WhoSquee

[kerravonsen]

I've been gradually working my way through the Doctor Who (2005) DVD boxed set, watching the episodes with the commentaries on, and I take back my earlier remarks about the commentary. They've been changing around the people for each one, a real mix, and not just directors, producers and set people, but also writers and supporting actors. And the one I just saw was "Fathers' Day" and...

well, having four people there was possibly a bit many (I had to keep on rewinding to listen to what they'd said, partly because I kept on getting entranced by the episode itself) but it was so coool, because they had
- the producer
- the writer (Paul Cornell)
- the guy who played Rose's Dad
- and Billie Piper herself, who hadn't actually seen the episode before (I gather she doesn't like to watch herself on screen, some actors are like that)
and it was all very good.

Another favourite commentary was "The Unquiet Dead" which had the writer, the director, and the guy who played Charles Dickens in it. But sometimes the balance isn't right, for example, with the commentary for "The Long Game", they had the guy who played Adam, the woman who played Cathica, and the director (or was he the writer?) -- anyway, whoever he was, he was very annoying because he kept monopolizing the commentary, but all he said was "and here's the bit where this happens" -- as if we didn't know? Huh? So that one was a bit boring. But most of the others were more balanced in who said what, though I must admit I often find it hard to keep track of who is speaking -- I mean, where you've never heard the person's voice before, and they introduce themselves once, at the start of the ep, it's hard to keep track of who is who, especially when there's all these guys with British accents sounding very similar to each other.

Edited To Add: I now have to revise my coolness level, the best commentary so far has to be "The Empty Child". The producer, the writer (Steven Moffat) and John Barrowman, and they kept on cracking jokes, I couldn't stop grinning.

Comments

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

I have never understood why some people seem to think that a commentary = narration. Um, yes, thanks, I'm perfectly capable of telling for myself that this is the bit where the guy gets out of the car. *rolls eyes* Though I suppose it's better than silence.

And, oooh, I am so looking forward to getting my hands on this boxed set...

[kerravonsen]

Though I suppose it's better than silence.

Not really -- if they were silent one could at least watch the episode itself... 8-P
I remember the B7 commentaries they kept on falling silent because they got caught up watching the episode themselves! 8-)

(looks at your icon) Can you remember what episode that image comes from? I can't recall, myself.

And, oooh, I am so looking forward to getting my hands on this boxed set...

(big smile)

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Brief moments of silence, especially over scenes that really deserve them, followed by "Sorry, got caught up in this" are actually kind of charming. Long, long stretches of silence make me want to shake people and say, "Yo! Wake up and do what you came here to do!" The B7 ones -- at least on the first season, which is all I have so far -- were pretty bad on that score.

I'm not sure which episode the icon is from. I snurched it from somebody else. :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I only started watching/listening at Father's Day, but then I was hooked.

[kerravonsen]

Watching New Who, or listening to the commentary?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Listening to the commentary (New Who was the major event of last year!).

[kerravonsen]

Yes, I was rather puzzled by the remark.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Was just commenting on the commentaries, but probably wasn't caffeinated enough to achieve articulacy. Mr A. thought the one for 'The Long Game' was the weakest. (And I loved the one for 'The Empty Child' too - I thought Steven Moffat is so deadpan.)

[kerravonsen]

And I loved the one for 'The Empty Child' too - I thought Steven Moffat is so deadpan

And John Barrowman kept on feeding things back to him. 8-) And also John Barrowman kept on asking good questions, like "What's a tracking shot?" which kept on forcing the producer to explain all the jargon he was using, which was also good.