A Town Called Mercy- reviewed by @zeiton_7

Well, we already know Matt looks cool in a Stetson don't we? So when this episode was announced I was really very excited. Last time we had a full blown Doctor Who does a Western was with the very first Doctor (William Hartnell) in "The Gunfighters". To be honest, the story has never been one of my favourites. The less said about the "ballad" the better in my opinion, but this I had high hopes for.

All of the photos and clips from the story show that it should be a cinematic treat and the cyborg bad guy looks like a cross between Kryten from Red Dwarf fame and a Borg from Star Trek. It promises some tremendous performances and eye catching set pieces and scenery. I would say that if you had to pick any regeneration to star in a Western themed Who episode Matt Smith would be top of any ones list. The right amount of silliness and boyish excitement mixed with a seriously dark and gritty edge. So would it be "High Noon" or "Blazing Saddles"? I, for one, couldn't wait to find out.

The Happiness Patrol- Review by @Zeiton_7

"Happiness WILL prevail"
  


Oh but how this story gets ridiculed! You can sort of see why as well! A troop of marauding, pink uniformed women folk terrorise a civilisation and force them to be .... er happy under pain of death.
Sounds insanely far fetched doesn't it? This is Sylvester McCoy's era after all, expect strangeness!

Then there's the Kandy Man. Yes the one that looks like Bertie Bassett! Insane, murderous but oh so tasty!

The Happiness Patrol is the story that, above all others, confirmed to those who really didn't like the McCoy tenure that the program was going down the pan (or perhaps being drowned in Fondant Surprese!) Dark, brooding with a touch of the insane are terms that sum up both the story and McCoy's Doctor himself. Yet look at this story again and perhaps a little deeper and you might start to admire and like it a little. Oh go on, try!



TARDIS Pink??? It Will Never Catch On

Actually, the reasons I mention above are precisely the reason I like this story and also the others that the Seventh Doctor embarked on. You can't tell me that Tom Baker didn't have his share of silliness! Who can forget the immortal line "I wouldn't even say no to a salami sandwich"? Somehow he gets away with his brand of insanity yet McCoy is permanently and unfairly branded as "the actor that destroyed Who"

When The Happiness Patrol was broadcast, back in the 80's, it had been shunted to a Monday night slot and was up against Coronation Street. That, coupled with Michael Grade's hatred of the show meant that it would fail. Fail it did as by the end of Survival the show had been put on hiatus and one that would last for SIXTEEN YEARS!!

No Comment Required!

It is this movement from the programs traditional Saturday tea time slot and Grade's hatred of the show that put paid to Doctor Who and not the acting of the brilliant McCoy. Yet even die hard fans like my own father still look back and recall that "he wasn't much good was he"? I put forward the theory that this opinion is largely down to the fact that people just weren't able to watch as they were either coming in from work or lost out to the thousands that tune into Coronation Street every week (shudder)

Anyway, back to The Happiness Patrol! The Doctor and Ace visit a human colony on the planet Terra Alpha and are disturbed by just how darn happy the place seems to be. It's all so forced with the cheerful lift music and fake painted grins. Soon they uncover the sinister forces that are at work and seek to put things right.

What follows is a dark and entertaining story which has its roots firmly in the Thatcher led Tory government England that was er ruining things at the time. Indeed, the lead villain (played excellently by Sheila Hancock) was modelled on Thatcher herself. The music accompanying the story is some of the best offered and features a wonderful harmonica blues riff. Yes there is The Kandy Man but come on this is Who. We are well used to, slightly unbelievable, monsters running around.

The Marvellous Sheila Hancock as Helen A

If you've never seen The Happiness Patrol before I would strongly recommend you give it a try. If you haven't seen it for a while then give yourself a treat. Dig out a packet of Liquorish Allsorts and sit back and enjoy!

A review of "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" by @zeiton_7

When the title for Episode 2 was announced I didn't like it. At all. I was worried that it was going to a shocking episode that would just amount to an excuse to put CGI dinosaurs into a Doctor Who story. However, like all Doctor Who fans, I was willing to admit if I was wrong and say so very clearly when I came to write this review. As the time to sit down and watch "Dinosaurs" crept nearer and nearer my feelings of unease mounted. Not helped by the clips and dubious first scene "spoiler" either I might add. Why must every female (with the exception of Donna) want to get into The Doctors pants. Its getting boring!

"Asylum" last week may have set the bar impossibly high, was my thought. Historically, almost every Doctor Who season has at least one real shocking episode in it (I really didn't enjoy "The God Complex" last year and the less said about "Fear Her" the better) So it was with much trepidation that I sat down to watch "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" praying that I'd be proved wrong, indeed, hoping that I would be writing a different review.

Now is the time for all of you who haven't seen the episode to stop reading as I will now give my honest review of what I have just viewed.

