Doctor Who

[Robert]

Troughton was very good. Shame so many of his episodes have been lost/wiped.

To make Jeff feel better, here is the Doctor in triplicate :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Uf4sjX8RE

[Pcdunn]

Troughton's Doctor was an interesting character. I have read a very good DW novel featuring the Second Doctor, apparently by an author who understood Troughton's quirks and phrases. If I can remember the author and title, I'll edit this post to add it.

[Elamarna]

Of course the Troughton family are still acting, sons David and Michael are well known, David himself appearing in Dr Who opposite Jon Pertwee.

One Grandson Harry Melling was in the Harry Potter films, while another Grandson Sam is also an actor.

And lets not forget Grandson Jim, who played cricket for Warwickshire, and 6 one day internationals for England, talented family.


Steve

[Pcdunn]

Yes, very true.

And Jon Pertwee (Third Doctor) also came from an acting family with a long history as entertainers. His son Sean is currently playing young Bruce Wayne's guardian and butler, Alfred Pennyworth, on the television series "Gotham".

http://www.fox.com/gotham/meet-the-cast

Sean resembles his father more every day, I think!

[Pcdunn]

Also meant to post this link on making it until Christmas Day 2016 without any new "Doctor Who" episodes. Good tips and links.

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-08-25/doctor-who-fans-have-the-best-tips-for-surviving-the-great-whovian-drought-of-2016

[Fleetwood Mac]

Aside from Ripper stuff, another favorite British pasttime I enjoy is watching the TV program Doctor Who. I'm sad to see David Tennant leaving though, but I am excited to see his fina 2-part episode, especially since The Master is returning. Anyone else here a fan of The Doctor?

P.S. Wouldn't it be cool if they had a DW Ripper episode? I'm surprised they never made one.

No. Not a fan.

I'm English and I can't find any commonality with the sort of English mind who invents dog shite and thinks it is somehow adventurous.

It's not adventurous, it's not even imagination, it's the product of someone who was bullied at school and needs some sort of fantasy outlet.

[Pcdunn]

Paternoster Gang

Aside from Ripper stuff, another favorite British pasttime I enjoy is watching the TV program Doctor Who. I'm sad to see David Tennant leaving though, but I am excited to see his fina 2-part episode, especially since The Master is returning. Anyone else here a fan of The Doctor?

P.S. Wouldn't it be cool if they had a DW Ripper episode? I'm surprised they never made one.

Yes, long-time fan here, JTR, though I will confess to being an American.

Classic Who didn't come too close to the late Victorian period in London except for "The Talons of Weng-Chiang", which was splendid for borrowing Conan Doyle's "giant rat of Sumatra" reference in a Sherlock Holmes story, and giving it a sci-fi twist.

New Who has introduced an unusual trio called The Paternoster Gang which have assisted the Doctor in a few Victorian adventures.

[Robert]

Pat, if you ever visit the UK - avoid the train network :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP6-E617Pb4

[Pcdunn]

Good video, Robert, thank you! (By the way, the Voice scared my cat out of the room!)

It's hard to keep a bad Dalek down-- they just keep coming back for more punishment!

[Pcdunn]

A new project offers hope for all of those Classic "Dr. Who" episodes which were destroyed.

http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2016/09/bbc-america-brings-destroyed-doctor-who-episodes-back-to-life

November 12, 2016 is set as the air date on BBC America for an animated film version of "The Power of the Daleks", which uses surviving audio tracks, still photos, the script, and production sketches as source material.

They will make it available the following day for streaming at BBC America,com, and with the BBC America app for mobile devices.

I AM DELIGHTED!

[Charles Daniels]

Doctor Who, has a 'day'?

I vaguely remember it first starting about 1963, a girl at school told me to watch it she eventually became my first girlfriend.

William Hartnell I think was the first, little man with long grey hair. When he stopped playing the part I stopped watching it - so to me he was the only Doctor Who.
I saw some old Hartnell shows on, I think, You-Tube, arghhh...terrible! So corny, cardboard sets, footsteps echoing on wooden floors in outside shots - so funny, but in the early 60's it was so popular.

I'd take Hartnell on a cardboard set, or Troughton menaced by a foam machine, over a thousand big budget CGI productions.

Over the years I've been lucky enough to collect 60s and 70s Dr Who on film, and it's a real joy

[Robert]

You can definitely go too far with special effects. On the other hand, I appreciate that folks will no longer put up with an alien who's just a bloke in a mask. That's why the daleks were so brilliant - living beings but inscrutable, hidden inside a casing. You never quite knew what they were going to do next (though this was slightly spoilt by their helpful announcement 'you will be exterminated').

[Charles Daniels]

You can definitely go too far with special effects. On the other hand, I appreciate that folks will no longer put up with an alien who's just a bloke in a mask. That's why the daleks were so brilliant - living beings but inscrutable, hidden inside a casing. You never quite knew what they were going to do next (though this was slightly spoilt by their helpful announcement 'you will be exterminated').

Well I think it is rather sad that the bar has been inflated so high for television.
I mean, go see live theatre and what will you get? A bloke in a mask.

The Daleks did rather dumb down over time.
For example the Power of the Daleks story mentioned up thread features the Daleks playing on people's preconceptions and racist assumptions to manipulate them while they secretly fortify their position.

So that's what they could do in 1966.. By 1976 they had gotten rather shouty.

[Robert]

Hi Charles

I suppose it's rather a genie in bottle situation - Hollywood special effects in various films let the genie out, and now people expect that kind of thing all the time.

Personally I like films which leave something to the imagination, e.g. 'The Haunting' where the ghostly manifestations were auditory rather than visual.
I did like the demon in 'Night of the Demon' though.

[Pcdunn]

This is very cute and well-done:

http://laughingsquid.com/the-12-dogtors-charlie-browns-dog-snoopy-as-each-of-the-twelve-iterations-of-doctor-who/

(Though I can't help wondering if copyright is being flaunted here!)