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Doctor Who

matrixgrindhouse

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I liked the episode.  Not great, but fun enough.  Felt like there was a bit too much of an emphasis on the super heroic love triangle.  Felt like a backdoor pilot to me.
 

MusicEd921

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Surprisingly I really liked the episode.  I agree that there was no emphasis on Christmas, but the campy superhero homages made me smile.  It was a strange Christmas special, but an enjoyable episode overall for me.  I agree, Moffat needs to go at any rate.
 

bionicbob

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As a life long Superman fan, I enjoyed those homages and easter eggs for what they are, but does this story really fit into the Dr. Who mythology.... if you have Superman-level powered beings now on Earth, do we really need the Doctor as much?  Is this a one time story or will it be referenced again?   When the next alien invasion happens, will the Ghost show up and stop it?  And if not, why not?  It is just a can of worms that did not need to be opened imo.

I think I am also growing tired of the overt in your face comedy elements that Moffat injects.... his whole MADMAN IN A BOX schtick that he uses like a sledgehammer on the audience is just too much... I enjoy comedic elements that arise naturally but at its foundation I want my Whoverse (or any fictional verse I follow) to feel "real"... if that makes any sense? lol

I know the Xmas specials are always have a bit more over the top tone and structure, but this was just too over the top to me.  :p
 

wilhelm scream

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The christmas special was better than most of the christmas special that Doctor Who has had over the years.
 

addiesin

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Bob, I haven't seen it yet but that's what I was afraid of when I heard about the superhero premise. I agree about Moffat, it's time for him to be replaced. He has had some really good episodes, maybe some of my favorite episodes of the entire show but the seasons don't feel cohesive (what's the big deal with River, where did Orson Pink come from, why did the Ponds leave like twenty times, etc). Conversely, Davies had great seasons and finales that tied everything together great, but a few episodes per season that were really silly concepts or executions (farting aliens, living creatures with eyes and legs and mouths but entirely made of human fat and a drug, etc).

Realistically I'd like some middle ground, but my ideal choice for showrunner Would be Neil Gaiman, though he'd never have the time, he's a brilliant creative writer and understands Doctor Who in context to the real world (ie, "I want to make cybermen scary again", he knows!). 


Addition: Alas, as an American, and a Paul McGann/8th Doctor fan, I know my opinion holds no ground at the BBC.
 

Zarius

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Neil Gaiman wrote "Nightmare In Silver" which is a load of pants.

And word is even his hugo award winning "The Doctor's Wife" was almost entirely rewritten by an uncredited Moffat
 

addiesin

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Zarius said:
Neil Gaiman wrote "Nightmare In Silver" which is a load of pants.

And word is even his hugo award winning "The Doctor's Wife" was almost entirely rewritten by an uncredited Moffat

Tell us how you REALLY feel.
 

Zamros

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I really cringe any time a British property gets hyper-Americanised, even if just briefly. It's not that Americanisation is inherently bad, it's that it usually isn't handled well. It often feels like when DW has an Americanised episode (Or with the new Fantastic Beasts movie) that it's British actors putting on American accents. Which is weird, because they're American actors. I think it just comes down to the writers.

The whole Moffat thing frustrates me, because while I absolutely LOVED the latest season, the one before it was utter utter dreck. That awful London growing into a forest episode made me want to stop watching the show entirely. This episode had slightly better writing, but was completely uninspired. If they were going to make a Doctor Who Superhero, it should feel Doctor Who-y. The Ghost just felt like Superman dressed like Batman, completely uninspired. Not to mention that the origin story was utter bollocks.

But yeah, now The Ghost exists and they didn't even invent a contrived way to get rid of his powers, I'm just left wondering what else they'll do with him. Because this superpowered person now exists. He can do stuff The Doctor could never do. It somehow manages to make a man with a magic screwdriver, a magical ressurection ability and a magical mind less impressive.

It seems like the next season is returning to Moffat's "Meh" roots. Maybe he should just stick to Sherlock.
 

TM2YC

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Just watched the Crimbo Special and despite my fears that a Superhero story wouldn't work... I'm surprised to say, it was one of my favourite DW episodes of recent years. Just about every Doctor line was a zinger and delivered with perfect timing by Capaldi.

It was a better Superman movie than the last 4 Superman movies. Come on DC, this is what people want. A sweet, endearing and charming Clark we are cheering for, a delightful love "triangle", a believable Lois, fun, humour, Superman catching falling spaceships in his left hand etc and you know... actual heroism!
 

matrixgrindhouse

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Can Moffat please reboot the DC movie universe once he's done with Doctor Who?  That's pretty much the only thing that could bring me back after BVS crushed my soul.
 

