(This comes via DoctorWhoOnline.com)
The new redesigned TARDIS console room is finally here. To be introduced in next week’s Christmas Special, the new design will replace current one introduced along with Matt Smith in the 5th series. Previously, redesigning the console room during the Doctor’s reign has been a big deal and has only been done a handful of times over the 50 year history, most famously during the Tom Baker and Peter Davison eras.
What do you think of the new ‘desktop theme’ (ugh, I hate that term)? Personally I think it’s too busy, but at least it is closer to the classic model and a step away from the zany/wacky design which included a rubber mallet, typewriter and rubber ball which made it look like a 5 year old put it together in a shed (not that I’d know).
(On a side-note, I really like the Doctor’s new costume)
Which console room design do you prefer?
- The first design as seen in An Unearthly Child
- The Troughton/Pertwee design as seen in The Three Doctors
- The secondary console room as seen in The Deadly Assassin
- The Baker/Davison design
- The 1983-89 design as seen in The Five Doctors
- The 1996 design as seen in the TV Movie starring Paul McGann
- The 2005-2010 design from the Eccleston/Tennant era
- The current design introduced in 2010
The Daily P.O.P. 
You know… I posted a comment here last night, but it is gone now. Must have been because it was a positive Doctor who comment!
Basically I said that I like the design. I didn’t hate the new consoles… but I have a fondness for the simpler older consoles. They don’t spend much time in the console room anyway, so I’d rather it be clean and functional.
I am guessing, though, that the re-design to something less complex will save them maintenance money in the future… because it had to be expensive keeping the more complicated console in good working order.
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I like what I can see of the new console room, it seems a mixture of modish Who ostentation and the less messy older versions (that SJV talks about above). It seems the rumours are true about a certain globe-harbouring old “friend”-stroke-thing turning up in The Snowmen (crap title, unfortunately). Could be good even if those CG snowmen look damn silly and it appears the Doctor may prove irresistible – again (yawn)! The style of the episode seems sumptuous. Fingers crossed.
SJV, assuming you see this, have a Happy Christmas! Unfortunately my cat has gone missing which has been a capper to some horrible stuff so I’m not too up. Ha, irrelevant information overload! Still, if I don’t post again soon enjoy the holidays and have an excellent New Year.
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Merry Christmas to you (and to Jameson) as well… I’m looking forward to this year’s special. I don’t know what the in-show explanation for the console will be, but I like the look of it so far. Of the classic consoles, the only one I really didn’t like was that secondary one during the Tom Baker era. I remember being glad when they returned to the “normal” one.
It just goes to show you, though… not all things need to be modernized. A little cleanup and some razzle dazzle are fine to get the alien point across.
I’m not exactly a fan of the new interior of the Enterprise in the new Star Trek movies. I liked the movie (the one from a few years ago) well enough… but felt the new ship design was bit too much “just because we have the money”…
I mention Trek, because classic Trek and classic Who share a bit in common… besides their original time period being similar… they both suffered visually from low budgets but made up for it in quality of story and execution most of the time. Throwing money at Trek didn’t always make it better.
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Yep, the new Enterprise bridge looks like the interior of a fridge! I actually *liked* the secondary console room but with the exception of a couple of the briefly-seen Third Doctor-era variants I too was a fan of all the original-run console rooms. ROUNDELS!
I hope Jameson is in the mood – or has the time – to review The Snowmen. Happy Holidays, Again, Guys!
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The McGann and the Secondary Baker are my favorite consoles. Never really had a problem with any of the classic consoles apart from the Pertwee one. Pertwee’s era was at a slight disadvantage due to it being in color. Sets and special effects could pass during the Harntell & Throughton era. Not so much during the Pertwee era as BBC color lighting was crap.
I really didn’t see the appeal of the Eccleston & Tennant Tardis. Yeah it showed off how large it could be on the inside but the McGann Tardis did that years prior. Also McGann’s Tardis looked like a place that the Doctor would be spend a lot of his time in. It looked comfortable. The ’05 Tardis looked too industrial. Also it had metal grating for the floor and one would think with all of the falling around The Doctor and his companions go through that would be a bad idea. Arthur Darvill said that filming in the ’05 Tardis for “The Doctor’s Wife” was uncomfortable as when they were instructed to fall on the floor it really hurt.
