Doctor Who

[Davros sock drawer]

The Doctor's character is starting to annoy me now. He's so relentlessly grumpy and mean. At one point, Lethbridge-Stewart rescues him from being shot, and all he can say is "couldn't you have been a bit quicker?" There is no joy in the man's hearts, he takes no pleasure at anything. Granted, being stuck on Earth could be the sole cause – I just can't see this man as someone who is filled with wonder and joy about the Universe. He'd more likely be annoyed that it's too bloody big.

"Thank you Brigadier - but for once in your life do you think you could manage to arrive before the nick of time?!"

Yeah, he's an arsehole. It's one of the reasons Pertwee is one of my least favourite Doctors. However, he does mellow, and he does have some nice moments as his tenure goes on. I watched The Time Warrior this week (from Pertwee's last season) and he's pretty great in that.

[HarMGM]

Watching The Time Warrior as well and Im quite captivated by it at the moment.

Should I be worried that I let out a little 'sqee' when Elizebeth Sladen appeared?

[Davros sock drawer]

She's instantly a much better companion than Jo, so no you shouldn't be worried at all!

[linkster]

Leela's still my favourite by a mile. I think it's really interesting she was conceived as just some scantily clad eye candy for the dads on a Saturday afternoon and yet is probably the best feminist role model of the original series. Can't be coincidence. Clever bunch of people.

[Bluejam]

Just ordered the Key To TIme boxset (Tom) and The Unit files (Pertwee). Think my son will like Invasion of the Dinosaurs as he is really into them at the moment.

HIs cheap plastic dinosaurs look more realistic than the ones in the episodes (But as its 70's who, all is forgiven)

Anyone collecting classic who on DVD here? Im a bit behind with the releases myself but determined to get them all in the next year. We must be coming to the end of the releases now?! I know Terror of the Zygons is upcoming but apart from re-releases and special editions i think thats it isnt it?

[Davros sock drawer]

Leela's still my favourite by a mile. I think it's really interesting she was conceived as just some scantily clad eye candy for the dads on a Saturday afternoon and yet is probably the best feminist role model of the original series. Can't be coincidence. Clever bunch of people.

Yeah, she's great, especially in Horror of Fang Rock. Shame about her duff exit though.

Just ordered the Key To TIme boxset (Tom) and The Unit files (Pertwee). Think my son will like Invasion of the Dinosaurs as he is really into them at the moment.

HIs cheap plastic dinosaurs look more realistic than the ones in the episodes (But as its 70's who, all is forgiven)

Anyone collecting classic who on DVD here? Im a bit behind with the releases myself but determined to get them all in the next year. We must be coming to the end of the releases now?! I know Terror of the Zygons is upcoming but apart from re-releases and special editions i think thats it isnt it?

A friend of mine has nearly all of them. Too many for me to collect, but I borrow them from time to time. I do own a handful though, and I bought The Ambassadors of Death a little while ago.

The most convenient format for me to watch them on is the iPhone though - four parters are £4.99 on iTunes.

[linkster]

Just ordered the Key To TIme boxset (Tom) and The Unit files (Pertwee). Think my son will like Invasion of the Dinosaurs as he is really into them at the moment.

HIs cheap plastic dinosaurs look more realistic than the ones in the episodes (But as its 70's who, all is forgiven)

Anyone collecting classic who on DVD here? Im a bit behind with the releases myself but determined to get them all in the next year. We must be coming to the end of the releases now?! I know Terror of the Zygons is upcoming but apart from re-releases and special editions i think thats it isnt it?

Nah I saw alll the ones I was interesed in back when UK gold ran them (minus daleks, some legal dispute)

Still I'm selling a load of books if you are interested

[linkster]

Yeah, she's great, especially in Horror of Fang Rock. Shame about her duff exit though.

well, she's just a woman

[Davros sock drawer]

Watch it Bentface, she'll cut out your heart!

[linkster]

"I too used to believe in magic. Then the doctor taught me about science. It is better to believe in science."

Well, that's religion sorted

[Davros sock drawer]

And quite right too.

Doesn't the Doctor give her an explanation of the Tardis which is basically the "This cow is small...but those are far away...." speech from Father Ted?

[linkster]

And quite right too.

Doesn't the Doctor give her an explanation of the Tardis which is basically the "This cow is small...but those are far away...." speech from Father Ted?

I can remember that word for word. Ends with Leela saying "that's silly"

it's great though, it's those little back and forths where the show chucks in huuuuuuuuuuuuuugge ideas so succinctly for a young audience that i always loved about it, and why I immediately liked the show's reboot

[Iain]

And quite right too.

