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@wolfweed

Glad you enjoyed the day – sounds interesting. I’m surprised that storyboarding isn’t more used, but then again I suppose it’s more the key scenes and set pieces that would need to be more involved.

This begs the question: Why would a future Doctor need a hatstand from his past?

Tough one. Is it the Artron energy firing one from Frontios? Maybe 12 will be going around “tooled up”.

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@fatmaninabox

Hope you don’t mind me dragging your comment over from part 2. As the scene you were discussing was in this episode, I guessed you may have raced ahead a bit, and thought I’d transfer it.

Yes – there is a real echo in a few scenes with Matt Smith with this exchange with Victoria. This came immediately to my mind when I first saw “The Big Bang”. Another one is in “name of the Doctor” when he tells River there is a time to live, and a time to sleep.

It’s a peculiarly intimate moment for the old series I think, but Troughton’s insistence that “no-one else can do the things we do” is so intense he still comes over as slightly mad and obsessed. It’s great stuff.

I also have to agree with @bluesqueakpip. Never understood the desire of the “Keep the Doctor Asexual” brigade. I always thought it was a mixture of the “steady on, there are children watching!” mentality and a few people who had overdosed on New Adventure novels, with an unhealthy obsession with “looms” and things. I genuinely have no idea. As far as I’m concerned Susan was his granddaughter. He got her the same way most organisms do. Sex.

I love the nice little bit of ironic scriptwriting with Klieg and Kaftan. Kleig is daydreaming about being ‘Master’, and Kaftan is – at the same time – telling him what to do.

That made me smile because, yes, who does Klieg think he’s kidding here? Kaftan is already wearing the trousers in that relationship.

A couple of other points:

• I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The Brotherhood of Logicians is the most rubbish name for a group of Supervillains ever.

• If this was a comment on a new episode of the Guardian, we’d be knee deep in comments about it stretches credulity and ruined the episode that the highly intelligent Cybermen would think of Sealing themselves in a Tomb with no Big Button to open the hatch from the inside. The Cyber-Planner was an obvious upgrade at this point I feel.

• You know, I used to love the voices for the Cybermen in this when I was younger, but as I’ve got older and lost a bit of hearing in one ear, it becomes quite difficult sometimes to follow their dialogue. I’m pretty glad there is a bit more modulation in other interpretations.
• Love Jamie doing a visible wince at the Doctor’s Crap Joke “You could almost say they had a metal breakdown”.

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@shazzbot

I’m a Yorkshirewoman now – and a NORTH Yorkshirewoman to boot (the best kind)

Can I just point out, as a West Midlander who has lived more of his life in Yorkshire than any other area, two important facts:

• You’re not a Yorkshireperson unless you were born there. Michael Parkinson is more Yorkshire than I am, and he’s only had extended weekends in nearby Counties since the 1960s.

• North Yorkshire/East Yorkshire have far more Tories than most. If that’s your definition of best, I present to you David Davis as exhibit A. This resident of the Peoples Republic of South Yorkshire asks you to take it to the pub. 😀

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@blenkinsopthebrave

Many thanks for that (and not just the compliment). It’s a heartfelt piece of pragmatism. .

To be honest, I think its an easy trap to fall into (especially if you have a milk monitor badge) that when the site slows down, you should do SOMETHING about it, whereas we probably have a few more regulars than we did before the episodes started in April and are periodically swelled by people who want to talk around the new showings, and those who pop in when work-life balance allows them to. As long as people want to talk (and as @bluesqueakpip pointed out – some of us can really talk) we’re OK.

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@Shazzbot

To be honest, I’d suspect around the 50th may be informative on where the site wants to go. More members and traffic equals more server capacity = more cost. A look at participation and traffic around the 50th would be useful.

If @craig or you already have ideas, that may also be a good time to put them in a blog article to gauge opinion when the site is a bit more lively.

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@bluesqueakpip – If it had been you, I would have suspected your account had been hacked. 😉

@jimthefish @Shazzbot

I think there are ways we could adapt even an episode poll to our advantage. If you think of an initial poll as an “immediate impression”, it would be good to close out a week later with another which asks – What do you think of it now? Either by replicating the initial one, or a general “more/the same/less”. Does the act of discussing the episode make you realise some flaws, or give you an appreciation that passed you by? In that way (and with enough participants) it would be interesting to see if our discussions actually change the way we view the episodes?

