Doctor Who

[The Dark Knight]

I believe the Tenth Doctor and Rose may have their memories wiped in some way by the end. Just a nice clean way of rounding everything off and giving us an adventure we (or they) never knew they even had.

Perhaps so. The 10th Doctor wiped Donna's mind clean in Series 4, and it was a very specific wipe. Perhaps this could happen again via the 11th Doctor, though keeping the John Hurt Doctor content in his mind, as it is something he needs to know and guard.

I'm thinking this 10th Doctor could be from between The Runaway Bride and Smith and Jones? This explains the "allonsy!", costume choice and why he is travelling alone.

[Silver Nemesis]

I've already stated my views on the 2005 Doctor Who revival, so I won't go over them again. Truth be told, it's a very painful subject for a lifelong geek like myself, and I don't want to spoil everyone else's enjoyment of it. But this whole 50th anniversary thing has been stirring memories in me of previous landmarks in the show's history.

In particular, I've been reminiscing about the 30th anniversary back in 1993. I was only 8 at the time, but I remember it vividly. All the Doctor Who books and videos released that year had a blue ribbon on the cover commemorating the occasion (I've still got them catalogued on shelves, along with all the issues of Doctor Who Magazine released that year), and all of the videos had a special intro where it showed the Doctors' faces morphing into one another. The BBC repeated Planet of the Daleks on Friday evenings throughout November, and each episode was preceded by a short five minute featurette covering a different aspect of the franchise (the missing episodes, the monsters, the assistants, U.N.I.T., the Master, etc). DWM printed a special anniversary comic story called 'Time and Time Again' featuring all seven Doctors.

And there were reports of a feature length straight-to-video special called The Dark Dimension. Ultimately The Dark Dimension was cancelled at the last minute (although Tom Baker was reportedly paid in full for the project), and instead we had to make do with a turgid fifteen minute crossover between Doctor Who and Eastenders called Dimensions in Time. It made the cover of The Radio Times, which also included special glasses so viewers could watch it in 3D. The first episode was shown on Children in Need night, and the second episode was shown on Noel's House Party. I was so excited about it. They had this gimmick where we had to ring in and vote for which Eastenders character we wanted to save the Doctor's assistant at the beginning of episode two.

Yes, it was completely lame. But it was new Doctor Who. And I was grateful for it.

The real highlight of the 30th anniversary though was a documentary called 30 Years in the TARDIS. It was released on video in 1994 as More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS and contained lots of extra content that wasn't in the original broadcast. Interestingly, I've got both the 1994 release and my original recording of the televised version, and the shorter televised version actually includes a fair amount of footage that was omitted from the extended VHS release. But regardless of which version you saw, it was the best Doctor Who documentary made up to that point. There was also an unlicensed film called The Airzone Solution which was released to coincide with the 30th anniversary. It starred Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Nicola Bryant. And it sucked.

Bottom line, even though we didn't get the big anniversary story we were hoping for, the 30th anniversary was still a great year for Doctor Who fans. There were plenty of new comics and novels coming out, plus a ton of VHS releases of the classic TV episodes. The show was being repeated on television on Friday evenings, and we had the new documentary and the Children in Need special to give us hope for a revival.

Fast forward to 1998 for the 35th anniversary. By this point interest in the show was waning badly. I remember hoping to see the occasion marked on lots of magazine covers like it had been in 1993, but there just wasn't as much interest. There was a special souvenir issue of Doctor Who Magazine, and an anniversary novel called The Infinity Doctors (it got good reviews, but I didn't think much of it). There was also a goofy comic story called 'Happy Deathday' featuring all eight Doctors, but that wasn't very memorable either. The big VHS release in November that year was a boxed set containing the remaining episodes of The Ice Warriors.

The 40th anniversary in 2003 wasn't much better. There were special Radio Times covers to mark the event, but no new television content. The BBC released another video boxed set, this time containing the surviving episodes from The Reign of Terror, The Faceless Ones and The Web of Fear (amazingly, they've just recently rediscovered most of the missing episodes from this story). There was also a Big Finish audio drama called Zagreus. But that was all.

Of course I severed all links to Who fandom after the atrocious 2005 revival, so I've no idea how the 45th anniversary was celebrated (no offense to anyone who likes the new series, but this is one subject on which I'm pigheadedly close minded and intolerant). Obviously I won't be watching the new 50th anniversary story, as I don't consider anything post-2005 as "proper" Who. But I might celebrate in my own sad living-in-the-past sort of way by watching one story with each of the classic seven Doctors, and then perhaps picking up a copy of The Light at the End, a new audio drama featuring all of the real Doctors that are still with us (from Tom Baker to Paul McGann). I consider that the true 50th anniversary celebration.

