Day Seventy-Seven: The Final Phase (The Space Museum, Episode Four)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Seven: The Final Phase (The Space Museum, Episode Four)

Dear diary,

I think it's pretty fair to say that The Space Museum has left me more than a little cold since the start of the second episode. In an attempt to rectify this, and give the story a chance at redemption before it draws to a close, I've not dived straight into this episode.

Instead, I spent a few minutes watching a special feature on the DVD in which Rob Shearman defends the story. If there's anyone I'm willing to listen to on the subject then it's most certainly Rob - writer of the excellent The Chimes of Midnight, one of my favourite of the Big Finish plays. The first episode of Chimes shares several similarities with the opening of The Space Museum (the Doctor and his companion Charley cannot be seen or - properly - heard by the inhabitants of a large house they;ve landed in… Charley is unable to write her name in the dust on a table without it vanishing again), but then the story continues to be strong throughout.

Rob brings up a number of points about things he loves in this story, often referring to the fact that it's got a thick vein of comedy, and that it often lampoons earlier ideas in Doctor Who. Looking back, I think he's right, but it did little to improve my opinion on the earlier episodes. In fact, I think the only thing that it did do for me was to highlight how often Tor puts his hands on his hips. That was fun, and surely a good example of a Doctor Who drinking game?

For all my complaints about The Space Museum, though, I do have to confess that the ending is rather clever. The Doctor and his companions have spent so much time trying to alter their own destiny in this story, that they're completely unaware of the effects they're having on those around them - and ultimately it's the effect they've had on others which saves the day.

This should be an interesting concept throughout the tale - another vital step in the arc of not changing history - but it ends up just feeling a bit lacking. It doesn't help that the characters remind us every five minutes that they're trying to change their future; it all gets a bit monotonous by the end.

It is nice to watch Vicki's relationship with Tor developing in this episode, though. Coming so soon after The Dalek Invasion of Earth, you could be forgiven for thinking it might be setting up for her departure, staying behind to help build this new world. She certainly shares more chemistry with the boy than many later companions will with the people they depart for!

(Oh, and while I'm - tangentially - on the subject of Daleks, I'm disappointed by how cheap the cliffhanger looks. Still, I'm quite excited to have the pepper pots back again, and that's not something I ever expected to say!)

Next Episode: The Executioners

Our friends over at BBC America have sent DWO the brand new Promo Posters and Synopsis' for the first four episodes from Doctor Who Series 7 Part 2.

7.6: The Bells Of St John

The Doctor’s search for Clara Oswald brings him to modern day London, where wifi is everywhere. Humanity lives in a wifi soup, but something dangerous is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. As Clara becomes the target of this insidious menace, the Doctor races to save her and the world from an ancient enemy.

7.7: The Rings Of Akhaten

Clara wants to see something awesome, so the Doctor whisks her off to the inhabited rings of the planet Akhaten, where the Festival of Offerings is in full swing. Clara meets the young Queen of Years as the pilgrims and natives ready for the ceremony. But something is stirring in the pyramid, and a sacrifice will be demanded.

7.8: Cold War

The Doctor and Clara land on a damaged Russian Submarine in 1983 as it spirals out of control into the ocean depths. An alien creature is loose on board, having escaped from a block of Arctic ice. With tempers flaring and a cargo of nuclear weapons on board, it’s not just the crew but the whole of humanity at stake!

7.9: Hide

Clara and the Doctor arrive at Caliburn House, a haunted mansion sat alone on a desolate moor. Within its walls, a ghost hunting Professor and a gifted psychic are searching for the Witch of the Well. Her apparition appears throughout the history of the building, but is she really a ghost? And what is chasing her?

New Series Interviews:

Steven Moffat

Lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat gives us an insight into the monsters and adventures that we can expect from the new series.

So it’s back and with a James Bond-esque urban thriller. Why did you decide to kick-off the new series with a very modern day threat?

"It was Marcus Wilson's idea. We were discussing how the first episode of the second run would probably be a contemporary Earth adventure, so the Doctor could meet the modern day Clara - and anyway, I wanted to do Wi-Fi monsters - and Marcus suggested we do a proper urban thriller. The Doctor can never be Bond or Bourne - but if he tried it might look a bit like this."

What else can we expect from the new series?

"A haunted house, a submarine, a planet with cool rings, Victorian Yorkshire, a journey to the centre of the TARDIS, Dame Diana Rigg and her daughter Rachael Stirling together on screen for the first time, new Cybermen, and the Doctor's greatest secret revealed."

You are bringing back a couple of classic monsters with the Cybermen and Ice Warriors, are there any new ones to look out for?

"Plenty of new monsters! Watch out for the Spoonheads, the Whispermen, and - my favourite - the Vigil. Oh and Neil Gaiman has done something horrible with the Cybermen!"

We finally get to meet the Clara that will travel with the Doctor across the series’ eight epic adventures. Can you tell us a little bit about her character?

"You've sort of met her, but you sort of haven't. The same shed load of attitude you saw before, the same rapid-fire banter with the Doctor, but this time she's living in modern London with no memory of the Time Lord!"

How has the dynamic of the relationship between the Doctor and his companion changed since the introduction of Clara?

"It's all new for the Doctor - this time the greatest mystery in the universe is standing right next to him."

What was it about Jenna that made you decide she would be right fit for the role of the new companion?

"Casting is a funny process - the right people sort of choose themselves. It happened with Matt a long time ago, and when we saw him bantering with Jenna it happened again. Auditions start with you telling the actor about the character - sometimes they end with the actor telling you. That's what happened with Jenna!"

A ghost story, a period drama to end all period dramas and an underwater siege, was it intentional to go as big as possible with this series in the year of the 50th?

"We try to make every year the biggest possible, but when you see that big, glittering 50 hanging above you, you start trying even harder. I've been a fan all by my life and I know we have to deliver!"

Matt Smith

Having run down corridors from every monster imaginable, Matt Smith returns as the Doctor to face old and new foe. But he’s not alone. Along for the ride in his brand new TARDIS is the Doctor’s latest companion, Clara Oswald. Here Matt talks about what he is looking forward to from the epic new series.

"I think it is going to be very exciting to introduce Clara to the world and Steven has hit a real vein of form. Along with a new costume this series, the Doctor has a new TARDIS to travel through space and time. Walking on to the new TARDIS was like the first day at school. I actually found it quite difficult as I had got so used to the rhythm of acting on the old one, where I used to slide about on the glass floor, but Michael Pickwoad has done a fabulous job, he continues. This one is more like a machine."

Having lost his first companions, the Ponds, at the hands of the Weeping Angels in New York last year and after a period of mourning the Doctor is joined by a new companion this series, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman.

"She’s done brilliantly well. She’s kind, charming, thoroughly prepared and very brave as an actress. And most importantly of all we get on, which is vital on a show like this. I’m so proud of what she has achieved in the last year, he concludes."

So what do fans have to look forward to this series? An urban thriller, ‘The Bells of St John’, brings the series back with a bang as The Doctor’s search for Clara Oswald takes him to modern day London, where wifi is everywhere. But something dangerous is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. On filming in London, Matt had the following to say:

"Amazing, I loved shooting in London. Tthere is something so brilliant about having the locations there rather than just adding them in."

Following on from this the second episode, ‘The Rings of Akhaten’, take The Doctor and Clara away from earth and on their first proper adventure… in outer space. Featuring an alien market Matt remarks:

"It was very ‘Whoey’. We had between 50 to 60 prosthetic aliens, which is something that only really this show can offer, he continues, making it a very unique experience as an actor."

As well as introducing some new monsters, the new series brings back a couple of old monsters in the form of the Ice Warriors and Cybermen:

"I think it’s good to pay homage to the classic series, especially for the fans. This series we have modernised some of the monsters for a whole new generation."

Soggy, like drowned rats, Matt is explaining the shooting experience for the third episode ‘Cold War’, written by Mark Gatiss. Set on a Russian submarine spiralling out of control in 1983 an alien creature is loose on board, having escaped from a block of Arctic ice:

"They built a submarine and the five-year old in me was like “yeah it’s a submarine!”. I loved getting sprayed down at the beginning of the shoot, Matt continues, and it wasn’t a chore as it does so much of the acting for you, making it really authentic. Mark Gatiss has delivered one of the best episodes of the series"

Jenna-Louise Coleman

The new series will mark the official introduction of the Doctor’s latest companion, Clara Oswald. Having already appeared in the series opener ‘Asylum of the Daleks’ in September and as Clara in the Christmas special, ‘The Snowmen’, here Jenna explains a little bit about her character and working with monster.

Very excited, Jenna is talking animatedly about her first series as the Doctor’s companion. It will be fantastic to see the final version with all of the elements put together.

Having made a surprise appearance as one of the Doctor’s most notorious of enemies, a Dalek, in last year’s series opener, audiences have been treated to two different versions of the latest companion:

"We’ve had one introduction to Clara in the Christmas special, but not necessarily the same Clara we will see in this series, but the essence of all the different versions is the same. She’s very brave and resourceful, a match for The Doctor and an explorer in her own right. She dreams of travelling and seeing the world and wants more than what’s on offer."

So how has Jenna found working with Matt Smith?

"Just a joy, it really is. He is the most perfect leading man and sets such a lovely tone on set, making the atmosphere so wonderful. There’s not much more you could ask for in your co-star."

On shooting in London, Jenna had the following to say:

"I loved shooting in London, it was so much fun. It was one of those moments where I thought “I’m filming Doctor Who, on a motorbike, riding across Westminster Bridge with the Houses of Parliament in the background.”

So would Jenna trust Matt to drive her on a motorbike in real life?

