Doctor Who

[Davros sock drawer]

"Finest tower" - nice!

I would have been 13 when this was originally broadcast, and I distinctly remember cringing myself inside out. In fact I think this may have been the last episode of the classic series that I watched on its original transmission, because it was so, so shit.

[Mogster]

So, The Light At The End then. It appears to have travelled back in time a month and come out early.

http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/quickinfo/the-light-at-the-end-limited-collector-s-edition-860

[Sprite Machine]

Delta and the Bannermen

(Blog has pictures)

One awful serial is to be expected now and again; call it a slip in judgement. Two in row is an anomalous accident, perhaps. But three absolutely awful serials in a row? This can only be by design. For one reason or another, the powers that be have turned Doctor Who into a very strange, very silly, programme, which this time seems intent on mimicking an episode of Hi-de-Hi. That is, if Hi-de-Hi was set in Wales and had alien bounty hunters in it. I've probably made that sound far more interesting than it actually is.

[Picture: The Nostalgia Tours "space bus" hits a satellite and crashes. Oh, what japes!]

I'm not adverse to comedy in sci-fi - in fact, some of my favourite Star Trek episodes are ones that don't take themselves too seriously. Unfortunately, this era of Doctor Who just isn't funny. I think laughed once, and that was when one of the (awful) American characters says "we're in Wales... in England".

[Picture: Ken Dodd as the toll master, because... well, why not?]

There are hints of seriousness, of war and genocide in a far away galaxy, as if somebody is trying to inject a bit of serious drama into the show, but it's all at odds with the overall 'campy' tone. Even when the bus-load of alien tourists is blown up, it's almost played for laughs and then forgotten about. The characters are paper-thin caricatures (although I must say, "Ray" gets by on good looks and a sexy accent - she should have been the new companion, darn it!). The Doctor has a fairly good confrontation with Gavrock in which he pushes his luck in a rather endearing way, but that's about it. I quite like this new Doctor, but it's so frustrating not letting him sink his teeth into a meaty role. Speaking of meat, Gavrock chewing on a big lump of the stuff is really quite disgusting.

[Picture: Gavrock misses an opportunity to drastically improve the show when he spares Mel's life.]

It's just so bad, it's painful to watch. The music is absolutely awful. Some of it is rubbish cover versions of fifties songs, and then there's the use of the "Devil's Galop" during the chases, which does nothing to help the naffness of the thing. And the bit with the green baby - oh my god, what were they thinking? And Queen Delta can communicate with bees or something? What? THIS IS COMPLETELY STUPID!

[Picture: Did it just grow a green onesie or is that supposed to be its skin?]

I have almost nothing good to say about this one at all. I think we've just struck solid Low, buried fifty feet underneath Lowtown, in Lowestoft. Let's keep it down there and forget this whole thing ever happened.

[Zio]

It does improve, honestly. Next season, with the possible exception of it's second serial, is like a completely different show.

McCoy is actually "my" Doctor, as I was 9 years old when his next season was originally broadcast and was lapping it all up on a weekly basis. Even now I'm older and allegedly wiser, I still rate him fairly highly as Doctors go. Just a shame his opening season is so awful.

[Hideous Kojima]

Yeah, I really like the next two seasons coming up. They largely do away with the forced (studio-imposed I believe) silly comedy and take a more character-based angle, slightly reminiscent of Clara's sort of arc in its approach. I have fond memories of Ghost Light, Remembrance and Fenric, and even Battlefield, which should be silly, but is rather fun - it also has in my opinion the best looking/made up baddie in classic Who. Sly also really settles into the role and while this Doctor retains a "doesn't suffer fools gladly" air from Colin, it's much more subtle (he's more 'slightly agitated' by human misjudgment and such) and he ends up sort of feeling like an approachable schoolteacher or such, sort of (there's a better way of wording it but it escapes me ).

[Teabag]

One more to go Sprite. You can do this.

[davidcotton]

So, The Light At The End then. It appears to have travelled back in time a month and come out early.

http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/quickinfo/the-light-at-the-end-limited-collector-s-edition-860

Listened to this today at work and it's really good. Lot's of proper multi doc interaction (8+4 in particular) and so on. Geoffrey Beevers as the Master is also top notch. It's virtually stand alone from the rest of the big finish stuff going on atm which means you don't need to hear anything else to enjoy it (though that does mean you may be less familiar with 8 and India Fisher as Charley).

[Teabag]

That's good, I was wondering if they'd released it early because they'd heard DWM were going to slate it or something.

[Sprite Machine]

Dragonfire

(Blog has pictures)

This has been a thoroughly terrible season so far, but thankfully Dragonfire tries its best to pull it back from the brink. The setting is a lively shopping district on the imaginatively-named Iceworld, populated by the hustle and bustle of aliens coming and going. While it still has a slightly silly feel with a sprinkling of slapstick here and there, Dragonfire is a good old-fashioned adventure, going after a mythical dragon and his treasure, exploring caves with a old map, and uncovering a three-thousand year-old mystery. It has a good sense of fun and even Sabalom Glitz returns for some more mischief.

