Giant in the Playground Forums - View Single Post - Doctor Who thread II: "I should have a hat like that." [SPOILERS]

Dr. Simon · 09-29-2011, 03:53 AM

And again...

Continuing my plan to post what I think to be the highlights of every season of Doctor Who, old and new.

For each series I'll try to choose 2, maybe 3 of what I consider to be the best stories, which may comprise any number of actual episodes (somewhere between 1-14, typically 4 or 6). Older Who is nearly always episodic, with NuWho most episodes are self-contained. Feel free to expand on my brief comments, agree, disagree etc. This is, after all, purely subjective.

Previous Posts:
Season One
Season Two
Season Three
Season Four
Season Five
And now...

Season Six (1968-1969)
Second Doctor/Jamie/Zoe

To paraphrase Tristan Shandy, we are now getting to the moment of my birth. From hereon, all episodes were shown within my lifetime even if I was too young to be aware of them until the Tom Baker years. And what does the last season for Patrick Troughton give us?

The Invasion – cybermen again, and again the excellent Kevin Stoney giving a role similar to Mavic Chen (see The Daleks Master Plan, Season Two) of a man playing his own dangerous game. This was probably also the last time that the cybermen felt like a real threat – after this their schemes become so ludicrously convoluted that they become a bit of a joke.

The War Games – one of the longest individual stories (at 10 episodes), but a good one that builds and builds. Also, another of the few Troughton stories to exist in its entirety. The earlier episodes are an atmospheric evocation of WWI, and give a hint of something creepy going on. When we find out what that is, it raises new mysteries, culminating in some massive revelations from the Doctor concerning the Time Lords (seen for the first time). Watch, also, for the psychic distress signal that we’ve seen recently in The Doctor’s Wife.

Honourable Mentions
The Mind Robber – I’m not really a fan of stories where a super-powerful being messes with reality (e.g. Celestial Toymaker) , but this one isn’t bad, suitably surreal without becoming to cute about it. Bernard Horsfell, who crops up in a range of different roles in later stories, is good as Gulliver, speaking only in lines from Gulliver’s Travels.

The Space Pirates – not a bad foray into space opera, with some scene stealing from Gordon Gostelow’s Milo Clancey. Shame that the Space Corps people are so limp. Must be the awful uniforms.

09-29-2011, 03:53 AM	Top - End - #594
Dr. Simon Dwarf in the Playground Join Date: Jan 2007	Dr. Si's Old Who Recommendations And again... Continuing my plan to post what I think to be the highlights of every season of Doctor Who, old and new. For each series I'll try to choose 2, maybe 3 of what I consider to be the best stories, which may comprise any number of actual episodes (somewhere between 1-14, typically 4 or 6). Older Who is nearly always episodic, with NuWho most episodes are self-contained. Feel free to expand on my brief comments, agree, disagree etc. This is, after all, purely subjective. Previous Posts: Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Season Five And now... Season Six (1968-1969) Second Doctor/Jamie/Zoe To paraphrase Tristan Shandy, we are now getting to the moment of my birth. From hereon, all episodes were shown within my lifetime even if I was too young to be aware of them until the Tom Baker years. And what does the last season for Patrick Troughton give us? The Invasion – cybermen again, and again the excellent Kevin Stoney giving a role similar to Mavic Chen (see The Daleks Master Plan, Season Two) of a man playing his own dangerous game. This was probably also the last time that the cybermen felt like a real threat – after this their schemes become so ludicrously convoluted that they become a bit of a joke. The War Games – one of the longest individual stories (at 10 episodes), but a good one that builds and builds. Also, another of the few Troughton stories to exist in its entirety. The earlier episodes are an atmospheric evocation of WWI, and give a hint of something creepy going on. When we find out what that is, it raises new mysteries, culminating in some massive revelations from the Doctor concerning the Time Lords (seen for the first time). Watch, also, for the psychic distress signal that we’ve seen recently in The Doctor’s Wife. Honourable Mentions The Mind Robber – I’m not really a fan of stories where a super-powerful being messes with reality (e.g. Celestial Toymaker) , but this one isn’t bad, suitably surreal without becoming to cute about it. Bernard Horsfell, who crops up in a range of different roles in later stories, is good as Gulliver, speaking only in lines from Gulliver’s Travels. The Space Pirates – not a bad foray into space opera, with some scene stealing from Gordon Gostelow’s Milo Clancey. Shame that the Space Corps people are so limp. Must be the awful uniforms. __________________ The Lazy GM series. Lovingly crafted pre-gen monsters for d20 fantasy. Last edited by Dr. Simon : 10-10-2012 at 07:52 AM.