Moffat's Season better than all of RTD Combined?

[davejames]

To me the styles and tones are so different it's hard to really compare.

RTD's was big and bold and emotional-- which I loved.

Moffat's is small and quirky and old-fashioned-- which I also love.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

To me the styles and tones are so different it's hard to really compare.

RTD's was big and bold and emotional-- which I loved.

Moffat's is small and quirky and old-fashioned-- which I also love.

You've just compared them actually. It wasn't that hard.

 

[Rowan Sjet]

Well yeah, you could compare apples and oranges to see which you'd like most.

But then you'd ruin the analogy forever.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Well yeah, you could compare apples and oranges to see which you'd like most.

But then you'd ruin the analogy forever.

It's a terrible analogy. It's because things are different that we're able to compare them.

 

[davejames]

To me the styles and tones are so different it's hard to really compare.

RTD's was big and bold and emotional-- which I loved.

Moffat's is small and quirky and old-fashioned-- which I also love.

You've just compared them actually. It wasn't that hard.

Heh heh.

 

[Rowan Sjet]

Well yeah, you could compare apples and oranges to see which you'd like most.

But then you'd ruin the analogy forever.

It's a terrible analogy. It's because things are different that we're able to compare them.

Stop raping my childhood man!

 

[Neroon]

It's not a competition, jeeeze.

Most definitely agreed, and for a number of reasons. It seems rather silly to compare 9 episodes with four series worth... in part because several of the eps in those four were written by the showrunner of the new nine.

 

[DWF]

It's not a competition, jeeeze.

Most definitely agreed, and for a number of reasons. It seems rather silly to compare 9 episodes with four series worth... in part because several of the eps in those four were written by the showrunner of the new nine.

Silly?? This is the internet silly is the norm.

 

[Shazam!]

What's wrong with being silly?

 

[Bones2]

Oh God I know I shouldn't bite, but seriously I have to know. What or who fucked you up, dude. Seriously what life changing event made you such an angry person?

I don't expect an answer but like Khan it tasks me...

I'm sorry, when did this kind of thing become acceptable? That I give an opinion on a TV show (with reasons, I'd stress) that I'm not even alone in having, and you suggest my inability to enjoy it means I'm somehow fucked up? I'm always very careful to make sure that whenever I disagree with someone in such a way, I don't make it personal, but you've gone straight for it. I think that reflects far more badly on you. Poor show.

The important thing is the season hasn't sucked, IMO, so at worst it's been status quo with RTD, which is pretty damn good because RTD produced some of the best Doctor Who ever. But Moffat hasn't delivered Blink 2.0 yet. Then again, it took RTD 3 seasons to deliver Blink 1.0. On the other hand, again IMO, Moffat hasn't delivered a Fear Her yet, either.

I think you'll find it was Moffat who delivered Blink 1.0 (whatever that even means) in the first place. Indeed, most of the best episodes in the first 4 series (Unquiet Dead, Dalek, Empty Child, Blink, Human Nature etc) were written by people other than RTD. Considering how high a proportion of stories were his, he had a very low hit rate. Of course, Fear Her wasn't his doing either, but he'd scored a new low with Love and Monsters the previous week anyway.

Hang on now, did you watch the 4th series? If you did - and you did so in something approaching an objective manner - you'd surely see how bizarre this statement is.

Yeah, I watched it. It's how I have an opinion on it.

Firstly, Tate exhibited a much wider range of acting skills in Doctor Who than on her godawful sketch show. She is not just a comedian, she is an actor and has been in plenty of other productions, both TV and theatre.

You think? You might like the character, but I'd say she was still a fairly poor one-note actor either way. Previous experience doesn't matter to me in this instance; I'm judging it on what I saw.

Second, she was never just comedic relief and sure as hell never had any catchphrases. Other than the running, inconsequential joke about Donna and the Doctor being married, I'm struggling to think of any instances of straight-out comedy she was even involved in. And I've just rewatched that series from start to finish.

