Having been abroad over Easter I missed British telly. I see that there was a special called 'Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils'. Was this a documentary of the old classic Seventies run or something in the new fangled series? Being an erstwhile Sea Devil fan I'm curious.
New story with current Doctor. I didn't watch it, parted company with Doctor Who now.
ReplyDeleteI saw it, but didn't relate to what I was watching. I much prefer the '70s Pertwee era production format and treatment, Woodsy.
ReplyDeleteI just watched it last night on Australian TV. I don't mind Jodie Whittaker and I found the number of genuine Asian actors (as opposed to yellowface performers) refreshing. Unfortunately the writing was poor and I found the whole thing a chore to watch. It seems like Doctor Who has become mired in it's own perceived significance and this acts as a handbrake on the whole enterprise. I guess we'll have to wait for a change in the showrunners to see any improvement.
ReplyDeleteI agree Lewis, and I'm pretty sure the BBC realised early on, what a catastrophic mistake they had made with the current appointments. I also reckon that they were made as a result of extreme pressure from various minority groups. However, if the BBC had interfered at that point, there would have been howls of 'censorship' from the nasty and pushy SJWs and every minority you can name, down to the lycra louts on bicycles, screaming about prejudice.
DeleteSo, I think the BBC waited the standard three years out, and gave the showrunner and 'star' however much rope they needed to create whatever old chestnuts they wanted to shove down the viewers throats and hang themselves with it in the process! Of course by this point, it had polarised many long-time fans of the series, and they walked [including me].
Russel T Davies is probably the best showrunner who will be able to lure people like me back. But of course it may well be that there will still be enough pressure to force the current 'Woke' agenda to continue. If I like the next regeneration and the stories are engaging, I'll watch. If not, I'll continue to boycott it. Oh yes, and I do not think the character of the Doctor should be female, and that's another reason I stopped watching.
Always a tricky business messing with a proven classic. Just look at the various attempts to reboot Thunderbirds. Having said that, my 5 year old Grandson likes the new Thunderbirds Are Go series.
ReplyDeleteI too have abandoned Dr Who, largely because it no longer is Dr Who.
ReplyDeleteThe production team's 'Woke' agenda is something I broadly approve of, but it is overplayed to the detriment of the adventure and 'fun' aspects of the series.
However that is the least of its problems.
Weak plots, a Doctor who is an awkward, 'shouty', sometimes unpleasant, misfit, not an engaging eccentric, and truly pointless, characterless, companions, make it feel like a poorly thought out, badly written, spin off show, not the actual programme.
I gave Chibnel two seasons, but eventually, sadly, had to stop watching it, as it no longer contained what I watched Dr Who for.
It is very sad.
Yes, like most current Dr Who, Sea Devils was a woke, shouty mess. But it was nice that they largely retained the Seas Devil character design.
ReplyDeleteYes, I always liked the Sea Devil design Kittenpurse. It's imprinted on my old brain!
DeleteOne even sneaked into Blake's 7 as a monster lurking in a basement in season 4!
Deleteha ha, those sneaky devils! I wonder where they ended up, the props? Or have they been brushed off for the new series do you think?
DeleteI don't imagine the latex used would've survived, if that is what they used. The ones in the Davison story in the 80's certainly weren't the same as the Pertwee ones but the Blake's 7 one from 1981 did look like a 70's one.
DeleteDidn't know there was a Davison devils story. Its the Pertwee one that I saw. You just can't keep those devils down!
DeleteThe latest Sea Devils are from a new sculpt and make, I believe, which will have been closely referenced from photos of the originals, or possibly a surviving head, if one still exists.
ReplyDeleteComputer generated eye moves and blinks will have been added in post production (though I didnt watch the episode myself, so can't be certain).
Thanks Mish. Most develish.
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