@dentarthurdent

RTD Christmas Specials, apart from EoT, but more specifically VoD, were serviceable but a bit drab. The Next Doctor was a regeneration tease, and part of the Doctor sans companion arc. I liked Dervla Kirwan… oh and ‘that is designated A LIE!’

We’re comparing that with Moff, who turned Christmas Who into a fantastic panto-l…[Read more]

@ps1l0v3y0u  @nerys   @janetteb  @dentarthurdent   I am late to the table but here goes my attempt at my favourite non Moffat episodes for each series.

1.  Dalek     The 9th Doctors reaction when he saw the Dalek and his frenzied attempt to get away let me know  how dangerous they were and the Doctors contemptuous rant  was some pretty great…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent I do love Last Christmas – sarcastic dwarves. Santa pointing out how unlikely he is. Dreams within dreams. Unlike you I absolutely loved Hell Bent, particularly the diner scene where you’re not sure which of them actually knows, until the last moment – Moffat does those multi-layer scenes so well.

It’s not that I don’t like…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent @nerys @janetteb

AU… alternative universe: generally it adds a new perspective to the run of the mill stuff we’ve become too comfortable with. Always tell a story 2 different ways if you can.

exposition… it’s a sign that the story can’t be resolved through narrative and really doesn’t add anything.

So Family of Blood. The…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent @nerys @janetteb

AU… alternative universe: generally it adds a new perspective to the run of the mill stuff we’ve become too comfortable with. Always tell a story 2 different ways if you can.

exposition… it’s a sign that the story can’t be resolved through narrative and really doesn’t add anything.

So Family of Blood. The…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent. The only specials I am not keen on were those at the end of Tennant’s first run. Perhaps I should re watch the End of Time. It might be deserving of a second chance.

I am a fan of all the Christmas Specials though I didn’t mention them as they are mostly Moffat’s and I love Dickens so the Dickensian elements are fine with me.…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent. I looked back to see what I said previously about this episode and found that I did not. That is not a reflection of my view of the episode. I often fail to comment partly because I get overwhelmed by the discussion and feel I have nothing to add. I have only watched this episode once so going from memory, Really liked Ruth/doc.…[Read more]

@nerys @dentarthurdent @janetteb

It’s interesting that there seems to be broad agreement here… I guess that a lot of the chosen episodes either show:

a strong sci fi idea

or a good spiky script ala Moff, even if it’s not Moff

Moff and Mathieson alone deliver both the swerves and the big image… this is what foxed everyone in Empty Child/Da…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent I like The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. Trees that grow baubles, Manny, and likeable kids, especially the Doctor. Matt Smith worked well with children. He played well to the childish side of the Doctor.

I would have voted Love and Monsters as RTD’s worst (avoiding rockets) however I think the first two episodes of this most…[Read more]

I do like making lists. Had to refresh my memory of every series and make notes. So series by series,

Series 1 Dalek with an honourary mention for Bad Wolf.

Series 2 School Reunion because Sarah Jane Smith. This is in my view one of the worst series. There just were no other decent episodes except the obvious. (Girl in the Fireplace)

Series 3…[Read more]

I feel like this series of posts may have been somehow redirected from The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances thread?

@dentarthurdent Season 4 – I’d say, Midnight, very narrowly edging out Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. (I think this is the ONLY season where the best ep was not by Moff).

Season 7 – Asylum of the Daleks (Moff again…

[Read more]

@dentarthurdent @janetteb   I know I watched this because I commented before but I really don’t remember it. The main reason for that though is that one of the characters has the same name (first and last)  as a family member who was watching with me. First I loved the connection to a Doctor Who episode and then it became a sort of silly game wh…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent

I did warn you

@dentarthurdent Sacha Dhawan came to my attention first in An Adventure in Space and Time playing Waris Hussien and then again in Dracula episode 2. He also has a major role in The Great.

Cheers

Janette

@dentarthurdent Another interesting review. I always enjoy your episodes reviews, sometimes more than the episode covered. This may be one of those. I have only watched this episode once and recall that it was engaging enough at the time but left very little impression afterwards. It had enjoyable moments though, as I probably mentioned above, I…[Read more]

@winston @dentarthurdent Thank you for your kind replies. Yes, my in-laws appear to be safe from this wildfire, which thankfully did not spread in their direction and is still 25 kilometres away from them. It is now classified as “being held” (meaning that given the current resources and anticipated weather, the wildfire is not expected to grow…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent But I have this theory that a successful production requires a certain basic level of adequacy in each aspect e.g. script, acting, sets, sound, special effects etc. And any one of those that falls too far below the basic level risks distracting the viewer.

If that were true, movies like Night of the Living Dead and The Texas…[Read more]

@robertcaligari @dentarthurdent @devilishrobby

Any story can crippled by acting, production, or effects (remember Capdoc on the prop horse in The Woman Who Lived?) but Whovians like to think the show lives or dies by the script/story.

Sometimes villains remain on their backside (Sutekh, numerous Master stories, The Gatherer) sometimes it’s The D…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent IMO Paul McGanns acting abilities were woefully underused in Doctor Who the movie as you say he made a much better Doctor in the Night of the Doctor minisode. He actually looked much better in his semi-steampunk outfit instead of the part Pertwee part TomBaker outfit they had him in. Also your probably right having the right…[Read more]

@dentarthurdent Sarcastic but a fairly valid generalisation, I fear.

Silly me. I thought sarcasm was par for the course for the internet.

Anyway: “Pathetic special effects and rubber monsters” could be applied to most of classic Who’s run, for sure, but that’s doing bit of a disservice to the ingenious craftsmen who were able to cook up all…[Read more]