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[Algr]

Well, there is always iTunes. If you don't watch too much it is cheaper than cable.

 

[John Fluharty]

I started watching it on PBS in the 80s when they were showing Tom Baker episodes. I was quickly hooked on it and watched it any time I could. I was very pleased when they started it back up in '05 and still love the show.

 

[strangerep]

I just finished re-watching re-runs from Christopher Eccleston through to Capaldi. Gotta say, I found Clara Oswald more enjoyable the 2nd or 3rd time around.

Anyway,... here's a controversial (and highly subjective) question: which episode (or sub-series) of Dr Who is your favorite?

Mine is The Rings of Akhaten, imperfectly executed though it is. Maybe because it's a long way from science fiction -- more like fantasy.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Some of the ones I thought were excellent:

Pertwee: Inferno, The Terror of the Autons, The Claws of Axos.
T. Baker: The Genesis of the Daleks, City of Death
Tennant: Blink, The Girl In The Fireplace
Capaldi: Flatline

 

[Enigman]

Time Lord Victorious phase of the Tenth and the End of Time for Tennant.
A good man goes to war, The Doctor's wife for Smith.
And for Capaldi - Flatline, and Magician's Apprentice. I really hope the rest of the series carries on the momentum.

 

[OmCheeto]

I just finished watching the 2005-2014 series on Hulu.
I'm now in the process of watching the 1963-89 series.
@ 3 hours per day, it should only take me 50 days.
The parts written for actresses certainly have evolved in the last 50 years. In season 1, the Doctor's granddaughter screams like a banshee every time something scary happens, which is way too often, IMHO. She's like a one person Beatles/Bieber audience. (I just watched videos for both. Young girls have apparently not evolved.)

For anyone not familiar with the entire 50 years, the Daleks showed up in season 1, episode 5, and were despicable from the start.
I was curious where the Doctor developed his hatred for them, in the new series.
I hadn't watched the series since probably 1977, as Tom Baker was the only Doctor I previously recognized.

Anyways, I'll see you in November.

 

[Enigman]

Time Lord Victorious phase of the Tenth and the End of Time for Tennant.
A good man goes to war, The Doctor's wife for Smith.
And for Capaldi - Flatline, and Magician's Apprentice. I really hope the rest of the series carries on the momentum.

It does.

The last episode 'Zygon inversion' is possibly the best episode I have seen in all of television.
I would have been quite satisfied with all the Clara-Bonnie mind games and the terrifying atmosphere of the first part of episode but then Capaldi stepped in and delivered the most Doctoresque monologue in the history of Doctor Who. I am having a very hard time imagining any of his predecessors pulling that one off. This and 'I am the man who stops the monsters' are going to be what we remember him by.

 

[strangerep]

The last episode 'Zygon inversion' is possibly the best episode I have seen in all of television. [...]
I would have been quite satisfied with all the Clara-Bonnie mind games and the terrifying atmosphere of the first part of episode but then Capaldi stepped in and delivered the most Doctoresque monologue in the history of Doctor Who. I am having a very hard time imagining any of his predecessors pulling that one off.

Hey! That's almost a spoiler -- I haven't seen that episode yet. (It airs in about 2 hrs time in my part of the world.)

 

[Enigman]

Think of it as more of a teaser then. You are in for a treat.

 

[strangerep]

then Capaldi stepped in and delivered the most Doctoresque monologue in the history of Doctor Who.

The underlying sentiments in that monologue have been a recurring feature since... forever. (Do you remember the first Dalek adventure? He tried to find a way for the Daleks and Thals to "get along", but failed. Similarly with humans and silurians, which also ended badly.

This was the first time where his efforts seemed to work. (Anyone remember another example? I don't.)

(BTW, I wonder why the Zygon makeup/costumes were so lame. Well below the usual standard for alien depictions in the new Dr Who series.)

I am having a very hard time imagining any of his predecessors pulling that one off.

I think Christopher Eccleston could have done it.

 

[Vanadium 50]

The Zygons were originally from the Tom Baker era where costumes were less expensive and lower tech than today.

One thing I like about Capaldi is that you can really believe he's an older Tom Baker, and an older John Pertwee, and an older Matt Smith and even an older Sylvester McCoy.

 

[strangerep]

The Zygons were originally from the Tom Baker era where costumes were less expensive and lower tech than today.

Yes, but the Silurians were from the even-earlier Jon Pertwee era, and they were updated quite well in the modern series.

One thing I like about Capaldi is that you can really believe he's an older Tom Baker, and an older John Pertwee, and an older Matt Smith and even an older Sylvester McCoy.

An older Jon Pertwee?? Surely not.

Hmm,... checking Wikipedia,... I calculate that Pertwee was 55 when he stopped playing Dr Who. Capaldi first played Dr Who in 2013, making him... 55. What a coincidence.

 

[Algr]

Yes, but the Silurians were from the even-earlier Jon Pertwee era, and they were updated quite well in the modern series.

I wouldn't say that. Physics Forums ought to know the problem with boobs on a reptile. The original silurians were a single-gender race, (or if they weren't, we couldn't tell the difference.) and so seemed more alien. The new series silurians are just the usual humans in makeup. Does it make sense that humans could understand Silurian facial expressions and body language?

 

[strangerep]

Physics Forums ought to know the problem with boobs on a reptile.

Ha! Good point. Hadn't thought of that.

 

[Algr]

Now this is what an alien ought to look like.

This is just scales and human clothes on an actress.

 

[OmCheeto]

Ha! Good point. Hadn't thought of that.

Well, her head is full of bony-like protrusions. Perhaps she just has a pair of conveniently placed horns. Like a horny-toad Madonna.

