Past Seasons: Classic Who

[Llywela]

Speaking of bad, though, The Ark in Space. Blergh. "There's no air in here!" YES THERE IS DOCTOR YOU JUST OPENED THE FUCKING DOOR. The Sontaran Experiment was good though, but even for a two-episode story it felt kind of short for what it was trying to accomplish. I've kind of stopped following the behind-the-scenes drama as I make my way through the show, but it feels like these two were replacements for a six-episode story that didn't wind up happening? Like, Ark is pretty much four episodes in an empty spaceship set the BBC probably already had lying around (I know that curved walkway that gets shown a couple of times turns up again later in the show's run, so I assume it would have already existed before this) and Experiment is just two episodes in a random field. Not exactly the sort of things that require a lot of preparation.

Blasphemy! Ark in Space is one of my all-time favourite adventures. I love the characterisation and world-building it has - establishing the characters of the new Doctor and Harry as the new companion, building their relationships with each other and with Sarah. Vira the med-tech turned leader is such a strong character, so disciplined and dedicated but her heart shines through. And I like Rogin the technician too, with his droll sense of humour and willingness to sacrifice himself for the others. Yes, it's a bottle story, set in a single location - there's nothing wrong with that. For me, the story works really well, and the starkness of the location is part of its success. As for 'there's no air in here' - oddly enough, even the Doctor is known to exaggerate from time to time (and this is a pretty minor example compared to the hyperbole we've seen in recent years!). There was precious little air in the room he just came from, so not much would have come through with him.

 

No, the space station set wasn't just 'lying around' - it was built for this story, and then used again for Revenge of the Cybermen later in the season, the two being filmed back to back and set in the same location (to save money, true). Sontaran Experiment wasn't just filmed 'in a random field' but in a carefully chosen location down on Dartmouth Tor. The whole of season 12 is one long continuous story arc, basically

 

Neither Ark in Space nor Sontaran Experiment was a replacement story. They were an experiment in budgeting - instead of a six-part story split between set and location, they decided to write and shoot one story completely on set (Ark in Space) and another completely on location (Sontaran Experiment).

 

If you're not following the production details, you may not know that Tom Baker broke his collarbone while filming Sontaran Experiment, which is why there are so many action scenes of the Doctor shot from behind and from distance, so the stuntman could double for him!

[benteen]

I admit I found the first part of The Ark in Space to be slow but really enjoyed it by the second half.  The interaction between the Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry is indeed excellent and it's a proper start for the Fourth Doctor era.  I liked The Sontaran Experiment too.

 

Next story though is one of my all-time favorites.

[HauntedBathroom]

The Ark in Space is a stone-cold classic. Philip Hinchcliffe set the bar for his time in the show incredibly high, right from his first story.

[Llywela]

I admit I found the first part of The Ark in Space to be slow but really enjoyed it by the second half.  The interaction between the Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry is indeed excellent and it's a proper start for the Fourth Doctor era.  I liked The Sontaran Experiment too.

See, I like that the first part of the story is slow, that it takes time to set the scene and build atmosphere. I love that most of the first episode is the Doctor and Harry wandering around exploring the space station, trying to figure out what's going on, just the two of them carrying most of the episode by themselves. I love that that first episode takes the time to actually deal with Harry's culture shock, since he didn't exactly choose to go travelling with the Doctor and absolutely was not prepared for it. We're so often critical of the classic show for not making as much effort with the characters as it could, so I feel we should appreciate it when time is taken to really establish new characters in their role, and that's what that first episode is all about: getting to know the new Doctor and companion, while also setting the scene and tone of the remainder of the adventure. Episode one is just the first act of a four part story, and it does its job perfectly.

 

I find the Sontaran Experiment much weaker, although I still love watching the characters.

Edited December 30, 2015 by Llywela

[PWHCHCH]

I just watched Time- Flight for the first time in about 5 years. Some aspects of the story worked, others did not. The budget was clearly inadequate to do the story justice. I quite liked the gag of the TARDIS on her side, with the Doctor climbing down the console room to the controls to flick the switch to alter the orientation of the floor. Having the pilots trying to sabotage and then attempt to fly the TARDIS was amusing too. 

In all, in my opinion, not as bad as many say. 

