Rose: Where Were You?

[Pip Madeley]

It's four years to the day since "Rose" was first broadcast on BBC1.

Where did you watch it? Were you already a big Who fan or was it your first time? Did you enjoy it or was it a letdown? Did Graham Norton rape your Auton-lovin' hood?

[SiHart]

I remember it well! We went for a long walk during the day up to Primrose Hill from Steve's place in West Hampstead. We walked past the big illuminated billboard with the return of Doctor Who Eccleston/ Billie poster on it. We looked down over London in the sunshine from the top of Primrose Hill. We popped into Woolworths (remember that shop?) on the way back at Swiis Cotrtage to buy some video tapes (remember them?) to record the new series on.

Then the day wore on. We went up to Watford, picked Steve's brother up from work and got fish and chips and went to Steve's parent's place in Croxley (they had a big telly!) to watch it. Couldn't get the video to work, so just sat down and watch it... and then suddenly Doctor Who was hurtling back to BBC One... and the titles started and the new music and wow! I just remember it seemed so fast paced. It probably isn't any more so than any other episode, but compared to what we were used to from Doctor Who it seemed amazing.

The episode finished and my phone started receiving texts from many of you lot and other friends and family wanting to know what I thought. I still really like the episode and in some ways it seems like yesterday.

Happy days!

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

I was simultaneously bamboozled and dissapointed (though not with the episode). I'd gone back to Clacton and was hoping some of my oldest friends might watch it with me. Instead, they went down the pub. They undoubtedly knew (and know) what Doctor Who means to me, but they couldn't spare me just 45 minutes, and so in the finest traditions of modern life crashing in to a child-like experience, I watched it with Mum and Dad knowing they were all out drinking.

When it was on, I found it very difficult to take in. It wasn't just the fact that it moved at a hundred miles an hour (or so it seemed then), but it was new Doctor Who! NEW DOCTOR WHO! New. Doctor! WHO! Like the Kandyman's sweets, I just wasn't equipped to handle the pleasure of new material after so many years of knowing what was going to happen next. I may have had wine as well, and the overall effect was akin to a computer flashing up a novel at the rate of a a page a second (while someone bashes you over the head with a rock and tells you your life is about to change all at the same time) and expecting you to take it in.

Wheeeeezoooooooom. That was "Rose". Blimey! Was it good, bad? No idea! Then had to walk in the pub.
"Was Doctor Who good?"
"Well, if you'd watched it, you'd know wouldn't you?"
Never forgive him for that.

Si.

[Dino]

I was minding my sisters dog, "Tikka". So to get in the mood I watched the big UK Gold (Back in the days when it was called that) Doctor Who marathon.
And to get further into the mood I decided to play act some Doctor Who where the Doctor was the dog! So not only was the Dr a dog, The Dr was also female! I played the companion.
Sadly, the dog wasn't as interested as I was! Although I did manage to make her bark whenever I whispered "Doctor Whooooo" at her!
I opened the back door to go outside (an alien planet see?) and the Doctor rushed into the corner of the yard and started eating one of her own turds.
I played along for a bit! "What is that your eating, Doctor? It's.... your just not feeling it are you Tikka?"
The hour came and I watched a bit of the countdown to show launch special programme that was on before it and then new Doctor Who! (Even though I tried to find it online the day before as it had leaked, didn't have the computer access I have now back then)

Mad thing was, it didn't seem like I was watching Doctor Who until the restaurant scene. It was when Auton Mikey kept saying "The Doctor" over and over it suddenly clicked! Despite seeing the Tardis in the background, despite "I'm the Doctor by the way!", that was the moment that made me think "Cor! Stone me! This is DOCTOR WHO!!!!" or words to that effect.

And I only had to talk to one negative creep I used to know at the time who hated it. He wanted it to begin in B+W with a Policeman looking at the TARDIS then the credits started...FAIL!!!!

