DR.WHO..worth it?

[Greg Cox]

"Worth it?"

No. I've tried modern Who and 80's Who. It's a children's show. I don't like it

I really wanted to.

To each their own. To my mind, most modern WHO episodes stack up well against any adult American sf series. It can be more whimsical at time, but that's part of the appeal. Who says all sf has to be serious and realistic?

And this is coming from someone whom, to be honest, never really got into the older versions of WHO. (I tried, but those endless serials were just too repetitive and slowly paced.)

"Blink" or "The Girl in the Fireplace" are way too good to be considered just kiddie fare.

 

[Brent]

Yes it is worth it, very good SCIFI, both old and new Doctor Who.

 

[bluedana]

My son and just watched The Eleventh Hour and just like that, I'm in. I haven't watched the series since Tom Baker and his striped scarf. Yes, I'm that old. Almost as old as The Doctor.

 

[23skidoo]

"Worth it?"

No. I've tried modern Who and 80's Who. It's a children's show. I don't like it

I really wanted to.

I am curious. And I actually had a thread going at one point on this but I lost track. Exactly what is it that makes it a kid's show? Lack of nudity and salty language? Or do you like your SF in different shades of black (like BSG)?

That's not a criticism of your taste. I'm just curious because I've been exposed to SF ranging from the stuff aimed at 5 year olds we used to have on Saturday morning cartoons, up to stuff so black it makes BSG look like a sitcom. And I've never considered DW to be a kiddie show. In fact at times (not often, but on a few occasions) it does indeed make BSG look like a sitcom. BSG never had an episode as tension filled as Midnight.

(One caveat: I don't accept any argument relating to its special effects. People use that excuse all the time and it was a budget and technology limitation issue back in the day and has nothing to do with the show at its core.

Alex

 

[Tulin]

I have never seen Dr. Who in my life. But the commercials I have been seeing on BBC INTERNATIONAL look pretty good. Do need to have seen the previous versions? Or will this new season be a reboot??? And...is it worth watching?

Rob

Watch from the Eccelston ones.

For the LOVE OF GOD DO NOT watch the older ones. They are pretty much just niché viewing now. Also, if you were born after 1980, you have lost the gene that allows you to watch a special effect and understand the context of the era it was created in. You simply judge EVERY program or movie EVER made by the standards set by Avatar. Thus you will NOT be able to take old Who's effects seriously.

 

[Hyperspace05]

I started watching the "new" ones from 2005, and I enjoy it OK.

- The show is ... its own thing. It takes time to get used to.
- Some rare episodes are brilliant, most are OK, some are just BAD. Season 3 (from my reckoning) have the highest peaks - "blink", "family of blood" group.
- I have no interest in digging up old seasons. It just is not compelling enough for that.

Overall the show is a decent diversion...

 

[Tulin]

And that is exactly how I view it - it is fun and entertaining.

In a tv landscape filled to bursting what SUVs, CSIs and L&Os, it's good to have a small, entertaining show to watch.

 

[F. King Daniel]

23skidoo, the reasons I see DW as a kids' show are primarily:

The plots are usually lightweight.

The acting is really cheesy (Billie Piper wound me up no end)

The various monsters and characters are impossible to take seriously (Daleks and Cybermen, a talking sheet of skin that was the "last human alive")



That "It's a kids' show" isn't the only reason I dislike it. I couldn't stand Christopher Eccelston's acting and I thought he was about as likable in the role as his character in 28 Days Later.

Of course, each to their own

FWIW I don't like dark and miserable sci-fi like BSG. I like bright and fun stuff like Stargate or last year's Trek film. Doctor Who just really isn't for me.
Neither's Star Wars, for that matter. I guess I just don't have popular tastes.

 

[Tom]

Is it worth it, fuck yes!! (fan since 1983 here). In a world of dark scifi (BSG, Caprica, SGU) Doctor Who is fun scifi that does not take itself to seriously. So start with the new series (2005) then if your curious you can go back to the old show.

