Rate "Vincent And The Doctor"

Mrs Lee wrote:
When are any of the Who monsters anything but silly?

When you're eight years old and a figment of the Master's imagination attempts to drown the Doctor in a nightmarish world that looks like it's been cobbled together from bits of World War 1, or when it's a ventriloquist's dummy that moves on it's own. To name but two occasions.

Or, more recently, the gas mask zombies or the Weeping Angels. Or the critter from Midnight, for that matter.

Dave Webb wrote:

Mrs Lee wrote:
When are any of the Who monsters anything but silly?

When you're eight years old and a figment of the Master's imagination attempts to drown the Doctor in a nightmarish world that looks like it's been cobbled together from bits of World War 1, or when it's a ventriloquist's dummy that moves on it's own. To name but two occasions.

Or, more recently, the gas mask zombies or the Weeping Angels. Or the critter from Midnight, for that matter.

So on the whole Who monsters are silly then? Personally the critter from Midnight was just as silly as this episodes monster, it was a childish game of copying... Weeping Angels I didn't know statues could actually move when you weren't looking just like my toys play when I leave the room like in Toy Story.

You're no longer eight so comparing this episode that you're watching with mature head to something you have nostalgia for, isn't fair nor can you make a true judgement call on it. You'd have to ask somebody who is eight now how silly it is. I personally find all of old Who episodes monsters silly, bubblewrap monsters, masking tape and toilet plungers highly serious stuff there

Your first example isn't a monster btw

Yes, we rather need an eight-year-old to give their opinion on whether the chicken-dino-thing is silly or not...

Personally, I don't give a monkeys if its made of "masking tape and toilet plungers" as long as it's played for real. As the chicken-dino thing was (and, come to that, the bulk of monsters in the classic era), that's alright.

stanmore wrote:Yes, we rather need an eight-year-old to give their opinion on whether the chicken-dino-thing is silly or not...

Just asked my niece Megan who is nearly eight and she said it wasn't silly! (she chose the smiley).

Rich Flair wrote:

stanmore wrote:Yes, we rather need an eight-year-old to give their opinion on whether the chicken-dino-thing is silly or not...

Just asked my niece Megan who is nearly eight and she said it wasn't silly! (she chose the smiley).

Ask her again in a few months and see what she says then. Your world changes when you turn eight.

Mrs Lee wrote:

You're no longer eight so comparing this episode that you're watching with mature head to something you have nostalgia for, isn't fair nor can you make a true judgement call on it. You'd have to ask somebody who is eight now how silly it is. I personally find all of old Who episodes monsters silly, bubblewrap monsters, masking tape and toilet plungers highly serious stuff there

The point is, when Doctor Who is working, when it's right, then I am very much eight while I watch it. Much as I love taking the story apart afterwards to see how it worked, when it's on then I've got the willing suspension of disbelief that I had while I was a kid.

It's why I love the show, and it's why I read science fiction, horror and fantasy amongst all the other much more grown up things that I read.

Some of the monsters - like the mudbeast in Caves of Androzani - are definitely silly. And some, like the Mara (even the giant rubber snake Mara), just aren't.

Mrs Lee wrote:Your first example isn't a monster btw

I could make a case for it being a monster of the id, which is a neat segue to Shakespeare, via Forbidden Planet (Tempest and MacBeth, so it's a twofer), so how silly is that?

But I won't, because you're right.

stanmore wrote:Yes, we rather need an eight-year-old to give their opinion on whether the chicken-dino-thing is silly or not...

Personally, I don't give a monkeys if its made of "masking tape and toilet plungers" as long as it's played for real. As the chicken-dino thing was (and, come to that, the bulk of monsters in the classic era), that's alright.

This 53 year old didn't find the monster silly at all! Actually,I have been really surprised at the great volume of posts at GB saying how silly it was as it simply hadn't occurred to me that anyone might think that.

I loved the chicken beast!
I thought it was refreshingly original, especially as a counterpoint to the very human looking Silurians.

In my opinion, that was one of the greatest pieces of television ever made.
Simply sublime, nothing in doctor who since it's return comes close to that story.

Ginger Ninja wrote:In my opinion, that was one of the greatest pieces of television ever made.
Simply sublime, nothing in doctor who since it's return comes close to that story.

I agree.. It was for me the best episode ever made.. I've re-watched it several times now, and it will be watched again and again..

Watching this again to cheer myself up after a certain football match. Interesting to see the Doctor talk to the monster, and be understood, and (Lodger spoiler)

Spoiler:

. That's quite a cool thing to do with the TARDIS translation system that could so easily be excessively silly.

I adore this episode. It's doing just the job now, and we're only at the looking at the stars scene. Actually, I'll just watch that scene again. Love it to bits.