Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, recently it was Big Finishes 21st anniversary of releasing Doctor Who output. Blimey 21 years, what better way to celebrate than with a list and for your pleasure I have ranked the first 100 releases of The Big Finish monthly range. This is the second round of the rankings taking from 40-31. As usual beware spoilers and enjoy!
40. Sword of Orion, during this ranking I've said that quite a few stories could rise with a re-listen and this play is a case in point. When this story came out it was not the story I was hoping for, Cybermen in the internet age doing new things with technology - awesome! Instead we get a boring traditional story that felt like it was copy and pasted from somewhere else. However thats not the case, with a re-listen we have a wonderful story that captures the sense of fun and energy that set the tine for Paul McGann. It gets better with every listen and I've grown quite fond of it. Its certainly the best of Nicholas Briggs "not nailed to the plot" stories and has fantastic world building. The stories weakness on the first listen has become its strength, the market that the 8th Doctor and Charley find themselves in is wonderful, the ships crew become well rounded characters and it matters more when the Cybermen turn up and try to spoil everything. This story is a lovely traditional world building (for spin off series) moment that I get soppy about.
39. Whispers of Terror, OMG its another one I get soppy about as its the first 6th Doctor story and third release over all. Along with Peri he's in an audio museum as Justin Richards pens a fun mystery which has some fun audio aspects. I have a fondness for this story as its the one I got along with Sirens of time and was a part of my first ever Big Finish haul. Of note are cast appearances by Lisa Bowerman and Peter Miles who are lots of fun.
38. 100, from part of the earliest haul its the final listen of the first 100 releases. A lovely collection of stories here as to celebrate the 100 release. Its nice that Colins 6th Doctor gets this moment as his Doctor has been repaired by Big Finish and he shares the stage with Maggie Stables Evelyn Smythe the companion who did so much for him. The stories are lots of fun with a menagerie of writers from the range - some of which haven't been around for a while. The first two stories are quite fun luring the listener into a false sense of comfort and then some rather interesting things happen on the final disc. A fun moment and a celebration rather than a play.
37. Son of the Dragon, its a historical featuring the 5th Doctor, Peri, Erimem and Dracula - Yes Dracula! This isn't your Bram Stoker stuff this is full blown historical First Doctor era stuff going on here. A mighty stark story set in Eastern Europe sees enemies on all sides including among the companions as we visit an aspect of Erimem seen in an earlier story. Its good writing by Steve Lyons a familiar name from the book range with James Purefoy on good form as Vlad III.If I have to pick one word to describe this play its "stark" everything feels bleak and time travel feels like hard labour instead of fun - I mean this as a compliment. This is not one of the fluffy plays - its as far away as you can get with nothing in the shape of garlic and coffins to lighten the mood. Proper moody stuff indeed.
36. The Reaping, featuring the 6th Doctor, Peri and the Cybermen. Written by Joseph Lidster who I'd like to mention as a number of his plays have already been mentioned and this is the highest ranked. It gels with me which is largely a first for a full release story. Like the last one its also dark and theres a lot of things going on, Nicola Bryant is given some of her most powerful scenes, the Doctor feels like he's constantly a step behind and the Cybermen feel more vicious than usual. This play contains one of the best resolutions ever in a Big Finish release. Just when it looks like the Cybermen have won one of the best plot twists occurs that is so good I gave an expletive ridden gasp of shock.
35. Neverland, the finale of the 8th Doctors second season wrapping up the ongoing storylines that have been going on since Charley turned up and setting things up for Zagreus. This is a personal story for me as it marks the end of an era, I'd just left Uni and life was about to change and this story ends on such a good cliff hanger that I felt it was a good point to put things on hold and come back later. In hindsight this series foreshadows the format of Doctor Who when it returned to TV in the shape that we have a mystery thats been built up for most of the season, we get returning characters including someone whose been popping up in various stories and we're in the situation where its the companion in jeopardy instead of The Doctor - plus Charley is a Big Finish original companion! On first listen we have no idea if she's going to survive. A satisfying conclusion to the season with an impressive cliff hanger pulling us into everything that followed.
34. The Axis of Insanity, blimey its Simon Furman off of The Transfomers comics on writing duties. This play see's the 5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem visit a realm containing an elephants graveyard of broken time lines that has been taken over by an insane jester. This jester is so well performed it lifts the story and should be listened to for the performance alone. However theres enough fun and fluff from the characters and location that its not a one person play. Dare I say it, the play feels like it shouldn't work but work it does and its highly absorbing.
33. I.D. its our first two play release on this list for some time, we have the three episode long I.D. and the one part Urgent Calls. Colin Bakers Doctor is going solo on this release and its an interesting dynamic, I.D. is a very good story with an interesting cast including one time contender to be a companion if Sophie Aldred hadn't have locked her in the lavs and of all people Gyles Brandreth! Its very good cyber punk tech scavenging stuff. However the main reason this release is this high is due to Urgent Calls a lovely done in one play with a gorgeous format. The story is a string of phone conversations with a Whoish twist that leaves a lovely taste in the ears. I'd go as far as to say if this ranking was individual stories Urgent Calls would be top 10, maybe even top 5.
32. Night Thoughts, a fantastic scary night time monster / whodunnit story featuring the 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex. Oooh, this is another good one, full of twists, good characters and the 7th Doctor infuriating everyone by keeping secrets and getting things wrong until they go right. This entire team is a triumph and Hex has added so much to what including the books could be described as the most over used double act in Doctor Who. Also possibly one of the most memorable endings.
31. Medicinal Purposes, Doctor Who does the Burke & Hare body snatchings with a Doctor Who twist. Robert Ross on writing duties makes a near faultless debut - sorry your other play is so low! With a historical that at one point takes an unexpected turn with good results. a mystery turns into a battle of wits that in turn leads to an ethical decision. Leslie Phillips is giving a career best performance as Knox - one of Big Finishes best original creations. He has a voice I could listen to for days! This play is so rich, it draws you in, refuses to let you go and when it ends your left in a hell of a state. On note in the guest cast is David Tennant who is a pivotal presence in this story. The story features the 6th Doctor and Evelyn who go through the ringer again, if ever there was a TARDIS crew that deserved to land on the planet of milkshakes and fluffy bunnies its these two. Sometimes the good guys don't win, sometimes they only survive and this is one of those times.
For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues; First up this month is Relative Dimensions in the 8th Doctor range featuring the 8th Doctor, Susan, Lucie and Alex. For those familiar with this story I'm listening to it at the wrong time of year and its a rather lovely low key Christmas special 8/10. Its a rather intimate little story with a Doctor Who twist thrown in for good measure and this season is rivalling the first in terms of quality. Second up The Similarity Engine featuring Jago & Litefoot with the final story of the season 1 box set. I had little idea what was going on but had a fun time none the less 9/10. As for the box set as a whole, I'll certainly be coming back for more. As a box set the first story had to do a lot of set up which I can understand, the final story had to close things up which it mostly did well and it gave us two bonkers stories in the middle, so as a whole 9/10. Finally this month The Foe From the Future featuring the 4th Doctor and Leela. Loads of fun and its rare that a story can make me cheer out loud like a situation with Leela late in the story does. The best compliment that I can pay a "Lost Story" is that during the story I felt like I was transported back to the era its set and could easily be watching a DVD. Highly recommended and not the story featuring cats on Gallifrey that I was expected 8/10.
