I've been watching this all summer up here in Canada. I initially started because I was starved for sci-fi during the summer reruns. All I can say is - Wow! Dr. Who Series III totally rocks.

If you click on the link below, you can watch some of the episodes on-line. I'd recommend "Blink". I watched it monday night past when it aired on TV and I think its the first time in years I've been on the edge of my seat and actually got a bit of a scare from a tv show.

http://www.cbc.ca/doctorwho/

Highly recommended stuff.

Huzz

That was, indeed, a creepy episode. Part of it comes from the realization that you're not going to see these things move.

Qapla'

SSB

Totally!

Blink - And you're dead!

Huzz

Tennant has settled into the role nicely. Last year he was too given to hystrionics, bugging his eyes, shouting at the same pitch with no relief, etc. Not that I disliked him, but he was a big step down from Eccleston. This year he's gotten comfortable and toned it down, and has really been enjoyable to watch. I love the new companion, too. I'd share a TARDIS with her any day.

This year's stories have been better than last as well, in general. Looking forward to the boxed set.

We've just started S3 down here, so I'm happy to wait till they air on my big ol' TV. :)

Season 3 does indeed rock. Surprisingly, the only really poor episodes were the two Dalek ones.

"Blink" is excellent. Not only a little scary but nicely complex.

I really liked the "Human Nature/Family of Blood" episodes and they pay off nicely in episode 11 ("Utopia"). "Sound of Drums" and "Last of the Timelords" are just plain fantastic with great effects, good casting and Captain Jack's back!

If you're watching on Sci-Fi you have a real treat in store over the next few weeks.

Jim

If you're watching on Sci-Fi you have a real treat in store over the next few weeks.



Fantastic! That is indeed how I'm seeing 'em. I actually very much liked the Daleks in Manhattan story, but found the New Earth traffic jam tale too much of a stretch. Awesome fanboy nod to the Troughton era, though!

Season 3 truly is awesome!

I think that "Blink" is the BEST Doctor Who episode... ever! :thumbsup:

Very suspenseful and certainly raises the notch on that old fear meter!

Jim, I'm watching on CBC. Is there something specific that Sci-Fi is doing related to Doctor Who?

Huzz

Jim, I'm watching on CBC. Is there something specific that Sci-Fi is doing related to Doctor Who?

Don't know where you are in the schedule but it's the same show.

Except that it's called "Dr. Who-eh" in Canada. ;)

Jim

I agree! Blink was the best of the year! and GOOD NEWS, the forthcoming DVD set WILL include the Doctor's Easter Egg as ..an Easter Egg!

Shame about the Daleks in Manhatten, tho

Awesome fanboy nod to the Troughton era, though!

I've seen only a handful of the Troughton stories, but I've also read quite a few of the Target novelisations. I guess that stuff just went over my head. What did you feel was Troughtonesque about it?

I've seen only a handful of the Troughton stories, but I've also read quite a few of the Target novelisations. I guess that stuff just went over my head. What did you feel was Troughtonesque about it?

Those giant crab things that fed off the traffic were the Macra, from Troughton's first season story The Macra Terror.
They were kind of a throwaway here, since it could have been anything down there without changing the story,
but still very cool to see them. The Macra Terror is one of the lost serials.

There are some excellent reconstructions available of all of the lost stories, if you want to see them. Did you see How BBC video did The final episode of The Tenth Planet? Matched the sound recording of the episode to stills and surviving clips, put 'em with the remaining episodes? There are fan-based recons of all the lost stories, no cost but shipping, if you still have a VCR. Or you might find them on YouTube. The recon makers try to get them pulled off, but they keep cropping back up.

I have to give the animated episodes the nod for "most creative reconstruction" of the lost Dr. Who chapters.

Were those the ones done by the Beeb for The Invasion? I haven't picked that up, but the shots I've seen look fantastic. I wish they'd do that for more of them.

Loose Cannon do a remarkable job on recons, often with intros and interviews with surving actors or directors from the serials. Their Marco Polo and The Daleks' Master Plan are excellent.

Blink was indeed a fine episode. It's refreshing to see a story with the originality this one had. It took me two viewings to pickup on how and why everything happened the way it did. The Doctor came up with quite a plan. One thing that was left unanswered was the length of the Doctor and Marth's stay in 1969. Martha says she got a job to support them both so it must have been quite awhile.

I wonder if the short scene where The Doctor meets Sally Sparrow will be shown in a future story to explain exactly where he was going with Martha and why. It would be cool to see how the Weeping Angels got a hold of the TARDIS key and how they sent the Doctor back to 1969.

