Yeah, I was thinking that it didn't sound like any real world anti-grav technology.
Planet of the Dead Discuss and Grade SPOILERS!!!
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I liked it. It was like seeing a Patrick Troughton serial with a big budget.
Caught 15 mins of new Primeval the other night and I'm seriously wondering how the hell anyone can sit through it. It's *less watchable* than Torchwood at its worst. The mind boggles.
The really funny thing is last night's was their biggest ever episode, where they kill off the main character. (Who'd obviously finally managed to get out of his contract.)
Um, next Easter Series 5 will be on!
Personally, I'm hoping that from next series they have the program at a different time of the year. Doctor Who should be shown when it is dark and cold outside, a touch of drizzle against the windows.
If it is so bright outside that you have to shut the curtains just so you can see the TV, then Who is not being shown in it's natural habitat.
It was fun. I actually liked Michelle Ryan's character. She and the Doctor had a lot of chemistry. The nerdy scientist was good in an over the top stereotypical way. The flying bus was typical Doctor Who campiness.
I didn't think you were saying that, at all, but I do think sometimes people just see that because they already have the concept in their head. I mean there are plenty of times when others fulfil that role... The Fonz is the example that just jumped in to my head at this point, cool, give wise council to the uncool kids, does his magical bang on stuff and it works, etc. But that doesn't fit the concept so it doesn't spring to mind when you think of this story device. Or even in Doctor Who, the woman in Journey's End who is just there to tell Donna she has something on her back, and her story is about to end. Same device but not black, so doesn't count?
True, but that's not the point of the concept. It's just the idea in fiction of the ethnic minority character (usually black) who appears, often without explanation, to help the white protagonist, and is in some way 'special' - psychic or magical powers are jsut the sci-fi take on the idea, in regular fiction they often appear unusally wise, or in tune with nature, or in recent film, just much cooler or 'smooth talking' than everybody else. They act as plot devices to advance the tale, usually through imparting some great wisdom or prophecy which helps or serves the white main character.
A classic genre example that doesn't involve having psychic powers is Morpheus in the Matrix, an almost mythical, wise black guy who shows up in a pretty unexplained way, speaks in deep sayings and helps our white protagonist reach the setup of the story, enlightening him.
More recently, we can take a look at BSG, where our spiritual guide character who helps Roslin find her destiny... is a black woman preacher, neatly disposed of once her plot role is complete (to be replaced by the black Gemanese councilwoman, who shows up occasionally to answer useful spiritual questions to the advancement of Roslin). On a show heavily devoid of black characters, this sticks out like sore thumb.
Now any instance in and of itself is just a story choice, I'm not trying to say 'ZOMG DOCTOR HOO IS TEH RACIST' - I think you know me better than that
Just bugs me when people unnecessarily make things racial concepts.
Nostagic rubbish.
Luckily, there's a whole generation growing up now for whom the series "natural habitat" is Spring.
In regards to the flying bus, I think that was a fine whimsical idea, I just think the magic of the moment needed to be sold more. That's why you have passengers on this thing, they needed to show the wonder of the moment. Maybe make the lift-off sequence a little slower and so on, I don't know.
Bleah. What rubbish. The story was campy and having Michelle Ryan in the episode didn't help any. A few fun moments in it, but I was otherwise disappointed. Hopefully the next special will be better, but we have to wait half a year for it. 
I preferred it to The Next Doctor, but it was very lightweight, with a story which could have easily fit into 45 minutes. Ryan, while not as terrible as in The Bionic Woman, didn't have the charisma her character needed which made the Doctor's instant chemistry with her a bit annoying, while the Ant Men were some of the least convincing aliens nuWho has had yet. Unlike many I didn't mind the flying bus - this is a series for the kids, after all - but overall it was a bit "meh."
Primeval was very good last night, and had a very important moment in the series. ITV may regret airing it last night, when regular Primeval viewers tune in next saturday and wonder what the hell happened in the episode they missed.
ITV will then help ruin the episode by putting up an IPP near the end, just as Connor is about to get eaten by a dinosaur, reminding them they can see last weeks episode on the ITV Player.
ITV will then help ruin the episode by putting up an IPP near the end, just as Connor is about to get eaten by a dinosaur, reminding them they can see last weeks episode on the ITV Player.
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