Fury from the Deep - Episode 2

The second episode is where the seaweed becomes a proper menace to the story and due to the fact that this is on CD it’s quite fortunate that the presence of this is noted by a rather hypnotic sound effect. I’m struggling to find things to write about this episode because I think that my attention drops during these ‘lost’ episodes and its not because I have something against audio because anyone who visits my blog knows that a good majority of the reviews that I have posted are Big Finish audios so its not that. It’s just that these are all things that were designed for TV and so despite the fine attempt from Frazer Hines, I just find my attention drifting. I pointed out that this was Victoria’s last story and there is still to be any indication that this is the case because she continues to act like she normally does.

The idea of seaweed being a threat is a bonkers one but as I pointed out in the previous episode, only in Doctor Who could they get away with this and it’s the only good thing that I can take from this story so far. The music and the heartbeat throbbing sound effect is the other thing but apart from that there are few positives to take from this. Not even the regulars are given enough to do. There is a moment which does exist on some DVD because it features Mr Oak and Mr Quill and they are under the effect of the seaweed and there is a moment where Mr Quill opens his mouth and attacks Maggie. It’s moments like this that makes me annoyed that this doesn’t exist on TV.

I’m still not totally won over with this story and I think that the next four episodes will continue to be a struggle but I think that this episode is far better than the first. For one there is a proper menace and there seems to be a nice sense of things going completely wrong. It does feel like the story is moving on but it’s difficult to sit through when there is nothing to look at. The cliffhanger is slightly disappointing as it just ended with Robson saying quite ominously that “its down there. In the darkness. In the pipeline. Waiting…” That’s a good line but it just feels like it’s the end of a normal scene not the end of an episode. I’m still waiting for the big scene to come that will grab my attention and prove to me that this is another great six parter but at the moment it just feels like I’m going through the motions and the goodwill that I was getting from watching the last three stories is starting to ebb away.

Fury from the Deep - Episode 1

Fury from the Deep is the final story to feature Victoria Waterfield but more importantly it’s the story which introduces the Sonic Screwdriver for the first time. For the second time in three stories, the TARDIS arrives on the coast on Earth and there is a bit of dialogue from Victoria and Jamie about how the TARDIS seems to be coming here on purpose. This might have been deliberate by Victor Pemberton because other would have realised this fact. The way that the sonic screwdriver is introduced is as subtle as you would want it but considering how important a part it plays in the show it seems like a very low key debut.

This story is basically playing with the idea of Seaweed going bad. Now I have never been a big fan of seaweed and so normally I wouldn’t warm to the idea but I think that in the context of Doctor Who it works. Only in Doctor Who could they get away with this. The problem with this opening episode is that it doesn’t seem to have the fizz that ‘The Web of Fear’ and ‘Enemy of the World’ had. In particular the last of those titles is what I would compare when talking about this episode because the opening episode had a lot of action and that was largely due to Barry Letts. This story is directed by Hugh David who previously directed ‘The Highlanders’ so we are definitely not going to get an action packed feel to it. Even if it were a James Bond script this wouldn’t help matters.

As this is Deborah Watling’s last story I would expect that Victor Pemberton would be allowed to begin paving the way for her exit. She is given some good stuff to do compared with ‘The Web of Fear’ where she picks locks and goes against what the Doctor has told her. I couldn’t tell you really what Frazer Hines was doing during this episode and Patrick Troughton doesn’t have a great deal to do either.

Another bit of stats information. This is Patrick Troughton’s 63^rd episode as the Doctor (excluding the episodes he has missed). This is also Frazer Hines’ 57^th episode as Jamie and he is the third longest serving companion in the show and is 17 episodes behind Jacqueline Hill and 20 behind William Russell and with another season to go its clear that he will become the longest serving companion before the sixth season ends. Finally this is the fourth six part story in a row, though based on this opening episode and the fact that its on audio does mean that the good run that the show has been experiencing may be coming to an end.

As for the cliffhanger, it’s only redeemed by the fact that Deborah Watling’s screaming which is loud and then goes worryingly quiet at the end. It’s almost like Watling herself has been really attacked by proper seaweed. Apart from that it’s an normal cliffhanger to a normal episode. It doesn’t have any of the good points of the previous two stories and I worry that the fact that none of the six episodes will be any good which is pretty much how I think of ‘The Abominable Snowmen’ and it’s a shame really because the form so far has been quite good.

The Web of Fear - Episode 6

The final episode sees us find out who is working with the great intelligence. I’m usually rubbish at guessing who the person is so I don’t tend to guess but usually it’s the person that’s least obvious. The one that hides in plain sight are the ones that it tends to be so it wont be Evans or Chorley. In this episode we finally get to see the Yeti’s base for the first time. It’s also the first time for a few episodes that we have seen Chorley and when we do see him he doesn’t act like he’s been running around the tunnels for ages. After a lot of running around and the Doctor and Ann hiding the fact that they control one of the Yeti from the others, we finally get to see who has been used by the Great Intelligence but its not a straight forward thing as there is a bit of a mini red herring because Chorley is firstly accused before the true figure was revealed.

Arnold is the one being revealed as working for the Great intelligence and its actually quite a logical choice because he’s been in plain sight and hasn’t been right in the centre of suspicion like Chorley has. Quite amusingly, Arnold’s accent goes from a cockney to the Queens English. It’s a shame though we he dies because you feel that he wasn’t really in full possession of his own body and what we saw of the character before this was quite nice and fun and so his death was quite sad. Though I suppose the fact that it bothers me like this means that the character worked and that’s always a good sign. The performances are all pretty good but I still think that the best pairing in the story is the one between Ann and the Doctor which makes her not joining the TARDIS crew even harder to get over.

There’s a fun line where the Doctor hopes that Jamie doesn’t suffer from claustrophobia and its obvious that he doesn’t considering he’s spent the last five episode in the tunnels and very small room. In one shot there seemed to be a bit of product placement with a poster for a film called Blockbusters starring Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier but this film doesn’t seem to exist. However according to IMDB the same poster that appears in episode six is the same on that on IMDB is called ‘In The Heat of the Night’ was released in 1967 so that rule about Earth stories or UNIT stories being set five years in advance would seem a little wrong here.

The big action sequence with the Yetis attacking each other is a little disappointing and is by far the least interesting part. The Doctor wanted to effectively stop it but due to Jamie’s eagerness the ‘connection’ has been cut off. I would have liked to see more in this set because it was the most modern bit of the set that we have had and it was quite a nice looking one with lots of space and light. I thought it was a slightly disappointing ending to the story. I suppose that there wasn’t much they could do once it was said that that Arnold wasn’t really aware of what he was doing. I just wish that they had done more in that final part of the episode. That said overall it was a good story, I think that they managed to keep the interest in the story going by switching the potential candidates and also by using the Yeti effectively. That’s it for the recently found episodes and I think that they have helped make the stories better than they were on audio. I think that this story benefited more from being on audio due to the claustrophobic nature of the story. Sadly that’s it for full stories on dvd/itunes for the fifth season as we are about to say goodbye to Victoria Waterfield.

