was definitely human.

And yes, while I dislike the telemovie, I should have said I really liked McGann.