Doctor Who Club of Australia

Greg

This poll will open on 1 November to give everyone a chance to digest the whole season.

So, what story knocked your socks off this year?

Multi-part stories are treated as a single story.

The Children in Need mini-episode, Time Crash, isn't included as it wasn't a full story, nor has it been shown on Australian free-to-air TV.

Feel free to say why the story you chose was the best of the season, in your (possibly humble) opinion.

Greg · Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:03 pm Post subject:

What, no one yet?

OK, it's Midnight for me. In an ongoing sea of arc-related stories and stories hinting at significant events in the past and future, to have this single stand-alone story was great. No need to worry about the whole thing fits together, its all here in this small vehicle.

One of the things that Russell T Davies is often accused of is writing stories that have no real depth, that are all flashy nonsense and silly jokes. Well, if you think that, you haven't been paying attention. He can write all sorts of stories, but knows that the public expect a lot of bangs and flashes from science fiction.

Here, he doesn't do the bangs and flashes. He sets out to do what Doctor Who has always done - challenge and scare the viewers. And he does it brilliantly.

He is aided and abetted by a great cast, and in particular Lesley Sharp. He's written for her many times in the past, he knows what she can deliver as an actress - and in this story she delivers in spades. Great delivery of a very complex script and blimey if she isn't the most scary thing on screen all year!

Oh, you can tear it apart and point to all of its influences - the Airport movies, The Exorcist, years of base-under-siege serials in 60s Who - but its greater than the sum of its parts.

And if no one else wants it, then it'll be mine all mine!

I must admit the small role for Catherine Tate didn't hurt my enjoyment of this story one bit.

Best in show, I say!

montypython · Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:46 pm Post subject:

It's gotta be the finale for me. I'm a simple girl - give me megalomanic villains, Daleks, explosions, action ... basic stuff, and I'm sold.

Oh, and the Doctor/Rose didn't hurt either Wink

SharazJek · Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 932 Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Midnight for me. A very close call with Turn Left but Greg is right, it was the standalone aspect of this story that did it for me, and its being able to be completely scary without actually seeing flashes and bangs.

Ickabod · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 593 Location: far far away

I'm with Monty.....and the fact he was naked and had Donna's mannerisms

I did like Midnight though

charlie · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 11:22 am Post subject:

I've got to say The Doctor's Daughter. It was everything that I love about Who. A science mystery that can only be solved by the Doctor and an intriguing concept that we haven't seen before. Not to mention the characterisation of the Doctor and humans. Midnight was a close second.

I'm going to be really annoying here and say that Jenny should be spelt Genny cause her name came from Generated or something.

montypython · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 11:27 am Post subject:

Sulp Niar · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 11:30 am Post subject:

I don't think she would've been interested - didn't she say in 'Partners in Crime' that she didn't like long skinny sticks?

Ickabod · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 593 Location: far far away

Probaby right there Sulp....but I do Twisted Evil

meglos · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 670 Location: Perth

Very tricky. Hard to choose between The Finale, Turn Left, Planet Of The Ood and Midnight. End the end I would say Midnight by a nose Smile

1380 · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 2:24 am Post subject:

O.O Tricky... I had two to choose between...

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead vs. Voyage of the Damned...

In the end I couldn't choose either, as they both appealed to me. I love Moffat's darker Doctor Who episodes, I really think the show should be darker. And his stories are really intriguing. But Voyage of the Damned was awesome, and some of the best Doctor Who I've seen.

But I chose my first option in the end. Why? Because I considered it first, and I don't like to think of the Chirstmas specials as a part of the season. Anyway, now I'm going to be all eager until 2010... Too bad Moffat's not working on a special himself.

dave · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:14 am Post subject:

I went for Turn Left, although Fires of Pompeii and Midnight were close contenders. Despite featuring Donna so heavily, I really enjoyed the look at a world with no Doctor - the only thing that let it down a little was how stupid that bug looked. RTD really impressed me with both Turn Left and Midnight, and then absolutely destroyed any respect he'd gained from me with the finale...but that's pretty much what I was expecting. I've had serious problems with all of his finales, and this was possibly my favourite of the lot, but still...too much obvious fanservice for me.

Anyway, I need not point out why I liked Midnight so much, as others have already done so for me. Fires of Pompeii just had some brilliant humour in it that I really enjoyed, although I always dislike it when the companions are required to bring out compassion in the Doctor. I've always thought the Doctor to be better than that; more noble than any human... even Donna (please forgive the pun).

Speckled Jim · Joined: 14 Jul 2006 Posts: 142 Location: Auckland, Un Zud

Sulp Niar · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 11:56 am Post subject:

Speckled Jim · Joined: 14 Jul 2006 Posts: 142 Location: Auckland, Un Zud

A well-constructed argument, Sulp Niar, but I'm sticking to my guns. I don't see depth to RTD's writing; anything he tries to make profound comes across as obvious and poorly executed, and it's spoonfed to you. Subtlety is alien to him, and personally I reckon it's the key to clever scriptwriting. Make people think, don't spell it out in big neon lights for them (and then add several explosions, a deafening soundtrack and a gooey love scene).
And I don't see the fanboy parody in Love & Monsters as anything other than a smug fingers-up at the people who keep his show rating so well. Plus, more than anything else, it was just flippin' embarrassing. I watched it through my fingers.
One thing I will miss when he's gone is these interminable discussions about RTD - not only here. Outpost Gallifrey should dedicate a whole new website to them.

Ickabod · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 593 Location: far far away

Sulp Niar · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 7:06 pm Post subject:

I'm guessing Mr Moffat will have the exact same thing happen to him when he takes over too, haha.

Fair enough at what you said, although I can't help myself here:

Greg · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 7:28 pm Post subject:

Actually, I always felt the underlying message of Love and Monsters was: if you find something you enjoy and people you enjoy it with, don't let anyone else tell you to stop. Far from being a parody of fanboys, it's a celebration of being a fan and what that can mean.

Ickabod · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 593 Location: far far away

Sulp Niar · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject: