A Thread for Whovians

[Moon]

Even if one hated the first two seasons of Torchwood, this is one that I recommend everyone see. I have never been so moved by five hours of a riveting science fiction TV show in my life and this one had me watching it all the way through.

One does not have to be familiar with Torchwood itself, its cast members or other story lines as this is a mini-season of the show. If one has heard it was terrible or thought the first two seasons were bad, they will be in for the surprise of a lifetime. Suffice it to say, Captain Jack Harkness is the head of a group headquartered in the UK that deals with all stuff alien. Captain Jack was first introduced during Doctor Who (Christopher Eccleston's run).

The show takes the span of five days with each episode named Day 1 up to Day 5. On day one, all the children of the world stop dead in their tracks and do not say anything or move at all. Since it happens early morning UK time, the USA is still asleep. Some wonder if it is a practical joke and carry one as if nothing happened. Then during the morning break time, the children all stop again and start chanting all over the world in English "WE ARE COMING!" It is a very eerie moment and it is just the beginning of what is going to happen.

Fans of conspiracy shows will also love this as there is a reason all the children of the world only say the chants in English. As we start finding out what is happening, it gets even more chilling as it appears us humans are powerless to stop what might unfold.

Word of warning, do not read the episode descriptions on the IMDB as it reveals way too much and it is best to experience the show as it unfolds.

The final episode is one of the most heart tugging shows I have ever seen, and I have watched a lot of shows and movies. It is an emotional rollercoaster and I am still surprised it never received Emmy nods for such stellar acting, writing and producing.

BTW, Torchwood: Miracle Day has been good, but it can never top the CoE story.

Also, if someone has seen this and wants to comment, please put in the word SPOILERS if discussing any major part of this out of courtesy to those who have not seen this and don't want it ruined-Thank you.

[seeker1117]

Are there enough Friends of The Doctor here to merit an on-going Doctor Who discussion thread?

We are really enjoying this years' season so far. After last week's episode it looked like we're leaving River and her part of the story for awhile, but with that final shot of the screen in the Tardis in last night's show, I'm not so sure!

As Linda Richman of "Coffee Talk" would say: "Tawk amongst ya-selves!"

[Ace Rimmer]

I am sure there are some Dr. Who fans on here.

I'm a Torchwood fan and probably not a Dr. Who fan only because I just never have a chance to watch it.

[seeker1117]

Ah...we "were" Torchwood fans, for the first two seasons we loved it. Absolutely hated 3rd season's Children of Earth, and don't intend to watch the fourth season, which most everyone agrees is a real stinker from what I've read.

One of the reasons we loved Torchwood so much at first was it was "Doctor Who for Adults" (Cap'n Jack....woof!). We loved the ensemble cast of the first two seasons, and even though they killed off Owen and Tosh, they still had a chance to rebuild the team in season 3. But they didn't. Instead, it was just dark and violent for no other reason than to be dark and violent. TOO much of that goin' on in the world anyway, don't want it in my "entertainment". Killing off Ianto was the last straw for us.

Doctor Who, if you want to get into it, is lots more "family" oriented and fun. Netflix is the way to go. Start at the beginning of the reboot, with Eccleston as the Doctor, and things make more sense. The seasons with David Tennant are great...our favorites were the last two with Catherine Tate as his companion. They played off each other well. Took us awhile to warm up to the new guy, Matt Smith, but he's great. THe only thing we really don't like about the new season is the silly intro blurb by Amy...that's not necessary, but evidently they stuck that in for us Dumb Uhmurikuns.

[Ace Rimmer]

Ah...we "were" Torchwood fans, for the first two seasons we loved it. Absolutely hated 3rd season's Children of Earth, and don't intend to watch the fourth season, which most everyone agrees is a real stinker from what I've read.