As for the Smith Tardis I liked it but I’m glad they’re changing it. I liked that they’re moving away from the cluttered Tardis console. I liked some of the stuff on the Smith console but yeah I didn’t get the rubber ball, the mallet, and ketchup/mustard dispenser.
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I am *totally* with you on that last point in particular, Chris. The mallet etc. seemed a bit too self-consciously “ooh, *wacky*” to me. The worst of the Pertwee console looks for me was the one-story-only variant with washing basins for roundels. Blech!
I hadn’t read that about the floors being painful to fall on, it makes sense. At the risk of seeming to eager, you’ve also identified my bugbear about the modern TARDIS, the console rooms have tended to be big but messy and uncomfortable looking; in the Tom Baker and Davison eras in particular you got more of a sense of there being other places to go on the TARDIS (the various rooms, the boot cupboard etc. tho’ let’s not talk about Invasion of Time…) while the new ones oddly seem less convincing at this despite the size (and those scenes in The Doctor’s Wife).
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I think the recent Tardis Console designs in a way reflect one of my problems with the new series. Its too busy. Everything is rushed, loud, big, and sometimes obnoxious. It would interesting to see how Smith interacts with his new console because with the previous he would do a dance around hitting buttons, flipping switches all while delivering a rapid monologue about something. Props to him for being able to talk like that without tripping over his lines but many times I can’t follow anything.
I was a little disappointed that the first time we’ve ventured into the Tardis in the new series in “The Doctor’s Wife” we get stock octagon scifi hallways. Apparently this episode had budget constraints (really? in this era?) and they couldn’t show off anymore of the Tardis. Also according to Neil Gaiman he wanted to the secondary console room that Amy and Rory stumble into to be one of the classic console rooms but couldn’t because, again, budget constraints. They used the Eccleston / Tennant Tardis because the set was still intact.
I think it would’ve be neat that as Amy & Rory ventured deeper into the Tardis we see the varying Tardis designs in the hallways. The deeper they go, the older design. The industrial look of the ’05 Tardis, the gothic look from ’96, the clear plastic circles from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, the wooden library look of the Secondary Tom Baker console room (my second favorite).
How come the McGann Tardis isn’t in the poll? Because if I personally had my own Tardis that would be the one I would use =)
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We’re going to have to stop agreeing like this – people will talk! Your thoughts on the almost unrelenting “busyness” of the recent console rooms and New Who as a whole being a problem line up with mine. It’s a bit one-track in emphasis.
I love your idea about the different eras being represented within the TARDIS that’d be great; it’s a pity that it’d be prohibitively expensive. The budgetary problems affected the Gaiman story in particular, that’s why we got the Ood rather than his better original idea (which I can’t remember – swiss cheese memory!). The BBC’s been facing cut-backs that have even affected New Who (I believe the Moffat era experienced a drop in budget compared to the RTD years before the economic chaos hit). Maybe we could see something similar to your idea for the anniversary though?! That would be fantastic.
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Maybe the BBC can cut Top Gear’s budget =)
I like Top Gear, the filming and editing of the show is top notch but they really spend so much money on a car review show.
I had another idea and one that would definitely be expensive. While in the console room the 11th Doctor and Clara are going about their usual business when a rustic Mondas Cyberman barges into the room destroying everything in its path. The sonic screwdriver and the console are quickly dispatched. The Doctor buys some time and asks how it got into the Tardis. The Cyberman explains: it was one of the army of Cybermen which attacked the arctic base in “The Tenth Planet”. When Mondas was destroyed and the Cybermen’s energy link to the planet cut off they slowly began to die. This Cyberman, who was outside, located the nearest energy / power source: the Tardis. It initially can’t get in until it sees the First Doctor stumbling towards it. The Cyberman hides behind the Tardis and allows the Doctor to unlock the door. The Doctor leaves the door open and the Cyberman sneaks aboard before the Doctor closes the door. As the Doctor collapses onto the floor with Ben & Polly looking over him, the Cyberman stumbles further into the Tardis where it finds a utility room where it manages to tap into the Tardis power supply. The downside it is that he has to stay connected and therefore can’t leave the room. The Cyberman sits stranded in the room for decades. Over the years the Cyberman is able to hear the voices of the various Doctors and their companions. It isn’t until the more recent Doctors that newer equipment is stored (or dumped) into the utility room and the Cyberman is able to make a makeshift mobile device and sets out to avenge Mondas. The rest of the story is the Doctor and Clara running about the Tardis as the crazed Cyberman destroys everything in its path. Actually this would’ve been a good reason for the change in Console Room being the previous Console Room being destroyed at the hands of the Cyberman. I fully admit that this would be a very expensive episode with various Tardis interiors including the original Hartnell one, a snow setting for The Tenth Planet setting, and a reconstruction of an original Cyberman. Maybe they could do an endorsement deal to pay for the budget. I wouldn’t care if the Doctor is drinking a Coke as long as there’s a good Cybermen =)
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Oh and Neil Gaiman’s original idea for the villain in “The Doctor’s Wife” would’ve been The Great Intelligence (last heard of in The Web of Fear) which would’ve been far greater than House. Maybe the time constraint was such that it didn’t allow for the exposition of a returning 60s villain. Also it would’ve been embarrassing for the Great Intelligence to be foiled by the power of love (another annoyance of mine regarding New Who: the Power of Love. Guess Huey Lewis was right, it can save your life =) )
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Ha. The Doctor endorsing a Coke, I think I can live without *that*! Firing Jeremy Clarkson (preferably from a cannon) would be fine by me :).
