The Third Doctor

Enjoyed reviewing the 7th Doctor so i thought after watching “The Carnival of Monsters” (to catch up ,get up to speed with CO latest toy releases,just got seeds of doom and others to cover ) id cover another Dr
One i remember as a child at 9 or 10 in his video “Death to the Daleks” i liked him he was different his style was unique even as a child this Doctor stood out as something all together different he was as i remember exciting and still is,and i loved his console room i remember finding it erie, it has become my favorite console if not favorite room that belonging to the 4th and 5th Dr’s version
A protector is how id some him up, and he will take physical action if necessary not in a crude way ,unlike the sixth Dr thugishly beating up opponents or killing them while smiling and with quip remarks but with class and style. Venusion aikido, that looks like real world  ju jitsu and judo (Probably something Jon himself practiced at sometime in his numerous activities )

This was a Five year era that gave us the Barry  Letts /Terrance .Dicks team (with Bob Holmes writing stories and creating many iconic villains) ,that was iconic and fundamental to shaping the program to be succeeded by Phillip Hinchcliffe /Bob Holmes team,  to form a truly golden era for Doctor who

John Devon Roland Pertwee (Pertwee is a modification of the original French Huguenot family name Perthuis de Laillevault), was born 7 July 1919 in Chelsea, London. His parents, Roland and Avice, divorced shortly after Jon’s birth; they had been living apart for some time and Jon was conceived on Armistice Day, 11 November 1918, when they had met up again by chance during the celebrations.
Jon and his older brother Michael remained with their father, who was a distinguished playwright, actor and novelist. Jon and Michael lived for a time with their Grandmother and their Uncle Guy at Caterham in Surrey, and then returned to live with their father in South Kensington after Roland remarried in 1927.


Jon was sent to Aldro boarding school in Eastborne at the age of seven, but was expelled for swinging on the lavatory chains Tarzan-style. Between schools, Jon visited a friend of his father’s, A.A. Milne, and met his son Christopher Robin Milne, who introduced him to his toys, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo and Winnie the Pooh.
http://nzdwfc.tetrap.com/archive/tsv48/jonpertweealife.html

His Doctor seems to be a great big Grey area of haters and lovers, But there is a lot to like here, personal opinion aside you either personally do or don’t like a Doctor
The over use of CSO and poor effects. As far as the effects go, yes they were ropey ,but for a shoe string budget and the early 70’s id expect no less ,if anything the effects were pushed to there limits , but lets not forget Tom Baker and Peter Davisons era had their share of tacky effects – Underworld , Horns of Nimon, Warriors of the Deep, and the worse effects were seen in the late 80s that made theses effects look like high art ,and maybe CSO was slightly over used but then so now is CGI
A establishment figure hmmm ,Really ? he is stuck on Earth one planet in one time and he makes the most of it, you see many examples of him arguing with the the Brigadier or politicians, and frustrated at the establishment to go ahead and do it any way
He is a touch mysoginistic and chauvanistic. But that is as much a reflection of the age as it is the actor or the show and to be fare is perfectly acceptable ,this is no limp wristed jessie
They dared to change a formula by then 6 years old,

A show on the brink of cancellation as viewing figures had dropped and it was felt 6 years was long enough
gone was Dottie old man absent minded clown and something completely new  comes in
In a lot of ways was a program that was a sign of the times with carnaby street look  James Bond in films Adam adamant and other such shows as the Avengers on TV  and it changed as the time went on to being vastly different in its last two years
Much the same way as Peter Davison’s Dr was a sign of his times with the public school boy preppy style and the  era of the Yuppie that was around, and films like chariots of fire and on TV in brides head revisited etc

The surprise was with discussion with the new producer Barry Letts , he was to play it strait as he later recalled “I was asked to play the part as Jon Pertwee ,and i had no idea who he was “
 And it worked Pertwees love of Gadgets vehicles and action was a perfect mix ,and the Man loved his clothes as can be seen again in his role all frills,silk ,satin and velvet & bow ties and cravats (This was 1969 to 1974), it was a totally bold new stroke for the character
He had an identity in the role ,that was as was asked for totally Jon Pertwee and the viewing figures and appreciation for Doctor Who grew under his tenure in the TARDIS,
 Pertwee is definitely one of the best Doctors  ,why ?

