Sonic Srewdriver

Got to start with a confession ,the Sonic Screwdriver i didn’t grow up with on TV ,In the 80s Who there was no sonic anything
i did eventually later see a repeat and Collin with a sonic lance.
On my VHS tho the doctor had this wonderful tool he used from time to time mainly locks to escape being gassed in a locked room or other machinery “Deactivating a generator loop without the correct key is like repairing a watch with a hammer and chisel. One false move and you’ll never know the time again.” or detecting floors that are charged with high voltage , so i new of it just wasn’t on the show when i watched it

 

On a recent trip to Liverpool where there are no less than 2 Forbidden planet stores both companies .CO.uk and .COM  and both shops have a vastly superior stock to mine in Manchester i saw the sonic wave two collection and not owning one classic sonic ( i know a shame to the colors) and choice of a few odd color ecclestone tennant version and smith capaldi variant i went with the fourth fifth doctors variant although on the label it has a pic of season 21 fifth who had no sonic, and only says fifth doctor sonic ,
it was £11 so a bargain these came out at originally £25 and i passed we were being a tad ripped off , there’s two sounds and occasionally a third a soft rubber head and designed well looks the part
It s about right size and I have had a good play test of it
Well designed not lathed turned aluminum but a nice piece looks like the pics of the prop , battery compartment is a bit of a pain on the front its intrusive a better idea would be to have all that internally

I will set the scene for you ,after a long period of nearly 7 years in the role and the huge presence of Tom Baker and some 4 years of Romana as time lady companion and 5 years of k9 and same titles,music  things had got a little stale ,1980 and time for changes

I think the Sonic  first sported this look in Season 18 (I could be wrong could of been sooner ) when the program got a whole new look and overhaul and the producer John Nathan Turner disliking how clever self important the program had become made radical changes and that meant less use of the Sonic Screwdriver unless absolutely necessary ,like locks ,a lesson the new series would do well to listen to it is a tool not a magic wand that can take reading’s
Yes it can be used to speed a story along and the doctor instead of building a flumix machine to do something etc he can and could use the Sonic, but its been a little to much in new who also its not a weapon

new look

you see my sonic screwdriver its a tad bent here

here it is in “The Leisure hive”  first story of the new look who and new season 18 with new everything, music, producer, titles, new costumes new TARDIS box prop (that went on for the next ten years until the end of the classic series) even the console room got a spruce up and a service done to the old sonic resulting in its new livery to with the magnet and halo both light red and a white band around the middle

ch ch ch changes…….

the new dr getting to grips with the new Fiberglass box

larger spruced up console room and for first time detail shots of the interior rooms

We got a zero room a sports area a lot of corridors companions had a room a space of there own you could see there world in the TARDIS a library and for me the one of the best was the laboratory

she missed the sonic screwdriver

here it is at the press call photo for new companion Janet Fielding 1981 you  can see how exacting this role play plastic toy is ,as i really like the season 18/19  look and remember it in magazines (both the police boxes used the interior ,costumes etc)  and it being one of my earliest memories you can see why i chose it

in Season 18 its used and season 19
S18 was a time of massive changes and  ideas the  like of which had not been seen since 1970 and switch to color and new grounded  pertwee era

 

The sonic makes a good battery in Kinda

 

new simpler TARDIS key

It went on to dr 5 along with the TARDIS key( Now a simple yale key most likely the actual prop key itself) he gave it Nyssa in Castrovalva and she used it to unscrew some doors and  make the doctor a cabinet , she used it in four to doomsday (Reasonable as she was a scientist herself)  and so did the doctor and it was used to help Nyssa get a nap in “kinda”

Four to Doomsday

Then four stories in to this new of new look shows Bidmead who hated the thing had since vacated the script editors chair but JNT had enough of it wanted it to go the way of K9 ( this was a time of massive change) and did the unthinkable

since its debut in 1973 with Dr 3 to its trademark use with Dr 4 to now literally passing the baton on to the new Dr 5 and after four uses” the visitation” saw the last use of the sonic screwdriver in the classic series

used to get past a holographic wall in a cellar and then while trying to escape the tereiliptil catches the doctor and ………

“I feel as though you’ve just killed an old friend.”

 

That’s it until the TV Movie 14 years later with its return with drs 7 and 8 and slight minor changes cosmetically again this time it telescoped down rather than being spring loaded and the magnet was again absent as it was for pertwee  , i wish this had gone on to the new series personally, it was seen rightly for the fiftieth anniversary again in the hands of Dr 8, and with its most radical redesign with dr 9 war doctor minus its emitter head (The prop being itself a commercially available forth Dr toy)  which was the journey full circle as it started out life as a prop without the head that was added later by the bbc for Dr Who

original prop in thunderbirds

war doctor and sonic

So in all i will say a nice addition to the collection from a good era ,and a must have classic as this is the last one used in the classic series as well as used by drs 4 and 5

i will get another and do a custom third forth sonic ,and pertwees for the collection would be good i will see

this maybe one day

 

overall a very  nice toy i would of loved as a kid,a fare price tag  and the  fx  sounds as usual with Character Options a poor affair as always, hit and miss, but looks neat on my shelf on display

A jorney into Sci Fi

More of a ooh prop set type guy i shall actually do a brief summation of the “Journey into the TARDIS” 
Not something i usually do but shall 

The story docent hold up so ill skip over that and concentrate on what was seen (IF those future Clara mutants x4 where her how is that possible as only well one of her  ?, How did Dr end up out she in bowls of TARDIS?, the deus ex machina push the button time ending ,Grandfather paradox if they kill her/the other guys they wont exist etc etc etc ) .Really with the title alone this is a feast for the eyes a buffet of delights for us fans new old and sci fi interested and casual viewers

Except it wasn’t ,i felt  cheated ,i could, and did come up with several dozen free ways to improve the story
Biggest crime lack of set dressing and props,no excuse the exhibition is next door borrow some bits ,with the CGI available a pool and library isn’t enough,a massive Q gardens,A  hospital complex it could of been so much more,and as for the sets if you turned TV on at that point you would not know anyone was in the TARDIS ,roundels missing,doors shaped like Dalek ones very star trek red alert bar of lights along the walls it was a  let down ,and i don’t just mean the wooden guest actors (I use the term loosely)

The library was nice the passing of the pool great, i wish other rooms could of been added tho and the old room she entered shades of the mcgann TARDIS should could of been dressed better
Scene in two console rooms ,why not use two rooms what a nod to the history how cool for young kids to see more of the console room one they don’t know

How i would of done it is ,camera is creature POV, Clara far side the five Dr’s console roundel wall behind acting her heart out then Dr pulls her into new console room ,
 brilliant,alas it was confusing and ultimately a let down , perhaps there’s a good reason why we haven’t before seen much of the interior: that the TARDIS is so vast that any design would be a disappointment. Perhaps it is, after all, better left to our imaginations.

