Doctor Who

[Sprite Machine]

It's really nice to read reviews that don't go 'Lol! old shit!' and show a lot of love for the series but didn't grow up with it like I did.

Thanks, glad you're enjoying them! As I say on my About page:

Isn't old Doctor Who a load of rubbish?

Some of it is, actually! But then, some of anything is rubbish; that's the nature of things. Some of it is excellent, some of it is mediocre. This is also true of 'modern' Doctor Who, which varies greatly in quality from one episode to the next. This is no different. Old or new, good stories are good stories.

Incidentally, I am really enjoying 'The War Games' so far. If it keeps it up, this might be my favourite Classic Who story yet!

My next update will certainly be a big'un...

[Davros sock drawer]

I really must watch that myself.

When you watch these Sprite, do you find it easy to imagine what it was like back in the day with the family all sitting around at 5:30pm or whenever it was on a Saturday night, and finding it all genuinely terrifying, even the music? I mean, the new series sort of does it, but what with iPlayer and all it's not quite the fixed occasion it used to be.

When I was a kid it was the football results, then Basil Brush, and then Doctor Who. The whole ritual of the evenings television, and the spinning BBC globe, and the smell of dinner, the look of our living room, etc, etc, are all bound up in my memories of the stories. And once it was gone, it was gone. Rarely repeated, and no way to record it. Just the nightmares it left behind, usually of Tom Baker's goggly eyes, or worse MEGLOS!

Happy days.

[linkster]

I remember Nightmare of Eden scared the crap out of me

[Davros sock drawer]

My arms! My legs! My everything!

[linkster]

It was Ringu 30 years early...

[Cthulhu Steev]

It looks like a gonk with a comedy 'parp-parp!' nose in this shot, but when the curtain went back ...

Another thing that used to give me strange previously unknown emotions, was Sarah Jane's arse. Years later and I can appreciate it properly.

I remember watching TV on the floor in the front room resting on my elbows and when Dr Who or Wonder Woman came on I used to keep my face hidden from everybody and secretly giggle with excitement when the theme tunes played. My dad was usually in the room for Wonder Woman or Dukes of Hazard, which was odd because he never usually liked any of my shows.

[Lag]

I love Genesis of the Daleks and watch it every now and again.

"Do I have the right...?" - amazing.

[Sprite Machine]

When you watch these Sprite, do you find it easy to imagine what it was like back in the day with the family all sitting around at 5:30pm or whenever it was on a Saturday night, and finding it all genuinely terrifying, even the music? I mean, the new series sort of does it, but what with iPlayer and all it's not quite the fixed occasion it used to be.

It's difficult to imagine because I'm getting a condensed experience. Plus, if I miss a bit, I can rewind, watch it again. "What did he say, who was that there? Isn't that the man who...?" And then go on Wikipedia and check stuff. (Although I try to avoid this.)

However, the last few stories have had some pretty good (and some very cheeky) cliffhangers, which has made me appreciate the impact they would have had back then. Having to wait a whole week to find out what will happen! "They're trapped! He's been killed! It exploded! Oh no!"

Anyway, The War Games is terribly exciting and I will have a full report soon. Although I may have to condense it a bit as I'm likely to ramble.

[Sprite Machine]

The War Games

(Blog has pictures)

I must admit, I don't know what the fate of Doctor Who was in June 1969, whether it was set to return for a new series, or if this was the end of the line... but watching this now, The War Games feels to me like a finale. A culmination of six years of time and space adventures, where the themes of the show – history, aliens, companionship – all come together in an epic conclusion. And where, six years after Doctor Who first appeared on television screens, someone finally utters those immortal words... "Time Lord".

I must also admit that I really liked this. I don't want to go through the intricacies of the plot, as it's one that's worth discovering fresh, but it was extremely good sci-fi that reminded me of The Matrix (and other similar concepts). Alongside that, mysteries of the Doctor and his origins are finally revealed, friends depart forever, the Doctor is put on trial, and it all felt like the writers were going all-out on making this one epic conclusion.

I really liked the slow reveal of information, seeing the Doctor react to the realisation of who could be behind all of this, an insight into his character that we haven't seen until now. Even at ten parts long (nearly four hours), it rarely felt like it was dragging, as each episode ends in some sort of cliff-hanger and I always felt compelled to watch the next part. Truly exciting stuff. Yes, some of the action is still laughably bad, the fights are often badly staged, but overall this had a compelling quality to it, enjoyable performances, a well-paced mystery and ended with the rarest of events... a regeneration.

Much of the plot whizzes by amidst the action, but towards the end things slow down, the Doctor reflects on his adventures and says goodbye to his friends.

As it appears this is where Jamie and Zoe are leaving the Doctor, it's time to reflect on their characters.

Zoe wasn't with the Doctor for all that long, and mainly served to replace Victoria as the obligatory young female companion. Her defining personality trait was her intelligence, which was occasionally (but rarely) used in the story to their advantage, not least of which in this story, where she is able to memorise the locations and names of the resistance fighters at a glance. When they first met, she was almost devoid of emotion, but it did seem like she developed a sense of humour and a friendship with her companions over time.

