New Dr. Who: now they've done it!

[samurainoir]

They could solve this 'problem' (or not, and PO even more people) by making the Doctor's Companion male for once. I liked Harry what's-his-face from the early Tom Baker years. In my memory he looks like a brown-haired Chief O'Brien.

How soon they forget!


How many companions have had a bit of a snog with the Doctor?

Look at the credits of Queer as Folk and compare them to Doctor Who. Chief amongst them RTD!

[palitoy]

If Amy tries to jump his bones for the next eight episodes, I won't like it either. I'm hopeful they're just getting the issue out of the way, mostly because they played it for laughs.

If they do get another guy on the Tardis, it will hopefully be without a love triangle.

[Gorn Captain]

To me, Doctor Who has a sort of innocence to it.
Sure there can be affection, like Ace and Sylvester McCoy had a good, affectionate chemistry, and I liked it that Rose became the one companion that would make the Doctor say "I love you", but that was enough for me. So yes, he's emotional, yes he needs companions, but "get on this bed and bang me!", nah, that's not the reason why I watch the show.
It's a style breach.
No big deal, that's just the way I enjoy the show.

I see no reason why a male companion couldn't work again. Jamie was, to me, one of the best. I miss that, and I miss the "older man" Doctor.
I feel we'd had enough "sexual innuendo" with Captain Shag, I mean Jack.

[Mikey]

I'm kind of the opposite.

I do watch the extra's SOMETIMES, but more often I pass them by unless they interest me ... Like on the Frontier In Space DVD, I loved the Roger Delgado biography.

[palitoy]

For me personally, I still love most of the classic series.

I've discovered I'm an incredible nerd for the extras on the classic DVDs, my wife came home to me watching an interview with the set designer on "Keys of Marinus" the other day. I have a problem.

[Mikey]

For me personally, I still love most of the classic series.

I know this is going to sound blasphemous in the eyes of most whovies, but I wish there were no 6+ episode stories

Every single story over 4 episodes long would benefit being chopped down to 4 imo

[palitoy]

Funny thing is, he told me while he still has fond memories of the classic series he can't actually sit down and watch them anymore - calling them extremely boring - except for a few notable stories he still likes.

I can see that, there are some Tom Baker stories that I never want to sit through again. Although I'm also finding myself revisiting stories I hated when first aired to see if they've grown on me. Sometimes yes, other times not so much.

[palitoy]

You can believe whatever you'd like. Nothing is ever 'cut and dry', you're taking me too literally.

Considering it's written word, I don't how else to take you. You presented a theory about classic fans and I offered a friendly rebuttal based on my viewpoint, that's all. I consider myself a "classic fan" and didn't agree that's the norm.

The older fans I know who won't watch the new stuff (like my wife and a few older friends on-line); personally, I really liked Tennant.

I reconnected with a few fans I knew in the 80s about the new show and I got the reverse, they all really enjoyed it. Some shared my cricticisms, others liked it better than I did. The only one that hated it was my father in law but he doesn't like anything modern, ever.

Most new fans I know don't have the patience for the older slower paced episodes, although they find the effects cheesy and cheap, which to me was part of the fun.

I honestly don't know many "new who" fans but i would imagine that would be somewhat of a jarring contrast.

[Mikey]

My nephew is few years younger than me and was a Classic Series fan throughout the 80's ...

He wasn't a nut about it, but he did like Pertwee, Baker and Davison's stories and used to watch them every Sat night on PBS.

When the new series started he gave it a try and liked it a lot.

Funny thing is, he told me while he still has fond memories of the classic series he can't actually sit down and watch them anymore - calling them extremely boring - except for a few notable stories he still likes.

[david_b]

I don't believe it's that cut and dry at all. I'm viewing them as a classic fan, cut my teeth on Pertwee when I was five, the new series is something I enjoy but I do still consider myself an old school guy. I imagine that many of the others here would put themselves in that box as well, so the key would be what you define as "respectful".

