The Radio Times have confirmed the UK air dates for the mini-series The Doctor's Revisited, and have further confirmed that a featured story will be aired for each Doctor right after the short documentaries.
Schedule:
12th October: The Doctors Revisited: William Hartnell + The Aztecs 13th October: The Doctors Revisited: Patrick Troughton + The Tomb of the Cybermen 19th October: The Doctors Revisited: Jon Pertwee + Spearhead from Space 20th October: The Doctors Revisited: Tom Baker + The Pyramids of Mars 26th October: The Doctors Revisited: Peter Davison + Earthshock 27th October: The Doctors Revisited: Colin Baker + Vengeance on Varos 2nd November: The Doctors Revisited: Sylvester McCoy + Battlefield 3rd November: The Doctors Revisited: Paul McGann + Doctor Who: The Movie 9th November: The Doctors Revisited: Christopher Eccleston + Bad Wolf / Parting of the Ways 10th November: The Doctors Revisited: David Tennant + The Stolen Earth / Journey's End 16th November: The Doctors Revisited: Matt Smith + The Impossible Astronaught / Day of the Moon
The documentaries all start on Watch at 2PM and the episodes start at 2:30PM on the various dates.
It has been revealed that BBC America mini-series The Doctors Revisited will be airing on the UKTV subscription channel Watch as part of the celebrations for Doctor Who's 50th anniversary.
The mini-series will begin airing in the second week of October.
The Autons are iconic villains who first appeared in the Third Doctor's first story - Spearhead from Space and later appeared in Terror of the Autons - the story that introduced popular companion Jo Grant and popular villain the Master. They have also had quite a few appearances in new Doctor Who - Rose, Love & Monsters, The Pandorica Opens and The Big Bang.
They are basically living pieces of plastic who hide weapons in their hands and are controlled by the Nestene Consciousness. While they can bring life into anything made of plastic, they are usually shop window dummies.
In 1972, Jon Pertwee did something & that something has made him one of my favorite Doctors (I think I have...around 12): He released a song called "Who Is The Doctor?".
Written & arranged by Rupert Hine, the song featured Pertwee reciting spoken word lyrics over a slightly more psychedelic version of the Doctor Who theme song performed by Hine.
Lyrics:
I cross the void beyond the mind
The empty space that circles time
I see where others stumble blind
To seek a truth they never find
Eternal wisdom is my guide
I am the Doctor.
Through cosmic waste the TARDIS flies
To taste the secret sauce of life
A presence science can't deny
Exists within outside behind
The latitude of the human mind
I am the Doctor.
My voyage dissects the course of time
Who knows you say
But are you right
Who such indeed to find the light
That glows so darkly in the night
Toward that point I guide my flight
As fingers move to end mankind
Metallic teeth begin to grind
With sword of truth I turn to fight
The satanic powers of the night
Is your faith before your mind
No man, Am I the Doctor?
What was with all the sci-fi guys from the 70s releasing spoken word music? And more importantly, why did this trend end? How come we don't have tracks from Colin Baker or Sylvester McCoy performing a synthesizer-tormented variation on this idea? Isn't Arthur Darvill a musician & didn't he, Karen Gillan & Matt Smith joke about starting a band? Where has the absolute unyielding joy of cornball cheesiness that made early Doctor Who & sci-fi so great disappeared to these days?
I understand that this show & this genre are known for tackling weighty & lofty subjects in their own manner but while there is an absolute need to remind folks of the serious matters in life, there is an even greater need to remind them that its okay to be the opposite of serious, to revel in the absurdities that we love most in life.
And there's always a need for Jon Pertwee to recite sci-fi poetry over a TV show theme song. It's the little things that separate the good from the great.
Spearhead from Space started airing January 3rd, 1970.
A rather large storm system wandered somewhat aimlessly & somewhat north-easterly across Kansas overnight, at times bringing rainfall that made the word "torrential" seem more like "sprinkler". Either because of this or some rather unappreciated cosmic joke, I was awake at around 6 o'clock this morning, either unable to sleep or afraid if I did sleep it'd be late afternoon before I stumbled Imhotep-like from the bedroom back to the regularly scheduled, already-in-progress day. It seemed like the perfect time to watch some classic Doctor Who.
