*bounce* *bounce* Doctor Who squeeage *bounce*

[selenay]

I have woken up as a very, very happy Doctor Who fan :-)))))))) Just getting new Doctor Who has made me an excited fan for months, but I've now seen the first episode and I couldn't be happier about it. Wooo!


It's not often that I get a little tingle of excitement when watching the opening credits for a show. Hell, it probably hasn't happened since the Doctor Who movie years ago. But yesterday evening, as the theme began and the Tardis tumbled through a vortex, I had that little tingle and I knew that I was going to enjoy this.

Technically I was eating tea during the show. It was Saturday tea-time, it was therefore Doctor Who. And we (the family *g*) had set up to eat in the lounge so that we didn't have to miss anything. I say 'technically' because I was too busy watching and only ate about three bites. Possibly this needs to be taken account of next week :-)

My major fear had been that it wouldn't feel like Doctor Who. The walking manequins were rather Doctor Who-ish, but it was Christopher Eccleston's first appearance that really sealed it. I like his Doctor very much. He's excited, almost child-like in his enthusiasm for everything, yet he has moments of quiet vulnerability that just stop it being over the top. His Doctor also has a tendency to forget the small things when pursuing the larger picture. Forgetting that Rose might be a little distressed by the probable death of her boyfriend emphasised that and added a hint of alien-ness because his priorities are so different. He's the kind of person who would be cheerfully pointing out and enthusastically describing something completely lethal, forgetting that Rose might be frightened and not understanding why she isn't has excited as him.

Now, I didn't expect to like Rose much. After all, Billie Piper began as a cheesy pop singer rather than a serious actor. I wasn't sure whether she'd pursuade me to forget that and Doctor Who has rather a reputation for weak female characters. But I like Rose and I suspect that she'll grow on me a lot more as the weeks go by. I did have a moment of wanting to shout at her when she decided to stay with her wimpy boyfriend rather than join the Doctor in a jaunt around the universe, but her decision to follow as soon as she knew that the Tardis was a time machine won me around. I suspect that Rose will be the character that we're all identifying with and that's part of her major purpose - the character that we'd cheerfully swap places with or just plain want to be.

Or it could just be me that wants to hop in a Tardis and have fantastic adventures :-)

The plot was hampered a little by needing to introduce all the characters and the concepts, but it was still good and showed a huge amount of potential for future episodes. The only point that didn't quite work for me was Rose not noticing that her boyfriend had been replaced with a plastic Auton copy, but leaving that aside it all worked for me. The next episode should be really great because they can get into the plot without needing to spend time introducing the characters to the audience. And the trailers for next week look very exciting :-)



Now I just need to hope that other Doctor Who fans are just as happy and, maybe more importantly, that non-Doctor Who fans were won over. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that ratings stay good for the next two or three episodes and the BBC commission a second series. Not that I'm a greedy Doctor Who fan...

Comments

[elfinessy.livejournal.com]

It was wonderfully BBC sci-fi. Dodgy plot, suspicious shop dummies reminiscent of Randall and Hopkirk, iffy acting and the same old special effects. But Chris Ecclestone was excellent - brilliantly cast. He was just this side of completely mad. Not sure about Billie, time will tell.

Trailers for next week - very Hitchhikers, but it should be fun. Still not convinced about the format. Why can't the beeb commit to longer series'?

[alicambs.livejournal.com]

I know we've already exchanged comments about the brilliance of the first episode *g*, but I was going to add that hubby suggested that Christopher Eccleston's Dr Who had an element of Data (STNG) about him in his inquisitiveness and innocence.

[selenay]

I hadn't thought about it like that, but your husband is right. In many way, it gives him a good reason for being out there, travelling around, rather than back on Gallifrey like a good Time Lord. He's just so interested and excited by everything so how could he not go out and experience it for himself?

[selenay]

British TV in general seems to have a problem with longer series unless it's a hospital drama or a soap. It's a shame, really, because I'd love to have a full 22 episode series of this. Particularly if they can manage a few good two-parters - it would allow some good, meaty plots to develop.

Christopher Eccleston was brilliant. I adored him. Billie has sold me on liking her character, but it will take me a few weeks to reach 'adore' status on her. I'm at the "I like her and I'm waiting to be convinced to love her" stage.

