Peri-Peri
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Destroyer Of Worlds
Favourite Doctor: Five
Favourite Companion: Peri
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Circular logic will only make you dizzy, Doctor
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« on: May 27, 2012, 11:43:44 pm » |
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Hello folks For this weeks story we go back to the Fourth Doctor and the season 18 story The Leisure Hive. The Doctor and Romana arrive on Argolis in search of a peaceful holiday at the famed Leisure Hive. Instead they become embroiled in both a takeover scheme by the Argolins' historic enemy the Foamasi and the machinations of Pangol, the child of the Generator.
The Leisure Hive was the first story of Season 18 of Doctor Who as well as the first serial produced by John Nathan-Turner. He immediately instituted a number of radical new changes to the series.
The title sequence was redone with a 'star-field' motif. Delia Derbyshire's arrangement of the Doctor Who theme was abandoned in favour of an electronic version of the signature music. These wholesale alterations to the programme's opening sequence would, with relatively minor adjustments, remain in place until season 24. At the same time, Nathan-Turner decided to end composer Dudley Simpson's long association with the programme. He chose the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to handle the incidental music for Hive.
Hive also brought a new look for the Fourth Doctor. His coat and trademark multi-coloured scarf were replaced with burgundy versions of the clothing. The new question mark motif - premiered here on the Doctor's shirt collar - would persist throughout Nathan-Turner's era.
Narratively, Hive was an unusual story in that it was commissioned directly by the producer rather than the script editor, because Christopher H. Bidmead was not yet hired. New executive producer Barry Letts also had a significant hand in shaping the story's outline.The next story will be posted on Sunday 3rd June.
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It eats you, starting with your bottom
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Vampyros Adric
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Timelord
Favourite Doctor: 4/6/7
Favourite Companion: Jo Grant
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He is also vain, ego-centric and quite mad
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« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2012, 09:51:36 pm » |
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It is actually unusual for this story to be treated as an individual entity. Normally the Leisure Hive has the subtitle "The First Story of the JNT era and the start of Tom Baker's last season". I think that undersells the value of the story a little. It is a story that tries to explore contemporary issues about the value of science, of prejudice and of ageing. Writer David Fisher is no stranger to writing Doctor Who, having penned a couple of stories previously (most notably Stones of Blood) and this is a highly workable script.
But as a season opener, I think the actual story lacks that "wow" factor. But this is where the JNT influence really comes into its own. What the actual story lacks in wow factor, this is more than made up in production values. I watched this story when I was 9 and I cannot tell you just how different it looked to the previous era (that brilliant title music alone made up for an script deficiencies - I still have the BBC Single I was bought for Xmas 1980). The special effects, the music, the direction of Lovett Bickford. It felt sumptuous.
So I went for 4/5. A very serviceable story and a wonderful look.
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Saber
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« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2012, 11:31:37 pm » |
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I've gone with a four. It's not a bad story but it's sort of like junk food. It's good at the time but sort of empty and unfulfilling once it's done. It did bring in a new era though and although I didn't like many of the things JNT did over the years you can't really knock his enthusiasm. Some of his ideas were great.
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Exterminate
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« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2012, 09:10:07 pm » |
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While it isn't a bad story it feels a bit stodgy and a drags a bit by the end. It also feels a bit like people aren't putting the effort in. Mostly Tom Baker if I'm honest. I think by this point it was the money and fame keeping him there because he often came off as bored and not just in this story. It does have it's upsides though. You can tell a bit of money was spent on it and visually it looked great.
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Kovarians-Eye-Patch
TARDIS Traveller
Favourite Doctor: Eleven
Favourite Companion: Martha Jones
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« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2012, 11:27:24 pm » |
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Three from me. It's an ok story which seems better than it is because it has a glossier finish than what came before it.
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Twisted-Sister
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« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2012, 09:12:30 pm » |
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Probably not the point of the makers, but my favourite part of the whole story was the opening. The bit on the beach was great. The story itself held up pretty well and I liked the Doctor's new outfit. Not the question marks so much though. I've gone with a four
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Twisted-Sister
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« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2012, 09:12:36 pm » |
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Probably not the point of the makers, but my favourite part of the whole story was the opening. The bit on the beach was great. The story itself held up pretty well and I liked the Doctor's new outfit. Not the question marks so much though. I've gone with a four
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Twisted-Sister
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« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2012, 09:13:43 pm » |
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Have to say, I'm surprised this is rating as well as it is. I expected lower scores on the whole.
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Scott
TARDIS Traveller
Favourite Doctor: Eleven
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Just a three from me. It looked great and the overall outline of the plot was decent but it wasn't directed and edited very well. I think some of the plot points were weak and the pacing was off which dragged the story down.
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Peri-Peri
Global Moderator
Destroyer Of Worlds
Favourite Doctor: Five
Favourite Companion: Peri
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Circular logic will only make you dizzy, Doctor
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I'm going with a two. I've never been a particular fan of this story. While there are elements to it that I quite enjoy, the majority of it just doesn't appeal to me. It looked pretty good though.
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It eats you, starting with your bottom
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Nyki
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I've gone with a four. I think it's one of the better of the late TB stories. I like the concept, and it looks spectacular.
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Tardis-Console
Timelord
Favourite Doctor: Eleven
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Posts: 4660
Say it. Everybody does!
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I thought it was ok. More than anything else I was surprised by just how good it looked. The story itself was pretty good but some of the characters were a bit wooden and there wasn't any huge build up of excitement. I've given it 3/5
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My Series 6 Ratings (so far): TIA 10/10 | DOTM 10/10 | COTBS 8/10 | TDW 10/10 | TRF 9/10 | TAP 10/10 | AGMGTW 10/10 | LKH 8/10 | NT 4/10 | TGWW 10/10
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ardalyon
Tin Dog
Favourite Doctor: Tom Baker
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It has its moments. Stimpson finding that man costume was genuinely creepy. But what was Stimpson's plan anyway? I found that at the end I couldn't actually remember what had happened to him. I knew that Foamasi had come after him but must have nodded off or something when he was actually killed. And I couldn't work out what those dropping things were. There were some nice directorial flourishes here and there but it didn't really add up to very much, and left several things unexplained (though I realise now it was Klout without the man costume fiddling with the controls for the first cliff-hanger) or hanging. But what were those mannequin things for? And I didn't like the new credits or music. JNT is going to be a bumpy ride for me, despite the better production values.
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