tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post6917670325944966751..comments2024-02-28T13:10:22.715-06:00Comments on Cindy A. Matthews, writer, novelist, blogger: The Death of Doctor Who (As Engineered by Steven Moffat)Cindy A. Matthewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724627097783524710noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-18715060235052870612014-11-12T16:08:53.618-06:002014-11-12T16:08:53.618-06:00LOL! I don't know if Moffat is drunk or not, K...LOL! I don't know if Moffat is drunk or not, Kate, but he does need to exercise better judgement in running the show. You should not insult your fans of any persuasion. If they stop watching Doctor Who and tell their friends to stop watching it... well, there goes your ratings. That's just common sense.<br /><br />I can certainly sympathize about wanting to smash the TV after watching "Kill the Moon". My husband and I just looked at each other and said--"That's supposed to be SCIENCE fiction?" It was a weak attempt at the genre, IMO. Perhaps they stuck it in the middle of the season to hide it between the better written episodes by Jamie Mathieson thinking we'd forget about it? I hate to say it, but the decent and halfway decent episodes didn't erase my memories of the poor finale episodes. If you want to end a show with a big bang and not a whimper of "WTF?", I'd use my stronger writers to pen the finale, wouldn't you?Cynthiannahttp://www.cynthianna.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-14570310951821238462014-11-12T01:27:38.606-06:002014-11-12T01:27:38.606-06:00Completely and totally agree with this. My husband...Completely and totally agree with this. My husband and I nearly smashed the TV over that Moon is an egg garbage. Go home, Moffatt. You're drunk.Kate Elmernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-72728873114917606682014-11-11T14:53:47.416-06:002014-11-11T14:53:47.416-06:00I sympathize with you, Anon. Doctor Who is becomin...I sympathize with you, Anon. Doctor Who is becoming less a "must-see" TV show for me and my husband and more of a "Oh, is that all that's on?" type of show. Sad really, as my British husband has been watching Doctor Who since its earliest days and has been a big fan throughout its history. I've been a big fan since it debuted on our PBS station back in 1985. We both were thrilled when it came back on the air in 2005, but ten years later? Not so much.<br /><br />I'm glad you enjoyed the season finale episodes, Matt. Maybe males found the Master/Missy to be a worthy villain and didn't see the parody of womanhood I and other fans saw in the portrayal and found insult in it, However,when you're producing a show that has gained quite a large female following in recent years, perhaps the Missy portrayal wasn't the smartest thing to do (risking losing the feminist male and female viewers).<br /><br />I find it interesting that while you say you liked the season finale you do see a need for a new show runner for the series. Is there something in your subconscious prodding you to say that bothers you deep-down, or do you see an overall lessening in quality of the scripts and feel that new blood is needed to save the show from becoming stale?<br />Cynthiannahttp://www.cynthianna.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-37079350947217938612014-11-11T14:47:09.859-06:002014-11-11T14:47:09.859-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Cynthiannahttp://www.cynthianna.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-89385964063639697692014-11-10T19:19:20.772-06:002014-11-10T19:19:20.772-06:00I have to say I couldn't disagree more. Whilst...I have to say I couldn't disagree more. Whilst I understand wholeheartely what you're saying, I, in fact, found Missy to be the sociopathic genius previous incarnations of the Master have been. She may well have "stuck her tongue down the Doctor's throat", however in that and in all of her actions, to me she seemed completely in control up until the point that she was shot. She seemed to be more in control of fabricating situations than John Simm's incarnation (which was fantastic). Even to the last she seemed to take some sort of glee in corrupting the Doctor, which seemed to be her aim from the start. <br />As for the "anti-American" sentiment; I honestly think it was just a harmless jibe intended to tease American fans. I don't think there was anything deeper than that. I'm a huge fan of America; I just completed a 3 year undergraduate in American Studies and I'm the first to jump on anyone for Anti-American sentiment, however this did just seem like teasing.<br />I completely appreciate you opinion, however I really enjoyed the finale and didn't find it insulting, patronising or disrespectful.<br />(That said, the series could certainly do with a fresh face as far as the show runner is concerned. On that I cannot argue)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08388220913894655399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-76744180832062752432014-11-10T18:10:03.870-06:002014-11-10T18:10:03.870-06:00I really can't comment on the finale since I h...I really can't comment on the finale since I haven't watched it yet, however, it is telling that while life has recently put me behind in watching many programs that I follow, this season's Dr.Who episodes seem to be falling further down the priority list.<br /> That is not good. I used to watch them first.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-33952879170366941122014-11-10T14:44:53.833-06:002014-11-10T14:44:53.833-06:00I hope you'll sleep better, Charlie, but I thi...I hope you'll sleep better, Charlie, but I think most fans would sleep better knowing the Doctor and his companions were in safer hands--or at least in the hands of people who care about their integrity as beloved characters. <br /><br />I'd go for love conquering all, Mietek, in any story as long as it's well written and keeps the audience's sensibilities in mind, I think that's the enduring power of the Doctor as a character, in that he LOVES HUMANITY and will do whatever it takes to protect and save it. When the Doctor starts spouting off snarky comments like "who needs the Americans all they do is drop bombs and pray" then it sounds like the Doctor does NOT love humanity anymore, since he's actively prejudiced against a group of human beings just because of their nationality or belief in God. That to me is just plain nasty writing that should be edited out. Let's keep the character of the Doctor as a GOOD MAN who LOVES HUMANITY, not as a snarky guy who can't wait to make a nasty put down joke at other's expense.