Tag Archives: Doctor Who

Doctor’s Orders: The Verdict on the Female Doctor

When it was first revealed that the Doctor who would supersede Peter Capaldi would be a woman, it didn’t take long for a Twitter storm amongst misogynists to brew.

Which mainly told us that people fear change. Doctor Who is pretty much a British institution. We’ve had 12 male Doctors, so it’s only natural that some narrow-viewed people thought the boat shouldn’t be rocked and the role should be gender specific. My favourite comment so far which I’ve stumbled across on social media comments sections is “I accept that she’s female, but does she also have to be Northern?”. Of course, there were a lot of crasser things being stated. But it taught me a lot about inclusivity and diversity in the media. Which should come as no surprise, given that viewers have been conditioned to like an archetypal casting and role.

Casting Jodie Whittaker was definitely a gamble for the showrunners. They would have had better odds if they played Cleopatra and enjoyed a few spins over at Egypt Slots.

Was Jodie Whittaker the Woman for the Job?

Now that we’ve seen three episodes from Jodie Whittaker, now we can finally make a verdict on her suitability to the role. A lot of people make the mistake of judging a new Doctor on their first episodes, yet first episodes after regeneration never really tells us much about what kind of Doctor we’re dealing with.

Whilst more people favoured Matt Smith or David Tennant to Peter Capaldi, he was still a hard act to follow. His intensely aggressive monologues captivated us, and we saw how he dealt with his grief and his anger in a better way than we’ve seen with the former Doctors. So, of course everyone would have had to get used to the change between the actors and the temperament of the Doctor. It’s no secret that the screenwriters like to mix it up between the Doctors, and could any actor or actress match the potent angst of Capaldi?

After the first episode aired, I waited for the fallout from angry fans affirming their beliefs that a woman was never fit for the role, yet there was nothing but admiration for her stellar acting and unique approach to the role. Sure, she was a little ditzy and “blonde,” but that can be forgiven – she had just regenerated. But there was so much to love about her, including the fact that she got her first outfit from a charity shop and her ability to stand up to a monster with a face made of teeth despite not even knowing herself. From the start she was authoritative, not overly cocksure with herself, and in short, pretty God damn fabulous.

Whilst Jodie Whittaker may be the perfect for the role, the casting and the writing for the companions is still rather questionable. Firstly, we all know that the Doctor works better with one companion. From the first episode we were overloaded with the four companions. Even though by the end there was only three, there was little opportunity to truly get to know each of their characters. It was even more difficult considering the fact that all they did was run around proclaiming variations of “oh my God” and “We’re going to die.” Yet, after the third episode “Rosa,” the chemistry between the characters seems to be coming together seamlessly and the rest of the season holds a hell of a lot of promise. The third episode was the first opportunity in this series to see the real humanity within the Doctor. There was no over-the-top melodramatics and a hell of a lot more gravitas.

Whether it’s relevant that the fact we have a female Doctor and the episodes seem to be becoming more poignant and relevant to issues faced in 2018, that’s a matter of opinion. Yet, it’s undeniable all the same. In the first episode they didn’t set out to save a whole race of people as they usually do. They set out to save one (rather annoying) character with whom we had a brief encounter at the start of the episode. Which portrayed the message that each life is important. Which was further reinforced as you saw him practicing self-care telling himself that “he’s special.”

The second episode was a little hit and miss, yet the third episode truly pulled the emotive punches. A lot rested on the third episode, as they met Rosa Parks back in 1955 and were faced with the responsibility of ensuring that history went according to plan. There was no threat from grotesque monsters. Just a racist time-travelling agent who wanted to disrupt history to make sure that equality was never a possibility. There was so much emphasis on the fact that little moments in history can change the world. It was clear that the Doctor along with her companions was highly affected by what they stood to lose if history went off course.

