What the Heck is Dr. Who? I keep Hearing about Dr. Who

[RavenaS]

The Classic series is fun to watch but it can be polarizing for new fans. Just think new BSG vs. original BSG.

Now if you are the sort to appreciate classic SciFi, and you really like the humor and imaginative scenarios of the new series (a ghost story in the past, a murder mystery in the future, space opera and X Files type unusual things in the present) but can do without the modern FX or emotional character drama, then by all means rent some of the Classic Who eps. They're fun, some more than others.

But the design of this new series is to appeal to a whole new generation who did not watch the Classic series. That's why we get a reboot at the beginning. "Rose" has a lot in common with the first episode of Doctor Who back in 1963, except "Rose" has more contemporary trappings and the pacing is much faster.

I'm in Maryland so I get the best of both worlds. New Who on SciFi on Friday nights, and Classic Who as a late night Saturday movie on PBS.

[orii7]

I'm in Maryland so I get the best of both worlds. New Who on SciFi on Friday nights, and Classic Who as a late night Saturday movie on PBS.

Your Lucky.

Over in America, PBS took Doctor Who off of it. So im late 30 or 40 years to see Doctor Who on PBS

[RavenaS]

Your Lucky.

Over in America, PBS took Doctor Who off of it. So im late 30 or 40 years to see Doctor Who on PBS

Huh? Um Maryland is in these United States, ya know. The other state to still carry it is Iowa. PBS channels just started dropping it in the last 5-10 years.

A lot of folks didn't see it, probably because the show has been given late night hours for the last decade or so. Early 80's it would air on afternoons. So that makes you maybe 20 years too late?

No prob. The new series airs this Friday at 9pm ET, and it's much much better IMHO. Doctor Who with a Hollywood-style budget and a decent script, oh the joy.

[orii7]

Huh? Um Maryland is in these United States, ya know. The other state to still carry it is Iowa. PBS channels just started dropping it in the last 5-10 years.

A lot of folks didn't see it, probably because the show has been given late night hours for the last decade or so. Early 80's it would air on afternoons. So that makes you maybe 20 years too late?

No prob. The new series airs this Friday at 9pm ET, and it's much much better IMHO. Doctor Who with a Hollywood-style budget and a decent script, oh the joy.

What? Maryland is in the US? man im must be Cybertized (a messed up Cybertization) lol

Sorry terribly sorry for the mistake. Its terrible how they have been dropping Doctor Who. Big Dummies! lol

BTW i know about Doctor Who airing on Sci-Fi. I just wanted to see The Old Series before I see the new one. IDK why but there must be a reason. My head is very messed up. lol

[Deputy-Assistant-Second-Prime]

Huh? Um Maryland is in these United States, ya know.

Wait a minute...are you sure about that?

Isn't Maryland part of Canada?

Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, at least it sounds like it would be adjacent to Canada.

I seem to recall advertisements for it when I moved from Jersey to Virginia, but I don't believe everything I read.

I mean, c'mon...like there's really a New Mexico.

[orii7]

Wait a minute...are you sure about that?

Isn't Maryland part of Canada?

Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, at least it sounds like it would be adjacent to Canada.

I seem to recall advertisements for it when I moved from Jersey to Virginia, but I don't believe everything I read.

I mean, c'mon...like there's really a New Mexico.

Your right. I thought Maryland was part of Ireland or whatever. something idk! lol like i said, Im messed up. for now. lol

[Deputy-Assistant-Second-Prime]

Your right. I thought Maryland was part of Ireland or whatever. something idk! lol like i said, Im messed up. for now. lol

Okay.

Reminds me of the time my aunt wanted to be a travel agent, so I tested her geography skills.

I asked her for England and she pointed to Greenland.
I asked her for France and she pointed to England.
I pointed to Antarctica and she called out "South America".
I asked her for the continent of Africa and she pointed to South America.
I pointed to Africa and said, "What's this?" and she said, "Africa II."

