October 14th, 2018
90 comments
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Poll – What Did You Think of The Ghost Monument?
Now that the second episode of series 11 has aired what did you think? Was it everything you had hoped for or not what you expected.
Still reeling from their first encounter, can the Doctor and her new friends stay alive long enough, in a hostile alien environment , to solve the mystery of Desolation? And just who are Angstrom and Epzo?
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Lorraine
October 21st, 2018 - 3:30pmI disliked some of Next Generation at first but it surpassed the original. Think we are heavily in pc tonight. This might be okay if treated well but if not and it becomes a lightweight lecture it will be hard. We have no choice but to turn off or watch. I suspect it is older viewers who are not connecting and the reasons are fair. Chibnall said at a conference in America thank you for letting me do this. Did we?
Lightningboy
October 20th, 2018 - 9:19am“Old” Who may have had wooden sets but “new” Who has wooden actors…you can have all the cgi & flashy special effects you want but at the end of the day this isn’t a patch on the original series which was theatrical,creepy,eerie,quirky,entertaining & most of all watchable – over & over,again & again..i’ll struggle to stay with this new one now,could you imagine some of these stories being played out over 6 episodes?..the quality of stories & writing is bland beyond belief..alas it’s become all about box-ticking…zzzzzzzz.
Anonymous
October 19th, 2018 - 10:16pmPair I meant to say.
Anonymous
October 19th, 2018 - 4:57pmI swear in twwfte, she had a different paid.
Anonymous
October 19th, 2018 - 4:02pmMaybe they’ll make a big finish series about how she got her ear pierced. We just can’t go on not knowing.
The Living Shadow
October 19th, 2018 - 3:59pmOh I didn’t notice that in the episode, but I do remember there were some pictures of the new Tardis with one of the Windows open (I think it was at a convention, but I could be wrong)!!! I do hope they use this in some way!
The Moffat Paradox
October 18th, 2018 - 4:51pmIf it doesn’t start convincingly match or exceed the previous heights of even the modern series then, in a way that those of us sceptical about the change visualised, there’ll be a reckoning that no amount of spinning can continue to be in denial against. If the viewing figures start to tumble and tumble. Mind you I thought Star Trek The Next Generation was going to be pants judging from most of the first season until the Romulans and the Borg were brought into it so the jury is still out.
Pats86
October 17th, 2018 - 6:08pmPeter, Lorraine is right try keep on board and cling to the positives, there are some.
Peter Williams
October 17th, 2018 - 3:21pmAbsolutely agreed, Jodie doesn’t have the ‘gravity’ of any of the previous doctors since the series was rebooted about 10 years ago.
She’s not a bad actress, but no.
obsie
October 17th, 2018 - 8:24amI’m curious to know how The Doctor managed to find time at such short notice to have her ear pierced and why. I know a possibility is somewhere between the funeral scenes and the finding new clothes in story one but no reference is given to such an obvious addition.
Lorraine
October 16th, 2018 - 11:01pmJust a thought perhaps Jodie is a regeneration of Susan her own grand daughter. We are not from Gallifray so what do we know. Can’t even sort of Brexit!
Lorraine
October 16th, 2018 - 10:47pmPeter i know how you feel as I am 61 and love DW. This is not the programme we know. Jodie is not an alien timeperson but more Sarah Jane with not so good storylines but better CIG but we knew it was going to happen so I am trying to grab the best I can. Villains so far are a bad blue tooth fairy and a cross loo roll. It is an alternative spinoff. Try to keep on-board
obsie
October 16th, 2018 - 4:34pmDid anyone notice that when The Doctor entered the TARDIS the new “porch” bit, the interior windows had pull down catches on them. Perhaps an idea to be used showing the windows open from the outside, happened a few times during the black and white stories.
obsie
October 16th, 2018 - 4:31pmFair enough to both of you, as long as it has something to please everyone it will serve it’s purpose.
Nygel Harrot
October 15th, 2018 - 9:45pmWell written Arthurian2, you took the words out of my mouth.
It also feels like no money what so ever has been spent on this series. Even comments about ‘a big door , i love a big door’ and we don’t even see it… unless that’s ‘post modern irony’.
It comes to something when the guest stars and Bradly Walsh out-act the main roll. :/
(The female space captain was very good)
There’s no heart in it. no soul. just empty lines.
Ahh the old opening doctor stories when instead of ‘wacky’ forced dialogue all the Doctor had to say to show his ‘Doctorness’ was….”Ahhh both a bit fast are they?”
(Tom Baker -Robot, but of course you knew that).
Why haven’t the production team knocked our socks off?
It all seems like its been brought back just to sell products!
Even the title logo says ‘BBC doctor who’ as it flies in your face.
Such a shame.
Peter Williams
October 15th, 2018 - 9:43pmFor me, that’s it.
No negative comments on the actors and actresses or their performance. But Doctor Who since it started with ‘series 1’ (or season 1) has always had some continuity.
This feels like an alternative reality spinoff of Doctor Who. It doesn’t compell me to view an episode in the least. Boring, unappealing storylines. I’ll see what future seasons will bring. Perhaps I’d have to wait for a new Doctor, and it may never return to what it was.
Surprised at the almost unanimous approval.