It's nice to hear Geoffrey Beevers reprising his role as the Master in that trailer. I've only just found out that his wife, Caroline John (who played Liz Shaw during Pertwee's first series) passed away last year. I'm really saddened to hear that. Liz Shaw was one of my favourite assistants. She was intelligent, classy, well spoken and interesting – basically everything the modern assistants aren't. Personally, I also thought she was one of the most physically attractive of all the companions.

She was only in four stories (not counting spinoffs like the P.R.O.B.E. series), but they were all classics. Rest in peace.

I've been watching more of the original William Hartnell serials during the current hiatus and gaining even more of an appreciation for the original Doctor.  It's easy to just see him as a grumpy old man if you just watch An Unearthly Child and The Daleks, but he is absolutely hilarious in scenes where The Doctor is trying to trick someone or pretend to be someone else, like in The Reign of Terror and, even moreso, The Romans.

Have you seen The Space Museum yet? There's quite a funny scene where he hides inside an empty Dalek and does a vocal impersonation of one. It's good fun.

And yes, The Romans is brilliant. It's up there with The Aztecs as one of the best historical adventures in the show's history. Incidentally, I've got an aunt who was friends with Maureen O'Brien (Vicki) when they were at school together. She was another of my favourite assistants.

The more I see of Hartnell, the more I love his Doctor, specifically those first and second series episodes where he starts out so caustic (I love the original pilot more than the aired one because of this) and then slowly began to soften as a character. I find the historic episodes slightly faster paced and more enjoyable than the Sci-Fi episodes, but I have to admit there is something extra special about that first Dalek episode, it's easy to see why they became so popular. Like many people Tom Baker is my favorite of them all, but I have to say that Hartnell is a strong contender for second favorite now.

Good man. Pertwee and McCoy were my favourite Doctors growing up, but the older I get the more I like Hartnell. I think perhaps it's because he's the Doctor that's furthest from the new versions. I'm especially pleased to hear people are enjoying the purely historical stories. Those are some of my favourites, and I was furious when the people behind the new show announced they wouldn't be doing any. Hacks. 

In preparation, I'll be watching The Three Doctors and The Five Doctors, as well as listening to Big Finish's The Light At the End.

I was always disappointed by The Three Doctors. I love the Pertwee era, and it's a thrill to see Hartnell and Troughton reprise their roles (and in colour!), but the story isn't that great. Hartnell was so frail at the time that he could only appear in a few very brief scenes filmed in his garage. Troughton gets a bigger role, and Omega makes for a good villain (trivia: the costume designer on this story, and several others from this era, was James Acheson, who later went on to design the costumes for several Hollywood movies such as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and Zack Snyder's Man of Steel). I read the Target novelisation before seeing the actual episodes, and the TV version falls short of the book by a wide margin. It's interesting to note that the plot of The Three Doctors was essentially rehashed for the Peter Davison story Time-Flight, except with the Master standing in place of Omega.

The Five Doctors, on the other hand, is a personal favourite of mine. I used to visit Snowden a lot when I was a child, and that's where they filmed the scenes in the Death Zone. So the locations were all very familiar to me. And I think Terrence Dicks did a good job of giving each Doctor their own little narrative, without placing too much of an emphasis on one particular incarnation. It's because of that I'm glad Tom Baker wasn't involved, as his ego would likely have drawn the spotlight away from the other Doctors.

There are actually two versions of The Five Doctors: the original 20th anniversary televised version and a special edition with improved special effects that was released on video in 1995. If possible, I'd recommend watching the special edition as it contains some extra footage missing from the earlier cut. But if you haven't already done so, you should really watch The Deadly Assassin, The Invasion of Time and The Arc of Infinity before watching The Five Doctors, as those earlier stories establish the Doctor's relationship with Borusa and the circumstances leading to his presidency. The Arc of Infinity also features Colin Baker, playing a pre-Doctor villain, and Alfred himself, Michael Gough.

There's also The Two Doctors, which isn't bad. It's noteworthy for being shot on location in Spain, as well as marking the final appearance of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor. It was also the last time the Sontarans featured as the main villains in the original series. It's not a great story, but it's worth seeing. Particularly if you're a fan of the Troughton era.

