TVSquad

I just don't get Doctor Who. The effects are average at best, when compared to the best efforts of TV they're don't even compare. The stories are simplistic and unoriginal and the characters are hardly fascinating. Usually if I don't like a show I can see why people would like it, appreciate the production values, acting etc, but Doctor Who has nothing.

I tried to watch a recent episode which was set in a library. They spent a lot of time running around until he realised that the books had been made of trees, trees which the "baddies" had lived in or something. He then told them not to hurt anyone else, threatening them by reputation, and that was pretty much it. I resented having wasted time on it.

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Dr. Who has been around since 1963. The effects have never been very good. If you ever try to watch one of the first episodes you will most likely fall asleep. I started watching Dr. Who back on PBS when Tom Baker played the Doctor. And he had character. Enough to carry the show. As does Eccleston and Tennant.
Blink is an excellent episode. But the most endearing stories are the ones that span several episodes. The old Doctor Whos had story arcs that would span 8 or 9 episodes.
I think that some of the best recent story arcs were the ones that spanned several episodes. The Bad Wolf, Cybermen, and Dalek story arcs were all very compelling for me. Especially the Cybermen and Dalek story arcs. They tied the old to the new. And if you watch the spinoffs, those story arcs carry on over there.

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Oh and dont forget The Master!

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Brad

Spot on 100%. Davies' writing has been hit or miss since the series relaunch, but if it wasn't for him -- there would have been no new series to speak of. And for that we remain eternally grateful.

This has been a challenging season for me, since Sci-Fi has been broadcasting the episodes only two or three weeks after they're getting them in the UK. I've managed to remain 'spoiler free' and try not to cheat and catch the eps earlier online.

We're about to get the first library ep this Friday and the preview looks really good.

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Regarding Davies' sexuality, I don't have a problem with homosexual characters on either of his shows. However, with some mild exceptions the only focus of the sexual orientation was the characters uncontrollable libido's. Torchwood devolved into somewhat of a sci-fi premise providing loose structure to increasingly ridiculous shagging.

I kept thinking, all of these people need to be fired from the Torchwood agency because the planet is going to be destroyed simply because they can't tear themselves away from their orgy.

Sci-fi has always been a perfect platform for social critique (twilight zone) but their is a difference between clever allegory and beat me over the head propagandizing.

Maybe if Davies' created fully developed sympathetic gay characters instead of self-absorbed borish nymphos he could transcend pulp sci-fi to something of genuine social significance.

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I really like the show - I don't love it, but it's very good.

I certainly agree there's stronger writers, such as Moffat. RTD can be clunky, but as a showrunner he's done a good job.

Regarding his love of putting gay characters in, I find it annoying because he does it with every episode and, for me, it always pulls me out of the episode while I tick the RTD checklist - it's nothing to do with his message, just the ham-fisted, repeated way of putting it in every episode.

Imagine if RTD was a die-hard environmentalist and every episode had a line similar to: "If only we'd listened at the start of the 21st century and stopped using oil, this wouldn't be happening". Once or twice would be fine, but if the same point was made every episode, irregardless of relevance to the plot, it would be annoying. That's how I feel about his continual use of gay characters - it not the content of the message it's the repetitive use of it. He's almost becoming a parody of himself, and that's why it pulls me out of the story each time.

So I'm a big fan of the show, but the agenda bugs me sometimes.

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The great thing about the new Doctor Who is that they kept the spirit of the OLD Doctor Who. I grew up watching it, and always loved it, cheese and all. When the movie came out a few years ago, I was totally turned off, because it wasn't the Doctor. The new show is great. I find you either love it or hate it. And Torchwood is pretty darn good, too. I don't mind Captain Jack and his flings. It makes the character who he is.

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"but their is a difference between clever allegory and beat me over the head propagandizing."

Actually, as a gay sci-fi fan I really enjoy FINALLY being able to watch a sci-fi show with characters that reflect my own orientation. Your 'beat me over the head' argument might make sense if you had mentioned the complete ABSENCE of gay characters from the VAST majority of sci-fi over the decades. Seems in the Star Trek future, gays don't exist anymore. In BSG I believe there was some lesbian moments that seemed more about str8-male titillation (odd you didn't find that to be 'hitting you over the head with propagandizing").

I'm not trying to say you're responses make you homophobic (or even, "bristling with indignation"), but you clearly haven't really considered what it's like to have to watch endless TV/films that contain heterosexual relationships while not being able to personally relate to them. Or maybe you're just too uptight?

Also, your comments speak to your feelings about the gay content in these shows but not to the responses Russell makes to criticisms like yours. So I'm left to wonder if any of you actually read the article before commenting?

"the agenda"? By this do you mean a "writers agenda" or the "gay agenda"? It's odd how when the shoe is on the other foot, I'm not posting to complain about David Chase's "hetero agenda" in "The Sopranos". No offense, but open your mind a bit. I highly recommend some of you take a look at this original UK version of 'Queer As Folk' - quite different than the US remake.

Things will be different when a post for TVSquad can read, "As a reminder, any hetero-bashing comments will be removed." I appreciate that they said that, but it's a sorry state of affairs when gay-bashing needs a preemptive warning.

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I hate to say it, but I think I will miss RTD at the helm of Who. Both Moffat and RTD have been hit or miss for me. That two parter last week was just aggravating and I don't know if I can forgive RTD for Jesus!Doctor. I love RTD for creating a character like Jack Harkness.

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The fact that he is gay is the only reason why Doctor Who is on.

He did Queer as Folk which did amazing, so then BBC let him do Doctor Who. I'm very happy about that.

That said I'm glad he's leaving the show, it's time for change. He has done some wonderful stuff, but also some really bad episodes.

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“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Russell T Davis tenure on Doctor Who was marked both ground breaking highs and abysmal lows. He brought us the wide eyed innocence of Rose. Martha Jones the first non-white in major recurring role of the series who as Doctor Jones to his Doctor Smith was a pairing of equals. And of course the ever scene stealing Capt Jack Harkness.

At the same time he gave us stories with heart wrenching stories, and a deep understanding condition they were also rift with plot holes and a lack of understanding of basic science.

He was not afraid to tackle stories about pollution, racism, diet fads and even cell phone. Unfortunately he was rather ham-handed and one dimensional in his treat of the complex issues.

At times he would display and almost pathological hatred of the ‘traditional’ ways. His stories are full of his hatred of Politicians, Corporations, Religion and especially the military.

His view of the world was skewed just as badly as “Leave it to Beaver”. In Gridlock (S03Ep03) for instance there are dozen of cars stuck in a traffic jam, yet there is not one human, same race, opposite sex couple. He also deliberately tried to push buttons such as in Torchwood when he stated the Virgin Mary’s immaculate conceptions was due to aliens, or when Capt. Jack kicks over crosses and spits on a church.

But to dismiss him as a ‘Gay’ author would be a great disservice. The first episode of the new series Rose, is simply the best story of Doctor Who ever written. His reworking of the Daleks, his use of the haunting Time-Lord melody are nothing short of brilliant.

His work on Doctor Who has made it a better show, and I wish him well on his new endeavor.

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