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 | Dr Who preserves St. Mark |
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| What: | Byzantium! (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Michael Baxter, Coalville, Leicestershire, UK |
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| Date: | Saturday 20 April 2002 |
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| Rating: |  10 |
I must say I expected this novel to be something of a send-up when I saw it described as 'I, Claudius meets The Life of Brian at the pub'. This almost persuaded me not to buy it! Thankfully I did, and avoided missing the wonderful passages where Dr Who (yes I will call him that if I want to) criticises the three pompous scribes for robbing St. Mark's writing of its soul as a side-effect of their translation. The book is influenced by I, Claudius in a way I found hugely enjoyable, and the input from The Life of Brian was happily understated. I did find it difficult to imagine that schoolmaster hero of my childhood, Ian Chesterton, stripped naked and being chased around a bedroom by the lascivious Antonia, though I felt confident throughout that Barbara would be never be betrayed by her champion to the extent of Ian actually bedding this strumpet from antiquity. I didn't like the top and tail of the novel with its glimpses at a future, henpecked Ian, but then I never have cared for this sort of inclusion: it disrupts the flow of the adventures, especially if one tries to read them in their logical order. Overall, though, a delightful little tome, and its content a welcome change from one new alien race after another being trotted past us, often the case in post-Hartnell Dr Who.
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| Hartnell historical for Pertwee |
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This book, with its bleak evocation of pre-revolutionary Russia, conclusively demonstrates that the decision to drop purely historical stories from the TV series was a lamentably short-sighted one. Pertwee would certainly have lapped them up! I certainly had no difficulty whatsoever picturing him enacting the scenes in 'The Wages of Sin'. The Doctor's hair's-breadth escape from the train was particularly exciting, I thought, and typical of the third Doctor. Where the other characters were concerned, Prince Felix and Rasputin provided an extended helping of nail-biting tension where Felix is attempting to administer a fatal dose to the mad monk. I was a trifle disappointed that we didn't meet Czar Nicky at all: it might have been interesting to have his point of view to contrast with that of Alexandra, piously attempting to conceal her fancy for a bit of rough beneath a veneer of saintly good works. Jo Grant and Liz Shaw rubbed along together rather uneasily; perhaps it might have been better to include one or the other, or even neither, for their contribution to the plot was rather marginal. The best character of all was the engaging Kit Powell, who played the role of the Doctor's companion far more effectively than either of the two women. I was really concerned in case he got himself wasted somewhere along the way! Perhaps the Doctor didn't manage to 'drop him off at Whitehall' quite immediately? I hope I can safely leave that little hint with David A. McIntee.
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| What 6th Dr. adventures SHOULD have been |
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| What: | The Holy Terror (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Puddleglum, Southern Ettinsmoor |
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| Date: | Friday 19 April 2002 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
It is a great pleasure to see that the writers agree with the fans when it comes to the 6th Dr - he wasn't a bad Doctor, he just got really bad stories. This is a story worthy of any Doctor.
This story starts with the TARDIS needing to recouperate after Frobisher decides to hunt fish in the pool and uses the TARDIS to generate the fish. They land in a castle where Frobisher is promptly declared a god. This ends the up side of their day. To describe anything past this really runs into spoilers-ville, so suffice it to say that what you think is happening may not really be what is happening.
the almost perfect mixture of humor, drama and intrigue (for Dr. Who, anyway), this adventure is easily worth the money. My hat's off to the writer(s). Thank you.
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| Good idea, but nothing new |
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The Davros Box Set, in my eyes, offers nothing new. I am only 13, but don't let that put you off reading this.
I have been a Doctor Who fan since I saw Planet of the Daleks, which I saw when I was 5 on BBC2 in 1992.
I have every Doctor Who video ever released, except for The Three Doctors and Logopolis, but I have them both on UK Gold copy any how.
Anyway, back to the Davros Box Set. I think it was a good idea, and seeing it was joint second in buying ratings, it must show the BBC we need more Box Sets like this.
