Space Museum, The Chase, and The Time Meddler

I am reviewing these two together since they are packaged together in the same DVD set.

I didn't think The Space Museum was too bad, although I understand it's not a Dr. Who favorite. Regardless of the show, I've always been intrigued by time-twist stories such as this one. The Doctor and his three companions materialize in a museum, only to find themselves on display. They wander around, apparently out of time, and observe the Moroks, who run the museum, and the Xerons, who are subjected to slavery. After a while, the Doctor and his companions slip back into real time and are no longer on display. But the question remains--is that their future or can they change it? The four end up going their own ways and Vicki hooks up with the Xerons and encourages them to rebel against the Moroks. I thought this story was a good showcase for Vicki and she really came into her own. Well, the Xerons rebel, which apparently allows the Doctor and his companions to escape their fate. But why? What did they do differently that their other selves didn't? The whole story revolved around fate and predestination and Vicki apparently thinks they changed their future, but Barbara wonders. I do think the story was rather unclear about what was done differently. Still, I thought it was a good and creative story that dealt with some important issues, such as the subjugation of a people.



The Doctor Clowning Around at the Space Museum


As an interesting side note, Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett in the Star Wars movies, was in this episode as one of the Xerons. Also, there was a hilarious scene (pictured above) involving the Doctor and an empty Dalek shell.

I was looking forward to The Chase, Ian and Barbara's last story and a romp through space and time, and I was seriously disappointed. I thought it was boring, too long drawn out, and...well...cheesy at times. There was so much potential in this story and it fell flat. Way flat. It's almost as if the writers wanted to bring the Daleks back, and wanted to through in a bunch of other ideas (the Marie Celeste and Count Drakula for example). I also got the idea that they were somewhat lost with what to do with the series now that Ian and Barbara were leaving. Another issue I had with this story is that it didn't really take itself seriously. There was too much slapstick (the sailors jumping off the Marie Celeste and the Alabamian on top of the Empire State Building) for my taste. The Daleks themselves were almost too comical--like the droids from Star Wars: Clone Wars. There were a few intentionally funny scenes (like the Dalek falling over the gangplank), but overall I thought this was a weak story and a disappointing end to Ian and Barbara.

I also picked up a few continuity errors--the Daleks calling the TARDIS the "earth time machine" and the Doctor saying something about him building the TARDIS himself. The latter I can excuse because at that time they really hadn't defined the Doctor yet, but I thought it was well known from the outset that the Doctor was an alien.

As for the farewell scene, I thought it was well done. Doctor One was really in character and it was a very happy ending. "I shall miss them" were the final words of the episode. I also thought Steven Taylor's introduction went well, but I am starting to think Vicki is turning into another screaming and helpless Susan. It'll be interesting to see what they do with her the third season.

Ian and Barbara's Farewell on YouTube

The last serial of season two was The Time Meddler. I watched this years ago and really liked it. I liked how the idea of Time Lords was developing and the Monk was a nice contrast to the Doctor. On one hand you had the Monk, who was meddling in history for his own good, and on the other hand you had the Doctor, who meddled in history only for the good of others. I thought the new companion, Steven, was rather weak, but I'm sure it will take time to flesh that character out. I also liked the references to past companions--gone but not forgotten, as is the case even through today's reimaging.

That's it for season two. I am wayyyyy behind schedule, but hope to start up season three soon, much of which I've not seen.



(Most of) Season Two Review

As mentioned earlier, I've already seen most of Dr. Who's second season. There were some high points, but honestly I'm not a fan of this season. Just seems like some of the stories were tired and too drawn out.

The Dalek Invasion of Earth -- I really liked this one. The team did a good job brining the Daleks to Earth and maintaining a good story throughout the six part storyline. And who can forget Susan's farewell scene? There is an excellent colorized version on YouTube here.

The Rescue -- I guess this one wasn't bad but I couldn't help but feeling it was a "let's introduce another young woman as a companion as quickly as we can so we can move along" story. Vicki made for a good companion and I guess it's a good thing this was only a two part story.

