Season 22 - Patrick Troughton and Colin Baker - 'The Two Doctors'

The Two Doctors saw the return of Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines to reprise their roles as the second Doctor and his companion Jamie McCrimmon alongside Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant as Peri Brown. In this episode the Sixth Doctor has a vision of his previous self being put to death at the hands of a Sontaran so Peri and her Doctor home in on Patrick Troughton’s whereabouts and race to save his life? 

The Episode is partially based in a very 80s Neon and chrome space station and partially based in a grand manor house estate in Spain where Dastari and Chessene (a genetically enhanced Androgum) are conducting time experiments with the help of the Sontarans which are threatening the very fabric of time itself. It’s always fun to see a Doctor interact with himself and this is the third time that Patrick Troughton returned to his role for a one off episode so it must have been very exciting for the audience at the time who had seen him interact with all of the other Doctors in turn. However there isn’t actually a lot of interaction between the Two Doctors in this episode at all something I was really quite disappointed about. 

Season 22 - Colin Baker - Attack of the Cybermen

We chose 'Attack of the Cybermen' for Day 20 as we had not seen an episode with Colin Baker and as the first serial from Season 22 it seemed a good place to start with this Doctor. Unfortunately we did find ourselves a little disappointed with the episode which didn’t seem to flow particularly well and facets of the story were quite farcical.

Colin Baker’s Doctor is, if this is possible, almost more eccentric than many of the other incarnations and has an arrogance about him that actually makes him quite abrasive. The episode has a very slapstick feel to it which is partly due to the physical nature of Colin Baker’s portrayal and partly due to the very 80s feel to the storyline.

Peri, as ever, is partially clothed and a little whiney through most of the episode and is almost killed on several occasions but even though the character of Peri doesn’t really hold up amazingly well alongside other classic companions such as Sarah Jane and Jo Grant her sparring with the sixth Doctor brings a comedy element to Season 22 and provides a voice for the audience giving us a much appreciated reprieve from the Doctor’s showing off.

Though the story line wasn’t amazing and the relationship between this newly regenerated Doctor and his companion Peri is a little tense, it was great to see a different take on the Cybermen and was interesting, if comical, to see just what could happen if the chameleon circuit in the Tardis was working.  

Unfortunately we couldn’t find it in our hearts to award this episode more than a 2/5, hopefully we have a little more luck with some of Colin Baker’s other episodes. 

Doctor Who Monsters Cross Stitch - SnowFallonSea

Also now available from my Etsy store is the Doctor Who Monsters pattern that I have been slaving over for the past few days.

Take a look:

Peter Capaldi and Clara Oswald - Cross Stitch Pattern - SnowFallonSea

I would like to introduce you to the newest addition to my cross stitch pattern collection, soon to be available from my Etsy shop 'SnowFallonSea'.

The newest Doctor and his companion Clara :)

Series 3 - David Tennant - Gridlock

Its Martha’s first time in the Tardis and the Doctor whisks her away to the city of ‘New New York’ in the year five billion and fifty three, what girl wouldn’t be delighted at such a trip? This episode is set on ‘New Earth’ where the residents of a once great city are using the latest drug ‘Mood Patches’ in order to repress their horror at what their world has become.

Martha is kidnapped by a young couple going by the names of Milo and Cheen who needed a third passenger so as they could enter the elusive ‘Motorway’ and gain access to the coveted but rumoured haunted ‘Fast lane’ which would allow them to travel 10 miles in a lightning 6 years so that they can raise their unborn child in a new city that isn’t tainted by pharmaceuticals.  

Series 2 - David Tennant - Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel

In honour of Roger Lloyd Pack we chose ‘Rise of the Cybermen’ and ‘The Age of Steel’ as our viewing for Day 18 of our year with the Doctor. These episodes which serve as a two part story, boast being the first appearance of the Cybermen since Doctor Who’s return to the BBC in 2005.

In this story the Doctor, Rose and Mickey find themselves crash landing on a parallel earth in which Rose’s father and Mickey’s grandmother are still alive. All of the residents of this parallel world are plugged directly into the internet via silver ear pieces which allow them to download the daily news reports straight into their mind wherever they are. Whole cities stop to watch the news at the same time and then continue about their business as though nothing has happened. As ever though there is something sinister about these head sets and the man who created them.

Season 10 - Jon Pertwee - Planet of the Daleks

The fourth serial of the tenth season of Doctor Who sees the Doctor and Jo stranded on a planet that has danger seeping from its very pores. Spiradon is a planet inhabited by aliens known as Spiradons who have developed the ability to generate an anti-reflecting light wave which renders them invisible. As well as the Spiradons the planet also boosts a large population of venomous fungus and plants. Spiradon has been taken over by a troupe of Daleks who have subjugated the inhabitants in an attempt to perfect the art of invisibility.

The Doctor and Jo overcome the dangers of Spiradon with the aid of a group of stranded Thals and the Doctor finds himself once again standing in between the universe and his mortal enemy, the Daleks.

Mister Capaldi's Outfit!

So Excited to see this!!!!! 

Series 2 - David Tennant - Love and Monsters

Love and Monsters is a very interesting and exciting episode from the second series since the 2005 reboot. The most interesting thing about this episode is simply that it doesn’t feature the Doctor much at all. Though there have been a few episodes which have followed a similar formula in subsequent series, this is the first time we see a storyline play out like this one. Rather than a story centring around the Doctor, Rose and their adventures this episode follows the  lives of a group of people who have all have been touched by the Doctor in some way, exploring the effect he can have on the people around him whether good or bad. 

Series 5 - Matt Smith - The Beast Below

The Beast Below is the second episode of Series 5 of Doctor Who after the 2005 reboot with Matt Smith as the Doctor and Karen Gillan gracing our screens as his companion Amy Pond. Though this was Smith’s second episode as the Doctor I think it is the episode where you really got to know the Doctor he would turn out to be. The first episode of the series showed off the Doctor’s playful gleeful side, his determination and the power of his mind, this second episode shows his compassion and understanding but most of all his anger. 

The Beast Below, both beautiful and heart-breaking at the same time, finds the Doctor and Amy exploring the space ship that houses the entire population of the United Kingdom as it stood the day they fled the earth and its burning sun. 

Season 21 - Peter Davison - Resurrection of the Daleks

Episodes about Davros and the Daleks are always fun to watch and, with so much historical knowledge to draw from, they’re usually relatively easy to review. However this story, I think is an exception to this rule. This was our first encounter with the 5^th Doctor, Peter Davison and we had high hopes as it boasts being the only episode in which Peter Davison meets his oldest enemies as well as the first ever Doctor Who episode that was broadcast in 45 minute segments rather than the traditional 25.

This episode notoriously garners mixed opinions amongst fans and in hindsight we accept that this probably was not the best episode to introduce us to the Peter Davison’s Doctor. In all honesty the Doctor didn’t really seem that instrumental to the storyline as he had very little dialogue, not a great deal of screen time and the Daleks eventual downfall comes and the hands of Davros himself rather than the Doctor. However what time the Doctor does spend on screen is quite notable, if only because of how far his character has come from the kindly old gentleman that William Hartnell introduced us to.

My Doctors (Cross Stitch pattern) by Kristy

So in honour of Our Year with the Doctor I decided to have a go at designing a Doctor Who cross stitch pattern and here is the result! (Available to purchase from my Etsy Store 'SnowFallonSea' ) I'm going to be stitching this over the next week so pictures of the finished piece to follow.

An Interview with Jeremy Bulloch

Jeremy Bulloch started his illustrious and successful acting career in 1950 at the tender age of 5 when he appeared in his first school play and hasn't looked back since.  Destined for the acting profession he attended the Corona Academy Drama School, and made his first professional appearance aged twelve when he appeared in a breakfast cereal commercial.