The tenth series of Doctor Who continues apace as this weeks second episode rolled around. This weeks second episode saw something of a tradition in "Nu-Who" as Bill like recent new companions before her enjoyed her first TARDIS trip into the future.
As always the choice of location tells us something about where The Doctor is at psychologically, his choice of location is that of a colony world where the last vestige of humankind are looking to set up home after abandoning Earth. The key aspect of interest here looks to be the aspect of hope after some kind of disaster. A rather fun and low key episode sees Peter Capaldi being very Doctorish and being something of a tour guide to Pearl Mackies Bill. Its something of note that this is the most traditional we have ever seen Peter Capaldi's Doctor.
The episode is rather fun being mostly the regulars and the very cute Emojibots, again the show continues the tradition of taking the normal aspects of everyday life and putting a spin on them. After last weeks visually dark episode this week is very bright with the colony and Emojibots being as white as a Doctor Who set from the 1980's. Things get more interesting as the episode continues as the plot develops but its a tad uninvolving as this is a story more about horror than plot and it makes the mistake of showing its cards in the pre title sequence.
Away from the main part of the story there looks to be some tidbits on offer regarding this seasons arc. Reference is made to the vault seen last episode and The Doctor making an oath not to go roaming off planet. Of particular interest is Matt Lucas brief appearance this week as Nardole where its rather unclear if he is The Doctors butler or jailer.
To sum up a very nice fun little episode, however now we're two episodes into the season I would like to see things move up a gear.
Good afternoon ladies and gentle readers, for those of you who don't know last night marked the comeback of BBC 1's annual dance show Strictly Come Dancing. Now in its 13th series the show has become something of an autumn schedule tradition and to mark the start of this years series here's my opinion of this years lineup;
Ainsley Harriot, nice to see him back on TV after a bit of a break. Should add a bit of flair and campness to the show and expect him to last to the mid point.
Anita Rani, never heard of her.
Anthony Ogogo, never heard of him.
Carol Kirkwood, nice smiley Carol the weather presenter off of BBC Breakfast. Nice enough but don't expect much skill or flair to last beyond a few weeks.
Daniel O'Donnell, as far as I know he's a cabaret chicken in a basket type singer. Not very familiar with him myself and forget about dancing he could barely string a sentence together on the opening show. Very probably will be first out.
Georgia May Foote, never heard of her.
Helen George, never heard of her.
Iwan Thomas, 400 meter runner from the mid 90's to early 00's. Good bit of charisma to him and think he's good value to get 3/4's of the way through.
Jamelia, a classic example of the inverse ratio between the size of the mouth and size of the brain. Will be tuning over whenever she's on as I can't stand her.
Jay McGuiness, never heard of him.
Jeremy Vine, midday host on radio 2 and a regular on BBC's election and political coverage. Looks like he's enjoying it and I hope he gets the furthest out of the ones I don't think will do well.
Katie Dernham, vaguely aware of her, came across well and hope she enjoys her time on the show.
Kellie Bright, blimey she's been around for ages, mostly known for Eastenders and The Upper Hand the first time I saw her was on kids TV when I was a kid as the protagonist in Teabag. She also appeared as Del Boys mum in the Only Fools and Horses prequel Rock and Chips and in one of the best detective shows in recent time Jericho which only lasted a season because I was the only one who watched it. Hope she does well and hope she gets near the final.
Kirsty Gallacher, Sky Sports News presenter. Hope she gets half way as she's very personable and I have a slight crush on her.
Peter Andre, of mid 90's pop star fame. There's not really much to him, he has no personality whatsoever and the earlier he's out the better.
So there you have it my opinion of this years lineup, not the best judging from the initial show but hopefully they'll grow on me. In the meantime KEEP DANCING...
For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;
We start off this month in the main range with the 8th Doctor, Charley and C'rizz. I quite enjoy the trope of characters landing in a prison they have no knowledge of and as such this story is quite enjoyable. However so much of this story is sloppy and needs more work. I'm pretty sure the narrative doesn't quite make sense unless time passes slower outside of the cube, there isn't enough story to justify the length, Charley virtually does nothing the entire play, there is a section of dialogue near the end which should have been edited out as it contrasts the end of the scene, I'm pretty sure the stories finale goes against something that happens minutes earlier and all in all the story is brought down by moments where I thought to myself "I think they've made a mistake there." In saying that it is a tight atmospheric little thriller which I do tend to like. I think something major plot wise might have happened near the end and I do like the pointers to C'rizz hidden nature which have cropped up over the last five stories (I think The Doctor may finally have noticed something but I'm not sure). I'd have to rate this story 5/10 but I think it may be a very generous score when compared with others.
We nip six years into the future with this months other story, 'The Burning Prince' starring Peter Davisons 5th Doctor. A quick reminder, I'm short of funds right now and stories I get on discount are being put into the 'listen to' pile earlier. On the other hand this is a story where the production, writing and cast come together to create a sterling story. This story plays out like a disaster story, The Doctor steps out of the TARDIS onto a spaceship in peril and things steadily get worse as the story progresses. I really like the 5th Doctor when he becomes put upon, is poorly treated by the rest of the cast and is given a hard time. This happens here as his arrival is timed to make him look as best very suspicious by the rest of the cast. Speaking of the cast all of them perform very well and it was nice to hear Caroline Langrishe best known for the tail end of Lovejoy all though I was kicking myself for not recognising Clive Mantle especially after he popped up recently in 'The Settling.' Checking the case after I'd finished I recognised John Dorneys named from 'The Elite' which makes two good stories I've heard from him now and I'll look forward to his name cropping up again. To some up a rip roaring adventure, good plot, fantastic performances and possibly in the top couple of stories I've heard this calender year, 9/10.
