What are you watching on TV right now?

Snow Dog wrote: Dean wrote: rushfan4 wrote: Anyhow, I quite expect that Dr. Who will be a program that I will come to enjoy.  It certainly has the potentially based on the first few episodes.  They seem kind of B movie-ish, but I have high hopes. Its b-movie quality was part of its appeal, thought CGI has removed a lot of the wobbly set syndrome it suffered in the 70s & 80s, it is still a low budget series and while only the first 26 series were specifically made by the BBC children's programming department, it is still essentially a kids programme. I disagree. It is a family programme. Sarah Jane Adventures is the kids version.

The relaunch is certainly more family oriented programming - the original was intended to be an educational programme and was scheduled in the post-Grandstand early Saturday evening childrens TV time slot; the relaunch scheduling continued in this time-slot eventhough the BBC (and ITV) had scrapped that time-slot as being specifally for children by then. Also the profusion of spin-off toys and magazines aimed specifically at 8-14 year olds would indicate that they are still the target audience, regardless of how many of us oldies have watched every episode since 1963.

I think Dr Who has just gotten better and better since the reboot.Eccleston was good,Tennant was really good but I think Matt Smith is simply outstanding in the role.

^Don't forget the Christmas special is next

But your B movie complaint I could also level at most American Sci Fi.

Dean wrote: ^ I wouldn't view the B-movie reference as a complaint myself, and I don't see that as necessarily derogatory. Then there are good and bad b-movies just as there are good and bad big-budget blockbusters. I think with few exceptions, all TV SF is b-movie by definition. (Let's not forget that the first two Dr Who films were made by Amicus - a British production company that specialised in Hammer-like b-movie horror)

Dean wrote: Snow Dog wrote: Dean wrote: ^ I wouldn't view the B-movie reference as a complaint myself, and I don't see that as necessarily derogatory. Then there are good and bad b-movies just as there are good and bad big-budget blockbusters. I think with few exceptions, all TV SF is b-movie by definition. (Let's not forget that the first two Dr Who films were made by Amicus - a British production company that specialised in Hammer-like b-movie horror)   I do see it as derogatory in this case as that is how it was intended it seems. You also say all TV SF is b-movie by definition. Sorry must disagree..only movies can be b-movies by definition. Hmm, I would go along with that if it were not for the 1978 cinema-release of the original Battlestar Galactica film, which was simply a quick re-edit of the TV pilot put out to cash-in on the success of Star Wars making it a real b-movie.

Dean wrote: Snow Dog wrote: Dean wrote: Snow Dog wrote: Dean wrote: ^ I wouldn't view the B-movie reference as a complaint myself, and I don't see that as necessarily derogatory. Then there are good and bad b-movies just as there are good and bad big-budget blockbusters. I think with few exceptions, all TV SF is b-movie by definition. (Let's not forget that the first two Dr Who films were made by Amicus - a British production company that specialised in Hammer-like b-movie horror)   I do see it as derogatory in this case as that is how it was intended it seems. You also say all TV SF is b-movie by definition. Sorry must disagree..only movies can be b-movies by definition. Hmm, I would go along with that if it were not for the 1978 cinema-release of the original Battlestar Galactica film, which was simply a quick re-edit of the TV pilot put out to cash-in on the success of Star Wars making it a real b-movie. I actually paid to see that. I felt violated. I din't know it was just a TV show at the time. What a rip off. What a terrible TV series. I went on an Away-day to London to see it in Leicester Square

^What you call B-movie I call quirky and British. The Daleks are a very old enemy btw.

I think the B-movie feel to Dr Who might stem from the fact that more often than not the stories have a "monster of the week" feel. Also, the production budgets for the first couple of series of the Russel T. Davis era were considerably lower than the average for a prime-time drama series which doesn't do much to detract from the schlocky feel of the show at times. There's a gradual shift towards higher and higher production values in each series, as well as more and more adventurous writing, so that "b-movie" vibe does disappear eventually. But for someone who's only going by the Ecclestone series so far, I think it's an understandable comparison to draw.

I wouldn't say it's contemporary 'TV', but I've had a Twilight Zone marathon, in chronological order, of late. It is my favorite television show. It'll probably always hold that spot.