Story #31 - The Highlanders (1966-67)

Sarah -
Ah, here we are, good old Earth. Ben knows immediately that's he back in the United Kingdom. Home Sweet Home -- or is it? Sadly, he's not arrived just in time for the Cup Final. Rather he's found himself in the aftermath of the battle of Culloden in 1746. Polly's comment that he never gives up hope is particularly endearing, given the circumstances.


Harry -
What an opening. The tumult of battle, the bloodshed and anguish, where else would we be but Earth, unfortunately?


Sarah -
Troughton tears into the role in this story. He's a wild man -- redefining and remaking the Doctor before our eyes. He can't wait to begin the next adventure and inserts himself into history with no concern for the havoc he may cause. He dons the Tam o'Shanter, dismisses romantic piffle, directs Ben to cock a pistol and Polly to confiscate swords, and impersonates a German doctor all in the first episode. I love spending time with the Second Doctor!


Harry -
I love how Patrick Troughton leaps into the role with the zeal of a character actor. He was much more restrained and mysterious in the previous story. Defeating the Daleks seems to have unleashed this Doctor at last.


Sarah -
The Daleks will do that to you.


Harry -
I think the production team's creation of some gimmicky characteristics for this new Doctor seemed a bit forced. Most notably the obsession with headwear. He's said "I should like a hat like that" at least thrice in his first two stories.


Sarah -
Let’s not underestimate the importance of some good headgear, Dear Harry.


Harry -
Then there's the "master of the half-arsed disguise" gimmick, but more on that later.

This is quite the wild and wooly opening episode. The atmosphere and pace of events are frantic. Battle, death, capture, even a mini-cliffhanger at the makeshift gallows. The Doctor and his friends are being thrown every which way.

There was even time for a brief moment of Pythonesque humour to remind us that this is still Doctor Who and not just any old period drama. It's the scene where the Redcoat sergeant captures the Doctor and Ben:

SERGEANT: Surrender in the King's name!

BEN: Blimey, it's good to hear a London voice again.

SERGEANT: Silence, you rebel dog!

BEN: Rebel? What are you talking about? I'm no rebel! Me and the Doctor here, have just arrived.

SERGEANT: Deserter, then. You'll hang just the same.

...at which point the Doctor bursts in with that absurd Dr. Strangelove accent. Hilarious!


Sarah -
Loved it! When you find yourself in a sticky situation, there’s nothing better than whipping out the German accent!

Polly and Kirsty get their own subplot when they land in a pit. She had one of my favorite lines when Kirsty started crying yet again – “Do the women of your age do nothing but cry?” The scenes with Ffinch were priceless – Polly was completely in charge of the situation, that little 20th Century minx.


Harry -
This is Polly's best story by far. She really takes the initiative when you'd think the tough Scottish lass would have been the one to do so.


Sarah -
And then we meet the corrupt Solicitor Grey and his Gentleman’s Gentleman Perkins.


Harry -
Boo!  Hiss!


Sarah -
It’s pretty clear he doesn’t have the Scottish prisoners’ best interests at heart when he saves them from the gallows, but we’re not sure what he’s up to until the prisoners are loaded on the ships for passage to the West Indies. Ben is the first one to figure out that they’re to be sold into slavery – staying awake during history class has finally paid off for Our Ben!

I quite liked Perkins. His impudence towards Grey is almost endearing, “A little wine for your cold hear, Lawyer?” I appreciated that he ended up on the boat to France with the Highlanders – at least until the political winds shift.


Harry -
Incredibly, the majority of the story is all about rescuing the rebels from the slave ship. The story is so simple, but the rapid rotation of different scenes and characters gives it a fast-paced feel. The atmosphere in the ship's hold was well done -- lots of groaning and coughing, and everyone projecting the sense that it was a rank and awful place. Despite the awkwardness of watching a recon, "The Highlanders" has that "big period drama" sort of air to it.


Sarah -
It does, and it will be our last one for a while.


Harry -
Sadly so. This historical was decent, but far from being the best of them.

One character who seemed really out of place was the exaggeratedly piratey Captain Trask, who felt like a leftover from "The Smugglers." His telesnap facial expressions were comical, rather than menacing.


Sarah -
Maybe it’s one of those performances better lost to the ravages of the BBC.


Harry -
Speaking of comical, our new Doctor seems to enjoy fancy dress. What did you think of his array of "disguises", if that's the proper term? German doctor, old woman, injured soldier... it seemed a bit over the top to have that many disguises.


Sarah -
He’s having a great time, isn’t he? Troughton is definitely game for whatever they toss at him.


Harry -
There's another thing I can't imagine William Hartnell ever doing. The First Doctor had a presence about him that didn't require elaborate costuming to make himself believeable. When he did take to period dress like Roman togas or cowboy hats, it was more to fit in with the local surroundings, not to deceive people.

But Patrick Troughton has so much fun with his little deceptions that it's hard to slag him for it!


Sarah -
And Polly got to play dress-up, too – her prostitute disguise was more than a little effective.

When he and Polly are finally reunited, the Doctor is disinclined to do anything to rescue Ben and settles in for a bit of a kip. It’s something we’ll see the Doctor do in the future, but it still feels a bit heartless.


Harry -
That was bizarre. This Doctor is nutty!

I wonder at what point it was decided to make Jamie a part of the TARDIS crew. He doesn't stand out all that much here, so his joining the TARDIS crew is something of a surprise. After all, it was Alexander who charged out to face the redcoats, and Ben who had to escape the episode three cliffhanger, and Polly who dominated the subplot.


Sarah -
I’d like to take a moment to point out that we’ve gotten this far in the story without mentioning Jamie. It all the restraint I could muster to not shout his name from the beginning of this post. It’s hard to imagine why he got to become the next companion, but I am ever so delighted that he did!


Harry -
I'm glad the production crew took a flyer and decided to throw him into the mix, because Jamie will turn out to be one of the Doctor's best companions. I'd love to see a historical character joining the current Doctor -- we're stuck in a bit of a "21st century British lasses" rut at the moment.


Sarah -
Aren’t we though? I would love a historical or alien companion next. I guess we’ll see where they go with Jenna-Louise Coleman, but I don’t hold out much hope.


Harry -
Patience, Dear Sarah. Have faith in the Moff!


Sarah -
Best line: The Doctor, when Polly sees his gun, "It’s not loaded; they’re dangerous things."

Favorite moment: Polly outwitting Ffinch.

Lasting image: The Doctor in drag.

7/10


Harry -
Best line: "I've never seen a silent lawyer before."

Favourite moment: the Doctor launches into his German disguise.

Lasting image: Trask's crazy pirate faces. YARRRR!

7/10

 

Our marathon continues with Story #32 - The Underwater Menace...

Story #30 - The Power of the Daleks (1966)

Harry -
Well. There it is.


Sarah -
There it is, indeed. Our first regeneration!


Harry -
Would the internet have survived it? Thousands of online posters screaming "I DON'T LIKE IT! CHANGE IT BACK!" which we see every time something new happens on our favourite show. I'm glad Doctor Who was allowed to grow in a simpler time. A calmer time.


Sarah -
I don't even want to try to imagine it. Everyone would be out on the ledge, waiting to be talked back in. Oh the drama!


Harry -
The post-regeneration scene is calm. Almost too calm, as if the actors didn't know what to do. There's Patrick Troughton, mucking about and behaving even more mysteriously than his predecessor. There's Ben and Polly, doing... well I'm not sure what they were doing for the most part, as the reconstruction I watched was hampered by long silences and very few screen images.

What did you think of Troughton's opening scene?


Sarah -
Every time I watch a regeneration scene, it's like meeting an old friend for the first time.


Harry -
That's kind of timey-wimey!


Sarah -
Isn't it, though? Every Doctor is so new, yet so familiar. I love Troughton's mystery, the way he refers to "The Doctor" in the third person, the 500-year diary. Ben and Polly's confusion is probably what the original viewers experienced. Who is this guy? What happened to the Doctor? What's going on?

Also, I love that the recorder appears within the first 8 minutes!


Harry -
The 500-Year Diary is one of my favourite props.

Ben is notably cranky about the whole affair, but Polly's taking it in stride -- good on her.


Sarah -
Ben is the cranky fan complaining about the good old days -- Polly's the fan who's up for anything!


Harry -
Exactly!


Sarah -
I loved this exchange between Ben and the Doctor:

Ben: "Who are we?"
Doctor: "Don't you know?"

There are wonderful little comedic moments like this throughout the story -- lines that I can't imagine Hartnell pulling off as effectively.

“I never talk nonsense. Well, hardly never.” Can you imagine our First Doctor ever saying that?


Harry -
No, but I'm glad the new Doctor got off on a positive footing, despite all the initial mystery. It's crucial for any new Doctor to get off on a good footing with the audience. We'll see many hit-and-miss examples of this in the future.

For now, we soon settle into a more comfortable place. The Doctor steps out of the TARDIS to explore a strange gurgly planet, and on cue, his companions are separated from him. Then in quick order, we get violence and murder, mistaken identities, and A Mysterious Space Capsule (delightfully curvy and shiny). Hey, it's Doctor Who again!


Sarah -
With a whole new demeanor. The first Doctor would never say, "When I say run, run like a rabbit!" Or do it, for that matter.


Harry -
And to seal the deal with any remaining skeptics out there, we have Daleks. Is everyone down from the ledge now?


Sarah -
Honestly, unless it involves Manhattan in the 1930s, you just can't go wrong with a Dalek story.

Interesting aside, this is the first Dalek story not to be written or co-written by Terry Nation -- another change! It's also the first "... of the Daleks" title, and we know there are many more to come! I'll stop being all Toby now, but I'll have more to say later.


Harry -
What immediately grabbed me about this story was how many elements from it have been echoed in the Dalek stories of the new era:

• Daleks hidden inside a mysterious capsule -- we see this again in "Army of Ghosts / Doomsday", with the Genesis Ark.
• A Dalek being brought back to life by humans -- seen again when Rose lends her DNA to one in "Dalek."
• Sneaky Daleks pretending to be docile servants -- Yup, it's "Victory of the Daleks" all over again. Er... you know what I mean. Timey-wimey.

Sarah -
This is what happens when you let the fans take over production. Isn't it brilliant?

I started to amuse myself by imagining the Daleks' staccato chants as their affirming mantras:

I AM YOUR SERVANT
WE WILL CONQUER
WE WILL GET OUR POWER


Harry -
Everyone needs a mantra, even the diabolical.


Sarah -
All that's lacking is a Dalek guru telling them to believe in themselves and they can do anything!


Harry -
Speaking of rampant self-believers, why is it that the scientists - who you'd think they'd at least try to paint in a positive light - are once again shown as blinkered, gullible and inadvertently the bringers of destruction?


Sarah -
I think it's because everyone is so intent on their own agenda, with no sense of the larger issues facing them. They only hear what they want to hear. We know that a Dalek saying, "We are your...friends." should strike fear in their hearts, but they want to believe. At least I think Lesterson wanted to believe it -- I was slightly overcome by a fit of giggles at the line.

Anywho, the same thing happened in "The Tenth Planet" -- and will happen again and again as we roll along here.


Harry -
Every time Lesterson delights in the marvels of these servile Daleks, I want to reach through the screen and smack him. Every kid in Britain must have been ready to deal him a blow to the chops.


Sarah -
I'm sure when they watched it, they were yelling at the telly as much as we were yelling at our computers. Why won't they ever listen to us?


Harry -
Who knows. I was glad that midway through the story, Ben finally warmed up to the Doctor. This Doctor. Though, it did feel a bit odd for Jamie not to be around, didn't it?


Sarah -
Yes, but let's not get ahead of ourselves!


Harry -
As our friend Rob pointed out, this six-parter makes for some delicious character development. The middle episodes have very little action, but loads of petty squabbling and conspiring among the colony crew.

The only flaw to the side story of the rebel mutiny is that we don't really get a sense for why they are rebelling. So much of the story is in the immediate, that we are given little backstory about the colony to go on. At one point, even a Dalek seems baffled as to why humans would kill one another. That was a stinging jab.


Sarah -
It is not a good sign to have one's species called out on moral grounds by a Dalek, is it?

There was a point, which I believe was enhanced by the somewhat sketchy reconstruction, when I kind of lost track of who belonged to which faction and why they were all fighting each other.


Harry -
As the Dalek menace grew, the human factions grew more confused. Maybe the rebellion was purely lust for power? Bragen certainly radiates that.


Sarah -
Ah, Bragen. When my stream of thought started wandering, I found myself wondering why he looked so familiar. A quick trip to the TARDIS Index File answered my question -- he was Marcus Scarman in "Pyramids of Mars".


Harry -
Yes! Scarman!


