"New Doctor - so what do we think so far?" Topic

Two episodes in, is it fair to judge yet?

Not sure – but Space Babies was truly dreadful, like a really bad episode of Sarah Jane Adventures (IMHO).

And I wasn't impressed with the big Dr Who dance routine in Episode 2 either….

…oh dear. I think Ncuti Gatwa could be quite good, but it'd be nice to tone down the "aimed at eleven-year-olds" parts of the scripts.

Although….arguably…. Dr Who should be aimed at eleven-year-olds….

I haven't watched it for years. Not consistently since Matt Smith. So I can't comment.

I do watch some classic Who on TUBI though. (5th Doctor currently)

Ncuti Gatwa is doing very well as the Doctor. The writing is than the past 3-4 seasons, although I do see them repeating/recycling a few themes. Glad to see that there are no signs of romance. And yes, Dr Who is a family show – its best watched with an 11 year old.

Watched one or two stories of the female doctor but stopped with the secret past lives plot.
No intention of watching the latest guy.

Watched the first episode thought it was a bit of daft fun. Didn't watch second episode. Twister was on so I watched that.

I have watched a single episode of Dr. Who. But I read this one is very woke.

From what I've read from the show runners "The Message" is more important than the story.

I saw the Christmas special and it wasn't that bad, however, that's a far cry from being good.

I haven't watched since Capaldi. I got bored.

Haven't really cared since.

This after loving the three previous doctors before him and growing up on Tom Baker.

I haven't watched since Capaldi.

I was disappointed in him at the start but after a couple of series he'd got the hang of the part. Then he left

Hence why I'm aware that it's maybe early to pass judgement

Ruby and the Doctor go well together.
The writing is superior to what we had with 13. There is an energyand wit that's been lacking.
Ncuti appears able to deal with different emotional demands..he's not one-note frantic.
Its early, and I think we've had one episode that felt like a mid season filler, and another which is deliberate pantomime, and worked well as such.
I think there is darker, heavier stuff to come.
Im looking forward to Steven Moffatt's story next time.

Im 66 and have grown old-ish with this show and Im determined to stick it out!

As ever, there will be bits that work for me and bits that don't. Even the parts of the show's past that you might be tempted to regard as a Golden Age could be very uneven.In 60 years you will get some bumps in the road.

There only 8 episodes.. seasons get shorter all the time.. so they cant afford to have any seriously bad episodes.

They made more Doctor Who after Tom Baker?
Who knew?
Pun intended.

Heard it's very woke 😂😆🤣😅

That's funny.

Why?

"Although….arguably…. Dr Who should be aimed at eleven-year-olds…."

Sounds like a production staffer to me. Though I agree it SHOULD be, but these days, it's definitely not.

"Twister was on so I watched that."

Same theme of mass destruction.

"Dr Who is a family show"

Certainly not for the typical family, these days. Or even non typical with some sense.

At least in the past there weren't cyberleaders at schools/conventions/what have you waiting to change your kids bodies, like there are these days.

What should be a kids/family show is now nothing more than a Kroton Dynotrope. Best turned off.

Never understood why he always had a companion.

I am not sure the doctor he encountered in America in the movie could be regarded as a companion.

I believe there were (1?) times he was alone.

The deadly assassin, I think he was alone.

New tat Capaldi smashing glass or what not, as if we care.

I think we can count the movie as that was all there was.

If he didn't have companions, it would be a dull show.

You also need people who can know his secrets and also ask questions to be answered for the audience, especially for viewers who maybe haven't a Dalek or such before.

I guess things like the prisoner got away with it, some how. But that's an odd show in itself. I swear it was what lost was based on, with a bubble instead of smoke.

If he didn't have companions, the conversation would be very limited …

"I am not sure the doctor he encountered in America in the movie could be regarded as a companion."

I think we have to give Grace Holloway a free pass on this as otherwise you might have to exclude Liz Shaw who never actually travelled in the Tardis in the 3rd Doctor's first series, but who nonetheless was clearly in companion mode

The Doctor was indeed between companions in The Deadly Assassin. I watched it recently and it did seem a bit odd .
When he's alone, you can get monologues of exposition, even worse if its speaking to the 4th wall.

Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. That said, it wasn't very good either. First one was pretty tedious. Second one was overly childish. And the goofy Twist sequence at end of episode 3 was real drag. Maestro, on the other hand, was pretty entertaining in drag.

As a Who fan since the 1970s, I'll probably keep watching em. Once anyway. And then turn on a rerun of the classics or modern era through matt smith. Or a rerun of a 1960/70/80s samurai tv shows from Japan. I love that sht

I think writing went way downhill after Capaldi, too much messaging. Also they've dummied down a lot of the fascinating concepts that made the show so interesting in the first place. Goblins? Space babies? A booger Bogeyman? Gee, duh.

Of course, sacrificing (co-opting?) the entire established 60 year back story on the altar of The Message was a rather dubious development. And it looks like they're gonna keep jacking that "foundling" theme this season.

The show, at least in the modern era, was always in the forefront of promoting diversity and strong women. For strong female characters, I really miss Missy. She brought a delightful vein of evilness to the role of the Master, who, while over the top in most iterations, got a bit stuffy at times. Wished they'd bring her back.

Some have renamed the show Doctor Who Cares

"The media went into full spin, putting out critic reviews of the shows on Rotten Tomatoes with an initial score of 100% and blaming good weather over the weekend for the shows' failure to perform well."

Meaning, "The weather is nice, let's go outside instead of watching TV" LOL

The blame poor ratings on the weather has been going on for years in the UK for most programmes broadcast in the summer months.

IIRC the companions were created so they could ask The Doctor questions that the audience would be asking. Otherwise, there would be little dialog in the show, with the audience totally confused. If you watch the classic seasons, you'll see this.

"You also need people who can know his secrets and also ask questions to be answered for the audience, especially for viewers who maybe haven't a Dalek or such before."

As the doctor has usually seen it, or something like it before, you need an everyman who has not.

The first doctor was a bit of this anyway, as the eventual cannon had yet to be developed. Pertwee was much more the know all, in a good way.

It's the bane of shows where each story is completely different and why good Who has multiple episode stories, so the audience can get to know and care about things.

Trek is already set up, you know the ship, the crew, the basic politics, so these far out space chaps can be an everyman.

SG1 has, well SG1, as they are mostly just like the audience.

But Who needs people who are not all knowing aliens. Hence the issues when he is alone.

I feel the best groups were Ian Barbara and Susan, Jamie and Zoe, and the third doc unit with interesting women interchanged.

Gosh, they are all earth humans (and Susan), who'd have thunk it!

It is humerus that modern tat fans are now having issues with, and leaving because of, the ultra modern tat.

I can laugh, as that's what happened to me, and many others, with the modern tat. Infact it was those fans who caused the nonsense to continue so long, what comes around.

Christopher Ecclestons season could be forgiven for being the first season back with a cold start, but there were no excuses after that.

There were hints of RTD and his television past dotted here and there, but it only got worse. Now he's back with no restraint, what could go wrong?

Oddly people are complaining about a recent musical villain. Seems fitting.

Oddly, people of similar interests are often the bad guys. I remember rolling my eyes upon watching my first ep of Atlanta, but in the end the women were evil child slave owners who died.

Atlanta is a very good show. Especially the farm ep. And the black face ep.

I suspect it's supposed to be of a "modern" mind, but it don't see it, it seems pretty for all audiences to me.

The pushyest bit I saw was an ep suggesting black men can get white women with a look. But that's a bit of a joke anyway, and is still a good ep.

The kids nanny ep is good. I think they all are, though I don't think I've seen season 1 yet.

Back to villains, there's the pair in… Diamonds are forever, if I remember correctly.

And many others.

And going by the goings on these days, it's a pretty good choice. Just needed an army of brainwashed kids holding funny flags for his minions.

PS So, oddly, in all the nonsense, they may have done something right. Do kids want to be the bad guy?

PPS Probably, Dalek skirts and all. Hopefully they are among the majority not watching, just to be sure.