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

Those of us who were around for the big reveal of Inspector Morse's name are only too aware of the crashing disappointment that this reveal is likely to be ...

Mol

I'm not sure yet how I feel about that. Some of it was "Oh God yes!" and some was "Oh God no!" That final caption, for instance, was absolutely horrible and may have utterly spoilt what might have been an awesome moment.

I don't think it did, Bob.

I'll have to watch it again just to make sure that it *was* one of the best episodes I've seen in a loong time...

That was brilliant. It managed to do everything that we possibly could have expected from the 50th anniversary. It gave closure to River's story too. I loved it.


Geggs

That was what a Doctor Who episode should be. It doesn't matter if there were any holes in the plot, it was too good for that to matter.

I thought that the caption was bizarre too. Seriously. We figured it out all by outselves. And who the hell puts someone's REAL name in the actual story (i.e. not in the credits, where it belongs??). Immersion breaker.

All in all I didn't actually like it (apologies to everyone who did). It just felt (to me) like a set up for next season rather than being a proper story in its own right. And a waste of the Great Intelligence. They could have got a lot more mileage out of him (although who knows, perhaps he will come back in the future).

On the positives though, I am looking forward to seeing how the 'bad' Doctor storyline pans out, and at least we still get to keep Clara.

That was quite an angry post. I didn't hate it all that much. Unfortunately I think I got more and more annoyed as it went through, so when thinking back the the caption that level of annoyance was what I remembered.

//That was brilliant. It managed to do everything that we possibly could have expected from the 50th anniversary. It gave closure to River's story too. I loved it. //

Here, here.

It didn't need the introduction - that was a silly excess - utterly unnecessary but a minor blemish on an otherwise near faultless episode of dark twisty turny timey-wimey brilliance.

In this episode we saw William Hartnell, the first Dr Who nicking the tardis, but this reminded me of something that has been niggling away at the back of my mind.

When I was a kid I remember seeing at the local cinema a Dr Who film called 'Dr. Who and the Daleks' starring Peter Cushing as the Dr. I believe there was a follow up film called 'Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 AD'.

Not only did these films portray Cushing as the first Dr, but he was human and built the tardis on Earth. This puzzles me because these early films fly in the face of everything accepted about the Dr.

Maybe someone can explain why Peter Cushing is not included in the usual line up of actors who have played the Doctor, and why these films are generally ignored.

I certainly think this resolution to the mystery of Clara is pretty good.

I really hope that isn't the end for River: I passionately want to see the Singing Towers of Durrilium, I want to hear the towers sing and see the Doctor cry. I think it'll kill me in exactly the right way.

As for everything else: sensational. After a series (or half-series) that hasn't gripped me, that finale blew my mind.

Hartnell in colour was exciting.

Will have to watch again with finger on pause button to make sure all the rest are there, I didn't spot them all first time round.

My hardcore Whovian mate has speculated that the 'crime' which John Hurt Doctor will turn out to have committed will be the events surrounding the end of the Time War. With that in mind, he pointed out that it would have been even more cool if it had been Paul McGann.

They always been very oblique about the time war.

It's a bit like 'the secret' in Lost - forever alluded to but will it be disappointing in the reveal?

I hope not.

But paradoxically I hope they do reveal what the Doctor did in the Time War, I just hope they do it really really really well.

reply to: Lusus - a national treasure

The reason the Peter Cushing Dr Who movies are generally not accepted inthe canon is that whilst they were based on episodes of the TV series they re invented the Dr as a human (not a time lord) who invented the Tardis (rather than 'borrowed it) and his name was not some mysterious gallifreyan unknown but Dr Who....Who being his surname.

Somewhat akin to Woody Allen's Jimmy Bond junior not being accepted in the same list as Connery, Moore, and Brosnan.

One question... at least twice during the show they showed a quick montage of clara interacting with the previous doctors, and to me it seemed like she was dressed in costumes that were designed to look like the original assistant (of that time)...

I'm wondering... The producers said before the episode that this one would 're-write who history', then maybe clara actually _was_ one or more of the previous assistants...

Now there's one to get you thinking...

Oh, and I'm not sure Riversong's story is complete now... Remember her last word... "Spoilers!"... That always used to mean there was something she knew that the doctor didn't...

From first seeing William Hartnell in the opening credits, I thought it was brilliant. I'd assumed that John Hurt was the Valeyard (but would they include something like that today when most of the target audience would not know who the Valeyard is?) but it has put me in a positive frame of mind for the 50th Anniversary (though I still think they should have had Paul McGann. He's not had a fair run.)

Basically, the two Peter Cushing films, based on Terry Nation's first two Dalek adventures, weren't made by the BBC so don't count as BBC canon. Still fun to watch, though.

<BB<

Thank you Pebblederook and Bluebottle for clearing up the mystery of the Peter Cushing Films for me

Although as BB says Paul McGann may not have a fair run at playing the Doctor, I seem to remember at the time he was quite reluctant to take on the role. I think he may have decided not to continue with it, especially as the 'Americanised' Who movie was met with a like warm response.

Personally, I think John Hurt as a version of the Doctor was a huge surprise and promises so much. His presence could immediately be felt when he turned to reveal himself.

Just watched Saturdays episode on the i player. Last week I fell asleep...not this week. Awesome.

I may well sit down over the bank holiday weekend & watch the whole series back to back. Maybe it'll be better on second viewing, because this series hasn't really grabbed me. I've enjoyed the odd episode but haven't really been blown away by any of them. I look back on episodes like The Lonely Child/The Doctor Dances and Blink and yearn for that sense of being swept along with the story.

Deb