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Doctor Who [Spoilers]

Apparently we can only have the doctor played as a straight white man with no complicated personal life. Anything else is politics.
Do ignore the frequent camp from previous doctors of course.

Anyway absolutely loved Ncuti. Almost immediately won me over. Will have to see when he's running the show how he holds it but have a lot of goodwill for him in the role.
Didn't have any issue with the audio on this episode.
But iffy on the bigeneration thing. It seems to be implied that 15 is actually from a point further down the time line and when 14 works through his issues and comes out of retirement he will finish the regeneration into 15, emerging back into his relative past. Will have to see how it's handled going forward.

I do like that the Doctor needs a break. They've heaped the trauma onto the various incarnations since the revival he needs to slow down, come to grips, and recover himself a bit.


Ncuti apparently spoke about that being part of his take on this Doctor. Which I appreciate really. He wants to be a more enthusiastic, upbeat Doctor who's processed and moved past his accumulated baggage.


I would say I kind of felt the Doctor got some of that with his extended stay on Trenzelore.
He lived out a full lifespan, got to entertain children, show off how smart he is stopping baddies as they showed up, and grew old around people who cared about him.
That wasn't the direction Capaldi went, which is a shame.

NPH gave an amazing performance, only seen bits of him in shows I don't really like so was really impressed with his range. Hope they find a way to use the character again.


It's a small bit but I was pleased to see the scientist. She also plays one of the Doctors companions in the audio adventures where she's also wheelchair bound, with a whole major plot centered around her sort of.
 
Analogue Boy said:
I will not tolerate a snide assertion that I’ll somehow ’pre-emptively lose my mind’ now.
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I wasn't aiming that at you, though. I was aiming it squarely at the people who opposed Whittaker's casting on principle, months before she appeared in the role, railing against the BBC and society in general that permitted such an outrage.
 
AnonyJ said:
Not in my opinion - it's The Doctor.

Why can't The Doctor be played by any actor of any age/background/whatever as long as they can be The Doctor and do the job well?

The series has a tradition of casting actors due to their performances, rather than appearance/background. I remember an actor who was cast as a scientist (maybe 10/11th Doctor?), she was a very short person. She wasn't cast as 'a short person' but as a scientist. Her appearance was irrelevant to the part and of no relevance to the script or story. She was a scientist (who was little).
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Yes, the character was called Erica and she worked alongside Peter Capaldi's (temporarily blinded) Doctor in the episode 'The Pyramid at the End of the World' (2016, I think). I can't recall the actor's name but she was very good.

The episode was the middle section of the 'Monks' trilogy and it contained the rather neat idea that humanity nearly gets wiped out by a chain of events begun when Erica accidentally breaks her glasses, compounded by her colleague making errors due to being hungover.

Edit : Erica was played by Rachel Denning and the episode was 2017.
 
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Analogue Boy said:
On reflection, I‘m actually bristling against this remark which seems to target a whole section of society without any understanding of the parameters which we lived in at the time. I Loved the Buzzcocks. I loved Magazine. I loved Two Tone and Rock against Racism. Even to the point I could see Billy Bragg as an insufferable hypocritical twat. They were gay as fuck and black as night but it didn’t matter. The music was sublime and we loved it all as the heartbeat of our generation, accepted without predjudice. I will not tolerate a snide assertion that I’ll somehow ’pre-emptively lose my mind’ now.
Sorry, we’re not all The Major from Fawlty Towers. We’ve all lived a life and assumptions of those lives, like all assumption is the mother of all fuck ups.

We just want good TV.
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I agree with your post and liked the music you mention and yes I find Billy Bragg hypocritical twat ;)
 
AnonyJ said:
Not in my opinion - it's The Doctor.

Why can't The Doctor be played by any actor of any age/background/whatever as long as they can be The Doctor and do the job well?

The series has a tradition of casting actors due to their performances, rather than appearance/background. I remember an actor who was cast as a scientist (maybe 10/11th Doctor?), she was a very short person. She wasn't cast as 'a short person' but as a scientist. Her appearance was irrelevant to the part and of no relevance to the script or story. She was a scientist (who was little).
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I guess if the BBC had the budget the Doctor could be a CGI alien - after all Time Lords ain't human. That would transcend all the issues about gender/ethnicity, etc.
stu neville said:
I wasn't aiming that at you, though. I was aiming it squarely at the people who opposed Whittaker's casting on principle, months before she appeared in the role, railing against the BBC and society in general that permitted such an outrage.
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Reminds me of a cartoon at the time.

New Dr.jpg
 
MorningAngel said:
I’m slightly disappointed they gave in and went straight back to a man. Like we’ve ticked that box now.
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I am sure as I can be that we will be given another female Doctor soon. Probably the next time we have a regeneration (or a bi-generation). I would be amazed if Russell doesn't cast a woman. There are so many superb candidates out there who I would love to see in the role, both male and female. I have quite a wish list. But having said that I definitely prefer it when the Doctor stays around for a few years, so I am definitely not wishing Ncuti away. I think he is going to be great.
 
I have just watched 'Wild Blue Yonder' and have to say it's one of my favourite episodes of Doctor Who, practically ever. Dopplegangers that change while you're watching, talking to the person you think you know best only to find it's not really them, creatures bending over backwards or starting to gallop instead of running - aren't these things from most people's nightmares?

Oh. Just me then.
 
