Star Trek Fans and Doctor Who

[Picard Sisko]

From what I understand, both Star Trek and Doctor Who reference each other in many of their television series, and even inspired each other on several occasions. For example, in a Season 1 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Riker asks for a Sonic Screwdriver. One of the most popular villains, known as the Borg, was inspired by the Cybermen. In Doctor Who, they will often reference Spock, Vulcans, transporters, etc.

My question is, as Star Trek fans, what do you think of Doctor Who? I watched a few episodes of the revival series (2005 onwards) on netflix the other day, and I found it hard to watch. Aside from the way it is shot (on video I believe), it felt too corny. Not saying that Star Trek isn't corny, or hasn't had its corny moments, but Doctor Who felt... strange.

I'm not bashing the show, as I have a huge amount of respect for it. Just wondering what other Star Trek fans think of it, and what episodes they would recommend watching. I'd like to give it another chance.

[Pink Ranger]

I like Dr. Who, especially the new ones. It captures two elements from TOS that the other Star Trek shows could never do as well: highly conceptual and creative science fiction elements on a very human level, and a core of well-sketched characters.

[Wesley Dodds]

Much like Superman and The Beatles, people who don't like Doctor Who are bad inside.

[Picard Sisko]

Originally Posted by Wesley Dodds

Much like Superman and The Beatles, people who don't like Doctor Who are bad inside.

Well everyone is entitled to their opinion.

[Duke]

To be honest, never have watched an episode of Doctor Who.

[Soapy]

I've watched a few episodes, and ehhhh... it's alright... I guess. I really just don't understand what the attraction is and why the show has been on so long. It reminds me so much of those cheap, disposable shows on Syfy.

I would vote somewhere between it's terrible and it's okay.

[Picard Sisko]

I think that one reason why Doctor Who is so successful and has lasted so long is that people seem to have an obsession with British culture & entertainment. Everything British! BBC has become so popular.

James Bond, Harry Potter, Sherlock, Lord of the Rings, Masterpiece Anthology/Downtown Abbey, and Doctor Who. Almost anything to do with fantasy (such as Game of Thrones) will give their characters British accents... for some reason. I don't understand why Americans especially are so obsessed. Perhaps they just really like their accents?

I know this girl who is a HUGE Doctor Who fan, who is trying to get me to watch it. I said I would if she watches Star Trek. The very next day, the girl tells me that she couldn't make it past the first 5 minutes of the pilot to TNG, because of how cheesy it was. If anything, Doctor Who is so much cheesier than Star Trek. I mean, the first episode of the revival series has a girl being chased by mannequins.

[Dark Raven]

The concept of Doctor Who is interesting. But every time I've tried to watch an episode, I've never enjoyed it. Like you said, it is corny. It feels a bit too much like a children's tea time show. It's not really adult enough but feels more for kids who're just watching something after they've come home from school.

Not sure what it's like in the most recent episodes, but sometimes some things have seemed really cheap and B-movie-ish. Some shields just looked like dustbin (or garbage can) lids, and other things which were meant to be a futuristic building just looked like the inside of a roadside diner.

[Picard Sisko]

It always seemed that despite several budget issues, the people behind Star Trek really made the best of what they had. I never thought Star Trek had bad effects, just outdated ones. Doctor Who has effects that are pretty much bad for their own time.

Star Trek has its corny moments as well. To me, Science Fiction will always be somewhat corny no matter what. But Star Trek never really felt "childish" to me. There was always some maturity to it.

[chamber-music]

I used to have zero intrest in Doctor Who. I watched the relaunch because there was alot of hype about it returning in the UK but I never warmed to it until Tennant became the Doctor.

Doctor Who is a strange show which even the makers acknowledge but it is pretty good if you give it a chance. Its not a show for everyone and if you watch a bad episode it could easily put you off watching more.

The budget has gone up in over each season and so the special effects have improved. The effects in the most recent season of Doctor are no better or worst than the average Sci fi show now.

[chamber-music]

Originally Posted by Picard Sisko

I think that one reason why Doctor Who is so successful and has lasted so long is that people seem to have an obsession with British culture & entertainment. Everything British! BBC has become so popular.

James Bond, Harry Potter, Sherlock, Lord of the Rings, Masterpiece Anthology/Downtown Abbey, and Doctor Who. Almost anything to do with fantasy (such as Game of Thrones) will give their characters British accents... for some reason. I don't understand why Americans especially are so obsessed. Perhaps they just really like their accents?

