bonnee
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Assuming the planets are in alignment mandara, I hope to be able to contribute in some way…just not sure I can be present and accounted for when everyone else is.
A shame so few people post anymore – i remember a time when it was a hive of activity.
Well, (I think) I’ve got skype working…what do I do now?!
(I tried ringing Sad, but he’s never home. Does he screen his messages or have his answering machine turned off? )
What do I have to do to contribute, exactly?
(It should be noted that Sad and I discussed the possibility at one stage, but it didn’t seem physically possible. I don’t have anything in the way of hardware other than speech recognition software – which comes with a pissy headset – and the time difference makes real time conversation difficult).
but I’m up for suggestions 🙂
[quote=”SadGeezer”] unless I see a point to the story develop faster soon, I’m gonna get bored![/quote]
oh please, you’re addicted…and addicts are looking for their next fix (even if they think the syringe is broken).
I’d go so far as to suggest that the show is addictive because it is simply hard to second guess, and (like the brother at the end of ep 1) typically catches you unaware or from left field…
My understanding – based on paying attention to the show 🙂 – is that the serial killer is behind the doomsday. Sylar (I think) is killing potential heroes and stealing their brains to try and harness superpowers. The solar eclipse seems to figure centrally in this story. Then again – I could be talking out of my hindquarters.
and I think your right hollydays…looks like Hiro’s deviant friend is not long for this world…and maybe you could review the show on the podcast. I’m all shy and bashful.
The entire first season does seem to be about them discovering their powers and/or each other. Although Hiro talks about the need to thwart the prophesy within an imminent or looming six weeks, and we’re already up to ep.5 (which was pretty shit in my view. I couldn’t care less about the evil alter ego, and I’m not sure how it ties into the heroes main story or the other characters).
Unlike you, though, I’m not sure I want the show to move along at such a rapid pace. Most of the appeal for me is watching the pieces come together, piece by piece. The mystery and intrigue is what appeals to me. I’m not sure I really want to watch a straightforward show about superheroes as such – the best thing about Heroes (in my view) is the way the story is told, not the actual story itself (which threatens to be generic and lame, all said and done). I hope they can move beyond the initial premise or retain the show’s distinctive style as the season/s progress.
[quote=”SadGeezer”] What is the site missing that stops you from registering and becoming contributors?[/quote]
Some of us miss the trolls that used to run this place, like Alex and Squid. 😛
Maybe if Sadgeezer felt exclusive again, people will be clamoring to get in. 😀
Or maybe its because sci fi is in such a dire state, that it reflects in the activity online…then again, season 4 Lexx (somehow) generated conversation.
Well, that was definitely more relaxed and playful 🙂
No longer agree with the Lost enthusiasm though – the second season has generally been a lame joke. The show no longer pushes my buttons and simply tests one’s patience. Talk about squandering an intriguing premise – see the bitterness fiesta at televisionwithoutpity.com for the comprehensive fan backlash (implausible characterisations and plot digressions or developments, etc)
And can someone review mirrormask? Not sci fi as such, but an intriguing ‘fantasy’ with some great visuals and set pieces.
It would be good if you could also sit around in a sauna and talk – preferably without towels. There’s no real need to turn the sauna on – we can provide all the steam at home.
I stand corrected – didn’t mean to take anything away from all the hard work or an impressive first attempt. 🙂
Downloaded and watched it (using a player called juice). It was good for a laugh – no offense intended. The lighthearted and ramshackle approach was part of its charm, and helped set the general tone. It mostly worked as an introduction to everyone, and an attempt to find your feet ‘on air’. Hated the music though – the in your face aggression seems completely out of place. Can’t you find something more sci fi (electronic?) than the sound of people banging rubbish bin lids together whilst torturing kittens to death? 🙂
As for the content – I’m not sure what you want to be yet. An informal look at sci -fi, a weekly overview, a preview, or collection of opinions , etc? I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’d like to see more ‘substance’ or discussion/info that can’t be gleaned from anywhere else (including internet forums or news postings). Not sure what to suggest, but maybe you could model yourself on talk radio (where a theme or topic is discussed amongst people). Sci Fi attracts a range of people and opinions, and it would be nice if the show could reflect that.