Maureen O'Brien as Vicki

The Romans -- I watched this one shortly after the tenth doctor mentioned it during "Fires of Pompeii." For the most part I liked it, although I think they made light of some very serious issues such as murder and persecution.

The Web Planet -- I absolutely hated this one. That is all.

That brings me up to 2013 and "The Crusades." Not much is left of this episode so I decide to watch it via BBC's photonovel. I don't know if it was the medium or what, but I couldn't get through it soon enough. Seems like many of the stories are starting to share the same plot: Barbara (or other female) get kidnapped or lost, Ian mans up, the Doctor cautions him not to go and ends up meddling with historical figures, Ian goes and saves Barbara (who for some reason is still not having sex with him...that we know of) and the crew shuffle off to their next adventure, with everyone left behind learning some important lesson. The only problem is that the rescue always takes so long and gets muddled. Oh, and let's not forget the covert operative or antagonist (in this case Leicester), the unlikely hero (Haroun), and the plethora of minor characters. Still, there were some good bits about this story and I liked the anti-war message. That, and I've always favored the historical episodes.

'You stupid butcher!' says the Doctor. 'Can you think of nothing else but killing, hmm?'

After watching nearly all of the first two seasons, I must admit that Ian has become one of my favorite companions. He's the ordinary "Joe" thrown into extraordinary circumstances and rises to the occasion, helping his companions--and the Doctor--out of danger over and over again. He's a man of conviction and values and someone who would do "the right thing" when asked. I am hoping he makes an appearance during the 50th reunion show. That would be neat.

I've also developed an appreciation for William Hartnell's doctor and hope that Dr. Who moves away from youth and hires an older person to play the Doctor -- though maybe not as old as Hartnell, who wasn't as old as he looked (he was only in his late 50s when the show was being filmed but to me looks to be in his 70s).

Next up:  The Space Museum, The Chase (one I'm really looking forward to), and The Time Meddler (one of my favorite first doctor stories.

Planet of the Giants

Dr. Who's second season launch began with a premise that was originally slated for the series premier: the crew of the TARDIS materializes in the right time and place, but miniaturized. Not only that, but they materialize right into the middle of a murder mystery.

Is it a giant ant or tiny people?

At only one inch high, the Doctor and his companions must navigate the everyday world in the extreme, from avoiding cats to escaping out of sinks to jacking up a telephone receiver, while trying to stop the release of a deadly insecticide. As an aside, this episode did have environmental undertones, as explained in the notes, about the dangers of insecticides and the importance of the approval and regulatory process.

I thought the concept was good, but the special effects left much to be desired, as you can imagine for such a low budget show. Still, the production team made good and I thought it made for a good story.

What I didn't like, however, was the fact that they reduced the serial from four parts to three, with the third televised episode being a mish-mash of the original third and four episodes. I was, I admit, a bit baffled when I was reading the special features list and saw something about reconstructing episodes three and four, when there were only three episodes, and the third looked to be intact. Also, most Dr Who serials are either 2, 4 or 6 parts--never saw a three parter, as this one was listed. The way it was explained in the notes was that the execs didn't really care for the serial too much and wanted to move along to the Daleks, features in the next serial.

Right before Ian gets trapped inside a box of matches

What they did was to reconstruct the full third and fourth episodes with original video and some special effects. Carol Ann Ford and William Russell reprised the roles of Susan and Ian (splendidly I might add) and voice talents were hired for the other cast members. The actor they hired to do William Hartnell was incredible. I could not tell the difference, and it's nice to see Russell kicking 50 years later.

The "reconstructed" episodes revealed quite a bit about the plot and storyline and I wish they hadn't cut those scenes out. It's a rough cut (the dialog doesn't really match the mouth movements and the special effects are cheesy), but worth watching. I almost wish they had used animation to fill in the missing scenes. The cuts remind me a lot of Prometheus--where the scenes that were cut would have gone a long way in filling in the plotlines.

One thing I didn't like was the return of Screamin' Susan. I really thought we had said goodbye to that aspect of her personality, especially with the next serial being her "coming of age" story. Ah well, I guess they had their reasons and like Verity Lambert said in the special features interview, her ability to scream was an important part of the casting.