Okay, I'm in love with Sally Sparrow. I demand she be made a regular!

Okay, I'm in love with Sally Sparrow. I demand she be made a regular!

I'd prefer her over Martha. How do you pronounce her real name, Freema Agyeman?

Blink may well be the best ever episode of Doctor Who.

Steve

I believe "The Invasion" was the serial repaired with animated episodes. Cosgrove Hall (animators of the brilliant "Danger Mouse" and "Count Duckula" series) did the work, and they've apparently said they'd be happy to do more missing episodes.

Okay, I'm in love with Sally Sparrow. I demand she be made a regular!

I'm with ya on that one. :woohoo:

its a shame that the momentum of this ep was killed by the constant interruption for commercials.

Get the DVD when it comes out and watch it. it's actually 100% better when you can let the pace build and build.

I'd prefer her over Martha. How do you pronounce her real name, Freema Agyeman?


that's how we felt before they announced Catherine Tate.

From what I could gather, Carey Mulligan (sally) is in too much demand to tie her down to a series.

two words for you on that

Darn. Shame.

Blink may well be the best ever episode of Doctor Who.
It was a brilliant episode! So bloody unique & just a touch scary, I was a bit on the edge of my couch! I loved that ep!! I want to make a shirt that says, "The angels have the phone box" & "Don't blink!" on the back. :lol:
its a shame that the momentum of this ep was killed by the constant interruption for commercials. Get the DVD when it comes out and watch it. it's actually 100% better when you can let the pace build and build.
That's why tv-links.co.uk is so much fun! :)

Its a shame that the momentum of this ep was killed by the constant interruption for commercials.

Get the DVD when it comes out and watch it. it's actually 100% better when you can let the pace build and build.

No doubt. I discovered Season two was a hundred percent more enjoyable on DVD. Too bad BBC Video sets the prices so high, Season Three will have to wait for a sale even at Amazon's or DeepD's prices.


Blink is easily one of the three or four best of the revival, and I'd put those among the best of the entire twenty-nine years.

It worries, me, though, that this is the second year in a row where there's a late-season story in which the Docor hardly appears, the bulk of the story given to one-shot characters concerned with the mystery of the Doctor. Last year's show (Love and Monsters) was a nice idea sunk by an atrociously rendered and deeply unfunny monster. Given the way Russell Davies keeps repeating plots and formulas with entire seasons looking alike, I'd bet they'll try to do this every year from now on. I hated that on Stargate, too, with those flippin' clip shows every flippin' year. They're not going to be able to top Blink, either, but that's not the point.


And if that ain't opinionated enough, I prefer Freema Agyeman! :p Well, I'm more attracted to her, anyway, but Martha's a good companion. Sally Sparrow is fine, too. I dread them bringing back that horrid shrill harpie from Runaway Bride (done deal, next year's new companion - ugh), but wouldn'tcha know - Davies thinks she's the best thing to happen to Who since, well, Russell T. Davies. :rolleyes:

Cosgrove Hall (animators of the brilliant "Danger Mouse" and "Count Duckula" series) did the work, and they've apparently said they'd be happy to do more missing episodes.

Thanks for the info! I hope the Beeb asks them back, what I've seen looked great!

I've learned so much from the commentaries and I'm now familiar with what the BBC calls "double banking"

They produce the entire "series" at one time (in several "blocks") to maximize production efficiencies (sp?)

the problem is that in addition to the regular series, they've also asked for them to produce tha Christmas specials but without giving them more time or that much more money to do it. effectively making 14 episodes in the time of 13. That means there is a weeks worth of show where they are asking the two stars to be in two episode filmings at once. Hence the "doctor lite" stories.

I imagine it's still better then making a "clip" show to fill out the schedule

about Martha,

As much as I looooove me some Sally Sparrow. I have to agree that Martha was really a smarter way to go.

You need a character as far from Rose as Martha is to draw a deeper contrast.

Sally would have been seen as just a slightly smarter Rose, but the casual viewer might still think it was the same character.

the problem is that in addition to the regular series, they've also asked for them to produce tha Christmas specials but without giving them more time or that much more money to do it. effectively making 14 episodes in the time of 13. That means there is a weeks worth of show where they are asking the two stars to be in two episode filmings at once. Hence the "doctor lite" stories.


Aaaahhh! Very illuminating, thank you! I hope they haven't been boxed in storywise, having to find new finding clever ways to have the Doctor wedged into those episodes.

Whatever the reason for it, "Blink" was one hell of a story.