Dr. Who season 2 starts tonight on Sci-Fi

[Zaia]

Tychu, you really should see American shows from an outsiders perspective. They are very US patriotic, science fiction ones included (off the top of my head, SG1, SGA, SAAB). A little dose of what its like to have that perspective won't hurt Americans, and if the rest of the world can get over it in American shows, Americans can get over it in a British show.

Quite correct, you cannot imagine bloody annoying some shows are about the fact their aimed at Americans and the rest of the planet might as well not exist.

Speaking as an American who spent six months living abroad, I can say that it is eye-opening in an absolutely horrific way, to see how we Americans appear to the rest of the world via our media. Obviously we are not (all) our TV stereotypes and shows, but goodness me, I was sick of televised sitcom America and I'd lived there my whole life and was mostly quite fond of the place. Imagining what people who judged my country and me by our shows alone made me want to vomit....still does, actually...

For the record, Tychu, I found that joke highly amusing. Either grow a thicker skin, or stick your head in the sand and keep away from those scary foreigners and their mean little jokes.

[Stofsk]

Speaking as an American who spent six months living abroad, I can say that it is eye-opening in an absolutely horrific way, to see how we Americans appear to the rest of the world via our media. Obviously we are not (all) our TV stereotypes and shows, but goodness me, I was sick of televised sitcom America and I'd lived there my whole life and was mostly quite fond of the place. Imagining what people who judged my country and me by our shows alone made me want to vomit....still does, actually...

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter.

[Lord Woodlouse]

Speaking as an American who spent six months living abroad, I can say that it is eye-opening in an absolutely horrific way, to see how we Americans appear to the rest of the world via our media. Obviously we are not (all) our TV stereotypes and shows, but goodness me, I was sick of televised sitcom America and I'd lived there my whole life and was mostly quite fond of the place. Imagining what people who judged my country and me by our shows alone made me want to vomit....still does, actually...

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter.

Um...?

For the record, Tychu, I found that joke highly amusing. Either grow a thicker skin, or stick your head in the sand and keep away from those scary foreigners and their mean little jokes.

[Stofsk]

No, what Z was alluding to about her experiences abroad and seeing Americans through the eyes of (in her case) Australians. Beyond that sitcoms make her feel nauseated. Which is an experience I share.

[Zaia]

No, what Z was alluding to about her experiences abroad and seeing Americans through the eyes of (in her case) Australians. Beyond that sitcoms make her feel nauseated. Which is an experience I share.

Well, let's see...I'm not sure what else you'd like to hear. The American TV shows that were piped down to Tassie were simply awful. And it's how some people at my uni expected me to be! Which was about as flattering to Australians as it was to the Americans who write, produce and/or watch that shite.

Watching American shows overseas as an American made me pick up on all the Americana that's not really obvious until you've had some fresh air in a new place, and the amount of that crap was enough to make me feel embarassed that we air that stuff in first place, let alone ship it all over the world. I can't think of any TV shows off the top of my head, but they had similar levels of vomit-inducing patriotic cheesiness as the movie "Air Force One," which incidentally was a movie I liked just fine before I lived in Australia, and is a movie which has kind of made my stomach turn since.

Now, some Aussies ate it up those TV shows, regardless of how incredibly stupid and artificial they were, but just as many if not more Aussies looked unfavourably upon America and me as an extension because of how utterly stupid most of it was. And although I would get pissed off when they assumed things about me personally, I couldn't really blame them for what they thought of Americans as a whole if those TV shows were all they had (other than the news, oy) to judge us as a people...

(Sorry for the off-topicness of this post.)

[Hades]

For those americans who haven't seen it yet, here's a quick run down:

Christmas Invasion- not enough Doctor but second half is awesome
New Earth - Kind of silly
Tooth and Claw - great action based story
School Reunion - possibly best ep of the season. Excellent stuff
The girl in the fireplace - Rather mediocre until the very final scene, then it all makes sense.
Rise of the Cybermen - It has Cybermen, it's good
The age of steel - the Cybermen goodness continues
The Idiots Lantern - very ho hum episode, far from the best
The Impossible Planet - Great stuff, some outstanding Who.
The Satan Pit - Even better than the previous ep
Love and Monsters - complete crap. Avoid like leperous jehovah's witnesses
Fear Her - Better than Love and Monsters but not by much. Avoid.
Army of Ghosts/Doomsday - Awesome season finale. Two lots of villains face off!