It was great fun, and I look forward to seeing the next one, but I’m not sure I can remain interested indefinitely. Hopefully the podcasts will be able to distinguish themselves as something other than ‘good for a laugh’ and become mandatory viewing amongst sci fi fans across the world. Good luck with it.
i must be doing something wrong, because I can’t get RSS or Itunes to work. I’m using Firefox – how does this effer load? Or what are we supposed to do to enable/configure this feature?
Wow – I think I’m in love with the couple with long black hair (the guy and gal next to each other). The guy with glasses scares me though.
[quote=”Nick-Z.”]Sci-fi had a very rough beginning and some people have never quite recovered from the stereotypes it created. One stereotype that really bugs me is the idea that all sci-fi is just bad horror with laughable monsters and special effects. bad night mare and “science fiction”..
[/quote]
Sounds like the new season of Dr. Who – the first episode we had zombies in space, the second episode a werewolf in ye olden times England, and the third episode Vampires in a public school.
The special effects were pretty good though, and the second and third episodes quite good in a mindless sort of way. But I’m really disappointed in the run and hide mechanics that tend to dominate the drama – everything might as well be set in a haunted house.
[quote=”Logan”]… recently cancelled after three seasons by CHUM due to low ratings.
I do wish more Cancon (Canadian content) shows did well outside of Canada (and even in Canada), [/quote]
Speaking of tangents, what is Trailer Park Boys like? Or why is it an international cult hit still going strong after 6 seasons? My first (and only) impression was that its complete crap..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/columnists/story/0,,1753166,00.html
Charlie Brooker
Saturday April 15, 2006
The GuardianTerrible thing, anticipation. For instance, if I locked you in a room
and calmly informed you through a hatch in the door that I planned to
return in an unspecified period of time and beat you insensible with a
car jack, chances are you wouldn’t enjoy the intervening hours very
much, even if I’d left you a couple of magazines and some battenberg
cake. The anticipation of what was to come would cast too much of a
pall. You wouldn’t even notice the lovely vase of daffodils I’d
thoughtfully placed on the table, would you? You self-obsessed bastard.Of course, sometimes anticipation works in your favour the other way
round. When I was young, I remember being told that Morons From Outer
Space was the worst film ever made. When I subsequently went to see it
at the cinema, my expectations were so low, I practically tripped over
them on the way to my seat. By the time it had finished, I was
convinced it was a work of comic genius. I’d had my filter adjusted to
the point where I would’ve been impressed by anything other than a
blank screen and an atonal whistle.All of which brings me to Doctor Who (Sat, 7.15pm, BBC1) –
specifically, to episode one of the new series. Now, I’ve been effusive
in my admiration of last year’s series – effusive to the point of
fellatio, you might say, if it were possible to fellate a television
programme, which it isn’t, not unless you take a printout of the
scripts, furl them into a tube and mimic a blowjob on them, although
the weirdness of your actions tends to overshadow your implied praise
when you do something like that. Anyway, my anticipation gland was
bursting as I settled down to watch the series opener – so you can
guess what’s coming next. It left me a bit … well, a bit down.For starters, there’s a bit too much going on given the 45-minute
running time: the plot revolves around shadowy goings-on in an
intergalactic hospital, but there’s also a lot of messing about with
supporting characters who feel superfluous to the main storyline,
diffusing your attention. It also makes a few jarring tonal shifts –
leaping from high camp, to straight horror, to oleaginous
sentimentality without warning. And David Tennant, trying to keep up
with this, occasionally just ends up popping his eyes and shouting too
much.What I’m saying is it’s a jumbled let-down. See what I’m doing here?
I’m lowering your expectations. Not because I’m trying to trick you,
but because I didn’t think it was very good. And I bloody love Doctor
Who. Sorry.If I sound uncharacteristically mealy-mouthed in my criticism, it’s
because having a pop at Doctor Who actually pains me. In my head, it’s
come to represent everything that made Britain great – more so than,
say, the foundation of the National Health Service. Or Marmite. Or the
Sex Pistols. This means I’m mentally ill, obviously – but nonetheless,
its 21st century reinvention has been a joy to behold, so when it farts
out a bit of a dud, I’m not merely disappointed, I’m crushed – even
though, at its very very worst, it’s still 10,000 times better than 98%
of the rest of the joyless Formica drizzleplop you get on the box.But hey. Carping over. Now for the good news. All of this – the rush of
anticipation, the slow guff of disappointment – all of this is all
entirely in keeping with last year’s premiere episode, which was also
an overexcited manic sprawl of a thing, but turned out to be merely the
slightly misfired opening salvo in a dazzlingly brilliant
fun-for-all-the-family romp. And if NEXT week’s episode is anything to
go by, this year’s going to be similar. Because next week’s episode
(also scripted by Russell T Davies) involves a much-publicised
encounter with a werewolf guaranteed to make easily-spooked kiddy
viewers crap their own spines through their bumholes. It’s flipping
great (as are Tennant and Piper).In summary, then, your instructions are as follows: watch with a
forgiving eye, because the predictive chart I’m preparing indicates a
steep upturn in quality from hereon in. Hooray and phew for that.My considered judgement : I’d like to moisturize Billy Piper.
