Doctor Who'ing

With my friends Beth and Wes, our marathon journey through Doctor Who has brought us to the beginning of the third season. Today we tackled four stories: The Time Meddler, Galaxy 4, Mission to the Unknown, and The Myth Makers.

The Time Meddler was a particular delight for Beth, who enjoyed the mystery of a time-traveling Monk up to no good in 1066. Unwilling to spoil my friends, I kept the Monk's identity of being another Time Lord a surprise. Beth agreed that she liked the Monk's mischievous machinations compared to those of the more evil Master. She even commented that it was probably more fun traveling with the Monk than the Doctor!

I was saddened that this was our last complete story to view for a little while. It's silly, I know, but I genuinely fretted over whether my friends could handle recon after recon.

We watched Galaxy 4 via the great recon that was intended as an extra on The Time Meddler DVD. This story fell into the "okay" category, which actually might be a first during our viewing so far. Beth's reaction to the Drahvin spaceship--"They live in a trailer?"--made me burst out laughing.

Maaga, leader of the Drahvins, missed her calling as a Dominatrix, we felt. Just look how much she loves punishing her drones, and those orgasmic monologues about bringing harm to others.

Steven's out-of-character behavior, with his background as an astronaut being forgotten when he finds himself trapped in an airlock, raised an eyebrow.

Mission to the Unknown was a surprising oddity for Beth and Wes. They were taken aback by the absence of the Doctor, Vicki and Steven, as well as the prospect of an ongoing Dalek series (which we all agreed would have failed). The Varga plants were noted as being especially unusual, and the make-up for the alien Malpha was praised.

On a personal note, I was horrified that the soundtrack of the Loose Cannon recon was so terrible. It's been a while since I last watched it and, if I'd've realized, I would have certainly dubbed the clean CD soundtrack over it.

Finally, there was The Myth Makers, which turned out to be the biggest hit of the day. It's a personal favorite of mine, and I was thrilled that Beth and Wes enjoyed it too. Wes liked that Donald Cotton's witty script was akin Monty Python, and I was pleased to find Beth smiling throughout.

Vicki's abrupt departure at the story's end came as a shock. After the adventure was over, I enlightened my friends to the circumstances regarding Maureen O'Brien's leaving the series, and how William Hartnell was absolutely furious with new producer John Wiles over it.

Although Vicki's goodbye is a nice one (especially compared to certain other companions) the decision to write her out was a rotten one. Today, even script editor Donald Tosh laments it. O'Brien and Hartnell had tremendous chemistry, and it would have been wonderful to see more of the First Doctor/Vicki/Steven TARDIS team.

So, my friends survived three recons in a row... Which, I'm relived about! Thankfully, there's at least three surviving episodes of The Daleks' Master Plan to enjoy next time.

Doctor Who'ing

Beth, Wes and I had another wonderful day continuing our marathon viewing of Doctor Who from the beginning. This time we watched "The Crusade", "The Space Museum" and "The Chase".

During "The Crusade", it was again lamented that the series doesn't take the chance of making historical stories anymore. Wes appreciated how the four time travelers were handled, and Beth and I commented on the rich depth of David Whitaker's Shakespearean script. Wes found it hard to believe anyone would mistake Vicki for a boy. Just wait till we reach "The Smugglers"! How any of those pirates could mistake Polly of all the female companions for a lad beggars belief.

"The Space Museum" was appreciated for its doing something different with time, and for the dilemma the Doctor and his companions faced. Vicki was again praised for being far more pro-active than Susan could ever hope to be. Beth and Wes were pleasantly surprised by a young Jeremy Bulloch (the future Boba Fett) appearing. The Moroks' badger-style hair produced a laugh, as did the fact that the planet Xeros seemed to be populated by twinks!

Of the three stories, I think "The Chase" was enjoyed the most. The opening sequence with the time/space visualizer was singled out as being particularly good. We couldn't help but draw comparisons to the different locations used throughout the story with those in Star Wars: Aridius (Tatooine), Mechanus (Dagobah), and the Mechanoid City (Cloud City)! Beth really liked the vignettes set in those myriad times and places, and she grew fond of Steven Taylor despite his brief appearance. She was happy when I hinted he just might have been able to slip inside the TARDIS.

Beth was also glad that Ian and Barbara had a nice send off. It always brings a lump to my throat watching the two schoolteachers part company with the Doctor who, after 16 stories, grew fond of these interlopers to the point where he didn't want them to go.

After "The Time Meddler" next time, we'll be heading into reconstruction madness. With so many episodes missing from Season 3, I hope it won't be too tough on my awesome friends.

Doctor Who'ing

Continuing our marathon viewing of Doctor Who from the beginning, Beth, Wes and I tackled "The Rescue", "The Romans", and "The Web Planet" this month. Of the three stories, "The Romans" (one of my personal favorites) was the biggest hit. The historical romp in Ancient Rome was thoroughly enjoyed not only for its humor, but also for the way in which the plot gave all four time travelers a nice slice of the action. Beth and Wes have noted several times throughout our journey through the series what a shame that there aren't historical stories in the New Series. Also, their disappointment over how today's companions almost never dress up in costumes from other times and places.

I was a little worried about showing "The Web Planet", as it is almost universally hated by fandom. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much Beth and Wes enjoyed it. Although they both agreed that it was slow in spots and could have used better pacing, they both noted and appreciated the story's ambition and imagination, and we all agreed that it probably could have been something special in a more capable director's hands. The costumes for the Menoptra, while campy, were praised, as well as the insect choreography.

New companion Vicki, and Maureen O'Brien's performance,
were also a hit. Poor Carole Ann Ford did the best with the material and direction she was given, but overall Susan was a disappointment for my friends. Wes rightly observing that her main function seemed to only be to get hysterical and twist her ankle. Vicki, on the other hand, has had more thought put into her character. She's fun, pro-active, feisty, and actually has a much warmer relationship with Hartnell's Doctor than with his own granddaughter! As much as I adore Ian and Barbara, Vicki has always been my favorite First Doctor companion. And I was so pleased that Beth and Wes liked her, too.