Review: Doctor Who : Rose
March 30th, 2005 01:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kalihaSo, What's it about?
Have you been living under a rock for the last 30 years? This long-running, much loved TV show follows the adventures of a time travelling alien and his various human companions through all manner of japes and danger.
Strangely, all the alien worlds looked a lot like a bleak quarry in the depths of Wales in the winter.
Previously…
Rose is just your ordinary, everyday, shop assistant working in a large department store in London. It’s only as the shop closes that fateful evening that her life is going to get somewhat interesting.
Chased through the basements of the store by mannequins, Rose is saved from a plastic-y death by a strange, tall Northern gentleman who introduces himself as the Doctor. Warning her to ‘run for your life’ she flees the store just as it is blown up…….
What I thought of it
Doctor Who has been positively dragged into the 21st Century (with only a little bit of kicking and screaming) but it retains its charm and fun of the older series.
”I'm the Doctor by the way”
It was an interesting casting decision to have Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor. Previously seen as a possible Messiah (The Second Coming) as well as mad-as-a-window Major in 28 days later, Eccleston wasn’t the most obvious choice (but again wasn’t the weirdest choice – personally I wouldn’t have minded Simon Pegg).
Another ‘interesting’ decision (and one that has met with a lot of whinging from the Doctor Who hardcore) is Eccleston keeping his Salford accent. I think it’s great; it makes the Doctor a little bit more real and hopefully it’ll show our foreign cousins that not all English-people (even alien ones) speak in that terribly dated Received Pronunciation.
I like this new incarnation. He’s a bit, well – odd. He doesn’t seem to understand how to do body language, he’s abrupt almost to the point of rudeness and he’s rather funny. Yep, we’ll keep him.
Because I want to!
Already a lot’s been written about pop-starlet turned actress Billie Piper. But contrary to popular belief she’s actually quite good. Then again a lot of people fail to realise that she did go to drama school and apparently did want to be an actress before the record deal came along.
Yes, Rose is a little bit too Chavvy for my liking, but she’s a reflection of the girl of today. It’s not a bad thing, and I’m sure in years to come people who use her (and her subtextual meaning in sociological contexts or some other bollocks) in numerous Uni essays.
Russell T Davies already has a soft spot in my heart from Queer as Folk (which I adored), but he also has some calibre credits in writing thought-provoking scariness for kids with the two CBBC series Dark Season (which introduced a bright-haired, canoe-loving Kate Winslet to our screens) and the positively creepy Century Falls.
“it’s all wobbly sets and SFX made from old washing up bottles and sticky-backed plastic”
Actually, it’s not. The BBC has actually put some money into the production and Davies can afford to hire a decent effects house. Admittedly, some of the effects looked a tiny bit wonky but they deserve credit where credit’s due.
You have to give the behind the scenes team credit too, by taking a leaf out of Buffy’s book and actually making Clive’s website and putting it out on the web: http://www.whoisdoctorwho.co.uk
(Even this caused whinging (I suppose they’ve had time to build up their grievances) with the harcore asking why none of the other Doctor incarnations were on the website – I think maybe it was down to him looking like a TOTALLY different person! Clive wouldn’t have known, he’d have thought Tom Baker was just some mad, old guy with too many teeth and an unfeasibly long scarf).
Verdict
Going back to its more family-orientated roots and away from the Sylvester McCoy knowingness (a bit). Davies is doing it for the kids, and for all-intents-and-purposes the kids are loving it.
Good job fella!
8/10 (it loses a mark for Eccleston’s over-gurning).
Technical Information:
BBC1 Saturday 7.00pm
(follwed by Doctor Who Confidential on BBC3 at 7.45pm)
Main Cast:
Chris Eccleston … The Doctor
Billie Piper … Rose Tyler
I've never been a Doctor Who fan (not like some - I was too busy playing outside and being a kid) but I'm a supporter of any British Fantasy and Sci-fi (yes, even Hex).
Hey I just wanted an excuse to use my new icon. It’s a lot of work for a GIP (even a badly made one).
Have you been living under a rock for the last 30 years? This long-running, much loved TV show follows the adventures of a time travelling alien and his various human companions through all manner of japes and danger.
Strangely, all the alien worlds looked a lot like a bleak quarry in the depths of Wales in the winter.
Previously…
Rose is just your ordinary, everyday, shop assistant working in a large department store in London. It’s only as the shop closes that fateful evening that her life is going to get somewhat interesting.
