Marleen’s NO SPOILERS ‘Recommend Me Old Who’ Thread.

[Jonathan Capps]

At the suggestion of Arlene… I predict this will get quite big.

> And yehh. If I’m going to see one iconic Who story from each Doctor’s era, I’d like to see them in chronological order.

What the hell, I’ll put my vote in for every Doctor…

1. William Hartnell – The Daleks. Second ever story and pretty much the reason Doctor Who is massive.

2. Patrick Troughton – Tomb of the Cybermen. Passive racism aside, this is an absolutely cracking and genuinely scary story. Fun fact: Troughton actually considered blacking up for the role of The Doctor. The 60s, there.

3. Jon Pertwee – Spearhead from Space (not seen a whole lot of 3rd Doctor stories, but this is his first and also the first story to feature The Autons!)

4. Tom Baker – Genesis of the Daleks. Or City of Death. Or Talons of Weng Chiang. or… well, he was in the role for 7 years so it might be a good idea to pick more than one of his stories

5. Peter Davison – Caves of Androzani. An utterly brilliant last story for Doc 5, and featuring one of my favourite endings.

6. Colin Baker – Revelation of the Daleks. As loath as I am to pick another Dalek story (and such a comparatively awful one, at that) this is honestly the best from Colin’s era. Great Doctor, shit stories. Shame.

7. Sylvester McCoy – Remembrance of the Daleks. One of my favourite stories ever. I love Sylvester as The Doctor and Ace makes me feel funny in my tummy.

Topic

[Phil]

>Fun fact: Troughton actually considered blacking up for the role of The Doctor. The 60s, there.

In preparation for his turn as the Doctor, Paterson Joseph started blacking up in 1964.

[si]

Okay…

First Doctor: ‘Edge Of Destruction’. Not got a lot of William Hartnell, but really enjoyed this early two parter. Avoid ‘The Gunfighters’ at all costs – awful.

Second Doctor: Of the few I’ve actually seen, I’d probably say ‘The Invasion’. The animated episodes work really well.

Third Doctor: Not a big Pertwee fan, but ‘Carnival of Monsters’ isn’t bad.

Fourth Doctor: Already suggested ‘Pyramids of Mars’ (My first Classic Who DVD purchase), but aside from the obvious classics (‘Genesis…’ and ‘Talons…’), ‘The Ark in Space’ is good. And so is ‘Horror of Fang Rock’. Oh, there’s just too many.

Fifth Doctor: ‘…Androzani”s already gone, so I’ll go for ‘Earthshock’, despite Beryl Reid.

Sixth Doctor: ‘Vengeance On Varos’. A great baddie in Sil, and originally broadcast on my 6th birthday.

Seventh Doctor: This is most difficult. I remember watching Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred as a kid more than anything else, but don’t have any specific memories of episodes. Of the stories currently available on DVD, ‘Ghost Light’ is a bit confusing, and ‘The Curse of Fenric’ isn’t as good as others make out. As ‘Remembrance…’ has gone, I’ll go for ‘Survival’. Though I’m looking forward to ‘Battlefield’ coming out at the end of the month…

Well that’s my one (*ahem*) story per Doctor…

[TheLeen]

> Fifth Doctor: ??Androzani?s already gone, so I?ll go for ?Earthshock?, despite Beryl Reid.

You know, you don’t have to recommend me as many as possible… ;)

[Andrew]

See? This is why I said one recommendation each. If ten people make seven each…it’s exhausting!

Still, the group will likely settle on the best story or two from each regeneration in the end.

[Jonathan Capps]

Yeah, let’s try and get a consensus of one (or maybe two in special circumstances. I think Daleks + An Unearthly Child for the first doctor, as the first story is as essential as any) so we’re not overloading Marleen too much!

[Jonathan Capps]

> See? This is why I said one recommendation each.

Well, that was my intention!

[TheLeen]

The 1-2 most favourite essential stories of each era would be nice :D

Oh, I’m looking forward to this… I just hope I’ll be able to get my hands on all of them. But I actually have to stop buying everything on the internet… I’ve really pushed my budget this year.

[Andrew]

> > See? This is why I said one recommendation each.

> Well, that was my intention!

I meant one old Who story per person, not one story per Doctor!

[ChrisM]

So a voting system then?

I’m seconding Doctor 4: City of Death, then. I’m not sure it’s a typical Tom Baker tale (if that’s what you’re after) but it’s a good one.

[Seb Patrick]

Baker T has to be Genesis of the Daleks. No question.

