A Final Word

I will be honest and say that I didn’t think that I was going to make it to the end of this marathon. It seemed like a good idea before I started to watch an episode of Doctor Who a day every day. This wasn’t the first time that I had done this because back in 2011, I had attempted to watch an episode a day but that quickly disappeared and it took me ten months to get through the whole thing right up until The Wedding of River Song. Another difference between the 2011 marathon and this one is that I didn’t write a blog for that one. I didn’t think about doing a blog until quite late in the course of the marathon so it wasn’t a worthwhile idea but I knew that when I started this marathon that I would try and do the same this time.
I knew that there were issues to deal with such as holidays and what if technology let me down and stuff like that but the biggest problem was always going to be the lack of episodes during the black and white era. Whilst it was easy to get an audio copy of episodes, it was always harder to enjoy these episodes as opposed to ones which existed on DVD.

The William Hartnell era was good because it was fun to see how the dynamic of the show changed over the course of just three years. There were more episodes during a season than most Doctors and it yet the quality stayed the same. Ok there was the Web Planet which remains the worst story that I watched during this marathon but Inside the Spaceship is the best story of the marathon and has been since the second story. Towards the end of the Hartnell era the Doctor’s involvement seemed to get less and less noticeable. The change happened at just the right time.
During the Patrick Troughton era I did think that I would lose the energy to do this marathon but I perceived and before too long the Troughton era came to an end. There were too many episodes that didn’t exist and when the stories aren’t that good then it becomes harder to appreciate.
Season 7 has always been my favourite season but in terms of ratings it isn’t the best which is something that I could understand. The Pertwee era was felt like the era I thought it was once Katy Manning joined the show.

The Tom Baker era was always going to be a test in itself because it was 172 episodes long and there are quite some clunkers to contend with. The Key to Time era was a bit tough to watch because the idea of 26 consecutive episodes having a link was a bit much to watch. The Tom Baker era changed many times over the seasons but if I am being honest the era lasted two years longer than it should have done.
Peter Davison’s time on the show was better than I had given it credit for. Yes there were some stories that just didn’t work like Warriors of the Deep but on the whole the quality of stories was quite good and this era saw the biggest surprise when I actually liked Kinda and thought that it was one of the best Davison stories which isn’t something I thought I would be writing at any point.

After the Davison era was over there was a nice dress rehearsal for the new era because season twenty-two was 45 minutes long and I think that 25 minutes is a better length. The Trial of a Timelord season was fun to watch partly because it was interesting to see just how many times the camera zoomed in on Colin Baker’s face. Baker’s time on the show was far too short and I thought that he would have been good had he been allowed to carry on.
Sylvester McCoy’s time on the show was a bit of a mess. The first season was just unbearable, his second season was better and his third was a bit of a mixed bag. Like Colin Baker’s time on the show, McCoy’s era ended too soon.

From the Colin Baker era to end the end of the McCoy era it would take two weeks to get through a season and by the time I got to the end of the McCoy era I was looking forward to the new era because it would be single episode stories and the special effects would be better and there were some absolute classics.

I don’t know why but the new era of the show felt longer than the classic era. Going from 25 minutes a night to 45 minutes a night was a bigger change than I was expecting. There were some night when I was more able to write a lot than other nights. Some nights I wanted to say the bare minimum and other nights I didn’t know when to stop. I always tried to go for 500 minimum and most night I ended up around that mark but there were a few 1960 episodes where I was under and quite a lot of episode where I was well over. Knowing I don’t have to do that anymore is a good feeling.

The Eccleston era was quite good and by the end of his time I had grown to appreciate what a great actor he is and what the show would have been like had he stayed beyond that one series. When David Tennant came along I thought that the marathon was going to be like the Tom Baker one and that is up and down and its true but once Billie Piper left the show things started to improve and it then started to slope off towards the end and I think that the specials in 2009 were a mixed bag. Matt Smith’s tenure was more enjoyable as I think that the whole vibe of the show changed when Russell T Davies handed over the reigns to Steven Moffat. Moffat bought a grungier and perhaps bleaker style to the show and its one that I thought worked well. I would have liked Matt Smith to have stayed a bit longer but as the old saying goes – always leave them wanting more.