I'd been wanting to watch a Third Doctor serial for awhile & had asked around for thoughts on a good introduction, to which I was instructed to go ahead & just start at the most obvious place, the beginning, so that I might appreciate the evolution of the character. It was a terribly logical argument & since I'm not a necessarily clever person, I couldn't even think of where to start trying to construct a rebuttal; I opted to take the advice & start with the Third Doctor's very first adventure, the start of series 7 of the classic run. I couldn't believe how many "firsts" I came to discover were associated with this fantastic serial but before I get into that, let's do a brief plot fly-by:
The previous serial, the 10-part Series 6 finale The War Games, ended with the Second Doctor being put on trial by the Time Lords for stealing the TARDIS & breaking the rule of non-interference, his punishment being exiled to Earth & having a regeneration forced upon him. Spearhead from Space (comprised of the first four episodes of Series 7) picks up with the TARDIS appearing on Earth & fresh-off-the-regeneration-line Third Doctor stumbling out. At the same time, strange meteorites have been seen falling in the same area, prompting the appearance of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart & UNIT to investigate. The meteorites are power units for a disembodied alien species known as The Nestene Consciousness (which has an affinity for plastic & can animate humanoid facsimiles, called Autons, made from it) that has taken over a local toy factory. With the help of UNIT & a new companion, Dr. Liz Shaw, the Third Doctor manages to stop The Nestene Consciousness' plot, then choosing to take a position as "scientific adviser" assisting UNIT.
The Third Doctor vs. The Nestene Consciousness.
Not only was Spearhead from Space my first Third Doctor serial, it had an impressive number of other "firsts" as well. It was the first story of series 7 & the first to feature the great Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor, as well as the first introduction of companion Liz Shaw. It was the first time of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart & UNIT had been featured in a story since The Invasion (the third serial of Series 6) & their first appearance as series regulars. Mentioned for the first time was the knowledge that the Doctor had two hearts, that his blood was not identifiable with any human blood & that he could willfully enter into a coma; although, since we knew he was an alien, I imagine the blood thing wasn't too much of a surprise. This was the first appearance of The Nestene Consciousness & the Autons, whom Russel T. Davies used to re-introduce the series in 2005. It's also the first story to feature both a different Doctor & different companion than were in the previous story, a situation that wouldn't happen again till The Eleventh Hour, the first story of Series 5 of the reboot, which introduced The Eleventh Doctor & Amelia Pond. Spearhead from Space was the first Doctor Who serial to be in color & the only story to be shot entirely on 16mm film, due to a strike by BBC employees demanding more pay for operating the more sophisticated color videocameras. This helped, many years later, in adapting the film to new media & Spearhead from Space was the first classic era serial to appear on Blu-ray. Credits-wise, this serial displayed a brand new title sequence & a brand new logo as well as the being the first time an actor was credited as "Doctor Who" as opposed to "Dr. Who".
It was, for all intents & purposes, a practical reboot of the show, along the lines of the transition between the Tennant & the Smith eras. The advice given to me was 100% the best possible advice I could have gotten as this was a phenomenal introduction to The Third Doctor, being a very engaging & well-paced adventure. Pertwee may not look the sort but he is a solid physical comedian & can cornball with the straightest face imaginable, all while duded up like a traveling high-class magician.
I know that production value & a strange retro-phobia seem to keep some contemporary Doctor Who from investigating the classic era of the show, but I couldn't stress amount of indefinable grooviness one will encounter if they choose to do so. If you haven't yet, then I recommend picking a Doctor & starting at their first adventure. Heck, do this alternately for each Doctor; I've mentioned before my affinity for watching Doctor Who out of sequence & stand by my claim that it's, subjectively at least, the most enjoyable method of experiencing the show. My final assessment of Spearhead from Space? Great story & a perfect example for the best parts of both Doctor Who & 1970s science fiction television.