Sarah -
With that off my mind, I did my best to re-focus on the muddled political intrigue.


Harry -
This story is all about people pretending to be what they are not. From the Doctor to the Daleks to the conspirators. The only honest person is the ill-fated governor, who dutifully tramped out to do his tours of the perimiter while all hell broke loose back at HQ.


Sarah -
Good point. I felt badly for the governor. He didn't seem a bad bloke.


Harry -
Here's where things really kick into high gear. Lesterson observes Daleks being assembled, he realizes he's been had, the Daleks are mass producing -- and he literally snaps. I can't remember someone falling apart quite so suddenly and dramatically in Doctor Who.

Having assembled a small army, or so those cardboard cutouts would have us believe, the Daleks run riot! The mantras are now a battle cry, ready to bring destruction to the entire colony. Will those foolish humans rise above pettiness to confront the menace that has been under their noses all this time?


Sarah -
Of course they will, but only with the Doctor and his companions there to lend moral support!

I loved the multiplying Daleks. It's the kind of cheap effect that always led to derision by non-fans, but is an important part of my love of the series.


Harry -
Whimsical now.  It's like something you'd see in a fan film.


Sarah -
The Daleks defeated, our heroes slip away in the TARDIS... just as a Dalek eye stalk rises to watch them go.


Harry -
Yes, we knew all along that the Doctor would be proven correct, but at a terrible cost. I can't remember another story where the Daleks go on that kind of extended rampage. Shot after shot of dead bodies, it was a bit overwhelming. But it was followed up with that fantastic Dalek destruction sequence and reasonably happy ending. What an exhausting story!


Sarah -
"The Power of the Daleks" is a wonderful start to the Troughton era.


Harry -
Yes, they really nailed it.


Sarah -
I'm so looking forward to the adventures ahead!


Harry -
Me too!  Did I get through this story without mentioning Jamie? Oh, guess not.


Sarah -
I would be disappointed if you hadn't!

Best line: "We are your...friends."

Favorite moment: "Run like a Rabbit!"

Lasting image: The multiplying Daleks.

8/10


Harry -
Best line: "Exterminate! Annihilate! Destroy!"

Favourite moment: Lesterson watches in horror as new Daleks are assembled.

Lasting image: Menacing massed cardboard Daleks.

9/10

Our marathon continues with Story #30 - The Highlanders...

Story #29 - The Tenth Planet (1966)

Harry -
Here it is, the end of the First Doctor's era. The final Hartnell adventure!

...and it seems our Billy was absent for a portion of the story again. How unfortunate.


Sarah -
A pity he fell ill during the filming and the writers had to scramble to rewrite episode 3. It gave Ben more to do, but it’s a bit of a letdown to get so little of Our First Doctor in his final story.

I’m experiencing conflicting emotions right now -- excited at the changes ahead and feeling nostalgic for all the good, and not-so-good, times we’ve had.


Harry -
Despite Polly's premonitions, there isn't much of a buildup for the big moment, and Hartnell's absence in part three actually serves to underscore that something is happening to the Doctor, physically. The producers did the best they could in uncharted waters.


Sarah -
His absence from so much of the story does lessen the effect of the regeneration. But let’s discuss the rest of story! We find ourselves at the South Pole in 1986. It’s not quite the 1986 I remember, but the title graphics more than make up for it.


Harry -
I like that they continued to experiment with new titles throughout the later Hartnell era.


Sarah -
Mama Mia, Bellissima! Despite Polly’s dishiness, the Snowcap Station blokes are more than a little confused to find themselves with visitors. Little do they know that trouble follows these visitors across the universe – or do they follow the trouble?

I really like the casting of the Snowcap crew and astronauts. They do a great job of immediately setting the scene and inhabiting their universe. I almost felt short of breath in the claustrophobic rocket scenes. Now that was some acting!


Harry -
The crew of the Zeus IV were great, even if they couldn't quite get their choreography right.


Sarah -
A minor detail when you’re trapped in space! Back at the South Pole, John Brandon’s American Sergeant was some crazy casting – getting an American to play an American? Daring casting.


Harry -
I love that his character is actually credited as "American Sergeant."


Sarah -
They should have called him “Joe” or something. Bringing in Canadian Robert Beatty, the Pride of Hamilton, Ontario, to play General Cutler turns it into an international extravaganza! (As a side note, it seems both Brandon and Beatty both had long careers in television and film, so good on them.)


Harry -
AAAAA!  I was born in Hamilton, Ontario!  How do you know all this shit??


Sarah -
a) I'm turning into Toby
b) I'm a librarian
c) all of the above


Harry -
Awesome!

Well, Part One of this story played out almost as a template. The Doctor and friends arrive somewhere interesting and they go for a look around. They meet up with some locals and plunge right into the situation, leading up to the cliffhanger reveal of the monster of the story.


Sarah -
It’s the classic Doctor Who template and it always works. Well, mostly.


Harry -
And here they are, the Cybermen! What a wild look. How did the actors manage to move around with those giant headlamps?


Sarah -
It was almost a little anticlimactic after all that build up, but they are fairly wild looking. The whole mouth staying open while they talked thing kind of freaked me out – even when they didn’t quite sync it up properly.


Harry -
There's an additional element of horror to these Cybermen because we can compare them to future models. These are more like prototypes that still have vestigial human hands. You can even catch a glimpse of human eyes through the eyeholes. That creeped me out, not to mention the sing-song voices.


Sarah -
Their early, more human, form is definitely more disturbing than the later high-tech models. The offer to take the human population of Earth to Mondas to be upgraded to Cyberfolk is so matter of fact. The Cybermen clearly think this is a great offer and can’t understand why everyone’s not signing up.

Still, what’s with the Doctor’s invitation to the Cybermen to “stay here and live with ‘us’ in peace?” Who’s “us” Timelord?


Harry -
I guess by this point the Doctor was feeling quite at home on Earth. He did break out the "Earth hat and scarf" once more for this adventure.


Sarah -
I’m going to miss the Earth hat and scarf.


Harry -
It is my mission in life to someday acquire and be cool enough to wear the First Doctor's Earth hat and scarf.


Sarah -
The rest of the planet’s reaction to the invasion is also interesting. Everyone seems terribly calm about a twin planet showing up, at least in the media.


Harry -
Maybe everyone chilled out by 1986, at least the world leadership and media?


Sarah -
I’ll look forward to finding out.