"Well on screen it looks very exciting, but both of us were being very silly as we were so tightly strapped in. I just clung on!"

As the newest edition to the show, Jenna explains how this series will take the viewer on the same journey of discovery she experienced when she first joined, especially for episode two ‘The Rings of Akhaten’ which is set on an alien planet:

"It’s one of my favourite episodes, it’s so weird and wonderful and something that only this show can offer. It show’s Clara for the first time what life with the Doctor will be like. It’s a complete fantasy, and it’s great for audiences as the story begins again and we get to explore all these strange new worlds together, as well as getting to know the Doctor again."

The third episode, ‘Cold War’, set on a Russian submarine marks the return of the classic Doctor Who monster the Ice Warriors:

"They were terrifying, I think this is the first time Clara is really, really scared. The whole set was really realistic and built to size, which wasn’t too much of a problem for me."

So how did they make it look so realistic?

"Before every take they would come and spray us, the whole make-up process was reversed as they would damp us down in the morning and rub my mascara off! We were soaking wet for two weeks."

So having completed filming and watched most of the episodes, does Jenna have a favourite?

"I really like 'The Rings of Akhaten' as and it’s the first proper adventure for the Doctor and Clara."

A new trailer for Series 7 Part 2 launched last weekend, watch it below:

[youtube:SRQu3MvRySA]

Check Out DWO's Guide to Series 7 Part 2, below:

 W = Written By / D = Directed By:

7.6: The Bells Of Saint John - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Colm McCarthy]
7.7: The Rings of Akhaten - [W: Neil Cross / D: Farren Blackburn]
7.8: Cold War - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Douglas Mackinnon]
7.9: Hide - [W: Neil Cross / D: Jamie Payne]
7.10: Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS - [W: Stephen Thompson / D: Mat King]
7.11: The Crimson Horror - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Saul Metzstein]
7.12: Nightmare In Silver - [W: Neil Gaiman / D: Stephen Wolfenden] - Updated Title
7.13: The Name Of The Doctor - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Saul Metzstein] - Rumoured Title

+  Series 7 Part 2 begins on Saturday 30th March on BBC One at 6:15PM.

[Source: BBC America]

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Six: The Search (The Space Museum, Episode Three)

Dear diary,

There's more shots of the police box exterior to the TARDIS in whiz episode than I think we've had in any other episode to date. That makes this the perfect opportunity to mention… just how gorgeous is the Hartnell era TARDIS?

I've praised the design of the interior before now (well, at least most of the time - it never looks so good when it's been hastily assembled in a corner somewhere…), but I don't think I've ever mentioned the exterior before now. I've never really given it much thought in the past, but I think this early version is my favourite of the classic bunch.

There's something about it that really works for me. It could be the fact that it looks a bit battered, and therefore really sells it as something that's been tumbling through the Time Vortex (or the Asteral Plane, of whatever you want to call it at this stage). The police box goes through a similar period of looking battered in the 1980s, but it's never quite as good as we see it here. And yet it's the one version of the ship that I don't own in toy form! I really must get around to fixing that.

As for the episode itself… well, it's much the same as yesterdays - nothing particularly wrong with it, but there's just nothing all that great to hook onto, either. It's great to see Ian given plenty to do, even if he's not quite in character while he's doing it. Equally, it's good to see Vicki being given a strong role in the story, too, as she starts to stir up the revolution.

I have to ask, though, since when has Vicki been able to reprogram a commuter like that? The whole scene outside the armoury put me in mind of a similar one with Zoe during The Invasion; but I had no idea something like that had occurred here, too!

What's that? What do you mean I'm struggling for things to say in relation to this episode? I resent that accusation. Although, um… er… Realistically, one of the problems with the show going into a kind of auto pilot like this is that I don't really end up with much to discuss. I could go into the suggestion that this is the only story of the early period in the show's history which hasn't seen some debate over its overall title, but that seems to be stretching it a bit.

Besides, The Dimensions of Time would be a much cooler overall title, anyway…

Next Episode: The Final Phase

Next Episode: The Final Phase 

 Day Seventy-Five: The Dimensions of Time (The Space Museum, Episode Two)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Five: The Dimensions of Time (The Space Museum, Episode Two)

Dear diary,

Urgh. Me and my big mouth: “On the whole, though, even if the next three episodes aren't all that… this one is fantastic.” Is the way I summed up yesterday's episode. Thing is - now I've gone and jinxed it! Of course today's episode wasn't going to be as good as yesterday's. That'll be why I've got the mother of all toothaches, today. It's the universe trying to teach my mouth a lesson.

I'm usually pretty contrary when it comes to opinions on Doctor Who. I'd rather watch Twin Dilemma than Androzani, I've never really cared for Talons of Weng-Chiang (Though, having listened to series five of Jago and Litefoot this week, I can confirm it's still one of my favourite things ever), and I'm rather fond of a Sylvester McCoy story which shares a name very similar to today's episode.

Therefore, I thought this was going to be a walk in the park. I'd seen (most of) yesterday's episode before, so I knew how good that was. I'd not watched the rest of the story, but hey! If fandom-at-large dislikes it, then chances are that I'd actually enjoy it. The problem with this theory is that sometimes - just sometimes - stories get a bad reputation for a reason.

On the whole (starting positive), there's nothing wrong with this episode. It's a perfectly good twenty-five minutes of Doctor Who. My issue with it is that this is Doctor Who on auto pilot. There's nothing particularly new or interesting here.

Ian, Barbara and Vicki spend much of the episode roaming around the corridors of the space museum, and getting gradually more and more irritated with each other. It almost feels in places like the dying days of a relationship, when you're with each other out of habit rather than because there's any genuine affection. This could be a nice bit of foreshadowing - we're not all that far from our schoolteachers leaving the series now - but sadly, I think it's more just happening to fill time.

Then we've got the Doctor being interrogated by the Governor of the planet. It should be quite a good scene, as the Doctor bamboozles his questioner by displaying daft images onto the screen in an attempt to throw him off. His answer to the question of how they arrived at the museum - by flashing up a Penny Farthing - is great, as is the footage he plays of sea lions to demonstrate where he's come from and the (slightly bizarre) image of Hartnell in a bathing suit.

But it's all just a bit bland. I've grown used to the Doctor having this sense of humour across the rest of this second season, so it's just part and parcel of the series, now. It all just falls a little too flat for me.

Next Episode: The Search

The BBC have released a brand new trailer for Doctor Who: Series 7 Part 2 which begins on 30th March.

The trailer, which can be seen below, offers a taster of what to look forward to in the next 8 episodes:

[youtube:SRQu3MvRySA]

The trailer should also air on BBC One just before 8:00pm Tonight.

Check Out DWO's Guide to Series 7B, below:

 W = Written By / D = Directed By:

7.6: The Bells Of Saint John - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Colm McCarthy]
7.7: The Rings of Akhaten - [W: Neil Cross / D: Farren Blackburn]
7.8: Cold War - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Douglas Mackinnon]
7.9: Hide - [W: Neil Cross / D: Jamie Payne]
7.10: Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS - [W: Stephen Thompson / D: Mat King]
7.11: The Crimson Horror - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Saul Metzstein]
7.12: Nightmare In Silver - [W: Neil Gaiman / D: Stephen Wolfenden] - Updated Title
7.13: The Name Of The Doctor - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Saul Metzstein] - Rumoured Title

+  Series 7 Part 2 begins on Saturday 30th March on BBC One at 6:15PM.

[Source: BBC]

 Day Seventy-Four: The Space Museum (The Space Museum, Episode One)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Four: The Space Museum (The Space Museum, Episode One)

Dear diary,

According to fan 'wisdom', The Space Museum is similar to An Unearthly Child - a great first episode, followed by three not-very-good ones. I'll admit that I've never actually watched this one properly, so I can't really give comment on that theory for a few days, but they've got one thing right at least: this first episode is brilliant.

I've always thought of this one as being the Edge of Destruction Season Two style. There's strange things happening in the TARDIS, and our heroes don't know what's causing them. Then they venture outside, where they don't leave footprints, can't be seen, and can't hear the people they meet.

If anything, though, I think I prefer this to The Edge of Destruction. It's certainly very effective right from the off (and in answer to my musing yesterday as to how good the cliffhanger might have looked when moving: the brief clip here looks very unsettling. Great stuff!), and it builds up a certain amour of tension as the piece goes on.

When the reveal comes that our regulars can't interact with anything on the planet, and Vicki manages to put her hand right through one of the exhibits, it's very well done. Looking back, I realise that there are a few instances earlier on where the Doctor has stopped her before she can touch anything. It's a great effect, too.

It's a little sees effective when the Doctor demonstrates the same thing with the TARDIS they find. Due to the angle of the police-box and where Hartnell's stood, he seems to be both behind and inside the box all at the same time - and at moments when he's not supposed to be.

And then there's that cliffhanger! Except… it's not. I've always thought that the cliffhanger to this episode was the TARDIS crew turning around to find themselves on display in a series of glass cases. I had no idea that there's a couple of full scenes after that point, where they muse on how it might have happened, and how they might be able to escape that fate.

All the same, it's a compelling moment, and really helps to build into the spookiness of the whole episode. When the actual cliffhanger comes, it's only effective because the Doctor has just spelt it out in great detail - 'When those glass cases disappear, then we've arrived and we're in great danger!' 'Oh, look! The glass cases have gone!'.

The most effective part of the cliffhanger has to be the way that the time travellers freeze in place and the 'men-in-white-outfits' approach the TARDIS, and watch as the footprints appear in the sand.