Like the poster sugested a Escher whimsical Harry Potter mental stair case would of been fun to add

The Invasion of Time is often slighted for bland use of a Hospital and pool complex repeatedly the small grey sections of the 80’s were never long or showing,
,the Doctor revealed his darker side i do like Matt’s Dr , In the meantime Clara’s discovery of a manuscript entitled The History of the Time War in which she reads the Doctor’s name either is laying down a marker for the forthcoming fiftieth anniversary special or will turn out to be nothing
Either way wanted more but was not to be

the Dark destroyer

Well im going to make a brief blog  ,labored on enough about my likes and well i want a 5 drs Dalek and since the advent of the “Talkies” form CO here my opportunity
They call it the” Planet of the Daleks Dalek “,it is not, i told Alister Dewer this via twitter but he is insistent that it is correct ,no Dalek ever had grey appendages Al,show me the pic prove me wrong please

 sculpt to me perfect apparently not so -1 for that the horrible mold line for loose front round the boxes surely no need for this so – 1 

8/10

color is nice grey finally right shade for grey 70s Daleks after pale and blue greys so great looses a point on appendages and eye stalk housing being black 

8/10

speech is the let down so.. 

1

a nice classic Dalek, to joe blogs will be ,i am sure, spot on just depends on what your wanting ,come a very long way since the original fat 2 scale Bronze Daleks

Now this is still a nice Dark Grey Dalek ,(yes were this color in POD not just gun metal only one or two tho) 

Left 70s gunmetal R 70s grey

the speech is some fan mediocre sadly not a excerpt from the program sadly this lets it down but chance to single own Daleks brilliant 
The 5 Drs Dalek,….. oh where to begin with this prop,a Dalek made out of the rejects shelf or bin,but theres a reason for this 
 
Now not being to up on Dalek props i got this info off the web., some bits like dome/ skirt  i know already

Dalek One-7 lord mayors show

 prop parts dating back to early halcian days of the Daleks and Dr 1

 Skirt a former movie version misaligned hemis the giveaway first used in the chase as a “stunt Dalek” ,  shoulders from the first story , original dome/neck  that it had been paired with since the 1970s, new mechanics “A” frame that came in for turning the dome that lifted the dome to high and caused the spike through the dome  ,and side effect of neck lifted to compensate for raised dome ,
and all manner of BBC bits gun, arm ,neck, slap of emulsion guvnor?

it was a mess tatty with age badly painted and assembled a set of shoulder slats mostly broken,the mesh below top band  so shaped like a dogs hind leg, scuffed damaged hemis, and it was also sporting some strange oversize red lights, a really poor showing for the anniversary show and first and only Dalek since 74 to not include Davros  
It is hardly surprising the hasty repairs and state of the prop after its mammoth publicity stint and hired out for a nominal fee to all and sundry where it was heavily used abused, from press pictures to joe blogs garden party and supermarket openings etc during the late 70s ,as well as appearing in two stories  and end result was a very broken prop
 
Seen in Pebble Mill to promote Davison in silver and blue then in lord mayors float then on Breakfast time nationwide and other publications photographs and magazines 
this prop was  used to promote since 81 to feature in 4 stories until 89 (extensively refurbished  to match the molded style of all the newer props) and then go on as a exhibition prop until 2009 it had the back part cut away in order to become a “walk-in” prop for Doctor Who Exhibitions. to finally end its days both Half’s now restored to its last TV appearance, Remembrance of the Daleks by mike tucker restored and in private hands
pedigree Dalek

5DRS

on location tho not filmed used in studio

Dalek 1/7 in filming Remembrance

5DRS DOME

been in this many times never new its history

So my take on this piece of history personal and show wise ,i remember it in 5 docs in collins story and in magazines,

so mine,take one of these
 

and some paint (Red Black Silver simple palette )and about fifteen minutes time( i already made the destroyed variant some years ago out of broken spare parts and bits very BBC i know) So i have it blown up i wanted it as a prop well for no reason other than nostalgia for me 

So after i finished painting i glossed Hemis to overly gloss BBC style mine have dents and scuffs from factory i have left ala BBC not overly neat more dry brush than actual paint grey sockets for appendages left so overall look is definitive BBC style 
Has a look of a mix of parts and hasty repairs going on and the red dome lights (red does help denote evil)  using a black pen to add the ring at bottom (Think this denotes Squad  leader for Daleks ,orange lights seen before and yellow on the props only one prop the rest usually white )
I really like this now how should of looked on TV pride of place next to its blown up version  

One of my all time fave Dalek styles

voila transmatting in after a surprise attack “retreat”

tasty

thanks to the purple one for advice

CYBERSYSTEMS

One by one, their limbs became diseased – they were replaced by plastic and steel!
Little by little, their brains tired – computers worked just as well!
With metal limbs, they had the strength of ten men. They could live in the airless vacuum of space. They had no heart, no feelings, no emotions, and only one goal – Survive !    




Cybermen, got to be up there as one of my favorite villains from Doctor Who

these silver soldiers i remember well …..for being just so cool,loved em,still do 80’s variant 5drs/attack anything but them moon boots (there is a another constant theme,don’t look at there feet), brilliant design the sleek suit exoskeleton pipes and texture a kind of space /future chain mail, the big helmets booming voices and cool gun 80s cybers are cool

the Revenge suit has always been up there as well  for me as a good design ,still is big solid tank like,ala Robocop a solid suit the dull silver looking steel the built in weapon was meh but a nice design.

Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth’s twin planet Mondas, the element of tragedy innate in the Cybermen: they are like this only because their world was dying, and replacing their organic matter was the only way to survive. that’s all they want. This is what makes the buzzing, monotone implications of ‘You belong to us. You will be like us.’ all the more chilling. 
Placed in this near-certain-death situation,they chose to survive, alas there planet exploded still leaving these dangerous refuges loose on the cosmos scattered (did the Doctor win or make things worse for the galaxy?)
with their haunting electronic bleat of the mantra ‘We will survive.’
 to survive means conquest of planets and people to ensure there survival cyber-conversion us into them a horrifying thought 

MK2/3 Cybermen

there a technical genius ,engineering and technology from over the countless years the races they have cyberdised makes them a force to be reckoned with ,there experts in explosives having developed bombs capable of destroying whole planets (long before there was a death star),
they constantly evolve adapt that’s why there look changes, there equipment and weapons change,all so they can survive 

the original Cybermen Tenth Planet MK1

“Care?, no ,why should we care ?”,Feelings? I do not understand that word.

 (This type mk1 has been built and developed upon since 1966 in the Big Finish CDs and in comics and books ),the last story for Hartnell the first Doctor and not a bad story to exit on,
The Cybermen have a beam weapon located in the lamp on their helmet and in there chest unit microwaves i think ?,prety nasty end results,surprise the small science team  in the North Pole and appear unfazed by bullets,all part of devious plan to drain Earth for Mondas to survive even disguising themselves at one point in the story, very clever.
Cybermen are the brain child of  Kitt Pedler and Gerry Davis

The Mondas originals are a nightmare creature, akin to Frankenstein made in a electronics factory ,the hands still human the face visible through the  covering wrapping it like a surgical stocking ,the crude tubes and clunky chest piece,all evidence of early primitive technology the cyber conversion process yet to be refined the hideousness of something clearly once human a Monster human with bits grafted on ,
i know this is scary i scared my friends and girlfriend with these, creeped them out
to see these done faithfully in today’s Who by someone like Moffat or Mark Platt and today’s budget and technology you could have a episode of Who that would surpass Holmes for the Macabre horror and leave children and adults firmly behind there sofa better yet establish there true origins

As a cold ,dead hand reaches for you……

What about the different looks fashion victims?. Apparently different names for different types, i prefer the more mechanical Mark prefix,Mk 1/2 3/ etc, a good example  Cyberman painted mat black in Attack of the Cybermen for tunnel camouflage very Cyberman like Adapt and survive ,scheme and plot to achieve there mission the same story involved the Cyber tombs on Telos ala Tomb of the Cybermen ( and return of the Cyber controller the one mind of the Cyber race) ,there adoptive planet and main factory base (Not somewhere you land if you wish to be seen again) first time seeing cyber conversion process part men part cyber form 

“you will be like us “

Cyber conversion

Mk 2 Cybermen and tomb on Telos and Cybercontroller

 
and hiding in sewers ala the invasion hidden out of view plotting scheming killing

Cyberneomorph or MK 5

 They sometimes aren’t emotionless or logical despite purging there feelings to run off a microchip brain .there not Daleks,vast swaths of armies a Empire,im sure a part of the galaxy really is “Cyber  Space”  They skulk. They plot. They bide their time Cybermen are fairly consistently portrayed: they will hide somewhere while using subterfuge (traitors, mind control, Cybermats, Tobias Vaughn, Professor Kellman,etc.) to gain access to their target Cybermen view all other races as lesser beings, and aim to control it by weakening the population so as to reduce the amount of combat necessary.

poster i had on my wardrobe side

We had first some classic 60s stories mainly with Pat Troughton, the stories were often monster of the week type
 the stories were all BIG 6/ 7 parters epic in scale and have a quality to them in story and the representation of the Cybermen (even dieing falling off a roof in Invasion after being attacked the clang on landing all done well ,sadly Cybermen stoped having sound effects after the 60s  until 2006 ),then not seen for 7 years before appearing again on screen with Tom Baker for revenge there only 70s story and then not seen for another 7 years before Earthshock with peter Davison   so not as many stories as Daleks but still classic Villain and enduring Villain number 2 in the Doctors enemies of all time despite this

a good classic Cyber plot

 Revenge of the Cybermen a good example,and good story
as the Doctor says “ You’re just a pathetic bunch of tin soldiers skulking about the Galaxy in an ancient spaceship.” there all that’s left of the Cyber army after a failed attack and war on  humans In the aftermath of their failure, the Cybermen were reduced to scattered remnants, one group relentlessly hounding the remaining fragment of Voga,
so here they are desperate to survive but logic dictates the planet of gold has to go its there one weakness it clogs there breathing (although not breathing as we know it more a ventilation system think pc and blocked cooling fan )and thus kills them, this isn’t done by a outward full frontal attack (That’s illogical and costly in resources) rather by devious scheming means of killing the stations population (with kellman and Cybermats )  until only a handful remain ,then attack and take over  It’s indicative of their methods that their most iconic moments involve hiding or walking around slowly with no-one to oppose them, emerging as a small Army a frightening force that wants to take over and assimilate you or just kill you for no reason other than to survive, they cant be reasoned with talked to bargained or threatened there a unstopping moving force 

BIG cybership with missile tubes in the nose cone

Mk 4 Cyberleader and Mk 3 Cybermat

So Revenge of the Cybermen is a good solid story nothing overly specially and sadly not quite as epic as should be coming after Genesis of the Daleks anything will pale in comparison and after 7 long years you do yearn for more in the story ,but a good a typical cyberman story and a nice design in suit and tweak on the invasion helmet and chest piece

They  have been killed by their own weapons, radiation , electricity, enhanced humans, insanity, shiny jumping robots, bullets (point blank through mouth slit), chessboards, gold dust, glitter gun (the mind boggles) ,gold arrows, gold coins these last two are tad ridiculous ,“A Cyberman killed with an arrow? That’s ludicrous!”  You said it, Doctor, there bullet proof ,blunt force object like a bullet is not penetrating them ,how does a arrow or old coin ?

