Can you feel that? A great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cancelled their BritBox subscriptions.
Yes, the BBC is finally preparing to do what we have wanted them to do all along and drop 800 episodes of Doctor Who plus extras onto iPlayer, where anyone in the UK with a TV licence can see them at any time.
And now it’s your job to watch them all. The question is, in what order should you watch them? Well, there are several options, depending on just how much damage you want to do to your brain when you attempt this.
Easy Mode: Start With the Accessible Stuff and Work Down
Doctor Who has been many different shows over its 60-year history, and not all of those shows will appeal to different people. If this is your first time approaching the classic series after developing a love...
Yes, the BBC is finally preparing to do what we have wanted them to do all along and drop 800 episodes of Doctor Who plus extras onto iPlayer, where anyone in the UK with a TV licence can see them at any time.
And now it’s your job to watch them all. The question is, in what order should you watch them? Well, there are several options, depending on just how much damage you want to do to your brain when you attempt this.
Easy Mode: Start With the Accessible Stuff and Work Down
Doctor Who has been many different shows over its 60-year history, and not all of those shows will appeal to different people. If this is your first time approaching the classic series after developing a love...
- 10/12/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
In terms of baseline quality, the Seventies is probably the most consistent Doctor Who has been until the 21st Century. There’s a classic story in nearly every season, and fondly-thought-of stories throughout. The long-list for this one was very long, the certainty of not including someone’s favourite even more certain than usual.
Producer Barry Letts and Script Editor Terrance Dicks took a show with the potential for cancellation and moved it from Quatermass homage to the cosiest of nightmare fuel: a family show on and off-screen with the reassuringly haughty Jon Pertwee ruffling hearts and minds at the head of a regular ensemble cast.
After five seasons the family was breaking up, and the show was revitalised by incoming Producer Philip Hinchcliffe and Script Editor Robert Holmes. Aiming at an older audience (Holmes in The Daily Express in 1977: ‘I wouldn’t let any child under ten see...
Producer Barry Letts and Script Editor Terrance Dicks took a show with the potential for cancellation and moved it from Quatermass homage to the cosiest of nightmare fuel: a family show on and off-screen with the reassuringly haughty Jon Pertwee ruffling hearts and minds at the head of a regular ensemble cast.
After five seasons the family was breaking up, and the show was revitalised by incoming Producer Philip Hinchcliffe and Script Editor Robert Holmes. Aiming at an older audience (Holmes in The Daily Express in 1977: ‘I wouldn’t let any child under ten see...
- 11/27/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
It’s rare for someone to like all of Doctor Who. A fan may find some of it to have the occasional redeeming feature, but just doesn’t find it entertaining as a whole. On occasion, a run of stories isn’t what they want from Doctor Who. Fortunately the show has a solution to this: Doctor Who changes.
This has been said often enough that it feels like background noise but it’s worth stressing. Different people have made Doctor Who up as they went along, responding to different contexts as best they can. It’s unlikely you’re going to enjoy all of it, but on the bright side, the show always has been and will be different.
Depending on the role played by the BBC, the transition between production teams can be uneven. The change from producer Philip Hinchcliffe to Graham Williams in 1977 wasn’t helped by...
This has been said often enough that it feels like background noise but it’s worth stressing. Different people have made Doctor Who up as they went along, responding to different contexts as best they can. It’s unlikely you’re going to enjoy all of it, but on the bright side, the show always has been and will be different.
Depending on the role played by the BBC, the transition between production teams can be uneven. The change from producer Philip Hinchcliffe to Graham Williams in 1977 wasn’t helped by...
- 5/14/2020
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
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The 1990s Doctor Who spin-off movie Downtime – starring Nicholas Courtney and Elisabeth Sladen - is finally getting a disc release…
Good news, everyone! The 1996 Doctor Who spin-off film Downtime is finally getting a DVD release. It’ll arrive on disc next month, on Monday the 16th of November, to be precise.
If you’re unfamiliar, this is a 70-minute story that brought back classic era Doctor Who characters including Nicholas Courtney’s Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Elisabeth Sladen’s Sarah Jane Smith, Deborah Watling’s Victoria Waterfield and Jack Watling’s Professor Edward Travers.
There’s just one catch, though – Downtime was made by Reeltime Pictures, not the BBC. Although regular Doctor Who director Christopher Barry called the shots, the BBC didn’t grant Downtime a licence to include the Doctor, or even reference him directly. Still, it has a soft spot in many fan’s hearts, not least for introducing Kate Lethbridge-Stewart,...
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The 1990s Doctor Who spin-off movie Downtime – starring Nicholas Courtney and Elisabeth Sladen - is finally getting a disc release…
Good news, everyone! The 1996 Doctor Who spin-off film Downtime is finally getting a DVD release. It’ll arrive on disc next month, on Monday the 16th of November, to be precise.
If you’re unfamiliar, this is a 70-minute story that brought back classic era Doctor Who characters including Nicholas Courtney’s Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Elisabeth Sladen’s Sarah Jane Smith, Deborah Watling’s Victoria Waterfield and Jack Watling’s Professor Edward Travers.
There’s just one catch, though – Downtime was made by Reeltime Pictures, not the BBC. Although regular Doctor Who director Christopher Barry called the shots, the BBC didn’t grant Downtime a licence to include the Doctor, or even reference him directly. Still, it has a soft spot in many fan’s hearts, not least for introducing Kate Lethbridge-Stewart,...
- 10/20/2015
- by rleane
- Den of Geek
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
As you may have heard on recent podKasts, the man who helped make Tom Baker the Doctor comes to Manchester’s Fab CAFÉ on Sunday, October 4th! Fans are in for a treat with a rare chance to meet Doctor Who Producer Philip Hinchcliffe. Philip was part of the team that cast Tom Baker when he was...
