Doctor Who: Modern 1x2: "The End of The World" | Reaction!

[@CJFS00s]

( 6:16 ) Apparently in the The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, the end scene of it confirms it’s Russell *The* Davies… 😂 (apparently)

[@Duncan_Hart]

Great reaction as always. So pleased you're doing this together. As an old fan who grew up with Classic but didn't like the movie (except for McGann) I was pleased as punch that the show was back. The writers were all huge fans and successful in their own right. In fact I was very lucky at the time - I'd just started out working in TV myself. One of my earliest jobs was cutting trailer for an RTD series - Mine All Mine. There was a hard-core of classic fans that used to meet up in Soho - that included Moffat, Gatiss, Rob Shearman and Paul Cornell - all of whom were writing for the reboot but had also written novels, shorts and audio stories during the wilderness years. I met them on a few occasions. I even went out for dinner with Moffat and we discussed TV comedy. It was an exciting time to be a fan and there was a real buzz about the show. The geeks were in charge. Also - RTD had established himself as one of the most exciting and successful writers for British TV. He had a big C4 hit with Queer As Folk - one of the main characters was a huge Doctor Who fan. Just before the reboot he and Ecclestone worked on a series called The Second Coming - which explored the idea of Christ retuning to modern day Britain ss an ordinary working class northerner. An absolutely compelling bit of TV..a true classic. I'd love you to both react to it. It was a 2 part special and just brilliantly done. When Ecclestone was announced as the Doctor I literally punched the air and danced in my seat (I was in my Dad's car) However there was a lot of pressure on the show and RTD. No one knew if it was going to be a success. The reason Ecclestone fell out with RTD was that the Director of the First Block of filming (Eps 1, 4&5) was incredibly rude to some junior members of the crew. He complained about the behaviour but wasn't happy with the atmosphere and working conditions. He felt let down by the producers especially RTD and decided to leave after the first season. The BBC then released a statement saying that he didn’t want to be typecast and that he couldn't cope with the gruelling schedule. They attributed a false quote to Ecclestone which further damaged relations. It's a real shame but thankfully we have this season which has sone brilliant episodes. Weirdly it suddenly became cool to be a Doctor Who fan - which was a bit of shock and the complete opposite of being a nerdy teenage fan during the time it was off the air.. By and large it was just great to have it back. I also really liked the more soap opera elements and it was a very shrewd move to give the series a bit more emotional resonance to focus on the life of the companion. Plus making the Doctor a battle-scarred protagonist offered a lot of dramatic potential. Also I bloody love fish and chips.

[@Finbarzapek]

The Tardis translating other languages was only mentioned once in the classic show - during ‘The Masque of Mandragora’ in Tom Baker’s era. Was never brought up again until this ep.

[@capn_toad]

it's really interesting to think about how 9, having just watched his planet get destroyer, immediately takes rose to watch her planet get destroyed.

[@KoffingOnion]

Kind of a dick move to be honest 😅

[@fezik8870]

to be fair she rejects 3 other stops before he lands them there

[@capn_toad]

@@fezik8870 yeah but he still decided on that stop.

[@alexthehunted]

The physic paper is such a brilliant idea it would have saved at least 2 episodes per classic who story

[@drunkslut2355]

frontier in space would have been 5 minutes long

[@christianwise637]

I could be getting this wrong but I'm pretty sure RTD came up with the idea of the psychic paper for that exact reason, he was always annoyed by how often the Doctor and his companion spent so much of the classic series locked up in various cells, and he came up with it as a quite literal "Get Out of Jail Free" card to prevent that from happening as frequently in the new series

[@kemmdog4444]

He’s definitely the Survivors Guilt Doctor.

[@joshua.910]

I love your dads historical anecdotes😂

[@somthingbrutal]

one reason dr who came back was the younger generation at the BBC who had grown up on who and hadn't wanted it cancelled were now in positions of power in the BBC

[@Darren79]

The plumber character was a late edition. The episode was under-running so it was a new scene after filming.

[@kierenevans2521]

A lot of the space station was filmed at the Temple of Peace in Cathays Park, Cardiff. You'll notice it reused quite a few times over the next few series.

