The biggest injustice ever!
Moderator: Spectrum Strike Force

However for the short time that he was awake, he proved totally that he could be The Doctor.
But going back to NCS, or even the original CS, it would never have been as 'big' as Doctor Who - Doctor Who has been running and collecting new fans since 1963. It was on Saturday tea-time, and how many families didn't sit and watch it at some point?
CS just hasn't had the same sort of exposure.
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Chris C
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KP
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shadokp
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The new Doctor Who appeals to a much greater audience and is more dramatic and soap operaish and all that attracts many types of viewers.
I think one aspect of why Dr Who attracts a wider audience is that is pitched at an older viewer. We've discussed before the anomalies in NCS's stated target audience (4-9 yr old males) and what they actually produced - which was rated PG and 12 on the DVDs - but with a half-hour time slot (minus advert breaks) and a stated target audience of young boys, they were automatically limiting their appeal. At least it seems so to me.
We've said before on other threads, that plot lines in certain episodes seemed rushed - and - IMO - not using the 'Mysteron threat' technique to set up plots each epsiode, meant that time was spent 'setting the scene', thereby making many of the denouments seem trite and - to me at least - unsatisfying.
I have no idea what Dr Who's target audience is - but it seems to have a wide following, all ages and both sexes - and with the extra time to play with, they are able to develop characters/relationships (however much some people dislike what they have done with that freedom) far more than the NCS team had opportunity to do.
The classic CS was only 30 minutes, of course, and probably suffered in popularity against the longer Thunderbirds as a result - leaving the characters - more often than not - mere cyphers. I'm not complaining, it means there is more scope to play with in FF, but without the merchandising to back up the TV show and 'create' backgrounds for the characters - however unlikely some of them might seem in retropsect - NCS was left floundering..
That was a shame - it deserved better.
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Marion
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The problem I've got here is a conflict of interests, and it applies to NCS also. If the fans complain too loudly about its deficiencies, they're contributing in a very small way to the real possibility that it'll simply vanish, never to return. After all, hardly anybody else cares about the show sufficiently to make any criticisms of it at all, constructive or otherwise - so the overwhelming bulk of feedback the makers are going to receive is negative. And if you were a potential financial investor to a TV production company, would you go out of your way to bankroll another series of something that everybody's already described as utter rubbish? Bear in mind that for the most part investors aren't dedicated fans: they rely on the advice of others to support their decisions.
In short, I think you really do have to take the rough with the smooth in such situations. If it's good, praise it to the heavens. If it's rather poor, suggest ways in which it can be improved. If it's so goddam awful that you genuinely never want to see it again, then be as rude as you like - but then don't shed any tears if it simply passes into history.
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Clya Brown
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In one word: Fantastic.

She peered at it.
"You're going to tell me that it encapsulates the eternal struggle between The Pussycat Dolls and Girls Aloud, aren't you?"
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foster
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My issue is with head writer Russell T. Davies. He generally writes with no concern for story structure and continuity. He will come up with several moments and try to out do everything with sweeping emotional moments and big money shots. The problem is he is trying to write DW as how he sees it.
He sees it as - Doctor Who is fun - it is a fun show, therefore, the Doctor and companion should be having fun, all the time. Doesn't matter if you just found out someone close to you died or that it doesn't make sense to act this way, they must have fun.
Doctor Who is fun to watch but what appeals to people (IMO) is that the stories are believable and for the most part, half way serious. Once you can buy into the story, the fun happens from there. RTD doesn't get that - he is telling us - "seeing a Werewolf is fun" and not allowing the viewer to say after the fact, "that werewolf was scary but boy, was it fun!!!"
The final two episodes of this latest season were horrible. RTD wrote himself into a corner and had to hit the rest button. He copied from many different movies and shows and the final product was more looney tunes than anything. What a let down after the excellent and fun "Blink" and emotional "Human Nature". Not to bash RTD, his "Utopia" was outstanding (apart from the silly YANA connection - that is a joke for the audience and doesn't work in context) If the rest of the season was half of what "Utopia" was then I would state that this season was the best so far of the new series.
Anyhow...
KP
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shadokp
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I think the YANA connection was merely a way of linking the story together, not a joke. When I first watched it and found out it meant 'You Are Not Alone', it surprised me, in a good way. I mean, The Face of Boe said that back in Gridlock, which was a very early and short episode. You were MEANT to forget it. When it crops up again, it does shock you. Being an avid writer myself, that did seem pretty clever.
As with New Earth in Series Two, I found that one quite funny...in fact I found it hilarious at certain points. The Doctor's odd and energetic behavior doesn't seem to bother me and hope he doesn't tone it down anymore. He is MEANT to be that sort of over excitable character, which is good. Personally, this series is GOOD when its funny.
I mean, I like RTD, I think he is a fantastic writer...but that is one persons opinion. I have to admit though, I liked Series 2 better than Three. Maybe its because Rose was better with the Doctor than Martha, but there again we did have more time to get used to her.
I am sorry though I seem to have gone completly off subject. (When you get me started I can't stop.) Just saying though...
She peered at it.
"You're going to tell me that it encapsulates the eternal struggle between The Pussycat Dolls and Girls Aloud, aren't you?"
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foster
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Maybe we should start a new Doctor Who thread; or even a new Doctor Who website. Rant over !

