Dr. Who Starts in July

[ShannonA]

I was pleased to see that SFC has announced the third season of Dr. Who for July ( http://www.gateworld.net/news/2007/04/sci_fi_picks_up_idoctor_whoi_sea.shtml ).

What I really want to know, however, is where is Torchwood?

[C.W.Richeson]

Hooray! That's not too long of a wait.

I'm hoping Torchwood makes it over this way, too. I'd hope for at least a DVD release, but I already find the Dr. Who DVDs to be a bit on the pricey side.

[ShannonA]

I checked my favorite resource, tvshowsondvd.com earlier today, and they had no Torchwood news, alas.

[MonsterMash]

So for a change the Brits have seen it first.

Don't worry I'm not going to spoil anything.

:)

[wiseblood]

I just saw an advertisement for Torchwood on BBC America. I don't remember the start date.

[Dr. Moonthunder]

I'm sure my hip skiffy cred is going to plummet for good now, but: What's a Torchwood?

[ShannonA]

It's a spin-off show starring Captain Jack, protecting the earth from alien invasions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torchwood

[wiseblood]

It looks like Torchwood will be on Saturdays. I don't see a time though.

http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/23/anglophenia.jsp?bc_id=164

[Fritzef]

So what did people think of the first two episodes? And is it just my cable provider, or is the sound a little wonky on the new Who? I find it very difficult to have the dialogue loud enough to hear without the music becoming deafening. I guess the accents could have something to do with it--it seems to me that most of the characters in the old series spoke with 'BBC announcer' accents, which were fairly easy for a Yank like me to follow. The new series has a lot more variety, especially among characters that are contemporary Brits (as opposed to aliens, etc.).

[ShannonA]

I've just seen the first episode so far, The Runaway Bride. I thought it was a good episode.

I loved the references to Rose, all the way down to the final line. I also loved
the fact that the Doctor refused to stay for Christmas dinner, and thought that the girl's statement that he needed someone to keep him in line was dead on and really underlined the nature of the post-Time War Doctor.

Another flat-out wonderful moment was the TARDIS careeming down the motorway.

The monster was a bit hokey, and some of her threat was over the top, but overall it was an enjoyable episode.

I did have some problems with the audio too, which I never have on the new Who before. On and off I just couldn't make out dialogue.
--

I'll probably watch the second episode tomorrow while taking a break from editing sometime.

[Fritzef]

It's good to know that I'm not the only one who had trouble with the sound quality.

As to the first episode itself, I initially found Donna (the bride) rather grating, as we were supposed to, I guess. By the end of the episode, though, she had grown on me. My understanding is that she will be back as a companion next season, which is O.K. by me. As you say, her remark about the new Doctor needing someone to keep him on track was perfect.

One thing that strikes me about the new Who is the emphasis on the families of the companions (or similar people). We know something about the family life of Rose, Donna, and now Martha (the new companion introduced in the next episode). In Rose's and Martha's cases, those families are, well, on the dysfunctional side. That was a major theme in the Rose stories, I guess we'll have to wait and see if it is in the Martha episodes as well.

The thing is, I'm not sure that I like it. How much did we know about the family background of Sarah Jane Smith, Tegan, Leela, or Romana? How much did it matter to the episodes? There's a real change of direction here.

Of course, you could say, quite rightly, that the new approach is explicitly trying to address problems with, or things left out of, the old formula. So the creators of the new Who have decided that companions will be much more fully realized individuals than in the past--we'll have an idea of their backgrounds. Certainly the new series confronts the relationship between the Doctor and the companions much more straightforwardly than the old one did. Indeed, the new Who has even reinterpreted the link between the Doctor and the old companions, as we saw in the episode where Sarah Jane Smith put in an appearance.

Still, I can't help but feel that too much attention to the companions' backgrounds--particularly when the scenes are rather soap-opera-ish, as with Rose or the short bits with Martha--doesn't really help the series. It's like trying to mix Eastenders with Who (IMO). On the other hand, paying attention to the personal lives of the guest-stars can be brilliantly effective, as in last year's Love and Monsters (http://www.scifi.com/doctorwho/episodes/episodes.php?seas=2&ep=0210&act=1), probably my favorite episode of the new Who. But it's a well that I don't think you should try to tap too often.

[wiseblood]

One thing that strikes me about the new Who is the emphasis on the families of the companions (or similar people). We know something about the family life of Rose, Donna, and now Martha (the new companion introduced in the next episode). In Rose's and Martha's cases, those families are, well, on the dysfunctional side. That was a major theme in the Rose stories, I guess we'll have to wait and see if it is in the Martha episodes as well.

The thing is, I'm not sure that I like it.


I've seen season 3 so I won't speak about Martha (although I think that overall this was the best New Who season yet).

In the beginning of the first season I felt the same way as you. What were all of these semi-regular characters who weren't companions doing on the show? But Jackie and Micki really grew on me and I was as sorry to see them go as I was Rose. Even Pete in his short stint on the show was pretty cool.

So I've flip-flopped. I'm ok with it now and I trust RTD to please me with these characters more often than not.

EDIT: What I especially like is that everybody gets a chance to step up and be a hero. Even the "tin dogs" of the show.

[Fritzef]

What I especially like is that everybody gets a chance to step up and be a hero. Even the "tin dogs" of the show.

Yeah, that's neat. Though of course K-9 always kicked butt.