Past Seasons: Classic Who

[SVNBob]

1 minute ago, BK1978 said:

I am a little annoyed over the fact that the Dr. Who station on Pluto keeps on showing Tom Baker episodes over and over again.  Nothing against Tom but there were other Doctors.

But there are more Tom Baker episodes than of any other Doctor.  Hartnell is 2nd, but some of those don't exist anymore.  Same with 4th place Troughton.  (Humourously, Pertwee is still #3).

[enchantingmonkey]

My local PBS station played several of Tom Baker's seasons over and over again when I was a kid, so I've always had a strong fondness for him.  After being mostly disappointed in the NY's Day episode, Revolution of the Daleks, I sought out Classic Who and have been watching Baker's first season for the past few days.  

There was some fun stuff with K1 being internally conflicted as to whether he should attack or not but, overall, I found Robot to be mostly clunky.  Enjoyed Sarah Jane finding her way into trouble, and the Think Tank Director, Hilda Winters, being the dastardly villain.  I was somewhat relieved when this one was over.  

The Ark in Space was much better.  More suspenseful and I found myself more engaged in the action pieces.  Enjoyed Vira, and of course, Noah is the captain of the Ark.  Noah pulling his green, transforming hand out of his pocket was probably more frightening when I was a kid but it made me smile.

Really enjoyed The Sontaran Experiment.  Probably because it was a quickie but Styre found a little place in my heart by the end.  

The Genesis of the Daleks is still one of my favorites.  Lots of fun banter about time travel, and the morality of killing something that will become a killing machine without a conscience in the future.  Even with the modest nature of the sets, most of the action pieces were still exciting.  I liked Sarah Jane being off on her own for most of it.  But good grief, I'd forgotten how much Davros screams almost everything he says.  I was randomly screaming, "You will obey!", to myself  several times the following day.  Wait, did Davros die at the end???

And Revenge of the Cybermen to close out Baker's first season.  I still love that Cybermat and want one of my own.  I was kinda jealous when Sarah Jane got attacked by it.  *chuckle*  The sound of the Vogan's artillery was so entertaining that it got stuck in my head.  The bow of the Cybermen's ship still looks like it's smiling at me.  

Onto The Terror of the Zygons!

[Llywela]

4 hours ago, enchantingmonkey said:

My local PBS station played several of Tom Baker's seasons over and over again when I was a kid, so I've always had a strong fondness for him.  After being mostly disappointed in the NY's Day episode, Revolution of the Daleks, I sought out Classic Who and have been watching Baker's first season for the past few days.  

There was some fun stuff with K1 being internally conflicted as to whether he should attack or not but, overall, I found Robot to be mostly clunky.  Enjoyed Sarah Jane finding her way into trouble, and the Think Tank Director, Hilda Winters, being the dastardly villain.  I was somewhat relieved when this one was over.  

The Ark in Space was much better.  More suspenseful and I found myself more engaged in the action pieces.  Enjoyed Vira, and of course, Noah is the captain of the Ark.  Noah pulling his green, transforming hand out of his pocket was probably more frightening when I was a kid but it made me smile.

Really enjoyed The Sontaran Experiment.  Probably because it was a quickie but Styre found a little place in my heart by the end.  

The Genesis of the Daleks is still one of my favorites.  Lots of fun banter about time travel, and the morality of killing something that will become a killing machine without a conscience in the future.  Even with the modest nature of the sets, most of the action pieces were still exciting.  I liked Sarah Jane being off on her own for most of it.  But good grief, I'd forgotten how much Davros screams almost everything he says.  I was randomly screaming, "You will obey!", to myself  several times the following day.  Wait, did Davros die at the end???

And Revenge of the Cybermen to close out Baker's first season.  I still love that Cybermat and want one of my own.  I was kinda jealous when Sarah Jane got attacked by it.  *chuckle*  The sound of the Vogan's artillery was so entertaining that it got stuck in my head.  The bow of the Cybermen's ship still looks like it's smiling at me.  

Onto The Terror of the Zygons!

This is one of my favourite seasons of the show - I think at least in part because so much of it was released on VHS when I was a kid in the 80s, so it was the era of the Classic show I knew best, growing up. I find it hard to assess rationally because I get such a nostalgic glow just thinking about Four, Sarah and Harry!

[enchantingmonkey]

Sarah Jane is my favorite.  I still remember being upset when she left.  Leela was a good companion but my young mind couldn't accept that Sarah Jane was gone, and I was probably hoping she'd come back every time the Doctor and Leela moved on to a new place/time.  It may have left a lasting impression on my young psyche, lol.  I'm curious to see how I'll feel when I watch Sarah Jane and the Doctor part ways as an adult.  

I like the banter between Sarah Jane and Harry but I didn't form a strong attachment to him.  

My PBS station only aired seasons 12 through 15, so I didn't get to meet Romana.  

