Tis the Season.... for Doctor Who Christmas Specials!

Now that the euphoria has slightly worn off from all the anniversary festivities and the multiple viewings of the Day of the Doctor and An Adventure in Space and Time, it's time to start my annual marathon of Doctor Who Christmas specials. Since the show came back in 2005, we've gotten a special Christmas episode every year now totaling 8 specials. So in preparation for this years, which is Matt Smith's finale, I begin my Christmas journey.

I start with The Unquiet Dead from season 1 with Christopher Eccleston. While this wasn't a Christmas special, it starred Charles Dickens at Christmas time with ghosts. Enough said! It's always lovely to revisit the 9th Doctors season, now especially after the events of The Day of the Doctor and seeing the events directly preceeding the 9th Doctors debut in Rose. 

Next stop is the first proper Christmas special from 2005 The Christmas Invasion. Heralding the debut of David Tennant as the 10th Doctor, it's brilliant in that he spends the first half of the story passed out in bed. But when he wakes up, he drives the show with the petal to the metal. By the end, David has cemented himself in the role of the 10th Doctor and in our hearts forever.

The following year in 2006, we received The Runaway Bride with the amazing Catherine Tate debuting the wonderful Donna Noble. After the departure of Billie Piper's Rose last episode, Catherine's Donna was the perfect tonic and raised our spirits on Christmas day. It was just a fun adventure and paved the way for their great season together. 

The 50 Anniversary- A Doctor Who Hangover

With much anticipation and excitement, the great 50th anniversary of Doctor Who finally arrived yesterday. Two big specials were the cornerstones of the day with many little specials sprinkle throughout the week. It quite frankly was the best week ever for a Doctor Who fan. Best. Week. Ever.

It kicked over last week with the release of the minisode "The Night of the Doctor" that saw the surprise return of Paul McGann as the 8th Doctor. In 6 minutes, he dazzled us and cemented his legitimacy for ever. Detailing the last few moments of this incarnation, Paul gave a bravo performance leading to his regeneration into John Hurt's Doctor. The clip blew up the internet and blew up my brain. I never thought we'd see his return to television let alone a regeneration but it was the best birthday present ever for Doctor Who.

The next minisode released titled "The Last Night" details the Fall of Arcadia on Gallifrey with the invasion of the Daleks and the final night of the Time War. Featuring no Doctors, it shows Time Lord soldiers on the front line of the war at the moment the Daleks break through their barriers. It's a lovely tease to the Day of the Doctor that's expanded upon in the episode.

November 23, 2013. 2:50 EST. Global simulcast of the Day of the Doctor earning a new Guinness Book of World Records. It was everything I hoped and more. I know these anniversary specials can be a poison chalice when you assemble multiple Doctors but Moffat delivered a well balance, timely treat. The chemistry between 10 and 11 was magic that reminded me of 2 and 3 but different. The introduction of John Hurt's War Doctor was fascinating and showed enough of the Time War to understand the weight of his actions to end it. His incarnation with 10 & 11 reminded me of the 1st Doctor berating his future incarnations. The return of UNIT and the Zygons was great. Seeing the multiple TARDIS's and console rooms was great. Seeing the 13 Doctors flying towards Gallifrey was dizzying. Seeing Peter Capaldi's eyes was mind blowing. And the cameo by Tom Baker was the Curator was lovely and enigmatic as ever. All in all, it was just about the most perfect piece of Doctor Who to date.

The other special anniversary treat was the television movie about the creation of Doctor Who called An Adventure in Space and Time. Detailing the collaboration between Sydney Newman, Verity Lambert, Waris Hussien, and William Hartnell on the beginning of a legend. It so lovingly recreates many of the sets from the early days with clips from some of the classic Hartnell stories. But at the heart of the story is William Hartnell, his love of the role, his deteriorating health, and his eventual departure from the show and his sadness at leaving. The movie really shows how against all odds, Doctor Who was born and rose to such popularity. The final scene of Hartnell looking across the console room seeing Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor standing at the classic console, seeing his legacy before him, is such a lovely touch. This movie is really a treat for us old Doctor Who fans.

Today is the day!

Today is the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who! After counting down all year long, we have finally reached  the day! The last bit of viewing before seeing The Day of the Doctor is what could be considered the closest thing to a 40th anniversary special. 

Doctor Who: The Scream of the Shalka was an animated original story that was released in 2003. Starring Richard E. Grant as the 9th Doctor and Sophie Okonedo, Derek Jacobi, and even a cameo by an as yet to be cast 10th Doctor David Tennant. For that moment in time, it was like a tastey morsel to a starving man. It wasn't perfect but we consumed it with relish since we hadn't had anything new on television for 7 years. Richard E Grant was a great, moody, dark Doctor. Derek Jacobi was pitch perfect as the Master, who was now an android living in the TARDIS. Sophie fulfilled the companion role quite well and could have been considered the first black companion in the TARDIS long before Mickey Smith or Martha Jones. All in all , it was lovely romp.

