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Will The Friday Docback Guillotine 'The Reign Of Terror'?? DOCTOR WHO Story #8, And More...
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(click to EMBIGGEN) - via Paul Hanley
Merrick here...
Somehow managing to get this piece online despite battling one of the gimpiest computers on the planet! Here's to small victories...
A JOYOUSLY AWESOME VIDEO
Late last weekend, Docbacker kenplume posted a link to this YouTube. The piece has pretty much gone viral since then so you've likely come across this already. But, in case you missed it, I'm embedding it below for your enjoyment. I truly love this - the enthusiasm and energy here is contagious. A tip-of-the-hat to fbarich2806 for making sure I saw this!
This video came in from Devilgoblins (thanks for the re-send!). It's a whole lotta fun as well...
"THE REIGN OF TERROR" (Story # 8)
This is a considerable improvement over those breathtakingly inept "Sensorites," but it replaces fundamental incompetence with misguided tedium.
Scripted by Dennis Spooner (who also wrote "The Time Meddler" and a few "Dalek's Master Plan" installments for DOCTOR WHO ), the story finds The Doctor (William Hartnell) and companions Susan (Carole Ann Ford), Barbara (Jacqueline Hill), and Ian (William Russell) unintentionally landing in the middle of the French revolution in the 1700s, where they of course become involved. That's about the extent of the plot. There are certainly connivings, schemings, attempts at intrigue, and endless pontifications of allegiance and rebellion, but none if it is weighty enough to support either individual episodes, or the whole affair. There's not much structure here, and there are precious few surprises.
Unless my perception/understanding is incorrect, "Reign" features DOCTOR WHO's first use of location work - primarily depicting The Doctor walking along countrysides and roads, backed by a Peter and the Wolfish melody. This was a pleasant surprise, and a lovely little portent of the often excellent location material DEW would bring us in subsequent adventures.
In the same way the chief problem with "The Sensorites" were the Sensorites themselves, the primary issue with "Reign of Terror" - a tale about the French Revolution - is the Parisians. They don't feel like Parisians. Many of them swagger about and drawl like second rate pirates, and the ones who don't appear stiff and uncomfortable (OK, so maybe they are sorta like Parisians). They sometimes feel as if they're auditioning for material they don't understand, rather than investing fully in their roles.
And this "lack of understanding" (.for want of a better phrase) is what ultimately prevents "Reign of Terror" from taking flight. Barbara's character has many OTT scenes of whininess and victimization here which feel inconsistent with the character we've already seen established. Direction by Henrich Hirsch and John Gorrie seems hellbent on presenting the tale as a straight-up historical drama rather than imbuing it with any level of presentational creativity of flare. This is DOCTOR WHO by way of some of the most plodding MASTERPIECE THEATER tales, and it simply never coalesces into solid WHO. This is a historical play that's merely going through the motions.
A few stabs at situational humor are made when The Doctor must don period clothing and ends up in a dopey looking hat...
...but perhaps that was intended to be serious as well. I can't tell. A subtle tweak to the closing titles of Part 1 ("A Land of Fear") has flames lapping at the bottom of the screen as the titles scroll towards the traditional blackness at the top of the screen. A nice and creative touch - more little nuances of this nature would've helped "Reign of Terror" feel quite a bit fresher.
"Reign of Terror" is never a complete failure or waste, but from very early on it becomes evident that it's a tragically missed opportunity in terms of fundamental envisagement. Just because it's historical and educational doesn't mean it can't be stirring and fun - and budget isn't intrinsically required to bring about either quality.
There's a bit of talk about beheadings and Guillotines during this story - which compelled me to pause the episodes and Google that whole beheaddding process. HERE's one piece about whether the brain remains aware after decpaitation - HERE's another- and there are many more should you favor the gruesome. Scientifically proven or not, it's fascinating and ghoulish stuff. Perhaps someday...in the far and unpredictable future...our heads will be Docbacking from our jars or boxes. Like FUTURAMA, or Dorium. I just hope my container has good Wi-Fi.
"The Reign of Terror" is currently not available on DVD. Available installments have been issued on VHS and an audio iteration exists on THIS CD. At this time, Episodes 1,2,3, a bit of five and all of 6 exist in video form - episodes 4 and the missing portions of five are available via telesnap reconstruction. A DVD - containing newly animated sequences in lieu of missing footage? - is almost certain, if it hasn't been formally announced already.
