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bimo and later cavendish yesterday was fun; it also brought a surprise gift in the form of several old Dr. Who episodes. Sitting most of the day in a train today I had the chance to watch The Three Doctors and Carnival of Monsters, both from season 10.
The Three Doctors was ideal for people like me determined to catch up on their Doctors, as it enabled me to meet Three and Two at the same time, as well as presenting me with several companions I hadn't met before, either, Jo Grant, the Brigadier and Benton. (Though I had readastrogirl2's fanfic featuring the Brigadier and Mickey.) And oh, the late 60s, early 70s fashions. Jo with her miniskirt and Three with his Edwardian get-up. I felt like humming St. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (which surely should be the UNIT theme song). Nostalgia of the best kind.
The Three/Two interaction (and naturally, two incarnations of the Doctor would bicker) was great, whereas One's cameos were somewhat pointless; I suspect they only included him out of anniversary guilt, or something. I liked them both, and I liked the actors (plus I kept wondering where I have seen Patrick Troughton before). Jo was a nice no-nonsense type of companion, and both the Brigadier and Benton struck me was refreshingly free of either clichés often found about tv soldiers (they're not dumb machos, and they're not perfect heroes, either). Is Omega supposed to be the Master? Alas, the first time I encountered the Master was in the dreadful American tv movie, and this has made it hard to take him seriously again. (Jonathan Pryce in the sketch? So much better. And he was meant to be funny.)
(Speaking of Timelords, those represented here clearly shop in the same boutique as Kerr Avon does in the first and second season of B7, before he becomes monomanical about the leather and studs.)
The difference between early B7 and Dr. Who: Blake would not have felt bad about tricking Omega as he would have classified Omega as a slave-owner and would have wanted to liberate the munchkins (do they even have a name?) who served as Omega's army, because they totally would have reminded him of the munchkins from The Web. *g*
Carnival of Monsters was even better. I was quite happy about seeing Robert Holmes' name in the credits as the writer. Holmes had his faults - in a B7 Holmes script, Jenna and Cally and later Soolin and Dayna tend to get stuck with teleport duty - but he had an ear for dialogue, and specialized in Avon-Vila-centric scripts, from the lighthearted (Gambit) to the dark (Orbit). Carnival of Monsters was great with the interaction was well. I loved Jo teasing the Doctor about his inability to admit helost the way on the road might have steered the TARDIS to the wrong place (and the fact that in the end, it turns out he did end up on the wrong planet, though Jo's first idea had been wrong as well, of course). The scheming grey locals made want to call them Rontane and Bercol (though these were Boucher creations, weren't they? Not sure about that), and the showman and his assistant clearly went to Freedom City afterwards and fleeced the locals there. Great balance, too, between what they have in common with the Doctor (they weren't wrong, he is a showman), and what separates them - imprisonment of others for entertainment is where the fun ends for him.
And boy, did they import the worms from Dune or what? Yes, I know, they were swamp creatures, but someone clearly read Frank Herbert. Or Herbert saw the episodes. Coming to think of it, they might actually predate his little saga.
Lastly: a) I love Pertwee's voice. Did he any audio books?
b) Jo, like Jenna, Cally, Dayna and Soolin, not to mention Madam President herself, masters the art of stalking through the galaxy on high heels
admirably.
c) QUARRY! Watching quarries in a BBC show from the 70s and 80s gives me such a fuzzy nostalgic feeling as well.