As for the idea of the Museum itself… I like it. It's great that there's a Dalek in there, and it's fun to see the Doctor, Ian and Barbara all taken aback by it. I have to ask, though, did Vicki's history books not have pictures of the Daleks? If I were to Wiki 'Dalek' right now, there'd be plenty of images to look at alongside the descriptions!

It's a bit of a shame that we don't get more things from past adventures in the museum - it could be a fun trip down memory lane while they explore, and fitting for Ian and Barbara's penultimate story. I'd have liked to see a Key of Marinus, Perhaps, or one of the Sensorite guns. Maybe even just as a background prop?

On the whole, though, even if the next three episodes aren't all that… this one is fantastic.

Next Episode: The Dimensions of Time

I've set up a Facebook page for the 50 Year Diary. If you enjoy reading the blog, please do pop over an give it a like! I'm sure I'll be using it to ask questions etc in relation to the marathon! 

Episode #283 of the DWO WhoCast, Doctor Who Podcast is Out Now!

In this week's episode of the DWO WhoCast...

Jo Grant has long been thought of as a dolly bird with trendy gear and huge eyelashes but Dave and Elizabeth think that there is more to The Third Doctor's assistant played by Katy Manning.

Their discussion looks at the young girl who arrived in Terror of the Autons, her journey to become the idealistic woman of The Green Death and beyond to The Scorchies, the latest Companion Chronicle from Big Finish.

Listen to Episode #283 of the DWO WhoCast in the player below:

+ Rate / Review the DWO WhoCast on iTunes!
+ Follow the DWO WhoCast on Twitter!
+ Like the DWO WhoCast on Facebook!

[Source: DWO]

 Day Seventy-Three: The Warlords (The Crusade, Episode Four)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Three: The Warlords (The Crusade, Episode Four)

Dear diary,

The one down side to listening to this story as a narrated soundtrack, rather than as a recon is that it's very easy to not notice that you've hit the 'shuffle' button. Ten minutes in, I thought it was all a bit muddled and over very quickly, and that's when I realised what I'd done!

A quick reset back to the start and I was off again. Know what, though? It's still a bit muddled and over very quickly! I wonder if it comes back to my complaints from earlier in the story - because I just don't know this period of history, and I don't know the real-life stories of the characters we meet, it seems as though the story just… ends?

What happens to Joanna, for example? Yesterday's plot was constructed largely around her being married off in an attempt to end the war, we get that wonderful blazing row between her and Richard, and then… she's not even in this episode! Did Richard go ahead with the plans to marry her off? Did he end them?

It almost feels as though the entire story has swung off in a different direction for this episode, without really considering what's come before. There's even a moment when Richard tells the Doctor that he's not really angry with him (which is the state we left things in yesterday, and which was a very powerful moment), because he knows that he didn't betray him.

Then the Doctor slips away to the woods, and they're on their way. It has to be said, Ian's bluffing about the Doctor having killed many of his men as a distraction to get them inside the TARDIS was a great one - I think that was probably my favourite part of the episode today.

Overall, I think The Crusade has been a bit hit-or-miss for me. On the one had, you've got some fantastic performances from the guest cast, all of whom are really going for it. The script is rich, and dripping with detail on the period, it's just a shame that it really means nothing to me.

Perhaps most successful, though, is the design of this story. Frankly, it's gorgeous. The sets used for both of the major encampments for the story are stunning, and it's a perfect example of the BBC being far more comfortable with designing sets from history, rather than far-flung alien worlds.

And then we've got that cliffhanger. I hope it looked as good on screen as it sounded, described by William Russell on the soundtrack. It's eerie, and that's always a good sign…

Next Episode: The Space Museum

I've set up a Facebook page for the 50 Year Diary. If you enjoy reading the blog, please do pop over an give it a like! I'm sure I'll be using it to ask questions etc in relation to the marathon! 

 Day Seventy-Two: The Wheel of Fortune (The Crusade, Episode Three)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-Two: The Wheel of Fortune (The Crusade, Episode Three)

Dear diary,

I promised myself that I wouldn't do it. As soon as I reached the end of yesterday's episode, and the 'next' caption came up, I decided then and there that I wouldn't do it. But you know what? I just can't help myself. All together, now: “WHEEL of FOR-TUNE!”.

Ahem. Now that that's out of the way…

It's uncanny, you know. Back onto moving images for just a few minutes and again I'm instantly put in mind of The Adventures of Sir Lancelot - even without William Russell really appearing in the episode! I suppose it was inevitable, really, though. We've got castles and kings, and knights in shining armour. There's a princess and a ward… we're only a horse and a moat away from remaking that series.

The thing is… part of the reason that I like The Adventures of Sir Lancelot is because it's light-hearted and fun. It's unashamedly for children, and it's not trying to do anything other than entertain its young audience for a half an hour on a Sunday afternoon. There's very clear lines of good and evil, lovely shots of horses riding through the countryside and every episode sees William Russell given a sword fight. If you're really lucky, you might get two.

The Crusade on the other hand is much more measured than all that. This is a story as much about political intrigue as it is about the kind of knights fighting the Crusades that we were promised at the start of Episode One. When the TARDIS first arrived in the woodlands, the suggestion was that we were in for something of an action-packed story, but that's simply not come to pass.

There's plenty to like in the story, all the same - Joanna finding out that Vicki is really a girl is good fun, for instance, and I love all the stuff with Haroun ed-Din and Barbara. In just a few short scenes, we're given an entire backstory to the character that feels real and we sympathise. We know that his wife has been killed, and so when his daughter states that her mother is merely missing, Barbara's reaction says it all. Even if Babs does nearly tell the girl that her mum is really dead. Tactful!

I've mentioned in the past that the more relaxed pace of the classic series allowed for the kind of character development that just isn't always possible in a single 45-minute episode today, but these few brief scenes are an absolute masterclass in how to create characters that we care about, and are fully three-dimensional. It's a moving few moments, and perhaps one of the best characters that we've seen in the series, even if his role is a minor one.

The stand-out moment for me, though, has to be Richard and Joanna's fight. Bloody hell - it's some stunning performances from Julian Glover and Jean Marsh. You almost forget that you're watching an episode of Doctor Who, because all of a sudden, it's not about getting Barbara back, or fearing for Ian's safety. It's not about the Doctor an Vicki having a giggle over her clothes.

It's now about these two siblings, and King Richard's betrayal of his sister, who only a few scenes earlier confessed that she was his favourite. And as if these performances were't already some of the best that we've seen in the series, the whole sequence is framed by each of them getting the chance to be angry towards the Doctor. Frankly, I loved that bit, and it really helped to pick me up toward the end of the episode.

Tomorrow sees me return to the world of the missing episodes, and I'm taking a slightly different tact with it. The recon for Episode Two simply did nothing for me, and I spent a great deal of time thoroughly confused (For example - as far as I could tell in the cliffhanger, Barbara had her own hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. It wasn't until watching the recap today that I realised it was Haroun ed-Din's hand!).

For the next episode, I am going to give the narrated soundtracks another whirl, and see if that helps me enjoy the rest of the story. If nothing else, it will allow me to focus more on these standout performances on their own merit, without trying to process the tele snaps, too. I'll probably give them a look-over once I've finished with the soundtrack, but I'll play it by ear!

Next Episode: The Warlords

I've set up a Facebook page for the 50 Year Diary. If you enjoy reading the blog, please do pop over an give it a like! I'm sure I'll be using it to ask questions etc in relation to the marathon! 

BBC Cymru Wales confirms that Caroline Skinner has decided to step down as Executive Producer of Doctor Who. Caroline joined the show in 2011 as the Executive Producer alongside Steven Moffat and is now set to join BBC Drama Production in London.

Caroline Skinner says:

"It has been an honour to have been a part of Doctor Who, and a privilege to have worked with Steven Moffat and Matt Smith on this extraordinary show. I have hugely enjoyed my time in BBC Wales and would like to thank Faith Penhale, and our wonderful production team for their unending commitment and brilliance. I will miss them all enormously, but I'm leaving Doctor Who in fine form, with the new series starting at Easter and the fantastic plans for the 50th Anniversary already underway. I am delighted to be now returning to BBC Drama Production in London as an executive producer, and the new opportunities and projects that will bring."

Faith Penhale, Head of Drama BBC Wales adds:

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Caroline for her contribution to Doctor Who since taking on the role in 2011, on behalf of both the BBC and the show. She leaves the show in good shape - there's a brilliant new series starting on Easter Saturday that will see the official arrival of the Doctor's new companion! And the 50th Anniversary plans are on track to deliver audiences an unmissable event! I wish her all the very best for the future."

Faith Penhale will take over as the executive producer on the 50th Anniversary with immediate effect.

Caroline will continue working on BBC Two's one-off drama An Adventure In Space and Time which forms part of the BBC's celebrations to mark the 50th Anniversary.

The recruitment process for a new executive producer for the next series will start shortly.

[Source: BBC Press Office]

Our friends over at PixelWho have been in touch with details of their exciting new Kickstarter project for a new visual catalogue of Doctor Who characters.

The PixelWho project came about through a desire of the graphic designer and artist, Nathan Skreslet, to combine his passion for the British science fiction program Doctor Who with the 8-bit artistic style of 80’s video games, which also carries a great deal of nostalgia for him. It is an attempt to be the most complete visual catalogue of Doctor Who characters in order to celebrate the creativity and dedication of all the artists who have worked on the program over the last 50 years.