The post Don’t Miss Philip Hinchcliffe at the Fab Cafe on October 4th! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
As you may have heard on recent podKasts, the man who helped make Tom Baker the Doctor comes to Manchester’s Fab CAFÉ on Sunday, October 4th! Fans are in for a treat with a rare chance to meet Doctor Who Producer Philip Hinchcliffe. Philip was part of the team that cast Tom Baker when he was...
The post Don’t Miss Philip Hinchcliffe at the Fab Cafe on October 4th! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 9/21/2015
- by Christian Cawley
- Kasterborous.com
Alex Kingston’s River Song will join Paul McGann’s 8th Doctor for a new audio adventure with Big Finish. Also, Churchill is back...
Exciting news here – the rumoured return for River Song to Doctor Who has been confirmed, but not in the way you might expect. Alex Kingston’s character won’t be teaming up with Peter Capaldi on TV, but instead joining Paul McGann in the audio world of Big Finish.
River will join the eighth Doctor, as well as his companions Liv (Nicola Walker) and Helen (Hattie Morahan) for Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 2. Seeing as this Doctor hasn’t met River yet (David Tennant’s version, in Silence In The Library, was the first to meet her), River will have to help him without revealing too much about herself.
“The idea of River meeting previous Doctors was actually proposed by Steven Moffat,” producer David Richardson said.
Exciting news here – the rumoured return for River Song to Doctor Who has been confirmed, but not in the way you might expect. Alex Kingston’s character won’t be teaming up with Peter Capaldi on TV, but instead joining Paul McGann in the audio world of Big Finish.
River will join the eighth Doctor, as well as his companions Liv (Nicola Walker) and Helen (Hattie Morahan) for Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 2. Seeing as this Doctor hasn’t met River yet (David Tennant’s version, in Silence In The Library, was the first to meet her), River will have to help him without revealing too much about herself.
“The idea of River meeting previous Doctors was actually proposed by Steven Moffat,” producer David Richardson said.
- 6/29/2015
- by rleane
- Den of Geek
Jemma Redgrave will return as Kate Stewart for Big Finish’s audio Doctor Who spin-off Unit: Extinction…
Good news, Whovians – Kate Stewart is getting her own Big Finish audio series, we’ve learnt today. That’s right, the daughter of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Head Of Scientific Research at the Unified Intelligence Taskforce is set to headline her own adventures.
These adventures will be dubbed Unit: Extinction and will see Jemma Redgrave return to the role that she has played several times on the small screen (most recently in the Doctor Who series 8 finale, Death In Heaven).
Since making her debut in The Power Of Three, otherwise a not-particularly-revered instalment, Redgrave’s Kate has become something of a fan favourite, thanks to her authoritative performance and the character’s links to Who lore. This combined with Big Finish's sterling reputation has our confidence levels nice and high.
Interestingly, the first box...
Good news, Whovians – Kate Stewart is getting her own Big Finish audio series, we’ve learnt today. That’s right, the daughter of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Head Of Scientific Research at the Unified Intelligence Taskforce is set to headline her own adventures.
These adventures will be dubbed Unit: Extinction and will see Jemma Redgrave return to the role that she has played several times on the small screen (most recently in the Doctor Who series 8 finale, Death In Heaven).
Since making her debut in The Power Of Three, otherwise a not-particularly-revered instalment, Redgrave’s Kate has become something of a fan favourite, thanks to her authoritative performance and the character’s links to Who lore. This combined with Big Finish's sterling reputation has our confidence levels nice and high.
Interestingly, the first box...
- 2/10/2015
- by rleane
- Den of Geek
BBC
Running from 1975 to 1977, the Hinchcliffe era was a perfect and passionate storm, the result of visionary minds pushing against each other to create something they collectively believed in. It is largely because of this era that Doctor Who came to be an icon of science-fiction because it had created the icon of itself with the first three names you’d choose in their respective fields behind it. Actor Tom Baker, script editor Robert Holmes and of course, producer Philip Hinchcliffe.
As their first story, The Ark in Space, celebrates its fortieth birthday, it would be suitable to honour this golden age with a retrospective of all 16 stories. These stories sought to distance themselves from the outlandish action adventure stylings of the Pertwee years and focus on atmosphere through world building and good acting (which often was the case in this era).
These stories ended up being written as a family show…...
Running from 1975 to 1977, the Hinchcliffe era was a perfect and passionate storm, the result of visionary minds pushing against each other to create something they collectively believed in. It is largely because of this era that Doctor Who came to be an icon of science-fiction because it had created the icon of itself with the first three names you’d choose in their respective fields behind it. Actor Tom Baker, script editor Robert Holmes and of course, producer Philip Hinchcliffe.
As their first story, The Ark in Space, celebrates its fortieth birthday, it would be suitable to honour this golden age with a retrospective of all 16 stories. These stories sought to distance themselves from the outlandish action adventure stylings of the Pertwee years and focus on atmosphere through world building and good acting (which often was the case in this era).
These stories ended up being written as a family show…...
- 2/5/2015
- by Luke Williams
- Obsessed with Film
BBC/Disney
When the first Star Wars film was released in 1977, the Doctor Who production team were thrown for the proverbial loop. Producer Graham Williams, who had just taken over from Philip Hinchcliffe, looked at the ground-breaking effects in the film and was concerned his own programme might no longer be able to compete. The audience expectations of what constituted a convincing alien environment had changed massively thanks to the new techniques in the blockbuster film.