The Web of Fear - Episode 5

The first four minutes are taken with the possessed Professor Travers explaining the Great Intelligence’s plans and gives the Doctor an ultimatum. This is a good moment because it sets up the next two episodes. It seems like the balance of storytelling has shifted from finding out who is working with the Yeti to firmly dealing with their plan. There are two teams in this episode, the Doctor and Ann Travers and Jamie with the Colonel. Every time I write Colonel in relation to Lethbridge-Stewart, I instinctively want to writer Brigadier. The Colonel and Jamie part is the more action packed

I like how the Doctor and Ann are working together in a way that seems to show us that the Doctor works with a scientist like a companion. Even to the point where Ann defends the Doctor when Lethbridge-Stewart and Jamie have a go at them for not achieving very much. I think that she could have become a very good companion as she’s not as brainy as Liz but is still smart enough to be useful in the show.

Evans does something which isn’t like him at the beginning of the episode and suggests that they give up the Doctor. Yet later in the episode he goes back to his comedic self. It’s like they couldn’t make up their mind about what they want the character to be like. He’s still thought of as the traitor even when Chorley’s name is mentioned it doesn’t seem to have the same weight to it as it does when Evans is pretty much accused. Colonel Lethbridge Stewart is barking orders out like a Brigadier. He continues to be one of the best supporting characters in the story and Nicholas Courtney is clearly enjoying himself. He doesn’t have the same action that he didn in the previous episode but he’s still dominant in the scenes that he’s in.

Victoria does something quite clever and drops things to leave a trail for the others. She then spends the rest of the episode with her dad…er I mean with Professor Travers. She doesn’t do very much until Travers becomes dispossessed and seems to get something to do but sadly its too little too late. Jamie has a slightly better time but unfortunately he’s next to Lethbridge-Stewart that he kind of gets sidelined.

The cliffhanger is quite good with the effect of the smoke breaking down a wall and into a room looking effective. It’s a good episode but doesn’t seem to have the same energy that the previous episode did which means that no matter what they did in this episode was always going to look a little dull in comparison. Still a good story though and the final episode should tie things up nicely.

The Web of Fear - Episode 4

Now that we are back to the proper episode we get to see the exciting cliffhanger from episode three and it was rather good. This is the first time that we get to see Nicholas Courtney walking and talking. There is more stuff to do with the Yeti and their dastardly plans in this episode which is nice. It’s seven minutes before the business of the traitor is mentioned. This week it’s Evans who is treated as te one who might be working against them. They create impression by certain things going on like the web from his tobacco tin disappearing. This is the first time in the story that the Yeti have been active in any proper way. This is the first time that I have really got a good idea as to how mobile they are. They don’t find it too difficult to move and they can be quite aggressive and physical. To add to that their web guns are effective and it shows what a good villain they are.

I like how when the Doctor tells the Colonel about the TARDIS he believes it as fact even though he must have a slight bit of doubt. He has another great moment when he encounters Yeti on the streets of London. Using the Cybermen music for this the effect shows that this is UNIT in all but name. There’s a moment where Lethbridge-Stewart and another soldier are quite clever by hiding on top of some boxes though the soldier does come a cropper but its still a good idea. Patrick Troughton puts in a good performance with similarly good offerings from Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling though I don’t think that they did anything really special in this episode.

I don’t know if this is what everyone thinks but there are moments where Anne Travers (Tina Packer) bears a slight resemblance to Jemma Redgrave’s Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. It seems strange to see her emotional as she’s been very straight face up until this point but its understandable. I quite like the character of Ann and think that both she and Professor Travers are a good addition to this story. The cliffhanger is clearly designed to imply that its Professor Travers that has been working with the Yeti and planted the homing devices. It’s a better episode the number three. I’m liking how they are keeping the suspicion going and mixing it in with the Yeti. But with two more episode yet to see, this is turning out to be another good story and also a better Yeti story than ‘The Abominable Snowmen’.

The Web of Fear - Episode 3

This episode is the only one that doesn’t exist sadly. However it does come with telesnaps. This is the episode where Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart makes his first appearance and Nicholas Courtney’s first appearance since ‘The Daleks Master Plan’ where Sara Kingdom killed her. The first thing that should be explained is how and why Lethbridge-Stewart is down there. He is now in charge which is pretty much the course for next 21 years. After being on holiday last week, Patrick Troughton returns and uses the line that he was knocked out from the explosion. This was a throwaway line to explain it and I thought that at least they tried.

The plot doesn’t really move away from figuring out who’s working against the army. The finger of suspicion has moved away from the Doctor and now comes the thing that I like about this story and it’s the air of uncertainty that exists. Who is working with the Great Intelligence? There are several potential people who could be working with them and this episode seems to have decided to point the finger at Chorley and this is done because he is acting even stranger than usual. Even Lethbridge-Stewart is under suspicion so that will be the theme for the next couple of episode.

Nicholas Courtney is brilliant from the moment he first appears and instantly carries the authority with him. He might be in the cockney army but he’s managed to insert his authority and does it quite quickly and he shows the sign of a diplomat when he tries to be all smiles to Chorley. The rest of the performances were all quite good and I think that Chorley is becoming a strong character along with the Travers’. Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines are quite good in this episode yet the only thing that Deborah Watling gets to do is to tell Chorley about the TARDIS and annoying the Doctor. This seems that its back to normal in terms of the way people are treated in the story.

I must comment on the telesnaps episode. I think that it’s well done and as I am watching it on iTunes I think that despite not having any narration it is still enjoyable. There is only one moment where text is needed to explain what’s going on but that its. I think that it was well done and I did enjoy it. I don’t think it’s the best episode of the story so far but I think that it’s got enough going for it to help me enjoy it.

The Web of Fear - Episode 2

With episode one already found before the rest were back in October 2013, this is the first of the newly found episodes and it’s also where the story starts to pick up. Within the first two minutes of the episode, suspicions are raised as to what Jamie and Victoria are there for. There is no Patrick Troughton who’s on holiday in this episode so this allows the army, the Travers and Jamie and Victoria to cover his absence and it also allows suspicion to be aimed at the Doctor which would only work because he’s not there.

So that the entire story isn’t filled with army characters they have added Chorley. Chorley is the journalist and is quite keen to get the dirt of the situation but not to put his backside in danger. His best scene comes when he gets into a verbal altercation with Ann Travers and they have a discussion about the morals of journalism which still rings true today. Ann is quite good as well as she’s a no nonsense person who is the complete opposite to Victoria. It’s a nice balance between the two. This is the episode where Travers is reunited with Victoria and Jamie and its surprising that its Victoria that realised this. It was good though to see Deborah Watling reunited with her father. After this both Travers become more mellow and likeable and they become the ones to believe that the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria aren’t in league with the Yeti. Speaking of the Yeti they are far more active in this episode than the previous one. There is a rather good shoot-out with them.

The army soldiers are all cockneys and its quite amusing. There are only a few of them with speaking parts and they are all quite good and this helped get over the fact that there were so many army people and that we are missing Nicholas Courtney. There is a new army character introduced in the form of a chap called simply Driver Evans (according to Wikipedia). Evans is a Welsh soldier that somehow finds his way into the tunnels. The explanation he gives is rather implausible and I think that a better way could have been found to introduce the character.

There is another good cliffhanger with the tunnel being filled with foam. It’s a bonkers way to end the episode and I thought that it was quite a clever way to end the episode. Overall I think that the lack of Troughton has hurt the episode somewhat. When Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling go on holiday (like they did in Enemy of the World) then their absence doesn’t have so much of an effect on the story but this time Troughtons vanishing act hasn’t been a good thing. Anyway he’s back in the next episode and so does another Doctor Who legend.

