Doctor Who

[desa]

Anyone Looking forward to watching Good Omens with Tennant?

[Robby]

Good Omens? Yes. Tennant? No.

He just sort of always plays himself. He's fine, but he's just always.... David Tennant, no matter the role. Can't really escape that like I can with other actors for some reason.

[Nobodyman]

So for a while now I've been listening to the Doctor Who audio dramas and, well, I figured I'd give my thoughts on some of the ones I've listened to

Spoiler:

Main Series (1-50): There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said. These first 50 episodes prove that it truly was a worthwhile endeavor to make a Doctor Who audio series. Mainly in that it redeemed the Sixth Doctor by giving him several amazing stories, and actually gave Paul McGann a chance to actually BE the Eighth Doctor.

Unfortunately, the Fifth and Seventh Doctors don't shine as much, possibly due to weak scripts and relatively lethargic performances, but Davison did get Spare Parts, which was pretty great.

Not to mention we got some great new companions out of the mix as well (mainly Evelyn and Erimem). Sure, with 50 episodes not every one is a knockout, but most of them are pretty enjoyable. My favorites are your favorites, The Holy Terror, The One Doctor, Jubilee, Davros (so yeah, basically anything with the Sixth Doctor, though Chimes of Midnight is also fantastic). Unfortunately, this segment did have to end on a sour note with Zagreus, which I thought was alright, but not exactly the best payoff (and I'm one of the more generous critics as this story is pretty universally loathed).

Main Series (51-100): So I know it's not like audio dramas are really broken out into "seasons" or anything, but since Big Finish decided to make a "special" 50th episode and then a "special" 100th episode, I figure this is as good a way as any to divide up the main range. Anyway, this stretch of episodes continues to be entertaining, but...I dunno, I feel like there weren't as many stand out episodes this time around. Yeah, there were good, even great ones, but I don't know how many of them I can really call "iconic" or tell people "Yes, you absolutely HAVE to see this!" With the Eighth Doctor, we got the Divergent Universe arc, which was a neat idea, but I don't feel it quite lived up to its potential (though it did give us the great episodes Scherzo and Natural History of Fear). And it also introduced the new companion C'rizz who is...fine, I guess. The Sixth Doctor continues to amaze with some consistently strong scripts like Arrangements for War, The Nowhere Place, and especially The Reaping (which also single-handedly redeems Peri's entire character). The Fifth and Seventh Doctors also improve quite a bit this time around with some stronger material like Live 34, The Council of Nicaea, Red, Circular Time, and Son of the Dragon. We also get a great new companion in Hex, the timid nurse who serves as a great counterpoint to the brash Ace. Oh yeah, and Tegan came back, which is a...thing that happened. Guess we'll be seeing more of her later. Anyway, towards the end of this run we get some new showrunners, so to speak, who try the novel idea of dividing each release into multiple episodes (and considering how needlessly long some of the stories have been up to this point, it was a long time coming). And that brings us to the 100th episode. This time around they pulled their punches a bit and, rather than making the overly bloated mess that was Zagreus, they just give us four short stories with the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn, everyone's favorites. And I have to say, it's a much stronger special for it. So yeah, I'd say the writing overall was probably more consistent this time, and gave some much-needed better stories for 5 and 7, but still, not as many standout episodes. But hey, it's Doctor Who; take the good with the bad.

I, Davros: A very chilling look at Davros's rise to power. I mean...there's not much else to say than that. Terry Molloy gives a chilling performance as Davros and the writers create an equally chilling and engaging script that makes you want to listen to see how everything will play out. I definitely recommend it, but be warned that this is definitely one of the darkest entries in the Doctor Who canon.

The Light at the End - And here we go. Big Finish's very own 50th Anniversary spectacular that brings all four of the audio Doctors together, plus Tom Baker! And...that pretty much is the main draw of this special, just getting to hear all of the Doctors together in one story (unlike in Zagreus, where the other Doctors weren't really the Doctors). The story isn't anything spectacular and honestly gets pretty bogged down in timey-wimey jargon, but it's still a fun light-hearted romp where everything turns out good in the end, and that's just what an anniversary special should be. Not to mention it's great finally hearing Tom Baker in the role again.

