Doctor Who - Series 8 (Part 3)

[sirhenry]

Off you go then, see if you can get to 100 pages before we reach the Christmas episode.

[Natnar]

Ah, but will the Christmas episode be part of series 8 or series 9?

[Replies From View]

Ah, but will the Christmas episode be part of series 8 or series 9?

Series 8 I reckon.

[The Roofdog]

STOP MUCKING ABOUT WITH THINGS

[lipsink]

Since this Doctor is such an unpredictable, prickly bastard I was wondering how they'd manage to fit him in to the more cuddly tone of a Christmas episode. No doubt they'll have a scene at the end where he softens and discovers the true meaning of Christmas.

Although he does look like if he'd throttle anyone who attempts to put a Santa hat on his head.

[Replies From View]

Okay, so let's begin with this image from the "next time" trailer for 'In the Forest of the Night':






This bus appears to be in the middle of an isolated forest, where all the characters seem to be lost and trying to escape.  Not whizzing past on a side road, but properly parked up and some kids are looking at it through the trees.  So, unlikely to be a production goof.

It goes without saying that if this story does something meta like the characters have slipped into a reality like ours in which Doctor Who adventures are fictional and being televised then it will be one of the very shittest Doctor Who episodes ever.  Ball-crushingly, shark-jumpingly shit.

[Old Nehamkin]

It goes without saying that if this story does something meta like the characters have slipped into a reality like ours in which Doctor Who adventures are fictional and being televised then it will be one of the very shittest Doctor Who episodes ever.  Ball-crushingly, shark-jumpingly shit.

Can't wait to see Capaldi taking a detour to Coronation Street and having a chat with not the character Steve McDonald, but the character of the actor who plays Steve McDonald.

[Replies From View]

Since this Doctor is such an unpredictable, prickly bastard I was wondering how they'd manage to fit him in to the more cuddly tone of a Christmas episode. No doubt they'll have a scene at the end where he softens and discovers the true meaning of Christmas.

Although he does look like if he'd throttle anyone who attempts to put a Santa hat on his head.

'The Snowmen' showed Matt Smith's Doctor going from temporarily grumpy back to normal; I imagine if they want to ultimately soften Peter Capaldi's Doctor they won't stick that important character development in a Christmas episode, nor want to repeat that premise so soon.  Can never be sure though.

Capaldi's Doctor is perfectly able to be reassuring and gentle, though - enough to fit in a Christmas episode without transforming loads.  He's not constantly being aggressive, for example; the most stand-out instance of aggression was when he ordered Danny out of his TARDIS, but that was because he had snuck in, uninvited, and had been spying on him, then started taking the piss out of him with "yes sir" twattery.  Fair enough reaction I thought.  It shouldn't be too difficult to have a story where the surrounding characters don't wind the Doctor up the wrong way.

[Replies From View]

Can't wait to see Capaldi taking a detour to Coronation Street and having a chat with not the character Steve McDonald, but the character of the actor who plays Steve McDonald.

There was some fear that the 50th anniversary story might be a meta story along these lines, and a big sigh of relief when it wasn't.

It's one of the very worst and over-raked paths in fiction, yet whenever it reemerges it's always presented as if it's stupendously original and clever.

[The Roofdog]

I quite liked when Eerie, Indiana did it.

Otherwise you are entirely correct, of course. Red Dwarf Red Dwarf: Back to Earth deserves special condemnation just because they'd done the same thing in a much, much cleverer way back in series 5.

[lipsink]

'The Snowmen' showed Matt Smith's Doctor going from temporarily grumpy back to normal; I imagine if they want to ultimately soften Peter Capaldi's Doctor they won't stick that important character development in a Christmas episode, nor want to repeat that premise so soon.  Can never be sure though.

Capaldi's Doctor is perfectly able to be reassuring and gentle, though - enough to fit in a Christmas episode without transforming loads.  He's not constantly being aggressive, for example; the most stand-out instance of aggression was when he ordered Danny out of his TARDIS, but that was because he had snuck in, uninvited, and had been spying on him, then started taking the piss out of him with "yes sir" twattery.  Fair enough reaction I thought.  It shouldn't be too difficult to have a story where the surrounding characters don't wind the Doctor up the wrong way.

It'll be interesting to see if they make the episode less whimsical and more gritty to reflect this Doctor though. I'd love it if they went all out scary for once for the Christmas episode. Like 'Blink'/'Listen' scary but Christmassy.

[Norton Canes]

What would be best of all is if they did a Christmas episode that had nothing to do with Christmas whatsoever.

Just once. Please.

[The Roofdog]

And if it aired on November 15th rather than December 25th.

[Weeping Prophet]

It goes without saying that if this story does something meta like the characters have slipped into a reality like ours in which Doctor Who adventures are fictional and being televised then it will be one of the very shittest Doctor Who episodes ever.  Ball-crushingly, shark-jumpingly shit.

They already did this idea as a comic book for the 50th. Seems like something you can get away with in a comic book, but I can't imagine them doing it in the series.

I suspect the sign is a gag contocted by one of the characters...or villains.