The Show and I lost contact with each other until I stumbled across an episode in the middle of Matt Smith's first season airing on BBC America.  

 

[enchantingmonkey]

Despite the laughably bad Skarasen monster, Terror of the Zygons was pretty good.  I liked how the Zygons were able to take human form, a fun play on how we can see ourselves as alien to each other, but had a disdain for transforming into a human body.  I felt bad that the Doctor was able to thwart their effort to take over our planet, as it could have just as easily been us using force to take over another planet after Earth had been destroyed.  Tom Baker got to be funny, and Sarah Jane got to find her way into trouble, just as I like it.  

@Llywela, I was curious about a point I think you had made about the companions from Classic Who departing in less dramatic fashion, and I got a better sense of that with Harry basically simply telling the Doctor he wasn't going to join him in the TARDIS.  No tears or big, emotional swells of music.  Goodbye, Harry Sullivan.   

 

[Llywela]

11 hours ago, enchantingmonkey said:

Despite the laughably bad Skarasen monster, Terror of the Zygons was pretty good.  I liked how the Zygons were able to take human form, a fun play on how we can see ourselves as alien to each other, but had a disdain for transforming into a human body.  I felt bad that the Doctor was able to thwart their effort to take over our planet, as it could have just as easily been us using force to take over another planet after Earth had been destroyed.  Tom Baker got to be funny, and Sarah Jane got to find her way into trouble, just as I like it.  

@Llywela, I was curious about a point I think you had made about the companions from Classic Who departing in less dramatic fashion, and I got a better sense of that with Harry basically simply telling the Doctor he wasn't going to join him in the TARDIS.  No tears or big, emotional swells of music.  Goodbye, Harry Sullivan.   

 

I really like Terror of the Zygons, cheesy 70s fun. 😄 I don't begrudge the special effects of these early shows, they were groundbreaking in their time (the bubble wrap used in Ark in Space had literally only just been invented, many people watching would never have seen it before) and can't be faulted for not having access to technology that hadn't been invented yet. They did the best they could, just as the show today does the best it can with the technology available, and no doubt will look just as dated in 40 years time!

I'm not sure how you're watching these - did the version you watched have the extra scene at the beginning of the TARDIS landing in the woods? It was cut from the original broadcast because [insert technical reason to do with the lighting or some such] and only survived in black and white, but the clip was colourised and added back into the DVD release as a 'director's cut', and is a really cute little character scene of the trio together.

Much as I enjoy Harry and wish he'd stayed longer, because I think he adds something to the group dynamic, I do appreciate that he had what in modern terms would work well as a complete character arc, and his story kind of typifies what I mean about the greater variety of character stories we get in the Classic era, underdeveloped though they are. When he meets the Doctor in Robot he has just arrived at UNIT on secondment and kind of gets thrown in head first. The Doctor likes him so tricks him into the TARDIS as a joke, meaning to only take a short trip, but they land in the wrong place and immediately get separated from the TARDIS. They defeat the Wirrrn, transmat down to Earth and end up fighting Sontarans there, then the return transmat trip gets hijacked by the Time Lords and they are sent to Skaro to fight the Daleks, they travel by time ring back to Nerva Beacon just in time to fight off the Cybermen, and only then are reunited with the TARDIS at last, just in time for the Brigadier to summon them back to Earth to deal with the Zygons. That's six adventures for Harry spread over 24 episodes with absolutely no break in between. There's no downtime whatsoever in that season, they just plunge from one crisis to another, presumably grabbing whatever food and sleep they can along the way - and Harry is a military officer who didn't choose to leave Earth in the first place, so through all of that would be painfully aware of being technically AWOL from duty (luckily the Brigadier knows the Doctor so well). I think the reason Sarah and Harry are so cute and bouncy at the beginning of Zygons is probably because having returned to the TARDIS they've finally had the chance of a good night's sleep for the first time since leaving Earth! So having returned to Earth and his UNIT posting at last, Harry immediately gets shot in the head, and is then kidnapped from hospital and ends up back in the fight without any time to actually recover. And then after all that, the Doctor invites him back into the TARDIS with his commanding officer standing right alongside him, and this time, after everything he's been through, he knows damn well that if he says yes and goes along for the ride, there is no guarantee they actually will go straight back to London as promised. He didn't mean to go AWOL the first time, but couldn't make that claim a second time, not knowing what he knows now. He's not an adventurer at heart and he has his career to think about (the extended universe gives Harry quite a distinguished future career). Of course he has to say no - no fuss, no drama, it is just the right choice for this individual to make.