Huge thanks to Docbacker Bytor for setting me up with the currently available video for this episode - much appreciated, sir!
PREVIOUS DOCBACKS
[SEASON / SERIES SIX DOCBACKS]
"The Impossible Astronaut"
"Day of the Moon"
"The Curse of the Black Spot"
"The Doctor's Wife"
"The Rebel Flesh"
"The Almost People"
[RETRO-WHO DOCBACKS]
"Time and the Rani"
"Merrick's Personal Journey With The Doctor / "Frontios"
"An Unearthly Child"
DOCTOR WHO Title Sequences & DW At Comic-Con 2011
"The Daleks," "The Awakening," "The Crash of the Elysium"
"The Gunfighters" / "The Edge of Destruction"
Why Eccleston Left, Here Comes Caroline Skinner, And Season/Series Six Part 1 on Blu-Ray And DVD
"Paradise Towers" / New WHOvian Documentary / Newsbits
New Trailer For Season/Series Six Part 2
"Marco Polo" and "The Sun Makers"
2) matters of SPOILAGE should be handled with thoughtful consideration and sensitivity. Posts containing SPOILERS should clearly state that a SPOILER exists in its topic/headline and should never state the spoiler itself . "** SPOILER ** Regarding Rory" is OK, for example. "** SPOILER ** Battle of Zarathustra" is fine as well. "**SPOILER** Why did everyone die?" Is NOT good.
And, above all...
3) converse, agree, disagree, and question as much as you want - but the freedom to do so is NOT a license to be rude, crass, disrespectful, or uncivilized in any way. Not remaining courteous and civil, as well as TROLLING or undertaking sensational efforts to ignite controversy, will result in banning. Lack of courtesy may receive one (1) warning before a ban is instigated. Obvious Trolling or Spamming will result in summary banning with no warning. One word posts intended to bump-up any Docback's figures on AICN's "Top Talkbacks" sidebar will be considered actionable Spam - they not only complicate efforts to access Docbacks from mobile devices, but impede readers' abilities to follow or engage in flowing conversation.
Readers Talkback
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It's been years; and I had only a fourth hand video copy of it, and I was young. But I got the humor at the time. I've been waiting for a DVD release (one will be made) before I make more judgments of it.
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Nov. 4, 2011, 11:54 a.m. CST
choppah - I thought they said that the missing bits are going to be animated for a DVD release next year
by DoctorTom
I could be mistaken, though. It's been a long while since I listened/watched this one.
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Resent the one i sent you mate. Check out the second link.
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The video brought a smail to my face to see Lis Sladen again!
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Meant to say smile! Back to work...
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doctortom, you're right mate, they're animating the missing stuff and releasing it in 2012. The classic doctor who twitter feed had some links to images they look amazing! Hopefully they will be doing this with all incomplete stories, but they are very tight lipped about it.
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http://gallifreyanembassy.org/vortex/node/2198
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....so am completely unable to comment on any of it. I am sure that somewhere in the depths of the BBC there are lost treasures from Who. It's just them having the time, money and inclination to do the job of work. They should have took a tip from George Lucas (although I am aware that Who had been around for 15 odd years before he created Star Wars...)- hoarded tons of features, pretended not to have them, and then AMAZINGLY discovered them in time for the 75th re-release of the same fucking material. (apparently Star Wars blue Ray collection made $85m in its first weekend of release.) 240m homes worldwide last year watched Who- that's a hell of a lot of coin for the BBEB to re-invest!!!
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I for one would love to see many of the missing stories animated. I think the reluctance up until now has been over ROI: I think the Invasion DVD lost money. But perhaps the cost equation has changed. As for Reign of Terror, it's not one of my favorites, mostly for the reasons Merrick outlined. I'll post another con story later.
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If anyone is interested in following a not-we watching the show from the beginning for the first time (in this case my wife) please check out our blog here: http://tachyon-tv.co.uk/wife-in-space/ We've just reached the end of the 1960s...
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Nov. 4, 2011, 12:40 p.m. CST
Sorry guys- just been over to the capone tower heist thread....
by sam jacksons wig
...and have never laughed so much in my entire life!!!! I am still howling as I type this! I mean, how can you post something and miss an ENTIRE article???? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! FREE FOR ALL!!!!
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Nov. 4, 2011, 12:41 p.m. CST
sorry- the above post was not deliberae trollling, just a comment on something extremely funny!..
by sam jacksons wig
...I will refrain from that kind of conduct on the DocBack. Once again my apologies guys!!! Not the time or place to be sure! SJW.
