'Happy New Year' Message from Blink

Today marks the beginning of a brand new year, which will see thirteen brand new episodes of Doctor Who broadcast in the Spring and Autumn, as well as a Christmas Special. There are still plenty more treats to look forward to beforehand on Blink, including the upcoming ‘Blast from the Past’ project which will be released in early February.

I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who has supported this blog since it started in February last year, and hope that you will continue to do so in the future. Happy New Year!

Doctor Who: Blast from the Past Schedule

The entry forms for the ‘Blast from the Past’ special project have now been checked, and the list of stories to be reviewed is available below. Thank you to everyone who entered their chosen stories of the latest Doctors. ‘Blast from the Past’ will begin in January 2011 with the review of the 1996 TV Movie.

Eighth Doctor – The TV Movie
Ninth Doctor – The Unquiet Dead
Tenth Doctor – The Waters of Mars
Eleventh Doctor – Flesh and Stone

Doctor Who: Blast from the Past Returns

One of the first special projects to appear on this blog was ‘Blast from the Past’, where one story from each of the seven classic Doctors’ eras was thoroughly reviewed during a single week on this blog.

In January 2011, ‘Blast from the Past’ will return to this blog so that a story from the Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors’ eras will be reviewed. The Eighth Doctor story will be the 1996 TV Movie, but the stories of the three new Doctors can be chosen by you on the new ‘Blast from the Past’ section.

The form will only take a few seconds to complete, and will hopefully mean that at least one of your chosen stories is reviewed.

Brand New 'Special Projects' Page on Blink

A brand new page containing information about Doctor Who projects is now available on this blog. The page includes links to various high-quality projects made by fans of the show, as well as the recent ‘Patient Pluto’ and ‘Blast from the Past’ projects which were released on this site.

There is also a brand new blog exclusively for ‘Blast from the Past’, where all seven reviews of classic stories can be found.

SPECIAL PROJECTS PAGE

If you own a Doctor Who special project, such as a fan fiction or animated series, then please contact me via the comments section below.

Blast from the Past: Survival

By the time that this final story of the classic series came around, Doctor Who had been a dying show for a long time. With ratings at their lowest recorded levels for the show, and stories looking cheaper than ever, the BBC were more determined to cancel the once adored science-fiction show. The title of ‘Survival’ was ironic for the era when it was shown, as Doctor Who was fighting for its own survival. A fight that sadly wouldn’t be won…

The computerised effects seen in this story are surprisingly realistic, and very impressive considering the small budget that was given to the show. However, the practical effects of various cats in this adventure (with remote-controlled heads) are less than impressive, and unfortunately add to the criticism about the programme being technologically behind the American science-fiction shows.

The Cheetah costumes are another disappointment in the story, as the fluffy head masks they wear weren’t going to convince the audience that they were real, as well as not allowing much expression of the actors to be seen. However, this is partly made up for by the excellent acting and sound effects which are used to bring these (somewhat fake-looking) creatures alive.

The original and engaging script by Rona Munro is the main factor which saves this story, and proves that a high budget and state-of-the-art production values are not what make good television. The death scene of one of the Cheetahs is a particularly effective and moving moment in the story, as the supposed monsters are given an emotional side to them. Sophie Aldred also gives a strong performance as her (posh gangster) character of Ace in this scene, and her expressive acting makes her one of the most believable companions.

Sylvester McCoy had been an excellent Doctor, offering a new mysterious take on the legendary Time Lord, yet for various reasons no-one was bothering to watch the show anymore. Doctor Who may have been a dying show, but that didn’t stop the production team from creating some of the finest stories in the show’s history. The thrilling tale of ‘Survival’ meant that Doctor Who ended on a high note, with the Doctor and Ace walking peacefully into the distance. If only they had been given a fair chance…

Blast from the Past: Vengeance on Varos

The Sixth Doctor’s era was a very rough time for Doctor Who, where the stories coming in seemed to be getting worse and worse. A few weeks after the original transmission of this story, the BBC decided to put the show on hiatus, as it was considered too expensive to make and becoming far too horrific for children to watch. ‘Vengeance on Varos’ almost certainly contributed to this decision, as it is an extremely gothic and even disturbing tale…


Having said this, it is by far one of the strongest stories to emerge from Colin Baker’s time on the show, and the production team’s execution (of the executions) should be complimented. The darker lighting of the sets add to the gothic tone of the story, and make a nice change to the brightly-lit studios which often ruined tense scenes in previous episodes. The design of the base also fits the story well, where the dark colour schemes and constant surveillance give it a prison-like feel.

