Neil's well earnt rest

[Barry]

Looks like Neil will now be allowed to spend more time listening to his system:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13594932

All that "exterminating" and trying to take over the universe must be very tiring. Neil, you've well earnt that rest!

One thing though, how do you manage to play LPs and CDs with that sink plunger of yours? :scratch:

Regards

[DSJR]

I think the Daleks have been treated badly "on TV" since the sad death of their best writer - IMO, David Whittaker back in 1970. For me, their golden age was the mid 60's, with the back stories in "Masterplan," Power" and "Evil" being as important as the Daleks themselves. For me, so many of the later stories had them as clumsy worn-out props shouting exterminate blindly and with no real intelligence to back it up.

As for the hideous bloated plastic props from last year (pictured in the RT article), most of us old fans thought them hideous "Smartie" cash-cows (in new toy sales), although my son thought them cool. Sonny-Jim will be gutted that they're being rested though, as he shares my passion for the Daleks.

In the meantime, I'll go back to listening to the EXCELLENT "Dalek Empire" audio series on CD, which tried with some success to write them properly (Thanks to Nick Briggs for doing such a great job on these).

[Spectral Morn]

Looks like Neil will now be allowed to spend more time listening to his system:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13594932

All that "exterminating" and trying to take over the universe must be very tiring. Neil, you've well earnt that rest!

One thing though, how do you manage to play LPs and CDs with that sink plunger of yours? :scratch:

Regards

:lolsign:

Well Barry its like going up stairs...easy when you know how.

Actually truth be told I think Dr Who should be given a rest. Steven Moffat has well and truly made a mess of it imho. Current Dr Who sits in its own zone (i.e confused), is it for kids or adults? Current Dr Who is sliding into being sort of Torchwood.

Personally Moffat was best when kept in check and now he runs the show he is like a ping pong ball...all over the place. Current Who lacks focus and tampers with things which were not broke.

One other set of characters that should be retired or deleted is the alternative universe cyber men bring the Telos/Mondas lot back I say.


Regards D S D L

[Spectral Morn]

I think the Daleks have been treated badly "on TV" since the sad death of their best writer - IMO, David Whittaker back in 1970. For me, their golden age was the mid 60's, with the back stories in "Masterplan," Power" and "Evil" being as important as the Daleks themselves. For me, so many of the later stories had them as clumsy worn-out props shouting exterminate blindly and with no real intelligence to back it up.

As for the hideous bloated plastic props from last year (pictured in the RT article), most of us old fans thought them hideous "Smartie" cash-cows (in new toy sales), although my son thought them cool. Sonny-Jim will be gutted that they're being rested though, as he shares my passion for the Daleks.

In the meantime, I'll go back to listening to the EXCELLENT "Dalek Empire" audio series on CD, which tried with some success to write them properly (Thanks to Nick Briggs for doing such a great job on these).


I agree with you Dave.


Regards D S D L

[DSJR]

"Actually truth be told I think Dr Who should be given a rest. Steven Moffat has well and truly made a mess of it imho. Current Dr Who sits in its own zone (i.e confused), is it for kids or adults? Current Dr Who is sliding into being sort of Torchwood.

Personally Moffat was best when kept in check and now he runs the show he is like a ping pong ball...all over the place. Current Who lacks focus and tampers with things which were not broke.

One other set of characters that should be retired or deleted is the alternative universe cyber men bring the Telos/Mondas lot back I say.


Regards D S D L"

+1 in BUCKETLOADS :clap:


In my youth, Dr Who was a FAMILY show. I'm not saying they always got it right back then, but the often clever scripts and slower pace often gave some breathing space for stories and characters to grow.

My wife, who is a "non-we" where 'Who is concerned, loved the "Eccles-Cake" era sense of breathlessness (or maybe that was her reaction to the northern wonder :eyebrows:). She currently finds Matt Smith a total nut-case and completely unbelievable. As for Amy Pond and the actress who plays her, best left un-said I think.

There's some great bits in the current series and in a way, I do like the sortof "X-Files" kind of moodiness in the lighting and "feel" of current episodes, but i do agree about the lumpy, ping-pong, confused style of story telling. Maybe, with the extended break between filming the Autumn episodes and hopefully, a new series next year (Autumn-time?), they can straighten things out.

[Marco]

Lol, Barry - nice one!

On a more serious note, I'd like to address this part of the article:


Recent episodes of the show, which stars Matt Smith as the timelord, have been criticised for being "too scary for children".

But Moffat said: "It is horror, but horror for children. It's scary in the way that a fairy story can be scary."


Bollocks! When I watched Dr Who as a child, during the Jon Pertwee and early Tom Baker eras, it was always very scary, and often rather dark and macabre, but that's *precisely* what I loved about it!! It sometimes used to give me nightmares, but that was cool.

I was saying to Del on Saturday, after watching the most recent episodes of Dr Who, how much better that they were than last season's efforts, which in my opinion were way too 'kiddified', and more akin to watching a Harry Potter adventure, than real science fiction.

So I agree with Moffat's comments, and also think that some of today's parents need to wise-up, stop being so suffocating, and realise that their precious little darlings see far more scary and horrific images when playing today's computer games, than they do watching any episode of Dr Who........!

Therefore, long may the current Dr Who series retain the 'scare factor' of recent episodes, and in doing so remain faithful to the original concept!!

<Rant over>

Marco.

[Slippershod]

Lol, Barry - nice one!

On a more serious note, I'd like to address this part of the article:



Bollocks! When I watched Dr Who as a child, during the Jon Pertwee and early Tom Baker eras, it was always very scary, and often rather dark and macabre, but that's *precisely* what I loved about it!! It sometimes used to give me nightmares, but that was cool.



I still have nightmares about the one with giant spiders ( ... or was it jon pertwee's hairdo ... :scratch:).

I haven't watched it since 'Turloe' (?) was an assistant (can you blame me? :lol:) but when I see trailers and clips these days, I'm struck by the much higher production values -and the villains do seem pretty darn scary (looking anyhow).