Doctor Who

[Nobodyman]

The first half of series 7 felt weird, probably because it didn't feel like there was any overarching story till Clara came along in the second half which I enjoyed more.

Series 7 was pretty weird in that it was split in half, so they aired the first half with Amy and Rory one year and the second half with Clara the next.

As Nobodyman pointed out, you can get the first 50 Monthly adventures for dirt cheap on their website.

Actually, the first 100 are dirt cheap, so even better! But, that said, the first 50 adventures do probably have a better selection than 51-100.

In addition to what you said, here are some of my favorites from the Monthly Adventures.

Jubilee: Fun fact, this story was the inspiration for the "Dalek" episode from the 9th Doctor's season, and arguably pulls it off even better.

Davros: Davros has never been more intimidating. That speech at the beginning always gives me chills.

The Natural History of Fear: An ingenious story with a twist that could only work in an audio story.

Live 34: Probably the best 7th Doctor story I've heard. A chilling look at a dystopian dictatorship through the eyes of the press.

The Nowhere Place: The science in this story makes no sense, but it's still one of the most effectively eerie and disturbing Doctor Who stories I've heard.

The Reaping: Mentioning this one if only for the fact that it completely redeems and justifies Peri as a companion.

And, although you already mentioned it, I'll throw another shoutout to The One Doctor because I love, love, LOVE that story! An awesomely creative, funny, and lighthearted adventure. I wish Doctor Who was always like this.

[desa]

I liked Rose. Wasnt a fan of Martha since she felt like a constant guilt trip for missing one of the original cast. Like even when Jack meets back with the doc and they have a brief nice moment about how the third member of their group didnt actually die, you have to get a shot how Martha is sad we're talking about Rose.

I did love Donna since her 10th were just buddies having fun together and being able to openly share things and with both a desire to discover new things.

[CosmicDebris]

I really like all the actors that have played the Doctor. Some unfortunately had some really bad decisions made for them, Colin Baker being at the top of that list. I'd say Matt Smith was the one that really felt like my Doctor. But when I went back and watched the older stuff, Peter Davison became my favorite. So 5, 11, 4, and 2 have been my top favorites. I have noticed that while people complained about Capaldi endlessly during his time on the show, since he left, it feels like appreciation for him has gone through the roof. Personally I thought he was amazing, though I think he was a little too gruff at the very beginning.

[starlalilymoon]

I don't know if you'll really learn much about the "lore" in the audios, but they are quite fun adventures in their own right! Some dabble in continuity, and some don't. You can listen to quite a lot without knowing much about the classic stuff. There's even a handful of companions that are exclusive to the audio stories.

That's great! That's good to know about extra companions.

As Nobodyman pointed out, you can get the first 50 Monthly adventures for dirt cheap on their website. Or alternatively, they're on Spotify, if you have a Spotify account. Even if you don't, I think you can get a one month free trial.

Some of my recommendations: *list*

Awesome thank you! I need to make a Spotify account xD

Season 2.

She had an air of… entitlement? To the Doctor, acting like only she could be close to him (and even had a petty jealousy with Sarah Jane).

It probably doesn't help that I wasn't fond of the romance, and a lot of Season 4's end really soured my feelings even more (Metacrisis Ten going off with Rose to be lovers). Felt too much like fan fulfillment, and not really earned romance.

Oh, oki. I was fine with the romance, so it makes sense why. I actually like Rose and that scene where the Doctor had to give up on her was really touching. Though I'm not sure how much I would want to be with a clone of the person I'm in love with. Though she's not my favorite companion, I never had any dislike for her.

Too long a list to get into without getting annoyed, but basically she treated everyone like crap. Her mother, old companions like Sarah Jane, or even her boyfriend who she strung along, abandoned for a year, people thought he had killed her! and she never really sets that right.

Ah, right. I remember that about Mickey. ><

She feels like *she* owns the doctor and is entitled to him, and the writers never seem to realize these massive flaws as actual flaws. Because she was the Showrunner's pet, the doctor acted like she was perfect, completely messed up his next companion Martha because he couldn't get over Rose, and then at the end even made a clone just for her so she could get a happy ending... while other much better characters like Donna just... got their memory wiped and lost all their development.

Well, honestly I think the Doctor really loved her and wanted her to be happy. I don't think the Doctor thought that Martha will fall for him too.

I don't have any problems with the actress but her character was awful. Single handedly makes those two seasons nearly unwatchable for me.

Ah >< I guess I'm one of the few that likes Rose. Thanks for explaining why you disliked her! :3

Other later companions like River or Clara also became creator's pet and had issues as a result of it, but that was more them being Mary Sues and less them being awful people.

Ah... I like Riversong and Clara way more than Rose.

