Series 31 preview [spoilers]

[Captain Seafort]

As seen here. UK only I'm afraid.

Vampires - "but destroyed, they all were, by the Lords of Time". I hope we get at least a passing reference to the war

The statues are back - if their appearance is even half as good as "Blink" I'll be a happy man. Is Sally Sparrow coming back I wonder?

Dalek. Oh shit. I wonder what the excuse will be this time. Interestingly, it looks like this one is in the classic run's grey colour scheme, although it's got the big Time War Dalek dome lights.

[kostmayer]

I doubt we'll see Sally Sparrow again, mores the pity. I think the statues will turn out to be ex Timelords.

I really really don't want to see any more Daleks. They've turned into the Borg of Dr Who - so overused and regularly defeated that they're no longer intimidating.

[Captain Seafort]

I think the statues will turn out to be ex Timelords.

They'd better not be - they work much better as a race of their own, and as a constant threat rather than a bunch of Time Lords that need to be "redeemed" or similar nonsense.

I really really don't want to see any more Daleks. They've turned into the Borg of Dr Who - so overused and regularly defeated that they're no longer intimidating.

The problem with the Daleks is that the entire race keeps getting brought back for big set-pieces, only to be completely wiped out. If they were brought back permanently, then they could be used as they were in the old series, with small groups of Daleks being encountered, which could then be beaten without having to wipe the lot out. You could also have episodes which simply involve escaping with the guests (small colonies, ships' crews, etc) leaving the Daleks victorious, which would bump up the threat they pose - you can't win every time.

[kostmayer]

They'd better not be - they work much better as a race of their own, and as a constant threat rather than a bunch of Time Lords that need to be "redeemed" or similar nonsense.

Was just something Timothy Dalton said whilst they were looking a bit Blink Statue like.

The problem with the Daleks is that the entire race keeps getting brought back for big set-pieces, only to be completely wiped out. If they were brought back permanently, then they could be used as they were in the old series, with small groups of Daleks being encountered, which could then be beaten without having to wipe the lot out. You could also have episodes which simply involve escaping with the guests (small colonies, ships' crews, etc) leaving the Daleks victorious, which would bump up the threat they pose - you can't win every time.

Fair point. In Dalek, the Doctor thought that just one was capable of killing millions - there didn't need to be a zillion of them flying around like Tie Fighters.

Another thing, that line in the last episode about the Doctor having to wipe out the Time Lords to stop them really ticked me off. The Doctor was trying to wipe out the Daleks, the Timelords were collateral damage - thats what made the Doctors actions all the more terrible.

[Captain Seafort]

Another thing, that line in the last episode about the Doctor having to wipe out the Time Lords to stop them really ticked me off. The Doctor was trying to wipe out the Daleks, the Timelords were collateral damage - thats what made the Doctors actions all the more terrible.

Agreed, especially since every single mention of the Time War has been a straight "good vs evil" argument - the Time Lords finally a) straightened out and b) got off their arses and did something useful for a change. There has never been a hint that the destruction of Gallifrey and the Time Lords was anything but the only way to end the war and stop the Daleks, a war that going by the Master's statements in "The Sound of Drums" was about to end in a Dalek victory. Instead we get a bunch of megalomaniacs who have to go down as the worst villains in Who, a title which, given the previous antics of the Master, the Daleks, and the old Time Lords, is quite an achievement.

[kostmayer]

In anycase, when you're capable of inventing enemies like the Stone Angels from Blink, or that freaky little kid in a gas mask, why ressurect past villains.

[colmquinn]

RTD has screwed up the entire history of Dr Who in my opinion and now he's been given the push he's ruined it for people coming after him by making sure the Timelords aren't usable without a dam good reason. Then again its a chance for new aliens (and I don't mean another ood species rubbish - seriously what race that carries its brain around in its hand would last more than a week in an evolutionary sense?).
I reckon the reason they got rid of Torchwood series was because people were starting to prefer it to Dr Who and realized that the writing had gone down the toilet (with a couple of exceptions, Blink, The empty child) - to save their flagship show.

Rant over

(You're correct the video above is only available in the UK - We don't get bbc Iplayer in Rep of Irl )

[Captain Seafort]

As I thought. I assume you get the Beeb though, given that you see the episodes at the same time we do.

[kostmayer]

This is probably all in the wrong thread anyways, but in School Reunion, the Doctor had to be talked down from ressurecting the Timelords, even though it meant siding with the villains. Sarah Jane made him (and herself in the process) that life has to move forward, and everything ends.

Thats another reason why I found his attitude to his own death so irratating towards the end of this series. Owen wimpered less in Torchwood before he got offed for the second time.

[colmquinn]

As I thought. I assume you get the Beeb though, given that you see the episodes at the same time we do.

We get beeb signals ok (both on normal terrestrial aerials and through digital) but since we don't pay a license fee to them they don't let us play with their toys online

[Captain Seafort]

This is probably all in the wrong thread anyways, but in School Reunion, the Doctor had to be talked down from ressurecting the Timelords, even though it meant siding with the villains. Sarah Jane made him (and herself in the process) that life has to move forward, and everything ends.

Something similar happened in "Father's Day", back in series 27.

Thats another reason why I found his attitude to his own death so irratating towards the end of this series. Owen wimpered less in Torchwood before he got offed for the second time.

To be fair, Owen had only died once, and had come back as himself. The Doctor's died nine times, and each time has come back as someone different, to the extent that his second and third incarnations ended up arguing every time they met. It's understandable that he's getting somewhat fed up with the whole shebang.

[Nutso]

RTD has screwed up the entire history of Dr Who in my opinion and now he's been given the push he's ruined it for people coming after him by making sure the Timelords aren't usable without a dam good reason. Then again its a chance for new aliens (and I don't mean another ood species rubbish - seriously what race that carries its brain around in its hand would last more than a week in an evolutionary sense?).
I reckon the reason they got rid of Torchwood series was because people were starting to prefer it to Dr Who and realized that the writing had gone down the toilet (with a couple of exceptions, Blink, The empty child) - to save their flagship show.

Rant over

(You're correct the video above is only available in the UK - We don't get bbc Iplayer in Rep of Irl )

I'd like to see those drug addict aliens from "Torchwood" again. The ones from the finale.

[Reliant121]

I'd like to see some recurrences of aliens that seemed threatening but then...dissapeared instantly, again.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

I agree with the business about the Time Lords turning out evil like that. Pure bullshit. Every time it was brought up, it was agony for the Doc. The ultimate necessary evil to stop the greatest evil-the Daleks. If he had the chance, he'd do things differently.