Doctor Who: season 10

[altariel]

The Three Doctors
mraltariel: Isn't it lovely to see William Hartnell again, even if he is obviously very ill indeed?
altariel: Yes, it is lovely, and I think he actually does a smashing job, you can see how much this part meant to him.
mraltariel: It also serves to show just how much Doctor Who has changed over the last ten years. I miss the breadth of imagination of the Hartnell stories, but these are much better than the nadir of Troughton's repetitive plots.
altariel: There's definitely new energy to the storytelling, but you feel that the show has now settled into a particular idiom. I also miss the variety of material from Hartnell's earlier seasons.
mraltariel: Plus, blobby aliens! Making blobblobblobblob noises. What's not to like about this story.
altariel: Only a cad could dislike it.

Carnival of Monsters
mraltariel: This story is hilarious.
altariel: I hadn't seen this one before. It's fucking brilliant. I'd hand this one out as a gateway drug.
mraltariel: Bob Holmes gives us some brilliant low-level scheming functionaries.
altariel: They are legendary minion.
mraltariel: Not to mention the carnie polari! Vada the bona polone!
altariel: I just couldn't believe that bit! This is a classic. Also, does one of my favourite things, making the action continous. You feel like these events all took place over about ninety minutes.

Frontier in Space
mraltariel: I was slightly dreading this, but it turns out to be another goodie in a great season. They've really worked out how to package a nugget of story in twenty-five minutes, and turn the whole thing into a six meatball stew.
altariel: What?
mraltariel: If you just scarf the meatballs, it would be a bit boring. But taking one meatball and a bit of sauce, then having a bit of water and maybe a bit of breadstick, and you're ready for the next meatball which, despite being the same ingredients as the previous meatball is still delicious...
altariel: And advances the plot.
mraltariel: Yes. You've got it. These are plot meatballs.
altariel: Gristle-free.
mraltariel: And action sauce.
altariel: Heh you said sauce. Anyway, I like this one too. Cool aliens, great sets, prison planet.
mraltariel: Goodbye Roger Delgado. You will be missed.

Planet of the Daleks
mraltariel: Terry's written a Dalek story!
altariel: I wonder what will happen? Will there be semi-sentient plants?
mraltariel: A character called Taran?
altariel: A character called Rebec?
mraltariel: Will there be a sequence where the Daleks chase people in a lift?
altariel: Will there be invisible aliens?
mraltariel and altariel: YES!
mraltariel: However, all this is saved by the army of Rolykins Daleks.
altariel: That is a high point of my life. The world's cutest alien death squad.
mraltariel: Plus, although we've seen it before, it's actually quite a good version of Terry's Dalek story. And it might even have been time for it again.
altariel: A curious flashback to Hartnell-era storytelling.

The Green Death
mraltariel: Goodbye Jo. I'd almost grown fond of you and your irritating whiny voice.
altariel: Yes, she's been the real surprise of these past few seasons. I thought I'd hate her, but she's really quite sweet, and the dynamic between her and Pertwee is lovely.
mraltariel: Still glad to see the back of her though.
altariel: Ooh, be careful what you wish for! Who knows what companion they'll force on us next?!
mraltariel: This actually has two of my favourite things about this season: the camp computer BOSS and his sidekick from Sandbaggers. There's also mad dressing up from Pertwee, although I'm not sure whether the actual charlady wasn't a less convincing woman than him. Welsh milkman is a particular triumph.
altariel: Those maggots were revolting. They really put me off my Coco Pops. But, yes, good solid story, lots of plot, lots of good characters. All six episodes went to a full twenty-five minutes and it didn't feel padded at all.


Ranking
Carnival of Monsters
Frontier in Space/The Green Death
Planet of the Daleks
The Three Doctors


mraltariel: The best season in a very long time. Funny, assured, exciting, and not a duffer amongst them.
altariel: Nearly enough to make you pay your licence fee.