Overall, not a bad episode, although I don't think it was a good way to kick off a second season (but as they explain in the notes they were locked into that since Susan was leaving in the next serial) and I wish they had maintained it as a four-parter.

Since I've already seen The Dalek Invasion of Earth, The Rescue, The Romans, and The Web Planet, my next review will be on the audio edition of The Crusades. Looking forward to that and I hope it's as good as Marco Polo was.

Reign of Terror / Season 2 Preview

After watching this six-parter, the last of William Hartnell's first season, I am not sure if "Reign of Terror" applied to the time period during which the serial was set, or the time period during which I watched it. I thought it was horrible. The storyline seemed like it wandered, there were far too many characters and sub-plot lines and honestly, I found it hard to follow. Now, it may have had something to do with me being sick with a cold while I watched it, but I didn't like it.

Susan and Barbara Awaiting Execution

One aspect of the serial that stuck out to me was how, during the time Susan and Barbara were in jail awaiting EXECUTION, there was a cut scene showing the Doctor strolling through the streets of Paris with some jovial music playing  in the background. Not right.

While I applaud the folks at BBC (or whoever is doing it) for animating the missing episodes, I think some tweaking is in order. I thought the animation was good, as it was in "The Invasion," but they really need to work on the eyes. Every time they showed Barbara, it looked like she was crying.

 

I thought it ended well, however. The storyline was shored up, we got to meet Napoleon, and we saw the end of Robespierre's reign of terror. There was also a hint of adventures to come. A nice wrap up to the first season and promise of things to come during the second season.

Speaking of which, here is my preview of the second season:

009- Planet of Giants (3 parts). I have never seen this before, although I do have the DVD now, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they kicked off the second season of Dr. Who.

010- The Dalek Invasion of Earth (6 Parts). I saw this one a few years back and really liked it, although I don't remember many of the details. I may have to watch it again, especially since it features the departure of Susan, the first of many companions to set off the TARDIS for good.

011 - The Rescue (2 Parts). I watched this not too long ago when I watched the next serial, "The Romans." It introduced Vicki and was set on an alien planet, Dido. I thought it was good.

012 - The Romans (4 Parts). I watched this after David Tennant mentioned it in a later episode. It wasn't bad.

013 - The Web Planet (6 Parts). I did watch this on DVD and really didn't care for it too much. However, I thought the Zarbi were an interesting creature and wouldn't mind seeing them return.

014 - The Crusade (4 Parts). I am not sure if this is out on DVD, but I think the CD is available through the library.

015 - The Space Museum (4 Parts). I think I may have seen this a while ago, but I'm not 100% sure so I will buy and watch it along with the next serial, "The Chase."

016 - Reign Chase (6 Parts). This sounds like an exciting episode, and features the departure of Ian and Barbara. I am looking forward to it.

017 - Time Meddles (4 Parts). I've seen this one before, and have the DVD, and really liked it. The Doctor's first encounter with one of his own kind. I'd like to see the Time Meddler make a return appearance, but it seems he has been forgotten.

So, I've got my work cut out for me. I am not as far along as I had hoped, but still, it's been a good experience.

The Sensorites

My journey through the very first season of Dr. Who is coming to a close with its second-to-last story, the Sensorites. This six-parter begins with a mystery on board an earth ship of the 28th century. The crew appears to be dead, but are revived before the Doctor, Susan, Ian, and Barbara manage to leave. The two crew members tell of being held in stasis by a mysterious race known as the Sensorites, but all is not as it appears and our heroes discover that maybe the Sensorites aren't as sinister as first thought--at least not all of them.

I find six-parters long, but the writers of the first season do an excellent job moving the story along and keeping the viewers attention. I liked this story and thought its themes of trust and not being quick to judge others were ahead of their time.

What's more, the Sensorites depict a Plato-like "ideal state" ruled by a wise "elder" (Plato's "Philosopher-King) and consisting of three simple classes: the Sensorites (Plato's "Guardians"), the Warriors (Plato's "Auxiliaries"), and the working class (Plato's "Craftspeople"). There is even mention of "family groups," akin to Plato's ideas of marriage and family.