Although Star Wars came out during May 1977 in the United States, the theatrical release in the UK occurred in December, meaning that film goers were thrilling to the exploits of Luke Skywalker at roughly the same time the Doctor was battling an alien tax collector in The Sun Makers and was wandering around exceptionally dodgy tunnels in Underworld. By February 1978, matters had hardly improved with Sontarans wearing unusually poor masks invading Gallifrey in The Invasion of Time.
When the first Star Wars film was released in 1977, the Doctor Who production team were thrown for the proverbial loop. Producer Graham Williams, who had just taken over from Philip Hinchcliffe, looked at the ground-breaking effects in the film and was concerned his own programme might no longer be able to compete. The audience expectations of what constituted a convincing alien environment had changed massively thanks to the new techniques in the blockbuster film.
Although Star Wars came out during May 1977 in the United States, the theatrical release in the UK occurred in December, meaning that film goers were thrilling to the exploits of Luke Skywalker at roughly the same time the Doctor was battling an alien tax collector in The Sun Makers and was wandering around exceptionally dodgy tunnels in Underworld. By February 1978, matters had hardly improved with Sontarans wearing unusually poor masks invading Gallifrey in The Invasion of Time.
- 1/5/2015
- by Mike Morgan
- Obsessed with Film
The directors of Doctor Who's latest series brought back the scares in a big way. Well, fear is a superpower...
Warning: contains spoilers for every episode of the eighth series of Doctor Who.
We were promised back in August that the Peter Capaldi era of Doctor Who would mark a departure from the adventurous fairy tale approach of Matt Smith's run.
“Darker” and “edgier” are buzz words that have been applied to countless Hollywood sequels, but the eighth series actually lived up to that promise and by September, the tabloid press were dispensing think-pieces about whether or not it had become too scary for children (“scary” here standing in for “complicated” in Smith's era and “heretical” when David Tennant got a lift off a couple of angel robots in Voyage Of The Damned.)
All moral panics aside, this series brought back the scares in a big, bad way.
Warning: contains spoilers for every episode of the eighth series of Doctor Who.
We were promised back in August that the Peter Capaldi era of Doctor Who would mark a departure from the adventurous fairy tale approach of Matt Smith's run.
“Darker” and “edgier” are buzz words that have been applied to countless Hollywood sequels, but the eighth series actually lived up to that promise and by September, the tabloid press were dispensing think-pieces about whether or not it had become too scary for children (“scary” here standing in for “complicated” in Smith's era and “heretical” when David Tennant got a lift off a couple of angel robots in Voyage Of The Damned.)
All moral panics aside, this series brought back the scares in a big, bad way.
- 11/10/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Rebecca Crockett is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
The world of the Whoniverse is an ever-growing thing. We’re lucky enough right now to not only be getting brand new episodes of the show but there are always new books and audio stories to help fill the time between series. One night you can be in the world of the new Twelfth Doctor and
The post New Podcast Previews Big Finish’s Philip Hinchcliffe Presents appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
The world of the Whoniverse is an ever-growing thing. We’re lucky enough right now to not only be getting brand new episodes of the show but there are always new books and audio stories to help fill the time between series. One night you can be in the world of the new Twelfth Doctor and
The post New Podcast Previews Big Finish’s Philip Hinchcliffe Presents appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 9/2/2014
- by Rebecca Crockett
- Kasterborous.com
Andrew argues that Doctor Who series 8 could do worse than look to Hinchcliffe/Holmes story The Ark in Space for inspiration...
4C or not 4C? (Yes, it's a cryptic start, but frankly we don't have enough production code puns on the website). Let us speculate, just for a change, about what series eight of Doctor Who holds in store.
Is Peter Capaldi's Twelth Doctor going to be a less risky version of the Sixth? Initially unlikeable, but with the audience warming to him as he progresses?
Is Clara going to become a more rounded character, with the writers raising their game to reflect the quality of Jenna Coleman's performance?
Will you read a comment along the lines of 'Actually there were twenty six seasons of Doctor Who already, so I don't see why you're referring to it as “series eight”'?
Maybe, maybe, and yes.
For those of...
4C or not 4C? (Yes, it's a cryptic start, but frankly we don't have enough production code puns on the website). Let us speculate, just for a change, about what series eight of Doctor Who holds in store.
Is Peter Capaldi's Twelth Doctor going to be a less risky version of the Sixth? Initially unlikeable, but with the audience warming to him as he progresses?
Is Clara going to become a more rounded character, with the writers raising their game to reflect the quality of Jenna Coleman's performance?
Will you read a comment along the lines of 'Actually there were twenty six seasons of Doctor Who already, so I don't see why you're referring to it as “series eight”'?
Maybe, maybe, and yes.
For those of...
- 7/30/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Andrew examines what it really means for Capaldi era Doctor Who to be described as going 'back to basics'...
Feature
“It seems to me the episodes that we're doing now seem more like classic Who. We're going back to that style.”
So says Ben Wheatley in an interview with io9. The Capaldi era is being styled as a 'Back to Basics' approach (those words being used by Capaldi to describe his costume), with the Radio Times reporting 'a clean slate' of storylines for series eight, and a Doctor who – in the words of Steven Moffat - “is not apologising, he's not flirting with you – that's over.”
Do you have salt ready? Take a pinch. What does 'Back to Basics' mean, anyway, for a show that's fifty years old and is built around regular upheaval? Is Capaldi going to kidnap some teachers in monochrome? Are there bases under siege? Shall we rip off Quatermass some more?...
Feature
“It seems to me the episodes that we're doing now seem more like classic Who. We're going back to that style.”
