Doctor Who Thread III: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

[Thufir]

http://news.drwho-online.co.uk/The-I...-Series-7.aspx

Mark Gattiss writes for the Dr Who Monster everyone forgets and who hasn't been seen for decades.

You say everyone forgets them, but I've definitely seen them mentioned a fair few times in Doctor Who threads on this forum. Plus they got a passing mention in Waters of Mars.
Also saying a Who monster hasn't been seen for decades isn't saying much. It just means they're a Classic monster which hasn't been brought back in Nu Who.

[Weezer]

Interesting. That seems like a major story hole, that will (hopefully?) be filled at some point.

I disagree. It seems like one of those events better left unseen, any on screen portrayal would be a disappointment. Especially with the utter crap that came out of the closest glimpse we've gotten...

[CelestialStick]

http://news.drwho-online.co.uk/The-I...-Series-7.aspx

Mark Gattiss writes for the Dr Who Monster everyone forgets and who hasn't been seen for decades.

That's great!

[Hullabaloo]

I disagree. It seems like one of those events better left unseen, any on screen portrayal would be a disappointment. Especially with the utter crap that came out of the closest glimpse we've gotten...

Hence the (hopefully?). I think its probably too good of a story for someone to not want to try (ie ratings), but could be a huge disappointment. Although I said the same thing before the LotR movies, and I loved 'em.

*EDIT* Ill be gone on Valentine's day for business, but a day early for you all

Happy Valentine's Day

[dps]

Thanks. On that topic, does anyone have a decent list of Old Who that are must see? Amazon Prime seems to have a bunch on there, but I'm not nearly a big enough fan to watch all of them, but would love to check out the Top 50 available, or something to that end.

Keep in mind that a good number of episodes featuring the First Doctor are lost episodes, and a lot of the Second Doctor's episodes are lost. Anyway:

First Doctor:
An Unearthly Child (where it all began)
The Daleks (introduces the show's most iconic villians)
The Aztecs (best of the "historicals" to survive intact, and the only story in ClassicWho in which the Doctor gets a bit of romance)

Second Doctor:
The Tomb of the Cyberman (legendary when it was a lost story; unfairly underrated since it's rediscovery because it didn't quite match the hype)
The Mind Robber (weird surrealism)
The War Games (first time much of anything about the Time Lords is revealed)

Third Doctor:
Spearhead From Space (UNIT becomes a regular part of the show--for a while, anyway)
Infero (alternate reality explored)
Terror of the Autons (The Master shows up for the first time)
The Three Doctors (first multi-Doctor story)

Fourth Doctor:
Genesis of the Daleks (long considered one of the best DW stories ever; in retrospect, considered the beginning of the Last Great Time War)
The Talons of Weng-Chiang (another story considered among the show's best ever; Sherlock Holmes-influence plot set in Victorian London)
Logopolis (interesting story about entropy--no, really)

I've really just scratched the surface of Tom Baker's run as the Doctor here--he had the longest tenure of any actor in the role, and it's considered perhaps the show's high point--there's lots of good stuff here.

Fifth Doctor:
Earthshock (does something daring, and doesn't hit a reset button)
The Caves of Androzani (considered perhap the best ClassicWho story post-Tom Baker)

Sixth Doctor:
Trial of a Time Lord (14-episode story divided into 4 distinct parts; I wouldn't call any of them "must see" on their own merits, but they set up a lot of background for NuWho)

Seventh Doctor:
Rememberance of the Daleks (takes the show back to its origins; not the official 25th anniversary show, but it should have been)

[CelestialStick]

Hence the (hopefully?). I think its probably too good of a story for someone to not want to try (ie ratings), but could be a huge disappointment. Although I said the same thing before the LotR movies, and I loved 'em.

*EDIT* Ill be gone on Valentine's day for business, but a day early for you all

Happy Valentine's Day

It could be really good, but I tend to agree with Weezer that it would probably end up disappointing most of us. I actually was so disappointed with the third installment of Lord of the Rings that it's the only one I didn't bother to buy. I hate both that Aragorn turned away from his destiny and that Sam left Frodo. Apparently when Jackson said, "When in doubt, follow the books" meant that he had no doubt that he's a fundamentally better storyteller than Tolkien--emphasis on the "mentally."

