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A couple of nights ago, Mrs Blenkinsop and I thought it would be fun to watch an old Peter Davison story from the 1980s. We chose “Warriors of the Deep” featuring the Silurians, in 4 episodes. Oh dear, it was feeble!

Two companions–Tegan, who who spent the entire four episodes being slightly whiny, and Thurlow, who was unconvincingly angry with everyone. And poor Peter Davison lacked any real sense of authority as the Doctor. I had seen a lot of Who back in those years, but remember abandoning it during the Peter Davison years. This story reminded me why. But it wasn’t Peter Davison who was at fault. It was the vision that the showrunner had for Who. And that person was, of course, John Nathan Turner. This story exemplified that. It was done like…a Roger Moore James Bond movie, but without the budget.

Who knows, I may dip into some other 1980s Who to see if I am being too harsh. Or maybe not.

 

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@devilishrobby Well, my theory (which I first broached upstream somewhere) is that they are all connected by Donna–and finding a way to give her back her memories. I may be wrong, but for the moment I’m sticking to it!

 

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New Trailer for the three 60th specials

 

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@winston Yes, the warm weather has arrived over here on the west coast as well. We are promised (or is it threatened?) temperatures in the high 20s for the next few days. As a result, Mrs Blenkinsop has been excavating the darkest recesses of the wardrobe for her summer clothes.

And talking of clothes, recent photos of the new Doctor and companion filming historical episodes show them both in period costumes, be it 1960s London or Regency England. I am starting to wonder if there will be a dedicated Doctor (and companion) outfit at all, or if they will dress for the occasion, as it were.

 

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In light of various goings on in London, I thought I would share this

 

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I came across this interesting insight into the early days of the show. Thought I would share.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/the-1963-doctor-who-diaries-of-waris-hussein-part-one/

 

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@winston I love your list! It is not my list, but it is pretty cool.

Part of the problem with a costume list, I think, is whether it is an assessment of the costume or the Doctor.

I wonder which costume I would choose for the Master? Actually, I know. In light of what I just said, it would have to be Missy.

 

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@janetteb Yes, I saw that in the Guardian and agree with @dentarthurdent that worst to best was more like best to worst!

The costumes were sort of reflective of the culture at the time back in the early days. (Hartnell as the slightly distant professor in the early 60s, Troughton as the slightly comical scientist/professor of the late 60s, Pertwee’s dandy with a nod to James Bond in the early 70s, Tom Baker as the raffish professor who one suspected of sleeping with his students in the mid 70s. But then it all went weird during the JNT years, with poor Peter Davison and his leek (!) Colin Baker and his cartoon costume and the less said about the riot of question marks that poor Sylvester McCoy had to wear around, the better.

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@janetteb, @winston

That is very sad news about @ichabod. She had wonderful posts on the site. I confess to being completely unaware of her background, but will definitely search out her published work.

Vale @ichabod

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more photos. 1960s setting.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-ncuti-gatwa-1960s-newsupdate/

 

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New Villain

And the Governor of Florida probably won’t approve…

https://ew.com/tv/jinkx-monsoon-doctor-who-costume/

 

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@auntie8nay6

Welcome to the site. I am ancient enough to have discovered Doctor Who as a small child around the time when the very first  episode with William Hartnell was shown in the UK in November 1963. I was in Australia then, and I suspect it may have screened a few months after that in the colonial wilds of Australia. I do remember my mother thinking it might have been too scary for a little nipper like me. But I was made of sterner stuff and have been a fan ever since.

 

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The word is that RTD is developing a UNIT spin-off series, with Jemma Redgrave.

Of course, the story emanated from The Daily Mirror, so should be treated with a modicum of healthy scepticism.

And as for Torchwood, well…

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@nerys

Well, I am here to report that Mrs Blenkinsop and I just watched episode 4 of the new Picard and it was really very good indeed. The show has redeemed itself! I strongly suggest you give it a go.

 

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@nerys (and everyone else)

I just rewatched my all time favourite episode of ST: The Next Generation:”Identity Crisis”  from season 4  or, as I like to call it” Geordie turns blue”. It is about humanity  and commitment and it is perfect. It is my desert island video of choice and I could watch it forever.

 

“Identity Crisis”

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@nerys I know what you mean. I, too, really enjoyed the first season for the reason you noted: “an inspiring fresh take on an old character”. Indeed, the episode “Nepenthe” is one of my all time favourite TV viewing experiences. I gave up on Season 2. So far, with Season 3, I am willing to persevere (although the plot devices to bring back old NG characters seem to stretch credulity).