So says Ben Wheatley in an interview with io9. The Capaldi era is being styled as a 'Back to Basics' approach (those words being used by Capaldi to describe his costume), with the Radio Times reporting 'a clean slate' of storylines for series eight, and a Doctor who – in the words of Steven Moffat - “is not apologising, he's not flirting with you – that's over.”
Do you have salt ready? Take a pinch. What does 'Back to Basics' mean, anyway, for a show that's fifty years old and is built around regular upheaval? Is Capaldi going to kidnap some teachers in monochrome? Are there bases under siege? Shall we rip off Quatermass some more?...
- 7/17/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Andrew Reynolds is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Today’s news blast has a distinctly Big Finish flavour to it with a taste of charity giveaways, a pinch of Philip Hinchcliffe (please, do not pinch Philip Hinchcliffe) and a fair old slice of the Sixth Doctor’s latest adventures. Spend the Day with Big Finish! Kicking things off; there’s only a month left to submit
The post It’s An Amazing Big Finish News Blast! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Today’s news blast has a distinctly Big Finish flavour to it with a taste of charity giveaways, a pinch of Philip Hinchcliffe (please, do not pinch Philip Hinchcliffe) and a fair old slice of the Sixth Doctor’s latest adventures. Spend the Day with Big Finish! Kicking things off; there’s only a month left to submit
The post It’s An Amazing Big Finish News Blast! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 7/8/2014
- by Andrew Reynolds
- Kasterborous.com
Classic Doctor Who is returning to British television. Courtesy of the Horror Channel, episodes from the '60s, '70s and '80s will air on UK screens from Friday, April 18.
At a launch in central London, the Week in Geek had the privilege of sitting down with arguably the show's most iconic star - 80-year-old acting veteran and national treasure Tom Baker - for a frank discussion about his seven-year Who stint.
Tom talks landing his dream part, shares fond memories of Elisabeth Sladen, reveals his favourite period of Doctor Who from his tenure, plus makes a surprising admission.
Tom Baker open to Doctor Who return: 'Capaldi might ask for me!'
"Doctor Who hoisted me out of oblivion..."
"I had done several films before that - I'd been a leading actor with Maggie Smith in The Millionairess on television and then there was a lull. I was very down,...
At a launch in central London, the Week in Geek had the privilege of sitting down with arguably the show's most iconic star - 80-year-old acting veteran and national treasure Tom Baker - for a frank discussion about his seven-year Who stint.
Tom talks landing his dream part, shares fond memories of Elisabeth Sladen, reveals his favourite period of Doctor Who from his tenure, plus makes a surprising admission.
Tom Baker open to Doctor Who return: 'Capaldi might ask for me!'
"Doctor Who hoisted me out of oblivion..."
"I had done several films before that - I'd been a leading actor with Maggie Smith in The Millionairess on television and then there was a lull. I was very down,...
- 4/15/2014
- Digital Spy
Feature Alex Westthorp 9 Apr 2014 - 07:00
In the next part of his series, Alex talks us through the film careers of the second and fourth Doctors, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker...
Read Alex's retrospective on the film careers of William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, here.
Like their fellow Time Lord actors, William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker also shared certain genres of film. Both appeared, before and after their time as the Doctor, in horror movies and both worked on Ray Harryhausen Sinbad films.
Patrick George Troughton was born in Mill Hill, London on March 25th 1920. He made his film debut aged 28 in the 1948 B-Movie The Escape. Troughton's was a very minor role. Among the better known cast was William Hartnell, though even Hartnell's role was small and the two didn't share any scenes together. From the late Forties, Troughton found more success on the small screen,...
In the next part of his series, Alex talks us through the film careers of the second and fourth Doctors, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker...
Read Alex's retrospective on the film careers of William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, here.
Like their fellow Time Lord actors, William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker also shared certain genres of film. Both appeared, before and after their time as the Doctor, in horror movies and both worked on Ray Harryhausen Sinbad films.
Patrick George Troughton was born in Mill Hill, London on March 25th 1920. He made his film debut aged 28 in the 1948 B-Movie The Escape. Troughton's was a very minor role. Among the better known cast was William Hartnell, though even Hartnell's role was small and the two didn't share any scenes together. From the late Forties, Troughton found more success on the small screen,...
- 4/8/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Doctor Who The Time of the Doctor. co. BBC
The Time of the Doctor began in typical Steven Moffat style with boatloads of aliens and sufficient innuendo to make most parents squirm in their seats. Moffat is like a naughty school boy who loves to insinuate that something inappropriate is about to happen before rapidly moving onto something less controversial. Beyond the juvenile humor, the early sections of the story seemed rather familiar. Didn’t all of the Doctor’s enemies amass at Stonehenge when he was about to get locked in the Pandorica? Different location, similar scenario only this time they were converging at Trezalore — the place where the Doctor is destined to meet his end. For one reason or another, the Doctor decided to ramble on about how the Smith Doctor is his last incarnation. Problem is that we already saw a glimpse of the Capaldi Doctor in the last story.
The Time of the Doctor began in typical Steven Moffat style with boatloads of aliens and sufficient innuendo to make most parents squirm in their seats. Moffat is like a naughty school boy who loves to insinuate that something inappropriate is about to happen before rapidly moving onto something less controversial. Beyond the juvenile humor, the early sections of the story seemed rather familiar. Didn’t all of the Doctor’s enemies amass at Stonehenge when he was about to get locked in the Pandorica? Different location, similar scenario only this time they were converging at Trezalore — the place where the Doctor is destined to meet his end. For one reason or another, the Doctor decided to ramble on about how the Smith Doctor is his last incarnation. Problem is that we already saw a glimpse of the Capaldi Doctor in the last story.