And that, for me, is the essence of Classic Doctor Who. It isn't about a bunch of adrenaline junkies who can't bear the thought of ever settling down. It is about ordinary people swept away from their normal lives, finding out how they cope when thrown in at the deep end, who then either return to their regular lives changed by the experience or find a new direction in life along the way, choosing to move on for all kinds of reasons, when the time is right for them. And I really appreciate the variety of stories we get as a result - Sarah, for instance, has a very different journey than Harry, starting out as a career-focused journalist who gradually loosens up more and more the longer she stays with the Doctor, and to an extent lets go of her ambition in favour of the experience on offer (the evolution of her wardrobe typifies this, she starts out in smart business gear but her clothes gradually more casual, and then more outlandish, as she spends so much time away from Earth she no longer feels tied by Earth fashions). But then over time she gets too burned out to carry on, and ends up parting company with the Doctor because she needs a break while he is too restless to remain tied to that particular time and place any more, and once he's moved on he doesn't go back.

Edited January 18, 2021 by Llywela

[angora]

12 hours ago, Llywela said:

And that, for me, is the essence of Classic Doctor Who. It isn't about a bunch of adrenaline junkies who can't bear the thought of ever settling down. It is about ordinary people swept away from their normal lives, finding out how they cope when thrown in at the deep end, who then either return to their regular lives changed by the experience or find a new direction in life along the way, choosing to move on for all kinds of reasons, when the time is right for them. And I really appreciate the variety of stories we get as a result - Sarah, for instance, has a very different journey than Harry, starting out as a career-focused journalist who gradually loosens up more and more the longer she stays with the Doctor, and to an extent lets go of her ambition in favour of the experience on offer (the evolution of her wardrobe typifies this, she starts out in smart business gear but her clothes gradually more casual, and then more outlandish, as she spends so much time away from Earth she no longer feels tied by Earth fashions). But then over time she gets too burned out to carry on, and ends up parting company with the Doctor because she needs a break while he is too restless to remain tied to that particular time and place any more, and once he's moved on he doesn't go back.

Great points, but I'd add a caveat here. While Sarah Jane fumes about how she's had enough at the end of "The Hand of Fear" and starts loudly packing up her stuff, I get the impression that she's just blowing off steam and doesn't really intend to go at that exact moment. Unfortunately, it coincides with the Doctor being called back to Gallifrey and unable to take Sarah with him (no humans allowed.) All of the sudden, her show of leaving becomes a reality, and they share a sweet, wistful farewell... before the Doctor drops her off in the wrong city, at which point she rolls up her sleeves and gets on with it.

I remember when I realized that Sarah Jane is basically the ONLY classic Who companion who could've been used for the story they wanted to tell with "School Reunion." Because, with the exception of the (very) few companions who were killed and the couple who got their memories erased, nearly every other companion chooses to leave on their own. Some, like Harry, return home and decide to stay, others fall in love and decide to get married (I'd put Susan in this category too, even though the Doctor's the one who decides she's ready to move on,) others decide to stay behind on another planet to continue helping after the events of their last adventure, and a few decide they can't keep doing this anymore. Sarah Jane is one of the few who doesn't choose to leave on her own and basically the only one one in a position to tell about it. So for all of Rose's hand-wringing about how "you just leave us behind!", that's NOT the Doctor's M.O. at all.

In the Twelve Doctors of Christmas short story anthology, there's a story in which Three and Jo (with Mike Yates unexpectedly brought along for the ride!) land in London during the events of "The Christmas Invasion," and they meet Jackie while Ten, Rose, and Mickey are on the Sycorax ship. Jackie has a similar reaction to Rose in "School Reunion," and it leads to this exchange between her and Three:

Quote

Jackie paused for a moment, then said, "I can't ask him. The other you. But it's still you, so you understand him, don't you? Will he - will you just leave her one day? Abandon her?"

The Doctor shook his head solemnly. "No. I can promise you that. It's not me who leaves them. Not ever."

And he later reiterates that to Jo, assuring her, "One day you'll fly the nest, Jo. But I'll never push you out of it."

All of which is a long way of saying that Sarah Jane's ending is an anomaly for classic Who, despite what "School Reunion" would have us believe. But I really like that we get so much variety with the classic Who farewells, that they're often sad and wistful but not tragic and overwrought. That's one thing new Who could learn from the classic series, and hopefully "Revolution of the Daleks" indicates a return to form on that.

[Llywela]

8 hours ago, angora said:

Great points, but I'd add a caveat here. While Sarah Jane fumes about how she's had enough at the end of "The Hand of Fear" and starts loudly packing up her stuff, I get the impression that she's just blowing off steam and doesn't really intend to go at that exact moment. Unfortunately, it coincides with the Doctor being called back to Gallifrey and unable to take Sarah with him (no humans allowed.) All of the sudden, her show of leaving becomes a reality, and they share a sweet, wistful farewell... before the Doctor drops her off in the wrong city, at which point she rolls up her sleeves and gets on with it.

I do think Sarah meant it when she said she needed a break. But the pattern of her time with the Doctor previously had always allowed her that, because the Doctor had always been rooted at UNIT ever since she met him. At that point, she was coming off probably her longest extended period in the TARDIS, but based on her past experience no doubt she expected him to take her back to UNIT and spend some time pottering around there for the Brigadier, which would give her time to go home and collect herself, and then return refreshed and revitalised. But at the same time, she couldn't help but be aware that the Doctor was drifting away from his commitment to UNIT, so I also don't think the final parting came as a massive shock, in the end. The Sarah we see at the end of Hand of Fear was certainly not about to spend 30 years pining!