Doesn't the Doctor give her an explanation of the Tardis which is basically the "This cow is small...but those are far away...." speech from Father Ted?

[Fireproofradiator]

It's beautifully written and performed that. Saw it the other night - is it in Robots of Death?

[Davros sock drawer]

I believe so. Robots of Death is one of my all time favourite stories, but the whole of season 14 (plus Horror of Fang Rock from season 15) is just brilliant. Deadly Assassin, Talons of Weng Chiang - just peerless classics.

[linkster]

This is shockingly amateur but still some amazing moments (especially 55s)

[WibbleWorldGiddy]

Yeah, she's great, especially in Horror of Fang Rock. Shame about her duff exit though.

I like her as a character, but I think she's been ruined in audio form. Big Finish seem to have made a decision that she should speak in a slightly stilted manner, enunciating every word and avoiding contractions whenever possible. I bought one of the recent BF 4th Doctor stories, but found that the vocal style increasingly irritating and completely gave up on the 4th Doctor audios with her in it.

[Davros sock drawer]

There's a bit in Fang Rock where The Doctor casually summarises their position. He says something like "We're all in terrible danger and by the morning we may all be dead", and for some reason it gives me a little thrill, the way he says it.

[linkster]

There's a bit in Fang Rock where The Doctor casually summarises their position. He says something like "We're all in terrible danger and by the morning we may all be dead", and for some reason it gives me a little thrill, the way he says it.

"deal with it" etc

Again I think this is why ecclestone's doctor was for me the closest in spirit to baker, he had such tremendous fun putting any aquaintance outside their comfort zone

[HarMGM]

A new pic from series 7 part two has been revealed:

Look closely and you'll find one of the villians in the picture(spoilers!).

I'm pretty sure that's David Warner as an Ice Warrior. I'd recognize that chin anywhere!

[Davros sock drawer]

I like it. Very faithful to the originals.

[Harsin]

His coat's a bit later seasons Tom Baker isn't it.

[HarMGM]

That bowtie gives me a Willy Wonka-esque feeling though.

[Davros sock drawer]

Yeah, not so keen on his new outfit.

Watched Carnival of Monsters on the way home last night. Hadn't seen it in a while. Very enjoyable, although it's very creaky looking in parts. There's a bit at the end where Vorg is doing the three cups one ball trick, and he's doing it on a table made out of corrugated cardboard! The Drashigs look great though, and it's just a really cracking little yarn. Robert Holmes again of course.

I'm going to watch Claws of Axos again on the way home tonight, in preparation for Sprite's next write up.

[Davros sock drawer]

"deal with it" etc

Again I think this is why ecclestone's doctor was for me the closest in spirit to baker, he had such tremendous fun putting any aquaintance outside their comfort zone

Found the exact quote:

"Gentlemen, I've got news for you: This lighthouse is under attack and by tomorrow morning we might all be dead. Anyone interested?"

All delivered with the world's widest grin of course.

[Sprite Machine]

I'm going to watch Claws of Axos again on the way home tonight, in preparation for Sprite's next write up.

I've beaten you to it, sorry.

The Claws of Axos

(Blog has pictures)

It would seem the Master didn't get very far in time and space before somebody caught him and brought him back to Earth. And it's fortunate for the Doctor that this somebody, the Axos, decided to land in England, rather than anywhere else in the world!

[Picture: The Axos ship descends upon Earth.]

Under the guise of a friendly distress call, the Axos appeal to UNIT and the British government to help them restore power to their crashed ship – a biological machine that needs nutrients to survive. In return, they will give Earth the power to grow and reproduce bio matter. However, really, the Master has lured them here in exchange for his own freedom, and the Axos want to absorb all the bio-energy of Earth, leaving it lifeless.

[Picture: The humanoid appearance is not all it seems. Nevertheless, they have an interesting look.]

For its time, the Axos ship is quite an ambitious thing. The outside looks strangely familiar. I think it's possibly the same model used for the alien ship in 'Ambassadors of Death', but I'd have to check that. Inside, organic-looking walls and doors are lined with moving tentacles, creatures and pulsating... things. The occupants' humanoid appearance is merely a disguise and really they look like people wearing pyjamas made from twigs and pizza.

[Picture: The Axos true appearance. Dangerous, too!]

