Brigadier Gordon Alister Lethbridge Stewart

So i recently purchased individually “the Demons” Brigadier figure,a important one as he is a major character in Doctor Who appearing regularly in the classic series,

So one to get ,i first met the character on a VHS “The Day of the Dalek’s” (having previously read the book boy was i disappointed  ) ,then with 7 in Battlefield on transmission

As a figure i first saw the prototype some three or so years ago cant remember when

prototype brigadier

So  like having all incarnations of the Doctor this comes under as must have
i wish the Who Figures were available as single packs and not these box sets all the time but that’s the way it now is so with e bay and other people breaking the sets up i finally have the brigadier i wanted

As a figure it is made as a kit bash from a set of parts  ,but rather than make new legs as seen on the prototype for the combat variant they  decided to use the standard legs as seen on the dress uniform just different torso and swap the heads around for all three variants axons, demons and 3 drs

Now knowing personally about British Army uniform  its always bugged me and a bit sloppy research by the BBC
he wouldn’t be wearing dress uniform all the time except for explicit reasons eg on parade seeing a more senior officer (and a Sargent would not be wearing a dress uniform at all unless on a big show parade  and NEVER wearing brown officer boots)  ,in the main a Brigadier would be behind a desk and wearing standard uniform but with brown boots officers tan shirt with collar lapels in red, winter dress would include a jumper, in combat and the field identical dress to everyone else minus his rank pips obviously a uniform finally correct in his last TV appearance in Battlefield

 

The figure hs a nice paint job no QC issues .it comes with swagger stick and standard British Army  browning hi power pistol (was for fifty years now the Glock 17)  one weapon id like to get for him would be his revolver used with Dr7, the one kept in a display case as a memento was a Webley Mk 4 real old school British souvenir of his blood and thunder days, this combat variant also has a large in scale set of binoculars

the figure itself maintains usual joints with hinged elbows and swivels in the biceps and wrists. The legs have universal movement in the hips, hinges in the knees, and swivels in the thighs. There’s no torso articulation, but The Brig can rotate his head but has a new bonus swivel shoulders  arms are ball jointed at the shoulders  like the Ace figure so you can pose him doing star jumps or just looking really cool taking aim
in the main a cheap effective way of producing many variants of one character keep costs down and options open he has some nice details like the tops of boots can be seen through the trousers ,the jumper is a rubber piece wrapped round that unfortunately has several splits in it otherwise its nicely done it is a great figure likeness i think it is really good likeness to Nick ,and  a (sadly non-functional) holster.is also here

Reason i only really want this one (Maybe if right price dress uniform variant  ) is this for me is the Brigadiers main outfit,  as 1 it would be close to what a actual army officer wears and 2 one he wore a lot with lots of different Doctors ,
so well worth getting a nice figure, worth getting if a you like UNIT and the Brig or if just for fact he is a very big part of the classic series (only really the master who appeared as much and then by different actors )  the Doctors life  and really his only true friend

 

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

Kate Omara

Sad news today kate omara has died at the age of 74,she was a good actress i remember from Hammer films The Vampire Lovers and The Horror of Frankenstein,but i remember know her from the role of The Rani, the wicked Time Lady, in Doctor Who in 1985, an amoral character a scientist with no scruples and no real need for power for powers sake evil but brilliant,she was a scientist and i would love to see her return

O’Mara passed away on March 30th in a nursing home in Sussex it was confirmed by her agent

hope CO do the figure now she was a great part for such a short period and fondly remembered

is there a Doctor in the house?

Well,this is the highlight of my life at this moment a program would normally NEVER watch,but as it is Doctor No 6 Collin Baker had to show my stripes
Having met Collin several times over the years i can say he is one of the nicest polite charming men you can ever wish to meet, just a decent bloke 
and this showed in the program
The program consists of celebs going into the Australian gold coast jungle now as there is a lack of most or anything dangerous as it is a controlled atmosphere they bring in all manner of creatures crabs spiders rats etc (none dangerous but will give you a nip as Collin found out)
so they have to sing for there supper or work for it 
so they have to do tasks getting covered in all manner of nastiness to get stars that equal meals
Collins last chance trial against  Eric Bristow was telling as he got more big stars meals for camp than small stars to save himself

