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The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who

Adam Sloman


Devoted Trekkie Adam can't find the love for Doctor Who or Torchwood. And here's why...

Published on Jul 16, 2009

There, I said it. I don't like Doctor Who. Or Torchwood. And do you know what will annoy you even more? I've barely even seen it.

I sat down in March 2005 and waited. Doctor Who was back, and with some fanfare. Growing up a Trekkie I never really had much love for Doctor Who, in fact, I only ever watched the Sylvester McCoy stories, trapped in the kitchen on a portable as my Mum took over the TV watching either Coronation Street, Brookside or some other soap. Still, I was willing to give this regeneration (see what I did there?) of the famous name a try. But oh, after fifteen minutes or so I was done. It still looked cheap and I found Christopher Ecclestone odd, and Billy Piper wooden. I decided there and then it wasn't for me.

Yet the bandwagon rolls on, kids put Sonic Screwdrivers on their Christmas lists, the tenth Doctor has arrived and a slew of famous guest stars are queuing up to appear in the show. Maybe I was wrong, so I tried again. I watched the episodes with Peter Kay and Simon Pegg but still nothing really grabbed me. Everyone in the world seems to love the Doctor, except for me. What am I missing? Friends have tried to convert me, but my interest begins and ends with the phrase 'the ones with Catherine Tate'.

I guess my big issue with Doctor Who is that despite his alleged status as a timelord, so much of his stories and adventures involve humans and Earth, or specifically, Cardiff. Now I've been to Cardiff, and not had anything like the amazing adventures he seems to have. I suppose there's a good reason why. It's cheaper to film in Cardiff than it is to film in Gallifrey.

Then came Torchwood, promising to be a kind of British Buffy, but it's not, really, is it? John Barrowman grates on me like salt in a fresh wound, and oh, look, more Cardiff. I worry for the population of the Welsh capital. It looks like a scary place to live. I got as far as the episode with the Cyberwoman before I checked out. I tried, okay? But that was too much even for me. And I watched the last season of Sliders.

Maybe I'm being harsh on two of Britain's finest sci-fi fare, but when I compare it to a lot of the American shows I've enjoyed over the years, it's just, well, a bit naff. And at least those shows didn't have the Daleks turning up at the end of every bloody season. Or the Cybermen.

In my opinion, Doctor Who just can't compare to say Deep Space Nine, Battlestar Galactica or in the case of Torchwood, Buffy or the Winchester brothers of Supernatural fame. The writing is better, the effects are better, the production values are better.

But I'm not totally ignorant, okay, so I'll make you a deal. The next time that Doc gets a new face, I'll give it another try, and I'll really try to get through a whole season. Just no bloody Daleks, please. OK?


Check out Adam's previous column here.

 

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Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By Discrespective 1 July 16, 2009 08:39:00 AM

Yeah ... You see this is sort of shit that I keep complaining about with us geeks is that instead of just judging something on its own merits we instead try to compare it something else entirely. I like this sort of show, this sort of sci-fi, fantasy epic and if what I'm watching is nothing like what I like, then yeah, I don't like it ! I'm sorry dude, but that's call being dick ! Because the way it is with everything, everyhting has it's own style, it's own type of deal and there is no way you can compare one to the other ! You took Doctor Who for what is instead of hey cool, trying to hold it against and compare to something that it clearly isn't, you would learn to better appreciate it. Guys, Doctor Who has always been B-Grade science fiction show. Knowing that and judging it on that alone without trying to compare it to anything else out there like A-List science fiction shows "Star Trek Next Generation", "Deep Space Nine" "Babylon 5" "X Files " " Fringe " etcccc. you know it excels at that, that's why it's excellent ! I can bang on about this for hours but I won't because I can !!! I mean come on guys, we're geeks ! We're suppose to be smarter than this ... ;-)

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By AndyBee 1 July 16, 2009 09:03:07 AM

I can only think of 2 NuWho stories that were in Cardiff - both in the first series. Series 1 of NuWho improved dramatically over the course of its run. There have been excellent, well-written episodes since you 'checked out': Blink, Family of Blood, Parting of the Ways, Girl in the Fireplace and Dalek. Torchwood was, yes, a little ho-hum to begin with, but CoE shows how much potential it has. Your approach of "I've seen a couple of episodes and didn't like it" is disappointing. I'm sure TNG, DS9 etc all have their duffer episodes. Fair doos, you just can't get into Who, but I think that is more your own fault and your lack of an open-mind rather than Doctor Who or Torchwood's.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By twentiethcenturymarc 1 July 16, 2009 09:31:32 AM

