coolcat13 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 It may only be for this season or it may be the way they plan on modernising Dr Who but are they going to run a season to season storyline arc like Bad Wolf and then just use the other episodes to build to a climax or are they going to get a bit more random ? much like Buffy ,Angel,Smallville etc RTD seems to be moving towards the season by season story arc or underlying theme . so two questions arise is this actually the case and will this be a sucessful tactic ? It seems to have worked this season but will it lose its edge after a few years ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrimmer Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 A lot of my favorite Who storeies were arcs. (actually, they were all serial stories told over a few weeks in 30 minute segments, but I digress) I believe it was a good thing to reintroduce The Doctor within a larger context than just a 45 minute episode. Let the first few seasons have major arcs to deal with some of the character development/history thats been set up. As long as it's not overdone, and as long as it preserves the mystery of the character, I'm all for it. It may only be for this season or it may be the way they plan on modernising Dr Who but are they going to run a season to season storyline arc like Bad Wolf and then just use the other episodes to build to a climax or are they going to get a bit more random ? much like Buffy ,Angel,Smallville etc RTD seems to be moving towards the season by season story arc or underlying theme . so two questions arise is this actually the case and will this be a sucessful tactic ? It seems to have worked this season but will it lose its edge after a few years ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taq22 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 I love story arcs and some of my favourite Doctor Whos were arcs, like the Key to Time series. I don't like Russell T Davies though. Most of his input has been the things I thought were wrong. The Series would have been just as successful with another hexagonal Console and the colour of the Daleks, which were originally designed to be steel and gunmetal black, being the same as the console room. I think that they went too far from the original formula. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. All the series needed was a bit of modern storylining and good quality sets and graphics, not an immoral Doctor who swaggers around like a gimp and holds Roses hand every too seconds. I think Davies shouldn't be on the project and someone else should do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenriswolf Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 From the viewing figures and the ratings, plus the insider information. RTD is the golden boy of TV so you're stuck with the guy. I am a big fan of story arcs, Babylon 5 succeeded for me because of the 5 year arc plan for the show. I think it would be great if they run an overall arc through the whole of the new series of Doctor Who giving out tiny bits and pointers as the shows fly by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flamewinds Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 I love story arcs and some of my favourite Doctor Whos were arcs, like the Key to Time series. I don't like Russell T Davies though. Most of his input has been the things I thought were wrong. The Series would have been just as successful with another hexagonal Console and the colour of the Daleks, which were originally designed to be steel and gunmetal black, being the same as the console room. I think that they went too far from the original formula. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. All the series needed was a bit of modern storylining and good quality sets and graphics, not an immoral Doctor who swaggers around like a gimp and holds Roses hand every too seconds. I think Davies shouldn't be on the project and someone else should do it. I've been seeing a lot of similar sentiments, not just against RTD per se, but in respect of many changes made in the current series. Is this, perhaps, the age old inbuilt resistance to change? Any series (or anything else for that matter) which does not introduce new elements, new characters, new angles etc. will, sooner or later, die. With this in mind, when, exactly, was the last season of Doctor Who aired? how much did it deviate from the established Doctor Who formula? Finally, keeping in mind that it already had a mainstream, established fan base, what were its viewership ratings compared to the current season? BTW, I think RTD is a very good writer, I'm the kind of bore who can generally predict what happens in the end, but RTD has surprised me EVERY time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenriswolf Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 The last episode: Survival aired in 1989. November 22: UK - Episode 1 first television broadcast [on BBC1] 29: UK - Episode 2 first television broadcast [on BBC1] December 6: UK - Episode 3 first television broadcast [on BBC1] But low viewing figures, I think in the tune of 5 million viewers caused the BBC to shut down the show. Now you look at our current new season figures. Rose: 10.81 million. The Doctor Dances pulled in 6.86 million. The new series has obviously created enough interest and has enough viewers to justify a new Doctor and a second season of the show. Times have changed and as many forums can prove people are most resistant to change, even scared by it. But not me. To quote the current Doctor...I think it's fantastic! And yep, RTD is a very good writer, I agree there Flamewinds. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses Posted June 17, 2005 Share Posted June 17, 2005 yeah i was reading on the net that the bbc expected it not to do well, no-way as well as it has done, think they ran some market research and found that it might not do well. 10 million quid ($19 million) i think they said it cost to make the 13 episodes, and they are ploughing another 30 million quid ($56 million) into the new ones. Also they are going to commision a third new season as well so things look bright for the new dr who series. RTD said he has written 6 of the next 13 episodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenriswolf Posted June 18, 2005 Share Posted June 18, 2005 Yep, fantastic stuff :) I watched a couple of the interviews with him and I can see that the series is certainly in safe hands with that man. Even Sir Michael Grade admitted he was wrong in taking Dr. Who off the air as he puts it, in an earlier incarnation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TV Man Posted July 2, 2005 Share Posted July 2, 2005 From the viewing figures and the ratings, plus the insider information. RTD is the golden boy of TV so you're stuck with the guy. I am a big fan of story arcs, Babylon 5 succeeded for me because of the 5 year arc plan for the show. I think it would be great if they run an overall arc through the whole of the new series of Doctor Who giving out tiny bits and pointers as the shows fly by. The new BSG has a story arc as well. I really like the trend. Of course Doctor has long had story arcs, but what was different this season is that the main arc continued through different episodic stories. I hope they continue with that trend. yeah i was reading on the