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Post by andyeves on Aug 1, 2014 1:11:11 GMT
I've gone for Seeds of Death. Certainly a big improvement on the first Ice Warriors story.
Like others, I'll also give a thumbs up to Mind Robber E1. Jamie & Zoe being lured out into that white mist is very eerie. Can't say that it represents a definite childhood memory, but does seem semi-familiar and I don't doubt it would have terrified me. A classic Troughton scene.
Invasion is also a classic but I felt it went on too long.
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Post by Steven Christopherson on Aug 1, 2014 14:07:19 GMT
The Invasion. The rest of the stories after this seem lacking a spark. Watching Pat in action in this story seems like the last time he was actually having fun in the role. Perhaps it was the Guinness.
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Post by Simon Jailler on Aug 1, 2014 15:26:48 GMT
Hmm, it's a difficult one this. Whilst the stories are nowhere near as good as those in the previous season, they are of a similarly uniform standard. If I was voting for a single episode I would have no hesitation in voting for 'the mind robber' episode one, which is, in my opinion as good as Troughton got and sits there with the very best surviving episodes of his era. The rest of that story does not quite approach near that high mark again. For overall quality and enjoyability I am voting for the Krotons. It is the best story from this season on a variety of levels. It's 4 episode duration helps it too. The invasion is an excellent story, but I think it occasionally meanders; doesn't detract from my viewing pleasure though. The space pirates, I suspect, is rather poorly served by the only existing episode. I have a suspicion that some of the later episodes in the story would have been a lot more satisfying. This season would have benefited from having less episodes per story in general and maybe an extra 4 parter made with those episodes reclaimed from somewhat overly long stories. It is a good season, but not quite season 5 good  It's The Krotons for me as well, Greg. You've summarised this Season and it's over-padding really well. Shame it was Pat's finale. |
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Post by shellyharman67 on Aug 1, 2014 17:26:28 GMT
Hmm, it's a difficult one this. Whilst the stories are nowhere near as good as those in the previous season, they are of a similarly uniform standard. If I was voting for a single episode I would have no hesitation in voting for 'the mind robber' episode one, which is, in my opinion as good as Troughton got and sits there with the very best surviving episodes of his era. The rest of that story does not quite approach near that high mark again. For overall quality and enjoyability I am voting for the Krotons. It is the best story from this season on a variety of levels. It's 4 episode duration helps it too. The invasion is an excellent story, but I think it occasionally meanders; doesn't detract from my viewing pleasure though. The space pirates, I suspect, is rather poorly served by the only existing episode. I have a suspicion that some of the later episodes in the story would have been a lot more satisfying. This season would have benefited from having less episodes per story in general and maybe an extra 4 parter made with those episodes reclaimed from somewhat overly long stories. It is a good season, but not quite season 5 good Pertwee's first season suffered from 3 x 7 parters as well. Would of liked an extra story instead ! But i guess budgets would not allow it ! While seeds of death was a very good story, along with Krotons. I just felt Invasion, with its clear padding just shaded it for me. Just a shame the Cybermen never said anything ! Space pirates could be a hidden classic i think. |
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Post by Greg H on Aug 1, 2014 17:36:49 GMT
Hmm, it's a difficult one this. Whilst the stories are nowhere near as good as those in the previous season, they are of a similarly uniform standard. If I was voting for a single episode I would have no hesitation in voting for 'the mind robber' episode one, which is, in my opinion as good as Troughton got and sits there with the very best surviving episodes of his era. The rest of that story does not quite approach near that high mark again. For overall quality and enjoyability I am voting for the Krotons. It is the best story from this season on a variety of levels. It's 4 episode duration helps it too. The invasion is an excellent story, but I think it occasionally meanders; doesn't detract from my viewing pleasure though. The space pirates, I suspect, is rather poorly served by the only existing episode. I have a suspicion that some of the later episodes in the story would have been a lot more satisfying. This season would have benefited from having less episodes per story in general and maybe an extra 4 parter made with those episodes reclaimed from somewhat overly long stories. It is a good season, but not quite season 5 good Pertwee's first season suffered from 3 x 7 parters as well. Would of liked an extra story instead ! But i guess budgets would not allow it ! While seeds of death was a very good story, along with Krotons. I just felt Invasion, with its clear padding just shaded it for me. Just a shame the Cybermen never said anything ! Space pirates could be a hidden classic i think. Interesting, whilst I don't think the length of the stories helped much for season 6, I think it rather worked in favour for most of season 7! Ambassadors of death is an OK story, not a personal classic, but Silurians and Inferno, imo, benefit from the long format, lending them a serious and 'grown up' sci fi tone! You could well be right about the space pirates, it is hard to judge from the one episode that we have; it could be a case that episode 2 is the weakest of the story. the audio for some of the later episodes sounds much more interesting. |
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Post by lousingh on Aug 1, 2014 18:59:48 GMT
I find the complaints about padding strange. In season 6, the most obvious episode of padding (Episode 1 of The Mind Robber) is also one of the best episodes of Doctor Who. No one ever complains about it even though it is almost completely superfluous. :-)
We also need to remember something VERY important about 1968-70: virtually everyone who had a television was watching the moon shots. When you are used to watching for hours while 8kb (!) of computer RAM guide people in space - and the most exciting thing is someone doing the error computations of the actual trajectory and fuel burn against the theoretical one - you have no problem buying into stories running very long. Indeed, it would seem unrealistic if The Invasion or The Space Pirates were paced like post-revival Doctor Who. Indeed, I already know I am different on this: I *like* episode two.
