My huge Doctor Who episode marathon.

[The Friendly Dalek]

I did watch an episode of Doctor Who tonight, but it wasn't the one I was supposed to watch. 

I finally bought the animated version of The Macra Terror, and I now love that story even more. It is still one of my favourite stories of the Troughton era, and the animation looked great. 

[Peter Capaldi Fan]

9 hours ago, The Friendly Dalek said:

I did watch an episode of Doctor Who tonight, but it wasn't the one I was supposed to watch. 

I finally bought the animated version of The Macra Terror, and I now love that story even more. It is still one of my favourite stories of the Troughton era, and the animation looked great. 

You'd recommend it then? 

On a different subject  - how about Big Finish? Have you listened to any of them? Thought about giving them a go as they seem to do justice to Doctors who didn't get the chance on TV. 

[The Friendly Dalek]

5 minutes ago, Peter Capaldi Fan said:

You'd recommend it then? 

On a different subject  - how about Big Finish? Have you listened to any of them? Thought about giving them a go as they seem to do justice to Doctors who didn't get the chance on TV. 

I would definitely recommend checking out The Macra Terror. 

I've heard some Big Finish, and I've loved what I've hears. it's definitely worth a try if you are interested in listening to some.

[Peter Capaldi Fan]

12 minutes ago, The Friendly Dalek said:

I would definitely recommend checking out The Macra Terror. 

I've heard some Big Finish, and I've loved what I've hears. it's definitely worth a try if you are interested in listening to some.

Will definitely check out The Macra Terror. I've heard the animation is brilliant. Always think the best recommendations for anything are from people who've seen it.  I never take any notice of paid critics. 

Got a long flight coming up in a few weeks so think I will try some Big Finish to while away the time. 

Thanks 

[The Friendly Dalek]

30 minutes ago, Peter Capaldi Fan said:

Will definitely check out The Macra Terror. I've heard the animation is brilliant. Always think the best recommendations for anything are from people who've seen it.  I never take any notice of paid critics. 

Got a long flight coming up in a few weeks so think I will try some Big Finish to while away the time. 

Thanks 

If you're ever interested I could give you some recommendations of my favourite Big Finish stories which I've listened to?

[Peter Capaldi Fan]

1 hour ago, The Friendly Dalek said:

If you're ever interested I could give you some recommendations of my favourite Big Finish stories which I've listened to?

That would be great.  

6th, 7th or 8th would be my preference.

Thanks  

[The Friendly Dalek]

5 hours ago, Peter Capaldi Fan said:

That would be great.  

6th, 7th or 8th would be my preference.

Thanks  

Do you have Spotify? If so, most of the ones I'm about to list are free on there (which is how I've listened to most of the ones I have listened to). These are all for the 6th, 7th and 8th Doctors. 

The Chimes Of Midnight, The Holy Terror, Night Thoughts, Storm Warning, The Genocide Machine, Damaged Goods, Blood Of The Daleks, Thin Ice, The Marian Conspiracy, Invaders From Mars.

Those are all stories which I really like. 

Edited March 31, 2019 by The Friendly Dalek

[Peter Capaldi Fan]

1 hour ago, The Friendly Dalek said:

Do you have Spotify? If so, most of the ones I'm about to list are free on there (which is how I've listened to most of the ones I have listened to). These are all for the 6th, 7th and 8th Doctors. 

The Chimes Of Midnight, The Holy Terror, Night Thoughts, Storm Warning, The Genocide Machine, Damaged Goods, Blood Of The Daleks, Thin Ice, The Marian Conspiracy, Invaders From Mars.

Those are all stories which I really like. 

Thanks. I'll give these a go 

[The Friendly Dalek]

The Time Of Angels/Flesh And Stone- Let's get the big thing out of the way first. I think the Weeping Angels are utilised very well in this story. However, I'm not a fan of them being brought back in the first place. I think that, the more we see them, the less creepy they become, and they haven't and will never be as creepy as they were in Blink simply because over-exposure lessens the impact they have. Seeing them movie is also a major mistake which this episode makes in my opinion.

The regulars are great, especially Smith. He really shines in this episode. Alex Kingston returns as River Song, and at this stage at least, I like the character. I have major issues with River but I will talk about them in due course. In this story she is great. Of the supporting cast, everyone does a good job, but once again, they aren't very interesting. As this is a two-part story, having uninteresting characters is even more concerning than usual. Iain Glen is the standout of the supporting cast, however.

