Doctor Who continuity question

[Uncle Yuan]

I'm having trouble figuring out the seasons and continuity for Doctor Who.  I finally got around to watching "Blink" and according to Netflix I am nearing the end of season three . . . and it looks like season four is also Tennant, which confuses me because I thought he only did two seasons.  I think Netflix has things arranged correctly, actually, so I will just work my way down the list.

My actual question is where do the "specials" fit in - The End of Time and The Waters of Mars?  They're both Tennant, but I'm kind of a stickler for continuity and I want to watch them in their "proper" places.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

First of all--Dr. Who continuity?  What continuity?

Now to your actually question, Tennant did three seasons, each with a different companion.  You are on season 3 with Martha, followed by Season 4 with Donna (last seen in the Christmas special The Runaway Bride) followed by 4 specials in the following order--The Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, Waters of Mars, and The End of Time.  The End of Time leads directly into Season 5, AKA Pure Awesomeness Part 1.  Seriously, if you thought New Who was good before, just hang onto your hat once Smith comes around.

[Uncle Yuan]

So all four "specials" take place after Tennant's last regular season?

I know lots of people who likewise rave about Smith.  While not discounting them, I do find that hard to believe as I find Tennant's Doctor to be incredibly good.  That being said, I also loved Eccleston's Doctor and was very disappointed when he left the show and was very skeptical about his replacement - who, as I just said, I think is doing a superlative job.  So I fully believe that Smith will also do a fine job.

But, damn Tennant is good.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Tennant was fantastic and when he left I just couldn't see how anyone could equal him.  Then Smith appeared and blew me out of the water.

I don't know if he's necessarily better than Tennant, but he is at least as good and the show itself is even better.  You'll see when you get there.

And all four of the specials named do indeed come after the fourth season.  There are actually several other specials, but they are rolled into the regular seasons for the most part.  Those that aren't are 5 minute things that, while fun, aren't essential.

I should also note that the last four specials are pretty essential.  The Last Doctor could be skipped (but shouldn't be, it's a fun one) but the next two built up towards the third.  Planet of the Dead prophesies the Doctor's end, Waters of Mars is vital to his overall character development and the last one is the big finish.

[Talavar]

I agree that, while I'm not certain Smith is better than Tennant, the show itself has been markedly better under Moffat than Davies.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

The Smith seasons are especially rewarding if you've watched the classic series, as there are many references to it.  I've only seen the first through third doctors myself and have picked up on tons of things brought back in the Eleventh era (message boxes, cybermats, ect.)

[Tomato]

The transition from Tennant to Smith is a tough one at first, admittedly, because it's had to see how the series could survive after such a crucial part of the series... but then you start watching the Smith stuff, and you realize the truth: the reason you can't imagine the series without Tennant is because he's all the show actually had. The plotlines are blah, the companions are blah (You'll argue with me until you meet Amy Pond), and Davis was only barely competent as series head. Moffat, by contrast, is an incredible writer, having done my favorite episodes of the series both before and after he took over. So while Smith may not be QUITE the Doctor Tennant was, you won't even care because the writing, companions, development, and general dialogue improve around him.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Plus the whole River Song storyline has been incredible so far.  You'll actually meet her in the Fourth season, but her storyline doesn't really kick in much until the Fifth season.

And yes, as 'Mato said, pretty much everything is better with Moffat.  Plus the writers appear to have actually watched and be fans of the classic show, which there is precious little sign of in the previous seasons.  If you haven't watched those, no big deal, but it's a HUGE bonus if you have.

[Mr. Hamrick]

I think I mentioned this before because I was watching the Tennant episodes fairly out of order but...

I can't stand Donna Noble.  (This is odd because I normally like red heads.)   I'm in a fair amount of agreement about the companions that Tennant had.  While everyone loves Rose Tyler, or seems to, she could have been written better than she was in several episodes after Tennant's run began. 

Generally, the Tennant episodes have either been hit or miss with me.  However, with two exceptions, none of the reasons I ever disliked a Tennant episode was because of Tennant.

As for the specials, I'm not sure how they are packaged on Netflix but on ITunes, they are packaged almost like a separate season.  It basically breaks down as

Season 1: Eccleston
Season 2, 3, 4, and four specials: Tennant
Season 5, 6, 7: Smith

[JKCarrier]

I can't stand Donna Noble.  (This is odd because I normally like red heads.)   I'm in a fair amount of agreement about the companions that Tennant had.  While everyone loves Rose Tyler, or seems to, she could have been written better than she was in several episodes after Tennant's run began.

I liked Rose better with Eccleston than with Tennant -- there was a little more edge to the Rose/Nine relationship, whereas Rose/Ten just got really sappy and schmaltzy. I wanted to like Martha, but she never really got off the ground because of the constant comparisons with Saint Rose. I *loved* Donna, because she was more of an old-school companion: a buddy, not a girlfriend. And like a good buddy, she would give him a sympathetic ear OR a kick in the pants, whichever was needed. I like Amy for much the same reason (and for the fact that she has a life outside the TARDIS, and isn't just the Doctor's appendage).

