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Post by sherlock on Jul 19, 2024 21:45:33 GMT
Kinda
Oh I love this gloriously weird story. A paradise, a unique people at peace in their world, a man driven to madness in fear of a threat that never existed and a snake that just can’t resist invading paradise and setting off the doomsday clock, again. It’s big concepts and the story is unafraid to leave questions unanswered. The Mara is as sinister as Who gets; you really get a sense from the dreams that this is a monster squeezed into a human form which is a barely containing its wrath.
It’s easily one of Davison’s best TV performances, really emphasising his Doctor’s open-minded curiosity. There’s no “science not sorcery” to be found here; he’s embracing the unexplained and simply trying to grasp the logic of it. Todd being one of the best companions that never were really complements this and it’s a damn shame he doesn’t turf out Adric and take her along instead.
Happily the iPlayer incarnation is the original effects version, so any new viewer seeking to learn about the “god of beasts” will be greeted by the original giant snake prop. Bless it, they tried.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2024 22:27:16 GMT
KindaOh I love this gloriously weird story. A paradise, a unique people at peace in their world, a man driven to madness in fear of a threat that never existed and a snake that just can’t resist invading paradise and setting off the doomsday clock, again. It’s big concepts and the story is unafraid to leave questions unanswered. The Mara is as sinister as Who gets; you really get a sense from the dreams that this is a monster squeezed into a human form which is a barely containing its wrath. It’s easily one of Davison’s best TV performances, really emphasising his Doctor’s open-minded curiosity. There’s no “science not sorcery” to be found here; he’s embracing the unexplained and simply trying to grasp the logic of it. Todd being one of the best companions that never were really complements this and it’s a damn shame he doesn’t turf out Adric and take her along instead. Happily the iPlayer incarnation is the original effects version, so any new viewer seeking to learn about the “god of beasts” will be greeted by the original giant snake prop. Bless it, they tried. It's still a favourite of mine too, even with the original snake prop! It's the idea that was terrifying, even if the budget couldn't measure up. Regarding Adric - I remember reading one episode wasn't long enough so Eric Saward wrote the scene where Adric is mocking Tegan for having a weak enough mind for the Mara to infiltrate. I actually felt sorry for Matthew W having to perform those lines - how can you possibly emerge as a likeable caracter when you're given dialogue like that? Wonderful, darkly trippy story though.
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Post by sherlock on Jul 20, 2024 7:42:33 GMT
KindaOh I love this gloriously weird story. A paradise, a unique people at peace in their world, a man driven to madness in fear of a threat that never existed and a snake that just can’t resist invading paradise and setting off the doomsday clock, again. It’s big concepts and the story is unafraid to leave questions unanswered. The Mara is as sinister as Who gets; you really get a sense from the dreams that this is a monster squeezed into a human form which is a barely containing its wrath. It’s easily one of Davison’s best TV performances, really emphasising his Doctor’s open-minded curiosity. There’s no “science not sorcery” to be found here; he’s embracing the unexplained and simply trying to grasp the logic of it. Todd being one of the best companions that never were really complements this and it’s a damn shame he doesn’t turf out Adric and take her along instead. Happily the iPlayer incarnation is the original effects version, so any new viewer seeking to learn about the “god of beasts” will be greeted by the original giant snake prop. Bless it, they tried. It's still a favourite of mine too, even with the original snake prop! It's the idea that was terrifying, even if the budget couldn't measure up. Regarding Adric - I remember reading one episode wasn't long enough so Eric Saward wrote the scene where Adric is mocking Tegan for having a weak enough mind for the Mara to infiltrate. I actually felt sorry for Matthew W having to perform those lines - how can you possibly emerge as a likeable caracter when you're given dialogue like that? Wonderful, darkly trippy story though. Oh that would explain why that scene has always stood out like a sore thumb. I do think there may have been some pacing issues, as it feels like “it’s the end of everything!” should be the cliffhanger of part 3 but it weirdly keeps going another minute or so until the wise woman is found dead.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Jul 20, 2024 10:16:16 GMT
Just finished "Evil of the Daleks". Is this the first RTD story?
Just consider all the elements. It's a season-closer with a big, mad, universe-threatening story. It has the kind of absurd ideas that fans hate - childish Daleks, Daleky people - it has a great big baddie, and potential companions who get killed off. Oh, and it dovetails into the previous story.
