UPDATE: Episode One airs tonight in the US on BBC America. It is preceded by a clip/preview show with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.
Episode three aired today in the UK. All we will say is “toyetic.”
Reminder: Season One/Season 31 of Dr. Who (exec producer Steven Moffat says don’t call it Season Five) with Matt Smith starting his tenure as the 11th Doctor begins Saturday on the BBC. “The Eleventh Hour” will debut in the US on BBC America two weeks later, on April 17th. Karen Gillan also debuts as the newest companion, Amy Pond.
In Moffat we trust.
Spoilers in the comments. No whining if you click on them to read and see too much info.
Moffat’s tenure has been downhill ever since “Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death”.
there’s a magazine out called “DR WHO in our own words” or something like that which has a big section discussing FATAL DEATH.
Who wouldn’t have wanted Saffy Darling as a companion
It’s gonna be strange to see a Time Lord played by someone who wasn’t even born during Tom Baker’s stint as The Doctor…
Shades of Dougie Howser, MD — will this be the era of “The Intern”??
When I first saw the announcement of Matt Smith as the new Doctor, I wasn’t all that thrilled. You know the basic reaction–too young, too hip, etc. But then the trailers and teasers started popping up, and suddenly I have faith in the new season. And with Steven Moffatt in charge, I have nothing but high hopes for the show.
So does BBC America, too. Bus posters for a UK SF show?! In Manhattan? That’s a first. And their website overhaul shows their enthusiasm. Plus Matt, Karen, and “The Moff” will even be in NY on April 14 for a special screening and Q&A.
Go look and be amazed:
http://www.bbcamerica.com/shows/doctor-who/index.jsp
And you can always scroll down and check out this trailer:
http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com
Have your 3-D glasses standing by.
hot girl!
OH MY GOD! I SOOOOO CAN NOT WAIT TO SEE THIS!! (yes, that is meant to be in caps! haha…).
What is it? about 12 hours till it screens in the UK? So I should be watching it on youtube, or a torrent site (I so don’t know how to do that properly – I was able to download the 08 – next doctor special – from one of the torrent sites – DVD quality, loved it!- but don’t know which one now! yes, not to computor savvy at all! haha…)
Also, whats: “Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death”. Was that one of his episodes!?! Because I loved them all!
James, “The Curse of Fatal Death” was a comedy sketch written by Moffatt for the UK’s annual “Red Nose” fund-raising TV special. It starred Rowan Atkinson (Blackadder) as the Doctor and Jonathan Pryce as the Master.
The Doctor keeps getting killed and regenerated–first into Richard E. Grant, then into Jim Broadbent, then Hugh Grant, and finally Joanna Lumley!
Here’s the info dump:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_and_the_Curse_of_Fatal_Death
The first show was screened in the UK tonight and I wanted to love it. I am sorry to say I didn’t like it. I am not completely sure why but I think it may have something to do with writing and budget. The eye ship in tonights show looked like a reject from the first series of star trek in the 60s.
It felt like a cool edgy show stepped back into the 70s and it was much more like a childrens show (CBBC rather than hip teens) than it has been in recent years. I think I must be in the minority as others seem to be gushing about it but it felt horribly dated like a step backwards from the most recent doctors. I loved both Christopher Ecleston and David Tennant.
The new doctor himself was ok but tonights show turned me off as an ardent Doctor fan. I hope the rest of the series gets better as I was looking forward to it and I’m disappointed.
Couldn’t disagree more.
Loved the creepy tone of episode 1.
Loved Matt Smith and Karen Gillen.
Only quibble – a couple things too similar to RTD era – companion’s relatives, companion’s wedding issues.
Count me in for loving the new episode 1 (just saw it).
The new theme will take some time getting used to, and the snake creature FX were a bit rubbish (reminded me of the Eric Roberts snake in the 1996 movie), but overall I think season 5/31 is off to a great start.
Saw this last night and LOVED IT!!
So many great one liners and the tone was dark, but still fun.
Amy’s accent was weird, like it kept changing. English, scotish, she even sounded like an Aussie sometimes!
I also loved how his timing was so off (twice!)
Can’t wait for next week! Out of all the ‘sneak peaks’ that we got, the Daleks/War one looked the least appealing for me, but I said that about the ‘fires of pompei (sp?) ep from season 4, but ended up loveing it! :)
Absolutely loved it. Kept the good bits of the RTD years and jettisoned some of the stupid elements.
Matt Smith is excellent, but i think the biggest change is in the cinematography – it looks and feels like a bigger, more polished show than it used to.
Loved it.
This is the first doctor younger than me–feels like I’ve crossed a threshold.
