Topic: The TV Show Thread

@Th3solution Me and the wife starting watching the older new Who a few years ago and the visual effects in the Ecclestone episodes are pretty laughable now.

Hopefully it sticks at some point for you though as it is a good, fun show with some excellent cameos along the way. It gets a little tricky skipping series as doctors and companions mostly don't change at the same time but that's not the biggest worry.

I always found Ecclestone a bit of a funny one for playing the doctor and the fact he jumped ship so quickly meant he never really established himself that well.

I just watched the fresh Prince reunion show. It was actually really good and I am so glad I watched it. I kind of don't normally go in for these reunion type affairs but the fresh Prince is one of my favourite TV shows ever. I used to come home from school and watch it every day at 6pm on bbc2, I'd be crying with laughter or just crying because Carlton took drugs or had his rich kid bubble burst when he gets pulled over by police or when Will got shot or when he meets his absentee father.

It was really done well, I was apprehensive because will smith is always the loudest person in the room on all his public appearances these days but the reunion has a good balance and everybody's voice is heard. It is sad and funny but well worth watching if you were/are a fan of the fresh Prince!

I don't quite know how well regarded the episode is with the Doctor Who fandom... But I've always been quite fond of the episode "Midnight" @RogerRoger from the Tennant series that really showcases his acting chops (to me at least).

It's the one with the space tour bus where it breaks down and the unseen monster ends up possessing Lesley Sharp's character and copying everyone. I really love how really tense and claustrophobic the episode is with the rising paranoia of all the passengers... The doctor ending up completely powerless and ending up getting saved by the nameless stewardess always stuck with me

Also I realised we're placing our faith that Sol will like the show with an episode revolving around a giant metal pepperpot looking thing with a plunger attached to it... I'm only a little worried he won't take it seriously lol

Oh that's very, very true @RogerRoger. The episode with the energy being in the tv that steals faces springs to mind. No doubt it helped he was such a fan of Doctor Who himself and was so happy to be part of it that he just gave it his all... Stinker episodes and all 😄

Well we're certainly lucky to have you here rog

I'm quite fond of both those episodes myself actually. The other Doctor & Companion light episode I can think of (Love & Monsters) is... atrocious to put it mildly but even without the comparison I'm quite fond of Blink and pretty much everything about it.

Shame the weeping angels got a tad overused after that, especially with Matt Smith's run if I remember right?

The Girl In the Fireplace meanwhile is just a really good episode with some great moments and I really quite like the "villains", their motivation & reasoning and I'm a fan of the design of 'em too!

Well hopefully now Sol's a bit more used to what he should expect now and he'll enjoy it... Hopefully

@RogerRoger it is good and there are some particularly "real" moments about the reunion show that I don't want to spoil. It's not like all happy and reflectively sad. Serious grievances between certain cast members get aired which is not something you would expect from this type of show.

The original show isn't on Netflix at the moment actually! Unless it's on in another country and you use a VPN. It's currently on iPlayer and NowTV Entertainment pass. The reunion itself is only on now tv (and I'd assume by extension, sky)

@RogerRoger I had a look when you mentioned it and I couldn't find it so I guess not! These shows always move around the different services, 8 months after seeing a thumbnail on Netflix you think, "I'm in the mood to watch that now" only to find it's been moved to Amazon prime or something

@ralphdibny @RogerRoger Fresh Prince has just landed on both Sky Comedy and BBC iPlayer so I assume Netflix were outbid!

@RogerRoger Picard is finally out on blu ray this month too!

There are far too many streaming services and I hear it's much worse over in America. I didn't know Netflix was so expensive now, I use my dad's account for it so I wonder if he will cancel it soon. I might rush to watch the new series of Disenchanted just in case. Otherwise yeah, it's mainly trash you just put on when your bored. I've watched all of the marvel shows and they're not making any more.

I couldn't get very far into Altered Carbon either, it was the narration that did it in for me. It looks interesting and I like the lead actor so I'd be willing to give it a try some day. I've heard umbrella academy is good so again, i'd be willing to give it a try but I've never been a fan of Elliot page films (except X men 3) and I can't stand that Robert Sheehan guy ever since all those e4 adverts of him smashing his head into a locker on that programme misfits which I never watched. So it doesn't have a lot to tempt me except the positive word of mouth. I haven't read the books either, I've read the milk wars JLA/doom Patrol crossover that Gerard way did for DC but it was confusing and a bit unoriginal in its concept so again, not so keen on watching an adaptation of another of his works!

Out of the new Doctor Who, I'd say Peter Capaldi is my favourite. David Tennant is a very close second. And Christopher Eccleston is narrowly behind in third, who I think is the most underappreciated of the new doctors.

@crimsontadpoles Honestly, I think all the Doctors have been great in their own ways - it’s the quality of writing which has seen its ups and downs.

@RogerRoger @Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy So I made it through “Dalek” and I think it’s probably the best of the 3 episodes I’ve watched... although that is faint praise indeed.
The Dalek was a weird creature (?) for sure and I do have to say that it was still plenty corny with the voice and the sucker and all. Actually, the best part was when the creature opened the metal casing and exposed itself to the sun and basically surrendered its life. For a brief moment the show actually resonated with me. Yet the campy rendition of Sci-Fi permeated through the episode aplenty, with the relatively nonsensical plot holes and logic defying character reactions. I’m probably coming across overly critical, which I apologize for, but perhaps I’m not in the right state of mind. 😄

Something you both said made me question— Are Dalek’s actually a thing in the UK? I’ve never heard of one before.

