Wednesday, June 17, 2020

A MISSION TO SOLOS...


Acting in his position as undesired Ambassador for the Time Lords, The Doctor is sent on an important mission to the far future Earth colony of Solos, where he and the heroic native Ky (Garrick Hagon, perhaps best known to sci-fi fans as fighter pilot Biggs Darklighter in the original Star Wars) must enter the deepest cave regions of the pollutant fog shrouded planet, in this terrific atmospheric image filmed on location from The Mutants, an overlong but interesting colonial space epic from series regular writing duo Bob Baker and Dave Martin.

Saturday, June 13, 2020

'TOMB' DWELLERS!



The near mythical honeycomb tombs of the Cybermen of the planet Telos have thawed, the power to their regenerative cycle now activated via a special trap designed to lure in potential convertees. One of the Classic Series genuinely all-time-memorable, creepily effective moments, looking even better shot on film, from the 'Monster Era' that Patrick Troughton's atmospheric B/W era definitely and deservedly owned the moniker to, especially linked to this story - The Tomb of the Cybermen!

I always remember looking at the photos from this 'lost' story in the pages of Doctor Who Monthly growing up in the early eighties, and was so impressed by the visual look of the story (which also boasted superb on-set colour photography, to boot- so rare for the Troughton era back then), whilst Gerry Davis novelisation of his tale, penned for TV alongside his friend Kit Pedler, proved equally full of great moments of menace and dread to savour from the silver giants. Tomb's ultimate return from Singapore to the BBC Archives a decade later - and its subsequently huge sales for BBC Video - proved a joyous moment for us all, giving us renewed hope that more missing episodes might return. Though the on-screen realized four-part story has its faults in certain production areas, it still mostly lives up to its deserved accolades with fans, especially with its chilling episode two finale.


Wednesday, June 10, 2020

IN TIMES OF PERIL...


Effectively capturing the escalating state of fear and building hatred/fanaticism between religious fractions within 14th Century France, John Lucarotti and Donald Tosh's book/scripted versions of The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve are heavy-duty dramatic stuff for any era of Doctor Who, featuring an intense and confident performance from Peter Purves as Steven, who comes into his own with this adventure, whilst William Hartnell gets to play a second 'role' that's far removed from his benevolent Doctor, as the conniving and bad-hearted Abbot of Amboise.

There's also that classic, subtly moving scene with Hartnell's lonely Doctor inside the TARDIS, as he sadly muses on the many companions he has travelled with and seen depart over time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wBJcfEBgrU

Fans can enjoy the surviving audio version of the drama on Demon label LP, debuting this August, 2020:



https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/doctor-who/the-massacre/lp-x2?channable=a18781.Mjc2NTMw&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6NDbyZb16QIVVu3tCh1c_AJMEAQYASABEgICT_D_BwE

https://merchandise.thedoctorwhosite.co.uk/rsd-2020-doctor-who-the-massacre-vinyl-lp/

Saturday, June 6, 2020

TAKEN TO THE CLEANERS!


There's such a thing as taking dedication to one's job a tad too far, y'know, as the Seventh Doctor discovers to his peril when caught in the vice grip of a deadly efficient cleaning machine whose murderous servitude to the mysterious Great Architect is without question, in this memorable posed publicity shoot for the mostly well conceived early adventure for that era: Paradise Towers.

Thursday, June 4, 2020

PART OF A COLOURFUL UNIVERSE!


A colourful hero for a colourful universe as Colin Baker's now more appreciated than ever Sixth Doctor era is celebrated in this great art by Andrew Skilleter.

Saturday, May 30, 2020

SPLENDID FELLOWS. ALL OF THEM!


It was the ultimate dream come true for series fans with the Twentieth Anniversary, as The Five Doctors feature-length special was officially announced to the press during the Spring of 1983. And what a nostalgic thrill it was to see all the surviving Doctors together (sadly, bar Tom Baker), as well as Richard Hurndall commendably inhabiting the persona of William Hartnell's original incarnation, at that first lively outdoor publicity call, though it's a shame that a moody and magnificent group shot of the Doctors, like the posed Radio Times image done for 1973's The Three Doctors, couldn't also have been done here. A missed opportunity...

As news of all the returning monsters and companions also slowly tricked in over time, the programme's November 1983 transmission couldn't come quick enough for this young viewing fanatic!

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

THE PIRATE'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY!


The fate of another world hangs in the balance, as the menacing half-man, half-android ego The Captain, and evil, hidden-in-plain-sight Queen Xanxia plot to make The Pirate Planet ever more powerful in energy and mineral wealth via it's space-hopping abilities. A great onset photograph of the villains from a truly ingenious story, one of the best from the Tom Baker era produced by Graham Williams. written with humour and imagination by Douglas Adams, and director Pennant Roberts finest work on the series.