The FastDay Forum

The tittle says all..

Dr Who is not a big thing here so I saw my first episode ever this morning. It was the 50th birthday one, with 3 Dr and let's say I didn't understand a thing... I plan on watching some more as I found it really fun but need to understand it a bit more before

Any clues ?

I'm afraid I'm going to shock all and sundry on here by admitting that I have never seen one single episode sci-fi has never appealed to me, hence, never watched it, sorry

Ballerina x

I havent watched it either. I dont undestand it either. they were running episodes all day in Australia today and saw 5 minute in passing and wondered what people saw in it. for any dr who fans here sorry if i just blasphemed

Don't see the fascination either! remember as a child being scared by the Daleks and never watched it since!

Hi Manderley. It started in 1963 as the first kids sci-fi tv show. It was a risky venture as it was designed to scare kids to death (which kids love as we know), and paid off. The producer was a woman and the director an indian guy. Unusual back in those days.

The Dr is a Time Lord from Gallifrey (his lost home), and can move through space and time so the adventures range from monsters and aliens through to going back into history, and sometimes the two are mixed up. As we saw last night. His means of travel is his Tardis, which is an old 1960's english police box, and looks bigger on the inside than the outside. Tardis has become a noun in the english language to explain something that is bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside.

The doctor has an assistant who is not a time lord, but a regular english girl who likes an adventure. He regenerates from time to time (a good way of keeping the series going I suppose). There have been eleven doctors so far with a new one (Peter Capaldi), about to debut. John Hurt's outing as the war doctor last night was new to the storyline, as was the re-writing of history about Galifrey. So that makes 13 doctors in total (yet the original storyline says he can only regenerate 12 times).

I spent my childhood hiding behind the sofa on a Saturday afternoon in the 60's and 70's, as I was terrified of the daleks and the cybermen. It lost its way a bit in the 80's and 90's and then a writer called Russel T Davies who grew up with Dr. Who, re-launched a compelling storyline and an actor called Christopher Ecclestone kicked started it again with great aplomb. The audiences came flooding back. David Tennant followed and then Matt Smith who is the current guy. The blonde girl last night you saw was Rose, a former companion of David Tennant, and the old guy at the end in the gallery, was also a former doctor (Tom Baker).

Am I a fan? Not especially, but OH loves it, but I have to confess they did a fabulous job last night. If you are going to watch any, start with Christopher Ecclestone and David Tennant stuff. I quite like Matt Smith, but I find the storylines a bit incomprehensible.

Here is a link to a review http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/ar ... ating.html, and also the BBC made an account of how it all started here, but I don't think you can access from France http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0 ... _and_Time/. However I really enjoyed it.

I hope I have not upset any diehard fans with this summary!

I've watched it since the first episode in the 60s. If you saw the repeats of earlier Doctor Who's you might have been disappointed @Juliana.Rivers, the programmes were made 'on a shoestring' and were just made to fill a gap between two popular programmes. Over the years it has got better and better with technology improving year on year.

It's hard to explain it, 50 years is a long time with so much happening but the main points of the story are:

*The Doctor is a Time Lord who travels through time and space in the Tardis (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) which is disguised as a police box, it is bigger on the inside than the outside.
*Everywhere he goes he meets villains and monsters who try to destroy the earth or humankind or other planets, and with his assistants (usually young attractive females) he manages to save the universe and the good people or aliens.
*He sometimes doesn't survive, but doesn't die as he can regenerate - hence so many different doctors.
*His home was Gallifrey which he had to destroy in the last great time war between the Daleks and the Time Lords. He is the only Time Lord left.

That's the gist of the series as far as I can remember.

Brilliant summary rawkaren, one point I would like to correct however it was Russell T Davies who brought the series back

As opposed to Russell Grant, the Astrologer and former Strictly contestant, though the idea did make me smile.

I'm a fan and looking forward to seeing Peter Capaldi in the role in the next series

[Tracieknits]

I have the 50th on DVR - as big of a fan as I am, I doubt it would be a very good starting point for someone to start off with. If you really are interested in finding out what it's all about, what you need to do is rent the DVD or stream the first episode of the 9th doctor, an episode called "Rose" produced in 2005. You might love it, you might find it boring, but it's the best intro you're going to get, IMHO.

Beg to differ ref the female companions My favourite was Frazer Hines. Luuuurrrved him

http://doctorwho.fm/galleries/jamie-mcc ... s-gallery/

I remember the first Dr, think I stopped watching after Frazer left, started again when it was brought back again but haven't watched much for the past few years. I think my favourite Dr's were Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee. Didn't watch last nights episode but hope to catch up with it at some point.

Oh and who knew that some early episodes were filmed at the now shopping centre Bluewater when it was the Blue Circle Cement quarry? There, you see

Correction: The companions were 'usually' female but sometimes male and occasionally several at a time including aliens.

Rawkaren: Original Doctor plus 12 regenerations = 13 in total. No more after this new one...

[carieoates]

Used to love it as a kid, doesn't appeal to me any more. But many must love it as it's grown in popularity over the years.

Haven't watched it since William Hartnell was the first Dr. Hope I remembered the right name. I would say it is pretty inexplicable -very popular.

Whilst I enjoyed the interaction between Chinny, Sandshoes and Grandad last night... I'm left wondering if the Zygons are still locked in The Tower, thrashing out their differences??? I just don't understand the relevance of that part of the sub-plot at ALL....

[wildmissus]

I live with 3 whovians - ages 53, 15 & 13 so had to watch it last night...a bit lost on me I'm afraid, although I did enjoy watching it when David Tennant was the doctor . OH wants a remote control dalek from santa.