Sigh...The weird crazy woman is back and the new companion. :(

HUH????

I assume you're referring to some TV series that I don't have a clue about?

I'm guessing Doctor Who, based on the word 'companion'. I'm not pleased with the new traveling guest of the Doctor, but hopefully the episodes will be good enough to take my mind off her. I saw the episode tonight on Sci-Fi and I think I remember her from a 'Runaway Bride' episode. I mainly remember I didn't like her.

for my fellow yanks, apparently shes a very popular tv comic in the u.k., and having her on the show is a big deal. "annoying" is her comic persona. they have promised to tone it down. i dont imagine she'll be there for more than a couple of years, simply because she has her own career to pursue.

hang in there folks: some of the doctors past companions will return......

OK, I apologize for not saying "for the Doctor in Doctor Who" in a title that was already long enough. But, that being said, oh gawd, annoying is one thing, but, they do not have to write her as this complete loser who is clingy and pushy and shrill to this level. I do not think I will look forward to Friday nights with quite the same glee. I thought that special someone at the end was a nice touch though.

I miss Peri.

OK, I apologize for not saying "for the Doctor in Doctor Who" in a title that was already long enough. But, that being said, oh gawd, annoying is one thing, but, they do not have to write her as this complete loser who is clingy and pushy and shrill to this level. I do not think I will look forward to Friday nights with quite the same glee. I thought that special someone at the end was a nice touch though.

How about "Oh Gawd, the crazy woman is Dr. Who's new companion!"
Only one more word :)

For a group of people who use acronyms for everything under the sun I'm surprised "companion" wasn't easily understood. Of course...It's not Star Trek...so...should I be surprised?

Let the flaming begin.:woohoo:

Actualy, I understood fine. :)
But I still don't get a lot of the acronyms that fly around the web.

Thank God!!! I thought I was the only one :)

Catharine Tate's TV show is hilarious, and I enjoyed her in Friday's episode. She's definitely different than Rose or Martha - which is a good thing. How many fawny 22 year olds do they need?

I happen to like Catherine Tate and don't see what all the fuss is about.

Suggesting that someone on the show is "a complete loser who is clingy and pushy and shrill to this level" and is, therefore, out of place indicates that you probably haven't watched much Doctor Who.

The marvellous thing about Doctor Who is that it keeps changing.

Jim

I happen to like Catherine Tate and don't see what all the fuss is about.

Suggesting that someone on the show is "a complete loser who is clingy and pushy and shrill to this level" and is, therefore, out of place indicates that you probably haven't watched much Doctor Who.

Jim


Gotta love it when someone has to try to be insulting. Didn't say anything about the actress. Didn't say anything about previous companions because they are not germane to the current companion. I don't have to like this companion or any of the other ones. But, most of the companions are strong, and not written as if they are someone who could not find their way out of their own paper bag. Regardless of the other shows people mention, this character is written as someone who has to find validation in other people.

:)The thing about the good Doctors "companions" is in the end they are usually changed for the better so, the current "companion" may have her faults at the present but at the end of her tour of the universes she may be a completly different character with a few less faults. But we shall see as the stories unfold.

AZbuilder
John

Let Your Imagination Soar

Catharine Tate's TV show is hilarious, and I enjoyed her in Friday's episode. She's definitely different than Rose or Martha - which is a good thing. How many fawny 22 year olds do they need?

Well, if you watched Deal or No Deal last night, 26 would be a good number. In Princess Leia slave girl outfit too.

My oh my! :woohoo:

Huzz

look a it this way, it could be bonnie langford.....

^^^ THANK YOU!! It's amazing how few folks remember the skreech fest that was Bonnie Langford.

Tate has had some pretty good moments as the new companion. There's a really good moment in the "Sontaran Stragem" where she just lets the Doctor ramble on and on..the look she gives him when hes realized how much hes just hung himself is priceless..

I like the new dynamic, Donna isn't afraid to take the piss (or the mickey or whatever you brits are calling it these days) out of just about anyone.

"I'll have a salute.."

Slight segue, I've heard that David Tennant hasn't committed to further work as The Doctor after this season.

I find that Tennant's Doctor brings a very appealing mix of sheer fun and innocent enthusiasm to the role which is infectious, engaging and appealing. Its quite unlike the dark tones we see in other sci-fi commonly these days. I find it incredibly refreshing. I hope Tennant stays on!

Huzz

Huzz,
what it is , is that the current series, (the Donna year) is the last full season.

Next year, instead of a regular "season", there will be 4 roughly two hour specials which DT IS committed to. I don't know how they will be spaced thru the broadcast year. This lighter workload will allow DT to participate in some other gigs he's been wanting to do.

Beyond that year, it's anybodys guess. At least in the public statements I've seen or heard he hasn't ruled it out for a full season return.

Rumors fly that Davies and/or Tennent may both move on after the specials.

hope this clears it up

I'm enjoying Catherine Tate, complete with all her baggage. She's really quick to point out The Doctor's own moral blind spots and call him on the carpet. She's certainly different from Rose and Martha. I find her a bit refreshing. Catherine Tate and David Tennent play off each other very well and there is an almost comic atmosphere between the two of them.

