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Sci-Fi Media Television

Dr Who Rolls On 258

Posted by Zonk from the tardis-ho dept.
derek_farn writes "It looks like us lucky Brits will be getting a Dr Who christmas special, plus a third series has been commissioned. Those of you who get their news from the BBC web site will know that the current Dr Who, Christopher Eccleston, left after the first series and was replaced by the actor who recently played Casanova in a mini-series (not quite the same as the women wearing lycra in Star Trek, but we Brits are a bit more reserved)."
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Dr Who Rolls On More

Dr Who Rolls On

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  • Rose (Score:5, Informative)

    by EnderWigginsXenocide ( 852478 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @12:56PM (#12843186) Homepage
    Rose (played by Billie Piper) will also stay on for the entire second season, despite rumors that said otherwise.

    • Re:Rose (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Trigun ( 685027 )
      That's all I need to know to keep watching.

      Although, I thought Chris Eccleston was brilliant and this new guy has some big shoes to fill.
      • i agree totally.. eccleston brought a new energy to the series, and a growing legion of new fans. i, for one, am sorry to see him go.

        as an aside to the real die-hards... isn't the Doctor only supposed to have 10 regenerations (with Tennant being the 10th)? wasn't that a bit short-sighted of the writers?

        • Comment removed based on user account deletion
        • It's twelve, but they were only on the fourth actor at the point that was first stated, IIRC. 13 forms seemed like way plenty back in 1975 or whenever it was. I mean, seriously, how many writers really expect a show to (mostly ocntinuously) last like 50 years? Averaging four years per actor, 13 doctors would have taken 52 seasons! They didn't know that Paul McGann would only last one show, and Christopher eccelston would only last one season, etc.

        • Re:Rose (Score:2, Informative)

          by Trigun ( 685027 )
          Wikipedia states twelve:

          It was established in The Deadly Assassin that a Time Lord can regenerate twelve times before permanently dying, though as with most such "rules" there were occasionally exceptions. For more on this see: Time Lord.

        • Re:Rose (Score:2, Interesting)

          by BasilBrush ( 643681 )
          Who says that the change from Eccleston to the new actor will be a regeneration? The Bad Wolf theme hasn't played out yet. It might be more interesting than that.
        • Well it is 12, but that does not say anything, after all they just have to tinker with time :-)

    • Companions should change more frequently than Doctors. Otherwise, it's hard to explain the Doctor's age increases.

      Consider that:

      • In the second Doctor series, he listed his age at around 450.
      • In the fourth Doctor series, he stated his age was around 750.
      • In the sixth Doctor series, he said he was 900.
      • Early in the seventh Doctor series, he claimed he had been travelling over 900 years.

      Granted, the ninth Doctor has given his age at around 900 (which he's probably not being too truthful about because if t

    • Dr. Rose (Score:2, Insightful)

      by glrotate ( 300695 )
      Who has turned into a miserable chick flick. While Piper is cute enough, I really don't need a Sci-Fi Gimore Girls or Dawson Creek.

      Not to mention the weak attempt at social commentary, "No Doctor, don't kill the Dalek, then you'll be just as evil as he is", or the constant references to the UN as if it were a legitimate institution.

      Bottom Line: Eccelston is very good, Piper is cute, the chemistry is good, but the writing is way too estrogen infused.
    • Here's the full interview with Billie Piper:

      Interviewer: Thank you for agreeing to chat with us, Billie. First off, why did you decide to stay on 'Doctor Who' for another series?
      Billie: Because I want to! Because I want to!
      Interviewer: I see... so your enthusiasm for the show is as strong as ever. I'm sure the fans will be pleased to hear that. The other question everyone's been asking is.... why you always run around in crowds?
      Billie: Because I want to! Because I want to!
      Interviewer: Why d'you always

  • Third series? (Score:2, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward
    How is this the third series? It's more like the twelfth.

    • Re:Third series? (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      or 29th...

    • Re:Third series? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by RonnyJ ( 651856 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:18PM (#12843456)
      This new 'first' series is considered by some to be the 27th series of Doctor Who, and by others to be the first series of a new production (although I'm not sure on the exact reasoning behind either viewpoint). This new 'third' series will therefore be considered the 29th series by some.

      Also, in case any Americans are reading this and are slightly confused, we tend to use the word 'series' instead of 'season'.

