The Faceless Ones - Episode 6

The final part of this story needs to tie up the loose ends in a satisfactory way. It’s always important in any piece of drama but in a six part adventure like this, it becomes even more important. I must admit that with the knowledge this is the final story for Ben and Polly, my attention drifted away from the main plot. It’s a shame really as I think that from what I did grasp from the audio, it seemed to be an attempt to return the taken youngsters yet ensure that the chameleon lifeforms aren’t hurt or killed. That aspect of the story is finished off in a perfectly fine way.

Anneke Wills and Michael Craze appear at the very end of the episode to film their departure scene. At least they got a departure scene unlike Jackie Lane who disappeared and then we got a throwaway line from Polly in episode four. It does seem a bit of a waste really considering that they are the last links to the Hartnell era and you think considering that they were there for the first appearances of the Cybermen and the first regeneration they deserve a finer send off. Once Ben and Polly realise that they are back on the same day that they left in ‘The War Machines’ they decide to stay. It does feel like its been wrapped  up in a nice neat bow. If only their departure had been better handled.

The goodbye scene between Sam and Jamie was really sad and it makes the decision for her not to continue with the TARDIS even sadder. I think that as I have liked the chemistry between these two it was always going to be a sad moment when Pauline Collins departed but that didn’t make it any easier when the moment came. Collins is a great actress and her performances over the past five episodes have been wonderful and a credit to the show.

The best thing about this episode is the unexpected ending to the episode. The Doctor and Jamie discover that the TARDIS has been stolen and this leads us into the final story of the season. As an episode I must say that it didn’t have the impact that I thought it would have. The problems with six part episodes were evident here but at least they tried to keep things going by shifting the focus of the story and the setting. The episode did what it needed to do and also gave the viewer in 1967 a reason to watch next week because no sooner have we said goodbye the Anneke Wills and Michael Craze than we say hello to Debroah Watling.

The Faceless Ones - Episode 2

The first of four episodes to be audio only resumes from the cliffhanger of seeing some strange head is wonderfully described by Frazer Hines and pulsating veins but sadly for anyone who has seen that cliffhanger would know that its not really the case. We also get to return to the Polly not recognising the Doctor and Jamie thing. Apparently despite having a very posh British accent she claims to be from Zurich and has a English governance to explain this fact. Something that I commented on is how one of the things about this story is how it deals with the idea of travel. Back in 1967 the idea of flying was still a relatively new concept to people so in the same ways as the James Bond films were partly a success because of the idea of going somewhere that hadn’t been seen before, the idea of flying somewhere or spending time in a building that most people hadn’t seen would have been a good enough thing to use to keep the story current. Polly’s personality change is similar to here first story where she was possessed by WOTAN. It seems like a nice bookend to her character.

A familiar voice/face appears in this episode. Bernard Kay has previously appeared in the William Hartnell stories ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ and ‘The Crausade’. For his third story he is instantly recognisable and he gives a great performance in this episode. This episode also features the first appearance of Pauline Collins who was suppose to be a companion after this story but wouldn’t stay and didn’t appear until the 2006 story ‘Tooth and Claw’ as Queen Victoria. Her performance is just as good as Kay’s and I like how for the first time in quite a while we have a feisty female character. There’s a scene where Sam Briggs (Pauline Collins) chats to Polly and it’s a nice contrast in style and performance.

I like the moment when its revealed that Polly has been duplicated and the real Polly is in a box in the Chamelion Tours hanger and the one that Sam has been chatting to is the copy. Ben is the one that discovers this and this will be the last thing that he does. Polly has disappeared from the office in the terminal so it seems that this is where they leave for four episodes. It is a rather abrupt moment that it happens but its still rather well done so in this instance I am rather conflicted about what I feel about the whole Polly and Ben leaving situation.

Like the previous episode, the final scene and ultimate cliffhanger are rather well done. This time it’s the Doctor who gets the cliffhanger as he is being frozen and its something that will look better when we get to the DVD of the third episode tomorrow. Despite this being on CD, I still enjoyed this story and thought that after all the running around that took place in the previous episode, that it was nice that we got to the meat and potatoes of the story and it seems like it has settled down and with the addition of Kay and Collins that this was going to be a good story. Sadly this would be the last full episode that Anneke Wills and Michael Craze would appear in as their final appearance was a pre-filmed scene. I will comment more on their contribution to the story but for this episode it was another strong episode.                                                                 

The Faceless Ones - Episode 1

The Faceless Ones is the final story to feature Anneke Wills and Michael Craze. It’s the first to be written by Maclolm Hulke who would write several Doctor Who stories and also Target novels. It’s also the first six part adventure since Troughton’s first adventure and I’ve gotten use to the four part adventures because they are narratively better. This story takes place in ‘modern’ London although its suppose to take place at the same time as ‘The War Machines’ which would imply that there are two Doctors in the same period of time.

The flying Beastie is a fun line from Jamie as it’s the first time that he’s ever seen a plane as they are about two hundred years in his future. Even though it must have been in London, its never specifically revealed which airport this all happens at but lets assume in just a generic airport. When the Doctor tells the others to scatter its only Ben that runs in the opposite direction to the others and it looks like he’s about to be captured by the police officer but somehow manages to escape. The main villains are a group of people who work in the Chameleon hanger at the airport and instantly there is something strange about them. It gets stranger when we see the hand of someone or something. We don’t get to see them due to some rather ingenious camera angles, the best thing we get is the back of its head which concludes the episode.

It takes less that four minutes for things to go a bit wrong as Polly witnesses some get murdered whilst hiding. She manages to escape and thus starts a process of the Doctor and Jamie trying to convince the Commandant that there has been a murder in the hanger. Most of the episode consists of everyone running all over the airport. It’s quite surprising that even in 1966/67 that there wouldn’t have been police swarming over that airport. I liked the Commandant from the very beginning and thought he had the same sort of toughness that Hobson and General Cutler had. He didn’t have time to deal with any of the nonsense that the Doctor has.

The departures of Ben and Polly are put into motion. Sadly their departure is somewhat badly handled and it isn’t helped by the fact they get they kidnapped by the Chameleon tour people. By the end of the episode, Ben has gone and Polly has been brainwashed so she does back the Doctor and Jamie’s story when they try to explain things to the commandant. It’s clear that the friendship between the Doctor and Jamie has taken hold because theres' a bit where the Doctor and Jamie walk away from a hanger and they are followed by Polly and when she gets taken the Doctor and Jamie just carry on walking and they don’t mention the fact she’s gone until their next scene.

This is a good opening episode. The modern day setting helps create an authentic feel to it and makes it feel more real. This is one of those stories that I have always enjoyed in the past and the first episode backs up that fact. Sadly this story is remembered for the poor way that Ben and Polly are used but there are other things to like in this story and they are all to come over the next five episodes.                                       

The Macra Terror - Episode 4

The final part of Ian Stuart Blacks story which I don’t think is as good as his last story ‘The War Machines’. I have sort of lost track of what’s going on which is a slight worry as it’s been a short story. I think that the despite the advantages of not seeing the Macra (not that many people in the story did either).  The purpose of this episode is obvious. It’s to make sure that the Macra are defeated and do it in a way that doesn’t feel rushed or feel like it’s a bit of a cop-out. The thing that has definelty a theme in this story is the mixed balance of humour and drama.

I love the idea of seeing Jamie’s dance. Considering where he came from the idea that he would be dancing is clearly designed as a comedic moment. Frazer Hines does comedy very well and its moments like this that show why he becomes the much loved personality that he does. It’s only his 12^th episode but he feels like a integral part of the show already. There is a moment that made me chuckle but I’m sure that no one else would have found funny is when something will happen in four minutes and Polly and Jamie both ask “Why four minutes?”. Answer is simple and its because there’s only four minutes and forty seconds of the episode left.

I’m not totally sold on the ending as I feel that we should have got a stronger exit. Ok the colonists are happy that they are free from the Macra and the Doctor has saved the day but it just seems that there could have been a better way for the regulars to depart. It’s becoming a regular thing of them just leaving without a goodbye and I think that its going to be a bug-bear of mine. It’s the weakest episode of the story in my ratings that I do with every episode its currently in 28^th place out of 34 stories. Only the Highlanders and the Smugglers have scored lower ratings which seems right as far as I am concerned. It’s not the worst story and there are some good moments in these four episodes but I think that coming off the heels of ‘The Moonbase’ was always going to be a tough act to follow but its fair to say that ‘The Macra Terror’ is an average story.

The Macra Terror - Episode 3

The third part of this episode continues with Ben still under the influence. After the enjoyable previous episode, it was always going to be tough to get two episodes that are similar in excitement and it’s a sad thing to say that despite some perfectly fine performances, it just feels like they are trying to kill time until the final episode. No one seems to have a particularly impressive episode though it’s Michael Craze who has the best time here as he starts off being possessed and slowly becomes unstable as the hold over him disappears. I love the voice that Craze uses to differentiate the possessed Ben against the normal cockney Ben.  Anneke Wills is not very active in this story and apart from a few moments, Patrick Troughton doesn’t exactly have his best episode ever. There was a fun moment when he works something out whereas its taken the locals years to fail. He has to get rid of his working out like a naughty child has to rub out what he’s done.

Something that stands out for me is the music. It’s becoming more and more annoying and the rather lame songs are becoming more and more tiresome. It feels like some naff 1950’s Holiday camp or even the sort of thing that you would hear in ‘Delta and the Bannermen’. Actually that would have improved that story but that’s a long way down the road.

The ending of the episode is rather good or at least it sounds rather good. Due to the narration links by Anneke Wills the thought of the Macra being very active is something that is quite good to think about. However the realities of the situation is that it probably wouldn’t have looked quite as good. I think that they have taken their foot off the gas a bit and this episode doesn’t quite have the impact that there has been with the previous two so in ratings terms it’s the weakest of the three so far.

The Macra Terror - Episode 2

Another day, another Patrick Troughton adventure and another episode where I have to load up iTunes and see whether enough happens in this story to maintain my interest and whether there would be enough to write down here. My track record with audio only episodes doesn’t suggest this but here we go. I think that we should start off with the rather odd cliffhanger resolvement because I was expecting something more than what we got. Also I must have missed something whilst listening to the previous episode because I was surprised when it was made evident that the existence of the Macra is something that is up for debate.

The true nature of the colony is made abundantly clear when they are trying to brainwash them. Only Ben seems to have been affected by it. It’s great seeing Ben like this as its not something that we would expect his character to do. In fact either Ben or Jamie would have worked because Polly wasn’t quite as convincing way back in ‘The War Machines’. In fact it was only now that I realise that the whole companion under the influence of some other force is similar to War Machines which was written by Ian Stuart Black and so he thought that as it worked there so it would work here.

After the light hearted tone of the previous episode we now have the somewhat more dramatic tone of potential brainwashing and a totalitarian style attitude. The main energy of the episode comes from the fact that Ben seems to be working against the Doctor, Polly and Jamie which isn’t something that would happen normally so something is working against them and that is always fun to watch (or in this case listen to). Normally the fact that this doesn’t exist on video would be a source of great frustration however the thing that I have to bear in mind is that there is a good chance the Macra that appears in this episode (and the other two) would look inferior to the CGI one that we would see in the 2007 episode ‘Gridock’. Sometimes less is more and this is definitely one of those cases. I did like this episode and thought that everyone worked really well in it and Michael Craze got to do something substantial during this 25 minutes and it seems that this story is shaping up nicely which isn’t something that I thought I would be saying but there are still two more episodes to go and a lot can happen in 25 minutes.  

On a side note its another short review.

The Macra Terror - Episode 1

This is sadly another story that doesn’t exist at all. It’s the third story to be written by Ian Stuart Black and at the end of the previous episode we got to see a claw and it would have been nice to see what was on the end of the claw but sadly we won’t be able to. What’s odd when listening to this is that the mystery would have been somewhat subdued due to the rather annoying perky music. The music does have a purpose and that is to help create an atmosphere that immediately looks false. I must say that despite the annoying music, the atmosphere feels different to previous stories as there is a sense that the Doctor and friends have stumbled across a potential revolution. The Doctor and company are so preoccupied with getting a makeover, that the claw almost seems to be forgotten apart from a brief mention when they first land. It’s nearly two thirds into the episode before it’s properly mentioned.

As we don’t have any video evidence of what the Macra look like we are left with the pictures and I was looking at the picture whilst listening to Anneke Wills reading the narration that made this cliffhanger somewhat better than it looked on TV. I suppose that there are some benefits to not having things on TV. The setting is somewhat of a thing for me as I felt that it seemed very similar to The Underwater Menace although its probably a darker setting than Atlantis and more grown-up.

Like the Underwater Menace there is a gentle pace to the first episode. It doesn’t rush itself and I quite like that. Even though there is nothing to look at during this episode the story was working enough to keep my attention and I think that all that stuff to do with them getting a makeover was designed purely to pad the episode out a bit and keep things ticking along before the final stages of the episode. I thought that the regulars all performed well and the supporting cast all did well with what wasn’t the greatest set of supporting characters ever devised. I thought that Gertan Klauber as Ola was a particular highlight and think that we will prove to be quite fun to listen to over the next three episodes. A good opening episode and hopefully listening to this story again will elevate my appreciation. But I’m not holding out much hope though.

The Moonbase - Episode 4

The final part of this adventure starts with the image that we could get on audio and that is of an army of Cybermen walking along the moon. The sight of it is great and the music helps to create a wonderful opening impression. This is the first chance we have to look at the new Cybermen in all their glory. I still maintain the first design is the best look but there is something quite charming about the new look which has a nice mouthpiece where it opens when the words are being spoken, it was the only downside to the first design. It’s good that there more than three Cybermen in this story. If this were a Dalek story then it there would be three Daleks and several cut outs.

The Cybermen are quite resourceful as they use someone who is already infected to try and enable them to divert the relief ship from coming to the moon. Even when things go against them they still try and get into the base. The way that they are defeated is quite good as the gravitron is used against them and the effect of floating Cybermen is a rather well done one and it helps that the background is black so you cant see the string that are being used to pull them up.

I like the moment when the Doctor doesn’t do what the others when the Cybermen are about to fire on the dome. It reminds me of the moment when Hartnell’s Doctor stands defiant against a War Machine. It’s the first time that I have felt we have had the true brilliance of Patrick Troughton’s Doctor. At the end of the episode we get to see them all in their spacesuits for the first time and they are quite funny as they do look a bit silly and it just looks a bit cheap. One of the things that I think is a shame is how little the companions have to do. The most that Polly has to do is play charades with Benoit when they are trying to lower the gravitron and Ben and Jamie just have to run around.

The final scene ends with a  claw appearing on screen and this leading to The Macra Terror. It must have been a good cliffhanger at the time but I just cant help but think that it’s a bit lacklustre. It’s quite good to set up a mystery about what that Claw belongs to. As an episode it’s a very good final episode and uses every possible minute to end the story well. The regulars are good and the supporting cast is also very good here. As a four part episode I think it was just as good as I have thought of it in the past. It’s a great follow up adventure for the Cybermen and their status as second most popular villains in Doctor Who is cemented.

The Moonbase - Episode 3

It’s back to the cd for the third episode. After being impressed with the somewhat claustrophobic feel of the studio its back to try and imagine the same feeling on CD. It’s a shame really that we have to go back to the CD after enjoying the visuals from the previous episode.  The previous episode ended with the cure being found and the Cyberman ending up sneaking into the sick bay. It seems like something goods going to happen in the episode but the waiting goes on and on.

This episode is where we actually get to hear a Cyberman talk and it’s quite different from the first time we saw them. I think that the first look was best but actually the voice is much improved. Their involvement is more noticeable during part three and it seems that there are more of them. It’s great how they are quite – dare I say it – evil. Whereas in The Tenth Planet you could argue that they were at least trying to save their planet, whereas this time there isn’t the chance to make the same argument because they just seem pure evil.

The problem with this episode is that there isn’t much that happens really. In the first part of this story it’s the mystery of whats causing the plague and now that’s been solved it seems like there was an awful amount of waiting around for the Cybermen to get themselves sorted. This is the most active that Jamie has been so far. It comes at the time when Ben, Polly and Jamie try and come up with a way of defeating the Cybermen. Patrick Troughton doesn’t have much to do in this episode so its down to the companions to be the active ones and I like how there is the slightly implication that Jamie might fancy Polly and there is also a moment where Ben and Jamie let their testoerome go overboard and it seems like there might be a fight but this all takes place in one scene.

I don’t quite know whats happened but I find myself not really enjoying this episode as much. I think that the problem is that nothing really happens until the final few minutes when the Cybermen march along the surface of the moon. When episode four starts we will see this in all its glory but sadly despite the wonderful narration of Frazer Hines it’s a somewhat ordinary cliffhanger. It’s back to the DVD tomorrow for the final episode and I still maintain that there is something to enjoy about this story and think that all the elements are there for this to be another solid Cyberman story.

The Moonbase - Episode 2

Today marks the 150^th day into my Doctor Who journey. It’s been a bit of a struggle in recent weeks due to the large number of episodes that doesn’t exist on video or iTunes. My enjoyment continues in episode two and this is where the story really gets going. First thing that I notice on the crew of the Moonbase is the diversity of nationalities that work here. Of course it’s a British man that runs the base but at least Hobson treats the other well and they seem to get on with him and it creates a seemingly strong environment. Hobson is unwilling to believe that the Cybermen are back. Hobson is actually better than General Cutler in The Tenth Planet. In TTP, Cutler is unlikeable because he’s more focused on his son getting back to Earth whereas in this story Hobson is concerned about the entire planet. This atmospheric

There are some things that don’t quite work in this episode. Ben and Polly have become a couple of whingers especially Ben. Polly starts of the episode by screaming. Jamie is still forced to have a fever, he gets a few moments  where he is coherent but to be honest it doesn’t amount to very much. His best moment comes when he is zapped by the Cybermen but is left moments after. Another thing are the spacesuits which will probably be a bit of a repetitive comment as we approach the rest of the Troughton era. The Doctor has some moments of comedy when he’s trying to get samples to test. It’s mixed in with quite serious moments which is what is so good about Troughton’s Doctor. He does the best out of the regulars which might not be such as surprising statement. He acts like the Doctor and he plays it perfectly but with a hint of vulnerability. The Doctor gives his brilliant speech about evil fighting against everything they believe in. Its one of the best speeches in Doctor Who. Everytime that I hear it I think it gets better and its delivered in the same way as the speech that William Hartnell gave in ‘Inside the Spaceship’. He get better when we have the fact that he solves the mystery about what’s causing the black lines and the explanation is quite good as it’s the sugar. It explains why it doesn’t affect everyone.

We get a nice model shot which gives us a great impression that this isn’t just a studio (which obviously it is). There is still a wonderful claustrophobic feel to it despite the vastness of the spaceship. The black and white filming lends a bit of atmosphere to it along with everything else.

The cliffhanger is brilliant. They go from being quite happy that they have found the source of the plague but then it turns to tension when it becomes evident that one of the people lying down is in fact a Cybermen. Quite how half a dozen people managed to miss it I’m not quite sure. However it’s a great scene and the music helps to end the episode on a high. It’s a great episode and I’m really glad that it does exist on DVD.

The Moonbase - Episode 1

I start Episode 1 of The Moonbase the day after it was revealed that 9 episodes of Doctor Who had been found in Nigeria. Sadly it isn’t The Moonbase but I’m in a good mood and I have always liked The Moonbase so it’s a good day to be a Doctor Who fan. This is the first appearance of the Cybermen since they appear in William Hartnell’s final adventure. Amazingly that was only two weeks ago. Like that story this is another of those base under siege stories that I enjoy so much. When the story moves to inside the moonbase there is a drama already in motion. It’s not being caused by the Doctor’s involvement but some other influence.

It’s easy to make the argument that this is The Tenth Planet on the moon but that in itself is not a problem. There is a difference and that is the problems that the moonbase is having. There is the illness. We are reminded several times that the Moonbase is very important to the Earth as it controls the weather and when it goes wrong then the effects on Earth are devastating. Due to the increasing number of people collapsing there is a greater sense of tension as it feels like the base is under attack in a slow but calculated way.

The usual trick of keeping a familiar villain out of shot for as long as possible is used here. It’s 18 minutes before we get an indication of the Cybermen. It must have been a surprise in 1967 and they were used well because the temptation would have been to go a bit overboard upon their return but they have popped up at the right time.

Jamie is given the short straw in this episode as he spends the entire episode asleep and rambling due to concussion. It’s a shame really as he seemed to be developing well after the previous four episodes. It means that Patrick Troughton, Anneke Wills and Michael Craze get to do their thing with the regulars and Polly did seem to be playing nurse which is a waste really but the alternative is that she would be filling the screen and doing nothing in the process.

It’s a atmospheric setting opening episode. It does what an opening should do and its got the added bonus of being a base under siege story which I love. The cliffhanger was slightly disappointing as I think that when I stick episode two on the DVD tomorrow this ending might make more sense but as it is this ending is the weakest part of the episode.

The Underwater Menace - Episode 4

Nothing in the world can stop him now…except for the lack of videos.  Before this episode I must say that I just cant find it in myself to dislike this adventure despite some of the problems that there are with it. This is one of those stories that I wish existed in full now that lost episodes have been found (though rumblings suggest this isn’t the case). I think that this episode would have looked quite good. Judging by the sounds that is on this part it seems that this final episode could have been quite the fitting end to the story. The final episode sees Zaroff’s plan of trying to raise Atlantis come to fruition and also the Doctors plan to try and flood the place.

The central performances are all pretty solid. Troughton is a good as he always is (hard to believe this is only his 10^th episode as the Doctor). Anneke Wills and Michael Craze come across as the old pros and at this moment in time they are the longest serving regulars in the TARDIS crew and it shows because they act like they have been doing this for a long time. There’s a lovely moment when Jamie calms Polly down who has just gone a bit hysterical. It’s a moment which I wouldn’t have thought would have happened in the previous story and it shows that the character had well and truly become part of the show.

Aside from the great performances, a major factor as to why I like these four episodes so much is that the story and dialogue has been really good. This was Geoffrey Orme’s only contribution to Doctor Who and it’s a shame really because he’s managed to take a situation like Atlantis and take some silly costumes and yet manage to give a great vibe is a testament to the writer.

The final scene is a rather good one as they seem to quite a happy family and it ends on a good note and a good cliffhanger and as an episode I have enjoyed it despite feeling that it was starting to run out of steam in the middle. But four episodes is the right length and it’s a solid story with good characters and also it shows that the Troughton era has put some new life into Doctor Who and the stuttering start at the beginning of the series is a distant memory.

The Underwater Menace - Episode 3

Ah at last! For the first time since The Tenth Planet Episode 3, I get to put a Doctor Who disc in my DVD player and instantly there’s a problem because it’s a lot of people in wetsuits. Though at least we get to see Patrick Troughton. We also get to see the surrounding that the new TARDIS crew find themselves in and its just nice to see Doctor Who. This episode starts off quite well as The Doctor is about to be beheaded within the first 5 minutes but the way that he gets out of it is quite clever and it allows Ben to do something clever and heroic.

I’ve just noticed that the actor playing Cyril in ‘The Celestial Toymaker’ makes a return here. Also King Thous is a familiar face as he appears in ‘Invasion of the Dinosaurs’. I also recognised Colin Jeavons who plays Damon in this story and played Tim Stamper in the BBC version of House of Cards.

Some of the problems with this story are noticeable in this episode. The fish people are a stupidly named group of people and look just as bad. Credit to the people playing the fish people because they have to give up their dignity to play this stupid role. Then there is the market scene where they are trying to kidnap Zaroff. The music is repetitive and annoying. Though it’s the most crowded scene I think there has been in Doctor Who. It’s hard to take the situation seriously when people are dressed so badly.  It’s one of the few good things about listening to it on CD.

There is a slightly boring scene where the fish people are…. Well I don’t know what they are doing becase its so boring. It lasts for too long and doesn’t really achieve anything. Another silly moment is when Polly becomes a bit dim when she falls for Zaroff’s acting.  One final bit comes at the end when Zaroff is firing a gun and its clear that nothing comes out of it but due to the acting it seems a bit silly really. Despite the things that are wrong with this episode, its hard to actually find anything bad to really say about it. It find myself feeling quite positive towards it. It’s a credit to the performances that I find myself not instantly giving up on it. I know that it’s back to the cd tomorrow and that there is one episode left but it’s shaping up to be a good story.

The Underwater Meance - Episode 2

I was disappointed slightly today as I thought that Episode 2 had been released on DVD already but apparently it won’t be released until 2014. So for the 13^th episode in a row I am having to listen to my CD. It’s clear that Zaroff’s idea of trying to raise Atlantis isn’t necessarily a bad idea but what the Doctor objects to is the harm it will cause. The plan is hard to fault until you realise that Zaroff is barking mad and wants to show off to the rest of the world. Still hard to believe that its 1970 though. I suppose a normal person wouldn’t be focused on that and instead but instead of the two story strands going on.

Unfortunately this is where the silliness of the situation overcomes the seriousness of the previous episode. Thankfully there isn’t that much of it and what we do have instead is a perfectly fine episode which has some perfectly fine performances. It’s a shame still that we cant see it yet but with the news of a great deal of episodes found by the BBC there is hope that these episodes are found because I think that this episode would quite a enjoyable one to see. The central performances are quite good and it seems like they all have good stuff to do and the crowded TARDIS hasn’t affected anyone yet. Troughton has well and truly got the handle on the character and I’m surprised at how quickly it seems that this current TARDIS crew have become so good so quick.

As an episode its quite good but that’s because it manages to continue at the same pace as the previous episode instead of starting from a high point like in previous stories. I still struggle to review these sort of episodes because I have nothing to really look at apart from a couple of telesnaps and I am getting slightly bored of that. Thankfully we have an episode to look at tomorrow.

The Underwater Menace - Episode 1

As I listen to this episode there have been those rumours again that over 100 lost episodes of Doctor Who have been found and so there is a possibility that soon I could actually see this story but for now I will have to put up with the narration from Anneke Willis (as the announcer at the very beginning announces). This is the first episode for Jamie in the TARDIS and his initial reaction to what is going on is a nice relieve after the suspicions that we have had from Ben, Polly and Steven in the past. He doesn’t seem to be the Jamie we know yet but it’s like he’s been left to run free in a sweet shop and he’s a bit unsure of things. This is what happens when you take the boy out of 1749. It’s the most crowded that the TARDIS has been since The Chase when there was Ian, Barbara and Vicki. It’s a question as to whether they are used to right to see whether the TARDIS will be too crowded yet.

Apparently the regulars arrival was expected which was something that happened in ‘The Savages’. Yet this story is better than The Savages (just). The story starts off with them trying to figure out the time was quite fun because Polly bases her assumption on a Mexico Olympics souvenir so assuming that its after 1968. If a story is being set on Atlantis then you would expect it to be in the past not just three years after this story was transmitted.

Zaroff is a character that is one of the few good things about this story. From the moment he is involved in the story he is great. He even has a pet octopus. How much better could you get. Joseph Furst is one of those actors that can chew up the scenery yet still be a great presence on the screen as everyone is taking it serious. Zaroff wants to use his scientific knowledge to help raise Atlantis which is quite an ambitious plan even though he is crazy.

At the end of the episode Polly is about to meet a quite grim end. In those days you wouldn’t know whether a regular would make it and based on what happened to Katarina and Sara, anything is possible. It was an ok opening episode. It does seem that the crowded TARDIS isn’t going to be an issue at the moment because everyone seems to be having enough to do to keep them from looking like a spare part. Tomorrow’s episode is a DVD one yipeeeee. I’ve gotten use to just listening to a story and what this episode has over previous opening episodes is that starts off quietly and not with a bang. By the end of the episode it seems like it has picked up speed and it bodes well for the rest of the series.

 

The Highlanders - Episode 4

Right lets get this final episode out of the way. It seems like an awfully long time ago since that promising opening episode. It’s probably fair to blame the lack of visual for my lack of interest but actually that would exonerate the writers which would be too good for them. The Highlanders is a terrible story though certainly not as bad as other stories I have mentioned previously. Thankfully the episodes in this story are only 25 minutes long because it meant that we are spared anymore torture of a rather tedious historical adventure.
There is nothing more that I could say about this story because there is nothing more than happens. This is the last pure historical adventure until 1982’s Black Orchid so at least there is sometime to go before we go back into this territory. I cant even comment about the regulars (minus Jamie) because I don’t really recall what happened. No one gets a good amount to do in this story and it seems like Patrick Troughton features very little in this but to be honest I don’t recall much and I am not willing to listen to it again.

The final few minutes were the only good things in the episode. The historical stuff had been dealt with and I couldn’t care less about that but it was how they were going to include Jamie on board the TARDIS. It falls to Polly to do the ‘hang on a minute’ thing which is a fair enough thing considering that Frazer Hines hasn’t exactly been used well in the four episodes and if you didn’t know better then you would be totally surprised and somewhat underwhelmed. I love that the only condition the Doctor has for letting Jamie join them is that he teaches him the bagpipes.

It’s interesting to note that at this moment in time, episode four of The Highlanders is ranked 143^rd out 144. Only The Web Planet – Escape to Danger scored a worst rating. Though the ratings have been on a downwards spiral, in terms of stories its currently 29^th out of 31 with The Web Planet and The Myth Makers getting a worst score. It’s a fair result because as much as I have found the last two episode really boring I cant say that I think that the story is worst story. There is enough goodwill from the fact we have a new Doctor that means I just don’t have it in me to be totally down on this story.

The Highlanders - Episode 3

The third episode starts is where any goodwill that I had for this story has well and truly gone because this is another episode where nothing really happens. It’s so lacking in anything resembling a plot that when the cliffhanger did come I was more surprised than engaged with the adventure. I really couldn’t tell you what happened in this episode because it was so lacking in life that it’s really hard to find anything to say. It must be said that it’s not 9 episodes without seeing an episode. There are some good things to like about this story/episode and it’s that the regulars are settling in well. I think that Patrick Troughton does come across as the Doctor. Even Anneke Wills and Michael Craze seem to do well in this episode but Anneke Wills has gone backwards after the impressive episode we got last time. Jamie is the biggest disappointment in this episode as he should really be more involved in the story than he is considering he’s about to join the TARDIS. Even the supporting cast don’t really seem to be doing much and despite a bit of interest about Ben being sold into slavery it seems like Gerry Davis is just counting down the minutes to the final episode.

I have struggled in recent days to find something substantial to write because without being able to see it it becomes hard to get really involved in the story but what makes it harder is that it’s a historical and its becoming more obvious that historicals are somewhat dull and its easy to see why they were fazed out. Episode three is arguably the worst episode of the Troughton era so far and of series four.

The Highlanders - Episode 2

The second part of this historical adventure is where it goes off the rails a bit. It’s a bit deceptive because when it starts it does so quite well. Unusually the episode starts with Polly and she gets a nice chunk of the action. I’ve commented on the fact that it seems the Doctor and Ben have been in the limelight and I’ve been worried that Polly is going to be the new Vicki or Susan. Jamie, Ben and the Doctor take a back seat in the early part and its good how after several episodes of being on the side-lines, she finally gets to be entertaining. It’s not just a small 5 minute bit of fluff but actually shows the character in a positive light. The Doctor seems to having a whale of a time with his hysterical German accent.  But apart from that he has a somewhat light episode.

This is the ninth episode in a row now that is missing from the archives. Thought I should provide a counter just in case you had lost count. As you can imagine I am waffling because it’s a bit hard to get excited when there isn’t much to get excited about.

Despite the positive start to the episode, it goes a bit dull in the last half. It’s quickly turned into a rather dull historical story which is a shame considering how much I enjoyed the first episode but whilst nothing of any note happens its far from being a disaster. It’s certainly not as bad as any of the Myth Maker episodes or even The Web Planet but that is more to do with the central characters and Jamie (not ready to call him a regular yet).

The Highlanders - Episode 1

The Highlanders is the first story to feature James Robert McCrimmon. A character that would stay with the show until the final episode in Patrick Troughton’s era. Sadly the Highlanders is a historical adventure and its not a part of history that I’m aware of. The initial scene where Jamie first meets the Doctor, Ben and Polly is quite an interesting one. When you think about the friendship between Jamie and the Doctor and to a lesser extent with Ben and Polly, this scene doesn’t seem quite right but its suitable to this early part of the episode. The story moves along at a good pace and the inevitable happens and the Doctor is confused as a Doctor which is the second time in a row that he’s been taken for someone else.

In his first episode, Frazer Hines has somewhat of a understated debut. Hines’ contract was for three more serials yet the emphasis on the story isn’t on Jamie. In his first scene he is almost unlikeable which shows what a turnaround the character achieves in future stories. I do think that Anneke Wills and Michael Craze start off quite well in this episode but then they seem to fade into the background. Unusually I found the supporting characters to be quite interesting which hasn’t happened often in a historical story. I think that as the history is done in somewhat of an interesting manner, it means that the characters and the story are used well.

I hate to admit it but this four part adventure might not be as bad as I first thought. I still have reservations about historical story bit I think that its this sort of story (in other words a non Dalek story) that will determine whether the show will work and its looking good. The fact that this is yet another full story that doesn’t exist on video is a sad thing to think of. By the end of this story, out of 10 episodes so far to feature Troughton as the Doctor, no episodes exist. Shocking really. Patrick Troughton has bedded down in the character and the comedic side to it has been somewhat watered down.

The Power of the Daleks: Episode 6

The final episode is where the Daleks finally get their master plan underway. It may not be quite a master plan but it’s a pretty close second. Due to the Daleks, I had almost forgotten about the rebels and the colonists. The previous five episodes have been slowly building up to what the Daleks are doing that its felt like the colonists have been a distraction to the whole thing. It gets dealt with in a satisfactory manner but I would be lying if I said that I cared about them. I know I keep going on about him but I think that Lesterson is a great character in this story and in a scene that he with the Doctor he talks like he has genuinely lost his mind.

In this episode we finally get a bit of what the Daleks do so well. By that I mean exterminating people without bias or thought. They aren’t doing what they normally do which is invade a place because they are trying to just survive and so that is why it’s one of the best Dalek stories because they are being used in a good and effective way.

Valmar is an annoying character. It’s the first and only time that I’ve noticed him and he has still managed to annoy me. After the Daleks have been defeated, all he’s worried about the power. Like Ben says, its not like they should have had bunting or a huge party but something a bit more than what Valmar did. This sums up what I think of the colonists. The ending of the story came at just the right time and it felt like the story wasn’t being padded which is surprising considering it’s a six part adventure.

The thing that has been consistent in this entire story is that it ends on a brilliant cliffhanger. This episode is now exception. The Dalek lifting its eyestalk was a brilliant way to end the episode. It’s a nice little reminder that the Daleks are never really defeated and that they would be back soon. It’s also a nice sign about the show that the show will survive. Six episodes since we last saw William Hartnell and despite a few wobbles in certain areas, the show looks like it’s been given a new lease of life by doing the extremely risky thing of changing the lead actor.

I’ve been listening to the Anneke Wills narrated version of this story and I haven’t commented on just how good Wills is whilst reading the links. Being a fan of hers during her Companion Chronicle readings, she reads it wonderfully and when the situation calls for its changes her style and helps build the tension. This episode has been quite an action packed one and it is the thing that makes it even more frustrating that the episode is lost.

As a six part adventure it  does its job very well. It introduces Patrick Troughton and he’s passed the ultimate test and defeated the Daleks in a manner that William Hartnell would do. It would have been better as a four part adventure but it is what it is and there have been some instances where it has quite worked and I include the use of Ben and Polly but apart from that it’s a fine story and Patrick Troughton IS the Doctor.