 

Edited January 19, 2021 by Llywela

[enchantingmonkey]

On 1/18/2021 at 4:20 AM, Llywela said:

I'm not sure how you're watching these

On BritBox.  It was the only place I could find all of Classic Who without paying for individual episodes.  

 

On 1/18/2021 at 4:20 AM, Llywela said:

did the version you watched have the extra scene at the beginning of the TARDIS landing in the woods? It was cut from the original broadcast because [insert technical reason to do with the lighting or some such] and only survived in black and white, but the clip was colourised and added back into the DVD release as a 'director's cut', and is a really cute little character scene of the trio together.

I went back and looked, and episode 1 started with the first attack on an oil rig, followed by the trio walking through a field.  

 

On 1/18/2021 at 4:20 AM, Llywela said:

They did the best they could, just as the show today does the best it can with the technology available, and no doubt will look just as dated in 40 years time!

I appreciate what they did back then in some ways more than what can be done with CGI..  There are times when it's obvious they're using a miniature set, and I'm impressed that someone had to take the time to build that set, rather than manipulating what's seen on screen with a computer.  The Zygon's spaceship was cool and the organic-looking interior was fascinating, but the Skarasen monster paled in comparison to some of what they're able to achieve.  

 

On 1/18/2021 at 4:20 AM, Llywela said:

(the evolution of her wardrobe typifies this, she starts out in smart business gear but her clothes gradually more casual, and then more outlandish, as she spends so much time away from Earth she no longer feels tied by Earth fashions). 

Glad you mentioned this.  Something for me to keep an eye on as I continue on through season 13 to Sarah Jane's last trip in the TARDIS.  

 

On 1/18/2021 at 4:20 AM, Llywela said:

It isn't about a bunch of adrenaline junkies who can't bear the thought of ever settling down.

In defense of modern Who writers, I have a feeling I'd be the companion who throws a good, little tantrum if I thought the Doctor was going to drop me off back on Earth to go back to a normal life.  Obviously, though, I'm not the norm.  

[call me ishmael]

They are not showing all of the episodes or even the ones they show in any particular order (outside of story blocks) but if you have access to a television company called “Retro” they are showing old Doctor Who episodes fairly regularly.  I’ve been watching “Unearthly Child.”

[Gramto6]

On 1/31/2021 at 3:59 PM, call me ishmael said:

They are not showing all of the episodes or even the ones they show in any particular order (outside of story blocks) but if you have access to a television company called “Retro” they are showing old Doctor Who episodes fairly regularly.  I’ve been watching “Unearthly Child.”

Thanks for the heads up. I added it to my list of favorite channels.

[Lantern7]

FYI: BBC America will be running “Fury From The Deep” tomorrow night from 6-9 p.m. It’s the fourth Second Doctor story reconstructed with animation that BBCA has aired.

[John Potts]

On 1/15/2021 at 4:24 AM, enchantingmonkey said:

 Wait, did Davros die at the end???

Like the Master, he dies a lot, but keeps on trucking!

[Lantern7]

For anyone not in the know: BBC America will run the reconstructed “Evil of the Daleks” next Saturday from 8-11:30 a.m. Eastern time. Yeah, it’s in the morning. I can’t fathom why.

[DanaK]

4 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

For anyone not in the know: BBC America will run the reconstructed “Evil of the Daleks” next Saturday from 8-11:30 a.m. Eastern time. Yeah, it’s in the morning. I can’t fathom why.

It might be because they have a Who marathon of scary episodes going on and that’s possibly the only place they have for it, otherwise I don’t know either. Is it considered a scary episode?

[Llywela]

7 hours ago, DanaK said:

It might be because they have a Who marathon of scary episodes going on and that’s possibly the only place they have for it, otherwise I don’t know either. Is it considered a scary episode?

No more than any other classic story. 

[SVNBob]

It's a cartoon airing on Saturday morning.

[sugarbaker design]

I just finished watching season 12 of classic Doctor Who with Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan.  I'm not a binger so I paced myself by watching an episode a day.  I never realized how complex they stories were.  It seemed like Genesis of The Daleks had 25 speaking parts.  I was so impressed with the pacing and the unfolding of the plots.  What I loved most of all, and what is missing from today's incarnation of the Doctor is the sense of whimsy.  Three stern soldiers are facing down the Doctor with their artillery, and there's the Doctor beaming back this toothy grin!  Gosh, I love him.  Now onto season (series) 13!