So ladies and gentle readers, after finishing off season 1 off Blakes 7 I've finally got around to season 2 and here's my thoughts episode by episode:
Redemption
Continuing the tradition of the first season this first episode is completely a-typical, its also very hard scifi. Without many guest characters the Liberator crew are brought to the forefront and for much of the episode they are in a situation which is beyond them. The cliffhanger to the previous season is dealt with nicely and its a good solid episode (albeit with little plot) that is raised by the quality of the regulars. 9/10
Shadow
We're back to having a plot this week centred around Blake trying to recruit a criminal organisation as allies. Added to this the titular drug the organisation is dealing in and rather good subplot featuring Cally and Orac it continues the rather good start to the season. 9/10
Weapon
A very interesting episode bringing back Servalan and a recast Travis. Its very Liberator lite and I think it would be improved by removing every scene set on the Liberator and centering firmly on the villains. 5/10
Horizon
Everything good about this episode can be summed up in one word, one name and one character; Avon. The rest is very pedestrian. 5/10
Pressure Point
Ooooh, the first death of a regular. Its fairly obvious something is going to happen to Gan as David Jackson actually looks interested. Good episode though and Blake is looking more desperate and vulnerable to Avon by the end of it. 6/10
Trial
Its good that Blakes 7 isn't the kind of show where someone dies and it gets skirted over. The Liberator crew are upset and I genuinely buy that they could have walked out on Blake. All in all a very good dual story episode. 7/10
Killer
I do enjoy this episode, Blakes 7 doing what it does best within its means giving us a cracking episode with a few twists. Avon blackmailing his way into somewhere to steal something and Blake trying to save innocents while knowing they're loyal to the enemy. Its like a coda for the show. 10/10
Hostage
More fun with Blake and Avon but the rest of the episode is rather uninteresting. 3/10
Countdown
Another rather fun episode with a good solid plot and a good slice of action. We also find out a bit more about Avon's past and he's not a complete ruthless so and so. I'm a sucker for anything with a good tense countdown on it. 10/10
Voice From the Past
Absolute muck. 0/10
Gambit
I really like the idea of this episode but the script is to far beyond the means of the production. It feels like a series of unconnected scenes with very little pay off and none of them get the amount of time they deserve. 5/10
The Keeper
It tries to be good camp fun bollocks but it falls rather short and feels like the cast larking about forgetting the viewers would like some fun as well. 3/10
Star One
Has a good end of season feel about it and has big things happening affecting the status-quo of the the series and theres a feeling that at the end of the episode the series has permanently changed. All through the season theres been the plot line of can Blake and Avon trust each other which ends rather sweetly with Blake being taken to the sick bay with Avon taking temporary command of the ship as the series ends on a rather good cliff hanger. Really good stuff. 8/10
Overall View
I highly recommended this DVD, theres a view duff episodes but overall its rather good with a good ongoing story memorable characters and good snappy dialogue. The Blake / Avon rivalry feels like something out of Dallas and makes the show even more watchable. It is of its time and at the time had a limited budget but if you know that going in it wont detract from the show. 7/10
I've had the bigwigs from the BBC on the line asking who should replace Clarkson and I've come up with the following shortlist:
Wallace
Wallace off of Wallace and Gromit would be a good call, he's getting on a bit and set in his ways which puts him in the same demographic as Clarkson. Also on the plus side he was an interest in technology and doesn't casually insult people. The only downside is the extreme engine emissions could cause him to melt.
Cathy Dennis
Top Gear after its recent controversies should be looking to play safe, how do you play safe? You appoint someone who everyone likes and if you don't like Cathy Dennis get the hell off my blog.
Katie Hopkins
Or you could go like for like, why not replace one untalented loud mouth with another?
Gregory House
Jeremy Clarkson may be an annoying ego maniac but even he can't compare with Gregory House. House would be an ideal replacement and the only down side is that his level of extreme banter could drive the Hamster and May to spend each episode of Top Gear locked in the toilet crying.
KittyKnits
@KittyKnits off of Twitter, yes she can't drive but she has made the following claims which I think would improve Top Gear; Come on just imagine me on #TopGear driving through all the countries where there is injustice and fucking shit up BUT WITHOUT RACISM ETC I'll be driving through Russia being all like, STOP BEING HOMOPHOBES and driving through Saudi Arabia shouting JUST YOU TRY TO STOP ME If I got to present Top Gear, then instead of the bigotry I would just say 'vagina' frequently and make people uncomfortable that way Well that sounds good to me! If anything ladies and gentle readers this points out the Jeremy Clarkson is not irreplaceable and can be easily replaced. Already we have come up with ideal replacements including someone made of clay. I look forward to the next episode of Top Gear and the potential new dynamic as opposed to watching three mid life crises on my TV screen each week.
As the clock reaches half past November another season of Doctor Who has gone by and its time for this viewer to cast a critical eye over this years offerings. Its certainly been an engrossing year, I for one have certainly found it dynamic but ladies and gentle readers lets dive in and see if I thought it was any good...
Deep Breath
If I have to pick one word to describe this episode it would be awkward, not only the episode it fits the Doctor too. After the traumatic regeneration of the Christmas story he still hasn't recovered yet, which is wonderful as we get a story with a bonkers Doctor whose personality hasn't settled down yet. A really good aspect I like of this is for the first part of the story he's still talking as if he's his previous self - certainly now that 12's got a season under his belt yelling at a dinosaur calling her sexy is clearly not him. On top of that among the supporting cast is the Paternoster gang more commonly associated with the 11th Doctor. In short theres a lot of 11 Doctor trappings in this story to keep the casual viewer comfortable as we embark on the adventures of the current Doctor, rather akin to how Tom Bakers start was wrapped up in a UNIT story feeling like it could have fit anywhere in Jon Pertwees reign.
When Peter Capaldi gets going we see him in short bursts, he falls asleep, wonders off and disappears at various stages when he's in full flow pulling the viewer in and wanting to see more of this new Doctor I'd probably blame the English. This Doctor is wonderfully awkward as is his interactions with Clara and everyone else, its noticeable that the most Doctorish Capaldi gets is when he's finally facing a villain. As an episode its quite an odd one, I've gotten the thought into my head that given the title it echoes taking a deep breath after some kind of traumatic event given the stop start nature of the story. There's a lot going on here, the after effects of the regeneration, the spontaneous combustion mystery, Clara getting to know this new Doctor and the Paternoster gang. As a villain the cyborgs are an interesting take and update on the clockwork robots and its understandable we're not getting an original villain as the main focus on this story is the regeneration.
As an episode I think its a juicy start to the season, personally I think visually it looks like there's been a change of style. As I said its a little bit stop start and the direction is also much of the same and for a rather intimate story it did make me feel somewhat uninvolved. My personal rating of this story is that its rather a nice little gentle start with an odd surprise in Missy and an unexpected cameo from Matt.
Into the Dalek
I know it sounds daft saying this but I think this episode is one that will be able to fit anywhere into Capaldi's era. Already in his second story Peter feels like he's on top of his game and has nailed the character, I actually found it a little disconcerting how dynamic his performance is after standing awkwardly while getting hugged at the end of the previous episode. He's able to pilot the TARDIS to the point he can materialise around someone and he's facing off against one of his biggest enemies. A world a way from the previous episode, as is the direction which is strange as its the same director. Visually its very blue and it works with the Dalek and in this scifi environment, from memory I think its a colour the series hasn't really embraced and helps differentiate this story from other Dalek episodes. Talking about Rusty, in his action shots this may be the best the Daleks have been shot on camera since Joe Ahearne back in 2005.