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When it was done for "The Invasion", it was fantastic, but it was reported that the animation process took longer and was more expensive than originally thought. At the time, they said there might not be any more animated recreations for while, if ever. Have they come back around? I hope so.
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Nov. 4, 2011, 1:09 p.m. CST
Bah, I hate the corporate IT blocking streaming videos - I'll have to wait until I get home to watch the posted videos
by DoctorTom
Then again, getting any website to load at work now feels like it's trying to suck the internet up through a straw, so even if I could stream it would probably take 3 hours to get all the content for those streams.
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Nov. 4, 2011, 1:11 p.m. CST
In the meantime, another old sketch that people might not have seen
by DoctorTom
This was the old Dave Allen at Large sketch (I tinyurl'ed the address to make it smaller). I think I first saw this clip in the 80's even though it's much older than that. This one always brings a smile to my face. http://tinyurl.com/42emmhe
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Nov. 4, 2011, 1:14 p.m. CST
Sam - hi there! And, there's an extra irony in that thread...
by DoctorTom
Someone might have heisted the Heist article and left that spaceholder in its place.
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...once you start you just can't stop!
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True, at the time it took a while and they thought it cost a lot, but that was also when they had plenty of Doctor Who titles left to release. Now, they're near the end of new titles to release, and have a handful that have most of the episodes. These were released as stories with linking narration on VHS (Reign of Terror, Shada and the Tenth Planet come to mind). Now that they're near the end of the list, they have to figure out how they want to release these. They're going with animation for Reign of Terror, and they've announced Shada, but we don't know what they're going to do for the rest. Also, since the time of the DVD release of Invasion, there's been the Infinite Quest and Dreamland, both with David Tennant. These were animated in different methods, so they might have been exploring some options for doing it in the future. I would think that if Big Finish can do an animated linking story for Bernice Summerfield, that 2/Entertain should be able to animate missing episodes if they were interested.
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I mentioned how Shada and Mission to the Unknown have been completed (with animation, and for Shada, new audio). Sadly, and I think moronically, 2/e declined to use them. The reviews have been good, save for those who have it in for Ian Levine, and it would not have been a bad move to use this. It's been a major blow to Ian, who has done so much for Doctor Who -- out of the desire to help all of us fans. Something needs to be done to get 2/e to change their minds. This is stupid beyond compare.
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You can find it online, I'm sure ;)
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Nov. 4, 2011, 1:32 p.m. CST
Ah, a possibly cheaper solution to standard animation the episodes, though just as time consuming
by DoctorTom
film the missing episodes using stop motion animation and Doctor Who action figures. This has the added bonus of being able to spice up old episodes with surprise guest aliens - for example, it would easy to slip Ood or Weeping Angel action figures into the backgrounds of a scene. You could also have fun animating complete stories like this - Who's to say that when they took the telesnaps of the Macra Terror they just didn't bother to get any pictures of Troughton wearing a fez?
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Is to do it for tv. Seriously. If they were smart, they would have done that for next year. Have it done for the long break between the Christmas special and the fall.
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if they try to do that, they wouldn't animate it, they'd do it either with Sock Puppets or with one of the Blue Peter build-your-own-Doctor-Who sets they just had on a DVD.
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Merrick - I think you're right about this featuring the show's first location shoot, but I seem to recall someone telling me that it wasn't actually William Hartnell in the scene as The Doctor. Haven't a clue why not, or who the actor was in the scenes, but that's my bit of trivia for this one.
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Last I heard, they were still working on animating the missing scenes, but that was a while ago and I have no idea if that is ongoing. Missing episodes will be covered in the anniversary year as part of the various documentaries that'll feature in the lead up to November 2013. It would be nice if someone, somewhere discovered more missing footage, or full episodes, in time for the anniversary, wouldn't it?
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William Russell was on a two-week holiday for some of this story (including the above episode), he appeared only in pre-filmed inserts in Episodes 2 and 3. Similarly, in the long shot of the Doctor walking along a country lane (incidentally, the first location footage filmed in the history of the show), a stuntman doubled for William Hartnell, as Hartnell was busy rehearsing for The Sensorites.
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Well, that explains that then!
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Hope everyone is doing well. :) I am a latecomer to the Doctor Who series and really need to go back and look for these older episodes. Any suggestions for the best source? Thanks!