The Feminine Touch

Now, if you can imagine Christopher Ecclestone, David Tennant, Matt Smith, or Peter Capaldi dealing with the weight of that situation? The 13th Doctor has a hell of a lot more empathy than those who took the previous roles, so the future episodes hold a hell of a lot of promise for the series. Younger fans may not have got the excitement of exploding spaceships, chase scenes, and the threat of iconic monsters such as the Daleks. But more mature audiences didn’t fail to let the stark message behind Rosa resonate. Especially the scene where the racist police officer came in search of Ryan and Yaz because they had been “upsetting people in the town.” It happened in 1955, and it’s still happening today in 2018.

In episode four, they’ll be tackling arachnid enemies in modern day Britain, so, it will be interesting how they intend to carry on the emotive structure of the episodes we’ve seen so far. Yet, with that said, episode three was still worlds apart from episodes one and two. The trailer for episode four is now on YouTube.

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If We Controlled Your Remote… 10/7/18

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Kyle’s Choice

This afternoon at 1:45pm ET, BBC America joins other stations around the globe to air a world-wide simulcast of the series 11 premiere of Doctor Who. The new season is a complete reboot for the series, with all new characters, companions, aliens, villains, adventures, and likely TARDIS, plus a whole new team both in front of and behind the cameras. Taking over as showrunner is Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch), and cast as the first female Doctor is Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch). With each new regeneration, the Doctor gains a new personality and new quirks, so it will be interesting to see what the Thirteenth Doctor will be like. She will also be joined by a new set of companions (though that term will no longer be used in the series) – Graham O’Brien (Bradley Walsh, Law & Order: UK), Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole, Hollyoaks), and Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill, The Good Karma Hospital).

I’m curious to check out this latest season, especially since I was one of those who was very much against casting a female Doctor. I hope Jodie proves me wrong and that I find a new favorite doctor in Thirteen – David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor is still my favorite. Over the past few years, I found the series to be in a bit of a decline, despite having some great episodes with each Doctor. I’m hoping some new blood behind the camera can help to revitalize this iconic series, though I’m a bit disappointed that the showrunner has decided to make a complete break from the past, treating this latest season like the start of a completely new series. I’m also curious to meet the new companions. I think the show works quite well with several companions instead of just one – Amy and Rory were my favorite pair since Doctor Who returned to the air, and I’m hoping we get a fun dynamic between the Doctor and this new trio.

On today’s premiere, “The Woman Who Fell to Earth,” a mysterious woman who can’t even remember her own name falls from the sky.

Before today’s world-wide premiere, BBC America will be airing an Ultimate Watch Party pre-show at 1:15pm ET, which will also continue after the episode. Tonight’s special encore of the premiere at 8pm ET/PT (the show’s regular timeslot) will include bonus interviews with Jodie Whittaker and footage from New York Comic Con. At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, I attended the press conference for the series. You can find my video from the event at NoReruns.net.

Don’t miss the latest season premiere today at 1:45/12:45c.

I’ll also be watching/recording God Friended Me, The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, The Walking Dead, Star Wars Resistance, and Kidding.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 11/22/13

I have had one of those weeks where my hormones make me an insane woman. I don’t care what other women say… It’s true that sometimes, our hormones make us worthy of flying a broomstick. After some chocolate, TV, and downtime, I am back to my usual semi-sweet self. Now I’m looking forward to a busy weekend of Santa Claus parades and working on Christmas presents for extended family with the kids. Although before my weekend can truly begin, we need to see what amazing television is on tonight, so let’s take a look.

