I originally had posted this under the Battlestar Galactica topic and decided that it really needed it's own topic and a clean-up there so I don't derail that conversation any further! :D

I've been watching the DOCTOR WHO boxset of the first season and all the episodes so far of the second season that has aired on Sci-Fi (certainly to see the special guest in "School Reunion") and there's just something abrasive about the program that I can't quite put my finger on.

It's not so much Tennant himself, I feel, but rather the writing. The whole Queen Victoria episode left me feeling that The Doctor and Rose were being a couple of obnoxious jerks who found people dying around them "amusing" as long as they got their cheap laugh off of the Queen. "New Earth" also left me cold, but that had more to do with the return of the absolute worst villian the series had ever seen (yes, even worse than The Rani) as well as a weak "happy" ending to the crisis at hand, although the general concept was rather appealing.

I felt "The Christmas Invasion" just fell apart completely in the last third and - again - I blame that squarely on the writing. [SPOILER - We're supposed to agree with The Doctor's anger over the PM destroying the aliens, but he himself had just given her the excuse to pull the trigger, and this after she just saw people she closely worked with get zapped into dust in front of her eyes. And that whole "She looks tired" thing? Please. From the world's view, thanks to live television covering the invasion, the PM just saved the whole freaking planet after seeing her close advisors killed in front of her eyes. "She looks tired?" Darn right she's tired, she just saved the planet! So what? Nope that's something a good editor would have spotted and jettison straight away because it's doesn't fit the logic of the story at all. Unfortunately, the whole plot is built around that moment.]

Well, I've probably burned a few bridges there for my rant on DOCTOR WHO now. I should strongly point out that my frustration comes out so strongly because there ARE moments were the whole show comes together. The special guest in "School Reunion" running smack into the TARDIS; the realization of who is "a little tin dog!"; the main twist of "New Earth": the interaction of the character i the first two-thirds of "Christmas Invasion" ... and I could go on. Yet there seems to be too many smirky moments where all I'm seeing are the people behind the cameras saying, "Eh? Eh? Isn't this clever? Are you fan-boys getting this?" It's just taking me completely out of the show.

Does anyone else have mixed emotions about the new show like I do? Is there perhaps something else that isn't clicking rather than the writing? I would be interested in hear what others think.

The snarkiness tones down. In fact it tones down in the next ep 'The Girl in the Fireplace' (which many people have said is one of the best Doctor Who eps ever).

Also of interest: Torchwood is starting up this Sunday. Not sure when it'll be broadcast over here.

I had a similar reaction but it resolved differently for me. I felt the first season was stronger - stronger writing, interesting scenarios, good acting, etc. I just found that, as fitting as it was for the storyline, I didn't want to see the Doctor as a guilt-wracked, wounded, brooding character.

The second season was weaker than the first - forced goofiness when there shouldn't have been (it ended up... well, "ruining" would be too strong a word, but seriously undermining effective episodes like the "fandom" one and "Fear Her"), the flaws of the accelerated plots (one or two episodes at most) become more obvious - just too little time to have realistic motivations and developments while glossing over important resolution moments (which is fine if the story idea can only support a single episode, but "School Reunion" should have been longer). But I did like the idea of of a brusque, blunt, yet humorous Action-Doctor. And some of the stories worked very well (the satan planet, the girl in the fireplace, even the "early television" episode which many disliked, played well for me) culminating in the marvelously cracking 2-parter ending (the "smack talking" bit had me rolling).

So.... the 2 seasons just about evened-out for me, although in all honesty season 1 was better. If they can keep the show light-hearted and true to its kid's show roots, while continuing to be inventive, imaginative and spooky (when needed), with the occasional nods to past continuity (still waiting for The Master!), I'll keep watching. I hope they change up the companion situation some more (I'd like to see some atypical companions, like an older person) and kind of hope they're done with the "Doctor as potential love interest" concept (I didn't think they needed to go there, but they did, now please move on). And hopefully we won't have to hear any more crowbarred references to Torchwood once that show finally launches....