Then she got confused because she thought Alaska and Hawaii were islands off the coast of California, at that's how she remembered them from the cutaway inserts on the Continential U.S. maps.

Finally, we decided to focus on the Carribean which is where most of her clients would go to. I asked her where it was and she pointed to the Middle East.

[orii7]

Okay.

Reminds me of the time my aunt wanted to be a travel agent, so I tested her geography skills.

I asked her for England and she pointed to Greenland.
I asked her for France and she pointed to England.
I pointed to Antarctica and she called out "South America".
I asked her for the continent of Africa and she pointed to South America.
I pointed to Africa and said, "What's this?" and she said, "Africa II."

Then she got confused because she thought Alaska and Hawaii were islands off the coast of California, at that's how she remembered them from the cutaway inserts on the Continential U.S. maps.

Finally, we decided to focus on the Carribean which is where most of her clients would go to. I asked her where it was and she pointed to the Middle East.

LOL!!!!! that is so funny

So...Where is Maryland?

[Deputy-Assistant-Second-Prime]

LOL!!!!! that is so funny

So...Where is Maryland?

I didn't test her on the states, but I do recall her mentioning that she thought the state of Washington was on the East Coast.

Apparently, she thought Washington state and Washington, D.C. were the same place and she was amazed at some of things she found.

"There's a West Virginia?"

But I am glad I cleared things up with her.
After all, I didn't want her mistakenly sending American tourists to Afghanistan.

[Fargater]

I didn't test her on the states, but I do recall her mentioning that she thought the state of Washington was on the East Coast.

Apparently, she thought Washington state and Washington, D.C. were the same place and she was amazed at some of things she found.

"There's a West Virginia?"

But I am glad I cleared things up with her.
After all, I didn't want her mistakenly sending American tourists to Afghanistan.

ROFL!!!

That reminds me of an old Christmas special I saw years ago on PBS with Alan Arkin. It was called "A Matter of Principle". Arkin played this rather obnoxious guy who was right about everything but couldn`t keep a job etc. because he knew more than his bosses. Anyway one night his kids are doing homework on the floor in front of the fireplace (great thing, that fireplace, you get heat AND light, no need to put on a light) and one asks what the capital of West Virginia is, and Arkin`s character replies, "There is no such place as West Virginia. There is only one Virginia, and Richmond is its capital!" The poor kids just trade looks but know its useless to contradict him.

[chyron]

What the Heck is Dr. Who? I keep Hearing about Dr. Who. Could someone please fill me in

Thanks

The pentultimate Science Fiction television series spanning 40 years obviously predating Stargate, Babylon 5, Star Wars and Star Trek.

Word of advice - If you see a garbage can looking thing moving around with a funny looking metal arm sticking out if it - run for your life, especially if you hear the words "Ex-term-inate!"

Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who

[SGalisa]

a two parter post here...

Originally posted by Simonthefurling:
Anybody notice the starting looks kinda like a stargate wormhole?

Originally posted by Verona:
But I think Doctor Who beat Stargate to that idea by two or three decades.

Originally posted by Metarock Sam:
Well Doctor Whos always had the 'time vortex' which looks like the wormhole except its different and better. Who knows perhaps the producers decided to copy the vortex partly in construction for their wormhole effect.

yeah - Dr. Who definitely beat Stargate on the *wormhole traveling* visuals.
DOCTOR WHO's "wormhole" effect also beat out
Sliders
Farscape
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Stargate: SG-1
Stargeate: Atlantis

Actually, when I first started watching Stargate and saw the various spaceships jumping into brilliant bluish-white kaliediscope hyperspace, my initial thoughts were:

ahah! memories of Doctor Who!! someone borrowed the bluish kaliediscope effect from DOCTOR WHO!!
....circa Tom Baker era
...weekly episode musical introductory (and end) theme
..probable episode: Pyramids of Mars

This particular dimensional traveling sensation transformed itself several times since then, including colors and other effects added, but the brilliant bluish hues seem to be the most prominent in my memory.

