The Temple of Evil
1)Huh. In the "Talons of Weng-Chiang" thread, we were just talking about the issue of having white actors play non-white characters and here we have a story in which all of the Aztecs are played by white actors. I suppose one could
Read more…Read some complaints about this story's racism on a blog. Here's my reply...
When I came in, Leela was running thru the sewer, chased by a giant rat. Perhaps it was the SAME giant rat seen in THE NEW AVENGERS episode, "GNAWS"? Anyway, NA got here
The Sea of Death
1)Another story from Terry Nation, this time using that old standby, "Sending the heroes on a quest to various places to locate and retrieve various important objects". Marinus is an interesting world with a variety of different clim
Read more…The TARDIS materializes in England of the future, during Earth’s next great ice age. The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria soon ally themselves with a group of scientists linked to a worldwide organization working in synch to keep the ice at bay. The base i
Read more…The Edge of Destruction
1)This is an unusual story in that it features only the regular cast, and that the action never moves outside of the TARDIS. In a way, it's an odd story to do for what is only the program's third story in, but it does offer an
Read more…Only episode two of this six-parter exists in the BBC vaults. It is available on the “Lost in Time” set but it’s nice to be able to at least hear the rest of the story, which begins when the TARDIS materializes on a Himalayan mountainside in 1935. Ne
Read more…Episode One:
1)Here we have one of the "UNIT Era" stories which is somewhat legendary in people's memories. Having watched it last night, I begin to suspect that the people who find it "legendary" perhaps have not looked at it lately. It's certainly
Read more…The Dead Planet
1) I like the sets in this a lot — considering it's early '60s Doctor Who, both the forest and the Dalek city are very well done, and come across as quite atmospheric.
2) If you listen to the commentary tracks for some of the more rec
Read more…1)Here we have the big season-ending two-parter, with re-appearances form Vincent Van Gogh, Winston Churchill, Edwin Bracewell and Liz Ten (who's apparently still around in 5145). It's an interesting story device, but it does sort of mean that if you
Read more…The fifth and final (partial) season of The Sarah Jane Adventures will be available on DVD in the U.S. on June 12, 2012, six episodes and a documentary.
Read more…1)An odd little episode, most of which is concerned with what it would be like to have the Doctor as a roommate. As such, it's got a number of amusing moments, with the Doctor making awkward attemots to be "normal". I gather James Corden is pals with
Read more…1)Another "Team TARDIS meets an important cultural figure" story, this time Vincent Van Gogh. Interesting casting choice, I hadn't realized that Van Gogh was a Scotsman. As with Shakespeare, we're given the notion that Van Gogh can (literally, in t
Read more…1)In this story we get the re-invention for the new series of the Silurians, creatures first seen back int he 1970's. I can't say as I was perfectly happy with the new version of these critters - I accept that they had to be "modernized" a bit - the
Read more…1)Another pivotal episode, as we finally get to see Amy decide where her priorities lie, whether with the Doctor or with Rory, which is good, because that whole storyline was beginning to be a bit wearisome. We also get Rory's first "death", startin
Read more…The first 9 months Channel 12 in Philly had DOCTOR WHO, they ran the stories completely out of sequence. No kidding. It was like, "ROBOT", then "THE SONTORAN EXPERIMENT", then "REVENGE OF THE CYBERMEN"... no, not just every-other one. But I can't rem
Read more…1)Now we get a "vampire" story, used essentially as a background for developing Rory as a character, and for developing the relationship between Rory and the Doctor, as well as that between Rory and Amy. I liked the way they had Rory criticize the Do
Read more…1)This story sees the return of the Weeping Angels, although I have to admit that I'm not perfectly happy with how they are handled. To me, the interesting thing about the Angels was their unique way of despatching their victims - sending them back i
Read more…1)The Daleks again - this time being all passive-aggressive. One gets the impression that this is the closest they come to pulling a practical joke on someone. I do wonder why they build machines that they have to get other people to open for them.
Read more…I have wanted to experience this story in its entirety somehow ever since I saw the second (and only existing) episode (of seven) on the “Lost in Time” DVD set. I don’t know if this one, being a Dalek story, was ever adapted into paperback, but even
Read more…