[@happyman050]

The 4th Doctor says to Sarah Jane in the Masque of Mandragora the reason that she can understand and speak italian is that the Tardis translates

[@somthingbrutal]

it's also how he knows she is possessed, which is a bit creepy if you think about it

[@josefschiltz2192]

Dad; I've just been reminded of a line from The Two Ronnies Mastermind 'Answering the question before last' sketch. Ronnie B - as Magnus Magnusson: "Complete this quotation about Mrs. Thatcher: "Her heart may be in the right place, but her . . " Ronnie C: "Charley's Aunt!" Congratulations on grabbing the role! 👍👍

[@joshuajoshua2732]

Yes the TARDIS translation into english was mentioned in Classic Who in the Tom Baker story "The Masque of Mandragora" but was never brought up again until this episode.

[@crystaldwfan]

Just to say love seeing your dad to reacting new who. Loving seeing people who saw classic who first then watching new who. Love seeing their perspectives!

[@benjaminwilson2945]

3:53 But we all love the life updates.

[@GranmargYGO]

and i feel fine is a beautiful touch

[@Sheeponaut]

Ely Cathedral shoutout! I never expected that from one of my favourite reactors! I live just outside Cambridge, it is a beautiful part of the world. :) Can't wait to follow this journey through NewWho!

[@jch13213]

As he says in The Fiveish Doctors.. it's " Russel THE Davies " :D

[@wolandbegemotazazello]

according to Davies one of the templates of the new Who was Buffy with its multonality…Yup, fish and chips are the zenith of English cuisine...

[@D-Cameron]

Most of us were completely on board with the new version of the show, mainly because - by that time - we were convinced that it would never come back at all. To see it return, and to watch it become so successful, was thrilling. I was wary about the Doctor being translated from his established renegade, aristocratic persona into a working class guy, but I was more than willing to go with the flow. And it was great to see the show looking relatively expensive this time around. There were largely positive reactions to the deeper dives into the companion's background stories, too. Some did not welcome the evolution, but that remains true about each new showrunner's vision, even today.

[@danyaelle1753]

Im a new who starter and ive gone back to watch classic who as well as rewarch new who a few dozen times at this point. On rewatch, i always notice more things i never saw before and take in more of the acting. I enjoy doctor who reactions. keep it up with the discussions 😁 Possible vague spoilers below While i wasnt in a proper whovian at the time of its revival, i think the debate with the newer who era has made me realise im living through what classic fans and new fans did in 2005, just louder. This isnt really the place to debate it but i just want to say, doctor who arose in 2004-2005 and rose higher in 2023-2024. There are ups and downs but its ultimately fun and interesting to watch.

[@wobaguk]

Its fair to say I think back then we thought the serialized nature of classic who was crutial to the formula and the one and done episodes lacked the cliffhangers so were not the real deal

[@oldwebshooter]

The two things that I recall standing out was casting Billie Piper who was known for being a very pop music singer. See her song 'Because We Want To' . Also the series felt like a soap opera, because it had a lot of focus on their lives in a very average day to day people's lives way.

[@oldwebshooter]

The main 'set' of this episode is a real place, and actually was reused several times on the show later on. So it could have been in the classic era just as easily.

[@thetasigma5270]

You guys should have a trip to England. Alex needs to try fish and chips from a chippy!

[@thetasigma5270]

Modern Doctor Who is very different. I kinda see it that everything after Survival was basically one big fan film.

[@richardlemin7840]

Theta: Alex (and his brother) don’t eat fish of any kind. 😢~Dad

[@NJH01]

@@richardlemin7840whilst fish and chips are the authentic food to get, chip shops sell a variety of greasy food I’m sure Alex would like and I even went to one that did a deep fried beef burger which might as well be labelled the heart attack special

[@SeanS102]

@@richardlemin7840 the chips alone are good enough if you get the right chippy!