Appearing many times on children's television, Jeremy's big break came in 1963 at the age of just 17 when he landed a major role in Summer Holiday, which starred Sir Cliff himself. Not long after this, he became a household name by starring in a BBC Soap Opera called The Newcomers, which ran for 3 years. In 1969, Jeremy was off to Madrid in Spain to play the leading role in a musical film called Las Leandras and this was followed by two other major films:  The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970) and Mary Queen of Scots (1971).

Series 1 - Christopher Eccleston - Dalek by Kristy

I was really excited when we chose ‘Dalek’ as the first modern Doctor Who that we would review as it is an episode that is very close to my heart, not only was it the first episode I saw with Christopher Eccleston but it was also my favourite episode from his series and my very first episode with the Daleks. 

There are many things that are simply irresistible about this episode but the biggest thing for me is seeing just how much damage the time war really did to the Doctor. Christopher Eccleston was a brilliant choice to bring the Doctor to life again, he is a fantastic actor and he really showed it in this story when he unleashed his anguish and anger on the imprisoned Dalek. 

Day 12 - Resurrection of the Daleks

With Sherlock on the TV this evening we decided to watch a slightly shorter classic episode. This evening we watched our first Peter Davison episode 'Resurrection of the Daleks' from season 21 of Doctor Who.

Reviews of 'Dalek' and 'Resurrection of the Daleks' to follow shortly :)

Silva Screens - Vinyl - The Cave of Androzani ~ Review by Jack

Now that the Christmas period is over and the decorations are away I thought it would be a good idea to review some of my Doctor Who themed presents. I’m going to start off with something a little unusual which is one of the favourite presents that my girlfriend Kristy bought me this year.

‘The Cave of Androzani’ soundtrack vinyl from Silva Screen Productions.

In the digital age we live in everything is available at the click of a button in download form, people rarely have to wait and it is now considered normal to maintain a large collection that is entirely virtual, with that in mind having a release of Doctor Who on vinyl really is something of a miracle. As someone who likes to own something physical anf not only collects vinyl but plays it you can only imagine my excitement, this truly was a real treat.

Season 2 - William Hartnell - The Space Museum

 

‘The Space Museum was aired in 1965 as part of the second season of Doctor Who featuring William Hartnell as the cranky by lovable Time Lord. This episode, which aired as 4 25 minute long parts, centred on the story of a planet named Xeros which had been taken under the tyrannous rule of a race known as the Moroks who used the planet as a venue to house a museum which paid tribute to the battles they had fought and won as the reached out to conquer the stars. 

There is a really sinister back story to the Moroks and their rule, you learn that they attacked the peaceful Xerons using weapons that were far superior to those of the planets occupants then, once they had Xeros secured, they then organised a mass genocide of all Xerons except for the children. The Children were then drafted into slavery, forced to work to maintain the museum until such time as they came of age. Once the children were considered grown up they would be shipped off to other planets in the Morok empire to undergo other kinds of work, ensuring that there could not be an uprising on Xeros. 

The Doctor and his companions (Vicki, Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton) arrive on Xeros and find that nothing seems quite right, their clothes have changed, their feet leave no footprints in the dust on the earth, they cannot touch any of the exhibits in the museum nor can they be seen by the staff and then to top it all off they come across display cabinets which appear to house exact clones of themselves in some kind of state of preservation. The Doctor surmises that the Tardis had a bit of trouble on landing and has accidentally jumped a time track resulting in a few minutes where their timelines became misaligned. It is upon the Doctor making this discovery that the time track slips back into place and our heroes find themselves exposed and vulnerable to capture. 

Season 11 - Jon Pertwee - The Time Warrior

Day 7 and we’re pleased to say that we have successfully filled an entire week with Doctor Who, to mark the occasion we chose to watch the episode that saw the debut of Sarah Jane and the Sontarons. ‘The Time Warrior’ which aired in 1973 formed part of the Doctor’s eleventh season of television, it was set in a medieval world at the crash site of a Sontaron war ship.