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I think some of the older episodes are on YouTube. Also, if you have an Amazon Prime membership, there's a lot of Doctor Who that you can stream for free.
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There are very few classic Who eps I've seen (pretty much just the ones on Netflix streaming, weren't aren't exactly numerous) and my attention span/memory isn't such that I could recall the names of the episodes, the aliens portrayed, or much of what happened, unfortunately :\ Plus there were some episodes for which I was a bit distracted :P Simon will have to remind me which story it was we were watching when, after an episode ended and I asked him if he wanted to watch the next one, he had to point out that the story had finished and there *wasn't* a next one. Whoops *lol* Something to do with being turned into trees. I don't even remember which Doctor it was. Sad, isn't it? So I feel a tad useless on these Docbacks!
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Nov. 4, 2011, 2:50 p.m. CST
Here is the YouTube video of the ANIMATED RESTORATION...
by Yotz Von Frelnik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYt1OsSPaVs I was surprised you didn't have knowledge of this yet. The DVD will be released next year, and this video shows a preview of the results at a Doctor Who screening in australia a few months ago.
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I really would advise avoiding the really early stuff until you've got a good taste for the show. It can be a tough slog through most of the black and white episodes, and they tend to be very drawn out. I would jump into some classic Tom Baker first, or maybe even Pertwee, but nothing before that. Just my opinion, of course! Once you become addicted, save the early stuff for later if you feel the need to watch it for completion purposes. And before anyone accuses me of not being 'a fan', I love the show with all my heart, but some of the early stuff really is crap. I don't feel there's anything wrong with admitting that!
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Nov. 4, 2011, 3:52 p.m. CST
Tom Baker Doctor was the Gateway Doctor for most.
by Michael_Jacksons_Ghost
He was the first Doctor I was introduced to. Then as I got older, I sought after the older stuff. On a side note, me and the wife re-watched series 6 this past week, and the wife said something cool. She told me, "If silence will fall when the question is answered, with the Doctor being silenced with the answer to his real name, then what his a enemy of the Doctor had time travel capibilities, and wanted to kill the Doctor in the past, it would be hard to track him down post stealing the TARDIS, so find out who he was pre-TARDIS, would be an easier target then." That would be kinda cool, and would make sense.
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The story that you had been watching was probably Mark of the Rani. The Rani had landmines set up that would turn people into trees. It's not sad that you couldn't remember which Doctor it was; it was a Colin Baker story written by Pip and Jane Baker so it would have all the tendency of sticking in your mind like Teflon. What's sad is that I probably figured out which episode it was just from the limited amount you could remember. ;)
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Other than the first season, how much classic Doctor Who have you seen so far? Have you had a sampling of all the Doctors yet?
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I've now gone to the beginning of Tom Baker's run and I've very much hooked now. I have to thank the Docbackers here for their suggestions and help.
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It's probably what people think of when they think of quintessential Who. I'd also advise the free BBC animated webcasts. Specifically, Real Time. It's quite special: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/webcasts/realtime/ I wasn't prepared for how horror it was going to be.
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I think you're right... now that you mention it, I remember the Rani and that silly-looking mark! *LOL* I thought her verbal sparring with the Master was amusing, but otherwise she seemed to be reduced to a very corny villain. And George Stephenson! "It'll take off like a rocket!" (Had a good chuckle at that) Yep, all coming back to me now. Good job :) I should probably give it another watch sometime.
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I usually recommend the Tom Baker story "City of Death" for newcomers. It's well-paced, funny as hell, and a rip-roaring good story. Plus, Julian Glover is awesome in it. And a John Cleese cameo! If you don't like that, you just aren't cut out for classic Who. :)
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So I was at a con -- I want to say it was TARDIS 22 in 1985 (Chicago), but I couldn't tell you for sure -- and among the guests were Janet Fielding and Mark Strickson. Well, during a panel with Ms Fielding, someone asked her if JN-T made her dye her hair red so that she wouldn't be confused with Adric. Of course, Janet just stared at the poor kid who asked the question for a few moments, before responding that that was not the case, and she hoped that even on her worst day she looked nothing like Matthew Waterhouse. Still, the next day at the con, she showed up in an Adric costume. Later that day I went to Mark Strickson's panel, and the first thing he said was, ''Has anyone seen Janet Fielding today? She looks like a demented garden gnome!''