He had done what he went in to do and you can tell he was fed up missed his family, his wife Marrion who came across as delightful as him and his daughters, of which there are many and boy has he lost weight a lot of weight im sure he feels great for it as well, well done keep it off

And when i say what he went in to do boy did he, recognition and profile raised weight loss and have some fun
 being seriously over weight and now some 60 years of age his trials were to what he could physically do , so limited , but what he did was pure entertainment his chained to Rosemary (who due to size /age couldent do much) and rapper act had me howling with laughter then to do piece to camera and how he came across very posh, Kids cringing im sure 

I was amazed at his record beating speed joke telling and how just downright nice he is
a  brilliant  person shared a coffee with him a great bloke ,and considering how badly he was treated by a vengeful Mr Grade and the BBC, His enthusiasm for the show is simply surprising
I hope there is more clips to surface somewhere as id like to see more that he did 

Ashley Roberts wow i am in love with her so down to earth natural not LA or Diva at all grounded real person very impressed very American with her dog wearing fashion etc but what a nice person and not bad on the eyes ,love her personality to…honest

so Drs 6 and 7 (Sylv 7 appearing as roturghast in the up coming hobbit) are about to get a bit more recognition and surge of interest good for them 
 frankly other than Tom who else could be a wizard (Tom dosent want to be 18 months in New Zeland) but going off a interview if he had maybe been him and not Christopher Lee ,interesting

So what else of interest ah well this has come up for auction and as a nice tie in coincidentally  to old Collin 
here he is as the Doctor, no really that is him

MK 2 Prop is identifiable by the lock being at the bottom of the handle

Lot No: 147 – Doctor Who: A ‘Tardis’ panel (1987) Phone panel up for auction

 Now more 1986 ,When this was made for the season ,is it real is it fake ?
Well spoke to a wise ancient man (sorry mate ) The main man when  comes to the old box and he and  i talked
its real alright

there is NO screw holes for handle (Mid 80s never was a handle )and the font all hand done all sign writer job and frankly gorgeous if little wobbly if hold ruler up against top of letters the type face the missing san serrifs
info from auction 

According to information from the vendor, this was supplied by the BBC to CAL, the company that animated the ‘Doctor Who’ title sequence for the 24th Series in 1987. Oliver Elms, the BBC graphics designer who story-boarded the sequence, sent the Tardis panel to CAL to be used as part of the design process. From the livery and typeface, this is a 1980s-style door sign.

 Question answered of what happened to this phone panel,  (*only seen in season 18 /19 this style otherwise for some reason was split in two italic and plain font like a Ariel type, later copied for new series )  it vanished ,now we know why ,where and how
12 months on form trial and the old panel was back for McCoys first story and  on the MK2 and being older dirty and more worn kinda stood out

one year later and the old phone panel is back on the mk2 prop

god alone knows why they needed it but cal had it given them for use in new sequence titles certainly didn’t use it and was very basic graphics they colored in black for some strange reason even with this reference ,go figure

( mid 80s bit Peter  / Collin the phone panel not used so no handle) there  came a new box back to old all italic font as per Met Police Box for phone panel reason for new box original 80 model was worn to death cracked chipped warped had its day so cue new box,used a lot  on off with its predecessor  to 89 and now in permanent display in the Dr Who exhibition made to look like the Mk1 for some reason ????

As having spoke to Sophie Aldred recently she informed me these 2 boxes ended up interchangeable so roof from MK1 got stuck n Mk2 doors got swapped etc
,same mold you see tho trimmed differently so different fit see same mold lots of differences between the two, so this is panel it started with in “Trial of a Timelord” September 1986 brilliant opening sequence best model work ever seen and only on par with Star Trek DS9 some 10 years later 
New info comes up all the time 
for more information look no further than this tomb of work 
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/~trekker/policeboxes/tv3.html

EDIT

 So the New Zeland Premiere of “the Hobbit ” has happened ,looking forward to this i liked LOTR Movies read the books as a kid a student and should do again Hobbit is a nice easy book to get into simple and strait forward not a three tomb mega story but nice all the same
BRIEF  synopsis
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever… Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths ofguile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” …a simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
 

