MR 215: Fiesta of the Damned (spoilers)

I had quite a good time with this. A bit sad there had to be the info-dump about the two sides of the Spanish Civil War - is it really that obscure a conflict for modern audiences? I guess it may be.

Loved that Mel had such a down to earth story even after the sci-fi elements kicked in. She's traveling in time and space but somehow still retains that bit more humanity than a lot of other companions. With many other TARDIS travelers finding love and having to say goodbye to it so soon would be a cliche and probably a bit shoehorned. Yet there's something about Mel's character that makes me believe this whirlwind romance that bit more. Guy manages to make it quite subtle and not as on the nose as I've seen that idea depicted elsewhere.

I'm with Kim that I would probably like this more as a pure historical but that's purely a taste issue.

It is interesting to visit other countries histories and insert the Tardis crew .This story actually has some good characterisations and I think serves Mel very well.
I am of an age that studied these episodes of history am not sure it is the case nowadays,I may be wrong ,so information in the story is welcome if I am honest.I do like the chemistry between Mel and Juan you definitely get the feeling this Mel having rejoined the Doctor is a maturer woman and Ace and the Doctor are very much in character.It has a nice steady pacing too am surprised I haven’t played it much .
I enjoyed Christopher Hatherall in his journalist role and thought I know that name ...yep he has written quite a bit for BF 

I am not sure that we need in the stories a “story arc” or anything fantastic to be exposed if you know what I mean.There should just be a maturer Mel perhaps being a guiding figure to Ace perhaps I mean Ace still appears to be a lover  (?) of danger and explosions etc one of the many adrenaline junkies,perhaps she just needs Mel to expose the actual dangers and negative side of these things.I will also give Maker of Demons a relisten as that was one that didn’t quite gel despite its obvious Shakespearean origins but listening to the trailer again I was like mmmmm it definitely needs a relisten.
I have been enjoying delving into the vast library at my disposal that hit the Doctor Who notes that the TV series fails to deliver to me.
What was good in this definitely was the rapport between the two companions and their partners in this ,some nice touches adding flesh to the bones of their characters.
It was a good Guy Adams script and actually quite an interesting BF foe too

To be honest, this is one which I think would have been much better had it simply just been a pure historical. That is just a matter of personal preference though.

Well there is plenty of scope for another writer to take another team and revisit the Historical period might give them a break from Elizabethan England or Victorian England or even just England lol😂😉 I mean damn it we don’t have a Torchwood styled organisation or a Jago and Litefoot/Paternoster type gang for Georgian England yet

Not the typical choices of most folks I like that 

I'm surprised Gokroth wasn't more acclaimed. I love it, but that's probably because of my love of those old-style horror films at which this release makes a few nods. The Grey Man of the Mountain is bubbling under that list too.

I have to agree. I'm not sure what they were going for with The Moons of Vulpana (a kind of Twilight parody or something?) or An Alien Werewolf in London (the title is the best thing about it), but the results really were pretty bad and a huge waste of the returning Mags. A real shame. As you say, the latter two releases may have dragged down the reputation of Gokroth.