<br /><br />Above all else, whenever you're writing a story you need to have RESPECT for your characters and source materials. The Doctor as a character deserves more respect--and he needs to demonstrate respect as well in a script. That's where this script in particular "jumped the shark" as docbill states.<br /><br />I sure hope we see a series 9 and 10, but if the show starts to lose ratings or popularity because of the snarkiness and general contempt for the source material express by its current producers, then I won't be surprised to hear the BBC has pulled the plug on it again. What a shame--and entirely avoidable. I'd like to see better judgement exercised next time out along with a genuine sense of love for all humanity in the scripts rather than the "we gotta make ratings by being snarky and copying other big time SF movies/shows!" attitude.Cynthiannahttp://www.cynthianna.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-13396749295216014602014-11-10T11:42:22.076-06:002014-11-10T11:42:22.076-06:00I can't disagree with what you wrote, but I ha...I can't disagree with what you wrote, but I have a bit of different spin the season finally. This was the most obvious example of jumping the shark since Happy Days. Almost everything that was in the finally could have worked if carefully scripted and produced. But putting it all into one finally just smelled of desperation for ratings. There is one other season of Doctor who that had the Dead Rising, the master changing to something radically different, and the Brigadier added to a bad script in a desperate plead for ratings. That was the final season of Classic Doctor Who. Even then, there was a the good sense not to throw it all into one episode. So in the end, I can say I liked that final season of classic Doctor Who, but I can understand why it was cancelled. I can't say nearly as much about Series 8 of the current Doctor Who series. I will be very surprised if there is still a Series 9, and find it very unlikely there will be a series 10.docbillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02282503507402835249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-51407530326819590142014-11-10T08:26:52.169-06:002014-11-10T08:26:52.169-06:00Cyntia I was wondering what you thought, as a sci...Cyntia I was wondering what you thought, as a sci fi fan, of the concept of Love conquering all so often it makes you think even a coven of witches would be amazed a the magic? Mietek Padowiczhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15817244770926056222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-43849101422326271382014-11-09T19:49:50.702-06:002014-11-09T19:49:50.702-06:00On the up side, I'll sleep better knowing that...On the up side, I'll sleep better knowing that my season of discontent was not mine alone.Charlie Kenmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12208770286506036345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-12894641581442821492014-11-09T15:55:46.867-06:002014-11-09T15:55:46.867-06:00Yes, you really feel for the actors and others wor...Yes, you really feel for the actors and others working with a Moffat script. They're doing the best that they can with drivel at times. Watching Peter's performance in Mummy on the Orient Express, I could see the animation and enthusiasm in his eyes--a great performance! That was definitely missing in the finale episodes. He wasn't able to "sell" the emotion because I think he was floundering with the weak script. Same goes for the other actors--not their best performances and you know they've got the abilities to shine. <br /><br />It's all very sad, really. A decent editorial board could have possibly saved fans from this bunch of cobblers.Cynthiannahttp://www.cynthianna.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-4388429981187119072014-11-09T15:44:00.166-06:002014-11-09T15:44:00.166-06:00Agreed, wholeheartedly!
Here's a quote from ...Agreed, wholeheartedly! <br /><br />Here's a quote from another disgruntled viewer that mirrors my own thoughts on these last two episodes. <br /><br />“So true that many of the original Doctor Who episodes were nothing to write home about but they had at least a semblance of internal logic. <br /><br />For me the relationship between The Doctor and Clara made no sense at all given their previous history, and the relationship between Danny and Clara was so underdeveloped and unconvincing as to make the last episode wholly unbelievable. Seriously, Danny Pink, Mr rufty-tufty soldier boy, is so heartbroken that he'd rather be a Cyberman than lose the woman who's consistently lied to him, ignored him and run off with another "man" ... we haven't seen enough of that relationship for that to be believable. If he was a pre-pubescent twelve year old maybe it would be believable.<br /><br />Three excellent actors doing a damn fine job despite being given sod all to work with by way of plot or script!<br /><br />As before, please, please, please can we stop upgrading old monsters and have some new ones. If every third episode features the Daleks or the Cybermen then Dr Who becomes a story of temporal whack-a-mole! Why give Cybermen the ability to fly (leave that to Iron Man) lets have a new enemy who can fly from the off. Ditto levitating Daleks to be honest.” <br /><br />Yes, I found the whole of this two-parter bloody awful. The 'revenant Brigadier" was tasteless in the extreme, a serious lapse of taste and respect to a fine actor who portrayed a beloved character. I shall give serious consideration to watching any future episodes of Doctor Who if they're written by Moffatt!A Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07834159033854153921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-3064720249047305132014-11-09T15:42:08.566-06:002014-11-09T15:42:08.566-06:00Thanks, Alexx. I just had to say it--it bugged me ...Thanks, Alexx. I just had to say it--it bugged me all night long to come out on the screen. ;)<br /><br />I just can't stand the idea that the show could be cancelled after it was resurrected ten years ago. It deserves better--and so do the fans.Cynthiannahttp://www.cynthianna.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7632641.post-90167881940472639582014-11-09T15:38:57.798-06:002014-11-09T15:38:57.798-06:00Wow. Well said.Wow. Well said.Alexx Momcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01354550852804506615noreply@blogger.com