evening in

[deird_lj]

Spending this evening eating Thai food, cuddling a teeny kitten, and getting to know the Eleventh Doctor.


First thoughts? Moffat is just incredible.

It's funny, because I've never seen any Doctor Who that wasn't done by RTD - and yet, when I see these new episodes, I sit there going "Ahh... that's what it used to be like..." as if there's some pre-Nine show that I'm remembering (despite it never existing) that was exactly like this one.
It's been given a tiny extra amount of fairytale - and become precisely the kind of show it's supposed to be.



Anyway... KITTEN! *cuddles him some more*

Comments

[elisi]

and yet, when I see these new episodes, I sit there going "Ahh... that's what it used to be like..."
You too, huh? Well I've seen one story from Three's era, and 1 1/2 episodes of the very first season, but I also get the Old!Skool feel very much. I think it's because Eleven feels so old, and so alien. (Not that I didn't love Ten. But - as I commented in this very excellent post: David Tennant was Ten, but Matt Smith is the Doctor.) 'Tis very odd.

ETA: OMG kitten! *is jealous*

[silveronthetree.livejournal.com]

First thoughts? Moffat is just incredible.

I know! I hadn't seen any of his episodes before watching The Eleventh Hour and it pulled me right back into the "Doctor Who is awesome" mindset that I'd had a a child reading the books. Now I've gone back to watch all the episodes since nine arrived and realised that I would have started watching earlier if I'd seen Moffat's episodes when they aired.

[roccondilrinon.livejournal.com]

Moffat's style is more similar to RTD's than to, say, John Nathan-Turner's (who ran the show from about 1980 until its cancellation in 1989), if only because the format of the series is the same. You're forced to tell a different sort of story in 1-2 45-minute episodes than 4-6 25-minute ones. That said, I do think the new series is more like the old than RTD's series' were, so you're right there. I've seen a fair bit of classic Who, and there's elements of each classic Doctor (William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Tom Baker and Sylvester McCoy in particular) in Matt Smith's performance. Hartnell, Baker, McCoy and now Smith seem to be the most "alien" Doctors.

RTD did do a good job with Who on the whole. Tennant got a bit wangsty toward the end, and I think Davies wrote too much of the series himself, but I'd certainly rather have Davies Who than none at all, and much of it was significantly better than a fair chunk of the old show. Then again, I liked Colin Baker's Doctor (at least in "Revelation of the Daleks" and "Trial of a Time Lord") which apparently fans aren't supposed to do, so what do I know.

How many episodes have you seen so far? Just the one?

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Moffat is really kind of horrible in real life--every time I read an interview with him, I headdesk for hours afterwards because he's the walking, talking embodiment of bitter male privilege. But he can definitely write. He was the sole creator/writer of one of my favorite shows (Press Gang), and even though I do have some quibbles with some of his stuff, on the whole I enjoy the hell out of his writing.

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a totally perfect night! :)

I haven't seen any of the new Doctor yet. I haven't even seen the specials Tennant did. After what happened to Donna, I kind of lost interest. But with all the great buzz Eleven is getting, I think I might skip the specials and start up with this new Doctor.

[next_to_normal]

I think it's because Eleven feels so old, and so alien.

Yes. There were several times when I could forget that Ten wasn't human. I don't see that happening with Eleven.

[next_to_normal]

Really? That's disappointing. I know nothing about him outside of his Who episodes, but it always kind of makes me frowny when people who do awesome things turn out to be very not awesome in real life.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

It is disappointing. And it's made quite a few people decide not to watch the show now that he's taken over. Just as a random example, he was talking about casting the role of Amy, and he said that his casting director (I believe) suggested Karen Gillen, but he saw a picture of her and thought she was short and dumpy, so he didn't want her. But then they brought her in and she was willowy and beautiful, and he changed his mind. Things like that. He also makes a lot of sweeping statements about all women planning their wedding days since they were little girls and all women being needy and clingy--things like that.

But, like I said: he can write.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I'm still bitter over the Donna thing. I don't know that I'll ever forgive RTD for that. I'd thought I might swear off on the show after that, but Eleven and Amy are much fun. I recommend it.

[deird1]

Yes, you probably would have...

Moffat's episodes are the best part of the whole thing.

[deird1]

Hartnell, Baker, McCoy and now Smith seem to be the most "alien" Doctors.

Which is funny, because Baker creeps me out - and I just love Smith's alien-ness...

[deird1]

Right. *makes note to stay away from interviews of him*

[deird1]

That's sort of what I did...

[deird1]

I'm still bitter over the Donna thing. I don't know that I'll ever forgive RTD for that.

Ditto. I couldn't watch End of Time, because the thought of seeing her at ALL again after that just made me feel sick.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Wise policy.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I totally understand. She's not in it very much, but that almost makes it worse? I think he really doesn't get what a profound thing he did. It makes me queasy.

[roccondilrinon.livejournal.com]

"The Next Doctor" was good fun. "Planet of the Dead" had a couple of good moments but was mostly forgettable. I really enjoyed "The Waters of Mars", but I thought they shouldn't have resolved the story so quickly. "The End of Time" was ruined by the last 15 minutes and by the piling on of angst, but the rest was worth it to see Tennant, John Simm and Timothy Dalton in ham-to-ham combat.

[roccondilrinon.livejournal.com]

Also, bit of trivia, Eleven gets his costume in *exactly* the same way Jon Pertwee and Paul McGann got theirs — nicked from a hospital locker. All three also get shirtless scenes in their debut (in McGann's case only) stories, and despite him being over 50 at the time Pertwee's is probably the most fanservicey.

[immer-am-lesen.livejournal.com]

Must say, at the moment, while I'm still getting used to the New Doc, I keep thinking "he's doing an excellent job of being David Tennant"...as in, same inflections and things like that which just remind me a lot of the most recent Doc. :-)
But I do like him already, despite myself. His initial meeting with Amy was just too cute. He is a bit daft though, and comes out with odd little comments...but, so far so good. :-)