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• In other news, yes we are watching Game of Thrones. No, The Beat has not read the books. (Ever since getting burned on Wheel of Time, we’ve been wary of giant, unfinished fantasy epics.) Clearly, GRRM is better than Robert Jordan so we may revise that. So far, we like Peter Dinklage and the dire wolves — things that are small and cute, basically. More seriously — wow how much money did HBO spend on this? And it’s refreshing to watch a TV show that takes the time to just show people plodding on horses across a wintry landscape for what seems like an eternity. World building/scene setting.
ASIDE: Nice warm-up for Conan from Jason Momoa as Dothraki horse-lord Khal Drogo.
• Finally, The Beat and FMB after YEARS of resistance, have started watching Doctor Who.
Yes.
I know.
I know.
PLEASE DO NOT FLOOD THE COMMENTS WITH OH HOW COULD YOU NOT WATCH DOCTOR WHO. YOUR LIFE HAS HAD NO MEANING UNTIL NOW. I am well aware of Doctor Who and who he is and how many doctors there have been and Pertwee and Daleks and all that stuff. I just never liked watching TV until streaming Netflix made it the most fun thing on earth.
Also, it just…I dunno. Ever since Lost ended almost a year ago, I suspected the next TV show I would go onto was Doctor Who, but I needed to take a break. I needed some time to myself. I needed to sit on the shore and skip stones across the lake. Also, you can only have a few TV shows that you devote your entire life to, and I already have Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, Twin Peaks, and Uncle Floyd, so it is hard to squeeze in another one.
But anyway, rest assured, we are now on board and will be joining in all the fun very, very soon.
I’m always a little disappointed when i see people complain of being burned by Wheel of Time being “unfinished” as Brandon Sanderson’s novels concluding the series have generally been some of the best in the entire series. We may have lost Mr Jordan too early but he did right by his fans in preparing for the worst possible outcome of his illness and his wife could not have picked a better author to finish it in his place.
I’m always a little disappointed when i see people complain of being burned by Wheel of Time being “unfinished” as Brandon Sanderson’s novels concluding the series have generally been some of the best in the entire series. We may have lost Mr Jordan too early but he did right by his fans in preparing for the worst possible outcome of his illness and his wife could not have picked a better author to finish it in his place.
I feel myself capitulating and will probably start watching soon too. Some days I feel lost on Twitter with all the Tardis talk. Netflix will be earning its keep.
I feel myself capitulating and will probably start watching soon too. Some days I feel lost on Twitter with all the Tardis talk. Netflix will be earning its keep.
Possibly the “burned” remark refers to deciding at some point that the story wasn’t good enough to keep reading, rather than the fact that Jordan died?
In any case, re: money spent, initial reports put it at $45 million, but the number seems to have crept up to $50-$60 million range once all was said and done. One anonymous person, allegedly familiar with the budget, claimed to Variety that it was in fact nearer $100 million, but I think that’s extremely dubious. They may have been factoring in great purchasing power in Northern Ireland, but even that’s extreme.
Still, expensive. Not Rome expensive (that one really was about $100 million in its first season), but in the Deadwood area.
It’s been greenlit for a second season, too, following solid (though no exceptional) ratings.
Possibly the “burned” remark refers to deciding at some point that the story wasn’t good enough to keep reading, rather than the fact that Jordan died?
In any case, re: money spent, initial reports put it at $45 million, but the number seems to have crept up to $50-$60 million range once all was said and done. One anonymous person, allegedly familiar with the budget, claimed to Variety that it was in fact nearer $100 million, but I think that’s extremely dubious. They may have been factoring in great purchasing power in Northern Ireland, but even that’s extreme.
Still, expensive. Not Rome expensive (that one really was about $100 million in its first season), but in the Deadwood area.
It’s been greenlit for a second season, too, following solid (though no exceptional) ratings.
I also had never watched the Doctor, but when Lost ended I started with Matt Smith, and god damn, I am happy I did. It’s a good replacement for Lost, also try Morning Glories and Locke and Key.
I also had never watched the Doctor, but when Lost ended I started with Matt Smith, and god damn, I am happy I did. It’s a good replacement for Lost, also try Morning Glories and Locke and Key.
Yeah, I understand Geek shock… Friends were always surprised when I told them I hadn’t seen “Pulp Fiction”. But then I shut them up when I asked them if they had seen “Citizen Kane”. (I saw it a few years later, when a local university screened it.)
So, yeah, I haven’t seen the latest two Doctors (watched the others when I was a young geek). No television, and no strong desire to buy the DVDs or stream or watch (although I am curious about the Neil Gaiman episode).
Besides, I watch television randomly, just like I surf the web. Sit down, turn it on, and start flipping channels until something interesting comes on.
As for TVDs… I’m waiting for Season Four of the Muppet Show, and will be buying the deluxe edition of Shout Factory’s Ernie Kovacs collection (with the extra disc and Friedman art!) ah… remember when PBS was our Internet? Kovacs, Doctor Who, Monty Python, Nova, Letter People…
Yeah, I understand Geek shock… Friends were always surprised when I told them I hadn’t seen “Pulp Fiction”. But then I shut them up when I asked them if they had seen “Citizen Kane”. (I saw it a few years later, when a local university screened it.)
So, yeah, I haven’t seen the latest two Doctors (watched the others when I was a young geek). No television, and no strong desire to buy the DVDs or stream or watch (although I am curious about the Neil Gaiman episode).
Besides, I watch television randomly, just like I surf the web. Sit down, turn it on, and start flipping channels until something interesting comes on.