Same here. Worse than when Brandon Routh became a younger-than-me Superman.
Matt Smith as Doctor Who = meh
I shall reserve my judgement for ep 3 or 4 of Season 5, but it’s not a hopeful feeling I’m having. Oh and the new TARDIS interior is shit.
I thought that Tennant was a fab Doctor, yet his final episodes seemed a bit strained. After watching the Eleventh hour I can tell you that this Doctor will be brilliant…and the script writing seems at this stage to be excellent. Also,you lot are too prejudiced! I would have liked an older Doc., but this guy plays it like the Time Lord you know and love…completely insane. How do you expect to like the Doctor if you never give him a chance?
Best Doctor yet…I won’t say no…
great second episode, even though there’s a massive plot hole.
Got a weird V for Vendetta vibe from Liz.
Make sure to watch the Confidential as it makes Karen Gillen even more wonderful.
In last week’s Doctor Who Confidential, Moffat’s stated approach to the show reminded me of Evan Dorkin’s view of comics (as mentioned in a video interview a couple years ago).
Moffat admits that some of the details don’t make absolute sense but the point is Doctor Who is supposed to be fun — Smilers and machine men and London in space. That’s what people want to see in an episode of Doctor Who. His goal is to show us something cool. If he leaves some superficial T’s uncrossed and I’s undotted along the way, so be it as long as we have a good time.
I often fall into the trap of taking my entertainment way too seriously and need creators like that to snap me out of it.
I’ve seen Episode 1 and 2 already and they are much fun and clever! And you can start to see the mystery …or guess at it at least, which makes it even more brilliant. Hopefully in Season 2 of the Smith era we’ll get to see at least one episode with Captain Harkness! Can’t wait to torrent bit the third episode tonight.
“Saffy Darling?” Lynda Day, you mean.
“I often fall into the trap of taking my entertainment way too seriously and need creators like that to snap me out of it.”
Moffat’s theory would definitely apply to the Dalek episode this week.
Karen Gillan, I like!
Jack: There’s something about a Doctor Who fan complaining about cheap special effects that I can’t quite wrap my head around. :)
I loved it. I watched Tom Baker as Dr Who as a kid and had a hard time every going back to see another Doctor. I finally started watching the David Tennant episodes after hearing so much good stuff about them and was hooked. I am ready to go where ever they take us.
I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Well, I loved parts of it. I loved the execution of the plot and Amy Pond (as Amelia as well) and the beautiful dog. I am on the fence on the new Doctor. He seemed like Tennant Lite. Of course, I loved Eccleston so much that it took me close to a season before I cottoned to Tennant, so clearly I don’t like change. But Tennant was just completely different from Eccleston, and Smith seems like he’s playing Tennant, not playing the Doctor.
But I’ll give him time.
“Season One/Season 31 of Dr. Who (exec producer Steven Moffat says don’t call it Season Five)”
Okay, Season 31 would be a fair cop, but Season One? Somebody is certainly full of himself.
“Box falls out of the sky, man falls out of box, man eats fish custard”
“Everything’s going to be fine”
“Why did YOU say five minutes?!”
“Get a girlfriend.”
“Who da man?”
“It’s cool; bowties are cool.”
So many great moments in this first episode. So far, I like Smith’s Doctor every bit as much as Tennant’s. Some fans are always going to hate change, and I’m usually one of them. Not this time.
I chose to think of it as a shout out to Peter Cushing’s Doctor.
Finally got watched the Matt Smith premiere. First reaction: agree with Karen above that #11 is a little much of a echo of the previous Doctor. (Will “Tennant-ic” be an accepted adjective to describe Smith?)
As for Amy: first reaction is that she IS what Rose COULD’VE been. But why another redhead Companion? The interaction between her and the Doctor in the hallway— him frazzled and loopy, her to the point and exasperated— made me think for a moment that there was a slight personality transfer between Donna and the regenerating Doctor…
And— now wondering if will be the ‘Smithies’ WHOvians badge of identification as scarves were for the ‘Tom Bakerites’??
Clarification: Now wondering if bowties will be the ‘Smithies’ WHOvians badge of identification as scarves were for the ‘Tom Bakerites’??
[Sorry, lap-typing while eating.]
What is wrong with another redhead? Amy is great! (And I loved Donna!).
Watched ep 3 yesterday, and while it wasn’t as great as the first two, it was still pretty good. It seemed to be light on plot. Loved the bits about Amy not remembering the Daleks… mystery!
I so CAN NOT wait for the next ep (or the next 2 really!) Moffat, River, and the angels all back! :)
Comments are closed.