jakob1978

This years Xmas special will be shown in the US on christmas day http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/11/usa-gets-christmas-special-on-christmas.html

ok...this is rather weird. http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-eighth-doctor-costume-revealed.html Paul McGann has shown off his new costume as the eighth Doctor including a new (really detailed) Sonic Screwdriver. The article says that it's BBC approved, but...what's the point? So Big Finish can take some new photos for their covers (but why build a cool wooden panelled sonic?). It's all rather intriguing

Series six will open with a two parter filmed and set in the US (in Utah). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11510514

another great episode. I love Terror of the Zygons. They're such a well realised alien, even with the stiffness of the costume, I thought they worked so well. The only part of their costume that i found slightly amusing is the fact you can see the microphone. It was mentioned about how Tom Bakers performance changed slightly once he'd been seen onscreen, and that you couldn't really see it in this story. This is partly because, as with many occasions in the Hartnell and Pertwee era, this was filmed as part of the previous series and held over (which also accounts for the fact it really feels like part of Series 12, concluding Harry's journey in the Tardis, and being the phase out of UNIT, although they return a couple more times, this is really the last time the Doctor is their Scientific Advisor). Planet of Evil marks the real entry into the period over the next few years of reworking classic stories into Doctor Who (Forbidden Planet in this case, with a little bit of Jekyll and Hyde). Over the next 2 series we'll get stories with influences including Frankenstein, The Thing From Another World, Day of the Triffids, Hand of Orloc, Manchurian Candidate, Agatha Christie, Asimov, Sherlock Holmes, Fu Manchu...just to name a few off the top of my head

I'm looking forward to the discussion on Terror of the Zygons. I think it's a cracking storyand despite appearing in only this story, the Zygons remain one of the most effective monsters who appeared in the original series (and i'd be astounded if they didn't return at some point). Sadly, Geoffrey Burgon who composed the incidental music for that story, passed away today (he's more famous for scoring "Life of Bryan", the original "Brideshead Revisited" and My fave of his music is the theme to the BBC "Chronicles of Narnia").

Revenge is pretty awful. The Cybermen are just terrible in this, with their standing with their hands on hips and their terrible voices. When they return their voices are more robotic, but still easy to understand (more of a happy medium between this and their old voices). Did you notice that the old Vogan is played by the same actor (Michael Wisher) as played Davros in the last story. BTW...There is one more recurring villain in Hinchcliffes tenure (in The Deadly Assasin) The first release of this story on video was notorious for the cover which had every element wrong...a Cyberman from Earthshock, the logo from Peter Davisons season, and a photo of Tom Baker from Season 18, in his different costume.

OK, heard the Genesis part, so i'll comment on that :-) Genesis is a great story (although I wouldn't have it in my top 5, but probably in my top 10). I thought you'd like this, cause it's such a Comic Book story. It's basically a retcon/reboot/Year One Dalek story, taking the facts we were told in the first story, and ripping it up and rewriting it as a new story. Michael Wisher playing Davros is brilliant. His voice, and dalek voice is partly because he'd been voicing Daleks for the previous story. He is the best Davros (for me followed by Terry Molloy, Julian Bleach and lastly poor David Gooderson). Baker's acting is an interesting point. Stephen Moffatt once wrote an article saying that Tom Baker's best acting is in this season, because it's before he's been seen on screen as the Doctor. After this, when he knows he's been accepted as the Doctor, he relaxes into the role, and i think it can be argued that he does become a bit lazy at times (although he still has some stunning moments).