 The man himself is the first factor. Jon Pertwee is an obvious choice to play the Time Lord.
 Jon Pertwee was a man of considerable talents prior to working for the BBC, he had been a circus performer doing stunts on the wall of death with a motorbike , stunt driver (raced anything that had a engine) loved diving swimming skiing anything physical  and served in the Royal Navy
 Tall with a young old handsome face , with a shock of white gray hair he looked the part
So to cast a comedic Actor who was well known in the industry and had done a wide variety of parts , from Shakespeare,repertoire west end plays  to comedy on the radio films such as Hammer Horror ,Carry on films and much more , it came as no surprise that he was chosen to play the Doctor

I am fortunate to have met Jon several times and found him the consummate performer and entertainer a true showman ,he was polite friendly and always made time for the fans
He stopped to take time to talk to me  when he didn’t have to, and as i got older and met him again i found him genuine sincere and approachable

To start with .His era had a bold new Idea of having the Doctor stranded on Earth that was a fresh  look with the occasional visit on behalf of the Timelord’s to outer space, (although he spent less time on Earth that the Doctor has since his return in 2005 ),but then the 3rd Dr’s last 2 years were copied by the first two years of Doctor who with Drs 9 & 10 out to space or in time then back to U.NI.T, HQ or jackies flat with both Dr’s a trip to parallel Earth

U.N.I.T ,Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart ,one of the best characters in the program,
it was a good idea, the Dr is stranded and uses his knowledge to get a place to live and work on his TARDIS, to have Earth defended by a arm of the British military purpose set up for the unexplained ,pre-dating x files and such like ,so more action and thrills for the kids to cheer to and enjoy the adventures of a Dr that was, is instantly more identifiable
There was also the ‘Mystery’ element the puzzle the Doctor had to work out  searching out clues and putting it together to form the bigger picture
This gave the program a whole new life not seen before or since totally new fresh look like starting over
 the fact it is more scary to see Monsters on earth coming out of the wood work so to speak,
you thought it was safe to go in the sea then out pops a race of creatures who live under it and want to kill you, (This years before Jaws) under the Earth is a race of Creatures that see us as the invaders, the infestation to be wiped out ,and these are not even alien invaders ,the mundane bent towards death and destruction like daffodils or dolls or gargoyles or shop dummies coming to life to kill you, this has been often tried many times in Dr Who and other programs and films since
(This era was a perfect spring board for yet another completely different change of direction in the cosmos striding fourth doctor )
His era built on the mythos of the Doctor introducing Omega one of the founding fathers ,the planets name Gallifrey the Timelords the president  the first multi Doctor story
 The fact that his era had a majority of the best monsters and  introduced new legendary ones , Auton’s,Sea Devils, Silurians, Ogrons, Draconians, Sontarans……. the Master, Single greatest Villain for the Doctor ever, played here believable and scary and sinister and very smooth by Roger Delgado
Only regret he never faced the Cybermen i feel this is a really missed opportunity, what he, his Dr could of done with a good U.N.I.T story against the silver giants from Mondas

The small, but important, fact that he regularly changed his outfit for a new look , he had some of the best title sequences and season 11 titles is still one of my favorites
,Liz Shaw the boffin scientist in his first season, Jo Grant is easily one of the best companions, and introducing the legend that has become  Sarah Jane Smith in his final year on the program
His era is worth watching and not dismissing to quickly, theres something to be enjoyed here.