Disappointed older viewer.
Nygel Harrot
October 15th, 2018 - 9:27pmHow dare you!! The Sarah Jane Adventures was far better acted, written, paced, scarier, more atmospheric…Oh and also had the marvellous Bradly Walsh 🙂
R1ch1e
October 15th, 2018 - 9:24pmI agree. South Africa provided the perfect setting. There is nowhere in on England that could have provided that setting.
Also I have a feeling there will be more to come from Art Maliks character somewhere down the line.
the ergon
October 15th, 2018 - 8:37pmSorry for that booboo, its just some of the stuff i put up before didn,t quite make it through and thought it might have seemed inappropriate, too revealing or might have seemed offensive in some way.
And yes for snipers they were very bad shots.
R1ch1e
October 15th, 2018 - 7:51pmThis series, imo, has started very strongly indeed.
I had two quarrels with TWWFTE. Firstly, it was too long. Secondly it was too dark, literally. The whole episode was set at night and it didn’t fit with all the bright promotion that had been doing the rounds. But generally I thought I did everything it needed to do and was enjoyable.
Episode Two had none of those problems and was a huge step up. Although not perfect, as I don’t think any episode ever is. There did seem to be alot of walking and talking in the middle, but I didn’t think it was boring. It was fun, exciting, had a really engaging guest cast and set up a very interesting story arc. Which by the way Chibbs said there were going to be none of. The timeless child thing has obviously touched a nerve with the ‘Doc’ but I will take it with a pince of salt as we’ve been let down in the past ie the Hybrid.
But gone are the Moffat says of Hell Bent. Say what you like about Chris Chibnall, he has written a cracker here. He clearly thrives when he is running the show rather than writing the odd episode for other experiments and has a great vision for the show so maybe the Timeless Child will come to something interesting. I can’t wait for the rest of this series.
Jodie Whittaker continues to impress. Whatever it is you need to be the Doctor, she’s just got it in my opinion. I love the companions. Especially the developing relationship between Graham and Ryan. I really like Yaz too. I just hope her character develops. All we have so far is that she doesn’t like her family much. But she will get there. Chibbs is also very good at developing characters.
Finally a Doctor Who first. At least it was for me. We all know what the Tardis is, bigger on the inside, but because of this spoiler embargo they got going on we didn’t know what it was going to look like. We found out at the same time as the Doctor which actually choked me up a little. Jodie acting here i thought was superb as it has been throughout.
I think if the rest of this series continues this standard we are really in for a treat. I know it’s quite early, but I’m calling a finale involving the Stenza and the Daleks and Angstrom and Epzo will be back. Just saying!
9/10
Arthurian2
October 15th, 2018 - 7:48pmWe all had to suspend belief on the classic series, and for those of us that saw it as it was transmitted, we accepted a lot! But the 2005 rebooted series was able to address these effects with the doors opening straight into the console room. Now it’s like entering a small porch, somewhere to leave your boots, and stack a few logs, before you get into the main room.
The Living Shadow
October 15th, 2018 - 7:29pmI wondered that at first, but when I re-watched the episode and she says: “Like an old pair of mine.” followed by “I say mine, can’t remember who I borrowed them off now. It was either Audrey Hepburn or Pythagoras”. So it’s not the actually shades she used to own, just a similar pair!
The Living Shadow
October 15th, 2018 - 7:21pmBecause the setting looked beautiful (Art Malik too!) and vast! For me it really added to the sense of scale, which is important for an adventure about travelling a long distance! Would you have preferred it to be set in a boring old quarry or stuffy studio set?
booboo
October 15th, 2018 - 5:45pmnothing has been deleted all comments are on moderation, putting them through as quickly as i can
Pats86
October 15th, 2018 - 5:24pmCheers, I didn’t catch that. Errors indeed.
the ergon
October 15th, 2018 - 5:09pmbooboo why have you deleted my comment? it was a fair summary. Was it my comments about Graham?
the ergon
October 15th, 2018 - 5:07pmI think those three sides as you mention as they enter might answer that in the classic series they used to have the doors ajar and all you could see was an empty shell which took away the expanse and magic away from believing the size of the TARDIS interior. I just had to suspend disbelief at times. So now you see the those interior exterior panels before you actually enter into the console room. Its a difficult thing to explain away when you look at some of the old interiors.
the ergon
October 15th, 2018 - 4:51pmI,m in total agreement with regards to Bradley Walsh. He,s a very fine actor and surpassed himself. He and jodie for me have been the best things about it so far.The monsters and aliens have seemed like a parody of some of the series worst. That definitely needs to improve. Snipers/sniperbots indeed. Its been fine so far, but it does seem rushed and the scripts could be a lot tighter and it seems as though they wasted some good oportunities to make it grip and more exciting. The quieter moments were the best parts when they invest a little time you get to care and get to know more about the characters. I do worry for poor graham, is he going to have an heart attack later on with all that rushing around?
Arthurian2
October 15th, 2018 - 4:47pmShe actually commented that she had empty pockets while wearing the Capaldi coat! Just another of Mr Chibnails errors!
The Moffat Paradox
October 15th, 2018 - 3:48pmAnd competing against himself on Sunday nights at the same time in new celebrity editions of “The Chase”.