What I like about the Weeping Angels episode is when Sally has her back to them when she gets the Tardis Key, we, the audience, can still see them, so they still don't move because of the quantum lock. Clever.

Yes, it is true.

When I first watched 'Blink', I had an instant Who-high, but I've found that's dissipated over the course of time.

Maybe the script is a bit too obviously clever, a bit too 'what-you-see-is-what-you-get'. With the exception of the wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey stuff, I've not found that much in the way of enduring elements that bring me back time and time again.

But still, I admire its, well, cleverness.

But 'Turn Left' is far more layered, IMHO, and the superior episode.

Regards,

Cypher

I beg to differ. When she grabs the key there is an angel in the very distance of the room, that puts its head up to watch Sally as she gets the key. When Sally gets up and turns back toward it, the Angel goes back to it's original position but only after Sally walks into the line of sight between it Sally and the camera. When Sally gets passed, it goes back to covering its eyes. The Quantum Lock is only in effect when they're being observed

i never like how the weeping angels killed. i mean they as the doctor calls it (kill you nicely) and it is. not to mention why no one who is sent think hay i could stop a bad thing happening in history and be a hero.

I think it's a brilliant Doctor-lite episode.

I think it's a brilliant Doctor Who episode generally.

What I can't understand is why people (Neil Gaiman included) think it's a good introductory episode. Surely if you want to choose an episode to introduce someone to Doctor Who, you choose the most typical? It doesn't have to be the best, just one that demonstrates the format of the show. Blink is the opposite of that. Surely we love it because it's not a typical episode and the doctor isn't doing what he normally does because 'saving the day' is left to someone else (Sally)? If you show Blink to a non-Who person, you could convince them that that's how the doctor turns up in the episode each week! One week he's on DVDs, the next week he's on a film reel...

'Partners In Crime' is never talked about as the best story, but surely it showcases, the format of the show better than Blink. A Doctor and his companion saving the world from aliens.

Like I said, it is brilliant, though. I just wanted to get that off my chest.

In a very belated answer to the OP's question....neither.

But it is a very strong episode. It's actually not even my favourite Doctor-lite episode; personally just about prefer Turn Left.

Off on a tangent, don't think Matt really had a Doctor-lite episode? Guess The Girl Who Waited came closest, but still didn't really feel like it somehow.

Outstanding piece of TV and well deserved it's HUGO award.

Its good to see that even all those years ago the hyperbole problem was going strong. The usual problem that something has to be either the greatest thing ever or the worst thing ever. Of course the truth is much more complicated.

As for Partners in Crime? I can't imagine many worse episodes to introduce a new person to Doctor Who. Embarrassingly childish. Take any other opener and it trounces that horror show.

Are you being deliberately ironic with those 2 paragraphs?

Yep! I was worried it was a bit subtle so I might just look a dick.

Though I'm no fan of Partners in Crime I must say. Its a great framing story for a new companion and set up for the series but with a truly woeful central 'threat'. I much prefer Smith and Jones. A gem of an episode.

Oh, good heavens, spent half the day with a union rep just like that. Must find out if they ever post on websites...

I can see why someone would think it was a good introduction to Doctor Who as it made no assumptions that you knew anything about the Doctor. Hopefully it would have made you as curious as Sally was to find out about him, so fair play to Neil Gaiman for that view.

That aside, good, yes; original, yes; best episode ever? No. An opinion of course, but I am one of those who think it was probably a shame to bring back the Angels. As someone else said, even in that series, Human Nature surpasses it for me and at least half a dozen episodes from other series.

Phew that's a relief.

I love Partners In Crime, particularly the mime sequence, but I can see why some might not rate it.

Well, I just used Partners In Crime as an example of a season opener. The point I was trying to make was that a season opener is a better introduction to Doctor Who that a Doctor-Lite.

(With the exception of TIA/DOTM, which was a 2-parter, I don't think any of the openers have a particularly powerful central threat compared to other episodes, and that's intential because the more powerful enemies always need to be saved for the end of the series.)

As for Blink, I think it's Who at it's finest, and I'm sure many will disagree with me here but I think it's Moffat's best Who story be a country mile.

what are your thoughts on Smith and Jones? Saw it again recently and I really enjoyed it. It has a bit of everything. Great new villain (if you could call them that?) in the Judoon who are instantly memorable and very striking, nice first meeting between Doctor and companion with the tie thing and some brilliant imagery especially when they go to the Moon. That sequence when the Judoon first land on the moon still looks fantastic. Also the central plot is the perfect mixture of insane, silly and exciting which sums up DW very well.

As I say. Partners in Crime has its moments. I just hate the Adipose storyline and as an episode to win over a new viewer I think it veers to close to being childish that it might just reinforce the stereotype of Doctor Who being just a 'kids' show. I see why people like it but it doesn't get the balance right like RTDs other season openers. I even prefer New Earth which I know isn't very well loved from what I've read.

As for Blink while it isn't my personal favorite of Moffats episodes looking at it in an objective sense I would almost agree it is his best episode in the sense that every element works perfectly. Its almost like a wonderful demo reel of what Moffats Who would become but without the occasional excesses we have seen since. It contains nearly every one of his familiar calling cards as a writer but all in perfect balance which hasn't always been the case since. And I do consider it a classic. I remember at the time what a fuss it caused and even people who were mostly ambivalent to Doctor Who were talking about it. In a good way. And the original conceit of The Weeping Angels was a true original that transcends Doctor Who and has become a classic of the genre. I am not aware of anything before Blink that used a similar plot device though I am sure some more educated sci-fi fans could perhaps point to some influences that pre-dated it.

