I remember quite enjoying it first time around and then when I found out about DS was quite surprised to find others didn't like it. So I watched it afresh today on UKGold and...

Now I know why it was so hated.

Awful awful awful script.

It made even the worst of the recent series look like Citizen Kane!

The best bit (by a long way) was the Radio Times advert in the first break... (and those of you who know what I think about ads will realise what an admission that is!).

K

I always try really hard to like it, and it did give us an interesting new Doctor and Tardis for the novels, comic strips and audios, but it's so badly flawed.

For one thing, who on earth thought it would be a good idea to have the new companion be the one to kill the previous Doctor? I always yell at the tv when she decides to "try something"...

It's what happens when the yanks get hold of a british institution. The thing that really annoyed me was they tried to make the Doctor half human, he's a time lord from galifrey, always was always will be, I'm suprized RTD didn't declare it null and void and state CE was the Eighth Doctor after SMC .

The only plus I can think of is that it allows for "he who must not be named" (or is that someone else?) being in the heart of the TARDIS so there's always a way of bringing him back...

K

Actually RTD laughs at those that get upset about the half human aspect of the Doctor... look at POTW

ROSE: You mean they're ... half human

EMPEROR DALEK: Those words are blasphemy...

Don't recall William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton or Jon Pertwee ever mentioning Gallifrey.

Gallifrey was first mentioned in the Pertwee story The Time Warrior I think.

I was hoping Paul McGann Doctor could have somehow been completely wiped from history one way or other.

Aw come on - the actual TVM may have had it's flaws, but what the Americans messed up fueled nine years of fabulous Brit SF fiction.

The American Dhr Who film was on TV yesterday

They turned it into their version of a tV show like casuality, complete with background music ... a disaster

The only thing missing was the canned laughter to let me know when I should be laughing

Dr. Who movie: decent budget, shot on film, good fx, no silly cliffhangers, no quarry. No wonder people hate it.

I didn't think it was that bad. The only thing that I didn't like was the bit towards the end when Mcgann was chained up in that silly contraption with the odd looking glasses, definately a "should of gone to SpecSavers moment".

Being a big fan of the original series, I for one could not wait for that Bank holiday, in 1996, even tho' I already had it on video (It came about a fortnight before being shown on television).
Let's look at the good points, the TARDIS set is fantastic (sorry!), and I think it's a shame they didn't try to recreate this for the new series.
The effects were the best ever seen on the series to date, the bit were the Doctor walks thro' the window is brilliant.
McGann is a great Doctor, even the half human bit, could of worked, if it was thought out a bit better.
Some of the story did contradict the original series, the eye of harmany for example, but I'm sure that will come up again in the future series.
Great viewing figures in the UK, failed in the USA, hence no new series. Shame that the BBC at the time didn't think, we may have a hit here, and make a new series off their own backs, but there you go, the rest is history. Shame McGann didn't come back, but you can understand RTD's point of view, new slate.

the TVM did have a lot of flaws, but it was the first real taste of DW on tv for six years; at the time most fans would have taken anything!

one of the reasons it looks so bad now is that compared to the new series it does look dated and amateurish (UK gold are currently showing POTW, and there is no comparison in terms of quality)

Bad script though

I with you on this. Appalling script even though the sfx and McGann were brilliant.

I really really liked McGann's portrayl and was very sad that there weren't any more visual episodes. I can stomach the movie for McGann's performance alone.

Still, I am pleased that he is doing the BF audios.


Eh? But that comment writes off the original series too, doesn't it?

Pertwee was the first to mention it (I think in The Time Warrior).

But you're right about WH/PT. Unless PT and RH did in The Five Doctors!

Didn't the First Doctor mention it to Susan when he bumped into her.

I think you maye be right. But I'm too lazy to check! You can still say that Hartnell never mentioned it though! I think!

Gallifrey was not named until the Jon Pertwee story The Time Warrior even though the Time Lords were referred to Hartnell and Troughton.

That it was. But what put me off the film straight away, was I couldn't stand the inside of the TARDIS.

The TVM wasn't that bad - OK it wasn't perfect but then, neither was Rose. If it had gone to a series, I'm certain that we would have seen Paul McGann in some of the best episodes of Doctor Who ever.

However, that wasn't to be and it's a shame that McGann wasn't allowed to show us what a great Doctor he could have been. Anyway, whether people liek it or not, it's still part of Doctor Who history and if it hadn't happened, we may never have had the 9th or 10th Doctors. Now that would have been tragic!

I watched it for the first time since I'd seen it in 1996, I remember really looking forward to it at the time and being gutted watching it . I thought it might be better watching it a second time ...but no, still rubbish, my kids were quite excited when it came on, never having seen the McGann doctor before (they're real fans of the series old and new) but alas as soon as McCoy disappeared they lost all interest in it as well!

I thought Eric Roberts was good as the Master - maybe they could bring him back for the current doctor. Let's face it, if they're going to bring back K9 and even Sarah-flipping-Jane Smith, they HAVE to bring back the Master eventually.