Speaking of the reaction, I really question the effectiveness of International Space Command, getting their information on the new planet from the news media. That said, the Secretary General is a perfect late 60s bureaucrat, doing a great job of stating the obvious in all his scenes. Without him, we might not be able to figure out what was going on!


Harry -
The analogue-equipped space command looks a bit clunky too, but I imagine this was cutting edge technology in 1966, or at least looked it.

My favourite moment is probably when General Cutler gives orders to prepare the Z Bomb. I loved everyone's shocked expressions. The only thing missing was one of the crew shouting "GENERAL! NOT THE Z BOMB!" with over-the-top horror. But these are professionals after all. Sabotage is more their thing.

What's that? Oh dear, the Doctor's just done a face plant.


Sarah -
And up steps Ben! What a resourceful chap, setting up the projector to blind the Cyberman and steal his weapon. His remorse at killing the Cyberman is so human and underscores the difference between the populations of the two planets.


Harry -
I really like Ben, not because he's a cute sailor bloke. Okay, not just because he's a cute sailor bloke. Too bad his and Polly's run as companions will be short lived.


Sarah -
Being a cute sailor bloke certainly doesn’t hurt.

Despite the Doctor’s absence, I loved the sabotage subplot. What’s not to love about a crawling-through-an-airshaft scene?


Harry -
The first of many!


Sarah -
Traditions have to start somewhere!

The bomb did look at bit like someone’s science fair project, but the actors sold the scene for me. I was more than a little stressed watching them try to diffuse the bomb. I was holding my breath when the countdown that ends episode 3 began.

Meanwhile, Polly gets to make coffee. Sheesh.


Harry -
Brutal!


Sarah -
In the end, of course, the Cymbermen are foiled and the Earth is saved.


Harry -
What a relief. But do you get the feeling this isn't the last we've seen of the Cybermen?


Sarah -
One can only hope.


Harry -
Sadly, this is the last we'll see of William Hartnell as the lead. I've watched this regeneration scene countless times and it remains one of my favourites. The quick cuts and closeups, the bizarre sound effects, and the TARDIS going haywire -- the connection between it and the Doctor evident so long ago!

Ben and Polly are just getting used to this "travelling through time and space" business, now their Doctor has vanished!


Sarah -
I’ve seen the clip many times, but it never carried as much emotional weight as it did this time. Before we began this little project, I had only seen Hartnell’s first three stories. I always meant to get around to catching up on these stories, but that plan wasn’t going very far.

I’ve grown to love the First Doctor more than I ever expected.


Harry -
Someday, when I grow up, I hope to be as cool as the First Doctor.  Overall, this a fun space exploration story combined with a base-under-seige drama, with soon-to-be-famous monsters and the critical first regeneration scene. Epic!

Best line: "I don't understand it, he just seems to be worn out." Polly foreshadowing what is to come.

Favourite moment: the crew reacting to the Z Bomb order, although it could have been even more over-the-top!

Lasting image: the Cybermen emerging through the snow.

9/10


Sarah -
A strong end to the era. Onward to the Troughton era!

Best line: "What did you say, my boy? It's all over? That's what you said... but it isn't at all. It's far from being all over..." I got a bit teary-eyed.

Favorite moment: Ben in the airshaft. It just made me smile.

Lasting image: Definitely the first Cybermen appearance.

9/10

Our marathon continues with Story #30 - The Power of the Daleks...

Story #28 - The Smugglers (1966)

Sarah - Well, here we are in the fourth season and at Hartnell’s penultimate story.

Unfortunately, the low quality of the soundtrack and still images really got in the way of my enjoyment of this story. I had to read a summary to be able to follow what was going on at some points.


Harry -
It seemed odd that a pirate adventure would be so unheralded in the Whoniverse, but watching the recon, I realized why. There's an awful lot of talking, and what little action footage there is has been lost.


Sarah -
It seems that quite a bit is going on in the action sequences, but who would know.


Harry -
It takes a long time to get to those sequences. By then, my interest had waned.

"The Smugglers" started off well, with stowaways Ben and Polly marvelling at the TARDIS and where it had taken them. The Doctor is bemused and happy to have company. I don't think he likes being alone.


Sarah -
When the Doctor says, “I really thought I was going to be alone again,” it's clear that he's happy to have them along. Polly and Ben are really quite smashing in this story. I like how they think they're just going to pop over to the station and get a train back to London. In for a bit of a surprise, aren't they?


Harry -
I love the normalcy and sense of fun that they convey after Dodo's weirdness.


Sarah -
The Doctor had some fun going along with their delusion. Nothing like messing with the newbies, I guess. I don't know if it was having to rely on sound without images, but Hartnell seemed to be doing more of his hooting than he has in recent stories.


Harry -
The Doctor certainly likes Earth, and the TARDIS does too. The old girl has brought us back again, this time to the beaches of 17th century Cornwall. Can't really see said beaches, but we can hear the sea at any rate.


Sarah -
It's a pity we don't get to see the footage of gorgeous Cornwall.

So, we meet Joe Longfoot, reformed pirate and keeper of secrets. As soon as Cherub showed up and killed Joe, I knew we were in for yet another mistaken-identity-the-TARDIS-crew-must-be-the-killers trope...and it made me want to lie down for a bit.


Harry -
It really is a story about concealing one's true identity. Starting with Polly-as-a-young-lad, the Doctor who tells the ex-pirate that they are travellers, Captain Pike who assumes the mantle of merchant gentleman, the rapacious squire who puts on airs, and so on.

And there's the problem I had with this story. It was screaming out to be an action adventure, but we got a lot of scenes of clever dialogue for too long.


Sarah -
Some of Polly and Ben's dialogue was a little too exposition-y for my taste. The role of the companion is to ask questions so the Doctor can explain everything to us. There were too many scenes of Polly and Ben explaining what was going on. It should have been helpful, given that we have no footage, but I just ended up feeling like I was watching an episode of Scooby-Doo.


Harry -
About midway through the story, I started getting annoyed with Ben (you'd think it wasn't possible!), the way he kept whingeing about getting back to barracks. What a way to flatter a girl! Polly must have felt like an old shoe.

Captain Pike was probably my favourite character in all of this. So full of himself, yet so transparent. Such pretensions, and such cruelty all in one package. I don't think we've seen a villain commit cold-blooded murder since Johnny Ringo back in the old west -- or is that, in the new west to come? Wibbly wobbly timey wimey...

I liked Josiah Blake too, the King's revenue officer with an almost fanatical sense of duty. He played it dead serious, but always on the verge of becoming a parody like the squire.