By the way, if you're going to watch a story from the 25th anniversary, you'd be better off watching Remembrance of the Daleks than Silver Nemesis. SN was the official anniversary story, but Remembrance is far more nostalgic. It has the Seventh Doctor returning to Foreman's Yard in 1963, right where the series started. I'll never understand why they made SN the anniversary story and not Remembrance.

Anyway, sorry for yet another overlong rambling post. Like I say, this is a very touchy evocative subject for me.

[BatmAngelus]

Happy to see you back in this thread, SN.

And there were reports of a feature length straight-to-video special called The Dark Dimension. Ultimately The Dark Dimension was cancelled at the last minute (although Tom Baker was reportedly paid in full for the project), and instead we had to make do with a turgid fifteen minute crossover between Doctor Who and Eastenders called Dimensions in Time.

I actually got a hold of the script to this.  I don't know how much you've read about it, but it's definitely better than Dimensions in Time and an enjoyable adventure.

However- and here's a big part of why it wouldn't have been made- it's essentially a 4th Doctor comeback story, with the other Doctors reduced to cameos.  Some of the actors, particularly Colin Baker (whose short five minute role would've had him in a courtroom...again, though this time not as the one on trial), were unhappy with this and I'm not surprised.

Pertwee would've only been in one scene meeting Tom Baker in an "afterlife"-type place for a pep talk, Davison and Colin Baker would've had one short sequence each, and McCoy would've been found dead in the opening, with Ace being the main companion to Tom Baker throughout the movie until he resets time and returns to becoming McCoy again at the end. 

Again, I enjoyed it, but it naturally feels more like a celebration of Baker's Doctor than all of the Doctors.  It might've made a nice 4th Doctor Big Finish audio, but since Nicholas Courtney has passed on and the Brigadier had a huge role in the story, I don't think it'll happen.

It's ironic, though, that after all that, Tom Baker ended up getting the smallest role out of all the Doctors in Dimensions in Time.

But I might celebrate in my own sad living-in-the-past sort of way by watching one story with each of the classic seven Doctors, and then perhaps picking up a copy of The Light at the End, a new audio drama featuring all of the real Doctors that are still with us (from Tom Baker to Paul McGann). I consider that the true 50th anniversary celebration.

I'm happy to hear that you're considering The Light at the End.  I purchased it from the Big Finish the day it went on sale, but I'm saving it for the actual 50th Anniversary.  If you do pick it up and give it a listen, I'd love to hear your thoughts and we can discuss in this thread.

I've only just found out that his wife, Caroline John (who played Liz Shaw during Pertwee's first series) passed away last year. I'm really saddened to hear that. Liz Shaw was one of my favourite assistants. She was intelligent, classy, well spoken and interesting – basically everything the modern assistants aren't. Personally, I also thought she was one of the most physically attractive of all the companions.

[...]

She was only in four stories (not counting spinoffs like the P.R.O.B.E. series), but they were all classics. Rest in peace.

I'm surprised Liz Shaw was in so few.  I've only seen Spearhead and I'm disappointed to read that she'll only be in three more, though it was nice to see her with Pertwee again in Dimensions in Time.

Sadly, I also wasn't aware that Caroline John and Geoffrey Beevers were married until after her death.  Rest in peace.

Have you seen The Space Museum yet? There's quite a funny scene where he hides inside an empty Dalek and does a vocal impersonation of one. It's good fun.

Funny enough, I just saw that episode the other day!  I'm going to finish the rest of the serial this week.  Hartnell's laugh can't be topped.

Incidentally, I've got an aunt who was friends with Maureen O'Brien (Vicki) when they were at school together. She was another of my favourite assistants.

I've noticed that The Space Museum is definitely a strong story for Vicki.  The part with her instigating the revolution is something I can't ever see her predecessor doing.  (Granted, Susan Foreman will always be a special part of the series since she's The Doctor's granddaughter and was the first companion to leave, but I can understand why Carole Ann Ford was frustrated with always having to play her as a screaming teenage girl).

I read the Target novelisation before seeing the actual episodes, and the TV version falls short of the book by a wide margin.

Thanks for your thoughts on the previous multi-Doctor specials.

Would you recommend reading the novelization then?  I saw it available recently as an ebook, as well as bunch of other novelizations of the classic serials.  I've mainly considered reading the ones for the incomplete serials, just to get the full story for them, but if you think The Three Doctors novelization is better than the televised version, then I'll pick it up.

