No posting because I’ve been watching–free!–Doctor Who episodes.
Since most posts here are on social and political issues, and today is an apathy day, no posts so far.
As far as the show, in two years it’ll be fifty years old. I think the first Batman serials were around 1945, but the Caped Crusader had been redone and rebooted at least 3 times since then. The Whoniverse has steadily progressed.
I’d heard the earliest ones were very cheaply done, but nothing can prepare you for those jaw-dropping shows. The sets were one thing, but the fight scenes! I’ve never seen worse. Never. I did summer stock theater acting in my teens, and no rehearsal was as fake-looking as those. They shot past pathetic into something grimly amusing. On network telly! Considering what they broadcast, they couldn’t have done many retakes. I’m surprised they afforded the first.
Ed Wood’s production values were better.
The pacing was of course gla…..ci…..al. Still, the entire time Whoville has played with ideas far in advance of technology. And the show improved as tech did. The modern one is very enjoyable.
World's Only Rational Man 
I’ve been watching Dr. Who since the late seventies. I remember the very first episode with Tom Baker. Yeah, it was corny and low budget, but back in the seventies it was HARD getting science fiction of any sort, so we took what we could get!
They claim that Dr. Who is the longest running science fiction series, but many people seem to be unaware that they actually stopped production for quite a while, (7 years or so I think.) so that claim is not really accurate. I will admit, however, that this latest reboot of Dr. Who is really good, and as much as I always loved Tom Baker’s Dr. Who, I have to admit that I like the newer episodes better. Chris Eccleston Made an excellent Dr. Who, and i’m sorry he only lasted one season, but I have to say that David Tennet is THE BEST Dr. Who so far.
I’ve only seen a couple of episodes with this newest guy, Matt Smith, and so far i’m not terribly impressed. I’m still open minded about him though, and perhaps if I see more of his episodes I will become a fan.
How are you watching it for free?
I already had Amazon Prime for the shipping. Currently Amazon is giving free streaming to Prime members for ~1800 movies and hundreds of TV shows. It probably won’t remain free forever. But for now it is, and they have quite a few BBC shows.
There’s a few seasonal gaps in the earliest Who shows, and those seasons only have a full episode or two (usually 4 22-25 minute episodes). But I’ve gotten a taste of each Doctor, and I just finished Pertwee’s last season, which had ~14 of the short episodes. So on to Tom Baker! He was The Doc when I first heard about the show.
I mixed the old stuff up with the Eccleston season and am 1/2 through Tennet’s first season. Had to occasionally wash those 60’s production values off my eyeballs.
Despite the gaps, if Dr. Who isn’t the longest-running S/F series I’ve no idea what is. It’s had like 40 seasons, right?
I have a huge Dr Who collection on VHS. From the first Doc on. The modern day Dr Who has a much bigger budget and much better FX. Bad thing though is they are bound to the 1-hour shows with commercials, although they do a few two-parters per season. They are fast-paced and his sonic screwdriver is too much of a magic wand for my liking.
For the old Dr Who, they are certainly worth watching. 2nd Dr I find a bit boring and his character not really likable. Pertwee basically started making it the classic and Tom Baker ran with it. Next two, Davidson and Colin Baker are okay-ish. The next one, McCoy I think, may be worth watching for completeness only! I warm you, you will regret it. Its’ probably why they had to stop making them for so long. They are soooo bad.
Latest with Matt Smith has a few episodes that are completely too silly to watch more than once – The one with Winston Churchill and the Christmas one. The others are best watched in order as they tie them in a neat knot at the end.
ps. Did you get my Vancouver email?
I knew you’d been following it for a long while, didn’t know if you had a big collection.
For most of the classic seasons they’re only giving one or two full episodes (4 to 6 22-25 minutes episodes). I’m up to Tom Baker’s second season and I think there’s 2 full episodes, 8 partial ones. It’s enough for a taste, but I’m missing the very first Dalek encounters, Cybermen, the Master, etc.
Do you have “The Sarah Jane Chronicles”, or does that skew too young for you? I only found out about it a few days ago. So I’m guessing actress Elizabeth Sladen has the all-time record for appearances in the Whoniverse.
I got your email but must have immediately been distracted by shiny objects. I’ll reply today.
Love science fiction but never quite got Dr. Who. I watched it as well during the ’70s but couldn’t quite stay with it over time. Now there are so many quirky offerings on SciFi and other channels that there’s no need. Have been watching what seems to be a Canadian offering called Being Human. Don’t know what to think but continue to tivo and watch. It’s a vampire/werewolf concoction but with ghosts added to spice up things. Thankfully they’re not focusing on all the overt sexual aspects that dear Laurell Hamilton introduced to the genre so an entire episode can be watched without closing one’s eyes. Laurell has a lot to answer for. I inadvertently addicted my Dad to her books and now that’s pretty much his primary request on birthdays and Christmas. My Dad the conservative Civil War buff. Good heavens.
I’ll probably see Being Human eventually.
Hey, Vampire Bill from HBO’s True Blood is a Civil War vet! Show that to your Dad.
What could go wrong? Apart from disinheritance.
You’re not helping. Oh, and actually did have to shut the eyes the other night. Cable or not, soft porn is unseemly and unnecessary.
Sorry. I got the series because the books were pretty good. I sure don’t remember them being that sleazy.
Elizabeth Sladen was with both Pertwee and Tom Baker, and one appearance with Tennet. I really liked her. She did a spin-off called K9 (Dr’s robot dog he had after Sarah but somehow she was given one) Only saw one episode of that; not sure if it went anywhere. Her new show I haven’t seen. She’s been in and out of the Who universe since 73 or 74, and has been in shows with 3 of the Doctors. Oh, there was The Five Doctors episode where she re-met Pertwee and got a glimpse of #2 and #4.
The first I saw of her, and K9, was the Tennant appearance. Immediately after that I saw her with Baker. Wish I could have seen her first appearance with Pertwee. Someday.