The Web of Fear - Episode 1

Today is the 50^th Anniversary since An Unearthly Child aired on BBC 1 (or BBC as it was back then) and I watch this opening episode of the Yeti’s return immediately after so I’m in a wonderful mood. This is another of the lost stories found recently and it resumes after Salamander got sucked out of the TARDIS. I am surprised that the Yeti returned so soon, not even the Daleks managed that. I wasn’t impressed with ‘The Abominable Snowmen’ which I think was because it was on CD (apart from one episode). This story takes place 30 years after the events of the first story and we are introduced to Ann Travers who is the daughter of Professor Travers. This story returns to the under siege type of story which are ones that I enjoy and another thing that’s interesting about this story is that it is effectively a pilot for the UNIT crew.

When the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive on Earth they find themselves on the London Underground and one man playing a corpse effectively announces that London is a ghost town and that’s as far out as we get. One thing that I am impressed with is the set that they use for the underground. It’s not very big but the lack of light helps create a wonderful sense that they are in the underground. The usual stuff happens in this episode as the Doctor becomes separated from Victoria and Jamie.

It’s quite good how Jamie and Victoria believe that they are helping the Doctor by not telling the officers that the Doctor was with them until they realise that the tunnel is about to be blown up. They don’t know that the Doctor is ok (or is he?). I think that Jamie and Victoria are both equal in this episode though I liked their opening scene in the TARDIS as they were all one nice big family. It must seem weird to Patrick Troughton to only have to play one role and not wear so much make up.

The Yeti are used lightly and rather effectively. Apart from the bit at the beginning where it didn’t move and when it sprayed the explosives it didn’t have much involvement in proceedings.

The cliffhanger is quite good and it looks quite good to see the explosions covered in cobwebs flashing in rather a slow way. It’s a good opening episode which shows that its going to be very different from ‘The Abominable Snowmen’ and that might be a good thing. Everything is in place to make this another six part story that will work quite well. Only time will tell I suppose.

The Enemy of the World - Episode 6

The final episode is where the two parts of Salamanders world collide and it’s where things start to go wrong and the power that Salamander once had has all but gone. The thing about this episode is that it doesn’t have quite the epic that a final episode should have. Astrid trying to help Swann stagger around before he dies. This leads to Astrid see that Salamander’s deception is worse than she thought. It’s quite a surprising and shocking moment when Astrid gets attacked by the underground gang. I thought that something grim was going to happen. Thankfully it allows Colin to actually stop whining and actually be the voice of reason, suppose it had to happen sooner or later.

Giles Kent is the one who took the underground people down along with Salamander. He becomes unlikeable and his demise is as swift as the realisation that he’s been in collaboration with Salamander. I think it’s a good performance from Bill Kerr who has effectively been in the shadows whilst Astrid and others have been holding onto our attention. Speaking of Astrid, I have been really impressed with Mary Peach’s performance as she has consistently been on fine form and she’s been the sort of female character that was a rarity in the 1960’s.

The last few minutes are brilliant. Salamander poses as the Doctor (as opposed to the other way round) and we get a great scene with the Doctor and Salamander meeting face to face for the first time and there is a wonderful split screen and one shot in particular where they are both in the same shot. It’s a great performance from Patrick Troughton and sums up how good he has been over the six episodes. To be honest I thought that Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling were rather surplus to requirements and it was only in the final scene that they really had anything to do.

It’s good how it doesn’t have a clean cut ending and it ends with all the regulars in peril with the TARDIS doors opening in mid-flight and normally that would mean that they would end up about half an inch tall but alas not, we are going to get a Yeti sequel and the second of the found stories is about to appear. I’ve enjoyed this story but think that its more style over substance and that would normally be a problem but I have to say that on the whole it was another six parter that worked quite well. It was better directed than written and I think that this story has helped make this fifth season a strong one and theres more to come.

The Enemy of the World - Episode 5

The penultimate episode sees the Doctor and Giles’ plan to reach the research base and with just one more episode after this to go, there is a sense that the story really needs to start looking like its reaching a conclusion. The episode starts off with the Doctor trying to convince Bruce that Salamander isn’t quite the nice person that he pretends to be and there is a slight sense of doubt and this is why I like the character because someone else would have either believed him 100% or gone against him 100%. The episode also sees Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling are literaly stretchered in after their holiday. From the moment that they are talking they are used quite well and its good to see them back. I thought that Frazer was slightly better because Jamie wasn’t able to the action hero because he didn’t want Victoria killed or hurt.

For the first time I’m not to sure whether I like the underground people part of the story. Salamander has trouble with them when he is found out that he’s been lying to them. This leads to Swann being led out by Salamander and his discovery by Astrid leads to the cliffhanger. I find the underground people rather boring and I don’t actually like them very much. Colin is the worst and is quite annoying. All he has done since we first saw him is sulk about not being taken to the surface. When Swann announces that he’s going up with Salamander all Colin does is to shout and I just want him to shut up. Thankfully we get to go back to the rest of the characters and we get to enjoy being in the company of Benik. Benik is a really nasty piece of work when he seems to enjoy the prospect of causing physical harm to Victoria and Jamie. However despite being rather vile, he’s one of the last people to find out that there is a double of Salamander. It’s a shame that it happens late in the episode.

There is a lovely moment when the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria are reunited. It’s been too long since they were all together and its just a heart-warming moment. It shows what a good group that they are and its just a shame that Victoria isn’t used in quite the way that she should be. Patrick Troughton is on his usual fine form and I cant think of any other way to explain how good he is. He is having fun and he is thriving in being asked to play the two roles even if it must have been quite taxing.

It’s another solid episode which sadly doesn’t have the action pieces that allows Barry Letts to show us what he can do. I am quite interested to see how this story will end but I know that there is one shot that I am looking forward to. On a negative note, I think that had this story not been found then I don’t think that I would be as positive towards it because audibly there isn’t very much to get hooked onto. Visually its enjoyable and its another sound story in a season that’s been very positive.

The Enemy of the World - Episode 4

The fourth episode sees Deborah Watling and Frazer Hines on holiday. It’s quite amusing to think that whilst they were on holiday, Troughton was having to double his workload. This is where the story needs to go in a different direction to maintain interest and it definelty does that.

The scene where the Doctor, Giles Kent, Astrid & Fariah are being cornered by Benik is a great moment and its very action driven which must be due to Barry Letts’ direction. It’s the first moment that the episode that things get moving and it doesn’t stop. It’s not until the halfway mark that it really starts to goes in the new direction as Salamander decides to go all secretive and goes to a secret underground section of the base that no one knows anything about. This is a great moment because its not something that the show has attempted to do before and gives that James Bond vibe that the story had in episode one. When Salamander lands we learn that there appears to be a group of people who hiding from the radiated surface. This is a different aspect of the Salamander character so that’s three different people that Patrick Troughton has to play during these six episodes.

When we see the new side to Salamander I find myself confused to understand what I am suppose to think. On the one hand the first time I met Salamander I found myself liking him as a villain and now I find myself thinking he’s quite a nice person even though he’s pulling the wool over so many people’s eyes. Benik makes a welcome to return and he seems even more slimy than he did the first time that we saw him. The scenes that he’s on his own are great but I also enjoyed  the scenes that he had with Bruce. I cant quite make my mind up about him but there is something interesting about the  character and there is the possibility of the character being quite integral. Despite not being in it for very long it’s a shame that Fariah had to be killed off. I thought that Carmen Munroe did a relatively good job considering that there wasn’t very much to the character.