Cybermen affected by the Cerebration Mentor, an emotion enhancing device, went “mad”, although this could be because they either put too much fear into it, or simply because the fear caused the robotic parts to malfunction.  its a gun so not being killed by love its a gun so ‘science-fictiony’.

 They are not fighters, although they are capable of doing so against small numbers. Think of the classic Cyberman kill: they sneak up on someone before delivering a powerful, spine-shattering blow. It isn’t really until The Invasion that we see them attacking an opposing force, and that force outnumbers and defeats them. 
 UNIT manage to successfully attack and destroy an alien threat for the first time,Baptism by fire and now packing gold tipped and Teflon bullets

 

Why us?, Mondas was Earths twin are planet us humans there twin were perfect genetic material and resources for them the perfect Cyber fodder

possibly their best story is a Big Finish audio-play called Spare Parts that was an influence on the 2006 storyline Rise of the Cybermen. the origin story of the race and had the perfect Doctor for the story in the fifth Doctor 

we have yet to dig really deeply into the inherent tragedy of the Cybermen. We’ve seen that Steve Moffat can use them well, turning them into nightmarish creatures with metallic tentacles and endless backup systems which is completely in-keeping with their overwhelming instinct to survive. and the fact the head alone is all that’s needed to take you and make you like them was frightening

Brilliant as that scene was it was not a whole story, and that is something that fans have been craving for years on screen. 

It did get a bit silly and loose there meaning in the 80s, 

Earthshock is a good story and outing for them ,5 Drs there little more than cannon foder but so cool to watch you never tire of that scene with the raston robot for a kid it is beyond awesome ,robots battling killing one another it has even found its way to pop art and canvas prints in select clubs restaurants shops etc stills from that

and Attack of the Cybermen  is a replay of the old classic 60s Cyber stories Invasion and tomb, minus the style and quality  the originals had , nice visuals tho but really poor quality low low budget tired ,and the mash up of the suits showing age and wear not looking quite as good as they did first time (result from off the cuff resprays in Wales during five Dr’s shoot so clear parts became painted)

the one special mention here is ,”what the feck is Silver Nemesis about “? ,Indiana Jones Recycling?, Nazis looking for a magical artifact which will give them ultimate power, juvenile sidekick , 

A meteorite crashes with a huge explosion, three policemen are killed, two skinheads are mugged, criminal damage is done to a tearoom, and a pitched battle is fought between neo-Nazis and Cybermen right next door to one of Britain’s premier tourist attractions (Windsor Castle) and the part-time residence of the Head of State and Commonwealth. Why hasn’t the army been called in? ? or very least U.N.I.T who’s job it is for alien incursions

 A bunch of Cybermen a whole fleet thousands of ships up in space (now with cloaking technology) and they want a powerful metal statue so they can conquer the Galaxy ? eh not very Cyber is it?,  

The Cybermen’s operatives are run by cassette tape, like an old Commodore 64. There’s something pleasing about that big 80s earphones as well

 “He’s God. Obviously he’s God but he messes it up. That’s why he can travel through space and time. That’s why he comes among us trying to put it right.”

 Writer Kevin Clarke’s interpretation of the character of the Doctor, anticipating Russell T. Davies by some 17 years.

Hence, presumably, the Nemesis being named for, and linked to, the Greek goddess of retribution. 

“This is no madness, ‘tis England!”Credit where it’s due, that’s a great line.

 Although  the Doctor wears a fez, beating Matt Smith to the punch by twenty-one years 

Cybermen cant go near toch gold ,going just a little to far with this gimick here and point a Geiger counter device at it “Gold” they wail and step back in fear

there is the  irony of the fact that the no-Nazis are all armed with Uzis ,that makes me smile 

 Here is a bunch of emotionless logical machine creatures, true cyborgs driven by there computer brains and logic ,and here we have the Cyberleader played by David Banks giving it all he’s got head to foot in a Cyber suit, so uses his voice and hand gestures and body language to express himself,one thing Cybermen would never do but it is fun to watch, if a little cheesy, but you can’t deny that the designs of Earthshock (1982) still hold up well today

‘When the tower is in our hands, he will be…’ *Slow Fist Clench* ‘dramatic pause ,…destroyed.’

NEMESIS cybership

The Cybermen, “Cybusmen” returned on a parallel Earth this time, we assume the Mondasian Cyber race is out there in cosmos somewhere ( cool to have the old ones and these so nothing to judge against and really don’t have to like as your cybers are still out there somewhere), but the parallel Cybers are much the same taking over people to become more like them a new race some story’s struggling to survive
And a new look little to Robocop with huge clunking suit flares and huge cuffs ,again don’t look at there feet , but a nice helmet design ,At their best, the Cybermen designs reflect the subconscious body-horror fears of whatever era they’re in. The first Cybermen, with their clunky half-fabric half-metal suits, reflect fears of  the new limb and organ replacement ; late-Sixties Cybermen, with their helmets mindless autonomy leg braces and space travel fears, and the Eighties Cybermen, with their rugged Apple Mac acorn BBC computer atari style early PC look the total control of IT,
 What the hell are the cybusmen body suits ?, a mishmash of Iron Man, the Terminator, Robocop and a Pet Shop Boys video,what there meant to reflect, is a total mystery.

Massively overused early-21^st-century sci-fi cliches, zeppelins as normal mode of transport, evil corporate tycoons, omniscient surveillance society extending everywhere, the dangers of mobile telephony. etc run through the New Cyber stories so kinda redeeming the 80s Cheese
How can you have a “maximum deletion”? Either you’re deleted or not, make up your mind

But i do like Cybermen  ,so much so i got one of these to do ,its  full size and I’m sure ill blog as i do it its a great piece visually impacting on the wall and very intimidating and been commented on several times usually a “Cool” or a “Whats that its horrible” gets worse when i explain briefly what it is or what its for ,to see this helmet is to to see death as this is your destiny to be like them

This now i think is a timeless design the 80s helmet and suit, it has been seen everywhere and used endlessly for them in design and pictures models toys etc so now i think has gotten to be timeless classic this is one design you can show anyone and they know what it is ,at the time inspired by other SCI FI (Imaginearing prop company working on such things as Alien etc) but in a way took the design and made it Who

Their starting position is always one of weakness,but there not to be underestimated or trifled with 
If in the corner of your eye you see something small ,silver dart in a dark corner ,be afraid

JNT

As the longest-serving producer, John Nathan-Turner’s contribution to Doctor Who was both enduring and controversial. he took over from Graham Williams

Am i coordinated with my office?

