Doctor Who

[Davros sock drawer]

He sure is. And not in a good way. In a patronising "don't you know who I am?" way.

[Sprite Machine]

That is true. But to be fair, he does know what he's doing.

I still prefer Troughton so far.

[Davros sock drawer]

I'll be very interested to read what you think of him in hindsight after five seasons.

[Fireproofradiator]

I really like Ambassadors of Death. Between the altered astronauts and British Space Programme, it might be the height of Who's 'Pleeeeaaase can we be written by Nigel Kneale?' phase but there's some marvellously creepy stuff in it. There's an amazing low angle shot of the astronauts backlit by the sun which is just amazing and even benefits from being a crappy nth generation VHS copy (which is how I watched it).

Anyone thoughts on the story in which Pertwee is the most likeable and lovely? I do find him a bit haughty but I haven't seen much of his stuff. Troughton is much more huggable.

[Davros sock drawer]

Have you seen Inferno, the story Sprite has got coming up next? It's my favourite Pertwee story, and one of my favourite Who stories full stop. I'm not sure he's loveable in it, but he is good. It's really once Jo Grant joins that he becomes insufferably patronising IMO.

[HarMGM]

Some spoilers for Series 7 part 2 have come out. Beware the spoilers are PRRRRETTY BIG so if you really want everything to be a surprise then don't click.:

710. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS Written by Stephen Thompson

The Eye of Harmony does indeed feature and is a weird white/see-through stretched hexagonal shape with a bluey centre (shaped almost like a coffin). There are also ‘Gallifreyan eggs’.

Interesting to see that the Eye of Harmony is in the TARDIS again. That's a pretty explicit reference to the 1996 TV Movie so who knows...

Gallifreyan eggs sounds a bit worrying though.

712. The Last Cyberman Written by Neil Gaiman

Features ‘Cyberkiller guns,’ a ‘Spacey Zoom Ride’, and there are golden tickets.

713. Finale Written by Steven Moffat

River Song is back. Her gravestone is seen.

About time we got rid of River Song I'd say.

Other bits: A Time War book/parchment features. The ring Clara wears looks to be important. There’s a ‘laser saw’.

Time War info? That sounds good.

EDIT: Yikes! That almost went balls up.

[Lorfarius]

When's it back on?

[HarMGM]

30th of March.

[Lorfarius]

I don't know why they bother claiming the series is split into 2 parts anymore. There's so much time in between it never feels like that's the case.

[HarMGM]

Hmm, indeed. Though by the sounds of it, the 50th Anniversary will push series 8 back into 2014 so maybe we'll have a full season's worth of Doctor Who then.

Speaking of which, Moffat has debunked rumours that the 50th Anniversary will only be 1 60-minute episode. Sounds like it's going to be bigger that just one special.

[linkster]

Re your spoiler

Eye of Harmony is much older than the TV movie - features in Deadly Assassin IIRC. Besides if McGann effective didn't happen surely it's not a movie reference?

[HarMGM]

As I recall, The Eye of Harmony was found upon Gallifrey itself. In the TV movie however, the Eye can be found in the TARDIS itself. This was then explained that every TARDIS had it's own mini-EoH which got it's power from the 'main' Eye of Harmony on Gallifrey. But yes, the Eye was introduced earlier than the TV movie.

[linkster]

As I recall, The Eye of Harmony was found upon Gallifrey itself. In the TV movie however, the Eye can be found in the TARDIS itself. This was then explained that every TARDIS had it's own mini-EoH which got it's power from the 'main' Eye of Harmony on Gallifrey. But yes, the Eye was introduced earlier than the TV movie.

IIRC Rassilon, father of the time lords, forged it from the centre of a black hole, or sometimg

[Fireproofradiator]

Sounds like the kind of thing he'd do.

Have you seen Inferno, the story Sprite has got coming up next? It's my favourite Pertwee story, and one of my favourite Who stories full stop. I'm not sure he's loveable in it, but he is good. It's really once Jo Grant joins that he becomes insufferably patronising IMO.

Heard good things about it Davros. Think I'll pick it up. Thanks for the tipoff. Does Jo ever knee him in the knackers or anything?

