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Getting Back in the NuWho Swing...
Ah well, in for a penny, here's the second chunk of "Pond Life", if you haven't already seen it and have absolutely nothing better to do with your time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQZc9DzneUI
I think I'd agree with the comment of one of my flisters...they're a bit...slight so far, aren't they? You know, compared to things like the magnificently creepy and well-shot Nixon-in-the-Oval-Office prologue to S6? Not really a story unto themselves and not really a proper intro to anything (although I'd argue this one might strike a very different note if you rewatch it in five weeks' time or so). Well, they've got about three more minutes to amount to something more than fluffy, vaguely fan-pleasing fluff, anyway.
Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with fluffy, vaguely fan-pleasing fluff...
But "Pond Life" has done one thing so far, namely make me think "blimey, there's less than a week to go till we get some new NuWho". Now, this has not always, in the years since 2005, necessarily been an unconditionally positive thought where I've been concerned, but over the past couple of years I've maintained a certain bushy-tailed hopefulness when this time has come around again. I don't know how much I'm still in step with you my flisters, but the Eleven/Moffat bandwagon still haven't outstayed their welcome with me. Nope, sorry. Still on board with the boy Smith and the guy who produces somewhat less worrying scripts than media interviews.
But time to address the elephant in the room (the somewhat disorganised and dusty junk room that is my thinking brain): This time last year, I was adopting a certain party-political unwillingness to admit much fault in the whole Eleven-era bandwagon. I was still finding good things to say, I think, even about tosh like that pirate story and the underwhelming trip to the dolls' house. I blame the largely self-inflicted wounds I was still carrying from the culture wars with the hardcore Ten-is-the-only-Doctor crowd around the time of S5. Looking back now, I can laugh (well, gurgle, Davros-like) and own up a little bit. Yeah, S6 wasn't really as good as S5, was it?
I mean, S5, Chibnall's appalling Silurians hack-work (no, still bitter about that one) notwithstanding, barely put a foot wrong as far as I can see. Apart from Cuddly Winston Churchill, admittedly. I mean, I didn't even dislike the non-Churchillian parts of Victory of the Daleks as much as most people seemed to. S5 started well, ended even better, Matt Smith just slid effortlessly into the role and I found my flagging faith in NuWho after *spit* Journey's End *spit*, the Year of the Specials (well, Waters of Mars was pretty decent, I guess) and The *spit* End of Time *spit* somewhat restored. Sure, it's never going to be old Who, but it can be good, very good, when it wants to be.
So no, S6 didn't live up to that high standard, but I don't think necessarily for the reasons a lot of its detractors in the wider media world outside of fandom identified. I don't think it was "too complicated" arc-wise, for anybody with even a minimal attention-span and willingness to engage with the material beyond the level of eye-candy. I don't think it was "too clever", either - if only! I don't think people who were saying that must have a particularly high benchmark for "cleverness", to be honest. As for "too dark and scary", all I can say is that the six or seven year old me loved Shockeye biting that rat in half in The Two Doctors, and I don't imagine kids today are too different (not that there was anything to compare to the Grand Guignol of Six in his pomp, or indeed the earlier hallowed era of Holmes and Hinchcliffe, in S6, not really).
I just don't think it was as consistent, overall. On average, it did not meet the relentlessly high standard of S5 (in my opinion), although that did not mean it was not good, very good, at various junctures. Like the curate's egg, then - good in parts. Although, the parts I consider good (or bad) might not be the same that many of you, or indeed fandom in general, would agree upon.
So, yeah, as part of my continuing countdown into NuWho Season 7, I will tell you some of the things I liked and didn't like about S6, over the next couple of days. You know, just because.
Four days...!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQZc9DzneUI
I think I'd agree with the comment of one of my flisters...they're a bit...slight so far, aren't they? You know, compared to things like the magnificently creepy and well-shot Nixon-in-the-Oval-Office prologue to S6? Not really a story unto themselves and not really a proper intro to anything (although I'd argue this one might strike a very different note if you rewatch it in five weeks' time or so). Well, they've got about three more minutes to amount to something more than fluffy, vaguely fan-pleasing fluff, anyway.
Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with fluffy, vaguely fan-pleasing fluff...
But "Pond Life" has done one thing so far, namely make me think "blimey, there's less than a week to go till we get some new NuWho". Now, this has not always, in the years since 2005, necessarily been an unconditionally positive thought where I've been concerned, but over the past couple of years I've maintained a certain bushy-tailed hopefulness when this time has come around again. I don't know how much I'm still in step with you my flisters, but the Eleven/Moffat bandwagon still haven't outstayed their welcome with me. Nope, sorry. Still on board with the boy Smith and the guy who produces somewhat less worrying scripts than media interviews.
But time to address the elephant in the room (the somewhat disorganised and dusty junk room that is my thinking brain): This time last year, I was adopting a certain party-political unwillingness to admit much fault in the whole Eleven-era bandwagon. I was still finding good things to say, I think, even about tosh like that pirate story and the underwhelming trip to the dolls' house. I blame the largely self-inflicted wounds I was still carrying from the culture wars with the hardcore Ten-is-the-only-Doctor crowd around the time of S5. Looking back now, I can laugh (well, gurgle, Davros-like) and own up a little bit. Yeah, S6 wasn't really as good as S5, was it?
I mean, S5, Chibnall's appalling Silurians hack-work (no, still bitter about that one) notwithstanding, barely put a foot wrong as far as I can see. Apart from Cuddly Winston Churchill, admittedly. I mean, I didn't even dislike the non-Churchillian parts of Victory of the Daleks as much as most people seemed to. S5 started well, ended even better, Matt Smith just slid effortlessly into the role and I found my flagging faith in NuWho after *spit* Journey's End *spit*, the Year of the Specials (well, Waters of Mars was pretty decent, I guess) and The *spit* End of Time *spit* somewhat restored. Sure, it's never going to be old Who, but it can be good, very good, when it wants to be.
So no, S6 didn't live up to that high standard, but I don't think necessarily for the reasons a lot of its detractors in the wider media world outside of fandom identified. I don't think it was "too complicated" arc-wise, for anybody with even a minimal attention-span and willingness to engage with the material beyond the level of eye-candy. I don't think it was "too clever", either - if only! I don't think people who were saying that must have a particularly high benchmark for "cleverness", to be honest. As for "too dark and scary", all I can say is that the six or seven year old me loved Shockeye biting that rat in half in The Two Doctors, and I don't imagine kids today are too different (not that there was anything to compare to the Grand Guignol of Six in his pomp, or indeed the earlier hallowed era of Holmes and Hinchcliffe, in S6, not really).
I just don't think it was as consistent, overall. On average, it did not meet the relentlessly high standard of S5 (in my opinion), although that did not mean it was not good, very good, at various junctures. Like the curate's egg, then - good in parts. Although, the parts I consider good (or bad) might not be the same that many of you, or indeed fandom in general, would agree upon.
So, yeah, as part of my continuing countdown into NuWho Season 7, I will tell you some of the things I liked and didn't like about S6, over the next couple of days. You know, just because.
Four days...!