[Llywela]

5 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

I just finished watching season 12 of classic Doctor Who with Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan.  I'm not a binger so I paced myself by watching an episode a day.  I never realized how complex they stories were.  It seemed like Genesis of The Daleks had 25 speaking parts.  I was so impressed with the pacing and the unfolding of the plots.  What I loved most of all, and what is missing from today's incarnation of the Doctor is the sense of whimsy.  Three stern soldiers are facing down the Doctor with their artillery, and there's the Doctor beaming back this toothy grin!  Gosh, I love him.  Now onto season (series) 13!

Ah, that's one of my favourite seasons. Genesis is fabulous. The longer stories like that one really are complex - they had to be, in a sense, because the multi-episode structure demanded it, and also supported sub-plots in a way that today's format does not. For me, a two companion team like Sarah and Harry is ideal, because they can be mixed and matched, so that one of them can go off and be intrepid in a sub-plot of their own, while the other stays with the Doctor so that he still has someone to bounce off, and that keeps things fresh.

I agree about the whimsy. New Who tends to shoot for quirky instead, which isn't really the same thing.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Been watching some of the David Tennant episodes and more of the Matt Smith episodes. Would be interesting to hear how many viewers are turning in to see these reruns.

[sugarbaker design]

I'm halfway through season (series) 14 of classic Doctor Who, episode 1 of Robots of Death.  I'm only posting because I have to remark on the last episode of Sarah Jane Smith.  Sarah was the companion of Drs. 3 and 4.  At the end of The Hand of Fear, Sarah expresses her desire to stop time traveling and go home.  The Doctor receives a message to go home to Gallifrey - alone.  Sarah packs up her kit bag and sundry, says goodbye to the Doctor, he says "Goodbye Sarah" and Sarah walks out of the tardis.  That's it, no hugs, no crying, no histrionics, no flash forwards, no alternate universes, only the classic British stiff upper lip.  I loved it.  It was amazing.

I am loving these 4-6 part serials, the plots unfold like flowers, the motivations of each character is crystal clear, I feel like I'm watching a two hour movie instead of an hour long TV drama.  The not so secret weapon here is Tom Baker with the stentorian voice, the unruly mop, the toothy grin and the heart of a comedian.  When the Doctor and Sarah were escorted by thugs to meet their latest nemesis the Doctor said with a beaming smile "I'm the Doctor and this is Sarah Jane Smith, my best friend."   How could you not love this guy?  My favorite serial so far is The Brain of Morbius.  The Sisters of Karn for the win!

[Llywela]

1 hour ago, sugarbaker design said:

I'm halfway through season (series) 14 of classic Doctor Who, episode 1 of Robots of Death.  I'm only posting because I have to remark on the last episode of Sarah Jane Smith.  Sarah was the companion of Drs. 3 and 4.  At the end of The Hand of Fear, Sarah expresses her desire to stop time traveling and go home.  The Doctor receives a message to go home to Gallifrey - alone.  Sarah packs up her kit bag and sundry, says goodbye to the Doctor, he says "Goodbye Sarah" and Sarah walks out of the tardis.  That's it, no hugs, no crying, no histrionics, no flash forwards, no alternate universes, only the classic British stiff upper lip.  I loved it.  It was amazing.

But the actors bring a lot of emotion to it, which really makes the scene. It isn't overdone, there's no melodrama, just two dear friends bidding one another farewell. It's really lovely.

So glad to hear that you are enjoying your journey through the Tom Baker era!

[SusanwatchingTV]

3 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

I'm halfway through season (series) 14 of classic Doctor Who, episode 1 of Robots of Death.  I'm only posting because I have to remark on the last episode of Sarah Jane Smith.  Sarah was the companion of Drs. 3 and 4.  At the end of The Hand of Fear, Sarah expresses her desire to stop time traveling and go home.  The Doctor receives a message to go home to Gallifrey - alone.  Sarah packs up her kit bag and sundry, says goodbye to the Doctor, he says "Goodbye Sarah" and Sarah walks out of the tardis.  That's it, no hugs, no crying, no histrionics, no flash forwards, no alternate universes, only the classic British stiff upper lip.  I loved it.  It was amazing.

I am loving these 4-6 part serials, the plots unfold like flowers, the motivations of each character is crystal clear, I feel like I'm watching a two hour movie instead of an hour long TV drama.  The not so secret weapon here is Tom Baker with the stentorian voice, the unruly mop, the toothy grin and the heart of a comedian.  When the Doctor and Sarah were escorted by thugs to meet their latest nemesis the Doctor said with a beaming smile "I'm the Doctor and this is Sarah Jane Smith, my best friend."   How could you not love this guy?  My favorite serial so far is The Brain of Morbius.  The Sisters of Karn for the win!

Oh, how I miss those days. That's when I fell in love with Doctor Who. Tom Baker was so Teddy-Bear-Lovable, and SJS was my "I wanna be her when I grow up" girl. I just loved that show so much.

Sadly I don't love it anymore.

Edited January 31, 2022 by SusanwatchingTV
typo. I meant her, not here

[sugarbaker design]

46 minutes ago, SusanwatchingTV said:

Sadly I don't love it anymore.

