The Curse of Peladon - Episode 3

Rather entertaining for what's basically a filler episode. Is it me, or does Grun, the King's Champion, look almost exactly like Graham Chapman as Mr. Neutron from Monty Python's Flying Circus? Almost spot on. Katy Manning gets to show off a bit of her acting chops in a couple of scenes here. And we finally get to see Aggedor in the fur! And that silly Venusian Lullaby. The Doctor is wearing a vest. I don't recall the Third Doctor wearing many vests. A very good fight ensues between the Doctor and Grun. Full marks to the stunt people on this one, it's quite good.

The Curse of Peladon - Episode 2

Neat whodunit stuff in this episode, as the Doctor tries to discern who tried to kill them, then who tried to kill Arcturus. The use of the Ice Warriors as a red herring is great, wonderful to see a monster race used as nice guys. Again, good exterior shots, especially that bit of ledge that falls when Jo escapes from the Ice Warriors' quarters. We get some more glimpses of cute Aggedor. Alpha Centauri is a delightful alien. A unique design (thankfully adjusted before filming to make it less phallic), with a squeaky voice that isn't irritating.

The Curse of Peladon - Episode 1

The Son of Doctor Who! No, wait, it's the Roommate of Doctor Who! Yes, David Troughton, son of Second Doctor Patrick Troughton and former roommate of Sixth Doctor Colin Baker, guest stars as King Peladon. It's just too bad he seems like such a wuss. The exterior scenes of the Doctor and Jo in the storm on the mountainside are really well done, as is the fall of the TARDIS. The interior scenes, like in the tunnel, are less effective. The setup of the Peladon community is basic, but it does the job. The Ice Warriors return, too! Nice to see them in color, it's been a while since their last appearance in "The Seeds of Death" with Patrick. Watch out for the falling statue, Doctor!

Day of the Daleks - Episode 4

And now for the conclusion. *Yawn* It's kinda neat to see Robin Yount as part of the resistance. Well, it's not really him, but it sure looks like him. Poor Controller, he helps the Doctor and gets killed by the Daleks for it. We also get a few more quick peeks at Jo's knickers. The delegate arrival scene is well done, nice to see a good variety of delegates. The attack by the Daleks and the Ogrons is cool, if a bit understaffed by Daleks. Three Daleks is all we get, unfortunately. Oh, well. At least the whole time paradox thing is interesting.

Gotta say thumbs down with this one. Slow story, barely interesting. You can clearly tell the Daleks were inserted into this script at almost the last minute. And then they had to go and change the Dalek voices and make them crap. *sigh*

Day of the Daleks - Episode 3

The Doctor travels in time 200 years. It looks kinda crappy. The Daleks are in charge, too. They're not really doing much, though. For a long-awaited return, they're downright disappointing. Start moving around, shooting things! Sheesh! Pertwee gets some nice moments, in particular when he's needling the Controller about the conditions on Earth. We get a peek of Jo's undergarments. The 3-wheeled tryke is just silly, especially with the sound effect dubbed on. We do get the very cool highlight of pictures of the first two Doctors on a videoscreen as the Daleks torture the Doctor. That's neat.

Day of the Daleks - Episode 2

This is rather unengaging. The Daleks are totally underused. The Controller is a smooth character, he kinda reminds me of the War Chief from "The War Games". I do like Jo's short skirt and knee-high boots, very fetching. The Doctor uses one of those futuristic guns. Granted, it's on an Ogron, but he uses a gun. Tsk, tsk. The guerillas are not too convincing. The Ogrons are still pretty cool. A neat cliffhanger with the Doctor coming face to face with a Dalek!

Day of the Daleks - Episode 1

The Daleks return! Shame they changed the voices and made them crap. This is our first story without complete episodes, it's just one movie-length video. So we're going by the "Television Companion" with its episode endings for reference. Until the final Dalek rant scene, the only glimpse we get of a Dalek in this episode is a super-brief shot, and it says one word. Not a great re-introduction, in my opinion. Location work is OK, don't like the day-for-night scenes, never have, not just in Doctor Who, but anywhere. Poor Benton doesn't get to eat his snack. For a first episode, especially a first episode of a season, this starts really slowly. The Ogrons are extremely cool, though. We should get more Daleks in the next episode. Shame about the crap voices.

