#peter davsion

[cleowho]

“Failure-proof technology!”

Frontios - season 21 - 1984

[anne-white-star]

This looks like a behind the scenes picture but im not sure

[the-real-emma-voltaire]

afjhheakakgsghlsa fivey sleeping!

how come i havent seen this image before

[throughtimeywimey]

Season 1, The Edge of Destruction: Episodes 12 - 13

Before we jump into our standard fare, I want to briefly comment on the news that Steven Moffat has deleted his twitter account. Whatever anyone thinks of twitter, he was one of the people that was worth following. If anyone can take advantage of 140 characters, it's him. But apparently he found twitter too distracting, probably due to the amount of harassment that came his way from "fans." I don't think the majority of followers were rude, or that this behavior is unique to the Doctor Who fandom, but I can't pretend I'm not disappointed. I love fanaticism, but why does it have to turn ugly? Mr. Moffat, whether you like him or not, is doing his job. He is writing episodes for a show that he loves, making a living for himself and his family, and he wanted to reach out to fans in a small way. Must people ruin a good thing? In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter, but I do hope this gives some people something to reflect on. Anywho…

We continue our travel through the annals of Doctor Who history with two fabulously creepy episodes written by David Whitaker: The Edge of Destruction, and the Brink of Disaster.

The episodes open with the TARDIS interior shaking, knocking out its inhabitants. When they wake up, they complain of head and neck pain, and can't remember who or where they are. Susan is affected badly, and becomes hysterical, threatening to stab Ian and Barbara with a pair of scissors. The TARDIS is malfunctioning, the doors opening of their own accord, and the fault detector lights flashing. The Doctor accuses Ian and Barbara of tampering with the TARDIS in an attempt to take over. He fears they have only minutes to live before it is destroyed. Barbara has the idea that it is trying to warn them of something, and the Doctor admits that the TARDIS can think. They then discover that the "fast return" switch, which the Doctor pressed to return Ian and Barbara to earth, is stuck. The TARDIS has gone back in time too far, and has been warning them of the situation. The Doctor fixes the switch, apologizes for accusing Ian and Barbara, and arrives safely on another planet.

These episodes very much remind me of the Doctor Who short from series 3, Time Crash (When you watch this, starring David Tennant and Peter Davison, imagine how fun family get-togethers must be, as Peter Davison is actually David Tennant's father-in law), and the shorts from series 5, Space and Time. They were made to raise money for charity, and they're great little comedic shorts. The Edge of Destruction is… Well, not like those at all. They're a very dark couple of episodes, but like the shorts, they take place solely in the TARDIS, and feature a very small cast of the main actors. As you can imagine, this was done for budgetary reasons, but it still makes for a pretty chilling story.

I really enjoyed these episodes, especially the acknowledgment that the TARDIS is sentient, although not to the same extent as in the current show. My only real issue is that the TARDIS trying to warn them does nothing to explain the mysterious head injuries, neck pain, and loss of memory. Throughout the episode, they hint that something may have come into the ship, and that it could hide in one of them. I was prepared for an episode similar to Midnight from series 4 (I couldn't be alone for weeks after that one). They do say that the power source from the TARDIS could escape, and maybe that is what possessed them, but it is unclear. To be fair, Wikipedia (which I take as gospel and don't you dare judge me) says that these episodes were written in two days, which could account for this.

Although the Doctor spent most of these episodes being a Mr. Grumpy Pants, this was one of the first times that I caught a glimpse of character development. After accusing Ian and Barbara of mutiny, the Doctor is forced to offer a genuine apology, especially to Barbara who does not forgive him so easily. It is the first time he admits to being wrong, and underestimating his companion's worth.

I also noticed a slight continuity error. When Ian checks the Doctor while he is unconscious, he says that his heart, in the singular, seems alright. I'll be on the lookout for when it is written in that Time Lords have two hearts.

The episodes are getting better and better, and I look forward to watching more of them. It is sure to be an interesting process, as we have now officially hit the lost episodes. More to come on that absurdity soon!

[cleowho]

Sinister watchers.

Resurrection of the Daleks - season 21 - 1984

[anne-white-star]

[cleowho]

“What is? History is...”

Kinda - season 19 - 1982

[cleowho]

“We’re in grave danger here.”

Frontios (deleted scene) - season 21 - 1984

#tegan #she’s coming back

[cleowho]

“We’re no longer on Lanzarote.”

Planet of Fire - season 21 - 1984

[cleowho]

“I didn’t quite tell you the truth.”

Alternate edit of the cliff-hanger ending to Episode Two of Resurrection of the Daleks - season 21 - 1984

[cleowho]

“You’ll be alright.”

The Visitation - season 19 - 1982

[cleowho]

“How are you going to deal with the Master?”

Time-Flight - season 19 - 1982

#Five a Day - 07/20 A Fifth Doctor-era GIFset each day, in story order.

[cleowho]

Castrovalva - season 19 - 1982

[cleowho]

“Where are the promised gifts?”

Planet of Fire - season 21 - 1984

[cleowho]

“You couldn’t cope.”

Enlightenment - season 20 - 1983

[cleowho]

“Out, sir, if you insist.”

Castrovalva - season 19 - 1982