It's nothing new, unfortunately, as the picture is the same, there are no new effects (which is a shame, seeing as the covers show the Daleks firing out a Yellow stream laser from there gun - stick), and Revelation of the Daleks cover is the same as the one that came out in the second Dalek Box Set in 1999, although it has a different background on the back cover, and the top picture is turned the other way.
I would have liked to have seen this Box Set on DVD, but don't think it would have selled as good, as more people have VHS players, and anyway, Rememberance was released on DVD just two years before this did.
| What: | The Seeds of Death (BBC classic series videos) |
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| By: | Gerry, London |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 April 2002 |
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| Rating: |  8 |
I'm a bit surprised at the low rating this story has received as I tend to think it is better than the first Ice Warriors story.The Scenes in the Moonbase are particularly tense as is the scene inside the weather station.
| What: | Relative Dementias (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Gerry, London |
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| Date: | Saturday 6 April 2002 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
A very enjoyable book with a clever-and intelligible - temporal paradox as part of the plot.It's the usual alien invasion stuff but there are enough surprises to keep you guessing up until the end.
Well, after dragging through the first half of this book, I was pleasantly surprised. The second half really made up for the slow beginning and all things were definitely explained to eliminate the confusion caused by certain plot twists.
| What: | Lungbarrow (New Adventures novels) |
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| By: | Simon Ferns, Sydney, Australia |
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| Date: | Tuesday 26 March 2002 |
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| Rating: | 1 |
Overblown, overegged, overlong. As pretentious and as bad as Ghostlight and Cat's Cradle. Get me an aspirin.
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| A (fairly) remarkable book |
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Initially a little difficult to feel 'drawn' into the contiuum of the novel, ultimately I was entranced by the descriptions of the alien races described here.
It is clearly not easy to describe what amounts to an utterly alien culture - with a variety of sub-cultures - as well as a phtsical appearnace that takes some getting used to.
The author , however, succeeds not the once, with the age old Venusians, but twice, with the Sou(ou)shi - ultimately revealed as more preying mantix than humanoid.
As the story of a decaying, though ancient, civilisation - some billions of years before life begins on Earth - unfolds, a genuine sense of both sadness and belonging emerges.
The Doctor, Ian and Barbara - all in their separate ways - once again find themselves drawn into the fears and hopes of their hosts. A surprsing amount of true 'horror' also exhibits itself, as the Sou(ou)shi are properly revealed.
All in all a (fairly) reamrkable book. I thorughly recommend it.
I was expecting a lot from Mad Dogs and was unfortunately dissapointed. It wasn't very funny and the threadbare plot reveloved around a concept that was just plain silly.
I realise that after the shock of 'Adventuress' and it being the 100th novel they wanted to do something a little lighthearted but the story totally undermines what's just been going on and throws the series off track. I think I would have appreciated this more if it had come before 'Adventuress'. As it was, I was wanting to know how the Doctor was dealing with the loss of his heart, how the others felt to be travelling again after a year in 1782 etc. Whilst these are more gripes with the range, I felt the novel was spoiled by its' inability to deal with these issues. The story itself was too inconsequential to stop me wondering about the continuity problems.
After getting a bit bored with the range of late I was very pleasantly surprised by the new direction this novel took it in. The writing style was unique (for the series) and engaging, whilst creating an intriguing story. This book actually makes one think about what will happen next and the consequences of actions are dealt with. There is obviously not going to be a reset button at the end and one can only feel that the characters are all the more real for it. This literary version of the eigth Doctor is having a hard time but his adventures (if they continue along this vein) are unlike anything he's ever encounted before- that can only be a good thing to keep people interested.
In dealing with issues of witchcraft and magic in general the book does a good job, it doesn't specifically break the 'science comes first' rule of the series as the incantations are often representations of scientific concepts. There's also a neat explanation of the Doctor's use of 20th century technology on his advanced machine!
| What: | I, Who 2 (I, Who books) |
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| By: | Ryan, Canada |
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| Date: | Wednesday 27 February 2002 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
I, WHO 2 is a fine work which gives you a good gist of what is going on
in the books. To give it a failing grade is ridiculous in the extreme.