We get the introduction of Danny this episode as well as seeing Clara at Coal Hill School, it also gives us our first look at the Doctor picking her up for a trip which we'd see a lot of this season. Another good aspect of this story is the rebel crew of the Aristotle, Zawe Ashton is fantastic and I really wish we'd have seen more of Michael Smiley who I find very watchable.
Summing up this is a very strong and pivotal story with a good hook of being shrunk and going inside the Dalek. The Doctor is on his game throughout the story so the end when he's taken aback about Rusty seeing so much hate in him is a rather unexpected swerve - Capaldi looks so sweet in that final scene with Clara. Really good and strong stuff stuff however the format of the show slightly reigns the glory of this episode in, I think it should have been a two part story, theres a bit of rushing near the end and there are so many directions to take the story concept that the story doesn't venture into.
Robot of Sherwood
Every so often theres a story that comes along for a Doctor where the stories fun, the cast & crew are having a ball and the viewers are having a ball - the tradition that is the good old romp. Pick a Doctor and I'll reel a off a romp - Hartnell has The Myth Makers, Pertwee has The Time Warrior, Davison has The Visitation to name a few. You've got a returning writer who can pen a yarn, a star a few stories in two guest stars Ben Miller and Tom Riley, lets do Robin Hood! We get what it says on the tin, a good fun romp, some good scenes the cast throw themselves into, a good little story and some highly quotable lines.
Listen
We've had a romp and now we go for another Doctor Who tradition, the atypical story that really puts proof to the mantra you can do anything in Doctor Who. Some other examples of this are The Mind Robber, Warriors Gate, Fathers Day & Vincent and The Doctor. The kind of story which is one giant curve ball and leaves the viewer constantly stating "I wasn't expect THAT!" If I was the sort of person who rated things out of 10 this episode would be just a string of tens. That shot of Peter sat on the TARDIS meditating before opening his eyes is fantastic - the money shot of the advertising campaign. Its another strong directorial performance, Douglas Mackinnon I take my hat off to you.
All through the episode I never took my eyes off the screen once, I was glued through the scenes and surprises. I love the bedroom scene with Danny, those not into the horror genre may not enjoy it so much but I really dig these scenes that start off as one thing but turn up the tension and become something else. There were so many twists and turns in this story, the date being interrupted by someone in a space suit, the last room at the end of the universe, an unexpected trip to Gallifrey and things that go bump under the bed. I truly think this story was something special.
Time Heist
I'm in two minds over this story, on one hand we have a good little caper going on and the other a disappointment. Theres good stuff going on here but to me this is the classic example of an episode that is ruined by the format. I like it but it should have been given more room to breathe, we're thrown in at the deep end which is nice but after that its rush rush rush as they try to cram the plot and set pieces into 45 minutes. Keeley Hawes is good value with a nice little twist to her role, the rest of cast are good, a nice little swerve at the end and being thrown in at the start with no knowledge of whats going on is a fantastic move. A good little story but could have been so much better.
The Caretaker
This is a rather charming cute little story, the Skovox is a fun bit of fluff but the main meat of this story is The Doctor, Clara and Danny. Theres no way of beating around the bush, I lost interest in Danny at this point he becomes a complete buzz kill and starts killing every scene he's in. Danny discovers Clara's double life and its not done in an interesting or dramatic way to keep me watching. I lost interest in the episode, found myself glancing at the clock. There's a lot of cute scenes with The Doctor passing as a caretaker but there isn't really enough of this. There's no beating about this bush I don't want these stories from Gareth Roberts - I want the Gareth Roberts who wrote An English Way of Death, The Once Doctor, The Plotters and The Shakespeare Code not the one who does banter/filler episodes. There's good stuff here but its not a story I really care for.
Kill the Moon
Rather like the previous story I have to declare I find the central moral set piece of this story uninteresting, however I still think its a cracking episode. The school girl is quite fun and Hermione Norris adds tons of weight to her role. This episode is at its best early in the story when its trying to do a Hinchcliffe the Hinchcliffe era and scare the kids. Proper good stuff here as they explore the colony, its loses itself in the moral set piece but the verve of the story is enough to pull things along. I think the end is at best clunky, The Doctor has form of this sort of thing and as Clara was spliced along his time line she should be aware of this. All in all good but not great and a decent stab at tackling horror.
Mummy on the Orient Express
Right from the opening seconds of this episode I knew it was going to be a good one, a creepy mummy slowly walking towards an elderly lady who is the only one who can see it - IN SPACE! Whats not to like The Doctor is lured onto the train by Gus to investigate and its a crash bang wallop 45 minutes as The Doctor attempts to solve the problem and save everyone. I must mention Frank Skinner as he's utterly wonderful as Perkins, also of note is David Bamber whose also good value. As well as the mummy, Gus the computer system is also a good villain (He knows the Doctors phone number!), sounding all pompously middle management then calmly killing the cooks to make his point - this is the sort of character that reminds me of Robert Holmes. There are a few twists like when most of the crew are revealed to be holograms and a lovely few scenes with The Doctor and Clara tucked away at the end. Really really good stuff from all involved and a cracking story.
Flatline
As an episode it didn't really click with me, theres some fun stuff like The Doctor getting stuck in the TARDIS and Clara having to handle things outside but I feel like I'm watching a first draft. Christopher Fairbank is wasted and the guest characters are awful - truly awful. At the end the survivors are having an emotional moment including a train driver who only turned up five minutes before the end. The Boneless are at time wonderfully scary and at other times vaguely hotchpotch looking not quite all there. In short decent but it feels rushed.
In the Forest of the Night
A quiet little story tucked in near the end of the season before the crash bang wallop finale. I like this one, as a story its what I like to refer as a "short trip" one of those quick stories that if novelised would come out at the length of a short story. Again its shot very well, in particular Maebh running through the forest and I was glued to the screen throughout. Its rather atypical and as a result I found myself more drawn in wondering where things were going than usual. Once it settles down it does feel a tad twee however it remains enjoyable. The kids are quite good value and most of them get characters, Capaldi is on fine form throughout. I mentioned earlier that I lost interest in Danny earlier but here he's down right annoying. All in all a nice little diversion before the end and it actually does better than quite a few stories from seasons past tucked in before the end.
Dark Heaven
As is traditional in Doctor Who fandom when we get a two part story we glue the titles together for a joint title and I'm going with Dark Heaven. I've mentioned previously that a few stories were let down by to much rushing and not having room to breathe, here we have a perfect example of why two parters rock. The first episode is mainly swerve balls being thrown at the audience - a regular is killed off before the titles! The volcano scene is brilliant as is The Doctors reaction at the end. When the TARDIS lands in St Paul's Cathedral I genuinely thought they'd landed in the after life. Missy pretending to be a robot is fantastic - just before she reveals her identity I was convinced she was Susan the one you abandoned. Danny plot line in this story is quite moving and Sam Anderson actually gives his best performances here. All in all the first part is surprise after surprise and even if you didn't avoid spoilers there must have been some that took you by surprise. The end of the first episode with The Doctor surrounded by The Master and the Cybermen is brilliant - ST PAUL'S certainly pressed my buttons.