[SnideAsides]

Genesis of the Daleks... wow. Amazing. I'm really not sure I can say anything that hasn't already been said, but that's going straight to the top of my rewatch list once I get done with this marathon.

 

Revenge of the Cybermen, on the other hand, is kind of terrible, much like the actual Cybermen themselves. It feels jarring to go straight from one of the best stories so far to one of the worst.

 

But I'm now officially halfway through the stories of the classic era, so that's a plus. :)

[benteen]

I'm in complete assessment with your post.  Genesis of the Daleks is one of, if not the best of classic Who.  The opening scene, Tom Baker's performance, the Doctor/Sarah Jane/Harry combination, Michael Wisher's performance as Davros (I think the best of the actors who played Davros), etc.  Peter Miles is also really good as Davros's henchman Nyder.  The Fourth Doctor era had some memorable henchmen.  I hear he even reprised the role in Big Finish's I, Davros series.

 

Revenge of the Cybermen, yeah, the first stinker of the Tom Baker era.  Though I did love the moment in the opening scene where Harry asked the Doctor if he could keep the time bracelet and that interplay between the two.

Edited January 8, 2016 by benteen

[SnideAsides]

It feels weird knowing I only have four classic Dalek stories left - Four only has one Dalek story in the next six seasons, then Five, Six, and Seven have one each. (If only New Who would use them as sparingly.)

[benteen]

It's interesting how little the Fourth Doctor dealt with the Daleks and the Cybermen.  Only 2 Dalek stories and 1 Cybermen one.  That was deliberate as the showrunner at the time didn't want to go back to the Classic Monsters and pretty much wanted to get them out of the way early.  I read an old interview from the 70s that backs this up.  But such was the greatness of that era that the Doctor did well against a wide variety of villains.

[Llywela]

I've got to admit I have a soft spot for Revenge of the Cybermen. The story is rubbish (it underwent extensive re-writes, and it shows), but the character dynamics are fab (if a bit uneven, having been filmed out of order). Four, Sarah and Harry are one of my favourite groupings, you can split the trio any way you like, and it works.

 

Genesis, of course, is a stone cold classic.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Llywela

[SnideAsides]

I was kind of surprised the Zygons play such a small role in Terror of the Zygons. I knew they came across as an esoteric choice when Moffat brought them back for the anniversary, but I didn't realise how out of left field they were.

[Llywela]

I was kind of surprised the Zygons play such a small role in Terror of the Zygons. I knew they came across as an esoteric choice when Moffat brought them back for the anniversary, but I didn't realise how out of left field they were.

Yeah, and he changed them quite a bit in order to fit the story he wanted to tell, instead of telling a story about the Zygons as already established. I really like Terror of the Zygons - it isn't perfect, but it's a strong story with all the actors on point, and director Douglas Camfield at his best - he gets some really beautiful, atmospheric shots in. Did you see the broadcast version, or the DVD version with the deleted scene reinserted? That deleted scene is fairly inconsequential, but it does set the scene and is a lovely little interchange between the Doctor and his companions.

[SnideAsides]

I saw a version I "flew to London" for, so I'm not really sure.

[Llywela]

I saw a version I "flew to London" for, so I'm not really sure.

If you saw the TARDIS land invisibly in a wood, Harry teasing Sarah, and the Doctor wondering why the Brigadier has summoned them, that was the deleted scene. If your first glimpse of the TARDIS trio was them tramping across a moor with Sarah and Harry wearing the Doctor's hat and scarf, you didn't get the deleted scene.

[SnideAsides]

Planet of Evil is utterly bonkers, but in a good way. I feel like it's a very dense story that's going to need more attention than I was giving it though.

[benteen]

Heheh.  I'm a sucker for the space stories and I really enjoyed Planet of Evil.

Edited January 14, 2016 by benteen

[Llywela]

I'm always in two minds about Planet of Evil. On the one hand, the planet set is absolutely gorgeous - so atmospheric, and for once they just about get the lighting right. Plus the banter between the Doctor and Sarah is always tremendous fun. But on the other hand, I find the actual story pretty weak. The concept is sound, the idea of this strange, remote world with an invisible killer on the loose, but it loses something in translation to the screen.