- 12/25/2013
- by Edited by K Kinsella
Digital Spy readers named David Tennant as Doctor Who's greatest ever Doctor - now, with less than three weeks to go until the 50th anniversary, DS is embarking on a new quest... to list the top 10 Who stories of all time.
After paying heed to 'The Talons of Weng-Chiang', this week we've opted for another Tom Baker tale - the third greatest Doctor Who story of all time transports us to the battle-ravaged planet of Skaro, where a war between two races culminates in the creation of a scientific abomination...
3. Genesis Of The Daleks (1975) - Six episodes - written by Terry Nation
"Do I have the right?"
Yes, the giant clam is rubbish.
With that out of the way, let's get about appreciating everything that's amazing about 'Genesis of the Daleks' - without question, Terry Nation's best Doctor Who script and indeed one of the show's finest ever serials.
After paying heed to 'The Talons of Weng-Chiang', this week we've opted for another Tom Baker tale - the third greatest Doctor Who story of all time transports us to the battle-ravaged planet of Skaro, where a war between two races culminates in the creation of a scientific abomination...
3. Genesis Of The Daleks (1975) - Six episodes - written by Terry Nation
"Do I have the right?"
Yes, the giant clam is rubbish.
With that out of the way, let's get about appreciating everything that's amazing about 'Genesis of the Daleks' - without question, Terry Nation's best Doctor Who script and indeed one of the show's finest ever serials.
- 11/4/2013
- Digital Spy
November 23rd, 2013 will mark the 50th anniversary of the debut of Doctor Who. This is a remarkable achievement shared by only a few properties (in the Us: Face The Nation, The Tonight Show, As the World Turns, General Hospital) and unmatched in nighttime scripted television. The longevity of the series from a practical standpoint comes from its protagonist’s ability to regenerate, which allows the series to continue unhampered by cast comings and goings. A brilliant solution to the failing health of William Hartnell, who played the First Doctor and was eventually too sickly to continue in the role, regeneration gave the show a creative solution to aging itself out of relevance, but this alone didn’t assure the series’ continuing place in pop culture- in the ‘90s, after being all but run into the ground by the BBC, the show went on hiatus for 16 years, with only a Fox-produced...
- 11/1/2013
- by Kate Kulzick
- SoundOnSight
Review Andrew Blair 30 Sep 2013 - 08:15
Andrew checks out the DVD release of Tom Baker story Terror Of The Zygons...
This review contains spoilers.
It's aptly named, is Terror of the Zygons. Its opening episode is a slow-build towards one gloriously unexpected shock moment. Even now, when you know it's coming, it's a brilliant moment of jarring editing. A sudden reveal, a scream, a zoom into a shadowy monstrous face, cue credits. You don't quite have time to process it before its over.
That's after some enjoyably ripe Hammer horror scene-setting in the north-east of Scotland. Tales of ancient horror are spun to incredulous newcomers, and we occasionally cut away to ineffable alien eyes. Most formidable of all, of course, is Tom Baker. Here he's in prime unnerving form amidst a lot of competition. Perhaps there was a competition between him, Lillias Walker and Robert Russell. That would certainly explain a lot.
Andrew checks out the DVD release of Tom Baker story Terror Of The Zygons...
This review contains spoilers.
It's aptly named, is Terror of the Zygons. Its opening episode is a slow-build towards one gloriously unexpected shock moment. Even now, when you know it's coming, it's a brilliant moment of jarring editing. A sudden reveal, a scream, a zoom into a shadowy monstrous face, cue credits. You don't quite have time to process it before its over.
That's after some enjoyably ripe Hammer horror scene-setting in the north-east of Scotland. Tales of ancient horror are spun to incredulous newcomers, and we occasionally cut away to ineffable alien eyes. Most formidable of all, of course, is Tom Baker. Here he's in prime unnerving form amidst a lot of competition. Perhaps there was a competition between him, Lillias Walker and Robert Russell. That would certainly explain a lot.
- 9/30/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Drew Boynton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
The Talons of Weng-Chiang. The Deadly Assassin. Pyramids of Mars. Producer Philip Hinchcliffe oversaw one of the most successful periods in Doctor Who‘s long history: the mid-1970s. It was during...
The post Philip Hinchcliffe: “Rtd is a Genius.” appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
The Talons of Weng-Chiang. The Deadly Assassin. Pyramids of Mars. Producer Philip Hinchcliffe oversaw one of the most successful periods in Doctor Who‘s long history: the mid-1970s. It was during...
The post Philip Hinchcliffe: “Rtd is a Genius.” appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 9/4/2013
- by Drew Boynton
- Kasterborous.com
Interview Louisa Mellor 3 Sep 2013 - 07:00
Philip Hinchcliffe, Doctor Who producer 1974 - 1977, chats about Tom Baker, villains, visual FX, companions, the 2005 revival, & more…
A week or so ago in a Brighton basement, Den of Geek attended a fun evening organised by the - aptly named, in this instance - arts and entertainment group, Space.
A regular Brighton-based event, Space regularly welcomes luminaries from the creative world to talk to its intimate group. Past guests have been from the world of film and television (Mark Gatiss, Toby Whithouse, Nicholas Roeg, David Morrissey, The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception visual effects artist Paul Franklin, Star Wars, Superman and Raiders of the Lost Ark production designer Norman Reynolds), literature (Ian Rankin), and music (William Orbit, Skunk Anansie’s Skin, Goldie).
There are two Q&As per event, and opportunities to ask questions in an informal, friendly and geeky atmosphere, making the nights well worth the £8 advance ticket price.