At the beginning of this episode Jon Pertwee’s Doctor is summoned to a top secret scientific research centre by the Brigadier as his assistance is required to identify why key scientific personnel are disappearing. In order to get to the bottom of this mystery  the Brigadier confines everyone to the research centre, providing them all with bunks to sleep in so as he can keep an eye on them.

Day 9 - Big Finish Productions Audio Play - Shada (BBCi Animation)

Day 9 of our year long challenge and we settled down to the first episode of the audio play 'Shada' set to animation in 2003 for BBCi. Shada was originally an episode written by Douglas Adams which was never finished due to strikes at the BBC and so remained unaired. In 1992 the unfinished material was released with links by Tom Baker however it wasn't until 2003 when Big Finish Productions created an animated audio play of the storyline that the episode was ever aired in its entirety. This audio episode features Paul McGann as the eighth doctor alongside Romana II and K-9.

Unfortunately work commitments have us a little behind on the reviews but reviews for 'The Time Warrior', 'The Space Museum' and for 'Shada' the animated audio production will follow very soon along with an interview with Jeremy Bulloch.

Thank you for reading :)

Day 7 - The Time Warrior and Day 8 - The Space Museum plus an exciting announcement

 Day 7 - For day 7 of our year with the Doctor we took an adventure into the medieval times with Sarah Jane and the Third doctor, Jon Pertwee, in 'The Time Warrior'. This episode which aired over Christmas and New Year in 1973 during the Doctor's eleventh season, was Sarah Jane's introductory episode as well as the debut of the Sontarons. This episode was packed full of fire, explosives and sword fighting and the perfect way to introduce Sarah Jane and her thirst for adventure.

Day 8 - On day 8 we decided to go back to William Hartnell's era choosing the well loved and very ahead of its time 'The Space Museum' episode featuring Barbara White, Ian Chesterton and Vicki. This episode aired during the second season of Doctor Who back in 1965.


Now why did we choose these episodes specifically you might ask? Well these episodes have a common denominator which really stood out to us, both of these episodes feature the actor Jeremy Bulloch. Jeremy, most commonly known for his role as Boba Fett in Star Wars appeared as 'Hal' a loyal and talented bowman in 'The Time Warrior' and 'Tor' a Xeron rebel in 'The Space Museum'. We were able to get into contact with the man himself and he has agreed to participate in an online interview with us for this blog about his time on Doctor Who. We're both really excited to get the opportunity to speak with him as we have met him multiple times at events and have always loved spending time with him.

If you have any questions that you'd like us to ask please let us know ASAP.

In the meantime reviews of 'The Time Warrior' and 'The Space Museum' to follow. Thank you for reading ... :)

Season 26 - Sylvester McCoy - Ghost Light

 Doctor who stories, by definition have to be tense, bazaar and fascinating and Ghost Light certainly hit the nail on the head. This episode is from the 26 season of Doctor who and aired as three equal parts in the October of 1989. The story is set in 1883 centres around the peculiar happenings at an old mansion house at Gabriel Chase in Perivale England, Ace’s hometown. When the Tardis arrives Ace reveals that she has been here before back in 1983 and had felt a strange presence in the house, it is this revelation that convinces the Doctor that he simply must know more. 

Cue the introduction of the peculiar residents of Gabriel Chase, a Neanderthal butler, a brainwashed house keeper, an insane explorer and a spokesperson for the theory of evolution and the man of the house Josiah Samuel Smith. With a full household of brainwashed staff things get pretty strange but the strangest thing of all is the presence if a strange creature named ‘The light’ which has been trapped in the basement of the house (which is actually a stranded space ship) 

A slight change of structure

In the interest of saving time and allowing ourselves to spend more time watching episodes and reviewing other Doctor Who mediums we have decided to introduce a rating system for the episodes.  Rather than writing a long review for every episode we watch we will write slightly shorter reviews and give each episode a star rating based on storyline, character and pure awesomeness. For anyone who likes reading the longer reviews don’t worry they will still be a prominent part of our blog as we will still write longer in depth blogs for any episodes that get extremely low or extremely high scores or any episodes that we feel are very poignant and interesting. We’re also open to requests if anyone wants to recommend an episode or request a review, just drop us a line in the comments section.