 

[Neroon]

I have never seen Dr. Who in my life. But the commercials I have been seeing on BBC INTERNATIONAL look pretty good. Do need to have seen the previous versions? Or will this new season be a reboot??? And...is it worth watching?

Rob

It might be best to ask this in the forum that is dedicated to the franchise.

 

[arch101]

I'm old, and this show is older than me, so yeah, it's been around awhile. I've been watching since 1977 so, yeah, it's worth it. Start with the modern episodes and get used to it. Don't try to watch the pre-1989 series for awhile. You'll find them silly and boring until you are into the premise a bit. The folks above who say to start with "Rose" or "Eleventh Hour" are correct. The current show (2005-present) is a bit tough to jump into mid-season.

 

[Chaos Descending]

I have never seen Dr. Who in my life. But the commercials I have been seeing on BBC INTERNATIONAL look pretty good. Do need to have seen the previous versions? Or will this new season be a reboot??? And...is it worth watching?

Rob

It might be best to ask this in the forum that is dedicated to the franchise.

Yes, because he's likely to get a non-biased answer to the question, "Is Dr. Who worth it" from a bunch of Doctor Who fans in a Doctor Who forum.

Well played.

 

[Psion]

DON'T take the show too seriously. It is bits of whimsy and fairy tale glued together with farce and an unexpectedly high body count. Rarely does the show deal with anything approaching hard SF.

Turn off your skepticism and jaded cynicism before you watch a single show. It's set in a landscape best viewed through the eyes of an eight-year-old. Yes, it is a kid's show in that sense, but designed to send them scurrying for cover at least once each episode and keep their parents up several nights a week dealing with nightmares.

In return, you'll get one of the most upbeat shows in the entire genre. One that celebrates life and humanity and values the spirit of the individual. It's extraordinarily original at times, and has shining moments that make me think it's the best SF show on television.

And ... keep a blanket handy. You might need to hide now and then.

EDIT TO ADD:

WHOA! Neroon, putting this thread in the Doctor Who forum isn't a good idea! RobertScorpio was looking for an unbiased account of the show, not the opinions of fans alone. Had he put it in the Doctor Who forum in the first place, he'd never have gotten the valid criticisms of King Daniel and the like who have no interest in prowling the threads of a show they don't like.

 

[DWF]

EDIT TO ADD:

WHOA! Neroon, putting this thread in the Doctor Who forum isn't a good idea! RobertScorpio was looking for an unbiased account of the show, not the opinions of fans alone. Had he put it in the Doctor Who forum in the first place, he'd never have gotten the valid criticisms of King Daniel and the like who have no interest in prowling the threads of a show they don't like.

Can anybody have an unbiased opinion here on the TrekBBS?

 

[Lindley]

Probably not.

 

[diankra]

To the OP: just watch the episodes about to run in the US.
Doctor Who does occasional restarts where new viewers can jump on, so as long as you can get the basics from Eleventh Hour, it's as good a place as any to start (you might wonder how a blue box can fly and crash, but apart from that...).

The earlier stuff can be checked out as and if you fancy!

 

[Stevil2001]

Also, if you were born after 1980, you have lost the gene that allows you to watch a special effect and understand the context of the era it was created in. You simply judge EVERY program or movie EVER made by the standards set by Avatar. Thus you will NOT be able to take old Who's effects seriously.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

The new season is as good a place to start as any and probably better than many.

 

[Worf2DS9]

I've tried modern Who and 80's Who. It's a children's show. I don't like it

Huh, and here I thought everyone from England was born with Who-love in their genetic makeup. Apparently not.

To the OP, it's definately worth it! As others have said you can easily jump on board with "The Eleventh Hour", and if you like this season, backtrack and start with Series 1 and "Rose".

 

[Neroon]

I definitely feel it's worth a look. Not having grown up on the original series, our whole family has taken to the new series voraciously. While I won't call it a "kids show", not by any stretch, I would say it's more of a "family show". At least when compared to say "Torchwood". For me, that's a great thing, because we can all enjoy watching it. In fact, I hosted a marathon this past weekend, and had a full house of all ages.