“The Power Of Love”. Agh. Too true. Worst example? The end of Closing Time: the already awful James Corden’s Craig is saved from the cybernisation process and the Cybermen are killed by… Oh no, it’s just too ridiculous. The Doctor helps Craig become a good father, who is he? Mary Poppins?! Terrible, moronic, asinine writing. The power of love thing is one of the worst things about New Who as it’s so lazy and cheap, worse it doesn’t even feel that the writers know what love is anyway other than as an artistically bankrupt, unbelievable, and pat plot device. I hate, Hate, HATE that element of New Who. Did I mention I *hate* it? Ha. And now you’ve got me singing Huey Lewis and the News, won’t someone think of the children?
P. S. I wonder if the Great Intelligence will actually pop up in New Who? Hmmm.
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Ugh. Don’t remind me of Closing Time. I listened to Big Finish audio “Real Time” before I watched Closing Time. I was hoping when Craig was put in the conversion machine his limbs would get cut off. The Cybermen with the strength of ten men are defeated by a slightly overweight men who has the power of love on his side. That is what the soldiers on the starfreighter in Earthshock should’ve used instead of guns. The Cybermen in the new series are a complete joke no matter the updated design, especially in an episode where they’re sidetracked for some lame story about responsibility. Here’s hoping that Neil Gaiman’s Cybermen story next year is good.
Oh and they used the power of love in “Night Terrors” too. I could go on about the pacing of New Who but I don’t want this comment to be too long =) Let’s just say that “The Power of Three” should be a textbook example of how not to pace an television episode and how not to resolve a conflict.
You aren’t alone in thinking of the Doctor as Mary Poppins, seems to be a running theme. No more mysterious man with a dark nature or an eccentric time traveller. Nope its Mary Poppins with a time machine.
Another thing that bugs me (I could write a book) is how the Doctor is portrayed by others. The Doctor has always been humble about his accomplishments (sometimes, Six liked to brag) over his lifespan. He does what he does and leaves. In the new series there’s this running theme of people going apesh*t over the Doctor and making these big speeches about him. This was really present during the RTD era and sadly has continued into Moffat. River Song especially has to make a little speech going on about the Doctor even though (as far as we know) she’s known only two incarnations. I also think of UNIT’s wimpy scientific advisor in “Planet of the Dead” whose about to have an accident in his pants when he hears that the Doctor is on the phone. Then there’s David Morrissey making this big, extremely corny speech about the Doctor in “The Next Doctor” even though he’s known the Doctor for about a day. There’s a lot of ego stroking in New Who.