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@jimthefish – I’ll also clarify it wasn’t you!

@Shazzbot

On Polls, I’m interested enough to want to trial them in the future (if they aren’t too much of a problem/too time consuming for @craig) but recognise there are a couple of drawbacks which makes me think “Trial” is the right word. For something like an episode there are sites that use Polls to rate them in the opening comment, and it can give you a snapshot of opinion.

On some sites you will have the sight of an episode poll go up, and people will immediately vote crap or excellent without even seeing the episode, which is bizarre. The biggest problem though is that sometimes polls can be seen as a way of registering an opinion without discussion. I think that is a legitimate danger if it replaces the well thought out comments which we usually get. I’m far more interested in why it did/didn’t work for some people rather than just be presented with “crap/excellent”. That you can only really evaluate if it’s been implemented for a while.

The other way they could be used is a front page gateway on some burning issue of the day or whatever. If we look at the issue of when actual episode footage from the trailer is shown, a jokey poll along the lines of

“I want it NOW baby”
“30 days before transmission”
“14 days before transmission”
“I don’t want to be spoiled! I demand four-minute warnings before any trailer is shown!”

Could address the issue, and you could link it to a blog (such as @wolfweed‘s 50th anniversary celebrations one) which could potentially reactivate any discussion there.

It needs some thought, and there are dangers. At the end of the day it’s a risk-reward evaluation. I wouldn’t want @craig to waste a lot of time on developing the tool if, after a month, we decide that they aren’t that useful.

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@Shazzbot @scaryb

Yeah, all the greats are doing well – Adric, Mel, Dodo ….

Of course, I could be completely wrong about this and this is a true reflection of opinion. In which case, I think we are probably in trouble as there aren’t enough strait-jackets in stock in the UK.

*sigh* Another illusion shattered

You may joke (and I’m pretty certain you are 😀 ) but there is at least one example on this site of someone posting an online poll as proof positive of something.

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I wondered where to put this, but following a conversation a while ago with @craig and @jimthefish about the possibility of implementing polls in the future (which may be a way just to evaluate feeling on episodes/issues and spark debate), I thought here.

The Radio Times is running a “Best Companion” poll for the 50th here, and I can believe a Steward’s enquiry may be called for.

Because at time of writing, way out in front by a HUGE margin is (drum roll please)……..

Adric. Yes – you read that right. With almost twice as many votes as Saint Rose of Tyler. A result which would probably even have Matthew Waterhouse thinking “come on – someone’s taking the piss!”

I probably just think it’s worth baring in mind that most of the poll functions on the web are pretty easy to spam if you’re bored and don’t mind deleting your cache, and it’s probably best to be mindful of the fact. I think some sites use a function that means you have to be logged in to vote, but logged in people could vote more than once if they could be arsed.

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@pedant

Oh for heaven’s sake calm down.

Oh – If we are going down that route, can I strongly suggest you reel your neck back in/take a step back/consider your options? Normally I’d send a message like that by PM, but for some reason it looks like you want to make this a public argument.

@craig

For what it’s worth, for me this is a moot point. If you activate the check box so we can direct to _blank some people will use it (well – one anyway), others (me included) will not. Because the current system gives me a choice of either opening a link in a new tab if I use any of the shortcuts, right click-new tab etc or I can replace the thread if it’s the last entry and explore the link that way. So you’ll just be in the position of not really knowing what the link is going to do. Depends who set it, with no consistency guaranteed.

If the check box isn’t working “as advertised”, I’m not sure if an easier route would just be to remove the thing altogether if possible. Just to avoid “confusion”.

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@stevethewhistle @timeloop @blenkinsopthebrave

I think most of the UK are going for Simulcast according to the article, and @timeloop is right in that tickets are going on sale the 25th.

That puts us within 30days of broadcast, and usually when details of timings for TV schedules start coming out (to make sure the monthly preview columns in magazines get them.