Thank you for reading!

~ Jack and Kristy

The rating system: 

Day 6 - Ghost Light

Day 6 and we're still thoroughly enjoying our time with the Doctor. This evening we had a few problems with our TV so we didn't get to watch quite as much as we would have liked. However we did finish the last 2 episodes on the serial 'Ghost light' with Sylvester McCoy which we started yesterday.

Looking forward to working on that review tomorrow. :)

Thanks for reading.

Season 12 - Tom Baker - Genesis of the Daleks

For Day 4 of our year with the Doctor we decided to check out the 6 part serial from the twelfth season of Doctor who featuring Tom Baker as the Doctor alongside Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan.

Tom Baker is a real fan favourite and he is also one of the longest running Doctors with his time on the show spanning 7 years from 1974 to 1981 and amassing 7 seasons in total. Tom Baker, with his crazy hair, wide eyes and ridiculously long scarf played the Doctor as a heroic, kooky alien with a love of jelly babies and a true compassion for other creatures. From the start of this episode it is easy to see why this often tops polls for the favourite episodes of the era and was a true representation of Tom Baker in the peak of his time in the Tardis.

After years of dominating our TV screens as one of the most terrifying and intelligent of the Doctor’s adversaries, it was finally time to learn the origin of the Daleks and the writers did not disappoint. This is also the first episode to feature Davros, a truly marvellous villain who would inspire many more stories and give children nightmares for years to come.

Day 5 - Ghost Light

For our Sunday viewing this evening we sat down to the first episode of the incredibly creepy 'Ghost Light' from the 26th Season of Doctor who. This episode was originally broadcast in 3 equal parts of 25 minutes each during October 1989 and was one of the scarier episodes that we have watched so far.

Looking forward to reviewing this one! Expect reviews for 'Genesis of the Daleks' and 'Ghost Light' to follow :) ...

Season 25 - Sylvester McCoy - Remembrance of the Daleks

For Day 3 of our year with the Doctor we decided to watch an episode that would be a new experience for both of us, with this in mind we decided to watch the iconic Sylvester McCoy episode ‘The Remembrance of the Daleks’. This episode which was first aired in October 1988 marked the beginning of the 25^th Season of Doctor Who, a remarkable feat. As before the episode aired as 4 segments of 25 minute duration over 4 consecutive weeks and was the last appearance of Davros and the Daleks on television until the show’s revamp in 2005.

One of the great things about this episode (and there are many great things) is the number of little references to Doctor Who and its origins. This episode is set in 1963 around the time that the first Doctor Who was filmed and aired, in the very location that the first episode was set.  We return to Coal Hill School which Susan attended and to the junkyard at 76 Totter’s Lane where the Doctor first parked his Tardis. 

Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor and his assistant Ace have been drawn to 1963 in the course of the Doctor’s quest to secure the hand of Omega. The hand of Omega is a tool designed by a Legendary Time Lord and stellar engineer who created it as a way of manipulating stars to allow the Gallifreyans to time travel. During his research Omega was caught in a supernova caused by his own tool and was sucked into a black hole where he was trapped for the remainder of his life.

Day 4 - Genesis of the Daleks

Day 4 and still going strong. This evening we have watched the 'Genesis of the Daleks' with Tom Baker. This episode that was broadcast in 6 parts starting on 8 March 1975 and was the first episode that featured Davros. A really exciting episode and one I can't wait to review.

Reviews for 'Remembrance of the Daleks', 'Genesis of the Daleks' and an exclusive limited edition Silva Screen vinyl release to follow.

Season 10 - Jon Pertwee - The Three Doctors

On the second day of ‘Our Year with the Doctor’ we sat down to watch the 1972 season 10 episode ‘The Three Doctors’. This was a great episode and is a fan-favourite because not only was it released to mark the Doctor’s tenth year of television but it was also the first Doctor Who episode to feature a previous incarnation of the Doctor returning to our screen, alongside the current Doctor. In fact, as the name suggests, this episode featured all three of the early Doctors, William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and the current Doctor Jon Pertwee.