Anyways, Drakkith was explaining to someone on another thread yesterday about the difference between science fiction and science fantasy.
After reading the discussion, I watched a 1978 episode, http://www.hulu.com/watch/570367#i0,p8,s15,d0 , where they shrank people.
It's probably because of PF that I stopped to think about the implications, and decided that shrinking people was science fantasy, as oxygen molecules would be mismatched in size, and the shrunken people would suffocate.

Update: I've now watched about 370 episodes in around 100 days. I should have taken better notes, as I'm never going to remember all of this.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I wouldn't say that. Physics Forums ought to know the problem with boobs on a reptile.

Like Jane Badler in V?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Now this is what an alien ought to look like

Technically, they are not aliens. (Indeed, that's part of a plot point)

An older Jon Pertwee?? Surely not.

I was imprecise - I should have said 3rd, 4th, and I think 7th Doctors.

 

[strangerep]

Like Jane Badler in V?

I was imprecise - I should have said 3rd, 4th, and I think 7th Doctors.

?? Jon Pertwee was the 3rd Doctor, afaik.

 

[strangerep]

Well, her head is full of bony-like protrusions. Perhaps she just has a pair of conveniently placed horns. Like a horny-toad Madonna.

Oh, you just ruined it for me.

Actually, her human-like well-manicured fingernails tend to give it away too.

I've now watched about 370 episodes in around 100 days. I should have taken better notes, as I'm never going to remember all of this.

When you reach the end, you might enjoy this documentary about the early days of Dr Who. I found it interesting, although William Hartnell's mental decline was rather sad.

 

[Loren]

Best Companion — Romona II (Romanadvoratrelundar — Lady Lalla Ward)

Well, it was refreshing to have someone on par with the Doctor for a change.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Jon Pertwee was the 3rd Doctor, afaik.

Yes, and Baker was the 4th, and McCoy the 7th. Your point?

 

[strangerep]

Yes, and Baker was the 4th, and McCoy the 7th. Your point?

Thank you. (I didn't realize we were scoring points here.)

 

[strangerep]

A piece of trivia...

I was watching an older episode (The Fires of Pompeii, circa Tennant+Tate). In the supporting cast were Peter Capaldi and Karen Gillan.

Does anyone know of other episodes in which an actor appeared briefly, who sbbsequently played a major (different) character in later series?

 

[OmCheeto]

A piece of trivia...

I was watching an older episode (The Fires of Pompeii, circa Tennant+Tate). In the supporting cast were Peter Capaldi and Karen Gillan.

Does anyone know of other episodes in which an actor appeared briefly, who sbbsequently played a major (different) character in later series?

Does the "Classic" Dr Who series count?
There's one guy that has been in 3 separate episodes, so far.
Googling indicates that his real name is Milton Johns.

And just to keep everyone up to date, I just started season 17. (1979)
To date, the only character from the series that I've recognized has been Geoffrey Palmer, of "As Time Goes By" fame.
I believe he's played two separate rolls so far.

 

[Algr]

Best Companion — Romona II (Romanadvoratrelundar — Lady Lalla Ward)

Well, it was refreshing to have someone on par with the Doctor for a change.

Yes. I was hoping that the 'Doctor Who Legacy' game would let you put her in the Doctor's slot.

Does anyone know of other episodes in which an actor appeared briefly, who subsequently played a major (different) character in later series?

The most famous one is Colin Baker, who played a Time Lord bad-guy before becoming the Doctor. (Bigger role than Capaldi's.) Agatha Freeman played a different character the very episode before she became Martha. Nicholas Courtney played in a Hartnell episode before becoming the Brigadier.

 

[strangerep]

There's one guy that has been in 3 separate episodes, so far.
Googling indicates that his real name is Milton Johns.

One wonders if there was really a shortage a sufficiently talented actors in Britain, or whether this just reflects the various directors' favorites.

(Josh Whedon, of Buffy/Angel fame, seems to have a tendency to re-use his favorite young actresses -- until they get too old. )

 

[strangerep]

Agatha Freeman played a different character the very episode before she became Martha.

I guess you mean Freema Agyeman ?

(I also just noticed that Capaldi had an important supporting role in Torchwood -- Children of Earth.)

This is all in contrast to my recollections of "The Bill", where I never recognized a repeat performance by any actor. But perhaps that's because the inhabitants of South London were all portrayed as somewhat 1-dimensional?

 

[meBigGuy]

Best Companion — Romona II (Romanadvoratrelundar — Lady Lalla Ward) Well, it was refreshing to have someone on par with the Doctor for a change.

Actually, Ramona 1 was a Time Lord on the par with the 4th Doctor in the "Key's to Time Trilogy" (Episodes 98-103) just before Lalla Ward. She was a great and good looking companion, but not around for long.

Does anyone know of other episodes in which an actor appeared briefly, who sbbsequently played a major (different) character in later series?

Funny you ask that, because Lalla Ward was a character in the "Key's to Time Trilogy", and then when Ramona 1 rejuvenated into Ramona 2 (In Episode 104 "Destiny of the Daleks") she "copied" that character after trying a few others. The 4th doctor even commented on the copy job. Storyline wise, Ramona 1 and Ramona 2 were the same Time Lord.

My opinions:
Sara Jane was the worst Companion (Doctor, Doctor, Help Me - someone should count them)
Leela was fun
I really liked Rose
Clara is OK
Amy had her moments
Ramona 1 was great
Ramona 2 was the best overall
The rest were ... nothing special (?)

 

[Axon]

Yo! Whovian reporting for duty.