So hopefully we’ll have firm schedules for both TV and Cinema soon.

@blenkinsopthebrave

Reason I included you is that the article indicates a list of US and Canada cinema showings should be available in a couple of days, if you’re interested in that.

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Quickly popping in – for some news that may be important to some. I’ll update the blog later, but find attached an article about cinema showings in the UK. It contains a tool to find your nearest cinema.

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2013/10/cinema-screenings-uk-221013150008.html

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@blenkinsopthebrave

a voice of reason in a day of madness

Many thanks – That’s not a phrase used often in my vicinity!

I can remember for years peope kept trying to attribute the Policeman to someone else. Fred Rowling(?!) or something like that. He was also mentioned as playing the Policeman in official BBC material, but it turned out he was a potential replacement if they couldn’t get Reg back in to reshoot after they decided the pilot needed more work.

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@scaryb

BORING!!

Heh – Sorry, I thought I’d activate the “Blue Boringers” for anyone who was going to be kept awake at night wondering about the policeman.

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@d12345

What are your favourite shows. You can tell us about them here. I’d be interested in sci-fi genre shows with 24 episodes a series you think would rate a 9/10.

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Evening all! I can’t help feeling that if this is what it’s like for a non-specific 50th trailer we’ll have to expand again into another twenty pages when they release some actual footage. 😀

On the Policeman, I don’t think it looks like Hurt. It’s definitely not the original actor, but I think I can provide AN explanation for that.

Reg was uncredited. The BBC can show his performance in the show because that was the nature of extras. To use his image in this brand new trailer would involve permissions, potential fees, etc. Why bother? It’s a policeman who didn’t make it into the credits. Recast as “generic image” and save yourself a bit of coin.

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@juniperfish

Afraid not m’dear. I shall spend the weekend reporting on the event by making facetious comments on my blog, acting as Mod etc, while celebrating in my own small way.

Please have a think, and contribute a mad cocktail recipe for a Doctor for me to sample. 🙂

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Cheery wave to @juniperfish! Long time no see.

@Shazzbot – Blog updated with details and link.

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@chickenelly – Probably, I think his bit was shot around filming for the Chrimbo special.

@bluesqueakpip

I thought it was obviously the young Elisabeth Sladen – from the Pertwee era, I thought

I think you’re right. They even got her  massive 70s collar – the “glider”.

Come fly with me……

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@shazzbot

[albeit obviously being portrayed by another actress]

You think? To me that was pretty clearly the young Elisabeth (can’t believe I used a z last time – blame fanboy excitement) from the time she was partnered up with Pertwee and Baker. Like a lot of the early shots (you can really tell with Hartnell), these a CGI compositions. You can’t really upscale some of the old material to true cinema HD. Given the limitations, I actually like what they did here.

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To be honest I hadn’t really kept up with to to-ing and fro-ing on this thread, so coming back and reading the comments show a more mixed reception. Especially from someone called @Anonymous.

Personally, I think for the closure of the end of the Ponds era this worked on a pretty fundamental level. I don’t see why the aspect of the Doctor’s inability to go back is so troubling to many. He knows how the story ends because he ignores his own advice and reads Amy’s words. That makes it real. He knows she lives, has a happy life (without him) and dies. Some things can’t be rewritten. You could ask the same about Adric – why couldn’t the Doctor jump back and save him from his fate? It would have ruined my evening – that’s why!

As @bluesqueakpip s latest post say – everything is set-up in the episode and the sweep of the story is great. Also some great performances although I think Smith takes a step back for most of this, it definitely being a showcase for Amy and Rory. His howl of anguish at the end is really chilling though. Agree wholeheartedly with @jimthefish on that one. Above all – its fun, dramatic and emotional. Lovely Ms. Kingston vamping it up in a noirish way, and whatever you think of the Statue of Liberty just acknowledge this was Who doing what it always has – taking something iconic and “feel good” and holding up a distorting mirror to reality to make it scary. Lovely stuff.

