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

Starts in a little under an hour, so figured it could probably do with it's own thread to discuss Matt Smith/Stephen Moffat initial outing.

Fan-Flipping Tastic!

Liked the new theme tune.

I shall take some time to get used to it all.

I preferred the old them tune for a start - I dunno I always liked the horns - felt like a cavalry charge coming to the rescue or something... will get used to it eventually.

Definitely a getting-to-know-you episode.

I was a little disappointed that Amy Pond wasn't in fact police woman: in all the previews I sort of felt that gave her character some weight or gravitas.

Matt Smith being bonkers will also take so getting used to.

Nothing major to criticise that I can think of so a cautious 3/5

I've just said how brilliant I thought it was over on the other thread, but actually you're right, not keen on the new theme - it's a bit disco, and I like orchestra.

Mol

I will have to rewatch to be sure but I've just realised that at no time during that episode did I feel the need to turn on the subtitles. Either Matt Smith doesn't mutter as much as David Tennant did, or there was less orchestra used throughout. Right then, that's my excuse for watching it again

Its on Ipalayer this instant

Commendably speedy. They should have a word with the techs on the Who website. All the new content for April 3rd brings up 404 errors.

Not from my end
'Praps its your thingummy that's bust?

Wibbly wobbly timey-wimey, they probably nipped back and fixed it while I was here complaining about it.

Did you mean that galleries?
They aren't working

For my main comments see mine on the Points of View message board.

For the geeks here: the ice-cream man was Perry Benson who played the young valet in 'You Rang M'lord'.

Not sure about the one subtext that Amy is not long for being married...all too soap opera.

I just have a feeling the suits at the BBC are enforcing certain things onto it to make the people who liked the soap opera RTD steuff keep on with watching.

Oh, and where is Matt Smiths picture on the h2g2 Doctor WHo group home page?

(Thanks for telling me it's on Iplayer) - I've listened back and forth to the opening credits a few times now.

Things I like:

That the credits start off dark, with just the flashing blue light and interior light through the windows for illumination - before before breaking into the clouded/lightning effect

The theremin and violins still give me shivers.

There are horns after all , they occur as the tunnel dips into the golden glow effect as Karen Gillan's name flies off, but they are softer, less abrasive than before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02hh8_HAGyk&feature=related

Compare the title of old and the horns are brash and blaring in the 10 to 13 second mark; I think that's why it felt more like a charge - they were signalling the rest of the theme coming in, here it seems more background, almost as an afterthought.

Silly thing to obsess over right? But I was looking forward to seeing the new theme so it sort of stuck in my mind that it was missing.


The kind of sexy way the DW rotates into the tardis and flies off.


Things which leave me a bit cold:


- the choral chanting.

- cloud/lighting. again can;t make my mind up , not an instant dislike but I sort of liked the old vortex, with less defined 'edges'; it felt out-side of time, clouds/lighting feels a bit atmospheric.

Actually I take that back - there's trumpets and horns all over the front end of it, I was listening so intently for the single blasts I failed to notice the main intro is....what trumpets, french horns maybe (?) well brass sounding at any rate.

Don't like the new music ...

Do like the new titles - probably because it reminded me of the early Tom Baker titles in that strange silvery tunnel ...

New logo ... not fussed either way.

This thread or the other thread? I'll go with this one as its specifically about the 11th Doctor.

I quite enjoyed it. The first half was great but it tailed off a bit toward the end.

* The theme tune is gradually losing any hint of the throbbing, brooding otherworldliness it once had. The bombast was just about working up to Series 10 but I think it's gone too far and is now a bunch of overblown stuff with the Dr Who theme buried somewhere underneath it. Where was the 'Duuung-*-de-doong-*-de-dung-*-de-doong-*-de-dung-*-de-doong-*-de-dung-*-de-dungitty'?

* I can see what they were trying to do with the TARDIS interior but I think they've failed. Nice overall shape but the detail comes across very kids' TV.

* Rubbish CGI snake thing. Occasionally I think they should go back to men in costumes. Or hand puppets. Maybe draw things on paper and move the mouths, Pugwash stylee.

* The hologram bit at the end with Earth's history and the Doctors and stuff. Eh? Where did it come from? Could the Doctor and chums see it or was it just there for our benefit? If they *could* see it, why could they see it? Was it a projection? Why would the Life Of Brian eye-on-a-stick thingies do that? Oddness.

It was mostly good though. Good Doctor, good assistant, funny bits, creepy bits. Not bad.

Feedback from 7 year old son (not immediately available as he rushed upstairs to change into a shirt and three draped ties as soon as it finished): "Matt Smith is waaaaay better than David Tennant"

When I rather indignantly asked why, this is apparently because he is "loads funnier".

And also, according to my 13 year old daughter, "well cute".



The eye through the crack in the wall was VERY scarey. Both children edged away from the screen, and towards me, at that point.



Mol

My 8-year-old daughter was quite scared by it, and this is the child who blasely announced most of the previous seasons as "not scary". Moffat knows how to do scary very well!