The Daemons - Episode 5

The conclusion, and the Master is defeated. And he doesn't get away! Azal is suitably impressive. Stephen Thorne has one of the best evil voices out there, along with James Earl Jones and Valentine Dyall. We've not heard or seen the last of him (Stephen, that is, not Azal). The Brigadier gets to say his famous "Chap with wings, there, five rounds rapid" line. Jo's attempt to get Azal to kill her instead of the Doctor is noble, but I just can't help but feel it's a lame way for Azal to be defeated. He couldn't understand it, says the Doctor... OK, sure. But why does that make him blow himself up? Oh, well. Still, it's a great ending to a great story.

Thumbs up. Yep. I know, everyone claims it's their favorite Pertwee story, most notably the actors and crew who made it. It is great, but I don't think it's the best Pertwee story. Lots of great location work, the Master, UNIT, villagers, it's got everything. Highly recommended.

The Daemons - Episode 4

Azal makes his first appearance. Initially it's just his legs and the back of his head we see, as he towers over the Master. Not until the very end do we see the full Azal. Pretty good monster. The Doctor on the motorcycle, man, Pertwee loved his vehicles and gadgets, didn't he? The Brigadier has a great line, "Sometimes, Corporal, I wish I worked in a bank." The Doctor gets to say "Reverse the polarity!" Jo betrays her presence in the cavern to protect a poor little chicken who was to be sacrificed. The Doctor and Miss Hawthorne (and Benton) with their "magic" is a wonderful little scene. Good to see Bessie get in on the action too. The picture quality of this episode is markedly improved, mainly due to the fact that this episode didn't need to be re-colorized like the others. Looks very good.

The Daemons - Episode 3

It seems to me that this episode doesn't really advance the plot much at all. That said, it does have some really exciting pieces. Especially the helicopter/Bessie chase. Some of the shots from the chopper are pretty cool, very exciting. One of the best action sequences in the series to date, I'd say. The cliffhanger is an interesting point. It shows us something threatening the Master. Not the Doctor, the Master. That's a unique change, a cliffhanger involving the villain. Goes to show how much we've come to enjoy the Master, doesn't it?

The Daemons - Episode 2

This episode continues the fine pace from the first episode. It almost feels like a throwback to the days when a regular (even the Doctor) would get an episode off because of vacation, thanks to the Doctor being unconscious for the bulk of the episode. Weird editing in places, like the super-brief shot of someone cutting a phone cord (probably). The gargoyle creature, Bok, is suitably creepy and very effective. Nice location work again, and with a helicopter! Too bad the hoofprints from above don't match the hoofprints close up. Oh, well. But hey, Sergeant Benton gets to rescue a damsel in distress! Check out Benton and Yates in civvies for more distressing items.

The Daemons - Episode 1

Ah, now we're talking. One of the best stories ever. Starts out with a great atmospheric stormy night. And it stays strong. The interplay between the regulars is wonderful to see. Professor Horner reminds me of Peter Ustinov, and Alastair Fergus reminds me of Mark Gatiss. Great location work throughout, especially around the dig. The night scenes are very well done too, though a few of them are a bit too dark. The Master is sinister as Mr. Magister, especially in the ceremony in the crypt. Great cliffhanger, too.

Colony in Space - Episode 6

Ah, the Doomsday Weapon... I wondered when we'd get around to that. I kinda like the way Ashe sacrificed himself by launching the rocket all by himself, disguising the fact that the rest of the colonists stayed on the planet. I can't help but wonder how different this story might be viewed had the original actress cast in the part of the IMC captain had not been booted from the role by BBC brass because they feared a woman in power was too scary or something. Might have livened things up somewhat. Nice explosion at the cave mouth.