This story expands on the Weeping Angels in mostly successful ways. The idea that an image of an angel becomes itself an angel is a very intriguing concept, and the tv scene is a great example. Amy's affliction throughout this story is also an interesting idea. However this really is a double edged sword. While it is great to learn more about them, I feel like the appeal of the Weeping Angels comes from how we know so little about them. Less really is more with them, and Blink perfectly proved this.

The pacing isn't great unfortunately, but the setting is great, and the sets look gorgeous. The cliffhanger is great, and the way that the time crack is used in the climax of this episode is also very interesting.

Overall- 8/10.

[Peter Capaldi Fan]

The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone - I love this story. When Moffat gets it right he really is the best writer on Doctor Who. Most of this episode works well.

This is a great character led story. It really showcases the best of Smith's portrayal of The Doctor. Gillan is excellent.

I agree with you. River Song is still an interesting character at this stage and Kingston plays her well. The interaction between Smith and Kingston works despite the age difference.

The Weeping Angels are still suitably scary at this stage.

Iain Glen provides excellent support. The acting in his death scene is brilliant.

The story itself is a bit slow to start but is well written. The cliffhanger, climax and overall pacing once the story gets going give this a cinematic feel.

My only criticism - Amy's seduction scene didn't fit with the rest of the story. It was probably meant to be funny but didn't really work in my opinion.

Overall 9/10

[The Friendly Dalek]

54 minutes ago, Peter Capaldi Fan said:

The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone - I love this story. When Moffat gets it right he really is the best writer on Doctor Who. Most of this episode works well.

This is a great character led story. It really showcases the best of Smith's portrayal of The Doctor. Gillan is excellent.

I agree with you. River Song is still an interesting character at this stage and Kingston plays her well. The interaction between Smith and Kingston works despite the age difference.

The Weeping Angels are still suitably scary at this stage.

Iain Glen provides excellent support. The acting in his death scene is brilliant.

The story itself is a bit slow to start but is well written. The cliffhanger, climax and overall pacing once the story gets going give this a cinematic feel.

My only criticism - Amy's seduction scene didn't fit with the rest of the story. It was probably meant to be funny but didn't really work in my opinion.

Overall 9/10

That scene with Amy at the end was dreadful, I didn't think it deserved to be spoken about.  I hated it the first time I saw this episode, and I still hate that scene now. 

This episode manages to keep the Angels chilling despite showing them far more frequently than in Blink, however in my opinion this is the last time they were truly creepy. 

The second episode definitely picks up the pace, but I can't help but feel like the first part is too slow. Once it gets going in the second part it is great. 

Edited April 1, 2019 by The Friendly Dalek

[Peter Capaldi Fan]

12 hours ago, The Friendly Dalek said:

That scene with Amy at the end was dreadful, I didn't think it deserved to be spoken about.  I hated it the first time I saw this episode, and I still hate that scene now. 

This episode manages to keep the Angels chilling despite showing them far more frequently than in Blink, however in my opinion this is the last time they were truly creepy. 

The second episode definitely picks up the pace, but I can't help but feel like the first part is too slow. Once it gets going in the second part it is great. 

Totally agree that The Weeping Angels became less creepy the more they were used.  Went to a Doctor Who exhibition a few years ago. Wasn't that bothered by the Angels. But even as an adult to hear a Dalek say "exterminate" did send a shiver down the spine! 

[The Friendly Dalek]

The Vampires Of Venice- Let's start with what I like. The locations are nice and the acting is very good. That's about it. 

All jokes aside, this is a very poor story in my opinion. The episode looks beautiful, for the most part. The special effects really do let it down. The acting is great, especially from the regulars, and Helen McCrory gives an excellent performance. The writing is good for the most part, but the villains are uninteresting and pretty poorly written.

I have a problem with this episode that many probably don't, which is regarding the title. When the term vampire is used in the title, it's safe to assume that it would feature vampires, not shape shifting fish creatures (which look awful as well). What makes this even more annoying for me is that vampires do exist within the Doctor Who universe. The television episode "State Of Decay" features vampires, the novel "Goth Opera" also features vampires, so why this story couldn't have featured actual vampires instead of fish creatures still bugs me. 

The plot is also very basic, and the resolution felt too simple in my eyes. The motives of the villains also isn't great. There isn't  a lot in this story that does work for me to be honest. The pacing isn't great and I was bored for an unfortunately large amount of this episode. 

Overall- 3/10.

[Peter Capaldi Fan]

The Vampires of Venice - This is a classic Who story. Have a good idea then fail to develop it. Aliens disguised as humans is not a new idea and Whitehouse doesn't make this anything special.

