5x06 The Vampires of Venice (Grading/Discussion) SPOILERS!!

[Hermiod]

I usually watch the episodes as they air from the BBC feeds using the TARDIS method of acquiring shows or repeats (for me) on the ABC in Australia which is also commercial free. However when watching reruns of NuWho on cable (UKTV channel) which has commercials they always seem to break at the weirdest moments and it sometimes disrupts the flow of the show. Is it shown with or without commercials in the US?

With, as it's on SyFy, isn't it ?

My point was that a typical episode of Doctor Who will lack obvious places to put advertising breaks. There won't be any scenes where a Dalek is just about to fire and then it fades to black before coming back with the Dalek just about to fire again.

I'm aware of all that, but it's always been my understanding that even most BBC drama programs tend to fall into something close to the one-hour drama format that's the television standards in the U.S. And even then, the idea of a single, normal episode -- not a two-parter, and not a special, and not a made-for-TV movie -- taking up an hour and a fifteen minutes just seems absurd to me.

While it is increasingly common for the BBC to produce shows with international sales in mind, there is no absolute need to do this. In addition, many BBC shows fill the full hour.

If a story takes 75 minutes to tell, what's the problem ? The alternative is to pad it out to 90 minutes and make it a two parter to the detriment of the story.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^You do have to remember that this is a British show and that affects the length for two key reasons.

First, BBC shows do not have advertising so little consideration is made for that. Watching TNG, for example, you can always tell where the adverts were supposed to have gone. BBC shows don't have to adjust their storytelling to accommodate ad breaks.

Second, British TV channels don't always stick to a rigid schedule with shows starting at the top of each hour, especially the BBC. If Doctor Who's producers made a good case for an episode being ten or fifteen minutes longer than normal and still stuck to their budget then the schedule can shift accordingly. The next show doesn't have to start at 7pm on the dot to avoid confusing the audience.

I'm aware of all that, but it's always been my understanding that even most BBC drama programs tend to fall into something close to the one-hour drama format that's the television standards in the U.S. And even then, the idea of a single, normal episode -- not a two-parter, and not a special, and not a made-for-TV movie -- taking up an hour and a fifteen minutes just seems absurd to me.

Shows like Merlin, Torchwood, Doctor Who which are made in co-pro with BBC Worldwide tend to be 45 minutes or with cuts in mind to fit commercial broadcasts, but a majority of shows are almost full hours, 58 minutes, or 28 in the case of half hour shows. It's not that strange for longer shows either.

 

[Sci]

^You do have to remember that this is a British show and that affects the length for two key reasons.

First, BBC shows do not have advertising so little consideration is made for that. Watching TNG, for example, you can always tell where the adverts were supposed to have gone. BBC shows don't have to adjust their storytelling to accommodate ad breaks.

Second, British TV channels don't always stick to a rigid schedule with shows starting at the top of each hour, especially the BBC. If Doctor Who's producers made a good case for an episode being ten or fifteen minutes longer than normal and still stuck to their budget then the schedule can shift accordingly. The next show doesn't have to start at 7pm on the dot to avoid confusing the audience.

I'm aware of all that, but it's always been my understanding that even most BBC drama programs tend to fall into something close to the one-hour drama format that's the television standards in the U.S. And even then, the idea of a single, normal episode -- not a two-parter, and not a special, and not a made-for-TV movie -- taking up an hour and a fifteen minutes just seems absurd to me.

Shows like Merlin, Torchwood, Doctor Who which are made in co-pro with BBC Worldwide tend to be 45 minutes or with cuts in mind to fit commercial broadcasts, but a majority of shows are almost full hours, 58 minutes, or 28 in the case of half hour shows. It's not that strange for longer shows either.

See, even a 58-minute episode, to me, makes a lot more sense than a 75-or-more-minute episode (other than two-parters or other episodes that are obviously supposed to be special in some way). That's still what I would consider an hour-long drama, as opposed to something that's just long and ponderous for the sake of being long and ponderous.

 

[matthunter]

These species are high tech, high-evolved.

The Sontarans were fully aware of the Time War in The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky. God knows how.

They knew all about Gallifrey in the original series - to the extent of actually invading the place in the season 15 finale.

Both they and the Rutans also have limited time travel capability.

 

[davejames]

This one was down with the weaker of the season for me. The lore was inconsistent (Reflecting a bit of sunlight light killed him instantly? What about all the other times they were in the sunlight and didn't even flinch? The illusory clothing that apparently could be taken off and/or protect them from the sun) and highlighted how lame the plot was. Why did they need to sink a city? If there are a bunch of able-bodied young men aliens out there can't they build one better suited to them? Could they use sheep or dogs or chickens or fish for making the new women? If they can transform humans into aliens, why not? And why would she decide at the end to give up just because she was set back a bit in her plans (which apparently only got as far as converting that dozen or so girls.) Are they a fully intelligent species or is it just the queen and a minority of her offspring? Other than the superdouchey son they were all mindless enough to just eat her. -Bah- Surely rather than dramatic suicide or the like, one day a villain who sees the err of their ways could say "Hey Doctor, do you think you could help us out a bit here with that big ol' fancy brain of yours that always seems to have a solution?"

