Just been informed that there have been several letters to BBC's Points of View complaining of a lack of writing quality in series 7. Apparently episode 2 was a rip off of Jurassic Park and episode 3 was a rip off of Westworld.

Right, because in both examples, the episode and the film are exactly the same

Do you agree or disagree? I disagree 100%, but when I say anything I am told that I am defending the series "vigorously" -- I just disagree because IMO in both cases there really is no comparison."An Episode Has Dinosaurs" =/= Jurassic Park, not least because the dinosaurs in ep 2 were supposed to be "real" ones from their respective eras, and not theme park clones

I've just posted about this in the Fan's thread.

I think comparisons of this series of DW with Jurassic Park and Westworld are ludicrous. Surely the people writing these letters haven't paid much attention to the episodes?

I don't mind criticism, if someone has a valid point; there were several raised on the episode thread which I think were fair comment, though I still think the episodes were excellent.

Completely off-the-point criticism is just finding fault for the sake of it.

It's not called Pointless Views for nothing!

These people should have watched the Hinchcliffe Era! Every story was a 'rip-off' of some description from King Kong to Frankenstein. I prefer calling them homages myself but some people don't see that!

Asylum was ripping off Empire Strikes Back cos it had snow!

Looks like The Power of 3 will be ripping off The Cube.

You can please some of the people, some of the time. But you can't please idiots any of the time...

Dear Pointless Views.

Why oh why oh why am I being forced to watch Doctor Who every week?

I didn't fight in two world wars - and neither did my wife

Yours unnecessarily angrily,

Major General I. M. A. Pratt (retired)

PS - excuse the shaky handwriting - had a stroke this morning. Didn't know the memsahib was still up for it at her age.

Same thing with the Pirates last year. Because Johnny Depp invented pirates.

Hopefully the BBC will show lengthy clips from Invasion of the Dinosaurs to prove Spielberg ripped off Doctor Who. On second thoughts, make that brief clips. Or stills. Maybe just mention it.

maybe I missed it but I don't recall a space ship or robots appearing in any of the Jurrasic Park films- and if you're going to take this persons warped logic seriously than that means any thiing with a dinosaur in it is a rip off of Jurasic Park.t

Firstly, a town called mercy was an example of Who's best script writing IMO.

- The exchange between amy and the doctor about him travelling alone
- The conversation between the doctor and Khala Jex about being good and bad and carrying their prisons.
- The stand of between the doctor and the almost 19 year old where he talks of violence.

Secondly, why is it a travesty to adopt a style which has proven popular (eg western). I'd kind of understand if they were ripping off a plot... actually saying that I forgot about the cyborgs in Tombstone and True Grit :-/

Which Hinchliffe Era story was a rip-off/homage to King Kong??

Robot

There's also a nice thread in the TV section.

Oh yeah

Which was actually produced by Barry Letts.

Yeah, I know. But Hinchcliffe was trailing Letts through production of it as part of handover. So it's not totally Hinchcliffeless.

He was sort of a Hinchcliffehanger.

Who on Earth wastes time writing to the BBC moaning about the quality of a television programme?

Jurassic Park itself is a rip off of Westworld as the author (of both!) Michael Crichton recycled his idea of a theme park going awry!

To be fair it was more Jedi, as it had the whole shutting-off-a --ridiculously-placed-forcefield shenanigans! I am joking, of course!

Wow, didn't realise one small comment could lead to a mini-debate!

I just quoted Robot as it was one of the more obvious homages to the movies, slightly forgot that Hinchcliffe wasn't entirely in charge of it but the point I was making was that homages to the movies is nothing new, the show had been doing it for years, especially during Tom Baker's first three Seasons.

Saturday's episode seemed to be a mishmash of everything from Red Dwarf to The Terminator and beyond as other posters have said. I see no problem with it as long as it isn't an entire like for like copy of a movie. I feel the same when the show lifts things from it's own history. As long as it isn't too blatant I can live with it, it's only with stories like Voyage Of The Damned that it really becomes a problem imo.

Don't forget Mork, with the egg-spaceship hehe.

What was Voyage of the Damned said to be copying though- can't think of what it might be. I'm sure I'll be facepalmed now lol. Closest I think I can come is 'Ice Cold in Alex' but that can't be right.

Robots Of Death

LOL sorry - I deserve a facepalm now
I had a right brain fart and was thinking of Planet of the Dead instead of Voyage of the damned.

Robots of death is one I've not seen. Just done a quick youtube search and came across those robots, which look much the same as in Voyage of the Damned. I will have to watch that the whole way through. But not tonight as I need to get some sleep soon.