Lies they told me about Troughton

[altariel]

That The Underwater Menace is rubbish. That The Macra Terror isn't all that. They weren't right.

Both of them remind me of McCoy stories (which counts as praise on this journal): 'The Underwater Menace' has the same anarchic glee of The Happiness Patrol. And it has the fun design too (Atlantean fascists! Fish masks! Shell-shaped skullcaps! The world's dodgiest priest!) and bad puns ("Come on, Ben, we've got other fish to fry!"). Loved it to bits.

'The Macra Terror' is a dream-team cross between Delta and the Bannermen and The Happiness Patrol (with perhaps a smidge of Paradise Towers?). None of the episodes exist and I wonder - given all those perky "Work is fun!" jingles - whether it works better as radio, but then I look at the Big Brother pictures and more fascists costumed on a BBC budget and of course the giant crab - and think, "Wow."

So if they do animate another story, I hope it's one of these two. And I'll never believe the so-called authorities again. Nothing in ze world can shtop me now!

DON'T FORGET!: New season starts this Saturday, 31st March, BBC1 7pm, Smith and Jones.

Comments

[gair.livejournal.com]

OH GOD HOW DO I GET IT

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Good question!

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

anarchic glee

If one wanted to sum up Patrick Troughton's Doctor in two words, those would be the two.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Gleeful anarchy! No, that isn't as good :-)

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, I liked most of the McCoy era too - but than I loathe Tom Baker, so what do I know?

I enjoyed Troughton at the time, but wasn't too keen on Jamie and Victoria after the run of splendid companions in the Hartnell years.

[nwhyte]

Victoria, who is not an especial favourite of mine either, is blissfully absent from The Underwater Menace and The Macra Terror - both are Ben/Polly/Jamie stories.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Many fantastic Tom Baker stories, although I will always think of Davison as 'my' Doctor. But then I adored New Earth, so what do I know?! :-)

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

I will always think of Davison as 'my' Doctor.

Me too, I think - I was at the age where he was the first Doctor that I clearly understood and remembered.

Sometime I need to catch up on some of the vintage episodes. I barely know them at all.

And thank you for the reminder about Saturday - had passed me by!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Plenty of DVDs of ours you're welcome to plunder (although there isn't that much Davison out yet).

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

I'd love to, at some point (when I've finished my thesis corrections and returned all the other things of yours that I've held hostage for ages). Thank you so much!

[nwhyte]

I totally agree with you about The Macra Terror, though I am less up on the McCoy era than I would like to be. Obviously I shall have to look out for The Underwater Menace.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

You are in for some treats if you've got McCoys to watch, some of my favourite stories: Curse of Fenric, Ghost Light, The Happiness Patrol, Paradise Towers. I'd given up watching during Colin's era but switched back on for McCoy and the stories got better and better.

Reading your reviews: I agree that Polly is smashing in The Highlanders. Such a shame they didn't carry on with this. The bit in The Moonbase where the Doctor sends her off to make the coffee rates as one of the greatest television treacheries of all time. I stayed away from Troughton for years as a result.

The remaining episode of The Underwater Menace is on the Lost in Time DVD box set.

[nwhyte]

The remaining episode of The Underwater Menace is on the Lost in Time DVD box set.

Good, I have that and haven't got to it yet.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'll be very interested to read what you think of it. It certainly suits my liking for just a touch of panto in my Doctor Who, but I can see why it's not to everyone's taste.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

I've received my copy of "The Invasion" with the two animated eps, but haven't watched them yet. Am trying to hold out.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I thought they were a great success. I'd love to see more.

[edge-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

Atlantean fascists! Hee!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

:-D

[kerravonsen]

The only Troughton I've actually seen is "The Tomb of the Cybermen", (or did I see the one in the Land of Fiction as well? I think I have...) but I've listened to a few of the audio reconstructions (such as the one introducing the Ice Warriors) and IMHO they probably work better as audio because one isn't being distracted by dodgy effects -- the sound-effects aren't dodgy. 8-)

So I find I'm warming to the 2nd Doctor more than I expected to.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

The one in the Land of Fiction is The Mind Robber.

I think what's interesting about Troughton episodes are that they look very much like Blake's 7 does - only with no colour. If you turn the colour down on an episode of B7, you can see its relationship to earlier drama. (This does not mean the effects in 60s Who are not dodgy, of course!)