The SFX were better than the old series, though obviously not the kind of thing we'd expect from Stargate or Atlantis. But then, the BBC aren't used to doing shows that need good SFX. It's been so long since they've done any sci-fi that they're obviously still working out some of the kinks. That said, the effects for next week look very good and they should have more time to work up a good plot now that the raw essentials of the series have been laid out.

Damn, I need to find myself a DW icon. Preferably a CE one :-)

[elfinessy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the wheely bin was a tad dodgy but other than that it wasn't bad :-)

[elfinessy.livejournal.com]

or maybe of Q, bringing to mind my favourite quote from STTNG:

Picard: I've had a visit from Q, he wants to do something nice for us
Riker: I'll warn the crew

[gmul.livejournal.com]

The audience I watched it with ranged from massive fans to never seen any before and we all liked it a lot. I felt that they'd kept the basic atmosphere but brought it up to date very well without giving in to the temptation to use too much wizzy CGI stuff that really wouldn't be in keeping with the show.

We watched Horror at/of Fang Rock afterwards which provided an interesting comparison, especially the similarities between CE and Tom Baker.

[selenay]

*g* So far I've heard from a couple of non-fans who enjoyed it and will be tuning in with enthusiasm next week. And a couple of non-fans who thought it was too violent - but admitted that the violence in the original series rather escaped their attention. Erm.

Plus it seems to have gone down well with big fans. So there's a lot to be happy and hopeful for in terms of future longevity ::crosses fingers::

I can see a lot of similarities between CE and Tom Baker - they both have an almost manic enthusaism for everything. I also see some similarities between CE and Peter Davidson in CE's quieter moments, particularly the 'world spinning' speech. It's going to be interesting to see how CE develops the character over the next few weeks.

[paranoidangel]

It's a shame, really, because I'd love to have a full 22 episode series of this

I wouldn't. I hate the way American series seem to go on forever. I much prefer our version where we have a good 6/12ish episodes at some stage, sometimes more, sometimes less than a year apart. They always leave you wanting more. The American way of doing it seems so much more like a machine.

but her decision to follow as soon as she knew that the Tardis was a time machine won me around.

I didn't think that was it. Admittedly, at this point you have the advantage of seeing the episode that came straight after this, but I thought it was more that she was having second thoughts, specially once the tardis disappeared. I thought he was going to come back, say, are you sure, then she'd jump at the chance. And I think he could have said that, rather than pointing out it's also a time machine, and the end result would have been the same. In my opinion, anyway, although it is a jet-lagged, no-brain opinion :)

Given how little Doctor Who I've seen, I think I count as a non-fan, and I liked it. My parents liked it as well and they count as fans. I really liked the comedy, and the alien things you mentioned above, but also that Rose didn't know what a Polic call box was. Because if it wasn't for Doctor Who, I suspect a lot of people wouldn't know what it was either.

[selenay]

The American way of doing it seems so much more like a machine.

Hmm, yeah, good point. It's just that I'm greedy :-)

In my opinion, anyway, although it is a jet-lagged, no-brain opinion :)

Nope, it's a good opinion. The way that I was reading it was that Rose didn't want to go if it meant that she couldn't be there for her Mum and Mickey anymore. As soon as the Doctor said that it was a time machine, she did the math and worked out that she could go on the adventures, but Jackie and Mickey would barely notice that she was gone because she could return to the point where she had left.

Of course, that's just my opinion. Which could easily be wrong. But that's the fun of meta and discussions - everyone reads things differently.

Because if it wasn't for Doctor Who, I suspect a lot of people wouldn't know what it was either.

Actually, I wonder whether there were younger fans that might not have known. It was certainly a good way of explaining what the police box meant and what the (broken) chameleon circuit should do in one simple sentence.

So far I've met few people who didn't like it. Which is a good sign for DW's future survival :-)

[paranoidangel]

The way that I was reading it was that Rose didn't want to go if it meant that she couldn't be there for her Mum and Mickey anymore.

That didn't occur to me at all. It's a good point. Although I think she'd got to the point where she was a bit sick of them, saw the chance for a more interesting life and thought she could come back whenever she wanted, or phone them (er, assuming they're on the same planet).

But that's the fun of meta and discussions - everyone reads things differently.

Also a good point :)

what the (broken) chameleon circuit should do

I'm guessing a chameleon circuit controls what the Tardis looks like on the outside and the reason it's still a 1950s disguise is that it's not working. Having typed it, I suppose the name gives it away as well.

Has the doctor never thought about taking it home to get the engineer to look at it?