net that the bbc expected it not to do well, no-way as well as it has done, think they ran some market research and found that it might not do well. 10 million quid ($19 million) i think they said it cost to make the 13 episodes, and they are ploughing another 30 million quid ($56 million) into the new ones. Also they are going to commision a third new season as well so things look bright for the new dr who series. RTD said he has written 6 of the next 13 episodes. Sky and Sci-Fi had a similar situation with the new BSG. They weren't sure it would do well, then it ended up being Sci-Fi's highest rated series ever. It did so well that the main network (NBC) considered picking it up. These are very positive trends for quality scifi programming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenriswolf Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 TV Man: right on, something that runs through a series and binds it all together, which is partially or full resolved at the end, gets my vote. Dr. Who succeeded in this admirably and regardless of what other people think of him, RTS is a genius for reviving the program so well. neo: About 15 million it was for series one, so it's 30 mil for series two. The TARDIS console cost 110,000 quid to make/design. So you can see where a large chunk of the money went for series one. Now they have their core props though there'll be a lot more in series II I warrant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foil Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 I love story arcs and some of my favourite Doctor Whos were arcs, like the Key to Time series. I don't like Russell T Davies though. Most of his input has been the things I thought were wrong. The Series would have been just as successful with another hexagonal Console and the colour of the Daleks, which were originally designed to be steel and gunmetal black, being the same as the console room. I think that they went too far from the original formula. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. All the series needed was a bit of modern storylining and good quality sets and graphics, not an immoral Doctor who swaggers around like a gimp and holds Roses hand every too seconds. I think Davies shouldn't be on the project and someone else should do it. I'm going to have to support you on this one. I don't like the new designs on the TARDIS interior either. I always liked the original design...it felt like going home everytime they rushed into it to get away from one baddie or another. It was the series' comfort zone. The new one just looks like the inside of an aliens spaceship from Cameron's Aliens (kinda spooky). And the Doctor has a few too many moments of self-ritiousness (although in general when he wasn't in these modes I liked his character). I think RTD could have made the original TARDIS design something spectacular without taking away its heart. As for story arc, I agree on the whole Bab-5 story arc was good thing. I liked it in the new Enterprise series as well and though that the large arc was what made it so much better than the series that preceeded it. It always frustrated me that TNG was always able to resolve everything in the last five minutes of the episode or that they never returned to storylines (like those subspace aliens that kidnapped crew). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cthulhu69 Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 I enjoy the new series, but I'm not a fan of the new TARDIS, it looks too much like they went out and raided the junkyards. Highly advanced tech shouldn't look like that! Even Hartnell's TARDIS looked more advanced. I would like to see even more story arcs frankly. The 45 minute story is just not adequate. One of the things that made the old Doctor Who so good was its length; it gave you time to get to know the characters... Oh well, I'm not in charge. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenriswolf Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 The old Dr. Who episodes were quite short though compared to the length of these new ones, so in a way if they were half the length...you're getting roughly 26 worth of episodes in 13 at 45 minutes. And remember, the Christmas Special(s) are 60 minutes :) It's a really tricky thing to try and work out what highly advanced alien tech looks like, and you have to remember that the TARDIS console is essentially scavenged from bits that the Doctor has added, modified, cobbled over his 900+ years of travel - so for the reimagination of the series they did just that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolcat13 Posted July 4, 2005 Author Share Posted July 4, 2005 I think the story arc running through the season with subtle connections through out the season is fun , I do think however that if the formula stays like that it could hurt the show down the line by restricing the randomness of certain archvillans to show up unexpectedly . for instance next season may be entirely about the Cybermen and we can pretty much write off the Master and the Daleks . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenriswolf Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 To be honest I think as much as I want to see the Master return, he would have to return in series 3 or a special. My reasons for this are numerous but it all comes down to pacing and making sure you have a new solid fan-base, because we have to face it, this is not our old Doctor Who but a new face and shiny new paintjob - which cannot be rushed... The best things come to those that wait, we waited 15 years and what did we get? Fantastic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TV Man Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 To be honest I think as much as I want to see the Master return, he would have to return in series 3 or a special. My reasons for this are numerous but it all comes down to pacing and making sure you have a new solid fan-base, because we have to face it, this is not our old Doctor Who but a new face and shiny new paintjob - which cannot be rushed... The best things come to those that wait, we waited 15 years and what did we get? Fantastic! And they have to find the right actor for the role of The Master. He's a complex character which Eric Roberts dumbed down unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinpusher Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 arcs = brilliant. they truly are what keeps bringing the viewers back week after week, season after season. RTD = Brilliaant. He is an immensly talented writer who very clearly has a deep passion for the show rivaled, perhaps, only by my own. Current TARDIS design = sucks. I am hoping that "original" tardis interior makes a comback and comeone, really, when you've got 30 million bucks to spend you should be able to make it flashy and attractive to a modern audience without slapping your long-time fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenriswolf Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 The new console room actually grew on me quite a bit...there's something delightfully alien about it and that's probably why I like it so much. I also found it quite interesting that the new TARDIS itself is bigger than the old models, well, taller and a bit wider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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