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Post by polly on Apr 8, 2020 19:40:34 GMT
Ambassadors of Death. Season 7 was pretty damn great wasn't it!? Probably the best overall season of classic Who in terms of consistency. That or Season 14. ------------------ City of Death for Mr Polly and I. What an air of romance and fun this one has. An oasis of perfection in the desert of Season 17.
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Post by timegirl on Apr 8, 2020 21:55:51 GMT
Last Christmas, simply one of the best Doctor Who Christmas specials ever made!š Its scary, whimsical, suspenseful, funny, heartbreaking heartwarming magical and romantic! That ending, that ending is one of the most heartwarming and romantic endings in all of Doctor Who! I am sure I wonāt be alone in saying it makes me cry every single time I watch it!š¢ššš
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Post by Hieronymus on Apr 9, 2020 17:53:23 GMT
Dreamland. The animation is a bit stiff at times, and there are a couple of odd moments, but the story is better than I remember. I enjoyed watching it, it had good pacing, some clever dialogue, and a stellar cast. I didn't remember that Georgia Moffet, David Warner, and Liza Bowerman were in it.
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Post by polly on Apr 9, 2020 19:51:20 GMT
Creature from the Pit - What the hell can I even say about this? The first time I saw this story, I 100% honestly and for true thought I was going to die laughing. I laughed so hard my diaphragm seized up and I could not breathe for a few seconds. And I had a serious headache for days afterward so I must've blown a gasket or something.
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Post by mrperson on Apr 10, 2020 22:53:52 GMT
Creature from the Pit - What the hell can I even say about this? The first time I saw this story, I 100% honestly and for true thought I was going to die laughing. I laughed so hard my diaphragm seized up and I could not breathe for a few seconds. And I had a serious headache for days afterward so I must've blown a gasket or something.
I did not remember he did, errrr, that. That has to be Tom improvising.
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Post by elkawho on Apr 11, 2020 2:45:48 GMT
I'm watching An Adventure In Space And Time for the first time in years. It might even be the first time since the 50th. I love it!
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Post by polly on Apr 11, 2020 7:07:58 GMT
I did not remember he did, errrr, that. That has to be Tom improvising.
I hope so, as rude as it is, because otherwise David Fisher scripted the Fourth Doctor to put the Creature's appendage in his mouth...
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Post by relativetime on Apr 11, 2020 23:37:54 GMT
Iāve started on a bit of an Eighties Who binge - both TV and audio. Yesterday, for instance, I watched The Leisure Hive and listened to The Skin of the Sleek and The Thief Who Stole Time. Today, Iāve just finished Meglos and Iām about to start on Full Circle.
The Leisure Hive is pretty entertaining. Itās not the best Season 18 has to offer, but as far as season openers go, you could do much worse. Meglos is an absolute must-see if only for Cactus Tom Baker. I also have to say, thereās a delightfully vague ending for a ānewā companion that Iād actually be really excited to see explored in The Fourth Doctor Adventures someday. At the rate theyāre being recorded, whoās to say they havenāt already!
Listening to The Skin of the Sleek and The Thief Who Stole Time between these two stories also made me really appreciate how Marc Platt really nailed the atmosphere of Season 18. Itās also the closest I think Lalla Ward has come to really capturing the feeling of her on-screen performance. Naturally this isnāt to say she has EVER put in a bad performance - but itās still really evident to me that how she approaches the role now is markedly different to how she approached it back then. Iāve gone on and on about this enough, though, and this isnāt the place to really nitpick the audio adventures, so Iāll hush up.
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Post by elkawho on Apr 12, 2020 3:07:11 GMT
My 19 year old daughter has a new found curiosity regarding classic Who. She has seen very little of it, so I am hoping to help her remedy that. Just finished watching And Unearthly Child and now skipping ahead to The Daleks.