Nabil Shaban’s character of Sil has a very convincing prosthetic costume, which allows a believable alien character to be created, and as a result enhances the disturbing feel of the story. The political system on the planet is soon revealed to be corrupt, with powerful figures (including Sil) manipulating the Governor into no-win situations. The idea of voting to save or kill political leaders based on a television performance is a very powerful one, and shows how a television obsessed society could go too far.

If there is one scene that is always criticised by fans (and there is!), then it is the fight sequence between the Doctor and two prison guards, which ends up with both of them boiling in a pool of acid. Critics often claim that the Doctor murderously and deliberately throws them into the acid with the rage of an assassin (well… that is exaggerated). The deaths were of no particular fault to the Doctor, however his comical comments made afterwards have no place in this tragic scene.

‘Vengeance on Varos’ is a slightly controversial adventure in Doctor Who, where some viewers welcome the darker tones of the storytelling, whilst others argue that it is not right for the family show. While it may not be considered a ‘classic’ story, it is still a thrilling tale with some extremely powerful themes and images throughout. The corrupt society that we see in this story has some parallels to our own world, where television shows begin to change the way we see the world, and sometimes for the worst.

Tomorrow: Survival

Blast from the Past: Earthshock

By the time that this story came around, Peter Davison had fully settled into the role of the Fifth Doctor, and was becoming a strong favourite amongst the audience, achieving considerably higher ratings than the previous series with Tom Baker still at the helm. Davison had always said that he wanted to do a Cyberman story since he got the part, and this epic four-part tale was his time to shine…

The first episode is the most sinister of the lot, where we are presented with two shadow-like Robots who murder anyone that enters the caves which they are guarding. Peter Grimwade is the perfect director for this story, giving a real sense of energy and pace to Eric Saward’s action-packed adventure. He was an unpopular man amongst the cast (for constantly pestering them to give stronger performances), but the results he obtained from this method are unbeatable.

This story stands out as containing two of the biggest surprises throughout the show’s history, the first of which being the shocking return of the Cybermen at the end of the first episode. David Banks is excellently cast as the Cyber Leader with his deep booming voice and witty portrayal, and is a huge improvement on the rather camp Cyber Leader which appeared in ‘Revenge of the Cybermen’.

The second shock of the story is the tragic death of the companion Adric, who is notable as being the first fulltime companion to die. This is arguably the best departure scene of any companion in the classic series of Doctor Who, and one which would not be forgotten by any fans of the show. Matthew Waterhouse has often been criticised for his portrayal of Adric, but in these final moments he gives an exceptional performance, and proves that he could have been an excellent companion if given a real opportunity.

‘Earthshock’ is a phenomenal story for the time and budget in which it was made, and a true ‘classic’ adventure in Doctor Who, for the simple reason that everything worked in the planning and execution of the production. The sets clanked instead of creaked, the actors performed instead of played, the director stuck with it instead of surrendered. Peter Davison’s first series was a new beginning for Doctor Who, and this story marks a real highpoint in the show’s history.

Tomorrow: Vengeance on Varos

Blast from the Past: The Robots of Death

Tom Baker’s era is famous amongst fans of the show for having the strongest run of stories, in particular during his first three seasons, and ‘The Robots of Death’ falls within this time. The quality of acting, script writing, editing, and directing makes this story a ‘classic’, and it will always be remembered amongst the other popular stories from this era. Although the title gives away the enemy in these episodes, there are plenty of surprises along the way…

Chris Boucher’s script is a particularly strong one, offering terrifying images and creating believable characters (apart from one squealing girl who cries a lot). It has all of the elements of a classic gothic tale, including a remote location under attack from a mysterious force, a futuristic world where technology is fighting back, and a villainous man who betrays his own side to the enemy, before they fight back and destroy him as well.

