[Severian]

Watching David Tenant's sensational run on Netflix over the past few weeks has reopened some kind of cling lost crevice in my mind and imagination.

I have forgotten how much I love Dr Who. In fact I'm not sure I ever knew. Watching this show at it's philosophical peak is like watching a veil being removed from your own reality. It's epic and terrifying and beautiful.

I just wanted to throw that out there. I watched "Silence in the Library" last night, and feel like having some lengthy discussions about it.

Also, since I'm only familiar with the most recent incarnations of the Doctor, I would love to hear some recommendations about Dr.Who books, radio dramas, websites, comic books, etc. that are worth looking into. Any and all recommendations are welcome.

Thanks

[demonrail666]

I went through a phase a few years ago of rewatching all the old Tom Baker era stuff (the Dr I grew up with). It's all on DVD now and I'd definitely recommend 'The Ark in Space' , 'Robots of Death' and 'Pyramids of Mars'. There's an entire industry of books and other offshoots but I've only watched the TV series.

[!@#$%!]

hey, i always wanted to watch this but i never know where to begin.

please advice. who is "tom baker" (what number of dr. who?)

or should i just begin w/ the current one?

thanks.

[EVOLghost]

 

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

hey, i always wanted to watch this but i never know where to begin.

please advice. who is "tom baker" (what number of dr. who?)

or should i just begin w/ the current one?

thanks.

Tom Baker was the 4th Dr, from the 70s to early 80s. Although I think it's common for people to favour the Dr they grew up with I do think he was pretty definitive. Great mix of eccentricity, egomania and humour, helped by some excellent assistants (Leela was probably my first ever crush) and great stories.

 

And seen here with the lovely Leela

 

[Severian]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

hey, i always wanted to watch this but i never know where to begin.

please advice. who is "tom baker" (what number of dr. who?)

or should i just begin w/ the current one?

thanks.

Listen, Slambang... I'm not British. I didn't grow up with any Doctor, unfortunately (I grew up with Star Trek reruns, and the first round of movies, which coincided with my early youth) but I have heard that your perception of the doctor is forever defined by the first doctor you witness.

Therefore, the easiest thing to do is what I did: watch just enough of the original series to know the key points (which villains are important, notable sidekicks, etc.) and then dive into Christopher Eccleston's Dr. No.9.

Eccleston was an attempt to make the doctor a bit different than he ever had been. It was a reboot. He's ok as the Dr., but he was only around for one season. That season immediately precedes David Tenant's Dr #10, who is the most beloved and widely praised Dr in the history of the show (moreso than Baker, who's comparable to William Shatner, I suppose.

Tenant IS the Doctor, and Eccleston is NOT. He didn't work. But it's important to watch his season, and to watch Tenant and see the change, in order to appreciate Tenant's influence and complete ownership of the character.

So, start there. With the Eccleston season, which is so-so, but many things happen in his season that carryover into Tenant's four season run. Watch that, and read up on your Who history, and you'll be exactly where I am with the character. (I still can't watch Matt Smith. I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it. It seems like it would be similar to watching someone play the Joker after Ledger.

Matt Smith was a complete reboot of the Doctor mythology. I will get around to it some time, but as of now, I haven't watched a single episode.

It's intimidating to get into it, but once you find your doctor things get simpler, and you have a point of reference. But I'm really just starting out too, hence the questions about the Dr. In other mediums.

Just as there are some Star Trek novels (one in every hundred) that are required reading, and brilliant, I'm sure there are some Dr. Who novels, comics, whatever... that are essential. I just don't know where to begin looking.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Tom Baker was the 4th Dr, from the 70s to early 80s. Although I think it's common for people to favour the Dr they grew up with I do think he was pretty definitive. Great mix of eccentricity, egomania and humour, helped by some excellent assistants (Leela was probably my first ever crush) and great stories.

 

this is the first one i ever spotted i think on pbs in the 90s--- but the guy had white hair (apparently it was a long gig) and i could never understand anything cuz i'd catch it mid-episode or whatever

Originally Posted by Severian

watch just enough of the original series

you mean the very first #1 show ever made?

thanks guys.

ok im off to watc the original DJANGO! (thankx tarantella)

dubbed, of course.

[LifeDistortion]

Not sure if you guys know that its the 50th anniversary of "Doctor Who", BBC America is making a big deal of it, and doing specials on all the Doctors. I got into "Doctor Who" only really recently, with 11th Doctor, who I like quite a bit, not sure why there seems to be a lot of Matt Smith haters on the net. I've seen a handful of David TENant's episodes and X-Mas specials, but haven't seem them all. I really enjoy the latest season too, really like new companion Clara.