[Alex]

I went over to Paul's to watch it, and we both enjoyed it massively - though he did think I was going mad at one point when I said "Was that...Graham Norton?" as he hadn't noticed it. We then went down t'pub to meet up with an old friend (and massive Old Who fan) who did his best to ruin our post-New-Who-high by going on and on about why he didn't enjoy it. Still, thankfully we changed the subject after a while, so it didn't spoil it too much.

[Andrew Curnow]

I've been thinking about this today, having spotted the date and... I can't remember!! Zel was working in the evening so spent the afternoon asleep (she emerged bleary-eyed about 2/3 of the way through). Claudia and I watched the documentary, and then I think we turned the TV off and had tea, and then we watched Rose - Claudia originally watched it only so that I'd let her stay up late, but really fell in love with it (we watched the Sunday BBC3 repeat solely because she wanted to). When she'd gone to bed, of course, I logged onto PS to discuss and to share the love!!

I remember the night before though - I was almost hyperactive, and watched Eccleston on Ross and then did every bit of ironing in the house till about 3 in the morning while listening to BF's Colditz (some bloked called David Tennant's in that one you know).

Actually I rewatched Rose a couple of weeks ago for the first time since, probably 2006 and still enjoyed it a great deal. It's hard to remember, though, just how exciting it was and how much of an unknown quantity it all was before it went out - we didn't really know how Eccleston would play the part, what the show would be like (I for one never expected it to be so damn funny!), anything. But yes, definitely, four years ago today was such an exciting time, absolutely... fantastic!!

[Simon R]

I was in Norwich.

Oddly.

[Captain Tancredi]

Is there any other way of being in Norwich?

I was sitting about two yards away from where I'm typing at this very moment.

I've just discovered my diary entry, actually, which reads "Watched a new episode of Doctor Who for the first time in sixteen years. This could be good."

I could reserve judgment for England.

[Jonno]

Did you not watch the TVM then, Ian?

I can't believe it was 4 years ago. I can't remember much of the day - certainly not to the clarity of the two Si's! - but I do recall watching Jonathan Ross the night before and then really wishing I'd taped a wonderful fairly lengthy compilation of clips which included Reapers and gas-masked zombies!

I did watch and record the countdown show and then sorting out dinner and making sure I'd finished eating it before 7 so I could give Rose my full attention. Like most of you, I remember being swept along by the sheer pace of it and can confirm that, having rewatched it quite recently, it's pretty much the same sort of pace we've become accustomed to now. So much so that I personally find much of the original series quite plodding now!

I also remember being on more of a high after I'd watched it than beforehand funnily enough. I know I spent most of the night online and really enjoying that shared feeling on a messageboard as never before, and I also remember that I couldn't sit down and really watch anything else properly for the rest of the night!

[Jeff]

I didn't get to watch it, not having high speed internet and certain applications we aren't allowed to speak about at the time. I do remember noting the time to my wife around mid-day here, that the new DW was showing in the UK... right now! Probably feeling both excited about it being back, and sorry for myself at the same time. She rolled her eyes being sick of me talking about it already. We were at my in-laws that day.

Soon after the first series ended Matt T was kind enough to send me some CD's with compressed videos taped off tv on them of the series so I didn't have to wait a full year or whatever it was to see them on Sci Fi. I used much self-discipline in pacing myself to one episode a week on my PC using Windows Media Player, but in the beginning I was so excited that I rewatched the episodes throughout the week, so I don't know how many times I saw Rose, but it was a lot! and I was excited each time. I must have all of the first 3 or 5 episodes multiple, multiple times.

[Dirk Gently]

I was in this very seat, having spent most of the day on-line in anticipation.
I got something in the post that I can not mention but resisted the temptation to watch it.
After 'Norton-gate' I never watched the taped Rose much but I did then give in to temptation & saw it repeatedly after.

[Si Hunt]

I was in the TV lounge, glued to "Sunday Night at the London Palladium".

Si.