Keep in mind that a good number of episodes featuring the First Doctor are lost episodes, and a lot of the Second Doctor's episodes are lost. Anyway:

First Doctor:
An Unearthly Child (where it all began)
The Daleks (introduces the show's most iconic villians)
The Aztecs (best of the "historicals" to survive intact, and the only story in ClassicWho in which the Doctor gets a bit of romance)

Second Doctor:
The Tomb of the Cyberman (legendary when it was a lost story; unfairly underrated since it's rediscovery because it didn't quite match the hype)
The Mind Robber (weird surrealism)
The War Games (first time much of anything about the Time Lords is revealed)

Third Doctor:
Spearhead From Space (UNIT becomes a regular part of the show--for a while, anyway)
Infero (alternate reality explored)
Terror of the Autons (The Master shows up for the first time)
The Three Doctors (first multi-Doctor story)

Fourth Doctor:
Genesis of the Daleks (long considered one of the best DW stories ever; in retrospect, considered the beginning of the Last Great Time War)
The Talons of Weng-Chiang (another story considered among the show's best ever; Sherlock Holmes-influence plot set in Victorian London)
Logopolis (interesting story about entropy--no, really)

I've really just scratched the surface of Tom Baker's run as the Doctor here--he had the longest tenure of any actor in the role, and it's considered perhaps the show's high point--there's lots of good stuff here.

Fifth Doctor:
Earthshock (does something daring, and doesn't hit a reset button)
The Caves of Androzani (considered perhap the best ClassicWho story post-Tom Baker)

Sixth Doctor:
Trial of a Time Lord (14-episode story divided into 4 distinct parts; I wouldn't call any of them "must see" on their own merits, but they set up a lot of background for NuWho)

Seventh Doctor:
Rememberance of the Daleks (takes the show back to its origins; not the official 25th anniversary show, but it should have been)

Of the episodes here I recall, I concur. I don't remember, ironically, Remembrance of the Daleks, and I'm not sure which one was Genesis of the Daleks, but Trial of a Time Lord really puts the 7th Doctor on the map as a likable character. The The Caves of Androzani, if I recall correctly, has the Doctor letting the Master die (where, despite the fact that I loved the character, I think he should have stayed) as well as uncovering the mysteries of Turlough's origins. I think too that Logopolis and Castrovalva make a great story arc, so I'd include Castrovalva (under the 5th Doctor). I'm sure that many American fans hated it at the time, but not because it was a bad story, but rather because they knew the Doctor only as Tom Baker, and rejected Peter Davison just because he wasn't Tom Baker. I would add too that Terror of the Autons is actually a well-deserved sequel to Spearhead from Space.

I'm going to put in a plug for The Time Meddler under the first Doctor, if it's available, both because it introduces the first member of the Doctor's race (other than the Doctor and Susan of course) and because it raises the interesting historical point that had Harold Godwinson not had to fight Harald Hathratha at Stamford Bridge and then do a forced march to meeting William at Hastings, Harold might have beat William, preventing the Normal conquest of Britain.

I would like to put in a plug too for both Invasion of the Dinosaurs, which gives us a misguided Mike Yates helping the bad-guys, and then Planet of the Spiders, the last 3rd Doctor episode, which serves as a sequel to both Invasion of the Dinosaurs and The Green Death. In addition to containing the return and redemption of Mike Yates, it contains the return of the blue Metablis crystal and the Whomobile, a reference to departed (but not dead) companion Jo Grant, the revelation that the Doctor's guru from Galifrey, whom he had often mentioned to Jo, was not residing on Earth, and of course the touching death of the 3rd Doctor in front of both the Brigadier and Sarah Jane Smith, who would go on to become the most popular of the Doctor's companions and get not one but two shows of her own.

Inferno, by the way, would have been a good, thought-provoking alternate-reality story even if it hadn't had the Doctor.

I've already mentioned The Three Doctors on this thread, and it's probably my favorite Doctor Who episode of all time.