[Tomato]

Rose was annoying. Here's this little blond girl who pretty much whined at everyone, and generally was dumber than a post.

Martha was a better companion by far, but was always compared to rose. This would have been fine, but they also had this weird in love with the doctor thing that got silly.

Donna... I liked the character, but Tate herself is rather annoying. She was probably my favorite overall, just because she wasn't madly in love with the doctor, and she wasn't a complete moron.

[deano_ue]

it goes

1st amy
2nd donna/rory
3rd Idris/sexy
4th martha/rose combo

end of

both donna and amy are the only characters that are truely independent of the doctor, rory is just a hardcase. martha left no impact

and rose is just t. davis mary sue

[Mr. Hamrick]

Rose was annoying. Here's this little blond girl who pretty much whined at everyone, and generally was dumber than a post.

Martha was a better companion by far, but was always compared to rose. This would have been fine, but they also had this weird in love with the doctor thing that got silly.

Donna... I liked the character, but Tate herself is rather annoying. She was probably my favorite overall, just because she wasn't madly in love with the doctor, and she wasn't a complete moron.

I liked Rose better with Eccleston than with Tennant -- there was a little more edge to the Rose/Nine relationship, whereas Rose/Ten just got really sappy and schmaltzy. I wanted to like Martha, but she never really got off the ground because of the constant comparisons with Saint Rose. I *loved* Donna, because she was more of an old-school companion: a buddy, not a girlfriend. And like a good buddy, she would give him a sympathetic ear OR a kick in the pants, whichever was needed. I like Amy for much the same reason (and for the fact that she has a life outside the TARDIS, and isn't just the Doctor's appendage).

I think you nailed it, Tomato.  Odd thing about my dislike of Donna is that I think it is largely because I don't particularly like Catherine Tate as an actress.  I thought it might've been her as Donna the first time I saw her on there then I saw her in some non-Doctor Who stuff.  Therefore, I think it is more the actress than the character that I have taken a disliking, too. 

As for Rose, I've seen elsewhere that a lot of Whovian fans "love" Rose because of the whole "Rose and 10th Doctor clone" love thing.   I actually like Billie Piper, though, she just got "old" as Rose after a bit.  I definitely liked Martha and think she was probably my favorite of the 10th Doctor's companions UNLESS you count the one episode as Lady Christina De Souza that Michelle Ryan did.  I really thought something might could've been developed between those two that would have been very interesting.  Not so much in a "romantic" sense but more of the fact that she IS a thief and a lot less moral than The Doctor had been portrayed to that point.  PLUS, it was Michelle Ryan.   

[Magnificent]

I wish Eccelston would have stuck around for a few more seasons.  I think if he had done as much as Tennant had he might have given Tennant a run for being one of the best Doctors ever.

Which brings me to Tennant...  Anyone that can knock Baker off the pedestal (or even approach the pedestal, for that matter) as being the most memorable Doctor gets high marks in my book.  I wasn't really thrilled when he first showed up, but the little things he did won me over ("hmmm... new teeth!").  I think what I liked most of all was the transition Tennant's run made on the Doctor's character going from the more cynical edge Eccelston's Doctor had to Tennant's optimistic Doctor that wasn't afraid to make hard, harsh choices.  Tennant's run also saw an expansion of the Who-verse with Sara Jane coming back (yay!) and being set up with the beginnings of what looked to be her own series (R.I.P. ) as well as Torchwood.  The finale of his run was probably the best closure I've ever had with a series.

Matt Smith.  He's a bit quirky, which I like in a Doctor, and he's making the part his own but I don't have a feeling of connection with his portrayal like I did with Tennant's or Eccelston's (maybe it's that he doesn't have the cynicism or the harder edge?).  I do like that the story arcs seem to be more intricate and have a longer reach than before (how many seasons did River Song's story stretch?) as well as their doing nods to previous Doctors.

The sidekicks...
Rose - loved the eye candy Billie brought.  I'm glad they tied that storyline up tight with the clone.
Martha - She always seemed a bit forced to me.  I don't know if it was the writing, the actress, something else or some combination but Martha's inclusion (and her later position in the government) always came across as if it were an afterthought, like ANY actress could have played that part and done just as well.
Donna - I liked that Donna was disagreeable and LOVED the tough position her story put the Doctor in.  I thought that was very intriguing as opposed to how other companions have gone their own way.
Amy Pond - More eye candy   I like and I hate (yes, at the same time ;p) that there are teases that there may be more between she and the Doctor and then right as you believe it might be true -BAM!- the writers crush it.  Along with that I like that Rory is there with them although I would like to see his character grow a little instead of always being the bumbling comic relief.