I think your problem here is picking some quite duff episodes. The presence of Peter Kay and Simon Pegg shouldn't be treated as a selling point...the presence of Peter Kay shouldn't be treated as anything! Check out all of Moffat's episodes: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances in series 1, THe Girl In THe Fireplace in Series 2, ESPECIALLY Blink in series 3, and SIlence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead in series 4. Also don't discount Russell TD either... Check out Midnight in series 4. Also don't knock Tate just yet...watch the final 15 minutes of Journey's End. She's fantastic. You might just about get what we're on about then...

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By AdamSloman 1 July 16, 2009 09:37:21 AM

Thank-you for suggesting some episodes Marc, if somethings worth watching I'll give it a go. Perhaps you're right, I may well have chosen some duff episodes.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By murren 1 July 16, 2009 09:39:41 AM

I don't love it either. my bros are big fans, ive seen all the episodes multiple times. but its just too....... BBC. bad acting, cheap effects, PC Agenda being rammed down our throats. take the end of the last season with the darlecks, it turned into a pantomine.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By atomickarma 1 July 16, 2009 11:05:46 AM

I wouldn't like to say that this is why Star Trek fans are considered to be lacking in imagination as that would be cheap. Although not as cheap as the various points made in this post. It's a shame that you don't like Doctor Who - more telling is your alleged dislike of Torchwood, so it's more likely what you don't like is British sci-fi.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By Klijpo 1 July 16, 2009 12:17:23 PM

The thing is, Torchwood: Children of Earth is up there with BSG. In fact, it was better than season 4 full stop. And I could really take or leave Torchwood before that. Who has been hit and miss, but when it hits it hits hard. I would add Impossible Planet/Satan Pit to the list above. I think what provokes all the nerdrage about Who is that RTD and co steadfastly refuse to pander to any kind of tecnobabble whatsoever, leaving the denouements feeling a bit rushed. And in terms of the way it looks... If you download the broadcasts from the US it looks more 'American'. It's just the difference between PAL and NTSC... Disrespective, Babylon 5 is not A grade sci-fi!

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By Docmartin 1 July 16, 2009 12:44:49 PM

Whenever a Trekkie steps up and says, "I hate Doctor Who" the general response from us Doctor Who fans is, "So what? Am I bovvered? Look at this face - does it look bovvered?" Personally speaking I don't hate Star Trek nor many of its follow ons. I love Doctor Who. I like Star Trek. Doctor Who isn't Star Trek and vice versa. In my opinion Doctor Who is far superior to Trek but that's my opinion - I'm a Whovian not a Trekkie. I could sit here all day and dissect Trek piece by piece about what I find weak about it - for example: Trek's interpretation of alien life forms - they're all human! Wow. Okay they have different foreheads and ears but shit man - they're all human! Sure Trek has big zappy spaceships but so what? I would rather have a good story well told with good acting from actors I haven't heard of than sit through a tedious 50 minute run around waiting for the "A list" actor with the pasty stuck to his forehead to die at the hands of the "A list" actor in the ill-fitting Federation suit. It would be childish to do so though. Sci-fi is a huge genre and I appreciate much of what it gives me - sci-fi gives me a lot of pleasure whether it be Doctor Who, Star Trek, Space 1999, UFO, Star Wars, Babylon 5, Godzilla and so on. The bottom line is, I get from Doctor Who what you get from Star Trek.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By varoh 1 July 16, 2009 01:05:58 PM

How do you know every season of Doctor Who end with the cybermen and the daleks? How do you know if that's a good thing or a bad thing? I'm all for holding preferences that are against the grain but your article seems like it could quite easily have been titled 'I don't care for this popular show because I watched 3 episodes and read the opinions of others'. Your absolutely allowed to. I feel the same way about Supernatural. Still I wouldn't feel the need to post about it. You're not even writing about the fandom, a more dangerous though possibly more justifiable grievance if your a geek who isn't into Who. I'd just love to know what was your expected response to this.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By xanderchan 1 July 16, 2009 01:19:15 PM

