Be intersting to have thoughts on this all in the one thread, so here goes...

Featured in the opening and closing scenes only, so only first impressions. Impressed? Or are they veering even closer to comparisons to EastEnders than ever before?

Tired and tiresome cliché? Or original drama?

Did they leave you wanting to see more? Or less?

For me, it's less. Much less. Preferably f*** all! Put them back in the Queen Vic where they belong, and let's watch Doctor Who instead.

Great or Hate?

Hate.

How say you?

said it before will say it again I dislike the soap style elements and would rather a family wasn't included. They've done it already not needed again..so I would have to say hate

I do like Martha though

Seemed fine so far. An element of human drama is essential to the show, so great so far.

Phazer

Sorry, but... great.

I accept that it can get a bit soapy, but I generally think that it would be stretching plausibility just to forget completely about the companion's background. The obvious thing to do with the companion's family is to use them for light relief, which is why I think people don't like them - not necessarily the concept itself, which could be done very well (although I personally thought the Tylers were fine). Anyway, the Joneses looked to be numerous enough that we can expect more than just comedy from them, particularly that rather fearsome mother.

Thumbs up for the Joneses from me.

Edit: that's 2-2, if anybody's keeping score...not that I'm competitive or anything
Last edited by PaperOstrich : 01-04-2007 at 14:10

So long as they're not too intrusive they'll be okay. After all we've had 27 seasons of assistants that can quite happily disappear without anyone apparently noticing they're gone, plus having a dysfunctional family gives Martha another reason to try something new and take a chance on the Doctor

Too many family members this time. It is too early to say I hate them, but thankfully looking at the episode listings we are not on Earth as much as we were during Rose's time.
Micky and Jackie grew on me during the second series. I actually quite like the idea of having Jackie travel with the Doctor instead of a loved up Rose. However Jackie and Micky were only two (maybe 3 if you count Pete although he was only in 5 episodes.) and this time we seen to have legions of family. Hopefully they will be only used once in a while otherwise it will as other posters said turn into "Eastenders in Space"
Why do we have to have a family again? We did this with Rose. They are trying to introduce a new fresh character who is different from Rose and yet introduce her with a family like Rose. If they had to introduce side characters why not flatmates, boyfriend, work friends etc? It was the whole family thing that dragged down a reasonable opening episode.
Last edited by Tegan Jovanka : 01-04-2007 at 14:37

I won't repeat the whole of Tegan's post, but I agree pretty much with what she says. I appreciate the need to anchor the assistant on earth, and enjoyed the soapier elements of the first two series, but this new family stinks. Tiresome, formulaic and, above all, reeking of off-the-shelf-soap-family. If there has to be a family then they have to be a bit off-the-wall - I loved Jackie from the moment she tried to seduce the Doctor in the very first episode. The only one with any obvious potential in this new lot is the girlfriend of the husband.

Have to echo those sentiments Mickey S. If RTD is the genius everyone proclaims him to be then I am sure that he could find another way to anchor the TARDIS crew to Earth rather than land us with yet another dysfunctional family who on first viewing did not really endear themselves. All RTD did really was swap the surname Tyler or Jones and threw a few extra family members in. Wasn't overly impressed by the dynamics or the acting..in particular the father.

Dislike at the moment but I think that was the whole point - if Martha had a 'perfect' family she wouldn't be joining the Doctor ( obviously the 'one trip' is going to extend ) . Her own life is much more sorted than Rose's was , she is soon to be a doctor herself so why throw all that away unless there's something she wants to get a break from.
Hopefully they will calm down a little in future appearances , especially the girlfriend otherwise we might all be wishing her exterminated ( or deleted or any other method of removal )

The blonde one reminded me of Jackie. The rest were dysfunctional and argumentative. It was Doctor Who meets EastEnders. Not my cup of tea.

Completely agree. I think it's highly likely that there's some sort of story arc to be developed with at least one of them (perhaps the sister who saw the hospital as she was an actual eye witness), the brother and mother could be incidental and the father/girlfriend could be some comic relief which, providing not used too often (maybe once every 100 episodes as I found her very annoying! ) could be good.

I too think that there simply has to be some idea of the effects to the family of the companion being missing, and I think it ended up working perfectly in the previous 2 seasons, Mickey and Jackie had excellent little story developments of their own (Compare Jackie in AOL/WW3 to her speech to Elton in L&M) and it all turned out nice in the end.

Whatever you may think of RTD, he does seem to have some sort of consideration for the overall arc, and whether you like what happens in that arc or not, I think it does serve to pull it all together somewhat. Ho hum, just my opinion of course!

