Doctor Who and Zia Bennet

CptSternn

Anyone else disappointed with the last two series of Doctor Who? They changed the entire writing staff and it's nothing like the first four series which were brilliant. The new doctor isn't so bad, but the writing is just plain horrible.

The same man who did this also cancelled 'Ideal' which was another favourite of mine.

Someone else agrees with me as i found this group on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Remove-Zai-Bennett-as-BBC-Three-Controller/321507137860668

Why anyone would muck about with a list of shows that were doing fabulously well is beyond me.

Did I also mention he is the guy who axed the DW Christmas special?

Eejit!

Daemos

So much wrong here, where do I begin?

First of all you're entitled to your opinion about the new show and its writers, but I have no idea where you think Zai Bennett comes into it. He's the head of BBC3, that's it. He literally has no power over Doctor Who. Not one ounce. Any decision made by the production staff was their decision. I genuinely can't fathom how you think he had/has any influence over their decisions

And he didn't cancel the Christmas special. As above, he would have zero power to do so if he wanted. He did cancel Doctor Who Confidential however, and rightly so IMO. It ran out of ideas. Need I remind you that the last episode spent 15 minutes establishing River's time line, and another had Karen driving a car and Arthur diving with sharks?

Or would you care to fabricate some other 'facts' to try and get us worked up over?

Das Kitty

First off, there's going to be a Christmas Special this year. It's in the middle of Series 7 rather than at the end as it has been in previous series.

Secondly, I entirely disagree about the quality of writing in series 5 and 6. In my opinion it's been wonderful. The dialogue, characterisation and plots have been excellent (if a little dizzying at times). There has been a massive amount of thought put into themes that comes out on repeat viewing. For example, I wasn't wild about the God Complex the first time I saw it. But watching it again now, there is so much there that mirrors the theme of series 6, it's a fantastic insight into the Doctor's character and what he has become.

Thirdly. I really don't see the point in groups people set up for the sole purpose of sharing their hate for something like a television programme. I honestly don't see what anyone gets out of it other than a sense of solidarity in bitterness.

As for Zia Bennet - wot Daemos said.

Killer_banana

Tbh from what I've seen online etc. no you are not alone in you're opinion but you are in the minority for definite.

Personally, I wish Moffat had taken over long ago. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be watching the show if the first four season were completely crap but the inconsistency of quality was shocking. And tbh I feel there was a lot more bad than good. But hey that's just me. I'm a complete Moffat fangirl so I amn't very good at even attempting to look at stuff objectively.

But yeah, everyone's entitled to their opinion so as long as no-one shoves their's down others throats then it's all good.

CptSternn

Dunno, I just thought series 5 and 6 both lacked the cleverness we came to enjoy in the first four series.

Spoliers for S5 here...

The end of series 5 was pretty much a rip off of Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey when they decide to go back and save themselves in prison by leaving a key for themselves.

And the fact he escaped using a screwdriver in the first five minutes of the last episode was also silly. Really? That big device specially built to contain him and it's easily defeated by the one thing he always had with him? Not even deadlocked?

And then there is the constant continuing paradoxes. One of the fellow travelers or the Doctor dies in every episode saving everyone else and they always go back and stop that person from dying. That tired sub-plot is weak.

Also, since when did the doc get all angsty? He is always roaring at people like they are children and has even encouraged people to kill? Remember when he didn't let people with guns hang out in the same room with himself? When he would use words to cleverly show people why they were wrong instead of just yelling at them? Now in the new series he is commanding armies and ordering people killed, plus committing genocide on various species he now deems bad. It really messes with his whole story and changes who he is when they have him use violence over words. Don't get me wrong, I love a good violent flick sure, but one of the reasons I liked the first four series was he was always able to sort everything without having to resort to violence, by coming up with some real clever solution and talking it out. These days not so much.

Dunno, I'm not excited about the next season. I'll wait for it to complete and then try and watch it, but I felt like I was suffering through the last few series as opposed to enjoying them.

TheIrishGrover

I thought that having only watched the first 3 or 4 episodes of Eleven's 1st series and posted on here saying something similar: that I just didn't "get" the new doctor/tone.....And then I watched the rest and LOVED it!!! I never saw the original series but, from other posts and just from the general look of the episodes, they seem more in line with the original series.

While I wasn't gone on one or two of the episodes of Doctor 11's run (I didn't like the cop-out workaround in the last season finale but I get the feeling that that's not over yet) there were some AMAZING episodes: Vincent, The Lodger, The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, The Impossible Astronaut/Day of The Moon, The Doctor's Wife, A Good Man Goes To War.

Das Kitty

Now in the new series he is commanding armies and ordering people killed, plus committing genocide on various species he now deems bad. It really messes with his whole story and changes who he is when they have him use violence over words.

Just to pick up on this one point for now.

This is the same bloke who wiped out his own race and the Daleks prior to the first series we're talking about, right? And during the first four series wiped out the Daleks (or so he thought) a few more times for good luck?

And the same fella who in his sixth incarnation tried to strangle his companion?

And hung around with UNIT who are very fond of guns?

And in his very first story kidnapped a couple of people and refused to bring them back?

Honestly, the Eleventh Doctor is not any different to any of the others.

ETA - The last series was built around turning the mirror back on the Doctor and showing him how he was being perceived and how people being afraid of him was dangerous. It's been breaking him down and showing him what he can be again. Basically Moffat's been undoing the "Lonely God" thing that RTD had going. Maybe that's what people react against when they compare the eras?

Doctor DooM

CptSternn wrote: »

Dunno, I just thought series 5 and 6 both lacked the cleverness we came to enjoy in the first four series.

Yup, them farting aliens were way more clever than, for example, the terrible irony of the doctor accidentally bringing about peace through being everyone's enemy.

RTD has a lot to be thanked for and I think he gets too much flak but come on.

aidan_walsh

Also, since when did the doc get all angsty?

I thought you said you watched the first four seasons? Five and six have had far, far less angst in them. Smith's Doctor has been far more like the Doctors of old.

stevenmu

I loved 5 and 6, and in particular the cleverness of the story arcs, the hints they would give to upcoming plot lines and how they all tied back together was fantastic.

The new(est) doctor does seem to have lost the clever Douglas-Adams-esque turns of phrase that the previous doctors had though.

BlitzKrieg

Dunno, I just thought series 5 and 6 both lacked the cleverness we came to enjoy in the first four series.

In all seriousness I do agree

CptSternn

I must say though, I am loving Torchwood.