Well I'm a rabid Who fan from way back, but I know what it's like to dislike something that everyone else seems to revere. I LOATHED Firefly.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By timtop 1 July 16, 2009 02:03:38 PM

Oh I agree - and more. I cannot stand the new Who - and as a lover of real sci-fi (not soap with added magic screwdrivers and goo) the reasons are plenty. It all seems so made up as it goes along. No tension due to the fact that 'oh look, this button on my coat will freeze all the baddies!' or 'oh no you're dead, how sad. Wow you came back to life because I accessed another dimension and..' you get the idea. Its also all so very..British (as am I, so only accusations of being unpatriotic please). And it's very much a kids show, more than ever. And regarding Torchwood COE. I loved the downbeat moments/ I loved the darkness (his grandson - harsh!). I loved it didnt bring people back to life (apart from mr. light entertainment). But still, bloody cardiff, bloody simplified concepts for mainstream audience, damned Shane Richie or whatever Barrymore, and stupid 'oh i saved the world by trying this almost random thing!' ending. Just as 'Moon' has brought 70's intelligence back to movie sci-fi, we need a similar refresh on tv.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By RobGordon23 1 July 16, 2009 02:27:17 PM

THANK YOU!!!!

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By evanjdooner 1 July 16, 2009 02:44:29 PM

I was going to post a long rant that I've been saving up for a while but murren above pretty much bullet-points it for me. Thanks.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By etoh76 1 July 16, 2009 03:13:34 PM

I'm with Adam and especially murren on this one too, and have to laugh at some of the posters above who demonstrate what "open-minded" means by calling people with differing opinions dicks.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By cordas 1 July 16, 2009 04:45:35 PM

I think Varoh has hit the nail on the head. Utter tosh, you can't say you don't watch a show and then say you hate it for episodes you know nothing about... Saying you watched a couple of episodes and decided its not your cup of tea is one thing, trying to do a point by point dismissal of the program is something else.... How happy would you be with me slating all trek, after having watched a handful of episodes of TNG, DS9 and Voyager... I could rant about dodgy science, naff endings using technobabble solutions, lack of character development, poor acting e.t.c.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By Mawson 1 July 16, 2009 05:09:47 PM

Jolly good. Adopting an ill conceived stance on a subject you confess to knowing little about is an excercise in generating controversy. It's not really what one should expect from a regular columnist. 3/10 Must try harder.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By ants97 1 July 16, 2009 06:14:09 PM

I think you left out twee. Never could get into it either reminds me to much of morris dancing or cucumber sandwiches. add that to the big business is evil left wing pc nonsense that is the bbc oh and it turning into a series for 12 year olds then I doubt I ever will get into it. I'll just stick to my adult sci fi.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By Omniaural 1 July 16, 2009 07:18:34 PM

I think you're all missing the point. SO what if its filmed in Cardiff!! Everything else is filmed in London or Vancouver so why not a change of visual pace. Its not actually all done in Cardiff though as its been filmed all along the M4 corridor and has showcased some really great welsh locations as opposed to the same old english spots that lazy location spotters prefer so they can get back to their negative equity flat on the thames instead of staying in some cheap travel lodge.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By markreed 1 July 16, 2009 07:53:36 PM

They should spend a lot more money on scripts and ideas, and a lot less on Cardiff. Think, not 'Blink'.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By AndyBee 1 July 17, 2009 08:22:44 AM

At the risk of starting a divergent debate, I'm keen to know what 'left-wing' right-on PC stuff is in NuWho that has riled people so? I do hope it's not Captain Jack...

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By cordas 1 July 17, 2009 09:37:51 AM

Picking up on what Mawson says, I get enough of this kind of lame shtick for being a scifi geek by "normals" for liking this "rubbish", without getting this garbage here. I do think that there could have been an interesting piece on this subject, had it been written by someone who either watches the show religiously out of some sense of duty, or a fan of the show pointing out what they dislike. Dr Who (and its spin offs) isn't without fault and there is certainly room for improvement and an article discussing issues about the show could be fun. This just isn't... 1.5/10

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By Discrespective 1 July 17, 2009 11:00:51 AM