Jon Pertwee returned to the role of the Third Doctor several times in the eighties and nineties. In 1983, he appeared in the twentieth anniversary television special The Five Doctors, and in 1989 again played the Doctor, this time on stage in Doctor Who – The Ultimate Adventure. In 1993 he appeared on screen once more as the Third Doctor in the two part charity skit Dimensions in Time, and also played the Doctor on radio for the five-part audio Doctor Who story The Paradise of Death. The success of that production led to a sequel, the six part The Ghosts of N-Space, made in November 1994 but not transmitted until early 1996. Jon made appearances at numerous Doctor Who conventions, invariably appearing in a version of the Third Doctor’s costume which he’d had made especially for such occasions.

The Seventh Doctor

Finally finished “the Psychic Circus” so thought id comment as felt compelled to,
They say that you always have a loyalty to the Doctor that you grew up with, and in my case, by the time I was seriously getting into Doctor Who at age 12 ,13 , it was Sylvester McCoy.
I had the VHS Tapes early fledgling titles( Remember these are the days of VHS costing as much as £20)  and “Death to the Daleks “The Pyramids of Mars”  “the Five Doctors” and “Revenge of the Cybermen” Will forever be all time classics for me
And i had the Target novelizations of previous episodes (Boy was i disappointed when i finally got to see invasion of the Dinosaurs)  the fun books like knitting album ,Dr who cook book and the Matt Irvine special effects book and Dr Who Technical manual (as i had yet to see this sonic screwdriver i was unaware of its importance to the Dr)
And i had the BIG reference books from messers Howe ,Stammers and Peter Haining ,
Ah the days before mighty Wikipedia and a search engine was a library

Granted, I’d been watching the show for a good few years by this point, I caught the State of Decay, the first story I ever watched. But while I enjoyed the Davison era and tolerated Colin Baker, (I wasn’t a avid fan or dedicated watcher nor am i now it is a show i do enjoy watching periodically and do follow it is a show with great stories and entertainment and unique in the world of media )
 The eighties were dominated by producer John Nathan-Turner, who entered his role in 1980, heading season 19 until the shows cancellation in 1989 and season 26
I really found myself warming to the Sylvester McCoy (real name Patrick Kent Smith) reign in the Tardis,heck i even like his logo, tho not the opening titles or music

The man himself is the first factor. McCoy wasn’t an obvious choice to play the Time Lord,
 I loved that little bit of eccentricity,(and in real life is a really nice quiet man friendly and entertaining )
I felt that he had an identity in the role. and physically was a lot like the 2nd Dr in he was a small fun physical actor that had done a variety of shows and performances and physical theater,

His appearance once again dictated by John Nathan Turner ,(who you would of thought  would of learned his lesson after the sixth Drs costume) this is a man who is dictating and involved in design and look of costumes, yeah, same man who thinks the hight of fashion is Hawaiian shirts and bright colored trousers and shoes ,
it was ok, he kept his panama hat that he used at the audition and as well as a prop coming from his back ground in physical theater ,i liked ,the rest was strait from the 2nd Drs wardrobe baggy checked trousers crumpled shirt baggy oversized jacket with huge pockets ,
I liked McCoys touches of scarf in the Jacket lapel ,along with a unique iconic question mark Umbrella  and the Doctors pocket watch and TARDIS key in the Jackets top pocket ,but what was that jumper about?????? ,covered in question marks he looked like the riddler ,talk about ruining the character ,a item soon ditched in the books and audio novels and comics

He’s not the best Doctor Who ever, but he proved to be a good choice, and his passion for the show since is no surprise.
He also changed the tone of his performance a surprising degree over his run. and improved immensely,he may of struggled with the angry scenes and shouting but thats one small fault 

The early McCoy episodes, where he was playing the role a lot lighter, were certainly his weakest, as his portrayal of the Time Lord got much darker towards the end of his run.he improved
(A theme maintained in the New Adventure books i enjoyed and currently in the Big Finish audio plays )

