Dr Who Easter Special

[MarsProbe]

People, this is Dr. Who, it's not meant to make proper scientific sense. Or be particulary good, but we love it anyway. And Lee Evans was brilliant.

Exactly. You could make a list as long as the Doctor's lifespan about anything that doesn't make sense, but that would be about as cool as complaining about the Enterprise being built on Earth.

That, and it had a flying bus, but we all know that already.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

That, and it had a flying bus, but we all know that already.

Wheee...a flying london bus. Let's give it an Oscar for that. whoopee.

 

[MarsProbe]

Wheee...a flying london bus. Let's give it an Oscar for that. whoopee.

Yes, let's do that, because it's obvious they're really aiming to win an Oscar when they write a Doctor Who episode.

 

[Doc Theta Sigma]

In response to some of the issues raised:

The ten mile wide rip was going directly vertical if anyone listened. The UNIT commander grounded all flights over London if you remember.

In Bad Wolf the Doctor had activated Emergency Protocol One, which instructed the TARDIS to return to the last safe place visited because the enemy being faced should never get its hands on it. Surely he had the hindsight to make sure if the enemy found it they couldn't move it.

And to the other issues raised, why do you honestly care? A lot of the one's on the list The_root_of_all_evil posted can be answered through common sense. The big red button next to the security grate is an emergency over ride, the sonic screwdriver has always worked on everything except a deadlock seal etc.

Doctor Who has never been 100% grounded in science. It's just something you need to accept. IT'S GOD DAMN FICTION. Oh and the Lara Croft sidekick was annoying but oh well, it made the story work.

 

[Spacewolf]

universe cybermen? That put the Tardis on the back of a van despite only one of them having hands? And the TADS?

no i mean torchwood did it before they got massacured

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I care because an episode like Blink or even Turn Left can get those SIMPLE facts right.

The rip was a circle. Ten miles radius.

The other issues are straight Deus Ex Machina which means lazy writing. The plot was ripped off and the whole thing was played for set pieces.

I've seen episodes of Star Trek that made more sense. Hell, of Torchwood.

"Making the story work" is pure and simply laziness. Crafting the story is what they are supposed to do, and that good writers do.

Hell, even something like LIVE TV managed that.

Fiction has to make MORE sense than reality. That's one of the grounding rules of it, otherwise you throw out all the basic rules of entertainment and go straight for money shots.

 

[rec_rm]

I gave up on dr who making sense when they based a whole episode around the impossibility of a planet being in orbit around a black hole. In fact even if your one micron outside of the event horizon it's still possible to achieve a stable orbit. You would have to be moving freakishly fast, but it's still possible. The only possible explanation I could think of is if the planet was inside the event horizon, but that was never even remotely hinted at.

 

[WrongSprite]

Well i enjoyed it, and i feel thats all that matters with a Dr Who episode. It's a bit of fun, not a fucking science textbook.

People picking family fiction to pieces really, really pisses me off ¬_¬

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

People picking family fiction to pieces really, really pisses me off ¬_¬

People whoring out a good show to please families really piss me off. Perhaps our paths better not cross

 

[WrongSprite]

People picking family fiction to pieces really, really pisses me off ¬_¬

People whoring out a good show to please families really piss me off. Perhaps our paths better not cross

Indeed sir they shouldn't. [=

 

[Volucer]

I didn't like it either, for most of the reasons Root gave. I mean, with only making 4 special episodes this year with, correct me if I'm wrong, the budget of what is usually spent on 3 times that many episodes, I'd have expected something more than that. As a regular episode, in amongst others, it may have been slightly better, having other things to compare it to, but as an Easter Special episode it was piss poor. But at least it hinted to the master coming back, and gave me something to waste an hour of my time on. Can't wait for Russel T. Davis to hand the reigns over, there's always something in his episodes that really irk me.

