NewEnglandGothic

I did like Pertwee. He had some great episodes and was always good at reversing the polarity of the neutron flow I was too young to watch him the first time round. Hartnell's Doctor was a bit heartless at times (no pun intended). I only ever watched the reruns but found myself preferring Troughton. I got watch Pertwee as ironically the third doctor. I believe PBS starting playing Tom Baker episodes in NH around September '81. They would go up to The Invasion of Time and then just repeat to that same spot. By '83, they made it to the Davison era, then started airing the Pertwee ones late '85. I think they put out the few Hartnell/Troughton ones around '87, followed by Baker. But my years can be off. I really enjoyed the early Pertwee ones, somewhat more than the Baker ones after Mary Tamm left. Davison was the perfect "Easy does it" Doctor. The episodes were somewhat dream-like and well produced, for their budget. I still remember his dry subtle "An apple a day keeps the..." burn.

Was Chameleon too much? He was wasn't he? Peter Davison was the best! "Action Hero" Dr Who But yes, the Tardis was too crowded. They could've lost Adric much earlier, Kamelion was not a good idea and Tegan stayed around for too long. Should've brought Peri in sooner. My interpretation of Davison's companions was there was subtle hints before they were about to move on. By Mawdryn Undead for example, Nyssa seems anxious right from the get go, as Teagan copes with the after effects from the last adventure. You almost know, Nyssa will be gone soon, to make way for Turlough. Speaking of which, Mark Strickson brought an intensity to the show, that I couldn't remember God knows when happened last. Once Janet Fielding got out of her Teagan wardrobe, I think she started to grow better as an actress on the show. Imagine if they got Louise Jameson to return as Leela as a Davison companion like the producers wanted to. We would have gotten rid of Adric a lot sooner.

That would've been a good idea. See post above I thought McCoy's overall delivery ended up at the bottom of the pile and Colin Baker - whilst trying - came over as a bit hammy. Eccleston came over as a bit wooden. McCoy wasn't for me. But, I don't judge because I'm quite the Capaldi fan of recent. Jenna Coleman was the perfect companion for him. I'm interested to see how it all pans out now.

Was Chameleon too much? He was wasn't he?

I'd recommend starting with Season 2 and David Tennant. It's more likely to hold your interest. Having said that, the two parter "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" from Season 1 are superb. I concur that "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" were great episodes. "Mummie? Is that you? Mummmmmie?"

I just had a look online for a pic of that awful snake puppet they used. Turns out the 2011 DVD release has a new CGI snake... Aw man, snake-puppet was boss. Did they muck around with Snakedance, too? I quite like that one, but haven't grabbed it on DVD yet. The CGI effects inserted in are a special feature you can watch the show with or without the changes Normally I'm against, new effects on an older show, but I like the option to have a choice, especially when some effects haven't aged so well, ummm... Enlightenment or The Invisible Enemy for example.

That's probably my favorite Davison story. Mawdryn Undead and Kinda rounding out the top three. Like Kinda, Black Orchid had a heightened dream-like quality the production seemed to be going in (see Enlightenment.) Nyssa prancing around in her undies in Terminus was character farewell highpoint, as well as one's most satisfying departure in Earthshock.

It's probably where the "gothic" part of my forum name came from.

Especially since they brought back the Sisterhood of the Karn. I will look into that as I have a 62 mile round trip commute. Sounds like a fun way to pass the time. I used to tape Jon Pertwee episodes on cassette when I used to go out shopping with my grandparents. Colin Baker was a great actor, just stunted by his wardrobe and bad scripts. I'll just imagine dressed like an edgier Doctor.

"Morgan" Ok, all ye Blade Runner fans should immediately check out Ridley Scott's son Luke's new to DVD "Morgan." It's even produced by Ridley. Even though there is no futuristic LA, Harrison Ford or renegade androids, this movie deals with a replicant theme, similar to Blade Runner. If that movie was it's relative, than this would be it's cousin (think Mighty Joe Young to King Kong.) I was worried this was going to be a dryly expensive Ex Machina clone, but it actually had it's own theme before it degenerated into a Species-type ending. Regardless I enjoyed it for what it was and I'm sure the fans of Blade Runner will too. Kate Mara was perfectly cast as the weary investigator called in after Morgan went haywire on a scientist and Anya Taylor-Joy continues her "hot" streak after the masterpiece "The Witch" as the titular Morgan. Lots of shades of Blade Runner, as you wonder if Mara's subdued character Leah isn't that far from being like Morgan. Three out of Four Stars.