One of the reasons we loved Torchwood so much at first was it was "Doctor Who for Adults" (Cap'n Jack....woof!). We loved the ensemble cast of the first two seasons, and even though they killed off Owen and Tosh, they still had a chance to rebuild the team in season 3. But they didn't. Instead, it was just dark and violent for no other reason than to be dark and violent. TOO much of that goin' on in the world anyway, don't want it in my "entertainment". Killing off Ianto was the last straw for us.

Doctor Who, if you want to get into it, is lots more "family" oriented and fun. Netflix is the way to go. Start at the beginning of the reboot, with Eccleston as the Doctor, and things make more sense. The seasons with David Tennant are great...our favorites were the last two with Catherine Tate as his companion. They played off each other well. Took us awhile to warm up to the new guy, Matt Smith, but he's great. THe only thing we really don't like about the new season is the silly intro blurb by Amy...that's not necessary, but evidently they stuck that in for us Dumb Uhmurikuns.

You are right about Torchwood, the first 2 seasons being the best.
I don't do Netflix, I use my library, they have everything, so I'll see what they have available.

Your line about us Dumb Uhmurikins made me laugh, because I have noticed more and more on any program where the person has a heavy accent, you know, them furiners, the producers feel it is necessary to give up sub titles so we can understand a person with an accent. Crikey!!!!!

Sorry off the subject, but my favorite all time sci-fi TV is Red Dwarf, did you ever watch those?

[seeker1117]

I caught a few episodes of Red Dwarf on a hit-and-miss basis while PBS was showing them, and really enjoyed the ones I saw...lots of FUNNY, and I liked that. That's a series I'd like to see from beginning to end. And just to stray a bit further off topic ( )...my fave post-StarTrek sci fi series, though, was Babylon 5. I was really broke at the time it was on, and remember being livid when they decided to take the show to "cable only" after the third (I think) season, so i couldn't watch it after that...boy, I was miffed. I still don't know how things ended up! Evidently they even did a couple of movies, too. Ah, well...more things to add to "the list"...!

[Ace Rimmer]

Oh oh oh..one word... Farscape, Oh jeeezsus I loved that show.

I liked Babylon 5 a lot too. I am a real sucker for all things Sci-fi.

The pinnacle of all things sc-fi for me is the original Twilight Zone. I try to watch the marathon the Sci-fi channel has every year. I can, obviously, watch them over and over and over again. Rod Serling was a genius. Rod Serling had many messages to impart to people, if they were paying any attention.

[seeker1117]

Now, Farscape I've never heard of...I'll have to check it out. And yeah, we're glued to the TV during the annual marathon of the original B&W Twilight Zones...there has never been finer television. Serling was a genius, even moreso than Roddenberry. OK...one more mention of a series: "Firefly": I tried my best, but just couldn't get into it! Neither could my sweetie...we talked about "why" and figured that we are both just too old to consider "darkness and violence" as viable entertainment. There just didn't seem to be any "hope" in Firefly, a tiny bit of humor, sure, but there was LOTS of violence, so we just never could get into it. That's something that bothers both of us: how people can find violence "funny" or "entertaining" is just absolutely insane to us.

[Moon]

I love Doctor Who and have been watching this second incarnation since it began. I was also an original Whovian and loved the Fourth Doctor the best.

I look forward to this season as we find out how the Doctor survives his "death" and it has the return of River Song, who was meeting the Doctor and going backward in time. We just saw their first meeting, and I wonder how she will get out of the Library Planet's database (spoilers!)

I also really like Torchwood, and thought the Children of Earth (COE) was the best science fiction series ever. It was absolutely riveting, and the reasons the aliens came to Earth was one I never saw coming. It might be too dark for some people, but I think it holds up as one of the best written and acted series I have seen in a long time. I am curious as to why you hated COE, seeker?

I like Miracle Day, but it has been fast in some spots and quite slow in others. It also seems a bit uneven, but the past few episodes are picking up the pace. It will never match COE (no season of Torchwood can), and I am hoping if it returns we get some single storyline episodes. I like Jack, but I do think this cast needs a change-over and Jack needs to go international. Staying in Wales does not cut it about a show featuring all kinds of alien interactions. I also like Gwen, but I think they have gone far enough with her character.