It’s difficult to say what I really think about Peter Capaldi’s time on the show because a) it was so recent and b) there were only thirteen episodes to judge him on. I’d dare say that if I ever did this again then I might think differently of Capaldi’s time on the show.
As I write this I have a weird emptiness in me. Today is the first time since May 16, 2013 that I haven’t had to watch a Doctor Who episode and write a review and that’s a long time to feel that. It will be nice to watch whatever story I want whenever I want to and also watch it in one go if I feel like it. To be honest I don’t think that I will be doing this marathon again. It’s too long a journey as it is and time progresses, the number of episodes increase. Maybe if the missing episodes are found I might do it again but that seems unlikely and I can go back to being a normal Doctor Who fan and watch the DVD’s and the superb extras.

Over 813 days, I wrote over 590,000 words words and that has taken 945 pages over 5 volumes. To end this epilogue, here are the ratings for all the stories and let me know if you disagree with them or what.

1 INSIDE THE SPACESHIP 8.60
2 THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR 8.25
3 THE TV MOVIE 8.20
4 THE DEADLY ASSASSIN 8.12
5 BLINK 8.05
6 THE DOCTORS WIFE 8.02
7 HUMAN NATURE/THE FAMILY OF BLOOD 8.01
8 REMEMBRANCE OF THE DALEKS 8.00
9 THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR 7.98
10 DEEP BREATH 7.98
11 THE WATERS OF MARS 7.97
12 VINCENT AND THE DOCTOR 7.95
13 THE CAVES OF ANDROZANI 7.93
14 THE GIRL WHO WAITED 7.93
15 THE ANGELS TAKE MANHATTAN 7.90
16 BAD WOLF/THE PARTING OF THE WAYS 7.88
17 THE END OF TIME - PARTS ONE AND TWO 7.86
18 THE STOLEN EARTH/JOURNEYS END 7.83
19 ATTACK OF THE CYBERMEN 7.82
20 THE ELEVENTH HOUR 7.82
21 COLD WAR 7.82
22 TRIAL OF A TIMELORD: THE ULTIMATE FOE 7.81
23 MISSION TO THE UNKNOWN (1965) 7.80
24 AN UNEARTHLY CHILD 7.79
25 BOOM TOWN 7.78
26 RISE OF THE CYBERMEN/THE AGE OF STEEL 7.78
27 THE TIME OF THE DOCTOR 7.78
28 AMY'S CHOICE 7.77
29 THE PANDORICA OPENS/THE BIG BANG 7.77
30 NIGHT TERRORS 7.77
31 ASYLUM OF THE DALEKS 7.77
32 NIGHTMARE IN SILVER 7.77
33 SMITH AND JONES 7.75
34 TERROR OF THE AUTONS 7.75
35 THE CHRISMAS INVASION 7.75
36 JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE TARDIS 7.75
37 THE EMPTY CHILD/THE DOCTOR DANCES 7.74
38 THE INVASION 7.74
39 MIDNIGHT 7.73
40 THE SHAKESPEARE CODE 7.73
41 A GOOD MAN GOES TO WAR 7.73
42 THE WEDDING OF RIVER SONG 7.73
43 THE POWER OF THREE 7.73
44 DARK WATER/DEATH IN HEAVEN 7.73
45 SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE 7.72
46 SURVIVAL 7.72
47 TOOTH AND CLAW 7.72
48 LETS KILL HITLER 7.72
49 FLATLINE 7.72
50 THE ARK IN SPACE (1975) 7.71
51 THE GREEN DEATH 7.71
52 UTOPIA/THE SOUND OF DRUMS/LAST OF THE TIMELORDS 7.71
53 GRIDLOCK 7.70
54 REVELATION OF THE DALEKS 7.70
55 THE IDIOTS LANTERN 7.70
56 THE WAR GAMES 7.70
57 TURN LEFT 7.70
58 CLOSING TIME 7.70
59 THE SNOWMEN 7.70
60 THE TENTH PLANET 7.69
61 PYRAMIDS OF MARS 7.68
62 RESURRECTION OF THE DALEKS 7.68
63 SCHOOL REUNION 7.68