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@scaryb

That dangerous/reckless curiosity (admittedly very useful as a plot driver) that you still see strongly in the AG Doctors. This Doctor is just as curious about the tomb as the expedition party, to the point that he doesn’t mind putting everyone in danger by giving little hints to Kleig and co (from the opening of the front door last week) to help them along, so he can see what happens.

Absolutely – I’ve always thought the Doctors many flaws (which he’s had from day one) are the things that keep him firmly out of the “wholesome role-model” category of fairly boring heroes, and contributed to his longevity. Last week we had him having to demonstrate how clever he is, and in this, as you say, you get the distinct feeling he’s helping them along for his own reasons – mainly because of his insatiable curiosity.

I love the slow almost remorseless rise of the Cybermen in this – climbing down that ladder must have been bloody precarious in those suits. The silence as they don’t stomp or say anything just contributes to the air of menace.

Just on accents though (and the Captains in particular) – I have to confess that I can watch American TV of the period and the accent’s really don’t sound like US accents today. I’m not sure if it’s because of the sound recording methods, or just a kind of affectation that early TV had (almost a “stagey” feel) that contributes to this. It therefore doesn’t really bother me.

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Only got a chance to watch the trailer today, and now I’ve watched it more than a few times (many thanks to @wolfweed for posting the link).

I agree that it’s obviously composed for 3-D, and while I have no desire to watch the special in that format, I have a suspicion that this “swim” through the Doctors times will probably look astonishing on a big screen.

To sum it up though: Bloody marvellous. Love the attention to detail. It’s like a temporal “Where’s Wally” in that if you focus too long on one detail, you miss about 20 others. Lots of fanboy moments for me, especially with the Key to Time, D-84!!!, and what I think was Pertwee and the Master fencing. Lovely use of Elizabeth Sladen – the one companion who truly bridges the divide between the BG and AG years. Great transition to Clara – still with leaf in place as well.

If I got one “sense” from this though it was a case of time being jumbled to a certain extent – Like The Wedding of River Song, with aspects of different eras impinging onto each other, starting really with the shot of the Fez as we pan into the First Doctor. The use of the leaf for Clara, with the central idea of chaos theory it represents just seem to add to this.

Just genuinely exciting to see.

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@scaryb

Heh – I said it was worth sticking with didn’t I? With episode 6 it became one of those shows I anticipated watching, because if they could do that, while making Alisons actions believable and understandable, they could do pretty much anything. I was also delighted to see Matt Frewer turn up as well. I’d forgotten, after his very affable guest spots in Eureka, how good he is at creepy.

It was actually frustrating having seen it earlier in the year and not having anyone to talk about it. When we were salivating over the appearance of Doctor Who at the ComicCon I saw the way BBC America were promoting Orphan Black there and laughed, but no-one else would have got the joke at the time.

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In his latest Guardian retrospective, @danmartinuk suggests that McCoy’s The Happiness Patrol is the gayest Who story ever put to screen.

Learn more about what he calls a “pink noir” here:

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2013/oct/16/the-happiness-patrol-doctor-who-classic-episode

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@scaryb

On the thread question I think I volunteered to do a blog to cover the 50th Anniversary, with updates and stuff. As info is just started to be released, I’ll think about starting it at the weekend, if enough firm information is availble.

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@whohar @janetteb (plus any other Oz/NZ)

As luck would have it, after @WhaHar s question about cimena screenings, I got a notification about this today:

Cinemas announced for 3D screenings in Australia and New Zealand

Looks like the cinema get a couple a bits of exclusive content as well.

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@shazzbot

I’m away at the moment, but will PM you when I get back. I don’t want to send you to too many Lions Dens.

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@arkleseizure

Great pic. I met Michael Kilgarriff at a fan event when I was younger. I was about 6 ft at 15 and he towered over me. Lovely bloke though – very self deprecating. Did you see the footage of the Tomb Cybermen event at the BFI? He was a guest.

the appalling Attack of the Cybermen. I’m still convinced that didn’t really happen

I know – they incinerated Moonbase, but couldn’t bring themselves to do the same with Attack. What’s that all about!?