I don't think the second part is as strong as the first, we get rather a cheap swerve as Clara declares she's The Doctor and suddenly gets an appearance in the title but we know its bollocks. Michelle Gomez comes into her own in this episodeher interpretation of The Master as a bat shit crazy Mary Poppins on acid is brilliant. I'm already preferring her to the previous incarnation. UNIT put in an appearance but to be honest bar the set piece of the plane being ripped apart and Osgood's death it feels like their scenes are treading water and killing time.
I'm not to crazy about the Cybermen to be honest, I don't think they are a monster that the series has got to grips with post 2005. There is however a brilliant scene as they come to life in the graves as Clara walks through the graveyard. Also I'm in two minds about the Brigadiers appearance, whilst it was lovely he saved Kate and got a salute I don't really like the idea of Lethbridge-Stewart (or any other dead companion like Jamie) going through hell in the Nethersphere as The Master tries to get them to delete their emotions.
Oh but the ending is bittersweet as The Doctor believes The Masters final lie, Capaldi is brilliant - I love that he opened the doors to see with his own eyes instead of using the scanner. Its a sad ending as both The Doctor and Clara part ways each trying to bluff each other that they've moved on but a fantastic ending as The Doctors life takes an unexpected turn.
As a general overview I really enjoyed this season (as you'll have learnt from above I am a notoriously hard marker) and I think this is the best season in recent years. The majority of the last two seasons have included stories which improved on a re-watch when this seasons felt more dynamic and made an instant impression. Peter Capaldi with a season now under his belt has shown to be an impressive Doctor, he's as different from Matt as Matt was from David. I enjoy the spikier more awkward Doctors and look forward to The Christmas special. We had a number of high quality quest stars this year with Frank Skinner, Hermione Norris and Michelle Gomez impressing. I hope to see more of Michelle Gomez as I don't believe The Masters dead one bit. Bar the odd story I wasn't to keen on the writers have put a good shift in this year but the stars of the production team have been the directors with Rachel Talalay for the finale, Ben Weatley for Into the Dalek and Paul Wilmshurst for his two episodes being the most impressive.
Plaudits to all around and I can't wait for Christmas!
Hello ladies and gentle readers, its time for another exclusive on the Innocuous Bystander. Earlier in the year I sent off a spec script to the BBC for a sitcom based in a Doncaster Cash and Carry starring Chuck D from Public Enemy, Jamie aka @jtlovell1979 off of twitter and Lisa Gifford best known for the Threesome web series. Sadly the project stalled in production and nothing came of it, however after heavy negotiations and the offer of a twix the BBC have given me permission to post on this blog an excerpt of the script. So without further ado I give you:
Don't Believe the Hyper Market
Starring:
Chuck D as himself
Lisa Gifford as Miss Kolmekesi
Jamie as himself
Jasper the dog as himself
Nancy the rabbit as herself
Fiona Bruce as Hot Woman from space
Dr Dre as himself
[Interior of hypermarket Jamie stood manning the check out and Chuck D is price labelling tins of spam]
Chuck: Yo Jamie its nearly the end of shift, you do doing anything this weekend?
Jamie: No plans how about you?
Chuck: I'm gonna drop da bomb!
Jamie: On second thoughts I might be heading out of town.
[In walks Miss Kilmekesi with a suitcase handcuffed to arm]
Kilmekessi: Boys I'm heading to the bank with the days takings, Chuck I want you to out to the loading bay and help with the delivery of Orioles.
Chuck: You got it boss, it'll take more than a truck load of Orioles to hold me back.
[Chuck exits]
Kilmekessi: Now Jamie, one of our biggest customers Doctor Dre will be hear soon to collect his bulk order of wagon wheels. Whatever you do don't leave the checkout area.
Jamie: Don't worry Miss Kilmekessi I wont let you down.
Kilmekessi: Remember last week when you wandered off after finding that treasure map?
Jamie: That was a one off Miss Kilmekessi and on the bright side I did find that store of ice cream.
Kilmekessi: Jamie, just make sure you don't wander off. We need this business and if Doctor Dre doesn't get his wagon wheels we could have another East/West coast war at our branch.
Jamie: Yes, I remember the last time it kicked off between those rappers from Great Yarmouth and Aberystwyth.
Kilmekessi: Just remember, don't leave the till.
[Kilmekessi exits, leaving Jamie determined to man the till and not let her down]
[In runs Jasper the dog barking excitedly]
Jamie: Hello Jasper whats wrong?
Jasper: Woof.
Jamie: Whats that?
Jasper: Woof!
Jamie: Oh my, little Tinie has fallen down a well? This is an emergency I'd better make a phone call. [Pulls phone out of pocket and dials] Hello, Craid David? Tinie Temper has fallen down a well, can you cover his shift tomorrow? You can? Great! Panic averted Jasper you better head home now.
[Jasper leaves]
[Nancy the rabbit enters]
Nancy: Hi Jamie, do you have any frazzles?
Jamie: Third isle half way down on the left.
[Nancy hops down and hops back with a carton of frazzles]
Jamie: That's a lot of frazzles.
Nancy: I'm going to a "bring your own frazzles party" fancy knocking off early and joining me?
Jamie: Sorry I'm busy.
Nancy: But theres no one else hear...
Jamie: I know but I've got to hang about waiting for Doctor Dre to pick up his wagon wheels.
Nancy: Alright, stay if you must but lets not turn this into a reason to tweet passive aggressively about rabbits.
[Nancy exits]
Jamie: Damn, I've never been to a "bunny bring your own frazzles" party, the sacrifices I make for this job...
[In walks a woman wearing a 1970's style scifi costume]
Jamie: Hi can I interest you in our 2 for 1 offer on Britvic?
Hot Woman from space: Hello human I am looking for a male member of your species to take back to my home world and perform experiments of great pleasure on him.
Jamie: [To himself] This is getting ridiculous.
Hot Woman from space: Would you like to come back to my home planet human?
Jamie: I can't I've got to wait here for Doctor Dre to collect his wagon wheels or the whole of Doncaster could be devastated by a rapping war between Great Yarmouth and Aberystwyth. You'd best try and pick up one of the drunks in Berlins down the road...
[Hot Woman from space leaves]
[A few seconds go bye and back in runs Jasper barking hysterically]
Jamie: Whats that Jasper?
Jasper: Woof! Woof! Woof!
Jamie: Whats that? Some hooligans are vandalising my wheelie bin? I'll soon put a stop to that!