Attn: Etoh76 - I love it when people listen to me, it's like they give shit ! It wasn't his opinion that I had problem with, that makes him dick, it's his attitude ! Don't be dick ... ;-)

for a moment i thought you were serious
Posted By simonthediver 1 July 17, 2009 01:34:53 PM

okay , for a minute there i thought you serious until you mention it not being as good as ST : Deep Soap Opera then i realised this was just trolling for hits. nice one

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By etoh76 1 July 17, 2009 08:44:51 PM

Attn. Discrespective - I'm a good listener, but dont mistake that for giving a shit. It was a question of certain attitudes I was commenting on - dont YOU be dick ... ;-)

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By Tlotoxl 1 July 18, 2009 01:46:05 PM

twentiethcenturymarc has given somer good suggestions for NuWho but there are plenty of classic series stories that are both approachable to a non-fan and really good: Caves of Androzani, Prramids of Mars, City of Death (written by Douglas Adams, no less), Seeds of Doom, Robots of Death, Terror of the Zygons (a *very* effective horror story)

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By kivel 1 July 20, 2009 08:14:43 PM

I thought HEX was the British Buffy. Anyway Children of Earth is Easily the best Science Fiction I have seen on TV (or Movies)

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By kivel 1 July 20, 2009 08:31:13 PM

wow i guess what i learned today was "don't bad talk Doctor Who in the UK" okay to be honest my son 21 and I 45 were not happy. The review does show a general lack of knowledge on the subject matter. but wow the reaction has been emotionally edged visceral disembowelment.

Gutter language in Torchwood
Posted By derek2 1 July 22, 2009 02:08:56 AM

I have enjoyed Doctor Who for a long time, both the "old" and "new" series. I have been watching Torchwood, and most of the stories are not bad, but I think it would be a much better show without the salty four-letter words. (Ditto for Life On Mars.) Blake's Seven was very good. I'd like to see that revived. I would like to see Avon survive the gun battle and go on to defeat the Federation once and for all.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By gjbates 1 July 28, 2009 03:32:51 AM

I like BSG, Torchwood and Doctor Who. I just thought it was funny that the two specific episodes you mentioned are my least favorite episode from season 1 and the episode from season 2 that the Doctor is hardly in at all. I would second the suggestions of all the Stephen Moffat episodes and Mignight and Turn Left from Russell T. Davis from last season.

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By smartypants3000 1 November 19, 2011 10:41:52 PM

c

Re: The Adam Sloman Column: I don't like Doctor Who
Posted By smartypants3000 1 November 19, 2011 10:42:32 PM

Doctor Who sucks big time and shame on the idiots who are willing to settle for crap that most of us have outgrown over 15 yrs ago. doctor who used to be quaint and quirky and fun to watch, now it's boring, irrelevant, cliched and predictable. Who didn't guess that it was river inside that stupid spacesuit? I mean anyone over 10 yrs old? I liked some of the new stuff with RTD but moffats smug annoying characters and ultra-cliched boring as Heck never-ending story-lines are just plain boring. But does that stop the average fan from watching? Of course not! They will watch whatever rubbish is put before them. perhaps if some of them were a little more discerning in their taste writers like moffat wouldn't be allowed with writing or buying crap that was used more then 10 yrs ago on show like The Power Rangers and the Powerpuff Girls. rme River is a repulsive obnoxious character who is nothing but a joke. Everything from that stupid conceived in a Tardis turning her into a time lord which is not possible, even in a make-believe show like dr who there needs to be some semblance of rational thinking. And this BS about how special she is, when everything this puke of a character has ever done has already been done by former (pre-2005) companions. Everything from flying the Tardis, shooting guns, talking back to the Dr, flirting with him and he flirted back a little, meeting him out of order like Mel and the 6th Dr in Trial of a Time lord. lol And moffats never ending story arcs are out of control. 1 whole season devoted to one story arc is bad enough but 3!!! Are you kidding me? This is why I can't stand to watch this crap anymore! And I have watched faithfully since I was 12 yrs old so I've watched for more then 30 yrs. (sigh) The show has gone from unique cool stories like 'The Deadly Assassin' which in 1976 introduced the world to the Matrix 23 yrs before the first movie was released. Now there is nothing innovative, just tired old stale plots stolen from books and movies. I predict there will be a large number of fans who will find better things to do with their time rather then watch this boring old drivel. Sad but True.
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