After four episodes I have found myself amazed at how another six part adventure is still maintaining my interest. It would have been so easy to just let the idea of someone looking like the Doctor as use that for six episodes but to be fair to David Whittaker, he has managed to make more out of this scenario and the supporting characters are doing well in helping the story move along. Another good episode.

The Enemy of the World - Episode 3

The third episode is the one episode out of the six that existed before the rest were discovered in October and it’s the one that I’ve seen the most so it doesn’t quite have the wow factor that the other five will/have had/have.  The plot continues with Denes’ impending trial and Salamander instantly tries to decide whether Fedorin can be trusted. It was clear that when Fedorin was given the task of poisoning Denes that he wasn’t going to go through with it because he is someone who has a conscience so it was clear that he wasn’t long for this world.

This is another episode where the supporting characters are just as memorable as the regulars. The chef is very funny and is clearly designed to be light relief in what is a relatively dark tone. Every line is delivered brilliantly and I found myself wanting more from him.  Reg Lye almost steals the entire episode even though he’s not in it very much.  George Pravda’s time in the episode ends here which is a shame because he’s a good actor and I would like for him to have been in the story more.

I think that Salamander is becoming a stronger villain. The way at the beginning that he has a hold Fedorin is quite fun to watch and considering that the Doctor doesn’t appear it means that Patrick Troughton can devote his entire time to having fun playing this role. One of my favourite Salamander moments come when Fedorin has died and Salamander states that it was suicide as if it were nothing was made even better because it was Patrick Troughton doing it. I thought that neither Frazer Hines or Deborah Watling were allowed to do anything special in this episode and instead took a back seat (as they should) to Troughton.

Towards the end we have the moment that I’ve been waiting for since the start of episode two where Bruce brings up the fact that the Doctor was with Giles Kent and Salamander doesn’t know anything about it. I think that Bruce is a useful character that pops up and helps move the story along. It’s the first time that I’ve ever felt that the story was stalling. Not completely as I still enjoyed myself but considering that all the episode was in Salamander’s palace or whatever it is, it’s surprising that they manage to do so little and not feel like the worst padding.

The Enemy of the World - Episode 2

The opening scene is quite tense and is very good because Patrick Troughton does well in his first scene as Salamander. I actually found the moment when he returned to the Doctor role quite odd. It seems like by the end of the scene the introduction and plot set up has been done so now we are going to be getting on with the action. We are introduced to a wealth of new characters. The supporting characters are impressive in this episode. I think that Benik (played by Milton Johns) is quite an interesting character. He seems like he has been given power more for who he knows rather than actual ability. Bruce is an important figure and dominates the room everywhere he goes. David Nettheim is also quite good as Fedorin although the moment where he thinks that he’s been poisoned before realising that its just a joke is a nice moment for the character. I forgot that this story features George Pravda who returns in ‘The Deadly Assassin’. He’s a great piece of casting as he’s wonderful in every story that he’s  in.

Frazer Hines gets to be quite heroic when he first encounters Salamander. After taking a back seat in the previous story he gets to make up for this. Deborah Watling returns to the sideline role though she does have a few moments where she’s quite interesting but it feels like an awfully long time since ‘The Ice Warriors’. Patrick Troughton is clearly having a wonderful time playing Salamander. The Salamander character isn’t the most menacing character that there has ever been but I still enjoy the fact that Troughton is playing two roles and there are good things about the character which make you think that he’s come out of a James Bond movie.                            

Barry Letts should be praised in this episode. The scenes where Astrid, Jamie and Victoria are filming scenes on a park bench are impressive. The background is clearly a cloth with a  projection on it but there is a scene where Jamie is seen walking toward the camera before it cuts to Astrid and Victoria. I thought it was another great moment from Letts. It helps create a nice sense that were not in a studio (even though we obviously are).

The cliffhanger has a nice feel to it with Salamander saying that Fedorin is going to be the chief witness at Denes’ trial. There are four close ups and its ends with Fedorin lowering his head as if he didn’t want to do it. It’s not as action packed as previous cliffhangers but it makes up for this by having an interesting way to end what is a rather dull final line. I’m am continuing to be impressed with this story. It’s going to be another case where a six part story actually works. I may end up eating my words.

The Enemy of the World - Episode 1

Enemy of the World is a story that until October 11^th 2013 only survived with episode intact but thankfully we now have this entire story to enjoy and the only downside is that it wont be released on DVD until November 25 and so I am will be watching this via iTunes. I decided when they came out at midnight that I would buy them as well as the DVD because I was so determined to watch them but decided to wait until I got to them in this marathon. This story is famous for featuring Patrick Troughton playing the Doctor and the main villain who resembles the Doctor. Another thing that is interesting about this story is that its directed by Barry Letts who would go onto the produce all of Jon Pertwee’s stories and also direct several episodes.

First thing is that this is a lovely feeling knowing that I am watching something that hadn’t been seen since it was transmitted back on December 23^rd 1967. The opening moments of the episode sees us realise that sea air makes the Doctor go a bit giddy. A bit of sea and he instantly wants to run to it and have a swim. This is very much was Troughton’s Doctor would do. The story is set just five years in the future (to us) and the early moments seem to suggest that the Doctor is going to be killed and for the viewer there is a question mark as to why this would be. The explanation comes quite quickly and we are explained by people want to kill him and yet others want to help him.

This is a rare instance where the Doctor is forced into a situation. He is being forced to impersonate Salamander. The attempts to make Troughton appears subtly different as Salamander are very good. All they have done really is do the hair differently and also have him talk in a Spanish accent. It’s a great performance from Troughton and there are still five more episodes to come for him to get better. Frazer Hines is back to his best again as he seems to have gone back to being number one companion and Deborah Watling goes back to being what she’s usually like.

I don’t know if I am saying this because I think that Barry Letts is a legend in Doctor Who but I think that the directing is well done in this episode. It’s directed with a pace that there hasn’t been in Doctor Who before. There is a lot of action on the beach and its clear that some money has been chucked at this story because they have managed to secure a hovercraft and a helicopter. Even if their not top of the range they must cost a pretty penny.

The cliffhanger is rather good as we get the first moment of the Doctor being Salamander and it comes after the sinister Bruce is acting like the tough man and the moment Salamander/Doctor comes out it seems like he thunder has been stolen.

A bit of statistical information for a moment so bear with me. This episode is the 46^th episode for Frazer Hines and he is now tied for 4^th place along with Peter Purves and by the end of this story he will be just one episode behind Carole Ann Ford. Also the Second Doctor, Jamie and Victoria combination is the second longest running in the show behind the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan which was 51 episodes long. The opening episode is really really good and I think that my dislike for six parters is going to be under strain as this six episode run has the potential to be another cracker. It’s directed well and whilst the writing isn’t as good it all works well enough to make this a great opening episode.

The Ice Warriors - 6

The final episode sees the story reach a natural end. Normally I would expect the episode to try and salvage the story but it didn’t need to do that as I think that this story has impressed me enough. The episode had a simple job to do and it did it quite well and what I liked was how it didn’t feel like they padded it or were rushing through the 25 minutes.

