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If I’m going to be picky, the rolling stock was a bit ancient, even for Grindleford.
South Wales Valleys Lines 2018. #arrivatrainswales
When was it set?
Well that did occur to me but the mobile phones looked fairly recent.
Right, well, out of interest I watched it on catch up last night. It's the first of the 'new' Dr Who's that I've seen, as the whole phenomenon has pretty much passed me by.
It was fine, lightly entertaining, kid's telly, with an obviously bigger budget than most kid's telly. Still looked a bit cheap though. If I had children, I'd probably enjoy watching it with them, but I'll admit to being slightly baffled as to how/why it's so popular with adults.
Are you going to tell me adults shouldn't have been watching Buffy either?
but I’ll admit to being slightly baffled as to how/why it’s so popular with adults.
Because mostly people grew up with it and after a gap it came back with just enough to appeal to adults who can accept it's never going to be a full on grown up drama but can just enjoy the characters and stories. Seemed to work quite well for JK Rowling and the Hunger Games lot.
I'm not telling anyone they shouldn't be watching anything, but Dr Who really is kid's telly, and I don't understand the reverence/seriousness with which some adults seem to treat it.
Buffy was great though 🙂
Because mostly people grew up with it and after a gap it came back with just enough to appeal to adults who can accept it’s never going to be a full on grown up drama but can just enjoy the characters and stories.
Yeah, that;'s fair, I understand the nostalgia angle for the folks that watched it in the 70s/80s (as children), but there's a much bigger 'new' audience as well.
Anyway, each to their own, different strokes for different folks and all that.
Some adults play with Lego too. Can you imagine a Dr Who box set and a Lego Star Wars creation for your 45th birthday? Each to their own though eh? 😉
It's great to have something to watch with the kids. We've also just started watching Buffy with them. Before kids I also enjoyed this stuff. Whatever. Same goes for Star Wars.
It's not a kids' show. It's a family show.
But, DezB, why is everyone into all this old music, sorry, telly, when there's so much new music, sorry, telly, that they could be watching... 😉
It’s not a kids’ show. It’s a family show.
I can see that children would enjoy watching it on their own. I can see that families (adults and children) would enjoy watching it together. I can't quite get why adults would watch it of their own volition, it's just too, I dunno, well, childish. And not in a clever Toy Story-esque 'works on a number of levels' way, just in a straight 'clearly aimed at a younger audience' way.
It was fine, lightly entertaining, kid’s telly, with an obviously bigger budget than most kid’s telly. Still looked a bit cheap though. If I had children, I’d probably enjoy watching it with them, but I’ll admit to being slightly baffled as to how/why it’s so popular with adults.
It was also, for you, a single episode, viewed out of the wider context of the show
If that single episide had instead been “Blink” for example then you’d probably have an entirely different but equally skewed viewpoint.
It works because it contains vast variances of serious and silly, light and dark , scary and ridiculous.
You never really know what you’re going to get but it’s usually quite clever.
I can’t quite get why adults would watch it of their own volition
Because it's fun.
Suppose we should all go back to watching I'm Strictly an X-Factor Celebrity In The Jungle On Ice Brother or something. Conform, conform!
It was also a single episode, viewed out of the wider context of the show
Yep, true, fair enough.
It was also, for you, a single episode, viewed out of the wider context of the show
... a very good point.
In the new run there's been some utter dross. But there's been some absolutely exceptional viewing also. Much like the old 'classic' show I suppose. And even then, the better episodes are enhanced by context, you're more invested in the characters. If the only Star Wars you'd seen was TFA, would you care when they killed off some random bit character like Han Solo?
It's what happens when you've got a team of writers doing different things, see also Buffy or the X-Files. Compare, well, pretty much any first season episode of BtVS to something like Hush or OMWF, for instance.
Suppose we should all go back to watching I’m Strictly an X-Factor Celebrity In The Jungle On Ice Brother or something. Conform, conform!
Certainly not, carry on being a nonconformist along with the 8.2 million other viewers!
What's wrong with being childish?
Just because something is aimed at a younger audience, it doesn't mean it has any less intrinsic merit than something aimed exclusively at adults.
What’s wrong with being childish?
Just because something is aimed at a younger audience, it doesn’t mean it has any less intrinsic merit than something aimed exclusively at adults.
There's nothing wrong with, I never said it had any less merit. It's absolutely right that a younger audience should get quality telly programs aimed at them, Dr Who is one of those, and good on it for that.
It's not so much the [i]watching[/i] of it I find weird.. (I mean I bought a DVD of Adventure Time, me!) it's the taking so seriously and discussing in ways like this -
[i]Incidental music is a bit of a mix. Some is good and atmospheric, some is a bit American style energetic action drama. The cinematography seems to be going for that too. Slight wider ratio (small bars top & bottom) I noticed for “film” look. Though also notice the trailers are wider still. I wonder if it’s actually shot wider and being cropped. Fine if they want to do a cinematic release but for a TV series it’s wasting space.[/i]
But, you see, I don't really [i]care[/i]..! It's just commenting my opinion on the forum. It's what we do innit. It's not gonna stop anyone watching it and nor should it.
@IHN - I played an album all the way through last night... from 1981, it was 🙂
Adventure Time is brilliant. Just sayin’
It’s not so much the <em class="bbcode-em">watching of it I find weird.. (I mean I bought a DVD of Adventure Time, me!) it’s the taking so seriously and discussing in ways like this –
<em class="bbcode-em">Incidental music is a bit of a mix. Some is good and atmospheric, some is a bit American style energetic action drama. The cinematography seems to be going for that too. Slight wider ratio (small bars top & bottom) I noticed for “film” look. Though also notice the trailers are wider still. I wonder if it’s actually shot wider and being cropped. Fine if they want to do a cinematic release but for a TV series it’s wasting space.