I'd also like to put in a plug for both The Five Doctors, a 5th Doctor episode, which did about as good a job of replacing the late William Hartnell (with Richard Hurdnall) as humanly possible, and used some footage from the 4th Doctor's unfinished episode, Shada, since Tom Baker refused to return for the episode. The Two Doctors, a 6th Doctor episode, features an enjoyable romp with the 2nd and 5th Doctors being slowly transformed into Androgums, getting progressively larger and larger appetites. It also features the return os Frazer Hines as the Second Doctor's Scottish companion, Jamie MacCrimmon, who appeared in more episodes than any other companion.

[Dr. Simon]

I
Of the episodes here I recall, I concur. I don't remember, ironically, Remembrance of the Daleks, and I'm not sure which one was Genesis of the Daleks, but Trial of a Time Lord really puts the 7th Doctor on the map as a likable character. The The Caves of Androzani, if I recall correctly, has the Doctor letting the Master die (where, despite the fact that I loved the character, I think he should have stayed) as well as uncovering the mysteries of Turlough's origins.

Curly is reviewing both Genesis and Remembrance of the Daleks, which might help. Genesis is a Tom Baker one, the first appearance of Davros and arguably the start of the Time War as well; not only that but it is often considered the best of all Doctor Who stories. Remembrance is a Seventh Doctor story, also a significant step in what could be considered the Time War, which features the Hand of Omega, Ace beating up a dalek with a (admittedly enhanced) baseball bat and a return to Foreman's Yard.

Trial of a Time Lord is a Sixth Doctor story, which I'm sure you meant to type. And you are getting Caves of Androzani (the last Fifth Doctor story) mixed up with Planet of Fire (which, I think, is the story just before). Caves of Androzani is quite a gritty tale of drug smuggling, gun running and political corruption.

As mentioned, my recommendations are linked in from the first post of this thread. I'd also suggest www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic as a good source of info about the earlier series.

I'm wondering, what with the 50th anniversary and all, if there'll be more of the older stuff released on DVD.

[Sunken Valley]

Also saying a Who monster hasn't been seen for decades isn't saying much. It just means they're a Classic monster which hasn't been brought back in Nu Who.

It is for the Ice Warriors. Within canon (Novels and Radio are not canon) the Ice Warriors have not been seen since 1974, and both of their two 70s appearences shackled the Troughton era Enemies with the dreadful "Peladon Arc". Since then, they have not been seen or heard from with the exception of a name drop in Castrovala and the one from Red Christmas you mentioned. There were attempts to revive them in the 80s but they were both mothballed when the show got cancelled (once temporarily in 86 and once for good in 89). The Ice Warriors have not been seen since Pertwee, something that can only be said for one other recurring monster, the Yeti (who should be coming out of the 60s with the Great Intelligence back).

Plus, the Ice Warrior's look real fake. They make the Krotons look like New Series monsters. They are the most obvious "rubber suited man" monster ever to appear multiple times. Only the Zarbi and the Rats from Weng-Chiang are worse from what I've seen (Simon has probably seen way worse). The only thing they have going for them are those hissing voices.

Thus, I look forward to their Revival.

@Hullabaloo: The Time War will never be shown. RTD said in confidential that it was best not to show the Time War (RTD lied a lot but he didn't lie this time).

The Time War is just an excuse to get rid of all the timelords (which would bog down the show in continuity if they stayed plus you only need the two timelords) and to allow the show its own sort of continuity, again to distinguish it from the classic series. Of course it also mean Moffat can pull a Tarantino and say that Doctor Who cannot have continuity errors because you can just say “he went back in time and changed it or it’s a ripple from the time war”. Which to me sounds rather arrogant.

PS: does anyone have the Season 7 part 1 Boxset? Does it have DVD commentary?

[CelestialStick]

Curly is reviewing both Genesis and Remembrance of the Daleks, which might help. Genesis is a Tom Baker one, the first appearance of Davros and arguably the start of the Time War as well; not only that but it is often considered the best of all Doctor Who stories. Remembrance is a Seventh Doctor story, also a significant step in what could be considered the Time War, which features the Hand of Omega, Ace beating up a dalek with a (admittedly enhanced) baseball bat and a return to Foreman's Yard.