[@josefschiltz2192]

At the time, you can see what RTD was doing. The BBC had it's own popular soap opera, Eastenders and RTD was gearing Doctor Who that way in a catch the audience ploy. There hadn't been much SF on the BBC - if any, that I can remember - for a number of years. SF had really fallen from the favour that it had. Star Cops was a very brief foray into SF after Who had finished and that was left hanging with the moon base cops supposedly going on to Mars - the final lines of the series - and that never happened. Then we had the failed take off of the Paul McGann series after the TV movie and what we had until 2005 was pretty much a few series of Red Dwarf. The continuation series in 2005 was peak viewing time on BBC 1 which was usually the soap opera slot so you had soap opera-ish with Doctor Who-ish sneaked in.

[@SeanS102]

I think the complaints about the sonic are overplayed, it does a lot, but it rarely does something that feels wrong, it mostly scans, opens doors, and interacts with technology. There are moments where it's stretched but I can count on one hand where this has really impacted the plot in an enormous way

[@anonagain]

Enjoyed this - thanks guys!

[@flaggerify]

I hope stories like The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances will be treated as one story so we can both in one video!

[@benlawrence97]

It's a revival not a reboot. There is a difference!

[@Sandman_jazz1983]

The T in Russell T Davies is simply there to separate him from the radio presenter Russell Davies, who had a long and distinguished career.

[@EvHervey]

13:09 That's probably the first time since it happened someone told him how sorry they were for what happened.

[@bythebreach]

The Moxx of Balhoon gave Rose that hawk tuah and spat on that thang.

[@resiseven7407]

😭

[@EvHervey]

40:32 ...the Doc's a time-bomb... No? Rancid? OK... moving on.

[@me1735]

The T in Russell T Davies doesn't mean anything. When he first started working in the media there was already a Russell Davies and he needed something that set him apart.

[@JazzyWaffles]

It stands for "The", like in Sonic the Hedgehog. His name is Russel and he is a Davies. Russel the Davies.

[@resiseven7407]

Russel 'Television' Davies

[@joshuajoshua2732]

Russell "Tough" Davies as some angry fans are calling him now.

[@joshuajoshua2732]

This is off topic of this episode but just going back on the subject of Colin Baker the reason why his Doctor was so abrassive was because his regeneration was going wrong even though yes I agree they over played it it did explain storywise why he was like that also let's not forget William Hartnell's Doctor was also very abrassive at first particulary in the very first episode when he wasn't use to human companions he kidnaps Ian and Barbara because he panicked they would go the authorities and almost murdered a caveman with a rock until Ian intervened. Colin Baker also intended to stay on as the Doctor for 7 years like Tom Baker and intended to progress his Doctor but unfortunately of course that didn't happen due to his unfair dismissal from the series. Also as over the top as The Sixth Doctor's costume was it was a reflection of the time which was the 80's the decade that was known for bad fashion like big hair and big women's shoulder pads just like Christopher Eccleston's costume black leather jacket and jeans is the reflection of 2005.

[@Darren79]

39:40 - There were people prior to this who were up for returning the show. RTD himself had even pitched earlier, around 2000 I think. The big issue was that as the BBC Films branch of the BBC was still trying to get a film off the ground, it was assumed by everyone that they couldn't do a TV show due to the rights being with BBC film but when it was finally investigated and shown not to be the case and the right people were in place - Then they could go ahead with making a TV series. A lot of people high up at the BBC still thought it would be a failure - until the 10million viewers for Rose.

[@whobp8]

In answer to your speculation, the translation question is briefly addressed in Classic Who in The Masque of Mandragora. I presume that it's the Platform One infrastructure scenes that you think look similar to Classic Who sets, as most of the rest of the episode was filmed at an actual location, the Temple of Peace in Cardiff. The show was very well received by critics and (generally speaking,) by fans. Though I'm sure that there were some fans who got their knickers in a twist over one thing or another. Jabe was a good character. The other two tree people though, I don't know, their performance seemed a bit "wooden" to me. 😂

[@richardlemin7840]

Whobp: Wooden it have been better to leaf out that pun? ~Dad

[@whobp8]

@@richardlemin7840 Possibly. On the other hand, mighty jokes from little acorns grow.

