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

242. (7.12) Nightmare in Silver

Neil Gaiman returns! The Cybermen return! It's the penultimate episode of the season! What could go wrong? Everything! After Gaiman's amazing last story The Doctor's Wife, expectations were high for his follow up. The return of the Cybermen under his pen held so much promise. The new design looked great; leaner, faster, deadlier. But the story is a mess, the Cybermen aren't scary at all, and the argument inside the Doctor's head is confusing. For someone who knows the history and lore of Doctor Who, Gaiman didn't use much more than an inch of it. It would have been a wonderful anniversary treat to really mine the Cybermen's rich history and and brought someone new to the characters. 

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

241. (7.11) The Crimson Horror

The Crimson Horror is a slightly strange story as the Doctor doesn't show up until halfway through. It sees the return of Madame Vastra, Jennie and Strax, investigating missing persons in the north country. Which leads us to the legendary Dame Diana Rigg and her real life daughter playing her daughter. Seems as though Diana is having a bit of a renaissance with turns on Game of Thrones and Doctor Who. She's a wonderfully crazy villain. And you really feel the suffering of her daughter under her mother's abusive care. The true villain of the piece is a bit of a surprise but gets what it deserves in the end. The mystery of who Clara is continues...

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

240. (7.10) Journey to the Center of the TARDIS

Despite the odd beginning of this episode, it actually turns out to be quite good. From the moment the title of the episode was announced, I was quite excited to see what it held for us. I instantly started thinking of the classic Hartell story The Edge of Destruction, the only story to ever be completely confined to the TARDIS and was a psychological thriller. While this was only 95% confined to the TARDIS, it was thrilling just the same. There are many Easter Eggs packed into this one, with the TARDIS producing past Doctor's voices from past adventures. We also are shown previously unseen rooms, chock full of treats- the Book at the Time War being the biggest tease. The B-story line with the three co-stars is quite superfluous but seeing so much more of the new TARDIS console room is a treat.

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

239. (7.9) Hide

Half of this story is good and interesting. The other half is a little weird and confusing. The premise of a ghost buster story is fine and setting it in the 1970's is an interesting choice. The sci-fi twist of the truth of who and what the ghost is plays well for a Doctor Who story. The odd inclusion of the "monster" alien in love the Doctor helps to reunite with its mate just doesn't seem to work for me. But all in all, a decent story and it's always nice to see Dougray Scott in anything. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hide_(Doctor_Who)

238. (7.8) Cold War

The Ice Warriors return! Yeah! The Doctor and Clara are trapped on a submarine! Yeah! Guest stars galore! Yeah! It was a welcomed treat to see the Ice Warriors again after decades off the screen. And it's not just that they're back,we're given  something new and previously unknown to us. The revelation that the Ice Warriors wears cybernetic suits and that they're a skinny Martian lizard inside. It's a creepy base under siege by unseen menace with excellent production values. The resolution is sound and the promise of a bigger return gets me even more excited.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War_(Doctor_Who)

237. (7.7) The Rings of Akhaten

For the obligatory new-companion's-first-trip-in-the-TARDIS, we get a kind of boring tale. I thought Amy Pond's first trip to the Beast Below was bad, but this is even more uninteresting. Rose's first trip to the End of the World still stands at the best of the new series. Martha and Donna both had historicals that were both wonderful. So I really hate to say this story is at the bottom of the list, especially after the super last episodes. Some of the elements of the story are interesting but it doesn't feel cohesive and it feels tired and unoriginal. Moffat loves having little kids, especially little girls, be the conduit for his stories and we get another one her, just like in the Beast Below. Yawn. Overall just an average story.

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

236. (7.6) The Bells of Saint John

We are now treated to a third introduction to Clara Oswin Oswald! Having teased her out of this season, this is the "real" thing. This is one of the freshest, most energetic episodes in a long time and as an introductory story, if feels very original and is not easily compared to any of the previous. I personally loved all the location shooting in London, and it felt like a return to old form for the show. Jenna-Louise debuts her third incarnation of her character, the most contemporary of the three, and instantly sparks off of Matt. The mystery of her existence has been seeded and will pay off with dividends as the season goes on. The return of the Great Intelligence, again, so soon after their return last episode is a welcomed treat. All in all, a great kick off to the second half of this season and we're left saying "Amy who?".