However it's not a bad episode. The main cast are great. Helen McCrory and Alex Price are excellent. The production design and location are good. But the rest is all a little bit meh. 

4/10

[The Friendly Dalek]

Amy's Choice- Simon Nye delivered a very unique episode, and I appreciate it's ambition. This episode really sticks out from the crowd and is much more memorable that most for taking risks. 

The regulars are excellent. Karen Gillan shines here. Toby Jones is great as The Dream Lord. The supporting cast are fine. None of them are too memorable, but they aren't bad. 

The special effects aren't great, and that brings me on to my biggest problem with this story- the villains. The Eknodine are pretty boring villains, and if it wasn't for Toby Jones then there wouldn't be anything about them which I like. 

The script is great for the most part, and most of the comedy works. The strange visuals of seeing elderly people becoming dangerous is a pretty funny idea, and it is well executed. When the story focuses on character drama between the regulars, that is when it is at its best. 

Overall- 8/10.

[Peter Capaldi Fan]

20 minutes ago, The Friendly Dalek said:

Amy's Choice- Simon Nye delivered a very unique episode, and I appreciate it's ambition. This episode really sticks out from the crowd and is much more memorable that most for taking risks. 

The regulars are excellent. Karen Gillan shines here. Toby Jones is great as The Dream Lord. The supporting cast are fine. None of them are too memorable, but they aren't bad. 

The special effects aren't great, and that brings me on to my biggest problem with this story- the villains. The Eknodine are pretty boring villains, and if it wasn't for Toby Jones then there wouldn't be anything about them which I like. 

The script is great for the most part, and most of the comedy works. The strange visuals of seeing elderly people becoming dangerous is a pretty funny idea, and it is well executed. When the story focuses on character drama between the regulars, that is when it is at its best. 

Overall- 8/10.

We still haven't found an episode to completely disagree on.  Your review sums up exactly what I think of this story.  Nothing new to add.  I enjoyed this one on the whole.  

[The Friendly Dalek]

6 minutes ago, Peter Capaldi Fan said:

We still haven't found an episode to completely disagree on.  Your review sums up exactly what I think of this story.  Nothing new to add.  I enjoyed this one on the whole.  

Series 5 is relatively consistent in terms of quality, it's during the next two Series where I imagine disagreements will become more common, maybe. 

Edited April 3, 2019 by The Friendly Dalek

[Peter Capaldi Fan]

Just finished watching the animated version of The Macra Terror. It's not a story I am familiar with. However it was really enjoyable. The animation is good. Looked very similar to Studio Ghibli in style. Certainly a great way of keeping the lost episodes of Doctor Who alive. Only negative - I don't rate The Macra, either animated or CGI. 

[The Friendly Dalek]

3 minutes ago, Peter Capaldi Fan said:

Just finished watching the animated version of The Macra Terror. It's not a story I am familiar with. However it was really enjoyable. The animation is good. Looked very similar to Studio Ghibli in style. Certainly a great way of keeping the lost episodes of Doctor Who alive. Only negative - I don't rate The Macra, either animated or CGI. 

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. 

Also, no Doctor Who for me today I'm afraid. I watched Pet Sematary instead in preparation for seeing the new version on Sunday. 

[Peter Capaldi Fan]

15 minutes ago, The Friendly Dalek said:

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. 

Also, no Doctor Who for me today I'm afraid. I watched Pet Sematary instead in preparation for seeing the new version on Sunday. 

Perfectly good excuse. I am a major fan of Stephen King. His books are brilliant. Funny though never really been a fan of the films. But that is a guest I would love to meet. On the same level as James Herbert (shame he's no longer with us).

 

[natedammit]

12 hours ago, Peter Capaldi Fan said:

Just finished watching the animated version of The Macra Terror. It's not a story I am familiar with. However it was really enjoyable. The animation is good. Looked very similar to Studio Ghibli in style. Certainly a great way of keeping the lost episodes of Doctor Who alive. Only negative - I don't rate The Macra, either animated or CGI. 

15 points for the Ghibli reference.

[Peter Capaldi Fan]

6 hours ago, natedammit said:

15 points for the Ghibli reference.

Do I win a prize?

[The Friendly Dalek]

The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood- This is one of the worst episodes of this series in my opinion. I really don't like this story.

Chris Chibnall gives us a very dull and boring story here. It drags a lot, and watching both episodes back to back was a bad idea. 