Chased through the basements of the store by mannequins, Rose is saved from a plastic-y death by a strange, tall Northern gentleman who introduces himself as the Doctor. Warning her to ‘run for your life’ she flees the store just as it is blown up…….
What I thought of it
Doctor Who has been positively dragged into the 21st Century (with only a little bit of kicking and screaming) but it retains its charm and fun of the older series.
”I'm the Doctor by the way”
It was an interesting casting decision to have Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor. Previously seen as a possible Messiah (The Second Coming) as well as mad-as-a-window Major in 28 days later, Eccleston wasn’t the most obvious choice (but again wasn’t the weirdest choice – personally I wouldn’t have minded Simon Pegg).
Another ‘interesting’ decision (and one that has met with a lot of whinging from the Doctor Who hardcore) is Eccleston keeping his Salford accent. I think it’s great; it makes the Doctor a little bit more real and hopefully it’ll show our foreign cousins that not all English-people (even alien ones) speak in that terribly dated Received Pronunciation.
I like this new incarnation. He’s a bit, well – odd. He doesn’t seem to understand how to do body language, he’s abrupt almost to the point of rudeness and he’s rather funny. Yep, we’ll keep him.
Because I want to!
Already a lot’s been written about pop-starlet turned actress Billie Piper. But contrary to popular belief she’s actually quite good. Then again a lot of people fail to realise that she did go to drama school and apparently did want to be an actress before the record deal came along.
Yes, Rose is a little bit too Chavvy for my liking, but she’s a reflection of the girl of today. It’s not a bad thing, and I’m sure in years to come people who use her (and her subtextual meaning in sociological contexts or some other bollocks) in numerous Uni essays.
Russell T Davies already has a soft spot in my heart from Queer as Folk (which I adored), but he also has some calibre credits in writing thought-provoking scariness for kids with the two CBBC series Dark Season (which introduced a bright-haired, canoe-loving Kate Winslet to our screens) and the positively creepy Century Falls.
“it’s all wobbly sets and SFX made from old washing up bottles and sticky-backed plastic”
Actually, it’s not. The BBC has actually put some money into the production and Davies can afford to hire a decent effects house. Admittedly, some of the effects looked a tiny bit wonky but they deserve credit where credit’s due.
You have to give the behind the scenes team credit too, by taking a leaf out of Buffy’s book and actually making Clive’s website and putting it out on the web: http://www.whoisdoctorwho.co.uk
(Even this caused whinging (I suppose they’ve had time to build up their grievances) with the harcore asking why none of the other Doctor incarnations were on the website – I think maybe it was down to him looking like a TOTALLY different person! Clive wouldn’t have known, he’d have thought Tom Baker was just some mad, old guy with too many teeth and an unfeasibly long scarf).
Verdict
Going back to its more family-orientated roots and away from the Sylvester McCoy knowingness (a bit). Davies is doing it for the kids, and for all-intents-and-purposes the kids are loving it.
Good job fella!
8/10 (it loses a mark for Eccleston’s over-gurning).
Technical Information:
BBC1 Saturday 7.00pm
(follwed by Doctor Who Confidential on BBC3 at 7.45pm)
Main Cast:
Chris Eccleston … The Doctor
Billie Piper … Rose Tyler
I've never been a Doctor Who fan (not like some - I was too busy playing outside and being a kid) but I'm a supporter of any British Fantasy and Sci-fi (yes, even Hex).
Hey I just wanted an excuse to use my new icon. It’s a lot of work for a GIP (even a badly made one).
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, March 30th, 2005 12:53 pm (UTC)I hope it continues to be as much fun as this one was.
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, March 30th, 2005 01:11 pm (UTC)In your icon it looks like he's holding a lightsaber, jules. lolololoolol cute <3
(no subject)
Date: Thursday, March 31st, 2005 10:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, March 30th, 2005 02:55 pm (UTC)Not that i'm a fanatic... mom's the fanatic, you just kinda get dragged in ;P
(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, March 30th, 2005 07:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Thursday, March 31st, 2005 10:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: Wednesday, March 30th, 2005 06:41 pm (UTC)However this version is back upto date and not bogged down with the Doctors history. The hardcore Dr Who fans would have probably loved that. But i think Davies has taken the right decsions regarding Dr Who.
This should do really well, my 2 year old nephew sat and watched every single second of it. Which is unusual for him, he's usually running around the house causing a mess. Episode 6 is the one i'm looking really looking forward to.
I can see the Dr Who confidental series being used as the DVD extras. Which is cool, as it's pretty good so far.