To give my own views on those eps

Christmas Invasion - Good story, well acted, and you get to see a bit more of the tardis and sets up season arc
New earth - ok ep, not terrible but not amazing. high lights would be the face of boe appearing to set somthing up for next season (presumably next season, might be the aseaon after that)
Tooth and claw - amazing ep, best pre credit teaser iv seen in ages. and advances plot
School reunion Excellent episode for fans of the classic series but done so well that its amazing for new fans as well.
The girl in the fireplace - Best episode of the seaon. Writen by the same writer that did the gasmask episode. Excellent emotinal and character development.
Rise of the Cybermen - Title says it all really.
The age of steel - Second part of cyberment story so again had to be good.
The Idiots Lantern - worst episode of season, i was bored from the pre-credits till the end.
The Impossible Planet - Great ep
The Satan Pit -second part of a two parter, loved the concept behind it.
Love and Monsters - This episode is a lot like marmite, you either love it or you hate it. I loved it. It was a fun episode done in a daring style not previously used in show. and i think it works.
Fear Her - meh. sums it up really, wouldnt bear a repeat viewing but it had a couple of goo moments
Army of Ghosts/Doomsday - superb season finale culminating the plot threads from the season and pitting two villians against each other.

Like everyone else these are just my opinons, you may have completly diffferent tastes to me.

[Stark]

I thought Parallax's reviews provided an important insight into the mind of the majority of scifi fans. For regular people, Girl in the Fireplace is probably the standout single episode of the season, but scifi fans hate it. People who loved School Reunion (a lightweight bit of fanservice with half a dozen significant scenes) are a curious lot.

For the record, I liked every episode but Fear Her. The Wire was retarded, but forgettable. The season really runs from one excellent two-parter to another, and the early standalones were consistently better than the later ones. After GitF, all the single episodes were shit except Love and Monsters, which you apparently have to be literate to appreciate.

[Lord Woodlouse]

I thought Parallax's reviews provided an important insight into the mind of the majority of scifi fans. For regular people, Girl in the Fireplace is probably the standout single episode of the season, but scifi fans hate it. People who loved School Reunion (a lightweight bit of fanservice with half a dozen significant scenes) are a curious lot.

For the record, I liked every episode but Fear Her. The Wire was retarded, but forgettable. The season really runs from one excellent two-parter to another, and the early standalones were consistently better than the later ones. After GitF, all the single episodes were shit except Love and Monsters, which you apparently have to be literate to appreciate.

I think you might also find some difference between dedicated longterm "Whovians" and regular scifi fans.

While generally I agree with you, I liked School Reunion quite a lot and I've never even really seen Classic Who. Speaking on behalf of Zaia again I can say she liked it a lot, too. I think the drama in meeting an old companion is what makes it stand out a bit more, it's a good scenario for drama, irrespective of fanservice.

[Lord Woodlouse]

Incidentally, have any of the British chaps among us seen the Torchwood teaserappearing on the BBC?

[Dartzap]

Incidentally, have any of the British chaps among us seen the Torchwood teaserappearing on the BBC?

Can't day I had, heh. From what I understand the series starts at the end of the month, and I have to say it does look good. Apart from all the Welsh people *ducks*

[LadyTevar]

"Saving the world in a bathrobe. How very Arthur Dent of me."

As I recall, Adams set Hitchhikers Guide in the Dr Who multiverse....

[Keevan_Colton]

"Saving the world in a bathrobe. How very Arthur Dent of me."

As I recall, Adams set Hitchhikers Guide in the Dr Who multiverse....

The next line is "Lovely chap, met him once."