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ChicagoTARDIS is in 3 weeks. And I've yet to start stitching the "police public call box" onto my TARDIS beanie hat. I'm so not gonna be prepared. :S
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Hi all - sorry I missed The Sensorites last week, I've been terribly busy at work. However, without reading most of the Talkbacks, I have to say that this one is one of my favorite early Hartnells. Yes, Merrick, this one is the first story ever to have location filming - that lovely bit in episode one down the country lane - and I think while it tends to meander and have some folks out of character a little bit, it certainly stands the test of time. I can't wait to see the newly-reanimated episodes 4&5 (done by Big Finish, no less) on DVD. This one will be high on my list of “must-buys” when it does indeed come out. Glad to see you're not skimping on the BW era of Who because you have some real gems yet to come. Hopefully I won't miss any other weeks but suffice it to say you've rekindled my desire to watch/listen/experience them all over again (which, granted, isn't hard to get me to do, haha!) I'll see you all next week!
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I have had the privilege of seeing them - don't ask me where or how - and they are wonderful labours of love that Doctor Who fans would adore. It is particularly short-sighted of The-Powers-That-Be to have decided not to use them and the present plans for Shada - which supposedly just involve sticking all of the existing material on a collection with other bits and pieces - amount to a criminal waste of potential. For Mr L to have invested so much time, effort and love into these and for them not to have been picked up by 2Entertain must surely be a kick in the balls and I am hoping that a serious change of heart will take place before the end of the run of Doctor Who titles on DVD.
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I have no doubt of their quality -- Ian's heart in the matter shows he would do the best possible. It's a shame how his week has been; I pray things turn around for him soon.
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Going in order, save when a new DVD comes out. That makes sense -- keeps some other Doctors in the spotlight, but otherwise, it's like our own "Time Team."
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I hope you're right. I prefer the flash-style animation used in "The Invasion" and "Infinite Quest" over the video-game-style of "Dreamland". Thanks, yotzvonfrelnik, for posting the YouTube of "Reign of Terror" animation -- looks good! I'd love to see a full-on swarm of animated restoration of lost episodes. Maybe we'll get a chance to see some version of "Macra Terror" (or, really, any of the lost Troughton episodes), "Tenth Planet", or "Dalek Masterplan" other than the telesnap restorations. ChicagoTARDIS in three weeks!!! I, for one, am looking forward to seeing Janet Fielding again. I haven't seen her since the good old days of TARDIS 21 back in the 80's. It's nice to see her back in the Doctor Who fold, both at cons and in the Big Finish range of audio episodes.
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If you ever get the chance, I'd love to see you on a panel or two at ChicagoTARDIS or one of the other cons.
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...for picking which episodes to show to a chap in order to convert him to a proper Who fanatic? I told my friend about Doctor Who the other day, and after weeks of pestering and badgering, I finally made him watch Girl in the Fireplace. His general impression was positive, but it wasn't the kind of unbridled enthusiasm that I was looking for. I have Blink, Midnight, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, and Water of Mars lined up. Which one of those episodes should I show next? Or should I be picking other Tennant episodes? Or should I just go straight for the Smith S5/S6 stuff? Advice would be much appreciated. :)
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*** how much classic Doctor Who have you seen so far? Have you had a sampling of all the Doctors yet?*** At this point, I've sampled every Doctor except Troughton and Colin Baker. So far, I'm strongly favoring Matt Smith and Jon Pertwee, although I firmly believe that *all* of the Doctors are well-conceived characterizations/interpretations played by extremely capable and inventive actors - although a few (McCoy in particular) were let down by the overall quality of the material they had to work with.
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*** I'd love to see you on a panel or two at ChicagoTARDIS or one of the other cons. *** *** I second what kauzi sezso said :) *** Thanks so much! Really appreciate the sentiment! I'd totally be into this should the opportunity ever come my way.
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Missed you all, but had a busy few days. Love that Cyberman art!! I'm going to try to watch Reign of Terror if I can find it on youtube/dailymotion. Will report back. Why is it so slow here this week?? Where is everyone?
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If they allow filming (I'm not sure) maybe someone who's there can supply films from the Con for Merrick to post in a DocBack sometime after that.
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NOW!! lol jk. No rush, just don't QUIT doing it, okay?
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If it were me, I would go with Blink next. But all of those are good choices.
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Episode 3 IS coming... We just got a bit derailed by life last week.
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But once you have seen an episode, I'm not sure if one needs that kind of episode for the second. It's a great story, but I think maybe... something else.. would work.. 11th Hour?
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I think the lost story aspect of it has made the discussion light this time. Alas.
