"You can't rule the world in hiding. You've got to come out on to the balcony sometimes and wave a tentacle."
They saved (one of) the best till last. Terror of the Zygons is classic Doctor Who at it's best. My bias towards Tom Baker aside, it's a great script, great direction (what else would you expect from Douglas Camfield?), a great cast and a memorable monster. What more could you want?
Standout on the extra features is the documentary about Doctor Who's greatest director Douglas Camfield. The stories Douglas directed have always been amongst the series best and it was fascinating to hear about his life especially from his son Jogs who speaks very warmly about his father.
And, special editions notwithstanding, that's it. The last of the regular DVD realises from the classic series. Until the next missing story it found at least!
... and not the one Rose/Bad Wolf was talking about either...
I knew, even without all the rumors floating around, that The Day of the Doctor was going to be big; David Tennant and Billie Piper returning, John Hurt, the Zygons, filming in 3D... But there was one moment that to me was the biggest of all.
A couple of days before the special was broadcast, a story was doing the rounds that a certain Doctor Who actor had been quoted as saying he would be appearing in the special. While the BBC hadn't confirmed the story, neither had it denied it either. So it was something that was in the back of my mind last Sunday morning when I went to my local cinema to watch the special (in glorious 3D. Didn't it look good!).
So we get to the scene where all the Doctors are rushing (including Peter Capaldi - that caused everyone to gasp in surprise... and me to cry out "Holy shit, it's Capaldi!") to save Gallifrey and I thought, well that's okay. Maybe all the surviving Doctors (bar Eccleston) recorded dialogue to be used in this scene. And that's okay. At least all the Doctors are in it in some way. But then...
We're back in the gallery and Clara's telling the Doctor that the Curator is looking for him. And I start thinking, could it be? And then Matt's Doctor starts ruminating about how he could retire and become The Great Curator. And then an unmistakeningly familiar voice is heard... and applause breaks out in the cinema. Old Who and new Who collide big time.
It's obvious that Steven Moffat let his inner fan boy run riot when writing The Day of the Doctor. It was a cracking story and a real love letter to the fans. But to me this was the best moment of them all. Tom Baker was MY Doctor, the one who's portrayal made me fall in love with this wonderfull TV series. And this proved he was still the Doctor (or maybe not. Who knows?); watching him and Matt together was a joy.
My fiance, not a Doctor Who fan by any means, realised what a moment this was for me and took my hand and I was over whelmed with emotion. Even a week later watching the scene again on YouTube, I still have the same reaction.
Doctor Who never ceases to amaze me. It's funny, scary, entertaining. And there a times when it's magical. And this was one of those moments.
Oh, and did anyone else realise that there were roundels on the wall behind them?
In his introduction to this reprint, Steven Moffat (for it is he) states that The Ark in Space is his favourite story. As this is the man who's given us The Silence, The Whispermen and The Weeping Angels I'm not the least bit surprised. The TV version of The Ark in Space (of which I'll be review shortly - be patient!) is where the Tom Baker era really beings and herald the start of three years that would be Doctor Who's golden age.
But what of this novelisation? I think Ian Marter (who of course played Harry in the TV series. And is, I think, the only person to novelise a story he appeared in) wrote very adult novelizations (his novelisation of Enemy of the World is the first Doctor Who book to contain a swear word) with the transformation of Noah being a lot more graphic here than would ever have been allowed on TV. But I felt let down by this book. I don't know why. Maybe it's because The Ark in Space has such a reputation that seeing anything other than the TV story is going to be let down. Which is a pity.
"Interfere! Of course we should interfere. Always do what you're best at, that's
what I say."
I think I might be in a minority. I actually like Nightmare of Eden (I also like Horns of the Nimon - so exterminate me!). I know it's not the greatest from the Tom Baker era (or any era for that matter), but it's enjoyable and strangely adult for seventies Doctor Who (what with the drug theme). Even the Mandrel's aren't that bad, just very badly lit. And I can tolerate Lewis Fiander's strange decision to give Tryst a German accent. And when you consider the story's trouble production, with director Alan Bromly walking out midway through filming (not that he had a choice after loosing total control of the studio. Does any footage exist of Tom Baker screaming "Is there a director or a commentator up their???!!!" to the gallery?) it's a wonder that the production has any cohesion at all.
So, to sum up Nightmare of Eden: not a bad story, just misunderstood.
What was it Graham Bond once said? Beware the wounded satirist. Otherwise you may become part of their repertoire. Never was a truer word spoken in Robert Holmes' case when he had his battle with the Inland Revenue. He turned it into one of the funniest Doctor Who's ever. Tom Baker's at his best here. And Henry Woolfe and Richard Hade as the Collector and Gather Hade respectively are another great Holmes double act. This is probably the best story of the fifteen series.
"The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit their views. Which can be uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that needs altering."
The Face of Evil is memorable for a couple of things. For me it was the cliffhanger to episode one where the Doctor's face is writ large Mount Rushmore style on the side of a mountain. But it's better known as the first story to feature Leela; a companion unlike any other before or since. Louise Jameson's performance is wonderful and her rapport with Tom Baker is great (it's hard to believe that they weren't getting along at the time).
Aside from that it's a pretty good story. Just over shadowed by The Deadly Assassin on one side and Robots of Death and The Talons of Weng-Chiang on the other.
The Masque of Mandragora is probably one of the unsung gems in this golden age of Doctor Who. It may not be in the same league as say Genesis of the Daleks or The Talons of Weng-Chiang but it's still a lovely story.
When I posted on Planet of the Spiders, I said who great the title sequence was for Pertwee's last series and it got better when Tom Baker came along. Well, judge for yourselves.
Well, I like it!
Anyway, what of The Seeds of Doom? I can sum it up in one word: brilliant! Everything in this story works.
Where do we start? Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen were in their stride by this stage. They were always good in any story of this era, but if you combine a really good script and good direction (Robert Banks Stewart and Douglas Camfield respectively - arguably one of the best, if not the best, directors ever employed on the show) with actors of their talents you're in for a cracker. The guest cast are all impressive with Tony Beckley, John Challis and Sylvia Colderidge as the stand outs.
It's an example of Doctor Who at it's best. What more can I say?
Revenge of the Cybermen is a bit an oddity. At a time when Phillip Hincliffe and Robert Holmes were setting out their version of Doctor Who (think Genesis of the Daleks which was the story that preceded it), this story feels like a throwback to the 1960s. Which isn't surprising as Gerry David hadn't been involved with the programme since the Patrick Troughton days. It's probably;y the weakest story of Season 12, but that doesn't mean it's not entertaining. Tom Baker was starting to hit his stride as the Fourth Doctor and Elisabeth Sladen is as good as ever. The guest cast are pretty good and, despite was Phillip Hinchliffe says in the documentary, the Vogans are well realised.
I have to admit I approached Silver Nemesis with some dread. My memory of it being 90 minutes of poorly written drivel. While it;s not drivel, it is poorly written with a number of set pieces in search of a plot. Sylvester and Sophie are good, and Fiona Walker's Lady Peinforte and Gerard Murphy's Richard make a good double act. The production standards are high, but the story is a mess (and it's a bit of a worry that over 20 minutes of footage was cut from the final product - enough for another episode). Definitely the weakest story of Season 25 (and of this box set).