 

[SonicBebs]

There's only two people i hate in this world.
Alan Titshmarsh and David Fucking Tennant

[demonrail666]

Severian's advice seems sound. Tennant is a great Dr. and a perfectly good one to start with, although the stories are a bit darker and more complex than previous incarnations so in that respect they're not necessarily typical. If you do want to watch some of the earlier stories that are considered classics, I'd recommend:

Dalek Invasion of Earth (William Hartnell as the Dr and a classic Dalek story but maybe a bit old fashioned for today's tastes)
Tomb of the Cybermen (Patrick Troutman as the Dr and includes the cybermen - who are even better than the Daleks, imho)
Terror of the Autond (Jon Pertwee as the Dr. This one introduces the Dr's main antagonist The Master)
Genesis of the Daleks (Tom Baker era. Introduces Davros, creator of the Daleks and probably the greatest most iconic villain in the series ever)
Pyramids of Mars (Tom Baker again. Includes Sutek'h, who scared the living shit out of me as a kid)

Those could be considered kind of like the foundation episodes for all that was to come later on. You'd understand everything perfectly well without them but if you're someone who likes to know the context those are a must. I think most are on DVD but if not, you shouldn't have a problem DLing them.

[Severian]

Yes, I'm definitely into the darker and more intense/scary/big picture issues when it comes to scifi in general, and Tennant (please attribute misspellings in previous posts to iOS, no idea why it defaulted to that on autocorrect)

But is Tenant the ONLY Dr. to explore this kind of territory? For instance, the episode in which the Doctor meets "Satan" ... One of the greatest tv moments in history. Is that a Tenant-only thing, or can that kind of storyline be found elsewhere?

More dark shit, please.

[edit: Nevermind. Misspelling was my fault. Had to look it up to be sure. Sorry, iOS. You're doing your best]

[demonrail666]

I think some of Ecclestone's stories were pretty dark. Tom Baker's stuff could be scary but I wouldn't describe it as especially dark, so to speak. Although to be fair there's so bloody much of the Baker era that it's hard to keep up. Nothing springs to mind, though, at least compared with the Tennant-era stories like Last of the Time Lords. The closest I can think of is a story called Seeds of Doom, but even that's probably more intense than dark. I'd say the Baker era was perhaps a bit heavier on the pure science than you tend to get with the Tennant-era which, in comparison, seems more psychologically than scientifically complex.

Essentially, I think they both appealed to different audience needs at the time. So if you're looking for dark, you're probably best off simply sticking with the reboots and if you fancy more full-on action, droll humour and mad scientific ideas, have a look at some of Tom Baker's stuff.

[!@#$%!]

i just queued on netflix this stuff from 1963-66 (here shown in an amazon page):

http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Beg.../dp/B00ANDGYRM

am i doing it wrong?

[Severian]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

i just queued on netflix this stuff from 1963-66 (here shown in an amazon page):

http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Beg.../dp/B00ANDGYRM

am i doing it wrong?

There should be two Dr. Who versions on Netflix; the "original," and the series that began with Eccleston, after the show was off the air for several years. I'd just start with Eccleston and Rose Tyler. Watch through the end of Tennant's run, which will bring you to the end of what Netflix offers.

As for the old stuff, maybe save yourself some time, and just read a Wikipedia entry. And go into it looking out for the Dalek (basically the major villains of the series and mythology as a whole) and the Cybermen, who are sucky even in Tennant's era, but have had new life breathed into them recently by Neil Gaiman (I hear he's "made them scary again")

[Severian]

Has anyone watched Torchwood? I've never done so myself, but knowing the true identity of Captain Jack has made me more interested.

And can anyone comment on Smith? Should a fan reared on Tennant's none too typical Doctor even pursue his successor, or am I just asking for a let down of epic proportions?

[Severian]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

I think some of Ecclestone's stories were pretty dark. Tom Baker's stuff could be scary but I wouldn't describe it as especially dark, so to speak. Although to be fair there's so bloody much of the Baker era that it's hard to keep up. Nothing springs to mind, though, at least compared with the Tennant-era stories like Last of the Time Lords. The closest I can think of is a story called Seeds of Doom, but even that's probably more intense than dark. I'd say the Baker era was perhaps a bit heavier on the pure science than you tend to get with the Tennant-era which, in comparison, seems more psychologically than scientifically complex.

Essentially, I think they both appealed to different audience needs at the time. So if you're looking for dark, you're probably best off simply sticking with the reboots and if you fancy more full-on action, droll humour and mad scientific ideas, have a look at some of Tom Baker's stuff.

Ok, you summed it up, and helped make things clearer. If Tennant's the psychological Doc, then that's why I love him. If he represents the psychological (and philosophical/theological) high point of the character, then I doubt I will ever pursue another Dr. with anything close to equal expectations.

Psychology is kind of my thing. The common theme that can be found in all the things I love the most. Almost was a doctor myself, once. Hah.

[tw2113]

I watched my first ever Dr. Who episode last night. Based on suggestion from a friend, I'm starting from Eccleston's season and if it's "working" for me, I'll probably move through at least all of Tennant's run. Anything after that will need to be decided on.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

am i doing it wrong?

No, so long as you don't let the very first era's inevitable clunkiness put you off looking at what comes after. What I'm about to say would probably be taken as sacrilege by Dr Who purists but personally I'd start with the Tom Baker era and then jump straight to the reboots.

I'd be inclined to start with any of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Pyr...+who+tom+baker

http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-See...+who+tom+baker

http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Rob...+who+tom+baker

http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Spa...+who+tom+baker

Shit! This thread is making me want to watch Pyramids of Mars again!!! Thank God payday is on Thursday. A trip to Forbidden Planet beckons.