It's a totally different show.

 

[benteen]

I read that they asked Elisabeth Sladen if she wanted to do anything special for her final appearance.  She declined saying the show was about Doctor Who.  She  and Tom Baker did work on the last scene together with Baker noting he tried to put a lot of emotion behind what The Doctor was saying. 

[sugarbaker design]

I've been watching The Fourth Doctor's journey from start to almost finish for some time now, months maybe?  Started with series 12, watched an episode a day (approx.), I've been through The Doctor's adventures with Sarah, Leela, Romana I and now Romana 2 (I prefer Romana I, she had more edge than 2).  I've found each series to be enthralling.  Series 12-17 had complex, unfolding plots, casts of 20 or more and varying sub-plots. all the while maintaining a whimsical sense of humor, quite different than the 10 ep season Doctor Who of today.  I am just starting series 18, and I'm quite surprised how different in tone the show is from the previous 6 series.  There are the cosmetic differences like the new opening sequence and The Doctor's new wardrobe.  It seems like there's more location shots, and the sets are bigger.  The biggest difference is the dearth of whimsy and humor.  I'm going to stick it out, but I'm not looking forward to episodes like I used to.  K-9 just got his head chopped off!  How many little Brits were traumatised by that one?

Edited May 23, 2022 by sugarbaker design

[Llywela]

5 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

I've been watching The Fourth Doctor's journey from start to almost finish for some time now, months maybe?  Started with series 12, watched an episode a day (approx.), I've been through The Doctor's adventures with Sarah, Leela, Romana I and now Romana 2 (I prefer Romana I, she had more edge than 2).  I've found each series to be enthralling.  Series 12-17 had complex, unfolding plots, casts of 20 or more and varying sub-plots. all the while maintaining a whimsical sense of humor, quite different than the 10 ep season Doctor Who of today.  I am just starting series 18, and I'm quite surprised how different in tone the show is from the previous 6 series.  There are the cosmetic differences like the new opening sequence and The Doctor's new wardrobe.  It seems like there's more location shots, and the sets are bigger.  The biggest difference is the dearth of whimsy and humor.  I'm going to stick it out, but I'm not looking forward to episodes like I used to.  K-9 just got his head chopped off!  How many little Brits were traumatised by that one?

Yes, season 18 has a much gloomier tone. I think Tom Baker was starting to get quite fatigued with the role by that time. I can't answer for whether or not little Brits were traumatised by K9's little incident - the very first Doctor Who adventure I have memories of watching 'live' at time of broadcast was Tom Baker's regeneration into Peter Davison. I'd have been four but I have distinct memories of key moments in that serial - although it was years before I saw it again and realised that's what I'd been remembering! 😄 (I won't say what key moments I remembered though as you are still to watch it and I don't want to spoil it even if it did happen 40 years ago!)

[sugarbaker design]

On 8/4/2022 at 10:31 AM, patriciahelenkit said:

* an alien exiled to a boys’ boarding school on earth was convinced to kill the doctor by a man with a bird shellacked to his scalp. he failed so badly at killing the doctor that he became a companion instead

This is what I'm watching right now!  To boil an entire story arc down in one silly sentence really doesn't do the show justice.  This particular story, Mawdryn Undead, involves two different timelines in one location (complete with two Brigadiers!), the Black Guardian and Turlough.  Turlough failed so badly because his being forced to do it, and his heart wasn't in it.  It's a complex story and I'm loving it so far.

Edited August 5, 2022 by sugarbaker design

[tessaray]

40 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

This particular story, Mawdryn Undead, involves two different timelines in one location (complete with two Brigadiers!), the Black Guardian and Turlough.

I'm not a big Turlough fan but will always give 2 thumbs up to stories with the Brigadier. 

[benteen]

On 8/5/2022 at 10:09 AM, tessaray said:

I'm not a big Turlough fan but will always give 2 thumbs up to stories with the Brigadier. 

As I recall, Marwyn Undead was supposed to feature William Russell returning as Ian. It didn't happen so The Brigadier was brought back, having become a math teacher at a boarding school. The Fifth Doctor couldn't keep a straight face over that. Kind of how he didn't think former soldier Danny Pink couldn't be a history teacher.

The Brigadier was one of the greatest characters in Doctor Who period.

Edited August 8, 2022 by benteen

[Llywela]

18 hours ago, patriciahelenkit said:

Padbury. She should be in the 60th, not Fielding

Why? Neither one is more particularly deserving than the other - unless you consider the fact that Janet Fielding has always been a passionate supporter of the show, cheerleading every new episode on social media. Both are former companions well worth revisiting - and it is high time the new show remembered to acknowledge that the Doctor has a lot of old friends out there from before the reboot and who weren't invented out of whole cloth for the sake of a new story. Both have worked the convention circuit all these years, and both have recorded new adventures with Big Finish.

