From: mwasserm@diana.cair.du.edu (MARC Y. WASSERMAN)
Subject: Re: STTNG vs. Dr. Who (was RE: Saturday Night Review)
Organization: University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 00:18:06 GMT

In article <torresce.717781578@craft.camp.clarkson.edu> torresce@craft.camp.clarkson.edu (Carlos E. Torres) writes:
>CXMP <CXMP@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA> writes:
>>Let's get serious for a moment!  Dr. Who has been going for, what,
>>twenty five years?  Are you saying you've never seen any really bad
>>episodes of Dr. Who?  I remember seeing an old episode recently in
>>which Dr. Who was facing aliens that looked like giant insects.  Boring.
>>What about the way Dr. Who always had new companions to replace the ones
>>that left.  How convenient!  The Dialecks were good, but aren't the
>>Dialecks supposed to enslave the Earth in the future?  So how come we
>>see so many humans in the future exploring space?  Come to think of it
>>humans in the future or aliens in Earth's past are the two most overused
>>plots on Dr. Who.  Also, isn't it a bit of a coincidence the way he and
>>the Master meet so often?  How come they can always agree on when was
>>the last time they met?  Also, the writers make no attempt to decide on
>>any one theory of time be it elastic time (which Harlan "CotEoF" Ellisan
>>likes) or alternate time lines (which Chris Claremont likes).  How come
>>Dr. Who seems to know the history for all planets in the universe.  With
>>all his time travels, you'd think he'd know a lot about his own future.
>>Hell, he's even met himself a fe times!  Then there's the fact that the
>>pseudoscience changes with every episode; no consistency at all.
>
>>I'm sorry, but even a "bad" episode of STTNG spoils me too much to watch
>>Dr. Who anymore.
>
>Sure I've seen bad episodes in both, but neither stops me from watching!
>If you want to knock aliens in Dr. Who, you could also knock the aliens
>in ST:TNG which always seem to have bumbs in their head.  Human colonies 
>expanded all across the galaxy/universe? - as shown on the episode Frontios.
>(I believe).  The Master is crafty and has predicted what the doctor would
>do several times - I don't think they meet that much.  From the 4th doctor
>to the seventh they meet only a couple of times and that is a span of about
>200 years.  There does seem to be some inconsistencies, but about knowing
>his own future...he's only met himself in extreme emergencies when he's 
>taking out of his own time-line.  Never has he met himself by accident,
>I think it is a violation of the laws of time.  Anyway, they are both good,
>but perhaps it is not wise to venture in the realm of the other, since they
>both exist best in their own worlds.
>	Mystic
>(alex.soto@analog.com)
>

Actually, the Doctor did meet himself by accident.  Once.  In
an episode entitled the "Two Doctors".  In other words, it
doesn't happen that often.  The Master did show up a lot
in the third doctor's era, but that's only because he was
exiled to Earth and the Master knew where to find him.
Over 25 years there's going to be some inconsistencies.  There
are in ST:TNG too; just now someone mentioned that it was odd
that Data could only translate the number 3 in Cause and Effect
with the whole ship at his disposal and Picard was able
to tell Data 500 years later to "not shoot torpedoes at a cave
because it will destory the Earth" with a piece of iron filing
he happened to find near a rock in a cave.  You're right,
each show has its merits and faults.  Best not to say one is 
better or worse but enjoy both as seperate entities. 

That is until Guinan really does turn out to be a Timelord.

Marc
mwasserm@diana.cair.du.edu


-- 
"So you're choosing to run from your own people in a rackety old TARDIS?"
		     D  O  C  T  O  R     W  H  O
				30 Years
"Why not?  After all, that's how it all started!"
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