Edit: On second thoughts – Billy without something to carry her (or the wonderbra of special effects).
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-1/622160/billie-piper.jpg
I do believe we’ve been here before…and from memory, I got my donkey playfully kicked for suggestng the new series (season 1 onwards) was dumbed down crap, and Piper was the best thing about it.
But maybe some people are just ahead of the times. 🙂 Or it could have been the editing and/or the show was never ‘smart’ to begin with :p
Ain’t seen the new ep. yet – but if the xmas ‘special’ with Tennant was any indication: effing awful its likely to be.
I think we should have a least worst poll – it was a pretty sad year for sci fi. Apart from War of the Worlds (which was pretty good) and Chicken Little (which referenced War of the Worlds in a surprisingly effective way), everything else was crap in my view.
Serenity and Hitchhikers particularly disappointed, and Star Wars remained too enamored with its special effects to render its risible ‘tragedy’ effectively.
And let’s not forget Chicken Little, which is arguably the best version of all (seriously, some of the scenes are awesome, and seem to belong to another film).
I thought it was all over the place – but worth watching the once (the matrix parody was brave in that the trilogy has itself become a joke). My reccomendation: unlike the first two episodes, it doesn’t deter you from keep watching – once.
Not bad – certainly better than Cool Whip, but not as inspired as Honey, I Shrunk.. Also liked the (presumed) Lexx reference.
Please keep us informed Headgehog.
oops – didn’t realise that a thread was already dedicated to this stinker under the episode (as opposed to show) title.. my apologies Headgehog. I’ve deleted the ‘death watch’ thread, and copy and paste my observations into this one.
Well, the second season premiere completely and utterly sucked – hard to believe such a lame episode would be used to launch the new season. It felt like one of the bottom of the barrel episodes used to fill out the quota of a variable first season. It was so unwatchable that I couldn’t bring myself to watch it all – cheap thrills and/or shots does not a show make. I’d certainly appreciate it if someone (presumably Headgehog) would let us know which episodes are worth watching – episodes with a decent script or idea that aren’t so smug, lazy and/ or convinced of their ‘cleverness’. It felt like it was written by a twelve year old with delayed cognitive development.
God, the first season premiere was so promising and at least encouraged us to keep watching. Hopefully the second season opener is not an indication of the quality of the writing or a shape of things to cum (hee hee, snicker snortle).
I’m just struck by the fact that the only conventions to rival sci-fi are the porn conventions. 😀
Sci fi also attracts groupies but relatively little in the way of group sex (Lexx and HR Puff n Stuff conventions excluded).
[quote=”LexxLurker”]
There’s so few ways to entertain people these days it’s very forgivable to take Sci-Fi classics and cannabilize them. Right Bonnee? :P[/quote]
😆
Now that I’ve seen the film, I can safely say that we don’t need a super computer to work out an answer to your question. Number 2’s immediately spring to mind…
I actually think what wrong with it is that they tried to make a movie in the first place.. The books et al simply don’t lend themselves to filmic treatment, and the piece of crap feels entirely earth bound by narrative constraints. The biggest thing wrong with it in my view is that it lacks the tangential quality (and verbal asides) of the entire series, and feels too plot bound and driven. It doesn’t feel like we’re given an improbable or ramshackle guide of the universe – it’s more an exercise in trainspotting that never leaves the rails. It doesn’t help that you can smell the fear on it – it tries to be too dutiful to two different audiences simultaneously (the die hard fans and the causal viewer).
Maybe if Terry Gilliam had directed it, it would have been allowed to be more free wheeling or inspired. As it stands, it falls like a lead zeppellin that has burst into flames. 😥
Thanks for the link Logan. Interestingly, the article is much more encouraging about the film than we’ve otherwise being led to expect.
