Day 27 - The War Machines

The snow looked beautiful this morning! A definite disadvantage of living 20 blocks from work though is that I have few excuses not to go into the office, and cannot work from home. Yes, it is home now. A realization that came to me over the last week or so. And I am glad.

I am excited about the next couple of days, despite some weirdness and setbacks that have set my head spinning, and filled it up with so many different feelings it is ready to explode. But I have some fun plans, which I hope will send me off to India with smile, along with something to look forward to when I return (which will help with the letdown of the trip being over!) But it is early days in so many things, and only time will tell what happens next.

Episode 1

This is a fantastic opening, with some wonderful location work. It’s fun to see the amazement and excitement from Dodo at seeing the completed Post Office tower. It was so new then, but seems so normal now.

It’s interesting how the Doctor already seems to have a position of authority, or at least has built up a reputation as an expert, in some circles of British society. I wonder when he did that. It seems quite at odds with the man we met in “An Unearthly Child”, who was only in 1960s England for Susan. Although based on what we will discover in his 7^th incarnation, the Doctor is full of secrets.

This whole story seems quite different and fresh, and is much more modern than what I’ve been watching lately. Ben and Polly are a breath of fresh air, as is the then-present day setting of 1966, which seems more like nostalgia today, with all the glamour of the swinging sixties in London! The location work also adds to the impact. It’s great to see the Doctor wandering around a familiar London again.

The description of WOTAN puts me in mind of SKyNet. It’s never a good idea to network all these computers together. And we are soon shown how bad an idea it is. The computer’s virtual tentacles start reaching out and taking control, leading up to the infamous cliffhanger, where “Doctor Who is required”. Innes Lloyd or Ian Stuart Black are a little confused about the name of their lead character! It’s a good thing this is a compelling story.

Episode 2

Dodo really is behaving rather oddly. I wonder what is happening with her. Meanwhile, the Doctor is right at home in English society, barely noticing the change in his companion. Until he speaks to WOTAN and everything becomes clear to him, and then, most conveniently, Dodo gives the plot away.

Oooh. Ben and Polly are flirting already. Are we going to get another couple in the TARDIS a la Ian and Barbara?

That all-purpose ring is up to yet another new trick! Now it’s a hypnotic tool being used to cure Dodo! And suddenly she is gone from our screens, without so much as a goodbye. I have never been the biggest fan of Dodo, and would usually claim her as my least favourite companion. But I have to admit that I have really enjoyed the time that I’ve spent in her company, and may need to re-evaluate that opinion a bit.

WOTAN is very efficient at getting all these parts into London in such a short time. It’s interesting that the tingle the Doctor feels reminds him of how he felt when the Daleks were around. The War Machines are the closest thing to the Daleks we have seen so far in the series, although they are far more bulky and unwieldy. They also seem to need very specific instructions to actually do anything. Their mallet style arm though seems more deadly at the moment though than the Dalek sucker-style arm.

Episode 3

Anneke Wills does possessed acting very well. Ben’s attempted escape from the warehouse is well put together and makes for a very exciting sequence. Michael Craze does a great job of showing his disbelief at Polly’s behavior. I think I am going to enjoy spending time with these two. They work very well together.

The Doctor has been rather static in this since he discovered what was going on. He has left everything to his new friends Ben and Polly. I hope he starts to become more active soon. It’s quite out of character based on the confidence and power he has demonstrated over the course of this season (when he wasn’t written out of episodes, of course!)

I have to complement Michael Ferguson on a great direction job on this story, especially in the climatic sequence to this episode. This is more like it; the army are attacking in force. This story really does feel so different and modern, and is nothing like we have seen before. It may also be the crystal clear picture that is contributing to this. The restoration team have done a spectacular job on this story. It looks pristine, especially in the film sequences as the War Machine exits the warehouse. The War Machine in full attack mode would be a great sequence even without the great restoration team job, however. It’s big and menacing and means trouble. And there, as the episode ends, my confident hero returns, as the Doctor strides fearlessly towards the enemy.

Episode 4

I like the idea of showing how regular people are reacting to the emergency. It’s something we don’t get often in later invasions, but makes for effective scenes here. The government don’t really know what they are doing yet though, and need to do a better job with cover stories. But this is just a practice run for all the invasions to come. Earth, and especially England, will learn from (some of) its mistakes.

I love watching the Doctor, taking charge completely, and putting together a machine from junk and making it up as he goes along! It’s so very Doctor-ish, and I love that Hartnell is so dynamic and gets to do this, after his inactivity in the previous episode.

Once it is all wrapped up, and we hear Dodo’s perfunctory departure, the Doctor seems saddened to have lost her, and goes into the TARDIS an old man. But all is not lost and it doesn’t look like he’ll be alone for long. Ben and Polly are an adventurous pair! And in they go!

