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

[JamesTC]

>>I enjoy the show but it has problems, end off discussion.

>Much better idea – you express your opinion, nobody is allowed to disagree. Hooray!

You can disagree but to me it just seems like you are all picking apart my opinions for the fun of it, not to have a debate, to force an argument. That does sound a bit paranoid but still.

[Andrew]

Well it probably is deja vu – it sounds like it.

http://www.ganymede.tv/forum/2008/12/the-next-doctor-spoilers#comment-136990

[Ridley]

So the second example that springs to mind is a show that was broadcast in a post-watershed slot and featured examples of heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality in fairly equal amounts.

Equal? The protagonists are all bixsexual.

[Dave]

>The protagonists are all bixsexual.

Sex with biscuits?

[Danny Stephenson]

Hmm, crumbly.

Actualy thinking about that, that would drive me nuts. I hate crumbs in the bed.

[Ridley]

Now, now, Dave, there’s no need to be going make me look foolish.

[Andrew]

> Equal? The protagonists are all bixsexual.

So: like people, then. :-)

The problem is there were only, what, five lead characters. Two straight, two bi-sexual, and an alien that’ll fuck anything. With such a low number you change one, you massively alter the percentages. Semi-regulars like Rhys and Andy are also straight. Not that the show has any duty to stick rigidly to demographic representation…

[Ridley]

So the two straight characters having homosexual encounters doesn’t make them bisexual?

[Andrew]

> So the two straight characters having homosexual encounters doesn?t make them bisexual?

You’ll have to remind me, but I thought at least one was a possession deal…?

[Ridley]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Themes_in_Torchwood#Homosexuality_and_bisexuality

I’m not watching series 1 again.

[Pete Part Three]

Me neither, but nothing to do with the gay stuff.

[Jonathan Capps]

The Daleks have the right idea:

EXTERMINATE TORCHWOOD.

[Andrew]

> > So the two straight characters having homosexual encounters doesn?t make them bisexual?

> You?ll have to remind me, but I thought at least one was a possession deal??

Now remembering that lovely date-rape perfume Owen had, and the couple he used it on.

So, okay, never mind. Mainly because it doesn’t remotely matter – plenty of straight sex going on on-screen, too. All five can be, makes no difference to the show. It’d still be a mess no matter who they were screwing!

[NitroChrisUK]

just seen the trailer for new torchwood a load of children stand still WOW i mean just WOW

[ChrisM]

>just seen the trailer for new torchwood a load of children stand still WOW i mean just WOW

I haven’t seen it yet but you can’t really tell something will be bad from a trailer.

The fact that it’s a multi-part story give me hope that it will be something to get their teeth into, so to speak.

[Jonathan Capps]

> I haven?t seen it yet but you can?t really tell something will be bad from a trailer.

However, you *can* tell something’s bad if it’s Torchwood.

[ChrisM]

I honestly didn’t mind it. I accept it could be much MUCH better though. That’s what I’m hoping for with the new format.

[ChrisM]

Although there’s no reason it couldn’t have been better in the old format.

A lot of things I dislike about the show are the same things I dislike about Doctor Who too. (Although perhaps not to the same degree. There are some great Doctor Who episodes.)

[Seb Patrick]

> ?It?s like having a swarm of fucking mosquitoes buzzing around you. It doesn?t stop you doing your job, but, Christ, they buzz!??

I love this quote. I genuinely love it.

I hadn’t seen the quote before, but I wholeheartedly agree.

[Ridley]

Me neither, but nothing to do with the gay stuff.

You want some seed..?

[Danny Stephenson]

You want some seed..?

I genuinely lolled at this one!

[TheLeen]

THIS JUST IN:

Because I totally lost any kind of overview and because I’m really not sure whether this thread contains a gazillion spoilers or not: are we still compiling a list of must-see-old-who-probably-around-two-stories-of-each-era-for-Marleen here?

[JamesTC]

>are we still compiling a list of must-see-old-who-probably-around-two-stories-of-each-era-for-Marleen here?