Trial of a Time Lord is a Sixth Doctor story, which I'm sure you meant to type. And you are getting Caves of Androzani (the last Fifth Doctor story) mixed up with Planet of Fire (which, I think, is the story just before). Caves of Androzani is quite a gritty tale of drug smuggling, gun running and political corruption.

As mentioned, my recommendations are linked in from the first post of this thread. I'd also suggest www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic as a good source of info about the earlier series.

I'm wondering, what with the 50th anniversary and all, if there'll be more of the older stuff released on DVD.

I actually though that Genesis of the Daleks might have been the one that introduced Davros. I thought he was a good villain, but they killed him off and brought him back too many times. I would have preferred, as I said about the Master during the Peter Davison days, if once they'd killed him off they'd just left him dead. Genesis of the Daleks though certainly never stood out to be as the best of the Who stories. Sadly too much of what's considered good depends on the fact that American audiences were introduced to Doctor Who when Tom Baker was the Doctor.

[Thufir]

It is for the Ice Warriors.

Well, no it's not, because all you said was 'decades'. The word does not change its meaning because of the context, especially since I didn't know the context until you told me just now.

@Hullabaloo: The Time War will never be shown. RTD said in confidential that it was best not to show the Time War (RTD lied a lot but he didn't lie this time).

The Time War is just an excuse to get rid of all the timelords (which would bog down the show in continuity if they stayed plus you only need the two timelords) and to allow the show its own sort of continuity, again to distinguish it from the classic series.

While I agree the Time War shouldn't be shown, I don't necessarily agree that we couldn't get the Time Lords back, at least some of them, and we could potentially see some of the things which came about because of the Time War which have been mentioned but not seen (The Skaro Degradations and the Nightmare Child sound really interesting if something good could be done with them), and it doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility, especially since
(Curlers)

Spoiler

Show

the Master got dropped back into the Time War and I'm sure someone will want to see him back at some point. Plus him being there helps explain how things could get out of the time lock.

Of course it also mean Moffat can pull a Tarantino and say that Doctor Who cannot have continuity errors because you can just say “he went back in time and changed it or it’s a ripple from the time war”. Which to me sounds rather arrogant.

Really? To me it sounds like a joke. "Oops, I messed up the continuity by mistake... erm... Time War!"
Plus, it is a fairly reasonable excuse sine it's already established that the Time War messed all kinds of things. How is it arrogant?

Sadly too much of what's considered good depends on the fact that American audiences were introduced to Doctor Who when Tom Baker was the Doctor.

I don't believe that at all.

[Friv]

Of course it also mean Moffat can pull a Tarantino and say that Doctor Who cannot have continuity errors because you can just say “he went back in time and changed it or it’s a ripple from the time war”. Which to me sounds rather arrogant.

You really need to stop blaming Moffat for everything, especially for things that he hasn't said.

The "time travel means to hell with continuity" thing is old on Doctor Who. Look at the dozen "final deaths" of the Daleks.

[Eldan]

We already have been shown ways to get out of the time war. At least two, there may be more.

[Weezer]

We already have been shown ways to get out of the time war. At least two, there may be more.

If running away and hiding can escape the time lock, it's a miracle there haven't been more Time Lords encountered than the one we've seen...

[dps]

If running away and hiding can escape the time lock, it's a miracle there haven't been more Time Lords encountered than the one we've seen...

Well, d'oh, they're still hiding.

[comicshorse]

Well, d'oh, they're still hiding.

" Nine hundred and ninety nine thousand million, nine hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine.
ONE QUADRILLION !
Coming, ready or not "

[Fortuna]

" Nine hundred and ninety nine thousand million, nine hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine.
ONE QUADRILLION !
Coming, ready or not "

Technically, that would be nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine before one quadrillion. Unless you cheat and use the American system, in which case it's only nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion, nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine.

...the word ninety looks wrong when you type it out that many times.

[CelestialStick]

Technically, that would be nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine before one quadrillion. Unless you cheat and use the American system, in which case it's only nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion, nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine.

...the word ninety looks wrong when you type it out that many times.

How about nine hundred and ninety-nine trillion, nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine ... QUADRILLION!"