[Davros sock drawer]

Alas no. To be honest I think she's one of the weakest companions and actresses in the classic series, so I can understand The Doctor's frustration. Such a shame Caroline John left the show. She didn't even get a send off.

[The Boatman]

IIRC Rassilon, father of the time lords, forged it from the centre of a black hole, or sometimg

it's a bit like Remote Play: the one on Gallifrey is a PS3/PS4; the one on the TARDIS is a Vita.

[Sprite Machine]

Inferno

(Blog has pictures)

At first, this one seems to be falling into the same tired pattern of seven-part stories. UNIT sets up at some new science/power facility, something goes wrong, some creatures appear, the people in charge act foolishly. I can understand why the Doctor is such a grumpy man in this incarnation if this is the sort of thing he has to put up with all the time.

[Picture: This Doc is a lot more physical than previous ones. Martial Arts Paralysis Poke!]

But then the story takes a turn for the interesting. Having removed the console from the Tardis for testing, a surge of power sends it and the Doctor to a parallel dimension, a mirror universe where Britain is a militaristic republic and the power station workers are slave labourers. This immediately reminded me of the episode 'Mirror, Mirror' from the original Star Trek series. Although I'm sure it wasn't the first to pose such a concept, I do wonder if the Doctor Who writers took inspiration from it specifically. I was amused to see Lethbridge-Stewart's 'evil' double sporting an eyepatch and a scar.

[Picture: Brigade Leader Lethbridge Stewart. Eyepatches are the new goatees.]

Being set in a parallel universe gives the story the freedom to do a genuine disaster without having to worry about the repercussions. In this reality, the drilling facility has achieved faster results, and manages to breach the crust of the planet. Instead of unleashing all new energy sources, it instead unleashes the wrath of the planet, which spews its molten middle everywhere. Inexplicably, green goo from beneath the Earth also turns people into stony-faced hairy zombie cavemen. Yep, I've no idea why, but they're scary-looking things. One criticism, though: the Doctor seems aware of what's about to happen just before the crust is breached... and yet he's pretty silent on the issue until then and seems to not care what they're up to at all.

[Picture: The hairy inferno zombies attack!]

As the planet literally falls apart around him, the Doctor manages to enlist help and transport his Tardis console back to the correct universe, where he is able to convince them to stop and shut the project down. The company director is such an irritating character, in both universes; I just wanted someone to punch him. Instead, he gradually succumbs to the zombie infection and is incapacitated.

[Picture: Stuck in the time warp, the Doctor does that face. Again!]

Although longer than it could have been (again), I enjoyed watching this; it was a really good serial and brings season 7 to a satisfying close. But moving on, I do hope there's a little more variety, and I would like to see the Tardis feature more. Whether the budget didn't allow the control room to be built, I don't know, but it's interesting that the Doctor uses the console on its own and seems intent on leaving without the rest of it!

[Davros sock drawer]

In my opinion Pertwee's run is all downhill from here, notable exceptions aside. You'd better get used to him being stuck on Earth with his Unit "family" for a fair while yet!

That said, a lot will depend on how you feel about a hugely significant introduction to the series in the next story...

[Gregory Wolfe]

I think it's high time that I admit that I have been enjoying Sprite Machine's write ups. I'm not entirely sure why I've held off saying so for so long but well done. It's taking on a new dimension now as I remember some of Pertwee's era. It's too long ago to recall what I actually saw back then and what I caught up with via repeat.

I definitely recall...

maggots and spiders

Despite Jon being my first Doctor and that it's probably true that I truly loved this man, this Doctor, I do think that in all reality Tom Baker was MY doctor. It did nothing to diminish my affection of Jon Pertwee when he later became Worzel Gummidge.

[Gregory Wolfe]

R.I.P Raymond Cusick, designer of the Daleks.

[Cthulhu Steev]

I think it's high time that I admit that I have been enjoying Sprite Machine's write ups. I'm not entirely sure why I've held off saying so for so long but well done. It's taking on a new dimension now as I remember some of Pertwee's era. It's too long ago to recall what I actually saw back then and what I caught up with via repeat.