Furthermore, once he managed to rid himself of Bonnie Langford (surely the worst assistant for the good Doctor of all time) and got Sophie Aldred in as his companion, things improved considerably. Some of McCoy’s earlier stories were the wrong side of ropey (Time and the Rani, Paradise Towers,anyone?), but when he teamed up with Ace it gave the writers an interesting, almost parental dynamic between the Doctor and his assistant that harked back to genuine old-time Who. It would have been interesting to see how the duo of McCoy and Aldred would have developed had the show kept going, although John Nathan Turner was believed to be looking to phase Ace out in the following series that never came.
A successful partnership that was very popular and endured in the spin off media and has proven extremely successful ,when free of budgets and time restraints  it gos to show what could of been
Although i hate the way she constantly calls him ‘professor’ that grated then and now he is the Doctor
nor do i agree completely with the Cartmell plan of the good Doctor as a god and one of the first ever Timelords, alongside Rassilon and Omega

And before we lay all this trouble and the show’s woes on the shoulders of the producer Johna Nathan Turner,Who did yes stay to long ,but could not leave due to the BBC despite wanting to and would of given  new lease of life to the program  ,he did yes make it his own personal show and was involved way to much in to many parts of it  and it did yes become his personal view and fantasy and he made some terrible errors (like his successor Russel Davis and Stephen Moffet but unlike them he didnt influence the storys or writing or actually write for the show  ) and yes it did become as camp a show as the 60’s Batman TV series

  I will say in its defense, his era took the show on some phenomenal highs and  into the 1980’s. and definately glossed it up
Graham Williams left as producer at the end of the Horns of Nimon ,Shada  and it was up to John Nathan-Turner to vastly improve the series,

Season 17 was a very poor season, dominated by Tom Bakers performance and one man show , poor production and overly comic stories including cartoon noises  and scripts from then script editor Douglas Adams
Graham Williams had left in his wake some very appalling stories,and direction ,production  standards were exceedingly poor,
The show did gain some high production ,and some unique stories under John Nathan Turner’s (JNT) tenure at first, with some definitely adult in tone,with high viewing figures and generally enjoyed and liked family show in the beginning of his tenure  it improved as he made his changes and settled into the program ,
a weekday slot loosing Bidmead and his confusing inexplainable plots to going through several Script Editors eventually to Eric Saward ,
The fifth Dr  Mara stories dealing in strong psychological levels and demonic possession, control and domination very adult in tone to fun adventures like the Arc of Infinity , Awakening and the visitation  and organizing and running the Marathon 20 yr anniversary and season

He promoted the show endlessly and kept it in the media ,he got it firmly established abroad and oversaw the first videos and mass market of the show ,
He also worked under some appalling conditions and dictum’s by the BBC and had no money or time or any discernible talent around him and his ambitions often exceeded the budget and means at his disposal  ,
He was a variety style producer who although had worked for some time on Dr Who was at times out of his depth in the world of Science Fiction ,and he had to take his work and adapt it to Sci Fi ,which sometimes wasn’t altogether successful, sometimes it was
But that Changed when he got new writers and script editors in Cartmell /Aranovitch they helped bring new life into the show and turn it round in its last season it was more like the show of old
And the improvements in technology of effects ,camera filming etc helped along with a good solid Dr Companion  team in Sylv and Sophie
He new Doctor Who having worked for the program on and off since troughtons time and regular as Production Assistant  as of Talons of Weng Chiang  1977 but alas this just was not the 70s anymore it was the eighties and the demands of the program were not met by BBC,he did much to modernize the program but he ran out of ideas and rest became regular light entertainment needing fresh ideas new production from 85 onwards
But he wasn’t helped by lack of writers lack of money lack of some key talent and resources to develop make the program and being at logger heads with his script editor wasn’t helping
His ego new no bounds and as a result lots of directors refused to work on the program the talent pool of old writers or anyone from shows past he resented this didnt lend itself to smooth running

Then there were some of the stories. Detractors of the McCoy era  (and I am not blind to its problems)  will quickly point to  the likes of Dragonfire and Ghost Light as bad episodes that did nothing but hammer a few more nails into the show’s coffin .
The tepid Cybermen outing Silver Nemesis didn’t help either, especially as it was designed to mark the programe’s 25th anniversary.in fact that year was a big turn around for writing and performance and improvement of the show but was let down by some stories