With new script editor Christopher Bidmead, he put together a series of intentionally scientific stories  and this was leading to some confusing stories for season 18 Bidmead was good at his job but his stories were heavy and made no sense and certainly not much fun

JNT  as soon as he took over for the  18th season had  a new title sequence,new picture of Tom as he bore little resemblence to his 1974 title picture and new version of the legendary theme tune. The Radiophonic Workshop was tasked with providing the new theme and incidental music at the expense of composer Dudley Simpson. its the 80s synthesisers were new and groovy (this was probably the best version of it during JNT’s time) and a cool neon logo, a classic still today and used on merchandise and branding some great minds at work

And a new Police Box prop, back to basics design, full of Met box details and now lightweight and Fiberglas the doctors ride looked good, and in 1983 a new console room and bang up to date fiberglass console all hi tech keyboards and monitors looking like a zx spectrem and a atari with BBC computers had a love child

These changes were a instant hit and the fresh new look secured viewers considering the previous year S17  it is hard to see how you could go wrong

The Doctor’s costume became more designed and uniform and the start of the ???? question marks appearing tho at this time subtle and on the collar by June Hudson (for tom baker a dark maroon piece big opperatic and suiting the 4th drs personality)
and later as a motif on a horrific item of knitwear worn by the Seventh Doctor. although the off the peg uniform costume continued with a cricket outfit and the ? returned in bright red on the collar but heck it was not as bad as Collin Bakers eventual clown costume

A idea disliked by Barry Letts and Fans felt the question marks undermined the whole concept of the character and the show ,JNT dictateing costumes ,remembering this is a man whos asthetic taste was Hawaiian shirts, in the UK !  

  keen to use  foreign locales, JNT era saw the show film in Amsterdam, Lanzarote and Seville, though exactly what each location actually added to the respective stories is questionable.Seville being a main case in point ,besides free Holliday

 

JNT was a master showman and advertiser he new how to sell he was very effective at generating publicity for the series by news  conferences or by threatening to remove or change a traditional element of it.such as l getting rid of  K9 ,the sonic screwdriver (He felt this prop had been a plot device to long and was used as a lazy way out for writers ) ,changing the TARDIS from a Police Box (he did this for one story attack of the Cybermen)  announcing the next Doctor could be a woman etc

with many years experience with the BBC and working on all creatures great and small where he met Peter Davison and new he met the new Doctor (a picture can be found on is office wall prior to Tom saying he wanted to leave )

He was also good at generating overseas interest securing the interest in America and generating viewers on the PBS stations there with frequent appearances of himself and other cast members as well as in Australia in over seas sales of the program

he actively cultivated ties with the fan base his door was open to fans .

he took the program from cult to popular culture ,relavent modern and new ideas

Unlike many of his fellow producers, JNT wasn’t a great storyteller preferring to rely on his instinct to decide what would work within the format.a instinct that did not always work for the show, and knowledge of the BBC the 19th season, transmitted around 7pm on weeknights (in another break from tradition), 
saw a rather overcrowded TARDIS.3 companions eased the transition from Baker to Davison ,apparently . Killing off (the increasingly annoying) Adric (How Mathew Waterhouse even got a job is suspect at best ) the secret return of the Cybermen (in possibly there best design )  after a 7 year absence  
The successful return of the Master  in Tom Bakers last episodes and now played by Anthony Ainly in a performance more camp than scary ,and fun and amusementwas the order of the day he enjoyed his job killing tormenting the Dr amassing and plotting , it was a good return for the Doctors Arch Nemesis killing off the 4th Doctor was a definitive positive start

so far it was a refreshing change and who was new and set for the new decade Davidson was a inspired choice to follow Baker a total contrast and a good actor 

So Doctor Who now had a 20 year celebration had sweeping changes and a very good script editor in Eric Saward who wrote some very good stories as well and the program had good stories in The Visitation the Awakening seeing a return to historical sci fi (something unique and which Who excels at partly because the BBC do period drama like no one else) a good Dalek story  ,a couple of good Master story’s and Peter getting a good companion in Turlogh and of course the stunningly brilliant Caves of Androzani Directing the serial was Graeme Harper, a real specialist in taut, action thrillers, who gave the show an exhilarating shot in the arm. hindsight suggests JNT should perhaps have left at this point. Had he done so, he would have been seen as having taken Who in a fresh direction after Tom  with a credible Doctor and some interesting stories, albeit ones that were a little too serious for their own good.and what a brilliant story on which to depart…Not bad  This success would unfortunately lead to an over-reliance on continuity and returning monsters.something JNT did a lot of self indulgence

  1984, Pete leaves , many reasons realising had no control or say ,the production values ,gimmicky American companion, 

Colin Baker in and Doctor Who embarked on a painful time. 

It wasn’t that Baker was miscast, more that the abrasive, unsympathetic characterisation that he was persuaded to adopt, alongside a remarkably tasteless bad costume a costume even Andrew Loydd Webber would’ve looked at and said “Dude that’s a bit over the top.”, did him no favours.and he admitted to being willing in this for some unknown and as yet unexplained reason ,Collin is a larger than life man and a great fun guy so why he would do this not even God knows , and did i mention hes notable for  an outfit that gave clowns nightmares ?.
Tho slightly redeemed 20 years later when RTD in 2005 made the Doctor look like a street thug in leather jacket and t shirt, do we ever learn ?

