Gavin WintersNov 23, 2022

I’m probably mad for attempting this again but… time to embark on ‘The Pilgrimage’ once more, with a year-long #DoctorWho marathon leading up to the 60th.

Last time I did this was from the 49th to 50th anniversary. Quite a few more seasons added since then of course! Can I squeeze them all in? Let’s find out! #DoctorWhoDay

Show threadGavin Winters
I don’t know if I necessarily agree with it, but I’m quite fond of the fan-theory about the cavemen in An Unearthly Child:
We don’t know it’s prehistoric Earth, it could be an alien planet.
Kal says he was a leader of another tribe.
The novelisation says his tribe was the other side of the mountains (now where else in #DoctorWho have we seen two tribes separated by a mountain range…?)
And the kicker: if he was the leader then that would make them the ‘Kal-led’ tribe…
Nov 23, 2022 at 7:57pmWeb
Show threadGavin WintersNov 25, 2022
Continuing the marathon and these bad boys have arrived. Hope they don’t turn out to be trouble. #DoctorWho
Show threadGavin WintersNov 25, 2022
The argument between Ian and the Doctor over the morality of getting the Thals to fight for them still packs a punch all these years later. And Ian is *so* right. Well, at first anyway. Not once he blackmails them by threatening to take Dyoni to the Daleks. #DoctorWho
Show threadGavin WintersNov 26, 2022

PUNCH HIS LIGHTS OUT IAN

#DoctorWho

Show threadGavin WintersNov 27, 2022

The Edge Of Destruction: such a bonkers story. Probably a bit early to be doing something so weird and experimental and potentially off-putting for the audience.

“His heart’s alright” says Ian, checking the unconscious Doctor. Cue years of speculation that he only had one heart at this point, but of course Ian wouldn’t know to check for another one so there’s no contradiction as far as I’m concerned. #DoctorWho

Show threadGavin WintersNov 28, 2022
Onto the realm of recons and animations with Marco Polo. This is my most-wished-for discovery. I know everyone says Tenth Planet 4 but at least we have the most important bit of that with the regeneration. #DoctorWho
Show threadGavin WintersNov 30, 2022
It may be nearly 60 years old, black-and-white, with no SF elements and only available now as a recon/audio, but Marco Polo remains one of the most compelling #DoctorWho stories. I never get bored of it.
Show threadGavin WintersDec 1, 2022
The amount of on-screen goofs in episode one of The Keys Of Marinus alone is shocking - crew members in shot, Hartnell fluffing his lines, the cardboard Voord that falls down the shaft… honestly, the pilot was remounted for less! #DoctorWho
Show threadGavin WintersDec 3, 2022
There’s lots to enjoy in The Keys Of Marinus, but it’s always going to suffer from following that magical group of the first four stories, where the show and characters and format are being established. The occasionally wonky production values don’t help either, or the fact that Susan is suddenly being written as though she’s a ten-year-old. #DoctorWho
Show threadGavin WintersDec 3, 2022

Terry Nation writing a character called Tarron? Wonder if he’ll ever do that again.

Interesting how the search for the keys and the temporary usage of a fake final one foreshadows the Key To Time, 14 years later.

Barbara completely failing to smash the Morphoton brains’ jars and the Voord tripping over his own flippers will never not be funny. 😄 #DoctorWho

Show threadGavin WintersDec 6, 2022

Onto The Aztecs, another great historical from John Lucarotti and one of my favourite Hartnells. Susan questions why the Aztecs would think that a male priest has been reincarnated as a woman.

Her grandfather, centuries later…

#DoctorWho

Show threadGavin WintersDec 6, 2022
The debate in this story over interfering in other cultures to “improve” them, and potentially changing history, has never been bettered in #DoctorWho
Show threadGavin WintersDec 6, 2022
Someone should do a running total of all the times companions in #DoctorWho have straight up murdered someone with their own hands. So far Ian’s caused that ice-soldier guy on Marinus to fall down a chasm and now he chucks Ixta off a pyramid.
Show threadGavin WintersDec 6, 2022

Hmm, well after the brilliance of The Aztecs we now get the slow, plodding (both them and the story) The Sensorites.

Apart from The Daleks, it’s the sci-fi stories that are letting the side down in season one. The historicals are far more interesting.

Plus the cramped nature of Lime Grove studios is very obvious here. Everyone pretends that stuff happening three feet away is too distant to notice. Or they move painfully slowly down short corridors to make them seem longer. #DoctorWho

Show threadGavin WintersDec 8, 2022
For such a supposedly advanced species, the Sensorites really are a bunch of thickies. They can’t figure out the obvious problem of the poisoned water and can’t tell each other apart if they wear different sashes. 🤷🏻‍♂️ #DoctorWho
Show threadGavin WintersDec 10, 2022

I’d forgotten how grotty some of the surviving episodes of The Reign Of Terror look, like they’ve been dragged through the mud. Stands out in stark contrast to the surrounding stories. Thankfully the picture quality improves a bit by episode three.