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“I was hoping that when Craig was put in the conversion machine his limbs would get cut off”; “there’s this theme of people going apesh*t over him…”; “wimpy scientific advisor…about to have an accident in his pants when…the Doctor is on the phone”; “There’s a lot of ego-stroking in New Who”. Bwahahaha! I almost choked on my sandwich when reading that comment, hilarious and sadly all too true. You’ve brilliantly identified one of the things I absolutely *loathe* about New Who, the incessant restating of just how great the Doctor is supposed to be just so that thickoes and dim bulbs don’t have to *think for themselves* and the concommitant leaning towards the Doctor being a more conventional “hero” figure even as the idiot phrase “madman in a box” is used tho’ whatever else the Doctor may be – eccentric, capricious, witty etc. – he isn’t *mad*. Just don’t mention River Song and the Moffattian illogicalities that get in the way of what could be good stories. As for the frequent “Doctor as Rock Star” scenes that appeared in the later RTD episodes in particular and have been imported to Moffat-Who : Ugh! The Doctor has often been sure of himself but he often pretended to be moreso in order to irritate his enemies, that’s very different to the Doctor prancing around declaring himself to be King Sh*t and bragging about how fantastic he is like some jerk, or, indeed having characters singing his praises even if they’ve barely met him. Blech. I suspect this say more about the cast of mind and ego of the writers than it does of the Doctor. Although, I may be wrong! đŸ˜‰
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You know what’s really sad about all this: people get paid for this. Writers get paychecks. Moffat wins awards. And no one seems to notice they’re getting money and praise for mediocre writing. While some critics will give a thumbs down rating for an episode most of the time its overwhelming praise. While I’m glad that New Who has been successful in bringing in a new generation of fans and introducing them to the Classic series (well some of them, some newer fans say McGann isn’t canon), I have to wonder if maybe DW is too successful for its own good. The writing and pacing is downright lazy and no one seems to point them out. I’m shocked at the overwhelming positive reaction to Asylum of the Daleks, which I found to be amongst the worst of the 11th Doctor era due to plot holes you could drive a truck through, constant contradictions and Mr. Moffat’s big fat lie regarding the appearance Classic era Daleks. I honestly do not get what critics see that enthralls them enough to give some of these episodes high scores. I read statements like, *regarding “Stolen Earth”* “the most enthralling episode of the show’s 45 year career, and I wonder if I’m the last sane man on the planet. Then I come here and see that I’m not =)
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Always assuming I’m sane! No, seriously, you’re absolutely right. I read some reviews of mediocre or even pretty *bad* and they are so ecstatic, so flushed with hyperbole that I’m forced to assume that the critics/fans have a) No taste b) Not watched or read anything else ever c) Completely lost their minds d) drunk deeply of the popularity Kool-Aid or e) All of the above. Harsh but fair, I think. Too successful for its own good? I think so, but there’s probably no middle ground anymore sadly which means there’s a sameyness to the approach. As for Asylum of the Daleks I think you’re pretty much spot-on there; there are a few effective moments but sundry stupidities and contradictions, clunky audience manipulation and convoluted contrivances left it, in my opinion, a disappointing and smug mess (don’t get me started on the “Doctor? Who?” annoyance, the use of the daleks, the wasted concept, the awful “Eggs-terminate”/souffle business or Moffat recycling ideas etc.!). Yet still Moffat is praised for “sophisticated” writing despite not being bothered to have it make sense. No one knows the Doctor is alive anymore or he has faded from memory except for those who DO know who (no pun intended) he is and CAN remember him. Whatchoo talkin’ about Willis?! Laziness and smugness isn’t good for Doctor Who no matter how many people uncritically laud it. Man, what a rant! You’re correct, it is nice to think you are not the only sane person. I like Doctor Who and love some of it but it’s really annoying when New Who gets a free pass for even its great flaws. Still, today sees The Snowmen premiere, fingers crossed that it’s good (please God, No Doctor as Love Interest-done-to-death-nonsense). Happy Christmas, Chris!
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Glad to see you lads playing nice. There’s always enough bile to go around. Chris, you have come to the right place, needless to say.
I will be traveling back to Massachusetts for the holidays and to ring in my 40th with friends instead of that attractive Space 1999 Year Two box set from Australia and a case of Chimay. Expect an unusual gap in coverage, but I will be back.
Feel free to post your thoughts here (as always!).
Merry X-Men.
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“Still, today sees The Snowmen premiere, fingers crossed that it’s good”
I stopped crossing my fingers long ago. Christmas time is the worst time for DW because now we have to have Christmas shoved down our throats. Nothing wrong with peace on Earth and good will, but this is a scifi show. Set it during Christmas but don’t hammer it in. I point to the excellent 8th Doctor audio drama “Chimes of Midnight” which has a Christmas setting but its a murder mystery that doesn’t involve ripping off Dickens or C.S. Lewis.