64 THE IMPOSSIBLE PLANET/THE SATAN PIT 7.68
65 THE KEEPER OF TRAKEN 7.68
66 THE GOD COMPLEX 7.68
67 THE RINGS OF AKHATEN 7.68
68 THE IMPOSSIBLE ASTRONAUT/DAY OF THE MOON 7.67
69 INFERNO 7.67
70 KILL THE MOON 7.67
71 GENESIS OF THE DALEKS 7.66
72 THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD 7.66
73 VENGEANCE ON VAROS 7.66
74 THE HAND OF FEAR 7.65
75 INTO THE DALEK 7.65
76 MUMMY ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS 7.65
77 THE DALEK INVASION OF EARTH 7.63
78 THE GIRL IN THE FIREPLACE 7.63
79 THE SEA DEVILS 7.63
80 A CHRISTMAS CAROL 7.63
81 HIDE 7.63
82 TIME HEIST 7.63
83 EARTHSHOCK 7.62
84 KINDA 7.62
85 PLANET OF THE OOD 7.62
86 ROSE 7.62
87 TERROR OF THE ZYGONS 7.62
88 THE FIVE DOCTORS 7.62
89 THE NEXT DOCTOR 7.62
90 THE BELLS OF SAINT JOHN 7.62
91 IN THE FOREST OF THE NIGHT 7.62
92 INVASION OF THE DINOSAURS 7.61
93 THE BRAIN OF MORBIUS 7.61
94 THE FACE OF EVIL 7.60
95 THE RUNAWAY BRIDE 7.60
96 THE THREE DOCTORS 7.60
97 THE CARETAKER 7.60
98 THE MARK OF THE RANI 7.59
99 THE SEEDS OF DEATH 7.59
100 THE VISITATION 7.59
101 CASTROVALVA 7.58
102 THE DAEMONS 7.58
103 THE ICE WARRIORS 7.58
104 TRIAL OF A TIMELORD: MINDWARP 7.58
105 LAST CHRISTMAS 7.58
106 DOCTOR WHO AND THE SILURIANS 7.57
107 LOGOPOLIS 7.57
108 PLANET OF THE DALEKS 7.57
109 SILENCE IN THE LIBRARAY/THE FOREST OF THE DEAD 7.57
110 SILVER NEMESIS 7.57
111 THE STONES OF BLOOD 7.57
112 TRIAL OF A TIMELORD: TERROR OF THE VERVOIDS 7.57
113 THE TIME OF ANGELS/FLESH AND STONE 7.56
114 FULL CIRCLE 7.56
115 ROBOT 7.56
116 THE SONTARAN STRATAGEM/THE POISON SKY 7.56
117 THE DOCTOR, THE WIDOW AND THE WARDROBE 7.55
118 ARMY OF GHOSTS/DOOMSDAY 7.55
119 CITY OF DEATH 7.55
120 THE END OF THE WORLD 7.55
121 THE LODGER 7.55
122 THE AMBASSADORS OF DEATH 7.54
123 BLACK ORCHID 7.53
124 FRONTIER IN SPACE 7.53
125 HORROR OF FANG ROCK 7.53
126 THE ANDROIDS OF TARA 7.53
127 ALIENS OF LONDON/WORLD WAR THREE 7.52
128 IMAGE OF THE FENDAHL 7.52
129 STATE OF DECAY 7.52
130 THE INVASION OFTIME 7.52
131 THE LAZARUS EXPERIMENT 7.52
132 THE LONG GAME 7.52
133 THE SONTARAN EXPERIMENT 7.52
134 THE CRIMSON HORROR 7.52
135 THE LEISURE HIVES 7.51
136 THE TWO DOCTORS 7.51
137 THE WEB OF FEAR 7.51
138 FEAR HER 7.50
139 PLANET OF THE SPIDERS 7.50
140 THE AZTECS 7.50
141 THE MIND ROBBER 7.50
142 THE VAMPIRES OF VENICE 7.50
143 A TOWN CALLED MERCY 7.50
144 THE CURSE OF FENRIC 7.49
145 CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS 7.48
146 ENLIGHTENMENT 7.48
147 THE TALONS OF WENG-CHIANG 7.48
148 DINOSAURS ON A SPACESHIP 7.48
149 DRAGONFIRE 7.47
150 THE MIND OF EVIL 7.47
151 THE RESCUE 7.47
152 THE ROBOTS OF DEATH 7.47
153 THE UNQUIET DEAD 7.47
154 VICTORY OF THE DALEKS 7.47
155 FRONTIOS 7.46
156 MEGLOS 7.46
157 THE MONSTER OF PELADON 7.46
158 THE WAR MACHINES 7.46
159 THE CLAWS OF AXOS 7.45
160 THE CURSE OF PELADON 7.45
161 THE DALEKS 7.45
162 THE KROTONS 7.45
163 ROBOT OF SHERWOOD 7.45
164 ARC OF ININITY 7.44
165 TERMINUS 7.44
166 THE TIME MONSTER 7.44
167 BATTLEFIELD 7.43
168 DALEKS IN MANHATTAN/EVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS 7.43