The overall goal is to document every character, both significant and insignificant, from every Doctor's respective movie/series runs. Nathan freeze frames DVDs and scours episode screen captures in order to recreate each character accurately and roughly to scale. Every pixel is individually laid by hand; no computer conversion program is used. His art is a true labor of love which requires dedication and time. For example the 10th Doctor poster took 4 months of work to create. The lost episodes of William Hartnell’s (the 1st Doctor’s) era were recreated by referencing production photos, telesnaps, and promotional materials. The smaller PixelWho items and posters are printed locally in Virginia. The large Doctor posters (1st and 10th) are printed in Florida by a specialized eco-friendly printer. 

The Doctor Who art prints are high-quality limited edition lithograph prints. They are individually numbered; only 500 of each Doctor's poster have and ever will be made. Nathan has now completed the art for the 4th Doctor, Tom Baker's, epic 7 seasons run. All the main and incidental characters are represented over two posters, over 700 in all. 

To help fund the printing of these new posters, PixelWho has started a Kickstarter campaign and the project has been noticed by some distinguished people. They've been honored with being selected as a Kickstarter Staff Pick. They''ve also been featured on the news site Kasterborous.com. And they did a very fun interview for the podcast over at Mind of the Geek. Interest in the project is really heating up.

PixelWho is run by a husband and wife team. While Nathan is the artist, Ly is the business brain. Both Nathan and Ly have enjoyed finding their niche in the world of science fiction conventions where they have been met with great enthusiasm for the artwork and had many interesting conversations with other Whovians. Ly currently manages PixelWho's web presence while Nathan busily creates new artwork for PixelWho and a variety of other design projects. Nathan is thrilled that his beloved cult science fiction show is now once again a worldwide sensation that it deserves to be, and he has more people to have Whovian discussions with. 

+  Support PixelWho's Kickstarter campaign by clicking on the following Link.

[Source: PixelWho]

 Day Seventy-One: The Knight of Jaffa (The Crusade, Episode Two)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy-One: The Knight of Jaffa (The Crusade, Episode Two)

Dear diary,

When people talk about the early years of Doctor Who, the conversation usually turns to the fate of the missing episodes. The chunk of stories missing from the 1960s somewhat overshadows the era as a whole.

Indeed, in the past when I've thought of trying marathons, I've either opted to skip the 1960s altogether, and start from Spearhead From Space, safe in the knowledge that everything from there onwards exists, or I've opted to just skip the missing episodes and to think of the series as being just those stories which survive in full.

What you tend to miss when looking at the big picture in regards to the fate of 1960s Doctor Who is just how much of it does survive. Here I am, 71 days into my marathon, and this is only my tenth missing episode. If you consider the fact that I was able to watch the missing parts of The Reign of Terror in animated form, then you could consider this my eighth really 'missing' episode.

In total, there's only eleven missing episodes from the first two seasons of Doctor Who. That equates to somewhere around 13.5%. It's a shame that no companion of this era has their entire output surviving, but on the whole, that's not a bad track record!

Even more remarkable is the fact that all the 'missing' episodes do exist in the form of audio recordings. I think that sometimes within Who fandom, the staggering importance of this can be missed. If you take a lot of other popular series from the time - The Avengers, Adam Adamant Lives!, even a few episodes of Dad's Army - you'll find that even if they're not missing as many episodes, several of them aren't available in any format whatsoever.

The situation goes so far that there are a few episodes of The Avengers' early 'Keel and Steed' season where we don't have a soundtrack, there are no tele snaps or behind-the-scenes photos… in some cases, we don't even have a copy of a script for the episode! Basically, as Doctor Who fans, we're incredibly lucky that we can experience all of the missing bits of our show in so many different ways.

Unfortunately, none of this changes the fact that I've failed spectacularly to get into today's recon of The Knight of Jaffa. I don't even know what it is that's stopping me from connecting with it: I did wonder if it may be the result of being back onto a recon after so long away from them?

I think a part of it may be that this isn't an era of history that I'm readily familiar with. I know a little about Marco Polo and his travels, the Aztecs is an era that fascinates me, and I can just about remember the basic shape of the French Revolution from my schooldays. The Crusades, however, are just something that I know of in very basic terms, and as a result, I'm not completely sure what's going on in this story.

A fair amount of it can be picked up relatively easily - King Richard and Saladin are at war in the holy land. They don't really want to be at war, but it's the way things are. Saladin's brother has a bit of a thing for Richard's sister (and, it has to be said, Jean Marsh does look lovely in the tele snaps for this episode). Babs has been captured by the 'evil' side, and our heroes need to get her back before they can return to the TARDIS and head off to their next adventure.

The problem is that not knowing this era of history very well means that there's nothing much for me to hook onto. In The Romans, events are building up to the great fire. In The Reign of Terror, we're witnessing the final days of Robespierre. The Aztecs features a relatively generic period, but there we've got people being sacrificed and wearing elaborate hats to keep me interested.

It's not all bad, though. Julian Glover is on top form as ever. Much as I enjoyed The Web Planet on the whole, the performance being given here might as well come from a different programme to the Menoptera and the Zarbi. Then there's the sets, which look beautiful from what we can see here, and what was seen in the last episode.

I'm hoping that switching (briefly) back to a moving episode tomorrow will give me a chance to get back into the story, as it feels like one that deserves to be enjoyed more.

Next Episode: The Wheel of Fortune

I've set up a Facebook page for the 50 Year Diary. If you enjoy reading the blog, please do pop over an give it a like! I'm sure I'll be using it to ask questions etc in relation to the marathon! 

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Steve Lyons

RRP: £8.99 (CD) / £7.99 (Download)

Release Date: February 2013

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 12th March 2013

The TARDIS has landed in a futuristic space casino, where the Doctor, Ben, Polly and Jamie find fun, games… and monsters everywhere. There are vicious robot dogs, snake-headed gangsters from the Sidewinder Syndicate and a mysterious masked woman called Hope.

In this place, time travellers are to be tracked down and arrested. Yet, as events spiral out of control, time may be Polly's only ally…

* * *

After last month’s reflective and very dark The Flames of Cadiz, we get a little light relief with House of Cards the first of this year’s Companion Chronicles to feature The Second Doctor. 

Despite Jamie’s involvement, this is very much Polly’s story and Anneke Wills has great fun taking centre stage. Usually when Frazer Hines is involved in a Companion Chronicle, his quite brilliant Patrick Troughton impression is never far behind. But this time there is a distinct absence of it, perhaps as to not overshadow Polly’s story, as, in fact, nearly all of The Doctor’s interactions in House of Cards take place with her.

Steve Lyons has written a great little time travel story and has fun in creating a rather ghoulish Casino and it’s unique inhabitants, where snake eyes are not just on the dice. The plot is neatly constructed and has the feel of a Steven Moffat “timey wimey” scenario. It's a nice example of how the new series bleeds into versions of the old one and vice versa.

When I reviewed last year’s Companion Chronicle by the same author, The Selachian Gambit, I was disappointed at how the use of Polly and Anneke Wills were a little wasted, the character being reduced to making the tea at one point. I’m happy that Lyons has written a story which showcases Polly’s strengths and it is a cracker.

House of Cards is good, old fashioned, fun Doctor Who adventure and well worth your attention.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: William Gallagher

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: February 2013

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 12th March 2013

Welcome to Tantane Spaceport – where the tribes of Business and Economy have been at war for all of four hundred years...

Welcome to Tantane Spaceport – where a terrible creature called the Wailer prowls the corridors around the Control Tower, looking to eat the unwary...

Welcome to Tantane Spaceport – where there is one Arrival: a battered blue Police Box containing the time-travelling Doctor and his companion, Mel...

Welcome to Tantane Spaceport – where there are no Departures. Ever.

* * *

Spaceport Fear has an intriguing premise and its opening episode does generate a certain amount of atmosphere, but unfortunately the whole play doesn’t really come together at the end.

In the behind the scenes interviews, we are told that Spaceport Fear was a quick replacement for a story that fell through. Unfortunately it shows, as elements of this play either plod along or feel very rushed. For instance, the peculiar speech of the inhabitants of the Spaceport, such as airport terminology becoming part of everyday slang is never picked up by The Doctor or Mel. They just seem to accept that these two tribes are called Economy and Business without as much as an audible raised eyebrow. This is a shame as it is this rather fun language that provides many of the play’s laughs and it would have been nice for The Doctor to have made some comment on it.

Overall once the central villain of the piece is revealed, a lot of the tension so marvellously set up in the first episode loses some of its momentum. I for one wanted to know how this civilisation and its warring factions came to be and how they existed for over 500 years rather than what was lurking outside the spaceport.

One thing that cannot be faulted is the cast, as Bonnie Langford continues to impress as Mel and guest star Ronald Pickup brings a delightful sinister glee as Elder Bones. The supporting cast is fantastic with Big Finish regular Beth Chalmers doing an excellent job of playing two completely different roles so well you don’t even notice.

Colin Baker’s Doctor is “in a state of transition” as the actor himself chooses to describe the character in the behind the scenes extras. He is not as mellow but not as rude, but one cannot feel, and to which Baker makes very clear, that we are all tired of a brash Sixth Doctor. Yes he does have some withering put downs but the development of the character of the Big Finish team and Baker’s performance has redefined this Doctor and the occasional glimpse of what came before is fine, but I prefer to move on.

Spaceport Fear is a very good idea and with more time to develop, this could have been a very strong play. Sadly it is just an average one.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Nicholas Briggs

RRP: £10.99 (CD) / £8.99 (Download)

Release Date: February 2013

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 12th March 2013

Sheridan Moorkurk has just been elected president of Earth... but the harsh realities of who really runs the planet are just beginning to dawn on her. And what's more, she's starting to hear voices.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Romana encounter a mass of aliens heading to Earth... Aliens who have already made the mistake of upsetting the infamous Cuthbert, all-powerful CEO of The Conglomerate, by destroying one of his space platforms.