[si]

I started going after stories that rated highly in Mark Campbell’s Pocket Essential Doctor Who episode guide, which I bought in 2003. I stopped trusing him after he gave The Gunfighters 5/5, and I bought the vid on that recommendation.
In that 40th anniversary edition, his introduction also said that the series was ‘dead’, and would not be returning any time in the forseeable future. Funnily enough, he also mentioned Queer as Folk, which was, of course, written by…

[Jonathan Capps]

> I meant one old Who story per person, not one story per Doctor!

Yes… THAT was my intention! Surely the best way to do such a thing is everyone to vote to get a final list?

[Andrew]

> Yes? THAT was my intention! Surely the best way to do such a thing is everyone to vote to get a final list?

Ah! Sorry the suggesting of seven stories threw me! :-)

> Baker T has to be Genesis of the Daleks. No question.

I question this.

[Jonathan Capps]

> Ah! Sorry the suggesting of seven stories threw me! :-)

Well, we may as well get a comprehensive list ;)

[Dave]

Maybe Marleen should avoid this thread until we’ve reached a consensus and decided on her viewing schedule:

1 – The Time Meddler
2 – The Tomb Of The Cybermen
3 – Spearhead From Space
4 – City Of Death
5 – The Five Doctors
6 – Revelation Of The Daleks
7 – The Curse Of Fenric
8 – The TV Movie is worth watching once

[Mnoooah]

I have seen about 60 seconds of Old Who on YouTube, last year. On googling, it proves to have been City of Death. it made enough of a lasting impression though, for me to regard it as prime Who.

[hummingbird]

I thoroughly approve of this thread. Great idea

[TheLeen]

Is there a consensus yet?

Or do I have to watch Torchwood next? :D

[Pete Part Three]

Anything but that…

[Pete Part Three]

Actually, on second thoughts; watch the first episode, assume it will fufill this potential & evolve into a great show, but never actually watch another episode.

[TheLeen]

I’ve already done that bit. Seen the first one, bought the DVD box, looking forward to getting disappointed :)

[ChrisM]

>I?ve already done that bit. Seen the first one, bought the DVD box, looking forward to getting disappointed :)

To be fair I didn’t think it was that bad. It’s ok, enjoyable even, but it could be a LOT better, but there is certainly potential. A potential that should have been realized by now… but… anyway….

I’m quite looking forward to next year’s (not long now) series*. I’m hoping that since they’ve got a multi-part story that we’ll have a decent story to dig our teeth into.

*I think they’re classing it as a mini series as it is shorter than the usual run. But since 6 episodes is pretty common for British drama… ?

[si]

Series two of Torchwood was a hell of a lot better than the first. Series three is, I believe, five episodes, showing Monday through Friday in a 9pm slot. Don’t know when, exactly.

Going back to Who, I bought myself The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Lost in Time, and Planet of Evil on Boxing Day, none of which I’ve managed to watch yet. Ho hum.

[Dave]

I’m off to the shops to buy Battlefield now

[si]

Got back home to find my Battlefield DVD waiting for me today. Had a quick neb – not found any easter eggs yet. The Season 26 trailer is well naff.

[si]

Currently halfway through watching the Special Edition on Disc Two. It’s…not fantastic, but it’ll do.

EDIT: Watched it all. The dark haired one had a bad hand in maniacal laughter. There was a couple of amusing fights. Angela Bruce’s hair looked ridiculous. But..

[si]

Also, it showed that Sophie Aldred had a quite remarkable arse back in the day.

[JamesTC]

‘Battlefield’ is on order for me, I tried and tried getting it from WhSmiths and ASDAs but lo luck. Now I have to wait till tommorow atleast.
I think ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ and ‘Trial of a Time Lord’ should be put in that list, two of the best stories. I would also mention Big Finish Audios but I wouldn’t want to overflow Marleen (If you are interested ‘Jubilee’ and ‘Medicinal Purposes’ are brilliant)

[Ben Paddon]

Trial Of A Time Lord is, in fact, four stories making up one big one. It’s pretty despicable at times, but I enjoyed it overall.

I just ordered Battlefield. I have some very, very vague memories of having seen it when I was a lot younger – was 3 and a half years old when it first aired – but I don’t remember enough of it to know what it’s about.

[JamesTC]

‘Trial of a Time Lord’ has one title, I am in the school that consierd it one story, I thought it was near perfect, perfect Doctor, perfect enemy and some money put into it (seemingly, they must have saved loads by using the same set through most of it). If you have seen the DVD too you will know it has better extras than even Red Dwarf DVDs! Even The Bodysnatcher Boxset!