[Tychu]

like i said, i have no problem with the fact that hey its a British show that i happen to like that they can put what ever they say in their show (that sentence really doesent make sense). I understand it creates a chuckle out of (im gonna say half its audience, just baseing it on that in every democratic country theres the Rights and Lefts, not on the fact that how British think about superpowers since i dont live there).

My only gripe was that for all the Doctor Who Episodes which i saw, i havent seen alot mind you (Chris Ecesleston, 1st 2 Tennents, Sylvesters: Rememberance of the Daleks, Davidsons: Earthshock, Caves of Androzani and Tom Bakers: Robots of Death, Horror of Fang Rock) that it was pretty much seemed it was just a parrellel universe that these events happend in.

I mean the quote made no barring on the story
Now if what happens that if in the episode, Harriet Jones has to fight with whoever is the Parrellel universe US president on what the hell their going to do and who has a different opinion then hey i would love that quote.

And yes since i was overseas this past summer i do understand that the best way to view the world is get outside the American thought of things
I actually watch BBC News after i watch the American news' at night
good times

now for the new Doctor Who
Horror of Fang Rock 2 (Tooth and Claw)

[mr friendly guy]

My only gripe was that for all the Doctor Who Episodes which i saw, i havent seen alot mind you (Chris Ecesleston, 1st 2 Tennents, Sylvesters: Rememberance of the Daleks, Davidsons: Earthshock, Caves of Androzani and Tom Bakers: Robots of Death, Horror of Fang Rock) that it was pretty much seemed it was just a parrellel universe that these events happend in.

How do you figure that? Besides the obvious Rememberance of the Daleks where Skaro was destroyed and now not destroyed at the start of the time war(which was infamously retconned in the novel War of the Daleks), I don't see how the old series contradicts with the new series time line. A lot of those stories were set at different places at different times, hence you have the explanation for people / technology / culture being different.

[Stark]

Oh come on - does he really think *Horror at Fang Rock* is supposed to 'fit in ' with Caves of Androzani? It's Victorian England! Not a bondage master to be seen. Robots of Death? It's on another planet! What, exactly, is supposed to link these stories beyond the primary cast?

And I didn't know Skaro still existed at the start of the Time War. Obviously it's quite possible given the nature of the war, but I don't recall any mention of it aside from the cult of Skaro?

[Lord Woodlouse]

like i said, i have no problem with the fact that hey its a British show that i happen to like that they can put what ever they say in their show (that sentence really doesent make sense). I understand it creates a chuckle out of (im gonna say half its audience, just baseing it on that in every democratic country theres the Rights and Lefts, not on the fact that how British think about superpowers since i dont live there).

My only gripe was that for all the Doctor Who Episodes which i saw, i havent seen alot mind you (Chris Ecesleston, 1st 2 Tennents, Sylvesters: Rememberance of the Daleks, Davidsons: Earthshock, Caves of Androzani and Tom Bakers: Robots of Death, Horror of Fang Rock) that it was pretty much seemed it was just a parrellel universe that these events happend in.

I mean the quote made no barring on the story
Now if what happens that if in the episode, Harriet Jones has to fight with whoever is the Parrellel universe US president on what the hell their going to do and who has a different opinion then hey i would love that quote.

And yes since i was overseas this past summer i do understand that the best way to view the world is get outside the American thought of things
I actually watch BBC News after i watch the American news' at night
good times

now for the new Doctor Who
Horror of Fang Rock 2 (Tooth and Claw)

The quote was topical, amusing and made sense in the context of the events. The President wanted to to take control of the situation, the PM (in a change from the common perception) told him to fuck off.

...and yes, it was a throwaway line. The story did not depend on it. But neither was it in ANY sense damaged because of it's inclusion.

...and no, half is not accurate when looking at the UK. The left and the right can chuckle at it because, quite frankly, it's nice to see us being assertive for a change (if only in a fantasy setting). It's the same thing that makes your hair stand on end when the President starts yammering on about independance day while aliens threaten him in in the film, Independance Day.

*shrug* Personally I see it as more of a snub to President George W Bush specifically rather than America as an entity. Maybe you just missed the delivery (I think you said you had to look it up afterwards). I don't think it was a very big deal at all.