But, you see, I don’t really <em class="bbcode-em">care..! It’s just commenting my opinion on the forum. It’s what we do innit. It’s not gonna stop anyone watching it and nor should it.
This is what I've been trying to say, clearly not very well.
@IHN – I played an album all the way through last night… from 1981, it was
😆
Adventure Time is brilliant. Just sayin’
I have not the words to adequately express how whole heartedly I agree with this.
This is what I’ve been trying to say, clearly not very well.
If you agree it is of equal merit, why should it not be discussed equally and held to the same standards?
Adventure Time
It's a combination of the cinematography and the quality of the animation, isn't it.. 🙂
would you care when they killed off some random bit character like Han Solo
Wait - what now? Spoilers bro, spoilers. Next you'll be telling me that lass from the Crying Game has aged really badly, though I must see the end some time.
Nah, it’s the aspect ratio and the incidental music that really does it for me.
And Gunther. He’s my favourite
If you agree it is of equal merit, why should it not be discussed equally and held to the same standards?
Yeah, but, well, er, no, you see, er.
Nope, you got me.
I’m not telling anyone they shouldn’t be watching anything, but Dr Who really is kid’s telly, and I don’t understand the reverence/seriousness with which some adults seem to treat it.
If that really is the first you've watched since the Ecclestone re-boot then I can easily see why you would fail to see why lots of adults watch it. As I already commented in this thread, this episode was pretty simplistic as they had all the new characters to introduce. If you had watched any of the Capaldi episodes then you would definitely have seen a different type of performance. Themes can be pretty dark, there are very good comedy moments, adult content is often scattered around too and, like most good sci-fi, moral issues are brought up and discussed either directly or within the plot. I wasn't particularly impressed by this episode but I reckon the series will improve as we get into the characters more.
But there’s been some absolutely exceptional viewing also.
Agreed. The two parter "Silence in the Library" / "Forest of the Dead" is a fantastic example. Others include the aforementioned "Blink", "Dalek" and "The Empty Child" / "The Doctor Dances".
There has also been some ropey stuff too, it must be said.
Bring back Sally Sparrow, I say.
There has also been some ropey stuff too, it must be said.
Yeah. The Moon Is An Egg or whatever that episode was called was utter bobbins. What were they thinking?
Two episodes in and the sonic screwdriver is now the most important part of the plot lines. Pretty weak writing I thought.
I think you may be right there eddiebaby. A lot of the outstanding episodes discussed above, (blink etc.) were produced in the Russell T Davies era I think.
It's definately more about the writer than the main actor, and these first two new episodes leave me a little cold.
Anyone else thing Doctors have been quite samey since Tenant? With the exception of Capaldi in places.
The Doctor has certainly got progressively more excitable in the last dozen or so incarnations...
Two episodes in and the sonic screwdriver is now the most important part of the plot lines.
Always was. Traditional way of instantly sorting out any corner you'd written yourself into. Just reverse the polarity of the doo-dah and send them screaming back where they came from etc.
Thought I'd give this one a go, looked like decent production values, felt a bit sad for Art Malik's career, then got to the bit where dozens of robots can't shoot straight even at point blank range and a slow-moving Bradley Walsh to aim at. And then were conveniently dealt with with the sonic screwdriver. Sighed, then switched channels.
Plus she is annoying.
Agreed. The two parter “Silence in the Library” / “Forest of the Dead” is a fantastic example. Others include the aforementioned “Blink”, “Dalek” and “The Empty Child” “The Doctor Dances”.
The list of ropey ones is far, far longer than the standout episodes. You could include 'Girl in the Fireplace' in the good list, but I'm struggling to remember many others which were top-notch.
Sarah Jane Adventures, which WAS a kid's show, seemed to me far, far better than most of the dross from the Moffatt era.
Just to be clear, I don't have a beef about the aspect ratio / music, in the way some object to the slightest change and throw their toys out of the pram saying they'll never watch it again. It was just an observation. Not even a dislike.
What’s wrong with being childish?
Two episodes in and the sonic screwdriver is now the most important part of the plot lines.
Starting gently with no big grand story arc to fit in is another thought. Yeah the sonic kept it moving along there. For new viewers we covered the Guns are Bad mm'kay bit and that working together is better than flying solo.
The "sonic" is too much of a magic wand. The Doctor has become a bit Gandalf.
Yes you can use it to keep the story going instead of dealing with how to open a door, or you could just use a door knob or button and not have the door locked in the first place, or not even have the door.
JNT had the right idea in the 80s and got rid of the thing (and K9).
Sells toys though, so it's not going away.
Oh, bravo.
That was very bold and very, very well done.
Uncomfortable to watch, in a good way. Bold indeed and nice to get a decent historical story that's not really about the aliens.
Hoping it's a good educational story too. I've learnt things from it, having not really paid much attention to the events. Would be great if schools could pick up on it too. We never did any kind of history like this at school in my day.
Way better written than I expected it to be.
Kids' show eh?
Did she fix everything with her sonic screwdriver this week?
Not so far, it's a plot device though in case you missed that. Great episode for the current climate. Some people need reminding what happened and what happens when people want to change it
Did she fix everything with her sonic screwdriver this week?
Nope. It pretty much did what it should- provided a way to move the plot along by finding things quickly (rather than resolving problems), did a little bit of talking to future tech and unlocked some padlocks.
I like it when it does something clever or is used in a clever way, but within the bounds of what it's supposed to be able to do- the getting theroug the door problem in the 50th special being a case in point.
As for tonight- I thought it started well, was a little concerned about the role they were going to play halfway through, but then forcing them to be a part of it was clever and really quite uncomfortable.