Karen Gillan as Amy Pond and Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor float in the Time Vortex
This year, Australia is only two weeks behind the UK for Doctor Who — “The Eleventh Hour” — the first episode of the fifth series of New Who will be airing on ABC at 7:30pm this Sunday April 18th, BUT it will be available on iView from midnight on Friday April 16th. This series marks Steven Moffat’s takeover from Russell T Davies as showrunner — I’m sure that Moffat’s style will give us plenty to talk about; here’s hoping that he delights us with his storytelling and doesn’t disappoint us too much from a feminist perspective. This episode also introduces Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and Karen Gillan as his companion, Amy Pond.
For now, this thread is a spoiler-free zone. Feel free to share non-spoilery squee, and discuss promotional material (including trailers) that were released BEFORE the first screening of “The Eleventh Hour” on the BBC. HOWEVER, at midnight on April 16th, Western Australia time — then HAVE AT IT (for “The Eleventh Hour” only, of course!) — discuss the episode as you will. 🙂 If you’re not in Australia, then I recommend that you check The World Clock to see if the hour has arrived!
Categories: arts & entertainment, fun & hobbies
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Ok, for anyone who hasn’t seen all the trailers yet:
January 2010 Season 5 Preview:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/UnPUF8an-XE?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent
February 2010 trailer for “The Eleventh Hour”:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/EpbmMhNe6aA?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent
And a rather charming interview from the Jonathon Ross show just before the show aired in the UK.
It’s a sure sign of aging when doctors appear to be so young *sigh*
Peta — Matt Smith is actually the youngest Doctor yet; he’s 27, compared to David Tennant’s 37 when he took on the role.
I was not trying not to be ageist when I saw the first glimpse of the new Doctor…but I confess I was, plus I didn’t want Tennant to leave. I’ve been watching the good Doctor on loop since I was 5. My biggest crush is still Jon Pertwee and I’m sure I cried when he left. They all leave and I’m still waiting to become a companion.
Living in the States now with no TV, we downloaded it straight away. It was fun, he was cool (slightly funny eyes though) and his new chicky babe will kick arse. It will be ok. It will be ok……
There is one woman at work who knows and loves the Doctor…she didn’t grow up with it but finally someone (apart from Rob) I can geek out with. Two people at work know and love Firefly so I’m doubly blissed out.
Can’t quote Blackadder though.
I want a t-shirt with the DW logo on it.
II just… I just… wanted a Doctor I could fall a little bit in love with, and I really find this poor lad (no fault of his) unattractive. You know who I’d really love to see as the Doctor? Mos Def. I bet he’d be awesome. But heaven forfend the new series do anything edgy.
I miss the sexual ambiguity of the old Doctors, though – Chris Eccleston had a bit of it, but the whole “fall in love with your companion” arc did not work for me (and I felt an unfair antipathy towards Billie Piper for that, which totally wasn’t right). But then, I watched DW all my life, and I grew up with the Doctor as more of a father figure (I loved Adric! And Romana, but she was an equal, and not romantic, which was fabulous), so the arc was always going to be a change for me.
I started with Jon Pertwee, so that probably cemented the “father figure” idea in my head.
I was annoyed at his comment “Long hair? I’m a girl?” (paraphrase) in the regeneration episode, and not sure how I feel about “Geronimo!” as a catch-phrase BUT!!
Possibility has now been created for The Doctor to regenerate as a female! And, still, this is Doctor Who. I’m gonna squee.
.-= PharaohKatt´s last blog ..The Thousand Voices =-.
My first Doctor was Patrick Troughton (on reruns). Instant love, plus his companions Zoe and Jamie – what a trio. I adored Zoe for being better at math than the Doctor. And the Doctor for getting hysterical. I had no idea that a regeneration was coming up, and so when the Time Lords captured him and took away Jamie and Zoe’s memories (yeah, Donna, you have company), I was soooo upset. So Jon Pertwee was a rough transition – and it seemed like he was stuck on earth forever! But I got used to him, and then he was the Doctor.
Here is my Doctor Who nativity:
http://kristinking.livejournal.com/tag/doctor%20who#post-kristinking-843
Kristin — I love your nativity! 😀
Zoe and Jamie really were great, and I definitely agree that there were echoes of their fate in Donna’s own memory loss — for all that the Doctor likes to think he’s different from the other Time Lords, he still has their arrogance. I really like the Pertwee era too — it’s very much a time of maturation and learning for the Doctor, I think.
I meant to do some SQUEE!!!ing yesterday (the kids and I stayed up and started watching The Eleventh Hour at approx 3 minutes past midnight on iView with the household’s fastest laptop hooked up to the teevee) – I really, really like Matt Smith’s take on the Doctor. I think he’ll do just FINE.
We’re looking forward to seeing it again tonight on HD broadcast.
eta: SQUEE!!!11!1!
SQUEE! is how I felt. I relieved at how good it was, considering the finale of the last series.
I don’t understand why Amy trusted the Doctor to get her back in time, given that he’s just been years late, twice. And her childhood obsession could lead to really interesting places – the comparison of her expectations with reality. I’m just really, really hoping she doesn’t fall in love with him.
I was sceptical before it started, but he had me at hello. I wish she’d stayed with Ameila. I rather like that name now.
Just to make it clear to anyone reading from this point on: spoilers for S5:Ep01 The Eleventh Hour are now on-topic.