Will the Doctor and Romana be able to avert inter-species war that will destroy all life on Earth?

* * *

After last month’s The Auntie Matter, The Fourth Doctor and Romana are back in a story which promises to have dire consequences for the rest of this season.

Unusually for this series, The Sands Of Life is three-part release of a story that will be continued in March’s War Against The Laan. The Fourth Doctor Adventures have until this point been two part stories but The Sands Of Life has so much to set up that the third part is very welcome. It also allows some breathing room for the characters as the disadvantage with a two part story is that things can get a little rushed.

The story is intriguing and the cast is fantastic too. Tom Baker is firing on all cylinders now and seems so comfortable back in the role of The Fourth Doctor that you know if someone tries to take it away from him, he will go down fighting. Suitably mad and serious at the same time, and his reaction to a comment about badgers is priceless.

After the last story, it is lovely to hear Mary Tamm’s Romana working more closely with Baker’s Doctor. Even though they do get separated by circumstances, it is nice to hear the two characters working together and even teasing one another. It is yet another sad reminder that this is one of the last times we will hear the pairing on audio due to Mary Tamm’s recent passing, but it is something to be treasured.

It is really lovely to hear John Leeson back as K9, and this time alongside his first master. Baker seems to relish the reunion too and their conversations flow as if they never were apart.

Baker has found another sparring partner in the character of Cuthbert wonderfully played by Big Finish regular David Warner. The character is a wonderful play on a tycoon that has power over and beyond government and to see him pout in his place somewhat by Baker’s Doctor is a joy.

An excellent supporting cast compromises Toby Hadoke and Hayley Atwell as Mr Dorrick and President Moorkurk.

If there can be any criticism about this release it is some of the sound design, especially in the temporal effects created by the Laan. Some of the warping sounds used to create this effect can go on for quite a while and drag a little when you’re really anxious to hear just what is going to happen next in the story.

Nicholas Briggs has put together a very mysterious little tale with more intrigue to come in the next story. The problem with a story in two parts is that it is difficult to judge the whole story until you hear the complete product. If this release is anything to go by, I am looking forward to the next release already.

 Day Seventy: The Lion (The Crusade, Episode One)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Seventy: The Lion (The Crusade, Episode One)

Dear diary,

being from the Lost in Time box set, this episode hasn't received the same kind of restoration work that I've become accustomed to over the course of this marathon so far. The print of this episode is grainy and not in the best of conditions at all. And you know what? That gives it even more atmosphere.

From early on in the episode, all I could think of was The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, an ITC series starring William Russell and produced in the 1950s. I've mentioned it a few times already throughout this marathon, having watched most of it late last year, but this really is the closest that we've ever come to that series in Doctor Who.

The main things that put me in mind of the series are the medieval knights that we've got, in a forest, and the fact that William Russell has a sword fight. You tend to get all three of these things in your average episode of Sir Lancelot. Add to that the fact that the DVD version of the series hasn't had the same kind of restoration applied to it that Doctor Who gets, and I might as well have been watching that show instead.

After all the running around on Vortis, it's nice to be back down on Earth and back into history again. Though The Romans wasn't to my taste, this story feels like it's going to be more in the mould of Marco Polo or The Aztecs, both of which have been surprise hits with me.

It helps that already we've got plenty of atmosphere in the story. The sets look fantastic, and the fight scenes early on have far more of an impact than any of the stuff we saw at the end of The Web Planet. Here, it feels as though the actors can really go for it, whereas there they were trying not to break any of the expensive costumes.

It has too be mentioned - especially as there's plenty of rumours about it flying around at the moment in regards to any possible animated release of this story on DVD - but here we have got examples of actors being 'blacked-up' to fulfil certain roles in the story. For all that we might look at it now and see how offensive this might be, it's an insight into the way that television was made and seen in this era.

It's also interesting to note that, I believe, this is the first time we've seen actors of colour in the series full stop. It seems strange, seventy episodes in, that we only now have parts for these actors, and in such minor roles, too. It's one of the things that fascinates me about Doctor Who - it's run for so long that we can see tastes and attitudes change over the years.

Tomorrow, I'm back into 'recon' country, for the first time since Marco Polo. It seems a pity that once again it's a story with such fantastic visuals that gets the unfortunate distinction of missing some of its running time. It's great, therefore, to think of The Lion as bang one of the more recent missing episode recoveries, being returned to the BBC in 1999.

If anything it - and the episode of Galaxy 4 which I'll be reaching in just a few weeks - gives hope that more of Doctor Who's lost heritage might still be out there, somewhere, waiting to be discovered…

Next Episode: The Knight of Jaffa

I've set up a Facebook page for the 50 Year Diary. If you enjoy reading the blog, please do pop over an give it a like! I'm sure I'll be using it to ask questions etc in relation to the marathon! 

Richard Bacon is live in Cardiff from 2:00pm Today on BBC Radio 5 Live - going behind of scenes of some of TV's biggest dramas.

He's at the BBC's new Roath Lock studios which are used to film Doctor Who, Casualty and Holby City, to name a few.

Bacon will also be talking to The Doctor's new assistant - the actress Jenna Louise Coleman... And he'll get onto the wards of Holby General Hospital to meet the cast of Casualty.

+  Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live on BBC iPlayer.

[Source: BBC Radio 5 Live]

Doctor Who Writer and creator of Being Human, Toby Whithouse, has spoken about the recent rumours that he might take over as Doctor Who showrunner when Steven Moffat steps down.

Speaking to SFX Magazine in a recent interview, Whithouse had the following to say:

“I have heard the rumours. I’ve been hearing them for years now. In terms of what Matt and Steven are planning after the anniversary, I do know the answers to those things, but there is absolutely no way I can tell anyone.

In terms of my future on Doctor Who, this kind of speculation only takes place in the heads of the fans. I’m going to be busy doing The Game for however long that lasts and I think Steven is doing incredible work on Doctor Who and I’d much rather he stay there.

No-one from the BBC has said anything to me. Whether or not it’s something the BBC is considering, I genuinely have no idea. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued by the idea, but also it would be terrifying. It’s definitely something I’d be really tempted by but I’m genuinely not in any hurry to do it. And why do people assume the BBC would want me? I’m sure there are much stronger contenders than me!”

+  Issue 233 of SFX Magazine is Out Now, priced £4.50.

+  Subscribe to SFX Magazine from as little as £11.99 via Unique Magazines.

[Sources: SFX]

 Day Sixty-Nine: The Centre (The Web Planet, Episode Six)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Sixty-Nine: The Centre (The Web Planet, Episode Six)

Dear diary,

Oh, my patience had to run out sometime, I guess. There's a few elements of this episode that I've still quite liked, but I think the goodwill that I'd been building up over the last few episodes was just dissipated. In short: I think I got tired of forgiving The Web Planet.

The thing is, on the whole, I've rather liked it. It's been a good seven or eight years since the last time I saw it, and I could't really remember my thoughts on it. Over those years, though, I've seen it slagged off so many times that I was dreading reaching this point. Added to the fact that I just didn't enjoy The Romans, I thought I was in for a rough week.

And there's plenty of reasons to not like this story, it's true. It was always going to be a bold choice to have a tale with no other recognisably human faces for six full weeks, and to begin with it pulls it off quite well. In the end though, it just pushes its luck a bit too far.

On the whole, I've really liked the design of the story - I think Vortis itself is quite well done (even if the vaseline is a bit too heavy from time to time: it's still very strong in this episode, for those of you keeping track), and the effort that has gone into designing the Zarbi and the Menoptera is evident, even if it doesn't quite work all the time. The Optera, on the other hand, I'll refrain from saying too much about!

I can't help but feel that this story might be much better regarded had it been made as a four parter. Keep Episode One much as it is, and then just have three instalments of the bug people waging war on each other. After building up to it for six weeks, the fight between the Menoptera and their ant enemies in this episode is a woeful let down. Zaaaaaarrrrbiiiiiii!

The same is true of the Animus itself. For several episodes, it's been no more than a creepy disembodied voice, but here it's revealed to be an odd thing hung from the ceiling. Upon first glance I thought it looked quite passable, but the more you see of it, the less keen I was. I recall the first time that I saw this story: there's a point when Vicki describes it as a 'dirty great spider'. I was dreading it. I hate spiders at the best of times, so I didn't really want to see one.

This, though, poses no threat to me whatsoever. Doesn't seem to pose much of a threat to its enemies, either. A few minutes in the Centre with it, and they've gone and destroyed it. Everyone is happy, off we go.

The one thing that I do like about this story episode is that we stay behind on Vortis for a bit after the TARDIS leaves. It's happened a few times in the series, but this is by far the longest example we've had off seeing people get on with their lives once the Doctor and his friends have left. I'd quite like to see a return to Vortis, made on a modern budget. I think the prosthetics and CGI that could be used to realise the world and its inhabitants these days would be rather spectacular.

As it is though, and for all I've enjoyed bits of the tale, I'm not too sorry to be leaving The Web Planet behind.

Next Episode: The Lion

 Day Sixty-Eight: Invasion (The Web Planet, Episode Five)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Sixty-Eight: Invasion (The Web Planet, Episode Five)

Dear diary,

A wise man once said of this story “This is the kind of Doctor Who episode that I wouldn't want to get caught watching. I remember the first time I dared to show a non-fan friend an episode of The Tomb of the Cybermen, and they thought it looked awful! Imagine sitting them down to watch this!”. Ok, it wasn't a wise man - it was me. Yesterday.