[Jamie and Jasper run out to rescue the wheelie bin leaving the Cash and Carry empty]
[A few seconds later in walks Doctor Dre, he looks around then turns to the camera]
Doctor Dre: Damn, looks like the forgot about Dre...
[Dre exits]
THE END
Amazing as it may seem readers some bureaucratic bod at the BBC decided "Don't Believe the Hyper Market" wasn't what the BBC were looking for. Sadly in this case the biggest loser of all is the Great British Television Viewer. It just goes to show how much greatness doesn't make it in front of the camera, hopefully my other projects such as Sherlock the Kitten, Rob Bob and Dog X-files (I want to retrieve) will have better luck.
For those of you who don't know five scripts from the new series of Doctor Who have been leaked, a little under two months before the series is due to air. The BBC released the following statement:
We deeply regret this and apologise to all the show's fans, the BBC and the cast and crew who have worked tirelessly making the series. We would like to make a plea to anyone who might have any of this material and [the] spoilers associated with it not to share it with a wider audience so that everyone can enjoy the show as it should be seen when it launches. We know only too well that Doctor Who fans are the best in the world and we thank them for their help with this and their continued loyalty.
I have to say in this day and age I'm surprised this kind of thing hasn't happened before and on a regular basis. In saying that it doesn't quite beat the DVD's being released before the season finale had aired the other year, when the BBC screw up they certainly screw up big. In saying that I'm well aware that a certain type of fan is currently looking up these scripts, devouring them and telling all and sundry whats in them. Personally I can't see the point, I don't want to read these new episodes - I want to see them on TV. I don't want to know who the villain of the week is or any plot developments as I want to see them and learn them as they happen.
A regular update on this blog is my effort to catch up with the big finish output as over the years I have fallen a decade or so behind. Most of this was due to periods of unemployment and money needing to go elsewhere, while this was going on I didn't read BF plot breakdowns to keep up - I waited until I could afford them. When Lost and Sky 1 disappeared from Virgin I waited until the DVD box sets came out. When a comic I read released a few preview pages I never read them - especially bloody preliminary sketches.
In short lady and gentle readers it seems that some fans these days lack discipline. Being a fan is about the show, not showing off all you know Its about the show and in some cases spoiling it. If you want to look up the scripts look them up, if you want to talk about them ask weather the person your talking to wants to discuss them or would rather not know. There is room on fandom for both sides of the spoiler debate, just keep enjoying the show and don't ruin anyone elses enjoyment.
Sadly earlier this month one of my favourite comedy actors Rik Mayall died, I'd like to take this opportunity to say some rather nice things about him. I first came across Rik in the TV show Bottom, tucked away on BBC2 back in the early 90's when BBC2 was a power house of comedy giving us shows like Bottom and Red Dwarf. Along with his partner Adrian Edmondson Bottom was a rather filthy show about a pair of saddo's containing puerile and slapstick comedy. A very underrated TV show (inspired by Waiting for Godot) Bottom lasted for three series and spawned five live shows that Mayall and Edmondson toured throughout the UK.
A few years later I would discover the show the generation before me associated with Mayall - The Young Ones. I can only describe this show as a wonderfully chaotic show which didn't just break the rules of TV it put them in a corner and poked them with sticks until they became a gibbering wreck. Also featuring Edmondson along with Nigel Planer and Christopher Ryan, Rik was firmly at the head of things playing the obnoxious poet Rick. Rik was also known for performances such as Alan Beresford B'stard in the New Statesman and Lord Flashheart in Blackadder.
Away from TV Rik also was a stand up comedian and was a regular live performer - most of the lead characters from The Young Ones are inspired by the actors live characters. His film career is a strange read, bit parts here and there, a Bottom spin off, British films that weren't exactly hits and edited out of the first Harry Potter film Rik is a performer we will always associate with TV and the theatre. I'd like to leave you lady and gentle readers with a video of a live performance at Comic Relief, billed as a performance by The Young Ones but its firmly Rik holding court and relishing a live audience:
Ladies and gentle readers, I'd like to mark your card about a TV series I discovered recently called In The Flesh. It is a gorgeous little drama hidden away at 10 PM on a Sunday night and its a crying shame barely anyone knows about it. Take a look at this trailer:
If I had to break it down into a sentence I'd describe it as Emmerdale with the cast divided between humans and zombies. Yes you read that correctly - Zombies! However this is a world away from the likes of The Walking Dead (which this blogger also recommends), this series deals with the aftereffects of a zombie cure and the effects reintegrating them has on the village of Roarton.
Set after "the rising" the undead have been cured with injections (which they need to take to prevent them going feral again) and given contact lenses and makeup and repatriated back into their homes. As opposed to zombies they are labelled PDS (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferers. This is very much a drama so don't go coming in expecting action but it does what the BBC does best creating original British Drama. 'also a thinly veiled Ukip allegory in a radical pro living party called Victis, with the MP Maxine Martin being the best TV villain of the moment.
Anyway, give it a view as its must see if rather unknown TV...
For those who are unaware Noel Edmonds has recently made it known that he wants to buy the BBC. Yes you read that correctly Noel Edmonds wants to buy the BBC, he's even been on Newsnight (an actual proper news and current affairs show) discussing it, albeit he didn't seem to realise he was in what is known as "the nutters" slot.
Noel, lets cut to the chase, I like you - your one of the good guys. Telly Addicts was a brilliant show as was Noels House Party and I'm glad in Deal or No Deal you've had a career resurgence in recent years. However keep the hell away from the BBC! For crying out loud Noel the BBC is still reeling from the Jimmy Savile Scandal, the last thing it needs is another former DJ and children's TV presenter from the 70's riding in and declaring himself a knight in shining armour.
Noel seriously this is not the time for you to be trying to raise your profile, stick to your TV show, lay low and don't try any crazy publicity seeking antics until the heats died down on TV personalities from the 70's.
A number of months ago I noticed the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who was coming up and thought "I'm going to watch a shed load of Who to celebrate." I decided on a viewing marathon but the main problem was deciding on a theme, I wanted to encapsulate as many Doctors era's as possible so "anniversary" was out as it had only a handful of stories. It suddenly hit me - A TWO LEGGED MARATHON! In the build up to the anniversary I would watch the story voted by fans to be the worst of that Doctors era, then after the anniversary I would watch the best of every Doctors era. Think about it this does make sense, you go through the bad stuff and by the time you get to the good stuff you appreciate it a bit more.
Obviously it goes without saying I'm writing this in march so the marathon went on a bit longer than expected, mainly due to other things coming up and getting in the way but I got there in the end and this blog is my journey through the worst of the worst according to the fans.
