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Classic Who Recommendations?


DavidB
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OK now the quiet summer TV break is upon us, so I figured maybe it's time I gave the older Who a go, but there's so much out there I'm not quite sure where to jump in.

 

I know there are plenty of knowledgeable people on here, so I thought I'd ask :D

 

I vaguely remember seeing some late McCoy stuff, but that's about it.

 

Ideally, I'd like something easily accessible and not too confusing - and for story style, I prefer the suspenseful creepy stuff.

 

I know that's not much to go on but hopefully someone can help :chair:

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Stating the obvious really but try to avoid the later stuff. Start right at the beginning with the first story just to get a starting point. UKTV Drama did a good showing last weekend I believe of some of the best episodes might be worth trying to find their listings. (I missed it - at CE).

 

Many people will say the Tom Baker years were the best but make your own mind up - I preferred Peter Davidson (I think it depends how old you were at the time).

 

Bit vague sorry but specific stories aren't my forte (not a massive fan)

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From the Baker days watch Genesis of the Daleks, Talons of Weng Chiang,

City of Death -- in my opinion his three best adventures. If you

like creepy stuff have a look at the Philip Hinchcliffe produced era

with stories like the Brain of Morbius, Seeds of Doom.

Most of the Pertwees are great to, in particilar the ones with Katy Manning

UNIT and the Master. The Daemons is one of the best of that period,

also Terror of the Autons.

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Keeping in mind that many of the first and second Doctor stories are lost thanks to BBC tape junking, and can only be accessed now as audios, some of the ones I'd recommend are:

 

First Doctor - An Unearthly Child - first ever story, not the best, but worth watching to see how it all began, and to see a Doctor ruthless enough to consider crushing the skull of an unconscious enemy

The Daleks - first appearance of the arch nemesis

The Time Meddler - again, not the best, but historical for another show first - which, in the unlikely event you don't already know, I won't spoil.

Tenth Planet - first regeneration, first Cybermen.

 

Second Doctor - Tomb of the Cybermen

Web of Fear (most episodes audio only) - spooky, and another first for the show

The War Games - some feel its overlong at 10 episodes, but I enjoyed it, plus it introduces the Time Lords and includes a villain who looks to be the template of someone who came along a year or two later.

I'd recommend more, but so little of Pat Troughton's stuff remains intact.

 

Third Doctor - Terror of the Autons - first Master, plus some nice eerie moments

The Three Doctors - just for the historical value of all three Doctors together

Planet of the Spiders

 

Fourth Doctor

The Ark in Space - for my money, where the fourth Doctor's "creepy" adventures begin

Genesis of the Daleks - origins of the Daleks, introducing their creator, and just a very dark story

Terror of the Zygons

Pyramids of Mars

The Brain of Morbius

The Seeds of Doom - four of the show's creepy era best

The Deadly Assassin - first time we see Gallifrey

The Talons of Weng-Chiang - bar the rat (damn the production values of that era) it's about the best creepy story the show produced.

Horror of Fang Rock

The Pirate Planet - just because Douglas Adams wrote it

City of Death - another DA masterpiece

State of Decay - very gothic

 

Fifth Doctor

Only one here, Caves of Androzani

I love loads of the Peter Davison era, but very little is creepy

 

Sixth Doctor

Listen to his Big Finish audios first, as he was lumbered with some weak on-screen stories that never fully do him justice (there's some good bits in there, but pretty consistently let down by other parts of the production).

 

Seventh Doctor

Remembrance of the Daleks

Curse of Fenric

 

Curse of the Fatal Death is also worth tracking down if you can - not officially part of the canon, but Steven Moffat wrote it, so that should be enough of a recommendation in itself.

 

If you are up for listening to audios as well, then try out

The Pescatons - 4th Doctor tale narrated rather eerily by Tom Baker

Shada - 8th Doctor audio completing a 4th Doctor tale killed by industrial action

The Spectre of Lanyon Moor

The Fires of Vulcan (yes, Bonnie Langford actually could have been a good companion)

Shadow of the Scourge - featuring the 7th Doctor and companions as they became in the novels after the show went off air.

The Holy Terror - initially one of the funniest, then as the story progresses one of the most tragic, Who stories

The Stones of Venice

Dust Breeding

Project Twilight

The One Doctor - one of the sillier stories, lots of fun

Invaders from Mars

The Chimes of Midnight

Spare Parts

Jubilee

Doctor Who and the Pirates

Omega

Davros

Master

Medicinal Purposes - starring a pre-Doctor David Tennant

The Kingmaker

Circular Time - specifically the Summer section

Horror of Glam Rock

The Maltese Penguin

Auld Mortality

Sympathy for the Devil - with another Tennant performance

Full Fathom Five

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Eerie or not, I love most of the Davison stuff. Caves of Androzani, Earthshock (see ya Matthew :YAHOO: ) The Visitation etc.

 

TBH You are best to start with Tom and Peter. Earlier stuff is often very off-putting for newer audiences, and late Colin / most of Sylv descends into ridicule - stupid BBC politics !! Yeah, Seeds of Doom, Horror of Fang Rock, Castrovalva. And check out some of the DVD extras - they help set the scene !!

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Thanks for all the help everyone, much appreciated :YAHOO:

 

Will definitely look into picking some up .. the DVDs do seem like good quality releases with a lot of effort put into them and the extras, which is what I like to see.

 

Also wondering something else, but not worth starting a new topic - the Eccleston Who series was released in that horribly large Tardis set - has it been re-released at all in similar packaging to the second series? I've been looking at different sites and they seem to show different ones ..

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Hey David, being a lifelong Who fan, i grew up watching McCoy's last 2 seasons so ive got a soft spot for them, but my favourite doctor is William Hartnell, Number 1, closely followed by 2 and 3.

 

Definitely get the Beginning to start with, and id recommend all other Hartnell and Troughton ones.

 

Most people obviously think Tom Baker is best, but i have always disagreed, he did have a few of the best stories the show has seen, but he also had A LOT of the worst stories of the series.

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Hi DB

 

Stuart has already mentioned quite a few of the ones I would recommend , The War Games is a personal favorite of mine.

 

Others I would recommend though, Robots of Death (Tom Baker) Ghostlight / Silver Nemesis (McCoy) Spearhead from Space / Inferno (Pertwee) The Black Guardian trilogy (Davison) Although Ghostlight and Robots of Death are probably the only ones to meet your creepy criteria

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David - try and get a look at Ghostlight before LFACC. It was written by Marc Platt, who will be there with the Blake's Seven audio crew !! I can't see him objecting to signing the DVD .... maybe for free :D

 

Oh, and Ben Aaronovich wrote Remembrance of the Daleks ....

Edited by dufresne
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David - try and get a look at Ghostlight before LFACC. It was written by Marc Platt, who will be there with the Blake's Seven audio crew !! I can't see him objecting to signing the DVD .... maybe for free :hathor:

 

Oh, and Ben Aaronovich wrote Remembrance of the Daleks ....

 

Thanks for pointing this out. I hadn't noticed them when I looked through the guest list but would like to meet them both. Does anyone know whether they are likely to be charging for autographs?

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I wouldn't have thought so, but it might take a cheap purchase from their stand to be polite. Failing that, you could always hijack someone who is buying something into getting an auto for you. I certainly don't see them charging £15 an auto like the "main" guests .....

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