@plainolddave —

Has the original series been somehow deleted or re-edited in some way? No. It’s still there in exactly the same form as it always was, so it’s hardly been molested in any way. And every series, not just Series 9, have been quite clearly faithful to what had come before.

But your refusal to stick to the conventions that just…[Read more]

To echo @pedant — Veronica Mars — well worth a binge at some point. It’s great.

Orphan Black took me a long time to get into and it’s still a case of like but don’t quite love. Tatiana Maslany is going awesome work on it though….

DW is ONE TV show, that went on a significant hiatus. This is why I call current programs S34 instead of S9; Jon Pertwee was the Doctor for S9.

The key word is ‘significant’. And much had happened in between, both in the world of Who and in the world of entertainment generally. It’s foolish to try and assert that it’s a case of ‘it was off air…[Read more]

@plainolddave—

There’s very little to add to what @bluesqueakpip just said. Except:

Fictional characters do not radically change worldview and motivation mid-story

Well, take out the ‘radical’ and that’s a highly fallacious statement, I’d say. Fictional characters do nothing else. Or at least they should. Or else, what’s the point of watching…[Read more]

@plainolddave—

DW has lasted 50 years because it’s a comfortable haven from an ever-changing world

Sorry, you’re wrong here, I think. Who survived for 50 years because it rolled with the punches. Hartnell’s Who is very much still evolving from a late 50s patrician mindset. By the time you get to Troughton, the counter culture Beatles-esque a…[Read more]

@pufferfish — afraid @pedant is right. Check out Great Myths of the Brain by Christian Jarrett.

@arbutus — Yes, I don’t mind the sunglasses or the guitar either. I do find it slightly depressing in that the rock star thing is as much a historical persona now as Edwardian scientist or whacky Bohemian used to be (thanks to Messrs Cowell and Internet). It seems perfectly appropriate for the Doctor to adopt his guise now in a way that it…[Read more]

@drben—

Presumably the X-rated Doctor Who outtake would also include Capaldi employing some of the language that made him so famous as Malcolm Tucker.

It never gets old, so here it is again. Not for the easily offended obviously.

@seeoswald —

No, you listen to yourself. This is utter tripe you’re talking here.

I think I’ve got a pretty strong grasp on the Scottish culture and mindset, and, a few jokes aside, it absolutely does not manifest itself in Who. No more than RTD’s Welshness did when he was showrunner. This really is an idiotic argument. Sure, a writer’s…[Read more]

@seeoswald — Canadian influence? What does that even mean? Aside from just being more jingoistic pish.

It pleases me greatly that Steven Moffatt, Peter Capaldi and Michelle Gomez hail from my part of the world but that doesn’t mean that there’s remotely any kind ‘Scottish influence’ in Who currently. Just that several key members of the crew…[Read more]

@bluesqueakpip and @spacedmunkee —

Yes, the Mirror is usually disinformation central but this time it’s got attributed quotes from Moffatt, Williams etc. And a lot of the info is very specific. And Moffatt wouldn’t lie to the Press, right??

Right?? 🙂

@seeoswald —

I’ve been trying to give up engaging with the trolls, but I’ll fall off the wagon just this once.

But this…

Americans are not funny and rarely clever and of course if there is anything truly good on US TV it lasts 1 or 2 seasons and gets canned because it’s to clever for the viewing public.]

Except of course Buffy, Angel, B…[Read more]

@seeoswald —

see, the thing is just making those kind of broad, unsupported opinions just isn’t what happens here.

If you think the writing is poorer this year, then spell out, with examples, why you think so. That way, people can engage with you, offer counter arguments or perhaps even be won over to your way of thinking. You could then, for…[Read more]

I thought Maisie Williams was pretty good and for my money (bar Dinklage) is the best thing in Game of Thrones. She maybe didn’t quite capture the worldweariness that her character required in the second episode but she was still pretty effective. The episode belonged to Rufus Hound though, I think.

And while lauding @kharis‘s excellent spot, I’m…[Read more]

@craig — this is Time Quake, the 20-odd page kids’ book written way back in 1980-ish? I’d be tempted to assume this was an April’s Fool that’s somehow gone chronologically awry. But if it’s genuine, my money is on the ‘awful’ end of the spectrum.

And to be really anoraky about it, I seem to remember the story involved K9 being sent by the Time…[Read more]

I too am loving the ‘hayness’. Hmm, what’s wrong with the show? Oh yeah, there’s too much hay.

Also the assumption that to appeal to the US market requires ‘dumbing down’ shows a profound ‘out of touchness’ with the current realities of TV production in both countries….

@ramzeppelin

Congratulations on providing us with a highly informative textbook example of ARSE.

@kharis

That’s an excellent spot. I think you could well be on to something there….

I might change my mind on a second viewing but this is the first episode this series that’s really left me cold. It felt for all the world like a second-level RTD episode to me. Even Capaldi’s Doc felt as if he was being decidedly Tennant-esque in places — although there were still moments where he once again truly shone.

The saving grace was…[Read more]

@fatmaninabox — I’m actually loving your BTTF theory. I’ve often thought that Clara was probably named in tribute to BTTF3.

Happy birthday, @ichabod