I was going to write an introduction as to who I am and why I love Doctor Who so much. As I thought about exactly what it is that I love about the show, my mind dove deeper into who is the Doctor? So, instead of telling who I am and what I am going to be writing about, I am going to take a philosophical look into the show.
Let's look into the history of the show. When you think of the Doctor what comes to mind? To me it is knowledge. He has always been portrayed as an incredibly intelligent being. That has always been the constant of his character. I have seen him, angry, witty, full of fear, full of courage, and even sad sometimes. It changes with each regeneration. However, what does not change is his knowledge of the universe.
What else stays the same in the show? He always finds someone to be around. Typically he has a companion with him. He has been called for help all around the universe. Humans, and aliens both need his assistance. We are all drawn to him. Why?
Before I answer that, what about the villains? They all end up fearing him in the end. They all try to defeat him, but in the end the Doctor ends up being the victor. Why is this?
Well, what do bad guys want the most? Power? To be feared by all? Most of the time things become powerful by becoming feared by all. How do they do this? Most of the time it is by deceiving others. Twisting the truth so that they have the higher knowledge of things. People are scared of what is unknown. So,in a way, the truth is the bad guys biggest enemy.
When you find knowledge you try to seek the truth of something. You want to know what is right about that certain thing. Truth is knowledge. This is key.
I said before that the Doctor has always been portrayed as being smart. He uses his wits to defeat the bad guys. The bad guys fear him in the end and everyone seeks his help.
Who is the Doctor? He is knowledge. Think about it. People travel with knowledge through time and space into the unknown.
Rebecca White likes to sit at home and watch Doctor Who with her husband Ethan and her dog Moomar. She has a cat, but she does not like watching Doctor Who with him. (He gets ideas from the Daleks.) Follow her on twitter @grumpywhovian and check out her blog grumpywhovian.wordpress.com.
The Doctor Who: The Green Death Special Edition DVD is available from today!
This was Jo Grant's final story and is commonly referred to as "The one with the maggots" because... Well... It is the one with the maggots!
The special features on this special edition DVD are:
6 x 25 mins approx colour episodes with mono audio
Commentary with actors Katy Manning (Jo Grant), producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks.
Bonus
commentary with actors Richard Franklin (Captain Yates) and Mitzi
McKenzie (Nancy), moderated by Toby Hadoke (episodes 3 – 5); and with
actress Katy Manning and writer Russell T Davies (episode 6).
The One With the Maggots - Cast and crew look back at the making of this story.
Global Conspiracy? - A spoof investigative report looks at the strange happenings in the village of Llanfairfach.
Visual Effects - An interview with the story’s visual effects designer, Colin Mapson.
Robert Sloman Interview
Stewart Bevan Interview
Wales Today - Two pieces from the BBC Wales news programme – a mute 1973 film insert from the filming of The Green Death, and a 1994 item with Jon Pertwee opening the new country park that was built on the site of the colliery used in the story.
Doctor Forever – The Unquiet Dead
- In this unique interview, new series creator Russell T Davies and
then BBC Controller of Drama, Jane Tranter, talk about the genesis of
Doctor Who’s rebirth on television in 2005.
What Katy Did Next - A look at Serendipity, the TV series that Katy Manning presented after leaving Doctor Who.
The Sarah Jane Adventures – Death of the Doctor
- This two-part story from 2010 sees Katy Manning reprising her role as
Jo Grant and a guest appearance by Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.
Optional Commentary with actress Katy Manning and series creator Russell
T Davies.
Since the Twelfth Doctor is to be announced tomorrow, I thought I'd look back at all of The Doctor's regenerations and share my thoughts on them... So, let's get started!
William Hartnell to Patrick Troughton (1966)
So, admittedly the first regeneration from the lost episode four of The Tenth Planet wasn't the most amazing regeneration (although considering it's from almost 50 years ago, I think it's really good!) but it was the first and for that reason, it's probably the most important.
It looks pretty damn good and I can't wait to watch the animated version on the upcoming DVD release of Hartnell's final story which from what I've seen, looks excellent!