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@shazzbot

I’m the kind of sad person who reads the exhaustive production notes on DVDs! Honestly – I don’t think there is much that isn’t documented about the productions. Tardis Wiki can be useful for that kind of detail. I just looked at the entry for Tomb, and this was Gerrards Cross Sand and Gravel Pit at Waspey’s Woods in Buckinghamshire. It may not be the one I was thinking was turned into a landfill then (although it wouldn’t surprise me if it was as well – that was the fate of many worked quarries in the period).

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If you want to own the DVD yourself you are kind of spoilt for choice. I think it’s an effort to make sure that, having lost it once, there are going to be so many copies in circulation that even in the event of a meteor strike, one copy will survive.

I currently have the first release which is available on amazon for £11.98. An alternative (which I intend to get) is the Revisitations 3 box set featuring an all singing/all dancing version with new versions of The Three Doctors and Robots of Death. A steal on BBC Shop for £13.99. Or you could buy the Cybermen Collection, The Tennant two parter and Tomb (without any special features) for £6.99. That’s before its inevitable release as part of the Doctors revisited sets that have already gone on sale in the US.

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@Shazzbot

I think @bluesqueakpip has answered your questions on the companions, and @fatmaninabox is right. One of the Doctors common traits is to occasionally want to prove how clever he is to his overall detriment. Remember Pertwee’s glee at trapping the Master?

The Second Doctor had a real competitive streak played for laughs sometimes with a later companion, Zoe. There is a hilarious sequence in The Krotons as he attempts to beat her score in a test which will place them both in danger.

I’m afraid the quarries are different. This one is in Buckinghamshire, while Caves was in Dorset. I think the one in Buckinghamshire was later used for landfill. Fascinating facts these are not.

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As we’re doing Tomb of the Cybermen Pt 1, I quite like this one from devilsadvocate92 on deviant art, depicting the latest Cyber Models in “a” Tomb. Lots of interesting stuff in his/her portfolio.

http://devilsadvocate92.deviantart.com/art/The-Tombs-of-the-Cybermen-353316939

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@drtennant

Try the section “Inserting Pictures” in the Website Help blog: http://www.thedoctorwhoforum.com/website-help/using-the-doctor-who-forum/

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It’s a stunning opener for 7. There are so many good elements crammed into the running time, that you can see it as that idea of a condensced film. Fill it out with sweeping establishing shots, lingering looks and pointed silences and you’d probably be at 90 minutes. Instead it’s breakneck pace and looks spectacular for its TV budget.

Every time I watch it, I get caught up in “ooh that was really nice” moments. Today, it was just the look of the snowy wastes they descend on to the Asylum planet. It was worth the detour after filming A Town called Mercy. The other is the dreamlike vision for Amy as she perceives the Daleks as people. Just lovely touches.

Above all though – I still marvel that the Jenna Coleman stuff was kept as a surprise. That was incredible, and really does show the power of not seeking out spoilers.

Matt, Karen and Arthur are all on fine form, but it’s the confrontation between Oswin and the Doctor, with him having to explain “it’s a dream you made yourself” which is a fine sucker punch to the episode. Great voice work by Briggs as well as the exterior Oswin Dalek. Such much pathos through a ring modulator.

Also I think it’s one of the best uses of the Daleks since the revival, slightly better than even Dalek (which I rate pretty highly).

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I do love the central partnership of the Second Doctor and Jamie. The mutual ribbing makes it an easy relationship to watch.

“Try to make it a smooth take-off – we don’t want to scare Victoria”
(on Victoria’s skirt) “A bit short? I don’t know – look at Jamie’s”.

Capped off by the business with the Doctor grabbing Jamie’s hand as they enter the Tomb, before they do a double take, and head back for Victoria. It looks so well oiled, considering they had such short rehearsal times. I’m really looking forward to seeing the unearthed material.

Kaftan’s offer of fifty quid to the first man who can open the doors can raise a chuckle in modern times – you half expect the crew to say “fifty quid?! Open them yourself love”. The novelisation (78) raised the stakes to five hundred dollars.

You look at the setup, and this is an isolated archaeology expedition, with mixed motivation and power plays in the group. From the scientific enquiry of Parry to what looks like a more hidden agenda by Klieg. It’s every Cursed Egyptian Tomb exploration story you’ve ever heard. You can’t help feeling the word “Doomed” is likely to be used in the future to describe this one.

