Classic Who Catch Up

I have been a big fan of Doctor Who since it’s revival in 2005 but was too young to have watched the original series. On this blog I shall be recording my thoughts on every story from 1963 onwards!

26: The Web of Fear

“It’s more than likely that we won’t be able to defeat this menace. And that London, in fact the whole of England, might be completely wiped out.”

Format: 6 episodes, each 25 minutes long

Team TARDIS:

• Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton)
• Jamie (Jacobite Rebel from 1746)
• Victoria (Lost both her parents)

Story: The great intelligence’s Yetis are taking over the London underground using a web-like substance. The intelligence wants to absorb the Doctor’s mind but the team manage to take over a yeti to stop it.

What I liked: 

• The London underground setting. Easily recognisable yet still spooky.
• The Yetis are fearsome beasts.
• The man who will become the brigadier makes his début. I think I may grow to love him.

What I disliked:

• Most of the story has been lost. Audio and the odd image only and disappointingly rubbish at that.
• Evans is a very stereotypical Welshman.

Overall thoughts:Another brilliant one and it’s obvious why writers looked back at this story for the slight revamp with the Third Doctor. The presence of a military voice makes it somehow more dramatic and the fact that we never actually see the intelligence makes it more scary. Absolutely brilliant. 

Next Time: I’m skipping a few of the largely incomplete stories and the next complete story is The Dominators! Featuring aliens called Quarks!

I have been a big fan of Doctor Who since it’s revival in 2005 but was too young to have watched the original series. On this blog I shall be recording my thoughts on every story from 1963 onwards!

25: The Ice Warriors 

Format: 6 episodes, each 25 minutes long

Team TARDIS:

• Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton)
• Jamie (Jacobite Rebel from 1746)
• Victoria (Lost both her parents)

Story: The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive on Earth in the far future to find that the planet is in the grip of a second ice age. Scientific outposts are scattered across the globe, fighting desperately against advancing glaciers that threaten to send the world back into prehistory. In one outpost the ice warriors’s ship is stuck inside the glacier and it’s a race against time to stop both the glacier and the ice warriors.

What I liked: 

• The TARDIS lands at an angle, which is always good.
• The idea that humans caused an ice age by inventing artificial foods and stop growing plants.
• The Doctor can make any chemical he wants and so makes water because he wants a drink!
• Peter Salis is brilliant (he’s the voice of Wallace in Wallace and Gromit these days)
• Computers cannot takes risks.

What I disliked:

• Episode 2/3 no longer exist fully. Audio and images only, though done rather well.
• Music at the beginning is horrible.

Overall thoughts:This could almost have been a New Who story. Excellently written and acted with brilliant ideas about the possible future of the Earth. The Ice Warriors are properly sinister aliens and the Doctor was his usual brilliant self. Loved every minute of it.

Next Time: I’m skipping a few of the largely incomplete stories but next I shall be watching The Web of Fear: yetis in the underground!

I have been a big fan of Doctor Who since it’s revival in 2005 but was too young to have watched the original series. On this blog I shall be recording my thoughts on every story from 1963 onwards!

24: The Tomb of the Cybermen

“I shall leave you to the Cybermen… I am sure they will have some use for you. Or parts of you”

Format: 4 episodes, each 25 minutes long

Team TARDIS:

• Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton)
• Jamie (Jacobite Rebel from 1746)
• Victoria (Lost both her parents)

Story: The Doctor and his friends join a group of archaeologists trying to investigate the tomb of the cybermen. One man and his wife decide to revive the cybermen and join forces with them. But the cybermen won’t join forces with anyone…

What I liked: 

• Cybermats are introduced! Excellent little “creatures”.
• The Doctor is only 450 years old. So young!
• The music for the cybermen is brilliantly spooky.
• Victoria seems like a decent new companion.
• The story is exciting and enjoyable.

What I disliked:

• The cybercontroller looks less impressive than all the other cybermen.
• Story dragged out a bit towards the end.

Overall thoughts:Much better than the first two cybermen stories. It was as much about the stupidity of some humans as the evil of the cybermen. Worked brilliantly and the team of the second Doctor, Jamie and Victoria is fantastic. As an opener to the fifth series, it is perfect.

Next Time: We get to meet the Ice Warriors!