Main Menu

Doctor Who Christmas Special

Started by Steve Green, 29 December, 2016, 08:59:34 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Steve Green

Surprised to see no mention of this - has everyone given up on it? Ratings seemed to be a little down on last year.

dweezil2

#1
It was nominally watchable, but the plot ran out of steam about two thirds in.
I'm still a fan of Capaldi, but some of the whimsy of it all puts me off!

Matt Lucas' character wasn't as irritating as before, which was something!

Not sure of what to make of the new companion either, appears a little too comedic for my tastes!
Not convinced what the series needs is another Bonnie Langford!
Savalas Seed Bandcamp: https://savalasseed1.bandcamp.com/releases

"He's The Law 45th anniversary music video"
https://youtu.be/qllbagBOIAo

CrazyFoxMachine

I was going to start a thread and didn't :S

I see Charlie Brooker's 2016 Wipe is comically calling for a return of the word "Meh" from the early noughties as things have taken a turn for the violent and reactionary in the last few years and hopefully he'll take some heart in the fact that Moffat's Who is leading the charge to reinstate that word in the national consciousness.

Not bad, some nice touches (the screen-split stuff was good, Matt Lucas is funny) but overall a bit flimsy and the attempts at emotional resonance feel tacked-on. Meh I say.

Crikey I don't remember ever seeing a teaser for an upcoming series at the end of a christmas episode and thinking "whatever" before either. THE CREEPING INDIFFERENCE HAS TAKEN HOLD.

The Enigmatic Dr X

Just watched it. Thoroughly enjoyed it. It would have worked better without the obvious Reeve-Superman riffing, maybe with just an empowered kid. But it was a lot better than I expected (hence I put off watching it until my boys nagged me into it).
Lock up your spoons!

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Steve Green on 29 December, 2016, 08:59:34 PM
Surprised to see no mention of this - has everyone given up on it? Ratings seemed to be a little down on last year.

Yeah seeing your thread really brought home how this series, once such a source of conversation here, has falled off the radar. Now okay the board is quieter these days but its still pretty active and the lack of comment to date doesn't half speak volumes for this once great shows fall from grace. Such a shame.

Which is a very round about way of me saying. Yep I've long ago given up.

Steve Green

Yeah, pretty much what I felt - the superhero action stuff was pretty clunky and the villains didn't feel like much of a threat.

I hope Jim didn't see the lettering on that opening comic strip.

von Boom

It was alright. I really just wanted more focus on the Doctor and less on the superhero love triangle.

CrazyFoxMachine

Quote from: Steve Green on 29 December, 2016, 09:20:29 PM
I hope Jim didn't see the lettering on that opening comic strip.

You know what I'd forgotten about that. COMIC SANS.


shaolin_monkey

Capaldi was great - definitely one of my favourite Doctors.  The episode was a bit naff though.

jacob g

Capaldi was great in this episode... but, he was a secondary character in awfully blunt and cheap story. That's shame.
margaritas ante porcos

IAMTHESYSTEM

I enjoyed it despite it being an obvious plug to American audiences it wasn't too mawkish and I thought the aliens with their flip-top heads was a great idea. Peter Capaldi seems to be a very convincing older Doctor like William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee combined.
"You may live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension."

http://artriad.deviantart.com/
― Nikola Tesla

IndigoPrime

I thought it was OK. It's a pity Capaldi hasn't had better writing or, more accurately, that the series still lacks a decent script editor. Par for the course these days, but shows really suffer from a lack of consistency and someone to challenge the showrunner. (We're watching Lucifer right now, and the relationship between the two leads makes no sense whatsoever. It's clear what the writers are going for, but the execution is appalling.)

That said, for any issues I have with Moffat, I can't say I'm looking forward to Chris Chibnall taking over. He's done very little I've liked, and almost nothing in the Doctor Who universe I'd want to watch again. That it'll also likely come with Capaldi leaving and probably being replaced by a much younger Doctor won't help matters.

Greg M.

Maybe it is time for the BBC to give Dr. Who a very long rest again.

IAMTHESYSTEM

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 30 December, 2016, 10:22:37 AM
I thought it was OK. It's a pity Capaldi hasn't had better writing or, more accurately, that the series still lacks a decent script editor. Par for the course these days, but shows really suffer from a lack of consistency and someone to challenge the showrunner. (We're watching Lucifer right now, and the relationship between the two leads makes no sense whatsoever. It's clear what the writers are going for, but the execution is appalling.)

That said, for any issues I have with Moffat, I can't say I'm looking forward to Chris Chibnall taking over. He's done very little I've liked, and almost nothing in the Doctor Who universe I'd want to watch again. That it'll also likely come with Capaldi leaving and probably being replaced by a much younger Doctor won't help matters.

Is Capaldi going to leave then? Oh dear but I guess if you think it's not really happening and with Moffat clearly more interested in Sherlock you can see why.
"You may live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension."

http://artriad.deviantart.com/
― Nikola Tesla

IndigoPrime

Quote from: Greg M. on 30 December, 2016, 10:25:58 AMMaybe it is time for the BBC to give Dr. Who a very long rest again.
I'm not sure that would be beneficial, given the friction in resurrecting old properties – especially from the BBC. (Well, unless they're relatively cheap, like a sit-com.) Really, Who could be helped immensely with three things:

1. A script editor with some serious clout, capabilities and power.
2. Someone who knows how to mix audio (and who could replace that god-awful lead on the opening soundtrack – really, they need a better audio producer too).
3. Stop messing around with broadcast times (less of an issue with iPlayer, but still a problem for live family viewing).

Quote from: IAMTHESYSTEM on 30 December, 2016, 10:27:53 AMIs Capaldi going to leave then? Oh dear but I guess if you think it's not really happening and with Moffat clearly more interested in Sherlock you can see why.
Moffat's definitely gone. I don't recall if he's said he won't write again, but he might want to be hands off, in the same way Davies was. As for Capaldi, rumours have swirled, but I don't recall anyone confirming anything one way or another. However, a new showrunner would be the obvious point for a regeneration – a fresh start and all that. (Personally, I'd like to see continuity. You never know.)