I liked how it was Penley who raised the temperature and the Doctor caused everyone to have a massive earache. It was a nice double act that shows why the character of Penley was so good but to single out Penley would be a disservice to the rest of the supporting characters who have all been solid in their own way.

It’s just dawned on me how much Victoria’s outfit in this story must have inspired Peter Jackson when dressing the Hobbits in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. She continues her good run (for what time shes in it) and this has to have been her best story since she joined the show. I’m was getting bored of Jamie not doing very much he only benefits when Victoria disappears off screen.  Frazer Hines has done well with playing second fiddle to Deborah Watling but I suspect that he knows that this is a short term measure. Not that I’m saying that Hines was trying to hog the limelight but its usually the case that Jamie gets the better slice of the action pie than Victoria. Deborah Watling appears for the first half of the story before disappearing with pre-recorded dialogue and some good acting by Patrick Troughton. Not quite sure why they didn’t just write her out of the episode completely but I suppose they didn’t think of that.

The scene where the Warriors storm into Clent control room is simple, short and effective. I quite enjoyed it and I am impressed that they waited until episode six before Hayles did this. Clent gets more action in this episode than in the previous five and I also liked the bit at the end where there was a sense of humility when he’s talking to Penley. The ending is rather abrupt though which is a shame as we don’t even get a scene with the Doctor, Jamie and an off screen Victoria entering the TARDIS.

I think that this is the strongest Patrick Troughton story and I say that as a massive fan of The Tomb of the Cybermen. I think that is been consistently strong and has proved the exception to the rule about six parters being a bit rubbish.  I am really looking forward the next story as its Enemy of the World and I will be watching this for the first time ever and then there’s Web of Fear after that so the next twelve days are going to be a treat.

The Ice Warriors - 5

The penultimate episode starts off with a nice directed reprise of the previous episode. It allows the camera to show the Ice Warrior on the screen and the Doctor in the same shot. It’s always good I think when they decide to reshoot it instead of just replaying it and that’s because they can put a difference emphasis on something without actually changing the tone of the moment.

Jamie starts the episode being pulled along by Wallace. Both of them spend the early part of the episode trying to avoid being eaten by a bear. Again he’s being given the short straw and Victoria continues to be the better of the two. There’s a nice moment when she pleads with the Doctor not to help the Ice Warriors even though it would mean the end of her life. What a difference a story makes because normally it would be the other way around and I am liking how well Victoria is being used in this story and whilst its at the cost of Jamie, its good to see Deborah Watling elevated above her usual position. Patrick Troughton is also on good form and I love how he uses a stink bomb to try and escape. There is no way that William Hartnell would have done this but that’s what makes Troughton’s Doctor so good.

I like how Clent seems to have had a conscience operation between the previous episode and this one. He seems to be letting his emotions show a bit more. However this is a short term thing as he soon’s stops thinking emotionally and more coldly. My favourite scene of the episode comes from Penley’s interaction with Clent and one particular line where Clent says that he might be a physical coward but Penley is a coward of the mind. It’s a great line and I think that it sums up both of them perfectly. I love it when these moments come out of nowhere. Penley seems to have got better since the death of Storr which is a good thing

The thing about this episode is that it didn’t seem to have the same sort of zip that the previous ones did. That doesn’t mean that it was a terrible episode because it wasn’t. I thought that there was plenty to enjoy but I think that it was inevitable that this was going to happen but I think that it builds up to the final episode rather well and I think that this story is just behind Tomb of the Cybermen in terms of top Troughton Series Five stories.

 

The Ice Warriors - 4

Back to the live action episodes and its quite an odd thing that after it seemed like the Ice Warriors were going to kill Victoria from behind that they suddenly decide not to. The Ice Warriors think that the Ioniser is a weapon against them instead of just a way of melting the ice. This is the first time that I can remember a purpose for what is going on. Quite why it’s taken until episode four for this to happen I don’t know but at least it gives some credibility to the Ice Warriors’ motives.

Victoria gets to do something quite brave and different from her usual screaming and whining.  She has to try and not get caught by the Ice Warriors and just gets on with it. This is the best that I have seen/heard from the character since she first appeared. The chase between Victoria and the Ice Warrior was quite well done. Even towards the end when she is trapped by the snow and the Ice Warrior and cries out for a long time I still thought that it was a good performance from Deborah Watling.

Something I haven’t commented on was the double act between Peter Sallis (voice of Wallace in Wallace and Gromit) and Angus Lennie who play Penley and Storr respectively. Even though they only feature briefly in each episode their performances are fun and entertaining. I can’t help look at Sallis and think of his role in the BBC comedy ‘Last of the Summer Wine’. Penley is the more likeable of the two whereas Storr seems rather mad and I get the feeling that this is a bit of a red herring. Storr’s death was a bit of a shame really as I thought that the double act was working quite well.

Troughton is very good from start to finish. When Clent is being rather rude to Victoria he is quite calm and polite to her. Then there is the moment when he is using the weird machine and he says he desperately wants it and it turns out to be water. The comedic tone was quite good and the only thing missing was Jamie. Speaking of Jamie it’s a shame that he’s given a redundant role in this episode as he is getting over his trauma. I expected him to start talking about the phantom piper like he did back in ‘The Moonbase’.

The cliffhanger is rather good as the Doctor is put in danger and instead of just cutting away from him we get to see the Doctor’s panic expression as the credits start to roll was a nice way to end the episode. Not sure whether it was intended to end like that or not but either way I thought that the cliffhanger worked and overall the episode was rather good. I think that of the six parters that we have had, this has to be the strongest so far because I don’t feel bored and think that with two more episodes there is plenty that could be done so I am liking The Ice Warriors.

The Ice Warriors - 3

The third episode is the second to be animated. We finally get more Ice Warriors and the animation continues to impress me. After the slow start that the previous episode went through it was nice how this one seemed to be totally different and it was good to just sit back and enjoy the episode. The story effectively continues the Ice Warrior that has been stuck with Victoria waking up more Ice Warriors and the Doctor works things out.

There’s a nice moment which shows that they have some intelligence to go with their size. They assume that if others from the base don’t come then they wont have enough people to prevent an attack. Not only are they intelligent but they are quite ruthless and its showed by the end of the episode where are about to kill Victoria from behind. The only issue is that they don’t really seem to have a plan. It’s normally a major problem but I think that the mere sight of them is enough to put that issue at the back of my mind but with three episodes left they need to get a wriggle on. Though the idea that they instantly want to attack the humans instead of just trying to talk to them.

Clent’s arrogance is shown up her as he wants to take credit for all the good things that have happened. It’s good that there is a character like Clent but there is something about Peter Barkworth’s portrayal of the character that annoys me and I think doesn’t sit quite well in the story. 
 
Jamie has been seriously injured after being shot at by the Ice Warriors and that’s about as much as he gets to do. Victoria gets to be a bit more active after not doing very much in the previous episode and I thought that her grief at thinking Jamie has died was one of the highlights of the episode.  The loss is also felt by the Doctor and it shows just how close they have become even if sometimes Victoria is treated like a spare part. Patrick Troughtons’ performance was strong and without Jamie or Victoria around him we were able to see why he is such a good actor.

