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Old 26-12-2007, 01:28
TimCypher
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The newspaper websites have just started updating with reviews of Xmas TV - here's what the Telegraph reviewer, James Walton, had to say:

"This year’s Christmas Doctor Who (BBC1) didn’t waste much time getting going. In the first minute, the Tardis crashed into a strange spaceship orbiting the Earth. By the end of the second, the Doctor had gone on board, spotted Kylie Minogue dressed as a waitress and realised that the ship was a theme-park version of the Titanic for people on an interplanetary cruise.

Then again, even at 70 minutes long, the programme didn’t have a moment to spare. After all, it had to combine a proper adventure story with (among other things) a “homage” to 1970s disaster movies, a tale of doomed love, lots of jokes, a few more reminders of the Doctor’s fundamental loneliness and a whole new set of baddies.

At first, mind you, life on board seemed fine – but only for as long as it took us to meet the other characters who, in best disaster-movie style, would soon be joining the Doctor and Astrid (Kylie) to form a little band of survivors. They were, naturally, a mixed bunch: ranging from an intergalactic yuppie to Bannakaffalatta (Jimmy Vee), who was ashamed of being a cyborg, even though cyborgs were now allowed to get married. (Later, as you might expect in a Russell T Davies drama, he came out proudly.)

With these people – and cyborg – in place, catastrophe duly struck. A rock storm hit the Titanic, leaving it with little time before it would plunge to Earth and wipe out everybody on the planet. Meanwhile, any passengers left alive after the initial impact were being systematically slaughtered by a group of robot angels using their haloes as killer Frisbees.

From there, the thrills kept on coming. Yet, Davies’s script also found room to give each of the characters a pretty serviceable and often rather touching back-story. The jokes and references didn’t let up either – but never remotely threatened to overwhelm the serious business of supplying cliffhangers on an impressively regular basis. The result was a winning mixture of wild imagination and careful writerly calculation.

As I’ve had to confess before, I’ve never quite understood why so many people think that Doctor Who is the best thing to have happened to British telly in the 21st century. (In my defence, I’m not really a sci-fi fan – or under 12.) Here, though, I think I could begin to see what all the fuss is about. Certainly I can’t imagine how this episode could have done its job any better.
"

Regards,

Cypher
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Old 26-12-2007, 01:37
*<BettY>*
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This is what I find very interesting-a lot of the DW hardcore fans seemed very disappointed but the occasional viewer really seemed to enjoy it!

OH who I would add has said he "hates" DW even watched it tonight and said afterwords how much he loved it and would spend the next few days watching the box sets! This episode seemed to do something different for people who were not big fans which is great!
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Old 26-12-2007, 01:38
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(In my defence, I’m not really a sci-fi fan – or under 12.)
Ooooh...so close to being a good review but the author did have to dredge up the same tired old cliches didn't he?
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Old 26-12-2007, 12:41
Ever Elegant
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Thanks!

This is what I find very interesting-a lot of the DW hardcore fans seemed very disappointed but the occasional viewer really seemed to enjoy it!

OH who I would add has said he "hates" DW even watched it tonight and said afterwords how much he loved it and would spend the next few days watching the box sets! This episode seemed to do something different for people who were not big fans which is great!
I think it's because hardcore fans were already so excited and then read so many good reviews everywhere and were told by everyone that it was the best thing on tv all Christmas that it could never live up to the hype. For the occasional viewer or even doctor who hate like your OH they tuned in with no expectations and found good tv because even if we are disappointed by this episode all doctor who is essentially good tv.
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Old 26-12-2007, 14:22
Carrierbag Head
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The newspaper websites have just started updating with reviews of Xmas TV - here's what the Telegraph reviewer, James Walton, had to say:

"This year’s Christmas Doctor Who (BBC1) didn’t waste much time getting going. In the first minute, the Tardis crashed into a strange spaceship orbiting the Earth. By the end of the second, the Doctor had gone on board, spotted Kylie Minogue dressed as a waitress and realised that the ship was a theme-park version of the Titanic for people on an interplanetary cruise.