A ho-hum thumbs down. It's not terrible or anything, it just kinda plods along. Malcolm Hulke has done better. It's just ininspired and dull, even after the Master (who usually livens things up) finally arrives. But next we have one of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time...

Colony in Space - Episode 5

Just before starting this episode, caught a glimpse of Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston in "The Others". OK, back to Pertwee. So, the colonists are in charge, no wait, now IMC are in charge, no, now it's the colonists again... yawn. Another gunfight at the dome entrance. Yawn. Even Delgado seems to be going through the motions here. Y'know, considering the novelization of this story was titled "The Doomsday Weapon", there's precious little mention of it here. It was only mentioned in the scene with the Time Lords at the very beginning of Episode 1, and that's it. We'll hear of it again soon, I'm thinking. And the Primitive city entrance was originally on film, now it's in studio. Hmm. We also get a silly cliffhanger, with the Master about to destroy Jo, his finger moving ever...so...slowly...towards...the...button...as...the...end...credits...music...starts...

Colony in Space - Episode 4

At last! The Master is here! He's the Adjudicator. And he looks pretty spiffy in the Adjudicator robes. He must like to dress for the occasion. I like the look of the interior of the Primitives' caves. Dark rock and reddish workings, very nifty. I could swear one of the colonists is wearing a spacesuit from "The Ambassadors of Death". Thank goodness that Norton fellow gets killed, lousy traitor. Odd to see the IMC men drinking in celebration after the Adjudicator's decision, we don't see much drinking in Doctor Who. The new Primitives, with the enlarged brain-type heads, look very fake, and give this episode a "Land of the Lost" feel to it, which is not necessarily a good thing.

Colony in Space - Episode 3

Ho-hum. It's a shame that Pertwee's first adventure in Space is this. The colonists with their 70's hippie hairstyles and mustaches and beards are goofy. Interesting to see the Doctor in disguise, in an IMC uniform. Poor Jo gets chained to a bomb. I like the nice IMC fellow, Caldwell. I knew that Norton was no good, I suspected he was a plant. The clue should have been he was played by one of the Dalek voices. But then, the colony leader Ashe is played by the evil Tlotoxl from "The Aztecs". You never know. Still no sign of the Master. Instead we get a really poor cliffhanger, Jo being led into a cave by the Primitives.

Colony in Space - Episode 2

Well, things don't really improve in this episode. IMC shows up, but they don't put much zip into things. That crazed colonist from the other colony makes trouble, just as we knew he would. The aliens are called Primitives, by the way. They still look goofy. The design of the IMC ship is pretty cool, though. It was probably about this time that the audience at the time of original transmission thought to themselves, "Hey, where's the Master?" This is the second episode in a row of this season that does not have the Master in it. He's coming, though, rest assured. But when...? (I hope soon, that might liven things up...)

Colony in Space - Episode 1

Yay! An alien planet! The TARDIS (controlled by the Time Lords) brings the Doctor and Jo to a planet that is not Earth. It's Jo's first time inside the TARDIS, and there's a lovely moment between her and the Doctor after they've landed and opened the door. It's too bad that Jo's first trip is to this drab, boring planet. The colonists' buildings are realized decently. The aliens look kinda wimpy. It's a nice surprise to see the colonists already are getting along (at least somewhat) with the aliens. This is another of the lost Beta tapes of mine, one that would black out just after starting, so I've not really seen this story in many years. It'll be interesting to almost see it "new".

The Claws of Axos - Episode 4

Didn't like this ending episode much at all. Still looks cheap and just kind of thrown together story-wise too. Jo *still* has nothing to do. The blobby Axons look bad. The only good thing in this episode is the by-play between the Doctor and the Master, especially inside the Doctor's TARDIS. And the Doctor's TARDIS works again! Well, kinda. At least it does the most it's been able to since "The War Games" two seasons ago.

I gotta give this one a thumbs-down. Cheaply made, sloppily written, the incidental music grates on you. The only redeeming factors are the Doctor and the Master, and seeing the TARDIS in action again. Otherwise, kinda lame.