By the way, if you're going to watch a story from the 25th anniversary, you'd be better off watching Remembrance of the Daleks than Silver Nemesis. SN was the official anniversary story, but Remembrance is far more nostalgic. It has the Seventh Doctor returning to Foreman's Yard in 1963, right where the series started. I'll never understand why they made SN the anniversary story and not Remembrance.

As a matter of fact, Remembrance is the only McCoy one I've seen so far.  The return to Totters Lane (and the backstory of what The Doctor was doing there in the first place back in An Unearthly Child) makes it a natural anniversary story, so I don't get why they didn't pick it for the 25th either.  The final confrontation with Davros felt like a defining moment for McCoy's Doctor.

SN, are you curious at all about the upcoming William Hartnell biopic, An Adventure in Space and Time, that'll be premiering next week?  It's definitely on my list of things to check out during this anniversary month.

[gordonblu]

Silver Nemesis was the 25th anniversary story because  a 25th anniversary is called the "Silver Anniversary". I personally haven't seen all of that particular episode yet (just a small part back when PBS aired it many years ago), but I do agree that "Remembrance" would have been more suitable. Because we don't get BBC America, we won't be able to watch the 50th right away, but we're planning to watch "the Three Doctors", "the Five Doctors", "Dimensions in Time" and try to time watching the pilot episode around 5 or so (we're still off because of the time difference, but are going to pretend there's some "timey-wimey" intervention ).

[Silver Nemesis]

I'm happy to hear that you're considering The Light at the End.  I purchased it from the Big Finish the day it went on sale, but I'm saving it for the actual 50th Anniversary.  If you do pick it up and give it a listen, I'd love to hear your thoughts and we can discuss in this thread.

It's funny, but discussing the old show here, as well as with several other people who've asked me about it recently, has reawakened my interest in the original series. I haven't bought any Doctor Who merchandise since around 2005 or 2006, though other people have bought some for me as gifts. But today I preordered a copy of The Light at the End. I've also ordered the DVDs of some Bill Hartnell stories that I currently only have on video. I'll keep my original VHS copies for sentimental reasons, but it'll be nice to have some restored versions to watch on DVD. Provided the Royal Mail delivers the CD on time, I'll listen to it on the 23rd. I'll make sure to post my thoughts on it afterwards. I've always liked Nicholas Briggs, so I've got high hopes for it.

I actually got a hold of the script to this.  I don't know how much you've read about it, but it's definitely better than Dimensions in Time and an enjoyable adventure.

I read a treatment of The Dark Dimension back in the late nineties, and like you I remember thinking it placed too disproportionate an emphasis on Tom Baker. I also hated the way Pertwee and McCoy were sidelined and I didn't like the subplot about the Brigadier's son. But I thought the redesigns for some of the classic monsters were pretty cool.

I'm surprised Liz Shaw was in so few.  I've only seen Spearhead and I'm disappointed to read that she'll only be in three more, though it was nice to see her with Pertwee again in Dimensions in Time.

You're in for a treat! Season 7 was always one of my favourite seasons. There may only be four stories, but apart from Spearhead in Space, they're all seven episodes long. The Silurians and Inferno in particular are both excellent. And the cliff-hanger for episode 6 of Inferno is widely regarded as one of the best and bleakest in the show's history. Certainly I always found Inferno to be one of the creepiest Doctor Who stories ever. There's just something about the setting and atmosphere that always got to me.

But it is sad that Liz didn't appear in more stories. She makes cameos in The Five Doctors (sort of) and Dimensions in Time, and she got her own series of four spinoff films in the nineties written by Mark Gatiss (they weren't very good and I wouldn't recommend them). But it would have been nice if she could have appeared in one more season of the original series.

Funny enough, I just saw that episode the other day!  I'm going to finish the rest of the serial this week.  Hartnell's laugh can't be topped.

Out of interest, are you watching the Hartnell stories in chronological order? If so, that must mean you've got The Chase next! That's quite possibly my favourite Dalek story ever.

I've noticed that The Space Museum is definitely a strong story for Vicki.  The part with her instigating the revolution is something I can't ever see her predecessor doing.  (Granted, Susan Foreman will always be a special part of the series since she's The Doctor's granddaughter and was the first companion to leave, but I can understand why Carole Ann Ford was frustrated with always having to play her as a screaming teenage girl).

I like Susan, and as you say, she has an important role in the show's history. But I can't deny I like Vicki more. People complained during the Fifth Doctor era that having three assistants made the TARDIS feel too crowded. But I loved the dynamic between the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan/Vicki. The only other time it worked having so many assistants was with Polly, Ben and Jaimie during the Troughton era.

