Dr. Who. Wow me.

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Fortesque

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Jan 16, 2009
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I am a massive fan of Sci-Fi and all kinds of Sci-Fi.

Own all of Stargate SG1 and Atlantis(it was ok, not as good as SG1), all of Farscape, most of Battlestar Galatica, am going to buy all of the original Star Trek(Shatner was great in the fluro shirt), and a few other Sci-Fi series.

However, I really really want to like Dr Who but I just cant get into it. Please someone tell me why this show is good, and that I should keep watching because I will like it.
 

oliveira8

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Feb 2, 2009
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Dr. Who is not good. It's just fun with some scary parts. That was the point of the whole show. A show about a wacky time traveller that picks ordinary people and goes have adventures in time traveling machine that is shaped like a police box.

Just take it for what it is. Wacky fun.

Don't compare to "real" Sci-Fi shows, cause Doctor Who never tried to be serious or "real". no matter how much RTD wants to make it.
 

Jirlond

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Jul 9, 2009
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Time Travel is awesome.

The reason you might not like it is because it's not a military based sci-fi (like you mentioned)the doctor simply uses his ingenuity to escape from situations, it's not for everyone but I freaking love it.

A brilliant episode right at the start of the new seasons to start off with is the empty child!
 

megapenguinx

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Basically, if it doesn't intrigue you by season 2 of the new seasons (I know nothing of the older ones besides Baker being brilliant) then you won't find much here. One interesting thing about it is how a bunch of smaller stories are a part of something much much bigger (and more dangerous). I'd recommend talking to root_of_all_evil since he's probably the biggest Who fan here on the forums.
 

Fortesque

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Jan 16, 2009
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hypothetical fact said:
Are you talking old doctor who or new who?
Dr Who in general basically.

@Jirlond
I love clever shows, doesnt have to be military based. I just dunno.
 

LongAndShort

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May 11, 2009
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Don't take it to seriously, that's the key. Its just something you can sit down and watch with the whole family.
 

Jirlond

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Fortesque said:
hypothetical fact said:
Are you talking old doctor who or new who?
Dr Who in general basically.

@Jirlond
I love clever shows, doesnt have to be military based. I just dunno.
Oh it's just the ones you mentioned were all military sci-fi.

You don't have to like all forms of sci-fi, we will still accept you......kinda :p

Like megapenguinx said watch the whole of new season 1, if your not a fan by then, it's just not for you
 

Smudge91

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Jul 30, 2009
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I'm not too keen on the older episodes of doctor who but i love david tennant, christopher eccleston was ok. Don't forget Doctor Who is designed for everyone including children so you have to keep that in mind :)
 

Lord George

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Aug 25, 2008
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It can flick between light hearted fun and scary proper sci-fi as is usually the case when Cybermen or demons show up. You might want to look into Torchwood which is a more Adult orientated Spin-off of Dr. Who, more grown up, dark and dramatic.
 

Murrah

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Aug 28, 2008
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I don't like Dr.Who but TheGhostOfSin made me watch it...'Shame on you!!'
..But I still don't like it.
 

hypothetical fact

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George144 said:
It can flick between light hearted fun and scary proper sci-fi as is usually the case when Cybermen or demons show up. You might want to look into Torchwood which is a more Adult orientated Spin-off of Dr. Who, more grown up, dark and dramatic.
And flamboyant.
 

data_not_found

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Nov 12, 2008
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Dr. Who is the Sci fi TV equivalent of Archie Comics. It's not going to wow you, but the characters are likable enough to make the occasional drama worthwhile, and the comedy populating the rest of the show is entertaining.

But the SFX and acting are positively terrible. The sonic screwdriver section at OSH is very good though, so easy fix.
 

Kermi

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Nov 7, 2007
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I'd say watch the end of season 4 if you want some truly epic new Who, but it kind of won't have as big an impact without watching some of season 2 as well. If you don't want to make that kind of commitment, and what you've seen doesn't interest you, you won't be missing anything. I love the latest incarnation of Doctor Who, but it can't please everyone.

Also, I've never watched the older stuff so maybe people who don't like the David Tennant Doctor aren't completely mad.
 

TotallyFake

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Jun 14, 2009
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It's worth watching all of season one of new who, after that it becomes really squiffy. And the season finales are typically crap. Actually, that's a lie. The second half of each season finale is crap. The first episode sets up something wonderful and epic, then the second half resolves it with a spectacular ass-pull.

If however you're okay with judicious use of ResetButtons (or a reset lever, or a reset machine gun) then just sit and binge the entire series. It's only 13 40-minutes episodes per season.
 