[quote=”LexxLurker”]
As a Sci-Fi purist of sorts I’m just personally very disappointed in the way it was handled.[/quote]
Agreed, although I’d be interested in seeing what went wrong, and why (assuming the film really is *that* bad).
Sometimes a ‘purist’ attitude can be counterproductive or antithetical when assessing an adapatation – which can only be faithful to the spirit (as opposed to the letter) of the original text/s. I wonder if the problem was transcibing book to screen, attempting to adapt a multi volume text into a single entity or taking the cult out of popular culture (ie, removing the cultish books’s very reason for being popular in the first place). I’ll reserve my disdain until word of mouth gives an indication of what we’re in store for, and bad mouth it accordingly. 😛
[img]http://www.mpi-hd.mpg.de/ato/tsrdaq/doc/pics/guide.jpg[/img]
Rin, you don’t need supernova et al – just a tracker finder
Awesome review lexxlurker.
Why do I get the feeling that the Cylon’s want to find Earth to return to Eden, and start humanity (and the covenant with God) all over again…
Although the episode was complete bollocks, there were some definitely good bits in it – mostly involving ‘spooks’. I think if I was young, I would have needed to wear nappies again. The story, of course, was shite.
Next week’s episode, though, looks way cool. Its apparently a two parter involving a spaceship crashing into Big Ben – and by the looks of it, Unit are back to help the good doctor try and overcome bad writing.
Was ‘cheesy’ your general impression of the first episode. Logan, or of just the big bad?
In my view, to call the first episode ‘cheesy’ would be to insult cheese! the second episode – and villian – is rather cool, though.
Everything was great about the second episode except the story. It was a vast improvement on the first episode: interesting premise that was tied into the new character’s sense of wonder and displacement, leftfield sense of humor and one liners (‘bitchy trampoline’!), wonderful makeup and special effects – even Eccelesten’s performance was well grounded.
The only problem – and to be frank, I think it might be decisive – remains the need to tell a relatively straighforward story in the 45 minute time frame. Just when you get a ‘feel’ of the world you’ve just entered, its time to move onto another disposable story to show off the show’s more memorable and attentive features. Creatively speaking, I can’t help but feel that such an approach is this incarnation’s achilles heel. The show has obviously been tailored made to appeal to audiences with short attention spans seeking instant gratification. From the perspective of ratings, such a ‘liability’ will (unfortunately) also be its greatest asset.
I intend to keep watching – although next week’s preview looks like it might be crap – and encourage others to watch it too.
I stand corrected
BBC’s anger at the vanishing Dr Who
by RICHARD SIMPSON, Daily Mail 08:16am 1st AprilBBC bosses are furious over Christopher Eccleston’s decision to quit as Doctor Who after spending millions on merchandising which carries his image.
They had hoped to cash in on the show’s popularity by exploiting the lucrative Christmas market with toys and other merchandise with the actor’s distinctive features.
BBC Worldwide licensed Manchester firm Character Options to design more than 20 items. And a 12in action figurine of him is ready to be in the shops by October.
But by Christmas, Eccleston will have already been long departed as the Doctor – his last appearance on television being in June – and will have already been replaced by a new Docousfor the second series, rendering the merchandising obsolete.
There is also the embarrassing possibility that the actor’s replacement will already be starring in the planned Christmas special.
Eccleston has said he does not want to become typecast, while friends said he thought the role of the Doctor was ‘too effeminate’.
A BBC source said: “Chris’s decision to quit on artistic grounds is causing major waves.
“Not only was he seen as the saviour of Saturday night ratings, but also his face is crucial to the Christmas merchandising drive. What child is going to want to buy a Doctor Who action figure of the old Doctor when a new
one is already on the television?”
A spokesman for Character Options said: “We are going ahead with all of our Christopher Eccleston-themed merchandising, about 20 items in all. We are hoping his departure will not damage sales.”
The actor the BBC is lining up to replace Eccleston is David Tennant.
Damage sales
Tennant, 33, is the star of the raunchy BBC drama Casanova, which has attracted record ratings on BBC3 and begins on BBC1 on Monday.
It is written by Russell T Davies, the executive producer and chief writer of the new series of Doctor Who who also wrote the controversial Channel 4 series Queer As Folk about the Manchester gay community.
