One of the best episodes of the new season and indeed the series, Human Nature is the subject of this week's podcast. Steven and Warren discuss the episode for a solid 30 minutes, and only rarely descend into their trademark digressions and Who-trivia-oneupmanship. (feed, web, direct download)
Well I have to say that this episode isn't bad it is better that what we have been seeing for the past couple of episodes, but I don't think that it is great by any means, the aliens are not scary they are not menacing They look more like a creature from the second episodes of Torchwood.
I did catch that part where the music with the little girl is from a Slyvester McCoy episode. I also think that you over intellectualize DW from time to time Warren.
Over intellectualize how? I mean, I'll be the first to admit it's Dr Who, not a Great Work Of Our Time...but it is reasonably clever and witty, or we wouldn't be watching it.
And I'd say the Family of Blood is scary precisely because of what you don't see.
As I've just posted on the RFS Facebook group:
DWM 383 comes out tomorrow and it's going to have a list of the writers for Series 4. So far all that's known for certain is Steven Moffat has a 2-parter (YAY!) and there's at least one new writer, James Moran (who's also writing for series 2 of Torchwood).
I'm predicting RTD will take 5 episodes, including his usual opener and two-part finale. That leaves 5 other episodes available, and I'm expecting 2-3 other past writers to be contributing. And nothing from Steven Frye (again!) I would think... although I'd love to see what he could come up with for a script!
Also, the BBC Doctor Who page now has the Journal of Impossible Things on it... and yes, all Doctors are represented. Even Eccles and Tom!
I've got a pic of the page hosted:
Here's the scoop :
RTD (4 Episodes + Xmas)
Gareth Roberts 1 Episode
Tom MacRae 1 Episode
Helen Raynor 2 Episodes
Stephen Greenhorn 1 Episode
James Moran 1 Episode
Keith Temple 1 Episode
Steven Moffat 2 Episodes
I know not this Keith Temple person. After her brilliant Dalek two-parter, it's good to see Helen Raynor back for more. In fact, she should be writing every episode for Series 4, she's just that good.
I've heard that the BBC want to publish the "Journal of Impossible Things". That would be kinda neat.
I dislike Roberts being back, and Raynor (while kinda cute) didn't do a great job with the Dalek stories, but at least Moffat is back. We need stability like that. I wasn't a fan of Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel the first time around, but disliked it less when I revisited it in the box set so I don't mind MacRae being back. Lazarus was okay, so Greenhorn is also fine with me for returning.
The other two... who knows. I'll pass judgment on Moran when his Torchwood episode airs I guess.
Detailed transcriptions of what the voices in the watch in Human Nature say:
http://doctorwhomania.blogspot.com/2007/05/that-watch-it-never-shuts-up.html
For those interested, here's hard proof that series 3 really does suck (so far, aside from HN) relative to previous series:
http://www.gallifreyone.com/forum/showthread.php?t=131840
You must be registered on the OG forums to view that.
Despite some OG readers giving high marks for junk like The Runaway Bride and New Earth, I'm glad to see such stories ranked lower than I thought they would be.
If I had to develop a personal top 10 list for all episodes to date of the new series, it certainly wouldn't match the top 10 results from that list... but there'd be some overlap.
The official BBC synopsis of The Sound of Drums has been released (leaked)... Warren can finally stop calling Mr. Saxon John.
(From http://torchwoodtv.blogspot.com/2007/06/coming-to-your-screens-soon.html)
"Harry Saxon becomes Prime Minister and his reign of terror begins – but that's only the start of his ambitions, as he announces mankind's first contact with an alien race, the Toclafane. An audacious plan spanning the whole of time and space begins to close around the Earth, in the penultimate episode of Russell T Davies's Doctor Who."
Oh, that sounds exceedingly cool.....though apparently England has collective amnesia about the other invasions in just this series, let alone the old show.
And I'll never stop calling him John...never! :)
You say that like the Loch Ness Monster swam around the Thames or something. Past invasions indeed!
I read a story today about a recent video of Nessie surfacing. I think it's a brilliant bit of viral marketing for next season's Zygon two-part finale.