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I remember the David Banks book. Too bad some of its ideas were not incorporated into the series..
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Maybe this has been done in the past or maybe it's done now and I'm just missing it but... a for lot of the classic Who DocBacks (okay almost all) I haven't seen the episode in question. Do you think we could have a blurb at the bottom about which episode will be covered next, so that I have a bit of time to watch it and can participate (or at least try)? *LOL* Added bonus is that would give me good incentive to get off my lazy ass and watch more classic Who!
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Pictures will, of course, be taken... not sure about video. I'll do my best!
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An acquaintance of mine has put together an "Adipose reunion" so bring your Adipose plushies and stress toys. Details are on Facebook if you search for "Adipose Family Reunion at Chicago TARDIS".
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Interestingly, I used to do this very thing but no one seemed to notice so it started slipping my mind. I can totally start again with no trouble at all - look for it at the bottom of each article. Next week - "Planet of the Giants"!!!
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It's the only Doctor Who story I've never been able to sit all the way through, and it is a short one. Of course, I only tried once, late at night, the first time it was on my local PBS station and I was about 14..
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I thought Jake the Snake invented the DDT in the 80s? Oops, DDT the insecticide. Wiki synopsis makes the story look like good fun at least. Sorry, the b/w early Doctor stories featured here so far just haven't looked like my cup of tea. I did try to get through Aztecs, but didn't get very far in.
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Now that I actually have time to follow these things again, it's much appreciated! :)
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Thank you everyone for the suggestions. Been a crazy couple of days at work and home, so I have not had the chance to check in. I have seen all of the New Who but I actually got started with the Matt Smith era and went back. I think I will be starting the Old Who journey with the Baker episodes. God, I love this place. People are actually very willing to help and no one makes fun of you for not being an expert! What really impresses me is that the well versed fans are so eager to share their love and respect with us newer fans. Merrick, you should be very proud of what you have created and maintained here. I know I am proud to be even a small part of it. Any of the Docbackers located in FL? Would be nice to have a get together sometime.
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Sure, sometimes things are not perfect; we get some new people from time to time not understanding the desire to have good discussions which allow for differences of opinion. But as a whole, there are a lot of us here, and there are people with different levels of interaction with the show. This is how Doctor Who fandom should be like! Welcome! Oh, and Tom Baker is an excellent place to start. I would actually suggest Tom Baker, then Peter, then Jon Pertwee. Then get the rest in.
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It's been said over and over, but I concur with the starting with Tom Baker. He was my first Doctor, and Peter Davison was a great followup. I've gone back to Pertwee in recent years, and he's also great. I love them all in one way or another. Some of them got stuck with more bad stories than others. I'm in DC myself, but I know a family of Whovians in Florida who aren't involved in the DocBacks.
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Nov. 7, 2011, 12:45 p.m. CST
Icyhot, I, too, have not had much fun with the way early stuff...
by Red43jes
I'm hoping that when we finally get to the Troughton era, I might feel differently. There seems to be some stories in there that just seem more significant (not trying to take anything away from William Hartnells era).
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I feel like I'm being a little unfair by not going ahead and sampling more from all of the Doctors, but I'm having so much fun with the Tom Baker stuff now. I'll already up to Terror of the Zygons.
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Nov. 8, 2011, 3:08 a.m. CST
sorry not been on for a few days but have ben involved in a pretty bad road accident.....
by sam jacksons wig
..... but I am thankfully okay. So was the other driver, which is a major miracle- he sustained cuts and bruises to his arms and legs. Myself, I hit my head off the side door, twisted my neck and right knee. the collision occured as I was stationary at a set of traffic lights. The car behind lost control, hit a tree, flipped over onto its roof and ploughed into the back of mine. If I had been 20-30 yards closer when he flipped he would have gone directly through the back window of my car. So SJW is battered and bruised, but alive to tell the tale. That was some SCARY shit and no doubt about it. Hope everyone is well here- I will ry and catch up over the next couple of days and will definately see you all in the next DocBack. Take care!!! (especially when driving!!!) SJW.
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I'm glad to hear both you and the other driver made it out alive. It is scary. I've had some weird stuff happen to me on the road, including one person (obviously drunk) going fast, weaving around on the road as it was beginning to snow and the road was icing up. They swerved around me -- from behind -- and as the car was aiming toward me and my door, I somehow got out of the way.. really terrifying... and I've been hit a few times from behind, but never as bad as you. I hope insurance is helping to take care of things? And keep a look out, whiplash can come a few days later.
