New Doctor Who

[Lixarto]

I think the companions after the reboot have been trying to follow the model that Ace gave us - I think she was the first one not to be a complete wet lettuce with the "save me!" problem.

There were earlier attempts to break that mold, but the weaker writers still went for the screaming female cliché:

Liz
Sarah Jane
Leela
Romana
Tegan.

[fatherjack]

There were earlier attempts to break that mold, but the weaker writers still went for the screaming female cliché:

Liz
Sarah Jane
Leela
Romana
Tegan.

If you're going to include Liz Shaw, you could make a similar case for Zoe.

[Lixarto]

If you're going to include Liz Shaw, you could make a similar case for Zoe.

Very true; I should have included her.

[Myranda_Rose]

This seems to have been a very divisive episode.

Personally speaking there was lots I really loved about it... Richard E Grant was wonderful as a grumpy victorian baddie with his sneer/frown/scowl a snefrowl. The last companion only seemed to have one line, and that line was "doctor" repeated enough times that the word lost all meaning and her voice was starting to feel like it was drilling into my skull... the new companion has a personality and already spoke more unique words than Amy Pond did.

Sure the episode was very soft on plot type stuff, but it was a Christmas Special - one that was infinitely better than the Witch and The Wardrobe episode from last year and i think as good as the space shark episode with the hauntingly good sound-track...

There were aliens, explosions, lesbians, inter-species erotica, some lovely spacey-wacey-timey-wimey things like the spiral staircase which was all TARDISy, an enemy monster that was different and some fun lines.

While I really like this new Companion and like the idea of her being in some way odd - especially as they get to kill her off several times - as long as they only do it a few times it should be enough to mess with The Doctor's calm but not enough to get trite. But... all of the Doctors companions have been "special" since the reboot. Rose was his great love and capable of absorbing the heart of the TARDIS and then travelled all of time and space at once gaffiti-ing select locations so that The Doctor would know what was coming. Donna was The-Doctor/Donna who was the nexus of all sorts of timey-wimey things. Harkness was a fixed point in time and so couldn't age (though did age, and for some reason became a big head with no body... perhaps people forget what "not-aging or dying ever" meant?). Amy Pond The Girl-Who-Waited and Rory Pond The Boy-Who-Waited were supposed to have some great importance and manifest destiny that never seemed to appear, then they were zapped back in time to live their lives normally by the weeping angels (who I think keep forgetting the lore created in previous episodes and simple things seem to change over and over). So the new companion being special doesn't seem very special, but I still like her. Of course Astrid Peth was my favourite companion but she wasn't around long... I also really liked the Doctors Daughter - love the running... really want her to make an appearance again, or at least show some evidence of what she did when doing her own running through the universe.

A smart companion will make a very difficult writing situation... they've relied on the dumb companion asking questions so the Doctor can explain aloud to us the audience without somehow breaking the fourth wall... if the new one is smart they wont be able to lean on that crutch. We shall see.

I've been rambling a little here... but that's my perogative

[daveyh]

A smart companion will make a very difficult writing situation... they've relied on the dumb companion asking questions so the Doctor can explain aloud to us the audience without somehow breaking the fourth wall... if the new one is smart they wont be able to lean on that crutch. We shall see.

We'll get new companion doing the explaining, followed by the Doctor's slightly childish affrontery.

[Myranda_Rose]

We'll get new companion doing the explaining, followed by the Doctor's slightly childish affrontery.

Ahh, not thought they could do lazy writing that way around

[Fretwired]

There were earlier attempts to break that mold, but the weaker writers still went for the screaming female cliché:

Liz
Sarah Jane
Leela
Romana
Tegan.

There's no need for a companion to stand there screaming, but there's also a case for some character development and the odd scream/panic. Ms Pond was often as wooden as a gate post - if I met a Dalek I'd scream the house down. There's a balance - sometimes scream and look scared and sometimes be clever, and sometimes question the Doctor's motives and make him think or look awkward.

What the show really needs is some new scary monsters like the Weeping Angels rather than the BMW designed uber Daleks.

[GearAddict]

There were earlier attempts to break that mold, but the weaker writers still went for the screaming female cliché:

Liz
Sarah Jane
Leela
Romana
Tegan.

As opposed to "strong woman" cliche? How about a well balanced character instead? And the last few Drs have been just as bad.

[Myranda_Rose]

There's no need for a companion to stand there screaming, but there's also a case for some character development and the odd scream/panic. Ms Pond was often as wooden as a gate post - if I met a Dalek I'd scream the house down. There's a balance - sometimes scream and look scared and sometimes be clever, and sometimes question the Doctor's motives and make him think or look awkward.

What the show really needs is some new scary monsters like the Weeping Angels rather than the BMW designed uber Daleks.

Hows about letting the scary baddies be scary. Daleks are virtually indestructible, geniuses with the power of flight and built-in totally lethal weaponry... but the last time they were scary Eccelstone was the titular doctor.

As opposed to "strong woman" cliche? How about a well balanced character instead? And the last few Drs have been just as bad.

Woah woah woah! Well Rounded female characters?! In film, TV, radio or literature?! Are you mad?! Think of the children!

[Lixarto]

As opposed to "strong woman" cliche? How about a well balanced character instead? And the last few Drs have been just as bad.

There isn't a single "strong woman" there.