December 26, 2024

Review- The War Games in colour

 

The idea of taking a vintage monochrome programme, colourising it and editing it down to less than half its original length is unusual. How many other series has this been done to? As someone who has really enjoyed the additional effects on some of the Seventies stories I’m glad that it is being done. Those who complain about it can be assured that the original versions are still there and still the official ones. This is a more fun way of watching old Doctor Who that may also help its appeal to younger audiences. It is art in a contemporary way, no less so than sampling or cover versions. So you can either enjoy them or ignore them.

 


December 15, 2024

Season Two@60- The Dalek Invasion of Earth

 

Its sixty years since the second season of Doctor Who was first broadcast so I thought I’d take a look at these stories courtesy of the Collection box set, recently re-issued in standard packaging. To begin with, a story that brings back the Daleks at the height of Dalekmania and waves goodbye to a companion for the first time ever…

I originally knew of this story when it was called `World’s End` back in the days when the `official` titles of many First Doctor stories were actually those of the opening episode. Certainly most viewers in 1964 would not know the overall name with which we are now familiar so would have no idea till the end of part one that the Daleks were returning (unless the excitable press gave it away- these days there would be location shots on TikTok) and the suspense is well built. What I’ve noticed about these Sixties stories is how grounded they are from the travellers' perspective.  So, each predicament or puzzle is debated initially in the context of something every day- it could be this, it could be that- until those options are discounted slowly to unpeel the real problem.  The modern series rarely does that preferring to leap to the Doctor explaining something that he already knows.