That's all thanks to Mr. Burns draining the lake, so it's not much of a mystery any more. Nessie is working security at a casino now.
NO WAY! ABERDEEN RULES!
For those of you praising "Human Nature" as the best Who episode ever, better get ready to eat your words. The sentiment is that "Family of Blood" is better still.
The Outpost Gallifrey poll results give FoB a 4.83 at the time of writing. I think HN was in the 4.7's.
With 416 votes in the weighted average is 4.807692308...
With 3850 votes, Human Nature's weighted average is 4.725454545.
So, yes, Family of Blood is indeed leading the way. That's wonderful news after all the mediocre episodes we've had to deal with this season.
And blame Excel for going to 9 decimal places, I'm not usually quite THAT anal about numbers.
Okay, yes I am.
Just watched it...absolutely brilliant. I'll hold off on the rest until the podcast on Monday.
As of now, it's at 4.796110414 with 1594 votes.
Usually by the time it gets to 1500 votes the weighted average doesn't fluctuate much. So, we should see it settle at just below 4.8 when all is said and done, making it the best score overall, beating Human Nature.
Anyway, time to grab a beer as the hockey game is about to start!
Oh, and no I've not watched it' I've been sitting on the xvid for 3 1/2 hours or so but I've been waiting for the hockey game to come and go before I watch it... so, I'll have the MPG2 copy by the time the Sens finish playing.
I'm hopeful it's as good as the ranking and Warren say...
I think I want to give it another viewing before passing final judgment, but I still gave it a 5 on OG even though I think Human Nature was a better episode.
The acting has been fantastic throughout both episodes, and I still don't like Tennant's portrayal of The Doctor, but I dig him as an actor and have liked everything else he's done that I've seen him in...
I suppose I should chime in with my one sentence review of "The Family of Blood" and then just shut-up:
Arbitrary, self indulgent, and poorly paced; perhaps the most over-rated piece of Who writing I have ever witnessed.
2830 votes, 4.764664311 weighted average. Still the highest-rated episode yet.
The pacing was definitely off, I can't argue with that. And the family was dying -- how are they set up to live forever? Why do we not find out more about Latimer? And the dream sequence, ugh. Still, it's definitely worth being called second-best of the season.
I loved the dream sequence, though I'll agree the pacing was a tad flaky. I'm prepared to overlook plot-holiness of the Family of Blood living forever for the greater poetic justice-ness (and Doctor character development) of it. Anyway, I'm not going to give away the bulk of the podcast via these posts. :)
Well, as I've been reminded by Jean-Paul, the time when Human Nature came out in novel form was when there was a resurgence of the Dark Doctor persona, so when you hear Cornell and RTD whitter on in Confidential about the darkness and how they make it seem so out of the blue, it's really not.
Now that the ebook was rereleased it'll make it that much easier to have a look at the novel (mine's in storage somewhere, I'll be surprised to ever see it again, if even I was still buying New Adventures by the time Human Nature came out... I don't even know!) to see how closely it aligned with the TV version. I get the impression, from OG forums and other outlets, that there was a good level of parity for the ending, so I'm glad I didn't try to find a copy to read mid-week and spoil things.
I had posited to Jean-Paul that maybe this 'darker Doctor' bit is what leads to him being a prick with trying to get away from Jack in Utopia, but I doubt there's any real connection (if we even ever find out why he's rushing to get away from Cardiff in the episode).
Isn't Cardiff itself a good reason to rush away from Cardiff? :)
(Not that I've ever been there, mind you, it could be perfectly lovely...)
It was the "dark and disturbed" Doctor so ruthlessly brought out in the New Adventure line of novels that turned me off the series in the 1990's, thus ending my keen interest in Doctor Who. Paul Cornell is often credited as being the driving force of this new characterization. It was a very popular approach with the fandom at the time. Now I begin to see him doing the same in the new TV series, so history may be repeating.
Okay, fanwankateers, who's gonna be the first to buy Graeme Harper's new book about directing Doctor Who?
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