And so I reach the end of the 3rd series of Doctor Who, and for the time being, I reach a short break from this blog, and the marathon watch. I am going to be focusing on the trip to India and the new experiences and adventures that I will be having out there! It’s a new country for me, and full of new things to go and see, and to focus on things I may not normally do. I am very grateful the person who helped me to understand that.

But I shall come back, yes I shall come back, and Season 4, and the 2^nd Doctor await me when I do!

Day 26 - The Savages

It was another very busy day today, but extremely productive. I am now 80% done with packing for the big trip to India, and feel most accomplished. The workout routines are also getting easier, and I feel so much better for them. People have even commented that I am looking in better shape, which is nice to hear!

Emotionally things have calmed down a lot as well, as I concentrate on the future, and all the opportunities that I hope are out there. It’s started snowing outside. It seems like it’s a constant companion these days, but in India it will be different!

                

Episode 1

The transition to this story was very peculiar. One moment we were wrapping up the Wild West story, and then after a harsh cut we are suddenly in the far future. We also say goodbye to the individual episode titles at this moment in the show’s run. I am sorry to see them go. Sometimes they bore little relevance to the episode that lay ahead, but they added some fun to several stories.

This is all rather unsettling. The Doctor seems to know exactly where he is but he isn’t letting on to his friends, which is unlike him. I do hope we’re not back in the Stone Age. These people do look rather like the cavemen from the first story. The Doctor thinks differently though. It’s odd how he seems to have heard Steven’s early dialogue, despite Steven and Dodo being by the TARDIS and the Doctor seeming to have wandered off somewhere else.

Oh good, some more advanced people. Good. Not the Stone Age again then. Based on the reports of these guards this planet is inhabited by some very advanced scientists, if they are able to track the TARDIS.

The unsettling nature of this story continues. There seem to be several factions at work; the savages, the elders, and some disgruntled guards. As we discover more about the advanced civilization there appears to be some sort of secret behind it; something that no one talks about; along with places that the TARDIS crew cannot go. Steven is very accepting of it all, while Dodo is more suspicious. She has grown more than I expected in her time in the TARDIS. It was she who realized the nature of the Toymaker’s puppets, remember, while Steven was unconvinced. I may need to revise my opinion on Jackie Lane.

Nanina seems to be dressed much as Leela will be! But this 10 years earlier! It seems quite a daring outfit for 1966! Were there complaints back then about this outfit? This vitality they speak of, is that what they are doing to the savage woman? I have a lot of questions and am most curious about what the answers will be.

Episode 2

Dodo’s getting very feisty again, and she gives as good as she gets. As this episode develops we find that this paradise is absolutely not what it appears, as Avon and Flower are punished for letting Dodo see anything at all.

This life-force concept is very interesting. It appears that the Doctor has had his suspicions all along, despite all of his apparent interest in the science of this civilization.

Frederick Jaeger’s Jano has a fascinating role in this story and his debate with the Doctor is full of power. It’s a moral debate; science against humanity, and the value of a person. The Doctor puts his personal creed on full display here. He values the life of a single person, no matter how small, above anything else, and will fight for their rights with all that he is worth. It’s a Doctor that we clearly recognize to this day. Hartnell is once again getting to play a strong and confident Doctor, and I love it.

Until, that is, he is rendered almost speechless by the revelation that his own lifeforce is to be drained. As the experiment begins, the Doctor looks helpless, strapped down and motionless. It’s a very disturbing sight.

Episode 3

This script has been very well thought out and is a lot deeper than I expected. I appreciate the discussion of the cultural effects of the life-essence removal on the Savages. It is this process that keeps them savage and that their lifestyle and culture deteriorates with every passing generation due to the processing that consumes them.

Unfortunately it seems like we’re in yet another episode without the Doctor. There have been too many of those in recent stories. But in his absence Steven gets to demonstrate his growth as a character as he comes up with a way to help the Savages escape the guards who have invaded their cave homes. He has learned to think outside the box in his time with the Doctor, even if he does sometimes show naivety, and is too willing to believe the best in people. It’s an admirable quality, even if in his adventures he should have learned that that is not always the case.

I’m not sure I trust Jano’s motives here. He sounds altruistic enough, but I suspect he wants to keep the Doctor’s life essence for himself, suspecting it will increase his power. But it would seem it backfires. Frederick Jaeger’s performance seems totally different once he comes out of the transference machine. He is doing an excellent impression of Hartnell, but also seems to realize that all is not well. It would be wonderful to have this episode back in the archive, just to see if it was as effective in moving pictures, and it is on pure vocals alone.

As we get our only glimpse of the Doctor in this episode, I am disturbed again. He looks dreadful, even worse than his helpless situation at the end of the previous episode. Hartnell is such a good actor, and deserved to be able to do more of this stuff.