But it has the one thing nuWho never had, and new nuWho doesn't have either - time to breathe. You can do so much more telling a story in three hours than in ninety minutes
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Post by sherlock on Jul 22, 2024 10:24:10 GMT
The Visitation
Conceptually this story has some neat ideas but it plays them out through some really dull storytelling. This also must be one of worst offenders for thankless companion material in Who, with Nyssa confined to the TARDIS making a prop, Tegan put under mind control where she doesn’t speak, and Adric twisting his ankle and then spending entire plot in escape/capture loops.
I’ve also never understood why the Terileptls fell the need to wipe out an entire planet when there’s only three of them. Seems a bit of an overreaction.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2024 21:29:35 GMT
Kinda.
Inspired by sherlock, I very happily gave this one a rewatch recently and absolutely loved it. Some excellent performances distracted from the very studio-bound setting. How much better this would have looked on film. Still, the pristine video gives the images a sickly brightness befitting the increasing delirium. Undoubtedly Janet Fielding's greatest bite of the apple (so to speak) and she really goes for it. The scariest human host for the Mara, her sullen seductiveness suggests far more evil than Adrian Mills admittedly impressive but very shouty variant. Of course, it's Simon Rouse who takes the cake with his truly frightening playing of unfiltered madness. His cries of "Mummy, make them go away," could have been a bit silly had he not made the speech just part of his tearful descent into something genuinely distressing.
Watching the updated snake effect at the end is almost too good. The excellent rendering of the creature makes surrounding original footage flimsy and hand-painting by comparison, but really, that's no complaint. And how wonderful to have a story where even The Doctor doesn't know what's going on until toward the end. A riotous and effecting bit of surprisingly mature drama for our favourite family drama, and a sometimes psychedelic trip into the dark places of the inside. I'll repeat my plea for Peter Howell's soundtrack for this (and Snakedance) to be given the Mark Ayres magic.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2024 21:09:00 GMT
Just had a 'nothing's what it seems' moment, and not for the first time. I never got through Demons of the Punjab when it was first transmitted. In 2018 was still getting used to Chris Chibnall's much maligned, 'gentler' version of the show and was finding - as I still do - Series 11 to be decidedly mixed. I'd sat through the terrible The Tsuranga Conundrum, and possibly as a result of that, didn't give this one much of a chance. And it's a beautiful episode, a real emotional roller-coaster, wonderfully played - and it looks absolutely stunning. A few digs at Sheffield I could have done without, but a really well constructed episode that I think is generally the most well-received from this collection of stories. And it's mainly Yaz's tale, too, the most appealing of the all Jodie's team (although I like them all, even sidelined Ryan). Really glad I finally gave this a chance. I just can't believe it took me so long.
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Post by mark687 on Jul 31, 2024 21:17:04 GMT
Just had a 'nothing's what it seems' moment, and not for the first time. I never got through Demons of the Punjab when it was first transmitted. In 2018 was still getting used to Chris Chibnall's much maligned, 'gentler' version of the show and was finding - as I still do - Series 11 to be decidedly mixed. I'd sat through the terrible The Tsuranga Conundrum, and possibly as a result of that, didn't give this one much of a chance. And it's a beautiful episode, a real emotional roller-coaster, wonderfully played - and it looks absolutely stunning. A few digs at Sheffield I could have done without, but a really well constructed episode that I think is generally the most well-received from this collection of stories. And it's mainly Yaz's tale, too, the most appealing of the all Jodie's team (although I like them all, even sidelined Ryan). Really glad I finally gave this a chance. I just can't believe it took me so long. Punjab is the Best "Non Event but positive General feel of the Era" Ep for 13 Only thing i change is Graham would do the Ceremony. Regards mark687
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2024 19:37:56 GMT
Disillusioned as I am with the current iteration of Doctor Who, I find myself watching a variety of stories from times gone by. Today it was Mark of the Rani, which I remember not being a fan favourite at the time. I really enjoy it. There's more loocation filming than is usual because of a deal producer JN-T soundly leapt on and director Sarah Hellings makes excellent use of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum. The atrocious weather actually adds to the thick atmosphere of it all, as do the excellent cast. I was sorry to hear resident Master Anthony Ainley was irritated by his character's 'demotion' to being part of a double-act with The Rani. It's possible sharing scenes with Kate O' Mara inclined him to, shall we say, slice the ham a little thinner than usual, really bolstering the character's genuinely menacing qualities.
Colin's costume at least has some consistency here. It doesn't fit in anywhere, in any location, and especially not in the 19th Century (which is presumably why it's covered up a lot of the time), but I do think the bright colours work well in this dull weathery ambience.