As fate would have it, at the moment this story came out, the BBC announced that they would be bringing Doctor Who back to television with Russell T Davies at the helm. It was quickly announced there after that Christopher Eccleston was cast as the real 9th Doctor and history got back on track to the future. The Scream of the Shalka and Richard E Grant's Doctor became an anomaly and outside of continuity, akin to the Peter Cushing Doctor Who films. But for one moment in time and space, it was the next chapter in Doctor Who, before time was rewritten. 

1 Week to the 50th Anniversary!

With one week to go, we revisit the 30th anniversary of Doctor Who. By 1993, Doctor Who was off the air for 4 years and there wasn't really any major celebration planned. There was the Children in Need special Dimensions in Time which was horrible and wasn't even worth the film it's on. Other than showing Nicholas Courtney and Colin Baker together as the Brigadier and the 6th Doctor on screen, it was a joke. So much potential, lost.

Thankfully, a documentary was made to mark the anniversary. More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS was a lovely 3-episode special that assembled pretty much every living actor from the shows past, a smattering of monsters and revisited some of the memorable locations. Chock full of clips, interviews, anecdotes, behind the scene tidbits, and more. For not having a proper drama special, this was a lovely commemoration. It's full of heart and adoration for what was then a canceled show. For so long,  it was the last chapter in my televisual library that I could show people to explain what Doctor Who was. Good times!

2 Weeks to the 50th Anniversary

As we tick down to the big anniversary special, we revisit the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors. This is the special that I remember the most and the best. As a young fan, it was the most amazing thing to see all of these Doctors running around together. I wasn't as familiar with 1st and 2nd Doctors, I don't think I was event cognizant of the recast of the 1st Doctor with Richard Hundrell. I'm not sure if I was aware that Tom Baker wasn't actually in it and that they used "lost" footage from Shada. So to the innocent 10 year old I was then, it was magic. In the ensuing 30 year years, I've learned of all the secrets behind the magic, seen the story on VHS, DVD and then a special DVD edition with more footage. It was a beautiful moment in time that celebrated the height of the first generation of Doctor Who. While we've seen that the multi-Doctor stories can be quite the poison chalice for any story teller, this set the bar for an amazing celebration. 

3 Weeks to the 50th Anniversary!

To count down the last month to the big 50th anniversary, I figured I would jump through time and space and revisit all the previous anniversary specials. First stop- The Three Doctors.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary in 1973 (though aired at the end of 1972), The Three Doctors set the tone for all future anniversary specials. Reuniting (or uniting) the then current Doctor Jon Pertwee with his previous incarnations Second Doctor Patrick Troughton and First Doctor William Hartnell for the first time was genius. Even with William's ailing health, his limited presence is even more precious and impactful. The friction between Jon and Patrick is television magic and brings to the surface the best qualities of each. 

Looking back at this story, it truly is a cherished treasure as all three actors of these Doctors plus Nick Courntey as the Brigadier have all passed away. So it's even more special now as an eternal gem to the legacy of the show and the legacy of these great men. While this was he first anniversary special to star all the living Doctors, it would also be the last, as William Hartnell would pass 3 years after this. But bigger and bolder specials await!

My Journey through Time and Space

What started on January 1st this year, has come to an end. My mission- to watch every episode of Doctor Who that exists and is released in chronological order. 243 stories. Countless episodes. A whole bunch of hours. And just shy of a month of the 50th anniversary, I have completed my mission, save for one last story to be released on DVD (The Tenth Planet). The bonus treat that occurred during this little mission was the discovery and release of The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear. 

As a lifelong fan of Doctor Who, it was a lot of fun watching it in chronological order. From Doctor to Doctor, companion to companion, story to story, decade to decade. Traveling along the Doctor's timeline, experiencing his adventures as he was experiencing them, was a whole new experience for me. I've only watched episodes in such chronological order in any regularity since its return in 2005. The classic episodes as aired on PBS were a little all over the board, jumping around Doctors while slowly adding new episodes as they came out. 

When the BBC started releasing episodes on VHS, they were not in order either, jumping between Doctors. As VHS made way for DVD, the pattern continued. It was fun doing themed marathons with the released DVDs. Monster stories, Doctor stories, anniversary specials, etc. But with the collection 99.9% complete, the time had come to embark on this ultimate theme. This just so happened to coincide with Doctor Who's 50th anniversary.

Few things in life remain consistent. Doctor Who is one of the constants in my life. I barely remember a time when it wasn't there. From the first time I discovered it at the tender age of 5, I have loved every minute of it every since. Even during the wilderness years, I held on. Its return and huge rise in worldwide popularity has validated what us fans have always know- Doctor Who is the greatest show ever. 

Despite knowing this, despite having read the books, watched the VHS, watched the DVD, read critical  reviews and discourse, listened to the audio soundtracks of the missing stories; I watched this chronological marathon with eyes anew. I wanted to take it in fresh and enjoy the journey. If it's possible, I think I actually love Doctor Who even more now. Seeing this tremendous body of work as a whole, I appreciate it even more now. All the people, living and passed, who have been a part of this show have built this legacy, are forever preserved. 

Here's to the next 50 years! 

