[X] My Assistant

[dvandorn]

I understand from what I've read that this last season-ender of Dr. Who set records over there in the UK, attracting enormous audiences.

To all of our British subjects, here -- was it as much of a big media thing there as the press has been saying? Was everyone talking about it the next day?

The season ending episode just aired tonight on the Sci Fi Channel here in the U.S., and I will say this -- I've never seen them have to swing out those supporting-cast names during the title sequence quite as fast before, to fit nearly all of the Doctor's companions from the Eccleston revival to the present. Really good to see Billie Piper back again, too -- if only for a few episodes.

Gotta say, as someone who used to watch Dr. Who back in the seventies and eighties, the writing and production values on this new series are truly outstanding. No wonder the good Doctor has made such a comeback in Britain.

-the other Doctor... er, Doug

[imipak]

Dr Who? Why, it's childish tosh! Scientifically illiterate, cheesy plotlines, unconvincing dialogue drowned in gee-whiz special effects. Now, Blake's 7..! ...there's a show worth watching! It covers similar SF-y ground but with a far more grown-up manner, uses technology purely as McGuffinnery to advance the plot; and, I maintain, qualifies as art (where 'Who' was and is primarily entertainment) by actually saying something about the human condition through drama - and characters, and conflict.

I will admit that a sporadic cheddary whiff might have been evident here and there... *cough! *cough!

For those unfamiliar with late 70s BBC TV... Blake's 7 was created by Terry "Dr Who" Nation, along with... Survivors. It was intended as a more adult approach to similar themes, but the classic wobbly sets, cardboard spaceships and bad monster suits rather doomed it from the cult perspective.) It also made the unprecedented (and as far as I know unrepeated) step of ending with the goodies being mercilessly gunned down in the last few minutes of the last show. The final shot has Avon, the last one left alive, surrounded by enemy soldiers - he smiles - slowly begins to raise his gun - fade to black - zap zap kerpow. Roll credits, sans theme music. Cue the sound of kids jaws dropping all over the country as it became apparent that there was no standard last-minute rescue, there'd be no next series, and they really were actually all dead. Utter, unforgettable genius.

I seem to recall the BBC off'd a couple of the 70s/80s era Doctor's "companions" as well. I doubt they'd get away with it today, the papers would be full of the parents of howling, traumatised children, demanding compensation...

[dvandorn]

I seem to recall the BBC off'd a couple of the 70s/80s era Doctor's "companions" as well. I doubt they'd get away with it today, the papers would be full of the parents of howling, traumatised children, demanding compensation...

In the Who-related Torchwood series, the final episode of this last season offed two of the main characters, Tosh and Owen. I was surprised they went that far, but it was reasonably supportable from a dramatic and character standpoint.

-the other Doug