Doctor Who IV - Everything Whovian - Would you like a jelly baby?

[ChrisIII]

Two clips are online, both from Space Babies. One is the Dinosaur one showing Amy what the TARDIS can do, demonstrating it not only moves in time (naturally) but also in space (As they're in prehistoric America).

Another is them looking out into space and the Doctor going ("I've got no home, species etc. but I do have freedom")

Both seem like a sort of higher budget, more optimistic version of "End of the World", except with the Doctor actually letting the companion check outside that they're travelling in time, and a demonstration of "space" (Rose already knew the TARDIS could dematerialize and rematerialize in well, "Rose") and the Rose/Doctor looking out into space thing but with dialogue similar to the "chips" scene. (Or alternatively a similar scene in "Beast Below").

[ChrisIII]

Don't think I've seen Doctor Who advertised this much in America since the Smith era (Where they started doing a lot more of the same day/occasional simulcasts on BBC America).

[Deathstroke]

Anyone pick up the Free Comic Book Day issue of Doctor Who today?

[ChrisIII]

Reviews for the first two episodes are in, mostly positive so far.

Only complaints seem to be that Ncuti could use more dramatic Doctor moments (which was a bit of a complaint about Jodie's first season too if I recall) but this is only for the first two episodes after all. Also that there's a bit of an infodump in the premiere (probably intended for first time viewers on Disney+, probably requested by them as they also asked for the "Name: The Doctor. Occupation:Not a Doctor" scene in Church on Ruby Road).

Think we'll probably get plenty of drama with the Moffat episode which is the next one though.


Also sounds like the Beatles episode might've found an interesting way around using the songs....

[ChrisIII]

Classic Who wise just watched the recreation of Galaxy Four. It's interesting that nobody seems to have had the Drahvins meet the Sontarans in Big Finish or the novels.

Also a lot of the story could've been slightly averted had the Doctor just offered to take the Drahvins onboard the TARDIS, although given how unpredictable it was back then, he'd probably be stuck with them for a while.

[ChrisIII]

So thoughts on the premiere episodes?

Space Babies is mainly just kind of a fun romp, nothing too deep, pretty much a primer of sorts to WHO with a lot of exposition in the first act. There's some course some toilet humor but it's not as obnoxious as the Slitheen or Absorbamaloff.

The Timeless child retcon is still in place, at least the part about the Doctor being adopted, in part to draw similarities with Ruby and the babies.

The Bogeyman part of course is a bit of a nod to ALIEN at least aesthetically, complete with the airlock bit.


Devil's Chord allows Ncuti to exercise more of his dramatic chops as the Doctor (as well as some musical ones-not out of character for the Doctor at all since of course Capaldi had the guitar stuff, Second had the recorder, Seventh had an affinity for the blues and Jazz etc), and also a lot more hinting at this season's arc (Which is another companion-related mystery) and the Toymaker's legions/pantheon.

There's also a scene that as speculated is pretty much almost verbatim from the "1980" scene in PYRAMID OF MARS.

Both episodes are very campy but this is RTD coming back after all. They are both a lot of fun though.

[protege]

So thoughts on the premiere episodes?

Space Babies is mainly just kind of a fun romp, nothing too deep, pretty much a primer of sorts to WHO with a lot of exposition in the first act. There's some course some toilet humor but it's not as obnoxious as the Slitheen or Absorbamaloff.

The Timeless child retcon is still in place, at least the part about the Doctor being adopted, in part to draw similarities with Ruby and the babies.

The Bogeyman part of course is a bit of a nod to ALIEN at least aesthetically, complete with the airlock bit.


Devil's Chord allows Ncuti to exercise more of his dramatic chops as the Doctor (as well as some musical ones-not out of character for the Doctor at all since of course Capaldi had the guitar stuff, Second had the recorder, Seventh had an affinity for the blues and Jazz etc), and also a lot more hinting at this season's arc (Which is another companion-related mystery) and the Toymaker's legions/pantheon.

There's also a scene that as speculated is pretty much almost verbatim from the "1980" scene in PYRAMID OF MARS.

Both episodes are very campy but this is RTD coming back after all. They are both a lot of fun though.

S
P
O
I
L
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i’ve read some synopses, and one line the doctor said, was that his parents abandoned him in gallifrey, but i didn’t think the doctor really knew how he got there.

[ChrisIII]

Maybe the Doctor decided to take a look into the fob watch with his missing pre-Hartnell memories after all?

[Kirby101]

I enjoyed Space Babies. I could not help but see the reference to the anti-abortion crowd. Babies have to be born, but after that they are on their own.

At the end spoilers:

I couldn't tell, but when we see Ruby's name on the display in the TARDIS, were they suggestion that Ruby becomes the Doctor?

end of spoilers

[ChrisIII]

Reportedly Space Babies only had 2.6 million viewers on BBC One but since they've been pushing the series on Streaming a ton I wonder how the ones were for Disney+ and Iplayer.

[Nate Grey]

THIRD ep, wow guess that didn't take long.

[ChrisIII]

Some think the soldiers might be Moffat's Church after Trenzalore (Plus they no longer have to worry about another time war with the Time Lords gone again).

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Big finish should do an Unbound series with 14 reusing War's face.

I saw Space Babies last night. It was pretty fun.

[ChrisIII]

It'd be interesting to hear what War would do if he showed up on Skaro like Fourteen did (Unless that's uncanonical?)

Quotes from future episodes (from Radio Times?) The "Legend of Ruby Sunday" one is particularly interesting...(He hasn't explained it yet, and as for why he does it...)

https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/c...new_season_of/

[Kirby101]

The Beatles episode was a lot of fun. They did a mostly good job of recreating the era. Of course actually filming at Abbey Road helped.