Whatever you'd like.. Nothing is ever 'cut and dry', you're taking me too literally. I think our views are more alike than different.

The older fans I know who won't watch the new stuff (like my wife and a few older friends on-line); personally, Tennant was my favorite Doctor since Pertwee/Baker/Davison.

Most new fans I know don't have the patience for the older slower paced episodes, although they find the effects cheesy and cheap, which to me was part of the fun.

david_b

[palitoy]

They could solve this 'problem' (or not, and PO even more people) by making the Doctor's Companion male for once. I liked Harry what's-his-face from the early Tom Baker years. In my memory he looks like a brown-haired Chief O'Brien.

Yeah I liked the Harry/Doctor/Sarah dynamic, it would be fun to revisit.

If their is one thing I'm a little bored of, it's the male companion being the signifigant other of the companion and thus feeling like a cuckold.

Well, yes and no.. ~ Davison's Doctor did have Peri, which might of course had that potential for romance. I agree it wasn't even a consideration until the younger Davison came in.., then the first kiss being with McGann.

I dunno, Nyssa and Tegan didn't have anything but brotherly love for Davison's Doctor? It's possible but is kind of far fetched.
As for Peri, her boobs hanging out every epsiode was in my eyes reducing the show to the common denominator more than implied romance. I can't believe I wrote that.

I enjoy the McGann movie but I never argue it, it's just sort of .....there. He'd have been a great Doctor but I don't lament we never got an American series.

As for my 'reduction' point, it really depends on which glasses you're viewing the show through..: Being an OLD fan of the classic series, now accepting the new series, or new fans, who want the same type of show as other contemporary offerings, yet respectful of the 'classic show'.

I don't believe it's that cut and dry at all. I'm viewing them as a classic fan, cut my teeth on Pertwee when I was five, the new series is something I enjoy but I do still consider myself an old school guy. I imagine that many of the others here would put themselves in that box as well, so the key would be what you define as "respectful".

[Mikey]

Tennant's Doctor was clearly very bipolar.

Not just for lovey-dovey stuff but for everything.

He definitely should have been on some sort of medication

If Tennant didn't regenerate, I really could see him becoming the Valeyard someday.

[david_b]

And while that worked for the most part because the Doctor was often older or as it's been well put awkward (totally agree on the Tom Baker thing). It fell flat in the Davison years where he's got a gang of young people that look up to him yet none of them develop any sort of feelings? Even unrequited? I find that more unbelievable than the Tardis.

The best relationship in the classic, IMO was Doctor/Ace, while not romantic, it had more depth and realism than 90% of it's predecessors.

I don't think this sort of character "reduces" anything, I'd only think it did if he hopped into bed with them or did something out of character. This current Doctor might be the least "lovey dovey" we've seen in a long time.

Well, yes and no.. ~ Davison's Doctor did have Peri, which might of course had that potential for romance. I agree it wasn't even a consideration until the younger Davison came in.., then the first kiss being with McGann.

Then all the 'half-human' discussion started popping up, which get's everyone debating whether it's 'canon' or not. Along came ideas about Romance. I do agree that Tennant was the most 'lovey dovey' of them all.

As for my 'reduction' point, it really depends on which glasses you're viewing the show through..: Being an OLD fan of the classic series, now accepting the new series, or new fans, who want the same type of show as other contemporary offerings, yet respectful of the 'classic show'.

david_b

[Mikey]

I still remember many of the fans back in the 80's who used to say Susan cannot be the Doctor's true grand daughter becauce he doesn't and wouldn't have sex ... Like he's some sort of robot.

They must have never seen William Hartnell in the Aztecs

[spamn]

They could solve this 'problem' (or not, and PO even more people) by making the Doctor's Companion male for once. I liked Harry what's-his-face from the early Tom Baker years. In my memory he looks like a brown-haired Chief O'Brien.