But what happened to all the light bulbs in Season 3? Everything is so dark I am surprised that the actors don’t keep bumping into the furniture. I know it is all about creating an “edgy” atmosphere, but still.

 

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Time to open the door…

New “Impossible, Logic-Defying” TARDIS Interior Teased

 

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@winston So sorry to hear of your loss. A number of us are getting to that age… I have an older brother back in Australia with serious medical issues, and I confess to being slightly apprehensive each time I turn on my email in the mornings.

But I can report the discovery of new Who news! I am about to post it on the Spoilers page for those who are game.

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@jimthefish

Great to hear from our resident Time Lord. Yes, I confess that I was also less than rapturous about the Donna Noble/ Tennant pairing back in the day, but RTD obviously loved it, hence my bonkers theory.

I wish I could say I remember the 70s Doctor Who weekly comic strip, but alas I do not (of course, I have reached that stage of life where I occasionally fail to remember what I had for breakfast). But still.

Also agree on the new costume. It seems a bit…beige. If that makes any sense.

And yes, it would be great to hear from @phaseshift, @wolfweed, and so many more.

 

 

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A bonkers theory for Christmas.

Was just re-watching the trailer above. While it is short, it seems to emphasis Donna’s story. Specifically, it is revisiting the fact that the Doctor wiped her memories (something many people had an issue with back in the day). It would appear that (somehow) she will be reunited with the Doctor–almost as if RTD is undoing the sadness of having her memories taken from her. How?

Well (early bonker thoughts follow) what if what happens in the specials in some way never actually happened? What if the re-appearance of the Tennant doctor and his adventures during the three upcoming specials is either a dream, or a microscopic moment in time, that happens during  the transformation from the Whittaker Doctor into the Ncuti Gatwa Doctor?

In other words, what if RTD is using the three specials to give Donna back her memories while not interfering with canon?

 

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60th anniversary specials– BBC trailer

 

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Best wishes to all on this Christmas Day here on Vancouver Island. Inside the Blenkinsop home the fire is on, the cats are sleeping, yours truly is sitting in front of the fire, while Mrs Blenkinsop has decided that today of all days is the day she is going to re-arrange the basement! Christmas cake and mince tarts should ensure our survival until Boxing Day.

And, of course, ongoing thanks to @craig for keeping this site going.

(Mrs Blenkinsop has emerged from the basement with a request for coffee, so my barista skills are required…)

 

 

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Since we are in the year-end silly season, I thought I would post this for the handful of people on the planet who have not seen this yet. The allusion to 2001: A Space Odyssey is pretty brilliant

 

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Ncuti Gawati and Millie Gibson on set and in costume.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/ncuti-gatwa-doctor-who-costume-newsupdate/

 

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Filming has begun

Gatwa’s “Doctor Who” Series Begins Filming

 

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@nerys, @janetteb

I, too, loved the first  season of Picard, but gave up on the 2nd season after a couple of episodes. I thought it was a travesty. Having seen the trailer for season 3, my expectations are low. A real pity.

 

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@thane16 (welcome back, old friend) and @winston

Like you, I would probably agree (now that I give it more thought) that the final Whittaker special deserves a rewatch. Funny, the appearance of Tennant in a story with Whittaker evoked a memory of Broadchurch. A pity Chibnall didn’t manage to squeeze Olivia Colman in as well.

(Well, on reflection, perhaps not.)

 

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Mrs Blenkinsop and I were just reflecting on what Jodie Whittaker episodes we would really want to watch again. And the sad answer is we could not think of any.

Capaldi, Smith, Tennant…lots.

Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Tom Baker…masses of them.

Davidson, Colin Baker, McCoy, McGann…well, probably only “The Five-ish Doctors”.

 

 

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@toinfinityandbepond

Thanks for that. It is certainly going to be a young cast.

As your link doesn’t work, I’m just adding it:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/nov/18/millie-gibson-revealed-as-doctor-whos-new-sidekick

 

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@bluesqueakpip

I suspect we are talking about slightly different things. I accept that the artistic decisions will be left to the director and show-runner. I suppose I am invoking a “corrupting influence of money” argument. I am a bit concerned that when there is enough money on offer to visualize black holes and exploding…well, anything really (cars, cities, all carbon-based life) then there is a temptation to tell stories that allow you to do just that. Will that opportunity impact on the decision to tell smaller, more intimate stories like Vincent and the Doctor?

If Disney budgets can still allow for the equivalent of Tom Baker holding two pieces of wire, that’s great. I hope it could work that way, but I remain sceptical.