The Doctor getting roped into the chain gang and then getting out of it is very funny. As is his impersonation of a high-ranking official. Hartnell was always so good when given a bit of comedy material. #DoctorWho

Show threadGavin WintersDec 10, 2022
Switching to the recons for the two missing episodes rather than that hyperactive animation they released. (Seriously, what were they thinking with that??) #DoctorWho
Show threadGavin WintersDec 11, 2022
PUNCH THIS GUY’S LIGHTS OUT TOO IAN.
#DoctorWho
Show threadGavin WintersDec 11, 2022

Not the most exciting Historical (too much capturing/escaping/recapturing in that bloody prison) but the Reign Of Terror has its moments. And the jailer is a fun character.

Anyway, that’s season one done. Now hurry up Amazon and send me the Season Two Collection! #DoctorWho

Show threadGavin WintersDec 15, 2022

Right, the Season Two box set’s arrived, so back to the #DoctorWho marathon with Planet Of Giants.

The oversized sets are very good. For the time and the budget what they achieved is near-miraculous. The DN6 plot feels like something from an early episode of The Avengers.

This is probably the prime example in the Hartnell era where, due to the tiny studio size, actors have to pretend they can’t see something that’s inches away until the camera pans over to reveal it.

Show threadGavin WintersDec 15, 2022

“Yes, my report will financially ruin you.

By the way, I’m off on holiday by myself, sailing round France, so if anything happens to me nobody will notice my absence for quite some time and… oh you’ve pulled a gun. Bugger, I walked myself into that, didn’t I?” #DoctorWho

Show threadPaisley P. Peinforte 🪬Dec 10, 2022
@gavinwinters Without even looking at which story you're referring to I'm guessing it's Web of Fear.
Show threadGavin WintersDec 10, 2022
@paisley_peinforte Nope, haven’t actually watched the animation of that yet. Hope it’s not that bad! 😆
Show threadPaisley P. Peinforte 🪬Dec 10, 2022
@gavinwinters Ah! The animation for part 3 is... strange compared to other animation efforts. (At least to me it feels more jarring.)
Show threadInanimate Carbon GodDec 12, 2022
@gavinwinters The first episode is particularly rough. I presume the surviving print is one of the original suppressed-field ones.
Show threadSomersetWhovian 🇺🇦💙Dec 6, 2022
@gavinwinters
Davros taunting 10 about the way he lets his companions do his dirty work is a pretty powerful moment.
Show threadJuicy Cake Of FigsNov 27, 2022

@gavinwinters And he's not a doctor- he night not recognize the difference between a single and a double heartbeat.

Martha did, of course.

Show threadJuicy Cake Of FigsNov 27, 2022
@gavinwinters Actually, that bothered me a bit - none of the OTHER Doctors at Royal Hope noticed? Martha can't have been the first to examine him.
Show threadGavin WintersNov 27, 2022

@datadivajf Maybe he can switch one heart off when needed, and forgot to do it again when Martha examined him?

Or he was just trolling her. 😜

Show threadJuicy Cake Of FigsNov 27, 2022
@gavinwinters Thought of that too. But Eleven was in terrible pain with only one working heart.
Show threadGavin WintersNov 27, 2022
@datadivajf Actually yeah, and Ten in The Shakespeare Code too.
Show threadCliffChapmanNov 27, 2022
@gavinwinters The novelisation is SO much better than the TV version!
Show threaddeltaandthebannermenNov 27, 2022
@cliffchapman @gavinwinters I still remember reading about Ian's tour of the TARDIS with the Doctor. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS totally ripped it off ;)
Show threadCliffChapmanNov 27, 2022
@deltaandthebannermen @gavinwinters Indeed. Such a disappointment, that episode. Worst Moff if it weren't for Kill The Moon! Still waiting for the definitive "bottle" episode ;)
Show threaddeltaandthebannermenNov 27, 2022
@cliffchapman @gavinwinters Oh I don't have a problem with the show ripping itself off - it does it all the time. There's some good stuff in Journey. I particularly like the time zombies- they're rather scary.
Show threadEric ThomasNov 26, 2022
@gavinwinters Barbara getting some
Show threadChloeNov 23, 2022
@gavinwinters I love this.
Show threadJuicy Cake Of FigsNov 24, 2022
@gavinwinters Mindblowing.
Show threadRobots in the SkiesNov 27, 2022
@gavinwinters
MIND.
BLOWN.
🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Show threadAde Magnaye 🇵🇭 🚴Nov 28, 2022
@gavinwinters HUH. That's cool!
Show threadGaiaMay 25, 2023
@gavinwinters if it was #skaro then za and hur would be #Kaleds too. Maybe they’re the ancestors to #Davros ?
Show threadGaiaMay 26, 2023
@gavinwinters there’s actually a whole bunch of planets it could be