Really enjoyed this, even the groping tree incident ("Don't worry, Peri - the tree won't hurt you!"), which is something only Doctor Who could do; and especially the fate of the two antagonists. Pretty frightening.
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Kestrel
Chancellery Guard
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Post by Kestrel on Aug 6, 2024 13:20:10 GMT
You know, I've brought this up before once, a long time ago, and I can't feel like maybe I made a mistake in just... accepting what I was told. But, y'all, it is profoundly weird how many user accounts here just wind up deleted. The vast majority of users don't delete their SM accounts when they want to take a break or leave a community/platform -- they just stop logging in. This is weird. This is really, really weird.
....
Anyway, to you, prior poster, whoever you are or were.... I simply will not stand for this slander! Colin's costume fits in perfectly inside of a circus tent! Or any number of high-energy festivals. If anyone has a costume that doesn't fit anywhere, it's Davison's!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2024 15:19:38 GMT
You know, I've brought this up before once, a long time ago, and I can't feel like maybe I made a mistake in just... accepting what I was told. But, y'all, it is profoundly weird how many user accounts here just wind up deleted. The vast majority of users don't delete their SM accounts when they want to take a break or leave a community/platform -- they just stop logging in. This is weird. This is really, really weird. .... Anyway, to you, prior poster, whoever you are or were.... I simply will not stand for this slander! Colin's costume fits in perfectly inside of a circus tent! Or any number of high-energy festivals. If anyone has a costume that doesn't fit anywhere, it's Davison's! I got a DM from Bonehead when I joined warning me when I defended one poster that they'd caused all sorts of chaos combined with poor admin work and a lot of the regulars to delete their account. Having had a good few months? Bonehead was right. That same poster I defended is that bad.
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Post by whiskeybrewer on Aug 12, 2024 16:29:58 GMT
I watched Season 1/Season 14 all the way through again. Definitely more highs than lows and a weird subpar ending does not a whole bad season make
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Kestrel
Chancellery Guard
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Post by Kestrel on Aug 30, 2024 1:03:02 GMT
This doesn't really belong here, but I don't feel like starting a news thread, so.... Anyway, my dad's been watching some classic old sci-fi movies lately, and I thought I might try to introduce him to Doctor Who. He can be pretty... particular, so it's hard to say whether he'll enjoy it or not. I'm curious what y'all think the best story for that would be. Right now, I'm leaning towards The Enemy if the World.
I'm mostly considering 1st and 2nd Doctor stories, because I think the effects hold up much better in black-and-white, and because I think the series starts to become much more tropey from the 3rd Doctor onward (which I don't necessarily dislike, personally, just an observation). Also considering The Romans.
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Post by number13 on Aug 31, 2024 19:30:51 GMT
The Time MeddlerA personal favourite from across the whole of Classic Who, a story filled with humour which also remembers the dark side of the Dark Ages. But it's the humour that wins out for the regulars' storyline and it also gave us two perfect partnerships: Maureen O’Brien and Peter Purves are excellent as the newly teamed-up companions and their friendly, sometimes slightly exasperated 'sister-brother' relationship works very well. I wish they'd had far more stories together and more of this quality. And Peter Butterworth was a fantastic choice to guest star as The Monk and he and William Hartnell play off each other brilliantly in a funny but very determined battle of wits and rival moralities. Excellent direction by Douglas Camfield and the studio sets and backdrops do a very good job of setting the location.
It all builds to the episode 3 cliff-hanger, which is one of the all-time greats as Vicki says... 'A TARDIS! The Monk’s got a TARDIS!' Not just another time machine (like the Daleks had) but another TARDIS! In that instant viewers knew for certain that the Doctor wasn’t a solitary alien genius who’d built his own time machine. Somewhere out there is a planet and a society where they roll TARDISes off an unimaginably advanced production line. No names just yet, but there in 1066 on the Northumbrian coast, Gallifrey and the Time Lords were born. It’s quite a moment.
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Post by number13 on Sept 3, 2024 20:38:27 GMT
Galaxy 4
A below-average sort of story with good elements, some other science fiction series were like this most weeks; ‘Doctor Who’ stands out because it was and is often so much better. The central themes are commendable; help others and don’t judge by appearances or be embarrassed by them. But my goodness the first half is dull - episode 2 might well be the least content-packed episode in classic Who! As a three-parter it would have been better, probably they were saving money ahead of the epic Dalek Masterplan.