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lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
Likes: 5,819
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Post by lidar2 on Apr 12, 2020 8:57:22 GMT
Geneaia of the Daleks
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2020 12:55:04 GMT
Warriors' Gate part 4. I don't know why it took me so long to watch this final episode again, but I've just finished it. They should never have insisted Clifford Rose do 'that laugh', but my my my, what a magical story. Doctor Who does arthouse. And leaves Romana and K9 behind in another universe. The show was never quite the same again. One of my favourites evah!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2020 15:38:30 GMT
Iāve started on a bit of an Eighties Who binge - both TV and audio. Yesterday, for instance, I watched The Leisure Hive and listened to The Skin of the Sleek and The Thief Who Stole Time. Today, Iāve just finished Meglos and Iām about to start on Full Circle. The Leisure Hive is pretty entertaining. Itās not the best Season 18 has to offer, but as far as season openers go, you could do much worse. Meglos is an absolute must-see if only for Cactus Tom Baker. I also have to say, thereās a delightfully vague ending for a ānewā companion that Iād actually be really excited to see explored in The Fourth Doctor Adventures someday. At the rate theyāre being recorded, whoās to say they havenāt already! Listening to The Skin of the Sleek and The Thief Who Stole Time between these two stories also made me really appreciate how Marc Platt really nailed the atmosphere of Season 18. Itās also the closest I think Lalla Ward has come to really capturing the feeling of her on-screen performance. Naturally this isnāt to say she has EVER put in a bad performance - but itās still really evident to me that how she approaches the role now is markedly different to how she approached it back then. Iāve gone on and on about this enough, though, and this isnāt the place to really nitpick the audio adventures, so Iāll hush up. I am treading a similar path, and enjoying it very much. Recently finished Warriors' Gate, which I always love, and relistening to the recent 4DAs (halfway through Chase the Night at the moment, and again - hugely enjoyable). But the Sleek story really captures the essence of Series 18 for me. It's a wonderful story - and yes, I thought it made an effort to address and rectify some of Romana's audio 'waspishness' (although it was probably just coincidence). Rewatching Warriors' reminded me she was often quite spikey on television too, sometimes with Adric but often with other characters too (not that they didn't often deserve it). Romana can be more than a little arch on accasions, but I love the character and I forgive her anything! A bossy Romana is better than no Romana
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Post by relativetime on Apr 12, 2020 21:51:32 GMT
Finished up State of Decay earlier today and then promptly listened all the way through Purgatory 12.
State of Decay might be my favorite Season 18 story - I just love the gothic/medieval aesthetic and the lore behind the Great Vampires and really just about everything. I especially love the Doctor and Romana in this - the prison escape scene between the two of them just makes me melt every time. The resolution of the story is a little strange - the Doctor seems pretty set on returning Adric to Alzarius right away. Iām not sure if this small throwaway line is referenced in Warriorās Gate - itās been an age and a half since I last watched it - but it does stand out since Iām listening to the audio stories as well.
Itās really strange going from Full Circle to State of Decay and then Purgatory 12, though. At least where Adric is concerned. It really does stick out like a sore thumb how the show kind of brushed Vaushās death under the rug - until the climax of State of Decay, Adric barely seems torn up about him. Then you go straight into Purgatory 12 and thatās crucial to Adricās emotional arc and the story itself. Iām very glad the audios have addressed Vaush anyways, though, because despite the small discrepancy with Adricās characterization, it still fits very nicely into the season. In general, I think you can see no clearer example of Big Finishās character work than going from State of Decay to Purgatory 12.