169 FATHERS DAY 7.43
170 REVENGE OF THE CYBERMEN 7.43
171 THE ANDROID INVASION 7.43
172 THE SEEDS OF DOOM 7.43
173 THE WHEEL IN SPACE 7.43
174 DALEK 7.42
175 DESTINY OF THE DALEKS 7.42
176 PLANET OF GIANTS 7.42
177 THE DALEKS MASTER PLAN 7.42
178 THE FIRES OF POMPEII 7.42
179 THE TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN 7.42
180 COLONY IN SPACE 7.41
181 MAWDRYN UNDEAD 7.41
182 UNDERWORLD 7.41
183 THE HUNGRY EARTH/COLD BLOOD 7.41
184 NIGHTMARE OF EDEN 7.40
185 PLANET OF FIRE 7.40
186 THE FACELESS ONES 7.40
187 THE MOONBASE 7.40
188 THE TIME WARRIOR 7.40
189 THE KEYS OF MARINUS 7.39
190 THE MUTANTS 7.39
191 42 7.38
192 THE SENSORITES 7.38
193 WARRIORS OF THE DEEP 7.38
194 THE ARMAGEDDON FACTOR 7.36
195 GHOSTLIGHT 7.34
196 THE GREATEST SHOW IN THE GALAXY 7.34
197 THE MASQUE OF MANDRAGORA 7.34
198 DAY OF THE DALEKS 7.33
199 THE SUN MAKERS 7.33
200 THE TIME MEDDLER 7.33
201 NEW EARTH 7.32
202 THE CHASE 7.32
203 TIME-FLIGHT 7.31
204 THE INVISIBLE ENEMY 7.30
205 THE POWER OF KROLL 7.30
206 WARRIORS GATE 7.30
207 THE MASSACRE OF ST BARTHOLOMEWS EVE 7.29
208 SNAKEDANCE 7.28
209 THE ARK 7.27
210 THE CELESTIAL TOYMAKER 7.27
211 THE RIBOS OPERATION 7.27
212 THE UNICORN AND THE WASP 7.27
213 TRIAL OF A TIMELORD: THE MYSTERIOUS PLANET 7.27
214 PLANET OF EVIL 7.26
215 MARCO POLO 7.25
216 TIMELASH 7.25
217 THE POWER OF THE DALEKS 7.24
218 THE AWAKENING 7.23
219 THE PIRATE PLANET 7.23
220 THE UNDERWATER MENACE 7.23
221 THE BEAST BELOW 7.23
222 THE KINGS DEMONS 7.21
223 THE SPACE MUSEUM 7.21
224 THE DOCTORS DAUGHTER 7.20
225 THE EVIL OF THE DALEKS 7.19
226 THE HAPPINESS PATROL 7.19
227 FURY FROM THE DEEP 7.17
228 PLANET OF THE DEAD 7.17
229 THE TWIN DILEMMA 7.17
230 VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED 7.17
231 PARTNERS IN CRIME 7.15
232 THE CREATURE FROM THE PIT 7.15
233 THE SAVAGES 7.15
234 LISTEN 7.15
235 THE REIGN OF TERROR 7.14
236 GALAXY 4 7.13
237 THE CURSE OF THE BLACK SPOT 7.13
238 PARADISE TOWERS 7.11
239 THE REBEL FLESH/THE ALMOST PEOPLE 7.10
240 DEATH TO THE DALEKS 7.08
241 FOUR TO DOOMSDAY 7.04
242 TIME AND THE RANI 7.03
243 THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMEN 7.02
244 THE GUNFIGHTERS 7.02
245 THE MACRA TERROR 6.96
246 THE HORNS OF NIMON 6.91
247 DELTA AND THE BANNERMEN 6.88
248 THE CRUSADE 6.81
249 THE DOMINATORS 6.81
250 THE ROMANS 6.79
251 THE SPACE PIRATES 6.76
252 THE HIGHLANDERS 6.52
253 THE MYTH MAKERS 6.48
254 THE SMUGGLERS 6.38
255 LOVE AND MONSTERS 6.22
256 THE WEB PLANET 6.01

To everyone who has ever visited this blog even if it were just a couple of times or everyday. Thankyou and thankyou to everyone who favorited a tweet or re-tweeted one of my tweets. It was those sort of nice gestures that gave me the motivation to continue when I was considering quitting. Also a thankyou goes to Will Brooks who did his own marathon via Doctor Who Online and was the inspiration for me the do this in the first place. Well on that bombshell, its time to say goodbye …… One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. Goodbye.