Feb 13, 2008
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oliveira8 said:
Dr. Who is not good...snip...
Don't compare to "real" Sci-Fi shows, cause Doctor Who never tried to be serious or "real". no matter how much RTD wants to make it.
George144 said:
It can flick between light hearted fun and scary proper sci-fi as is usually the case when Cybermen or demons show up. You might want to look into Torchwood which is a more Adult orientated Spin-off of Dr. Who, more grown up, dark and dramatic.
RiverSong said:
When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it'll never end. But however hard you try you can't run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies and nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark if he ever, for one moment, accepts it.
Doctor Who has been going for longer than Man has been on the moon. It kicks Star Trek into the Eye of Rassilon for sheer longevity and due to the fact that it's been going for 46 years (apart from the time that Michael Grade took it off air whilst it was still annhilating Top of the Pops and anything bar the soaps, mainly because Colin Baker was in bed with his ex and he hated science fiction.) there have been some poor episodes. My sheer hatred towards RTD's messiah complex aside, even he has managed to produce some good episodes and even at it's worse it stands above The Twin Dilemma, Highlander 2 and others.

Harlan Ellison: said:
Star Wars is adolescent nonsense; Close Encounters is obscurantist drivel; Star Trek can turn your brains to puree of bat guano; and the greatest science fiction series of all time is Doctor Who! And I'll take you all on, one-by-one or all in a bunch to back it up!
Torchwood is adolescent drivel that revolves around Deus Ex Machinae, swearing and sexy aliens in the same way that Eastenders revolves around doom, circling it but never actually getting down to anything that's not a complete rip-off of something that's already been done better. Scooby Doo did it far better 40 years ago.

The reason Doctor Who is worth watching? Simple. It's about a guy who... And that's where you can insert anything you want.

It's pure escapism at it's heart. The TARDIS allows him to circumvent logic, reason and physics while still keeping the idea of a man left aside by his contemporaries and lost in a sea of alien culture.

Ninth Doctor said:
Do you wanna come with me? 'Cause if you do then I should warn you, you're gonna see all sorts of things. Ghosts from the past. Aliens from the future. The day the Earth died in a ball of flame. It won't be quiet, it won't be safe, and it won't be calm. But I'll tell you what it will be: The trip of a lifetime!
He's one of the few Heroes that doesn't wear a mask, doesn't quip everytime he kills someone (in fact rarely kills anyone), is a romantic, a leader, a trickster and still contains the essence of every actor who has ever played the Doctor.

While other "remade" shows have tumbled into the craterous mass of putresence (The New Munsters, dear god...) this show manages to bring contemporary issues, past issues and future issues together without getting as preachy as the others.

The Doctor can stand against Picard, Adama, Vader and NOT have to fight them. He's the epitome of us all at times, travelling to places unknown to meet with hostile people, and yet he charms or browbeats them into submission.

Ninth Doctor said:
You know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek homeworld? The Oncoming Storm. You might have removed all your emotions, but I reckon right down deep in your DNA there's one little spark left. And that's fear. Doesn't it just burn when you face me?
Even if you pick up the odd turkey like The Happiness Patrol (uuuurgghhhh) or the cartoon-like CGI on Robot or the truly awful singing of the Doctor Who Theme by Jon Pertwee, there are still stories like Blink that nearly do not contain the Doctor. You see, the universe is so detailed that you could have a story just about a Dalek and no-one would mind.

Could you do the same with a Borg without referencing the Enterprise? I doubt it.

Forget the goddam Batman, he's the goddam DOCTOR!

(And Commissioner Gordon doesn't stand a chance against the Brigadier.
Brigadier: Oh, dear. Women. Not really my field.
The Doctor: Don't worry, Brigadier. People will be shooting at you soon.
Even with some of the atrocities committed against it, there are still episodes made today that exterminate better acted, better scripted, better paid, better effects productions. Not even the Batman could get away with having a white horse appear on a Spaceship because it's dramatically appropriate.

Or keeping the entire reason for a time portal to France covered up for the entire episode.

Fortesque said:
However, I really really want to like Dr Who but I just cant get into it. Please someone tell me why this show is good, and that I should keep watching because I will like it.
First of all, watch the Moffat episodes The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, Blink, Girl in the Fireplace, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, then try and catch some of the older ones. There's a wealth of information out there on which are the best, and although I have my own potato field on my shoulder about RTD, some of his episodes are reasonable. Midnight and Turn Left were good.

Even Peter Cushing's portrayal in Doctor Who and the Daleks(1965) is still worth watching today. Perhaps a little slow, but then you'll know the sound of the Daleks and why that noise still scares people today.

Watch some of the great ones. Make up your own mind. (I made up mine long ago) and until then:


Would you like a jelly baby?