This episode, much like most episodes of the period, was made up of 4 segments each with a 25 minute duration and was originally aired on 30^th December 1972 and for the following 3 weeks after. This episode introduced a legendary Time Lord known as ‘Omega’, he was initially introduced as an alternative to the Master following the death of Roger Delgado. The intention was to fill the need for a rogue Time Lord character. Omega has often been revered through Time Lord history as one of the founding fathers and the Gallifrey’s ‘greatest hero’, he was a stellar engineer who was working on developing time travel until he was lost and believed dead when his experiments created a supernova and he fell into the resulting black hole.

Day 3 - The Remembrance of the Daleks

This evening we have watched the final two instalments of 'The three doctors' and the first 25 minute instalment of 'The Remembrance of the Daleks with Sylvester McCoy, this was a first for both of us as neither of us had experienced a Sylvester McCoy episode before.

Review of 'The Remembrance of the Daleks' to follow tomorrow :)

Day 2 - 'The Three Doctors'

For this evening's Doctor Who viewing Jack and I sat down to watch the the first two 25 minute episodes of the 1972 Doctor who episode 'The Three Doctors'. This was the first ever episode of 'Doctor Who' which saw and old Doctor coming back to meet with a current Doctor. This was also the episode which marked the Tenth anniversary of the Doctor on our television. The first part of this episode aired on 30th December 1972 and ran for 4 weeks.

Review to follow .... :)

Season 8 - Jon Pertwee - The Claws of Axos

So today is the first day of our year with the doctor and we’ve decided to start off with a Jon Pertwee episode.  This evening we sat down to watch 'The Claws of Axos' which was originally broadcast in 1971 as part of the 8th Season of Doctor Who. The episode was written by Bob Baker and Dave Martin, directed by Michael Ferguson and was split into 4 broadcasts of equal length with the first airing on 13/03/1971 at 17.15.

This episode, as was the case with many episodes from this era, was mainly filmed around the Kent, England area. In the future we plan on visiting some of the locations so look out for future blogs on the locations of ‘The Claws of Axos’. 

Jon Pertwee’s time as the doctor was a really exciting and interesting time for the show, they had taken a step away from the traditional storylines and, for the first time, they had started to film Doctor who in colour. Early colour television, though a far cry from the colour television we see today, was very exciting and ‘Doctor Who’ was not afraid to test the boundaries of what this new technology could do.

The Doctor and Kristy

My first experience of the Doctor came much later than Jack’s. Of course I had heard of the Doctor Who, my mother had been absolutely terrified of the Daleks as a child and my Step father often spoke of staying up to watch Doctor Who when he was still wearing ‘short trousers’.  Many of my friends were fans of the Doctor as well and often tried to encourage me to get into it but I didn’t ever find the time and didn’t know where to start.  

The Doctor and I met for the first time over Christmas 2008; Jack drew me into the world of time travel over the course of one evening with several episodes watched back to back because I simply didn’t want it to end. I had fallen in love with David Tennant and his charming little grin. Though I can not say for sure which episode I watched first I can certainly tell you which episode first made my heart race.

The Doctor and Jack

My first introduction to Doctor Who came whilst I was channel hopping; it was early 2007 and I was looking for something to watch when I came across a re-run of ‘The Girl in the Fireplace’ from Series 2, One of David Tennant’s early episodes. Initially I just left it on for a bit of background noise but found that it really held my interest, it was clever, funny and I didn’t stop thinking about it for hours after. The next morning I found myself still thinking about it while out at a Car Boot Sale in my local area, so when I spotted a Doctor Who DVD for sale I didn’t hesitate before picking it up. The disc I bought was Series 2 Volume 4, usually I am not the type of person to throw myself into a series from somewhere around the middle but I was hooked and the impulse was too strong. A few days later, having devoured my new episodes, I went out and bought Series 1 and 2 and watched every episode, one after the other.