Episode 4

Did the Doctor know what would happen all the time, and how his essence would affect Jano? He seems to recover at just the right moment to prevent anyone harming the leader of the Elders. And as he recovers he demonstrates, once again, his intention to do the right thing, and cleanse this civilization of the evil that has infested it. He seems sure that Jano will be the one who helps him to accomplish that goal. And he is, of course, right. For those fans who see the manipulative all-knowing Doctor of the New Adventures, and the New Series as something new for the character, I would urge them to watch this. The seeds of that are right here at the beginning!

So I, along with the Doctor, and Dodo, bid farewell to Steven Taylor. He has earned this opportunity. He is a good man, and he will do the right thing. I have enjoyed getting to know Steve, and Peter Purves has been a pleasure to watch in the part. I wish him well in his attempts to bring these divided people together. It’s a lovely leaving scene. The Doctor shows his great confidence and pride in this young man, whom he has inspired and made a better man than when they first met.

Day 25 - The Gunfighters

Wow! Today has been busy, busy, busy. But it was also very productive, as I start to check off everything I need for the big trip, and set up Barnaby-Con in London on the way back to the States.

I have put together a list and have accomplished almost everything except laundry and packing; the two most time consuming parts of the list, but the ones that make sense to leave until last. I expect to have them done tomorrow or Thursday though, since there is some other fun stuff to look forward to before I leave on Saturday.

I am feeling very empowered at the moment, and ready for these new adventures. The world is my oyster at the moment, and while there is some sadness in my heart, I know that there are experiences, and people out there who can help banish that further as time goes by.

Episode 1 – Holiday for the Doctor

I have a confession to make. I really like “The Gunfighters” and I even hum “The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon” from time to time! It really does get stuck in your head.

We are back to these wonderful punning episode titles, and this is a good one, with its multiple meanings! And some more dress-up fun. I will miss this when the historical stop. Everyone appears to be enthusiastic about where they have landed. I love the Doctor’s comment warning Steven and Dodo try to look inconspicuous. This is the same man who was dressing up in revolutionary France in an outfit that stood out a mile!

The design team has done a really good job with the Tombstone set. It looks quite expansive, and authentic, which is quite an impressive feat for the studio space in which they were still working.

The names the Doctor comes up with for Dodo and Steven are very funny. And I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before they actually have to try and fulfill those roles. I love Donald Cotton. He even manages to slip in a “Doctor Who” joke. He is so good at this type of story.

It’s such a fun conceit, having the Doctor getting toothache and the only dentist he can find is Doc Holliday! The Doctor and the Doc preparing for dentistry is really funny stuff, and makes me very pleased that this still exists in the archive. We get to see how much Hartnell loves doing these comedy stories. He’s having a ball, and his reactions to Holliday as he gets more and more concerned are absolutely priceless.

The usual old standby of these historicals is quick to raise its head; mistaken identity. Steven and Dodo are also having fun with all this silliness. Peter Purves is absolutely game with his singing to end the episode. It’s not the best singing cliffhanger in “Doctor Who” history, however. That has to go to Big Finish and the episode 2 cliffhanger to “Doctor Who and the Pirates”. But this definitely brought a smile to my face.

Episode 2 – Don’t Shoot the Piano Player

Everyone is having such fun with the singing and the piano playing. Jackie Lane has the biggest grin on her face as she bashes away at the piano. Sheena Marshe as Kate Fisher is doing a lovely job and complementing the regulars very nicely.  Once she starts talking to Steven, I am sure that I see a hint of jealousy from Dodo.

Peter Purves really is a wonderful performer. He hasn’t had much of a chance to indulge the comedy skills we saw when he played Morton Dill way back in his first story, and before we met this dashing space pilot. Most of the stories since then have required him to play a more serious role. But given the chance here to let loose he relishes it, and does a great job.

Episode 3 – Johnny Ringo

Jackie Lane is also very game, as she gets the opportunity to show what she can do when she is off with Doc Holliday and Kate! I know I have ragged on Dodo somewhat during this marathon so far, but she is great value here. The whole cast is having a ball really, despite the occasional sidestep into some deadly serious scenes, I am more drawn to the comedy.

The song is a very interesting device and gives the story a unique structure. There’s all sorts of important background information in lyrics, as well as recaps of the action that has gone before. I wouldn’t want something like this in every story, but has it’s a good experiment, and works rather well here.

That Johnny Ringo’s a romantic sort isn’t he? (Not really!) I don’t think pointing a gun at her the way to a woman’s heart, even in 1880s Tombstone!

Episode 4 – The O.K. Corral

The story gets a lot more serious now. There have been serious moments before, but now everything is moving inexorably towards the event we have know was coming since we arrived in Tombstone; the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the showdown between Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp and the Clantons. It will be all the TARDIS crew can do to avoid getting caught up in the crossfire.