[Picture: Kane's frozen base of operations.]

Kane is a cool villain (quite literally) with a heart as cold as ice. He casually murders a whole bunch of people after chasing them into a boobytrapped spaceship. It's strange that no-one comments on that afterwards. Kane's death is unexpectedly brilliant as he melts in front of an unfiltered window, in a scene eerily reminiscent of the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I wonder how that got through in a kids' show!

[Picture: Nightmares.]

Dragonfire introduces new companion Ace, a 20-century Earth girl who got pulled into some sort of time/space vortex that landed her a waitressing job in Iceworld. Appropriately her real name is Dorothy - perhaps she should have tried clicking her heels together? I'm not convinced she's that much better than Mel just yet - their scenes together are a bit "Grange Hill" for my liking, and I reckon her catchphrases could grate. Brill or naff? It remains to be seen. Still, I'm definitely glad to see the back of Mel, but her exit comes out of the blue. She's just... had enough? If she actually had some character in the first place, it might make more sense. A total non-entity, purely there to fill a void and scream. Good riddance.

[Picture: The ice caves look cheap and repetitive, but what can you do?]

Dragonfire has a few issues, certainly. The actual 'dragon' monster itself is decidedly ropey, looking like somebody cosplaying the alien from Alien. The literal cliffhanger at the end of part one is inexplicable, but McCoy does good physical comedy and the expressions on his face are priceless. It's a solid story overall, if a little rushed towards the end, and shows some genuine promise. A shining ice crystal amongst a season of tepid water, then.

[Picture: What a strange mess to get himself into.]

[Zio]

Ace is about 18 million times better as a companion than that awful Mel ever was. Plus I met Sophie Aldred a couple of years ago and she's lovely!

[Mogster]

Someone posted a video about that cliffhanger earlier in the thread. Apparently there was a reason for it at some point in the story's development which was later scrapped, but the scene remained for no reason whatsoever.

[Davros sock drawer]

Apparently Kane's death was longer and more gruesome but got edited down. I think it's a terrific effect, it really looks like the actor.

[Sprite Machine]

Remembrance of the Daleks

(Blog has pictures)

There has been an enduring image in my mind since age six, which is brought into focus whenever the word 'Dalek' is spoken. This is an image of the Doctor peering into the open top of a Dalek casing and a clawed hand or beak reaching out and grabbing him by the neck. This is my earliest memory of Doctor Who, an image that has stayed with me for 25 years, and I've finally found where it was from! Wednesday, October the 19th, 1988.

[Picture: A strange sensation. The fine details have faded over the years, but I distinctly recall watching this scene 25 years ago (probably from behind the sofa).]

Remembrance of the Daleks has its own historic date, set as it is in 1963, taking place around the time and place of the very first episode, the school and junk yard in Shoreditch. There are plenty of references to 'An Unearthly Child', as well as an in-joke while Ace is watching a television broadcast, and the announcer almost says Doctor Who is about to start. It's cute, but perhaps that's taking an homage too far! The pre-UNIT military taskforce is investigating a Dalek incursion, and it turns out to be one of the best Dalek stories in quite some time.

[Picture: A Dalek hovers up some stairs, dispelling the myth that stairs can thwart them! Funny, I wrongly assumed this didn't happen until the 2005 series.]

Remembrance is quite 'plotty', but not overly so. There's the central focus on the two Dalek factions looking for the Hand of Omega to control time, and within the ruckus is the Doctor taking charge of the military and causing an awful lot of explosions. There's some great misdirection, as we're led to believe the renegade Daleks are commanded by Davros and the Imperial Daleks by the Emperor. There's the mysterious little girl who seems to know more than she should. There's the military man on the inside giving information to the traitorous group working for the Daleks. There's even actual themes explored, like using the Dalek segregation as an allegory for racism. It's a very smartly written story, all told.

[Picture: That Dalek armour is no match for Ace's turbo-powered baseball bat.]

It's also the first chance Sylvester McCoy has had to properly get into the character of the Doctor. He's actually really good in this. Curious, cunning, quick-witted and commanding. He's got the right balance of respect and annoyance for humanity and gets to give a good talking to Davros at the end. There's a scene where he mentions to Ace about previous monster invasions (Yetis, Loch Ness monster), and the human capacity to deceive themselves, which is a knowing wink to the way everything on Earth seems to return to normal (a habit unbroken by the modern series). Ace is also turning out to be a capable and worthwhile character. She's given a lot of the action roles in this, smashing up Daleks with a various weapons (baseball bat, rocket launcher) and diving through windows.