Just listening to it now. Only a bit in, but the comments about actors appearing in small roles made me think of the obvious one, given you're watching Genesis and Revenge. Ian Marter who plays Harry, appeared a few years earlier in Carnival of Monsters (and was Barry Letts original choice for Captain Yates). I'll comment on the rest of the podcast when i've finished listening to it

Well, they were half right http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/08_august/29/doctor.shtml

Another good podcast. Robot is an odd story, as you mentioned it's a Pertwee story with a new actor. It's a curious hybrid, but still fun. I was surprised you didn't mention the drawbacks of the green screen when the Robot grows, and it must have taken great restraint not to have a section of the podcast just made up of you laughing at the pathetic toy tank I don't know if it was my link in the Doctor Who thread that made you link to that song, but glad you liked it...it's such a geeky thing regarding McCoy stories, he's one of my fave Doctors, and I have a soft spot for the Happiness Patrol, but I'd recommend Remembrance of the Daleks, Curse of Fenric, Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Ghost Light, Survival....anything from the last 2 series except Silly Nemesis.

i'm not a huge fan of rap or hip hop, but I actually quite like this. A, to use his own words, "Professional geek emcee" sings about how daunting he finds the whold history of Doctor Who that his friends keep urging him to watch http://www.adamwarrock.com/?p=550

another great podcast. Planet of the Spiders isn't a great story, and the chase scene in episode 2 is interminable, but there's enough there to keep the interest a bit. some interesting casting notes from it though. Some of the Spiders are voiced by Roger Delgado's widow, as a favour from the Dr Who team. Cho-Je is played by Kevin Lindsay, who played the Sontaran Lynx in Time Warrior (and returns as Styre in Sontaran Experiment). And Lupton is played by John Dearth, who voiced the mad computer BOSS in the Green Death. I'm with Dan, in that Jon Pertwee is my least favourite Doctor. For similar reasons, I find him too attatched to Authority. The Doctor shouldn't be working for anyone, and as much as I like the Brigadier, hearing someone giving the Doctor (or attempting to give him) orders, is just wrong. You are in for a treat for the next few months though, there's some great stories coming up. Tom Baker isn't my fave Doctor (Davison was my doctor), but his first 3 seasons have some cracking good stories. (oh, and Dan...i'm with you on Androids of Tara...it's a wonderful story).

Another great show :-) I quite like Death to the Daleks. It is the same Terry Nation nonsense, but it's fun at least. I'd also disagree about Pertwee not having a good Dalek story, I thought Day of the Daleks was a fine story. Monster of Peladon though...oh dear. I'm not a huge fan of the original, but at least it holds the interest. Monster is just awful. Sadly Pertwee is looking less and less interested too, although he improves in his final story. Planet of the Spiders is a funny one, it's not a great story, and has some awful bits in it (including some of the worst acting you'll ever see lol), and the less said about episode 2 the better, but it's got some really good stuff too. One thing to look out for is that one of the spiders is voiced by Kismet Delgado, Roger Delgado's widow. She was having money problems at the time (I think there were problems with the insurance company paying out over her husbands death) so the Doctor Who team arranged for her to have this part to help her out.

I love the Time Warrior...it's the return of the "Pseudo Historical" (and really it's only the second one, a long time after "Time Meddler") which will become a lot more common over the next few years. Lynx is a great villain (Look out for the actor in human form in Pertwee's final story, and he returns again as a Sontaran very soon). And who can't love a climax to a story where Boba Fett kills a potato headed alien with a Bow and Arrow :-) regarding the thought behind the Sontarans...The writers of the next story to feature them have said in interviews that when Bob Holmes commisioned them to write it (he was script editor by then) he had a whole backstory in his mind about them, even down to how they have sex and reproduce I like the new titles, but as you say, they really perfect the SlitScan effect for the next series. The main problem is using a full size photo of Pertwee. I don't think the photo is too bad (the face is fine), but using his full body looks wierd (and i always think he looks a bit short, as though his legs aren't as long as they should be). Invasion of the Dinosaurs is not a great story, but isn't too bad, but the dinosaur models....oh my god! I actually love the fact that Mike Yates is involved, and the way they link it in to his being brainwashed in "The Green Death". And Pertwee's Whomobile is just so strange (it was his own car too...he paid a guy to build it for him). Bessie does come back though, we only see the Whomobile one more time.

