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

[Zero Hunter]

All I want is normal companions now. No more "specials". Martha was about the most normal companion the rest have all been somehow "special" and I hate that troupe so much now. I am happy Moffet is done and look forward to seeing what the new showrunner brings to the table. These last two series have been a chore to get through so I am hoping the new team can bring back the fun to the Doctor.

[The Whovian]

He was appalling. A dire sexist caricature bearing no resemblance to the brilliant character created by William Hartnell.

That they bought back the best incarnation only to treat him with such disrespect and dire writing was a shame. It shouldn't have been done.

Thank God Moffat is already leaving because if he were continuing I'd give up on the show for what he'd done to it.

Like Cyke said, you can't take a male character from the early 60's and drop him into the future and not expect him to come off as sexist. Not only that, but I was complementing Bradley's acting of Hartnell rather than Bradley's actual dialogue.

[Jokerz79]

I'm going to miss Peter terribly he was tied with Matt as my 2nd favorite Doctor with Troughton being my favorite. I'm going to miss Moffat he had his faults but I enjoyed his era more than RTD's era. I also didn't like the sexist portrayal of the 1st Doctor but then again maybe we have nostalgia glasses when it comes to our heroes of the past.

When I was a kid TBS use to do the 13 Day of 007 around Christmas time and so I usually watch a few old Bond films around Christmas time and one I watched his year was Thunderball starring my favorite Bond Sean Connery. My god did I not realize as a kid how rapey SC's Bond was but there is a scene with a nurse where he forces himself on her and she has to psychically push him off then later he blackmails her for sex and when she protest saying no he pushes her into a bedroom saying yes. Now they played it as she enjoyed being with him but no way would that scene fly today. Do I think Moffat exaggerated the sexism of the 1st Doctor? Sure but I also think there was probably a real starting point too.

[Judge Dredd]

Especially since it has a new actress in the role, new companions, a new showrunner, etc. If you're writing it off NOW because of what the previous team (who are leaving) did, then that's just, puzzling, imo.

Yeah it is so weird to write it off without knowing what is coming next and the new direction the show will be going.

[Cel]

I think it's amazing that there's never been a Doctor I didn't like. I've seen them all (thank you local PBS station!) and there's always been something about every Doctor that I've liked, and I'm 100% certain that will continue with Whittaker. I think there's a quintessential aspect that every Doctor has that stays the same regardless of who plays the role, but what keeps the character from getting old is the different ways that's expressed in each incarnation,

That being said, I kind of hated Thirteen falling out the TARDIS like that. Four didn't survive a fall from that height, so somehow she has to be saved somehow...

[Qwerty]

Question. Was that the Lethbridge Stewart or an ancestor

[Jim Kelly]

The First Doctor always appeared to the people who met him as some odd bloke out of step with the rest of the world. In 1963, he appeared to Barbara and Ian as a relic from a distant time. Even Susan resented his fuddy-duddy ways. But that doesn't make him sexist.

Oh every man was sexist back in 1963. Such tarring with the same brush. It's an easy guess that a man of his time in 1963 would be sexist--but it's not an efficient insight into the character of the Doctor. He says rude, culturally inappropriate things to people all the time. The Twelfth Doctor every bit as much as the First. It's like he's never learned how to act in a socially acceptable way.

That's why it's odd to have the Twelfth schooling the First. He's the wrong character for that--because Capaldi is even more evidently sexist than Hartnell. Hartnell's Doctor was oblivious, whereas Capaldi's seems to go out of his way to give insult.

I understand that it's all in the interest of comedy. And with few characters in the story, there wasn't anyone else at hand to play the contrasting attitude, so it fell to Capaldi. And therefore Bradley had to be made more sexist than Hartnell would have been.

I liked other funny bits more, because they seemed more apt for these characters. When we see two Doctors, we want contrast between them that comes out of their respective adventures. So those are the parts of the story that held up for me.

[AnakinFlair]

That being said, I kind of hated Thirteen falling out the TARDIS like that. Four didn't survive a fall from that height, so somehow she has to be saved somehow...

You'd think by now that the Doctor would know better than to regenerate in the TARDIS while it's in flight. That never ends well.

I also have to say I found this introduction a bit odd. Given the controversy around having a woman playing the Doctor this time, it felt weird that as soon as she finished regenerating, the TARDIS kicked her out.

[Mister Mets]

Question. Was that the Lethbridge Stewart or an ancestor

An ancestor. Lethbridge-Stewart was around in episodes in the 60s and 70s. He died in a nursing home during the Matt Smith era.

[Jim Kelly]

You'd think by now that the Doctor would know better than to regenerate in the TARDIS while it's in flight. That never ends well.

By now, you'd think the Doctor would steer clear of Christmas.

[Kyer]

You'd think by now that the Doctor would know better than to regenerate in the TARDIS while it's in flight. That never ends well.

I also have to say I found this introduction a bit odd. Given the controversy around having a woman playing the Doctor this time, it felt weird that as soon as she finished regenerating, the TARDIS kicked her out.

Mwahahaa. (I always liked The Tardis.)

[Somecrazyaussie]

I liked the regeneration, looks like Whittaker is going to bring some joy and excitement in the vein of Tennant.

Some things I wish for the next season/series

- Someone dies. I get what Moffat tried to do with his Nobody dies politic, but it has the side effect that it reduces the pathos of the show dramatically. Things that happen on the screen must matter.

- More attention to direction and looks. Series 5 look better than the last one. If you don't have enough cash to make an special effect work... Do something else.

- New stories, new concepts, new races, new villains... Doctor Who has a vast mitology that is going to crash the character if it's used too frequently

I like Whittaker, she is a fine actress that can make the character work. Chibnall... I'm not crazy about his Who work (I liked Torchwood way more than his episodes of the main series), however, he is a competent showrunner in Broadchurch. Maybe it's not apropiate in a family show, but I think if he brings some sadness along with the joy and adventures the show will be better. It's something he is good at.

Sad is happy for deep people

Chibnall is a workhorse writer. When I say this, I mean he is dependable and can knock out serviceable scripts with relative ease. It just depends on which Chibnall we get: If it is Broadchurch series 1 Chibnall, we will likely get something special. If it is Broadchurch series 2 Chibnall, we will get a series that is very uneven/hit and miss. Only time will tell.

I also echo your opinion on a return to the "average joe" companion. After 10 series, it would make for a nice change (not counting Martha. She wasn't special/had a grand destiny. She became special due to her travels with The Doctor.)

[Kyer]

Doctor Who is going to be fine. Your loss if you miss out.

I also never could get into the new Star Trek or the new Star Wars. Or even the new voice of Charlie Brown when the original voice actor died. Doctor Who was the one exception I held for 'changes' within a show, but this last one is just totally meh to me. I find my own sex boring as heck. :P

[Somecrazyaussie]

Question. Was that the Lethbridge Stewart or an ancestor

It was Archibald. Who is the Brigadier's Great-Uncle.

[Somecrazyaussie]

I think it's amazing that there's never been a Doctor I didn't like. I've seen them all (thank you local PBS station!) and there's always been something about every Doctor that I've liked, and I'm 100% certain that will continue with Whittaker. I think there's a quintessential aspect that every Doctor has that stays the same regardless of who plays the role, but what keeps the character from getting old is the different ways that's expressed in each incarnation,

That being said, I kind of hated Thirteen falling out the TARDIS like that. Four didn't survive a fall from that height, so somehow she has to be saved somehow...

If I remember correctly, the Tenth Doctor fell from a greater height than Four did in The End of Time.