[Severian]

Hey demonrail... Have you seen CLASS at all? Doctor Who spin-off that just ended its first season? It had some nice bits, but ultimately suffered from too much adolescent dipshittery. I'll still watch season 2, but I hate it when hour-long dramas focus on 17-year-olds who profess "love" for each other all the goddamn time, as though any 17-year-old has lived enough to grasp the meaning of the word, let alone while away months of their lives on such yearning. Ugh.

Still, some interesting Who-niverse stuff in there.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by Severian

Isn't Pertwee's son the guy who plays Alfred on Gotham? A 50-something chap who was in, umm, Midsummer Murders or something?

Yeah, that's him, Sean Pertwee.

Anyway, I actually rather strongly disagree about Cumberbach now that I think on it. He doesn't have the zaniness necessary to be the Doctor. And he's already taken on so many legacy characters it's kind of getting ridiculous. Strange, Khan, Sherlock, probably some others...

I agree it's too late for him now but I think he has the ideal persona. Slightly distant/arrogant and that sense that he knows far more than he's letting on.

I think Sir Ian Macellan would do just wonderfully in a big trans-Atlantic blockbuster directed by, say, Christopher Nolan OR... Michael Cain? Eh? Two cracking good choices for a big deal film that needed real star power.

Ian McKellen would obviously be great in some ways, and may have been fine in the early era, but as things have evolved the fact is, at some point, the poor old fucker's gonna have to run (rather than shuffle) away from a Dalek.

He'd definitely work as The Master, though.

My favorite Doctor is Tenant, but I really like Smith and Capaldi and also Baker and Pertwee though I've seen not a ton of the latter.

Tennant definitely dominates the modern era as much as I'd say Baker dominated the earlier one. I do prefer the earlier era but I'd say the one thing (besides Tennant) that really has succeeded in this one is the companions. They were mainly just a fun element in the earlier era (motivated mostly, im sure, jto get the dads watching) but they've really come into their own now. I'd go so far as to say Rose pretty much carried the Ecclestone season and Donna Noble was something else altogether. Not to say there haven't been some duds but I would say the best companions from this era walk all over the best the earlier one had to offer. I'd also say Missy is a great idea forf the Master, although it remains to be seen where they go with that.

I think Tennant just had some of the best 1-2 episode stories in Who history.

Out of interest, which two are you thinking of?

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by Severian

Hey demonrail... Have you seen CLASS at all? Doctor Who spin-off that just ended its first season? It had some nice bits, but ultimately suffered from too much adolescent dipshittery. I'll still watch season 2, but I hate it when hour-long dramas focus on 17-year-olds who profess "love" for each other all the goddamn time, as though any 17-year-old has lived enough to grasp the meaning of the word, let alone while away months of their lives on such yearning. Ugh.

Still, some interesting Who-niverse stuff in there.

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I enjoyed aspects of it but the kids drove me mad. There was just something so cringeworthy about them.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Tennant definitely dominates the modern era as much as I'd say Baker dominated the earlier one. I do prefer the earlier era but I'd say the one thing (besides Tennant) that really has succeeded in this one is the companions. They were mainly just a fun element in the earlier era (motivated mostly, im sure, jto get the dads watching) but they've really come into their own now. I'd go so far as to say Rose pretty much carried the Ecclestone season and Donna Noble was something else altogether. Not to say there haven't been some duds but I would say the best companions from this era walk all over the best the earlier one had to offer. I'd also say Missy is a great idea forf the Master, although it remains to be seen where they go with that.

Out of interest, which two are you thinking of?

Well, I kind of meant 1-2 episode small arcs in general, as opposed to half-season and full-season arcs, which just leveled up insanely with the creative team behind Smith, and Capaldi.

BUT, as I was typing that, I could name off hand the best Tennant episodes in my opinion, and I think they're probably the best Doctor Who episodes I've ever seen.

They are (CLOSE YOUR EYES SYMBOLS!):

1. "Midnight"
2. "The Impossible Planet" & "The Satan Pit"
3. "Silence in the Library"

^^ these are behind just great Who, or great SF. These are great fucking televisions, great fucking FILM. "Midnight" might be the greatest bottleneck episode in the history of television.

Yep. These are my undeniable faves. Agree?

[demonrail666]

Midnight was brilliant, an occasion where the formula was ripped up for something closer to art; showing the creative freedoms the modern era has compared with the classic one. It's hard to even think that Midnight and something like Ark in Space are even from the same universe. In that sense the two eras are almost incomparable. While some episodes from the modern era stand up as great TV drama in their own right, irrespective of the whole Dr Who (and even sf) thing, I wouldn't say that's true of any from the classic era. I do still prefer the warts and all simplicity of that era but that only stems from what I want from a Doctor Who story in the 1st place.: namely a bit of eccentric wit, a pinch of science, a weird radiophonic workshop soundtrack and a man in a rubber suit threatening all mankind.

[ilduclo]

thanks a ton for the recco's. I'd recalled some great recent who, but didn't know the titles enough to search for them. Now I do Along the same great story arc, the who spinoff Torchwood had a great one on the arrival of the 456. If there's anyone who hasn't seen it. it is really really good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torchw...ldren_of_Earth

[Severian]

Originally Posted by ilduclo

thanks a ton for the recco's. I'd recalled some great recent who, but didn't know the titles enough to search for them. Now I do Along the same great story arc, the who spinoff Torchwood had a great one on the arrival of the 456. If there's anyone who hasn't seen it. it is really really good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torchw...ldren_of_Earth

Oh hell yeah I've seen it. Possibly the best season of Torchwood (definitely the best?) and certainly a fucking epic story. I actually quite liked Torchwood, despite some insanely stupid moments.