When Tweeting Goes Wrong by @zeiton_7

The recent furore regarding certain articles and tweets directed at Steven Moffat (specifically it seems about his portrayal of ladies within Doctor Who being sexist) Has got me thinking about the whole issue of what makes a tweeter into a hater. Indeed, what "crosses the line" from fair critical blog or comments to hate filled bullying or "trolling"

It's not an easy area. A recent article by @cluemark discusses this very point. I would suggest the line is drawn at different points depending on the users own individual morals and state of mind. But clearly there are certain areas (such as personal abuse) that are always out of order.

Interesting to me as, after my less than glowing personal review of "Dinosaurs on a spaceship" and tweets stating I hated it, that I recieved some less than constructive comments. My approach has always been to welcome and listen to opinions that dont always agree with my own but to still reserve the right to hold my own opinion.

Twitter can be an odd place to spend any amount of time, especially when Doctor Who fans, and I include myself, are very clear on what they do and don't like and will say so very loudly. As showrunner and experienced writer Moffat is well used to criticism and has in the past been on the end of some very nasty hate campaigns. He has also got a huge amount of support from fans and always seems to take the "idiots" with a pinch of salt. 

I seriously dont believe for a second that his decision to suspend his account on Twitter had anything to do with "the lunatic fringe" who hate all that he does without exception. More likely that he is a very busy man and feels duty bound to defend his work if it comes under attack. If Twitter, as his wife, Sue Vertue, tweeted earlier, has become "too much of a distraction" then it is just a break or hyatus he is taking and the tweets in support of him while well meant are probably pointless.

I, like all bloggers, reserve the right to review any episode fairly and honestly. Hopefully, stating my opinion in a clear and  concise manner without fear of personal reprisal. Moffat, and any other artiste or writer should have the same rights. 

An example, if you like coffee you have a great deal of choice as to where you get your fix from. Is it Costas? Starbucks or one of the other brands that gets your money. I opt for Costas, it's my choice my taste and my money. To argue that this choice is wrong and that I should change is not a right that anyone has. Nor would I wish to "convert" a Starbucks fan to Costas. This may seem an odd example but isn't that what you do when you reply to someones tweet of an opinion on an episode and ridicule what they have to say?

The beauty of the program we love so much is that all opinions are valid. Some people absolutely raved about last nights story. While others expressed disappointment and hatred of it. It is the passion that Doctor Who garners in all of us that brings forth this voice. If we feel let down by an episode the feelings will be negative if we love it then the opposite.

Lets all remember we dont have to like the same thing. How boring would that be?
But lets be as supportive to those who arent as famous as Moffat and have a zero tollerance to people that tweet abuse at ANYONE we converse with. It has no place in Doctor Who fandom.

Some of the comments that I have read in support of Moffat and angry at his apparent abuse have, ironically, ended up being just as offensive as those they complain about

The Peter Cushing- Doctor Who Films- Review by @Zeiton_7

IT'S A DOCTOR WHO REBOOT ON THE BIG SCREEN!!!!!

Cue Twitter meltdown, Doctor Who fans taking arms and storming the production offices and general public unrest.!

Actually that is not what happened at all because Twitter didn't exist back in 1965 and the first Doctor Who film starring Peter Cushing stormed the box office to much critical acclaim. It did so well, in fact, that they did it again the following year and Doctor Who Dalek Invasion of Earth 2150 AD hit the screens. Both films are retellings,  oh ok vertically identical, of their television counterparts (the television versions starred William Hartnell as The Doctor). The plots are the same but yet there are enough differences to make the two films watchable alongside the original versions.

Firstly, the title sequences and theme music. The BBC would not allow the films to use the anthemic television music so an alternative had to be composed. Barry Gray (and Malcolm Lockyer) came up with a fabulous, rousing score that is far removed from the Doctor Who theme we all know and love.


Secondly, the BBC would not allow the films to feature the TARDIS interior so a new funky disco like one was used. I think it works and is certainly more colourful than its counterpart, although this may be due to the fact the films were shot in colour and the original Hartnell led stories are black and white. More on that later though

Thirdly, and very significantly, Cushing's Doctor is referred to as Doctor Who (this is my only gripe with the films as it's just wrong) he is also entirely human and built the TARDIS in his spare time. How precisely he achieves this amazing feat is not explained and, to be honest, who cares!

The Daleks also received a little alteration. They are slightly taller and have a larger "bumper" base to make them more imposing. There was talk of giving them flame throwers but it was felt this was probably not a great idea! They speak the same, they act the same and, for the first time, they are featured in colour. This was so exciting for me as a child. To see my favourite Doctor Who monsters in glorious colour was the best thing I'd ever seen.

Cushing himself portrays The Doctor as a fantastic, brilliantly minded Grandfather who is everything The Doctor should be. His relationship with Barbara (Jennie Linded) Susan (Roberta Tovey) and Ian (Roy Castle) is identical to that of the TV series. Interesting to note that Cushing famously turned down the role of the Second Doctor and would have taken over from Troughton had work commitments allowed. It is interesting to think of how different the series would have been had he taken the role and not Pertwee.