This version may not a step up from the original as one might hope but
it certainly maintains the high quality of th original.
Right, lets get one thing straight before we begin. I’ve never really been a follower of the PDAs (Previous Doctor Adventures) apart from the seventh Doctor range, as I didn’t join the WHOniverse until Sylvester was treading the boards.
Thus, I’m not too familiar with the 6th Doctor’s print adventures, but while I was waiting for Relative Dementias and Hope, I needed a stop-gap tale to tide me over. So, I picked up Instruments of Darkness by long time Who scribe Gary Russell.
Well, slap me with a rusty TARDIS, its really rather good. The dialogue fits perfectly with the larger-than-life mental image of Colin Baker’s Doctor, and well I never, Mr. Russell has managed to make Mel ALOT less annoying, whilst still putting her across as Bonnie Langford’s character. Quite an achievement there!
The plot, concerning a supposed shadow government controlling the world’s nations, is a rip-roaring yarn full of twists and thrills. I’ll not give too much away about the plot, as I’d be going on all day, but rest assured it grips you until the final page. The quality of the writing, as ever from Gary, is superb, and aside from a couple of typos, there is very little that I would change.
Evelyn Smythe plays a chunky part in the story, aiding the Doctor and Mel on their quest to discover the truth about the Magnate and its operatives. She is a wonderfully rounded character considering her allotted space, and the scene set in a library in Sheffield during which there is mayhem galore involving her and Mel had me on the edge of my proverbial seat.
Instruments of Darkness, while maybe not everyone’s cup of battery acid, is certainly a damn fine traditional Doctor Who story that I would (and have done) recommend to any DW fan in need of their fix.
8.5/10
Andy
This special tin features the William Hartnell finale The Tenth Planet along with the Colin Baker tale Attack of the Cybermen. Both videos have special features.
Tenth is the first Cyberman and regeneration story. Unfortunately, episode four is missing. However, there is a special reconstruction for it, like the one on The Ice Warriors tape, using telesnaps and off-air recordings. Existing clips e.g. the regeneration are used as well.
In Attack, the Cybermen are trying to knock Halley’s comet off its course and send it crashing into the Earth. This story features the return of Commander Lytton (Resurrection of the Daleks) and references to Tenth. At the start of the tape, there is a clip from Saturday Swapshop featuring Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant and Jacqueline Pearce (Servalon in Blake’s 7).
It’s hard to say which is the best story but I’ll let you decide. This tin is a must have for Doctor Who fans.
| What: | The Dæmons (BBC classic series videos) |
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| By: | Bob, London |
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| Date: | Saturday 16 February 2002 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
I can't understand why this story doesn't get into everyone's top ten list.It's a cracking good tale from begining to end with all the regulars on top form.
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| Not given the credit it deserves |
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| What: | The Web Planet (BBC classic series videos) |
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| By: | Bob, London |
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| Date: | Saturday 16 February 2002 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
Although this stroy gets rubbished quite a lot I think it is rather good.Perhaps it's because I can
remember how eerie it seemed as a child.I think the sets and lighting create a much more effective 'alien' landscape than any quarry and the Menoptera are a lovely creation:sad and noble at the same time,with lovely voices and choreography.They really come a cross as an alien species.The story has it's weaknesses but it's a
lot better than people give it credit for and it's genuinely imaginative and original.
| What: | The Dæmons (BBC classic series videos) |
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| By: | Tom Lingwood, Broseley, Shropshire |
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| Date: | Friday 15 February 2002 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
This is my favourite Doctor Who story. It features the Doctor (Jon Pertwee), Jo Grant, the Master, the Brigadier, Sergeant Benton and Captain Mike Yates. It is my favourite Doctor Who story because it was the first complete story I saw when it was repeated in 1992. Also, it is the third 5-part story (the other being the Troughton serials The Dominators and The Mind Robber) and hasn’t got a dull moment. The best line is when the Brigadier says “Jenkins, chap with wings. Five rounds rapid!”
