The Dr Who thread

[Flabio]

I've said it before, but Moffat needs to be writing the whole thing.

[IronGiant]

I've said it before, but Moffat needs to be writing the whole thing.

Agreed. And producing it.

[Flabio]

Either that, or somehow we find a way to bring Douglas Adams back...

[IronGiant]

Either that, or somehow we find a way to bring Douglas Adams back...

Or beg Philip Hinchcliffe to come back as producer ...........

[Elk]

I loved it! Although did anyone else notice the metal stairs from Rose and New New Earth ... when everyone is running to the roof at the end..

[offyoutoddle]

I could nit pick if I wanted to, but I found myself drawn in by this one - I really liked it. Good to see the back of Mickey too, although in all fairness, he had just started to get a bit better recently.

[phattslagg]

Daft but fun. Next week's looks more my cup of tea, though

[Snakey]

huzzah, someone just as shit at writing stories as Russell?

Actually, I think RTD has the edge on this guy ..... but only just.

RTD wrote some damn fine episodes last series.

Let's face it, even the Moffat-penned one a few weeks ago, while good, STILL wasn't a patch on his stuff from last series.

So, is it the writing? I recon only partly... Still not convinced at all by Tennant I'm afraid.

This episode? A bit meh, but certainly much better than last week.

Darth Trigger was alright though.

[phattslagg]

Still not convinced at all by Tennant I'm afraid.

I am - personally, I think he's more suited to the role than Eccleston.

[offyoutoddle]

Still not convinced at all by Tennant I'm afraid.

I am - personally, I think he's more suited to the role than Eccleston.

Yes, I completely agree

[The ghost of raids past]

Trouble with the current Doctor is that every time I see him I think its Richard Hammond. I keep expecting Jezza and co to show up say the Tardis badly understeers, has cheap shoddy interior but goes well.

[Viscount Charles]

"Star in a reasonably-priced TARDIS" just popped into my mind. Thanks.

[daniel thomas]

Just saw the latest episode after some bt trouble. As much as I'm a Cybermen fan, and I am glad to see them back, I thought this episode was a dud. It just didn't do it for me. For the most part, this week's show was a collection of cliches, and it just felt, well, mechanical.

The best part was at the end, in the final couple scenes where everyone's saying their goodbyes. That had a real emotional punch that was sorely lacking.

The thing is, this could have been a monster-chiller-horror-theatre classic, with Cybermen nighmares in everybody's heads for the rest of their lives. Perfect example is the scene in an underground sewer, which was lit only by flashlight. Please, please, please, I begged. Just let one of the monsters snap his hand out. Boom!

Scaring people, really, is pretty easy when you know how. It's cheap, too, but if it works, you've got them paranoid for the rest of the show. You can really work an audience over. Isn't that the point to a villian like a Cyberman? It plays not only on our fears of mortality, but something even worse: the loss of our humanity. Instead, all we get is a load of marching. Spare me; I feel like I'm watching a Michael Jackson video. I'm just waiting for one of them to start the dance moves.

I dunno, but I don't think this second season is anywhere near as good as last year's. I suspect that's because the Eccleston series had a real drive, a real purpose. Davies and his writers had no guarantees of success, so they had to pack everything they could into 13 shows. Now that Dr Who is a big hit, everyone's secure in their jobs, and it shows. There's little sense of urgency in this season, any sense that it's leading anywhere like Eccleston and The Time War (which was, after all, pretty gutsy). It's just another monster-of-the-week.

I do like David Tennant, and he's very comfortable in the role. He's more Doctor Who-ish, and I hope he's not going anywhere. Still, I truly miss Eccleston's darkness and pain and sorrow; shades of the character that have only been briefly touched upon this year.

And what happened to the politics? The pop satire was one of Davies' best tricks with the new Who. There hasn't been a single political jab since the Christmas episode, which was completely ruined because of that hideous fight scene at the end. Why are they all trying to become Jerry Bruckheimer all of a sudden?

I still think this second season is a good one, but it just feels like they're playing it safe, treading water, when they should be taking risks.

[HGFB]