Still, Torchwood is better than most of the other TV shows on nowadays. And of course the Doctor rocks.

[seeker1117]

Yep, waiting to see how Moffat writes his way out of this one! River Song has been one of the coolest additions to the show ever, indeed, and we relish every time she shows up with a "Hello, Sweetie!" Now, whether or not she stays on that hard drive in the Library I'm not sure. Something tells me that she's stuck there for good, as THIS River is the River from BEFORE the Library, or at least that's how we understood it...but if ye bring spoilers, then yippee! Good to know she's not just bits and bytes on a hard drive anymore! While Amy and Rory are cool as companions, I'd love to see a season with just The Doctor and River as his companion.

As for Torchwood, I think you hit the nail on the head with "too dark for some"...we're among that "some"...we absolutely loved the wit, humor and overall cheekiness of the first two seasons (at least up until the bitter end). I mean, that one episode where the Fish alien was driving the convertible, stops to sneer at the old lady, and then the Team drives up, asks "Seen a Blowfish driving a car?" She just points and then mutters "Bloody Torchwood..." Had us ROFLing. For us, after they blew up the Hub (unforgiveable!) it was "At least Ianto, Jack and Gwen are still alive, so they could rebuild the team...add Rhys and find a new team doctor and a new Head Geek to replace Tosh and Owen, but no. COE had absolutely NO humor, no sweetness, nothing positive in it at all. Like I said before, there's too much of that going on in the "real world" so why do I want to watch that in my escapist entertainment?

Besides that, there were plot holes in that story big enough to drive an 18-wheeler through. The ultimate insult was Jack and Ianto pulling out pistols to shoot the (OBVIOUSLY BULLETPROOF) glass of the alien enclosure, and the killing off of Ianto (who was one of our favorite characters). I understand that the Brits don't mind killing off characters in their shows (as opposed to us 'Muruhkuns"), but I don't appreciate having my emotional chain "yanked" by really getting to love a character and then have him/her killed off for no good reason, really, other than just to kill him/her off. At least we've got the first two seasons on DVD, so that'll be enough for us.

But back to The Doctor: something tells me the resolution of him "surviving" the River-as-child-in-spacesuit laser blasts has to do with the "Flesh" Doctor somehow. Like I said, I'm genuinely enjoying this one and can't wait to see how it turns out.

[Moon]

COE was a very dark story for sure. I do agree that Torchwood has a great sense of humor in it (during the first two seasons at least), but I appreciated the fact that COE was made for adults and did not relent on us one bit. Yes, they are not afraid to kill off major characters which is why many of the shows on now don't have any real sense of danger as we know all will survive and be back next week (unless contract negotiations are going on).

Part of me wanted Jack's grandson to have his power of immortality as would of been the case if it were an American show. But that would of ruined the story that was building to one of the most emotional climaxes I have ever scene. We just don't get TV like that over here very often, and I liked the fact that COE kept it real.

I knew it was a dark and haunting story line and when I put it on I watched all five parts in one night. That is how engrossed I was. I can't say the same for very much nowadays. I do give that warning to anyone who wishes to view the DVD set I have.

As for Doctor Who, I don't want it to be very dark even though it seemed to be going through a dark patch with Chris Eccleston and even David Tennant. Even some of the older episodes got a bit dark during Peter Davidson and Colin Baker, but they lightened up a bit when Sylvester McCoy took over.

Matt Smith adds the perfect innocence and sweetness the role desperately needs now. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other seasons, but I do like the show to be upbeat for the most part.

[siren13]

Oh oh oh..one word... Farscape, Oh jeeezsus I loved that show.

I liked Babylon 5 a lot too. I am a real sucker for all things Sci-fi.

The pinnacle of all things sc-fi for me is the original Twilight Zone. I try to watch the marathon the Sci-fi channel has every year. I can, obviously, watch them over and over and over again. Rod Serling was a genius. Rod Serling had many messages to impart to people, if they were paying any attention.