The Claws of Axos - Episode 3

Ah, we get to see inside the TARDIS at last. If memory serves, the last time we saw it was in "The War Games". Plus we have the bonus of seeing the Master break in and shake his head at the disarray of the console. And there's a new multi-color central rotor in the console. This story is the first time it strikes me that the incidental music is very much more present. Perhaps because of the arrival of Dudley Simpson? Could be. The Axons still look like cheap crap. And again, not much for Jo to do. Did the writers just not care? The cliffhanger would have been much more effective had they ended it on the Master outlining the threat, instead of showing a wobbly camera view of the Doctor and Jo staggering through the crappy Axos set.

The Claws of Axos - Episode 2

I wonder why they made a duplicate of Filer, it seems to have almost no purpose whatsoever. Yeah, they sent it to bring the Doctor back, but the Doctor saw through the duplicate immediately. The setup shot of the laboratory is impressive, even though it's probably CSO. The Doctor inveigles his way in so he can use the lab to fix his TARDIS if he can. Nice one, Doctor. Again, Jo has almost nothing to do here. The professor is, I believe, later cast as Colonel Crichton, the Brigadier's replacement in "The Five Doctors". The Master escapes and is evil, even doing almost a Raiders of the Lost Ark stunt to control a truck. Nice to see Delgado doing a bit of stuntwork, riding on top of the truck.

The Claws of Axos - Episode 1

"Freak weather conditions." The famous line to cover the not-matching-at-all location shots of this story. It starts out rather reminiscent of "Spearhead from Space", with something approaching Earth and UNIT tracking it. I don't like Chinn at all, and I'm not meant to. Poor Jo gets almost nothing to do or say in this episode, except look pretty. The Master is revealed quite late in, as a prisoner of the newly-arrived Axons, and his quite apparent frustration is fun to see. I like the way the Doctor doesn't trust them one bit, needling them with intelligent questions. Bill Filer isn't as annoying as he's made out to be. At least not yet. The sets and interiors have a distinctly cheap feel to them, more use of CSO than is probably necessary. Location work is OK, apart from the previously-mentioned unmatching conditions.

The Mind of Evil - Episode 6

A very satisfying concluding episode. Poor Barnham, though. He was such a nice man, after he was processed. Shame to see him get killed by the Master. The Master smokes cigars in this story, which strikes someone watching today as rather odd. Pertwee gives a good performance, you can clearly see his frustration at being stuck on Earth. And for some reason, ever since I first saw this story and taped it (it was one of the first stories I ever taped...and it was on Beta!), I just love the sound of the paper bag the dematerialization circuit arrives in! I can't explain why, I just do.

Thumbs up to this one, most definitely. Lots of stuff going on, but it all fits together nicely. The Master is still evil, Benton and Yates get stuff to do, Michael Sheard shows up, and a great story is had by all. Very much recommended.

The Mind of Evil - Episode 5

OK, that was a lame cliffhanger resolution. The Doctor and Jo are attacked by the Keller Machine... which then leaves. Wow. Interesting to see the Doctor and the Master working together on a "science project", so to speak. I love the Master's "Yep" reply when the Doctor tells him to grab a coil or some such. And we get a patented Third Doctor Moment of Charm (as coined by Doctor Who Magazine's Time Team during their marathon), with the Doctor telling Jo about being locked in the Tower of London with Sir Walter Raleigh. Nifty music as the Brigadier approaches Stangmoor Prison, and also another nifty bit of music during the attack inside. And a decent cliffhanger, as Mailer (who's a very good villain) points a gun at the Doctor, and a shot rings out...

The Mind of Evil - Episode 4

Good location work in this episode, with the capture of the Thunderbolt missile by Mailer's fellow prison henchmen. Again we see the Third Doctor leg-crook. But wait, he's lying down and both his legs are straight! Hmm. Perhaps when his head is somewhat elevated he can stretch it down. Interesting to see Yates and Benton get beaten. The Brigadier looks just too much like Peter Sellers as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake from "Dr. Strangelove" in this episode. And we get another silly "Doctor making goofy terrified faces at threatening menace" cliffhanger, this time with Jo by his side.