I've never understood people that watch a TV show they don't like but feel the need week after week to tell me how shit they think it is. I mean what is the point really? If you don't like a show you stop watching it don't you? I know I did when I got to season three of Heroes and decided it just wasn't worth my time anymore. I may of let people know how utter abysmal I thought the show got once but I wouldn't take time week after week telling folks again and again. That's just mental isn't it?
Isn't it?
It's natural fans of a show feel passionate for it and want it to be at it's best but where do you over step the mark from wanting the best to turning into a nitpicking lunatic?
The Moffat era of Doctor who has been on our screens for a month now and so far the majority of people are liking what they see. Unfortunately though a small few have once again missed the point completely.
After five years of complaining that Russell T Davies was the worst thing that could happen to the show people are now out for Steven Moffats blood. Complaining that he's the worst thing that could happen to the relaunch of the show since the original revival of the show when it was relaunched (It's alright, that does make sense... I think).
I've found some complaints since 'The Eleventh Hour' was first broadcast to be so embarrassing I'm a bit ashamed to call myself a fellow fan.
Some are moaning that they came into series 5 expecting big new things. But since the first episode the gripes are starting to grow at you guessed it... THE BIG NEW THINGS!
MATT SMITH IS TOO YOUNG,
THE THEME IS ANNOYING - HANG MURRAY GOLD NOW,
THE NEW LOOK DALEKS ARE SHIT,
THE TARDIS IS A SCHOOL JUMBLE SALE GONE BAD,
AMY IS TOO SEXY.
on and on it goes and it's getting a bit sad.
Here is a priceless quote I've stumbled across on the world wide web concerning the new show and sums up the mentality of some of the nitpickers -
"If Hollyoaks met Star Trek, the outcome would be the new Doctor Who with Matt Smith. I won't be watching it anymore"
Bye then.
Take the new theme for instance. I wasn't sure at first but it has grown on me now I have listened to it a few times. The Moff said he was trying to bring some of the old stuff back into the programme and it's pretty clear the theme is a nod to this. People forget he's been heavily influenced by watching the show as a kid and I think the titles and the theme all have influences from past doctors going back now fourty odd years. If anything I think Moffat is an even bigger fan of the show than RTD ever was.
Fair enough if you don't like but to go on and on and on and on is tedious.
The theme has been the target of a BBC Points of View campaign and even after they took notice and made a few changes people still are not happy.
You just can't win really can you?
Don't get me wrong, everyone can be unhappy with their favourite show (heck I'm just as bad) but to moan for the sake of it is just pointless and sad. Move on please you are not wanted here.
Anyway, I think I've alienated myself enough so I'll leave it there for now.
Feel free to tell me I'm completely wrong and that I'm talking out of my time vortex.
I like Matt.
ReplyDeleteI like Karen.
I like new TARDIS so much it hurts.
I do not like new theme.
I do not like new Daleks.
I liked ep 1.
Ep 2 was ok.
Ep 3 was awful.
Ep 4 was ace.
I don't think my opinions pigeonhole me into a liker or hater profile. I just have opinions.
I loved most of the last few years of Who, but thought that most of the specials were rather disappointing. I assumed, rather foolishly, that the Moff would reach directly into my cerebellum and provide the show I wanted verbatim. He hasn't. That's OK, and should have been expected. Most kids I know love it still, probably more. But I will still have my opinion, and will voice it, especially when asked for it.
No 'my Doctor Who, right or wrong' here.
I think I love you.
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, those people are the reasons I hesitate to get involved with fandom.
Torchwood I watched the first 3 episodes and didn't enjoy it. So I didn't watch it or get involved in it's fandom. I am quite happy with that.
As much as we love our t.v. I think some people forget that it's just t.v.
Thank you for the comments Russell and Wayward American.
ReplyDeleteLike I said above I just don't understand why you would continue to watch a show if you thought it was rubbish.
It's a strange phenomenon I'm sure that will never be explained.
My father's told me stories of when I was just a couple of years old and he'd plonk me down in front of the TV and I'd be riveted to Tom Baker's Who. As I grew up, I embraced the show as much as everybody, catching up with the stories I missed on UK Gold and even liking the TV movie. But from very early on in the broadcast I was an RTD naysayer. No, naysayer's the wrong word. I was an RTD hater. Really, I didn't like very much of Nu Who under his tenure.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't the Who I loved as a kid, and that wasn't because I'd grown out of it - I was still enjoying the VHS and DVDs I'd watch. Sure, I adored the odd episode - "Blink" and "The Girl in the Fireplace" were undoubted masterpieces (spot the trend?), and Eccleston had a lot of potential. But it wasn't really to my taste.
Your blog has really made me consider just why I did keep watching. Was it blind loyalty to the brand? Heck, I've bought the box sets (and the vanilla discs before that) so that's what I'd go for. It certainly wasn't so I could moan about it here there and everywhere, as I tried to respect the fandom that obviously loved it - and I admit that even all but the very worst of Nu Who RTD episodes ("Fear Her", I'm looking at you) were still better than a lot of other shows on TV. I guess I thought it was "rubbish Who" as opposed to a "rubbish show".
But I have to say, for all that ill feeling I held for the RTD stuff, I simply LOVE the Eleventh Doctor stories so far. In years to come I'm sure I'll look at Matt Smith as being one of my favourite Doctors, I think Gillan is fantastic and Moffat's writing has been just as good as we'd expect from him. Sure, there have been blips - "The Beast Below" was the weakest Moffat episode so far, but better than all of RTD's stuff with the exception of "Midnight" in my book. Even "Victory of the Daleks", the weakest episode of the year, was still damn good. I even love the theme music, and have it as my ringtone.
So I'm not going to say you're wrong, but you're not totally right. We're all entitled to our opinion, and how we come to it - but sometimes it's better that it's shared in a constructive way.
You raise some interesting points tmls.
ReplyDelete