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Classic Rewatch

worf1965

Lieutenant
Red Shirt
I started doing this in the Classic Who thread but figured I'd keep going here in a new one.

I just finished Reign of Terror. I like the old historicals and am kind of sad they stopped doing them. I do realize that NuWho has revived it a bit, but these old ones with Hartnell feel more like a story with a history lesson inserted there. I think a lot of people these days could probably use that lesson, even some of us Whovians.

This is my second time watching Hartnell stories and I remember this one as much more chaotic the first time. Watching it this time the story made much more sense. I thought they made a good choice landing the Tardis out in the woods where it wouldn't be noticed, probably not intentional on the Doctor's part but better for the story.

I thought they resolved the Doctor trapped in the fire too easily. Having a more dramatic escape scene would have worked better.

I 'm not sure if I liked that the show seemed to take the side of the Royalists. There was definitely no right or wrong side at this point of the Revolution but a little more nuance would have been better. The portrayals of Robespierre and a young Napolean looked about right though.

I also found the cartoon recreations of episodes 4 and 5 done well. I could tell who all the characters were, though Robespierre did look different from the actor. I hope to see more of these and more quickly hut you take what you can get.
 
I just added Britbox to my Amazon Prime account and christened it by watching The Deadly Assassin. Boy, that 1970's ep really ripped off the Matrix idea from that 1990s movie. (wobbly wobbly, timey whimey...)
 
Planet of Giants - This a short one, just 3 episodes. I did not like it the first time, but this time I liked it more. I assume they arrived in their own time but have been shrunk down to insect size. It quickly turns into an environmental commentary on insecticides like DDT, possibly inspired by Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. It is actually fun watching the tiny Doctor and companions negotiate the world, including an encounter with a cat. I like how the Doctor's plan to stop the greedy businessman hoping to get rich on the deadly insecticide doesn't work but he gets stymied anyway.

I also liked how the model of the Tardis they use to show up at the beginning is a miniature model. This has actually been shown in previous episodes but I've forgotten to mention it.
 
Planet of Giants - This a short one, just 3 episodes. I did not like it the first time, but this time I liked it more. I assume they arrived in their own time but have been shrunk down to insect size. It quickly turns into an environmental commentary on insecticides like DDT, possibly inspired by Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. It is actually fun watching the tiny Doctor and companions negotiate the world, including an encounter with a cat. I like how the Doctor's plan to stop the greedy businessman hoping to get rich on the deadly insecticide doesn't work but he gets stymied anyway.

I also liked how the model of the Tardis they use to show up at the beginning is a miniature model. This has actually been shown in previous episodes but I've forgotten to mention it.
Planet of Giants was made as a four parter, but when the series was renewed for a second run it became the second season opener, and nobody was happy about that (ideally, they would have opened with Dalek Invasion, but to run Giants second, after Susan's exit, wasn't on), so the last two episodes were re-edited into one (episode four was called The Urge to Live).
The single episode Mission to the Unknown was then made to complete the planned episode count. Though it and Galaxy Four ended up running in season three, rather than closing season two.
 
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As far as can be known, it seems that the miniaturiasm storyline was a favourite of Who's effective creator, Sydney Newman. It was originally going to be in the first story (eps 2-4), then mid-season, then buried as the penultimate story - keep the boss happy by doing his pet idea, but bury it. But then it became the second season opener (Verity Lambert argued for ending season one with The Sensorites, so Reign of Terror could start season two, but was over-ruled).
 
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