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Post by Richard Marple on Aug 1, 2014 19:41:46 GMT
IIRC some stories were stretched to fill some gaps due to cancelled stories like The Space Prison.
Part 1 of The Mind Robber works very well considering the story behind it, as it had to fill in a gap when The Dominators lost an episode.
Being right at the end of the 5th production block & with almost no budget, it does a lot with limited means.
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Post by Marty Schultz on Aug 1, 2014 23:56:38 GMT
I have to agree that it seems a hard season to pick a stand out. But ultimately I think we all agree that The Mind Robber does actually stand out. One of my first Troughton stories - thanks to ABC repeats - it's clearly different from anything previous to it bar the Celestial Toymaker. It is literally a blank canvas. The exploding TARDIS, the Forest of Words and the use of literary references creates an interesting foray into post-structuralist literary theory. WHO grapples with Barthes and Derrida admidst a blank textual landscape. It's one of the moments WHO elevates itself above the standard space opera to produce something both artistically, thematically and theoretically significant. A classic of classics.
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Post by Michael Plowright on Aug 2, 2014 0:00:30 GMT
I might be the only one to do it, but I went for The Dominators. If you sit back and watch it for the romp that it is, it is quite entertaining. Stereotypically incompetent bad guys, the peace love and happiness local population who just talk, the awesome Quarks and an entertaining performance from Pat being the not so clever, but cleaver Doctor. 7 thumbs up here...
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Post by DavidGreene on Aug 2, 2014 1:00:19 GMT
The Invasion for me all the way. Got me into classic Doctor Who and I haven't looked back. Close seconds go to the War Games and The Seeds of Death for me. Not as good as Season 5 IMO but a lot more variety than before.
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Post by Matthew Kurth on Aug 2, 2014 2:24:50 GMT
I had to go with The War Games. Yes, it's long. Yes, the padding shows at times -- but not too much and it starts out with ominous music that lets you know something's gonna happen, and then there's the crazy plot about the war games unraveling, then suddenly we meet another of the Doctor's kind, and just when you think there aren't more revelations, there's this huge reveal about the Doctor's home -- especially after the Episode 9 cliffhanger is so bleak.
Kevin Stoney does such a good job in Invasion and Padders is so damn yummy, but as someone else said, War Games is just so epic!
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Post by Greg H on Aug 2, 2014 7:58:28 GMT
I might be the only one to do it, but I went for The Dominators. If you sit back and watch it for the romp that it is, it is quite entertaining. Stereotypically incompetent bad guys, the peace love and happiness local population who just talk, the awesome Quarks and an entertaining performance from Pat being the not so clever, but cleaver Doctor. 7 thumbs up here... Dominators is a fairly cool story imo. Not a classic, but a fun watch with the cast on good form and of course a few jolly cliches trotted out for good measure. I personally rate the somewhat unwieldy looking Quarks too. It isn't so much that season 6 was a poor season, just sandwiched in between the web of fear and inferno it has a hard time  |
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Post by shellyharman67 on Aug 2, 2014 8:36:02 GMT
Maybe season 5 just had too many classics in it ! Hard to put any season up against that as well. Maybe many are over looked because of season 5 ! I like them all in 6 |
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Post by Will Weller on Aug 2, 2014 18:21:39 GMT
I'm surprised the Dominators has a vote! I really did think that would stay on 0.
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Post by Greg H on Aug 2, 2014 19:02:32 GMT
I'm surprised the Dominators has a vote! I really did think that would stay on 0. Speaking as someone who is a fan of 'the space museum', I can empathise with the outside choice I am also a big fan of 'the horns of Nimon', which I think actually does make me a bad person  |
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