Would you recommend reading the novelization then?  I saw it available recently as an ebook, as well as bunch of other novelizations of the classic serials.  I've mainly considered reading the ones for the incomplete serials, just to get the full story for them, but if you think The Three Doctors novelization is better than the televised version, then I'll pick it up.

I'd recommend watching the TV story first. The discrepancies between the books and the TV episodes were usually a matter of scale. The writers of the books would describe these epic set pieces and action scenes that the TV show couldn't possibly live up to.

Here's an extract from chapter eight of The Three Doctors novelisation by Terrance Dicks:

   Omega's laugh echoed around the room. "You wish to fight the will of Omega? Then you shall!"
   Suddenly they were – elsewhere. It was not so much that they moved, as that the room moved from around them. The Doctor blinked. He was standing alone, in the centre of an arena, rather like those used for games in the time of the Caesars. It was surrounded by high stone walls, unbroken except for a simple viewing stand, a kind of royal box. There, like some fantastic Roman emperor, stood Omega. Beside him, unable to move a muscle, was Doctor Two.
   Overhead was the threatening purple sky of Omega's planet. Underfoot was the familiar grey sand. Into some corner of the Doctor's mind came the thought that, with the chance to create a world, it was surely a waste of your opportunities to create such an unattractive one. From behind the Doctor came a grating sound. He whirled round. On the far side of the arena a door had opened. From it shambled – what? You could give it many names, thought the Doctor, as he backed away. Demon, Ghoul, Monster. Any of the horrors that rose from the black depths of the imagination. It was a good eight feet tall, humanoid in shape, apparently made of some substance like smooth black granite. The powerful limbs were knotted with muscle. Hands and feet ended in long evil talons. Small pointed ears clung to the ape-like head, and fangs gleamed inside the slathering mouth. The slanted eyes glowed a fiery red. As the thing came closer, the Doctor could smell the reek of sulphur on its breath. Suddenly something about that hideous face struck him as familiar. In a curious way, it looked like Omega. Naturally enough, thought the Doctor, since in a sense it was Omega. In this world Omega's thoughts and feelings were real, and this ghastly creature was an incarnation of all the rage and hatred that Omega felt towards the Doctor.

Now imagine you're a kid of about thirteen when you read this. How stoked would you be to see this scene play out in the original episode? The images of the coliseum, the dark purple sky, Omega presiding over the battle like an emperor, the Second Doctor standing frozen beside him, the eight foot tall monster with the claws, fangs and glowing red eyes. It sounds so epic. The ensuing battle scene is equally impressive. But then you see the TV version... and it's nothing like this.

If you hadn't had your expectations raised by the book, you wouldn't be disappointed. And I've heard similar stories from other fans who were disappointed by a particular story because they'd read the novelisation first. The worst instance for me was The Day of the Daleks. It took me years to track down a copy of the video for that one. Eventually, when I was about fourteen, I was able to order one from Australia. But by then I'd already read the book to whet my appetite, and I couldn't help but be disappointed when the action scenes didn't live up to my expectations.

The culprit, once again, was Terrance Dicks. His descriptions of the battles and martial arts scenes were far more impressive than anything in the actual TV story. There's one scene in particular, when the Doctor and Jo are escaping from a Dalek compound on a three-wheeled motorcycle, where he really exaggerated the action. Here's an extract from Dicks' description of the sequence in chapter nine of his novelisation:

   Jo hung tightly to the Doctor as the tricycle sped across the ruined landscape. The little vehicle seemed to be able to cross virtually anything, and they flashed over ruined buildings, occasional bits of road and once even the scrubby and patched remains of a field.
   All around was nothing but destruction and devastation, with here and there the jutting towers of the Dalek compounds breaking the horizon. The Doctor pulled up at the top of a hill and looked round. Three or four more giant tricycles ridden by Ogrons were coming from the compound they had just left.
   "Can't we outrun them?" asked Jo. "We've got a good start."
   "We might," said the Doctor. "But what about those—and those?" He indicated the other compounds in front of them. From each one was speeding a group of more tricycles.
   "We're surrounded!" said Jo anxiously. "What are we going to do, Doctor?"
   "Only one thing we can do," said the Doctor cheerfully, "give them a run for their money. Ever wondered how the fox feels, Jo? Hold tight!"
   Jo closed her eyes and hung on to the Doctor as hard as she could. The rest of the journey was a nightmare. She saw it in glimpses as she opened her eyes from time to time, only to close them again hurriedly. The Doctor did incredible things with the giant trike, weaving it in and out of the rubble and ruins. Jo could have sworn that once they drove up the side of a house and dropped down the other. They zoomed along the tops of walls, leaped over gaps in the ruins, and ploughed through weed-choked ditches. But every time Jo opened her eyes the circle of their pursuers was drawing in closer.