As for TVDs… I’m waiting for Season Four of the Muppet Show, and will be buying the deluxe edition of Shout Factory’s Ernie Kovacs collection (with the extra disc and Friedman art!) ah… remember when PBS was our Internet? Kovacs, Doctor Who, Monty Python, Nova, Letter People…
I’ve also never watched Dr. Who. I’ve tried to get into it in the past but couldn’t. Now I did see a couple of the more recent episodes at a friends place and can see the appeal (they were way better than what I tired to watch years ago) but I’m jumping on the bandwagon.
I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU NEVER WATCHED DOCTOR WHO!
(somebody had to do it)
So funny. I just STOPPED watching Dr. Who.
Had been a casual fan since the Tom Baker days and then saw every episode since the 2005 ‘re-boot’.
But the current writing level is crap. The episode that really finished it for me was the Vincent Van Gogh disaster from last year. Unbearable. (Yes, I know it was just nominated for a Hugo award. What can I say –a ghastly piece of rubbish.)
And everything I’ve heard about the series since then confirms my decision: A Christmas Carol episode? The Nixon White House?
I’m out until the current producers are.
I was a Doctor Who fan before it was cool. Young whipper-snappers.
Warren Ellis has said that there is only one correct answer to the question, “Who was the best Doctor?” and that is, “Tom Baker.” On this Warren and I are in complete agreement.
I do rather like this Matt fellow, but the stories have been hit-or-miss.
If you want to see Peter Dinklage’s finest on-screen moment, check out Safe Men (with added bonus pre-Sideways Paul Giamatti wearing zubaz sweatpants).
And I really can’t believe we had to wait until 2011 to realize Direwolves make for great television. I’m curious how big they’ll get on the show and how they’ll handle filming them.
RDaggle, were I the sort of person to play “Superman vs. Wolverine WHO IS MORE AWESOME?” this would be the part where I told you that the Van Gough episode was the bestest and the lurkers support me in email.
Instead, because I am not eight, I’ll just agree that tastes differ and say that Who has changed a lot over the years, so there’s an incarnation for everyone!
Nothing wrong with starting Doctor Who now. What I’m curious about is where are you starting Doctor Who?
As a show with such a long history there are so many places to start. You could jump right into this current season of Matt Smith, although the first episode makes quite a few call backs to the last season. So do you start when Matt Smith is new to the series? Go back to when the series started up again in 2005? Dig into the 1970’s Tom Baker years or start from what few episodes that still exist of the very beginning of the series?
So Beat and FMB where are you jumping in?
I should have made this clearer — I have seen many episodes of Tom Baker Who and Peter Davison Who and even some of the old ones with various other Whos. I’m talking specifically about the 21st Century reboot which began with Eccleston. That seems to be where the current fandom is fixated and the touchstone for the entire Internet-driven Whovian-sphere right now.
I’ll see you and raise you: I have no interest in either show and no intention to watch them.
“I think Time Tunnel is much better than Doctor Who.”
Agreed, DARKPLACE is awesome.
@Torsten — That’s quite clever of you. It hadn’t occurred to me but, yes, PBS totally WAS our internet. Doctor Who, Monty Python — Most of us 80s computer geeks worshipped that stuff, and I suspect that ALL us first-gen webitects and netizens were PBS nerds.
(Back in the days when I was young I’m not a kid anymore/But some days I sit and wish I was a kid again.)
I’ve seen precisely one episode of Dr. Who ever and it did NOT grab me.
anyway… I also lost interest in THE WHEEL OF TIME after the third book. Seriously, no one has used his notes to write a last book? WTF?
Anyway… plodding horses. you may have just sold me. I think silent scenes of men staring about (or women – that’s cool) and not saying anything is the definition of a western.
Even if it’s samurais staring.
Or knights.
it’s still a Western.
That’s a Western to me.
Men looking thoughtful.
Not talking.
Fights that over quickly.
Without comment.
Not talking.
I love it.
don’t know why.
I may have to check this puppy out. And when I say I am going to check something out, that means it’s a sure bet I will see it WITHIN THE DECADE. But that’s better than I do with most shows.
Brady- Brandon Sanderson, who writes some mighty swell fantasy, is busy at work writing the final book in the Wheel of Time. Slated for next year sometime, barring the very plausible decision there is still just too much rich material left in Jordan’s notes and the series really aught to go on to 15 book quintuple-trilogy, should finally get wrapped up.
The thing that erked me was the series going from 6 books to 10 to no end in sight until Jordan passed away. It was all very “Wonder Boys”.
Not a big “Dr. Who” fan, but I’d never heard of “Darkplace” until just this very moment and suddenly feel like I’ve been missing out on my whole life. Thanks, Heidi! (And YouTube.)
You’re gonna have a great time with Doctor Who.
Keep in mind that Netflix “hides” the unofficial 5th season– which were a series of 90 minute episodes–
So after you finish Episode 15 of Season 4 (The Next Doctor), you still have:
Planet of the Dead
The Waters of Mars
The End of Time
to go– 90 minute episodes that round out the story before you hit Season 5. Not to worry, they’re on Netflix as well.
Have a great time, I almost wish I could go back and rewatch them for the first time again!
(avoiding Tardis joke…)
So then Heidi, does that mean you started with Eccleston with the new Doctor Who?
Also with no spoilers, I will say the start of season 6 (or 32 depending on how you look at it) was one of the best season openings in the series history. What they did just blew me away.
Needless to say i was a big fan of the Eccleston year, which was an awesome all-in-one, go-for-broke, we-may-never-get-a-chance-again season.
Since then it’s been fun but there’s a bit of cognitive dissonance when the successive regenerations become younger than me.