If like all other Actors allowed to use his own personality for the Doctor things could of been different he was even told how to act and what to wear (He wanted something dark austere )  it was a shame as in one season JNT  undid everything good he had done  since 1980
 and this is a season of  a  few  notes, we got the brilliant Rani character and a good story for her (although why was the Master in it ?) we had a good Dalek story again directed by Graham Harper and a OK Cyberman story, but sadly that’s all that’s going for it, the 6th Doctor has on telly 3 stories 4 at a push with Vengance on Varos  something had gone realy wrong, with the unlikeable Doctor a whining companion  (Another companion wasted in Peri eye candy and nothing else)  there constant bickering the program was not likable and a death knell had sounded

There is other indulgences such as having the character of the Cybercontroller back for Attack of the Cybermen this could of been a brilliant idea with a lot of possibilities and been good for the BBC merchandising the show etc, now remembering he is in a full helmet and mask unseen so any big actor would do,no he got Kilgraff the original controller from the 68 who was considerably overweight and made the controller look frankly ridiculous and wasting a good opportunity and turning it forever more into a joke ,and on it went 

Oddly Collins Dr worked best in the comics (Better stories) when mainly in black and white (the colourist probably saw the BBC stills and photos and resigned on the spot )

JNT was out of control now it was his show as was described the Walt Disney of his own little universe and he was making very bad decisions, tho i don’t once question his love for the program he worked on and for even after it was cancelled

In February 1985, new BBC1 Controller Michael Grade cancelled the show for eighteen months. 

But there was also another ruthless and arbitrary aspect to Grade’s agenda. Downie describes Grade as an arrogant man and accuses him of playing politics with Doctor Who. Placing the show against Coronation Street following Colin’s departure eventually killed it in a ratings sense. Why did he do it? Downie explains:

He had fallen out with ITV and was determined to hit their viewing figures hard. And Doctor Who did that. Their viewing figures took a dive. Michael Grade used Doctor Who to get back at ITV… The reason he picks on Doctor Who is that it gives him ‘street cred’. It gets him in the news, it’s controversial – Gary Downie (quoted in Doctor Who Magazine #338, January 7 2004, Marvel Comics, p.15).

Violent and gaudy, Season 22’s sudden steep decline in ratings from 8.9 million for the opening episode of Attack Of The Cybermen to just over 6 million for The Two Doctors making the general public switch over to The A Team!…and this man HATED Doctor Who with a passion he was on record for saying it before he even got the job so he had all the excuse he needed handed him on a big silver plate 

Fan’s protested and it came back ,JNT had  the idea of the series being on trial which it was for real, and Trial Of A Timelord, the shows longest-ever story, was born ,yup longer than any Hartnell story or even season long Key to Time .JNT Had the idea ! did no one go er hmmmmm lets talk 

 curious to know what was head of seriels and drama doing at this point ??, you know JNTs boss

I’m sure that Jonathan Powell (then Head of Series and Serials) hated the show. He was always very hostile to us at playbacks. Very indifferent, whether the show was good or bad. It seemed he’d really decided that he didn’t like us. I think it was entirely his decision. I don’t think that Michael Grade (then BBC1 Controller) cared one way or the other. – Eric Saward  (quoted in The Handbook: The Sixth Doctor by Howe-Stammers-Walker, 1993, p. 205).

 

a season long story including the villain being a future version of the Doctor trying to steal his own remaining lives (already done in Fifth Dr story Madwyn Undead )so he could live longer despite the fact that doing so would kill him long before he could live to steal them (grandfather paradox) , and for the Doctor leaving at the end with a woman he hadn’t actually met yet (im not going to begin on how bad Bonnie Langford was),Peri’s exit was best forgotten or choose your own was she killed? left with some bloke she just met?,the  Dr didn’t care either way  ,and several stories being obviously separate to the main story yet included in the narrative ,got all that?,…………..no ? , no one else does either and if possible his costumes got worse as Collins waistline got bigger
 (this surprising i know) marked the end of both Colin Baker and Eric Saward’s time on the show. Saward haven  fallen out with JNTs decisions casting in Collin the costume etc so wasn’t doing much this season anyway.  

odd that Collin is fired and JNT was forced to stay but wanted to go ,if grade  wanted to improve the production values he could have given them the resources to do it,.to to me all smacks of a personal vendetta

Also remember the institution BBC was at this time especially by those in there big offices on the top floor , Wogan and Eldorado is what the cigar smoking public schoolboy empty suited etonian , has decreed we the license paying public want so Wogan and Eldorado is what they’ll get. Champagne all round,.”rather” “seven of the best Jenkins topping day wot”

With Colin Baker so angry at being the scapegoat he refused to return to the program even for the regeneration (he fell off his exercise bike and hit his head) and rightly so,

enter Dr 7 Sylvester McCoy 1987
. the BBC for reasons known only to Satan, decided to slash the none existent budget even further , refused to let JNT leave and then in a bright moment of inspiration  put it up against the most watched program and soap opera Coronation Street (the BBC hierarchy wanted it dead and gone like all sci fi at the time)

do the list award winning expensive to buy American Sci Fi ,Star Trek next generation ,X files were i remember being in grave yard slot at 7 pm on BBC2 Red Dwarf  BBC2 9 pm , Dr Who re runs 30th anniversary BBC 2 9pm

McCoy was a good choice,naturaly eccentric first ne since Tom  he was a variety Actor not a traditional actor so was limited in his range and had a lot to struggle against ,a more sensible costume (in TVM shown how good his costume could of been) but JNT insisted once again on ? on the jumper and covered him in them instead of one or 2 on a shirt why? leave costume to actor and costume department
not even Alec Guinness could do much with what he was given in his first season 
with the first overly funny slap stick first season was a reaction to the violence from Collins time aparently, but this was cringe worthy stuff only person who could act was McCoy it was akin to watching a school play,

JNT was at this point using all his Theatre and Pantomime skills on the show which he did a lot of Pantomimes with stars from who,hmmmm possible reason for Bonnie Langford ? nah… and it was showing he was the Producer it was his show ,and it was his way or no way he refused to have older veteran writers return to the show unless talked into he was famous for falling out with directors writers and actors

the guest cast list was a veritable Y list of who’s who from Saturday TV light entertainment, (much like his future successor Russel T Davis, RTD hmmm similarity) and it was doing nothing to help the program at all and the effort put into this could of been better spent 

