Doctor Who - Series 11 (Part 2)

[A Hat Like That]

But anyone with functioning eyes could see that blanket white studio lighting was making everything look cheap and plasticky (or failing to hide the materials that were being used in the production).  Nobody making Warriors of the Deep would have believed they were replicating Star Wars - they knew they were running against the clock and had little choice but to do everything quickly and cheaply.

not sure what you mean.

[Replies From View]

It was her own idea to include the karate kick, by the way.  She made it up on the spot because she hadn't been given anything else to do, and then there was no time for an alternative take or idea.




Imagine that.  Having to get everything finished by 10pm before the technicians turn the studio lights off, and knowing for shit take after shit take you don't have time to redo anything.

[A Hat Like That]

I couldn't find a clear picture or a gif but my favourite bit is the clearly plastic, bendy, wall that the rentaghost crew break through, which the Dr then can't lift off Tegan.

[Replies From View]

I couldn't find a clear picture or a gif but my favourite bit is the clearly plastic, bendy, wall that the rentaghost crew break through, which the Dr then can't lift off Tegan.

Yes that's incredible.  It's like marshmallow, bending all over the place.  Shocking.

[A Hat Like That]

I am watching it now.

You could safely argue that the sea devils are sluggish because its cold. Safely.

[pigamus]

There was basically nobody in charge, was there? JN-T was more interested in panto.

[Replies From View]

I am watching it now.

You could safely argue that the sea devils are sluggish because its cold. Safely.

It's a bit silly that they call themselves Sea Devils though.

[Mister Six]

Really says something about Chibnall's bold new vision for Doctor Who that we're now discussing 1980s shit effects and the plans for post-McCoy casting.

[Replies From View]

Yup.

[pigamus]

Oh - I assumed this was the Old Dr Who thread to be honest!

[Norton Canes]

Received wisdom has it that the main reason Warriors Of The Deep is so poorly made is that the sudden announcement of the 1983 general election meant the BBC unexpectedly requisitioned studio space and consequently the Doctor Who production schedule was thrown into turmoil. However I've done a bit of digging and found that all the story's recording sessions - including five days in TC6 and all the film and effects shooting - happened after the GE, meaning that if anything the dates must have been put back. Five studio days was normal for a four-episode story in those days so it didn't suffer from less studio time. If that schedule is accurate then I can only conclude they had no excuse and put the story's shortcomings down to general incompetence (rather than a general election).

I guess I should get this fact-checked on Gallifrey Base.

[Ambient Sheep]

Well it was nice knowing you...

[Norton Canes]

I'm back, sanity intact

Apparently the effect of the GE was to push the studio time allocated for shows meant be recorded before WOTD back into the Who story's slot, meaning that WOTD itself could either go even further back but likely be pulled as a result (dodged a bullet there huh) or be brought forward, with its preparation time curtailed.

There you go.

[Ambient Sheep]

Aha, that makes sense.  Thank you for your bravery in finding that out.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Imagine witnessing a piece of writing like this during Chibnall's tenure. Impossible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnouj9Yz-Gs

[Phil_A]

Imagine witnessing a piece of writing like this during Chibnall's tenure. Impossible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnouj9Yz-Gs

Ha; exactly the same example I used while the series was still airing. Compared to this it's like the show is now being written for babies to understand. CBeebies-level writing.

[Kelvin]

Ha; exactly the same example I used while the series was still airing. Compared to this it's like the show is now being written for babies to understand. CBeebies-level writing.

CBeebies' shows genuinely have a wit and energy Chibnall could only dream of.

[Norton Canes]

I meant to mention this just after it happened, but I had a moment of epiphany the other week. Mrs Canes habitually watched the popular BBC Sunday evening drama Call The Midwife and whenever I ask why she enjoys it so much, her answer is always "Well, it's so undemanding, I can just zone out while it's on." Now I didn't think...

Oh fuck it I'll cut the rest, you can see where it's going. Bland is the new provocative. Banal is the new compelling. Doctor Who is the new Call The Midwife.

[Replies From View]

This thread has already slipped to the second page of Picture Box (until this brief bump obviously).  Just under a year until series 12 airs, and discussion about new Doctor Who has effectively ended.  I don't think this has happened at all since 2005 has it?

