Gavin WintersI love Pertwee being a massive pain-in-the-arse to Doctor Quinn as he pokes his nose round his cottage. đ #DoctorWho
Peter Milesâ combover in this story is phenomenal in its audacity.
Amazing how it had all miraculously grown back by the time of Genesis Of The Daleks⌠đ #DoctorWho
For the first time, Pertweeâs Doctor claims to be âthousands of yearsâ old. Remembering bits of the Timeless Child era? #DoctorWho
A 53-year-old scene that has no relevance to the modern world at all. Nope. No Siree⌠#DoctorWho
The scenes of the virus outbreak across London would be impressive in their realism if done in #DoctorWho today, never mind 1970.
When the ticket inspector in the station faints, I still donât know if those are extras or genuine (bemused) members of the public bustling past him.
The Ambassadors⌠(TWANG!) âŚOf Death: (thatâs itâs official name, donât argue.)
This is the epitome of the idea season 7 is a grittier, more adult take on #DoctorWho. So many layers of conspiracy and double-crossing and mystery. Not one to watch and only pay half-attention to.
Whatâs going on here? Bizarre new TARDIS interior or just a room in UNIT HQ the Doctorâs managed to get the console into? #DoctorWho
The crew of the Space Centre are all wearing quasi-futuristic uniforms, makes it look very Troughton-era.
The Doctor is *fantastically* rude to Cornish when he barges in and arrogantly takes over. Honestly, who could blame Cornish if he told him to go f*** himself! #DoctorWho
They get their moneyâs worth from the HAVOC stunt team with that brilliant fight scene in episode 1. Itâs one thing to see UNIT fighting Cybermen or whatever, but a shootout with grubby 70s thugs in a warehouse makes it look like something from The Sweeney. #DoctorWho
âSimple transmigration of objectâ, says the Doctor, after making a whole magnetic tape reel magically disappear and re-appear. Why the hell has he never used that skill before⌠or since?? #DoctorWho
Some good editing in this story, like the creepy reveal of the blue-faced alien to Liz, which is shot like something from a horror film.
And the cliffhanger to episode six, with the quick cuts of Carrington pointing his gun at the Doctor. #DoctorWho
Overall Iâve really enjoyed Ambassadors Of Death on this rewatch. It could maybe lose some of the twists and turns to be a couple of episodes shorter, but thereâs an attempt at realism and an attention to detail which you never really get again in later UNIT stories. #DoctorWho
Inferno: *turns around wearing eyepatch to write this*
One of the very best Pertwees. Parallel universe stories are always fun, seeing alternate versions of the regular characters. Nick Courtney in particular makes the Brigade-Leader an utter bastard. #DoctorWho
Evil Liz in her kinky sub-Nazi getup though⌠đ
#DoctorWho
#DoctorWho
The golden rule of sci-fi that no-one every obeys: Donât touch the weird alien thing with your bare hands! Nothing good ever comes from touching the weird alien thing with your bare hands!
(Characters touch the strange green slime with their bare hands)
đ
#DoctorWho
Behold, viewers of 1970, as Dr. Who dazzles you with his incredible futuristic invention of⌠a remote control garage door opener! Amazing! #DoctorWho
Greg Sutton, clearly a descendant of Za, but this time trying *not* to make fire. #DoctorWho
I love how itâs basically a glitterball used to depict the transition between universes.
Strange how they just accept the Doctorâs improbable story at the end, especially when theyâre all being left to die. The Brigade-Leaderâs desperation to live is more believable! #DoctorWho
Itâs the comedy joke shop teeth that make Bentonâs transformation into a Primord so funny⌠đ #DoctorWho
As interesting and innovative as season 7 was, with its obvious Quatermass influences, I donât know if #DoctorWho could have continued as long as it did with that format. The pendulum inevitably had to swing back a bit to more kid-friendly adventures with monsters and chases.
And with that in mind, goodbye sensible intelligent scientist Liz and hello ditzy stumbling childlike Jo!
âWe Time Lords prefer not to be conspicuous.â says the one visiting the Doctor, while hovering hundreds of feet in the air dressed as a businessman with his brolly and bowler hat. #DoctorWho
Interesting how at this stage the relationship between the Doctor and the Master is portrayed as just âoccasional adversariesâ.
