Last Classic Who Story you watched

[Lonemagpie]

Back at the start of the year we thought we'd watch/listen to all our Dr Who stuff before the anniversary. Now it's September and we're still halfway through Dalek Masterplan, in the Hartnell era, because of the trickiness of finding timeslots when we're both available and in the mood for DW a the same time...

Oh well.

I guess that plan's abandoned, but the thought occurs that since November 23rd is the anniversary of the show starting, we should probably really do the from-the-start thing *from* then, and just watch whatever the fuck episodes we fancy at the time beforehand...

 

[TJ Sinclair]

Saw Battlefield tonight. Ireally, really, really wanted to enjoy it. Unfortunately... it kinda sucks. Wonderful set-up, thoroughly horrible execution, even considering the era from whence it comes. The script is pathetic, again, even compared to other Seventh Doctor outings, and the acting is probably the most scenery-chewing I've ever seen in Doctor Who. And yes, that counts Omega.

An utter, utter disappointment, even with the Brigadier.

 

[Timewalker]

Which Brigadier? Lethbridge-Stewart or Bambera?

I thought they were both terrific!

 

[Sindatur]

Which Brigadier? Lethbridge-Stewart or Bambera?

I thought they were both terrific!

Yea, I really like Battlefield and Brig. Bamberra is awesome, shame she only made the one appearance

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

Yeah, I keep hoping Brigadier Bambera will pop up somewhere on the new series.

Personally, I really like "Battlefield." I like all the Arthurian elements. I like the way Morgana tries messing with Ace's head. I like the timey-wimey aspects of the story. (I keep hoping the new series will do a story arc for half a season or so where the Doctor is stranded in Arthurian times and turns into "Merlin," King Arthur's scientific advisor.)

Just finished The Armageddon Factor, wrapping up The Key to Time. Really, really wish they had managed to save some more of their budget for the final serial; as it is, it's basically a talking head piece with characters doing a lot of walking through tunnels and corridors and staring at screens. The only real disappointment in the season was The Power of Kroll, but Armageddon Factor just didn't have the juice to live up to its potential.

Add to that the fact that once assembled, there's no indication that the Key actually fulfilled its purpose to "restore the balance" before the Doctor dispersed it again...

only Susan seemed to get the short shift [in "The Aztecs"].

In fairness, Carole Ann Ford was on vacation at the time. In fact, there were 4 stories in a row where each actor took 2 weeks off. Carole Ann Ford & William Russell managed to shoot short film scenes to be inserted into the episodes in "The Aztecs" & "The Reign of Terror." Meanwhile, William Hartnell was completely absent from parts 3 & 4 of "The Keys of Marinus" and Jacqueline Hill was gone for a couple parts of "The Sensorites."

 

[Starkers]

Yeah, I keep hoping Brigadier Bambera will pop up somewhere on the new series.

Personally, I really like "Battlefield." I like all the Arthurian elements. I like the way Morgana tries messing with Ace's head. I like the timey-wimey aspects of the story. (I keep hoping the new series will do a story arc for half a season or so where the Doctor is stranded in Arthurian times and turns into "Merlin," King Arthur's scientific advisor.)

Just finished The Armageddon Factor, wrapping up The Key to Time. Really, really wish they had managed to save some more of their budget for the final serial; as it is, it's basically a talking head piece with characters doing a lot of walking through tunnels and corridors and staring at screens. The only real disappointment in the season was The Power of Kroll, but Armageddon Factor just didn't have the juice to live up to its potential.

Add to that the fact that once assembled, there's no indication that the Key actually fulfilled its purpose to "restore the balance" before the Doctor dispersed it again...

only Susan seemed to get the short shift [in "The Aztecs"].

In fairness, Carole Ann Ford was on vacation at the time. In fact, there were 4 stories in a row where each actor took 2 weeks off. Carole Ann Ford & William Russell managed to shoot short film scenes to be inserted into the episodes in "The Aztecs" & "The Reign of Terror." Meanwhile, William Hartnell was completely absent from parts 3 & 4 of "The Keys of Marinus" and Jacqueline Hill was gone for a couple parts of "The Sensorites."

Well that does explain it, thanks for the info

 

[TJ Sinclair]

Yeah, I keep hoping Brigadier Bambera will pop up somewhere on the new series.

Personally, I really like "Battlefield." I like all the Arthurian elements. I like the way Morgana tries messing with Ace's head. I like the timey-wimey aspects of the story. (I keep hoping the new series will do a story arc for half a season or so where the Doctor is stranded in Arthurian times and turns into "Merlin," King Arthur's scientific advisor.)

Like I said, I like the concept, and all the elements of a decent, really cool story are there. But the final result is full of horrendous dialogue, poor direction, sloppy editing, a plot that spends is at once disjointed, meandering and rushed, and some of the absolute worst and cheesiest acting ever to be found in Doctor Who. Even Sylvester seems to be sleepingwalking through half the serial, as if he knew it was pathetic and couldn't be arsed.

