the war games-the 2nd doctor final adventure
Last Classic Who Story you watched
- Thread starter Pindar
- Start date
The Planet of Evil - Starts off strong, but gets kinda nonsensical by the end. How/why did Sorensen split into several version of himself? And the end is a bit unsatisfying, there should be higher consequences for Sorensen. But its still highly watchable. Two things that irk me about this one: The title is completely crap, having nothing to do with anything in the story. And where does the Doctor's scarf go? Its gone halfway through and its not retrieved at the end. Maybe he had a closet full of them in the Tardis?
The fact they "filmed" the jungle scenes rather than videotaped them added a richer, "lush" feel to those shots.
When I first watched it in the early 80s on PBS, I had no idea the jungle sound effects were originally used to for the swamp scenes in the first Dalek serial. (I didn't see "the Dead Planet" until years laters.) I wonder if long time viewers thought it would be a "surprise" Dalek story?
Sincerely,
Bill
When I first watched it in the early 80s on PBS, I had no idea the jungle sound effects were originally used to for the swamp scenes in the first Dalek serial. (I didn't see "the Dead Planet" until years laters.) I wonder if long time viewers thought it would be a "surprise" Dalek story?
Sincerely,
Bill
Halfway through "Four to Doomsday." Made the hard decision to stop watching Tom Baker episodes before his last season. Then I wound up catching the tail-end of "Logopolis." Holy crap he aged in a year.
And if you're watching all the episodes, you miss the decline in quality. "Invisible Enemy" isn't that much more terrible than "Horror at Fang Rock," etc. So when you get to the first Peter Davison season, it doesn't suck. Unless you stopped watching before "Leisure Hive." "Four to Doomsday" still isn't horrible. I mean, it is still a pretty bland rehash of the early Baker "Android Invasion" (which people will rightly argue is just a rehash of the earlier "Terror of the Zygons.") But it doesn't completely such. But it is so underwhelming, compared to what has gone before it.
And if you're watching all the episodes, you miss the decline in quality. "Invisible Enemy" isn't that much more terrible than "Horror at Fang Rock," etc. So when you get to the first Peter Davison season, it doesn't suck. Unless you stopped watching before "Leisure Hive." "Four to Doomsday" still isn't horrible. I mean, it is still a pretty bland rehash of the early Baker "Android Invasion" (which people will rightly argue is just a rehash of the earlier "Terror of the Zygons.") But it doesn't completely such. But it is so underwhelming, compared to what has gone before it.
Been getting home from work later, so I've been catching some of the Davison episodes on Retro in spite of my declaration. But they're more background noise that something I sit and diligently watch. Anyway, "The Visitation" was on. I remember that one as being a fairly strong and solid story. And it is decent. But it does have some plot holes. The Tereleptils' reject The Doctor's offer to take them to an uninhabited planet because they don't want a primitive life. But then they plan to release a super plague to wipe out all human life, making the Earth an uninhabited planet. Eh, I'll tolerate it. I have always enjoyed the highwayman character. The actor for that really adds some flavor to the story.
The highwayman-actor was a character Saward had reused from some earlier radio scripts ( set in the late 1700s). Ironically the actor is on record as saying that Visitation was one of his most hated acting jobs, and as he'd done six years of On the Buses that is saying something.
Yeah, I suppose you have a lot of materials mined and refined; milled lumber, domesticated crops, and basic machines.
That's funny and interesting, about the actor. Reminds me of "Battlefield,"-typically sketchy 7th Doctor story, but Nicholas Courtney coming out of retirement as the Brigadier really props up an otherwise weak story with a seeing performance.
That's funny and interesting, about the actor. Reminds me of "Battlefield,"-typically sketchy 7th Doctor story, but Nicholas Courtney coming out of retirement as the Brigadier really props up an otherwise weak story with a seeing performance.
One thing that always struck me was that, although the 1st Doctor was often quite stubborn & argumentative, Barbara is the only companion from that era that he ever apologized to. He would never flat out admit to Ian or Susan or Vicki that he was wrong but he would always eventually apologize to Barbara if he thought she was cross with him. I'm convinced that he had a crush on her.
What always struck me about the beginning of "The Face of Evil, Part 1" was how it just thrusts us right into the middle of Leela's tribunal without any preamble, without even an opening establishing shot. It's almost like the episode is just picking up on the cliffhanger ending of the previous episode of some Leela-centric TV series that we never saw.
For my money, the greatest Doctor Who henchman of all-time is Packer from the 2nd Doctor story "The Invasion." Second greatest is the unnamed Italian soldier working for Captain Tancredi in "City of Death," who was also played by Peter Halliday. I'm convinced that he's actually an ancestor of Packer's and that their entire family was doomed to a life of dim-witted thuggery!
Didn't "The Masque of Mandragora" also use that same plot twist? And I seem to recall "The Monster of Peladon" reusing most of the plot elements from "The Curse of Peladon," if not all of them.
Agreed. I'll forgive classic Doctor Who for a lot but Soldeed's performance is pretty bad. Well, it's enjoyably campy for most of it but goes way too over the top in his death scene, resulting in this video:
[yt] [/yt]
If you want to do a super-trippy double feature, I would recommend pairing "The Web Planet" with "The Happiness Patrol."