It’s another enjoyable episode which starts to feel like its picking up the pace and as we enter the latter half of the story it seems like there is more to come. Were done with the animated episodes and I have to say that on the whole they have added to the enjoyment of the story. Nothing has put a dampener on my interest in the action. Now we are back to the ‘live’ episodes and I think that this might be a six parter that I actually enjoy. More down to the setting and the creation of the Ice Warriors than anything else. Finally I should say that apart from the less than spectacular Abominable Snowmen, I think that this fifth Season is a lot stronger than the previous

The Ice Warriors - 2

The second episode is the first of two animated episodes and I think that the animation is very good. I thought that they have managed to make the walking look convincing and the eyes don’t do that thing where they seem like they are constantly on the move. I also like the fluidity of the movements and it just seems that a good job was done in animating this episode. In terms of how the animated characters compare to the real life I must say that they did quite well. In fact all the animated characters look right and the whole thing look really good even the opening shots when they were showing the episode name. So much so that it took me a little time to realise that it was animated.

Unfortunately, I thought that the animation was going to be the best thing about this episode.  The first 15 minutes of the episode were particularly slow and it wasn’t until the Ice Warrior and Victoria started to move that the episode really got going. The problem with the six parter is yet again on show here as very little actually happens after the Ice Warrior escapes with Victoria. Even though its animated the sight of several Ice Warriors waiting to be thawed out was a great way to end the episode.

I like the speech between the Doctor and Clent where the Doctor tries to convince Clent to true humans more than machines.  I must confess that I was quite pleased when the Ice Warrior knocked out Clent and hoped that it would last longer than it did. I thought that Troughton actually had a good episode and so did Jamie (to begin with). Whilst the Doctor and Jamie are ok together its Victoria that suffers and she spends the entire episode being the Ice Warriors companion. I think that the more the stories progress, the more that Victoria will be the spare cog in the show which is a shame but inevitable as the combination of the Doctor and Jamie gets stronger with every episode.

I enjoyed this episode and thought that once it got going, the episode was enjoyable and had a very good ending to it. I’m still not convinced about whether this story needs to be six episodes long but only time will tell but at the moment and I know that this is still quite at an early stage but I think that this might the second best story of the season so far (behind Tomb).

The Ice Warriors - 1

Today is quite a interesting day. Not just that I get to watch the Ice Warriors in full (with animated episode included) for the first time but episode 1 or 1 as its called on the titles aired on November 11^th 1967 so happy 46^th birthday goes to this story. There’s a pattern that’s emerged during this season so far. In Tomb of the Cybermen they were spending portions of the stories in the icy tombs, in the Abominable Snowmen they were in windy Tibet and now in this story they are in more snow. First thing that strikes me about this story is the lovely singing that accompanies the photos used to create the impression of the setting. When we meet the supporting characters there is a sense that humanity is out of control.

It’s five whole minutes before the regulars turn up and they arrive upside down and there is a lot of comedy between Frazer Hines and Patrick Troughton which is quite fun. Its interesting how the Doctor finds himself helping people out within moments of being found.  In one scene the Doctor uses the true fact that they were in Tibet to explain how they don’t know about Clent or the current situation. I liked the scene between Jamie and Victoria about the fashion of the time. It’s the first time that I’ve noticed that Jamie is quite leery and its surprising how different he is. Patrick Troughton is on good form in this episode and everytime I see him in his furry coat I cant help but be reminded of The Five Doctors which is where I first saw him in that coat. Sadly it seems that Deborah Watling is just walking along with Troughton and Hines.

The cliffhanger is quite a subtle one as whilst Jamie is doing his best Sid James impression, the Ice Warrior has pretty much melted and whilst all it does is pull faces but its quite a good ending and its made even better by the fact that Jamie and Victoria are in danger and don’t really realise (yet). Its an interesting opening episode which lays things out quite well and it has a restricted feel to it in terms of setting but isn’t a classic base under siege. Not sure how this story will develop over the next five episodes but as I haven’t seen this story on DVD yet I am really looking forward to finding out.  

The Abominable Snowmen - Episode 6

Right, just one more episode to listen to before we get about two and a half weeks work of DVDs instead of audio. The problems that I have had with the story haven’t really been resolved as I would have expected this final episode to have picked up the pace but it still feels like its killing time. I must confess that there is more going on in this episode but as I’ve lost any goodwill for this story then I’m afraid that I just don’t see anything positive to write about this. Not even Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines can help this from being a rather substandard story.

It’s quite good how at the very end Travers ends up seeing the Abominable Snowman that he’s been searching for. Of course it wont be the last time that we will see him and it wont be long before he returns because for some reason it was decided that this story worked so well that they deserved a sequel. Well maybe I have been harsh over the last six episodes but I have to say that without something to look at (apart from telesnaps) its difficult to get excited or even interested in a story.  Its not the worst story ever because as I may not have made clear there are things in this story that are worth getting excited about and its most in the first two episodes. At least now we get to some of the newly released stories on DVD. Oh I love that – DVD.

The Abominable Snowmen - Episode 5

The penultimate episode and my patience is starting to wear a bit thin. Knowing that I have the Ice Warriors, Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear to enjoy just makes this rather lacklustre story all the more harder to endure. I almost cant be bothered to write anything because I just have lost any ability to write anything substancial about this episode.

The stuff with Victoria was somewhat interesting but  that’s the only highlight. I thought that the regulars were all quite good but they were let down badly by the supporting cast as they all seemed to just whisper and talk like they are trying to put us to sleep. As I have previously mentioned I think that this story loses something my not being on TV.

It’s another episode where I continued to be bemused as to why people hold this story in such high regard. Maybe if you listen to it in on sitting then it might work but doing it one day at a time is not the best way to listen to this adventure.  I couldn’t quite tell you whats been going on in this episode apart from Victoria being possessed and then going back to her normal self but at least I only have one more episode to enduer.

The Abominable Snowmen - Episode 4

The episode starts off quite well and I found my interest going up a bit as the Doctor and Jamie get some more time ‘on screen’.  Sadly that was as good as the episode would get as this story staggers towards its end which is worryingly another two episodes away. Even with the wonderful Frazer Hines’ narration popping up every couple of moments, I find myself feeling rather tired when listening to this story. It’s all so lifeless and that’s a problem with it’s a six part adventure.

Had it not been for Frazer Hines and Patrick Troughton then I would have given up after about five or six minutes and the only thing that seemed to go in the plus box is the fact that the great intelligence seems to be more of an important factor in the story. It’s a shame that we can’t see what’s going on. I cant quite figure out whether it’s the fact that theres padding or whether the stuff that’s happening is just not very exciting. It feels more like the latter but it’s a fine line to be honest. My ability to write a lovely long review is always poor during the audio episodes but its even worse here as I cant drum up enough excitement about this episode.

The cliffhanger is rather poor. It’s rather indicative of the entire story as despite being four episodes in I still think that I would be enjoying this story more if I could see the action and my will to live is somewhat diminishing as the episode progressed. This story is nose-diving into boredom and the only thing that prevents this from being another Web Planet is that the Yeti and the sight of them wandering over the hills is something that is one of the most iconic in the shows history. Not too long until The Web of Fear and I cant wait to see that. Well only two episodes left to get through.

The Abominable Snowmen: Episode 3

Nooooooo! After the cliffhanger from episode two we now have to go back to the audios and sadly I feel that any goodwill that was created from the previous episode may start to fade and despite the progress that was made in terms of plot it feels like the story is moving slowly again. The start was quite good with them trying to find out where the sphere had disappeared to. After that I lost track of what was going on and that’s the fault of the script.