As for Bambera, I wanted to like her, but the constant shouting and uber-gung-ho attitude just made me laugh, and not in a good way.

 

[Timewalker]

As for Bambera, I wanted to like her, but the constant shouting and uber-gung-ho attitude just made me laugh, and not in a good way.

That gung-ho attitude is exactly why I do like her.

Besides, U.N.I.T. was supposed to be a United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. It's about damn time we got to see people from nations other than the UK.

 

[Starkers]

Eh? I thought Banberra was British?

 

[TJ Sinclair]

Eh? I thought Banberra was British?

Bambera was British, though he's right in that this was the first time we'd seen non-British UNIT personnel. That did make me happy.

As for the character, I can appreciate "gung-ho," but this devolved into caricature and parody, instead of an actual character. All she does is shout at everybody at the top of her lungs. Perhaps appropriate for the DI from Full Metal Jacket, but not a Brigadier General. It was a joke, and the sad part is, no one on the crew seemed to get it.

 

[Timewalker]

Eh? I thought Banberra was British?

Bambera was British, though he's right in that this was the first time we'd seen non-British UNIT personnel. That did make me happy.

Psst. I'm female. Please don't refer to me as "he". Thanks.

As for the character, I can appreciate "gung-ho," but this devolved into caricature and parody, instead of an actual character. All she does is shout at everybody at the top of her lungs. Perhaps appropriate for the DI from Full Metal Jacket, but not a Brigadier General. It was a joke, and the sad part is, no one on the crew seemed to get it.

I have no idea what "Full Metal Jacket" refers to, but for me... it was an improbably Whovian story anyway. Lethbridge-Stewart was so quiet and reserved, and Bambera was a breath of fresh air. Who's to say she's like that all the time? She wouldn't have achieved that rank if she wasn't a competent soldier and commander.

 

[Sindatur]

Don't see much difference between Bamberra and Lethbridge-Stewart early on in his Alien encounters, and always wanting use blowing things up as Diplomacy (And it was a time when being Female was uncommon for the position, so, you've got to expect some over the topness)

Full Metal Jacket at IMDB

 

[TJ Sinclair]

Psst. I'm female. Please don't refer to me as "he". Thanks.

My apologies, I didn't take note of the "title" under your username before I responded.

I have no idea what "Full Metal Jacket" refers to

Famous war movie directed by Stanley Kubrick, featuring an even-more (in)famous drill instructor.

but for me... it was an improbably Whovian story anyway. Lethbridge-Stewart was so quiet and reserved, and Bambera was a breath of fresh air. Who's to say she's like that all the time? She wouldn't have achieved that rank if she wasn't a competent soldier and commander.

No, she wouldn't have, but as this is her only appearance, I can only judge her on what I see of her character, and that is, an absolute moron with apparent testosterone poisoning.

 

[diankra]

Well Bambera does return in some of Big Finish's 'Season 27' stories based on the outlines, or vague ideas, for the 1990 season that never happened. But of course the way she's played there has 20 years of hindsight to add in. BTW, Angela Bruce, who played her, came straight to Who from her semi-regular role in Steve Moffat's series of the time, Press Gang.

 

[Timewalker]

Don't see much difference between Bamberra and Lethbridge-Stewart early on in his Alien encounters, and always wanting use blowing things up as Diplomacy (And it was a time when being Female was uncommon for the position, so, you've got to expect some over the topness)

Granted, the Brigadier preferred to shoot people and/or blow them up. But he didn't yell loudly while he did it.

He also didn't hit on the ladies the way Bambera did with the men.

 

[Pindar]

I am fighting my way through Reign of Terror. I think this is the first serial I have struggled to get through.

I did enjoy the Doctor tricking the overseer and then bashing his head in with a shovel though.

 

[Starkers]

Well Bambera does return in some of Big Finish's 'Season 27' stories based on the outlines, or vague ideas, for the 1990 season that never happened. But of course the way she's played there has 20 years of hindsight to add in. BTW, Angela Bruce, who played her, came straight to Who from her semi-regular role in Steve Moffat's series of the time, Press Gang.

She's got quite a genre record given she was also alt-Lister in Red Dwarf and played Dayna in a few Blakes 7 audios as well!

 

[Lonemagpie]

Having basically given up on the "from the start" Dr Who plan, we're now watching City Of Death instead of listening to episode 6 of Dalek Masterplan...

ETA- If City of Death was made today instead of in 1979, Scarlioni would have to be not an art collector but a media mogul who creates all those fucking Ancient Alien Astronaut shows...

 

[diankra]

Scarlioni making ancient astronaut docs as a joke is a great idea... though I think Douglas might have still done it best!

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

BTW, Angela Bruce, who played her, came straight to Who from her semi-regular role in Steve Moffat's series of the time, Press Gang.

She's got quite a genre record given she was also alt-Lister in Red Dwarf and played Dayna in a few Blakes 7 audios as well!

Yeah. I loved her as the female Lister.