The Doctor looks to be happy to be out of it, but he is still concerned about Steven. And he also seems to, once again, be a lot less concerned about getting involved in events. He should know about how this turns out, but appears to be trying to ensure the gunfight does not occur.

Rex Tucker has really made the studio set of Tombstone look expansive, and there is a certain sense of scale to the gunfight as the players get prepared. Once it gets started it’s a harsh shootout. Dodo gets stuck in the middle, as the bullets fly. The cast are completely committed to the duel, and it is very well put together and effective. It’s quite a contrast to the rest of the story, and is notable for being silent except for the gunfight and the odd grunt as participants get shot.

This story has such a poor reputation and it’s extremely undeserved. This is a fun story, and has some effective moments. I enjoyed it a lot, and I look forward to watching it again on its DVD release later this year.

Day 24 - The Celestial Toymaker

The visa came through today, and so the India trip is a GO! I am very excited, now that it is really going to happen, and have started making lists and plans.  At the same time some other nice things have been going on, and I am really feeling like I am getting the hang of this life that I now lead. Some of it has been time, and some of it has been the comfort of doing this marathon and writing about it every day, and still more of it has been finding new things to make me smile. Those are the best things of all.

Episode 1 – The Celestial Toyroom

We have a very knowledgeable Doctor here. He knows of the Toymaker, and how powerful he is. It’s another first in the programme’s history, that he is so aware of the enemy that they are facing, and knows so much about him. It begs the question, however, of how he could he know about the Toymaker and not the Daleks? Is it possible that the Daleks were nothing but a local nuisance until the Doctor landed there, and showed them a world beyond Skaro that was ripe for conquest and exploration, and fuelled their ambitions?

Anyway, I digress. This is story is a great concept. Micahel Gough is extremely sinister playing the Toymaker, with a great costume and design concept. He and Hartnell spar very well, in a way it reminds me of the sparring with the Monk, but there’s a more sinister than in those clashes. This time it isn’t as much of a game, despite the Toymaker’s raison d’etre, and the argument is colder, and the consequences far more serious.

The presentation of the Trilogic game is interesting, especially the effect of moving the game forward all those additional moves, which is very well done. This is a story that really suffers from the lack of moving pictures. It’s difficult to get the hang of the games that Steven and Dodo are playing, and how the action plays out. I get the impression that this is full of visual jokes, and that just doesn’t work so well on audio.

Episode 2 – The Hall of Dolls

It’s goodbye to Hartnell for a while, as he becomes invisible in the story. But behind the scenes we see the beginning of the attempts to get rid of you, the reasons for which are ridiculous based on the performances that we have seen recently; Even in this story itself. He has been a confident and strong hero that I believe in absolutely.

The array of characters on display in the Toymaker’s realm is wonderful and show great imagination in the writing and the design. But they are all deadly, and as they work against Steven and Dodo. I think Brian Hayles is having fun with the Queen’s dialogue; “A Playing Card” speaks the Queen in a clear Lady Bracknell reference.

You have to feel sorry for the playing cards. They have been trapped in the past by the Toymaker, and simply want their freedom. Some of the Toymaker’s victims are more sinister and less sympathetic that these two, although in their dealings with the fool they are more brutal. I find their last actions together, as they elect to lose together, are very sweet.

It’s Steven and Dodo working together that has helped them win out against the Toymaker so far. It seems that previous competitors were too busy thinking about saving their own skin, and they continue to do so as his pawns, rather than working as a team.

Episode 3 – The Dancing Floor

We get another lovely set of caricatures here. The Toymaker has realized that he needs to get Steven and Dodo to make a mistake if they are going to lose a game, and so he is pulling out all the stops. The two companions have to carry a lot of this story, with the Doctor struck dumb and incorporeal. Every stalling tactic at his disposal is predicted by the Toymaker, who knows every one of his tricks. It’s going to be up to the companions if they are going to get through this one. When the Toymaker actually gets involved with his creatures, and has to threaten them, there really are no holds barred. Michael Gough has scary down pat as he reminds them of the consequences of failure.

This is another episode where the visuals would go a long way to improving the episode. There are likely lots of visual gags and business going on, which does not come across well in the audio only. There are still some fun lines still to be had though, particularly in the interactions between the sergeant and the cook. This is even more of an issue when we reach the Dancing Floor of the episode title. It’s easy enough to follow what is going on in the sequence, but there are several times when all we hear is dancing music and watch pictures.

Oh, here’s Cyril. Things are going to get serious now.

Episode 4 – The Final Test

The last game is TARDIS hopscotch. This will be more fun since we are back into moving pictures.