Patrick Troughton to Jon Pertwee (1969)
In my personal opinion, Troughton's regeneration in the ten-part The War Games was the most interesting (well, except for McGann's maybe...)
Rather than regenerating because he's dying, the Time Lords force him to regenerate and exile him to Earth simply for being himself! It's a fantastic regeneration and Patrick Troughton's Doctor is pretty funny even during his last moments!
I originally saw the scene in a video that showed all of the classic regenerations and was very confused so I just had to find the story on DVD... My only issue with this one is that we didn't get to see Jon Pertwee at the end.
Jon Pertwee to Tom Baker (1974)
I think that Pertwee's final scene in Planet of the Spiders is the most emotional regeneration (aswell as my favourite) with the fantastic "Tear, Sarah Jane? Now don't cry... While there's life, there's..." line.
It really does bring a tear to my eye and while the effect used for this one wasn't the best ever, the rest of it was basically perfect! The Brigadier's "Not again..." line is great and the five actors in this four minute scene are all absolutely amazing!
Tom Baker to Peter Davison (1981)
I don't think Tom Baker's regeneration was anything too special... It's not bad but it's not very good either although it has some good parts such as the "It's the end... But the moment has been prepared for!" line which has unfortunately been cut from this video.
I also think the Fourth Doctor should have had a better fate than a big fall and a better final story than Logopolis but oh well, what's done is done. It's okay overall but it could have and should have been better but atleast we've got the Fourth Doctor Time Capsule now which kind of makes up for it.
Peter Davison to Colin Baker (1984)
Peter Davison's final moments were fantastic with The Doctor imagining loads of his companions telling him he musn't die and The Master telling him he must die... Then we get this weird but cool regeneration effect and get Colin Baker's brilliant "Change, my dear... And it seems not a moment to soon!" line.
It also helps that The Caves of Androzani, being rated the #1 story in Doctor Who Magazine's Mighty 200 back in 2009. Absolutely fantastic end for the Fifth Doctor era!
Colin Baker to Sylvester McCoy (1987)
Hang on, that's not Colin Baker! It's Sylvester McCoy in a blonde wig!
I think most fans can agree that this is the worst regeneration ever! Colin refused to film the regeneration scene after hearing he'd been fired so we got this mess and I don't know if I should laugh or cry at it. It just doesn't look good and while McCoy turned out to be a fantastic Doctor with some fantastic stories in Seasons 25 and 26, I really wish they hadn't fired Colin Baker like that.
A terrible first appearance for a great Doctor.
Sylvester McCoy to Paul McGann (1996)
I don't think McCoy's regeneration was bad but maybe that's just because of the awful regeneration in Time and the Rani? This is actually pretty creepy and the way McGann scares the guy watching Frankenstein just after regenerating is brilliant.
I just wish McCoy could have had a better death than being shot by a human (or killed by the medical doctors, whichever you think caused it.)
Overall, it's pretty good but not amazingly good.
Paul McGann to Christopher Eccleston
Well, we never got to see this happen but here's an excellent fan-made regeneration sequence!
Christopher Eccleston to David Tennant (2005)
While Christopher Eccleston left the show after just one series, his regeneration was the best in a while. It marked the first time the fire effect was used and it was brilliant at the time although I think it's getting a bit old now.
This was my first regeneration and it really confused me at first but I've rewatched it about 100 times now and it really is a special scene. It was fantastic. Absolutely fantastic!
David Tennant to Matt Smith (2010)
Another brilliant one! I think it's tied for most emotional, along with Pertwee's. While I do like the fire effect, I was hoping this would be the last use of it because variety is good but after Series 6 I think they're going to keep it for a while yet. David Tennant is my favourite Doctor and at first I wasn't really sure if Matt Smith would be any good but it turns out that he is fantastic and I can't wait to see how good his regeneration is.
Even if not all of the regenerations are great, I think all eleven of the Doctors we've had so far have been amazing and let's hope that the Twelfth Doctor is just as good!