The inclusion of humour, step forward the wonderful Roy Castle and Bernard Cribbins, is a much welcome addition. Who can forget the scene on the Dalek ship where Cribbins pretends to be a Roboman. Both add a "Saturday matinee" lightness to proceedings without ruining the film and lowering it to farce.

I find that if either film is scheduled for a viewing at a weekend there is nothing quite like sitting down and watching them. Bag of M and M's optional!

In Memory of Geoffrey Hughes by @Zeiton_7

"But the Junior Mr Popplewick isnt allowed to expect anyone"


In the same week that we lost Mary Tamm we also lost Geoffrey Hughes. This was a particularly sad moment for me as I had  been a long admirer of his work. Trial of a Timelord, for me remains one of the true great stories and Hughes portryal of Mr Popplewick was screen stealing

To Doctor Who fans, Geoffrey will be known as the marvellously over the top character of Mr Popplewick. Appearing in the final story of the Sixth Doctor's Trial of a Timelord. Popplewick was a pencil pusher with more than a hint of malevolence about him. Put it this way, do not ever get into a waiting room anywhere near him!

Geoffrey Hughes was born on the 2nd February 1944 and started his acting career in repertory in Stoke on Trent. He starred in many on and off West End productions, most notably in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Television viewers came to love him as the slobbish Eddie Yeats, Stan Ogden's best friend, in Coronation Street and the equally slobbish but loveable Onslow in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances. Hughes made a number of film appearances including, Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall, Carry On at Your Convenience and provided the voice for Paul McCartney in the Beatles cartoon film Yellow Submarine

 My personal recollections started at an early age when my mum, an avid Coronation Street fan used to tune in every week. I remember being strangely drawn to the character of Eddie and, although he was a bit of a scallywag, there was something endearing about him. Later on I laughed like countless others at Onslow and even more at the character of Twiggy portrayed in the show The Royal Family

The common strand with all these characters is "larger than life" they were all so real but yet so eccentric. Hughes had a way of portraying the loveable layabout in a way that you never really questioned why his particular onscreen wife put up with him.

In later years Hughes could be seen regularly in Pantomime where audiences would again enjoy his manic over the top acting. It was something that delighted both television and stage audiences alike.

The death of Geoffrey Hughes is a tragic loss to us all. Trial of a Timelord is my favourite Colin Baker story and the character of Mr Popplewick is unforgettable like Hughes himself.

Rest in peace Geoffrey Hughes 2nd February 1944- 27th July 2012

Roger Delgado- The Master Remembered. By @Zeiton_7

On the 18th June 1973 the chauffeur driven car that Roger Caesar Marius Bernard de Delgado Torres Castillo Roberto was travelling plunged over a ravine. At the time he was filming  in Turkey and sadly all that were travelling in the car died.  Roger Delgado was the first actor to portray The Master and did so to perfection in eight stories. Tragically he was to feature in one final story with Jon Pertwee's Doctor and Roger's death has often been quoted as one of the reasons Jon decided to leave the series.

In this affectionate and loving tribute to the archest of The Doctors enemies, I will talk about why I believe Delgado's portrayal was the original and best. It set the standard, high, for all those to come after him. Roger's on screen presence was tangible right from the first scene in Terror of the Autons. He seemed to exude evil and malevolence without uttering a word. His planning was much more subtle yet still formidable, however the aim was always the same. Complete and total obedience to him and absolute destruction of The Doctor, normally after humiliating him first!

Delgado's Master had impeccable dress sense, normally opting for sharp black suits. His, literally, hypnotic eyes seem to bore into the poor unfortunate souls who crossed him and they soon were under his influence. Even when he seemed to be defeated it was never wise to let down your guard as he could always be relied on to pull another little twist and escape.

Delgado's relationship with Pertwee both onscreen and off was close. This may be one of the reasons that Delgado is so effective as The Doctors adversary. Their performances together show complete trust in each others acting abilities and this just adds to the delight in watching any stories they feature in.

I am sad to say that my recollections and affection for Roger Delgado only began some 15 years after his death. As I was born in 1975 my first encounters were in watching repeats of those classic stories and also with the brilliant writing within the Target books. Even so, I was totally amazed and in admiration of this actor who could deliver such an intense and powerful performance. Here, surely was a match for The Doctor's intellect and someone to be feared. I always felt that when The Master was around The Doctor was always in more danger than with any other foe (something which was ably proven during Logopolis)

Roger Delgado's legacy is obvious. He provided such a fantastically strong foundation for The Master that Doctor Who has been able to continue the characters development through 7 incarnations. Each new actor that portrays The Master, like those who play The Doctor, add something different. But all owe a great debt to the original, and in my opinion, the best.

The Master attends a Black Sabbath Concert.