First of all I set myself a few rules, otherwise most of you reading this could reel off the stories that make this list. Because 8 only has one TV story (or did when I wrote this - thanks for solving this Moff but you were a little late) the first leg is only going to be Doctors 7-1, otherwise I'd be watching the TV Movie twice. I can't include a story I own on DVD or that I've seen in the last two years, because if there was a story that came bottom of the polls and I liked it I'd probably own it, this would help me get a story for each Doctor I didn't like. The two years factor would add a bit of fresh randomness in just to spice the marathon up a bit. Without further ado lets get started...
We start with the Seventh Doctor, the story that came bottom of the poll I used was "Time and the Rani" but I've seen that fairly recently, the next Seventh Doctor story was Silver Nemesis but I already owned it so for representing the Sylvester McCoy era on this marathon would be Delta and the Bannermen. Given that I was about seven when season 24 aired I've always had a soft spot for it and have never understood the flack it gets. In saying that Delta is a story that by and large has passed me by, and I've only seen it when it aired and a repeat on UK Gold at stupid AM during my college years. I do own the target novelisation though and have to confess in my mid teens I let the "Wales in England" stuff get to me and the nationalistic twit on me didn't like this story, although now I can successfully say the aforementioned trait has been largely dropped. Watching it, I'm finding it an enjoyable romp and rather a traditional story - it actually feels a lot like the post come back series, I'd put money on RTD or The Moff being tempted to take a galactic space war and plonk it in a holiday camp if it hadn't already been done.
The guest cast are very good, myself I'm only aware of Ken Dodd but the cast are full of names and faces the viewer can recognise from TV over the years. Hugh Lloyd, Richard Davies, Sara Griffiths and Stubby Kaye are clearly having loads of fun while unfortunately Belinda Mayne and David Kinder are a bit am-dram as the star crossed lovers. Don Henderson playing the villain Gavrock bar a brilliant scene where he confronts the Doctor at the cliffhanger for part two while tucking into a chunk of meat is surprisingly restrained for a Who villain. The regulars are on fine form, McCoy has a few stories under his belt now and is developing his character nicely - I really like the fact he lets Mel talk him into going to 1950's Disneyland despite his reservations about the holiday company. His confrontations with Gavrock, his interactions with Ray and the closing moments as he warns Delta and Billy but doesn't stop all show movement from the rushed character from earlier stories. Also dare I say it Bonnie Langfords quite good, this may actually be her best performance as she genuinely fits in with the Navarino's and the setting.
All in all after finishing this story I'm a bit bemused its rated so low by fans (yes there are two lower rated 7th Doctor stories but this is still very low) as I'm mentally putting it into the "fun romp" category. As an inside my award for line of the story goes to Richard Davies as Burton "You are not the Happy Hearts Holiday club from Bolton but instead are spacemen in fear of attack from other spacemen" which completely sums up the story.
We move on wards with marathon and enter the Sixth Doctor era, the story that came bottom for this era was The Twin Dilemma, however I've seen that a year or two back when the BBC put it on youtube. The next story up (although not that far in the rankings I used) is Timelash, any reader not familiar with this story may be interested to find out there in an anagram for this story that even Colin Baker himself has been known to use. If you can work it out and add it to the bottom of this blog you can win a bar of soap to wash your mouth out with. Anyway on with the blog...
Being the age I am, its fair to say I'm quite unfamiliar with the vast majority of guest stars in Who up until it came back in the 00's. Mostly this is down to age, where as most people can say "oh that's so and so from blah blah blah blah" which I miss out on because I'm to young to remember their other work. However due to DVDs and revisiting shows I wasn't around for the first time on a re watch like this a show can take on another dimension when I realise "hang on that's Avon off of Blake's Seven!" Being familiar with this story I can understand why fans don't like it, I however am firmly of the opinion its crap but its good fun crap. Yes its got the look of a Graham Williams "oh shit the budgets gone" season finale and bar Paul Darrow the guest cast are rubbish there's a lot to enjoy. Colin's clearly read the script, seen the sets, seen the guest cast and decided he needs to act big to save the show and his performance is lots of fun. As an aside I enjoy its a sequel to an untelevised Pertwee story, imagine a group of aliens expecting the debonair third Doctor to step out of the TARDIS and instead getting Sixy!
There's a lot of actually Doctor-ish stuff going on in this story, HG Wells is in it but this is a far cry from modern day Who when well known historical figures often turn up. Most of the time these figures were involved in off screen anecdotes so its quite a treat to see Wells. Also the stuff with the android and "time break" are the kind of thing one assumes always happened in Who yet despite the timey wimey nature of recent Who its still a rare thing. However these aspects tend to get buried, for most of the time HG Wells is "Herbert" and the rest of the story gets sucked into the poorness of the production albeit with Baker and Darrow the only ones acting big to overcome it.
I find it highly watchable, for me Colin Baker and Paul Darrow save the story from sinking into boring mediocrity turning it into a fun little panto. Bar that there's not much to say, a lot of stuff about this one is poor but at least its fun.
Onto the Fifth Doctor era and unlike the previous two stories this entry in the marathon actually is bottom of this era, yes ladies and gentle readers this may come as a shock but I didn't own the double pack DVD of Time-Flight and Arc of Infinity! Despite that I'm on safe grounds as I quite enjoy this story, now I'm well aware of why its so poorly rated by fans but I'm having none of it, there's loads to enjoy about Time-Flight.
Lets start with part 1, its virtually a Pertwee era UNIT story first episode - UNIT even get a name check! Disaster happens on modern day earth but instead of the Brig stomping into the Third Doctors lab the Fifth Doctor lands the TARDIS right in the disaster area and is called into help. Peter Davison even gets to lark about in concord - Jon Pertwee would have been all over this! Peter Davison himself is also brilliant, he's so breathless, plus after the tragedy of the previous story he's clearly throwing himself head first into things because this is all the Doctor knows how to do. Also Peter has one of my favourite scenes in his era, when he gets bored of explaining the plot again to another guest character and stomps off and happens to stomp into Kalids lair.
I'm the first to admit the concord crew are pure panto however if your in the right mood this isn't a bad thing. Sarah Sutton, is Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding is in her element as Tegan. Despite being in her chosen workplace at last Tegan still feels more at home in the TARDIS than Heathrow. The story becomes distinctly uninteresting when Kalids identity is revealed and bar Peter Davison there's not a lot going on on the acting front. Like the previous story its another "oh crap the money's run out" story but its still , at least until the half way point and there's a good little plot here. Its another case of the lead actor being big to cover up the shows shortcomings which is always good to watch, plus Peter gets the best line when describing Concord, "This thing is smaller on the inside than the outside!"
Anyway on we go to the Fourth Doctor and Tom Baker era, any non fan or fairly recent newcomers yet to see any of the original series may be surprised to find this era has any duffers but low and behold Underworld only just finished higher than the previous stories on the pole. We're back in fairly uncharted territory for me here as I've only seen it once during the late 90's on a daft AM UK Gold repeat and can't remember anything whats over, I am however aware of its reputation and am looking forward to seeing some rubbish 70's CSO!