“(please God, No Doctor as Love Interest-done-to-death-nonsense)”
Of course there’s going to be. From a little teaser at the end of one of the trailers we see Clara and the Doctor going in for a kiss. I’m may be in the wrong but I think it might be a little offensive to women to have female character that has soon as she lies eyes on a mysterious stranger like the Doctor she immediately wants to *cough* access his sonic screwdriver =P
Asylum of the Daleks really offended me as a fan and as someone with a minor in English. The story (main & subplot) are sloppy, there are contradictions without seconds of each other, and the drive of the story is nonsensical. It ranks low because on paper this should be a really great episode. A planet of insane Daleks. But its already messed up from the get go with the Daleks screaming for the Doctor to help them instead of stranding the Doctor and his companions on the planet for crimes against the Daleks. Instead they rip-off Escape From New York. Moffat said his goal was to make the Daleks scary again. Well he gets a D- from me because a Dalek screaming “Egg” isn’t scary. Then there’s the problem with Williams (I’m not saying Ponds) which should be a textbook example of a plot cul-de-sac
But the biggest offensive was adverting this episode to having every Dalek ever including the Classic ones…and they do nothing. We only see one Classic actually mobile but its in the background.
I actually made a little video pointing how much in the background the Classic Daleks are along with the other gripes I had =)
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Your video is stunning and depressing…
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Thank you =)
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Chris, I think it is safe to say that you have found the right company at the Daily P.O.P. If you have any further video responses for the new episodes, feel free to send them our way. It would make for a fitting companion piece to the main weekly review.
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Jameson – to misquote the Bee Gees “I think you’re going back to Mass – a -chusetts” (sorry)! Happy 40th Birthday, man, enjoy yourself and when you’re ready to return to Daily P. O. P. duty you’ll be suitably refreshed. You’ll be missed (and your Snowmen review too!) đŸ™‚
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The new credits are very odd… http://thedailypop.tumblr.com/post/38803764140/doctor-who-series-7-2-opening-titles-featuring
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Chris, I think you know what I’m going to say (Dailypop’s right about the bile, isn’t he?!), don’t you? I agree!
I will be posting my sort-of review of The Snowmen in this very comments section when I get time either later today or tomorrow. Exciting :).
Quick review – Could have been worse; good new title sequence; very good console room; irritating retread Moffat conceits; predictable “twist”; duff would-be-witty direlogue (“bow ties are cool”, doofus, please); Jenna looks good running in a gratuitously low-cut dress – ahem. More to come. Be afraid…
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Check it out! I managed to fit in a review of The Snowmen and name-checked some of you marvelous readers!
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@Dailypop, yes they are “very odd”, aren’t they. I like them quite a bit but then odd is good (as opposed to “odd is cool” as Moffat-Doctor would say)…within reason. Hah.
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I haven’t watched yet… was over at my sister’s house most of the day/evening… so this + the Graham Norton show are on my DVR to watch. To quote the most interesting man in the world… I don’t ALWAYS watch Graham Norton, but when I do it is usually because someone from Doctor Who is on it! đŸ™‚
I am sure I will have lots to say in Jameson’s review post… but I’m intentionally not reading that until I watch the episode in a bit.
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Can’t wait, SJV. I’ve already rambled a bit over on Jameson’s post and I’ll post my mini-review there sometime today (you lucky people!) but I’ve got to get to bed. You’re going to watch Graham Norton? Voluntarily? You poor b*****d! Hahahaha! Joking :).
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What are you doing Hal? (ha, look at me doing something clever and out of order)
I actually like Graham Norton… though to be honest I like the format of the show more than the host… and I usually only tune in when he has people I’m familiar with… though I admit to seeing a few random other episodes and being introduced to some good British talent that I might not otherwise have known to be on the lookout for. Frankly, most of the American “chat shows” are kind of bad now and I find the idea of having all the guests out there to co-mingle and interrupt each other a fresh thing and you get to see other aspects you don’t see on American shows where the “banter” all too often feels scripted.
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To be truthful I watched dozens of episodes of Norton’s old series So Graham Norton and V. Graham Norton years ago, so I have no room to talk. However, it’s the same old crap and he is now intolerable. The greatest talk show ever was ’70s Parkinson while Johnny Carson, Dame Edna, Dick Cavett, and ’80s Letterman all had their moments. That said, I guess I just wasn’t made for these times.
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I probably like it because it is different from what I get now. I liked Johnny Carson… I liked the early Letterman, but not so much the older Letterman. I like Conan, but sometimes he is just too much. I expect I would get tired of Graham Norton if I watched it more often… but it at least isn’t on every night!
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V Graham Norton *was* on five nights on week (hence the V=5 as well as “very” pun) so you can see what I mean!
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