I really liked it but having read everyone else's comments now suspect that Torchwood has just lowered my expectation levels so much that anything half decent seems really good by comparison.
I agree it was a bit panto but I didn't mind that. Whilst RTD has a track record that's a bit left-field superficially, when it comes to Dr Who he's very traditional - from the start he's been careful to protect the "institution". And Christmas specials are a Beeb tradition going back decades - not only in variety but special episodes of drama series, often with added humour.
We're not a typical audience so I think occasionally it's worth us reminding ourselves that the BBC sees Dr Who as not only an institution but "classic family entertainment" and I think it probably worked well for the core audience they have in mind. Indeed, as a cultural observer I find it fascinating to watch the game that's being played out with the mass audience as the BBC team tries to be original yet always carries its historical baggage of approach and style around with it. To escape that fully I think it usually needs a totally original show with no history and often on a lesser network (X-Files, B5 ...).
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Date: 2006-12-25 11:33 pm (UTC)I agree it was a bit panto but I didn't mind that. Whilst RTD has a track record that's a bit left-field superficially, when it comes to Dr Who he's very traditional - from the start he's been careful to protect the "institution". And Christmas specials are a Beeb tradition going back decades - not only in variety but special episodes of drama series, often with added humour.
We're not a typical audience so I think occasionally it's worth us reminding ourselves that the BBC sees Dr Who as not only an institution but "classic family entertainment" and I think it probably worked well for the core audience they have in mind. Indeed, as a cultural observer I find it fascinating to watch the game that's being played out with the mass audience as the BBC team tries to be original yet always carries its historical baggage of approach and style around with it. To escape that fully I think it usually needs a totally original show with no history and often on a lesser network (X-Files, B5 ...).