One of the most terrifying shots in this tale is of a damaged Robot with dried blood on its hands, which is particularly morbid as it shows the true horrific power of these creatures. Gothic images like this were common during Robert Holmes’ era as the Script Editor of the programme, and are part of the reason why Tom Baker’s first three series are so fondly thought of, as the production team could introduce horror into the show whilst still keeping it child-friendly at the same time (unlike the Colin Baker era, where it was kill, kill, kill! ).

If there had to be a negative about these episodes, then it would simply be that the lighting of the studios is very bright, which slightly ruins the dark and sinister atmosphere of the story. However, over-lighting was a common feature of programmes in the twentieth century, as the BBC were supposedly worried that elderly people would think that there televisions had broken if the picture wasn’t bright. (What were the BBC smoking?)

‘The Robots of Death’ is a thrilling tale of betrayal and the problems of technology, and is one of many fantastic stories which Doctor Who produced during this era. Sadly, this long run of triumphs would soon disintegrate into a run of mediocre stories, as Robert Holmes left the show after his third season in the job. While he was the Script Editor though, the programme had never been so popular amongst fans, and he ensured that Saturday nights would remain as ‘Doctor Who night’ for many years to come…

Tomorrow: Earthshock

Blast from the Past: The Green Death

This is another outstanding story from the history of the programme, delivering sincere political messages to the viewer, whilst still having a fun and dynamic story to accompany it. Everyone really pulls together to make this story work, and the result on screen is staggeringly good, especially considering the very limited budget and short amount of time that the production team. Bring on the maggots…

The most impressive scenes within this tale are where Professor Jones talks about the possibilities of future energy resources and how we are damaging our planet, a concept which was unusual at the original time of broadcast, but is an everyday concern in our modern society. This is a story out of its time, tackling issues which have only become widely known about in recent years.

Robert Sloman’s script is of a very high standard, combining horror with humour, and morals with maggots. The story is fully brought to life by Jon Pertwee’s action-craving Doctor (with a martial arts scene every five minutes), where he and Katy Manning have a great spark together and clearly enjoy their roles. Pertwee is clearly having the time of his life when he disguises himself as a washerwoman (you have to see it to appreciate it – good old Doris the cleaner!)

The only factor which lets down this story is the special effects, which were overambitious for the time when it was made. The Colour Separation Overlay (CSO) effects allow the production team to film the actors against a blue screen, whilst the set behind them can be just a still picture or even a scale model of the location. However, this technique was a new concept in the early seventies, and the bright lighting of the maggots’ lair creates large obtrusive outlines around the actors, which ruins the believability of the scene.

These dodgy effects are more than made up for by the quality of the story though, combined with the sharp direction and energetic cast. It is these aspects which make a real classic episode of Doctor Who, and ‘The Green Death’ certainly falls into that category. Despite the deep political messages and sentimental departure of Katy Manning as Jo Grant, this story will always be remembered as “the one with the giant maggots”!

Tomorrow: The Robots of Death

Blast from the Past: The Tomb of the Cybermen

This was one of the many unfortunate stories of the early sixties to be junked by the BBC after transmission, so as to save space in the vaults for programmes which were considered more valuable. In 1992, fans of the show would hear of some exciting news about this legendary Cyberman adventure: The entire four-part story had been discovered in Hong Kong! After all this time, would the story live up to expectations…

This was the third story to feature the popular enemies of the Cybermen, and the production team were trying to find new and interesting ways to use the creatures. The story is in a typical base-under-siege format, which increases the fear levels as there could be a Cyberman around any corner. This story is also iconic for being the first to feature the almighty Cyber Controller, whose brain is encased in a dome-shaped container above its head.

One of the greatest scenes in this story is a subtle conversation between The Doctor and Victoria, where they discuss the people who they have lost in their past (Victoria’s father had died in the previous story), and how they can move on from their grief. Patrick Troughton and Deborah Watling excel in this scene, giving their characters real depth and emotion, which acts as a good opposite to the fast paced action scenes which follow.