      • This new 'first' series is considered by some to be the 27th series of Doctor Who, and by others to be the first series of a new production (although I'm not sure on the exact reasoning behind either viewpoint)

        The original series ran for 23 years, from 1962 to 1985 (IIRC). It was then put on hiatus for a year, only to return for a 2 year run, finally shutting down production in 1987. This was considered the second series. Not including assorted made-for-TV movies in both the US and UK, the Doctor didn't r
    • It'd be the 29th, actually. The current series is the 27th. But all the documents related to it list it as season 1. And the IMDB considers them separate shows. Whatever you like, really.
  • EXTERMINATE!*

    (* can't wait till saturday)

  • I just want to say... (Score:5, Informative)

    by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) ( 613870 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:00PM (#12843248) Journal
    ...the series so far has been truly awesome. I'm watching AVIs in the US that I download from a Tivo in the UK each week. I feel like I ought to be paying the BBC money to encourage them to keep up the good work - but I guess I'll just buy the boxed set when it's released.

    The whole Bad Wolf thing has been particularly entertaining. They're even making comparisons [telegraph.co.uk] to Pynchon in the UK.

    Beg, buy, borrow or steal it. Whatever, just make sure you watch it!

    • Hear Hear, I have been downloading eps via BT, and get pretty shaky when I have to wait a whole week for a conclusion to a 2 episode cycle. I tried to like battlestar gallactica, but between the wierd editing style they tried to give it and the darkness of the material, I couldn't make it past 3 episodes.

      Doctor Who with Eccleston feels fun, fantastic, eerie, and lurches around time/space in an exciting non linear fashion. I love it, I haven't gotten into a show like this in years. I would also buy it on
    • Best Dr Who related quote yet:

      Our neighbour goes to McDonalds in the local High Street to get his daughter a Happy Meal.
      The place is deserted and I mean no customers at all. As he's walking to the counter he hears one staff member comment to another "Quiet in here tonight isn't it" and the answer "Yeah well, bloody Dr Who starts in 5 minutes dunnit".

      It'd be interesting to see the sales rates in take aways as well as the water and power consumption immedaiately prior to and following the series finale.
    • I feel like I ought to be paying the BBC money to encourage them to keep up the good work

      I might be able to help you here. Go to https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/creditcard/cd_step1. jsp?type=private, for license holder, enter Mr J Rumney, for address details house number 24, postcode G37 8BC, enter your credit card details and press submit. I'm sure the BBC will be most grateful.

  • Will this Dr. Who tackle harsh political issues? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by CyricZ ( 887944 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:09PM (#12843363)
    The original Dr. Who series was quick to tackle very controversial political issues, such as (in the early 1970s) the lack of British participation in the American occupation of Vietnam, as well as the threat of terrorism from various groups in Ireland, but with a futuristic setting and insight.

    While I haven't seen it, I must ask, does this Dr. Who series do the same? Are they tackling issues such as the torture of innocents at Abu-Ghraib, Guantanamo, etc.? Will they look at the issues behind the fakery of terrorism?

    In short, is this new series a provocative, worthwhile viewing experience?
  • I have to say: a brave (potentially stupid) decision by the Beeb. A new doctor in the second season can make or break that season. So commissioning a /third/ season before an episode with the twelfth doctor has been seen by the general public is, IMO, a dumb/dangerous decision.
    • I have to say: a brave (potentially stupid) decision by the Beeb. A new doctor in the second season can make or break that season. So commissioning a /third/ season before an episode with the twelfth doctor has been seen by the general public is, IMO, a dumb/dangerous decision.

      Really, it's not as though they have precedent with switching the actor that plays the Doctor! What a HUGE risk they are taking!!! Crazy!
      [end sarcasm]

      They made me love this Doctor, they'll make me love the next one too. I ain't wor
      • Plus with Russel T. Davis' past writings and David Tennants performance in Cassanova I don't think there's much to suggest it'll be any worse than the current series.

  • Christmas Special? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Solder Fumes ( 797270 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:10PM (#12843376)
    Ummm...I wonder if the wide-eyed little Daleks will run to the hearth and find their stockings full of EXTERMINATE? Will Dr. Who don a white beard and hitch a team of reindeer to the Tardis because Santa's sleigh can't hold enough presents for everyone? And what about the smash holiday hit at the end, "We Wish Who a Merry Christmas"

    • Well, there's a throwaway line at the conclusion of "The Doctor Dances" where the Doctor has successfully wrapped up the adventure - with zero fatalities, an almost unique event in DW history. Rose remarks, "Look at you, beaming away like you're Father Christmas!" to which he instantly replies "Who says I'm not? Red-bicycle-when-you-were-twelve."

      Could've just been dropped in by Stephen Moffat (who wrote that episode) for laughs... but who knows?

    • "Feast of Steven" (episode 7 of "The Dalek Masterplan") was a christmassy pause in the story and was taken even further into the realms of a special when William Hartnell broke out of character and wished the audience a merry christmas. (As editing didn't exist, back then, there was nothing the BBC could do at the time, though the Director and Producer were said to be furious. Strangely, this story was never sold overseas and was never placed in the BBC archives.)