Farscape! Amen sister i<3 zahn. =0)

[Ace Rimmer]

Oh oh oh..one word... Farscape, Oh jeeezsus I loved that show.

I liked Babylon 5 a lot too. I am a real sucker for all things Sci-fi.

The pinnacle of all things sc-fi for me is the original Twilight Zone. I try to watch the marathon the Sci-fi channel has every year. I can, obviously, watch them over and over and over again. Rod Serling was a genius. Rod Serling had many messages to impart to people, if they were paying any attention.

Farscape! Amen sister i<3 zahn. =0)

Well frell me dead! Another Farscaper! What a brilliant show that was!

We watched Children of Earth, I liked it quite a bit, but it seriously creeped me and is haunting me big time!

[Moon]

I only saw a few episodes of Farscape but liked what was shown. I need to rent it and watch the whole thing.

You are correct on Children of Earth Luna, it is one of the most haunting shows ever made. Those aliens' plans were the most diabolical I had ever seen and put a different spin on what they might really want.

[Ace Rimmer]

I only saw a few episodes of Farscape but liked what was shown. I need to rent it and watch the whole thing.

You are correct on Children of Earth Luna, it is one of the most haunting shows ever made. Those aliens' plans were the most diabolical I had ever seen and put a different spin on what they might really want.

Yeah and also I had no problem whatsoever believing the way the government was acting and lying to the people.

Do you ever check your public library, ours has an almost limitless catalog of DVDs, especially TV series.

[siren13]

I dressed as Zahn for halloween after first season. It was the most amazing costume I had ever had.

[Ace Rimmer]

I dressed as Zahn for halloween after first season. It was the most amazing costume I had ever had.

Oh I bet it was.

Seeker, I am sorry we got off track...it just seems to happen around here.

[siren13]

Some shows I get bored with really fast though. I loved CSI until I felt like I could write the episodes. I'm that loser that always guesses who the killer is ...

I will admit to two things I love Vampire Diaries. My friend who is seriously a intellectual is also addicted to this show and 63 so I never feel bad about loving it. Sci Fi element is alive and well and I can never seem to guess what is going to happen. The writers are wonderful

2nd I am addicted to HElls Kitchen this year..non sci fi related but Oh so fun!!

[Moon]

Some shows I get bored with really fast though. I loved CSI until I felt like I could write the episodes. I'm that loser that always guesses who the killer is ...

I will admit to two things I love Vampire Diaries. My friend who is seriously a intellectual is also addicted to this show and 63 so I never feel bad about loving it. Sci Fi element is alive and well and I can never seem to guess what is going to happen. The writers are wonderful

2nd I am addicted to HElls Kitchen this year..non sci fi related but Oh so fun!!

You might get a kick out of this take off of CSI, L&O, The Mentalist and all of those procedurals: NTSF:SD:SUV on Adult Swim.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1783495/

Doctor Who is on BBC America on Saturdays at 9PM ET, and that show has been having a great season.

I also liked the ending of Torchwood: Miracle Day. It was slow in parts, but really picked up the pace. I like the dynamics of the new team and would like to see them go international for the fifth series.

[Melseetruth]

Yes, I am a proud Whovian! I've always loved that show, even back in the era of the 'old' Doctors, when it was cheesy and campy. When we heard they were remaking the series, we couldn't wait to see how they would bring it into the current age. Eccelston was good, Tennant was brilliant, and Smith is slowly growing on me..especially that last 2 episodes "God Complex" and "Closing Time". Can't wait to see "Wedding of River Song" should be interesting.

Fan of Torchwood too..I really enjoyed Miracle Day....it may be dark, but that's what I like The episode where Vera was burned haunted me for weeks.

[Moon]

The finale of this season is one of the best I have seen. I love how the Doctor managed to get out of his date with death without creating a time paradox as this is a fixed point in time.

The question that remains:

Dr Who? DR WHO?!?

