The Doctor Who Thread

I am still wondering if casting an ‘older doctor’ didn’t create a disconnect with young fans. No I didn’t have a problem with it (I’m old) but my daughter who was a mad keen Doctor Who fan basically lost interest as soon as the Doctor was a ‘old person’. Her comicon attending geek friends (most of whom were also Doctor Who fans) all lost interest over the next couple of seasons.

Just a thought…

Entirely possible. Even probable. The incoming Doctor will also likely lose some of the old diehards, but its possible she will bring the younguns back in.

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I don’t think the falling ratings have anything to do with the actor playing the Doctor, and everything to do with the very crappy stories and scripts they were given to work with. Whilst I love Doctor Who, and will always watch it, there have been some very average stories in the new series. Of course there have also been some triumphs.

I think Capaldi was great, and exactly who I was looking for in a Doctor. Hence making this vid years ago:

Then his stories began. :frowning:

A year of “Am I a Good Man?” was an awful way to spend a series.

Clara should have departed as originally intended in that year’s Xmas special, but instead stayed and we had a year of Clara plus Capaldi.

Then we had - a year of nothing.

Finally we returned with quite a different companion - I think the most unique of the new run - and a fairly good season, but had lost a lot of ground.

Yes, Capaldi, as an older, not exactly classically attractive man, probably did not help with some segments of the audience, but I also don’t think he was hugely to blame for the ratings.

So not companions but friends?
Doctor Who: trailer

The term “companion” hasn’t really been in vogue since Rose.

In fact… let’s visit that, shall we?

1964 - The Daleks
DOCTOR: Can’t you see we’re very ill.
DALEK 1: You and your companions need a drug to stay alive.

1972 - The Mutants
DOCTOR: Almost. And my companions?
MARSHAL: Will be released as soon as the job is done.

1974 - Death to the Daleks
DOCTOR: I have a young companion with me, Sarah Jane Smith.

1977 - The Invisible Enemy
MARIUS: That tin thing is my best friend and constant companion.

1979 - Destiny of the Daleks
DALEK 2: Computers identify the voices as those of the Doctor and his companion.

2005 - Aliens of London
DOCTOR: Actually, it’s my fault. I sort of er, employed Rose as my companion.
POLICEMAN: When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?
ROSE + DOCTOR: No.

There’s lots more…

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=site:http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho+companion&hl=en&ei=aqpRW_SKLJbbhwOloYOQAQ&start=20&sa=N&biw=1631&bih=935

Doctor Who returns 8 October to BBC - and Aussie Cinemas:

ABC air dates to be confirmed.

Cinemas before TV? How rude.

That precedent was set by Capaldi’s debut story, Deep Breath (which I took my now 10yo son to watch; am now debating doing the same). (Kind of also - Day of the Doctor - I mean, who really watched the 5.30am worldwide simulcast? Oh, yeah, me in part cos of a cranky kid, before going to see it in all its 3D glory on the big screen, and then again that night on the ABC.)

What’s concerning is that the new UK Sunday time slot means the ABC can’t show it on Sunday (ie same day) night as they have been doing in recent years. Apparently it’s been confirmed that the ABC’s Whovians is returning - airing on Monday nights - suggesting the show itself will air Mondays, but the time frame wouldn’t fit for broadcast on the ABC’s HD channel… meaning we would only have an SD broadcast of a show that’s been recorded in HD since Planet of the Dead in 2009.

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I wasn’t sure I’d bother going to the cinema to watch but if the ABC broadcast (the first one anyway) is going to be in SD then I think I’ll have to.

FTA ‘HD’ is poor enough quality as it is, I’m not wasting my time watching SD on a big screen TV with a surround sound system.

The ABC doesn’t appear to have confirmed anything at all as yet, but BBC Studios Australia made this comment:

Doctor Who premieres on ABC iview on Monday 8 October, immediately after the UK’s broadcast, and will air that evening on ABC. Following the ABC television broadcast, fans can switch over to ABC COMEDY for Whovians , the half-hour Doctor Who fan show hosted by Rove McManus.”

Reading that myself (instead of falling for the hype of the fans on Gallifreybase), it doesn’t really suggest that the show will air on the SD channel… but they couldn’t start it until 8pm on the HD channel… not a family friendly slot… (and by all counts, the new Doctor/season appears geared toward the family audience.)

5:55pm Monday’s starting 8th October will be Doctor Who’s new time slot on the main ABC /HD channel.

This allows the ABC to avoid having to break up their Monday night’s viewing - getting WHO in before the news instead of after it.

First look at episode one - official clip:

Looks like they arent expecting it to be a success. The clip gave me a giggle. I’m going to like it.

I am liking the little bit I’ve seen so far but 5:55pm (for me at least) is an annoying time, that’s when I’m preparing my dinner, it wouldn’t be such an issue if ABC iview worked better.

I think you’re right kyte, they’re already assuming lower ratings.

The clip ticks boxes for “post regenerative Doctor scene”… I just am not liking her accent (and that’s after having had a Scot in the role)… and - you know… it’s a girl.… But I really am trying to judge by what’s on the page rather than my predisposition to male Doctors. I wasn’t thrilled with Tennant’s casting back in the day, but grew to love his portrayal. So, hey… open mind, cosmic.

Gosh, I dont have issues with iView on my AppleTV. Thats where I will be watching it :slight_smile:

My understanding is that iView is SD only… So for a HD show, it’s a waste… :frowning:

I’m not sure if the “app” accesses the same or different source material?

You are correct, not HD if you watch on iView where as the main ABC TV live to air channel broadcasts in HD (albeit not full HD).

http://about.abc.net.au/press-releases/abc-is-changing-to-hd/

https://iviewsupport.abc.net.au/article/30-why-isnt-iview-video-in-hd

Thanks for the links, @Geoff3DMN.

I can’t imagine their first argument - rights - being a huge issue - but certainly bandwidth for a free streaming service… that would be the ABC’s biggest issue.

It’s a shame that the Aust Gov set “HD” as 720p, but they aren’t alone. At least - I know when the BBC first moved to “HD” they were also accepting 720p instead of 1080p. Don’t think that’s changed, even if WHO is recorded in full HD.

At this point, I can’t see a change to full HD offering the free-to-air channels any benefit over streaming services.

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Bugger, don’t think I realised (clearly its not making much difference to me whilst watching iview shows). Might have to watch on BBC iPlayer, although… SD also?

I only have a 10 year old Samsung FullHD TV which is only 32" so HD shows look pretty good anyway.