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[Thad]

I'm in the "Torchwood isn't very good but has some good episodes" camp.  I liked Out of Time and Captain Jack Harkness.  But it's not important to Doctor Who's continuity in any way that isn't explained in the first five minutes of Jack's appearance at the end of season 3.

MEANWHILE (minor spoilers of upcoming special follow):

Of all the various rumored guest stars, it would appear that Jessica Hynes is confirmed photographically.  She's playing a character named Verity Newman this time, who's published a book called A Journal of Impossible Things with a picture of a fobwatch on the cover -- so presumably she's playing a descendant of her previous character.

This, I'm all right with -- it's perfectly fair for a regeneration ep to serve as a look back at the current Doctor's run (Tom Baker had a sequence where his life flashed before his eyes, with a few key villains and companions in there), and really, for my money, Human Nature/The Family of Blood is the quintessential Tenth Doctor story.  Despite the fact that it was originally written as a Seventh Doctor story.  And despite (or, actually, largely BECAUSE of) the fact that he spends most of it as a character who is very very different from the Doctor.

I'm not alone in that opinion -- as mentioned earlier in the thread, Tony Lee picked the fobwatch as #10's artifact in the museum in The Forgotten comic series.  Granted, it's not as iconic as #2's recorder or #4's jelly babies, but it WAS central to a couple of very good stories (I am counting the first episode of the Master arc as very good).

That and the fact that the journal itself is a retrospective of the Doctor's entire fantastic series of lives.

That could be an entire separate discussion -- Human Nature/Family of Blood as the quintessential Tenth Doctor story, y/n?  Girl in the Fireplace would be my second choice.  And The Runaway Bride has one of the most important Tenth Doctor moments; pity the rest of the episode is fucking awful.

Anyway.  You know, bringing back Rose or Donna could actually work if only RTD could exercise some restraint, which of course he can't.  Maybe just a quick shot of Donna waking up in bed, or Rose getting a sudden shiver and Clone Doctor saying "I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry."  In other words, if they're used briefly and not in a way that undoes the whole super-final, he-can-never-see-them-again, no, seriously ending that he spent twenty fucking minutes on in the finale.

Martha, Jack, and Sarah Jane could actually have story roles, but I kind of hope they don't.  (Maybe Martha.)  And I'm hoping the rumors of the Master are false too.

[Mothra]

As retarded as his resurrection would be, and it would be retarded, they've already set it up at the end of Last of the Time Lords, and frankly, I love the new Master. I'm willing forgive a lot to see him get more screen time.

alsotorchwoodsux

[Niku]

I'm in the "Torchwood isn't very good but has some good episodes" camp.  I liked Out of Time and Captain Jack Harkness. 

I'd recommend Adrift from season 2 as being pretty aces.  Not gonna lie, Torchwood has some godawful fucking episodes, but I like enough of what it does to give it a general thumbs up.  Owen's arc through season 2 (after the pointless Martha stint, anyway) is pretty good, and I would probably watch John Barrowman read from a phone book by this point.

for my money, Human Nature/The Family of Blood is the quintessential Tenth Doctor story. 

You know, does Empty Child/Doctor Dances win out for Nine by sheer virtue of being the best episodes?  I agree on the assessment for Ten, but I'm having a harder time for Eccleston.  I kinda keep going back to him when he meets the Dalek as what I think of for Nine, the whole "pent up over the Time War" thing.

As retarded as his resurrection would be, and it would be retarded, they've already set it up at the end of Last of the Time Lords, and frankly, I love the new Master. I'm willing forgive a lot to see him get more screen time.

thisthisthis.

[Thad]

You know, does Empty Child/Doctor Dances win out for Nine by sheer virtue of being the best episodes?  I agree on the assessment for Ten, but I'm having a harder time for Eccleston.  I kinda keep going back to him when he meets the Dalek as what I think of for Nine, the whole "pent up over the Time War" thing.

Dalek is my call, yeah.  It gives more Time War exposition, and it shows the Doctor filled with genuine murderous rage.  It also shows him willing to sacrifice Rose to save the universe -- but once he finds out she's alive, he's not willing to risk it again.

Empty Child/Doctor Dances is pretty great, though.  Everybody lives!