She ends up back where she left. The Time Lords send Zoe back to where she first met the Doctor and erased the memories of their adventures together. While she remains safe, I can't help feel she'll have lost a certain something... but from the way she looks back one last time, she has a vague recollection of what happened.

Jamie has got to be the longest-running companion yet. He came aboard alongside Ben and Polly, so I expected him to always be something of a third wheel. But somehow, despite everyone coming and going, he stuck it out until the end. He is fiercely loyal, morally-grounded and closer to the Doctor than any of his companions yet. Despite his 18th century highlander origins, he showed remarkable adaptability to whatever situation he was thrown into. He retains some mild misogynistic qualities, but his heart was always in the right place.

Like Zoe, the Time Lords returned him to his own place in time and space, with no memories of having joined the Doctor. I can only hope that something of their time together remains within him.

Now, with the trial over, the Doctor is exiled to Earth. Stripped of his visage and the use of his Tardis, he is forced to undergo a transformation. This is not the end... but a new beginning.

[Davros sock drawer]

I know I say this every time, but I'm so excited that you're heading into the seventies now. It's when the series reached its peak in terms of popularity and iconography, and for a while became out and out horror sci fi.

Spearhead from Space may come as a bit of a shock to you. It has a unique look to it, having been shot on film due to a strike.

[CarloOos]

I adore Spearhead from Space, it used to fuck me up at a kid, especially that bit in the cottage. I also think being shot on film benefits it greatly, it feels a lot more cinematic than the stories that immediately proceed it (which are great regardless).

[Yartek]

There was a belief Doctor Who was under threat of cancellation at the tmie of the War Games for years, due to the recollections of writer and script editor terrance Dicks, but there's no actual evidence of it and both producers at the time deny it was.

Been fun reading your reactions to the old stuff, being a bt of a fan whenever i saw an old story for the first times I'd usually read an article about it or the Target novelisation before so had some idea of what was coming,

Can't wait to see your reaction to Spearhead, it's rather an abrupt shift for the series, but a really good one.

[bulletzen]

Hsssssssss we meet again Doctorrr

[Cthulhu Steev]

Hsssssssss we meet again Doctorrr

One of my favourite Target covers there

[HarMGM]

Let's hope we don't get an awful redesign like with the Silurians.

Speaking of which, hello everyone! Recently I decided to give Doctor Who a go and quite liked it. Went through the entire new series and am now in the midst of doing a 'Sprite Machine' and through various old Doctor stories.

In just a few months time I've come to love the words 'Time Lord', 'Tardis' and other such wonderfull things.

Love and Monsters is quite shit though...

[Sprite Machine]

So, before I delve into the Jon Pertwee era, a final summary of the Second Doctor.

A remarkable thing happened when Patrick Troughton took over the leading role on Doctor Who – the show changed from 'occasionally good', to 'often great'. I can't put that entirely down to the character, because it seemed to me a result of the writing and the types of stories that they wanted to tell. Half of William Hartnell's run were historical type stories, where our heroes would be temporarily trapped in the past. The other half would be futuristic or science-fiction based. After the Doctor's regeneration, this changes – there is only one 'pure history' story (probably a leftover script) and that's it, not a single other. Every story from then on is either set in the future, or set in the present day, or has some sort of alien threat or science-fiction element to it. Oh, and monsters. Lots of monsters. The start of 'The War Games' is even more stark, then, since it seems like the first historical episode in three years, and even then it turns out it isn't!

Basically, I want to point out that the improvements made (and they were massive improvements – I was tempted to give up during some of Hartnell's more boring episodes) are not purely down to the change in actor, nor just the stories, but both of these things combined. I can appreciate the difficulties Hartnell had, but also the writers, in pinning down exactly what sort of show they wanted Doctor Who to be. Arguably, that's something that is still happening to this day.

There were some other series mainstays introduced during Troughton's run. For one thing, the title sequence changed (finally!) and introduced 'the face'. We also got the first use of the Sonic Screwdriver, first use of the alias John Smith, and first appearance of the Earth unit... er... UNIT. And, of course, there was a new Doctor himself.

Thoughts on the Second Doctor:

Immediately after regenerating into his new appearance, it's clear Troughton's portrayal of the character is markedly different. It's a confident character, more on top things, more capable. He's still a little self-involved and weird, but ultimately compassionate. He has a few quirks of his own (a recorder!) and manages to make the character something new.

Troughton gives a thoroughly consistent performance. Whether he's shouting panic-stricken commands to people or engaging in more solemn discussion about the wonders of time/space travel, so long as the writing it good, he's always enjoyable to watch, and he becomes what the show needed him to be – a strong leading character. Nonetheless, he's almost always helped out by the supporting cast, and at times even Jamie has to help set him back on the straight path.

Episode Highlights:

It's difficult to pick out the best episodes of Troughton's run. Firstly, because the quality is more consistent, so few stand out as remarkable against the rest. Secondly, because so many of these serials are incomplete or missing that I may favour a completed serial over a reconstructed one, despite its quality. That said, I have managed to choose what I think are the best examples, which I now list below.