 

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Just reading that Disney has announced that it is increasing the budget of Who dramatically as part of the new deal with the BBC. I think this is a sad omen for the future of the show. As I said on another forum:

When Tom Baker held two pieces of wire and agonized over potentially wiping out the entire race of Daleks, did he need a gargantuan budget to make the point? Of course not. Given the choice between planet-exploding special effects and wobbly Zarbi, I vote for the Zarbi.

 

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@krathoon

Yes! that struck me as well. I assume it was that they did not want to distract from the surprise of Tennant. But I also wondered if there was a gendered assumption that the audience could not cope with a male Doctor appearing in the clothes of a female Doctor. I hope not

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One more thing that needs to be said.

Enormous thanks to @craig for setting up the site, for looking after the site, and just being there.

 

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Well, I thought Chibnall redeemed himself. That was pretty great. I will wait until more people have seen it to go into details, but the nods to the past were simply wonderful.

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trailer

Trailer: “Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor”

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Mrs Blenkinsop and I were walking around the neighbourhood on the weekend and, in one of the many little book libraries that adorn the fence of a number of houses around here, she found  pristine copy of The Doctor Who Technical Manual published in 1983. It gave instructions on how to build your own Tardis, Dalek, Davros, etc. Also in it was reference to what came to be known as the Whomobile. It was only in, I believe, two Pertwee stories. I saw a lot of Pertwee stories back in the day, but I do not recall seeing it.

 

 

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@mudlark and any others from the UK out there.

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/sep/29/bbc-to-broadcast-lost-episode-of-hancocks-half-hour

If only it were possible to tune into BBC radio from Canada.

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Peter Capaldi. Steven Moffat. Time.

Coming soon.

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@mudlark

After reading the Moffat interview I can only agree with your reflections on both Moffat and Chibnall. But I also found myself recognizing a slight irritation on his part to being criticized  for his cleverness (as if cleverness was a character flaw) that reminded me of Johnathan Miller.

Miller was seemingly, or indeed actually, brilliantly clever at just about everything, from comedy to medicine to directing opera, but was intensely irritated at being criticized for his cleverness.

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Whittaker’s Final “Doctor Who” Gets A Title

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@nerys

Just watched “Midnight” again (because of your post). When I first saw it years ago I didn’t really appreciate it because it didn’t feel like a Doctor Who episode,  but this time I thought it was pretty good. I still don’t think of it as a Doctor Who episode, but I do think it was a really brilliant version of a Twilight Zone episode.

 

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Watched “The Five-ish Doctors Reboot” again tonight. What a brilliant show. Everything, absolutely everything, works to perfection. And there is always something to discover afresh on each viewing. Tonight it was that Nicholas Briggs, David Troughton and Frank Skinner (playing the Dalek operators) are all reading a copy of “The Dalek Operator’s Manual” when they are locked in their dressing room. And who could forget Russell T. Davis: “I could have my own catchphrase…quel dommage!”

What a fabulous show.

 

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Christmas is coming, and here is something to save up all those pennies for.

 

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Yes, I know that IMDB is notoriously unreliable, but…

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0257920/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

Note his most recent role.

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@janetteb Can’t really say it on this thread, but head on over to the Spoilers thread.

 

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By complete surprise, I came across this today. I have no idea of its origin, but it is utterly charming.

And, @oochillyo, I hope it provides some comfort.

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@rewvian

I haven’t extended my welcome to the site yet. Welcome. The Three Doctors was the first anniversary special (10 years) so it was natural that they would want all three Doctors in the story. Unfortunately, Hartnell was very frail by that stage, hence the decision to do what they did. I am prepared to forgive its limitations for that reason. I do agree with your thoughts on Omega.

(I suppose we should be talking about this on a thread like “The Faces of the Doctor”, but no big deal.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sad news. Bernard Cribbins had died. He was 93. All the way from the Peter Cushing Doctor to the David Tennant Doctor, he was part of Who. And we will get to see him once more in 2023.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/jul/28/bernard-cribbins-a-warm-kindly-titan-of-childrens-entertainment

 

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@devilishrobby

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-disney-plus-talks-newsupdate/

I fear the worst. Disney+ is to independent TV shows, what Amazon is to independent bookstores.

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@brewski It’s crazy, and therefore I like it!

The alternative (given current political factors in the UK) could be a re-generation of alternative versions of Harold Saxon, each version played by the current contenders to become Prime Minister. (of course, all of them would come across as more scary than Harold Saxon…)

But back to your great idea, why why the 10th?

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