I'd give a nod to Father's Day, too.  Because he calls Rose a stupid ape but then all he really wants is for her to say she's sorry.

And of course Parting of the Ways.

But yeah, Dalek would be the definitive Ninth Doctor ep, for my money.

(We could do this for the earlier ones, too, but I haven't seen enough of ANY other individual Doctor to really definitively say "Yeah, it's that one."  ...well, Eight.)

[Thad]

...so it's occurred to me to wonder just how the regeneration's going to play out.  Will Moffat do a regeneration ep that picks right up from the last special, or will he do like RTD did with #9 and leave a gap?

I'd say that, on the whole, regeneration eps are fun and give the writers, Doctor, and audience a chance to sort of get their bearings with the new status quo.

Of course, if the new show picks right up where the special leaves off, that leaves pesky questions.  What forces the Doctor to regenerate?  Where does it happen?  Who's with him?  None of those questions are particularly important if Moffat leaves a gap, but obviously there's got to be continuity if he doesn't.

I've seen half the regeneration eps (2-into-3, 4-into-5, 7-into-8, 9-into-10).  2-into-3 left a really easy transition, with the Doctor's companions removed from the story and the Doctor sent back to Earth -- you didn't even see Pertwee at the end of War Games.

9-into-10 was tidy too -- threat past, Doctor mortally wounded but back on the TARDIS.  If Rose hadn't been there, the whole thing would have been a perfect relaunching point with a totally clean slate.

The problem is you'd miss out on the goodbye scene.  And for all that's wrong with RTD, his goodbye scenes, Rose, and her role in that episode, #9's goodbye and #10's hello were pretty great.

I find it hard to believe RTD will have #10 die with nobody by his side.  Which would mean one of three things:

1. The new companion is revealed before the 2010 season.
2. The companion who's with the Doctor when he regenerates is promptly disposed of.
3. Gap between regeneration and new season.

Don't know; it'll be interesting to find out.  I like the idea of a regeneration episode.  #9 showing up post-regeneration had the advantage of relaunching the series without too much continuity right off the bat.  It also gave him plenty of potential backstory to potentially tap -- though it sounds like they're putting a huge gap in #10's life that Moffat can refer to any time he feels like it, too.

Anyway, just some rambling thoughts.  Would be interested to hear other people's, or thoughts on regeneration eps in general.

[Royal☭]

If it follows the 9-10 transition, then it'll just be a smooth transition.  Thanks to a mini episode, The Parting of the Ways and the Christmas Invasion were literally right after each other:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3I-VwvkT4o

I see no reason this couldn't happen with the 10-11 switch.  You could try and argue that RTD wouldn't repeat the same regeneration scene, but that is a difficult story to tell.  There's also the question of whether his companion before he regenerates will be River Song or not.  It'd actually be really interesting, as she claimed she'd never seen him so young, even though Adam Smith will be the youngest Doctor on record.

There's also the possibility that the Doctor could change during the last special or even during the opening of the new season.  Not that likely considering Tenant's contracts, but not unprecedented.

[Niku]

I don't know where it comes from, but a friend of mine says with some degree of certainty that River Song is supposed to be present during the 10-11 regeneration.  It could be hearsay, but I've honestly got no clue.

[Thad]

There's also the question of whether his companion before he regenerates will be River Song or not.

I really kind of hope not.  I'd just as soon see her story left to Moffat to tell or not as he pleases.

It'd actually be really interesting, as she claimed she'd never seen him so young, even though Adam Smith will be the youngest Doctor on record.

I think she was pretty clearly referring to his actual age, not his body's physical appearance.  Wasn't she commenting on his eyes when she said it?  And she definitely spoke of his poise and bearing.

Which, I think I said earlier in the thread, could definitely make for a neat juxtaposition -- a young actor playing a supremely confident leader of men who opens the TARDIS with a snap of his fingers.

But I think I've also said I think people are reading a bit too much into the River Song foreshadowing and I expect it to come to pass only in bits and pieces -- Moffat said something about having it be something he occasionally alludes to, like the Time War.

There's also the possibility that the Doctor could change during the last special or even during the opening of the new season.  Not that likely considering Tenant's contracts, but not unprecedented.