I love the design elements used, the icons of the Cybermen carved into the “Temple” are simple, but effective. This actually looks as good as many B&W sc-fi and horror movies. The control stations are minimal, but isn’t that the nature of the Cybermen.

We talked on the Terror blog about false impressions occasionally given by Target Novelisations. The early copy I had of this was one of them, featuring completely the wrong type of Cybermen. It’s actually still used, for the audio reading of the book:

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@bluesqueakpip

Yeah, I think it’s important to realise we’re probably getting a very simplified story of a much more complicated scenario. Philip Morris is a professional archive hunter and as Mark Gatiss said in his intro yesterday “dares to tread” in what can be hostile territories. As a middle man for Worldwide, I’m sure he’s able to grease the appropriate palms in a country that regularly features highly on the UNs own appraisals of general corruption, and make inroads with people who Worldwide themselves probably wouldn’t want to be seen dealing with.

Fundamentally – money will have changed hands I’m sure, and this is going to be a problem for BBC home to justify. Thankfully, with Worldwide as a separate commercial entity they have more freedom, but it’s always going to be based on a business case and profit. They exist really to exploit the BBCs heritage and return money to their shareholders (the BBC).

Some nice audio clips from the event embedded in this write up by @danmartin on Buzzfeed

http://www.buzzfeed.com/danmartin/theyve-found-the-doctor-who-where-the-yetis-run-amok-on-the

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Well, I’m delighted by the news. Really happy it’s content that completes/near complete stories.

Practically wore out my target book of Web of Fear when I was a nipper, and it only seems a short while ago I was talking about the (very good) audio version with @htpbdet. So that was immense news for me.

Also looking forward to the Enemy of the World. One of Troughton’s favourite serials I believe, because of the two parts he plays.

This raised a smile from the Daily Mash:

Doctor Who fans say new old episodes not as good as old old episodes

Fan Julian Cook said: “I firmly remember The Web Of Fear as a terrifying piece of television that sparked a lifelong obsession with the show.

“But these episodes go in new and worrying direction to the other episodes that slot around them.

“For example they’re made Patrick Troughton’s Doctor into more of a comedy figure than he was in the preceding and following episodes.

“Why do the BBC alway have to change things? I’m going to start watching Babylon 5 instead.”

@shazzbot

I’m waiting for the DVDs as I’ve had real problems in the past with i-tunes, but look forward to any comments on people who have accessed them.

The DVDs are likely, if the past is anything to go on, to have additional content. Not of interest to everyone, but I quite like the docs and alternative commentaries. Some can be dull, but Fraser Hines in particular is good value for money.

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@scaryb made a comment on the Terror blog about the target covers @jimthefish and I posted, which made me want to share this. The earliest Who books were released in Japan and had some astonishing covers by people who clearly had never seen the show, or didn’t give a wet slap. I mean – everyone knows that British telephone boxes are red, don’t they?

I remembered @jimthefish was talking about Dalek redesigns for his own stories and thought if he hadn’t seen this it would be interesting. Those things in the foreground are their version of Daleks – although I’ve no idea what Darth Vader appears to be doing to them.

Even more bizarre is the fact that the translation for Doctor Who and the Daleks became “The Big Bloody Space-Time Battle!”. So the Japanese seemed to have invented the concept of the Time War with the Daleks decades before RTD!

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@craig

Great – Tomb sounds like a plan. Loved the vid – got me properly excited.

Oddly apt as well. Whatever is announced on Friday, Tomb was one of the last big finds that put a whole story together.

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@craig

No – it looks smashing (hence not finihing the quote). Startled me because I logged in and everything changed. I thought I’d pressed a button, or something 😉

“Lord President” is cool, but a Dalek motif could also be quite funny. “Emperor” would go with your avatar quite well.

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Some interesting points I’d probably want to come back to when I have more time, but on one..

@bluesqueakpip

And it’s entirely possible for the audience to pick up a reading that the writer/actor/director didn’t really intend.