[Serge]

Although he does look like if he'd throttle anyone who attempts to put a Santa hat on his head.

My Yuletide avatar from last year:

[Sivead]

I quite liked when Eerie, Indiana did it.

Otherwise you are entirely correct, of course. Red Dwarf Red Dwarf: Back to Earth deserves special condemnation just because they'd done the same thing in a much, much cleverer way back in series 5.

Yeah, I remember it working in Eerie's - Reality Takes a Holiday episode, it works in a more whimsical Twilight Zone type format.

The bus ad is just a throw away Easter egg I think.

[Mister Six]

The bus ad is just a throw away Easter egg I think.

Given that the tag line on the bus is from the film Maze Runner, my guess is that the ad was on the bus they rented already, but BBC compliance meant they couldn't show an ad for a film in the middle of an episode (or else they just didn't want to date it too badly) so they printed off the only bus-sized ad they had handy - the one for Doctor Who - and slapped it on, assuming that only avid fans would notice or bother freeze-framing.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Given that the tag line on the bus is from the film Maze Runner, my guess is that the ad was on the bus they rented already, but BBC compliance meant they couldn't show an ad for a film in the middle of an episode (or else they just didn't want to date it too badly) so they printed off the only bus-sized ad they had handy - the one for Doctor Who - and slapped it on, assuming that only avid fans would notice or bother freeze-framing.

That sounds like a plausible explanation to me.

[Replies From View]

Given that the tag line on the bus is from the film Maze Runner, my guess is that the ad was on the bus they rented already, but BBC compliance meant they couldn't show an ad for a film in the middle of an episode (or else they just didn't want to date it too badly) so they printed off the only bus-sized ad they had handy - the one for Doctor Who - and slapped it on, assuming that only avid fans would notice or bother freeze-framing.

But the kids are staring right at the bus, and the bus is stationary.  It looks like they are lost in the woods and this is their rescue, but who knows at this stage.  Anyway I wouldn't expect them to go no closer to the bus, and my fear is that they'll go right up to it and we'll see the poster in close-up.  I've no basis for any of this of course.


Edit:

That sounds like a plausible explanation to me.

Since you've seen the episode this is relieving to know!  Thanks!

[Mister Six]

But the kids are staring right at the bus, and the bus is stationary.  It looks like they are lost in the woods and this is their rescue, but who knows at this stage.  Anyway I wouldn't expect them to go no closer to the bus, and my fear is that they'll go right up to it and we'll see the poster in close-up. 

Nahhhh. The shot in the trailer has the bus at some distance, and unless you pause and scan it, it's hard to make out the Who poster. The opening in the trees looks inviting, and I imagine the kids will go through it towards the bus, but there are loads of angles you can shoot to obscure the advert.

Then again, given the Red Riding Hood parallels in the trailer, it could be a meta thing about the power of stories and fairytales and all that. Sincerely doubt it, though.

[Norton Canes]

They're only ensuring continuity with Remembrance Of The Daleks. Perhaps they should have stuck with "Unbeatable global call tariffs".

[sirhenry]

Then again, given the Red Riding Hood parallels in the trailer, it could be a meta thing about the power of stories and fairytales and all that. Sincerely doubt it, though.

I didn't think Gaiman was writing an episode this series.

[weekender]

What eventually happened to the bus that was in that one with the woman from Eastenders? 

You know, the flying bus.  Big red thing it was.  Flew through a tunnel.

Maybe there has been an arc about buses all this time and we haven't noticed it, and only now is it coming to fruition.  Anyone who reads the Sunday Times' TV section knows what I mean.

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

It goes without saying that if this story does something meta like the characters have slipped into a reality like ours in which Doctor Who adventures are fictional and being televised then it will be one of the very shittest Doctor Who episodes ever.  Ball-crushingly, shark-jumpingly shit.

It would be like doing a christmas episode in which the TARDIS lands inside the world of a different popular BBC series, and then at the climax the Doctor turns to address the viewers at home. Hard to see how the show could continue after taking a shit of that magnitude.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X9kzITMaEI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf9BIMA97ME

[Thomas]

I think the Doctor and Clara should find themselves in our universe on the set of Dimensions in Time.

[biggytitbo]

A very glowing review of In the Forest of the Night here http://blogtorwho.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/episode-preview-in-forest-of-night.html

[Replies From View]

It would be like doing a christmas episode in which the TARDIS lands inside the world of a different popular BBC series, and then at the climax the Doctor turns to address the viewers at home. Hard to see how the show could continue after taking a shit of that magnitude.

No, it would be worse than that.

[BritishHobo]

At least it would be better than the Doctor landing in the world of Harry Potter, and having to track down JK Rowling to make her shut up, right?

[HappyTree]

They materialise in Gatiss's writing den where they witness the creative act in process.[nb]Yes[nb]this is a euphemism[/nb][/nb]

[Replies From View]

They materialise in Gatiss's writing den where they witness the creative act in process.[nb]Yes[nb]this is a euphemism[/nb][/nb]

"I am wanking as I write this."