I imagine a lot of it came down to availability and story requirement.

Spoiler

And since both Tegan and Ace are in the anniversary episode, that and other spoilers indicate the adventure is set in the present day, which rules Zoe out immediately. Zoe came from the future - a future that wasn't set nearly far enough into the future to be plausible, now that 50 years have gone by! So that would be a problem any revisiting of her would have to resolve. Then, Zoe's memory was wiped by the Time Lords when she left the Doctor, so if the Doctor did meet her again, she wouldn't remember their adventures together. Now, there's potentially a strong story to be told there - a similar argument could be made for a revisit of Jamie - but that would be a story in and of itself, and as such really doesn't fit into a romp of an anniversary special. Tegan and Ace, on the other hand, both met the Doctor in 1980s England so it is plausible they would both still be alive and kicking in 2020s England, they remember everything they experienced with the Doctor, have lived through everything that has happened to Earth since, and as such can hit the ground running.

Also, Tegan was a great companion who has already been unnecessarily dissed by New Who (grrrr to Steven Moffat for that), so why shouldn't she be brought back? Why should it be a competition? We can have Ace and Tegan in this upcoming anniversary episode - and then why not have Zoe some other time? And then Jo Grant. Jamie. Turlough. Peri. Mel. Romana. Susan. Vicki. Nyssa. Steven...I'm all for revisiting as many Classic companions as possible while their actors are still with us!

Edited August 11, 2022 by Llywela

[benteen]

I always thought The 2nd Doctor, Jamie and Zoe were one of the great Tardis teams. Jamie was The Doctor's first real buddy among the companions as well as his muscle while Zoe could actually match him on an intellectual level and knew it.

Edited August 13, 2022 by benteen

[Llywela]

2 hours ago, benteen said:

I always thought The 2nd Doctor, Jamie and Zoe were one of the great Tardis teams. Jamie was The Doctor's first real buddy among the companions as well as his muscle while Zoe could actually match him on an intellectual level and knew it.

They were a great Tardis team, absolutely fantastic. Doesn't change the points I made above re: why Zoe isn't more especially deserving of a revisit than Tegan is, especially bearing in mind the setting of the upcoming special episode. My general stance is that the show should have revisited many more former companions over the last 17 years, as many as possible while they were still with us, and that it should not be a competition about which ones 'deserve' it more.

[Llywela]

3 hours ago, patriciahelenkit said:

I despise Tegan.

Not everyone can like every character, that's entirely subjective. Doesn't mean the character isn't worth revisiting, that's objective. Tegan had an interesting story, even in a time when character stories weren't really a thing. I'm looking forward to catching up with her again, personally. And yes, I'd love to see Zoe again too, but this upcoming anniversary special isn't the place for it. She'd need a story all to herself, which no one is going to get in this particular episode.

[tessaray]

I don't think Tegan had great chemistry with Peter Davison's Doctor but the group dynamic with Adric and Nyssa was one of my favorites. And she was fearless - at least that's how she appeared to my younger self. I liked Ace for some of the same reasons. 

[Llywela]

1 hour ago, tessaray said:

I don't think Tegan had great chemistry with Peter Davison's Doctor but the group dynamic with Adric and Nyssa was one of my favorites. And she was fearless - at least that's how she appeared to my younger self. I liked Ace for some of the same reasons. 

They are the first TARDIS team I have any memory of from watching live. Tom Baker regenerating into Peter Davison is the first episode I have definite memories of watching. So I have a certain fondness toward them all just for that. I still remember the gut punch of Adric's death, watched spoiler-free age 7! I know Tegan takes a lot of stick from certain elements of the fandom because she complained a lot, but quite frankly she had every right, considering all she went through! And I like that she was different from so many other companions, who were (and are) so often all-in with the TARDIS lifestyle. Tegan was always more ambivalent, for good reason, and I still find her story, taken as a whole, really interesting even now. She had a distinctly different relationship with everyone she travelled with which is absolutely as it should be.

The spikiness of that particular TARDIS team really appeals to me, the way they were all thrown together by circumstance and didn't always get along, yet still functioned as a team to muddle through all their adventures. I like it when the show mixes things up like that, reminds us that people can get swept away in the TARDIS without intending it, and then explores what that experience is like for them, the contribution they can make and what they can learn from it even if they aren't a natural time traveller. It gets dull when every single companion is yet another thrill-seeker who loves adventure and can't bear the thought of ever leaving.

As for Ace, she came aboard just as I became old enough to really get fannish about the show, rather than watching simply because it was what the rest of the family had on. Whacking Daleks with baseball bats, shooting Cybermen with slingshots, blowing things up...she made a huge impression on little me!

[tessaray]

2 hours ago, patriciahelenkit said:

Ace's inability to swear (bilge bag?!) and inability to use her explosives on anything that wasn't Daleks, Cybes, or robots, made her a figure of fun in the late eighties.

