The Black Guardian Trilogy - Terminus

Firstly, the much-maligned Terminus isn't that bad at all. It's just slow. And the Garm - supposed dog-guardian of hell, as far as mythology goes - is actually quite cute. And he talks in a version of English I don't understand.

Terminus actually gets off to a cracking start, with the sneaky Turlough trying to sabbotage the TARDIS at the request of the Black Guardian. Then, doors with skulls on appear, and it all goes very creepy and mysterious, as the crew pass from a disintigrating TARDIS into the Terminus lepper ship.

The story is actually great - a superb concept, sadly let down by budget constraints and all kinds of behind-the-scenes problems. However the new CGI effects on this version really liven things up, and to be honest, the new space sequences that replace the model shots, are stunning.

The reasons for Nyssa suddenly taking off her skirt still remain undisclosed, but I'm sure it's still a delight for Nyssa fans all over the world, who still crave for the Director's Cut, where far more comes off. But all in all, Terminus makes for a dramatic and rather dark finalé for Nyssa, who, in a genuinely moving farewell scene, decides to stay on the ship and with the help of her new pet Garm, stabilise the cure for the leppers, and transform Terminus into a fully functional space hospital.

Wouldn't it be nice if the Doctor payed her a visit again one day.

The Black Guardian Trilogy - Mawdryn Undead

One of my earliest memories of watching Doctor Who as a young boy, was 1983's Mawdryn Undead. I had obviously been into the show for a while as I recall being familiar with the characters and the premise, but this was the first time I remember being genuinely scared - and the scary person in question was the ginger-haired, pale gangly new schoolboy companion, Turlough, played sarcastically and brilliantly by Mark Strickson.

Actually, what scared me was Turlough's crystal, through which he communicated with the Black Guardian - and it was that whole combination, particularly Valentine Dyall's menacing stare and gruff voice, that had me heading for the protection of the sofa.

Anyway to the story - the new DVD version comes with the much loved option of new CGI effects, which work wonders, bringing the look of the story up-to-date and not out of place. The moments of horror, such as the burned body of Mawdryn still stand up, and the whole episode just looks wonderful. Turlough sneaks around, controlled by the Black Guardian, on his mission to kill the Doctor, and Nicholas Courtney plays two versions of the Brigadier perfectly.

Mawdryn Undead is not only a great story, but a Doctor Who adventure I never tire of, not because it's great, but for the sheer delight of remembering the impact it had on me, aged 5!!

The DVD comes with plenty of extra features, such as your usual making-of, a fun little "interview" with The Brig, reminiscing about his time working as a teacher, plus out-takes and even some rare film trims. Above all, Mawdryn Undead is one of those stories that shows 80s Who at it's best, and proves wrong any sceptic who claims that era was crap - and let's face it, they probably weren't even born then!

The End of Time - Part One

Fortunately, a proper story and not some silly Christmas "special", part one of David Tennant's final adventure wasn't bad at all.

That was, of course, until everybody turned into John Simm, in a bit of a "Being John Malkovich" moment. Then the story just turned into one giant reminder as to why I can't wait for Russell T Davies to leave.

Throughout the Tenth Doctor's tenure, I've noticed he's become a bit of an emo. Our first teary Doctor. For me, the over-emotional aspect never worked; it detracted from the mystery of the character. Christopher Eccleston's portrayal of suppressed emotion was much better - whereas the previous Doctors had generally kept any such emotion well hidden, he let it show, but only very slightly, keeping his pride and charisma in tact. It's clear now, that the Tenth Doctor probably cries at the end of soppy movies.

But that doesn't mean I haven't enjoyed Mr Tennant. Indeed, he might make a better Hamlet than Doctor, and his portrayal of the character turned out to be different to my expectations, and I always felt, not quite right, given David's excellence and potential as a genuinely brilliant actor. But there's no denying his popularity is what made the show the huge success it is, and, as always, it is always a moving moment when you know you're watching the current Doctor for the last time.