I remember Radagast from the books. He’s one of the five Istari(Wizards) and is supposed to be the one thats down with nature, kind of like Middle Earth’s Dr Doolittle and totaly in tune with his surroundings etc
. He is mentioned twice, and appears literally once in the actual story as he passes Gandalf on the road. So I assume that if this is accurate that the role has been significantly beefed up.But the films do differ to the books in this has to be a film story a narrative that can be told in allotted time and serve dramatically,plus use bits cut from LOTR the stuff that came up in the notes in the 60s etc

And person chosen for this role is Percy Smith aka Sylvester Mccoy, having met talked to him several times over the years i can think of only tom and him that make perfect wizards naturally eccentric and fun personality im sure he will be brilliant in the role ,pleased he is doing this Mr Jackson is a big fan of his and WHO so like tom said its the fans now employing you And Dr Who does have a big following in the colonies 
2 Doctors in the southern hemisphere

 so good luck to him hope this is a career boost and sure be riding the success of the films for the next 3 years as there released “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released in the U.S. on December 14, 2012, with the second film, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” releasing December 13, 2013, and the third film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” slated for July 18, 2014.
It couldent happen to a nicer person,  
and docent he look dapper on the red carpet 

Console done

It’s a funny program Doctor Who,12 month one season program that took off thanks to the Daleks and the Doctor was a legend so they had a hit program and no idea what to do with it ,major long term headaches and changes include change of lead actor ,major design problem of the TARDIS console room set that designers had been gradually trying to ameliorate since the overly complex large Peter Brachaki set so consistency from the start was a problem and rarely existed

it was throw away TV never mean to be syndicated ala USA TV just made put out like soaps
 then along came home Video Market first VHS then DVD now Blue ray and  watch the episodes again and again freeze frame screen grab ala infinity ,it was never made for this or with this in mind so the sets props even some acting is truly poor and shoddy plus its times it is made in and resources or lack there of available to it  
plus even with some clean up work done to old story’s it was shot in 60s on 252 line tv standard cant enhance what it was filmed on short of owning a actual TARDIS to re shoot it , certainly never meant for Hi Def  

No committee of writers and head writer/producer and a team of other producers and unlike in USA no permanent sets built for season duration  it was a set of studios for entire BBC output constantly in use so sets were up down constantly resulting in discrepancies and breakages and everything was made cheaply quickly in house and on zero resources from music to fx
so never made for it ,just a quick cheap show
 and now look back on it you can see just how cheap it was the cheapness of the sets the wobbly furniture and walls and sometimes wobbly acting ,it is a miracle they made what they did or such a legend was born whole world knows what a Dalek or TARDIS / stripey scarf is, its a cheap show this detracts nothing
 a lot of stories are superb  (the era of Holmes and Hintchcliffe being a stunning highlight  of the programs years,combined with previous Letts and Dicks years made for what is called the golden age of the program and the 70s a memorable time with definitive portrayals by Jon Pertwee’s 3rd Dr  and iconic Tom Bakers fourth Dr ,and why it is so noticeable at end of the era why it was so poor ) a lot of cast generally are superb ,and the inventive brilliance of some is off the chart young kids breaking out with fevered imaginations,like what propelled Star Wars to its FX heights ,indeed there are some who went on to win many film awards  for there work in costume (James Acheson) and FX (Malcolm Thornton, Mike Kelt )  that worked on Dr Who originally and for many years went on to films
even in the 80s there is some bright moments the TARDIS best it ever was as a prop in and out (The TARDIS became definitive in its look and design , the whole set became very easy to assemble, since the console could only occupy one spot relative to the walls,the look and design ) the fifth Doctor being young casting and family feel to companions  Ace 7th Dr set up, the new look Cybermen,the FX new crew like Mike Tucker Andrew Cartmall  etc
it was for ages 6 to 60 it captured all and never pandered to or talked down to younger viewers it was grown up telly for teens that younger viewers were scared of older viewers enjoyed as a family and be moaned the horror  
it will always be a show close to my heart and my liking ,even with all the bells and whistles of the new who  oddly it lacks the quality of the original its warmth and certainly memorable parts lines monsters props etc

 
well i did it one scrap built console complete and looks just right tatty old prop and it lights up some small minor parts to do but for the main,done 
I do like this console ,i like the whole 80s vibe,which i layered  on with a trowl so there’s really bright primary colour buttons and there is very basic 80s style graphics in meters  ,inspiration old 80s classic cartoons like Thundercats He Man, 
the main computer being a BBC Micro Computer type monitor affair i used a opening screen grab of the TARDIS from the Dalek Attack Game all pixelated graphics and then layer on text using the old P.C fonts of the such games as Amstrad Atari donky kong etc and Put words TARDIS TECHNICAL MANUAL, as a nod to the Doctor Who Technical manual i built this out of 
also on here is a set of three lights on the tom panel the one with white round controls and there Red Green Yellow as a nod to H G Wells the Time Machine it also as made in photoshop has a old style frame round it to give it the whole CRT Monitor vibe