bimo and later cavendish yesterday was fun; it also brought a surprise gift in the form of several old Dr. Who episodes. Sitting most of the day in a train today I had the chance to watch The Three Doctors and Carnival of Monsters, both from season 10. The Three Doctors was ideal for people like me determined to catch up on their Doctors, as it enabled me to meet Three and Two at the same time, as well as presenting me with several companions I hadn't met before, either, Jo Grant, the Brigadier and Benton. (Though I had read
astrogirl2's fanfic featuring the Brigadier and Mickey.) And oh, the late 60s, early 70s fashions. Jo with her miniskirt and Three with his Edwardian get-up. I felt like humming St. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (which surely should be the UNIT theme song). Nostalgia of the best kind. The Three/Two interaction (and naturally, two incarnations of the Doctor would bicker) was great, whereas One's cameos were somewhat pointless; I suspect they only included him out of anniversary guilt, or something. I liked them both, and I liked the actors (plus I kept wondering where I have seen Patrick Troughton before). Jo was a nice no-nonsense type of companion, and both the Brigadier and Benton struck me was refreshingly free of either clichés often found about tv soldiers (they're not dumb machos, and they're not perfect heroes, either). Is Omega supposed to be the Master? Alas, the first time I encountered the Master was in the dreadful American tv movie, and this has made it hard to take him seriously again. (Jonathan Pryce in the sketch? So much better. And he was meant to be funny.)
(Speaking of Timelords, those represented here clearly shop in the same boutique as Kerr Avon does in the first and second season of B7, before he becomes monomanical about the leather and studs.)
The difference between early B7 and Dr. Who: Blake would not have felt bad about tricking Omega as he would have classified Omega as a slave-owner and would have wanted to liberate the munchkins (do they even have a name?) who served as Omega's army, because they totally would have reminded him of the munchkins from The Web. *g*
Carnival of Monsters was even better. I was quite happy about seeing Robert Holmes' name in the credits as the writer. Holmes had his faults - in a B7 Holmes script, Jenna and Cally and later Soolin and Dayna tend to get stuck with teleport duty - but he had an ear for dialogue, and specialized in Avon-Vila-centric scripts, from the lighthearted (Gambit) to the dark (Orbit). Carnival of Monsters was great with the interaction was well. I loved Jo teasing the Doctor about his inability to admit he
And boy, did they import the worms from Dune or what? Yes, I know, they were swamp creatures, but someone clearly read Frank Herbert. Or Herbert saw the episodes. Coming to think of it, they might actually predate his little saga.
Lastly: a) I love Pertwee's voice. Did he any audio books?
b) Jo, like Jenna, Cally, Dayna and Soolin, not to mention Madam President herself, masters the art of stalking through the galaxy on high heels
admirably.
c) QUARRY! Watching quarries in a BBC show from the 70s and 80s gives me such a fuzzy nostalgic feeling as well.
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no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 04:28 pm (UTC)I think the problem was that he became very ill, and could only do minor studio work when they got to filming.
Three, Jo, and UNIT are fabulous, aren't they? Classic Who, really. (There's a wonderful McCoy-era tribute to the Brigadier in "Battlefield".) Jo is much-lampooned as all short skirts and ankle-twisting, but she's really much better than that, I think, and huge amounts of fun. (And, hey, you should go see some Sarah Jane eps, very quickly!) :)
Is Omega supposed to be the Master?
No, the Master is the Master. (And Omega dies at the end of that, anyway, in a pretty conclusive ripped-into-particles way.) :) The Master also originates from the Pertwee era, where he was played by his best actor ever, Roger Delgado (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/gallery/delgado/index.shtml). He's the man who makes you love the Master.
Lastly: a) I love Pertwee's voice. Did he any audio books?
I think he died before they started getting made. His son, who looks and sounds just like him, except blond and kinda hot, does a lot of documentary voiceovers, though. And made a Tardis joke in a fun British surfing movie he did.
b) Jo, like Jenna, Cally, Dayna and Soolin, not to mention Madam President herself, masters the art of stalking through the galaxy on high heels admirably.
It's a skill I actually want to learn, just because it seems like all the experts do it! Then I remember how much I like practical shoes...
c) QUARRY! Watching quarries in a BBC show from the 70s and 80s gives me such a fuzzy nostalgic feeling as well.
Doctor Who is such a quarry show, it's not funny. Twenty-five years of British quarries. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 04:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 04:37 pm (UTC)Three, Jo, and UNIT are fabulous, aren't they?
Yes, they are. I'm very happy
And Omega dies at the end of that, anyway, in a pretty conclusive ripped-into-particles way.