But what about Remembrance Of The Daleks?, that’s as a good a Dalek story as we’d seen since Genesis Of The Daleks. The same writer, Ben Aaronovitch, also gave us the King Arthur-inspired Battlefield, which too was quite a piece of work, even if the effects  left a lot to be desired plastic Knights Armour and wooly jumpers for chain mail  and a sadly unrealized Monster in the Greater Deamon (Sue Moore another upcoming talent that made her mark firmly in the late 80s Doctor who and was defiantly brilliant at what she did from Heamovors to Greater Deamon to the ancient one etc can only think how if she had gone on or been in Hollywood she would of ended up) ,Destroyer, that was squandered and was generally

Hampered by lack of budget,EG Jean Marsh was wonderful as Morgane the witch but really ,stand in middle of blacked out studio in front of a black curtain ,get the dry ice machine and give her a lamp to hold as a magic ball ,that’s it!.
 it was like a cheap pop 80s video,this is BBC late 80s for you and what Doctor Who the program was battling against,it looked better quality in the 70s but this aside Battlefield is a great story and some great performances and really does much to have one eye on the future but a hearty nod to the past

The Greatest show in the Galaxy  is a realy good story ive just enjoyed Nice sets simple yet effective Tardis console room looked good (why did they feel the need to skip it i don’t know)  the Doctor and Ace on good form ,creepy Alien robot Clowns and maniacal bus conductor and strange Gods creatures ,and the setting in the “Desert of Dorset” was more convincing than the actual recent trip to film in the deserts of Dubai.

And then there’s The Curse Of Fenric, the finest episode of the McCoy era, and a good candidate for one of the top five stories in the show of all time.
This put the Doctor to the side of the action for the most part, instead developing the character of Ace quite dramatically,(NOT in a Soap Opera way or about her in a way that is outside of Doctor Who but a part of it .)
in a strangely moving and brilliantly constructed story. It stands up particularly well, not least because the DVD release has edited the story into one full story with subtle new effects it has great monsters chilling atmosphere and a good story well directed and shot

Even throughout the low points of his era,and remember BBC had not a clue putting it schedule against a popular soap and not advertising or promoting it and giving it no resources or funds

  McCoy had a gusto, energy and quirkiness that served the show well, often at times when a story around him was sinking without trace.
And yet when he did get good material to work with, he made the most of it, and helped deliver some stories that simply shouldn’t be overlooked in the world of classic Who.
Given the cheapness and lack of care from  the BBC at this time  it is amazing what in some stories was achieved , and it really deserves some reassessment.
Try to ignore the lack of money and cheapness and theres some good story’s 
McCoy’s brief appearance in the TV Movie shows what could of been with money time and effort on behalf of the production staff, new costume and all

Doctor who -Toy Stories

 thought i would use this as my personal repository and toy box and some what catalogue ,while having fun along the way


so this post will be pics of settings and scenes of my Who toy’s enjoy ill update as new stuff comes in and a brief sentence of what’s what 

The Tardis 05

Like the Character Options Box i enhanced modified and improved the console room play-set and finished it off it is now in situation of the “Who Store” Blackpool permanently on display 

The TVM 7th/8th Doctors Tardis 

Brachaki refit 66/76

Death to the Daleks 

high council of Timelords

or to be more exact there inner council as theres hundreds on the council

OK I’m making some Timelords into the inner high council ,why? well i am a timelord Phoebe love em always have and Character Options have indeed furnished us with some lovely models 🙂

There is of course rank and order and i see this as a personal modelling challenge a personal one lots of my interests within like my Warhammer Brettonian Army

so i have in mind this

Lord president elect …..insert name …..figure head of Gallifrey

Chancellor …..insert name…..runs Gallifrey she keeps it running and orderly

Castalan Javert, in charge of the laws and Chancellery guard

Cardinal of the Prydonian’s ….. Jules Mazaran ..most influential Timelord Chapter and head master of the Academy

