Could you handle an episode without incidental music?
daveyboy7472
Posts: 16,404 Forum Member
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Just watched an episode of Buffy this evening that didn't have any incidental music whatsoever(If you like Buffy, you'll know which one I'm referring to) and it got me thinking about if an episode of Doctor Who, just one episode, could really cope without any incidental music as well?
From a personal point of view, I think not, the more music the better. As previously mentioned I love the music fast and furious to match the action. This episode of Buffy I refer to was quite a sad and emotional one and it it was appropriate it didn't have any music attached. Doctor Who is a very different type of show to Buffy but music is just as important and in several stories of Series 5, I found the music scarce and needing more, so we're halfway there already. And off course we've already had Destiny Of The Daleks which had hardly any music, that definitely needed it.
You may ask why I'm asking the question when I don't think it would work. The reason I'm asking is because several posts I've read have mentioned the music is too loud, too intrusive, etc etc, so just wondered how those people would feel with no incidental music at all.
From a personal point of view, I think not, the more music the better. As previously mentioned I love the music fast and furious to match the action. This episode of Buffy I refer to was quite a sad and emotional one and it it was appropriate it didn't have any music attached. Doctor Who is a very different type of show to Buffy but music is just as important and in several stories of Series 5, I found the music scarce and needing more, so we're halfway there already. And off course we've already had Destiny Of The Daleks which had hardly any music, that definitely needed it.
You may ask why I'm asking the question when I don't think it would work. The reason I'm asking is because several posts I've read have mentioned the music is too loud, too intrusive, etc etc, so just wondered how those people would feel with no incidental music at all.
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I had Tony in mind when I started this thread!
Well that's what I was talking about. I wasn't saying every episode should have no incidental music but just one as an experiment, to see if it would work. Thing is, the situation of that episode in Buffy is unlikely to be duplicated in Doctor Who, due to the nature of the program. It would have to be an emotive episode of some epic nature for a music-free episode to work.
But on a serious note, for reasons mentioned previously, I don't think it would work.
I was thinking the same
It would be difficult to find a story for it to work. Perhaps a story in which all music was removed from the world or something with scary consequences? or no dialogue even,.
Such things have been touched on in Buffy but it would take a clever man to make such a story work in Doctor Who?
Is the Moff up to the challenge?
I think an episode with no dialogue would probably work actually, but it would be seen as a rip-off of that Buffy episode.
Yes, to create a situation where you can't use music would have to be special indeed.
I always thought Hush might have made a good Torchwood episode in places.
That is a truly scary episode. One of my faves.
If it works, it could be a fantastic opportunity. It would either be a spectacular success or a spectacular failure.
Yes, it's one of mine as well. I can't imagine you could keep Matt Smith quiet for one entire episode though!!!!
At least noone could complain about his Fez
Didn't River Song say she killed the best man she ever knew?
Well I think you can just destroy the fez without saying too much. perhaps a lack of incidental music would give it some more punch!
Maybe that's where a potential music-less episode would lie.....:)
But are we then taking Doctor Who too far into soap opera territory if we base a whole episode on River and The Doctor?
Actually going further on that I wonder if we'll ever see the end to River's story as described by her in FotD.
Yes, that's true, i always thought the 80's Series came dangerously close to Soap sometimes, especially with the arguments and all.....
Back on topic, sort of, the one thing I'd hate Doctor Who to duplicate from Buffy is an all singing, dancing episode as via that monstrosity of an episode from Series 6. That would seriously have me reaching for the off button asap. :eek:
Give me an incidental music free episode anyday!
Read my post above........:rolleyes:
I think an episode without music would work, though. The story is the important thing - the writing, the direction, the production quality and the acting; all these are more important than the music.
There I have to disagree. I love the songs from the musical episode. It's one of the best things about a series from Buffy that was quite dark and not always in a good way. I'm not a huge fan of musicals but it worked in Buffy. If the story is rigght it could work well for Doctor Who.
Of course what also helped the Buffy music was the cast could Sing.
It's strange how many people say this, I have never struggled to hear the dialogue underneath the incidental music. I wonder if people have the audio settings on their TV incorrectly set?
I for one am hoping the DVD audio quality is better than what comes out of our TV set.