Overnight ratings are in

Doctor Who 6.9m 35.5%

Top Thirty by Audience
1 …. 8.2 (37.3%) …. Eurovision Song Contest 2006 (20:00) BBC1
2 …. 6.9 (35.5%) …. Doctor Who (18:30) BBC1
3 …. 5.3 (26.7%) …. The National Lottery Jet Set (19:15) BBC1
4 …. 5.1 (32.2%) …. BBC News; Weather (23:00) BBC1
5 …. 5.1 (23.4%) …. The Prince's Trust 30th Birthday - Live (18:30) ITV
6 …. 3.4 (22.5%) …. Deal or No Deal (17:45) CH 4
7 …. 3.3 (14.1%) …. Big Brother (21:00) CH 4
8 …. 3.2 (20.8%) …. Weakest Link: All Singing, All Dancing Special (17:45) BBC1
9 …. 3.2 (19.0%) …. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Celebrity (17:30) ITV
10 … 2.8 (20.9%) …. You've Been Framed! (17:00) ITV
11 … 2.6 (21.2%) …. ITV News; Sports Results; Weather (16:45) ITV
12 … 2.5 (20.0%) …. My Family (17:15) BBC1
13 … 2.2 (19.3%) …. Just for Laughs (16:45) BBC1
14 … 2.1 (18.3%) …. London Tonight (16:30) ITV
15 … 2.1 (14.9%) …. Big Fight Live including ITV News and Weather (22:15) ITV
16 … 2.1 ( 9.1%) …. CSI:NY (21:00) CH 5
17 … 1.7 (16.1%) …. BBC News; Regional News; Weather (16:30) BBC1
18 … 1.6 (24.1%) …. World Cup Focus (12:00) BBC1
19 … 1.6 (23.4%) …. Where Eagles Dare (23:15) BBC1
20 … 1.6 ( 9.1%) …. Exit Wounds (22:00) CH 4
21 … 1.6 ( 7.5%) …. NCIS (20:00) CH 5
22 … 1.5 (24.6%) …. Saturday Kitchen (10:00) BBC1
23 … 1.5 (24.5%) …. BBC News; Weather (12:00) BBC1
24 … 1.5 ( 7.4%) …. The Da Vinci Detective (19:00) CH 4
25 … 1.5 ( 6.8%) …. Law and Order: Criminal Intent (22:00) CH 5
26 … 1.4 (19.4%) …. Grandstand (13:00) BBC1
27 … 1.4 ( 7.6%) …. Channel 4 News (18:30) CH 4
28 … 1.4 ( 6.1%) …. Ride with the Devil (21:00) BBC2
29 … 1.3 (22.4%) …. Great British Menu (11:30) BBC1
30 … 1.3 (14.7%) …. Rugby League: Challenge Cup 5th Round (14:30) BBC1

Top Thirty by Share

1 …. 8.2 (37.3%) …. Eurovision Song Contest 2006 (20:00) BBC1
2 …. 6.9 (35.5%) …. Doctor Who (18:30) BBC1
3 …. 5.1 (32.2%) …. BBC News; Weather (23:00) BBC1
4 …. 1.0 (28.7%) …. Breakfast (06:00) BBC1
5 …. 5.3 (26.7%) …. The National Lottery Jet Set (19:15) BBC1
6 …. 1.5 (24.6%) …. Saturday Kitchen (10:00) BBC1
7 …. 1.5 (24.5%) …. BBC News; Weather (12:00) BBC1
8 …. 1.6 (24.1%) …. World Cup Focus (12:00) BBC1
9 …. 5.1 (23.4%) …. The Prince's Trust 30th Birthday - Live (18:30) ITV
10 … 1.6 (23.4%) …. Where Eagles Dare (23:15) BBC1
11 … 3.4 (22.5%) …. Deal or No Deal (17:45) CH 4
12 … 1.3 (22.4%) …. Great British Menu (11:30) BBC1
13 … 2.6 (21.2%) …. ITV News; Sports Results; Weather (16:45) ITV
14 … 2.8 (20.9%) …. You've Been Framed! (17:00) ITV
15 … 3.2 (20.8%) …. Weakest Link: All Singing, All Dancing Special (17:45) BBC1
16 … 2.5 (20.0%) …. My Family (17:15) BBC1
17 … 1.4 (19.4%) …. Grandstand (13:00) BBC1
18 … 2.2 (19.3%) …. Just for Laughs (16:45) BBC1
19 … 3.2 (19.0%) …. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Celebrity (17:30) ITV
20 … 2.1 (18.3%) …. London Tonight (16:30) ITV
21 … 1.7 (16.1%) …. BBC News; Regional News; Weather (16:30) BBC1
22 … 2.1 (14.9%) …. Big Fight Live including ITV News and Weather (22:15) ITV
23 … 1.3 (14.7%) …. Rugby League: Challenge Cup 5th Round (14:30) BBC1
24 … 3.3 (14.1%) …. Big Brother (21:00) CH 4
25 … 1.0 (12.9%) …. Amateur Boxing: England v Russia (13:00) BBC1
26 … 0.1 (12.2%) …. ...Inuk (06:00) CH 4
27 … 1.0 (11.3%) …. Doctor Zhivago (13:15) ITV
28 … 1.1 (11.1%) …. Flog It! (15:45) BBC2
29 … 0.7 (10.4%) …. London Today (12:15) ITV
30 … 0.3 (10.3%) …. Arthur (07:15) BBC2

Same as last year at Eurovision really. Big drop. Presumably caused by the large time change

[Kemper_Boyd]

I've said it before, but Moffat needs to be writing the whole thing.

I agree with that too. This weeks was better than last weeks but some
bits made you cringe. What annoys me is that they've shown they can
do a great job but they're just not hitting that level often enough.