ThrowgnCpr

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Despite not being a fan of superhero movies, nor a fan of the Capaldi/Moffat Doctor, I enjoyed the "Christmas" special. That was one of the best, if not the best Capaldi episode.  The only complaints I had were that it really didn't have any business being labeled as a Christmas special (they could have just reserved this for one of the main season episodes), and Nardole was kind of a throw-away character here.

I've said it before, but I really don't like Capaldi's Doctor. I think it's mostly the writing unsure of whether to make him different than the previous 3 doctors, or to keep him the same. For his part, I think Capaldi has also been struggling with that paradox. He's been getting better, but I don't want to wait around for however many seasons it takes all of them to figure it out. Maybe it was because they were playing off of the same archetype for the previous three doctors, but Eccleston, Tennant, and Smith were all fantastic, and instantly settled into the role. I would guess that Capaldi's tenure as the Doctor isn't coming to an end anytime soon. Hopefully there is good chemistry with Pearl Mackie's character.
 

bionicbob

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Has anyone been listening to BIG FINISH's River Song series?
Is it good?  Worth purchasing?

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7Xt9kgnqUY[/video]

Love this very James Bond promotion trailer!  I may have to check this series out.
 

wilhelm scream

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bionicbob said:
Has anyone been listening to BIG FINISH's River Song series?
Is it good?  Worth purchasing?

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7Xt9kgnqUY[/video]

Love this very James Bond promotion trailer!  I may have to check this series out.

It's alright, let's leave it at that.
 

MusicEd921

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ThrowgnCpr said:
I'm happy to hear that. I'm very curious to see where they take the doctor next.

Oh me too!  Capaldi's Doctor hasn't grabbed me at all and for my wife and I the last few seasons have become quite a chore to watch.  It's not Capaldi as I find him to be a facinating actor, it's Moff and his over the top timey whimey I can do whatever I want because he's a time traveling alien approach.
 

addiesin

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I really like Capaldi, and I'm a little bummed, but really I'm just glad Moffat's leaving. If that means we have to have a new Doctor, so be it. But man, that guy made a mess behind him. I defended him for years, and years, and while the Doctor Who we got was up to par, the seasons never had that cohesion and they were so few and far between that you'd be forgiven for thinking the show was cancelled. The more I think about Moffat in charge of Doctor Who the more I think of all the wasted time, opportunity, story threads, etc. Sad to say I think that Moffat's "I'm a brilliant writer who delivers things you'd NEVER EXPECT" attitude has bled over too much into Sherlock as well. Unlike the two a youze up above, I grew really attached to Capaldi the actor, and like him a lot better than Smith, but not as much as Tennant.
 

Zarius

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Loved Capaldi, and will always stick up for Moffat's time as showrunner. There were plenty of misses in his era, but there's a good few underappreciated touchdowns because the audience just did'nt have the paitence for 'em.

Here's to the next era fairing better with the majority of the wordlwide audience, though I fear casuals will never accept anyone other than Tennant or some young hotshot with a romantic notion for the companion.
 

TM2YC

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Capaldi leaving = bad.

Moffat leaving = good.

Capaldi's been my favourite Doctor since the show was brought back. Also the writing for his dialogue has been the best too. However Moffat's overly complicated plots have been not so great.

Back in the day, Doctor Who show-runners weren't allowed to be writers for the show (Although this rule was occasionally broken using false names), so they could be objective about the script quality. 14 out of the last 24 episodes (and all the specials) that have featured Capaldi were written by Moffat.

Hopefully the new audience has now acclimatised to The Doctor being old again and we won't instantly lurch back to the tired twenty-something Doc and his twenty-something human female love-interest formula.

I can't think of any good replacements right now. EDIT: Yes I can...

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Alexander Siddig. He's recently been on the BBC in 'Peaky Blinders' and has a Sci-Fi/Fantasy pedigree from GOT and DS9. Plus he's done a few Doctor Who audioplays.
 

ThrowgnCpr

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I had no problem with the Doctor being "old" again (hell, I rather enjoy William Hartnell's Doctor). I also really like Capaldi as an actor. But I thought his time as Doctor was really unenjoyable. I think it was a combination of the writing not knowing what to do with the new approach, and Capaldi not really pushing what he should be doing with the character. The episodes marginally improved over time, but many were a chore to watch.
 
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