204 replies to this topic

[Mike]

Which is exactly why I'd like to see Moffat go away from it.

The programme's strong enough again that it can cope with playing against the audience's expectations a bit every now and then. The Doctor Who concept is far greater, and more encompassing, than just alien-of-the-week.

[Russell H]

I've been longing for a pure historical since RTD's first season. There's more than enough scope for action, adventure and peril without monsters or timey-wimey stuff.

[Ogul]

I don't know that they could get away with an episode that was without any sci-fi elements (beyond the Doctor himself, of course), but thy could definitely get away with more episodes that lacked a "monster" of some kind. Like the Van Goph ep could have just had some sort of anomaly in that time and place that needed investigating or something.

[Jason Hendriks]

Yeah, I still feel that The Van Gogh would have worked even better without the alien.

It's still a cool idea, though; that the Doctor spots something alien in one of Van Gogh's paintings and then goes back to investigate.

[Martin Smith]

They could do a story where the Doctor goes back to some random time period and finds something strange going on that he thinks is down to aliens/monsters but it turns out isn't.

[steveuk]

They could do a story where the Doctor goes back to some random time period and finds something strange going on that he thinks is down to aliens/monsters but it turns out isn't.

'Torchwood' did something like that (minus the time travel). It didn't work, but it was 'Torchwood' so that's not a definitive argument against the idea itself.

[garjones]

Black Orchid, one of the Peter Davison stories did it, it was pretty well regarded if I recall.

[Martin Smith]

Black Orchid, one of the Peter Davison stories did it, it was pretty well regarded if I recall.

I haven't watched Black Orchid for a couple of years, but I don't think it really has a mystery as to whether aliens/monsters are involved. It doesn't really have a mystery in it, which is bad for a mystery story.

[garjones]

I haven't watched Black Orchid for a couple of years, but I don't think it really has a mystery as to whether aliens/monsters are involved. It doesn't really have a mystery in it, which is bad for a mystery story.

I haven't seen it for a lot longer but I thought there was the mysterious disfigured character lurking around.

[steveuk]

I haven't watched Black Orchid for a couple of years, but I don't think it really has a mystery as to whether aliens/monsters are involved. It doesn't really have a mystery in it, which is bad for a mystery story.

'Black Orchid' completely slipped my mind, and possibly because the "mystery" is so obvious.

I Wiki'd the story and found this;

In the DVD commentary, Peter Davison and Janet Fielding revealed that Black Orchid is not a particular favourite episode of theirs, because they disliked the lack of a science fiction element and thought the script was generally trite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Orchid_(Doctor_Who)#Production

I haven't seen it for a lot longer but I thought there was the mysterious disfigured character lurking around.

Not mysterious enough though.

[garjones]

I remember liking it at the time but I was 9 so I'll bow down to those with more recent knowledge.

Regardless, I do think it could work with just a historical episode, as long as the script is strong and exciting. They've done episodes where the Doctor barely appears and I'd think that's a greater risk that one without a space monster.

[Simon Cooper]

First trailer from the Official Convention:



Other news: The Ponds last episode will be shot in New York and the current TARDIS set has been replaced by a new one already.

[Martin Smith]

Can't say I'd be disappointed to see the current TARDIS console room go. It's very pretty and everything, it's just also very busy and really orange.

[brucegray666]

On topic: Is that a

Spoiler

dalek eye stalk

at the very end?

[Scott Wilkinson]

On topic: Is that a

Spoiler

dalek eye stalk

at the very end?

I'd heard Moffatt quoted from the press thing through the week that

Spoiler

the Daleks will be in the first block of 6 episodes

[Youri Zoutman]

Just Twitterededed that the Teaser goes up in HD monday

[Dave Wallace]

That looks pretty great. Can't wait for the Western episode especially.

And as for

Spoiler

The Dalek eye stalk - the rumour is that one of the episodes includes a visit to Skaro.

[craggy]

so, got up to Blink in my Who rewatch. Has it ever been raised on whether the Weeping Angels can move when we are watching them?

[Dave Wallace]

so, got up to Blink in my Who rewatch. Has it ever been raised on whether the Weeping Angels can move when we are watching them?

When they return in Flesh and Stone, there are definitely scenes in which we see them move when no-one in the show is watching them. It ruined the effect somewhat, I thought.

[The Lorcan Nagle]

On topic: Is that a

Spoiler

dalek eye stalk

at the very end?

Definitely. Note that the Doctor says

Spoiler

Give me a Dalek any day

right before it shows up.