[Picture: The Daleks bring in the heavy guns. A 'special weapons' variant. Nice.]

A lot of the production is set outdoors or in real locations, which does lend an appealing sense of realism. The visual effects are quite ambitious and the amount of explosions is insane. The "oh, I reprogrammed the McGuffin" resolution is perhaps a bit cheap, but wiping out Skaro is a dramatic conclusion, fitting for the Daleks' final appearance in the classic era, making sure they go out with a bang (or several!). Remembrance starts to feel modern, in production, direction and writing, but it's also my earliest (and perhaps only) memory of the classic era show. The title is appropriate, then, and the story is a good one. I enjoyed this a lot.

[Yartek]

I've mentioned it before, but after three series of really not enjoying the show and being on the verge of stopping watching, this came along and made me believe in the show again. My favourite scene is the one in the cafe where the Doctor ponders about time. Some great, iconic moments in there and some good guest stars (lovely to see Michael Sheard again) along with quite impressive effects for UK television at the time.

You mentioned the explosions, one of them was...a bit bigger than expected and resulted in car alarms being set off and the fire brigade being called.and arriving to see Daleks coming out of the smoke.

[Davros sock drawer]

Glad you enjoyed that one Sprite. I'm not quite so forgiving, and I'm not a fan of Ace's cheesy "teenage" attitude, but it's certainly a marked improvement on the previous season.

[Teabag]

This is the good shit. Having so much dalek action in a school when most of the intended audience probably still go to school was a great move. Loved the extended chase with Ace smashing up the science lab, culminating in an almost Pertwee-esque rescue as the doctor turns up with a maguffin and some soldiers.

[kensei]

Unlimited rice pudding validates the McCoy era on its own.

[kensei]

Also Davros, when you are 7 years old Ace is cool. She actually has a decent arc too.

[Davros sock drawer]

Meh. You can still have a character and performance that appeals to both the 7 year old and the adult viewer. I think a lot of her performances are pretty embarrassing. Better in Ghost Light and Fenric though, I admit.

[Teabag]

Ghost Light is possibly the best story since Androzani, though a very different beast. Even the Times gave it a good review when it went out.

[Davros sock drawer]

It needs a couple of watches though IMO. First time round it's a bit confusing.

[Teabag]

My folks used to watch Corrie so they'd record Doctor Who for me. Then they accidentally recorded Corrie so I got evil Alan being hit by a tram instead of the first ten minutes of Ghost Light part three, which is when all the explanations happen. I was basically fucked until bought the script book two years later.

[Sprite Machine]

The Happiness Patrol

(Blog has pictures)

Tonight's episode of Doctor Who is sponsored by Bertie Bassett. I mean, really, just as the show is starting to improve, it descends into pantomime again. The Kandy Man probably seemed like a clever idea at the time, a squeaky-voiced sugar-coated psychopathic robot, but it's just laughably bad to watch, and only adds to the overriding feeling of silliness in this serial.

[Picture: The Doctor and Ace confront the Kandy Man. Those eyes! Those spinning eyes!]

Which is a shame, because it does have some good ideas, or at least good intentions. "What if it was illegal to be unhappy" is the sort of nightmarish scenario that creates some of the best conceptual science-fiction, however it's just too broad to work. At every level you just think "that would never happen". It's just not feasible for anybody to enforce a society where happiness is mandatory. Not without some other sci-fi element at work, a psychic energy field or mood altering drugs in the water supply, something like that. The Happiness Patrol takes an all too simplistic approach - if you're looking miserable, you're put out of your misery. It's satirical, it's political, it's possibly saying something insightful about the nature of happiness, but it just doesn't hold together.

[Picture: The Happiness Patrol. Smile, or else!]

Fortunately, Sylvester McCoy is pretty great in this and I'm already warming to his style. He has an impressive range in just this one story, at one point talking a sniper out of shooting him by bluntly putting the nature of death in front of him, and then later roaring in fake laughter to confuse the armed guards. The other cast are not so good. Sheila Hancock is fine (particularly at the end when she's crying over her dead dog puppet thing), but Georgina Hale hams it up with her nasally speech that ruins everything she says. The other cast are forgettable and Ace is her usual rebellious teenage self.

[Picture: Nothing says "sad ending" like a dog dying.]

While some of the production is well-accomplished, the overall look of this serial is cheap and small. This is supposed to be a vast human colony, but it seems to contain a couple of tiny streets. It very badly looks like a small television or stage set, especially when the Doctor is making a getaway in his little buggy, travelling at a generous five miles per hour. Perhaps better direction could have helped it, but I'm not sure. The camera work in the tunnels is better, but not great.

[Picture: Earl's blues playing is the highlight of the musical score. Mmm... melancholy.]