Prydonian Timelord………….insert name………………………

and Lady Rommana …………..Chief ambassador to Gallifrey in its affairs off world

so Lord President elect (quite the democracy isn’t it) all white general Timelord body, and I’m looking to do a generic bald bearded head for this ,The body is done ,

Chancellor is done,I used the Gelth zombie head (perfect) and generic Timelord body ‘just needs detail

and she is from a separate Chapter hence purple robes, Paltrexeans wear heliotrope which is a form of pink,purple

Chancellor is the main authority as seen in both tom baker Timelord sotries, “the Deadly assassin” and “the invasion of time” the Chancellor is the last word and maker of decisions

Javert almost done ill come back to him later he is all blue shades

Cardinal of the Prydonian’s Jules Mazarin, (i watched 3 Musketeers to much) so i have the Narrator for this (Timothy Dalton) with simple standard collar looks really impressive and noble as Head Teacher head of the order

general Timelord right out of the box will come later ,and Rommana well Jabe body will suffice head i haven’t decided it is a ongoing project will be the Lalla ward version

Javert is one of the most rounded figures so far having been lifted strait from the novel ,

he believes completely in the rule and justice of law. motivated by his utterly set moral code and the unflinching operation of it,

Javert is a person who was brought into the world in a place of chaos and reacted by insisting on total order those who step out of line must be put back otherwise that order will break down

Javert is a character with highly admirable traits, such as devotion, integrity, honesty, and loyalty, yet all these qualities are bent towards an ignoble end. He’s a warped character. He’s goodness bent toward hideousness. Yet, in that hideous perversion of goodness, Javert remains a highly sympathetic character. Misguided and narrow-minded, yes. But honest and true just the same. And faced with despair when morality and lawful behavior become mutally exclusive
Javert comes from the  House Dvora,(also known as the House of the Devouring Hounds),Of moderate size, House Dvora was nevertheless a cornerstone of the ruling six.
its main colours appear to be greys and blue (Dr Who Big Finish cover)

Romana, In a later of stage of her life, she was the Lady President of Gallifrey now a Ambassador to Gallifrey and holder of a lot of authority and power and influence on Gallifrey beloved and seen as a hero,still more world wise and much her own person after her travels in E Space,some such as Castalan Javert still view her as a renegade
Accompanied by Romana is K9 her faithful robot dog ,51st century technology augmented by Timelord technology 
this is a older model K9 (MK2) but vastly superior in may ways ,time resistant and able to survive in the Vortex and vacuum of space,hover for superior ground clearance and travel over rough terrain and at higher speeds  , learning CPU and updated software ,with higher and more adaptive scanning software and better defence and offence capabilities 

Rommana comes form the Prydonian chapter house 

Cardinal Jules Mazarin (His Eminence), cardinal, diplomat, politician,head master,power-hungry, suspicious, and greedy who serves as the chief minister

was born off world and in a colony by former Ambassadors he is eyed suspiciously by some for this

An able diplomat, who secured for Gallifrey favorable treaties in the Westphalian peace, Corruption and malversations are a part of everyday life in office for this Cardinal

he attained his aims by both scrupulous and unscrupulous means, inspired love in some and hatred in others, and was controversial in his own time and ever since.

study in philosophy, theology and other disciplines, have made him one of the most respected lectures and teachers and he quickly assumed Mastership of the Academy through some help of his elaborate network of personal relations and connections he quickly rose to high office and to be a Timelord of the highest rank

a leading promoter of the arts.An avid art collector, founded the Presidential Academy of Painting and Sculpture, introduced opera , and established an important library in the Capitol.

Still unknown but he has secured the favour of the Chancellor and her sponsorship as next Chancellor
Member of the Prydonian Chapter House

“to conquer oneself and to regulate one’s life in such a way that no decision is made under the influence of any inordinate attachment”

and i think i might add a member of the Celestial Intervention Agency,That dark group working in the background manipulating affairs and events for what they see as the good of Gallifrey ,same people who happily use the Doctor to there own ends like in “Genesis of the Daleks ” “The Brain of Morbius” and “Attack of the Cybermen ”

I hope to build more profiles soon