Cyril is a very disturbing character. Peter Stephens does a great job portraying this schoolboy, who pretends butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, but seems certain to have several tricks up his sleeve and a very nasty streak to go with them. It’s a very creepy performance.

It seems most appropriate that Cyril is hoist by his own petard. He tried to play just one trick too many, and that allows Steven and Dodo to win through. Unlike the rest of the Toymakers playthings he is the one we feel least sorry for as he loses. He revels in his role almost as much as his master, and was a most unsympathetic character.

I like the confidence that the Doctor becomes full of as he gets ready to leave. He seems to have a plan. But is he or the Toymaker the more overconfident one. They are so well matched. Now that Hartnell and Gough finally get to work together they really spark. It’s a very clever trap that the Doctor almost falls into; a real catch-22, but the Doctor’s solution is ingenious. I especially like how he tricks the Toymaker into thinking the idea is a failure, before his perfect mimicry act sets them free and defeats his enemy!

Day 23 - The Ark

Another rather weird day, with some setbacks in the road put in front of me, and a change to the routine that I have started to put together that was disappointing. These things do happen, and this too shall pass. I have lots to bet organized for the big India trip, and routines will still be there to be developed when I get back, as will all sorts of other things!

I am starting to think about what I shall do with the free weekend in Bangalore. There is not much that is touristy there, although I will have to see at least one temple, just because. I think I will investigate the hiking in the area, to see if there is some outdoors adventure I can go on. I’ve also had some friends who have been there reach out to offer suggestions of places to go out. I really hope this visa comes through this week!

Episode 1 – The Steel Sky

This is a fascinating opening to a story. We’ve got real wildlife, which looks somewhat earthlike, and an interesting one-eyed alien.

What *is* Dodo wearing? It looks like leftovers from the adventure in the Crusades. She appears to have a similar attitude to Steven when he first traveled in the TARDIS. She doesn’t believe a word of time travel and thinks she’s at Whipsnade Zoo. I don’t know why though, I’ve been to Whipsnade, and it looks nothing like this arboretum on the Ark.

This courtroom scene is quite interesting, and sets the scene rather well. We are in the far future, with advanced technology, and the punishment of the court is presented well. We also seem to have humans and Monoids living together quite nicely at this time.

Wow. An elephant. I wonder if they had the same problems with this animal in the studio that they had on Blue Peter when a baby elephant visited. It was repeated ad nauseum, and any British readers of a certain age will know exactly what I am thinking of. This is a nice surprise to see in the story though, and gives the jungle on the Ark a sense of scale and grandeur.

The Doctor touches the ground, and that’s what makes him realize they are on a spaceship. It reminds me of the opening of The Beast Below and how the Doctor realizes there are no engines on Starship UK. There have been echoes of future stories all the way through this marathon, and it’s enlightening to have to reinforced time and time again that this really is all one long story, with the same man, just with a different face.

It’s nice to see the Doctor is also commenting on Dodo’s stupid outfit! And on her accent. It’s rather Henry Higgins of him!

Audio space research huh? They can shrink everything, but space research is audio? There are some odd concepts in this story! Although the silliest is yet to come.

The thought that a cold could wipe out humanity is a scary idea. It makes you consider that perhaps the odd cold every now and then is not so bad, if a future super-version could be so damaging. Considering some of the flu strains that have been discovered over the last few years, perhaps this is more prescient than we would like.

Episode 2 – The Plague

I’m not sure how those masks could actually protect from germs. They seem to have an awful lot of openings. The fact that the cold can actually kill is a shock, and the burial is shocking. It is nice to see that the old and wise Commander that we met in the previous episode is able to inspire his daughter, who understands that the TARDIS crew are not malicious, and that they can help.

Steven makes a nice speech about humanity, and its weaknesses, but it is shocking to see him to succumb to the cold as well (is it mutating already?), and quite a relief when the Doctor is eventually able to cure him.

This has seemed like a very slight story so far, but the ending to this episode really distinguishes it. This is one of my favourite cliffhangers in the show ever. It’s very simple, but at the same time extremely shocking, and extremely well done.

Episode 3 – The Return

The Doctor’s philosophy is stated quite plainly as he introduces himself and his friends to the Monoids. “We are friends to all”. Quite right too. But the shift to seeing the Monoids being in charge and treating the humans so poorly is really quite disconcerting.

It turns out that the cure was not as complete as the Doctor had hoped, and that weakened humanity. It is also interesting that the human innovations that were intended to help the Monoids, ended up giving them the ability to take over. The Monoids did not seem that badly treated in the first two episodes, and their rights were advocated by the Commander of the Ark. But something went very wrong with them somewhere along the line, or perhaps they were treated worse later, or the humans judged badly in empowering them.

The security kitchen. That always makes me laugh.

