Starring Christopher Eccleston as the 9th Doctor (William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Coilin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann were the first 8), the series is a revival of the cult favourite than ran on BBC from 1963 to 1989 and was briefly revived as a made for BBC movie in 1996.

In Canada, the series debuts on CBC TV on April 5 at 7:30 pm. (I hope they get the broadcast tower on Mount Royal fixed by then so I can watch it in HD).

At the moment it appears that Doctor Who groupies in the US of A are out of luck, but surely PBS will pick it up.

Brian

P.S. I used bold-face in the first line to demonstrate that this really is a cruise related topic, albeit a very dubious one.

[ 03-17-2005: Message edited by: Brian_O ]

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Originally posted by Brian_O:
P.S. I used bold-face in the first line to demonstrate that this really is a cruise related topic, albeit a very dubious one.

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You mentioned 'ships' so that's good enough for me. I'm looking forward to Bille Piper's performance.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

(many of our American freinds are probable clueless about what we are talking about - sorry!)

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I don't know about that, Malcolm. Many PBS stations have shown the old series, especially the Tom Baker years, over and over. I have a few episodes from the William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton years and all of the surviving episodes from the Pertwee, T. Baker, Davison, C. Baker and McCoy years on VHS tapes (in chronological order). I taped them off 2 PBS stations that broadcast into the Montreal area.

Among the episodes I have is the only one in which the phrase "Doctor Who?" is uttered (the first).

I did not realise that Dr.Who was so widely shown! The concepts and idea were often very imaginative but the special effects very low budget.

Here an idea for a script: How about the 'Tardis' (The Dr's time Police Box machine) landing on the deck of a great Ocean Liner of the past!

[ 03-17-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

Luckily for Voyageur's crew (and for Paramount) there weren't any Daleks or Cybermen in the Delta Quadrant. Otherwise they might have found themselves in hot water.

Brian

P.S. Note the word in bold-face.

Eccleston was excellent and the special effects were a hundred times better than they used to be.

Sci-Fi fans are in for a treat - the Doctor is back.

Eccleston was excellent and the special effects were a hundred times better than they used to be.

Sci-Fi fans are in for a treat - the Doctor is back.

[ 03-26-2005: Message edited by: Onno ]

Onno

[ 03-27-2005: Message edited by: Onno ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
(Yes I know this has nothing to with ships!

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Oh Malcolm, it does have something to do with ships! Remember the mentioning that the Doctor once prevented a family from going on the maiden voyage of Titanic and thus saving their lives! (there is your ship link )

Onno

[ 03-26-2005: Message edited by: Onno ]

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Originally posted by Onno:

Remember the mentioning that the Doctor once prevented a family from going on the maiden voyage of Titanic and thus saving their lives!

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Ahh...so you can view BBC1 in the Netherlands!

[ 03-26-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

It’s a pity we can’t get BBC 3 and 4.

I’m glad The BBC is showing more SF, some years ago they had several SF shows running (Star Trek classic, Next Generation, Buck Rodgers, Blake 7 and others). But I guess the SF hype ended until the return of Doctor Who.

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Originally posted by PamM:
I watched Dr Who every week when I was a kid [Thurs nights after TOTP], but grew up..

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
I've just finished watching the first episode of the new DR. Who. It was great!

Eccleston was excellent and the special effects were a hundred times better than they used to be.

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Ships!

How was the story line? The Sylvester McCoy era was riddled with ridiculous story lines. Only Sophie Aldred as "Ace" made some of them worth watching.

Liners!

In Canada we get today's BBC episode on April 5. There was a big article about the return of Dr Who in this morning's edition of many Canadian newspapers.

Cruises!

BTW, the Daleks return in episodes 6, 12 and 13. They still have the toilet plungers for one of their arms.

yachts!

Part of the charm of the original series was the poor special effects and laughable monsters....how could anyone forget the green blob in "The Horror of Fang Rock"? K-9 II was a wimp! I bet Romana II (Lalla Ward) regrets keeping him in exospace.

Ship to shore tenders!

Can't wait until April 5.

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Originally posted by PamM:

No, I didn't watch it. I watched Dr Who every week when I was a kid [Thurs nights after TOTP], but grew up.. however millions haven't, and Mr P has told me he enjoyed it too.

Pam

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life boats!

You weren't old enough to appreciate it when it first came on, Pam. Remember, you gave away your age when you posted that photo from your first cruise.

The story line was not dissimilar to an old one where shop dummies come to life. It is set in London with lots of shots of red buses etc.

Eccleston gives the DR. an edge. I don't know if you know any of his previous work, but he's a very good 'serious' actor, from the north of England. Possibly one of the best actors to take the part of Dr. Who. He plays the part rather manically, and you get the feeling that he is a little insane. There is still lots of humour.

The supporting cast were very good. The effects are modern movie standard (touches of T2). Billie Piper is good eye-candy.

They really have retained the original concept and spirit, yet brought it up to date.
See This and This

[ 03-26-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Brian_O:
You weren't old enough to appreciate it when it first came on, Pam.

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They are all re-run on weekend mornings here, so I sometimes watch the odd one if I am lazy getting up. But I have no interest in sci-fi type stuff I'm afraid.

last week on the BBC there was an introduction program to the Doctor Who history with interviews of the actors (like they appear today) and this evening an hour before the first episode there was a making off and look behind the screen of the new series. So keep checking the TV guide for when it is aired in Canada.

A Dutch TV network has bought the new Doctor Who episodes to be aired next year! What a scream! Like I would wait a year to see it with Dutch subtitles.

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Originally posted by PamM:
and only remember Tom Baker as Dr Who.. Lalla & K9.

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We all remember Lalla!

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

We all remember Lalla!

Be careful Pam, you are now entering a mans world!

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Lalla? As in Lalla Ward who played Romana II? (She got left in exospace with K-9 Mk II). Or Leela the half dressed savage played by Louise Jameson. (She got left on Gallifrey with the original K-9 and was replaced by Romana I who was played by Mary Tam).

The Doctor also sent another K-9 to former companion Sara Jane Smith, played by Eliszbeth Sladen.

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Originally posted by Brian_O:
Or Leela the half dressed savage played by Louise Jameson.

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Yep!

[ 03-27-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

Brian

[ 03-27-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

What with its' narrow, overwelming Brit view, I didn't think it appealed to the US market that much-too many allusions that were Brit only understood-(excepting the anglophiles)). And the poor production values(amaturish to an extreme) were akin to nails raked across a blackboard.

I was more interested in sci-fi with some story line that had an element of realism however remote(though Galactica was, I think a bit of a stretch).

I admired the plot lines on Star Trek, they almost always left you something to mull over.