I'm ready now to adopt the words of the Guardian Doctor-blogger as my own... Only might add to it that it could be the best episode of ANY television series ever.
Please watch it. If you live in the US, you can catch part 1 of the two-parter on BBC America at various times this week and then the staggering part 2 next Saturday night.
All those guys who get paid millions of dollars to write scripts for comic book movies, but who can't come up with a story of sufficient consequence to make it worth while to leave the house? They should be forced to watch these two episodes of Doctor Who. Chris Carter and George Lucas? If any given five minutes of the X Files movies or the second (first) Star Wars trilogy had been as good as this, their names would not be synonyms for 'lame' on five continents...
Seriously.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Flesh and Stone, post-anticipation
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10 comments:
Boldly implying objective standards.
These will be studied in film school as an example of how to create consequential television.
The lead in is superb enough. Right up there with the best of "The X-Files." Not sure my nerves could stand anything better.
And meanwhile RTD, somewhere in Bel Air, is shaking his head and saying, "But what about the eight-year-olds?"
Full page Variety ad this morning: #1 show on cable in time slot, 1.2 rating (25-54), 1.4 million viewers. Not all geeks, I assume.
All geeks, but not all geeks.
If you watch this and are not a geek, you're wasting your time...
Don't agree with that at all. This is just plain great stuff. Geeks may actually begin to bristle, if it gets too popular.
I like the new episodes, but resent the glee with which some people seem to be saying, "Thank God, no more of that sentimental tripe." Which of course I loved.
I love how your last two statements provide a "possible" reaction by geeks, followed immediately by an example of such a reaction.
Your are bristling at the pleasure some others find at changes in your "precious" show.
BTW, it isn't geeks who bristle when things become too popular, it is the precious fan who believes fandom includes some concept of ownership/possession of the object of fandom who bristle when things get to popular. I consider such fans to be poseurs, as any fan who genuinely wished well for the show/artist/musician/game should be happy for its success.
I should also note that my above sentence should be read as follows"
All geeks, but not all geeks.
There are plenty of us who were turned off by RTD's sentimentality, and tendency to draw out dramatic moments to the point of farce, who might only now be considering returning to watch the show on a regular basis. RTD's DW wasn't the DW I wanted to watch on a regular basis. Maybe this will be.
Those who wish to self-identify as geeks are of course free to do so.
When I was working as a critic I thought of myself as geek-friendly. Carrying the word from outlying areas to the mainstream. Didn't see the point of writng for Fangoria if I could get into Film Comment.
As for the "sentimentality" ascribed to RTD's approach -- forgive me if I fail to see why it's a net gain to peel away as wincingly uncool the layer of dramatic interest Davies innovated. Allowing the dramatic sgenda to be set by people (I refraim from re-applying the G word) who are uncomfortable with overt displays of emotion.
Obviously, I have a higher tolerance for this sort of things than some, as a sometime opera buff and proud Bollywood fan. But I would also warn the self-consciously impervious that we have no clear indication, as yet, where the Doctor/Amy relationship is heading. The joke could be on you...fellows.
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