Educate! Educate!

Welcome to last week slowmitter.

Cripes, that's been there for well over a week. Only now is it making some sort of news?

When was this? I must have missed it. Shows how much attention I've been paying.

My child is bound and determined to attend and graduate from MIT... He should get a kick out of this
/he is 9

I just don't get Dr. Who fandom.

I've tried to watch several of the shows from several different seasons(different Dr.'s), and just don't get the appeal.

Most of it makes Lexx look like a very high quality production. Sure, it has some nice females on occasion, but that's not enough to keep me watching.

I've dug UK(and other foreign but English speaking tv comedy and sci-fi for ages). Farscape(technically american made but heavy use of non-US cast and crew) to Red Dwarf to Fawlty Towers, Are you being Served, etc.(Watched a lot of PBS growing up).

What is it that I'm missing? Is it a certain kind of camp?(never been big on anything too campy unless it gets trippy the way Lexx did)
Is it actually a really clever show and I've just hit the random boring episodes?
Is it one of those where you just have to start from the beginning, or one where if you don't get it you never will?

omeganuepsilon: I just don't get Dr. Who fandom.

I've tried to watch several of the shows from several different seasons(different Dr.'s), and just don't get the appeal.

Most of it makes Lexx look like a very high quality production. Sure, it has some nice females on occasion, but that's not enough to keep me watching.

I've dug UK(and other foreign but English speaking tv comedy and sci-fi for ages). Farscape(technically american made but heavy use of non-US cast and crew) to Red Dwarf to Fawlty Towers, Are you being Served, etc.(Watched a lot of PBS growing up).

What is it that I'm missing? Is it a certain kind of camp?(never been big on anything too campy unless it gets trippy the way Lexx did)
Is it actually a really clever show and I've just hit the random boring episodes?
Is it one of those where you just have to start from the beginning, or one where if you don't get it you never will?

Wait, you "get" Red Dwarf, but you don't get Doctor Who? Undiagnosed cerebral haemorrhaging? Lobotomy? Did you turn the TV on?

I like all the other shows you've listed, plus I've watched Doctor Who for over 35 years now. Really not sure what you are missing.

Maybe, in the immortal words of Lo Pan, you were not brought upon this world to "get it"?

When are MIT students going to get back to what they do best - drinking themselves to death?

vrax: Wait, you "get" Red Dwarf, but you don't get Doctor Who?

I'll admit that, on that one, it's been years/decades since I've seen Red Dwarf.(and upon looking at episode listings, reminds me of other older shows. SOAP was pretty good.(not british or sci fi, but fun) Both shows you could catch in marathons in the 90's.

Would it help to just start at the beginning of a certain recent season, or at a certain newer Dr. if I was to pick it up this late in the game? Certainly not going back 35 years to try....

Maybe Lo Pan was on to something.(another one I haven't seen in ages...thread like this is going to wear out my torrent client)

vrax: I've watched Doctor Who for over 35 years now

Ha! Vraxoin. Like the handle. And the Mandrel.

omeganuepsilon: Would it help to just start at the beginning of a certain recent season, or at a certain newer Dr. if I was to pick it up this late in the game? Certainly not going back 35 years to try....

You don't need to start at the beginning, and IMO you absolutely shouldn't. Don't get me wrong; I love the 1960s episodes, but they're certainly the least accessible to a new viewer.

Do you like Douglas Adams? Hitchhikers Guide? If you do, then watch City of Death from the 1970s. Co-written by Adams and starring Tom Baker, it's one of the most nearly perfect classic series stories.

The story is pretty entirely self-contained -- all you need to know is the Doctor is a Timelord, one of an incredibly advanced and ancient race, the TARDIS is his time machine. He usually travels with someone from Earth, but in that story his companion is Romana, who is also a Timelord (this happens to be relevant to the particular story).

From the modern series, a good single episode to see would be Blink. A little light on the Doctor himself, but also one of the most nearly perfect stories of the current series. Written by the current showrunner Steven Moffat.