The Power of the Daleks (6 parts, all missing)

The Tomb of the Cybermen (4 parts, all complete)

The Web of Fear (6 parts, only part 1 complete)

The Invasion (8 parts, 2 missing but animated)

The War Games (10 parts, all complete)

----

Now, if you'll excuse me, 1970 awaits.

[FishyFish]

Some features on the 50th anniversary stuff in this week's Radio Times, plus each copy has four free Doctor Who postcards featuring a previous Who RT cover.

[Flub]

50th Anniversary special to be in 3D.

Not impressed to be honest.

[Comrade]

50th Anniversary special to be in 3D.

Not impressed to be honest.

Don't watch it in 3D then?

[FishyFish]

50th Anniversary special to be in 3D.

Pffft! Surely it should be in 4D?

[Flub]

Don't watch it in 3D then?

Given the limited uptake of home 3d I just think its a waste of money

[Commander Jameson]

The 3D screening will be available in cinemas too.

[Mr Cochese]

Check out the peasant with no 3DTV.

[Sprite Machine]

Spearhead from Space

Holy crap, the Tardis is BLUE?!!

No, but seriously, Doctor Who appearing in colour for the first time already takes some adjusting to, but more so because this one is shot entirely on film. There appears to be few, if any, studio sets used at all – everything is shot either outdoors or in real buildings. The difference this makes to the look (and sound) of the this show is absolutely stark. It feels like a 'movie version' of a TV show.

I'm just as interested in aspects of filmmaking as I am the stories themselves, so I could ramble on about this and that until I'm blue in the Tardis. Before this, the show did use film and location shooting, increasingly so as it went on, but the studio video recordings made up the bulk of the episodes. Shooting on film, without the studio environment, changes the style of filmmaking too. While the old show would play out like a stage play, this is more naturalistic, less melodramatic, more tightly edited, more cinematic. But it does mean we don't get to see the Tardis interior this time. It's a really strange effect – simultaneously expensive- and cheap-looking.

This fresh new start for Doctor Who also brings with it a new Doctor, now played by Jon Pertwee. Although the Time Lords erased some of memories before stranding him on Earth, he is still essentially the same character. He still has Troughton's deep voice (now with a bit of a lisp, mind) but he's a little more laid back. Still clever and cunning, but he seems to have more of a sense of humour. Some of his lines are pretty funny, like when he's admiring his new face's flexible eyebrows. The acting is, again, more naturalistic, less dramatic. I think I could grow to like this incarnation.

Still, not everything has changed. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart returns, still heading up UNIT. Coincidentally, the Doctor winds up in his custody and is instrumental in stopping an Auton invasion, with help from Liz Shaw, who I assume is going to be whatever equivalent to a travelling companion this series has. I really have no idea where this is going, if anywhere, but I'm okay with the change. On the basis of this story, Doctor Who can be grounded on Earth and still involve alien invasions, sinister plots, science-fiction concepts and a few scares to go along with it. Plastic duplicate people? Cool! Shop mannequins coming to life? Brilliant! Global threat on a local scale. It works here. Can it keep working? That remains to be seen.

Noteworthy mention: the extent of the Doctor's alienness is explicitly confirmed for the first time when the hospital X-rays him and discovers he has two hearts, non-human blood, and irregular heartbeat and brain wave patterns. I was wondering when that would first come up, and now I know. He also adopts the John Smith name again, seemingly long-term.

This was a good, fun and fresh four episodes of Doctor Who, a whole new style for a whole new decade. Let the adventures continue!

[Flub]

The 3D screening will be available in cinemas too.

Ah. Now I'm interested

[davidcotton]

Check out the peasant with no 3DTV.

Check out the person (me) with visual problems so 3d doesn't work

At least the bf audios won't be in 3d

Cheers

[Davros sock drawer]

This was a good, fun and fresh four episodes of Doctor Who, a whole new style for a whole new decade. Let the adventures continue!

Excellent, I'm glad you liked it. The Auton mannequins smashing out of the shop windows is an all-time classic Who moment, and possibly the first instance of something the series has done well ever since - taking something any child can recognise and making it terrifying. Can you imagine going into town with Mum & Dad the week after that episode aired? Thrrrrrppp!

You're in for some long stories next (I think they're all 7 parters), but personally I think the rest of Pertwee's first season is really good, especially Inferno. The whole season has a more gritty, grown up feel to it, despite only Spearhead being shot 100% on film. After that...well, less so, but your mileage may vary.

[Bluejam]

See that 'Ark In Space' Special Edition is coming out in a few weeks, didnt know anything about it. One of my favourite Tom Baker stories but getting a bit concerned that they are re-releasing so many classic stories as 'Special Editions'

I've also read that 'Spearhead from Space' is coming out as a Blu ray in June!

I'll still buy them

[Sprite Machine]

I've also read that 'Spearhead from Space' is coming out as a Blu ray in June!

Another advantage of celluloid!

[Davros sock drawer]

Yeah, that would surely look pretty damn spiffing.

They should release all the othe Who stuff on Blu Ray so that the contrast between the filmed and videotaped sections would be even more marked!