The plot involves Professor Horner attempting to break into Devil’s Hump in the village of Devil’s End. The Doctor and Jo go to stop him but fail. The professor is killed when he opens the barrow. Meanwhile, the Master is posing as Reverend Magister and is trying to awake a Dæmon named Azal, who’ll appear after 3 ceremonies. The Doctor soon learns of this. Can he stop the Master?
This story has great performances, especially Damaris Hayman as Miss Hawthorne. Also, look out for a cameo by Dalek operator John Scott Martin as a villager in Episode Three at the Master’s meeting and in Episode Five look out for Matthew Corbett (who later became Sooty presenter after buying the rights off his late father and Sooty creator Harry Corbett) as one of the Master’s devil worshippers. This serial was recoloured in 1992 although Episode Four is PAL colour. The Dæmons is a must-have for Doctor Who fans.
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| What's wrong with people? These 2 are OK |
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This tin features Colony in Space and The Time Monster starring Jon Pertwee as the Doctor and Roger Delgado as the Master. Over the years, people have said these two stories are the two worst Pertwee stories but I like them.
Colony is the first Third Doctor adventure in space. The Time Lords discover the Master has stolen the file on the Doomsday Weapon, the most powerful weapon in the galaxy. They send the Doctor and Jo Grant to investigate. Arriving on the planet Exarius in the year 2472, they must a group of colonists from Earth, who are having trouble growing crops and are in dispute with the IMC men, also from Earth. Things take a turn when an Adjudicator from Earth arrives… This serial features appearances by Coronation Street’s Helen ‘Gail Platt’ Worth and EastEnder’s Tony ‘Roy Evans’ Caunter.
Time Monster finds the Master posing as a professor and is trying to control Kronos the Chronovore, who is the guardian of the Kronos Crystal. The Master has part of the crystal. The rest is in Atlantis. The villainous Time Lord travels there to get it. However, the Doctor and Jo are in hot pursuit… This story features appearances by Hammer Horror actress Ingrid Pitt and Dave Prowse (the Green Cross Code Man and Darth Vader in the Star Wars films).
In my opinion, Colony is the better of the two. The best thing about this tin is that both stories are 6 parts long and both are on one tape each. There are a few disappointments: the screen goes black and white twice for two seconds for the title sequences of episodes 1 and 2 of Colony, episode 3 of Time Monster is poor American quality, the sound goes quiet for a minute of episode 6 of the same story and the Roger Delgado head on the front of the tin isn’t embossed like the Cyberman head on the previous year’s Cybermen tin. However, don’t let these put you down. A must for collectors.
| What: | The Paradise of Death (Target novelisations) |
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| By: | Tom Lingwood, Broseley, Shropshire |
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| Date: | Monday 11 February 2002 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
In 1993, 70’s producer Barry Letts wrote a 5 part radio serial entitled The Paradise of Death starring Jon Pertwee. It was broadcast over August and September 1993 on BBC Radio 5. In April 1994, the book was published. The radio serial was okay but the book is better. In it, we get scenes not shown on the radio like Onya’s origins. This book is a pleasant and enjoyable read and a good end to the Target series.
This book is numbered 156 in the Target Library (though the number and target logo don’t appear on the spine of the book) and this is the last in the series of the Target books. It’s okay numbered but it would’ve been better as a Missing Adventure (I’ve put Paradise among them in my collection). If only Letts waited a couple more months then it could’ve been a MA. However, it can be considered as an early MA.
| What: | Burning Heart (Missing Adventures novels) |
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| By: | Tom Lingwood, Broseley, Shropshire |
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| Date: | Monday 11 February 2002 |
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| Rating: | 4 |
I have a few words to say about this: unexciting, boring, rubbish and weird. Although slightly better than The English Way of Death (read my review), it is still awful.