This is the first example I think of showing how the Doctor and his friends make an impact on the places that they land. This is a theme that has become more prevalent in the new series, but was occasionally brought to the fore in the older stories. Their first adventure on the Ark made quite an impression. Indeed the naming of the ship came from them, and they have become mythic figures on the Ark, that everyone has heard stories of from their parents, and parents’ parents.

Episode 4 – The Bomb

Oh these Monoids are chummy with each other. They seem to like gloating to camera as well. That’s a pretty big weakness when enemies overhear, and will be part of their downfall, I suspect.

The set with the launchers in it is really well done, especially the background that shows a great number of the stretching off into the distance. It gives the Ark a great sense of scale, which it needs. The model shot of the launchers exiting the ship isn’t horrible either.

Now this story turns into a traditional race against time. We’ve got a ticking clock. But of course the bomb was in the statue. Where else would it be? I like the confidence the Doctor shows in knowing he can get the location from the Monoids. He has realized how chatty they can be!

The Monoids have become terribly militant and fight too much among themselves. So much so that the last Monoid standing e just tosses his weapon aside at the end. It’s a bit of an anticlimax really.

The Refusians provide a nice moral about living together to end the story. Understanding and acceptance. It’s what it’s all about, and I like that the show reinforces that whenever it can.

Oh my. We have a disappearing Doctor. What’s going on? (Other than Dodo’s taste in clothes getting no better. Is that a trend too? I hope not.)

Day 22 - The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve

After the high of yesterday today feels somewhat empty. I suppose I should expect there to be setbacks on this journey though, and days when I don’t feel quite so good about things. I did a lot of cleaning and household chores today to try and keep myself busy. However, this evening I am have dinner with some people from the group, which will be nice, and will certainly help take my mind of things.

I also watched some modern television and film for the first time in quite a while, and it was almost strange watching things in colour, rather than black and white, and seeing the faster editing and pacing. It’s probably a good thing to take these breaks though.

Episode 1 – War of God

We’ve gone straight into education mode here, although unlike previous historical, this is a more obscure period of history, so it’s understandable. As usual in a historical story people are dressing up, but this time the Doctor is prepared, and they get changed in the TARDIS rather than having to acquire clothes by other means. It makes a change.

As with the previous story we are thrown immediately into political intrigue, but this time we know something of the arguments, as opposed to them all being about the year 4000AD. The dialogue is also a lot stronger, as I would expect from Lucarotti.

The Doctor’s becoming quite fatherly to Steven, and quite protective. He clearly wants to ensure he stays out of trouble, while the Doctor himself is gallivanting around after an early scientist! When he does find Preslin he seems to be quite interfering, and pushing along and encouraging his research. This is more than just a friendly nudge in the right direction.

There’s a lot of exposition in this episode. As I mentioned above, even in 1966 this is a fairly obscure period of history. However the exposition dialogue is quite natural and so it does not stand out as much as that type of thing often does.

The cliffhanger showing Hartnell as the Abbott is wonderful. He really has changed his voice and look to play that part. I’m very intrigued.

Episode 2 – The Sea Beggar

This is fantastic drama. While many of the themes are similar to those seen in the Dalek epic – politics, backstabbing, betrayal, intrigue and counterplots, with that story being set in the future there is an element of camp and ridiculousness. Here though everything is played completely straight. If the arrival of Steven and the Doctor in the TARDIS is ignored, and we pretend that they really are just out of town travelers, this could be a standout historical drama all on its own.

Steven and Ann are getting very close. She trusts him completely because he does the right thing, and stands up for him. It’s nice to see the theme of the companions doing the right thing and it winning them allies along the way is continuing.

Episode 3 – Priest of Death

There really is some great drama here, as the plots we are witnessing start moving into high gear.

This is the episode where we get to see Hartnell be absolutely brilliant as the Abbott of Amboise. It is a completely different performance from the one that he gives when he is playing the Doctor. The more you watch him, the less you believe that it is the Doctor, despite Steven’s belief to the contrary. This performance completely undermines the myth that Hartnell was ever losing it as an actor. He is alert here, quick witted and giving a magnificent performance. Mind you, I have not doubted his Doctor for one moment during this journey, despite the flubs. As far as I’m concerned they happen when his mind is ahead of his mouth and he is racing to catch up.

Catherine de Medici is a dominating woman, and she is very well portrayed by Joan Young. Actually this is a very well acted and cast story, insofar as I can tell from just the audio and the telesnaps. Leonard Sachs is great as the Admiral de Coligny, and so is Christopher Tranchell as Colbert, Only Annette Robertson grates a little bit, but that is very much in character in any case.

The death of the Abbott is a great way to end the episode. Steven is still convinced that it’s the Doctor, although I wonder why based on the feelings I have that I described above. But it would certainly concern me to feel abandoned in this dangerous time period.