[@MrPaulMorris]

22:30 "Although it's a reboot. . ." Many, myself included, would argue this is not a reboot but a simple continuation (albeit rather delayed). 'New Who' maintains continuity with the Classic era, although RTD doesn't immediately reference this, presumably to avoid alienating viewers who had skipped the first three decades. In some ways the 1970 arrival of the Third Doctor was an equally radical change: a new production team and cast, move to colour broadcasts, UNIT taking centre stage and, most importantly, the Doctor indefinitely exiled to Earth. By contrast, 'New Who' launches, still in standard definition (whatever happened to the 'true 3D' holographic TVs we were promised in the 60s and 70s would be around by the 2000s?), with a working Tardis, straight into an invasion of Earth followed by a SciFi romp in space with miscellaneous aliens. Add a bit of CGI, subtract some dodgy green screen (or CSO--Colour Separation Overlay as the BBC preferred to call it) and it's almost seamless! 'Officially' the BBC never actually cancelled Doctor Who, it was just a longer than usual break between sewasons (or series). As a viewer who had been with the show from the start, I had my concerns, especially after the misfire of the TV Movie, but Christopher Eccleston just worked for me right from the start (as, contrary to the views of many, did Jodie). I have to say that if we had jumped straight in with Matt Smith (spoiler: my least favourite incarnation) I'm not sure old-timers like me would have stuck around long enough to be convinced. Christopher Eccleston: great. Billie Piper: despite doubts about 'stunt casting' a former teen pop star. Billie turned out to be a revelation. Although (without spoilers), the character is sometimes not well served, Billie always turns in a great performance--and it doubtless helped the male audience that she was a beautiful young girl (although, personally, I've never recovered from my crush on Jo Grant/Katy Manning). The scripts of these early episodes quite skillfully feed in just enough to build the backstory without overwhelming new viewers or boring established Classic fans. I don't recall any kickback in regards to pacing. Given the decision to, predominantly, confine stories to single 45 minute episodes there was never going to time for the slow burn of many Classic serials. Incidentally, this also accounts for the introduction of the psychic paper; it shortcuts the explanations and manoeuvring that often took up a big slice of the opening episodes in Classic Who.

[@dylanshadowstar9779]

32:20 thing is, im pretty sure when it was written it was just meant to be a silly line about Casandra being so old she doesn't remember her birth gender. But apparently there is an obscure expanded media that delves into her being trans. But yeah a throw away line like that wouldn't exist now

[@joshuajoshua2732]

When you guys are done with "Dr. Who" you really should consider checking out other british sci fi classics Iike "Blakes 7", "Red Dwarf", "Survivors" and the 1981 mini-series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" there are some Dr. Who actors you would recognise.

[@somthingbrutal]

i grew up with OG dr who and i was excited it was coming back i thought it opened well got worried with a couple of early episode but this season also has three classic episodes to stand up against the best doctor who episodes. for me the movie just felt too Holywood for such a British show. i really liked McCann as the doctor though

[@LightLMN]

Regarding NuWho being more of an action show: yes, a lot of fans were, and are to this day, not in favour of it (as you mention "soap opera"). Some few took it to the extent of denying the renewal was actually Doctor Who at all. Not even different or divorced, just straight denial of its existence. I don't dislike it *too* much, but I do find myself wishing the show or perhaps a spin off would continue or at least revisit the style and pacing of the old show, as I'm a massive fan of both Classic Who and older, slower paced Science-Fiction/Horror like Quatermass, Day of the Triffids, etc. There's something about the nature of the old serials, allowed time to explore the settings and characters that, even with some of the padding and filler, gives a weight and dignity to the universe that, for me, the renewal never quite manages to successfully maintain.