The Web Planet has become something of a guilty pleasure. I know that I shouldn't like it. Trust me, I know that it's a bit rubbish. But you know what? I'm still really enjoying it! But then… I hit a stumbling block. You see, the problem with the six-parters is that unless they do something new and different in each episode to give me plenty to focus on, I very quickly run out of things to say!

You've just read four days of me praising the designs, keeping track of how much vaseline is being smeared on the camera lenses (we're still on a high use in this instalment), and commenting on the creepy Animus voice. You'd all be bored if I just rambled on about it again today.

So I decided to do something different. I decided to take my comments from yesterday, and put them to the test.

My better-half hasn't had the best week. She's not felt very well, and the car has been playing up. Tonight I was out of work earlier than usual, so she decided to come see me and get out of the house. As the boyfriend, it's my job to make her feel better during a week like this. So what's the right thing for a caring boyfriend to do? That's right! It's getting her to sit down and watch an episode of The Web Planet with me. Obviously. Men, I hope you're taking notes.

I think my friend Tom summed it up best: “Probably not the best episode to show from the last two months…”. But maybe he'd be wrong! Maybe I was wrong yesterday? Maybe I'm not the only one who can see the charm in The Web Planet?

I started by briefing Ellie on the story so far. I summed it up as simply as I could (The TARDIS has been dragged to a barren world. There's something evil at the heart of it that's controlling an army of giant ants. The butterfly people who used to live on this planet are coming to take it back. It's remarkable how easily the four episodes boil down.), and tentatively hit play.

The first thing she asked was wether the Menoptera are actually meant to be butterflies at all. Now she's brought it up, I'm not sure if they are. I've always assumed they're butterflies, but actually they're also a bit like bees in their colouring, aren't they? No stings, though, so I'm guessing more butterfly than bee. I won't even go in to the look on her face when a Zarbi appeared. I think she was assessing how easily she could make an excuse to leave.

She couldn't even look at the screen while we were on the planet's surface, because the vaseline-smeared camera lens was actually making her eyes ache. I'm still not sure she believed me when I told her how they'd achieved the look. Unfortunately, she wasn't much keen on the design of the Animus' lair, either. She just thought it looked like a studio set. And not a particularly great one, either.

Only one moment raised a smile from her, and that's when the Doctor goes back to his ring-controlled Zarbi and tells him that he had 'nearly ended up as lost property!'. I have to admit I'm glad she liked that bit at least, as it's the kind of fun I've been enjoying from the Doctor more and more this series.

At the end of the twenty-five minutes, Ellie only had one thing to say when summing it up. She thought it was long-winded, and I don't think she could quite believe I was sitting through six days of it. Unfortunately, I think Tom was right - perhaps not the best example of a sixties Who episode for a non-fan (Incidentally, Ellie's rather fond of the new series, but she's never really gotten into the classic stuff. Ah well!).

Something I did notice, though, is that I spent more time this episode keeping an eye on El's reaction than I did watching the story - but I don't feel like I've really missed anything. Menoptera are planning a slightly different attack. Hartnell and Vicki have been webbed. Etc. Etc. I'm still looking forward to the climax of the tale, though.

(Ellie gave it a 4/10 - it could have been worse!)

Next Episode: The Centre

 Day Sixty-Seven: Crater of Needles (The Web Planet, Episode Four)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Sixty-Seven: Crater of Needles (The Web Planet, Episode Four)

Dear diary,

Here's the thing: I don't know what to make of The Web Planet. I'm really enjoying it… but it's rubbish!

I mean, if I'm being perfectly honest, this is the kind of Doctor Who episode that I wouldn't want to get caught watching. I remember the first time I dared to show a non-fan friend an episode of The Tomb of the Cybermen, and they thought it looked awful! Imagine sitting them down to watch this!

And yet, as I say, I'm enjoying it! I can't quite put my finger on what it is about the story, but I'm just caught up in it. I think that when I suspended my belief back at the start of Episode One, I might have suspended a bit too much of it - because I'm watching this and I'm still finding it quite impressive visually. I'm fairly sure that's not a commonly-held view.

The effects of the Menoptera flying in to land are good enough, if you ask me, especially some of the more impressive ones. I'll admit that there's more than a few instances where wires are pretty visible, but again - I'm watching this with a cleaned up picture on a big screen! The biggest downside to that scene, for me, is that they re-use shots several times - and in quick succession. That takes away somewhat from the impressiveness of it all.

Though, it has to be said, all the creatures look pretty interesting on film! There's a few shots close up of the Zarbi that have been shot on film and they look quite good! The Menoptera are less impressive in this style, but they do have to look of a real 1950s sci-fi.

Actually - that's it! Yes! That's what this reminds me of! It looks like an early sci-fi film, with effects and styles on about the same level. It's not as visually impressive as The Dalek Invasion of Earth, or Planet of Giants, but it's still pretty solid. The effect of it looking like early sci-fi extends to the - frankly just plain odd - scenes with the Optera down inside the planet. It's just all a bit amateur dramatics, isn't it.

On the plus side, a friend and colleague recently watched this story before Christmas (it's ok, he's a Doctor Who fan, and was watching the series through as a marathon - it's safe for him to watch!), and we spent much of January communicating only in the styles of the various inhabitants of Vortis. If we weren't jumping about and snarling like an Optera, then we were making sure to do plenty of hand gestures and copy Roslyn De Winter's insect movements.

Something that does stick out in this episode is that again they've smeared a bit too much vaseline on the lans… but only on some shots! We cut from the Menoptera invasion force (with vaseline) to a reaction shot of Barbara (sans vaseline!). Once you've noticed it, it becomes a bit distracting. Did they forget? Had they just used up most of the supply in yesterday's episode?

Oh - and I notice there's a shot early on in the Crater, where a Zarbi starts heading to camera before we abruptly cut away. Trying to avoid another collision?

Next Episode: Invasion

 Day Sixty-Six: Escape to Danger (The Web Planet, Episode Three)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Sixty-Six: Escape to Danger (The Web Planet, Episode Three)

Dear diary,

They've gone a bit overboard with the vaseline on this episode, haven't they? There's a couple of shots of Ian and his Menoptera friend that are more blur than they are anything else!

On the whole, as much as it gets laughed about in fandom, I quite like the idea of them smearing vaseline on the camera lenses. Sure, when it's done like this then it seems a bit bizarre, but in the first couple of episodes it really did create an unusual and quite effective look.

You certainly can't claim that this story isn't trying to be unique. It's a bold choice to try and do an entire story with only our regulars as recognisably human, and at least so far it's not doing too badly. What is unusual is that it's only really here that we start to see an ally for the TARDIS crew - the Menoptera are played in Episode Two as kind, but still possibly a threat.

It's nice to see - well, what you can see, through the vaseline - the make-up a bit more here. It's an odd design, but it's another one of those things that I think actually works quite well. It looks pretty cuddly, too, for that matter. It has to be said that I thought the flying effect was quite well done. Maybe it's because I wasn't expecting it, so didn't have time to study it all that much?

Something I was expecting, but I didn't know exactly when it was coming; the infamous shot of the Zarbi running into a camera. Confession time - I've been a Doctor Who fan for a decade, but I've never seen that shot before. I know! I've even watched The Web Planet twice before (which means, I believe, that upon completion of this viewing, I get some kind of medal? Yes? Who do I write to for that?), but I always seem to have missed it!

Somewhat telling is that in my head, the Zarbi runs into a camera outside the TARDIS, and it isn't with as much of a bump as we actually get. I don't really know where my memory of that comes from. Must have made it up after years of hearing about the Zarbi and the camera.

Incidentally, I understand that they've recreated bits of The Web Planet for this year's An Adventure in Space and Time. If they don't include a shot of a Zarbi hitting a camera, I'm going to be sorely disappointed. Also, hopefully it'll show just how gorgeous this set can look. You know, without the stuff smeared all over the camera.

I didn't mention it during yesterday's episode, but how creepy is the voice in the tube? Yes, yes, I know it's the Animus, but at this stage I'm not supposed to. It's a whopping good cliffhanger, as the tube lowers and a mysterious voice speaks out to the Doctor, and it doesn't lose any of it's inherent spookiness here. It's a little undermined by having to use those tones to negotiate with the Doctor (at one stage, it basically boils down to 'I will kill you!' / 'Ok. But then this information dies with me!' / 'Fine! …What do you mean 'information'…?')

Next Episode: The Crater of Needles

(EDITED TO ADD: Oh! There you go! I've spent so long throughout this blog monitoring how well they handle the regular cast going on holiday - but it wasn't until almost an hour after writing today's post that I suddenly realised Barbara wasn't in this episode!)

BBC Worldwide announces The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Celebration at London's ExCel in November.

The corporation’s commercial arm will bring thousands of the Time Lord’s fans together from across the universe for a very special 3-day indoor event on his birthday weekend 

BBC Worldwide is delighted to announce that it will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who – one of popular culture’s most iconic fictional heroes – with a spectacular three day event at ExCeL London, bringing together over 15,000 fans for the ultimate Doctor Who anniversary celebration beginning on Friday 22nd November.

Amanda Hill, Chief Brands Officer at BBC Worldwide said:

“We cannot wait to welcome Doctor Who fans from around the world to London in November. It’s going to be a spectacular weekend! Generations of fans young and old have been captivated by The Doctor and we’ve seen the show go from strength to strength, enjoying something of a global march over the past few years attracting new followers from Turkey to Brazil to South Korea.

2013 is an opportunity for fans around the world to come together and celebrate the glorious past, present and future of Doctor Who.”  

