I promised myself that I would post something once a week minimum. I'm still preparing my next larger non-Who piece, so I thought I would acknowledge that I've made it to the halfway point of the 800 Day Project - specifically Revenge of the Cybermen Part 3.
So in the 30 days since "The Moment" what have I been watching?
Planet of the Spiders:
Goodbye Jon. This pretty much sums up the Third Doctor era. A six part story. UNIT. An alien threat to Earth. A multiple vehicle high speed chase as a leaving present for Pertwee...
I've always hated arachnids and *this* is the reason. That spider on Sarah's back terrified me.
One last ride with the Doctor in a velvet smoking jackets and frilly shirt. Hai !
Robot:
Tom is just mesmerising from his first seconds on screen. That manic stare. The toothy grin. Eccentric, bonkers and brilliant. Tom is so obviously enjoying himself he seems hard pressed to contain his excitement and you can almost imagine him thinking "Am I really here?".
My Doctor has arrived.
I'd forgotten that the King Kong references were *that* obvious. Plus Professor Kettlewell's hair is just fantastic.
Body horror, the perfect TARDIS triumvirate and great sets. What more could you want?
The Wirrn genuinely scared me as a child (although it's not my first "behind the sofa" moment - that's still to come). The grub version....not so much.
The Sontaran Experiment:
The windswept and wet expanses of Dartmoor really bring this story to life. Sure the robot is a bit crap but I can forgive that when you have a wonderful cold and calculating villain in Field Major Styre.
Short, sweet but very satisfying.
Genesis of the Daleks:
It'd hard to talk about this one without falling into the trap of repeating the superlatives already heaped on it's shoulders. It's the one even the "not-we" remember. The one you put on to show people just how good Classic Doctor Who really is.
And it's all true. It really is that good. The interaction between the Doctor and Davros is terrific. The script doesn't sag at all and Nyder is a suitably slimy henchman. Back when I was small I'm sure a lot of the Nazi parallels were lost on me, but I do wonder if some parents would have found it difficult explaining the scenes of genocide.
Look, you don't need me to tell you how good this is. Just go watch it now !
Revenge of the Cybermen:
This was my first ever Cybermen story. The image of them walking through the caves is one of the most memorable elements from my youth. I haven't seen it for years so I must admit that on re-watch it....hasn't aged well.
Sure, the locations used at Wookey Hole for the interior of Voga are very atmospheric. The main cast are excellent as always. But the Cybermen themselves are rather disappointing. If gold is so bad for them, why do they not collapse the moment they appear on Voga? The place is covered in the stuff!
I'm also not sure about the gun in their heads. They seem to do a strange nodding whenever the gun fires which is just comical rather than menacing. Plus what's with the Cyberleader giving the Doctor a neck massage?
But it's the Vogans which have fared the worst. As a child they were strange looking aliens. Now ? Those faces are just so unexpressive and plastic. A quality actor like Kevin Stoney is wasted. Such a shame and proof that Doctor Who is often best when viewed through a child's eyes.
Still - first appearance of the Seal of Rassilon !!
400 days down, 400 to go....
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