Since 2007, I've been trying to erase John Simm's Master from memory. So what do they do? They bring him back. But I think, mistakes made, and lessons learnt, the new, ravaged (or unshaven), pointlessly blonde Master is much better, and far more in keeping with the character. Apart from the ridiculous flying bit.

I had suspected the Time Lords would return, and - hurrah! - they are! Led by an unexpectedly fitting Timothy Dalton. The clips of the new Time Lords looked full of promise, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what the second part holds, as well as waving off the Tenth Doctor, and preparing myself for the show's much-needed change.

The Waters of Mars - verdict

OK, It didn't blow me away, but much to my relief, I thought it was actually rather good. From a purely visual point of view, it was perhaps the very best episode since the show came back. The sets were fantastic and the shots of the base and TARDIS landing on Mars were absolutely superb.

The plot was a bit weak though. And I didn't think it was actually very "scary" or tense - there seemed to be more emphasis on Adelaide and her team's demise than the Flood itself. But to its merit, it was very well made, and suitably "Who-ish".

David Tennant's Doctor was excellent throughout, quite intense - apart from in the end where he went all OTT and emotional again. The emo side of the tenth Doctor ha always been his undoing for me... unlike the ninth Doctor, who kept a lot of emotion inside, gradually letting it out, little by little.

The get-out was a bit feeble... sense of deja-vu there, but that seems to be a prerequisite of modern Who. Not allowed to be too daring. Although nice twist with Adelaide's suicide, and the grilling moment where the Doctor realises that despite his big-headedness and over-confidence, he hadn't foreseen that one.

My main criticism was that the people infected by the flood just looked hilarious. They all looked like dehydrated goths.

I'm also sick of hearing the same bloody music in every episode. But overall, a good episode, extremely well produced, and a thousand times better than the insult of an episode that polluted our screens back in Easter.

I do like this idea of the Doctor traveling alone - makes a nice change.

New TARDIS interior...

So in addition to having a much-needed new title sequence (presumably), we now have a revamped console room design. Perhaps not as radical as I would have liked, it retains the nautical feel, but has bigger, more distinct roundells on the walls and a Hartnell-esque circular ceiling light. At least that's how it looks from the leaked photos. Actually, it looks really good. For once, I'm actually feeling optimistic!!

Spin-offs

I'm probably one of the only hardcore fans who isn't bothered one jot about the Sarah Jane Adventures, and any other spin-off (barring Torchwood... but that's for adults). Back in its heyday the show didn't "need" spin-offs, so why now? To milk a young generation of their inheritance money, perhaps?

It is rather sad to know that hundreds of adults are now tuning into Children's TV to ogle at a 60-something Lis Sladen. The Sarah Jane was great, and I've met Lis, and she's lovely, so it's really great that she's back on TV with her own show and doing well. But for me, it's still one spin-off too many. The basic premise of the show seems to be about a kid who's mum is 'a bit mad' and has a sonic lipstick with which she can save the universe from the likes of Sontarans and Slitheen. And now, it's viewing figures are likely to treble thanks to the proper appearance by The Doctor.

Personally I'd wipe all this out of the timeline. If Doctor Who itself is supposed to be a family show - with a strong emphasis on kids, why do they need a show of their own? Unless of course Mr Moffatt is planing to take the show to a darker, place, which could only be a good thing. But I'm probably dreaming.

Barry Letts 1925-2009

I'm sorry to hear of Barry Lett's passing. I was lucky enough to meet him on a couple of occasions, and he was a truly nice gentleman. Barry was one of the people who made the show what it was in the 70s - he did some excellent work, and his continued enthusiasm for Doctor Who all these years later will never be forgotten. A sad loss.

Young fans to design new TARDIS console!

I'm almost swallowing my own words. I read on the BBC website that Blue Peter, famous for it's long-running connections with the show, are running a competition for young fans to design a new TARDIS console, to appear in one episode of the new series.