If you like the stories, the beginning of Moffat's current run -- The Eleventh Hour, episode one of series 5 -- is a good jumping on point.

pseudowho: omeganuepsilon: Would it help to just start at the beginning of a certain recent season, or at a certain newer Dr. if I was to pick it up this late in the game? Certainly not going back 35 years to try....

From the modern series, a good single episode to see would be Blink. A little light on the Doctor himself, but also one of the most nearly perfect stories of the current series. Written by the current showrunner Steven Moffat.

If you like the stories, the beginning of Moffat's current run -- The Eleventh Hour, episode one of series 5 -- is a good jumping on point.

I have successfully brought several folks into the Doctor Who fold with the following episodes:

Rose - Not great admittedly, but important plot and character exposition.
Dalek - Introduces the villain and shows the effects of the Time War on The Doctor.
The Empty Child - Introduces Jack and is just a damned chilling story.
The Doctor Dances - Well.. Ya gotta see what happens.

After that, they are either going to go with it or not. If they do, we jump to the end of the Ninth with Bad Wolf, The Parting Of The Ways and the first appearance of Tennant with The Christmas Invasion. Then I recommend they just take it all in series order. If they turn out to be big fans, they can always go back and watch the missed 1st season episodes.

Drunken_Polar_Bear: Pepperjack: pseudowho: omeganuepsilon: Would it help to just start at the beginning of a certain recent season, or at a certain newer Dr. if I was to pick it up this late in the game? Certainly not going back 35 years to try....

From the modern series, a good single episode to see would be Blink. A little light on the Doctor himself, but also one of the most nearly perfect stories of the current series. Written by the current showrunner Steven Moffat.

If you like the stories, the beginning of Moffat's current run -- The Eleventh Hour, episode one of series 5 -- is a good jumping on point.

I have successfully brought several folks into the Doctor Who fold with the following episodes:

Rose - Not great admittedly, but important plot and character exposition.
Dalek - Introduces the villain and shows the effects of the Time War on The Doctor.
The Empty Child - Introduces Jack and is just a damned chilling story.
The Doctor Dances - Well.. Ya gotta see what happens.

After that, they are either going to go with it or not. If they do, we jump to the end of the Ninth with Bad Wolf, The Parting Of The Ways and the first appearance of Tennant with The Christmas Invasion. Then I recommend they just take it all in series order. If they turn out to be big fans, they can always go back and watch the missed 1st season episodes.

Add "Silence In The Library" to that list.

"Blink"

MATRICULATE! MA-TRIC-U-LATE!!!!

Fortunately they have the appropriate defense already worked out.

/ok, I know this no longer applies ...

Broktun: Drunken_Polar_Bear:

Add "Silence In The Library" to that list.

"Blink"


I would definitely add a hearty thumbs up to Silence In The Library and Blink, but not until they get to them on their own. My whole thought (after conferring with several other Whovians) is to give somebody a foundation without a whole lot of clunkiness (Slitheen) and giving them something to look forward to with those great Moffatt episodes.

I don't want to make a "Yeah, I've seen a couple of episodes that were cool" kind of passive person. I am breeding rabid fans here. I think it's important to see the 9th and Rose in action to appreciate what's to come and possibly open their minds to Torchwood. At least the first two seasons..

I wouldn't sit somebody down and have them watch The Best of Both Worlds to introduce them to ST:TNG. Too much character development needs to happen first.

I started watching at the beginning of the new run because my friends would not shut up about this show, got bored about four episodes in, then skipped to David Tennant. Am now hooked. It's a really weird show, and most of the characters are morons, but I can't...stop...watching...

omeganuepsilon: I just don't get Dr. Who fandom.

I've tried to watch several of the shows from several different seasons(different Dr.'s), and just don't get the appeal.

Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try.

("Balance of Terror," season 1, episode 14.)

Thanks all, will look into it certainly.