Bah, humbug. Davros died at the end of Genesis, too, and even I with my little Who knowledge knew he'd be back.*g* But thanks for the explanation - glad to learn Omega and the Master are two different characters.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 04:49 pm (UTC)Oh, excellent! (Apparently, when Lis Sladen was doing the DVD commentary for that, the guy in the gas mask pops up, and she says "Are you my mummy?" Snerk.)
Talons of Weng-Chiang, otoh, the first Who I ever saw, was so many years ago that I'm not sure anymore whether it was Sarah Jane in it or Leela?
That's Leela. Ah, Leela, the Christ Boucher-penned companion, so eager to kill. :)
Yes, they are. I'm very happy
Excellent! Pertwee's a fun one. (And you should see Season 8 for the Master. His Season 10 story's really just a cameo.)
Bah, humbug. Davros died at the end of Genesis, too, and even I with my little Who knowledge knew he'd be back.*g*
Actually, I think you're not wrong about the death-not-being-final thing, only I'd forgotten, cuz I don't like the era he returns in much. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 05:00 pm (UTC)I second that, she has to see Roger Delgardo as the Master. He's just so wonderfully suave. All villains should be like that!
no subject
Date: 2006-04-30 04:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 04:30 pm (UTC)I have a dim memory that Hartnell's health was failing, and they wanted to include him but couldn't really ask him for more.
Is Omega supposed to be the Master?
I've never heard that suggestion. I don't really see how he can be, as he's been trapped in that universe since the Time Lords first got time travel, so his life is accounted for up to his sort-of death, whereas the Master (the One True Master, viz Roger Delgado, see above) first turned up at the same time as Jo Grant and is around for a couple of incarnations after that. Well, obviously, the Doctor had met him a long time before Jo's debut, but as he referred to the Master on his reappearance as "that jackanapes" he obviously didn't reckon much to him, whereas he talks of Omega as a hero.
Bercol and Rontane first show up in Seek-Locate-Destroy, so I think that makes them Terry Nationals.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 04:36 pm (UTC)Yes, he was very ill by then. IIRC, he signed up to appear and then his family had to contact the production crew and explain he wasn't really up to it.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 05:04 pm (UTC)Robert Holmes scripts always feature great double acts.
Jo is seriously under-rated.
Roger Delgado is the Master, who is a different time lord to Omega.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 05:42 pm (UTC)Omega reappears in the Peter Davison story Arc of Infinity, which is one of the stories people are talking about when they complain about '80s Who bringing old villains back and tarnishing the original stories by their incompetence.
Omega's henchbeings are known, as far as I know, as Gel Guards.
As various people have said, the First Doctor's limited role in The Three Doctors was because William Hartnell was very ill at the time and capable only of sitting in a chair and reading his lines from an Autocue. Reportedly the story had to be heavily rewritten at the last minute as a result.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 09:41 pm (UTC)OHMYGOD, SOMEBODY MUST VID THIS!! *flails*
Yeah, when I hear the phrase "Old Skool" I think of Three. Especially since the new stuf I feel mirrors three era the most - Earth-centric, strong female companions (Jo's tougher than people give credit for, and soon you get Sarah Jane, MY HERO!!!), Unit/Torchwood, stay-at-home companions... the other era it really harkens back to is Seven - the bad girl companion who's more an equal, the shades of grey, the Doctor angst... it's like seven and three make nine... or ten. ;)
Pardon my rambling. *DO* try and see a good Sara Jane ep before next week, so you can squee properly. ^_^
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Date: 2006-04-30 04:01 am (UTC)I did see a good Sarah Jane ep months ago - Genesis of the Daleks.
My own favourite Doctor/Companion combination so far is Seven/Ace, whom I saw two adventures with (Curse of Fenric was the first), and have the audio of a third (The Fearmonger, which has Jacqueline Pearce as a guest star).
And yes, someone must so vid my Sgt. Pepper's idea! *looks at <lj user="andrastewhite" pleadingly*
no subject
Date: 2006-04-30 05:14 am (UTC)Ooooooh, very good ep!
My own favourite Doctor/Companion combination so far is Seven/Ace, whom I saw two adventures with (Curse of Fenric was the first), and have the audio of a third (The Fearmonger, which has Jacqueline Pearce as a guest star).