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Skybase Girl
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I know how you feel about having bad days...try being ill with Chronic Fatigue for 5 months straight and feel like your brains are gonna fall out of your ears in the form of gray liquid. Trust me, they just might.

God I would do anyhting to go back to school...really. I'd kill a crow. (I don't know if that sounds right but hey.)
She peered at it.
"You're going to tell me that it encapsulates the eternal struggle between The Pussycat Dolls and Girls Aloud, aren't you?"
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foster
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I guess as far as you're concerned, it's not much fun having all that time if you haven't got the energy to make the most of it. A new Doctor Who website, though - sounds good to me, although I have no idea how many there would be out there in the first place. ( It's sadly another show I've rarely found time to watch, although I can recall as a child hiding behind the sofa peeping out at William Hartnell - that may even have been in the days of black and white TV !).
I'd better shut up, since it appears I'm now hoisted with my own petard ( or something like that ) in entering the Dr Who discourse !
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Skybase Girl
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There are thousands of Doctor Who sites and Forums out there:
The best best being gallifreyone and the Doctor Who section on the BBC website. (BBC England not America, they are still on series two I think.)

She peered at it.
"You're going to tell me that it encapsulates the eternal struggle between The Pussycat Dolls and Girls Aloud, aren't you?"
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foster
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I think the original thought behind this thread was how Doctor Who and NCS compared to each other in terms of handling, promotion, quality and so on. There are so many interesting comparisons and since both series started up around the same time, there is a connection, at leat initially.
KP
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shadokp
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I mean, I thought I knew a lot about the show...I obviously didn't. They go into so many technicalities about it...it almost makes you feel uncomfotable and even a little thick at times.

I also realise that BBC don't hand out the licensing to just anyone do they? In most TV shows and movies you'd expect some sort of computer game or Lego set, but there doesn't seem to be anything like that out there. (If there is it isn't very well promoted.)
The BBC would make a mint. They always seem to have such a tight budget so whats the harm?
She peered at it.
"You're going to tell me that it encapsulates the eternal struggle between The Pussycat Dolls and Girls Aloud, aren't you?"
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foster
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The original Captain Scarlet existed within such an alternate universe. The overwhelming majority of viewers at that time would have been familar with Fireball XL5, Stingray and Thunderbirds, if not just through the TV shows then via the TV21 and Lady Penelope comics that were on sale at the time - and those comics promoted the concept of a unified world order in which the World Space Patrol, the WASPs, International Rescue and Spectrum all existed. That provided the same sort of structure within which fans could start filling in the gaps as they do in Doctor Who and Star Trek above. And we've done that repeatedly on this Forum: questions like "What was Spectrum's role in the World Government?", "How could the World Space Patrol exist at a time when mankind had only just reached Mars using the Zero-X technology seen in the movie 'Thunderbirds are Go!'?" and "What nation states within the Anderson universe comprise the World Government, and which if any exist outside it?" have all been asked at some time or another.
The thing is, New Captain Scarlet lacks that background. The series exists as an isolated entity: there's no reason to associate it with any other view of the future with which it needs to be reconciled. There are therefore no gaps to be filled in, other than those highlighted within the show itself - so there's really not all that much to discuss. There's also no prospect of any more material to fuel debate - at least not in the foreseeable future, thanks to the appalling original scheduling of the show and the associated lack of related merchandise - all of which has now vanished from the shelves. At least, that's the way I see it. And it's a shame I think, because it would have probably been fairly cost-effective to continue making episodes with increasingly sophisticated graphics and challenging plotlines, given that both the hardware and the software necessary to do it already existed and had presumably been paid for out of the original budget. However, to create a runaway success you also need to be guaranteed a mechanism with which to supply the end product to the general public - and we all saw what sort of outlet was on offer by the TV company that bought it. Oh well.
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Clya Brown
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They just assumed it wasn't worth their while for what would be a much reduced audience in the near future?
It was shame, anyway. Even though I didn't like it as much as I do the original, I can see that it was a shame.
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Marion
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