Anyways, I’m not sure the show inspired me with adoration yet, but I’m going to try a Tennant episode. However, when I look at the episodes, it looks like he actually appears at the end of season 1. Is this correct? I’m strictly going from the thumbnail photo of the episode but it looks like season 1, episode 13 “The Parting of Ways” has him there. Should I jump to that episode or straight to season 2, episode 1 “New Earth”? (Speaking of thumbnails for the episodes, I can’t help but notice a picture of Dalek, or a Dalek, also present in the photo attributed to “The Parting of Ways”, so I guess he/she/it makes a comeback)

@RogerRoger Oh, and I will say (because I can’t remember if I said much about it on here) that Umbrella Academy is actually pretty good. It is a little bit like an X-men knockoff, but it’s an infinitely more dysfunctional bunch. The entertainment is largely from the flawed and broken aspects of the family. Anyways, it is quite enjoyable once you get past the first couple episodes where you’re trying to learn each of the characters.

@Th3solution I guess he “appears” in the final episode of the first series of the reboot as that’s when the regeneration occurs (you know about that whole thing right?).

It was essentially a teaser that he would be the new doctor when the next series started so there’s not much you’ll miss there.

Did anyone ever see the series of Casanova that Tennant did pre-Who?

It was good fun and you can see why they chose him for the role of the Doctor based on that.

Ha ha I actually started watching Doctor Who last night @Th3solution because of this talk with you in particular and ended up watching the same three episodes as you so far.

I also knew as soon as I saw it again you'd find the Dalek's voice funny... I did think you might find the portrayal of americans in it a bit silly too

Good to see it managed to strike a chord with you sol even if a bit brief! We're making progress!

"The Parting Of Ways" is actually a two parter episode with the previous episode "Bad Wolf" with Tennant only appearing in the last few seconds of "The Parting Of Ways".

Probably best you jump over to Tennant's run in earnest Sol for the time being... The first episode that actually has him/introduces him properly is "The Christmas Invasion" (I'm not sure how cheesy/corny you'd find it though)

If you don't have that episode ... Then you might wanna try "The Girl In The Fireplace"? It's skipping over a number of episodes I know but I'm trying to find one that'll hopefully win you over that you'll consider less campy and corny then some of the others... 😅

I figured the Kung Fu monks that appear in that episode alongside the werewolf might've been a bit silly (As I even found that a bit daft) to sol hence why I didn't recommend that episode @RogerRoger... It's a bit hard to guage what he'd find goofy or not though I know especially with everyone else here being big fans of the show 😄

And as for him skipping right to the 5th series... Lol that's where I said for Sol to start in the first place when he said he liked Sherlock so much as I figured with Moffat taking over he'd get more similar vibes from it

@Thrillho I think I know about regeneration, although I’m just assuming some things. I have pieced together that the alien being that is the Doctor inhabits various human forms. I just don’t know if it’s as a result of the previous form dying, or if it’s some kind of purposeful evolution or voluntary invasion of someone’s body, or if there’s some other time limit of each physical form.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Lol, yeah I thought the voice was pretty goofy alright. It reminded me of the little boy’s voice in The Shining. “Redrum... Redrum” 😅
And the Americans in the episode were certainly unintentionally humorous in their own way. But it fit with the overall camp and datedness of the series. (“I own the internet...” 😂)

Maybe I need to do “The Christmas Invasion” because I did see that one listed. I feel like I need to see Tennant get introduced as the Doctor even if the episode isn’t up to the better standards that follow. I’ll let you know how I get along. 😄

Not a fan of Sherlock myself @RogerRoger but with Moffat (and Mark Gatiss) running (and I think writing the entire thing too?) there I figured with Moffat at the helm of Series five of Doctor Who (And for the reasons you said of the bigger budget, the more international focus and the likes) it seemed like the better entry point for Sol to ween him into it.

@RogerRoger Sorry, my friend - I just now saw your post after writing that above. Yeah, the headspace I’m in atm is weird anyways, so I don’t mind a little trial and error on a couple Who episodes. Namely because my gaming mojo has taken a hit, and so I’ve been dabbling more into TV. I think the fact that it’s more passive and requires less energy as a form of escapism is why I’m gravitating toward TV and movies instead of gaming. Anyways, thanks a ton for all the recommendations. I’ll certainly post thoughts.

And yes — The Umbrella Academy is an acquired taste due the initial frustration of the dysfunctional family dynamic of the characters. But one thing it does is really provide strong characters of wide representation with plenty of diversity. Interestingly I noticed the credits changed from “Ellen” to “Elliot” in the second season (probably have retroactively changed the first season by now) It’s easy to spot because he’s the first name in the end credits usually.

The fact you're willing to keep engaging with the series despite not fully getting on with it so far is promising @Th3solution even if you end up deciding it's not for you.

At least you can agree it's better then Marmite!