I hate being able to pick apart a plot so easily. It makes it very hard to enjoy, even though the cast, photography and much of the dialogue was great. I just hope we get fewer of these 'turn off your brain' episodes (like "Beast" and "Victory") as we go on, otherwise I'm afraid my interest will very quickly fade.

Frankly I could have lived with all that stuff if the villains were just a little more interesting. But frankly I found them barely compelling as vampires. As goofy-looking fish aliens, I couldn't find myself caring at ALL. lol

I don't need every episode to be some twisty, complex thing like Time of Angels or anything, but I at least want a little more originality than we got here.

 

[David_Leese]

I have a major problem with the sonic screwdriver healing Amy's vampire bite wound. This crap is getting ridiculous.

I wondered the same for a moment or two, until I remembered that the Doctor, is... well... a doctor. I was pleased that as well as treating her wound, he also gave Amy something to counteract the alien blood she'd received - and I was half-hoping that it would be a jelly baby!

Just my thoughts.

 

[Checkmate]

I find it odd how the powers of a Perception Filter seem to increase every time they're brought up. Makes you wonder why a TARDIS even needs a Chameleon Circuit.

(Though I'm sure someone's going to come up and rationalize it by saying that the Chameleon Circuit is part of the Perception Filter. 'Course, then they'll have to explain why the Doctor needed an explanation for how the Queen Fish's Perception Filter worked.)

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I've got to say that Smith popping out of the cake and stumbling through that bit about Amy may be the first time I've really enjoyed him in this role.

 

[captcalhoun]

i loved how the Doctor pulled out that huge UV torch, which CLEARLY shouldn't have fit in that jacket without ruining the fit, already lit.

 

[Photoman15]

The pockets are bigger on the inside, of course.

 

[Brent]

I am getting a second Doctor vibe from the eleventh, especially in this episode, I really do, there was one moment, when he was behind the throne chair thing, that he imitated some of the 2nd Doctors mannerisms

 

[Lonemagpie]

I am getting a second Doctor vibe from the eleventh, especially in this episode, I really do, there was one moment, when he was behind the throne chair thing, that he imitated some of the 2nd Doctors mannerisms

I'm getting much more of a Fifth Doctor vibe - which is appropriate as he's following the most popular Doc since Tom...

 

[Starkers]

I'm getting a mixture of 2 and 5, but actually quite a lot that seems uniquely 11, which is great.

 

[Deckerd]

I noticed the moment when they met up after they realised they were dealing with vampires was completely identical to Rose/DT Doctor when they realised they were dealing with werewolves.

 

[davejames]

I'm getting a mixture of 2 and 5, but actually quite a lot that seems uniquely 11, which is great.

I keep seeing the comparison made with 5, and I honestly don't see it. Granted I've only seen a few of Davison's stories, but there didn't seem to be anything REMOTELY eccentric or kooky about his attitude or mannerisms.

He might have gotten a bit exasperated with people at times (like every Doctor), but mostly I just get this "polite english gentleman" vibe from Davison.

 

[Classic Fan]

Doctor: "You can pose as my daughter."
Amy: "Whatever, you look about nine."

I liked it though.

Was expecting a kinda twist on the actual Vampire legend or something linking Bram Stoker to the origins of Vampires that turn out to be real or something. But, as always, it was aliens, fishy aliens. Never mind.

Loved the mag-lite scene, brilliant. And the best part is, we dont know where he got it from in his jacket or how. They are bigger on the inside though.

And the cake scene at the beginning, getting the right cake this time, and to let the scantily clad girl in cos shes cold.

And the Doctor already going FORWARD to see what they had done so he could go back and convince them to do it differently, surely though to do that he wouldve crossed his own timeline (possibly again) as Amy and rory wouldnt been able to get out without him. Hmmm.

Maybe this whole time line crossing is the Doctor trying to fix the timeline but in the process is maybe the one responsible for changing by going back to fix what he has... OH dear, ive gone cross eyed.

Interesting thought though.



Still one of Smiths best performances as The Doctor though.

 

[captcalhoun]

i get a Two vibe off him, along with a bit of Three and Ten...

or maybe he's just The Doctor...

 

[Bacl]

Wait, wait.

When did he cross his own timeline?

 

[David cgc]

When did he cross his own timeline?

There's a theory that when he doubled back to comfort Amy in the forest in "Flesh and Stone," he didn't actually double back, but was a future version of the Doctor who was crossing back into earlier adventures for crack-related reasons, on account of the shift in his mood and the fact that he has his jacket back when he's talking to her. That also goes along with the idea that Amy's dream of her younger self hearing the TARDIS come back when she was seven wasn't just a dream, but a repressed or hidden memory of a future version of the Doctor coming back to give her a message. The Possibly-Future-Doctor in the forest specifically told Amy to remember what he said when she was seven, and that it was important that she remember it, not be reminded of it.

 

[Shazam!]

I get a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 vibe from him.