I was also able as lighting it to make one of the Black panels on the column base to open via hinge place the switch in it for lighting it lights via under-lighting a warm LED aka yellow giving a soft glow nothing harsh

so one radar screen made and amongst others had some fun adding them as printed on acetate clear it need to be painted on back with white as well off a ink jet printer it just isnt a strong enough ink and was watery washed out i also added a time digi counter to scanner screen panel as something is there so payed homage to the 80s in a really digi clock read out and Back to the future films 
the Hatchway has the dematerialisation circuit in housing some meters and main switch it has been a learning curve much experimentation and cost well only the cover for the  time rotor and incorporates such rubbish as straws match sticks and cornflake packet and toy packets cut up

so let me introduce you to Console S20

What else has been going on well officially broke unemployed for more years than want to admit to and not getting easier how hard is it to get a two bit job stacking shelves really and financially has to cover expenditure bills etc so finding job for right money i am starting to believe got more chance of finding a ostrich wandering around with a plum up its arse 
Mrs aint working so were hard up and belts so tight were on rope 
Enrolled on another collage course in design learn how to use this program and update CV i aint giving up on being a graphic or just designer and emigration loooks good but i need a job 
i need money and it is damned hard
weather dont help and my depression going in big swings im ok then tired and just meh an hard to get anything done 
well i shall struggle on im looking to see if can get frelance work in but god thats hard to 
there is no work  period and it is not funny
also what happened to summer ???

Back to the 80s

Well been a while ,been busy time what with the Mrs going to have to go home for her Fathers Funeral and me having interviews to no avail then having flu
so had a tidy out and found a large biscuit tin of essentially crap, remembered it was bits of old train sets and models (sevens Dalek parts and fasa citadel to)
It is not madness but stuff i added for use of improving and building things like models and modding (modifying or as i like to say improving ,why else you think im doing it ?) stuff 

So in a flash of total insanity i decided i would address a issue i had been having
Classic Doctor Who console,where is it Co ??
13 scale for there toy range which is huge and for me perfect as i dont live in a TARDIS so space is at a premium and if it is gonna get big i have to be very selective (damn you cod stakes) 

So vowing a oath to spend not one penny and use all this crap up i made a console 

and now here’s dilemma not that simple you know 

Ok lightening fast potted history theres the 60s console roughly 63 70 (inferno yes that is the 60s console also ambassadors of death) MK1 ,
then pertwee got his own i suspect it was all new base top time rotor mechanics etc  and 70%ish of 60s controls laid out same way new bits added and lots of stripes giving it a air of futuristic yet not that different look
 from above  it looked a bit like a circuit board of some sort MK 2 ,
then for some unknown reason noting wrong with pertwee prop other than still green they take it all apart new panels all new parts
  obviously base is reused this i think is original piece from pertwee to peter there’s some changes to panels just , maybe a exact copy but see no reason to change it the 60s stem looked thinner to me, also interior column time rotor tho stripped simplified for tom /peter is obviously pertwees in 74 you can make out some of the green pertwee gels still in it, tho this got new mechanics for peter as it was being manually operated the mechanism was so broken by this point
 ,why change pertwees ?, i would love to know seen 2 stories in 74 then shelved for yet another all together redesign MK3 then, 
so onto wood tiny bureau type MK  4 ( done as the console room set was difficult to put up and took a lot of studio space and couldn’t be taken down until story filming end )and susspect newbury like his box prop designed this as tv working prop in mind the fact its small tiny row of buttons no column nothing to break simple