Megan’s Choice

hawaiifiveo1122smallAt first, I was worried that moving to Fridays was going to hurt Hawaii Five-0, but in fact, I love it! I’m enjoying being able to watch my TV boyfriend, Alex O’Loughlin first, and then my favorite crime family at 10pm with Blue Bloods. Honestly, it’s been a great addition to my TV week. Speaking of great additions… How incredible has it been to have Catherine on the team full-time now? I think it was a genius move for the writers and it’s a help with Kono being in and out of the scene. Kono learned last episode that Adam faked his death, so she is off to find him because she simply cannot live without him. I’m not sure that’s going to be a good idea, but it will make for good TV. Last week, we also saw McGarrett work with Grover when the Governor sent them to serve a warrant to a young hacker named Ian. All hell broke loose, and the two men were forced to become allies in order to save the day. In the end, the two walked away with more respect for each other and a mutual enemy on the loose…giving us a new story line to follow. I’m intrigued. Are you?

On tonight’s episode, “Hau’oli La Ho’omaika’i,” a secret service agent is murdered while the president is traveling to Oahu; as Thanksgiving approaches, McGarrett’s Aunt Deb (Carol Burnett) visits and shares a stunning secret.

To see what secret Aunt Deb has, tune in to CBS at 9/8c.

I’ll also be watching Bones, Blue Bloods, Haven, and Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 11/18/13

What beautiful weather we’ve had the last couple of days. I’m savoring them because we’re past the heat of summer and fall, but we aren’t to the point where we had to turn the heater on yet. (Almost, but not quite… LOL When it got down to 18 at night, the space heater sufficed. 😉 ) But the last two days, we’ve had the windows open in the living room and kitchen, and the breeze that goes through is cool, but not so cold that I’m uncomfortable. Love it. I also love TV tonight. We don’t have Bones, but we do have Almost Human to make up for it. So grab your remotes, because here are our recommendations! 🙂

Jenny’s Choice #1

almosthuman1118smallHow great was the Almost Human premiere last night? I loved it just as much the second time as I did the first. The futuristic look is a lot of fun—all the technology, I mean—and I love the chemistry the cast has. We first met John in the middle of a forced flashback, where he’s gone to a doctor (well, former doctor) to try to recover memories from a year and a half before, when his partner was killed and his leg was blown off. That same explosion put him in a coma for seventeen months. Through one of his forced flashbacks, we saw his ex-girlfriend…as one of the bad guys. Is that truly a memory, or is it his mind playing tricks on him? I guess we’ll find out.

On tonight’s episode, “Skin,” Detective John Kennex and Dorian are dispatched to investigate a murder and high-profile missing persons case that lead them into the highly profitable world of IRCs—Intimate Robot Companions—also known as sexbots. Meanwhile, Kennex looks to reconcile a part of his troubled past.

See what Kennex has to face about his past tonight on FOX at 8/7c.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 1/27/13

The start of a new week—the last week in January. Holy shitake mushrooms! Where did the time go? I was supposed to spend the weekend working on getting a house ready to sell, but I decided to be self-indulgent for once and enjoy my kid-free time at home by myself. I read some hilarious blogs, ate Oreos for brunch, and watched TV that I was behind on. (Yes, and missed my kids… I can’t help it. They’re loud, crazy, and messy, but they’re mine.) Now it’s time to settle in for some new TV before the week of early morning wake-ups for school and battles over hair brushings begin. Let’s see what you should be watching tonight…because we told you so. (Sorry. 😉 Missed using my Mom voice this weekend.)

Megan’s Choice #1

sagawardssmallTonight, I’ve decided to choose two things you should be watching. Why? Because I can. The first suggestion for tonight is the 19th Screen Actors Guild Awards. For those of you who love to look at sparkly dresses and gossip around the water cooler the next day about what everyone was wearing, who was seen with whom, and who had the best/worst acceptance speeches, I’ll be watching, too. These are the awards where actors vote on which of their peers should win. It’s nice to see them all getting along. This year, Dick Van Dyke will be receiving the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award—and rightfully so. He’s done a lot of amazing movies and television.

On tonight’s awards show, they’ll be celebrating the finest acting achievements and handing Dick Van Dyke his award for lifetime achievement.

To gasp and giggle over the event, tune into TBS and TNT at 8/7c.
 
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