I am one to think the Doctor does not even know his name and the question will be answered in Matt's regeneration episode. He is signed in for next year and rumored to want to do the role for 2013 so we may have to wait a while for this one.

I also hope they can get River out of the Library Planet as I really love her character. The Doctor having a wife is great, and it does bring up many questions on whether he does have children (other than Jenny). We really do not know if Susan was his real granddaughter or whether she called him Grandfather out of respect in the First Doctor's adventures.

[Melseetruth]

Dr.........WHO?

Loved the season finale as well..awesome the way Moffat wrote him out of the actual death.

[seeker1117]

I just stumbled upon this...y'all should have fun wasting some wibbley-wobbley with this ...a Doctor/River timeline chart:

http://scifi.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/11/01/sci-fi-fantasy-doctor-who-meeting-in-the-wrong-order/dpxeg

[Moon]

That is so cool. I hope River Song does come back.

[Corcaigh]

*waves*

I've been a Whovian since I was a little kid, my first Doctor was John Pertwee.

I've been loving "Nu Who", and can't wait for more episodes, I'm hoping they bring River back, she was great!

[seeker1117]

As far as I'm concerned, they could do a whole "season" on just the Doctor and River's "excursions"!

Alex "Hello, sweetie!" Kingston rules!

[Melseetruth]

I'd love to see an episode or two about Dr and River adventures. Awesome idea!

[Moon]

Jon Pertwee did a lot of movies as I recognized him in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Zero Mostel. Mr Pertwee was my first Doctor too when I started watching them as a young man. Tom Baker is my favorite, but I do like them all.

How about giving Alex Kingston (River) her own series?

[seeker1117]

OK...this is another of those "flow-chart" graphics, but man, what a mind-blower...had NO idea of all these connections. Evidently, the girl who played "Jenny" is actually the daughter of the man who played the 5th Doctor, and she's engaged to Tenant?

Check it out: http://scifi.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/11/09/sci-fi-fantasy-doctor-who-have-you-got-all-that/

And yeah...gimme more River! If they can give Sarah Jane a spinoff, they can surely do the same for the Doctor's Wife, eh?

[Moon]

Since Jenny is a Time Lord, I wonder if they are going to bring her back on a future episode?

I also wonder what happened to Romanavoratrelundar and if she is coming back?

I do know the actor who portrayed Jenny is Peter Davison's real life daughter Georgia Moffett. A great choice for casting the role.

[Corcaigh]

As far as I'm concerned, they could do a whole "season" on just the Doctor and River's "excursions"!

Alex "Hello, sweetie!" Kingston rules!

Agreed!!

Jon Pertwee did a lot of movies as I recognized him in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Zero Mostel.

I haven't seen that movie for years! I don't remember seeing Jon in it, but then again it was a loooong time ago!

[Moon]

David Yates, who directed a few Harry Potter movies, is being tapped to direct an upcoming Doctor Who movie:

http://collider.com/doctor-who-movie-david-yates/126358/

It is going to be different and not follow the mythology of the TV series. I don't know about this as the last time they tried to do a Doctor Who movie it was the dreadful Dr Who and the Daleks with Peter Cushing. Terrible movie and they made the Doctor an Earthling in this. I think this movie is doomed unless they get it right.

Also, the next season of Doctor Who will air later in the fall instead of late spring. We may have to wait longer, but hopefully the quality will be worth it.

[seeker1117]

Hey, Who-heads: Here's another one of those wacky infographic timeline things...wibbley-wobbley...and all that...

<http://chzsetphaserstolol.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/doctor-who-timeline-infographic-1.jpg>

That oughta keep you busy for awhile.

And don't forget the Dr. Who Christmas Special on Sat....looks good!

[Moon]

Thank you for that link. Also, the Saturday shows are reruns of Christmas specials past. The new one airs on Sunday, which I keep forgetting is Christmas (I keep thinking it is Saturday for some reason).

I definitely will be watching.

[seeker1117]

Ah...dankes for the correction! And yeah, I've been thinking "Saturday" instead of "Sunday" for xmas, too. Odd.