Curse was two years before Monster and it's doubtful that any of the sets remained from the first story. Monster though made the Ice Warriors the baddies again and really being Pertwee's penultimate story contained plenty of action and adventure. It really reminded me of the old serials alot of the Pertwee serials were homages to and the story continued the social structure set up by the first story.
Last Classic Who Story you watched
- Thread starter Pindar
- Start date
Curse was two years before Monster and it's doubtful that any of the sets remained from the first story. Monster though made the Ice Warriors the baddies again and really being Pertwee's penultimate story contained plenty of action and adventure. It really reminded me of the old serials alot of the Pertwee serials were homages to and the story continued the social structure set up by the first story.
A lot of bits (Aggedor statues, torches, costumes) were still in store. The original storyline, including the elderly King Peladon, was very political, and the Ice Warriors were still goodies. Very brutal ones, but just overzealous peacekeepers, not traitors.
What struck me about the Peladon stories then, and that I still find bemusing, is that EVERYBODY knew where those "secret" passages were.
Something else about the Peladon stories: My cat was in a bad mood one night - just really grouchy. So I picked her up and cuddled her, and sang the "Venusian lullaby" that the Doctor sang to Aggedor... and it worked. My cat calmed right down!
Mind you, that wouldn't work on my current cats. If I so much as start to hum or whistle, they give me dirty looks that are plainly saying, "Shut up, Mom."
I rewatched The Talons of Weng-chiang. Its still a great story, my favorite of the 4th Doctor era. That said, its big problem is still admittedly a big problem. I'll never understand why, in 1977, they still thought putting some white dude in yellow face was even remotely acceptable. There were obviously asian actors available, they had a bunch of them as the bad guy's henchmen. Its not the only problem (there are some more at least somewhat racist moments throughout the serial), but its the most noticeable. I think the strength of the story is so good that I can still say its my favorite 4th Doctor serial, but as a viewer its impossible to forget that parts of the serial are very screwed up. Still, its generally well written, Jago and Litefoot are great, and The Doctor and Leela are at their very best. If it had better casting and a few slight tweaks, it would be as close to perfect as Classic Who could probably get.
"My dear Litefoot, I've got a lantern and some hip waders and possibly the most powerful piece of hand artillery in the whole of London. What could possibly go wrong?"
"Curse of the Fendahl" today. By this point the show has started to go downhill, IMO, but this is still a fairly strong story. The writing and the acting are very engaging and as a whole the production values are strong.
I'd be interested to know what was going on with Leela having her hair up and wearing different skins, but I won't lose any sleep over it.
"Curse of the Fendahl" today. By this point the show has started to go downhill, IMO, but this is still a fairly strong story. The writing and the acting are very engaging and as a whole the production values are strong.
I'd be interested to know what was going on with Leela having her hair up and wearing different skins, but I won't lose any sleep over it.
I'm amazed you like Talons. Pleasently, of course. 
Well those Ice Warriors were using a fake Aggedor to kill and terrorize the miners and I kind of doubt they had they were doiing in the best interests of the Federation.
My fault then, but the idea of the Ice Warriors being the good guys make them the perfect red herring in the mystery in Curse. But by maing them revert back their old selves allowed the Paladonian classes to work together to defeat them.
Still as I said given that Pertwee was the action/adventure Doctor and this being his penultimate story, it was a pretty one. And I liked how Sarah Jane showed the Queen how to stand on her own.
I'm about halfway through The Monster of Peladon. It's hilarious that it's virtually the same exact sets.
Louise Jameson had a haircut, and found to her horror that the stylist had cut it rather than just trimming! So they put Leela's hair up to disguise this while it grew out. The new skins were because they'd only designed the original leotard to last one, maybe two, stories so with her going back to wearing it solidly during season 15, they needed a spare in case it gave out or needed repairs, and unfortunately the costume designer couldn't find the same fabric to make an exact dupe.
"The Sunmakers." On the whole, an entertaining story, but geez, does it ever bang on the "corporations are eeeevil" drum. There are those who criticize "Colony in Space" on that regard, but at least there the mining company has a real argument for being there--the richest source of the mineral they've ever found and the villains aren't blatant caricatures. Tomorrow is the first half of "Robot," as the weekday run is moving onto the 4th Doctor. I've decided to watch both still until the weekday run "laps" the weekends. (They do an hour 5 days a week and 2 hours on Saturdays.)
Started the anniversary one=per-Doctor binge this evening with The Web Planet. Not a favourite, but ambitious, and it's a long time since I last saw it.
Tomb Of The Cybermen, Planet Of The Spiders, Invisible Enemy, and next will be Remembrance Of The Daleks. (I skipped to audio for Sixie, with Jubilee)
Just finished up "Robot." And it is interesting because it is such a quintessential Pertwee Story--Sarah, the Brigadier, Benton, an evil/misguided science group bent on bringing a golden age, a mad scientist, Bessie...
But Tom Baker so completely makes it his own. His Doctor is so much more cryptic and whimsical that I really wish I could see Pertwee do this serial.
But Tom Baker so completely makes it his own. His Doctor is so much more cryptic and whimsical that I really wish I could see Pertwee do this serial.
The Time Monster would have been livened up by the Master not just turning Benton into a baby, but into a baby girl! (Ruth checks the nappy: "OH. MY. GOD!")
"Masque of Mandragora". I may have to read up on the production of it, because it is really nice. Good costumes, good sets, nice location work. I know they shot in England because the first time they shot on the Continent was "City of Death," but Sarah still manages to find an orange grove in 15th Century Italy.
They really did a good job in this era, for the budget they were working from and the state of the art for FX. (Remember, before "Star Wars" in 1977, the old "Star Trek" tv series was pretty awesome FX.)
Pyramids of Mars. Seeds of Doom. Hand of Fear. The only one that looks hokey from this era is Planet of Evil.
They really did a good job in this era, for the budget they were working from and the state of the art for FX. (Remember, before "Star Wars" in 1977, the old "Star Trek" tv series was pretty awesome FX.)
Pyramids of Mars. Seeds of Doom. Hand of Fear. The only one that looks hokey from this era is Planet of Evil.
Similar threads