[SnideAsides]

Pyramids of Mars is nothing short of spectacular. I keep hoping I'll hate a really popular story or really love a story everyone else despises just so I can play Sea Devil's Advocate and have something new to say, but... no. The one downside is that, as Sarah-Jane herself somehow notes despite having been elsewhere the first time, the puzzle locks in the final episode are basically copying Death to the Daleks. But the glorious Sutekh (probably the best one-time villain the show's ever had?) more than makes up for it.

[SnideAsides]

Well, The Android Invasion was a letdown. Nothing bad, really, just that anything following the last story was bound to be underwhelming.

[Llywela]

Well, The Android Invasion was a letdown. Nothing bad, really, just that anything following the last story was bound to be underwhelming.

Yeah. Android Invasion has a strong first episode - the set-up is great - but then the rest of it is pretty poor. As the last hurrah of UNIT as we've known them, it's a disappointment.

[benteen]

I didn't like The Android Invasion.  What an absolute waste of both Harry and Benton and the sad thing is this would be the last Doctor Who story for both of the characters.  The Brigadier was supposed to be in this story but maybe it's for the best he wasn't because he likely would have been misused to.

Edited January 19, 2016 by benteen

[SnideAsides]

Ironically, I feel dumber for having watched The Brain of Morbius. The setting is good and the red tones to everything give it an otherworldly quality that's very lost in Moffat's "first year film student" belief that teal and orange are the only acceptable colour palettes to use (sadly, this is an actual thing they teach), and I loved the Sisterhood of Karn in that McGann short for the 50th anniversary, but the actual story was terrible. And not the fun kind of terrible.

[proserpina65]

Ironically, I feel dumber for having watched The Brain of Morbius. The setting is good and the red tones to everything give it an otherworldly quality that's very lost in Moffat's "first year film student" belief that teal and orange are the only acceptable colour palettes to use (sadly, this is an actual thing they teach), and I loved the Sisterhood of Karn in that McGann short for the 50th anniversary, but the actual story was terrible. And not the fun kind of terrible.

I can't disagree with you more.  The Brain of Morbius is one of my favorite Tom Baker stories.  Although I would've loved to have seen them use Terrance Dicks' original idea of a monster creating a man, I still greatly enjoy this particular riff on the Frankenstein story.  I actually wish they'd used this one during the 50th anniversary instead of The Pyramids of Mars (which I do like a lot as well).

[SnideAsides]

The Seeds of Doom is very good at selling the tension of what is an utterly barmy situation. I definitely enjoyed it, and it's got better pacing than usual for a six-parter, but I don't think it's one of the Great stories.

[benteen]

Harrison Chase is a legitimately batshit villain in The Seeds of Doom.  Though his henchman Scorbie was the one who amused me the most and the Doctor constantly taking swipes at him.  The Fourth Doctor era was very good with henchmen.

[Jacqs]

The Mutants is really tough to get through. Not because its terrible, but because it is extremely uninteresting. Not quite as boring as The Ambassadors of Death, but still really boring. I can only manage an episode a day, because I get too bored (and its six episodes when it doesn't have enough story for four). Definitely a dud for the Pertwee era.

[benteen]

It's definitely one of if not the weakest of the Pertwee Era.

[SnideAsides]

The Masque of Mandragora exists solely so there was an "aliens invade earth" set outside the present day, right? I mean, it was pretty good beyond that (say what you will about this show's special effects, the BBC's Wig Budget has always been skilfully deployed), but... at the end of the day, it kind of felt like that was the entire reason the story was made.

 

And The Hand of Fear was a fitting farewell to the delightful Sarah-Jane. It didn't make a lick of sense, but somehow that seems entirely appropriate for a story that had to drive a journalist into quitting the Doctor?

[proserpina65]

The Masque of Mandragora exists solely so there was an "aliens invade earth" set outside the present day, right? I mean, it was pretty good beyond that (say what you will about this show's special effects, the BBC's Wig Budget has always been skilfully deployed), but... at the end of the day, it kind of felt like that was the entire reason the story was made.

 

And The Hand of Fear was a fitting farewell to the delightful Sarah-Jane. It didn't make a lick of sense, but somehow that seems entirely appropriate for a story that had to drive a journalist into quitting the Doctor?

Although I adore The Masque of Mandragora, and think the sets and costuming are glorious (a young Tim Piggott-Smith is tights!), I wouldn't argue with this assessment.

