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Post by Ela on May 3, 2018 21:11:30 GMT
I enjoyed this story. Liked the idea that Ben and Jamie thought they had been captured only to end up helping with a robot revolution.
Thought Elliot Chapman was was very convincing as Ben. Didn't notice anything particularly off about Frazer's portrayal of the Second Doctor.
I'm not generally a fan of narrated stories, but thought Anneke Wills did a nice job of it.
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Post by elkawho on Nov 22, 2020 2:43:51 GMT
Anniversary Listen-thru thread bump!
I had forgotten how much I like this one. It has some great ideas. The robots copying human society, an old friend of the Doctor's who has ulterior motives, Jamie and Ben teaming up with the robots, and some political intrigue. I love Elliot Chapman as Ben and I already miss him. Considering how many of Polly and Ben's stories are missing, he feels more like Ben to me than Michael Craze.
I feel like BF know how to do robots and androids right. This story, Hargreaves from Aquitaine, the robots of Kaldor, etc. I love all of them.
Next week: We finish up with Criss Cross.
Happy Doctor Who Anniversary everyone!!
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Post by constonks on Nov 22, 2020 3:39:16 GMT
Five years on, this is still one of my favourites in the range. A solid story with lots of good twists that feels a little bit Macra Terror, a little bit Power of the Daleks, a teaspoon of Robots of Death and a good heaping of originality swirled into the mix.
I could probably talk for ages about why I like this story but I'll boil it down to four points
1. The Cliffhangers - so often, the cliffhangers in a Doctor Who script are manufactured peril ("oh no the Doctor is up against a firing squad!") which are easily thwarted, moments that barely play as important if the story was viewed in an omnibus format. Here, they're proper act breaks - sharp left turns in the narrative that define the rest of the story. They are:
Episode 1 - Polly's realization: "Meg Carvossa was murdered." Episode 2 - No, she wasn't... she's right there, and she's killed Bangate! Episode 3 - the Yes Men attack, shouting their battle cry... "Craig an tuirh!!"
2. The technology - Simon Guerrier is such a science guy, you can see that throughout his work, and it's fun to see him use modern technology in a 1960s "speculative" setting - so the narration describes Polly's awe at seeing signs for laser eye surgery, electronic banking and endless exotic types of coffee. Not to mention her conversation about how the strange futuristic touch pad computers still use the QWERTY layout! Love it.
3. The resolution - I always love when a Doctor Who story goes beyond "humans win or monsters win." Here, the robots - the "Doctor Who Monster" of the piece - are given human rights and the vote. Quintessential "find a third option" storytelling.
4. The football match - Minor, this one, but I have to give special mention to the cute-as-heck Ben and Polly scene at the end. It's an inconsequential moment story-wise but so nice and charming.
Anyway, The Yes Men! Marvellous! As for next week, I'm already an episode and a half into another third listen of a story I think is top notch, Criss-Cross! What a month September 2015 was...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2020 8:36:19 GMT
Anniversary Listen-thru thread bump! I had forgotten how much I like this one. It has some great ideas. The robots copying human society, an old friend of the Doctor's who has ulterior motives, Jamie and Ben teaming up with the robots, and some political intrigue. I love Elliot Chapman as Ben and I already miss him. Considering how many of Polly and Ben's stories are missing, he feels more like Ben to me than Michael Craze. I feel like BF know how to do robots and androids right. This story, Hargreaves from Aquitaine, the robots of Kaldor, etc. I love all of them. Next week: We finish up with Criss Cross. Happy Doctor Who Anniversary everyone!! Well I shall relisten to this one during what is our second Lockdown here in the Central Belt of Scotland...am so grateful to have such a wealth of Mental entertainment at home that keeps me sane and a Nespresso machine so I can pretend am in a cafe lol least I have a great view from Cafe Kitchen out to the Old Kirkpatrick hills ideal sitting audio listening views lol am on it after Sherwoods adaptation of War Of The Worlds 😎 I loved this on first listens so am sure it will not have changed
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2020 8:40:16 GMT