[Jonathan Capps]

The Restoration team certainly do a brilliant and ridiculously consistent job.

I’m *very* interested in your opinion of Trial, though! There are few people who are such big fans of Colin, let alone his most derided season!

[JamesTC]

He is my favourite Doctor, MR McGann is in second. If you have listened to BFA you will understand why Colin is my favourite, he is regularly voted number 1 out of the 4 BFA Doctors in polls. Couldn’t recommend BFAs more, 10 times as good as the new series, 2 times as good as the classic series.

[Jonathan Capps]

Oh, I am fully aware of the Big Finish and the greatness of Baker C., it’s just you don’t often see your type around so I thought I’d poke you a bit to see if you were real :)

Welcome to G&T, by the way.

[JamesTC]

Thanks, good to see another Colin fan.

[Jonathan Capps]

As great as Colin is, however, I’m afraid I can’t agree about Trial. In fact, I don’t believe the poor bugger had a single good story written for him.

[JamesTC]

‘Vengeance on Varos’, ‘The Two Doctors’ and ‘Revelation of the Daleks’ were all great if you ask me though I know not alot of people agree with me, infact season 22 is my favourite in the entire run of the show, the only stories from his era I really didn’t like were ‘Mark of the Rani’ and ‘The Twin Dilema’.

[Jonathan Capps]

Ooh, The Two Doctors. Totally forgot about that one! Yes, I like that story a lot. I have very strong and unpleasant feelings towards Revelation of the Daleks specially, though…

[JamesTC]

I understand why you might not like ‘Revelation of the Daleks’, it was written by a guy who hated Colin.

[Andrew]

I like Revelation a lot. But I really didn’t gel with The Two Doctors at all, sadly.

[Tarka Dal]

> Thanks, good to see another Colin fan.

Someone else tell him. I’ve got gussets to scrub.

[Seb Patrick]

Ignore what Cappsy says about Revelation, he’s WRONG.

Battlefield, meanwhile, is great. Also quite amused to discover from the recent DWM “In Their Own Words” special that Angela Bruce and the bloke who played Ancelyn were shagging. And indeed that Sophie Aldred (and her quite remarkable arse) seem to have got around quite a bit, as well.

[Ben Paddon]

Andrew and I agree on something, finally – I didn’t get on with The Two Doctors either. I like the idea of the hypothetical “Season 6B” but I didn’t like the idea of… well, of everything else.

[JamesTC]

I liked the dark comedy of ‘The Two Doctors’ as well as my third favourite Doctor and favourite Doctor working with my two favourite companions to fight somthing Who is a staple for, a terrible costumed monster (Sontaran).

[Tarka Dal]

I feel we need to see some evidence of Ace’s arse-tastic merits.

[JamesTC]

Possibly a DVD extra on ‘Dragonfire’? Ace’s top ten arse-tastic moments.

[JamesTC]

Merlin?!
I’m really enjoying ‘Battlefield’, near the end now, it is up to the quality of the other 3 season 26 stories certainly!

[JamesTC]

‘Planet of the Daleks’ has been recolourised using that new dot chrome reconsturction, it will be released in 2009, this is the schedule up to about september as confirmed in DWM –
E-Space Trilogy
The Rescue / The Romans
Attack Of The Cybermen
Delta and the Bannermen
Image of the Fendahl
The Deadly Assassin
Dalek War box set: Frontier in Space / Planet of the Daleks
The War Games

The best set of stories yet, this will probably be the best year for DVD releases still no Davison story in sight though 3 or 4 more stories to release in 2009 after those.

[Tarka Dal]

Delta and the Bannermen if it’s the one I think it is, is utter shash.

[Jonathan Capps]

God, yes. One of the worst examples of the 80s excesses of JNT.

But, yeah, that’s a cracking list all the same. The War Games is utterly brilliant, if a little artificially lengthened.

[JamesTC]

You could probably swap any episode from 2-9 around and it wouldn’t change too much but I have to say episode 10 was just brilliant besides it is great to get another Troughton. I was hoping for more Pertywee though, he has 13 stories after ‘Frontier in Space’/’Planet of the Daleks’, that is 13 stories spread over 3 years, 4 for one year and five for another, I think the next Pertwee’s we will see will be the liked of ‘The Daemons’ and ‘Invasion of the Dinosaurs’ though, they can benefit from dot chrome reconstruction which was used for ‘Planet of the Daleks’, shame they didn’t realise before ‘Doctor Who and the Silurians’ was released, that would have a better picture using dot chrome restoration then the use of NTSC tapes.

[Author]

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