...at least according to Stephen Fry

Quote :

""The only drama the BBC will boast about are Merlin and Doctor Who, which are fine, but they're children's programmes. They're not for adults. ... like a chicken nugget. Every now and again we all like it … But if you are an adult you want something surprising, savoury, sharp, unusual, cosmopolitan, alien, challenging, complex, ambiguous, possibly even slightly disturbing and wrong.""

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jun/16/stephen-fry-doctor-who

This coming from the guy that takes time out of day to star in that challenging, complex program....Bones. And is celebrated for his contributions to that sharp and savoury medium...Twitter.

Don't get me wrong. I like Stephen Fry. But come on.

7/23/2010 7:53:42 PM

Quote :

"But if you are an adult you want something surprising, savoury, sharp, unusual, cosmopolitan, alien, challenging, complex, ambiguous, possibly even slightly disturbing and wrong."

Except for "slightly disturbing and wrong" you could use all of those words to describe Doctor Who. How could "alien" not describe this show? Homeboy obviously doesn't really know what he's talking about.

7/23/2010 8:16:24 PM

the episode where Ricky Gervais plays a farting slug alien is classic

7/23/2010 8:16:38 PM

that great episode "blink" is slightly disturbing

7/23/2010 8:19:13 PM

There are no small number of infantile moments in the revival of Doctor Who, but they don't detract from the show's quality. It's really just a side-effect of producing hour-long, episodic television. You have to find elements to keep everyone happy. And let's be honest, Doctor Who is escapist fantasy. You're not watching it in order to have a deep intellectual moment.

Fun side-note... Stephen Fry is the voice of The Book in the recent Hitchhiker's Guide movie (and did the reading of the audio book). HHGTTG was written by Douglas Adams. Douglas Adams was a script editor for Doctor Who back in the Tom Baker years, and as a writing credit on several Doctor Who stories.

7/23/2010 8:25:04 PM

It's harder to post something worthwhile in 140 characters than it is to do so without a character limit.

Just a thought.

7/23/2010 8:46:15 PM

^ [new]

7/23/2010 10:06:52 PM

Doctor Who = Buffy the Vampire Slayer

7/23/2010 10:56:59 PM

Doctor Who is a good show, I'm a big fan.

That said, it is most definitely written with kids in mind. They even air it (or at least they used to) before 8pm in England so that young kids can watch it before having to go to bed. There's a reason Torchwood had to try and go overboard with the "adult" themes, it's because they were trying to separate themselves from the Doctor Who brand.

It works like this:

Sarah Jane Chronicles - Saturday Morning style kids show.
Doctor Who - Show that adults and kids can watch together without the adults having to explain certain things or feel uncomfortable with their kids watching (except maybe for Death themes).
Torchwood - Show aimed at people who think sexual situations and innuendo are what adults want in their scifi shows.

[Edited on July 24, 2010 at 7:11 PM. Reason : /]

7/24/2010 7:10:31 PM

Quote :

"the episode where Ricky Gervais plays a farting slug alien is classic"

hahahahaha I had forgotten about that

7/24/2010 9:37:39 PM

I figure Steven Moffat said it best. Doctor Who is a family show--it is made for people of all ages. And we need shows like that are just as worthwhile as anything else Fry has in mind.

But seriously. Do they not have cable or dvds in the UK? Or does the sun rise and set on BBC1? Here in the U.S. I accept that ABC is never going to have a show like The Sopranos or The Wire. But thats why we fucking have HBO. If people want "more complex, savory, sharp, whatever" programming they know where to get it.

7/25/2010 1:02:39 AM

^Not sure what you are talking about there, TV in the UK is A LOT more raunchy then it is in the USA, even on standard TV channels. TV shows like the Sopranos and the Wire come on regular TV, just late at night. I think Fry was just complaining that Doctor Who isn't adult enough for him.

7/25/2010 3:17:59 AM

^ It was my impression that BBC1 aimed at being the more family friendly stations (that is where Doctor Who, Merlin, the Vicar of Dibley etc are) and the raunchier stuff was shown on various other channels.

7/25/2010 10:56:19 AM

I used to watch Doctor Who when I was a kid. Haven't watched it since I've been an adult though.

7/25/2010 12:54:42 PM