      There have also been Christmas spin-offs f

    • None of the above, but expect a very special set of guest stars in the way of Chewbacca's family.

  • Phone Booth? (Score:4, Funny)

    by JJ ( 29711 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:11PM (#12843384) Homepage Journal
    Does he travel now in a cell phone? There's an interdimensional trick . . .
    • Police booth. They even explain it to a character in one of the eps... a character I get the feeling you'll identify with ;-)

      But, fear not, there's cell phones and funky alien time-travelling meshing too... I won't spoil anything, but, yes, I can hear you "now", Rose : )

  • zerg (Score:3, Funny)

    by Lord Omlette ( 124579 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:13PM (#12843412) Homepage
    Will the Christmas special have Wookies?

  • great (Score:3, Interesting)

    by some_god ( 614082 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:14PM (#12843425) Homepage
    i have never seen any of the older dr who episodes, i think i have seen a dr who movie but i can barely remember it, but i absolutely love the new episodes! every time they have a "to be continued..." episode
    I sit and plan how to infiltrate the bbc james bond style just so i can see the next ep.

    I really hope this new guy can match Eccleston, but right now i find Eccleston to be one of the best actors on tv, i even include voice actors in this statement.
    the scene in the last ep when he is holding a bfg and then throws it to the guy he is pointing it at saying "like i was ever going to use that" or something like that was brilliant.

    sorry for sounding so fanboyish but this show seams to drag this side of me out in the open, my beloved sarcasm is blown away when dr.who is on hehe.
    • Ah, you should definitely be able to find some tapes of the older episodes. I've been watching a few lately because the heat has kept me upstairs and I just have a VCR there. It's really interesting to see how the different doctors played the part, and if you've ever considered the "Mary Ann vs. Ginger" question there are a number of lovely companions to check out.

    • One significant difference (Score:4, Interesting)

      by jd ( 1658 ) <imipak@ y a hoo.com> on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:57PM (#12843950) Homepage Journal
      The number of episodes in a season has dropped over time. The original few seasons had 40+ episodes. By Tom Baker's era, this had dropped to 25, and Sylvester McCoy's was down to 12.


      This makes a big difference, as it mean that early stories could be longer if needed (6-part and 8-part stories were not uncommon, and the longest was 13), which made for potentially richer stories. On the flip-side, the actors were pushed to their physical limits and there simply wasn't that much time available for script editing or rehearsal.


      The practical upshot is that modern stories have to sell on impact (there isn't time for an in-depth plot), whereas older stories had to sell on plot twists (otherwise nobody would tune in next week).


      Personally, I think the 25 episode format was the ideal balance and I wish they would switch back to that. Since Dr Who has proven so popular in its revival, it is possible the BBC might do that. Especially as the actors are only lasting one season anyway. The BBC might as well get the most for its money.

  • A Doctor Who Christmas (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:15PM (#12843431)
    Brits will be getting a Dr Who christmas special

    Ah yes.
    Time to break out the Dalek Christmas Tree [bsfs.org] and sit down for the Dalek Christmas feast [cuttingsarchive.org.uk], while listening to your favourite Dalek Christmas Carols [millenniumeffect.co.uk]
  • "Bewitched". "Herbie, Fully Loaded". "Batman Begins". "The Longest Yard". "Battlestar Galactica". "Oceans' 12". "Disney Princess Collection". "Pink Panther". And now, "Dr Who".

    Major concept shortage this year.

    • Yep, true... but the difference is Dr Who was good.
    • "Batman Begins"

      I want to hurt you now.
      Bats begins is NOT linked to the ironic 60's Batman parody. Watch "Forever" and "& Robin" to see the kind of crap that thinking spawns.

      Anyway, there's also movie adaptations of 80's "car" shows, specifically the A-Team and Dukes of Hazard movies.

      Not to mention that Dr. Who isn't a remake, it's a continuation of a series that has run through the 60's, 70's and 80's, had a tv-movie in the 90's, and is now back in a regular TV run in the 21st century. Yay the Docto
  • Women in Lycra!

    I mean, come one! Jeri Lynn Ryan! It's so obvious now that you point it out.

  • Christmas special (Score:3, Informative)

    by jangobongo ( 812593 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:22PM (#12843514)
    Originally, I was going to ask if it is possible to make a Christmas special that doesn't suck (a la The Star Wars Holiday Special, but then I came across this [scotsman.com], where it says:
    "Russell is giving nothing away about what will happen in the Christmas special, although he does reveal that there will be a regeneration sequence in which ninth Doctor Chris becomes tenth Doctor David."
    That actually sounds like it could be interesting. The article also gives away some other small spoilers.
    • I was going to ask if it is possible to make a Christmas special that doesn't suck

      You have obviously never seen the Christmas specials for either Father Ted or The Office, or actually a whole bunch of UK television shows. It only appears to be the Western side of the Atlanltic that dictates that Christmas Special = Sacharine Pap. :)
    • Die Hard is one of my brother's favorite Christmas specials.