More details about the Doctor Who 50th Celebration Weekend at ExCeL London, including guests, intinerary, ticket prices and booking information will be revealed soon, alongside a host of other surprises.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: John Lucarotti

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 11th March 2013

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 7th March 2013

The TARDIS arrives in fifteenth century Mexico inside the tomb of Aztec High Priest Yetaxa. The travellers become cut off from the ship after the tomb door closes behind them and Barbara is proclaimed as Yetaxa's divine reincarnation.

However, she incurs the enmity of the High Priest of Sacrifice, when - against the Doctor's advice - she attempts to use her new-found authority to put an end to the Aztec practice of human sacrifice.

* * *

It's time for a history lesson, courtesy of a time travelling Police Box and her crew. However, you may also get a strong feeling of "deja-Who"; that strange feeling that you've seen this DVD before. This is another of the BBC's 'Special Edition' releases, aka the same release with an extra disc of new stuff tacked onto the end. In the case of The Aztecs: Special Edition, it's that second disc that provides the excitement... However, here's a rundown of the extras on Disc One - the original release:

Disc One

Commentary - William Russell (Ian), Carole Ann Ford (Susan) and original series showrunner Verity Lambert (now sadly in the great hereafter) come together to discuss their memories of the story, with many anecdotes and stories along the way.

Arabic Soundtrack - Episode Four only features an alternate audio experience that can be selected via the Audio Options section, with the soundtrack dubbed into Arabic.  An interesting curio!

Remembering The Aztecs - The making of the story, with Ian Cullen, John Ringham and Walter Randall (all Aztecs in the serial itself) discuss the early days of television, and changing from theatre to television. William Hartnell's moods are discussed in somewhat less than glowing terms by Ringham and Randall.  Mostly it seems to be a somewhat vitriolic wander down memory lane for them, but thankfully Ian Cullen keeps the featurette light.

Designing The Aztecs - Barry Newbery (who's name is now ever associated with the second TARDIS prop, called "The Newbery Box") talks about how he designed the story; with a glorious wealth of production drawings and photographs - most of which have never been seen as they're from Barry's personal collection.  Newbery is very interesting to listen to, and it's obvious frm the outset that this man knows his craft inside out.  An informative and gentle look back, and suitably entertaining.

Cortez and Montezuma - It's Blue Peter! A wonderfully vintage and aged piece of BBC educational children's programming. Valerie Singleton narrates the story of the fall of the Aztec Empire. It's actually really rather good, and explained very nicely for kids - although Singleton mentioning on more than one occasion about cannons "blowing people to bits" is perhaps more gruesomely amusing than it should be!

Restoring The Aztecs - A regeneration that a Time Lord would be proud of. The restoration and cleaning up of the original film, shown in several before and after examples, that makes the antique material suitable for release onto DVD.  Short, and with no voiceover or real explanations, but still fascinating. It's not just The Aztecs on display here, Jo Grant and the Third Doctor put in a brief cameo appearance too, from 'Terror of the Autons', and The Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe turn up in a clip from The Krotons. Oh, and there's a web address for more information in the end titles!

Making Cocoa - A woeful sub-par South Park rip-off on how to make cocoa the Aztec way. Simply dire.

TARDIS Cam 3 - Another brief look at the TARDIS, this time sitting in the middle of a sandstorm on an alien planet.  Again, from the 2002 BBC Fictionlab team. Short, but pretty.

Intro Sequences - A random selection of introductions to the story via the three actors playing the main Aztec roles in the story. There are six in total, and it plays a random message when "Play All" is selected from the main menu. Fairly pointless.

Adding on the Photo Gallery, Subtitles, Audio Description and new Info Text rounds off the original release - and that's just disc one!

Disc Two

Galaxy Four - Or to be more accurate: Galaxy Four the telesnap archive and episode three. Using a little CGI, remaining video footage, lots of telesnaps and the audio recordings of the original transmissions, here's a rather fabulous tale from later on in the Hartnell era. We've got Steven Taylor (Peter Purves), Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) and the wonderful William Hartnell as The Doctor.

Episode Three was recently discovered and recovered, and that's the main reason for this condensed version of the story. It is, however, completely wonderful to see any part of this Classic adventure. It's a very strong and well told story, and a complete joy to watch. Worth the re-release by itself!

Chronicle - The BBC Radiophonic Workshop lends its expertise to this 1969 telling of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. It's rather dated, and to be completely honest, the Blue Peter version was much more interesting and accessible. It's very pretty to look at, the filming is really rather exquisite, but it's very old school BBC. It is amusing however that the presenter, John Julius Norwich bears more than a passing resemblance to George Reeves' portrayal of Clark Kent in the 1950s Adventures of Suprerman TV series in the US. Norwich's voice though is pure 1950s BBC, with perfect ennunciation and a very plummy tone.

Doctor Forever: The Celestial Toyroom - The series continues with a look at Doctor Who toys over the last 50 years. From the birth of BBC Licensing. From Daleks in the 1960s to Tom Baker dollies to Dapol and onwards into the present day. Presented in a very flippant and jokey manner, this really doesn't take itself seriously, but is presented with enough love and affection to keep it funny and the right side of ridicule. Rather brilliant, very silly indeed, and insane fun.

It's A Square World - A very brief glimpse of the first ever Doctor Who skit during the farewell to BBC TV Centre programme in 2012, gave the world a clue that this little gem still existed. Clive Dunn is Doctor Fortheringown (Doctor Who?) in a full Hartnell outfit, talking to Michael Bentine here. With cameos from Patrick Moore and er... Albert Steptoe... The Doctor's newest invention goes a tad wrong and takes the BBC TV Centre for a spin in space.

A Whole Scene Going - An excerpt from the 1960s magazine show featuring some cranky dustbins from the second movie, and a brief interview with the director of Daleks Invasion Earth 2150AD, Gordon Flemyng. Short and very dated, but Gordon's an interesting man, and certainly knew his stuff.

Coming Soon Trailer - SPOILER WARNING!!! In a release that's not at all an obvious tie in to a forthcoming reappearance, Patrick Troughton's Doctor faces off with some reptilian Martians. Also features the *other* instance of the Police Box TARDIS doors opening outwards. The Ice Warriors are coming soon to DVD.

As with disc one, all the features come with Subtitles and Audio Description, and Disc Two features the Radio Times cuttings in the usual PDF format for viewing on a computer.

This is all about disc two, really. The first release of The Aztecs (and a fine Hartnell story it is) was fairly packed with extras already, so I'm not sure we needed another release of it with one or two additional references, to justify the inclusion of Galaxy Four.

However it's that condensed story that's now the undeniable star of this special edition. It's such a rare treat to see a rediscovered Classic episode of the show, especially from the Hartnell era, that it completely negates any misgivings about most of the release being money for stuff we've already seen. Therefore this very special Special Edition can only really have one rating, even if it is almost entirely for Galaxy Four.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

Writer, Steven Moffat talks exclusively about the New Series in Doctor Who Maagazine #458.

The Doctor finally meets Clara and returns for a season of eight brand new adventures, later this month! DWM gets a sneak peek of some of the upcoming stories, while showrunner STEVEN MOFFAT reveals the horrors that await the Doctor and Clara in the first episode, THE BELLS OF ST JOHN…

“It’s the traditional Doctor Who thing of taking something omnipresent in your life and making it sinister," Steven tells DWM. "If something did get in the Wi-Fi, we’d be kind of screwed. Nobody had really done it before, so I thought, ‘It’s time to get kids frightened of Wi-Fi!’”

ALSO THIS ISSUE…

HE WAS THE DOCTOR!
In the second part of DWM’s previously unpublished interview with JON PERTWEE, conducted a year before his death in 1996, the actor who played the Third Doctor reveals his thoughts on his departure from Doctor Who, the untimely death of Master actor Roger Delgado, and his relationship with the show and its fans in later years.

CRAIG A TUR!
FRAZER HINES recalls his adventures in time and space in the 60s series as kilt-wearing companion to the Second Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon – and why he wants to come back…

COMPLETELY POINTLESS!
DWM goes behind the scenes on the forthcoming Doctor Who edition of the BBC quiz show, Pointless Celebrities and talks to contestants SYLVESTER McCOY, LOUISE JAMESON, NICOLA BRYANT, BERNARD CRIBBINS, FRAZER HINES, SOPHIE ALDRED, JOHN LEESON and ANDREW HAYDEN-SMITH!

SETTING SAIL IN SPACE…
There’s trouble aboard ship as the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough take part in a race through space, and encounter a race of Eternals! Discover a wealth of fascinating facts about the last story in 1983's 'Black Guardian trilogy' as Enlightenment is put under the spotlight in THE FACT OF FICTION. 

THE MAN WHO KNOWS…
The big boss answers some of your most pressing Doctor Who questions in this issue’s ASK STEVEN MOFFAT – including one from one of his predecessors… 

THE GOOD, THE BARD, AND THE UGLY…
Hey nonny nonny! The Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones go back to Elizabethan England  and meet the most famous writer in history, as THE TIME TEAM watch The Shakespeare Code.

MASTERS OF THE HUNT!
The Doctor is reunited with his old friends, Ian and Barbara, while flaming-skulled warriors cause havoc on the world of Cornucopia? The action heats up in Part Three of our epic comic-strip adventure HUNTERS OF THE BURNING STONE, written by Scott Gray and illustrated by Martin Geraghty.

THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME!
DWM turns back the clock to 2005 when Doctor Who made its momentous return to our TV screens, with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor and Billie Piper as his companion, Rose Tyler. The voyage through five decades of Doctor Who with the twenty-seventh series of the show in COUNTDOWN TO 50! 

DVD DILEMMAS!
JACQUELINE RAYNER shares the ups and downs of a family in love with Doctor Who and tackles the controversial topic of how to order your DVDs on your shelf, in this issue’s RELATIVE DIMENSIONS.