No hint of the whole later backstory of childhood friends turned bitter mortal enemies duelling forever across all time and space. #DoctorWho
Barry Letts really liked experimenting with CSO, didnât he? (Greenscreen for you under-40s!)
*Obligatory pisstake of Mrs Farrellâs CSO kitchen* #DoctorWho
The Mind Of Evil: what a surprise, itâs the Master again! Though to be fair, this probably was the one time this season that viewers may not have been expecting him.
Love seeing him as a proper Bond villain - fur-lined coat, cigars, chauffeur-driven limo, the works! #DoctorWho
The least foul-mouthed prisoners youâll ever see on TV. Even in the middle of a riot thereâs not a single utterance of a four-letter-word amongst them. đ
Also very funny how Jo practically takes down the riot single-handedly. #DoctorWho
Lol at the Brigadierâs frustration when the Doctor ingratiates himself with the Chinese diplomats while heâs ignored.
I wish theyâd continued these sort of comedy moments with the Brigâs character but *without* turning him into a complete buffoon, as they later do. #DoctorWho
The greatest psychological reveal of the Masterâs character ever - his biggest fear being the Doctor looming over him and laughing(!) Well, of course it was. Of *course*! đ #DoctorWho
Poor old Barnham - he was a dangling loose plot thread at the end so obviously the Master just randomly bumps him off. #DoctorWho
The Claws Of Axos: ah, here come Bob Baker and Dave Martin. Hugely imaginative writers, but it often feels like their imagination stretched the showâs capabilities and budget way beyond breaking point. You would need Hollywood money to pull off some of their ideas. #DoctorWho
As much as I admire Barry Letts for everything he did with #DoctorWho, there are stories like this that have a real âOh, thatâll doâŚâ feel to the production.
So many little moments that could be done better with just a little more care and attention given to them. #DoctorWho
The Axons threaten the Doctor and ensure his cooperation by⌠ageing Jo into an old woman!
And the Doctor reacts in horror as though itâs the most revolting thing heâs ever seen⌠For someone claiming to be thousands of years old he can be terribly ageist! đ #DoctorWho
In many ways this is the most typical Pertwee era story, with all the requisite elements: UNIT, the Master, a straightforward alien invasion, pompous government bureaucrats, a nuclear power complex⌠it just all adds up to slightly less than the sum of its parts. #DoctorWho
Colony In Space: youâd forget that Jo hasnât actually seen inside the TARDIS until now. And once she does she gets to say that itâs bigger on the inside - is she the first companion to use that exact phrase? #DoctorWho
What a treat for viewers of 1971 - many of whom may have got their first colour TV around this time - as #DoctorWho gives us our first alien planet in colour⌠and itâs the bleakest greyest muddiest shithole youâd ever have the misfortune to see. đ
At least they try to make the Masterâs involvement a bit of a surprise this time, holding his appearance back until the point where youâd think âoh, heâs not in this one.â #DoctorWho
A scene of characters actually standing around drinking and getting pissed! Thatâs a first. #DoctorWho
At times Colony In Space looks like an ideological battle between Colony of the Hairy Hippies vs the Company of Balding Men with Dodgy Hairstyles.
No wonder Caldwell ends up siding with the hippies, as one of the few IMC guys with a moustache. đ¨đť #DoctorWho
Plot hole: once the colonists have definitive proof that the âgiant lizardsâ were faked, why do they not suspect Norton is an IMC plant, since he was so adamant they were real and heâd been attacked by them? #DoctorWho
âDonât bother trying to explain it to him Jo, *he* wouldnât understandâŚâ
The start of the Brigadierâs character declining into being portrayed as an idiot and the butt of the joke⌠đ #DoctorWho
Iâve usually found this one a bit dull but enjoyed it more this time round. I love the aesthetic of these futuristic Pertwees - 500 years in the future and everyoneâs using chunky 70s technology. đ
A tentative first step towards a return to outer space stories. #DoctorWho
The Daemons: this oneâs a bit overfamiliar to me now, having seen it many times over the years, but itâs still very enjoyable with a great atmosphere, especially in the opening episode. #DoctorWho
I wish weâd seen more of this âdomesticâ side to UNIT, with the Brig dressed up to go off to some fancy military event, while Benton and Yates are watching telly and eating sandwiches. #DoctorWho
When the Doctorâs apparently frozen to death, they put his âbodyâ on a table in the pub with paying customers nearby.
