this post was submitted on 01 Jan 2024
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Doctor Who

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In my household we've rewatched the latest four specials several times already, and May still feels like a long time away ๐Ÿ™‚ So what do you all watch to tide you over until there are new Doctor who episodes airing again?

For a baseline, here are some of the things we've sought out to fill the very specific DW flavour of soft science fiction entertainment:

  • Old episodes of Doctor who, obviously. Plus the noughties spinoffs.
  • It's almost lazy to mention Star trek, and although we easily and often fall into that comfort rabbit hole I think there are other shows that are more in the Who vein:
  • Fringe was an US show that borrows fairly heavily from both Who, X-files, and loads more. I don't think it'll be spoilers to say that specifically the image of Zeppelins to signify parallel worlds is an obvious callback to "Rise of the Cybermen"/"The Age of Steel". And there are a group of characters that seem to be a cross between Time Lords and the Watchers from Marvel comics.
  • The ministry of time was a Spanish show about a covert time traveling agency. It has a lot of Who feeling, and time travel of course, but with its own premise that centres it on the rich history of Spain and good humouredly makes fun of Spanish national and regional stereotypes.
  • The Lazarus project is along the general outline of The ministry of time โ€” secret time travel authority that keeps history on the straight and narrow โ€” but with its own, convoluted tangle of changing timelines. Only on its second season, this show' time travel shenanigans nearly did my head in, sort of like Dark when that was still good, but at a breakneck, Mission impossible pace.

Those are off the top of my head. What are your timey wimey or otherwise Who-alike go-to shows?

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[โ€“] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My mostly unserious suggestion is Red Dwarf. Especially as a counter to any other dark or heavy series or story arcs.

[โ€“] Lmaydev@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago

One of my all time favourite shows.

[โ€“] memfree@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

The newish Loki series on Disney worked for me for that 'maintaining the timeline' vibe.

Currently working through Old Who and Torchwood. Might hit up Sarah Jane Chronicles or Star Trek next.

Legends of Tomorrow is also very Who-like, and even has Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams.)

[โ€“] TheDoctorDonna@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've started from the beginning, but it's not scratching the itch like I'd hoped it would, and I can't just watch one thing constantly, so I've been switching between Classic Who and the X-Files ( I noticed some similar story lines in old X-Files and NuWho. The X-Files was very influential.)

I may still re-watch the specials just to bask in the return of how Doctor Who used to feel.

[โ€“] halm@leminal.space 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh, the beginning beginning? Yeah, that can be tough going compared to modern (or at least post-2005) TV. I enjoy classic Who for what it is, and for the lore, but you need to settle into its slower pace.

As for X-files, I grew up on that before I got into Doctor who. I find it troubling to watch nowadays that the once quaint and silly conspiracy thinking if the show has become mainstream...

Yeah, I went all the way back, had to delete all my Supernatural to fit it on my laptop lol. Worth it, but yes it is slow so I have to change it up. I can't binge it like I do other shows.

I have watched X-Files since I was a kid, it's probably a big reason I enjoy Doctor Who, but I do agree. I've noticed with this re-watch that I find myself thinking how the worst was yet to come and that fiction had nothing on what happens in real life, but I don't really find it troubling.

Maybe it's cause I've always been one of those weirdos who say " I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but..."

[โ€“] Andrzej@lemmy.myserv.one 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh man I tried to watch The Ministry of Time when it aired in Spain and it is sooooooo slow moving!

[โ€“] halm@leminal.space 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Really? As I recall it took a few episodes to introduce characters and the premise, but we fell into its pace pretty quickly. Perhaps it's time to give it another watch to judge it better...?

[โ€“] Andrzej@lemmy.myserv.one 1 points 1 year ago

Weren't the episodes like two hours long? I remember it feeling like half an hour's worth of story spread way waaay too thin. Maybe it just seemed that way compared to Moffat era Who though...