h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm really looking forward to seeing what the new Dr Who series will be like, but when I learned that Billie Piper will be playing the good Doctor's assistant it really did put me off. I saw her in the Canterbury Tales and wasn't overly impressed with her acting - I hope she can change my opinion, as it would be a shame for her to spoil the comeback of a legend!

Every one I've heard recons her next stop is Hollywood. Hope they're right. I'm really looking forward to it.

By all accounts she's excellent in the new series, and although I never saw it, I had heard that she was supposed to be good in the Canterbury Tales? But if not Billie, who?

*holds breath til Saturday*
I can't wait personally, I thought Billie Piper wasn't too bad in Canterbury Tales,but this is a far bigger task I would have thought..

I like the idea of having female assistants, but I don't know why the Dr wasn't female this time?
*Ducks and covers*

Hope you're still hiding ~ a female Dr. No way ~ just too pc
In some earlier shows and spinoff books there were female timelords/ladies but i don't remember anyone having a sex change along with the regeneration.
As for billie Piper she can't be worse then some of the old assistants ~ i always hated Ace.
Pixel

Ooh, a female Doctor....now that's something to think about, but I don't think the show would have taken off if they had gone in that direction. Maybe they'll bring in some great female "bad guys" to bring some fun into it. I do hope that Billie proves me wrong, I'll be quite happy to eat my twiglets if she does!

Hated Ace? The gorgeous Sophie Aldred? Philistine.

Given that some fairly average actors have played Doctors' Assistants in the past, I don't think Ms Piper will be a problem. The series should revolve around whether Ecclestone is believable - he looks much too young to be a proper Doctor to me.

B

*cough* He's the same age as Tom Baker when he started *cough*

They're playing a guy who is about a thousand years old, surely they're all a bit young?

Tom Baker never _looked_ young, though, did he?

B

I don't think Ecclestone looks too young, necessarily. And I think it's true that some pretty bad actors/actresses have played the companions in the past (Bonnie Langford anyone?) - but I have to disagree and say that Ace was great! Wicked!

>>I like the idea of having female assistants, but I don't know why the Dr wasn't female this time? Because it would break one of the fundemental rules of making a popular re-make... http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/F2045074?thread=617460

Chris isn't too young - at least he'll look credible in action scenes, rather than all that flapping about with a cape like Jon Pertwee. And as for Billie... that girl has put up with living with an older man for years already. Surely hanging around with the Doctor would seem like a doddle after being with Chris Evans all that time.

Did anyone see the interviews with Christopher Eccleston? Speaking as a (sort of) Northener does anyone take his point about the accent?
ie, that it`s an all round good thing that the Doctor will not have an RP English accent this time?

re previous posting, I do remember there were female timelords at meetings that were held occasionally, so I just thought that, perhaps all of the timelords were, in effect beyond gender in that sense, and that it didn't therefore matter?

"It's ok, it's very comfy under this table, I can reach my crisps and everything"

Yesterday I watched a bit of one of the films and Peter Cushing's accent is unbearable.

Although I don't know what you mean by 'RP'.

Guess i'm the only one who didn't like Ace.She was just too damn chirpy for me.
Here's hoping they have some really good new villains as well as the old faves.
I think Christopher Eccleston was inspired casting ~ seriously easy on the eye and a great actor.

Wanted to be one of the first to respond after the new episode had aired. I thought Billie did a fairly good job but was a little 2 dimensional, hopefully will develop as the series goes. Thought the new Dr. was great love the sense of humour!

As my journal says, on the whole I was pleasantly surprised after being somewhat cynical beforehand.

B

lovely job all round, pleased an old whovian
HF

As another one who was rather sceptical about the new series I too was pleasantly surprised. I agree with Mutant Mushroom about Billie - I think there's potential there for her to improve and I loved the Doctor. He's really pulled off some of the humour and mannerisms that I remember from some of the other Doctors. I wasn't too sure about the plastic bad guys - in fact I couldn't decide if it was good and funny that they kept some of the 70's tackiness or just plain naff, but I think I'll go with the funny!

Overall, I will be watching it again, I thought it was great fun!