[Androgeus]

Small trailer for Big Finish's 50th Audio Drama was released in their podcast, it's like 20 mins in.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

If running away and hiding can escape the time lock, it's a miracle there haven't been more Time Lords encountered than the one we've seen...

Neil Gaiman killed them all.

[dps]

I'm going to put in a plug for The Time Meddler under the first Doctor, if it's available, both because it introduces the first member of the Doctor's race (other than the Doctor and Susan of course) and because it raises the interesting historical point that had Harold Godwinson not had to fight Harald Hathratha at Stamford Bridge and then do a forced march to meeting William at Hastings, Harold might have beat William, preventing the Normal conquest of Britain.

It is available; that is to say, it's not a lost episode, but I'm not sure if it's had a DVD release yet or not. It has a couple of firsts--the first appearance of another Time Lord (though the name still wasn't mentioned) and the first story to mix historical and SF elements (earlier stories had been either straight historicals with no SF other than the presence of the Doctor, his companions, and the Tardis or had been SF/space travel adventures with no historical element). I probably should have listed it over The Aztecs, but I wanted to list a straight historical. I could have listed both, of course, but my list wasn't meant to be an exhaustive list of the best episodes, but a fairly short list of representative good episodes and episodes which give significant backstory.

I'd also like to put in a plug for both The Five Doctors, a 5th Doctor episode, which did about as good a job of replacing the late William Hartnell (with Richard Hurdnall) as humanly possible, and used some footage from the 4th Doctor's unfinished episode, Shada, since Tom Baker refused to return for the episode. The Two Doctors, a 6th Doctor episode, features an enjoyable romp with the 2nd and 5th Doctors being slowly transformed into Androgums, getting progressively larger and larger appetites. It also features the return os Frazer Hines as the Second Doctor's Scottish companion, Jamie MacCrimmon, who appeared in more episodes than any other companion.

Well, as I said, my list wasn't meant to be exhaustive, but if it had been longer, I'd have listed The Five Doctors as well. But between the 2 stories, I'd definately put The Three Doctors ahead of it.

I haven't seen The Two Doctors myself, but your classification of it as an enjoyable romp agrees with other opinions I've heard of it.

[Hopeless]

Neil Gaiman killed them all.

They're still stuck in the moment like everyone else they still don't understand the Lost series and are fiercely debating it!

That or someone used a mop to block the door to the emergency transmat pads and the TARDISes... (So thats where it ended up after the events of the Big Bang!)

[CelestialStick]

It is available; that is to say, it's not a lost episode, but I'm not sure if it's had a DVD release yet or not. It has a couple of firsts--the first appearance of another Time Lord (though the name still wasn't mentioned) and the first story to mix historical and SF elements (earlier stories had been either straight historicals with no SF other than the presence of the Doctor, his companions, and the Tardis or had been SF/space travel adventures with no historical element). I probably should have listed it over The Aztecs, but I wanted to list a straight historical. I could have listed both, of course, but my list wasn't meant to be an exhaustive list of the best episodes, but a fairly short list of representative good episodes and episodes which give significant backstory.



Well, as I said, my list wasn't meant to be exhaustive, but if it had been longer, I'd have listed The Five Doctors as well. But between the 2 stories, I'd definately put The Three Doctors ahead of it.

I haven't seen The Two Doctors myself, but your classification of it as an enjoyable romp agrees with other opinions I've heard of it.

Hi DPS! I just want to make sure that you know I wasn't criticizing your list in any way!

I agree with you that The Three Doctors belongs ahead of The Five Doctors. The Three Doctors stands out as my all-time favorite episode, and while I'd put The Five Doctors ahead of The Two Doctors, I wouldn't say that The Five Doctors comes close to being my all-time favorite.

If you like Patrick Troughton's Doctor, than you're likely to enjoy The Two Doctors. Even though Troughton is 16 years older than when he left the show, and he forgot how his hair stylist used to do his hair for the Doctor until after he filmed the episode, he did such a fine job of reprising his version of the Doctor that he made it easy to overlook such things. For fan of Doctor Two's whimsy, The Two Doctors felt like a family reunion (or a good one anyway, not the ones that people usually end up hating in real life ).

