Little Doctor Who prattling

[huinare]

- New Who: Ponds' departure.  That's pretty much what I thought would happen after seeing the preview capping the prior episode.  Which makes me wish I had blogged my hypothesis beforehand, so that I could now point to the entry as evidence and say "see, interwebs, I called it."  I'm probably not the only one who saw that coming though.

- Classic Who: I am still dilly-dallying through the first season (1963).  Fortunately for me, given I didn't prefer the first few plot arcs (each of which spans 2 to 6 ~25-min episodes), I've found I'm really enjoying the arcs starting with "Keys of Marinus."   I finished "The Aztecs" a couple days ago and loved it, though it's probably riddled with historical inaccuracies; the visuals were gorgeous, the issues regarding human sacrifice were fascinating, and I loved the secondary characters.  On that note, "How to Make Cocoa," a DVD extra hosted by badly-animated Tlotoxl and Tonila.  I love those guys.

- On an unrelated note, "Sarcastaball."  XD  South Park may be crude, but it's almost never not clever.

Comments

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I cannot really love classic Who. I can see that Matt Smith is to some extent being set to hark back to William Hartnell's interpretation, which is all very well and geeky and makes me suspect that there may be tentative plans to wrap the whole thing up in some sort of Ouroboros kind of way... but that characterisation doesn't *quite* do it for me.

I quite liked the Ponds last stand, specially the GIANT ANGEL, but... I don't think you should really be able to get rid of characters by losing them in time, when it's a timetravel show.

OK, so 1938 Manhatten is a fixed point in space and time. Fair enough. But I had this niggling voice in my head that says 'well just pick them up in 1939 then!' which would not shut up and let me just enjoy the spectacle. Stupid head-voice.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

I'm intrigued by the notion of a being going through so many different incarnations, so I've got my heart set on watching all 26 seasons of classic Who to gain a fuller understanding of the character; even though I may be bored by some of the episodes and it will doubtless take me forever. And I'm very curious about the 7th Doctor, as portrayed by Radagast, er, Sylvester McCoy, especially because I've heard those last few seasons were kind of dark.

I've seen some similarities between Hartnell's Doctor and Eccleston's actually, though now that you've mentioned it I think Smith's and Hartnell's characters share a similar quite selfish streak. Intriguing ouroboros idea! I'd like to think new Who will go on long-term though as its predecessor did.
_______

Yeah there were...a lot of problems and inconsistencies with the Angels in Manhattan episode. I haven't enjoyed the Moffat/Smith/Pond tenure much, so in one of my occasional bouts of optimism I focused far more on the fact that the episode actually made me like and sympathise with the Ponds.

I think the fact that I got irked about the Statue of Liberty being a giant weeping angel (who moves about New York without anyone noticing somehow) is the most patriotic thing that I, a firm detractor of my nation, have ever done in my life. XD

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I remember McCoy's doctor as being quite promising, but let down by the plots, and by some of the enemies being shown as a bit... feeble. Cybermen should be harder to slay!

But I've not watched them since they were first broadcast. I think Tom Baker is my favorite of the 'classic' doctors.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Easily dispensible mass villainy seems to be rather a staple of the show to this day, judging from the amount of Daleks that are forever biting the dust.

One thing I've heard about McCoy's Doctor (and maybe another Doctor who occurred under the same producer? Can't recall) is that the producer didn't let him use a sonic screwdriver so that he had to solve more problems under his own steam. I rather like that idea.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

He was definitely a great improvement over the Colin Baker period, and the series did finally seem to be going somewhere again, after rather having lost itself.

It was a little odd that they cancelled it at that point, and a great shame for McCoy of course.