Philip Hinchcliffe, Doctor Who producer 1974 - 1977, chats about Tom Baker, villains, visual FX, companions, the 2005 revival, & more…
A week or so ago in a Brighton basement, Den of Geek attended a fun evening organised by the - aptly named, in this instance - arts and entertainment group, Space.
A regular Brighton-based event, Space regularly welcomes luminaries from the creative world to talk to its intimate group. Past guests have been from the world of film and television (Mark Gatiss, Toby Whithouse, Nicholas Roeg, David Morrissey, The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception visual effects artist Paul Franklin, Star Wars, Superman and Raiders of the Lost Ark production designer Norman Reynolds), literature (Ian Rankin), and music (William Orbit, Skunk Anansie’s Skin, Goldie).
There are two Q&As per event, and opportunities to ask questions in an informal, friendly and geeky atmosphere, making the nights well worth the £8 advance ticket price.
- 9/3/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Feature Louisa Mellor 28 Jun 2013 - 11:30
The BBC is having its own celebrations, but what are fans doing to celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who?
Plenty of posh things are going on this year to mark Doctor Who’s 50th year, some, like the BFI season, Mark Gatiss docudrama, and of course the anniversary special are already in full swing, while others are being kept under wraps until closer to November the 23rd.
The glossy, official celebrations are one thing of course, and they’ll receive publicity aplenty. Alongside those, we want to highlight the smaller stuff, to support the publications, plans, and events being organised here in the UK and abroad by Doctor Who fans. To this end, here’s the first of our soon-to-be regular Doctor Who 50th anniversary local round-ups…
Comics & Magazines
Launched next week on Wednesday the 3rd of July is an ace-sounding magazine created by Ysgol-Pen-y-Bryn special school in Swansea.
The BBC is having its own celebrations, but what are fans doing to celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who?
Plenty of posh things are going on this year to mark Doctor Who’s 50th year, some, like the BFI season, Mark Gatiss docudrama, and of course the anniversary special are already in full swing, while others are being kept under wraps until closer to November the 23rd.
The glossy, official celebrations are one thing of course, and they’ll receive publicity aplenty. Alongside those, we want to highlight the smaller stuff, to support the publications, plans, and events being organised here in the UK and abroad by Doctor Who fans. To this end, here’s the first of our soon-to-be regular Doctor Who 50th anniversary local round-ups…
Comics & Magazines
Launched next week on Wednesday the 3rd of July is an ace-sounding magazine created by Ysgol-Pen-y-Bryn special school in Swansea.
- 6/28/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
When it comes to established history, Doctor Who is constantly asking “What if?”. What if the Magna Carta was never signed? What if the British won the Battle Of Hastings? What If Queen Victoria was bitten by a werewolf? But there are a lot of big what ifs in the history of Doctor Who itself. Tipping points where history could have diverged and the programme could have changed considerably.
So with five months left until Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary, we ask what if…
10. Robert Holmes Never Worked On It
Apart from his tendency to write stories around his own personal views (such as the Fourth Doctor story The Sunmakers being about the evils of the taxman), Robert Holmes was one of Doctor Who’s best and brightest contributors. Not only did he create the Autons and the Sontarans, but he also wrote some of Doctor Who’s most highly...
So with five months left until Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary, we ask what if…
10. Robert Holmes Never Worked On It
Apart from his tendency to write stories around his own personal views (such as the Fourth Doctor story The Sunmakers being about the evils of the taxman), Robert Holmes was one of Doctor Who’s best and brightest contributors. Not only did he create the Autons and the Sontarans, but he also wrote some of Doctor Who’s most highly...
- 6/23/2013
- by James T. Cornish
- Obsessed with Film
Review Andrew Blair Feb 18, 2013
A classic, Alien-like Doctor Who story gets another DVD release. Here's Andrew's review of The Ark In Space - Special Edition...
The Ark In Space was originally released on DVD in 2002, near the start of the Doctor Who DVD range, and has now been spruced up, remastered, and given new bonus features. So, for those of us who already own a copy, what does this new edition offer to make it worth buying?
If you like that sort of thing, the picture quality is distinctly improved: crisp, colourful, enhancing little moments such as laser flashes, skin texture and sideburns.
As a story, The Ark In Space has similarities with Alien, but Doctor Who has a very different approach; it's body horror and sci-fi for a Universal-certificate. What it demonstrates, though, is that 'Modern Who' has been around for ages. It's a story about humanity, where love saves the day,...
A classic, Alien-like Doctor Who story gets another DVD release. Here's Andrew's review of The Ark In Space - Special Edition...
The Ark In Space was originally released on DVD in 2002, near the start of the Doctor Who DVD range, and has now been spruced up, remastered, and given new bonus features. So, for those of us who already own a copy, what does this new edition offer to make it worth buying?
If you like that sort of thing, the picture quality is distinctly improved: crisp, colourful, enhancing little moments such as laser flashes, skin texture and sideburns.
As a story, The Ark In Space has similarities with Alien, but Doctor Who has a very different approach; it's body horror and sci-fi for a Universal-certificate. What it demonstrates, though, is that 'Modern Who' has been around for ages. It's a story about humanity, where love saves the day,...
- 2/15/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
I can only concur with Shadowlocked colleague John Bensalhia as regards the Jon Pertwee 1973 Doctor Who outing Death To The Daleks; in his review he says..
"Death To The Daleks does run, for the most part, on tried and tested lines. But it's still very enjoyable, and what’s more, does offer some interesting novelties."
Chief among which novelties are Daleks that can't exterminate. Well, not initially, anyway. When The Doctor and Sarah Jane (ah Liz, how empty the commentary room is without you!) get pulled into the energy-draining field of a savage planet that displays the remnants of an apparently dead but illustrious ex-civilisation, they find themselves far from lonely. Dodging mysterious bands of archers, our heroes are separated almost immediately for a first episode that, as the commentary notes, is extraordinarily light on dialogue and dark of picture.