I've actually read more of the early Doctor stories than I've seen, which might be because they novelized more than they've put on DVD. I see though that they put out The Aztecs on VHS, then DVD, and now (on March 12) in a special edition on DVD available at http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Azt...who+the+aztecs.

It looks like they did release a novelization (or novelisation, as the Brits spell ) back in 1984. all my Who books though are currently in a box somewhere among all my other possessions in boxes, so I can't check and see if I have it. If I do, reading it didn't make a big impression on me nearly 30 years ago in the 1980s. I actually taught Aztec history while I was working on my Ph.D. in history in the 1990s, so I'd have thought that if I'd read it in the 1980s I would have remembered it in the 1990s, but memory is a tricky thing. I remember, for instance, that I saw the box with the Who books the last time I searched through my boxes for something, and I think I recall what the box looks like, but I cannot recall its location.

Ah, I found the box! It was about the fourth place I looked, and the third box that looks just like it. I do indeed have The Aztecs. Well, so much for my memory.

Anyway, thanks again for your great list!

Edit: In case any one's interested my novelizations run from the first Doctor through the fifth, starting with An Unearthly Child and running through The Caves of Androzani. They hadn't novelized them all circa 1984, and I have only about half a dozen each of the first and second doctors; they'd focused, it seems, on novelizing the third through fifth. I also found two Doctor Who Programme Guides, both of which show the faces of the first five doctors, but both of which actually run through only the end of the fourth Doctor. I also have a couple of Doctor Who quiz books, a Doctor who brain teaser book, and Doctor Who: The Unfolding Text. I'd completely forgotten about all of those.

Back when I lived in Denver in the 1980s, I belonged to the local Sherlock Holmes Society (Doctor Watson's Neglected Patients), and many of the members were Whovians. After I read all the novelizations I didn't think I'd want to read them again, so when I was preparing to move from Denver to Iowa (for the aformentioned history program) I was going to donate my Who books to the library of Doctor Watson's Neglected Patients, but at the last moment I found that I couldn't bear to part with my Preciousssssssssss... So now maybe I will read them again. I put the special DVD edition of The Aztecs, which apparently includes as much of Galaxy 4 (the first episode of the third season) as they could find, on my Amazon.com Wish List, so thanks again, DPS!

[dps]

The special edition DVD of The Aztecs is probably going to be my next video purchase. I hope to eventually collect all of Who (including reconstructions of lost episodes that haven't actually been made yet, and who knows--no pun intended--maybe some of those episodes might still turn up somewhere yet), but it's an expensive proposition. For example, last fall I bought the DVD with the first 3 First Doctor stories, plus a 30-minute condensed reconstruction of Marco Polo, and it cost me almost $40 dollars. In contrast, about 4 years ago for Christmas my wife got me the boxed set of the complete 7-year run of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for about $120.

[CelestialStick]

The special edition DVD of The Aztecs is probably going to be my next video purchase. I hope to eventually collect all of Who (including reconstructions of lost episodes that haven't actually been made yet, and who knows--no pun intended--maybe some of those episodes might still turn up somewhere yet), but it's an expensive proposition. For example, last fall I bought the DVD with the first 3 First Doctor stories, plus a 30-minute condensed reconstruction of Marco Polo, and it cost me almost $40 dollars. In contrast, about 4 years ago for Christmas my wife got me the boxed set of the complete 7-year run of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for about $120.

Yes, some shows have a much higher price than others. I couldn't have afforded to get the whole Star Trek: Enterprise series at once as it was going for something like $300, but my brother bought it for my birthday one year. Actually it looks now like the listed price was $250 and the current discounted price on Amazon is $165.96.

For now I'm not going to plan to get all the Who episodes on DVD as it would be a vastly too-expensive proposition, and think I'll limit myself to The Aztecs. Actually my best friend's wife I think has virtually every Who episode that's been sold, so I might just see what she has and borrow them. I should probably return their first two seasons of Fringe first though.

[Sunken Valley]

You really need to stop blaming Moffat for everything, especially for things that he hasn't said.

You may be write about the first thing. But he did say it. I don't tell lies.

Also: Doctor Who Special is in 3D. I'd rather have a 90 min 2D special as opposed to a 60 min 3D one, but I'm sure you people will be loving over it.

