I’m now working my way through
THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON OF THE NEW DOCTOR WHO SHOW.
For those who are keeping score, this is the first and only season to feature the ninth incarnation of the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston).
I’ve seen some of the episodes in the series, though I also missed a bunch because they conflicted with square dancing, and I’d be too tired to stay up to watch the repeats on Sci-Fi.
Like most Americans (or at least, most Americans who know about Doctor Who), I was introduced to the character when he was being played by Tom Baker (the fourth doctor) and the show was running on PBS stations across the country.
I have to say that, in the main, I like what I’ve seen of this series, though there are things I don’t.
I like the fact that there is an overall story arc to the series and the fact that they try to deal with the impact of time travel on the ordinary life of the Doctor’s main companion (Rose Tyler). Her mom and her boyfriend and her deceased father are significant characters in the series, and it’s nice to see what the effects would be on those close to a person if that person suddenly started jaunting about time.
I also like Eccleston’s portrayal of the doctor. He has a kind of enthusiastic optimism that he uses to hide an inner crushing grief, and the way that these two play off of each other is interesting.
Interestingly, Eccleston (who is a native of Lancashire) is one of the few doctors allowed to speak with a non-BBC accent, leading to one of my favorite lines in the episodes I’ve seen. When Rose has explained to a 21st century woman that the Doctor is an extraterrestrial, the woman asks, "Then why does your friend talk like he’s from the North?" to which Rose replies, "Lots of planets have a North!"
Still, if you’re a dyed-in-the-woolen-scarf Tom Bakerite, you might want to check out the other, recently-released complete Doctor Who season with its own season-spanning storyline,
THE COMPLETE KEY TO TIME SERIES.
The Tenth Doctor in the second series, played by David Tennant, is Scottish and has a Scottish accent, just like the Seventh Doctor, Slyvester McCoy.
One of the things I like about David Tennant (so far – only up to the second episode of second series here in Australia, still, that’s further along than you guys) is that he seems to be more ‘family friendly’ than Eccleston, hugging Rose’s mother Jackie and having Christmas dinner in the Christmas special (I don’t think those are really spoilers.).
Eccleston seemed to portray a disdain towards ‘ordinary life’, Whereas Tennant portrays that more Chestertonian interest in small things. Eccleston in some parts was trying to show a darker side to the Doctor (other doctors have done that before, like Colin Baker, no relation to Tom). Whereas Tennant’s Doctor is more of a friendly and humourous chap, but who will do what is needed to defeat enemies, but not going beyond that to a darker side (like Tom Baker and Peter Davison in that regard). (I can’t really get any more specific than that without revealing spoilers.)
Rhys – Tennant does not speak with a Scottish accent in the show though.
I much prefer Tennant to Eccleston, although he can be a little irritating at times.
The second season (a few episodes excepted) is pure brilliance. Some of the old bad guys are back… v exciting. It’s just finished in the UK so hopefully the DVD will be out for you soon 🙂
You should work your way through the entire SHIELD also–the best show on television.
I think Sci-Fi will be showing the 2nd season here in the States sometime in 2006. I’m eager to see it – so far, I’ve only had the trailers and “Tardisodes” (mini-trailers you can download onto a phone or PDA) available for viewing on the BBC website.
As a big fan, I have to say I am very impressed with the improvement in effects and stories as compared to its earlier incarnation. Tom Baker is still my favorite Doctor, but to borrow a phrase from the Eccleston version, having the good Doctor back on TV is “Fantastic!”
One of the campiest things I ever saw on television, hence, one of the best things I ever saw. Daughter was a fan.. I presume Tom Baker is the one with the curly hair?
Honora: Curly hair, multi-colored scarf, floppy hat. Oh yes, and the prerequisite British teeth (but better than Austin Powers!)
‘pre-requisite British teeth?’
Larry,I’m confused, are we not supposed to have any?
Jimmy, northern is good. (although technically I’m a ‘midlander’ I’m still north of London and anything north of London is a northerner…logic eh?)
There’s a significant north/south divide economically and that’s bad enough, but Southerners often believe that we (northerners) still live in caves, hunt and forage for our daily survival and generally have the appearance and articulation of neolithic man…bah humbug (well, perhaps *Liverpudlians…brummies…Geordies…but not we Stokies…)
Age 17 I left home and decided I was going to work in London. Anything had to be better than the boring City I lived in! Never having been on the London Underground before I didn’t realise that I could buy one tube ticket to my final destination, so at every stop I got off the tube and bought a new ticket.
Eventually, a lot of money later I reached my final destination, was met by my future employer and was infomrmed that she had never employed a ‘country bumpkin’ before…she proceeded to ask me if we had cars/shops/a life worth living (ha-ha)’up north’.
Her daughter, the girl I was to nanny, had an even worse attitude…I declined the position. Perks or no perks.
*just fooling.
Jimmy, what aspects of the new Who didn’t you like? Can you give examples while being spoiler-free? Is it thematic stuff or an underlying tone or something?
Friday nights is not a good night for TV for me so I missed the whole new Dr Who series. I suppose I’ll Netflix it eventually. I (very) briefly thought about buying it but $65 for 5 discs is a bit pricey for me. I mean, season 1 of Battlestar Galactica is 5 discs & it’s $20 cheaper – & I thought that was a bit much! (Yeah, I know . . . it’s a BBC thing. All their DVDs are spendy in the USA.)
Thanks, Larry — how’d I forget the hat??
I’ve never actually had occasion to wonder until this moment — and I should probably worry — whether the flip side of Dr. Who (but for kids) was PeeWee’s Playhouse. Did London see that?
(Ha, now a bunch of us are gonna sleep with the lights on tonight, aren’t we?)
i meant no disrespect regarding the teeth comment – I was referring to an old BBC TV review of when Tom Baker was announced as the newest Doctor back in 1974 – described as “all teeth and curls”. I should’ve been more detailed when I posted, forgetting that not everyone who reads here is a Whovian.
Watched New Earth (series 2 episode 1) again, and I noticed this time that David Tennant is copying a lot of Tom Baker’s mannerisms, the way he carries himself, gestures, the way he talks, stares at people etc. But not in a way that looks just like a Tom Baker impersonation, instead more subtly. (a bit like young and old Obi-Wan Kenobi etc.)
I thought that was pretty cool. Other Doctors have done this before. I remember Peter Davison studied William Hartnell’s episodes a lot, so he could seem like a very old man in a young man’s body. But of Course Tennant’s also adds his own unique twists to the Doctor, as all of them do.
Interesting that in the Christmas special (this isn’t really a spoiler) it seems that the Tenth Doctor was having a bit of a regeneration crisis, just as his fifth self did (maybe this happens with every fifth body to a Time Lord? Like Pon-Farr (can’t remember if that’s the right word) happening every 7 years to a Vulcan? I kept wondering if the one thing he really needed was a Zero Room (or cabinet).