Press release about the Christmas special, with some cast news (Michael Gambon, who i love...yay!) http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/07_july/12/doctor_who.shtml

another fun episode Planet of the Daleks is pretty awful. The actor playing the invisible alien (Roy Skelton), didn't voice Ice Warriors, but he is a regular voice artist on the show, and did Dalek Voices (including in Planet of the Daleks, and continued to do them right up to the seventh doctor's era), Cybermen voices (he did the singsong voice in their first episode). He was also in the Green Death (he played the hypnotised guy, Mr James, in episode 5 who suddenly appears, replacing the character of Elgin who appeared in the first 4 episodes. The actor playing Elgin suffered from a sudden illness during filming and had to drop out so they created a new character, and cast Skelton)...but of course to UK fans he'll be forever the voice of 2 childrens puppets in a show called Rainbow. Planet also features one of hte worst of the Pertwee Moralising speeches about not glorifying war....has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer!! The Green Death is very good though. I'm sure that the klutzy Jo moment is a direct parallel of her entrance in Terror of the Autons...in both she stumbles into the room and ruins an experiment. The actor who played Jones was actually Katy Manning's boyfriend at the time of the filming. Some of the maggots are famously made from condoms and the ones you see closeup are made with ratskulls, which is really effective. I think it's best to gloss over the Doctor's drinkdriving at the end though :-)

The Eleventh Hour: 9 The Beast Below: 6 Victory of the Daleks: 3 The Time of Angels 9 Flesh and Stone: 8 The Vampires of Venice: 6 Amy's Choice: 10 The Hungry Earth 6 Cold Blood: 5 Vincent and the Doctor: 10 The Lodger: 8 The Pandorica Opens 9 The Big Bang: 9

eh, it's good, but i'm not sure it would make my top 5. I'd put "The War Games" "Kinda" "Caves of Androzani" "Robot's of Death" and "Remembrance of the Daleks" above it (although my fave stories changes all the time depending on my mood).

here's a fun little interview. Stephen Moffat's son interviews him straight after the broadcast of the Big Bang http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs1mIAMTE0c

yep...really enjoyed that. In fact I enjoyed it more than i enjoyed any other series finale. Will have to rewatch it before i make more coherant thoughts, but anyone waiting for the internet fairy...you're in for a treat I think.

just got to listen to this episode...another good one :-) I love Carnival of Monsters, it's one of my 2 favourite Pertwee's (along with Day of the Daleks). I just think it's a really good story, with some great lines and wonderful performances. Fronteir in Space I haven't seen for a while, but my main memory is the wonderfulness of Delgado...Sadly the ending is notoriously an anticlimax for fans of Delgado as he just disappears from the story right at the end. There's a story that the producer Barry Letts was unhappy with the original ending and it got reedited....and you can tell, it's a bit of a mess. Next weeks episodes are a mixed bag. Planet of the Daleks is poor...really dull and preachy, with perhaps the worst of the "Pertwee Moralising" moments at the end. Green Death on the other hand is very good, despite a couple of missteps (the patronising portrayal of the welsh, and some poor effects). And thankfully the Brigadier is back to his old self after the "idiot" performance in the Three Doctors.

Well, there's been some leakage online of some production art from the series whcih seems to show what's inside the Pandorica. I won't say any more or link to it (you can find it if you want it ), but it's what i'd guessed it would be. Here's an exciting clip from the next episode http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjahEjftJvY

another great podcast guys. I quite like this story, but it's not without major flaws. The gaudy set design of Omega's palace is awful, and as you mentioned..for some reason the Brig is completely thick in this story. the multi doctor thing is strange...why do they always look up to and take notice of the incarnation who..by definition, is the youngest and least experienced? Jamie was supposed to be in this as you mentioned, and even when it wasn't possible for him to get time off from Emmerdale (the soap opera he was appearing in (he was in it for about 20 years on and off)) they were hoping to get him for at least a cameo. He was supposed to make an appearance right at the end, when the Second Doctor has said his goodbye, he'd appear and say something along the lines of "Come on Doctor". Carnival of Monsters is a great story though (possibly my fave story from the pertwee era)..another classic from Robert Holmes. Frontier in Space is pretty good too, if a little padded.

Hmm....that wasn't a bad 2 parter, but i found it a little dull. Rather too reminiscent of the Pertwee era for me, including sledgehammer morality. Although it's always good to see Marvin the Paranoid Android in other things Regarding the end of this episode though (in spoilers)