 now gets weird ,in comes ( in invisible enemy ) the old previous MK 3,(various reasons wood variant  is dropped,tho looked stunning revamped for McCoy and McGann)  this time repainted and bits broken off so now grey not off white (what pertwees should of been) new design room of columns grp roundels huge scanner screen etc and this is how it stayed from 77 to 83 
just with to use my mates parlance , cosmetic tart overs , and even more broken off and then bits added like a printer as per script for one panel then along came 82 and peter ,this prop is messed around due to transmission order being different to broadcast this console gos back and forth between changes on a story basis most notable the computer panel from tom big screen flat to peter angled monitor BBC micro computer
then 83 this is half past dead even though it has been cleaned up finally for peter (also used in the 2 Drs story 86 by the second Dr to represent a older console more akin to his and once again messed around with new bits added and parts moved about ) ,and changed colour to a lighter grey and new bits added broken stuff removed, and in comes the GRP Five DRs console MK  5, how appropriate 

 

so you got a box of crap ” what you gona do “?


i opted for peters variant of the MK 3
why?, simple its bust its broken repainted with a badgers tail falling apart simple eh ? not a lot to do, and how can you go wrong ?,this is the Brachaki refit prop of the console world nigh on 9 years old at this point you cant get it wrong and simple to do as it is simple controls geometric shapes etc
WRONG !!!!!!!!

Be easier to do toms s 18 not a lot on there, all broken parts at this point
this had tons added ,looks to me like they did  in 74 in 83 it got a refit ,albeit on a far cheaper smaller scale and involving paint rather than new parts ,this was finally taken away all broke parts removed and new bits added with what was lying around the workshop,new parts were added as per script like the new radar green thing near door lever and the tangerine etc rest just tarted up, there’s two original 70s panels right up to the end ,it is if you know your consoles and TARDIS  a real history on here dating right back to the  60s if you look, what i like  is this and the fact its so strange looking and i like the cheapness 

a prop workshop either on drugs or overly fond of liquid lunches going off the colors and suspect parts stuck on this console ,now rather randomly ,look at buttons hap hazard say the least and retina destroying color scheme,yes it was the 80s but woa how do you come up with that palette?,oh see above

It was UBER fiddly a nightmare of proportions i can not begin to describe for i do not have the words 
it is so rich in detail ,texture, layers,etc and changed so little 

 EG in season 18 2 BIG changes in its history happened namely one the console got a secret compartment under a row of buttons and lights above the door lever big red one ( Levers being only surviving 60s parts)  ,this used a new mechanism to allow it to extend ( I think it was used a couple of more times in 5th drs time) this had a huge triangle sticking out of the base which was covered  cover fell of got lost so ended up big gaping hole in console base for rest of its time.
And the printer panel was added then left to look odd and frankly crap with a couple of random plastic shapes stuck there
and the computer panel became practical 
these changes is only really significant change since 77 or 74 as first seen before more fragile clear perspex parts came off 

 

1974 to 1983

1974

1977

1983

I have three faves Pertwees, five drs console  and key to time variant  ,or had ,this now replaces key to time 
i am loving this console its richness and a fore mentioned texture and detail and frankly mad crazy colors,it rocks it is very 80s so took this as my brief and went for the whole graphic design and feel screaming 80s design console 
banged it out no TLC or even much care more dodgy looking happier ill be it was not a perfect prop and in fantasy a very very broken down old control console (A fact mentioned several times by 4th and fifth Drs)  from a old broken time machine  

my highly sophisticated state of the art gluing machine

Slowly it is getting there,and because in no way is this a challenge enough being a alchemist turning nothing to something and dealing with buttons at 1mm or gluing myself to such a small set of parts, loosing more parts than i can count and having no measurements what soever so making this all add hock oh and blessed be the doctor who technical manual I will be lighting it as well ,kind of so thats all for part two

i think its in scale

i also as add on got one of those talk daleks ,nice to army build expensive so all others on future present lists but well worth to fatten the ranks the talking bit is nice but fan done or by some bloke on the staff failing to understand the BBC product licensed and not used actual voice clips,how cool would that have been?, bizarre and one missed opportunity 
I got from one of my top stories a Death to variant,science corps Daleks love that finish 
Character Options are still making it up as they go along surely they now how to use google ? so colour paint schemes are way off this Death to variant has a silver gun which NEVER appeared on said prop ,having spoke to head honcho he is convinced mr dewer he is correct and like wise with grey Planet of the Daleks Grey variant with grey appendages and dull grey finish not gun metal 
ah well customising to the rescue

Dalek science corps welcomes you

dalek plant mutation success

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