Yeah, she didn't have a catchphrase, but her whole delivery was based around her usual mugging to the camera routine. "You ain't mating with me, sunshine" and the like, while competing with Tennant in the silly face-pulling stakes.

Third, Tate has been on various shows on BBC and C4 for years and was hardly picked because of her sketch show success or its brand of humour. Ever heard of Big Train, just to pick one of the many successful programmes she's been in that is nothing like her show?

I think she was picked because she was the kind of successful media type the insufferable middle class prats at the Radio Times and the like keep talking up. Same kind of reason we had Peter Kay and are going to have James Corden. Ultimately, it's stunt casting. They look at who's popular (usually on the BBC) and bung them in Doctor Who in the hope of appealing to more people. Lowest common denominator and all that.

Fourth, what does 'smug luvvies' even mean?

The same media types I described above. And RTD was pretty much the king of them.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if you never gave Tate the slightest of chances to impress or grow on you as Donna. You'd hardly be the only one who couldn't look past her sketch show and, in my opinion, missed out on the best RTD-era companion. To relate to the thread's topic, to date, she is considerably more entertaining than Amy has been, and I say that as someone who likes Amy.

Err, well I watched it and judged accordingly. I do my best to put aside pre-conceived notions before watching and to judge things based on their own merits. I'm even prepared to be completely surprised and like that coming Roberts-penned episode with the Doctor living with fatboy for a week. That said, it doesn't mean I'm too hopeful for it.

To be clear, I am not picking on you here. I simply disagree with your assessment of Donna Noble as companion.

Oh yeah, I know. I'm happy to argue the points this way. It's when people resort to labels and name calling that I get irritated. And it does seem people are more likely to get away with it if it's aimed towards someone with a minority opinion.

 

[Neroon]

Oh God I know I shouldn't bite, but seriously I have to know. What or who fucked you up, dude. Seriously what life changing event made you such an angry person?

I don't expect an answer but like Khan it tasks me...

I'm sorry, when did this kind of thing become acceptable? That I give an opinion on a TV show (with reasons, I'd stress) that I'm not even alone in having, and you suggest my inability to enjoy it means I'm somehow fucked up? I'm always very careful to make sure that whenever I disagree with someone in such a way, I don't make it personal, but you've gone straight for it. I think that reflects far more badly on you. Poor show.

Actually, you've both put on a poor show here. Back off to your respective corners and let's not have a repeat.

 

[DAK]

Well, this series so far is way better than RTD's 2nd series. But all combined? Not yet. Despite some god-awful clunkers in the RTD era there were some brilliant episodes as well. I think that's going to be true of any season, even this one.

 

[Shazam!]

My view on Tate is that her performances reigned Tennant in a little so that he wasn't 'Allons-y-ing' all over the place quite as much. For this reason alone, I much preferred the Tate/Tennant dynamic and the 4th season in general to Tennant's previous seasons.

 

[Sci]

Rose was a thick chav who was the feeble attempt at a love interest in RTD's attempt to turn DW into a soap opera.

Could you possibly bring yourself to spare everyone else your embrace of prejudiced, classist stereotypes against the working class?

* * *

As for me, I'm enjoying Series Five so far. I miss the way everything felt so fast and immediate and big and bombastic during the RTD years, but I like Moffat's style, too. Still, it would be nice to have an episode or two that feels as frantic as RTD's episodes often did.

 

[The]

My view on Tate is that her performances reigned Tennant in a little so that he was 'Allons-y-ing' all over the place quite as much. For this reason alone, I much preferred the Tate/Tennant dynamic and the 4th season in general to Tennant's previous seasons.

This. Thank you.

 

[DAK]

My view on Tate is that her performances reigned Tennant in a little so that he was 'Allons-y-ing' all over the place quite as much. For this reason alone, I much preferred the Tate/Tennant dynamic and the 4th season in general to Tennant's previous seasons.