I think Rose was really good in series 1. She's a working class girl who gets invited to travel with The Doctor and plunges right into it. She's heroic in her own right and they form a tight relationship. For me Series 1 is still by far the most solid all the way through. The worst episodes (3 and 4) are better than every other series worst and the best episodes compete with the best and there's lots of them! Dalek, Rose, Father's Day, The End of the World, Hell, every episode from The Empty Child until The Parting of the Ways is great to me. 9 was fun and slightly quirky while being able to dip into serious stupid human mode at the drop of a hat, but a lot like Capaldi, he was only barely keeping it together. I also love the way that the story as him as the final timelord plays out, both with how he initially treats (and is eventually changed by) Rose and his reaction to the Daleks.

Yeah, I agree with this. I don't really hate the 9th doctor, though sucks he only did one season.

Series 7 was pretty weird in that it was split in half, so they aired the first half with Amy and Rory one year and the second half with Clara the next.

Yeah, it was. I'm glad on Amazon Prime they put the two halves together. It would have been annoying to buy the series in splits instead of altogether.

--- Update From New Post Merge ---

Also, I'm finally caught with the series! The final episode of series 12 was like woah with the Doctor being the Timeless Child. Now trying to figure out the order of regeneration is gonna be tough. Though honestly I think Ruth/Fugitive Doctor (Not sure how to label her.) was a good version of the Doctor, and I think she was the one who got her memory wiped before being changed into the 1st Doctor. Hopefully, the Doctor can get her memories back and maybe hopefully series 13 can focus more on this.

[SheriGoddart75]

I used to love this show very much. But now I barely watched the last seasons to the end.
It is a pity that the series has become boring and mediocre over time.
Recommend a series like this to me

[starlalilymoon]

When do trailers regarding the specials usually appear? I'm honestly hyped to see the new episode and see how the Doctor will get out of that situation.

[Nobodyman]

It's only a quick promotional video for an audio drama, but this is technically the first time Eric Roberts has played The Master on screen since 1996.

[Darkstorm]

Web of Fear being released on Bluray, with the missing ep to be reconstructed in what seems to be 3D animation with some nice cel shading. Great to see so many of Troughton's serials getting completed in this way, I think this would make the 7th (with rumours of Abominable Snowmen and Evil of the Daleks recons also underway to be 8 & 9, leaving only 4 Troughton serials left).

[Nobodyman]

In other news, Jack will be returning in the upcoming holiday special



And the final audio drama from Big Finish's monthly adventures range will be a 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Doctors crossover.

https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v...beginning-2057

[Robby]

Man, I still need to watch... the entire last season and a half.

I just really did not dig Jodie's first season. Did it get any better in her second? I know about the batshit crazy retcon twist, so aside from that.

[Nobodyman]

Man, I still need to watch... the entire last season and a half.

I just really did not dig Jodie's first season. Did it get any better in her second?

I thought it did. Not a humongous improvement, I suppose, but there were still some good episodes (Fugitive of the Judoon and Haunting of Villa Diodait are the standouts). And the new Master is pretty cool.

[starlalilymoon]

In other news, Jack will be returning in the upcoming holiday special

Holy shit! I'm hyped for this! I love Jack! I can't wait to see how he will interact with the 13th doctor!

Man, I still need to watch... the entire last season and a half.

I just really did not dig Jodie's first season. Did it get any better in her second? I know about the batshit crazy retcon twist, so aside from that.

I think it was better. I liked how it had an overarching storyline compared to the previous season which honestly had none. Like no foreshadowing or anything compared to previous seasons.

I thought it did. Not a humongous improvement, I suppose, but there were still some good episodes (Fugitive of the Judoon and Haunting of Villa Diodait are the standouts). And the new Master is pretty cool.

Yes! The new master was awesome! The actor who played him really pulled off and made me a great adversary for the doctor. Makes me wonder how he survived from the last incarnation, though probably be explained in future seasons like with Missy.

[Nobodyman]

Makes me wonder how he survived from the last incarnation, though probably be explained in future seasons like with Missy.

Don't count it. It's pretty much standard practice that The Master always comes back from certain death. No explanation necessary. He/She's just here and don't ask questions.

[aku-chan]

Man, I still need to watch... the entire last season and a half.

I just really did not dig Jodie's first season. Did it get any better in her second? I know about the batshit crazy retcon twist, so aside from that.

There's a bit of an improvement.

Jodie still hasn't really made the role her own yet, and there's still one companion too many, but there are some pretty good episodes and the new Master is probably my favourite of all of them.

[Darkstorm]

Man, I still need to watch... the entire last season and a half.

I just really did not dig Jodie's first season. Did it get any better in her second? I know about the batshit crazy retcon twist, so aside from that.