There's a lot of deception in this one. The Master deceives the Axos, the Axos deceive the humans, even the Doctor deceives everybody when he decides to team up with the Master and escape in his Tardis and leave the humans to die... but then actually deceives the Master and the Axos by locking them in a time loop!

[Picture: The interior of the Tardis! As seen in colour for the first time ever!! It looks exactly the same!!!]

I must admit, I was entertained. Cool aliens, some Tardis action, and the whole thing told in a mere four parts. The Doctor isn't so much of an annoyance here, either. For a moment, I thought he was going to go the full-on ruthless bastard route and leave them to die, but it was only a ruse, he does care, really. A couple of times, he's quite funny.

The music is worth a mention, too. It's gotten progressively 'synthy' and overt in the last couple of seasons, and here it practically sounds like retro videogame music at times. Very distinctive, if a little distracting.

[Picture: The lightspeed accelerator facility... perhaps a little optimistic for the 1970s.]

Finally, the Master is as fun to watch as ever. It's unclear whether he escapes the Axos ship at the end, but I'm guessing he does. Sadly, the Doctor remains trapped on Earth. Despite repairs to his Tardis, it seems the Time Lords have programmed it to always return there. Pfft... so what's new?!

[Davros sock drawer]

Cool, glad you liked this one. It gets a bit of a bad press but I thought it was really enjoyable.

I dabbled a bit with sculpting action figure heads in 1/6th scale a couple of years ago (I did the character in my Avatar, Doomlord), and I made a start on an Axon head. I might pick it up again at some point - most relaxing mucking about with clay.

[Sprite Machine]

It's odd, I have idea how well or badly received any of these old episodes were, except for the handful of names that crop up in conversion enough times (Genesis of the Daleks or Tomb of the Cybermen, for instance). It's nice to have no preconceptions.

[Davros sock drawer]

Well, certain stories just have a rep with the fans as being classics or duffers. Most of the time I agree with the general consensus, but occasionally not. There are a couple of stories, The Creature from the Pit for example, which I think are great fun - but most people consider them the absolute bottom of the barrel.

[davidcotton]

I've beaten you to it, sorry.

The Claws of Axos

(Blog has pictures)

It would seem the Master didn't get very far in time and space before somebody caught him and brought him back to Earth. And it's fortunate for the Doctor that this somebody, the Axos, decided to land in England, rather than anywhere else in the world!

[Picture: The Axos ship descends upon Earth.]

Under the guise of a friendly distress call, the Axos appeal to UNIT and the British government to help them restore power to their crashed ship – a biological machine that needs nutrients to survive. In return, they will give Earth the power to grow and reproduce bio matter. However, really, the Master has lured them here in exchange for his own freedom, and the Axos want to absorb all the bio-energy of Earth, leaving it lifeless.

[Picture: The humanoid appearance is not all it seems. Nevertheless, they have an interesting look.]

For its time, the Axos ship is quite an ambitious thing. The outside looks strangely familiar. I think it's possibly the same model used for the alien ship in 'Ambassadors of Death', but I'd have to check that. Inside, organic-looking walls and doors are lined with moving tentacles, creatures and pulsating... things. The occupants' humanoid appearance is merely a disguise and really they look like people wearing pyjamas made from twigs and pizza.

[Picture: The Axos true appearance. Dangerous, too!]

There's a lot of deception in this one. The Master deceives the Axos, the Axos deceive the humans, even the Doctor deceives everybody when he decides to team up with the Master and escape in his Tardis and leave the humans to die... but then actually deceives the Master and the Axos by locking them in a time loop!

[Picture: The interior of the Tardis! As seen in colour for the first time ever!! It looks exactly the same!!!]

I must admit, I was entertained. Cool aliens, some Tardis action, and the whole thing told in a mere four parts. The Doctor isn't so much of an annoyance here, either. For a moment, I thought he was going to go the full-on ruthless bastard route and leave them to die, but it was only a ruse, he does care, really. A couple of times, he's quite funny.

The music is worth a mention, too. It's gotten progressively 'synthy' and overt in the last couple of seasons, and here it practically sounds like retro videogame music at times. Very distinctive, if a little distracting.

[Picture: The lightspeed accelerator facility... perhaps a little optimistic for the 1970s.]

Finally, the Master is as fun to watch as ever. It's unclear whether he escapes the Axos ship at the end, but I'm guessing he does. Sadly, the Doctor remains trapped on Earth. Despite repairs to his Tardis, it seems the Time Lords have programmed it to always return there. Pfft... so what's new?!

There's also the big finish sequel "feast of axos" if you're really interested!