Five minutes into the latest programme (I'm addicted, what can I say) there are Zeppelins, pictures that move, has the writer read Jasper? I'll update after the episode finishes!

No dodos from what I saw...

And what are you doing posting on here while the show's on?

Rob



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That statement is either so deep it would take a lifetime to fully comprehend every particle of its meaning, or it is a load of absolute tosh. Which is it, I wonder?
Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

I was thinking more Steam Punk meets Kricket ( the nobs living on the Zeppelins) than Fforde.
google Castel Frankenstien, or steam punk for more details.

I watched a couple episodes of Dr. Who recently, almost by accident, and they were, as it appears those here already know, utterly glorious.
Not knowing the backstory, though, much of it didn't make any sense, and what with the long history of the show and the various incarnations of it, I haven't got a clue where to begin. Help?



Post Edited (05-20-06 07:09)

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You wants it? How Gollum-esque!

Hard to say, which did you see?

Well... you should start at the beginning, and carry on until you get to the end.

But thats one heck of a lot of TV episodes.... I think starting at the beginning of the current two bbc series might be a good idea - they were certainly written for new fans and old, and will have most of the relevent backstory in. Although there are one or two in jokes.

But... for a brief potted history... the Doctor travels through time and spave with the help of a TARDIS (Time And Reletive Dimension In Space - shaped like a police telephone box to prevent suspicion. Although surely only 50ish years of british history contains such boxes...) and one or two more or less dimwitted assistants, who he can keep explaining the plot to.

He is a Time Lord... which means he has two hearts and can 'regenerate' a certain number of times when he dies, an event which coincides with an actor quitting, or losing, his job.

There were more TimeLords, but after a battle with the Daleks, both races were assumed extinct...

Now Watch On...

Rob



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That statement is either so deep it would take a lifetime to fully comprehend every particle of its meaning, or it is a load of absolute tosh. Which is it, I wonder?
Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

Amazon.com is selling the dvd set of the first stories. I am almost ready to buy the set, but the site said it didn;t know the region of the dvds so it couldn;t guarantee they would work.

Seconding Rob's suggestion: if you want to get into it without getting beffuddled, the easiest way is getting hold of the more recent series (starting a year ago or so). These were done about fifteen years after the last lot, so were done so that people who'd not seen the earlier lot could get into it, and start from the point of view of a pretty ordinary english girl.

Rob Craine's description fits fine, if you replace the one or two dimwitted assistants with about twenty or so . The "back- references" to shows before then are often only noticeable if you know what you're looking for, and are rarely necessary for understanding the plot (and if they are, they're explained).



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Turn the silliness to eleven!

OK, then guys, favourite doctor and assistant? Before the new series I would have said Tom Baker and K9 but now I'm not so sure!

Silvester MaCoy and Sophie whats her name, she played Ace.

Tom Baker's Doctor and Leela (Louisa Jameson) were the best combination, at least my dad didn't complain about us watching it whilst she was in it.

I stopped watching it when Peter Davidson took over. He was naff.

I'm going to say Paul McGann... cos I'm sure no-one else will ;)

Rob



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That statement is either so deep it would take a lifetime to fully comprehend every particle of its meaning, or it is a load of absolute tosh. Which is it, I wonder?
Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

Best Doctor was Jon Pertwee, with Bessie (that was the name of the car, right?) and Jo. Admittedly I haven't seen all that many of any of the old shows, but Pertwee was fun in the ones I have seen.



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Well, because it is submersed in a marine environment, I've always called it the Going-Under-The-Water-Safely-Device.

I'm going to stick up for Chris Ecclestone- if he hadn't put in such an amazing performance I never would have gotten hooked on the new series. Having only watched a few of what must have been the worst of the old episodes you couldn't have paid me to watch Dr Who before the new series came on...

For reference, has anyone else watched the episode "The Mind Robber"? (Patrick Troughton era). Just thought while watching it how Nextian it was in content and feel.

I'm torn between McCoy and Tom Baker, but that might just be which ones I've seen.



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Turn the silliness to eleven!

Am I the only phorum member old enough to remember William Hartnell, the first doctor? That aside, I vote for Jon Pertwee, through Christopher Ecclestone came a close second. Pity he left. Can't get the current series here in Germany, so I'm relying on my children in UK to video them!!
The DVDs are Europe area (02, if I remember correctly) - you should be able to get a good DVD player to change area or set to 00 for all areas.

I remember a post somewhere saying that Christopher Ecclestone was stunned to see the action figure of himself as The Doctor, and it would seem to be at that point that he decided to quit

What was Aunt Eller doing as the (quite weak imo) baddie in this week's episode??!!!

Call me a musical freak (go ahead, do! I'd be proud!), but is this the same Aunt Eller as in Oklahoma! (where the wind comes sweeping down the plain)?

MuseSusan- you're a musical freak lol!

Yep, Maureen Lipman who played Aunt Eller in the 98/99 London production of Oklahoma played the baddie in this week's episode of Dr Who. I know she's done lots of t.v work, it was just strange seeing someone like her on it, especially when I adore that production of Oklahoma and now always see Maureen Lipman as Aunt Eller as she did such an amazing job in that role...