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I'm glad things weren't worse - that definitely sounded scary!. I hope that your neck and knee get to feeling better soon.
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At least you weren't one of the Taunton 7...
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Sorry to hear about your accident but very glad to hear that you were not seriously hurt! Take care and hope the soreness goes away soon.
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Start off with Tom Baker's first episode 'Robot'. Not his best, but his Doctor is probably the easiest to pick up on after watching 'Nu Who', and of course you've got the wonderful Liz Sladen for continuity to the newer show. Yes, you could start with a gem like 'The Deadly Assassin', but that should be saved for later when you've fully come to appreciate Tom's performances. At least that's what I always advise people who ask!
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Really sorry to hear about your accident. I wish you a speedy recovery and I'm glad nobody was seriously hurt. It sounded like a serious incident. Docbacks wouldn't be the same without you!
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Both genuinely new, and those who have been away a while and decided to return, welcome! The more, the merrier, especially if you love the show as much as the rest of us. One of my favourite things about reading these posts is the fact that everyone is at different levels of Who experience. Some have seen 'em all, others have had a smattering of various Doctors, whilst others haven't even seen all of 'Nu Who' yet. What a great mix! Hearing your thoughts on watching older episodes for the first time is always a fun read, and I hope you keep it up. And don't worry, it won't be long until Matt returns to our screens. Plus, we have the Children in Need teaser on 18th November to whet our appetites. The future's bright, the future's Who!
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Robot was the first one I saw, and it worked well for me. This last week I just went back and watched Robot through Revenge of the Cybermen in order (if Terror of the Zygons had been on DVD now I'd have watched that too), and the whole season is a good way to work into classic Who.
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Not been around for a while, work commitments have kept me busy. Sam, that accident sound horrendous - looks like you and the other guy were very lucky. Glad to hear that you are more or less ok, hope the bumps and bruises heal quickly.
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One of the best Who one-liners ever!
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Good to hear you are okay. Hopefully you got checked out. Neck issues are serious business and can come back to haunt you much later after the accident. I think my current problems are coming from an accident almost two years ago.
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...sounds a bit too much like unsinkable! That *was* a classic conversation from Robot. Thanks for reminding me michael_jacksons_ghost! My bed awaits. Night all!
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Really glad to hear you're okay! Unless it's just an excuse to get out of cat litter cleaning duties for a while ;)
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...I am truly touched by you all (not literally because that would be wrong in so many ways...). Things are now in the hands of my insurers and very capable solicitors. Went to see a colleague of mine who has not stopped laughing at the bruising on my knee which he thinks is the spitting image of Italy. He actually pressed where he thought rome should be. I replied by telling him to lay off or his office would look like the ruins of pompeii (and a nice Who tie-in to that comment, thank you very very much!) I will now console myself this week by drinking a lot of red wine- for medicinal purposes.
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Wow, so glad you weren't seriously injured. Take it easy, and I hope you heal quickly.
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I was the Eleventh Doctor on Halloween, and I met a nine year old girl dressed as a weeping angel. It was a nicely done homemade costume that a lot of work had gone into. She heard someone say the weeping angels are the scariest Doctor Who villains, and she argued with them that the Vashta Nerada are scarier, with the angels coming in second. The kid lit up when she saw me. Also, later I was wandering the streets watching costumes, and a teenage girl squeeed at me "THE DOCTOR! YOU'VE MADE MY HALLOWEEN!!!" I reached into my pocket and offered her a Jammie Dodger. She said "What's a Jammie Dodger... A TARDIS SELF DESTRUCT BUTTON!!!!!!" She then happily fled with the Jammie Dodger and her friends. And I'm in America. The world is changing. Just thought I'd share.
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Sorry to hear about that, that would be sucky for anyone. At least you are ok. The Docbacks wouldn't be the same without you! Cheers
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Nov. 9, 2011, 10:27 a.m. CST
MOV, anytime. I ended up watching Robot again last night,
by Michael_Jacksons_Ghost
and loving every minute of it. Wonder if one day, we could have a special edition of it with a more cooler looking robot. But will have to say "robot vision" in those episodes still hold up.
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I got a laugh out of the teenager recognizing the Jammie Dodger as a TARDIS Self Destruct Button. Maybe she'll get the reference the next time she watches The Impossible Astronaut and the Doctor asks for 12 of them (along with the fez). I'm hoping a Jammie Dodger reference can be slipped in at least once every season so Matt Smith can do for them what Tom Baker did for Jelly Babies.