Funny, I was sort of lukewarm with the Christopher Eccleston episodes, but I'm really enjoying the David Tennant run. I had never seen a single episode of DOCTOR WHO before the 9th doctor so I had no baggage from previous doctors, but I had different expectations for the show and it took me a while to warm up to it. Now I'm enjoying it a lot. But I really like David Tennant so that may be a factor.

"Girl in the Fireplace" is certainly the best WHO for a number of years...although it has its weak spots, too. (Time Lords + Alcohol Abuse = Aarrgh.)

Overall, though, a terribly disappointing "second" series.

By the way, just caught a late-night trailer for TORCHWOOD the other evening: amongst other things, we can look forward to torrid girl-on-girl action and arterial-spurting alien moster attacks. Fantastic! Looks like the Cybermen might be back, too. I'm actually looking forward to this, heaven help me.

The first season was better. I chalk that up to how the Doctor and Rose were written. On the acting side, I also felt Billie was "playing" Rose some of the time in season two, rather than being her.

On the other hand, I quite liked the second season. The two-parters were all exceptional. And the first six episodes of the series just keep building strength upon strength, and are better the second time around, once you've gotten used to Tennant.

The last seven episodes feature two great two-parters and three single episodes, none of which are quite as strong as, say, GIRL IN THE FIREPLACE or THE UNQUIET DEAD, but at least with the upcoming LOVE AND MONSTERS, it can truly be said that Russell Davies is not afraid to take risks.

Looking forward very much to season three. They've already leaked one early episode will feature Shakespeare.

Also, be sure to catch David Tennant's CASANOVA, if you can, he's quite excellent there as well. It ran on Masterpiece Theater a little while back, and was written by Davies as well.

They just ran the "School Reunion" episode on the CBC last night, and can I say.......

SPOILER

That Elisabeth Sladen looks GREAT? Is she really 58?

Fans of Ms. Sladen may or may not be delighted to know that she's got a spin off series in production, due to premier in the UK sometime early next year. THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES is considered "Children's Programming." So Dr. Who fans have something in each timeslot now: SARAH JANE for the youngest, DR. WHO for families and TORCHWOOD for adults. Or teenagers, at least.

I love the new WHO series in a big way, but I'm smelling franchise burn-out, here.

-- Peter

Not until they bring back K9 AND FRIENDS. Which would probably be better than TORCHWOOD.

No 'K9 and Friends', but there will be 'K9 Adventures' (26 eps), which is described as a space fantasy adventure. It's going to be a mixture of regular animation and cgi. It's suppposed to appear on JETIX Europe and could eventually show up on these shores.

I did wonder about spin-off burn-out myself when I heard about all these ideas. I know there was one in the works for Rose as well, but it got canned. Maybe just as well, although I would think that a show centered around --

(SPOILER)

Rose and Torchwood in the alternate universe --

(END SPOILER)

--would have been a better idea than the Torchwood they're doing now.

But you do have to wonder if the idea of bringing Dr. Who back was just to prop up the spin-offs with little concern about Dr. Who itself. I'm fine with the Sarah Jane concept, since it had been talked about forever, but the others are just leaving me cold. Could combine them all and make Sarah Jane a bi-sexual alien-hunter from an alternate future who uses an animated K-9 to kill aliens. That would do it. ;)

BTW, thanks everyone for your comments about the show getting better. I had to miss the last two weeks of Sci-Fi showings, but I did catch The Age of Ultron ... I mean Age of Steel tonight, and I have to agree that the show is picking up a bit. Hope for the best.

Now if they would just stick around long enough to do The Other Five Doctors ....

Mmmm...just how many of us do you expect to get the Ultron reference? Or am I underestimating the audience?

Hee-hee.

Well, if they get it, they'll get it. :D