[dps]

You may be write about the first thing. But he did say it. I don't tell lies.

Except that he didn't mention the Time War. Though, in a way, that makes it worse.

And it sounds more lazy than arrogant to me. It means that Moffat and the other writers don't have to put a lot of efforst into getting things right, because if they do screw something up or there's something in the plot that doesn't make sense, well, timey-wimey.

Also: Doctor Who Special is in 3D. I'd rather have a 90 min 2D special as opposed to a 60 min 3D one, but I'm sure you people will be loving over it.[/QUOTE]

Frankly, I don't even know how 3D works on the TV screen.

[Androgeus]

Also: Doctor Who Special is in 3D. I'd rather have a 90 min 2D special as opposed to a 60 min 3D one, but I'm sure you people will be loving over it.

I also heard that they were also going to be showing it in theatres in 3D but couldn't find a BBC source for it.

[The Extinguisher]

Except that he didn't mention the Time War. Though, in a way, that makes it worse.

And it sounds more lazy than arrogant to me. It means that Moffat and the other writers don't have to put a lot of efforst into getting things right, because if they do screw something up or there's something in the plot that doesn't make sense, well, timey-wimey.

Also: Doctor Who Special is in 3D. I'd rather have a 90 min 2D special as opposed to a 60 min 3D one, but I'm sure you people will be loving over it.

Frankly, I don't even know how 3D works on the TV screen.[/QUOTE]

The same way it works in a theatres. You just need to have a 3D TV for it to work.

[Thufir]

Also: Doctor Who Special is in 3D. I'd rather have a 90 min 2D special as opposed to a 60 min 3D one, but I'm sure you people will be loving over it.

Nope, I'm with you on this one, as I have been obstinately refusing to go see things in 3D ever since it became a thing.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Nope, I'm with you on this one, as I have been obstinately refusing to go see things in 3D ever since it became a thing.

Note to self: at next meetup/mini-meetup insist upon seeing a 3D movie. 'Cause.

@the person who wanted Class Who recommendations whose name I forgot because I'm doing umpteen billion and two things at once at half two in the morning whilst coming down with a severe cold:

SEE 'THE INVASION'. It is a Second Doctor story and frankly, I think it's one of the best Doctor Who stories I've ever seen Nu or Classic.
It has Jamie, who is adorable!
It is UNIT! The first time they were ever called UNIT as well too (I think)!
It has Zoe in a skin-tight glittery catsuit!
It has an incredibly compelling antagonist with layers and depth (unlike many one-shot antagonists). And he's surrounded by idiots.
I almost considered this a spoiler, but the DVD and the general blurb for this serial in any medium spoils this so: it's an excellent Cyberman adventure!
It's really atmospheric. Seriously, it's a political/war thriller that just so happens to be about an alien invasion.
The Brigadier has a Brigstache.

Downsides:
One of the protagonists is a prat who deserves a good slap in the face.
It being the 1960s, the robot suits aren't so much robotic as cloth obviously spray painted silver.
Can be a little drawn out at times, so if you're not one for a slow pacing you may be a bit bored at times.

Things:
The first and first episodes were lost, but were animated by the same people who did Danger Mouse back when.
Little bit of sexism. Although considering who and what the female characters do, I . . . well, let's just say I was telling a prat to get back in the kitchen far before she demonstrated her true idiocy.
Not much action, but really, the big confrontations in the serial are so well down (remember, political/dramatic thriller) that the dialogue scenes are more tense than the physical stuff.

If you're not sure:
I do reviews of Doctor Who, go to the first post and you'll see my review of 'THe Invasion'. It is quite long as I do a separate review for each episode; and I had a lot to talk about. That or you could skip to the bottom of each review for the cliff notes.

Why have I been absent?
An ill mother, several job interviews (all fruitless) that required a lot of prep and travel time (now wasted time) and getting back into beta-reading fic online.
Seriously, what's the point in going thousands of pounds into debt when you can't even get a job working at the till of your local corner shop let alone something that pays actual money?
*is depressed and not feeling good about herself*
Urgh. Where does one go for excessive encouragement about continuing projects done in one's free time?