 

[Lord Krunk]

Being Australian, I haven't seen the episode yet. However, I will shed some light on what I can answer.

how did they know what the Tenth Doctor sounded like? Haven't they met him before (The Sontaran Stratagem)
why UNIT, who have fought aliens, were gawping at a flying bus? Wouldn't you be confused when you see a flying bus?
Why isn't anyone aware of this swarm that devours a planet annually? Because no-one's survived to tell anyone about it?
How come the Sonic Screwdriver works on EVERYTHING? Didn't it always (except on deadlocked stuff)?
How do they fly if they're made of metal? How do planes fly if they're made out of metal?
How do bullets work against a metal manta? Depends on the kind of metal. If it was made of magnesium, you see...
How does a telepathic translator tell the truth? Well, if it's a telepathic translator, then it would read people's minds, therefore telling the truth.

Apart from that, you have me there. Mind you, as people have said:

It's Doctor Who. Fiction. All the technical jargon they used in the show is impossible (including time travel) so why are you worrying so much about it?

Seriously, I'll be glad when RTD dies.

You seem to be forgetting that without him, there wouldn't be a new series.

 

[FallenRainbows]

Worthless pile of trash. I'll be sitting in a corner, crying.

I'll be sitting nearby, laughing and pointing and perhaps laughing again.

Usuall spot then max?

 

[Lord Krunk]

Fiction has to make MORE sense than reality. That's one of the grounding rules of it, otherwise you throw out all the basic rules of entertainment and go straight for money shots.

Um, what?

You know, I'm just going to link you to the [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief] appropriate TVTropes pages. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StopHavingFunGuys]

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Well i enjoyed it, and i feel thats all that matters with a Dr Who episode. It's a bit of fun, not a fucking science textbook.

People picking family fiction to pieces really, really pisses me off ¬_¬

You sir, deserve a drink.

 

[Jabbawocky]

Was definatley entertaining to say the least. I couldn't fault it for much a long as you don't look into it too much.

 

[Avida]

These specials are looking more an more like an A level project for B-list celebrities to muck around in. I didnt think i'd say it but bring on the new doctor, hopefully that'll force a change of pace on whoever writes this crap.

 

[Johnn Johnston]

Dr. Who easter special? Reminds me of that star wars christmas special...

Eh, it's just an hour-long one that was on at Easter - nobody will ever try anything like the 'Life Day' shenanigans again.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

You know, I'm just going to link you to the [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief] appropriate TVTropes pages. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StopHavingFunGuys]

Back atcha [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicAIsMagicA]

In fact, from your link

An author's work, in other words, does not have to be realistic, only believable and internally consistent (see Magic A Is Magic A).

Being Australian, I haven't seen the episode yet. However, I will shed some light on what I can answer.

how did they know what the Tenth Doctor sounded like? Haven't they met him before (The Sontaran Stratagem) And Malcom didn't...or Directory Enquiries woman.
why UNIT, who have fought aliens, were gawping at a flying bus? Wouldn't you be confused when you see a flying bus? Not if I'd seen a rampaging pig, a saucer hit Big Ben, a 40 foot tall robot, giant maggots and been an elite trained team.
Why isn't anyone aware of this swarm that devours a planet annually? Because no-one's survived to tell anyone about it? So it's actually more deadly than the Daleks?
How come the Sonic Screwdriver works on EVERYTHING? Didn't it always (except on deadlocked stuff)? Seriously, I HATE that bloody McGuffin. Deus Ex Machinae.
How do they fly if they're made of metal? How do planes fly if they're made out of metal? They have wings?
How do bullets work against a metal manta? Depends on the kind of metal. If it was made of magnesium, you see... Not if it was extruded steel, iron though...
How does a telepathic translator tell the truth? Well, if it's a telepathic translator, then it would read people's minds, therefore telling the truth. The truth as they see it...

It's Doctor Who. Fiction. All the technical jargon they used in the show is impossible (including time travel) so why are you worrying so much about it?

Because some episodes, even the rare ones of RTD's ACTUALLY please both sides. That's why it's so bloody frustrating when they go for LCD, when Family of Blood etc. can get BOTH.

Seriously, I'll be glad when RTD dies.

You seem to be forgetting that without him, there wouldn't be a new series.

He's done his bit. Now, like Lucas, they need to be purged before they do more damage.