BTW, if you currently own a DVD of "The Web Planet," count your blessings. It's currently selling for $300 on http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-We...529&sr=1-2&keywords=doctor+who+the+web+planet
BTW, recently I've been watching some old movies with some old British actors in them and many of them look a bit familiar. I feel like there should be an app where you can just put in a movie and check whether any of its actors were on Doctor Who back in the day. It would help me weed out when I'm right and when I'm just getting a false positive because there seem to be a very limited number of English faces. (When I first started watching Downton Abbey, nearly all of the actors looked familiar to me. But when I looked them up, I realized that, apart from Maggie Smith & Penelope Wilton, I had not seen any of them in anything before. They just had those faces!)
"Black Orchid." Working later means I find myself still having dinner when "Dr. Who" comes on Retro. The last straight up historical story (where there are no sci fi elements, apart from time travelers being in it). And a rare 2 parter. Nice costumes, a simple story, told in a compelling manner. A rare gem, IMO. Even the ending, with The Doctor opening the book to the literal title page is perfect. The minor nitpick is that this is one of the earliest instances of The 5th Doctor "turning the TARDIS into a social club." Look how long it took for even Jo to get in 3's TARDIS and suddenly 5 is just bringing anyone for spins across the neighborhood.
I just started "The War Games." I guess it really depends on my mood as far as how padded out this story feels. Last time, I thought it moved at a pretty good clip but this time it feels like a ridiculously protracted series of the Doctor & co. getting captured, escaping, getting recaptured, escaping again, getting captured by a different faction, and so on.
Still, I really like the guest cast in this story. I really feel sorry for Captain Ransom, the fussy, bureaucratic aide working for General Smythe. He's just so earnest that Lt. Carstairs & Lady Jennifer are able to manipulate him quite easily once they start working with the Doctor. I especially love when Lady Jennifer distracts him by pretending to be interested in supply paperwork and he immediately starts telling her all about it. "Did you know that in the last push we lost over 100 shovels?!"
Still, I really like the guest cast in this story. I really feel sorry for Captain Ransom, the fussy, bureaucratic aide working for General Smythe. He's just so earnest that Lt. Carstairs & Lady Jennifer are able to manipulate him quite easily once they start working with the Doctor. I especially love when Lady Jennifer distracts him by pretending to be interested in supply paperwork and he immediately starts telling her all about it. "Did you know that in the last push we lost over 100 shovels?!"
Kinda
Finally gave this one a serious watch (you just gotta turn on the CGI option for the last episode...otherwise that god-awful pupper Mara just deflates the whole story). With all that Buddhist philosophy and Jungian stuff, its stories like these when I say to myself - "This was supposed to be a kids show?"
Finally gave this one a serious watch (you just gotta turn on the CGI option for the last episode...otherwise that god-awful pupper Mara just deflates the whole story). With all that Buddhist philosophy and Jungian stuff, its stories like these when I say to myself - "This was supposed to be a kids show?"
That was roughly the director's comment: I signed for Doctor Who, this is Play for Today... on a Who budget.
Probably The Five Doctors or Remembrance of the Daleks. Have both on DVD and they're the most likely to go on if I'm in a classic Who mood. Dunno why - Genesis is on the shelf too.
"The King's Demons." I get home from work later than I'd like, so I find myself watching Retro's broadcast even after vowing to stop before "The Leisure Hive." Besides, this one's a 2-parter and they show an hour so I got the whole story.
It again falls in the Master pointlessly disguised trope trap that we last saw in...well, the last time he was in an episode, "Timeflight." Why is he farting around with a horrible disguise in 13th century England? Does everyone in 13th century England know the Master? Did he plan for the Doctor to show up? Why the red hair? And furthermore, if his disguise is electronic (it pixelates away instead of being pulled off Scooby Doo style), why bother with Chameleon? Why not just be the king himself?
It is kind of neat, having his TARDIS be an iron maiden (although I understand they aren't historically accurate, but I digress), but then why does he spend all his time trying to put people in it? Why does the castle lord just take it in stride, after seeing the Master act like a turd the whole time he's there and then seeing his disguise stripped away, suddenly decide he's the Good Guy over the Doctor?
Another trope of this era is Tegan just taking the TARDIS for little spins. For 20 years, the Doctor has been barely able to get it to do what he wants, but Tegan regularly takes it on short hops without hopelessly stranding herself and everyone else.
Yep, this one isn't a terrible story, if you don't think about it too much. And at least it's over quickly.
It again falls in the Master pointlessly disguised trope trap that we last saw in...well, the last time he was in an episode, "Timeflight." Why is he farting around with a horrible disguise in 13th century England? Does everyone in 13th century England know the Master? Did he plan for the Doctor to show up? Why the red hair? And furthermore, if his disguise is electronic (it pixelates away instead of being pulled off Scooby Doo style), why bother with Chameleon? Why not just be the king himself?
It is kind of neat, having his TARDIS be an iron maiden (although I understand they aren't historically accurate, but I digress), but then why does he spend all his time trying to put people in it? Why does the castle lord just take it in stride, after seeing the Master act like a turd the whole time he's there and then seeing his disguise stripped away, suddenly decide he's the Good Guy over the Doctor?
Another trope of this era is Tegan just taking the TARDIS for little spins. For 20 years, the Doctor has been barely able to get it to do what he wants, but Tegan regularly takes it on short hops without hopelessly stranding herself and everyone else.
Yep, this one isn't a terrible story, if you don't think about it too much. And at least it's over quickly.
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