I don't want to build it up too much as it unfortunately ends as a kind of episode of an intergalactic Matlock-esque courtroom drama on a spaceship (kind of like William Hartnell's Keys of Marinus.) But being the second installment of the Key to Time arc, it doesn't feel too forced either. I was always terrified of the slabs of rock from Stonehenge (actually another planet) chasing the Doctor and Romana (the perfect Mary Tamm) around the English countryside after being activated by blood. My father used to stick giant slabs of granite around the property in a similar manner, to give a more rural look around our farm. We also lived around rich folks who used to prance about the woods in vague almost druid rituals at night. This episode really hit home to my nightmares and possible future therapy sessions. But, upon rewatching it again a couple months ago, I noticed a strong feminine control of the episode, I hadn't noticed when I was a kid. Romana was technically smarter than the Doctor, the sweet old professor Amelia Rumford could truly take care of herself and the villainess Vivien Fay, was the perfect adversary to the Doctor. Even she worshipped a Celtic Goddess of War, Cailleach. Technically, Tom Baker was truly overmatched in the estrogen department in this episode. Luckily, K-9 is around to pick up some of the slack. But, it would have been the last episode I thought that would feel "modern" in it's storytelling. There is a quick cameo on the spaceship from a refugee from "The Arc in Space," another good Baker episode that might have influenced Alien (just read that in wiki as I typed this. Weird.) Plus, just to think poor Amy Pond is under Stonehenge in the Pandorica as the Doctor and Romana investigate all around the area without one sensor picking it up. #freeamy

Let's go 10K!

Agreed - loved it. I've enjoyed all the Nu Who Christmas specials but the comic references in this one gave it that extra something else. I'm looking forward to watching it.

Tom Baker was brilliant as the Doctor. Great show and memories watching it on PBS. My favourite Tom is "City of Death" I think...but I'd have to re-watch a few to be sure! The 3 you mention are fantastic - ranking the Tom Baker stories is so difficult bc there are so many good ones. Any with Leela are worth investing the time We used to watch it on TV Ontario when I was a kid and it was at least a couple of years behind the BBC so that when I started watching in the early 80s, it was still Tom. City of Death was good one! I revisited The Stones of Blood and The Invisible Enemy (#1 K-9 appearance, to non fans ) recently and loved them. I couldn't believe they were enhancing the special effects in some like The Invisible Enemy. The three I mentioned above really held up. But, The Invasion of Time was great until everybody started chasing everyone in the TARDIS. I didn't mind the hospital sets as a kid, but not so much in my 40's. A definite missed opportunity, but there were budget constraints at the time. Destiny of the Daleks was not as good as I remembered it either and that was written by their creator Terry Nation. The DVD I want to watch next was one that flew over my head as a kid because of it's politics, but I'm sure I would get now, The Deadly Assassin. I have definite interest in revisting Seeds of Doom, The Face of Evil, The Masque of the Mandragore, The Android Invasion, Planet of Evil, Horror at Fang Rock, The Brain of Morbius and because it was my first Doctor Who story and sentimental reasons, Robot.

It was always a well-thought out battle to talk my father out of watching the National News at 6:30pm, so I could catch the Channel 11 Doctor Who. Quite a few skirmishes, that I lost.

Tom Baker was brilliant as the Doctor. Great show and memories watching it on PBS. Yup. He was a great introductory Doctor to new audiences (like myself.) Were you watching at 7:30 pm every night too? Basing it on your age and region (New England.) I know it was another PBS station (Channel 11) too at 6:30. Yes. Either channel 11 in NH or 2 in Boston. Early 1980s on a 12 inch black and white with rabbit ears! . I knew I liked you! 19" b/w Zenith with rabbit ears for me as well.