...Clearly, I have *not* been giving the Audio adventures enough respect. And Seven&Ace is pure love.
And yes, someone must so vid my Sgt. Pepper's idea! *looks at
Well, I don't know WHO you're looking at, but I'm looking in the direction of
no subject
Date: 2006-04-30 06:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 11:50 pm (UTC)I have a suspicion that his problem with the female characters in B7 stems from being a Who writer, actually, because being stuck on teleport duty is the assistant's job in much of the classic series *g*. And yet, he wrote Leela brilliantly, so go figure.
Jo was a nice no-nonsense type of companion, and both the Brigadier and Benton struck me was refreshingly free of either clichés often found about tv soldiers (they're not dumb machos, and they're not perfect heroes, either).
The UNIT boys (Mike Yates is the other regular, but he's not in The Three Doctors) are indeed fab in that respect. They're all characters in their own right.
Brigadier Alaistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, much beloved of fandom, is a kind of uber-companion. Nicholas Courtney is the only actor so far to have worked with all the classic series Doctors, on audio if not on TV. (We now eagerly await the book/audio where he meets Nine, because this must come to pass sooner or later. Here's hoping David Tennant hangs around long enough to meet him on the telly.)
I love Pertwee's voice. Did he any audio books?
Two of them - The Paradise of Death and The Ghosts of N-Space. Alas, they're widely regarded as quite awful, and if the novelisation of the later is anything to go by I have to agree with that assessment.
It's a great pity Jon Pertwee passed away before Big Finish started their monthly audio series, because I'm sure they could have had great things with the Third Doctor. (Actually, they have done one great thing with the Third Doctor, but it's an AU with a different actor entirely.)
no subject
Date: 2006-04-30 03:52 pm (UTC)Hi there :-)
May I give the compliment back: Seeing you was great fun :-). Sorry for not being able to spend more time with you that day, but I do have a lot of work at the moment; with the Abitur drawing near as well as with the chemistry book project for which I write one chapter being about to be finished and the picture manuscript still is still not ready. (Spent the whole of Saturday meeting the other authors and the lector, which happened to be fun but had some work and a deadline in store.)
Anyhow: Glad you liked the episodes. As things happen, on the Dalek DVD there seem two episodes to be missing; both the last part of "Dalek Invasion..." and "Genesis...", the latter being my all time favourite Doctor Who Episode. Either bimo or I'll send the missing episodes as soon as possible
Hope the next time we meet there will be a little more time ;-)
Frank
no subject
Date: 2006-04-30 03:58 pm (UTC)> The Three Doctors and Carnival of Monsters,
these are the tow episodes I like best in season ten, especially because of the similarities / contrasts between the tow painrs.
And a last PS.:
"While in a traffic jam, and was, without any particular reason, thinking about the Renaissance ... " (Hope I quote you correctly ;-):
I really like this sentence. Can frame it and hang it over my desk? ;-))
F.
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Date: 2006-04-30 06:30 pm (UTC)I already have Genesis completely -
no subject
Date: 2006-05-01 08:52 am (UTC)I re-checked, the others seem complete and OK. How did you like "Gesesis ..."?, especially as a sequel to the first Dalek Episode? I think it is an incredible idea to continue telling bits and pieces of a story over such a long time.
And extremely sorry for the amount of typos in the last comment. It is quite a very bad habit of mine to type something in a hurry and not to check what I have written.
Frank
PS.: I am really looking forward to the next new episode, I really had to restrain myself not to read behind the lj-cut in your latest entry your entry but I want to watch the episode together with bimo on Tuesday J.
F.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-01 09:33 am (UTC)How did you like "Gesesis ..."?, especially as a sequel to the first Dalek Episode?
I wrote a rather lengthy review (http://selenak.livejournal.com/187502.html#cutid1) at the time which you commented on.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-01 10:13 am (UTC)Ups, sorry. What was the name of the desease again, the one where you keep foergetting things?
Sorry,
Frank
no subject
Date: 2006-05-01 10:14 am (UTC)Ups, sorry. What was the name of the disease again, the one where you keep forgetting things?
Sorry,
Frank