A BURNING QUESTION
WOTCHA! ponders just which planets in the Doctor Who universe have seas of acid in The History of Doctor Who in 100 Objects, challenges you to spot the false fact in a Shakesperian-themed Six Faces of Delusion, and consults The Stockbridge English Dictionary for some more unusual definitions. 

PLUS! All the latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, a prize-winning competitions and crossword and much, much more!

+  Doctor Who Magazine Issue #458 is out Out Now, priced £4.75.

+  Subscribe Worldwide to DWM from just £17.99 via Unique Magazines!

+  Check Out The DWO Guide to Doctor Who Magazine!

[Source: Doctor Who Magazine]

Forbidden Planet have teamed up with Character Options for another Exclusive Doctor Who Toy.

'The Claws OF Axos' Collector's Set features Jo Grant, The Brigadier and an Axon Man, as featured in the 3rd Doctor adventure; The Claws Of Axos.

A In this Third Doctor adventure an approaching alien spaceship lands in England and the UNIT team meet its occupants: Beautiful golden-skinned humanoids called Axons. The Axons claim that their ship, Axos, is damaged and that they need time in which to repair it. In return, they offer Axonite, a substance that can cause animals to grow to enormous sizes and thus end Earth’s food shortages. The Doctor is suspicious, and rightly so: Axos, Axonite and the Axons - whose true form is that of hideous tentacle monsters - are all part of a single parasitic entity brought to Earth by the Master to feed on the planet's energy.

The Doctor links his and the Master’s TARDIS's together to make one giant time machine in order to help Axos - but on condition that they assist him in taking revenge on the Time Lords for exiling him to Earth. But, this is merely a trick, and Axos is locked in a time loop from which it can never escape.

Contents:

1 x Brigadier action figure in jersey with U.N.I.T. beret and pistol.
1 x Jo Grant action figure.
1 x Axon in Humanoid form action figure.

+  'The Claws Of Axos' Collector's Set is released in July 2013, priced £29.99.

+  Preorder this product from Forbidden Planet for just £27.99!

[Source: Forbidden Planet]

 Day Sixty-Five: The Zarbi (The Web Planet, Episode Two)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Sixty-Five: The Zarbi (The Web Planet, Episode Two)

Dear Diary,

I hate litter. Genuinely, I can't stand it when people wilfully drop litter. I've been known to get quite shirty with people when I see them dropping litter out and about. If I can't find a bin, then I'll hold on to whatever litter I've got until I can find a bin. It's the obvious thing to do!

Imagine, then, how it irked me yesterday when Ian has witnessed his Coal Hill School tie being dissolved in the acid, and then throws it away on the ground as he walks away from the pool! I mean, yes, I know the tie is useless to him now (even as a belt!), but still! And then today, having removed his oxygen jacket, and carried it for a bit, he throws that away behind him, too! Vortis may not be the prettiest world he's visited in the TARDIS, but there's no need to leave half his wardrobe scattered about its surface!

Actually, I say Vortis isn't the prettiest world, but as I said yesterday, I really like the design. There's something about the jagged rocks that really works for me, and always has. I've often praised in this marathon the use of the backcloths to give a sense of depth to a set - most prominently in The Aztecs, but in a few other places too. The ones in The Web Planet have always looked quite good to me, and it's always been easy enough to suspend my belief enough for them to really work.

For this reason it's a shame that a few scenes in this episode are spent stood only a couple of feet away from the backcloth, which don't help the illusion much. Nor does the massive great join running up the middle of it!

Yesterday, I complained that as much as I was liking the story, it was a fairly good example of that common conception of 1960s TV - creaky, wobbly, and all together a bit naff. There's plenty in this episode which helps to uphold that, I'm sorry to say. That aforementioned join is one of them, but also the way the Zarbi hobble about (I'd never noticed before how one of them trips over a pair of wings from a recently deceased Menoptera!).

Then we've got the shot of the TARDIS being dragged away across the surface of the planet. In some of the shots it really works, and it looks somewhat unnerving. The TARDIS has always been the 'safe' place - it's usually the place that our regulars spend four-to-six episodes trying to get back to. Here, though, from the spinning console in yesterday's episode to the way that it's being dragged away by some sinister unseen force, it's lost all pretense of being a 'safe' place to be.

It's a shame, then, that some of the 'dragging' shots really don't work as well as the others, and the cuts to Maureen O'Brien playing what appears to be a game of 'Stuck in the Mud' in the console room by herself aren't particularly great. She's been flawless until now, but this isn't her finest moment.

I was also very impressed to see a Zarbi attempting to enter the TARDIS. Having taken away the element of safety that we've always had with it, the ultimate final blow is to show one of the 'evil' monsters inside the ship. It doesn't make it past the doorway, though, and the whole thing is over and done with very quickly. It's a pity, as that could have been a really striking image.

I think that's quite a good theme for the story as a whole, actually; 'could have been'. There's a lot of potential here, but it's not really hitting it.

Next Episode: Escape to Danger

 Day Sixty-Four: The Web Planet (The Web Planet, Episode One)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Sixty-Four: The Web Planet (The Web Planet, Episode One)

Dear diary,

Something I've noticed more and more through this second season, but never quite so much as here, if how much Hartnell's 'giddy' performance reminds me of Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor. I've never noticed it before, but there's something in the tone, and in the way things are said that feel very common between both incarnations. The cliffhanger close-up on Hartnell here sees his sporting an expression that I'm sure I've seen on Baker's face, too, at some point. It's strange, but I rather like it, I think.

While I'm on the subject of the First Doctor being a bit giddy… is there something in the air on Vortis? While we're inside the ship, and there's a mystery to be solved about the lack of power, the Doctor is his usual reserved self. Once we're outside, however… It's been happening more and more as the show goes on. The Doctor has taken to giggling far more than he used to. Looking at the First Doctor as a whole, the giggles have always been a part of the character for me - I've just never realised how suddenly they come about, or how strong.

We saw it in The Romans, when he tittered his way through a fight early on, and it's back with a vengeance here. He's almost like a hyperactive child when he's realised there's something real to explore on this planet, rushing off, giggling, while telling Ian to 'Come along! Come along!'.

It is nice to see him back into the explorer mode that we saw way back during the second episode of An Unearthly Child. When we join him outside the TARDIS, he's examining some rocks and taking mental notes about them. I still think it suits this Doctor to be one who travels to learn, as opposed to just because that's what the Doctor does.

I made a note during that scene to mention the slight echo effect on the voice, and then they went and made a big point about the echoes in the air. It really works for me, and I think it helps to make this planet seem a bit different and a bit alien. Following on from some very plush sets for the last story, with lots of drapes and pillows, it's nice to see Vortis as a cold, harsh landscape.

I've seen the look of this story come under fire more times than I can count over the years, but actually I think it works rather well. The design of the world is certainly striking and different to anything we've had before, and despite what people keep telling me, I think it looks good. Even the Zarbi are quite a nice idea, even if the initial shots of them creeping out from behind rocks gives the impression of that old favourite stereotype of classic Doctor Who being a bit creaky…

A constant surprise to me is just how late into the programme's run we're still getting episodes that are entirely carried by the four regulars. Sure, we've got a handful of Zarbi on hand to menace them from behind the rocks, but they don't actually interact with each other - there's just the odd glimpse here and there. It's another chance for our regulars to shine, and for this still comparatively new team to shine.

Next Episode: The Zarbi

The third instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Marcus Sedgwick, multi award-winning author of Floodland, My Sword Hand is Singing and Midwinterblood.

Speaking to DWO Marcus, had the following to say on his upcoming title:

"Doctor Who is such an iconic part of British popular culture that any writer would jump at the chance to add something to the universe. Being the age I am there are really two Doctors that I love the most: Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee, and I was thrilled to write this new story about the Third Doctor. I hope fans recognise Jon in the pages of my story."

Synopsis:

The Third Doctor and Jo Grant are trying to track down the magical spear of Odin when they find themselves caught up in a vicious battle between two Viking tribes.

But one of the Vikings is even more dangerous than he appears to be.

Can the Doctor stop the spear getting into the wrong hands before it’s too late?

Eleven Doctors, eleven months, eleven stories: a year-long celebration of Doctor Who! The most exciting names in children's fiction each create their own unique adventure about the time-travelling Time Lord.

+  The Spear Of Detiny is released on 23rd March 2013, Priced £1.99.

+  Preorder this eBook on Amazon for £1.99.
+  Preorder this eBook from iTunes for £1.99.

[Source: Puffin Books]

Our friends over at SFX Magazine have unveiled the first full promo shot of the New Series Ice Warriors.

The Classic Series villains will return in Series 7B, Episode Three (7.8), which is rumoured to be titled; 'The Cold War'.

Check Out DWO's Guide to Series 7B, below:

W = Written By / D = Directed By:

7.6: The Bells Of St.John - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Colm McCarthy]
7.7: The Rings of Akhaten - [W: Neil Cross / D: Farren Blackburn] - Rumoured Title
7.8: The Cold War - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Douglas Mackinnon] - Rumoured Title
7.9: Phantoms Of The Hex - [W: Neil Cross / D: Jamie Payne] - Rumoured Title
7.10: Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS - [W: Stephen Thompson / D: Mat King]
7.11: The Crimson Horror - [W: Mark Gatiss / D: Saul Metzstein] - Rumoured Title
7.12: The Last Cyberman - [W: Neil Gaiman / D: Stephen Wolfenden]
7.13: Untitled - [W: Steven Moffat / D: Saul Metzstein]

Watch the preview for Series 7B, below:

[youtube:0q7xbDpym0Q]

[Source: SFX Magazine]