Kirstente, I reckon Amy may have just been having some cold feet about the fancy white dress she’s meant to be wearing the next day. Many people do, plus she’s been dreaming of travelling with him for more than half her life, so with a wedding hanging over her head she may figure that this will be her last possible chance to do it, whereas perhaps a missed wedding won’t be her last chance for that.
P.S. Do we think she’s meant to be marrying Rory or Jeff? My own feeling is that Jeff is just that bit too hunky to be more than a bit player, but there has to be a reason that they cast the divine Annette Crosbie as Jeff’s grandmother, so I’m sure that we’re going to be seeing more of her somehow.
I forgot – how terrific was the actress playing the young Amy? They’re actually cousins, but they hadn’t met before working together on the show because Caitlin grew up in Northern Ireland and by the time her family moved back to ancestral Inverness, Karen was already off in London acting.
Okay, that is awesome. I had noticed that there was an excellent resemblance between the two actors, but I didn’t even consider that they might actually be related!
I’m totally loving both Amy and Eleven — looking forward to the rest of the series very much.
Cousins? Wow. I think they’ll work better together for me, knowing that. I hope that means there won’t be any romance. (Classic Who thing – the Doctor, in my mind, is asexual. I’ll make an exception for River, so long as it happens off screen.)
Amelia prayed to Santa Claus and the Doctor came – how cool is that? Also, I love how the first thing she did when she entered the TARDIS was play with the buttons. Not at all happy with the abandonment theme.
Hoping there will be some action figures so I can put them in my dollhouse and take pictures.
SQUEEE!
Kristin — it’s Karen Gillan and Caitlin Blackwood who are cousins, not Gillan and Smith. While I also hope that there isn’t any romance (I want an EPIC FRIENDSHIP), that’s not going to be a factor.
Golly, they must have done a bit of playing with film angles for Matt Smith (5’10”), since Karen Gillan’s height is variously given as 5’11” or 6′. I do hope they’re not going to start putting her in a trench or standing him on a box.
Tigtog – do you get the behind-the-scenes programme Doctor Who Confidential? In the one for *cough* an episode I’ve seen and who haven’t *cough*, they explain that Karen being taller than Billie is the reason for a certain aspect of a certain re-design *is all mysterious*
They don’t seem to have been putting her in a trench so far.
@Susan, our ABC doesn’t broadcast DW Confidential, but when the cable channel UKTV repeats the eps then they give us the Confidential as well. I have to go and find DW Confidential on the internets until then #woeisme
While I also hope that there isn’t any romance (I want an EPIC FRIENDSHIP)
Seconded. And Amy’s great; I would say more, but it’s hard to do so without spoiling.
“Kristin — it’s Karen Gillan and Caitlin Blackwood who are cousins, not Gillan and Smith”
Oh, oops. Okay.
I’ll second the epic friendship too.
Sorry, I didn’t squee. I’m with Attack_Laurel in that Smith just leaves me cold. Yes the writing is good but three episodes in (UK-side) and the show has gone too… glossy and superficial. The too-bright Tardis is only the start. Wait till you see what they’ve done to the Daleks!
I’m used to the slightly battered sensibility of Dr Who and am not really getting into this one so far. It looks like the whole thing was designed with toy marketing in mind.
Uh, yeah, regarding the Daleks. Not good.
I sense a schism coming! I was a bit surprised about the brand new Tardis as well, but I thought that maybe the new writer felt that the falling apart Tardis thing had run its course? Why shouldn’t the Tardis regenerate with the new Doctor?
Then why didn’t the inside of the Tardis regenerate fully into something sleek and Peter Davidson-ish, rather than going for the “found objects” console? Logic fail, we has it.
Not feeling the new season so far 😦 😦 😦 Maybe it’s just the state I’ve been in recently, but it seems like the new series has its emotions as ephemeral, switching around rapidly before it can find its heart. There is some really stereotypically gendering going on, it makes me want to throw things. I miss the queer sensibility. 😦 Anyway, will keep watching with an attempt at an open mind.
@calyx: River Song may seem stereotypically female to you, but she’s too strong of a woman for a lot of fans! I’ve been having a discussion about her on livejournal – you have to be a member to comment, unfortunately.
Here’s my post (a feminist defense of River Song):
http://community.livejournal.com/doctorwho/5902755.html
[borderline spoilers redacted]
Just a heads-up: the new series episodes with River Song have not been broadcast in Australia yet, so ‘ware spoilers, please. You trod just on the right side of the line so far, just wanting to make sure it stays that way.
Last Sunday Australia saw Episode 2: The Beast Below, so spoilers are fine for plot points up until then.
Oh! Sorry. I wouldn’t be offended if anything needed to be deleted from that entry.
Thanks, Kristin. I decided to redact some of the more detailed commentary.
Thanks. 🙂 I’ll be more careful next time.
BTW, the actual post I linked to doesn’t have any spoilers for this season – only for Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead. I wrote it before episode four aired anywhere.
No wuckas, Kristin! Just some people prefer not to know too much about upcoming characters, even.
Very tricky camera angles at the end of ep. 2. They had her standing on tip toes to hug him. I wouldn’t have been hugging him, I thought he was quite nasty actually and I’m not that forgiving.
I forgot – how terrific was the actress playing the young Amy?
For those who like little Amelia, I’ve become sure that the Eleventh Hour isn’t the last we’re going to see of her. (Though I won’t say what leads me to think so, of course).