Rate "The Time of Angels"

One more BBC Graphic that never was - from the climax to City of Death Part One.

Rich Flair wrote:Reminded me of an old Doctor Who story - lots of wandering around with nothing much happening. Should have been a one parter.

That's a fair criticism, actually. This was so well paced it could have been old series.

That said, nothing wrong with that. But it makes it impossible to really say much about until the 2nd part.

Dingdongalistic wrote:This was so well paced it could have been old series...

Apart from a handful of exceptions, surely 'well-paced' and 'old series' are a contradiction in terms?

Graymalkin wrote:

Dingdongalistic wrote:This was so well paced it could have been old series...

Apart from a handful of exceptions, surely 'well-paced' and 'old series' are a contradiction in terms?

Ha, depends on your taste, I guess. I don't think the new series mastered the 45 minute format consistently until series 3.

I thought it started owning 45 minutes with Rose.

Victory of the Daleks would have been better in the classic series format.

Yes, the new Daleks reveal as an episode one cliffhanger would have been excellent.

Plus, in black and white we wouldn't be able to see what ghastly colours they are

Oooooh get you!

I still like the colours, but then ever since I saw them at the cinema when I was just 6 years old I've always loved the 1965 movie versions.

Graymalkin wrote:

Dingdongalistic wrote:This was so well paced it could have been old series...

Apart from a handful of exceptions, surely 'well-paced' and 'old series' are a contradiction in terms?

Oi!

Some of us like slow...

stanmore wrote:Oi!

Some of us like slow...

Everyone likes slow, when it's done right. I can't get enough of Carnivále or Mad Men, for instance. Equally, nobody likes a cut-up mess like The Beast Below.

It's not about fast or slow, it's about right. And, given how many old series stories could lose an episode (or two - or three in the case of some Pertwees), the old series was just as guilty of mis-pacing - albeit in an opposite way...

Graymalkin wrote:

stanmore wrote:Oi!

Some of us like slow...

Everyone likes slow, when it's done right. I can't get enough of Carnivále or Mad Men, for instance. Equally, nobody likes a cut-up mess like The Beast Below.

It's not about fast or slow, it's about right. And, given how many old series stories could lose an episode (or two - or three in the case of some Pertwees), the old series was just as guilty of mis-pacing - albeit in an opposite way...

Which is all opinion.

Personally, I liked the the Beast Below and didn't consider it a mess. I also liked the Time of Angels, and didn't consider it too slow.

Right's got nothing to do with it, and I'm sorry, but you're talking bollocks.

Rich Flair wrote:I thought it started owning 45 minutes with Rose.

Didn't you say you thought The Idiot's Lantern was too short for the material to work? Or was that someone else? In any case, Rose was far too frenetic.

Graymalkin wrote:

stanmore wrote:Oi!

Some of us like slow...

Everyone likes slow, when it's done right. I can't get enough of Carnivále or Mad Men, for instance. Equally, nobody likes a cut-up mess like The Beast Below.

That moves at a nice pace. Every time it gets boring, something else happens, like the reveal that they're standing on a tongue.

It's not about fast or slow, it's about right. And, given how many old series stories could lose an episode (or two - or three in the case of some Pertwees), the old series was just as guilty of mis-pacing - albeit in an opposite way...

Do you mean the new series? :S

Dingdongalistic wrote:

Rich Flair wrote:I thought it started owning 45 minutes with Rose.

Didn't you say you thought The Idiot's Lantern was too short for the material to work? Or was that someone else? In any case, Rose was far too frenetic.

Nah, weren't me Guv - The Idiot's Lantern wouldn't have worked for me whatever length it was.

Graymalkin wrote:

stanmore wrote:Oi!

Some of us like slow...

Equally, nobody likes a cut-up mess like The Beast Below.

I'm nobody

The last 15 minutes of The Beast Below more than made up for the first half hour.

Whereas the first 15 minutes of Victory didn't make up for the last half hour!

Rich Flair wrote:The last 15 minutes of The Beast Below more than made up for the first half hour.

Whereas the first 15 minutes of Victory didn't make up for the last half hour!

Neat!

I liked the first half-hour of TBB, although I will grant you that it was very strongly reminiscent of previous episodes in the series. Nothing wrong with that, though!

Graymalkin wrote:

stanmore wrote:Oi!

Some of us like slow...

Everyone likes slow, when it's done right. I can't get enough of Carnivále or Mad Men, for instance. Equally, nobody likes a cut-up mess like The Beast Below.

It's not about fast or slow, it's about right. And, given how many old series stories could lose an episode (or two - or three in the case of some Pertwees), the old series was just as guilty of mis-pacing - albeit in an opposite way...

I like the pacing of both The Beast Below and the Pertwee stories. Though a Mad Men version of Dr. Who and the Silurians should be made right now.

Lee Carey wrote:Personally, I liked the the Beast Below and didn't consider it a mess...

Entirely fair enough. I thought the story jumped clumsily around, myself, but there you go and I'm delighted you enjoyed it...

I also liked the Time of Angels, and didn't consider it too slow...

As did I, and neither did I...

Right's got nothing to do with it...

I really do think it has - stories unfold in different ways, and at different speeds. For me, at least, the direction and editing should complement the (variable, of course) pace of the narrative rather than try to constrain it or hurry it along....

I'm sorry, but you're talking bollocks.

Probably. It would hardly be the first time.

Dingdongalistic wrote:That moves at a nice pace. Every time it gets boring, something else happens...

Not so sure rescuing a story when it gets boring is such a great thing, really - shouldn't it not being boring be the idea?

I've thought some more about 'The Beast Below', and perhaps my problem is more with the direction than the pacing. It feels jumpy, disjointed - like it was a Cartmel era story and linking scenes were left on the cutting room floor. Hmm. Maybe I need to watch it again.

'Victory of the Daleks' also provoked the same response, but with that one I felt the 'pace' was definitely to blame - there was just too much stuff to cram in there without everything losing 'something' as a result.

Do you mean the new series?

I do, sometimes. All I'm saying is too fast is bad. too slow is bad, just right is... just right - whether that's slow or fast.

stanmore wrote:I like the pacing of both The Beast Below and the Pertwee stories...

Fair enough - after all, as they say, that's why restaurants have menus...

Though a Mad Men version of Dr. Who and the Silurians should be made right now.

That would be good. I concur!

Doctor Who's Revenge

stanmore wrote:Though a Mad Men version of Dr. Who and the Silurians should be made right now.

Mad Men? American translation?

warped wrote:

stanmore wrote:Though a Mad Men version of Dr. Who and the Silurians should be made right now.

Mad Men? American translation?

In fact, it is American. Mad Men is about the activities of the men and women of the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency (on MADison Avenue, in New York) in the early 1960s. It's actually quite a series.

Ah.

Thanks for the link.

Mmm. Hadn't ever heard of it.

warped wrote:Ah.

Thanks for the link.

Mmm. Hadn't ever heard of it.

it is fantastic