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

235. (7.Y) The Snowmen

Matt Smith's Christmas episodes have been a bit of a mixed bag. Not that they're bad and not to keep comparing them to David Tennant's specials, they're just different. Usually they're a nice bookend to the season that pretty much stands alone. This year's Christmas special falls in the middle of the season, serving as a bridge between the Amy era and the Clara era while continuing to develop the mystery of "Who Is Clara?".

Right off the bat, we're introduced to Clara Oswald, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman, who we saw back at the beginning of the season in the Asylum of the Daleks. But she died there. How can she be here too? Is she a bartender? Is she a governess? Why is she changing clothes in the back of carriage? So many questions!

Richard E. Grant is a marvelous villain. Ian McKellen is a wonderful voice of the Great Intelligence. Shark-toothed snowmen eating people are amazing. And the return of the Great Intelligence is a fabulous 50th anniversary treat, that connects to their previous 2nd Doctor appearances. The story is chocked full of goodness.

The unexpected demise of Clara at the end and her uttering "Run you cleaver boy and remember." amps up Clara's mystery. Much in the same way Moffat played out the mystery of "Who is River Song?", he now introduces us to "Who is Clara?" that promises a nice payoff. 

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

234. (7.5) The Angels Take Manhattan

Amy. Rory. River. The Weeping Angels. New York City. All the lines converge here for the final adventure of Amy and Rory. This is the best Weeping Angels story to date with Moffat really expanding the scope and range of what they can do and how manipulative they can be. From the onset, this is a heart wrenching story, again and again and again. This story seals the love of Amy and Rory like never before and there is not a question of who Amy must choose at the end. The conceit that Amy and Rory are trapped in the 1930's and the Doctor cannot ever take the TARDIS there, it necessary but a tinge contrived. While I didn't want to compare this story to Rose's final regular story Doomsday being trapped in another dimension. Both pack an emotional punch but they feel different. When Rose left, it felt like it was a little too soon but was approaching the right time. With Amy, as the longest serving new companion, it's felt long over due. Even with the additional of Rory and their evolving and changing relationship, their time as companions felt played out. But as their final story, it's outstanding and touching and amazing performances by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. If this is indeed Amelia Pond's final story, it is a beautiful package wrapped in a bow. 

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

233. (7.4) The Power of Three

The Power of Three is the penultimate chapter of Amelia Pond. It's a nice, quiet, domestic story really  is owned by the Ponds. Rory's dad returns and is fantastic. We also get the return of UNIT led by Kate Stewart, daughter of Brigadier Alistair Lethridge-Stewart. The character of Kate appeared in a spin-off video called Downtime, which also starred the late Nick Courtney, over 20 years ago. Jemma Redgrave is perfectly cast here and proudly continues the legacies of both the Brigadier and of Nick Courtney. 

The conflict between traveling with the Doctor and living one day at a time in a domestic setting is showcased perfectly with Doctor Who's first married companions. Now that the Doctor can control the TARDIS better and is able drop in and out and pick up people like a taxi, they have shown the Ponds hopping on and off like a San Francisco trolley all season. While they think they should stop, they just can't. But it's Rory's dad, after seeing them defeat the slow invasion, tells them to go, to continue to travel, to keep on saving the universe. It's very touching and some what haunting as they depart for their final adventure...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Three_(Doctor_Who)

232. (7.3) A Town Called Mercy

I am not a fan of Westerns, and I don't like sci-fi Westerns even less. The classic William Hartnell story The Gunfighters is tolerable and treasured as a Hartnell classic. So when it was announced that the 11th Doctor was going West, I cringed. Ben Browder of Farscape guest starred and was lovely but entirely too over clothed. I can't say I hated the story but it was definitely one of my least favorite stories of the season. I must saw the resolution was a nice change for the apparent antagonist.

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