Last night friends said one reason Eccleston decided to quit Doctor Who was because he thought the part was ‘too effeminate’.
They said he had grown uncomfortable playing such a ‘fey’ Doctor and was concerned that if he continued, he would lose out on gritty serious roles later in his career.
One source close to the actor said: “Chris thought playing such a flamboyant Doctor was a laugh for a while and a real challenge.
“But he soon realised that being so outrageously camp in such a mainstream popular show was going to kill his career as a seritor-actor.
Typecast
“Russell wrote a very fluffy, effeminate script, which is great for the show, but where does an actor go after that? Chris didn’t want to be typecast as the camp Doctor Who.”
Eccleston, 41, shocked BBC bosses this week by announcing he would not sign up for the second series of the show, which pulled in 10million viewers for its debut episode last Saturday.
His decision was a major blow for corporation bosses who had pinned their hopes on Eccleston and Doctor’s assistant Billie Piper, who has signed for the second series, trouncing ITV in the ratings war every Saturday.
But Eccleston was said to be ‘adamant’ about turning his back on the Doctor even after he was offered a lot more money to change his mind.
Eccleston’s northern upbringing also played a part in his decision. The actor, famed for gritty dramas such as Our Friends In The North and Cracker and films such as Shallow Grave is said to be unhappy at spending long periods of time away from his family in Salford, Manchester.
During the first series of Doctor Who, he split his time between Cardiff, where most of it was shot, and London, where more filming was done – returning home only when a break from filming allowed.
He is now expected to return permanently to his four-bedroomed house in Manchester, wondering (like the rest of us) whether its all an April Fools joke.
It has been suggested that he only came on board to improve the show’s prospects of being regenerated – ie, the famous ‘credible’ actor was used as a way of selling a ‘children’s’ show to the BBC in the first place, and his prestige, in turn, raised the show’s profile in the media. He was probably given the chance to make more ‘serious’ drama (or develop a pet project) as a reward.
Its just a theory of course, but it has a ring of truth to it – to be frank, I was surprised that he was even interested in the role to begin with, and so, am not surprised that he has decided to move on to playing miserable sons of bitches again.
[quote]The individual responsible for the leak has had their employment terminated by that company as a result.[/quote]
EXterminate! EXterminate! EXterminate!
I didn’t know you still hung around these parts Sadgeezer. 😛
ps
[quote]
http://www.wired.com/news/
The pilot episode of the BBC’s highly anticipated new Doctor Who series may have been intentionally leaked onto file-sharing networks to generate buzz, a source who instructed the network on viral advertising told Wired News.Earlier this month, the 45-minute premiere episode, entitled “Rose,” showed up on BitTorrent. The appearance of the episode generated a flood of discussion in online forums, blogs and the mainstream media. As a result, interest in the show, which debuts March 26 on BBC One, has skyrocketed.
The new series stars Christopher Eccleston as the time-traveling doctor. The long-running sci-fi series began in 1963 but has been absent from TV screens since 1989, except for a one-off TV movie, which was widely panned.
To one advertising consultant, the leak is clear evidence the BBC is taking advantage of some recently learned lessons on the power of viral advertising it got from a collection of hired guns known as the Broadcast Assassins.
The Broadcast Assassins were a group of entertainment and technology veterans brought in last year by the BBC’s entertainment group to “discuss the impact of new technologies on viewing/listening behavior,” said Asa Bailey, a veteran advertising expert and member of the group. “We told them all about the how-tos, and how to do viral advertising,” said Bailey, who is also founder of the Viral Advertising Association.
Bailey said the BBC asked the group how to use viral advertising to inform the public of its programming.
“I told them they should release things before their time, like what they’ve done with Doctor Who,” he said. “Give out the first episode online, because it’s going to be valuable. You’ve got that cool factor, and it’s the whole, ‘I’ve seen it before you have’ kind of thing.”
Bailey said the leak “is great, and it’s the first time we’ve ever seen them do it, and so we’re really impressed with them.”
Bailey said although he didn’t have definite knowledge the leak was official, the quality of the episode is highly suspicious. If it were an unofficial leak, it would likely be of poor quality, he said.
The BBC denied any part in the distribution of the episode.