No, I'm afraid this one did not hit the mark. Its silliness, cheapness and naffness undermine any social point it's trying to make, and I'm not quite sure what point that is anyway. Still, it has created something of an iconic villain, even if it's for the wrong reasons.

[Professor Puzzles]

Death by large quantities of yoghurt terrified me when I saw this one back when I was a lad.

[Zio]

The Happiness Patrol was shit even when I was 9 years old. IMO, this is the last true low-point for the series till it ends.

[Davros sock drawer]

Such a weird story. It's intended as satire, but it just fails as entertainment.

The bit with the sniper is great though, and often cited in the "Best Doctor Who Moments Ever" type polls.

[El Pibe]

I loved this one as a kid because the baddie terrified me! Not sure I'd risk watching it now!

[SeanR]

BFI showing of An adventure in space and time:

http://www.doctorwho.tv/cs-lewis-meets-hg-wells-meets-father-christmas

[Huz]

The Happiness Patrol is such a shame. It shows a lot of promise in the opening scene - the deserted street set looks nice, the jib camera shows it off quite well, the music lends a certain, weird futuristic film noir ambience, the conversation with the Happiness Patrol agent sets the situation up nicely. But then all unravels, you get a sinking feeling that it's going to be another Paradise Towers, an ill-conceived satire on something or other that doesn't really work, and finally the bloody Candyman appears. It's not just a terrible monster in its own right, it's awful because it's the one thing about Doctor Who that people can mock and there's nothing you can say in its defence.

Funny that you found where your mental image of a Dalek came from, Sprite Machine. I got into watching the Doctor Who classic series on UK Gold because I was flicking through the channels when a McCoy serial was on and it just seemed... oddly familiar. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was as though I'd seen the story played out before, despite having no conscious memory of having seen any Doctor Who as a child. And then there was a particular 'reveal' before a cliffhanger that I immediately recognised as something I'd seen early in my life and held onto as a weird mental image, which I always assumed was from the front cover of a book I'd seen, or something. But here it was in Doctor Who, too similar to be a coincidence! I watched the rest of the serial with the same feeling of familiarity, but I couldn't have told you what was going to happen.

Anyway, that one was Battlefield, which you've got coming up, so I won't say too much more about it! I watched the remaining McCoys and they didn't trigger any memories, so I'm not sure what was so special about Battlefield. Perhaps it was repeated after a few years and the others weren't? I was only 5 in 1989, so I dunno whether I'd have been forming memories from things on TV at that age or not.

[Sprite Machine]

Silver Nemesis

(Blog has pictures)

Another season, another disappointing Cybermen story, although I don't expect much from them anymore. As this is their last appearance in the classic series, it is fitting that they go out with a bang, much like the Daleks did, but that's not the only similarity with 'Remembrance of the Daleks' - the plot is rather familiar too.

[Picture: One more time. The Cybermen's final appearance in shiny jump suits.]

So, there's an all-powerful god-like statue thing (the Nemesis) about to collide with the Earth, that the Doctor sent into orbit in the 17th century, and the Cybermen have rocked up to Earth to claim it for their own. They have rivals also searching for the Nemesis, namely some 1988 neo-nazis (the Fourth Reich) and a time-travelling sorceress and her servant from 1638. There is little time to develop the character motivations, unfortunately, so we're left with three underwhelming groups of villains.

[Picture: The Doctor completes the living metal statue by giving it back its bow.]

There is some hint of a sort of non-linear storytelling early on, when Ace sees a painting of her in Windsor Castle that she hasn't had painted yet, but nothing ever comes of it. The Doctor's previous (unseen) adventure in the 17th century is alluded to, and there are some hints of a dark secret that he has that the Nemesis (and sorceress) knows of, but, again, it's not explained. It's just a tease, a way to inject some mystery into the character. Which is fine, but it was pointless here.

[Picture: I wonder if the Tardis set was unavailable, because the usual machinations take place outdoors, using this upgraded tape deck.]

I do enjoy the anachronistic elements of these types of stories. Lady Peinforte and Richard walking around modern day England, struggling to understand the culture and technology, but these comedic scenes take away from the serious tone of the story. The bit with the Queen walking her corgis around the grounds is just plain weird.

[Picture: They had to use a double for this sequence; the real corgis were busy.]

Elsewhere, the Cybermen are relatively unthreatening, failing to hit their targets at close range, and falling for the Doctor's rudimentary tricks. I don't know if it speaks more of the Doctor's cunning or of the Cybermen's stupidity that his "piggy-in-the-middle" trick with the bow actually works. The Cybermen are all talk, no action. Ace takes out loads with some gold coins and by knowing how to duck. Ducking is a technique that solves so many confrontations, it seems!

[Picture: The hidden cyber fleet orbits the Earth.]

This isn't particularly good, then, but it has some fun humour and some of the action is good. While it's hardly unwatchable, it is messy and, at times, rather silly.