Five years on, this is still one of my favourites in the range. A solid story with lots of good twists that feels a little bit Macra Terror, a little bit Power of the Daleks, a teaspoon of Robots of Death and a good heaping of originality swirled into the mix. I could probably talk for ages about why I like this story but I'll boil it down to four points 1. The Cliffhangers - so often, the cliffhangers in a Doctor Who script are manufactured peril ("oh no the Doctor is up against a firing squad!") which are easily thwarted, moments that barely play as important if the story was viewed in an omnibus format. Here, they're proper act breaks - sharp left turns in the narrative that define the rest of the story. They are: Episode 1 - Polly's realization: "Meg Carvossa was murdered." Episode 2 - No, she wasn't... she's right there, and she's killed Bangate! Episode 3 - the Yes Men attack, shouting their battle cry... "Craig an tuirh!!" 2. The technology - Simon Guerrier is such a science guy, you can see that throughout his work, and it's fun to see him use modern technology in a 1960s "speculative" setting - so the narration describes Polly's awe at seeing signs for laser eye surgery, electronic banking and endless exotic types of coffee. Not to mention her conversation about how the strange futuristic touch pad computers still use the QWERTY layout! Love it. 3. The resolution - I always love when a Doctor Who story goes beyond "humans win or monsters win." Here, the robots - the "Doctor Who Monster" of the piece - are given human rights and the vote. Quintessential "find a third option" storytelling. 4. The football match - Minor, this one, but I have to give special mention to the cute-as-heck Ben and Polly scene at the end. It's an inconsequential moment story-wise but so nice and charming. Anyway, The Yes Men! Marvellous! As for next week, I'm already an episode and a half into another third listen of a story I think is top notch, Criss-Cross! What a month September 2015 was... Great wee review I still have to listen to Remnants from Blake’s to catch up but hey...going nowhere fast lol and then am ready for Criss Cross sorry for being behind but life is like that lol
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Post by elkawho on Nov 22, 2020 14:27:27 GMT
Five years on, this is still one of my favourites in the range. A solid story with lots of good twists that feels a little bit Macra Terror, a little bit Power of the Daleks, a teaspoon of Robots of Death and a good heaping of originality swirled into the mix. I could probably talk for ages about why I like this story but I'll boil it down to four points 1. The Cliffhangers - so often, the cliffhangers in a Doctor Who script are manufactured peril ("oh no the Doctor is up against a firing squad!") which are easily thwarted, moments that barely play as important if the story was viewed in an omnibus format. Here, they're proper act breaks - sharp left turns in the narrative that define the rest of the story. They are: Episode 1 - Polly's realization: "Meg Carvossa was murdered." Episode 2 - No, she wasn't... she's right there, and she's killed Bangate! Episode 3 - the Yes Men attack, shouting their battle cry... "Craig an tuirh!!" 2. The technology - Simon Guerrier is such a science guy, you can see that throughout his work, and it's fun to see him use modern technology in a 1960s "speculative" setting - so the narration describes Polly's awe at seeing signs for laser eye surgery, electronic banking and endless exotic types of coffee. Not to mention her conversation about how the strange futuristic touch pad computers still use the QWERTY layout! Love it. 3. The resolution - I always love when a Doctor Who story goes beyond "humans win or monsters win." Here, the robots - the "Doctor Who Monster" of the piece - are given human rights and the vote. Quintessential "find a third option" storytelling. 4. The football match - Minor, this one, but I have to give special mention to the cute-as-heck Ben and Polly scene at the end. It's an inconsequential moment story-wise but so nice and charming. Anyway, The Yes Men! Marvellous! As for next week, I'm already an episode and a half into another third listen of a story I think is top notch, Criss-Cross! What a month September 2015 was... I love everything about this post. Your enthusiasm for this story is wonderful. I agree with your take on the resolution of the story. Endings of stories are so difficult, and there are so many times that a great story is taken down a bit due to a bad or unsatisfying ending. But this story is wonderful. I love that the robots are seen as worthy of rights, yet it wasn't done in a ham-fisted fashion. Guerrier is such a good writer, and is able to finesse his stories in a way that most writers can't.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2020 19:39:22 GMT
Well what can I say I had a roundabout way of getting to this for the anniversary listen through and had a wee read of the above as I listen..But I loved Elliots rendition of Ben and am no way put off by Frasers take on Patrick’s vocals,I must say the only thing of Simons I didn’t particularly enjoy was Graceless ,his Blake’s Sevens and His Doctor Who’s are always thoroughly engaging...
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2020 20:45:42 GMT
I liked Steven Critchlow's robot voices. Pleasant yet creepy Haven’t seen you around hope you are well
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ljwilson
Chancellery Guard
It's tangerine....not orange
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Post by ljwilson on Feb 16, 2021 11:10:23 GMT
Another listen to The Yes Men, which is ok.
It has some excellent concepts and performances, but for me it never quite hits the heights as a whole. 6 out of 10.
I also thought The Outliers and The Black Hole were 6's so maybe I'm just not tuned in to SG's Early Adventures.
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