Since the Pats won, I'm watching "The Science of Doctor Who" from the Series Seven DVD, Interesting stuff. Love all the Doctor Who extras on them.

Tom Baker was brilliant as the Doctor. Great show and memories watching it on PBS. Yup. He was a great introductory Doctor to new audiences (like myself.) Were you watching at 7:30 pm every night too? Basing it on your age and region (New England.) I know it was another PBS station (Channel 11) too at 6:30.

I agree with mostly everything you said. I get the hate A3 has for what it did to Hicks and Newt, but I actually liked the characters more than in Prometheus. Prometheus is a good movie to watch on mute. I just couldn't like any of the characters because they were underdeveloped outside of David. I have always had a love/hate relationship with the Alien3 Theatrical and Workprint Editions. I've mentioned this before, but I absolutely hated seeing the creature's point of view in those MTV jump cuts. That wasn't where you got the suspense from the first movies. They could be anywhere in the dark and they were gonna get you, not bear down on you. Other stuff was the over-stylized attempted rape scene of Ripley, how everyone dressed alike so you couldn't tell who's who when they were being picked off in the darkened corridors, Ripley giving "it" up so quickly to a sleep-walking Charles Dance (she had more chemistry with Dallas and Hicks, obviously killing off Newt (the whole theme of Aliens was Ripley finding her motherhood through this orphan, only kill her off within 5 minutes of the sequel, felt like a waste of emotional investment carry-over from the previous film, not a shocking development,) the newt autopsy using a stand-in and not Carrie Henn (she probably grew a bit, but it wasn't the same girl to elicit a response of horror,) getting Bishop back to just turn him off, the once again over-stylized slo-mo Ripley death scene, there's so much more. But, like The Thing, I liked the "doomed" atmosphere of the characters, the subtle AIDS metaphor few blockbuster movies would touch at that time, an action movie headlined by a tough as nails woman (her only competition that summer was Whoopi in "Sister Act," and other little things. Not a lot mind you. I liked Resurrection the first time I saw in theaters, but unlike another sy-fy movie that opened around the same time("Starship Troopers,") it feels it caters to the Fangoria crowd more with death set-ups and gore. It doesn't hold up extremely well. There wasn't a theme other than a manic escape plot to return to The Betty and blow up the alien infested ship. We have seen that before and it was done better as well.

Just finished "Face the Raven." Powerful stuff.

I want to see Jawas. I want a movie with nothing other than Ewoks, Jawas and Droids Don't forget about those eggnog guys from Bespin City in Empire. They can toss those guys in during the scene where Jawas are roasting Jar Jar over an open fire. Then we'll get the Snood party from Jabba's Palace in for a dance festival. Better than Ewok music. Nuck, nuck. Nanna nuck-nuck. Nuck 'da nuck-nuck! Nanna nuck-nuck.

All awesome Republic's. I would add King of The Rocket-Men (Tristram Coffin) and G-Men vs The Black Dragon (starring Rod Cameron) as being superb, as well. Even the Fighting Devil Dogs which liberally used stock footage, is excellent. There are also quite a few Columbia's and Universal's deserving of restoration and release in higher definition, but the number of great serials from those studios is sparser. Yeah I always like Republic's higher production values. But there were a lot of other companies serials I liked too, that I might seek out down the road. This had to be one of the best from Universal. Absolutely, Flash Gordon is considered one of the go-to classics from Universal. The spacecraft are terribly cheesy and acting runs the gamut, but some of the FX aren't bad. It was a very expensive production for the era. Here's another Universal serial that doesn't get enough attention: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_Busters_(serial) This'n is truly creepy. It gave me nightmares after watching old television reruns when I was a kid, and it still holds up well as a classic serial. Thanks. I will check it out! Yup, Irene Hervey, that was a good one. I still might have it on VHS in one of my closets.

I want to see Jawas. I want a movie with nothing other than Ewoks, Jawas and Droids Don't forget about those eggnog guys from Bespin City in Empire.

Just tried to watch The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Couldn't get past the first 20 minutes. I only watched it once before, but I don't remember it being that bad. I'm taking Jake Speed bad, not The Perils of Gwendoline and the Yik-Yak bad, but pretty bad.