Christmas 08: the Next Doctor. Review
- Thread starter RevdKathy
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I liked it but thought it was weaker than the 2005 & 2007 specials, it all felt rushed and not fully cooked. I can't wait for the next specials though and am really happy it seems David M won't be the next doctor unless they really jump the shark...He was ok but he much more likeable as a human and not a timelord.
Another standard RTD episode. Brilliant characterization with a finale taken out of a video game. I honestly wish Doctor Who had about the same budget it had back in the 70's, so that RTD would be forced to keep his episodes smaller in scope.
Still, brilliant episode if you ignore the Megazord. Which is surprisingly easy to do.
Still, brilliant episode if you ignore the Megazord. Which is surprisingly easy to do.
That's true enough, but I don't have a problem with big monsters or giant robots. I have a problem when RTD does big monsters or giant robots. He's fantastic at the smaller character moments, but as soon as he goes for epic or grandiose he loses it. A Megazord destroying 19th century London stopped by The Doctor in a hot air balloon armed only with a deus ex machina and a plot hole generator does not good television make. Especially when the first half of the episode was relatively quiet and heavily character focused.
Only plot point that wasn't explained is why the hell the Cybes, who are ten times stronger than an adult human, were using kids to push the drivewheels of their giant engine.
Just one line about how their power levels were a bit low after escaping the Void would have cleared it up... but then that wouldn't have squared with them zapping folk left, right and centre.
Just one line about how their power levels were a bit low after escaping the Void would have cleared it up... but then that wouldn't have squared with them zapping folk left, right and centre.
Well it looks like it lost out in the ratings to Wallace & Gromit by a good couple of million.
Personally it wasn't my favourite Christmas special, but I'm not sure where I'd place it. I did enjoy it though, although the Cyberking did seem a little pointless I can live with it.
Personally it wasn't my favourite Christmas special, but I'm not sure where I'd place it. I did enjoy it though, although the Cyberking did seem a little pointless I can live with it.
Ratings don't mean much. It was on earlier than it has been starting off the evenings entertainment, Wallace and Gromit was braced by Eastenders with little competition on the other side, while Doctor Who was opposite another big soap, and Sky+ (and even iPlayer) blows all ratings out of the window. If you're going to tape something, you're going to tape the thing you'll watch again and again.
Hey, if you're gonna lose to something, there's nothing better to lose to than Wallace and Gromit.
Which, by coincidence, was brilliant as well!
Which, by coincidence, was brilliant as well!
Terrible fun, and I loved the huge Mecha Cyber-King. I'm pretty sure I laughed out loud when it started rising out of the Themes. 
I think the very fist Christmas special is still above this one in my personal esteem ("I know what kind of man I am..."), but damn it was good.
An amazing thain about Doctor Who is the writers somehow know how to push the lonliness/loss buttons just right to get me all choked up, even in a "fun" episode. Ah well...
Was anone else expecting Morrsy's "doctor" to use his mind-stamp knowledge to make off twith the TARDIS at the very end?
I think the very fist Christmas special is still above this one in my personal esteem ("I know what kind of man I am..."), but damn it was good. An amazing thain about Doctor Who is the writers somehow know how to push the lonliness/loss buttons just right to get me all choked up, even in a "fun" episode. Ah well...
Was anone else expecting Morrsy's "doctor" to use his mind-stamp knowledge to make off twith the TARDIS at the very end?
Only if they were crushing Action Man tanks! If you're going to make an episode for the eight year olds to reeenact on Boxing Day (or next Christmas, with their new Cyberking toy), do it properly with other toys!
Those ratings aren't at all bad given the earleir timeslot and the lack of the Kylie Factor - off the top of my head, they're around the same level the first two Christmas specials, which both ran later in the day.
From the BBC's point of view it looks as if Who did its job - keeping the audience from the Wallace and Gromit Wererabbit film which preceded it, and passing it on to Strictly Come Dancing and after that Eastenders and the new Wallace and Gromit episode. Though there'll certainly be a tabloid that'll shout 'Doctor Who ratings slump' if there's no other news to run.
PS: So Dalek info sticks slot straight into sockets in Cybus Cybermen? Nice to see those compatability standardas are honoured not only by all would-be inter-galactic conquerers, but also across universes! (the makers of ID4 would feel at home...)
PPS: Nice dual function that the infosticks convert into a weapon if you twist them. If a Dalek's gun is disabled, it can grap the infostick in its left sucker, and twist the tip with its... oh.
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I dont disagree with the notion that the Daleks would have such a database, but its really very convenient that the Cybermen have it for this story.
I thought it was brilliant, and loads of fun. Probably my favorite Christmas special. And there was a giant robot, which was just cybericing on the cybercake, really. I don't know what a "Megazord" is, but I'm sure I'd like them. 
The thing I enjoyed the most about it was seeing the Doctor all excited to meet his future self and actually looking forward to it for a change.
The thing I enjoyed the most about it was seeing the Doctor all excited to meet his future self and actually looking forward to it for a change.
Very poignant and effective. RTD and Tennant know how to push the pathos button for me. This one had me welling up in tears at the end. Oh and the scene with the flashes of the previous nine was brilliant. Just enough without being OTT.
This was a VAST improvement on last year's mess which didn't know if it wanted to be "The Poseidon Adventure" or a pisstake.
I thought Morrissey was GREAT and his performance was VERY moving. Well done to YOU sir, indeed!
It's going to be a long arse wait to Easter now.
This was a VAST improvement on last year's mess which didn't know if it wanted to be "The Poseidon Adventure" or a pisstake.
I thought Morrissey was GREAT and his performance was VERY moving. Well done to YOU sir, indeed!
It's going to be a long arse wait to Easter now.
I I don't know what a "Megazord" is, but I'm sure I'd like them.
they're the giant combined forms of the zords, mechanical whosits used by the Power Rangers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megazord
I just watched it, as we were having dinner at 6pm yesterday.
I thought it was great, the setting was great, very Oliver Twist. Lots of good one liners and funny moments and Morrisey and Tennant played very well off each other.
As always, if you stop to consider what was happening off screen, the death toll from that giant robot stomping all over the place must have been enormous.
I thought it was great, the setting was great, very Oliver Twist. Lots of good one liners and funny moments and Morrisey and Tennant played very well off each other.
As always, if you stop to consider what was happening off screen, the death toll from that giant robot stomping all over the place must have been enormous.
Thank you! Well, they do sound awesome, but they're not exactly the first occurrence of giant robots in fiction, are they?
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