Having to watch it as animation doesn't help; when we can actually see the actors in episode 3 things are much improved. It shows just how much actors like William Hartnell and Stephanie Bidmead could add to a script - and the script is much better in any case. Maaga is one of the most venomously nasty beings we ever met, a petty dictator without the power to spread her evil influence as she would clearly wish; a great performance.
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Post by number13 on Sept 5, 2024 10:37:13 GMT
The Daleks' Master Plan (what's left of it!)
A huge, space-and-time crossing adventure told in studio and some escapes to film sets, with excellent sets and backdrops, top direction from Douglas Camfield and just enough surviving to know how much we are missing by not being able to see the rest. Mavic Chen's preening arrogance, Katarina's trusting innocence, Sara Kingdom's journey, Bret Vyon (clearly a distant descendant of the Brigadier) showing the best of Earth and Steven always brave and reliable.
And the Doctor - laying down the law to the Daleks, puzzling out their latest predicament, indulging in a spot of Monkery with an old adversary - William Hartnell is terrific.
And having made this epic, the BBC used their own time destructor on it.
Perhaps it will come back as animation, yes, one day. Right now, the Loose Cannon recon does a great job of sending us back in time for the parts we can no longer see as live action. It is an epic, and the ambition and daring of the 60s Who team still carries the story today.
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Post by number13 on Sept 5, 2024 18:37:00 GMT
The Ark
Some good ideas and the halftime twist is a beauty, but sadly the second half of the story feels very flat. Very good sets and model work, but it's just not as well made as other episodes in this season because the direction doesn't have the snap of other stories' and frankly the Monoids are fairly awful.
But who can really dislike a story with a live elephant and the immortal line 'Take them to the security kitchen!' ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/6343532/images/mW7FMmAyG_vqxkNOJyyh.gif)
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Post by number13 on Sept 5, 2024 18:51:34 GMT
The Gunfighters
Howdy pardners! I know this old yarn of the Doctor has a reputation you wouldn’t give to a mangy prairie dawg, but it ain’t justified. ('I don't want you falling prey to every cliché about the Wild West!' Quite right, Doctor, I'll stop now! ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/6343532/images/IwGTjEvWiMqDCgEk5m52.gif) ) I love this one right from the opening shot of 'Tombstone' as 'The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon' starts up for the first time of what will be about 5000 reprises, but I still like it ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/6343532/images/mW7FMmAyG_vqxkNOJyyh.gif) and it ties the story together well. In a similar way to Donald Cotton's "lost" 'Myth Makers', the story shifts from a first episode that's mostly comedy to a dramatic, brutal climax and the infamous gunfight is filmed very well. William Hartnell sparkles at the comedy and impresses in the drama, as he always did, Peter Purves makes a brilliant 'tenderfoot dude' in Steven's 'glam cowboy' outfit and Jackie Lane has a very good story as Dodo is written with some character and wits about her. And the crew and guest cast do a great job of making a budget Western in typically good BBC sets and filming on the large stages presumably at Ealing.
So if you'll forgive me...
It's a fine Who historical from Sixties TV Now performed for your pleasure on a D-V-D While your head's getting earwormed by that never-ending tune... But there's blood amidst the humour, at 'The Last Chance Saloon'
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Post by timleschild on Sept 5, 2024 19:20:34 GMT
Brain of Morbius.
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Post by number13 on Sept 7, 2024 18:37:05 GMT
The War Machines
No matter how many times I've seen this one, it's still extraordinary, and coming at it in the right order to close Season 3, it's even more extraordinary. After the Daleks and The Ark, the fantastical Celestial Toymaker and a semi-comic historical (all of which have precedents), suddenly we're in contemporary London with loads of location filming and action and a plot straight out of Season 7, four years and two Doctors early. And the Doctor seeming as much at home on Earth and known to the establishment as if he was already their Scientific Adviser.
Yes, yes, my boy... hmm, yes, extraordinary! ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/6343532/images/ZBDvOFPmQgNwxFXLpuoD.gif) And excellent. It must have been an amazing experience for viewers to have this story suddenly come out of nowhere and then seemingly be forgotten again as the style went back to historicals and alien monsters. But obviously it wasn't forgotten by someone.
(Incidentally, not only is the newsreader one of the real BBC newsreaders I remember from the 70s (as no doubt everyone knows from story notes etc.) but just for fun, the Minister with the glasses is presumably the Home Secretary - the Minister in charge of law & order in the UK - and he looks amazingly like James Callaghan who had recently been... Home Secretary! Accident, or design? Fun, anyway.)
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