The New DOCTOR WHO
March 7th, 2005 | brainjuice
Well, it’s better than that brainless monstrosity of a TV movie that poor old Paul McGann battled through.
And, for the comics readers in the audience, that is indisputably a Bryan Hitch-designed TARDIS interior.
Christopher Eccleston, as the Doctor, is a delight. I imagine he’ll settle down as the series progresses, but right now he’s a walking mood-swing — Tom Baker’s mad grin and sudden command, Jon Pertwee’s physicality, Patrick Troughton’s impish side. And he’s got a great old leather jacket. He keeps his Northern accent, and when his new assistant asks him why he sounds Northern when he’s an alien, writer Russell Davies gives him the fine line: “LOTS of planets have a North!”
this. I think a girl stole it.
Word is that Sci-Fi Channel declined to acquire this new DOCTOR WHO series. And I can see why. It’s too damned English. As Rich Johnston said to me tonight, it’s your actual English family sci-fi show. There’s no way it’d fit on Sci-Fi. I imagine, to be honest, it’s going to bypass much of the American audience, and possibly even the gap between my generation and my daughter’s generation.
It is, in fact, DOCTOR WHO, as it was, complete with fake jeopardy for the kids and laughs for the adults. It will probably disappoint old fans — and anyone looking for a BATTLESTAR GALACTICA-style treatment — because it resolutely refuses to take itself too seriously. It’s not afraid of doing gags like having a kid eaten by a marauding plastic rubbish bin because that’s all part of the ride, all part of the style. In Michael Moorcock’s phrase, it obeys and enjoys the genre.
And so you get that nice little counterpoint between strange comedy bits and straight dramatic moments that is the hallmark of a certain strain of British fiction. Showroom dummies (yes) coming to life and shooting people might look funny, and it is — but the bodies are just as dead. And that — the placing of an alien element into a naturalistic contemporary British context — is the signature of the old British sf style, from WAR OF THE WORLDS to DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, from QUATERMASS AND THE PIT to, especially, DOCTOR WHO.
(For the old WHO watchers, this first story is a riff on the Autons, from back in the 70s.)
Billie Piper, best known over here for being a teenaged pap-pop singer and the (ex-)wife of ginger mini-media-mogul Chris Evans, is something of a revelation as the Doctor’s new assistant, Rose Tyler. She’s much better than anyone would expect. Eccleston’s a big actor. She does better than hold her own.
It’s shot on digital video, by the looks of it. The production values are, despite everything, a little ropey in places. Not the old cardboard walls and blokes in latex monster suits, though. The credit sequence is just horrible, the incidental music ranges from passable to fucking awful, and some of the gags don’t land at all. Davies works best in the naturalistic stuff, and in the interplay between the Doctor and Rose. That said, DOCTOR WHO hasn’t been this good since the early days of Peter Davison in the role. It’s nice to have it back, and I’m looking forward to watching it with my daughter when it airs on the BBC in a few weeks.
– W
is the award-winning creator of graphic novels such as 
I’ve seen two reviews today of the first episode of the new Doctor Who series. I’m guessing that means that it’s available on the peer-to-peer networks. If anyone sees a b…
Warrenellis.com � The New DOCTOR WHO…
We spent the weekend watching old Quatermass movies on DVD, all giddy with the news that the prof was heading back to our screens (as posted here). Now we hear that the new Doctor Who will bypass American audiences as it’s “too damned English” whic…
I hate to admit it, but I’ve seen the leaked premier. After reading the glowing review on Warren Ellis’ blog, I couldn’t resist. Within the first 15 minutes, I knew what I was watching. Other than the lack of a…
The first line under the picture here might indicate this is the only way that you ‘Merkins get to watch this.
I’m still waiting for it to air ‘proper’. The Ecclestone trailer was on BBC2 last night for the first time. I was dead excited.
I’ve been hearingthat the BBC is bringing back Doctor Who since … oh … right after they cancelled it, I think. But no, this time they really are, and Warren Ellis has seen it. Apparently it’s been released, intentionally or…
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[…] I was particularly relieved when I found out that the newly written theme had not made it in time for this draft, but can be heard here if you’re curious. Also, if you’re in need of a spot-on, more spoilery review check out Warren Ellis’ site. […]
[…] I was particularly relieved when I found out that the newly written theme had not made it in time for this draft, but can be heard here if you’re curious. Also, if you’re in need of a spot-on, more spoilery review check out Warren Ellis’ site. […]
[…] Michael Curry (mcurry) wrote,@ 2005-03-06 22:40:00 Current mood: jealous Warren Ellis on the new Doctor Who series Warren Ellis talks about the new Doctor Who series here:http://www.warrenellis.com/index.php?p=433And yes, he actually seems to like it, which makes me sad that the SciFi channel declined to pick it up for the US. Not that, as Warren points out, it’d actually fit in with the rest of the stuff on SciFi. Which, imo, would have been a good thing.(Post a new comment) pbray 2005-03-07 04:13 am UTC (link) Wonder if it will ever make it to the BBC America channel? Or will they hold on to it hoping that Sci-Fi channel will change their minds.Though really, what can one expect from the network that is bringing us Mansquito? […]
[…] Warren Ellis talks about the new Doctor Who series here:http://www.warrenellis.com/index.php?p=433And yes, he actually seems to like it, which makes me sad that the SciFi channel declined to pick it up for the US. Not that, as Warren points out, it’d actually fit in with the rest of the stuff on SciFi. Which, imo, would have been a good thing. […]