Episode 4 - Bell of Doom

Even later, Steven is still convinced that the Abbott was the Doctor and he is now dead. So it is a relief when the Doctor does show up and try to make everything simple and straightforward. It’s strange. Even though Hartnell has had a great presence in the story, the Doctor hasn’t really been involved in events at all. He’s simply been off doing goodness know what with Preslin. Steven hasn’t really been that integral to events either. This may be the story in which their actions are completely peripheral to the main thrust of the story being told.

As the massacre begins, the woodcuts are a clever way to portray the scale of events. This is one of the most brutal we have ever witnessed on the show, and Steven does not understand, and wants out. The scale of this devastation, as told by the Doctor, combined with the losses that he and the Doctor suffered during the Dalek story have overwhelmed him.

Steven leaving knocks the wind out of the Doctor, and the speech he gives here is magnificent. It bears all the signs of a tired old man, who relies on his friends to keep him young. I find that there’s as much emotion in this as in a modern series finale. And it’s all down to Hartnell. There’s no Murray Gold music, no spectacular sets. It’s all just Hartnell talking and it’s pure magic! The just as the Doctor is at his lowest ebb, a new young person walks into the ship. Could this be just what he needs to regain his energy? As both the Doctor and Steve get to know more about her, they seem to find that it is just what they need; a new young friend to restore the Doctor’s energy, and the hope that the events of 1572 were not as black as he had feared for Steven. Welcome to the ship Dodo Chaplet!

Day 21 – The Daleks' Master Plan (Episodes 7-12)

It has been a very busy, but very exciting day! I gathered together everything for visa purposes, and the trip to India is on! The tickets have been booked. The visa is in-progress, so things could still change as far as timing goes, but it will happen. I am very excited. This will be a new adventure, and it is coming at exactly the right time. I get out of the city, and to explore somewhere completely new. I even get to see friends in London on the way back home.

Episode 7 – The Feast of Steven

Well this episode started out quite seriously, but as soon as we see and hear the policemen, we get the impression that it will be a lot less so. It  really is a very silly 25 minutes of television. We have a comedy yokel complaining about a missing greenhouse on Christmas Eve (he’s definitely had way too much “Christmas cheer”, and some less-than-smart policemen. Then we move onto a completely over-the-top silent film set, with comedy accents, and madcap chases around the studio. It’s definitely not one to be taken serious, and works quite well as a holiday episode, I suppose.

I find that some of this particular episode is quite hard to follow without the visuals. There are some amusing one-liners, but I suspect a lot of this was visual farce, which really only works in moving pictures, despite the best efforts of the fans behind the reconstructions.

The last line always makes me smile. Hartnell looks so happy, and it’s just a nice gesture to the viewers on the holiday.

Episode 8 - Volcano

After the fun holiday interlude it’s back to the Daleks. And I am very pleased to see them. The delegates are bickering again over who it is who is behind the theft of the Taranium. And while their “allies” bicker, the Daleks are making their own plans, knowing that the dreams of power that each of the delegates covet so much will enslave them to the Dalek cause.

Things are not quite as tense in the TARDIS, despite the concern about who might be following them. We even have a fun diversion as the TARDIS interrupts England cricket. It makes a change from rain, I suppose. But once again I’m thinking this is not being taken as seriously as it was a couple of episodes ago.

It’s a nice surprise when the following time machine turns out to be the Monk, rather than the Daleks. It’s nice to see him again, and fun to see that he is up to his usual tricks. His verbal sparring with the Doctor continues to be a delight. I hope we see more of him.

I love how the Doctor gets out of the trap that the Monk set for them. Although that ring is starting to be as useful as the sonic screwdriver is today! It seems to have a multiplicity of uses, depending on the situation that the Doctor finds himself in.

As I reach the episode’s end it turns out that it’s another holiday tribute, although this time it’s not acknowledged by the Doctor at all, since it reminds him of Mafeking. It’s a nice way for the show to ring in 1966.

Episode 9 – Golden Death

It’s Ancient Egpyt. Another ambitious setting. It looks like a building site to start with though. I wonder if later sets in this sequence will be more ambitious. The Egyptians look quite fierce against Steven and Sara, but against the Daleks it hardly seems like a fair fight. Once again, even just in the stills on the reconstruction, this looks like a well put together action sequence by Camfield, and the Daleks looking intimidating and menacing.

I like the Doctor’s hat. He looks very much like an Englishman abroad, and ready for a holiday. I don’t think this will be it, though. And look, here to join the fun is Peter Butterworth! Mavic Chen is most suspicious of the Monk when they meet, and watching the time traveler squirm as he attempts to wriggle out of trouble is most amusing. The expressions on the Monk’s face are priceless!