Destiny of the Doctor - To date, this is the first and only story I've listened to where, in lieu of a full audio cast, it has only person narrating each episode (plus one other actor in a guest role). I know they've done this approach before, mainly in the Companion Chronicles, and I was honestly pretty hesitant about the idea, but the actors (all returning Doctor Who alumni) do a great job of bringing the material to life. That said, I still prefer a full audio cast, but this was a fun adventure (4, 6, and 9 were the best). And perhaps some day I'll given those Companion Chronicles stories a listen.

Torchwood - So, funny enough, this was actually my first full exposure to Torchwood, never having actually watched the show. And I gotta say, it wasn't a bad first impression. I mean, I only listened to the first three episodes (episode 2 was the best, btw) and I haven't listened to any others, nor have I checked out the show, but I could see myself enjoying this series if I ever decided to sit down and watch it (you know, if I ever make it through the endless stream of original Doctor Who content).

[Robby]

Finally watched Good Omens. It was good! But yeah, I couldn't escape Tennant being himself. I dont know what it is about him but...

anyway.



Really a shame the radio stuff hasnt gottent he rights to the modern doctors. Their universe building material and companions , but not the doctors themselves. Would be really nice to get them all in on an anniversary project while they still can, given that 4-7 are all in their 70's, 85 in Tom's case.

A little strange though that they're obviously using a new actor for 3, but not bringing in 1 and 2 considering that.

[Nobodyman]

Really a shame the radio stuff hasnt gottent he rights to the modern doctors. Their universe building material and companions , but not the doctors themselves. Would be really nice to get them all in on an anniversary project while they still can, given that 4-7 are all in their 70's, 85 in Tom's case.

Actually, they have done a number of modern Doctor stories, though not nearly to the extent of Classic Who. And only Tennant has actually returned to play the role (the rest are just narratives read by companions).

A little strange though that they're obviously using a new actor for 3, but not bringing in 1 and 2 considering that.

It's especially strange with the 1st Doctor, since they've already done a few stories with David Bradley who's basically the new official 1st Doctor.

[Mr. Zoro]

Finally watched Good Omens. It was good! But yeah, I couldn't escape Tennant being himself. I dont know what it is about him but...

anyway.



Really a shame the radio stuff hasnt gottent he rights to the modern doctors. Their universe building material and companions , but not the doctors themselves. Would be really nice to get them all in on an anniversary project while they still can, given that 4-7 are all in their 70's, 85 in Tom's case.

A little strange though that they're obviously using a new actor for 3, but not bringing in 1 and 2 considering that.

I've been excited for Legacy! I hope to listen to a good chunk of it after work.

So, you'll probably be happy to hear that Big Finish does have the rights to the new series (up to Twice Upon a Time), as they've had a few with Tennant and Tate and Piper. They have reached out to Eccleston and Smith but they declined to return for the time being, and have just had other actors narrate stories for Doc 9 and 11 (they call them Chronicles). The first story in the 11th Doctor one has some really good writing. The 9th Doctor one has some... mixed reception. A lot of people are saying it's like Kermit the Frog was narrating it.

...And then we get some odd boxsets like "Tales from New Earth" that no one really asked for, yet there they are.

[Robby]

Oh, thats good then.

Well, my point still stands. We need modern doctors to do crossovers with old doctors while they still can.

[Nobodyman]

On the subject of Doctor Who audio, I just want to say that Big Finish has had some amazing deals lately. Recently, I was able to get all of the Lost Stories and Eighth Doctor Adventures at 50% off, which, well, is still not exactly cheap, but if you've got the money and are willing to spend, it's a heck of a deal.

Also, for those not aware, Big Finish has a book-of-the-month feature where you can get one audio drama for a really good discount price (though, granted, it's not always Doctor Who)

[CosmicDebris]

It wouldn't surprise me if Eccleston and Smith do eventually take up the Big Finish offer. It did take YEARS of convincing to get Tom Baker to do it, same with Janet Fielding, who originally was like "ok, I'll do one then kill my character" but now they love it.