Second season wasn't as unrelentingly boring as the first at least. Had two great eps (the ones Nobodyman mentioned) and two rubbish eps, rest somewhere inbetween. They went really strong on climate change a couple of times, and one of them was done in a cringingly hamfisted way. But yeah, at least had a couple of eps I'd happily sit down & rewatch this time.

[Mr. Zoro]

It's only a quick promotional video for an audio drama, but this is technically the first time Eric Roberts has played The Master on screen since 1996.

I'm so excited for this! His performance in Diary of River Song was kind of meh, like he was still exploring/re-exploring the role? His performance in Day of the Master was great though.

In other news, Jack will be returning in the upcoming holiday special



And the final audio drama from Big Finish's monthly adventures range will be a 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Doctors crossover.

https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v...beginning-2057

Quite a bit of material is implying it's 5,6, and 8 teaming up against 7, which sounds delightful. And probably based of that rumored script of 50/50 that a lot of fans talk about (a story about 8 working against 7).

Man, I still need to watch... the entire last season and a half.

I just really did not dig Jodie's first season. Did it get any better in her second? I know about the batshit crazy retcon twist, so aside from that.

Pretty much everyone agrees season 12 is better than season 11. And... I didn't mind season 11 (I really liked It Takes You Away and Resolution), but you could tell they were playing it really safe, which I understand why they went that route. Didn't do the stories any favors, unfortunately.

But good God is season 12 better. There was only 1 episode I didn't enjoy, and the rest were certainly above season 11's output. I heartily welcome the wild twist to cannon, but I thought the delivery was pretty terrible... Neat twist, but could've been better if there was a story to go along with it rather than just telling us about it. Still, solid season that I'd probably put in my top 5.

The episode Fugitive of the Judoon in particular is great because

Spoiler:

Captain Jack returns and it's the 3rd most interesting thing that happens in that episode.

The nostalgia whiplash between seasons is pretty great. From "No old monsters" Series 11 to "Haha okay peasants training wheels are off, guess who that fella is and here's what's up with Gallifrey."

[starlalilymoon]

Don't count it. It's pretty much standard practice that The Master always comes back from certain death. No explanation necessary. He/She's just here and don't ask questions.

True True. Yeah, it's to surprise the Doctor that every time they get him, he still comes back alive no matter what.

[starlalilymoon]

[starlalilymoon]

Woo, I'm excited about this new special! A few more weeks! I probably end up buying it on Amazon Prime as it's the only way I can see it since I don't have cable with BBC. It feel pretty epic indeed.

Here's a source where it shows some new pictures from the special:
https://www.ign.com/articles/doctor-...-daleks-photos

[Mr. Zoro]

New episode is out, and it was pretty okay? Fun plot at the very least. Had the usual problems with Chibnall scripts, with lots of dialogue explaining rather than showing. There were some fun cameos in the maybe-maybe-not-Shada space prison, and Jack was about as Jack as could be. Nice to see him return in more than just a scene.

Apparently this episode was shot in late 2019, which is interesting considering the scene with protesting, and I originally thought it was the show's hamfisted way of addressing the topic of protests and police forces (if they had the daleks replacing/standing in for the police... that would have been one hell of a statement).

For some of the spoiler-y bits:

Spoiler:

What was up with the 4 knocks when the Doctor was in her cell? Are we led to believe it was Jack trying to communicate with her before seeing her in person? I wouldn't be thinking much into it if it wasn't 4 knocks, which has a direct relation to the Master. But nothing was really done with it, nor do I think anything will (or even can?) be done with it in the next series.

If I have my info correct, the Doc was in prison for 79 years. Looks like Big Finish will have some more ample room to play with once they can do 13 Doc stuff.

Okay so I know it's only a cameo and not the point of the episode, but having a Silent in prison is a fun concept that should have been played with more. Like, do the Judoon have technology to remember Silents? Do the prison guards (whoever they may be) get surprised everyday to see Silents in a cell? Come to think of it, this episode could have really been more fun if the Doctor escaped prison by using the various aspects of each alien to escape, rather than Jack showing up with a deus ex machina way to get out. Oh well.

I liked how Jack Robertson had no arc and remained the same throughout the episode. Which is generally odd since stories work great when a character changes, but it can also be interesting to see a character double-down on who they are when given the chance to change. And Robertson had a few opportunities to redeem himself, and he kept choosing to be the slimy businessman/politician. At least Chibnall didn't make many (or any?) strong, obvious parallels to Trump, but it's hard not to associate Robertson with him when… you've been around for the last 4 years.

Loved the bookending of Ryan and Graham's arc for this show, with them trying to get Ryan to ride his bike. And that Ryan wore a yellow beanie after the Doctor's comment. "If anyone could pull off a yellow beanie, it'd be Ryan".

And some news for the next series:

Spoiler:

I'll admit, I had no idea who John Bishop was. I guess I don't pay as much attention to British entertainment as I thought I did.