Before too long it's clear that a huge and strangely...
"Death To The Daleks does run, for the most part, on tried and tested lines. But it's still very enjoyable, and what’s more, does offer some interesting novelties."
Chief among which novelties are Daleks that can't exterminate. Well, not initially, anyway. When The Doctor and Sarah Jane (ah Liz, how empty the commentary room is without you!) get pulled into the energy-draining field of a savage planet that displays the remnants of an apparently dead but illustrious ex-civilisation, they find themselves far from lonely. Dodging mysterious bands of archers, our heroes are separated almost immediately for a first episode that, as the commentary notes, is extraordinarily light on dialogue and dark of picture.
Before too long it's clear that a huge and strangely...
- 5/28/2012
- Shadowlocked
The papers love this. When it comes to second-guessing who's going to appear in the next series of Doctor Who, they're like kids rushing up to queue at the ice cream van. The slightest scrap of speculation and the reporters are in for the kill, printing big, blockbusting headlines so bold that even a myopic pensioner would flinch.
When it comes to the big guns of Doctor Who, the papers love to create a stir of speculation. We've had Penelope Wilton somehow coming back as a Harriet Jones Dalek, thereby torpedoing the credibilities of both if it had happened; countless names suggested for the next Doctor (blimey, give Mr Smith a chance), and now, inevitably, Sherlock himself has been touted as the very next Master.
Yes, Benedict Cumberbatch, currently best known as brainbox sleuth Sherlock, is “reportedly” in line to be the next Master. Whether or not this is true is anyone's guess.
When it comes to the big guns of Doctor Who, the papers love to create a stir of speculation. We've had Penelope Wilton somehow coming back as a Harriet Jones Dalek, thereby torpedoing the credibilities of both if it had happened; countless names suggested for the next Doctor (blimey, give Mr Smith a chance), and now, inevitably, Sherlock himself has been touted as the very next Master.
Yes, Benedict Cumberbatch, currently best known as brainbox sleuth Sherlock, is “reportedly” in line to be the next Master. Whether or not this is true is anyone's guess.
- 3/7/2012
- Shadowlocked
Some comments on my review of the Doctor Who Christmas Special 'A Christmas Carol' got me thinking about how it came to be that everyone's favourite Time Lord can never seem to get any 'action', romantically speaking. It's not been for want of attention or admirers; even back in the William Hartnell days, The Doctor was capable of flirting and even having a matrimonial 'near-miss' in the 1964 Who outing 'The Aztecs', so Matt Smith's Doctor is breaking no new ground in running away from connubial bliss with the 1957 version of Marilyn Monroe in 'A Christmas Carol'.
Can 47 years of sexual tension ever be released without killing the fundamental dynamic of the show? I've come to believe that it probably can't - which, if true, puts the Gallifreyan rogue at least neck-and-neck with Star Trek's Mr. Spock in terms of 'attractive unavailability'.
When the show...
Can 47 years of sexual tension ever be released without killing the fundamental dynamic of the show? I've come to believe that it probably can't - which, if true, puts the Gallifreyan rogue at least neck-and-neck with Star Trek's Mr. Spock in terms of 'attractive unavailability'.
When the show...
- 12/27/2010
- Shadowlocked
Oh dear. Not even Tom Baker's Doctor can revive the terminal script malaise in this tinny adventure...
Hangovers. The older I get, the worse they get. When I wake up with a hangover (which is very rare these days, I hasten to add), it’s like someone’s been whacking me over the head with a shovel and leaving me with the inability to walk and talk in a straight line. It’s funny, in my 20s, I would have been able to deal with this, but now I’m accelerating well into the later part of my 30s, hangovers are now about as easy to handle as a swarm of bees.
"Hangover" was once used by Philip Hinchcliffe to describe the closing story of season 12, called Revenge Of The Cybermen. Originally, it wasn’t even meant to be the closer, but since Doctor Who was about to move...
Hangovers. The older I get, the worse they get. When I wake up with a hangover (which is very rare these days, I hasten to add), it’s like someone’s been whacking me over the head with a shovel and leaving me with the inability to walk and talk in a straight line. It’s funny, in my 20s, I would have been able to deal with this, but now I’m accelerating well into the later part of my 30s, hangovers are now about as easy to handle as a swarm of bees.
"Hangover" was once used by Philip Hinchcliffe to describe the closing story of season 12, called Revenge Of The Cybermen. Originally, it wasn’t even meant to be the closer, but since Doctor Who was about to move...
- 9/20/2010
- by admin@shadowlocked.com (John Bensalhia)
- Shadowlocked
Hinchcliffe and Holmes begin the golden age of Who gothic...
The gothic horror era of Doctor Who is rightly touted as one of the best in the programme’s history. If you think that Doctor Who 2010-style is creepy, then try any of the stories that went out in the mid-1970s. Shrouded in dark gloom, with as much brutal death as you can get away with at teatime on Saturday night, the gothic horror stories met the main remit of scaring kids with considerable style and conviction.
It’s all thanks to producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes. Hinchcliffe’s desire to produce a more adult version of Who totally melded with Holmes’ rather cynical, hard-edged stories. However, Holmes had actually joined the show in 1973, when he was assigned to provide uncredited script editing duties for Pertwee’s last few stories. And given that the first one...
The gothic horror era of Doctor Who is rightly touted as one of the best in the programme’s history. If you think that Doctor Who 2010-style is creepy, then try any of the stories that went out in the mid-1970s. Shrouded in dark gloom, with as much brutal death as you can get away with at teatime on Saturday night, the gothic horror stories met the main remit of scaring kids with considerable style and conviction.