[@MuchWhittering]

Considering Cassandra is obsessed with surgery, he/she probably just became a girl because it was fashionable that week. You know, thinking about it, it's pretty surprising Hugh Laurie's never been in Doctor Who. Stephen Fry and Rowan Atkinson both have! Zoë Wanamaker doing a great job here as Cassandra. I know you probably know her from Harry Potter, but to me she'll always me Susan Harper in My Family, a popular sitcom that was at the height of its power when this was on. NuWho is definitely very different to Classic Who, I don't think you can really deny that. And honestly I struggle to think of them as the same show, with how different they are. NuWho is good, but it's absolutely understandable to me why people would be disappointed. Certainly there are aspects of NuWho, evident almost as early as this, certainly in the Tennant era, which I really don't like. The past is safer to visit as a time traveller, because you can research it. You go 100 years into the future, you could be in the middle of a war zone. Or you could be in a place where bearded men named Richard and Alex are shot on the spot. Although I imagine the Doctor would know that and not take you somewhere he knew to be dangerous. I'm not a fan of killing off the Time Lords. It's one of those huge status quo changes you can't just undo (Even if people have tried). If he didn't wanna use the Time Lords, he could have just...not. Not like they pop up frequently in Classic Who. Eccleston was called the 9th Doctor in marketing from day 1, and Doctor Who Confidential did the same. The translation was explained in Masque of Mandragora, back in Season 14.

[@andycooper6085]

We see her earlier before the surgery... so that's wrong. She was lucky enough to have been born as her prefered gender, not everyone is so fortunate.

[@MuchWhittering]

@@andycooper6085 Before the surgery that turned her into a slab of skin. But considering she's literally had hundreds of operations, who's to say that when we see her as actual Zoë Wanamaker in New Earth, that that's before any surgery? You're just making an assumption, and not a particularly logical one.

[@joshuajoshua2732]

It's not a reboot it's a revival a continuation the 2005 series picks up where the classic series and the tv movie left off and is set atleast from the Doctor's perspective the exact same timeline and universe. Star Trek (2009) is however a complete reboot because it doesn't follow the exact same continuity as the original series those three entire films including Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016) are alternate timelines or as the fans refer it the Kelvin timelines while Dr. Who isn't. When it came back in 2005 despite Paul McGann still being refered to as the 8th Doctor and Christopher Eccleston being called the 9th Doctor it was left in question if the new series was a remake or a continuation or not and whether the 8th Doctor was included in the canon or not but of course that matter was resolved in the Series 3 episode "Human Nature" when the Doctor disguised as John Smith had drawings in his diary of all the classic Doctors including the 8th Doctor.

[@paulrichards4452]

As someone who grew up on Classic Who the thing I hated was the police box design as it looks too big and flat. Wish we could have a classic design or based on the proper police box. The Dalek Movies had the real design. The TV Movie had a great police box design. More elegant. There’s definitely more soap opera elements concerning the companion and her family. I also dislike the Doctor being too emotional but with Eccleston he pitches it better than Tennant. The reason that Eccleston had a fall out with RTD is due to the BBC and RTD saying that he was too tired to carry on which was a lie and made him seem unemployable. Not a nice way to treat him. RTD is a very arrogant man and his treatment of fans on social media isn’t exactly good. I will always prefer Classic Who over this. This version can be too jokey at times but Eccleston’s performance is superb. Great reactions.

[@Harry75]

Alex, what's the KZbin channel run by an Irish guy that you mentioned?

[@7thHourFilms]

That would be Jacksepticeye. Specifically his video where he watched "The Greatest Irish Salesman of All Time".

[@Eltonlaleham]

I say are you guys Blake,s Seven fans and are you going to watch and react to Blake,s Seven.

[@paulrichards4452]

I’ve suggested Blake’s 7 and The Prisoner. Both great British TV shows. Maybe they’ll react to one of them after new WHO?

[@ValenAlder-it5ow]

It felt more soap opera-y after the show was handed over to Steven Moffat and entire new production team after Tennant left.

[@joshuajoshua2732]

I felt it was a soap opera since it started in 2005.

[@ValenAlder-it5ow]

At least In 2005 there were more action than talking.

[@AmyWarriorPrincess]

Bits of it are a bit more like a soap opera. That's why I won't watch whole eras.

[@reverse7503]

while it must seem sad that the show changed for u , i do think it was good , as the generation watching had changed this type of show the 2005 version is for them. the disney reboot is not really for me but i do see alot people in a different generation saying its for them though

[@joshuaverran9443]

That's all NuWho is really it's a soap opera since it's allways highly focused on a companions family life and the Doctor going to earth too bloody often.