The problem is with such a giant amount of stories just 2 from each era is hard, some people like their ‘Pyramids of Mars’, some people like their ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ and some people like their ‘Arc in Space’.
For now I think it is best to get a handle of your favourite classic series Doctor and get a few stories of their era.

[Dave]

>are we still compiling a list of must-see-old-who-probably-around-two-stories-of-each-era-for-Marleen here?

Of the stories out on DVD (or thereabouts) in the UK, I would recommend:

1st – An Unearthly Child (part 1 at least), The Aztecs,
2nd – Tomb Of The Cybermen, The Mind Robber, The Invasion
3rd – Spearhead From Space, The Three Doctors, Carnival Of Monsters
4th – Pyramids Of Mars, The Robots Of Death, City Of Death
5th – Black Orchid, The Five Doctors, The Caves Of Androzani
6th – Vengeance On Varos, The Two Doctors, Revelation Of The Daleks
7th – Ghost Light, The Curse Of Fenric, Survival
8th – The Movie, Shada (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/webcasts/shada/one/prelude.shtml), The Chimes Of Midnight (CD)

[Seb Patrick]

Marleen should watch Genesis of the Daleks and then Remembrance of the Daleks and then City of Death and then The Curse of Fenric and then the Paul McGann movie (because even though it’s shit Paul McGann is brilliant and she’ll love him) and then END OF THREAD.

[TheLeen]

I love Paul McGann already, just from pictures. I’ve been looking forward to the movie for a while now.

Anyway, getting all the DVDs will be somewhat expensive, so some kind of consensus among you guys would be good. Or is it unrealistic of me to hope for a “definitive” list?

Stuff that somehow ended up on DVD my shelf but that I haven’t seen yet: Dr. Who and the Daleks, Daleks- Invasion Earth 2150 AD, The Five Doctors. And Dalekmania, hehe.

[JamesTC]

>Dr. Who and the Daleks, Daleks- Invasion Earth 2150 AD

Those are not Doctor Who, it is about this bloke called Doctor Who who invents a time machine.
I think I will stick with the Time Lord who steals a TARDIS.
Watch ‘The Five Doctors’ as soon as possible though, it gives a very nice overview on several Doctors and enemies.

[Andrew]

I’d like to add Spearhead From Space and/or The Time Warrior, along with Caves of Androzani, to Seb’s list, and I’d swap Fenric for Survival. Oh yes I would.

[Tanya Jones]

The. Talons. Of. Weng-Chiang. I’ll even let you borrow the bloody thing, Marleen :)

[Andrew]

Oh, yes, what Tanya said.

It’s hard not to weight the list heavily to Tom Baker’s era, frankly.

[Tanya Jones]

Although ‘The Invasion’ from Troughton’s era is groovy, especially if you find Wendy Padbury showing her knickers amusing/arousing. But Weng-Chiang was my first classic (if you don’t count the odd viewings during my childhood), and I’ve never regretted it.

[Ian Symes]

Watch ?The Five Doctors? as soon as possible though, it gives a very nice overview on several Doctors and enemies.

The Five Doctors is just a huge continuity-based circle jerk. Entertaining and fun, yes, but surely it’d be better to watch it after you’ve already got a good idea of those Doctors and enemies?

[JamesTC]

>The Five Doctors is just a huge continuity-based circle jerk. Entertaining and fun, yes, but surely it?d be better to watch it after you?ve already got a good idea of those Doctors and enemies?

It was one of the first stories I saw and I thought it was a great story, not much knowledge didn’t hold me back. It was certainly the first story featuring Doctor 1,2 and 5 though the next day I watched ‘The Tomb of the Cybermen’ and ‘Earthshock’.

[Seb Patrick]

>Or is it unrealistic of me to hope for a ?definitive? list?

