Menu Close

Tag: Series 1

Nu-View #17: The End of Our Beginning

Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways (Series One, Eps. 12-13; 2005)
Viewed 20 Mar 2014

Doctor/Companion: Nine, Rose Tyler
Stars: Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper
Preceding Story: Boom Town (Nine, Rose)
Succeeding Story: The Christmas Invasion (Ten, Rose)

The Doctor plops himself down into a big, red comfy chair in the Diary Room, looks straight at the camera, and declares in disbelief, “You have got to be kidding!” Oh, Doctor… How could you predict my reaction to this past weekend so perfectly?


Source – bbc.co.uk – © 2005 BBC

As the Ladies sit down together to watch the final two episodes of Nine’s all-too-short tenure, I’m finally happy and relaxed. I’ve spent a frantic week preparing to put our house back on the market, and it’s finally wrapped up; the listing will go live the next day. The only downer is knowing we’re saying goodbye (again) to the Doctor who started my love affair with this whole crazy show.

We’re all ready for a good time. As the TARDIS crew each settle into the games in which they’ve been inserted, the quips fly around the room. Trin-E and Zu-Zana use the defabricator on Jack, who then assures them, “Ladies, your viewing figures just went up.”

jA’s eyes sparkle. “I’d like to be watching that channel!”

Over with the Anne Droid, Rose’s competitor Rodrick (played by Paterson Joseph, an actor whose name has popped up now and again in “who could be the next Doctor” lists) explains the most basic rules of the Game Station to her. “It’s play—or die.”

Read more →

Nu-View #16: Dining with the Enemy

Boom Town (Series One, Ep. 11; 2005)
Viewed 11 Feb 2014

Doctor/Companion: Nine, Rose Tyler
Stars: Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper
Preceding Story: The Doctor Dances (Nine, Rose)
Succeeding Story: Bad Wolf (Nine, Rose)

The fact that we happened to watch this particular episode the day before I left for Gally was totally fortuitous for me. Among other things, having it fresh in my mind helped me appreciate having Annette Badland (who played Margaret / Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen) at the con.


Source – bbc.co.uk – © 2005 BBC

Better yet, the re-watch reminded me what a profound episode it is.

It begins with a reminder of how we first met the unfortunate Slitheen family. “I hate those guys,” interjects jA. “They’re ishy.” And it seems “Margaret” hasn’t changed much beneath, even if she has taken on an air of public service, heading up the Blaidd Drwg project.

And so it proceeds, though the first half of the episode is mainly the slightly silly, doesn’t-make-sense-if-you-look-to-hard fare we’ve come to expect from Who. RTD exhibits a bit of a tin ear for dialog in a place or two—e.g., when Blon takes Cathy the reporter to the loo with her, so she can shed her skin suit and kill the woman, then makes a seemingly rude noise upon entering the stall. Cathy comments, “Sounds like we got here just in time!” Incredulous, jA asked, “Who does that?” Perhaps we can give RTD a pass on that one, though, as he’s presumably never experienced a communal ladies’ room moment firsthand.

Read more →

Nu-View #15: Reliving “Everybody Lives!”

The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances (Series One, Eps. 9-10; 2005)
Viewed 19 Nov 2013

Doctor/Companion: Nine, Rose Tyler
Stars: Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper
Preceding Story: Father’s Day (Nine, Rose)
Succeeding Story: Boom Town (Nine, Rose)

After seven months’ hiatus (yes, I know—dirty word), the Ladies are finally back together to watch the Ninth Doctor again. They began the evening in high spirits. “I love coming back to this season; it’s what I fell in love with,” jA declared, and jO and I gave knowing nods.


Source – bbc.co.uk – © 2005 BBC

Speaking of things we love, jA needed her memory jogged. “Is this where Jack comes in?”

“Oh, yeah,” came jO’s appreciative affirmation.

After that, there are surprisingly few comments; mostly we’re all more interested in watching the action unfold. Now and again, though, something will trigger a comment.

For instance, when the Doctor explains his consternation to Nancy (“It’s not a real phone; it’s not connected.”), jE quickly adds, “Neither am I.” Or when Nancy and her little band of kids settles down to someone else’s dinner, jA observes, “That’s a lot of place settings for a family of, like, four…”

Mostly, I keep my thoughts to myself, not wanting to interrupt the others’ enjoyment of the show. I can’t help thinking, though, what a minx Rose is, or how Moffat won a writers’ bet by working “Chula” into one of his scripts, or how full of British patriotism this episode it (“a mouse in front of a lion”). And even though the CG is already pretty dated, eight years down the road, Dr. Constantine’s transformation is still utterly horrifying. That’s body horror at its best.

Read more →

Nu-View #14: Strength Through Adversity

3 Comments

Father’s Day (Series One, Ep. 8; 2005)
Viewed 04 Apr 2013

Doctor/Companion: Nine, Rose Tyler
Stars: Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper
Preceding Story: The Long Game (Nine, Rose)
Succeeding Story: The Empty Child (Nine, Rose)

I know the Ninth Doctor isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (especially with last week’s frankly unsurprising news that Eccleston definitely will not be participating in the 50th), but great heavens, is he ever mine.


Source – bbc.co.uk – © 2005 BBC

While Father’s Day doesn’t grab me the same way that Dalek does, it serves a vital purpose in terms of character development. Of course, the “character” in this case is actually the relationship between the Doctor and Rose. (Just a heads-up, in case you haven’t seen the episode: the rest of the post is pretty spoilery.)