Spooner loves writing for the Monk. He seems to be an amalgamation of many of the other characters that he has had in his stories. That great chemistry between him and Doctor is back, as they continuously attempt to outwit or one-up each other.

While I am enjoying these past few episodes, I have to admit that this story has become somewhat derailed, from the fantastic taut thrills and tension of the first 6 parts, to the more leisurely comedy that I’m watching now. I suppose with 12 weeks to fill it was inevitable that that would happen. I hope the tension starts to build up for the finale though.

Episode 10 – Escape Switch

Well, I didn’t see that coming at the end of the last episode; the Monk is the scary Mummy coming out of the tomb. His sense of indignity at what he claims the Doctor did to him is marvelous. Butterworth is once again having a ball with the character. But neither Sara or Steven believe a word of it. Sara has grown to trust the Doctor very quickly it seems and stands up for him immediately.

Once he has managed to place them all in the custody of the Daleks and Chen, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that he has betrayed the TARDIS crew, the Monk continues trying to play both sides, and convince each party that he is their ally. His squirming and wriggling as he tries to make his case are a constant delight to watch.

The model sequences of the pyramids look really good, and it’s a nice touch that the Egyptians are so intimidated by the amplified sound. I love the look on the Doctor’s face as he listens to Chen’s ultimatum. It’s as if he is making up a plan on the spot, and calculating the best way to handle the situation. Once more, the confrontation method is that which is chosen.

And there’s that line that inspired Rob Shearman’s “Dalek”. “One Dalek is capable of exterminating all”. The look on Chen’s face at hearing that is one of shock. Perhaps he underestimated the Daleks. On the face of their actions in this story, I’d choose the Daleks every time.

That’s an unfortunate Billy Fluff. But also a little amusing, in that he seems ready to call Mavic Chen “Magic Chen”, which is what it’s going to take for Chen to survive this!

Once again the Doctor’s “revenege” on the Monk is most appropriate. It’s not terrible, or malicious, just mischievous again, and inspires just the expected reaction as the Monk rages powerless to the stars!

Episode 11 – The Abandoned Planet

Mavic Chen has grown extremely confident in his victory, and as soon as he has departed, it is clear that the Daleks know this an intend to use this against him. They really are wonderfully devious in this story. Far more so than we have seen them in previous adventures.

Perhaps Sara hasn’t quite got to know the Doctor as well as I had thought! But she cares, or she would not get so exasperated.

The delegates are not quite as impressed with Chen as he is with himself! I sense more intrigue and scheming. This episode has started to ramp up the tension again, which had dissipated rather over the last three or four episodes, which were amusing and fun, but lost the urgent pacing of the first half of this story.

Mavic Chen now starts his coup. You can hear the stunned silence after he kills one of them, and declares his control of the galactic council. But we all know what pride cometh before, and it doesn’t take long before the entire council is betrayed, including Chen.

Steven continues to show how much he has learned from the Doctor. Trusting the delegates to do the right thing now that they have seen the Daleks’ true colours, and they need to do whatever they can to protect their own areas of space.

All except Chen, of course. He is a wily fellow, and still has dreams of empire and more!

Episode 12 – The Destruction of Time

The Dalek fleet is mobilizing. They are ready for action. Mavic Chen is still delusional, and convinced he can turn things around, as he attempts to control Steven and Sara. But where has the Doctor gone? What is he up to?

We get one more wonderful boast from Mavic Chen. And then suddenly the Daleks cut him off. And then they are silent. If anything the silence that follows is more intimidating that any Dalek ranting. And Chen has no idea what to do, until he finally resorts to the violence that will end in his own extermination.

The Doctor has obviously been up to something, and has worked out how to defeat the Daleks. He is completely in control and knows exactly what he is doing. He knows he must protect his companions, and he has the Daleks at his mercy. It is a powerful performance. I would love to have seen how Hartnell played it.

Oh Sara, Sara, Sara! I love that you go back for the Doctor, but I wish she didn’t. It will doom her, and I would like to have spent more time with her. She’s been a great companion for the Doctor and Steven during this adventure, and I would like to have seen her develop more. The make-up work as Sara ages looks so impressive, and as she and the Doctor battle on, and the time destructor vibrates away, and the sounds of the wind and the sound effects get louder and louder, the tension increases and you feel the danger they are all in. As Sara wastes away and ages into dust, I feel so sad.

This story has been full of death and destruction. The Daleks are defeated but it has been at a high cost. The Doctor seems frail after he is rescued by Steven, and full of remorse for what has happened. It seems that he too has been affected by this, possibly more than any adventure they have been through so far. There is great sadness in him after all they have been through, and also great respect for the bravery of those they have lost.

I absolutely loved this story! It’s a true classic, despite the slowdown in the middle. A definite highlight of the marathon so far.