Alot of fantasy stuff like Game Of Thrones is influenced by European history and they film in europe with mostly european actors which is why they usually do British accents.

Hollywood has been making historical movies with everyone talking in English accents for years for some reason even though it doesn't make sense.

[C. Lee]

I've been a STAR TREK fan since the 60's....been a DOCTOR WHO fan since the 70's.

[Dark Raven]

I've often found Doctor Who to be a bit like a play, or stage production or pantomime. It's a bit like they're asking you, as the viewer, to make a leap of make believe between the budget effects/ sets/ costumes as you see them, and what they're actually supposed to represent. It's almost like seeing cardboard scenery in a stage play but knowing it's just standing in for real buildings.

[Idun]

I have never been able to work up the kind of enthusiasm some of my friends have for it. It's okay, but it never got me hooked like Firefly or Farscape.

[Pink Ranger]

Speaking of which, if they ever rebooted TNG:

Christopher Eccleston: Jean Luc Picard
David Tennant: Data
Matt Smith: Q

[Idun]

Absolutely. That would have been great!

[Picard Sisko]

Its hard to take a flying police box (tardis) seriously.

[Dark Raven]

Originally Posted by Picard Sisko

Its hard to take a flying police box (tardis) seriously.

But it's extremely iconic and instantly recognisable. You couldn't exactly change it for something more "bad ass" or serious. That would be an instant fail for the series. Same with the Daleks. You couldn't change their design now.

The police box is actually more associated now with Doctor Who than with the actual police, such that the police lost the case regarding who owned trademark.

[Soapy]

Originally Posted by Picard Sisko

I think that one reason why Doctor Who is so successful and has lasted so long is that people seem to have an obsession with British culture & entertainment. Everything British! BBC has become so popular.

James Bond, Harry Potter, Sherlock, Lord of the Rings, Masterpiece Anthology/Downtown Abbey, and Doctor Who. Almost anything to do with fantasy (such as Game of Thrones) will give their characters British accents... for some reason. I don't understand why Americans especially are so obsessed. Perhaps they just really like their accents?

See...I'm something of an Anglophile. I mean not really, that's too strong a word for it, but I do happen to like a lot of British... stuff, for lack of a better word. Two of my absolute favorite shows on television right now are British. It's just Dr. Who for one reason or another completely sails right over my head.

[Human Torch]

I never really got into Dr Who.I think my cousin was into it back in the day.I only remember thinking if a classic episode of Star Trek looked like it had a budget of $65,an episode of Dr Who looked like it had a budget of 65 cents!

But,I did watch several episodes when David Tennant was the Doctor,and I found them very enjoyable.So,I wouldn't call myself a huge fan,but the recent stuff was a pretty good watch.

[Manic]

Originally Posted by Picard Sisko

I know this girl who is a HUGE Doctor Who fan, who is trying to get me to watch it. I said I would if she watches Star Trek. The very next day, the girl tells me that she couldn't make it past the first 5 minutes of the pilot to TNG, because of how cheesy it was. If anything, Doctor Who is so much cheesier than Star Trek. I mean, the first episode of the revival series has a girl being chased by mannequins.

This friend of yours, does she watch the old school Doctor Who as well as the new stuff? Because if she couldn't make it through "Encounter At Farpoint," I doubt she'd be able to watch "Remembrance of the Daleks" (which aired around the same time).


I've always said that if you're going to compare Doctor Who to an American sci-fi franchise, you've got to use Back to the Future. It's not just that they're both about time travel, but they both use a large amount of humor to tell adventurous stories with high stakes and personal consequences for the main character. They also both center around an eccentric old scientist and his plucky young sidekick. And really, a time-space police box is no more absurd than a time-traveling DeLorean or that train from the end of Part 3.

[Tanin]

I love both series.

[C. Lee]

Originally Posted by Picard Sisko

Its hard to take a flying police box (tardis) seriously.

Says the guy with the avatar of Locutus the Borg.....the people who fly around in space in a giant Rubic's cube.

There are lots of things in both series that are serious and cheesy.

[Tanin]

I always did prefer the Cybermen over the Borg in presentation of absorbing everyone into a collective.

[The Squirrel]

I love Star Trek, and I love Doctor Who. Granted I didn't become a Who fan until around 2007 or so, but I've gone back and watched many of the Classic Series episodes and I like them. There's room for both shows in my life.