BUT in came a new script editor Andrew Cartmal the man with a plan young student guy with young minds fresh thinking and some of the best stories to happen in a long time, Remembrance of the Daleks arguably the best Dalek story since Genesis of the Daleks  Phyco Clown Circus, good historical romps akin to Pete’s Curse of Fenric easily the best McCoy story ,in Battlefield a good UNIT story likes of which not seen since Pertwees hey day ,
Alas the conflict was evident in style a conflict of interest between a group of over serious 20ish youths who want to turn the programme into something Literary and Postmodern Just Like Frank Miller Did With The Dark Knight Returns, and a not-serious-enough 40ish theatrical producer, who wants to turn the programme into a Visit England brochure and light entertainment spectacle 

but with the budget gone the show was cheap tacky gaudy and about as professional and convincing looking as a pantomime horse

Shame with 7th Dr and Ace being a successful and popular paring since 4th Doctor and Sarah ,and Sylv really getting into the part and making the Dr dark moody mysterious and interesting again , Who was getting watchable again

Sadly there was no one left to watch after JNT and the BBC mismanagement of the show, Doctor Who  was put on indefinite hiatus in 1989 a sad end

who killed Who?, the BBC,  JNT?,………. JNT  era was not unlike any other ,just a era, no worse than Graham Williams era he made massive mistakes that drove nails in the coffin no doubt,
He made it from being new and fresh to stale and over reliant on its own past to frankly grim depressing and not a enjoyable fun or even remotely entertaining show ,from Pete’s last year through to McCoy ,reason Dr7 first season was so slapstick  , a reaction to the grim tone of last 4 years but gone to far the other way
He was to much micro managing  doing everything and achieving nothing why was the producer directing making decisions on acting and choosing costumes dictating stories etc why is the producer always sat next to the Director dictating shots and what actors and everyone should do ? i partly understand why but what was he doing constantly in USA at conventions etc especially during the recording making period when the producer is needed ?
why wasn’t he sat in his office producing ?  ,
he was obsessed with the media and stunt casting to secure headlines even if the casting choice was a really really really bad one, or even companion choice ! 
He became arrogant in his belief in his being not only right but only way

Brighton resident JN-T revelled in end-of-the-pier entertainment; he had a thirst for camp and panto, a sensibility that occasionally enhanced, sometimes damaged, a production. 

there you have it in a nutshell 

but the BBC did not like sci fi and wanted the program gone, Grade kept trying to get rid of it
Starved to death in the end,a shadow of itself

The BBC going off some interviews, seem to have just run out of ideas and steam in general ,nobody new what to do with it,the  possible reason for keeping JNT as producer? certainly seems no one wanted anything to do with it let alone take it on and work on it, it was treading water it was seen as a embarrassment it certainly lost its quality by the 6th Dr era
I find it funny to watch old 60s episodes like “Invasion” “the Time Meddler”  and see a really good quality story in every respect acting the story the fx everything a good quality story and then think that it was no wear near this good later on in the 80s it was cheap quick, kind of like comparing a mass produced product to a handmade one,you think of the epic nature of the 70s story’s and how there on a bigger stage broader canvas so to speak ,this is not to say the 60s 70s who didn’t have its turkey’s it really did ,I’m talking generally , so i certainly see the drop and decline in production but there was still gems right to the end

it was certainly sinking  6 million then 4 its ratings had declined even fans cant bear to watch it, it was to be fare,lost its way was charmless it was old  and did need fresh thinking new ideas which no one wanted to do.
So you have to look at it sympathetically and remember it is a cheese fest ,but for a few good reasons, also remember the era that its made in the 80s the huge changes at the BBC and the good that did come from it,
eventually,the show was star it was a icon a legend ,and came back with new ideas new show

modern who  success wouldn’t be possible without this era of Doctor Who and the brilliant minds that worked on it
First time it was taken to a contemporary present day settings and drama , change of  focus, companion was integral part to the lead in the story Tegan back to earth her time in fifth Dr story’s a story revolving family members for first time (something new Who would take to far)  and then about the malevolent Turlough, to Ace story’s and season 26,first time a Young Actor as the lead
also the story’s revolved around the new darker lonely approach to the doctor, the merchandise ,new bubble baths jigsaws money boxes infamous Sevans1/6 scale model kits etc,books first time expanded into fact books  reference ones and behind scenes making offs, the technical manual all you need to know about the gadgets of who ,the paintings from Andrew skiliter etc,  the toy range with Dapol first time a toy  range of figures to the series were made available sadly coming in at the end in 1988 , the publicity the overseas popularity ,Home Video market etc all new paving the way for new who
And jnt didn’t stop, doing nostalgia videos like the years videos shada ,charity skits in the 90s etc and working on events in places like longleat,when he was under no obligation
So i think bit of both but BBC wanted rid and they made sure it was killed off  
it went full circle young people took charge and  wanted it back looked upon it with fondness remembered it well but BBC wordwide had the rights but eventualy it came back to BBC 

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 ,"The claws of Axos"

i will start by saying

AROOGAH AROOGAH geek alert

 The Claws of Axos box set ( The Claws of Axos, a four part tale that originally aired in March-April 1971, )An approaching alien spaceship is detected on monitoring equipment at UNIT HQ, where the Brigadier is entertaining two visitors – Chinn, a civil servant making a security inspection, and Bill Filer, an American agent sent to discuss the threat of the Master. The ship lands in England and the UNIT team meet its occupants a beautiful golden-skinned race of humanoids called Axons. The Axons claim that their ship, Axos, is damaged and that they need time in which to repair it. In return, they offer Axonite, a substance that can cause animals to grow to enormous sizes and thus end global food shortages.

The Doctor is suspicious, and rightly so, Axos, Axonite and the Axons are all part of one hideous parasitic entity brought to Earth by the Master to feed on the planet’s energy and consume it. The Doctor manages to materialise his TARDIS, with the Master on board, at the centre of the Axos ship. Outmanoeuvring the Master the Doctor offers to link the two ships together to make one giant time machine, on condition that Axos in return helps him to take revenge on the Time Lords for exiling him to Earth. The trick works, and Axos is locked in a time loop from which it can never escape. The Doctor returns to Earth in the TARDIS, where he reluctantly admits to the Brigadier that the Master has escaped.
 