Rose decides she wants to see her long-dead father and the Doctor questions her motivation. When she passive-aggressively suggests he can’t do it, he responds that “I can do anything. I’m just more worried about you.” And that, effectively, is the theme of the whole piece.

But first we have to see Rose be an utter idiot (some would argue there should be an “again” in that sentence). The Doctor loves her enough (however you define that love in your own headcanon) to do something dangerous to please her. “What ever happened to the ‘you can’t cross your own timeline’ thing?” wondered jE. Of course, it all backfires. The second Rose rushes to save Pete. “Ruh roh,”says jO. The camera pans back to Nine’s furious face. “RUH roh…” (I suspect jO hasn’t seen this since I first hooked her on the show, some four years ago.)

Read more →

Nu-View #13: Setting the Standard

2 Comments

Dalek and The Long Game
(Series One, Eps. 6-7; 2005)
Viewed 12 Mar 2013

Doctor/Companion: Nine, Rose Tyler
Stars: Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper
Preceding Story: World War Three (Nine, Rose)
Succeeding Story: Father’s Day (Nine, Rose)

I distinctly remember my Original Who Mentor watching my face avidly for my reaction when the trailer for Dalek ran at the end of the previous episode. Not having grown up in the UK, and not having been one of “those people” growing up, I’d never even heard of a Dalek before. He was, needless to say, somewhat disappointed.


Source – bbc.co.uk – © 2005 BBC

It was an entirely different sort of expression I was anticipating on the Ladies’ faces when we watched this the other night. This episode has become one of my all-time favorites, and certainly my favorite of Series One. So I was hoping for some “oh, yeah – I remember this!” looks of pleasant surprise as the details slowly dug their way out of foggy memories.

However, things were even foggier than I’d feared. “I don’t even remember this one,” jO said confusedly as the opening credits rolled. Not that it got in the way of our enjoyment. It’s a bloody brilliant episode, and I’m not sure Eccleston’s ever better in the role. First, when he encounters the Dalek in its “cage,” the consternation and terror are plain to read on his face. Once he realizes the Dalek isn’t, shall we say, fully functional any more, he does a beautiful job going off the deep end. The Doctor really is insane in those moments, and you see it in his eyes. Later, his “I killed her. … She was nineteen years old” speech is one of the best deliveries he gives throughout his tenure. Writer Rob Shearman gave Eccleston plenty to sink his teeth into, and did he ever run with it!

Read more →

Nu-View #12: New Monsters on the Block

8 Comments

Aliens of London and World War Three
(Series One, Eps. 4-5; 2005)
Viewed 05 Feb 2013

Doctor/Companion: Nine, Rose Tyler
Stars: Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper
Preceding Story: The Unquiet Dead (Nine, Rose)
Succeeding Story: Dalek (Nine, Rose)

Looking back, it’s amazing I ever became a fan at all. In all honesty, I very nearly didn’t make it past these two episodes.


Source – bbc.co.uk – © 2005 BBC

I watched the first five over a period of a week or two with the friend who introduced me to Who, and then it all kind of fell by the wayside. I don’t think we came back to it again for a year or more. When we did, I was reluctant. The stuff I’d seen was OK – pretty good, even – but with Slitheen as my last impression, I was, shall we say, less than keen on continuing (perhaps understandably).

I was willing to give it another shot, though – and obviously, I’m extremely glad that I did! But as I look back, these are among my least favorite episodes of this series. I think that’s partly because the Slitheen got so overused after this, both in Who and especially in The Sarah Jane Adventures, but just something about these introductory episodes has put me off.

Imagine my surprise when, upon watching them again with the Ladies, they didn’t suck as hard as I’d remembered.

The Doctor returns Rose home, a mere twelve hours after she’d left (yay, time travel!) only to discover it had actually been twelve months (“details,” scoffed jE). All of the mother/daughter stuff between Jackie and Rose is well done here, from the snarking and frustration with each other to the honest concern and regret for having caused it. RTD may have brought families a bit too much into the mix for my taste, but there’s some good storytelling around it in these episodes.

Read more →

Nu-View #11: Back to Our Roots

12 Comments

The End of the World and The Unquiet Dead (Series One, Eps. 2-3; 2005)
Viewed 27 Nov 2012

Doctor/Companion: Nine, Rose Tyler
Stars: Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper
Preceding Story: Rose (Nine, Rose)
Succeeding Story: Aliens of London (Nine, Rose)

Last month, after we finished watching The Angels Take Manhattan, we Ladies weren’t really ready to call it a night. After all, 45 minutes of Who is hardly enough. So, on a whim, we decided to watch Rose.

Needless to say, it was a huge nostalgia bomb. For three of us, it was the first episode of Doctor Who we’d ever seen. You never forget your first. We all enjoyed getting back to our beginnings with Nine and Rose, and so it was decided that we would continue on with them for a while.

So here we are, back at our beginnings.

For most of the Ladies (everyone but me), it had be a long time since they’d seen Nine in action. Much of our evening was thus spent just watching the action unfold on screen, and laughing at all the jokes. But now and again, a comment would pop out.

“Teach her not to be impressed,” jE declared as Nine finished his “welcome to the end of the world” speech. Then came the opening credits. jA commented on how this version really takes her back, and I can’t help but agree; this was my introduction to the entire Whoniverse, and there’s something incredibly special to me about listening to that first Murray Gold theme. It puts me in a special, treasured mental space.

Read more →