Anyways, planning on getting through the rest of the E-Space audio stories and then Iām moving on to Warriorās Gate.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2020 8:39:42 GMT
Finished up State of Decay earlier today and then promptly listened all the way through Purgatory 12. State of Decay might be my favorite Season 18 story - I just love the gothic/medieval aesthetic and the lore behind the Great Vampires and really just about everything. I especially love the Doctor and Romana in this - the prison escape scene between the two of them just makes me melt every time. The resolution of the story is a little strange - the Doctor seems pretty set on returning Adric to Alzarius right away. Iām not sure if this small throwaway line is referenced in Warriorās Gate - itās been an age and a half since I last watched it - but it does stand out since Iām listening to the audio stories as well. Itās really strange going from Full Circle to State of Decay and then Purgatory 12, though. At least where Adric is concerned. It really does stick out like a sore thumb how the show kind of brushed Vaushās death under the rug - until the climax of State of Decay, Adric barely seems torn up about him. Then you go straight into Purgatory 12 and thatās crucial to Adricās emotional arc and the story itself. Iām very glad the audios have addressed Vaush anyways, though, because despite the small discrepancy with Adricās characterization, it still fits very nicely into the season. In general, I think you can see no clearer example of Big Finishās character work than going from State of Decay to Purgatory 12. Anyways, planning on getting through the rest of the E-Space audio stories and then Iām moving on to Warriorās Gate. Of all the stories of Series 18, State and Decay and Warriors' Gate could be said to have the most troubled production. Warriors' saw a few challenges with the Director, and Graeme Harper (whatever happened to him) had to take the reigns at the last minute; State of Decay saw Bidmead changing Terrance's script so much that the director refused to work on it unless it was changed back - the result was a kind of compromise. Throughout all that, the fact that the resultant stories were so wonderful is a miracle.
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Post by tuigirl on Apr 13, 2020 17:10:03 GMT
Started on the Time Monster. Still one of my all-time favorite teams, even if the Doctor can be a bit of a jerk sometimes. And I just love the Master. Settling in for a nice cozy predictable run-around.
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Post by polly on Apr 13, 2020 19:24:29 GMT
Nightmare of Eden. Yawn.
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Post by masterdoctor on Apr 13, 2020 20:42:01 GMT
A Christmas Carol by Steven Moffat
Took me a week to do so, but after hearing Living History from The Churchill Years Vol 1, I got around to A Christmas Carol. This is the perfect Christmas special, isn't it. Probably one of the best Christmas themed episodes in television if I'm honest.
Script-wise, this is one of Moffat's best. Every element works, and the pacing is just right. Playing with the classic Dickens story, but making it so much more I feel. We get this wonderful pastiche of Star Trek with Amy and Rory, who are well-served despite being very background characters. The time-travel is used in a beautiful yet tragic way, and not a moment is wasted. Moffat sets everything up in the first 10 minutes, and while we as the audience know Abigail's fate, watching Kazran and The Doctor find out, and for Kazran to take it so hard makes it incredible television.
There also isn't a weak performance. Amy and Rory are very minimal in the story as I mentioned, but Gillan and Darvill kill the comedy relief role they are given. A Christmas Carol is also one of the best showcases for Matt Smith as The Doctor, who despite it being common knowledge that he never watched Doctor Who before the role of Eleven came his way, he is alongside Capaldi as the truest to the classic era representation of the character. This speaks to both Smith, who is brilliant, tragic, remorse, playful and everything under the sun, but does it in an organic way, and Moffat, who imo understands Classic Who the best out of the three current series show-runners.
And of course, the three Kazrans are so well cast by Andy Pryor, with Gambon, Horn and Delcher all nailing each stage in his life. Each also has a standout scene where they really shine. For Horn, it's when he falls back into the jaded person he was before Abigail, and Gambon and Delcher crying with each other is heartbreaking but lovely at the same time. Katherine Jenkins does a splendid job as Abigail, as she gets the audience to fall in love with the character just as much as Kazran does, making everything that happens so much more poignant.
The music from Murray Gold is some of his best as well. Mixing regular themes such as Eleven's with Christmas music and orchestral and operatic influences just works. And his music doesn't intrude on the scenes either, underscoring or taking centre stage when needed. The production and camerawork is whimsical and suits the story and setting to a tee, with the first snowfall in years and the final day between Kazran and Abigail being perfect.