While certainly true, these things are always a bit difficult to evaluate because sometimes creatives can be a bit oblique about them.

Take something like the “God Doctor”, which is something I think a lot of people saw in the RTD era, and especially 10s run. You know – people effectively praying to the Doctor in Last of the Time Lords, confronting Satan, guided upwards in VotD by his robotic heavenly host, etc. RTD apparently gets a bit antsy about that. It’s all in the viewers mind, he says. No one could possibly look at those images and imagine that an atheist such as he was doing such a thing, etc.

At which point I have to stroke my chin a bit and say “oh come on man”….

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@craig

“ooh you’ve redecorated…”

It does look very clean, my Lord.

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@craig @bluesqueakpip @pedant

Well it’s now officially official that something has been found..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24448063

I can now put away my disbelief of the story, and await what been found with a profound sense off anticippointment! 🙂

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@janetteb

I agree with Fires of Pompeii. I think with that, and Planet of the Ood, Donna actually gets a lot of strong material to begin with. The trip to the future shows her the worst of humanity, and Fires actually introduces her to the real hard decisions that life with the Doctor will take.

@shazzbot

Aaahh. The amount of kneejerking over writing and casting announcements for Who is astonishing. I’ve fallen for it myself, and entered The Lodger with low expectations because of James Corden, but he was fine in it.

Usually though, it is the people more noted for comedy performance and who have appeared in Soaps that attract the worst ire. Although the internet went into meltdown with Billie Piper and Kylie (who – as pop princess and ex. Soap Star got the double).

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Any ideas for Troughton?

I think @arkleseizure msuggested The Mind Robber (at 5 eps) and I suggested Tomb of the Cybermen (at 4 eps, although for people with access to the Watch TV channel, that story will be featured in the UK showing of The Doctors Revisited). If you don’t fancy B&W, he does feature in The Three Doctors (10th anniversary 4 episodes), The Five Doctors (20th anniversary 1 feature length ep) and The Two Doctors (2 45 minute eps, Sadly with Colin Baker). @chickenelly enquired about those on another blog.

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@pedant @craig

Yeah – it’s the same story we discussed on an earlier Sofa. I tend to disbelieve it because it’s just too good to be true – Anniversary year, all the missing episodes returned, etc.

The earlier rumours just said “Aftica” and this names Ethiopia. Ethiopean TV channel ETS did have access to early Hartnell (up to the Chase, If I remember from the book Wiped! (link to Amazon)) but no Troughton, so I doubt that detail even more.

Apparently this Stuart Kelly “announced” this at the Wigtown Book Festival so I can’t help thinking a bit of self promotion is probably a motivating factor in that one.

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@shazzbot

Ah…If you have the tickets, and get no takers here, there are other forums which we can direct you to.

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Agreeing with stevethewhistle and @bluesqueakpip, yes, the anticipation in The Doctor at the end looks very weird, especially in retrospect as The Master being on Earth inevitably led to a lot of deaths.

As time goes on you do see The Master and Doctor are basically fighting old childhood battles of one-upmanship, with Earth as their playground. The Doctor is pretty smug here, as he’s reduced the Master to his level, trapped on Earth. The Master’s sudden realisation that he may be in danger himself does seem a little, er, rapid. I think it would have worked better if he’d known at that point he had no escape route (with the wrong dematerialisation circuit). That aspect of jeopardy and fear of being trapped with the invading Nestenes would be a more convincing reason to turn.

I think those who saw the Target covers that @jimthefish and I put in the first episode blog will understand his comment that, having seen those, the end of the actual story can’t help but disappoint in a way. Tentacled monstrosity, or wibbly wobbly light effect? Target books were both a blessing and a curse.

I still do have a real soft spot for the period though. I think as an intro to the Pertwee years, it is a good story as you have a fub-romp that features all the main players and effectively sets up that Master/Doctor dynamic.

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@shazzbot

Many thanks for the generous offer, but unfortuantely (and with more than a little regret) I’ll have to decline. To arrange my weekend I had to agree to take on a pretty fixed appointment on Friday morning.

I hope others who are interested will see this though. An amazing opportunity.

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