There isn’t much that I can really say about this episode so there wont be much to read for todays episode. There aren’t many good things that I can say about episode three but there are some things that save it from being one of the worst episodes that I’ve watched. First is a strange one, when we get the location footage again and the wind blowing it reminds me of the great location shots from the previous episode. A time when the story seemed like it had some hope. Another positive that I can find from this episode is Deborah Watling. She points something out in the first half of the episode that you would have expected to have come from Jamie or the Doctor. She continues this impressive change in character and I think that if I had a ‘Regular of the Episode’ award then it would definitely go to Deborah Watling. It’s one of the rare instances where Jamie and the Doctor are rather ordinary. I can’t really find anything that they do which is memorable. That’s not because of Frazer Hines or Patrick Troughton but just that they are poorly served in this story.

Sadly I think that this was another episode where not a lot happens. It’s a shame really as I think that had this episode existed on DVD then there would be something to look at whilst the nothingness was happening. As it stands this remains one of those stories that has potential but is restricted due to the fact that its running time is longer than it should be.

The Abominable Snowmen - Episode 2

The second episode is the only one of the six to exist on DVD. So its back to the ‘Lost in Time’ DVD set and the first thing I notice is that the cliffhanger from episode one wasn’t the greatest.  I love how Victoria asks Jamie what weird looking things are when its clear that he wouldn’t have an idea what it is. The Doctor’s situation goes from bad to worse as he is used as bait to lure the Yeti to the monastery whilst Jamie and Victoria spend the early part of the episode running away from the Yeti. I am surprised at how few Yeti we have seen so far. It’s not until towards the end of the episode that we see more than one. It’s quite a good sight seeing several Yeti roaming over the hills. It does show what we are missing by this not being on DVD which makes it more infuriating.

The mysterious voice that seems to come out of thin air is one of the few eerie things to come out of the episode. It’s good that we don’t see where the voice is coming from though clearly due to a shot in one scene its clear that its not too far away. It’s good how Travers admits that the Doctor isn’t the one that they are looking for. It ends that initial stage of the story and speaking of Travers its funny to see him in the scenes with his daughter. When I watch them I don’t think that they are father and daughter but instead two completely different people who have never met before.

As this is the only episode to exist on DVD it’s the only chance that I will have to comment on the direction. I think that its rather well done. The best part was when Jamie and the monks were attacking the Yeti and the camera was shaking all over the place. A technique used 40 years before Steven Spielberg would make it famous. I don’t know whether it was due to people knocking into it or whether it was intended it. Either way it’s a nice moment even if its too brief.

Performance wise, this episode works quite well. The regulars all did well and I like the joke that the Doctor does when Jamie comes up with an idea. It seems like it was a Troughton/Hines co-production. The supporting cast were all quite good but for me it was Jack Watling that was at the top of the pile.

The final moment comes after they discover what the woolly figure that has been attacking them is and it turns out that they are a furrier version of the Cybermen (but can’t talk). The final shot is of the sphere/ball moving of it own volition. It’s a good way to end the episode and my impression of the story has changed somewhat. I know that the next four episodes are back to audio but it does feel like the action is starting to take shape even if it is doing so at a infuriatingly slow pace.

The Abominable Snowmen - Episode 1

The Abominable Snowmen is arguably the Troughton era’s most popular and successful creation outside of the Dalek and Cybermen stories. Recently five of the six episodes of The Web of Fear were found but sadly this one remains lost.  It’s quite noticeable for many reasons but firstly its that this story features Deborah Watling’s father Jack Watling who plays Professor Travers in this story. After the futuristic story featuring the Cybermen, its time to take Victoria to her first proper story in history. The episode starts quite good because we get screams and no clear sign as to what has happened. It’s quite surprising at how sort of afraid Jamie is portrayed because he unwilling to go out with Victoria and does what the Doctor tells him. This soon changes when Jamie decides that he’s going to take on the trouble that is in front of them. It doesn’t take long for them all to be separated and it also doesn’t take long for the Doctor to get into trouble.

Our first meeting of Professor Travers isn’t a particularly positive one as he is the one that is convinced that the Doctor has killed his friend and caused all the trouble. I know that this is all part and parcel of the early stages of a Doctor Who story but sometimes it’s a bit tiresome but with six episodes to fill there has to be some sort of padding and its not the worst padding device ever. In terms of performances from the regulars, I think they all do rather well though I am confused by the swapping of roles between Watling and Hines. It almost seems like the writers couldn’t quite make up their minds about these two after spending a lot of time working on what Patrick Troughton was doing and I must say that his side of the story was quite enjoyable (if predictable).

I must say that after the Tomb of the Cybermen this story was always going to feel a bit of a let down but so I didn’t have my expectations to high and I think that the issue with a six parter is going to rear its ugly head during the next five episodes. There’s going to be a lot of padding but I think (or hope) that once it gets going it will be better than I think it is. I haven’t listened to this story in a long time so something’s are a bit hazy when I try and remember this story so hopefully this story will spring a surprise on me.

The Tomb of the Cybermen - Episode 4

The final episode has to end the story on a high note after the previous three episodes have been very good. The previous episode ended with a close up of Klieg’s gun with the Doctor being warned to watch out. The episode basically has to do two things such as defeated Klieg and Kaftan and defeat the Cybermen. Due to the way that the story has been written this looks like it wont be an easy thing and that’s what so good about this episode.

Toberman as a Cybermen doesn’t look or act any different to before. It seems like his only purpose is to pick the Cyber Controller up and he’s been as much use to the story as he had been in the previous episodes and I feel like they could have done more with the character apart from just being the muscles of the story. The scene where Toberman picks up the dummy Cyber Controller and throws him onto the controls is rather poorly done. It’s clear that it’s a dummy when he’s in the air and its falls a bit to badly. I like the effect of the Cybermen going back into their tomb. It might have just been a simple reversing of the footage but it was effective.

There’s a nice comedic moment in this episode where the Doctor asks Jamie if he’s tied the knots tightly with Jamie being very confident before the Cyber Controller bursting out of the chamber. To be honest I think that Victoria and Jamie haven’t been quite as good as in previous episode but that’s more because they weren’t given much to do but that said what they are given to do they do it well.

Kaftan’s death was effective as she suffered a firey death. She bit the dust on the 10 minute mark and that means that Klieg is left and his death seems far more graphic without us actually seeing him die. I thought that the death of one of the Cybermen was quite graphic and it was the best death in the episode because when the Cyberman Controller dies it’s ok but not as good as the death before. Toberman’s death was a shame really but it was probably the right thing to do because if he was part Cybermen he probably wouldn’t want to be like that but it was actually quite a noble death.

I like how the ending with the Cyber Controller seemed to be one final twist before our heroes get out. It means we get one final death and the goodbye between the archaeologists and the regulars was quite sad. I do question why they left Toberman to just seemingly rot which does seem quite a weird ending to the story. That said I still think that this story is a very good one and it easily the best Patrick Troughton story that he has done so far.

The Tomb of the Cybermen - Episode 3

As we approach the second half of the story we finally get some things explained to us. Firstly why did the Cybermen go to the trouble of locking themselves in a tomb. Though they never explain the furniture in the main room. By locking themselves in the tomb, only the smartest would be able to get in. It’s quite a clever (if slightly convoluted) way of doing things. They want to use the cleverest of people to convert and this is basically the plot for the story. The first 10 minutes of the episode move quite quick as there is quite a daring rescue by Captain Hopper.