It’s all thanks to producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes. Hinchcliffe’s desire to produce a more adult version of Who totally melded with Holmes’ rather cynical, hard-edged stories. However, Holmes had actually joined the show in 1973, when he was assigned to provide uncredited script editing duties for Pertwee’s last few stories. And given that the first one...
- 9/1/2010
- by admin@shadowlocked.com (John Bensalhia)
- Shadowlocked
The Daily Mail has provoked a comment on the new series from an organisation with a long track record of expressing concerns about the classic series, Mediawatch-uk.
Mediawatch is the successor to the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association, the organisation founded by Mary Whitehouse in 1965. Whitehouse was extremely critical of Doctor Who during the period produced by Philip Hinchcliffe between 1975 and 1977. She made complaints about several of the serials during this era, particularly The Ark in Space, Genesis of the Daleks, The Brain of Morbius, The Seeds of Doom and The Deadly Assassin.
The latest comment comes in a Daily Mail article which claims 'dozens' of fans are upset with the BBC, accusing the production team of trying to 'sex up' the programme to attract more adult viewers. The main focus of the complaint is the final scene in Flesh and Stone, a scene which the Daily Mail was convinced...
Mediawatch is the successor to the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association, the organisation founded by Mary Whitehouse in 1965. Whitehouse was extremely critical of Doctor Who during the period produced by Philip Hinchcliffe between 1975 and 1977. She made complaints about several of the serials during this era, particularly The Ark in Space, Genesis of the Daleks, The Brain of Morbius, The Seeds of Doom and The Deadly Assassin.
The latest comment comes in a Daily Mail article which claims 'dozens' of fans are upset with the BBC, accusing the production team of trying to 'sex up' the programme to attract more adult viewers. The main focus of the complaint is the final scene in Flesh and Stone, a scene which the Daily Mail was convinced...
- 5/6/2010
- by Marcus
- The Doctor Who News Page
Former Production Unit Manager Christopher D'Oyly John has died.
D'Oyly John worked on many stories from the classic era of Doctor Who. He was an Assistant Floor Manager on the William Hartnell story The Ark, before working as Production Assistant on several Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee stories.
As Production Unit Manager, he worked on six Tom Baker stories working with producer Philip Hinchcliffe on some of the most-loved stories in the series history, including The Robots of Death and The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
His work outside of Doctor Who included The Bill, Poldark, House of Elliot and EastEnders.
He died peacefully at his home in Eastbourne on 21st October.
Assistant Floor Manager The ArkProduction Assistant The Macra TerrorThe Invasion Doctor Who and the SiluriansInfernoThe Curse of PeladonThe MutantsCarnival of MonstersDeath to the DaleksProduction Unit Manager The Masque of MandragoraThe Hand of FearThe Deadly AssassinThe Face of EvilThe Robots of DeathThe Talons of Weng-Chianghttp://gallifreynewsbase.
D'Oyly John worked on many stories from the classic era of Doctor Who. He was an Assistant Floor Manager on the William Hartnell story The Ark, before working as Production Assistant on several Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee stories.
As Production Unit Manager, he worked on six Tom Baker stories working with producer Philip Hinchcliffe on some of the most-loved stories in the series history, including The Robots of Death and The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
His work outside of Doctor Who included The Bill, Poldark, House of Elliot and EastEnders.
He died peacefully at his home in Eastbourne on 21st October.
Assistant Floor Manager The ArkProduction Assistant The Macra TerrorThe Invasion Doctor Who and the SiluriansInfernoThe Curse of PeladonThe MutantsCarnival of MonstersDeath to the DaleksProduction Unit Manager The Masque of MandragoraThe Hand of FearThe Deadly AssassinThe Face of EvilThe Robots of DeathThe Talons of Weng-Chianghttp://gallifreynewsbase.
- 11/11/2009
- by Marcus
- The Doctor Who News Page
If you're anywhere near a radio at 4pm today, tune in to Radio 4's Last Word, where you'll catch Tom Baker reading an obituary to the late Doctor Who producer Barry Letts, who died last week. Letts was responsible for the casting of the Fourth Doctor, one of his last major tasks as producer of the series, and also oversaw Tom Baker's first appearance, Robot before handing over the reins of the show after 5 years to Philip Hinchcliffe. The 28 minute broadcast is a regular weekly show which...
- 10/16/2009
- by Mick Karma info@kasterborous.com
- Kasterborous.com
Mark Gatiss' superb tribute to Doctor Who Target novelisations, On The Outside It Looked Like An Old- Fashioned Police Box from BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday June 23rd, is currently available for repeat or delayed enjoyment via the BBC iPlayer. The 30 minute show featured contributions from Terrance Dicks, Philip Hinchcliffe (who even throws in a Tom Baker impression) and Anneke Wills to name but a few, and was a hugely warm and affectionate tribute to a series of books whose influence we can...
- 6/24/2009
- by Christian Cawley info@kasterborous.com
- Kasterborous.com
Classic Doctor Who Spring Sci-Fi from BBC Audiobooks... Tim Pigott-Smith reads Philip Hinchcliffe’s complete and unabridged gripping novelisation of a classic Doctor Who adventure, first published by Target Books in 1977 and based on the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith adventure from Season 14 in 1976. Forced off course by the Mandragora Helix, the Tardis lands in the province of San Martino in fifteenth-century Italy. Here, the court astrologer, Hieronymous, has been taken over by...
- 4/21/2009
- by Christian Cawley info@kasterborous.com
- Kasterborous.com
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