Again, another action packed sequence. It almost seems like something out of a James Cameron movie. But if you watch the television story after reading this description, the scene feels extremely underwhelming. Basically the Doctor and Jo drive about fifty yards on a tricycle while four or five Ogrons slowly lumber after them on foot. There are no pursuing vehicles, no leaping over ditches, no driving up the walls of buildings. Zilch.

Don't get me wrong, I love Terrance Dicks' Doctor Who stories; both his television scripts and his books. But he and some of the other writers did instil rather unrealistic expectations in their readers with their adaptations of the TV stories.

That being said, the Target novelizations are definitely worth reading. I spent much of my childhood scouring second-hand book stores for first editions. And by time I was eight I'd built up a huge collection, which I then used to earn my collector's badge at the cub scouts. The other series of books – the Virgins Books series and the BBC Books series – aren't as good, in my opinion. They're original stories, but they're geared towards adults and are mostly written by Doctor Who fans. Consequently they have a lot of adult content (sex, strong violence, drugs, and in some cases strong swearing) which is inconsistent with the tone of the original series. I used to read the New/Missing Adventures of Doctor Who novels voraciously, and some of them were very good. But looking back on those series now, I much prefer the Target novelizations. You should be able to get the Target books pretty cheap now. They've been reprinted dozens of times.

One of the best writers for the Target series was none other than Ian Marter, who played Harry Sullivan during the Tom Baker era and Lieutenant John Andrews in The Carnival of Monsters. You probably already know about this, but during the seventies Marter and Baker collaborated on a script for a feature film called Doctor Who Meets Scratchman. At one point fans sent in money to fund the project following a suggestion made by Baker on a radio show, but he was forced to return the money for legal reasons. Nowadays they could crowd fund such a project with no difficulty, but back then it wasn't so simple. Like The Dark Dimension, it's one of those interesting what-might-have-been projects fans like to dig up information about.

As a matter of fact, Remembrance is the only McCoy one I've seen so far.  The return to Totters Lane (and the backstory of what The Doctor was doing there in the first place back in An Unearthly Child) makes it a natural anniversary story, so I don't get why they didn't pick it for the 25th either.  The final confrontation with Davros felt like a defining moment for McCoy's Doctor.

Remembrance is probably McCoy's best story. Most people say Michael Wisher was the best Davros, but Terry Molloy was always my favourite. He was the first Doctor Who actor I ever met, and he played the role in both Colin Baker's best story (Revelation of the Daleks) and McCoy's (Remembrance).

Have you see Revelation of the Daleks? It's one of the darkest, most violent Doctor Who stories ever. And it's awesome. There's one scene in particular which disturbed the hell out of me when I first saw it (I was only about 7 at the time) where a young woman searching for her missing father finds out what Davros has done to him. I won't spoil it in case you haven't seen it yet, but trust me when I say it's disturbing. Especially for a kids' show.

Silver Nemesis was the 25th anniversary story because  a 25th anniversary is called the "Silver Anniversary".

True, but there's nothing in the actual story relating to silver or the 25th anniversary. Unless you count the Cybermen themselves as being silver. The plot actually revolves around a metal called validium, which I would say is more of a cream colour than a pure silver.

They could just as easily have called Remembrance of the Daleks 'Silver Remembrance' and it would have made more sense; especially since the Daleks were also celebrating their silver anniversary in 1988, whereas the Cybermen were only 22 (having debuted in the 1966 story The Tenth Planet).

SN, are you curious at all about the upcoming William Hartnell biopic, An Adventure in Space and Time, that'll be premiering next week?  It's definitely on my list of things to check out during this anniversary month.

I'm not sure if I'll watch it yet. I've read some biographies of Hartnell, and the health-related circumstances of his departure from the show are very sad. I remember his wife recalling how he couldn't bear to watch the series once the other actors took over. He'd try watching it but would get so upset seeing someone else playing his role that he'd have to switch it off. If the new drama depicts his disintegration, it might be a bit too sad. I'm not sure I'd want to watch that.