Tunn11 said:
I guess if the BBC had the budget the Doctor could be a CGI alien - after all Time Lords ain't human.
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This was hinted way back in 1966, in The Dalek Master Plan. The Galactic representatives, including Mavic Chen (namechecked in the latest 2023 episode) are discussing the Doctor and his erstwhile companions.
TRANTIS: At least that absurd story that it was my people from Trantis who stole the taranium has been discredited.
CELATION: Yes. They were from Earth, I believe.
CHEN: Only two of them and they are under the influence of some creature from another galaxy.
TRANTIS: He looked like an Earth creature.
CHEN: That's only a disguise. The Daleks know of him. He is some kind of time and space traveller.
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The Daleks knew of the Doctor, of course, and have told Mavic Chen that his human form is just a disguise. If this were true, the Doctor could look like anything. Or nothing in particular.

If you are interested, the DMP script is here.
http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/3-3.htm
 
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I like it when people of all differences are included in popular television. It's actively including people and that's nice.

I liked how the middle episode hade only one, mega corridor to run down and the third episode had a wooden door maze.

I liked all the creepy dolls and puppets

I liked NPH's performance and that he could do all the card work himself

I liked all the past companions being brought back/mentioned as well as references to past stories (does any one know if any of the stories/companions from the audio books were mentioned?)

I'm also confused as to the fact that we now have two doctors but whatever happens I'm sure all the extra cash from The Mouse will make it pretty to watch... as is Mr Gatwa. The trailer for the Christmas episode shows the Doctor wearing a kilt/skirt dancing in a night club so... he does that now
 
pandacracker said:
The trailer for the Christmas episode shows the Doctor wearing a kilt/skirt dancing in a night club so... he does that now
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Well the original Doctor, as played by William Hartnell, visited a nightclub (the Inferno club, referred to as the hottest spot in London) in "The War Machines" (1966) - but the old curmudgeon didn't trouble the dancefloor - and certainly not in a kilt...... that might have been fun though.
 
Shadowsot said:
I would say I kind of felt the Doctor got some of that with his extended stay on Trenzelore.
He lived out a full lifespan, got to entertain children, show off how smart he is stopping baddies as they showed up, and grew old around people who cared about him.
That wasn't the direction Capaldi went, which is a shame.
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However the 12th Doctor (Peter Capaldi) did spend the night with his wife River Song on Darillium - which lasted 24 Earth years - which was her last night with The Doctor before her death. His "Hello, Sweetie" when they first meet is a DW moment which still makes me catch my breath!

I wonder if their daughter or son was born on Darillium, and if River is the grandmother of Susan? Who was then 'dropped off' back in 1963 with William Hartnell's granddad!

 
feen5 said:
I enjoyed the latest 3 episode run more than i thought i was going to. I especially liked the Toymakers little dance routine in UNIT HQ.
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As a 90s kid with three sisters who controlled the radio growing up i was already feeling dread at the opening threads of the song.
 
AnonyJ said:
However the 12th Doctor (Peter Capaldi) did spend the night with his wife River Song on Darillium - which lasted 24 Earth years - which was her last night with The Doctor before her death. His "Hello, Sweetie" when they first meet is a DW moment which still makes me catch my breath!

I wonder if their daughter or son was born on Darillium, and if River is the grandmother of Susan? Who was then 'dropped off' back in 1963 with William Hartnell's granddad!

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True, forgot about that with how he had to be talked into regenerating at his end.

I don't know about Susan but it would be way to introduce another child to his story.
Do hope Susan is brought back at some point in this new run.
 
CharmerKamelion said:
I am sure as I can be that we will be given another female Doctor soon. Probably the next time we have a regeneration (or a bi-generation). I would be amazed if Russell doesn't cast a woman. There are so many superb candidates out there who I would love to see in the role, both male and female.
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If that is to be the case, surely it would be fitting if it were Jo Martin?
 
eburacum said:
This was hinted way back in 1966, in The Dalek Master Plan. The Galactic representatives, including Mavic Chen (namechecked in the latest 2023 episode) are discussing the Doctor and his erstwhile companions.

The Daleks knew of the Doctor, of course, and have told Mavic Chen that his human form is just a disguise. If this were true, the Doctor could look like anything. Or nothing in particular.

If you are interested, the DMP script is here.
http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/3-3.htm
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Wasn't that based on a true story ? ;)
 
Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa talks to Graham Norton, tonight on BBC1 10.40pm.
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Christopher Eccleston says if they sack Russell T Davies, he would happily return as The Doctor;

https://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/chris...russell-t-davies-and-ill-come-back-100046.htm
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I'll take Russell over Mr Eccleston any day. The old sourpuss was well mis-cast IMHO. He never really 'got' the part. He made me cringe if he had to do anything other than moody or angry. But I know that lots of people liked him. It takes all sorts. He came across as phoney to me. My least favourite Doc by several billion parsecs.
 
CharmerKamelion said:
The old sourpuss was well mis-cast IMHO. He never really 'got' the part. He made me cringe if he had to do anything other than moody or angry.
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I just remember him as the Grumpy Doctor/the Angry Doctor.
 
The Toymaker to me seemed similar to the Superman villain Mr Mxyzptlk. He also tended to set things up in the form of a game and would leave if they managed to beat him at the game.
I could handle the bigeneration, the sharing of clothes was a nice touch. Splitting the Tardis in two with a hammer, less so.
 
Xanatic* said:
The Toymaker to me seemed similar to the Superman villain Mr Mxyzptlk. He also tended to set things up in the form of a game and would leave if they managed to beat him at the game.
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Exactly. I thought of Mxyzptlk as well.
The Toymaker is bound by his own unbreakable rules, and is scary because of that.

Here's the Tardis Eruditorum on the original Celestial Toymaker serial, which is mostly lost, and probably deservedly so, since it was simplistic and racist.
https://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/the-most-totally-closed-mind-the-celestial-toymaker
 
Oh.

My Fave Doctor is the `Talons of Weng Chang` Which I agree is problematic,

Anyhow, maybe too many stereotypes in Who.

Jamie, for a start...and all those appropriately mystical Tibetan monks.
 
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