COWARD!!!!

[Admiral Buzzkill]

It's ridiculous for anyone to call for a show's cancellation just because they don't like it.

Yeah - well, I mean, unless it's called "Star Trek:" something-or-other.

 

[DWF]

I can't say I'm hug fan of The Impossible Astronaut but I do remember what was said about The Deadly Assassin when it came out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/deadlyassassin/detail.shtml

At the time of the story's original transmission, however, many fans took the view that it contradicted the minimal details that had previously been revealed about the Doctor's race, and were absolutely infuriated by this. 'What must have happened is that at the end of The Hand of Fear the Doctor was knocked out when the TARDIS took off and had a crazy mixed up nightmare about Gallifrey,' suggested Jan Vincent-Rudzki in TARDIS Volume 2 Number 1 in 1977.
'As a Doctor Who story, The Deadly Assassin is just not worth considering. I've spoken to many people... and they all said how this story shattered their illusions of the Time Lords and lowered them to ordinary people. Once, Time Lords were all-powerful, awe-inspiring beings, capable of imprisoning planets forever in force fields, defenders of truth and good (when called in). Now, they are petty, squabbling, feeble-minded, doddering old fools. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE MAGIC OF DOCTOR WHO?' These outspoken criticisms from someone who was, at the time, President of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society had a very influential effect and were echoed and expanded upon by numerous other reviewers, including David Fychan in Oracle Number 12, dated September 1978:
'Here was a whole four episodes about the Time Lords; a chance to gaze deep into a society of immeasurable age; a chance to see what the Doctor left behind; an insight into the Doctor's mentality (why does he prefer the human race?) - and as such, it was incredibly, unbelievably wasted. It failed badly as anything but a thriller-SF story about an Earthly society. Time Lords were really only humans - for every emotion they showed, for every motive they possessed, there are clear parallels simply on Earth...
'What we "learnt" in The Deadly Assassin was quite revealing: no Time Ladies; a stiff caste system; a fact-adjusting society; torture; a constitution; a police force; Shabogan hooligans - all these go to make up the Gallifrey that we found...
'So, the most important question about the adventure is not "How does it fit in?" but "Is it worth trying to fit in?". The Deadly Assassin is an incongruity in Doctor Who.'

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I wish he had expanded on his germ of an idea, I don't think what he says is completely meritless. As to being a coward, maybe, but I have an unlisted phone number, and blog/forum posters can be a bunch of rabid assholes, so I at least understand his position.

 

[Sci]

An American reviewer's opinion is meaningful only insofar as it affects the American audience. The American audience's opinion is meaningful only insofar as it affects Doctor Who's run on BBC America. Doctor Who's run on BBC America, like Doctor Who's run on the Sci-Fi Channel, has no effect on Doctor Who's run on BBC One.

 

[Cutter John]

So did BBCA at least leave the Liz Sladen dedication placard in?


And don't even get me started on fecking Seinfeld. Was it supposed to be funneeee, or whaaat?

 

[BlackFire3]

this thread reminds me of what happened in Canada. about a month ago a person who happened to listen to the song "dire straights" i think and called the censor boards because there was a disagreeable word in the lyrics. after that call, they pretty much banned the song from playing in its original. everyone else was wondering why the song thats been playing on the air for over ten years is suddenly censored because of one complaint.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I thought it was a little weird, and wonder if it'll be on future episodes. Having it at the beginning of this episode, after an all day series 5 marathon and then an hour long special summing up that all day marathon just seemed redundant.

You have to presume most people aren't going to sit through an entire marathon to get acquainted. The quick four second narration there would presumably help at least a little bit. I would assume it's just a one time thing.

 

[Kitty Worrier]

So did BBCA at least leave the Liz Sladen dedication placard in?


And don't even get me started on fecking Seinfeld. Was it supposed to be funneeee, or whaaat?

Yeah, that was at the end, after the promo for next weeks episode, I believe.

The wierd recap by Amy was... okay. Wish it was placed elsewhere, before the opening credits (after the teaser) ruined the flow for me.

 

[captcalhoun]

this thread reminds me of what happened in Canada. about a month ago a person who happened to listen to the song "dire straights" i think and called the censor boards because there was a disagreeable word in the lyrics. after that call, they pretty much banned the song from playing in its original. everyone else was wondering why the song thats been playing on the air for over ten years is suddenly censored because of one complaint.

it was a song by a band called 'Dire Straits'. the song was called Money for Nothing.