Then again, even at 70 minutes long, the programme didn’t have a moment to spare. After all, it had to combine a proper adventure story with (among other things) a “homage” to 1970s disaster movies, a tale of doomed love, lots of jokes, a few more reminders of the Doctor’s fundamental loneliness and a whole new set of baddies.

At first, mind you, life on board seemed fine – but only for as long as it took us to meet the other characters who, in best disaster-movie style, would soon be joining the Doctor and Astrid (Kylie) to form a little band of survivors. They were, naturally, a mixed bunch: ranging from an intergalactic yuppie to Bannakaffalatta (Jimmy Vee), who was ashamed of being a cyborg, even though cyborgs were now allowed to get married. (Later, as you might expect in a Russell T Davies drama, he came out proudly.)

With these people – and cyborg – in place, catastrophe duly struck. A rock storm hit the Titanic, leaving it with little time before it would plunge to Earth and wipe out everybody on the planet. Meanwhile, any passengers left alive after the initial impact were being systematically slaughtered by a group of robot angels using their haloes as killer Frisbees.

From there, the thrills kept on coming. Yet, Davies’s script also found room to give each of the characters a pretty serviceable and often rather touching back-story. The jokes and references didn’t let up either – but never remotely threatened to overwhelm the serious business of supplying cliffhangers on an impressively regular basis. The result was a winning mixture of wild imagination and careful writerly calculation.

As I’ve had to confess before, I’ve never quite understood why so many people think that Doctor Who is the best thing to have happened to British telly in the 21st century. (In my defence, I’m not really a sci-fi fan – or under 12.) Here, though, I think I could begin to see what all the fuss is about. Certainly I can’t imagine how this episode could have done its job any better.
"

Regards,

Cypher

Wow, this guy talks even more crap than the average Daily Telegraph journo.

Frankly, it was pants.

I notice the people that seemed to think the show was good are ones that don't normally watch Dr Who. I think for alot of regular viewers, it was the same old, same old. A rather poorly done parody of itself.
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Old 26-12-2007, 15:01
Chris Davies
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Wow, this guy talks even more crap than the average Daily Telegraph journo.

Frankly, it was pants.

I notice the people that seemed to think the show was good are ones that don't normally watch Dr Who. I think for alot of regular viewers, it was the same old, same old. A rather poorly done parody of itself.
Yeah, of course. He's wrong, you're right. Thanks for pointing that out.
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Old 26-12-2007, 15:09
fatnbaldy
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Wow, this guy talks even more crap than the average Daily Telegraph journo.

Frankly, it was pants.

I notice the people that seemed to think the show was good are ones that don't normally watch Dr Who. I think for alot of regular viewers, it was the same old, same old. A rather poorly done parody of itself.
Your evidence to support this is ... ?

I have watched Dr Who for 40 years now and I really enjoyed last night's episode.

Not 'classic' Dr Who, I grant you, but superb entertainment for all that.
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Old 26-12-2007, 15:23
Carrierbag Head
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Yeah, of course. He's wrong, you're right. Thanks for pointing that out.
No worries, mate.

I'm supposed to give him aload of respect cause he's a DT journo, am I? I'm entitled to voice my opinion just as much as he is, and if I think he's talking garbage, I'll say it.
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Old 26-12-2007, 15:27
Carrierbag Head
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Your evidence to support this is ... ?

I have watched Dr Who for 40 years now and I really enjoyed last night's episode.

Not 'classic' Dr Who, I grant you, but superb entertainment for all that.
Well it's too late to edit it now, but I should have inserted the word "alot of the people." As I read through a bit of the main thread and a couple of people mentioned their families, who normally don't "get" and watch DR said they'd enjoyed it. Anecdotal and not an amazingly scientific study, I know, but there you go.

Then again, maybe the haze of Christmas meal wine aided the entertainment value.
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