And of course, the reason I rewatched this was because of how much I loved Living History, and wanting to see how Kazran could come back again, if possible. And honestly, A Christmas boxset featuring Kazran and his adventures with Abigail would be brilliant. The scope available was only scratched upon and if possible, either in the style of The Churchill Years or more Companion Chronicles like, it would be brilliant. Imagine Micheal Gambon at Big Finish!
What I hope everyone takes away from this writeup is that A Christmas Carol should be watched by all as soon as humanely possible, because yes, it is near perfect.
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ljwilson
Chancellery Guard
It's tangerine....not orange
Likes: 5,063
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Post by ljwilson on Apr 15, 2020 13:37:15 GMT
A first watch of Heaven Sent. Very enjoyable and clever.
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Post by polly on Apr 16, 2020 4:50:49 GMT
Horns of Nimon - One of those stories that feel like it takes about a million years to sit through. Nicest thing I can say about it is Romana has a cool outfit and gets to do Doctor stuff.
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Post by masterdoctor on Apr 16, 2020 17:54:35 GMT
With being cooped up at home, I am finally attempting to make my way through the entirety of Classic Who, courtesy of BritBox. To do this, I am going through it a Doctor at a time, but not in order of regenerations. First up is The Third Doctor, so over the next few weeks, I'll hopefully be able too regale you all with my thoughts on what is an almost brand new era for me. number13 hopefully you enjoy these, starting of course with... Spearhead from Space by Robert HolmesI start from the beginning of Doctor Who in Colour! This is actually the only Pertwee serial I've seen fully, due to it being released on BluRay and having it gifted to me years ago. And not only is it my only Pertwee I've fully seen, this is my fourth time watching it. This is because I absolutely adore it, and I'm excited to finally watch an era that I love so much from the audios such as the 3DA's. Out of all the first stories with a Doctor, this is definitely one of the best, perhaps only beat by The Eleventh Hour, and vying for 2nd with Rose and An Unearthly Child. As a stray observation, it seems that every time a major change in production team coincides with a new Doctor, the first story is a belter each time, likely because they are full of passion and excitement and ready to share their voice in the tapestry of the show. Anyways, I think what might be best it to go over why Spearhead works so well, both as an introduction to a markedly different Doctor from those before, as well as a story in its own right. As an introduction to Pertwee, everything comes together nicely. Holmes' script is succulent, making use of its running time perfectly, with almost no drag. Momentum is built through the first three episodes and comes together wonderfully in the final episode. Stranding the Doctor on earth was definitely a risk, but it works well so far, with some great scenery being utilized for location shooting, and allowing for such an environmental message that organically... develops. Pertwee himself is brilliant, even with limited things to do in the story, being bed-ridden for almost an episode. But his performance is recognizable as the Doctor, but different as well. Physically bringing so much to the role, but also having this mesmerizing way of talking really sells this incarnation as a suave Bond type character. In addition to the Third Doctor, the main cast of Season 7 are set up in a great way as well. Bringing Lethbridge-Stewart and Nicholas Courtney back was inspired, with the character being a foil to the Doctor but also one of his best friends as well. Caroline John brings life into the sceptic of the group, Liz Shaw, and it's a tragedy that we lost her so soon. Watching her reminds me so much of The Last Post, and I plan to listen to it after I finish season 7, so that I can have a bit of closure on the character. As a story on its own merits, Spearhead is just great television. There is some great action, highlighting Pertwee, wonderful dialogue that builds the characters well, and the plot is simple but effective, so that it never gets in the way of the character development. I do admit, that there are some weird moments that move the plot along just for the sake of it, but I can happily forgive that as the rest of the story is so excellent. In summary, Spearhead in Space is just a lovely story, that is brimming with brilliance, and even after watching four times, it doesn't get boring. I can only imagine how good Pertwee's era will be in full.
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