Watching the first episode I'm rather taken aback, its actually quite good and looks to be setting up "Jason and the Argonauts" in space, we could be in for another traditional story here. I'm going to say this now, I think the first episode actually promises something special and there's actually entertaining science going on here - especially with the cliffhanger. Plot wise we're in pivotal stuff for the series overall as we see why the Time Lords have a non intervention policy. Sadly after the first episode the rest of the series commits the cardinal sin of being a bit dull, even Tom Baker looks like he's not really bothered. Probably because of all the experimenting CSO filming, bar a few sets to save money most of the sets are CSO and in all honesty bar three or four painful shots (include the part three cliffhanger) its not to bad.
Louise Jameson and Tom Baker despite being low key do have good chemistry and Leela's first shot of the story is a "for the dads" moment. Of the guest cast Alan Lake as Herrick is brilliant and looks determined to enjoy himself, the rest however are instantly forgettable. Writing this I can't even remember what the villains were called as they are faceless (I mean this in both senses) and can't remember their names. All in all a good first episode which sets things up nicely only for the rest of the story to flop. Sadly unlike the previous stories in the marathon there's no "big acting" to save it.
Moving on we enter the Third Doctor era with the one and only Jon Pertwee himself, I feel the urge to point out that in the on line poll I'm using there is no story from this era in the bottom section - the lowest story is twenty seventh off the bottom which makes it just higher than Delta which was my third choice for the Seventh Doctor era. Anyway the bottom story for this era is The Time Monster, another story which I don't own and have only seen on daft AM UK Gold repeats.
Rather like the previous story I enjoyed the first episode and in fact I'd go as so far to say its the most traditional Pertwee opening episode I've ever seen. UNIT, the Master, technological doohickey, isolated location in the English countryside - its all here. Moving on there's actually a lot to like about this story, UNIT are fun, Benton gets a lot to do and the Third Doctor gets an atypical trip back into earths history. I'm of the firm belief though that this story is more interested in the Master and at times it feels like its his story, he's brilliant from his out of his depth plan to his seducing of Galleia - who I nearly didn't recognise from Where Eagles Dare. Things drag a bit after the first episode but then pick up when the TARDIS turns up. There's a bit in episode five when the Doctor speaks to Jo from the time vortex that's quite quick but I remember it going on forever. The Atlantis stuff is a good bit of fun and a novelty by this era's standards, the finale is a bit rubbish and its not the best Pertwee/Delgado confrontation but it never stops being a fun runaround. Coming away from this I'm firmly placing it in the fun romp category and not really understanding why its rated so low, surely its a classic example of a fun Doctor Who story and should be somewhere around the middle?
We move into the black and white years where Patrick Troughton played the Second Doctor - I must declare that Pat is my personal favourite Doctor and this entry may be a bit biased. This story has a reputation of being dull, being set on the planet Dulkis doesn't help and neither does naming the planets population the Dulcians. Its a fairly typical invasion story with the war like Dominators invading the pacifistic Dulcians, with the Dulcians not knowing how to defend themselves. There's a great moment where the Dulcian big wigs hold a meeting and decide to do nothing, although this does take about three episodes! The Dominators themselves sadly aren't very good in the action stakes either, they spend most of the story arguing with each other (at times its like watching a docudrama on office politics) when their robot Quarks do everything. The Quarks are the thing this story is known for, the writers had aspirations they would be the next "Dalek" but it never happened. I however think they're rather cute and watchable.
However I'm disagreeing with fandom and think there's a lot to enjoy about this, Troughton himself is on excellent form as are the rest of the regulars. Needless to say the most anarchistic Doctor does not get on with the titular Dominators and is infuriated with the Dulcians which makes great viewing. Highlights of the story are the Doctor and Jamie trying to act foolish so the Dominators underestimate them, the Doctor trying to divert the travel capsule, plus Jamie's and Cully's battle with the Quarks in the final few episodes to by the Doctor some time. I find this story lots of fun, a lovely little romp and am in firm disagreement that its rated so low.
We enter the final leg of the marathon and onto the First Doctor himself William Hartnells era. The bottom rated story for his era was The Celestial Toymaker but I went through a phase of going through the missing stories on audio (and surviving episodes) a while back so its up to the next poorly rated story which is The Web Planet. Again this is a story I've only seen early in the morning on UK Gold but its one I remember struggling through, this could be the toughest test of the marathon. Given that its the final leg I decided to watch it over one evening instead of my usual one episode an evening.
I feel the urge to point out to anyone that has never watched any early Who, this is one hell of a bonkers era. Don't be fooled into thinking Doctor Who found its format straight away and stuck to it rigidly for twenty-six years, this era in particular was throwing new things at the viewer on a weekly basis. This story is the perfect case in point, somebody at some point said "lets do a story with no humanoid guest characters" and we got The Web Planet.
However in order to make it look more alien they did something unusual to the camera filters and rubbed Vaseline on the camera. After watching this I had a migraine the next day and constant headaches, however I applaud the idea. Sadly for me this is a story full of good idea's that don't really translate well onto the screen, as a result its a bit of a struggle. I find the early episodes more enjoyable, the TARDIS has never looked or felt more dangerous, the mystery of the threat to come and Barbara somehow being mind controlled all add to a fantastic atmosphere. In fact the Doctor and Ians exploration of Vortis is the highlight of the story, Ian gets a bit of a hard time in this story - he has his pen stolen, his tie vandalised, gets covered in blisters and spends the later part of the story in a mucky tunnel. Its still the majority of the original regulars bar Maureen O'Briens Vicki coming in after Carole Fords Susan and its as formidable a TARDIS crew as ever there was. They throw themselves into the production with a sterling effort, of the guest Roslyn de Winters and Martin Jarvis deserve to be mentioned as the Menoptra do a lot better than the rest of the races on display.
Sadly the filters, Vaseline and for some reason gas makes this story hard to follow and I was forever rewinding the DVD as I was losing touch with what was going on. I have to applaud the production team as they actually manage to show the menoptra flying briefly. The script itself is fantastic, everyone gets something to do and there's a fantastic moment where an Optera describes digging which is outstanding. I think I'd be all over this if it existed only on audio but as I said earlier this story gave me a severe headache so its not really a story I can recommend - unless your planning on watching with your eyes shut.
So there we are, all of the original series Doctors are accounted for and the first leg of the marathon comes to an end. I feel I should have a conclusion for readers who have made it to this point however I have nothing, there appears to be no connection between these stories, some are radical, some are traditional, some earthbound some not yet all are fairly unloved, fandom is a strange thing. Anyway moving on I've yet to start the second leg of the marathon and as this has taken so long I'll probably do it in the run up to the next series. It will be Doctors One to Eleven but I'm undecided over weather I should do my favourites or fandoms favourites. Let me know which you'd rather read as I'm easily swayed.