Even those who have since come to dislike Moffats version of the show would have to admit that as an audition/job application for show runner they don't come much better than this and as such it was obvious from the day oy first broadcast that Moffat should be next in line.

I was pondering this just the other day. It occurred to me that there's potential for a Weeping Angels story that hasn't been told yet.

Think of it like Back to the Future 2 and Biff Tannen with the Sports Almanac but with the obvious twist and differences.

If you were aware of the legend of The Weeping Angels and had delusions of grandeur and/or little to live for in your current time would it not make sense to search one out so it deliberately sends you back in time? Of course there's a lottery to when and where you would end up but even so think of all the knowledge you would be taking with you! The things yet invented, the ability to know what's to come, hell even just the chance to make a hell of alot of money by betting on sporting events in a Biff style. One could become at least very rich and famous and at worst become dangerously powerful to an extent that the entire future is changed. If you're sent back by an Angel one assumes everything goes back with you so even if you just had an Iphone in your coat the implications for changing history are massive.

And yet so far we just see people sent back who choose to blend in and benignly live out there days in the background with no impact at all on the timeline.

Even Amy Pond could have basically invented modern science fiction writing if she had wanted! Amy wonders into a publishing office with an idea about a Wizard called Harry...Kerching! And Rory bless him could've moved from Nurse to Nobel prize winning hero. Oh and wasn't he in a band once? He could invent rock and roll.

Maybe I've thought about this a bit much. I started sketching out the story details but it kept being too Back to the Future so I gave up. Any one else feel free to steal this idea! Moffat, if you're reading...

Brilliant episode, but not the towering classic that it oftens seems to be made out to be. Was a relief at the time, after love and monsters to see that, If they had a need to continue doctor lite episodes that they had at least figured out now how to do them well. From that point on though they came up with using the concept of one doctor lite/companion heavy episode and vice versa as in MIdnight and turn left which was a much better way to do it as you barely noticed the lack of characters as much as when both weren't in it.

Prefer the story of turn left as well, nice little nostalgia trip back from series 3 to it's present showing just how important the doctor is to the universe (and England in particular ) and how bad things could have gotten without him. Also every time I see the scene where the unit guy says 'the doctor is dead' and his lifeless hand flops from under the sheet and dramatically drops the sonic screwdriver it gives me chills.

I usually don't like doctor-lite episodes but Blink is Modern Masterpiece. Alhough it would be even better as a two-parter.

I think it deserves the critical acclaim it gets. It is genuinely brilliant.

It's brilliant, as most people recognise. Not just in Doctor Who terms either, but TV drama in general. Those citing Turn Left as better.....well, that's an interesting opinion....yes, interesting is the right word.

Each to their own but I cannot even consider Turn Left in the same league as Blink. I personally have grown to dislike Turn Left immensely but even putting that aside and trying to look at it objectively the two just don't compare. Turn Left did nothing new. At all. If anything it was the beginning of the rather self congratulatory victory lap for the RTD era but beyond the self referential moments it just isn't very good as drama or science fiction. And it has some utterly horrendous acting.

Blink introduced the only new who monster that is fit to sit in the pantheon of classics and had a brilliantly original story alongside first class performances from the entire cast. It was show defining. Turn Left is ultimately just an inconsequential bit of fan service that poses a potentially interesting question but answers it with lazy retreads of the 'greatest hits', b movie effects and Z movie acting. As a standalone episode it isn't fit to even be mentioned in the same sentence as Blink.

Well, I wouldn't call Blink overated tosh, but it is definately overated. This story did have some good moments though, including Sally meeting Billy Shipton after getting caught in a heavy rain shower, plus the weeping angels and the Tardis scene.

Overall, I thought the episode, on the whole, didn't work for me. As the OP LordOfTime said back in 2008, it was just like Turn Left and Love and Monsters. I don't like episodes where the Doctor and his companion take a back seat for nearly 3quarters of the episode, only appearing for 5 minutes or so, before the end.

I thought the show was called Doctor Who? The Doctor should appear in every episode/story. As far as I know, apart from one single episode story, during the Hartnell days, the Doctor has appeared in every story since.

For me, personally, I thought the two parter The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone was the best Weeping Angel story. Plus, it had Alex Kingston as River Song.

I'm surprised that someone has ressurected a thread, that has not had any comments on it for years.

Well, that's what happens sometimes. A thread will just sit on DS, taking a back seat for years, nobody bothering to comment, and then...two or three years later, someone finds it in the pages of the DW forum, and decides to comment. I've noticed that with a few other threads, recently.

Edit - I do think Carey Mulligan should have come back to DW as Sally Sparrow, and joined the Doctor in the Tardis, on his travels. I think the Eleventh Doctor would have been better with Sally, rather than Amy Pond, but anyway, I don't dislike Karen. She did good as Amy. I still miss her! Damn you, Weeping Angels!

No not over rated. One of the best episodes of any Who in my opinion.

This, and in my opinion better than Turn Left and Midnight which people are comparing it too. I was just riveted to the screen watching Blink and followed all the timey wimey bits perfectly (one up for me for once according to people afterwards who apparantly didn't)
I wasn't particularly overwhelmed by Sally Sparrow but she was a nice character for the episode and not the one-liner wisecracking female companion type but a real person.

The acting and character drama in Turn Left knocks Blink for six. Still love Blink though. One of the most original and scary monsters in the series history - apart from the thing in Midnight B-)