h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well effects have come on so much in the past few years.

Indeed. I've been watching some of the old Doctor Who stories recently. Stuff from the Tom Baker and Peter Davison era's. When you see them, you begin to appreciate just how well done today's series are - in lots of ways. (Except the bit where they waved to Bernard Cribbins from the Tardis).

For example, I was watching Earthshock ...
- The cybermen costumes are awful, although they're supposed to be emotionless they are pleased when things go right and annoyed when they go wrong, when they go on patrol they're just a bunch of actors walking around with some clinky-plinky music over the top to add some semblance that we should be afraid. Compare that to the reimagined cybermen of Cybos industries.
- the companions ... Adric, Nyssa, Tegan are all irritating with the latter two spending most of their time in the Tardis for the story. (Ok it's Adric's story but even so).
- the opening episode is actually very good, but the latter three descend into the poor category. The funny thing is that it was touted as story of the season when we watched it in 1981.

I have to confess... I wasn't hugely taken with Martha. so much so that along with outside influences making things tricky, I didnt watch her series. I caught an episode or two and it did nothing for me. I'm sure I'll end up watching it eventually on DVD but until then, I'm enjoying Donna (and yes, her moments of comedienne over-acting are annoying, but I have issues with Tennant's mahoosive fringe too...) and Rose was my first companion and has a special place in my doctor who heart. Come back Rose, I love you!

Yes, that fringe!
I thought it was just me or a funny camera angle,but I mean really, it was almost a parody!

It's irritating. I just want to trim it by about two inches. I dont mind the look when it's done right but it's too long. He's not a cartoon character!

he's thin enough... maybe he's trying to get into the Leningrad Cowboys

http://www.montag.it/comida/img/leningrad_cowboys.jpg

If you missed the martha series, make sure you try and catch 'Blink' (10th episode) which is easily one the best bits of SciFi/Fantasy on telly. If you haven't caught it already that is.

Martha didn;t do too much for me. The idea of a young human being somehow the equal of a Timelord was just too much.

Thanks Ictoan, I'll look out for it

Human Nature / Family of Blood 2-parter from that season was great too. There's been nothing so far this season to rival them.



Has the classic series run to Season 27, Ace would have enrolled in the Time Lord academy



Gif

Blink was absolutely fantastic. The Doctor and Martha are hardly in it, but the story was so good and the acting of the guest star (I can't remember her name) was so great it didn't matter.

And I so wanted her to be the next assistant as well

Blink was awesome ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L34U3rSQF0w

Human Nature was great because it took Doctor Who down a totally different pathway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XSO9pZdi_Q

And having seen Human Nature, the last 10 minutes of Utopia with Derek Jacoby were pretty awesome as they unravelled the plot-arc for the series ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_AL_7hMLag

Human Nature was so good it justified all four seasons of Who so far by itself, even ignoring how good any other episodes have been. Just incredible.

<<- the opening episode is actually very good, but the latter three descend into the poor category. The funny thing is that it was touted as story of the season when we watched it in 1981.>>

I never saw it at the time, but I love it now (My son bought it on DVD... for the story and the nostalgia, not the effects, which frankly are rubbish!)

Vicky

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Not to mention, she's irritatingly smug. Didn't take to her...

Vicky

I agree that Human Nature/Family of Blood were the finest episodes of Who - the part where the Doctor is realising the life he'll be going back to if he becomes a Timelord again.

Plus, Martha is very good in those episodes and moves beyond the simple "I've got a crush on the Doctor" to something a bit more profound - she gets the depth of him in those episodes. And she gets to be really brave and get in some killer lines.

I just thought the bit with the cricket ball was cool. And it's based on a novel I've read too:

A20361638 and
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/ebooks/

Gif

I wasn't so keen on that, can't remember why exactly now, but I think I found some bits a tad contrived. I shall have to rewatch it at some point and see what I make of it this time.

Two predictions ...

1) cliffhanger will be resolved by the return of Ross. (He will probably put the stone through the window).

2) Martha clone will be spotted by lack of engagement ring.

Ooooo...good point! The ring will clinch it. Or some mention/lack of mention/mistaken info about the fiancee.

In reply to Bright blue earlier about the cheesy effects of the early Doc in Earthshock, it probably looked great at the time. It's just now we're so used to better effects. Like the way no-one saw the strings in Bill & Ben or whatever at the time, coz of picture quality.