This has to be one of the quickest turn around’s

 in the history of Dr Who and Character Options, 

we saw the ‘Delgado’ Master a month ago in a leaked image from China 

but this was announced Friday on store shelf Saturday thats quick
 You may wonder why the Krynoid is now flesh colored and called an Axon.
 In fact it was an Axon first. The humanoid Krynoid costume was a modified Axon costume. I suspect we’ll get a Kyrnoid eventually, since that leaked test prototype was in Krynoid colors. 
question of who he’ll be packed with? We shall see.maybe the 4th Dr from the 11 Doctors box set ?

This is the reason it is a box set and not a clamshell it is huge and heavy to 
 standing a good 6 inches tall 
and this is from the early days where a lot of care and attention went into the product ,the detail is astounding the paint is brilliant
 alas you can tell due to the features on the head that it is the KRYNOID not a AXON, the axons tended to have marshmallow heads ,no features
but i have seen it with simply the head turned round looks great 
this is a stunning piece and big if your a 3rd Dr fan hes your doctor or you just like this story this is going to take some room up and stand very proud on your shelf  

 Articulated to boot this at this detail and cost is not a toy but a collectors item 
It has been a big year for Doctor Who and this is great work 

The packaging is nice, with a internal picture of the episode showing ship and Axon’s and box back  has a brief synopsis and couple of pictures, and not much said on the Master ,if anything, and using the picture from the Sea Devils ,which is a odd choice and one of the worst pictures they could use it seems to be really selling the Axon  

Now the reason i bought this 
well was for this one reason i am a HUGE Master fan i love the Moriarty to Holmes it was a genius idea ,Master of evil Master of the Dark arts the evil to the Doctors good and personality individual in his own right , a great character brilliant portrayed by the late Roger Delgado 

No Photograph can do this Justice 
Stunning is the word ,
Breath taking another, I made a 8″ custom Delgado some years ago and did exactly the same look
 the raised eyebrow the sneer of contempt the look of disdain

They have even given him a darker skin tone ,Brilliant, his high forehead and graying hair (subtly shown)  
The Nero suit is perfect the braiding the leather gloves the flash of cuff (no cuff links sadly) 
and TCE to boot not from this story but his signature weapon 
 in a clamshell with the Axon

Now i grew up with Ainlys camp interpretation ,which i still like to some degree but thanks to UK gold ,i got to see this man in action and my blood ran cold
 He was evil ,he was nasty, he was mean and he loved it ,he enjoyed what he did 
he was a rouge and so likable, the cockney accent the attitude the look and the suave style sold me so totally
He IS the Master no makeup required he had the look you can see why he got a lot of villain parts 

If i do the list here to prove a point of great stories to sit of a evening and watch and enjoy 

The Mind of Evil, in the Prison so clever so manipulative
 The Time Monster,Bit off more than he can chew in another nefarious scheme his two piece with Pertwee is stuff of legend 
Iconic the Dameons  
Frontier in Space  one up on the Doctor in every twist and turn, and even playing the Daleks as surely as a puppet master pulls strings 
The Sea Devils, whats not to like?, it is all here iconic monster Master Dr action the lot
Terror of the Autons his debut story sheer brilliance what a story from i am the master and you will obey me to company exec from hell  his confrontation with the Dr TCE in hand and the look as he threw the scientist off the tower terrifying  

It sets up who he is as a character and often thought of that line in the song ” WHEN A FELON’S NOT ENGAGED IN HIS EMPLOYMENT OR MATURING HIS FELONIOUS LITTLE PLANS” 
Thats him thats the Master maybe he is not around at the moment but you can bet he is not sitting idol 
and Claws of Axos is yet another example of plans gone wrong he arrives on earth a prisoner of the Axons 

the doctor and the master

on shelf with his other incarnations

  

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 

Doctor Who

Well i think we are about halfway through ,thoughts?,well it is staying in the “New Adventures” mould that was previously established  and there are some changes very little and only slight


Mainly the feeling for me so far is this is a Children’s show ,the 13 and under bracket ,new Daleks aside you can see in the story telling the aim of the show and who there writing for, 
each episode is single standalone and  defiantly with a child in mind
I don’t think the original series was a children’s show certainly not in the Tom Baker years  but this is, so there’s change and that’s healthy and good maybe someday new producer it will be a more adult orientated show Ala Hintchcliffe and Holmes  who knows 


So far feels like no more than introductions and like we have not got started really ,improvements aplenty the Doctor is spot on nail on the head and the character is well realised in Matt Smith 
I found of interest this take on everything new  ,maybe new Daleks was step to far but this i feel lies more in poor realisation in design and art department and prop makers ,personally i would of gone strait back to a AARU design something akin to ,the new silurans bare no resemblance to the old so we wait and see what happens with these 


Personally i don’t care I’m  fortunate enough to be able to just take what i like and leave the rest  draw a discreet Vail over it 
but it has certainly improved i had faith in Mr Moffet and i think its paying off he is a family man who is running a family show, each episode is new and standalone for the casual viewer to get into and not linked to previous threads tho this has subtly been done 
One thing i do disagree and resist  is this is same show, the difference is to huge now it would be like comparing the historical docu dramas of the first Doctor to Collin Bakers first season totally different 


Improvements proof if needed,well Amy the new companion just unabashedly threw her self at the Doctor this was funny and well done ,not the love sick season long 2 yr love fest sexed up show of RTD or the whole Rose love sick puppy this was good 
so its a CBBC show that’s fine i liked the Angel story and look forward to Venice  
they made good and bad  in the good Ole days ,even the first Dr had good and bad stories admittedly the table got tilted badly towards the end lack of talent ? most definitely lack of budget , who knows but even then there was redeeming features “Curse of Fenric” being one of them 
Its all about the quality of the story’s and even RTD era  had some, the WW2 empty child gas mask story was good the Dalek story was good and i liked the first Master story with the old Master and then on earth with Simm thats about it realy this time that vibe feel is there which it hasn’t been since Dr7 and Ace 


so to give you a slight in site into the current man at the top i leave you this rather interesting frank candid Moffet interview from comic con some 2 years ago,
We wait and see time will tell