[Mister Six]

What is there to say? Chibnall's series is lacking in depth, subtext and surprise, so once an episode's done there isn't much else to add. And the new series is so far off there's nothing much to discuss there.

Luckily I've got Doom Patrol occupying my thoughts now. I'd call it Doctor Who methodone, but compared to Chibnall's Who it's more like fentanyl.

[Replies From View]

Luckily I've got Doom Patrol occupying my thoughts now. I'd call it Doctor Who methodone, but compared to Chibnall's Who it's more like fentanyl.

If you can't be arsed with all of Doom Patrol I've heard you can skip straight to Paw Patrol without feeling you've missed anything important.

[pigamus]

This thread has already slipped to the second page of Picture Box (until this brief bump obviously).  Just under a year until series 12 airs, and discussion about new Doctor Who has effectively ended.  I don't think this has happened at all since 2005 has it?

We've basically already seen it, haven't we? That's the saddest thing.

[mothman]

We've all largely agreed that the last season was rubbish, Chibnall is useless, some of the companions are better than others, Jodie is OK. And there's no new Who for another 8 months and 7 days. So why artificially keep it at the top of the front page by rehashing that again and again? Apart from, this being CaB, of course.

[Replies From View]

We've all largely agreed that the last season was rubbish, Chibnall is useless, some of the companions are better than others, Jodie is OK. And there's no new Who for another 8 months and 7 days. So why artificially keep it at the top of the front page by rehashing that again and again? Apart from, this being CaB, of course.

I wasn't suggesting that we keep this thread afloat; just making the sad observation that it is already dead.

For previous series I quite enjoyed the circular discussions and rehashing arguments in different configurations and so on.  What's surprising is my own lack of any motivation to reflect at all on series 11, just because it was so dull.  It inspires no reaction.

[mothman]

I wonder, if the plan is to screen a NY Day episode, followed by a new series soon after (I don't think immediately after?), and they're filming now, does that mean they might already have the NY Special in the can? Because as far as I know, they used to make the Christmas specials relatively late in the year..?

[Mister Six]

If you can't be arsed with all of Doom Patrol I've heard you can skip straight to Paw Patrol without feeling you've missed anything important.

Are you just trolling me here? Skipping the first four episodes of a show and jumping in at the second part of a two-parter is not a great idea.

[Mister Six]

For previous series I quite enjoyed the circular discussions and rehashing arguments in different configurations and so on.  What's surprising is my own lack of any motivation to reflect at all on series 11, just because it was so dull.  It inspires no reaction.

I'd disagree with that - it certainly inspired a reaction at the time. It djust doesn't encourage reflection. Because what is there to reflect upon? There are no overarching themes or ideas to analyse, no dangling mysteries to ponder*, no gripping character arcs to get your teeth into, no beautiful/tragic/dazzling/surprising moments indelibly etched into the brain.

The only lasting bone of contention - other than the aching mediocrity - is the politics of the Kerblam episode and what it does to The Doctor, but even then that looks to be a one-off oversight and not an ongoing, deliberate character flaw as Tennant's god complex was. So what's to talk about?

I wonder, if the plan is to screen a NY Day episode, followed by a new series soon after (I don't think immediately after?), and they're filming now, does that mean they might already have the NY Special in the can? Because as far as I know, they used to make the Christmas specials relatively late in the year..?

Wonder if they'll just skip the holidays altogether and say "well the new seasons will be on in a couple of months"? The BBC is obviously looking to cut costs and Chibnall seems to approach the show with the relish of an indentured servant, so I could see them skipping it, or doing a half-hearted five-minute Facebook video or something.

I know they're all mates, but do you think RTD and Moffat ever get a bit tipsy together and talk about kicking the living shit out of him?

* _{Except for that one line about the timeless child or whatever that was never broached again.}

[Cloud]

The fandom does seem a little bored.  This from the DW Facebook page

[mothman]

Oh, incidentally, in a Tweet the other day, J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Jeremiah, Sense8, lost of comic writing) described the Who showrunner role as his dream job...

[Cloud]

That'd get all the "news" sites going.  "J. Michael Straczynski offers to be the new showrunner for Doctor Who!  Click to learn more!"   (like every time anyone ever expresses the slightest interest in the thought of playing the Doctor)