New Titles

[SiHart]

Rumours abound that the titles will be having an overhaul for Matt Smith's first season and could see a return of the Doctor's face in the titles.

Is this a good idea? Is it now too cheesy for TV (as some posters on some other forums seem to think) or can it be made to work again?

Let's have some specualtion about what you'd like to see from a new title sequence and please feel free to vote of you want the titles faceless or not!

Si xx

[Pip Madeley]

I think the return of the face would be good, but let's have it different - a moving image rather than a still/barely animated photograph. Let's get with the times!

[Rob McCow]

If they can find a way to do it and make it look good, we should definitely have Matt's face in the title sequence! In a sparkly time bubble, winking, moving about, smiling, doing a jig, whatever, just as long as it fits in.

[Si Hunt]

The Doctor's face in the titles is no more cheesy and no less uniquely Doctor Who than the TARDIS, the sonic screwdriver or the Daleks. They're all basically magical, naff yet somehow totally cool ideas that transcend time and fashion. So I say reclaim it, and let's have the return of the face, the roundels and a futuristic console room.

Si.

[SiHart]

To be honest I can't see why having the Doctor's face in the titles is cheesy either. As long it's done properly then I think it could look great- I've always had this image of the time vortex swirling in the Doctor's eye in my mind- don't quite know why, but that could look really cool!

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

Ah, so a bit like the Young Master from Sound of Drums?

[SiHart]

Yeah that kind of thing- I imagine seeing the Doctor and then going for an extreme close up of his eye and then zooooooooming into the vortex and TARDIS and stuff.

Si xx

[Dino]

Voted against as the titles should be as short as possible so we can have more of the episode?
As long as he doesn't wink if they do have his face in the titles!
But we have survived long enough without this?

[Si Hunt]

Voted against as the titles should be as short as possible so we can have more of the episode?
As long as he doesn't wink if they do have his face in the titles!
But we have survived long enough without this?

I don't get either why the Doctor's face being in the titles would make them any longer, nor why something is apparently a bad idea because we have "survived" without it. We did, in fact, survive without no Doctor Who at all for quite a long time, but it was undoubtedly still a good idea to bring it back.

Si.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I voted no simply because of the face in question, not because of the concept. Don't want the kiddies running behind the sofa too soon

[Si Hunt]

I'm sure Mat Smith doesn't think you're a peach either.

Si.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I knew you'd rise to the bait

[shada pavlova]

Yeah that kind of thing- I imagine seeing the Doctor and then going for an extreme close up of his eye and then zooooooooming into the vortex and TARDIS and stuff.

Si xx

There may be a good reason for you imagining that:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pkgVNbg4Zo

[Si Hunt]

I knew you'd rise to the bait

And I knew you'd have to post something controversial and slightly mean spirited

Si.

[Larry]

I voted no I'm not sure cheesy is the right word but I do feel the Doctor's face on the opening credits is now a little dated.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

And I knew you'd have to post something controversial and slightly mean spirited

Si.

Surely it would only be controversial if I was the only person who suggested he has a slightly strange face. Rather than just one of many

[Si Hunt]

Yes, you have a good point.

Just mean spirited, then.

Si.

[Simon R]

They should get Matt Smith to record some words to fit the music.

"Doctor Who, Doctor Who, Doctor Who is after you, Doctor Who, Doctor Who, Doctor Who is after yooooooooooooou"

and so on and so forth.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I voted no I'm not sure cheesy is the right word but I do feel the Doctor's face on the opening credits is now a little dated.

I don't really get why though. Plenty of programmes show the main characters in the opening credits, usually in clips from the show though. Others don't. I can't actually think of another programme off the top of my head that showed the main character's face in the credits in a stylised way, apart from "Sorry". It's not something I would particularly associate with the 70s or 80s anyway, I would just associate it with Doctor Who. So I can't see how it's any more dated than having Doctor Who on at all.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Yes, you have a good point.

Just mean spirited, then.

Si.

Well you know, just a joke and all that, no big deal.

[Andrew Curnow]

Yay, face in the credits, it'll be lovely.

For a cynical old grump, I'm actually quite jolly & excited looking forward to season 5.

[Rob McCow]

What we need are lots of clips of the main cast looking at the camera and smiling, before doing something heroic - like the new version of Knight Rider.

Or just the words 'Doctor Who', slowly panning across the screen like in Lost.

Best of all would be Season 2 style Babylon 5 titles, with all the actors in the episode appearing inside big question marks that comes out of the screen towards the viewer. Awesome!

[Antony Cox]

I can't actually think of another programme off the top of my head that showed the main character's face in the credits in a stylised way, apart from "Sorry".

Blake's 7?

I voted 'yes' for the return of the face. I don't think it's one of those things that can ever be classed as 'dated', it's just up to the individual producer's choice as to whether it happens or not. I just think it would be a nice nod to the clasic series, and like it or loathe it, he does have a very interesting face!

Edited to add: Oh, and I'd like the theme to return to it's more pure electronic sound; it sounds far more etherial and sinister that way.

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

Yes to the face!!!

I agree with Ant about the music - I would rather they did that than do anything to the titles - of course if they change both then that would be great!

[Stuart Wallis]

I can't actually think of another programme off the top of my head that showed the main character's face in the credits in a stylised way, apart from "Sorry".

Poirot, in a way that could easily frighten very young children, the way his face starts breaking up.

I'm not really bothered either way. It was a good way to establish who the star was this year, given the change of actor every so often. That said, I've not missed it since the new series started.