So they got kids to design the new logo so it seems, why not let them do the rest?

But there's a catch. It has to be made out of household objects, but remain hexagonal. Household objects... this being Britain, will undoubtedly mean there will be a toilet in there and probably a whole conglomeration of other things like crockery, a kettle, probably a PS2, and if it's for an episode that features Captain Jack, then I suppose there will have to be the obligatory item with "wanking" pump action.

I can only imagine that in said story, the TARDIS' chameleon circuit is reactivated in the Doctor's first adventure on the mysterious world of Homebase.

Spearhead from Space

The other night I watched Jon Pertwee's debut story, Spearhead from Space, on DVD, for the first time in quite some years.

I first saw this story in 1988 when it was released on BBC Video. In fact, I was one of Doctor Who Magazine's competition winners. The thrill of not only winning the shiny new video tape, but getting my name printed on the sacred pages of DWM was all so exciting. I was so chuffed with myself, I even took the video to school and the teacher allowed the whole class to watch the story!

But this is one classic Doctor Who story that never fails to entertain me. I must have seen it a hundred times, but it still has that special classic Who quality to it.

Everything about it worked perfectly. OK, the Autons might look less convincing today, but they're still darned creepy. The smooth, shiny evil mastermind, Channing, makes a very charismatic and well-presented villain and a sadly short-lived one.

There are many memorable performances, from Pertwee's newly regenerated Doctor suffering from amnesia, to the dribbling trauma-induced Ransome, the ever-stubborn Brigadier and of course, not forgetting the big, brown rubber tentacles at the end. But the Oscar really ought to go to whoever was doing the barking dog impression at the Seeley's residence...

Spearhead was the first adventure for Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor, the first story to be shown in colour, and the first story to feature the deadly Autons, who would sadly only make one other appearance before waiting 35 years to appear in the show again, in Rose, the very first episode of the revived series. Just in case you forgot.

Change, my dear...

So we've had the leaked photographs of Matt Smith in costume - both with Troughton-esque bowtie, and what appear to be the tattered remains of David Tennant's costume. There are many changes afoot in next year's Doctor Who, but today the BBC website unveiled the brand new Doctor Who logo...

Gone is the iconic, dynamic electrified oval shape, and clean font. What we now have is a slight throwback to the show's original 1963 logo - but emphasis on the word slight there. Not only is the new logo tacky CGI for instant naffness, but we have a "badge" made up of the DW initials, adorned with a flashing TARDIS light. Yes, you read that correctly.

Had this new logo been the result of a Blue Peter competition or something, I might have some understanding. But the sad truth is, the beeb probably had endless think tanks over this, produced countless mood boards and all that other marketing nonsense, before arriving at this sad excuse of a logo, which far more resembles some bad fan-produced artwork from the early nineties that what you would hope for in 2009.

"Retro" will no doubt be the word they use, before taking pride in emblazening it on every possible bit of merchendise available. It's not the word I'd use. Granted, it may look better in the context of a new opening title sequence, which the show so desperately needs, but this begs the question of what on Earth they'll do with that, and I'm not even going to mention the theme music! I'm hoping that I'll be pleasantly surprised, but right now, I'm wondering if they've forgotten which show they're dealing with...

Those were yesterday's thoughts. I have to admit, I like the colours. But the CGI and lens-flare still look incredibly tacky and clichéd. Isolating the "Doctor Who" text, that isn't so bad in itself. But that badge thing with the TARDIS light.... it's just absolutely awful.

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I'm a grumpy Doctor Who fan in my thirties. Sevenzero.net is my own personal Doctor Who fan site. I created it back in 2002, as a home to my own Doctor Who inspired artwork, comic strip and other features, such as the odd interview. Over time the news section became the place where I would review DVDs, rant and rave and more recently, post my thoughts on the revived TV show. All of that, is now going to continue here.

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