So, I watched some of the new Doctor Who :: The Life of the Traegorn

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So, I watched some of the new Doctor Who
Posted May 7, 2005 - 13:36:52

So, at OA last night we ended up watching the first three episodes of the new Doctor Who series. We'll watch the next three next week (so I'll get to see the new Daleks), but I figured I'd give you my thoughts on what I've already seen.

First off, the new Doctor. The ninth incarnation of our favorite Time Lord is played by Christopher Eccleston, and quite well in fact. He brings just enough humor to the roll, where those of us who were Tom Baker fans can appreciate him, as well as enough originality in his performance that he's not just a clone of an earlier Doctor. In the first episode we're left to believe that the ninth Doctor has been running around in this form for a while, which will make me always wonder what we missed from the eighth Doctor's days... but I digress. Sadly, Christopher Eccleston will be leaving the series after this season, so hopefully David Tennant (his replacement) will do just as well as the tenth doctor...

...and they can only cast three more actors, so he'd better last.

Secondly, the new sidekick 'Rose.' Rose is played by a young woman named Billie Piper. Rose is a young woman, who thanks to the baddies from the first episode, doesn't really have any more ties to the world (besides her mom, and what I'm fairly certain is now an ex-boyfriend). Rose is a fairly typical new companion for the Doctor, and Piper does a good job. Mildly formulaic for Doctor Who, but as they are starting a new series, they frankly need to be to rope in the old audience.

Lastly, the new Tardis interior (as the exterior is unchanged - the cloaking mechanism still stuck on "Policeman's Box"). The new Tardis interior, while not as cool as the 1996 movie's interior, is still fairly impressive. The Tardis's console is reminicent enough of the old style, while still looking pollished enough to meet current TV standards. In short: I like it.

Hopefully, this will get licensed in the US by someone (hint-clue Sci-Fi Channel... or even PBS... that's where I watched most of the Original series), and I won't have to rely on friends with computers decent enough to play downloaded episodes... yeesh.
- Traegorn