[Llywela]

Although I adore The Masque of Mandragora, and think the sets and costuming are glorious (a young Tim Piggott-Smith is tights!), I wouldn't argue with this assessment.

Agreed. I think we must have had this one on VHS when I was growing up in the '80s, as I remember it very vividly (Tim Piggot-Smith's Marco made a big impression). And of course we had the novelisation, which reinforced it in my mind.

[benteen]

I didn't like The Hand of Fear but the Doctor and Sarah Jane good-bye is a good one.  Tom Baker and Lis Sladen apparently wrote their own dialogue for that scene.  I've seen an interview with Baker where he said that they tried to put it as much as they could with the dialogue subtext wise or something to that effect.

 

They Sladen what she wanted to do for her last show.  She apparently told them that Doctor Who was about Doctor Who and not the companion.  Which would explain why we don't have a story that really builds up to her departure.  All that she asked was that Sarah was not killed off or married off.

 

The next story, The Deadly Assassin, is one of my favorites.

Edited February 3, 2016 by benteen

[SnideAsides]

I mean, I get The Deadly Assassin, but it's not for me. I did like the Doctor travelling alone - another thing Classic Who does better than Moffat - and the pompous nitwits of Gallifrey are always enjoyable, but the actual story itself wasn't appealing to me at all.

[Llywela]

I'm not overly keen on The Deadly Assassin, although there's plenty of good stuff in it. I think I need a companion there - the Doctor on his own isn't enough for me!

[benteen]

I know The Deadly Assassin was controversial at the time because of the portrayal of the Time Lords (showing them as corrupt and fallible like ordinary humans) and some woman raised a fuss about the scene where the Doctor is being drowned.  But I still think it's one of the best stories of the Fourth Doctor years.  Baker does well on his own and I would argue that those two guys who are around him serve as de facto companions for this adventure.  We get our first real extended look at Gallifrey (though bizarrely every other Time Lord who dies in this story doesn't regenerate), it's exciting, contains some cool stuff like the mental battle/biplane and features the return of The Master, looking absolutely disgusting.

 

That being said, I'm glad that the Doctor was given an official companion again after this story.  It worked for this one but wouldn't have worked in the long-term...though I've read Tom Baker would have preferred not having one at this point.

[SnideAsides]

The Face of Evil seemed oddly contrived as a concept (a warrior tribe, with the most powerful computer ever, with a Mount Rushmore sculpture that kind of but not really resembles the one Doctor who happened to turn up on this exact day?), but it still kind of worked. It kind of felt like a better (read: not quite as racist) version of whichever Hartnell story it was with the Monoids (I want to say The Ark?).

[benteen]

The Ark.

 

The story is kind of confusing but I enjoyed it and we get the debut of Leela.

 

I read on the Tardis Wikipedia that there was some discussion on this show as to when the Doctor actually visited this place in the past.  In the novelization to the first Fourth Doctor story Robot (written many years later) it was suggested the Doctor visited Leela's world when he entered the TARDIS for the first time after his regeneration.  Thus explaining the mental state of the computer.

[Llywela]

The story is kind of confusing but I enjoyed it and we get the debut of Leela.

 

I read on the Tardis Wikipedia that there was some discussion on this show as to when the Doctor actually visited this place in the past.  In the novelization to the first Fourth Doctor story Robot (written many years later) it was suggested the Doctor visited Leela's world when he entered the TARDIS for the first time after his regeneration.  Thus explaining the mental state of the computer.

Is that in the novelisation of Robot? I thought it was the novelisation for this story itself. Either way, it was a valiant attempt at finding a space in the Fourth Doctor's narrative for this previous visit to have taken place!

 

I like The Face of Evil. A bit confusing, yes, but I love the world-building, with the regression of the tribe stranded on this planet, the thought that had gone into how artifacts and vague memories of their origin might have affected their development over the generations, becoming a religion. And I love Leela. She's so well drawn, here and in her next adventure, written by the same person, so that he is able to develop her over two consecutive stories, eight episodes, which allows him to establish her really well.

 

Re: the discussion above about The Deadly Assassin, I agree that it's a really strong story, I just prefer it when the Doctor has a companion or two with him!