The Doctor, Ian, Susan discuss the situation with the First Elder and Carol, a woman from 28th Century Earth

The foursome have come a long way in the first season and I think it's interesting that at a time when the four seem to be bonding and trusting each other more, there is a story that centers on trust. Do the Sensorites trust the Doctor and company? Can the Sensorites trust each other--even though their society is built on trust? Can humans trust each other? The story actually begins and ends with a betrayal amongst human explorers.

Very well done. It was nice to see the group of four recap their adventures thus far and to see Susan coming into her own, preparing us for her eventually departure in the next season.

Next up: The Reign of Terror, and a Season 2 preview.

Marco Polo

Marco Polo Audio CD Cover

While the original video for this seven-part story remains lost, it is available on audio and in book form. I listened to the audio as part of the "Lost TV Episodes" audio, which contains this story and several others. There are also images, video clips, and reconstructions all over the Internet.

I was impressed and this had been one of my favorite stories, not only of the first doctor, but of the entire run. At first I thought, "seven episodes, wow that's long," but the story moved along the entire way with suspense, side plots, and sub stories.

The casting was good, especially Mark Eden as Marco Polo -- but that's not to take away from the work of the others, who all did a fine job.

Mark Eden as Marco Polo

Yes, Marco Polo is definitely worth the listen. The only problem I really had (besides wanting to shout "Polo!" every time someone shouted "Marco!") was Susan's constant screaming. I don't know if her character was developing the way it was intended--as a frightened teenage girl, or if the writers just did not know what to do with her. I would have liked to have seen more screaming from Barbara (the human who is not accustomed to aliens and danger) and less from Susan (who grew up with aliens and danger).

Next up: The Sensorites.

My Journey Begins - Dr. Who's First Season

2013 marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Who and to celebrate, I've decided to watch the entire series from start to finish, well almost.

I realized early on that it would be nearly impossible for me to watch nearly 50 years of TV within only 12 months, given my schedule. That, and once I started to re-watch "An Unearthly Child," I realized that it wouldn't be any fun--and be more like a chore--to re-watch those episodes I've already seen.

So, my mission now is to "fill in the blanks." I'll still blog about when I saw each episode and what I thought but I probably won't re-watch many of them. Also, while I plan to watch them in their original order, I know I'm going to have to make exceptions based on availability.

With that, then, I begin my "Who50 Quest."

001 - An Unearthly Child (4 parts). I remember watching this a long time ago when PBS was still showing the classic Dr. Who. I thought the first episode was a good intro to the Dr. Who and Susan, but the other three stories were rather weak. Recently, I did watch the original pilot and thought it was interesting to see differences in how the Doctor was played between the pilot and premier episode. In the pilot, he seemed more harsh and threatening. I'm glad they toned him down. I also really liked the companions. Susan was hot and Barbara and Ian had a good chemistry together and Ian and the Doctor played well off each other.

002 - The Daleks (6 Parts). What can I say about the episode that put Dr. Who on the map and sent young boys and girls running for cover behind the nearest sofa. As Dr. Who celebrates 50 years in 2013, so do the Daleks. Happy birthday to the scariest creatures in the universe!

003 - The Edge of Destruction (2 Parts). I know this was a budget saving episode, but I really liked it. I like the TARDIS only episodes. I think it forces the writers to come up with something original.

004 - Marco Polo (7 Parts). I think I saw clips of this with "The Edge of Destruction," but I won't count that as watching the whole episode. Of course, this is one of the "lost episodes" but I was able to secure an audio copy. I plan to start tomorrow.

005 - Keys of Marinus (6 Parts). I did watch this on DVD and really didn't care for it too much.

006 - The Aztecs (4 Parts). My first "first doctor" episode besides "An Unearthly Child." I remember going in skeptical about William Hartnell, but coming out a huge fan. He's one of my favorites, but I find something good in each of the doctors (yes, even Colin Baker).

007 - The Sensorites (6 Parts). I have nooo idea what this is about, but my DVD is on the way.

088 - Reign of Terror (6 Parts). One of the historical episodes, this should be good. My DVD is coming with The Sensorites.

Well, that actually does it for the first season! I have my work cut out for me!