Sarah -
Did you recognize John Ringham, who played Tlotoxl in The Aztecs, as Blake? That man had presence, didn't he?


Harry -
Ohh! I did not know that! But I can totally see the presence and intensity carried over from one character to the other. Well spotted, Toby!


Sarah -
Oh, that may just be the nicest thing you've ever said to me!


Harry -
Overall, this story really is a mixed bag. Disappointing, to be honest.  At least the Doctor has some fun doing card tricks and fulfilling his moral obligations.


Sarah -
Oh dear, I seem to be out of things to say. Let's go to wrap-up.


Harry -
I agree, this review -- like the story being reviewed -- started with such enthusiasm, but ultimately we seem to have gotten bored with the whole thing.


Sarah -
Lasting image: The TARDIS on the rocky coast

Favorite moment: The Doctor letting Polly and Ben look for the train station.

Best line: "You may know where you are, my dear, but not when! I can foresee oodles of trouble!"

3/10


Harry -
Lasting image: Cherub's churlish faces.

Favourite moment: That random, Pythonesque moment when Josiah Blake falls from his horse and we never hear about it again.

Best line: "Sawbones! King Neptune's curse! Ye've laid a trap, and by that you DIE by the Pike!"

4/10

 



Our marathon continues with Story #29 - The Tenth Planet...

Story #27 - The War Machines (1966)

Harry -
Well, here's something completely different: an adventure that takes place in contemporary London! Although I wonder, because of the real-time that has elapsed between broadcast and present day, would "The War Machines" now qualify as a kind of historical? I wonder... I wonder...

Still, welcome to Earth!


Sarah -
It seems almost revolutionary for this point in Doctor Who, doesn't it? We know we’re going to spend a lot of time on Mother Earth from here on out, but for now it feels so fresh.

We need to give a shout out to the timely title graphics. How cool are they?


Harry -
A refreshing change. I always loved that "computer" font.


Sarah -
And then we get a gorgeous opening shot. The War Machines had my attention from the get go!


Harry -
Great establishing shot.


Sarah -
In the opening scene, it seems that they’ve come to Earth on purpose…or perhaps it’s just another happy accident. The Doctor’s manic response to the Post Office Tower sets our adventure in motion. I had a good laugh when Dodo asked “Daleks? Who are they?” For better or worse, Dodo, you’ll never have the chance to find out.


Harry -
The movement of time kept coming to mind as I watched this story. There are so many cuts from one scene to the next where a sizeable chunk of time seems to have passed. It was more jarring than usual, and it makes us miss out on moments that go unseen. How, for instance, was the Doctor able to just waltz into the Post Office Tower and be welcomed by all? Perhaps he flashed the Psychic Paper?


Sarah -
I was wondering that myself. They seem to have just wandered in.

Despite any problems I may have had with the continuity, I really enjoyed this story. It was so much of fun to watch.


Harry -
Absolutely. This is one of my favourites. It's a "diabolical supercomputer" story that was all the rage at the time, and I love the scenes in The Inferno club.


Sarah -
The Inferno Club! The Hottest Nightspot in Town! *Cue the swinging music!*


Harry -
We meet three fun new characters here: Polly the swinging 60s girl, Ben the moody sailor, and Kitty the bargirl whose Winehouse hairdo distracts from the fact that she doesn't seem to serve up one drop of alcohol the entire time. The crowd doesn't seem to mind. They look a pretty straight-laced set in their jackets and ties.


Sarah -
I guess that counted as swinging around the BBC at the time…

Could Polly be any cuter? Dodo should have seen it coming. I love that Ben is introduced with, “He’s not great advertisement for the most with it place in town, is he?” He and Polly have immediate chemistry.


Harry -
Am I going to keep bringing up the weirdness of time in this story?  Apparently.  How about that news conference hosted by Sir Charles, the one where he announces that all major computer systems will be transferred over to the control of WOTAN. Strange to be making such a monumental announcement in the middle of the night. The Doctor barely has time to pull some quizzical faces before he goes clubbing with the youngsters.


Sarah -
I kind of loved Sir Charles. He was perfect. The thing that confused me is that all the scientists pronounce WOTAN as “Votan.” What’s with that? Some wacky cold war thing? A running joke at the Royal Scientific Club?


Harry -
It might be one of those English things, like how they pronounce "St. John" to rhyme with "engine".


Sarah -
Actually, the whole WOTAN thing is a bit wacky. Why would any of the nations involved agree to have their computer systems linked up to some super computer? It wasn’t clear to me how WOTAN achieved conscious and got all the war machines placed. For a while I thought it was an alien lifeforce, but I guess WOTAN was just your run-of-the-mill evil supercomputer after all.

Still, it’s pretty amusing when the Doctor and Dodo are impressed by the computer’s ability to compute the square root of 17422 and define TARDIS. After all he’s seen, the Doctor is excited by square roots?


Harry -
The man loves his maths.


Sarah -
Don’t we all?

This bring us to the biggest controversy of this story: for the only time in the series, the Doctor is referred to as “Doctor Who” by WOTAN. So much for the alleged “supercomputer.”


Harry -
Rob and Toby opine on this and other oddities that the production crew inserted into the story. I think Toby's standard response to such things is "it didn't count." I'm fine with that!

Jumping all over the place here. It was great to see the Doctor back in his fur hat and cape too, which we haven't seen since "An Unearthly Child." It's his best look.


Sarah -
It’s a great look. I imagine him keeping it in a special cupboard marked “Earth.”


Harry -
Hah!

As for Dodo... the enthusiasm she generated in the previous story seems to have been all for naught. Here, she's got a headache, maybe hearing voices again, who knows? Rather than continuing to play detective, she's fallen under the mind control of WOTAN. Who will help the Doctor now?


Sarah -
I couldn’t help but think that the Doctor should have known that something was up with Dodo when she started acting so lucid.


Harry -
And "Hah!" again.


Sarah -
Poor Dodo doesn’t have the power to fight the voices in her head, as Polly does later in the story. We need our companions to be strong, not mad.

Having spent these many stories happily slagging Dodo, I felt kind of badly about how quickly she’s dismissed by the story. Dodo’s brain is taken over, she tries to lure the Doctor to WOTAN, gets hypnotized by the Doctor, is shipped off to the country – and it’s adios Dodo!


Harry -
Worst companion intro and worst companion exit to date. She was one strange duck.

