Spoilers Sweetie! [A Doctor Who thread]

[Vendetta]

I am, quite frankly, amazed this hasn't been made before now. Especially considering that BBC America is now airing the current season the same day that the episode airs in the UK. So, discuss you favourite episode(s), Doctor, companion, spin-off, Steven Moffat, et al.

What's that, you've never HEARD of Doctor Who?
Doctor Who is only the logest running and most successful sci-fi show in the world. It's a show about a fellow called The Doctor who travels through time and space in his TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space) often with various companions, and it started airing in 1963. The Doctor has been played by 11 different actors over it's 32 years on the air.

"But how can I watch Doctor Who?" you may ask. Well lucky for you most of Doctor Who is available on Netflix instant streaming. If you want to start at the beginning there are some 1st Doctor serials avaible (The Dalek Invasion of Earth & The War Machines among them,) but bear in mind that many of the early Who episodes from 1964-1972 were lost by the BBC. However, if you wish to hit the ground running and not worry about those early episodes with their often rather dated "special" effects, you can start with the "new" 2005 series that introduced 9th Doctor Chris Eccleston (one of my favourites), and go from there to David Tennant's 4-year run and Matt Smith's first season. All are available on Netflix streaming (even the Christmas specials!)

"Change, my dear, and it seems not a moment too soon!"

[Binkx]

First off: Vendetta, you have earned my love from this thread alone.

Secondly, I have seen most of the early Doctor movies (and the effects are extremely dated, but that adds to the charm), and I have watched every single episode since it came back in 2005.

Personally, I love David Tennant as the Doctor. Maybe because I've seen more of him, but he seemed just eccentric enough without seeming like he needed to be in the loony-bin. Eccleston was ok, but he was too brutish for my liking.

But to be honest, while I had my doubts, Smith is doing an amazing job as the Doctor. He quickly became my number 2 by the 3rd episode.

I can say so much more, but I'm hoping others will have more to say.

[Fenris_brood]

I'm not going to try to say not much of spoilers here, but good going on making this thread Vendetta, I just hadn't remembered to make something like it...

I've only followed the season since it's later re-hash, but have loved every bit of it to this day. The Tenth remains undisputedly the best Doctor I've seen so far, Tennant is a wonderful actor, but I really liked the Ninth Doctor, it was my introduction to the series and he had a sort of calm to him that the Doctors so far haven't shown. I'm also enjoying the immature atributes Smith gives to the character, he gives out a bigger sense of relation to his thoughts.

And a bit of spoilers now here, these later episodes have been exercing a tendency to amaze, first a possible Doctors daughter, than the TARDIS spoke and now a new Doctor is starting to form out of the Flesh in this last episode.

Of all these last seasons my personal favourites remain "Midnight" of the fourth season and "Vincent and the Doctor" of the fifth.

[Vendetta]

I don't think I can discuss this without at least SOME spoilers, which will be in white text (you can highlight to reveal.)

First off: Vendetta, you have earned my love from this thread alone.
I knew you'd dig this. :D

Eccleston was ok, but he was too brutish for my liking.
See I like Eccleston for almost those exact reasons. He was so outside of the norm for the Doctor, who almost always seems a bit foppish to varying degrees. Here's a guy who has just killed two entire civilisations including his own. He had damn good reason to be a dark, brooding sort of Doctor, I just think it's a shame he wasn't able to stick around for more than just one season, so that he could develop the character more.


OK, so here are my favourite episodes from the new seasons (in order of preference):
Blink (season 3) - best episode ever, hands down. And it doesn't even feature the Doctor much, so great for newbies.
Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead (season 4) - River Song is the best. Also the best I've seen Catherine Tate.
The Girl in the Fireplace (season 2) - there's a pattern here.
Voyage of the Damned (2007 Christmas Special) - great introduction to Who for newbs.
The Eleventh Hour (season 5) - if you have someone you want to watch Doctor Who with who hasn't seen it yet, and you want them to catch up quick, this is the best way.
Vincent and The Doctor (season 5) - echoing Fenris here. If you don't tear up just a little at the end, it's possible you have no soul.

Pretty close to these would be The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances from the first season. Yup, I love me some Moffat.

[Fenris_brood]

I find the episode Midnight one of the best structured episodes done, merely because with most of the action in the episode concentrated in one single room, and the creature never seen, it succeeds to instal a certain shivery fear of what that really was.

[Vendetta]

Oh, let's talk about openings/logos. I REALLY like the new DW logo (certainly moreso than the stupid ellipse[?] from previous seasons.) It's incredibly clever. And while I like the 2007 theme song the best, I still like the intro from Tom Baker's run and the new one (the latter because it directly seems to tie into Moffat's storyline.)

[Binkx]

My favorite eps, one per "new" season (so 5 since season 6 is not finished yet, yay!)

1. Father's Day It was nice to see Rose's dad, and watch her struggle with the "rules" of time and see the consequences.

2. Fear Her OK, any episode with kids doing creepy things scares me. I'll admit it. But this one wasn't so much scary as it was interesting. Though I didn't like the ending too much.

3. Blink HANDS DOWN! Probably the best of all the episodes thus far. Because of this episode I am literally afraid to walk anywhere near a stone angel statue.

4. Turn Left Another little-to-no-Doctor episode that shows a what if scenario. Was definitely well worth the watch.

5. Vincent and the Doctor A: Love Van Gogh. B: Yes, I teared up at the end.

Logos....I don't really like the new one that much. Yeah it goes well with the show, but personally I just think it looks tacky O_o. Maybe 5 years of the ellipse has me biased. Yeah, that's probably it. But I don't mind the new one so much. DW shaped like the TARDIS, yeah lol.