The writing didn't do 7/Ace any favors, that's for sure. Still, I liked them.

I did not care much for Mel. Maybe it's because I'm American - I  didn't understand her appeal.

[Llywela]

7 hours ago, patriciahelenkit said:

Ace's inability to swear (bilge bag?!) and inability to use her explosives on anything that wasn't Daleks, Cybes, or robots, made her a figure of fun in the late eighties.

To adults, perhaps. But not to the audience of children she was aimed at. I was 10 and completely accepted her for who she was presented as. Adults have far more problems with these things than children do.

[sugarbaker design]

I recently re-started my quest to watch OG Doctor Who.  I started with #4's tweedy exuberance, continued with #5's charming seriousness, started to watch #6 but between his brash manner, his awful attire, and the annoying Peri, I just couldn't watch.  I had to take a break.  So after watching a couple of episodes of series 22 (with 44 minute episodes!), I've come to an appreciation of #6.  I'm starting to like his manic tendencies, his slightly crazed attitude, his cat pin on his lapel.  Peri still grates though.  I'm committed to finishing series 22.

[Llywela]

Colin Baker's Doctor does take some getting used to, especially coming off the heels of Peter Davison! I really like him, though (although I don't like all his adventures). He was deliberately written to be the polar opposite of his predecessor and I do, in general, like my Doctors to always be distinctly different from one another (I wish the modern Doctors were more distinct, tbh). Colin Baker is a sweetie - and I always remember that when he got the role, he pitched for an outfit similar to what Christopher Eccleston had. Instead, they gave him the multi-coloured dreamcoat!

Edited February 8, 2023 by Llywela

[tessaray]

I learned to love 6 from various Big Finish audio adventures. It made it much easier to then go back and watch the TV episodes I gave up on. 

10 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

I started with #4's tweedy exuberance, continued with #5's charming seriousness, started to watch #6

No Pertwee (#3)? So much fun getting to know the UNIT folks, Jo Grant and early Sarah Jane. But then I loved the Brigadier. 

[sugarbaker design]

5 hours ago, tessaray said:

I learned to love 6 from various Big Finish audio adventures. It made it much easier to then go back and watch the TV episodes I gave up on. 

No Pertwee (#3)? So much fun getting to know the UNIT folks, Jo Grant and early Sarah Jane. But then I loved the Brigadier. 

I've seen stories featuring all the Doctors, but until recently, never a whole series in order.  I started with #4 because he's my fave.  #3 is def on the agenda.

[tessaray]

4 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

I've seen stories featuring all the Doctors, but until recently, never a whole series in order.  I started with #4 because he's my fave.  #3 is def on the agenda.

Tom Baker was my first Doctor and still favorite too. He's timeless (ha, no pun intended) but JP's Doctor is so Sixties and a treat to watch. 

[Llywela]

1 hour ago, tessaray said:

Tom Baker was my first Doctor and still favorite too. He's timeless (ha, no pun intended) but JP's Doctor is so Sixties and a treat to watch. 

Seventies! Jon Pertwee was the Doctor who brought the show into the seventies, full technicolour. Hartnell and Troughton were the Doctors of the sixties.

Fun fact: one of the reasons Pertwee's Doctor is such an action hero is because Pertwee himself was just Like That in real life. Like Christopher Lee, he was involved in all kinds of top secret spy shenanigans during the war.

[AWhittle]

With the show, there are the recurring villains (Daleks, Cybermen, the Master, etc) and then there have been the "one and done" memorable villians like Suhtek, the Megarrah, and in Pertwees time  the Axos (Why weren't they ever able to get out of that time loop? The Doctor figured it how to escape that trap.)

I have to say though, that some sequels would cheapen the first story, like Suhtek escaping, or the Megarrah and the Axos. 

Who would you like to have seen again?

[DanaK]

Hopefully this fits here

 

[Anduin]

57 minutes ago, DanaK said:

Hopefully this fits here

 

Good find! Honestly, I thought he'd passed, like so many from that generation. Good to know he's still kicking.

[Llywela]

1 hour ago, chambers said:

Were there any real-life sisters who acted in Classic Who?

I don't know about sisters. I can offer you father and son - Patrick Troughton played the Doctor in the late 1960s (and again in guest spots in the 70s and 80s) and his son David has had guest roles in both Classic and New Who. Plus another son, Michael, has also been in New Who. (A number of grandchildren are also actors and may well have been in the show as well, I don't have time just now to look it up).

No sets of sisters are jumping at me off the top of my head, though.

Edited June 14, 2023 by Llywela

[Anduin]

No, I checked and I was wrong. Ah well.

Edited June 14, 2023 by Anduin

[libgirl2]

William Russell has passed away at the age of 99. There will never be another. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13494543/Doctor-star-William-Russell-dies-aged-99-Actor-played-school-teacher-Ian-Chesterton-BBC-series-passes-away-Russell-T-Davies-leads-tributes.html