Possible, but unlikely.  I foresee something very much like 9-to-10 (or for that matter 4-to-5) where we get a quick shot of the new Doctor at the end and that's it until the next season.

[Thad]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-rUTlQPm4o&feature=player_embedded

Official airdate (for UK, of course) is Easter, but there's a preview showing in certain areas two days before that so it might be on the Internet as soon as then.

[Royal☭]

Looks like it could be fun.  However, it reminds me both of the Langoliers miniseries and Jeepers Creepers 2, of all things.

[Bal]

Shades of Pitch Black as well.

[Thad]

Reminds me of Midnight.  Which isn't a bad thing; it was my favorite non-Moffat episode of last season.

[Thad]

Interview w/ RTD and DT.  RTD assures us he won't be writing a single line of dialogue for #11.  Which doesn't rule out him having a line or two at the end of the last special, of course, but I think it rules out him having any more than that.  I also think it runs pretty strongly against the River Song rumors Constantine mentioned; I think Davies sees that as Moffat's story and something he shouldn't meddle with.  (Not impossible, though; Moffat could throw him a few ideas.)

[Thad]

A perfectly good standalone special.  Some great visuals, including the London skyline and the Dubai desert -- get it in HD.

Some neat new aliens, both in the CG and rubber-suit variety.

Malcolm's a fun character; I'd like to see him again.  (Captain Magambo's dialogue at the end hinted UNIT might be back.)

The foreshadowing at the end seems to corroborate [spoiler]Master[/spoiler] rumors, but is vague enough that it could be referring to anybody -- the fact that the next special is called The Waters of Mars would suggest Ice Warriors.

[Sharkey]

Came off a bit bullshitty to me, though I liked a few moments. Most of the crap with Malcom was actually just about perfect. I think someone was channeling some of their own personal fan discomfort with that. Pretty much nailed the combination of pride and embarrassment. Also thought it was kind of a nice touch that the guy seemed to be doing a bit of halfassed Tom Baker dressup when he ran out of the trailer.

And "Guns work?!" was gold.

... and pretty much all of the rest of it can fuck off and die. Especially the bit where the notably earless bug people have bluetooth earpieces lying around their ship.

Mostly just reminded why I'm kind of glad RTD is getting off this thing, though I'll miss the Doctor having eyebrows.

[Thad]

It certainly wasn't a standout, but I think it was a perfectly good fluff episode.  It had its share of annoying RTD stuff (a cast of cliches who we're supposed to give a crap about), but managed to avoid a lot of his usual excesses: it's self-contained with minimal references to other episodes ("Why do people on buses always blame me?" is worth a laugh even without context) and new alien races rather than more rehashes.  And the grim foreshadowing of impending doom is kept to a minimum; in fact the whole thing manages neither to venture too far into the absurd nor to take itself too seriously.

And the dialogue was pretty good too I thought.

Granted, it may just be a low bar.

Not sure if I like it or the Christmas special better.  Christmas special definitely falls under the "took itself too seriously" umbrella, and of course relied entirely on an obvious red herring.  But the Next Doctor made for a better companion than Lara Croft, and again, Iron Giant Cyberman.

[Thad]

Wired: A little more Tennant still to come, in a guest spot on Sarah Jane and another series of six-minute animated shorts.

Beeb: new companion revealed.  21 years old; previously played Soothsayer in Fires of Pompeii.  (Apparently she's also in something called Outcast with James Nesbitt.)

The Beeb's story on the Sarah Jane appearance also includes the following:

Meanwhile, Doctor Who may be heading for the big screen after a spokeswoman for BBC Films confirmed that "a script is in development".

BBC entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba said there were no guarantees a film would be made and that, if the project went into full production, a release would be a long time away.

I remember Grant Morrison said he had an idea for a Doctor Who movie.  Well, a man can dream.

[Burrito Al Pastor]

As it happens, I've only just watched "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead", and I couldn't help but noticing something...

The new companion is ginger. You know who else is ginger? River Song.

Steven Moffat wrote those two episodes. He's also the new lead writer.

I wonder.

[Misha]

are you trying to imply donna is river or that moffat has a thing for redheads?

[Niku]

He's talking about Karen Gillian, I think.  Not Catherine Tate.