39, 40, 41, 80. Watching classic episodes is like catching up with old friends

There have been a slew of classic episodes released lately. So here I am catching up with them amidst our regularly scheduled mega-marathon to 11/23/13. The recent discovery of the lost episodes of The Enemy of the World and the Web of Fear are an amazing treat. Just remastered and released on iTunes with DVD releases coming soon, I ravenously devoured these "new" episodes like a Thanksgiving feast. It is the most wonderful 50th anniversary gift ever!

39. The Ice Warriors

The Ice Warriors came out on DVD! And I watched it! All of it! With animated episodes to fill in the gaps. And it was lovely! Not the most coherent and focused of stories ever, but still a great introduction to the Ice Warriors. Which in retrospect with what we learned in the most recent 11th Doctor episode Cold War, he makes me appreciate them more. In the story, Patrick Troughton dazzles as the 2nd Doctor as usual. Victoria gets quite a bit if story and screen time throughout the 6 episodes. Jamie, on the other hand, gets sidelined and it out of commission for the most part. The Ice Warriors themselves actually look great and are pretty creepy in black and white.Their color appearances on Peladon sometimes came off as a bit cheesy. 

The newly animated episodes 2 and 3 seem a bit stiff but interesting. I seem to remember the animation from the Reign of Terror to be better. But this animation process is more 3D than what was done for The Invasion. All in all, it's wonderful to have to have this story as complete as possible and able to be seen straight through. Truly a lovely 2nd Doctor treat for the 50th anniversary!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ice_Warriors

40. The Enemy of the World

Missing for 45 years, the Enemy of the World has returned! Having only heard this story previously, it was absolutely amazing to see it for the first time. The BBC really cleaned up the film and it looks fantastic on the screen. The music really conveys an epic sense of the story. From the first second with extensive location shooting, this feels big. Patrick Troughton gives us a tour de force performance as both the Doctor and the evil Salamander. These are 6 episodes of pure joy, seeing Patrick light up the screen in the most classic of classic performances as the Second Doctor. For the era that was hit worst by the deletion of episodes, this is truly a cherished gift.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Enemy_of_the_World

41. The Web of Fear

Along with Enemy of the World, the Web of Fear episodes 1-2, 4-6 were also recovered. For the iTunes release, episode 3 was reconstructed with telesnaps to the original soundtrack. I'm sure when this gets its DVD release, episode 3 will be animated. This story sees the return of the Great Intelligence from the previous appearance in The Abominable Snowman. This story also introduces UNIT and Colonel Lethridge-Stewart. Sergeant Benton is also in here but he's under a bunch of Yeti fur. Having heard the stories about the Yeti in the Underground for decades, it is such a treat to finally see it. Again, Patrick and crew are amazing and it is a joy to see Nick Courtney cutting his teeth as the not-yet-Brigadier. UNIT is actually populated with a bunch of funny guys, cracking jokes and being very individual soldiers. It is easy to see why they brought UNIT back next season for The Invasion. You can also definitely see the connections with the Great Intelligence that recently appeared with the 11th Doctor. Pure joy!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Web_of_Fear

80. The Terror of the Zygons

Jumping ahead to the 4th Doctor, we get the final Tom Baker DVD release and they saved the best for last! The Zygons are probably one of the most iconic Doctor Who monsters ever and only appeared once. (We will get another 50th anniversary treat with their return in the anniversary special!) This is one of the earliest episodes I ever saw as a child and I remember it so fondly. The line up is so classic- Tom Baker, Liz Sladen, Ian Marter, Nick Courtney. So many wonderful actors, and except for Tom, all gone, making this an extra special treasure. This story really marked the end of the UNIT era, with only sporadic appearances over the next year and the Brigadier not returning until the 20th anniversary year. And even after all this time, the Zygons are still the best monsters and it really is amazing they haven't returned sooner. To cap off the DVD releases of Tom Baker's historic 7 year run with this story seems so right and proper. An iconic story for an iconic Doctor with his most iconic companions. An absolute celebration!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_of_the_Zygons

243. (7.13) The Name of the Doctor

This is it. The season finale that leads directly into the 50th Anniversary special. And we finally get answers on who the heck Clara Oswin Oswald is. After an uneven season story wise despite the high production values, the season ends on a high note. Despite the return of Vastra, Jennie and Strax yet again, we do get the fantastic return of Alex Kingston as River Song and Richard E Grant at the Great Intelligence (the seeming hallmark villain of the latter half of this season). This version of River is the one stored in CAL in the library after River died, which is quite interesting that she can still pop up as she wills. Richard E is a delicious villain supreme who tries to rip apart the Doctor's timeline. We get to see many scenes of the Doctor's previous incarnations, with some new scenes and some classic, with REG inserted in. In steps Clara, who jumps into the Doctor's timeline and scattered throughout his lives, sharing scenes with William Hartnell especially. It does explain why she pops up at several points in the 11th Doctors life as different people. It's mad and genius all in one. But the craziest part of the whole thing is the introduction of John Hurt as "The Doctor"! Who Doctor? Which Doctor? He's not the Doctor, can he? So many questions! And all will have to wait until November 23rd for answers!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Name_of_the_Doctor