Ditto. That was my favorite Tennant season, for the most part. I still hate what they did to Donna in the finale though.

As for me, I'm enjoying Series Five so far. I miss the way everything felt so fast and immediate and big and bombastic during the RTD years, but I like Moffat's style, too. Still, it would be nice to have an episode or two that feels as frantic as RTD's episodes often did.

I thought "The 11th Hour" had that frantic feel to it. But I like this season (and Smith!) so much I really don't miss it.

 

[cultcross]

My view on Tate is that her performances reigned Tennant in a little so that he was 'Allons-y-ing' all over the place quite as much. For this reason alone, I much preferred the Tate/Tennant dynamic and the 4th season in general to Tennant's previous seasons.

I agree - Tennant and Tate had, imho, the best Doctor-Companion dynamic of nuWho so far. Frankly, I'm a little sick of 20-something-swoons-over-the-Doctor, and Donna was a positive alternative to that. She was more of the Doctor's social equal (although obviously not his intellectual equal). Despite the fact that my favourite nuWho episodes(as complete packages) to date are almost exclusively from Martha's season, I would still rank Donna as my favourite companion so far.

 

[Neroon]

Rose was a thick chav who was the feeble attempt at a love interest in RTD's attempt to turn DW into a soap opera.

Could you possibly bring yourself to spare everyone else your embrace of prejudiced, classist stereotypes against the working class?

And that's enough of that as well.

 

[Jax]

I thought best way to compare it would be to see how my grades this season reflect on what I feel the past was like... (changed some this series after re-watch)

Eleventh Hour - Excellent
The Beast Below - Average
Victory of The Daleks - Average
Time of Angels - Excellent
Flesh and Stone - Excellent
Vampires of Venice - Excellent
Amy's Choice - Good
The Hungary Earth - Good
Cold Blood - Good

Compared to earlier seasons...

Season One
Rose - Average
The End of The World - Good
The Unquiet Dead - Average
Aliens of London - Good
World War Three - Average
Dalek - Excellent
The Long Game - Average
Fathers Day - Good
The Empty Child - Excellent
The Doctor Dances - Excellent
Boom Town - Below Average
Bad Wolf - Good
The Parting of the Ways - Excellent

Season Two
New Earth - Average
Tooth n Claw - Excellent
School Reunion - Excellent
The Girl in the Fireplace - Excellent
Rise of the Cybermen - Good
The Age of Steel - Good
The Idiots Lantern - Average
The Impossible Planet - Excellent
The Satan Pit - Excellent
Love & Monsters - Below Average
Fear Her - Below Average
Army of Ghosts - Good
Doomsday - Excellent

Season Three
Smith & Jones - Excellent
The Shakespeare Code - Average
Gridlock - Good
Daleks in Manhattan - Average
Evolution of The Daleks - Average
The Lazarus Experiment - Good
42 - Good
Human Nature - Good
The Family of Blood - Excellent
Blink - Excellent
Utopia - Excellent
The Sound of Drums - Excellent
Last of the Time Lords - Excellent

Season Four
Partners in Crime - Good
The Fire of Pompeii - Excellent
Planet of the Ood - Excellent
The Sontaran Stratagem - Good
The Posion Sky - Good
The Doctors Daughter - Good
The Unicorn and The Wasp - Average
Silence In The Library - Excellent
Forest of The Dead - Excellent
Midnight - Good
Turn Left - Good
The Stolen Earth - Excellent
Journeys End - Excellent

 

[exalted one]

Thus far, this season was brilliant, and yes, I like it more than I ever liked Tennant's episodes. They are not better or worse though, they simply are different. In my opinion they have a much more "classic" feel to them. This isn't "new Doctor Who" anymore, this is simply "Doctor Who" once again.

Pretty much happy about what we're getting thus far. Although that crack in the wall thing is getting somewhat obnoxious.