“The leak of the first episode on the internet was not a publicity stunt,” BBC spokeswoman Annie Frederick told Wired News in an e-mail. “It was a significant breach of copyright which is currently under investigation. The source of it appears to be connected to our co-production partner. We would urge viewers not to spoil their enjoyment and to wait for the finished version.”
Frederick didn’t say whether the leaked pilot is the final version. Although the episode is high quality, it may be a rough or incomplete cut.
The co-production partner, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, also denied involvement, and said it is conducting its own investigation.
“We believe it was one of our suppliers,” said CBC spokeswoman Ruth-Ellen Soles, who wouldn’t elaborate on the nature of the supplier. “And at the moment, the investigation isn’t complete.”
But to Broadcast Assassin Bailey, denials of leaking the “Rose” episode are disingenuous. “It’s a classic,” Bailey said. “The best viral advert they could have done for that program would be to release the first (episode). You couldn’t have come up with a better viral advert than that.”
According to a study by Envisional, which monitors internet traffic, the United Kingdom is the No. 1 country in the world when it comes to downloading TV content from the internet. The study suggested that U.K. residents account for 20 percent of all TV shows downloaded from the net.
Meanwhile, although the BBC denies any role in the leak, the broadcaster has for months said it plans to implement digital downloading through the internet as a significant part of its broadcast offerings. The network said it will soon release a media player that would allow viewers to watch TV content online.
In any case, buzz about the Doctor Who episode has certainly paid off, whether the BBC takes credit for it or not. Word about it has reached countless sites. And excepting noted film and television critic ‘bonnee’ at sadgeezer.com, the pile of crap has been generally well-received.
“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,” said writer Warren Ellis on his blog. [/quote]
[quote=”Logan”]A most entertaining review, Bonnee. 🙂 I realise you’re probably a little more discerning than most, but I’ve mostly heard positive things about it.
.[/quote]
I witheld the principle of charity for altruistic reasons 😀 My goal was to lower expectations to such an extent that audience response can only be pleasantly surprised by the (bad) trip down memory lane…. into the show’s creative cul de sac.
My bad review was written with the best of intentions 😆 – may the pile of crap live long and prosper.
[quote=”thefrey”]Really? How exactly? The original while interesting was kinda cheesy and campy so you would think they could get away with a lot.[/quote]
Well, unless they can edit out the main performance, the introductory story, the production design, and our memory of it – its doomed to fail. I much preferred the relatively recent (and failed) telemovie – at least that got somethings right.
Slight Spoiler Alert
Chris E – normally a terrific actor – played the Doctor as if he were an escaped mental patient playing to the gallery in his head. It really looked like he was still workshoping his performance on camera. The single story episode pacing was off and at odds with the serial aspect beneficial to the overall feel of the show – the 45 minutes somehow managed to overstay its welcome *and* feel rushed. I hope each episode is not going to be a single story rushing to some lame climax and off to the start of another ‘exciting’ episode. It seemed more intent on action and adventure (as opposed to building atmosphere or exploring ideas).
The sight of seeing mannequins chasing characters and trying to take over the world was ridiculous – it looked like a bad joke come to life. i was inadvertently laughing at the stupidity of it and looked over my shoulder to make sure no one could see me watching such crap. Initially, the ‘look’ of the mannequins was appropriately creepy and in keeping with the show’s ‘cheesiness’ – initially it seemed to make good use of the show’s ‘limitations’, but the z grade story betrayed the show’s reliance on it.
The inside of the tardis was…groteseque. It looked like a toilet bowl had thrown up its production design. I’m not being disrespectful when I seriously wonder if it was modelled on the innards of a bowel or the entrails of a bowel movement.
The ‘adult’ attempts at humour were at odds with the pantomime feel of it. The story was obviously written in crayon on a napkin, and was based on a premise that belongs to a preschooler’s concept of sci fi ( It has something to do with ediibilty). The only signs of intelligent life were one or two one liners – the queer as folk writer brought little to the show other than an awareness that Dr Who is ‘camp’ for hetrosexuals. The first episode *only* worked as a (bare) introduction to the new characters and actors, and was hardly the best way to reintroduce the show that carries them along.
The only thing I liked about it was the interracial relationship (and the black boyfriend ‘possessed’), the size 10-12 girl taking on the role of attractive female companion, her feisty character and obvious intelligence. Some of the effects were ok, and only underline the importance of having the other elements picking up the slack.
In my view, the ‘pilot’ was a complete disaster that does not bode well for the future of the series.