It’s pretty unrealistic, I’m afraid. But honestly, Cappsy’s first post in the thread does a pretty good job of giving a good “overview” list, and I don’t think many of us would argue too bloody-mindedly about it. I would say if you want to watch one story for each Doctor, then that’s about the best list you could go for. Although you should probably watch all three Tom Baker ones that he lists, as they’re really too difficult to choose between and showcase the three distinct attributes of that era (“Genesis” is perfect Who-lore, “City of Death” is Douglas Adams comedy, and “Talons…” is Robert Holmes’ masterpiece).

That said, for the Fifth Doctor, I’d maybe suggest a story other than his last one. “Earthshock”, perhaps. BUT IF ANYONE SPOILERS IT FOR HER THEY’RE BANNED FROM G&T.

[TheLeen]

I see.

So in the end, I’ll just have to buy everything ever released.

Sigh. Alright then.

Let me finish Battlestar Galactica quickly and save up some cash.

[Seb Patrick]

Ah, it’s not that bad. If you go for one story from each Doctor, but an extra two for Tom, that’s only ten DVDs. And if you got someone from the UK to pick them up in UK shops (where they’re often quite cheap) for you, you’re probably only looking at about ?80-90. And with the current exchange rate that’s probably only, what, about 10 Euro?

But if you really just do want one or two, then the one absolute story I’d say you should watch in order to get a flavour of just how good Classic Who can be is… Genesis of the Daleks.

Oh, and as for the Peter Cushing movies you’ve got – as SoundableObject says, they’re not “proper” Doctor Who, they’re basically Dalek movies which feature a character called “Dr. Who” who is a scientist from Earth. They’re enjoyable in their own way, but they’re not really at all indicative of what Old Who is like.

[TheLeen]

> And with the current exchange rate that?s probably only, what, about 10 Euro?

Hahaha! I wish :D

Time to start proper quoting, too…

Oh, and as for the Peter Cushing movies you?ve got – as SoundableObject says, they?re not ?proper? Doctor Who, they?re basically Dalek movies which feature a character called ?Dr. Who? who is a scientist from Earth. They?re enjoyable in their own way, but they?re not really at all indicative of what Old Who is like.

I had no idea such things existed. I think my friend bought me this Dalek DVD because it’s nicely sparkly on the outside. I’ll keep it for later, then.

[TheLeen]

PS: nothing. Hit “Post Comment” twice. Bloody touchpad

[JamesTC]

The Dalek films are based on two Hartnell stories which are availible on DVD and are much better. They are called ‘The Daleks’ (it is availible in ‘The Beginning’ box set which I reccomend highly for the extras alone) and ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’. They planned a third film which was to be a re-make of ‘The Chase’ but I think Dalekmania had died down by then.

[JamesTC]

So is anybody getting ‘The Rescue’/’The Romans’ on monday, it looks like a bloody good set.

[Ian Symes]

Is that a recommendation for Marleen? I think not!

[Ben Paddon]

No, it’s a chicken.

[JamesTC]

Who cares? I want it off the ship.

[si]

I’ll be getting The Rescue/The Romans (I’ve ordered it from Play, so it’ll probably arrive tomorrow). I bought The E-Space Trilogy as well lately, but still haven’t got round to watching those, what with one thing and another.

[Seb Patrick]

>Is that a recommendation for Marleen? I think not!

I knew that, but did he know that? I think not!

[si]

Watched ‘The Rescue’ this morning, and it was pretty good. Those skirts are going to be *very* short in the 25th Century…

[Dave]

>Watched ?The Rescue? this morning, and it was pretty good. Those skirts are going to be *very* short in the 25th Century?

If I were 500 years younger…

[JamesTC]

I can recommend ‘The Rescue’, it is a wonderful little story, a teeny tiny cast with only about 4 new sets built. The crashed space ship reminds me of the Nova 5 too.

[si]

Currently halfway through ‘The Romans’, and it isn’t as good as I’d hoped. Although there is a very good featurette called ‘Girls Girls Girls’ which is about the Doctor’s female companions of the 60s…

[JamesTC]

I have finished ‘The Romans’, I quite liked it, not as good as the other historical stories like ‘The Aztecs’ but still highly entertaining and very funny, especially episode 3, I was laughing like an idiot at Nero.

[Author]

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