The Silurians look awful, I'm not a fan at all of their design in modern Who. This story tries to explore similar themes to the Silurian stories of classic Who, but it does them in a way that is so uninteresting and just made me wish I was watching the 70s story about them instead. 

From an acting standpoint, this story isn't too bad. The regulars are great as always. This story falters in the writing department, and the majority of the supporting characters are dull and bland. 

The sets look good and the story is well shot. The visual effects are also good, and I like how the time crack was utilised at the end of this story. 

Overall- 3/10.

[wjbleming]

Right, time for another catch up before I forget again. Took me a minute to find where I'd last reviewed. lol Might not have to say too much  on some of them as its been a while since I've watched the episodes.

Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords: Good episodes, though it feels a bit wasted with the whole "We'll just undo everything at the end!" moment. Do agree with Martha's role, she was given more to do in the 2nd half of the finale. 7/10

Voyage of the Damned: Agreed, it was fine. There wasn't anything special about it, but it wasn't a bad episode either. 6/10

Partners in Crime: Eh, it was grand. Good reintroduction for Donna. Bit of a forgettable episode unfortunately. 5/10

The Fires of Pompeii: Enjoyed this one, the setting was very good! 8/10

Planet of the Ood: Pretty good episode. Liked how the Ood were explored more. 7/10

The Sontaran  Stratagem/The Poison Sky: God, the American ally to the Somtarans was annoying. Other that that, good episodes. 6/10

The Unicorn & the Wasp: Was an alright episode, if a bit forgettable. In saying that, Fenella Woodgar was very good as Agatha Christie, as was Tennant and Tate! 6/10

The Doctor's Daughter: Eh, not the biggest fan. An alright episode bringing a new Time Lady into the fray without much of a fanfare made it underwhelming. Add onto that them killing her off and bringing her back only for her not to appear in the main series to date! 4/10

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead: Fantastic double episode! Great intro to River and the Vashta Nerada are a great enemy! 10/10

Midnight: Really good companion light episode, something I don't think we get very often! The dynamic was great between the cast. Can't say much more from what everyone else has said! 10/10

Turn Left: Another great episode! Have a fancy for parallel universe scenarios and really enjoyed how this was done! 10/10

The Stolen Earth/Journey's End: Great finale, though I still question what they did with Rose's teeth in this episode!  It's a shame we don't get crossovers with the others in the Whoniverse, even catching up with Luke & co with Elizabeth Sladen no longer being with us, it must have been quite the task behind the scenes! 9.5/10

The Next Doctor: And next episode.....  Was an alright episode. Bit forgettable. Cast was good. 4.5/10

Planet of the Dead: Forgettable episode. Michelle Ryan is good, as is David, other than that it's not memorable really. 4/10

The Waters of Mars: Brill episode. SPOILERS The ending is what makes it for me, too. It shows a much darker side of the Doctor and how it affects the world around him when he goes down this road. I loved this bit! 10/10

The End of Time: Good episode. Did feel like we'd seen the planet in the sky scenario once too often, with it being a plot scenario in one of the Transformers movies as well. (Think it was in something else as well but can't remember off hand.) The cacti people weren't the best Imo. With the Time Lord President I didn't think he did much, felt Timothy Dalton was wasted a bit. With him being Rassilon, I haven't seen many othe classic era (still! Argh!) so I don't know who Rassilon is and thus don't have anything to base him off. The regeneration felt a bit dragged out as well. 6/10

The Eleventh Hour: Enjoyed this episode. Really good intro to Smith's Doctor and a different feel to the previous. 8/10

The beast Below: The first forgettable episode of Smith's run. Was ok, nothing much. 4/10

Victory of the Daleks: A good episode. Not the best but not the worst either. 6/10

TBC

[wjbleming]

Felt the 1st post was getting a tad long so we're getting a 2 parter! Eyyyyyy!

The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone: Agree on how the Angels were utilised in these episode but it does take the mystery from them. Agree that seeing an angel move was a misstep. Not seeing them move is that main scare tactic of the Angels and see them do this leaves them with no mystery whatsoever. Ruins them a bit. Also, agreed on the flirting scene at the end. Where did that come from!? 8/10

The Vampires of Venice: Alright episode. Good location and acting doesn't really make up for the rest. 4.5/10

Amy's Choice: Eh, this one has its ups and downs. Toby Jones is great as the Dream Lord, as is the rest of the main cast, but that's it. There wasn't much to this story. 7/10

The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood: I like this episode, I actually like the Silurian's design in this. They seem pretty sleek in the most part. It's a decent episode that provides a great opportunity at the end of it. 6/10.