[benteen]

Yes, you're right.  It would have been The Face of Evil novelization.  Thank you for reminding me.

 

The first couple of stories involving Leela are really, really strong ones.

[Hanged Man]

Hello everyone! I have a friend who has a 10 year old son who wants to start watching Dr Who and I kinda thought Dr Who was kind of adulty. Anyway friend asked for my thoughts but I do not watch Dr Who.

Is it ok for a 10 year old to watch?

[SnideAsides]

There are definitely adulty concepts, but it's very family-friendly overall and it's designed so kids can watch it. It's one of those shows where it might not be specifically for kids, but that doesn't mean it's not for kids (compared to, say, The X-Files). I hope that helps.

 

And speaking of family-friendly stuff, The Robots of Death is fun! The robots themselves (are they repainted Axons again?) were kind of tedious by part four, but the concept was sound and Leela fit in the story in a way that I don't think Sarah-Jane would have.

[Llywela]

Hello everyone! I have a friend who has a 10 year old son who wants to start watching Dr Who and I kinda thought Dr Who was kind of adulty. Anyway friend asked for my thoughts but I do not watch Dr Who.

Is it ok for a 10 year old to watch?

Does he want to watch the modern Doctor Who or the Classic series. Either way, 10-years-old is actually pretty much the target audience. Although many of the adult viewers hesitate to admit it, Doctor Who is a family show aimed primarily at kids - it has scares and creeps from time to time, and some sophisticated concepts, but a 10-year-old should be fine. My earliest memories of watching the show I was just 4 years old - 10 was when full-blown fandom kicked in!

[Hanged Man]

Thank you for your input!

[benteen]

The Robots of Death is a really fun one with a strong storyline.  It also benefits from having some of the very best set design in all of Classic Who.  The inside of the sandcrawler is fantastic.  There has been at least one book and one audio sequel to Robots and the writer of this story later developed a series of audio stories based on the storyline and characters of Robots called Kaldor City.

Edited February 7, 2016 by benteen

[SnideAsides]

The Talons of Weng-Chiang is very good. It is also very racist. Sigh. Why you gotta do this, show?

[benteen]

Yeah, that casting decision is an odd one to say the least.

 

But the story itself is really good and is part of a string of great episodes that carries on to next season's Horror of Fang Rock.  This episode also introduces Jago and Litefoot.  There was a rumor that they were the first to be considered for a Doctor Who spinoff.  I don't know if that was true or not but sadly, this would be their only appearance on the show.  More than thirty years later, Big Finish would bring them back for an edition of The Companion Chronicles.  This led to them getting their own audio series, which will release its 11th season this year.  They've popped up in Fourth Doctor audio adventures and would even travel with another Doctor in two special releases.  Last year, they recorded a crossover with Strax from the Pasternoster Gang.

 

They were definitely characters that should have appeared again on the show...they were great together in Talons.

[SnideAsides]

It's not just the casting. There's also a few lines here and there like "But they were Chinese ruffians!" that make it clear the show knew exactly what was going on.

[Llywela]

It's not just the casting. There's also a few lines here and there like "But they were Chinese ruffians!" that make it clear the show knew exactly what was going on.

True. But the story is set in the Victorian era, and, let's be honest, that's a fair reflection of what attitudes would have been at that time. And even in the '70s, no one would have thought twice about just casually depicting such attitudes rather than challenging or subverting them in any way. Their focus was in different directions entirely. We've come a long way in a short time, but even today don' always get these things right.

[Joe]

I hate Talons. Yes, really. Maybe because it hearkens back to the height of British imperialism, a time period I've never liked. It features the irritating Jago, a character archetype - the braggart - that annoys me too. And the Doctor is still trying to change - even civilise - Leela. She's perfect as she is, she doesn't need to be changed. Between those factors and the racism, I've never seen the appeal.

[SnideAsides]

Horror of Fang Rock is... there. It's not a bad story, and I think it did a pretty decent job setting up the "trapped in a lighthouse" concept, buuuut I just can't muster up that much enthusiasm for it.

[benteen]

I loved Horror of Fang Rock, one of my favorites.  They do a lot in so little a space in that one.  Also the first and only time you get to see the enemies of the Sontarans, although granted, the special effects on them is REALLY bad.