The fight sequences between Toberman and various Cybermen have become famous throughout long-term fans of the programme (in particular for the mysterious wire which magically assists a Cyberman to lift Toberman). The hero of the day is Toberman himself, who manages to throw the Cyber Controller (who looks suspiciously like a dummy) across the control panels, before slamming the electrical tomb doors shut on the damaged Controller, electrocuting himself in the process.

This story has been highly regarded by many fans of the show (including Matt Smith), due to all of the brilliant elements which really come together and gel to make the stunning result. A thrilling encounter with the terrifying Cybermen, a great cast to make each individual character come alive, and Deborah Watling in a very short dress are sure to please the viewers. You can’t ask for much more than that!

Tomorrow: The Green Death

Blast from the Past: The War Machines

Huge metal creatures glide across the ground, stalking the streets of London, and armed with two powerful weapons emerging from the front of their case. This description could easily be that of a Dalek, but instead it is of a War Machine. The resemblance that they bare to the Daleks has often been noted by fans of the programme, but that doesn’t stop this story from creating changes of its own…

The opening aerial shot of London feels new and fresh to the show, with this being the first story to be solely set in the present day. The scenes in the ‘Inferno’ bar offer another new atmosphere to the show, where we get to see everyday people having a fun time, and meet the lively characters of Ben and Polly. However, I’m not overly impressed with some of the extras’ boogieing and jiving, which is quite embarrassing to watch (imagine when your Dad used to dance in front of your friends or relatives, and you’d be weeping on the inside - that sort of dancing).

Jackie Lane’s character of Dodo is soon whisked off by a phone call to the Post Office Tower, however she seems to be acting rather strangely. After being possessed by WOTAN, she is given instructions to collect the Doctor (who is in the bar, where she has just been summoned from). It doesn’t take the Doctor long to realise what has happened though, and Dodo is set to rest for the day. Strangely enough, this is the last time that we see Dodo, and she never has a proper farewell scene with the Doctor. Her character is as dead as a Dodo (pun intended - sorry).

Queue scenes of battle and mayhem with killer robotic machines – perfect! After London citizens flee the streets and people in phone boxes get zapped, the Doctor makes his move and stands up to the menacing War Machines (they even knock over bins – they should get an Asbo). William Hartnell shines in the scenes with the War Machine, acting as a powerful authority over the enemies, yet still having a joyful and childlike quality to him when he achieves his task and stops their force.

This story is one of the finest to emerge from the William Hartnell era, where the use of location filming (a rarity for the time) combined with convincing studio sets (a huge rarity for the time) allowed the energetic story to fully blossom. The new “hip-and-groovy” companions of Ben and Polly gave the show a promising future, and ensured that this story was a huge turning point for the show, even if it was another Dalek… I mean, very original-looking War Machine story.

Tomorrow: The Tomb of the Cybermen

'Blast from the Past' Week Details

The exclusive ‘Blast from the Past’ week begins this Monday on ‘Blink’, where a classic story from each of the original Seven Doctors’ eras will be reviewed on this blog, along with general trivia added into the mix.

These reviews will be of a decent length, however they should be fun to read and will be in a similar style to ‘The Time Team’ feature which appeared in Doctor Who Magazine.

'Blast from the Past' Week Schedule

The entry forms for the ‘Blast from the Past’ week have now been checked, and the list of classic stories which will be reviewed is now available to see below. Thank you to everyone who entered their chosen stories of each classic Doctor. ‘Blast from the Past’ will commence on the week of 16th August 2010.


1. The War Machines
2. Tomb of the Cybermen
3. The Green Death
4. The Robots of Death
5. Earthshock
6. Vengeance on Varos
7. Survival

Please comment and rate below.

Special Project: Blast from the Past

The exclusive ‘Patient Pluto’ games series may be over on Blink, but there are still plenty of new and exciting projects yet to come. The first of these projects is ‘Blast from the Past’, where one story from each of the seven classic Doctors’ eras will be thoroughly reviewed during a single week on this blog.


The stories which are reviewed will be decided from your choices on the ‘Blast from the Past’ page. The form will only take a few seconds to complete, and at least one of your chosen stories will be reviewed.

Please comment and rate below.