Two companions I couldn't stand in the past were Mel and Peri, and I blame JNT for both of them. Jo Grant and the first Rommana are my personal favorites.

Steve

Beyond that year, it's anybodys guess. At least in the public statements I've seen or heard he hasn't ruled it out for a full season return.

Rumor has it that Robert Carlyle ("The Full Monty," "The World is Not Enough") will pick up the role in 2010.

Jim

I've also heard the recurring rumor of Bill Nighy

Prior to seeing David Tennant's Doctor, my opinion of the show was based on some bits of a couple of old black and white episodes that I thought were pretty awful. That may not be fair, but its what I thought.

However, Tennant has really made me go - wow! It is now my absolute favorite show, period. Who (pardon the pun) can forget episodes like Blink? If Tennant is due to pass the sonic screwdriver to another actor, that person will have big sneakers to fill.

Huzz

I wasn't sure I was going to like anyone else in the TARDIS after Christopher Eccleston but David Tennant changed my mind in a hurry...I didn't think I would like another companion after Billie Piper left but I ADORE Freema Agyeman...so I'm open-minded about the Doctor and his companions these days.

Prior to seeing David Tennant's Doctor, my opinion of the show was based on some bits of a couple of old black and white episodes that I thought were pretty awful. That may not be fair, but its what I thought.

And it's a very valid comment.

I started watching Dr. Who when it was in black and white, considered a children's program, was planned to be somewhat educational (all that history) and starred William Hartnell. I can tell you that it was a pretty darn exciting and watchable show.

I followed it through the Troughton, Pertwee, Tom Baker and Davidson years but missed a lot of Colin Baker shows and all of the McCoy shows. It was still a pretty darn exciting and watchable show. I watched the Paul MGann movie and got really excited with the show's return a few years back. I've seen all the Eccleston and Tennant shows.

The production values have improved (it's in color now :)) but it's really still the same show that I watched when I was a kid. The continuous cast changes keep it fresh.

And it's still pretty darn exciting and watchable.

Jim

I'm petty sure I read a month ago or so that Russell Davies is moving on (hope he takes Chris Chibnall with him) and Stephen Moffatt is taking over the creative reigns of Doctor Who in 2009.

Jim - I started tuning in for the second season with David Tennant. I was so impressed that I instantly snapped up the DVD set of his first season when I spotted it on sale.

Sounds like there's lots of stuff out there for me to check out. Just the same, I do hope to keep seeing Tennant in the role for a while yet.

Cheers!
Dave

Dave, check out some to the better-regarded episodes from Christohper Eccleston. David Tennant I thought had some ups and downs in his first year, as he settled in, but has become an absolute joy to watch. Eccleston is fantastic as well.

And if you keep in mind that the original series was one of those BBC no-budgeters, please look for some old Tom Baker serials! He and Troughton are my favorites, but most of those that survive are...well, only a few would be considered among his best.

Moving on to companions...

Cathy Tate fans will have to forgive me, because I only know her from Doctor Who. Frankly, she was abominable in her introductory Christmas special. I don't know if it was her, or R.T. Davies script (one of his poorer efforts, the man's extrememly hit-and-miss), or the way she was directed...I had the impression of a hugely talentless individual who lacks any understanding of either acting or comic flair. I understand comically annoying characters, and they rely on...well, being funny. Simply screeching at someone at the top your lungs, with not a whit of modulation in tone ever is not funny. It's also not acting. It's just screeching. I presume the that she's better than this on her own series?

That said, her character has been better handled so far in the two regular stories since then that have aired here so far. (We just had the Pompeii story here.) Tate hasn't hit the same shrill notes yet, and she's actually found she can hit more than one note. Not at all sold on her as an actress yet, but she's much better in quieter scenes.

This was what I wrote of Donna Noble in a blog review of Partners in Crime:
...Davies has perfomed something of a minor wonder here. First, he's come close to redeeming a character who was hated by many with a passion, not without cause. Such a character is not an easy one to win sympathy for, as she's largely a self-pitier who salves her woes by being as hateful as possible to by-standers like the Doctor (evidenced previously, but not in this episode). As such, it's a risky move to introduce a companion that isn't instantly likeable. It's been done before (at least three companions leap instantly to mind) with results that still provoke discussion. Davies could fall on his face, he's going to need writers better than himself to build for Donna a character that is constant yet sympathetic. Fortunately, the DW Redux has cultivated a stable of writers many of whom are more capable than Davies.

Donna is a character of extremes. She was extremely unpleasant when we met her, here she's extremely unhappy to the point of inventing wild distractions for herself (it may be impractical or even unhealthy but at least she's doing something to shake herself up), and on finding the Doctor again, is unnaturally enthusiastic about...well, getting hunted by deadly aliens again. If the writers stay true to her character, she promises to be abrasive for her manic moods alone. Much to my astonishment I'm, beginning to think this could be a good thing.

Fires of Pompeii: first of the season I thoroughly enjoyed with no faults, and Tate/Donna come off exceedingly well.