But Ben and Polly fill the gap admirably. Ben takes on the role of "heavy lifter" when the Doctor dispatches him to investigate the goings-on at the warehouse. Meanwhile Polly literally steps into the role that Dodo has just abandoned. It was quite remarkable.


Sarah -
Wasn’t it? Companions usually get their little moment in the sun when leaving the Doctor. Dodo’s barely off-screen before Polly’s taken over the possessed-companion role.


Harry -
And now, a moment of tribute for the most well-known vagrant in London, whose death and photo made the papers within hours. Again, this is that weirdness of time that keeps bugging me about this story.


Sarah -
It was insane, but I loved it. What a performance by Roy Godfrey! Shear genius! Perhaps the tramp was a black sheep of the Royal Family who fled Buckingham Palace to live a life of freedom on the open road. That would explain the cab ride to his squat and not having the right change for the driver.


Harry -
At the warehouse, Ben discovers the war machines being assembled. This is probably the one big let-down of the story. The term "war machines" evokes something powerful and menacing, but these clunkers are just ridiculous -- like slower, dumber, clumsier Daleks in a way. Plungers already used up? Let's give 'em a comedy mallet! Yeesh.


Sarah -
The actual war machines are undoubtedly the most disappointing aspect of The War Machines. Even the knowledge that they can break tables and smash through stacks of crates is not enough to kindle our dread. Once again, WOTAN demonstrates that its supercomputer status is unfounded.


Harry -
To give credit to the production crew, you can see how they tried to make the war machines look threatening. They used lots of low angles, extreme closeups, and repeatedly showed the machines destroying those walls of crates with contempt.

But still... It's no surprise the Doctor so coolly stood one down at the end of Part Three.


Sarah -
This is the single best moment of the story and perhaps the best image of the entire series thus far. He didn’t even have to give the “I’m the Doctor and you don’t mess with me” speech. Brilliance!


Harry -
I loved that moment. Everyone flees in panic, but the Doctor not only stands his ground, but takes one step, then another towards the approaching machine. No dialogue either. It was an act of Total Badassery.

It did render Part Four a bit of an afterthought. Since the Doctor had already figured the machines out, it was just a matter of assembling the Most Obvious Trap Ever and snaring one. Again, not the most clever things, these war machines.


Sarah -
But it gives Ben a chance to shine. Ian and Steven would be proud.


Harry -
True.  He's picked up right where they left off.

And for the second story in a row, we get a lively smashup scene at the end, when the machines are turned on WOTAN. The way the Doctor vanished from the Post Office Tower without a proper goodbye is also something we'll be seeing more of.

In the final scene, we see the budding friendship of Ben and Polly continuing, as they scamper over to meet the Doctor outside the TARDIS. It's a bit obvious what happens next, but I'm so glad to be rid of Dodo that I don't mind. Welcome aboard to the cute couple!


Sarah -
I was wondering what Ben picked up while taking the Doctor’s cape for him. The TARDIS key, of course! Let the adventure begin!

There are so many reasons this story shouldn’t work, but I agree with Toby that everything’s important except when it doesn’t count. I loved "The War Machines." With good reason, it feels like a Troughton-era story and it’s just so much fun. We had a whole stretch of stories that just felt joyless and "The War Machines" brings the fun back to Doctor Who!


Harry -
I agree. Even though I've been a bit too nit-picky above, this remains one of my favourite Hartnell stories. It's all a bit odd, but it all comes together and works, flaws be damned!


Sarah -
Lasting image: The Doctor’s Standoff.

Favorite moment: The Inferno Club, followed closely by seeing WOTAN’s billing in the credits of the first episode.

Best line: From Sir Charles – “Well, we’ve tried the Army. What else is there?”
I’m not quite sure why this made me laugh so hard, but it did.

9/10


Harry -
Lasting image: Oh those rumbling, lumbering war machines.

Favourite moment: The Doctor takes a couple of silent steps towards the approaching war machine.

Best line: "I think she'll sleep for 48 hours." I burst out laughing when the Doctor said this after hypnotizing Dodo.

9/10

 



Our marathon continues with Story #28 - The Smugglers...

Story #26 - The Savages (1966)

Harry -
This is a First Doctor story that I had never seen before, and knew nothing about. It was a treat to watch "classic" Who totally cold.


Sarah -
I was a little anxious going in, fearing another Unearthly Child-type caveman story.


Harry -
And what a story! A far-future-totalitarian-morality-play-smash-em-up-heroic-adventure. With light guns!


Sarah -
All my fears were unfounded!


Harry -
The first few minutes of the Doctor and his companions roaming around a new planet reminded me of The Planet of the Apes. It was building up to a slow reveal, one that was hinted at by the story title. There was even a spear attack, but Our Travellers were instead approached and welcomed by the "civilized" locals.


Sarah -
And a welcoming bunch they were. Our travelers so often encounter hostility when they arrive on a new planet. What a change of pace to be welcomed with open arms!


Harry -
Strangely, the locals seem to have been expecting the Doctor, aka "The Traveller From Beyond Time." Everything seems so perfect in their city, almost sterile, and no one seems to question it, other than the Doctor and friends. They wonder aloud how this advanced civilization got to be so advanced. An ominous, almost sinister atmosphere is established from the get go. How could it not be, when the leader, Jano, pontificates about "the perfection of our race." Uh-oh...


Sarah -
Time to start worrying! The Doctor, of course, starts to wonder how they do it, while Steven and Dodo do a bit of touring.


Harry -
After the previous disappointment, I was glad to see Steven and Dodo both get an energetic story with lots for them to do. This time, it was Dodo who was the voice of reason and whose explorations uncovered the scientific vampirism that the Elders were perpetuating on the Savages. (Jano again: "Life preys on other forms of life, as you know, Doctor.")  Uh-oh...

Props to Detective Dodo! And as for Steven, after his initial dismissal of Dodo as "imagining things", he ramped it up and we got a great Angry Steven the rest of the way. Angry, decisive, sympathetic, and a bold man of action. Wow!


Sarah -
I was all, "You Go Girl," to Dodo and was happy that Steven finally got the chance to be the Man of Action we haven't seen since Ian left the TARDIS -- and then I started to wonder what the heck was going on here! A bit of research and I soon learned that this story was the first for the new production team of Innes Lloyd and Gerry Davis. I can only think that this explains the shift in what Dodo and Steven get to do. Imagine how much more interesting this season would have been if they'd been written this way all along.

I'll have more to say on these changes later, but back to the story...