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Nov. 9, 2011, 10:49 a.m. CST
MJ's Ghost - why would you want to change what the robot looked like?
by DoctorTom
It's one of the more distinctive (and actually cool looking) robot designs we've had in a TV series. I thought the design of the robot was one of the highlights for the costumes/effects people (despite the fact that the reflective surface on the robot caused havoc with them doing CSO).
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This Halloween was one of the best of my life. It was fun to see the small but diverse collection of people in the street who understood my costume. And I had excellent company for the evening.
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I saw it for the first time a few months ago after having already seen a ton of Tom Baker episodes, and it's fun watching him dive right into the role.
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You are correct on the robots look/design. But, I wish some of the movements were better, and distance shots looked better. Other than that, just me nitpicking. I am not asking for them to put Jabba into the episode, just touch up minor things.
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the part with the robot growing is something they've always had an issue with when they want it to look like something's growing - you see Azal doing the same foot shuffle routine when he's growing in the Daemons, and it looks about as convincing. The one shot that might be worth editing is the Action Man tank bit, and even that wasn't too bad. If they have the money for a special edition, they'd be better off putting the money into a special edition of Terror of the Zygons and fixing the Loch Ness Monster sock puppet (I heard that they're not going to do special CGI effects for it the way they did for the Mara on the Kinda release. Shame, really.)
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I 100% agree on the Lochness Monster being fixed. If not fixed by BBC for special edition, then maybe a fan edit. While on that, I wish Doctor Who had a Fan edit community out there that would fix some of the stuff. It could be done.
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Great story! Thanks for sharing that with us. It's great to know that the word is spreading and more and more people are starting to notice the show. Hopefully someone else will have a similar story to share with us on Friday...
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Not sure how I feel about changing the effects in the older stories. I'd definitely be against it if we lost the old versions entirely, but if we can have both, then I don't really see the harm. If changing dodgy effects brings in a few newer fans, then I'm all for it!
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when they've been changing the special effects for CGI, it's always been an option that you can select - new model effects for Nerva in Ark in Space, Dalek saucers in Dalek Invasion of Earth or the CGI snake in Kinda. You have the option to watch it the original way with the old effects if you wish. Even with special editions where they've edited or added to the story (Day of the Daleks, Planet of the Spiders, Curse of Fenric, etc) they always include the original version of the television episodes for people to watch it that way. They also clean up the transfers of the original versions. It's not like some of the movie releases where you don't ever really get to see Han shoot first any more.
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Oh, I've been watching all the updated versions with interest, and I've enjoyed them for the most part. I just worry that someday they'll only release the new versions and the old ones will be lost. Not likely to ever happen, but you never know these days. Nothing is safe!
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Nov. 9, 2011, 4:52 p.m. CST
A question, Merrick, sir.....................................................................
by axcel1
Since "Colony In Space" is being released this week, will it be the topic of this friday's Docback? (If it is, I believe there is something special about this story, which I will mention on friday, if it is this friday's topic.)
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I have been very busy doing things I never in my life imagined I would be doing. (all good things, not evil) And I am kind of surprised that I feel as good as a do as a result. People can surprise themselves in crisis, I guess. *Works well under stress* has never been on any of my resumes, let's just put it that way. Anyway, in case anyone was wondering why I was not a constant presence here this week, there ya go. I found a link I wanted to share, about a small building being listed as the *TARDIS House* for sale. In spite of it looking nothing like a TARDIS, and from the looks of it also most likely not at ALL bigger on the inside, I figured someone would be interested in it anyway... http://tinyurl.com/848l3wk I found it by accident while researching the *tiny house* movement. Fascinating stuff. Take care everyone, I will be back soon as things return to something closer to normal here.
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Nov. 9, 2011, 5:09 p.m. CST
Oh, sorry, I made a mistake.......................................
by axcel1
I was thinking of "Frontier In Space" when I was thinking of something special, which was, the book, "Love And War", which had the Doctor revisit the 26th century and the area in space where Earth and Draconia are in the middle of a war with the Daleks. A very good read, I thought.
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??? still going to happen or abandoned? I loved it.
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the more I love it.
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I just *might* get Planet of the Giants in time for tomorrow's/today's Docback. Of course, I would still have to watch it. Ummmm...
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Hee hee. Had to do it.
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