[Fenris_brood]

I also found the new DW logo extremelly clever in the design, it's simple, but I still prefer the previous, maybe just because it was my introduction to Doctor Who.

Talking about the Angels by the way, these latest episodes introduced the Silence which I also found severly creepy. I think the angels remain the most horrific product of Doctor Who, but I was really amazed by the idea they had for the Silence, any other particular creature any of you found more interesting than others over these last seasons?

[Vendetta]

I also found the new DW logo extremelly clever in the design, it's simple, but I still prefer the previous, maybe just because it was my introduction to Doctor Who.
Look, when one of your first logos is 80s neon tubes...
http://hub.tv-ark.org.uk/images/cult/cult_who/titleseqs/doctorwho1980al.jpg

(OK, technically not my first logo, but certainly one of the earlier ones I watched. I like the '73-'74 Pertwee/Baker ones that looked a bit Art Deco.)

But the ellipse was really pretty boring IMO. And the placement of the light dots always bugged me in an OCD kind of way.

Oh look, here's a website that has all of them (http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/cult/cult-whomain.html) (except for the latest ones.)

[Binkx]

I like the second one best. The 1967 with Patrick Troughton. To me it's simple and gives a good amount of mystery. I'm weird and love the extremely simple. No design to it and leaves you wondering "What is this?"

[john the baptist]

I started watching the show in '05 with my father. For 3 years we never missed an episode. Now we don't have cable. Would someone be nice enough to update me on newer episodes?

[Binkx]

I started watching the show in '05 with my father. For 3 years we never missed an episode. Now we don't have cable. Would someone be nice enough to update me on newer episodes?

Did you see all the way up to the Smith episodes? If not they have his first season (the 5th season) on Netflix if you have a netflix account that is.

[NeonLightChild]

I just got into it, a few months ago.

Deflowered by The Empty Child and whatever episode concluded that story. Creeped out as all hell and LOVED it.

I've not seen all the Doctors yet, so I really don't feel qualified to comment, but of the ones I've seen, David Tennant is definitely easiest on the eyes :love:, although Smith is pretty good too, from the season premiere I was able to watch.

Suffice it to say that I look forward to MANY more hours of watching the show and seeing what makes it tick. I was able to watch the original premiere as well as a good slew of Tom Baker, but still need to see a LOT more. I'm intrigued to see the Jon Pertwee episodes. (<3 Sean too, seen him in a few flicks, but forgot that he wasn't the Doctor!)

Oh, and I finally understood what the other half of this shirt (http://shirt.woot.com/friends.aspx?k=8901) was all about...and I finally caved in and bought one.

[Binkx]

A: I want that shirt.

B: I have only seen the last three doctors as far as seasons go. And I seen a few movies with various doctors. But I feel well enough qualified to speak because just these 3 teach you so much about the doctor.

[Vendetta]

I'm intrigued to see the Sean Pertwee episodes.
You'd mean Jon. Sean is his son (and was one of the blokes in Dog Soldiers.)

And on the subject of shirts, here are a few of my favourites:
http://media.threadless.com//imgs/products/2899/636x460design_01.jpg (http://www.threadless.com/product/2899/Doctor_Hoo)

http://ih2.redbubble.net/work.6809690.1.fig,navy,mens,fbfbfb.the-whos-t-shirt-v3.jpg (http://www.redbubble.com/people/rtofirefly/t-shirts/6809690-the-whos-t-shirt)

Also, this one (http://skreened.com/popbunker/i-love-new-new-new-new-new-new-new-new-new-new-new-new-new-new-new-new-york) is a pretty clever joke from the "Gridlock" episode.

(If you can't see the graphics above, the links will take you to the website for the shirt.)

[Vendetta]

Also...
http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llt950531p1qdwll9o1_500.gif

[Binkx]

So to get the conversation moving again after Vendetta's awesome pictures, let's talk about favorite and least favorite companion.

My favorite was Rose. She was just ditzy and smart enough at the same time to enjoy. I felt that Martha was just too smart and strong willed, but I did like her none-the-less. Amy is ok I suppose, she can be a bit over bearing though.

I absolutely HATED Donna Nobel. Annoyed me to pieces, she did. Bossy, dumb, and more trouble than she is worth. Not the best choice of companion in my opinion.

[Vendetta]

My favorite was Rose. She was just ditzy and smart enough at the same time to enjoy. I felt that Martha was just too smart and strong willed, but I did like her none-the-less.
See I feel exactly the opposite of this, for nearly the same reasons you mentioned. Martha is one of my favourites (although Sarah Jane Smith and Romana [Lalla Ward's] will always have a special place for me) for exactly the reasons you mentioned: she's strong, strong-willed and super smart. Rose was exactly the opposite. Honestly, this was my biggest sticking point during Tennant's run; I cannot buy that someone like the Doctor, especially Tennant's version, would "fall" for someone like Rose (let's be honest, just a step above chav.)

But yeah, disliked Donna too. For pretty much the same reasons as Rose. She's just a normal person. I mean I guess the best thing I could say about Rose & Donna is that they seemed like real people; like people you'd know in your daily life. But I wouldn't exactly call them interesting characters.

[john the baptist]

For my favorite I would have to go with Sarah Jane Smith. Although that's mostly because her show was almost as cool as Doctor Who. I've only seen four sets of companions but I'd go with the guy he runs with now, I can't remember his name.