Don't watch the US version. The US tried to bring it overseas for a "fourth season" with Omar Epps on Fox, but holy shit did it fall apart. I didn't get past the second episode.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Midnight was brilliant, an occasion where the formula was ripped up for something closer to art; showing the creative freedoms the modern era has compared with the classic one. It's hard to even think that Midnight and something like Ark in Space are even from the same universe. In that sense the two eras are almost incomparable. While some episodes from the modern era stand up as great TV drama in their own right, irrespective of the whole Dr Who (and even sf) thing, I wouldn't say that's true of any from the classic era. I do still prefer the warts and all simplicity of that era but that only stems from what I want from a Doctor Who story in the 1st place.: namely a bit of eccentric wit, a pinch of science, a weird radiophonic workshop soundtrack and a man in a rubber suit threatening all mankind.

Yep on "Midnight." Spot on. I think it's an excellent example of the intrinsic "horror" of Doctor Who, and a great example of how it is a horror show in the purest sense of the word. At least the modern incarnation is.

I'm definitely more of a reboot kind of guy, but that probably has a lot to do with the fact that I only saw a handful of older episodes during the first 29 years of my life. I didn't really sit down and start drilling through seasons until the reboot, so that tone and style are what I've come to expect from and enjoy about the Doctor. I like the older episodes, but I'm not super invested in them.

I think Eccleston was terrible though. Just a really poor choice for the character, with poor style decisions (v-necks and a leather jacket? For the fucking Doctor?) but Tennant came around and I thought, "Ok, now this is more like what I remember, but with a new look and a modern sense of urgency." But of course that was deliberate .... they knew they'd made a fuck-up and a half with Eccleston, and sought a course-correction and they nailed it, and saved the reboot that was otherwise looking quite in peril.

All this Who talk is making me want to watch the old episodes and the first several reboot seasons again. Too bad not on Netflix. Fucking damn.

[h8kurdt]

Has anyone been watching Handmaid's Tale?

[Rob Instigator]

I have not.

I have been re-watching Eastbound & Down since I got a free trial to HBO to watch the GoT without having to torrent.......

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

Has anyone been watching Handmaid's Tale?

not me/ not yet but have read good reviews

==

i just finished vikings 4.2 and the previous season (6) of gaymotron. all good stuff!

[Rob Instigator]

what do you guys think of HBO's ROME and VINYL? worth watching?

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by Severian

a horror show in the purest sense of the word. At least the modern incarnation is.

I definitely agree. The earlier era had horror element but really came into its own with its big epic space operas, stuff like Deadly Assassin - an area that I don't think the modern era has quite got to grips with. Maybe because 'golden age' writers like Terry Nation, Douglas Adams, etc, were more closely associated with SF than modern writers like Moffatt or Gaiman seem to be. Not better or wose, just different and shaping the series in different ways.

Originally Posted by Severian

I think Eccleston was terrible though. Just a really poor choice for the character, with poor style decisions (v-necks and a leather jacket? For the fucking Doctor?)

Haha, yeah, just wrong. Surely the central point when casting the Dr is to remember he/she/it isn't human. Ecclestone was simply too earthly: too much of an everyman.

Originally Posted by Severian

All this Who talk is making me want to watch the old episodes

I'd really recommend The Deadly Assassin as a way into that period. It's probably about as must-see as the 'golden age' gets; laying out big chunks of vital info about Timelords and The Master. Probably the defining Tom Baker story, too.

I think it's on Netflix

 

[Severian]

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

Has anyone been watching Handmaid's Tale?

Just got the first episode. Not looking forward to the rape, but I'm a fan of the book, so I feel I should.

[h8kurdt]

Originally Posted by Severian

Just got the first episode. Not looking forward to the rape, but I'm a fan of the book, so I feel I should.

I've heard nothing but good things about it so I'm looking forward to watching it. ANNOYINGLY the ch4 catch-up site only has episodes up for 28 days, so the first 3/4 episodes are no longer available to watch.

And they wonder why people fucking pirate shit.

[evollove]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

what do you guys think of HBO's ROME and VINYL? worth watching?

VINYL had a good first episode, but shit went downhill real fast. I bailed on episode five or something. I just didn't care.

A Sopranos guy--Tim van Patten--was involved and didn't like the direction the show was going, so he left. He was 100% right. Although a second season was planned, HBO terminated the renewal.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

I have not.

I have been re-watching Eastbound & Down since I got a free trial to HBO to watch the GoT without having to torrent.......

haaa haaaa i love that show

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

what do you guys think of HBO's ROME and VINYL? worth watching?

i haven't seen vinyl, but ROME IS FUCKING GREAT

i was sad when it ended. wanted many more seasons.

[Severian]

EASTBOUND & DOWN IS FUCKING HILARIOUS!

That was the last "dumbass" kind of comedy show that I watched and actually enjoyed. Loved it. Bought the whole series on DVD.

[LifeDistortion]

I liked Rome quite a bit. Not sure if it was fine that it only lasted two seasons of it it could have continued. I didn't mind Vinyl as I watched it. Not sure I'd say it was great, or terrible, but if it got a second season I'd probably have watched it.

[tw2113]

Almost through season 3 of "You're The Worst".