[Robby]

It wouldn't surprise me if Eccleston and Smith do eventually take up the Big Finish offer. It did take YEARS of convincing to get Tom Baker to do it, same with Janet Fielding, who originally was like "ok, I'll do one then kill my character" but now they love it.

Oh, I'm sure Matt Smith will be on it sooner than later, he's just busy.

Eccleston though seems to want nothing to do with the franchise ever again.


And of course they love it. Its voice work. Go in for a couple hours, get an easy paycheck, be surrounded by people that love your work and old castmates, and get positive reception from the fans. Its really a no brainer, especially as they get older.

[CosmicDebris]

Oh, I'm sure Matt Smith will be on it sooner than later, he's just busy.

Eccleston though seems to want nothing to do with the franchise ever again.


And of course they love it. Its voice work. Go in for a couple hours, get an easy paycheck, be surrounded by people that love your work and old castmates, and get positive reception from the fans. Its really a no brainer, especially as they get older.

My point was both Janet Fielding and Tom Baker wanted nothing to do with franchise ever again for a long time too. Especially Janet Fielding. She was super anti-Doctor Who from the time she left the show all the way up until probably when she decided to try Big Finish.

[desa]

Does Big Finish pay well?

Also are they usually usually good or do you need to find a list for the good ones?

[Robby]

Does Big Finish pay well?

No idea but its voice acting. You can go in for a day and get all the rewards of working on a three month project.

Also are they usually usually good or do you need to find a list for the good ones?

Like any long runner, the quality is going to vary. Generally good, not having a special effects budget lets them do whatever they want, so thats a thing.

[CosmicDebris]

Does Big Finish pay well?

Also are they usually usually good or do you need to find a list for the good ones?

According to the actors, they have said they pay well.

I'd say that the audios vary in quality, but that's also somewhat subject to personal taste. There are lists out there from bloggers that rate what they think are the best ones. I did follow some of those recommendations with success. But there are some that were rated low that I loved and some that were highly rated that I didn't care for.

[Nobodyman]

Sorry, no news on the new season or anything, but I just discovered this and thought I would share.

[Darkstorm]

Fury from the Deep is the next animation after The Faceless ones:



Also there are now 2 teams doing the animations so they get done faster:

https://twitter.com/davidwhittam/sta...1648511188998?

One is Planet 55 (last seen doing the Moonbase animation), and I assume the other is the team that did Macra Terror (Sun & Moon). They will share the reusable assets like the doctor/companion animation rigs

[Nobodyman]

Trailer for the new season!

[Nectar]

Looks good! Hope it'll be worth the wait. I've noticed I like the later seasons of new Doctors more than their debut ones.

[Robby]

Looks good! Hope it'll be worth the wait. I've noticed I like the later seasons of new Doctors more than their debut ones.

Generally that's because the new actor finds their place in the role, and the writers start writing towards their strengths. I know some of Matt Smith's first season he was still getting scripts that were written for Tennant, the Neil Gaiman one in particular.

[kevo_koma]

Trailer for the new season!

Man, I really wanted to get excited for this but I just can't.

The new version of the show just doesn't feel like Doctor Who to me.

I don't know what exactly it is but it feels like a pale imitation. Like when you watch an American version of a British show. The show is the same but the "soul" is different.

Jodi is an OK Doctor. BUT I still don't know what her Doctor was about. All the modern Doctors were defined by some Significant characteristics. Eccleston was trying to escape the horrors of war and genocide, Tennant was highly emotional because it was like the Doctor was externalizing his emotions after he regenerated, Smith was the Doctor as an Old Man trying to maintain his youth and feel alive again after the war, Capaldi was the grumpy old man who had lived long enough and as a result he became Jaded with the universe. Jodi is..Doctor who made her own Sonic Screwdriver?

The thing about this new Doctor is that she doesn't feel like she's connected to the rest of the Doctors in any way. Tennant and Smith rarely ever made covert references to their past regens but they still felt like the same guy, only the face was different.

This new trailer just doesn't seem to have anything interesting in it.