  • Christmas special? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Yankel ( 770174 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:27PM (#12843587) Homepage
    I'm happy about a third season already being confirmed. However... Christmas special... what's up with that?

    [TARDIS materializes on a cold Arctic plane.. The Doctor and Rose walk out shivering..]

    Rose: Where are we, Doctor?
    Doctor: Oi! The North Pole, of course -- 25 c.e. We're here to witness the first time Jesus delivers gifts to children around the world.
    Rose: What the...?

  • Eccleston made a good doctor. (Score:3, Funny)

    by Goalie_Ca ( 584234 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:31PM (#12843624)
    I must admit i had never really heard of doctor who until the new series was shown on cbc. It's not something that's shown on space even. I don't really have a frame of reference to compare Eccleston to but I thought he did a very good job.

    I was also kind of happy they kept the daleks with the R2D2 design. I heard they were going to switch to some spider like thing. Don't mess with success or you'll end up like star trek ;)

    One thing that does annoy me is the short season. 13 episodes hardly feels like enough. At least it was longer than the hockey season. Movie night in canada is hardly the beer drinking hot wing fest that hockey night in canada used to be.

    • Yeah But (Score:2, Informative)

      by Greyfox ( 87712 )
      The Daleks couldn't even chase you if the building you ran into wasn't handcap-accessable! Yeah there was that rocket thing in a later episode but that was just plain awkward and I bet a lot of Daleks gave their lives testing the prototypes! If they're as smart as they think they are (And they HAVE somehow managed to oppress a LARGE chunk of the universe at various times) then you'd think they could design a body that could GO UP STAIRS.

      Of course, the robotic spider body should still have the toilet plung

    • The Daleks, I think, are rather good. Unlike most aliens, they don't look like humans - inside the Dalek machine is a bizarre, octopus-like creature. Not many SF programmes do that sort of thing.

      If you want to see some older Dr. Who (wobbly scenery and all), then get a BitTorrent client and head on out to The Pirate Bay - there's some episodes floating around there. Be on the lookout for "The Genesis of the Daleks". Tom Baker is widely thought of as the best Doctor of the old series.
      • If you want to see some older Dr. Who (wobbly scenery and all), then get a BitTorrent client and head on out to The Pirate Bay - there's some episodes floating around there. Be on the lookout for "The Genesis of the Daleks". Tom Baker is widely thought of as the best Doctor of the old series.

        I bittorrented Genesis like 3 weeks ago(thanks to whoever ripped it), and it was better than I remembered. It had a very involved plot, a decent budget, and overall yes, one of the best Doctor Who stories ever.

        It did
    • It's not something that's shown on space even. I don't really have a frame of reference to compare Eccleston to but I thought he did a very good job.

      Try BBC Kids if you have Cable/Satellite.

  • Strong enough for a man... but made for a Time Lord.

  • So who is this doctor you mentioned? (Score:5, Funny)

    by spun ( 1352 ) * <loverevolutionary&yahoo,com> on Friday June 17, 2005 @01:36PM (#12843682) Journal
    Yes.

    His name?

    Who.

    The doctor!

    Doctor Who!

    I don't know, you brought him up! So what's his name?

    No, Who is his name. Watt inevented the steam engine...

    What invented the steam engine?!? Who were we talking about?

    Yes.
    • In the first eipsode. where Rose and the Doctor are walking round the garages (the same garages twice..) they had a little conversation where I'm sure this was in mind...

      Rose: So what's your name?
      Doctor: The Doctor
      Rose: Doctor what?
      Doctor: That's right, The Doctor.
      Rose: yes, but what's your name?
      Doctor: just The Doctor.

      (or something like that).

  • Best thing on TV at the moment (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jregel ( 39009 ) on Friday June 17, 2005 @02:59PM (#12844882) Homepage
    I have watched previous Dr Who series but the current series has me absolutely gripped. It is the best thing on TV at the moment.

    This is largely in part due to the fantastic performances by Chris Eccleston and Billie Piper. The enthusiasm that they both bring to their roles is infectious and I spent the entire first episode with a silly grin on my face, loving every minute of it.

    The Bad Wolf arc has kept certain newsgroups chattering for the last couple of months and it looks like a lot of threads will be tied up tomorrow.

    The saddest thing is that Eccleston is not coming back. His successor has a lot to live up to.
  • I mean, seriously, what have we done that we never get to see him?

    BTW: Wanna play a fine game of Dalek on J2ME? http://home.arcor.de/heiko.selber/Dalek/Dalek.html [arcor.de]

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