Peri: I liked her, but she was at a disadvantage for almost her entire run - she made a far more interesting match with Peter Davison in Caves of Androzani, and the two had richer chemistry. Her time with Colin Baker reduced her to being not much more than a mirror to his eccentricites.

Bonnie Langford, O Lords of Time! Bonnie bloody Langford. I'm reasonably sure that she hadn't watched much or any DW before joining, and thought it was a children's show to be played at the level of acting you'd find in a Sid & Marty Krofft production. They dressed her that way as well...lord, that peppermint candy number she wore in Time and the Rani is seared into my brain.

I'm just glad the beautiful Freema Agyeman is set to return.


(Just an opinion, not tryin' to kill the thread or anything by sounding like a jerk...)

Rose and Martha are also returning, so all is not lost, if its a life or death deal for ya

My difficulty was never with the actress, but, with the conception of the character as a person who had to find value in another person and not herself. That being said, she is now being written with a depth that was completely lacking in her first two episodes (Introductory and then the return episodes). The last two episodes at least have her acting as a self aware person.

Yes, I'm finiding her quite enjoyable. She does righteous rage well, and she's good at being the Dr's conscience.

... she's good at being the Dr's conscience.

And that's a refreshing dynamic for a Doctor/companion relationship. More and more I'm thinking Donna Noble's excruciating debut was a matter of horrible script and a director who didn't know how to tone Tate down and get any nuances out of her.

A niggle about the writing: I guess there are whole legions of fans who didn't like the unrequited love angle with Martha, and the writing staff wants to let us know they got the message. But, geez, they're hitting us over the head with it! It's such a false note every time they stop the show dead for an awkward "Oh, we're just friends!" moment.

This week on Doctor Who:
"We're all going to die!! Can no-one save us?"
(wheeeeeze..wheeeeeze...GROAAAN...GROOOAN...GROOAA N, bang)
" 'Allo! I'm the Doctor, this is Donna Noble, and we're SOOOO not married!"

I'm petty sure I read a month ago or so that Russell Davies is moving on (hope he takes Chris Chibnall with him) and Stephen Moffatt is taking over the creative reigns of Doctor Who in 2009.

Oh um, I guess I must have dreamed that to have known it before it was released officially... urm. Heh. ;)
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hLgUnhdADnke4j1mycEn5aEmN6PQ

its been rumored for quite a while... all i can say is YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oh hey if you get the chance, the radio version of toby heyduke's one man show "moths ate my doctor who scarf" is available on audible and amazon. its wonderful, funny and heartwarming. give it a listen.

"Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" are far and away the best of the season so far. R.T. Davies is kinda running out of steam this year a little, I'm eager to see what Moffat can do - at the least, I'm thinking the scripts will be a bit smarter, though...one thing Davies does well is stir a nice mix of seriousness and frivolity, and I wonder if the more sober Moffat will make the show lean to the somber. Okay with me if he does as that's my bent, but it would be good to see the show stay balanced.

Anyway, Catherine Tate was marvelous in this. She's won me over after dreading she'd repeat her atrocious debut in the Christmas pageant, but she had plenty of very good moments. Moffat treated her character well, and tate lived up. I'm delighted to have been proven wrong! :)

I've been reviewing the season here: http://jeff-larsen.livejournal.com/

Just my opinions.

The good thing is they are not writing her as a screeching, needy woman. She is now written as a person with strength and integrity. And, I liked the mystery of who this new woman is that knew his name. That will be interesting to see how it plays out. Nice to see that she foreshadows many great adventures and the Doctor has a long shelf life.

I, too, didn't care for the character of Donna Noble at first. Man, that woman was like pouring gasoline on a classic painting, IMNSHO! At least, the first few episodes I saw her in.

These last several episodes, tho... I really like Donna Noble now. My only complaint about "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" was when we see Donna's face on one of the computer interface things and she's constantly saying "Donna Noble is not in the library. Donna Noble has been saved." over and over and over and over and over and over... I know it was done for dramatic effect, but man was it grating on my nerves.

On the other hand, I'm now very likely going to get a bit of a shiver down my spine whenever I hear someone say "Hey! Who turned out the lights?" :eek:


On the unrequieted love thing, sounds like some of ya'll weren't paying attention to any of the stories with Rose, starting with Eccelston's Doctor. It was a bit more subtle than w/Martha, but it was still there and even brought right out and smacked us upside our heads once or twice when Tennant took over as the Doctor.

BTW, I absolutely loved the mystery of the Professor Chick. Obviously, Tennant's Doctor needs to stick around for a bit so that we can see at least the initial meeting played out. And now he's got TWO Sonic Screwdrivers! One of which is something of a temporal anomaly since it's supposedly the same one that he's been carrying, but that he gave to the Professor Chick and that the Doctor now has in his possession. Shades of ST:III and the glasses that Kirk sells in the pawn shop that McCoy gives him three hundred years later. :freak:

"Oh, don't tell me you're archeologists!"

"What's wrong with being archeologists?"

"I'm a time traveller. We point and laugh at archeologists."

:lol: