So it's parte The Seconde of the dreaded Trial Of A Time Lord, and matters are not improving. In fact, the chances of The Doctor getting off scott free with just a slap on the wrist are about as strong as a train timetable running on time in the middle of a snow storm.
The Valeyard's decided to up his game considerably with his most damning evidence yet. In other words, it's Philip Martin's second contribution to the show, which also goes by the name of Mindwarp. The story's a sort of loose sequel to his Vengeance On Varos – not only does it boast the return of slimy Sil, the action takes place on the gurgling one's home planet of Thoros Beta.
So having got back from my local optician with a complementary supply of eye drops, how does Mindwarp fare in the much debated season 23? It's a story...
The Valeyard's decided to up his game considerably with his most damning evidence yet. In other words, it's Philip Martin's second contribution to the show, which also goes by the name of Mindwarp. The story's a sort of loose sequel to his Vengeance On Varos – not only does it boast the return of slimy Sil, the action takes place on the gurgling one's home planet of Thoros Beta.
So having got back from my local optician with a complementary supply of eye drops, how does Mindwarp fare in the much debated season 23? It's a story...
- 2/28/2011
- Shadowlocked
Vengeance On Varos is one heck of a scary tale. Not terrifying monster scary - we have a revolting green slug thing who's probably more amusing than terrifying - but scary as in how prophetic Philip Martin's story is.
Vengeance revolves around a bleak Orwellian society that is dependent on TV. Not just any old TV, but the most sadistic form of entertainment that you can get. Torture. Blindness. Acid baths. Men in nappies. It's all to be found on the TV channels on Varos, and those are just the ones that we either see or hear about. Presumably, there's other classics such as Strictly Come Dismembering, The Axe Factor and Masterdeath to be lapped up by the Varosian masses. What's worse though is that practically every programme has a punch-in vote, right down to the Governor's broadcasts. It's simple - the Governor of Varos makes a broadcast announcing...
Vengeance revolves around a bleak Orwellian society that is dependent on TV. Not just any old TV, but the most sadistic form of entertainment that you can get. Torture. Blindness. Acid baths. Men in nappies. It's all to be found on the TV channels on Varos, and those are just the ones that we either see or hear about. Presumably, there's other classics such as Strictly Come Dismembering, The Axe Factor and Masterdeath to be lapped up by the Varosian masses. What's worse though is that practically every programme has a punch-in vote, right down to the Governor's broadcasts. It's simple - the Governor of Varos makes a broadcast announcing...
- 2/9/2011
- Shadowlocked
Humour. Where would we be without it? Blackadder, The Goodies and Miranda have this in abundance. Mork from Ork swears by it. Frankie Boyle hasn't found its meaning yet.
And humour is one of the cornerstones of all good Doctor Who. Think of some of the most popular Doctors - Tom Baker, Patrick Troughton, David Tennant - their Doctors are known for quirky humour. A good chunk of the show's stories contain several killer funny lines that could slot comfortably in any comedy show.
Mind you, when we think of humour in Doctor Who, the 5th Doctor and Christopher Hamilton Bidmead are not the first names to leap off the tongue. Peter Davison himself is the king of the DVD commentary, always chipping in with a sly wisecrack about any aspect of the story, but sadly he was never really allowed to display his wry humour in his tales. As for Bidmead,...
And humour is one of the cornerstones of all good Doctor Who. Think of some of the most popular Doctors - Tom Baker, Patrick Troughton, David Tennant - their Doctors are known for quirky humour. A good chunk of the show's stories contain several killer funny lines that could slot comfortably in any comedy show.
Mind you, when we think of humour in Doctor Who, the 5th Doctor and Christopher Hamilton Bidmead are not the first names to leap off the tongue. Peter Davison himself is the king of the DVD commentary, always chipping in with a sly wisecrack about any aspect of the story, but sadly he was never really allowed to display his wry humour in his tales. As for Bidmead,...
- 1/26/2011
- Shadowlocked
How appropriate that Arc Of Infinity is set in Amsterdam, since the whole thing's Double Dutch.
Arc Of Infinity was the first story of season 20, a clutch of stories that was designed to feature various friends and foes from The Doctor's past. A nice idea in theory - in practice it got a little botched. For one thing, the Dalek story planned to wrap up the season was postponed until the next one. The Mara had only been in the previous season, while the Guardians hardly featured in the much-anticipated Guardian trilogy. A bit of a con overall, especially since only two stories - Mawdryn Undead and Arc Of Infinity - heavily drew on the show's history.
What's more of a shame is that Arc Of Infinity isn't much cop. It's a casualty of one of the eccentric shopping lists that John Nathan Turner insisted on giving to his writers.
Arc Of Infinity was the first story of season 20, a clutch of stories that was designed to feature various friends and foes from The Doctor's past. A nice idea in theory - in practice it got a little botched. For one thing, the Dalek story planned to wrap up the season was postponed until the next one. The Mara had only been in the previous season, while the Guardians hardly featured in the much-anticipated Guardian trilogy. A bit of a con overall, especially since only two stories - Mawdryn Undead and Arc Of Infinity - heavily drew on the show's history.
What's more of a shame is that Arc Of Infinity isn't much cop. It's a casualty of one of the eccentric shopping lists that John Nathan Turner insisted on giving to his writers.
- 1/3/2011
- Shadowlocked
A couple of years ago, Doctor Who Magazine ran a contest in which you could win the chance to commentate on an episode of Survival. Foolishly, I decided to enter with a less than glowing review of Black Orchid. Needless to say, it didn't win, for one of the possible reasons. A) Peter Davison et al came up with a more scathing review on the accompanying DVD commentary; B) 200 words isn't enough for me to write everything I want, since there's more waffle in my writing than the entire output of Bird's Eye; and C) It was rubbish anyway.
Another potential reason is that in theory, Black Orchid shouldn't warrant such harsh criticism. It's a mid-season diversion with a down time, holiday feel – Doctor and co travel back to the Roaring 20s to play cricket, eat food and dance at the swanky Cranleigh abode. That's all.
But then having seen the thing again,...
Another potential reason is that in theory, Black Orchid shouldn't warrant such harsh criticism. It's a mid-season diversion with a down time, holiday feel – Doctor and co travel back to the Roaring 20s to play cricket, eat food and dance at the swanky Cranleigh abode. That's all.
But then having seen the thing again,...
- 12/27/2010
- Shadowlocked
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