Comments system knackered

The comments are down, but we're working to get 'em fixed as soon as possible! In the meantime, go and watch Dr. Who on BBC America! Exciting stuff.

[#1 posted by felixjawesome , January 31, 2009 6:51 PM]

Whatever shall I do?

[#2 posted by Tom Hale , January 31, 2009 6:53 PM]

OMG! Someone killed BB!

[#3 posted by robulus , January 31, 2009 6:57 PM]

Not the new Dr. Who I hope. Hey... it must be working again...

[#4 posted by Xopher , January 31, 2009 6:58 PM]

'Pears to be all fixed up.

[#5 posted by noen , January 31, 2009 7:15 PM]

I can't stand Dr. Who.

[#6 posted by buddy66 , January 31, 2009 7:27 PM]

Who's on BBC?

[#7 posted by arkizzle , January 31, 2009 7:29 PM]

As much as I watched the old Doctor Who, I never really identified it as one of "my" shows. I had to make a concerted effort to give the new version a chance.. I thought it was really excellent.

This series just ended over here, and I'm actually disappointed about the series to come. Dunno where the American-BBC series is.. I'll not spoilt it, just in case.

[#8 posted by yurei , January 31, 2009 7:34 PM]

That crafty Doctor will do anything to attract some nice ratings, eh? ^_^

[#9 posted by robulus , January 31, 2009 7:40 PM]

@Arkizzle

Tom Baker is the Doctor Who, I'll not debate the matter, it's far too important. You can differ, but you will be wrong.

I felt the first guy in the new series was pretty good, and there was a bit of vigor introduced into the franchise. But then the foppy guy and all the lovey crap with Rose... WTF? It turned into a chick flick.

[#10 posted by Tom Hale , January 31, 2009 7:47 PM]

I enjoyed the old Dr Who shows, but what I love is wikipedia's take on the show. When you read wikipedia's Dr Who, your brain fills in the scenery and special effects with todays level of special effects tech and makes the old show seem much cooler than it was.

If you could have a Dr Who movie done by a particular producer, who would you pick? I'd have to pick Ridley Scott.

[#11 posted by arkizzle , January 31, 2009 7:54 PM]

Robulus, no, I think I'd probably agree with Tom Baker :)

I didn't like the first dude in the new series' very much at all. I thought he was too dark-action-hero "stand back! I'll take care of this!" and not enough *wink wink* "Watch this, teeheehee!".

The foppy guy was pretty good by the end of this series, I thought he was far more The Doctor than the other guy was. Whatever about the love angle, but the foppy guy has a bazillion times more personality.

[#12 posted by robulus , January 31, 2009 7:55 PM]

@Tom

I'd have to pick Ridley Scott.

Well played Sir. I was just thinking about how the episode on the ark in space reminded me of alien. Full points and +1.

[#13 posted by arkizzle , January 31, 2009 8:01 PM]

Tom..

David Lynch? Hah! Imagine that kooky dark shit.

[#14 posted by robulus , January 31, 2009 8:03 PM]

Robulus, no, I think I'd probably agree with Tom Baker :)

Excellent decision!

Yes I suppose if you're capable of ignoring the whole romance angle you might view it differently. I just couldn't do it. I mean, if he was going to go for one of his companions, it would have to be Leela, right? Or the first Romana.

[#15 posted by robulus , January 31, 2009 8:06 PM]

David Lynch doing Doctor Who... now you've just totally blown my mind. Literally. It's broken now.

[#16 posted by Alex , January 31, 2009 8:41 PM]

BBC America shows episodes that were aired many months ago on SciFi, and before that even in Britain. Also, BBC America doesn't broadcast high def in my area unlike SciFi... so I might pass on the suggestion.

Great show, though. Wishing someone would broadcast (or sell in full seasons) the old episodes, as I'd like to catch up on those.

[#17 posted by noen , January 31, 2009 9:45 PM]

I agree, Tom Baker is the only Dr. Who. I liked those episodes with him in them. I don't think they've become chick flicks, just... schlocky crap. The sound track over powers the dialog and the plots are trashy kitschy shit. Worst of all, there is no science in Dr. Who any more, it's all magic. The magic Tardis, magic screwdriver and other assorted bits. It's fantasy. They might as well bring in the elves and orcs.

David Lynch would not be a good pick to produce a Dr. Who movie. Stanislaw Lem's "Solaris" would be good for him to do but it's already been made and then re-made. (Do see the Tarkovsky version, in fact, watch anything by Tarkovsky, right now, go...) Something in that genre would be a good fit for Lynch. After his horrible experience with Dune I doubt he'd be interested in scifi anyway. Can't say as I blame him.

David Lynch doing P.K. Dick's life story, now that would be interesting. Hmmm... and now that I think of it... David remaking Tarkovsky's "Stalker". That could be good too.

J.J. Abrams could do Dr. Who well but he's working on Star Trek. From what I've seen of that it looks good. I hope he is able to make it into a real story and not just another geeky wet dream techno romp. That would be nice.