Imagine if theyâd had TripAdvisor reviews back then: âNice rustic pub. Good beer. Quaint little village. Frozen corpse on table put us right off though. (3/5 stars)ââď¸âď¸âď¸ #DoctorWho
Lol at the Master being a gossipy drama queen and revealing all the villagers grubby little secrets. đ #DoctorWho
The villagers really are a gullible bunch of prats to fall for the Doctorâs âmagicâ. I know theyâve seen the Master summon Bok, but even so.
And at the end he has a jolly dance around the maypole with them, the same people who wanted to burn him to death an hour ago! #DoctorWho
Anyway, I had to slow down this marathon rewatch for a few weeks to time it so I finished season 8 just as the season 9 set was released. Now to rapidly catch up! đŹ #DoctorWho
Day Of The Daleks: wahey, the metal bastards are back at last. Even if theyâre not portrayed at their best here. This is a brilliant story in and of itself, but a not-so-great Dalek story. And they seem to have forgotten how to do the voices properly. #DoctorWho
Pertwee karate-chopping an assailant to the ground then turning to take a sip of his wine is the most perfectly on-brand moment for his Doctor. #DoctorWho
âNow youâve told me the yearâŚâ says the Controller to Jo, âbut would you mind repeating it again? Loud and clear. Just to avoid fifty years of debate over UNIT dating. Cheers.â #DoctorWho
Where did the guerrillas get their cigarettes from? Canât imagine theyâre mass-produced in the Dalek-controlled 22nd century. Mustâve taken a quick detour to the nearest shop when they came back to the 20th. #DoctorWho
Love the scene where the Doctor cooly destroys every argument the Controller comes out with to justify his role in this society.
And bring back the Ogrons in the modern show! Make it happen, RTD. With no complications. #DoctorWho
The Curse Of Peladon: you can see the influence of Star Trek, with a Galactic Federation and a conference of alien delegates. But of course #DoctorWhoâs version has the delegates being an array of monsters and grotesques. And all âgweenâ obviously. Terrance mustâve been happy. đ
The makeup, hair and costume for Torbis and Hepesh makes them look so similar youâd have a hell of a time telling them apart for a whole story. Thankfully one of them is killed off within the first three minutes! #DoctorWho
Nice twist to have a previously established villain like the Ice Warriors turn out to be basically good guys, meaning the Doctor and the audience are immediately suspicious of them from the start. #DoctorWho
I canât take Peladon seriously in his âprincipal boyâ pantomime outfit. You expect him to start slapping his thigh any moment.
And really, youâre asking the audience to take the piss by having him loudly proclaim âThere is no plot!â đ #DoctorWho
The cliffhanger to part three, when one of the Ice Warriors shoots Arcturus, is a bit rushed and unclear. Must have had viewers scratching their heads for a week until we get the exposition info-dump starting with âSo⌠Arcturus was behind everything!â #DoctorWho
The Sea Devils: I like the more matey relationship between the Doctor and the Master when he visits him in prison. Wouldâve been fun if every story since his arrest had a scene like that where he pops in to see him. âWell, let me tell you all about Peladon old chapâŚâ #DoctorWho
That yellow âVenetian Blindâ CSO effect used for the prison monitors doesnât really work, does it? Youâd want your money back if you bought a screen with horizontal lines across it like that! Another of Barry Lettsâ experiments with the process. #DoctorWho
Neil Corry@gavinwinters You know, if it hadnât been for the giant green phallic alien distracting me, Iâd have noticed that too.
Sherri G., PhD âżđ@gavinwinters
I adore his time as Doctor. I called him Zaddy Doctor when I did my binge of Classics. I miss him and Bessie.
I adore his time as Doctor. I called him Zaddy Doctor when I did my binge of Classics. I miss him and Bessie.