It just amazed me that one of the Stargate topics a while back had complaints about SG-1 Season 9 now using the SGA wormhole visuals instead... and the whole time while reading that, I kept thinking:
well, actually SG-1 seemed to have borrowed the blue-green wormhole effect from Tv's SLIDERS series, and the vortex effect from DrWho! Besides, I *like* the new SGA wormhole visuals... the old one was probably due for an upgrade improvement.

[SGalisa]

continued from previous post...

Originally posted by kmiller1610:
Tom Baker...
Of course, he will always be Dr. Who to me, but with 27 seasons worth, I'm sure there were others who were also good.

Exterrrrrrminaaate..... Exterminaaaate!

How can canister vacumn cleaners be so lethal !?!?

Salt and pepper shakers
That's how the original creators described the original Daleks as:
giant salt and pepper shakers... roaming about.

After reading that tidbit, I never saw another salt and pepper shaker set of that particular bubble design in the same light -ever again!

and yes, the other doctors (actors portraying "the Doctor" character) were just as wonderful as Tom. Each created their own personality style specific to the actor portraying the role. New series version with Doctor # 9 incarnation: Christopher Eccelston seems to be more darker in attitude than the earlier doctors, including "Grandpa" -the first doctor, who we thought had the darkest persona of all so far.

Originally posted by Deputy-Assistant-Second-Prime:
The classic series is famous for its low production values, yet enthralling stories, as those BBC crews pitted their artistic talents against a small budget. The classic series often demanded the viewer suspend quite a lot of disbelief and imagine things that could not be shown on screen due to budget constraints. Doctor Who was a guinea pig for the testing and refinement of new SFX techniques. The film industry owes their much of their SFX success to the classic series.

...
Obviously the most confusing aspect of the Doctor, is that he has been played by various actors over the years who look, act, and dress very differently. Upon the onset of death, the Doctor's race has the ability to shed their old body, and within moments, take on a new form. This process also effects the Doctor's personality and can only be employed twelve times, giving him thirteen lives.

Excellent descriptions overall. wow! Who-lingo.
Actually, the entire DOCTOR WHO regeneration concept was in itself a *novel* idea, because it was (as the original creators described) a way to keep the entire series going -if something should happen to the main actor portraying the Doctor's character- several times, such incidents did take place, and another actor stepped in to regenerate the part. It also helped personify the storyline concept into the realms of being pure SciFi.

Tom Baker left because after 7 years, he felt it was time to hand the reigns of the role over to someone else and give that person an opportunity to *enjoy* the Doctor. In the case of Colin Baker, the series got yanked from airing, and Colin found another job elsewhere, so Sylvester McCoy took over the role when everything settled down into place again.

Originally posted by RavenaS:
The thing about Stargate and Doctor Who is when Stargate began I got interested because it reminded me of Doctor Who. Ragtag team steps through a magical portal into lands of futuristic worlds or ones drowning in ancient civilizations. SG-1 had a good sense of humor and wit about them, like Who, and they always just barely escaped disaster (saving worlds in the process). They even had the technobabble (shared duties by Sam and Daniel).

SG-1 had better effects, of course, and new episodes were being made.

subconsciously, I think that's what sparked my interest as well. Except the Stargate was instantaneous travel and the TARDIS (or *stuck* police box) took a bit longer...

For me, DOCTOR WHO was an aquired taste - meaning it took a while to get used to, and actually I realized there was more to like than not... Same with Stargate. The humor and poking fun at itself is also found in both series.

[Nuallain]

Your right. I thought Maryland was part of Ireland or whatever. something idk! lol like i said, Im messed up. for now. lol

There actually is a Maryland in Ireland, too! It's an area of the capital city where you can barely move for Virgin Mary statues erected in the streets...

[CKO]

what are time lords? (yea i know dumb question)... sorry if its been asked or answered before.