Changing One's Opinion of Dr. Who

Also try "Torchwood", a post-watershed (ie not for kids) spin-off of Dr Who. The creators of the "new" Dr Who wanted to create another series that was more adult themed and less of a family show. The word "Torchwood" is actually an anagram of "Doctor Who". Torchwood is an agency that occasionally appeared in Dr Who that save the world from alien invasion. It's like a British version of the X-Files (X-Files is very adult themed. It does not have much inappropriate content, it simply does not appeal to children. Torchwood is the same.)

NOTE: As the show progresses, it becomes more and more raunchy. The first season isn't bad, but the second season is quite vulgar - definitely NOT for children.

I've been managing to enjoy old Dr Who because I always pay attention to the witty dialogue. Douglas Adams wrote for the show a few times, you know.

Steven Moffat is writing Dr Who??? I would ask where I've been for the last however long, but the 2.5 kids in the house kinda explains it to me.

Sorry... just pleasantly surprised... Moffat wrote one of my all-time favourite TV shows, Press Gang (a UK part drama, part sit-com about a teen/youth newspaper). I would recommend it but I have a feeling that only English/Australian teenage girls in the early 90s would appreciate the drama of Spike and Lynda... Ah, the memories...

Thanks for the info!

Cheers from Oz.

Tom Baker is the beginning and end of Dr Who.

Yes, but alas, David Tennant is also leaving the show. :(
He's sticking around for the five specials (including the 2008 Christmas special) for 2009 and then he's gone.

"Despite the continuing lameness of the Daleks..." Blasphemer!

But your comments about "Blink" buy you a little forgiveness. For some reason, I've always been a fan of one-off episodes that barely feature the main characters at all.

I first saw DOCTOR WHO when a local PBS station in California was playing the Jon Pertwee episodes. Like you I could not get into the show at all.

A couple of years later, when back in Connecticut, I started seeing the Tom Baker incarnation and was hooked.

While I agree the FX the past few years have been amazing, the writing and acting in the old shows still have their charm.

hey now... I loved the old episodes. Despite the weak-sauce special effects. The various plots of those old episodes could be really cool. I always thought Tom Baker really changed the whole concept of the show. I will admit that the episodes before TB were incredibly silly. Also, Sarah Jane Smith is one of the coolest side kicks except for Rose. Rose is awesome. Man... I could on forever about this. I will not...

The thing about new Doctor Who is that it's a FAMILY show - you can sit down with your kids and your grandparents and there's something in it for everyone to enjoy, be it the scary monsters or silly humour for the kids, the subtle social commentary for the parents or the romantic hints for the grannies and grandpas. Plus, recently, there's been another attraction for my female friends and my sister in the form of current doctor, David Tennant - wonder why? Sadly his time is nearly up, and there's the other brilliant thing about it - there aren't many oher programmes that can change its lead actor or use it to such great effect!

lightprincess89 > Also, Sarah Jane Smith is one of the coolest side kicks

Well then you might want to look into "The Sarah Jane Adventures" already into it's second season. It is very much for children (tweens?) but still a fun show.

I read about that series. It looked like it would be fun. Sadly I am an american with no cable. No BBC America! Argh! Ah, well. I have a british brother-in-law who could probably track some down for me.

Sarah Jane Smith forever!

Actually, Sarah Jane Chronicles is on Sci Fi, not BBC America. Of course, that doesn't help you with the "no cable" problem... just sayin'.

I'm sure it will be out on DVD sometime soon, though.

two words. red. dwarf. ^_^.

Agreed. I find Red Dwarf much better written and much more believable than Dr. Who. Mainly because the new Doctor Who seems kinds of condescending to everybody else around him. Also many of the plotlines seem to be Doctor: "I can go anywhere in Time or Space in the known universe. As long as it's on the planet Earth and we don't leave the UK" "Did I mention how powerful my time machine is?" "Now who do you want to meet in English History?"

How'd I miss this post?? Anyway, for me, the genius of the original (what, 27-year-run?) was that EVEN with the crappy F/X budget they still managed to crank out solid stories. And as someone previous pointed out, Douglas Adams wrote a couple of the original eps and if you go back now, knowing that, they really stand out.