What's the bets that "arc" involves (once again) the death of one of Martha's family? Just so we know that associating with the Doctor can have repercussions. Ooooh! Yawn!

I agree with you about Jackie. She was great by the end of her time on the series and the assistant's family with Rose was a new thing. Not to everyones taste but I think most of us got used to Mickey and Jackie and liked them. To be honest they developed better than Rose. However they were 2 people not 5 or 6. Also the idea is not new and fresh now as it was then. Why do it again? Why does Rusell do this? Even Donna had to have a family and she was only in one episode.
Martha's family added nothing to the story, even for Martha really, and just got in the way dragging the episode down. I voted good for this story but may have been tempted to vote higher if it wasn't for the family. I may change my mind about some of the characters but the idea is now stale and too soon reused after Rose's family departed.

Or maybe all of her family . Sorry to sound evil that these forums for you. I will have to cahge my name to B.G 2 or something soon. By the way who died of Rose's family? Pete came back.

Jackie and Mickey died in the alternative universe.

It was not them really. Alternative character deaths are a bit of a cheat. It is only when the real character dies that we could feel a sense of loss. Like Adric or Katrina.

Well I must be in a minority of one or two, but I really don't mind the family. Also it's not as if they took up a great deal of time, what 5/6 minutes tops throughout the whole show. A little back story isn't such a bad thing. Also the actress who plays Martha's sister seems fine and wasn't irritating.

But more importantly the actor who plays her dad ,Trevor Laird played "Ferdy"( one of the Mods) in one of my favourite films.... Quadrophenia! Whilst I was too young to go and see the film in the cinema in 1979, I was at primary school at the time, I remember all the publicity surrounding it and also the whole Mod revival of the late 70s/early 80s. So to see someone who was a "yoot" then, now as a middle aged man and father of adult children makes me feel very ancient myself. Felt the same way when I first saw Phil Daniels on 'Enders!
Last edited by Get Carter : 01-04-2007 at 19:19

Hate !!!!!!!!!!!

It's too early to say. The fact the sister does PR (it's on the myspace page. Three guesses as to whom she does PR for? ) could be interesting

My view about the family was wouldn't you want to get away from them as well?

In other words they were the way they were to give Martha that push to go off.

I'm certain that there will be development with the characters the same way that there was with Rose's family.

I thought the family were okay actually. After all, they couldn't have repeated a single parent idea like with Rose, so I think this dysfunctional family idea is a nice enough one. It might mean that Martha's not always returning to the whole motley crew, she might just decide to vist her sister, brother, mother, father individually.

I think the brother and sister are okay actually. Suprised that Reggie Yates wasn't going overboard with his performance to try and get away from his kiddie presenter past, and the sister seemed promising too. Quite liked the idea of the fearsome mother, but hope there's more to her than that. Can't see much promise for the Dad though, looks as though he's just going to be one long running joke, but fingers crossed he'll work out okay.

Like I said though, hope they don't go overboard by throwing the family in anywhere they can. Jackie's frequent appearances worked because she was Rose's only parent so all of her family links will all rounded up into that one character. I think Martha's siblings will likely end up at some point filling a Mickey type role but I'd rather see something a little different with short term companions.

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Dislike at the moment but I think that was the whole point - if Martha had a 'perfect' family she wouldn't be joining the Doctor
>>>

An interesting point from Dangerman. I agree with the remarks but not the judgement! Martha's eagerness to get away from her family is the driving force behind her joining the Doctor. As there are so many family members, I doubt they will come to have such an impact on the show as Jackie and Mickey did. But I could be wrong (it's not unheard of for me to be wrong).

Martha and her family are very different from Rose and her family, and there is far less of a close-knit dynamic among the Joneses as among the Tylers. Liked the plain-speaking mother a lot. Sister was nice and upbeat. Brother not yet seen much. Father could be comedy character, especially with dollybird girlfriend, but such a huge cast of supporting characters cannot play the major role that Jackie and Mickey (and Pete).

chuff.x.

I was hoping the doctor would find Martha on the streets or something like that so she has no immediate family she has to explain things to and have them appear randomly to fill time. I didnt mind Roses family, and I think Martha is shaping up to be a great replacement, but her family just seem a little lame (for want of a better word). I thought the doc rescuing someone off the streets, and be a little more grittier, and also enable Martha to go off with him with no worries about coming back.
Last edited by simsy : 02-04-2007 at 12:51

Dad seems like a clown

I read rumours today on the OG the brother is there



It could just be people adding 2 plus 2 to make 5, but it would make sense, and be potentially interesting