There’s a great scene between Klieg and Kaftan where Kaftan becomes a bit more of a villain as she does her Lady Macbeth moment when the pair are locked in the room with the dummy Cyberman.  It’s my one of favourite scenes in the entire episode. The second is the scene between the Doctor and Victoria when Victoria talks about her father and how she misses him and is worried about forgetting him. It’s the Doctor that tells her that she will remember him but in the back of her mind because of all the adventures that she will be about to embark on. There is a brief moment when the Doctor talks about his family. It’s the first time in a long since (possibly since the first episode of An Unearthly Child) that the Doctor talks about his life. It’s a great moment.

The build up to the cliffhanger is perhaps as strong as the cliffhanger itself. After the emotional and low key scene between the Doctor and Victoria, the drama gets cranked up with the Cybermats finally making their way to the main room and just as the Doctor and co think that they have given the cybermats a “full metal breakdown”, Klieg and Kaftan make an appearance. What’s so good about the ending is that it looks like the Doctor has been shot and there is a yell but the camera focuses in on the gun so there is a nice mystery about what has happened and leads to a good final episode.

This is the first time that the directing slips a bit. There’s one bit which doesn’t quite work and it’s when Toberman is fighting the Cyberman and the location where they filmed the tomb bit doesn’t blend in with the studio filming. This is made even worse when you can clearly see the strings that are about to lift Roy Stewart into the air, it seems like they are deliberately trying to draw our attention to it which is a shame. Apart from that brief moment I did think that Morris Barry directed another sound episode. As a story its still just as great as I remember it and I think that it’s the best opening story to a series in Doctor Who (so far). The writing is great, the claustrophobic setting is perfect and the supporting characters working well with the regulars are helping to make this a great Cybermen story.

The Tomb of the Cybermen - Episode 2

One of the things that I like about this story is apart from the fact that it’s a Cyberman story and its one of my favourites. It’s that it exists entirely on DVD and so I feel that I am enjoying it more than when I have to stick on the CD. I said in the previous episode that I remember listening to this on my cassette tape version and it was just before it was discovered in Hong Kong and I remember listening to it and trying to imagine what it would look like and my young imagination couldn’t have come up with what I would see. The tight setting of the story is one of the things that works so well in this episode.

It’s this episode where we are treated to the first glimpse of the cybermats. Compared to the ones that we have seen recently on TV they are fairly simplistic and look like they would be hitting toy shop shelves pretty soon but I think that they are quite fun. Something that didn’t strike me when watching the previous episode and that is why have the Cybermen gone to the trouble of building a table and putting stools with it? The choice of furniture is not something that you would think Cybermen wouldn’t bother with. There is a line where Hopper says that its going to take 72 hours to repair the damage and its like a sign to the viewer that the story is going to happen over a short amount of time.

The idea that the Doctor is manipulating people continues in this episode where he helps Klieg raise the hatch to the tomb. I find Patrick Troughton’s performance in this episode to be comforting. It feels like he’s having enjoying himself and gives a very good performance. Both Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling give good performances but they are somewhat overshadowed by Kleig and the Doctor.

Viner is a hysterical worrier and some might say that there’s nothing wrong with this considering the situation but I to admit that I think that it gets slightly annoying. It wasn’t so much of a problem in the previous episode but here it seemed like a big issue. He is more hysterical than Victoria should be (or at least has been portrayed recently). Thankfully he meets a grisly ending towards the end of the episode. Captain Hopper seems like the only one with any proper sense. He might come across as a bit abrupt but he is a good on screen presence. George Roubicek plays the part well and I like how he seems to see everyone else as a problem. Hopper is another solid character. Kleig continues being the villain of the story and George Pastell is brilliant from start to finish. I also think that Shirley Cooklin is in second place as Kaftan though her star will rise by the end of the story.  As a double act they are quite the piece and with the lack of Cybermen involvement take centre stage and they do well with it. There’s a nice moment when Victoria realises that the world she finds herself in now is very different to the one that she knew before she boarded the TARDIS.  When she is being served some food she must have been assuming a plate of food but is instead given a OXO cube.

The tomb set is very impressive. It’s done in two parts with the shot of the tomb being the first and then the second is the studio set. It’s edited together rather well and it all feels like one big set.  The tomb part is the more spectacular as it’s surprising that they built something so big for this show when normally they would have done it

The lack of Cybermen must have been a problem for viewers in 1967 as apart from the dummy Cyberman at the beginning we don’t see anymore Cybermen until the 20 minute mark when the temperature is raised and they start climbing down the ladder. When they do get involved its quite an impressive moment as the Cyber Controller’s entrance is easily one of the best entrances that I can remember.

This is another cracking episode and it continues to build on the good work that was achieved in episode one. We get more Cybermen (even though its left until the end) and it feels like the story is building towards something instead padding until we get to the business end of the story. Good stuff.

The Tomb of the Cybermen - Episode 1

The Cybermen have been chosen to open the fifth season of Doctor Who and its their third story in less than a year which shows why the 1960’s were the golden era for the Cybermen. With the Daleks on a plane going towards America, the Cybermen take the crown of number one villain. This is also the first complete Patrick Troughton story that I will have watched which is quite remarkable considering that this is now the eighth story with Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. This was one of the first stories that I remember hearing as a Doctor Who fan. I remember listening to it on cassette tape as me, my mom and dad drove home from food shopping. So I have a fondness for this story that I don’t think will diminish over the next  four episodes.

The opening shot is of the TARDIS on Skaro and it feels like it’s the shot that should have finished at the end of The Evil of the Daleks. The TARDIS set has a weird echo as opposed to a normal studio feel in previous adventures. Not sure whether this was what they were planning for in the future or whether it was an emergency measure for this episode but it doesn’t seem right.

This story is another under siege story although the story does start on the outside with archaeologists desperately trying to get inside but it soon turns into that sort of story that I like. I like that we get a couple of scenes with the archaeologists and how they don’t seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet. There are three people of particular interest such as Eric Kleig (George Pastell), Kaftan (Shirley Cooklin) and Toberman (Roy Stewart) are the more entertaining and stronger characters. In this episode its Kleig who is the standout as he has a bit of a rivalry with the Doctor. Patrick Troughton is really good in this episode. Once the Doctor discovers that they are dealing with the Cybermen it almost seems like he is helping Kleig into trying to get into the Tomb. Deborah Watling goes 18 minutes before being put in peril.

I haven’t been a massive fan of Morris Barry’s direction in the past but the location scenes were really quite fun. He has managed to make scenes filmed in a quarry seem quite entertaining. When the story does get inside the Tomb main room, there is a nice claustrophobic feel to it. It’s all dark and that’s a nice contrast to the bright outside. Even though once they get in there are only three rooms, he manages to make it feel like its quite a big place and keep the rooms quite small. The writing isn’t particularly special but I suspect that the good stuff is kept for the remaining episode.

It seems like it’s a tradition that when a monster returns that they don’t appear until the final moment of the story. This is the case for this story because all we see is a Cyberman appears from out of nowhere. It doesn’t say anything or even move and so the camera just focuses in on its face. We will learn why in the next episode but its not quite the best ending to an opening episode ever. That said I have enjoyed this episode because it introduces the regulars and also the supporting cast. A good opening episode.