A Tear Sarah Jane? Yes Indeed.

 Roundel Roundabouts, Tangential Tardis  No Responses »
Apr 192011
 

Everybody and their brother will have something to say today about the passing of Elisabeth Sladen.  I myself had a sharp intake of breath upon reading the news not only due to it seemingly coming from out of the blue (I had no idea she was battling cancer) but also because she just seemed so ageless.  It's sometimes easy to forget she was Jon Pertwee's last companion (look at how young she seems to be in that picture to the right) because she spent so much more time (it seemed) with Tom Baker.  Certainly that run of stories are what I'll always treasure the most.

And yet she always seemed to elevate the material around her, a quality which kept her fondly remembered and kept her association with the program very current indeed.

Thank you Liz. 

Awhile back we set aside a "Who Not Who" section for her work outside Doctor Who.  We encourage everyone to visit that the see her through the years.

 Posted by at 3:50 pm

Greyhound Leader

 Roundel Roundabouts  No Responses »
Feb 242011
 

To Trap One…  For a program which has been around for 47+ years, there are precious few deaths which create a stir.  Eight of the eleven Doctors are still with us, as are a fair majority of the companions which have graced the screen down through the ages.  But the passing of Nick Courtney can and should be a moment of reflection. 

Always a character actor, you got the idea that the enduring affection for the Brigadier was bemusing to Courtney, who valued the part at the time for the safety of a paycheck, but was more than happy to sink back into the various character roles which he'd made his living before and after his tenure on the show. 

Still the manner with which he often returned to the program also suggests that the Brigadier was a part which hung very well with him, and so he did with us.

Here at the Tour we honor him in the only way we know how.  We've separated his "Who Not Who!" pictures off into their own gallery.  We'll also be putting Courtney pictures exclusively into the THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day feed for a week or so.

Those wishing for a more concentrated focus on Courtney and the Brigadier should head over to The Brig Blog. Lots to be had over there.

Over and out.

 Posted by at 3:51 am

The Seven Specials of Christmas — #1

 Roundel Roundabouts  No Responses »
Dec 252010
 

A week's worth of anticipation culminates in this… the unveiling of our #1 in our Christmas Countdown.  If you have been following along you've probably already guessed it by process of elimination but it is 2005's The Christmas Invasion.  What can we say, you never forget your first special.  The first of the modern run of Christmas Specials not only had to entertain the masses, it was the first post-regenerative story in the modern era and had to educate viewers in that as well.

Then RTD made the bold decision to work against viewers expectations by withholding Tennant's full appearance until the last third of the story.  But what sets this story ahead of all others in our opinion is it's sense of scale.  While very much a Christmas story, the invasion as the title suggests was massively global, and the way the cast reacts seems very in keeping.  Rose's increasing helplessness and courage in the face of the threat make the story work.  Piper was probably never better than here.  And Tennant showed in his brief twenty minutes many of the manic qualities which defined his early run of stories.

Well, well done all the way around.  To recap here was our Christmas Countdown…

Just for grins SFX Magazine did their own genre countdown of 35 Christmas episodes across series… Their (Doctor Who) results were:

For the sake of completeness in the SFX survey #3 in their countdown was the 1965 Avengers story Too Many Christmas Trees — highly, highly recommended and #1 was an episode of Supernatural.

Happy Holidays to all… have a tremendous "A Christmas Carol."

 Posted by at 5:13 am

The Seven Specials of Christmas — #2

 Roundel Roundabouts  No Responses »
Dec 242010
 

For those who thought of the current spate of Christmas Specials beginning with David Tennant's arrival as the Doctor are sadly not quite fully versed in nu-Who.  RTD quite cleverly crafted the first few episodes of Christopher Eccleston's single season back in 2005. 

Rose was fast and furious to get viewers old and new alike up to speed, literally, with modern Doctor Who.  The End of the World was a showcase designed to show-off what could be achieved within the limits of budgeting and effects.  The third story, and #2 in our Christmas countdown, was a deliberate throwback in style and intent,  The Unquiet Dead was not only a story set in the past, but done at Christmas time, and a zombie-story (of sorts) to boot.  And what a joy it was.  You can't get more Dickensian than a story which features the man (Simon Callow) himself.

It was understandable that long-term fans would gravitate immediately to this story more than others for the more traditional elements within the story, but the reason it rings in at #2 here is that 5+ years on (and also incidentally the only story in our list NOT to be shown on Christmas day itself) it that deftly turned Dickens own story a bit on Dickens himself, keeping the joy for the character but also providing a touchstone for viewers as well.

Watch it again during the season if you can.

 Posted by at 11:00 am

The Seven Specials of Christmas — #3

 Roundel Roundabouts  No Responses »
Dec 232010
 

Because it culminated a year of build-up and the very occasional story The End of Time Pt I as the least Christmassy of all the specials, despite the fact that the events of the story take place in or around Christmas time.  This is all the more compounded because it is the first half of a story, in this case Tennants last. 

Of course the resurrection of the Master was horribly contrived, but this first-half of a story, as so many RTD two-part stories did, was compelling, and at the core of it all was the relationship between the two old souls, the Doctor and Wilf.  Their scenes sparkled with the resonance of lives in full.  If we were to judge both halves of this story as one for the purposes of this Christmas ranking, it would probably come out on top, but as it is it sits quite comfortably in at #3.

#2 tomorrow on Dec 24th.  #1 on the day itself.  All to come.

 Posted by at 9:58 pm
Page 3 of 171234510...Last »