 

[jbny67]

this thread reminds me of what happened in Canada. about a month ago a person who happened to listen to the song "dire straights" i think and called the censor boards because there was a disagreeable word in the lyrics. after that call, they pretty much banned the song from playing in its original. everyone else was wondering why the song thats been playing on the air for over ten years is suddenly censored because of one complaint.

it was a song by a band called 'Dire Straits'. the song was called Money for Nothing.

Seriously?
What could be considered censorship worthy in the lyrics of that song?

 

[DimesDan]

An American reviewer's opinion is meaningful only insofar as it affects the American audience. The American audience's opinion is meaningful only insofar as it affects Doctor Who's run on BBC America. Doctor Who's run on BBC America, like Doctor Who's run on the Sci-Fi Channel, has no effect on Doctor Who's run on BBC One.

So in other and using a far fewer amount of words:

It means bugger all.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

this thread reminds me of what happened in Canada. about a month ago a person who happened to listen to the song "dire straights" i think and called the censor boards because there was a disagreeable word in the lyrics. after that call, they pretty much banned the song from playing in its original. everyone else was wondering why the song thats been playing on the air for over ten years is suddenly censored because of one complaint.

it was a song by a band called 'Dire Straits'. the song was called Money for Nothing.

Seriously?
What could be considered censorship worthy in the lyrics of that song?

The little f*ggot with the earring and the makeup
Yeah buddy, that's his own hair
That little f*ggot got his own jet airplane
That little f*ggot he's a millionaire

The entire verse is often cut in the United States and I think some Canadian stations have started doing the same thing.

 

[Robert D. Robot]

Cancellation is almost always strictly a business decision. It has nothing to do with how good or bad a show may be.

For proof of that, I give you Seinfeld. No, seriously, take it away. That show should never have gone beyond a pilot, yet it managed to last for, what, a decade? And it was terrible.

After several comments about Seinfeld, I guess I'll throw in my own two cents. The humor may not have been your cup of tea, but the show was clearly not terrible. Otherwise, it would not have been so popular with audiences as to stay on the air and for NBC to fork over the high salaries to the actors for all those years. Not terrible, just not your cup of tea. I enjoy Seinfeld (I enjoy the other cast member's characters more than Seinfeld's, actually....).

My aunt & uncle think science fiction is for kids and joke that adults shouldn't be watching ridiculous children's shows where actors "pretend to be out flying spaceships"- shows like Star Trek, and Stargate, etc. These ridiculous programs received only a small fraction of the viewers that a terrible show like Seinfeld received... so - to my relatives- these programs clearly can not be worth watching.

So I have to (also) disagree with my aunt & uncle's statements.

 

[marillion]

^^ This... Only with me it's the relatively small amount of money I spend on comic books.. I maybe buy two titles a month, but to my wife, it's wasted money on something that's just for kids...

 

[Icemizer]

I just want to yell at BBCAmerica here for a sec. Prior to the start of the show we got a nice Billboard and audio Saying, this program brought to you by BMW with limited commercial interruption. Really? I think not. All the regular breaks were in the show. Very poor showing BBCAmerica, dont advertise what you wont deliver!

 

[marillion]

^^ Oh yes.. I wanted to mention that too.. It seemed to me there were MORE commercials than usual, and at weird times... The editing for broadcast here in the states was pretty wonky...

 

[DimesDan]

What Adverts? We don't get any.

Having adverts in means that BBC America can afford to buy the programme off of BBC proper and also help fund it from time to time.

 

[jbny67]

it was a song by a band called 'Dire Straits'. the song was called Money for Nothing.

Seriously?
What could be considered censorship worthy in the lyrics of that song?

The little f*ggot with the earring and the makeup
Yeah buddy, that's his own hair
That little f*ggot got his own jet airplane
That little f*ggot he's a millionaire

The entire verse is often cut in the United States and I think some Canadian stations have started doing the same thing.

Oh, yeah. I forgot about that verse. I guess it's been a while since I've heard that song.

 

[captcalhoun]

^i've NEVER heard that verse in the UK...

 

[Cutter John]

Lets just hope the 'Guardians of Decency' never go back and listen to the 'Greased Lightning' song from Grease, or catch the 'pricks' line in The Power of Love. A lot of stuff apparently slipped through back in the day.

^^ This... Only with me it's the relatively small amount of money I spend on comic books.. I maybe buy two titles a month, but to my wife, it's wasted money on something that's just for kids...

Now let this be a lesson to anybody out there considering getting married. Make sure your future spouse knows that you're going to damn well be spending a certain amount of money on your hobbies each month, and they'd best learn to live with it.