I definitely recall...

maggots and spiders

Despite Jon being my first Doctor and that it's probably true that I truly loved this man, this Doctor, I do think that in all reality Tom Baker was MY doctor. It did nothing to diminish my affection of Jon Pertwee when he later became Worzel Gummidge.

heh, that's exactly when I started watching. I had no clue what the fuck was going on then ... Tom Baker.

[Davros sock drawer]

I was born in '74, so whilst my earliest memories of Who feature Tom Baker (specifically season 17 with Lalla Ward), Peter Davison was the Doctor I actively watched because I wanted to. Baker is still the best though.

[davidcotton]

Mine was also Davison. I remember snatches of pertwee, (born 1972, ouch!) including a "hilarious" (note, may not actually be funny!) mis pronuncing of Dalek (daylek anyone?)when Day of the Daleks was on Also remember bits and pieces of baker but Davison is my main one.

Cheers

[linkster]

I started watching Baker but it had gone a bit south by then

[Gorf King]

Troughton was mine - I'm an old man. I do have some dim recollection of Hartnell, but I suppose that must have been repeats. But the first episode I still recall fairly clearly is Evil of the Daleks. I know it's a cliché, but I was literally peeking around from the back of the settee at parts of that. It shit me up good and proper, but then I was only about four years old (not sure if I saw it in 67 or 68, but either way it made a lasting impression; I can still remember those scenes with the Dalek Emperor in particular as being somehow horrifying). Such a shame it, and many other stories, were wiped from the archives, as I'd love to see it again (and not just the reconstructions).

However, I still think Tom Baker was by far the best Doctor. Pertwee was ok, but the stories weren't as good generally, and he didn't have the flair or charm of Baker. In fact I haven't cared much for any of the doctors since Baker until the present one. He might be in danger of outstaying his welcome a bit, but I really do think Matt Smith might be second only to Baker, possibly jointly with Troughton. But it's hard to say really, with the series around the actor having changed so much since the 70s / early 80s.

Also, I've enjoyed reading your thoughts on the old stuff, Sprite. Keep it up.

[linkster]

I'm surprised people think Pertwee stories weren't all that, I'd have said he had at least as many good as Baker - Silurians, Autons, Day of the Daleks, Planet of the Daleks, Sea Devils and of course Daemons are all pure class

[Davros sock drawer]

I watched The Daemons recently and found it a real chore. The only Pertwee stuff I really like is the first season, and maybe 5 of 6 stories after that. Carnival of Monsters and The Time Warrior are good.

[Cthulhu Steev]

I'm surprised people think Pertwee stories weren't all that, I'd have said he had at least as many good as Baker - Silurians, Autons, Day of the Daleks, Planet of the Daleks, Sea Devils and of course Daemons are all pure class

I remember all those from my Weetabix stand-up cards with the cutout TARDIS board game, and the Target novels than actually seeing them during their first run but they all still made an impression on me and when later Doctors met them again, I knew what they were.

And you've just reminded me of Dobbin the Myrka

[linkster]

I watched The Daemons recently and found it a real chore. The only Pertwee stuff I really like is the first season, and maybe 5 of 6 stories after that. Carnival of Monsters and The Time Warrior are good.

awe man that's tragic, Daemons is up there with Quatermass for me as truly classic British scifi

[Davros sock drawer]

I can see why you would think that, but it really bored me for some reason. Bizarrely I found The Claws of Axos more enjoyable, which is a far more silly romp.

I'm also re-watching Terror of the Autons at the moment, purely because I have it on iTunes and it's the next one Sprite will be watching. I'll be interested to hear what he thinks of it, as I think the tone changes noticeably from the previous season.

I'm holding back a bit with my overall thoughts on Pertwee, as I don't want to colour Sprite's impressions of him too much, but the consistency of quality in the stories just isn't there like it is with Baker's first few seasons. Robot through to Image of the Fendahl is pretty much hit after hit, with only the occasional misfire (Revenge of the Cybermen and The Android Invasion mainly), and in my humble opinion season 14 represents the high point of the entire show's run, meaning 1963 to now. As memorable as some of Pertwee's stories are, he can't claim to have that same run of quality, especially as even the silly season of Baker stories has total classics like City of Death, and he had a brilliant final series to end on.