Harry -
On the surface, the story is simple: one bunch of humans exploiting another bunch of humans. The historical allusions ("savages" herded onto "reserves") are obvious, and the levels of interpretation as many as one wants to read into them. Thankfully, the Doctor will have none of it! I loved his confrontation with Jano, where he declares he will oppose their regime, as he opposes the Daleks and other threats to common humanity. This might have been the first ever "I'm the Doctor and this is what I stand for" speech,  which has been reiterated by every Doctor since.


Sarah -
What a change from the Doctor we met three years before! He started off being self-serving and a bit unpleasant and has become the character that will last ten (and hopefully many more) regenerations. It's the moment that makes the viewer want to stand up and cheer and cast our lot with this cranky Time Lord!


Harry -
But what is this? The Doctor is attacked and is about to suffer the transference procedure with no one to help him. Horror!


Sarah -
I really liked this scene. It begins with Senta happily showing his lab to the Doctor, so proud of what he can do, and then realizing that he's being asked to do a transference on the Doctor. Norman Henry does an excellent job as the disengaged scientist who doesn't understand the repercussions of his work.


Harry -
Senta was almost too oblivious to what he was doing, but that always seems to be the way with these far future scientists.


Sarah -
Doesn't it just?


Harry -
His little subplot was one of many that made this story rich. There were the intertwined fates of Nanina and Exorse, there was the laughably short-lived military coup attempt by Edal, and of course the very compelling relationship between Jano and his newer self!


Sarah -
Ah, yes, Jano. The whole second-half of the story hinges on his realization of how wrong his entire society is. What did you think of his Doctor imitation?


Harry -
I found it a bit creepy at first to hear the Doctor's persona emerge fom Jano's mouth. Is our Billy little more than a high-pitched fusspot who goes "Hmm!" a lot?   Hopefully not.  It was good that Jano also absorbed some of the Doctor's conscience too, and once that happened, it really set the cat amongst the oblivious scientists.


Sarah -
It was a little broad, wasn't it? Toby and Rob speculate whether or not the new production team was trying out other actors to see if they could replace Hartnell. What do you think of this theory?


Harry -
It's certainly an avenue that the producers would have explored. What to do? They had a hit show on their hands, but a lead actor whose best days were behind him. We won't even hear the word "regeneration" for another couple of Doctors.  They were really flying without a map here.

Imagine if they did run with the idea presented here, and it turned out that the First Doctor's essence could be transferred to a new body. We'd have had ten other actors grasping their lapels and going "Hmm!" at a high pitch these past 48 years?


Sarah -
I doubt it would have lasted past 1967!


Harry -
No kidding.  And another tragedy of the lost Doctor Who episodes: we are denied seeing the epic laboratory smashup. Terribly unfair!


Sarah -
This is the scene I most want to see recovered! It sounded brilliant!


Harry -
Almost gleefully so. A smashing end to a neat little story. Hartnell was back on form, and the companions had a great outing. So glad to see Steven go out on a high note: rallying the oppressed, challenging the established order, and living up to the potential that often seemed wasted. I'm sure the people of Far Future Planet Without a Name were fortunate to invite him to lead the rebuilding of their society.


Sarah -
His reaction was so sweet. Wondering if he was up to it and if his friends thought he could do it. I'll miss Steven a little bit.


Harry -
Me too!

I even have to credit Dodo on having her best story here. What a surprising little tale! Sadly, this was the last remaining Hartnell story that I had never seen. I'm just glad it turned out to be a good one.


Sarah -
I knew nothing of the story. It was really an unexpected pleasure.


Harry -
Ready to wrap?


Sarah -
Absolutely!

Lasting image: Steven's reaction to being asked to stay.

Favorite moment: The Doctor's "I am the Doctor and this is what I stand for" speech.

Best line: "Oppose you! Indeed I am going to oppose you - just as in the same way that I oppose the Daleks, or any other menace to common humanity!"

Lumped in with the Daleks. SNAP!

7/10


Harry -
Lasting image: Dodo exploring the city alone.

Favourite moment: Definitely the Doctor's confrontation with Jano.

Best line: "Come on, soldier boy!  What are you frightened of?  You've got the gun."  Angry Steven goading Exorse in the tunnels.

7/10

Our marathon continues with Story #27 - The War Machines...

Story #25 - The Gunfighters (1966)

Sarah -
It’s the Wild West, and – hooray! – Steven always wanted to be a cowboy. A quick costume change and Dead Eye Steve and Dizzy Dodo get to "dress up like Tom Mix."


Harry -
Oh dear, that shirt... What was Steven thinking? He looks like a fugitive from a Wild West Revue. He and Dodo are ready for a real Western romp, I guess.


Sarah -
It would be a Western romp … if only the Doctor didn’t have a toothache, and Doc Holliday weren’t coming to town – and if that bloody woman would just stop singing!

But wait, Doc Holliday is coming to town to set up a dentist shop. What luck for the Doctor! But wait, four blokes are lying in wait for Holliday at the Last Chance Saloon. Bad luck for Holliday!

The plot of this romp is thickening – and still that woman sings.


Harry -
Ah, the never-ending "Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon". I have read many fan criticisms ripping on the singing in this story and was expecting the worst. Actually, I didn't mind it. Mercifully, they made a kind of Greek Chorus of the singer. A blindingly obvious Greek Chorus, mind, but in a weird way it worked. And it only could have worked in a comedy story like this.


Sarah -
I imagine they were trying to go for the “High Noon” effect, but it ended up feeling a little more “Cat Ballou” to me. Honestly, I didn’t mind it all that much. Plus, she filled in all the plot details in case the viewer happened to be a complete blooming idiot.

I'm going to dash ahead to discuss my favorite part of the entire story. Just before departing, Dodo stops everyone to ask if they can hear the singing. The Doctor admonishes her for falling for every Western cliche and they head back to the TARDIS. I nearly fell off my sofa laughing -- THE SINGING WAS ALL IN DODO'S HEAD AFTER ALL! SHE REALLY IS INSANE!


Harry -
Mad as a bag of frogs. La la la, can you hear the voices??


Sarah -
Meanwhile, things get even thicker, as they are want to do when a character named Doc and a character named Doctor find themselves in the same town.


Harry -
Didn't we just have a mistaken identity caper the last time the TARDIS landed on Earth? Here we go again.


Sarah -
Who doesn’t love a good mistaken identity caper? What a mess the TARDIS crew has gotten themselves into!


Harry -
You gawt that right, pardner. The Clanton Gang present a very real danger to Steven and Dodo while they lie in wait for the Doctor at the saloon. It made for a good first cliffhanger. However Wyatt Earp is soon on the scene to rescue the Doctor by arresting him and hauling him off. Tell me that didn't have "Hartnell Holiday" all over it!

The vacation plans must have fallen through, because the Doctor and friends are present throughout the story. I say "present" because Steven and Dodo seem to be complete bystanders for much of the story. The real drama is played out by all of the historical characters, as these four episodes slowly build up to the big finish at the O.K. Corral.


Sarah -
Poor Steven and Dodo just got shifted around from scene to scene, didn’t they? I had high hopes for them in the beginning. It even looked like Steven was going to get to do something heroic. You know, something Ian might do. Instead, he nearly gets himself lynched.


Harry -
Yes, the groundwork was set for Steven and Dodo to really get involved here, they donned their period dress with great enthusiasm. Maybe they were too naive? You could look at their subsequent rough ride as evidence that travelling with the Doctor and his magical box will always be harsher than what you fancy it might be like.


Sarah -
I do want to put in a kind word for Peter Purves. Whatever you may say about the inconsistencies in the writing of Steven’s character, Purves is always game. Need him to be angry? He’s on it. Some broad comedy? He’s your man!


Harry -
He can even carry a tune!


Sarah -
Also, he’s kind of cute in this story. If only the writers had given him more.

I’ll even admit that Jackie Lane gets off one good scene when she turns the gun on Doc Holliday, demanding he take her back to the Doctor. The moment when she hands him the gun and asks for a glass of water is brilliant – and clearly the actions of a mad woman!


Harry -
Yes, that was a bit of fun.

But the historicals used to not be this way, all lurching along in the other characters' wake. Think back to "Marco Polo" or "The Aztecs." Barbara, Ian and Susan were so much more involved in the plot, sometimes even driving it. And the historical characters were much more than just "characters" as they are here. I'm thinking of Marco Polo's journal entries, or Tlotoxl's into-the-camera asides -- moments that gave us entry into their personal thoughts. Here, unfortunately, we just have a bunch of Wild West figures playing out Wild West stereotypes, dragging our time travellers along with them. Alas.


Sarah -
Still, there is a sense of fun, at least at the beginning, which has been missing for a while. Hartnell gets to show his comedic chops and his timing is perfect. Actually, the more I think about Hartnell’s performance, the more I like this story. It’s refreshing to see him being the Doctor we love, after being sidelined in so many stories. We get to see what he can do when he’s actually given something to DO. His complaint about people giving him guns is priceless!


Harry -
Hartnell did shine when the story drifted into high comedy.


Sarah -
I also really enjoyed the supporting characters, even if most of the accents were more than a little inconsistent. It’s a short hop from the Arizona Territory to the Perpugilliam Brown School of American Accents, it seems. Still, it’s easy to pick on accents, so I’ll move along and focus on what did work.

John Alderson and Anthony Jacobs were perfect as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Sheena Marshe does a good turn on the saloon-girl-with-a-heart-of gold trope. Laurence Payne was wonderfully menacing as Johnny Ringo – his appearance changed the tone of the entire story. They all carry the roles off so well; it’s been a while since we’ve seen such strong character performances. The Clantons…well, they’re just hideous – but let us move along from them.


Harry -
If only they had done some more with these characters, rather than just have them go through the motions of history, if that makes any sense. What with all that singing, I guess there wasn't much time for character development.

Felt bad for Charlie the bartender, though.


Sarah -
Poor Charlie. That scene was harsh.

After the relative romp of the beginning of the story, things turn dark when the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral finally takes place. It’s all rather gruesome, and our heroes don’t really have much to do – other than batty Dodo running into the middle of things.


Harry -
Longest gunfight ever? I'm tempted to go back and count how many rounds were fired; it sounded like there were a couple dozen extra shooters blasting away during the whole thing. Well, we did get a big shoot-em-up at the end, can't complain about that. I'm not a big fan of Westerns, so for me that's usually the big attraction.


Sarah -
I enjoyed this story much more than I expected. I don’t share your Western aversion, but The Gunfighters had never had the best reputation in fandom, so my expectations were low. It’s a solid story, with strong performances all around.


Harry -
I too kept expectations low, was expecting the worst, and was pleasantly surprised. The story never seemed to drag, had plenty of colourful moments, and finished with a bang.


Sarah -
Stories like this are what make me appreciate this little project of ours. Having seen so few of the first two Doctors’ stories, it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to watch them for the first time.


Harry -
Same here! The fact that we can now compare different eras within the First Doctor's era is wonderful. Let's wrap this one up and head to the next story!


Lasting image: Steven in his "buckaroo" costume.

Favourite moment: the scene in the saloon where the various members of the Clanton family are plotting to hire Johnny Ringo, while belting down shots of whiskey as fast as the frantic barkeep can pour them.

Best line: "And lastly, sir, your humble servant, Doctor, er, Caligari."
"Doctor who?"
"Yes, quite right."

It never gets old!

6/10


Sarah -
You're right -- it never gets old!

Lasting image: The Doctor entering the saloon in his cowboy hat. (Not the last time he’ll sport that look!)

Favorite moment: Dodo hearing voices.

Best line: “All these people are giving me guns, I do wish they wouldn’t”

With an honorable mention for: “Well I had to find some sort of suitable cover. After all, you can’t walk into the middle of a Western town and say you come from outer space. Gracious me, you’ll be arrested on a vagrancy charge.”

7/10

I imagine our epic re-watch will be a very different experience from the Third Doctor on, where I’ve seen every story multiple times. For now, I’m really enjoying the feeling of discovery.


Harry -
It's definitely been worth watching each episode in order. That's the perfect note to end on here, as today we celebrate our first anniversary on the sofa.

Happy Anniversary Deerie! I hope we have many more (at the pace we are moving, there promises to be many more!).


Sarah -
Happy Anniversary, Old Chum! I recently found myself calculating how long it would take us to get through the Tom Baker years and decided I'd better not plan that many years ahead!

Let's sign off with a hearty Happy New Year to our readers. We'll see you on the Sofa in 2012!


Harry -
Happy New Year!

It might be too ambitious to promise that we'll get through the Troughton era by the end of next year, so let's promise to get through the Hartnell era by the end of next year. I think that's doable!


Sarah -
I think we can manage that.

Our marathon continues with Story #26 - The Savages...