[#18 posted by Hirsty , January 31, 2009 11:23 PM]

It's true Tom Baker is Doctor Who, though for some of us, of a certain age, Jon Pertwee was The Doctor :)

[#19 posted by tw15 , January 31, 2009 11:45 PM]

How about John Woo?

David Tennant is/was a fantastic Doctor. If you think he's foppy, wait until you see the new Doctor - Matt Smith.

We had "The girl in the fireplace" on BBC 3 last night - which won a Hugo. "Blink" won a Hugo in 2008,and "Human nature" as nominated for a Hugo.

[#20 posted by arkizzle , January 31, 2009 11:53 PM]

TW15

I was keepng a lid on the new Doc, I didn't know if the delayed-broadcast folks knew. Oh well, it's out now. I'm not looking forward to the new guy. But he might be great.. :)

Noen

JJ Abrams is an interesting choice.

[#21 posted by tw15 , February 1, 2009 12:07 AM]

@Noen I think the announcements about it on the Internets might have given the game away already.

[#22 posted by tw15 , February 1, 2009 12:10 AM]

I meant @arkizzle not @noen

[#23 posted by Antinous / Moderator , February 1, 2009 12:21 AM]

I've never seen any version of Doctor Who.

[#24 posted by monument , February 1, 2009 12:37 AM]

That's what I love about boingboing. The topic can have no significant discussion potential, yet the slightest spark can light the whole damn village down.

[#25 posted by arkizzle , February 1, 2009 12:52 AM]

TW15, I haven't seen 'em. I presume some others hadn't yet either. I just didn't want to be the one to tell them :)

[#26 posted by pidg , February 1, 2009 2:15 AM]

go and watch Dr. Who on BBC America!

Coz BB readers only come from America?

[#27 posted by Neill S Mitchell Esq. , February 1, 2009 2:25 AM]

I guess (for UK residents) you don't need to tell people when/where DR Who is on, as on Cable, Sat and Digital terestrial DR Who is always on somewhere.

BTW 'Blink' was a fantastic story.

[#28 posted by robulus , February 1, 2009 3:09 AM]

@Noen

I don't think they've become chick flicks, just... schlocky crap. The sound track over powers the dialog and the plots are trashy kitschy shit.

Yeah, spot on. Makes my chick flick comment seem a tad glib. I particularly agree about the soundtrack music, it was so climactic, uplifting and skull shatteringly loud that it destroyed any chance of building tension.

@Hirsty

It's true Tom Baker is Doctor Who, though for some of us, of a certain age, Jon Pertwee was The Doctor :)

Jon Pertwee is the Roger Moore of Doctor Whos (c;

[#29 posted by robulus , February 1, 2009 3:18 AM]

@Antinous

I've never seen any version of Doctor Who.

Then you have no idea how terrified you can be of bright green bubble wrap with green slimy stuff on it.

In space, no one can hear that the 1970-80s BBC props budget was abysmal.

[#30 posted by tw15 , February 1, 2009 6:25 AM]

Where else but Dr Who do you get quotes like this:

"Tracked you down with this. This is my timey-wimey detector. Goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at 30 paces. Whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow."

[#31 posted by Jamie Sue , February 1, 2009 6:53 AM]

Oh! I was just thinking of the timey-wimey detector! It got broken in the book Ghosts of India and I was wondering if the Doctor would build another. I mean, it's just too fabulous a name not to have a gadget.

[#32 posted by arkizzle , February 1, 2009 11:55 AM]

BBC has a set of FREE classic Doctor Who ebooks!! Newly illustrated as well!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/ebooks/

[#33 posted by arkizzle , February 1, 2009 12:00 PM]

In the tradition of e.e.cummings and danah boyd, let me point out:

Doctor Who is NEVER written Dr.

Ever*

(*I can't seem to find anywhere this is written down, but I've heard it said on the BBC, and it was definitely said on Doctor Who Confidential a couple of weeks ago. That said, there is an issue of the old Doctor Who comic called "Dr. Who and the Space Pirates", and lots of websites with "Dr". I even found Amazon listing things as (Dr Who, UK version))

[#34 posted by Monkey Magic , February 1, 2009 2:16 PM]

"BBC America doesn't broadcast high def in my area unlike SciFi... "

DW isn't filmed in HD.

[#35 posted by Hirsty , February 1, 2009 2:45 PM]

@robulus

OH NOOOEEES!

[#36 posted by takeshi , February 1, 2009 4:43 PM]

Tom Baker wins, hands down. Best guest star award goes to Deep Roy for his ultra-creepy performance as Mr. Sin from The Talons of Weng-Chiang.

Ridley Scott is possibly the worst choice for hypothetical director, though. G.I. Jane? Hannibal? Gladiator? Thelma and Louise? That guy hasn't made a decent movie since Blade Runner, and that was a quarter century ago.

Charlie Kaufman or Darren Aronofsky, maybe. I'd prefer Kubrick.

[#37 posted by Anonymous , February 2, 2009 8:23 AM]

Billy Hartnell is THE Doctor, you savages!

All the other ones are too wet behind the ears.

--Charlie