@Whisht

Soap!!!

I loved that show.

And agree, some great discussion on the nature of soap opera as a genre. As @Phaseshift says, UK soaps in the 80s were trailblazing (in subject matter and in playing with the format), especially Brookie and Eastenders when it started. But it now covers such a wide range of programmes that it’s not really…[Read more]

Soap a bad thing? A Bad thing??

I was too young, only saw occasional and disconnected episodes and didn’t understand the half of it, but even I knew that Soap was all kinds of good!!

Can’t believe it’s being criticised!

But thankfully, some people here like @Phaseshift @JimtheFish and @mudlark (and…[Read more]

I appreciate the thought going into making this a more nuanced conversation. Really, very good. And @PhaseShift, your bit of history helped me clarify my thinking a little bit (though I won’t call it clear).

Perhaps using the phrase “soap operaish” was not really a good choice of words.

So what word or phrase would be good to label the idea of…[Read more]

@PhaseShift

When I saw that viewing schedule for 23 November 1963 posted by @pedant, I wasn’t just impressed by how culturally influential all those shows were; I also realised, not only that I regularly watched all of them as a wide-eyed youth in the mid-60s, but also, that taken together–(the wonder and educational inspiration of Hartnell’s Who…[Read more]

@GothamCelt — but probably accurate in the context in which it was used…

@PhaseShift — great post and an excellent analysis of British soap. I think I’m probably more forgiving of British soaps of the 80s than some and the fact is I think that they often produced some of the best writing British telly has ever produced. Jimmy McGovern, Tony…[Read more]

@PhaseShift    Like you, I am no fan of soap operas in general, but the term covers such a broad range in kind and quality that it seems at the very least misguided to use it as a blanket term of criticism, let alone condemnation.  And I find it hard to sympathise with objections to any attempt to flesh out the characters of companions and prov…[Read more]

@Phaseshift

Yay!! Vengeance 😀

Faith and myth are going to be difficult themes to sift out.  What about Vampires of Venice (continuing the vampire theme)? Not a massive fave, but it’s on-topic. And interesting to see the different ways of representing vampires.

Meanwhile…

to pass the time till Saturday… ever wanted to build your own…[Read more]

@Phaseshift — I can’t believe we’re talking about the end of Series 8 already. But let the chains of Fenric shatter. It’ll certainly be an interesting one to watch in the light of Capaldi’s first season too, I reckon.

With regards to myth and faith, I’d say there’s whole swathes of Series 6 you could put in there too, with the whole myth of the…[Read more]

@Phaseshift

So Curse, with its play on Vampire myths and faith, what would your selection be?

By the time we get to Fenric, possibly the whole of Series 8? 😀

@PhaseShift I’m excited about watching along with Curse of Fenric. That’s a title that seems to be mentioned quite often but I don’t have any recollection of it from my youth.

That “film” version sounds really interesting. Do the DVDs have a habit of combining all of the older episodes in that way?

The Greatest Sylvester McCoy Episode Vote in the Galaxy – Result!
OK – Collating and reflecting on the votes received, I think we have a clear winner for our choice of Story containing The First Scottish Doctor.

It’s actually pretty apt to reveal it after we’ve seen Mummy on the Orient Express as well. The first victim terrorised by the Mum…[Read more]

Not so mello after all, what a shame …

Anyway, I have my bucket of exclamtion/question marks at the ready so hear we go.

Despite the later showing we got to watch this one live! What a fun episode. We had the lights off and my 10y/o was clinging on to me from the start 🙂 It was almost Scooby Doo!

@Oblique: “Mummy on the Orient Express, the…

[Read more]

@Melloyello

Superb display of ARSE.

From the opinions of Dr. Who fans, around the net,

Which aren’t worth a thing unless you switch off in droves. The story of Danny and Clara is scripted, filmed, decided. IF both actors are booked for Series 9, they may possibly tell the writers to upgrade the characterisation a bit, just as they did for…[Read more]

@Phaseshift Long time whovians know companions don’t last forever.
And what I am seeing, my opinion of Clara and Danny isn’t in the
minority. It is just a matter of time. But while Clara and Danny
are in the show, I wont waste my time watching it. The science tech
has become less than B-grade, and the plot line is a day time soap opera,
and…[Read more]

A cracker of an episode I thought and as @phaseshift says highly reminiscent of a Christmas special, but I think better than most of them. Jamie Mathieson is to be commended — he’s managed to out-Gatiss Gatiss with this one with a superb piece of genre mashing. I was never a massive fan of Being Human, but this was a cracking little script.

As…[Read more]

@Phaseshift You are sweet – cheering up a sick fish 🙂

I have to say that I find the mythological undercurrents in Moffat’s Who somewhat frustrating because whilst they are clearly there (and I love your sycamore tree catch) it wouldn’t take much, and needn’t disturb the waters of the casual viewer, to sew a more consistent thread…[Read more]

@PhaseShift – Putting aside you own displeasure for the moment, can you possibly live with the fact that you can’t speak for me?

@Phaseshift  You know perfectly well Egyptology is @Juniperfish bait ! 🙂

We’ve talked about Clara as Isis before, because she puts the Doctor back together when she jumps into his time stream (and remember she was also wearing that winged brooch in the rings of Akhaten), the way Isis put the scattered body parts of Osiris back together. Osi…[Read more]

@juniperfish

Well technically we don’t know that Missy’s is a “virtual” world. Could still be a physical place/thing.

@Seyhall Technically I’d say that counts as a potential spoiler – info pulled from elsewhere than in-programme or on BBC site. @Craig @Phaseshift @Fatmaninabox Am I being oversensitive here…? (if not can you move the post…[Read more]

@Bluesqueakpip and @Phaseshift

We will revisit the Doctor’s crib before Moffat is done however, I swear it.

And to be fair, Moff is fond of a pregnancy story – having them in both Doctor Who and Sherlock.

I think the reason why a baby (moon dragon) was the entity to be killed or not to be killed to potentially save many people on earth in Kill t…[Read more]