I'm also not sure about Mark Gatiss writing it. Gatiss is very hit and miss for me. Some of his writing is brilliant: for example, his New Adventures of Doctor Who novel Nightshade, and his 2010 adaptation of H. G. Welles' The First Men in the Moon. But he's also written some stuff I strongly disliked. So I'm not sure if I'll watch it. If I don't, I'd like to hear your thoughts on it. Let me know if it's a hack job or a worthwhile tribute.

By the way, have you seen much of the Troughton era yet? If so, what do you think of it? Do you have a favourite Second Doctor story?

[gordonblu]

Silver Nemesis was the 25th anniversary story because  a 25th anniversary is called the "Silver Anniversary".

True, but there's nothing in the actual story relating to silver or the 25th anniversary. Unless you count the Cybermen themselves as being silver. The plot actually revolves around a metal called validium, which I would say is more of a cream colour than a pure silver.

They could just as easily have called Remembrance of the Daleks 'Silver Remembrance' and it would have made more sense; especially since the Daleks were also celebrating their silver anniversary in 1988, whereas the Cybermen were only 22 (having debuted in the 1966 story The Tenth Planet).

I agree with you, I was just explaining John Nathan Turner's "logic" is all.

[Silver Nemesis]

Quite. But alas, logic was all too often overlooked during Nathan-Turner's reign. Who, if anyone, can comprehend the logic behind that ghastly coat he made poor Colin Baker wear? 

[BatmAngelus]

Out of interest, are you watching the Hartnell stories in chronological order? If so, that must mean you've got The Chase next! That's quite possibly my favourite Dalek story ever.

Yep!  I'm excited as I've heard that's one of the best from the Hartnell era.

As a side note, I realize it's not necessary to go chronological (and as you can tell, I've managed to see adventures from the other classic Doctors in between), but watching it this way is the closest I can get to experiencing how the show grew and evolved during that era.

Have you see Revelation of the Daleks? It's one of the darkest, most violent Doctor Who stories ever. And it's awesome. There's one scene in particular which disturbed the hell out of me when I first saw it (I was only about 7 at the time) where a young woman searching for her missing father finds out what Davros has done to him. I won't spoil it in case you haven't seen it yet, but trust me when I say it's disturbing. Especially for a kids' show.

Haven't seen it yet.  I'll keep this in mind, in anticipation.

By the way, have you seen much of the Troughton era yet? If so, what do you think of it? Do you have a favourite Second Doctor story?

I haven't seen much yet.  I do own the "Lost in Time" DVD collection that has the remaining footage of some of the lost episodes and I've only seen Tomb of the Cybermen so far, which of course is a classic, with several memorable scenes including the "they just sleep, in my head" scene with Victoria and the climax where he pretends to praise the villain's scheme.  It's fortuitous that they found Web of Fear and Enemy of the World this year, since I'll be able to check those out when I get around to going deeper in the Troughton era.  I do think it's a shame, though, that Power of the Daleks remains mostly lost since that was the true test to see if the regeneration plot element would work.

Do you have a favorite Second Doctor story?

Also, curious, do you have a favorite Master?

[Silver Nemesis]

Yep!  I'm excited as I've heard that's one of the best from the Hartnell era.

As a side note, I realize it's not necessary to go chronological (and as you can tell, I've managed to see adventures from the other classic Doctors in between), but watching it this way is the closest I can get to experiencing how the show grew and evolved during that era.

That's a good idea. Though it might be tiresome to get through some of the weaker seasons later on.

And yes, The Chase is marvellous. I'll wait until you've seen it before commenting on it in more depth, but it really is a 5/5 classic. I'm sure you'll like it.

I haven't seen much yet.  I do own the "Lost in Time" DVD collection that has the remaining footage of some of the lost episodes and I've only seen Tomb of the Cybermen so far, which of course is a classic, with several memorable scenes including the "they just sleep, in my head" scene with Victoria and the climax where he pretends to praise the villain's scheme.  It's fortuitous that they found Web of Fear and Enemy of the World this year, since I'll be able to check those out when I get around to going deeper in the Troughton era.  I do think it's a shame, though, that Power of the Daleks remains mostly lost since that was the true test to see if the regeneration plot element would work.

Do you have a favorite Second Doctor story?

I just watched The Tomb of the Cybermen again earlier this week. It's a brilliant story. But it is tragic that, up until recently, there were only six complete stories from the Troughton era. Luckily we've now got The Enemy of the World in its entirety and most of The Web of Fear. I've watched the earlier surviving episodes from both of those stories many times, so I'm really excited about seeing the rest of them. I know they're available on iTunes, but I'm holding out for the DVD releases.

