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The Dr Who Thread
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1,471 posts in this topic

Did anyone notice that Power of the Daleks is going to be shown in theaters November 14th (USA, don't know if UK is getting it).?

 

I happened to catch it while checking upcoming events on the Fathom website. When I saw it pop up, my first thought was that the original episode miraculously had been found and it was such an event it demanded a theatrical release. Well, that's not quite what's going on, but they have done an animated reconstruction to accompany the original audio track. The animation stuff has been hit-or-miss for me, with the more recent attempts in the "miss" category. I'm still pretty excited for it. This, along with Evil of the Daleks, has always been one of those "holy grail" episodes for myself and many other Whovians. Beyond the fact that it's the first regeneration episode, it's also a great story. Also, Polly :cloud9: I've got the Audio CD and the novelization, both are superb. So glad I stumbled upon this.

 

I went, and really enjoyed it. It was my first experience with Troughton. They showed it during the Christmas binge. Did anyone else watch it?

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I'm just going to say "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," was Tom Baker's best story. It had all the gothic elements down, Louise Jameson had her Leela role figured totally out for depth, the henchman Mr. Sin might have been a dummy, but was scarier than an army of Cybermen. With "Pyramids of Mars" & "Genesis of the Daleks," these were the top three of his era.

Tom Baker was brilliant as the Doctor. Great show and memories watching it on PBS.

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I'm just going to say "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," was Tom Baker's best story. It had all the gothic elements down, Louise Jameson had her Leela role figured totally out for depth, the henchman Mr. Sin might have been a dummy, but was scarier than an army of Cybermen. With "Pyramids of Mars" & "Genesis of the Daleks," these were the top three of his era.

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.

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I'm just going to say "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," was Tom Baker's best story. It had all the gothic elements down, Louise Jameson had her Leela role figured totally out for depth, the henchman Mr. Sin might have been a dummy, but was scarier than an army of Cybermen. With "Pyramids of Mars" & "Genesis of the Daleks," these were the top three of his era.

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! lol.

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This year's Xmas episode?

 

I thought it was quite quirky and entertaining. Plenty of superhero and comic book references.

 

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.

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I'm just going to say "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," was Tom Baker's best story. It had all the gothic elements down, Louise Jameson had her Leela role figured totally out for depth, the henchman Mr. Sin might have been a dummy, but was scarier than an army of Cybermen. With "Pyramids of Mars" & "Genesis of the Daleks," these were the top three of his era.

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.

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I'm just going to say "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," was Tom Baker's best story. It had all the gothic elements down, Louise Jameson had her Leela role figured totally out for depth, the henchman Mr. Sin might have been a dummy, but was scarier than an army of Cybermen. With "Pyramids of Mars" & "Genesis of the Daleks," these were the top three of his era.

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! lol.

I knew I liked you!

19" b/w Zenith with rabbit ears for me as well. :headbang:

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I'm just going to say "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," was Tom Baker's best story. It had all the gothic elements down, Louise Jameson had her Leela role figured totally out for depth, the henchman Mr. Sin might have been a dummy, but was scarier than an army of Cybermen. With "Pyramids of Mars" & "Genesis of the Daleks," these were the top three of his era.

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! (thumbs u

 

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.

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This year's Xmas episode?

 

I thought it was quite quirky and entertaining. Plenty of superhero and comic book references.

 

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. (thumbs u
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Brain of Morbius holds up really well. So creepy.

 

I need to get a viewing of Stones of Blood...I am embarrassed to admit I have little recollection of it so need to get on that!

 

As an aside - if you haven't checked out the Big Finish audio dramas, they are fantastic - especially if you've got a job with a long commute! Someone earlier in the thread mentioned Colin Baker as their favourite - he's fantastic on Big Finish. And the pile of Paul McGann stories really make it sad that the movie was his only appearance. (Well, until "Night of the Doctor")

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I need to get a viewing of Stones of Blood...I am embarrassed to admit I have little recollection of it so need to get on that!
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. lol

 

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. rantrant

#freeamy

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Brain of Morbius holds up really well. So creepy.
Especially since they brought back the Sisterhood of the Karn.

:whee:

I need to get a viewing of Stones of Blood...I am embarrassed to admit I have little recollection of it so need to get on that!

 

As an aside - if you haven't checked out the Big Finish audio dramas, they are fantastic - especially if you've got a job with a long commute! Someone earlier in the thread mentioned Colin Baker as their favourite - he's fantastic on Big Finish. And the pile of Paul McGann stories really make it sad that the movie was his only appearance. (Well, until "Night of the Doctor")

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.
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I was a big fan of the show in the 80s. When Colin Baker was fired and McCoy took over, I completely lost interest. McCoy's doctor is the only one from the original series that I didn't like, so I only watched the first two or three of his stories. The stories that Colin Baker was going to do in the lost season were abandoned, which was very unfortunate because they looked quite promising.

 

A few years ago, I started rewatching the series on my Roku (starting in the middle of the Tom Baker years, then going back to the beginning), including all the reconstructions of missing episodes. Glad that I did! Lots of Hartnell and Troughton stories that I never had a chance to watch and finally got to see. I had also never seen Tomb of the Cybermen (found in 1992, after I stopped watching it) and the individual episodes from story arcs which had others missing. The finds of Enemy of the World and Web of Fear were great to have back and finally see as well. Finishing up Troughton's last season and looking forward to seeing the Pertwee stuff in color that I only saw in b&w years ago.

 

My favorite story from the original series has to be "The Caves of Androzani" with Peter Davison.

 

Tried to watch the new series starting with Christopher Eccleston, but didn't really get into it. Might give it another try at some point.

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My favorite story from the original series has to be "The Caves of Androzani" with Peter Davison.
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. :devil:

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Ah Doctor Who, has cost me more money than any other character out there. My two film posters an official British Quad of Daleks Invasion of Earth 2150 AD and an official three sheet poster for Dr. Who and the Daleks alone have 6,000 dollars invested into them. I also have a signed poster from a mid 1980s convention that they had every guest sign that has 4 doctor signatures including Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton. Not to mention every U.K. DVD release for Doctor Who and BluRay release. The most expensive show to become a fan of.

 

As far as rating the Doctor's I rate them in this order.

 

Original Who

 

1. Jon Pertwee - Season 7 is a masterpiece Inferno is the best Doctor Who episode ever made.

2. Sylvester McCoy - The last two seasons of Who are some of the best and really set the standard for New Who. Battlefield great episode

3. Patrick Troughton - I honestly think he could be number 2 for me if more of his episodes exist, but clearly his stock has raised from not rating him all to being placed here. Enemy of the World

4. Tom Baker - Great Doctor, but to me it is his companions I love more than anything else Sarah Jane, Romana 1, and Leela. Pirate Planet and Brain of Morbius are my favorites from here.

5. Colin Baker - Has some great stories. I think he suffers from bad companions, some really bad stories, and the worst -script editor ever Eric Saward. Best episode Vengeance on Varos

6. William Hartnell - Has great stories as well, but unfortunately most of the episodes are unwatchable for me because of stage like feel and multiparty stories that could be told in 3 to 4 parts. Keys of Marinus is my favorite

7. Peter Davison - what can I say I hate the crowded Tardis. Arc of Infinity best episode

 

Can't rate McGann

 

New Who

 

1. Tennant Family of Blood is the best

2. Capaldi - Last year's two part finale says it all for me

3. Eccleston - Good stories I just felt he was too cool to be the Doctor

4. Matt Smith - worst Doctor of them all, this is because the producer went fan boy on us with no control. Shame too because I love his other shows. 50th Anniversary Special

 

 

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