The Web of Fear is one of those stories revered as a classic by people who watched the show back in the sixties. It's been heavily referenced in the books, comics, video games and other spinoffs, and yet no one below the age of 45 has seen it until now. I can't wait to watch it!

But my absolute favourite Second Doctor story, barring the possibility of The Web of Fear usurping its place, is The Mind Robber. The last two episodes of this serial were the first episodes of Doctor Who I ever saw, back when they were repeated on television in the early nineties. But that's not why it's my favourite. It's a very, very creepy adventure with a surreal, nightmarish atmosphere similar to that of The Celestial Toymaker. It's set in a world populated by characters brought to life from works of fiction. There's even a ray gun-toting masked superhero called the Karkus, who seems to have been inspired by King Features Syndicate characters like Flash Gordon and the Phantom. The writers used a clever device of having the literary characters speak using only lines from their original texts. If you're an avid bookworm, like me, then you should get a kick out of it. And as I say, it's very creepy.

Also, curious, do you have a favorite Master?

Roger Delgado. Hands down. He was The Master, and no one else even came close. Ainley was good too, and I liked Beevers' performance in the Big Finish dramas. Eric Roberts was ok. But Delgado was by far the best in my opinion.

In his first two stories he's depicted very much as an intergalactic mob boss. He dresses in smart suits and lets his henchmen do the dirty work while he sits back in his office or limousine and relaxes. He was very reserved and intimidating back then. And his TCE (Tissue Compression Eliminator) was one of the nastiest weapons ever devised.

From The Claws of Axos onwards he becomes a lot more hands-on and physical. There's a great scene in The Claws of Axos where he jumps off a bridge onto a moving lorry, climbs along the roof, swings down onto the side and hypnotises the driver through the wing mirror. He also had plenty of hand-to-hand fight scenes against Pertwee's Doctor. Usually they were very brief: the Master pulls a weapon and the Doctor kicks it out of his hand, then floors him with a karate chop. But there were exceptions, such as the classic sword fight they have in The Sea Devils (my all time number one favourite Doctor Who story). They also had some good vehicular chases: motorboat against motorboat in The Sea Devils, and spaceship against spaceship in Frontier in Space.

He wasn't just a one-dimensional villain either. There were times he displayed affection towards his enemies. And he could be very suave and charming when the the occasion called for it. For example, when he woos Queen Galleia (played by the beautiful Ingrid Pitt) in The Time Monster. There are also some nice moments of humour involving Delgado's Master, but they're far too numerous to list.

I also liked the fact there was a sense of continuity linking his appearances. If one serial ended with him being captured, that would be addressed at the beginning of his next story. It became an ongoing arc that helped define Pertwee's tenure as the classic era it was. There were plans to produce a story that would have concluded this arc, but Delgado's tragic and untimely death prevented that from happening. Despite playing such an evil character on screen, Delgado was reputedly an extremely nice and affable man in real life. The whole cast and crew were very fond of him. He was particularly good friends with Pertwee, who cited his death as one of the factors influencing his decision to leave the show. It was a sad loss for the series.

After Delgado, I'd say Ainley was the second best Master. Then Pratt/Beevers. And finally Roberts. I don't rate any of the new upstarts.

What do you think of the two Doctor Who movies from the sixties, BatmAngelus?

And as a matter of interest, are you familiar with the Quatermass series?

[BatmAngelus]

Great!  Looking forward to discussing with you when I get to them. 

I haven't seen any of the classic Master serials yet, so I thought I'd ask your opinion, but just from the clips I've seen online, Delgado definitely seems to be my type of villain.

What do you think of the two Doctor Who movies from the sixties, BatmAngelus?

I agree with an earlier post of yours that Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 AD has the benefit of a bigger production budget and could convey a large-scale invasion better than the original.

Other than that, I have to say that I don't find them to be all that memorable, mainly because I think the movies' TARDIS crew (or shall I say Tardis crew) pales in comparison to the TV crew.

Peter Cushing is a legend and I know that he's going off of a different characterization, but I can't help but find myself missing Hartnell's Doctor when I watch the films.  And I'm not even going to go into Dr. Who and The Daleks's Ian...

And as a matter of interest, are you familiar with the Quatermass series?

I've heard of it, but haven't looked into it yet.  You recommend?